but to eat the flesh of the son of mā to drink his bloud is nothing else but to eat the bread of life wherupon it directly followeth that therfore it is nothing else to eat the flesh of the sonne of mā to drink his bloud but to beleue in him Which also is euident in that you shall find in that chapter within the compasse of the foresaide verses the same thinges both promised to the eaters and drinkers of Christes fleshe and bloude and to the beleeuers in him and also the same things threatned to the not eaters and drinkers thereof which are to the not beleeuers in him Which argueth that they are both one especially seeing the one is put for the other in the Chapter following verse 37.38 In the former whereof we reade thus Nowe in the last and great day of the feast Iesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come vnto me drinke but in the latter whereas if he had continued the metaphoricall speech wherein he beganne he shoulde haue saide he that commeth vnto me and drinketh of mee changing his phrase and yet retayning his former meaning to shewe vs that to drinke him is nothing else but to beleeue in him hee saieth in the steed thereof Hee that beleeueth in me as saith the Scripture out of his bellie shall flowe riuers of waters of life And therefore not without good ground said Augustine Crede manducasti Beleeue and thou hast eaten Tract 25. vpon Iohn And Tertullian de resurrectione carnis 29. writeth that Christ is auditu deuorandus ruminandus intellectu fide digerendus that is to be deuoured by hearing to be chewed on by vnderstanding and to be digested by faith So that by all these proofes laide together wee see that Christ is receiued by faith that wee growe in him by faith yea to a perfect man in Gods sight and lastly that hee is as surely apprehended of vs by faith to our spirituall maintenance in the worde preached and sacramentes ministred which are the dishes wherein one and the selfe-same Christ is offered vnto vs as meate and drinke being set before vs is taken in by eating or drinking thereof to our temporall nourishment Whereof the Sacrament of Christes body and bloud is a most effectuall ratification and particular confirmation to euery right receiuer thereof by faith If it were otherwise that wee coulde not get to be in Christ and hee in vs by faith in him but to accomplishe this it were necessary bodily to take him into vs by the mouth of our bodies then forasmuch as there were neuer any that died that coulde be blessed that died not in him all the good Patriarkes Prophets and other seruantes of GOD that died before hee had an humane body must bee condemned But the contrary thereof is euident in that Abraham is placed in state of saluation by Christ Luk. 16.24 c. Yea and with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen Luk. 13.28.29 And therefore Paul is bolde 1. Cor. 10.3.4 to say of them that were before Christ that they all ate one spirituall meate and dranke the same spirituall drinke that we doe Christ which coulde not be otherwise effectually but by beleeuing aright in CHRIST to come Let vs therfore labour by diligent vse of the meanes that GOD hath appointed vs for that purpose to attaine to a right and sounde faith in Christ and to nourishe it still by the vse of the same meanes seeing thereby wee see it commeth to passe that wee put on Christ and be vnited vnto him so that wee may bee saide according to the vsuall phrase of the Scripture to bee in him and consequently alwaies found ready to dye in him Of which number I count as well them that died before Christ in a right faith in him to come as since in him already come But not by euery kind of faith But nowe least wee deceiue our selues in thinking we haue attained vnto this faith and so are in Christ when it is nothing so wee are diligently to consider what manner of faith that is and of what nature it is that worketh this great and glorious effect And the rather are wee diligently to consider hereof because this woorde Faith is not alwaies taken in one and the selfe-same signification in the Scriptures for there are diuers sortes and kindes of faith Not by the miraculous faith Vnderstande therefore Righte Honourable and welbeloued in our Sauiour Iesus Christ that it is not fides miraculosa a faith to woorke miracles by that is a resolution by some extraordinarie meanes of Gods will to worke a wonder and therefore thereupon to attempt it in his name and to bring it to passe that maketh vs haue this fellowshippe with Christ For of such as haue this faith we reade thus Mat. 7.22.23 Many wil say vnto me in that day saith Christ Lorde Lorde haue we not in thy name prophecied And by thy name cast out Diuels And done many great workes And then will I professe to them Not by the historicall faith I neuer knewe you depart from me you workers of iniquitie Neither is it an historicall faith onely whereby wee assent to the trueth of those thinges that are written in the Scripture For no doubt of it the very diuels of hell are enforced to yeeld thus much to their smart and woe And therefore we read Iames. 