The same faith also teacheth that the debts we do owe vnto God are so great and the benefites we receiue from him are so excellent that if man should liue so many yeares as there are sands on the shoare of the Ocean sea it were a thing of nothing to spend all those in Gods seruice The same faith doth also witnes vnto vs that vertue is such a precious thing that all the treasure of this world and all that which mans hart can desire or imagine is not at al by any meanes to be compared vnto it This place quite ouerthrowes all prowde conceits in mans heart of anie merite all he can doe naie if he could doe a thousand times more then he can is but his most humble duetie to our most mightie and mercifull God But aboue all other places speaking of the name of Iesus vpon these wordes Thou shalt call his name Iesus Med. vitae Christi Med. 6 hee writes thus most excellentlie For he sayth the Angell shall saue his people from their sinnes Blessed be this name and blessed be this saluation and blessed be the day wherein such newes was brought into the world Hitherto O Lord all the other sauiours whom thou hast sent into this world were sauiours of our bodies and of this flesh of ours which saued our houses and Vineyards and such like but they could not saue our soules sighing vnder the heauy burthen of sinne and therefore subiect to the diuell What aduantageth it a man if he winne the whole world and rule ouer it and he himselfe continue the bondslaue of Sathan and lose his soule To remedy therefore this euill this new Sauiour is sent that the whole saluation of man might be fulfilled and perfected VVho sauing soules also cured the bodies and deliuering men from the euill of the fault hath deliuered them also from the euill of punishment And so hath perfected our saluation This is that saluation which the Patriarches desired this is that saluation which the Prophets with so many sighes and cries longed for This is that saluation which so often the Psalmes promise and sing of This is that saluation for which the Patriarch Iacob reioicing died saying O Lord I will wait for thy saluation c. Granatensis heere in plaine tearmes affirmes that Iesus Christ hath deliuered vs as well from the euill of the punishment as from the guilt of sinne And that he hath perfected our saluation contrarie to that former affirmation of Poligranes Med. 11. Vitae Christi And speaking of Christes fasting hee writes thus The solitarines of the Wildernesse did not terrifie thee not the assaults of the diuell nor the sharpnesse of repentance nor the watching in prayer The neede and weaknesse of thy members was euer before thine eyes and therefore thou wast punished as a most faithfull head that thou mightest enrich all vs with the treasure of thy merites that whatsoeuer we wanted we might haue it in thee Thou art he who with thine owne mouth hast said I sanctifie my selfe O Father for them that they maie be sanctified in the truth For as we al by one mans fault became prophane and wicked so we are sanctified and repaired again by the merites and holinesse of another As Adam made vs all prophane and wicked so onelie Iesus Christ the second and true Adam sanctifies vs and restores vs againe Med. Vitae Christi 24. Of Christes death hee writes thus That thing which the gouernour himselfe doth meaning Pilate is not iustice but very great and extreme iniury For he iudgeth him worthy to die whom he himselfe thrise before had confessed to be innocent and iust and that he could find no fault in him But the true Authour of this iustice is the gouernour of heauen in whose sight all the sinnes and offences of the whole world are committed who is also so iust that he will suffer no sinne to escape vnpunished and vnreuenged But because the whole world was not sufficient enough to satisfie and appease the wrath of God euen for one onely sinne hee drew out the Sword of his iustice and smote the innocent and harmelesse Lambe who onely amongst all the men in the world could and was able to answere for all the sinnes of the whole world And this iustice was published and spread abroad not by that iniurious and materiall Trumpet hée supposed that they sounded a Trumpet at Christes death but by the mouthes and writings of the Prophets who foretold many hundreth yeares before that it should be that Lord that should be smitten for the sinnes of the people and should suffer and endure most grieuous and cruell torments for their iniquities Againe concerning the same matter hee writes thus Ibidem How many and how forcible pricks and goades haue we here not onely to make vs loue but also to trust put al our whole confidence in this our Sauiour Tell me how is it possible not to loue him againe who hath first loued thee so tenderly and dearely that freely of his owne accord he hath giuen himselfe to be smitten of most cruell tormentors and would take vpon him the sentence iudgment of death which thou dids◠deserue What brother for his brother what father for his sonne what wife for hir husband would take vpon them and suffer the punishment which any one of these should haue endured Suppose therefore and think with your selfe that there were some certain guilty person who being bound for his offences is kept in close prison and euen now being condemned by the sentence of the Iudge imagine that there would nothing be doone but that the tormentor should come with his instruments of death wherewith he should be slaine and should now execute the Iudges sentence and imagine also that a certaine friend of this guilty and condemned person should come into the prison should put on his apparell and should take to himselfe that guilty mans vnhappy lot and that he might set him free would become himselfe an open spectacle and be punished with the punishment of death for his friend would we not say that the loue of that friend towardes that guilty person was woonderfull and exceeding great that would redeeme the life of his friend with the losse of his owne And likewise what againe should that guilty and condemned mans loue bee towards his redeemer and deliuerer O eternall King when thou sawest me iudged to eternall fire thou being moued with the bowels of pity and compassion camest downe from heauen into the prison of this world and taking vpon thee the Image and shape of a sinner thou camest into my stead and was condemned and put to death for my sake he therefore who hath suffered and endured such extreame and grieuous paines for me shall I not say that he will also loue me exceedingly And againe Neither is onely loue Ibidem but also a sure trust and confidence in our Sauiour kindled and stirred vp by these
did they then kéepe Gods people in awe how afraid were they then to breake anie of the Popes or his cleargies commandements whatsoeuer And as for God the most part of his commandements they knew not and those which they knew were so corrupted by them that they had as good almost not to haue knowne them at all They did as the Pharisées did teach the people Gods commandements but the kéeping of them after their expositions was a breaking of them Matt. 23.16.17.18 So they taught in those daies as may seeme not to sweare by God but by creatures by cocke apie and such like they made no account to sweare by which was horrible blasphemy against the maiestie of God to giue his glorie to a vaine thing to cocke apie or a mouse foote For to sweare by God Deut. 10.20 is a part of his honour and therefore euen as he that should set the crowne of a king vpon a swineheards head did more hainously offend against the maiestie of the king then he that should put it on the head of some of his nobles in anie rebellion so did they more grieuously offend in giuing gods honor to these base creatures Psal 63.11 Ier. 5 7. whereas it is a most hainous offence to giue it to anie creature So they taught to keepe holy the Sabaoth from bodilie labours but to doe the workes of the Sabaoth they regarded not as to heare Gods word and such like They gaue also Gods glorie to creatures by calling vpon Angels and Saints naie euen to stocks and stones by kneeling downe and putting off their cap◠vnto them Psal 76.11 nay by their offrings and making their vowes vnto them And in these consisted the chiefe part of Antichrists religion And this lesson concernes vs for it followes For the houre of his iudgement is come There be some that shall erre in these points euen immediately before the daie of iudgement But let such take héede for as I haue noted before God at the day of iudgement shall command all those his Saints to be gathered togither to him Psal 50.5 that haue made a league and couenant with him with their sacrifices And Dauid commandeth all Gods Saints to binde their sacrifices with cordes Psal 118.27 Heb. 13.10 Psal 82.1 to the hornes of the Altar now the Altar is Iesus Christ as who knowes not This is that which that Psalme teacheth also Sing we merily vnto God our strength make a cheerfull noise vnto the God of Iacob for this is a statute to Israel and a iudgement of the God of Iacob This he ordained in Ioseph for a testimonie when he came out of the land of Egypt This law of God must we obserue also comming out of the spirituall Egypt where also we heard a language that we vnderstood not To the hornes of that Altar Iesus Christ and to the mightie promises of this Altar must al Gods Saints binde all their sacrifices and all their praiers The houre of his iudgement is come nowe worship him that made heauen earth the sea and the fountaines of waters Here is an Antithesis or contrarietie betwéene God and his works As though the holy Ghost should say Worship now the creator and no creature whatsoeuer no not Saint or Angell Let al true catholiques obey this commandement and go no further Let them worship him that made heauen and earth let them worship the creator Thus farre the passage is sure If they shall go anie further they haue no warrant the passage is dangerous 1. Sam. 15.23 2. Sam. 6.7.8 1. King 13.24 22.28 they maie perchance be drowned in the sea of disobedience with king Saul and others which durst venture further then they had commission These are then the markes of the true Church reformed from the corruptions of Antichrist To preach the Gospell and the euerlasting Gospell to teach men to feare God and to feare to offend to breake his commaundements and to giue all glorie to God and to worship him that made heauen and earth Laye this rule to the Church of Rome and euerie one maie see howe farre out of square she is Reu. 14.8 And another Angel followed saying it is fallen it is fallen Babylō the great Citie for she made all nations to drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication Here now followes Babylon here followes the false church that hath doctrines contrarie to those which was alofte as should seeme before and in great glorie Oh let not this her great glorie beguile anie For it is fallen it is fallen shee shall come to the ground shee shall not alwaies be alofte howe sure and firmely soeuer in mans eies she séems to be vnderpropped and therefore her fall here is doubled And although her doctrine might sufficiently haue béene gathered by the contrarie of those which haue béene taught before yet here also are some principall parts thereof manifested and declared least that Gods people should be deceiued and that in two words Here doctrine is called wine because it was pleasant to flesh and bloud as their Church seruice their guildes their pilgrimages doe most plainlie prooue Secondly it was wine of fornication She withdrew mens hearts from the only loue of the seruice and worship of God by this her wine and so made man to commit fornication euen as Israel did by ioyning euer some Idoll or deuise of their owne with the true worship of God Dauid saith in the Psalmes Psal 73.25 Whom haue I in heauē but thee meaning to worship to trust in to call vpon For thou hast destroyed all them that commit fornication against thee That is that trust in worship or call vpon any other yea though they be in heauen besides thee Exod. 20.3 And this also is the meaning of the first commandemēt Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me And the third Angell followed them saying with a loude voice If any man worship the beast and his image and receiue his marke in his forehead or in his hand Vers 9. the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God yea of the pure wine that is powred into the cup of his wrath and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lambe Now the gospell being preached it is a daungerous thing to follow Antichrist now light being come into the world still to embrace darkenes is death So that here followes a third Angell that threatens a most terrible sentence against all such And here also are put down markes of the false Church the first is to worship the beast and the image of the beast This beast is the Roman Emperour as appeareth in the chapter going before whose deadly wound the beast that came out of the earth healed Reu 13.12 and to him it was permitted to do wonders in the sight of the beast saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make
