did arise Then is this societie a shadow or figure of the visible Church By visible and invisible I do not mean two distinct Churches as our Adversaries falsly charge us as if a member of the visible were not also a member of the invisible but I distinguish the divers considerations of the same Church which is visible in respect of profession and use of the Word and Sacraments but invisible in respect of saving grace wherein only elect doe communicate and whose bodies profession is visible but saving grace invisible unknown of us saving in the judgement of charity As all men might know Nathaniel to be an Israelite but to be a true Israelite in whom was no guile that Christ only knew so that many of the invisible lie hid in the visible as a part in the whole which visible Church may be thus described viz. It is a mixed company that professe that doctrine which is according to godlines having the word of God for matters fundamentall purely preached Sacraments for substance sincerely administred And I say this is a mixed company For in such a company may be ludas and many unregenerate and hypocrites in the visible which are not of the invisible Church This Church was shadowed out by Noahs Arke wherein were both cleane and uncleane beasts by a floare having a heape of corne and chaffe mingled together a field wherein wheat and tares grow together a draw-net gathering all sorts of fishes good and bad a wedding wherein are guests that have the wedding garment and that want it by a company wherein are both wise and foolish virgins the one having lampes and oyle the others lampes onely a flocke of sheepe and goats Matth. 25. 32. a great house wherein there are vessels of gold and siluer so also of wood and earth some to honour and some to dishonour And this visible Church is two-fold Vniversall and Particular the Vniversall visible Church is the company of all such as professe the doctrine of godlinesse and enioy the ministerie of the Word and Sacraments wheresoever in the world they be A Particular visible Church is a company professing as before but receiving denomination from the Countrie Kingdome or Citie as the Church of England Scotland Bohemia Corinth Galatia Ephesus Philippi which is the reason why particular visible Churches are so affected with ioy or griefe at one anothers prosperitie or adversitie because in effect they are even the same and as members of the same bodie parts of the whole Thus we have shipped the passengers Now as friends at parting have commonly some loving Charge or other suffer me before they launch forth to give to them and in them to you and us all a double warning viz. Beware of departure from and of division among I say beware of departure and division goe not out fall not out For the first howsoever Iudas the covetous wretch and who afterwards was Traitor be in the company yet let none depart from the ship and forsake the fellowship of Christ and the rest of the disciples for his sake it had been no lesse dāgerous to the bodie of any of them to have gone out of the ship into the sea than it is to the soule of any to depart from a true visible Church where Christ and his Disciples are I doe not deny but for many respects it may be warrantable for a man to depart from one visible Church to become a member of another yea for a time to dwel where no visible Church is but to depart because of some corruptions specially in discipline or manners is the dangerous departure condemned by the Scriptures and the ancient Fathers in Donatists Novatians Catharists and such like Separatists of all whom S. Iohn hath pronounced They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had beene of us they would no doubt haue continued with us neither shall such departers ever satisfie their blind and preposterous zeale There never was nor will be a visible Church in this world without great blemishes faults and corruptions Looke upon the state of the Church from the beginning of the world and you will finde it so yet in all the Scriptures there is no precept rightly understood commanding to depart nor warrantable example of any that have so departed A thing also which the Fathers in their times haue exceedingly declamed against Not that we should sit downe carelesse and not take to heart the corruptions of Church or Common-wealth or as if Magistrates and Ministers by word and sword should not endeuour reformation Indeed the Master said to his servants Let both grow together till the harvest which place the Anabaptists abuse amongst others to proue a toleration and S. Augustines opinion was so at the first as himselfe confesseth and gave his Reason lest professed Heretikes should become dissembling Hypocrites but Luther hath both shortly and soundly expounded the place saying It is not a sentence of approbation but of consolation that we should not endevour reformation but a comfort when we cannot so reforme but still there will be corruptions yet for them not to forsake the fellowship as the manner of some is But these things I have more largely handled and pressed in this place hereto fore from some other Scriptures and because such departure is not now so hot and common as it hath beene I passe it over with this touch and caution in few words given The second charge I give is the same that Ioseph gave to his brethren Beware of division and falling out All division is dangerous be it of Kings Cities or Families as our Saviour saith Every kingdome divided against it selfe shall be brought to desolation and every citie or house divided against it selfe shall not stand but no division so dangerous as that in a ship and specially in a storme what doth that threaten but ship wrack and destrucction to them all Wherefore there is nothing that Sathan more laboureth and wherein he doth more hurt than by causing of divisions and nothing more commanded than peace amitie and unitie Have salt in your selves and have peace one with another The Angels at Christ his comming into the world proclaimed peace and Christ at his going out of the world bequeathed peace My peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you The Apostles still wished Grace and Peace to those Churches to which they wrote and inioyned the Saints If it be possible and as much as lieth in them to liue peaceably with all men yea to follow peace with all men and to striue to keepe the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace And here I cannot sufficiently wonder at the Romanists that considering our unite and the great and grievous divisions in the Synagogue of Rome yet the Romanists are not ashamed