2.19 The diuels beleeue and tremble Not by the temporarie saith Neither is it a temporary faith fleeting in the conceite of man not firmely setled and rooted in his heart For such as haue that kinde of faith onely are compared by our sauiour Christ Mat. 13. to the thornie and stonie ground wherein though for a time the good seede of the woorde seemed to make faire promise of a plentifull haruest yet ere due time of haruest came either through the cares and pleasures of this life it was so choaked and ouer growen or through the scorching heate of persecution so burnte vppe that it came to no good And therefore you haue hearde that it is sayde heare not without cause Which dye in the Lorde to shewe vs that it must bee a continuing and perseuering faith vnto the ende howsoeuer in the meane time it bee assaulted that must serue the turne in this case to make vs such as of whom the LORDE here speaketh Not by the dead faith I say further that a faith though seeming to be neuer so liuelye in woordes yet if it be fruitlesse in good woorkes it is not the faith that canne make vs to be in Christ For both immediatlye before the woordes of my text and in the ende thereof it is euident that a faith accompanied with good woorkes is heere required For before you reade that Iohn set downe these woordes Heere is the patience of Saintes heere are they that keepe the commaundementes of GOD and the faith of Iesus And my text concludeth that
might be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the woorkes of the lawe because that by the workes of the Lawe no fleshe shal be iustified In which words he excludeth from the office of iustifying not onely the workes of vnbeleeuers but also of them that beleeue saying that he and such as he was which beleeued in Christ did so beleeue not that they might bee enabled thorowe their owne woorkes to iustifie vp themselues but the plaine contradictorie that is that they beleeued in him that they might still bee iustified by their faith in him and not by their woorkes which were woorkes done after their faith though he calleth them the workes of the Lawe because therein they were prescribed Againe where haue they any grounde for this pointe of diuinitie that CHRIST merited that their workes or the woorkes of any shoulde bee meritorious Doe they not see that this were in effect to say that CHRIST communicateth his owne glorious office of beeing a Sauiour to those workes and so remaineth not a full and a perfect Sauiour in him-selfe and by himselfe Whereas we reade flatly to the contrary Isai 43.11 where hee sayth vnto vs thus I euen I am the Lorde and beside me there is no sauiour To conclude therefore this point if the righteousnesse that GOD hath prouided for vs in CHRIST were not the righteousnesse that should make vs righteous why is it that wee reade that the faithfull shall say Isai 45.24 In the Lorde haue I righteousnesse and strength and that his name shall be our righteousnesse Ierem. 23.6 33.16 And that the Messias shall bring with him an euerlasting righteousnesse Dan. 9.24 Who seeth not that it is seeing God hath appointed that we shoulde be so iustified as that the whole glorie may bee his and none ours which cannot be if it come by any woorkes at all done by vs Rom. 3.27 4.4 to make vs conclude with Paul that he is made of God vnto vs wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redeÌ„ption that he that reioyceth may reioice in him 1. Cor. 1.30.31 If yet they wil say that this caÌ„not be that we shoulde bee termed or accounted righteous by a righteousnesse that is not in our selues but in Christ I aske them why they holde so They must answere because it is a principle in Philosophie that the accident must bee in the subiect whereof it hath denomination To whom fiest I answere that it is not in vaine that Saint Paul hath giuen vs this warning be wâ—â—e least there be any that spoile you through vaine Philosophie Colos 2.8 Secondly I say that howsoeuer this be a sounde principle in Philosophie yet it is false in diuinitie which I prooue thus Christ was one in whom there was no sin Isai 53.8 and yet we read that the Lorde laide vpon him the iniquities of vs all verse 6. In so much that he was wounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities and the chastisement of our peace was laide vpon him and with his stripes we are healed ver 5. Whereby I see that our vnrighteousnesse was imputed vnto him though there were no vnrighteousnesse at all inherent in him Where-uppon it must needes followe that as well may his righteousnesse bee imputed vnto vs which beleeue that of our selues are vnrighteous Yea no doubt of it that change hath GOD made with vs in him to impute vnto him our vnrighteousnesse that his righteousnesse might bee imputed vnto vs. For we reade that hee was made sinne for vs which knewe no sinne that we should be made the righteousnesse of GOD in him 2. Cor. 5.12 By Iohn therefore hee willeth the Laodiceans Apoc. 3. to come to him to buy of him but freely Isai 55. 