or labouring as the apostle saieth that crowneth or rewardeth But our gracious God shewing mercy Rom. 9.16 Secondlie hee saieth that as all our good workes were of mercie giuen vs in euery of them God by his grace preuenting our willes so they shall of meere mercie be rewarded as then wee had no merites for which in the beginning of our sanctification wée deserued at Gods handes to haue those good works giuen vs so neither in the rewarding of them nay they shall bee more mercifully and of greater mercy saieth Gregory rewarded at the last then they were giuen at the first Contrary to that Popish assertion which affirmes that our first iustification is free and of mercie but it is not so in the second But Gregory sayeth hee that of mercy hath giuen vs our good workes shall more mercifullie reward them No doubt considering the vnprofitablenesse of vs all after wée haue been admitted into the Lordes seruice and the daily rebellions of the flesh against his holy spirit euen in the best of his seruantes Saint Iohn saith Gal. 5.17 If wee saie wee haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. And our sauiour teacheth all to say 1. Io. 1.8 When you haue doon all that is commanded you which who can doe yet euen then say Luke 17.10 we are vnprofitable seruants we haue doone but our duties Ierome also hath this notable sentence to this same effect De filio prodigo ad Damas Let this seeme to none dangerous or blasphemous that wee haue said that euen this euill of enuy could creepe in euen to the very Apostles when as we may suppose thus much also to be spoken of the Angelles for the Starres are not cleare in his sight and he marked some frowardnesse in his Angels And it is said in the Psalmes No liuing thing shall be iustified in thy sight He doth not say no man shall be iustified but no liuing thing that is to say no not an Euangelist not an Apostle not a Prophet nay I will ascend higher not Angelles not thrones not rulers or powers or other heauenly vertues It is God alone in whom sinne fals not Thus by Ieromes iudgement all Gods saints are sinners Apostles Prophets Euangelists euen the blessed Virgine Mary all the heauenly powers whatsoeuer God himselfe alone is only without sinne And this doctrine of the fathers is agréeable to the scriptures Dauid writes thus of Canaan which was but a figure of our heauenly inheritance Psalm 44.3 They possessed not that land with their owne sword neither did their owne arme saue them But thy right hand and thy arme and the light of thy countenance Ci Ratsitham as it is in the Hebrew that is because thou haddest an especiall fauour vnto them This Ratson this good pleasure of God gaue them the possession of the land of Canaan not their fighting or working nay it followes Thou art my King O God command the saluation of Iacob The saluation of Iacob and of his posterity is Gods royall commandement not their merites they cannot challenge it And to this also agrées our Sauiour in the Gospell Luke 12 32. Feare not sayeth hee little flocke for it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome where in the Greeke the same word in effect is vsed which was vsed before in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Rotson haue both one signification and signifie a speciall fauour or good will towards any one And this is the cause of our iustification In cap. 7. Mat. Ferus also of trust in our owne righteousnesse writes thus When the weather is calme euery building easily standeth but winter tries the strength of the building Hee that trusteth in his owne righteousnes seemes to haue a strong building but in the winter in the time of death it then slips and falles downe For against death our strength is nothing this victory belongeth onely to Christ Here thou maiest stand safely Thus Ferus writeth in his copie imprinted at Paris 1564 but the Romaine Corrector biddes put onely in the edition printed at Rome 1577 As though this victory did not belong onely to Christ but that mans arme and power were able to doe some thing also therein And after of our workes hee writes thus In 8. cap. Mat. First we are taught by this that for our good deedes wee should not hunt after praise with men for they are not ours which God vvorkes by vs. Ferus attributes here all our good works to God and takes them quite awaie from vs but the Romaine Corrector biddes vs adde onely that our good workes are not onely ours as though they were in some part mens and in some part Gods Thus they dissent from Ferus and from the trueth to maintaine mans righteousnesse Of mans naturall corruption Ferus writes thus Againe beasts if they be not prouoked will not hurt thee