and yet gathereth not that sense that it may probably seeme he whome hee readeth ment in that place he is not perniciously deceiued neyther lyeth he at all The same anon after Hee is notwithstanding to bee corrected and must haue it shewed him howe muche more profitable it were for him not to leaue the highway lest by accustomable straying hee be forced eyther to goe crosse or croked Thus farre he Therefore where an Ecclesiasticall interpreter doth erre grossely it is lawfull to a better learned brotherly to admonishe him but to make a Scisme it is not lawfull The authours of Scisme lightly are somewhat proude and arrogant and swell with enuie and therefore are voyde of al charitie and modestie they allowe nothing but what they them selues bring foorth neither will they haue any thing common with others they are alwayes musing some high matter nothing that is coÌ„mon or simple Vnto these men very well agréeth that saying of the Apostle Paul Knowledge puffeth vp but loue edifieth Therfore godly teachers in the church and also godly hearers for doctrine which is not altogether foolish though it be somewhat grosse yet being godly and tending to edification they neither leaue or forsake the fellowship of the churche neither striue they or contend but rather vse charitie in all things And if the ministers liues be attached with grieuous vices and yet in the meane season they be faithful in teaching admonishing exhorting rebuking and comforting if they lawfully distribute the lawful sacraments no man hath iust occasion to forsake the church The Lorde expresly saith in the gospel The Scribes the Phariseis sit in Moses seate Al therefore what so euer they bid you obserue that obserue and do but after their workes do not for they say and do not Behold the Lorde saith they say and do not therefore the teachers liues were not agreable to their doctrine yet for that they stoode in Moses seat that is to say bicause they taught the word of God lawfully and sincerely he biddeth to receiue their sincere doctrine but their life not being agréeable to their doctrine that he biddeth to refuse and therefore to make a scisme for the preachers euill liues sake the Lorde doth forbid Surely he commaundes to â—â—ée from false Propetes But not an euil life but false doctrine maketh a false prophet A great conâ—lict about this matter had the holy father S. Augustine with the Donatiâ—tes who contended that the ministerie was of smaller power through the imperfection of the ministers Which case is to be considered in an other sort But now what cause haue they to leaue and forsake our churches for the vnlikelinesse or varietie of ceremonies In the baptisme of childreÌ„ say they you obserue not one order and so also in the celebration of the supper Some take the breade of the Lorde in their handes sitting some do come and take it at the handes of the minister who also put it in the mouthes of the receiuers Some celebrate the Communion often some sildome and that but vpon set dayes And you vse not one forme of prayer Neither haue all your assemblies one manner neyther méete they at one time But howe shall we beléeue that the spirite of vnitie and peace is in you in whome is founde so great diuersitie For iust causes therefore we doe not communicate with you But of these customes we shall speake more fitly in their proper place But it is maruell that men not altogether rude and ignoraunt of Ecclesiasticall matters bring no other argumentes for defence of their wicked scisme Are the poore wretches ignoraunt how great diuersitie there hath bene alwayes in ceremonies vnitie notwithstanding alwayes remayning vndiuided in the catholique Church Socrates the famous writer of the ecclesiasticall historie in the fift booke of his histories the 22. chapter setteth out at large the diuersitie of ceremonies in the church of god Amongst other things he sayth No religion saith he keepeth all one kynde of ceremonies albeit it agree in doctrine about them For they which agree in faith differ in ceremonies And againe It shall be both laboursome and troublesome yea and impossible to describe al the ceremonies of all the churches in each citie regioÌ„ The blessed martyr Irenaeus writing to Victor bishop of Rome reherseth a great diuersity of the churches in their fastings and kéeping the feast of Easter and then addeth And yet not withstanding all these euen when they varied in their obseruations were both peaceable among themselues and with vs and yet are neyther doth the disagreement about fasting breake the agreement of faith And againe Blessed Polycarpus saith hee wheÌ„ he came to Rome vnder Anicete hauing some small controuersie about certeine other matters were by and by reconciled But of this kinde of matter they coÌ„tended not awhit For neither could Anicetus persuade Polycarpus that he should not obserue those thinges which with Iohn the disciple of our Lord the rest of the Apostles with whom he had ben conuersant he had always obserued Neither did Polycarpus persuade Anicetus not to keepe that custome which by the traditioÌ„ of those elders to whom he succeeded he said he was to kepe And these maters thus standing they had felowship one with an other Thus far he Moreouer the auncient church vsed great libertie in obseruatioÌ„ of ceremonies yet so always as it brake not the bond of vnitie Yea S. Austine prescribing vnto Ianuarius what in this