fledd away Againe when the fire of the Lord deuoured the vttmost parts of the tents of Israel they cried vnto Moses and Moses againe cried vnto the lord and soudeinly the fire that deuoured them was consumed Againe the people murmured against the Lord and vengeaunce is prepared but Moses by milde continuall prayer quencheth the wrath of god For it is said vnto him I haue let them goe according to thy word Anon after when the people began a fresh to murmur against Moses and Aaron and that the vengeaunce of God had alreadie consumed foureteene thousand seuen hundred men Aaron at the commaundement of Moses burneth incense and standing betwéne the dead and those that were liuing howbeit néere and appointed to death hee pleadeth for and obteineth pardon by prayers Innumerable other of this kinde are read of Moses Iosue Moses successour by prayers made the course of the sunne and moone so long to stay vntil he had reuenged himselfe vpon his enimies Anna without any voyce heard by prayer putteth from her the reproche of barrennes and forthwith is made a fruitfull mother of verie many children Samuel the most godly sonne of godly Anna by prayer vanquisheth the Philistinâ—s and soudeinely in the time of Haruest raised vpp a mightie tempest of thunder and raine Wée doe also read things not vnlike of Helias Ionas in like manner prayed in the Whales bellie and was cast on the shore safe Iosaphat and Ezechias most religious kinges by prayers powred foorth vnto God by faith doe triumphe ouer their most puissaunt enimies Nehemias asked nothing of his king before hee had first prayed to the Lord of heauen therefore hée obteined all thinges The most valiaunt and man-like stomacht Iudith by prayer ouerthrew and slue Holophernes the most proud enimie of Gods people and the terrour of all nations And as Daniel brought all his affaires to passe by prayers vnto God so Hester tooke a déede in hand that was necessarie for Gods people and with thrée dayes fasting and daily prayers bringeth it to an happie end In the most blessed and most desired birth of our Lord IESVS companies of angels are heard singing praises together vnto god What and did not oure Lord when his life was in extreme daunger beetake him selfe to prayer and by and by heard the voice of an angel comforting him The Apostles together with the rest of the church pray with one accord about the third houre of the day and anon they receiue the holy Ghost And when the Apostles were in daungers the church crieth suppliantly for Gods help and presently without delay findeth succour They receiue much libertie to speake woorke very great signes and myracles among the people Peter by an Angel of God is brought out of a verie strong and fenced prison What should I speake of Paule and Silas praying and praysing the Lord in prison Is it not read that the foundations of the prison were all shaken with an earthquake and by that occasion the kéeper of the prison was turned vnto God Examples of which sort truely I could bring innumerable but that I am persuaded that to the Godly these are sufficient And faithfull men doe not attribute these forces effects or vertues to prayer as to a worke of ours but as procéeding from faith and so to God himselfe whiche promiseth these thinges and perfourmeth them to the faithful For the iudgement of Paul touching these is knowen in the 11. to the Hebrues and that all glorie is due to one god Who vouchsafe so to illuminate all our mindes that our prayer may alwayes please him Amen ¶ Of signes and the manner of signes of Sacramentall signes what a Sacrament is of whome for what causes and howe many Sacramentes were instituted of Christe for the Christian Churche Of what things they do consist how these are coÌ„secrated how the signe and the thing signified in the Sacraments are either ioyned together or distinguished of the kind of speeches vsed in the Sacraments ¶ The sixt Sermon THE treatise vppon the sacramentes remaineth which wée heard is ioyned to the woord of God and prayer But in speking of sacraments deliuered by Christ our king and high priest and receiued and lawfully vsed of his holy and catholique Churche I will by Gods grace and assistance obserue this order first to entreate of them generally and thaÌ„ particularly or seuerally And heere before hand I wil determine vppon the certeine signification of a signe or Sacrament wherein if I shal be somewhat longe or tedious I craue pardon déerly beloued therefore for I hope it shal not be altogether fruitlesse Signum a signe the Latine writers call a token a representing a marke and shew of some thing that hath signification So say Tullie and Fabius Fabius sayeth Some call Signum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thoughe some terme it Indicium other some Vestigium a marke or token whereby a thing is vnderstood as slaughter by bloud S. Aurelius Augustine the famous Ecclestastical writer Cap. 4. De magistro sayth We generally call all those things signes which signifie somewhat where also we finde words to bee Againe Lib. 2. de doctrina Christiana cap. 1. he saith A signe is a thing beside the semblance whiche it layeth before our senses making of it selfe somethinge to come into oure mind or thought as by seeing smoke we beleue there is fire The said Aur. August doth diuide signes into signes naturall and signes giuen Naturall he calleth those whiche without any wil or affection to signifie beside theÌ„selues make something else to be knowen as is smoke signifying fire For smoke hath not any will in it selfe to signifie Signes giuen are those which all liuing creatures do giue one to an other to declare as well as they caÌ„ the affections of their mind or any thing which they coÌ„ceiue meane or vnderstand And signes giuen hee diuideth againe by the senses For some belong to the eyes as the ensignes or banners of Capteines mouing of the hands all the members Some againe belong to the eares as the trumpet and other instruments of musicke yea words themselues which are chiefe principall among men when they intend to make their meaning knowen Vnto smelling hee referreth that sweete sauour of oyntment meÌ„tioned in the Gospel whereby it pleaseth the Lord to signifie somewhat To the tast hee referreth the supper of the Lord For saith he by the tasting of the sacrament of his bodie and bloud he gaue or made a signe of his will. He addeth also an exaÌ„ple of touching And wheÌ„ the woman by touching the hemme of his vesture is made whole that is not a signe of nothing but signifieth somewhat In this manner hath Augustine entreated of the kinds differences of signes Other also whose opinioÌ„ doth not much differ from hiâ— distinguish signes according to the order of times For of signes say they some are of thinges present some of thinges past and
should once set a foote out of doores vntil the next morning By which thing it is giuen vs to vnderstand that neither Christ nor our saluation is to bee found without the church in the sects or schismes of wicked heretikes Christe the Lambe of God doth gather al the faithful into one church wherin he kéepeth them lastly doth saue them Last of al this ceremonie did put gods people in mind of their duetie of thākfulnes especially of y studie of godlinesse harmelesse innocencie They therefore did giue thanks to God for these all other his benefites they praised his name and did vtterly absteine from all leauened bread For ye shal finde nothing so seuerely forbidden in this ceremonie as the eating of leauened bread Who soeuer eateth leauened bread saith the Lord his soule shall perishe from amonge the congregation of Israel whether he be a straunger or an Israelite borne The same saying is afterward often times repeated thoroughly beaten into their braines Nowe the Apostle Paule whose cunning and learning was much in the law of Moses expounding what was meant by the leauened bread doth say Therefore let vs keepe the feast not in the olde leauen nor in the leauen of malice and vnrighteousnesse but in vnleauened bread that is in sinceritie trueth Thus muche hitherto touching y eating of y Paschal lamb To these sacraments were also added sacrifices of sundrie sorts many kindes which were not first inuēted and taught by Moses but were taken vp and vsed immediately after the world was created For Caine Abel offered burnte sacrifices to God the maker of the world the one of the fruites of the earth and the other of the cattaile that was in his flock Like wise Seth Noah Sem Abraham Isaac and Iacob with al the other patriarches are knowne to haue sacrificed vnto the Lorde Nowe since the heathenish sacrifices of the Gentiles as the verie heathen writers them selues did testifie were partely like vnto and in many pointes all one with the Iewish sacrifices it is not vnlikely but that the graunde partriarchs of the Gentiles did teach euerie one his owne nation the manner of sacrificing which they had learned of their forefathers Sem Cham Iaphet and of the holie Patriarche Noah him selfe But it is vndoubtedly certein that the holy fathers did bring in nothing of their owne inuention nor adde any thinge to the sacrifices more then they had receiued learned of God who is the author of all goodnesse although Moses did more precisely distinguish certeinly order the sortes the kindes differences betwixt sacrifice and sacrifice And yet whatsoeuer he did that did hee at the Lords appointment God instructed Moses in all that he did For the booke of Leuiticus wherein are especially described all the kindes of sacrifices doth immediatly after the verie beginning testifie that Moses was called by God and that he learned of the Lord all the ceremonies of the sacrifices which he commaunded the Israelites to kéepe And in the 7 Chap. of y booke of Numb we read And when Moses came into the Tabernacle of appointment hee heard the voice of God speakinge vnto him out of the mercie seate Now as I was about to say there were diuers sacrifices sundrily differing in many pointes amōg thēselues yet hauing many thinges cōmon general one with another It was general to al sacrifices not to be offered in any other but one apointed place alone It was general to all sacrifices that they ought of duetie to be offered by faith according as they were taught by y word of god It was general to al sacrifices to be made according to the Lords cōmandement with holy fire not with strange fire or fire prophanely kindled Nadab Abihu the sonnes of Aaron were slaine for nothing else but for because they vsed prophane or strange fire in sacrificing to the lord For when the Israelites or Leuites did first of all sacrifice as the Lord had commaunded them in the tabernacle of appointmēt then did God by sending fire from heauen giue a token that he did like of that manner of sacrifice Whereupon in the sixte of Leuiticus the priestes are charged to mainteine or kéepe the holie fire alwayes burning first in the tabernacle and then in the temple whiche thinge it is manifest that the heathen did imitate in commaunding the vestall virgins at Rome alwayes to kéep the holie fire burning By this perpetual fire is meant the perpetual working of the holie Ghost in the church of Christe which must be kept quicke stirred vp in the heartes of the faithful with feruent prayers with the sincere doctrine of the Lorde with the right vse of his holie Sacraments It was also generall to all sacrifices that in them neither wilde nor vncleane beasts were offered to y lord Moreouer this generall rule of sacrifices is giuen by Moses in the 22. Chapter of Leuiticus saying Let no deformitie bee in the thinge that thou shalt offer If it be blinde or lame or maymed if it haue pusshes or scabbes or tettar ye shall not offer it vnto the Lorde neither shall ye put ought of it vpō his altar Verily if any man had brought a deformed oblation vnto the Lorde hee shewed him selfe plainly to be a contemner vtterly vnthankfull toward his maker And therefore the Lorde in Malachie cryeth out and saith When ye bring the blinde for sacrifice do ye not sinne and when ye bring the lame and sicke do ye not sinne Offer it nowe I praye thee to thy prince or capteine wil he be content with it or wil he accept thy person saith the Lorde of hostes And so I saye my name is in contempt of no estimation among you The iust and true God therefore doth at all times require trueth liberalitie sinceritie and integritie in them that worship him and on the other side he abhorreth and vtterly detesteth vncleanenesse lying and hypocrisie There are certeine other thinges also which be generally cōmon to all sorts of sacrifices but I will not at this time make particular rehersal of euery seuerall iott or minute But what peculiarities euery sundrie sacrifice hath it wil euidently appeare in the exposition of their sundrie sorts which I wil nowe speake of in order as they lye First of all I will expound to you that kinde of sacrifice which in the scripture is called Holocaustum That sacrifice was wholly consumed with fire so that nothing but the skin or hyde of the beast was leafte for the priest The woorde is deriued of the Gréeke For it is called Holocaustū as one should saye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is wholie burnt or consumed with fire This sacrifice was of thrée kindes I meane it was made after thrée sortes to wite with greater with little and with lesse liuing creatures namely with an Oxe a bullocke or a calfe or if any mannes abilitie were not sufficient
167 5 Adam begat a sonne in his owne similitude c. 500 6 I will destroy all flesh wherein there is breath of life c. 715 8 I will set my raine-bowe in the cloudes that when I sée it I may remember c. 957 9 The eating of beastes or anye thinge that liueth and moueth is graunted c. 385 9 The Lord rayned vpon Sodom and Gomor brimston and fire c. 633 9 Whatsoeuer maÌ„ it be of the house of Israel or of the strangers c. 385 12 Pharao the king of Aegypt coÌ„maunded Sara Abrahams wife to be taken and caried to his palace c 231 14 Giue mée the soules and take the substance or goods to thy self c. 755 16 And she called the name of the Lord which spake vnto her Thou God lookest on me c. 743 16. Hast thée to Zoar and saue thee selfe there for I can do nothing c. 640 17 I will make my couenaunt betwéene mée and thée and thy séed after thée in their generations c. 1051 17 The vncircumcised man child in whose flesh the foreskinne is not circumcised that soule shal be cut off from his people c. 1041. 1046 18 Abraham sawe thrée but with them thrée he talked as with one worshipped one c. 633 18 Wilt thou destroy the iust with the wicked That be farre from thee c. 520 18 And shal I hide from Abraham what I minde to do c. 3 20 Loe thou shalt die because of the womaÌ„ which thou hast taken away c. 232 22 In thy séede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed c. 545 645. 687. 22 God tempted Abraham c. 485 30 Giue me children or else I die c. 658 30 Am I in Gods stéede whiche hath denied thée or withholden froÌ„ thée the fruite of the wombe c. 658 33 And hée going before them bowed himselfe seuen times to the ground c. 649 34 Sichem defiled Dina the daughter of Iacob c. 235 39 Ioseph beeing prouoked to adulterie by his maisters wife c. 232 44 Ye wil bring my gray haires with sorrow to hell or the graue c. 65 48 Leâ— my name be called vppon them c. 655 ¶ Out of Exodus 3 THus shalt thou saye to the childreÌ„ of Israel The Lord God of our fathers the God of Abraham c. 612 3 And Moses said to God Behold when I come vnto the childreÌ„ of Israel to whom thou doest nowe send me and shal say vnto them c. 608 4 Euery manchild whose foresain shall not be circumcised shal be cutt off c. 1029 4 And GOD hardened Pharaos heart c. 493 4 A bloudie husband art thou vnto mée c. 1044 6 I am Iehouah And I appeared to Abraham Isaac Iacob as God Schaddai but in my name Iehouah I was not knowen vnto them c. 611 9 I haue now sinned the Lord is iust but I and my people c. 493 12 When your children shall saye vnto you what meaneth this worship c. 160. 364 13 Sanctifie to mée al the first borne c. 160 17 Whosoeuer sacrificeth to any God c. 200 18 Looke ouer all the people consider them diligently and choose c. 175. 389. 894 19 Talke thou with vs wée will heare but let not God talke c. 870 19 Moses the holy seruant of God is commaunded to sanctifie the people c. 19 19 Sett boundes vnto the people round about the mounteine and say vnto them Take héed to your selues c. 606 20 Thou shalt not bow down nor worship them c. 650 21 Hee that curseth father or mother c. 153 21 The punishment of that kinde of thefte whiche the Lawyers call Plagium 272. 278 22 Thou shalt not haue to do with a false report c. 390 22 If any man shall giue to his neighbour a beast to kéepe c. 131 22 Restitution is flatly commanded of the Lord in the Law c. 280 22 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to liue c. 197 22 Thou shalt not afflicte the widowes nor fatherlesse children c. 158. 509. 23 Thou shalt not followe a multinide to do euill c. 194 23 Thrice in the yeare shall euery male appeare before the Lord c. 352 30 Whosoeuer shall make for him selfe a composicion or perfume of incense to smell therew c. 658 31 Ye shall kéepe my Sabbâ—â—hes because it is a signe c. 144 32 And Moses said vnto the Leuites Consecrate your handes c. 331. 33 Thou canst not sée my face For no man shall see mée and liue c. 607 616. 34. Behold I will send mine Angel before thee to kéepe thee in the way c. 741 ¶ Out of Leuiticus The chiefest Chapiters of Leuiticus are expounded in the Sermon of the Ceremoniall Lawes 6 CHarge giuen to the priests to kéepe the holy fire alwayes burning c. 368 7 Touching vowed sacrifices or sacrifices offered by couenaunt c. 379 10. Thou and thy sonnes that are with thee shall drincke neither wine nor c. 336 10 The sonnes of Aaron burnt scorâ—â—hâ— vpp with fire from heauen for offering straunge fire c 962 11 Of the cleane and vncleane creatures c. 382 12 13. 14 15. 16. Touching cleansing sacrifices for bodily deâ—ilinges 373. 13 The priestes did iudge betwixt cause and cause and betweene cleane and vncleane c. 338 17 Whosoeuer of the house of Israel shall kill an oâ—e or a sheepe c. 344. 3. 7. 17. 19. The eating of bloud and strangled is forbidden c. 385 18 The abhominable sinne of Sodomie medling with beastes also is plainely forbidden c. 236 19 Ye shall doe no vnrighteousnes in Iudgement c. 194 19 Ye shall not steale ye shall not lye no man shall deale c. 273 19. Ye shall do no vnrighteousnes in iudgement true balances true weightes c. 270 20 Of the punishment of adulterie 236 20 Of the punishment of incest 236 20 A lawe against Sodomie 236 20 The soule that worketh with a spirite or that is a Southsayer shal die c. 755 22 Let no deformitie be in the thing that thou shalt offer c. 368 24 Of the punishment of such as blasphemed Gods name c. 129 26 I wil smite you for your sinns seuen times c. 936 27 Of vowes c. 380 ¶ Out of Numerie 3 ANd thou shalt giue the Leuites vnto Aaron to his sonnes c. 232 3 The Leuits shall kepe all the instruments of the tabernacle c. 338 6 And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying speake vnto Aaron and his sonnes saying On this wise ye shal blesse the children c. 336 6 Touching the discipline of the Nazarites c. 380 10 The trumpets wherewith the congregation was called together were in the Leuites hands c. 338 11 Gather vnto me threescore and tenne men of the elders of Israel