number of cast Pieces but Christ is not there nor his Disciples if Inquisition can finde them out they must over board They will suffer Iewes Atheists and all sort of wicked livers but not Christs disciples This shall suffer wracke And therefore we call to all Passengers therein Come out from amongst them And for this purpose I alledge the Testimonie of one of their owne whom I doe not name for honour being such a wretched and faithlesse Hypocrite and Renegade but because such as are Popishly affected it may be will regard his saying thus therfore hath he painted in paper the Romish Church It is a good Vessell well built not rotten nor fallen in peeces but indeed the Pilot who sitteth at the sterne hath throwne aside the ordinarie Compasse and left the vse of the approved Sea Map and out of his owne capricious conceit devised a new Card and contrived a new found Compasse of his owne whose Needle hath no aspect towards the Pole or touch at all of the Load-stone sutable hereunto he hath out of his owne head framed certaine Cardinal winds which serve only for his Card and propounding only one Port his owne greatnesse and temporall pompe hath in his devised Compasse quartered out his owne counterfet winds which must blow for that haven but he ring-leads them all to wracke And will you heare what testimonie he hath given of the Reformed Churches ship in the same Sermon The Reformed Churches saith he have cast out that strange intruding Pilot and yeelded up their ship to be governed by their owne true Steeres-man such as God himselfe hath ordained and so using the infallible Card of the holy Scriptures and the true Compasse quartered out into the foure ancient Cardinall winds of the foure first Generall Councels and seconded with the under winds of the Holy Fathers they make an happy Voyage and without wandring arrive at the appointed Haven of Salvation If he had beleeved this with his heart which in the name of God he preached with his mouth he had beene an happy man but dealing falsly with God God hath justly discovered him Let them take him we renounce him as an hypocrite and nullifidian and regard not what he hath said or written I will only produce the Testimonie of a Pope viz. Pius the fifth who offred to Q. Elizabeth to approve as good the whole publike service and forme of Religion in our Church with Sacraments and Bible and that hee would change nothing so her Majestie would receive it from him as Pope and Vicar of Christ which because shee refused to doe he presently excommunicated her Let Popishly affected note that how well pleased the Pope would be with all so hee might have the government For this are we such Heretikes I will ioyne issue with a man of greater worth dignitie and esteeme amongst them than Spalato was or now will be viz. Bellarmine himselfe who taketh upon him by certaine infallible notes to the number of foure to declare which is the true ship or Church wherein Christ his disciples are It would aske a great time to examine them all it hath been worthily done by famous learned men already I will only select one or twaine and first be it knowne vnto you that whereas there are only two infallible marks notes of a true visible church viz. the sincere preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments these are none of Bellarmines notes he doth with all his learning oppose them as no true notes I must therefore ioyne in some others of his owne coyning granting such to be as indeed are not that yet it may appeare even those doe more concerne our Church than theirs which though it might be made good in examination of them all yet I will only chuse two because I will not confound the memories of the weake and such two as are most visible that so the common people may see which is the true Church indeed The former of these but the eighth in Bellarmines number is holines of doctrine he addeth there is no sect of Pagans Philosophers Iewes Turks or Heretikes but teach errors but the Church of Rome teacheth no errour no turpitude nothing contrary to reason and therefore that is the only true Church I would to God Bellarmine meant as he saith that by this note of holy doctrine it might be without partialitie tryed which is the true Church for the Scriptures containing the most holy doctrine it would follow that what Church doth preach and professe that doctrine purely by this note must needs be the true Church of God But I doe wonder that Bellarmine should dare to offer such a note whereas they teach for doctrine their owne Traditions Ceremonies give authoritie to the Pope to dispense with the Law of God yea robbe Christ of all his offices as might be shewed by induction of particulars give men liberty to finne by their Auricular Confession Indulgences and Pardons and easie deliverance out of Purgatory Is that an holy doctrine which teacheth that the mariage of Ministers is the worst sort of Fornication That it is better to maintaine a Concubine than a Wife That alloweth swearing and blaspheming so as Saupanlinus but for reproving a man for swearing was suspected to be a Lutheran and thereupon examined condemned and burned Is that an holy doctrine which teacheth no more than a very Reprobate may beleeve and practise Is that an holy doctrine which teacheth killing and poysoning of Kings and Princes Is that an holy Religion which doth canonize for Saints Thomas Becket Garnet and such like notorious Rebels That teacheth lying equivocation mentall reservation breaking of oathes Is that an holy doctrine which teacheth the breach of all the morall Commandements In a word the Romish doctrine is a most prophane carnall and obscene doctrine and most pleasing to carnall wicked and unregenerate men a maine cause why it hath so many professors all the holinesse of it is but in Apish and mimicall gestures bowing of knee lifting vp of eyes and hands abstaining from some meats weeping knocking crossing whipping which are prescribed So that as a worthy Diuine amongst us hath truly said a great part of Popery is very Magicke and nothing else but a politike Atheisme being Divines without Scripture Religious but without Faith in the name of the Lord putting to death such as die for the name of the Lord. To conclude seeing the doctrine of Popery is a renuing and reviving of all ancient Heresies a doctrine of liberty and all licentious living teaching and allowing most filthy positions and practises the Romish Church is not the true Church of God or ship wherein Christ and his disciples passe because they have not holy doctrine The second but tenth note in Bellarmines account and number is Sanctitie and bolinesse of life the very naming of which note would make any man of grace and modestie
to make Unitie one of the markes or their seventh note of the true Church and assume that to themselves and impute Division to us First for their Divisions it is strange but that men of that side will say and write any thing that Bellarmine should say they all joyne in obedience to their Head and that their Councels Popes Decrees and Writers doe wonderfully agree though writing in divers tongues places occasions whereas the world hath taken notice yea all must needs know that know any thing how Rome it selfe by her owne children hath beene sacked siedge laid to the Castle of Saint Angel and the Pope taken prisoner Is this their Canonicall obedience How divers Popes have challenged the Popedom and three stood at once Many battels have beene fought and thousands slaine Who was the head of their Vnity then and when a woman was Pope How Popes have cut off Cardinals heads one Pope abrogate and condemne the Decrees of others yea in extreme hatred digged up their bodies and cutting off two of the fingers to burie it againe and sometimes cut off head and cast the bodie into Tibur one Councell condemning what another had decreed What Writers euer more eagerly opposite than Dominicans and Franciscans Priests and Iesuits yea Schoole-men themselves about the bookes of Canonicall Scripture themselves the Virgins being without sinne Transubstantiation Purgatorie yea Iustification merit of workes worshipping of Images yea what point of