the vse or effect of the lawe of God and of the fulfilling abrogating of the same Of the likenesse and difference of bothe the Testamentes and people the old and the new 400 9 Of Christian libertie and of offences Of good workes and the reward thereof 440 10 Of sinne and of the kyndes thereof to wit of originall and actuall sinne and of sinne against the Holie Ghoste And lastly of the most sure and iust punishment of sinnes 477 The summe or contentes of the tenne Sermons of the fourth Decade 1 Of the Gospell of the grace of GOD who hath giuen his Sonne vnto the world and in him all thinges necessarie to saluation that wee beleeuing in him might obteine eternall life 525 2 Of repentaunce and the causes thereof of confession and remission of sinnes of satisfaction and indulgences of the olde and newe man of the power or strength of meÌ the other things perteyning to repentaÌce 561 3 Of God of the true knowledge of God and of the diuers ways how to know him That God is one in substance three in persons 604 4 That God is the creatour of all things and gouerneth all thinges by his prouidence where mention is also made of the good wil of God to vsward and of Predestination 635 5 Of adoreing or worshipping Of inuocating or calling vpon And of seruing the onely liuing true and euerlasting god Also of true and false religion 648 6 That the sonne of God is vnspeakably begotten of the father that he is consubstantiall with the father and therefore true god That the selfe same sonne is true man consubstantiall with vs and therefore true God and man abiding in two vnconfounded natures and in one vndiuided person 677 7 Of Christ King Priest of his onely euerlasting kingdome and priesthoode and of the name of a Christian 698 8 Of the holie Ghoste the thirde person in Trinitie to be worshipped and of his diuine power 714 9 Of good and euil spirites that is of the holie Angels of God and of diuels or euill spirites of their operations 731 10 Of the reasonable soule of man and of his most certeine saluation after the death of his body 759 The third last Tome and first the summe or coÌtents of the ten Sermons of the fift and last Decade 1 Of the holy Catholique Churche what it is how far it extendeth by what marks it is knowne from whence it springeth howe it is mainteyned and preserued whether it may erre Also of the power studies of the Church 812 2 That there is one Catholique Church that without the Churche there is no light or saluation Against Schismatiques Wherefore we depart from the vp-start Churche of Rome That the Church of God is the house vineyard and kingdome of God and the body sheepefolde and spouse of Christe a mother and a virgine 841 3 Of the ministerie and ministers of Gods worde wherefore and for what ende they are instituted of god That the orders giuen by Christe vnto the Churche in times past were equall Whence and howe the prerogatiue of ministers sprang and of the supremacie of the byshop of Rome 870 4 Of calling vnto the ministerie of the word of god What manner of men and after what fashion ministers of the worde must be ordeined in the church Of the keyes of the Churche What the office of them is that be ordeyned Of the manner of teaching the Churche and of the holie life of the Pastours 891 5 Of the fourme and maner how to pray to God that is Of the calling on the name of the Lorde where also the Lordes prayer is expounded and also singing thankesgiuing and the force of prayer is intreated 914 6 Of signes the manner of signes of Sacramentall signes what a sacrament is of whome for what causes and how many Sacraments were instituted of Christ for the christian church Of what thinges they doe consist howe they are consecrated how the sign and the thing signified in the Sacramentes are eyther ioyned together or distinguished and of the kinde of speaches vsed in the Sacramentes 955 7 That we must reason reuerently of Sacramentes that they doe not giue grace neyther haue grace included in them Again what the vertue and lawful end and vse of Sacraments is That they profite not without fayth that they are not superfluous to the faythfull and that they do not depend vpoÌ the worthinesse or vnworthinesse of the minister 995 8 Of holie Baptisme what it is by whome when it was instituted and that there is but one baptisme of water Of the baptisme of fire Of the rite or ceremonie of baptisme howe of whome and to whome it muste be ministred Of Baptisme by Midwiues and of infants dying without baptisme Of the baptisme of infantes againste Anabaptisine or Rebaptising and of the power or efficacie of baptisme 1032 9 Of the Lords holie Supper what it is by whom when and for whome it was instituted after what sort when and howe oft it is to be celebrated of the ends thereof Of the true meaning of the wordes of the supper This is my body Oâ the presence of Christ in the supper Of the true eating of Christes body Of the worthy vnworthy eaters thereof howâ euerie maÌ ought to prepare him self vnto the lords supper 1063 10 Of certeine institutions of the church of god Of scholes Of Ecclesiasticall goods of the vse abuse of the same Oâ Churches holie instrumentâ of Christians Of the admonition and correction of the ministers of the Church and of the whole Churche Of matrimonie Of widowes Of virgines Of Monkes What the church of Christe determineth concerning the sicke and of funeralls and burials 1112 The second table conteyning such places and testimonies of Scripture both of the old Testament and the Newe as are vsed of the Authour euery where throughout this his whole worke The first number is referred to the Chapter the second to the Page ¶ Out of Genesis 1IN the beginning God created heauen earth c. Pag. 632. 1 Let there be light and there was light c. 977 1 Let vs make man in our Image after our owne likenes c. 490. 633 2 Of the institution of mariage It is not good for man to bee alone c. 222. 2 Thou shalt not eate of the fruite of the trée of knowledge c. 483. 484. 488 3 Ye shall not die the death for God doth know that the same day that ye eate thereof your eyes shal be opened c. 751 3 The Serpent was subtiler than all the beastes of the field c. 749 3 The woman whom thou gauest to be with mée gaue mée of the trée c. 479 3 For dust thou art and into dust thalt thou be turned againe c. 764 3 The séed of the womaÌ shall crush the serpents head c. 687 4 The voice of thy brothers bloud cryeth out of the earth c.
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 affectioÌs 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 maÌ is the Lord froÌ 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 heaueÌlie 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 caÌnot 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
aboue the heauens But what is he that can portraye a spirite in any Image or substaunce God is an incomprehensible power quickening and preseruing all and euery thing But Dauid describing Images sayth The Idoles of the heathen are siluer and golde the workes of mens handes They haue eares and heare not noses haue they and smell not They haue hands and handle not feete haue they and walke not neyther is there any voyce in the throate of them Wherefore if these be compared to God how like I beseeche you are they vnto him To goe about therefore to expresse God in any visible likenesse is the nexte way to dishonour God and to bring him into contempt Gods eye beholdeth all thinges Idoles sée nothing Gods eares heare all things Idoles heare nothing By God all things liue moue and are preserued the Idoles them selues neyther liue nor moue and vnlesse they be vphelde by the men that make theÌ they fall and are dasht in péeces An Idole breatheth not GOD giueth to other a breathing spirite Howe then and wherein are these twaine alike In substance or in shape If ye say in substaunce I aunswere is God then of golde of siluer or of wood If in shape myne aunswere is hath the inuisible power of God then put on visible and mortall members Howe greatly therefore did the Anthropomorphites offende herein If then there be no similitude of God howe commeth it to passe I beséeche you that Images and Idoles be called the likenesse and pictures of God Among vs he that calleth another an Idole or an Image doth séeme to haue spoken it too too despightfully in reproche of the other For we know that Idoles are counterfaites of men and not men in déede and therefore doe we call him an Image that is a sotte a foole a dolte an idiote and one that hath no wit nor knoweth any more then he heareth of other Why then henceforwarde should we any more call Images the likenesses of God God is lyuing Images are monumentes of deade men as Solomon the authour of the booke of Wisdome sayth God is glorious and heauen and earth are full of the glory of his maiestie but Idoles are without all glory and subiect to the scoffes and mockes of men Images are tokens of absent friendes But God is present alwayes and euery where And the signes or tokens which God did of olde ordeine and giue to his people were not simply the signes and Images of God but tokens of Gods presence signifying that God who by nature is a spirite and inuisible incomprehensible and vnmeasurable is present still among them Such a token was the cloude the smoake the fire and finally the very Arke of the couenaunt which also the Cherubim did couer with their winges signifying thereby that no mortall man coulde looke God in the face and that therefore the soule and the minde and spirite ought by contemplation to be lifted vp into heauen there to behold him For to Moses who notwithstanding is sayde to haue séene God face to face it was sayd No man shall see me liue When once we are deceassed then shall we sée him as he is according to the sayings of the blessed Euangelist Iohn So then these I say are the causes why the Lorde will not haue him self represented or portrayed in any mattier or likenesse Herevnto now doe appertaine the places of Scripture and testimonies of the men that are the chiefest pillers of true religion and godlinesse of Moses Esay and Paule Moses in Deut. sayth The Lorde spake vnto you from the middest of the fire and a voyce of wordes ye hearde but likenesse saw ye none but heard the voice only Take good heede therefore vnto yourselues as pertaining vnto your soules for ye sawe no maner of image in that day least ye marre your selues by making you a grauen image the likenesse of any manner of figure whether it be the picture of man or woman the likenesse of any manner of beaste that is on the earth or the lykenesse of any manner of feathered foule that flyeth in the ayre or the likenesse of any manner of worme that creepeth on the earth or the likenesse of any manner of fishe that is in the waters beneath the earth Yea and leaste thou lifte vp thine eies vnto heauen and wheÌ thou seest the Sunne the Moone and the Starres with all the hoast of heauen thou shouldest beginne to worship them and reuerence them and shouldest worship and serue the thinges which the Lorde thy God hath made to serue all nations vnder the whole heauen Take heede therefore that ye forget not the appointment of the Lord your God which he hath made with you and that ye make you no grauen Image nor the likenesse of any thing that the Lorde thy God hath forbidden thee This hath Moses thus farre Esaias also in his fourtie Chapter sayth Beholde all people to wit compared to God are in comparison of him as a droppe of a bucketfull and are counted as a little dust sticking on the balance and weying nothing at all Yea the Isles are to him as a very little thing Libanus is not sufficient to minister fire to his offering and all the beastes thereof are not inoughe for one sacrifice All people in comparison of God are reckoned as nothing in respect of him they are lesse then nothing and as that that is not To whome then wil ye liken God or what similitude will ye set vp to him Shall the Caruer make him an Image and shall the Goldsmyth couer it with golde or caste it into a fourme of siluer plates Moreouer shall the poore man that he may haue somewhat to set vp choose a tree that is not âotten and seeke out a cunning woorkeman to carue there out an Image that moueth not Know ye not this heard ye neuer of it And again It is he that sitteth vpon the circle of the worlde whose inhabitours are in comparison of him but as Grashoppers It is hee that spreadeth out the heauens like a curtaine hee stretcheth them out as a Tent to dwell in It is he that bringeth princes to nothing and maketh the iudges of the earth as though they were not To whome nowe will yee liken mee and to whome shall I be like sayth the holy one Lift vp your eyes on high and consider who hath made those things whiche come out by so great heapes and he calleth them all by their names And so foorth Thus much out of Esaias Moreouer Paule the Apostle of Christ disputing at Athens of true religioÌ saith God that made the world and all that therein is seeing that he is Lord of heauen and earth dwelleth not in Temples made with handes neyther is worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing since he himself giueth life and breath to al and euery where and hath made of one bloud all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth and hath
vs which iudge very fondly of them and bestow on them the honour due to God in worshipping and calling vpoÌ them as we should worship and call vpon our tutours and defenders The very deuils and deuilish men shal be straunge Gods if we for feare shall stande in awe of them more then of God to whoÌ in déede our feare is due The starres the Planets and signes in the firmament shall be strange Gods if we being deceiued with the Mathematicals shall wholy hang on them and in all our doings euermore haue regarde to the impressions of the skie directing euery minute of oure liues to the course of the starres Likewise if we shall honour and loue money or men with honour or loue due vnto God then shal this money and men of ours be imputed to vs for straunge Gods. King Asa is blamed 2. Paral. 7. for putting too muche confidence in Physicke and Physicians Physicke and Physicians therefore may be abused and made strange Gods. The Iewes are rebuked by the Lord in Esay cap. 30. for trusting too much in the Egyptians their confederates Confederates therefore may be abused and made straunge Gods. But most of all are condemned here the leagues and couenaunts made with the deuill by witchraft to haue him at commaundement Those blessings also whiche of right ought rather to be called cursings I meane superstitious exorcismes or coniurations are vtterly to be reiected wherin also this is blame-worthy that the name of the moste high God is horribly abused and takeÌ in vaine But what is he that can exactly reckoÌ vp euery particular thing wherein this firste commaundement is transgressed considering that in it is taught the perfect rule of godlynesse whiche is the inward worship done to God to wit to acknowledge God to beléeue him to thinke rightly of him to call vpon him to cleaue vnto him and in all things to obey him The second precept of the ten Commaundementes is Thou shalt not make to thee selfe a grauen Image nor any likenesse of those thinges which are in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath or in the water vnder the earth thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them I am the Lorde thy God strong and iealous visiting the fathers sinnes in the children vnto the thirde and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy vnto thousandes to them that loue me and keepe my Commaundements In the first commaundement the Lorde did teache and drawe out before our eyes the patterne of his inwarde worship and religion nowe here in the seconde he amendeth that which might be amisse in the outward rites and ceremonies If we coulde haue rightly iudged of God and haue kept as deuouth as we shoulde the firste Commaundement then should there haue bene no néede of the seconde but bicause God knew our disposition nature he doth therfore expresly forbid the thing that otherwise we would haue done For many there are whiche thinke that God ought to be portraied in some similitude or likenesse and to be worshipped with some bodily or visible reuerence in offering golde siluer pearles yuorie and precious thinges of price Wherefore the generall ende of this commaundement is to drawe them from those grosse imaginations and carnal worshippings of God who as he is an incomprehensible power and an eternall spirit so can he not be resembled to any corruptible similitude he will be worshipped in spirite and holinesse Vnder the name of the Ivole or imagined likenesse is conteined all the outwarde reuerence done therevnto when therefore the Idols are forbidden together with them is also forbidden all outward honour irreligiously exhibited to the true and very god For whersoeuer an Idole is there muste the Idolaters set him vp a pillour place him in a seate erect him an altar and builde him a temple And all these againe require kéepers and ouerséers Ministers or Priestes sacrifices and offerings ceremonies furnitures holy dayes cost and labour that will neuer be ended In this sense did the Prophetes say that Idolatrous images were endlesse labours and infinit miseries For after images are once receiued there is no ende or measure of expences and toyle This doth experience teache to be true Nowe to procéede this commaundement standeth of thrée seuerall partes For first of all God flatly forbiddeth to make a grauen image or other kinde of Idole that is God doth vtterly forbid to set vp or hallow to him any image of what shape or substance soeuer it be For as God will not so in déede he can not be expresly represented in any manner of likenesse Nowe in this commaundement are reckoned vp in a manner al the similitudes of those things whervnto we are wont in portraying to liken our pictures Thou shalt not sayth he fashion like vnto God any shape or figure of those things which are in heauen which are I say aboue vs Aboue vs are the celestial bodies the Sunne the Moone the Planets the Starres and diuers birdes of sundry fashions In all whiche figures and shapes almost no smal number of the Gentiles did solemnly honour and reuerently worship the name of god Thou shalt not liken vnto God saith he any shape or fashion of those thinges that are in the earth In the earth are men beasts hearbes shrubbes trées and such like Nowe it is manifest that the Gentils worshipped God vnder the likenesse of men and beastes Cornelius Tacitus writing of the Germanes sayth But by the greatnesse of the visible celestiall bodyes they doe coniecture and verily thinke that the Gods are neyther inclosed in walles nor yet in fauour resembling mens visages and therefore doe they hallow woods and groues calling that hidden mysterie by the name of the Gods which with outwarde eyes they see not but with inward reuerence alone Lo here our auncestours worshipped God in the likenesse of trées and woods whiche neuerthelesse men are forbidden here to doe euen as also we are prohibited to worship our God in the likenesse of any thing that is in or vnder the water The Philistines worshipped God in the image of a fishe For Dagon their God bare the shape of a fishe Egypt honoured God in the similitude of Serpents All which and many other Paule knitteth vp together in the first to the Romanes where he argueth againste the Gentiles and saith Their foolishe heart was blinded when they counted them selues wise they became fooles and turned the glory of the incorruptible God vnto the likenesse not only of a mortall man but also of birdes and of fourefooted beastes and of creeping beastes Against this madnesse is the first part of the lawe directly giuen But nowe the cause why God wil not be represented in any visible or sensible image is this God is a spirit God is vnmeasurable incomprehensible vnspeakable all ouer and euery where filling heauen and earth eternall lyuing giuing life vnto and preseruing all things and lastly of a glorious maiestie exalted
faith was profitably and godly set against the new corruptions of heretiques Yet were the writings of the Prophets Apostles the Springe the Guide the Rule and Iudge in all these counsels neither did the fathers suffer any thing to be done there according to their owne minds And yet I speake not of euery Constitution and Canon but namely of those auncient Confessions alone to which we doe attribute so much as is permitted by the Canonicall Scripture which we confesse to be the onely rule how to iudge to speake and doe The seconde generall counsell was helde in the royal citie Constantinople vnder Gratian the Emperour in the yeare of our Lorde 384. There were assembled in that Synode as witnesseth Prosperus Aquitanicus 180. fathers or Bishops which condemned Macedonius and Eudoxius denying the holy ghost to be God. And about the yeare of our Lorde 434. in the very same yeare that the blessed father Augustine died when that godly Prince Theodosius the great was Emperour there came together at Ephesus the thirde Synode of 200. Priestes or thereabout against Nestorius which tare the mysterie of the Incarnation and taught that there were two sonnes the one of God the other of man whom this Counsell condemned together with the Pelagians helpers of this doctrine as cousin to their owne The fourth generall counsell was assembled at Calcedon in the yere of our Lorde 454. vnder the Emperour Martian where 630. fathers were gathered together who accordinge to the Scriptures condemned Eutyches which confounded the natures in Christ for the vnitie of the person Beda de ratione temporum and many other writers doe ioyne with these foure vniuersall counsels two generall Synodes more the fifte and the sixte celebrated at Constantinople For the fifte was gathered together when Iustinian was Emperour against Theodorus and all heretiques about the yere of our Lorde 552. The sixte came together vnder Constantine the sonne of Constantius in the yere of our Lorde 682. And there were assembled 289. Bishops against the Monothelites But there was nothing determined in these Synodes but what is to be founde in the foure first counsels wherefore I haue noted nothing out of them ¶ The Nicene Creede taken out of the Ecclesiasticall and tripartite historie WE beleeue in one God the father almightie maker of all thinges visible and inuisible And in one Lord Iesus Christe the sonne of God the onely begotten sonne of the father that is of the substaunce of the Father God of God light of light very God of very God begotten not made beeing of the same Essence and substance with the Father by whome all things were made which are in heauen and whiche are in earth Who for vs men and for our saluation came downe was incarnate and manned was made man Hee suffered and rose againe the third day he ascended into Heauen and shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead And we beleeue in the holie Ghoste As for those that say it was sometime when he was not and before he was borne he was not and whiche say because he was made of thinges not beeing of nothing or of an other substance that therefore the sonne of God is either created or turned or chaunged them doeth the holie Catholique and Apostolique Church curse or excommunicate The Creede of the counsell held at Constantinople taken out of a certeine copie written in Greeke and Latine I Beleeue in one God the Father almightie maker of heauen and earth and of all things visible and inuisible And in one Lord Iesus Christe the onelie begotten sonne of God borne of his father before all worldes light of light very God of very God begotten not made beeing of the same substance with the father by whome all things were made Who for vs men and for our saluation came downe from Heauen and was incarnate by the holie Ghoste and the virgine Marie and was made man He was also crucified for vs vnder Pontius Pilate He suffered and was buried and he roase the third day according to the Scriptures And he ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the father and he shall come againe with glorie to iudge the quick and the dead whose kingdome shall haue no end And I beleeue in the holie Ghoste the Lord and giuer of life who proceeding from the father is to be worshipped and glorified together with the father and the sonne who spake by the prophets in one Catholique and Apostolique church I confesse one baptisme for the remission of sinnes I looke for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the worlde to come ⧠The confession of faith made by the Synode at Ephesus IN as much as because heere I note all things briefly I could not in writing place with these that large Synodall Epistle written by S. Cyrill to Nestorius wherein is conteined the full consent of the generall Counsell held at Ephesus I haue therefore rather chosen out of the 28. Epistle of the same Cyrill a short confession sent to the Synode and alowed by the whole Counsell Before the confession are set these wordes Euen as in the beginning wee haue heard out of the diuine Scriptures and the tradition of the holie fathers so will we briefely speake not adding any thing at all to the faith set foorth by the holie fathers in Nice For that doeth suffice as well to all knowledge of godlines as also to the vtter forsaking of any hereticall ouerthwartnesse And a litle after this the Confession is sette downe in these wordes We acknowledge our Lorde Iesus Christe the onely begotten Sonne of GOD to be perfect God and perfect man of a reasonable soule and bodie borne of the father according to his Godhead before the worldes and the verie same according to his humanitie borne in the latter times of the virgine Marie for vs and for our saluation For there was made an vniting of the two natures Wherfore we confesse bothe one Christe one Sonne and one Lorde And according to this vnderstanding of the vnconfounded vnitie we acknowledge the holie virgine to be the mother of God because that GOD the word was incarnate and made man and by the verie conception gathered to him selfe a bodie taken of her But for the speaches vttered by the Euangelistes and Apostles touching the Lord we knowe that the Diuines doe by reason of the two natures diuide them so yet as that they belong to one person and that they doe referre them some because they are more agreeable to the diuinitie to the Godhead of Christe and other some because they are base to his Humanitie To this confession Cyrill addeth these wordes When wee had read these holie wordes of youres euen in the Synode to whiche the confession was sent and did perceiue that wee our selues were of the same opinion for there is one Lorde one faithe and one baptisme wee glorified GOD the sauiour of all men reioycing together in our selues
beleeue that this sonne of God beeing God begotten of his father all together before all beginning did sanctifie the wombe of the virgin Marie and that of her he toke vpon him verie man begotten without the seede of man the two natures onlie that is of the Godhead and manhood comming together into one person onelie that is our Lord Iesus Christe Neither doe we beleeue that there was in him an imagined or any phantastical bodie but a sound verie bodie and that he both hungered and thirsted and taught and wept and suffered all the damages of the bodie Last of al that he was crucified of the Iewes and was buried and rose againe the third day afterwarde was conuersant with his disciples and the fortieth day after his resurrection ascended into heauen This sonne of man and also the sonne of God wee call bothe the sonne of God and the sonne of man. We beleeue verilie that there shall be a resurrection of the fleshe of mankinde and that the soule of man is not of the diuine substance or of God the father but is a creature created by the will of God The Creede of the fourth Counsell kept at Toledo taken out of the booke of Isidore AS we haue learned of the holie fathers that the father and the sonne and the holie ghost are of one Godhead and substance so is our confession beleeuing the trinitie in the difference of persons and openly professing the vnitie in the Godhead neither confounde we the persons nor diuide the substance Wee say that the father is made or begotten of none we affirme that the sonne is not made but begotten of the father and wee professe that the holie ghoste is neither created nor begotten but proceeding from the father and the sonne And we confesse that the Lord him selfe Iesus Christe the sonne of God and the maker of all things begotten of the substance of his father before all the worldes came downe from his father in the latter times for the redemption of the worlde who neuerthelesse neuer ceassed to be with the father For hee was incarnate by the holie ghoste and the glorious virgine Marie the holie mother of God and of her was borne alone the same Lord Iesus Christ one in the trinitie beeing perfect man in soule and bodie taking on man without sinne beeing still what he was taking to him what he was not touching his godhead equal with the father and inferiour to his father touching his manhood hauing in one person the propertie of two natures For there are in him two natures God and man And yet not two sonnes or two Gods but the same God and man one person in bothe natures who suffered griefe and death for our saluation not in the power of his godhead but in the infirmitie of his manhood He desceÌded to them belowe to draw out by force the Saintes which were held there And he rose againe the power of death beeing ouercome He was taken vpp into the Heauens from whence he shall come to iudge the quick and the dead By whose death and bloud we beeing made cleane haue obteyned forgiuenesse of our sinnes and shal be raysed vp againe by him in the last day in the same flesh wherein now we liue and in that manner wherein the same our Lord did rise againe and shall receiue of him some in rewarde of their well-doing life euerlasting and some for their sinnes the iudgement of euerlasting punishment This is the faith of the Catholique church this confession we keepe and holde which whosoeuer shall keepe stedfastly he shall haue euerlasting saluation A declaration of the faith or preaching of the Euangelicall and apostolicall truethe by the blessed martyr Irenaeus taken out of the 2. Chap. of his first booke Contra Valent. THe churche dispersed through the whole worlde euen to the endes of the earth hath of the Apostles and their Disciples receiued the beliefe which is in one God the father almightie which made Heauen and earth the Sea and al that in them is And in one Iesus Christe the Sonne of God who was incarnate for our saluation And in the holie Ghost who by the prophets preached ⪠the mysterie of the dispensatioÌ the coÌming of the beloued Iesus Christe our Lord with his natiuitie of the virgine and his passion and resurrection from the dead and his ascension in the flesh into the Heauens and his comming againe out of the heauens in the glorie of the father to restore all thinges and to raise vppe againe all flesh of mankinde so that to Christe Iesus our Lorde bothe God and sauiour and king according to the wil of the inuisible father euery knee may bow of thinges in Heauen and things in earth and thinges vnder the earth and that euerie tongue may praise him and that he may iudge rightlie in all things and that hee may cast the spirites of naughtinesse with the angels which transgressed and became rebells and wicked vniust mischiefous and blasphemous men into eternall fire and that to the iust and holie ones and such as haue kept his commaundements and remained in the loue of him partely from the beginning and partely by repentaunce he may graunt life bestowe immortalitie and giue glorie euerlasting The Churche although it be dispearsed throughout the whole worlde hauing obteined as I haue saide this confession and this faith doeth as it were dwelling together in one house diligently keepe them and likewise beleeue them euen as if it had one soule and the same hart and doeth preache teach and agreeably deliuer these thinges euen as if it had al one mouth For in the world the tongues are vnlike but the force of teaching is one and the same Neither doe the Churches whose foundation is laide in Germanie beleeue otherwise or teache to the contrarie neither those in Spaine nor those in France nor those in the East nor those in Aegypte nor those in Libya nor those whiche are in the worlde beside but euen as the Sunne which is the creature of God is one and the selfe-same in all the worlde so also the preaching of the trueth shineth euery where and giueth light to all men whiche are willing to come to the knowledge of the truth And neither shal he which among the chiefe ouerseers of the Church is able to say muche speake coÌtrarie to this For no man is aboue his maister Neither shal he which is able to say litle diminish this doctrine any whit at al. For seeing that faith is all one and the same neither doeth he which is able to say much of it say more than should be said neither doeth he whiche saith little make it euer a whit the lesser Reade further in the fourth chapter of his third booke Contra Valent. and you shall perceiue that by the terme of Apostolicall tradition he meaneth the Creede of the Apostles ¶ A rule of faith after Tertullian taken out of his Booke De praescriptionibus
groweth vp in the Lords field which he forbiddeth to plucke vp c. 818. 1132 13 Riches are the thornes that choke the seede of the word of god c. 263 15 Whatsoeuer entreth in by the mouth goeth into the belly and is cast into the c. 325 15 Out of the heart procéede euill thoughts murthers adulteries whoredomes c. 503 15 This people honoreth me with their lippes but their heart is farre from me c. 652. 925 15 In vaine doe they worship me teaching doctrines the preceptes of men c. 19. 473 827. 906 16 What so euer ye shall loose in earth shal be loosed in heaueÌ c. 871 16 If any man will goe after me let him forsake him self c. 65. 309 16 Vpon this rocke I will builde my church c. 860. 861. 887. 890 16 And the gates of hell shall not preuaile against the church c. 816 16 Thou art truely the sonne of God c. 652 16 Fleshe and bloude hath not rellealed these thinges vnto thée but my c. 827 16 I will giue thée the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and what so euer c. 902 16 Who so euer will saue his life shall loose it Againe who so euer will loose his life for my sake shall finde it c. 765 17 Of the transformation or transfiguration of Christ in the c. 87. 88 18 There is none good but one c. 657 18 Woe vnto the world because of offences It must néedes be that offences come c. 452 18 Derily verily I say vnto you except you turne and become c. 881. 958. 1014. 18 If he that offendeth the church wil not regard when he is waââed 816 18 I say vnto you that if two of you shall agree in earth as touching c. 915 18 It is not the will of my father which is in heaueÌ that one of these âittle ones should perish c. 104 18 Where so euer two or thrée be gathered together in my name c. 864 19 Verily I say vnto you a riche man shal hardly enter into the kingdome of heauen c. 263 19 If thou wilt enter into life keep the commandements c 408. 478 19 If thou wilt be perfect go and âell that which thou haste and giue to the poore c. 263 20 Ye knowe not what ye aske c 919 21 The Chanaanites cast oute of Gods temple c. 698 22 He which had not on his wedding garment is suffered for a season among the other guestes c. 818 22 One onely vineyarde not two or diuers let out to husbande men c. 842 22 GOD is not the GOD of the deade but of the liuing c. 432 22 Ye ârre not knowing the scriptures For in the resurrection they neyther marrie c. 732 22 What thinke you of Christe whose âonne is he They sayd vnto him the sonne of Dauid c. 692 22 Giue to God that whiche belongââh to God and to Caesar c. 220 22 Loue thy neyghbour as thy selââ c. 96 23 Woe to you Scribes and Phariseis hypocrites whiche ãâã wâdowes houses vnder c. 507. 925 23 Woe vnto you Scribes and Phariseâs hypocrites bycause ye ãâã vppe the kingdome of heauen c 901 23 The Scribes and the Phariseâs ãâã Moâes seate All therefore c. 846 23 I send vnto you Prophets and wisemen some of whome ye shall c. 155 24 There shall arise false Christes and false Prophetes and shall shew great signes c. 858 24 The Lorde of that seruant shall come in the day wherein he looketh not for him c. 817 24 Doe ye not sée all these things verily I say vnto you there shal not be left c. 415 24 Then if they shal say vnto you Loe here is Christe or there is Christe doe not beléeue c. 1092 24 Heauen and earth shall passe but in word shall not passe c. 37 25 Come âe blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the c. 469. 699 25 Depart from meye curssed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his angels c. 747. 1104 25 Verily I say vnto you in that ye did it not to one of the leaste of these ye did it not vnto me c. 1104 26 The Lord Iesus when he had taken breade he gaue thankes and brake it c. 969 26 Whome so euer I shall kisse that same is he take him c. 957 26 Put vppe thy sworde into thy sheath He that taketh c. 28. 832 26 Thinkest thou that I can not pray vnto my father and he shall sende me more than twelue legions of Angels c. 737 26 And Peter remembered the words of the Lorde which he had sayde vnto him before the cocke crowe c. 564 26 He began to be sorrowfull and heauie And Iesus saide My soule is heauie euen vnto death c. 690 27 Father if it be possible let this cuppe passe from me c. 625 27 So they went and made the Scpulchre sure and sealed the stone c. 1012 28 Tell his disciples and Peter that he is riâen and goeth before you into Galilée c. 569 28 Teach ye all nations baptisting them in the name of the father c. 821 28 All power is giuen me both in heauen and in earth c. 627. 836. 1053 28 I will reâaine with you continually vnto the end of the worlde c. 599. 699. 864. 1095 Out of the Gospell after Saint Marke 1 IOhn baptised in the wildernesse preaching the baptisme of Repenâance c. 968 2 What haue we to doe with thée thou Iesus of Nazareth art thou come to destroy vs c. 747 3 All sinnes shall be forgiuen vnto the children of men and blasphemies wherewith c. 517 3 My name is Legion bicause we are many c. 748 3 Hee casteth out diuels by the prince of diuels c. 748 9 If thou canst beléeue All things are possible to him that beléeueth c. 35. 646 9 And whensoeuer he taketh him he teareth him and he fometh and guatheth with his teeth and pineth away c. 751 9 And these shall goe into euerlasting punishment but the righteous into life euerlasting c. 717 10 Verily I say vnto you there ââ no man that hath forsaken house c. 312. 4â8 10 Suffer the young children to come vnto me and forbid them not c. 1014 11 Whatsoeuer ye desire when ye pray beléeue that ye shall haue it c 922 11 And when ye stande praying forgiue if ye haue ought against c. 924 13 They shall deliuer you vppe to counsels and in their Synagogues they shall scourge you c. 293. 294 14 The poore shal ye haue alwayes with you but me alwayes ye shall not haue c. 692 16 Goe ye into all the worlde and preach the Gospel vnto euerie creature c. 644. 905. 963. 968. 973. 978.
