what meanes wee haue to helpe the needie and let vs not thinke to blinde his eyes with anie excuse or by diminishing our fault Let vs not lie to men in his sight that seeth our dissimulation and threatneth to punish it as wee haue a horrible example in Ananias and his wife Saphira who both fell downe dead for lying in the sight of God when they spake but to men O Lorde sayth the Prophet Ieremie thou art mightie in counsell Acts 9. Iere. 32.4 and plentifull in thy actions Thy eies are open vpon the whole course of the children of men to giue to euerie one after his course and after the fruit of his works Behold again what the same Prophet saith in the person of God Iere. 16.19 I will send out many fishers and they shall fish them and after I will send out many hunters and they shall hunt them from euerie mountaine and from euerie hill and out of the caues of the rockes For mine eies are vpon all their waies They are not hid from my face neither is their iniquitie hid from my eies 16 Let vs continue steadfast in this resolution that God is with vs and in vs seeth all our thoughts and workes That all things lie open and naked in his sight that the very holes darknes that we seeke out wherein to worke our wickednes are as light before him that we can not go into any place but he wil be present with vs and in vs. To be short that we cannot think say or do any thing but still it wil be in his sight and hereupon let vs imagine with our selues what an impudency it will be in vs to presume to think say or to doe in his sight any thing that wee would be ashamed of in the sight of men and withall remember that he is not onely holy hating iniquitie and detesting such contempt of his maiestie but also righteous punishing most grieuously as well the iniquity it selfe as the blasphemie to think that God is blinde seeth not the thoughts and words of men also how horrible this impudency is to presume to commit such filthines and iniquity in the sight of God as we would be ashamed to commit before men Rather therefore seeing this name Emanuel admonisheth vs that God is with vs and in vs let all our thoughts wordes and workes be holy as he is holy to the end that in liew of making a seperation betweene God and vs through our sinnes we may perseuere in this soueraigne good to haue God with vs according as the name Emanuell giuen to our Lord Iesus Christ doth teach The fift cause of amendment drawen from these tytles wonderfull a Counsailor the strong and mightie God the Prince of peace the Father of eternity attributed to Iesus Christ Chap. 5. THere be three especiall things that procure the subiectes to loue their Prince and louing him voluntarely to yeeld vnto him all obedience and fidelitie First if he be wise to gouerne thē with wisedome and discretion Secondly if he seek their prosperity Thirdly if he be able to defend them against the endeuours of their enemies and to effect whatsoeuer may be requisite for the safety and good of his subiectes These three pointes and many more shall we finde in these titles attributed by the Prophet Esay to our Lord Iesus Christ for in calling him Counsailor Esay 9. the Prophet declareth that he is replenished with all wisdome wherwith to giue assured counsail in all trouble and perplexitie but chiefely in matter concerning the acceptable seruice of God and the hope of our saluation Secondly he calleth him the strong and mightye God thereby to assure vs that he is of infinite strength and power to execute and fulfill his will whether in defending vs against the endeuours of our enemies in punishing such as disobey him or in making those that are subiect and obedient to him partakers of his graces and benefites Thirdly hee nameth him the Prince of peace because he is the author and fountaine of all prosperity and felicitie both bodily and ghostly signified by the worde Peace he doth moueouer terme him also wonderfull to the end to giue vs to vnderstand that from Iesus Christ we are to expect thinges more high and excellent then any that we can discerne in the ordinary course of the worlde also that in him are hidden the inestimable treasures of wonderfull thinges surpassing mans expectation and capacitie whether to the blysse of such as feare and obey him or to the punishment of vnbeleeuers and disobedient persons To conclude the Prophet also doth entytle him the father of eternitie therein teaching vs that Iesus Christ is the author and ground worke of the eternity of the Church preseruing it vpon the earth with a continuall protection and guiding it to heauen there to remaine eternally in the possession of perdurable ioy and glory for euer 2 Beholde therfore who and what maner of one he is that commaundeth vs to amend by louing him and fearing to offend him and by our willing obedience vnto him And indeed is not such a King or Prince most worthy the loue honor feare and obedience of his subiects First if he be Gods counsailor he is of necessitie replenished with the spirite of wisedome and vnderstanding as Esay more at large doth declare saying The spirite of the Lord shall rest vpon him Esay 11. 