difference is there betwixt them and us wherein some of their own side doe not side with us against them yea as the Church of Rome is wholly departed from that ancient faith it professed in the daies of the Apostles so the moderne Church is exceedingly declined from that faith it formerly professed even since it came to be the seat of Antichrist which being so abundantly cleared by divers of our learned Divines in their polemicall Tracts and Discourses and hoping that either you know or doe not doubt of the truth hereof I will not insist upon probation of particulars which were infinite and therefore if Unitie be a note of the true Church Rome cannot be it so divided as it must needs one day come to ruine and destruction For our owne divisions which we doe not denie have beene some and too many yet such as disprove not the true Unitie of the Church but are justified not only by the divisions of the Romish Church which are moe and greater and it is like will never be composed but the divisions which by Satans malice and subtill abusing of the weaknesse of some have ever infested the true Church of God even in Rome in her best estate Saint Paul saith There were therein that caused divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine And telleth the Corinthians there were among them envying strife and contention some holding of Paul some of Apollo some of Cephas Paul and Barnabas were at variance Paul Peter had iarres great strife betwixt East and West Churches about the keeping of Easter so as they excōmunicated each other no lesse broils in the Churches about Rebaptization What Tragicall troubles did Theophilus Patriarch of Alexandria raise against Chrysostome Bishop of Constantinople a chiefe adversarie to whom was Epiphanius Bishop of Cyprus The event was Chrysostome lost both Bishoprick and life in banishment many were flame in taking parts the Cathedrall Church and Senate-house in Constantinople burnt downe to the ground in pursuit of reuenge How did the Orthodox Bishops in the Councell of Nice fall at variance and complaine of one another to the Emperour so as Constantine had much adoe to compose the difference In the second Councell of Ephesus such eager contention that Flavianus the Bishop of Constantinople was not only deposed but also pitifully murthered Too too many such grievous contentions Ecclesiasticall stories witnesse to happen in the Churches of God in Councels and amongst the learned Fathers and Bishops so lamented by Cyprian and Basil as the cause of persecution and the turning away of many from embracing of the Christian religion and a great advantage to Arrius and such like Haeretikes to spread the poyson of their haeresies farre and neere Thus you see there have beene yea and as long as Sathan hath leave to compasse the earth to and fro and that Gods Saints be imperfect in knowledge and weake in affections there will be divisions they have beene and are greater than amongst our selves yet not disproving a true Church Secondly our divisions are not of the Church but of some in the Church our Church doth wonderfully accord in the unitie of faith and uniformitie of government and therefore are falsly imputed to the Church Thirdly not in matters of faith wherein as our Church doth accord with other Reformed Churches abroad in all fundamentall verities there being no fundamentall dissention betwixt any the Reformed Churches as the Harmonie of Confessions beareth witnesse so neither is the difference or dissention amongst such in our Church except Popishly affected about matters of substance but of circumstance not about the boords or bodie of the ship anchor cable card or who shall be Pilot but about the saile and ceremonies of blacke or white Fourthly though these differences have beene too hotly and eagerly followed of some yet God be thanked not pursued by fire or death nor to the pronouncing of each other Heretikes as both anciently as partly you have heard and might heare much more if I delighted in this Argument and would for this purpose search the Authentike histories of the Church and lately also in the Romish Church betwixt the Popes themselves and the Franciscans with all cruell extremitie persecuting the poore Dominicans Lastly blessed be God even in this happy calme our divisions and contentions are well slaked and composed notwithstanding they were kindled and nourished especially by the cunning of subtle and secret Papists lurking amongst us as the remnant of the Canaanites to be as pricks in our eies and thornes in our sides but a little storme would make us perfect friends as some of our learned forefathers who in time of prosperitie were much divided and abounded in their severall senses and opinions concerning such matters yet in the daies of Queene Marie went ioyfully to the stake and died together for that truth which they ioyntly beleeved it being most true of an ancient Father The communion of good things oftentimes breedeth envie and hatred but communion in miserie breedeth love and compassion Thus I have shipped the passengers I have given them their charge Looking upon the sea I see many ships when I come to handle the vessel wherein they passe It is a needfull question for these daies which is that ship wherein Christ and his disciples passe and how may it be infallibly knowne from all other When I come to that I hope to make it cleare to all whose eies the god of this
the Sea Yet the Booke of the Revelation doth teach us that this world is a very strange sea and and that in two principall properties viz. First it is like a sea of cristall glasse Of glasse because it is most brittle no mans estate in this world being more certaine than the glasse which now being whole and usefull faire and beautifull anon with a rap is broken all to peeces How quickly hath many mens great and faire estates beene utterly broken in one night in an houre how wealth honour health libertie life and all lost as a glasse which is broken all to pieces And of Cristall for howsoever there are many workes of darknesse in the world which the eye of man cannot see and behold yet is the world as cleare as a Cristall-glasse before him that sitteth upon the Throne All things are naked and oâ—en before his eyes with whom we have to doe He discerneth the very least obliquity and irregularitie of thoughts no man can more clearely see a blot in a cristall glasse than God doth the sinnes of men be they in thought word or worke and therefore we should strive to be holy as being ever in the eyes and sight of God Secondly it is a sea mingled with fire It is ordinary in Scripture by fire to signifie tribulations as when thou passest thorow the fire I will be with thee I went thorow fire and water And brethren thinke it not strange concerning the fiery triall The sea of this world is mixed with abundance of that fire wheresoever Gods children become they shal meet with hot and sâ—orching tribulation and afflictions yet shal this fire but scoure away the drosse to make them shine the brighter in Gods eyes the bush burned with fire but consumed not Exod. 3. 