condignitie you are condignely fallen from Christ you are condignely fallen from the iustification which is in Christ which is only by grace not by Rom. 11. workes otherwise grace should not be grace if the Apostles argument in his Epistle to the Romanes may stand and take place and that of the same Apostle also to Titus stand firme Nos iustificatos esse illius gratia vt haeredes efficeremur aeternavitae That we are iustified by his grace that we might bee made Heires of euerlasting life And that againe of the same Apostle in his Epistle to the Romanes Iustificati ergo ex fide c. We being iustified therefore by Cap. 5. faith let vs haue peace to God through Iesus Christ our Lord by whom we haue accesse by faith into this grace in which we stand and doe glorie in the hope of the glorie of the children of God How admirable therefore is the excellencie of Christian faith by which the faithfull beleeuer is iustified in Christ is inserted to Christ made the Sonne of God the Heire of heauen partaker of iustice possessor of life not by purchasing merits of his owne but by the same faith possessing all the merits and iustice of Christ which thereby are efficaciously for his iustification communicated vnto him But what doe wee by this extolling of faith and by this comfortable doctrine of iustification by faith subuert the necessitie of good workes God forbid doe we grant a license or impunitie of sinning God auert it doe wee grant a Christian securitie and hope of saluation without merits Yes without merits but not without good works not without the fruits of sanctification which God hath ordained prepared and commanded his elect to walke in Heare that learned man master Caluin cap. 10. of his learned institutions that his propugnacle and defence of Christian religion which no Pontifician durst euer yet attempt to confute Per fidei iustificationem c. By iustification by faith the Aduersaries cauill good works to bee destroied what if thereby they be more established for we dreame not saith he of a faith voide of good works or of a iustification which consisteth without them this is only the difference that whereas we confesse faith and good works necessarily to cohere together notwithstanding we place iustification in faith and not in works And the same by what meanes it is done it is easie to explicate if wee conuert our selues to Christ to whom our faith is directed and from whome it receiueth all vertue and force why therefore are we iustified by it because by faith we apprehend the iustice of Christ by which only we are reconciled to God But this thou maist not apprehend vnlesse thou doe withall apprehend his sanctification for he is giuen to vs for Iustice VVisedome Redemption Sanctification therefore Christ iustifieth no man whom hee doth not also sanctifie For these benefits are with an insolluble knot conioyned so that whom Christ illuminateth those hee redeemeth whome he redeemeth hee iustifieth whome bee iustifieth hee sanctifieth thus hee most excellently agreeingly to sacred scriptures and all antiquitie conformably to the faith of the Church of England and accordingly to the Christian doctrine and resolution of all reformed Churches as the harmonie of confessions testifieth And I dare auouch that the vniuersall and Catholike concordance of this fundamentall point of iustification without which no Church and no person can bee held for Christian in the strict proper and true acception of the name of Christian is more vniformely taught and held by all the reformed Churches then any point of Doctrine controuerted in these times is held by the Pontisicans How glad would they be had they but such a vnity and conformitie for the verie rule of their faith touching which they are not yet agreed as I haue shewed in my motiues But the conformitie and irreprehensible agreement of all reformed Churches for this fundamentall article of iustification by faith in the bloud of Christ Iesus as it is an euidentargument of Christs spirit amongst them and tendeth greatly to the glorie of our Redeemer so it produceth wonderfull and vnmoueable consolation in the soules of the faithfull and sanctified beleeuers The aduersarie forsooth frame vnto themselues an Historicall beleefe for iustification in Christ the which as 1. Ioh. 2. the Diuels haue and yet notwithstanding doe tremble so the Christian auncient Churches neuer knew it and the Reformed doe explode it and against iustification by this Historicall faith they muster argument vpon argumentt and produce text vpon text to shew that besides such a faith there is required necessitie