bestowe life and saluation vppon none vnlesse by the sentence of the lawe hee be pronounced righteous and also without respect of persons to adiudge so manie to the cursse and wrath of God and to eternall paines which haue not yeelded pure perfect and cōtinual obedience to the lawe This right of the law is conteined in the promises threats added to the lawe of God And the summe thereof tendeth vnto these two sayinges of Moses Curssed be he that confirmeth not all the wordes of this lawe to doe them And The man which doth them shal liue in them that is as God condemneth the transgressor of the lawe so hee doeth iustifie the fulfiller of the same For as to bee condemned is by God through the accusement of Moses or the law the verie conscience of man bearing witnesse againste him named to be guiltie for transgressing the lawe to bee pronounced vniust and to bee adiudged to eternal death as accursed of God So to be iustified is by God through the quitance of Moses or the Lawe the verie conscience of man excusing him to bee named not guiltie for fulfilling the lawe to bee pronounced righteous to be adiudged to eternall life as blessed of GOD and that in respecte of the couenant betweene GOD and man This being set downe I will propose à demonstration whereby it shall appeare that no mortall man since the fal of our first parentes can legalie be iustified before the tribunal seat of God Iesus Christ onely excepted who is both God and man pure from all sinne absolutelie righteous according to the law And the demonstration is this Whosoeuer doeth perfectlie fulfill the lawe of God is righteous by the lawe and heire of eternall life by the promise of God And contrariwise hee that doeth not fulfill the lawe is accurssed and subiect to the wrath of God and to eternall paines according to the sentence of the lawe But no man since the fall of our first parentes Christ onelie excepted was euer found that coulde fulfill the lawe of God Therefore no man is righteous by the sentence of the lawe and heire of eternal life by the couenant of God but Christ alone who beeing free from contagion of sinne did perfectlie fulfill the lawe but all other besides him are by nature subiect to the cursse to the wrath of GOD and to eternall tormentes The maior is proued from the extreme right of the lawe that is from the promises and threateninges of God his lawe And this no man will denie as apparent by the worde of God but the minor is in controuersie For both the Pelagians and the Papistes doe reiecte the minor as vntrue but theie builde not both vpon the same foundation Pelagius because hee tooke-awaie originall sinne and taught how sin was sent-ouer to the posteritie of Adā not by propagation but by immitation onely ascribed to the power of man y t theie could by their natural strength of them selues fulfil the lawe of God and by the merites of good workes attaine euerlasting life And forsomuch as erroneouslie hee supposed that Christ was à meere man and yet for all that yeelded perfect obedience to the lawe hee concluded that other men likewise if they woulde might obserue the lawe and thereby be iustified and saued But howe weake yea howe false the foundation of Pelagius is the scripture in manie places doeth euidentlie declare For in that hee saith howe sinne is sent-ouer to the posteritie of Adam by imitation onelie it is most vntrue as Paule in his first Chapter vnto the Romanes doth most cleerelie teach where he handleth this verie argument namelie that wee are guiltie not by imitation but by propagation As by one man saith hee sinne entered into the worlde and death by sinne and so death went ouer all men forsomuch as all men haue sinned Againe Death raigned from Adam to Moses euen ouer them also that sinned not after the like maner of the transgression of Adam Are not these wordes quite contrarie to the saying of Pelagius which imagineth that sinne is sent-ouer by imitation onely Againe By the offence of one manie are dead that is all which were borne of Adam according to the common lawe of birth Againe through one which sinned death and condemnation came thorough one offence vnto condemnation Againe By the offence of one death raigned through one And again by the offence of one the fault came on al mē to condemnation by one mans disobedience manie were made sinners What can be spoken more plainelie Dauid also hee saith Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceaued mee Here Dauid speaketh not of à certaine sin of his parents as though the worke of marriage were à sinne which is wel knowē to be the holie and lawfull ordinance of God but of the contagion whereby we al y e sort of vs are both conceaued and brought into the world polluted because of the offence of our first parentes in whome the whole nature of man is corrupted and guiltie Therefore vnto the Ephesians Paul saith Wee were by nature the children of wrath so wel as others The foundation therefore of Pelagius being taken awaie the building wherevpon he had builded doth of it selfe come vnto the groūd So that when Pelagius doth argue thus We are borne without original sinne and onelie by imitating sinful Adam we are made guiltie therfore by the power of nature we can fulfil the lawe the Antecedent is constantlie to be denied as that which is contrarie both to the course of the whole scripture to the iudgement of al good writers And whereas the saide Pelagius doth affirme that Christ was onelie man not God too and yet notwithstanding yeelded ful obedience to the lawe and therefore others also maie fulfil the same it is à friuolous argument and ouerthrowne by the consent of the whole Scripture For the whole Scripture doth commend Christ God and man to vs saith he is the onelie sauiour testifieth that he is the beholder of heartes and acknowledgeth him to be present in all places Now y e Papists which also denie the minor of our argument builde vpon another foundation to wit vpon à false definition of God his lawe For with the Pharisees theie thinke that the lawe doth onelie restraine the hande as theie saie and requireth onelie outward ciuil workes which when men doe theie saie how theie are iust before God and doe merit by their obedience eternal life original sinne being abolished through the death of Christ. And therefore theie define the iustification of the vngodlie to be à remissiō of sinnes and à perfection of good works But how vane and friuolous this toieng of the Papistes is first the Law it selfe which brideleth concupiscence doth shewe Secondlie Paul compareth the Lawe of nature of men together as things cleane contrarie We know saith he that the law is
doe not refuse his medicine For he from the bosome of the father doth bring the moste comfortable doctrine of the Gospel concerning the remission of sinnes which being pardoned and quite abolished neither hath the lawe in vs any thing which he may condemne nor the diuel nor death ouer vs anie power at al. This doctrine of the Gospel is called the mysterie hid from the wise of this world and is thought of them to be foolishnes But to the miserable and afflicted sinners it is the wisedome of God whom it hath pleased by the foolish preaching of Christ crucified to saue such as beleeue Therfore we must shew in à worde or two what this doctrine of the Gospel is that this part of the priesthoode of Christ maie be the more comfortable vnto vs. Christ in the 24. of Luke proponeth the sūme hereof in these wordes It is behoueful that repentance and remission of sinnes be preached in my Name among al nations Therefore the Gospel is à general preaching of the remissiō of sinnes which theie attaine who repent and that through the Name that is through the merites of Christ. And although this definition as I saie doth contein the sūme of the matter yet the better to conceaue the greatnes of the benefit of Christ our Priest I wil set-downe another more at large The Gospel is an vniuersal preaching of Christ our Priest wherein tidings is brought of deliuerance from the wrath of God from the cursse of the lawe and from euerlasting damnation and remission of sinnes saluation and euerlasting life is proclaimed to al such as beleeue in the sonne for his owne merites according to the promise made in olde time to the fathers that the glorie of God his goodnes maie be commended euermore and besides that such as be deliuered through Christe maie bring forth fruites worthie the Gospel and at the length enioie euerlasting life This definition of the Gospel taken out of sundrie places of the scripture doth teach howe the Gospel in deede is à good and ioieful message without which doubtlesse we should perish in euerlasting miserie The partes of this definition for so much as else where we haue explicated them I wil not anie more stand vpon them in this place The summe of al is this that by nature we are miserable cōdemned slaues but by grace which the Gospel preacheth blessed righteous free and heires of eternal life through Iesus Christ. Christ the sonne of God himselfe brought this doctrine out of the bosome of the Father and proposed the same to our first parentes after their miserable fal into the snares of the diuel For thus he saith The seede of the woman shal bruise the head of the serpent This he sounded by the ministerie of Noah before the floud For Peter doth affirme that Christe by the spirite went preached vnto the spirites that are in prison because of their froward rebellion against y e spirite of Christ preaching to them This afterward he vttered by the Prophets as the same Peter doth witnesse This after his incarnation he preached also three yeares and an halfe This he commanded to be blowen abroade by his Apostles into al the worlde which also he confirmed afterward with manifolde signes By his doctrine as he hath alwaies preserued so doth he preserue and euen vntil the end of the world wil preserue the Churche against the gates of hel he wil blesse it and giue the holie spirite and euerlasting life to as manie as beleeue this doctrine But on the other side horrible damnation hangeth-ouer their heads who giue no credite to this doctrine so confirmed both with signes and with wonders and with manifolde virtues and by the holie Ghoste For as it is in the Epistle vnto the Hebrues if the worde spoken by Angels was stedfast and euerie transgression and disobedience receaued à iust recompence of reward howe shal we escape if we neglect so great saluation Let vs therefore as the same Epistle warneth take heede that we let it not slip CHAP. 29. 1. Of sacrifice the second part of Christ his priest-hoode THe second part of Christ his priesthod is to offer sacrifice Which sacrifice of Christ is takē somtime generalie somtime specialie When it is taken generalie it comprehendeth al whatsoeuer Christe our Priest hath either done or offered to the father for our welfare As al his workes are perfect odedience to the lawe voluntarie death and passion and continual intercession with the Father That obedience towarde the lawe is à certaine parte of his sacrifice it is aparent because therebie he maketh vs righteous before God Of his passion and death the Epistle vnto the Hebrues doth entreate when it affirmeth that Christe offered himselfe for our sinnes and by his blood purged our consciences His intercession and praiers in the 5. vnto the Hebrues are called oblations For thus it is written In the daies of his flesh he did offer-vp praiers and supplications with strong crieing and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death For these three to wit his perfect obedience of the lawe his passion and his intercession mutualie by à certaine order as effectes of their causes doe depend each of other contrariwise For in that he was holie pure yea moste perfectlie righteous according to the lawe his voluntarie obedience in the crosse was of power to purge al the sinnes of men because he was obedient to the father euen vnto the death of y e crosse his praiers doe preuaile for the Church euerlasting lie who therfore is the onelie intercessor because he and none beside gaue himselfe a ransome for al men as Paul doth testifie This consecution or gathering together of Christ his merites doth notablie appeare in our sanctification For by the merite of his death he doth so purge vs from sinne that if so be we beleeue we doe appeare no more guiltie in the sight of the father as Isaiah fore-tolde of him in his 53. Chapter Surelie he hath borne our infirmities carried our sorrowes Againe He was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities By the merite of his obedience to the lawe he doth cloth vs that we maie appeare righteous before God not through our owne but throgh his righteousnes imputed vnto vs. For so doth Paule saie vnto the Romanes Chapter 5. As by one mans disobedience manie were made sinners so by the obedience of one shal manie also be made righteous Both which merites to wit of his passion and obedience to the lawe Paul comprehendeth ththese words Christ was made vnder the law that he might redeeme them which were vnder the law For whereas there is à double sentence of the lawe one of malediction and of death for not fulfilling the lawe whereinto we doe runne through sinne another of blessing that is
this type was fullie accomplished in Christe For as the Prophet saith The Lord hath laide vpon him the iniquitie of vs al. So doth Paul applie the figure to Christe when he saith He hath made him to be sinne for vs which knewe no sinne that we should be made the righteousnes of God in him Againe Christ hath redeemed vs from the cursse of the lawe being made a cursse for vs. For it is written Cursed is euerie one that hangeth on tree Furthermore as that figuratiue goate was sent into the wildernes to be torne of wilde beasts So Christe was deliuered into the handes of the Scribees Pharises people obeieng the commandementes of their prince the diuel to be slaine for our sinnes and bare the punishment due vnto them as if it had bene his owne Here we must diligentlie distinguish betweene the shadowe and the truth The sinnes of the children of Israel were laide vpon the goate but in a figure onelie but Christ indeede bare the sinnes of the whole world Neither is here anie trope to be admitted For herein our whole hope doth consist herein the infinite loue of God doth appeare finalie herevpon our whole saluation doth depend that our God trulie without trope hath poured forth al his anger vpon his owne sonne as though he had bene guiltie of al the sinnes of the world who trulie and without trope was made a cursse to deliuer vs trulie and without trope from the cursse For otherwise if the wrath of God had bene fained the obedience of the sonne had also bene fained the hope of glorie also which we loke for had bene fained Therefore Christ is to be considered with those qualities which he hath not in him selfe but through imputation in respect of his mediatorship which voluntarilie he tooke vpon himselfe that we likewise after the same sort that is through the imputation of those thinges which were proper to him namelie through the satisfaction of righteousnes and holines iustified and sanctified might be made his brethren and heires of one the same kingdome Fourthlie the sacrifice Christ so orderlie offered vpon y e altar of the crosse did so both pacifie and please y e father the force therof shal euermore continue to the saluation of man The fourth thing which Augustine requireth in euerie sacrifice is the circumstance of persons for whome it is offered Wherevnto Paul in these wordes doth aunswere He gaue himself à ransome for al men And Iohn saith Beholde the lambe of God which taketh awaie the sinnes of the world Moreouer beside these foure thinges which Augustine requireth in our sacrifice wee haue added other foure thinges moe out of the Epistle vnto the Hebrewes in our definition namelie the manner of the sacrifice the perpetual force of the same the forme of applieng it and the final ende of our knowledge and confidence in this sacrifice The manner is that Christ did offer himselfe through the eternal spirit For so saith the Epistle vnto the Hebrewes Howe much more shal the bloode of Christ which through the eternal spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your conscience from dead workes By the name of the eternal spirit he vnderstandeth the power of the diuinitie ioined with the humanitie the which gouerned al this sacrifice whereof it commeth to passe that this bloode seeing it was the bloode of that man who also was verie God is indued euen with the liuely virtue whereby as he made vs so he was able also to renue vs. In consideration hereof God is saide to haue died and to haue purchased to himselfe à Church by his owne bloode as Paul doeth testifie when he saith Take heede vnto your selues and to al the flocke whereof the holie Ghost hath made you ouerseers to feede the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloode Hence then is that which wee added concerning the perpetual force of the sacrifice whereof the Epistle vnto y e Hebrewes doeth saie With one offering hath be consecrated for euer them that are sanctified So by his owne bloode entred he once into the holie place and obteined eternall redemption for vs. Of the application which is through the worde through faith and the sacramentes and also of the final end of Christ his sacrifice we wil entreate afterwarde in their due places CHAP. 30. 1. Of diuerse things to be considered in Christ his suffering and offering-vp himselfe vnto God the father for our sake 2. Particularly for mans miserie which made Christ to suffer BVT here we are to staie à while and deeplie to consider of diuerse weightie pointes namelie howe great the miserie of men was where-into they fel through sinne how great y e displeasure of God was against man for sinning againe how great his mercie was toward man how vnspeakeable the obedience of the sonne of God was how horrible the punishment that he suffered was of what an inestimable incomparable à price the death of y e sonne of God was in that it coulde satisfie and make amendes for the sinnes of all mankinde and contrariwise howe cursedlie vngratefull the maior part of men is in that they will not acknowledge this wonderful worke of God namelie the sacrifice of Christ. First therefore it is beâ—ooueful to consider the miserie of mankinde without the sacrifice of Christ whereof Iob doeth saie Man that is borne of a woman is of short continuance full of trouble Augustine defineth the miserie of man to be an abundance of troble a scarsitie of comfort when à man diuerslie doth suffer but findeth coÌ„fort of none Homer with an out crie affirmeth that nothing is either in greater peril or more miserable than man is But Homer considereth onelie the calamities and miseries and tragical chances wherevnto men are subiect in this life For hee knewe neither the beginning nor the degrees nor the ende of mans miserie The beginning from whence the miserie of mankinde hath sprong and spread-forth none knoweth excepte hee haue learned the same out of the worde of God This word referreth the original of all sinne vnto the diuel the sinne of our first parentes and vnto the propagation of the same sinne vnto al posteritie Which thing Paul Romanes 5. expreslie doeth teach and Isaiah the Prophete doeth saie We al doe vade as a leafe and our iniquities like the winde haue taken vs away The degrees of mans miserie are manifold and verie lamentable The first whereof is à pittiful separation from God Your iniquities saith the Prophete Isaiah haue separated betwene you and your God and your sinnes haue hid his face from you Howe great this miserie is no man is able sufficientlie to conceaue For what can be more wretched than to bee separated from God than to bee excluded from the fountane of al goodnesse from al happines and saluation The second degree is to be
therefore rightly doth y e Church saie He is the verie lambe of God who hath taken awaie the sinnes of the worlde who by his death hath destroied death and repaired life by rising againe And Ambrose So great was our sinne that vnlesse the sonne of God had died for vs the debters of death wee coulde neuer haue beene saued Wherefore when it is said that the sonne of man hath redeemed vs through the merite of his passion à worke of an infinite price and valor is named to wit the worke of the Sonne of man who is verie God too when it is said howe the death of Christ is à satisfaction an infinite price is proposed euen of that man who also is the onelie begotten Sonne of God And although the God-head neither suffered nor died for howe can it bee that either an vnchangeable thing shoulde suffer or an immortall thing suffer death yet the eternal person which is God hath suffered yet not in the diuine but in the humane assumed nature which coulde suffer Therefore Paul doeth saie God hath purchased the Church with his owne blood And Peter affirmeth how Christ hath suffered in the fleshe that is in the humane nature in soule and bodie And the Epistle vnto the Hebrewes doeth saie that Christ tooke part of bloode and flesh that he might destroye through death him that had the power of death that is the diuel signifying plainlie thereby howe the diuinitie coulde not suffer but flesh did and because the diuine nature could not suffer he tooke y t which could suffer And Theodoret doth saie He therfore tooke flesh that through it which coulde suffer that which could not suffer might sustaine punishment Therefore in respect of the vnion of the diuine and humaine nature in one person the price and merite of Christ his suffering is infinite for time valor and efficacie For if you respect the time it extendeth vnto all ages vnto all generations of men If you marke the valor it is able to purge the sinnes of all mankinde if the efficacie the force thereof is euident in al and with-drawen from none which doe heare the gospel and by faith repent For the death of Christ doeth abolishe alike the sinnes of Adam and of Euah and of Peter and of Paul and of such as haue bene since the time of Christ. And this is it which is saide in the Reuelation where hee is called The lambe which was slaine from the beginning of the worlde As sone therefore as our first parentes gaue credite to this promise The seed of the woman shal bruise the serpentes heade by the power of Christ his death which was then appointed to be in the ende of the world they were iustified sanctified and redeemed from eternal death By this faith Iob erected himselfe in the extreeme miseries when hee saide I am sure that my redeemer liueth And of Abram it is written Abram beleeued the Lorde and hee counted that to him for righteousnesse And Dauid was persuaded his adulterie and murder coulde be washed awaie by the merite of Christe his bloode when hee saide Purge me with Hysop and I shall be cleane And therefore in an other place he saith With the Lorde is mercie and with him is great redeemption It is great in deede because it is infinite and can not bee conteined within the bounds of anie time or estimation So that the vertue of Christ his death extendeth vnto all times and to al ages and is of sufficient force to wipe al the sinnes of al mankinde Because it is the death not of à simple man but of that man who also was the onelie begotten Sonne of God and à verie God too deliuered vnto death for our sakes as Paule doth saie Hee spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death CHAP. 36. 1. The horrible ingratitude of man toward God for the so infinite price of his redemption 2. The causes of mans ingratitude with remedies for them THus howesoeuer wee see both of what price the death of the sonne of God is and also for whō Christ the Lorde of glorie hath suffered nowe on the otherside let vs consider howe alas vngratefull the maior part of mankinde is for the same For the Iewes Turkes and manie prophane people can not abide so much as to heare the name of Christ. For the Iewes blinded with enuie couetousnes and ambition doe interprete the benefite of Christ to be their hurt The Turkes possessed with Mahomets furie like mad men are carried tyrannicallie to abolishe the name of Christ. Manie barbarous nations with the auncientnes of error as it were with a leprosie polluted will not permit the gospel to bee founded Others vnder the name of Christe and pretence of religion to fight vnder the ensigne of satan and endeuour by the blood of saincts to hinder the course of the gospel as doth the Pope the Cardinals the mitred Bishoppes Abbats and al the rablement of y e Antichristian kingdome Manie are altogether indifferent looking for the euent that they rise-vp to that part which hath the better hand Who although they becounted gospellers and called defenders of the faith yet in trueth they bee meere Atheistes such as measure the felicitie of man by honor auctoritie wealth and pleasure Among these although some do couer the prophanenesse of their minde by à certaine outwarde ciuilitie◠yet the most part doe imitate Nero and Heliogabalus more truelie thā Christ of whō they haue their name Of this extreeme ingratitude of the world the Lord by the Prophete Isaiah complaineth on this wise I haue nourished and brought vp children but they haue rebelled against me The oxe knoweth his owner and the asse his masters crib but Israel hath not knowen my people hath not vnderstande This ingratitude also the Lord bewayleth when he saith Howe often woulde I haue gathered thy children together as the henne gathereth her chickins vnder her winges and yee would not Againe where hee saith Manie are called but few are choosen By which saying the Lorde both commendeth the infinite mercie of God inuiting all men vnto the knowledge of his sonne that by him they maie be saued and reprooueth the intollerable blindnes and ingratitude of verie manie men who as if they were mad laie violent hande vppon the Phisition that woulde heale and set vpon him as if hee were an enemie rendring for life and celestial promotion offered death and euil wordes This ingratitude is by so much the greater as the benefite is greater that is contemned So that it is worthie the euerlasting hatred of all the chaste Angels and electe of God If you respect y e heaps of wicked men smal is the nūber of them which esteeme the benefites of Christ as they ought Who I beseech you can sufficientlie bewaile with teares this phrensie of mē But of force it must be some detestable euil thing which can with-draw