2. the spirite of wisedome and vnderstanding the spirite of counsaile and strength the spirite of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord yet S. Paul goeth further Col. 2.3 saying All the treasures of wisedome and knowledge are hidden in him This Counsailor beeing thus replenished with all wisedome knowledge and vnderstanding are not we to beleeue that whatsoeuer he commaundeth vs is holy good righteous and necessary for the seruing of him according to his will must we not in our selues finde that it is meere folly to seeke after the counsaile of man in matter cōcerning the seruice of God and the hope or path to saluation and to listen vnto the wisedome of our owne flesh that seeketh to turne vs from the wisedome of that great counsailor or to thinke it any wisedome to reiect his counsaile or documents To be short as al the members of the body doe suffer themselues to be ledde by the sence and vnderstanding that is in the head euen so the members of the Church must follow no other sense thē such as is in their head Iesus Christ neither hearken to any other counsailers but him and this also doth our heauenly father commaund vs saying Mat. 17.5 This is my well beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him So often therefore as the world the flesh or the deuill shall solicite vs to loue or to doe any thing condemned by this counsailor Iesus Christ let this title giuē to Iesus Christ waken vs and cause vs immediatly to resolue to deny them and not to
as Iesus Christ also saith that God his father will reward vs openly for that Almes that we giue in secret Mat. 6.4 10 To this end also doth hee counsell vs to inuite to our feasts not the rich men that are able to requite feast with feast but the poore that are not able to restore and thou shalt bee saith hee blessed Luk. 14 â—2 because they can make no recompence for thou shalt haue the rewarde in the resurrection of the righteous and in that sence doth hee also exhort and teach vs to vse the wisedome of the vniust steward for saying Make you friends of the vnrighteous Mammon that wheÌ„ you want they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations he sheweth that the vniust steward had that descretion Luk. 16.5 to giue away his masters goods thogh with a bad coÌ„science that therby he might be able to liue when he should be put from the administration of his masters goods much rather then should we giue to the poor that which god hath lent vs seeing we haue froÌ„ him both a commandement to do it a promise that whatsoeuer we giue we shal find it againe in heauen when by death the administration of our goods shall be taken from vs. And therfore if we be in loue with goods it is best for vs to enlarge them to the poore that they may transport them for vs to heauen ther purchase for vs an euerlasting tresure he is vniust vnfaithful saith a good father Leo vpon this Giue and it shall be giuen to you Chrirostome vpon this Lay not vp your treasures c. that coueteth not to retaine that which hee loueth with al his hart for euer What a folly is it saith Chrisostome ther to leaue thy goods from whence thou must depart and not rather to send theÌ„ before thee to the place where thou goest to enhabite Let thy goods bee wher thy countrie is He that hordeth vp treasure vpon earth hath nothing to looke for in heauen Why lookest thou vp to heauen wher thou hast laid vp nothing whatsoeuer thou dost for thy soule at thy death shal be nothing the rest shalt thou loose If we be so desirous to keep our goods safe how can we do better theÌ„ to make vse of the admonitioÌ„ of Iesus Christ who saith Luk. 12. 33. Mat. 6.89 Sell that ye haue and giue Almes make you bagges which wex not old a treasure that can neuer faile in heauen wher no theefe commeth neither moath corrupteth 11 Sith God so commendeth commandeth Almes reliefe of the poore euen with assured promises that whatsoeuer we giue vnto theÌ„ is a tresure fasly laid vp for vs in heauen shal be againe restored vnto vs with plentifull vsury euerlasting reward what else haue we to do but to Amend our former negligence and sparing and more and more to encrease in the workes of charity and relieuing the poore by giuing liberally according to our abilitie as S. Paul saith according to the goods that God hath imparted vnto vs And this is yet one thing that we are to note namely that as many are ashamed to giue nothing to the poore 2. Cor. 8.11 so their giuing is alwaies as litle as may be coÌ„meth from them as if a man should plucke some rib out of their sides If it coÌ„cerne the priuate benefit of the poore ther must be some long Oration to prepare induce them to their duties If a man come to them againe in any short time then will they complaine that still wee come to them that wee neuer leaue begging the poore will they saye