and the abhominable and murtherers c. 655 22 And after I had heard and séene I fell downe to worship c. 653 22 Sée thou do it not for I am thy fellow seruaunt c. 743. 842. 890 The third and last table conteyning a short summe of such words or names and matters as are mentioned in this booke A. AAron a type or figure of Christ 332 Aaron his rod. 332 Abraham how he is iustified 3. 387. 554 Abia beléeuinge the ward of the Lord ouercommeth 5000000. men of theâ—ribe of Israel 253 Abigei what they are 279 Abrogation of the Lawe 409 Abrogation of the Iudiciall lawes 427 Abortion what it is 443 Abuse of Christian libertie 449 Alsolom 523 Abuse of the Church goods 1128 Achaz 254 AccusatioÌ„s false and wrongfull 320 Accusations that be iust 322 Actuall sinne and the cause thereof 505 Adam and â—ethusalem 649 Adoration 651 Adamonition before punishmeÌ„t 202 Adulterie spoken against 231 Adulterie and fornication 863 Adulcerie pardoned by Christ 234 Adulterie what things are in it forbidden 234 Arian heretiques condemned 775 Affinitie that the word of God hath with sacraments 291. 892 Afflictions 292 293. 298 299. 307. 310. 311. 312. 313 316. Altar 348 Altar or table of the Lord. 1070 Allthinges of God by God and in God. 494 Amasias 254 Ammon the king rebelling against the word of God after two yeares infortunate reigne was murthered of his owne household servaunts 255 Ambition worketh by priuate gifts 278 Anabaptistes and Nouations the me 〈◊〉 of Sathan 569 Angel and Angels 732. 733. 734. 735. c. vsque 745. Anthropomoâ—phites 118. 613 Antiochus Epiphanes 511 Anthemius 892 Annoynting or annoyling 1136 Apostles of Christ 11 Apostles how they bynde and loose 902 Apostles what they be 877 Apostles bâ—ptise infants 1055 Apostles authoritie very great 12 Apostles Créede 55 Apostles receiue wages 1121 Application of scripture necessarie 903 Appeale 392 Appearing of spirits 392 Article of the Christian faith 55 2 Article 59 3 Article 60 4 Article 63 5 Article 67 6 Article 69 7 Article 74 8 Article 78 9 Article 78 10 Article 81 11 Arâ—icle 84 12 Article 90 Aristocracie 169 Arcke 345. 346. 996. Assemblie 1064 Assemblies that be holy 915. 916 Ascension of Christ 69 Asturia 235 Asa 253 Ascend into heauen 1088 Auncient lawes 387 Authoritie of the Apostles very great 12 Authoritie of fathers 393 Auengment taken by the magistrate 196 Augustines opinion of the righte hand of the father 73 Augustines diuision of signes 955 Augustines sentence touching merites of Saintes 494 Auricular confession 577. 578 581 Authoritie of pastours 912 Authour of Sacraments God himselfe 962 Auncient exposition of the words of the Supper This is my bodie 1086 B. Backbiting pernicions 323 Bargaining buying selling 287 Baptisme 989. 1005. 1013. 1027. 1031. 1033. 1050. 1055. 1060. 1061. 1062. Baptising with water vnconsecrated 1039. 1040. Baptiser 1042 Baptised 824. 1055. 1060 Baâ—lards 395 Baâ—des and Curtisans haue benefices at Rome 900 Belongeth to vs to knowe what was written to theÌ„ in old time 15 Beléeue in the sonne of God. 59 Beléefe of oures the second Article thereof 58 Beléefe in the church forbidden 78 Bed in wedlocke ought to be vndefiled 226 Benâ—fits of God are to be acknowledged 952 Beginning of sinne against the holy Ghost 517 Beginning of the ministerie from whome and the worthines thereof 875 Behauiour of the godly in their calamities 300 Bearing witnesse 319 Birth of Christ 63 Bishops 878. 905. Blaspemie 516. 517 Blessing and thankesgiuing 977 Bloud and strangled forbidden by the apostles 421 Body of Christ 689 Body glorious 87. 88 Body naturall body spirituall 89 Bodies of the wicked rise againe 89 Bonauentures opinion of grace 1003 Bondage 395. 441. 442 Both kindes in the supper giuen receiued 1066 Bow downe to images what it is 122 Bread among the Hebrues what it signifyeth 947 Bread and wine remaine in their substance after consecration 984 Bread and wine are so called after consecration 985 Breaking of bread 1063 Buriall of Christ 65 Buying and selling c. 394 C. Catalogue of the bookes of the diuine Scripture 12 Cause of Christes incarnation 60 Calling to the ministerie 891. 893 Cathechising 907. Calamities 291. 293 Candlesticke golden 347 Carnall and fleshly people 404 Cure of the bodie 448 Cauills of those that attribute iustification to workes 458 Cause of sinne and euill 483 Catholique church what it is 79. 813 Carnall bondage and seruile 991 Carthage counsell for examining of bishops 895 Celebration of the supper c. 1072 Ceremonies 229. 328 329. 330. 364. 413. 415. 424. 1033. 1034. Confession of true religion 366 Charitie 92. 98 Christe as yet executeth all the dueties of a priest in the church 872 Christ what hee receynâ—th to himselfe from his ministerie and apostles 872 Christ is the naturall sonne of God 883 Christ reâ—eyneth both natures vnconfounded together 691 Christ in one person remayneth vndiuided 694 Christ is king of all 698 Christ is a Monarch 698 Christ is cotent to debate with Pilate of his kingdome 700 Christ called the onely sonne 59 Christ how he reigneth on earth in his kingdome 700 Christ Iesus the highe prest 704 Christ is annointed but with inuisible oile 705 Christ doth the office of a priest that is teacheth maketh intercession blesseth sacrificeth and sancrifieth 705 Christe his priesthood 706 Christians are kinges and priesis 709 Christ compared with Adam 49 Christ died not in vaine 50 Christ by interpretation annoynted 60 Christ is our Lord. 60 Christs conception and the maner thereof 62 Christes conception pure 63 Christ suffered vnder Pontius Pilate 64 Christ a Judge 74 Christ conueyeth himselfe awaye when the people would haue made him a king 218 Christians haue nothing to doe with the yron like Philosophie of the Stoikes 301 Christ coÌ„mandeth vs to beare his crosse 309 Christ and Paule examples to vs. 314 Christ is the rock not Christ signifieth the rocke 991 Christ the first begotten 331 Christ and his Apostles institute scholes 1115 Christ hath taken all burthens froÌ„ our shoulders 437 Christ fulfilled the lawe and is the perfectnes of the faithful 407 Christ alone is our life and saluation 543 Christ doeth fully worke our saluation 544 Christ is receiued by faith and not by workes 548 Christ how he preached the Gospel 548. 661. 862. Church Churches and CoÌ„gregation c. 667. 812. 813. 815. 816. 820. 821. 827. 831. 832. 833. 852. 860. 861. 863. 864. 866. 867. 868. 1118 1127 Circumcision 355. 357. 358. 359. 360. 361. Citie and temple of Hierusalem destroyed 413 Clearkes what they were sometime 883 CoÌ„municating of properties 696 Counsell of the priestes forsaken by king Ioas what followed 254 Conscience at quiet peace before God is the worke of the holy ghost 723. Constancie of the Apostles 723 Consecrating of pastours begun with fasting and prayer 897 Concupiscence 108. 949 Consubstantiall and coessentiall 59 Communion of sainctes 80 Confession and acknowledging of sinnes 81
S. Mathew instructinge Ioseph sayth Mary shall bring forth a sonne and thou shalt call his name Iesus For hee shall saue his people from their sinnes So then this sonne of God Iesus is the sauiour of the worlde who forgiueth sinnes and setteth vs free from al the power of our aduersary the deuil Which verily he could not do vnlesse he were very god Hee is also called Christ which is all one as if you saye Annoynted The Iewes cal him Messias Which word is a title proper to a kingdome or priesthoode For they of olde were wonte to annointe their kinges priestes they were annoynted wyth external or figuratiue oyntment or Oyle But very Christ was annoynted with the very true oyntement that is wyth the fulnes of the holy ghoste as is to be seene in the firste third Chapters after S. Iohn Moste properly therfore is this name Christ attributed to our lord For first he is both kinge and prieste of the people of god Then the holy Ghost is powred fully by all meanes and abundantlye into Iesus from whom as it were by a liuely fountayne it floweth into all the members of Christ For this is that Aaron vppon whose heade the Oyle was powred which ranne downe to his bearde and the nethermost skirts of his garment For of his fulnes we haue all receyued The last thinge that is to be noted now in this secōd Article is the we cal the sonne of God our lord The sonne of God verily is for two causes properly called our lord First in respect of the mysterie of our redēption For Christ is the Lord of all the electe whom hee hath deliuered from the power and dominion of Satan sinne and death and hath made them a people of his owne getting for himselfe This similitude is taken of Lordes which wyth theyr monye buy slaues for theyr vse or els which in warres reserue captiues whō they myght haue slaine or which deliuer men condemned from present death So then by this Lords are as it were deliuerers redéemers or sauiours Hereunto verily alludeth Paul where he sayth Ye are bought with a price become not therefore the seruauntes of men And S. Peter saith Ye are redeemed not vvith golde and siluer but with the precious bloud of the vnspotted Lambe Moreouer Christe is called Lord in respect of his Diuine power and nature by which all things are in subiectiō to the sonne of god And for because this word Lord is of a very ample signification as that which conteyneth both the diuine nature and maiestly wee see that the Apostles in theyr writinges vse it very willingly Paule to the Corinthians sayth Although there be many Lords yet haue we but one Lord Iesus Christ by whom all thinges are wee by him Now the third Article of Christian fayth is this Which vvas conceiued by the holie Ghost borne of the Virgin Marie In the seconde article wee haue confessed that wee beleeue in Iesus Christe the sonne of God oure Lorde wherein wee haue as it were in a shadow confessed that wée beléeue assuredly that God the father hath for vs our Saluation giuen to the world his sonne to be a Sauiour and redéemer For hitherto belōg those names Iesus and Lord. Now therefore in this thirde Article I haue to declare the maner and order how he came into the world to wit by Incarnation This article contayneth two things The Conception of Christe and his Natiuity Of both which I will orderly speake after that I haue brieflye declared vnto you the causes of the Lord his Incarnation Men were in a miserable takinge and all mankinde should vtterly haue perished for sinne which wée haue all drawne from the first mā Adam For the reward of sinne is death And for that cause wée that were to be caste into hell could not enter into heauen vnlesse the sonne of God had descēded vnto vs and becomming God with vs had with himself drawne vs into heauen Therefore the chiefe cause of his incarnation is to be a mediatour betwixte God and men and by intercession to ioyne or bring into one thē that were seuered For where a mediatour is there also must needes bée discord and parties The parties are God and men The cause of this discord is sinne Nowe the office of the Mediatour is to bring to agréemente the parties disagréeing which verilye cannot be done vnlesse that sinne the cause of this variaunce be takē cleane away But sinne is neyther clensed nor taken away except that bloud be shed and death do follow This witnesseth Paule in his 9. Chapter to the Hebrewes The mediatour oughte therefore to take on him our flesh and bloud that hée might both dye shead his bloud Furthermore it is needefull that this Aduocate or mediatour be indifferently common to both the parties whom he hath to reconcile wherfore our Lord Christ ought to be very God and very man If hée had béene God alone then should hée haue béene terrible to men and haue stoode them in litle stéede If hée had béen méere man then could hée not haue had accesse to God which is a consuming fyre wherfore our Lord Iesus Christ being both God and man was a fitte mediatour for both the parties Which thing the Apostle witnessing sayth One God and one mediatour of God and men the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe the price of redemption for all The same Apostle in the 2 and 9. Cap. to the Hebrewes speaketh many things belonging to this place And in the seconde Chapter rehearsinge an other cause of Christ his incarnatiō he saith It became him in althings to be made likevnto his bretheren that he might be merciful and a faithful high priest in thinges concerninge God for to purge the peoples sinnes For in that he himselfe was tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted An other cause wherfore our Lord was incarnate was that hée mighte instruct vs men in all Godlinesse and righteousnes finally that hée mighte be the light of the world and an ensample of holy lyfe For Paule sayth The grace of God that bringeth saluation hath appeared vnto vs teaching vs to renounce vngodlines and to liue holilie To conclude hée therfore became one wyth vs by the participation of nature that is to say it pleased him to be incarnate for this cause that hée might ioyne vs againe to God who for sinne were seperated from God receiue vs into the fellowship of himselfe and all other his goodnes beside The nexte is for vs to declare the manner of his incarnation This article of fayth standeth on two mēbers The first is He was conceiued by the holy ghoste Al wée men Christe excepted ace conceyued by the seede of man which of it selfe is vncleane and therefore wée are borne sinners and as Paule sayth Wee are borne the sonns of wrath But the body of Christ I saye our Lord was not conceiued in
ought not to denie his assistance and defence to the godly ministers of Christe and the Churches Herevnto belong the testimonies of Saint Paule that may be alledged In the last chapter of his first Epistle to the Thessalonians he saith We beseeche you brethren to knowe them which labour among you and haue the ouersight of you in the Lord and admonish you that yee may haue thē in reputation through loue for their worke and be at peace with them Again to the Hebrues he sayth Obey them that haue the rule ouer you and giue place vnto them for they watch for your soules as they that shall giue account for them that they may do it in ioy and not in trembling for that is profitable for you For how many and great calamities haue falne vpon kingdomes and peoples for the contempt of Gods worde and his ministers many examples can teache vs but that especially which in the laste chapter of the second booke of Chronicles is set downe in these words The Lorde God of their fathers sent to them by his messingers rising vp betimes and sending for hee had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place But they mocked the messingers of God and despised his wordes and iested at his Prophetes vntill the wrath of God arose against his people and till there was no remedie Like vnto this are the wordes of the Lorde in the Gospell where he sayth I sende vnto you Prophetes and wise men some of whome ye shal scourge and kyll that all the righteous bloud may light vpon you whiche hath bene shead vpon the earth from the bloud of the righteous Abel vnto the bloud of Zacharias the sonne of Barachias whom ye slue betweene the temple and the altar and so foorth for the place is knowne to you all dearely beloued and is to be séene in the. 23. Chapter after S. Mathew We must beware therefore in any case that we doe not despise God who speaketh to vs in his word by his seruants the Prophets We owe by the force of this commandement all loue reuerence help comfort and humanitie to our kinsfolkes and alliance In this commandemēt are they condemned that shew them selues to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say men without all naturall affection and friendly loue to their owne bloud and kinsfolkes There is a certaine naturall affection goodwill loue and pitifull mercy which the Scripture calleth the bowels of mercy in the father and mother towarde their children in brother towarde brother and in cousins toward their kinssolkes and friends of their aliance We haue notable examples hereof set downe in the Scriptures of Abrahams loue toward his sonne Isaac and of Iosephes affection toward his father Iacob and his brethren but èspecially towarde Beniamin his brother by one mother Mothers and daughters in lawe haue a notable example to followe in Noemi and Ruth Mothers and daughters in lawe for the most part do beare a deadly hate the one to the other which is the cause of muche mischiefe in the houses where they be Let them learn therfore by this preatie example how to behaue them selues on both parts Let the mother in lawe thinke the daughter in law to be her own daughter and let the daughter in lawe honour and reuerēce her mother in law euen as if she were her owne mother Many thinges must be winked at on both sides many things must be taken in good part and many thinges put vp with a quiet mynde Many thinges must be forgiuen and they must both haue their eares stopped against tatling talebearers and wrongfull suspicions Concorde in euery house is the greatest treasure that may be and discord at home is the most perillous and endlesse mischiefe that can be inuented Paule his wordes touching good turnes and honour to be giuen to our kinsefolkes are very wel knowne and extant to be séene in the fift Chapter of his first Epistle to Limothie Last of all also there is to be found in the worde of God a peculiar lawe for the honouring of olde men which biddeth vs to rise before the hoary and gray haired head Olde men therefore are to be honoured whome we must worthily magnifie and in whom we must acknowledge the singular grace of God in giuing them long life and that by long and continuall experience of all thinges they haue attayned to muche witte or wisedome whereby they are able to helpe vs with their counsell They therefore ought to be praysed that all may vnderstand that gray haires are a crown of glory Moreouer if aged impotent persons are driuen into néede then must our aboundance supply their necessitie To be short we must not denie to olde men any dutie of humanitie wherewith we may pleasure them In the same sort also there are here commended vnto vs widowes orphans wardes poore men straungers sicke and miserable people And for that cause did the deuout and good men of olde bestowe their goods liberally to the refreshing of olde men widowes fatherlesse children and poore sillie creatures Those goods at this day are called Churche goods or Ecclesiasticall contributions whiche vndoutedly are very wel bestowed if they be layde out on them for whome they were giuen In the Emperours constitutions we may sée that there were common houses and substaunce builded and appointed for all sorts of néedie people For there is mention made of houses for fatherlesse childrē of Hospitals for olde men of spittles for beggars of places for sicke men and nourceries for children Among vs at these dayes there are Hospitals and Monasteries very many whereof haue seuerall places appointed for orphans olde men poore people impotent creatures sicke persons and infants They therefore doe commit an vnappeasable offence whosoeuer bestowe to other vses the substance and places ordeined for olde and poore people and lash out they care not howe prodigally in ryot and lustinesse the almes bestowed vpon poore silly souls And nowe hitherto haue I declared howe our parents ought to be honoured and they which are conteined vnder the name of parents There is now remaining the third and laste part of our present treatise wherin we haue to sée what God promiseth to them that honour their parents religiously whereby we haue to gather what perill hangs ouer the heades of them that wickedly neglect and irreligiously despise their parents The Lord in the lawe therefore sayth That thy dayes may be long in the lande which the Lorde thy God shall giue thee The meaning of which saying is Honour thy father thy mother that thou maist for many dayes inioy the possession of the lande whiche thou shalt haue in testimonie of my fauour to thée ward These wordes doe properly belong to the Iewes But very well and truly doth a godly minister of Christe writing vpon this place say Bycause the whole earth is blessed to the faithfull we do nothing amisse when we reckon this present life among the blessings
