clearenesse of that Heauenlie brightnesse wherewith they glister are adorned Secondarilie glorie and vilenesse are made contraries For Paul saith Hee shall chaunge our vile bodie to make it in facion like to his glorious bodie In these woordes Vilenesse and Glorie are set the one against the the other Vilenesse comprehendeth the whoale packe of miseries and infirmities passions and affectiōs which for sinne was layde vppon the bodie From all which our bodies are purged in the resurrection of lyfe so that then the glorious bodies are bodies dreyned from the dregges of all corruption passions and infirmities and clad with eternitie heauenly feelinge and glorie For the Apostle sayth It is sowen in corruption it riseth in incorruption it is sowen in dishonour it riseth in glorie it is sowen in infirmitie it riseth in power it is sowen a naturall bodie it riseth a spiritual bodie The giftes therefore of the glorious clarified bodies are very great and many as incorruption glorie popower the quickening spirite For the Apostle himselfe shewing what he ment by the natural spiritual bodie addeth this immediatly sayth There is a naturall body and there is a spirituall body as it is written The firste man Adam was made a liuing Soule and the laste Adam was made a quickening spirite And yet agayne more plainely he sayth Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual but that which is naturall and then that which is spirituall The first man is of the earth earthy the seconde mā is the Lord frō heauen As is the earthy such are they that are earthy as is the heauenlie such are they also that are heauenlie And as wee haue borne the image of the earthy so shal we beare the image of the heauēlie So then Paul calleth that naturall bodie an earthy bodie which wee haue of our first father Adam whose quickening is of the soule and by it doth liue And hee calleth the spiritual bodie an Heauenly body which wee haue of Christe and made to the likenesse of the body of Christe which althoughe it be a verye body in déede and the fleshe thereof be verie fleshe in deede yet notwithstanding it is quickened and preserued by the spirite of Christ and needeth not any power vegetatiue Although therefore these very bodies members which now we beare shall after the resurrection be in Heauen yet neuerthelesse because they are clarified and clensed from all corruption and féelinge of the naturall bodie there shal not be verilie any natural or corruptible sense or affection nor vse of the carnall bodie and members And this doth the Lord affirme againste the Sadduces that dreamte of marriages in Heauen or rather by that absurditie made a mocke of the resurrection where hee sayth The sonnes of this worlde marrie wyues and giue in marriage but they that shal be thought worthy of that world and of the resurrection from the dead do neyther marrie wyues nor giue in marriage neither can they die any more For they are equall to the Angells and are that sonnes of God assoone as they be the sonnes of resurrection To which effect also Paul sayth Flesh and bloude cannot inherite the kingdome of God. And least peraduenture anye man shoulde mistake his wordes and thincke that hee spake of the substaunce of the fleshe hée addeth immediately this for interpretation thereof and sayth Neither shall corruption inherite incorruption Wherefore fleshe and bloud that is to saye the affections and lustes of the fleshe shall not be in the Electe that liue in Heauen For the ioyes of Heauen do differ a greate deale from the ioyes of the earth are so farre forth of an other condition that they cānot admitte such corrupt Creatures to be inheritours of them for that cause the corruptible bodies muste firste be purged from all corruption by that meanes purely clarified The Turkes therefore are deceiued that looke for earthly ioyes Moreouer the bodies of the wicked shal also rise againe For Paule in the Actes sayth I belieue all that is written in the Lawe and the Prophetes hopeing in God that the resurrection of the deade which they themselues looke for also shal be both of the iust and vniust See here the Apostle saith of the vniust also But in this resurrection there shal not be taken out of their bodyes the infirmitie corruption dishonour and miserie for euen then that very body risinge agayne in dishonour shall by the iudgement and power of God be surely shut in dishonour and corruption and so be condemned for euer to beare endlesse tormentes and in death and corruption shall neyther dye nor yet corrupt that euen as on earth are founde certaine bodyes that doe indure euen in the fire so the cursed bodyes of the wicked shall not be worne out nor broken with any torments what so euer for euery minute they shall receiue newe strength to suffer and so by continuall suffering shall abyde their deserued punishmentes for euer and euer and without all end For the Lorde in the Gospell sayeth They that haue done euill shall rise againe to the resurrection of damnation that is to an induring and euerlasting damnation And Daniell before him sayde And the multitude of them that sleepe in the duste of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to shame and perpetuall contempt And in the Gospell againe the Lorde sayth Their worme dyeth not and their fire is not quenched And the very same wordes vsed Esay before him in his 66. Chapter We muste alwayes therefore haue that saying of the Lord in our heartes Feare him that can destroy bothe the body and the soule in Hell. Thus much hitherto touching the resurrection of the flesh The last Article of our beliefe which with good lucke shutteth vp the rest is this And life euerlasting We haue heard and vnderstoode that the soules of men are immortall and that oure bodyes doe rise againe in the ende of the worlde We haue confessed that this is our beliefe It felloweth now in the latter ende of the Créede whether it is that the immortall soul and body raised vp again shal come Therfore in our confession we say And life euerlasting that is I beléeue that I shall haue life and liue for euer bothe in body and soule And that euerlastingnesse verily is perpetual and hath no ende as a litle before is proued out of the holy Scriptures Moreouer the soules are made partakers of this eternall life immediatly after they are departed out of the bodyes as the Lorde him self witnesseth saying Hee that beleeueth in the Sonne of God shall not come into iudgemente but hath escaped from death to life As for the bodyes they are buried and doe putrifie and yet so notwithstanding that they shal not be without life for euer But they shall then at length be receiued into eternall lyfe when being raysed vp they shall after the time of iudgement be
this faith inspired from heauen and learned out of the worde of trueth doth put into mans minde an vndoubted persuasion that is that whatsoeuer we beléeue in the worde of God we do beléeue it most assuredly without wauering or doubting being altogether as sure to haue the thinge as faith doth beléeue to haue it for I vse this worde persuasion not as it is cōmonly taken but for a firme assent of minde inspired and persuaded by the holy ghost that this faith I say doth put into mans minde this vndoubted persuasion I meane to declare by the example of Abrahams faith which Paule in the fourth chapiter to the Romanes describeth in these words Abraham contrary to hope beleeued in hope and he fainted not in faith neither considered he his owne body now dead whē he was almost an hundred yeares olde nor the deadnesse of Saraes wombe he stackered not at the promise of God thorowe vnbeliefe but became stronge in faith and gaue the glorie to God hauinge a sure persuasion that hee which had promised was able also to perfourme In these wordes of the Apostle there are certayne notes t◠be obserued which do proue to vs that Faith doth bringe an assured persuasion into the mynde and harte of man and so that Fayth is an vndoubted confidence of thinges beleeued whereto the harte is made priuie that is that true fayth doth not flie to and fro from place to place in the hart of mā but that being deepely rooted in Christ it sticketh in the hart which is inlightened Firste sayeth the Apostle Abraham contrary to hope beleeued in hope that is to say there he had a constant hope where notwithstanding he had nothing to hope after if all thinges had been weighed accordinge to the manner of this worlde But Hope is a moste firme and vndoubted looking after those thinges which we beléeue So that we see that the Apostle did make fayth manifest by hope and by the certaintie of hope did declare the assured constancie of fayth After that sayth he Abraham faynted not in fayth nor stackered at the promise of God through vnbeliefe but was stronge in fayth There are two kindes of stackerings in mankinde The one is that which being ouercome by euill tentations doeth bende to desperation and the despising of Gods promises Such was the stackering of those ten spies of the holy lande of whom mention is made in the thirtéene and fourtéene chapiter of Numbers The other stackering is rather to be called a weake infirmitie of fayth which also is tempted it selfe that nowe I may not make rehearsall to you howe that in vs all by the spot of originall sinne is naturally grafted a certaine kinde of vnbeliefe and that mans minde is at no time so inlightened or confirmed but that cloudy mystes of ignorance and doubtinges doe some times arise yet notwithstanding fayth yéeldeth not to tentation neither is drowned nor sticketh in the of myre stackering but laying holde vpon the promised worde of trueth getteth vp againe by strugling and is confirmed So we reade that at the promise of God this came into Abrahams mynde What shall there a Sonne be borne to thée that art an hundred yeres old this was that infirmitie and stackering or weakenesse of fayth But here the Apostle commending Abrahams fayth which ouercame and yéelded not teaching vs also of what sort true fayth ought to be that is a firme and most assured persuasion sayth Abraham fainted not in fayth neyther considered his owne body nowe deade when he was almost an hundred yeares olde nor the deadnesse of Saraes wombe Loe this thought came into Abrahams minde Shall a Sonne be borne to me that am an hundred yeares olde But he faynted not in fayth The fayth of Abraham began not to droope by reason of this temptation For he considered not the weaknesse that was in him selfe nothing answerable to the promise of god what thē He stackered not at the promise of God through vnbeliefe That is he gaue no place to vnbeléefe to be tempted of it he fell not to his owne reasons and doubtfull inquisitions as vnbeléeuers are woont to doe For Gods promise beinge once set before the eyes of his mind so that I say he stucke vnmoueably casting of all doubts and reasons of his owne For fayth hath no respecte at all to the weakenesse miserie or lacke which is properly in man kinde but setteth her whole staye in the power of god So then I saye Abraham was stronge in fayth that is he preuayled and gotte the vpper hande in his temptacion For this is an argument to shewe that he had the vpper hande He faynted not nor waxed weake in fayth It followeth in the Apostle Abraham gaue God the glorie to wit in beleeuing that God wisheth well to man kinde and that he is a true God and almighty For he giueth God his glory which attributeth to God the properties of God and doeth not gainesay the word and promise of god For John the Apostle sayth He that beleeueth not in God maketh God a lyar Abraham therefore beleeued in God and in beleeuing gaue God the glorie The Apostle Paule goeth forwarde and sayth He was throughly persuaded or certified that he which had promised was able also to performe Paule vsed the Gréeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is all one as if you should say being certified For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doeth signifie fully to certifie wherevppon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an assured fayth giuen vnto vs which is made by way of argument or by the thinge it selfe And they call that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we call a certification as when a thinge by persuasions is so beaten into our mindes that after that we neuer doubte any more Therefore fayth did certifie Abraham and with vndoubted persuasions did bring him to the point neuer to doubt but that God was able to perfourme what he had promised in fayth therefore he stucke vnmoueably to the promise of God béeing assuredly certified that he shoulde obtayne whatsoeuer God had promised It is certaine therefore and plainly declared by the wordes of the Apostle that true Fayth is an vndoubted persuasion in the mynde of the beleeuer euen so to haue the thinge as his beliefe is and as he is sayde to haue it in the expresse worde of god Whereby also we learne that Fayth is not the vnstable and vnaduised confidence of him which beleeueth euery greate and vnpossible thinge For Fayth is ruled and bound to the worde of God to the worde of God I saye rightly and truly vnderstoode The godly and faythfull therefore doe not by and by out of the omnipotencie of God gather what they liste as though God therefore would doe euery thinge bycause he can doe all thinges or that Fayth should therefore beléeue euery thinge bycause it is written All thinges are possible to him that beleeueth For hys Fayth is therfore a great deale more bycause that