so haue we the most lightsom testimonies sentences examples decrees of the most excelleÌt ancient holy wise greatest meÌ of al the world touching all things which séeme to appertaine to true godlynesse the way how to liue wel holily These bookes therefore founde a ready prepared entraunce of beliefe among all the poââeritie as bookes which are authentical and which of them selues haue authoritie sufficient and which without gainsaying ought to be beléeued of all the world Yea and that more is our Lord Iesus Christe the only begotten sonne of God doth referre the faithfull to the reading of Moses yea and that in déede in the chiefest pointes of our saluation The places are to be séene Iohn 5. Luke 16. In the. 5. of Mathew he saythe Doe not thinke that I am come to destroy the law and the prophetes sor I am not come to destroy them but to fulfill them For verily I say vnto you though heauen and earth doe passe one iot or title of the lawe shall not passe till all be fulfilled Who so euer therefore shall vndoe one of the leaste of these commaundementes and shall teache men so he shall be called the leaste in the kingdome of heauen There haue verily some bene founde that haue spoaken against Moses the seruant of God But God hath imputed that gainsaying as done against his diuine Maiestie and punished it most sharply The proofes hereof are to be séene in Exodus 16. and Numerie the. 12. And first of the people murmuring against Moses theÌ of Marie Moses sister speaking against her brother But to the people it was sayde Not against the Ministers but against the Lorde are your complaintes As for Marie she was horribly strucken with a Leprofie Theotectus was strucken blinde Theopompus fel to be madde bicause he had vnreuerently touched the word of god For althoughe the worde of God âe reueled spoken and written by men yet doth it not therefore cease to be that whiche in deede it is neyther dothe it therefore beginne to be the worde of men bicause it is preached and heard of men no more then the King his commandement whiche is proclaimed by the Criar is said to be the commaundement of the criar He despiseth God with God al the holy Patriarchs whosoeuer doth coÌtemne Moses by whom God speaketh vnto vs and at whose hands we haue receiued those things which the Patriarches from the beginning of the world by tradition deliuered to the posteritie There is no difference betwéene the woord of God whiche is taught by the liuely expressed voyce of man and that whiche is written by the penne of man but so farre foorthe as the liuely voice and wryting doe differ betwéene themselues the matter vndoubtedly the sense and meaning in the one and the other is al one By this dearely beloued you haue perceiued the certaine hystorie of the beginning of the word of God. Now let vs go forward to the rest that is to adde the hystorie of the procéeding of the word of God by what meanes it shined euer and anon very cleare and brightly vnto the world By and by after the departure of the holy man Moses out of this world into heauen the Lord of his bountifulnesse gaue moste excellent Prophetes vnto his Churche whiche he had chosen to the intent that by it he might reueale his word vnto the whole world And the Prophetes were to them of the olde time as at this day amongst vs are Prophetes Priestes wisemen Preachers Pastours Bishops Doctors or Diuines most skilfull in Heauenly thinges and giuen by God to guide the people in the faith And he whosoeuer shall read the holy hystorie will confesse that there flourished of this sorte no small number and those not obscure euen vntill the captiuitie at Babilon Amongst whom are rekoned these singular and excellent men Phinées Samuel Helias Heliseus Esaias and Ieremias Dauid Solomon were both Kings and Prophets In time of the captiuitie at Babilon Daniel Ezechiel were notably knowen After the captiuitie flourished among the rest Zacharias the sonne of Barachias Here haue I reckoned vp a few amoÌg many who although they florished at sundrie times and that the one a greate while after the other yet did they all with one consent acknowledge that God spake to the world by Moses who God so appointing it left to the Churche in the world a breuiarie of true diuinitie and a most absolute Summe of the word of God conteined in writing All these Priestes Diuines and prophets in al that they did had an especiall eye to the doctrine of Moses They did also refer all men in cases of faith and religion to the bookes of Moses The lawe of Moses which is in déede the Lawe of God is moste properly called Thora as it were the guide and rule of faith and life they did diligently beate into the mindes of all men This did they according to the time persons and place expound to al men For al the Priests and Prophets before the incarnation of Christ did by word of mouth teache the men of their time godlines and true religion Neither did they teache any other thing then that whiche the Fathers had receiued of God which Moses had receiued of God and the fathers and straight wayes after committing it to writing did set it out to all vs which folow euen vntill the end of the world so that now in the Prophets we haue the doctrine of Moses and tradition of the Fathers and them in all and euery point more fully and plainely expounded and polished being moreouer to the places times and persâns very fitly applyed Furthermore the Doctrine and writings of the Prophetes haue alwayes béen of great authoritie among all wise men throughout the whole world For it is well perceiued by many argumeÌts that they tooke not their beginning of the prophets theÌselues as chief Authours but were inspired froÌ God out of heaueÌ by the holy spirit of god For it is God which dwelling by his spirite in the mindes of the Prophets speaketh to vs by their monthes And for that cause haue they a most large testimonie at the hands of Christ his elect Apostles What say ye to this moreouer that God by their ministerie hathe wrought miracles and wonders to be marueiled at and those not a fewe That at the least by mightie signes we might learne that it is God by whose inspiration the Prophetes doe teach and write whatsoeuer they left for vs to remember Furthermore so many common weales and congregations gathered together and gouerned by the Prophetes according to the worde of God doe shewe moste euident testimonies of God his trueth in the Prophets Plato Zeno Aristotle and other Philosophers of the Gentiles are praised as excelleÌt men But whiche of them could euer yet gather a Churche to liue according to their ordinances And yet our Prophetes haue had the moste excellent and renowmed common
which he doeth beléeue is so sette downe and declared in the worde of God as he doeth beléeue Furthermore where the Lorde in the Gospell sayeth All thinges are possible to him that beleeueth we must not take that sayinge to be absolutely spoken but to be ioyned to the worde will and glorie of God and the safetie of our Soules For all thinges whych God in his worde hath promised all thinges which God will haue and lastely all thinges whiche make to the glorie of God and sauegarde of our Soules are possible to him that beléeueth And for that cause the Apostle both openly and plainly sayd Whatsoeuer God hath promised that same he is able also to perfourme For whatsoeuer he hath not promised and whatsoeuer pleaseth not his diuine maiestie or is contrary to the will and expresse worde of God that cannot God doe not bycause he can not but bycause he will not God could make breade of stones but we must not therefore beléeue that stones are breade neyther are they breade therefore bicause God can doe all things This ye shall vnderstande better and more fully where as a litle hereafter I shall shew vnto you that true fayth strayeth not nor wauereth wandringly to and fro but cleaueth close and sticketh fast to God and his worde In the meane season bicause we haue shewed out of Paules wordes by the example of Abraham that faith is a substance and vndoubted persuasion in the harte And bicause many doe stiffely stande in it that man is not surely certaine of his saluation I will adde a fewe examples out of the gospel wherby they may plainly perceiue that faith is a most sure grouÌd setled opinion touching God and our saluation And firste verily the Centurion of whom mention is made in the gospell had conceiued a stedfaste hope that his seruaunt should be healed of the Lorde For he vnderstoode howe great and mightie thinges he promised to them that beléeue He gathered also by the workes of Christ that it was an easy matter for him to restore his seruaunt to health againe Therefore he commeth to the Lorde and amonge other talke sayth It is no reason that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe yea doe but say the worde and my seruaunt shal be made whole These wordes doe testifie that in the hart and minde of the Centurion there was a sure persuasion of most assured health which by a certaine comparison he doth make manifest and more fully expresse For I my selfe am a man vnder the authoritie of an other and vnder me I haue souldiours and I say to one goe and he goeth and to an other come and he commeth and to my seruaunt doe this and he doeth it When the lord perceiued this certificatioÌ of his mind by his wordes most sull of fayth he crieth out that in al Israel he hath not found so great faith The same again in the gospell speaketh notably of the womans fayth which was sorely plagued with the bloudy fluxe And that that faith was an vndoubted persuasion in her harte once illuminated we may thereby vnderstande because she beinge first in déede stirred vp by the workes wordes of the Lord thought thus within herselfe if I do but touch his garment I shall be whole And therfore preassing through the thickest of the throng commeth to the lord But why heape I together manye examples doth not the onely faith of the Chananitish or Syrophenissian woman declare more plainely then that it can be denied how that faith is a most assured persuasion of thinges beléeued For being ouerpassed and as it were contemned of the Lorde she wauereth not in faith but following him and hearing also that the lord was sent to the lost shéep of the house of Israell she goeth on to worship him Moreouer being put back as it wer touched with the foule reproch of dog she goeth forwarde yet humbly to cast her selfe prostrate before the Lorde requesting to obtaine the thinge that she desired She would not haue perseuered so stiffely if fayth had not ben a certification in her beléeuing minde and harte Wherefore the Lorde moued with that fayth of hirs cryed Woman great is thy fayth be it done to thee euen as thou wilte It is manifest therefore by all these testimonies of the holy Scripture that Faith is a stedfast and vndoubted persuasion in the minde and hart of the beléeuer This being now brought to an end let vs see what it is wherevpon mans fayth doth leane and also how we may clearely perceiue that fayth is not a vayne and vnstable opinion as a little before we were about to saye of any thinge whatsoeuer conceiued in the minde of man but that it is tyed vp and contayned within boundes and as it were certayne conditions In the definition therefore of fayth we sayd that fayth bendeth to Godwarde and leaneth on his worde God therfore and the worde of God is the obiect or foundation of true fayth The thing wheron a man may leane safely surely and without all manner doubting must néedes be stedfast and altogether vnmoueable which doth giue health which doeth preserue and which doeth fill vp or minister all fulnesse vnto vs For this doth fayth séeke and request But this is not else where theÌ in god On God alone therefore doeth true fayth bende and leane God is euerlasting chiefely good wise iuste mightie and true of worde And that doeth he testifie by his workes and worde Wherefore in the Prophets he is called a strong and vnmoueable Rocke a castle a wall a tower an inuincible fortresse a tresure a wel that neuer wil be drawne drie This euerlasting God can doe all thinges knoweth all things is present in all places loueth mankinde excéedingly doeth prouide for all men and also gouerneth or disposeth all thinges Fayth therfore whiche is a confidence of Gods good will and of his ayde in all necessities and of the true saluation of mankinde bendeth on God alone cannot leane to any other creature in whome the thinges are not that fayth requireth And euen as God is true of word and can not lye so is his word true and deceiueth no man In the worde of God is expressed the will and mynde of God To the worde of God therfore hath faith an eye and layeth hir grouÌd vppon Gods worde touching which worde the Lorde in the Gospell sayd Heauen and earth shall passe but my worde shall not passe The worde of God here is compared with the moste excellent elements Ayre and Water are féeble and vnstable Elements but Heauen although it turne and moue doth kéepe yet a wonderful and moste stedfast course in mouing and stedfast are all thinges therein The Earth is moste stable and vnmoueable Therefore if it be easier for these thinges to be loased which can not be vndone then for the worde of God to passe it followeth that Gods worde in all pointes is moste stable vnmoueable and not possible to be
sonnes of God What is he therefore that séeth not that in this treatise of Saint Paule iustification is taken for adoption especially since in the very same fourth Chapter to the Romanes he goeth about to proue that an inheritance is due to fayth wherevnto also he doth attribute iustification By all this it is made manifest that the question of iustification containeth nothing else out the manner and reason of sanctification that is to say wherby and how men haue their sinnes forgiuen and are receiued into the grace and number of the sonnes of God and being iustified are made heires of the kingdome of God. And now let vs trye whether that which we haue sayde be taught in the Scriptures the Christ before the iudgement seate of God when sentence of condemnation was to be pronounced against vs for our offences tooke oure sinnes vpon his owne necke and purged them by the sacrifice of his death vpon the crosse and that God also layd vpon Christ our fault and punishmeÌt so that Christe alone is the only satisfaction purging of the faithful This doth the Apostle Paule teach most expressely where he sayth Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that iustifieth Who shal condemne It is Christ that dyed yea rather it is he which is raised vp is at the right hand of the father making intercession for vs. And againe he sayth Christ redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe while he was made the curse for vs For it is written cursed be euery one that hangeth on the tree that vpon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham through Iesus Christ c. This did the Apostle teach out of the writings of Moses And Moses in his bookes doth often times make mention the the sinnes are laid vpoÌ the heads of the beastes which were sacrificed But those sacrifices bare the tipe or figure of the death and sacrifice of Christ Esaias also in his 53. chapter saith expresly He verily hath takeÌ on him our infirmities and born our peines He was wounded for our iniquities and smitten for our sinnes For the peine of our punishment was laid vpoÌ him and with his stripes arâ we healed We all went astraye like shepe euery one turned his own way but the Lord hath thrown vpon him all our sinnes And immediatly after He hath taken away the sinnes of the multitude and made intercession for the transgressors Then these wordes I think nothing can be brought more to the matter or more fit for our present purpose To this alludeth Saint Peter when he sayth The Lorde him selfe bare our sinnes in his body vpon the crosse that we being dead to sinne may liue to righteousnes by the signe of whose stripes we are made whole Herevnto aliuded S. Iohn the forerunner of the Lorde when he sayde Beholde the Lambe of God that taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde Moreouer the Apostle Paule beareth witnesse hereto saying Him that knewe not sinne he made sinne for vs that we throughe him might be made the righteousnesse of God Also in his Epistle to the Colossians he saythe It pleased the father that in Christ all fulnesse should dwell and by him to reconcile all thinges vnto him selfe hauing set at peace through the bloude of his crosse by him both things in earth and things in heauen These I suppose are testimonies sufficiently euident to proue that vpon Christ are layde our sinnes with the curse or condemnation due vnto oure offences and that Christe by his bloud hath cleâsed oure sinnes and by his death hath vanquished death and the deuill the authour of death and taken away the punishment due vnto vs. Yet bycause there be some and those not a fewe whiche denie that Christe by his death hath taken from vs sinners both faulte and punishment and that he became the onely satisfaction of the whole worlde I will therefore nowe alledge certaine other testimonies and repeate somewhat of that that I haue before recited thereby to make it manifest that Christe the only satisfaction of the world hath made satisfaction both for our sault and punishment Esayas verily witnessed that bothe the faulte of our offence and the punishment were taken away when he sayth He bare oure infirmities and was wounded for oure iniquities finallye the discipline of peace that is the discipline or chastising or punishment bringing peace or the penaltie of our correction that is the punishment due to vs for our offences was layde on his necke Marke also what followeth And with the blewnesse of his stripes are we healed This doth euidently teach that by the peine of Christe oure punishment is taken a waye For looke what peine penaltie punishment or correction was due to vs and the same was layde on the Lorde him selfe and for that cause was the Lorde wounded and receiued stripes And with them he healed vs But he had not yet healed vs at all if we should yet looke for woundes stripes stroakes that is to say punishment for our sinnes The death of Christe therfore is a full satisfaction for our sinnes But what I praye you shoulde Christe auayle vs if yet we shoulde be punished for oure offences Therefore when we say that he did beare all our sinnes in his bodye vpon the Crosse what else doe we meane I praye you but that the Lorde by death that was not due vnto him tooke from vs Gods vengeaunce that it might not lighte on vs to our punishment Paule as often as he maketh mention of our redemption made by Christe is wont to name it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by which worde he vnderstandeth not as the common sort do redemption barely and simply but the very price and satisfaction of redemption Wherefore also he writeth that Christ him selfe did giue him selfe to be the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for vs that is to say the price wherewith captiues are redéemed from their enimies in the warre For that which we do commonly call raunsomes the Gréekes do name ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã So then that is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã when man for man and life for life is redeemed But vpon them that are thus raunsomed and set at libertie there is no punishment afterwarde layd by reason of the translation therof from one to another Furthermore this is the newe Couenaunt that God in his Christ hath made with vs that he will not remember our iniquities But howe could he chose but remember oure iniquities if he ceased not to punishe them So then this remayneth not to be doubted of that Christe our Lord is the full propitiation satisfaction oblation and sacrifice for the sinnes I saye for the punishment and the faulte of all the world yea and by him selfe alone for in none other is any saluation neyther is there any other name giuen vnto men whereby they must be saued I denie not but that bycause of discipline chastisement and exercise diuers sortes
to passe For wée saye that God is Almighty that is that there is nothing but he caÌ do it which is profitable necessarye for vs men as hée that is Lord of all our stronge helper But that God is oure good father liberall gentle mercifull stronge Almighty Lorde of all and our defender and deliuerer it is to be séene by his wonderful works For hée is the maker of heauen and earth And in the making of HeaueÌ and earth hée hath declared the great loue that hée beareth to mankinde For when as yet they were not nether were able with desartes and good tournes to prouoke God to do them anye good then God first of his owne méere and naturall goodnesse made heauen earth a most excellent and beautifull Palace and gaue it them to dwell in putting vnder mans dominion all the Creatures of this whole world But how great power he shewed in the making of all these things it is euident by this that Hee spake the woorde and they were made he commaunded and they were created Which if thou bringe into partes and seuerally examine what hée made in those sixe dayes in what order with what beauty to how great commodity of mankinde and finallye how almost wyth no labour at all hée brought them al forth as it is at large writteÌ by Moses in the first of Genesis thou shalte be compelled to be amazed at the goodwill and power of god And yet by the waye wée muste thincke the Creatour of all thinges to be such an one as by his sonne that is by his eternall wysedome hath created al things both visible and inuisible yea and that of nothing too and doth moreouer at this very preseÌt sustaine nourish rule and preserue all thinges by his euerlasting spirite without which euery thinge woulde presently fall to ruine and come to nought Wée doe herein therefore confesse also the prouidence of our eternall God and hys excéeding wyse gouernment And thus in this first parte I haue declared vnto you that which is proper to the father For hée is a father yea hée is the father of our Lorde Iesus Christe and our father also being Lord of all things maker of heauen earth gouernour and preseruer of all thinges by whom all thinges are and in whom all things consist Who froÌ before all beginning begot the eternal sonne equall wyth the father being of one substaunce power and glory with the father by whom also hee made the world From both them precéedeth the holie ghoste as Dauid witnesseth and sayth By the worde of the Lord the heauens were made by the breath of his mouth all the hoste thereof Now followeth the seconde parte wherein are contayned all the mysteries of Iesus Christ our Lord the sonne of god For the seconde article of the ChristiaÌ fayth is thus word for word And in Iesus Christe his onely sonne our Lord. This article also comprehendeth two things The first is that wee beleeue in the sonne of God The second what the sonne of God is For wée confesse that wee beléeue that is that wée put our whole hope and confidence of lyfe and saluation as well in the sonne as in the father And therefore wée say plainely I beléeue in Iesus Christ euen as before wée said I beleeue in god c. For the Lorde Iesus himselfe in the 14. chapter of Iohn sayth Let not your harte be troubled ye beleeue in God beleeue also in me Againe This is the worke of God that ye beleeue in him whom hee hath sent And againe This is eternal life to know thee the true God onelie and him whom thou hast sent Christ Iesus Moreouer in the Gospel after S. Iohn we read that the Lord speaking to the blinde whose eyes hée opened saide Doste thou beleeue in the sonne of God And that the blind hauing receyued his sighte aunswered Who is he Lord that I may belieue in him wherunto the Lord replied Thou hast seene him and hee it is that talketh with thee And that then againe the blinde said I belieue Lorde and there withal hée worshipped him Therfore let vs also belieue worship let vs belieue that Iesus is the very sonne of God the father beinge of one power with the father althoughe in person hee differ from the father Which Dauid testifying sayth The Lord said to my Lord sit thou at my right hand c. But if wée declare at large who the sonne of God is in whom wée belieue then must wée note thrée things especially The first is that hée is called the Onely Sonne If hee be the sonne yea and that too the Sonne of God then is his nature and substaunce a diuine nature and substaunce For in this signification doth the Apostle call him The brightnesse of the glory of the father and the liuelie image of his substance Very well therefore do the holy fathers saye that the Sonne is of the same substaunce and beinge with the father Whereunto belongeth that that hée is called the onelye sonne and in another place the onely begotten and first begotten sonne For wée also are called sonnes not by participation of nature or likenesse of substaunce or naturallye but by adoption And therfore the Iewes were not offended because hée called himselfe the sonne of God in that sense that all the faithful are called and are the soÌnes of God but because they did perceiue the he did more extoll himselfe in saying the hee is the naturall Sonne of God equall to God God himselfe For thus wée reade in the fifthe of Iohn Therefore the Iewes sought the more to kill Iesus not onelie because hee had broken the Sabboth but saide also that God was his father made himselfe equall with God. Againe where the Lord in the tenth chapiter saide I and my father are one then the Iewes toke vp stones to stone him withal But Iesus aunswered Many good workes haue I done vnto you for which of them doe yee stone mee To which the Iewes replied For thy good workes sake wee stone thee not but for thy blasphemie because thou being a man makest thy self God. These are most euidente testimonies of the natural Godhead of Christ which whosoeuer belieueth not hee hath not the father For hee that honoureth the sonne honoureth the father and hee that is withoute the sonne hath not the father and vnlesse the sonne were God by Nature hée coulde not be the Sauiour of the worlde Now the second thing that is to be marked is that the name of the onely begotten sonne of God is opened and he is called Iesus Christ The name is expressely set downe the we may know who it is in whom we beleue lest peraduenture we might be deceyued in the person It is Iesus which name was geuen vnto him by Gods appointmeÌt from heauen euen as also it was prefigured in Duke Iosue and in Iosue the high priest The Angell in the Gospell after
which honge vppon the Crosse did heare the Angell of the Lord say Whie seeke yee the liuinge among the dead hee is not heere but is risen c. This historie of the Lords resurrection is set forth in the 24. after Luk and the 16. after Marke Peter the Apostle also in the seconde of the Actes affirminge the Lords resurrection by the testimonie of Dauid doth expresslye shew that the Lord is verily risen againe After this wée say againe that hée is risen out of or from the dead Which member doth expresse the truth both of his death and resurrection For the bodie or flesh dieth or is destroyed but being dead is raysed vp again this body therfore or flesh is raised vp again as thoughe hee that maketh confession of his beliefe should say Our Lord died euen in the very same condition of nature that other mortall men doe die in but hee taried not nor yet stack faste amonge the dead For the very same mortall fleshe which hee had taken vnto him and by dyinge had layde asyde hee nowe taketh againe immortallie As Dauid had foretolde before sayinge Because thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell nor suffer thy holie one to see corruption For Christe is the first begotten of them that rise againe in whom as in the heade there oughte to be declared in what sorte the resurrection of all Christ his members shal be in the day of iudgement And wee confesse that this resurrection was made the thirde daye I meane the thirde day after his death For vppon the daye of Preparation hee is taken downe from the Crosse caried into a sepulcher where his bodie resteth the whole Sabboth daye and about the beginning of the first day of sabbothes which I say is the first day of the weeke and amonge vs at this day is called Sunday in the morning hée rose againe from the dead Wheras therfore in the twelfth Chap. of the Gospell after S. Mathewe wee reade that the Lorde saide As Ionas was three dayes and three nightes in the belly of the Whale So shall the sonne of man bee in the harte of the earth three dayes and three nightes Yet notwithstandinge in the sixtenth and twenteth Chapters expoundinge himselfe as hauinge spoken that by Synecdoche hee sayth I must goe to Hierusalem and suffer many thinges of the Scribes and elders and be killed and raysed vp againe the thirde daye The sixt Article of our fayth is He ascended into Heauen and sitteth at the right hande of God the father Almightie That bodye which is of the same substaunce with our bodies taken oute of the Virgine Marie and taken verilie of the substaunce of the Virgin which honge vpon the Crosse and dyed and was buried and rose againe the very same bodie I say ascended into the Heauens sitteth at the righte hande of God the father For after that by the space of 40. dayes our Lord had abundantly enoughe instructed his Disciples touchinge the truth of his resurrection and the kingdome of God hee was taken vp into Heauen By that ascension of his hee declareth to the whole compasse of the earth that hee is Lorde of all thinges and that to him are subiecte al things that are in Heauen and in earth that hee is our strength the power of the faithfull and hee of whom they haue to boast againste the gates of Hell. For hee ascendinge into Heauen hath lead Captiuitie captiue and by spoylinge his enimyes hath inriched his people on whom hee dailye heapeth his spirituall giftes For hee sitteth aboue that by powringe his vertue from thence into vs hee maye quicken vs with the spirituall lyfe and decke vs with sondrie giftes and graces and lastlie defende the Church against all euills For God is our Sauiour kinge and bishoppe Whereuppon when as once the Capernaites were offended because the Lord had called himselfe the bread of life that came downe from Heauen to giue life vnto the Worlde Hee sayth Doth this offende you What therefore if you shall see the sonne of man ascende thether where hee was before As if hee should saye then verilie ye will gather by my quickeninge resurrection and glorious ascension into the Heauens that I am the breade of Lyfe broughte downe from Heauen and now againe taken vp into the Heauens there to remayne the Sauiour life and Lord of Heauen and earth Moreouer S. Peter the Apostle in the Actes sayth Let all the house of Israell knowe for a suretie that God hath made the same Iesus whom yee haue Crucifyed Lord and Christe Furthermore hee did not onely ryse againe from death and come to his Disciples but also ascended into Heauen as they béehelde and looked on him to the ende that wee thereby might bee assuredlie certified of eternall saluation For by ascending hee prepared a place for vs hee made readie the way that is hee opened the verie Heauens to the faithful God hath placed in heauen the very humanitie that hee tooke of vs which is in deede a liuelye and vnreproueable testimonie that all mankinde shall at the laste be translated into Heauen also For the members must needes be made conformable to the heade Christe oure heade is risen agayne from the deade therefore Wée his members shall also rise againe And euen as a cloud tooke away the Lord from the sighte of his Disciples So shall wée that belieue be caried in the Cloudes to meete the Lorde and shal whoalâe in Soule and bodie bée and for euer dwell in Heauen wyth oure head and Lord Christe Iesus And this doth Iohn euidently teach him that readeth his fourtenth chapter where the Lord sayth I go to prepare a place for you and will come againe to you and take you vnto my selfe that wheresoeuer I am yee may also be Paule the Apostle also witnesseth and sayth Wee that liue and shal be remayninge in the comminge of the Lorde shal be caryed in the Cloudes together wyth them that are raysed vp from the deade to meete the Lorde in the ayre Wee confesse therefore in this article that Iesus Christe being taken vp into Heauen is Lorde of all thinges the kinge and byshoppe the deliuerer and Sauiour of all the faythful in the whoale world Wée confesse that in Christe and for Christ wee belieue the lyfe euerlastinge which wee shall haue in this bodie at the ende of the worlde and in soule so soone as wee are once departed oute of this world But nowe by the waye wee must weighe the very woords of this article Hee ascended wee saye Who ascended I praye you Hee that was borne of the Virgine Marie that was Crucifyed dead and buried that rose againe from the deade Hee I saye ascended verilie both bodie and soule But whether ascended hee Into Heauen Heauen in the Scriptures is not taken alwayes in one signification First it is put for the Firmament and that large compasse that is ouer our heades wherein the birds flye too and
fro and in which the Starres are placed that are called the furniture and hoast of Heauen For sayth Dauid God is cloathed with lighte as with a Garmente hee spreadeth forth the Heauens as it were a Courteyne Hee saieth also I shall see thy Heauens the worke of thy fingers and the Moone and Starres which thou haste layed And againe Which couereth the Heauen with cloudes and prepareth rayne for the earth And againe The Heauens declare the glorie of God and the firmamente sheweth forth the woorkes of his hands Then also Heauen is taken for the throne and habitation of God And lastlie for the place seate and receptacle of them that are saued where God géeueth himselfe to be seene and enioyed of them that be his For Dauid witnessinge agayne sayth The Lorde hath prepared his seate in Heauen Wherevppon the Lord in the Gospel sayth Sweare not by Heauen for it is Gods seate And the Apostle Paule sayth Wee knowe if oure earthly mansion of this tabernacle be destroyed that wee haue a dwellinge place for euer in Heauen builded by God not made by hands And therefore in this signification Heauen is called the Kingdome of God the kingdome of the father Ioy Happines and felicitie Eternall lyfe Peace and Quietnes And although God in deede be not shutte vp in any place For hee sayth Heauen is my Seate and Earth the footestoole of my feete Yet because the glorie of God doth most of all shine in the Heauens and because that in Heauen hée giueth himself to be seene and enioyed of them that are his accordinge to that sayinge Wee shall see him euen as hee is And againe No man shall see mee sayth the Lorde and liue Therefore God is sayde to dwell in Heauen Moreouer Christe our Lorde touchinge his Diuinitie is not shutte vp in any place but accordinge to his humanitie once taken which he drew vp into Heauen hée is in the verie locall place of Heauen neyther is he in the meane time heere in earth and euery where bodilie but being seuered from vs in bodie remayneth in HeaueÌ For hee ascendeth which leauinge that which is belowe doth goe to that aboue Christe therefore leauing the earth hath placed a seate for his bodie aboue all Heauens Not that hee is caried vp beyonde all Heauens but because ascendinge vppe aboue all the Circles into the vtmoste and highest Heauen hee is taken I saye into the place appointed for those that are saued For Paule the Apostle speakinge plainlie enoughe to be vnderstoode sayth Our conuersation is in Heauen from whence wee looke for the Sauiour to come c. In the same manner also Luk the Euangelist sayth And blessing them hee departed from them and was caried into Heauen But whie do I make so much adoe about expounding that which is most euidentlye declared in the verye Creede by that which followeth For the nexte is Hee sitteth at the righte hande of God the father Almightie For by this wee vnderstande what kinde of place Heauen is and what our Lorde doth in Heauen It is not surely for our frailtie ouer narrowlie to seeke out or discusse the secretes of Heauen and yet it is not againste Religion to inquire after that that is taught vs in the Scriptures and so perfectlie to remember it as it is taughte vs Our Lord is simplie sayde to sitte and that too to sitte at the righte hande of the Father Almightie Let vs therefore see what the right hande of the father is and what it is to sitte at the righte hande of the father The righte hande of the Father in the Scripture hath two significations Firste the righte hande of God is the place appointed for them that are saued and the euerlasting felicitie in Heauen This did S. Augustine set downe to be marked long before vs who in the twentie and sixt Chapter of his booke De Agone Christiano wryteth That the righte hande of the Father is the euerlastinge felicitie giuen to the Sainctes euen as also the leaft hande is moste rightlye called the continuall miserie allotted to the vngodlye not so that by this meanes that I haue sayde the righte or leafte hande is to be vnderstoode in respecte of God himselfe but in respecte of his Creatures capacitie And this did S. Augustine speake accordinge to the Scriptures For Dauid sayth The path of Life shalte thou make knowne to mee the fulnes of ioyes is in thy sighte and at thy right hande is gladnesse for euer What else is this than if hee had sayd Thou shalt bring mee into life I saye into the very Heauens where I shal be filled wyth ioyes both by seinge and beholdinge thee and also by enioying thee At thy right hande in eternall blessednesse are ioyes euerlastinge In the Gospell also we reade that the Sheepe are placed by the Iudge at the right hand and the Goates at the left And when the right hand is taken in this sense Then To sitte doth signifie to reste from all labours and to liue quietlie and in happie state For that saying of the Prophet is very well knowen A man shall sit vnder his Vine As if hee should haue sayd all thinges shal be at peace in safetie and at quiet So then this that I haue saide is mente by the righte hande of the father and where wee confesse that the sonne doth sitte at the righte hande of the father Almightie wée do acknowledge that our Lorde beinge deliuered from all trouble and mortall infirmities doth now in his humanitie both reste and reioyce in the verie locall place of Heauen where wee belieue that both our soules and bodies shal bee and liue for euer For the Lorde himselfe in the Gospell witnesseth that in his fathers house there are many maÌsions which hee goeth to prepare that they mayè haue a place and although hee did depart yet that hee woulde retourne to them againe and take them vnto him selfe that wher hée is they also might be in the same place with him Wherefore wee beleeue that Christe is at rest in Heauen where hee hath prepared a place of reste for vs also to remayne in ioyes euerlastinge And for because oure bodies shall not be euery where in felicitie but in the onely appointed place therefore sayd S. Augustine truly that Christ our Lord accordinge to the measure of his very body is in some one place of Heauen And S. Cyprian sayth To sit at the right hande of the father is the mysterie of his fleshe taken vppe into Heauen Secondarily the right hand of God is put for the vertue kingdome protection deliueraunce and power of god For Dauid sayth The Lords right hande is high the Lords righte hand doth mightie things And Moses saide Thy right hand O Lord is magnified in power thy righte hand O Lord hath broken the enimie And when the righte Hande is put in this sense then To sit doth signifie to reigne to deliuer to vse power and do the office of a
Prince For sayth Dauid The Lorde saide to my Lorde sitte thou at my righte hande till I make thine enimies thy footestoole And the Prophete Zacharie sayth Beholde the man that is called the braunche hee shal budde oute of his place and build the Temple of the Lorde and sitte and rule vppon his Throne and be a prieste vppon his seate In this sense the right hand of God is infinite and conteined in no measure of place wheras wée confesse that our Lorde doth sitte at the righte hande of the father wee doe professe that the sonne is exalted aboue all thinges hauinge all thinges subiecte vnder himselfe as Paule in his first Chapter to the Ephesians sayth and finallye that the sonne being so exalted caÌ do al thinge doth reigne in the vniuersall Church doth deliuer them that are his doth make intercession to the father in heaueÌ and in the power of his Godheade is present in all places For therfore did the Créede adde almightinesse to this setting of his where it is sayde He sitteth at the right hande of the father almightie And in Saint Mathew the Lorde sayth To me is giuen al might in heauen and in earth goe therefore and bring all nations vnto me So then I suppose that briefly thus I haue well declared what manner of place heauen is to wit a place of quietnesse ioye and euerlasting felicitie wherin the sonne of God doth sit doth dwell and is in his humanitie as we also that are the members of Christe shal be in the very same place without all dolour and griefe in ioye for euermore And although our Lorde be deliuered from all grieuous businesse yet we meane not that he sitteth idlely leaning on his elbowes For he is a King a Prieste and very God in the very temple of God he can not choose therefore of his natural propertie and office but work saluation in the elect and do all things that lye God a king and Prieste in hande to doe So then nowe we all knowe what our Lorde doth as he sitteth in heauen Neither is it any trouble to him at all to do and worke that which he doth for he worketh not of compulsion but naturally and of his owne accord Thus and no otherwise did the ancient interpreters of the holy Scriptures handle this Article of our belief Some of whose testimonies I will here alledge Saint Hierome in his exposition of Paules first Chapter to the Ephesians sayth He hath declared the power of God by the similitude of a man not bycause a seate is placed and God the father sitteth ther on hauing his sonne sitting ther with him but bycause we can not otherwise conceiue howe the sonne dothe iudge and reigne but by such wordes applyed to our capacitie As therfore to be next to God or to depart farre from him is not to be vnderstood according to the distance of places but after mens merites bycause the Saints are heard by him but the sinners of whome the Prophete sayth Beholde they that get them selues from thee shal perish are remoued farre inough for comming neare him at all Euen so likewise to be eyther at the right or lefte hande of God is to be taken so that the Saints are at his right hand sinners at his left As our Sauioure him selfe also in the Gospel affirming the same dothe say that at the right hande are the sheepe and the goates at the left Moreouer this very word to Sit dothe argue the power of a kingdome by which God is beneficiall to them on whom he doth vouchsafe to sit in so much as verily he doth rule them and hath them alwayes in his guiding and dothe turne to his owne becke or gouernment the necks of them that before ranne out of the way at randon and at libertie Saint Augustine in his booke De Fide et Symbolo sayth We beleeue that he sitteth at the right hande of God the Father Yet not so therefore as though we shoulde thinke that God the Father is comprehended within the limites of a mans bodye so that they that thinke of him shoulde imagine that he hath bothe a right and a left side And whereas it is sayde that the Father sitteth we muste not suppose that he doth sitte with bended hammes leaste peraduenture we fall into the same sacrilege for whiche the Apostle accurseth them that haue chaunged the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of a corruptible man For a detestable thing it is to place God in suche a likenesse in a Christian Churche and muche more wicked is it to place it in the heart where the temple of God is verily and in deede if it be cleansed from earthly desires and errour We must therfore vnderstand that at the right hande is as muche to say as in greatest happinesse where righteousnesse and peace and gladnesse is eueÌ as also the Goates are placed at the lefte hande that is in miserie for their iniquities to their peine and torment Whereas God therefore is sayde to sit thereby is not ment the placing of his limms but his iudiciall power whiche his maiestie neuer wanteth in bestowing worthy rewardes on those that are worthy of them And so foorth The blessed Bishop Fulgentius in his seconde Booke to King Trasimundus sayth The Lorde to shewe that his humanitie is locall sayeth to his Disciples I ascende to my father and to your father my God and your god And by and by after declaring the in comprehensibilitie of his Godhead he sayth to his Disciples Behold I am with you alwayes euen vnto the ende of the wold The blessed Martyr and Bishop of Trent Vigilius in his first booke against heresies sayth This was to go to the Father and to depart from vs to take away out of this world the nature whiche he tooke of vs Thou seest therefore that it was proper to the same nature to be taken away and to departe from vs according to the wordes of the Angels whiche sayde This Iesus who is taken vp from you shall come againe euen as ye see him goe into heauen For see the myracle See the mysterie of both his properties The Sonne of God in his humanitie is departed from vs according to his diuinitie he saith to vs Beholde I am with you alwayes euen vnto the ende of the world If he be with vs howe sayth he The time shall come when ye shall desire to see one of the dayes of the sonne of man and ye shal not see it But both he is with vs and not with vs Bycause them whome he hath left and departed from in his Godhead he hath not lefte nor forsaken in his manhoode This sayth he The seuenth Article of our faith is this From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade In the former Articles there is set foorth and confessed the diuine goodnesse bountifulnesse and grace in Christe nowe also shall be declared the diuine iustice
of the Apostles Créede saith He sayd not in the holy church nor in the remission of sinnes nor in the resurrection of the body For if he had added the preposition In then had the force of those clauses beene all one with the force of that that went before For in those words wherein oure beliefe touching the Godhead is set downe we say in God the Father In Iesus Christ his Son in the holy ghost but in the rest wher the speach is not of the Godhead but touching the creatures or mysteries the preposition In is not added that we may say In the holy Churche but that the holy Church is to be beleued not as we beleue in God but as a congregation gathered together to God and that the forgiunesse of sinnes is to be beleeued not that we ought to beleeue in the forgiunesse of sinnes and that the resurrection of the flesh is to be beleeued not that we ought to beleeue in the resurrection of the fleshe So then by this sillable In the Creator is discerned from the Creatures and that that is Gods froÌ that that is mans This saith Cyprian S. Augustine in his booke De Fide et Symbolo hath I beleeue the holy Churche not I beleeue in the holy Church There are alledged also his wordes in his epistle Ad Neophytos touching consecration Distinct 4. ca. 1. We saide not that ye had to beleeue in the Church as in God but vnderstaÌd how we said that ye being coÌuersant in the holy Catholique Churche should beleeue in God. Much more euidently doth Paschasius in the first Chap. of his first booke De Spiritu Sancto say We beleeue the Church as the mother of regeneration we do not beleeue in the Church as the authour of saluation He that beleeueth in the Churche beleeueth in man For man hath not his being of the Churche but the Churche beganne by man Leaue of therefore this blasphemous persuasion to think that thou haste to beleeue in anye worldly Creature since thou mayst not beleeue neither in Angel nor Archangel The vnskilfulnesse of some haue drawne and taken the preposition In from the sentence that goeth nexte before and put it to that that followeth adding thereto also too too shamelesly somewhat more then needed This hath Paschasius in that booke of his which Saint Gregorie the greate Bishop of Rome liked very well of What say ye to that moreouer that Thomas of Aquine reasoning of faith in the seconde booke Part. 2. Artic. 9. quest 1. sayth If we say I beleeue in the holy Churche we muste vnderstande that oure fayth is referred to the holy Ghoste whiche sanctifieth the Churche and so make the sense to be thus I beleeue in the holy spirite that sanctifieth the Church But it is better and according to the coÌmon vse not to adde at all the sillable In but simply to say the holy Catholique Churche euen as also Pope Leo sayth This hath Thomas So nowe ye haue hearde the opinions of the auncient Doctours of the Churche Cyprian Augustine Gregorie Paschasius Pope Leo and also of Thomas of Aquine whiche taught nowe in the later times And dearely beloued ye doe vnderstande by proofes taken out of the Canonicall Scripture that we must acknowledge and confesse the holy Catholike Churche but not beléeue in the holy Catholique Church And nowe we haue to sée what that is that is called the Churche and what is called the Catholique church Ecclesia whiche worde we vse for the Churche is properly an assembly it is I saye where the people are called out or gathered together to heare somewhat touching the affaires of the common weale In this present treatise it is the company communion congregation multitude or fellowship of all that professe the name of Christe Catholique is as muche to say as this fellowship is vniuersal as that that is extended throughe all places and ages For the Churche of Christe is not restrained into any corner among the Donatists in Aphrica it stretcheth out it selfe throughe the compasse of the world and vnto all ages and doth conteine all the faithfull from the first Adam euen vnto the very last Saint that shall be remaining before the end of the world This vniuersall Churche hath hir particular churches I mean the churche of Adam and of the Patriarches the Churche of Moses and of the Prophetes before the byrth of Christe the Christian Churche which is so named of Christe him selfe and the Apostolicall Church gathered together by the Apostles doctrine in the name of Christ And finally it containeth these particular Churches as the Churche of Ierusalem of Antioch of Alexandria of Rome of Asia of Aphrica of Europe of the East of the West c. And yet all these Churches as it were members of one body vnder the onely heade Christe for Christe alone is the heade of his Church not onely triumphant but militant also do make one onely Catholike Churche in whiche there are not to be founde either heresies or schismies and for that cause is it called the true Church to wit of the right and true opinion iudgement fayth and doctrine For in the Church onely is true fayth and without the Church of God is neyther any trueth nor yet saluation So then in this Article we confesse that all the faithfull dispersed through out the whole compasse of the earth and they also that at this time liue in heauen as many I say as are already saued or shall euen vntill the very end of the worlde be borne to be saued are one bodye hauing gotten fellowship and participation with God and a mutuall communion among them selues And for bycause no man can be made one with God vnlesse he also be holy pure euen as God is holy and pure therefore we beléeue that the Church is holy that is that it is sanctified by God the Father in the bloude of the Sonne and the gift of the holy Ghost We haue hearde testimonies inough in the former Sermons Therefore this one of Paule shall be sufficient which he writeth to the Ephesians Christe loued the Churche and gaue him selfe for it to sanctifie and to cleanse it in the fountaine of water through the worde to make it vnto him selfe a glorious Churche not hauing spot or wrinckle c. By which words we vnderstand that the church is called vndefiled altogether cleane not in respect of it selfe but bycause of Christe For the Church of Christ is so farre foorth holy as that yet euery day it doth goe forwarde in profiting and is neuer perfect so long as it liueth on the earth And yet notwithstanding the holinesse of it is moste absolutely perfect in Christ Wherevnto veryly belongeth that notable saying of the lord He that is washed hath no need but to washe his feete onely for he is wholy cleane For the faythfull are purely cleansed by Christe who washeth them with his bloud