of God. Wherefore this promise appertaineth as well to vs as to the Iewes bycause the prolonging of this present life is a testimonie of Gods especiall fauour He promiseth assuredly to them that do religiously honour their parents in what lande soeuer they dwel al kind of blessings felicitie and store of temporal things with a swéete prolonging of this present lyfe For Paule interpreting this in the fifte Chapter of his Eipstle to the Ephesians sayth That it may goe wel with thee and that thou mayst liue long vpon the earth Meaning any lande whatsoeuer and promising a Temporall blessing of the Lorde We therefore gather herevpon that the contrarie is threatened and set as a penaltie vpon the heades of those that disobediētly despise their parents By examples and other places of the scripture this shall be made more manifest Cham is cursed of his father Noe for behauing him self vnreuerently towarde him euen in his drunkennesse Ioseph is exalted to the chiefest dignitie in Egypt bycause from his childhoode he honoured God and reuerenced his father Iaacob Solomon in the. 17. Chapter of his Prouerbs sayth Whosoeuer rewardeth euil for good euill shal not depart frō his house Againe He that despitefully taunteth his father and despiseth the olde age of his mother shall bee confounded and left in reproch The sonne that leaueth to keepe the discipline of his father shall thinke of talke of wickednesse Who so curseth his father or mother his light shall be put out and the balles of his eyes shall see nought but darknesse For they are monsters and no men that are vnnaturall toward their parents and especially they which do not only neglect and despise thē but also beate and vncurteously handle them Such fellowes doth the Lord commaund to be slayne as people vnworthy to sée the light bycause they forget and will not acknowledge that by the meanes of their parentes they came into the world He that curseth father or mother sayth the Lorde let him dye the death And againe Hee that striketh his father or mother let him dye the death There is none of you whiche knoweth not the law called Lex Pompeia against such as kill their parents It is not amisse here to heare what the Gentile writers say touching this matter Homer sayth He did not nourish as he should his aged parents deare Therfore the Gods did frō his youth cut off the iolliest yeare And the auncient Poet Orpheus sayeth God sits aboue and sees the sonnes that do them selues apply To do their fathers hests and those that shamelesly deny Them to obey and as he doth blesse th' one with sundry gifts So for to vexe th' other he doth deuise a thousand drifts For though despised parents die yet do their ghostes remaine And are of force vpon the earth to put their sonnes to paine Moreouer the tragicall Poet Euripides hath To him that while he liues doth loue his parents to obey Whether he liue or else do dye God is a friend alwaye And Menander the Comicall Poet sayth The wretch is worse then mad that with his parents falles at oddes For wise men greatly reuerence them and honour them as Goddes Virgil also among other horrible vices which are punished in hel with eternall and vnspeakable paines doth say Here they that did their brethrē hate while life on earth did last Or beate their parents c. And immediately after He did his countrie sell for golde and made a tyrant King For bribes he made marde his coūtrie lawes and euery thing And Horace in his Odes sayth It is a sweete and seemely thing in countries cause to dye And Silius Italicus hath Doubt not of this forget it not but keepe it in thy mynd It is a detestable thing to shew thee selfe vnkind Vnto thy natiue countrie soyle for no such sinne remaines In hell to be tormented there with vtter endlesse paines As that so doth experience teache These testimonies haue I cited to this end purpose that by these dearly beloued ye may gather the hainousnesse of this offence which the verie Gentiles them selues do so grieuosly cry out against and vtterly condemn Caine slue his brother Abel but therby he gat his rewarde to be marked with a perpetuall blot of ignominie and reproche Semei did intollerably rayle vpon Dauid his ordinarie Magistrate and therefore was he punished according to his desarts Absalom rebelled vnnaturally against his father Dauid but being wrapped by the haire to a tree and hanging betwixt heauen and earth he is horribly thrust throughe with a Iauelin The Lorde called them that slue the Prophetes by the name of Adders broode and sonnes of the deuill As for them that haue reprochfully dealte with olde men or troubled widowes they haue not gone vnpunished For the Lorde in the lawe sayth Thou shalt not afflict the widowes nor fatherlesse children But if ye do go on to afflict them they shal vndoubtedly crie to me and I will heare them and my wrath shall waxe hote and I will slay you with the sword your wiues shal be widowes and your childrē fatherlesse Thus much hitherto Saint Paule alledging this lawe in his Epistle to the Ephesians dothe very aptly apply it to our learning and comfort For he sayth Children obey your parents for this is right honour thy father and mother which is the first commaundement in promise that thou mayste prosper and liue long on earth Fathers prouoke not your childrē to wrath but bring them vp in instruction and information of the Lord. In these wordes he telleth the parentes their duetie as well as the children Thrée thinges he doth require at the hande of the parentes that is to bring vp their children to instruct them and to correct them For it is the parents office to nourish to feede and bring them vp till they be grown to age that being once dispatched frō hanging on their parents any longer they may get their liuings with their owne labour and trauell It is the parentes office to teache and instruct their children That teaching or instructing consisteth in three things in religion in manners and skil of an occupation Nowe touching religion it hath certaine principles rudiments I say and Catechismes to teach by Secondarily it hath the Scriptures setting out the word of God with a full exposition of all things belonging to God it hath also mysteries holie signes and Sacraments to teache and to learne by If the housholder be conuersant amonge a people whiche honoureth the true religion and hath receiued the lawfull worship of God with true faythfull and godly Ministers and teachers of Christ his Church let him giue charge and sée that his children goe to the holy congregation there to be instructed in religiō by the publike preacher Yet neuerthelesse let the father at home examine his children and know what they haue learned by hearing the sermon Let both the father and mother also at home priuatly doe their indeuour to
the end that ye neuer forget them God graunt you all a fruitefull increase of his holy word which is the séede that is sowen in your harts Let vs pray c. ¶ Of the second precept of the second table which is in order the sixt of the x. Commaundements Thou shalt not kill And of the Magistrate ¶ The sixte Sermon IVstice innocencie are very well ioyned to the higher power and magistrats authoritie and in this 6. precept both publique priuate peace tranquillitie are hedged in inclosed against opē tumults and secret discords And since the life of mā is the most excellent thing in the world whervpon al other things of how great price soeuer they bée doe waite and attend and finally since the body of man is more woorthe than all other gifts whatsoeuer the very naturall order doth séeme to require that the 6. cōmaundemēt shold be placed next which god himself hath plainly expressed in these few words thou shalt not kill For in this precept iustice innocencie are cōmaunded commended vnto vs wherein also it is prouided that no man hurt an others life or body so in this precept charg is giuē to euery one to maintein peace quietnesse Now héere are to be obserued the steppes y lead to murder wherin wée must consider the kinds causes of hurting annoying For the Lord doth not simplie forbid murder but all things else wheron murder doth cōsist all egging on therfore and prouoking to anger is vtterly forbidden sclaunderous taunts brawling speaches are flatly prohibited strife wrath enuie are plainly commaunded to be suppressed And in this sense we haue Christ our Lord himself interpreting this lawe wher in the gospel after Matth. he saith Ye haue herd it said of old thou shalt not kill whosoeuer killeth shal be in danger of iudgmēt But I say vnto you that whosoeuer is angrie with his brother vnaduisedly shal be in danger of iudgmēt And whosoeuer shal say vnto his brother Racha shal be in daūger of a counsel But whosoeuer shal say Thou foole shal be in daunger of hell fire Thou séest here therfore the anger slander brawling al other tokens of a mind moued to vtter ill words are flatly forbiddē What then must thou do Thou must forsooth come into charitie againe with him whom thou hast offended thou must lay aside al wrath enuie vnlesse thou hadst rather haue al the honour that thou dost to God be imputed for sin vnto thée that peraduenture thou woldest choose rather vtterly to be condemned For our Lord goeth on in the Gospel saith If therfore thou bring thy gift vnto the Altar and there remēbrest that thy brother haue any thing against the leaue there thy gift before the altar hée speketh to thē who as then had their tēple standing their altar remayning and burnt offerings in vse we at this day haue an other maner of worshipping God and go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother then come and offer thy gift And againe Agree with thine aduersarie quickly whiles thou art in the way with him least at any time the aduersarie deliuer thee to the iudge the iudge deliuer thee to the minister thou be cast into prison Verilie I say vnto thee thou shalt not depart frō thence vntil thou hast payd the vtmost farthing But forbecause so few of vs obey this sound and whoalsome doctrine of the Lords thereby it cōmeth to passe that so many great troublesome tumults happen amōg mē For smal is the substance of them that obey the word of god but great is the rest quietnes of their cōsciences And what pleasure I pray you do infinite riches bring to man since with them a man can not likely be without troublesome cares of mind great turmoiles lack of a quiet life This law therfore which tēdeth to no other end but to teach man the way to lead a sweete and plesaunt life doth wholy take frō the mind of man such immoderate affections as anger and enuie are two the most pestilent euils that reignes among men As concerning anger I meane not at this present to speake ouer busily euē as also I haue determined to be briefe touching enuie Of anger many men haue vttered many profitable sentences And yet there is an holy kind of anger which the scripture disalloweth not so that vnlesse a man be angrie in that sort he shal neuer be a good godly man For a good man hath a zeale of God and in y godly zeale he is angrie at the iniquitie and naughtinesse of mankind whereof there are many examples to be séene in the Scriptures and this anger doth stomache the sinn cōmitted rather than the person who doth commit the sinne For the good seruaunt of God hateth nothing in the wicked mās person but his very sinne so that if the wicked ceasse once to sin he wil leaue to hate or be angrie therwithal any longer This anger is vtterly cōdemned then whē it springeth of euil and corrupt affections when no iust cause is giuē but that he which is offended doth in his anger either fulfil his affection or else hurt or determine to hurt him with whō he is angrie A great euil it is a fruit which when it is sowen doth yeld bring forth one mischiefe vppon an others necke And therefore doth the Apostle of Christ coūsel al men not to giue any place to anger and if so be it happen that it enter into our mindes stick there a while yet that wée suffer it not to catch fast hold or take déepe roote therin Be angrie saith he sinne not Let not the sonne set vpon your anger giue no place to the diuel For this is the Apostles meaning If so it happen that ye be angrie yet sinne not that is yet bridle your anger Neither doth the Apostle bid vs to be angrie but willeth vs not to let our anger to continue long nor to breake out to the working of iniurie And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word Paul vseth signifieth anger in déede but yet more rightly y stirring or prouoking to anger so that thereby wée haue to vnderstand that to him which is by iniurie prouoked to anger although hée be somewhat gréeued touched at the quicke that griefe ought to be but of short continuance neither must we in any case suffer our aduersary the diuell to fasten his foote in our hearts who doth through anger by little and litle créepe into our mindes by cōtinuall wrath doth worke out enuie by which he doth captiuate peruert the whole man with all his senses words and workes For Enuie is anger growen into custome by long continuaunce which doth for the most part vexe burne and enuie more then the partie which is enuied Although the enuious doth neuer ceasse to deuise mischiefe against the man whom he doth enuie It is
Lord in Ieremie crieth out and saith I call a sworde vppon all the dwellers vppon earth Againe in Ezechiel The sword is sharpe and readie trimmed to kill the sacrifice And againe I will giue my sword into the handes of the king of Babell The kings of Aegypte were of their people called Pharaos as who should saye Reuengers But the swoord in the magistrates hand is to bée put vnto two vses For either hée punisheth offenders therewith for doinge other men iniurie and for other ill déeds Or else hée doth in warre therwith repell the violence of forreine enimies abroade or represse the rebellions of seditious and contentious Citizens at hoame But here againe an other obiection is cast in oure way by them which say that according to the doctrine of the Gospell no man ought either to kill or to be killed ▪ because the Lord hath said Resiste not the euill And againe to Peter Put vppe thy sword into thy sheath Euerie one that taketh the sworde doth perishe by the sworde Mine aunsweare to this is that throughout all the Scripture priuate reuengement is vtterlie forbidden but that that is done openlie by authoritie of the publique magistrate is neuer founde fault withall But that was priuate and extraordinarie vengeaunce that the Apostle Peter was about to haue taken considering that hee was called to bée a Preacher of the woord of God not to bée a Iudge a Capitaine or a man of warre And against priuate and extraordinarie reuengment is that sentence rightlie pronounced Euerie one that taketh the sword shall perish by the sword But that publique vengeaunce and the ordinarie vse of the sword is not prohibited by God in the Church of Christe I proue by this testimonie of the holie Apostle Paule in the 12. to the Romanes hath taught what and how much the perfectnesse of the Gospell requireth of vs and among the rest thus hée saith Deerelie beloued reuenge not your selues but rather giue place vnto wrath For it is written vengeaunce is mine and I wil repay But because this might be argued against and this obiection caste in his way Than by this meanes the long suffering of Christians shall minister matter enough to murder and manslaughter hée doth therefore immediately after in the next Chapiter adde The magistrate is the minister of God to thy wealth to terrifie the euill doers For hee beareth not the sword in vaine For hee is Gods minister reuenger of wrath to him that doth euill Wée gather therefore by this doctrine of the Apostle that euerie one of vs must let God alone with taking of vengeaunce that no man is allowed to reuenge himself by his owne priuate authoritie But publique reuengemēt wrought by the ordinarie magistrate is no where forbidden For that God which said to vs Vengeaunce is mine I will repay doth graunt to the magistrate authoritie to exercise and put that vengeaunce in vre which hee doth claime as due to himselfe So that the magistrates duetie is to punish with the sword the wrongfull dealings of wicked men in the name and at the commaundement of God himselfe Therefore when the magistrate