1. long white garmentes to couer their nakednes vers 18. That is to haue at his hands by faith perfect righteousnesse whereby they may bee made righteous And what peeuishnes is this to deny the imputation of Christes righteousnesse to the beleeuer in him and to holde that the righteousnesse of Saints may bee imputed vnto him that buyeth a pardon which they all holde And how can it bee otherwise but that his righteousnesse shoulde bee the righteousnes of all theÌ„ that beleeue in him For it being as it is an infinite and absolute righteousnesse and they that beleeue in him thereby being as you haue heard in him and one with him how can it be I say any otherwise but that those thinges that bee in him should so farre bee communicated vnto them as is meet and necessarie for them Whereupon it commeth that we reade Apoc. 3.21 he saith that he will grant to them that ouercome to sitte with him in his throne as he ouercomining sitteth with the father in his But to passe from this point to the last particular branch of their faith wherein they plainely confesse that their faith breedeth not in them assuraunce and confidence of their saluation but such a hope onely as may be ioyned with doubtfulnesse whether it shal be so in the ende or no. I will easily grant them that as long as they builde beside the onely foundation Christ as they doe vpon the satisfactions and merites of man it cannot be otherwise Nay I say further that forasmuch as there is no couenant betwixt God and man of any saluation but onely in Christ Iesus the promised seede for all the promises runne in the singular number In one which is Christ Gal. 3.16 and they are all yea amen in him 2. Cor. 1.20 it is horrible presumption so farre off it is from being humility for theÌ„ once to hope or to call in question whether they may or shal be saued seeking for any part thereof for any thing that is not be For it is to looke after some fort to bee saued after a meere fancy and deuise of man full of robberie and blasphemy against Iesus Christ which howe absurd it is let any man iudge And as long as their owne consciences enforce them to confesse that they haue no better faith than this let them be assured that though they we are their tongues to the stumpes and their knees till there grow bornes on thrm in praying to GOD for their saluation they shall neuer be heard For it is written Iam. 1.6.7 Let him aske in faith wauer not for he that wauereth is like the waue of the Sea tost and caried awaie neither let that man thinke that he shall receaue any thing of the Lord. And whereas an assured confidence of saluation in Christ is counted of them presumption I say they may be ashamed but once to thinke so For vnto the right beleeuer God hath first giuen his generall promise that such a one whatsoeuer hee be shall not perish but haue eternall life Iohn 3.16 And this woorde is in writing in the place before named and else where very often in GODS booke and in the vse of the Sacramentes it is particularly applyed to euery one that so beleeueth Roman 4.
to beleeue that for his â—â—ly sake they shal not only be quit of al their sins the punishmeneâ— due for the same but that also God will vouchâ—â—â—â— to accouÌ„t theÌ„ righteous and woâ—â—thy or meet for the kingom of heauen for his righteousnes imputed vnto theÌ„ So that faith seeketh for the whol matter and cause to be saued by in Christ Iesus alone in him alone it findeth apprehendeth sufficient matter why the owner of it shold be iustified and saued The grouÌ„d of this faith in the coÌ„futation of the popish faith you haue heard already wherunto ad yet these 2 manifest places wherof the first is in the 10. of Ioh. 1. 7. where Christ flatly teacheth that he is the only dore into Gods sheepfold that so earnestly that he pronouÌ„ceth theÌ„ all theeues robbers that seek to get in any other way The other is in the 4. of the Act. 10.12 where we read that Peter boldly before the high Priests and their company in a solemne assembly sayth Be it knowen vnto you all to all the people of Israell that there is saluatioÌ„ in no other but in Iesus of Nazareth For amoÌ„g meÌ„ there is giueÌ„ no other naÌ„e vnder heaueÌ„ wherby we must be saued The which 2 places if there wer no more to be fouÌ„d through out the whole scripture were sufficient to put vs out of all doubt that there is no part of saluation to be looked for but only in through and for Iesus Christ And therfore the greater is the iudgment of God vppon the Church of Rome which notwithstanding these places will yet seeke for some part of the cause of their saluation by their owne satisfactions and merites But 〈◊〉 to whom the Lord hath giuen grace to see the glorious riches which hee hath prepared for vs in this his son hereby may be assured the seeing there lacketh in Christ neither ablenesse nor willingnes to be such a one that wtout all wauering wee may he bold to beleeue that God as both able and willing freely fully soly wholy to iustifie vs here and to glorifie vs elswhere for this his sons sake alone Which persuasion grounded vpoÌ„ this and other such groundes in the Scripture before touched is that which I boldly affirme vnto you to be the faith that indeede maketh vs to be in the Lord so ready to dye in the Lorde I exhort you therfore as many as be desirous to dye in the Lord to seeke in time by this sayth to liue in the Lord. Remember that it is the Lordes gift that by the ordinary means of the word preached Gal. 5. Ro. 10.14 1. Cor. 1.21 And therfore if you would haue it and hauing it once reteyne and keepe it you must diligently seeke it at the Lords hands by the vse of