though it cannot excuse yet it may lessen somewhat the fault and weakenesse in the Disciples faith in this place that may seeme to bee in greater danger and their Master asleepe For the vse of this point I say with the Apostle All these things came to them for ensamples and were written to admonish vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come Our Sauiour Christ would teach them that they were but men and so weake and feeble in themselues that they ought both to acknowledge their weakenesse and labor continually to increase their strength but therein not to trust to themselues but to depend vpon him and say with the man in the Gospell Lord I belieue helpe my vnbeliefe And if the case were so with them that were specially called out of the world by our Sauiour Christ and enioyed his presence let vs take heede that we arrogate not too much vnto our selues and whatsoeuer measure of grace we haue receiued remember the Counsell of the Apostle Be not high-minded but feare I write this the rather because that which I find in S. Chrysost. concerning saylers and seamen in long voyages that a tempest to them is nothing they haue seene and felt and ouerliued so many tempests that they are growne familiar with them They are as old beaten souldiers that feare neither blowes nor bullets and as Dauid because he had killed a Lyon and a Beare perswaded himself that he could kill Goliah So they hauing been in as great dangers in other voyages as may be haue now they thinke such resolution that they cannot feare to meetwith death it self But take heed thy resolutions be truly grounded in Christ lest it proue presumption Be not too rash nor foole-hardy vnder the name of courage better called curre-rage but know that thou art a man and thy faith in God onely makes thee truely couragious rest therefore in his protection and striue by all meanes to increase and strengthen thy faith crie with the Apostles Lord increase our faith and then neither storme nor tempest nor raine nor wind nor flouds shall hurt thee for though thou bee in a mouing house yet thou art builded vpon the true rockâ— against which the gates of hell shall not preuaile But of the small measure of the Disciples faith and the wants in it more in the next verse Christs reproofa We come now to the third and last point of their praier the reason We perish Wherein was obserued their faint and almost forlorne hope of deliuerance from their present danger for they say not we shall perish or we are like to perish but in the present We perish As if they should haue said We haue hitherto waited and expected in hope that the tempest would haue ouerblowne we were loth to trouble and awake you so long as the danger was not desperate but now the tempest continues the ship is full of water and is ready to sinke euen at this instant we haue onely time left to tell thee in a word we perish It appeares by this in what pitifull perplexitie they breake out into this complaint The Prophet Dauid indeuoring to expresse the great danger of the people of God and Gods mercy in deliuering them doth make choice of this comparison whereby to set it forth If the Lord had not been on our side may Israel now say If the Lord had not been on our side when men rose vp against vs They had swallowed vs vp quicke when their wrath was kindled against vs Then the waters had drowned vs and the streame had gone ouer our soule Then had the swelling waters gone ouer our soule As if the greatest danger that could befall men in this world could not be greater then to be swallowed vp quicke to bee drowned and ouerwhelmed with water But let the danger be neuer so great a good Christian must be sure to retaine hope as the anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast as the Apostle speaketh which laying fast hold vpon Christ can neuer be moued for as the body liues spirando by breathing so the soule liueth sperando by hoping and as expirare to leaue to breathe is the death of the body so desperare to despaire and leaue to hope is the most miserable estate of the soule The Heathen man can say Dum spiro spero that is while I breathe I hope But the Christian goeth further saith Dum expiro spero when I leaue to breathe I hope still Holy Iob telleth vs that the hypocrite hath no hope if God take away his soule but of himselfe hee is confident Though the Loâ—d kill me â—et will I trust in him And so speakes Salomon The righteous hath hope in his death And againe There will bee an end and thy hope shall not be cut off How comes it then to passe that the Disciples here are so dismaied at the danger of death at the most Origâ—n writing on this place makes answere by way of dialogue first speaking thus to the Disciples How can you possibly feare danger that haue the Sauiour of the world aboard you you haue life with you and are you afeard of death are ye afraid of a tempest that haue the Maker and Creator of tempest with you Dare you awaken him as if he could not deliuer you while he slept To this he makes answere in the Disciples names We are weake and young Christians yâ—t our tendernâ—sse makes vs tremble we haue not yet seene Christ crucified nor been confirmed by his passion and resurrection and ascending into heauen nor by his sending and the descending of the holy Ghost vpon vs therfore we are weake and heare that reproofâ— of our Lord O ye of little faith which we willingly beare and sâ—ffer Thus farre Origen But to leaue both him and them The vse that we are to make vnto our selues is to bee warned by them neuer to forsake our hold for any danger be it neuer so great but to keepe the profession of our hope without wauering for hee is faithfull that hath promised And let vs be assured that there is no depth of danger either outward to the body or inward to the soule so great but if we sing with the Prophet Dauid a De profuâ—dis as he did with a true heart and cry Out of the depth haue I cried vnto thee O Lord Lord heare my prayer c. If when all other helpes faile we reserue the anchor of hope to cast forth vpon the Lord Christ he wil not leaue vs nor faile vs nor forsake vs but our greatest crosses shall bee our greatest comforts vpon our deliuerance whether he see good to doe it by life or death for Christ is our life and death is to vs aduantage And seeing sea-men doe or should determine before they ship themselues to see euery day death before their eyes they ought to arme themselues with