must not bee fed so fat and many doe abuse their Almes Then will they come in with their losses the smalnes of their traficke their sclender gaine their housholde charges To be short ye shal find them wonderfull full of inuention cunning to excuse themselues that they may giue as little as may be But if they wist how profitable it were to giue to the poore and what a sauour God sheweth vs wheÌ„ he vouchsafeth to touch our harts with a purpose to distribute liberally to the needy then will they thanke those that come to summon and stir theÌ„ vp to their duties and so will resolue to giue largly according to the portioÌ„ that they haue receued of the Lord. 12 To this duty may the example of the Macedonians greatly incite vs to whoÌ„ S. Paul gaue this commendation that in the great trial of affliction 2. Cor. 8 they enioied plentifull comforte in the depth of pouerty they abouÌ„ded in the treasures of their simplicitie They were sore afflicted yet feeling aboundance of ioy in God without respect to the consideration of their pouerty or standing vpon any long discourse of distrust but in all simplicitie depending wholly vpon Gods prouidence they thrust their hands into the bottomes of their coffers to helpe the poore with that small remainder that was left being redy as S. Paul testifieth of theÌ„ to distribute to their power yea euen beyond their power And so far were they froÌ„ needing any to intreate or sollicite them that euen with great instancie they required S. Paul to receiue of them that which they had contributed And this reliefe did they call the grace of God fellowship in relieuing the Saints This example of the Macedonians ought euery man coÌ„tinually to behold to the end that the rich by coÌ„sideration of the willing liberalitie of these poore Macedonians might be ashamed thus to keepe backe their aboundance that others which be not so welthy might neuerthelesse acknowledging their duties bee ready to giue if not as the Macedonians more then their abilitie would beare yet at the least according as God hath made them able Esay speaking of the conuersion of Tyrus saith Her occupying her wages shall be holy vnto the Lord It shal not be laid vp nor kept in store but her marchandise shall be before them that dwel before the Lord Esay 23.18 to eate sufficieÌ„tly to haue dureable clothing If marchants other welthy persons would well consider this example of the Tyrants they shold vnderstand that al that they haue ought to be coÌ„secrated to the lord that it belongeth not so iustly to theÌ„ as to the poore needy seruants childreÌ„ of God And albeit God suffereth them to be more honorably clothed more daintily sed yet ought they so to enlarge themselues that when their own garments be of fine cloth the poore may haue freeze wheÌ„ they eate whitebread the poor may be satisfied with browne 13 As these titles bee attributed to Iob that he was an vpright and iust man and one that feared God Iob 1. Iob 31.16 so did he declare the same by his workes of charitie protesting that he neuer denied the petition of the poore neither caused the eies of the widdow to faile that hee eate not his morsels alone but that
this vengeance of God keepe vs in feare of this plague and poison euen as such as are put to execution are so many iudges and heralds pronouncing sentence of death agaynst all those that commit the like crimes as they are executed for And in deed the holy Ghost crieth out and testifieth 1. Pet. 5.5 Math. 20.27 Math. 23.12 that God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the lowly Againe He that will be first among you saith Christ shal be minister he that exalteth himselfe shal be brought low If man therefore couet to be exalted God is his aduersarie if vpon arrogaÌ„cie he attributeth to himself the glorie due to God he must loke that God will be his enemie as he doth protest saying I will not giue my glorie to another Esay 42.8 It falleth out with the ambitious as Ouâ—d writeth of Iearus who taking vpon him to flie with wings made of wax when he came neere the Sunne his wings melted with the heat thereof and he fell into the sea which of his name is yet called the IeariaÌ„ sea euen so the ambitious the higher they rise in glory the more they approch the heat of Gods wrath and so doo melt and fall into the gulfe of eternall confusion The man that taketh vpon him to climbe a tree the higher hee goeth and the neerer hee commeth to the toppe the greater is his danger As he that is condemned to be hanged hath no liking of the ladder because he knoweth that the higher hee climbeth the neerer he is to his death and therefore could bee content the ladder should be either broken or burned if he might haue his desire euen so ought we to detest this ambition and pride and indeuor to denie and to mortifie the same as knowing that to desire greatnes is to desire mishap and that pride arrogancie is the highest step wherefrom man is cast headlong into vtter ruine 15 Surely it is