thou art yet thou hast somewhat wherein thou must confesse thy selfe a sinner before God Here is our saluation the free mercie of God bestowed vpon vs in Iesus Christ that we should knowledge our selues euen damned creatures if Christ had not deliuered vs and howe perfect soeuer we are still to acknowledge our selues sinners before God and therfore of our selues deseruing damnation And after he writes thus By these it appeareth that of Adam we are borne euill and wicked for euen as a field of it selfe without seede brings foorth no fruit if any thing growe it is either Tares or if it be like good fruit yet there is nothing in it it is but meate for beasts so truely the sonnes of Adam vnlesse they be regenerate by Christ bring foorth nothing but euill fruit and if they shall seeme to bring foorth good fruit as the Philosophers taught morall vertues yet they are vaine they iustifie truely and haue their glorie In cap. 13. mat but with men not with God Whereas Ferus saith that the sonnes of Adam vnlesse they bee regenerate by Christ bring forth nothing else but euill fruites the Romane Corrector bids put out nothing but as though man could doe some good without Christ What is this els but to gainsaie the Gospell Iohn 15.5 where Christ saith meaning of good without me you can do nothing In cap. mat 14. And of Christ in another place he writes thus Neither by any other meane meaning Christ Iesus saieth Ferus canst thou passe ouer the sea especially at the extremitie of death which on the one side will make thee affraid and the Diuell on the other side and behinde thee the multitude of thy sinnes what wilt thou doe in this case If thou respect these daungers thou seest nothing but the sea and the depth therefore thou must needes despaire remember therefore that thou looke onely vpon Christ neither doubt any thing for by this meanes thou maiest passe ouer as Peter did Thus farre Ferus And hee teacheth plainelie that by no other meanes then by Christ we can passe ouer the sea of death But the Roman Corrector bids put out that and put in without this meane we cannot passe ouer death And whereas Ferus bids vs onely haue an eie to Iesus Christ the Corrector bids put out onlie They must haue an eie to their owne workes and an other to Christ as it should séeme so iniurious are they euen to Christ himselfe who is our only Sauiour Esai 63. who alone trode the wine presse for vs as himselfe witnesseth Of iustification also Ferus writes thus In cap. 16. Io. The holy Ghost shall reproue the world of righteousnesse because I go to the father my righteousnesse can pierce the heauens and come before God and not any other righteousnesse And after The holy Ghost sheweth that the righteousnesse of the world sufficeth not to saluation And then he shewes that there is one only true righteousnesse with God that Christ is gone to the father that is that his death and resurrection iustifieth vs. And of faith he very excellently writes thus I require no great price but as I haue promised freely so I will giue freely onely if thou canst but beleeue in me In Ioh. cap. 11. Faith therefore is the meane whereby we obtaine the life and resurrection and all the goods of Christ Ferus of mans righteousnesse writes thus In cap. 4. Ioh. All mens righteousnesses are more vncleane then that they may iustifie vs or may commend vs to God If any man seeke righteousnesse out of the lawe howe much good soeuer hee doth yet he cannot obtaine thereby peace of conscience yea thereby also his conscience is the more disquieted the law often times accusing him that at length he is compelled to trust onely to the mercie of God and to say we are vnprofitable seruants and no flesh shall be iustified in thy sight Also in another place he writes thus In cap. 3. Ioh. Furthermore also by this word may be vnderstood that onely Christ by right and merit ascended into heauē for to him by right belongs the kingdome of heauen because he is the naturall sonne of God And therefore he saith all thine are mine And Dauid saith The heauen of heauens are the Lordes but the earth hath he giuen to the children of men All others which haue ascended or shall ascend haue this onely of grace by no right but because God onely hath promised this of his mercie neither our works of what kinde soeuer they be are so great that they may deserue this reward either of right or of desert but in as much as God accepts them in mercie Hereof it is that Saint Paul saith The sufferings of this life are not worthy the glorie we shall haue And the same Paul saith The waight of eternall glorie aboue all measure surpasseth all the sufferings of this life And of these he collecteth That we are saued by grace and not of workes least any man should glorie And lastly so that word may be vnderstood that no man by his owne righteousnesse may stand or appeare before God but onely Iesus Christ neither any maruell For all are gone out of the way and are altogether become vnprofitable And also if any good workes of righteousnesse appeare in vs yet we haue euer more sinnes so that Dauid iustly cried out If thou Lord shall extreamely marke what is done amisse who may abide it Furthermore our good workes haue some imperfections in them yea for the most part they are infected with vain glory or with some other fault of the old man so that it is truely said All our righteousnesses are like a defiled cloth And for this cause also Dauid praied Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified If therefore our righteousnesse cannot stand in Gods sight how could it open heauen vnto vs or deserue the holy Ghost to reconcile vs to God But Christ dare appeare before God because he is the sonne of God and all other being damned and quite vndone he onely hath the fauour and grace of God he onely possesseth righteousnesse and to conclude he onely hath in himselfe all the good gifts of God Also onely his righteousnesse is acceptable to his father because it is mingled with no sinnes yea it is most pure hauing proceedeed from the great loue and charitie of his father That all the world may know saith he that I loue the father I doe as the father hath commanded And Saint Paul saith he was obedient euen to death Therefore he alone could deserue for vs the opening of heauen the loue of his father and the holy ghost By this word therefore Christ would humble vs that we should neuer presume of our selues nor of our owne righteousnesse not that we should doe no good but that we should acknowledge our selues vnprofitable seruants although we shall haue done all that
shall neuer be confounded deliuer me in thy righteousnesse Thuâ— farre Ferus Here is the true Catholiques righteousnesse by Ferus his iudgement that is Christes merites and righteousnesse communicated and imputed to him And after hee writes thus Fiftly he enioyeth heauen by inheritance No man ascended into heauen but he that came downe from heauen For by good right heauen is due to him for hee is the naturall Sonne of God And therefore he saith All thine O Father are mine And Dauâ—d saith The heauen of heauens are the Lords and the earth hath he giuen to the children of men Whome therefore he shall take into part of this inheritance with him he shall enter into heauen We obtaine this by no right but onely of grace and because he hath mercifully promised it vnto vs. For our works what kind soeuer they are doe not deserue such a reward of equality or worthinesse but in as much as God mercifully accepts them And therefore Paul saith The sufferings of this life are not worthy the glory to come And the same saith againe That the weight of that glory to come aboue all measure exceedes all that we suffer in this life And of them he concludes and saith By grace ye are saued not of works least any one should bragge Again of faith and good works he writes thus Fer. in cap. 4. Act. They are builders which with holesome doctrine doe erect and mainetaine the house of God But as all men cannot tell how to build so nor how to preach He that will be a builder must know what is to be placed beneath and what aboue also hee must take care that his building be not only beautifull but also firme and strong They which teach faith without works build their wal with vntempered morter for the righteousnesse of the law cannot stand against the iudgment of God and therefore it must needes fall They which teach faith without works they laie truly a foundation but they build nothing on it therefore they refuse this stone which teach to trust in workâ— which teach righteousnesse to come by works as the Pharisies â—d Thus farre Ferus And do not the papists so now And a little after vpon these words There is no other nâ—â—e God hath appointed no other meanes to the world by which men must be saued then the name power and merite of Christ Our name is sinne lying vanity curse death but the name of Christ is that he is the Sonne of God holy iust the Authour of life Also his name is righteousnesse wisedome sanctification and redemption c. He that calles vpon this name that is hee which trusts by Christ and his onely righteousnesse and merites to be saued he truly obtaines saluation hee that goes about to be saued by any other thing beguiles himselfe No man comes to the father but by me saith Christ And S. Paul saith By him we haue accesse to the Father Therefore he which by his owne righteousnesse onely striues to go to God and to his goods shall neuer come to them So Israel following the law of righteousnesse attained not to the law of righteousnesse because he sought it of works onely and not of faith VVee must doe good works but we must not trust in that righteousnesse Good men may pray for vs but they cannot saue vs. Therefore when all is doon we must put all our trust in Christ and we must cleaue to him with hearty loue And after In this name the fathers of the old Tastament were saued For although the Sacraments by reason of the time do differ yet one and the selfe same faith agreeth Also Austen saith To the old iust men something was hidden when as notwithstanding they should be saued by the same faith which at their times should be reuealed whereof the Apostle saith Hauing the same Spirit of faith and therefore it is written I beleeued and therefore I spake And we beleeue and therefore we also speake He would not haue said the same vnlesse they had had the same Spirit of faith But as they when as that Sacrament was hidden beleeued that Christ should be incarnate and we beleeue that he is incarnate his comming to iudgement is looked for both of them and of vs. Thus far Ferus Where hee teacheth plainely that all true Catholiques must trust in Christ and in his merites they must doe good workes but they must not trust in them they may one pray for another but one cannot saue another they must let that alone for euer as Dauid teacheth in the Psalmes And that the old fathers and we were saued by the same faith Psal 49.7 And after that no man can fulfill the lawe hee writes thus vpâ—n these words There was a murmur of the Grecians Marke here hat the saints want not their imperfections they are Christians and Saints by faith but sinners in themselues Fer. in cap. 5. Act. Although GOD hath giuen them grace yet he hath left in them their nature still both that we should know our selues then also that we should haue an occasion of practising charity Euery Christian hath in himselfe that he would should be borne withall of others and he sees in others which he himselfe must beare withall And hereof Saint Paul saith Beare ye one anothers burthen c. Againe of vaine confidence he writes thus Hypocrisie neglecting the righteousnesse of faith Fer. in cap. 6. Act. and as Christ sayth the greater things of the law trusts in the outward works of the law They account righteousnesse to be placed in the externall obseruation of ceremonies places and times none therefore more bragge of Temples and Sacrifices then that kind of men So Christ 16. of Luke inueies against them saying Woe be to you which iustifie your selues And of the manner of our saluation hee writes thus In cap. 7. Act. vpon these wordes The glory of God appeared to our Fatâ—er Abraham Behold the beginning of our saluation sayeth hee is of God and not of our selues No man comes to me vnlesse my Fâ—â—her draw him sayth Christ Our saluation beginnes from heâ—uen for vnlesse God first doe beginne we doe euer remaine in our sinnes And that he beginnes with his word it is a signe thaâ— our saluation is begunne of faith For the word of God cannot â—therwise be receiued then by faith faith especially is necessary He that comes to God must beleeue For to be able to please God wâ—â—hout faith it is impossible Also that besides this voice of God â—o merites of his are written therefore it is doone that we may kâ—ow that our saluation is of Gods grace and mercy For our saluatâ—â—n comes not to vs of works or merites but of the mercy of God according to that You are called of grace and not of works Tâ—us farre Ferus Where hee plainely attributes not onely thâ— beginning of our saluation to the frée mercy and grace of Goâ— but also the end thereof which other Papistes
mens hearts consciences The world raignes with fleshly power but it obeyes the spirituall power but I make no accouÌ„t of fleshly power but I raign spiritually against fin death and hell c. The Popes kingdome is far vnlike this And of Christs crowne of thornes he writes thus The crownes of the kinges of this world Fer. part 3. pass are some of iron some of siluer some of golde By which is declared that the kingdome of the world consisteth of fleshly power glorie and nobilitie But Christs crowne is a crowne of thornes that by this token thou maiest knowe that Christes kingdome consists of thornes and afflictions And what kinde of king Christ is himselfe such like kings he makes vs that is subiect to afflictions No doubt then the Pope was neuer made king by Christ he is farre vnlike him as hee was here in this world Nay this his thornie crowne plainly condemnes that his triple crowne of golde In cap. 16 Mat. Titilman a Frier also vpon these words Vpon this rocke I will build my Church writes thus Vpon this rocke vpon this truth of faith which thou hast confessed and hast vttered saying Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God and also vppon my selfe a most sure rocke which in thy foresaide speech thou hast confessed I will build and founde my Church c. So that all catholiques as M. Bellarmine affirmes doe not expounde Peter to be that rocke Cyril in Io. ca. 5.6 Cyrill of the authoritie of all the Apostles writes thus vppon these words And hee breathed vpon them When as hee woulde make his disciples famous and excellent for the great dignitie of their apostleshippe and would ordaine them the holy guides of his mysteries he forthwith sanctifies them with his holy spirite which by breathing he bestowed vpon them Here is the authoritie common to all the Apostles And although hee affirme that Christ built his Church on Peter as it were vpon a rocke or stone yet of Peter he writes thus and of that his thréefold loue Peter euer went before the rest for beeing especially in loue with Christ hee was euer most readie both to do any thing and to make answeare therfore euen now a little before seeing the ship came slowly to the land he girding his coate about him leaped into the sea Cap. 64. And wheÌ„ as our Sauiour asked his disciples saying whoÌ„ do men saye that I am When as againe after their answere he demauÌ„ded of them againe But whom doe you saie that I am as the principall and head of the rest he first cried out Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God He also smote off Malchas eare thinking by this meanes that he should euer cleaue to his maister Therefore of good right Christ asked him if he loued him more then the rest and that thrice Peter also confessed that he loued him and he calles none other to be witnes of this his loue but Christ himselfe And in euery one of his confessions the words being a little altered he heard that he must haue a care of Christs sheepe But this speech doth bring to light a hâ—gher matter for because Peter with the rest was adorned by Christ with the name of an