peculiar exāples of Gods deliueraunce of his people in Dauid Iosaphat Ezechias Manasses and many other There are to be séene in the Gospell innumerable places where Christe deliuered his professours from sinne from diseases from euils from perils and from the diuel In the Acts of the Apostles there are found most excellent patterns of present deliuerie by the mightie hand of god The Apostles are imprisoned and faste bound in fetters but they are loosed and brought foorth by the Angell of God and placed in the temple to preach the Gospel openly Peter likewise is deliuered out of prison when Agrippa had determined the next day following to make an end of and dispatch him The Apostle Paul being oppressed with an infinite sorte of calamities did alwayes feele the present hand of God at all times readie to rid him out of miserie And setting this tribulation and deliuerie of his for an example to all the faithful he saith to Timothie Thou knowest my persecution afflictions which came to me at Antioche at Iconium at Lystra which persecutions I suffered patiently But from them all the Lord deliuered mee yea and all that will liue godly in Christe Iesus shall suffer persecution Many more examples doth the same Apostle recken vp together in the 11. Chapiter to the Hebrues All this I say do the saincts consider and in time of temptation and affliction do comfort and strengthen themselues therewith For so doth Paule teach vs where he saith Whatsoeuer is written for our learning is it written that through patience and comforte of the Scriptures wee might haue hope Beside this also the faithfull sorte call to their mindes the commaundements of Christ our Lord wherwith he commēding patience vnto vs hath layd the crosse vpon vs all For in the Gospel he sayth If any man wil goe after me let him forsake himselfē and take vpp his crosse and followe mee For whosoeuer will saue his life shal loose it and whosoeuer shall loose his life for my sake shall saue it For what doeth it aduauntage a man to winne the whoale world and loose his owne soule Or what shall a man giue for a raunsome of his soule For the sonne of man shall come in the glorie of his father with his Angels and then shall hee reward euery man according to his workes And againe in an other place he sayth If any man come to mee and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his owne life also he cannot be my disciple And whosoeuer doth not beare his crosse and come after me he cannot bee my disciple After which words the Lord bringeth in certaine parables by which hée teacheth vs to make triall of our abilitie before we receiue the profession of the Gospell To the preceptes of their maister Christ the faithfull Apostles Peter and Paul had an especial eye exhorting vs to the patient bearing of the crosse of Christ For Christ saith Peter was afflicted for vs leauing to vs an example that wee should followe his steppes And Paul said Through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of God. An other comforte that the faithfull haue in their afflictions is this that the time of affliction is shorte that the ioy and reward in the world to come is vnspeakeablie farre more large and excellent than the tribulation of this life is troublesome so that there can be no comparison betwixt the ioy of the one and griefe of the other and lastly that our good God doth not lay such burthēs on vs as we are not able possiblie to beare Touching all which points I thinke it conuenient here to rehearse proofes out of that scrip tures to proue them true S. Peter calleth the time of affliction short or momentanie And the Prophet Esate or the Lord rather in Esates prophecie long before Peters time did say Goe my people enter into thy chambers and shutt the doores after thee hide thee selfe a little while vntill mine indignation be ouerpast Paul also sayth The fathers of your fleshe did for a fewe dayes chasten you after their owne pleasure but the father of spirits doth for a short time correct you to your profite that ye might bee partakers of his holinesse But no chastising for the present seemeth to be ioyous but greeuous Neuerthelesse afterward it bringeth the quiet fruite of righteousnes to them that are exercised thereby Againe he saith Wee suffer with Christe that with him we may be glorified For I am certainly persuaded that the afflictions of this time are not comparable to the glorie that shal be shewed vppon vs For the momentanie lightnesse of our affliction doth wōderfully aboue all measure bring forth to vs an euerlasting weight of glorie while wee looke not for the thinges that are seene but the things that are not seene For the thinges that are seene are temporall but the thinges that are not seene