any other then her to whom he is so tyed by marriage For it is adulterie and by Gods law forbidden where he saith Thou shalt not commit adulterie Exod. â—0 Deut 5. Mat. 10.19 Leuit. 20.10 Deut 22.22 Ioh. 8. Historie of Susanna ver 41. And albeit this restraint made by the liuing God might sufficiently mooue our consciences to beware yet knowing the hardnesse of many mens harts as also to take from them al excuse he commaundeth adulterers whether man or woman to be put to death And therevpon the Iewes conuenting before Iesus Christ a woman taken in adulterie acknowledged that Moses commanded to stone such offenders as also we see that Susanna charged with the like offence was condemned to die Which is more God from time to time hath euermore euen among the heathen vnbeleeuers declared that the committing of adulterie deserued death Gen. 20.11 And indeed when Abimelech king of Gerar had taken Sara Abrahams wife to haue enioyed her God presently closed the wombs of al the womeÌ„ of his house that they should not conceiue and appearing to himselfe in expresse words told him saying Abimelech thou shalt die Gen 26.11 Deut. 22.24 because of the woman whom thou hast taken for she hath an husband Likewise his successor Abimilech also king of the Philistians at Gerar knowing that Rebecca was Isaacks wife decreed death to any that should touch her Which is more this sentence of death Gen. 38.24 euen by Gods decree tooke holde likewise of her that was only handfast for hauing consented to this iniquitie the law commandeth that both should be put to death And thervpon Iudah the Patriarcke seing that Thamar his daughter in law for he had promised her in marriage to his sonne Sella had played the harlot hee presently condemned her to death euen to the fire saying Let her be burned 5 Likewise adulterie euen among the heathen was alwaies accompted abhominable Arist 2. polit 6. pen. Plato esteemed it to bee a great wickednesse worthy reproch And Aristotle saith Let the man or woman that accompanieth with any other then his moytie be esteemed among the basest and most infamous thinges that are Gen. 26.10 And in that respect Abimelech said to Isaac One of the peopl had almost lain by thy wife so shouldest thou haue brought sinne vpon vs. And by Abrahams speeches it seemeth they accompted adulterie to bee more grieuous then manslaughter Gen. 20 1â— for this was the excuse that Abraham made to Abimelech I thought surely the feare of God is not in this place and they wil slay me for my wiues sake Hardly shall we find any people or nation but hath decreed some notable punishment against adulterie The Egyptians did slit the womans nose Diod. Sic. li 5. Val. Max lib 6. of Iustice and inflicted a thousand stripes vpon the man euen almost to the death Zaleucus the Locrian law giuer ordained that both the adulterers eyes should be pulled out and because the law should not bee in vaine when his owne sonne was taken in that fault hee caused to pull out two eyes one from his sonne and another from himselfe The Germaines in olde time caused the adulteresse to be brought naked before her parents where they cut off her haire Cor. Tacit. Procop. in the warres of the Got. lib. 1. Instit de pub iudic § Item Leg. Iulia. lib 1. c. ad leg Iuli. de adult Lucian and then leading her through all the cheefe streetes her husband did scourge her with roddes The Gothes albeit a barbarous nation did accompt adulterie worthy of death as also did the Athenians in olde time as wee maie certainelie gather by a certaine Oration of Licias wherin he entreateth of the death of Eratostenes who suffered for adultery The famous laws of the twelue tables decreed death against the adulterers as did also among the Romaines the law Iulia established not by Iulius Caesar as some suppose but by his successor Augustus To bee short Saletus of Crotone published a law whereby such as committed adulterie should be burned 6 By the Ciuil laws Lib. 1. Digesâ— de extraor crim he that did but solicit a woman to alure her to adulterie albeit it came not to execution was punished Likewise notwithstanding the great licentiousnesse among souldiers in the warres yet if a souldier chanced to be conuict of Adulterie Dig. de re milit Ropiscus in life of Aurelian he was disgraded from bearing of armes sent home with shame And because this iniurie if it be done against a mans host or hostesse is the more detestable the Emperour Aurelian finding a souldier that had defiled his hostesse he caused his legges to bee fastened to two bowes forcibly strained downe which being let goe rent the souldier in pieces Thus by the premises we perceiue that Adulterie euermore and among all nations euen among the heathen and vnbeleuers hath beene in such detestation that as all men iudge it worthie of rigorous and exemplarie punishment so the most part concurring with Gods law agreed that such as committed it should be put to death But now the remissenes and slackenes of Christians hath bred such an excesse in this iniquitie that in many prouinces it is the greatest prayse that can bee giuen to Gentlemen and Ladies to say they haue beene true obseruers of plighted saith in marriage which is noted to bee a rare vertue Thâ— heathen in this point were more religious holy for in many yeres there was not a knowen adulterer among the Lacedemonians Plutarch in his Apotheg Plutar. of the excellencie of marriage Yea and Plutarch writeth that among the wiues and maidens of Ciana it was neuer knowen that ther chaunced either adulterie or deslouring of any maide in the space of seuen yeeres And albeit among the heathen simple fornication was accompted no sinne yet when there was one brought to great Alexander not a maiden as he hoped Eras in his Apothe. lib. 4. but a married wife hee sent her away againe vntouched But where shall we find the like temperance and resolution against adulterie among Christians Yet are the wordes of Iesus Christ where he sayth Amend your liues directed vnto vs. 7 That we may therefore Amend let vs remember first the sentence of death pronounced by the Lord against adulterers as is afore shewed Let vs I say remember that they which commit this iniquitie doe deserue to be deliuered to the executioner consequently to shamefull death And albeit the mortall iudges doe not execute this commaundement of God Iud. 19. 20 21. yet let not adulterers thinke that they shall escape Gods hand whose power extendeth far enough diuersly to punish them euen in this world but chiefely in the world to come The Leuites concubine that had played the harlot incurred horrible punishment in that the inhabitants of Gabaa had so far oppressed her with their abhomination that she died sodenly Iere.
for the kingdome of heauen is at hand Heereby doth the holie Ghost teach vs that the first thing that is to bee preached in the Church and sounded into our eares that especially and aboue all things we are to learne in the Gospell whereupon principally wee should set our heartes and mindes To be briefe the same which we ought chiefly to practise is this first sermon of Iesus Christ and of his forerunner Saint Iohn Amend your liues for the kingdom of heauen is at hand Now the word which the holy Ghost doth ordinarily vse throughout the new Testament and namely in this first sermon whereby to expresse Amendement signifieth vnderstanding aduice and wisdome after the knowledge of our error corruption and transgression Thus the Amendement whereto wee are heere exhorted consisteth in this that where before time we haue beene so foolish and vnaduised as to followe our owne corruptions and so to offend God wee may heereafter obtaine vnderstanding and sense euermore walking in the feare and obedience of God 2 Out of this Sermon therefore considering the propertie of the word which Iesus Christ doth vse we gather two things the first that it is an extreme folly to liue according to the flesh and so to giue ouer our selues to sinne and contrariwise that the beginning of wisedome is the feare of God Psal 111.10 Prouerb 1.7 walking in his waies The second that man naturally is inclined to this folly namely to giue himselfe ouer to his lustes and consequently to offende God for otherwise it were in vaine by so notable a reason to exhort him to shunne the same As concerning the first point The holy Scripture in many places tearmeth sinners fooles sinne â—â—oli â—nesse Moses foreshewing the corruption and rebellion of he I raelites Deut. 32.5 saith thus They haue corrupted themselues towarde God they resemble not his children but are a froward crooked generation Iere. 4.22 Do ye thus reward the Lord O ye foolish people and vnwise My people saith the Lord are foolish they haue not knowen me they are foolish children haue no vnderstanding They are wise to do euill but to doo well they haue no knowledge Againe See saith Saint Paul that ye walke diligently not as fooles but as wise men And writing to Titus Titus 3.3 he speaketh more plainly saying We our selues were in time past vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing the lustes and diuerse pleasures Prou. 1.22 liuing in malitiousnes and enuie Salomon in his Prouerbs doth vsually so take it Wisedome saith hee crieth out O yee foolish how long will ye loue foolishnes and the scornefull take their pleasure in scorning and the fooles hate knowledge And so in many other places But that we may the better vnderstand what a foolishnesse it is to offend God the holy Ghost especially in the olde Testament and sometimes also in the new doth signifie this Amendement by conuersion and turning to the Lord. Oh Israel sayth the Lord by Ieremie Iere 4.1 Iere. 31.18 If you returne returne vnto mee Againe Conuert me O Lord and I shall be conuerted Againe I desire not the death of a sinner saith the Lord but rather that hee conuert from his wickednes and liue Exech 33.11 Conuert ye O ye house of Israel Likewise sometimes in the new Testament Bee yee better aduised that is to saie Amend saith S. Peter and S. Iohn Act. 3.19 and conuert And S. Paul saith that hee shewed them of Damascus and others that they shoulde repent and turne to God and doo workes worthie amendement of life Act. 26.20 This phrase of speech teacheth vs that mans life resembleth a pilgrimage wherein whosoeuer offendeth God by walking after the world and the flesh he doth as it were turne his back to God to heauen and to life and goeth to the deuill to death and to hell fire And contrariwise that conuerting and turning to God by Amendement of life hee turneth his backe to death to hell and to the deuill and goeth to God draweth neere to him and directeth his course to heauen to life euerlasting Is there therefore anie greater foolishnes than to offend God that is to saie to turne from God and life euerlasting and to go after the deuill and death If anie man should voluntarily call himself into the fire or into some riuer either stab himselfe or drinke poison men would not saie that he were a foole but rather that hee were frantike and besides himselfe What shall wee then saie to those who willingly offending God do cast themselues into hell fire and into the bottomlesse pit of eternall death To the ende therefore that we may amend it is requisite that we retire conuert vnto God and returne to him But how Euen by ceasing to offend him and by walking according to his word for so do we turne backe from the deuill from death and from hell Let vs I saie conuert and turne vnto God yea let vs drawe neere vnto him yet as Saint Austen saith not by changing of place Prosper in his sentences out of S. Austen for hee is euerie where but by alteration of manners for as he addeth According as we grow like or vnlike vnto him so doo we eyther approch or she backe from him 3 For the second point This exhortation Amend that is to saie Be ye wiser and better aduised together with the reason thereunto added whereby to induce vs so to doo doo sufficiently as is aforesayde shew that man of his owne nature is inclined to this folly and rage namely to apply himselfe to all corruption sinne and so for the amending of his life ought to become wiser and better aduised Now notwithstanding we might note many examples of this folly yet at this present we will consider onely of seuen of the chiefest And in the meane time as the number of seuen doth commonly signifie perfection so will we thereby declare that man is perfectly foolish vntill he change his minde that he may amend And these be the follies 1. Not to beleeue that there is a God 2. To account more of man than of God 3. To thinke to liue euer 4. Not to know wherefore we liue 5. To iudge of mans felicitie or miserie by the outward apparance 6. To beleeue our enemies sooner than our friends 7. To thinke our selues wise 4 These seuen follies are the cables of vanitie and the roapes that drawe on iniquitie Of these doth Esay saie Wo vnto them that draw iniquitie with cordes of vanitie Esa 5.18 and sinne as with cart ropes For by these cordes and cables hee vnderstandeth certaine false opinions and peruerse imaginations wherewith the deuil quenching in men all feeling of sinne apprehension of God draweth them as it were with cordes and cables to all iniquitie and consequently to the pit of hell Of these he setteth downe three examples The first of prophane persons scorners of God who saie Let him make speed
