they fall not backward as Eli and the Iewes who tooke Christ but forward as Abraham in the valley of Mambre and Ezechiel by the riuer Chebar Lastly wee must end well Death is our last enemie which must be destroyed and therefore we must run well vnto the end and in the end As good not to runne at all as to runne neere the end and then to lose the prize to suffer Satan at the last houre to snatch our reward from vs. A runner will bee sure to stretch out his hand at the races end to take the marke so when death approcheth a Christian must stretch out the hand of faith apprehending Christ and his righteousnesse Obserue yet a great difference betweene the Christian and other races In the games of other runners as it is here said one onely doth winne the gole but in the Christian course many receiue the prize so many as continue stedfast vnto the end though they doe not runne so fast though they doe not runne from so farre as other So Christ shewes in the parable of the vineyard allotted for the Gospell on this day Such as came to worke at the eleuenth houre had a peny so well as they that came into the vineyard at the third houre Secondly in other races one hinders another but in our iourney to heauen one helpes another The moe the merier the greater companie the better encouragement euery good man being a spurre to his neighbour As when Peter and Iohn ranne to Christs sepulchre Iohn ouerrunne Peter vnto the graue Peter outwent Iohn into the graue Thirdly runners and wrastlers contend for a crowne that shall perish but we runne to obtaine an euerlasting crowne They run for a little prize for a little praise but wee striue for no lesse then a kingdome that is at stake that is the marke which being infinitly aboue the value of all mens works it cannot be deserued by merit but onely giuen by grace To propound a garland for the runner and a crowne for the wrestler proceeds altogether from Gods owne meere mercy to run and not to fall to fall and not finally to be cast downe comes also from his especiall grace So that it is neither in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that shewes mercy Yet we must so runne that we may obtaine Wee must worke well in respect of the reward as also for feare of punishment due to such as worke not well albeit not onely nor chiefly for these considerations as slaues for feare or hirelings for reward but principally out of louing obedience to God as becomes children vnto so good a father Holy conuersation is a signe and seale of our iustification by which our election is made sure Feramus ergo sidei fructum ab ipsâ pueritiâ augeamus in adolescentiâ coloremus in iuuentute compleamus in seâ—ectute I therefore so run One said of Erasmus his Enchiridion that there was more deuotion in the booke then in the writer But here Saint Pauls life doth preach so much as his letter I so run so fight I Preachers as it is well obserued vpon the Gospell for this day must be not onely verbarij but operarij fo that as Christ said to the Lawyer I say to thee Goe and doe thou likewise Not as one that beateth the aire Such as contend in the Church about things vncertaine and vnnecessary beat the aire I tame my body The Monkes of S. Swithin in Winchester complained to Henry the second that their Bishop had taken away three of their dishes and left them but ten to whom the King answered that the Bishop should doe well to take away ten and to leaue them but three for they were so many as he had in his Court. In England Monkes so tamed their body that among vs as yet Frier and fat are voces conuertibiles and the new bastard Monke though his habit resemble loue couering a multitude of sinnes yet himselfe is the piâ—â—re of enuie No treason in old time without a Priest no treason in our time without a Iesuit so that I may say with the Poet In vestimentis non est contritiomentis Ni mens sit pura nil confert regula dura Bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable to all things As to shew the behauiour of a Prophet in the robes of a cauiliere is louely so contrariwise doe the works of a ruffin in the weeds of a Priest is no better then hypoâ—risie Lest by any meanes Our Apostle was assured of his saluation as it is euident Rom. 8. This then is to be construed of reproofe before men not of reprobation before God Or if it be referred to damnation eternall his â—â—aning is that we may not presume of the end without the meanes and waies by which Almighty God brings vs vnto it And so we lambes may tremble seeing the belwether of the flocke must so labour and subiect his flesh lest perhaps he misse the marke Christ doth assure that a little faith euen little as a grain of mustard seed is strong enough to cast all mountaines into the sea that shall rise vp to diuide betweene God and vs. It is true that the shield of faith is able to repell all the fierie darts of the wicked but this our faith is made fat by good works And if we will make our calling and election sure we must with all diligence ioine vertue with faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherlie kindnesse and with brotherly kindnesse loue c. The Gospel MAT. 20.1 The kingdome of