maruellous that men shoulde so delight in these vices Bern. of Consider li. 1 which doo but torment them euen in this life confounde those that haue them in possession Oh ambition saith S. Barnard the crosse of ambitious men how dost thou torment mankinde Thou pleasest all men yet is there nothing more mightie in torment or more grieuous in trouble And truely if we could cut off these vices of ambition and pride our mindes woulde sure growe content and quiet we should not thus consume in enuie care and a number of other passions which trouble and molest our minds we should not sel our liberty become slaues vpon an vncertain hope of dominion neither ingage our consciences to the deuill for kingdomes Moreouer as poison put into good and sound meate maketh it mortal so pride taking occasion of Gods graces to boast it selfe August vpon the 58. psal doth by such sacriledge turne vs vnto destruction Arrogancie as S. Augustin saith is a deadly sin because that the farther that man procedeth in vertue the greater is his temptation wherby he looseth all that he had profited August in his booke of Nature grace All other sins saith he in an other place are to be feared in misdeedes but arrogancie most in good And truly as man hath no cause to boast of his wickednes miserie Chriso in his 29. hom vpon Iohn so in his vertues doth his pride grow take increase nourishment causing him many times the more vertue hee is indued with the more to be proud And therefore Chrisostome compareth it to a worme that breedeth in the wood eateth it also to rust which growing out of yron consumeth it Whereupon he addeth that vainglory arrogancy are full of thorns that choak vp vertue a beast that hath many armed heads against those that are possessed of him Many are of opinion that yong vipers do kil their dams in their birth such is our corruption that it causeth pride to spring out of vertue withal this wicked child to be the deuourer of his dam. We are therfore so to resist other corruptioÌ„s that still we must reserue the principall to fight against this wickednesse which groweth vp in vertue and poisoning the good giftes which we receiue of God doeth ouerthrowe that man who otherwise is holy wise and endued with vertue 10 To these purposes we must imagine that there is nothing lesse conuenient to man than ambition pride and arrogancie Let man saith Saint Augustine for whom the sonne of God humbled and abased himselfe August vpon the 18. psalme be ashamed to striue to be mightie and high minded Seeing that man seeking to bee higher than hee was is fallen from the height where hee was placed reason requireth that now he humble and abase himselfe contenting himselfe to bee lowe in his owne sight that hee may recouer his losse and bee mightie in him that humbled himselfe for him Esay 24.23 If the Moone as Esaie sayth shall bee abashed and the Sunne ashamed when the Lord of hoasts shall raigne in mount Sion and in Ierusalem and when glory shall be before his auncient men shall wee poore sinners clothed in iniquitie and replenished with infection of sinne lift vp our heads in the presence of Gods maiestie Shal not wee rather be as it were swallowed vp in the gulfe of shame and reproch To vs belongeth open shame Dan. 9.7 saith Daniel If the brightnesse of the Sunne dimmeth the light of the Starres shall not the Sunne of Gods glorie vtterly extinguish all excellencie and glorie of man 17 Againe let vs waigh our bodily miseries the vice and corruption of our soules in briefe all our iniquities against whatsoeuer may in vs be excellent honorable or wherein wee doo boast and surely the counterpoise will waie downe our pride and replenish our countenances with confusion shame Let vs set our ignorance against our knowledge the vertue that we want agaynst that which we haue our sinnes against our righteousnesse and our corruption against our holynesse so shall we soone quench all arrogancie and presumption Let vs not compare with the deuils in exalting our selues but with the Angels in humbling our mindes It is thought that the peacocke so full of faire feathers hauing only two foule feet standing proudly in the circle and contemplation of his beautifull trains so soon as he seeth his feet which he thinketh to be foule straight humbleth himselfe and abateth seeketh to hide his feathers how much rather ought we by the feeling sight and apprehension of many our foule feet and corrupt peruerse passions that raigne in vs to humble our selues and to abate our pride ingendered of a few feathers which haue only some smal beginning and apparance of beautie Moreouer the more plentifully that almightie God bestoweth his blessinges and graces vpon vs the more are we bound to doo him homage in referring them to his glorie Heb. 1.16 and not make of our selues Idols by sacrificing to