owne and welbeloued Sonne Iesus Christ What mercy goodnesse and loue shineth in this redemption That he so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne to the end that all that beleeue in him might not perish Ioh. 3.16 1. Ioh. 4.9 but haue life euerlasting What a seale of his truth in that notwithstanding the ingratitude and vnworthinesse of the world he yet in his appointed time sent the seed of the woman promised to our forefathers Gen. 3.15 to breake the Serpents head To be briefe what power shewed he in this redemption wrought by Iesus Christ Gal. 4.4 wherein he surmounted and ouercame the deuill sinne death and hell But what doth such an image of God so expressely represented before our eyes in the person of our Lord Iesus Christ accomplishing our redemption shoot at but to giue vs to vnderstand and earnestly to feele the wisedome holinesse righteousnesse mercy truth goodnesse loue and power of God the father of Iesus Christ That we might loue him put our trust in him cleane vnto him call vpon him acknowledging him to be the inexpuiseable fountaine of al goodnesse and so glorifie him And the rather because by this meanes we are reclaimed from death and euerlasting damnation we bee made the children of God through the same Iesus Christ and inheritors of his kingdome and glory Rightly therefore doe we say that the ende of our redemption shoulde tend to encrease our knowledge of God that we may glorifie him That it is the dutie whereto Saint Paul exhorteth vs saying You are bought for a price 1. Cor. 6.20 therfore glorifie God in your body in your spirit for they are Gods Also in another place Eph. 1.6 God hath chosē vs to him throgh Iesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace 8 Ther is yet another consideration When Christ gaue sight to the blind raised the dead healed the sicke wrought other like miracles Mat. 9.8 Luk. 13.13 the same were so many testimonies seales of his diuinitie consequently arguments to induce men to glorifie him As he himselfe saith speaking of the sicknes of Lazarus This sicknes is not vnto death but for the glory of God Ioh. 11.4 that the sonne might be glorified therby For his raising frō death was a testimony of his diuine power But we al are naturally as concerning the soul dead in sin blind sicke of a hūdred diseases And as the soule is more excellēt thē the body so the illuminating restoring to life curing of the diseases of the soule are miracles more excellētly representing the deuine power grace then those of the body Of necessity therefore these miracles being performed in vs through faith in Iesus Christ do bind vs to glorifie him And how By effectual demonstration that where we were blind sicke dead in spirit we are now illuminated cured raised againe to life And indeed the motions affections holy works of Gods children being assured testimonies that in soule they be illuminated risen againe are the true meanes to glorifie God Contrariwise if we walk as men yet blind in the darknes of ignorance as men sicke polluted in vice corruption as men yet dead in sin We doo so much as in vs lieth abolish the miracles of Iesus Christ consequently his glory In this respect Saint Peter saith Haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles 1. Pet. 2 1◠that they which speake euill of you as of euill doers may by your good works which they shall see glorifie God in the day of the visitation Mat. 5.16 And in the same sence saith Iesus Christ Let your light so shine before men that seing your good works they may glorify God your father 9 But what argument is this to glorifie God in our holy conuersation good works Because as we haue before said shewed the same be testimonies effects of our spiritual resurrection consequently of Gods power goodnes mercy toward vs. Wherupon the ignorant seing that we who in the time of our ignorāce were dead in sin giuen ouer to all vice corruption since we were illuminated in the truth of the Gospell haue by this spiritual resurrection declared such an alteration in vs that now we are contrariwise become as it were new creatures walking in purenes holines loue may also glorifie God in two sorts First in this miraculous alteration that they see in vs as being a worke truely proceeding of the power and goodnes of God Secondly in this that by such miracles they be moued to allowe and embrace the same religion which we professe as being conuict that it is truely of God not of man Psal 65.1 To conclude where Dauid crieth out O God praise waiteth for thee in Sion He manifestly declareth vnto vs that they which be regenerate through the redemption in Iesus Christ are burgeses of Sion and members of the Church bound to praise God And also that we frustrate God of his dutie and expectation Psal 119 175 if we refer not out whole liues to his glory saying with Dauid O Lord let my soule liue that I may praise thee 10 The secōd principal end of our life should tend to attaine to life euer lasting John 3.16.17 And indeed In as much as God hath sent his Son into the world that the world through him might be saued that he so loued the world that he hath giuē his only begottē son to the end that al that beleue in him might not perish but haue life euerlasting It thereby appeareth that as the end of our redemption accomplished in Iesus Christ is the sauing of the elect so we that beleeue in him shoulde in all the course of our liues aime at this To bee saued by him Otherwyse wee doo so much as in vs lieth reuerse that excellent and wonderfull work of our redemption God hath created man without comparison more excellent than beasts yet if man be not saued nor attaineth to life euerlasting hee is much more miserable than the brute beast which passing ouer this life a great deale more easilye than man after death feeleth no euill and contrariwise the man which aimeth not at this lyfe euerlasting after all his calamities both bodily and ghostly tribulations in this life at his death entereth into incomprehensible and eternall torments If man who naturally desireth felicitie could comprehend the felicitie of such as attaine to the kingdom of heauen likewise the miserie and woe of those who at their decease doo passe into euerlasting death the very horror of the death of these wretches together with the soueraigne felicitie of the blessed would make him earnestly to couet after life euerlasting to esteeme this incomprehensible felicitie to be one of the principall endes of his lyfe Such therefore as doo neuer propound the kingdome of
earth shall perish from the earth from vnder these heauens He hath made the earth by his power c. Wherein we are to note that albeit Ieremie writ al his prophecies in Hebrew yet this one sentence is set downe in the Caldean or Babilonian speech therby admonishing the captiue Iewes to disaduow Idols to cōfesse the true God plainly sensibly in a language knowen to the Idolaters If this confession bee required of these poore captiue Iewes how can these men be excused who being at libertie to depart from among the Idolaters do assist at their Idolatry thereby to giue the world to vnderstand that they also are Idolaters therefore dare not vtter one word in reproofe of the Idols 9 Sith therefore that the first sermon both of Christ of Iohn the Baptist do notably proclaime Amend your liues Let all such as haue attained to the knowledge of the truth resolue with thēselues to renounce all Idolatrie superstition vtterly to denie all assistance participation whatsoeuer therin either in hart or body Let them remember that all abandoning of their bodies to Idolatrie is a prophanation of the temple of God That the yeelding of the body to the deuill reseruing the hart to God is intollerable sacriledge That the denial of the true God the worshipping of the deuill is detestable hipocrisie That thereby they blaspheme Iesus Christ honor the Idol that they giue offēce to their neighbours as well by confirming some in their errors as by inducing others to follow their examples But especially let them remember that their pretended excuse will redound to their double damnatiō For if he who thinking to worship God yet of ignorāce throgh worshiping an Idoll offendeth deserueth death surely then he that boweth his body to worship that which he knoweth to be an Idoll 1. Con. 10.20 Luk. 12.47.48 yea a very deuil as S. Paul calleth it offendeth in far greater measure deserues greter punishmēt And so doth Christ himself pronounce concerning the disobedient seruant who knowing his masters wil not doing it Exod. 20.5 shall be beaten much more grieuously thē he that was ignorāt therof And indeed it is not only a simple sinne and transgression as in the ignorant but more contempt and misprision against the maiestie of the law-giuer as God in many places complaineth of his people that they haue dispised him Rom. 5.20 yea euen hated him as himselfe faith in his law And hereto likewise may be referred the sentence of the Apostle where hee saith That God gaue the law that sinne might abound because the knowledge of the law taking away ignorance maketh the transgression to be conioyned with contempt and despising of God 10 The more therfore that we know the inconuenience of Idolatrie the more we are to detest abhor and flie from it and neuer flatter our selues in the presence of God who knoweth our hearts It is but a foolish enterprise to vndertake to deceiue the Lord or to thinke to prosper by offending him We feare the losse of our goods dignities countrie and life if we go not to masse with other men and counterfeate our selues to bee Idolaters as they are yet we feare not to loose the treasure and inheritance of heauen life euerlasting and the kingdome of God by polluting our bodies in Idolatrie euen by the assured testimonie of our owne hearts We are not to order our duties after the easements of our flesh but according to the word of God The meanes to obtaine safetie and felicitie consisteth not in prouoking God to wrath by seruing of Idols but if we desire his mercie and fauour towardes vs wee must renounce and denie our selues and the world that wee may worship and serue him onely Let vs obey S. Iohn who saith 1. Ioh. 5.21 Psal 97.7 1. Cor. 6.20 My little children keepe your selues from Idols And let vs remember that the holy Ghost pronounceth woe to all those that worship Idols And contrariwise blesseth all those that adore and glorifie God both in hart and minde That it is not enough that we seperate our selues from Idolatrie vnlesse we also ioyne with the Church of Christ by frequenting Sermons communicating in the Sacraments and comming to common prayer Chap. 2. AS repentance and Amendement of life consisteth in this that we forsake sinne and applie our selues to goodnesse So it is not enough that we keepe both bodies and soules from Idolatrie and superstition vnlesse that also seperating our bodies from Idolaters we adioine our selues to the Church of Christ by hearing his word receiuing the Sacraments calling vpon God in the name of Iesus Christ The titles that the holy Ghost attributeth to this Church do euidently declare vnto vs of how great importance to the glory of God saluatiō of mankind this duty of ioyning with the true Church is First it is in many places called the kingdom of God yet not without great cause For as this kingdome consisteth in euidēt assured knowledge of the true God of his Son Iesus Christ in faith righteousnes peace and comfort of the holy Ghost in sanctification to be briefe in euerlasting life glory So is it in the church wherin God manifests himself reueales his truth pleasure To the mēbers therof he giueth faith righteousnes holines peace ioy and finally life glory euerlasting Contrariwise the kingdom of Sathan cōsisteth in ignorance Mat. 13. infidelity corruptiō vice sin iniquity in a bad conscience trouble of mind dispaire death damnation The members therfore of Christs Church are the kingdome of God retired from the power dominion of Sathā to the end that God may raigne in them by his spirit the scepter of his word as contrariwise al that are without the Church do belong to the kingdome of Sathā as S. Paul also doth say of the excōmunicate that they be deliuered to Sathā who raigneth without the Church of Christ 1. Cor. 5.5 1. Cor 6.9.10 Luk. 13.28 Act. 1.47 This likewise is confirmed in that the same title of the kingdom of God wherby the Church is signified is also attributed to that blessed glorious estate which the elect shal enioy after the resurrection Wherin we are taught that theris such a cōiunction betweene the Church that glorious kingdom of Iesus Christ that it is as it were the suburbes gate thereinto wherupon also al they that refuse to ioyne with the Church can pretend no portion in this kingdom of heauē For the path to felicitie importeth an ascention frō the kingdome of God vpon earth to the kingdome of God in heauē And that doth S. Luke note saying that God did dayly adioyne vnto the Church those that should be saued thereby signifying that such as refuse to adioyne themselues therto do minister no occasion to imagine that they haue attained the way to saluation and life euerlasting 2 By another title are the
the head our steadfast abiding in the doctrine of truth and vnion in the faith of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe are all wrought by the ministerie of the woorde which Iesus Christ hath ordained in his holye Church To bee short that preaching is as it were the knitting and ioyning of the sinewes to vnite the faithfull into one bodie Whosoeuer therefore despiseth or reiecteth this order and benefite of Iesus Christ hee tendeth onely to scatter the Church or vtterly to destroy it Neither is the light of the sunne yea euen meat or drinke so necessarie and profitable for the preseruation of this present life as is the ministery for the vpholding of the church and bringing vs to saluation and life euerlasting 10 The premises throughly considered do also teach vs the reason why God where he might haue vsed the seruice of Angels to reueale vnto vs the doctrine of saluation Act. 8.26 and to instruct vs by the reading of his word vouchsafed to speak vnto vs by the ministerie of men like vnto our selues whereof we haue sundrie notable examples The Eunuch treasurer to Queene Candâ—ces read vppon his chariot the booke of the prophet Esaye Act. 9.9 God was not satisfied with this his affection and dutie neither did he send an Angell to expound it vnto him but imploying the ministerâ—e of man he sent him Philip. When Iesus Christ appeared to Paul and conuerted him yea euen spak vnto him he could also haue instructed him himselfe Act. 10.3 or haue sent some Angell to doo it but he contrarywise sent him to Ananias that at the mouth of an aÌ„ he might learn his will The Angell sent to Cornelius the Centurion to declare vnto him that his praiers and almes were come vp before God in liew of teaching him appointed him to send for Saint Peter that of him he might vnderstand the doctrine of saluation What man therefore is he that now dare either by expectation of reuelation from heauen or by contenting himselfe onely with reading presume to reuerse or controll the order established in the wisdome of God for the teaching of men and the bringing of them to saluation by the ministerie of men What confusion might insue of such rashnes and presumption What ingratitude against God to contemne such an honour and reuerence doone vnto men and a benefite of such greate excellencie yea euen of profite and necessitie Truely therefore inasmuch as the preaching of the Gospell is tearmed the kingdome of God Col. 4. such as doo despise and reiect it doo make themselues not onely vnworthy thereof but also most wretched and accursed instrumentes to aduance the kingdome of sathan Rather therfore apprehending the incomprensible treasure of the ministerie of the woorde let vs with the Prophet Esay and the holye Apostle Saint Paule saye O howe beautifull are the feete of them that bring gladde tidinges of peace and doo also bring gladde tidinges of good things 11 Neither must wee imagine or thinke with our selues Esa 52.7 Rom. 10.15 that being a little entered thereinto we neede not to heare anie more preaching for euen all the daies of our liues must wee be Christs schollers in the schoole of his Church vnder the ministerie of men As also the faithfull in olde time were called disciples whereby the holy Ghost signifieth vnto vs Act. 11 26. that the children of God must continue daily disciples and so learn in Christs schole vntill that departing out of the same they ascend into heauen And in deede such as being impotent and weake when they haue some