condemnation iustlie pronounced against them because when they liued they belieued not with Noe and them that were with him in the Sauiour that was to come Or else otherwyse by the lower partes or by hell wée vnderstād not the place of punishment appointed for the wicked but the faythful that are departed euen as al so by the higher parts we vnderstand them that yet are remayninge aliue Wherefore the soule of Christe descended into hell that is to say it was caried into Abrahams bosome wherein all the faythfull already departed were gathered together Therefore when hee sayd to the thiefe that was crucified wyth him This day shalt thou be wyth mee in Paradise he promised him the fellowship of life and of the blessed soules Touching Abrahams bosome our Lorde spake at large in the sixtenth Chapiter of the Gospell after S. Luk. For whereas the Lord is said to haue descended that commeth to passe by the manner of speakinge For otherwise it is euident by Luk that Abrahams bosome is a place seuered a great way from hell and placed vp aloft But to inquire or reason ouer curiouslye of these thinges is rather the point of a curious foole then of a godlye minded man Wée confesse in this article that the Soules are immortall and that they immediatelie after the bodilie death do passe to life and that all the sainctes from the beginninge of the worlde beinge sanctified by fayth throughe Christe do in Christe and by Christe receiue the inheritaunce of lyfe euerlasting I woulde adde to these the fifte article but that the houre is now alreadie spent Wée will therfore differre it vnto the next Sermon And nowe let vs altogether praye to God our father which is in heauen that hee will vouchsafe by his spirite to inspire vs wyth the true and quickening Fayth which is in the father and the sonne in the father as the maker of all thinges in the sonne as the sauiour of the whoale worlde who therefore came downe from heauen and was incarnate in the wombe of the moste holie Virgine Marie to the ende hee might bee the mediatour betwixte God and men and reconcile or make them at one againe betwixte themselues and that hee mighte haue wherewithal to make an oblation to appease Gods iustice and to purge oure sinnes which he bare on his body yea which he tooke awaye and made all the faithful heyres of lyfe euerlastinge Let vs nowe giue prayse to the grace of God and thanks to the sonne of god To whome alone all honour and glorie is due for euer and euer Amen Of the latter articles of Christian fayth conteined in the Apostles Creede ¶ The eight Sermon LEt vs firste of all pray to our God that he wyll vouchsafe to graunt vs an happie speedie and verye fruitefull proceeding in the declaration of the other Articles of Christian beliefe The fifte Article of oure beliefe is The thirde daye he rose againe from the deade And this article verilie of our beliefe is in a maner the chiefe of all the reste Neyther are the Apostles so busily occupied in declaring and confirminge the other as they are in this one For it had not beene enoughe if our Lorde had dyed onely vnlesse he had also rysen from the deade agayne For if hee had not risen from the deade but had remayned still in death who shoulde haue persuaded vs men that sinne was purged by the death of Christe that death was vanquished Sathan ouercome and Hell broken vppe for the faythfull by the death of Christe Yea verilye wee haue foolish fellowes that would neuer ceasse to blaspheme the verye God to make a mocke of oure hope and to saye Tushe who did euer returne from the deade to tell vs whether there be a lyfe in an other worlde after this or no and what kinde of lyfe it is Because therfore wée cannot finde finde that any man did euer returne from the deade that is to be doubted of which these babblers do tattle touchinge the lyfe of the world to come That the Lorde therefore mighte declare to the whole worlde that after this life there is an other and that the Soule dyeth not wyth the bodye but remayneth aliue hee returned the thirde daye aliue agayne to hys Disciples and at that instant shewed them that sinne was purged death disarmed the deuill vanquished and hell destroyed For the stinge of death is sinne Or the reward of sinne is death The deuill hath the power of Death and shutteth in Hell for sinnes Nowe therefore in that Christe ryseth aliue againe from the deade Death coulde haue no Dominion ouer him and because Death by sufferinge the Lorde to passe is broken It muste needes followe that the Deuill and Hell are vanquished by Christe And lastelie that Sinne the strēgth and power of them all is purelie purged It is euident therefore that the resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ doth as it were certifie and by seale assure vs of oure Saluation and Redemption so that nowe wee cannot anye longer doubte of it Wee confesse therefore in this Article that oure Lorde Iesus Christe is rysen againe and that hee is rysen agayne for oure behoofe that is to saye that hee hath wipte awaye oure sinnes and that for vs hee hath Conquered death the deuill and hell accordinge to the saying of the Apostle God hath saued vs and hath called vs with an holie callinge not according to our woorkes but according to his owne purpose and fauour which was giuen vnto vs through Iesus Christe before all beginninge but is declared openlie now by the appearing of our Sauiour Iesus Christe who hath verilie put out death brought forth lyfe lighte and immortalitie by the Gospell There are many more like this in the 4. of his Epistle to the Romans and in the 15. of his first to the Corinthians For the Lord also in the Gospell after S. Iohn sayth I am the resurrection and the life hee that belieueth in mee althoughe hee be dead shall liue and euerie one that liueth and belieueth in mee shall not die for euer Nowe also let vs throughlie consider euery woorde of this article seuerallie by it selfe Wée confesse the Lord his resurrection But a resurrection is to rise againe That riseth which falleth The bodie of Christ fell therfore the bodie of Christ riseth yea it riseth againe that is to saye the verie same bodie of Christe which before it fell did both liue and stirre doth nowe rise againe it doth I say both liue and stirre againe For trulie sayde Tertullian of the resurrectiō of the flesh that this word Resurrectiō is not properly spoken of any thing saue of y which first fell For nothing can rise againe but y that fell For by rising againe because it fel we say the resurrection is made Because this sillable Re is neuer added but when a thing is done againe Wherefore the women in the Gospell when they wente to annointe the bodie of the Lord
seueritie and vengeaunce that is in him For there are two cōmings of our Lorde Iesus Christe First he came basely in the fleshe to be the redéemer and sauiour of the worlde At the second time he shal come gloriously to iudgement to be a iudge and reuenger that will not be intreated against all vnrepentaunt sinners and wicked doers And he shal come out of heauen from the right hand of the Father in his visible and very humane body to be séene of all fleshe with the incomprehensible power of his Godhead and being attended on by all the Angels For the Lord him selfe in the Gospel sayth They shall see the sonne of man cōming in the cloudes of heauen with great power and glory and he shall send his angels with the great soūd of a trūp c. But now to iudge is to sit in the tribunall seate to heare and discusse matters to take vp strifes to determine and giue sentence lastly to defend deliuer againe to chastise punish by that means to kéepe vnder suppresse iniurie and malice We beléeue therefore that our Lorde Iesus Christ in that day shall deliuer all the godly destroy all the wicked according to the words of the Apostle who saith Our Lord shall be reuealed frō heauen with the Angels of his power with a burning flame and shall lay vengeance on them that haue not knowne God And againe the same iust iudge shall giue a crowne of righteousnesse to al them that loue his cōming The manner of this iudgemēt the writings of the Euangelistes Apostles doe tell vs shall be in this sort When once the wickednesse of this world shal come to the full that Antichrist shall haue deceiued the world so that there is but little faith remaining that the wicked shall say peace quietnesse then shall a soudaine destructiō come For our Lord the iudge shall send his Archangell to blowe the trūp to gather together frō the foure windes all flesh to iudgement by and by after shall the iudge him selfe our Lord Iesus Christ follow with all the hoast of heauen he shall descend out of heauen into the cloudes and sitting aloft in the cloudes as in a iudgement seate shal be easily séene of al flesh For they that shall be then liuing at the day of iudgement shall in a very prick of time be changed stande before the iudge and all the deade shall in a moment rise vp againe Then shall the iudge diuide the shéepe from the goats and according to iustice shal giue iudgemēt with the shéep against the goats saying Come ye blessed c. And Goe ye cursed c. Presently after shal follow execution For the shéepe shall by and by be caught vp into the clouds to méete the Lord in the ayre shal ascend with him ioyfully into heauen to the right hande of God the father there to liue for euer in glory gladnesse The bottome of the earth shall gape for the wicked shall sucke them all vp horribly and send them down to hel there to be tormented for euer with Sathā and his Angels All this shall be done not by any long troublesom or change able processe as is vsed in our Courts of lawe but euen in the twinckling of an eye For then shall all mens hearts be layd open euery mans owne conscience shall accuse him selfe This is more at large set out in Math. 24. 25 Wis 3. 5. 1. Cor. 15. 2. Cor. 5. 1. The. 4 5. Rom. 2. 2. Pet. 3. c. Nowe we doe simply confesse that the quick and the dead shal be iudged This do some expound of the godly vngodly But the Symbole or Creede was ordeined for the most simple of vnderstanding And simple things are fittest for to teache simple men Therfore we say simply that the dead are al they that from the beginning of the worlde euen vntill the last day are departed out of this mortal life And the liuing are they which at that day shal be aliue in this world For the apostle saith Behold I tel you a mysterie we shall not all sleepe but we shall all be chaunged by the last trump in a moment of time and in the twinckling of an eye For the trumpe shall sound and the dead shall rise againe incorruptible and we shall be chaunged And again in another place the same Apostle saith This I say vnto you in the word of the Lord that we which shall liue and be remaining at the cōming of the Lorde shall not preuent them which are a sleepe Bycause the Lorde him selfe shal come downe out of heauen with a great noyse and the voice of an Archangel and the trump of God and firste shall the deade in Christe rise vp againe then shall we which shall be a liue be remaining be caught vp together with them in the cloudes into the ayre to meete the Lorde and so shall we be with the Lord for euermore We confesse therefore in this seuenth Article that we beléeue there shall be an ende of all thinges in this world and that the felicitie of the wicked shall not indure for euer For we beleue that God is a iust God who hathe giuen all iudgement vnto his Son to repay to euery one in that day according to his workes paines to the wicked that neuer shall be ended and to the godly ioyes euerlasting And so in this Article we professe that we looke for a deliuerance a ceasing from troubles and the rewarde of life euerlasting For howe should he destroye them that beléeue in him his people and his seruauntes who in the moste true Gospell sayth Verily I say vnto you that ye ▪ which hane followed me in the regeneration when the Sonne of man shall sit on the seate of his maiestie ye also shall sit vpon twelue seates iudging the twelue tribes of Israell There are moste certaine rewardes and penalties appointed for the godly and vngodly in the worde of trueth He can not lye that sayd to Esay Say to the righteous that it shall goe well with him for he shall inioye the fruite of his studie But woe be to the wicked it shall be euill with him for he shall be rewarded according to the workes of his owne handes And thus muche touching the seconde part of the Créede Nowe are we come to the thirde part The eight Article of our beliefe is this I beleeue in the holy Ghost This thirde parte of the Créede containeth the propertie of the third person in the reuerend Trinitie And we doe rightly beléeue in the holy Ghost as wel as in the father and the sonne For the holy Ghoste is one God with the Father and the Sonne and rightly is faith in the holy Ghoste ioyned to faith in the Father and the Sonne For by him the fruite of Gods saluation fulfilled in the Sonne is sealed to vs and oure sanctification and cleansing
againe and in their owne flesh stande amonge the lyuinge that are chaunged before the Tribunall seate of Christe lookinge for that laste pronounced sentence in iudgemente This doth Paule set downe in these woordes Loe I tell you a mysterie we shall not all verilie sleepe but we shal all be chaunged in a moment of time in the twinckling of an eye at the sounde of the laste trump For it shall sounde and the dead shall ryse againe incorruptibly and we shal be chaunged For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortalitie By this euident testimonie of the Apostle wee maye gather in what facion our bodyes shal bee in that resurrection Verilie oure bodyes shal be none other in the resurrection then now they bee this onely excepted that they shal be cleane without all corruption and corruptible affection For the Apostle sayth The deade shal rise againe And wee shal be chaunged And againe pointing expressly and precisely to these very bodyes which here wée beare aboute hée sayth This corruptible This mortall Yea This body I saye and no other as Iob also witnessed shal rise againe and that shall rise agayne incorruptible which was corruptible that shall rise againe immortall which before the resurrection was mortall So then this body of ours in the resurrection shal be set free from all euill affections and passions from all corruption but the substaunce therof shall not be brought to noughte it shall not be chaunged into a Spirite it shall not loose the owne and proper shape And this body verilie because of that purification and cleansing from those dreggs yea rather because of these heauenlie and diuine giftes is called both a spirituall body and also a glorious and purified bodie For Paule in the thirde to the Philippians sayth Our conuersation is in Heauen from whence wee looke for the Sauiour the Lorde Iesus Christe who shall chaunge oure vile bodie that it maye be made like vnto his glorious bodie See here the Apostle calleth not oure resurrection from the deade a transubstantiation or losse of the substaunce of our body but a chaunging then also shewing what kinde of bodie that chaunged bodie is hee calleth it a glorious bodie not without all shape and voyde of facion but augmented in glorie yea hee setteth before vs the verie bodie of oure Lorde Iesus Christ where in he sheweth vs what facion oure bodies shall haue being in glorie For in plaine woordes hee sayth Hee shall make oure vile bodie like to his glorious bodie Let vs therefore see what kinde of bodie oure Lorde had after his resurrection it was neither tourned into a Ghoste nor broughte to nothinge nor yet not able to be knowne by the shape and figure For shewing them his handes and feete that were easilie knowne by the printe of the nayles wherewith hee was crucifyed hee sayde See for I am euen hee to wit cladde agayne wyth the same bodie wherein I hong vppon the Crosse For speaking yet more plainely and prouing that that bodie of his was not a spirituall substaunce hee sayde A spirite hath not fleshe and bones as yee see that I haue Hee hath therefore a purified bodie fleshe and bones and the verie same members which hee had when as yet his bodie was not purified And for this cause did the same Lorde offer to Thomas his syde and the scarres of his fiue woundes to bee fealt and handled to the ende that wee shoulde not doubte but that his verie bodie was raised vp againe Hee did