but an euill man being not prouoked nay whom thou hast doon good to will hurt thee Againe a Serpent though he can infect with his poison yet he feares a man but the wicked without all restraint rageth in whom soeuer Therefore man without God is nothing else but a very bruit beast and dare do any thing Thus Ferus writes teaching plainlie the corruption of our nature but the Romaine Corrector biddes put out is nothing else They will haue some goodnesse remaine in man And againe to the same effect hee writes In cap. Mat. 12. Thou hearest that the Kingdome of Christ is not in vs vnlesse Christ first with his Spirit cast out diuels out of our hearts that hereby thou maiest learne that wee by our owne nature are vnder the diuels Kingdome from which we are not deliuered but by Christ The Romane Corrector biddes put out our nature and put in through our fault we are vnder the diuelles Kingdome They still go about to aduance the nature of man And that wee should put no trust in our selues he writes thus We are vnited to Christ through faith In cap. Mat. 11 and faith onely teacheth to trust in Christ which he cannot doe but that distrusteth in himselfe the which then we doe when we acknowledge our own misery And here thou seest that also which we haue admonished before thy first steppe to saluation is to acknowledge our owne insufficiency I would to God all Catholiques would ascend this steppe and what this insufficiencie is he hereafter further declares for manie Catholiques I thinke will not sticke to saie that their workes are imperfect But Ferus goeth on further For this cause saieth hee vvee haue shewed without confession any can hardly bee saued For God will haue vs freely confesse that we were damned in body and soule and so should euer haue beene vnlesse we had beene saued by the mercie of God bestowed vpon vs in Iesus Christ This confession is necessarie for all men For how perfect soeuer
faithfull Deborah a Princesse a great ladie in Israell Daniel and Elias great Prophets and yet by this their simplicities their dignities were not impaired We erre greatlie we thinke now adaies that honour estimation worship consists in outward things in apparel in houses such like no no it consists in the vertues of the minde as euen the verie Philosophers could teach Adam was more honourable in his leather coate then Diues in his purple and fine linnen Abraham in his tent then Ahab in his Iuorie house good king Iosiah in his simple pallace and little windowes Ier. 22.14.15 then his proude and couetous sonne Iechonias in his sieled parlours and great windowes Daniel with his pulse then Balthasar with his costlie banquet Dan. 5.1 Let vs euer remember our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ how that he made no accompt of his estate to profit vs Naie let vs remember what he did how he washed his Apostles feete and he commanded vs to do the like that is to do anie thing that we are possibly able for our brethren For this his most humble seruice containes in it all dueties and seruices whatsoeuer euen as the greater measure containes the lesser the quart the pinte But doe wee at this daie wash our brethrens feete Naie wee thrust them ouer the shooes as they saie naie ouer the eares into great sorrowes and cares by our excessiue rents and paiments to maintaine our pride so that as Dauid complaines Psal 69. the waters enter euen now into their soules Let vs remember also that same rich man who neglecting his brother was clothed in Purple and fine linnen and fared delicatelie euerie daie but when hee died hee went to hell for his labour It is an old saying and a true Happie is hee whome other mens harmes doe make to beware let vs beware least that if we follow his steppes in our life wee doe not lodge with him at our deathes That same Meditation of Granatensis is worth the marking Med. lib. 3. Med. 1. O man saieth he made of clay why art thou proude Why art thou arrogant O dust why delightest thou in praise O ashes whose conception is sinne birthe a punishment life a continuall toile and death an extreame necessitie why doest thou so daintily nourish thy bodie Why doest thou clothe it with such costly garments which within a while shall bee deuoured of wormes in the graue Why doest thou not rather adorne and make trimme thy soule with good works which shall be presented before the maiesty of God in heauen by the hands of Angels Why doest thou make so light accompt of thy soule and set so much by thy bodie O great shame and all thinges quite out of order The soule which ought to beare rule is seruant to the flesh and the flesh which ought to be the seruant she is the Mistresse Why