2. This fire shall only consume the Reprobate And so much for the description of the Tempest now followeth the aggravation of it In so much that the ship was covered with waves Now the Euangelist doth aggravate the perils that Christ and â—iâ— Dâ—â—ciples were in by two maine Circumstances the first from the greatnesse of the tempest which was such that even the ship was covered with waves the word which Saint Marke useth signifieth to fâ—â—â— and is so translated so that the ship was now full Saint Luke also useth another word of the same signification and so also translated and they were filled for it is in the plurall They that is the ship which carried them by a Meâ—onimie of the adjunct and also by a Sinecdoche the ship for hatches which are but a part But our Euangelist useth another word which according to the proprietie of it signifieth to cover or hide a thing from sight as no man lighteth a candle and covereth it with a bushell and the Reprobate shall say at the day of judgement to the hills fall on us and cover us In which and many such like places in the new Testament we have the word of my text in it proper signification though the words be divers the sense and thing intended is all one viz. They were in so great jeopardie of drowning that the ship that is the upper part or hatches were even filled or covered that they could not be seene And wherewith was the ship covered not with wind but waves and in Saint Iude there is added an Epithite the raging waves of the sea And verily nothing in this world doth so rage and is so furious as the waves of the sea in a storme or tempest And so much be said of the Sense of the words Whether only that this ship wherein Christ and his Disciples passed was thus endangered and covered with waves and the rest safe or no is too hard â— question for me peremptorily to resolve because I am content to see no more than the eye of my Text hath described unto mee the Text saith The tempest came upon the sea therefore likely that all the ships on the sea at that time were endangered though possibly this ship was more endangered than the others both in regard of Christ his purpose and Satans malice The Letter teacheth us what great perils and jeopardies sea-faring men do many times fall into sometimes lifted up to heaven with one wave and sometimes falling even downe to hell and sometimes the ship as this even covered with waves that they see nothing but present death and are as David saith Even at their wits end and crie unto God in their distresse But of this sufficient From handling the Tempest the Circumstance according to Mysticall sense affording us three singular instructions concerning the state of the Church viz. First what ever hath beene is and will be the common condition of Gods Church and people viz. To be exercised with crosses tribulations afflictions publike and private yea and sometimes with sword of bloudie and persecuting foes and enemies which doctrine I have lately more largely handled with Reasons Vses Application and Exhortation and therefore doe now but barely propound it The second Doctrine is this That as this ship was covered with waves so as none but themselves knew they held out others might suppose they were drowned so a Church which hath beene visible in the publike ministrie of the Word and Sacraments may through persecution of Tyrants be so covered â—s become visible to most This is represented in the vision the Church resembled to a woman clothed with the Sunne and the Moone under her feet and upon her head a crowne of twelve Starres oh then was shee viâ—ible and conspicuous But at another time driven into the wildernesse out of the sight of men then was she covered Come to our owne Embleme A ship on the sea when it is calme is plainly seene yea it is one of the comely sights of the world a ship under saile in a prosperous gale but if there arise a great tempest it may be so overtopped with waves and for a time be betwixt them so as scarce the top of the mast is seene and most will thinke shee is drowned yet anon shee riseth upon the wave and is seene againe It is the condition of the Church of Rome sometimes visible and a glorious Church but now persecuteth the faith it professed the godly being covered with waves It is the condition of the Cities in Erance and it was the case of the Church of God in this Land which was glorious and visible in the daies of King Edward but covered with waves in the daies of Queene Mary but restored to former glory by Queen Elizabeth wherein for aboue sixtie yeeres it hath continued most eminent in the eyes of the world The Papists doe hold that the true Church of God is ever visible hath had and shall have a perpetuall Succession of Pastors and Ministers and of publike service and worship They also say that their
Church hath been and is so visible ours not therefore theirs is the true Church of Christ and ours is not For the first we say that howsoever the Catholique and Universall Church hath continued from the beginning of the world and shall continue to the end the Lord shall never want on earth a company of faithfull men to serve him yet this Church is ever invisible an article of our Faith to beleeve there is such a Companie and that we are of that number but for a congregation of men and women to have the Word truly preached and Sacraments administred in publike and by Authoritie which wee call a visible Church and is a mixt company there hath not alway beene such neither can wee be assured that there alwaies shall be such For the second viz. That they say the Roman Church hath beene visible and enioyed such a succession without interruption since Christ and his Apostles time professing the same faith without change I answer there hath not been in the Church of Rome that perpetuall succession they boast of For to say nothing whether Peter was ever Bishop of Rome or not or who succeeded him whether Clement or Linus which is disputed amongst themselues it is most cleare that there have stood three Popes at once and did the Succession hold when Pope Ioan stept into the Papall Chaire and managed the affaires of the Church Was she also Saint Peters Successor and they lawfull Cardinals Bishops and Ministers of her ordination Neither are his Arguments to be despised who proveth that now for divers yeares ever since Sixtus they have had no Popes nor Cardinals nor Bishops according to their owne Councels and Canons c. But grant them what succession soever they challenge yet succession of persons and place without succession of doctrine is nothing worth as Ierome said Yee hold the Seat and Faith of Peter if faith be gone the state is no better then a chaire of pestilence Now the faith is gone and not onely this latter Rome holdeth doctrine contrary to the Ancient Rome within the five hundred or six hundred yeares after Christ but now maintaineth strange and novell doctrines and service which Rome knew not when it first became the seat of Antichrist as the Conception of Mary Latine Service suppression of Scriptures the mariage of Priests adoration of Images supremacie of Pope Communion in one kinde Transubstantiation c. and therefore is long since ceased to be any true visible Church Lastly whereas all Popishly affected persons doe commonly demand Where was your Church and who professed your Religion before Luthers times I will answer plainly that the simple may understand the Doctrine Faith and Religion which we professe is the very same that all the Christian Churches throughout the world professed for many hundred yeares after Christ and his Apostles all the blessed Martyrs in the Primitive died for no other but our Faith and