Sichem Abraham in taking an othe vsed alwayes a reuerend feare and a spiced conscience whereby it followeth that to him the name of the Lorde was holy and not lightly taken All the holy fathers did both diligently and deuoutly solemnize and obserue holy rites and sacrifices ChaÌ hath his fathers curse bycause he did vnreuerently behaue him self toward his father Cain is reproued for murdering his brother Noe giueth commaundement not to shead bloud Ioseph is highly commended for refusing to lye with another mans wife I meane the wife of his maister Ruben is rebuked bycause he did with incest defile his fathers bed Iacob was not angrie without a cause with Laban his father in Law when he suspected him of theft All the Patriarchs haue vtterly condemned lyars false witnesses as wel as euil lusts concupiscence Wherfore the patriarchs euer from the beginning of the world euen vntill Moses time were not without the preceptes of the ten commaundements although they had them not grauen in tables or written in parchments For the Lord with his finger writ them in their hearts whiche the liuely tradition of the fathers did exquisitely garnish reuerently teach The lawe is euerie where the same and the will of God is alwayes one bycause God is but one and is neuer chaunged Neuerthelesse the commaundements were firste of all set downe in tables by God who was the beginner and writer of them and after that againe were written into bookes by Moses Likewise also the olde and holy Patriarches that were before Moses did not want the ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes For they had their Priestes I say their fathers of euery kindred or houshold they had their ceremonies their altars and sacrifices they had their solemne assemblies and purifications They had their lawes for succession in heritage for the diuision and possession of goods for bargayning and contractes and for the punishing of euill doers All which Moses gathered together into a certaine number of decréed lawes setting downe many thinges more plainely then they were before and ordeining many thinges which the Patriarches were eyther altogether without or else had vsed in another order Of which sorte were the Tabernacle the holy vessels the Arke of the couenaunt the table the Candlesticke the Altar for burnt offerings and for incense the Leuiticall Priesthoode the holy vestments with the feastes and holy dayes and what so euer else is like to this all which verily are abrogated by Christe as in place conuenient I meane to declare But for bycause manners can not consist if the tenne Commaundements be broken therefore the Morall lawe although it haue properly the name of a lawe is notwithstanding not abrogated or broken For the tenne Commaundementes are the very absolute and euerlasting rule of true righteousnesse and all vertues set downe for al places men and ages to frame themselues by For the summe of the ten Commaundements is this To shewe our loue to God and one loue another and this doth the Lorde require at all times and euery where of all kynde of men Moreouer this is to be noted touching the dignitie of the Morall lawe conteined in the tenne Commaundements that whereas all the Ceremoniall and Iudiciall lawes were reuealed of God to Moses by the Angels and by Moses to the people and that againe by Moses at Gods commaundement they were inserted into written bookes yet notwithstanding the Morall lawe of the tonne Commaundements was not reuealed by man or any meanes of man but by God him selfe at the Mount Sina who there among other mightie and maruellous wonders did openly in a publique and innumerable assembly of men and Angels rehearse them word for word as they are now to be séene Furthermore they were written not by the hande of Moses but with the finger of God in tables not made of matter easie to be dissolued but made of stone to indure for euer Those tables also were kept as the most precious treasure in that Arke which of the tables of the couenant conteining in theÌ the chiefe articles of the eternal league was named the Arke of the couenant Which Arke againe was layde vp in the holy of holiest All which circumstances tend to nothing else but to coÌmend vnto vs the excellencie of the. 10 CoÌmaundements and to warne vs to reuerence that God which published this Moral law as him that is the Lord of heauen and earth and which at his owne wil and pleasure doth order the disposition of all the elements against disobedient rebels these circuÌstances also do admonish vs that euen now in our time also we haue to estéeme of the ten Commaundements as of the déerest iuels to be found in al the world For the holy reliques the are remaining in the church of Christ are the 10. Commandements the Apostles Créed the Lordes prayer lastly the whole contents of the sacred Bible Touching the proclamation or first edition of the. 10 CoÌmandements we haue a wonderful large discourse of Moses Exo. 19 Deut. 4. 5. chap. Now the tables wherinto the. 10. CoÌmaundements of Gods law be disposed are in number two Whereof the first conteineth 4. CoÌmaundements the latter 6. For the last commaundement which some diuide into twaine is in very déed but one alone and vndiuided For first the Lord doth generally commaund say Thou shalt not couet theÌ he descendeth particularly doth by enumeration reckon vp that things that we must not couet to wit our neighbours wife his house his landes his cattell his substance Beside that too this doth argue that it is so bicause according to that Hebrue diposition this commaundement is altogether one whole verse not diuided into twaine With this diuision of ours agrée Ioseph Antiqui li. 6. ca. 3. Origenes in Exod. Homelia 8. Ambros in 6. cap. Epist ad Ephe. But the maister of sentences hauing diuided this last comaundement into twaine doth therefore place in that first table 3. comaundements no more He did peradueÌture folow Augustine herein who Questio in Exo. 71. Epistola ad Ianuarium 119 dothe also reckon vp but thrée Commaundements of the first table alone which he did in respect of the mystical Trinitie And yet this notwithstanding he dothe not ouerslippe the commaundement for abandoning and not worshipping of images for vndoutedly he had alwayes in his mynde those wordes of the Lorde in the Gospell where he saith Verily I say vnto you though heauen and earth doe passe one iote or title of the lawe shall not passe till all be fulfilled Whosoeuer therefore shall breake one of the least of these commaundements and shall teach men so hee shall bee called the least in the kingdome of heauen The same Augustine againe in Questionibus veteris et noui testamenti lib. 1. cap. 7. maketh foure coÌmaundements of the first table and sixe of the second And againe he differeth not much from the same order in his thirde
not what sort of Gods to mans skill and succour to things forbidden to Idols and coniurers which we fall a doing then especially when being wrapped in miserie and calamities eyther for our sinnes or else bycause God will trie vs we doe presently beginne to murntur againste God and to accuse his iudgementes hardly absteining from open blasphemie in grudging to beare the things that for our desertes we do worthily suffer Here vnto belongeth the abuse of beastly knaues whiche doe not sticke to vse the holy name of God in obteining their filthy lustes whiche they call loue and also the naughtinesse of them that therby seeke to finde and recouer the thinges that are lost or else are stolne from them We doe vnhallowe the name of the Lord our God when we giue not to him all honour and glory We shall peraduenture do some good déede there is perhaps in vs somthing worthy to be praysed if we therfore shall challenge the praise thereof to our selues or at the leaste shall pare out a péece of that glory for our owne share and giue the rest to God not referring it al and whole to God the authour of all then doe we therein defile the name of God which ought alone to be praysed for euer and euer Furthermore if we denie the Lorde or blushe at and be ashamed of his holy Gospell bycause of this wicked world and the naughtie men therein if also we doe spot our selues with a filthy and vncleane life which is to the slander of Gods name and the offence of our neighbour then doe we take the Lordes name in vaine yea we abuse it to his dishonour and reproche We do abuse the name of the Lorde if we take a solemne othe in a trifle or matter of no effect or if we do not kéepe performe the othe that we haue sworne In our dayly talke very often and almoste about godlesse matters we minde are wont to call and take to witnesse the dreadfull name of God hauing learned it of an yll continuaunce and custome or else being stirred vp by some euill motion of oure naughtie mynd we haue an innumerable sort of déep and terrible othes as wounds bloud crosse and Passion of the Lorde heauen earth Sacramentes euery Saint in heauen and all the deuilles of hell Beside all this we abuse the name of God also sundry and dyuers wayes in telling of lyes The preacher or teacher of the Churche lyeth wheÌ he cryeth Thus sayth the Lord whereas the Lorde in déede sayth nothing so He maketh the name of God a cloake and a colour to hide his deceit and doth beguile poore simple soules The Magistrate cryeth out All power is of God and so vnder the pretence of Gods name doth his subiects iniurie in playing the tyraunt and not the Magistrate The common people deceiue one another vnder the name of the Lorde in contractes and bargayning And the sturdie roge vnworthy of almes will not sticke to stande and make Gods name an idle occupation for to get a pennie But who can reckon vp all the thinges wherein Gods name is fouly abused we must all therfore haue an eye that we defile not the name of God but rather blesse it and holily worship it For it followeth in the wordes of the Lorde what punishment abideth for them that so disgrace his name Bycause sayth he the Lorde will not let him goe vnpunished that taketh his name in vaine And although this commination of the Lord is very horrible in déede and of it selfe effectuall inough to make the godly sort afrayde to pollute the name of God yet neuerthelesse I will adde one example or twaine of them whome the Lorde hath punished for defiling his name Dauid cryeth out and sayth The vnrighteous shall not stand in thy sight O Lord thou hatest them that worke iniquitie thou shalt destroy all them that speake lies But how much more likely is it that the Lord will destroy all them that speake blasphemie and abuse his holy name Saule verily bycause he called not vpon the Lorde in his extreme necessitie but asked counsell of the Pythonisse was compelled to kill him selfe with his owne hande after he had séene his people downe right slaine by the Phylistines his enimies and his sonnes lye deade in the middes of the people Ananias lyeth to the holy Ghoste and defileth the name of the Lorde and falling downe soudainly dead to the ground downe he goeth with shame inoughe to the deuill of hell Sanherib blasphemeth the name of the eternal God before the walles of Ierusalem but anon after he is for his labour bereaft of his puissant armie and in his owne Gods temple is shot through by his owne sonnes Iehoiachim and Zedechias both Kings of Iuda and blasphemers of Gods name are taken captiues slayne by Nabuchodonosor King of Babylon Achab Iesebel and the Priestes of Baal are vtterly wypte out by king Iehu bycause they vnder the colour of god and godlinesse blasphemed the name of God and persecuted the true religion In the. 24. of Leuiticus he that blasphemed the name of god was ouerwhelmed with stones to death And therefore the Emperour Iustiman In Nouellis coÌstitu 77. writing to the citizens of Constantinople sayth Moreouer bycause besides vnspeakable lustes some men lash out cursings and othes of God thereby prouoking him to anger we therfore exhort theÌ to abstaine from cursings and othes by his haire and head and such other wordes like vnto these For if reproches done vnto men are not left vnreuenged muche more is he worthy to be punished that stirreth God to anger with his villanie And for such offences as these doe so many dearthes erthquakes plagues come vnto meÌ We therefore admonish them to abstaine from those crimes for who soeuer after this admonition of oures shal be found faultie therin they shal first shewe theÌ selues vnworthy to be beloued of men after that to suffer such punishment as the lawe shall appoint For we haue giueÌ in charge to the right honourable the Lieftenant of our royall citie to apprehend the guiltie and to punish them extremely leaste peraduenture at length for such sinners contempt and such haynous offences not only this citie but also the whole common weale be iustly destroyed by Gods iust vengeance Thus much writeth he Now by this we may gather that not the least part of our calamities at these dayes doe happen vnto vs bycause of our detestable cursings and horrible blasphemies which verie fewe magistrates or none almost at al do go about to redresse or punishe as they should doe The name of the liuing God is blasphemed with passing déepe and horrible othes of all sorts of all kindes and all ages so that I thinke verily that from the beginning of the world ther neuer was suche a blasphemous people as are in this cursed age of oures And therefore are we vexed with vnspeakable and endlesse calamities For God is true can
let no man be compelled to any religioÌ For he commandeth to binde the stranger within the gates of Gods people that is the stranger that dwelleth in their iurisdiction to the holy obseruing of the sabboth day Now this ease or rest is not commanded in respect of it self for Idlenesse always hath ben found fault withal but it is ordeined for the aforesayd especiall causes Gods pleasure is that there shoulde be a place and time reserued for religion which time place are not opeÌ to them that are busie about bodily and out warde workes He is not conuersant in the congregation he heareth not the word of God he prayeth not with the churche neyther is he partaker of the Sacraments which at his maisters commaundement taketh a iourney or in the market selleth his wares or in the barne doth threshe or winnowe his corne or in the field doth hedge or ditch or doth stand at home beating the anuile or else sitteth still sowinge shooes or hosen Faith therefore and religion bid thee to giue rest to thy seruauntes and familie yea they commaund thée to egge and compell them if they be slow to the holy and profitable worke of the Lorde Moreouer the Lordes mynd is that they which labour shuld also refresh and recreate them selues For things that lacke a resting time can neuer long indure Wherfore the bountiful Lord whose mynde is to preserue his creatures doth teache a way to kéepe them and doth diligently prouide that his creatures be not too much afflicted by the hard handling or couetousnes of their owners Moses in Deuterenomie addeth the pitifull affection of mercye sayinge Remember that once thou thee selfe wast a seruaunt in the land of Egypt Charitie therfore and ciuil humanitie do craue a measure to be kept so that we doe not with endlesse labours ouerlade wearie our houshold seruants Moreouer it is manifest that the goodman of the house by planting godlinesse in his familie doth not a little aduaunce and set forward his priuate profit and owne commoditie For wicked seruants are for the most part pickers deceitful wheras on the other side the godly are faithfull whome in his absence he may trust to gouerne his house In the reckoning vp of the houshold also is mention made of beastes and cattell which is done not so muche bicause their owner is a man ought therefore to vse them remissely moderately as for bicause beasies can not be laboured without the working hand of men to guide them So then men are drawn from the solemnising of the sabboth day by helping their cattel wherfore to the intent that they shoulde not be drawne aside we are here precisely commaunded to allow our cattell that resting time Last of all that Lord doth adde his own exaÌple wherby he teacheth vs to kepe holy the sabboth day Bicause saith he in sixe dayes the Lorde made heauen and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seuenth day Therefore the Lord blessed the seuenth day and hallowed it The Lorde our God wrought sixe dayes in creating heaueÌ and earth the sea al that in them is the seuenth day he rested ordeined that to be an appointed time for vs to rest in On the seuenth day we must thinke of the workes that God did in the sixe days the children of God must cal to remeÌbrance what howe great benefites they haue receiued that whole wéeke for whiche they must thanke God for which they must praise God by which they must learn god We must then dedicate to him our whole body soul we must coÌsecrate to him all our words our déeds As that day the Lorde did rest from creating but he ceasied not stil to preserue so we vpoÌ that day must rest froÌ handie bodily works but we must not ceasse from that works of well doing worshipping of god Furthermore that heaueÌly rest was no preiudice at al to the things created neither shal that holy day or sabboth speÌt in gods seruice be any let or hinderaÌce to our affaires or busines For the Lord blessed the sabboth day therfore shal he blesse thée thy house al thy affairs businesse if he shall sée thée to haue a care to sanctifie his sabboth that is to do those works which he hath coÌmauÌded to be don on the sabboth day They therfore do erre froÌ the truth as far as heauen is wide whosoeuer do despise the religion holy rest of the sabboth day calling it an idle case doe labour on the sabboth day as they doe on working dayes vnder the pretence of care for their familie and necessities sake For all these thinges muste we apply to our selues and our churches It is most sure that to Christians the spirituall sabboth is giuen in charge especially and aboue all things Neyther is it to be doubted but that the good Lordes will is that euen in our Churches at this day as well as of the Iewes of olde there shoulde be kept and appointed order in al things but especially in the exercising of outward religion We knowe that the sabboth is ceremoniall so farre foorth as it is ioyned to sacrifices and other Iewish ceremonies and so farre forth as it is tyed to a certaine time but in respect that on the sabboth day religion and true godlinesse are exercised and published that a iust and séemely order is kept in the Church and that the loue of our neighbour is thereby preserued therein I say it is perpetuall and not ceremoniall Euen at this daye verily we must ease and beare with our familie and euen at this day we must instruct our familie in the true religion and feare of god Christ our Lord did no where scatter abroad the holy congregations but did as much as he could gather them together Nowe as there ought to be an appointed place so likewise muste there be a prescribed time for the outward exercise of religion and so consequently an holye rest They of the primitiue Churche therefore did chaunge the Sabboth day least peraduenture they should haue séemed to haue imitated the Iewes and still to haue reteined their order and ceremonies and made their assemblies and holy restings to be on the first day of Sabbothes whiche Iohn calleth Sunday or the Lords day bycause of the Lords glorious resurrection vpon that day And although we doe not in any parte of the Apostles writings find any mention made that this sunday was commaunded vs to be kept holy yet for bycause in this fourth precept of the first table we are commaunded to haue a care of religion and the exercising of outward godlynesse it would be against al godlinesse and Christian charitie if we shoulde denie to sanctifie the Sunday especially since the outward worship of god can not consist without an appointed time and space of holy rest I suppose also that we ought to thinke the same of those fewe
god Because man is created to the similitude and likenesse of god If a man should of purpose deface the image of the King or Prince set vp at their commaundement hée should be accused of treason committed in how great daunger is he then that doth destroy a man which is the reasonable liuely and very picture of God himselfe Wée read that Theodosius the Emperour did determine to destroy a great number of the Citizens of Antioch for none other cause but for ouerthrowing that Image that was set vp for the honour of Placilla Augusta But thereunto is added that one Macedonius an Heremite came to the Emperours messingers said O my friends goe say to the Emperour Thou art not an Emperour only but also a man Do not thou cruellie destroy the image of god Thou angrest thy maker when thou killest his image Consider with thee selfe that thou art soaâie for an image of brasse Now it is euideÌt to al meÌ what difference there is betwixt a thing that is dead and that which hath life and a reasonable soule Moreouer it is an easie matter in steede of one brasen image to set vp more but it is vnpossible to restore one haire to them that once are slaine Finally murder is clean contrary to the nature of man For man chéerisheth himselfe and flesh destroyeth not it selfe but preserueth and nourisheth it selfe so much as it may But al wée men as many as liue are of one lumpe and of the same substantiall flesh to kill a man therefore is against mans nature Furthermore al men are the children of one father of one stocke of the same progenie murder therefore is directly against ciuil humanitie and is a plague that reigns amoÌg men And doth not the Lord our redéemer also require charitie of all men which must so abound that wée may not sticke to die for our neighbour To kill our neighbour therefore is flatly repugnaunt to Christian religion And take this by the way too that the bloud of man shedde by murder crieth out of the earth to heauen for reuengment For to Cain when he had slaine his brother it was said The voyce of thy brothers bloud crieth out of the earth and is come vp to mee For bloudshedde verilie polluteth and maketh the ground accursed whereon it is shedde and is not cleansed againe nor easilie appeased vntill it doe also ãâã the giltie bloud of them which spilte before the giltlesse bloud of innocentes Lastly murders procure marke y conutters thereof with endlesse spots of reprochfull infamie and that which is worst of all it bringeth vnto them euerlasting damnation Wherefore Salomon in his Prouerbes sayth My sonne if sinners entice thee consent not vnto them If they say Com with vs we will lay waite for bloud wil lurk priuily for the innocent without a cause Wee will swallow them vp like the graue quicke and whole as those that goe downe into the pitte Wee shall find all maner of costly riches and fil our houses with the pray Cast in thy lot among vs wee wil all haue one purse My sonne walke not thou with them but rather pull back thy foot from their wayes For their feete runne to euill and are hastie to shead bloud Now Dauid sayth that The bloudthirstie man and the hypocrite are abhominable to the Lord. From this law is exempted the Magistrate ordeyned by God whom God commaundeth to vse authoritie and to kill threatening to punish him most sharpely if hée neglect to kill the men whom God commaundeth to be killed This sixt commaundement of the Law therefore doth flatly forbid vppon priuate authoritie to kill any man But the magistrate killeth at Gods commaundement when hée putteth to death those which are by law condemned for their offences or when in defence of his people he doth iustly and necessarilie arme himself to the battell And yet the magistrates may offend in these two pointes two sundry wayes For either they do by law that is vnder the coloured pretence of law sâay y giltlesse to satisfie their own lust hatred or couetousnes As wée read that Iesabell slew y iuste man Naboth with the Lords Prophets Or else by peeuish pitie and foolish clemencie do let them escape skotte frée whom the Lord commaunded them to kill as Saul Achab are reported to haue sinned in letting go the blouddie kings whom God commaunded to be slaine And Salomon in the 17. of his Prouerbes doth testifie that the Lord doth as greatly hate the magistrate that acquiteth a wicked person as him that condemneth an innocent man The magistrates also in making or else repelling warre do offend two wayes in this sort For either they doe vniustly themselues make warre vppon other men and intangle their people therein Or else they suffer forreigne enimies to rob and spoile the people committed to their charge do not with such force as they may kéepe off and defend that open wrong and manifest iniurie Both these offences are of sundrie sorts and therewithall so great that they can hardly be purged Thou readest therefore that the holie kings of Israell did neuer make warre vppon any body vnlesse the Lord commaunded them And they againe fought for their people suffered them not to be led away captiue as miserable bondslaues For so did the blessed Patriarch Abraham follow vpon pursue those foure kinges nay rather cutthroate robbers of the East and recouered by force of armes Lot Lots substaunce and the people of Sodom that were carried away And such warres as these are taken in hand either for the recouerie or else for the confirmation of peace so that the magistrates that make warre in such a cause are rightly and in déede the children of God because they are peacemakers For all peace makers are the children of God. And now this place and argument doe require that I speake somewhat touching the office or authoritie of the magistrate which by Gods helpe I will assay to doe not that I meane or can alledge all that may be sayd therof but that which shal séeme most properly to declare the meaning of it and is most necessarie for this presente treatise Magistratus which woord we vse for the roome wherein the magistrate is doth take the name A magistris populi designandis of assigning the masters guiders and captaines of the people That roome place is called by the name of power or authoritie by reason of the power that is giuen to it of god It is called by the name of Domination for the dominion that the Lord doth graunt it vpon that earth They are called Princes that haue that Dominion for they haue a preeminence aboue the people They are called Consules of Counseling And kinges of Commaunding ruling and gouerning the people So then the Magistracie that I may henceforward vse this word for the magistrates power and place is an office and an action in the executing of the same Aristotle defineth the
Christianitie but since they were in authoritie and bare the names of magistrates what let is there I pray you whie a true Christian man may not beare that office of a magistrate in his coÌmon weal What may be thought of this moreouer that in the new Testament certaine notable men are well reported off who when they were in authoritie were not put beside their offices because they were Christians and of a sound religion Touchinge Ioseph of Arimathea thus we read in Luke And behold there was a man named Ioseph a counsellour Marcke saith a noble Senatour who was a good man a iust the same had not consented to the counsel and deede of them which was of Arimathea a citie of the Iewes which waited also for the kingdome of God. Marke here I beséech you how notable a testimonie this man hath here Ioseph is a counsellour or Senatour yea and that more is a noble senatour too he sate in the Senate and amonge those Iudgâs which did coÌdemne our sauiour christ but because hée consented not to their déede and iudgement he is acquited as guiltlesse of that horrible murder The same is said to haue béene a good man and a iuste and of the number of them that looke for the kingdome of God that is of the number of those which of Christ are called Christians and yet neuerthelesse he was a counsellour or senatour and that too in the Citie of Ierusalem A Christian therfore may lawfullie beare the office of a magistrate Hereunto belonge the examples of the AâthiopiaÌ treasurer Actes 8. of Cornelius the Centurion Acts 10. and of Erastus the Chamberleine of Corinth Rom. 16. 2. Tim. 4 But oure desire is to haue the Anabaptistes proue and declare out of the Scriptures that which they obiecte here in saying that these men beinge once conuerted to that faith did streightway put off their roabes of estate and lay aside their magistrats sword For wée haue a litle before by the wordes of S. Augustine vpon Iohn Baptists answere who did himself also preach the Gospel alreadie proued that the souldiers that were baptised were not put beside their office nor coÌmaunded by Iohn to giue ouer armour and ceasse to be souldiers They obiecte againe that the Lord conueyed himself priuilie away when the people were minded to haue made him a king which say they he would not haue done but because by his example hée would commend humilitie to all Christian people and as it were thereby to commaunde them not to suffer the charge to rule any common weale to be laid on their necks They adde moreouer these sayinges of the Lorde My kingdome is not of this world Againe Kings of nations haue dominion ouer them but ye shal not be so But they vnderstande not that the cause whie the Lord conueyed him selfe away was for the fond purpose of the foolish people which went about by making him a kinge not to doe the wil of God but being blinded with affections to séeke to bring those thinges to passe that were for the ease and fillinge of their bellies For in so much as hée had fedde them miraculously a little before therefore they thoughte that he would be a king for their purpose who was able to giue his subiectes meate without any coste or labour at all Furthermore oure Lord came not to reigne on the earth after the maner of this world as that Iewes imagined and as Pilate feared who dreamt that Messias should reigne as Salomon did and for that cause the Lord doth rightly say My kingdome is not of this world For hée is ascended into heauen and sitteth at the righthand of his father hauinge subdued all kinges to himselfe and all the world beside wherein hée reigneth by his word and his spirite and which hée shall come to iudge in the ende of the world And although Christe denieth that his kingdome is of this world yet notwithstanding hée neuer denied that kinges and Princes should come oute of the world into the Church to serue the Lord therein not as men alone but as kinges and men of authoritie But kinges cannot otherwise serue the Lord as kinges but by doing the thinges for which they are called kinges And vnlesse that Christians when they are once made kinges should continue in their office and gouerne kingdoms according to the rule and lawes of Christe how I beséech you should Christe be called kinge of kinges and Lord of Lords Therefore when hée said Kinges of nations haue dominion ouer them but so shal not ye bee hée spake to his Apostles who stroaue amonge themselues for the chiefe and highest dignitie as if hee should haue said Princes which haue dominion in the world are not by my doctrine displaced of their seates nor put beside their throanes for the magistrates authoritie is of force still in the world and in the Church also The kinge or magistrate shall reigne But so shall not yée yée shall not reigne yée shall not be Princes but teachers of the world and ministers of the Churches Thus briefely I haue aunsweared to the Anabaptistes obiections which in other places also I haue many times confuted somewhat more largely By this that héere I haue saide I thincke I haue sufficiently proued that a Christian man cannot onelie but ought of duetie also to take vpon him the office of a magistrate if it be lawfully offered vnto him Now before I make an end of the discourse of this place I will briefly adde what the duetie of subiectes is and what euerie man doth owe to his magistrate First of all the subiectes duetie is to estéeme honestly reuerently and honourably not vilely nor disdainfullie of their magistrates or Princes Let them reuerence and honour them as the deputies and ministers of the eternall god Let them abroade also giue them the honour that is vsuallie accustomed in euerie kingdome and countrie It is a foule thinge for subiectes to behaue themselues vndeceÌtly towards their Lords and men of authoritie But a false a lighte or ill opinion once conceyued bréedeth a contempt of the things and persons touching whom that opinion is once taken vppe Some euidente testimonies of Scripture therefore must bée gathered and graffed in euerie mans heart that thereby a iuste estimation and worthie authoritie of magistrates and officers may bée bred and brought vpp in al peoples minds Here by the way let Princes and magistrates take héede to themselues that by a spotted and vnséemelie life they make not themselues contemptible and laughinge stockes and so by their owne defaulte loose all their authoritie amonge the common people The Lord oure God verilie voucheth safe to attribute his owne name to the Princes and magistrates of the people and to call them gods Exod. 21. Psalm 82. The Apostles called them the deputies and ministers of god â Peter 2. Rom. 13. But who will not thincke wel of godds and them which are the deputies and ministers of god by
you derely beloued thrée seuerall places two of them out of the Gospell and the third out of S. Paule in which places as it were in a perfect abridgment you may haue comprised what thinges soeuer can bee required of such as worship God in trueth In the Gospel according to S. Matthew thus saith our Lord and Sauiour Hoord not vp for your selues treasures in earth where the rust and moth doeth corrupt and where theeues breake through and steale but lay vpp treasure for you in Heauen where neither mothe nor rust doth corrupt and where theeues do not breake through and steale For wher your treasure is there wil your hartes also be No man can serue two maisters For eyther he shall hate the one and loue the other or else he shall leane to the one and despise the other yee cannot serue God and Mammon Therefore I saye vnto you bee not carefull for your life what ye shall eate or drink nor yet for your bodie what ye shall put on is not the life more woorth than meate and the bodie more worth then rayment Beholde the fowles of the ayre for they sowe not neyther doe they reape nor carrie into barnes yet your heauenly father feedeth them Are not yee muche better then they Whiche of you by taking carefull thought can adde one cubite to his stature And why care ye for rayment consider the Lillies of the feelde howe they growe they labour not neither doe they spinne and yet I saye vnto you that euen Solomon in all his royaltie was not araide like one of these Wherefore if God so cloath the grasse of the fielde which though it stande to day is to morrow cast into the fornace shall he not muche more do the same for you O ye of little faith Therefore take no thought saying what shall wee eate or what shall wee drinke or wherewith shall wee be cloathed for after all these thinges do the Gentiles seeke for your heauenly father knoweth that ye haue neede of all these thinges But seeke ye firste the kingdome of God and all these thinges shall be added vnto you Care not then for to morrowe for the morrowe shall care for it selfe Sufficient vnto the daye is the euill thereof This saith the Lorde in the sixth of Matthewes Gospell Againe in the twelfth Chapter of Sainct Lukes Gospell he saith Take heede and beware of couetousnesse for no mannes life standeth in the aboundance of the things which he possesseth that is the life hath no néede of superfluitie or no mans life hath néede of more then enough And he put foorth a similitude saying The grounde of a certeine riche man brought foorth fruites plentifully and hee thought within him selfe saying what shall I doe because I haue no roome where to bestowe my fruites And he saide this will I doe I will pull downe my barnes and buyld greater and therein will I gather all my fruites and my goodes and I will saye to my soule Soule thou hast muche goodes layde vpp in stoare for many yeares take thine ease eate drinke and be merrie But God saide vnto him thou foole this night doe they require thy soule againe from thee then whose shall these thinges bee which thou hast prouided So is hee that gathereth richesse to him selfe and is not riche to Godwardes Paule the vessell of election followinge in all thinges his teacher and maister cryeth out and sayth Godlinesse is a greate lucre if a man bee content with that hee hathe For wee brought nothing into the world and it is certaine that wee may carrie nought away but hauing food and rayment wee must therewith bee content For they that wil be riche fall into temptation and snares and into many folish and noysome lustes which drowne men in perdition and destruction For couetousnes and the loue of monie is the roote of all euill which while some haue lusted after they erred from the faith and wrapped themselues in many sorrowes But thou O man of God flee these thinges and followe after righteousnes godlines faith loue patience meekenesse c. Whosoeuer therefore meaneth by bodily labour or any kind of traffique to gett a lyuing and things necessarie for himselfe and his familie let him take these godly preceptes in stéede of Triacle and other wholesome medicines to strengthen his mind against the enuenomed force of poysoned gréedines and infectinge plague of couetousnes And when hée hath with this medicine against poyson compounded of the doctrine of the Euangelistes and Apostles fortified his minde against the plague then let him immediately bend himself to some labour and kind of occupation But let euery one pick out and choose an honest and profitable occupation not a néedelesse Arte or a Science hurtfull to any other man And finally let all men flée idlenesse as a plague or contagious disease And nowe againe let vs in this case heare the heauenly woordes of that holy Apostle Paule who sayth We charge you brethren in the name of oure Lord Iesus Christe that yee withdrawe your selues from euery brother that ãâã mordinately and not after the institution which hâe receiued of vs For when wee were with you this wee warned you off that if any would not woorke the same should not eate For wee heare say that there are some which walke amonge you inordinately working not at all but be busie bodies Them that are such wee commaund and exhorte by our Lord Iesus Christe that they working in quietnesse eate their owne bread In all ages and among all honest men both idlenesse and néedelesse occupations haue béene alwayes condemned Hesiodus said Both Gods and men abhorre the lazie hand in bosomd lout That workes not in a coÌmon weale but lurckes and liu's without Paines taking like the idle droane that liues vppon the spoile Of that for which the busie Bees do tyre themselues with toile And Sophocles said Where idlenesse doth sit a broode ther 's neuer good egg hatcht For God doth not assiste slouthfull persons and idle slowbackes Now I call those néedelesse occupations whiche idle and ill disposed people do vse thereby to be troublesome to their neighbours and to deceiue other men exercising I confesse an occupation but such an one as is vtterly vnlawfull vnprofitable to all men themselues onelye excepted to whome it bringes in excessiue gaynes of which sort are vsurârs engrossers hucstars and other moe that haue many artes to francke themselues with an idle shewe of businesse like a swine shutt vp to be âatted in a stie As for them ãâã wealth is come to them not by their own labour or their own industrie but by inheritaÌce of their auÌcetours leauing let them coÌsider with theÌselues by what meanes the riches were gotten which nowe by inheritaunce are fallen to their lott and if they perceiue that they be heires of vniust gotten goods let them be liberall and make amendes for them not doubling the euil in possessing vniustly and
full The place where the temple was afterward builded is reported to haue béen shewed to Dauid by the Angle of the Lord and that Dauid did first of all make sacrifice there vnto the Lord and addeth these words This is the house of the Lord God and this altar is for the sacrifice of Israel As if hée should haue said This plat of ground is appointed for tâe temple in this péece shal be builte the house of the Lord yea here shall be offered that onely and effectual sacrifice for all men the very sonne of God Christ Iesus incarnate For all the interpreters of the holy scriptures agrée that the place was at Ierusalem vppon the mountaine Moria where Abraham once would haue offered his sonne Isaac that in that appointed or fatall plâce the temple âas erected and thât the hill Golgotha or Caluarie was not farre of but in the very topp of the mountaine Moria which was the place and holy hill wherein the holy Gospell doth testifie that Christ was offered for the sinns of al the world which was prefigured in a type of the auncient sacrifices other Ceremonies belonging to the temple The vse and end of the temple was none other than the vse and end of the tabernacle was before Ieroboam therfore and the kings of Israel did sinne most gréeuously when they forsooke the temple to make sacrifices in the high places in their Cathedrall Churches at Bethel and at Dan and in other high pleasaunt places The people of Iuda with their kinges did sinne most gréeuously either for sacrificing to God in the high places or else because they did not vtterly cutt downe those highe places For the Lord would and his wil was to be worshipped in one place which hée had chosen vnto himselfe The plaine lawe touching that matter is extante in the 12. of Deuteronomie is very expressely set downe in the 17 of Leuit. in these woords following Whosoeuer of the house of Israell shall kill an Oxe or a sheepe or a goate within the host or without the host to witt for a sacrifice vnto the lord For otherwise they mighte lawefully kill a beast for their sustenance in any place wheresoeuer and shall not bring it to the doore of the tabernacle of the coÌgregation to offer his Sacrifice before the dwelling place of the Lord bloud shal be imputed to that man as if he had shedd bloud Wherefore when the children of Israell bring their offeringes let them bring them to the Lord before the dore of the tabernacle of appointment vnto the priest that hee may offer them And let them no more offer their offerings to diuels after whoÌ they haue gone a whoring This shal be an ordinaunce to them for euer in their generations And he that doth not this shal be rooted out from amoÌg his people There are in these words thrée thinges to be noted First that it was not lawfull to sacrifice but in that one place onely that was before the altar of burnt offeringes Secondarilie wée haue to marke that that commaundement was giuen to the end that al men should vnderstand that the sacrifice was made to God to whom the tabernacle did belong Thirdly that to offer sacrifice out of y place against Gods comaundement was to make sacrifice vnto the diuel that the offerer was to be iudged as a murderer and that hee was excommunicated by the lord God as he that was excluded froÌ the companie of God his holy saints But wheras Samuel Helias and certaine other Patriarches did by Gods sufferance make sacrifices vpon some especiall causes in other places not before the altar in the tabernacle they did it by dispensation They therefore that sacrificed in highe places not to straunge Gods onely but euen to the very true God did sinne first of all by disobedience For God doth mislike yea he curseth al the worship done vnto him which we our selues do first inuent without the warrantise of his word it is faithfull obedience y pleaseth him best SecoÌdarilie they sinned by making a schisme in the vnitie of the Ecclesiastical body Thirdly for despising the mysterie of Christ that was to be offered in the mount of Golgotha for not referring the meaning of their sacrifices to Christ the onely truth of all their typicall Ceremoines Lastly they sinned by trusting in their sacrifices as in well wrought woorkes to iustification and by neglecting the worship of God chaunging it into trifles of their owne inuentions The teÌple stood from the time that Solomon did first build it vntil the first destruction of it vnder king Zedechias 440. yeares And from the reparatioÌ of it vnto the vtter ouerthrowe vnder Vespasian it stood 582. yeares Other there be that do accompt it otherwise Thus haue I hetherto spoken a litle of a great deale concerning the temple Now it remayneth for me to touch and lightly to passe ouer the holy instruments belonging to the tabernacle and temple of the Lord amonge which the arcke of the couenant was the chiefe which arcke was so called because of the tables of the couenant that were put within it It was also called the arke of the Lord God of hostes which dwelleth vppon it betwixt the Cherubim by that meanes the Lord himself was called by the name of Him that sitteth betwixt the Cherubim because he did from theÌce giue aunsweares vnto his seruauntes and had placed it in the middest of his people to be a signe that his presence was alwayes amonge them Touching the stuffe whereof and the for me how the arcke was made I will say nothing here For the matter fashion are in their colours very liuely painted out in the 25. Chap. of Exod. Of the meaning mysterie vse of the arcke I will speake somewhat now We men lay vp in our coffers and cheasts the treasures y we most sett by And therfore we vnderstand that in the arcke was layed the treasure of the Church and all the substance of which the faithfull made most accompt We must not therfore seek for them in meÌ in Noah Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses Dauid S. Marie Iohn Peter or Paule much lesse in the Romish indulgeÌtiarie but in him in whom all fulnesse dwelleth and in whom all the treasures of gods wisedome and knowledge are heaped vp in store who is not séen here on the earth but in the Sanctum Sanctorum in heauen I say aboue and is called Iesus Christ whose diuinitie is figured by the most pure gold and his humanitie by the Sittim wood that is of Cedar or rather white thorne For he tooke vpon him flesh like to our sinnefull flesh euen the very flesh that wée haue in al pointes sauing that it was not sinnefull Out of this arke do the faithfull fetche all good and necessarie things for the vse of their life and eternall saluation For in the arcke wée read that there was layd the tables of the couenaunt the