both eate and drincke wyth his Disciples as Peter in the Actes witnesseth before Cornelius that all men might know that the verie self same bodie that died rose from death againe Now althoughe this bodie be comprehended within a certaine limited place not dispersed all ouer and euerie where although it haue a iust quantitie figure or shape and a iust weight with the owne kinde and nature yet notwithstanding it is free from euerie passion corruption and infirmitie For the bodie of the Lorde once raysed vppe was in the Gardeine and not in the Sepulcher when the women came to annoynt it it meeteth them by the waye as they returne from the Sepulcher and offereth it selfe to be séene of Magdalene in the Gardeine it goeth in company to Emaus with the two Disciples that iourneyed to Emaus in the meane time while hee was wyth them in bodie hée was not among the other disciples when they twayne are returned to the eleuen the Lord himselfe at euening is present wyth them Hée goeth before his Disciples into Galile presently after hée commeth into Iurie againe where his body was taken vp from Mount Oliuet into Heauen All this doth prone the certayne veritie of Christes his body But because this bodie although it be a true and verie bodie of the owne proper kinde place disposition of the owne proper shape and nature is called a glorified and glorious body I will say somewhat of that glorie which verily is incident to the true shape and substance of the body once raysed vppe againe First glorie in this sense is vsed for a lightsomnes and shining brightnes For Paule sayth that the children of Israel for the glorie of Moses countenaunce coulde not beholde with their eyes the face of Moses so then a glorious body is a bright and shining bodie A very good proofe of this did our Lord shewe euen a litle before his resurrection when it pleased him to giue to his Disciples a small taste of the glorie to come and for that cause toke asyde certaine whom he had chosen into the toppe of a certaine hill where he was trāsfigured before them so that that the facion of his countenaūce did shine as the Sunne and his clothes were white and glistered as the light The Lord verilie had still the same bodilie substaunce and the same members of the bodie but they were transfigured But it is manifest that that transfiguratiō was in the accidēts For light and brightnesse was added so that the shape substance of the countenance and bodye remayning as it was the countenaunce and body did glister as the Sunne the light And althoughe wée reade not that the body of the Lord did within those 40. dayes wherin he shewed himselfe aliue againe to his Disciples make manifeste and spread abroade the brightnesse which it had and that by reason of the dispensation whereby also hée did eate with his disciples not withstanding that clarified bodies neede not foode or nourishment at all yet neuerthelesse his bodie shineth nowe in Heauen as Iohn in the first of the Apocalipse witnesseth and the sacred Scriptures laye an assured hope before vs that euen oure bodyes also shall in the resurrection be likewise clarified For the Lord himselfe in the Gospell alledginge the woords of Daniell sayth Then shal the righteous shine as the Sonne in his fathers kingdome For this cause the glorious bodies are called also clarifyed of the
caught into the ayre there to méete Christ that they may for euer be with the lord For then doe the soules returne out of Heauen euery one to his owne body that the whole perfect ful maÌ„ may liue for euer both in soule and body For the soule of Christ dying on the Crosse did out of hande departe into Paradise and the thirde day after returned to the body whiche rose againe and ascended into heauen Euen as therefore eternall life came to the heade Christ so shal it also come to all and euery member of Christ Now whereas Paule citing Esai sayth What the eye hath not seene nor the eaâ—e hearde nor hath at any time come into the heart of man that hath the Lord prepared for them that loue him I suppose verily if all were sayd touching eternall life that might be spoken by all the men of all ages that euer were or shall be yet that scarcely the very leaste part thereof hath or shall be throughly touched For how so euer the Scripture dothe with eloquent and figuratiue speches with allusions and harde Sentences most plainly shew the shadowe of that lyfe and those ioyes yet notwithstanding all that is little or nothing in comparison to speake of vntill that day do come wherein we shall with vnspeakable ioy beholde God him selfe the creator of al things in his glory Christ our sauiour in his Maiestie and finally all the blessed soules Angelles Patriarches Prophetes Apostles Martyrs our Fathers all nations all the hâ—ast of Heauen and lastly the whole diuine and heauenly glorye Moste truely therefore sayde Aurelius Augustine Lib. de Ciuitat Dei. 22. Cap. 29. When it is demaunded of me what the Saintes shall doe in that spirituall bodye I aunswere not that which I nowe see but that that I beleeue I say therefore that they shall see God in that spirituall body And againe If I shoulde say the trueth I knowe not in what sort that action quietnesse and rest shall be For the peace of God doth passe all vnderstanding To be short we shall sée God face to face we shall be filled with the companie of God and yet be neuer wéerie of him And the face of God is not that countenaunce that appeareth in vs but is a most delectable reuealing and inioying of God whiche no mortall tongue can worthily declare Goe to then dearely beloued brethren let vs beléeue and liue that when we shall departe from hence we may in very déede haue tryall of those vnspeakable ioyes of the eternal life to come which nowe we doe beléeue Hytherto haue I throughout the foure laste Articles declared vnto you the fruite and ende of Christian fayth Fayth leaneth vpon one God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghoste which saÌ„ctifieth the faithful purgeth and halloweth a Churche to him selfe whiche Churche hath a communion with God and all Saintes All the offences of which Church God pardoneth and forgiueth And dothe preserue it both soule and body For as the Saintes Soules can not dye so God rayseth vp their bodies againe and maketh them glorious and euerlasting to the end that the whole man may for euer liue in heauen with the Lorde To whome be prayse and glory world without end AmeÌ„ Of the loue of God and our Neighbour ¶ The tenth Sermon IT remaineth since I haue in some sermons discoursed of true faythe that I do nowe also adde one Sermon touching loue towards God and our neyghbour For in my fourth Sermon I promised so soone as I should haue done with the exposition of fayth that then I would speake of loue towarde God and our neighbour bycause the exposition of the Scriptures ought not to goe awrye out of faythe and charitie whiche are as it were the right and holy markes for it to drawe vnto Ye as hitherto ye haue done so cease not yet to pray that this wholesome doctrine maye be by me taught as it shoulde be and by you receiued with much increase and profite And first of all I will not curiously put any difference betwene Charitie and loue I will vse them both in one and the same sense S. Augustine De doctrina Christiana saith I cal Chatitie a motion of the minde to delight in God for his owne sake and to delight in himselfe and his neighbour for Gods sake And therfore I cal loue a gifte giuen to man from Heauen wherby with his hart he loueth God before and aboue all thinges and his neighbour as him selfe Loue therfore springeth from Heauen from whence it is powred into our hartes But it is inlarged and augmented partly by the remembrance and consideration of Gods benefits partly by often prayer and also by the hearing frequenting of the worde of Christ Which things them selues also are the giftes of the spirite For the Apostle Paule saith The loue of God is powred out into our hartes by the holy Ghoste which is giuen vs. For verily the loue of God wherwith he loueth vs is the foundation cause of our loue wherewith we loue him and of both these iointly consisteth the loue of our neighbour For the Apostle saith We loue him bicause he first loued vs. And againe Euery one that loueth him which begot loueth him also that is borne of him Hereby we gather againe that this gifte of loue can not be diuided or seuered although it be double For he that loueth God truly hateth not his neighbour and yet neuerthelesse this loue bicause of the double respect that it hath to God and our neighbour staÌ„deth of two partes And bicause of this double Charitie the tables of Gods law are diuided into twaine the first wherof conteineth foure commaundeâ—â—nts touching the loue of God the seconde comprehendeth sixe precepts touching the loue of our neighbour Of which I will speake in their owne place But at this time bicause the loue of God and of our neighbour are twaine I will first speake of the loue of God and then of the loue of our neighbour In these two commaundements saith the Lord hang the law and the Prophetes With that which wee call the loue of God we loue God entirely wel we cleaue to God as the onely chiefe and eternal goodnesse in him we do delight our selues and are well pleased and frame our selues to his wil and pleasure hauing euermore a regarde and desire of him that we loue With loue wée loue God most hartelie But wee doe hartelie loue the thinges that are deare vnto vs and the things that to vs séeme worthie to be desired and we loue them entirely in deede not so much for our coÌ„modity as for because wée do desire to ioyne and as it were for euer to giue and dedicate our selues whoalie to the thing that wée so dearelie loue So verilie wee desyre for euer to be ioyned with God are in charitie fast lincked vnto him as the Apostle sayth God is charitie and he that dwelleth in charitie dwelleth
orderly procéeded in euery point and taught euery thing so euidently and plainely that there is nothing whiche ye doe not very well perceiue and vnderstand Let vs now prayse the Lord and thanke him for his goodnes for shewing vs his ways and let vs praye that we walking rightly in them may at the last come to his eternall ioyes Amen Of the thirde precept of the tenne Commaundementes and of Swearing ¶ The thirde Sermon THE thirde Commandement of the first Table is thus worde for worde Thou shalte not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vaine Bycause the Lorde will not let him goe vnpunished that taketh the name of the Lorde his GOD in vaine In the seconde Commaundement the Lord did set down the worship that he would not haue that he misliked of and did flatly forbid to wit a worldly earthly and carnall kinde of honour a base and vile kinde of worship a seruice that is directly contrarie to the spirite nature and maiestie of God that is to think that God will in shape resemble a man or any other creature made of earth or corruptible stuffe or matter and then againe to worship him vnder those shapes and figures with corruptible thinges that were first ordeined and created for the vse and behoofe of men and not of god For God is an eternall spirite which goeth all ouer and preserueth euery thing whom all the most excellent creatures of the whole world if they were ioyned together in one are not able to resemble nor yet to represent the least iote of excellencie in the liuing god God is so farre from lacking any corruptible thinges that he him selfe supplyeth the want of all our necessities It is a mere follie therefore to set vp a percher a taper or a smoakie torch before the maker and giuer of light It is a very toy to offer flesh of beasts to that eternall spirite who in the Psalmes sayth All the beasts of the woods are mine and the cattel in a thousand hilles I know all birdes vpon the mountaines and in my power are all the beastes of the fielde if I be hungrie I neede not to tell thee since the world is myne and all that is therein Now therfore in this thirde Commaundement the Lorde doth very exquisitely although very briefly declare the manner hâ—w he will be worshipped that is in holy reuerencing of his holy name The names wherby god is called are God Gods Maiestie Gods truth Gods power Gods iustice Now the charge of this commaundement is not to abuse the name of God and not to vse it in light and trifling matters but to speake to thinke and iudge honourably reuerently holily and purely of God and godly things But the pithe and effect almost of the whole lyeth herein that he sayth the name of the Lord thy god to wit which is thy chief goodnesse felicitie thy creator thy redéemer thy tender father Now note that the Lorde doth not barely forbid to vse his name but he chargeth not to vse it lightly or in vaine that is beyond necessarie vse or our behoofe and beside the honour and glory of god Let vs sée therefore howe we ought to sanctifie the Lordes name and howe we maye deuoutly vse the name of God and last of all so worship him as he him selfe hath appointed vs to do Firste of all we haue to thinke of God as of the chiefe felicitie and infinite treasure of all good thinges who loueth vs excéedingly with a fatherly affection alwayes wishing and by all means desiring to haue vs men saued and to come to the perfect knowledge of the very truth whose iudgements are true and iust whose workes for their excellencie are wonderfull and whose words are most true and truth it selfe Then must this holy name of God continually be called vpoÌ„ in praiers néede and requestes By that alone we must looke to obtaine whatsoeuer is néedful for our bodies or souls We must neuer cease to giue thanks to that for all the good benefites that we do or shall receiue For what good soeuer men haue and inioy that haue they not from else where than from God the fountaine and giuer of all This glory must euer be giueÌ„ to god If we be nipped with any aduersitie let vs not by an by murmur againste Gods good pleasure and his secrete iudgements but rather suffering and submitting ourselues vnder his mightie and fatherly hande let vs say with the Prophet Dauid It is good for me Lorde that thou haste chastened me Let not vs appoint God what he shal doe but wholy alwayes submit our selues to his good will and holie pleasure Let vs in al things giue God the glory in praysing openly and plainely professing his name and doctrine before Kings and Princes yea and in sight of all the world so often as occasion shall be giuen and the glory of God shal séeme to require Let vs not be ashamed of God our father of his truth and true religion Let vs not be ashamed of Christ our redéemer nor yet of his crosse But let vs be ashamed of errours idolatrie of the world and vanitie of lyes and iniquitie Let vs holily reuerently and deuoutly both speake and thinke of God his workes and his word Let the law of God be holy to vs let his Gospell be reuerend in our eies let the doctrin of the Patriarches Prophetes and Apostles be estéemed of vs as that which came from God him selfe Let vs not take the name of the Lord our God into our mouthes vnlesse it be in a matter of weight Let vs not blaspheme curse nor lye in the name of the Lorde Let vs not vse nay rather abuse the name or worde of God in coniuring iuggling or sorcerie For in these thinges the name of God is most of all abused Let vs precisely and holily kéepe the othe whiche we haue made by the name of the liuing and eternall god Let vs in al things tell truth and lye not that when this world that will not sée shall be inforced to see so great a reuerence and deuotion in vs to the name of our God it may be compelled thereby to glorifie our father which is in heauen And this verily is the godly vsing of the Lordes name and the religion wherin our God is very well pleased Nowe note by the way that there are sundry wayes whereby we abuse the name of God and first of all we abuse it as often as our harts are with out all reuerence to God him selfe when we do vnreuerently filthily wickedly and blasphemously speake of God of his iudgements of his word and of his lawes when we doe with scoffing allusions apply Gods wordes to light matters and trifles by that meanes turning and drawing the Scriptures into a prophane and vnhonest meaning Moreouer we do disgrace that name of the Lord our God wheÌ„ we call not vpon his name but turne our selues rather to I knowe