Apostle and he denied him thrice at his passion by good right now the coÌ„fession of his three-folde loue is required that his three fold deniall might be requited with the like nuÌ„ber of his coÌ„fession So that which was committed by words was cured with words He asked of him if he loued him more then the rest for he which had tried the greater clemeÌ„cie of his maister towards him by good right ought to haue loued him more And although all the Apostles generally were stricken with great feare when the Lorde was betrayed yet Peters fault was the greatest that in so short a time denied him thrice Therfore seeing by the mercie of our Sauiour he obtained forgiuenes of a great sinne iustly of him greater loue is required All pastors of the Church hereby learne that they can no otherwise be beloued of Christ then if so bee that they shal studie with al their maine might that his sheep be wel fed like well Such a one was Paul c. He proues that Peter had his Apostleship common with the rest of the Apostles that by this place it was restored him againe and no primacie granted him ouer all the church And that all doctors heere haue receiued a charge not Peter onely He concludes thus By Peters threefold confession his three folde sinne of denying is done away And hee sayde to him feede my Lambes restoring to him againe the dignitie of his Apostleshippe least through his deniall which chanced by mans frailtie it had seemed to haue beene disanulled Héere is a restitution of Peter heere is no prelation as the Papists teach of the supremacie Ierome writes thus The arke of Noah was a figure of the Church Ierom. contra lucifera nos as Peter saith In the arke of Noah a fewe that is eight soules were saued by water As now also baptisme saueth vs. As in that were all kinde of beasts so in this are men of all countries and conditions The arke had her nests so the Church her mansions Eight soules of men were saued in the arke and Ecclesiastes biddes vs giue part to seuen and part to eight that is beleeue both the testaments And therefore some psalmes are written for the eight and by eight verses which are put vnder euery letter And in the 118. psalme the iust man is instructed and the blessings by the which the Lorde signifieth his Church in the mount are eyght c. A Crowe is sent out of the arke and returneth no more and after the Doue sheweth the peace of the earth So in the baptisme of the Church that blacke birde being expelled that is the Diuell the Doue of the holy ghost declareth the peace of our lande The arke beginning of 30. cubits is built by little and little decreasing into one cubite So likewise the Church consisting of many degrees at length is finished with Deacons Priests and Bishops Héere wee maye plainly sée that Ierome makes the whole order and brotherhood of Bishopps to bee that one cubite in which the arke was finished and not anie one Bishop no not the Bishoppe of Rome For in the same booke he alleadgeth thus Cyprian writing to the Bishop of Rome He ends saith he his discourse which hee had made to Stephen Bishop of Rome after this manner We haue shewed these things to your conscience most welbeloued brother both for our coÌ„mon honour and for my sincere loue I beare vnto you hoping that those things please you for the truth of your faith and religion which are both true and religious But wee knowe some that will hardly refuse that which they haue once tasted nor chang their resolution easily but the knotte of peace and concorde being kept
our Lord Iesus doth hee not now euer gouerne the worlde with his Father and whether to this matter doth he call any man making him his imitator or follower that with him he should gouerne heauen and earth and all Christ by S. Austines iudgement calles no man to bee partaker with him in his gouernement of heauen and earth therefore not the Pope Primasius also S. Austines scholler writes thus Let no man glorie in men in false Apostles no nor in any eyther king or priest for all thinges are yours In 1. ep ad Cor. cap. 3. eyther Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death we are yours you are not ours c. Nowe if Peter had béen Christs vicar then the saints had béene his as they were Christs whose place he sustained But Primasius saith plainly that the Corinthians were Christs they were not Peters Therefore Peter was not in any respect their head but their seruant or minister That Christ alone is the head of the Church Theodoret writes thus Theod. in 2 ca. ad Col. Againe saith he he cals Christ the head and the congregation of the faithfull the bodie And he hath put downe all this place metaphorically for euen as in the bodie the braine is the root of the sinewes and by the sinewes the bodie hath feeling so the bodie of the Church by Christ our Lord receiues both fountaines of Doctrine and matter of saluation And that thing which sinewes are in the bodie that are Apostles prophets and teachers in the assemblie of the Church Thus much Theodoret the Apostles are but ligaments or sinewes by his iudgement nowe it is monstrous and against all reason to make a sinew a head In 1 ep Co. 10 And in another place he writes thus This is required of Stewards that they bee founde faithfull not that hee should take vnto him the honour o◠dignitie of his maister but that he should keepe his maisters good will In 1 ep ad Cor. cap. 9. And in another place of S. Paul hee writes thus Am I not free that is as much to say I am vnder no mans iurisdiction I am not in the place of a disciple But to whose credite the whole world was committed because he was called after Christs assumption And the same prerogatiue he yeelds also to S. Paul in another place vpon these words whereof I am made a minister The saluation of the Church was committed to me meaning S. Paul to me was committed the office of preaching that I should fill you all with heauenly doctrine And that word you doth not onely meane them but also the faithfull that are in the world Gregorie also writes thus In 5. psal penit Christ is one person with his whole Church which either now is conuersant here on earth or is in heauen now with him And as there is one soule which quickens the diuers members of the bodie so one onely holie spirit quickens and lightens the whole Church And as Christ which is the head of the church was conceiued by the holy Ghost so the holy Church which is his bodie is filled with the same holy spirit that it may liue and by his power is strengthned that it may stand in the ioining or coupling togither of one faith and charitie By which the whole bodie being ministred vnto built by ioints and couplings growes to the increase of God Gregorie here makes plainly Christ his Church whether in heauen or in earth to be but one bodie And that by the holie spirite he quickens strengthens and gouernes the same euen as our soule quickens and gouernes our bodies And that by ioints couplings not by any ministeriall head as the papists do imagine nay he saith that his triumphant and his militant Church is but one bodie So that then if they will make Peter the head of the militant Church he must also be the head of the triumphant which I thinke they will not graunt Lastlie to conclude to make the matter more plaine and to shew how farre Gregorie was from imagining Peter to bee the head of the whole Church he writes thus in another place In psal penit 3. 5. The Apostles were called feet because that as feet carrie the bodie so the Apostles carried Christ into the knowledge of al nations which were moued when they doubted that he whom they saw did suffer was the sonne of God In the bodie of the Church he compares Apostles to féete not to heades and that verie fitlie alledging that place of the Apostle Ro. 10.15 How beautifull are the feete of thē which bring glad tydings of peace And of the gouernment of his Church by his holie spirit our sauiour most manifestly speaketh himselfe And I will praie the Father and hee shall giue you another comforter that he may abide with you for euer Io. 14.15 euen the spirite of truth As though he should say you are discomforted because I goe from you but I in my stead will send you a comforter which shall neuer forsake you but shall abide with you for euer And after I wil not leaue you like Orphans without a guide or gouernour but I will come vnto you meaning by his holie spirite The holie spirit then is the gouernour and guardian of Christs Church here on earth wee are not orphanes And the same lesson he taught al his Apostles again immediatlie before his ascension It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power Act. 1.7.8 But you shall receiue the power of the holy ghost when he shall come on you Héere is the authoritie heere is the power and the gouernment of the Church And you shall be witnesses vnto me both in Ierusalem and in all Iudea and in Samaria and vnto the vttermost part of the earth Héere also is the estate and condition of all the Apostles put downe no one of them is made better then an other They are all appointed witnesses of him no one of them Lord or Iudge And this authoritie and office of gouernment in the Church to declare that it was of God giuen to the spirit of God the spirit of God expresly oftentimes executed As when Peter doubted what the vision ment Act. 10.19 the spirit sayd vnto him Behold three men seeke thee Arise therfore and get thee downe and goe with them doubt nothing For I haue sent them What can be more plaine then this The holie ghost sent those thrée men from Caesarea to Ioppe and also sent Peter with them Is not this to gouerne If Peter had béen head appointed by Christ vnder him he might haue gone by his owne authoritie but here he is namelie sent of another to declare that the authoritie was not in himselfe And when Peter came again to Ierusalem Act. 11.3 They of the Circumcision contended with him about this matter And he alleadgeth this
the Church as manie doe nowe Chrysostome or whosoeuer he was that wrote this booke a verie auncient and learned Christian was of this iudgment long before Antichrist came and shall we now not beleeue it seeing it with our eies And he addeth that the onely way nowe to trie the truth is by the Scriptures This is his counsell And the Pope herein by disswading men from reading the scriptures declares plainely that hee is Antichrist for as the Gospell teacheth He that doth euill hateth the light and will not come neere it Why should the Pope debarre men from reading the scriptures but that he feares they would discouer his darkenesse and false doctrines Neither is the comming of Elias and Enoch necessarie for the conuersion of the Iewes The scriptures doe teach vs other meanes of their conuersion Euen to this daie saith Saint Paul when Moses is read 1. Cor. 3.15 there is a vaile put ouer the hearts of the Iewes but when they shall returne to the Lord the vaile shall be taken away It is God alone which must take awaie the vailes from their hearts and then they shall be conuerted Psal 119.18 As Dauid also prayeth O Lord take awaie the vaile from mine eies and I shall beholde the wondrous things of thy law And in another place saint Paul writes thus If the reiecting of them were the reconciliation of the world Ro. 11 15. what is the resumption and taking them againe but euen life from death The conuersion of the Iewes then and their resumption is euen as it were of dead men to make liuing men And this is the worke of God alone And this worke doth he worke euen in a moment as many histories do proue That hereof then no Christian may dreame of any long continuance of this world because the Iewes are not as yet conuerted when as their conuersion is of the hand and power of God as saint Paul plainly teacheth and not of the comming and preaching of Enoch and Elias and is as it were putting life into dead men which God can doe in a minute And of the ouerthrowing of Antichrist 2. Thes 2.8 Saint Paul also writes thus That he shall be consumed by little and little by the Spirit of Gods mouth and shall be quite abolished by his glorious appearance Iesus Christ himselfe by his word and by his owne presence shall consume and quite destroie Antichrist he shall not need the ministerie of Elias and Enoch The prophet Zacharie also prophecying most manifestly of the conuersion of the Iewes attributes it to Gods extraordinary mercie and not to the preaching of Elias and Enoch And I will powre out saith God vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and prayers or of mercie For the hebrew word may signifie both Zach. 12.10 And they shall looke vpon him whō they haue thrust thorow they shall lament ouer him as one doth ouer his onely begotten and the whole land shall lament family to family by themselues the family of the house of Dauid apart c. And here in this waightie matter concerning the fulfilling explication of this prophecy to let all mens interpretations passe the holie ghost it selfe by whom the prophet spake is the best interpreter of this prophecie and teacheth vs most plainly in whom and when it shall be fulfilled As concerning the first in whom it shall be fulfilled saint Iohn in his gospell tels vs plainly That it shall be fulfilled in those Iewes that put Christ to death and caused him to be pearced with a speare Io. 19.37 For he saith that therefore one of the souldiers thrust him thorow with a speare that that scripture might be fulfilled And they shall behold him whom they haue pearced That was done then that this might be fulfilled hereafter So that of the persons vpon whom this prophecie shall be fulfilled it is plaine that by Saint Iohns interpretation they are the true naturall Iewes and not as some haue here allegorically gone about to expound this place the spirituall Iewes that is vs Christians And if S. Iohn here do plainly affirme that this latter branch of Zacharias prophecie shall be fulfilled in the true Iewes I will adde that then likewise the former branch of this prophecie that is That God will powre vpon them the spirit of grace and mercie shall be fulfilled in them We may not dismember the prophecies of God If the latter part be verified in them then surely it necessarily inferres that the former is verified also And at what time all this shall be fulfilled the same saint Iohn in another place declares Behold saith he he comes in the clouds and all eies shall see him Reue. 1.7 yea euen they which haue pearced him and all the tribes of the earth shall lament ouer him Amen That this shall be fulfilled in the day of iudgement here saint Iohn plainly affirmes and he also ads that wéeping whereof Zacharie maketh mention to make the matter more plaine And that this wéeping which Zacharie speakes of shall be of such as shall be saued is manifest hereby first that the prophet saith That God will powre vpon them the spirit of grace and mercy This powring this aboundance of grace and mercie argues no doubt the hainousnes and the miserablenes of their estate wherein they are euen now also it argues their fauourable acceptation and pardon at Gods hands And that also it shal be of such as shall be saued appeares hereby that the prophet declares the manner thereof so apparantly euen twise togither They shall lament him saith he as one that lamenteth bitterly for his onelie sonne and they shall be sorie for him as one that is sorie for his first borne No doubt this argues that this their repentance shall be syncere Gen 34. Heb. 12. Mat. 27.4 Luke 7.3 Mat. 26.7 8. euen from the bottome of their hearts not like Esaus or Iudas his repentance but like Marie Magdalens and Peters So that to expound this place of vs Christians who are spirituall Iewes seemes not to agrée naturally with the text and also to gainsay saint Iohns exposition Who saith that Christ was pearced with a speare that the scripture might be fulfilled in them and that not then but hereafter And they shal see him whom they haue pearced Neither do we read of anie such generall mourning required or practised of the spirituall Iewes that is of vs Christians when we were conuerted In the Acts of the Apostles Act. 2.37.41 They were pricked in their hearts we read and of their baptisme but of the teares of anie we read not Neither was it fulfilled in those women which when Christ was led to his passion came weeping after him Luke 23.27 For these were but certaine women neither do we read that they wept apart but altogither neither that anie men wept with them but women onely And those women wept before he