heauen is like vnto a man that is an housholder c. OVr Sauiour was delighted exceedingly with certaine proueâ—biall speeches as Euery man that exalâ—eth himselfe shall be brought loâ— and hee that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted Vnto euery man that hath it shall be giuen but from him that hath not euen that which he hath shall be taken away Many that are first shall be last and the last shall be first The which saying is hard and as Bishop Latymer speakes it is no meat for mowers and ignorant people Christ therefore propounds here this parable for explanation thereof as it is apparent by the 16. verse of this present Chapter as also by the last words of the former Many that are first shall be last and the last shall be first for the kingdomâ— of heauen c. In which a lecture of meeknesse is read by the great Doctor of humility teaching all such as are forward in religion not to be proud because the first may be last and all such as are called late not to despaire because the last may be first In the whole parable three points are to be noted our calling worke
and haue not charitie I am nothing gather two conclusions against vs the first is thâ—t true faith may bee without loue the second that faith alone without good workes is nothing worth in the businesse of our iustification To the first answere is made that the speech of Paul is not a categoricall proposition but an hypotheticall supposition if it were possible that all faith should be without good workes it were nothing Secondly Paul here speakes not of a iustifying saith of that faith of beleeuers which is common and generall but of the speciall gift of faith to worke miracles of which our Sauiour in the Gospell If yee had faith aâ— much as a graine of mustard seâ—de and should say vnto this mulbery tree Pluck thy selfe vp by the rootes and plant thâ— selfe in the sea it should euen obey you This hee said vnto the beleeuing Apostles and therefore cannot bee construed of a sauing faith but of a miraculous faith and so S. Ambrose notes vpon this text to doe wonders and to cast out diuels by faith is nothing worth except a man be an earnest follower of good conuersation Our Diuines acknowledge that euery kind of faith is not ioyned with loue for there is a dead â—aith and there is a liuely whereby Christ liueth in vs we in Christ. There is a faith of diuâ—ls and a faith of Gods elect There is a faith whereby the beleeuer shal neuer perish and there is a faith whereby some beleeue for a time and in the day of temptation fall away There is a faith which the world destroyeth and a faith which is our victorie by which a Christian ouercomes the world There is a faith whereby wee beleeue there is a God and there is a faith whereby we beleeue in God according to these differences of faith in Scripture there is a faith without workes and there is a faith which worketh by loue We say then of the faith of Gods elect whereby we beleeue in God to which the promise of iustification and eternall saluation is made that is a faith which cannot be separated from charity but wheresoeuer it is there is loue ioyned with it bringing forth the fruites of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Christ vnto the glorie and praise of God Inseparabilis est bona vita à sidâ— qua per dâ—â—e iionem operatur imò verò ea iâ—sâ— est bona vâ—â—â— saith Aâ—gustine according to that of Irenaeus to beleeue is to doe as God will and therfore Beza translates here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not omnem fidem but toâ—â—m â—idem implying not all kinde of faith but all faith of this kinde to worke miracles as if Paul should argue thus If a man could worke neuer so many miracles and faile in his morals he should be nequâ—m nequam is nequiâ—quam as our Apostle speakes a nothing The second conclusion gathered out of these words against vs is that faith alone without charitie nothing auaileth to iustification Our answere is that albeit faith is not solitaria yet in our iustification it is sâ—la euen as the eye in regard of being is neuer alone from the head yet in respect of seeing it is alone for it is the eye onely that doth see So saith subsists not without other graces of God as hope loue c. yet in regard of the act of iustification it is alone without them all For the further opening of this hard point you must vnderstand that separating of things one from another is either real in the subiect or mental in the vnderstanding real separation of faith and charitie wee wholly denie For Bellarmine confesseth expressely that Luthâ—r Melanâ—thon Chemnitius Caluin and other learned Protestants haue taught that good workes in sâ—me sort be necessarie to saluation and that there is no true â—aith vnlesse it bring forth good workes and be conioyned with charitie Separation mental in vnderstanding and consideration is either negatiue or priuatiue Negatiue when in the vnderstanding there is an affirming of one and denying of another Priuatiue when of things that cannot be separated indeed yet a man vnderstands the one and omitteth to vnderstand the other As for example though light and heate cannot be sepaâ—ated