rebuked the winds and the sea 3. The worke There followed a great calme Fourthly the successe in the beholders in 2. things 1. What they did The men wondred 2. What they said What man is this that both winds and sea obey him The second generall part is the mysterie For by the iudgement of the Fathers 1. The sea is an image of the world 2. The ship is an image of the true Church of Christ militant 3. The tempest an image of the rage and furie of heretickes schismatickes and persecuting tyrants against the Church 4. Christ his sleeping is an image of his death 5. His arising is an image of his resurrection 6. The Calme that followed is an image not onely of that peace of conscience ioy in the holy Ghost which the Church receiueth as the benefits of his resurrection in this life but also of that eternall rest and happinesse which they receiue thereby in the life to come Before I come to the handling of the particulars the whole history doth deliuer vnto vs the truth of a generall doctrine concerning a chiefe Article of our Christian faith of the coniunction of the two Natures the Humane and the Deuine in one person Christ to make him a compleate and absolute Mediatour and Sauiour of mankind In that he entred into a ship vsed it as a meanes to crosse the sea his ship was subiect to the violence of the tempest and himselfe so sound a sleepe all these shewed him to be perfect man and in that by his owne onely word rebuking the Windes and the Sea there presently followed a Calme this shewed him to be perfect God Which point of doctrine is the summe and ground of the whole Gospell which doth so set forth Christ vnto vs that by it wee may firmely beleeue that the Word was made Flesh that When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his sonne made of a woman and made vnder the Law That he might redeeme them that were vnder the Law that wee might receiue the adoptioÌ„ of sons And without controuersie great is the mysterie of godlines God manifested in the flesh To this end the Euangelists in the whole historie of his life death doe purposely intermingle such things as may shew the truth of both these Natures in one person As He was conceiued and so he was man but he was conceiued of the holy Ghost as no other man was and therfore God He was borne and so he was man but He was borne of a Virgin as no other man was and therefore God He was hungry which shewed him to be Man but he fed 5000 with fiue barly loaues and two fishes yet there remained of the broken meat twelue baskets full which proued him to be God He was thirsty which shewed him to be man but he had the water of life to giue of which whosoeuer dranke should neuer thirst and therefore he was God He was weary and so a man but he had ease to giue to all that were laden and so he was God He was Dauids sonne and so a man but he was Dauids Lord as he was God He died as he was a man but he raised himselfe from death by the power of his Godhead At his birth he was laid in a craâ—ch as a man but a starre in the heauen shewes him to be God At his death though â—e suffered on the crosse as a man yet he made a deâ—d of Paradâ—se as he was God No maruell therefore if the Apostle call it a great mysterie for The Ancient â—f daiâ—s to be borne in time for him by whom all things were created to become himselfe a creature for him whom the Heauens could not containe to bee contained in the wombe of a Virgin for him that was equall with God the Father to take vpon him the forme of a seruant to bee made like vnto men and to bee found in the shape of man yea to bee tempted in like sort as we yet without sinne This mysterie it pleased God from the begiâ—ning of the world to keepe hid in himselfe And as it was beyond the compasse of the diuels knowledge though he knew much for he would neuer haue endeuoured the fall of man if he had vnderstood the redemption of mankind by Christ to a more happy estate so it was not fully reuealed to the elect Angels no not to the chiefest of them the Principalities and Powers vntill his manifestation in the flesh when they were made the first Preachers of it And though it were in part reuealed to the Fathers in the old Testament both by the word of promise to Adam presently after his fall and after to Abraham and to Dauid as also by many types and shadowes and lastly by Euangelicall prophecies that a Virgin should conceiue and beare a sonne and they should call his name Emmanuel that is God with vs. Yet was this reuelation made but darkely and they saw and bâ—lâ—eued in Christ a farre off so that we say with the Apostle to our comfort At sundâ—ie times and in diuers mâ—nners God spake in the old time to our Fathers by the Prophets In these last daies he hath spoken vnto vs by his Sonâ—e c. Hence it comes that the diuell hath euer since laboured to stirre vp diuelish minded men to oppugne this maine article of our faith so that all heresies are reduced either to those that denie the truth of his Diuinitie or of his Humanitie or of the coniunction of both those Natures in one person to be our onely true Mediatour Some of these heretickes granted him to be God but not before hee was borne of the Virgin Marie who were confuted by that of the Euangelist In the beginning was the Word and that Word was with God and that Word was God and for confutation of them was that clause added in the Nicen Creede Begoâ—tâ—n of the Father before all worlds Some affirmed him to bee the same person with God the Father who were confuted by his owne speech There is anothâ—r that bâ—arâ—th wâ—nes of me Some thought him to be a kind of God but not of the same substance with the Father who are likewise confuted by himselfe where he saith I and my Father are one Some acknowledged the Father and him to bee of one substance but yet that there was no equalitie betweene them who were confuted by that of the Apostle He â—hought it no robberie to be equall with God These were the maine Heresies touching his Godhead Some againe denied him to be man who are confuted by that of the Apostle There is one Mediatour betweene God and man the Man Christ Iesus Some thought and taught that he had no true but a phantasticall body who are confuted by himselfe saying Behold my hands and my feete handle
me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as â—e see I haue Some held that in respect of the manhood he had no soule but that the body was in animated by the Godhead who are confuted where he saith My soule is heauie euen to the death but his Diuinitie was not heauie neither could it suffer Lastly some denie the coniunction of these two natures in one person that he was not perfect God and perfect Man who were condemned by such proprieties of speech and phrase in the Scripture where that is spoken of his Godhead that belonged to his Manhood and that of his Manhood which is proper to his Godhead as Feede the Church of God which hee hath purchased with that his owne blood There is blood attributed vnto God which hee had not but as hee was man So on the other side he saith No man ascendeth vp to heauen but he that hath descended from heauen that Sonne of Man which is in heauen Where that is ascribed to the Sonne of Man namely to be in heauen which was proper vnto him as he was God This article therfore of our faith is the ground of Christian Religion and affordeth many comforts to all Christians but especially to Sea-men and those that vndertake long voiages amongst Heathens Infidels and I could wish none might be admitted to go vntill they be well grounded therein which would afford many heauenly meditations For first whereas these men resoluing to leaue their natiue Countrie and to trauell to the furthest parts of the World doe expose themselues to more perils and dangers then other men what sweeter meditation can they haue for the arming of themselues euen against death it selfe the last enemie then to know that they are in the right faith concerning their Sauiour and Redeemer that whatsoeuer shall become of their bodies they haue before prouided for their soules and so are ready â—o liue or die in that faith Secondly when they see preparations made for them by the Merchants and Aduenturers of goodly tall ships with all manner of fit prouisions when they obserue the skill and art of their chiefe Leaders and Commanders that haue been trained vp by long experience not only to guide and gouerne those great Vessels but themselues also in their seuerall places that they trust not in any of these secondarie meanes but to Gods blessing vpon those meanes by and through Christ for Except the Lord build the house they labour in vainâ— that build it Except the Lord keep the Citie the watchman watcheth but in vaine It is Christ God and Man by whom wee receiue all good When they are in the greatest perils to meditate that Christ their Sauiour is God and therefore can and Man and therefore will deliuer and free them if it stand with his glory and with their good 4 When they come to remote places and find Infidels that haue not heard of Christ to remember that they themselues are such by nature and that they haue deserued no better at Gods hand nay they haue deserued much worse because they haue abused Gods blessings yea his long suffering and patience that should lead them â—o repentance And therefore to consider of the great loue of God toward them that passing by so great and huge nations and leauing them in incredulitie hath afforded them the meanes of saluation 5 To meditate that the best way to make a good voiage indeede is to labour by all meanes possible to reduce those Infidels or any of them to the profession of the same faith in Christ there being both a commandement from Christ to doe it and great promises to them that obey that commandement 6 That aboue al they take heed that leauing Christendome they forsake not this faith in Christ they proue not Apostataes they make not shipwracke of faith and of a good conscience for such falling away is the high way to the sinne vnpardonable against the holy Ghost And thus much of the generall doctrine we come now to the particulars of the historie wherein first â—as obserued a Sea-voyage by Christ and his Disciples First of him He entred into a ship Where it may be demanded why Christ would passe the sea when he might haue staid on land For the Philosopher said that a shipman had but foure inches the thicknes of the boardâ— of his ship betwixt him and death And it was one oâ—â—â—e 3 things that