are eternal Againe in his first epistle to the Corinth the same Apostle sayth God is faithfull which shal not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you are able but shall with the temptation make a way to escape that ye may be able to beare it But if it so happen that the Lord doth séeme to vs to extend our tribulation longer than iustice would séeme to require then must wee by and by remember that we may not prescribe to God any end of his wil but must permit him fréely to afflicte vs without all controllment so much so longe and by such meanes as shal séeme to be best to his godly wisedome He who is himselfe the eternall wisedome and loueth vs men entyrely well doth know well enough his time and season when to make an end of our miseries and rid vs from afflictions There are in the Scriptures sundry examples to comfort the men whose afflictions endure for any long time The woman in the Gospell was troubled with an issue of bloud by the space of twelue yeres which had almost driuen her to vtter desperation of her healthes recouerie An other lay beddred whole eightene yeares By the poole Bethesda lay the sillie creature who had béene diseased eight thirtie yeares This space surely was very troublesome But yet at last they were restoared to health againe by God who knoweth best at what time and season his help is most expedient and profitable for mankind Let vs therfore wholie submit our selues to his good iust most wise will to be deliuered when and how he shal thincke best But the chiefest comfort and greatest hope in tribulation is that not any force or miserie can possiblie seperate the faithful and elect seruaunts of God from God himselfe For the Lord in the Gospell crieth out and sayth My sheepe heare my voyce I know them and they followe mee I giue to them eternal life they shall neuer perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand My father which
Israel with him c. 284. 8 And they drewe out the staues that the endes of them mighte appeare c. 340. 341 11 Ahia the Silonite saith to Ieroboam Thus saith the Lord thou shalt reigne c. And if thou hearken vnto al that I coÌ„maund thée c. 185 12 Ieroboam sacrificed vnto God but because he sacrificed not lawfully he was c. 676. 824 12 In the kingdom of Israel king Ieroboam thrust out of their offices the teachers and preachers of the Lawe of the Lord c. 854 16 And Achab serued Baal and worshipped him c. 667 18 How long do you halt on both partes If the Lord be God follow him c. 653 19 I haue béene very iealous for the Lord God of hoasts for that the c. 855 19 I haue left vnto me selfe seuen thousand men in Israel c. 855 ¶ Out of the second booke of Kinges 5 NAaman the Syrian was coÌ„maunded to washe himselfe seuen times c. 972 5 Heliseus by most wholesome counsel refused the reward of Naaman c. 888 5 Am I a God that I should be able to kill and to giue life c. 658 6 Feare not for they that be with vs are moâ— than they that bee with them c. 741 6 Lord I beséeche thée open his eyes that he may sée and the Lord opened his eyes c. 741 17 Israel walked in the ordinances or ceremonies which they theÌ„selues had made c. 329 17 And yet they serued the Lord and they appointed out priests eueÌ„ of the basest vnto themselues for the high places c. 675 16 Achas king of Iuda shutvp the temple of the Lord and toke away the holy altar c. 854 21 Vnder Manasses the nephue of king Achas true doctrine and administration of the sacrameÌ„ts was banished except onely circumcision c. 854 21 This is the house of the Lord God and this altar is for the sacrifice c. 344 ¶ Out of the first booke of Chronicles 15 THe Lord hath chosen the Leuites c. Therefore sée that ye be holy that ye may c. 997 15 The priestes and Leuites sanctified themselues to fetch the arke c. 997 ¶ Out of the second booke of Chronicles 1 ANd Solomon with all the coÌ„gregation went to the high place that was at Gabaon c. 343 8 And Solomon sett the sortes or priestes to their offices as Dauid his father c. 182 11 Ieroboam thruste the teachers and preachers of the Lawe of the Lord out of their offices c. 954 19 Take héede what ye do For ye execute not the iudgements of man c. 194 28 Achas king of Iuda shutt vp the temple of the Lord c. 854 29 The Leuites did sing and that at the commaundement of God c. 932 29 Be yee sanctified and sanctifie ye the house of the Lord oure God c. 182 33. 34. Vnder Manasses the nephue of king Achas true doctrine was banished c. 854 36 The Lord God of their fathers sent to you by his ministers rising vp betimes c. 154. 155 ¶ Out of Nehemias 5 A Notable example in Nehemias suppressing the couetousnesse crueltie c. of vsurers c. 276 8 Esdras the priest brought the Lawe the booke of Moses c. 24 8 Touching the solemne celebrating of the feast of Tabernacles or seuenth moneth c. 353 8 And Esdras with the Leuites saide to all the people which was sad and sorrowfull c. 284. 