in the fire yet a man may consider the light and not the heate so then in our iustification wee doe not negatiuely separate other graces from faith as if faith existed alone without hope and loue but priuatiuely making them effects and consequents not concurâ—ing causes of our iustification Our assertion is faith considered without hope and charitie that is hope and charitie not considered with it doth iustifie Christ Iesus is our husband and we are his spouse now the Bridegroome must bee â—lone with the Bride in his secret chamber all the seruants and the familie being put apart afterward when the doore is opened and he commeth foorth into the waiting roome then let all the seruants and handmaids attend then let hope doe her office let loue doe the duties of loue then as S. Peter exhorts ioyne vertue with faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance c. The Papists obiect that loue is the life of faith All faiths actiuitie proceedes only from charitie and without which our â—aith is dead So the Scripture plainly that in Christ neither is circumcision any thing neither vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue Cardinall Bellarmine reades 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passiuely wrought by loue disagreeing herein from all the Fathers and that which becomes him worse from the vulgar Latine to which all Papists are tied by the Councell of Trent as also from the Rhemish translation in Enlish which hath as our Testament worâ—eth actiuely for they foresaw this absurditie that if they should haue translated faith wrought by loue then it would haue followed that loue must needs be before faith whereas all of them acknowledge faith to be before loue according to that of Augustine Faith is giuen first by which wee obtaine the rest and Altissiodorensis in his golden Summe saith that faith hope and charitie are a created trinitie resembling the three diuine persons vncreat For the Sonne is begotten of the Father and the holy Ghost proceeds from both so stedfast hope is bred of faith and loue doth issue from them both And Bellarmine cites often in his workes out of Augustine Domus Deicredendo fundatur sperando erigitur diligendo perficitur The foundation of Gods house in our soules is faith the walles hope the roofe charitie The Prophet in a vision saw the transgressor against the transgressor and the destroyer against the desâ—royer So the schoolmen oppose the schoolmen and their Champion Bellarmine fights against Bellarmine For if faith be the foundation of all other vertues as himselfe writes lib. 1. de Rom. pont cap. 10. then it is not as hee
hath been to vs then curiously to seeke what he is in himselfe But as for the secrets of his kingdom he reueales them vnto the heires of his kingdome these mysteries may yea must be knowne and therefore Christ cried He that hath eares let him heare Teaching hereby that in making our election sure we must not begin à priori but à posteriori such as with a good heart heare the word and keep it and bring foorth fruite through patience shall inherit the kingdome of God but the kingdom of God shall be taken away from such as are fruitlesse from such as are faithlesse This is the parable Bare reading without vnderstanding is bare feeding the true meaning of the Scripture is the true Manna for as a man so the Bible consists of a bodie and a soule The sound of the letter is the bodie but the sense is the soule this indeed is the scripture this is the parable The seede is the word of God The sower is Christ who went out ab occultô Patris in mundum à Iudaeá in Gentes à profundô sapientiae in publicum doctrinae The Preacher is not properly the sower but the seedcod at the most an vnderseed man The sower went out to sow Not to reape Now many goe out into Gods field only to gather in haruest tâ—nquam Stratocles Dromoclidâ—s ad auream messem intending to reape things carnall more then sowing things spirituall The sower sowed his seede for the seed is the word of God not of Angell or man and this seede hath in it generatiue power in it selfe it is liuely yea the word of life So that if it bring not forth fruit the fault is not in the seed but in the grouÌ„d being either vnplowed or stony or thorny The seed is the word of God And therefore such as corrupt it as heretikes or choke it as hypocrites or keepe it downe from growing by force as tyrants or thrust oâ—her seed into it as Papists doe shall one day feele the 〈◊〉 wrath of God for as he gaue pure seed so will he requâ—re pure câ—rne He left this in the Church euen in the garners of the Prophets and Apostles and therefore whosoeuer adulterate iâ— before it be sowen or nip it when it doth spring or cut it downe before the Lord haruest are not Gods husbandmeâ— but Satans hirelings and you may know them saith Christ by their fruit that is by their doctrine For Gods husbandmen sow Gods seed but the diuels factors as Saint Paul plainly the doctrines of diuels As for example this is pure seed Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue But to worship Angels and Saints and to giue the same kind of worship to the crucifix which is due to Christ is sophisticate seed This was not at the first sowen by the sower but ouersowen after by the malitious enemie while men slept Those that are bâ—â—â—de the way Three parts of foure are bad yea the most of such as heare the word confesse Christ are vnprofitable Striue then to enter in at the strait gate Remember that couetous cares and voluptuous liuing are the thornes which vsually choke Gods seed in our heart riches vnto the couetous are thornes in this and the next life their pricks are threefold in this life namely punâ—tura lâ—boris in acquisitione timoris in possessione doloris in amissione The true reason why so many men are delighted with them is because they put on wants or tiâ—ning gloues and so their hearts and hands being hardened they feele not their pricking but in the next world they will bee thornes againe when Christ shall say to the couetous Hence from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire for I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meat I thirsted and ye gaue me no drinke c. Here pause good Reader and pray with Ludolphus O Domine Iesufac me de veteri vita exire ne semen verbi tui quod in meô intellectu boni propositi quod in meô affectu boni operis quod in meô actu seminâsti comedatur à volucribus inanis gloriae ne conculcetur in viâ assiduitatis ne areat in petrâ durae obstinationis ne suffocetur in spinis solicitudinis sed potiùs in terra bonâ cordis humilimi centesimum fructum edat in patientiâ fac etiam me haec omnia intelligere facere ac verbô vel saltem exemplô alios docere Amen The Epistle 1. COR. 13. Though I speake with tongues of men and Angels c. THe Bible is the body of all holy religion and this little Chapter is as it were an abridgement of all the Bible for it is a tract of loue which is the complement of the law and supplement of the Gospell All the scripture teaching nothing else saith Augustine but that we must loue our neighbour for God and God for himselfe Nihil praecipit nisi charitatem nec culpat nisi cupiditatem it forbids nothing but lust and inioines nothing but loue for without loue there is no true faith and without faith all our righteousnesse is sinne S. Paul therefore doth extoll in this Chapter aboue all other this one vertue 1. largely shewing that it surpasseth al other graces in two things Vse vers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Continuance ver 8 9 10 11 12 13. 2. briefly by way of recapitulation in the last verse Now abideth faith hope and loue euen these three but the chiefe is loue Charity doth excell in vse for all other gifts without it are nothing auaileable to saluation as Paul proues by this induction If I speake with tongues of men and Angels c. All vertues are either Intellectuall in accurate speech vers 1. other knowledg vers 2. Morall in doing v. 3. Though I feed the poore with al my goods suffering Though I giue my body to be burned c. Though I speake with the tongues of men That is of all men If I had vnderstanding in all languages and Art to parle in them all if a man could speake so many tongues as our late Soueraigne of blessed memory Queene Elizabeth of whom the diuine Poet as a Diuine truly not as a Poet flatteringly That Rome Rheine Rhone Greece Spaine and Italy Plead all for right in her natiuity If a man could discourse in so many languages as Mythridates of whom Volaterane reports that he well vnderstood 22. sundry tongues or as other 25. If a man could thunder in an Oration as Aristophanes said of Pericles or tune his note so sweetly that hee could moue mountaines and stony rockes with Orpheus or feâ—ch soules out of hell as fabulous antiquity fained of Mercury Though a man could hold the people by the â—ares and cary them vp and downe the Country like pitchers as Socrates did
Alcibiades and steale away their harts as Absolon did in Israel If a man were so bewitching an Orator that he could pro arbitrio tollere extollere â—mplificare extenuare magicis quasi viribus eloquentiae in quam velit faciem habitumque transformare so subtill a disputer as that he could make quidlibet ex quólibet euery thing of anything yet without loue were he nothing Yea though a man could speake with the tongues of Angels that is of the learned Priests and Prophets who are Gods Angels and messengers If a man had the siluer trumpet of Hilary or the golden mouth of Chrysostome or the mellifluous speech of Origen cuius ex ore non tam verba quà m mella fluâ—re videntur If a man were so painfull in preaching that as Saint Peter he could adde to the Church with one sermon about three thousand soules or as it is recorded of venerable Beda fondly and falsly that he could make the very stones applaud his notes and say Amen Or as other expound it hyperbolically though a man should speake like the glorious Angels as Paul Gal. 1.8 Though an Angell from heauen should preach vnto you si quae sint Angelorum linguae Giue me leaue to adde one thing more to this hyperbolicall supposition If a man could speake like God as antiquity reports of Plato that if Iupiter himselfe should speake Greeke he would vse no other phrase but his And of Chrysippus that if the gods should speake