world chalenge the name of the Church to them selues and thinke that none but they are y e Church The Muscouites likewise brag that they are the Church The Pope of Rome and his fauorers defend with fire and sword howe the Catholique Church is with them Epicures they passe for no religion but that which serueth for their pleasure and idlenes Betweene manie Iewes and vs there is great controuersie about the Messiah of whom who so conceiueth amisse without al doubt he is not of the true Church but vnder the kingdome of Satan We for our parts hauing learned the same out of the word of God doe acknowledge and confesse Iesus the sonne of Marie the virgine borne at Bethlehem à citie of Dauid according to the foresaiengs of the Prophets in the yeeres after the worlds creation 3962. Augustus the Emperor then raigning and afterward put to death vnder Pontius Pilate this Iesus I saie we confesse to be the true Messiah to be verie God and verie man the true mediator betweene God and man and the onlie Sauiour of al mankinde in which respectes we serue him and worship him This Iesus did manie Iewes both acknowledge and worship at such time as he liued in this world which thing Iosephus doth testifie in these wordes Then liued Iesus à wise man if yet we maie cal him à meere man without sinne he was à worker of strange miracles and à teacher of those which gladly do receiue the truth and had manie followers as well Iewes as Gentiles This Christ was he whome notwithstanding that Pilate had iudged him to the crosse being accused by the chiefe of our nation yet ceassed they not to loue him who from the beginning had so done For the third daie he appeared quicke vnto them in so much that by the inspiration of God they fore-told this and other things of him and euen til this daie the stocke of Christians so called of him decaieth not But verie manie Iewes as at that time so now euen of meere enuie do not acknowledge as we do this Iesus to be the Messiah Of which some do vtterly denie that the Messiah is yet come others cōuicted by the scriptures prophets about the time of the comming of the Messiah do in deede confesse that the Messiah is come and was borne vnder Herod yet saie they he is hid for the sinnes of the people and that as some report in Zion with the Angels as others beyond the Caspion mountaines and as others that he goeth à begging about the world and shal manifest himselfe at the pleasure of God For seeing so many prophecies of the Prophets do agree together vpon that time the learneder sort of the Iewes of that age were throughlie persuaded that in their time the Messiah should come Whereof it came to passe that many by occasion of the tyme professed them-selues to be the Messiah when afore that time no man went about the same Among which was one Iudas the Galilean Ioseph Benzara who was bold vnder the name of the Messiah to rebell against Adrian the Emperour whom verie manie Iewes did followe but the end declared his vanitie So was one Barcozibas a skilfull captaine by reason of his often victories supposed to be the Messiah In which opinion many stood a long while til at last he also was punished by Adrian for his wickednesse I ouerslip those whom Foelix the gouernour of Iudea punished For it was a common thing at that time the which the Prophets assigned to the birth of Christ to seduce the people especialy seeing they beleeued the Messiah should come for none other intent than by force of armes to bring other nations vnder his subiection By which meanes they should abound in al kind of pleasures and store of al things the Israelites then liuing being brought againe into their natiue and promised countrie Seeing now the Iewes haue so grosse an opinion concerning the end of the comming of the Messiah they do nothing differ from the verie swine and Lions whereof those delight to wallowe in the mire of filthie lust and these mightily to suppresse other beastes that theie alone may seeme to beare the swaie Whose pestilent errour is condemned through-out the whole Scripture For the whole scripture doeth testifie how the Messiah shall appeare not to wage battell with men like some Hercules or great Alexander but according to the first promise to set-vpon the olde serpent to abolish sinne death to repaire the image of God in man which through sinne was put-out and to rewarde his owne that is the faithful with euerlasting righteousnes immortalitie that so being ioyned to God in perfect loue theie might be happie and blessed wherin the true and proper end of man doetli consist But the better to arme our selues against the deceiptfull Iewes obey we the wordes of our Lord Christ saying Search the Scriptures there are they which testifie of me And Peter saith We haue a most sure word of the Prophets to the which ye do well that yee take heede as vnto à light that shineth in à darke place But that we may the more soundly and substantially refel the Iewish errour let vs include the whole matter within the compasse of one argument on this four me He alone without all controuersie of certaine truth yea and by the confession of all men is the true and onlie Messiah to whome all the prophecies of the Prophets doe point and to whome properlie whatsoeuer by Moses and other holie Prophets of God hath ben fore-told of the Messiah doth agree But the prophecies of al the Prophets doe point vnto Iesus the sonne of Marie the virgine and to this Iesus alone whatsoeuer by Moses and other holie Prophets hath bene fore-told of the Messiah doth agree Therefore none but Iesus the sonne of the virgine Marie is the true and onlie Messiah The Maior none will denie The Minor is in controuersie betweene vs and the Iewes which if we once shal proue both the error of the Iewes wil be manifest and our faith confirmed And seeing as Augustine saith The strength of religion consisteth in this howe al things which fel-out in Christ haue bene fore-told we wil shew in fewe words howe al the oracles of the Prophets doe agree to Iesus Christ alone and to none other and then afterward we purpose to refute such things as the blinded Iewes doe obiect vnto vs. Iesus Christ in the reigne of Augustus the Emperor was borne of the vnspotted virgine in Bethlehem à citie of Dauid Here as Luke recordeth both the time the place the mother and the stocke of the Messiah borne are declared and all these doe answere vnto the fore-saiengs of the Prophets The time was signified by Iaakob the patriarch The scepter shal not depart from Iudah nor à law-giuer from betweene his feete vntil Siloh come and the people shal be gathered vnto him
life haue sealed the trueth of God euen with their verie bloode who more worthie of credite the spirit of Satan in the hardened Iewes or the spirit of Christ who the 50. daie after the resurrection of the Lord by à visible testimonie bare witnesse of the resurrection kingdome and power of Christ What madnes is it sooner to beleeue the forged lies of the Iewes than the diuine workes of Christ whereby the Apostles did confirme the resurrection of the Lord To be briefe the sepulchre the disciples the Angels the holie Ghost the power of Christ in the heartes of the righteous and the preseruation of the Church against the marueilous rage of diuels and Tyrantes do plainlie prooue y t our Lord Iesus Christ is risen from the dead And therefore abhore we the most impudent lie of the Iewes and let vs looke for the comming of our Sauiour from the cloudes euen for Iesus Christ whom we worship as our redemer Now let vs come vnto these foure things which they saie are not fulfilled in Iesus whō we acknowledge serue as y e true Messiah which foure thinges we confesse were fore-told concerning the Messiah by y e holie Prophets of God who without great sinne are not to be suspected of vntruth in their words The first thing therefore which they obiect is concerning the time of the comming of the Messiah The true Messiah saie they shal come in the last daies But y t Iesus whō ye acknowledg to be y e Messiah did much preuēt he last dais For it is aboue 1567. yeeres since hee was borne Therefore that your Iesus is not the Messiah The maior they proue by the saieng of the Prophet Isaiah who in his second chap. speaketh after this forme of the time of y e Messiah It shal be in the last daies that the mountaine of the house of the Lord shal be prepared Lo how shamefully y e blind Iewes do offend here contrarie to the very right rule which they make thēselues and y t is this Who marketh not what is written both afore after in books he peruerteth the words of the liuing God For had they here cōpared y e prophecie of Isaiah with y t prophecie of Daniel wherin as it were with à finger by most euident words y e time of the comming of the Messiah is pointed-vnto surely farre otherwise theie would haue defined the last dayes A daie is vnderstoode three manner of waies First for the time wherein the sunne is ouer our Horizon which the Astronomers cal an artificial daie Secondlie it is taken for the space of 24. houres from y e rising of the sunne vnto the rising-againe of the same and that is called à daie natural Last of all some certaine time ordeined decreed and appointed for some speciall thing in which sense the Prophetes vnderstand it manie times Therefore when the Prophet saith In the last daies he noteth the last times that is the last age of the world distinguished frō the other ages not so much by à certaine and described number of yeeres as by à separation of thinges done in the same So did Elias distinguish the worlde into three times or ages when he saide Two thousand voide two thousand the Lawe two thousand the Messiah And therefore according to the computation of Elias the last time of the worlde is the space of two thousand yeeres Read the Chronicles of Philip Melancton Againe the last daies are oftentimes taken by the prophets for the last time of the Iewish kingdome and nation in Palestine So that the sense of the Prophet is this it shal be in the last daies not of worldlie time for who should haue reaped anie benefit by fauour so long put of surelie verie few but in y e last daies of prophecie of y e kingdom of y e Priesthod which three things ceased when y e sacrifice of Christ was finished A vaine fiction therefore is it of the Iewes which they make about the time of the Messiah inuented contrarie to their verie conscience But this they faine to delude such as are ignorant of the maner of the scripture in distinguishing times The second thing which they obiect is about y e form of the kingdom of y e Messiah promised which they verie impudentlie contend agreeth not with our Messiah Vnder the Messiah saie they shalbe no warres neither among men nor among the beastes of the feelde but soueraigne peace the mountaines being made lowe and the vallies exalted that al thinges may be streight and plaine But this we see not hitherto come to passe And therefore the Messiah is not yet come To prooue the Maior they bring foorth these and such like places of the Prophetes They shal breake their swordes into mattockes and their speares into sithes nation shall not lift-vp à sworde against nation neither shal they learne to fight anie more And in the 11. chapter of the same prophet Isaiah The wolfe shal dwel with the lambe and the leopard shal lie with the kid and the calfe and the Lion and the fat beast together and à litle childe shal leade them And the kowe and the beare shal feede their yong ones shal lie together and the Lion shal eate strawe like the bullock And the sucking child shal plaie vpon the hole of the aspe the wained child shal put his hand vpon the cokatrice hole Then shal none hurt nor destroie in al the mountaine of mine holines for the earth shal be ful of the knowledg of the Lord as the waters that couer the sea To which effect the Prophet Micah cap. 4. entreateth Isaiah likewise addeth Euerie valleie shalbe exalted euerie mountaine and hil shalbe brought low By these manie moe such like prophecies concerning y e manner of the gouernmēt of the Messiah the blinde foolish Iewes doe cōclude y t Iesus the sonne of the virgin Marie is not y e true Messiah promised by y e Prophets But against these let vs oppose an immoueable foundation whereof we will conclude that such thinges as corporaly be ascribed ought spiritualie to be vnderstoode through comparing earthlie with heauenlie thinges The foundation is this The kingdome of the Messiah is not an earthlie but an heauenlie spiritual kingdom which maie be gathered by the first promise made of y e Messiah to come For the Messiah was promised that he should come to destroie the kingdome of Satan For thus it is in the firste promise The seede of the woman shal breake the serpentes head that is the Messiah shal destroie the workes of the diuel namelie sinne and death and restore to man y e image of God which through sinning he had lost that is as Daniel doth interpret y e same shal bring-in euerlasting righteousnes and blessing vpon such as acknowledge him to be King And therefore it is
whereas the wicked in the meane while are in paine expecting the euerlasting torments of the righteous iudgement These thinges therefore are not contrarie the soules of the godlie are with Christ in heauen and the vngodlie in paine and that an vniuersal iudgement shal be where the righteous shal receiue perfect glorie and the reprobate eternal torments after the soules come againe into their bodies Notwithstanding although by these such like arguments the Epicures are conuinced of y e state of the souls after death yet are they not quiet but they proceed in asking and they vrge as they thinke verie grauelie The Iewes saie they affirme how their lawes be Gods lawes the Saracens euen the maior part of mankinde preferre theirs the Muscouites defende their religion to the death the Papistes they glorie of primacie and succession and therefore they cal themselues Catholikes blush not to tearme al other heretikes yee Lutherans also stand to your religion neither doe ye agree verie wel together In this confusion of iudgements what is to be done who are to be credited We haue sufficientlie alreadie shewed the vanitie of the Iewes Saracens Muscouites as touching the Papistes and vs heare vs both conferre waigh with iudgement the reasons of vs both marke which of vs doe drawe our argumentes out of the fountaines of our Sauiour and whiche out of the filthie puddle of mans inuentions so shal you easilie find out the trueth and the waie to iudge aright But if this shal seeme tedious vnto thee stinke thou as thou wilt in thine owne filthines what thou gettest therby thou shalt one daie find If it plese you behold your end in the 37. and 73. Psalmes Nowe concerning the dissension betwene ourselues it ouerthroweth not the trueth of the foundation which al of vs in à manner with one consent defend And thus much against the Epicures For I thinke it not good to spend anie moe wordes to swine And therefore once againe I turne my selfe vnto men CHAP. 12. 1. Of the true Church what it is 2. Whence it is 3. Howe gouerned and defended c. WHat is the true Church The Tabernacles of the Lorde of Hostes as our Psalme defineth That is the true Church is that which of the Lorde is both gathered gouerned and protected which harkeneth vnto cleaueth and is obedient to the Lord of hosts which hath y e Lord of Hostes dwelling in it which is in a strange countrie in banishment tending towardes her countrie by folowing her captaine Christ. These thinges are so linked-together and folowe of the first that no waie theie can be separated First therefore the true Church is gathered by the Lord of Hostes. For he by his worde gathereth to him selfe out of mankinde à Church according to that Go ye into al the world and preach the Gospel to euerie creature He that shal beleeue and be baptised shalbe saued but he that wil not beleeue shalbe damned For seeing without the Church there is no saluation by the worde of the Gospel men are caled with-out respect of nations and persons out-of the kingdome of darkenesse vnto the kingdome of light that is vnto the Church receaued by faith whervnto y e outward signe Baptisme is added as it were a watchworde of warre whereby theie are admonished of the purging which is made by the holie spirit after à certaine secrete manner as our Lorde doth teach in the 3. Chapter of Iohn of thinking vpon holines continualie of the crosse and glorie of the Church of death and resurrection from death of the true God which is the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost which true and onelie God theie are bounde being receaued into the Church to worship with true holinesse both here in this world after the resurrection for euermore This true Church in the first Epistle of Iohn and also in the Apostolical Creede is caled The communion of Saintes that is the felowship of al men that are sanctified in Iesus Christ through the holie Ghoste This sanctification is then wrought when we beleeue the worde of the Gospel and by à liuelie faith rest our selues vpon the Lorde of Hostes which is Iesus Christe And that the true Church is as we saie it maie be proued by that notable example of our Father Abraham For he at such time as he was in Chaldea heard the voice of the Lorde and obeied him being caled out of Hur of the Chaldeans from the companie of idolaters he seuered separated himselfe from the wicked world both in heart in wil in faith in obedience toward God and in confession Where-vnto the name of the Church doth fitlie agree For as the Grecians caled that companie which by à common crier was called from the other people to heare the minde of the Senate à Churche so the Apostles take the Churche of Christ for that companie of men which by the preachers of the worde are called from the kingdome of Satan to the hearing and folowing of Christ and to the seuering and separating them-selues from the wicked world and swarmes of the reprobate both in heart wil faith obedience towardes God and in confession So that whosoeuer disioineth himselfe from the prophanitie of the worlde and by faith ioineth himselfe to Christ with à purpose truelie to serue him he is à member of the Church and à partaker of al the good thingâ— of Christ. And although greate is the weakenesse of al men and manifolde flames of wicked affections do often arise yea in the verie godlie against which in spirite theie doe contend yet he abideth in the Church is holie whosoeuer keepeth faith à good conscience or à good purpose For as the conscience beeing wastâ—d shipwracke is made of faith so where there is à good conscience there is faith by which we enioie the most excellent of al treasures euen the righteousnes of Christ wherebie we please God Neither must we thinke vpon anie difference here either of nations persons or sexe For faith maketh al alike as touching the right of the kingdome And although diuers and sundrie be the giftes yet serue theie al for the vnitie of the Church This vnitie of the true Church gathered out of manie and sundrie nations as it were into one house or familie is excelentlie shadowed by à Pome-granate tied to à bel For as in the Pome-granate vnder one outward barke manie granes are inwardlie vnited-together so infinite people of the Church are couered vnder the vnitie of the Church the which agree together through true charitie albeit in giftes and caling theie are distinguished The bel annexed signifieth the voice of such as preach the Gospel wherebie the members of the Church are gathered as it were into one bodie This true Church seeing it is the tabernacle of the Lorde of Hostes is gouerned and protected by him so that the gates of hel that