diuersitie of ceremonies he shuld either do or followe biddeth not him to make ascisme but iudging moderately wisely No rule saith he in these things is better thaÌ„ a graue wise christian who wil do in such sort as he shal se euery church do vnto which by chauÌ„ce he coÌ„meth For that whiche neither contrarie to faith nor good maners is coÌ„mauÌ„ded is to be counted indifferent according to their society amongst whom we liue to be obserued Againe least vnder pretence of this rule counsel any might force vpon euery maÌ„ what ceremonies they wold he addeth The church of God placed amidst muche chaffe cockle suffereth many thinges yet whatsoeuer is either coÌ„trarie to faith or good life she alloweth not neither holds she her peace neither doth she it Last of al whereas these men thinke that there is no true church where as yet faultie manners are to be séen in men conuersant in the churche by whose conuersation they feare to be polluted vnles either they come not at the churche or else quickly forsake it they fall into the madnes of the heretikes called Catharoi who deceiued with the false imagination of exact holinesse vsing sharpe crueltie fled from those churches in which the fruits of the doctrine of the gospel plainly appeared not Against these we set both the prophetical apostolicall to wit the most holy churches For Esaie Ieremie rebuking the maners of their time do greatly inueigh against corruption
whiche should also continually aske fauour of him Suche an endeuoure is commended vnto vs in Anna the daughter of Phanuel of whom Luke maketh mention That she departed not from the temple but night and day serued the Lord with fastings and prayers not that she did nothing else hauing no regarde to her bodie nor did at any time eate drinke or sléepe but because that was her continuall and chiefest businesse For at this day speaking after the same maner we say that the husbandman doth labour without ceassing and the student reade night and day when as yet all men vnderstand that by this kinde of spéech is signified a continual and an excéeding great diligence in worke and reading The woman of Syrophoenissa in Matth. Chapter 15. sheweth vnto vs a notable example of vnwearied continuance in prayer or inuocation But if so be GOD séem to neglect vs or to defer our requests longer then is méete let vs alwayes remember what the Prophet hath said Yet a litle while and he that shal come will come and wil not tarie and the iust shal liue by faith c. Here it shal be verie easie to shew the time of prayer whereof inquirie is made to wit When we ought to pray We ought therefore priuately to pray alwayes For continually while wee liue there is diuerse and manifolde matter offered vnto vs to pray Pray therefore as oft as the spirite moueth thée as often as necessitie it selfe or mater prouoketh thée to pray Yet let nothing here be of constraint let all things procéede from a willing frée spirite But publique prayers are â—estrained to time For ther are sette foreappointed hours to pray set houres are those certeine times receiued of the Churche wherin in the morning or euening the whole congregation assembleth together to heare the word of God to praye and to receiue the Sacramentes That the auncient Churches whiche were in times past did not méete together in an holy assemblie all at one time and the selfe same houres Socrates in his Historie beareth witnesse And in this diuersitie there is no daunger Let it be left to the discretion of the Churches to come together vnto the seruice of God when it shal séeme moste necessarie comely méete and profitable vnto them selues Moreouer foreappointed houres of prayer are those whiche are set or forewarned for a certeine time by the Church for presente necessities sake In daungerous times and in weightie affaires the holie Apostles appointed prayers and fastinges Which thing also at this day is lawfull without superstition and with iust moderation And that this is a moste auncient ordinaunce it appeareth out of these woordes of the Prophete Ioel. Blowe the trumpet in Sion sanctifie a fast call a solemne assemblie gather the people together c. Doeth not the Apostle commaunde man and wife priuately to separate themselues for a time and to absteine from their lawfull delightes that prayer in necessitie may be the more feruent And nowe also it will not be hard to iudge of the place of praier For as at al times priuatly so also in all places I haue saide in the beginning of this sermon y holy men may pray For the true prayer of holy men is not tyed to any place neither is it iudged better in one place than in another For the goodnesse or worthines of the prayer is not estéemed by the place but by the minde of him that prayeth For the Lorde in the Gospel sayth The houre will come and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirite and in trueth c. But they are in no wise to be passed ouer in this place who are persuaded that the godly may pray in no other place but at home in their chamber To the confirmation wherof they wrest these words of our sauiour But thou when thou prayest enter into thy chamber and when thou haste shut thy doore pray to thy Father which is in secrete and thy Father which seeeth in secrete shal rewarde thee openly But these wordes haue an Antithesis or contrarie sentence to that whiche goeth afore For there went before And when thou prayest thou