parts as he passed by What then Didst thou see any vnrighteousnes in the Lord VVas there any weaknesse in his arme any crookednesse in his path VVas hee like the sonnes of men whose breath is in their nostrills Thou hast seene Moses his backer parts blessed are they which shall see his face Blessed are they which when the face of the Lord shall be reuealed shall not seek the hills to couer them or the clefts of the rockes to hide them Blessed are they whose rocke is the Lord 2 Sam. 22. 1. whose mercy is to them as the hills on euery side Psal. 125. 2. Blessed are the pure in heart which shall see God strange and mercifull and gracious slow to anger and not making the wicked innocent reseruing mercy for thousands for giuing iniquitie and transgressions visiting the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children and vpon the childrens children vnto the third and fourth generation Let vs come to our seauenth part Put off thy shooes from thy feets By these words God doth stirre him vp and prouoke him to further Deuotion and Reuerence This ceremony of standing bare-foote before GOD is like our kneeling and vncouering in the Church And of all ceremonies this is the end that Gods trembled Majesty may haue a more effectuall working in vs. Moses had shewed a reasonable readinesse to his calling before Here am I he hath yet need to be more stirred vp And if the most noble Prophet of God had need of such preparation no maruell if God doe stirre vp our dulnesse by diuers like meanes when his high worship is required for that which is in some the effect of godlines to others a cause of godlinesse In them which are more perfect reuerence descendeth from their inward worship of God by which the weaker ascend to the inward worship And godly ceremonies are in some tokens of duety to others lessons of duety Afflictions and sorrow come from Repentance by which God doth bring many to repentance Thus we see Ceremonies haue their necessary vses Neyther doe we by lawfull vsing them tie Religion to outward things but rather leade our selues to the inward worship Although wee liue in that age where all markes of outward duety are contemned I would not so much mislike if the inward seruice were not also neglected Wee count it now as profane I will not say to fast or afflict our selues or wearesacke-cloth but to decke and beautifie our Temples VVe say wee must worship GOD in Spirit as if they did not which poured forth infinite treasures in building Churches and beautifying them and which praised God with the Harpe and all instruments of Musicke I say that where the heart is set to serue God it rejoyceth to moue the hands and feete and all the outward parts to doe the same And if we had more outward behauiours of Religion and Deuotion than we vse they might well become vs. But this is little It is a dangerous thing now to praise good workes as if Faith were Faith without them Non sunt parua sine quibus magna constare non possunt S. Augustine saith These are not small things without which greater things cannot consist If a man goe towards the Sunne his shadow will goe before him but if hee goe from the Sunne yet his shadow will follow him What then if our Aduersaries which haue departed from the Sonne of Righteousnesse Iesus Christ haue set before themselues the shadow of Signes and Ceremonies Doth this forbid vs which turne to the Sonne of God in sincerity and purenesse of worship to haue it follow vs The Church of the Ievves had Shadowes and Signes without the Truth For the truth was vailed and couered to them vnder these All things were to them vnder Shadowes The Church of Christ vnder the Gospell hath the Truth with Signes The Church Triumphant in Heauen hath the Truth without Signes So the Church of Christ heere on Earth is middle betweene both participating of the Iewish Church in signes and of the Church in Heauen in the Truth Dionis Areopagita de Eccles. Hierarch lib. 1. cap. 5. part 1. And thus we are come to our last part For the place where thou standest is holy ground If we make this the reason of that first come not neare we haue a sufficient warrant to manifest our dutie to God in all places for God filleth all places with his presence Whither shall I goe from thy presence Coelum terram ego impleo I fill Heauen and Earth saith the Lord. In respect of our weaknesse he seemeth to be lesse present to some place but as he is in himselfe he is a like present in all We haue a more awfull regard of God where he sheweth more signes of his excellence but he worketh infinitely aboue our vnderstanding euen there where he sheweth no signe at all But let vs rather construe this of the holinesse of the ground for a reason of that which went next before why he must put off his shoes from his feete We haue this doctrine hence First the holinesse of the place doth witnesse Gods presence secondly it moueth vs to inward reuerence and feare thirdly it telleth vs what we ought to be Shall the place be holy when wee are prophane Where we must not tread amisse must we thinke amisse where Moses must not weare shoes on his feete shall he carry wickednesse in his heart Regard we what men see and despise we the eyes of God for God requireth truth of the inward parts yet so that he refuseth not the worship of the outward parts which if he would euer haue refused he would haue done so heere for God saw Moses heart and none were present but God and Moses heere was no congregation assembled