is the counsels snares and batteringes whether it be of the worlde or of the diuel cannot preuaile against the same The Church in deede compared to that huge companie of the reprobate and damned diuels is but à verie litle flocke yet continueth it vnmoueable against the force and power of all aduersaries whatsoeuer For notwithstanding manie citizens of the Church be murthered and put to sundrie tormentes yet is not the Church abolished therbie but in death it selfe theie get the victorie while theie keepe their faith and confession For precious in the sight of the Lorde is the death of his Saintes as that which is the gate vnto euerlasting blessednesse Therefore was it wel saide of Augustine The men of this worlde are vnhappilie happie but the Martyrs were happilie vnhappie For theie were for a time vnhappie but happie for euer The Prophet Isaiah compareth the Church to an Iland in his 2. Chapter For as an Iland placed in the sea although it be beaten with many a cruel storme and tempest that arise yet abideth inuincible because the Lord hath set à bound to the Sea which it cannot ouerpasse so the Church abideth safe notwithstanding manifold storms do beate vpon the same For the Lorde of Hostes defendeth and protecteth it who wil not suffer tyrants to vse more crueltie against y e same than it can wel indure or shalbe good for it As often therefore as we heare how the tyrantes of the world doe spoile the Church and murther the members of the same let vs comforte our selues with this cogitation the Lord of Hostes can not forsake his tabernacle which he hath made but wil by his diuine power and presence defende the same and withal praie we vnto this Lorde that he wil not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we be able to beare Moreouer this Church as it is gathered by the word of God so wil it faithfulie reteine y e same without al corruption It knoweth how Christ alone is to be harkened vnto in the ministers of the Gospel And that is it which the Lorde him-selfe doth saie My sheepe heare my voice for theie knowe not the voice of strangers This is à special note wherebie the Church of Christ is distinguished from other assemblies By whiche we are admonished to shunne false-christes and false-prophetes euen as we would the verie diuel him-selfe For this alwaie is the scope of Satan namelie that despising the voice of the Lorde we should hearken vnto him For as he enuironed our first parents by sophistrie and deprauing the worde of God so alwaies he laboureth to entrap the Church after the same sorte and maner And therfore it standeth vs vpoÌ„ aboue al to listen-vnto the voice of our sheepheard despising the voice of strangers by whom the diuel speaketh So then when the Papistes doe bid vs to heare them let vs answer that Christ our shepheard hath commanded to heare his voice onelie and to content vs there-withal This voice of our shepheard is comprehended in the writinges both of the Prophetes and Apostles and that not obscurelie but plainelie as touching the ground of our saluation When the Pope doth bid thee to cal vpon saintes shunne him as the serpent which by his lie cast our first parentes vnto the death For it is contrarie to the wordes of our sheepeheard who saith Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onelie shalt thou serue Againe Cal vpon me in the daie of trouble and so of the rest For a godlie minde is neuer at quiet vnlesse it heare this voice and be truelie persuaded that thus saith the Lorde of hostes Againe this Church forsomuch as it harkeneth onelie vnto the voice of the Lorde of Hostâ—s it cleaueth to him and obeieth him none beside Others folow other masters some cleaue to worldlie riches and pleasures manie are carried-awaie with the tempestes of their owne affections that theie make smal account of the Church of Christ but the true Church possesseth all the treasures of riches in Christ alone for which cause it cleaueth-to and obeieth him it knoweth howe it was saide of their master Be not ye caled Rabbi for one is your doctor to wit Christ. To him alone therfore it seeketh according to the wordes of the Church in the 73. psalme As for me it is good for me to draw neare to God I haue put my trust in the Lord God that I maie declare al thy workes But seeing others that are not in the Church of God to their certaine condemnation doe folowe other masters theie do more and more estrange them-selues from God as in the same Psalme it is saide Loe theie that with-drawe themselues from thee shal perish thou destroiest al them that go a whoring from thee But what is it to cleaue vnto the Lorde of Hostes It is by faith to be espoused and by hope confession and obedience according to his worde to be ioined to him For as by faith we receaue him as our beloued spouse and are ioined to him So by hope confession we continue in him as it were depending to a trustie anchor Whereof we are carried-into his commendation esteeming of al thinges of no price in respect of the obedience we owe vnto him Therefore when the godlie for confession of the Gospel are compelled to change their aboade and see their substance to be seased-vpon let them take consolation from hence looke not so much vpon the present worlde as for the euent the ioieful euent to come which theie shal find if so be theie abide constantlie in the faith and confession let them thinke howe there shalbe à righteous iudgemeÌ„t wherin as theie that cleaue to y e Lord by faith confession shal finde the words of the Psalmist true saying As for me it is good for me to drawe neere to God so such as turne themselues from God by incredulitie and renouncing of confession shal crie-out howe theie are most miserable let them thinke howe confession is necessarie according to this saieng With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnes and with the mouth man confesseth vnto saluation Finalie let them thinke this is an earnest coÌ„mandement of God Flie froÌ„ idolatrie Besides for so much as this true Church is the tabernacle of the Lord of Hostes it hath doubtles the Lorde of hostes dwelling in her And therefore not without good cause is she tearmed the temple of God in the Scriptures Hitherto belongeth that of Paule Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the spirite of God dwelleth in you If anie man destroie the temple of God him shal God destroie For the temple of God is holie which ye are Hence therefore maie be gathered how greate the glorie of the Church is what puritie is required to be in the same how religiously it should serue God and what punishments be prepared for them who shal prophane
according to the prescription of their Lorde For this cause Paul doeth name the ministers of the Gospel Disposers of the secrets of God in whome this onelie thing is required That they be found faithful To conclude the summe of al is this The keies of the Church are the word and faith For as the preaching of the word of God concerning y e attaining remission of sins through Christ is one keie to open to shut the kingdome of God which keie hath à double vse One is of one nature which is to open the kingdome of heauen the other is through the default of the hearers to shut the kingdō of heauen And therefore Christ himselfe is to some the sauor of death vnto death and to others the sauor of life vnto life But as he is the sauor of life of his owne nature so is he the sauor of death through the wickednes of men that wil not credite the Gospel So in that verie deede it is but one keie but it hath à double vse So whoso beleeueth through the working of the holie spirite he adioineth faith to the Gospel which is as it were another keie of the kingdome of heauen By these two keies the kingdome of heauen is shut vp and pardon of sinnes obteined Furthermore as Christ Peter Philip Iohn Paul and the other Apostles doe applie this keie sometime to manie together and sometime to one by himselfe So godlie ministers of the worde both publiquelie and priuatelie maie vse this auctoritie of opening and shutting the kingdome of God that is of binding and loasing sinnes For as this binding is an adiudging of that man who beleeueth not the Gospel but serueth sinne and Sathan vnto death and damnation vnlesse he repent So loasing is à setting of him free who beleeueth the gospel from the woeful bondage of sinne and the diuel and à giuing of the most desired libertie in Iesus Christ that being now set-free from death and perdition he maie serue God by righteousnes for euermore Hereby appeareth both the excellencie of this power and also howe it is not tied vnto men as the Pope thinketh but to the ministerie of the worde and that ordinarie regiment is subiect to this power as farfoorth as the Church is guided by doctrine sacraments ceremonies and discipline The iuridical power although it dependeth cheifelie vppon the power of the keis yet because it requireth deliberation and consultation in respect of diuerse circumstances falling out manie times which cannot be cōprehended in general rules I distinguish it from the former power which I called ordinarie The iuridical power consisteth in three thinges to wit in alowing sound doctrine in reiecting false opinions and in exercising ecclesiastical discipline That the catholike Church and euerie mēber of the same haue power to know and to alowe religion it is manifest For both Christ inuiteth al men vnto himself that they maie learne of men and the Apostle send-foorth to teach and God earnestlie requireth the knowledge of his worde without which no saluation can be attained Therefore wicked wretches are the Papistes who keepe-awaie the laie people as they are called from the reading of good bookes and forbid the holie scriptures to be imprinted and reade in à vulgar speech whereby doubtles they doe shewe themselues to be the cruel enimies of mans saluation whome those wordes of our Sauiour should terrifie me thinkes Wo be to you interpreters of the lawe for ye haue taken-awaie the keie of knowledge yee entred not in your selues and them that came-in yee forbad This checke belongeth vnto the Pharisies in al ages who take to themselues the auctoritie of teaching but in the meanetime by corrupting true doctrine and that of meere malice and diuelish hatred they stop-vp the readie waie vnto Christ. An other part of the iurisdiction of the Church is à power to improue and to reiect false and erroneous doctrine as the inuention of diuels Therefore saith Christ Beware of false Prophetes And Take heede to your selues of the leauen of the Pharisies And Paul saith If anie man preach an other Gospel let him be accursed Neither as they thinke doth it make for the Papistes that our Lorde saith The scribes and the Pharisies doe sit in Moses seat Al therefore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and doe For in another place our sauiour speaketh of the same Pharisies Let them alone they be the blind leaders of the blind Of which I wil conclude two thinges one is Howe they are to be harkened vnto so long as they sit in Moses seat that is so long as they bring the pure doctrine of Moses The other is how al words whereby we are commanded to obeie the rulers and teachers of the Church haue à condition though vnexpressed namelie how they are to be obeied if so be they teach those thinges which the Lorde hath inioined them to teach that is they are to be obeied if the Lord speake in their mouthes and not that old serpent that seduced our first parents And this also is ment by those words of our sauior he that heareth you to wit vttering my words heareth me The last part of iuridical power is discipline which is à schooling whereby such as be receaued into the Church are gouerned kept in order yea framed to religiō righteousnes modestie and other vertues y e nothing vnsitting for Christians be committed or in fewer words Discipline is an ordering of the life and of manners and à training aswel inwarde of the minde affections and wil as outwarde of the tongue gesture and deedes of men vnto godlines honestie and innocencie of life The partes of this discipline are to namely direction and correction Direction doth gouerne and guid men in the right waie Which direction must bee vsed after to the rule of Gods word according to the lawes of godlie magistrates and according to the examples of good men The rule of Gods worde teacheth what is to be auoided and what to be desired and done The catechisme of children proposeth this rule which more at large is declared in the sermons of the Prophets and Apostles The lawes of godlie Magistrates doe prescribe a rule as maie seeme to bee most expedient in respecte of the differences of ages and callinges Hereof there be some canons made for the discipline of the cleargie and some for the schooling of the common people Examples of good men are as painted rules of the lawes For what the lawes by the rules of Gods worde doe describe and offer to the minde that by notable examples is set before the eies in à manner And therefore Christ doeth saie I haue giuen you an example And Paul Be yee folowers of God as deere children and walke in loue The best waie then of teaching is to shew that by examples which is taught by rules And therefore
sacrificing did please But Caine sacrificed without faith presuming vpon the dignitie of his worke And therefore no maruel though God had no regard vnto his offering The summe of al is this that sacrifice spiced with faith pleased as fat and grateful but that voide of faith it displeased as drie vngrateful But Dauid moste plainlie of al sheweth in his 51. Psal. when the sacrifices of burnt offeringes do please for thus he saith The sacrifices of God are à contrite spirit à broken heart O God thou wilt not despise Ioining there-vnto by and by Then shalt thou accept the sacrifices of righteousnes euen the burnt offering and oblation then shal theie offer calues vpon thine altar Therfore let y e beginning of each good worke proceede from an heart purified through saith without which euerie worke seeme it to the eie neuer so holie is abominatiō before God This I haue spoken the more at large because of some among the fathers who not wel vnderstanding the wordes of Dauid and of Isaiah do agre with Porphirie who most wickedlie did slander the sacrifices of the Iewes which were in vse so long as the common-weale of Moses did stand But the fathers somwhat to excuse these Iewish sacrifices saide howe God did not command but onlie suffer them to the ende theie might keepe the Iewes from idolatrie wherunto theie were inclined Now let vs see the causes of Iewish sacrifices in order as we did propose in y e second place First therfore the cause commanding offereth it selfe who is God himselfe Who for that he is moste wise not without great wisdome did command and appoint this ceremonie Against whome albeit dust and ashes wil set himselfe and obiect manifolde absurdities yet content we our-selues with the moste wise counsel of God the which let vs oppose not onelie against that Atheist Porphirie but also against the diuel and his members who dare to oppose the dotinges of their foolish braine against the wisedome of God Let vs knowe that the saieng of Paul is true who saith The wisdome of the flesh is enimitie against God Thorough this cause commanding the godlie among the Iewes did knowe both how their sacrifices pleased God when through faith theie were done vnto Gods glorie with true meditation of the spiritual signification and also that theie were bound vnto obedience vntil Christ came of whome those sacrifices were figures and who by his owne and perfect sacrifice should set an ende to all figuratiue sacrifices But seeing the Iewes at this daie do obiect to vs howe their sacrifices should not be abolished because God is vnchaungeable I doe answere so long as the cause and condition of the decree is in force so long doth God himselfe abide constant and vnchangeable The material cause of Iewishe sacrifices was either the fruite of earth or cleane beastes which by certain tokens are distinguished in Leuiticus from the vncleane It was furthermore enacted that theie should not vse either leauen or honie in their sacrifices but that theie shold season euerie sacrifice with salt For God the law-giuer would haue them to acknowledge him to be auctor of al aswel of such things as doe spring from the earth as of al liuing creatures beside that are breade and also craue his blessing refer the vse of al thinges vnto his owne glorie The formal cause was the verie manner of sacrifising which for that it was diuers it were much to prosecute the same in this place and therefore I remit the reader vnto the book of Moses caled Leuiticus The endes of the sacrifices instituted were foure whereof the first was that the people prone vnto idolatrie might be reclamed therfrom by these exercises The second y t Gods people might bee kept in the seruice of one God and haue à dailie occasion to exercise godlines The thirde that the people might haue à type of Christe the sacrifice to come The fourth that by thinking of Christ the sacrifice to come the Iewes might be warned of the grieuousnes of sinne the which forsomuch as it could not be cleansed by the bloud neither of buls nor of goates theie might know howe to be cleansed throughlie from their sinne theie had neede of the bloud of the immaculate lambe that is of the promised seede or Messiah who alone could tel howe both to abolish the workes of the diuel sin and death and also pacifie the offended father Secondlie that in this minde theie should flie vnto the mercie of God proposed in the forenamed seede and by faith depend vpon that seede glorifieng y e Lord both in al their mind heart wil conuersation who of his infinite goodnes and wise counsel would after such à sorte redeeme mankind With such motions did the fathers Habel Noah Abraham Isahac Iaacob Moses Dauid Salomon Elias and manie other which feared God sacrifice For these knew right wel how by the outwarde worke onelie God was not pleased but that he respected besid the faith and the mind of the offerers Notwithstanding some as hypocrites wicked liuers among this people did thinke that God regarded the outwarde worke and thereby was pacified as by an expiatorie sacrifice And therefore the Lorde doeth testifie that their sacrifices were both abhominable to him and neuer exacted of him In the third place the kindes of the olde sacrifices doe folow the principal and cheefe diuision whereof is this That one kinde was expiatory caled Olah burnt sacrifice which was offered for sinne by à certaine showe of purging For in verie deede it purged not sinne but onelie bare à figure of the purging to come through the onlie sacrifice of Christ al this being lifted vp vpon the altar was consumed with fire Whereby was signified that Christ the Priest and the sacrifice shoulde be lifted-vp vpon the altar of the crosse with the fire of loue be burned for our sinnes Another was of testification called Hodah For it was done either for supplication or thankesgiuing sake or else for exercise of godlinesse the which of the principal ende thereof was tearmed eucharistical as that other ilstical that is propiciatorie For as Paul interpretes y e same it signified purging to come through the blood of Christ. For so he saith Whom God hath set-forth to be à reconciliation through faith in his bloode Whatsoeuer other sortes be mentioned they are contained vnder these Touching the figuratiue signification of olde sacrifices the Epistle vnto the Hebrewes teacheth generalie howe al were figures of that onelie sacrifice Iesus Christ which being offered al other thinges as figuratiue ought to cease But more particularlie we wil in this place set-downe some things especialie those which maie leade vs as it were by the hande vnto à spiritual instructing of our life and maners First therefore commeth-forth the consecration of Priestes whose dutie was to offer the sacrifice they had foure
man woulde worship the water either to be sprincled vpon à man to be baptized or sprincled alreadie and reserued for worship sake Nowe whereas the Papistes doe attribute to the reciting of the wordes of the supper virtue to transsubstantiate to speake as they do the elements surelie they haue learned that of the Magicians and witches rather than of Christ. For he alone it is and none other that by his diuine power worketh in the supper by the hands of his ministers reacheth to vs when wee doe communicate his verie bodie and his verie blod after an vnsearchable maner And wheras in reformed Churches the ministers of the Gospel doe pronounce the historie of the institution of the supper with à loude voice in à knowen tongue they doe it not that anie virtue by that reciting shoulde passe-ouer into the elementes but otherwise for à most holie and profitable purpose For they know nothing is more comfortable to the godlie than to heare the historie of the instituted supper which containeth the causes of the institutiō and commendeth to them the greate loue betweene Christ and his Church And therefore as the Papistes by mumbling with themselues the wordes of the supper commit hainous sacriledge by keeping close the doctrine of Gospel the summe whereof is contained in the historie of the institution of the supper So doe I iudge it an intollerable thing sorelie to be punished if anie woulde celebrate the Lord his supper without repeating the historie of the same taken either out of the Euangelistes or out of Paul Here some perchance wil arise saie in the celebration of the supper in the reformed Churches y e bread is cōmonlie adored euen as in y e papacie Herevnto I doe thus answere If anie in our Churches do worship the bread and the cup he sticketh as yet in à papistical error from which he is to be reuoked by the godlie ministers of the Gospel Then I distinguish betwene the worship of the bread and the reuerence towarde the maiestie of Christ present in the supper which reuerence we do testifie by bowing the knee and by outward gestures of the bodie while we are occupied in the celebration of the supper The which reuerence as I iudge it laweful and godlie and commended to vs by the Apostle Paul so I doe thinke the worship of the breade and of the wine is wicked prophane both because we haue no cōmandemēt to doe without which à godlie minde can appoint nothing in religion and also because it is meere presumption as that which is not cōtent with that vse of the sacrament which the Lorde requireth The sixt It is contrarie to the institution and nature of the Lorde his supper that one seueralie by himselfe shoulde haue à banket without moe communicants For thus doeth Paul saie When ye come together into one place this is not to eate the Lordes supper For euerie man when they shoulde eate taketh his owne supper afore Againe as no man can baptise himselfe alone So neither is it lawful for à priest to minister the Lordes supper priuatelie to himselfe alone If then this Lordes supper be not à priuate banket surelie in vaine do those sacrificers vaunt howe with fiue wordes they can pluck-downe the bodie of Christ from heauen vpon their altar For y e bodie blood of Christ is onelie in y t place where the institution of Christ is maintained and the communion according to the institutiō It is needful then that at the least there be one to minister and another to receaue The seauenth By the helpe of this masse the kingdome of Antichrist which was erected by the diuel is augmented established For the storehouse of al vngodlie worshippings whereby the kingdome of Antichrist is vp-holden is the masse Which therefore the more forceablie doeth deceaue because it hath à forme quite contrarie to y e nature therof For it seemeth goodlie whereas nothing is more abhominable The eight The application of the masse for the dead y t they maie be deliuered frō purgatorie is à meere diuelish inuention For no man is forgiuen without he haue faith wherfore they most horriblie deface the glorie of Christ which do faine that that offering doth merite that remission of sinnes for the deade Furthermore al which depart out of this life doe depart either in faith or without faith In in faith they are blessed according to that Blessed are the dead which die in the Lorde And Peter saith The end of faith is the saluation of soules But if they die without faith the sentence of Christ standeth sure He that beleeueth not on the sonne the wrath of God abideth on him So then there is à double waie to wit à waie of saluation which is of the faithful and à waie of death or damnation which is of al such as refuse in this worlde to beleeue on Christ. Where then is purgatorie frō whence the soules by masses be redeemed for monie Notwithstanding albeit the trueth touching the idolatrous masse of Papistes bee not vnknowen to the Church of God yet the Papistes to shew that they haue some ground doe obiect three thinges as buclers for their defence For first they bring-out the deede of Melchizedech Secondlie they oppose à place of Malachie touching the sacrifice to come among the Gentiles with the like Lastlie they doe amplifie the worthines of the people of the new Testamēt But what force they are of let vs brieflie consider The deede of Melchizedech from whence the Papistes do seeke to haue their cause countenanced is thus described Gen. 14. And Melchi-zedek king of Shalem brought-foorth breade and wine and hee was à Priest of the most high God Therefore he blessed him saieng Blessed art thou Abraham of God most high Hence do they most impudentlie inferre that Priestes must offer to God bread and wine for peace offeringes With as good a consequent might one make this argument Philip is in Spaine therefore the sea is sweet For first they doe corruplie reade He offered for He brought-foorth and in place of the particle And they reade For. Wherby they testifie who is their master euē the diuel the corrupter and slanderer of gods worde Secondlie they doe verie naughtilie distinguish the thinges which are to be compounded and mingled the thinges that are to be distinguished For there be two distinct members of the narration in Moses The former is of the king his deed The latter of the priest his deed Melchi-zedek brought-forth bread wine you haue the king and his deed And he was à Priest of the most high God therefore he blessed him Where you haue the priest and his deed Melchi-zedek therefore in bringing forth bread and wine showed himselfe a liberal king whereby he would refresh the wearied host of Abraham And in blessing Abraham he shewed himself a Priest For it was the office of Priestes to blesse the