to help the poore than that a Church-robber or theefe shoulde carrie it awaie Wyll not God saie Why hast thou suffered so many poore to starue when thou haddest golde wherewith to buy them foode Why hast thou suffered so many poore people to be lead into captiuity and hast not redeemed them Why hast thou killed some It had bene better to haue preserued the vessels of liuing creatures then of dead mettals What answere may we make to all this For if we saie I feared the Church should haue wanted ornaments God wil answere The Sacraments craue no gold as they are not bought with golde so doo they not agree with golde The redemption of prisoners is the ornament of the Sacraments 26 Socrates writeth of Atticus the Bishoppe that hee was so affectionate and carefull to the poore Socrat. Eccle. hist l 7 c 25 that hee prouided not onely for the poore of his owne parishes but also sent money to the Townes rounde about to releeue the want of theyr poore This Bishoppe writing to Calliopius and sending to him three hundred peeces of golde to distribute to the poore exhorted him to distribute it to those that were ashamed to begge but not vnto such as for fylling theyr paunches gaue themselues wholy to beggerie Whereto hee also addeth that in the distribution of this money hee should not tie himselfe to those onely that professed Christianitie but that hee shoulde lykewise haue a care to feed the hungrie not to neglect such as hetherto had not consented to Christian religion And as it seemeth hee heerein taught vs to practise the commandement of Saint Paule namely to doo good vnto all but especially to the householde of faith Gal. 6.10 Tripart hist l. 11. c. 16 Socrates Eccl. hist l. 7. c. 21 Yet dyd Acace Bishoppe of Amyde goe farther for hee seeing a number of Persian prisoners among the Romanes in great necessitie called together his Cleargie and when hee had made vnto them an excellent exhortation wherein hee declared that God needed neyther dishes nor cups because hee neyther eateth nor drinketh hee made money of all wherewyth hee payed theyr raunsomes and furnished them of all theyr necessities for theyr returne to theyr king who so wondered at such a benefite that hee intreated and obtayned of the Emperour Theodosius that hee might bee sent to see him And in deede this was a testimonie of great charitie thus to releeue euen the enemyes Cyprian Epist 36. of the new edition Cyprian also declared a maruellous zeale care and charitie in this poynt as wee may perceiue in many of his Epistles But among the rest writing to the Cleargie of his Diocesse hee sayth Bee verie carefull for the widdowes the sicke and the poore yea if there bee anie straunger among you releeue him wyth my portion which I haue lefte wyth Rogatian our companion in Priesthood Epist 5 Agayne as concerning the releefe as well of those who hauing freely confessed the truth are in prison as also of such who beeing afflicted wyth neede and pouertie doo neuerthelesse perseuere in the truth I beseech you let them not want anie thing Epist 6 Agayne Bee euen as carefull as yee may of the poore who abiding steadfast and constant in the faith haue not forsaken the flocke of Christe that by your dilygence they maye bee prouided of all their necessities least the same which the tempest of persecution coulde not worke in them be brought to passe by the necessitie that may enforce them And as hee sayth in another place Least there shoulde bee anie want as concerning care for those that want nothing belonging to glorie in that they haue constantly confessed Iesus Christ Epist 57 Thus wee see therefore howe carefull pastours ought to bee of the widowes the sicke the needie and such as are prisoners for the faith 27 But because no man is able to discharge all dueties required in pastours Moreouer that theyr labour lyberalitie and fauour is in vaine wythout Gods blessing they are specially to imploye themselues in feruent and continuall prayer wherein they are chiefely to craue his holye spirite together wyth all the gyftes and graces thereof requisite for the due discharge of theyr ministery whether for the preaching of the worde or for anie other parte of theyr office and duetie And in deede if no man can call Iesus Christ Lorde but by the holie Ghost who I praie you is able to open his lippes to preach foorth the mysteries of the heauenly doctrine wythout the assistance of the same holy Ghost Who can bee in constancie wisedome zeale and charitie sufficient to guide the house of God and to maintaine orders in the same but hee in whome the Lorde worketh most mightily At the verye same instant sayth Augustine that the pastour goeth to preach before hee open his lippes to giue his tongue lybertie to speake let him lifte vp his thirstie soule vnto God Aug. of Christian doctrine l. 4. c. 15 and so water the people wyth the same which himselfe hath dronke and poure foorth vppon his flocke that that hee is full of for albeit a man may saie much of all things appertaining to faith and charitie and after diuerse manners yet what man is hee that knoweth what is fit and necessarie for the time