and that God will defend the Iewes for all this their ingratitude De ciuit Dei lib. 20. ca. 30. Saint Austen also referres this prophecie of Zacharie to be fulfilled in the end of the world It shall repent saith he at that day the Iewes yea euen those which shall receiue the spirit of grace and mercy hat in this passion they haue triumphed ouer him when as they shall haue respect vnto him comming in his maiestie and shall know that this is he whom being humble before and of no account among them they haue laughed to scorne in their parents Although their parents the ringleaders of that most hainous offence rising againe shall see him also but to be punished not to be pardoned Therefore in this place he meanes not them whereas he saith I will powre out vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and mercie and they shall now haue a speciall regard of me for that they made a iest of me but only those which come of their progenie which at that time shall beleeue by the meanes of Elias Thus farre Austen where he also thinkes that this prophecie of Zacharie shall be fulfilled in the end of the world and in the ofspring and progenie of those Iewes which put Christ to death But Austen here saith that Elias shall come But what then Ierome denies it Ier. in cap. 4. Mat. and cals them heretiques that say so And whether of these now shall we beléeue The Angell also taught Zacharie that in Iohn Baptist that prophecie of Malachie was fulfilled and he repeats the verie words of that prophecie that he shal turne the hearts of the fathers to the children c. least any one should doubt Luk. 1.17 whether he meant that prophecie or no. And our sauiour also in the gospel plainly teacheth that Elias was thē come and that they had done to him whatsoeuer they would Therefore he is not to come and to be killed againe of Antichrist as the papists teach Luk. 17.12 Likewise also saith he shall the sonne of man suffer of them They may as well say that Christ shall come and suffer againe as to say that Elias shall come and suffer againe for Christ himselfe compares both their sufferings togither And speaking of the prophecies which should be fulfilled All the law and the prophets saith he prophecie but vnto Iohn Mat. 11.13.14 And if ye will receiue it he is Elias which was to come What can be more planly spoken The prophecie of Malachie is fulfilled Iohn is not a type or figure of Elias as the papists would haue him but he is Elias which was to come saith our Sauiour And shall we not beléeue the Angell that taught Zacharie alleadging the verie words of the prophecie of Malachie that Iohn should fulfill it nor our Sauiour who agrées with the Angell and saith that that prophecie is fulfilled Nay who saith plainly that Iohn is Elias which was to come In this matter being so plaine to doubt surely is great incredulitie Nay our Sauiour addes yet more to make vs very wel to marke and beléeue this Vers 15. He that hath eares to heare let him heare saith he And yet for all this shall we not heare this doctrine of our blessed Sauiours owne mouth shall we not beléeue it So that then the prophecie of Malachie is fulfilled alreadie And what néds then Elias to come againe to fulfil it But they will say Elias neuer died but all men must die And therefore he must needs come againe to suffer death 1. Cor. 15.51 Must all men die Those that liue when Christ comes againe to iudgement shal not die vnlesse you cal that their change to be a death 2. Cor. 5.4 They shall not be vncloathed but cloathed vpon which thing saint Paul himselfe desired And so no doubt Elias and Enoch haue died already and are chaunged And therefore their bodies now vnlesse God should create them new bodies cannot suffer death And therefore for this cause they néed not nay they cannot come Now if Austen Gal. 1.8 nay if an Angell from heauen shall teach any thing contrarie to the gospell let him be acursed saith Saint Paul neither doth Saint Austen affirme this out of the scriptures but rather by tradition No man saith he will denie the iudgement but he that will denie the scripture But we haue learned that at the daie of iudgement or about that time these things shall be meaning Elias the Thesbite the conuersion or the faith of the Iewes that Antichrist shall persecute Lib. 20. de ciui ca. 30 that Christ shall come to iudgement that there shall be a resurrection of the good and a spoile of the wicked a consuming of the world by fire and a renewing of it againe All which that they shal come we must beleeue but in what manner and what order they shall come experience shall then better teach then now any mans wit can perfectly comprehend Lib. 20. ciu ca. 29. But I thinke that they shall come in order as I haue said And of Elias comming thus he writes in another place By this great Elias and wonderful prophet that the Iewes shall beleeue in the true Christ that is in our Christ before the iudgement by Elias who shal expound the law vnto them it is a verie common thing in the mouthes and hearts of the faithfull It was as should séeme a common spéech among the Christians in Saint Austens daies that Elias should come but we must ground our faith vpon the scriptures not vpon spéeches To these fathers Rup lib. 5 in Zac. Rupertus a latter writer agréeth And it shall come to passe that in that day I wil destroy al nations which come against Ierusalem This saith he needs no fauourable exposition for although this word conterere may sometime signifie mercie yet no man doubts or is ignorant but in that day of iudgement God ought to breake in peeces or destroy al nations which come against Ierusalem which haue shed so many martyrs bloud and haue not repented But before this the remnant of the Iewes are to be conuerted And therefore he saith And I will power vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the dwellers of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and prayers that is the spirit of the rem ssion of their sinnes which is the chiefest and greatest gift of grace And it shall come to passe that they shall be the house of Dauid and the inhabiters of Ierusalem And after this shall be the great day of iudgement of which he said In that day I will seeke to breake in peeces all nations which come against Ierusalem And therefore by and by he addeth and they shall behold me whom they haue pierced and they shall lament ouer him as ouer their onely begotten sonne c. Here is Rupertus iudgement that God will powre vpon the Iewes the spirit of mercie
Anno Dom. 1596 For when as the twentie letter of the Alphabet with great shouts shall be receiued within thy wals then thy ruine and vtter ouerthrowe is at hand Let Rome take héed of this letter Cappa which in numeration standeth for twentie when as it shall be capped vnto and honourably receiued into Rome Rome shall not raigne long after Rome therefore shall be ouerthrowne And some Cardinall may fitly fulfill this prophecie And of the destruction also of the world and of Rome Sibylla prophecieth thus That when as a firie Dragon shall come vpon the waues of the sea of this world hauing her belly full to nourish her children Sibil orac lib. 8 ol 368. in a time of death and ciuill warre that then shall the ende of the world draw neere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But first saith Sibylla shall be the inexorable wrath of God against Rome O wicked Rome then whose sins shall be so grieuous as it should seeme that if all the saints and angels in heauen which now thou makes so great account of should intreat for thée they were not able to appease the heauy and grieuous wrath of God against thée Repent now therefore whilest thou hast time and space being admonished here by Sibylla And let all true Catholikes which are wont to reuerence antiquity herein beleeue Sibilla agréeing with Saint Iohn and in time forsake this wicked and sinfull Rome least they perish with her in her sins Michael ab Isselt of the great affliction that our Sauiour prophecieth of Epist nun cup. ad Torren Episc Antw. which shall come vpon the world before the ende thereof writes thus It is comed alreadie as should séeme by his writing and it is not marked And the poore feele it and the rich looke for it when it shall be His words be these But we vpon whom I may iustly say that the ends of the world are fallen haue hapned into those daies wherein though all histones and all ancient bookes hold their peace yet the world it selfe cries out that it is now set to reuenge the sins of men How often of late yeeres haue we seene the heauens inflamed as it were with terrible firebrands how many blasing starres haue beene seene threatning euils to the earth with their terrible shapes and foreshewers of great calamities Leu. 26. We haue had the heauens ouer our heads like Iron we haue not had raine enough in winter to nourish the corne nor in sommer the accustomed heat to ripen it The earth as the scripture hath foretold is become like brasse vnto vs. Our labour is employed in vain the earth bringeth not forth her buddes blossomes the trees beare not their Apples The earth is as it were parched with drought and her mould brings forth withered hearbs the haile hinders the vines we sow our lands in vaine which the enemies deuoure How many ouerflowings of the sea haue we seene how often her fortresses being broken haue we beheld the shepheard to swim with his sheepe the mother with her children and the house and the heard to swim togither with their masters and the huge sea flowing into the pleasant meadowes to haue destroyed al things Hereof we haue had of late the famine of Saguntum which hath so afflicted not onely cities but whole prouinces that it turned the pitie of mothers into madnes who gaue their deare children poyson to kill them least they should heare their miserable crying Others as in Hungarie this last yeere sold their children to the Turks and Barbarians for bread others I know not whether more pitiful least their children should serue such tyrants threw them into the water drowned them What shal I speak of wars which within these twenty yeers haue so shaken both other kingdomes but especially our Flauders in times past the paradice pleasantest countrey in the world that now townes being burnt cities sacked the stately Churches of the saints pulled downe and being robbed of their riches holy and prophane things being now accounted all one she hath not any signe almost remaining of her former glorie That now her mightie prouinces being giuen for a praie to the Germanes Frenchmen Englishmen Scots Irish men and to other forraine enemies obey now their vnsatiable and wicked pleasures Neither is heere an end of our euils But that all euils might come vpon vs at once most grieuous plagues new and straunge diseases haue taken away those whom the sword and famine had spared and haue made such great ouerthrowes of men that skant the liuing sufficed to burie the dead So that all the elements and al the miseries in the world may seeme to haue conspired against vs altogither Againe when as euerie liuing creature loues his like onely now one man is afraid of another For there are now so many publike periuries of natiōs so many truces broken so many vnderminings thefts deceits slaunders wiles that now not vnfitly one man may be called a diuell to another And if here were an end of our miserie all were well but it goes further For those euils which we haue hitherto recited are outward euils and do neither adde anie thing or take ought away from mans felicitie if his soule within him were sound and free from these daungers and miseries But the euils which are within vs are farre greater then they which are without vs. Our vnderstanding is blind our will is prone to all wickednes our memorie pliable to al earthly things And there is such a disorder and a diuersity and contrarietie among themselues of our desires that there was neuer any more troublesome kingdom seen in the world In so much that if all the creatures should fawne vpon man and should doe him seruice yet he should suffer the greatest persecution of himselfe and himselfe should be to himselfe the greatest tormentor What shall I make many words The times we liue in are such that we may truly say that saying of Silenus The best thing is neuer to be borne and the next to die quickly Thus farre Michael of Isselt And can there be any greater affliction then this What shall I adde the daungers of princes the heart burnings amongst noble men the vncontented minds of gentlemen the decaie of artificers the oppression and pouerty of the husbandman the laborers want of foode worke and wages Euerie member is sicke Es 1.6 euerie member is afflicted so that we may now truly say that of Esay From the sole of the foot to the crowne of the head there is no health What shall I adde that greatest persecution of all other of Antichrist who hath his inquisition in Spaine and in other countries where his authoritie can preuaile to persecute most cruelly all those that professe the gospell Who daily labours for nothing else by his seminaries in all places with all Kings and Princes to make warre to stirre vp rebellions against them which professe the gospell in anie countrie No doubt his hand hath