wickednes of the minister or though some one Iudas or other be present For it is à spiritual communion of al the godlie vnder one head yea though theie lurke secretlie among Papistes as doubtlesse manie doe Notwithstanding once againe I admonish that al denieng of the true faith though but fained be taken heede-of But what if one do so abhor Poperie y t by no meanes he dare cōmunicate in y e kingdome of y e Pope shal not à godly housholder who hath a virtuous wife à wel gouerned familie in this case priuatelie in his owne house prepare y e Lords supper for himselfe his Some perchāce wil saie he maie not so do because y e administration of the sacraments doth pertaine vnto the publike ministerie Of this I demande againe whether manie did not communicate in the primitiue Church before anie ordinarie publike ministerie was instituted and before anie temples were erected to meete-together For my part I am persuaded that the houses of manie good citizens were temples wherein godlie housekeepers with their families did receaue the Lordes Supper together and did strengthen one another both with doctrine comfort I therfore distinguish between y e Church wel ordeined betwene captiuitie banishment where the godlie be persecuted There I wil haue nothing detracted from the ministerie but al things to be done according to the ordinance of y e church wel ordained but here that is in the captiuitie or banishment of the Church either vnder the Turke or Pope I do thinke the godlie are blamelesse if theie imitate the examples of the saintes in the primitiue Church Thus we haue written in few wordes our iudgement cōcerning y e vse of the Lords supper in the papacie wherein if anie man be not satisfied I desire friendlie to be admonished For I submit not onelie this our sentence but also whatsoeuer at anie time I haue written or shal write to the censure of al the godlie who do cleaue not so much vnto doutful opinions as to y e manifest truth And therfore I do frēdlie request y t no man would rashlie iudge but first compare my reasons of the aduersaries together Which if any do I trust mine opiniō shal not be improued And I besech God euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ y t he wold lighten our mindes with his light represse the futie of satan his limes y t persecute y e sound doctrine and keepe vs in true godlines thorough and for Christ his sake that so we maie glorifie him for euermore Amen CHAP. 26. Of the sacrifices of Christians CHristians also which syncerelie professe Christ haue their sacrifices To wit à propitiatorie à sacrifice eucharistical both named of their effects or ends Christians haue à propitiatorie sacrifice not to be offred of thēselues but alreadie offered by Iesus Christ the most high priest Mediator For Christ the prieste hath giuen him-selfe à propitiatorie sacrifice for al men that the father beeing appeased the faithful might for euermore be sanctified through him Eucharistical sacrifice is euerie obedience giuen of Christians to God wherebie as theie acknowledge God to be the fountaine and auctor of euerie good thing so theie testifie their thankfulnes toward him But that this doctrine concerning the sacrifices of Christians knowen to the Church of God alone maie the better be vnderstoode seeme the more comfortable to vs I wil more distinctlie entreate of both kindes For that which particularlie is distinguished is both read with the more pleasure and kept with more profite as Bernard saith In the propitiatorie or expiatorie sacrifice manie thinges are to be considered which do make vnto the plainer exposition of the same Wherfore first of al I wil entreate of the Priest who doth offer this sacrifice Then of the priest-hood and partes thereof Afterward of the couenant For euerie Priest is à suretie of some couenant After that of the application of this sacrifice Last of al of the continual vse of this sacrifice in the cōscience in life and in death CHAP. 27. 1. Of the Priest which doth offer the propitiatorie sacrifice for Christians 2. Of his nature 3. and qualities IN the explication of this first member concerning the chiefe priest of Christians let vs consider what need there was to haue him of what condition he was for person and who he was The necessitie of the priest maie be deemed from hence That al of vs are sinners and subiect to eternal death both through the defection of our first parentes from God and also through our own sinne and guiltines it is wel knowen which thing both the punishment laide vpon vs by the most righteous God and the word of God and euerie mans conscience doth witnes Nowe one of these two must needs come to passe For either we were to perish euerlasting lie or must be reconciled vnto God But because the reconciliation should be righteous that the iustice of God might be satisfied it could not be done without ma◠à sufficient amendes to God for the iniurie he sustained Which amendes was necessarilie to be made by some mediator That as one Adam did caste vs al by his owne sinne vnto death and damnation so there might be some one who by his own merite should reconcile vs to God offended hauing made à recōpence for the trespasse Which Mediator betweene God offended and men offenders is caled à priest For so it is in the 5. Chapter of the Epistle vnto the Hebrues Euerie hie priest is taken from among men is ordeined for men in thinges pertaining to God that he maie offer both gifts and sacrifices for sinnes By this it plainlie appeareth howe necessatie à priest was to reconcile vs vnto God who was displeased But who could giue such à priest whē al mankind was guiltie no man liuing could satisfie no not for him-selfe much lesse for others The most wise God brought-forth à coūsel which man could not giue For he was as he was merciful to take pitie vpon his creature as he was wise to help man least he lost the end wherevnto he was created as he was almightie not to suffer the diuel to exercise euerlasting tyrannie vpon his owne image and as he was righteous not to let sinne go vnpunished Therefore God vttered his most wise counsel wherebie he declared both his soueraigne wisedome and his vncomprehensible mercie and his infinite power and his most absolute iustice Wherefore because the wrath of God against sinners as we are al by nature for we were by nature the children of wrath was greater than à meere man could beare and because the iustice of God did require that some one among men should be the auctor of life as one was of death God of his goodnes gaue such a priest who both could because he was God ought because he was a man born of flesh blood as al other men notwithstāding
of righteousnes and of life from which we are fallen by sin it was needful y t he should both take vpon himselfe the curse of the law with the cause that is our sinnes being made accursed and subiect to death for our sake For so saith Paul Christe hath redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe when hee was made à curse for vs and also restore the blessing of the lawe to vs which he hath deserued for vs by his perfect obedience towarde the lawe vnder which he was made not for his owne sake but for ours And this doeth Paul meane where he saith Christ is the ende of the lawe for righteousnes vnto euerie one that beleeueth And because the resurrection of Christ is à most euident testimonie of this fulfilling the lawe Paul affirmeth howe he is risen againe for our iustification By the merite of his praiers and intercession he hath made an entrance for vs vnto the father as Paul saith vnto the Romans Who shal laie anie thing vnto the charge of Gods chosen c. It is Christ that maketh intercession for vs. Therefore when Christ is said to offer his merites to the father the general sacrifice of Christ containing thistriple merit namelie of his obedience to the law of his passion and of his praiers must be vnderstoode Otherwhile y e sacrifice of Christ is morespecialie taken for his death passion which death passiō is the only propitiatorie sacrifice The figures wherof were y e sacrifices of the Iewes by à singular forme of speech was caled propitiatorie because it was à shadow of this eternal propitiatorie sacrifice euē Iesus Christ. But because aboue where we shewed the vanitie of the Iewes who as yet do looke for the messiah we haue spoken of shadowes in this place we wil speake onlie of the sacrifice of Christe which the scripture calleth expiatorie or propitiatorie from the effect thereof which sacrifice may rightly be defined on this wise The passion of our Lord Iesus Christ the eternal Priest is the propitiatorie sacrifice wherein the eternal sonne of God made man and of the father appointed an eternal Priest by obeieng the father in suffering euen vnto the death of the crosse offered himselfe through the eternal spirite to the eternal father vppon the altar of the crosse sustaining the curse of the law truelie to the end that by this one and most perfect oblation he might satisfie the iustice of God for the offence and punishment of mākinde pacifie the iust displeasure of God and by this onelie sacrifice merit for al which from the creation of the world either haue beleeued or til the ende of the same shal beleeue euen eternal sanctification that is deliuerance from the cursse of the lawe grace benediction life and euerlasting saluation that so being cōformable to Christ theie maie praise and glorifie God for euer and euer This large definition Christe in verie fewe wordes doth comprehend Iohn 17 where he saith For their sakes sanctifie I my selfe that theie also maie be sanctified through the truth But the holie spirit in the Epistle vnto the Hebrewes doth verie copiouslie entreate of this matter and that which scatteringlie is spoken to this purpose in that Epistle I haue gathered together as it were into one bodie that at one sight as it were we maie behold this wonderful worke and after a sort esteeme the greatnes of the benefite and be thankeful to God for this infinite mercie shewed to vs in Christe Augustine saith howe in euerie sacrifice there be foure thinges to be considered namelie who is y e offere◠to whō it is offered what is offered and for whō it is offered which foure things are both expreslie distinctlie contained in this our definition For y e sonne of God made man of God the father himselfe ordained an eternal priest is y e offerer For this priest as he alone is holy righteous and hier than the heauens so could he alone offer à perfect sacrifice for euermore Because in that he was à iust man hee might lawfulie take vppon him the cause of vs al especialie seeing one man had brought the rest of the posteritie into the state of damnation with himselfe and in that hee was hier than the heauens to wit verie God hee was of power to offer such a sacrifice as was perfect and effectual for euermore againe in that he was one person al the deedes of his manhood are most pure and of an infinite price To whome doeth this priest offer Euen to God himselfe For to him alone the sacrifice was due that his iustice might be satisfied whome our first parentes and we in them offended that the sentence of condemnation for our transgressing the lawe being vtterlie abolished we might be made partakers of eternal blessednes through his merit What doeth this priest offer to God The sonne of God the eternal priest hath offered himselfe to the father vppon the altar of the crosse taking our cause that is our sinne and punishment vpon himselfe For the Epistle vnto the Hebrewes doeth witnesse that the sonne of God was made partaker of our flesh and bloode that he might haue that which he might offer And Augustine doeth saie What was more meete to bee taken of men for their oblation than the fleshe of man And what so apt for this sacrifice as mortal fleshe And what so cleane for the sinnes of the worlde as without al contagion flesh borne in the wombe out of the wombe of à virgin And what so gratefulie could be either offered or receaued as the flesh of our sacrifice the made bodie of our Prieste Furthermore seeing euerie sacrifice in the olde lawe ought first to be separated from other things of the same kinde secondlie to be applied to the altar the hande of the Priest laide there-vpon thirdlie to be offered vpon the altar fourthlie being done rightlie according to the lawe it was à sacrifice accepted of God let vs see howe these foure thinges do aggree to our sacrifice First therefore Christe this our sacrifice was segregated from other men not by nature whereby he was to be ioined to them but by puritie innocencie and excellencie wherin he surpassed al other men Secondlie he was applied to the altar being consecrated to God through his wonderful obedience For he was offered euen because he woulde Thirdlie hee was offered vppon the altar hanged on the woode of the crosse bearing vppon his owne heade our cause that is both sinne and the punishment of sinne namelie the wrath and curse of God Which thing was in olde time figured in the goate vpon whose heade Aaron hauing confessed first his owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people of Israel laide his owne sinnes and al the sinnes of the sonnes of Israel and sent him awaie by the hande of a man appointed into the wildernes The truth of
conioined with sathan that lier and murtherer and be vnder his lawes which are of death and damnation Through both which degrees the temple of GOD which by creation was dedicated to God is prophaned and the image of GOD after which man was fashioned is defaced Hence insueth the third degree of the wretchednes of mankinde to wit that man who before was the temple of God is nowe fallen into such miserie that he is become the temple of sathan wherin y e diuel is worshipped by his owne workes namelie with lieng and murther whereof infinite heapes and swarmes of sinnes doe burst-out The fourth degree of mans miserie is the huge heape of calamities both spiritual and corporal wherewith mankinde is pressed-downe as are manifolde tentations infinite diseases and the tragical chaunces wherevnto mankinde is subiect For there is no calamitie but man maie fal thereunto Whereof the prouerbe commeth A man knoweth not in the morning what maie betide him ere night Againe either wee are or we haue beene or we maie be as this man is Of manie examples I wil alleadge à few King Adonibezek in his great pride had the thumbes both of his handes and of his feete cutte off and so liued in extreme tormentes The destruction of Iezebel is knowen to all men Alcibiades was for his nobilitie high for his substance riche for his personage comelie for the fauour of his people famous for his supreme auctoritie honorable for his manifold victories much commended But continued he so Naie hee was afterwarde condemned banished out of his countrie put out of house and home hated extremelie and so at the length died desperatelie Cepio Seruilius who in respecte both of the highnesse of his pretorshippe of the gloriousnes of his triumph of the honour of his consulshippe of the dignitie of an hie Priest was most rerenowmed yea and had in such price estimation that he was called the patron of the Romane Senate liued not vntill his death in such glorie but had à verie miserable ende For he was throwen into prison and deliuered to an hangmā to be tormented who with his cruel handes tare in peeces the heart of Cepio plucked from out his bodie and hung it vpon à ladder to the horror of al the Romane people Belisarius the chiefe capitane vnder Iustinian the Emperor after manie famous victories which he had atchieued was through enuie ouerthrowen spoiled of his goodes bereft of his eies and constrained dailie to beg his bread in the temple Sophie vsing this speech to such as passed-by Apeece of bread giue to Belisarius whome vertue aduanced enuie hath ouerthrowen What should I speake of that proude Herod who glitered in his gold iewels and kinglie robes was he not filled afterward with vermine insteed of iewels which he feede with his owne flesh vntil what through his owne stinch and tormentes he desperatlie dispatched him selfe I saie nothing of great Alexander of Caesar of Marius Pompeius Cato Cicero and of manie moe whose wretched endes doe shew howe wretched the condition of mankinde is from which none is sure to escape while hee liueth in this worlde And therefore wiselie did Seneca counsel when he saide Let no man trust too much to prosperitie The fifth degree of mans miserie is the giltines of conscience which more doth vexe the soule than anie hangman is able to torment the bodie This although it seeme for à time to sleepe yet as Plato saith before death it wil be wakened The sixt degree of the miserie of mankindeis euen death it selfe ioined with desperation the which is most miserable to such as knowe not Christ and à certaine entrance vnto euerlasting damnation But what is the ende of those men which confesse not Christ The ende as I maie saie is infinite permanent subiect to no change or alteration For after death and after the last iudgement there ensueth the woful knitting vp of this miserie to wit endlesse shame perpetual griefe of conscience both in soule and bodie fellowship with vncleane spirites in obscure flames of fire in vtter darkenes without al light of God Of the shame Daniel speaketh when he saith Some to wit the wicked shal awake to shame and perpetual contempt Of the euerlasting torment and griefe with vncleane spirites the Lorde in the 25. chapter of Matthewe proponing the iudiciarie sentence doeth saie Depart from me yee curssed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the Diuel and his Angels Touching the griefe of conscience Isaiah speaketh in these wordes And their worme shal not die And although by reason of sinne all mankinde is throwne into this so great miserie yet the Church alone escapeth them all For as her sinne which is the cause of these miseries is purged through the death of Christ So the holie spirite the comforter is present in the crosse and the death of the bodie is the entrance vnto euerlasting felicitie Wherefore the death of sainctes is called pretious in the sight of the Lord. CHAP. 31. 1. The great displeasure of God against man for sinning OF the greatnesse and manifoldenesse of the miserie of mankinde maie bee gathered after à sort the greatenes of Gods displeasure againste impenitent persons For seeing GOD is righteous and his iudgee ment is according to trueth as Paule saith it followeth of necessitie that the wrath and reuengment in God do answere to his iustice that is that the punishment be not greater thā was the sinne But nowe the punishment is most grieuous and without ende And therefore it must of necessitie followe that the offence is infinite as that whereby the infinite God is displeased Wherefore the quantitie of sinne must not be wayed in false balance but must be leuied by true scales For in sinne manie things doe concur for the which God is iustlie offended As the contempt of Gods maiestie proude contempt against the lawe of God à shamefull defiling of Gods image according to which man was made imitation of sathan the enimie of God treason against his maiestie apostasie from the armie of God and as it were à conspiracie with the diuel intolerable ingratitude foule forgetfulnes of God his benefites towardes mankinde For there was neuer à sinne alone but alwaies it draweth à whole chaine of sinnes therewithall As wee maie see in the fall of our firste parentes and of others which witting and willinglie doe rushe against the commaundements of God Of this due waieng of sin many things do follow First that God doth iustlie in punishing sinne with euerlasting miserie in them which turne not vnto GOD through faith in Iesus Christ. Secondly that they deride the iustice of God and his iust displeasure who teach men that by contrition confession and satisfaction the forgiuenesse of sinnes is merited before the iudgement seate of God I say nothing of them who thinke some sins are of so
vnto Christ that as they should finde the lawe fulfilled in him so they should be made partakers of the promised mercie And therefore this promise of mercie hath one conditiō fro the law without Christ to wit touching y e fulfilling of y e law another in Christ name lie of faith wherbie the end of the law which is righteousnes is obteined So that as manie as beleue haue righteousnes which is as much as y e law requireth Wherof the promise of mercie is ratified and confirmed to them and this is that couenant whereof the 25. Psalme doth speake Al the pathes of the Lorde are mercie and truth vnto such as kepe his couenant and his testimonies that is as another Psalme doth expound it Mercie shal compasse him that trusteth in the Lord. The mercie then of GOD is moderated according vnto the rule of iustice when it is exhibited to such as repent For this iustice of God is à perpetual rule that as he wil condemne such as be rebellious without al pitie and mercie so he wil of his infinite mercie saue as manie as turne vnto the Lord. This rule of God his iustice is to be thought vpon when we reade in the Psalmes that Dauid praied God that he would heare him for his righteousnes ◠For three thinges together came into his minde namelie the promise of mercie the free pardon of his sinnes and the price wherebie the iustice of God is satisfied namelie by the sacrifice of his Sonne for he is vniust that hauing receiued à raunsome wil not set free the captiue and by the merite of Christ wherebie we are iustified before God being conuerted vnto him through faith Whence it is that if he should not heare them which repent and forgiue their offences he should be vniust as one that dealeth against the rule of his own iustice that denieth his promise that would accept no ransome nor regarde the righteousnes of his sonne wherebie he did merite fauour for vs. So that Dauid after his adulterie murder and betraieng the hoste of God did craue mercie and remission of his sinnes through faith and among other reasons brought this in for one That thou maiest be iust when thou speakest that is that men maie confesse thee iust for keeping thy wordes whereby thou promisedst pardon to as many as repent CHAP. 33. 1. Of Christe his wonderful obedience to his Father for our saluation 2. The fruite thereof NExt vnto the mercie of God we are to consider the wonderfull obedience of Christ which would vouchsafe to take our cause vpon himselfe and feele the wrath of God to deliuer vs from eternall death Of this obedience Paule vnto the Philippians on this wise Who being in the forme of God thought it no roberie to be equal with God but he made himselfe of no reputation and tooke on him-selfe the form of à seruant was made like vnto men was found in shape as à man He humbled him selfe became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse Here Paul entreateth of the vnspeakeable obedience of the sonne of God and because equals cannot properly be said to obey one another but inferiors their betters Paule sheweth howe the sonne beeing of one essence and power with the Father did humble him selfe taking to himselfe the nature of man wherein he became obedient to the Father euen vnto the death of the crosse And in the 10. Chapter of the Epistle vnto the Hebrues out of the 40. Psalme Because it is vnpossible that the bloud of Buls and Goates should take away sinnes Wherefore when he commeth into the world he saith Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not but à bodie thou hast ordeined me In burnt offeringes and sinne offeringes thou hast had no pleasure Then I saide Loe I come In the beginning of the Booke it is written of me that I should do thy will O God Isaiah 53. He was offered euen because he would But with this obedience how agreeth that prayer thrice repeated in the garden O my Father if it be possible let this cup passe fro me neuerthelesse not as I wil but as thou wilt This praier seemeth to import that the wil of the sonne differed yea and was contrarie also to the Fathers wil. For the Fathers wil was that he should drinke of the cup which he had prepared And the sonne desireth that the same cup if it were possible might passeawaie This obiection is aunswered by the wordes of our Lord afterward in the same Chapter vttered The spirit in deed is willing but the flesh is weake So that what he would not through y e weaknesse of the flesh the which naturalie without offence dreadeth death the same he wold through the willingnesse of the spirite wherbie he was obedient to the Father And thus doth Cyril also distinguish the same when he saith That the passion of the Crosse was not voluntarie to Christ and againe was voluntarie for the fathers wil and for our saluation you maie easilie perceiue by this praier O my Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me For as the word of God is God and naturalie the verie life no man wil saie that anie waie he feared death but beeing made flesh he permitteth fleshe to suffer that which belongeth to flesh and therefore as verie man he dreadeth death standing at the dores Here an other question doth arise what obtained Christ by his praieng The Epistle vnto the Hebrewes maketh answere He was hearde in that which he feared for the paines of death being remoued awaie he ouercame those conflictes The fruite of this wonderful obedience of the sonne of God is our iustificatton and saluation As by one mans disobedience saith Paul manie were made sinners so by the obedience of one shal manie be made righteous The Apostle highlie extolling this obedience doth saie Christ when we were yet of no strength at his time died for the vngodlie Doubtlesse one wil scarse die for a righteous man but yet for a good man it maie be that one dare die But no tongue can vtter nor minde conceaue howe greate the obedience of the sonne of God was who deriued the wrath of God vpon himselfe and put himselfe into our place to suffer the paines due vnto vs for our saluation Christ hath redeemed vs from the cursse of the lawe when he was made a cursse for vs. Againe He hath made him to be sinne for vs which knew no sinne that we should be made the righteousnes of God in him CHAP. 34. 1. The greeuousnes of the paines which Christ endured for our sakes 2. What theie signified WIth this obedience would be considered both the greeuousnes of the pain which the sonne of God endured for our sakes both in minde and in bodie and also the reproche against his person The griefe of minde Christe doth testifie when he