doest thou suffer that the mistresse should become the seruant and that the seruaunt should take vpon hir the authority of the mistresse Doest thou not knowe that the flesh is a priuy enemy to the soule who vnder a faire shew of friendship is more cruelly set against thee then the cruellest enimy thou hast in the worlde when thou cherishest and makes much of her thou settest vp an enemy against thy selfe when thou pampers and adornes her thou armest thine enemie to cutte thine owne throate when thou clothest hir with costly garmentes and outlandish furres thou spoilest thy soule of all heauenly ornaments Thus farre Granatensis I would to God these Meditations could sinke into our hearts Thirdlie we maie learne heere to praie dailie Reioice in the Lord alwaies saieth the Apostle pray continually 1. Thes 5.16.17.18 and in all thinges giue God thanks We must euerie daie not forget to saie Giue vs this daie our daily bread naie we must with Dauid and Daniel euen pray thrise a daie if wée will be good schollers in the Lordes schoole Psal 55.17 Dan. 6.10 In the Morning and in the Euening and at mid day I will pray and that instantly saieth Dauid and thou shalt heare my voice and Daniel his window being open towards Ierusalem he kneeled on his knees three times a day and prayed and praised his God as he did afore time Oh holie custome manie are verie precise they will kéepe their olde customes they will doe as they haue beene woont to doe but I would to God they would learne here this good custome of Daniel and that they woulde praie thrise a daie and that they would learne that good custome also to knéele when they praie which custome now verie manie haue forgotten Wee must praie Giue vs this day our daily bread we are taught hereby also not to be ouer couetous of these worldlie goods Wée must not be like that other rich man Luke 12.16 who made him greater barnes and said to his soule now soule be at rest thou hast laid vp for thee in store for manie yeares Manie at this daie draw nigh to this couetous rich man by their ouermuch prouidence and worldy carefulnesse for themselues and their children They néede not saie Giue vs this daie our daily bread they haue laide vp in store for manie yéres as this couetous rich worldling had They are so carefull for their children that they will leaue nothing to doe for them Eral apophth Alexander being a youth when as he heard that Philip his father had conquered many countries and cities wept And being demanded why he did so seeing that all should be his hee answered that his father would leaue nothing for him to doe This mind was in him beeing a child that hee would doe some thing himselfe I would to God it were now the mindes of some fathers that they would leaue some thing also for their sonnes to doe that they would trie them how they would vse the talent God had bestowed vpon them that they would leaue God some thing to doe for them also God will not haue his so couetous so carefull hee will haue them alwaies depend of him hee will haue them be beholden to him And forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. By this wee are taught to bee readie to forgiue the trespasses of our brethren doone to vs. Euerie daie wee offend God hainouslie and if wee will not forgiue our brethren which in small trifles offend against vs but be seuere in punishing and reuenging them how can wée hope for pardon our selues at Gods handes of our so manie and so grieuous sinnes Especially séeing our Sauiour hath not onelie with our owne mouthes made vs say thus that if we should not do so our owne mouthes might as it were condemne vs but also after this prayer hee onelie repeates this againe of all the other petitions as a lesson as should séem that greatly concerned vs and that many would hardlie learne Matth. 6.14 For if you do forgiue men their trespasses saith he your
is commanded vs. Also by this word he taught that we should seeke all good things from him and by him for it is a most true saying No man ascends c. And againe the same Ferus writes thus Who that he might spare his seruant Ibidem would whippe his owne sonne But God that he might spare his enemies and them who were vnthankefull to him gaue his sonne to death He hath giuen vs his righteousnesse merits yea and whatsoeuer he hath done or suffered And therefore wee may glorie of them as if they were our owne which thing only can preserue vs from desperation Thus farre Ferus If we haue Christ with all his merites giuen vs what néede we anie more what neede we anie merites of Saintes out of the Popes treasure then to satisfie for our sinnes And after the same Ferus writes thus But thou