shalt not be as the Hypocrites are for they loue to stand praying in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seene of men Againste this immediately he opposeth But thou wheÌ„ thou prayest enter into thy chaÌ„ber And as in reprouing the abuse of prayer hee did not properly condemne the place but rather spake figuratiuely after this manner The Phariseis with their prayers whiche they make in the stréetes do hunt after praise and commendation of the people So on the contrarie parte making mention of a chamber he meant not that the place of it selfe maketh the prayer either better or worse but hee taught by a figuratiue spéeche that wee ought to pray with an vpright minde and moste frée from hunting after the praise of men For he that prayeth with a minde not troubled with affections hauing regarde only vnto God he prayeth in his chamber whether he pray in the Churche or in the streete For otherwise the Lord prayed with his Disciples in the temple in the citie in the fielde and wheresoeuer occasion was offered Also it followeth And the Father which seeth thee in secrete shal reward thee openly that is to say The Father who alloweth the minde that is not proud but humble and frée from ambition will rewarde thée openly But publique prayers are vsed in the Churche or assemblie of Saintes which if any man despise saying that prayer ought not to be tyed to any place I can not thinke him woorthie the name of a Christian since he shamefully abuseth Christian libertie Finally of assemblies I haue spoken before we will peraduenture speake more in the last Sermon of this Decade Here commeth also to be handeled the gesture of those that pray But let all riot all pride all immoderate trimming of the bodie be farr froÌ„ theÌ„ y shal come into the Church of Christ to pray He should séeme filthily to haue scorned the Godly magistrate whosoeuer he were that in comming to craue pardon for his fault would lay aside his mourning wéedes and putting on white apparell proudely appeare before the assembly of graue and godly Senatours Suche a one might be iudged worthie not onely to be denied of his request but also to be cast into prison And who wil denie that they more shamefully mock God who comming into the Churche to aske pardon being oppressed with the burthen of their sinnes and yet in that place to be so farre off from being humble that they rather appeare before the presence of God and his Saintes hauing their bodies so attyred as they thereby bothe prouoke the wrath of God a new against them and doe grieuously offende the most godly y are in the church Wherfore Paul at large teacheth that modestie comely and humble
oure forefathers did not pray to any other but God alone the onely creatour of all thinges and did bâ—leeue verilie that hée would be mercifull vnto mankinde for the blessed séedes sake And although they did not so vsuallie call vppon God as wée at this day doe thorough the mediatour and intercessour Christe Iesus euen as the Lord in the Gospel did himselfe testifie and say Hetherto haue ye not asked any thinge in my name aske and ye shall receiue yet were they not vtterly ignoraunt of the mediatour for whose sake they were heard of the lord Daniel in the ninthe Chapiter of his Prophecie maketh his prayer and desireth to be heard of God for the Lords sake that is for the promised Christ his sake Finallie so often as the holy Saincts did in their prayers say Remember Lord thy seruaunts Abraham Isaac and Iacob they did not looke backe to the persons or soules of the deceased Patriarches but to the promise that was made to the Patriarches Now since that promise is In thy seede shal all the kinreds of the earth be blessed and since Paule doeth testifie that Christ is that blessed seed it followeth consequently that the holy fathers in their prayers had an eye to the blessed seede and that they did desire God to heare them for Christ his sake For in one place also the Lord promiseth deliueraunce to king Ezechias saying I will defend this citie for mine owne sake and for my seruaunt Dauids sake But in the 7. and 28. Chapter of Esaies Prophecie it is manifest that the citie was spared for Christe his sake the sonne of the Virgin whiche is the foundation placed in Sion whome Ezechiel in the 34. Chapiter calleth by the name of Dauid and the Gospell calleth Dauids sonne Last of all the Apostle Paule doth shewe that the auncient fathers had amongest them the very same Sacramentes which wee nowe haue as hee doth in other places also make vs partakers and applie to vs both circumcision and the Passeouer the Sacramentes whiche were giuen to them of old as doeth appeare in the second to the Colâ—ssians 1. Cor. the fifth cap. In the tenthe Chapiter he threateneth gréeuous punishment to the Corinthians at the handes of God vnlesse they absteine from thinges offered to idols and from all heathenishe sensualitie And thereuppon he bringeth in the example of the Israelites which he doth after this manner applie to his purpose I would not brethren that ye should be ignoraunt that our fathers were the Church of God and that they had the same sacraments which we at this day haue For they were all baptised vnto Moses that is by Moses or by the ministerie of Moses in the cloude and in the sea For the cloude and the sea were figures of baptisme And they did also eate of the same spirituall meate and did drincke of the same