Cato in his old age repented him of that he had trauelled by sea when he might haue gone by land It was the charge that Antigonus gaue to his sonnes hauing escaped a dangerous tempest at sea that they should neither aduenture vpon any such danger againe themselues nor forget to aduise their posteritie after them to take heede by their example of that which was like to haue cost them so deare It was the speech of one of the seuen wise men of Greece that Sailers at sea were neither to bee reckoned for liue men nor for dead but betweene both And in Diuinitie it may seeme or at least the diuell will suggest it that to aduenture to trauell by sea is a kind of tempting of God And indeede without a lawfull calling and vsing the meanes which God hath appointed to preserue vs it is as vnlawfull for to trauell by sea as it is for a man in the time of the plague wilfully to run into an infected house or to thrust himselfe into any vnnecessary danger For answere therefore to the former obiection why Christ would enter into a ship if hee would needes goe ouer the sea who could by his word haue diuided the sea into two parts that hee and his might goe ouer as vpon drie land as he did the Read sea for his peoples sake by the minisâ—â—ry of Moses or could haue walked as he did anotheâ—â—â—me vpon the water as vpon firme ground yet he rather taketh the ordinary course to enter into a ship and saile ouer for these reasons 1 He hauing after his long Sermon on the Mount in the three former Chapters done diuers great miracles in this Chapter vpon the land as the clensing of a Leper the curing of the Centurions seruant the healing of Peters wiues mother the â—â—sting forth of diuels out of many that were possessed with them doth now that hee may shew himselfe not only the God of the Mountaines but of the vallies not only the Gâ—d of the Land but of the Sea enter into a ship that thereby he might shew his authority and power on the winds and seas in this miracle 2 Hauing done the foâ—â—er miracles in his Apostles sight only he thought now to doe a miracle vpon themselues whereof being partakers they might be more sensible 3 He was faine by â—his meanes to auoide the presse of the multâ—tude that followed â—im and therefore vpon such occasions sometime he withdrew
wonderfull And as the due consideration of his birth could not but moue amazement and astonishment to men and Angels to see a new thing in the world The Word made Flesh God and Man in one person a Virgin and a Mother in one So the miracles that hee wrought such as neuâ—r any man did could not but worke admiration in those that saw them We say therefore with the Prophet Stay your selues and wonder and with another Prophet Behold among the Heathen and regard and wonder and maruell For all miracles are maruelous and wondrous workes It is therefore an ordinary thing that attended the miracles of Christ that his Disciples and the people wondred The second thing therefore is rather to be considered that is their confession What man is this c. Saint Iohn writing his Gospell last of all the Euangelists purposing thereby to confute Cerinthus and other hereticks that denied the Diuinitie of Christ after he had proued it by his essence and eternitie Secondly by his Creation and preseruation of all things doth set downe certaine excellent Sermons and notable miracles wrought by Christ and omitted by the other Euangelists and at last he concludeth These things are written that ye may beleeuâ— that Iesus is that Christ that sonne of God and that in beleeuing ye might haue life through his name thus wrought one strange miracle with Nathanael Rabbi thou art the sonne of God And in the blind man that was cured and instructed by him who said Lord I beleeue and worshâ—pped him And in another miracle at the sea They thaâ— were in the ship came worshipped him saying Of a truâ—h thou art the sonne of God And at his death the Centurion when he saw what was done and they that were with him saw the Earthquake they feared greatly saying Truely this man was the Sonne of God All these brought vnto it by Christs miracles made that good confession concerning his Diuinitie which when Saint Peter made saying Thou art that Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Our Sauiour told him That flesh and bloud had not reuealed it vnto him but his Father which is in heauen And further That vpon this rocke or true confession of him he would build his Church and the gates of hell should not preuaile against it Now howsoeuer the beholders of this miracle proceede not so farre in their confession and acknowledgement yet they are in a good way and doe in a manner confesse as much when they propound it by way of question Who is this that both the winds and the sea obey him For it is as much as if they had said It is impossible that he should bee but a meere man that hath these vnruly creatures at command to check and controle at his pleasure As therefore Christ himself in the next Chapter in another miracle vpon one that was sicke of the Palsey when he had first told him Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And certaine of the Scribes said within themselues This man blasphemeth And Saint Marke addeth their reason Who can forgiue sinnes but God onely That hee might shew himselfe to bee God indeed and so to haue power to forgiue sinnes doth command him to arise take vp his bed and goe vnto his owne house And so thorowly curing the man by his word doth manifestly proue himselfe to be God and to haue power as well in the one as in the other So in this place though they giue him the terme of a man yet enquiring what