Sauiour in their halls and dineing parlours onely but in their seuerall heartes also For since dronkennesse hath in these our dayes so good intertainment with all degrées estates kindes and ages wée do daily féele the wofull miseries that God doth threaten to dronkards in the 5. and 28. cap. of Esaies Prophecie And it is to be feared greatly that the day of the Lord shal sodeinly light vppon an innumerable sorte of dronkardes to their endlesse paine and vtter destruction Let him heare therefore which hath eares to heare Neither can I heere refraine but néedes must recite vnto you dearely beloued that which S. Martine y bishop not of Tours in Fraunce but of Dumia in Germanie who flourished in that dayes of IustiniaÌ„ the Emperour did write to Miro kinge of Gallicia touching the ordering and leading a coÌ„tinent life If saith he thou dost loue continencie cut off superfluitie and keepe vnder thine appetite Consider with thee selfe how much nature requireth and not how much lust desireth Bridle thy coÌ„cupiscence and cast off the alluring baytes that serue to draw on hidden pleasures Eate without vndigested surfetting and drinke without dronkennesse Neither glut thee selfe with presente delicates nor long after deintrells hard to be come bye Let thy diet bee of cates good cheape and sit not down for pleasure but for meate Let hunger not sauces prouoake thee to eate Pay but little for pastimes to delighte thee because thy only care should be to leaue such pleasures that thereby thou in facioning thy self to the example of God mayste as much as thou canst make hast to reduce thee selfe from the body to the spirite If thou louest continencie then choose not a pleasaunt but a whoalsome dwelling place and make not the Lord to be knowne by the gorgeous house but the house by the honest landlord Boast not thee selfe of that which thou hast not nor that which thou hast neither couet to seeme more than thou art But rather take hede that thy pouertie be not vn clenly nor thy niggishnes filthie nor thy simplicitie coÌ„temptible nor thy lenitie feareful though thy estate be poore yet let it not be in extreeme miserie Neither be out of loue with thine owne degree nor wish after the estate of an other mans life If thou louest continencie auoyde dishonest things before they happen and feare no man aboue thine owne coÌ„science Thinke that al thinges are tollerable dishonestie excepted Absteine from filthie talke the libertie whereof doth nourish vnshamefastnes Loue rather profitable coÌ„munication than merrie conceites or pleasaunt talke and set more by the blunt spoken trueth thaÌ„ by fayre soothing speeches Thou mayste sometime mingle mirth with matters of weighte but it must bee done moderately without the hurte or detriment of thine estate and grauitie For laughter is blameworthie if it bee immoderately vsed childishly squeaked or taken vp by fittes as women are wont to do Esteeme not saucie scoffing but ciuil mirth with curteous humanitie Let thy conceites of mirth be without biting thy sportes not without profite thy laughter without vnseemely writhing of thy mouth and visage thy voyce without sâ—hriking thy pace in going without hastie shuffling Let not thy rest bee idlenesse And when other play take thou some holy honest thing in hand If thou art continent take heede of flatterie let it greeue thee as much to bee praised of naughtie men as if thou werte praised for thine owne naughtie deedes Be the gladder for it if thou displeasest euil men and impute the euill opinions which naughtie men haue of thee for the best praise that can be giueÌ„ thee The hardest woorke of continencie is to put away the soothinge curtesies of dissembling flatterers whose fawning woordes vndoe the minde with pleasaunt sensualitie Presume not to much vpon thy selfe neither be thou arrogant Submit thee selfe so farre as thou mayste keepe thy grauitie and yet make not thee selfe a footestoole or cousshen for euery maÌ„ to leane on Be told of thy faultes willingly and suffer thee selfe gladly to be repreheÌ„ded If any man for a cause be angrie with and chide thee acknowledge thy faulte and let his chiding profite thee But if he chide thee without any cause thinke that therby he would haue profited thee Feare not sharpe but sugred words Do thou thee selfe eschew all sortes of vices and be not an ouerbusie searcher out of other mens faultes be thou no sharpe fault finder but an admonisher without vpbrayding so that still thy warning maye beare the shew of chearefull mirth and condiscend easily to pardon the errour Neither praise nor dispraise any man ouermuch Be still and giue eare to them that speake bee readie to instructe them that doe hearken to him that asketh giue a readie aunsweare to him that despiseth thee giue place easily and fal not out to chiding and cursing If thou art continent haue an eye to the motions of thy body minde that they be not vnseemely and set not light by them because no bodie seeth them For it maketh no matter if no body see them so thou thee selfe doesâ— spie and perceiue them Bee moueablâ— not light constant not stubborne Bee liberall to all men fawninge on no man familiar with fewe and vpright to euery one Beleeue not lightly euerie rumour accusation or conceyued suspicion Despise vaine glorie and bee no sharpe exactor of the goods that thou hast Vse fewe wordes thee selfe but suffer them that speake Bee graue not roughe nor contemning the merrie nature Bee desirous and appliable to bee taughte wisedome imparte what thou knowest to him that demaundeth without any arrogancie desire to learne the thinges that thou knowest not without hiding thine ignoraunce A wise manne will not chaunge his common countrie facion nor make the people gaze on him with newe found deuises Thus much haue I hetherto recited touchinge continencie out of the writinges of the blessed bishoppe Martine of Dumia Wée for oure partes must praye to the Lord that hée will vouchsaâ—e to bestowe on vs his holy spirite by which the force of continencie in all thinges may take roote in oure heartes to the bringing foorth of fruite in our déeds agréeable to the prescript rule of this commaunded continencie For vnlesse the holie ghoste doe quicken and inspire vs wée doe in vaine giue eare to so many and so good commaundementes and vnlesse wée liue and lead a temperate and a sober life wee are vtterly vnwoorthie to beare the name of Christians To this place also doth the treatise of fastinge belonge which I meane to handle in as fewe woords as conueniently can bee Christian fasting is a discipline ordering and chastening of the body for the presente necessitie which wee beginne and kéepe of oure owne accord without compulsion and wherewith wée humble our selues in the sight of God by drawing from the body the matter that setteth the flesh on fire therby to make it obey the spirite
bands wherewith they are tyed that wishe loke to be set at libertie But throughout all ages there is none such to bée found in all the world nor yet in heauen but Iesus Christ alone the sonne of God who for that cause did in the Gospell say If the Sonne set you at libertie then are ye free in deede Nowe they whome the Lord deliuereth are bondslanes wherefore hée doeth deliuer them from bondage and doth incorporate them in the libertie of the sonnes of god Hée doth set all bondseruauntes at libertie excluding none but such as do by their owne default their owne vnbeléefe and disobedience exclude themselues For the comming of the sonne of God was to set all such at libertie as were entangled in bondage Therefore he doth so farre forth deliuer vs as we are bondseruaunts For bondage and libertie are one opposed and contrarie to the other so that without the consideration of the one wée cannot conceiue the meaning of the other Wherefore I thincke it best héere to speake so much of bondage as this present argument shall séeme to require First bondage is nothing else but the state or condition wherein bondseruauntes bée Nowe those that are in boÌ„dage are either bondmen borne or else made bondseruauntes The children that issue of bondseruaunts are bondslaues borne The other that are made bondseruantes are so made either by captiuitie wherevppon they take their names and are called captiues For Pomponius saith Slaues were therevppon so called because the Capitaines commaunded to sell them for monie when they were in warres taken captiues by their souldiours and so by that means to spare their liues and saue them these bondmen are in latine also called Mancipia eo quod ab hostibus manu caperentur because they were taken prisoners by the hande of their enimies Or else they are made bondslaues by the ciuil law as when a frée man aboue twentie yeares of age doeth for lucre sake suffer himselfe to bée sould for monie Bondmen therefore haue loste all libertie and doe whoalie hange vppon their maisters gouernment in whose power it lyeth to kill them if they list Nowe of bondage there are two sortes the Politique and the Spirituall The politique bondage is not by grace the preaching of the Gospell taken out of the Churche of the faithfull so that there should bee no bondmen at all or that they should not doe their duetie or not doe the seruice that of right they doe owe. For the Apostle Paule saith Let euery man walke according as he is called And so ordeine I in al Churches Art thou called being a seruaunt Care not for it But yet if thou mayest be free vse it rather And againe Seruauntes obey them that are your bodilie maisters with feare and trembling and singlenesse of hearte as vnto Christ not with eye seruice as men pleasers but as the seruauntes of Christe doinge the will of God from the heart with good will seruing the Lord and not men knowing that what soeuer good thinge any man doeth that shall hee receiue againe of the Lord whether hee be bond or free And in his Epistle to Timothie hée saith Let as many seruauntes as are vnder the yoke counte their maisters worthie of all honour that the name of God and his doctrine bee not blasphemed And they which haue beleeuing masters despise them not because they are brethren but rather doe seruice for as much as they are beleeuing beloued and such as are partakers of the benefite And yet in this bondage the faithfull haue this comfort by the preaching of the Gospel that howsoeuer they bée bond in body yet they are frée in mind and soule For the Apostle againe doth say Hee that is called a bondman in the Lord is the Lords freeman Likewise hee that is called free is bond to Christ This is a comfort to the faithful in all their afflictions which knowe that their spirite is safe and frée howsoeuer their bodie is streightly imprisoned or sharpely tormented Therefore the Saincts are at their libertie although they be neuer so narrowely looked to and shutt vpp in custodie they are victorers and vanquishers howsoeuer they are bound and oppressed Finally they enioy most exquisite pleasures euen then when they are vexed with most infinite euils I knowe that the children of this world doe mocke and scoffe at these pleasures and libertie of the faithfull beléeuers as though they were méere dreames and fantasiâ—s of very fooles and asses But God doth soundly pay them home for their scoffes and mockerie not in the world to come onely but also in this preseÌ„t life while they themselues like miserable caytifes beeing in extreme captiuitie doe notwithstanding euen in that slauerie thincke themselues at libertie and in most absolute felicitie For they serue a filthie seruice in detestable slauerie making themselues bondmeÌ„ to abhominable whoredome to beastly madd drunkennesse to the wicked Mammon and to other most vile pleasures wherein they die and rott with endlesse shame and infamie But of the seruice afflictions of the Sainctes who doe euen in their afflictions enioye their libertie and reioyce in the Lord the Apostle Paule speaketh where he saith We are troubled on euery side yet are wee not made pensiue wee are in pouertie but not in extreme pouertie wee suffer persecution but are not vtterly forsaken therein wee are caste downe but wee perish not bearing about alwayes in the body the dying of the Lord Iesus that the life of Iesus might also appeare in our bodie And againe In all things wee doe our endeuour to shewe oure selues as doth become the ministers of Christ in much suffering in afflictions in necessities in sorrowes in stripes in imprisonmentes in seditions in labours in watchinges in fastinges in glorie and ignominie in reproches and prayses as deceiuers yet speakers of trueth as vnknowen and yet knowen as dying and loe wee liue as chastened and not killed as sorrowfull and yet alwayes reioycing as poore and yet making many riche as hauing nothing and yet possessing all thinges Loe héere ye sée howe the Saincces in extreme seruitude haue a chéerefull consolation and are alwayes at their libertie as is to be séene by infinite examples in the Actes of the Apostles other Ecclesiasticall histories Nowe wee come to the second part of bondage The spirituall bondage hath a certaine likenesse to the bodily seruitude For Adam by his owne fault became a bondman and wée of him are all borne bondmen Hée was once at libertie and had the Lord to bee his friend and fauourer but hée did disâ—oyallie reuolte from GOD and gost himselfe an other maister the diuell a tyraunt as cruell as maye bée who for his sinne hauing gotten power ouer him did like a mercilesse Lord miserablie handle him like a bond seruaunte Nowe wée of oure corrupte graundsire are borne corrupt and sinners and for our sinne are also vnder the diuels dominion wée are