none that might learne by outward ceremony or behauiour and yet God which is a Spirit and worshipped in spirit saith Moses put off thy shoes from thy feete for the place where thou standest is holy ground If Moses stood before God in holy ground where God appeared to him in a bush burning with fire how holy must our standings be before him which haue him not within kenning onely or at a gaze or where wee are forbidden to come but in the middest of vs If Mount Sinai were sanctified for a temporall residence what shall wee thinke of these Mountaines our Temples dedicated to his glory and worship to which hee hath promised a presence for euer If God did discend to the low Bramble-bush and sanctifie it doe you thinke he will abandon his Temples where we daily come together in his name If God haue any place holy vnder Heauen this is that place This place we exempt from all other vses and consecrate to God Heere we meete to acknowledge his diuine presence so often as we come together in his name and we testifie the same by our most solemne and royall assemblies For if wee consider
our selues as grafted in Christ and members of one bodie heere we come as sheepe into ourspirituall fold all linked and combined in the same prayers with one heart and voyce praysing and lauding the name of God And if we consider our communion with the Saints and Angels of God and the Church triumphant which is in Heauen heere we ioyne and meete to glorifie the same God in earth which the Angels doe in Heauen which diuine and celestiall company how can we better represent then in this spirituall randiuouze singing Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath Heauen and earth are full of the maiesty of thy glory c. Thirdly if the zeale of our profession moue heere we professe and testifie the name of God the right worship and the truth of our calling against Turkes Iewes Infidels Sects Aduersaries Men Diuels and all the enemies of Gods truth sounding and ringing out our zeale for the prayse and glory of God that all the world may heere it And lastly if the loue of our Lord Iesus Christ compell vs heere wee assembled are so oft assured of his presence as we come together in his name and when all other places are subiect to abuse our high wayes and fields to riflings and robberies our Markets and Streets to quarrellings to deceiuings our common meetings to wrongfull and fraudulent dealings our Courts to strife and janglings whereas disorders are seene daily in our houses and our secret Chambers can tell of our vncleannesse the reuerence of this place confoundeth lewd sinners and keepeth it at least from all open prophanation and abuse But where is our zeale if it be not in our Temples nay if it be against them Had God holinesse which he might bestow vpon this place and is he so bare of it that now he hath none left Did hee spend all vpon mount Sinai and hath he neuer a blessing left for our Herebs Yes some of that was bestowed vpon Salomons Temple wherefore CHRIST was euen eaten vp with the zeale of that house Which howsoeuer it were shortly to be prophaned and made desolate yet was it holy to Christ as long as it stood But our deuotions are gone out of Gods house to our owne houses we decke and beautifie them because we loue our selues as we would Gods house if we loued God God hath long agoe complayned of this Is it time to build to your selues seeled houses and let my house lie wasle Which being so no maruell that the same vilenesse and contempt which we haue suffered to fall vpon our Churches and Church orders is now fallen vpon our selues I speake not this to grace ceremonies or outward behauiours of Religion otherwise then shadowes to that body shadowes they are to the body of Religion but such as well become the body Onely this I protest if holinesse be gone out of the toes and feete of our Church yet let vs keepe it in the heart still And if wee haue forgotten the place in which we stand let vs not forget the person before whom we stand which is God the Lord the high owner of Heauen Earth which is neere to vs how euer we are farre from him which doth enspire with his spirit not onely the head and honourable parts but the toes and the feete to whom the heart is due and the spirit and all our strength But of how many of vs doth he not receiue the calues of our lips This most high great God sanctifie vs all in our seueral standings before him and grant vs all holy toes holy feete holy knees holy hands holy lippes holy hearts to the glory and prayse of his name in Christ our Lord Now to God the Father Almightie with God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost three persons and one God be rendred all honour prayse power dominion and glory now and for euer So be it Amon. CHRISTIAN PATIENCE The fift Sermon MATTH 5. Vers. 38. 39. 40. 41. 