shall we say that God dealt wel with them which died before the euils came which followed after their death if after their death they also feele what things happen in the miserable life of man Doe we peraduenture erre in saying these things of them And doe we account them to be at rest whom the disquiet life of the liuing grieues c. This doctrine Austen doeth not onely affirme but also prooues by the example of his mother and also by manie other testimonies of the Scriptures and shall we not beléeue him Surelie if the Saintes departed know not our affaires here in this worlde after their deaths much lesse doe they know and heare our prayers And therefore as S. Iohn saith of our workes Let vs not lose our works so saie I of our most excellent worke that is prayer let vs not lose our prayers But here some maie obiect that Austen doth saie in the same booke Cap. 4. that he that buries his friend nie the graue of a Martyr reaps this commoditie thereby to his friend that he commends the same soule to the Martyr by his deuout prayer and affection and that therefore Austen allowes prayers made to Martyrs But how doubtfull in this his assertion he is let all men iudge This is his opinion Cap. 16. which I haue noted before That Martyrs ordinarily and by their owne proper natures cannot be present to the affaires of the liuing nor know what they doe but by Gods power saith he they may as Moses and Elias appeared to Christ But how shall we know this that as often as we praie vnto them God giues that grace extraordinarilie vnto them that they maie heare vs no man liuing can ascertaine vs hereof And of the miracles that are done at their verie toombes where if they be in any place present they should be most present Austen writes thus Although this question passeth my capacitie to know how Martyrs helpe them whom it is certaine are holpen by them whether they themselues are present at one time in so manie places and so farre one from another or whether they may be present at all where their memories are or whether they may be present euery where where their memories are not or whether they being in places correspondent to their merits and being quite remooued from the knowledge of all affaires and yet praying generally for the necessities of such as doe pray vnto them As we also pray for the dead whom we see not neither know where they are or what they doe God almighty who is present euerie where neither being mixt with vs nor yet separated frō vs hearing the praiers of Martyrs by the ministerie of Angels which are spred abroad here and there yeeld vnto men these comforts which he knowes they stand need of in this life and so doth commend vnto vs by his wonderfull and vnspeakeable power and goodnesse the merits of his Martyrs where he pleaseth when he pleaseth and how he pleaseth but especially at their memories because he knowes this to be most profitable for vs to edifie the faith of Christ for the confession of which they haue suffered This matter is a greater matter then I can reach vnto and more deepe then I can search Therefore whether of these two be true or perchance whether they both that at sometimes these things may be done by the presence of the Martyrs or at some other times by the Angels taking vpon them the persons of the Martyrs I dare not determine I had rather learne these things of those that know them Austen here plainlie affirmes that Martyrs by their owne natures ordinarilie know not what we doe here but by Gods power they maie Againe that we praying for the dead doe neither know what they doe nor where they are so the saints maie praie for vs generallie not knowing our estates And here although he séeme to allow praier for the dead as he doth also in other places of that booke yet he declares here in what sense they then prayed for them not knowing what they did nor where they were and therefore this their praying for the dead makes nothing for the popish purgatorie They knew not where they were for whom they praied therefore they praied not to helpe them out of purgatorie as the papists teach Therefore their prayers for the dead Cap. 1. ciusd lib. which S. Austen saith was vsed of the whole Church in those daies makes nothing for the praying for the dead which now the Papists vse They had another meaning in those their prayers then they haue now They praied as it were of a certaine Christian duetie declaring thereby their affections and loue to the departed but they praie now to helpe them out of purgatorie And in this sense also S. Austen praied for his mother Li. 9. conf c. 13. which the Papists alleadge to confirme their prayers for the dead which is nothing to the purpose I beleeue saith he praying to God for his mother that thou hast done already that which I pray for yet O Lord accept the free will offerings of my mouth Austen beléeued verilie that God had alreadie done that which he praied for yet to declare as should séeme his deuotion he also wished the same Such were the prayers which the Church and the Fathers in those daies made for the dead And as concerning these prayers for the dead this is his priuate iudgement that not for all in general but for those alone who when they were aliue here deserued that those prayers might helpe such praiers are auaileable But how contrarie is this to the saying of the wise man Eccles 11.3 That the tree lies where it fals after it be once downe there is no remoouing it And how contrarie is this to that which S. Austen els where writes himselfe Epist 86. That euerie one ought to be carefull of the last day of his life For in what state soeuer the last day of his life shall find euerie man in the same shall the last day of the world also take him because what kinde of one he now dies such a one at that day shal he be iudged If this be true there is no hope of profiting any man after he be dead And herein he séemes to agrée with S. Paul Gal. 6.2 5. who saith that now we ought to beare one anothers burthen as long as we liue here But after this life euerie one must bear his owne burthen then there is no bearing one anothers burthen no easing helping or relieuing one another So that this opinion of S. Austen of working here in this life that hee maie be holpen hereafter is both against the doctrine of the scriptures also contrarie to that which himselfe hath taught in other places But to returne againe to the Martyrs S. Austen in that booke writes Cap. 18. That Martyrs or dead men appeare to vs after their deaths as we appeare to others that
Else when thou blessest with the spirit how shall he which occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen at thy giuing of thanks seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest Thou verily giuest thanks wel but the other is not edified S. Paul here speakes manifestly of common prayer in the Church both of praying singing of Psalmes and not only of priuate hymnes or some particular songs which some Christians made to their owne comforts and to praise God as Master Bellarmine expounds this place Saint Pauls doctrine agrées with the promise of our sauiour Lib. 2. de verb. dei cap. 16. and with the practise of the Church before recited The same doctrine he deliuereth to Timothie a Bishop to be deliuered to the whole Church I will therefore saith he first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thanks be made for all men for kings 1. Tim. 2.1 and all that are in authoritie that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlines and honestie No doubt he meanes here common praiers And he puts downe the benefits which are reaped thereby which being knowen and vnderstood of the Church should as it were whet on this their desire of praying These benefits they should know assuredlie they did reape by their prayers and that they were to obtaine them by no other meanes but by prayer And therefore séeing they are such things as no man can be without all men greatliest desire it behooueth them especially to praie for these and as they know and vnderstand the price of them to be so much the more earnest by their prayers in begging them of God The like doctrine he teacheth all men after in their priuate prayers I will saith he that men pray in all places lifting vp pure hands without doubtfulnes They must haue faith ioined with their prayers and beleeue verilie they doe receiue that which they praie for according to our sauiours doctrine or else they shall obteine nothing at Gods hands But this faith of receiuing the things they praie for argues a knowledge They cannot beléeue they receiue the things they praie for vnlesse they know what they praie for so that by saint Pauls doctrine both common priuate prayers must be made with our vnderstanding The same teacheth saint Iames Is anie sicke amongst you Let him call for the elders of the Church let them pray for him Ia. 5.14 And annoint him with oyle in the name of the Lord And the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke Here are common praiers set downe but they must be done in faith and in the name of the Lord Iesus S. Iames agrees with the gospell Our common praiers must haue these two conditions which the gospel teacheth they must be made in faith and with knowledge as is before repeated And they must be made in the name of the Lord Iesus They must not be barbarous prayers without vnderstanding as saint Paul tearmes them but Christian prayers framed according to the doctrine of Iesus Christ The same doctrine saint Iohn teacheth 1. Io. 5.14.15 And this is the assurance which we haue in him that if we aske anie thing according to his will he heareth vs. And if we know that he heare vs whatsoeuer we aske we know that we haue the petitions that we haue desired of him Saint Iohn ioines the same two conditions to common prayers which saint Iames did that is faith and assurance that we shall obtaine our petitions and knowledge And this is that which our sauiour himselfe also teacheth all his Io. 16.24 Hitherto haue ye asked nothing in my name Aske and ye shall receiue that your ioy may be full What can be greater ioy to a man then to haue his suit granted of a mortall man euen of a king but to haue it granted at the handes of God is the cause of the greatest ioy in the world Prou. 13.12 The hope that is deferred saith Salomon is the fainting of the heart bu◠when the desire commeth it is a tree of life But how shall w◠know that our suits and prayers be granted vs or not vnlesse we know what we pray for Therefore they take from vs this tree of life which teach vs to praie in Latin and not to vnderstand our prayers They take from vs the greatest ioie we haue in the world And what kind of enemies are they 1. Iohn 5.16 The same doctrine saint Iohn giues of priuate prayers If anie man saith he see his brother sinne a sinne not vnto death let him aske and he shall giue life for them which sinne not vnto death All Christians ought to praie for their brethren when they sée them offend They should praie God to amend them And should they not then vnderstand their prayers I would to God all Christians would attentiuelie marke this forcible effect of prayer they shall by their praiers giue life to their brethren offending To restore a dead man in bodie to life againe what a great commendation would we account it but it is a farre greater matter to restore a dead man in soule to life againe And this most assuredly doth faithfull praier Oh that all Christians would remember this and practise it and cease in their brothers sinnes as most men do now a daies either to backbite them or slaunder them but rather as saint Iohn here counselleth pray for them Neither were the common prayers onelie in the Gospell but in the law also in a knowne tongue Before the captiuitie Dauid saith O come let vs sing vnto the Lord Let vs heartily reioyce in the strength of our saluation This exhortation had béene in vaine if the people then had not vnderstood what had beene said And in another Psalme he concludes thus Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for euer and euer Psal 106.48 And let all the people say Amen prase ye the Lord. And againe speaking of the Church of Christ Psal 47.7 he saith God is king ouer all the earth sing ye praises with vnderstanding All Christs subiectes must be children to maliciousnes but not in wit they must be men in vnderstanding And they must praise God with their vnderstandings He requires only the heart He will be worshipped in spirit and truth Iohn 4.23 Esay 29.13 as our sauiour teacheth And againe We must not now worship him as the wicked did in Esaias daies This people honoureth me with their lips but their heart is farre from mee This kinde of worship God condemned in the Iewes and do we thinke that he wil allow of such like amongst christians Of the common praiers also of the Iewes after the captiuity Neh. 8.6 we read thus in the booke of Nehemiah And Esdrah praised the Lord the great God and all the people answered Amen c. No doubt if they had not vnderstood his praises they could not haue answered Amen So that contrarie to M. Hardings and Mast Stapletons assertions