of good works and the fruits of sanctification But alas oleum operam perdunt they wast their oyle and loose their labour For what Christian reformed Church euer taught such a blasphemous paradoxe of iustification by such an Historicall faith they vtterly detest abhominate and renounce such a iustifying faith And here giue me leaue most beloued and Catholike Auditours to feele the very pulses of your consciences and my owne also to see how you stand and whether wee are cleansed with the bloud of Christ or no by this iustifying by this sanctifying faith Doe you at any time persisting in the purpose of sinne desire of sinne perswade your selues that notwithstanding the same you are iustified in Christ apprehending him by a dead faith as your Sauiour Doe you at any time hauing a conscience to act sinne to commit approue consent to sinne thinke that Christ notwithstanding will iustifie and sanctifie you without humble acknowledgement and heartie detestation of the said sinnes if the Diuell hauing transformed himselfe haue lulled any of you into such a lethargie I must needs pronounce that such a confidence is but a mere presumption such a iustification is a most pernicious deprauation But arise arise and Christ will illuminate you and will tell you 1. Joh. 1 what you ought to doe Si confiteamur peccata c. If Iacob 2. we confesse and acknowledge our sinnes God is faithfull to remit 1. Joh. 3. them Againe he who saith he knoweth God by a iustifying faith and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him Againe Omnis quinatus est ex Deo non peccat c. Euery one who is borne of God sinneth not because the seed of God remaineth in him neither can he sinne because he is borne of God Millions of like passages of sacred Scripture might be produced to shew that no man can be iustified in Christ whiles with full consent and with a setled intention and purpose of sinne hee prosecuteth the same doubtlesse it were a most pernicious paradoxe to teach that Christ iustifieth any one while hee is proposing and prosecuting with full and free consent Rom. 6. sinne the hire and wages whereof are death and damnation Hâ—b 3. If any one here should bee so dangerously seduced by the fallacie of sinne and deceit of Sathan let him
infinite eleuation of the manhood is that this God himselfe should be a sacrifice this man assumpted should die this Man and God this God and Man O most diuinely sweet mystery should be an expiation and propitiation for the sinnes of humane nature that the same being reuiued and sanctified in his blood might be eleuated into a most sweet fellowship of diuine puritie and happinesse consisting in the contemplation loue possession fruition of this God most blessed from and for all eternities And as I deliuered before how God to represent himselfe did make this whole vniuerse as a booke for his reasonable creatures to looke vpon and in it to rende him his glory goodnesse and maiestie yet neuerthelesse manie profane impious and godlesse men there haue beene who would not know God and who haue sayd in their Psal 14. most foolish hearts There is no God So likewise before this admirable communication this most sweet assumption was to be made to be a sacrifice a propitiation for all man kinde Iew and Gentile Good God! by how many legall sacrifices and sacraments By how many rites and obseruances By how many expiations sprinklings of bloods of waters of bloods of Buls Goates Kiddes Hee-goates Lambes yong Hefers Turtle Doues Pigeons was this admirable sacrifice and the infinite excellencies thereof presignified premonstrated and foretold to giue vnto mankind some certaine fore knowledge and beliefe of the immaculate Lambe slaine from the beginning Apoc. 13. of the world to and for the saluation of all sincere beleeuers And although all that was appointed by God eyther in the Law of nature or vnder Moyses to foreshew the infinite excellencie of this sacrifice were but as darke types and imperfect shadowes in respect of the trueth and body it selfe of this sacrifice yet the incredulous Iewes to whom the prophecies of Christ and this sacrifice were specially made might by the Sonne haue come to perfect knowledge and beleefe thereof But the veyle of malice against the most meeke Lambe our holy sacrifice who taxed their vices reproued their transgressions condemned their Pharisaicall pride blinded their eyes especially the veile of pride by which they gloried in the Law of Moyses in the blood of Abraham in the obseruation Rom. 2. of the workes of the Law was it which so captiuated their vnderstanding that they presumptuously