38 You haue heard that it hath beene said an Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth 39 But I say vnto you resist not euill But whosoeuer shall smite thee on thy right cheeke turne to him the other also 40 And if a man will sue thee at the Law and take away thy Coate let him haue thy Cloake also 41 And whosoeuer will compell thee to goe a mile goe with him twaine WHen Moses sent Spies into the Land of Canaan to search the Land and the goodnesse thereof and to bring of the fruit when the Messengers made report that it was a fruitfull Land and flowing with Milke and Honey and represented the fruit thereof which they brought the people were all without doubt moued with a wonderous desire to make forth and possesse that Land but when some of them reported that there were Giants in the Land and that there seemed no possibibility of entrie but by warre and bloud shed see how quickly they were turned VVould God we had died in the land of Aegipt or in this Wildernesse would God we were dead The Preachers of Gods word which are sent of God as Spies to search and inquire into holy Scripture what good things God hath laid vp in the Kingdome of Heauen for those which trust in him when they certifie you that the eye hath not seene nor the eare heard and that the good things which God hath prepared for those that loue him haue not entred into the heart of man who burneth not with desire to enter into the Kingdome of heauen and to be partaker of euerlasting blisse with the Saints in light But when we tell you of losse and hazard of suffering blowes on the cheekes of wrestling of fighting with the Giants of this world and suffering all things to the effusion of bloud for the Kingdome of heauen what a world of menturne backe and start aside Wee bring you to this Scripture as to the waters of strife A maruaile to see the people which all escaped drowing in the Sea were almost all drowned in a little lake There is this difference betweene vs and the murmuring Israelites they said we will goe backe into Aegipt we goe backe but say notso The words of Christ will trie who are his he that taketh not vp his Crosse and followeth Christ is not worthy of him We should beare our Crosse I would we could be contented that our Crosse might beare vs. Euery true Disciple of CHRIST is crucified with CHRIST his hands are nayled he cannot strike his feete are nayled he cannot pursue reuenge he is also fast bound and tied that hee can moue no ber of his body to resist euill If wee mistake not our profession our honor is to be reuiled our gaine our treasure to forsake all our fighting to flie from place to place our glory in our wounds our victory in death What then if all our manners and liues and actions doe crosse this
and the hardnesse of their hearts And lastly Moses calling to heart that wonderfull vouchsafing of the Diuine majesty first in looking vpon a people which were afflicted with so cruell bondage but especially in looking on him which was afflicted by the afflicted in a lower degree of misery than bondage to make him their Leader to make him Pharaohs God to furnish him with all helpes to grace him with the familiarity of his owne presence how gladly shall hee consecrate all his power and strength to this seruice to Gods businesse with care with resolution with all his heart But we must obserue that albe it be heere written God called him yet in the second Verse we finde the Angell of the Lord appeared to him If we desire to know who this Angell should be which in the sixt Chapter verse 3. calleth himselfe by the name of Iehouah and taketh to him the glory of the eternall Godhead wee may safely with the Fathers take him for the eternall Sonne of God in regard of his person of a Mediator Which person albeit he did after take vpon him when in the fulnesse of time hee tooke our flesh yet he bore the figure and image thereof from the beginning And to this purpose Saint Paul calleth him the a Leader of the people in the desart For albeit he were not yet come yet might his Predestination to that office be of that force that hee might make himselfe knowne to the Fathers vnder no other habite For all the communication they had with God was by no other meanes than of the Messiah which was promised which although he were the eternall Word that is God himselfe yet might he in respect of his future Office and Embassie borrow the name of an Angell And farther be it that the eternall Sonne of God did appeare to Moses yet could not this hinder any thing that hee appeared by an Angell more then that when God appeared to Abraham in the likenesse of three Angels for that there also the Angels speake in the person of God at the time appoynted I will returne vnto thee according to the time of life It is no extraordinary thing for the Prophets themselues which beare Gods message doe sometimes take vpon them Gods person and speake as God speaketh as Elisha second of Kings Ch 6. vers 16. which vseth the same words and Eliah the first of Kings Ch. 21. 20. Onely this may suffice to be gathered from this place that whatsoeuer God speaketh by his Angels is of as much certayntie as if Gods owne mouth had spoken it I if he leaue Angels and chuse Shepheards and Fishermen to doe his message the authority is no lesse then if it had beene thundred from Heauen or vttered by an hoast of Angels or written in the Heauens or spoken from Heauen by the mouth of the Sonne of God from the right hand of God for although the Angels of Gods Church heere on earth be by no meanes to be compared with those blessed mindes for excellency of substance or immortality or purenesse from sinne yet are they not inferiour to them in respect of their message if they be not aboue them in regard of their office which is greater then to sit vpon the Spheares of Heauen and to bring the Sunne to his daily course to vphold the earth to dispose seasons and times to inflict famines and pestilence for to them only is committed the dispensation of the word of Life the power of the keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen the Administration