present eyther for vs to speake or for others to heare from vs but onely hee who seeth and knoweth the heartes of all Or who is it that maketh vs to speake that which wee shoulde and in manner as wee ought but onelie he in whose handes both our wordes and our selues do remayne And therefore as it is true that hee that woulde both know and teach ought carefully to learne what hee is to teach and to studie howe to vtter it well as beseemeth a preacher so neuerthelesse hee must thinke euen at the verie instant when hee is to preach that it best beseemeth a minister to remember the same which our Sauiour Iesus Christ hath spoken namely that wee shoulde not take care howe or what to speake for it shall be giuen vs euen when we are to speake Also that it is not wee but the spirite of the Father that speaketh in vs. If therefore the holie spirite speaketh in those that suffer tribulation and persecution and are deliuered for Iesus Christ his sake why not also in those that doo teach them that learne Iesus Christ And in another place the same Augustine also sayeth That hee that is to preach Aug. of Christian doctrine l. 4. c. 30 Hester 14.13 ought to praie vnto God to put good wordes into his mouth For if Queene Hester when shee was to speake to king Assuerus for the bodily health of her Nation prayed vnto God to giue her conuenient wordes how much rather ought the Preacher to praie vnto God to giue him grace to speak well when hee is to preach the word and doctrine of the euerlasting saluation of the people 28 Saint Paul an
of the deuill Col. 1.15 neither by smiting the first borne of Egipt but by giuing himselfe euen the first borne of euery creature to death for vs. It were therfore a two-folde rebellion not to amend our liues and so to obey him who being as S. Paul saith the sauiour of all men 1. Tim. 4.10 as concerning the bodily life but especially of the faithful in respect of eternall saluation hath a two-folde right and authoritye to command vs. And the premises doth S. Augustine confirme by an excellent confession and praier that hee maketh to God saying I know Aug. in his Medita c. 39. O Lord that I owe to thee my self because thou hast created me yea more then my selfe because that being made man for me thou hast redeemed me euen so much the rather as thou 〈◊〉 greater then he for whom thou hast giuen thy selfe But in as much as I haue nothing more then my selfe also that I cannot giue to thee that which I haue without thy selfe take me and draw me vnto thee that I may be thine in following and louing thee as I am thine in being created and redeemed by thee 4 Moreouer in thaâ— in our beleefe we doe confesse that we doe beleeue in Iesus Christ our Lord wee doe also by that tytle acknowledge in him a two-folde authoritie to commaund vs and consequently in our selues a twofolde obligation to obey him For as beeing both God and man in respect of his diuinitie hee is Lord ouer all creatures so hauing redeemed vs by his death hee is our Lord and wee that doo beleeue in him are his peculyar people and seruantes And therefore it were a double disobedience in vs if we as his creatures shoulde not obey the Lorde of all and as his peculyar people and proper purchase bee wholy subiect to him that is more particularly Lorde ouer vs. Iesus Christ is also called King of Kings and consequently king of the whole world yet is hee also particularly king ouer his Church And in deed 1. Tim. 6.15 Psalm 2 as wee reade that the yron scepter is giuen to him to raigne and rule ouer all nations and kingdomes of the earth so is hee particularly established king ouer 〈…〉 heere a twofolde authoritie in Christ which doth doubly binde vs to amend by obeying of him who beeing Lord of the whole world is particularly and more excellently king ouer the Burgeses of Sion and the members of his Church 5 All thâ—se names and titles Iehoua Creator Redeemer Sauiour Lord and king attributed to him that commaundeth to amend being well considered as is afore shewed doth teach vs what authoritie hee hath to commaund vs and how deeplie wee are bounde to obey him as his creatures children subiectes and seruantes and wholy to consecrate vnto him all whatsoeuer wee are haue knowe or can doo in his seruice wythout whome we neyther haue neyther are neyther doo or knowe anie thing Let vs therefore acknowledge that wee are not in our owne power to liue at our owne pleasures but doo appertaine vnto Iesus Christ and must practise the same which the Apostle Saint Paul sayth of himselfe I liue yet not I but Iesus Christ liueth in mee Galat. 