saith My soule is heauie euen vnto the death that is the greefe of minde which I suffer is more grieuous vnto me than death it selfe Of this great sorrowe of minde that Psalme is to be vnderstood where in the person of Christ it is said The sorrowes of the graue haue compassed me about the snares of death haue ouer-tooke me By the sorrowes of the graue he meaneth deadlie sorrowes such as euen kil à man wel-nigh and thrust him downe to the graue Of this anguish of mind in Christ I wil cite some testimonies out of the Gospell Marke saith He began to be afraid and in great heauines And Luke sheweth by an euident signe how he was perplexed in minde when for verie sorrowe he sweat bloud againe for thus he saith Being in an agonie he prayed most earnestlie and his sweat was like drops of bloud trickling downe the ground For it was meete that as his death was more bitter then any death according to bodilie sense so the feare in his mind was most bitter of al other paine And as the infinite loue made the sense of death nothing the milder so did it mitigate nothing of the bitternes of the feare which was so great that it stoode in neede of comfort euen of the verie Angels For as Luke doth say there appeared an Angel vnto him from heauen comforting him For y e diuinitie shewed not it selfe that Christ trulie might feele the waight of the burden laide vpon him and be in anguish through the sense of Gods displeasure against our not his sinne which notwithstanding he made his by taking our cause vpon himselfe And Irenaeus doth saie As he was man to be tempted so was he the worde to be gloriâ—ied And the worde in deede rested while he was tempted crucified and put to death but was assistant to the flesh when he ouercame susteined rose againe and ascended into the heauens But for asmuch as it seemeth vnworthie the diuine maiestie of Christ that our Sauiour should be stroken with such feare and sorow many interpreters here doe seeke refuges and faigne tropes and figures wherebie theie labor to soften the narrations of the Euangelists and the fore-saiengs of Dauid Isaiah whereof the one saith He was compassed about with the sorrowes of the graue and the other that he truely bare our infirmities But let the worde of God be our light For if wee be ashamed of Christ his feare and sorrow our redemption shal vade and come to naught But Ambose writing vpon this place of Luke Father if thou wilt take-awaie this cup fro me sheweth the vanitie of those interpreters which doe seeke tropes For thus he saith Here manie doe sticke which doe turne the sadnes of our Sauiour rather vnto an argument of an olde infirmitie from the beginning than to à weakenes taken vpon him for à time and they desire to wrest the sense of the natural sentence But for my part I doe not onely thinke him not to be excused but also no-where doe more wonder at his goodnes and maiestie For vnlesse he had taken vpon him mine affection his benefite towardes me had not ben so great Therfore for my sake he sorrowed who had no cause to sorrowe for his owne sake and the comfort of the eternal Godhead being sequestred he is vexed with the greefe of mine infirmitie For he tooke my sorrowe vpon himselfe that he might bestowe his owne ioie vpon me and by our steps hee descended euen vnto the pangues of death to cal vs backe by his footing vnto life Then I do boldly name sadnes because I commend the crosse Neither tooke he à shewe of incarnation but the verie trueth Therefore he was to take the griefe that he might ouercome not exclude sadnes Neither haue theiâ— the praise of fortitude who haue suffred the senselessenes rather thaÌ„ the sorrowe of wouÌ„ds Hitherto Ambrose So that the cause of the anguish and great sorrowe in Christe his minde was the sense of the sinnes of all men in his minde whereof he had made himselfe guiltie beeing forth-with to be betraied into the handes of his enimies Beside this anguish of minde both his bodie was moste greeuouslie afflicted and his person most shamefullie reproched His bodie was with spitle defiled with cuffes buffeted with whipping rented with beatinges punished with thornes crowned and with à most ignominious death executed In his person he suffered reproches scoffinges floutinges And albeit his diuinitie could not suffer yet the reproch redounded against it for so much as it was personalie vnited to the manhoode These most greeuous paines namely anguish of minde tormentes of bodie and reproches against the person of Christe are tokens first of the iustice the which by this punishment for the sinns of the whole world is satisfied secondarilie of Gods mercie who of heartie loue gaue his owne sonne into these paines for our sake that al mankinde which he had created after his owne image might not perish thirdlie both of the obedience of Christe towarde the Father and also of his loue toward vs to whoÌ„ he chose to be linked in the likenesse of mans nature that he might susteine these paines for man the which we shall finde to be most comfortable to vs and profitable when we depend vpon him by à liuelie faith CHAP. 35. 1. Of howe inestimable à price the death of Christ is 2. How he could suffer 3. In what respects the price is infinite OF what an inestimable à price the death of Christ is ought diligentlie to be waied For from hence remedies againste al the woundes which sinne doth doth afflict vs with al are to be fetcht And therefore saith Augustine Beholde the woundes of him that hangeth the bloud of him that dieth the price of him that redeemeth His head hangeth-downe to kisse his armes be stretched to imbrace his bodie lieth open to redeeme The greatnes hereof consider with your selues these thinges looke you doe weigh in the balance of your heart that he maie wholie be fixed in your heart who for your sakes was wholie fastened to the crosse Paule vnto the Romanes compareth Adam and Christ together By Adam he saith sinne came on all men to condemnation but by Christ grace came vpon all men to the iustification of life If by the offence of one saith he death reigned through one much more shal theie which receiue the aboundance of grace and of the gifte of righteousnes raigne in life through one euen Iesus Christ. The cause then why the obedience death of Christ is of so inestimable à price is because the man that suffered was the only begotten sonne of God and verie God too For of that singular vnspeakable and reuerend vnion of the diuine and humane nature together whereby God and man is one Christ or one person is the dignitie price estimation and infinite merite of all the actions and passions of Christ. And
the righteousnes thereof 4. Of the sacraments how manie theie are and what theie signifie THe sacrifice of Christ is applied both by the worde by faith and by the sacrament but diuerslie For by the word which is written in the heart by the holie spirite it is offered as by the hand of God By faith beeing conceaued of the word through the holie spirite it is receaued as by the hand of man And by the Sacraments as by the seale of God it is signed For he that beleeueth the preaching of the Gospel wherbie the benefite of Christ his sacrifice is offered by faith which is à worke not of nature but of grace in man he receaueth Christe wholie together with his benefites which benefites are sealed by the sacramentes as that holie Apostle Paule doeth teach Wherebie it appeareth how needeful the ministerie of the worde is as that which is ordained from heauen to offer this incomparable treasure to vs this is it which the Lorde saith Preach the Gospel to euerie creature Againe Teach al nations This ministerie the Apostles deliâ—ered by the handes as it were to posteritie and from them it is come vnto vs and shall not be abolished while this worlde shal endure although Satan with greate rage do persecute such as syncerelie do sound-out the Gospel And therefore it is our partes if we loue our saluation to heare to vnderstand to loue the worde of God to meditate ther-vpon al our life long yea and to beleeue the same and to liue thereafter that at the length we maie come vnto the desired end of happinesse For Dauid in the beginning of his Psalmes sange not in vaâ—e when he sange on this wise Blessed is the man who doeth meditate in the lawe that is in the doctrine of the Lorde daie and night But wherefore is he blessed Because the meditation of the worde worketh two thinges First that thou neither listen vnto the counsels of the wicked nor stand in the waie of sinners nor sit in the seate of the scorneful Secondlie that thou become like à tree planted by the riuers of waters that wil bring forth her fruite in due season vntil thou attaine vnto verie happines it selfe And therefore it is added in another Psalme Blessed are al that trust in him But on the other side where this worde of the Lord is neither loued nor hearkened vnto nor thought-vpon nor beleeued nor done man by litle and litle is wrapped in the counsels of the wicked carried violentlie into the waie of the sinners and at length blasphemeth God and al religion and becommeth à plaine epicure so that at length he feareth not in his hart to saie There is no God although the lieng toung saie otherwise And so he proueth like à tree planted in moste horrible filthinesse and diuelish mud to bring forth fruite meete for death damnation according as it is written in à certaine Psalme Theie be corrupted and abhominable in their waies And that deseruedlie For y e contempt of this word wherbie Christ himselfe doth offer himselfe vnto vs doth highlie offend God yea and bringeth vpon the contemners themselues and vpon their posteritie too blindenes or a reprobate minde al maner wickednes and filthinesse as Paule in his first Chapter vnto the Romans teacheth at large And in another Chapter the same Apostle doth saie Because theie receiued not the loue of the truth and therefore God shal send them strong delusion that there should beleeue lies And the euent in manie nations where Christ himselfe and the Apostles haue preached doth aunswere to this prophesie of Paul touching the punishment of such as contemne the worde of God Neither be the Turkish warres anie thing els but verie tokens of Gods displeasure for the contempt of his worde And therefore let vs be more circumspect by the harmes of other men and esteemâ— we greatlie the benefite of God who hath deliuered to vs his pure worde wherebie he doeth offer this infinite grace and benefite of the sacrifice of his sonne by whose merite we be deliuered from the power of sinne and death and endued with eternal righteousnesse and glorie Secondlie in the application of the sacrifice of Christ it is required that euerie one of yeeres doe beleeue For as the worde doth offer So faith which commeth by hearing of the worde doth receaue Christe wholie with al his merites and beleeueth that al sinnes be forgiuen for the sacrifice sake of the Sonne of God And therefore in the Christian Creede it is saide I beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes that is I doe knowe and am firmelie persuaded that God according to his promise wil receaue me into fauour because of the sacrifice obedience of his Sonne and wil not impute my sinnes to me anie-more but vtterlie blot and forgiue yea and remember them no more For faith is not a wauering opinion but à certaine knowledge of the free promise and à firme confidence that sinnes be forgiuen for Christ his sake This faith as touching the certaintie thereof dependeth both vpon euident testimonies of the Scriptures vpon parables and vpon approued examples but as touching confidence it resteth onelie vpon the merite of Christ. Paul after Dauid saith Blessed are theie whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whome the Lord imputeth no sinne And Christ doth saie Sonne be of good comforte thie sinnes are forgiuen thee And to the ruler of the Synagogue the Lorde saith Onelie beleeue And to the woman which had an issue of bloud Thie faith hath made thee whole Among manie parables that is notable which is in the 18. chapter of Matthewe of him which did owe tenne thousand talentes and hauing not wherewith to discharge he was of meere grace forgiuen the debt Hitherto belongeth also the parable of the two debters and of the prodigal sonne Among examples the most excellent is of the Theefe whose sinnes were forgiuen him without anie merites either going-before or comming-afterward I omit Dauid Manasses Peter Paul Magdalene and others With this faith of the remission of sinnes two thinges are continualie ioined which although theie differ from the faith of the remission of sinnes yet can theie be separated at no time And theie are to speake with the Apostle Grace and Gifte of which I wil speake more distinctlie that we maie the better consider what à great blessing faith of the free remission of sinnes is Grace in this place is the verie iustification of à beleeuing man and from the cause is so caled For Paul in the 5. Chapter vnto the Romanes doeth saie so where he compareth sinne and grace together The iudgement came of one offence vnto condemnation but the grace of manie offences vnto iustification And As by the offence of one the fault came on al men to condemnation So by the
poore in spirit to the meeke to peace-makers to such as endure persecution c. But al those and the like sayings are not contrarie to our iudgement if any wil rightlie distinguish betwene y e causes and effectes of iustification the qualities of the iustified For it is one thing to speake of the reward of obedience and of the qualities of those who are alreadie iustified through faith and another thing of the causes of the matter that is of iustification Againe it is one thing to vse the wordes of Bernarde to speake of the causes of gouernement another of the waie to the kingdome Also it is one thing to speake of the essential principles of à thing another of the principles of knowledge But they obiect against vs as à strong buclar the saying of Christ If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commaundementes That is fulfill the lawe I aunswere Christ shewed à most readie waie vnto life euen the keeping of the commaundementes or fulfilling of the lawe But for that the fault is in vs that wee cannot fulfill the lawe Christ is become the ende of the lawe for righteousnes vnto euerie one that beleeueth And this is it which the same Paul saith in another place Through faith wee establish the lawe euen because through beleefe wee obtaine that which the lawe requireth namelie righteousnes The gift which we saide is conioined with the faith of remission of sinnes is the giuing of the holie Ghost whereby the man iustified onelie by faith is regenerated or sanctified that is is mortified quickened and becommeth à newe man purposing thence-forwarde as much as in him is to order his life according to the rule of Gods worde So that this gift is the cause and beginning of à newe life and obedience For wee are not iustified freelie by faith to the ende wee shoulde hence-forth liue to sinne but that deliuered from sinne wee shoulde serue God in righteousnes and holines all the daies of our life For Zacharias in his songe maketh this to bee the ende of the knowledge of saluation concerning the remission of sinns through the tender mercie of our God This ende of iustification Paule setteth in the 6. vnto the Romanes where by most euident argumentes he sheweth that sanctification is ioined with iustification And thus much briefelie touching y e grace of iustification and of the gifte of sanctification the which are linked with the faith of remission of sinnes and can no more be seuered from the same than maie heate from fire or the beame from the sunne Whereby it is apparent that the Papistes offer vs great iniurie in saying that we do abolish good works and loase y t bridles to men because we saie that by faith alone wee are iustified For they marke not howe wee doe put a difference betweene the proper benefite of Christ and our duetie which is ioined with faith But of iustification God willing wee will speake more at large in the exposition of the last verse of this Psalme the sundrie sorts of testimonies which are commonlie handled in this controuersie being distinguished The thirde place in the application of Christ wee ascribed to the sacramentse which not onelie do offer the merites of Christ the priest as the word doeth but also as seales doe assure thē vnto vs if so be the merits of Christ be reteined fast in the harts through faith For as without faith the word doth not applie the merites of Christ so without faith I speake of the elder sorte the sacramentes doe no good The sacraments which Christ hath cōmended to his Church be two to wit Baptisme the Lords supper wherof baptisme is à sacrament of the entrance into Christianitie therefore is but once takē as Christ died but once for vs. For as baptisme is an effectuall token of the death burial and resurrection of Christ so is it à sacrament of the couenant which God entereth-into with the baptized touching y e purging of sinnes and our reconciliation through Christ so is it also à signe of repentance and of the crosse and à testimonie of the resurrection to come And the Lord his supper is a sacrament of the confirmation and conseruation of Christianitie yea and a remembrance of the couenant established through the blood of Christ. Furthermore it is the meate whereby we are spiritualie nourished in the bodie of Christ therefore often it ought to be receaued The summe of al is this that the sacrament of the newe testament is both an externall signe of the couenant concerning our free iustification before God through the sacrifice of Christ and also a testifying and confirmation of the faith righteousnes of Gods people to him warde CHAP. 40. Of the perpetual vse of the sacrifice of Christ both in the conscience in the whole course of our life and at the houre of death AND although the vse of the sacrifice of Christ is wel nigh seene in the application yet the efficacie and power thereof is more apparent when the knoweledge is reduced vnto practise as it were This practise hath place in the conscience of euerie man in the whole course of life at the agonie of death The conscience of each man is stricken sore with a deadlie wounde vntil it bee healed by the application of physike with Christ alone the Physition doeth minister by his worde spirit In which respect he calleth himselfe the Physition of soules So y t when the conscience is stricken with y e remēbrance of sinne it must be healed by the faith of Christ his sacrifice which if it be liuelie it be sprinckeleth the cōscience with the most comfortable balme of the holie spirite wherewithal it is healed made quiet so that now it is iocound and merie and reioiceth as it were in the crosse of Christ whereas before it was troubled and greatlie vexed Whence proceedeth that saying of the triumphing conscience in Bernard Of the remission of sinnes saith hee I haue an vndoubted argument euen the passion of Christ. For the voice of his bloode crieth more shrillie than did the bloode of Habel crying in the heartes of the elect the forgiuenesse of all sinnes For he was betraied for our offences And no doubt his death is of more power and more effectuall to helpe vs than our sinnes to hurt vs. Such à conscience is neither broken with the threates of the lawe for it knoweth howe it is not vnder the law but vnder grace nor yeeldeth to the suggestions of satan for it knoweth howe the Prince of this worlde is alreadie cōdemned nor is moued with the argumentes of reason for it knoweth the power of him which hath promised and therefore glorifieth him To conclude it resteth quietlie in Christ looking for à ful redemption through the comming of the Sonne of God who shal change our vile bodie that it maie be fashioned like vnto his glorious