mortall men which maketh vndoeth and euery day deuiseth new lawes and ordinaunces Therefore GOD in these kinde of lawes doeth commende to his people faithfull obedience to bée shewed vnto him euen as in the beginning hee commaunded Adam not to taste of the trée of knowledge of good and euill requiring thereby faithfull obedience to be shewed vnto him Verily the obedience and faith which was in the Machabées in old Eleazar and in certaine other Godly men that stoode against kinge Antiochus euen to the shedding of their bloud and suffering of most bitter death did please the Lord excéedingly Other more absteyned from swines flesh whereby they obteyned neither praise nor glorie amonge wicked men When the woord of GOD saith that a thing is holy it is holy in déede and that because hée is holy that commaundeth it When God saith that any thing is vncleane it is vncleane in déede so that to eate any thinge against the word of God is to defile the eater Ye nowe sayth the Lord in the Gospell are cleane beecause of the woord which I said vnto you It is needefull therefore that wee beleeue the woord of God and that obedience goe before faith and then it cannot be but that the deede or woorke that is of faith as Eleazars was who would not taste the swines fleshe must needs be acceptable vnto God with whom whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne and wickednesse Moreouer the Lord in these lawes of his touching the absteyning from the flesh of certaine liuing creatures had a great respect vnto the health and soundnesse of mortall mens bodies For some of those which he forbiddeth to be eaten are by Physicians scarcely thought to be hoalesome for our bodies And thereuppon the Sainctes do gather this syllogisme If God hath care for the health of oure bodies hee is farre more carefull verily for the preseruation of our soules What may be thought of this that many nations haue tempered themselues from the eating and touching of some liuing creatures Therefore that the people of Israel who of themselues were sufficiently superstitious and curious enoughe should not be their owne caruers and inuent such toyes as they thought beste God gaue them such lawes for choice of their meate as did conteine hidden mysteries in them thereby to drawe them from their owne deuises and to seuer them from al other nations as Moses testifieth in the foureteenth Chapiter of Deuteronomium saying Thou art an holy people vnto the Lord thy God and the Lord thy GOD hath chosen thee from amonge all the nations vppon the face of the whole earth to bee a peculiar people vnto himselfe To Sainct Peter in the Actes of the Aposties a vision is shewed wherein by the vncleane beastes are ment the Gentiles Lastly God would haue the nature and disposition of the beastes that hee forâad to be eaten to be thoroughly scanned For in their diet at the table hee did by figures lay before their eyes the heauenly Philosophie giueing them occasion euen in their meate to thincke and speake of the true holinesse of the minde to the ende that men should not bee filthie impudent foule and vncleane And therefore is this clause so many times repeated I the Lord your God am holie As if hee should say All these Ceremonies tende to this ende that yee may giue your selues to holinesse Wherefore in those figures hee taught the godly what to follow and what to flie from Nowe in the lawe of the cleane and vncleane hee doth first of all put certaine generalities then he descendeth by specialities and doeth in a beadrowe reckon vpp certaine particular things in a very natural course and order The place is at the full set out in the eleuenth Chapiter of Leuiticus the fourtéenth of Deuteronomium Those beastes were allowed to be eaten which cleaue the hoofe and chawe the cudd Here are two thinges set downe in whiche the duetie of a good man is notablie conteyned For if wée will be cleane wee must diuide the hoofe and also chawe the cudd Our affection is the foote of oure mindes which affection must not be followed We must haue discretion in al things to iudge betwixt affections And as in a cleaft there be two partes or sides the right the left so a good man chooseth the good and flyeth from the euill Chawing of the cudd is our iudgment For wee must not admit euery thing whiche wée heare and sée but those thinges only which we haue examined exactly found to be contrary neither to God nor to his lawe There are then repeated many liuing things particularly which were not lawefull to be eaten amonge the people of the lord Those were either fourefooted beastes vppon the earth or fishes or birds or such as créepe vppon the ground Of fourefooted beasts foure by name wee are especially forbidden The Camel whose longe and loftie necke doeth teach vs that pride and arrogancie must bee eschewed The Connie or the mountaine mouse for God doeth vtterly mislike the men that are altogether ouerwhelmed like Connies in the earth and neuer lifte vpp their mindes vnto heauen The Hare a fearefull beast whiche doeth warne vs to shake off all cowardly fearefulnesse euen as also the Hogge doth put vs in minde to auoyde al vncleannesse For a Hogge is the very type and picture of nastie filthinesse and of it doeth the byword rise to call an vncleanly person a beastly swine And of Circe the fable goeth that shee with her inchantments did turne Vlysses his men into a sort of loathly Hogges Furthermore of fishes so much was allowed for meate as was found to haue finnes and scales vpon them if they lacked either of them they were forbidden as the Eele which thoughe it hath finnes yet lacketh it scales and therefore was not to be eaten For as the bodies of fishes are ruled with the finnes so must the whole man be gouerned by hope The scales are hard and couer the body and wée vnlesse we be constant patient in the Lords woorke are worthie to bee abhorred of the Lorde our maker Of birdes those are forbidden which are the gretest raueners deuourers which loue and liue by vncleane meates whiche flye abroad at owlelight at midnight and in the darke and such as are craftie vnstable and nothing chéerefull Herein therefore is commended vnto vs well dooing abstinence temperance simplicitie light constancie chéerefulnesse soundnesse and purenesse of liueing Lastly of suche as créepe by the grounde no small number are noted For menne altogether wrapped in worldly mucke doe vtterly displease the Lorde I haue of purpose not reckoned vp all the names of the forbidden creatures partly because it wold haue béene too tedious vnto you and partly because the interpreters of the Bible do wonderfully sticke in the interpretation of their names so that I can neuer meruaile ynough at the extréeme blinde stubbernenesse of the Iewish people in kéepinge so strictly the choice of their meates when their owne
these woords of the Lord in the Gospel must be beateÌ inâo the head of euery godly hearer Think not saith hee that I am come to destroy the lawe or the Prophets yea I came not to destroy but to fulfil theÌ Verilie I say vnto you heauen and earth shall passe but one iote or title of the lawe shall not passe till all bee fulfilled Whosoeuer therefore shall loose one of the smallest of these coÌmandements and shall teach men so he shal be called the least in the kingdome of heauen But whosoeuer shal doe and teach them hee shal be called great in the kingdome of heauen Let euery one therefore bée assuredly persuaded that the lawe of God whiche is the most excellent and perfecte will of God is for euer eternall and cannot be at any time disolued either by men or Angels or any other creatures Let euery man thinke that the lawe so farre as it is the rule howe to liue well and happilie so farre as it is the bridle wherewith wée are kept in the feare of the Lord so farre as it is a pricke to awake the dullnesse of oure flesh and so farre as it is giuen to instructe correcte and rebuke vs men that so farr I say it doth remaine vnabrogated and hath euen at this day her commoditie in the Church of God and therefore the abrogating of the lawe consisteth in this that followeth I told you that Gods commaundementes require the whole man and a very heauenly kinde of perfectnesse which whosoeuer performeth not hée is accursed and condemned by the law Nowe no man doth fulfill that righteousnesse therefore are wée all accursed by the law But this curse is taken awaye and most absolute righteousnesse is fréely bestowed on vs through Christ Iesus For Christ redéemed vs from the curse of the law being made the curse righteousnesse and sanctification for vs men And so in this sense the law is abrogated that is the curse of the lawe is thorough Christe taken from the faithfull and true righteousnesse is bestowed vppon vs thorough grace by faith in the same Christ Iesus For he is that blessed seede in whoÌ all the kinreds of the earth are blessed Hée is our righteousnesse For Paule saith By him euerie one that beleeueth is iustified from all things from which ye could not bee iustified by the lawe of Moses Therefore the law is put for the curse of the lawe or else the law of God is taken for that whiche is bewrayed or made manifest by the lawe that is to say it is taken for sinne For by the lawe commeth the knowledge of sinne Therefore the lawe is abrogated that is sinne is taken away not that it should not be or not shewe it selfe in vs but that it should not be imputed vnto vs and coÌdemne vs For there is no damnatioÌ to them that are in Christ Iesu Moreouer the lawe is taken for the vigeance or punishment which is by the law appointed for transgressours Therefore the lawe is abrogated because the punishment appointed by the lawe is taken from the neckes of the faithfull beléeuers For the law is not giuen to the righteous man. For Christ deliuered the faithfull from eternall punishments whiles hée being guiltlesse did suffer afflictions for wicked sinners Furthermore the Apostle saith The fleshly mind is enimitie against God for it is not obedieÌt to the law of god nether can be But now this hatred or enimitie of Gods law is by faith pulled out of the harts of the faithful in stéed of it is graffed in the loue of gods most holy wil so that in this sense also the lawe is said to be abrogated beecause the hatred of the lawe is taken away And therefore the Apostle compareth them that are vnder the lawe to bondslaues and them that are frée from the lawe to sonnes and children to whome also hée attributeth the spirite not of bondage but of adoption For forbecause ye are sonnes sayth he God hath sent the spirite of his sonne into your heartes which crieth Abba father c. To these may be added that the lawe of God hath types and shadowes and that the Ceremonies are verie burthensome euen as also the whole lawe is called a yoke But nowe the sonne of God came into this world who fulfilling the figures shewed to vs the verie truth and did abolish those types and shadowes so that nowe no man can condemne vs for neglecting or passing ouer those Ceremonies or figures so againe in that sense the lawe of God is abrogated y is to say that kinde of gouernement whiche Moses ordeined did come to nought when Christ did come and his Apostles began to teach For they without regarde of the Ecclesiasticall regiment appointed by Moses did congregate Churches to whiche they taught not that kind of regiment which Moses had ordeined For they did coÌstantly reiecte the priesthoode of Aaron the sacramentes the sacrifices and choice of dayes of meates and of apparell which Moses had taught their elders And in stéed of al those rites they preached Christ alone and his two Sacraments c. This haue I said hetherto generally touching the abrogation of the law and now againe I will more largely expound the same by seuerall partes The whole lawe is diuided into the Moral the Ceremonial and the Iudicial lawes The Moral lawe nowe is conteyned in the tenne commaundements the first precept whereof doeth teach vs to honour and worshipp one God alone not to match any strange gods with him This coÌmaundement did oure Lord Iesus in the Gospell so earnestly vrge and diligently teach that wée may perceiue very well that in it nothing is altered The second precept forbiddeth idolatrie that is the worshipping and honouring of al maner images whether they be the images of GOD himself or of any of his creatures But it is knowen that the Apostles in the doctrine of the Gospell did vse all meanes that they could to banishe and driue away all kinde of idolatrie Paule Iohn crie Flee from idolatrie And wheras Christ and his Apostles doe most diligently teach vs to sanctifie glorifie Gods holy name they doe thereby giue their consent to the establishing of the third coÌmandement which doth forbid to defile Gods name by taking it in vaine The 4. alone of all the commaundements concerning the sanctifying of the sabboth day is of S. Augustine called Ceremoniall But it must not be simplie vnderstoode to be Ceremoniall For so farre forth as the outward worship of God requireth a certeine appointed time to be exercised in carrieth with it the sacrifices of the lawe so farre I say it is ceremoniall but in respecte that it teacheth to méete in holy assemblies to worship God to pray to preache to be partakers of the sacraments and to offer spiritual sacrifices therein it is eternall not ceremonial As I haue before declared in the exposition of the Sabboth The fifte precept touching
ioye and alwayes bringeth gladnesse with it The tydings are that there is borne the Sauiour of the worlde euen the Lorde Iesus Christ he is borne and that too vnto and for vs that is to the health and saluation of vs mortall men Sainct Paule saith That the Gospel was promised afore of GOD by the prophets in the holie Scripture of his sonne which was made of the seede of Dauid after the fleshe who hath been declared to be the sonne of god with power after the spirite that sanctifieth by his resurrection from the dead And againe The Gospell is the preaching of Iesus Christe according to the reuelatioÌ which hath beene kept cloase from before beginninges but is nowe made manifeste and by the writinges of the prophâts opened to all nations vnto the obedience of faith according to the apointment of the eternall God. And yet againe more briefely he saith The gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to all that do beleeue that is to saye the Gospell is the preaching of Gods power by whiche all they are saued that do beléeue But Christe is the power of god For he is saide to be the arme the glorie the vertue brightnesse of the father Now Christ bringeth saluation to euery one that doth beléeue For hee is the Sauiour of all Of all this wee doe nowe gather this definition of the holie Gospell the Gospell is the heauenly preaching of Gods grace to vs warde wherein it is declared to all the worlde being set in the wrath and indignation of God that God the father of heauen is pleased in his onely begotten sonne oure Lord Christ Iesus whome as he promised of olde to the holy fathers hee hath nowe in these latter times exhibited to vs and in him hath giuen vs all things belonging to a blessed life and eternal saluation as hee that for vs men was incarnate dead raysed from the dead againe was taken vp into heauen and is made our onely Lorde and Sauiour vppon condition y we acknowledging our sinnes do soundly and surely beléeue in him This definition I confesse is somewhat with the longest but yet withall I woulde haue you thinke that the matter which is in this definition described is it selfe verie large and ample which I haue therefore in this long definition or description with as greate light as I coulde endeuoured my selfe to make manifest to all men Wherefore I neither could nor shoulde haue expressed it more briefely This definition consisteth of iust partes which being once seuerally expounded and throughly opened euery man I hope shal euidently perceiue the nature causes effects and whatsoeuer else is good to bee knowen concerning the Gospell First of all that the Gospell is tydinges come from heauen and not begonne on earth that doeth moste of all argue because God our heauenly father did him selfe firste preach that tydings to our miserable parentes after their fall in Paradise promising his sonne who being incarnate should crushe the Serpents head Then againe the Apostle Paule doth in expresse wordes saye God in time past at sundrie times and in diuerse manners spake vnto the fathers by the Prophets and hath in these laste dayes spoken to vs by his sonne And Iohn before him is read to haue testified saying No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him And againe He that commeth from an high is aboue all he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth he that commeth from heauen is aboue all and what he hath seene and heard that he testifieth To this belongeth that the Prophets were beléeued to haue prophecied by the inspiration of the holie spirite Nowe they did in the holie Scriptures foreshewe the Gospell the especiall or chiefe poyntes whereof were by Angels descending from heauen declared vnto men For the incarnation of the sonne of God is by the Archangel Gabriel tolde first to the holie virgine and after that againe to Ioseph the supposed father of Christ and tutour of the vnspotted virgin The same Angel did preache to the shéepeheardes the birth of the sonne of god Moreouer to the women that came to the graue mynding after their countrie manner to annoynct the bodie of the Lord the Angels declared that hee was risen from the dead againe The same Angels at the Lordes ascension did testifie to the Apostles whose eyes were turned and surely fixed into the clouds that he was taken vpp into heauen that from thence hee shoulde come againe to iudge the quick and the dead And to all these testimonies may bee added the voice of the eternall father him selfe vttered from heauen vppon our Lorde and Sauiour saying This is my beloued sonne in whome I am pleased heare him Which testimonie of the father the blessed Apostle Peter doth in the zeale of the Spirite repeate in the firste Chapter of his seconde Epistle Therefore the preaching of the Gospell is a diuine spéech vnreproueable and brought downe from heauen which whosoeuer beleeue they do beléeue the worde of the eternall God and they that beléeue it not do despise and reiecte the woorde of god For it ceasseth not to bee the worde of God because it is preached by the ministerie of men For of the Apostles we do read that the Lord did saye It is not ye that speake but the spirite of my father which is within you And therefore we read that they departed not from Hierusalem vntill they were first instructed from aboue and had receiued the holie Ghost Neither is there any cause why the worde of God should be tyed to the Apostles onely as though after the Apostles no man did preache the word of god For our Lorde in Saincte Iohns Gospell doth plainly saye Verily I saye vnto you hee that receiueth whome soeuer I sende receiueth mee and he that receiueth mee receiueth him that sent mee Nowe our Lorde the highe priest and chiefe byshop of his catholique church doeth sende not Apostles only but al them also that are lawfully called and doe bring the worde of Christ Therefore we vnderstand it to be spoken concerning all the lawfull ministers of the churche where the Lorde doeth saye Whose sinnes soeuer ye forgiue they are forgiuen them and whose sinnes soeuer ye reteine they are reteined And againe whatsoeuer thou loosest on earth shal be loosed in heauen whatsoeuer thou byndest on earth shal be bound in heauen For in an other place the Lorde saith Verily I saye vnto you it shall bee easier for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of iudgement than for that citie that receiueth you not heareth not your sayings Nowe who knoweth not with howe filthie horrible sinne the men of Sodome did defile them selues and that the Lorde rayned fire brimstone and pitche froÌ heauen wherewith he burnt vp both the citie and her inhabitants Who therefore cannot gather therevppon that rebels
true Temple the true highe priest the true altar of incense and burnte offeringes euen Christe Iesus the Lord and Sauiour they haue the true worshippe whiche was of olde prefigured onelye in those externall Ceremonies As I haue alreadie declared vnto you in that place where I handled the Iewishe Ceremonies The Gentiles are out of euerie quarter of the world called vnto Christe Iesu All the promises touching the calling of the Gentiles haue béene hetherto most aboundantly fulfilled and are euen at this day Nowe are wee the chosen flocke according to the doctrine of Saincte Peter We are the royall priesthood an holie nation a peculiar people being called hereunto that wee should preach the power of him which hath called vs out of darckenesse into his meruailous light Therefore let the vnhappie Iewes vnlesse perhappes they had rather to bee intangled in greater errours to bée vexed dailye with endelesse calamities and so at laste perishe eternally turne vnto Christ by faith and together with vs beginne to worshippe him in whome their fathers hoped and in whome alone is life and saluation For that I may with the Apostles woords conclude this place GOD is made manifest in the fleshe iustified in the spirite seene to the Angels preached to the Gentiles beleeued in the world and receiued in glorie And euerie one that beleeueth him shal liue eternallie and neuer be confounded Wée haue nowe behinde the last part to expounde the contents whereof are that God the father who before was angrie with the world is pleased nowe in his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ oure lord First of all therefore I haue to shewe you that God was angrie with the world whiche is no hard matter to proue For God is angrie at sinnes But the whole world is subiecte to sinne therefore it must of necessitie be that the most iust God is mightilie angrie with all the world And Paule sayeth The wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlinesse vnrighteousnesse of men Againe the same Apostle sayeth that all men are subiecte vnto sinne for confirmation whereof hee citeth these sentences of the holy Scriptures saying There is none righteous no not one there is none that vnderstandeth or seeketh after God They are all gone out of the way they are all become vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Their throate is an open sepulchre they haue vsed their tongues for to deceiue the poyson of aspes is vnder their lippes Whose mouth is full of cursing bitternesse their feete are swift to shedd bloud Hartes greefe and miserie are in their wayes and the waye of peace haue they not knowen There is no feare of God before their eyes Nowe least the Israelites should aunsweare that these thinges doe not perteine to the people of GOD but to the heathen and vngodly alone hee addeth Wee knowe that whatsoeuer the lawe sayeth it sayeth it to them which are vnder the lawe that euerie mouth may bee stopped and that all the world may bee endaungered to God. No man is here excepted For to the Galathians the same Apostle sayeth Hee hath shutt vpp all vnder sinne that hee may haue mercie on all It followeth therefore that all the world was subiect to the wrath or indignation of the most iuste and righteous God as is at large proued in the second fourth and fifte Chapiters to the Ephesians But the heauenly father is appeased or recoÌciled to this wicked world thorough the onely begotten sonne our Lord Iesus Christe And this I hope I shall aboundantly proue by the onely testimonie of God himselfe For the father by sending downe a voyce from heauen vnto the earth vppon Christe first ascending newely out of the water after his baptisme and then againe at his transfiguration in the sighte of his disciples did significantly saye This is my beloued sonne in whom I am delighted pleased or reconciled heare him This testimonie is read to haue béene foreshewed in the 42. Chapiters of Esaies Prophecie And Peter the Apostle repeateth the same in the first cap. of his second Epistle Paule also did as it were expound this and saye It pleased the father that in the Sonne should dwell all fulnesse and by him to reconcile all things vnto himselfe since he hath sett at peace thoroughe the bloud of the Crosse by him both the thinges in earth and the thinges in heauen In heauen is God and wée men heere vppon earth Nowe Christe is the mediatour which goeth betwixte vs and reconcileth vs vnto his father so that nowe we are the beloued of the father in his beloued sonne For in the Epistle to the Ephesians the same Apostle sayth He hath made vs accepted in the beloued in whom wee haue redemption thorough his bloud the forgiuenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his grace All this shall be more fully vnderstood by that which followeth For nowe I must proue that God the father hath in his sonne giuen vs al things that are necessarie to a happie life and eternal saluation I name héere two thinges a happie life and euerlasting saluation By a happie life I vnderstand a holy and godly life whiche wee liue and lead quietly and honestly in this present world Eternall saluation is that felicitie of the life to come whiche wée with assured hope doe verilie looke for Nowe we haue in Christ a most absolute doctrine of a happie life taught vs by the Gospel wherein also wée doe comprehend the example of Christ his owne trade of life Verily our heauenly father hath made him oure teacher in saying Heare him And he himselfe in the Gospel after Sainct Matthewe sayeth Bee ye not called maisters for ye haue one master euen Christ who in the Gospel after S. Iohn is called The light of the world In an other place also he testifieth that his doctrine is conteyned in the holy Scriptures wherevppon it commeth that hee referreth his disciples to the diligent reading of the holy scriptures Touching which Scriptures Paule the teacher of the Gentiles and the vniuersall Church of Christ doth say All Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to doctrine to reproue to correction to instruction whiche is in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfecte instructed in all good workes Wherefore althoughe the whole world bee madd and that the obstinate defenders of the traditions rather than the Scriptures do whet their téeth for anger yet maugre their heades the word of the Apostle shal abide most firme wherein he testifieth that the doctrine of the scriptures otherwise called the Christian doctrine is in all pointes most absolute and thoroughly perfecte Touching whiche matter because I haue alreadie spoken in the first Sermons of the first Decade I am therfore here a great deale the briefer Nowe concerning the eternall saluation fully purchased for vs by Christe thus ye must thincke Eternall saluation is the séeing and enioying of the eternall God and so consequently an
our Lord declared and expounded by the same Apostle Paule Nowe Abraham and Dauid were alwayes men of chiefe accompt in the Church of god With whiche twaine the whole companye of the Prophets doe wholie agree For the Apostle Peter saith All the Prophets bare wittnesse to Christe that by his name euery one whiche doeth beleeue in him shoulde receiue remission of his sinnes And euen nowe by the mouth of Paule wee hearde saye that by the testimonies of the lawe and the Prophetes it is proued That the righteousenesse of God is freely bestowed by faith with out the Lawe We haue also the verie sonne of God Iesus Christe our Lorde whose authoritie excelling farre all y worldes beside may confirme vs well enough in this péece of doctrine For he as it were in certeine assembled counsels did determine and decree that which we in this place do counsell al men to reteine For hauing gathered togeather his disciples at Caesarea Philippi he demaunded of them what men did thinke of him Nowe when they answered diuersly according to the diuersitie of opinions that the common people had of him hee inquired of theÌ what they them selues thought of him Then Peter in the name of all the rest saide Thou art that Christe the sonne of the liuing God. To whome the Lorde replyed Happie art thou Simon Bar Iona for flesh and bloud hath not reuealed this to thee but my father which is in heauen In these woordes hee concludeth two seuerall thinges First that true faith doeth make vs happie Neither is it to be doubted but that to make happie is vsed here in that signification which ye hearde out of Paule euen nowe that Dauid vsed it in Lastly that that sanctifying faith is not the woorke of oure owne nature but the heauenly gifte of god And then also he taketh occasion vppon that notable confession of true faith to giue a newe name to Simon Peter for the eternall memorie of the thinge and for the imprintinge of the signification of that mysterie in all mennes mindes Peter confessed that Christ was a stone or rocke Therefore Christe syrnameth Peter a Petra that is a stone as if one shoulde call him a liuinge stone layde vppon a liuing stone or of Christe a Christian Yea and leaste peraduenture any man shoulde tye the thinge vniuersally beelonginge to the whole churche vnto Peter alone the Lorde him selfe doth apply it vnto all the Churche and saith And vpon this stone will I buylde my churche and the gates of hell shal not preuaile against it As if he should haue sayd that which nowe is done in thee Peter shall hereafter bee done in all the faithfull Thou by faith art layde vpon me which am the stone and arte made a member of the Church I therefore do ordeine that whosoeuer confesseth mee to be the stone shal be a member of the Churche sanctified iustified and deliuered from the diuell and the power of death Thy confession that is I Christe the sonne of God whome thou confessest shal be the foundation of the Churche vppon whiche foundation whosoeuer are layde they shal be iustified and fréely saued For Paule also saide An other foundation cannot be layd than that that is alreadie layde which is Christ Iesus And the Apostle Iohn saith This is the victorie that hath ouercome the worlde euen your faith Nowe least Peter and his other fellowe disciples shoulde not knowe the waye howe other men shoulde be admitted into the fellowship of the Churche and receiued into the communion of Christe he addeth immediately And I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest in earth shal bee loosed in heauen c. He gaue the keyes when hee sent the Apostles to preache the Gospell Therefore by the preaching of the Gospell which is the keye of the kingdome of heauen is heauen opened and the waye poynted out howe we being graffed in Christe the church may bee made the heires of eternall life to wite through faith in Christe which wee are taught by the Gospell of Christe Thus much touching the counsell wherof Christ himself was PresideÌt helde at Caesarea Philippi There is extant in Iohn an other counsell held at Capernaum both famous and ful of people For in a greate multitude of his Disciples and other men hee doeth determine that eternall life is gotten by faith in Christe and that there is none other waye for vs to come to life than this To eate his fleshe and to drinke his bloud that is to beléeue in him And when amongâ the audience there was a Schisme by reason that many reuolted from Christe hee demaunded of them that were his neerest disciples whether they also woulde forsake him then Pâter in the name of all the rest did aunswere since in thee O Christe there is life and saluation if wee departe from thee wee cannot bee partakers of lifâ and therefore by faith wee will âârmely sticke and cleaue close to thee for euer Moreouer here are to be reckoned two counsels also that were helde by the Apostles The one of whiche no man can denye to bee verie generall or vniuersall For in it there were dâuout men of euery nation vnder heauen In that counsell did Peter the Apostle in expresse wordes teache that Christe is the Sauiour of the worlde whome whosoeuer beléeueth hee shall haue life euerlasting The place is knowen in the Actes of the Apostles the second Chapter Before the chiefe of the Iewes the same Apostle declareth that there is saluation in none other than in Christ alone The place is extante in the Actes of the Apostles the thirde Chapter The like hee doeth to the firste fruites of the Gentiles Cornelius and his housholde in the tenth Chapter The seconde counsell which was famous also and passingly adorned with all good giftes is described in the fiftéenth Chapter of the Actes in whichâ Counsell this proposition was allowed That faith without woorkes doth iustifie freely Touching which matter I haue spoken at large in an other place Nowe by all this I woulde haue it proued that the doctrine of Faith that iustifieth without woorkes ought to bée reteined vnmingled and vncorrupte in the Churche because as I maye so saye it is moste Catholique and altogether vnreproueable to the breache whereof this cuâsse or Anathematisme of the Apostle is added sayinge If wee or an Angel from Heauen shall preache to you anye other Gospell than that whiche we haue preached let him bee accursed The seconde cause why it is expedient that this doctrine bee kepte sincere in the Churche is because if it bee once put out of ioynte the glorie of Christe shall bee in daunger of wracke and in ieopardie For the glorie of Christe is darkened and corrupted in the myndes of men althoughe of it selfe it remaineth alwayes sounde and cleare if wee beginne to diuide the righteousenesse whereby wee stande and appeare before GOD attributing it to oure owne merites and good woorkes of
are all the windes all the starrs and all the fierie aerie waterie impressions In the hoste of God are all euill spirites all men Kinges and Princes all the warlike furniture of euery nation finally all creatures both visible and inuisible and al these hee vseth according to his owne pleasure yea according to his owne good iust will when how much and howe long hee listeth to finishe and bring to passe his owne will and iudgements In punishing the first worlde at the deluge he vsed water In destroying of Sodoma and the Cities there about he vsed fire and in rooting out the Chanaanites and Iewes he vsed the meanes of mortall menne or souldiers Somtimes ther is ascribed to the Lord the word Aeleon the Lord is called Aeleon that is to say high For in the 113 Psalme we read The Lord is higher than all nations and his glory is aboue the heauens Who is like the Lorde our God whiche setteth him selfe so high in his habitation And in the 97. Psalme he saith Thou Lord art higher than all that are in the earth thou art exalted farre aboue all Gods. Againe God is called El because of his strength For what he wil that can he doe and therefore is he called a strong God or a Giant For Ieremie saith The Lord is with me as a strong Giant Esay saith The Lord shall come forth like a Giant he shal take stomache vnto him like a man of warre he shall rore and ouercome his enimies And like to this is the word Eloah whose plurall number is Elohim That name betokeneth the presence of God whiche neuer fayleth his woorkmaÌship worshippers Ieremie bringeth in God speaking and saith Am I God that seeth but the thing that is nigh at hand onely and not the thing that is far off May any man hide himselfe so that I shall not see him saith the Lord Doe not I fill Heauen and earth For before him also Dauid said Whether shall I goe from the breath of thy mouth And whether shall I flee from thy countenaunce If I ascend into heauen thou art there and if I descend into hell thou art there also If I take the winges of the morning and dwell in the vtmoste parts of the sea euen there thy hand shall rule me and thy right hande shall holde me fast Therfore the Apostle Paule saith God is not far from euery one of âs For by him we liue we moue and haue our beeing And for that cause peradueÌture God was of the Gréeks called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to wit ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã because of his redinesse and present succour because he neuer faileth mortall men but alwayes and in all places doeth aide and reléeue them Likewise Plato in Cratylo and his interpreter Proclus doe think that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã God is deriued ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is of running but that course or running is not referred to the presence or help of God but to an other thing For when men saw the Sunne the Moone the starres and heauen it selfe by running still to be turned aboute they thought that they were Gods. Some there are that will deriue it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is to say of feare or dread For feare or Religion beléeueth and persuadeth men that there is a God. The Latines peraduenture framed their Deus God of the Gréekes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã But some doo think rather that Deus is deriued A dando of giuing because he giueth all things vnto all men For so among the Hebrues he is called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as I will anon declare or Schadday because he is sufficient to him selfe he lacketh nothing but giueth to all men all good thinges and necessary Some other wil haue God in Latine to be called Deus quód ipsi nihil deest that is because there is nothing wanting in him But now the Scripture doeth attribute the plurall number Elohim not to God alone but also to Angels to iudges and to men in authoritie because God is alwaies present with them while they laboure in that office whiche he hath appointed them vnto and doeth by the ministerie of them worke the things whiche hee him selfe will which are expedient for the welfare of mortall men And although the worde Elohim be of the plurall number yet is it set before Verbes in the singular number as in the first of Genesis we find In the beginning Bara Elohim Creauit Dii God created for Bara created is the singular number Heauen and Earth In that phrase of spéech is shewed vnto vs the mysterie of the reuerend Trinitie For Moses séemeth to haue said in effecte In the beginning that GOD in Trinitie created Heauen and Earth In the 7. chapter of the second booke of Samuel Elohim in the plurall number is ioygned with Verbes of the plurall number to declare that there is a difference of persons in the blessed Trinitie Moreouer in the league whiche God maketh with our father Abraham God giueth him selfe an other name For he saith I God am Schaddai that is sufficient or sufficiencie Therefore God is called Schaddai Some in their translations turne it Vastator a destroyer as if GOD shuld name him selfe a iust reuenger But Moses Aegyptius saith The Nowne Schaddai is compounded of the Verbe Daâi which signifieth he sufficeth and the letter * Schin which hath the same meaning that Ascher hath and signifieth He that So that Schaddai is as muche to say as He that sufficeth to him selfe and is the sufficiencie or fulnesse of all things Peraduenture the Heathen haue vppon this occasion deriued their Saturnus whiche name they gaue to them whome they did wickedly take to bee Gods. For as Diurnus commeth of Dies a daye so is Saturnus deriued a Saturando of satisfying or filling Therefore GOD is that He to whome nothing is lacking which in all things and vnto althings is sufficient to him selfe who néedeth no mans ayde yea who alone hath all things which do apperteine to the perfect felicitie bothe of this life and of the world to come and whiche onely and alone can fil and suffice all his people and other creatures For this cause the Germanes call him Gott as who should saye Guot good or best Because as he is full of all goodnesse so he doeth moste liberally bestowe vppon men all maner of good things The Germane word is not muche vnlike to the auncient name wherby the Aegyptians called god For they called God Theuth or Thoth Now if we for Th put G then is it Goth and we saye Gott The Lord him selfe in the sixt chapter of Exodus putteth these two names together Schaddai and Iehouah as two of the moste excellent names that he hath and saith I am Iehouah And I appeared to Abraham Isaac and Iacob as God Schaddai but in my name Iehouah I was not knowen vnto them
eyes of their minde vpon Christe and beléeue the mysterie of him conteined in woords déedes learning by them what who God is For God is such an one as he exhibiteth him selfe to be knoweÌ in Christ in that verie know ledge he doeth appoint eternall life to be where he saith And this is eternall life that they might knowe thee the only true God Iesus Christ whoÌe thou hast sent Let him y wisheth wel to himselfe take héede that he go not about to know any more than God him selfe doth teach vs in Christ But who soeuer neglecting Christ doth follow y rule subtilties of mans wit he verily doeth come to nought and perish in his thoughts The fourth meane to know god by is fetched out of the conteÌplation of his woorkes Dauid saith The heauens declare the glory of god and the firmament sheweth foorth the works of his bandes And the Apostle Paule saith His inuisible things beeing vnderstanded by his woorkes through the creation of the worlde are seene that is both his eternal power god head Loe the power and godhead of God are those inuisible things of God and yet they are vnderstoode by the coÌsideration of Gods workes therefore euen God him-selfe is knowne by the workes of god But now the workes of God are doubly considered or bée of twoe sorts For either they are layed before vs to be béehelde in thinges created for the behoofe of men as in heauen in earth in those things that are in heaueÌ and in earth and are gouerned and preserued by the prouidence of God of which sorte are the starres and the motions or courses of the starres the influences of heauen the course of time liuing creatures of all kindes trées plants fruites of the earth the sea and whatsoeuer is therein stones and whatsoeuer things are hid within and digged out of the earth for the vse of men Of these S. Basile S. Ambrose haue written very learnedly and godly in their bookes intituled The worke of sixe dayes the whiche they called Hexaemeron Héere may be inserted that history of nature which the glorious worthie king Dauid doth in the psalmes especially after the 100. psalme most fitly apply to our purpose But lest we shuld intangle make intricate the course of this preseÌt treatise I will hereafter speake of the creation of the world of gods gouernment prouidence in the same At this present it shal suffice to know the heaueÌ earth all that is therein do declare to vs and sette as it were before our cies an euident argument that God as he is moste wise is also most mightie woonderful of an infinite maiesty of an incomprehensible glorie moste iust most gratious and most excellent Esaie therefore a faithful teacher of the Church giuing good counsell for the state of mortall men doth say vnto them Lifte vp your eyes on high and consider who hath made these things that come foorthe by heapes calling them all by theire names whose strength is so great that none of them doth faile For although that euen from the beginning the starres haue shined to the worlde and haue in their course perfourmed that for which they were created yet are they not woarne by vse nor by continuance consumed awaye or darckened ought at all For by the power of their maker they are preserued whole Ieremie also cryeth O Lord there is none like vnto thee Thou art great and great is thy name with power Who woulde not feare thee O King of the gentiles For thine is the glorie for among all the wise men of the Heathen and in all their kingdoms there is none that may be likened vnto thee And immediatly after againe The Lord God is a true and liuing God and king If he be wroth the earth shaketh nether can the gentiles abide his indignation He made the earth with his power with his wisedome doth he order the whole compasse of the world and with his discretion hath he spred the hâauens out At his voice the waters gathered together in the aâre he draweth vpp the Cloudes from the vttermoste partes of the earthe he turneth lightning to raine bringeth the windes out of their tresures Or else the works of God are set foorth for vs to beholde in man the verie Lord prince of all creatures not so much in the workmanshipp or making of man whiche Lactantius and Andreas Wesalius haue passingly painted out for all men to sée as in the woorks which toward man or in man or by man the Lord him selfe doeth finish and bring to passe For God doeth iustly punish some men and by punishing them he doth declare that he knoweth the dealings of mortall men and hateth all wrong and iniurie Vppon other he heapeth vpp verie large and ample benefites and in béeing beuntifull vnto them he declareth that he is rich yea that he is the founteine of goodnesse that cannot be drawen dry that he is bountiful good merciful gentle and long suffering Héereof there are innumerable examples in the historie of the Bible Caine for the murder committed vppon his brother lyued here in earth a miserable wretched life For the iust lord doth reueÌge the bloudshedd of the innocent The first world was drowned in the deluge a plague was layd it on for the conteÌpt of god But Noah and his were sauedin the Arke by the mercie of God. God bringeth Abraham from Vr of the Chaldées and placeth him in the land of Chanaan blessing and loading him with all manner of goods He doeth woonderfullie kéepe Iacob in all his troubles infinite calamities Through great afflictions he lifteth vp Ioseph froÌ the prison vnto the throne of Aegypt He doth gréeuously plague the Aegyptians for the tyrannie shewed in oppressing Israel and for the contempt of his commaundement But it would be too longe and tedious to make a beadrowe of all the examples Now by these and such like workes of GOD we learne who and howe greate our GOD is howe wise hée is howe good howe mightie howe liberall howe iuste and rightful and with-all we learne that we must beéeue and in althings obey him For Asaph sath The things that we haue heard and knowen and such as our fathers haue told vs those we will not hide froÌ our sonnes but wil shew to the generations to come the praise of the Lorde his mightie and woonderfull workes which hee hath done that the children whiche are borne when they come to age may shewe their children the same that they may putt theire truste in God and not forget the woorkes of God but kepe his commandements And so as foloweth in the 78. psalme An other waye to knowe God by next to this is that which is gathered vpon comparisons for the Scripture doeth compare all the moste excellent things in the world with God whoÌe it preferreth before them all so that we may
thereby gather that God is the chiefe good that his maiestie is in coÌprehensible This one place of Esay may staÌd in sted of many where in the 40. cha he saith Who hath measured the waters with his fist Who hath mesured heauen with his span Who hath helde the dust of the earth betwixt three fingers and weighed the mounteines and hilles in a balance Who hath directed the spirit of the Lord who gaue him counsell who taught him who is of his counsell to instruct him Beholde all people are in comparison of him as a droppe of a bucket full and counted as the least thing that the balance weigheth Yea he shall cast out the Isles as the smallest crumb of dust Libanus were not sufficient to minister him wood to burne nor the beasts thereof were in ough for one sacrifice vnto him All people in comparison of him are reckoned as nothing and if they bee compared with him they are couÌted as lesse than nothing Vnderstand ye not this hath it not bene preached vnto you since the beginning haue ye not beene taughte this by the fouÌdation of the earth It is he that sitteth vpon the circle of the world whose inhabiters are in coÌparison of him but as Grashoppers He spredeth out the heauens as a couering stretcheth theÌ out as a tent to dwell in He bringeth princes to nothing and maketh the Iudges of the earth as though they were not And so foorth To this place now doe belong the Prosopopeiall spéeches of God of which thou shalt finde suÌdrie and many beside the visions which we placed in the second way or meane to know god But the moste excellent are extant in the 18. Psalme and in the 5. Chapter of Solomons Ballad bothe which I passe ouer vntouched because I meane not to stay you too long For we muste descend to the other points Last of all God is knowen by the sayings or sentences vttered by the mouthes of the Prophetes Apostles Of which sorte is that notable spéech of Ieremie where he saith Let not the wise man glorie in his wisdome nor the strong man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches but let him that glorieth glorie in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord and doe mercie iudgement and righteousnesse vpon earth therefore am I delighted in suche things alone saith the Lord. Now by the mercie of God we are saued and adorned with sundrie great benefites By his iudgement he punisheth the wicked and disobedient according to their deserts and therewithal he kéepeth equitie Euen as also his righteousnes doeth truely perfourme that which he promisseth Therefore we say that God is a sauiour a liberall giuer of all good things an vpright iudge assured trueth in performing his promisses And hether now is to be referred the doctrine of the Prophets and apostles which teacheth that to be the true knowledge of God y acknowledgeth God to be one in essence and thrée in persons Concerning the vnitie of the diuine essence by the allegation whereof the pluralitie of the heathen Gods are vtterly reiected and flatly condemned I will cite those testimonies out of the holie Scripture that séeme to be more euidente and excellent than all the other which are in number so many that a man canne hardely reckon them all The notablest is that whiche is grounded vppon the Propheticall and Euangelicall authoritie and béeing cited out of the 6 Chap. of Deuteronomie is in the 12. of Marke set downe in these words Iesus said The first of all the commaundements is Hearken Israel the Lord our GOD is one lord And thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule with all thy minde and with all thy strength This is the first commandement and the second like this is thou shalt loue thy neighboure as thee selâe There is none other commaundement greater than these It followeth now in the Gospell And the Scribe said Well maister thou hast saide the trueth that there is one god that there is none other but he and that to loue him with all the hart with all the minde with all the soule and with all the strength and to loue a mans neighboure as him selfe is greater than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices With this testimonie also doe all the other notable ones agrée that are in the lawe For in the 20. of Exodus we reade that the Lord him selfe with his owne mouthe did in mount Sina say I am the Lord thy GOD which brought thee out of the land of Aegypt out of the house of bondage haue thou none other Gods but me Againe Moses in the end of his Song bringeth in GOD saying Se now how that I I am GOD and there is none other God but I. I kill and make aliue againe I wound and I heale neither is there any that can deliuer out of my hand With the testimonies in the lawe doe those of the Prophets also agrée For Dauid in the 18. Psalme saith The way of God is an vndefiled way the worde of the Lorde also is tryed in the fire He is the defender of all them that put their truste in him For who is God but the Lord or who hath any strength except our God There are of this sorte many other places in the volume of the Psalmes The Lord in Esaie and by Esaie cryeth and saieth I am the Lord Hu is my name and my glorie will I not giue vnto any other nor mine honoure to grauen images I am the first and the laste and beside me there is no god And who is like to me If any be let him call foorthe and openly shewe the thing that is past and lay before me what hath chaunced since I appointed the people of the worlde and let him tell what shall happen hereafter and come to passe I the Lorde do all-things I spred out the heauens alone and I onely haue layed foorthe the earth by mee selfe I make the tokens of witches of none effect and make the soothsayers fooles As for the wise I turne them backwarde and make their wisedome foolishnesse I set vpp the word of my seruant and doe fulfill the counsells of my messingers I am the Lorde and there is else none which created light and darcknesse and maketh peace and trouble yea euen I the Lord doe all these things To these testimonies of the Prophetes we will nowe add one or two out of Sainct Paule the great instructer and Apostle of the Gentiles He in his Epistle to Timothie saith There is one GOD and one mediatour of GOD and men the man Christe Iesus And againe he saith One Lord one faith one baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all and through all and in you all Againe the same Apostle to the Corinthians saith There is none other God but one And though there bee