2 20 1. Cor. 6.19 Let vs remember what the same Apostle sayth You are not your owne for yee are bought with a price therfore glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirites for they are Gods We are therefore bound as our sauiour Iesus Christ admoniseth vs to denie our selues that is to saie our owne sense and wisedome and to followe his also our owne will Math 16.24 Luke 9.23 Rom. 12.2 that wee may will that which hee willeth And heereto also doeth Saint Paul exhort vs saying Bee ye changed by the renuing of your minde that ye may proue what is the good wil of God and acceptable and perfect 6 There bee two sorts of seruants and bondmen the one borne at their masters houses the others purchased by their masters Neither of these may liue after his owne will sense or vnderstanding but as it shall please theyr master and Lord. Now are we borne the seruants of Christ for he created vs all and besides he hath also redeemed and purchased vs that wee may belong more particularly to him As the master therefore of those seruantes that are borne in his house or whome he purchaseth doo pretend that they doo him wrong when they spend anie time either to theyr owne particular profite or in the seruice of others so maye Iesus Christ and much more iustly complaine of vs that are his two folde seruants namely by birth and by purchase if wee imploy euen neuer so lyttle of our liues to serue and please our selues the world or the deuill our enemies and this must needes redounde to a double sacriledge and twofolde prophanation of that which by double reason ought to bee dedicated and consecrated to him who with double authoritie doth command vs to amend The second cause of Amendement drawen from the name Holy attributed to Iesus Christ wherein is handled Election Reprobation and Gods prouidence Chap. 2. THE Prophet Esaie rehearseth that hee sawe the Lord sitting vpon his throane Isay 6.3 and the Seraphims aboue him crying one to another Holy holy is the Lord of hoasts Heere dyd they speake of Iesus Christ Iohn 12.41 as Saint Iohn in his Gospell doth affirme who also reporting another vision which himselfe sawe sayeth There were foure beasts which cryed night and daie wythout ceasing Holy holy holy is the Lord God almightie Apoc. 4.8 This title Holy thus thrice repeated among other thinges doth teach vs that he is souerainly good righteous merciful wise mightie and true euen so excellently and perfectly that in these and other lyke diuine properties he is most holy and in them holdeth nothing in common wyth other creatures And in deed if in man there bee anie goodnesse righteousnesse wisedome or truth hee hath them not of himselfe but from God Neither hath hee thereof anie more but small droppes or sparkes and the same are but graces happened and accidents or qualities as they saie in schooles so that euen without them hee is neuerthelesse a man But as concerning God hee hath all these properties of himselfe they bee in him perfect and infinite yea they are in such sorte his essence that to denie his righteousnesse wisedome power mercie and goodnesse is to denie God Marke therefore how rightly he is called Holy holy holy 2 It is no maruel that this and all that proceedeth herefro doth passe mans vnderstanding for it exceedeth euen the capacitie of the Angels And this doth Esaie in this vision testifie saying The Seraphims couered their faces with two wings Esay 6. â— as not able to abide the brightnesse of this holynesse But the more incomprehensible that it is the more doth it admonish vs diuersely and in many sortes to amend And indeed among the most dangerous pernitious
and man to his own image purposed that the principall end of his worke should be the manifestation of his glory did he not also ordaine meanes to attaine thereto But the fall of man was as it were a preamble and a preparation to declare his loue in his redemption through Christ to make manifest his mercie to his elect his iustice to the reprobate And in this especially doth the glorye of God appeare If there were sinne in the fall of Adam so was there in the pursuite against Iesus Christ And yet loe the Apostles speaking vnto Almightie God doeth saie Doubtlesse against thy holy sonne Iesus whom thou hast annointed both Herod and Pontius Pilat Acts. 4.27 with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gathered together to doo whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsell had before determined to be done Againe speaking to the Iewes in expresse wordes they obiect vnto them that by the handes of the wicked they tooke Iesus Christ and crucified and slew him Acts. 2.23 being to them deliuered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God Albeit they cannot comprehend that Adams transgression wherein there was sinne came not to passe without the prouidence and decree of God and yet that God is not the author of sinne Must they therefore denie his prouidence those places of holy Scripture wherein the holy Ghost doth so often and so euidently testifie the same Or contrarie to so many testimonies of his word will they make God the author of sinne They do not murmure blaspheme or replie against vs but against the holy Ghost Must they because they cannot comprehend how it should bee possible that God should prohibite Adam that thing which neuerthelesse came not to passe without his decree