punisheth then doth God himselfe to whom all vengeaunce belongeth punish by the magistrate who for that cause is called by the name of god Moreouer it is written Thou shalt not suffer a witch to liue Againe A wise king will scatter the wicked and turne the wheele vppon them And againe He that iustifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the iust they are both abhominable in the sight of the Lord. Neither doe wée lacke examples to proue that some haue incurred y heauie wrath and displeasure of the Lord for their foolish pittie in sparing them whom the Lord cōmaunded to strike with the sword I speake of Saul and Achab. Againe on the other side there are innumerable examples of most excellent Princes which testifie beare witnesse of the praise that they deserued for punishing of lewde wicked offenders For the Prince sinneth not nor is blameworthie any whit at all which killeth or otherwise punisheth the guiltie and vngratious man and for that cause we finde in the law so often repeated His bloud be vppon him selfe But if the bloud of the guiltie be not shedde then that is imputed as a fault and layde to the magistrates charge because hée neglecting his office hath pardoned them that were not worthie to bée forgieuen and by letting them goe hath left the innocent vnreuenged For hée is made partaker of the iniurie done shedding of the innocents bloud which he leaueth vnreuenged by letting the murderer goe vntouched on whose necke the Lord gaue charge to let the sword fall The iust seueritie of the vprighte magistrate in punishinge naughtie men is not as it is falselie iudged extreme crueltie But ouerthwart and péeuish pitie that spareth offenders which are not worthie to liue amonge men is vtter and méere crueltie in déede For when the magistrate letteth them goe vnpunished and at ease which with their naughtie déeds haue deserued death he doth thereby first of all giue occasion and courage to like offenders to go on and increase in their mischiefous wickednes For they sée their owne faultes borne with al in other men Secondarilie the men that are not as yet altogether drowned in the myre of wickednesse but are euerie hour◠tempted and prouoked to naughtinesse wil at the last leaue to haue scruple of cōscience and giue their consent to yéeld to mischiefe For they sée that mischiefous marchaunts are gentellie dealt withall Lastly offenders set frée without any punishment doe for the most parte become little better yea they become twice worse than they were before and the increase of his sinne shal at length compell thée to kil him for many murders whom thou wouldest not kill for the murder of one wherby thou mightest haue saued many guiltlesse men whō that cutthroate since his first pardon hath villaynously slaine They therefore send wolues and beares amonge the common people that let such rakehells escape vnpunished Since now that I haue declared the right vse of the sword proued that the magistrate hath power to reueng mens iniuries and to kill haynous offenders let vs goe on to consider what the causes bée for which God cōmaundeth to punish transgressors let vs sée also when they ought to be punished and lastlie what kinds of punishment or penalties the magistrate must vse The especiall causes for which the Lord doth openly commaunde to punish offenders are for the most part these that follow The Lord resisteth force with force worketh the safegard and saluation of men he reuengeth them that suffer wronge and restoreth againe whatsoeuer may be restored Hée declareth his iustice also which rewardeth euerie one according to his déedes And therefore hée wipeth out reprochfull déedes with a reprochfull death Hée putteth offenders in minde of their crime and therwithall for the most part doth giue them sense of repentaunce
man and that therefore no commoditie ought to be taken for the vse thereof But if a man put monye into another mannes hande wherewith he buyeth him selfe a farme a manour landes or vineyardes or otherwise occupyeth it to his gaine profite I sée no cause why a good Christian and an honest man may not reape some lawfull commoditie of the hire of his monye as well as of the letting or leasing of his lande It is in the power of him which so letteth out his monye with that monye to buy a farme and so to take the whole gaine to him selfe but nowe wée sée that in letting the other haue it he graunteth him the vse of his monie whereby he is a verie greate gainer This fellowe to whome this summe is leant or otherwise giuen vppon couenauntes of contract doeth with the money gett some stay of lyuing with the reuenue whereof he nourisheth all his familie paying to his creditour the portion agreed on of whiche when he hath once made a full restitution he maketh the liuing his owne for euer and acquiteth him selfe from the yerely pension In this kind of couenanting no man I think will say that the poore is oppressed when the thing it selfe doth rather crye that by such vsurie the poore is greatly helped Vsurie therefore is forbidden in the worde of God so farre forth as it byteth for here I vse the verie tearme of the Scriptures his neighbour while it hindereth him or otherwise vndoeth him For thus saith the Lorde in Leuiticus If thy brother be waxen poore and fallen in decaye whether he be a straunger or indweller releue him that he may liue with thee Thou shalt take no vsurie of him or more then right but feare the Lorde that thy brother may liue with thee Thou shalt not giue him thy monie vppon vsurie nor lende him thy victuals for increase I am the Lorde your God. Therefore the Lorde misliketh all artes of couetous deceiptfull men wherewith they doe not onely exceede measure in exacting vsurie but do of purpose let out their money and substaunce to hire that by that occasion they may wipe their debitours of all that they haue No man I thinke can in fewe wordes expresse all the wicked fetches of subtile vsurers they inuent suche newe ones euery daye I will therefore recite here the iudgement of the Lorde against a fewe wicked artes and detestable déedes of vsurers in lending letting and selling to the ende that these being once considered all men may iudge and take héede of the like The Prophet Amos in the eight Chapter saith Heare this O ye that swallowe vp the poore and make the needâ—e of the lande to faile saying after a moneth wee will sell corne and at the weekes ende wee will sett foorth wheate we wil make the Epha small and the sickle greate and falsifie the weightes by deceipte that wee may buy the poore for siluer and the needâ—e for shooes and sell the refuse of the wheate The Lorde hath sworne by the excellencie of Iacob surely I will neuer forgett any of their woorkes Shall not the lande tremble for this shall not euerye one mourne that dwelleth therein And it shall rise vp whollie as a sludde c. Wherefore that the wrathe of God may be turned awaye from falling vpon common weales and kingdomes for vniust extortion in vsurie and detestable vsurers it is the parte of a holie magistrate to brydle vsurers with vpright lawes and according to the qualitie of times places states and persons to appoynt a lawfull iuste and honest lucre that vsurers may not in lending lettinge buying selling oppresse the poore people but that equitie and iustice may be kepte in all thinges Of this duetie of his the magistrate hath a notable example in Nehemias suppressing the couetousnesse crueltie and extreme iniurie of vsurers and other oppressours of his Iewish commonaltie It is at large let downe in the fifth Chapter of the Historie of Nehemias In this therefore whiche I haue hitherto alledged I meane not to father or defende vniust occupiers vsurers or their insatiable couetousnesse but I affirme flatly that they liue of the bloud and bowels of their brethren and countriemen and that they shal bee vndoubtedly damned vnlesse they repent them of their sinne and extortion The verye lawe of nature doth make greatly against them whiche I obiecte here and saye vnto them Whatsoeuer thou wouldst not haue done to thy selfe that do not thou to another The Publicans also came to Iohn that they might be baptised of him and saide maister what shall we do To whome he saide exact no more then is appointed for you These Publicans were such as liued vppon the publique toll and customes which they had farmed at the Romans hands for a certeine summe of readie menye Nowe he had not these Publicans to leaue off their toll gatheringe but willed them to be content with their appointed duetie In like manner I vrge the same sentence and saye to all vsurers and occupyers Exact no more then is appointed for you But if ye want a certeine constitution and ordinaunce set downe by the Magistrate for the gaine of your money in euery seuerall trade then let equitie humanitie and charitie preuaile in your mindes and let the common lawe sinck into your heartes which saith what soeuer ye woulde that men shoulde do to you the same do ye to them If thine eye saith the Lord be single all thy bodie is lightsome but if the light that is in thee be dark nesse howe great then is that darkenesse Sacrilege is the spoyling of holye thinges whiche are consecrated to God and the vse of the Churche For the Churche of God hath hallowed goodes and richesse wherwith it doth partely mainteine sincere dectrine and the holy ministerie of the church partely reléeue the néedie Sainetes and impotent brethren The churche also hath goodes and possessions to kéepe the places of prayer spirituall houses and hospitalles in due reparations and lastly for the publique healpe of all people in common calamities and gréenous afflictions They therefore are churcherobbers whiche do conuert the churche goods from the lawfull and holie purpose for which they were ordeyned into a prophane and godlesse vse spending them prodigally in hunting gaye cloathing superstition whoorehaunting diceing drinking and excessiue banqueting In whiche thinges Bishops and Magistrates of these dayes doe greately offende And it cannot otherwise bee but that some greate misfortune and more calamities than one must néeds followe that foule abuse of ecclesiasticall richesse and spirituall goodes For as Christe our Lord the verye sonne of God is spoyled and defrauded in the poore and néedie so doctrine and godlynesse come to an ende honest studies doe vtterly decaye the shéepe of Christe are altogeather destitute of good and faithfull shéepeheardes and are leaft for a praye to rauening wolues and mercilesse robbers But yet wée must haue a regarde not to accompt in the number
all this haue I hether to rehearsed out of Sainct Augustine The last and hindermost cause of the calamities which oppresse that holy Sainctes of God is because the Lord in afflicting his friends deeth thereby giue a most euident testimonie of his iuste iudgement which shall fall vppon his enimies for their contemning of his name and Maiestie For Saint Peter sayth The time is that iudgment must beginne at the house of God if it first beginne at vs what shal the ende bee of those which beleeue not the Gospell of God And if the righteous scarsely bee saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare And like to this is that notable sentence of the Lords which hée spake when hée went to the place of execution saying If they doe this in a moyst tree what shall bee done in the drie If the Saincts by whom are meante the fruitefull trées bringing foorth most pretious fruites of good woorkes are by the suâ—â—eraunce of God in this world so miserably tormented and wofully vexed what shall wée say I pray you of the wicked which are so farre from vertue and good woorks They shal vndoubtedly bee plagued with vnspeakable paynes and punishments For touching the causes of those calamities wherewith the wicked are tormented they can bée none other than the heynous crimes which they commit from day to day and are therefore punished by Gods iuste iudgement to the end that all men may perceiue that God hateth wicked men and wickednesse alike So wée reade that Pharao was afflicted Saul fell vppon his owne sword and was slaine in the mounte Gelboe wyth many thousand Israelites because he had sinned against the Lord which purposed to destroy him for an example of his iudgement and a terrour to them that should followe after Antiochus Epiphanes Herode the great Herod Agrippa and Galerius Maximianus the Emperour were taken horriblie wyth gréeuous diseases and died of the same The reason was because they sinned against GOD and his seruaunts on whome hee determined to take a vengeaunce and to make them proofes of his iuste iudgemente so to bee examples for tyrauntes to perceiue what plagues remayne for those which séeke the bloud of the godly and faithfull And although oure good God doth ordeyne all thinges for the beste to his creatures and sendeth in a manner all calamities and miseries to drawe vs from wickednesse yet beecause hypocrites and wicked people despise the counselles and admonitions of GOD and neither will acknowledge God when hee striketh nor turne to him when hee calleth them all thinges doe turne to their destruction euen as to them which loue the Lord all thinges woorke to the beste and therefore doe they perishe in their calamities for in this world they féele the wrath of the Almightie God in most horible punishmentes and in the world to come when once they are parted oute of this life do for euer beare farre greater and bitterer paynes than any tongue can tell But if it happen that the wicked and vngodly sorte doe not in this life féele anye plague or greeuous affliction then shall they bée punished so much the soarer in the woorld to come There is no man that knoweth not the Euangelicall parable of the riche vnmerciful glutton who when as in this life hee liued as hée iusted in passinge delightes was notwythstanding in hell tormented wyth vnquencheable thyrste and parched wyth fire which neuer ceassed burning The felicitie therefore of the wicked in this life is nothing else but ertreeme miserie For Saint Iames the Apostle sayth Yee haue liued in pleasure vpon earth and beene wanton ye haue nourished your harts as in a day of slaughter which I say wil turne to you as to well fedd beastes that are fatted vp to be slaine to make meate of For Ieremie goeth a litle more plainly to woorke and sayth O Lord thou art more righteous than that I should dispute with thee yet notwithstanding I will talke with thee Howe happeneth it that the waye of the vngodly doeth prosper so well and that it goeth so wel with them which without shame offend in wickednesse Thou haste planted them they take roote they growe and bring forth fruite And immediatly after But drawe thou them out O Lord like a sheepe to be slaine and ordeine or appoint them against the day of slaughter Wyth this also doeth that agrée which the Prophete Asaph after hée had roundly and largely reckoned vp the felicitie of the wicked addeth saying Thou verilie hast set them in slipperie places thou shalt cast them downe head long and vtterly destroy them O wyth howe soudaine calamities are they oppressed they are perished swallowed vp of terrours Euen as a dreame that vanisheth so sone as one awaketh thou Lord shalt make their image contemptible in the citie For Dauid also before him did cry saying Yet a little and the vngodly shal bee no where and when thou lookest in his place he shall not appeare I haue seene the vngodly in great power slourishing like a greene Bay tree and I went by and loe he was gone I soughte him but hee could not bee found In like maner also doth Malachie the Prophet witnesse that there is great difference in the day of iudgement betwiâ—te the worshipper and despiser of God and betwixt the iuste and vniust dealer For the day of the Lord shall come in which the proude and those that woorke wickednesse shal be burnt as stubble with fire froÌ„ heauen so that there shall remaine vnto them neither roote nor braunch They that are wise therefore wil neuer hereafter be offended at the felicitie of the wicked they will neuer desire and long to be made partakers of their vnhappie prosperitie they wil not grudge at all to beare the miserie of the Crosse which they do daily heare to be layd by God vppon his Saintes to the end they may be tried and fined from the drosse of the fleshe and this vncleane world Thus farre haue I sufficiently reasoned of the causes of calamities Let vs now sée my reuerend brethren howe and in what order the godly and sincere worshipper of God doth behaue himselfe in all calamities and worldly afflictions His courage quayleth not but kicketh rather all desperation aside because hee vnderstandeth that hee must manfully in faith beare al sorts of euils Therfore doth he arme himselfe with hope patience and prayer There are verily among men some which so soone as they féele any affliction do presently crie as the common voyce is That it had béen best if they neuer had béen borne or else destroyed assone as they were borne A verie wicked saying is this and not worthie to be heard in a Christian mans mouth But farre more wicked are they which sticke not to destroy them selues rather than by liuing they would be compelled to suffer any longer some smal calamitie or abide the tauntes of the open world And yet on the other