Religion after that the Church had peace by meanes of godly Constantine the learned Bishops Fathers taught no other the people beleeved received professed no other though as the mysterie of iniquitie began to worke in the Apostles time so the longer the worse and moe errors and corruptions crept into the Church till in the end the ship came to be covered with waves of heresies persecutions that the Church was not so glorious eminent visible conspicuous as before Then came the darke time of Antichrist for many hundred yeeres yet even then were the Waldenses Bohemians and others who agreed with vs in the substance of Religion and spake and wrote against the corruptions of those times but when it pleased God to stirre vp Iohn Husse Ierome of Prage Martine Luther and other his worthy servants to open the skupperholes the waves which so oppressed the Church ran out the ship came aloft againe and that Faith which had so long beene oppressed began publikely to be professed and a faire visible Church in one place or other hath ever since continued and I trust shall now to the end of the world and shall never be universally covered againe Neither let any Papist suppose it a forfeiture of the cause if wee cannot shew a precise and exact Catalogue of the persons places and times by whom where and when our faith was professed For first howsoever in all ages some have oft appeared and given singular witnesse to our faith as our Martyrologe hath recorded so the Church may be in some places where none can see it as in Elias time there were seven thousand in Israel and yet hee saw never an one of them And as wee doubt not but there are at this day in Spaine Italy Rome even where Satans throne is Againe through defect of history many things are hid from us and specially the Church of Rome doing her best to deface the memory of any thing that might witnesse for us and our Religion If in these daies they will not spare man living but wipe names out of bookes give commandement that none shall name them but with contempt and charge the Protestants with such horrible opinions as wee hold not As that God is the Author of sinne we condemne prayer fasting povertie chaâ—â—itie good workes confession what may wee not thinke their Ancestors have done in former ages to men of our Religion So as it may be there were many moe Martyrs that then died for our Faith yea moe Churches that professed our Faith then are come to our knowledge Thirdly howsoever the Church in these parts of the world might for many yeares be oppressed as the Moone in Ecclipse and as a ship covered with waves yet even then Christ might have most glorious visible Churches in other parts of the world for howsoever the Iesuits brag exceedingly of their conversion of the Indies where they say our Religion is scarce heard of Yet that learned Iewel of our Church hath long since shewed out of Vespatius that in the East-Indies there were many godly Bishops and whole Countries professing the Gospell before the Portugals came there or Popes name heard of Yea doe not they say that the Apostle Thomas lieth buried in a City there and that he converted them to the Faith of Christ and did S. Thomas preach Popery or no If they say true our Religion was there professed before Popery Lastly give me leave in a word to answer them out of themselves Thus writeth Gregorie of Valence When we say the Church is alwaies conspicuous this must not be taken as if we thought it might at everie season be discerned alike easily for we know that sometimes it is so tossed with the waves of Errours Schismes and persecutions that it shall be verie hard to be knowne Yea the learned Papists doe generally confesse that in the supposed or imagined reigue of Antichrist their Church shall be invisible Thus saith Acosta In the daies of
the Apostles and Disciples in the daies of Christ Christ generally in the spirituall and mysticall sense enjoyneth it unto all Whosoever doth not beare his crosse and come after me cannot be my disciple Yea lest any should yet thinke that this was only enioyned to all the faithfull in those daies the Apostle after Christ his Ascension biddeth the Ephesians and in them all Christians to the end of the world Be yee followers of God as deare children If any shall yet aske me wherein can we follow Christ Not in bodily manner as the Apostles and Disciples now did that is unpossible he is gone ascended above these visible heavens Henceforth the world shall thus know Christ no more As it is to us impossible so was it to some unprofitable it shall doe Iudas and many no good that they followed him from place to place for sinister respects as to see his miracles heare novell doctrine as himselfe said Verily yee seeke me because yee did eat of the loaves and were filled Some shall plead this at the last day saying We have eaten and drunken in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets but marke what answer shall be given them I know you not whence you are depart from me yee workers of iniquitie All cannot follow him in the Ministery and preaching of the Gospell none but such as are thereunto called How can any preach except he be sent Few or none can now follow him in working miracles as giving sight to the blinde speech to the dumbe hearing to the deafe cleansing lepers curing diseases and raising the dead for these were miraculous and tended to the confirmation of his doctrine with which power though some in the Primitive Church were endowed for a while that as they preached new doctrine they might doe new workes yet now that the doctrine of the Gospell hath taken root it needeth no such watering this gift is ceased Bellarmine may well challenge it for it is a marke of the Antichristian Synagogue The Apostle saith Antichrist his comming shall be with all deceiveable signes and wonders But now the true Ministers of Christ are knowne not because they do but because they doe not miracles And saith S. Augustine Miracles now adaies are either the prodigious workes of lying spirits or fables and lyes of deceitfull men But let us goe to the cited text and see what following of Christ the Apostle now requireth What the word is which the Euangelist here useth you have heard and the signification of it viz. requiring a bodily motion and action and very rarely used in any figurative or metaphoricall sense but the Apostle useth another word which is properly referred to imitation of vertues as Saint Iohn biddeth us follow that which is good And the Apostle Paul biddeth us follow faith The signification of which word the Apostle expresseth in the next verse adding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Walke in love as Christ hath loved us For the full clearing of this point know that man hath two feet whereby hee commeth to Christ and followeth after him the first is of faith whereby hee beleeveth his doctrine whereof Christ hath said He that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeveth in me shall not thirst Where he sheweth to come is to beleeve And as we come so we follow which is by faith Secondly the practise of Christ his morall vertues he being therein the perfect copie and Exemplar To which purpose the Fathers have excellent sayings He saith not vnto thee Thou shalt not be my disciple except thou walke upon the sea or raise the dead But Learne of me because I am humble and meeke And againe