immediately vppon Christe his death and ascension For after the same manner that I haue hetherto declared vnto you euen from the beginning of the world did all the holy Patriarchs Prophets and electe people of GOD beléeue and ground their faith Although I denie not but that the mysterie of the Trinitie was more cléerely expounded to the world by Christe yet is it euident by some vndoubted testimonies whiche I will adde anon that the mysterie of the Trinitie was very well knowen vnto the Patriarchs the Prophets but first by the way I will admonishe you that the holy Patriarchs and prophets of GOD did hold themselues content with the bare reuelation and woord of GOD not raysinge curious questions about the Vnitie and Trinitie of God. They did clearely vnderstand that there is one God the father of all the onely sauiour and authour of all goodnesse and that without or beside him there is none other God at all And they againe did euidently sée that the Sonne of GOD that promised séed hath all thinges common with the father for they did most plainely heare that hée is called the Sauiour and is the redéemer from whome all good thinges do procéede and are bestowed vppon the faithfull whereby nowe it was easte for them to gather that the father and the sonne are one God althoughe they differ in properties For in so much as they were assuredly certeine that the damnable doctrine of the pluralitie of Gods did spring from the diuel they did not worship many but one God whome notwithstanding they did beléeue to consist of a Trinitie of persons For Moses the vndoubted seruant of God in the very first verse of his first booke sayeth In the beginning Creauit dij God created heauen and earth Hee ioyneth héere a Verbe of the singular number to a Noune of the plurall number not to make incongruitie of speach but to note the mysterie of the Trinitie For the sense is as if hée should haue said That GOD which doeth consiste of thrée persons created heauen and earth For a litle after God consulting with him selfe about the making of man doeth say Let vs make man in our Image Loe héere he sayth Let vs make and not Let me make or I wil make And againe hee sayeth In our Image and not In my Image But least any man should thinke that this consultation was had with the Angels let him heare what God him selfe doeth say in Esaye I the Lord sayeth he make all thinges and stretch out the heauens alone of my selfe that is of mine owne power without any help or fellowe with mée and set the earth fast Therefore the Father consulted with the Sonne by whome also hee created the world And againe least any man should thincke as the Iewes obiecte that these things were after the order and custome of men spoken of God in the plurall number for honours sake and worshipp thou mayest heare what followeth in the end of the third Chapter Behold this man is become as one of vs in knowing good and euill Now heere by Enallage hee putteth these wordes Is become for Shall become or Shall happen so that his meaning is as if he should haue said Behold the same shall happen to Adam that shall come to one of vs that is to the Sonne to witt that hee should haue triall of good and euill that is that hee should féele sundrie fortunes namely sickenesse calamities and death and as the prouerb is should féele both swéete and sowre For that is the lot or condition of man But the Sonne being incarnate for vs not the Father nor the holy Ghost was found in shape as a man and had triall of sundrie fortunes of death whiche was foretold to Adam as it is manifest for consolations sake and not in the way of mockage For as the good Lord did with a garment strengthen the body of oure first parent against the vnseasonablenesse of the ayre when for his sinne he purposed to banishe him out of Paradise so did he comfort and chéere vpp his sorrowfull minde with a full example of the sonnes incarnation and suffering And when he had so armed him in body and soule he casteth him out of the Garden of felicitie into a carefull and miserable exile There are in euery place many examples of this matter like vnto this For Abraham sawe thrée but with them thrée he talked as with one and worshipped one And The Lord rayned vppon Sodom and Gomorrha brimstone fire from the Lord out of heauen and ouerthrew those cities But least any man should interprete it and say The Lord rayned from the Lord that is from heauen he himselfe doth presently ad From heauen For as the father created all thinges by the Sonne so doth he by him preserue al things and doth eueÌ still by him worke all things Nexte after Moses the notablest Prophete Dauid in his Psalmes doeth say By the word of the Lord were the heauens made and all the hostes of them by the breath of his mouth So heere thou hearest that there is one Lord in whome is the woord and the spirite both distinguished but not separated For the Lord made the heauens but by the Word the whole furniture of heauen doth stand by the Breath of the mouth of the lord The same Dauid sayeth The Lord sayd to my Lord sitt thou on my right hand vntill I make thine enimies thy footestoole Note that in an other place the same Dauid doth flatly saye that beside the Lord there is none other And yet héere againe he doeth as plainely saye The Lord said to my Lord meaning the father who had placed the sonne whiche was Dauids Lord at his right hand in heaueÌ Out of Esaie may be gathered very many testimonies But the notablest of all the rest is that whiche Matthewe the Apostle citeth in these words Behold my sonne whome I haue chosen my beloued in whome my soule is pleased I will put my spirite vpon him c. With this agréeth that whiche Luke citeth saying The spirite of the Lord vppon me because hee hath annoynted mee to preache the Gospell to the poore hath hee sent mee c. In these testimonies heere thou hast the father the sonne and the holy Ghost A fewe out of many For I do not couet to turne ouer the whole scriptures of the old testament So then this faith wherewith wée doe beléeue in God the father y sonne and the holy Ghoste we haue receiued of God himselfe being deliuered vnto vs by the Prophetes Patriarchs but most euidently of all declared by the sonne of God him selfe oure Lord Iesus Christe and his holy Apostles wherevppon nowe we doe easilie gather wherfore it is that all the sincere bishops or ministers of the Churches together with the whole Church of Christe haue euer since the Apostles time with so firme a coÌsent mainteyned and had this faith in honour It were
verily a detestable impietie to leaue this catholique and true rule of faith and to choose follow one newly inuented There are euen at this daye extante most godly and learned books of Ecclestasticall writers wherin they haue declared and defended this catholique faith by the holy scriptures against all wicked and blasphemous heretiques There are extant sundrie symboles of faith but all tending to one end set forth published in many synodall asseÌblies of bishops and fathers There is at this day eâtant learned and rehearsed of the vniuersal Church and all the members thereof both learned and vnlearned of euery sexe and age that Créed commonly called the Apostles Créed wherin we professe nothing else than that whiche wee haue hetherto declared namely that we beléeue in one God to wit the father the sonne and the holy Ghost And forbecause this consent of all the Sainctes concerning this true faith hath béene euer since the beginning of the world so sure and firme it was very well and godly prouided of auncient kinges and princes that no man should once dare be so bold either to cal into doubt or with curious questions and disputations to deface or make intricate this beléefe concerning the vnitie and Trinitie of the Almightie god Hée of old amonge the Israelites was stricken throughe and slaine which passed beyond the bounds that the Lord had limitted out And wee also haue certeine appointed boundes about the knowledge of god whiche to passe is hurtfull vnto vs yea it is punished with assured death God graunt that wee maye truely knowe and religiouslye worshippe the high excellent and mightie God euen so and such as he him selfe is For hetherto I haue as simplie sincerely and briefely as I could discoursed of the wayes meanes howe to know God which is in substaunce one and thrée in persons And yet wée acknowledge and doe fréely confesse that in all this treatise hetherto there is nothing spoken worthie of or comparable to his vnspeakeable maiestie For the eternall excellent and mightie God is greater than all maiestie and than all the eloquence of all men so farre am I from thincking that I by my woords doe in one iote come néere vnto his excellencie But I doe humblie beséech the most mercifull Lord that hée will vouchsafe of his inestimable goodnesse and liberalitie to enlighten in vs all the vnderstanding of oure mindes with sufficient knowledge of his name thoroughe Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour Amen ¶ That GOD is the creatour of all thinges and gouerneth all thinges by his prouidence where mention is also made of the good-will of God to vs ward and of Predestination ¶ The fourth Sermon DErely beloued it remayneth now for mée in this dayes Sermon for a coÌclusion to that whiche I haue he-ther-to spoken concerning God briefly to add somewhat of that creation or worke of God whereby hée being the maker of all thinges hath to mankindes commoditie wholsomely created all things both visible and inuisible doth now as alwayes most wisely gouerne order the same For by so doing wee shall obteine no small knowledge of God and many things shal be more openly layed forth vnto vs which we in our last treatise did but touch and away In the searching out considering setting forth of the creation of the whole and the partes thereof all the diligence of all wise men hath béene sett on woorke doeth labour and shal be troubled so longe as this world indureth For what is he though he were the wisest the cunningest and diligentest writer of the naturall historie that leaueth not many thinges vntouched for the posteritie to labour in and beate their braines about Or what is he at this day which although hee vse the ayde industrie of most learned writers is not compelled to wonder at more and greater thinges than either they euer did or hee euer shall atteine vnto you The most wise Lord will alwayes haue wittie men that are inriched with heauenly giftes to bee alwayes occupied and euermore exercised in the searching out and setting forth the secretes of nature and of the creation But we doe simplie by faith conceiue that y worldes were made of nothing and of no heape of matter of God thorough the woord of God and that it doeth consist by the power of the holie Ghoste or spirite of god For so did king Dauid and Paule the teacher of the Gentiles both beléeue and teache But although the order of y who le and the manner of the creation cannot bee knitt vpp or declared in fewe woordes yet will I doe my endeuour to vtter somewhat by which the summe of thinges maye partly appeare to the diligent considerer And héere I choose rather to vse an other manns woordes than mine owne especially because I suppose this matter cannot be more liuely expressed than Tertullian in his booke De Trinitate setteth it foorth as followeth GOD hath honge vp heauen in a loftie height he hath made the earth massiue with a lowe and pressed-downe weight hee hath powred out the seas with a leuse and thinne liquor and hath planted all these beeing decked and full with their proper and fit instruments For in the firmament of heauen hee hath stirred vpp the dawning risings of the Sunne hee hath filled the circle of the glittering Moone for the comforte of the night with monethly increasings of the world and hee lighteneth the beames of the starres with sundrie gleames of the twinckling lighte the night he meaneth and hee would that all these should by appointed courses goe about the compasse of the world to make to mankind dayes monethes yeares signes times and commodities In the earth also hee hath lifte vpp high hilles aloft depressed downe the valleyes belowe layed the fieldes out euenly profitablie ordeined flockes of beastes for sundrie seruices and vses of men Hee hath made the massiue oakes of the woodes for the behoofe of man hee hath brought foorth fruite to feed him withal he hath vnlocked the mouthes of springs and powred them into running riuers After all whiche necessarie commodities beecause hee would also procure somewhat for the delight of the eyes hee cladd them all with sundrie colours of goodly flowers to the pleasure delight of those that beheld them In the sea also althoughe for the greatnesse and profite thereof it were very wonderfull hee framed many sortes of liuinge creatures some of a meane and some of a monsterous bignesse which doe by the varietie of the woorkemanshipp giue speciall notes of the woorkemans witt And yet not beeing therewithall content least peraduenture the rage course of the waters should with the damage of the earthes inhabitauntes breake out and occupie an other element hee cloased vp the waters limitts within the shoares that thereby when the raginge waues and foaminge water did rise vpp from the depth and chanell it mighte turne into it selfe againe and not passe beyond the boundes
this saying so often cited and beaten vppon in the Lawe and the Prophets Thou shalt worship the Lord thy GOD and a strange God thou shalt not worship Now a straunge God is whatsoeuer without and beside the onely liuing true and euerlasting God thou choosest vnto thée selfe to bee worshipped the onely and alone true liuing and euerlasting GOD therefore is to bée worshipped In the historie of the Gospell wée read that the diuel tempted our Lord Christe and hauing ledd him vpp into an high mounteine shewed him from thence all the kingdomes of the world and the glorie of them and said All these will I giue thee if thou falling downe wilt worship mee and that the Lord made aunswere Auoyd Sathan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue And surely worshipping and seruing are lincked mutually the one with the other that they cannot bee seuered or put a sunder Wherevppon it followeth that séeing the Lord requireth onely and alone to bee serued hée will doubtlesse in like maner only and alone be worshipped And Helie the great prophete of God teaching that God can in no case abide to haue one ioyned vnto him in worship cryeth out vnto the people worshipping God and with him their God Baal How long sayth hée do you halt on both partes If the Lord be God follow him If Baal bee God goe after him As if he should haue said You cannot worship God and Baal at once No man can âerue two maisters For the Lord our God requireth not a péece but our whole heart our whole minde and soule Hée leaueth nothing therfore for vs to bestowe vppon any other In the Epistle to the Hebrues Paule sheweth that Christ is more excellent than Angels because the Angels adore or worship Christe but they againe are not worshipped If then the Angels are not worshipped whome shall wee graunt beside the liuing true and euerlasting God that deserueth to bée worshipped God therefore onely and alone is to be worshipped For in the Reuelation of Iesus Christ made vnto the blessed Apostle and Euangeliste Iohn thus we reade written And I sawe another Angel fleeing throughe the middest of heauen haueing the euerlasting Gospel to preache vnto them that dwell vppoÌ the earth to all nations kinreds and tongues people saying with a lowde voyce Feare God and giue him honour beecause the houre of his iudgement iâ come and worship him that hath made heauen and earth the sea and founteynes of waters And againe in the same booke we read And I fell downe before the feete of the Angel to worshipp him And he said vnto mee See thou doest it not I am thy fellow seruant and of thy brethren hauing the testimonie of Iesu worship God. Againe in the ende of the same booke thou dost read And after I had heard and seene I fel downe to worshippe before the feete of the Angel whiche shewed mee these thinges And hee said vnto mee See thou doest it not for I am thy fellowe seruaunt and of thy brethren the Prophets and of them that keepe the wordes of this booke With this thing the saying and doing of S. Peter doth not greatly disagrée at whose féete when Cornelius the Centurion fell downe and worshipped Peter said Arise I also mee selfe am a man and therewithall laying his hand on him which lay a long did lift him vpp and set him on his féete Right religiously therefore wrote Augustine touching True religion saying Let not religion be vnto vs the worshipping of mans handie woorke For better are the workemen themselues which make such whome notwithstanding we ought not to worship Let not religion be to vs the worshipping of mortall men beecause if they haue liued godlily they are not to be estéemed as those that would séeke such honours but their will it is that hee should bee worshipped of vs who inlightening them they reioyce that wee are made fellow partakers of his merite They are to be honoured therefore for imitation or following sake not to bee worshipped for religions sake And if they haue liued ill they are not to bée worshipped wheresoeuer they bee The same Augustine in his first booke De consensu Euangelistarum of the consent of the Euangelistes and eightéenth chap. reasoning why the Romanes neuer receiued both the God the worship of the God of the Hebrues considering that they receiued y gods almost of all the Gentiles to bee worshipped And hee aunswereth That that came to passe by none other occasion than because the God of the Hebrues would onely and alone be worshipped without a mate or partener If any require his words they are these There resteth nothing for them to say why they haue not receiued the holy rites and worshipp of this God saue onely because hee would be worshipped alone and hath forbidden them to worshipp the Gods of the Gentiles whome neuerthelesse these people did worship For the sentence or opinion of Socrates who as by Oracle it was ratified was the wisest of all men is that euery God ought in such sort to be worshipped as he himselfe hath giuen coÌmandement he would be worshipped Therfore were the Romans of very necessitie forced not to worship the God of the Hebrues Because if they would worship him after another fashion than he himselfe said hee would bee worshipped they should not then worshipp him but that whiche they themselues had deuised made And if they would in that maner worship him as hee himselfe prescribed than they sawe that they were debarred from worshipping other Gods whom hée forbad to be worshipped And vppon this they refused the worshipp of the onely true God to the intent they might not offend many counterfecte false Gods thincking that the anger of them would rather be more to their disprofite than the goodwill of him to their benefite Thus saith Augustine And althoughe these thinges are written concerning the worship and seruice of God and that we dispute of adoring Gods Maiestie yet notwithstanding they are not impertinent or beside our purpose For the worshipping and seruing of GOD are inseparably lincked and knitt together Of this seruing of God we will speake more hereafter But by the woordes cited before wée doe gather that onely and alone the true liuing and euerlasting God is to bée worshipped according to that commonly-knowne sentence of the lawe Thou shalt worship the Lord thy GOD him shalt thou feare and him onely shalt thou serue To him shalt thou cleaue and in his name shalt thou sweare Furthermore God from the beginning hath promised and perfourmed yea and will performe whiles this world standeth great rewards to his true woorshippers Contrarywise wée beléeue that great mischiefes or punishments are prepared for those which either doe not at all worshippe God or else in stéed of the true GOD doe worshippe straunge Gods. The Lord in his Reuelation
of the prayers of Angels and that they offer the prayers of the faythfull in Gods presence therefore not Christ alone prayeth or maketh intercession for vs in heauen but also the Saintes We denie that this followeth bycause the scripture teacheth that Angels are ministring spirites and according to their office offer prayers only as ministers in the presence of God but not to make intercession or that men are heard for Angels sakes but for Christes sake who maketh intercession and for whose sake the prayer whiche is brought and offered vnto God is acceptable vnto him Nowe if so be they will bring foorth the like also touching the blessed soules of the Saintes and reason Asimili from that that is like let them first teache that soules are appointed and made ministring spirits But they can not and if they coulde yet had they not proued that the heauenly Saintes are intercessours For not the Angels themselues doutlesse are therefore intercessours bycause they offer the prayers of men vnto god They agrée say they and are knit vnto vs in the same knot of charitie and loue and forbycause the spirites of the blessed whiche liue in heauen do loue vs here in earth therfore according to the nature and disposition of this loue they also praye for vs We answere that they gather this without warrant of scripture For that we maye without wrangling graunt them this that the Saintes in heauen are not without the loue of their neighbour yet notwithstanding we adde that this loue in the heauenly Saintes hathe not nowe that nature or disposition and those offices which in times past it had in earth Otherwise we should attribute many moe absurdities to the Saints as though they eyther did or suffred those things which they neither do nor yet suffer Whilest they liued in earth according to the disposition and nature of loue they were sorie and they were glad and they prayed with vs yea they also made intercession for vs but nowe that they haue put off this corruptioÌ and haue lefte vs leading their liues in heauen with the Lord they neither knowe our affaires neither are moued with any earthly affectioÌs They vnderstaÌd that it is passing well with vs without their helpe They vnderstande likewise that the worke of our saluation is already wrought and accomplished so that they may acquiet them selues and rest from their laboures and reioyce in Christe who is doubtlesse the onely intercessoure with the father of all men liuing in their miserie bycause he knoweth all and can do al neither is he moued at neither wearied or tyred with or yet is ignorant of any thing but taketh vppon him most absolutely and dispatcheth all things whatsoeuer are incident or belong to an intercessour They vnderstande that this glory agréeth vnto the onely sonne of God and therefore they goe not busily about it that they in Christes steade might appoint or make theÌ selues intercessours For here the loue that they beare to God surpasseth the loue of their neighbour But these meÌ obiect that the saints pray not in heauen after the rite and fashion of that only intercessour but after the same maner that they prayed for their fellow-brethreÌ in earth Euen nowe we sayde that it did not follow This they did in earth therfore they doe the same in heauen Neither can it be proued by manifest scriptures that the Saints in heauen pray for vs Why then doe they set foorth vnto vs doubtfull opinions for certeine For that we may graunt them that the Saintes pray in heaueÌ which thing not a fewe of the fathers haue written it doth not therfore followe that the Saints are to be called vpon For that sentence of S. Augustine is very well knowne which is reade written in his booke De Ciuitate Dei. 22. chap. 10. The Gentiles did both build temples made altars ordeyned priestes and offered sacrifices vnto their Gods. But we do not erect teÌples to our martyrs as vnto Gods but remeÌbraunces as vnto dead men whose spirits liue with god Neither do we there set vp altars vpon whiche we might sacrifice vnto martyrs but we sacrifice to one God who is the sacrifice both of the martyrs also our sacrifice according to whiche sacrifice as men of god that haue ouercome the worlde in the confession of him they are named in their place and order Howbeit they are not called vpon of the priest that sacrificeth Bycause hee is Gods priest not theirs Now the sacrifice it self is the body of Christ which is not offered vnto them bicause they also them selues are the same Thus saith he Testifying plainly enough that the Saintes are not called vpon or to be called vpon bicause sacrifice belongeth vnto God and not to the Saints Wherefore when the aduersaries adde That the Churche many yeares called vpon the Saintes that the churche erred not and therefore they that call vpon the Saints do not erre We answere that the churche doth not erre when she heareth the voyce of her bridegrome and shepehearde but that she doth erre when neglecting the voice of her shepheard she followeth her owne decrées The whole churche of Israel erred together with their high Priest Aaron the elders of the people when transgressing the lawe of God they worshipped god represented by an image with singings and dauncings otherwise than he him selfe had appointed Neither are the Israelites absolued from errour and sinne for that many yeares they put not downe their high places They add againe The saints haue helped when they haue bene called vpon therefore they are to be called vpon Oftentimes that falleth out well whiche is instituted against the worde of god But who can thervpon gather that that is good whiche is instituted against the worde of God as though the innocent and harmlesse were therefore to be spoyled with warre bicause we sée that by warre mercilesse souldiers waxe rich The Gods of the Gentiles likewise séemed to heare the petitions of their supplyants but are the Gods of the Gentiles therefore to be called vpon But we meane not to answere to euerie one of their arguments bicause we haue done that already elsewhere according to our talent We conclude therefore that the word of truth vttered out of the mouth of God doth teache vs inuocation of Gods name by the mediation of Iesus Christe neither doe we reade that any holie man either in the olde or the new testament of whome the scripture vndoubtedly hath made mention called vpon any though neuer so excellent a Patriarch or Prophete departed this life or vpon any Apostle or Apostles disciple otherwise than by the name of Iesus Christ Let vs therefore hold fast that that doctrine is most perfect and most safe which biddeth vs all to cal vpon God alone by his only sonne that God him selfe requireth this of euery one of vs and that when we obey we please God. The last place touching the seruing of God doth remaine behinde This
arise Which sauours sweete by vertues force compelles It doth ascend and pearce the azure skies The sent of Baulme and Safron it excelles Yea Franckincense and Persian spices smelles From earth to heauen it mounteth vp aloft And pleaseth God therewith delighted oft And so foorth as followeth to this purpose These things I thinke sufficient concerning the inward seruice of God wherein I confesse in the mean while to be somwhat which may be referred also to the outwarde seruice of God. The outwarde seruice of GOD springeth from the inwarde neyther is it knowne to God alone as this other but is open to the iudgement of man and it is a kéeping or executing of the rites instituted of God himself whereby we doe both testifie vnto men the inward seruice and practise them to the glory of God and our profite Of this kynde were among the ancient people the temple the priesthoode and all the ceremonies instituted of God which are very often called the seruice of god And this seruice had his appointed limits For it was not lawfull for euery one to feigne a seruice of God after their owne pleasure as is shewed at large in the lawe and in the holy historie Nowe that outwarde seruice serued to the glory of God and the profite of the faithfull Which thing I haue declared when I was in hand with the Iewish ceremonies Furthermore as Christe abrogated those olde rites so in their stead he placed againe a very fewe For he instituted an holy assembly wherein his will is that his worde should be preached and expounded out of the holy scripture to his owne glory and to oure profite common prayer to be made and the sacraments to be ministred and receiued To which things a conuenient place is necessarie fit time due order and holy instruments Where again the godly do in nothing followe their owne wils For from the worde of that God whom they serue they fetch the whole manner and order of seruing him Whereof somewhat is spoken in the fourth commaundement of the first table and shall be spoken more at large in due place and order To be short they serue god with outward seruice who by faith and obedience gather themselues into the holy assemblie at limitted times who kéepe the Ecclesiasticall discipline deriued out of the worde of God who heare the word of God or the holy exposition of the sacred scriptures who praye publiquely with the Churche who religiously participate the sacraments and obserue other lawful and wholesome rites or ceremonies By this their seruice they glorifie God among men and receiue of God no small rewarde namely his blessing and increase of heauenlye giftes There is no néede I thinke in this place of testimonies of the Scriptures to confirme these thinges that we haue hetherto spoken touching the outwarde seruice of god For euery where in the historie of the Gospell in the Actes and Epistles of the Apostles very many are to be found For the Lord Iesus doth euery where gather together holie assemblies to whome he preacheth the Gospell and commendeth prayer Of Marie sitting at his féete and hearing his preaching he sayth This one thing is necessarie Marie hath chosen the good parte whiche shall not be taken from her And in an other place Blessed are they saith he which heare the word of GOD and keepe it Surely the Lorde him selfe instituted and put in vse the sacraments For to Iohn not consenting to baptise him at his asking and saying I haue neede to be baptised of thee and commest thou to me he answered Let it be so nowe For so it becommeth vs to fulfill all righteousnesse Wherevppon the Apostle Paule likewise diligently commending Ecclesiasticall discipline to the Churches ordeyned most decently holy assemblies The places are very well knowne vnto all 1. Cor. 11. 14. 16. Likewise 1. Tim. 2. and elsewhere But before I conclude this place I will shewe that onely God is to be serued And surely the seruice it selfe whereof we haue hetherto intreated can not be bestowed vppon any creature neyther Angels nor celestiall Saintes to GOD alone it agréeth Wherefore there is none so blinde but may sée that God alone must be serued with these And when God requireth of vs his seruice or dutie he requireth our whole hearte nothing therefore is left vs to bestowe vppon other Moses full of the spirit of God sayth in his lawe Ye shall walke after the Lorde your God and feare him his commaundements shall ye keepe and ye shall hearken vnto his voyce and ye shall serue him and cleaue vnto him Neither makes it any matter that here the word Alone is not added séeing that the words are vttered with an Emphasis or force For when he saythe Him shall ye serue and to him ye shal cleaue what other thing do we vnderstand than to him and not to any other therfore to him alone Furthermore in the sixt chapter of Deuteronomie thou doest not read Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and him alone shalt thou serue and thou shalt sweare by his name But Thou shalte feare the Lorde thy God and him Emphatically shalte thou serue and thou shalt sweare by his name Furthermore the Lord in the Gospell bringing these wordes of the lawe against the tempter and making the emphaphasis playne It is written saith he Thou shalt worship the Lorde thy God and him onely shalt thou serue Which testimonie doubtlesse béeing most effectuall and pithie is only sufficient for oure demonstration that God alone is to be serued I will moreouer adde herevnto the testimonie of a man howbeit established by diuine authoritie which we also elsewhere set downe in our bookes S. Augustine De quantitate animae doth shewe that GOD alone is to be serued in this sort Whatsoeuer the soule doth serue as God needefull it is that she think the same better than her selfe But wee must beleeue that neyther the earth nor the sea nor the starres nor the moone nor the sunne nor any thing at all that may be felt or seene with these eyes to be short not heauen it selfe whiche can not be seene of vs is better than the nature of the soule yea rather that all these are farre worsse than is any soule assured reason doth conuince And anon If therefore there be any otherthing of those that god hath created something is worsse something is as good worsse as the soule of a beast equall as the Angels but nothing is better And if happily something of these be better this coÌmeth to passe by sinne and not by nature By which sinne notwithstanding it becommeth not so yl that the soule of a beast is eyther to be preferred before it or to be compared with it God therefore alone is to be worshipped of it who alone is the author of it And as for any other man though hee bee most wise and most perfect or any soule indued with reason and most blessed they are only
the father is in mee Againe wee read in the Gospell of Iohn The Iewes therefore sought to kill Iesus ⪠not onely because hee had broken the Sabboth day ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but said also that GOD was his father euen his proper or verie owne making himselfe ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã equall to God. Furthermore the Grecians expound ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is to saye Equall by this woorde ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is to say Like Neither can that equalitie any where else haue place than in the substance For the Iewes vnderstand that wherof the Arians will bée ignoraunt that the Lord after a certeine peculiar and speciall manner called GOD his father to witt ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã his proper or verie owne father by nature or by byrth of whome the sonne beeing naturally begotten is naturall and consubstantiall with his father For it followeth Making himselfe equall to or with God namely in vertue or power in euerlastingnesse and Essence For the same Lord sayeth in the same Euangelist I proceeded and came from God. Hée did not say onely I came but I proceeded He procéeded from the father such a one in substaunce as the father is surely Light of light Verie God of verie god For he sayeth againe to the Iewes Verily I saye vnto you before Abraham was I am He doth not say I haue beene or I wil bee but I am alluding to the name of the Lord Iehouah and declaring that the substaunce of his Godhead is the verie same with the substaunce of the father and that he is therefore consubstantiall with the father For yet againe he sayeth more plainely I and the father are one One I say not in concord or agréement but in selfe-same-nesse and Béeing For in that place the power and Maiestie of God are handled And when the Iewes would without further staye stone the Lord to death hauing spoken these words they declared plainly enough after what sorte they vnderstoode his words For they stoned blasphemers to death who with reuileings either empaired Gods glorie or else vsurped and tooke the same vnto themselues Hetherto belongeth that whiche Paule speaketh concerning the sonne of God saying Who is the image of the inuisible God the first borne of all creatures because all thinges were created by him For if hee be the image of the inuisible God he must néeds be fellowe or coequall with god For in another place Paule calleth the same Christ The ingrauen fourme of god and his expresse image and aunswearable in all respects most truely to his paterne or first figure An image verily and likenesse is of things that are not vnequall or vnlike but of things equall and like And he is called The first borne beecause hee is Prince and Lord not that hee is reckoned amonge creatures For all things that were made by him they were made therefore hee is no creature but true God to witt of the nature and substaunce of God one with the father The same Apostle sayeth to the Philippians that the sonne is in the forme or shape of god But to be in the forme or shape of God is nothing else than in all respectes to be fellowe or equall with God to be consubstaÌtiall with him and so in déede GOD himselfe For what it is to be in the fourme or shape of God is by the coÌtrarie clause verie manifestly declared For it followeth Hee tooke vppon him the fourme of a seruaunt Whiche is againe expounded by that which followeth Beeing made in the likenesse of men that is to say béeing made very man vnlike in nothing to all other men sinne excepted whiche in another place is plainely expressed And here he addeth againe And fouÌd in figure as a man. Therefore to bée in the fourme of God is to be coequal and consubstantiall with god For he addeth He thought it no robberie to be equall with God. For robberie is the taking away of that which another doth owe for it is possessed by iniurie The sonne therefore is coequal with the father and true God by Nature and after the most proper manner And this is the meaning of S. Paule his woords Albeit the sonne were of the same glorie and maiestie with the father and could haue remayned in his glorie without humiliatioÌ or debafement yet had hee rather abase himselfe that is to say take vnto him the nature of a man and cast himselfe into daungers yea euen into death it selfe For otherwise according to his godhead he suffered no chaunge For God is vnchaungeable and without variablenesse Since the case so standeth godly is the saying of S. Ambrose in his booke De fide against the Arians and fift chap Séeing therefore thou doest knowe this vnitie of substance in the father and the sonne not onely by the authoritie of the prophetes but also of the Gospell howe sayst thou that Homoousius consubstantiall is not founde in the sacred scriptures as though Homoousius were somewhat else than that he sayeth I went out from God the father And I and the father are one c. The scholer S. Augustine following his maister Ambrose in his controuersie had with Pascentius coÌfirmeth Homoousius by places of scripture and declareth that this is holily vsed in our fayth and religion The same doth he also in his thirde booke against Maximinus bishop of the Arians and 14 chapter But what néedeth heaping vp of more wordes For I trust it is plainely enough declared by euident places of holie Scripture that the sonne is consubstantial with the father and that so it must be beléeued We hope also that in the treatise following this selfe same point shall not a little be made manifest by testimonies of Scriptures Arius with his complices denyed that the sonne of God our Lorde Iesus Christe is true god But the most true Scripture doth so euidently proue and confirme it that none which loueth the truth from his heart can doubt any thing at all thereof We wil presently cite some testimonies and arguments that are moste plaine and apparaunt whereby thorough the assistance of the holy ghost our faith may be established and the Catholique and sound trueth it selfe made manifest In the third chapter of Matthew the heauens are opened to our Lorde as he was baptised by Iohn Baptist and the holie Ghoste came downe in the likenesse of a Doue and allighted vpon the heade of our Lord Iesus Christe and foorthwith was a voyce hearde out of the cloudes pronounced by the glorious God in this sorte This is my beloued sonne in whome my soule is well pleased And Iohn sayth in his Gospell I sawe the spirite descending from heauen in the likenesse of a Doue and it abode vpon him and I knewe him not but hee that sent mee to baptise with water hee sayde vnto me Vppon whome thou shalt see the spirite descending and abiding vpon him this is hee which doth baptise with the holy Ghoste And I sawe and
reteyneth the properties of both natures vnconfounded or vnmingled Paule vnto the Romanes manifestly sayeth that He was called to be an Apostle to preache the Gospell of GOD whiche hee had promised afore by his Prophets in the holy scriptures concerning his sonne whiche was made of the seede of Dauid according to the fleshe and declared mightilie to be the sonne of god touching the spirite of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead The Apostle therfore acknowledgeth both natures in Christe For according to the flesh sayth he Christ is the sonne of Dauid but if wee behold the power of his myracles his resurrection from the dead whiche giueth life and that Christ sendeth the holy Ghost sanctifyeth all the faithfull it appeareth that he whiche is the sonne of Dauid after the flesh is also the sonne of God according to his diuine power The same Apostle in the second chapiter to the Philippians doeth no lesse plainely and euideÌtly affirme both natures in Christ But because that place hath béene alreadie oftentimes alledged I passe ouer to the citing of other Sainct Augustine expounding not onely the confession of his owne faith but of the whole church in all the world which flourished in his time in his epistle to Dardanus 57. hath thus left written Doubt not that the man Christe Iesus is there nowe from whence hee shall come and haue in readie remembraunce and faithfully hould the christian confession because he roase from the dead ascended into heauen sitteth at the right hand of the father neither shall come from elsewhere than from thence to iudge the quicke and the dead and in such sort shall he come that voice of the Angel so witnessinge as hée was séene to goe into heauen that is to saye in the selfe same shape and substance of fleshe to whiche in déede hee gaue immortalitie but toke not the nature away According to this shape hee is not to be thought euerie where present For we must beware least we so fortifie y diuinitie of man that we take cleane away the trueth of his bodie For it doeth not consequently followe that that which is in GOD should so be euery where as god For the scripture whiche cannot lye sayth euen of vs that in him we liue moue and haue oure béeing howbeit we are not euery where as he is but he is after another sort man in God béecause he is also otherwise God in man after a certeine proper and singular manner For one person is God and man and both of them is one Iesus Christ euerie where in that he is God but in heauen in that he is man. And the same authour sayeth a little after Take away space of places from bodies they shal be no where and beecause they shall be no where they shal be no bodies Take the verie bodies from the qualities of the bodies and there shal be no place for them to be and therefore it must néeds be that they haue no beeing And in the end of the epistle the same Augustine sayeth Doubt not that Christ oure Lord the onely begotten sonne of God coequall with the father beeing also the sonne of man whom the father excéedeth in greatnesse both to be present euerie where as hée is God and also to be in the same temple of GOD as God dwelling there And yet to be in some certaine place of heauen according to the manner of his true body The selfe same thing the same authour as yet expouÌdeth more at large in his 50. treatise vppon Iohn And Contra Faelicianum Arianum Cap. 9. 10. 11. Also in his treatise De agone Christi Cap. 24. vnto Cap. 27. To which wée will also ioyne the testimonie of the holy martyre Vigilius bishopp of Trident. For he disputing against Eutyches in the defence of both natures in Christ sayeth If the nature of the woord and flesh be one how is it that since the word is euery where y flesh also is not found euerie where For when the flesh was in earth surely it was not in heauen and because it is now in heaueÌ surely it is not in earth and so farre is it from beeing in the earth that according to flesh wee doe looke for Christ to come from heauen whome according to the word wee beléeue to be with vs on earth Therfore acording to your opinion either the word is conteyned with his fleshe in place or else the flesh with the word is in euery place Whereas one nature receiueth not into it selfe anye thing contrarie and vnlike But it is contrarie farre vnlike to bee limitted within a place and to bee euerie where and béecause the word is in euerie place but his fleshe not in euerie place it is euident that one and the selfe same Christ is of both natures and that he is euerie where according to the nature of his Godhead and is conteined in place according to the nature of his manhood that he is both created and also without beginning that he is subiect to death and also can not die one of whiche is agréeable to him by the nature of the word whereby he is God the other by the nature of the flesh wherby the selfesame God is man Therefore one and the selfe same sonne of God being also made the sonne of man hath a beginning by the nature of the flesh and hath no beginning by the nature of his diuinitie by the nature of his fleshe hee is created and by the nature of his diuinitie hee is not created by the nature of his flesh he is limitted in place and by the nature of his diuinitie he is not conteyned in place by the nature of his flesh he is inferiour also to Angels and according to his diuinitie he is equall to the father by the nature of his fleshe hée died but by the nature of his diuinitie he died not This is the catholique faith and Christian confession which the apostles deliuered the martyrs confirmed and the faithfull euen vnto this day doe obserue and kéepe Hetherto we haue rehearsed the words of Vigilius martyre and bishopp to this end that the most notable agréement of the holy scripture of the vniuersall church and of the most Godly and learned fathers in this principle might be vnderstood wherin we confesse that the properties of both natures in Christe remaine vnconfounded Againe wée must by all meanes take héede least thorough defending and reteyning the properties of the two natures we diuide and pull asunder the vnitie of the person as though there were two Christes whereof the one should be subiect to suffering and mortall the other not subiect to suffering and immortall For there is but one and the same Christ who according to his Godhead is acknowledged immortall and mortall according to his manhoode Nestorius denied that the blessed virgin Marie was the mother of god For he said God was vnchaungeable and therefore that hee could not be borne and that