apparel For as the man is such is his talk such is his cloathing therefore the rayment doeth note of what conuersation the priests ought to be Whereuppon it commeth that in the Scriptures wee are bidden to put on other cloathing whē the meaning of the holy Ghoste is that wee should chaunge our wicked conuersation so that the very garmentes doe partly instruct the priests what they haue to doe and what is seemely for them But nowe the time and course of this treatise inuiteth mée to speake somewhat of the priests office Their office did consist in many thinges but especially in teaching instructing For the chiefe cause whie the priestes were ordeyned of God was to instruct the Church in true pietie and to teach the people the lawe of god For thus wée read that the Lord did say vnto Aaron Thou thy sonnes that are with thee shall drincke neither wine nor stronge drinke when ye enter into the tabernacle of wittnesse least happily ye die Let it be an euerlasting ordinaunce among your posterities that ye may put disferēce both betwixt holie vnholie betwixt cleane and vncleane that ye may teach the sonnes of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken vnto them by the ministerie of Moses Leuit. 10. The same lawe doth Ezechiel in as many wordes almost rehearse in the 44. Chapiter of his Prophecie And Malachie declareth it also as it is to be seeae in the second of his Prophecie They therefore are vtterly deceyued which thincke that the Leuiticall priestes were appointed onely for to kill the sacrifices Moreouer the lord doth euery where in his lawes minister matter for the Leuitical priesies to instruct his people in and that matter was not the heathenish Philosophie the edicts of kinges or decrees of Senatours but the very woord of God deliuered to them by God himselfe And that this doctrine might be the more conunodiously vttered to the people the priestes appointed certaine holy dayes wherein the people should assemble together to heare them preach the word of God. The next point of their duetie after teaching was to blesse the people That blessing was not free for euerie priest to vse as hee listed but was bounde to a certaine forme of words very solemnly vttered which is thus expressed in the 6. of Numbers And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Speake vnto Aaron his sonnes saying On this wise ye shall blesse the children of Israel and say vnto them The Lord blesse thee keepe thee The Lord shewe his face vnto thee and be merciful vnto thee the Lord lift vp his countenance vppon thee and giue thee peace This manner of blessing did they vse vndoubtedly in their holy assemblies esspecially at the breaking vpp of the congregation when the people did depart In an other place it is said that God did blesse but here that Aaron and his sonnes did blesie the people whereuppon wée haue to note that God doth woorke inwardly and performe in the faithful what soeuer the priestes in that forme of blessing did wishe vnto the people so that still to blesse is the onely and proper worke of God alone And therfore verie significantly after that solemne blessing vttered by the mouth of the priest God doth add And they shall call or put my name ouer or vpon the children of Israel and I will blesse them The priestes therefore do lay before the people the name of the Lord they commend vnto them the mightie power of his Godhead and shew them that all goodnesse doeth flowe from God teaching them how they may obteyne it through faith in Christ who is the blessed séed that blesseth al that call vppon his name Nowe in this solemne blessing sixe principal points are chiefly conteyned First the priest sayth The Lord blesse thee That is The Lord bestowe vpon thée whatsoeuer belongeth to the safetie of thy bodie and soule Secondarily he saith The Lord keepe thee For it is not sufficient to receiue good thinges at the hand of the Lord vnlesse they bée preserued by his power and not taken from vs by his wrathfull indignation nor lost againe by oure owne negligence Thirdly hee sayth The Lord shew thee his face or The Lord make his face shine vppon thee The Lord doth thē shew vs his louing face when after his anger hee sheweth vs his fauour and doth become good and gratious to vs And therefore in the fourth clause doeth followe a more plaine exposition where the priest sayth The Lord bee mercifull vnto thee as if hee should haue said The Lord be alwayes gentle and fauourable vnto thée in all that thou goest about either in words or déeds The fift blessing is The Lord liftvpp his countenaunce vppon thee Now the Lord lifteth vpp his countenaunce when he looketh vppon vs when hée watcheth ouer vs and doth direct and guide our wayes The last desire is Peace which is taken for the saluation and chiefe goodnesse that happeneth to mankinde although in an other sense it is put for the contrarie to warre or battel and the peace of the conscience is no smal felicitie to mortall men These were the good things that the priestes did wish to light vppon the people teaching them withal to beséech the Lord for those blessings with ardent prayers carnest supplications Euen till this day there doe remaine the Psalmes that the priestes did make for the peoples sake to singe For after that Dauid had brought musick into the temple then did the playing vppon musical instrumentes with swéete melodie and singing of Psalmes beginne to be taken for an office among the priests Touching this musicke vsed in the temple the first booke of Chronicles speaketh very much where it treateth of Dauid and his dealinges how he distributed the singers into 24. orders and that by course Moreouer the priestes were commaunded to minister the Sacraments and to sacrifice For they did circumcise the infants their office was to see the Passeouer eaten and to offer sacrifices of sundrie sorts vnto the Lord of which I will speake hereafter in place cōuenient And that they might more commodiously offer their sacrifices Dauid by the inspiration of the holy ghost diuided the two families of Eleazar and Ithamar into 24. orders For they did minister by course as is to be séen in the 24. Chapiter of the first of Chronicles All the while that their turne to minister did laste the priestes remayned still within and neuer did set a foote out of the temple For there were houses builded within the temple for the priests to dwell in when their lot did come to serue the Lord they neuer went vnto their owne houses vntill their course were expired and their time to minister were fully finished The priestes also did kéepe the holy vessells and make them cleane they kept the candels burning the holy fire that it should not goe out to be short they had the charge of all thinges which
meate offerings we may place the drinke offeringes also For in those sacrifices wine was powred out vnto the Lord as is euident in y 29 of Erodus the 6 of Leuiticus and the 28 Chapter of the booke of Numbers Nowe Christe is oure wine oure drinke ioye vnto eternall life He powreth himselfe into the mindes of the godly that he maye fill them with ioye and liue in them and they in him And therfore did he consecrate in wine the memorie of his bloud that was shead for vs to the remission of oure sinnes With these meat offeringes may be ioyned the sacrifices of the first fruites of the firste begotten of the tenths Touching all which there is much to be read in diuerse places of the lawe as in the. 13. and. 23. of Exodus in the. 18. of Leuiticus and the. 18. of the booke of Numbers Nowe Christ is the firste begotten the first fruites of al the faithfull for whose worthines and merite we are all spared and by whom we being sanctified are made the sonnes and heirs of god To him as to our maker and redéemer we owe as tenthes our very soules and whatsoeuer else is deare vnto and good in vs. Moreouer it is a poynt of thanckfulnes franckly to bestowe vpon God parte of our earthly riches which we haue at his hands to the mainteinance of his true worship and the reliefe of all that be in pouertie The third kinde of sacrifice is that which is offered for sinne and is therfore called Hattah a cleansing or Ascham a sacrifice for sinne We in one woorde may call it a cleansing sacrifice For it was offered for sinne coÌ„mitted vnwittingly or by ignorance which by the degrées of the sinners were diuided into foure sortes as if the chiefe priest did sinne if the whole churche did sinne if the Prince did sinne or if some man of the meaner sorâ—e did sinne Or else they did offer it for sinne committed willingly or of a sett purpose beeing yet a meane or excusable sinne or else for a great and heynous crime which ignorance could by no meanes excuse The ceremonie vsed in this sacrifice is verie ample and large so that I meane not presently once to touche it It is most exquisitely set downe in the fourth fifte sixte and seuenth Chapter of Leuiticus Neither is it to be doubted but that Christe was layde before their eyes as well in that sacrifice as in all their other oblations For Christe is the ende of the lawe and the marke whereto theÌ„ ceremoniall lawes did tende And Esaie in the 53 Chapter of his prophecie sayeth Whereas he neuer did vnrighteousnesse nor any deceiptfulnesse was founde in his mouth yet hath it pleased the Lorde to smite him with infirmitie that when hee had made his soule an offering for sinne for here is put **** Ascham he might see seede and might prolong his dayes and that the aduice of the Lorde might prosper in his hand To this belongeth y who le disputation of the apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrues wherein hée sheweth that Christe is the true sacrifice for sinne that cleanseth all the church and the sinnes thereof In this ceremonie were shadowed the disposition of sinnes the passions of Christ and the power and strength of death Nowe these many and sundrie sacrifices appoynted for sinnes were kepte vncerteinly because they were wonte to be offered of them that sinned at that verie time when they did commit the sinne but the certaine â—he yearely and vniuersall sacrifice was that which is at large described in the 〈◊〉 of Louitiâ—us and may be referred in this place to the number of cleansing sacrifices For in the feast of attonement vppon the tenth day of the seuenth moneth euery yeare was solemnized the sacrifice of cleansing or attonement for all the sinnes vniuersally of all the people The manner of this generall sacrifice I will not ouer busily at this time describe since it is as clearely as the light sett downe in that place of Leuiticus which euen nowe I cited and since I in expounding the mysterie thereof do meane to shewe and make plaine so many shadowes in it as are néedefull to bee marked For I will saye somewhat touchinge the meaning and mysterie thereof In that moste pleasant glasse was figured the whole passion and effect of the passion of Iesus Christ our Lorde and Sauiour which by that sacrifice was euery yere layde before the eyes and renued to the mindes of all the faithfull church of god For this maner of representing our redemption saluation did please God by sacramentes rather then by pictures colours or by stage playes which are at this daye greatly set by althoughe scarce godly by no small number of trifeling and fantasticall heads Now marke that the high priest onely did all that was to be don in this solemne sacrifice saue onely that two ministers were ioyned vnto him the one to leade away the scape goate and the other to carrie out of the hoste the bullocke and hée goate that was to be offered Yea charge is verie precisely giuen that no man should ioyne him selfe to the high priest when hee entreth into the tabernacle and maketh an attonement for the sinnes of the people Let no man saith the Lorde be in the tabernacle of appointment when he goeth in to make sacrifice in the Sanctuarie vntil he do come out againe For no man must be ioyned to Christ in finishing the woorke of our saluation and redemption For he alone is the Sauiour hee alone hath trode the presse and he alone was crucified for vs The Patriarches prophets apostles martyrs and all other creatures are vtterly excluded from hauing any thankes for our redemption and saluation Christe alone remaineth the sauiour and redéemer of the worlde To attribute our saluation to creatures to oure owne workes and our owne merites is to admitt creatures with the high prieste into the tabernacle and to incurre the indignation that is the terrible curse of the almightie true and euerliuing god For by the Iewishe high prieste is prefigured to vs Christe our Sauiour who as the Apostle Paule saith hath a priesthood which by succession cannot goe from him to any other Nowe Aaron did take a bullocke for a sinne offeringe and a ramme for a burnt offering of his owne and of the people he tooke two he goates Therefore Christ our Lorde the true and only priest of his church did offer for vs the thing that he tooke of vs to wite the substance of our fleshe There is added also that Aaron by which name wée vnderstande euery one that was the high prieste amonge the people of God when hee went about to sacrifice did cloath him selfe with the vsuall and common garmentes of the other priestes I meane such as the other priestes were wont to weare sauing onely that they were holye and without spot For although Christe the sonne of GOD did take our nature vppon
him and did become like vnto vs being cladde as it were in the vsuall garment of vs men yet notwithstanding his fleshely garment I meane his bodie that was like to ours was altogether frée from corruption and cleane without all spottes of sinne Aaron did first of all kill a stéere for him selfe and his familie whereby he declared that hee was not the verie true high Priest but the type of him that was the true Priest For Paule saith Our high priest had no neede as those high priestes had first to offer sacrifices for their owne sinnes then for the sinnes of the people For he did that once when he offered vpp him selfe Afterwardes Aaron drewe lottes at the doore of the tabernacle to trye betwixt the two goates whiche should be slaine for the sacrifice and which shoulde bee sent awaye as the scape goate into the desart The two Goates do signifie Christ our Lorde verie God and verie man in two natures vnseparated He is slaine and dyeth in his humanitie but is not slaine nor dyeth in his diuinitie Yet he being one and the same Christ vnseperated is the sauiour of the world and doth worke the redemption of vs mortall men So in the two Goates was a mysterie hidden And for because as Solomon saith the lotts are guided by the Lordes will it was not without the especiall will of the father that the sonne was sacrificed and killed on the crosse Moreouer the high Priest did take the bloud firste of the bullocke then of the slaine goate and a Censer in his hande and went within the vaile where with the incense he did make a cloude of smoke before the mercie seate and with his finger did sprincle the bloud seuen times toward the mercie seate All which the Apostle Paule expoundinge in the 9 to the Hebrewes saith that Christ entred not into the Tabernacle made with handes but into the verie heauens not with the bloud of a bullocke or a goate but with his owne bloud and found for vs a perpetuall cleansing remission of our sinnes For he is our propitiation not for our sinnes onely but also for the sinnes of all the worlde And herevnto did the Apostles allude as ofteÌ„ as they called Christ our propitiation as S. Paule did in y third to the Romans and Sainct Iohn in the seconde and fourth Chapter of his first Epistle Nowe the seuen times sprinckling of the bloud betokened the ful perfection or perfect fulnesse of the cleansinge We haue néede also to be sprinckled with the finger not of man but of Christ Iesus our Lorde and Sauiour whose finger is the holie Ghoste by whome our cleansing doth come vpon vs. To the sprinckling of the bloud is also added swéete smellinge incense For as the Apostle testifieth Christe our high priest did offer prayers for vs with teares and was heard in that which he feared Whereupon by the cloude of smoke that is by the greate quantitie of smoke was noted the greate efficacie of earnest prayers When that was don the high priest went againe into the Sanctum sett the bloud vpon the golden altar of incense For in the worke of our redeÌ„ption both innocent bloud and earnest prayer for vs must bee ioyned togeather Out of the SanctuÌ„ again he came to the altar of burnt offerings whiche stoode in the court which was called AtriuÌ„ there he gaue the other goate to a conuenient man to be carried away into the wildernesse but in the deliuering of the goate he vsed a precise manner and singular ceremonie For the high priest layed both his handes vppon the Goate and ouer his head did confesse the sinnes of the people who also did them selues confesse their sinnes following the priest clause by clause in all the confession which hée rehearsed and then so soone as all the sinnes were layde vppon the head of the Goate hee was sent awaye that by that meanes he might carie the sinnes of all the people into the desart From this ceremonie did the Gentiles vndoubtedly borrow their kind of cleansinges or purgings of the people called in Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in Latine Pâ—amina For their manner was in extreme periles that one should giue him selfe for all the rest whome they tooke and did either kill burne vppon the altar or cast into the water praying therewithall that al their euil lucke might go with him and that the Gods being pacified w the death of him might againe be fauourable to all the rest But the wretches erred as farre as heauen is wide For Christe the sonne of God was made sinne for vs that is hee was made a sacrifice for sinne yea hee became a cursse for vs that we by him might receiue a blessing For to this had the Prophet Esaie an eye when he saide wee all went astray like sheepe euery one turned after his owne waye But the Lorde hath throwne vpon him al our sinnes Againe He was wounded for our offences and smitten for our wickednesse And againe The paines of our punishment were laide vpon him and he bare our griefes Nowe the Goate did carrie the sinnes into the desart not that the sinnes should not be but that they should not be any more imputed vnto them For in the church verily there is sinne in the Saincts but it is not imputed vnto them Sinne is imputed to all them that are without the church in y desolate wildernesse The conuenient man that should carrie away the scape Goate can be none other than Christ him selfe who in the dayes of his fleshe did obserue the conuenient time and fitt occasion repeating often times that his houre was not yet come but at the last when time conuenient was come for him to dye he saide that then his houre was come And by dying he carried away conueniently the scape Goate I meane the sinne of all the world When this also was thus accomplished the high priest did againe wash him selfe and putting off the common garments of the inferiour priestes did againe put on his high priestes attire Nowe this often and manifolde washing in the holie ceremonie is a shadowe or type of the moste absolute remission of sinnes euen as also the chaunging of the garment is a signe or figure of glorification as is at the full to be séene in the third Chapter of Zacharies prophecie And Christe being glorified did enter into heauen there to appeare in the sight of God the onely and effectuall sacrifice for vs mortall men Therefore did Aaron sacrifice a Ramme for a burnt offering for Christ is the sacrifice which endureth alwayes and purgeth all the faithfull Moreouer Aaron sent the Bullocke the other Goate vnto the holie place without the host that there they might be burned Which thing Paule expoundeth thus saith The bodies of those beastes whose bloud is brought into the holie place by the high priest for sinne was burnt without the tents therefore Iesus also that hee