spirituall drincke And immediately after hée interpreteth his owne meaning and saith For they drancke of the spirituall rocke that followed them which rocke was Christ Mannaverily and the Rocke did typicallie represent the spirituall foode wherewith Christ refresheth both vs them who is himselfe the bread and drincke of eternall life But although they did bodilie outwardly visiblie receiue these SacrameÌ„ts yet for because they were destitute of faith and the holie Ghost because they were defiled with the worshipping of idols with surfetting and fornication they displeased God were by him destroyed in the desarte And therefore vnlesse ye also absteine from those filthie vices neither shall baptisme nor the sacrament of the Lords supper auaile you but ye shall vndoubtedly bée destroyed of the lord Since therefore it is by most euident proofes of Scripture declared that the old fathers had the same SacrameÌ„ts the same inuocation of God the same hope expectation and inheritance the same spirite the same faith and the same doctrine which we at this day haue the marcke I hope whereat I shot is fullie hit and I haue I trust sufficiently proued that the faithfull fathers of the old testament and wée the beléeuers of the newe couenaunt are one Church and one people which are all saued vnder one congregation vnder one only testament and by one and the same manner of meanes to wit by faith in Christ Iesu Thus much haue I hetherto said touching the likenesse the agréement and the vnitie betwixt the old newe testament or people of god I wil now add somewhat touching the diuersitie betwixt them and the thinges wherin they differ In the verie substaunce truly thou canst find no diuersitie the difference which is betwixt them doth consist in the maner of administration in a fâ—w accidents and certeine circumstaÌ„ces For to the promise or doctrine of faith and to the chiefe and principall lawes there were annexed certeine external thinges whiche were added vntill the time of amendment so that the whole Ecclesiasticall regiment the manner of teaching the doctrine of Godlinesse and the outward worship of God was amonge the old fathers of one sort and is amonge vs of an other But the especiall things wherin they differ may be rehearsed and sett downe in thefe fewe principall poinctes First and foremost all things of the newe couenaunt are more cleare and manifest thaÌ„ those of the old testamâ—t The preaching of the old couenaunt had alwayes in it for the most parte some mystie or cloudie thing and was still couered and wrapped vpp in shadowes and dimme shâ—wes But the publishing of the newe testament is cleare and manifest so that it is called the light which is without all mystes and darckenesse Moses did with a vayle couer his face neither could the children of Israel behold his countenance but wée beholding not only the countenance of Moses which is nowe vncouered but the pleasant and amiable face of Christ himselfe doe greatly reioyce to see our saluation openly reuealed before our eyes In that sense 〈…〉 say that his disciples were happâ—â— where hée brake out into these wâ—â—ds Happie are the eyes which see the thinges that ye see For I say vnto you that many Prophets and kinges desired to see the thinges that ye see and sawe them not and to heare the thinges that ye heare and heard them not The iust man Simeon did in this sense call himselfe as happie a man as liued and did thereupon promise that hee was willing to die saying Lord now lettest thou thy seruaunt depart in peace according to thy woord For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation which thou hast prepared before the face of al people to be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glorie of thy people Israel But althoughe our forefathers had not so much light as doeth shine to vs in Christe since his comming in the fleshe yet was that little light whiche they had sufficieÌ„t to the getting of saluation by faith in Christ Eâ—en wée our selues although wée sée him farre more clearelie than oure forefathers did
whereas the sacramentes were common to all yet grace was not common to all which is the pithe of the sacramentes As euen now at this daye faith is reuealed which then was hid the founteine of regeneration is common to all whiche are baptised in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghoste but the inward grace whereof they are sacramentes wherby the members of Christe with their head are borne a new is not common to all Thus farr Augustine who teacheth that their signes or sacraments are not vnequall or bulike whiche haue the same faith and religion but that all the difference that is resteth in the diuersitie of the time otherwise they differ not Nowe that I haue made an ende of the similitude and difference of the Sacramentes of the old and newe testament and that by occasion of a receiued opinion that the sacraments of the newe lawe doe conferre or giue grace of themselues let vs also consider what manner of thinge the same is And first touching the word Grace I will giue you these fewe thinges to note Grace is the fauour and good will of GOD wherewith God the father imbraceth vs for Christes sake purifyeth iustifieth and endueth vs with his good giftes and saueth vs. For the writinges of the Apostles doe plainely call that Grace whereby wée are saued and iustified or made righteous by faith in Iesus