of the Sacraments they wash you with liuing water in Baptisme In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost they reach you the flesh and bloud of Christ in the Lords Supper they lift you vp to Heauen by preaching of that powerfull word the least iot and title whereof shall not passe when heauen and earth are passed away and for this cause although an Angell appeared to Cornelius he went no farther then to messenger him to Saint Peter which should tell him what he should doe I when CHRIST himself appeared to Saul and spake to him from Heauen yet he gaue to Ananias this honour that he should be the instrument of his conuersion and of his receiuing the holy Ghost Let no man then now looke to be called out of a bush burning with fire or by a voyce from heauen sithence God doth as vndoubtedly call vs daily out of the mouthes of his Ministers and Preachers and speake by them as familiarly as he did by Moses and if they be Ministers to you of Grace and Life and the riches and glory of the Kingdome of heauen let it not grieue you with good consciences to be Ministers to them of the perishing things of this world neyther despise you them because they are men and sinners as you are for God which deputed them did it not for want of Angels but in calling them he preferreth your nature Hee knowes their vnworthines better then you yet he honoureth them Doe you dishonour them whom God honoureth What then doe you blaspheme the good of your brethren for which you are to giue God thanks I and some there are which load them with disgracefull termes and rayling words such as the Angell sustayned not to giue to the Diuell himselfe The spirit himselfe calleth that blinde and carelesse Minister the Angell of his Church Doe we esteeme them whom the mouth of God calleth Angels as the basest of all men Are you wiser then the holy Ghost or can you constitute a better forme of gouernment in Gods Church then God himselfe hath ordayned Doubtlesse none can set little by the Ministers of Christ but they which haue hated him first Wee cannot reach at his Heauens we cannot touch his Sunne nor Starres nor disorder the least of his workes heere on earth and yet we oppose our selues to that to which God hath giuen a farre more excellent being namely the word of truth the image of his glory the sword of of his Iustice the Scepter of his Kingdome Our second circumstance followeth The Place general out of which Moses is called the Desart c. The Prophet shewing that no man can flie from the presence of God neyther by ascending into Heauen or lying in Hell or dwelling in the Sea c. As hee proueth that if we doe wickedly we lye open alwayes to the vengeance wrath of God so he enforceth that if we doe well nothing can take our reward from vs. What maruell if then God search the Wildernesse for his seruant Moses doth he not vse to search for his seruants the dennes of Lyons and fiery Ouens and the bottome of the Sea and the bottome of the graue For as he reioyceth to bring hidden wickednesse to open punishment so he more delighteth to bring secret godlinesse to open light and glory Although then Moses thou be
vs then haue our eye vpon him that we may know this changeable Proteus vnder what forme soeuer he shrowds himselfe When Peter spake like a friend Maister pitty thy selfe Christ spied the diuell there Auoid Satan When Elymas the Sorcerer perswaded the Deputy Paul eied the diuell thou sonne of the Diuell he found him in men-beasts at Ephesus he spide him lurking in his own flesh whither Sathan had sent his messenger to buffet him And it mattereth not whether he seeke our subucrsion by himselfe or by his sworne seruants For as when a Prince suborneth his subiect to worke treason vpon his enemy the benefit redoundeth to the Prince not to the subject so when men draw vs from God the booty is the Diuells O where doth not this subtile Serpent lurke what station haue the Souldiers of Christ without danger where can we put our selues without perill of falling Wee haue a night and clandesline enemy which neuer ceaseth to subuert ruinate and destroy If we had to doe with a bodily enemy wee might sleepe or intermit the watch there might be something vnperfect in our munitions and he not espie it This enemy spies all aduantages his Dragon eye so called of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to see pries into all things he intermits no time Then in a word whensoeuer wee may be subuerted wee are taken by him Wee haue seene this our arch-enemy ruling ouer all the Nations of the world fortifying himselfe like a great Monarch with bands of Atheists and Idolatrous hauing built himselfe Altars and Temples in the heathen as strong holdes bearing visible sway and carrying the Kingdomes of the earth in open triumph We haue seene how hee hath warred with the Saints in the Primitiue Church and how deare the cause of Iesus Christ stoode the Apostles and Martires in which prodigall of their liues and bloud charged the enemy in open fight and cast him out rescuing kingdomes and subduing the Nations of the world to Christ and his Gospell howbeit hee hath made a reentry hauing gotten the signiory in Africke and holds them as a prey More he raungeth ouer the great Asia and hath laid it waste I hee is entred into Europe and like the surging and ouerflowing ocean frets at the shoare seeking to breake the bounds hauing gotten ground of the Church but what doe I speake of outlings which haue yeelded ouer