wilt say Christ is now absent from our eies how shall we lay holde on him I answere he is not laide hold on saith he by the hand of the body but by the hand of the hart which is faith Therefore in only Christ by the faith of thy heart thou shalt finde sufficiencie and aboundance because he alone brought with him God himselfe with all his goods This faith in Christ maketh not ashamed because Christ is truth And therefore Esay saith All that beleeue in him shall not be confounded For faith directed aright neuer confoundeth This word therefore teacheth that God is both top and toe the beginning and ending of our saluation the Author and the finisher thereof I am Alpha and Omega saieth he c. And to the same effect Ferus writes on the Preface of Matthew Haue that euer before thine eies of Esay A childe is borne vnto vs and liued for vs and died for vs and that which is more is giuen vs with all that he hath Therefore when thou hearest Christ to haue done or suffered anie thing thinke that same Christ with that he hath done or suffered to be thine insomuch that thou maiest bragge thereof as of thine owne for he needed not to be incarnated or circumcised he needed not to fast pray or suffer but hee hath giuen all these thinges to vs we stand in neede of them For our merites are not sufficient For they are like a defiled cloth of a woman Therefore thou must say O Father I acknowledge that I am nothing but I know that Christ hath done this not for himselfe but for me c. But some will saie then whereunto serue our good workes if Christs merites be sufficient Ferus answereth a little after Haue care saith he that of the truth of God thy faith may be nourished and of his mercie thy hope and of his goodnesse thy loue and of his iustice thy feare Behold saith he these are the exercises of a Christian life For what doth God require els but that thou shouldest feare him Here we maie plainlie sée how Ferus still makes our workes not merits but dueties and exercises of our Christian life God will not haue vs idle or vnprofitable or vnthankefull to him And after the same Ferus writes thus The wise men shewed their inward deuotion of their mindes In cap. â— Mat. by their outward falling downe for our outward worship is without superstition when it proceedes from the inward So the children of Israell hearing that God had respect to their afflictions fel down flat on the earth so we also are prostrated by this acknowledging our selues to be nothing but dust and we arise againe acknowledging that our saluation is only of the grace of God Thus Ferus writes in the Text in the Copie printed at Paris but the Corrector in correcting the escapes in the printing at Rome biddes put out onely the Papists will not acknowledg with Ferus that our saluation comes onelie of the grace of God Apoc. 7.10 but partlie also out of our owne merites and workes But all the true Saintes of God with Ferus acknowledge their saluation to come of the Lambe Genes 38.18 This was prefigured in the law by manie Types and shadowes Thamar requireth of Iudah as a pledge of his loue his Signet his Cloake and his Staffe The same pledges of his loue hath our true Iudah Iesus Christ giuen to vs that is the signets or seales of his Sacraments the cloke of his righteousnes the staffe of his holy spirit By the strength where of wée may passe thorow all the waues and flouds of this world 2. King 2.11 This was that which was prefigured long before also in the ascension of Elias who left his double Spirit and his Mantle to his Scholler Elizeus so our true Elias Iesus Christ who by his own power hath ascended into heauen who as it were a shadowe of him the other Elias did ascend hath left to all his Disciples to all his faithfull seruantes his double spirit his two Sacraments and the mantle of his righteousnesse Of him it is truelie saide that hee hath put on righteousnesse as an Habergion Esay 59.17 and an helmet of saluation vpon his head This Habergion of his righteousnesse and this mantle and this shield of faith hee hath left to all his faithfull seruantes and souldiours And by the strength of these they are able to stand against all the assaultes of their enemies and to quench all the fierie darts of the diuell Dominic 1 in Septuagesima Philippus de Dies also writes thus concerning this matter Our heauenly Redeemer saith Know that your saluation dependeth of my onely will and pleasure and this is his predestination that shal be saued wherefore let no man be exalted though he come early into the Vineyard neither despaire â—hough he come late so that hee come for if he come early he owes me more then I owe him saith God for I helped him