Christ Of this Grace it is written I make not the Grace of God of no effecte For if righteousnes come by the Lawe then Christ died in vaine Of this Grace it is written Christ vnto vs is beecome vnprofitable as many as are iustified by the lawe are fallen from Grace Of this Grace it is written If it come of grace then is it not of woorkes for else grace now is no more grace What is not the sonne of GOD himselfe called The Grace and gift of GOD Iohn 4. Titus 2. Cap. Nowe to conferre Grace what is it else than to giue or franckely and fréelye to bestowe some thinge on a man which he had not before Therefore if the Sacramentes doe giue Grace to the receyuers of them then truely they giue those thinges whiche they signifie to them whiche had them not I meane Christe with all his giftes that is to saye they make them pleasaunt and acceptable vnto GOD they iustifie and saue yea and that of them-selues insomuche as they are said to haue receiued vertue to sanctifie from the passion of Christe and not to signifie onely or to helpe to commende or to further Yea and they also attribute the receyuing of Grace to our worke wherby we receiue the Sacrament But howe contrarie this doctrine is to the trueth of the holye Prophetes and Apostles I will now declare It was an old errour amonge the Iewes that Sacramentes did iustifie Hereof commeth it that the holy Prophetes of GOD reasoning and rebuking the people of God committed to their charge yet sauouring of false opinions cryed That their labour whiche they bestowed vppon their Ceremonies and sacrifices was in vaine And that GOD is delighted with faithfull obedience with fayth I say charitie innocencie and also with true godlines Amonge whome Ieremie sayeth Thus sayeth the Lord of hoastes the GOD of Israel Heape vpp your burnte offeringes with your sacrifices and eate the fleshe For when I brought your fathers out of Aegypt I spake no word vnto them of burnt offeringes and sacrifices but this I commaunded them saying Hearken and obeye my voyce and I will bee your GOD and yee shall bee my people so that yee walke in all the wayes whiche I haue cōmaunded you that ye may prosper The like place is in Esaie the first Chapiter The Lord hath not despised neither haue his holy Prophets contemned all sacrifices in generall since hée him selfe instituted them by Moses but they sought to suppresse beate downe that false opinion and vaine confidence whiche they had in sacrifices It is a vaine confidence and a false opinion to beléeue and thincke that sacrifices of themselues and for our workes sake doe make vs acceptable vnto god For faith maketh vs acceptable vnto God by the Messias And the Lord did not institute sacramentes or sacrifices that beeing offered they might giue grace or iustifie vs but to be witnesses of the grace of God that by them his people might be kept drawne in due order from idols and heathenish worshippings and ledd to Christ the highe priest and onely sacrifice or oblation for the whole world For they were certeine scholinges or exercises as Paule proueth saying The law was our scholemaister vnto Christe that wee should bee iustified throughe faith but after that faith is come wee are no longer vnder a scholemaister Therefore the sacrifices of the old lawe did not giue grace to them that sacrificed neither wrought they their iustification but were tokens and testimonies that God doth sanctifie and iustifie by and through the sacrifice appointed before all worldes the Messias I mean◠to faith in whome they did as it were a certeine scholemaister by guiding vs bring vs. And truly when the Apostles preached the pure and sound doctrine of the Gospell that By the onely grace of God in Christ the faithfull are saued this auncient errour of their elders had taken such déep roote in the minds of the Iewes that euen they whiche had receiued Christe stoode neuerthelesse in cōtention y Christ was not able fully to sanctifie iustifie without the helpe of the Iewishe sacrifices Against whome the Apostles disputing with great grauitie and inumcible power of y spirite did plainely proue that a Christian without any obseruations of the ceremoniall lawe or helpe of any woorkes euen by the only méere and frée grace and mercie of God in Christ is sanctified purified iustified and saued Whiche vndoubtedly is the healme as commonly is said and stearne of the Euangelists and Apostles doctrine whiche who so denieth he hath no part doubtlesse in the inheritance of Christ and his Gospell Neither is it obscure or doubtful whiche euen nowe I haue set forth in these fewe wordes For who is ignorant of that memorable dissention betwéene the chiefe Apostles of Christe Paul and Barnabas kindled against those which taught Except the Christians were circumcised after the maner of Moses they could in no wise be saued Against whome Peter maketh this conclusion That our hearts are purified by faith that wee whiche beleeue shal be saued by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ True it is that the aduersaries would bring backe againe that which the Apostles abrogated and toke away but in the meane while this is also vndoubtedly true that the Apostles with no other forceable engine more strongly battered as it were and beate downe flat to ground their aduersaries bulworke in defence of sacraments y purifie thā with this That we which beleeue shal be saued by the grace of our Lorde