of Christe are of the diuell and therefore that they by al meanes together with all their disciples sectaries are to be auoyded This treatise of the true flesh of Christ we knit vp with these most plaine wordes of Paul WheÌ„ Christ was in the forme of God he made himselfe of no reputation taking on him the forme of a seruant and made in the likenesse of men found in figure as a man He huÌ„bled him selfe made obedient vndeath euen the death of the crosse Wherefore it is without doubt that the sonne of God tooke true and humane flesh and in the same is consubstantiall or of the selfe same substance with vs in all points sinne excepted Neither did oure Lorde after he was risen againe from the dead though he were glorified put off or lay aside his true body which he had once taken and put on And his glorification doth not take away the trueth of his nature For he saith vnto his disciples A spirite hath not fleshe and bones as ye see me haue Wherefore he carried that his true verie fleshe into heaueÌ„ with him in his true flesh he appeareth alwayes for vs in the sight of good the father in his true flesh he will come to iudge the quick the dead in his true flesh they shal sée him which crucified him Christ according to this nature who in respecte of his Godheade is no creature but a creatour is a creature For the fleshe of Christ hath beginning lineally descended from Adam who is the creature of the liuing god And albeit these thinges be sufficiently fenced with the force of the scriptures yet it shall not séeme yrckesome vnto you dearely beloued to rehearse the opinion of the blessed father Cyril which concerning the same matter he hath left written in his Epistle vnto Successus Byshop of Isauria Diocesse in these wordes Bycause I founde in your aduertisement such a kind of thing as though the holie flesh of Christe the sauiour of vs all were turned into the nature of his deitie after his resurrection so that now he shuld seme to be wholy solie god we thought good also to make answere vnto this And a fewe wordes after After the resurrection certeinely it was the selfe same body whiche suffered but yet not hauing now in it self mans infirmities For we affirme not that it abideth hunger labour or any such like thing but we confesse that now it is incorruptible and not this only but also that quickneth and giueth life For it is a body that both hath and giueth life that is to say of the onely begotten sonne of God and it is glorified with the most worthy brightnesse of God and it is knowne and taken to be the bodie of god Therefore if any man say that that is Gods body as the body of a man is mans body he swarueth net from allowable reason Wherevpon I thinke that most â—lessed Paule also sayde Though wee haue knowne Christ after the flesh now yet hencefoorth knowe we him no more For being as I sayde the proper body of God it farre passeth all humane bodies But a body made of earth could not abide to be turned into the nature of the Deitie or Godhead For this is impossible Otherwise we abase the Godhead as if it were made and as if it had taken somewhat into it selfe whiche according to nature doth not properly belong to it Hereby it is proued to be as much follie to say that the body is turned into the nature of the Godhead as that which is the worde to be chaunged into the substance of flesh For as this is impossible bycause it is proued to be a bodye not able to be turned and chaunged so also it is not possible that any creature can be turned into the essence or nature of the Godhead but fleshe is also created And therefore we say that the body of Christ is diuine bycause it is the body of God and beautified with vnspeakable glorie and nowe let vs confesse that it is vncorruptible holy and giuing life but that it is chaunged into the nature of the Godhead neyther haue any of the holy fathers so thought or taught neyther doe we so thinke Thus farre Cyrill And Theodoretus Byshop of Cyrus Dialog 2. Eranist sayth I will shewe that the body of the Lorde yea after the ascension was called a bodie Heare Paule therefore saying Our conuersation is in heauen from whence wee looke for a Sauiour the Lord Iesus Christ who shall chauÌ„ge our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodye Therefore it is not chaunged into an other nature but remaineth indéede a true very body replenished with diuine glorie casting foorth beames of light But if it be chaunged into an other nature their bodies also shall likewise be chaunged For they shall be fashioned like vnto him But if the bodies of Saints kéepe the substance of their nature the body of the Lord likewise hath his substance vnchangable Thus farre Theodoret. Furthermore when we professe that Christ hath true and verie flesh we doe not meane fleshe withoute soule For we must confesse that Christe hath a reasonable or humane soule not voyde of a mynde Arius taught that the sonne of GOD tooke fleshe onely without a soule and that the worde was in place of the soule And Apollinarius did attribute vnto Christe a soule but hée toke away the minde denying that it was reasonable The scripture doth both attribute vnto Christe a soule and taketh not away the minde from the soule The Lord himselfe sayeth in the Gospell The sonne of man came not to bee ministred vnto but to minister and to giue his soule a redemptioÌ„ for many The same Matth. hath left written of him He began to be sorowfull and heauie And Iesus said My soule is heauie euen vnto the death And in another place the Lord himselfe saith Now my soule is troubled And if so bee that this soule of Christe lacke the minde which is the chiefest part of the soule how hath he a soule how could he be sorrowfull and vnderstand desire and remember With hartie desire sayth the Lord haue I desired to eate this passeouer with you before I suffer But this desire came not from his godhead neither from his flesh only nor from his soule waÌ„ting a mind but from his perfecte manhood of body and minde Moreouer we read in the Gospell that the Lord said The sonne of man came not to destroy mens soules but to saue them Therefore hee toke not flesh onely but a reasonable soule also For man had perished both soule and body therefore that he might bée saued both body and soule oure sauiour Christ toke a very mans body a reasonable soule that is to saye a most perfecte man Therefore blessed Athanasius teaching vs according to the scriptures the coÌ„fession of true faith said Christ is God of the substance
otherwise serue their Lord and king than Kings that is in doing those thinges whiche Kinges ought to doe namely to execute iudgement and iustice For albeit these be in the worlde yet râ—le they not after the worlde because they are now gouerned by the spirite of their king Christe and directe all their doings to the prescripte rule of Gods word and in all things yéelde them selues to be guided by the spirite of God and so farre surely their kingdome is not of this worlde Of these things I haue else where cited much out of S. Augustine acording to the scripture And our king Christe defendeth his Churche and his ministers sometime by the aide of Princes sometimes he preserueth and spreadeth abrâ—ade the same lying open to persecutions through infirmitie and weakenesse For it is pressed downe but not oppressed or kepte vnder still Christe the mightiest Prince alwayes reigning and ouercomming in those that â—ee his Nowe the bounds of this Earthlie kingdome of Christe reache vnto the vtter-moste partes of the Earth For all the kingdomes of the worlde and all nations perteine vnto the kingdome of Christ Héerevnto belong all the testimonies of the Prophets touching the calling of the Gentiles whereof thou maist finde verie manis in Esay and Zacharie who excellentlye describe the kingdome of Christe in Earth Wherevppon the Iewes tooke occasion to feigne I wot not how great glorious things of the maiestie and victeryes of the Messias whiche neuerthelesse long since were aboundantlye fulfilled in Christe but more spiritually than carnally But they while they dreame of and looke for carnall things loathe spirituall and loose bothe But the faithfull through the bountifulnesse and liberalitie of Christe their king most aboundauntly obteine those good thinges whiche the Prophetes promised namely plentifull peace bothe with God and men and all kinde of felicitie alwayes to bée blessed alwayes to be safe though they fight continuallie from all enimyes as well visible as also inuisible and to inioy euerlasting saluation Which things the Prophetes in their writings haue set foorthe in a moste large kinde of style yet vnderstandinge nothing else than as euen now we said that the faithfull shall be moste happie and shall possesse in Christe all good gifts bothe of soule and bodie as much indéede as is necessarie and healthfull for the Saincts And this is that kingdome now we vnderstand bothe as well that of grace as this of 〈◊〉 which that Ioseph of Aramathia iust Simeon and Anna y Prophetisse with other Saints awaited and loked for This same kingdome Philippe the Deacon preached to them of Samaria and Sainte Paule the Apostle to them of Rome which thinge Luke doeth testiffe in the Actes of the Apostles Chapter 8. and 28. But the seate or throne and palace of our king is Heauen For hee ascended a conquerour into Heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie from theÌ„ce â—â— y Sunne of righteousnesse hee shineth to all which liue in his Churche or in his kingdome yea and he â—hâ—â—sâ—th the harts of the faithfull to him selfe wherein he may dwell Furthermore that we may vnderstande ouâ— King though not corpâ—rally presente in earth but ascended into Heauen not therefore to be absent from his kingdom he verily in his word compareth himselfe to the head and vs to the bodie or the meÌ„bers Now therefore as the bodie is neuer without the head so the kingdome of God is not without Christ the prince And as the vitall spirite from the harte and the power or vertue of féeling and mouing froÌ„ the head is powred into the bodie so are we quickened or made aliue by our Prince Christe he iustifying preseruing comforting confirming and defending vs from all euill As all the members are ruled by the head so all the faithful in the kingdome of Christe are gouerned by their King Christe Paule therefore saithe God raised Christe from the dead set him on his right hand in heauenly places farr aboue all rule and power and might euery name that is named not only in this world but also in the world to coÌ„e And hath put all things vnder his féete gaue him to be the head ouer all things to the Church which is his bodie y fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Of which kinde there are very many other to be found in the writings of the Apostles first of all that Christ is the head of the church and he it is which giueth saluation to the body for he gaue him selfe for the church to sanctifie it when he had cleansed it in the founteine of water in the worde that he might present it vnto him selfe a glorious church c. And thus much hetherto of the kingdoÌ„e of Christ in earth which is bothe called the kingdome of grace and the Church militant Moreouer the kingdome of God is called the kingdome of heauen and of glory for that occasion because those whome our Lord king hath sanctified on earth and guided with his spirit yea and also iustified béeing deliueied from the fleshe and taken out of this world he glorifieth in heaueÌ„ and recâ—iueth thâ— into ioy into the fellowship both of himselfe and of all the saints For the souls of the faithful eueÌ„ as soone as they depart out of their bodies are foorth with receiued into heaueÌ„ to reigne with Christ the euerlasting king for euer to reioice with all the Saincts But in the laste iudgemeÌ„t wherewith we beleue that the quick and dead shall be iudged of Christe our king the bodies of the Sainctes shall be raised vp clarified coupled againe to their soules and how many soeuer haue cleaued vnto Christ their king from the beginning of the world shal liue for euer reigne in glorie together with Christe their king and prince Of this kingdoÌ„e of the Saints the Prophets Apostles haue spoken muche and chiefelye the Apostle Sainte Iohn in his Reuelation Some haue called this kingdome the Church triumphant This kingdome of GOD or of Christe is an euerlasting kingdome For as euen to the worldes end the Church shall be on earth howsoeuer this worlde and the Prince of the worlde doe rage so the faithfull after iudgement shall liue and reigne with Christe happie for euer bothe in bodie and soule For the Lord saith in the Gospell The gates of hell shall not preuaile against the Church Also the last times shall be as the dayes of Noe were wherein thoughe the wicked did farre in number excéede the Churche of the faithfull yet Noe and his were saued in the Arke but the wicked were destroyed with the floud in such sort surely shal iniquity by all means preuaile in the end of the worlde but in the meane while those that are elected into the kingdome of Christe shall be saued by Christe whome they shall looke for to be their Iudge and shall sée theire redéemer comming in the cloudes of