that hee might come early and I am the Lord who may do whatsoeuer pleaseth me And this is better and more profitable for men that euery one be sober and watchfull considering I receiued the theefe from the Crosse and dismissed Iudas from my Table and Dish And so Saint Augustine saith that men how to knowe how to liue well it is the gift of God And man owes more to God because he doth good works in his seruice then God owes to man because he does them And so this glorious saint sayth The works of man they are the gifts of God And if any shal say O Lord I fast recompence me for my fasting the Lord may say to him again yea rather pay thou me because I gaue thee grace and helpe that for me thou mightest fast Another sayth Lord recompence me because I haue giuen away all my goods for thy sake Another Lord recompence me for in thy seruice I haue beaten and chastened my body Another saith I haue beene a Virgine or martyr for thy sake Another because I haue endured so many tribulations To whom the Lord
call him The Lord our righteousnes Psal 4. ◠And thus also Dauid cals him heare me O God that art my righteousnes And this also then is another true marke of the true Church to call account Iesus Christ their righteousnes And if this be his name it must not be giuen to anie other he must haue his name alone himselfe They denie him his name that attribute their righteousnes to an thing else in this world what soeuer And this name haue al Gods saints alwaies attributed vnto him Gen. 18.27 I haue begun to speake vnto my Lord saith Abraham which am but dust and ashes thus basely he thought of himselfe what glorie what beautie is in dust and ashes And O Lord saith Iacob I am not worthie of the least of all thy mercies Gen. 32.10 and of all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant As though hee should say I can challenge nothing no not the least grace which thou hast bestowed vpon me And Iob saith Iob. 9.2 How should a man compared to God be iustified If he would dispute with him he could not aunswere one thing for a thousand And to Iob agréeth Dauid Innumerable troubles saith hée are comed about me my sinnes haue taken such holde vpon me that I am not able to looke vp Psal 40.12 Yea they are moe in number then the haires of my head and my heart hath failed me Euen Dauid himselfe thus manie in number accounted his sinnes Act. 13.22 being a man according to Gods owne heart And who dare then account his sinnes fewer And our Sauiour likewise teacheth all his when as they haue done all that is commaunded them if they were able to doe it Luk. 17.10 as there is none able euen then to say and to account themselues in deed vnprofitable seruants Much more then when they shall not be able to doe perfectly euen the least of that which is commaunded them Nay if the Apostles themselues shall say they haue no sinne 1. Io. 1.8 they were lyers Much more then anie other Christians whatsoeuer All true Christians account their works doe they neuer so manie and so excellent but duties not deserts as saint Paul teacheth them For the loue of Christ now saith he pincheth vs or constraineth vs to doe all things 2. Cor. 5.14 For we thus iudge that if one be dead for all then were all dead And he died for al that they which liue should not henceforth liue vnto themselues but vnto him that died for them and rose againe Here is the ende and cause of all good works They are but duties which we are bound to doe for Iesus Christs sake that died for vs if so be we could do euen a thousand times more thē we can doe Mat. 5.16 They are light they are not fire Let your light so shine before men saith our Sauiour that men seeing your good works Luke 12.44 may glorifie your heauenly father But he deserueth the praise of this light that kindled the fire And that is he which said I am come to send fire vpon the earth and what will I now but that it burne Io. 2.18 The light is his that oweth the fire our works are not ours they are but the light of faith The Apostle Paul cals them fruits of righteousnes Phil. 1.11 they are not causes thereof They procéed from it When we are iustified then we bring forth good workes Heb. 11.6 2. Cor. 3.5 Before we can doe nothing that is good no not so much as thinke a good thought He that owes the trée may iustly challenge these fruits Ephes 1.13 After saith saint Paul that the Ephesians beléeued which is their new life and iustification they were also sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of their inheritance vntill the redemption of the possession purchased vnto the praise of his glorie God bestowes all his gifts vpon vs our faith whereby we liue and are iustified