the same Father expounding those words observeth That Christ doth not say Learne of me to make a world and create visible and invisible things But Learne of me I am meeke and humble And another Wee cannot follow Christ in power magnificence and the like but we may follow him in humilitie meeknesse charity And another saith No man is worthily called a Christian who so farre as he can doth not imitate Christ in his manners In this it is Christ biddeth vs learne of him and the Apostle biddeth vs be followers of him and another Apostle saith Christ hath suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps and a third Apostle saith He that abideth in Christ ought to walke as Christ hath walked Then looke unto your copie if you would be truly accounted Christians looke unto Christ the Author and finisher of your faith If you be true members of the Church vow and performe as shee did Draw me and I will runne after thee Behold his povertie who being rich for our sakes became so exceeding poore that he had not wheron to rest his head and if it be required of thee for his sake and the Gospels sticke not to forsake all and follow him in this behold his meeknesse who being reviled reviled not againe broke not the bruised reed nor quenched the smoaking flaxe whose voice was not heard in the street Behold his patience taking a reed in his hand wearing a crowne of thornes mocked buffetted spit on and saith not a word Behold his charitie praying for his cruell enemies Father forgive them they know not what they doe Behold his contentation thanking God for barley bread Behold his diligence preaching working miracles til he was weary yea and on the night time when hee should have slept Behold his devotions spending whole nights in prayer Behold his zeale purging the Temple scourging out buyers and sellers and overthrowing the tables of money-changers Behold his humilitie choosing poore fisher-men and tole-gatherers for Apostles Wearing a poore seamelesse coat Fleeing when they sought to make him King Ioh. 6. and riding on an Asse into Ierusalem Behold his constancie who never gave over till the worke was finished Oh that wee could doe thus when Satan tempteth vs to pride revenge idlenesse discontent how would it dash temptations to say Avoid Satan I must follow Christ and he did not so Oh that wee could doe this when like men we have failed in our duties and sinned how would it breake the heart with godly sorrow and make us smite on brest and thigh and say Oh wretched man that I am Christ did not so and I should have followed him oh follow follow And here give me leave to encounter our Adversaries who falsly and full spightfully cal us Calvinists and Lutherans and Zuinglians as if wee taught you to follow Calvin and Luther to beleeve every point of doctrine to conforme your selves in all poins of discipline and government as they have prescribed No no we leave that to the Papists whose faith manners are tied to the Popes
Our mother Church may be an Example who found the truth of this Doctrine by wofull experience at whose doore Christ knocking and desiring to enter shee returning a sluggish answer I have put off my coat how shall I put it on but being better advised and arising to open unto him he was gone and as Shee was hardly perswaded to arise and open to him so was He as hardly perswaded to arise and helpe her but suffered her to run up and downe in the streets to seeke him and could not finde him yea to fall into the hands of cruell watchmen who did smite and wound her Oh see the bitter fuits of dallying and late repentance So his people having provoked him and calling to be delivered out of the hands of their enemies see what a cold answer he giveth Where are your gods the rocke wherein yee trusted that did eat the fat of your sacrifices and drinke the wine of your drinke-offerings let them rise up and helpe you and be your protection Oh poore is the helpe that Idols can give to their worshippers having eyes but see not eares but heare not feet but walke not The Prophet biddeth the people that would raise God to give him no rest Christ biddeth us aske seeke knocke and commendeth spirituall violence The Apostle requireth a labouring or striving in prayer and the King of Ninivie commanded his people to cry mightily unto God All which declare that God helpeth not his people till he be raised he is not raised but with violence and as it were by being pricked under the sides as the Hebrew word signifieth Shall I conclude this point with paralelling it with another The people of God being persecuted and much distressed by their enemies David penned that most excellent Psalme the 68. wherein first he directeth them what to doe in their wofull case viz. as the Disciples did here to goe to Christ for to him the Apostle applieth that Psalme And what must they intreat him to doe To arise Arise Lord and let thine enemies be scattered The Lord did arise and went forth before his people made Kings with their Armies to â—lie rebuked the companie of spearemen the multitude of Buls and Calves of the people and scattered them that delighted in warre And what are Gods people taught to doe then Even to praise God and mutually provoke one another thereunto Blessed be the Lord even the God of our salvation he that is our God is the God of salvation and to him belong the issues of death Oh blesse yee God in the Congregations oh sing unto God yee kingdomes of the earth oh sing praises to the Lord even to him that rideth upon the heavens the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people blessed be God And is this all No but when they have praised him for the good he hath done they are also directed to pray unto him to goe forward and perfect his good worke begun Strengthen oh God that which thou hast wrought for us for thy Temples sake at Ierusalem so shall Kings bring presents unto thee Oh how fit that Comment and this Theme and both of them for this time Many have beene the troubles of Gods people for these late yeeres in many parts of the Christian world and Christ hath slept long but loe by the importunate prayers of his people he is at last awakened his head is up from the pillow he is risen and hath begun a gracious calme Though I cannot say with the Psalmist Warres are ceased in all the world yet hath he beene marvellous to breake the bow knap the speare asunder and create a glorious peace for so many thousands and millions of his worthy servants in France and to give them the shadow of a great rocke in that weary land Oh let the voice of gladnesse be heard in righteous mens dwellings and let God be praised in the congregations of his Saints and let all men pray the Lord to finish that good worke he hath begun establish that peace in all truth and sincerity and give like comfort and breathing to all his servants in Germanie and else-where Yea be assured now he is risen he will in his good time doe some great worke and cause if his people now praise and pray a great calme I say then with Moses Stand still feare not and see the salvation of God and with the Prophet Zacharie Be silent ô all flesh before the Lord for he is now raised up out of his holy habitation So much for Preparation The Reprehension followeth He rebuked the wind and the sea All the Euangelists doe use one and the same word which in the native proprietie doth signifie to reprehend and chide and charge yea charge strictly even with threatnings and menaces and accordingly translated in some Latine Copies q. d. I charge you be still and calme upon your perill be it I will make you rue it else Which majesticall threatning intendeth three things viz. first Authoritie to command secondly Power to punish if he be not obeyed lastly An acknowledgment of that power For in vaine it is to command or threaten if the parties or creatures doe not regard us But as hee had power to command and threaten and punish so winds and seas had eyes and eares and heart to see heare feare and obey he no sooner commanded and threatned but presently they obeyed There was a great calme Heare â— heaven and hearken ô earth for the Lord speaketh Esay 1. 