man and so acknowledging him more then a man by the worke that he hath wrought in commanding the winds and seaes they doe in a sort confesse him to be God For conclusion therefore of the History the meditation rising to sea-men from hence is this that as in the vndertaking of their voyages they must if they haue any hope to make a good and prosperous voyage begin at Christ and be carefull and sure to take him along with them that is to examine the lawfulnesse of their callings and professions either as sea-men or as Merchants and Factors to doe seruice vnto God and to the state wherein they liue committing themselues to that vast element the sea and depending vpon Gods protection and defence and so expecting a blessing from him in all their honest labours so must they prepare themselues before hand especially in long voyages and amongst Infidels for many disasters and counterbuffes not onely of wind weather which our Sauiour Christs ship was subiect to in his short voyage but of many other dangers which cannot possibly be auoided and if Christ seeme to be asleepe in not affoording them present helpe by their earnest and hearty prayers to awake and stirre him vp by faith beleeuing his omnipotent power and by hope expecting and waiting his leisure submitting their willes to his will and ready as well at sea as at land and as well by death as by life to giue him praise and glory And thus much shall suffice for this history of Christs voyage and the meditations thence arising But I haue yet a further taske in the second generall part of the text that is the mysterie In the former I haue endeauoured to teach sea-men to be Christians but now I am to shew that all true Christians bee sea-men and haue a longer voyage in hand then to the East Indies for their whole life is but a voyage from earth to heauen In which voyage they haue a sea to passe thorough and a ship to passe in and in their passage they must looke for great tempests threatning to drowne both them and their ship and they shall find Christ in whom they trust to be asleepe as if he regarded not their danger but if they waken him by their deuout prayers he will arise quickly and not onely make all their enemies to vanish and secure the ship but neuer leaue them nor forsake them till he haue brought them to heauen the hauen where they would be This voyage cannot be performed by factors and seruants but euery Christian man and woman must vndertake it in their owne persons For â—ustus ex fide sua viâ—it in fide sua moriâ—ur that is the godly man doth liue and die doth begin and continue and make an end of this voyage according to his owne faith In this voyage 1. The sea is an image of the world 2. The ship an image of the true Church of Christ. 3. The tempest an image of the rage and fury of heretickes and schismatickes and persecuting tyrants against the Church 4. Christ his sleeping an image of his death 5. His arising an image of his resurrection whereby he subdued all his and our enemies And 6. The calme that followed is an image both of the peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost the first fruits of the spirit which the Church receiueth as the benefits by his
house of this their tabernacle is dissolued they haue an euerlasting habitation in the heauens and therefore like to sea-men they vse the world as sea-men vse the sea as a way or place of passage to goe through neuer more ioyfull then when their voyage is ended by death and they brought into their right port or hauen that they may leaue their ship the Church Militant and goe ashore into the land of the liuing the Church Triumphant in heauen To conclude this point and not to passe it any further in the things wherein the sea is a true resemblance of the world as the vastnesse both of the one and of the other and that the sea casteth vp her dead vnto the shoare and so the world casteth vp those that are dead vnto it as the filth of the world aâ—d the off-scowring of all things to make them a gasing stock vnto the world to the Angels and to men and such like things wherein the sea and the world are alike We see that as the sea is bitter inconstant full of dangers full of monsters full of deuouring fishes and no place to settle and abide in so likewise is the world in all these respects to teach all men so to vse the world as sea-men vse the sea who in respect of the conditions and dangers before spoken of doe continually stand vpon their guard and watch day and night and specially in the night lest they should be suddenly ouertaken It is fit for all Christians to be as carefull and rather more for their soules then for their bodies the losse being much greater if they should miscary for what shall it profit a man to winne all the world and to lose his soule or what shall he giue for a recompence for his soule And the danger greater wherefore Christ chargeth vs Feare not them that can kill the body but are not able to kill the soule but feare him which is able to destroy both soule and boâ—y in hell And wee hauing so many commandements and charges in these regards to Watch and pray lest we fall iâ—to tentation to be sober and watch because the diuell goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may deuour Let not the children of the world be wiser in their generation then we But though we bee vpon the land yet let vs thinke our selues to be at sea seeing this world is to vs as a sea and let them that are at sea compare the world and the sea together and bee as carefull and watchfull to preuent the dangers of the world as the dangers of the other sea or else there will be small comfort in making