the holy spirit whereby we are sealed and assured that we are Gods children whereby we are sanctified and enriched with all good works yea and preserued euen till the day we shall obtaine that glorious kingdome of heauen purchased for vs by Iesus Christ for this onely ende that we should be to the praise of his glorie A Christian must in all things and for all things all his life long glorifie God This is the marke he must shoote at the thing he must doe daily And for this cause God bestowes his benefits yea euen all the good works he doth daily vpon him Gal. 1.23 So the Saints magnified God in Paul being now conuerted So in the Psalme all the saints protest Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs Psal 1 15 1. but vnto thy name giue the glorie And in the Prophet Esay 26.12 Thou hast wrought all our works in vs. We chalenge nothing our selues but onely glorifie thée that by vs vile earth blunt tooles vnfit instrumēts thou wouldest vouchsafe of thy aboundant mercie wisedome and power to worke such excellent things So that this is another marke of the true Church to attribute and ascribe all her righteousnes to the Lord Iesus Christ Another euident marke of the true Church to be cunning in the Scriptures to haue Gods law in her heart Heb 8.8 And this is that which saint Paul alleadgeth out of Ieremie that out of the mouth of two witnesses Deut. 19.15 this truth might be confirmed to vs That he that should now doubt thereof might iustly be condemned Behold the daies wil come saith the Lord when I shall make with the house of Israel with the house of Iudah a new testament Not like the testament I made with their fathers in the day I tooke them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt For they continued not in my testament and I regarded them not saith the Lord. For this is the testament that I will make with the house of Israel after these daies saith the Lord I wil put my lawes in their minds in their harts I wil write them and I will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall not teach euerie man his neighbour saying know the Lord For all shal know me from the greatest of them to the least of thē Here we may note a notable yea and a principal marke of the true Church God cals this his new testament or couenant Why then they that haue not had this or haue it not are not within the couenāt of God are none of his heirs are not partakers of his testament But what is this couenant They shal haue Gods law written in their heart they shall al know God frō the greatest of thē to the smallest Psal 19.7.119.110 They shall now be all cunning in Gods word that thereby as Dauid saith the verie simple shal get vnderstanding that they shall
their children and families that so all Gods promises and blessings maie come vpon them The Tyger is reported of all wild beasts to be most swift Solinus cap. 17 so that they which take her whelpes from her haue ships readie and so taking ship she cannot pursue them nor ouertake them which otherwise could not escape from her But when she perceiues that one of her whelpes is stolne from her and that she cannot recouer it againe it is written of her that vpon the sea shore for verie griefe she will throw her selfe downe headlong into the sea punishing her owne slownesse with such a voluntarie destruction O the louing nature of this wild beast to her whelpes And shall not Christians shew the like loue to their children If they bee wicked and giuen to anie sinne not théeues as those Tygers whelps but the diuell hath stolne awaie and possessed them and shal not this grieue them especiallie when they see it with their eies Let all Christians be more kind to their children then Tygers Let them teach them the feare of Lord as Dauid teacheth Come ye children hearken vnto me Psal 34.11 I will teach you the feare of the Lord. And then shal not that enemie steale thē from them The vessell will euer haue a tast of that liquor with which it is first seasoned Let the first liquor that enters into their childrens hearts be the feare of God and then they will neuer forget it So no doubt Abraham although he had but one son of Sarah yet he pampered him not as should séeme but instructed him in the law of God For when he went to be sacrificed hee could say Father here is the wood Gen. 22 7. but where is the lambe for the burnt offering euen being so young he knew what a sacrifice meant no doubt his father had taught him So ought all Christians after his example to instruct their children in the principles of Christian religion So likewise Abraham also no doubt catechized and instructed his familie hauing in his familie a greate number