thought they needed no such a Messias who by sacrificing himselfe should bee a propitiation a reconcilement for their sins they rather despised disesteemed such a Messias making him as a stumbling blocke and scandall to their owne vtter ruine and perdition by their ambitious thoughts they proiected to themselues a Messias like some Soueraigne Lord and mighty Monarch who should restore the temporall glorie of Israel and extend his dominions ouer the whole force of the earth iust such an other as the ambitious Bishop and Monarch of Rome challengeth himselfe to bee in his pretended Vicary for the Messias Against this their vnhappie incredulitie the blessed Apostle S. Paul who once had beene a contumelious persecutor of all religious worshippers of this sacrifice doth most egregiously and diuinely dispute in his Epistle directed vnto them out of the 9. Chapter whereof the 13. and 14. verses I haue chosen for my Theme vpon which I purpose to discourse The which I selected partly to proportion my discourse to the season when we all are or should be preparing and making a Quadragesime or fortieth as a parasceue of Christ his death and passion partly for my owne speciall consolation who knowing not how to make any least requital to my Sauiour for his vnspeakeable Charitie toward me doe take according to the counsel of the Prophet Dauid the cup Psal 116. of saluation into my hand and doe inuocate the Name of the Lord for that he hath mercifully vouchsafed to translate me into the kingdome of his beloued Sonne Iesus making knowne to me the mysterie of Christ crucified and deliuering mee from the base seruitude of contemptible creatures weake elements and the most idolatrous sacrifice of the Masse which humane inuentions hath most presumptuously deuised and set vp in the Popish synagogue as an abomination most detestable against the one and onely sacrifice and altar of the Crosse for which my happy deliuerance his Maiestie be blessed by me and magnified for euer When I first chose this text to handle I thought to speake at large of euery branch thereof but meditating thereupon it became so fruitfull that store made mee penurious and I could not but say in my soule with learned Augustine O mira profunditas eloquiorum tuorum Confess lib. 12 Cap. 14. Deus meus mira profunditas mira profunditas horror est intendere in eam horror honoris tremor amoris O wonderfull profoundenesse of thy speeches my God! wonderfull profoundnesse wonderful profoundenesse it is a horrour to thinke vpon it a horrour of honour a trembling of loue Wherefore I resolued to pretermit all allegorizing and moralizing vpon the figures and especially to confine my discourse to that blood to that sacrifice in beleefe whereof the saluation of vs all consisteth wherein as I doubt not but that I shall be assisted by your deuout and Christian prayers so I most humbly request your kind acceptance of these first fruits and labours from my selfe a nouice-Preacher in the Church of England I haue bin perhaps ouer prolixe contrary to the fashion of complete Orators in my Exordium before I come to the distinguishing of my Theme and to the selecting of some speciall braunch wherevpon to insist a fault pardonable and excusable with such as are acquainted with the profoundnesse of sacred Scriptures and Christian mysteries the deuout consideration whereof as it illuminateth the vnderstanding so it also repleteth the mind with such a treasurie of discourse that the religious chewer of such a cudde findeth greatest difficultie to bee briefe to distinguish to diuide For if the blood of Bulles and of Goates and the ashes of a young Cowe being sprinckled purifieth the vncleane touching the purification of the flesh how much more c. This argument of the Apostle which consisteth vpon a proposition an inference is of that kind which is called by the Philosophers à minori ad maius from a lesse to a greater from a darke obscure lesser and smaller truth admitted by the Aduersary to inferre and euince a truth cleerer manifester greater and most certaine If saith the Apostle the blood of such contemptible creatures the weake vncleane and seruile sprinckling of the ashes of a young Cowe mixed with water can purifie the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who by the eternall spirit offered himselfe vnspotted to God clense the conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God Singular vessel of election how mightie is thy argument either to confound or conuert the incredulous Hebrews Christian and beloued Hearers obserue the Antithesis and oppositions of the Apostle waigh his comparisons