neuer so speedy prosperous and gainefull a voyage when their bodies shall returne safe home and their soules be drowned by the way in the gulfe of the worlds pleasures And thus wee see the sea is an image of the world Secondly the ship is an image of the true Church of Christ Militant here on earth So speakes Saint Chrysostome vpon this place It is not to be doubted saith he but this ship was a figure of the Church according to which exposition the holy Ghost speaketh by Salomon She is like a ship of Merchants which fetcheth her goods from farre that is the Church which the Apostles sayling in and the Lord guiding it the Spirit of God blowing on them with a fresh gale doth runne through the sea of the world by the preaching of the Gospell carrying in it the rich and inestimable iâ—well of Christs bloud the price paid by him for the redemption of all mankind In which words of Saint Chrysostome agreeing with the current of all writers we obserue another honour of Nauigation for as we account it a great honour to the holy estate of matrimony that Christ in the coniunction of the man and the woman would mystically signifie and represent the spirituall marriage and vnion betwixt himselfe and his Church so may we not idly ouerpasse the honour done here to Nauigation that our Sauiour did make the ship here as hee did Noahs Arke before a figure of his Church by which all Christians might learne of trauellers by sea how to passe through the sea of the world And certainely a ship may be the true resemblance of the Church of Christ in many respects First in the building a ship must be made in the keele toward the water and the earth very close and tight but is open aloft in the vpper part toward heauen so the Church of Christ is close and shut vp toward the world the sea but open vpwards towards God for our conuersation is in heauen from whence also we looke for the Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ. Secondly in the forme a ship is made a Head and a Sterne that is before and behind very narrow but in the middle it is broad so the Church of Christ in the beginning was very narrow kept within the limits of Iudaea and in the middle when Christ came it spread abroad by the Ministery of the Apostles and their successours but in the end of the world it shall againe bee narrow for Thinke you when the Sonne of man comes that hee shall find faith in the earth Thirdly a ship that intends to make a long voyage must not onely be built but well furnisht and prouided of many necessaries she must haue her Ballast her Mast her Rigging her Sayles her Victualing her Ordinance her Lading and that neither too light nor too heauy and of such Merchandize as will best vent in the place whether she is to trade she must haue her Helme to bee guided by and her Compasse whereby to steere a right course and she must haue skilfull Commanders and seuerall Officers and painefull Saylers she must haue a Wind to carry her along and instruments to take the height of the Sunne and the Starres whereby she may be sure to steere a good course And lastly she must be prouided of an Anchor both in time of danger and being arriued in the Port or Hauen But if I should prosecute this comparison in all things belonging to a ship it would require a whole volume of it selfe and I must confesse that I am out of my element and that this taske would require the helpe and art of a skilfull Nauigator It shall suffice according to these short obseruations that the ballast of Christs ship is the feaâ—e of God to keepe it vpright That her Mast is the Crosse of Chrisâ— That her Sayles are the Faith of Christians That her Rigging consists in applâ—cation of the examples of the Saints that haue gone before vs That her victualing is the Flesh and bloud of Christ which will neuer perish buâ—â—ndure to life euerlastiâ—g That her Ordinance are the threâ—tnings of Gods Law thundring out death to all malefactors That her Lading is Good workes according to which euery man shall make his voyage That Sin is
be assembled a plot so horrible as if al the diuels in hel had conspired to ioyne in consultation with them can neuer be forgotten for by this they thought to raise at once such thunder and lightning and storme and tempest if not from aboue yet from hell it selfe as should certainely drowne this poore vessell and ship of Christ the Church of England And for all this they are not ashamed to arrogate the title to themselues of the ship of Christ the Catholike Church and in their mouthes and writings to exclaime against vs as hereticks and to complaine of bitter persecution as though we raised stormes and tempests against them But Quis tulerit Gracchum de seditiâ—ne loquentem Who can endure Gracchus a traytor to pleade against treason or Verres a thiefe to pleade against theft or the Pope and his followers to complaine of persecution We haue here no cruell Spanish Inquisition to â—ift them out neither haue we made any Massacres of them Since the receiuing of the Gospell no Papist euer suffered death or losse of lands for his meere conscience except he made it conscience not to commit or assent to treason and for our selues we say with Saint Paul We confesse that after the way which they call heresie so worship we the God of our fathers beleeuing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets And haue hope towards God that the resurrection of the dead which they themselues also looke for shall be both of iust and vniust And this shall suffice for the tempests and stormes which the ship of Christ that is his Church must continually looke for while it passeth through the sea of