ouerthrowe the trueth they are neuer able For the soules of the faithfull euen out of the verie mouth as is commonly said Von mund vss zu himmel faren vppon a sodeine enter into their blessed seats and by faith enioy euerlasting felicitie Againe we read in the Reuelation of our Lord Iesus Christe made to Iohn the Apostle that it was said And I heard a voice from heauē saying vnto mee write Blessed are the dead which hereafter die in the Lord euen so saith the spirit that they may rest from their labours their workes followe them In these words an heauenly and vndoubted oracle touching the blessednes of all such as die in faith is knitt vpp and S. Iohn is commanded to write the oracle from heauen that it may remaine to all times and be read of all people The summe of the oracle is this Blessed are the dead whiche heerafter die in the Lord. But they die in the Lord whosoeuer depart out of this life in the faith of Iesus Christ For so the Apostle vseth this kind of speach in the 1. Cor. 15. and 1. thess. 4. Furthermore they whiche depart out of this life in the faith of Iesus Christe are simplie and truly pronounced blessed to witt happie and free from all miserie Yea a note of the time when they shal obteine this blessednes is added namely Hereafter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say presently at an instāt by and by out of hand to witt as the Lord saith in the Gospel forthwith after the death of the bodie There is added also another testimonie whereby againe the certainetie of felicitie is expressed and perfection too not delayed till the morrow Euen so saith the spirit that they may rest from their labours The spirite I meane of trueth whiche cannot lie sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Amen so it is truely the faithfull are blessed in déed and euen at an instāt they are blessed and so blessed that They rest from their labours The labours of the faith full are miseries calamities afflictions sorrowe feare or dread and other euils of this sort wherewith in this world they are vexed yea rather exercised in faith From these thinges the soules of the faithfull departing from their bodies are deliuered therefore they are not purged by torments and vexations they are not scortched in that middest of their iourney but beeing happie and blessed are forthwith deliuered from all anguish and trouble And if so bee that they suffered any thinge whiles they were yet liuing in the bodie if they did any good workes in faith they do follow them Let no man thincke that those woorkes beecause they nowe ceasse were and are vaine For they receiue their reward in that blessed life For that it is that Their works do folow them And let vs marke that he sayth not The workes of other followe them to deliuer them forsooth out of purgatorie but Their owne works follow them For in the Gospell also the wise virgins which had oyle readie in their lamps went in with the bridegrome to the mariage the folish virgins which had prepared themselues no oyle but did hope to haue from elsewhere to serue their turne are excluded and shut out from ioy To the omnipotent God therefore our most mercifull father and continuall-running founteine of all good Graces and whiche is neuer drawne drie who fashioned our bodie in our mothers wombe and breathed or powred into it a reasonable soule whiche might whiles it is ioyned to the bodie quicken and direct vs and when it is separated from the bodie might forthwith after the death of the bodie be translated into heauen there to liue in ioy and happines vntill it returne againe vnto the bodie beeing raised from the dead in the last iudgement with the which it maye reioyce and be glad for euer and without end to that God I saye thoroughe Iesus Christ for whose sake we are made partakers of so great a benefite be glorie praise and thankes giuing for euermore Amen ¶ The ende of the second Tome THE FIFT AND LAST DECADE OF Sermons WRITTEN BY HENrie Bullinger The thirde Tome IESVS This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased Heare him Matth. 17. THE FIFTE DECADE OF Sermons written by Henrie Bullinger ¶ Of the holie catholique Church what it is how farre it extendeth by what markes it is knowen from whence it springeth how it is mainteyned and preserued whether it may erre Also of the power and studies of the Church ¶ The first Sermon THE order course of things so leading vs next after God the workeman and authour of all thinges wee come to speake of his most excellent worke to witt the Church For so great is the goodnesse of our good God and most louing father that not he himself is desirous to liue happily blessedly alone but moreouer to bestowe and powre vppon vs men his beloued creatures all kinde of blessednes and that wée should enioye his goods by all meanes possible And for that intent he choseth men to him self who liue in this world that he may once translate vnto him selfe in whome also euen while they liue héere hee maye dwell whome he may enriche with all his goods in whom he may reigne and that they should be called by his name to wit a people a house a kingdome an inheritaunce a flocke a congregation or Church of the liuing god Of which Church I will speake being ayded with your prayers such things as the Lord of the Church shall graunt vnto mée to vtter This word Ecclesia which signifieth a Church or Congregation is a Gréeke word vsed receiued amonge the Latines signifying as I said a congregation communion or assemblie in the Dutche tongue Ein Gemeind or a people called together to heare of matters of the cōmon wealth For so it is founde that S. Luke vsed this word in the 19. Chap. of the Actes of the Apostles But it was translated to an holy vse and began to bée called a congregation assemblie or companie of the faithful calling vppon the name of the lord S. Paul saith that he persecuted the cōgregation or Church of God who in another place sayeth I receiued authoritie from the highe priestes to binde all those that call vpon the name of christ For now doth hee terme them such as call vppon the name of Christ or Christians whome before he named the Church Or else this word Ecclesia the church or congregation is so called of caling forth together for in the Gréeke tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to call forth For God calleth forth from al parts of the wide world and from the whole congregation of men all beléeuers together with their séede that they may bee his peculiar people he againe may be their God that is to say that they may be the Church of the liuing god In times paste the congregation or assemblye of the Iewishe
vpp our minds into heauen let vs giue thanckes to the Lord our God who through his beloued sonne hath purified vs and gathered vs together to bee a chosen people to himselfe and to be heires of all his heauenly treasures To him therefore be all praise and glorie world without end Amen ¶ That there is one Catholique Church that without the Churche there is no light or saluation Against scismatiques Wherfore wee depart from the vpstart Church of Rome That the Church of God is the house vineyard and kingdome of God and the bodie sheepe-foulde and spouse of Christ a mother and a virgin ¶ The seconde Sermon I Sée you are assembled brethren with attentiue mindes to the exposition of those thinges whiche rest to bee spoken of the Catholique Churche of God which we affirme to be one and vnseparable according to the holy oracles of the sacred scripture Solomon in his Canticles sayeth One is my doue and my beloued Wherevnto doubtlesse the doctour of the Gentiles had respect when he said There is one body and one spirite euen as ye are called in one hope of your vocation There is one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all through all and in you all To these heauenly testimonies agrée the testimonies of men For Cyprian the bishop martyre in his booke De simplicitate Clericorum sayeth The Church is one which is spred further and further abroade by fertile increase euen as there are many beames of the Sunne and but one light and many boughes of a tree yet but one oake grounded vppon a stedfast roote and whereas many brookes issue out of one spring though the number seeme to bee increased by the aboundance of stoare yet is it but one at the head Plucke a beame of the Sunne from the globe that one once separated is voide of light Breake a boughe from the tree it can bring foorth no fruite Cutt a brooke from the spring being cutt off it drieth vpp Euen so the Church lightened with Gods light spreadeth abroad the beames of her light through all the worlde yet is it but one light whiche is spread euerie where neyther is the vnitie of the body separated shee extendeth her braunches with plentious increse through out all the earth she sendeth out her plentifull riuers all abroade Yet is there but one heade and one spring and one mother plentifull with fertile succession And so foorth Moreouer where we reade that diuers names are giuen to the church we must not imagine that there are many churches in the worlde neyther is that bodye to bee separated whiche can beare or suffer no kynde of diuision Writers call the Church Catholique which vndoubtedly signifieth vniuersall bycause it is but one neither can there be any moe For albeit this be distinguished into the Churche triumphant and Militant into the Churche of the olde fathers and the congregation of people of later time yet doe all these members remaine perpetually knit together in one bodie vnder one heade Christe And euen as the seuerall conditions of bonde and frée men separateth not a kingdome or common wealth into partes so neyther dothe the quiet rest or felicitie of the blessed spirites triumphing in heauen and the labours and sorrowes wherwith we warring as yet in this world vnder Christes ensignes are exercised make two Churches The holie Angel sayth to Sainte Iohn in the Apocalypse I am thy fellowe seruant and of thy brethren the Prophetes He therefore acknowledgeth both the Prophetes and Apostles to be the sonnes and seruauntes of one god Whereof we reade in the Gospell that one onely vineyarde not two or diuers was let out to husband men though they were diuerse For euen so there is but one church of the olde Fathers whiche were before the comming of Christe and ours or the newe people since ▪ Christes comming taken out of the Gentiles But what they differ from vs or we from them hath béene sayde in the eight Sermon of our thirde Decade Againe there are mingled with the holie Churche euill men and hypocrites but the Churche is not separated for euill men For euen as traytours mingled with citizens and not yet discouered make not two cōmon wealthes so although euill men cleaue to good yet are they both gathered into one Churche And when hypocrites depart from the vnitie of the Churche the Churche is not rent in péeces but becommeth purer For excellently sayth Sainte Augustine That euill men or hypocrites are that in the Churche that chaffe is amongest wheate cockle in standing corne traytours in a ci ▪ tie and runnagates amongest souldiers But it is playne that wheate is the cleaner standing corne the lustier citizens safer and souldiers the strōger when runnagates traytours cockle and chaffe are separated from them Yea and except sometimes rotten members of the Churche be cutte off from the Ecclesiasticall bodie the Churche can not be in safetie And particular or seuerall Churches are as townes or cities in a kingdome The multitude of cities diuideth not the kingdome Of particular Churches dispersed throughout all the worlde as a bodie of many members is gathered and compacted together the Catholique and vniuersall Churche whiche is the fellowshippe of all the Saintes Therefore most certeine it is that there is but one onely church of God not many whereof the onely Monarche is Iesus Christe to whome be glorie The vnitie and vnited societie of this Churche of God is so greate that out of her fellowshippe is there no people found acceptable vnto GOD any true saluation or safetie any light or truth For without the pale of Gods Churche are no wholesome pastures founde all are infected with poyson No religion pleaseth GOD out of the Churche of GOD. If of olde time any man had sacrificed to GOD him selfe without the tabernacle or temple in the highe places he was accounted to haue sacrificed to diuelles and estéemed to haue shead innocent bloude Rightly therefore the blessed martyr and Byshoppe of Carthage Cyprian hath left in writing Who so euer separated from the Churche is ioyned to an adulterous Churche the same man is separated from the promises of the Churche neyther perteineth hee to Christes merites whiche hath left the Churche of Christe Hee is a straunger hee is vncleane hee is an enimie Hee can not now haue GOD his father who hath not the Churche his mother If hee might scape that was out of the arke of Noah hee may also escape that is abroade out of the Churche Hee must needes be a most wicked man who so euer hee be that leaueth his owne countrie and the fellowship of verie good men and falleth away to the enimies Lactantius therefore moste truely sayd It is only the Catholique churche whiche reteyneth true religion Here is the founteine of trueth this is the housholde of fayth this is the temple of GOD into whiche if one enter not
The same also is mentioned in Luke In the Gospel of Iohn the third chapter baptisme is called Purifying In the Actes of the Apostles Peter saith to the people which demaunded what they should do Repent ye and let euery one of you be baptised in the name of Iesus Christe for the remission of sinnes Ananias also sayth to Paule Arise and be baptised wash awaye thy sinnes in calling on the name of the Lord. And now Paule himselfe saith Christ loued the church gaue himselfe for it to sanctifie it when he had cleansed it in the founteine of water in the word Wherefore the promise yea the trueth of sanctification and â—rée remission of sinnes is written and ingrauen in oure bodies when we are baptised For God by his spirite thorough the bloud of his sonne hath newly regenerated and purged againe oure souls and euen now doth regenerate and purge them And baptisme is sufficient and effectual for the whole life of man yea and reacheth and is referred to all the sinnes of all them that are baptised For the promise of God is true The seale of the promise is true not deceiueable The power of Christ is euer effectuall throughly to cleanse and wash away all the sinnes of them that be his Howe often therefore soeuer wee haue sinned in our life time let vs call into oure remembrance the mysterie of holy baptisme wherewith for the whole course of our life we are washed that we might know not doubt that our sinnes are forgiuen vs of the same God and oure Lord yea and by the bloud of Christe into whome by baptisme once we are graffed that he might alwayes woorke saluation in vs euen til we be receiued out of myserie into glorie Neither is there any doubt that Abraham in his whole life had continually in his minde the mysterie of circumcision and rested in God and the séede promised vnto him Yet I thinke that that ought diligently to be marked which S. Augustine pithily plainly hath ofteÌ„ cited That our sinnes are forgiuen or purged in baptisme not that they are no more in vs for as long as we liue concupiscence beareth swaye alwayes breedeth and bringeth forth in vs somewhat like it selfe but that they shuld not be imputed vnto vs neither that wee may not â—inne but that it should not bee hurtfull for vs to haue or had sinned that our sinnes may be remitted when they are committed not suffered to be continued De Fide operib cap. 20. And also many more of this kind Gratian reciteth Distinct 4. de Consecrat Beside that by baptisme wee are gathered together into the fellowship of the people of god Wherevppon of some it is called the first signe or entrie into Christianitie by the whiche an entraunce into the churche lieth open vnto vs Not that before wee did not belong to the church For whosoeuer is of Christ partaker of the promises of God and of his eternall couenaunt belongeth vnto the Churche Baptisme therefore is a visible signe and testimonie of our ingraffing into the bodie of Christ And it is rightly called a planting incorporating or ingraffing into the bodie of Christe For I said in the generall discourse of Sacramentes that wee first by baptisme were ioyned with Christe and afterward with all the members of Christ our brethren For Paul saith All ye that are baptised haue put