2. If the Lord speake heaven and earth and all creatures have eares to heare O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord Ierem. 22. penult I say againe let it be marked that Christ did not pray intreat and beseech but with authoritie he commanded Peace and be still as if he were much provoked with their impetuous insolencie And no marvell What Winds and seas not know their Maker What Have they heretofore trembled and fled at his presence and doe they now rage and roare and conspire to drowne him What high treason against the Lord of heaven and earth is this It is well they escape with a rebuke that he doth not make them feele the power of his wrath and give all posterities occasion to say with the Prophet What ailed thee oh thou sea What didst thou Lake of Gennesareth that the Lord was so angry and displeased with thee What was thy transgression ô sea of Galile for which the Lord powred out upon thee the furiousnesse of his wrath Oh let it be written and let all posterities note the meeknesie and gentlenesse of the Lord towards his creatures who did no further punish such a treasonable conspiracie against his life but with a rebuke Peace and be still Here for our instruction let us learne what is the soveraigne Regall authoritie of this great
bed-chamber nor his bed no nor from off the Kings owne person as if they had said as Iehu did Come see the zeale that we have to plague the Tyrant that thus oppresseth Gods people Oh see the zeale of the Sea when God gave it commission to attach his fugitive Prophet it wrought and was troublous it wrought and was troublous The Mariners for their lives could not bring Ionah to shore if they had not cast him in the Sea would have devoured them all q. d. See the zeale we have to the Lord of hosts in pursuit of him who is so disobediently fled from the presence of his God The Apostle calleth the fire of hell a zealous fire devouring the adversaries which Dives found by wofull experience when hee complained that hee was tormented in that flame and craved a drop of water to coole his tongue But woe and alas that man is excepted out of the Catalogue of obedient and zealous creatures That man endued with Reason and shew of Religion that the Lord of the creatures should be set to schoole to learne of the poore Pismire that God should so call and command and he either doe nothing but cast his commandements behinde his backe or doe what he doth to halfes Oh that man should give God such just cause to complaine of him I have nourished and exalted children and they have rebelled against me And I have called and yee refused I have stretched out mine hand and no man regarded yee have set at nought all my counsels would none of my reproofe And I have spread out mine hands all the day to a rebellious people How did Christ complaine of the Iewes Yee will not come unto me that yee may have life And againe O Ierusalem Ierusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as an hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and yee would not How did Steven at his death complaine Yee stiffe-necked and uncircumcised in heart and eares yee doe alwaies resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did so doe yee Oh that man created after Gods image and little inferiour to the Angels should not only be compared to the beasts that perish but have the dullest and rudest of them preferred before him The Oxe saith God knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doe not understand Yea the Storck in the heaven Turtle Crane and Swallow know their appointed times but my people know not the iudgement of the Lord Oh let us now profit by this usefull Doctrine First let us learne ever to trust in him how extremely desperate soever things may be with us or Gods people it is an easie thing with him to remedie all He needeth not send Legions of Angels no nor muster troops of men and arme them with sword and speare hee is the Lord of Hosts and there are not the meanest and weakest souldiers in all his band not flies lice wormes excepted but if Christ command them they are armed with power to quell the pride of the greatest Monarchs and Monarchies in the world The second Use is that we feare this great God and commander of Sea and Land who is able to cut us downe like grasse to blow us away like dust to sweepe us away as dung Oh that men should not feare that mighty God but dare to blaspheme his Name being every where in the midst of his Armie and he able to make the least dust to be our death and the basest creature we see or with contempt doe tread upon to be our destruction This Use God himselfe presseth Heare now this ô foolish people and without understanding which have eyes and see not which have eares and heare not Feare yee not me saith the Lord Or will yee not be afraid at my presence which have placed the sand for the bounds of the sea And againe If I be your Lord where is my feare The Sea saw God and fled And David biddeth the earth to tremble at his presence Shall Earth and Sea those vast and senslesse creatures so feare and tremble and shall not man a worme of the earth stand in awe The third and last Use is that from the Example of all creatures in Heaven Firmament Aire Earth Sea and Hel we learne to obey the voice of Christ This is it David so urgeth To day if yee will heare his voice harden not you hearts Be doers of the word not hearers only The Sea did roare in the storme And even now that it is still it stil lifteth up the voice He that hath eares to heare may heare it call for obedience Habent miracula linguam si intelligantur factum verbi verbum nobis August in Iohan. tract 24. A learned man hath an elegant fiction of the world calling on man to serve and obey God in these words See how God loved thee that made me for thee I serve thee because I am made for thee that thou maiest serve him that made both thee and me me for thee and thee for himselfe Oh man if thou be disobedient all creatures even Devils will rise in judgement and condemne thee For the mysterie As by the storme persecution so by the calme the peace and tranquillitie of the Church is represented and teacheth First that in despight of Sathan and all enemies which he can raise Gods people in the end shall have a calme peace and quietnesse For illustration of which Doctrine note that the calme is twofold viz. externall and internall Externall is twofold viz generall or particular Generall concerning all or many of Gods people and particular in regard of some one or few mens persons and estates For the generall see what gratious promises God hath made to his Church The gates of hell shall not prevaile against it It is Gods house built upon a rocke though the raine descend flouds come winds blow and beat upon it yet it falleth not This was typically represented in the bush which burned but consumed not In Noahs Arke though the waters prevailed long yet at last the Arke arrived safely upon Mount Ararat and the Dove returned with an Olive leafe in her mouth an infallible token that the waters were abated from off the earth There hath beene a great tempest but our ship hath out-rid it it liveth and now there is a great calme Which promises and types have in all ages been verified The children of Israel were greatly oppressed in Egypt but could not be destroyed the more they afflicted them the more they multiplied and grew they endured a great tempest and in the end God sent a great calme when he brought forth his people with ioy and his chosen with