he had no mother Wherevppon sprange a suspicion that he should say the Lord was bare man and that hee should mainteine the hereticall opinion of Paulus Samosatenus and Photinus Whiche thing Socrates handleth at large Historiarum Lib. 7. Cap. 32. But Nestorius was iniurious to the Scripture and to true faith For Elizabeth the wife of Zacharie and the mother of S. Iohn Baptist béeing full of the holy Ghost in expresse woordes saluteth the holy virgin Marie and calleth her the mother of the Lord that is the mother of god And albeit his heauenly nature be without generation and corruption yet notwithstaÌding it is most certeine that hee whome Marie brought forth was God in verie déede For that whiche is borne of her sayeth the Angel is the sonne of God therefore shee brought forth God and shee worthily is called the mother of god For if she bare not God she brought forth bare man neither hath the sonne of GOD coupled man vnseparablie to himselfe In like manner since God of his owne nature is immortall truely he cannot die but if any man for that cause should absolutely denie that God was crucified and offered yea and died for vs hee should gainesaye Paule saying Had they knowen it they would not haue crâcified the Lord of glorie But who is ignorant that the God of glorie or glorious god cannot be crucified In the meane while since he which according to the fleshe suffered and was nailed on the crosse was God not bare man onely wee rightly say that God suffered and was nailed on the crosse for vs though he which suffered suffered according to that onely which could suffer For Peter the Apostle sayeth Christ hath suffered for vs in the flesh The first Toletane counsell following him decréed in these wordes If any shall say or beleeue that the God head may be borne let him be accursed If any shal say or beleue that the deitie of Christ may be turned chaunged or iubiecte to suffering let him be accursed If any shal say or beleeue that the nature of the Godhead and the manhoode is one in Christe let him bee accursed And Damasus bishop of Rome sayeth If any shall saye that in suffering on the crosse the sonne of God God suffered paine and not the flesh with the soule whiche hee put on in the fourme of a seruaunt whiche he toke on him as the Scripture sayeth let him be accursed Therefore whereas Paule sayeth that God hath purchased to himselfe a Churche with his owne bloud who is so madd to beléeue that the diuine nature hath or euer had bloud In the meane while who is such a dorrhead that he vnderstandeth not that the fleshe whiche God toke hath bloud and since that God accounteth not that as an others but his owne which he tooke vnto him selfe wee most truly say that GOD with his owne bloud redéemed the world Wherevppon Theodoretus also bishopp of Cyrus Dialog Eran. 3. a little before the end sayeth If Christ be both GOD and man as both the holy Scripture teacheth and as the most blessed fathers haue always preched then as man hee suffered but as God he was not subiect to suffering But when wee say the bodie or fleshe or humanitie suffered wee do not separate the diuine nature For as it was vnited to his humane nature whiche was hungrie and thirstie and wearie yea and slept also yea and was vexed with sorrowe and heauinesse for the passion which hee should suffer abyding in deede none of those but suffering that to abide the affections passions of nature euen so was it ioyned vnto him when he was crucified permitted that his passion should bee throughlie ended that by his passion he might suffer death not feling griefe truely by his passion but making his passion agreeable conuenient for himselfe as the passion of his temple or dwelling place of his flesh ioyned vnto him by the whiche also they that beleeue are called the members of Christ he himselfe is called the head of those that beleeue Thus farre hée This figure of speache is called of some ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã alteration or chaunging of Iohn Damascenus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã mutual giuing or an interchaunging of properties That is wont to be called a communicating of properties to witt when that propertie is giuen to one nature which is proper to another As for example No maÌ hath ascended vp into heauen sayth the Lord but he that came downe from heaueÌ euen the sonne of man whiche is in heauen Truelie his humane nature was not then in heauen when the Lord spake this but in earth yet notwithstanding beecause flesh is taken into the fellowshipp of his Godhead that whiche is proper to this is attributed to his manhood And bishop Fulgentius making mention of this interpretation in his second booke to kinge Thrasimundus hath thus left written He said this not that the humane substance of Christ is present in euery place but because one the selfe same sonne of God and sonne of man very God of the father as hee is very man of man though according to his true humanitie hee was then locallie in earth yet according to his diuinitie whiche by no meanes can be conteined in place hée did wholie fill heauen and earth Thus sayeth hée Wherefore the sentences bearing witnesse of Christ in the writinges of the Euangelistes Apostles are diligeÌtly to be marked For some are peculiarly referred to his diuine nature as are these I and the father are one Before Abraham was I'am In the beginning was the word the word was with GOD and God was that woord Hee is before all thinges the image of the inuisible God by whom all thinges are made And some are particularly referred to his humane nature or to the mysterie of his embassage or ministration of whiche sort are these The father is greater than I. Thou madest him a little inferiour to the Angels My soule is heauie euen to the death Againe there are testimonies whiche haue respecte to both natures but to neither of them seuerally do they sufficiently agree Such are these My flesh is meate in deede and my bloud is drincke in deede I haue power to forgiue sinnes to raise to life whome I will and to giue righteousnes and holinesse I am the sheepeheard the doore the light the waye the trueth the life No man coÌmeth to the father but by mee For these doe sett forth and commend vnto vs the verie substaunce of Christe the person I meane of oure true sauiour and mediatour God and man For no man forgiueth sinnes but God onely Againe they are not forgiuen without death and sheading of bloud as the Apostle witnesseth in the ninth Chapiter to the Hebrues Againe there are testimonies whiche cannot aptly bee declared but by communicating of woords Touching whiche I hope this is sufficient Againe he doth not diuide the person of our mediatour God
and man whosoeuer for the vnities sake of natures doth not so farr extend his humanitie as his diuinitie is extended For in the Gospel after S. Matthewe the Lord goeth not with his bodie into the house of the Centurion whereas yet notwithstanding there is no doubt that his Godhead being present not absent the seruaunt of the Centurion was cured of his disease And who will say that therfore the person is diuided by S. Matthewe for that he hath not extended the humanitie of Christe euen vnto his diuinitie The Angels speaking to the women concerning the bodie of Christ risen from the dead and now glorified say He is not heere he is risen But we are not ignorant that his diuinitie is in euery place And yet the Angels diuided not his inseparable person in that they did not make equal in al respects the humane body of Christ with his Godhead The Angels them selues doe not diuide the person of Christ when his body being taken vp from the mount Oliuet into heauen they standing on the earth testifie that he shall come againe after the same maÌner as they sawe him depart from them But who dare denie that the Lord was then also present with them Therefore our Lord after the manner of his verie body is in heauen not in earth but according to his infinite godhead he is euery where in heauen and in earth Man consisteth of soule and body and these most contrarie in natures betwene them selues make one person not two And who so euer attributeth and defendeth that which is proper to eyther of them doth not diuide the person The body sléepeth the soule sléepeth not these properties of partes make not two persons Herevnto séemeth to belong that whiche Theodoret hath left written in his 3. Dialogue saying We do not diuide the natural vnitie of the soule and the body neyther separate we the soules from their owne proper bodies but consider those thinges which properly belong to their natures Therefore when the scripture sayth And deuout men carried Stephan to his buriall made greate lamentation ouer him wilt thou say that his soule was buried with his body I thincke not And when thou shalt heare Iacob the Patriarch saying Burie ye me with my fathers thou doest vnderstand that to be spoken of his body not of his soule Againe thou doest reade There they buried Abraham and Sara his wife c. In whiche speach the scripture doth not make mention of the body but in al points signifieth the soule and body together But wee rightly diuide and say that the soules are immortall and that the bodies onely of the patriarches are buried in the double caue Euen so we also are wont to say In this or that place this or that maÌ was buried We do not say This mans bodie or that mans bodie but this man or that man For whosoeuer is wel in his wits knoweth we speake of the bodie So wheras the Euangelistes so oftentimes make mention of Christes bodie buried at the lengthe they sett downe the name of the person and say that Iesus was buried layd in the graue c. Thus farre Theodoret. And since it is without controuersie that this faith and doctrine from Christes time euen vnto our age hath flourished in the holy Church of God and against innumerable assaultes of sathan and heretiques hath remained most stedfast and the selfe same is deliuered and confirmed by testimonies of scripture and consents of holy couÌsels I exhorte you dearely beloued that calling on the name of Christe you may perseuere continue in the same doctrine and béeing ãâ¦ã by true faith and obedience to Christe verie God and man you may giue continuall thanks worshipping him that reigneth for euer ¶ Of Christe King and Prieste of his onely and euerlasting kingdome and Priesthoode and of the name of a Christian The seuenth Sermon I HAUE declared vnto you déerely beloued y Christ Iesus our Lorde is verye God and man whiche will bring more plentiful profite if we vnderstand what the fruite of that thing is Whiche is chiefely knowen by the offices of Christe our Lorde He is King and Prieste of the people of God therefore he hath a kingdome and a priesthoode Which things if we shall somwhat more diligentlie consider they shall declare vnto vs the excéedinge greate benefite of the diuinitie and humanitie of Christe Christe Iesus is a king therefore hee is Lorde of all ruler and gouernour of all things which are in heauen and in Earth and specially of the catholique Church it selfe whiche is the communion of Sainctes and for so muche as hee is King and Lorde truely by his royall or Kingly office he is the deliuerer or preseruer the reuenger and defendour and finallie the lawgiuer of his electe For he crusshed the Serpentes head that stronge and moste cruell enimie of Gods people whome when hee had conquered he bound and spoyled He deliuered the elect out of the power of darcknesse and sett them into the libertie of the sonnes of God that we might bee his peculiar people sanctified through the bloude of our kinge a purchased people to serue him in righteousnesse and holinesse Hee is humble louing and gentle which the historie of the Gospell also out of Zacharie rehearseth of him Matth. 21. Hee watcheth for vs he defendeth and gardeth vs hee enricheth vs with all manner of good thinges and furnisheth vs against our enimyes with spirituall armour and giueth vs aboundantly power to resist and to ouercome Hee hath purged the Temple of God casting out the Chanaanites he hath cancelled vnrighteous lawes he hath deliuered vs from them and now hee ruleth and gouernethe vs with the scepter of his mouthe exceeding good and most iust lawes being proclamed For he is God and man therefore hee is the onely Monarche the King of kinges and the Lorde of Lordes for he hath all the kings and rulers in the worlde subiect vnto him some verily of their owne accorde through faithe being obedient and other though striuing and rebelling againste him made subiect by his power And therefore saith the Prophet Dauid Be wise O ye kings be learned ye that are Iudges of the earth serue the Lorde with feare and reioyce vnto him with reuerence kisse the sonne least he be angry and so yee perishe from the right way For in an other place the same Prophet saith The Lord said to my Lord sitt thou on my right hand vntil I make thine enimies thy fotestole The Lord wil send foorth the rodd of his power out of Sion be thou ruler euen in the middes among thine enimies Esay also bringing in the Lord speaking saith I wil lift vp my hands vnto the Gentiles and set vp my standarde to the people and they shall bringe thee their sonnes vppon their shoulders for kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queenes shal be thy noursing mothers Whiche thing ecclesiasticall
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 râle 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 abrâade 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 âee 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 ãâã 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 theÌce ââ y Sunne of righteousnesse hee shineth to all which liue in his Churche or in his kingdome yea and he âhââsâth the harts of the faithfull to him selfe wherein he may dwell Furthermore that we may vnderstande ouâ King though not corpârally 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 meÌbers 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 coÌe 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 kingdoÌe 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 recâiueth 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 iudgemeÌt 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 kingdoÌe 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
Heauen Daniel also in his Prophecie describeth the rysing and fallinge of all kingdomes of Antichrist also but attributeth no end to the kingdome of the Saincts or holie people but witnesseth that it shall be euerlasting The same doeth the Prophet Zacharie also in his 12. chapter For the Sainctes reigne on the Earthe by Christe and béeing translated from the Earth into Heauen they shall reigne together with theire kinge Christe for euer And the Scripture is woont oftentimes to speake of one of these kingdomes onely Of bothe these kingdomes wee vnderstande many places of Scripture first of all that which is spoken by our sautour WheÌ ye pray say O our father which art in heauen hallowed be thy name thy kingdome come For we pray y he would reign in vs while we liue on earth that we also may reigne ouer the world and the Prince of the worlde and that we be not ruled by Sathan neither that sinne reigne in vs but rather that we here béeing gouerned by him self may in time to come reigne with Christ in Heauen Contrariwise what manner of kingdome the kingdome of the world is it appeareth by considering the head or the king and prince therof which is the diuel the Authour of sinne of vncleannesse and of death He reigneth in the worlde the Prince doubtlesse of the kingdome of darcknesse Not that God and his Christe is not king of all things but because vnfaithful apostataes thrugh their owne proper malice reuolting from God to the diuell doe appoint him for their prince to whome euen of their owne accorde they submitt and yéelde them selues to be gouerned liueing in all vngodlynesse wickednesse and vncleannesse framing them selues like to their head the diuell with whome they shall be punished euerlastingly in the worlde to come as in this worlde they haue suffered them selues to be gouerned of him doeing his will. This prince of this worlde else where also called The GOD of this worlde hath Christe the true Kinge and Monarche of the worlde ouercome and hath destroyed his kingdome not that hee should not be as long as this worlde indureth but that he should not hurt the elect Sathan doeth liue and shall liue for euer how be it in miserie which life in very âeâe is death but he hath no power against them y be redéemed by Christ the prince He hath and shal haue a kingdome euen vnto th' end of the world but in the children of vnbelief this kingdoÌe also in this world is in decaying as it were momeÌtany for a short time For the world passeth away all worldly things perish but all the elect of God are very strauÌgers froÌ this kingdoÌe yea they are as it were sworn enimies of this kingdome Neither can the prince of darcknes by his power pul away the partakers of the kingdome of Christ into his kingdome of iniquitie Truly he goeth about this diligently and with diuerse tentations vexeth the elect but those ouercoÌe through him which in time past vanquished the false King prince of théeues and taught vs that despising this filthy prince the world and the lustes of the world giuing our mindes to innocencie we shuld yéeld our selues to the good spirit to be gouerned These things haue I thus far declared as briefly as I culd touching the king Christ his onely and euerlasting kingdome And now Christ our Lord is a Prieste yea that chiefest only and euerlasting priest whom the high priestes of the olde people did prefigure shadowe out For Dauid in his song altogether diuine saith The Lord sware will not repent him thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedek Which words the blessed Apostle alledging and expounding in his Epistle to the Hebrues hath left these words written The forerunner saith he is for vs entred into heauen after the order of Melchizedek made a Prieste foreuer For this Melchizedek Kinge of SaleÌ priest of the most high god who met Abraham coÌming froÌ the slaughter or kings blessed him to whome also Abraham gaue the tenthes of all things who first indeed is caled by interpretation the king of righteousnes theÌ also king of Salem whiche is king of peace of an vnknowen father of an vnknowen mother of vnknoweÌ kin neither hauing beginning of dayes nor end of life but likened to the soÌne of God remaineth a prieste for euer Surely our Lord Iesus Christ is both a righteous and peaceable king and the righteousnesse and peace of the faithfull and he is that euerlasting Prieste who according to his humanitie is beléeued to be borne of the virgin without séede of man therefore of an vnknowen father and according to his diuinitie begotten of the father therefore of an vnknowen mother and vnspeakably begotten from euerlasting and therefore of vnknowen kin hauing neither beginning nor end of life For albeit according to his humanity he was dead and buried yet according to his diuinitie he remaineth God immortall euerlasting The selfe same which is a king is also acknowledged a priest not according to the order of AaroÌ but according to the order of Melchizedek For as the scripture remeÌbreth this one a priest so one Christ remaineth priest for euer hauing an euerlasting priesthood But high priestes in time past were caled annointed they did not thrust theÌ selues into such an office by force or deceipt Wherevpon the Apostle said No man taketh the honor to him self but he that is called of god as was Aaron so also Christ took not glorie to himself to be made high Priest but is made coÌfirmed of him who said vnto him thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee As he saith also in another place Thou art a priest foreuer after the order of Melchizedech But thou doest no where read that that our Priest was annointed with visible oile for hée was annointed with inuisible oile namely with the fulnesse of the holie Ghost as the prophet witnesseth Thy god hath annointed thee with the oile of gladnes aboue thy fellowes And againe The spirite of the Lord vppon me for the Lord hath annointed me sent me to preach good tidings vnto the poore Furthermore wheÌ we read that the office of Priests in times past was to serue in the tabernacle to teach the people to make intercession betwene God men to pray for the people and to blesse them to sacrifice also and to coÌsecrate or sanctifie that now it is manifest that Iesus Christ is the lawful priest it is certeine y he is tied to the self same offices but indede to so much more excelleÌt thaÌ these by how much he hath obteined a more excellent priesthood Those priestes after the order of Aaron serued in the corruptible figuratiue tabernacle but our Lord béeing takeÌ vp into the true tabernacle heauen it selfe ministreth to all the saincts of god For
Augustine in his Encheridion ad Laurent cap. 59. saith Who can declare with what manner bodies they haue appeared vnto men that they might not only be séen but be touched and againe conuey not with sounde substance of flesh but by spiritual power certeine visions not to the bodily eyes but to the eyes of the spirite or mynd or telsomthing not in the eare outwardly but inwardly in the mind of man euen they them selues being therein as it is written in the booke of the prophetes And the angel said vnto me which spake in me For he saith not which spake vnto me but in me Or that appeare euen in ones fléepe talke together after the manner of dreames For we haue in the gospel Behold the angel of the Lord appeared vnto him in his sleepe saying c. For by these meanes angels doe as it were declare that they haue not bodies which can be handled and they make a very hard question howe the fathers did wash their féete howe Iacob by taking so fast hold wrestled with the angel When these things come in question and euery one giueth his coÌiecture as he is able their heades are not vnfruitfully occupyed if a moderate disputation be taken in hand and the errour of them which thinke they know that which in déede they know not be remoued for what néedes it that these such like things be affirmed or denied or defined with daunger since we may be ignorant of them without blame Thus farre he In these and suche like causes let vs acknowledge his omnipotencie and woÌderful dispensatioÌ who doth what he wil to whom truly it is not hard to create substaunces fit agréeable for his purpose and appointment since of nothing he made al visible and inuisible creatures Moreouer we affirme that angels through the grace and power of God are incorruptible substaÌces yea and vnchangeable in their felicitie without burthen and hinderances For S. August also Ad Pet. Diac. de fide cap. 23. saith That vnchangeablenesse was not by nature graffed in Angels but freely giuen by the grace of God. The same August De vera religione Cap. 13. saith We must confesse that angels by nature are chaungeable if God only be vnchangeable but in that wil wherwith they loue God rather than them selues they remaine stedfast and stable in him and inioy his maiestie being subiect moste willingly to him alone With these words agrée those whiche are read in Definit Ecclesiast cap. 61. in this wise The Angelicall powers which continued stedfast in the loue of God when the proud angels fell receiued this in waye of recompeÌce that henceforth they shuld neuer feel the fretting bit of the tooth of sinne to seize vpon them that they shuld coÌtinually enioy the sight of their creator without end of felicitie And in him so created shoulde continue in euerlasting stedfastnesse Thus farre he Truly the scripture she wing the incorruptiblenesse of Angels affirmeth that we in the resurrection shal be like the angels For we shall rise incorruptible Therefore Angels are incorruptible For thus saith our sauiour The children of this worlde marrie wiues and are married but they that shall bee counted worthy to enioy that world the resurrection from the deade doe not marrie wiues neyther are married neither can they die any more for they are equall with the Angels and are the sonnes of God in so much as they are the childreÌ of the resurrectioÌ Whervpon Theodorctus In diuinis decretis hath thus inferred We doe not therfore reckon the angels in the nuÌber of Gods as the Poets and Philosophers of the Grecians doe neyther doe we diuide natures y are without bodies ⪠into the male female âinde For to a nature immortall or that can not diâ diuision of kinde is superfluous For they haue no néede of incresing since they féel no diminishing c. But that the Angels are most frée and swift and without impediment burthen and let the scripture in many places declareth In the Acts of the Apostles thus we reade The priests put the apostles in the common prisoÌ but the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison dores brought them foorth and sayde Go and stand and speake in the temple vnto the people all the words of this life But when the officers came and founde them not in the prison they returned and tolde saying The prison truely found we shut with al diligence and the keepers standing without before the doores In the same booke thus againe we reade written Herode put Peter in prison and Peter sleapt betweene two souldiers bounde with two chaines and the keepers before the doore kept the prison And behold the angel of the Lord was there present or stoode by him and a lighte shined in the prison and hee smote Peter on the side and stirred him vp saying arise vp quickly his chains fel off froÌ his hands And anon when they were past the first and seconde watch they came vnto the yron gate that leadeth vnto the citie which opened vnto theÌ by the owne accord Behold no impediments or lets how strong and mighty soeuer they were hindered or stayed y angel of y Lord that he might not execute most spéedily the commissioÌ which he had from god All things giue place and make way to the Lords embassadour The yron chaines fel from Peters hands of their owne accorde He walketh safe throughe the ãâ¦ã souldiers the Angel going before him The locke of the prisândârâ no man opening it is vnlocked and wheÌ the seruaunts of God were gone out it is shut againe These angels that is to say these heaueÌly embassadours being of their own nature most swift and spéedy spirites are nowe conuersaunt in heauen the power of God so willing and working but so soone as it shall please the Lorde of all by and by they are present with meÌ in earth vnto whom they are sent of God from heauen And they are presente in earth sometime with one and sometime with an other Not that they are not conteyned in their proper place For when the angel tolde the women of Christes resurrection he was not at the same instant in heauen and by the graue or sepulchre at once For God onely is not conteyned in place For he is present in euerie place But angels goe not forwarde faire and softely neyther are they moued with labour or toyling after the maner of corruptible bodyes Yet in the Scriptures they are expressely sayde to ascend into heauen and from thence to descend vnto vs We verily rightly beléeue that oure soules as soone as they departe out of the bodyes doe foorthwith enter into the kingdome of heauen For the Lorde hath sayde in the Gospell But hath escaped from death vnto life And to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise And thou doest reade of Lazarus the begger And it came to passe that the begger dyed and
out y manifold offices and diuerse operations of Angels whiche we being desirous to comprehend in few woordes haue said that Angels are created of God for the ministerie of God himselfe and men For Dauid said Which maketh his Angels spirites and his ministers a flame of fire And againe in another place O praise the Lord all ye angels of his ye that excell in strength ye that fulfill his commaundement hearken vnto the voice of his words O praise ye the Lord all his hoasts ye seruants of his that doe his pleasure And of Angels Paule also sayth Are not all ministring spirits which are sent out into the ministerie for their sakes which shal be heires of saluation But God vseth the ministerie of Angels vppon no necessitie but of his owne goodwill For hee might bee without them since by his word he bringeth to passe what he will. For hee spake and they were made hee commaunded they were created not one of al the angels iâyntly working with him so at this day also hee is able without the help of Angels to bring to passe what he will. But beecause of his speciall goodnesse hee created them to the partaking of euerlasting life and saluation hee vseth their ministerie to vs ward as he also doeth the seruice of other creatures to whom they declare their faith obedience to God ward and God exerciseth his vnspeakeable goodwill both toward them whom by grace he hath made partakers of euer lasting ioy and also toward vs whom he hath vouchsafed to honour with the seruice of so excellent a company For amonge other innumerable and the greatest benefites of God whereat not without cause we are astonished this is not to be accounted the least that he hath giuen vs angels to be our seruants Truely this is an excéeding great token of his fatherly care and regard to vs ward first of all because he frameth himselfe so swéetely to our capacities and dispositions In time past the Lord himselfe spake with his owne mouth in mount Sina with the church or coÌgregation of the Israelites but when he vnderstood that they had rather he should speake by their interpretour Moses he toke their wishe offer and afterward he spake by Moses vsing his ministerie toward them Truly God is able to poure most perfecte faith into our minds by his holy spirite without any ioynt-working of men but because he knew it was profitable for vs that it should so bée he instituted the ministerie of his word and planteth the faith of the Apostles by the preaching of the Gospell And that ordinaunce once made he doth so precisely obserue that when he might haue done the same by angels yet by the Angels themselues hee sendeth them that are to bee instructed in the faith to the Apostles For it is manifest what the angels of the Lord in the Actes of the Apostles did with Cornelius whome he sendeth vnto the preaching of Peter Therefore when God séeth the ministerie of angels conuenient for vs then of good wil vppon no necessitie he vseth their ministerie toward meÌ And doubtlesse angels loue men excéedingly and that which they do they doe of their owne accord not of constraint nor vnwillingly For they caÌnot but excéedingly loue them whome they sée to be so déere to their creatour that for their sakes hée spared not his onely begotten sonne but for them deliuered him vpp into most bitter death That I make no mention héere of the most readie obedience whiche they performe to their God who willeth and commaundeth them to serue him and men The Lord in the Gospell witnesseth That the Angels in heauen reioyce at the conuersion and turning of men that bee sinners In Zacharie the angel of the Lord is brought in very sorowfull for the myserie of the captiues in Babylon and carefull for their deliuerance from captiuitie All whiche thinges commend vnto vs the loue and affection of Angels towards mankinde For otherwise those blessed spirites are not moued with affections carefulnesse or sorrowe as wee are in the flesh But they be glad and reioyce as blessed spirites can reioyce in whome there is no humane affection Whiche affections neuerthelesse are not onely attributed to them but to GOD himselfe tropically or by a figure as they say ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is after the affection of maÌ to the end oure mindes maye the better vnderstand and more easilie conceiue spiritual and heauenly thinges as it were by parables howbeit let vs thincke that parables do not always conteine all thinges therefore our minds must be lifted vp to higher thinges and spirituall thinges must spiritually bee iudged The ministerie of Angels extendeth very farre whiche I will declare by rehearsing certeine kinds of them as briefly and as plainely as I can First they doe seruice vnto God himselfe in all thinges which I thincke is sufficiently declared in that whiche went afore The same God they all magnifie together with euerlasting praises worshipping glorifying reioycing in him For Theodoret reciting certein testimonies of scriptures concerning this matter sayeth The ministerie or seruice of angels is the praising of god singing of hymnes or songes For the holy prophete Esaie saith of the Seraphim that they cried and said Holie holie holie is the lord god of Sabbaoth heaueÌ earth are full of his glorie And of the Cherubim the heauenly prophete Ezechiel sayeth that he heard them saying Blessed be the glorie of the Lord out of his place The whole hoast of heauen also singeth a birthe songe to Christe their Prince when hee was borne as is to be séene in S. Luke saying Glorie be to God on high in earth peace and amonge men good-will So they goe before with an example for men to followe teaching what they also should doe that is offer praise and thanke sgiuing to God on high whom the Angels also reuerence and worship with vs. Moreouer the angels loue the truth and are desirous to haue the same spred abroad and the glorie of God by all meanes furthered and therefore they laye blockes in the waye of false prophets hating them with their accursed doctrine and Antichriste For S. Peter testifyeth that the Angels desire to behold the Gospell of the sonne of god In the reuelation of Iesus Christe made to Iohn the Apostle the Angel of the Lord bindeth Sathan and the angels furthering the Gospel of Christ set themselues euery where against false Christians and false teachers For euen in y end of the world The sonne of man shall sende forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdome all thinges that offend and them whiche do iniquitie and shall caste them into a fornace of fire They themselues stand in the presence of the Allmightie God wayting his commaundement who so soone as he shall commaund them to goe forth and to execute his comaundements by and by they make spéede They come
therefore vnto men to declare the will and commaundementes of god So the Angel Gabriel came first to Zacharie the father of Iohn Baptiste afterward he came to the blessed virgin to shewe vnto her the incarnation of the sonne of god Innumerable examples of this kinde are euery where found in the holie scriptures They watch for our safetie beeing carefull for vs yet without molestation whereof I tould you before They aduertise the faithfull in time conuenient foreshewing dangers to come and they also do comfort the afflicted For the wisemen being warned by the Angel that they should not returne vnto Hierusalem to Herode auoyde great perill Ioseph also béeing commaunded by the Angel slieth into Aegypt deliuering the Christe or annointed of the Lord out of the bloudie handes of Herode Christe also at the mount of Oliuet beeing in a bloudie sweate is comforted by the angel And Hagar the handmaide of Sara béeing in extreme daunger is recreated by the consolation of an angel As also the Apostle S. Paule béeing very néere shippwracke heareth this voice of the Angel of the Lord Feare not Paule thou must be brought before CÄsar and loe God hath giuen thee all them that saile with thee Againe angels are sent for reuengement of mischiefous persons to take punishment I meane of those that be wicked and impenitent For the firââ borne of the Aâgyptians ãâ¦ã of the Angel. In the Acts of the Apostles the Angel of the Lord siniteth Herode Agrippa It is said that in the camp of the Aââyrians many were sinitten slaine of one Angel And Dauid sawe an Angel with a sword drawen houering betwéen heauen and earth afflicting the people with a most gréeuous plague So we beléeue that the holy Angels shall come with the sonne of man vnto iudgment as Paule witnesseth and sayth Our Lord Iesus Christe shal be reuealed from heauen with the Angels of his power in flaming fire rendering vengeance vnto them that know not God and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ For in the Reuelation of Iesus Christe also the Angels powre out vialls full of the wrath of God vppon the heads of false Christians Moreouer they take vppon them the charge and defence of vs God so commaunding they are oure kéepers readie at hand watching ouer vs that no aduersitie happen vnto vs and doe guide our ways For hetherto belong the testimonies of the Psalmes and very many examples of the scripture Dauid sayth This poore or afflicted man cryed and the Lord heard him and saued him out of all his troubles The Angel of the Lord pitcheth his tents rounde about them that feare him deliuereth them And in another Psalme hee sayeth There shall no euill come vnto thee neither shall any plague come neere thy tabernacle or dwelling For he shal giue his Angels charge ouer thee to kepe thee in all thy wayes They shal beare thee in their hands that thou hurt not thy foote against a stone Thou shalt goe or walke vppon the Lion and Addâr or aspe the young non and the dragon shalâ thou ãâã vnder thy âeete And the Lord in the Gospell plainely sayeth that little children haue angels without doubt to be their kéepers Iacob âhe ãâã greatly fearing his brother Esau ⪠ãâã Angels comming to meete him vnderstandeth that Angels were giuen vnto him as guides and kéepers of him in his way against the ââercenesse of his brothe In the affaires of Heliseus wee read that the king of Syria beséeged the citie Dothan with a great hoast wherein HelisÄus at that time ledd his life whom he had purposed to take when the seruaunt of Helisaeus perceiued that and was troubled in minde and lamented his maisters case Helisaeus said Feare not for they that bee with vs are moe than they that be with them the Prophete also prayed and said Lord I beseech thee open his eyes that he may see the lord opened the eyes of the seruaunt and he looked and behold the mounteine was ful of horses and fierie chariots that is to say he was armed and defended with the guard of an hoast of Angels Abraham also sayth to his seruant The Lord God of heauen which said vnto mee Vnto thy seede will I giue this land he shall send his Angel before thee namely to directe thy way to defend thée and bring to passe that thou mayest obteine thy desire For the Lord himselfe said to Moses in Exodus Behold I will send my Angel before thee to keepe thee in the waye to lead thee to the place that I haue prepared In the Actes of the Apostles thou doest often read that Angels serued the Apostles furthered their purpose and defended them against their aduersaries In Daniel Angâls are brought in for princes and presidents or gouernours of kingdomâ as Michael with Gabriel princes of thâ Israelitishe kingdomââ and ãâã other of the Persian ãâ¦ã of y Grâcian kingdâââ and eache of them debate the mattâr touching his owne kingdome and fight for the same Not that there is any variaunce or disagréement in heauân where doubtlesse there is plentifull peace euerlasting concorde and quietnesse neither that there are conflictes or battells fought betwéene the Angels as betwéene those Gods whom the Poet Homere describeth but by a parable and allusion heauen is compared to the Court of some puissaunt and renowmed prince where Embassadours of sundrie countries debate their diuerse causes which is done in consideration of our weake witt and slender capacitie For thus we ought to coÌceiue in our minde that God who is the only Lord of all kingdomes heareth all mens suites and taketh in hand all mens matters and that Angels at the word and wil of God minister and doe seruice vnto God when it pleaseth him to vse their ministerie and seruice For so Nabuchodonosor also sawe in a vision a watchman coÌming downe from heauen and foretelling the destinie of the trée that was to be hewen downe Neuerthelesse we must héere take héede least contrarie to the nature of true religion wee attribute too much to Angels that we worship them not that we cal not vppon them nor serue them In déed when men he are that Angels are giuen vnto them of God for ministers and that God by them doeth good vnto vs by and by they thincke that some honour is to bee ascriââed ãâã giuen vnto them But ââncere religion doth teach vs to acknowlâdââ ⪠GOD the authour of all ãâã thingââ ⪠that the Angels are âhe ministerâ ãâã God and as it were instruments by whome he worketh as wée sée the sonne the mone the starres the Patriarches the Prophets and the Apostles to be and to haue béene But who beeing well in his witts hath worshipped called vppon or serued the Sunne or the starrs though they bée creatures very excellent and beneficial vnto men And what partaker I pray
manner one it is For first wee confesse that there hath béene and is a Church of God and that it shall continue for euer Then professing what it is wée add this The communion of Sainctes That is to say Wée beléeue the Church to bee nothing else but the companie of all those Sainctes that are haue béene and shal be as wel in this present age as in the age to come who enioye all good thinges in common granted vnto them by god Also wee declare what manner one it is in calling it holy I say the spouse of Christ cleansed and blessed For S. Paule calleth them holy whiche are cleansed with the spirit and bloud of oure God of whiche a great part haue receiued crownes of glorie the residue labour heere vppon earth hoping to receiue them in heauen And truely in consideration of the Church the chiefest matter is that thoroughe the Grace of God wee be made the members of Christes body and partakers of all heauenly gifts with the Angels For wée confesse none to be more holy than our owne selues Or else it may be taken more largly and then it doeth comprehende not onely them that are the very faithfull and holy in déede but also them who althoughe they beléeue not truely or vnfeignedly neither be cleane or holy in the conuersation of their life yet do they acknowledge and professe true religion with the true beléeuers and the holy men of God yea they speake well and allowe of vertues and reproue euill neither doe seauer themselues from the vnitie of this Militant Church In whiche consideration not so much as the wicked and hypocrits such as wée read to haue béene in the Church in the time of Christe and the Apostles as Iudas Ananias and Saphira Simon Magus also Demas HymenÄus Alexander and many other are excluded and put from the church which Church maye well be called the outward and visible Church But this Church whereof wee speake is to bée accompted off either by reason of some part thereof or else of the whole For it is to be considered generally particularly And the particular Church is that whiche is comprised in a certeine number is knowen by some sure and certeine place For it is named of the place being called after the names of cities as the Churches of Zuericke and Bernes c. The Gréekes called those particular Churches ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã whiche wee commonly call Parishes And we call that a parish which hath dwelling houses and streates ioyned together in neighbourhoode But in cities and townes vnto certeine portions are vsually ascribed both Churches and parish priestes to serue them and the whole circuite is called a parishe In the Dutche tongue Ein Barchi oder pfarkirch oder ein kirchhory And in the old time the parish priest was a prouider For hee prouided and gaue necessaries to straungers and chiefly salt and wood Some called him the maker of the feast other cal him a preparer of Virgins Therefore because the pastours of Churches were preparers of Virgins for the redéemer and head of the Church whiche is Christe bringing vnto him a chast and vndefiled virgin to be short because they themselues prouided things most necessarie for the people of God and also prepared heauenly meates and banquets the pastours of the Lords flocke are very well called parish priestes or the curates of soules The Lord speaking in the Gospel of the particular Church said If hee that offendeth the Church will not regard when hee is warned complaine vnto the Church But it is not possible that the vniuersall Church through the whole world should assemble come together that the rebellious and obstinate should be brought before it wherfore iudgment is referred to be giuen on that stubborne by the particular Churches To conclude the vniuersal Church consisteth of al the particular Churches through out the whole world and of all the visible partes and members thereof This is the same which we drue forth euen nowe when wée spake more at large thereof But the catholique Church of God doeth abide with vs as wée began to tell a litle before coÌtinually from age to age from the beginning and is at this time dispersed thorough out the whole world both visiblye and inuisiblye and the Lords people and God his house shall continue vppon earth vnto the worlds end For there was neuer yet any world neither shal be any age wherein God hath not or will not sanctifie some vnto himselfe wherin he will dwell and that they shall be his flocke and holy house For the testimonies of auncient Prophets doe record that the Church is perpetual For thus wee finde it written in the 132. Psalme The Lord hath chosen Sion hee hath chosen her for an habitation for him selfe This is my resting place for euer and euer heere will I dwell because I haue chosen her And againe I haue sworne vnto Dauid in my holinesse his seede shall remaine for euer and his seate shall continue before mee as the Sunne But who knoweth not that all this is to be vnderstode of Christ the sonne of Dauid and of his seate and spirituall Sion which is the Church He also signifying the continuaunce of the Church sayeth in the Gospell I will remaine with you continually vnto the ende of the world And againe I will aske of my father and hee shall giue you an other coÌforter the spirite of truth that he may abide with you for euer To this belongeth also that saying in the Gospel And the gates of hell shal not preuaile against the Church Whiche saying truely is a great comfort to the faithfull in so many and so great persecutions intended to the vtter destruction and ouerthrowe of the Church As Christ had alwayes his Church héere vppon earth hath now and for euer shall haue So likewise the diuel as longe as the world shall continue shall neuer want his people in whom hee maye reigne This Church of the diuel toke her first beginning of Cain and shall continue to the last wicked person comprehending also all those euill peoples that haue beene in the meane time and shal be betwixte the beginning and the ending But they liuing héere on earth haue societie and common with them that are tormented in hell For as all that bee Godly béeing vnder one head Christ do make one body so all the wicked vnder one head sathan are one incorporate body This maye right worthily be called that wicked Church Sodome and Gomor Babylon the coÌgregation of Chora Dathan Abyron a synagogue a schole and a stewes of the diuell the kingdome of antichriste or any other of like sort In this Church are reckoned vpp all such as are wicked and and infidels separating themselues from the societie of oure holy mother the Church or forsaking the communion thereof and specially such as are mockers of God and his holy woord blasphemers
all his faithfull which shoulde abide with them for euer sayeth In that day ye shall knowe that I am in my father and you in me and I in you to witt by the holie Ghoste Iohn the Apostle expounding it and saying By this we knowe that he dwelleth in vs by the spirite that he gaue vnto vs. And againe By this we knowe that wee dwell in him and he in vs because he hath giuen of his spirite vnto vs. S. Paule the vessell of election differeth not from Saincte Iohn writing and saying to the Romanes If any man hath not the spirite of Christe the same is none of his And whosoeuer are led by the spirit of God they are the children of God. Now as touching true faith which tyeth vs vnto the Lord S. Paule saith I liue now yet not I but Christe liueth in me But the life whiche I now liue in the flesh I liue yet thorough the faith of the sonne of God who loued me and gaue vp him selfe for me And againe he saith Christe dwelleth in our hartes thorough faith With which sayings Sainct Iohn the Apostle agréeing againe saith Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus Christe is the sonne of God God dwelleth in him and hee in God. For the Lord him selfe before that said in the Gospell He that eateth my fleshe and drincketh my bloud dwelleth in mee and I in him And he eateth Christes flesh and drinketh Christes bloud that beléeueth Therefore Christe our Lorde is ioyned vnto vs in spirite and wée are tyed to him in minde and faithe as the body vnto the head they therefore that lack this knotte and bonde that is that haue not the spirite of Christe nor true faith in Christe are not the true and liuely members of Christe the Lord him selfe in the gospell witnessing and saying If a man abide not in me he is cast foorth as a branch and withereth and men gather them and cast them into the fier and they burne Which words of our sauiour the Apostle imitating as we said euen now said He that hath not the spirite of Christ is none of his But they that are not destitute of the spirite of Christe are inflamed with the loue of god Neither do we separate loue from faith the same S. Iohn so teaching vs saying God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and GOD in him For the Lord saith in the gospell If a man loue me he will kepe my word and my father will loue him and we wil come vnto him wil dwel with him But although properly faith ioine vs to our head Christ yet the same also doth knit vs to all Christes members vpon earth For whereas there is but one faith of them al and therefore the same spirit there can not but be the same mouth the same minde the same sentence amongest them all although faith be not nowe taken only for a confidence in the mercy of God through Iesus Christe but also for an outwarde confession of fayth For we all confessing one faith and one and the selfe same head with one spirite and mouth we also together professe that we all are members of one and the selfe same body Neither is there any thing else in the worlde that more vnappeaseably disseuereth the mindes of men than the diuersitie of faith or religion and therfore there is nothing that maye more nearely ioyne vs together than vnitie of faith We come nowe to speake of loue whiche I sayde ioyneth together the members of the ecclesiasticall body mutually amongst them selues The Lord saith in the gospel A new commandement giue I vnto you that ye loue one an other as I haue loued you that ye also loue one an other By this shall all men knowe that ye are my disciples if ye haue loue one to an other It is therfore out of doubt that the onely marke of the church next after faith is loue a bond most firmely knitting together all the members This groweth from the communion of Christ and vnitie of the spirit For insomuch as Christ the king the head and highe Byshop of the catholique churche enduing vs all with one and the same spirite hath made vs all his members the sonns of God brethren and fellow heires whom vndoubtedly he loueth tenderly euery faithfull man can not choose but with feruent loue embrace the members and fellowe heires of their king their head and their high Byshop For Iohn the Apostle saith Euerie one that loueth him that begatte doth loue him also that is borne of him If any man say I loue God and hateth his brother he is a lyar For howe can he that loueth not his brother whome he hath seene loue God whome he hath not seene Paule to the end that he might moste properly expresse before oure eyes and as it were set to viewe and beholde this vnitie and agréement of the members vseth a parable taken from the members of a mans body and saith For as we haue many meÌbers in one body and all members haue not one office so we being many are one body in Christ and euery one one an others members The same in the twelfth chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians more largely and plainely expounding ioyning together of the heade and the members and that chiefly by the sayd parable of the members of a mans body and publishing it very eloquently witnesseth that betwéene the highest members of the churche and the lowest members of the same there is a very greate and apt consent and moreouer a diligent care and a helpe both continuall and most faythfull Of all whiche it appeareth that the markes of the true liuely church of Christ are the coÌmunion of the spirit of Christ sincere fayth christian charitie without the which thinges no man is partaker of this spirituall body By these thinges also it shall be easie to iudge whether thou art in the fellowship of the churche or thou art not Moreouer we gather out of those things which we haue hitherto disputed touching the markes of Christes churche from whence is her original also how the church is planted spred abroade preserued Her originall is heauenly for S. Paule speaking of the churche saith Ierusalem which is aboue is free which is the mother of vs all Therefore he calleth the church heauenly not that it dwelleth altogether in heaueÌ but that she being here on earth hath a heauenly beginning For the children of God are not borne of flesh bloud but from heauen by the renuing of the holy spirit who through the preaching of Gods word planteth faith in our hearts by which faith we are made the true members of Christ his church For Peter saith Ye are borne a newe not of mortal seed but of immortall by the worde of God whiche liueth and lasteth for euer And Paul saith I begat you in Christ