Priest and only Sheep-heard of our soules I must be briefe As touching the merit of saluation deliuerance from Satans power which wee Catholike Christians confesse and professe to be only and effectually through the power of the death and bloud of Iesus Christ vpon the Crosse I should trifle the time which I see is ouer-spent if I should stand to shew how by their confidence and trust in their Vowes Pilgrimages Inuocations to fellow-Seruants How by their Agnus-Deies the very excrements of Satan their idle Relikes wooden Crosses Images lustrall Water hallowed Salt Palmes Candles they doe daily and infinitely derogate from the might power of the bloud of Christ once crucified putting more or at least equall affiance in such deuised trumperies I dare call Crosses and Images trumperics if adored if worshipped otherwise not as in the bloud of Christ as in their very Christ sacrificed vpon their Masse-Altars that herein I doe not belie them it is as manifest as Noon daie for they will not hold nor account him a good Roman Catholike who doth not vse practise esteeme and put affiance in them against Fire Water Deuill and all the power of that damned crew And how cleare it is that more priuiledged Altars and Pilgrimages for safetie for deliuerance more frequent oblations for helpe and assistance are made by the Papistically superstitious and allowed by their Bishops and Priests vnto their Saints and vnto the blessed Virgin Marie then vnto God then to Christ our only sacrifice I know some here in England but I may not name them who often frequently and confidently will set vp in their gardens orchards galleries chambers closets certaine small wooden pictures framed like to that of Sichem and there they will make often Pilgrimages to the same euery day to obtaine deliuerance of some grieuous dangers and disasters but alas as yet they haue not been heard they haue not been holpen Worthy obseruing is that superstitious deuotion vsed long agoe at Canterburie and at the shrine of Thomas Becket where the offerings and oblations made to him in a very large degree yea by ten degrees and more exceeded the like made to the euer blessed Virgin Marie and those which were made to her in a greater degree surpassed those which were offered and consecrated to Christ himselfe the one and only Sauiour and sacrifice of all Catholike Christians No man Catholike hearers can better testifie how weake their confidence and trust is in Christ and his bloud than such as haue beene acquainted with their miserable miseries or rather seruile miseries and inconsolable worships Wherein beleeue me most worthy Auditours what with their vaine confidence in vnsound Indulgences their imperfect and stained merits their absolute and compleat numbering of all their sinnes and circumstances changing the nature of sinne in their auricular confessions a matter morally impossible the deuouter sexe amongst them or rather the more superstitious sexe leade such inconsolable liues that any compassiue mind and heart knowing the same cannot but compassionate their wretched and vncomfortable seruitudes no maruaile of this seeing they serue Gods who cannot giue them rest by day nor Icrem 16. by night such as the Prophet Ieremie hath long agoe fore mentioned But thou O England reioyce for that thou art deliuered from these impure Idolatries and Romish slaueries and that the light of Christ crucified is illuminated ouer thee that thou maiest serue him without feare but reioycing Luc. 1. remember through what meanes the Iewes were cut off and fell through their incredulitie and how fell they into Rom. 11. incredulitie because they were not permanent in goodnesse in workes of sanctification Remember how the Romans were cut off Through incredulitie and how fell they into that Because they did not abide in goodnesse and workes of sanctitie This is that which our Apostle affirmeth of the Iewes and threatneth to the Romanes in the 12 Chapter of his Epistle directed to them Reade it Reioyce O England to make a little digression here to another kinde of blood that thou art deliuered from the Papall tyrantâ—e but reioycing bee still watchfull against this ambitious Monarch this most bloody Bishop The deuill is a busie Bishop saith the old prouerbe I may say that this Bishop is a busie deuill against the Church and State of this Kingdome This proud Bishop hath prophaned the blood of the crosse he hath set vp his prophane and his imaginarie blood of his Idolatrous altars But what proceedeth hee no further medleth he with no other blood Oh that it were so England is well