voyage or iourney in hande and therefore doo take a waggon or a horse and when they haue ridde some fifteene or twentie leagues doo not straight waie without consideration of they businesse leaue theyr horse or chariot but doo retayne the same vntyll they come to theyr iourneyes ende but our iourney wyll neuer bee at an ende vntyll that by death wee bee lyfted vp into heauen The forwardest among vs as the holy Apostle Saint Paule saith doo yet knowe but in parte 1. Cor. 12.13 Ephes 4.13 And the ministerie is ordayned to profite vs vntyll wee become to bee perfect men and haue attayned to the perfect measure and full age of Iesus Christ as the same Apostle more at large doeth teach vs. And this perfection and age of man is neuer accomplyshed vntyll death And truely as the office of the ministerie consisteth in feeding the flocke of Iesus Christ by the preaching of his holie woorde so this woorde Foode doeth teach and admonish vs that as for the time of our lyuing and beeing in this worlde wee doo stande in neede of foode for our bodyes so can wee not forbeare preaching and teaching for the feeding and nourishment of our soules vntill we be lifted vp into heauen 12 But wert thou as skilful as Saint Paul yet must thou confesse that thou still standest in need of the holy ministerie 1. Cor. 14.3 2. Tim. 3.16 For preaching is ordained not onely to teach vs that which wee knowe not but also to reprehend our vices to exhort vs to our duties to comfort vs and to strengthen vs in the faith and obedience of God Whatsoeuer hee bee therefore that knoweth himselfe hee doeth sufficiently by these reasons and considerations vnderstande that hee hath neede of the holy ministerie all the dayes of his lyfe Schollers haue nothing to learne but knowledge and that euen of humane doctrine and therefore theyr studies haue a limitation but preaching is ordayned not onely for increase of knowledge but also to teach vs to put our knowledge in practise that is to say to aduaunce vs continually more and more in faith and amendement of lyfe wherein we shall neuer be perfect vntyll death By the premises then it doth appeare that euerie one that hath anie purpose to obeye this exhortation of Iesus Christ and of Saint Iohn where they saie Amend your liues must resolue to ioyne with the Church of Christ that diligently and carefully they may heare his worde all the dayes of theyr lyfe Also that it is the duetie of euerie Christian to put in practise this saying of the Prophet Esaie Esa 2.2 In the latter daies the mountaine of the house of the Lord shall bee prepared in the toppe of the mountaines and all Nations shall flow vnto it and many people shall go and saie Come let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lorde to the house of the God of Iacob and hee will teach vs his waies and wee will walke in his pathes And that wee may inioye such a benefite let vs euen feele in our selues that burning affection and desire which that excellent Prophet Dauid had Psal 27.4 that with him we may praie to God to giue vs grace that wee abide and remaine in his temple all the dayes of our liues 13 Some there are that confesse that indeed it is their duetie to doe this but they can not
of mortall infection and stench And Plato terming it a bayte for all mischiefe thereby sufficiently sheweth that such as giue themselues thereto are taken and killed euen as the fish that taketh the hooke couered with the baite Neither were they much mistaken that compared it to venome or strong poyson tempered with hypocras or sweete milke And indeede this voluptuous pleasure so poysoneth man that it depriueth him of the reason and vertue of his soule together with the helpe of his bodie and maketh him vnworthie to bee reckoned among men And in that respect sayth Cycero hee that is giuen to lust iudgeth all thinges not by reason but by his owne sence and so thinketh that to be the best which most delighteth him and so doth easilye consent to bee caryed awaie with pleasures which longe him more and more in calamitie Neither can we follow pleasure vnlesse wee renounce vertue because that pleasure respecteth the particular and vertue the good of the common And therefore there is not so badde a Lord and master as pleasure and voluptuousnesse whose nature is to make a man readie to all mischiefe and slowe to anie goodnesse It weakneth the bodie as Diogenes noted when to one giuen to lust and pleasure hee applyed this saying of Homer Child thy life is short The same Diogenes also acknowledging that which wee haue saide namely that it is a vice vnbeseeming man doth aptly declare his minde For in that the Athenians were much addicted to lust and pleasure and the Lacedemonians to sobrietie and temperancie as himselfe was trauayling from Lacedemon to Athens beeing demaunded whence hee came and whither hee woulde hee answered that he came from among men but was going toward women And the same doeth Iustine note in Sardanapalus who sayd he Iustin is his first booke liued in pleasures more sit to bee a woman than a man especially one that raigned ouer so many prouinces And in deed that lustfull lyfe was the worker of his death Cicer. li. 2. de finibus through the conspiracie of some that could not lyke to bee gouerned by so voluptuous a king And therefore dyd Cicero iustly saie that he that giueth himselfe ouer to lust but one day is vnworthie the name of a man And in deede lust is more sit and conuenient for hogs than for a man endued with reason and vnderstanding 3 To conclude what greater iniurie can our enemie worke vs Sen. Epist 28 sayth Seneca than these lusts doth vnto many for plunging them selues therein they get such a custome that they become most miserable in that they grow into necessitie of things before superfluous because they cannot bee without them and so doo serue their lusts which they cannot inioy yea which is the type of all calamitie they loue theyr owne mishap And this enemie is so much the more dangerous because wyth the outward face alluring baites thereof it hath ouercome the strongest and most valyant men in the world as Hanibal who after he had ouercommen his enimies was conquered by lust and pleasure It is a gulfe or fire that deuoureth mans substance and wealth wherwith he should liue maintaine himselfe and his familie and which is another miserie a path to all wicked practises namely to popular seditions wherein men may fish in troubled water and finde some pretence to get other mens goods to prosecute theyr owne pleasures Pythagoras to that purpose sayde that pleasure once entered into townes engendered sacietie then violence and lastly destruction and contrarywise that sobrietie temperance are the two means to shun such inconueniences In lyke sense the Philosopher Heraclitus being required to shew the originall of sedition and how it might bee restrained in stead of some long oration to the people called for a little water and meale tempering them together he drunk it and so without anie more speeches departed thereby declaring that continence and sobrietie were the meanes to maintain peace and concord 4 If the heathen who had respect onely to man and to this present life could saie thus much a against lust how farre ought Gods children to detest it in respect of the life to come August in a certain SermoÌ„ And in deed he saith Saint Augustine who for a small pleasure giueth that for the which Christ dyed namely his bodie and soule sheweth that hee esteemeth Iesus Christ to be but a foolish and vnwise marchant that would redeeme with such a price that which the voluptuous man esteemeth so little of and giueth so cheape when he giueth ouer himselfe to destruction for so small a pleasure which wil soone be ouer When lusts pleasures saith Saint Ambrose haue wounded a man they are gone when they haue brought him into miserie they are retired and when they haue made him most wretched they haue forsaken him Saint Barnard noteth three sorts of persecutions in the Church the first by tyrants the seconde by heretikes and the last by lusts and pleasures whereto hee addeth that this last is the most pernitious applying to that purpose this sentence which hee alleadgeth out of Esaie In my peace my bitternes is most bitter Esay 38.17 And then saith Bâ—tter is the persecution of tyrantes more bitter of heretikes but most bitter of all is that of lusts and pleasures The same doth Chrisostome confirme saying We incur more harme by the plesures of the flesh than by the most grieuous torments of tormentors for torments do beget martyrs but lusts do beget Epicures Of torments we forme vertues but of lusts we norish increase vice And therfore we may compare our lusts to the apple which our first parents transgressing Gods coÌ„mandemeÌ„t did eat in paradise Gen 3.6 1. Tim. 5.6 which being faire to the eie was mortal to the mouth Whereupon S. Paul saith The widow that liueth in pleasure is dead while she liueth 5 Sith then that Iesus Christ admonisheth vs to amend let vs take heed of so dangerous and pernitious an enemy to that end let vs remember all the sentences before mentioned by the which euery man may vnderstaÌ„d that vnles he mind to be altogether miserable and wretched he must shun such lusts pleasures And by them no doubt is the common prouerbe meant For one pleasure a thousand sorrowes not in respect of this life onely but in respect of the life euerlasting To this purpose do we reade that Lisimachus when the Scithians had besieged him in a place where for want of water he was forced to yeld after he had dronke fresh water said Alas what a great felicitie haue I lost for a very short pleasure If a Painim would so grieue for loosing a temporall felicitie howe much rather ought we that professe to beleeue Gods word by the testimonie of the same are to expect life and euerlasting felicitie both to think and say when lusts do assalt vs Alas wretch that I am shall I for inioying a briefe temporal pleasure
no mind to loue theyr friends or brethren and a little after they drawe out swoordes Valerius Maximus writeth Valer Max lib. 3. that in olde time the vse of wine was vnknowen among the Romane wiues least they should fall into anie reproch For wine is the first steppe to fornication and the woman that longeth after wine shutteth her gates agaynst vertue and openeth them to vice If wee that professe Christianitie stood in as great feare of offending God incurring his wrath or casting our selues headlong into hell as the Heathen women were carefull and constant in defending theyr honour wee woulde resolue neuer to drinke anie wine rather than to incurie the daunger of dronkennesse 15 Some will reply that albeit they drinke much yet they do neuer so farre exceed as to ouercome their senses But let them remember the wo that Esay denounceth Esay 5.22 1 Pet. 4.3 not only against those that drinke awaie their senses but also against such as be strong to swalow strong drinke S. Peter among our sins committed in the time of our ignorance for which he wisheth vs to be sorrie hereafter to beware noteth not onely dronkennesse but also all vnneedfull drinking Wherein both Esay and S. Peter doo shew 1. Cor. 6.10 that where S. Paul hath pronounced Prouer 21.20 that dronkards shall not inherit the kingdom of heauen vnder the name of dronkennes he cōprehendeth all vnnecessarie drinkings And in the same sense doeth Salomon warne vs to shun the companie not onely of dronkardes but of all swillers in of wine and strong drinke 16 Why saie some Is it not lawfull for one to drinke to another Truely if men were so obliuious as sitting at the table and beeing thirsty they could not remember to drinke it were a deed of charitie curtesie by drinking to them to remember them to drinke but when they remember to drinke before they thirst it is no great almes to drinke to them True but it is a testimonie of good will Neither are wee so seuere or rigorous as that wee will simply condemne the custome and vse thereof onely wee woulde inforce this condition that they should abide within the bounds of amitie and sobrietie and not vnder the pretence of a testimonie of good will to presse men to drinke more than they need neither to force them to that which they falsely tearme dooing of reason For is there anie reason that a man should drinke before he thirst or when hee cannot brooke it without his hurt Is it a reasonable request to vrge another to drinke as much as thy selfe No no more than to vrge him to eate as much as thy selfe or hauing lesse feete to weare as great shooes as thy selfe or to put as much wine in a little vessell as thou canst into a great Others are not ashamed to saie It is the custome of the Countrie but do they thinke that that wil be a sufficient excuse in the sight of God A custome repugnant to good manners is no custome but a corruption and a vice that is to be reiected Because the Heathen in olde time dyd not account simple fornication betweene two vnmarryed persons a sinne is it not therefore a sinne worthie death and euerlasting damnation God wyll not iudge men after the custome of the world and mans opinion but according to his word 17 Some wyll replie that God created wine to reioyce mannes heart but wyth Salomons mother wee will aunswere that it must bee giuen to those that faint in sorrowe Prou 31.6 whose heartes are in bitternesse not to those that are alreadie vnreasonable fat and merrie It must sayth a certayne Heathen man bee vsed soberly as a medicine It must bee so vsed as out of the sweetnesse of the lycour we may take occasion to praise God for his goodnesse not to offend him by abusing it To bee short this vse of wine to reioyce the heart extendeth not to a brutish ioy to conuert a man into an ape an hog or a lyon as is aforesayd but to a ioy that strengthneth both heart and bodie preparing and disposing euerie man to imploy himselfe in his vocation Gen. 9.21 Gen. 19. 18 Finally such as to excuse themselues doo pretend the examples of Noah and Lot do couer themselues with a wet sacke The one was dronke once the other twice both were dronke but no drunkards Neither is their example set downe for vs to follow no more than Dauids adulterie the infirmitie of S. Peter 2. Sam. 11. Math. 26 who denied Christ but rather that we should take heed therof As when we see a man fall wee will not fall as he doeth but looke better to our seet or els turne out of the waie least we should fall as he did Their example is but a representation of mans frailty that we may thereof gather this instruction If men endued with such holynes and vertue did fall what shall wee doo euen wee who liue among dronkards to which sinne both of our selues we are inclined by others forced vnles we stand wel vpon our gard and do constantly resist the allurements and temptations thereof And therefore let vs well consider the cursed fruits of the dronkennesse as wel of Noah who with his owne mouth cursed his owne sonne Chain all his posteritie as of Lot who committed incest with his two daughters to the end that such as excuse themselues by their example may expect Gods like iudgementes against them To conclude let vs alwaies thinke vppon this saying of Heraclitus That soule is best that is driest and least wet in wine Of Fornication and other whooredome Chap. 17 THe other kind of lust whereof we are now to intreat is Fornication The holy Scriptures noting mans monstrous corruption to be worse than beasts in this respect propoundeth such abhominable kinds thereof that chast eares doe euen abhorre to heare them named They be sins against nature as in deed they be called and therefore shall be iudged by all such as denie not nature common to man As God also in his law hath commanded to root out such people Leuit. 18.20 Exod. 22 Gen. 19. so his horrible vengeāce executed against Sodom and Gomorrha shal take from such monsters all excuse in the day of iudgement Neither shall they whom God hath raised to authoritie and power if they be slacke to punish such abhomination escape Gods vengeance as he well declared in the person of Philip king of Macedon who for dissembling the manifold complaints of Pausanias for the iniurie to him doone by Attalus in such abhomination finally in his full and nuptiall triumph Iust li. 9. marching between two Alexanders the one his son the other his son in law lost his life by the hands of the same Pausanias whome God made the executioner of his iudgement to punish the kinges slacknesse It shall not neede lykewise to stande vppon marriages within the degrees prohibited by the Lord