bodie for euermore Whence this same confidence of the healed and quiet conscience doth arise the epistle vnto the Hebrewes teacheth where it is saide We are assured that we haue à good conscience in al things desiring to liue honestlie Therefore as the cause foundation of à good conscience is not our owne worthines for by nature wee are sinners and vnworthie nor merites for of our selues we deserue nothing but death nor anie vertue of our owne for al our righteousnes is as filthie cloutes but euen meere faith in Christ which purgeth it by his bloode from dead workes through whome we haue peace with God So the purpose of the same is in all thinges with all men and in all actions to walke vprightlie namelie by declining from that which is euil and doing that which is good For continualie it thinketh vppon à newe life in Iesus Christ it alwaies detesteth the coate defiled of the fleshe and euermore delighteth in that white garment which in Baptisme is put on For al wee that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ. Which thing Dauid in the spirit did beholde when he said Wash me and I shal bee whiter than snowe to wit through the ornament of righteousnes of the Messiah as with a most white garment being first purged from sinne through his bloode Of this faith and conscience that sinne is blotted-out ariseth a care of wel-doing in Dauid according to that I haue applied mine heart to fulfil thy statuts alwaie euen vnto the end And Paul saith Fight à good fight hauing faith à good conscience In the whole course of this life wee maie beholde à goodlie and an especial vse of the sacrifice of Christ not onelie in aduersitie but also in prosperitie In aduersitie there is none so good à remedie as y e sacrifice of Christ. For as aduersitie doeth put thee in minde of thy sinne either lurking or manifest so the sacrifice of Christ apprehended by faith doth certifie thy conscience both of the forgiuenes of sins whereof ariseth spiritual comfort in al affliction and also of the conformitie of the elect with the son of God For so it hath pleased the wisedome of God that he wil haue his elect like to his sonne but in the crosse and also in glorie And this Paul affirmeth saying If we suffer with him we shal also raigne with him Hitherto also maketh the imitation of Christ his example in the crosse which Peter commendeth vnto vs in these wordes Christ suffered for vs leauing vs an ensample that we shoulde folow his steppes Read mine annotations vpon the 2. chapter of the first epistle of Peter In prosperitie there is more daunger For albeit aduersitie do bring-done manie yet prosperitie doth puffe-vp moe According to this of the Poët The minds of man through prosperitie waxe wanton often-times Againe The minde lifted-vp through prosperitie remembreth neither death nor what may happeÌ„ nor anie measure at al. What then shal à godlie man doe in this case Foure things he shal doe First let him waie with himselfe the things which are called prosperous in this world and consider what they are in them selues Secondarilie let him thinke what a perilous thing it is to enioie prosperitie if the mind be not godlie disposed Thirdlie let him compare al the coÌ„modities of this worlde with the blessednes to come which Christ hath purchased for vs by his death and last of al let him aduisedlie consider whether it be more behoueful to enioie prosperitie of this life with hazard of the soule than to renounce them if occasion serue for Christ his sake Therfore seeing our flesh is ticled like à wild horse beginneth to winch by prosperitie let à godlie man thinke with himself first howe vncertaine brittle mortal temporal fleting transitorie y e prosperitie of this world is which manie enioieng at their hartes desire be for al that in verie deed most miserable secondlie let him thinke y t it hath more deceipt than pleasure For the pleasure which ariseth thereof is like à serpent murthering the soule counsailing proudlie and vaâ—elie euen the spirite of couetousnes and gluttonie This serpent lurking in the most secrete corners of the minde seeketh not but euen destruction Whereby it is apparent that prosperitie doeth more hurt the minde than doeth aduersitie the bodie Thirdlie let a godlie man thinke with himselfe that so great ods there is betweene the felicitie which Christe hath purchased for his beloued and the prosperitie of this world as is betweene a minute of an houre and eternitie betweene death and life betweene miserie and happines For as the prosperitie of this life dependeth vpoÌ„ a reed so the happines promised in Christ is vpholden by the euerlasting trueth of God that it is vnpossible that they shoulde bee deceiued of their hope which continue in the feare of God vnto their liues ende Fourthlie of these things let a godlie maÌ„ gather how it is a much better and blessed thing to renounce worldlie goods as far as godlie christianitie they stand not according to Gods word thaÌ„ for theÌ„ to bring the soule into y e danger of damnation To conclude that wee bee neither puffed-vp nor carried-quite from God by prosperitie there is no such thing as to call into minde the humiliation of the sonne of God vppon the crosse who therefore was humbled that he might exalt vs if so be we do humble our selues vnder the mightie hand of God and are not ashamed of the crosse of Christ. For whosoeuer exalteth himselfe shal be brought lowe and he that humbleth himself shal be exalted We are therefore to take special heede least our flesh through prosperous successe of things do deceaue and kil vs being taken with a certaine baite For that serpent which beguiled Euah of his subtiltie snatcheth euerie occasion to withdrawe vs from Christ and setteth vppon the principal part of man to destroie it with prosperitie And therefore saith Paul Brethren you see your calling howe that not manie wise men after the fleshe not manie mightie not manie noble are called For to the destruction of man sathan abuseth these three things namelie wisedome power and nobilitie of which springeth both the pleasure of the bodie and the pride of minde which if the foolish once get they think themselues happie and blissed meÌ„ So then against this tentation oppose y e crosse of Christ without which al wisedome is but meere foolishnesse all might is but weakenesse all nobilitie is but ignominie and all pleasure is but the food of death For al these mixed with too much bitternes haue an ende with this life If therefore thou wouldest haue true wisedom true might true nobilitie true pleasure and glorie seeke them in Christ alone thou shalt find in whom are hid al the treasures of celestial restes To conclude at the point of death the sight of the prieste Christ
applied to God laide vpon the altar Iesus Christ sanctified both by renouncing the diuel and al his workes by promising due obedience vnto God for the aduauncement of his glorie In the second place of the elder sort there is required à continual and perpetual oblation as it were wherebie we offer our selues wholie and al that we haue vnto God Of this sacrifice speaketh Paule where he saith I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that ye giue-vp your bodies à liuing sacrifice holie and acceptable vnto God which is your reasonable seruing of God and fashion not your selues like vnto this world but be ye changed by the renuing of your minde that ye maie proue what is the good wil of God acceptable and perfect In these wordes Paule doth notablie expresse what it was that shadowed the sacrifices of the olde lawe For as the burnt-sacrifices did wholie sauor of the holie fire so our mindes must be wholie inflamed by the holie Ghost which is the heauenlie fire that both whatsoeuer is of the flesh maie by little and little be consumed and be brought vnto deade ashes as it were and that which is spiritual and of the minde maie be made truelie spiritual and heauenlie thorough the force of that celestial fire A shadowe whereof was the prohibition to eate porke and the killing beastes For as porke betokeneth vncleannesse from which we must abstaine and beasts killed did signifie that beastlie affections should be killed So the minde and will must be renued that it maie allowe chuse and doe such thinges as please God And because al sacrifices of Christians ought to be seasoned by faith as with salt and laide vpon the altar which is Christ therefore Paul beeing iustified through faith commendeth this kinde of sacrifice Here would be noted howe fitlie the name of sacrifice agreeth here-vnto and howe aptlie Paul doth applie the same First he requireth that we separat our selues through faith frō y e prophane gentiles whē he saith Fashiō not your selues like vnto this world Secondlie he wil haue vs to be applied to god whē he saith But be ye chāged by the renuing of your mind which chāge is made through the spirite of regeneration Thirdlie he wil haue vs to giue vp our selues à liuing sacrifice vpon our onelie Altar which is Christe For as in the earthlie Ierusalem there was onelie but one Altar for Sacrifices So likewise in the heauenlie there is but one vppon which we doe offer when we depend vpon the merite of Christe that our Sacrifice maie be holie and acceptable vnto GOD which we saide was to haue the fourth place in our Sacrifices But what is the cause whie GOD requreth this kinde of Sacrifice at our handes It is necessarie that as sinne made vs mortal so we likewise slaie sinne by the vertue of Christ his death yea and kil wicked affections in our selues For if Christe on our behalfe woulde so doe howe much more are we bounde for his sake willinglie to offer this Sacrifice In that he died saith the Apostle He died once to sinne but in that he liueth he liueth to GOD. Likewise thinke yee also that yee are dead to sinne but are aliue to GOD in Iesus Christe our LORDE This death of sinne is caled of Christe A denying of our selues of Paul A Sacrifice Howe necessarie nowe this kinde of Sacrifice is Christe sheweth in saying If anie man wil come after me let him denie himselfe and take vp his Crosse daielie and folowe me The thirde place among the Sacrifices of Christians I ascribe vnto the Sacrifice of praise which ought not to be separated from the former Of this mention is made in the Psalme He that offereth praise shal glorifie me Againe Offer vnto GOD praise And the Prophet Hosea We wil render the calues of our lippes Then we doe offer the Sacrifice of praise when we acknowledge God to be the fountaine of al good thinges and when by our confession we praise and glorifie him By which kinde of Sacrifice the fleshe is bereaued of al glorie of deserte wisedome righteousnesse power c. and it is ascribed to God alone Which is then rightlie offered when through faith that praise is separated from the praise of the Pharisee and through the same faith is brought vnto GOD and laide vpon our Altar that is dependeth vpon the merite of Christe wherbie it is acceptable and grateful to God A part of this sacrifice I made confession of the faith especialie in y e time of persecution which confession is necessarie in foure respects First that God maie be honoured Secondlie that the trueth maie be defended Thirdlie that the godlie maie be confirmed Lastlie that the wicked through the constancie of Christians maie be conuerted and saued For these causes Paule saith That with the mouth confession is made vnto saluation In the fourth place set we the sacrifice of praier which was signified by the perfume of the old Lawe as Dauid interpreteth it when he saith Let my praier be directed in thie sight as incense and the lifting-vp of my hands as an euening sacrifice And Iohn in the Reuelation The Elders had seuen phials ful of odors which are the praiers of the Saints And the Prophet Micheas doth saie Wherewith shal I come before the Lorde and He wil that thou humble thy knee Praier then made in the knowledge and faith of the Sonne of God is saide to be à sacrifice more sweete than anie incense The name of sacrifice doth therefore agree to the praier of Christians because through faith it is separated from the praiers both of Iewes Turkes and other prophane people and by the same it is brought and presented before God and laid-vpon the altar Christ while it dependeth vpon his merit and is set on fire by an ardent affection of the holie Ghost Whereby it is acceptable before God and hearkened-vnto In the fift place followeth the sacrifice of repentance For seeing the Saintes do dailie offend they haue need dailie to repent wherby they both acknowledge their owne faults and flee-backe through faith vnto their propitiation and endeuor afterward to kepe themselues frō al pollution of wickednes So Dauid hauing committed adulterie did vnfeignedlie repent offered to God the sacrifice of à cōtrite spirit and of an humbled minde For so he saith The sacrifices of God are à contrite spirit à contrite and à broken heart O God thou wilt not despise And in Isaiah the Lorde saith I dwel with him that is of à contrite and humble spirite Againe To him wil I looke euen to him that is poore and of à contrie spirit and trembleth at my wordes This contrition and this humiliation I take to be inward namelie when we are truelie touched with the sense of sinne and vnfainedlie are humbled vnder the mightie hande of God who threateneth
want of good thinges feare of greater miserie I answere we must distinguish betweene the waie vnto happines and the ful fruition of the same While we liue in this worlde we are in the waie either towarde endlesse miserie or eternal blessednesse but our bodies being raised againe we shalbe either euerlastinglie miserable or euerlastinglie blessed And thereof the state of our life is saide to be either happie or wretched in respect of the euent For which cause there is no truer happines of this life than that which beginneth euerlasting happines no truer miserie than y t which leadeth vnto euerlasting miserie Wherfore Christ saieing y t such as mourne are blessed and y t such are blessed as suffer persecutiō for righteousnes sake speaketh of them which are in y e waie to euerlasting blessednes which afterward thei shal perfectlie inioie whē toge with the sonne of God with whome theie haue suffered in the death theie shal reigne in heauen Wherebie it is apparent what those phrazes of speech doe meane in which godlie men are called blessed namelie because theie are in the waie and go-forward vnto that happines which theie begin in this world Therefore saith Dauid Blessed are they which are vpright in the waie And for instruction sake there maie foure steps of this waie be set-downe of which in order we will entreate The first steppe is to haue and to heare the worde of God that is the Lawe and the Gospel of Iesus Christ. By the one namelie the Lawe we learne how miserable we are through sinne which hath separated betweene vs and our God the fountaine of true happinesse by the other to wit the Gospel howe blessed we shal be here-after if we hearken vnto the worde which pointeth vnto Christ the onelie waie to blisse Without this step none be he neuer so wise neuer so mightie so noble so rich so at heartes ease and pleasure can attaine so much as à smal hope of blessednesse Wherefore when the Lorde saieth Blessed are theie which heare the worde of God and keepe it And Dauid Blessed is the man which doth meditate in the Lawe of the Lorde daie and night Againe Blessed are theie which keepe his testimonies and seeke him with their whole heart theie doe point vnto this first steppe vnto blessednesse Philosophie and the wisedome of this world be it highlie commended yet what is it being compared to this worde which directeth vs vnto euerlasting happinesse Philosophie and worldlie wisedome what else can it do than rule this transitorie which wee cal the natural life which is contained within à verie smal compasse of time But heauenlie wisedome sheweth vs the life of grace which is immortal and the beginning of happinesse Hence then we maie see and weie the worthinesse of the doctrine of the Church which sheweth the waie vnto eternal life blessednes to al men But humane reason is much deceaued here For when it seeth manie nations of men at this daie to want the worde of God it forgeth destinies and is carried-awaie with Stoical imaginations so that contrarie vnto Gods worde it thinketh that God is an accepter of persons and wil not the saluation of al men but onelie of à fewe When this was obiected to Paul he made this answere Haue theie not heard No doubt their sound went-out through al the earth and their words into the ends of the world So that the Gospel hath sounded ouer the whole earth wherebie God doeth testifie that he would haue all men to be saued But manie at this daie neither haue neither doe theie heare the Gospel That is verie true But the reason our Lord yeeldeth where he saith The kingdome of God shalbe taken from you and shalbe giuen to à nation which shal bring-forth the fruites thereof The cause hereof in this place is expressed plainlie to be the extreme ingratitude of men toward God For when he offereth them saluation theie doe kil his ministers and abuse Christe with contumelious speeches And therefore iustlie he doth punishe them in taking the meane of saluation from the vngrateful So that the nations of men which haue not the worde of God shold not bring destinies into our mindes but these two thinges rather First that the displeasure of God against the contemners of the Gospel is verie greeuous whereof it is that oftentimes he suffereth his worde vtterlie to be taken from the vngrateful and their seede after them who together with their parentes doe foster vngodlinesse in their heartes Secondlie that being made more warie by the example of others we shewe our selues thankefull to God for his Gospel bringing forth fruites worthie the Gospel which vnlesse we doe we shal as theie are and perchance more greeuouslie be punished which thing we maie learne by the parable of the vine Nowe in what sorte we are to strengthen our mindes against Stoical imaginations touching particulars we haue else-where declared especialie vpon the 9. Chapter vnto the Romans and vpon the first vnto the Ephes. Neither do I meane that the Word simplie is à step vnto blessednes but with an adiunct namelie when it is beleeued For vnlesse we giue credite vnto the worde when we heare in the same the sound of the Gospel is to vs euen the sauour of death that is the verie waie vnto euerlasting miserie not of it owne nature but through our default and cursed ingratitude And that the knowledge of the word faith are to be ioined-together in the first step our Lord sheweth when he saith This is life eternal that theie knowe thee to be the onelie verie God and Iesus to be Christ whom thou hast sent For knowledge comprehendeth both an vnderstanding out of the worde and faith also proceeding from knowledg Therefore when it is saide Blessed are theie which heare the word must be vnderstood with a condition of faith Nowe whie the hearers of the worde and beleeuers are blessed Paul teacheth when out of the 32. Psalme he saith Blessed are theie whose iniquities are forgiuen Howe so Because theie which beleeue the word of God offering free reconciliation haue remission of sinnes theie which haue remission of sins be righteous but the righteous shal liue euen by the sentence of the Lawe an euerlasting life which theie begin in this world theie which liue an euerlasting life are blessed therefore such as beleeue the Gospel are blessed as theie which are now in the right waie and goe on toward happinesse The second step is through obedience toward God to proceede in the waie according to the rule of the worde and spirite of faith This doth Dauid meane when he saith Blessed is the man that feareth the Lorde and delighteth greatlie in his commandementes Againe Blessed are those that are vpright in their waie and our Lord when he said Blessed are the meeke blessed are the peacemakers blessed are the
it They shal neede no candle neither light of the sunne For the Lord God giueth them light And they shal see his face and his name shal bee in their fore-heades This description of true happines which wee looke for is set downe not so liuelie as the felicitie it selfe but onelie to stir vs to desire the same and to make vs to proceed in the race of godlines vntil wee attaine vnto the marke of blessednes promised For truelie it is saide of Paule after Isaiah The thinges which eie hath not seene neither eare hath heard neither came into mans hearte hath God prepared for them which loue him Againe Nowe we see through à glasse darkelie but then we shal see face to face Wherefore liue wee through faith walke we in the spirite seeke wee those thinges which are aboue knowing that in this worlde we are pilgrims let vs go-on towarde euerlasting life let vs forget that which is behinde and endeauour our selues to that which is before and followe harde towardes the marke for the price of the hie calling of God in Christ Iesus Let vs consider that no euil can be imagined either more pestilent or more damnable than through sinne to bee separated from God from the euerlasting fountane of blessednes to bee turned vnto moste lothsome miserie and from the most pleasant life vnto the most bitter death By this which hath beene saide it is to confute the vanitie of the Philosophers who define mans felicitie otherwise than wee doe For if the true happines of man be such à perfect state wherein neither anie miserie maie be feared nor anie good thing desired or bee wanting as shal be in y e euerlasting life whereinto in this world through godlines we hasteÌ„ doubtles they al are much out of the waie which doe measure happines and last proper ende of man by anie thing in this world of what auctoritie soeuer they bee which teach the same For they are but dust and ashes yea nothing being compared vnto that master euen our God vnto whose wordes wee are sworne Epicurus the ringe-leader of Epicures doeth measure the ende of man by à pleasant life For hee taught that the chiefest happines of man was onelie the pleasure of the bodie which consisteth in daintie meats and drinks and delighâ—â—s of the flesh But who were his maisters Euen verie beastes For he therefore iudged pleasure to be the cheefest happinesse because beastes also for companie desired and followed the same But Epicurus did neither wiselie neither wel in following the lessons of beastes as the Stoikes reprehended him For the beastes neither desire pleasure afore all thinges but their owne conseruation then pleasure as aggreeing to reason Nowe howe il this impure opinion of Epicurus beseemeth man euerie man haue he but à meane capacitie maie perceaue For what I beseech you doeth so either weaken the vnderstanding or breake the strength of the bodie as bodilie pleasure if it exceede the lawes of nature For al the powers of the bodie are quickened by the work labor of the mind but through idlenesse and voluptuous delightes they languish As it is verie-wel saide of one After the delectation of the bodie followeth the destruction of the flesh Because naturalie the companioÌ„ of pleasure is paine For the cause of corruption which is à verie paine are sensual delightes And therefore both Cicero Salomon compareth pleasure to an harlot and that fitlie For Cicero saith that pleasure among vertues is like an harlot amongest honest matrons for by her flatterie shee destroieth man And Salomon The lipps of à strange woman drop as an honie combe and her mouth is more softe than oile but the end of her is bitter as worme-worde For as Bees doe firste giue honie and foorthwith pricke with their sting so bodilie pleasure of which the Epicurs make three sortes namelie to feede delicatelie to drinke pleasantlie and to liue lecherouslie the rest seruing herevnto whether they delight the eies or please the eares or prouoke the bodie by what meanes soeuer vnto pleasure they cal appurtenaunces beareth à show of goodnesse while it ticleth the mind by her enticementes but in the ende it bringeth moste bitter sorrowe Because not onelie the worde of God condemneth the pleasure of the bodie as hurtful to the soule but also the verie Philosophers too of the wiser kinde For Antisthenes called bodilie pleasure extreme miserie Critolaus the Peripatetion did not onelie cal it extreeme miserie but saide moreouer that it was the cause and spring of al euils Architas the Tarentine as Cicero doth report saith there is none more deadlie à pestilence giuen of nature to man than is the pleasure of the bodie For pleasure flaieth counsel is an enimie to reason dazeleth the sight of the minde and hath no dealing at al with virtue And Aristotle did saie that bodilie pleasure agreeth to beastes rather then to men The reasons which the familie of Epicures hath to confirme the blessednes of man to be pleasure are foolish and ridiculous to those who know that the end perfect state of nature is to be considered in those things which make nature perfect not in those things which destroie nature Let vs therefore sende-back the Epicure to the hogs his masters or vnto Penelopes her woers of whom it seemeth he learned his philosophie and let vs beare in minde the saieng of Iesus the sonne of Sirach He that resisteth pleasure prolongeth his life Pindarus capitane of the Lyrikes to currie fauour with his princes did thus define the felicitie of man Let him knowe that he is happie in the sight of God who hath glorie with goods For that is the onelie happines of man But forsomuch as riches are outwarde thinges and glorie is vane and subiect oftentimes to alteration who I praie you can bee blessed thereby especialie seeing hee is not happie but miserable whiche feareth anie euill The PoeÌ„t Simonides saith the best thing that man can haue is he health the next to that is to bee well fauoured and the nexte to that to gette riches by good meanes without fraude This fellowe also followeth the counsell of his senses not of reason Nowe that such à man is not blessed it is manifest by this that hee is subiecte to the mutabilitie of fortune of whome also he standeth in feare Aristotle the chiefe among the Peripatetikes had the people euen the greate Patron of error and the peruerse interpreter of the trueth for his master Hee with the Stoikes doeth well condemne the filthie pleasure of Epicurus as more meete for à beast than for anie man but hee seeketh with the wiser men of the multitude two other kindes of good thinges wherein erroneouslie hee doeth place the blessednesse of man The one hee calleth ciuil the other contemplatiue To these hee annexeth the three sortes of good thinges to witte of