as appeareth by that rescue of Lot Who brought forth 318. that were borne and brought vp in his house Gen 14.14 and with them pursued those kings which had taken Lot prisoner When as God after commaunded him to circumcise himselfe and all his familie that were males it is said Gen. 17.23 that Abraham circumcised them all the selfe same day No doubt they had béene well instructed before both in their duties and obedience towards God and also their maister or els all of them so willinglie and so readilie would not haue yéelded to such a painefull thing as circumcision was So Dauid being a king had care of his familie and seruants to teach all Noblemen and Gentlemen the like care of their families Socrates common by-word is often proued true That most commonly in great mens houses either some great good Eras Apoph or some great euill is hatched And first concerning the choise of his seruants Psal 101.6 Dauid writeth thus Mine eyes shall be vnto the faithfull of the land that they may dwell with me and hee that walketh in a perfect way he shall serue me And then for the kéeping and correcting his seruants he writes thus There shall no deceitfull person dwell within my house He that telleth lies shall not tarie in my sight No doubt he did reproue both deceitfull and lying seruants 2. King 5.25 and which were like to Gehezi and also other sins in his seruants And if they would not be reformed he would not keepe them anie longer I would to God all Noblemen and Gentlemen would doe the like then we should haue a flourishing Church and common wealth then so much sinne would not be committed as is commonly A Gentlemans or a Noblemans seruant will presume to sinne because of the authoritie of his maister or because his maister hee knowes neuer mindes what he doth and sometime will not sticke to tell a lie to féed his maisters humour Such presumptuous lying and flattering seruants king Dauid would not kéepe in his house Such a care also no doubt of his familie had that good ruler whose sonne Christ healed It is written of him that after his sonne was healed Ioh. 4.52 53. that he beleeued and all his houshold No doubt the good maister had a care to instruct all his familie in that faith and waie of saluation which he beléeued himselfe So Cornelius also hath this commendation giuen him Act. 10.2 There was a certaine man in Caesarea called Cornelius a Captaine of the band called the Italian band a deuout man one that feared God with all his houshold which gaue much almes to the people prayed God continually Here is a notable patterne set downe of a good housholder for all Christians to follow Hee feared God and all his houshould he gaue much almes to the people and prayed God continually He is not commended for the building or furniture of his house but for his deuotion for his care of his familie for his almesdéedes and for his daylie prayers O that we had manie such housekéepers these vertues should make them more famous Ier. 22.14.15 then building statelie towers and high walles and large windowes This is to execute iudgement and to do righteousnesse as Ieremie teacheth that Iehoiakim that proud king of Iuda in him all other maner of men So that good Emperour Constantine made his pallace as it were a Church in catechising his family himselfe Euseb de vita Const lib. 4. and both commanding them to pray and also teaching them how to pray as Eusebius in his life recordeth Nay he tolde the bishops dining at a certaine time with him you will say quoth he that I am a Bishop and so I am indeed but I within and you abroad And in his coine to declare what account he made of prayer he caused himself to be pictured with his eyes looking vnto heauen as it were euer crauing or requesting something of God And these were the common monie or coine that they vsed through all the Roman Empire during his raigne And likewise he was pictured at the entrance into his pallace kneeling on his knees as some suter and his eyes lifted vp to heauen This Eusebius reporteth of him O noble and Christian Emperour that was thus zealous of Gods seruice both himselfe and also which caused his family and subiects thus to serue God likewise How since his dayes Christians are degenerated all men maie sée Now they are accounted precise that so instruct and gouerne their families But this in his dayes was not precisenesse but Christianitie And that all Christians ought to instruct their families Chrysostome writes thus verie excellentlie Chrysost ho. 78. in Matt. And surely if thou longest greatly to be with Christ then do his will and his will is especially that thou shouldest studie to profite thy neighbour Wilt thou haue me