this means and that while the Lord doch offer the means vnto you least as he threatneth Pro. 1.24.26 Because he called ye refused he will laugh at your destructioÌ„ mock when your fear commeth Do not defer off the seeking for it and the streÌ„gthening of it vntil old age come If you wil do in it you must learne to liâ—â— in iâ— first and there is no reason yâ— you should spend the strength of your dayes in vanity ignorance misbeliefe and infidelity in the seruice of 〈◊〉 in the and 〈◊〉 these things are weary of you to think that it is enough to serue God with your old dry rotten bones God neuer liked to be serued with the lame blinde and maimed of the flock but the strong lusty vnblemished hee alwaies called for Mal. 1.8 13. And therfore let euery one in his youth time of his streÌ„gth remeÌ„ber his creatour turn vnto him Ec. 12.1 A briefe report testimony of the Earle of Bedfords life and death Of this fayth and early and timely seeking for it this noble person whose funeral and burrall we are now about hath bin a noble example vnto vs. For we know that not only in his later daies in her Maiesties time that now is when to be of this fayth was and hath bin safe and commendable vnto him but also before when to shewe himselfe of this fayth was daungerous to his liuing and honour he hath shewed himselfe in his life a zealous and constant professor and confessour of this faith vsing al good means both priuatly and publikely to nourish it by the diligent vse of the means aforesayd I my selfe haue bin both an eye witnesse and an eare witnesse that both in respect of his sins he had infallible tokens of a very broken and contrite hart and thought as baselye of himselfe in respect of himselfe as a true penitent man should and that yet casting his eyes vpon Gods mercyes towards such in Christ noâ—â—aÌ„ could be more comforted and râ—ysed vp agayne Notwithstanding he was as free from the common corruptions of the world wherinto â—eâ— of his place are greatly assaulted and prouoked to fall and as ful of loue and charity and all the fruites thereof as lightly amongst men any can be found yet this I canne testifie of him and I thinke so canne all that knew him and were acquainted with him that he was neuer the more puffed vppe with any conceyt of his own righteousnes yea though his course of life and dealing with all men were such that he had got this title commonly in the mouthes of al The good Earle of Bedforde yet stil his cry was that only in Iesus Christ and his merites was all his hope and trust concerning his saluation And truely as he liued in this faith in this sort so to the glory of his God al our good exaÌ„ple and his own euerlasting comforte hee dyed constantly in the same And therefore as they that were most about him can testifie a litle before his death in this his last sicknesse out of the abundance of his heart and fayth that was lodged therein hee vttered these words with great comfort Satan is cheyned Satan is cheyned The seede of the woman hath broken the serpentes head The seede of the woman hath broken the serpents head Euen for mee Euen for mee And a little before his death he ioyned in prayer with a godly Minister whom hee kept in his house for the watering of himself and his family from time to time with the water of life vnto the Lorde most earnestly and made in his hearing after some good comfort giuen him by him a notable sweete and Christian confession of his fayth in God the father God the son and God the holy Ghost shewing how fully he hoped to be saued in and for Iesus Christs sake alone coÌ„cluding in the end thus Thus I beleeue with my heart to iustification confesse with my mouth to saluation and so quietly within a very litle space after gaue vppe the Ghost I dare therefore be bolde to place him within the number of them that here in my text the
Not by the popish faith Howebeit as yet will some saye for any thing that you haue sayde both Papist and Protestant may seeme to bee such as dye in the Lorde For both professe faith in Christ and labour to shewe their faith by their woorkes I graunt it may seeme so to a simple man that seeth not the difference betwixt them to bee such as that the one holdeth the foundation the other not For though there were a difference otherwise as great as there is betwixt golde siluer precious stones and wood heye and stubble yet if both helde the foundation though the builders thereupon of wood hey stubble should in time by a more clear day of vnderstanding shining vnto them through the fire of Gods spirite kindled in them bee caused to see their folly in building no better matter vpon so good a foundatiō with griefe sorrow and some shame for their so doing Yet we learne by S. Paul that euen they also 1. Cor. 3.11.12 13.14 and 15. shall bee saued for holding the foundation And therefore that such notwithstanding their wood hey stubble that is their fonde and vaine opinions not ouerthrowing the foundatiō may dye in the Lord and so be partakers of the comfore set downe in this place But the truth is right honorable that the Popish faith what good shewe soeuer it maketh hath forsaken the foundation which is in this case but one euen Christ Iesus Because it holdeth not the foūdatiō besides whō no