will and eternall counsell denie those testimonies which himselfe deliuereth in his word or malitiously gather that in God there should bee two contrerie wills Let vs beleeue so much as hee testifieth in his word and reuerence so much as wee doo not vnderstand If we should conioyne the redemption wrought by Iesus Christ with the fal of Adam we shuld soone confesse that as well the one as the other came to passe by the prouidence of God 19 Yet if it were requisite to consider some reasons the same which Saint Augustine doth note might well content vs. We safely doo confesse Augustine of reprouing grace c. 10 sayth he that we do well beleeue that God the Lord of all who created all things good and who both did foresee that from good they should digresse to bad or knew that it dyd better beseeme his almightie goodnes to make of euill good than not to suffer the euill hath so determined the liues of Angells and men that in the same he would manifest first what free will was able to doo next what his grace with the iudgement of his iustice were able to bring to passe First Saint Augustine saith in that he calleth God the Lord of all he doth shew that he had power and authoritie to dispose of his creatures as he wold Secondly in that he saith that God created all things good he noteth that God is the author of the goodnes that hath bin in all his creatures namely in man created to his image but not of the sin afterward coÌ„mitted Thirdly in that he knew that from good they should degenerate to euill and yet that voluntarily he permitted it hee propoundeth this reason that it better beseemed him to shewe his almightye goodnesse in making of euill good then in permitting the euill And then he sheweth the good that God gathered out of the fall of Adam First that it serued to shew what freewill was able to do thereby signifiyng that there is no stedfastnesse but in God and yet that Adam was inexcusable in his fall For hauing created man with free will his sinne was not vpon compulsion but voluntarily and indeed he did eate of the forbidden fruit not to the end to obey the decree of God wherof he was yet ignorant but at the instigation of Satan and vpon a lust to be like vnto God And therefore when God reproued him he complained not of Gods decree but of his wife Eue and his wife of the Serpent Gen 3.6 and 3.12.13.14 and God in his sentence pronounced against them denounceth them all to be guiltie and worthy of punishment 20 For the second fruit gathered in the fall of Adam hee saith that it serued to declare the benefite of the grace of God to the elect and consequently to cause vs to confesse that our saluation is indeed free and grounded vpon the onely loue and mercye of God Also that this we ought not to misdoubt because hereby we are pulled out of the gulfe of death and damnation whereinto by Adams transgression we were plunged likewise that he hath elected vs to the ende to make vs pertakers of so great a benefit and left and abandoned so many others of like condition as ours in the deapth of euerlasting woe and to saue vs hath deliuered his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ to the death Finally in that he saith that he vouchsafed to shewe the iudgement of his iustice namely vpon the reprobate he thereby representeth vnto vs that they haue no cause to murmure or contende and indeede as already we haue shewed that Adam was in his fall inexcusable so are they who being in Adam did with him fall into death and corruption for the sinne and corruption is in them and proceedeth from Adam not from God And albeit that which they doe is not without the prouidence and determinate counsell of God yet not knowing neither hauing any regarde thereof but voluntarily abandoning themselues to sinne and executing as S. Paul saith the lâ—stes of their fleshe Eph. 2.3 they cannot impute the cause of their damnation to God considering it is in themselues neither the r corruption seeing they take it from Adam In this sence Iudas seeing that he was condemned grounded not his excuse vpon the determinate counsell of God but accused and condemned hiâ—â—elfe saying Mat. 27.3 I haue sinned in betraying the righteous bloud and ouercome with the iust iudgement of God he hanged himselfe 21 By the premises it appeareth that the true wisedome humility and sobriety of Christians consisteth in this that when God openeth his mouth to teach vs we likewise opeÌ„ our eares to learn and when he shutteth his mouth we couet not to know Let vs in our selues finde that in God there is a wisedome iustice which we must not search into but reuerence and beleeue all that Gods worde doth teach vs concerning the election of some and the reprobation of other some as also of the prouidence of God notwithstanding we comprehend not the iustice or reason thereof for the glory of God must euen swallow vp all our replycations and murmurings because it is a true sanctification of Gods name to beleeue that he neither doth