some will that Christ himselfe marvelled at the Centurions faith hee honoured regarded and respected not his nobilitie power wealth but his faith The word being thus opened as signifying that the Disciples did very intently behold and marke this great worke and honour Christ the Worker hence first from the Letter we learne That Gods workes in the world are to be marvelled at observed and his great name to be glorified for them This is the maine end of al his works he doth all for him selfe Thus David with a divine eye could see Gods glory in the heavens Sunne Moone Stars Thunder Lightning Raine Winds Seas yea there is not the basest and most contemptible creature in the world but beheld with a spirituall eye doth declare the glory of the Creator and would make a godly man exclaime with holy David O Lord our governour how excellent is thy name in all the world Yea so great in the greatest as not lesser in the least Saint Basil convinced the bragging of Eunomius boasting of his knowledge with a few questions concerning the poore Emmet as whether it did breath how breed how long live whether it had an heart liver bones muscles arteries But why doe I wonder at her bodie how much more may wee marvell at her endowments She is very quicke and nimble in her path see her diligence shee layeth up in Summer against Winter see her providence if any of her fellowes be over-loaded shee helpeth to beare the burthen see her charitie if her heape and nest be stirred she first gathereth in her young see her naturall affection shee beareth a greater burthen than her selfe see her strength shee keepeth a right path see her order Oh is God so marvellous in this poore insectrodden vnder foot that God hath set man to schoole to learne of her how much more in the Heaven Firmament Aire Earth Sea and those great creatures therein Behemoth Leviathan So as every where by sea and land in field and house by day and night if we had wise hearts and cleare eyes we might see and marvell at Gods workes and say Oh what a glorious Creator is this Oh what a wonderfull Governour is this But alas as God complained of old of his people O foolish people and without understanding which have eyes and see not eares and heare not so we are a foolish blinde and deafe people It may be if we saw the Vnicorne or Behemoth in the wildernesse which are the chiefe of the waies of God if we could dive into the sea and see how the fishes measure out their particular habitations and keep their perfect paths if we could see what pastime the huge Whale maketh in the deepe making it to boile like a pot of oyntment the little Remora but halfe a foot long to be able to stay the greatest ship under saile or if we saw the strange motion and specially of some seas or the strange and hidden Sympathies and Antipathies discerned to be betwixt sensitive vegetative yea insensible things it may be we would marvell a little But at the motion vertue or Eclips of Sunne or Moone different glory situation position aspect or influence of Starres Thunder Lightning Raine Snow Haile the diligence and art of the Bee the admirable structure and frame of his owne bodie who marvelleth Because these things are ordinarily seene we marvell not at them God is not honored for them though indeed God is marvellous in all his workes and sought out of them that love him Oh let us from this Example learne to marvell and praise God for his great works lest we become subject to that fearefull imprecation of David Because they regard not the workes of the Lord nor the operation of his hands destroy them and doc not build them up But specially when God doth any great worke contrary to the course and order of nature established either to declare his mercie in saving his or his justice in punishing his enemies these are for all men that come to the knowledge of them to marvell as the drying up of the Red-sea dividing of Iordan feeding his people with Manna and Quailes from heaven giving fountaines of water out of the rocke preserving the three children in the fiery furnace and Daniel in the Lions den On the other side consuming Sodom and Gomorrah and Aarons sonnes with fire from heaven causing the earth to open and swallow up Core Dathan and Abiram plagued Pharaoh and all Aegypt with Flies Frogges Lice and destroyed Herod with Wormes These and many such are registred in the Booke of God that when men heare or reade the same they may marvell and say What a mercifull or just God is this who as he can arme all creatures to take vengeance on the wicked so also preserve his though as lambes in midst of wolves and his Church a poore ship in midst of Pirats and riding out all tempests Oh how marvellous is God in the subsistence of his Church The Doctrine mysticall is That God can turne all such things as the Devill or wicked men devise against him or his people to his glory and his Churches good Yea the greater is the assault and evill intended the greater is his glory from deliverance No sooner is Christ on sleepe but the winds roare and sea rageth now Satan bestirreth himselfe to drowne ship and passengers to breake off the worke of Redemption by Christ and utterly to destroy the poore and weake beleeving Apostles But see how contrary the issue is to his expectation though the Apostles be troubled and feare yet Christ awaketh rebuketh the winds and sea Christ is glorified and the Disciples faith confirmed When Christ his houre was come how did Satan bestirre himselfe to have him put to death How did hee tempt Iudas to betray him the Iewes to preferre Barabas before him Pilate to condemne him Souldiers to execute him But see how he was confounded for even herein Gods Councell tooke effect for by death he destroyed him that had the power of death that is the Devill turned the crosse into a chariot of triumph spoiled Principalities and Powers and openly triumphed over them upon the crosse That which Satan intended for Christ his greatest shame to crucifie him betwixt two theeves was his greatest glory the Crosse being as his Throne and some on his right-hand absolved some on his left condemned When Christ was buried then Satan no lesse bestirred himselfe to keepe him there provoking the chiefe Priests and Pharisies to move Pilate to make the Sepulchre sure and so it was for besides the great stone which Ioseph rolled to the doore of the Sepulchre it was also sealed and a watch set to keepe it But herein the malice and subtiltie of Satan and his limbes were confounded for the surer that the Sepulchre