were then forgiuen them that the people of God was set at libertie from al the burthen and yoke of the lawe Verilie when the wicked stiffenecked and disloyall people of the Iewes did after the death of Christ goe on to exercise prorogue and to obtrude to all men the Ceremonies which were finished and abrogated at the comming of Messiah then Christ sitting at the right hand of the father did by the meanes of the Romane Princes vtterly deface their citie and ouerthrow the temple wherin they boasted Which thing the prophet Daniel and Balaam many hundred yeares before Daniels time foretold and said should come to passe Neither hetherto yet by the space of 1500. yeares and more haue they had any place to restore and set vpp againe their citie and temple In Theodoretus and Ruffinus we read that in the reigne of Iuhan the Emperour the Iewes with very great hope and presumption wente about to build a newe temple and that they sought the foundation therof in the place where that temple stoode which was burnt by Titus sonne and generall to the Emperour Vespasian but Christ our Lord who in the Gospell foretold out of Daniels prophecie the desolation thereof and did amonge other speaches say And Hierusalē shal be troden vnder foote of the Gentiles till the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled did mightily represse their wicked endeuours hinder their labour for going forwarde For whē they had gathered brought together many thousand bushells of lyme and chaulk then soudeinly came a whirlewind w a wonderfull storme and blustring which scattered abrode and carried away the store of stuffe by them prouided There happened also a terrible earthquake by which all the buildinges almost of the whole place were swepte away made euen with the ground Finally when a great cōpanie which were busie in the worke did the same nighte remaine or take their rest in a certeine porch or galerie néere to the new begonne citie temple the whole building and roofe therof falling downe on a soudeine slue al the number that were within y reach thereof In the morning they whiche remained aliue ran together to séeke euery man for his frend among them that were slaine by the ruinous building and when those terrours could do no good nor turne them from their purpose then soudenly out of the trenches foundations and stoarchouses hard by where their tooles and other necessaries lay there sprange foorth a fearefull fire which burnt many that vrged the worke and compelled the rest to take their héeles For in that one day it brake forth sundry times and so at last repressed the stubborne rashenesse of that stiffnecked people And for because these thinges should not be thought to haue happened casually or at aduentures the night before and y night following there appeared in the skie a bright or glistering signe of the Crosse the garments of the Iewes were filled ouer w crosses not bright but blacke which could not be ridd away or wiped out by any paines taking or maner of meanes They therfore in spite of their téeth and full sore against their wills being compelled with those horrible terrours fearefull iudgementes and bitter plagues of Christ our Lord forsoke the place and fledd euery man to his house leauing the worke vndone and openly confessing that Iesus Christ whō their forefathers had crucified is a most mightie God howsoeuer Iulian with Pharao and the chiefe of the Iewes did perseauer still in their disloyaltie and despiteful blasphemie against him and his holy Church But howsoeuer the Iewes do euen at this day abide in their wilfull stubbornnesse the Lord did from heauen declare openly enough that hee is no longer delighted with the Ceremonial rites because he destroyed all the instruments belonging to that auncient kinde of worship and made the very shopp of that old religion I meane the temple and citie of Hierusalem leuel with the ground Touching the temple the Lord in the Gospel spake to his disciples when they with wondering did behold it and said Do ye not see al these thinges verilie I say vnto you there shal not be leaft here one stone standing vpon an other And againe weeping ouer the vnthanckful citie he said They shall not leaue in thee one stone standing vppon an other beecause thou knewest not the time of thy visitation And nowe that all this was word for word accomplished and fullie finished Iosephus an eye witnesse of the same doeth largely testifie in the 18. Chap. of his 7. booke De Bello Iudaico Euen very now I told you that from one thousand and fiue hundreth yeares agoe vnto this present time the Iewes neuer had anye place giuen them to build their temple vpp in againe whereby if they were not beside themselues they might easilye gather that the Messiah is alreadie come into the world and that hée hath abrogated all the Ceremoniall rites It is a very slender or rather no defence at all for the Iewes to alledge the woords in the lawe which are many times rehearsed where the Ceremonies are described Ye shall keepe it for an euerlasting ordinaunce For in this sense Euerlasting is taken for Longlasting and Vnchaungeable so farre foorth as it hath respecte vnto the will or authoritie of mankinde For the Lord did with threatening of gréeuous punishments forbidd that mankinds vnaduisednesse should chaunge or abrogate the holy Ceremonies And yet since hée did ordeine those Ceremonies vntil the time of amendment hée doeth neither sinne nor yet incurre the crime of vnconstancie when hée doeth chaunge or take away the Ceremonies according to the determinate purpose whiche hée intended from the beginning Moreouer so long as the thing signified doeth not decaye and that the shadowe onely or momentanie figure doeth vanish away it is assuredly certaine that the Ceremonie doth yet remaine in full effecte and substaunce The whole man doeth liue for euer and yet the thinges that are temporall or corruptible in him doe perishe in death and are abolished in his clarification But that all these thinges may appeare as cleare as the day light I will particularly runne through and touch the more notable sort of Ceremonies That the priesthood of Aaron is vtterly abrogated it is euident by the wordes whiche the Apostle citeth out of Dauid saying The Lord hath sworn and will not repent thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech Christ therefore is the one and onely high priest and that too an euerlasting priest hauing an immutable priesthood which cannot by succession passe from him to any other man or Angel. For hee now standing at the right hand of the father in heauen the very true temple which was prefigured by the Tabernacle and temple at Hierusalem doeth make intercession for vs doth all the offices of an high priest Of whom the Apostle of Christ S. Paule doeth speake very largely in his Epistle vnto the Hebrues This Christ Iesus our highe
estimation of men how they do repute it For men before sinne doeth appeare and is opened vnto them by the lawe do not so repute or thincke of sinne as it ought in verie déede to be estéemed The same Paul in an other place saieth Sinne without the lawe was once dead and I once liued without law But when the lawe came sinne reuiued If so be now that sinne reuiued then did it liue before the lawe afore it was stirred vp by the law although it did not so rifely then as now shew forth the strength and force of it selfe To this also is to be added that saying of Paul Sinne was in the world euen to the lawe but sinne is not imputed when there is no lawe Loe here sinne was in the world before the lawe but it was not imputed not because God did not impute it but because men do not impute it to themselues Vnder cinders doth fire lye hid which is very fire in déede but because it casteth out no flame or lighte of it selfe it is not thought for to bee fire And for y cause the learned and godly man of famous memorie Vlderick Zuinglius did diligently distinguish betwixt sinne and disease or infirmitie when once he had occasion to dispute of originall sinne which hee chose rather to call a disease than sinne because by the name of sinne all men do vnderstand the naughtie acte committed by oure owne consent and will against the law of God but by the name of disease or sicknesse they vnderstand a certaine corruption and deprauation of the nature that was created good and the miserable condition of bondage whereinto it is brought EueÌ„ as also we heard before that Augustine did call this originall sinne Peccatum alienum an others sinne that thereby hée might giue vs to vnderstand that it is hereditarie doth descend from others into vs and yet he denied not but it is proper to euery seuerall one of vs In like maner Zuinglius denied not originall sinne as some did falsely slauÌ„der him he thought not that by it selfe it is vnhurtfull to infants but so farre foorth as it is by the grace of God thoroughe the bloud of Iesus Christ in the vertue of gods promise and couenaunt made harmelesse vnto them His minde was to make an exquisite difference betwixt the actual and original sinns For in rendering an accompte of his faith in the counsell helde at Augusta the yeare of our Lord 1530. hee said I acknowledge that originall sinne is by condition and contagion borne in and with all them that are begotten by the acte of a man and a woman I knowe that wee are the sonnes of wrath Nether am I any thing against it that this disease coÌ„dition should as Paule termeth it bee called sinne yea it is such a sinne as that they who soeuer are borne in it are the enimies and aduersaries of God Almightie For hether doth the coÌ„dition of their biâ—the drawe them and not the committing of wickednesse except it bee so farre forth as our first parent committed it The very true cause thereâ—ore of oure disloyaltie death is the crime and wickednesse which Adam committed and that in very deede is sinne And this sinne which cleaueth to vs is in verie deed a disease condition yea it is a necessitie of dying And so forth as followeth For hetherto I haue rehearsed his very words There is nowe remayning the other effecte of original sinne for me to expound It breaketh out bringeth forth in vs those works that the scriptures call the workes of the flesh euen like as when an ouen set on fire doeth caste out flames and sparkles or as a fountaine that euer springeth doeth powre out water in great abundance There is no quietnesse in the nature of man For couetousnesse with filthie luste ariseth in it ambition cleaueth to it anger inuadeth it pride puffeth it vpp and causeth it to swell drunckennesse delighteth it and enuie torments both thée selfe others Therefore the Lord in the Gospell sayth Out of the hart procede euil thoughts murthers adulteries whoredoms thefts falswitnesse bearings euill speakinges Againe Paul in the 5. cap. to the Galat. doth reckon vp no smal number of the works of the flesh euen as he doth the like also in the first and third Chapiter of his Epistle to the Romanes In the fourth to the Ephesians he doeth very properly describe those woorkes of the flesh which spring out of the naturall corruption of all them whiche are not regenerate by the holy Ghost This I say sayeth hee and testifie vnto you that ye henceforth walke not as other Gentiles walke in vanitie of their minde darckened in cogitation being alienated from the life of God by the ignorance that is in them by the blindnesse of their hartes which beeing past feeling haue giuen themselues ouer vnto wantonnesse to workâ— all vncleannesse with greedinesse This though it be but little shall suffice for this place For I wil more largly prosecute it in the treatise of actuall sinne to the handling whereof I will presently passe so soone as I haue by the way admonished you that I haue not without good cause thus farre in many wordes spoken of the cause of originall sinne that is of mans deprauation the corruption of all his streÌ„gth For as in these are opened the veines of pure doctrine so in them are placed the foundations of oure faith whole beléefe For if there be no originall sinne then is there no grace or if there be any yet shall it haue nothing to worke in vs If our owne strengthe is whole and sound then haue wee no need oâ— any Physician In vaine therfore came the sonne of god into the world For then shall men bee saued by their owne strength abilitie and so shal the foundatioÌ„ of our faith be quite turned vpside downe Therfore S. Augustine is very vehement in this cause whose golden woords I wil recite vnto you deerely beloued out of his 2. booke De originali peccato contra PelagiuÌ„ Caelestium In the 23. 24. Cap. I finde written as followeth There is great diuersitie in these questions which are thought to bee beside the articles of faith those wherin keeping sound the faith whereby we are Christians it is either not knowen what is true so the sentence definitiue is suspended or else it is otherwise gheassed at by humaine and vnassured suspicion than the thing it selfe in verie deed is as for example when it is demaunded of what sorte and where Paradise is where God placed man whom he had made of the dust of the earth when as notwithstaÌ„ding ChristiaÌ„ faith doubteth not but that there is a Paradise And after the recitall of a fewe more such questions at last hee saith Who may not perceiue in these such like sundrie innumerable questions apperteining either to the most secrete works of God or the most darck and
and vnpardonable for which we must not pray that is to saye prayers cannot obteine pardone for it That sinne is contumelious reprochâ— against the holie Ghoste reuolting apostacie and incessant mocking of the Gospell of Christe For in the Gospell after S. Iohn we read Verily verily I saye vnto you if a man keepe my sayings he shall not see death for euer And againe If ye beleeue not that I am ye â—hal dye in your sinnes And apostacie in verie déede is iniquitie and a purposed and perpetuall sinne For what is more sinfull or vniust than to strine against and make a mocke of the knowen veritie The other sinne is veniall not vnto death the which of what sort it is Sainct Iohn declareth when he addeth Wee knowe that euery one which is borne of God sinneth not Nowe that saying must not be so absolutely taken as though hee sinned not at all but wee must vnderstand that hee sinneth not to death For otherwise the verie Sainctes are sinners as it is euident by the first Chapter of this Epistle Furthermore that which doeth immediately followe in Iohn maketh manifest that which went before He that is begotten of God saith he kepeth him selfe that is hee standeth stedfastly in the knowen trueth and taketh heede to him selfe that that euil touch him not that is that he intrap him not stirre him vp against God nor reteine him in rebellion Thus much haue I hitherto saide touching the sinne against the holie Ghoste which Augustine did in one place call finall impenitencie which doth followe vppon Apostacie blasphemie and contempt of the holie Ghost or of the word of trueth reuealed by the holie Ghost And although I haue alreadie in the handling of Originall sinne and sinne against the holie Ghoste partely touched the effectes of sinne yet to coÌ„clude this treatise withall I wil briefly shewe you somewhat touching the iust and assured punishment that shal be layde vppon sinners For in the definition of sinne I sayde that sinne brought vpon vs the wrath of GOD with death and sundrie punishments Of which in this place I meane to speake It is as manifest as what is most manifest by the scriptures that God doeth punishe the sinnes of men yea that he punisheth sinners for their sinnes For many places in the scriptures declare that God is angrie and greeuously offended at the sinnes of mortall men Dauid cryeth The Lorde loueth the iust as for the wicked and violent his soule doeth hate them Vppon the vngodly hee shall rayne snares fire and brimstone storme and tempest this shal be their portion to drinke For the righteous Lord loueth righteousnesse with his countenaÌ„ce he doth behold the thing that is iust In like manner Paule saith The wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlinesse and vncleanesse of men which withholde the trueth in vnrighteousnesse And what may be thought of the moreouer that the wrath of God for the sinnes of vs men woulde bee by no meanes appeased but by the death of the sonne of God Wherein verily the excellencie of the greate price of our redemption doth argue the greatnesse and filthinesse of our sinne To all which we may adde that the good Lorde who loued mankinde so well woulde not haue ouerwhelmed vs with so many paynes and exceeding calamities had not our sinne béen passing horrible in the sight of his eyes For who can make a full beadrowe of all the calamities of miserable sinners The Lorde for our sinnes absenteth him selfe from vs But if the Sunne be out of the earth howe greate are the mystes and cloudie darkenesse in it If God be awaye from vs how great is the horror in myndes of men Here therefore as punishementes due to sinners are reckoned the tyrannie of Satan a thousande tormentes of conscience the death of the soule dreadfull feare vtter desperation innumerable calamities of bodie and of our other faculties which Moses the seruaunt of God doeth at large rehearse in the 26. of Leuiticus and the 28 Chapter of Deuteronomium And nowe since newe sinnes are daily scourged with newe kindes of punishements what ende I praye is any man able to make if hee shoulde goe about to reckon them all It is not to be doubted verily but that the Lorde doeth punishe sinners iustly For hee is him selfe a most iust Iudge And for because it is a madd mannes parte to doubte of the iustice omnipotencie and wisedome of god it followeth therefore consequently that all religious and godly men doe holde for a certeintie that the punishments which God doeth laye vppon men are laide vppon them by moste iust iudgement But howe greate and what kinde of punishment is due to euery faulte and seuerall transgression belongeth rather to Gods iudgement to determine than for mortall men too curiously to inquire Wherevppon Sainct Augustine Tracta in Ioan. 89 saide There is as greate diuersitie of punishments as of sinnes which howe it is ordeined the wisedome of God doth more deepely declare than mans coniectures can possibly seeke out or vtter in wordes Hee verily which in his lawe giuen to man gaue this for a rule according to the measure of the sinne so shall the measure of the punishement bee beeing him selfe moste equall and iust doeth not in iudgement exceede measure Abraham in the notable communication had with God which is reported in the 18 of Genesis doth amoÌ„g other things say Wâ—lt thou destroye the iust with the wicked that be farr from thee that thou shouldst do such a thing and slaye the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be as the wicked That is not thy parte that iudgest al the earth thou shalt not make suche iudgement Herevnto also belongeth that notable demonstration which the Lorde vseth towarde Ionas beeing angrie with the Lorde because of his iudgements for hee sheweth that hee hath iustly a care of the infants yea and of the cattel in Niniue The place is extant in the fourth Chapter of the prophecie of Ionas Let vs therefore stedfastly holde that the Lord when he punisheth doth iniurie to no creature which hee hath made Here therefore the disputations and questions come to an ende wherein men are wont to demaunde whye the Lorde doeth sometimes vse so sharpe torments towards infants or sucklings or why he rewardeth temporal offences with eternal punishments For the Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holie in all his workes As Dauid did most truly witnesse whereas in another place he saith Thou arte iust O Lord and thy iudgement is right Blessed is hee that stumbleth not here and doeth not murmur against the Lorde But if 〈◊〉 so happen that the Lorde at any time do somewhat long deferre the iudgement and punishment wee must not therefore thinke that hee is vniust because he spareth the wicked and sharpely correcteth his friendes their vices Let vs rather laye before our eyes the Euangelicall parable of the riche glutton and