see how he hath drawne the Starres from heauen Euen them which professing Christ in his Church doe take now the contrary part And now when wee see without the Church the common enemies brauing the poore Christians despising our little number yet lesse for sects and schismes intestine and ciuill warre when I see amiddest them which professe Christ in one side hote fiery men whetting their tongues in Pulpits with curses and bitter words preaching common Inuectiues as if they had warre with one part of their hearers holding their scute or buckler of Predestination ouer the side they fauour and powring out plagues and curses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like stormes in winter on the other When againe I see our aduersaries with bloudy Inquisitions with fire and sword armed not onely with poyson in their mouthes as lying slandering blaspheming for that they count too little but with treasons and all cruel instruments of death sharpned with spite and malice implacable and seconded with hellish policy Heu quantae miseris strages Laurentibus instante what warres what massacres doe threaten vs God thou knowest If euer Christs Church had warre heere is warre It is warre when the enemy batters the walls What is it when hostes habet muros When our enemy possesseth our walls So had wee when wee drew within the walls of our Church that monstrum infelix full of armes and armed men as the Trojan Horse which hath not ceased to practise all cruelty and hostilitie in the Church And if euill were then to be feared how is it now when the enemy commeth out of the sides and bowells of the Church when he is gotten into the Pulpits and hath diuided our small number and pretending nothing but the pure Word hath sowen that sedition that parts are taken that it is growne to mutiny to sides that almost through the whole kingdome euery towne is at open faction Preacher against Preacher hearer against hearer One side goes from the Sermon discouraged and marked out for reprobate the other hath grace and comfort as solely elected Then spies are sent abroad for more hearers this man is graced and magnified as the onely Preacher if another come they will not heare him And hath not this fiery disposition attended to ruinate the very foundation of the Church as in Brownists and Barrowists But you will say these are zealous and godly men they minde but to mend the couering and alter somewhat of the old building Be not deceiued for it is to be feared they will downe with all for the new sides doe heare them as the onely Preachers and they haue cast imputation on their fellowes of Errour and Popery But be not deceiued deare Christians these are not they which brought you out of darkenes into light which stoode and fought for your Faith and the Gospell when the Truth was at a lowe ebbe and the Church had neede of stowt Souldiers in the cause of Christ. Non his Inventus orta parentibus Infeâ—…it aequor sanguine No lusty youths nor any of this race Did euer shed their bloud in such a case They were Ridleys Latimers and Cranmers playne Souldiers fighters not boasters which died for Christ and his Gospell in those dangerous times they cared for the body of Religion not striuing for the shadow They had the compleate armour of righteousnesse they did not contend about the guilding and enamelling They fought indeed not beating the Ayre with wordes they warred with the common enemy and left not the sword sticking in the sides of their fellowes But see how the Serpent is still a Serpent He is out of hope to hurt vs by our enemies abroad now he seekes to bring the same ruine on vs by our selues If he cannot procure our downefall for want of preaching he will doe it by preaching if he cannot hurt vs by hiding prayers in a tongue vnknowne hee will make vs despise them in a tongue knowne if he cannot obtayne the rule as he is Prince of darkenesse He will in a counterfeit forme attempt vs like an Angell of Light By these let vs learne what we ought to be not onely good souldiers but labouring suffering euill First is a good souldier then suffring euil For an euill man is no souldier but an enimy of Christ Transfuga a run-away he hath forsaken his colours and giuen ouer the cause If we be good then shall we be sure of enemies when first we become good then the fight beginueth My sonne when thou commest into the seruice of God stand fast and feare and prepare thy soule to
infinite difference bewixt Gods teaching and mans teaching which driueth away our sinnes as the winde the mist which ouercommeth our ignorance as the light the darknesse which consumeth our euils as fire the wax and the Sunne melts the Snow which couereth our nakednesse as the Heauens couer the earth which createth our newnesse as he created heauen and earth of nothing See the Apostles being taught by the spirit which were idiots and simple men as was knowne to all men are not onely at the instance repleat with all heauenly knowledge themselues but are made the onely Doctors and Teachers of all the world beside And cannot that Son which made those silly fishermen the lights of the world by one whole infusion of faith lighten my closet and chamber I meane the secret corners of my heart Heare we what Saint Paul saith God that commanded the light to shine out of darknesse is he which hath shined in our hearts to giue the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. But you will obiect the Apostles had the gift of that