the world Fourthly Christ his sleeping is an image of his death by which the diuel thought to haue swallowed vp Christ quite that he might dominiere in the world therefore he entred into Iudas to tempt him for couetousnesse of thirty siluer pieces to betray his Master and stirred vp by all meanes he could the Scribes and Pharisies to conspire his death and the people to be so earnest with Pilate and Pilate and Herod to giue consent vnto it for this death of his was not only a stumbling block to the Iewes and to the Gentiles foolishnes but his owne Disciples could not abide to heare of it before and therfore when Christ foretold it saying that he must go to Ierusalem suffer many things of the Elders and High Priests and Scribes and be slaine and be raised vp the next day Peter tooke hâ—m aside to rebuke him saying Master pitie thy selfe this shall not be to thee And when his time and houre was come they all forsooke him fled And indeed it was so strange a thing that he should sleepe this sleepe and die himself that came to saue others from death that the earth trembled the Sunne was darkned the graues opened the Vaile of the Temple rent in twaine and the Centurion confessed Aut Deus naturae patitur aut mundi machina dissâ—luetur that is Either the God of Nature sâ—ffereth or the frame of the whole world shall haue an end And when he was dead the diuell thought he would keepe him fast enough and therfore he caused the high Priests and Pharisies to call him a deceiuer because he had foretold his resurrection and to hinder that they get commission from Pilat and lay a great stone on the mouth of the sepulcher and seale vp the stone and watch not only him for rising but his disciples also from stealing him away which they made their greatest feare and therefore the text saith that they made their watch sure as they thought But it is no maruell if his enemies thought they had him sure when he was dead and buried and such a watch to keep them in his graue when his bestfriends his owne Disciples and Apostles notwithstanding all that hee had told him while he was aliue with them yet were so dismaied at this his dead sleepe or sleepe of death that they do not as in the former history call vpon him to awake him nay they are past hope of any good from him as those two Disciples tell him that were trauelling to Emaus Nos sperabamus We hoped or trusted that is while he was yet liuing it had been he that should haue deliuered Israâ—l as if they should haue said Now that hee is dead our hope and trust is gone And all the Apostles when they heard the report of his awaking and arising by the women that were certified thereof by Angels yet esteemed no better of it then of an old wiues tale or a fable And when al â—â—e rest had seene him and spoken with him yet Saint Thomas still incredulous told the rest Except I see in his hands the print of the nailes and put my finger into the print of the nailes I will not beleeue And therefore he was faine to cast in their teeth their vnbeleefe and hardnes of hart We see then into what excesse of feare this sleep of Christ did cast the Church as if now the ship must needs sink without hope of recouery and yet as there was a necessitie of this sleepe of death in him as he himselfe saith Ought not Christ to suffer thâ—se things So the Apostle giueth the reason That by death he might destroy him thâ—t had the power of death the diuâ—l that he might delâ—uer al them that for feare of death were al their life time subiect to bondage that he might say with the Prophet O death I will be thy death or with the Apostle Death is swallowed vp in victory And therfore the night before he died he did institute the Sacrament of his Supper and told them This is my body which is broken for you This is my blood which is shed for you of which the Apostle saith So oft as you eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shew forth the Lords death vntill he come And thus wee see the correspondence of Christs sleeping in the ship and his death and buriall and the likenesse of the danger and feare of the Church both in the one and in the other Fifthly the arising of Christ in the extremitie of the ships danger to shew his command and authoritie ouer the greatest stormes and tempests that trouble his ship is an image of the resurrection of Christ from death to life thereby leading captiuity captiue and destroying all his and his Churches enemies that now we may truly say of this our Sunâ—e of righteousnesse as the Prophet speaketh of the Sunne in the firmament He commeth forâ—h as a bridegromâ— out of his chamber and reioyceth as a mightie maÌ„ to run his race This is an article of our faith as necessarily to be beleeued as the former without which as the ApoÌ„stle speaketh All our preaching is vaine and