with the lords supper exhorteth with martyrdome coÌtrarie to this institutioÌ receiueth no man This is the institution Thus far Tertullian in his booke which he intituled Of the prescription of heretiques The last thing that is to be noted is this that the lord God not only of old vnto this time but in these daies also giueth doctors and pastors to the church doctors I say and not leaders and captaines of hostes and armies of men not princes not souldiers not craftie men vsing deceitful meanes which in these days they call practises For by no other meanes or maner nor by no other instrument than by the doctrine of truth and founde simple godlinesse is that holy catholique church of God built vp fenced preserued wherof at the beginning simple men Christes Apostles by the preaching of the gospel laid the foundation Paule therefore remoueth all worldly wisedome and saith I was among you Corinths in weaknesse and in feare in much trembling neither stoode my worde my preaching in the enticing speach of mans wisedome but in plain euidence of the spirit of power that your faith should not be in the wisedome of men but in the power of god The same apostle also banisheth al craftie counsel with al sorts of deceite wheÌ writing to the Thessalonians he saith Our exhortation was not by deceit nor by vncleanesse nor by guile But as we were allowed of God that the gospel should be coÌmitted vnto vs euenso we spake not as thei that please men but god which trieth our harts Neither yet did we euer vse flattering words as ye knowe nor coloured couetousnesse God is recorde neyther sought we praise of men c. Wherfore he is greatly deceiued madde the thinketh the church can either be gathered togither or being gathered can be mainteined preserued with practises that is to say with crafty counsels subtile deceits of men It is truly said of the common people That the same is ouerthrowne againe by mans wisedome which was first built by mans wisdome Besides this the Lord him selfe doth remoue force armes froÌ the building of the church since he forbids his disciples the vse of sworde vnto Peter ready prest to fight saith Put vp thy sword into the scabberd Neido we euer reade that any were sent of the Lord as souldiers which with armed force shuld bring the world in subiectioÌ But rather the scripture witnesseth the great enimie of God Antichrist shal be destroied with the breth of Gods mouth Wherefore there is no doubt that all those thinges which are reade in diuers places of the prophets and chiefly in the 12. of Zacharie coÌcerning wars to be made against all nations by the apostles apostolical men ought to be figuratiuely expounded For the Apostles according to their manner fight as apostles not with speare sword bowe of carnal warfare but of spiritual The apostolical sword is the word of god Yet in the meane time no man denieth but that the wepons of carnal or corporal warfare haue béen profitable somtime to apostolicall men and to the church do good eueÌ at this day No maÌ denieth the God doth ofttimes vse the helpe of souldiers magistrates in defeÌding the church against the wicked tyrants Yea rather al men wil confesse that a good and godly magistrate oweth a dutie toward the church of god For not without great cause the worthy prophete of God Isaie calleth kings noursing fathers Queenes noursing mothers Paul being oppressed of the Iewes in the temple of Ierusalem for preaching of the gospel amongst the gentiles by the army of Claudius Lysias the Romane tribune is taken away and rescued And not long after there was sent with the Apostle by the same Tribune no small companie of souldiers to wit a troupe of horsmen certeine companies of footmeÌ by whom he was brought safely to Antipatris Caesarea before Foelix the Proconsul of Iudea Whiche thing is not rashly with so great diligence at large remembred by Luke in the Actes of the Apostles The Ecclesiastical history reciteth many examples of holy princes whiche haue defeÌded succoured the church But these things in another place in som measure I haue intreated of in the. 7. and 8. sermons as I remeÌber of the second decade And thus farre of the originall of the churche of God and of the increase and preseruation of the same haue we spoken In this place it séemeth vnto me not vnfitly may the famous question be hand led or briefly expounded whether the church of god may erre which that it may more plainely be vnderstoode I will briefly discusse the parts of this question I haue taught that the catholique church of God doth comprehend firste the blessed spirites in heauen then all faithfull Christians here on earth vnto whom I say did cleane the wicked or hypocrits feyning faith for a season Now therfore if we vnderstand by the church the blessed spirits in heauen the church can neuer erre But if we vnderstand the wicked or hypocrits ioyned mingled with the good the wicked alone by them selues they do nothing else but erre but as they are ioyned vnto the good faithful do follow theÌ they eyther erre or they erre not For the church of the good faithfull herevpon earth doth erre doth not erre Which thing we will declare when we haue weyed the diuersities of errors and gathered the number of them together wholy in a bundle Errours some be of doctrine and faith some be of life and maners And what maner of ones either of them be I think there is no man but knoweth Let vs sée then whether the church of the faithful vpon earth doe erre or no and if it erre in what point or howe farre it erreth As concerning the manners and life of the church it can not wholy and clearely acquite it selfe of errours that is to say froÌ sinne For alwayes so long as it is liuing here on earth it prayeth hartily And forgiue vs our trespasses as wee doe forgiue them that trespasse against vs. And GOD for his mercies sake doth alwayes purge in his Saints all dregs and infirmities as long as they liue in this world continually renewing and defiling the elect I am not ignorant what may here hinder thée faithfull hearer If the churche sayest thou be not holy and pure howe is it called of the apostle holy without spot and wrinkle I answere if thou wilt acknowledge no churche vpon earth but that which is altogether without blemishe thou shalte be forced to acknowledge none at all For there shall neuer be any suche kinde of Church remayning on earth where The moste righteous God as the Scripture witnesseth hath shutte vppe all things vnder sinne that he might take mercie on all men S. Paule therefore doeth call the church pure without spot or wrinkle through
his confession and the keyes of giuing of sentence iudgement or of opening shutting vpp of heauen of forgiuing or reteyning of sinnes They say that this power was promised to Peter in Matthew the Lord saying Vnto thee wil I giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen but that it was giuen to all the disciples in Iohn Christe saying Whose sinnes soeuer ye forgiue they are forgiueÌ to theÌ And in these dayes is giuen to the priests by the bishop in their consecration laying their hands on the priests at the giuing of them their orders sayinge Receiue ye the holy Ghost whose sinns soeuer ye forgiue they are forgiuen them They call the power of placing ministers of the Church Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction to consist in a certeine prelacie and the fulnesse of it to rest onely in the Pope hauing respecte to the whole vniuersall Church For it belongeth onelie to the Pope to appoint rulers and prelats in the Ecclesiastical Hierarchie because it was said to him Feede my sheepe Moreouer they say that all iurisdiction ecclesiasticall doth come from the Pope to inferiour rulers either mediatlie or immediatlie in which thinges authoritie is limitted at his pleasure that hath the fulnesse of power For a bishop hath authoritie onelie in his diâcese and a curate in his parish c. Power of Apostleship or preaching the word of God they call the authoritie of preaching which the Lord had giuen to his disciples saying Go ye into all the world preaching the gospel to all creatures But doctours in these dayes affirme y none ought to be sent out to preach but onely by Peter that is his successour mediatly or immediatly c. They say that the power of iudiciall correction was giuen to Peter by God to whome he said If thy brother shall offend or trespasse against thee c. For the words of the Lord are knowen wel enough in S. Matth. cap. 18. They say therfore that God gaue authoritie vnto priestes not onely of excoÌmunicating but also of determining iudging and establishing commandements lawes and canons because in that place it is said Whatsoeuer ye bind vppon earth it shal be bound in heauen To conclude they saye that the power and authoritie to receiue thinges necessarie for this life in reward of their spirituall labours was giuen by these woordes of the Lord Eatinge and drincking suche as they haue These thinges do these men teach concerning Ecclesiasticall power not onelie foolishlie but also falslie Of the power of consecration sacrificing howe vaine and foolish it is wee haue oftentimes said in other places and perhaps will say more if God grauÌt life in conuenient place and time Of the power of the keyes we wil dispute God willing about the end of the next sermon And something we brought when we disputed of penance auricular confession But they are foolish shameles trifles which they babble of ecclesiasticall iurisdiction of the fulnesse of the high power that is to saye of the bishop of Rome whiche I doubt not are knowen well enough to the whole world longe agoe and of that matter there shall follow hereafter some arguments for the confutation therof in these our sermoÌs Wheras they vsurpe vnto themselues the office of teaching and crie out that no man can lawfullie preach but such as are ordeined by them they thereby séeke the ouerthrowe of Gods word the defence assertion of their owne errors whiche shall also be intreated of in his due place The power of excommunicating they haue so filthilie shamefullie abused that the Church through their negligence and wicked presuÌption hath not only lost true discipline but also excommunication it selfe hath béene a great many yeares nought else with the bishops of Rome but fire sword wherewith they first raged against the true professours of Gods word and persecuted the innocent worshippers of Christ Moreouer that there is no power giuen of God to the ministers of the Church to make new lawes we wil shew in place coÌuenient The authoritie and power to receiue wherewith to liue haue they put in execution to the vttermost but in recompence of their temporall haruest they haue not soawen spirituall thinges but rather being a sléepe they haue suffered him that is oure enimie to soaw cockle in the lords field and that not by any other but by their owne meanes For haue not they not being contented with thinges necessarie for this life vnder that colour subtilely inuaded kingdomes and most shamefully cruelly possessed them Wherfore he that seeth not that ecclesiastical authoritie as it is by these men affirmed and also by them put in practise is but a méere tyrannie ouer simple soules it is plaine hee séeth nothing at all Wée wil nowe herevnto ioyne a true simple plaine manifest doctrine concerning ecclesiasticall iurisdiction Power is defined to be a right which men haue to doe some thing by It is called in Gréeke ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã wherof the first word signifieth right and power the second abilitie to execute power or authoritie For oftentimes it commeth to passe that a man shall haue authoritie to doe a thinge but is destitute of abilitie to performe it But God can do both and hath giuen them both vnto the Apostles against those the were possessed with diuels as Luke witnesseth saying ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Hee gaue them power and authoritie ouer all diuels c. And there is also one sort of power whiche is free and absolute an other sort of power whiche is limitted whiche is also called ministeriall Absolute power is that which is altogether frée and is neither gouerned or restreyned by the lawe or will of any other Of which sort is the power of Christ which he speaketh of in the Gospell saying All power is giuen vnto me in heauen in earth goe therefore and teache all nations baptising them c. Hee speaking againe of this power in the Reuelation shewed vnto S. Iohn the Apostle sayeth Feare not I am the first the last and I am aliue but was dead and behold I am aliue for euermore And I haue the keyes of hell and of death And againe These thinges sayeth he that is holie and true which hath the keye of Dauid whiche openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth no man openeth The power whiche is limitted is not frée but subiecte to an absolute or greater power of another whiche cannot of it selfe doe euerye thinge but that onelye that the absolute absolute power or greater authoritie doth suffer to be done and suffereth it vnder certeine conditions Of whiche sort surely is the Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and which may rightly be called the ministeriall power For the Church of God vseth her authoritie committed vnto her for this purpose by her ministers S. Augustine acknowledging this distinction speaking of Baptisme in his fifte treatise vppon Iohn sayeth
in the ministerie it selfe and what god He verily for his excéeding goodnesse and mercy toward vs coueteth to poure him self wholy into vs which I thinke good to repeate often that it may be the déeper rooted in oure hearts and that we also may bethink our selues what we owe vnto God that we may bothe be strengthened and blessed in him and may perfectly vnderstand his will to vswarde and finally our duetie whereby we be bound vnto him As he therefore furthereth our saluation verie diligently in all thinges so least there shoulde be any thing wanting to true doctrine he him selfe commeth foorth to instruct men But such is our weaknesse and corruptioÌ through sinn we can not abide the méeting of his eternall wonderful maiestie Which is apparant by muche communication of God had with our fathers but especially at his meting with the whole Churche of Israel in mount Sina For when he came downe on the mount not without glorie and heauenly maiestie and vttered with his owne mouth a briefe summe of his whole religion and of all the lawes which summe we call the decalogue or tenne commaundements the people being astonnyed with his diuine maiestie said vnto Moses Talk thou with vs and we will heare but let not God talke with vs least we dye And God receiuing this offer sayde I haue heard the voice of the wordes of this people which they haue spoken vnto thee they haue well sayde all that they haue spoken Oh that there were such a heart in them that they would feare me c. In so much that this maner of teaching by men whiche men them selues haue chosen for them selues God will haue to be perpetuall and neuer to be broken so as when he sent his sonne into the world he cloathed him with flesh that he might after that manner speake vnto vs by him God in déede might by the secrete illumination of his spirite without mans ministerie as his power is tyed to no creature regenerate the whole world and gouerne the church it selfe but as he despiseth not his creatures nor destroyeth the worke of his owne handes and doth all thinges in order euen so from the firste beginning he foorthwith spake to the worlde by patriarches then by Prophetes afterwarde by Apostles neyther at this day ceaseth he to giue vnto the worlde doctours and pastours So that it becoÌmeth vs not to tempt God that is not to looke for a secrete inspiration with the heretiques Enthusiastae but to acknowledge a iust order and that God him selfe speaketh vnto vs by men of whome he woulde haue vs to learne religion The Eunuch of Candace Quéene of Aethiopia did reade the holy Scriptures and the Lord could haue taught him by secrete inspiration the mysterie of faith but he giueth him Philip to be a teacher and an interpreter Likewise Paule the doctour of the Gentiles taken vppe into the thirde heauen and instructed by Christ him selfe not by men of all the principles of our religion is neuerthelesse referred ouer vnto a man called Ananias The Angel of God is sent to Cornelius capteine of the Italian band being at Caesarea which might haue instructed him in all pointes of true religion but he willeth him to call for Peter the Apostle He sayth the Angel will tell thee what thou must do For this cause ministers are called Sauiours they are sayde to conuert men their worde is called not the word of man but the worde of God he whiche despiseth them séemeth to despise God him selfe It is also sayd that they them selues doe binde and loose and reteine and forgiue sinnes For Abdias the Prophete sayth that Sauiours shal ascend into the mount Sion whiche many interprete of the Apostles Paule pleading before king Agrippa and rehearsing the wordes of God whicââ came vnto him in a vision sayth â send thee vnto the Gentiles to open their eyes that they may bee turned from darkenesse to light c. And Gabriel the Archangel sayd before that speaking of Iohn Hee shall go before the Lorde with the spirite and power of Elias to turne the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdome of the iust men Moreouer the Apostle to the Thessal We thanke God sayth he bycause when ye had receiued of vs the worde of the preaching of God ye receiued it not as the word of men but as it is in deede the word of God which worketh also in you that beleeue Againe He therefore that despiseth these things despiseth not man but God who hath euen giuen you his holy spirite For the Lorde sayth in the Gospell He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth mee And againe What so euer ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen and what so euer ye shall binde on earth shall be bound in heauen And againe Whose sinnes so euer ye remit they are remitted vnto theÌ and whose sinnes so euer you doe reteine they are reteined But some wresting these places of the holy scripture against the natural sense do giue the ministers an equall power in a manner with Christ and that which only perteineth vnto him they communicate also vnto them But they say that by such meanes the ministerie must be set out lest it wax vile and of no estimation among prophane men Othersome againe so speake of the inwarde drawing of the spirite that they séeme as it were to make superfluous or to take cleane away the outward ministerie and to attribute nothing at all vnto it Therefore the ministerie must be limited with his boundes leaste it be drawne hither and thither with the affections and lustes of men and either too much or too little be attributed vnto it Let the ministerie in déed be beautified and kept in authoritie but let it be done without the dishonouring of god Neyther in déede becommeth it vs vnder the pretence of the ministerie to attribute that to mans labour which is only Gods office on whome all men ought to depend and vnto whome as the onely welspring and giuer of all goodnesse they ought to haue respect Therfore the faithfull ministers of the Lorde Iesus ought only to haue regard herevnto that they may kéepe the glorie and authoritie of Christ vnblemished and his priesthoode sound vnto him selfe in euerie point For the Lorde Iesus him selfe sitting at the righte hande of the father in the true taberâacle which God pight and not man remaineth a priest yea the onely high priest of his church for euer executing as yet all the dueties of a priest in the Church For he as the onely teacher and maister in the Churche teacheth his disciples that is the Churche or congregation of the faithful induing them with the holy ghoste regenerating and drawing them sanctifying and making them frée from their sinnes Which thing the scripture in euerie place plainely teacheth This glory this power he
is of no force hee can make to bee of force Because in those thinges with him what he willeth his will is in steed of reason Neither is there any may saye vnto him why doest thou so For hee can dispense aboue the lawe of vnrighteousnes make righteousnes correcting and chaunging lawes For hee hath the fulnes of power Thus farre he But who heareth these thigs without horror both of bodie mind Who vnder staÌdeth not that the saying of Daniel is fulfilled He shal think that he may change times lawes Who vnderstandeth not that y saying of Paul is fulfilled who sayth I know this that after my departing shal greuous wolues enter in among you not spareing the flock also of your owne selues shal meÌ arise speaking peruers things to draw away disciples after them For froÌ bishops from them the aduance bishops came forth this man of sinne who placeth himselfe in the throne of the lambe and challengeth those thinges to him selfe whiche are proper onely to the lambe of which sort are the supreme gouernement priesthood lordship and full power in the churche Wherof I haue spoken inough in the former sermons Whom doeth it now not moue to thinke that that saying of Paule is fulfilled The aduersarie or enimie of Christ shal be reuealed shal be exalted aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God. But the Popes chaÌpions dispute that it is for the profite saluation yea necessary for the church to haue some one bishop to haue preemineÌce ouer the other both indignitie power But let theÌ dispute set forth this their idol as they please they which will simplie confesse the truth must néeds fréely acknowledge that the Pope is antichriste For that whiche these men babble of the supremacie of the ãâã is flatly ãâã to the doctrine of the Gospel and of the Apostles For what more euident thinge can be alledged against their disputations than that whiche the Lord said to his disciples when they striued for souercigntie The kinges of the Gentiles reigne ouer them and they that beare rule ouer them are called Gratious Lords But ye shall not bee so but let the greatest among you be as the least the chiefest as he that serueth For who is greater hee that sitteth at table or he that serueth is not hee that sitteth at table And I am amonge you as he that serueth This place I alledged and discussed briefly also in my former Sermon This simple and plaine trueth shall continue inuincible against al the disputations of these Harpyes The most holy Apostles of our Lord Christ will not be Lords ouer any maÌ vnder pretence of religioÌ yea S. Peter in plaine words forbiddeth lordship ouer Gods heretage coÌmaundeth bishops to be exaÌples to the flock Wheras they obiect y Christ said to Peter thou art Peter vpon this rock I will build my churche I wil giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen c. And Feede my sheepe And therevpon that S. Peter was appointed ouer all the Apostles and in them ouer all priests ministers and bishops the chiefe and prince yea and the monarche of the whole world it maketh nothing at all to establishe their dominion or Lordship Wée willingly graunt that S. Peter is the chiefe of the Apostles wée also our selues doe willingly call S. Peter the prince of the Apostles but in that sense that we call Moses Dauid Helias or Esaie the chiefe or Princes of the prophets that is to say such as haue obteyned farre more excellent giftes than the rest But that Peter was the chiefe or prince after that sort that these men wil haue him we denie and denie againe most constantly And therewithall wee defend S. Peter and cleare him from those spotts wherewithall these men striue to defile him euen being dead He had not remayned faithfull towardes his maister if he had taken to himself rule or dominion In all places wee read that Peter was equall with the other disciples but in no place in the scripture that he was their master And S. Paule in the beginning of his epistle to the Galathians sheweth in many woordes that he in Apostleship is nothing inferiour to Peter Neither when hee came to Hierusalem came he to that end he might kisse his féete or to professe subiection but that by their méeting and friendly conference together euery one throughout all churches might vnderstand there was perfecte consent in opinions betwéene Peter and Paul and that as touching Apostleshipp their authoritie was equal In the same place Paule calleth Iames Peter and Iohn pillers He doeth not attribute that prerogatiue to Peter alone whiche notwithstanding he had rightly done if hee had receiued supremacie atthe hands of the Lord as these men doe affirme How commeth it that Peter doeth nothing of his owne head but referreth ecclesiastical matters to the rest of the disciples as to his fellowes in authoritie whiche thinge we may sée in the Actes In another place he calleth himselfe a fellowe elder not the prince of priestes When he was sent by the Apostles with Iohn into Samaria he requireth not another to be sent least his supremacie shuld séeme to be diminished but willingly obeyeth But if we shuld grauÌt that Peter was chiefe of the Apostles after the sort as these men do affirme would it thervpon follow that the pope is the prince of the whole church yea of the whole world For as the pope is not Peter so the 12. or 11. apostles are not the whole world Moreouer Peter could not giue that he had not he had not an empire ouer the whole world therefore he gaue it not But Constantine gaue it to Syluester say they But if we neuer so perfectly agréed that the donation of Constantine were true not feigned or forged which yet the best learned meÌ do affirme yet would not Syluester himself haue receiued an imperie or dominion though it had bin offered him For the voice of the high and heaueÌly prince Christ had béen of more authoritie with him The kinges of the nations beare rule ouer theÌ but it shal not be so with you thaÌ the foolish affection of an earthly emperor Shal wee beléeue the Peter would haue receiued secular power with imperial gouernmeÌt if the emperor Nero had profered it him No in no wise For this word of the Lord toke déep roote in his inward bowels But it shall not bee so with you Before he had receiued the holye ghost waÌdring in blindnes with the rest of the multitude of Iewes he imagined that the kingdom of Christ in earth shuld be an earthly kingdome But after he receiued the holy ghost he vnderstood that the throne of Christe the chiefe king emperor was not on the earth but situated in heaueÌ He knew that Christ our
of the ministers that are ordeined in the church I can shew you in one worde to gouerne the church of God or to féede the flocke of Christe For Paule the Apostle speaking vnto the pastours of Asia sayth Take heede vnto your selues and to all the flocke ouer the which the holie Ghost hath made you ouerseers to rule or feede the churche of God which hee hath purchased with his owne bloud And the pastours do gouerne the church of God with God his worde or with wholesome doctrine and with holie example of life For S. Paule sayth againe vnto Timothie Be thou vnto theÌ that beleue an ensample in word in conuersation in loue in spirite in faith and in purenesse He writeth also the same vnto Tit. 2. chap. But for so much as the Papistes doe forge farre other thinges of the office or function of bishops and doe confirme the same as they also doe their other trifles by the authoritie or power of the keyes as I sayde when I intreated of the power of the church I wil therfore first of all speake somewhat and that as muche as I shall thinke to be sufficient for this matter as touching the keyes A keye is an instrument very well knowne to all men wherwith gates doores and chestes are eyther shut or opened It is transferred from bodily things vnto spirituall thinges and it is called the key of knowledge and of the kingdome of heauen For the Lorde sayth in the Gospell of Luke Woe vnto you interpreters of the lawe for ye haue taken awaye the keye of knowledge ye enter not in your selues and them that came in ye forbad The same sentence S. Matth. bringeth foorth after this sort Woe vnto you Scribes and Phariseis hypocrites bicause ye shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men for ye your selues goe not in neyther suffer ye them that wold enter to come in Beholde that which Luke calleth to Take away the keye of knowledge that Matthewe expoundeth To shut heauen The key therefore of knowledge is the instruction it selfe as concerning a blessed life by what means we are made partakers thereof He taketh away the keye which instructeth not the people of true blessednes or else is a hinderance that other can not instruct them Therfore the keys of the kingdome of heauen are nothing else but the ministerie of preaching the Gospell or worde of God committed by god vnto his ministers to that ende that euery one may be taught which way leadeth vnto heauen and which way carrieth downe vnto hell These keyes the Lord promised to Peter in him to all the other apostles when he said I wil giue thee the keys of the kingdome of heauen And whatso euer thou shalt bind in earth shal be bound in heaueÌ whatso euer thou shalt loose on earth shal be loosed in heauen Let vs inquire therefore when the keyes were deliuered to Peter and to the rest And the agréeable consent of all men is that they were giuen in the daye of the resurrection But it is euident the same day the ministerie or function of preaching the Gospell was committed to the Apostles whereby it followeth that the keyes are nothing else but the ministerie of preaching the gospel amoÌgst al nations For this thing is declared vnto the world that saluation purchased by Christ is communicated to them that beléeue and that hell is open for the vnbeléeuers But nowe let vs heare the testimonies of the holy Euangelistes Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist saith The Lord came vnto his disciples sayde Peace bee vnto you As my father hath sent me so sende I you And when he had sayd that he breathed on them and sayde vnto them Receiue the holy Ghoste Whosoeuers sinnes ye remit they are remitted vnto them and whosoeuers sinns ye reteine they are reteined These sayings agrée with the words whereby he promised the keyes for there he sayde ⪠Whatsoeuer ye shall binde in earth shal be bound in heauen Here he sayth Whosoeuers sinnes ye reteine they are reteined There he saide And whatsoeuer ye shall loose in earth shall bee loosed in heauen Here he sayth Whosoeuers sinnes ye remit they are remitted vnto them Wherefore to binde is to reteine sinnes to loose is to remit sinnes You will say howe do men remitte sinnes since it is written that onely God forgiueth sinnes Let other testimonies therefore of the other EuaÌgelistes be adioyned expressing that the same historie was done in the day of his resurrection Luke sayth Then the Lorde opened their vnderstanding that they might vnderstande the scriptures and sayd vnto them Thus it is written and thus it behoued Christe to suffer and to rise againe from the deade the thirde day And that repentaunce and remission of sinnes shuld be preached in his name among all nations And Marke saith He appeared vnto them as they sate together and reproued them of their vnbeliefe and hardnesse of heart and he saide vnto them Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to euerie creature He that shal beleeue and be baptised shall be saued but he that will not beleeue shall be damned Therfore God only forgiueth sinnes to them that beléeue in the name of Christe that is to say through the merites and propitiation of Christe but that sinnes are forgiuen the ministers doe assuredly declare by the preaching of the Gospell and by that preaching do binde and loose remitte and reteine sinnes The matter will be made playner by an example or two S. Peter speaking vnto the citizens of Ierusalem Repent ye saith he and let euery one of you be baptised in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receiue the gifte of the holy Ghoste And so S. Peter vsed the keyes committed vnto him after this manner he looseth in earth and remitteth sinnes vnto men that is promising to them that beléeue assured remission of sinnes through Christe Whiche message God hath confirmed giuing remission of sinnes vnto the faythfull as they beléeued Moreouer the kéeper of the prisonat Philippos being amazed saith to Silas and Paul Sââs what must I doe to be saued The Apostles answered Beleeue on the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thy whole houshold The Apostles loosed him that was bounde and forgaue him his sinnes by the keyes that is by the preaching of the Gospell which Gospell since he beléeued in earth the Lorde iudged him to be loosed in heauen These things are taken out of the Acts of the Apostles In the same Acts we reade examples of the contrarie in this manner The Iewes being filled with indignation spake against those thinges whiche were spoken of Paule and rayled But Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and sayde It was necessarie that the word of God should first haue bene spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and thinke your selues vnworthy of euerlasting life loe wee turne to the
and the benefites receiued at his hand Herevnto is referred a great part of the psalmes wherof part perteine to inuocation or calling vppon God and some ferue to teache or instruct some to declare or expound whereof at this present there is no place to speake Paule the blessed Apostle of Christ acknowledging these parts of prayer writing to the Colos sayeth Continue in prayer watch in the same with thankesgiuing And to the Philippians Let your requestes be shewed vnto God in prayer supplication with giuing of thankes And againe vnto Timothie I exhort therfore sayth Paule that first of all prayers supplicatioÌs intercessions giuing of thanks be made for al men Kinds of prayers are these There is a priuate prayer of euerie faithfull man there is also a publique prayer of the whole church Priuate prayer is made vnto God by euerie faithfull man in what place soeuer either in the house or without dores in the closet of his heart temple of his owne bodie For S. Peter went vp into the vppermost part of the house and prayed S. Pans sayeth I will therefore that the me pray euery where lifting vp pure hands And Christ our Lord himselfe verie often departed euen out of the temple into the mount to pray And in the Gospel hee sayeth When thou prayest enter into thy chamber and when thou hast shutt thy dore pray to thy father whiche is in secrete Publique prayer is that which is vsed of the church whiche is made vnto God in the holy assemblie according to the accustomed order of euerie churche Nowe the pastours duetie is as Paule also admonisheth in the 1. Tim. 2. and wée in the last Sermon before this haue rehearsed to gather together instruct and preserue the assemblies in whiche supplications or common prayers are made And they are greatly to bee blamed who are more negligent in this behalfe than becommeth them neither are they in déede to be suffered which séeldome or neuer teach diligently and are cold in stirring vpp a desire in men to pray Men by nature are slow and slacke in the studie of religion and therefore we haue néede of a sharpe spurre And the charge and office of stirring vpp and prouoking is committed to the pastours of churches The prophets somewhere crie Blowe out the trumpet in Sion assemble a congregation For in a holy congregation thrée thinges are chiefly vsed the teaching of the Gospel faithfull prayers and religious celebration or administration of the Sacraments And sometimes there is a collection made for the reléeuing of the poore and of the church The holie Scripture wittnesseth that these thinges are not instituted at the will and pleasure of man but by the authoritie of God yea and immediatly after the first beginning of thinges and that they were also vsed of the most holy worshippers of god Of those most auncient patriarchs both which were first before the floud and which followed immediatly after there is no doubt since the scripture plainly witnesseth of Iacob himselfe the nephue of Abraham that he exected an altar in Bethel whervnto he assembled his whole household though it were excéeding great and there offered sacrifice vnto god In Moses time by the law in most euident commaundements he instituted holy assemblies Yea in the 10. commaundements he diligently coÌmaundeth to sanctifie the sabboth day which also compreheÌdeth holy assemblies The holy prophets of God do euerie where praise and commend the ecclesiasticall assemblies of Gods people Neither did Christ our Lord disallow them wheÌ he came in the flesh For as in the most notable assemblies and feastes hee taught with great diligence euen so he gathered and assembled together both the people and also his disciples whome he specially commaunded that they should not depart from Hierusalem but waite for the promise of the father which thing when they were gathered together into an assemblie and in prayer we read in the Actes to haue béene performed There also the assemblie of the faithful is coÌmended to vs as appeareth both in the 11. and 14. cap. of the 1. epist. of Paul to the Corin. Those supplications which the same Paule commaundeth to bée made for all them that are set in authoritie are made chiefly in holy asseÌblies Truely Plinie an heatheÌ author writing to Traianus the Emperour doth make verie manifest mention of holy assemblies Holie assemblies had of old time verie excellent promises as we may sée in the prayer of Solomon whiche is described vnto you in the first booke of the Kinges the 8. cap. And at this day the church of Christ hath promises nothing inferiour to them Christ our Lord saying I say vnto you that if two of you shall agree in earth as touching any thing that they shall aske it shal be done for them of my father whiche is in heauen For where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them Behold the Lord him selfe is in the middst of the assemblies of saincts And where the Lord is there is both plentie and the treasure of all good things And therefore experience it selfe which we haue of matters teacheth that the supplications of the church are effectuall For the Lord heareth the prayers of the church and deliuereth from euil those whose safetie the church commendeth vnto him We haue oftentimes had experience that they which were in extreme daunger haue found verie present helpe euen at the same instant wherein the congregation hath offered their prayers to the Lord. Moreouer the example moueth verie many otherwise hard hearted and barbarous For they sée the deuout godlines of the holy congregation and the feruencie of the faithful in assemblies are thereby moued so that entring into themselues they acknowledge that they are miserable desire to be partakers of this fellowship according to the saying of S. Paul. If therfore wheÌ the whole church is come together in one and all speake straunge tongues there come in they that are vnlearned or they whiche beleeue not will they not say that ye are out of your witts But if all prophecie and there come in one which beleueth not or one vnlearned he is rebuked of all men is iudged of all And so are the âecrets of his heart made manifest and so he wil fall downe on his face and worship God and say plainely that God is in you in deede With what confidence therefore and howe shamefully dare some set light by holy assemblies and not onely set light by them but also scorne at them as if they were assembled together without any profite at all Dauid in his banishment maketh complaint of nothing so much as that hee was compelled to wander in the wildernesse and was shutt out from holy assemblies For hee promiseth the Lord hee wil enter into his holie congregation if euer he be restored againe Verily when the Lord sayeth in
our Aduocate For since hee sayeth Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the father in my name hee will giue it you howe much more effectually doe wee obteine that which wee aske in the name of Christ if wee aske it in his prayer Thus farre hée From hence ariseth a question Whether wée be so tyed to the words of the Lords prayer that wee maye not pray in other woordes at all I aunswere That the Lord would not so tye vs to his woordes sett downe and conceiued as though it were not lawefull to vse other woords or another fourme but he set foorth vnto vs certeine vniuersall thinges vnto the whiche wée might referre all our prayers For Augustine also to Proba De orando Deo Of praying vnto god sheweth that there is nothing in any place in the holy Scriptures prayed for which is not comprehended in the Lords prayer For sayeth hee if you runue ouer through all the words of all holie prayers you shall finde nothinge whiche this prayer of the Lord doeth not comprehend conteine To which woordes hee addeth immediatly So that it is free to vse such and such woordes in praying howbeit to say the same thinges but to speake other thinges it is not free Most warelie therefore and wisely do they who referre all their prayers vnto the Lords prayer vnto the whiche they attribute the chiefe and principall place and kéeping it continually in their minde doe meditate therevppon and exercise themselues therein There is wont also another question to be asked What néed there is to expresse and opân oure desires in woordes vnto God since hée alreadie knoweth all thinges Wée tould you anon after the beginning of this Sermon that our prayer is an humbling of oure selues before the maiestie of God where vnto moreouer wee add this Wée doe not expresse and open oure desires vnto God as thoughe hée knewe them not or that wée would teach him being ignoraunt or that we would entreate and gett gods fauour with our curious laboursome and eloquent prayer but for oure owne sakes wée vse woordes wherewith to stirre vpp our selues And to this end all the most holy men of God are read in the Psalmes and holy histories to haue declared their desires largly vnto the Lord. Wee are not sayeth S. Hierome declarers but crauers For it is one thing to declare a thing to him that is ignoraunt and another thinge to craue a thing of him that knoweth In that it is a declaratioÌ in this a duetie There wee faithfully declare here wee lamentably beseech And Sainct Augustine sayeth Wordes are needfull for vs wherewith wee maye bee moued and diligently consider what wee should aske not wherewith wee should beleeue that the Lord is either taught or entreated Wherefore when the Lord forbad much babbling or vaine lipplabour in prayer he did not simplie tye the prayer of the faithfull vnto a fewe and short summe of woordes but hée forbiddeth vs after the manner of Ethnickes to powre out many woordes without witt reason meaning and vnderstanding so finally to thincke that wée shal be heard for oure muche babbling sake and often repeating of prayers as at this day they doe falslye thinke which say a certeine number of prayers which they call Rosaries of prayers For the Lord addeth They thincke they shal be heard for their much babbling sake S. Augustine maketh difference betwene babbling much and praying much To babble much sayeth he is in praying to make many superfluous woordes in a necessarie matter But to praye much is to call vnto him whome we pray vnto with a longe godly stirring vpp of the heart For this businesse for the most part is accomplished more with sighinges than with speakings And anon It is not wicked and fruitlesse when wee haue leasure to pray the longer For it is written of our Lord himselfe that he speÌt the whole night in prayer and prayed a long time Wherein what did he else but giue vs an example Thus farre hée And if it be a hard matter for any man to pray long and continually he may breake off his prayer howbeit hee must to it againe and oftentimes renue the same a fresh For such short speaking in prayer is praise-worthie And that we may make an end of this place let no man thinke that in praying hee declareth oure affaires vnto God as not knowing them Let no man thincke that hee is heard for his setting forth and euen for his laboursome and exact setting foorth and that oftentimes repeated and with most earneât out-cries instilled or powred into the eares of God Let no man thinke that his prayer must stand vppon a certeine number that is to fay that Pater nosters must be numbered vpp to our God as not hauing a good memorie to a Lord ill to be trusted vppon corrals beades put together vppon a lace seruing as it were to make a reckoning or accompt And béecause I haue said which all godly men also throughout the whole world confesse that a most perfecte platforme of praying is deliuered vnto vs in the Lords prayer by our Lord Iesus Christe him selfe it remaineth that we cite word for word that most holy fourme of praying orderly made with most diuine words euen by the mouth of the Lord as Matthewe the Apostle hath lefte it recorded vnto vs and then to expound the same as briefly and plainely as may be to the intent that euery one may the better vnderstand what he prayeth âéele a more effectuall working inwardly Of that most Heauenlye prayer this is the fourme O Our father which arte in Heauen hallowed bee thy name Thy kingdome come Thy will be done as well in earth as it is in heauen Giue vs this day our daily bread And forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespase against vs And lead vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill A men This most holy prayer of our lord Iesus Christ our sauiour our doctour or teacher highest priest deliuered to the catholique church to be a catholique fourme or rule to praye vnto God is wont to be diuided into a litle preface and sixe petitions some reckon seuen Some say that the thrée former petitions serue chiefely to the spreading abroad of Gods glorie the thrée latter concerne the care of our selues and aske those thinges that are néedefull for vs But they séeme in manner all to conteine both The little preface is this O our father which art in heauen By this wée call vppon GOD and dedicating oure selues vnto him wée committ oure selues wholie vnto his protection and mercie And euerie word hath his highe mysteries For our Lord would haue vs rather pray with vnderstanding than with woordes These therefore doe admonishe vs and suffice to bee thought vppon but the minde beeing instructed with the holy Ghoste whiche I told you is néedefull before all thinges to them that pray and being lifted vpp to the beholding of God