bring foorth So likewise when it is said Sit thou on my right hand till I put c. it may verie well hereof be gathered that all Christs enemies somtime shal be put vnder his feet otherwise that vntill were vnfitly said So also when it is said Thou shalt not go out till thou hast paide the vttermost farthing we may very wel inferre Therfore sometime he shal pay the vttermost farthing and so consequently shall go out from thence But Stella of this place writes farre otherwise then M. Bellarmine The iudge shall giue thee to the Iaylor In 12. Luc. The sentence shall be pronounced of Christ the iudge and the wicked man shall be deliuered to the Iaylor that he may punish him because the sinner shall be deliuered to the Diuell to be punished For the Lord saith to the wicked Go ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the Diuell and his angels c. And the Iaylor cast thee into prison that is into hell Of which prison Esay speakes They shall be shut in prison And lest he should despise this prison thinking it to be a light matter he addes the grieuousnesse of it saying I say vnto thee Thou shalt not go out thence till thou haue paide the vttermost farthing Thinke not that hee shall sometimes come out For this word vntill in the holy scriptures signifies eternitie of times whence we haue it thus written in the Psalme The Lord said to my Lord sit thou on my right hand till I put thine enemies c. And yet it is most certaine that Christ our Sauiour sits in the excellent good things of his father for euer and euer Secondly this place may be expounded properly as it foundeth Because thou shalt not go out till thou hast paide the vttermost farthing and yet after thou shalt go out But thou shalt neuer go out For one can neuer come to the end of a thing that is without end But the punishment of hell for continuance of time is without ende and therefore a man can neuer come to the end of his paiment So is meant that of the Psalme Iustice shall spring in his daies and abundance of peace as long as the moone endureth that is till she shall cease to be in heauen and yet she shall neuer cease to bee in heauen therefore that peace shall neuer faile So the wicked shall bee in hell vntill they haue paide the vttermost farthing The which because they shall neuer pay it is most certaine that they shall bee there for euer Ferus vpon these words After these things I wil returne writes thus In cap. 15. Act. This saying is taken out of Amos. As long as we are here God doth not quite cast vs away but he returnes to vs againe for God hath not forgotten to be mercifull but euen in his anger thinkes of mercie And hereof Dauid saith As a father is mercifull toward his owne children so God is merciful towards them that feare him But after this life he is either angrie for euer or mercifull for euer Ferus here séemes to make no meane nor middle place of Gods wrath Med. 10. vitae Christi Granatensis of afflictions writes thus As with a file iron is purged and by filing is polished and made smoothe all the rust being done away so the spirituall file of tribulations doth wipe away all the rust of sins and makes the soule pure and bright from all the drosse of vices In 6. cap. Luc. Stella writes thus If he which did no sinne nor there was anie deceit found in his mouth nor he stood need of any purgation of afflictions yet for our sakes would suffer so great things before he entred into his glorie Shall we who are guiltie of so many grieuous sinnes and to whom manie and grieuous punishments are due refuse to be afflicted that we may enter into that glorie Ferus also yeelds the same effects to the tribulations and afflictions of this life Affliction saith he doth not only not hurt vs but doth vs much good For it shewes vs what we are and then it purgeth the euill which we haue gotten then it leades vs to God Fer. in 4. cap. Act. To conclude the Crosse is Gods schoole house the nurture of our manners the praise and meditation of our blessednesse the shoppe of the holy Ghost and the treasurie of all good things So that by his iudgement in the schoole-house of afflictions in this life all Gods children are beaten for their faults In this shoppe of the holie Ghost they are purged filed and made bright In 7. cap. Act. And againe of the fathers he writes thus Marke that the fathers of the olde testament were by no other means brought to saluation then we are that is by faith Therefore if by our faith we passe from death to life as our Sauiour teacheth in the Gospell then also by Ferus iudgement euen so did they Those same phrases in Beda of the faithfull departed Bed lib. 2. eccles hist Aug. cap. 1.5.7 lib. 5. cap. 23. He went out of this life to the true life which is in heauen and he went vnto the Lord which he vseth of Gregorie Egbertus and others quite ouerthrow purgatorie Olympiodorus vpon that place of Ecclesiastes Olymp. in 11 cap. eccl v. 1. In the place where the tree falles there it lies he writes thus Trees in the holy Scriptures signifie sometimes good men sometimes sinners The South is also taken for a bright and cleare place or els for that true light which is Iesus Christ our Lord God Contrariwise the North is taken for an obscure place and full of darkenesse and for the diuell himselfe who dwels in darkenesse In what place soeuer therefore either light or cleare or obscure and darke that is either in the filthy state of sinnes or in the commendable state of workes a man shall be found when he dieth in the same degree and order he shall remaine for euer For either he shall rest in the light of eternall felicitie with the iust and Christ our Lord or els he shall be tormented in darkenesse with the wicked and the Diuell prince of the world Thus farre Olympiodotus Hee makes but two places after death Into either of which who soeuer shall fall at his death there he shall abide There is no helpe after death In his time it is likely that purgatorie and pardons were not knowne Master Bellarmine alleadging manie authorities to confirme purgatorie out of the olde testament Lib. 1. de Purg. cap. 3. as that place of Esay cap. 4. ver 4. and Mal. 3. v. 2.3 addeth the expositions of the fathers vnto them that they expound these places of purgatorie And after of that place of Ierom vpon Malachie he cōcludes thus Ieroh in cap. 3. Malac. Although the paine of purgatory is not that of which we speake of now for that shall purge them that liue but we
not tied to any one place as the Iewish church was The Papists would nowe make their Rome a second Ierusalem and all the churches of christendome bound to her as all the Synagogues of the Iewes were bound to Ierusalem And they would make their Pope like to the hie priest of the Iewes But these Iewish shadowes are vanished away and now that mysterie of Antichrist which they by their shadowes would maintaine is come in stéed of them And no doubt this was that mysterie which began to worke in S. Pauls daies 2. Thess 2.7 Gal. 5.1 of which he speakes some did not stand then in the libertie of Christ but brought in Iewish shadowes Againe Rome is not the daughter of Ierusalem but Sion as Dauid here auoucheth whose gates and children and singers and trumpeters and fresh springs are not now in anie one place but thorow the whole world Rome if shée will néeds haue a mother is the daughter of Babylon 2. King 25.7 putting out the eies of kings that she might make them serue her leading Gods people from that good freedome wherein Iesus Christ had placed them into a miserable bondage againe Ier. 5◠58 Psal 137.8 hauing her thicke and stately wals reaching vnto heauen Of whom Dauid speaketh O daughter of Babylon which shall be sacked happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast serued vs. Happie shall he be that spoileth thée euen as thou hast spoiled all nations And their spoiles are in thy pallaces yea happy shall he be that taketh thy young children thy young impes and dasheth them against that rocke that is Iesus Christ Images in the beginning were lay mens bookes only to admonish and to put them in remembrance but now they are become lay mens Gods to worship Prayers for the dead were testimonies of the good will and affection men liuing owed to the dead now they are become means of their saluation Such impes must now be dashed against that Rocke Iesus Christ they impaire his merits they are repugnant to his Gospell Behold Palestine and Tirus with Ethiopia there was he borne In all these countries kingdomes where Iesus Christ nowe raigneth where the Pope neuer set his seat shall Iesus Christ haue children shall he haue subiects The Lord shal count where he reckons vp the people that he was borne there most gloriously Those that be regenerate and made Gods children by spirituall regeneration shall God number and account for his and therfore one Lewes a king of France Zmuger in Theatro pag. 2840. when as he had conquered manie countries one asking him of which of them he woulde take his name he answered he would be called Lewes of Poicters because there he was christened and had gotten there the greatest victorie of all other his victories euen of the Deuill the Prince of this world He accounted that birth most glorious better then to be borne the Emperors sonne and heire here in this world And here euerie poore and simple christian may reioice greatly in the Lord that he is knowne of God and that God himselfe kéepes a Register of his natiuitie and therefore he cannot perish he cannot be lost he cannot be forgotten By this Register God reckons vp and numbers all his and he shal reckon vp as well singers as trumpeters Of the people which praise God God makes account of as well as of the trumpeters which preach him 2. Pet. 1.1 S. Peter writes his Catholike Epistle to all the dispersed brethren who had obtained like pretious faith with them Our Sauiour Iesus praies not only for his Apostles Ioh. 17.20 but for all those also which should beleeue thorow their preaching Oh happie are all those whom Iesus Christ praies for 1. Cor. 3.22 All are yours saith S. Paul to the Corinthians euen Cephas and Paul and Apollo and the world and death and life and things present and things to come you are Lords of all these and all these are your seruants And you are Christs he is only your Lord and Christ is Gods Christians are Lords of life and of death of this world and of the world to come by the means of Iesus Christ they néede not feare nor care for anie of these they maie trample them vnder their féet they maie command them O excellent dignitie of all christians And here by this one place the Popes supremacie which he challengeth falleth downe euen to the ground onely Iesus Christ is here set downe as Lord of christians And Paul and Cephas and Apollo ioined altogither and the pope also if he be Peters successor are made equall accounted but as seruants of Christians Peter and the Pope here and Paul also are but seruants all christians are their Lords euen as Iesus Christ againe is the onely Lord of all christians Here is the Lordship of being Christs vicegerent committed to Peter no more then to Paul naie all christians are his Lordes and he their seruant Lastly all my fresh springs shall be in thee O fruitfull soile O plentifull church To haue one of Gods springs in it were a great blessing but to haue all Gods fresh springs in it far passeth mans reason Where such plentie of springs are who would debarre anie to digge for water who will complaine of drought as the church of Rome hath done who hath forbidden the people to reade the scriptures who hath made a pretence that they lacked water they lacked iudgement But herein the Prophet Dauid agrées with our Sauiour in the gospell Who saith Iob. 4.14 that whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I will giue him shall neuer be more a thirst but the water that I shal giue him shall be in him a well of water springing vp into euerlasting life Our Sauiour meaneth here of the aboundance of his holy spirit which euerie one that beleeueth in him hath receiued and therefore hath this fresh spring in him And why should we suffer it to be stopt with earth why should not we dig this spring and drawe water out of these wels of saluation with ioy Esay 12.3 as Esay prophecieth why should we suffer this water to putrifie in vs for lacke of drawing that is for lacke of reading meditating on the holy scriptures Gods people are so ignorant in them because they will not doe their endeuour they will not delight in reading of them Euerie one hath a fresh spring in himselfe springing to euerlasting life to water and comfort himselfe and others to by the holy scriptures if he would kéepe it open if he would vse it These markes of the true Church I haue briefely runne ouer although I haue handled some of them elsewhere because Gods words are compared by the preacher to Nailes Eccles 12.11 and must therfore be fastened by many strokes Mat. 13.31.33 And our Sauiour in the gospell doth iterate his parables As also these two marks of the Church which follow although I haue handled
and sisters home vnto this house Euerie one must exhort his brother we must exhort one another as S. Paul commands Againe 1. Pet. 3.21 Ephes 4.4 Iosuah 6.25 Rom. 16.17 we must bring them all into one house There is but one Arke of Noah that saueth but one house in all Iericho that shall escape but one church of God wherein is saluation And therfore we must beware of schismes in the Church we must not be more cruell then the souldiers Ioh. 19.24 which would not rent in pieces Christs coate without seame but cast lots for it He that departs out of this house into the streete Verse 19. his bloud shall be on his owne head We must kéepe vs within the limits of the Church we must also follow her holie precepts that we go not foorth into the stréetes They which shall followe the world which shall doe as the most part doe Luk. 13.24 Rom. 12.2 shall be in danger of death But whosoeuer shall continue within the house Verse 19. shall be assuredly safe his bloud say they be on our heads if any touch him The ministers of the Gospell to all faithfull and obedient hearers ought and maie safely warrant them of their saluation they maie euen venture soule for soule they are so sure thereof they maie warrant their hearers And they ought not now to doubt thereof but to beleeue their preaching And lastly we must beware of Apostasie of Reuolting from the faith when persecution comes for the Gospell or when Sathan shall with faire promises go about to make vs forsake it we maie not be turnecoats we must be Peters that is stones not reeds 1. Pet. 2.5 Ephes 4.14 vnremoueable in the faith Though the king of Iericho terrifie vs or our friends flatter vs Gal. 1 16. or reason and flesh and bloud go about to perswade vs yet we must not be ledde by anie of them Wee must keepe the faith with Paul 2. Tim. 4 7. wee must finish our race we must not giue ouer as they saie in the plaine fielde And shee said according to your words so be it Verse 21. And shee let them downe and they departed And shee tied the red threed in her windowe Here is to conclude the last but not the least marke of the true Church according to your words so be it So Marie the blessed virgin answered the Angell Luk. 1.38 Behold the seruant of the Lord be it vnto me according to thy words And after when she was purified according to the lawe Luk. 2.22.23.24 and she presented him to the Lord as it is written in the lawe and she gaue an oblation as it was commaunded in the lawe So should the Church of Christ do all according to the scripture Gal. 1.8 But now let vs consider a little how vnlike Rahabs house the Church of Rome is Rahab placed the line of that trée that is the Scriptures of Iesus Christ in the roofe of her house She makes greatest account of them but the Church of Rome doth not so Concil Trid. Sess 3. she makes equall all her traditions and vnwritten verities with them She couers and hides the spies of Iosuah in