the bottome of his heart And yet it was not the crowing of the cocke of it selfe alone that stirred that motion in him but that and the woord of Christe together who had said vnto him Verilie I saye vnto thee the cocke shall not crowe till thou hast denied mee thrice Wherevppon S. Matt. sayeth And Peter remembred the wordes of the Lord which had sayed vnto him Before the cock crowe thou shalt denie me thrice c. With these also is ioyned a more secrete touching of Peters mind For the good Lord touched the heart of Peter as the Euangeliste testifieth saying And the Lord turning himselfe about loked vpon Peter That loking back of the Lord made Peters hart to melt and drue it from the destruction wherinto it was about to fall Therefore if our cares be pierced with the woord of God and oure heartes touched with his holie spirite then shall wee like true penitents vnfeignedly reuerence dread the Lord. And therewithall being humbled before the most iust holy God whom we with our sinnes do so much offend and prouoke to wrath indignation we confesse his iudgment to be iust against vs and fréely acknowledge all the sinns and iniquities that in the word of God are obiected against vs crying out and saying with the Prophetes Thou verily O Lord art righteous thou art true thy iudgements iust but wee are most vnrighteous lyers wicked and wholie ouerwhelmed with detestable iniquities There is nothing sound or sincere within vs All that wee haue is corrupt and miserable Wee haue sinned wee haue beene wicked wee haue done vniustly wee haue forsaken thee Wee haue gainesaid thy seruants the Prophets we haue not obeyed the words of thy mouth To thee therefore O God doeth righteousnes belong and to vs wretches shame and confusion This humiliation frée confession of sinnes doth God require of penitent sinners touching which I wil hereafter speake somewhat more For now I returne more fully to expound the feare of the Lord. At this present I speake of the syncere feare of God for we confesse that the feare of God is of two sorts sincere and vnsincere The sincere feare of God is perceiued in the faithful and is a godly reuerence consisting in the loue and honour of god For the Prophete bringeth in God saying The sonne honoureth the father and the seruaunt the maister Therefore if I be a father where is my honour If a Lord where is my feare And Paule sayeth Ye haue not receiued the spirite of bondage againe vnto feare but ye haue receiued the spirite of adoption by which we crie Abba father Therefore the sincere feare of God in them that doe repent is not the seruile dread of punishment but a carefull studie mixt with the loue and honour of god An honest wife feareth her husband and a gratious daughter feareth her father yet ech of them doeth therewithall loue the one her father the other her husband and doeth with an holy loue indeuour herselfe to kéepe his fauour feare least at any time she should do any thing to loose it And therefore penitents do not only feare because they knowe being taught by the spirite of God that they haue committed sinnes for which they haue deserued to be forsaken of the Lord but doe also loue him as their merciful father and are therefore sorie with all their heartes for their sinnes committed and doe aboue al thinges most ardently require to be reconciled againe to their mercifull GOD and louing father For with this sincere feare of God is ioyned the griefe or sorrowe which is conceiued by the spirite of God for our sinnes that we commit S. Paule maketh mention of two sortes of sorrowes The sorrowe that is to God-ward sayeth he doth bring forth repentaunce not to be repented of but contrarilie the sorrowe of the world bringeth death The king and Prophete Dauid sorrowed to Godward when he cried Thine arrowes sticke fast in mee and thy hand doth presse me soare There is no whole part in my flesh because of thy displeasure there is no rest in my bones by reason of my sinne And so forward as is to be séene in the 38. Psalme Whiche althoughe it were written of his gréeuous disease or sickenesse doth yet notwithstanding as it were in a shadowe shew vs the great griefe that is in the Saincts for offending their good and gratious father with their continuall sinnes To Godward was the sinnful woman sorie in S. Luke who falling prostrate at the Lords héeles did washe his féete with teares and wyped them with her haire To God-ward was S. Peter sorie and wept as we read ful bitterly for his offēce The godly are greatly greued because they doe so oftentimes offend so fouly so good a God and gratious father No woordes I thincke can possiblie expresse the griefe and sorrowe that they conceiue But the Prophete Ieremie describing the contrarie affection of impenitent sinners doeth saye Doe men fall so that they maye not rise againe Doeth any man go so astray that he may not turne againe Howe doth it happen then that this people of Hierusalem is turned away so stubbornely I gaue eare and hearkened they spake not rightly there was none that did repent him of his wickednesse to say what haue I done Euerie one of them turned to his owne course like a fierce horse headlong to the batteile The worldly griefe is the sorrowe of such men as knowe not God are without faith the true loue of God yea of such as yéeld vnder the burthen of sorrowe aduersities verie sinnes Like to this also in a maner is the cōsideration of the vnsincere feare of god For the wicked with their head the diuel do feare God not as a father whome they are sorie to offend and to whome they desire to be reconciled as to a father but as a tormentour béecause they knowe that he wil reuenge their euill déedes And therefore with Iudas they runne to the roape There is in them no loue of God no honour no goodwill no reuerence but meere hatred horrour and vtter desperation But such feare the Apostle and Euangeliste Iohn denied to bee in charitie saying that perfect charitie casteth out all feare I meane not that feare of the Lord that is the beginning of wisedome but that of which I haue spoken all this while the feare I meane that is in the diuel and wicked men his members And nowe by this we gather that vnto penitentes faith in God and the merite of Christ is most of all and especially néedeful In which sense it is I thincke that many haue made faith a part of repentaunce which as I do not greatly denie so yet doe I sée that S. Paul made as it were a difference betwixte faith and repentance when in the 20. of the Actes hee sayeth that hee witnessed both to the Iewes and Gentiles the repentaunce that is toward GOD and the faith in
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 â—eâ—e 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 kingdoÌ„e also in this world is in decaying as it were momeÌ„tany for a short time For the world passeth away all worldly things perish but all the elect of God are very strauÌ„gers froÌ„ this kingdoÌ„e 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 ouercoÌ„e 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 coÌ„ming 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 soÌ„ne 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 remeÌ„breth 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 coÌ„firmed 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 coÌ„secrate 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 excelleÌ„t 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
Heauen the church of Sainctes is the true tabernacle and temple of our high priest Christe our priest is the onlie and euerlasting teacher maister of his vniuersall Church For not onely that age hath so taught whiche liued in the dayes of his fleshe but the spirite of Christ was in the Prophets by whom now also he ruleth all the seates of his catholique church Christ himself as yet speaketh vnto vs and will speake euen vnto the end of the world by the mouth or writings of the holy Apostles and all teachers preaching the doctrine of the Apostles And this doctrine is sufficient for the catholique Church For it comprehendeth all those thinges fullie which perteine to a holie and happie life Christe our high priest maketh intercession for all the Sainctes in his owne Temple For hee béeing the only aduocate and patrone of all the faithful prayeth to the father for vs on the right hand of god For he ascended vnto the right hand of God the father that he should alwaies appeare there in the presence of God to followe all our suites faithfully Of whiche thinge I haue spoken more at large in my laste Sermon where I intreated of Inuocation and Intercessiō The same our Lord onlie blesseth vs For he was made a malediction and cursse for vs that we might be blessed in him according to that notable and aunciente Prophecie In thy seede shall all the nations of the worlde be blessed Moreouer Christe our Lorde sacrificeth for vs. For hee offereth incense when hée maketh supplication for vs and appeareth on the right hand of god And he offereth a sacrifice for sinnes vnto the liuing god not a sacrifice of a beast but him selfe alwayes an effectuall sacrifice to make satisfaction for all the sinnes of the people Whereof since I haue entreated aboundantlie in the treatise of Ceremonies héere of purpose I am the bréefer Againe since our lord Iesus Christ is y holy of holiest doubtlesse he sanctifieth consecrateth his catholique church annointing it with the oile of the holie ghost that we may be made both holie priests to offer spirituall sacrifices to god For we read y that holy ointmēt powred on Aarons hed ran down to his beard euen to the skirts of his clothing For Christ the highe priest of his vniuersall Churche powreth his spirit as wel vpon them that are verie farre off as vpon them that are neare at hande For hée crieth in the Gospell If any man thirst let him come vnto mee and drinke He that beleeueth on me as the scripture hath saide out of his bellie shall flowe riuers of water of life And againe For their sakes sanctifie I my selfe that they also might be sanctified in trueth To be short when we say and confesse that Iesus Christ is the priest or bishop of the faithfull people we say this that Christ is our chosen and appointed teacher and maister to gouerne and teach his vniuersal church to make intercession for vs to plead all our suites faithfully before the Father in heauen which is the onely patrone mediatour and aduocate of the faithfull with God who by the sacrifice of his bodie is the perpetuall only satisfaction absolution and iustification of all sinners throughout the whole worlde who consecrateth into priestes those that beléeue that that they also might offer to God the Father through Iesus Christ acceptable sacrifices might be the house and tabernacle of God. Out of this it shal be easie to iudge what manner of priesthoode Christs is who is our highe prieste and Bishop His priesthood is the verie office or verie function and working of the priest whereby Christ the priest him selfe executeth all thinges in heauen and in the Catholique Churche whiche beelong to his priestly office Wherefore it must néedes bee that this Priesthoode of Christe our highe Bishop is not visible and corporall but altogether spirituall For verie well sayth Paule Christe were no priest if he were on the earth where they that are of the tribe of Leuie do minister in the tabernacle or temple where there is a temple or tabernacle with manyfolde holie garmentes and vessels But Christe our Lorde is of the tribe of Iuda borne I say of a royall tribe albeit we are not ignoraunt in the meane while that the royall tribe that is the tribe of Iuda and the priestly tribe that is the tribe of Leuie were mingled together For we reade that Elizabeth which was of the daughters of Aaron was Cousen to the virgin the mother of God she being of the line of Dauid Neither is our Lord read at any time to haue vsed the temple or the holy vessels in his ministerie For although sometime he taught in the temple yet he taught not onely in the same He neuer sacrificed in the temple at the holy altars either of incense or of burnt offerings He neuer vsed priestly garments whiche were figuratiue Wherof I spake when I expounded the ceremonial lawes Therefore when he woulde sacrifice for the satisfaction of the sinnes of the whole worlde he suffered without the gate offered himselfe a liuely and most holy sacrifice according as the shadows or types prophecies and figures foreshewed in the law of Moses wherof in like maner I haue entreated in the discourse of the ceremoniall lawes And when hee had offered the sacrifice of his bodie he ascended into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of the father that from thence he may giue light vnto his Church and there appeare alwayes for vs in the presence of God the Father And therefore he doth not now corporally execute his priestly office on earth in like sort teaching vs now as in the dayes of his fleshe he taught the men of his age For nowe he doeth illuminate with his spirite the mindes of his and daily repaireth or renueth the Euangelicall doctrine of the Apostles and yet for all that hée himselfe speaketh by the mouth of thē that teache and preache the Gospell He blesseth vs from heauen that is to say he inricheth vs with all heauenly blessing Of him the Apostle speaking saith And the annoynting which ye haue receiued of him dwelleth in you and ye neede not that any man teache you but as the same annoynting teacheth you of all thinges and it is true and not lying and as it hath taught you ye shall abide in it Of him the diuine Prophet speaking sayth I wil powre water vppon the thirstie and floudes vppon the drie ground I wil powre my spirit vpon thy seede and my blessing vppon thy stocke or buddes They shall growe together like as the grasse and as the willowes by the waters side By whiche words we learne that Christ our high priest hath no néede of a bishop suffragane or vicar in his Churche For he himselfe is present with his Church and gouerneth it by his spirit The selfe same Christ at the
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 CÄ™sar 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 firâ—â— borne of the Aâ—gyptians 〈…〉 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 Aâ—â—yrians 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 Addâ—r or aspe the young non and the dragon shalâ— thou 〈◊〉 vnder thy â—eete And the Lord in the Gospell plainely sayeth that little children haue angels without doubt to be their kéepers Iacob â—he 〈◊〉 greatly fearing his brother Esau â–ª 〈◊〉 Angels comming to meete him vnderstandeth that Angels were giuen vnto him as guides and kéepers of him in his way against the â—â—ercenesse of his brothe In the affaires of Heliseus wee read that the king of Syria beséeged the citie Dothan with a great hoast wherein HelisÄ™us 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 Angâ—ls are brought in for princes and presidents or gouernours of kingdomâ— as Michael with Gabriel princes of thâ— Israelitishe kingdomâ—â— and 〈◊〉 other of the Persian 〈…〉 of y Grâ—cian kingdâ—â—â— and eache of them debate the mattâ—r touching his owne kingdome and fight for the same Not that there is any variaunce or disagréement in heauâ—n 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 coÌ„ceiue 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 coÌ„ming 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 ascriâ—â—ed 〈◊〉 giuen vnto them But â—â—ncere religion doth teach vs to acknowlâ—dâ—â— â–ª GOD the authour of all 〈◊〉 thingâ—â— â–ª that the Angels are â—he minister◠〈◊〉 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