acquainted with his proceedings what they haue beene and how that in these later times there haue beene no bloody Commotions and horrible Massacres in which the Holy Fathers fingers haue not beene And what O yee Britaines for so I will call you mentioning your late happie deliuerie when as English you should haue beene ruinated and destroyed but as Brytaines for the fauour of your GOD ouer your Britaine Soueraigne and his Royall off-spring you were protected deliuered Doe you thinke that the Holy Father was not acquainted with that most hellish attempt of those smokie locusts Could GARNET GERRARD TESMOND with their Ignatianed Disciples be actours principals Could STANLEY OWEN know it Could Antwerpe and the Low-countrie mutter of some great Alteration not of the heauens but of Englands Scepter Could PARSONS CRESWELL bee not ignoraunt And could it be concealed from AQVAVIVA the Generall of the holy quarell or he hide it from the holy Father Paule the fifth Who will once imagine this that hath beene but once acquainted with the Ignatians manner of proceedings And what doth the holy Father now rest hath the late most happy and miraculous deliuerie of all Englands glorie daunted his courage so that hee will proiect no more villanie of like kind God grant it be so but it is to be doubted he will not surcease vntill hee be consumed by the spirit of Gods mouth as most infallibly he will one day Idle are the prophecies which flie vp and downe especially amongst the speudo-Iesuited and Ignatianed Papists I will relate none of them because I contemne them as bables vnworthy of the eares of so honourable an audience yet giue mee leaue to mention a bloudie peece of one of them and a little to demurre vpon the same A Pope forsooth shall fight against two English Kings and with bloudie handes shall blesse England The most gratious God as he hath confounded them often and who broke their necks the fifth of Nouember doth doubtlesse suffer them to bee deluded in their vaine prophecies and will I most humbly trust and pray subuert all their wicked enterprises But seeing prophecies are mysticall and mystically to be interpreted especially such as are paper ones described by pictures as they say this is I will deliuer my conceit what I thinke may be vnderstood by these bloudie handes of the Pope For my part I cannot better interpret the same then thus That
eternall Spirit the Diuinitie of the second person in Trinitie by reason of the hypostaticall and personall vnion of it with the humanitie communicated vnto the same humanitie an infinite dignitie the very dignitie and vnspeakable excellencie of the God-head it selfe and by reason of the same personall Vnion the operations and actions of this person for operationes sunt suppositorum Operations and actions are of the persons and supposites themselues though immediately proceeding from the humanitie or the soule of Christ or any power of his soule or bodie doe receiue and are dignified with an infinite kinde of valour dignitie and estimation as being the operations of God and Man and although there be no Phisicall Diuines or Supernaturall impression or qualitie giuen to these actions yet the only proceeding of these operations from such a person hauing so inestimable an excellencie and dignitie intrinsecally within himselfe giueth vnto them an extrinsecall valour by which they are esteemed and regarded as the very actions of God himselfe by which hee offereth and submitteth himselfe to his Father and therefore no tongue neither of Man nor Angell can deliuer how infinitely deseruing they are of esteeme and regard the only knowledge of God which is infinite can comprehend their worth and valour If I should stand largely to proue this you would thinke that I held these my Auditors to bee but of common intelligence Few of you are so ignorant as I suppose but conceiue that according to the dignitie or excellencie of the Person is the morall worth and esteeme of the action which proceedeth from such a Person Respect worthy is a salutation or honourable vse which commeth from a worthy Gentleman more worthy that which commeth from a Knight worthier is the same from a Baron aboue that is the same proceeding from an Earle a Duke but of highest esteeme is that which is giuen from a Prince and if there were any earthly Prince of infinite worth and excellencie in the intrinsecall worthinesse of his person the actions and operations of such a Prince in morall estimation would haue a morall kinde of infinitie Here-hence it is that our high Priest Iesus whose dignitie was the very God-head it selfe whose