29.23 Ieremy noteth Gods horrible iudgement against Zedechias and Achab adulterers and false Prophets saying All they of the Captiâ—iâ—ie of Iudah that are in Babell shall take vp this curse against them and say the Lord make thee like Zedechia and like Ahab whome the King of Babell burnt in the fire because they haue committed villanie in Israell 1. Kin. 11. and haue committed adulterie with their neighbours wiues and haue spoken lying wordes in my name Into how many horrible Idolatries did Salomon fall when transgressing Gods commaundement he was not content with one wife but tooke almost as many Concubines as there be daies in the yeere 1. Kin. 11.4.11 besides seuen hundred wiues that he had married His example teacheth vs how faire man doth exceede when hee forsaketh the law of God Besides that the historie noteth 2. Sam. 11. that his wiues alienated his hart set it vpon strange Gods and that for his transgression God rent from him the tenne Tribes in the daies of his Sonne and successor Roboam 2. Sam. 12.10 What caused Dauid by the sword of the Ammonites to slay his faithfull seruant Vrias but the adulterie committed with his wise God was blasphemed and against him was this sentence pronounced That the sword should neuer depart from his house 8 God also sometime suffereth that hee which defileth another mans wife receiueth the like measure in his own 2. Sam. 16.22 WheÌ„ Dauid had committed adultery with Vrias wife his sonne Absolon publikly defiled his owne Concubines as God had foretold him Iob. 31.9 And this is it that Iob noteth saying If my hart haue been deceiued by a womaÌ„ or if I haue laide waite at the doore of my neighbour Let my wife grinde to another man and let other men bow downe vpon her For this is a wickednesse and iniquitie to be condemned Among the three young men that had laid their sentences vnder the kinges pillow 3. Ezra 4.26 he that had written that woman is strong among other his reasons addeth this Many haue perished and haue erred and sinned for woman Denis the king or rather the tyrant of Siracusa vnderstanding that his sonne had committed adulterie wrathfully reprouing him Plut. in his Apotheg demaunded whether he had knowen the like offence in him Wherto his sonne answered that his father was not borne a Kings sonne as he was but his father replyed saying Neither shalt thou if thou continuest this wicked life leaue a sonne to inherite this kingdome Herein he shewed a vertuous life and vsed a wise speech for a heathen king And as Erasmus noteth this tyrant thought his sonne worthy to be disenherited for adulterie which in our daies the greatest do make but a sport and pastime Yet Salomon goeth farther and saith that if a man touch another mans wife Prou. 6.27 it will be his destruction wil bring vpon him Gods horrible ineuitable iudgements Can a man sayth he take fire in his bosome and his clothes not be burnt Or can a man goe vpon coles and his feete not be hurt So he that goeth into his neighbours wife shall not be innocent whosoeuer toucheth her A theefe that stealeth to satisfie his hunger is not vtterly dispised but if he bee sound he shall restore seuen fould Hee shall giue all that he hath but he that committeth adulterie with a woman he is destitute of vnderstanding He that doth it destroyeth his owne soule He shall finde a wound and dishonour and his reproch shall neuer bee put away For Ielouzie is the rage of a husband who will not spare the adulterer in the day of vengeance He cannot beare the sight of any ransome neither will he consent though thou augment the giftes And in an other place Prou. 5.3 The lippes of a straunge woman drop as a honie-combe and her mouth is more soft then oyle But the end of her is bitter as woormewoode and sharpe as a two edged sworde Her feete goe downe to death and her steppes take holde on hell Keepe thy way farre from her and come not neere the doore of her house Least thou giue thine honour to others and thy yeeres to the cruell Least a straunger should bee filled with thy strength and thy labours be in the house of a straunger And thou mourne at thine end when thou hast consumed thy flesh and thy body and say how haue I hated instruction and my hart despised correction Againe speaking of him that suffered himselfe to bee ouercome by the entisementes of a wanton woman hee sayth Hee straight waies followeth her as an Oxe that goeth to the slaughter and as a foole to the stockes for correction Vntill a darte strike through his liuer As the birde hasteth to the snare not knowing that shee is in daunger 9 Notwithstanding all adulterers are not exemplarily punished in this life yet doth it not follow that either they haue not so deserued or that Gods threatnings are in vaine for hee is righteous and true And albeit in their harts they bee not touched with the apprehension of such mishaps and calamities as are incident to adulterers euen in this life Yet at the least let the horrible sentence of death and euerlasting dammation pronounced against them by the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 6.10 cause them to resolue to leaue it Adulterers saith S. Paul shal not inherite the kingdome of God Againe Marriage is honorable among all men and the bed vndefiled but whore-mongers and adulterers God will iudge Neither may we thinke to escape the hand of almightie God Heb. 13 4. the iudge of the world who seeth the hidden things For as Salomon speaking of adulterers doth say The waies of man are before the eyes of the Lord Mala. 3.5 and hee pondreth all his pathes His owne iniquities shall take the wicked himselfe and he shall be holden with the cordes of his owne sinne Prou. 5.22 Againe I will come neere saith the Lord to iudge you and I will bee a swift witnesse against sorcerers and adulterers Numb 5.11 And this is euidently confirmed in that in olde time he ordained that the woman suspected of adulterie should drinke a certaine water deliuered to her by the high priest vpon condition that hauing committed adulterie if she denied it her belly might burst and so she might perish 10 Let vs therfore abhorre this abhomination Deut. â—â—â—â— and shunne al occasions that might mooue vs thereunto God in olde time ordained that if two men stroue together and that one of their wiues should take the other by his preuities her hand should be cut off without fauour Deut. 22 1â— albeit shee did it simplie to saue and deliuer her husband What shall be then done in such villanous coniunctions proceeding from lustfull hartes bent to adulterie Because the Iewes ware no breeches God commaunded them to vse Laces at the fower corners of their garmentes least by any occasion Deut. 22.5
of giuing anie occasion The bell hath a loude sound and therefore hee that wyll not heare it must beware how hee pull the roape and shake it So if the one wyll beginne to chide without a cause let the other bee eyther deafe Eras Apotheg lib. 8 and so not heare it or dumbe and make no aunswere Heereto hath the saying of Alphonsus king of Arragon relation Where the husband is deafe and the wife blinde marriage is quyet and free from dissention Heereby meaning that the wife must winke at many the infyrmities of her husband as if shee see them not and the husband put vp many shrewde speeches of his wyfe as if hee heard them not Neyther can it bee anie reproch to the husband and wife so steadfastly vnited to practise this dutie considering that Dauid protesteth that hee vsed the like patience and discretion among his enemies Psalme 38.12 They that seek after my life lay snares and they that go about to do me euil talke wicked things and imagine deceite continuallie But I as a deafe man hearde not and am as a dumbe man which openeth not his mouth Thus I am as a man that heareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofes 10 This vnion betweene man and wife doth also engender that dutie which the holy Ghost noteth saying Mat. 19.5 Ephe. 5.31 For this cause shal a man leaue his father and mother and cleaue to his wife As also the wife in the like respect is bound to the like dutie toward her husband Not the marriage exempteth any from their due honor and obedience to parents but to declare that the vnion betweene man and wife is greater then betweene the children and the parents And indeede the true loue of the husband to the wife and of the wife to the husband surmounteth all loue of children to their parents The husband and the wife haue their secret counsels and communication of matters concerning their profit and commoditie The wife is more obedient to her husband and the husbandmore desirous to please his wife then their parents Yea and at length it falleth out that they depart from their parents to keepe house by themselues And this plainely appeared in Lea and Rachell being sisters and the wiues of Iacob For Iacob grieued at the wronge offered him by their father Laban boldly made his moane to them Wherupon they also complaining of their father agreed with Iacob and consented together to leaue their father and to follow their husband Iacob Herein likewise consisteth another dutie of the husband to the wife and of the wife to the husband namely that they shew no greater secrecie or communication of their housholde affaires to their parents Gen. 26. then mutually each to other and this rule is especially to be put in practise when they groweth any discontent betweene themselues For if the husband should complaine to his parents of his wife or the wife of her husband such dealing might breede a most dangerous ielouzie and consequently perhaps irreconciliable dissention strife But if it should grow to any complaint it were requisite so discreetly to prosecute the matter as that the woman should come to her husbands parents and the husband to his wiues So should all cause of iealouzie cease and the complaint procure most assured remedie 11 This vnion in marriage produceth yet another dutie common both to the husband and the wife And that is that they neuer seeke neither once thinke of diuorce And to that end let them remember what is written That which God hath ioyned together Matt 10.6 let no man put asunder Likewise that nothing but adulterie may separate those that are vnited by marriage All other agreements and contracts made by mutuall consent may be broken and dissolued by the like consent of both parties but in the contract of marriage almightie God commeth in as a witnes yea he receaueth the promise of both parties as ioyning them in that estate And this doth Salomon note Prou. 2.17 where he obiecteth to the harlot that she hath forgotten the couenant or alliance of her God But Maâ—achie speaketh more plainely and giueth a reason why God punished such husbands as leauing their lawful wiues tooke others Because saith he Mala. 2.14 the Lord hath beene witnesse between thee the wife of thy youth against whom thou hast transgressed yet is she thy companion and the wife of thy couenant The promise therefore to God cannot be broken but onely by his authoritie In the daies of Moses husbands were very easily and soone entreated to forsake their wiues by giuing them a Bill of diuorce Yet so farre was this course from being lawfull that contrariwise Iesus Christ saith that it was tollerated onely in respect of the hardnesse of husbands hearts who otherwise would haue vexed their wiues and intreate them cruelly Mat. 19. 8 And this libell containing the cause of diuorce and putting away of the woman Leuit. 20.10 did iustifie her and condemne the man For seeing it was neuer giuen in case of adulterie which was punished with death all other causes aledged in the libell tended to iustifie the woman Iohn 8.5 and to declare that she was wrongfully diuorced and so condemned the husband as one that contraried the first institution of marriage whereto Iesus Christ condemning this corruption Mat. 1â— 1 doth returne them saying It was not so from the beginning and therefore whosoeuer shall put away his wife except it be for whoredome and marrie another committeth Adulterie and whosoeuer marrieth her which is diuorced doth commit Adulterie with her So straight is the bond of marriage 12 Hereof it followeth that notwithstanding whatsoeuer difficulties that may arise betweene the husband and the wife whether it be long tedious and incurable sickenesse of either partie whether naturall and contrarie humours that breede debate wrangling or strife about householde affaires Whether it be any vice as the husband to be a drunkerd or the wife a slouthfull Idle or vnthrustie huswife whether either partie forsake the truth and profession of religion doe fall into Idolatrie or heresie Yet still the bond of marriage remaineth steadfast and not to be dissolued Neither may they be seperated euen by their owne mutuall consent Mat. 19.6 2. Cor. 7.12 For as the holy Ghost hath pronounced That which God hath ioyned together let not man put a sunder And therefore S. Paul saith If any brother haue a wife that beleeueth not if shee bee content to dwell with him let him not forsake her And the woman which hath a husband that beleeueth not if he be content to dwell with her let her not forsake him Also because some did suppose that the vnbeleefe in any of the parties might breed some pollution or disquiet in marriage he aunswereth no his reason For the vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified by his beleeuing wife And the vnbeleeuing wife by her beleeuing husband And this he proueth by