knowledge by miracle and those gifts were extraordinary and now they cease euery man that will haue knowledge now must eyther learne of others or seeke it in his booke I deny not but that those gifts which are gratis data giuen freely and not gratum facientia as is the distinction of the Schoole-men not iustifying or making a man acceptable to God of which sort were the gifts of tongues and vnderstanding all Scriptures I say I doe not deny but they are ceased and were giuen onely to the Apostles and Ministers and some others by imposition of the Apostles hands in the primitiue Church for these are not giuen them which receiue them for their owne saluation but for the saluation of others and we haue the vse and collation and benefit of the same gifts being by their preaching brought to the knowledge of God but this I say the gift of faith which is giuen vs by which we are inwardly regenerate and know God though it be ordinary and shall be euer in Gods Church to the end of the world yet is it of higher power and greater miracle for regeneration of euery Soule that is grafted in Christ speaketh as much to the prayse of Gods power and glory as the creation of heauen and earth made of nothing and this is wrought in vs by which wee are made the sonnes of God in the same instant as was that knowledge extraordinary and by God immediately and by Gods free gift and in all that are saued alike absolutely necessary for all that are saued Lastly we can shew this by examples of them which beleeued Zaccheus a Publicane an Heathen man the first houre he beleeued heareth Christ say vnto him This day is Zaccheus a childe of Abraham The Thiefe is admitted to Paradise for one confession Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome Christ our Lord replyeth Verily verily I say vnto thee this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise The soule and bodie-sicke Woman in one houre goes away sound thy faith hath made thee whole The Eunuch in that houre that he beleeueth Iesus to be the sonne of God is baptised Three thousand are conuerted to Christ at one Sermon and that same day were added to the Church This ground of Scripture was there all to be beleeued No more did Saint Paul require of the Iaylour but this Beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and thine household This was eternall life this is eternall life this euer shall be eternall life to beleeue c. Thus we haue the way of life made compendious and playne and that â—…um necessarium that one thing which is necessary cleere and euident at the first opening of the Scriptures for as God hath so ordered for our bodily life that those things which make not for necessity but for lifes beauty onely and ornament are abstruse and hard to finde and stâ—…ut vp in the bowels of the eaâ—…th or hidden in clests of the Rockes or in the bottome of the Sea as Pearles and Gold and pretions stones because they are neyther necessary nor fit for all men but those things that are of lifes substance and are necessary for our being and sustenance are ready and offer themselues to euery mans hand as ayre and water and corne and fruits of the earth so many things with which the Spouse of Christ may be adorned and beautified he buried as it were in deepe and prefound sense of Scripture which yet many by continuall meditation and study doe dig forth like pearles and precious stones but that without which our soules life cannot haue her being or subsisting those things which are the very bread and drinke of our soules viz. to know the true God and Iesus Christ whom the father hath sent that I say is so plaine perspicuous and easie to finde in holy Scriptures that we cannot misse of eternall life vnlesse we will deny our selues to it What then was thy purpose O Sauiour Christ to set downe this one rule and ground for all to end all controuersies to stay all disputation to take away all doubts to cut off all schismes and factions to build vs sure vpon the rock to set the marke of all trueth high in the tower of the Scriptures to make plaine the way to Heauen When a way is vnknowne to a farre country where is much treasure many will seeke it some by climbing Mountaynes some will venter the Desart some will seeke passage by Sea some by Land and some by East and some be West but when discouery is made of a passage and the way is knowne being made playne and easie no man will seeke dangerous circuits and windings but passe by the knowne way For this way to eternall life was vnknowne to the world some climbed vp by the steepe of their owne workes some wandred in the desarts of mens doctrines some had blinde Phylosophers for their guides some seducing Southsayers some were led by the light of the creatures some sounded the deepe of mans reason Iesus Christ hath made this way straight and knowne and discouering the neerest cut or passage sayth this is it haec est to beleeue the Father of Christ the onely very God and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ. Now that we may not doubt let vs stand and inquire of the passengers let vs aske our Father Abraham this was his way as our Lord Iesus said Abraham desired to see my day and saw it Let vs aske the Prophets To him all the Prophets beare witnesse Let vs enquire of the law The Law was our Schoolemaster to Christ. Aske the Apostles all the blessed Martyrs this was the onely poynt they sealed with their bloud that Christ was God Aske our Lord Iesus I heare him say