Person was of infinite Maiestie did immediately and by it selfe communicate vnto his operations and actions an infinite kinde of morall worthinesse and valour by which they were so eleuated that being presented to the sight of the diuine Maiestie in very rigour of Iustice and perfection of Satisfaction and Merit they were equiualent super-excellent and surpassing all the malice of sinne which mankinde had or could commit and therefore this our high Priest offering himselfe by the eternall Spirit thus dignifying and eleuating his actions and operations to his Heauenly Father for the Redemption of Mankinde did by the same Oblation and Sacrifice so fully so abundantly so perfectly so iustly so deseruingly purchase vs to himselfe and reconcile vs to his Father that his Father could not refuse his face making intercessions and supplications for vs vpon the Altar of the Crosse and this is that which our Apostle pronounceth in this his same Epistle to the Hebrewes of the infinite worthinesse and excellencie of Christ Hebr. 5 Qui in diebus carnis suae c. Who in the daies of his flesh with teares and a loude crie offering vp praiers and supplications to him who was able to saue him from death was heard for his Reuerence So great Catholike and Christian Hearers so infinite was the reuerence and excellencie of CHRIST because hee was the Sonne of GOD that his Father could not but heare his requests and supplications made vnto him for vs and from this reuerence and from this worthinesse hath his flesh valour efficacie and force to cleanse our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God Heare to this purpose but what neede I authoritie of any man to confirme so manifest a truth Saint AVSTEN Aug. lib. 10. de Ciuit. cap. 24. Non ergo Caro Christi per se ipsum mundat credentes sed perverbum à quo suscepta est Therefore the flesh of Christ doth not by it selfe cleanse the beleeuers but by the word of which it was taken and assumpted and this is that which AQVINAS hath most clearely Aquin q. 48. art 6. in cap. ad 1. ad 2. eodem art Efficiens principale humanae salutis est Deus Quia vero humanitas Christi est diuinitatis instrumentum ideo ea consequenti omnes actiones passiones Christi instrumentaliter operantur in virtute diuinitatis ad salutem humanam secundum hoc Passio Christi efficicienter causat salutem humanam The principall efficient of saluation of mankinde is God but because the humanitie of Christ is the instrument of his diuinitie therefore consequently all the operations and actions of Christ do worke in the vertue of the diuinitie to the saluation of mankinde And in his answere to the first obiection thus most clearely Pasio Christi c. the passion of Christ referred to the flesh ibidem of Christ answereth and is agreeing to the infirmitie assumpted but referred to his diuinitie hath thereby an infinite vertue or efficacie Thus he which I partly bring to confirme what I haue said partly to stop the mouthes of such Pontificians who gladly would calumniate the Church of England for her doctrine touching the concurrence of Christs diuinitie in the office and acts of his most high Priest-hood But what shall I here plunge my selfe into that depth in to that profound abisse of discoursing of the manner of Christs concurring as a Priest by reason of his diuinitie and humanitie for the saluation of mankind no no Sermo in-interpretabilis the speech would bee uninterpretabile my shallow conceite would bee ouerplunged in such a depth it is enough for vs at this present to vnderstand and conceiue that by reason of the personall vnitie not only the humane nature but very Christ God himselfe was offered to his Father and offered himselfe to his Father and also this diuine nature had his concurrence in the suffering of his humanitie that the same consented to his suffering and did in a wonderfull sort particularly gouerne comfort and strengthen the said humanitie as being a principall and proper part of himselfe that it might suffer and be offered in such obedience to the Father to the death of the most ignominious crosse I shall not here need to insist vpon the third branch of my diuision by the which our Apostle distinguisheth to whom this sacrifice is offered to wit to God For if all sacrifices are to be consecrated as sacred vnto him to whome else should the sacrifice of a God and from a God bee offered then to God himselfe neither shall I neede to dwell any whit in this discourse to shew how this Christ this sacrifice was vnspotted without blemish and most immaculate I could not esteeme it lesse then blasphemie in me to seeme