God loue of the world neglect of heauenly felicitie wil cry out for euerlasting vengeance against their parents so that if they account not their children as beasts without soul or if they loue them with the due loue belonging to parents let them declare their loue especially to the soule the Christian instruction whereof surmounteth all worldly treasure An ancient Philosopher said that hee could haue bin content to haue gone vp into the highest pinacle in the towne Crates Plut. in thâ— bringing vp of children thence to haue cried O fathers what meane you that imploy your whol indeuors to get riches why are ye so carelesse for the instructing of your children to whom ye leaue theÌ„ It is as if parents wheÌ„ their childe were sicke to the death without prouiding for his health should prepare him new garments Some say it would be a great comfort for them in heauen to know their neere kindred consequently their children and this commeth of natural affection But might it not be a greater discomfort for them eueÌ„ in their life time to see them go to hell for want of instruction Tâ—e Lacedemonians were very careful to bring vp their children in vertue according to the lawes of Lycurgus their law giuer therby grew to this custome that if anie man committed anie trespasse it was lawfull for anie that sawe him freely to reproue him and it was a great reproch to mislike of such reprehension 13 Some charge their childreÌ„ to be dulwitted hard to be bowed or brought to vertue Albeit naturall inclination bee a great helpe to profiting yet exercise custome to do wel is a mightie meanes to bend and shape them that waie yea euen such that by experience wee finde this olde prouerbe true Vse ouercommeth nature And this dyd Lycurgus the Lacedemonian lawe giuer verie aptly demonstrate to his people Plut. in his Lacon Apotâ—eg Hee tooke two whelpes the one of a hunting kinde the other of a mastiffe that followed the kitchin Then dyd hee bring vp the mastiffe to the game and the hound to the kitchen Afterward meaning to make demonstration and so to perswade the people to his purpose hee caused them to bee assembled and brought forth his two dogs where setting downe a dish of pottage and withall casting off a hare the hound fell to the pottage the mastiffe followed the hare Behold then sayth he what it is of doctrine vse he that came of a hunting kind yet vsed to the kitchin followeth his pottage and the other come of a mastiffe following the kitchin being now vsed to the game followeth the hare The wheele-wright doth by strength bow his timber letting it he long in that bent it abideth crooked Barren ground wel tilled soyled and sown with good seed groweth fruitfull yeeldeth good increase Iron weareth with handling The water by continuall dropping weareth the stone Wilde beasts may bee tamed and wilde coltes by custome bee brought to the saddle and are content to bee lead by the bridle The Greekes named Manners by a word that signified Custome Thereby to declare that euen the dullest capacities may by instruction and custome bee fashioned to vertue As contrariwise the wit most inclined by nature to vertue may by bad instruction and the conuersion of the wicked be peruerted and grow vicious 14 Parents therefore are heerein to respect two pointes First to begin to frame and bend their children in their tender youth to vertue remembring that a seale entereth deepest into softest waxe Plato warneth mothers and nurses from telling foolish tales to theyr children least they infect theyr tender wits with folly astonishment Experience sheweth that children will sooner learn anie language by conuersation thaÌ„ older folkes Also that the yonger the twigge is the sooner it is bent or made straight Secondly it is the parents duetie to restraine their children from haunting conuersing with such as bee vicious and peruerse And in deed we see that they doo soone learne villanous and vnseemely speeches and malitious and leaude actions wyth theyr corruptions and as the olde prouerbe sayth Halting with the lame they shal learne to halt A child that naturally speaketh well by conuersing with such as corrupt theyr speech shal degenerate and speake as badly Tie a young twigge that is crooked with a straight one that is stronger than it and in growing it wil become straight so continue when it is vndone And contrariwise a straight one tied to that which is crooked and stronger than it selfe will grow continue crooked 15 The Lacedemonians were maruellous carefull to prouide that their children should not be corrupted by euill companie And in regard thereof Plutarch in his Laconicalâ— we reade that when Antipater demanded of them fiftie children for hostages one of their chiefe magistrates named Etheocles aduised theÌ„ not to condescend thereto least they being brought vp in the societie of such as were wholy giuen to pleasure and vice might peraduenture grow vicious and so bring home afterward to their countrie nothing but corruption and miserie and therupon in lieu of fiftie children they offred the double number of men and women and so of aged persons alreadie formed of strength and discretion to withstand vice and corruption Lastly when Antipater still vrged them to send their children and vsed great threates in case they should disobey they plainly answered saying Let him if he can require anie thing more grieuous than death for rather will we condiscend thereto than to send our children O wonderfull constancie and care to preserue their children from vice and corruption If the heathen had such regarde to this vertue importing the training vp of their children in the obseruatioÌ„ of the laws of a mortall man what a shame may it be vnto christian parents that are so negligent in bringing vp theyr children in the heauenly doctrine and forming theyr manners and behauiors to pietie and godlynes in the feare and obedience of God Moreouer by this example may parents take warning when they mean to put forth their children to anie trade or occupation eyther to learning carefully to see and enquire whether such as they thinke to place them withal be vertuous or endued with the fear of God In the admittance of a seruant the feare of some temporall or carnall inconuenience causeth thee to enquire of his or her truth or other qualities Therefore if thou committest a childe to the instruction of a master before thou enquirest of his vertues thou shewest that thou hast lesse care of corrupting or infecting thy child with vice than of some small incouenience that might happen by an vnthriftie seruant When thou buyest an earthen pot thou soundest vpon it to see whether it be broken least thou shoulde be deceiued in a small peece of monie yet doest thou not sound whether the master to whome thou committest thy child be vicious or vertuous albeit by putting him to one that is
heartely grieuing at the disobedience of his wife and demanding of his counsellers what he should adiudge her vnto expresly addeth according to the lawe When Simonides the poet Eras Apot. l. 5 desyred Themistocles to pronounce a certaine vniust sentence in his fauour he aunswered vertuously As making verses contrarie to the rules of poetrie thou canst bee no good poet so can I bee no good prince if I giue sentence contrarie to the lawe Pomp. Laet. of lawes And this is it that Pomponius Laetus admonisheth saying The magistrate hath the preheminence ouer the people and the lawe ouer the magistrate and to this purpose he addeth this notable sentence of Cicero The Magistrate is the speaking Lawe 25 This likewise ought resolutely to be grounded in the hearts of all magistrates that if the superior magistrate or soueraign shuld command his substitute or inferiour officer to iudge contrarie to lawe he should therein obey him but God who commaundeth to minister iudgement and iustice according to the law Plutarch in his Apotheg And hereupon did Antigonus the third thus write to Magistrates throughout the townes of his kingdome If I command anie thing contrarie to the laws obey not but thinke that I was abused by ignorance The Aegyptian kings proceeded farther for they obserued this law and custome They tooke an oath of their Iudges that they should not obey them in case they should command them to passe any vniust or wrongfull sentence Which is more The Emperor Traian deliuering a sword of iustice to his Constable commanded him to vse it to his behoofe in whatsoeuer his lawfull commandementes but against him in case he required anie matter of iniustice Such men therefore are vtterly deuoide of excuse as vnder pretence of the precepts or plackards of their kings or princes doo contrarie to their owne consciences condemne those men to die whome they know not to haue so deserued Mat 27. And in this point did Pilat greatly ouershoot himselfe for he ful well knew that Christ was deliuered to him vpon enuie yea himselfe pronounced him to bee innocent yet when he heard some say that if he did condemn him he could not be Caesars friend he deliuered Iesus Christ to the Iews to be crucified 26 Howbeit as inferiour magistrates ought not to shrinke from equitie and iustice notwithstanding the commandement of theyr superiours Dan. 6 so is it as great an ouersight in the superior for feare of displeasing his inferiour to make anie wrongfull or vnlawfull decree As Darius seeing himselfe surprised by the edict that himself had made at the instigation of his princes that enuied Daniel albeit it grieued him much that he wished euen hartely to haue saued Daniel yet finally he suffered himselfe to bee so ouercome by the said princes that he caused Daniel to be put among the lyons In like manner Zedechias king of Iuda when his princes demaunded Ieremy Iere. 38.5 to punish him as a seditious person was so saint hearted that hee deliuered him vnto them saying Beholde hee is in your handes for the king cannot saie you naie in anie thing This was a cowardlynes and iniquitie vnworthie anie soueraigne Iudge 27 Neither must the pleasure of the people or the feare of their murmures or exclamations induce the prince to doo anie vniust action As Pilat when he sayde of Iesus Christ What euill hath he done Seeing the people cry out the more Crucifie him and willing to please the people hee deliuered vnto them Barrabas Eusebius his Eccle. hist li. 4. cap. 9. and deliuered Iesus into theyr handes to be crucifyed The Emperour Adrian purposing to preuent such inconueniences verie wisely wrot to Fundanus that from thence forth the Christians should not be condemned at the exclamations or slaunders of the people but that they should be heard and being found guilty be punished otherwise to absolue and dismisse them 28 In this decree of Adrian wee also learne that the magistrate in duetie is not to giue sentence rashly but first to enquire out the truth of the matter Deut. 17.4 least hee hap to condemne the innocent This commandement doth God deliuer by Moses saying When it is tolde thee Iob. 29.16 and thou hast heard it then shalt thou enquire diligently and if it bee true and the thing certaine that such abhomination is wrought in Israel Plutarch in the life of Romulus then shalt thou put him to death Iob protesteth that he performed this duetie saying When I knew not the cause I sought it out diligently Remus beeing brought prisoner before Nunator sayde vnto him Thou in my minde seemest more worthie to bee a king than thy brother Aâ—ulius for thou doest enquire and heare before thou condemned but hee contrarywise condemneth before he heare the parties Heereto must wee haue great respect 1. Sam. 19.29 for the wisest are sometime ouertaken as Dauid when vppon the accusation of Siba he condemned Miphiboseth vnheard and without information of the truth They are therefore in dutie before they iudge thoroughly to sift out and take information either of the truth or of the right And in that respect when queen Vashti denied the king her husband Ester 1. would not come to make shew of her beautie in the banquet of the princes it was no reason that she should notwithstanding be condemned and deposed from her estate roiall vnheard Good therefore was the instruction that great Alexander gaue to all magistrates and Iudges namely to stop one eare when they heard one party to the end to reserue the other wholy to the other partie But aboue all men Aristides surnamed the iust hath in an action correspondent to his name declared how warie and resolute magistrates should be in this duties for on a time hauing brought his accusatioÌ„ against an offender seeing the magistrates by his allegations redie to condemn the offender vnheard he fell vpon his knees with the offender besought the magistrate to heare him before he gaue senteÌ„ce of condeÌ„natioÌ„ 29 Magistrates also ought to bee affable readie to graunt accesse to euery one that commeth to craue audience yet to the contrarie the kings of Persia kept themselues so close that no man might lawfully come vnto them into the porch vncalled For they had one law which imported that whosoeuer man or woman came in vnles the king extended his golden rodde to him he died And herein they resembled wild and cruell beasts whom no man might come neere for feare of death Philip king of Macedon and father to great Alexander was not so wild Ester 4.11 yet in this which is reported of him to be reproued That when a poore old woman craued audience in her cause he answered that he was not at leasure wherupon she also taking hart said Then be not king Therin declaring it to be a dutie conioined with the roial dignitie to be affable easily intreated to heare the complaints of the oppressed As