that theie knowe the celestial doctrine Which doctrine is for that cause tearmed the waie of the Lord because it is to man as à waie prepared of God to goe therebie from death vnto life and from the troubles of this world vnto blessed immortalitie Walke in my commandementes saith the Lorde by the Prophet Againe Blessed are theie which walke in the Lawe of the Lorde Moreouer the knowledge of this waie that is of heauenlie doctrine somtime is powred in by à secrete blast and inspiration from God without the labor and care of man as maie appeare in the Prophetes and Apostles Sometime it is gotten by the labor and paines of man Which labour hath two partes The first and principal whereof is burning and continual praier vnto God that he would direct vs in his trueth teach vs and lighten the eies of our minde For except the Lord build the house theie labour in vaine that builde it The other part is an earnest studie of God his worde and wil. Nowe that men be rightlie framed vnto that studie sixe thinges be necessarilie required of which breefelie we will speake The first is dailie reading of the scripture Which who so wil reade with profite must haue the knowledge both of those tongues wherin the scripture was at the first written without which neither the kinde of speech nor the phrazes can be vnderstoode and beside not onelie Logique to espie the order methode of the matter but the knowledge beside of other artes and especialie of that part of philosophie caled natural philosophie Paul commendeth this studie of continual reading vnto Timothie when he saith Giue attendance vnto reâ—ding The second is an obseruation and collection of the principal pointes of heauenlie doctrine without which the paines in reading is to smal purpose For as in al artes this care is necessarie to him that would be substantialie learned so litle shal he profite in the sacred Scripture which obserueth not the chiefe heads of religion neither bringeth al that he readeth vnto some special common place The thirde is à diligent regard vnto common axioms sentences which are as general rules ministring iudgement in doubtful causes as RhetoriciaÌ„s of general thesees which therefore theie call consultations do iudge of particulars and causes in controuersie Hitherto maketh obseruation of examples from which the determinations of matters in doubt are fetched oftentimes The fourth is à sure reteining of the premises in minde that when occasion serueth theie maie be drawen out of the treasurehouse of memorie The fift is contemplation wherebie as it were at the first sight of the minde we behold the whole course of the Scripture By this we compare thinges like and vnlike together by this we reconcile contrarie places and by this we seeke definitions diuisions distinctions interpretations of obscure places yea and make à constitution of the bodie of doctrine The sixt is tradition of elders This declareth what the holie fathers haue thought of euerie thing This tradition if it be confirmed by the worde of GOD is of authoritie and weight In which respecte wee faithfullie imbrace at this daie the Creede both of the Nicene councel of Athanasius of Ambrose and that which is caled the Apostles Creede because theie are euident groundes gathered out of God his worde But if the tradition be not proued out of the word of God then is it either contrarie to the worde and therefore we abhorre the same as the voice of the serpent that seduced Euah or it is beside the worde and we receaue it in respect of such as deliuered the same out vntil it be drawen into an euil conclusion by the enimies of true doctrine With this knowledge of the heauenlie doctrine there should be ioyned as in al men so especialie in the ministers of the Gospel á liuelie feeling in the heart without which knowledge doth not profite but hurt rather through the fault of man This liuelie sense proceedeth from faith and other motions agreeing to the Lawe of God which the holie spirite stirreth-vp in the heartes of beleeuers And this sense is called the path-waie of God because as God requireth the same so through it we approch and are ioined vnto God And therefore Paule requireth these two thinges namelie knowledge and feeling together wheÌ„ he thus writeth This I praie you that your loue maie abound yet more and more in knowledge and in al iudgement that ye maie discerne thinges that differ that ye maie be pure and without offence vntil the daie of Christ filled with the fruites of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Christ vnto the glorie and praise of God So that the end of knowledge is that we should iudge proue and approue those thinges which are the better and most profitable To feeling is subiect synceritie which is à good coÌ„science before God innocencie of life that we offend no man and plentie of fruits of the righteousnes of faith which proceede from the grace of Iesus Christ and tend vnto the laude praise of God If this liuelie sense with the knowledge of heauenlie doctrine be not in the teachers of the Churche nothing is more cursed in the whole worlde than theie are For when they reproue other meÌ„ for sinning theie condemne themselues when theie lift vp others with comfort theie ouer-throwe themselues when theie teach others themselues are confounded to be short whatsoeuer theie doe in the ministerie committed to their charge it is à testimonie to their owne damnation For theie are verie-like the makers of Noahs arke For as theie when the arke was builded wherin Noah and his familie was saued perished in the floud so these men shal perish in the floud of hel fire when such as gaue credite vnto the worde theie preached shal be saued Wherefore let both them which are in the ministerie and them also which purpose to enter into the same consider howe grieuous the punishment is that hangeth-ouer their heades if the feeling in the heart and their life answere not to their doctrine againe what great glorie is laide-vp for them if theie doe builde the Church of Christ with both hands namelie with doctrine and with example Of whiche glorie afterwarde we wil entreate Moreouer the teachers of the Churche ought to shewe the waie of the Lord to men that goe astraie For which cause theie are called the guides of the flocke in the Scriptures that going-before them both in learning and life theie maie both prepare the waie and animate others to followe them And therefore in the prophesie of Isaiah it is written Go-through goe-through the gates prepare you the waie for the people caste-vp caste-vp the waie and gather out the stones and set-vp à standerd for the people Let preachers therefore of the worde vnderstand that as theie ought to goe before other men both by example of
righteous in the sight of God although before man he beareth the punishment of sinne Beside with inwarde consolation by his spirite he mittigateth present affliction giueth strength to beare y e deserued punishment with à quiet minde And although the crosse seeme in mans eies an odious thing yet is it yea though it be deserued à sacrifice highlie pleasing God as we maie see in Dauid and in the thiefe The thiefe was punished for his enormous wickednes Dauid suffereth affliction for adulterie and murther which hee had committed Notwithstanding both the crosse of that thiefe from the crosse of the other thiefe hanging on the left-side of Christ and the affliction of Dauid from the punishment of Saule differed in respecte of their sorrowfull and repentant heartes which beeing laide vppon the crosse of Christe as vppon an altar it becommeth consecrated and à most acceptable sacrifice before God Of which kinde of crosse reade more in our annotations vpon the 25. Psalme The thirde kinde of crosse is Dokimasie which is à proofe and trial of faith and constancie in confession This Dokimasie is done manie waies so that easilie it cannot bee included within certaine kindes For faith is tried sometime in prosperitie and sometime in aduersitie sometime inwardlie and outwardlie sometime Abraham was tried by banishment by hunger by hazarde of his wife by differring of the promised seede by the barreunesse of his wife by the commaundement to kil his onelie sonne Isaak whom he loued more than his owne life Al these thinges seemed to bee cleane-against that great promise of the land of Canaan and of the seed which should multiplie euen as the sande of the sea But howe escapeth Abraham howe ouercommeth hee these most greeuous tentations Euen by faith alone Hereby hee persuadeth himselfe that God is not onelie true of promise but mightie also to performe the same heereby he glorified God hereby he meteth with the course of nature heereby hee preferred obedience towarde God before the life of his sonne hereby hee strengthened himselfe in all his troubles Ioseph also hee was tried both on the lefte hande and on the right on the left by his enuious brethren by exile by bondage by the inticementes of an vnchast woman by imprisonment c. on the right hande by the gifte of intrepreting dreames by honour fauour of his prince by preferment aboue other Lordes and by his dexteritie in the whole gouernement Notwithstanding he keepeth à streight course declining neither vnto the lefte nor vnto the right hande but through faith onelie persisteth vnmoueable Iob likewise was tried both by aduersitie and prosperitie First with happie successe of his affaires with manie children store of riches and with worshipful friendes afterwarde with the soudden death of his children with losse of his goodes with lothsome botches and boiles with à brawling and cursing wife with lacke of friendes Nowe holie Iob tossed with these tempestes albeit sometime hee seemed to totter yet by faith hee rose-againe and opposed against present miserie that blessed life and happinesse which GOD who can not lie hath promised to his seruauntes For I am sure saide hee that my Redeemer liueth and that I shall rise-againe at the last daie And this is it which Iohn doeth saie That which is borne of GOD ouercommeth the worlde That it maie be à testimonie as Bernard saith of the celestial generation This triall of faith is compared to the triall of golde in the booke of Wisedome As golde is tried in the fire so men are tried in the fornace of affliction And Peter Through manifolde tentations ye are in heauines that the triall of your faith maie be much more pretious than golde For as by the fire golde is tried whether it be pure or no so by the crosse faith is tried whether it bee without al drosse of hypocrisie But what Is not the iudgement of God according vnto y e truth What iustice can it be to afflict men without cause whie Although affliction cōmeth some-time without à manifest fault yet it neuer commeth without cause whie For this crosse of trial hath manie causes those weightie as the trial of faith y t stirring vp of the heare to cal-vpon God to meditate vpon the word of God the sense of GOD his presence in affliction the contemplation of eternal happines the preseruation from greater euils Therefore albeit the crosse of it selfe be euill yet forsomuch as it healeth and driueth-awaie poisō it is necessarie as the auctor of the Epistle vnto the Hebrues teacheth For as myrrhe notwithstanding it be sharpe and bitter yet it healeth woundes and preserueth from putrifaction So the crosse of the sainctes though it bee irkesome to the flesh and greeuous yet it destroieth no◠but healeth rather And as the waters which were verie bitter in Marah after that the woode was throwen therevnto became sweete so there can no crosse happen to the sainctes of God in this life but it becommeth moste pleasant if the woode of the crosse of Christ bee added as à sauce but if that bee taken awaie the waters become bitter and vnsauerie that is euerie crosse is verie sowre and intollerable vnlesse it bee tempered as it were with the crosse of Christ. Manifolde examples of this kinde of trial maie be red in the 11. Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes The last kinde of crosse is called Martyrie Hereby testimonie is borne to the doctrine of the Gospel the ende whereof is that by it as by à seale as it were of God manie maie bee inuited to embrace the religion of Christ. Augustine expresseth the signification of the name on this wise Testimonies in Greke are called Martyria which word we in these daies vse as à Latine worde Whereof it is that wee call such as are humbled for the testimonie of Christ by sundrie afflictiōs and haue foughten euen to the death for the truthes sake such I saie we call not Testes that is witnesses albeit that is their name in Latine but Martyres after the Greekes Nowe the children of GOD are in this worlde tried after two manner of waies by reproches and by tormentes Let vs examine him saide the wicked with rebukes and tormentes And Paul Therefore we labor and are rebuked because wee trust in the liuing God The benefite comming by the martyrdome of y e Saincts Theodoret verie notablie expresseth when hee saith As in time passed the bushe that Moses sawe was not consumed with fire So neither did the weapons of enimies consume Christians although they were mightilie beset round-about of the wicked But rather as after trees be hewen-downe much moe impes doe springe-vp than the bowes were that were cut-off So nowe also after the slaughter of manie godlie men moe did runne vnto the gospell and that daie by daie than euer did yea and the bloode of the slaine bodies was à certaine
feare and shall laugh at him saying Beholde the man that tooke not God for his strength but trusted vnto the multitude of his riches put his strēgth in his malice So y t no euil can be imagined either so plagie or so hurtful as through sinne to be separated from God to be turned from the euerlasting fountane of al goodnes vnto y e most noisome dunghil of al miseries from the most comfortable life vnto the most bitter death finalie from true happines vnto endles tormentes THE THIRD PART OF THIS PSALME CHAP. 1. 1. The partes of this third part 2. wherevpon true praier is to be grounded THE thirde part of the Psalme is à praier wherebie Dauid praieth that the Church maie be defended it is contained in the 8 9 10 and 11. verses and it consisteth of à proposition and of à confirmation of which as they stand we will entreate The eight verse O LORD GOD OF HOSTES HEAR◠MY PRAIER HEARKEN Ô GOD OF IAAKOB This proposition of y e praier is vpholdē with two reasons the former whereof goeth-before the other followeth the proposition For petitions are not wont to bee proponed simplie and nakedlie but most commonlie they are adorned with argumentes of persuasion often they are set out with epithetes applied to the thinge which is asked the more to moue The former reason is contained in these wordes O Lord God of hoastes and it is taken from the power of God as if hee saide Forsomuch as thou art that almightie Lorde of hoastes whome nothing can resiste but all thinges doe yeelde to thy gouernment it is à verie easie thing for you to maintaine and defende your Church against all manner enimies which it hath And therefore I beseech you showe foorth this your power in defending the Church against the furie both of the diuels and wicked men which partlie by snares and partlie in open feelde doe set-vppon your Church The latter reason whereby the petition is adorned and vpholden is this O God of Iaakob This reason is taken from the loue of GOD towarde the Church For when he mentioneth Iaakob hee hath à respecte vnto the promise made vnto Iaakob the Nephew of Abraham and to his seede that is to so manie as by the faith of the promise bee receaued into the familie of Iaakob that is into the Church And the promise made to Iaakob is founded in the blessed seede Iesus Christ therfore it is so much as if he had saide Heare my prayer for our Lord and mediators sake euen Iesus Christ. In all our praiers let vs haue à consideration of these two causes the former whereof teacheth how God is able to accomplish that which wee desire the other how that he wil that because of his fatherlie promise These two causes the Lorde ioineth-together in the forme of praier which he commendeth to his disciples when hee saith After this manner praie yee Our Father which art in heauen For when we saie Our father we signifie y e fatherly goodwil of God toward his sonnes that is toward al y e faithful And when we ad Which art in heauen we shew y e diuine maiestie power of God wherby he is able to do whatsoeuer he will For he will doe whatsoeuer he hath promised For the promise is voluntarie and free Furthermore of these two thinges are gathered The first is how theie alone can rightlie and effectuallie praie who haue the promise the seconde that the force of praier dependeth not vppon the dignitie of man but of the mercie of GOD which promiseth to heare all that through faith vppon the promise doe call vpon him Touching the Lorde of hoastes his fight his armies and triumphes looke our annotations vpon the first verse of this Psalme CHAP. 2. 1. The grounds of praiers 2. God heareth the faithful of what calling soeuer The ninth verse BEHOLD O GOD OVR PROTECTOR AND LOOKE-VPON THE FACE OF THINE ANNOINTED THe repetition of the praier is also adorned with two reasons the former whereof containeth both the aboue mentioned For it is taken both from the power and also from the willingnes of God For when he saith O our protector or shield he doth insinuate both the power whereby hee can and the willingnes wherebie God will assist And when hee addeth also Looke vpon the face of thine annointed He fetcheth his reason in like sorte from the vertue of the promise For when God annointed Dauid for king ouer his people hee promised withall to helpe him so often as through faith hee called vppon him And therefore in à certaine Psalme hee saith Thou preseruest me from trouble Saue thou mee that being saued I maie praise thy name Verie manie such like sentences are in the Psalmes Moreouer this reason is fitlie applied to euerie godlie man in his lawful vocation For as Dauid was called of God vnto the kingdome and therfore he craueth of God that he would defende his owne ordinance So euerie one that is called vnto anie function whether it be ciuill or ecclesiastical shoulde perswade himselfe that his calling is of God and therefore that God wil defende his owne ordinance heare such as call vppon him through faith This comfort they doe lacke which rush-vppon euerie function through fraude without lawful calling CHAP. 3. 1. What an honor it is to be of the true Church of God 2. Causes whie the wicked continewe in their securitie The tenth verse FOR ADAIE IN THY COVRTES IS BETTER THAN A THOVSANDE ELSWHERE I HAD RATHER TO BE OF NO REPVTATION IN THY HOVSE THAN TO DWELL IN THE TABERNACLES OF THE VNGODLIE THE reason of the last proposition Looke vpon the face of thine annointed that is grant that I who am made à king of you maie be restored to my kinglie dignitie And although in this mine exile I coulde get mee the fauor of the kinges my neighbors yea and dwell liue pleasantlie together with them yet more doe I esteeme the Church of God where the worde is preached and according to the word of God both praiers be made and sacrifices offered than the glorious palaces of kinges yea and so am I affected that I woulde chuse to haue the basest and vilest office in the Church of God than without the Church in the pallaces of wicked kinges which neither knowe nor call vppon the God of Israel to florishe with riches power honors and pleasure So that this place doeth teach what an honour it is to bee à citizen of the Church of God so that the most contemptible function in the Church is to bee desired before y e greatest glorie of worldlie kings princes which without the householde of God doe either serue idols or bee meere Atheistes knowing none other GOD besides their bellie But how came this affection in y e most holie king Dauid The reason of this affection is not seene with the eies of y e body but only with y e