and of heauenly thinges doeth deuoutly and ardently meditate these thinges And truely the woord Father putteth vs in minde of many thinges together For first it teacheth vs that all oure prayers are to bee offered to none other than to him which is a father that is to say that onely God is to bee called vppon and not another for him or another with him For our God and father is one the fulnesse and sufficiencie of all good thinges in whome only the faithfull are acquieted and doe rest and without whome they séeke nothing that is truely good And verilie this prayer can be offered to no creature For to whiche of the Angels or the Sainctes canst thou say without sacrilege O our father whiche art in heauen c. Furthermore this word Father teacheth vs through whome wee should call vppon this father not by the mediation or by the mouthes of sainctes but by Iesus Christ our lord through whome only we are made the sonnes of God who were otherwise by birth and by nature the children of wrath Who I pray you durst come for the before the presence of the most highe and euerlasting God and call him Father and himselfe Sonne vnlesse the father in his beloued and naturall sonne had adopted vs the sonnes of grace Therfore when we say Father we speake from the mouth of the sonne who hath taught vs so to pray and by whome we be promoted into this dignitie that it néedeth nothing at all to add the name of Christe and to saye Wée pray thée O heauenly father for Christs sake since in the first word Father we comprehend the whole mysterie of the sonne of God and our redemption For in somuch as hee is our father wee are his sonnes and that by the merite of Christ therefore wée call vppon the father and so call him through Christ that I may not now repeat that we pray so from the mouth of Christ Moreouer this swéete and fauourable woord Father disburtheneth vs cleane of all distrust of heart For wée call him Father not somuch in consideration of his creating of all things as for his singular and fatherly good-will toward vs Wherevpon though he be Lord God and in déede a great Lord and an Allmightie God yet when wée praye wée attribute none of these names vnto him but call him fathér because in déede he wisheth vs wel loueth vs taketh care and charge ouer vs and hauing pitie vppon vs is desirous yea of his owne accorde and good will toward vs to stoare and heape vppon vs all good things whatsoeuer Hetherto appertaine the testimonies of the Prophets especially that of Dauid The Lord is full of compassion and mercie slowe to anger and of great kindnesse Hee will not alway chide neither keepe his anger for euer Hee hath not dealt with vs after our sinnes nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities For as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercie toward them that feare him As farre as the East is from the west so farre hath hee remoued oure sinnes from vs As a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him For hee knoweth whereof wee bee made hee remembreth that wee are but dust A verie excellent example of this thinge is to be séene in the Gospel after S. Luke where the louing father is painted out with wonderfull affections receiuing into fauour again that prodigall sonne waster of his wealth Herevnto is added this word Our whiche putteth vs in minde of two thinges For first it is a small matter to acknowledge God to be the God and father of all or to be the God and father of others vnlesse we also beléeue that he is our father vnlesse wee dedicate yéeld our selues wholy into his faith and protection as of our father who wisheth well vnto vs loueth vs hath a care ouer vs at no time and place neglecteth vs for vnlesse wee doe so beléeue neither with faith nor with the loue of GOD is oure prayer commended and therefore not a whit acceptable vnto god But that that best and greatest God is our God we doe vnderstand as well by his manifold benefites as also speciallie by the mysterie of our redemption throughe Christ Of which thing wée haue spoken elsewhere Furthermore since he bad vs pray Our father and not My father streight waye vppon the verie beginning he requireth loue of vs For his will is that we should not onely haue care of our owne saluation but of the saluation of all other men For wée are all the members of one body wherevppon each seuerall one prayeth not seuerally for themselues but euerie one for the safety of all the members and also the whole bodie Touching that matter I spake before when I intreated of the manner of prayeing vnto God. There is by and by added Which art in heauen not that God is shut vp in heauen as in a prison Solomon the happiest and wisest king of all coÌfuting that errour long agone said If the heauens of heauens are not able to conteine thee howe muche lesse this house To which woordes I thincke that may be annexed which Stephan alledged in the Actes of the Apostles out of Esaie concerning the same thing Hee is therefore said to bee in heauen because his diuine maiestie and power and glorie shineth most of all in the heauens For in the whole course of nature there is nothing more glorious nothing more beautifull than the heauens Moreouer the father exhibiteth and giueth him selfe vnto vs to bee enioyed in the heauens Heauen is the countrie common to vs all where wée beléeue that GOD and oure father doeth dwel and where we worshipp GOD and oure father albeit wee beléeue that hee is in euerie place and alwayes present with all For as heauen compasseth and couereth all thinges and is euery where distant from the earthby euen spaces so the presence of his maiestie also doth fayle vs in no place Wée haue heauen euery where in our sight wée are euery where in the sighte of god But beside this by mention made of heauen wee are put in minde of oure duetie and our wretchednesse It is our duetie to be lifted vpp in our mindes by praying into heauen and to forgett earthly thinges and more to bee delighted with that heauenly father and countrie than with this earthly prison and exile It is our wretchednesse that beeing banished out of that countrie for oure sinnes and wandering in this earth wée are subiecte to diuers calamities and therefore béeing constreined by necessitie we neuer ceasse crying vnto the father But first of all saying Which art in heauen wée make a difference betwéene the father whome wée call vppon saying Our and our earthly father attributing allmightinesse vnto him Hée surely that is called vppon and ought to heare must know all sée all and heare all yea and more too will and
bee able to doe all Therefore to his goodwill to vs ward which in these woords Our father wée haue expressed wee do now ioyne knowledge of all thinges and power to do althings adding Which art in heauen By these wordes the faith of them that pray is stirred vpp and confirmed Nowe there doe followe in order sixe petitions The first is Hallowed be thy name Wée haue called God our father and our selues his sonnes But it is the part of sonnes to honour or glorifie their father and therefore immediatly vppon the beginning we desire that the name of the Lord God and our father might be sanctified or hallowed That truely is holy and vndefiled alwayes in it selfe neither is it made any whitt the better or the worse by vs Wherevppon we pray that that which is and remaineth holy in it selfe should be acknowledged of vs to bee such and alwayes sanctified of vs. A name is the definition of any thing whatsoeuer and names are inuented to make a difference of one thinge from another whereby they mighte bée knowen amonge themselues But GOD is infinite and vnmeasurable moreouer hee is one therefore hée hath not a name whereby to bee defined hee néedeth not a name whereby to be discerned from other Gods. Therefore those names that are attributed vnto him in the Scriptures are attributed for our infirmitie to the end that by some reason and comparison wee mighte vnderstand somethinges that are spoken of him that is vnmeasurable and infinite Therefore the name of GOD in verye deede is GOD him selfe with all his Maiestie and glorie To Sanctifie or Hallowe otherwhiles signifieth to separate thinges from a prophane vnto an holy vse In this place it signifieth to magnifie to praise and to glorifie Wée desire therefore that GOD himselfe who of his owne nature is a good holie and for euer blessed gentle bountifull and a mercifull father might as hée is in himselfe bee acknowledged and magnified of all vs that all nations leauing their errour and heresies mighte consecrate them selues in trueth to this one onely father and God that all thinges which defile the name of the Lord of whiche sort are wicked deceiptes or practises vngodlinesse Epicurisme an vncleane life and especially corrupte and antichristian doctrine may bee taken awaye that béeing inlightened wee mighte sanctifie or hallowe the name of the Lord. Wherefore in this petition we desire the holy ghost the verie onely authour it selfe of all true sanctification Wée pray for true faith in GOD by Christ thoroughout the whole world Wée pray for holy thoughtes and a pure life wherewith wée might glorifie the name of the Lord whiche is done while euerie one doeth his owne duetie while Sathan the authour of al vncleannesse is cast out while corrupt doctrine is taken awaye and deceipt ceasseth while the filthinesse of the world is banished This petition the most excellent king and Prophete Dauid setteth forth in these wordes GOD be mercifull vnto vs blesse vs shewe vs the light of his countenaunce and bee mercifull vnto vs that thy way may be knowen vppon earth thy sauing health amonge all nations Let the people praise thee O God yea let all the people praise thee And as followeth in the thréescore and seuenth Psal. To this belongeth the whole prayer of oure Sauiour described by S. Iohn in the 17. Chapiter of his Gospel The second petition is Thy kingdome come For the name of God and our father cannot bee sanctified or hallowed vnlesse hee reigne in vs There is one kingdome of GOD another of the diuel Furthermore one kingdome of God is said to bee of glorie and another rightly of grace The kingdome of glorie is not of this world but of another world The kingdome of Grace is the kingdome of Christe in this world wherein Christ reigneth by the holy spirite in his faithfull ones whiche of their owne accord submit themselues vnto him to bee gouerned saying and doeing those thinges which beautifie and beséeme christians The diuell also reigneth in the children of vnbeléefe which yeeld themselues vnto him to be gouerned according to his vngodlinesse and wickednesse doeinge those thinges which are not onely delightfull to the flesh but whiche turne to the reproch of Gods maiestie whom after this life by the iust iudgement of God the diuel the king of the vngodly catcheth vnto hell into the kingdome of death and iudgement there continually to burne Moreouer the earthly kingdome which princes of this world gouerne is called either the kingdome of God or the kingdome of the diuell euen as it shall fashion frame it selfe to one of the twaine All these things wée do knit vpp in fewe words because wée haue more plentifully entreated of them in another place Wherefore we pray in this second petition that Christe might reigne and liue in vs and wée in him that the kingdome of Christ might be spread abroad and inlarged and preuaile thoroughe the whole world that Doctours or teachers and ecclesiasticall magistrates finally that princes also yea and scholes too and whosoeuer may further the kingdome of Christe béeing annoynted and watered with his graces may flourish ouercome and triumphe furthermore we pray that the kingdome of the diuel and antichriste maye bée broken and vanquished least it hurte and annoye the Sainctes that with with the kingdome of the diuell all vngodlinesse may be dasht and troden vnder foote to be short that all the weapons and armour of Antichristianisme may be broken into shiuers and come to naught Lastly we pray in this second petition that after we haue sayled out of the tempestuous gulfe of this worlde we might be receiued and gathered vnto Christ and all the Saintes into the euerlasting kingdome of glory For as we desire the kingdome of God to come vnto vs and God to reigne in vs so we praye to come or to be receiued into his kingdome and to liue for euer with him most holily The thirde petition is Thy will be done as wel in earth as it is in heauen God reigneth not in vs vnlesse we be obedient vnto him therefore after his kingdome we desire the grace of perfect obedience For we desire not that God do what he will. For continually Gods will is done albeit we neuer pray for it and though we wrestle and striue against it with all our might For the Prophet sayth Our God is in heauen he hath done whatsoeuer pleased him in heauen and in earth We aske therefore that what he will the same he maye make vs both to will and to do For his wil is alwayes good but our wil through the corruption of sinne is euill Therefore we pray him to be present with vs with his grace that our will may be regenerated and framed to the good wil of God that of it own accorde it yealde it selfe to the holie Ghoste to be framed that his grace will that which he inspireth that he finish in vs that which
he hath wel begon giue vs moreouer strength and patience herevnto that as well in prosperitie as in aduersitie wee maye acknowledge the wil of God least we wil any thing of our selues and swel be puffed vp in prosperitie in aduersitie also faint and perish but that we may apply our selues in all thinges and through all thinges to be gouerned by his will to wit after this maner to submit our will to his will. Furthermore if we aske any thing contrarie to his will that he would not graunt it but rather pardon oure foolishnesse and weaken our will whiche is not good for vs to instruct and teache vs in his good will to the end we may doubt nothing that this is alwayes to be followed that this is alwayes good and that this worketh all thinges for our commoditie and benefite In this pointe the faithfull féele a verie greate battell in them selues Paule witnessing and saying The flesh lusteth against the spirite and the spirit against the flesh And these two are at mutual enimitie betwene them selues that what thinges ye would that ye can not do Therefore we desire not any kinde of framing our will to Gods will but we adde As well in earth as it is in heauen that is Graunt O father that thy wil may be done in vs earthly men as it is done in thy Saints the blessed spirites These doe not striue againste thy most holy will in heauen but being of one mynde they only wil that whiche thou wilt yea rather in this one thing they are blessed and happie that they agrée acquiet themselues in thy will. Truely it is not the least part of felicitie or happinesse in earth to will that God willeth it is the greatest vnhappinesse not to will that whiche God willeth And this truely by infinite examples might be declared I will alledge only one and that common too Some one is grieuously sicke and féeleth paines and torments scarce tollerable but he in the meane time acknowledgeth that he suffereth these thinges by the commaundement and will of God his most good bountifull and iust father who wisheth him well and hath sent this grieuous calamitie for his saluation and for his owne glory doth not he in the middest of his torments by submitting him selfe to the will of God féele refreshing and that which seemed most sharpe and most bitter to man by this voluntarie and frée submission he maketh it delightfull and most swéete Againe another is sick vexed not with a verie great disease but this man doth not acknowledge this sicknesse to be layde vpon him by the good will of GOD yea rather thinketh that God knoweth not the disease that God doth not care for the disease therefore he referreth it vnto diuers and sundrie causes and imagineth and séeketh diuers meanes to heale it and in these things he is woÌderfully vexed and afflicted and yet by striuing so against the will of god he féeleth no refreshing or comfort at all What therefore doth he else nilling that whiche God willeth than whiche they are wont to doe by yll meanes auoyding euill double the same Wherefore the foundation of all happinesse is faythfull obedience whereby we fully submit our selues and what so euer else vnto vs belongeth to the good wil of God and therefore in this greatest petition we praye vnto the father that he woulde gyue vs regeneration or newenesse of heart true obedience perseuering patience and a mynde alwayes and in all thinges agréeing with and obeying God. The fourth petition is such Giue vs this day our daily breade For the will of God can not be done in vs vnlesse we be nourished and strengthened with the bread of god Bread among the Hebricians signifieth all kynde of meates and the preseruing or sustenaunce of the substaunce of man Wherevpon we reade it sayde in the prophet I wil breake the staffe of breade But man consisteth of two substances the soule and body The soule is the spirite the body is made of earth and other elements Therefore it is preserued with two kinds of breade spirituall and corporall The spirituall meate of the soule wherby it is preserued in life is the very word of God procéeding out of the mouth of God the Lord out of the lawe repeating and saying Man liueth not by bread only but by euery woord that commeth out of the mouth of God. And for bycause this onely setteth forth vnto the faithful the eternal and incarnate word of God I meane the very son of God we rightly acknowlege him to be the meate of the soule yea the meate of a whole faithful maÌ For he him selfe witnesseth that he is the bread that came downe from heauen of which they that eate shall not die but haue life euerlasting Corporall breade consisteth of elements and is earthly and comprehendeth meate drinke rayment prosperous health of body maintenaunce to be shorte the safetie and good estate of maÌs life And this bread truly we cal Oures not that it is not the gift benefit of God but bicause it is appointed for vs perteneth to our preseruatioÌ is necessary for vs yet in the mean seson wheÌ we cal it Daily or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is to say for the morrow we signifie that it is the most excellentest of all which only can sustaine and preserue our substance asmuch as is sufficient as long as it is méete altogether after the same maner order which is néedful For we said afore that it is not our part to prescribe vnto God a maner of doing or giuing To this also perteine those words folowing Giue vs this day For it beloÌgeth only vnto god to giue neither agréeth this petition to any creature Dauid saith Al things wait vpoÌ thee that thou maist giue theÌ meate in due season when thou giuest them they gather it wheÌ thou openest thy hand all things are filled with good Againe The eyes of al things do looke vpoÌ thee O Lord thou giuest theÌ meat in due seasoÌ thou openest thy hand fillest with thy blessing euery liuing creature Now we pray Giue vs not Giue me which putteth vs in mind again both of brotherly loue and vnitie For we ought not only to séeke our owne but also to pray for the safetie and preseruation of all other men The worde This day appointeth vs a measure For this we say Suffice thou vs O Lord daily and euery moment with as much as is néedful and enough for vs which thou thy selfe only knowest best of all For we are admonished by the waye that we shoulde not burne with immoderate desire of transitorie things and that we should not lauish them out riotously wheÌ we haue them loosing both our goods and our soules And therefore that wise man is read to haue sayde Two thinges haue I required of thee denie me theÌ not before I die Remoue farre from me vanitie and lyes
of the inuisible grace whiche by faithe onely is receiued Whervpon yet againe it followeth that the signe is not confounded with the thing signified but bothe of them do reteine their substance and nature distinguished What doth not the scripture expressely pithily make a difference betwéene the outward ministerie of man and God the inward worker and giuer of spirituall gyfts For Iohn Baptiste saith I baptise you with water But he Christ shall Baptise you with the holy Ghoste Wherewith agréeth that saying of Peter Baptisme saueth vs not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but in that a good conscience maketh request to God. To this nowe pertcineth that euident testimonie of saint Augustine which is read 3. Quest lib. in Leuit. Quest. 83. In these wordes Wee must diligently consider as often as he saith I the Lord which sanctifie him that he speaketh of the priest when he also spake this to Moses thou shalt sanctifie him Howe therefore doth both Moses and God also sanctifie for Moses doth not sanctifie for the Lord but Moses doeth sanctifie in the visible sacraments by his ministerie and the Lorde by inuisible grace by his holy spirit where the whole fruit of visible sacraments also is For without this sanctificatioÌ of inuisible grace what profite haue we by visible sacraments Thus farre August As Iohn Baptist made distinction betwéene his owne ministerie in Baptisme and the power of Christ euen so maketh he distinction betwéen the ministerie of preaching the drawing of the spirituall teacher I am saith he the voyce of a crier in the wildernes make streight the way of the Lord. And againe He that commeth from on high is aboue all he that is of the earth is earthly speaketh of the earth he that coÌmeth from heauen is aboue all and what he hath sene and heard that he testifieth c. Saint Paule also agréeing therevnto sayth Who is Paule What is Apollos but ministers by whom ye beleeued euen as the Lorde gaue to euerie man I haue planted Apollos watered but god gaue the increase So that neither is hee that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giueth the increase Albeit the comparison of ministers with the signes agrée not altogether and in euerie part which I told you before ⪠because ministers are fellowe labourers with Christ according to their office but the signes which are without life are not so vnlesse ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã we translate vnto them that whiche is the ministers yet by other proofes I suppose it to be made plaine that the signe thing signified do reteine their natures distinguished in the sacraments These things doe specially disproue and conuince those who are persuaded of that papisticall traÌsubstantiation of bread and wine into the substance of the bodie bloud of Christe For these men vtterly denie that the breade and wine béeing consecrated in the mysteries do remaine in their owne substances For they contend that these substaÌces of bread wine are annihilated turned into the verie bodie and bloud of the Lord so that after the consecration the accidents of bread and wine doe remaine and no part of the substance thereof at all For they say that the Lorde in expresse words pronounced ouer the bread wine This is my bodie This is my bloud that the Lord can easily bring to passe by his own omnipotencie that that which he said may be as he said For proofe wherof they alledge these such like places that the Lord for soothe fashioned man out of the clay of the earth by by of the rib of man made woman also turned Lots wife into a piller of salt therfore y he by the selfe same his power can make of bread his bodie of wine his bloud And these truely are their bulworkes But we in another place haue plentifully disputed of the meaning of the Lords words This is my bodie So that it is superfluous to make long repetition of them I haue also tolde you y of the omnipotencie of God we muste not gather determine whatsoeuer commeth into our braine also that Gods power doth nothing against trueth neither against it selfe and that no Godly man ought to take that in hand vnder pretence of the power of God whiche is repugnant to the plaine Scriptures and the articles of the catholique faith Now it is euident and plaine that after consecration there remaineth in the sacrament the substaÌce of bread wine And herein we néed no other witnesses than our verie senses whiche perceiue sée taste and féele no other thing than bread and wine but while clay was turned into a mans bodie the ribb into a woman Lots wife into a piller of salte they were not as the sacrament of the supper that which they were before neither did there appeare vnto the senses any iotte of the clay of the ribbe of Lots wife Verie foolishly therefore and vnaptly are these examples applyed to the mysterie of the Lordes supper wherewith they nothing agrée whiche thing also we touched before The Gospel verie diligently describing the moste holy institution of the Lordes supper and the maner thereof maketh no mention of miraculous transubstantion but calleth the bread and wine whiche the Lord tooke and distributed to his disciples and which they also receiued by the names of bread wine as wel after the words of consecration as they tearme it were spoken as also before consecration Doeth not the Lorde in the 26. cha of Mat. call the wine being coÌsecrated not wine only but the fruit of the vine after a more vehement and significatiue kinde of spéeche lest any shold be ignorant that the wine was wine in déede and so remained In Marke we reade this of the Cuppe And he tooke the Cuppe and when he had giuen thanks he gaue to them And they dranke of it and he saide vnto them This is my bloud of the new Testament c. Loe they dâanke all sayth he of the Cuppe before the words of consecratioÌ as they terme it were spoken therefore they dranke wine Nowe if so be they answere that this place of the Euangelist is to be expounded by the figure Hysteroâprotero that is wheÌ any thing is declared out of order preposterously theÌ admitt they tropes figures in the celebration of the supper which notwithstandinge they haue contended ought simplie to bee vnderstoode without the help of tropes or figures But Paule also the Apostle in the 1. Cor. cap. 10. calleth the bread of the Lorde beeing nowe in the verie holy vse and that I may so say consecrated by the name of bread And in the 1. Cor. 11. chap. the thirde time hee calleth it bread To this apperteyneth that the Actes of the Apostles doe testifie how that the Churche of the Apostles do call the whole mysticall action The breaking of breade not The breaking of
sacraments Of the gestures which the ministers doe vse in celebrating the Lords supper we can say none other thinge out of the gospel than what we haue learned The Lord toke the bread blessed it brake it distributed it c. If the minister do follow these things he néed not to be carefull of other gestures Those which at this day are by the inuention of men receiued into the celebration of the masse are so farre off from giuing any maiestie to the mysteries that they bring theÌ rather the more into coÌtempt I wil say nothing elso that may séeme more greuous The matter is indifferent whether the Churche take the supper sitting downe or going to the table whether a man take the holie mysteries in his owne hand or receiue it into his mouth at the hands of him that ministreth It is moste agréeable with the first simplicitie and institution of the supper to sit and to receiue the sacraments in a mans owne handes of him that ministreth and afterwards to breake it eate it and to dinide it vnto others For as the Lord sat at table with his disciples so he reached foorth that mysteries saying Take and diuide it among you Moreouer as there is more quietnes and lesse stur in sitting at the supper while the ministers carrie the holie mysteries about the congregation so is it well knowen by histories of antiquitie that the sacrament hath béene deliuered into the hands of the communicantes It is méere superstition repugnant to the doctrine of the Apostles to scrape the hands of that lay people that haue touched the holie sacrament of the supper Why do they not also by the same lawe scrape the lips tonge iawes of the communicants Of these things before handled springeth an other question What is to be thought of the remnaunts leauings of the Lords supper whether there ought any parte of it to be reserued and whether that whiche is reserued or shut vp ought to be adored This question séemeth to haue no godlines at al in it but to be altogether superstitions and very hurtfull For who knoweth not that bread wine out of the holie and lawfull vse appointed are not a sacrament Shall we pracéede to demaund with these Sophisters what that is which the mouse gnaweth when hee gnaweth the Lords bread These questions are most vnworthy to bee demanded and to be raked vp in holie obliuion Touching the shutting vp of the sacrament the lord teacheth vs not one word in the gospel much lesse of worshipping it Take saith hee eate and diuide it among you He saith not Lay it vp worshipp it For the true worshippers worship the father in spirit and trueth Moreouer wee read how the Lord hath plainly said in the gospel If they say vnto you beholde where he is in the desert go not foorth beholde where hee is in the innermoste partes of the house doe not beleeue He setteth downe the cause of this his commaundement For like as the lightening goeth foorth of the East appeareth in the West so shall the comming of the sonne of man be The comming againe of the sonne of man saith he shall be glorious and not obscure neither shall he come againe but to iudge bothe the quicke and the dead And therefore S. Paule the Apostle teaching vs true religion willeth vs to worshipp Christe not vppon the earth but with our mindes lifted vnto Heauen where hee sitteth at the right hand of his father And who will he so frantique I beséeche you to worshipp the holie signe for the holie thing it selfe it appeareth by the decrées made of late that these thinges were inuented by mans deuise For it is certeine that the feaste of Christes bodie commonly called Corpus Christi was instituted but of late yéeres vnder Pope Vrbane in the yéere of our Lorde 1264. as it may appeare in Clement the 3 booke title 16. the Chapter beginning Si Dominum It remaineth that we discusse the question concerning the time of celebrating the Lordes Supper and what season is méetest for the same the morning or euening whether we ought to sup together whether we must receiue it fasting or when wee haue dyned also how often we must celebrate the supper once or often or seldome It is euidently enough knowen that Christe sat downe at the table with his disciples in the euening but it followeth not héereof that the supper cannot be rightly celebrated at any other time but at euening The Lorde vppon occasion of the feast of the Passeouer and because he should bee betrayed that night did bothe eate the supper that euening with his disciples and instituted also the supper for vs Notwithstanding hee leâte the libertie to remoue this mysterie vnto the morning for that when we be sober then are we most méete to deale in all matters specialy in religion for which we be then fitter then when our bellyes be full of good cheere Wherefore this banquet requireth fasting and emptie guests but yet not so fastinge that a man maye not taste of somewhat a-fore-hand for his healthes sake For S. Paule sayeth If any man bee hungry let him eate at home The same Apostle also wil not haue any other feast to bee receuied together with the Lordes mysticall Supper And therefore we say that wee ought not to receiue that with other meate Tertullian writeth that Christians haue vsed oftentimes to eate other meate with it which kinde of Supper as hee writeth was called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is to say mutuall loue or charitie borrowing the name froÌ loue for that there the poore were refreshed with the feastinge of the richer sorte Howbeit prouision of meate drink and other necessaryes might wel enough be made for them without the Churche Paule will not permit that in one place both publique feastes should be made and also the mysticall supper of the Lorde celebrated Furthermore how many times in a yéere the faithfull ought to receiue this Sacrament of the Lords supper the apostles haue giuen forth no commaundement but haue lefte it indifferent vnto euery Churches discretion For what is more plaine than that which S. Paule hath said As often as you shall eate of this bread and drink of this cup you shall declare the Lords death vntill he come For the Lord as the same Apostle setteth it downe first commaunding said Doe this as oft as you shal drink it in remeÌbrance of me Howbeit let no no maÌ think that the celebration of the Lords supper is left so fréely vnto him that hee néed neuer to receiue it For that were no lawful libertie but most vnlawful licentiousnes They that celbrate the supper of y Lord vpoÌ certeine ordinary times of the yere would not haue it brought into contempt or loathed by reason of the daily frequenting For they haue some consideratioÌ of their owne people they would haue the supper to be celebrated worthily
whole world and all the counsels in the world all the kinges and princes yea if all the Angels and Saintes should commaund vs to beléeue that Christ is here or there corporally yet the commaundement of our only redéemer Iesus Christe the sonne of God the father of wisedome by whome all thinges were made who forbiddeth vs to beleue the same ought to be of that authoritie among all the godly that they may knowe that they muste not beléeue as creatures commauÌd them but as the creatour hath commaunded them Yea moreouer the Lorde vouchsafeth in this verie same place of the Gospell to giue vs a reson of his doctrine For why must we not beléeue that Christe is conuersant or bodily present vpon the earth but inuisibly Bycause like as the lightening goeth foorth of the East and appeareth in the West so shall the comming of the Sonne of man be Which is as much as if he had sayde The Sonne of God came once humbly into the earthe to redéeme vs throughe his humilitie and death on the crosse which thing being finished he forsooke the earth and ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of the father from thence he shall not returne into these our regions but to iudgement But then shal he appeare glorious noble to be séene of all men as it were the moste cleare sunne yea rather like a lightning right terrible to all the wicked And therefore there is no cause why from the time of his ascension vntill his comming to iudgement we shuld looke for him to come inuisibly and to remayne with vs corporally present S. Hierome expounding the same place sayth This also must be sayd that the second comming of oure sauiour shall not be shewed in humilitie as before but in glory It were a foolishe part therefore to seeke him in a little corner or in some secrete place who is the light of the whole world Thus farre he But least I may séeme to stay my self vpon some humane authoritie I will rehearse that whiche S. Paule teacheth vs in his Epistle to the Hebrues saying Christ appeared once before the end of the worlde to put away sinne by offering vp of him selfe And for as much as it is appointed to men once to dye and after this commeth the iudgement euen so Christe being once offered vp to take away the sinnes of many shal the second time be seene of them withoute sinne who looke for him to their saluation Bicause therefore our Lorde came once into the worlde hee was once offered vp but he shall come againe or the second time at the ende of the world truely he commeth not againe euerie day into the worlde And bycause he hath forbidden vs to beléeue if any man should shewe him present here or there vnto vs in this worlde it must néedes followe that he may be shewed present here or there ãâã ⪠in all places where the Sacrament of thankesgiuing is celebrated if wee will vnderstand the wordes of the Supper according to the letter therfore it followeth without all contradiction by conference of places that the wordes of the Lordes Supper ought not to be expounded according to the letter I thinke herewith I haue satisfied such as be not of a contentious disposition For vndoubtedly their meaning is that we shoulde speake of the sacramentes sacramentally and that sacramentall speaches ought to bée expounded sacramentally Besides that wee ought to beéeue nothing that is repugnaunt to the rule of beliefe But the myracles and the omnipotencie of God brought foorth and alledged in this place for the setting oute and persuading of an euill matter they do no good at all after so many and manifest arguments of truth Myracles are ioyned vnto the worde as it were seales whiche thing the Lorde God him selfe testifieth in S. Marke If then they be repugnaunt to the worde and affirme that whiche the worde altogether denyeth who will not perceiue them to be of that kynde of myracles whereof the Apostle speaketh in the second chapter of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians and wherof we haue heard now that the lord gaue vs warning in the Gospell that we should in no case beleue them The lord can do al things but therefore he doth not all things The Prophete sayth What so euer the Lord would do that he did both in heauen and in earth Moreouer he will not do such things as are contrarie to his worde and his fayth therefore he can not do that he will not do Theodoretus in his thirde Dialogue intituled Polymorphus sayth The Lorde God will doe nothing that is not in him of his owne nature but he can doe what euer he will but he will doe suche things as are fit and agréeing to his nature Therfore sith God of his owne nature is true he can not doe that whiche is contrarie to his worde Other sounde writers doe adde Not that hee can not doe all thinges but that he will not doe that which is contrarie to his nature and bycause it doth not become to doe against him selfe In the meane season I do expresly professe that I condemne not or flatly am against all manner of Christes presence in the Church and in the action also of the supper For I am flatagainst that bodily presence of Christ in the breade which the Papistes defende and enforce vppon the Churche of god But I confesse and acknowledge with open mouth and sincere heart that spiritual diuine and quickening presence of oure Lorde Christe both in the Supper and also out of the supper wherby he continueth to powre him selfe into vs not by sings lackiÌg life but by his holy spirit to make vs partakers of all his good graces to iustifie quicken nourishe susteine and satisfie vs whiche presence we doe also féele in our selues through fayth by the whiche we are both susteyned nourished and satisfied For Christe is the heade of his Churche and we haue fellowshippe with him But howe should a liuing bodie be without his heade Howe should we be partakers of Christe if we should not féele him present yea liuing and working in vs But of these matters wee haue also intreated more at large in place coÌuenient Some there are I knowe well enoughe who otherwise are not iniurious to the trueth which gainesay these things crying out that by this reason the manner of Christes presence in the Supper is not fully enough expressed especially since hée him selfe also hath sayde elsewhere Beholde I am with you continually vnto the worldes ende I saythe he wholy not my power or diuinitie not my spirit nor my strength Moreouer it is a hazaâdâ least we should séeme to teare Christe in péeces séeing that he cannot be wholy with vs vnlesse he be present with vs as well in body as in diuinitie But we woÌder what is in their heades Do they not vnderstand that the Lord in that diuine talke spoken both in the verie Supper and also immediately
after the supper did beate vpon nothing so muche as the very same thing against which they set shoulder to wit that Christe would be absent in body but present in spirit that this presence wold be more profitable to the church than his bodily presence Do they not also vnderstande wherefore he tooke fleshe and was nayled on the Crosse that is to say what the effect and vse is of Christes body to wit that the sacrifice of his body being once offered for vs vppon earth he might carrie the same vppe into heauen in token that both oure bodies and soules after oure death shall through his merite be also carried thither Therefore after that the Lordes body had fulfilled on earth that whiche it came to fulfill there is no cause why it should doe any thing else vpon earth He nowe sitteth and ought to sit at the right hande of the father that he may drawe all vs thither vnto him If there be any that doth not yet fully beléeue that which we say let him reade the doctrine of Sainte Paule the Apostle in the ninthe and tenthe Chapters of his Epistle to the Hebrues Let him also reade the fourtéenth and sixtéenth chapters of Saint Iohns Gospell But if it be a pleasure to them to hale at the gable of contention and to sticke precisely as well to these wordes of the Lorde I am with you vnto the worldes ende as to these This is my body This is my bloud let them then expound to me these holy testimonies of the holy Scripture Paule sayth that Christe dwelleth in our harts and that Christ liueth in him and he in Christe The Lorde saythe to the théefe This day shalt thou bee with me in Paradise And the Euangelist saith of the Lord being dead They layde him into the sepulchre The Scripture sayth not They layde fleshe and bones into the sepulchre but They layde him into the sepulchre The Lorde sayde not to the théefe Thy soule shall be with my spirite or soule in Paradise But Verily I say vnto thee this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Neyther dothe Sainte Paule say that Christes spirite and life doth liue in him or dwell in our heartes But he sayth simply That Christ doth dwell in our heartes But who is so foolishe and giuen to contention that for these wordes and places of the Scripture will contend that Christes diuinitie was buryed with his body that Christes body was with his soule that same daye in Paradise in which either of theÌ departed this life that Christes body together with his spirit dwelleth in the harts of the faithful liueth in Paul that Paule liueth in Christes flesh Al men doe willingly admit the catholique sense of the catholique Churche gathered out of the word of god namely that Christ in his spirite is present in his Churche euen to the worldes ende but absent in body and that the théefes soule was that day present in Paradise with Christes soule not with his bodye So iudgeth it also of the residue But if any man mistrust myne interpretation let him heare S. August in his treatise vpon Iohn saying thus He speketh of the presence of his body when hee sayth the poore you shal always haue with you but mee shall you not haue alwayes For in respect of his maiestie of his prouidence of his vnspeakable grace is that fulfilled which hee spake Behold I am with you always euen to the worldes end But in respect of the fleshe which the woorde tooke vpon it in respect that he was borne of the virgine that he was takeÌ by the Iewes that hee was nayled to the Crosse that hee was taken downe from the Crosse that hee was woond in a sheete that he was layde into the sepulchre that hee was manifested in the resurrection you shall not haue me with you alwayes And why so Bycause hee was conuersant as touching his bodily presence fourtie dayes with his disciples and they accompanying him but not following him hee ascended into heauen And is not here For there he sitteth at the right hand of the father And hée is héere For hee is not gone hence in respect of the presence of his maiestie Thus farre Sainte Augustine But if they yet procéede not regarding all this that we haue sayd to vrge that saying of the Lorde out of Matthewe Behold I euen I I say am ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã with you we will also obiect againste them this saying of the Lord and the same out of the Gospel It is expedieÌt for you that I we here they haue also this worde I doe depart we obiect also against them this testimonie of the angels out of Luke This Iesus which is takeÌ vp ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã from you into heauen c. They shal be at lengthe constreyned whether they will or no to reconcile such places as séeme to be repugnant and to admitte the generall vnderstanding whiche we haue alledged and defended hitherto Neyther is there here any daunger of diuiding Christe neyther diuide we Christes person with Nestorius since we defend the proprietie of bothe natures in Christe against the Eutychians While Christ our Lorde in body was yet conuersant vpon the earth hee him selfe witnesseth in the Gospell that neuerthelesse he was also in the heauens And in déed Christ who was bothe God and man all at one time was then in heauen when he was crucified and conuersant vpon earth although his body was not crucified in the heauens But as Christ diuided not him selfe although being in heauen he was notwithstaÌding conuersant and crucified in body vpon earth not in heauen so neyther do we diuide Christe who is both God and man although we say he is present with vs when we celebrate the supper and that we communicat with him yet neuerthelesse we affirme that in his body he remayneth in heauen where hee sitteth at the right hand of the father and so let vs keepe our selues within the compasse of the Scripture Of this matter I haue reasoned at large where I haue intreated of one person and of bothe natures in Christ vnpermixed Hitherto haue I spoken of the naturall meaning of the wordes of the Lordes Supper as briefly and plainly as possibly I could Touching the place of Paule in the first to the Corinthians chap. 10. The cup of blessing which we blesse c. with suche other textes which are alledged to proue bodily presence I shal not néed to vse many wordes for wee haue handled that place already once or twise It remayneth therefore that wee examine and weyghe what they deliuer vnto vs touching the eating of Christes body and also what the Canonicall scriptures doe teache to be thought of that eating What say they the lord hath promised the same most surely and fully he performeth They adde But he promised that he would giue vs his true body and very bloude to be eaten and brunken in the fourme of breade and wine
laide not a side his true and very body 2. Cor. 5. Philip. 3. Christ âath a reasoâable soule Matth. â0 Matth. 26. Iohn 12. Luke 22. Luke 9. The hereticall error and the sounde truethe touchinge the mysterie of Christes âncarnation * Aprouer biall kind of speache whereby is meante that in avoyding a lesse error he fall into a greater Of the vnitinge of Chrste his Godhead and manhood Iohn 1. â Tim. 3. Heb. 2. Heb. 2. Christ reteineth both natures vnmeddled or vnconfounded to gether ãâã 7. âsai 9. ãâã 5. Matth. 22 Psal. 110. Luke 1. Iohn 14. Marke 14. Matth. 28. Rom. 1. The Natures in Christ are not mingled or coÌfounded Christe in one persoÌ remaineth vndiuided 1. Cor. 2. Actes 20. Of communicatinge of ââopeâties Iohn 3. Heb. 2. Iohn 6. Iohn 20. The person of Christ is not diuided Matth. 8. Marke 16. Actes 1. Actes 8. Christ is king of al. Gene. 3. Luke 11. Colos 1. 2. Pet. 2. Matth. 21. Christ is a monarche Psal. 2. Psal. 110. Esai 49. Isai 16. Ierem. 23 Of the kingdome of God. Mich. 4. Rom. 24. Matth. 25. Luke 23. The kingâome of God which ãâã one iââwo waiâ ⪠âânfidereâ Gods kingdome of grace in âarth Pro. 24. 1. Sam. 7. Howe Canst reigâetâ on ãâã in âis kingâome âpoc 1. The spiritual kingdome of God. Iohn 18. The âounds of Christes kingdome ân earth The seate of our King Christe ãâã 1. Ephe. 5. Gods kingdome of glorie in heauen Apoc. 21. 22. The kingdome of Christe is in euerlastinge kingdome Matth. 16 Matth. 24 Dan. 7. Matth. 6. The kingdome of the world what maÌner of one it is Iohn 12. 2. Cor. 4. 1. Iohn 3. Christ Ieâus the ââgh pries ⪠Psal 110. Heb. 6. Hebr. 7. Gen. 14. Hebr. 5. Psal. â Christ is aÌnoynted Psal. 45. Esai 61. Howe Christ our priest doth the offices of a priest Christ the teacher of the church Christ maketh intercession Christ blesseth Christ sacrificeth Christ sanââifieth Iohn 7. Iohn 17. Of Christs priesthood Heb. 8. Heb. 13. 1. Iohn 2. Esai 4 4. Hebâ 5. Iohn 16. Heb. 9. Heb. 10. Apoc. 1. 1. Pet. 2. Of the name of a Christian Christians are kinge and priests Christians are kinge Rom. 6. I. Iohn 5. Christians are priests Heb. 3. Heb. 13. The name of a Christian moste auncient There are but fewe Christians Esa. 66. Matth. 7. A gainste false Christians The conclusion The word Spirit is ââpounded Spirit is âayer or ãâã Iohn 3. 1. Cor. 14. Spirit signifieth an Angel. Psal. 104. Hebr. 1. Spirit signifieth life Psal. 145. 104. Gene. 6. Spirit signifieth the soule of man. Luke 23. Iohn 19. Actes 7. Eccle. 12. Spirit signifieth affection of minde Spirit signifieth spiritual motions Rom. 2. 2. Cor. 3. Spirit âignifieth reuelation 1. Iohn 4. Iohn 4. What the holy ghosâ is That the âolyghost ãâã verie God. 1. Cor. 13. 1. Cor. 12. Matth. 28. ob 25. Luke 1. 2. Pet. 1. Actes 5. 1. Cor. 3. 1. Cor. 6 1. Cor. 12. The holy ghost is neither minister âor instrument The holie ghost is a substance not an accident Rom. 8. Gal. 5. Of the proceeding of the holie ghoste The holie ghost procedeth froÌ the father and the sonne Gal. 4. Matth. 10. Iohn 15. Iohn 14. Iohn 15. Iohn 5. The proceeding of the holie ghost is two-fouldor of twoe sortes Temporal proceding Eternall proceding Looke in the. 3. Sermon of this decade about the beginning 1 Pet. 1. 2. Cor. 4. âncreasinges of the spirite 4. Reg. 2. Iohn â Matth. 13. 1. Sam. 16. Psal. 51. Of the effect and power of the holie ghost The holie ghost The holie ghost is the Spirite of God aâd of the sonne 1. Cor. 3. Rom. 8. The holâe ghost is the comforter Iohn 14. The holiâ ghoste is a comforter giueth ioye and gladnesse The holie ghost is the Spirite of trueth Iohn 16. Iohn 14. The Spirit of promise Gal. 3. The holie ghost the singer of god Luke 11. Exod. 8. Looke in the. 3. Sermon of this decad what things are spoken against the heretiques called the Anthropomorphites The spirit is called water and a liuely founteine Esai 44. Iohn 7. The holie ghost is fire The holie ghost a mightie winde The holie ghost a fiâie tongue The holie ghost a loue Matth. 3. âsai 53. âohn â Actes 8. âapi 7. The holie ghost oyle and aÌnoyning 1. Iohn 2. Iere. 31. Hebr. 8. 2. Cor. 1. The holy ghost is the earnest of our inheritance Ephe. 1. 1. Iohn 4. 1. Iohn 3. The holie ghost loue or charity Rom. 5. The operations of the holie ghost Isai 1â Wisdome VnderstaÌding Counsell Strength Knowledg Feare Rom. 8. The spirit doth morâfie and quicken The spirit âr holie ghost reuealeth âhe mysteries of the âingdome of God. 1. Cor. 2. Iohn 16. The spirite foresheweth thinges to come Actes 11. The diuers giftes of the holy ghost Gal. 5. Tertullians notatable treatise of the holy ghost Isai 11. Isai 6â Psal. 54. Rom. 8. â Cor. 3. Rom. 8. 1. Cor. 7. 1. Cor. 14. 1. Tim. 4. 1. Cor. 12. Mark. 3. A summe of the vnitie and Trinitie of God. Aâ angel âal 2 3. 1. Cor. 11. â Pet. 2. 1. Cor. 6. â Cor. 12. That there are angels Actes 23. Matth. 22. A. Steuchus in his 6. and. 8. booke de perenni philosophia What Angels are That Angels are created Heb 1. Coloss 1. When Angels were created Angels are Substances Heb. 1. Matth. 22. Hebr. 2. What maÌner of Substances angels are Psal. 104 ⪠Bodily SubstaÌces What bodies are taken of Angels Angels are incorruptible Matth. 22. 1. Cor. 15. Luke 20. Angels are moste free swifte and speedie Actes 5. Actes 1â Iohn 5. Luk. 23. 16. Dan. 9. The strength of Angels Dan. 10. The knowledge of Angels Of the multitude and order of Angels Dan. 7. Matth. 26 Hebr. 12. The exposition of names giuen to Angels Angels Archangels 1. Thes 4. Thrones or Seates Psal. 18. Lordships Principalities Powers Cherubim Seraphim God vseth the ministerie of Angels Psal. 103. Exod. 19. Dâuâ 5. Actes 10. Luke 15. Zacha ⪠1. What the ministeries of angels are Esai â Ezech. 3. Luke 2. 1. Pet. 1. Matth. 13. Luke 1. Matth. 2. Luke 22. Gen. 16. Actes 17. Exod. 12. Actes 12. 4. Reg. 19. 2. Reg. 24. 2. thess. 1. Apoc. 16. Psal. 34. Psal. 91. Matth. 18. Gen. 32. 4. Reg. 6. * Seruants Gene. 24. Exod. 34. ãâã 10. âan 4. We muste âot attribute too much vnto Angels Sainctes wil not be worshipped of vs. Actes 7. Gen. 16. Actes 27. Apoc. 22. The worâhippinge âf Angels greatly coÌdemned Marke what he thinketh of the temple builte to S. Michael in Mount Garganuâ Of euill spirites That there are diuels What the diuel is That the diuel is a creature The diuel was not created euil Of the fall of Angels from heauen Iob. 4. 2. Pet. 2. Iohn â Isai 14. Ezech. 2â The diuel is euerlastingly coÌdemned Maâth 25. Mark 9. Iohn 5. Daâ â2 Apoc. 20. Diuels are spirits and