other foundation can any man lay as there ver 11. Paul most excellently affirmeth For better vnderstanding of which point to be most true as this would be remēbred which wee haue heard S. Paul tel vs 1. Co. 3.11 that other foūdatiō cā no mā lay thē that which is laid which is Christ Iesus so we are dilligētly to cōsider the groūd of that metaphor that is the reason why Christ is sayd to be the onely foundation of his Church whereuppon all the true members thereof as liuing stones must bee built 1. Pet. 2.5 that in him the whole building being coupled together may grow vnto a holy tēple in the Lord Ephes 2.21 No doubt of it the grounde and reason of the mecaphore is the similitude that is betwixte the foundation of an house and the house and Christ and his Church which is this that as the whole frame of the house standeth and resteth vpon the foundation and so therby is borne vp and vpholden so euery one that woulde stande vp and be vpholden as any parte of Gods spirituall house must wholly stand and rest vpon Christ and by him alone be borne vp and vpholden Let a house stande but halflings vppon the foundation it cannot stande it will fall so in this case they that would surely stand before the Lord they must fully bee setled and rest vppon the onely foundation Christ Whereuppon it must néeds follow that the popish Church is not Gods spiritual house because neither the whole house generally nor any member thereof particularly taketh it selfe onely to stande and to bee vpholden vppon and by Christ alone For it is currant doctrine with them yet that Christ by his sufferinges hath not so satisfied the iustice of his heauenly father as that hee will not require further satisfaction at the hands of him that beleeueth in him For they plainely teach that though to such their sinnes be forgiuen yet concerning the penalty due therefore this is onely done that by the merites of Christ whereas it should be euerlasting miserie nowe for his merites God will be content to accept of a temporary satisfaction and so partly for that and partly for his sonnes satisfaction hee will acquite them And here it is worthy to be noted that the Lord hath so stroken that generation in his iust iudgement with blockish sottishnes for this their robbing of his deare son of his glorie which is due vnto him that whereas in this their doctrine they ioyne other meanes helpes to deliuer men from their sinnes to the salue and plaister which Christ hath made as though his were either not broade enough to couer the sore or not good enough to cure it the meanes that they deuise are so childishe and so vnfit to be mingled with the precious bloude of Christ as that they make themselues ridiculous in attributing deliuerance from sinne vnto them As for example they attribute the power to deliuer from sinne to their holie water holy oyle holy salt holy creame holy breade holy palmes holy crosse yea and to what toye soeuer if it be but a graine or a beade hollowed of the Pope as their seruice bookes which yet they vse and too too grosse experience haue taught vs. Sinne is so small a matter with them that some sinnes must needes of their own nature be veniall and therefore our learned Rhemistes in their notes vppon the 10. of Mat. hold that a Bishoppes blessing will wipe them out going on pilgrimage offering of Candels to stocks stones and such like deedes of deuotion inioyned by a Ghostly Father in waie of penaunce yea saying of fiue Aue Maries three Pater nosters and three Creedes are counted of them good meanes of satisfactions to deliuer the beleeuer from that which the pretious bloudy satisfaction of Christ hath not deliuered him frō And which is of al the rest most absurd a number of thē as it is too wel known by their attēpts practises both in Englande and else where are growen to bee of this opinion that traiterouslie and treacherouslie to murther their naturall Prince for that hee or shee fauoreth not the Popishe faith is become nowe a meanes to merite and to obtayne plenarie remission of all sinne to the partie that will hazarde his life to doe it and yet this they wil not graunt that the beleeuer in Iesus Christ canne haue by Christes dying a most bitter death O horrible blasphemie and yet their daylie practise putteth vs out of doubt that this is their opinion and their couering and shrowding their manifold treasons vnder the pretence of their religion cōfirmeth the same And wheras to saluation two thinges are necessarie first quite to bee deliuered from sinne and from the daunger thereof which otherwise woulde sinke vs downe to hell and then a perfect righteousnesse that can not but bee so accompted in the righteous and iust iudgement of God Whereby a right claime and title may bee had to heauen and both these are fully prouided and prepared for all right beleeuers in the Messias as after you shall heare As they will not seeke for the former in his satisfactions alone but partly also in their own so concerning the latter they euen with the blind and pharisaicall Iewes Rom. 10.3 are so ignorant of the righteousnesse whirh God in Christ hath prepared to make men righteous by that they seeke to that end still to establish their owne righteousnesse For at no hand they can abide that men