them 2. Tim. 3.9 Acts 20.32 1. Pet. 5.2 Gen. 3.7 2. Tim. 4.4 the ministers of Iesus Christ should be cunning in the scriptures but the Church of Rome hath not couered her pastors with his holie line but hath rather with hurds of her own with Adams figge leaues with rags of mans deuises with the Master of the sentences and such like She doubts not of Gods word she knowes that Iericho shall be destroied and that Israel shall be Lords thereof The Church of Rome doth not teach her children this assurance grounded vpon Gods promises neither in their saluations neither in their prayers they make to God She mingles the drosse of mans frailtie Iam. 1.6 with the pure gold of faith and when as this colde water of doubtfulnesse is ready enough of it selfe to créepe in at the riftes of our weake shippe she bids vs not to stoppe it out but let it haue frée passage Rom. 10.11 Deut. 6.4 Mat. 28.18 Deut. 10.20 Ier. 5.7 Sophon 1.5 Her faith is grounded only vpon God that he is God alone that hath all power in heauen and earth and she requires an oath of them in his name as though this were a chiefe part of his honour But the Church of Rome hath vsually sworne by creatures in her thicke and palpable darknesse and her children as yet can hardly be drawne from it She dwels in the wal she reposeth all her trust in Iesus Christ 1. Pet. 1.21 The Church of Rome dwels farre from this wall reposing part of her trust and confidence in other things 1. Cor. 11.26 Rom. 10.9 She hangs the purple coard in her window she is able with her mouth to confesse Iesus Christ and him crucified the Church of Rome for lacke of the knowledge of the scriptures 1. Cor. 11.26 is not able to shew foorth the Lords death She brings her father and mother and brethren and sisters home to her house but the church of Rome doth not exhort one another Heb. 10.24 for the thicke darknes that raigned therein no man did sée his brother And lastly according to their words so she did shee added nothing of her owne when they were gone Mat. 28.20 but the Church of Rome hath added manie things of her owne to the commandements of Iesus Christ which he commanded his Apostles to go and preach to all nations and therfore in this point also as in the former she is vnlike to Rahab Exod. 25.3 The Tabernacle also which Moses builded for the children of Israel maie teach vs as a shadow which is the true bodie and as a type which is the true Church of Christ It was moueable and caried on the Priests backs from place to place Num. 4.15 Exod. 25.2 It was called the Tabernacle of the appointment because there God promised to answere them concerning all matters and in no place else Vers 9. 40. It was made of the voluntarie offerings of the people It was made according to the fashion and forme that God shewed Moses in the mount according to all that I shall shew thee saith God shall ye make the forme of the tabernacle and the fashion of all the instruments thereof And to the building of this his tabernacle God admitted as well haire of Goats as silke as well yron and brasse as gold And here first the consideration of this Tabernacle ouerthrowes the doctrine of the Roman Church Exod. 25.3.4 who teacheth that the Church in this world shall be alwaies visible and that at no time she shall loose her glorie And therefore they teach all men to beléeue the visible Church and then they shall be sure of their saluation But this Tabernacle which the people of Israel had here in the
seruice and to craue thy grace that we maie be more zealous hereafter in all good works 1. Thess 4.1 2. Pet. 3.8 And if wee haue done anie thing amisse to be heartilie sorie for it Psal 25.7 And now O Father we most humblie beséech thée to pardon and forgiue vs all the sinnes and frailties of our youth all the offences of this daie and of our whole life which we haue committed against thy diuine Maiestie And giue vs grace to amend our former liues 2. Cor. 5.17 and to become newe creatures And we now humblie beséech thee that as the night darkeneth and shadoweth all things so that thou wouldest for thy deare Son Iesus Christs sake couer all these our sinnes remouing them quite from thy sight Psal 32.1 Micah 7.19 assure our consciences of thy frée pardon and forgiuenesse of them all that as our bodies shall haue the rest of sléep so also our mindes euer through hope of thy mercie maie enioy the rest of a quiet conscience Esa 57.19.20 And so being wholie refreshed we maie awake and rise vp to thy seruice the next day and all the daies of our liues Graunt that wee laying our bodies downe in bed to take our naturall sléepe maie be thereby put in mind of that our long sléepe of death and that as we do now laie downe our bodies in bed 1. Thes 4.13 so we maie thereby be admonished that hereafter we shall be laid in our graue to be consumed to dust and earth Gen. 18.2.7 from whence we were first taken and giue vs grace to consider the streight and narrowe roome the hard and colde lodging the low and vnpleasant situation of that our parlor and home and the loathsome fashion vglie shape Eccles 7.40 and horrible sauour our bodies then shall haue that we hauing these before our eies maie bee stirred vp in our minds to be humble and not to passe for the pompe state Ephes 5.15 1. Pet. 1.17 pleasures and vanities of this world but to walke warilie in this our pilgrimage not knowing when the time shall be of our departure And O good Lord giue vs victorie against death 2. Cor. 5.1 Phil. 1.23 so that when death it selfe shall come we be not dismaied or discouraged at it â—â—om the which it is as easie for thée to raise vs Ioh. 11.43 as from our bodilie sléepe but that we maie euer rest in hope of that most ioifull resurrection wherein our bodies shall awake Phil. 3.20 Reu. 21.23 Psal 119.62 into that euerlasting daie which neuer shall haue anie night And as often as we shall awake in the night O Lord giue vs grace to praise thée for thy benefits O Lord shake off all fleshly drowsinesse in vs and giue vs grace Ephes 6.18 Col. 4.4 euen to watch in prayer as thou hast commanded vs. And O good Lord neuer forget vs Guide vs with shine eye all the dayes of our liues In the houre of death helpe vs Iam. 2.13 Iud. ep ver 21. Psal 39.5 Psal 99.12 Rom. 12.11 Ephes 5.16 and in the day of iudgement be mercifull vnto vs. We knowe O Lord our life is but short not a spanne long O giue vs grace to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts vnto wisedome to redéeme the time to omit no opportunitie or occasion of doing good Oh Lord vnlesse thou giue vs thy grace how manie opportunities of doing good will ouerslip vs And grant vs now thy grace we beséech thée that although our senses be bound this night with the chaines of naturall sléepe yet our mindes maie watch continuallie Luke 16.37 1. Thess 5.6 and looke for the comming of our Sauiour Iesus Christ that whether he come at midnight or at the cockcrowing Marke 13.35 or in the dawning of the daie he maie alwaies find vs waking readie and prepared with our lampes of a pure faith Matt. 25 8. clearely burning in our hands through the light of good works that we maie be wise and not foolish virgins Luke 12.35 and that the loines of our minds maie be girded vp and that as good seruants that stand with their torches in their hands still waiting when their maister will returne from the mariage we maie be commended and praised of him when he commeth O Lord giue vs all grace so to lead our liues as at that daie we maie heare that comfortable sentence spoken vnto vs Matt. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit yee the kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the world And that there we maie raigne with thée in perpetuall ioie together with all thy saints and elect children in that most blessed citie Reu. 21.23 the heauenly Ierusalem where shall bee no néede of candle neither of the Sunne nor of the Moone to lighten it for the glorie of the Lord shall lighten it and the Lambe is the light of it where our workes shall bee nothing els then with all the heauenlie multitude continually to sing praise and to laud the glorious Maiestie of thée O Lord God and heauenlie Father through our Lord Iesus Christ in the holy Ghost Vnto the which most glorious kingdome wee beséech thée to bring vs euen for Iesus Christs sake our onely Sauiour and redéemer to whom with thee and the holy Ghost one God immortall inuisible and onely wise be all praise saluation power and glory now and for euer more Amen Amen Certaine briefe and familiar prayers which euerie true Christian ought euer to haue in his mouth In the Morning Psal 3.5 I Laid me downe and slept and rose vp againe for the Lord sustained me Psal 5.8 Leade mee O Lord in thy righteousnesse because of mine enemies make thy way plaine before my face In the beginning or doing of any worke Psal 118.25 O Lord I beseech thee saue vs now O Lord I beseech thee send vs now prosperitie Psal 108.13 Through God we shall doe great acts and it is hee that shall tread downe our enemies In temptations of the flesh Psal 51.10 Create a cleane heart in me O Lord and renew a right spirit within me In the Euening Psal 4.6.7 Manie say who wil shew vs any good O Lord lift thou vp â—he light of thy countenance vpon vs. In Tribulations O forsake me not O Lord my God be not thou farre from me Psal 38.21.22 Haste thee to help me O Lord God my saluation I shall find trouble and heauinesse Psal 116.4 I wil call vpon the name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliuer my soule Against the assaults of the enemie Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall Psal 118.13 but the Lord was my helpe The Lord is my help I wil not feare what man can do vnto me Heb. 13.6 In sorow or heauinesse Why art thou so heauie O my soule Psal 43.5 and why art thou so
wâ—re trauell to heauen To this all Gods creatures do as it were exhort vs which shew vnto vs the excellencie of their Creator that we should seek him alone And when as the holy Ghost is compared to Raine as Dauid saith prophesying thereof Psal 68.9 Thou Lord shalt send a gracious Raine on thine inheritance c. Zacharie plainly testifieth that vpon those that do not thus celebrate this feast of Tabernacles but are carefull of these worldly affaires that heauenlie raine shall not fall O terrible sentence O barren soules that lacke this heauenlie and gracious raine The like lesson God taught all men by the burning of Iericho and all that was therein which no doubt was a type of this world and her delights and pleasures Iosua 6.24 Whereof when as Achan amongst the spoyles saw a goodly Babylonish garment and two hundred shekels of siluer a golden tongue as it is in the Hebrue and coueted them and hid them in his tent Hee was stoned to death with stones for his labour And here are those thrée dearlings of the world againe plainly described to vs which S. Iohn mentioneth which are not of the father a Babylonish garment which maie signifie the pride and state of this life two hundred shekels of siluer which may signifie couetousnesse and the desire and lusts of the eyes And a golden tongue which maie signifie the lust of the flesh which must haue a golden tongue must bee dayly fed daintily with Diues Luke 16.19 Zephanie 1.8 God wil visite such as are clothed in strange apparell no meane diet or fare will content it These things damned Achan Let all true Christians despise and contemne them Let our garment not be in the fashion not strange not Babylonish but comely and such as our owne countrie hath vsed Let our treasures bee not excessiue Let not our tongue bee a golden tongue but content with simple fare as was our Sauiour Iohn 6.9 who is read to haue had barly bread and fish for his prouision Iosuah no doubt was a figure of our Sauiour Iesus and that earthlie Canaan of our heauenlie inheritance Iosua 3.17 But how brought Iosuah the Israelites into that Canaan The first thing they did they went ouer Iordan drie shod And what doth that teach vs but that wee must also passe ouer the Iordan of this life drie shod so that our féete must not be dipped in the delightes pleasures honours desires and affaires of this present world 1. Cor. 7.29 And hereof the Apostle said The time is but short henceforth let them which haue wiues bee as though they had none and they that weepe as though they wept not c. And Dauid Psal 66.6 They passed through the riuer on foote there did wee reioyce in him The true souldiers of Iesus Christ passe ouer the floud of this life with drie féete but there that is in the life to come we shall reioyce in him we shall be as it were drowned in that bottomlesse sea of pleasures The like contempt of the world Iosuah himselfe declared who when as he had conquered all the land of Canaan was serued the last himselfe Iosua 19.49 When as they had made an end of deuiding the land by the coasts thereof then the children of Israel gaue an inheritance vnto Iosuah the son of Nun amongst them according to the word of the Lord they gaue him the citie which he asked euen Tymnah-serah in mount Ephraim and he built the citie and dwelt therein Here he was not his owne caruer but the children of Israel gaue him it and it was called Tymnah serah that is a great image such an account made he of his inheritance but euen as of an image as of a type of that heauenlie inheritance The like account made Dauid of this world Psal 119.17 Psal 16.2.3 though a king O Lord saith he thou art my portion And againe Thou art my Lord my goods are nothing vnto thee To thy Saints that are in the earth or to the excelleÌ„t my delight is in them All Dauids account was of God he made no account of his riches and then next vpon Gods Saints that is vpon his seruants and vpon the poore He set more by the poore then he did by his riches O that this mind were in vs Christians Matt. 9.9 Rom. 13.7 Matt. 17.27 Matthew sitting at the receipt of custome which was a gainfull and a lawfull office for as Saint Paul saith Tribute is to be paid to whom tribute belongeth and our Sauiour paide tribute himself yet he despised this gainefull and lawfull office and followed Iesus Christ But especially that notable example of Zacheus and that singular commendation that our Sauior yéeldes to him for it should teach all Christians to despise the world As soone as Christ had entred into his house Luke 19.8 hee stood forth and said vnto the Lord Behold Lord the halfe of my goods I giue vnto the poore and if I haue taken anie thing from anie man by forged cauillation I restore him foure fold What néed he haue giuen halfe of his goods to the poore but that he despised them and this world and that his delight was now vpoÌ„ Gods Saints as Dauids was To make restitution was necessary but the other was voluntarie And our Sauiour addeth This day is saluation come vnto this house Here are euident signes of a liuelie faith This mans faith flames through charitie for as much as he is become the sonne of Abraham Gal. 5.6 Gen. 18.1 Such a faith had Abraham which wrought through charitie as appeared by his sitting in his tent doore euen in the heate of the day which was extreme in those countries to waite that hee might entertaine strangers As soone as Christ entred into Zacheus his house he stood forth and said thus Behold Lord the halfe of my goods I giue vnto the poore c. They which lacke this faith and this charitie it is to be feared that Christ is neither yet entred into their houses nor into their hearts where Christ is by and by this fire flameth And surelie this his liberalitie to the poore maie séeme but reasonable that a man should giue againe halfe to God Pro. 19.17 1. Cor 4.7 1. Sam. 12.8 who gaue him all that he hath and reserue but the other halfe for himselfe and his children And it séemes to be written for an example not for vs onlie to talke of but for all rich men to follow Whatsoeuer is written is written for our learning Rom. 15.4 saith Saint Paule And nothing is put downe idlie in the Scriptures Christ Iesus will feede the fancies or pleasures of no men no not of kings no not of Herod himselfe Luke 23.9 O that our rich men then would follow this so manifest an example then should the poore be sufficientlie relieued and they do but their duties and be blessed for their labours Then should they be