forget that Dauid putteth among his roiall verses the support of the good and the punishment destruction of the wicked Also that Salomon to the same purpose sayth Pro. 20.26 A wise king scattereth the wicked causeth the wheel to turne ouer them 48 But as there is great difference betweene iustice crueltie so this representation of the duetie of magistrates to punish vice and sin according as iustice requireth tendeth not to induce them to crueltie but to the execution of the iust iudgement and vengeance of God according to his holy lawes and commaundements For as for crueltie it is so much the more detestable as that there is nothing more against the nature of God Seneca of clemeÌ„cy to Nero and the coniunction that he hath constituted among men It is as Seneca sayth a vice not of man but of a wild beast and therefore it is to be abhorred and detested but especially by such as are not onely men but also the lieutenants and vicars of God least by crueltie they shoulde pollute and prophane the seate of his holy maiestie And they also who vpon ambition couetousnes wrath or anie other passion are moued and induced to this crueltie cannot but expect iudgement without mercy and consequently horrible and fearefull besides the hatred and feare of men and so leade a most miserable wretched life both in this world and in the world to come as by the examples of many tyrants from time to time we may euidently perceiue And Aristotle in his Politikes noteth that tyrannie can neuer holde out in one family to the fourth generation for in deede crueltie can haue no continuance and hee that is feared and dreaded of many doth also stand in feare and dread of many It breedeth rather feare in gouernment than power to gouerne the rather because that continuall seueritie taketh awaie authoritie besides it is most certaine and vndoubtedlye true as Iulius Caesar sayeth that the remembraunce of a passed crueltie is meruaylous and exceeding grieuous to olde age Seneca of Clemencie 49 This cruelty may be coÌ„sidered three wais first when by death or otherwise hee is wronged that hath not deserued it As when Saul wrongfully charging Abimelech the priest of Nob 1. Sam. 2â— of conspiring with Dauid against him caused him together wyth foure score and fiue priests that wore the Ephod to be murthered yea and which is more stroke wyth the edge of the swoord all the inhabitants of the towne men and women young and olde and all theyr cattell This was monstrous crueltie The lyke crueltye is set downe of Herod Math. 2.16 who seeking to slaie him whom the wise men reported to bee borne king of the Iewes put to death all the children that were in Bethleem and in all the borders round about from two yeeres old and vnder The second kind of crueltie consisteth in punishing transgressions excessiuely and wyth greater rigour than they deserue I call those men cruell sayth Seneca that hauing iust cause to punish doo obserue no measure in punishing Heereupon dyd God ordaine that if a wicked man had deserued stripes the Iudge shoulde in his presence cause him to bee beaten according to the hainousnes of the offence Deut. 25. â— to a certaine number of stripes but not aboue fortie The third resteth in this that some doo receiue pleasure and contentation in the euill and tormentes that others doo indure This doth Adonibezecke confesse of him selfe saying Iudg. 1.7 Ioseph in his Antiquit. l. 17 c. 9 Seuentie kings hauing the thumbes of their handes and of their feet cut off gathered bread vnder my table As also Herod seeing himselfe at the point of death knowing that the Iews would reioyce because of his cruelties exercised against them called the chiefest among them and shutting them vp in a great roome commanded that immediatly vpon his decease before there were any noise thereof they should all be slaine to the end the Iews might weepe and mourne at his death And among all tyrants Lucian Erasm in his Chiliads in this point the crueltie of Phaleris is to bee noted who caused fyre to bee put vnder a brasen bull so arteficially made that the partye there inclosed dying wyth heate and thorough anguâ—â—h crying out yeelded not the voyce of a man but the roaring of a Bull. 50 Contrarywise Magistrates in punishing the trespasses and offences of theyr subiectes ought in themselues to apprehende the nature of parents chastising theyr children for so farre are they from reioycing therein that they doo it wyth griefe and such compassion that were it not in respect of Gods commaundement together wyth experience which teacheth that correction is euen profitable and necessarie for children they would neuer do it This may we note in Iosua who seeing that Acan was taken by lot as guiltie and culpable of Gods wrath against the people Ios 7.14 did neuerthelesse call him My sonne thereby shewing a fatherly affection to him and yet disobeyed not God but condemned him to death 51 This was a kinde of mercie which being generally considered Salust to Caesar enclineth the heart to gentlenesse and clemencie but wyth iudgement and discretion And this vertue is specially requyred in Magistrates for it engendereth loue and loue safetie And by experience wee haue euermore found that such as haue vsed gentlenesse and clemencie haue alwaies prospered and haue founde theyr verie enemies more righteous in theyr behalfe Pliny Epistle Lib. 8. Liuy Lib. 8. Seneca than Citizens haue beene to those that haue exercised crueltie ouer them And in deed of greater force is the peoples loue of the magistrate for the obtaining of anie thing than theyr feare and no dominion is more sure than the same that the subiectes like of Neyther can that long indure Plut. in the banquet of the 7. Sag. which the people doo hate Wee reade that the seuen Sages of Greece sitting all at a banquet beeing demanded what might make a king happie and purchase him glorie dyd all aunswere diuersely Solon sayde by changing the dominion of one into a popular gouernment By as If himselfe be the first in obeying his countrie laws Thales If by the course of nature he die an olde man Anacharsis If himselfe onely bee wise Cleobulus If hee repose not himselfe vpon his familiars Chilon If his mind runne not vpon worldly matters but vpon immortalitie If saith Pittacuâ— hee teach and accustome his subiects to liue in feare not of him but for him But nothing doth sooner engender feare not of the magistrate but for the magistrate than good will and clemencie for as too much crueltie and seueritie of a prince doeth make his subiects to feare him with hate so doeth generall good will and gentlenesse make them to loue him and to feare leaâ—â— hâ—e should bee taken from them or incurre anie mishappe To câ—nclude this purpose let all magistrates remember the aunswere of a Lacedemonian
wrath against theyr subiects Autenticalls in the title of Baudes Especially let them rigorously punish and banish out of their dominions all baudes and ruffians the cursed instruments of satan to allure and put forth women and maidens to fornication who liue vpon so abhominable iniquitie The Emperour Iustinian doth expresly command all baudes to bee punished with death as is aforesayd Withall decreeing that whatsoeuer hath bene giuen to women or maidens for the prostituting of their bodies they shall not be bound to restore August in his booke of orderings 64 But some to the contrarie will alleadge a sentence of Saint Augustine saying Take awaie the stewes and yee shall replenish the whole towne with fornication But when he wrote that he was but a nouice and meanly instructed in religion and therefore him selfe in another place confesseth that in sinne there is no tolleration that a man of two euils should choose the lesser Neither must we as Saint Paul saith doo euill that good may come of it Rom. 3.8 or allowe one mischife for the eschuing of another But we must obey God who forbiddeth vs all wickednes and remit the issue and successe into his hands who cannot allowe that the wisedome of the flesh should dispense with the offending God in one sort for feare of offending him in another Basil expounding these words Psalme 1. And hath not sit in the seate of the scornfull saith that adulterie neuer stayeth is one man but infecteth the whole Citie First one will come alone to the strumpet then he wil take a companion and that companion another companion whereby as fire once kindled if the wind be high doth somtimes inflame a whole citie so this wickednes once kindled spreadeth all ouer Ambrose proceedeth fâ—rther for he expounding this sentence of Salomon Who can carrie fyre in his bosome and not be burned saith Prouerb 6. Who doth thinke that tollerating whoores in a towne young men will not resort vnto them wherein we gather this sentence which vtterly repugneth the former of Augustine Tollerate whores in a towne and ye replenish the whole towne with whoredome as God vndoubtedly for the auoiding thereof did in olde time command that there should not be anie whoore in Israel And therefore wee will conclude this argument with this saying of Tertullian Deut. 23 17 That stewes are abhominable in the sight of God Let the Popes therefore aduise with them selues what answere they will make to God for this Tertul. of the Soule that in Rome they doo not onely publikely tollerate theyr whoores and bauds but also that they take tribute of them therin shewing themselues likewise to be baudes in that in lieu of punishing expelling and banishing of them as plagues in a Christian common wealth they participate with them in their cursed gaine 65 As concerning the other point touching tipling and dronkennes Seeing that God curseth all bibbers and dronkards by his prophet Esay also that S. Paul protesteth that they shal not inherit the kingdome of God the magistrates do sufficiently vnderstand Esay â— 11.12 1. Cor. 6.10 that they in dutie so much as in them lieth are to stop the course of all such excesse The inconueniences of quarrels strife therof arising the troubles in houshold as wheÌ„ the husband or the wife do come drunke home the extreme miserie whereinto many doo bring their wiues children in suffering theÌ„ almost to starue for need whilest theÌ„selues haunt tauerns The abuse prophaning of Gods good creatures with other inconueniences that daily arise of dronkennes do cry for vengeance in the sight of God do cal the magistrates set before them their dueties wherein they are bound to remedie the same For with what conscience can they suffer such corruption among their subiects when they may remedie it by prohibiting not lodging for strangers but tauernes from their inhabitants or by punishing of tiplerrs dronkards and those tauerners that maintaine them in such excesse and riot 66 Hauing before declared how Magistrates ought to imploie themselues to bring theyr subiects to leade a quiet and peaceable lyfe in all godlynesse and honestie wee are now to intreate them to beleeue thinke that theyr authoritie shall take great increase and efficacie when theyr greatnesse and power shall be accompanied wyth the excellencie of vertue aboue theyr subiects when themselues shall bee examples vnto them in all things beseeming the children and seruants of God wherein also they are to haue such respect that they admit not in themselues euen that which may bee somewhat tollerable among theyr subiectes so farre are they from power to dispense with that in themselues which shuld not bee permitted to men of meaner calling And in deede wee may in many notable examples note that God hath greuously punished in great personages those faultes which in apparance seem small Nomb. 20. 2. Sam. 24. Esay 39. as that of Moses at the waters of strife that of Dauid when hee numbered the people that of Ezechias when hee shewed his treasures to the Embassadors of the king of Babylon and so in others In all which God doth teach vs that the authoritie of princes to dispense wyth themselues to worke wickednesse is so small that contrarywise hee wyll punish such transgressions in them as many times hee will beare with in theyr subiectes Deut. 17. And this instruction doth hee confyrme in that in olde time he declared that the king that shuld be chosen ouer his people Israel shuld haue the booke of the lawe that hee might reade therin all the dayes of his lyfe and that he might rule himselfe according to the will of God that hee shoulde not haue many wiues yet was that tollerable among his subiectes The younger Scipio knewe and put in practise his duetie in this respect for when hee had by force taken the city of Carthage Plut. in his Apoth Plut. in his Lacon Apoth Plut. in his Apoth and some of his souldyers brought vnto him a most beautifull mayden Truely sayde hee I coulde fynde in my heart to take her were I not in office or a magistrate but a priuate man To this purpose dyd Agesilaus verie wisely saie That the Prince must outgo his subiects not in pleasure lust but in temperance and magnanimitie And thereupon sayd Cyrus He is not worthie to gouerne that is no better neither more vertuous than they ouer whome hee is to commaund 67 Reason lykewise would that princes and magistrates should giue good examples to theyr subiectes leading the waie to all vertuous commendable actions that they require of them As Iustine writeth of Lycurgus Iustin lib. 3. that hee set downe no law for any thing whereof himselfe had not shewed an example and practise in his owne person Plutarch sayth that Agesilaus woulde bee the first dooer of that thing that he commanded those to doo Plutarch in his Lacon Apotheg ouer whom hee
wherein euery one being a pray vnto Satan runneth and casteth himselfe headlong into death and euerlasting destruction But the end of the ministery tendeth to assemble from this dissipation the elect in Iesus Christ to make them pertakers of that saluation that is in him And this doth the other similitude of the building of the body of Christ confirme for as they which are seperate from Christ our life are in death so the meanes to reuiue and saue them resteth in this that we be builte and engraffed into the body of Christ that we may be saued in him and thereupon doth S. Luke say that by the preaching of the Apostles God did dayly adde to his Church such as should be saued In this sence also are Ministers called Fathers Acts 2.42 engendring children to God because he vouchsafeth so to vse their ministery 1. Cor. 4.15 that they who by nature are the children of the deuill doe become the children of God and heires of euerlasting saluation The principall end therfore of the holy ministery is to withdrawe men from death and destruction Cipri in his Ser. of fall and to make them partakers of saluation and life euerlasting And therfore as S. Ciprian saith The shepheard can receiue no greater hurt then in the hurte of his flocke and this doth S. Paul sufficiently shew in his owne person saying I feare least when I come 2. Cor. 12.20 I shall not finde you such as I would and least my God abase me among you and I shall bewaile many of them which haue sinned alreadye and haue not repented of the vncleannes and fornication and wantonnes which they haue committed 3 And indeede as they which shal be saued by their ministery shal be as S. Paul calleth them their crown Phil. 4.1 glorie ioy in the day of the Lord they that shal win most to righteousnes shal shine as the Starres for euer so contrariwise Dan. 13. 3. the bloud of such as shall perishe through their owne negligence shall be required at their handes as the Lord doth protest by the Prophet Ezechiell saying Sonne of man I haue established thee to be a scoute ouer the house of Israel thou shalt giue eare to the worde of my mouth Ezech. 3.17 and shalt warne them from me When I shall say to the wicked thou shalt surely dye and thou giuest not him warning neither dost admonish him to departe from his wicked way that he may liue the same wicked man shall dye in his iniquitie but his bloud will I require at thy handes Heb. 13.17 Prosper of Contemplatiue life li. 1. God also establisheth Pastors ouer his flocke as the Apostle saith vpon condition to be accomptable vnto him for them in the day of iudgement If he saith a good old father to whom the dispensation of the word is committed be afraide or ashamed to reproue offenders albeit for himselfe he lead a holy life yet shall hee perishe through his silence And so what shall it auaile him not to be punished for his owne sinne when he shal be punished f r the sinnes of others 4 Now to satisfie this end of the saluation of men by the ministery the first principall duty consisteth in preaching the worde of God Rom. 1.16 which S. Paul therfore calleth the power of God to saluation to all that beleeue and this is it that hee teacheth in the sentence before alleadged saying Take heed vnto thy selfe and vnto learning for in doing thus thou shalt saue both thy selfe and those that heare thee The same maye wee also note in the other sentence 1. Tim. 4. 