logicke they would haue none but his Or as the people blasphemously of Herod Act. 12. The voice of God and not of man Though I say we could speake with tongues of men of Angels of God if it were possible and haue not loue we were but as a sounding brasse or as a tinckling cymball we might happily pleasure other but not profit our selues vnto saluation Herein resembling Balâ—ams Asse who by speaking bettered her Master not her selfe A plaine piece of brasse makes but a plaine noise Tinkers musicke but a tinckling cymball in regard of the concauity yeelds a various sound a more pleasant stroke So rude speakers are like sounding brasse but the Curious and Iudicious adorned with multiplicity of distinctions and variety of good learning are as a tinckling cymball or more tickling delight to their hearers and yet if they preach without loue their sound is without life Qui non diligit fratrem manâ—â— in morte saith S. Iohn Such fitly resemble the sermon bel which cals other to the Church but heares nothing it selfe it weares out to his owne hurt though others good Nay when Auditors are perswaded throughly that their Pastors instruct not out of charity their plaine doctrines are but as sounding brasse tedious as the Tinkers note their accurate sermons as a tinâ—kâ—ing cyâ—ball which onely pierce the eares and enter not into their hearts as the Prophet aptly Their admonitions are vnto them as a iesting song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can sing well for they heare their words but they doe them not As one that heares excellent musicke from out of the streetes in the night will instantly leape out of his bed and lend his care for a time but when the musitians are gone presently returnes to sleep againe so many delight to heare the sweet songs of Sâ—on but when the sermon is at an end they sleep in their old sinnes againe forgetting immediaâ—ly the good lesson as if it were but the drumming on a pan or scraping on a keâ—â—le And though I 〈◊〉 prâ—phâ—â—ie Prophecie then is nothing without loue For Balaam Caâ—pâ—â— and Sâ—ul propheciâ—d Vnderstanding of mysteries is nothing without loue for Iudas and Nicolas and Arius were wel acquainted with the scriptures All knowledge is nothing for the Scribes had the key of knowledge yet entred not in themselues And all knowledge Though a man were an Ocean of learning as Plutarch is called in so much that Theodoâ—â— Gaza said if he could reade but one mans bookes he would make choice of him Or if a man were so full as Plinie whose works are instar mille voluminum if a man were a treasure house of letters as Picus Mirandula writes of Hermolaus Barbarus a library for a whole nation as Baronius of Albinus as Erasmus of Bishop Tonstal a world of learning mundus eruditionis abounding with skill in all Arts theorical real metaphysical inspired as Diuinity contained in y e Bible acquired of w t Aristotle and Auicen write mathematical as Arithmetike Geometry Musicke Astronomie physical concerning the Principles Generation of naturall things rational Grammar Rhetoricke Logicke practical actiue Ethicks Oeconomicks Politicks factiue as skill in Nauigation Husbandry Hunting c. If a man vnderstand all mysteries in Scripture all secrets in nature â—f he had all faith that he could remoue mountaines in a literall sense moue that which cannot be moued high hils Imponere Pelion Ossae in an allegorical exposition cast out diuels If a man had all parts of all knowledge prophecie sapience prudence and had not loue he were nothing Nothing in esse gratiae though something in esse naturae dead spiritually though something some great thing in the naturall and ciuill life For great Clerkes haue long life on earth Albeâ—t Aquiras Iewel Picus Mirandula Whitaker died in the principall strength of their age yet in respect of honour and fame they liue with the longest Dum liber vllus erit dum scrinia sacra literarum Te leget omnis amans Christum tua Cypriane discet Knowledge is a good stirrup also to get aloft the hie way to much honor prefermeÌ„t in this world but without loue nothing auailable to glory eternall in the world to come Knowledge bloweth vp but charity buildeth vp If learning be taken without the true correctiue thereof it hath in it some nature of poison and some effects of that malignity which is a swelling If I speake with the tongues of men and Angels and had not charitie it were but as a tinckling câ—mball Not but that it is an excellent thing to speake with tongues of men and Angels and a far more noble treasure to possesse all knowledge For Christ said of his Apostles that they were the light of the world and the worthy Doctors succeeding were luminaria magna great starres in the firmament of the Church by whose light descending from the father of lights we finde out the truth hidden in many darke places of the scripture But the meaning of Pâ—â—â— iâ— if our knowledge be seuered from loue and not referred to the good of men and glory of God it hath rather a sounding glory then a meriting vertue though it seeme to be neuer so much it is a very nothing The Papists out of these words If I haue all faith so that I can remoue mountaines