on Christ But to put on Christ is to bée made one with him as as it were to be ioyned and incorporated in him that he may liue in vs and we in him For hée onely by his spirite regenerateth and renueth vs and most liberally inricheth vs with all manner good giftes which the same Apostle in another place expresseth in these words God saued vs by the founteine of the regeneration renuing of the holy Ghost whiche he shedd on vs richly through Iesus Christ our sauiour Yea and therefore Christ our Lord is baptised in oure baptisme to declare that he is our brother and we ioynte-heires with him Verie well therefore said S. August That baptisme is thus farre forceable that wee beeing baptised are incorporated into Christ and counted his members The same Aug. calleth Baptisme the sacrament of Christian felowship For we are gathered againe visibly by baptisme into the vnitie of one bodie with all the faithfull as many as haue beene are and shal be For Paule also saith By one spirite wee are all baptised into one bodie And it followeth hereby that baptisme serueth for our confession and is rightly called the token of Christian religion For it is a badge or cognizaunce wherby we witnesse and professe that wée consent and are lincked into Christian religion Wée coÌ„fesse that we by nature are sinners and vncleane but sanctified by the grace of God through Christ For if we were cleane by nature what néeded we then any cleansing But now since wee are cleansed who doubteth of the truth of God Therefore when we receiue baptisme wee truely and fréely confesse both our sinne wherein we were borne and also frée forgiuenesse of sinnes Lastly the remembrance and consideration of the mysterie of baptisme putteth vs in minde of the dueties of Christianitie and Godlines that is to say al our life long to weigh diligently with our selues of whose bodie we be made members to denie our selues and this world to mortifie our fleshe with that coÌ„cupiscences of the same and to be buried with Christ into his death that we may rise againe in newnesse of life and liue innocently to loue our brethren as our meÌ„bers with whom by baptisme we are knit together into one bodie to remaine in the bond of concord in the vnitie of the church not to followe straunge religions béeing mindeful that we are baptised into Christ to whome alone we are consecrated and farre separated and diuided from all other Gods worships or religions and to be short from all heresies Let vs thincke also that wée must constantly and valiantly fighte against Sathan and the whole kingdome of Sathan As often therefore as wée remember wée are baptised with Christes baptisme so often are these thinges put into our mindes and wée admonished of our duetie But the Apostle handleth this matter more at large in the sixt Chapter of his epistle to the Romanes where hee expresly maketh meÌ„tion that we by baptisme are made the graftes of Christ that is to say that we might growe out of him as braunches out of the vine and féele in our mindes and bodies both the death and resurrection of Christe For since we are indued with the spirit of Christ which worketh in vs our body verily dieth daily but oure spirite liueth and reioyceth in Christe To whom be glorie for euer and euer Amen ¶ Of the Lords holie Supper what it is by whome when and for whome it was instituted after what sort when and howe oft it is to be celebrated and
members of Christes bodie of whom he is also a member and be readie to spend his life for them according to the example of Christe and whether he haue remitted or pardoned all anger and enimitie and whether he be desirous to call to minde Christes passion the whole mysterie of our redemption to giue thanks to God for our redeÌ„ption for all other gyftes of God already receiued to be receiued This is the right examining which agréeth with the receiuing of the mystical supper and when we haue done so we may in humblenes and feare of the Lord with gladnesse approche to the supper of our Lord Christ But here the faithful do tremble who are as it were priuie to their owne imperfection infirmitie For they do not finde these thinges to be so perfect in their mindes as otherwise they knâ—w a iust perfection requireth Satan commeth and he casteth in many and great stayes to the intent he may drawe vs backe from the celebration of the supper Therefore we say if any man suppose that none is to be admitted to the supper but he that is purged from al sinne infirmitie surely he shall driue away exclude al men howe many soeuer liue in this world nay he shal altogether depriue theÌ„ of the lords supper as not to be any loÌ„ger for sinful men but for Angels We must remeÌ„ber that this examinatioÌ„ resteth within his own bounds that God here also as euerie where else doth vse this clemencie and mercie towards vs He knoweth our weakenesse corruption with vs can beare our infirmities The Israelits vnder king Ezechias being not fully cleansed tooke part of the paschal lamb But the king prayed and said The Lorde who is good wil haue mercie vppon all men that with al their hart seeke after the God of their fathers will not impute it vnto them that they are not sanctified And herevnto is added in the holy history in 2. Chron â–ª 30. chap And the Lord heard Ezechias and he was pleased with the people The worthinesse which is inquired for by exacte examination is no absolute perfection but a wil and mind instructed by God which humblie acknowledgeth it owne vnworthinesse and therfore humblie prayeth for increase of faith charitie all perfection in Christ only At that first supper the Apostles were Christes guests among these was Iudas but because hee lacked faith and was a traitour yea a murtherer he was made guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the lord The other apostles were also sinners theÌ„selues but not wicked thei beleued in christ thei loued Christ one of theÌ„ loued aother like brethreÌ„ therfore they did not eate of the Lords supper vnworthily as Iudas did Although in the meane time at the same table they shewed tokens of great imperfectioÌ„ For Peter not without great contempt reproch of his brethren preferreth himselfe before them all Moreouer they contend among themselues for honour which of them should seme to be greater than another I will not nowe recite that streightway after they arose from the table they shamefully forsoke their maister and ranne away many wayes behaud them selues vnworthili but al these things were easily washed away for the faith had taken very déepe roote within them Neither will I here sticke to recite worde for worde the comfort of M. Iohn Caluine a godly and learned man who with great commendation teacheth in the church at this day my fellow minister most welbeloued déere brother whiche he hathe sette down for the afflicted in this case Let vs call to remembrance saith he that this holy banquet is a medicine for the sick a coÌ„fort for the sinfull a largesse to the pore which to the whole righteous and rich if there could any such be found would bring small vantage For seing that in this banquet Christ is giuen vnto vs to be eaten we vnderstand that without him we faynt faile and are forsaken Moreouer seeing he is giuen to vs to be our life we vnderstande that without him wee are but dead Wherfore this is the greatest only worthines which we can giue vnto God if we lay before him our own vilenes vnworthines that through his mercy he may make vs worthie of himselfe if we despaire in our selues that we may be coÌ„forted in him if we humble our selues that we may be lift vp by him if we accuse ourselues that we may be iustified by him Moreouer if we attein vnto that vnitie whiche he coÌ„mendeth vnto vs in the supper and like as he maketh vs all to dwel in him so that we may with likewise that ther were one soul one hart one tongue in vs all If we wel wey meditate these things theÌ„ shal these thoughts neuer trouble vs we that ar naked and destitute of all goodnes we that are stayned with spots of sinn we that are halfe deade how shoulde wee worthily eate the Lords bodie Let vs rather think that we being poore doe come to a plentifull giuer we that are sicke come to a Physician we that are sinful come to a sauiour that the worthines which is coÌ„manded by God coÌ„sisteth in faith chiefly which reposeth al in God nothing in our selues secondly in charitie suche charitie as it is sufficient if we offer it vnto God vnperfect that he may increse it to the better seing we cannot performe it absolute as it ought to be Thus farr he This muche haue I saide hetherto of the most holie supper of our lord Iesus Christe the moste excellent wholesome sacrament of Christians for which euen from the very beginning while the Apostles were yet liuing sathan the most deadly enimie to our saluation lying in wayte hath gone about to ouerthrow by many corruptions defilings from whiche being nowe for a time faithfully cleansed yet doth he not so leaue it but intermingles throwes an heap of coÌ„tentions into it being made vnto y churche y token of a couenant neuer to be broken Wherevpon the thing itself our saluation requireth that we bée circumspect giue no place to the temptour but agreing altogether in christ and being ioyned into one body by faithful celebrating of the supper we may loue one another and giue euerlasting thankes to our redéemer and Lorde Christe to whome be praise glory nowe for euer Amen Amen ¶ Of certeine institutions of the Church of god Of Scholes Of Ecclesiastical goodes and the vse and abuse of the same Of Churches and holie instrumentes of Christians Of the admonitioÌ„ correctioÌ„ of the ministers of the church and of the whole Church Of matrimonie Of widowes Of virgines Of monkes What the Church of Christ determineth concerning the sicke and of funeralls and buryall ¶ The tenth Sermon THERE remaine certeine thinges but a fewe truly whiche are to be expounded vnto you déerely beleued the whiche partly apperteine to the institution
comforting the sicke person prepareth him to die by makeing firste his confession of sinnes to God which he pronoūceth out of the word of God to be forgiuen if he doe stedfastly beléeue He requireth of him also that he forgiue and bée in loue and charitie with all men and that hée kéepe no olde grudge or malice in his hart After this sōe publique prayer is made to God by the sicke person by those that are about the partie that is at the point of death Hée is also admonished of sundrie thinges hée is confirmed in the fayth hée is called to patience hée is instructed according as his goodes and euerie thing else requireth and he is taught that at his departing out of this worlde he commend his soule into the hands of God the father according to the doctrine and example of our redéemer who at the very pointe of death cried aloud saying Father into thy hands I commend my spirite This discipline haue wee learned of the Apostles of our LORDE Christe For the Apostle Saint Iames saieth If any bee sicke among you lette him sende for the elders of the Church and let them pray ouer him anoynting him with oyle in the name of the Lorde And the prayer whiche is made in fayth shall deliuer the sicke And the Lorde shall rayse him vp againe And if he bee in sinne they shal be forgiuen him Confesse your sinns one of you to another pray one for another that you may bee safe for the heartie prayer of the iust is of greate force c. This is the Apostolique discipline But if you say vnto mée Where is the oyle I answere that in Saint Iames the Apostles time and certeine ages after there remained yet in the Churche the miraculous gifte of healing the sicke Of this wée reade in Saint Markes Gospell And the disciples going foorth preached the gospell that they mighte repent and they cast out many diuels they annoynted many with oyle that were sick and healed them And again in the same place saieth Moreouer These signes shal follow them that beleeue In my name they shall cast out diuels c. And anon he sayth They shall lay their handes vppon the sicke and they shall be healed And because this benefite remayned yet in the Church Saint Iames biddeth vs vse oyle and to vse it in the name of the Lorde as the Lorde had commaunded But seing that gift is now ceassed in the Churche and wée finde by experience that oyle doth no good to the sicke according to the time and as our duetie bindeth vs we do the best we can to assuage and cure the diseases of the sicke by medicines most conuenient for the sicknes being applied in the name of Christ I knowe howe by this testimonie of the Apostle the Papistes go about to set out and cōmend their extreame vnction or last annoyling but they labour in vaine But to let passe that Saint Iames speaketh nothing of the hallowed oyle and that they do not admit this medicine but in verie extremitie where S. Iames commaundeth to annoynt euery on that is sick how I pray you can they defend out of Saint Iames wordes that which the priest demaundeth of the sick person Doest thou beleeue that the Lord will heare our prayers for the merites sake and prayers of the Saintes The sick man answering I do beléeue He then saith Let vs therefore pray to God and his Sainctes Or where I beséech you hath Saint Iames or any other Apostle of Christe taught that which they bring in their annointing In the name of the Father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost I annoynt thee with holy oile that by this anointing thou mayest receiue full remission of thy sinnes What scripture I pray you teacheth vs that full remission of sinnes is obteined by that anointing These thinges are done manifestly against the principall article of our religion whiche teacheth that we are purged from all our sinnes onely by the bloud of Christ and that most fully To him onely is the glory due not to the oyle nor to any creature in the whole worlde Moreouer the Church of Christe doth not reiect the bodies of the dead as if it were a deade dogge For it acknowledgeth that their bodies haue béene the Temples of the holy ghoste which hath dwelt in them It acknowledgeth that they are buried in hope of resurrection and glorie of life euerlasting wherefore the Churche doeth in moste reuerent manner take the bodies windeth them in a shéete and couereth them verie decently and béeinge put into the coffine carefully carrieth them vnto the place of buriall or churchyard y neere friends neighbours and brethren following after and accompanying the corse While the bodie is set downe and laid in the earth there are publique prayers made by them that brought the corse For they giue thankes vnto God for that he hath called the partie deceased out of this world in the true faithe and they pray also that it may please the Lorde to take them likewise vnto him spéedily beeing lightened with the true faith Moreouer the name of the dead brother or sister is recited in the publique assemblie of the Churche with honour and all the people are put in minde of their own destinie and spéedily to prepare them selues to die And after this manner we read in the scriptures that the ancient fathers buried their dead yea the moste holie of them We reade nothing of canonizating of woorshipping of reliques of monethes and yeares mindes for the dead which are offered to the ende the soules of the departed shoulde be deliuered from the paynes of purgatorie There be certeine burialles described vnto vs in the olde Testament as the buriall of Abraham Sara Isaac Iacob and Ioseph Aaron Marie Iosua Samuel and Dauid c. And in the new Testament of Iohn Baptiste and Stephan but they were all sparing and without all manner of superstition In that Iosephes bones were carried forth they were carried in a mysterie that the Israelites might gather thereof that they shoulde bee brought into the Lande of promise Wherevnto also that belongeth that the Patriarches chose a buriall in Hebron Otherwise the place auayleth nothing to purchase the better or worse spéed to the bodie that is buried in it We must thinke that the place by reason of the bodies of the saintes and holy men which are there buried is after a maner sanctified or at the least wise called holie not that the bodies do gett any holinesse or safetie by the grounde Therefore vnlesse it séeme good otherwise to the diuine prouidence of God the saints would gladly lye with their auncestours in the selfe same place of buriall But if it please God otherwise they acknowledge that they are notwithstanding receiued into the same earth without any exception and that they are not separated from their auncestours by distance of place Wherefore there is no superstition in the Churche