16. where the Lord saith I haue ordained thee a light to the Gentiles that thou maist be a saluation to the ends of the earth Acts 13.47 And truely how are the ministers the light of men to saue them but by preaching Christ also if it be so that we be saued by faith that faith commeth by hearing the word of God likewise that we cannot heare without a preacher It followeth the duty of the minister is to preach so to saue Rom. 10. Marc. 16.15 In this sence doth Christ commaund his Apostles to goe preach throughout the world adding this that he that beleeueth shal be baptised shal be saued for this cause doth S. Peter commaund them to feede the flock of Christ cōmitted vnto thē 1. Pet. 5.2 And S. Paul so earnestly cōmendeth this duty to Timothy and in his person to al Ministers 2. Tim. 4.2 Preach the worde saith he be instant in season and out of season improue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine yea he adiureth him in the name of God and of our Lord Iesus Christ who shall iudge both the quick and the dead in his apparition and kingdome 2. Tim. 4.1 to employe himselfe in this duetie whereby he declareth that they cannot neglect this dutie but they must hainouslye offend God and feele the vengeance of the soueraigne Shepheard of the sheep whē he shal appeare in iudgement as S. Paul also saith Woe be to me if I preach not The same Apostle saith If any man desireth to be a Bishop 1. Cor. 9.6 1. Tim. 3.1 he desireth an excellent worke But all titles and professions be knowen by the workes proper vnto them as hee is knowen to be a tailor that cutteth out and soweth garmentes he a shoemaker that maketh shoes hee a phisition that imploieth himselfe in curing of sicknesses and so of others And so likewise is a Bishop a Pastor and a Minister knowne in that he preacheth and teacheth the word of God 5 Howbeit as the Phisition who ordeineth a potiō which in liew of health procureth death is not a Phisition but a murderer so is it with the Pastors that doe preach lyes in stead of trueth and the inuentions and traditions of men in stead of Gods word and therfore did Iesus Christ enioyne his Apostles to teache men to obserue all that he had commaunded them Mal. 28.20 and the same doth Ieremy note Ier. 1.6 saying The Lord stretched foorth his hand and touched my lips and said vnto me Beholde I haue put my words in thy mouth The same doth the Lord also teach to Ezechiel saying Sonne of man I haue made thee a watchman ouer the house of Israel Ezech. 3.17 and 33.7 Thou shalt hearken to the woorde of my mouth and shalt warne them from me This duety is very plainely and expresselye by the Lord commended vnto al Prophets and Ministers in that speaking to Moses he saith Deut. 18.18 I wil raise them vp a Prophet like vnto thee from among their brethren and I will put my woordes into his mouth and he shall saye vnto them all that I shall commaund him 1. Cor. 11.23 It is therefore their duety to propound nothing to the Church either in doctrine or for the seruice of God but what they haue
first reason of this commandement tended by the ceasing from manuall labour to figure vnto vs the spirituall rest namely the mortification and ceasing from all desires willes workes and wordes of the flesh Esa 58.13 as the Prophet Esay also declareth saying If thou refrainest vpon the sabaoth from dooing thy will vpon my holie daie and doest consecrate it to bee a holie and pleasing Sabaoth to the Lorde of glorie and that thou glorifie him in not dooing thy owne workes and that thy owne will be not found therein thou shalt prosper in God Besides this figure hath farther relation euen vnto Iesus Christ as to the truth thereof because it was hee who dying for vs purchased vnto vs the grace so to mortifie the olde man that beeing dead vnto sinne Col. 2.16 wee might sanctifie this Sabaoth in resting from our workes and labours And to that purpose wee reade in Exodus Obserue my Sabaoth for it is a signe that I am the God that sanctifyeth you Exod. 31.13 Ezech. 20.12 Now how necessarie this amendement sanctification of life is it doth appeare in this that God neuer required anie thing more strictly than obedience to this commandement of the Sabaoth Ezech. 20.13 22.8 23 38. Iere. 17.21.27 For wheresoeuer he wil note that all religion is subuerted he complaineth that his Sabaoth is defiled and violated 9 Where God also commaundeth that hee that had gathered a few stickes vpon the saboath day should be put to death he plainly sheweth that the least will word or work of our sleth deserueth euerlasting death And in deed this Emanuel perfectly and infinitly holy cannot indure any filthynes and sinne in that which is ioyned and vnited vnto him As we doo also reade that when the soâ—s of Aaron Nadab and Abiu offered strange fire before the Lorde the fire proceeded from the presence of the Lorde and deuoured them Leuit. 10. 1 and they died before the Lord whereupon Moses said vnto Aaron This is it that the Lord pronounced saying I will be sanctified in those that come neere vnto me and I will bee glorified in the presence of all the people Therby shewing that the neerer that Emanuel commeth vnto men or draweth men vnto him the lesse will hee beare with their corruptions and the sooner will he punish theÌ„ as doth appeare in a lump of waxe which the neerer that it is laid to the fire the more doth the fire shew his heate in melting it And in this respect when God appearing out of the burning bush to Moses commanded him to put of his shooes of his feet he addeth this reason For the ground whereon thou standest is holy not by nature more than anie other Exod. 3.5 but in regard of the presence of God 10 In olde time God dwelt in the midst of the people of Israel and the Arke and the Temple were testimonies of his presence which presence tended to assure them either of his sauor to blesse those that yeelded due obedience by amendement of lyfe oâ— of his wrath to punish those most grieuously who contemning this grace should rebell against him And this dyd Iosua most liuelye represent to the people of Israel For when they had protested that they would serue God and no Idols hee sayde vnto them You cannot serue the Lord for hee is a holy and iealous God and will not pardon your sinnes and transgressions so that if you forsake him hee will roughly intreate you Ios 24.19 When God named his sonne Iesus Christ Emanuel hee thereby declared vnto vs that hee is in the middest among vs and with vs after a more excellent fashion as beeing vnited and conioyned in our flesh and consequentlye vnto vs. And therefore we are also the more bounde in duetie to liue in holynesse by amendement of lyfe as beeing assured that as hee is come neerer vnto vs and more excellently into vs thorough his sonne Emanuel so will hee shew himselfe more seuere and iealous in punishing vs when wee turne from him and serue his enemies the world and the flesh So often therefore as wee shall heare or reade this name Emanuel attributed to Iesus Christ let vs remember that the same is a summon to vs to amend our liues that separating our selues from all filthinesse and corruption wee may bee consecrated and wholy dedicated to the seruice of God who is with vs in praying him fully to sanctifie vs both in bodie in soule and in minde that wee may bee preserued without reproch vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ Hee sayth Saint Paul that hath called vs to this sanctification ioyning vs vnto Iesus Christ 1. Thes 5.23 is faithfull and will doo it 11 Secondly this name Emanuel teacheth vs that God is with vs wheresoeuer wee bee and consequently that he seeth and knoweth all our thoughts wills wordes and workes For as wee haue before sayde his diuinitie is in all places and consequently by vs with vs and in vs. Not that we should rest vpon the bare contemplation of this diuine essence to vs incomprehensible but that we should referre all to his prouidence by beleeuing that it is he that seeth knoweth guideth and gouerneth all that is done in heauen in earth neither that he should need to stand neere vs to looke vpon our affections and works And in deed marke how he reproueth hypocrites Iere. 23.23 that thought that they had to do with a God of a short or a dim sight Weenest thou sayeth he that I am a God neere at hand and not a God a farre off Can anie hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him sayth the Lorde Doo not I fill heauen and earth sayth the Lord Hypocrits did imagine such a God in heauen that withall they represented him to themselues to be like a man yea euen short sighted such a one as could not see farre so perswaded themselues that God did not see theyr wicked thoughtes and workes But hee reproued them saying that hee is not a God at hand only that is to saie such a one as is lyke vnto men that had need to stand by when they will see anie thing but that hee seeth a farre of As Dauid also representeth him vnto vs saying Psalme 33. 13 Hebr. 4.13 The Lord looketh from the heauens hee beholdeth all the sonnes of men and from his dwelling hee seeth all the inhabitants of the earth And the Apostle plainly declareth that no creature can be hidden from him but all things lie open and bare to his sight that wee haue to doo withall In the meane time because that men according to theyr nature doo more easily beleeue that such as are neere them do see them let them thinke that in whatsoeuer place they be God is neere them as this name Emanuel doth admonish which signifieth that God is with vs yea euen in vs as hauing ioyned and vnited vs to himselfe and therefore that
ought we to amend our liues that so we may retaine in vs this treasure of peace whereof Dauid speaketh Psal 16.11 saying Thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Againe By lifting vp the light of thy countenance vpon me Psal 4.7 thou hast giuen me more ioy of hart thē they had when their wine and their wheat did abound And in this sence did S. Paul say that the kingdome of God consisteth in this peace that proceedeth of the righteousnesse of faith and begetteth in vs ioy thorow the holy ghost the miserable estate of those who by offending God doe depriue themselues of this peace ought to make vs to resolue constantly in the feare of God and the rather because this peace cost so deare vnto the prince of peace who purchased it Rom. 14.17 not with golde or siluer or any other worldlye precyous thing but by the shedding of his precious bloud euen by suffering trouble feare terrour and incomprehensible astonishment which our selues haue deserued and dayly doe deserue to the end to deliuer vs from the same and to giue vnto vs that blessed peace and quietnesse May it then possibly come to passe that we meditating vpon such a price of this peace should suffer our selues to be drawen to sinne and to offend God and thereby to loose so excellent a treasure purchased so dearely Truely so shall we seeme to thinke Iesus Christ to bee a verye inconsiderate and vnaduised marchant that would giue so excellent and incomparable a price for a benefite whereof we make so small accompt and which we are so ready to leaue by offending God wherby we may please the world and the flesh our enemies 15 Moreouer Iesus Christ being the Prince of peace is the author of all blessinges both spirituall and carnall assured vnto those that obeying his commaundement doe amend their liues 1. Tim. 4.8 Godlynesse saith Saint Paul hath a promise both of this life and of the life to come As contrarywise they whose heartes cannot repent and amende doe heape togither the treasures of Gods wrath the fountayne of all wretchednesse And indeede Rom. 2. Leuit. 26. how many notable promises euen in respect of this present life doth the Lord make vnto those that walke in the feare and obedience of his commaundementes and contrariwise how many horrible and terrible threates doth hee vse against such as will not amend Deut. 28. hauing threatned the wicked disobedient with great wounds hee many tymes saith that if by the firste they will not amende but remaine hardned he will enforce them seauen times more according vnto the multitude of their sinnes Leuit. 26. and shall he not doe it iustly for seeing that by offending this Prince of peace and author of all blessinges wee prouoke him to wrath what can wee attend but in stead of his blessinges a whole burden of curses If a maister hath promised his man great goods in case he serue him in all reuerence obedience and fidelitye can hee hope for those goods at his maisters hand if forgetting and contemning this duetye hee applye himselfe to wrong him and doe him iniurye 16 Wee read that Hanun King of the Amonites when hee had iniuried and prouoked Dauid by wronging his seruantes 2. Sam. 10. whom hee sent to comforte him vpon the death of his father looked for warre and prepared to wage Souldiers and according to his expectation Dauid came vpon him and destroyed him What then are we to looke for when wee offend this Prince of peace and doe euen leauye warre against him by such thoughts willes woordes and woorkes as proceede from our fleshe what I say are we to expect either in liewe of peace prosperitye and blessings to haue such a warre as will redound to our eternall destruction and confusion Contrariwise if wee endeuour according to his commaundment to amend let vs be assured that hee will blesse vs who is the fountayne and author of all blessing for as there is no creature that can debarre the sunne from shining and the cloudes from dropping at the creators will so is there no creature that can diuert the blessing whereof this Prince of peace is author so long as by amendment of life wee doe cleaue vnto him And indeed the holy Apostle S. Paul saluting the Churches that hee writeth vnto doth vsually pray vnto God to multiplye his grace and peace vpon them through Iesus Christ by this conioyning of grace and peace shewing that it is in vaine to looke for peace and prosperitye at the hands of Iesus Christ vnlesse we also haue his grace but hauing his fauour and grace which resteth vppon such as amend their liues we cannot doubt but he will poure forth his blessinges vpon vs 17 We are also to thinke that this Prince of peace dying for vs hath with himselfe crucified our olde man that is to say the corruptions and vices of our soules to the end our thoughtes and affections which naturally are enemies vnto God should no longer war against him but remaining dead in his death our selues might serue God in hart minde walking in newnes of life and so amēding our liues according to his commaundement What madnesse and ingratitude is it in vs to suffer this bodye to reuiue in sin that againe we may leauy warre against this Prince of peace and prouoke him to wrath against vs doe we not hereby not onely voluntarily depriue our selues of all the blessings whereof this Prince of peace is the fountaine and author but also purchase vnto vs his curses by prouoking his wrath indignatiō against vs let therfore this title of Prince of peace binde and enforce vs to harty amēdment to the end that retaining this peace and quiet of conscience in the sight of God which is an inestimable treasure we may also keep this spring of all blessinges alwaies open vnto vs that so we may be blessed in this life but especially in the life to come 18 Lastly let vs acknowledge and apprehend these two titles wonderfull and Father of eternitye that so we may assure our selues First that in his wisedome power and goodnesse hee will so surmount whatsoeuer wisedome force or blessing that man can comprehend that hee will alwaies shewe himselfe as the Prophet Esay sayth Esay 28.29 Wonderfull in counsell and magnificent in woorkes And this is to teach vs truely to sanctifie his name and to assure vs as the Apostle Saint Paul saith Eph. 3.10 that hee is able more aboundantlye to poure his giftes vpon vs then wee can aske or thinke also to make vs to hope in him beyond all hope as knowing that if it were requisite to alter the course of nature and to worke miracles for our preseruation against our enemyes and to make vs to feele the fruites of his promises he would shewe himselfe wonderfull to his glory and to our comfort and saluation And