amongst friends all things bee common and by the meanes of the word the godly man is now become Gods friend now all things are mans because all things are Gods all things are now common also to these two friends God and man Thus Clemens described a Christians life to loue God all his life and to become as it were a friend with God and so to haue all things common with God and to despise these worldly things Zuinger in theatro vol. 13. pa. 2822. There is extant an epistle of Plinie the younger who was Gouernour of Asia to Traian wherein hee asketh his aduise what he thought best to be done to the Christians in whom he perceiued no such fault as to be worthy of so extreme punishments They confesse saith he that this is the summe of their fault or of their errour that they were woont at one appointed day to meete together before the Sunne arise and to sing all together a Psalme vnto Christ as vnto God And to bind themselues all together with a solemne oath not to any hainous act but that they should not cōmit theft robberies or adulteries that they should not beguile any man that they should not withhold any mans pledge when as it was demanded of them The which things being done their maner was to depart asunder againe and after to meete againe to eate their meate in common earned or obtained without anie mans harme The which thing they surceased to do after my proclamation wherein according to your commandements I forbad such fellowships or meetings This testimonie Plinie giues of Christians being a Pagan And these were then their maners euen with a solemne oth to bind themselues from hurting or defrauding anie It were to bee wished that amongst the oaths of Christians now so common amongst many these kinds of oathes were vsed also Such then were the oathes of Christians to sweare against sinne Tatian a verie ancient writer thus also describes the maners of Christians Orat. contra Graecos First teaching the obedience that they yeeld to Princes and ciuill Magistrates he writeth thus of himself And why if I will not giue my consent to your lawes am I as a most hainous offender hated of all men But if the king command me to serue and waite I acknowledge my seruice due vnto him because man is to be reuerenced after the maner of men But God is onely to be feared who is not seene with any mans eyes nor contained or comprehended by any arte If any man shall command me to denie him alone I will not obey him but I will die rather least that I should be found a liar and vnthankefull He acknowledgeth seruice and obedience due to Princes And that no image can be made of God He séemes to condemne Images in the worship of God whom he saith no arte or cunning of the workman can expresse And that he was readie to do anie thing sauing to denie his God that the Prince commanded And after I will not be a king I passe not for riches I despise the fauour and curtesie of the Emperour I hate fornication I will not saile on the seas through couetousnesse I long not for the crowne of your masteries or games I am free from mad ambition I despise death I am a conquerour of all kinds of sicknesses sorrow neuer grieues my mind If I bee in bondage I endure my seruitude patiently if I be a free man I bragge not of my gentilitie or freedom I see that there is one Sun that shineth to all men and that there is also one death common to all which commeth as well in abundance and excesse of all things as in pouertie The rich sowe their land and so do the poore also The richest of all die beggers also haue the same end of their liues The rich men stand in greater neede and because many attend vpon them therefore they become glorious but the poore and meane man desiring onely those things which concerne his estate and degree more easilie obtaineth them Why doest thou besides thy lot and destinie assigned thee of God watch through couetousnes who whilest thou desirest many things besides thy lot in the meane time thou diest O rather die vnto the world quite reiecting from thee the madnes therof and liue to God by knowing thy selfe forsaking thy old kind of life c. Here Tatian in his owne person describeth plainely the affections of all Christians in his daies they despised the world they passed not for riches nor for honours no nor for death And surely if we would follow their steps and despise these earthlie riches and these vaine honours it would make vs despise death also But now while mē are as it were wedded to this world so much it maketh them loth to go out of it Eccl. 41.1 They haue some parts of their hearts fixed here And euen as a brier though it hold but one part of a mans garment yet it will stay the whole man you must not let the brier touch you at all if you meane to go quietly awaie by it so the world it is a brier if you will depart hence quietly you must let no part of this brier touch you if it do neuer so little it will staie the whole man Naie this loue makes God not to loue vs and so he withdrawing his grace from vs we die sorrowfully the world wherein we ioyed at that day cannot helpe vs. And after he writes thus With vs vaine glorie is not sought for neither haue we many and diuers opinions amongst vs but being separated from these earthly things which the world so highly esteemes and giuing our selues wholy to the commandements of God and following the law of immortalitie which our father hath giuen vs Whatsoeuer belongeth to the glorie of this world we loath and detest Not only rich men with vs doe play the Christian Philosophers but the poore also are instructed freely For the doctrine of God is more exellent then that it can be requited with any giftes of man for the teaching of it And therefore we admit all that are desirous to learne both old and yong To conclude euery age is dutifully honoured of vs and wantonnes is quite banished And in our speech also we vse not to lie c. Here againe are the maners of true Christians set downe contempt of the glorie of this world knowledge of the lawe of God in generall of all men and trueth lying being detested in all their spéeches and dealings Anastasius Episc Nicen. quaest 1 Another writes thus What is the signe of a true Christian A right faith and good workes for a Christian is the true house of Christ consisting of good works of holy opinions A true faith therfore is proued by works because faith without works is dead as also works without faith Wherfore we must with al our strēgth firmely and constantly keepe our selues from filthy works least that be said
say they hold of Paul I of Apollo I of Cephas If that CorinthiaÌ„s had béen taught this principall point of religion which nowe the catholiques accompt the chiefest point of all other that Peter had béen ordained of Christ his Vicar generall they would neuer haue matched Apollo with him By this it is likelie the there was no such superiority among the Apostles taught in the primitiue Church Fer. in 21. Act. And again vpon these words Thus saith the holy Ghost the Lord as a most wise gouernour of his doth foreshew the crosse which is appointed to his but sodaine destruction falleth on the wicked He makes the holie Ghost the gouernour of the Church And in another place No congregatioÌ„ can contiâ—ue without order Therfore it is a great matter in the reformation of the Church that order be kept Therefore they offende grieuously which in the Church of God disturb rent asunder and quite take away all order Fer. in 23. Act Christ himselfe ordeined an order some Apostles some Prophets some doctors He makes in this order appointed of Christ no one visible head And after speaking of the Apostles hee writes thus It is the office of the Apostles to be seruants or ministers and witnesses of Christ They haue all one office by Ferus iudgement The same Ferus also of the supremacie writes thus The seruant saith he is not aboue his Maister Fer. in pass part 1. By this worde therefore Christ doth bridle all the pride and ambition of ecclesiasticall persons for admitte whosoeuer they be whether Popes or Bishoppes or Cardinals or Doctours what are they else but seruants And if they be seruants as no man will denie they ought to behaue themselues so as that they should not climbe aboue their maister howe this is done among them let them looke to it For here is not a place as we saie to rake in this filthie fenne or lake Their owne consciences will tell them in what thinges they are vnlike to Christ nay wherein they endeuour to climbe vp aboue Christ c. Here Ferus is loth to meddle with the Popes pride as should séeme but for all that hee glaunceth at it and giues him as wee saie an Item And a little after he discouers some parts of this pride In worldly affaires no man dare preferre himselfe before his maister or will seeke to take more ease then his maister doth but in spirituall matters we see it farre otherwise There is no man but coueteth and wisheth to be in better estate theÌ„ Christ was in Christ wheÌ„ as he was in the shape of God huÌ„bled himselfe we vile wretches caÌ„not abide humilitie Christ ministred to vs who were his seruaÌ„ts we thinke scorne to minister or do seruice to any Christ did good euen to the simplest we thinke much to do good euen to our brethren Christ laboured tooke paines we seeke our owne ease Christ although hee were the brightnes of his fathers glorie yet patiently endured the reproches of men we are of a contrarie minde Christ being the iudge of all men notwithstanding suffered himselfe to bee iudged we disdaine to be iudged or reproued of any Christ by the crosse and death entred into his glorie we thinke to come thither by riot and pleasure What therefore doe we else but preferre our selues before our maister and desire a better estate then hee had Therefore not without cause he vrgeth this word so often so vehemently vnto vs He will haue vs knowe that we are seruants Againe that we should consider what he hath done and suffered he that markes this diligently will bee most readie to doe all good and most patient to endure all euill He séemes here also to glaunce at the Popes pride and pompe Againe howe Peter was chiefe amonge the Apostles he writes thus of the washing of the Apostles féete It is most likelie that he began at Peter who was the first or chiefe amonge the Apostles not in calling for Andrew followed Christ before him but in the election of the Apostleshippe for there Peter is placed in the first place c. So that by Ferus his iudgment Peter was the chiefe among the Apostles because when as Christ chose his xij Apostles he first chose Peter he was the first in order the first chosen of the twelue And againe that the Pope ought not to haue both swords Fer. Part. 2 pass he writes thus Christ speakes thus to Peter Hinder not my death but rather studie to imitate it Awaye with thy sworde which kills men my sworde which I haue committed vnto thee cuts off vices but saues men Therefore put thou that materiall sworde into thy sheath againe or as the other Euangelists saide into his owne place The proper place of the materiall sworde is the ordinarie power that is the ciuill magistrate Put thy sword therfore into that sheath let the ciuill magistrate vse it and not thou In this place as in manie other places alledged in this discourse Ferus plainlie teacheth that the Pope ought not to haue both swords because Peter had them not and therefore he quite ouerthrowes the Popes supremacie This is the very foundation thereof that the Pope hath the right of both the swordes And after Againe he teacheth by this worde that the gospell is not to be defended with worldly weapons nor with mans ayde but the defence thereof is to be committed to God So saith Paul the weapons of our warfare are not carnall so Christ neuer vsed any sword nor his Apostles are euer read to haue been girded with swordes They taught the word and the word it selfe fought with his owne power And the Apostles went euer away conquerors So Christ in Luke sayth I will giue you a mouth and wisdome which your enemies shall not be able to resist Therefore Christ especially by this word forbiddes his Apostles the externall sword for they haue and they ought to haue the sworde of the spirite which is the worde of God And hence Esay prophesieth that the battell of the Apostles shal be as in the day of Madian that is as Gedeon ouercame the Madianits not with weapons but with trumpets and breaking of pitchers so should the Apostles do spiritually that they should subdue the whole world to Christ by the trumpet of the word of God and by suffering afflictions c. Here also Ferus plainly teacheth the the gospel must not be maintained with armes and swords with fire and fagotte as the Pope séeke nowe to maintaine his kingdome And Ferus of Christs kingdome Part 3. pass writes thus My kingdome is otherwise gouerned then a warlike kingdome for this is gouerned with a materiall sword but my kingdome stands in no neede of that sword for the sword thereof is the word of God The kingdome of the world hath Cities Castles Townes Villages Armes Weapons but my kingdome only requires the hearts of men The world raignes ouer mens bodies and goods but I ouer