of some who promise to condemned spirits redeÌ„ption from their punishments a little before the iudgment day But against these very many doctors of the church haue disputed all and euery one of theÌ„ condemning with one voyce an opinion which the 〈◊〉 longe ago condemned For the iudge in the ende of the world 〈◊〉 definitiue sentence against 〈◊〉 than al the wicked shal say Depart â—rom me ye cursed into euerlasting fier which is prepared for the diuell and his â—ngels And by by the Apostle holy Euangelist a witnesse of the truth doth â—dde And these shal go into euerlasting â—unishment but the righteous into life euerlasting For in Marke the lord also â—aid In hell their worme dieth not and â—he fier is not queÌ„ched And in Iohn in more plaine pithie wordes he saith They that haue done good shall come forth vnto the resurrection of life and they that haue done euil vnto the â—esurrection of condemnation He doth not â—ay they shal go either into life or into condemnation but into the resurrection either of life or condemnation that is to remaine euerlastingly in life or death For Daniel of whom the Lorde borowed these wordes hath said And many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to shame and perpetuall contempt For Iohn the Apostle saith that the smoke of those that are condemned thrown headlong in to hel for euermore shal ascende vp It is certeine therefore that the condemnation of the wicked shal be altogether without ende and euerlasting Furthermore in calling the reuolting Angels spirits we doe not vnderstand by spirite the wicked affection of the hart or the qualitie or passion of the minde or corruption and sinne For the world is not without some which thinke the the diuell is nothing els but a mischefous man or a mischiefous sinnefull â—oÌ„motion or outrage of the minde By spirits therefore we vnderstand spiriâ—uall substances indued with féeling â—nderstanding For in the first chapter of 〈◊〉 sathan came shewed him self among the children or seruaÌ„tâ— of god speaking with the lord The gospel 〈◊〉 reporteth vnto vs that diuels béeâ—â— cast out of a man entred into the herd of swine â— drowned them iâ— the 〈◊〉 of the sea or lake of Gaderen Moreouer the gospel recordeth that the diuel sinned from the beginning that he coltinued not in the truth that he is a lier a murtherer Iudas maketh mentioÌ„ that the angel fought with the diuell In Marke the diuels cry out and say What haue we to do with thee thou Iesus of Nazareth art thou come to destroy vs but yet for al that our sauiour beinâ— alredy appointed made iudge shal say to the diuels Go into the euerlasting fier Al which testimonies agree to substances by them selues subsistine not to qualities Diuels therfore arâ— spirituall substances But what bodieâ— they be which they often times take in which they appeare vnto men nâ— man I thinke can perfectly tell whicâ— also we tolde you a little before when we entreated of the bodies which good angels toke For truly that diuels puâ— on bodies shapes differing from their owne the historie of Samuel raised vp by a witch manifestly proueth It was not Samuel that was raised from the dead but the capteine-coyner of lyes counterfeiting Samuel deceiued king Saul And Paul witnesseth that sathâ— doth transforme himselfe into an angel of light Histories also declare that the diuel is a maruelous iugling deceiuer in taking on him diuers forms shapes And as I saide of good angels that they are spéedy in their ministerie without burden or lets so there is no doubt that diuels in their kinde worke are well prepared For the scriptures declare that they haue a thousand shiftes wonderfull craftinesse subtiltie and that their knowâ—edge is 〈…〉 reacheth very farre Finally that they are very ready and neuer weary to attempt performe althings They passe through the whole world with excéeding swiftnesse they handle all their matters very craftily and therefore are maruelous names shadowing out their force power allotted vnto them For he is called Sathan the olde serpeÌ„t a deceiuer the prince of this world the prince of darknesse which hath power ouer the aire a roaring Lion. Of which and of other not vnlike I will speake anon more at large when I haue firste tolde you this that there are an infinite route of diuels For vij diuels are cast out of Marie Magdalen That diuell of whom Matthew speaketh being no sooner cast out museth consulteth howe he may be wholy restored againe taking to him vij other spirites worse than himselfe Moreouer in Marks gospell there is mention made of a legion For the vncleane spirit being asked of the lorde what his name was answered My name is legion because we are â—any Therefore when there is mention made of sathan also where in hoâ—ie scripture it is not so to be taken as â—hough there were either but one subâ—â—ance or person of y diuel â–ª For they arâ— comprehended as the members vnder â—he head as particularities vndâ—r geâ—eralities The scripture truely elsewhere maketh mention of the prince of the diuels For the enimies of Christe do often cry out He casteth out diuels by the prince of diuels but yet that saying doth not expresse what manner of principalitie that is whether orderly among them selues those euill spirites be distinguished And it is certein that all the vngodly are vnder one head as all the godly are vnder one Christe the lord It is certein that all the diuels are o◠〈…〉 corrupt 〈…〉 their force only to this end to 〈◊〉 aduersaries vnto god hurtfull enimies to men But of y operations works or effects of diuels I wil speak wher I shal by the way exposid their names or attributes Corrupt wicked spirits generally are called diuels which is asmuch as if you should say slaunderers or false accusers For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Gréekes signifieth slaunder c. And the worde diuel is fetched froÌ„ the Grecians For he soweth slaunders in accusing men vnto god in setting men at variance betwene themselues that now I say nothing how he goeth about to bring god his works into suspicioÌ„ among men Therfore he is elsewhere called a lier the author of lies and the father of al hypocrites therefore the spring of all 〈◊〉 heresies wickednesses And bicause Iudas was an hypocrite a lyer a 〈…〉 traitor the lord rightly gaue him the name of a diuell The Apostle Peter called the diuell an aduersarie For the lord also himselfe called him The enuious man which sowed tarâ—â— in the lords field For he is the 〈◊〉 of God men setting himselfe against the wil of God whose glory also he laboureth to take away
hindereth the saluation of men soweth infinite 〈◊〉 in the church of god And truely the Hebrues cal him sathan whom we call an aduersarie That worde is translated vnto men For in that Peter set himselfe against the counsel and purpose of God he heareth this voyce of the lord Get thee behinde me sathan And Dauid also said to his nephue Abisai the sonne of Zeruia What haue I to do with you ye sonnes of Zeruia that this day ye should be aduersaries vnto me For Abisai gaiâ—e said the counsell and decrée of Dauid The diuell is called Daemon tâ— wit knowing craftie and cunning in many things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies I know For Plato truly in Craâ—ylo according to the opinion of Hesiodus doeth thinke that diuells whome wée commonly call by this word Daemones are called and as it were named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is wise prudent knowing Héerevnto the word serpent must be referred The serpent saith the Scripture was subtiler than all the beastes of the fielde Therefore did the diuell choose the serpent to be his dwelling place by whome he might put his guileful deuises in practise deceiue our firste pareÌ„ts For he is called the deceiuer the beguiler seducer of the world the olde serpent dragon For what seducing soeuer there is in y worlde what wicked deuises and deceitfull practises they flow froÌ„ this one fouÌ„tein of all his mischief In prophane writers this word is vsed in a farre contrarie significatioÌ„ For Socrates in Plato saith I affirme that euery maÌ„ is DaemoÌ„ that is to say wise whosoeuer is good that he is Daemoniacus that is to say wise happie both aliue and dead Wherfore it is a thing verie much and often vsed of Homer to adorne noble personages with this name But in the historie of the gospel Demoniaci are such as are possessed with a diuel Paule in his first epistle to Tuno reduceth draweth the whole body of deceits doctrins coloured with a shew of false wisedoÌ„e vnto this hed S Peter saith Be sober watch for your aduersarie the diuel as a roring lion walketh about seking whom he may deuour whom resist stedfastly in faith By the Lion he shadoweth out vnto vs the nature or dispositioÌ„ of the diuel For the diuel hath excéeding great streÌ„gth he is ful of gréedy raueny most cruel fiercenesse whervpoÌ„ he is also called of some a cruell beast The Lorde calleth him a murtherer For he inspired into Cain and all mansâ—ears horrible murthers at this day also he soundeth the alarum to all warres to all broyling battels to al slaughters and seditions to be short he kindleth wrath he soweth hatred nourisheth enuie He is named a tempter For he is alwayes egging men to mischîefe sparing nothing whatsoeuer he thinketh can entice and drawe vs to thinges most wicked In the historie of the gospell and in the writings of the Apostles the diuell hath wel nigh the name of an vnclean of a mischiefous or malignant of a filthie wicked spirite For he fell not froÌ„ his purenesse onely through his owne fault in which he was first created of that most pure god but euen now also he is delighted with vnpurenesse allureth al men to vncleanesse From this maister of mischief procede al filthy lusts al whoredoÌ„es adulteries al excesse drunkennes surfeting all beastlines vanitie pride arrogancie c. Now the diuel also in the gospel is called Beelzebub bicause that sometime they of Accaron in Palestine thinking they worshipped God worshipped in very déede the diuell S. Paule saith What agreement hath Christ with Belial he setteth Belial against Christ to wit the diuell against god But Moses put y cogitatioÌ„ of Belial for a wicked euill thought Therfore the diuell is wicked vngodly rebellious obstinate against god For they say that Belial signifieth altogether as much as if a man would say lawlesse without yoke without discipline There are some also which think that in the boke of Iob the diuell is figured or signified by Behemoth Leuiathan Iob. 40. and 41. chapter S. Paule giueth the diuels diuers names saâ—ing that the godly haue battaile against principalities and powers against worldly gouernours of th darcknesse of this worlde against spierituall wickednesse in heauenly places against the gouernour that ruleth in the aire against the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience whome also in an other place hee calleth The God of this worlde And as God exerciseth his power in the worlde and in the good for the moste parte by good angels who for that cause I saide are called principalities and powers so because the same GOD of his iuste iudgemente doeth suffer the diuell to haue rule ouer the wicked they are rightlie called principalities and powers Not that GOD deliuereth vnto him the méere and chiefest rule for all power belongeth to God onelie but because hee suffereth him to execute his tyrannie For he plainely saithe that he is the Prince of the worlde to witt of the wicked For by interpretation it followeth He is the Prince of the darcknesse of this worlde And who knoweth not that in the Scriptures darcknesse doeth signifie ignorance blindenesie vnbeliefe vngodlinesse and wickednesse and to bee short vngodly men which are drowned in these vices And againe there is added that whiche declareth the true meaning Which worketh in the children of disobedience Therefore the faithfull and obediente who are in the kingdome of Christe not in the kingdome of the diuel are exempted from this rule gouernmeÌ„t Neither is sathan called God vpon any other consideration for there is added of this world For in very déed the diuell is not a God but because there are fouÌ„d in the world certaine mad meÌ„ who take him for god he hath the name of God The 〈◊〉 father Augustine expounded this no otherwise For in his treatise vpoÌ„ Iohn 25. he saith God forbid we should think the diuell were so called the prince of the world that we should beleue that hee is able to rule ouer heauen and earth but the worlde for he is called the prince of this world is said to be in wicked men which are dispearsed throughout the whole compasse of the earth And againe the same August in his firste chap. De agone christiano saith The prince of this world is cast out not that he is cast out of y world but out of their mindes which cleaue to the worde of god and loue not the world whereof he is Prince because he hath dominion ouer them whiche loue teÌ„poral goods which are conteyned in this visible world not for that he is Lord of this worlde but prince of those concupiscences whereby euery thing is coueted that is transitorie By this concupiscence the diuell reigneth in man and holdeth his hart in possession The same Doctor in his treatise vppon