eies of faith it is not learned in the courtes pallaces of worldlie kinges but in the sanctuarie of God as Dauid himself acknowledgeth when he saith I thought to know this namelie whie the Church is oppressed and the wicked doe florish But it was too painefull for me vntil I wâ—nt into the sanctuarie of God then vnderstoode I their endes Surelie thou hast sette them in slipperie places castest them downe into desolation How souddenlie are theie destroied They perished for their sinne yet I was alwaie with thee thou hast helde by my right hand Thou wilt guid me by thy counsel and afterward receaue me to glorie Dauid therefore by the eies of faith not onelie considereth the glorie of the church the future happinesse of the citizens of the same but also thinketh vppon the most lamentable destruction of those men who call not vppon God in his congregation Of both which that is of the happines of the Church and damnation of the vngodlie Dauid himself speaketh on this wise Lo theie which withdrawe themselues from thee shall perish thou destroiest al them which go à whoring from thee As for me it is good for me to draw-neere vnto GOD therefore I haue put my trust in the Lorde God that I maie declare al thie workes But what is the cause whie so manie mightie men of the worlde doe not consider their endes the better to order their liues as they shoulde The causes hereof are three as Paul saith namelie the vanitie of mind the blindnes of their vnderstanding and the hardnes of their heart The vanitie of minde bringeth to passe that such honest things as are thought to bee embraced by à dreame as it were doe forth-with vanishe-awaie without profite Blindnes of vnderstanding doth so carrie theÌ„ awaie that of those principles of vertue imprinted naturallie in the mindes of men they followe nothing but errors And through their hardnes of heart they are touched with no feare of God Whereof it is that with à reprobate minde wee embrace for goodnes in deede colored good thinges for true riches false vaine glorie for true praise beastlie and moste filthie pleasure for true delight and for the right preheminence vaine arrogancie Of this vanitie blindnesse and hardnesse the Lorde by the Prophete Ieremiah speaketh on this wise My people is foolishe theie haue not knowen mee they are foolishe children and haue none vnderstanding they are wise to doe euill but to doe well theie haue no knoweledge Whence it proceedeth that according to the saying of Salomon Theie reioce in doing euill and delight in the frowardnesse of the wicked To which kinde of men Isaiah crieth with à lamentable voice Wo when he saith Wo vnto them which are wise in their own eies prudent in their owne vnderstanding For one daie through the most righteous iudgement of God they shall bee condemned to euerlasting tormentes Notwithstanding Epicures which delight wholie in their filthie delightes either because they thinke there is no God at all or if there be à God they suppose hee will not be angrie seeing hee is all mercifull or if hee will be angrie that hee will not alwaies keepe hatred in remembrance they doe not regarde anie whit the wrath of God But this extreme vanitie both the daie of doome in the sight of all creatures of diuels of Angels and of men shall reprooue and also the verie conscience which is à witnesse of à iudgement to come doth speake against CHAP. 4. 1. Whie Dauid chooseth to bee of no reputation in the Church of God 2. The manifold benefits and blessinges which the sainctes of God enioie yea in this life The 11. verse BECAVSE THE LORD GOD IS A SVNNI AND A SHIELD THE LORD WIL GIVE GRACE AND GLORIE AND NO GOOD THING WILL HE DEPRIVE THEM OF WHICH WALKE INNOCENTLIE THIS is an Aetiologe For it rendreth the reason whie Dauid doth choose to bee the most abiect in the house of the Lorde that is in the Church rather than to enioie euen the greatest pleasure and delightes in the tabernacles of y e vngodlie And this reason is fetcht froÌ„ y e enumeratioÌ„ of the good things or benefits which are peculiar to the citizens of God his Church the which the forainers not onelie doe lacke but also are wrapped in the contrarie miseries Wherefore they are to bee illustrated by waie of Antithesis that each maie appeare namelie both howe great the glorie of the Church and contrariwise howe much the miserie of those is who are without the Church The first good thing or benefite of the Church is that God himselfe is in the same as à most bright Sunne which thing I do refer both vnto the cleare knowledge of God and vnto the affections agreeing with the knowledge and also vnto the manifold consolations which the godlie doe take through the light of this sunne For as from the Sunne which we do behold proceedeth to the world both light heate and beames wherebie all things are quickened and nourished So from God who is an inuisible Sunne of the Church there proceedeth both light that is à cleare knowledge of God and heate that is the burning affections of hope faith and loue and also beames which are the manifold consolations wherewithall the soules of the faithare quickened nourished and made merie This Sunne as it ariseth vpon such as feare God So it goeth-down from negligent wicked and prophane folkes And therefore great heede is to be taken least the godlie doe suffer this Sunne to be darkened and hidden from them For as it is à most certaine token of death to à sicke man as Hippocrates saith if he dreame that this visible Sunne is hidden or obscured So à most certain death of the soule is nigh at hand if our Sunne Christe be darkened by abolishing or corrupting of the true doctrine So that so manie as are destitute of this Sunne as are all theie which be without the Church they can not bee otherwise than most miserable For they being blinde and ignorant of God both doe groape in the grosse darkenes of ignorance and are beaten-downe with an horrible amazement of their mindes when sinne sheweth it selfe abroade in their consciences And although the consciences of manie seeme to be seared as it were with an hot iron as if it were voide from all feeling of sinne yet at the point and paine of death it is awakened yea it driueth the miserable soule vnto desperation The seconde benefite of the Church is that God himselfe who is the Sunne is also to the Church in place of à shielde wherewith the householde of the Church are compassed protected and saued against the kingdome of darkenes Hereof in the 5. Psalme it is spoken where it is saide Let all them that trust in thee reioice and triumph for euer and couer thou them and let them that loue thy name reioice in thee
For thou Lorde wilt blesse the righteous and with fauour wilt compasse him as with à shielde Againe Thou hast giuen mee the shielde of thy saluation and thy right hand hath staied mee For it seemeth good in the sight of God that the godlie shold not only be cōpassed about with y e crowne of his good wil but also be happie through euerlasting blessednes When Paul writeth vnto the Ephesians Take vnto you the shielde of faith wherewith yee maie quench all the fierie darts of the wicked hee signifieth y t then we are cōpassed-about with the shield of faith when reteining an vnshakened faith of doctrine with à confidence of mercie and à good conscience wee fight à good fight Now what thing I praie you can be more miserable than the enimies of God who haue not this shield For the king of darkenes hath ful power ouer them and casteth them down headlong from one wickednes vnto another til he bring them to vtter destruction The thirde and fourth benefites are Grace and glorie For thus hee saith The Lorde will giue grace and glorie Grace is the fauour of God both pardoning the sinnes of the faithfull for the deathes sake of his sonne also adorning the Church with an vnspotted garment namelie with Christ his obedience or righteousnes Nowe forsomuch as the faithfull doe please through this grace they can not bee otherwise than happie and blessed But they which are without the Church be destitute of this grace guiltie damned in respect of their wickednes Glorie is the attainement of adoption the inhabitation of the holie spirite and the hereditarie possession of eternall happinesse But so manie as bee not within the Church are the bondslaues of Sathan moued with the spirite of the Diuell and reserued for euerlasting shame The fifth good thing or commoditie of the Church which the vngodlie doe want is that which the Psalmist meaneth when hee saith No good thing will be depriue them of that walke innocentlie Here by the fruit iudgement is giuen of the tree For a good tree bringeth-foorth good and profitable fruite but à rotten tree can yeelde nothing but hurtful vnpleasant fruite To walke innocentlie or soundlie or perfectlie for the worde which the Psalmist vseth in this place is oftentimes expressed of interpretors by the worde perfection is when the man which is iustified preferreth obedience towarde God before euen the most pleasant thinges of the worlde This definition maie bee proued out of the 22. Chapter of Genesis Nowe there is a double perfection of Christians of imputation of obedience He is perfect by imputation that beleeueth in Iesus Christ according to that Christ is the ende of the lawe for righteousnes vnto euerie one that beleeueth Hee is perfect by obedience which loueth obedience to God warde more than all thinges of the worlde Yet is not this perfection an absolutnes of worke according to the rule of the law but it is a purpose an endeuorment and a studie of the minde whereby a man daielie more and more goeth forwarde vnto the marke of perfection Ths endeuorment throught the approbation of God is called perfection And that this Christian perfection is to be referred vnto the will and affection of the heart these testimonies ensuing doe witnesse Feare the Lorde and serue him in vprightnes in trueth of heart Againe And thou Salomon my sonne knowe thou the God of thy father and serue him with à perfect heart and with à willing minde Hezekiah in the prophecie of Isaiah doeth testifie howe hee fulfilled the same when hee saide I beseech thee Lorde remember now how I haue walked before thee in trueth and with à perfect hart and haue done that which is good in thy sight And this perfection Paul requireth when he saith Fight à good fight hauing faith and à good conscience For through faith the obedience of Christe which is the fulfilling of the Lawe is obteined à good conscience is kept by a willingnes to obeie whereby a godlie man preferreth obedience towarde God before all thinges although mā cannot fulfill the same in such absolute forme as the rule of the lawe doeth require Moreouer when the Psalmist doeth saie No good thing will he depriue them of which walk innocentlie it is to bee vnderstood concerning the rewarding of the obedience showen through faith For in this place hee speaketh not of the causes of saluation but of the effect of faith wherewith being iustified we are saued And therefore this and such like sentences of which sort there be manie in the scripture be thus to bee vnfolded They y t walke innocentlie shall not bee depriued of good thinges Whie so Because they which walke innocentlie doe beleeue And al beleeuers are righteous through Christ his righteousnesse imputed vnto them To the righteous life and abundance of all good thinges in such sorte is proposed that they shal desire nothing to the consummating of true happines And therefore so manie as walke innocentlie shall not be depriued of good thinges After which sort the like sentences are to bee vntied that wee maie be led from the proper effect vnto the proper cause and againe conclude frō the proper cause other effectes adioined and following of the same as when it is saide Blessed are they which suffer persecution for the confession of Christ heere mention is made not of the cause of blessednes but of the effecte of faith and of that which necessarilie doth followe faith And therefore the sentence is thus to be opened They are blessed which suffer persecution for the confession of Christ. Why so Because they doe beleeue For it is a proper effect of faith to confesse Christe in the time of persecution But the faithfull bee righteous through Christe his obedience And the righteous doe liue and are blessed by the hope of eternall felicitie Therefore they who suffer persecution for the confession of Christ are blessed Nowe the holie scripture vseth this manner of speech for two causes One is that we shoulde iudge of true and liuelie faith by the naturall properties which it hath leaste for the true faith wee embrace a fained and false faith Another is that we maie be stirred-vp with the promise of the rewarde of obedience the more cheerefullie to doe our dueties and not waxe negligent in respect of the manifold difficulties which happen manie times and make manie slouthful But touching this point wee haue spoken more at large aboue where wee confuted the errors of Papistes who verie naughtilie doe confounde the causes and effectes and manie times of the qualities affections and workes of y e saintes do make the causes of iustification and saluation whose errors bee ouerthrowen by the pretious bloode of our onelie mediator For in the matter of iustification al mans merites are quite contrarie vnto the merite of Christ his death Last of all seeing the wicked which
Christ they do prophane Christ his blood and extenuat the merit of the Lordes death of which merit we are then made partakers when we beleeue in Iesus Christ. Therefore Paul doth say through faith in his blood that is when a man knowing the promise of grace doth verilie beleeue that his sinnes are forgiuen him for the blood sake of Christ he is truelie partaker of the merit of the Lord his death through which he is absolued from sinne redeemed from the condemnation of the law and set free from the bondage of sinne and Satan With the remission of sinnes righteousnes is ioyned wherby the beleeuer is iustified that is becommeth in verie deede and is iudged righteous before God And this righteousnes is the second benefit of Christ in our iustification Which righteousnes is nothing else than à perfect fulfilling of the lawe done indeede by Christe but ascribed or imputed to vs that beleeue For so saith Paul Christe is the ende of the lawe for righteousnes vnto euerie one that beleeueth that is so manie as beleeue haue that which the Lawe requireth namelie righteousnes but not done of them but imputed to them For so saith Paul To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodlie his faith is counted for righteousnes Now that this righteousnes that is imputed to vs is Christ his obedience the comparisō which Paul doth make witnesseth As by one mans disobedience saith he manie were made sinners So by the obedience of one shal manie also be made righteous meaning so manie as beleue And in another place He hath made him to be sinne for vs which knewe no sinne that we should be made the righteousnes of God in him that is Christ was made for vs sinne which is à sinner through the imputation of the guiltinesse of al our sinnes to him y t we might be made righteous with God and that by the righteousnes not sticking within vs but which being in Christ is imputed of God to vs through faith Then we are so the righteousnes of God in him as he is sinne in vs to wit through imputation And this is it which Augustine doth saie Our sinnes he made his owne sins that he might make his righteousnes to be ours Herevnto both Moses the Psalmes Prophets do agree Moses he writeth The seede of the woman shal bruse the Serpents head Again In thy seede which is Christ shal all the nations of the earth be blessed This blessing cannot be without y e remission of sins righteousnes and allowance of God If therefore blessing be through Christ deliuerance also frō the cursse is through him through the remission of sinnes we atteine imputation of righteousnes and God his fauor And in the Psalme it is They shal declare his righteousnes to à people that is the Church shal preach not mans righteousnes by workes or ceremonies but the righteousnes of Christ which shalbe imputed for righteousnes to so manie as beleeue The Prophet Isaiah saith By his knowledge shal my righteous seruant iustifie manie for he shal beare their iniquities This testimonie is verie notable for it teacheth how sinnes be washed awaie through y e sacrifice of Christ it teacheth y t Christ y e righteous by his righteousnes doth make others righteous it teacheth also y t applicatiō is made through y e knowledge of the same Christ y t is through an effectual knowledg of Christ And y t is effectual knowledge whē to the knowledg of y e minde y e beleefe of the heart is ioined Also by y t Prophet Ieremiah it is writtē This is the name wherby theie shal cal him the lord our righteousnes Here y e prophet cōmendeth Christ his diuinitie and also pronounceth howe we are iustified through his righteousnes Touching the application the same Prophet speaketh on this wise Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is Now he trusteth in the Lord who beleeueth that being iustified by his righteousnesse he pleaseth God For the obedience of Christ God and man is the most absolute perfourmance of the lawe the which sufficeth al because it is the righteousnes of man who is God This the Prophet declareth when he saith The Lord is our righteousnesse So that from our heartes we must beleeue how the righteousnesse wherebie we are iust before God is not anie qualitie or action in our selues but the obedience of Christ imputed to the faithful So doth Paul most expreslie distinguish betweene y e righteousnesse of man and of Christ when he saith I doe iudge al thinges but doung that I might winne Christ and might be founde in him not hauing mine own righteousnes which is of the lawe but that which is through the faith of Christ euē the righteousnes which is of God through faith Nowe if we haue remission of sinnes and righteousnesse through faith to wit perfecte righteousnesse which is of Christe Iesu doubtlesse we are no more vnder the damnable sentence of the lawe which is Cursed is he that confirmeth not al the workes of the lawe to doe them And this meaneth Paul where he saith We are vnder the lawe which condemneth but vnder grace which iustifieth Whie so For that as through the offence of one to wit Adam the fault came on al men to condemnation so by the iustifieng of one namelie Christ Grace abounded towarde al men to the iustification of life That is As the sinne of Adam was the cause of condemnation vnto eternal death So the righteousnes of Christ is the cause of iustification vnto eternal life Now then as Paul saith there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesu. For theie are free frō the lawe of sin of death through Christ the deliuerer The third thing which we saide was required for to make a man righteous before God is that being adorned with Christ his righteousnes he be adopted for the sonne of God and accepted vnto eternal life For as by faith hee obteineth remission of sinnes and righteousnes so likewise by the same faith we obteine the right of adoptiō and the dignitie of Gods children according to that of Iohn He gaue power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name That is he conferred this heauenlie honor vpon the faithful that theie both be and be counted the sonnes of God And Paul ye haue not receiued the spirite of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the spirite of adoption wherbie we crie Abba Father The same spirite beareth witnes with our spirit that we are the children of God If we be children we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ. Moreouer this our adoption is two māner of waies to be considered to wit as it is in the life begun through faith and as it
cause be hindered For doubtlesse it pleaseth political fellowes and ignorant folkes maruelouslie when the lawe and the Gospel or faith and workes in the iustification of man before God are coupled-together For thus theie saie we are debters of the lawe we grant à great defecte in vs which Christ perfourmeth Therefore let vs doe what we can beg that which is behinde of Christ. And so theie ascribe à parte of righteousnesse to their owne workes and merites and à parte to Christ his merites So that some doe participate more and some lesse of Christ his merites according as theie doe abounde or want Theie who thus doe thinke doubtlesse haue no parte of Christ his fauour as most sacrilegious who arrogantlie doe take à part of Christ his office which is to saie to themselues against whom both the whole Scripture and the consent of the true Church is opposed But in this place let vs onelie set Paul the Apostle and doctor of the Gentiles against them who in manie places disputeth to the ouerthrowing of this Pharisaical opinion As Romaines 3. The righteousnesse of God is made manifest without the Law Rom. 4. The promise that he should be the heire of the worlde was not giuē to Abraham or to his seede through the Lawe but through the righteousnesse of faith For if theie saith he which are of the Lawe be heires faith is made voide and the promise is made of none effect In which wordes the Apostle most plainelie doth take iustification from the Lawe yea and from al workes too and ascribeth the same to faith alone teaching that the promise is voide and faith à vaine fiction if before God we are iustified by anie works that is if the workes of the Lawe be either causes or partes of our iustification before God Rom. 10. Theie being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God and going about to stablish their owne righteousnesse haue not submitted themselues to the righteousnesse of God And in y e chapter immediat elie insuing he opposeth grace works in the matter of saluation so y t they cannot stād together as causes or parts of righteousnes or saluation If it be of grace saith he it is no more of works or els were grace no more grace but if it be of workes it is no more of grace or else worke were no worke For as Augustine saith it is grace no way which is not free grace euery way Hitherto belongeth that of Paule in an other place By grace are ye saued through faith that not of your selues it is the gift of god not of workes least any man should boast himselfe Could any thing be spokē more plainly Here Paul saith not as y e Papists do of faith and works but he excludeth workes that grace may be grace that saluation may be à gifte and that no man should glorie in the sight of God as bringing any merit which should moue god to iustifie him This boasting is excluded also by the Apostle in another place where he saith where is then the reioicing it is excluded By what Lawe of workes Naie but by the Lawe of faith Therfore we cōclude that à man is iustified by faith without the workes of the Lawe Hereby I suppose it is more cleere than the daie that theie do erre which compound Christian righteousnes of faith and workes together as it were of causes partes Moreouer theie who seke for licentiousnes of life from y e doctrine of free iustification shalbe answered God willing in y e third sort of testimonies Now then hauing laid open the errors touching the equitie of the Gospell I will plainly deliuer and shew which is the true waie to be iustified according to the word of God y t is y e gospel To be iustified therfore according to y e Gospel is for y e beleeuing mā who is absolued frō al guilt of sinne redeemed frō the curse of the law by God to be pronounced free for the ransome sake paide by the mediator to be made righteous by the righteousnes of the mediator imputed to him and finaly to be adiudged to eternal life as a beleeued sonne in the beloued freelie for the mediator Christ his sake So then for him that would be righteous before God three things are necessarie One is that beeing absolued from sinne redeemed from the cursse of the law he be a free man an other is that he haue righteousnes wherby he may in deede be and be thought righteous the thirde that beeing made righteous he be adopted for a sonne and be liked and loued of God as a beloued in the beloued These blessings no man can giue but God onely and therfore Christian righteousnesse is sometime called The righteousnesse of GOD because it is God that iustifieth sometime The righteousnesse of Christ for that his obedience beeing imputed to vs is made our righteousnesse and sometime The righteousnesse of Faith forsomuch as it is free as that which through faith is apprehended while we beleue the gospell Therfore the Lord saith Repentance and remission of sinnes must be preached in my name among al nations The remission of sinnes is the verie absolutiō from guiltines the redemption from the cursse of libertie With this remissiō two other things are cōioined namelie righteousnes adoptiō or free acceptatiō vnto life eternal Hetherto also belong the words of the Angel vnto the Virgin Thou shalt cal his name Iesus for he shal saue his people from their sinnes Here by the word of saluation al the benefites of the mediator be vnderstood But of these things we wil entreate particularlie the more distinctlie and cleerelie to vnderstād these benefites which we obteine by Christ. First therfore we attaine remission of sinnes as Paul saith by the bloud of Christ. For the obedience of Christ vpon the crosse is y e price whereby the iustice of God is satisfied for the sinnes of al those which through faith do conuert For so saith Paul whom meaning Christ God hath set to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood So that y e merit of Christ his bloud is the cleāsing of sinnes which bloud is therefore a sufficient ransome because it is the bloud of the sonne of God Therfore in the Acts it is saide that God hath purchased the Church with his owne bloud And that he which hath remission of sinnes that is which is absolued from the guiltines of sinne is also redeemed from the cursse of the lawe and partaker of the libertie of God his children these sentences do approue Christ hath redeemed vs from the cursse of the law when he was made a cursse for vs. Againe Whosoeuer committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne If the sonne therefore shal make you free ye shalbe free in deede So then whosoeuer do ascribe euen the least merite of cleansing sinnes to any other thing beside the blood of