in execration yea maranatha or excommunicate to death That is to saie let him bee cut off from the Church as the reprobate shal be at the comming of Christ whereof they are warned in this word Maran-atha which signifieth The Lorde commeth Yet is there more This Priest dying for vs hath killed sinne and corruption in his owne bodie as is before declared And to the end that sinne might die in vs and that we might practise this saying of the holy Apostle Saint Peter Inasmuch as Christ hath suffered for vs in the flesh 1 Pet. 4.1 that is to saie in his humanitie let vs arme our selues with the same minde which is that wee hauing suffered and beeing dead with him as concerning the corruption of the flesh shoulde desist from sinne to the ende that hence forwarde wee shoulde liue as much time as remaineth in the flesh not after the lustes of men but after the will of God And this is the amendement that Iesus doeth commaunde Saint Iohn sayth that Christ hath made vs kinges and Priestes vnto God This is another reason to moue vs the more seruently to amende in respect as well of the one office as of the other First Apoc. 1.6 seeing wee are raysed to this honour to bee kinges shall wee bee so miserable and senselesse as to make our selues the vile and wretched bonde men of Sathan and the seruauntes of sinne and the worlde If a king redeeming a poore bonde man whome his master diuersely tormented shoulde besides so farre fauour and honour him as to adopt him for his child Were it not a frantike or senselesse parte in him to forsake such honour and preferment and to returne to liue vnder the tyrannie and thraldome of his olde master Yet this doo they who beeing deliuered from the tyrannie and crueltie of Sathan and made kinges in Iesus Christ doo giue themselues to the lustes and pleasures of the flesh and the allurementes of the worlde thereby returning themselues into the wretched bondage of the deuill to abide eternally vnder his tyrannous dominion Let therefore this title King aduertise and admonish vs so to amende our liues that forsaking and vtterly renouncing the dominion and tyrannie of Sathan and the corruptions of the flesh wee may effectually shew our selues to bee spirituall Kinges and that the kingdome of Iesus Christ is in vs. Moreouer in as much as wee are also made Priestes let vs remember that if wee will amende our liues wee must with the kingly Prophet Dauid offer contrite and broken heartes pulled downe and humbled with the feeling of our sinnes with condition that wee will heereafter beware and take heede of the same Let vs also call to minde that we must offer our bodies a liuely holy and acceptable sacrifice vnto God which is our reasonable seruice and not to forme our selues after this worlde Psal 51.19 but bee transformed by the renuing of our mindes to the ende wee may proue what is the good perfect and acceptable will of God Neyther let vs forget alwayes to offer vnto God thorough Iesus Christ the sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing which is the fruite of our lippes confessing and acknowledging his name Rom. 12.1 To conclude let vs remember his benefites and communication wyth vs for God is delighted with such sacrifices Beholde therefore howe this honour which wee receiue of Iesus Christ Heb 13 16 euen to bee kings and priests to our God may be a mighty inducement vnto vs to amend our liues 14 There doth yet remaine the office of a Prophet which also doth admonish vs to amend because hee hath reuealed vnto vs all that hee hath knowen of his father Iohn 15.15 and declared as well what wee must doo in obeying him as what wee are to beleeue to our saluation And this is an incomprehensible benefite as wee may euydently consider by the miserable and wretched estate of those to whome the worde of God comprised in the Lawe and the Gospel is not preached And this doth Saint Paul in few words represent vnto vs saying They are not in Christ neither haue anie portion in the commonwealth of Israel but are straungers to the couenant of the promise Ephes 2 12 without hope and are without God in the world And in deede if Gods worde bee as Dauid calleth it a light to our steps those men to whome the worde is not directed Psa 119.105 are poore and blinde cannot choose in all their wordes and deeds but stumble and fall All that they doo is sinne because they doo it wythout faith whereof the word is the foundation Much lesse also haue they any knowledge of the remission and satisfaction of theyr sinnes in the bloud of Christ Rom. 14. 25 10.17 and therefore all theyr sinnes doo remaine and shall be imputed vnto them to be in the daie of iudgement most horribly and eternally punished If they then that neuer heard this prophet shall bee iustly punished in eternal fyre what iudgement and vengeance are they to expect for theyr ingratitude and rebellion that heare this Prophet and by him eyther by reading or hearing his worde doo vnderstand the will of God and yet doo make no care of amendement of lyfe by obeying the will of God vnto them reuealed Luke 12.47 and by them knowen The seruant sayth Iesus Christ that hath knowen his masters will and hath not done it shal be punished much more grieuously than hee that neuer knew it And surely the sins committed by those that know the wil of God are not only transgression against the lawe but also contempt misprision against the maiestie of God And in that regard doth Iesus Christ denounce agaynst many townes wherein the Gospell was preached a more horrible and terrible iudgement than against Sodome Gomorrha and other townes that heard the word of the Lorde Seeing therefore that this worde Math. 10.15 to vs addressed by this prophet Iesus Christ doeth tend to illuminate and to exhort vs to amendement of life Let this office and name of Prophet attributed to Iesus Christ make vs to remember our bonde and duetie whereby wee are bound to amend and to yeld obedience vnto all that our Prophet Christ doth teach ordaine and command as being assured that as they that will not heare this Prophet to obey him shall bee rooted out so contrarywise they that shall heare and obey him shall by the path of good workes proceeding of faith apprehending the iustice of Christ attaine to the fruition of life euerlasting In this sort must these two names and titles Iesus and Christ serue to make vs to feele our bond and dutie and to inflame our affections to amend all the daies of our lyfe The seuenth cause of Amendement gathered of the signification of this worde Amend Chap. 7. IN the first Chapter of the first booke we haue declared that the holy Ghost commanding vs to amend doeth ordinarily vse two wordes
6. Heb. 2.14 rose againe for our iustification when by dying he mortified our old man by rising againe raised vs vp into newnes of life when by his death he destroyed him that had the empire of death did he not by destroying this kingdome of Satan bring the kingdom of heauen nearer vnto vs And in deed this kingdom of heauen was neuer so neare our fathers other the beleeuing Iews in old time Wel had they the promise that the seed of the woman should bruse the serpents head but we do see the performance thereof in Iesus Christ who by his death hath ouercomen the deuill and the power of Hell Well had they the pascall lambe to figure vnto them that for the auoyding of eternall death they must be washed in the bloud of Christ But as Iohn the Baptist euen with his finger pointed to this Lambe Iesus Christ saying Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Iohn 1 2â— so this lambe did afterward really shed his bloud for the remission of our sinnes to free vs from eternall death Well did they stay and ofter innocent beastes in sacrifice as it were laying their sinnes vpon them that by their death signifying the death of Iesus Christ to come they might haue as it were an assured pledge of the remission of their sins consequently hope of life But there was not as yet any payment or satisfaction for sinnes And therefore these sacrifices were as it were bonds with sureties wherein man the principall debtor Coloss 2.14 acknowledgeth the debt Iesus Christ vndertooke as a pledge and surety 5 In this sence did Iesus Christ in his death make ful paymeÌ„t for the sins of al the elect consequently also of those that liued vnder the first testament as the Apostle saith which also S. Paul vnder the same coÌ„sideration termeth the former sins Coloss 2.14 Heb. 9.15 Rom. 3.24 not that they were not pardoned to the beleeuing Iews But because vntil that day there was no price laid downe for the satisfaction of Gods Iustice And in that sence dothe the same Apostle say that he nailed those obligations to his crosse as hauing then satisfied discharged the same And therefore were the expiatorie sacrifices circumcision with other like ordenances of the law abolished at his death Neither could they haue been kept as necessary but that they would still haue been witnesses that Christ stood yet bound Besides not content to haue by this abolition as it were canceled these obligations he hath also ordeined Baptisme and his holy supper to be vnto vs as it were authenticall acquittances and witnesses of payment made 6 It is likewise the benefite for the which he coÌ„mandeth vs to amend adding this reason For the kingdome of heauen is at hand For it is as if he had said Behold this is the time that I will breake the serpents head and destroy him that hath the empire of death and banish the prince of the world Now do I goe to make payment for al the sins of the elect to crucifie the old man that he may no longer raigne in them to purchase for them newnesse of life To be short to reestablish them in state requisit coÌ„uenient for the children of God Is not the kingedome of heauen then very neere at hand Amend therefore for it is time that you feeling your iustification and attonement to be made with God shold be at peace in your consciences should renounce the deuil the flesh the worlde and your selues mortifie the olde man who is crucified with me and become new creatures by vertue of my resurrection But if contrariwise you remayne hardened in your sinnes and will not giue ouer and mortifie the ambition pride couetousnes fraude whore dome insolencie dronkennes ryot hatred enuy malice and other corruptions and doe not amend by growing in al good workes shal you not so much as in you lyeth quench the kingdome of heauen that is in you and with most villanous ingratitude treâ—d vnder foote this incomprehensible benefit heere offered The heathen that neuer heard speaking hereof for their continued impenitency shall be iustly coÌ„demned The Iewes who had some knowledge albeit obscure and a farre off shal be more grieuously punished because they did not amend But you to whom this kingdome of heauen is neare at hand vnlesse ye amend shall incurre a condemnation without comparison more horrible and fearefull And the beleeuing Iewes who neuer sawe this kingdome of heauen but from far off and obscurely and yet as the Apostle saieth to the Hebrewes did beleeue it and reioyced and walking in the feare of God did amend Eph. 3.9 shal be your iudges to your confusion 7 We are furthermore to consider the preaching of the Gospel signified also by this kingdome of heauen Iesus Christ saieth Verily I say vnto you among them that are begotteÌ„ of women arose not a greater then Iohn Baptist Heb. 11. notwithstanding he that is the least in the kingdome of heauen is greater then he He doth not heere meane that the least in the christiaÌ„ Church shal either in piety or in glory in the kingdome of heauen excel Iohn Baptist but that they shal be greater Prophets then he that is to saie that they shal be able more amply perticulerly and euidently to speake of euery thing that concerneth our redemption saluation in Iesus Christ And indeed what euident assured knowledge hath there been reuealed to the Christian Church concerning the person of Iesus Christ that he was conceaued by the holy Ghost borne of the virgin Mary very God and very man likewise of his offices that he hath receaued the anoynting of the holy Ghost to be our Priest king Prophet Consequently of his sufferings death resurrection ascentioÌ„ into heaueÌ„ of the certitude of our iustification saluatioÌ„ not by workes but by grace by the merits of his death Moreouer how the Gospel of saluation was directed to the Gentils wherby there was reuealed to the world a mistery secret Mat. 11.11 which as S. Paul saith hath from the beginning been hiddeÌ„ in God coÌ„teining a wonderful wisedome then reuealed to the Angels And albeit the ancient fathers weâ—e neuer destitute of the spirit of God Yet had they it not euer without coÌ„parison so plentifully as it hath bene communicated by the preaching of the Gospell 2. Cor. 3.8 And therefore doth S. Paul call it in excellency the ministery of the spirite And Iesus Christ termeth it regeneration Mat. 19.28 as wheÌ„ he saith to his Apostles ye that haue followed me in regeneration shall sit vpon twelue thrones Truely therefore in regarde of the preaching of the Gospell Iesus Christ did saye that the kingdome of heauen was at hand and that therefore we must amend As indeed Mat. 19.28 what excuse may we pretend if hauing such a sonne of light before our eyes we be neuerthelesse giuen