your faith also is vaiâ— And yet it is so hard a matter to beleeue it that not onely the Athenians mocked Saint Paul for preaching it and Festus told him though he heard him well enough till he came to that point Paul thou art besides thy selfe much learning hath made thee mad But the Apostles themselues as was touched before could hardly be brought to beleeue it And the Prophet fore-telling it doth by way of dialogue bring in the Church wondring euen when they saw him who it should be as suspecting him to be some Edomite or enemy that should raise some further storme Who is this saith the Church that commeth from Edom in red garments from Bosra He is all glorious in his apparrell and walketh in his great strength And when Christ had made answere I speake righteoâ—sneâ—â—e and am mighty to saue The Church replies Wherefore is thine apparrell red and thy garments like to him that treadeth in the wine-presse To which he answeres I haue troden the wine-presse alone and of all other there is none with me By which dialogue we see in what feare the Church was of him comming from among their enemies the graue and hell and in their enemies bloudy colours that he had been one of their enemies and came to doe them hurt they thought it vnlikely that it could be Christ that was so despitefully handled but three daies before that was shorne and naked they deuidiâ—g his â—arments casting lots vpon his vesture and flayne and slaine and buried should now so soone returne in such pompe and triumph An admirable sudden change that hee that but three dayes before was agâ—us â—ccisus a lambe slaine should now returne Leo de tribu Iuda victor The conquering Lion of the Tribe of Iuda that he that was so lately Christus ouis As a sheepe led to the slaughter and as a lambe dumbe before the shearer not opening his mouth should now bee Christus ouans Christ comming in triumph froÌ„ the midst of his enemies casting his shoo off ouer Edom that is trampling and treaâ—ing all his enemies vnder his feet not only aâ— the Apostle expresseth it triumphing oâ—er theÌ„ all in his persâ—n but also hauing been deâ—â— is now aliue and hath brought with him the keyes of death and the graue to giue life to our bodies and the keyes of hell to giue life vnto our soules in which respect the Apostle telles vs that hee hath brought with him not onely life but immortalitie This was the Lords doing and could not but be maruellous in the Churches eyes And yet this was not onely necessary to be so but impossible to be otherwise for so Saint Peter telles vs That God had raised him vp and loosed the sorrowes of death because it was impossible that hee shoâ—ld be holden of it For Dauid saith concerning him I beheld the Lord alwaies bâ—fore me for he is at my right hand that I should not be shaken Therâ—fore did my heart reioyce and my tongue was glad my flesh also doth rest in hope for thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy oâ—e to see corruption c. This article therefore of our faith being the greatest comfort vnto Christians and yet so hard to be beleeued that Saint Augustine saith Crede resurrectionem esto Christianus Beleeue this point of the resurrection and thou canst not but bee a Christian hath had as many if not more confirmations of it then any other The Law saith That in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery matter shall bee stablished but in this we haue many more for first the Angels giue their testimony recorded by all the foure Euangelists He is risen he is not here Secondly the Saints that rose with him and appeared to many to confirme his resurrection Thirdly the very souldiers themselues that were set to watch him and to keepe him from rising doe confesse it though afâ—erward they were hired by the high Priests to tell an vntruth Fourthly Marie Magdalen and other deuout women sent by the Angels and by Christ himselfe to certifie the Apostles that he was risen Fifthly the two Disciples that met him as they were trauelling to Emaus that made haste to returne to Ierusalem and certifie the Apostles thereof Sixthly the Apostles though they doubted at the first of which S. Augustine saith Dubitabant illâ— ne dos dubitaremus that is they doubted that we might be out of doubt yet after are made eye-witnesses and eare-witnessâ—s and may say with S. Iohn That which we haue heard which we haue seene with these our eyes which we haue looked vpon and these hands of ours haue handled of that word of life that I say which we haue sâ—ene and heard declare we vnto you Seuenthly and lastly those fiue hundred witnesses which saw him at once as Saint Paul speaketh may serue to assure vs. We see then the resemblance that this his resurrection from the dead to secure his Church from all the dangers and perils that by his death it was brought vnto hath to his arising from sleepe in the ship and shewing his power and authoritie ouer the winds and seas For as in the miracle wrought in the history he proued himselfe to be God that had power to command his creatures at his pleasure So much more in this his arising from death to life and that so quickly within three daies and in the conquest that hee made ouer death and the graue and ouer the diuell and hell he sheweth not onely his diuine power but his tender care for his Church being compassed here by a sea of dangers that they may thereby not onely beleeue the resurrection of their bodies in the end of the world but in this life die to sin and liue to righteousnesse and hauing their part in the first resurrection they are free from all danger of the second death And let this suffice for the fifth obseruation Sixthly and lastly the Calme that followed after Christs arising and rebuking the Windes and the Sea is an image both of that rest and quiet which they that are in the Church of Christ doe finde in their soules and consciences here in this life and of that eternall rest and quiet without feare of any stormes which they shall haue in heauen whereof the peace of conscience which wee here enioy is a pledge and earnest Both these doe depend vpon the resurrection of Christ before spoken of as the fruit thereof to vs. The first benefit that a Christian doth find by beleeuing Christs resurrection and meditating vpon it is the peace of conscience that is peace with God peace with the creatures peace with other men and peace with himselfe God in the first Creation of the world did set and settle all things in order and quietnesse