hindereth the saluation of men soweth infinite 〈◊〉 in the church of god And truely the Hebrues cal him sathan whom we call an aduersarie That worde is translated vnto men For in that Peter set himselfe against the counsel and purpose of God he heareth this voyce of the lord Get thee behinde me sathan And Dauid also said to his nephue Abisai the sonne of Zeruia What haue I to do with you ye sonnes of Zeruia that this day ye should be aduersaries vnto me For Abisai gaiâ—e said the counsell and decrée of Dauid The diuell is called Daemon tâ— wit knowing craftie and cunning in many things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies I know For Plato truly in Craâ—ylo according to the opinion of Hesiodus doeth thinke that diuells whome wée commonly call by this word Daemones are called and as it were named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is wise prudent knowing Héerevnto the word serpent must be referred The serpent saith the Scripture was subtiler than all the beastes of the fielde Therefore did the diuell choose the serpent to be his dwelling place by whome he might put his guileful deuises in practise deceiue our firste pareÌ„ts For he is called the deceiuer the beguiler seducer of the world the olde serpent dragon For what seducing soeuer there is in y worlde what wicked deuises and deceitfull practises they flow froÌ„ this one fouÌ„tein of all his mischief In prophane writers this word is vsed in a farre contrarie significatioÌ„ For Socrates in Plato saith I affirme that euery maÌ„ is DaemoÌ„ that is to say wise whosoeuer is good that he is Daemoniacus that is to say wise happie both aliue and dead Wherfore it is a thing verie much and often vsed of Homer to adorne noble personages with this name But in the historie of the gospel Demoniaci are such as are possessed with a diuel Paule in his first epistle to Tuno reduceth draweth the whole body of deceits doctrins coloured with a shew of false wisedoÌ„e vnto this hed S Peter saith Be sober watch for your aduersarie the diuel as a roring lion walketh about seking whom he may deuour whom resist stedfastly in faith By the Lion he shadoweth out vnto vs the nature or dispositioÌ„ of the diuel For the diuel hath excéeding great streÌ„gth he is ful of gréedy raueny most cruel fiercenesse whervpoÌ„ he is also called of some a cruell beast The Lorde calleth him a murtherer For he inspired into Cain and all mansâ—ears horrible murthers at this day also he soundeth the alarum to all warres to all broyling battels to al slaughters and seditions to be short he kindleth wrath he soweth hatred nourisheth enuie He is named a tempter For he is alwayes egging men to mischîefe sparing nothing whatsoeuer he thinketh can entice and drawe vs to thinges most wicked In the historie of the gospell and in the writings of the Apostles the diuell hath wel nigh the name of an vnclean of a mischiefous or malignant of a filthie wicked spirite For he fell not froÌ„ his purenesse onely through his owne fault in which he was first created of that most pure god but euen now also he is delighted with vnpurenesse allureth al men to vncleanesse From this maister of mischief procede al filthy lusts al whoredoÌ„es adulteries al excesse drunkennes surfeting all beastlines vanitie pride arrogancie c. Now the diuel also in the gospel is called Beelzebub bicause that sometime they of Accaron in Palestine thinking they worshipped God worshipped in very déede the diuell S. Paule saith What agreement hath Christ with Belial he setteth Belial against Christ to wit the diuell against god But Moses put y cogitatioÌ„ of Belial for a wicked euill thought Therfore the diuell is wicked vngodly rebellious obstinate against god For they say that Belial signifieth altogether as much as if a man would say lawlesse without yoke without discipline There are some also which think that in the boke of Iob the diuell is figured or signified by Behemoth Leuiathan Iob. 40. and 41. chapter S. Paule giueth the diuels diuers names saâ—ing that the godly haue battaile against principalities and powers against worldly gouernours of th darcknesse of this worlde against spierituall wickednesse in heauenly places against the gouernour that ruleth in the aire against the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience whome also in an other place hee calleth The God of this worlde And as God exerciseth his power in the worlde and in the good for the moste parte by good angels who for that cause I saide are called principalities and powers so because the same GOD of his iuste iudgemente doeth suffer the diuell to haue rule ouer the wicked they are rightlie called principalities and powers Not that GOD deliuereth vnto him the méere and chiefest rule for all power belongeth to God onelie but because hee suffereth him to execute his tyrannie For he plainely saithe that he is the Prince of the worlde to witt of the wicked For by interpretation it followeth He is the Prince of the darcknesse of this worlde And who knoweth not that in the Scriptures darcknesse doeth signifie ignorance blindenesie vnbeliefe vngodlinesse and wickednesse and to bee short vngodly men which are drowned in these vices And againe there is added that whiche declareth the true meaning Which worketh in the children of disobedience Therefore the faithfull and obediente who are in the kingdome of Christe not in the kingdome of the diuel are exempted from this rule gouernmeÌ„t Neither is sathan called God vpon any other consideration for there is added of this world For in very déed the diuell is not a God but because there are fouÌ„d in the world certaine mad meÌ„ who take him for god he hath the name of God The 〈◊〉 father Augustine expounded this no otherwise For in his treatise vpoÌ„ Iohn 25. he saith God forbid we should think the diuell were so called the prince of the world that we should beleue that hee is able to rule ouer heauen and earth but the worlde for he is called the prince of this world is said to be in wicked men which are dispearsed throughout the whole compasse of the earth And againe the same August in his firste chap. De agone christiano saith The prince of this world is cast out not that he is cast out of y world but out of their mindes which cleaue to the worde of god and loue not the world whereof he is Prince because he hath dominion ouer them whiche loue teÌ„poral goods which are conteyned in this visible world not for that he is Lord of this worlde but prince of those concupiscences whereby euery thing is coueted that is transitorie By this concupiscence the diuell reigneth in man and holdeth his hart in possession The same Doctor in his treatise vppon
Antonianus calleth such scismatiques who vsurpe vnto them the office of a bishop no man giuing it them And this kinde of calling is vnproperlie called a calling Wherefore it is euident that in the churche there must néedes bee a calling and that publique and lawfull aswell for many other causes as especially for these that the ordinaunce of God bée not neglected and that the discipline of the church be reteyned and that all men in the churche maye knowe who are preferred to the ecclesiasticall ministerie Albeit therefore Paule the Apostle and doctour of the Gentiles in the beginning were not sent of mē neither by men but of God onely yet the same Paule at the commaundement of the holy Ghoste is separated by the church of Antioch together with Barnabas to the ministerie of the Gentiles After the same manner many other were sent or called of god whom neuerthelesse it behoued to be ordeyned also by men For Paul in another place sayeth And no man taketh this honour vnto himselfe but hee that is called of God as was Aaron And againe How shal they heare without a preacher And how shall they preache except they be sent c. As cōcerning that second kinde of calling whiche is common and at this day receiued in the church and yet appointed by the Lord there are thrée thinges to be considered First who they be that cal that is who haue right and authoritie to call or to ordeine ministers Secondly who or what maner of men are to be ordeined Lastlie after what manner they that be called are to bee ordeyned And first of all that the Lord hath giuen to his church power and authoritie to elect and ordeine fit ministers wee haue declared before in the secōd sermon of this Decade by the example of the auncient churches in the world Hierusalem and Antioch of whiche two the church of Hierusalem did not only ordeine 7. deacons but also Matthias the Apostle the church of Antioche separated into the ministerie the famous Apostles of Christ Paule and Barnabas Whervnto apperteineth that the churches of the Gentiles béeing instructed of Paule Barnabas ordeined them elders or gouernours of their churches by election had by voyces The chiefest in this election were the pastours thēselues For Peter gouerning the action Matthias was created Apostle by the Church This forme or order the auncient churche diligently obserued many yeres For Cyprian epist. lib. 1. epist. 4. The common people sayeth he hath especially power either to choose worthie priestes or to refuse them that be vnworthie Which thing also we see to descend from the authoritie of God that the priest bee chosen in the presence of the common people before all mens eyes and bee allowed worthie and meete by publique iudgement and wittnesse As in Num. the Lord commaunded Moses and said Take Aaron thy brother and Eleazar his sonne and bring them vp into the mount before all the congregation God commaundeth the priest to bee ordeined before the whole congregation That is hee teacheth sheweth that the ordeinīg of priests ought not to bee done without the knowledge of the people being present that in their presence either the vices of the euill might bee discouered or the deserts of the good commended and that that is a iust and lawefull ordeyning whiche shal be examined by the election and iudgement of all Thus farre hée This custome and māner indured to the time of S. Augustine For it is to be séen in his 110. epist. which witnesseth that the people giuing a shoute Augustine ordeyned Eradius for his successour In these latter times because the people made often tumults in the elections of pastours the ordination was committed to chosen men of the pastours magistrats and people These thrée kinds of men propounded or named notable mē out of whom he whiche was thought the best was chosen There is somewhat of this In Iustiniani Imperat. Nouel Constitut 123. They which thinke that all power of ordeyning ministers is in the bishops diocesans or archbishops hands doe vse these places of the scripture For this cause I left thee in Creta sayeth Paul to Titus that thou shuldest ordeine elders in euery citie And againe Lay hands soudeinly on no man. But we saye that the Apostles did not exercise tyrannie in the churches and that they themselues alone did not execute all things about election or ordination other men in the church being excluded For the Apostles of Christ ordeined bishops or elders in the churche but not without communicating their counsel with the churches yea and not without hauing the consent and approbation of the people Which may appeare by the election or ordination of Matthias whiche wee haue nowe once or twice recited Truely the Lord in the Law said to Moses Thou shalt appoint thee Iudges But in another place he saith Thou shalt seeke out among all the people whom thou mayest make rulers And againe Moses vnto the same people Bring you men of wisedome vnderstanding I will make thē rulers ouer you c. Therefore as Moses doth nothing of his own will in the election of the magistrate though it were said to him Thou shalt appoint thee Iudges but doth althinges communicating his counsel with the people So vndoubtedly Titus though it were said vnto him Ordeine elders in euerie citie yet he vnderstood that hereby nothing was permitted to him which he might do priuately as he thought good not hauing the aduise and consent of the churches Wherefore they sinne not at all that shaking off the yoke tyrānie of the bishops of Rome for good and reasonable causes doe recouer that auncient right graunted by Christ to the churches Neither makes it any great matter whether discrete men chosen of the church or the whole church it selfe do ordeine fit ministers that either by voices either by lotts or after some certeine necessarie and holy māner For in these things godly men will not moue contention so that all things be done holily and in order But I wil not here rip vp the craftes deceipts practises and greuous warrs taken in hand for this right of ordeining with sheading of much bloud spoylings lamētable burnings of countries The histories of the Acts of Hērie the 4. and 5. and also of the affaires of the Frederiches doe most euidently witnes how impudētly abhominably the Popes of Rome with their sworne friendes the bishops haue behaued themselues Peraduenture I shall haue occasion to speake of this matter elsewhere more at large Now we will declare what maner of mē it behoueth to ordeine ministers truely not whose luste but the most choicest men of sound religion furnished with all kinde of sciences exercised in the scriptures cunning in the mysterie of faith and religion strong and constant earnest painefull diligent faithfull watchfull modest of a holy and approued conuersation least thorough their corruption of life
of vs feruent prayer but it can not choose but be colde whiche is not inflamed with charitie Therfore they that be cruell and vnwilling to forgiue their brethren their trespasses and do still retein hatred toward their brethren cannot pray before God who sayth And when ye stand praying forgiue if ye haue ought against any man that your Father also whiche is in heauen may forgiue you your trespasses And again If ye forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly father shal also forgiue you But if ye forgiue not men their trespasses no more shal your Heauenly Father forgiue you your trespasses And in another place he sayeth Therefore if thou bring thy gyft vn-the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hathe ought against thee leaue there thy gyfte before the Altar and goe thy waye first be reconciled to thy brother and then come offer thy gyft For otherwise all thy gyftes shall not bee acceptable vnto God. Let vs therefore willingly forgiue let vs loue do good vnto oure neighbors so our prayers shal pearce the heauens Agreable vnto this is y we pray not only with the mouth or voice but with the mind and inward affection of the hart and with the spirite and feruencie There was no voice heard of Moses neither of Anna the mother of Samuel when they prayed but most earnestly in spirite they cried vnto God who also hearde and lâ—dd him safely with all the people of Israel through the redde Sea out of the moste bloudie handes of the Egyptians her which afore was barren he made fruitefull And contrariwise we read that the Lord in the Gospel out of Esay alledged these wordes against the Phariseis This people draweth nighe vnto mee with their mouth and honoureth me with their lippes howbeit their hart is farre froÌ„ me but in vaine do they worship me teaching doctrines preceptes of men Therefore aptly saide Paule I will pray with the spirite and wil pray with the vnderstanding also where he calleth the liuely breath and voice of man Spirite By these heauenly testimonies their prayers are condemned who with a marueilous rouling and swiftnesse of the tounge in a shorte space babble many wordes and those maimed and curtayled vttering wordes without sense For their minde in the meane while is otherwise occupied No other desire is there felt of them vnlesse happilie this séeme a desire in that they pant and blowe hasting to make an ende of praying Among whiche kinde of men Monkes and priestes are chiefe who pray for money for their hire that is sell a thing of naught for a great price vnto the madde people not that prayers are vaine of them selues but because being vsed after that maner they become vaine Of these men the Lorde pronounceth in the Gospel Woe be vnto you Scribes and Phariseis Hypocrites for ye deuoure widowes houses and that vnder a pretence of long prayer therefore ye shal receiue the greater damnation I know what these Sophisters do here bring foorth and alledge for the defence of prayers said for rewarde or stipend but in fewe wordes I giue them this knotte to loose These men that pray in this sorte either haue fayth and charitie or else they haue not if they haue they pray without rewarde for charities sake if they haue not their prayers ar of no effect and therefore with a false shewe they deceiue the ignorant people paying their money for lawfull prayers whereas they requite them with vnlawful and if they were lawful yet were they neither to be sold or boght This is also required of him that prayeth that he desire not things vnworthie for God to graunt nor require those things that are contrarie to the lawes of god For S. Iohn the Apostle saith If we aske any thing according to his wil he heareth vs therefore when we aske thinges vnworthie for God to grauÌ„t he heareth vs not Moreouer alwayes and in all our prayers our wil and our desires ought to be obedient to God and his wil. Therefore let no man go aboute wickedly to tye God to certein circuÌ„staÌ„ces let no man prescribe vnto God at what time in what place or after what manner hee shall bring to passe any thing that he wil doe God who is only wise knoweth wheÌ„ it is time to helpe He is also both faithfull and omnipotent and able in déede to doe greater thinges than either we can aske or vnderstand Which thing we also read that Paule hath said Therfore not without cause is that moste honest widowe Iudith verie angrie with Osias the Priest because he appointed a sette number of dayes vnto God which being ended he should deliuer or otherwise they wold giue vp the citie For Iudith saith What maner of sentence is this whereunto Osias hath consented to deliuer the Citie vnto the Assyrians if within fiue dayes there come not succour for vs And who are ye that tempt the Lord This is not a sentence like to obteine mercie but rather to prouoke wrath kindle displeasure You haue set the mercie of God a time haue appointed him a day after your own phantasie But for asmuch as the Lord is patient let vs so much the rather repent craue pardon at his handes by powring out of teares Therfore Dauid is read to haue spoken most godly being in extreme daunger If I shal finde fauour in the eyes of the Lorde hee will bring me againe but if he say to me I haue no lust to thee behold here am I let him doe with me what seemeth good in his eyes And nowe also long continuance is verie néedefull in prayers Aske saith the Lord in the Gospell and it shal be giuen you seeke ye shal find knock it shal be opened vnto you And by this heaping together of wordes he often remembreth vs of continuance in prayer Aske saith he earnestly constantly as they do whiche require things whereof they stand in néede Seeke as they are wonte that search for thinges that are hidden and pretious Knocke as they are wont who with earnest desire couet to come in to their friend For all these sayinges doe not onely signifie a desire but also a continual studie to obteine thinges required In the Gospell according to saint Luke the Lord put foorth a parable tending to this ende that we ought alwayes to pray and neuer to be weried For Paul also saith Reioyce alway pray continually in all thinges giue thankes Yet let no man think that by these words of the Lord and the Apostle the errour of the heretiques Psallini or Euchitae is confirmed They did nothing else but pray The Lord commaundeth to pray alwayes that is to say as often as wee conueniently may at al times and in all places to be of an vpright hart toward God in al things which should always waite for good thinges at Gods hande and giue him thanks for benefites receiued
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 cōfuting 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