285 ¶ Out of the booke of Iob. 1 SAthan came and shewed himselfe among the children or seruauntes of God speaking with the Lord c. 747 1 Naked came I out of my mothers womb and naked shal I turne to the earth againe c. 312 4 Behold he found no trueth in his seruauntes and in his angels there was follie c. 745 9 If I will iustifie my selfe mine owne mouth will condemne mée c. 467 9 If I haue any righteousnesse I will not aunsweare but humbly beséeâ—h my Iudge c. 560 10 Thy hands O God haue made me and fashioned me round about c. 760 10 Thou hast giuen me life and grace and thy visitation hath presenued my spirite c. 760 14 Who can make or bring forth a pure or cleane thing of that whiche is vncleane c. 496 19 I knowe that my redéemer liueth and that in the last day c. 86 25 I know verily that a man compared to God cannot be iustified c 401 26 His spirite hath garnished the heauens c 716 31 If mine heart haue béene deceiued by a womaÌ„ or if I haue laid waâ—te c. 232 33 The spirite of God hath made me and the breath of the Almightie hath giuen me life c. 716 34 Nothing is more contrary to the nature of God than sinne and naughtinesse c. 482 ¶ Out of the Psalmes 2 BE wise O ye kinges be learned ye that are Iudges of the earth c. 699 5 The vnrighteous shal not stand in thy sight O Lord thou hatest c. Thou shalt destroy al them that speake lyes c. 129 5 Thou art the God that hast no pleasure in wickednes neither shal c. 482 8 O Lord our gouernour how excellent is thy name in al the world For thy glorie c 637. 952 9 The heauens are thine O God and the earth is thine thou hast laid the foundation c. 637 10 The Lord loueth the iust c. Vppon the vngodly he shall raine snares c. 520 14 The foole hath said in his hart There is no God c. 605 15 Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle c. Euen he that walketh c. 669 16 The Lord is alwayes at my right hand Therefore my heart is glad c. 433 18 Who is God besids the Lord and who is mightie or a rock saue our God c. 658 18 The way of God is vncorrupt the word of the Lord is tryed c. 861 18 He bowed the heauens and came downe and there was barckenesse vnder his féete c. 738 19 The law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule c. 21 19 The heauens declare the glorie of God and the firmament sheweth forth the workes of his hands c. 620 19 Who knoweth his sinnes Clense me from my hidden faultes c. 578 22 Thou art he that toke mée out of my mothers wombe thou wast my hope c. 306 22 Our fathers hoped in thée they hoped in thée and thou didst deliuer them c. 306. 657 27 In my trouble I will call vppon the Lord and I will crie vnto my God c. 657 27 Because my father my mother haue left or forsaken mée the Lord hath taken mée vp c. 660 31 I haue hoped in thée O Lord I haue said Thou art my GOD c. 640 32 I haue made my fault knowen vnto thée and mine vnrighteousnes haue I not hidden c. 572
The deliuerie of Israel out of Aegypt compared with the redemption of all the world wrought by Christ c. 114 53 He is a man of sorrowes and hath felt calamities c. 64 53 And with the blewnesse of his stripes are wée healed c. 47 53 Whereas he neuer did vnrighteousnesse nor any deceiptfulnesse was found c. 371 53 Wée haue all gone astray like shéepe we haue turned euery one to his owne way c. 374 645 58 The fastings of the Iewes displeased god c. I haue nor chosen such a manner of fasting c. 244. 59 I will make this couenaunt with them My spirit that is come vppon thée c. 821 61 The spirite of the Lord vppon mée because he hath annointed mee to preach the Gospell c. 525. 634. 705. 63 And it shall come to passe that before they call I will aunsweare them c. 922 63 Thou O GOD art oure father Though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel knowe vs not c. 660 64 What the eye hath not séene nor the eare heard c. 90 65 Hée that will blesse himselfe shall blesse in the Lord c. 133 66 Hée that killeth a bullocke is as if he siue a man He that sacrificeth a shéepe as if he cutt off a dogs necke c. 677 66 Vppon whome shall my spirâ—te rest Euen vppon him that is poore â–ª of a lowely troubled spirite c. 711 ¶ Out of the Prophete Ieremie 2 HEare yee the woorde of the Lord O house of Iacob and all the families of the house of Israel c. 674 3 In those dayes they shall make no more boast of the arcke of the Lords Couâ—nanâ— c. 413 3 If anâ— man put awaâ— his wife and shée marrie to another mann will her first husband turne to her agaâ—ne c. 569 4 And the Nations shall blesse themselues in him and in him c. 135 4 Thou shalt sweare The Lord liueth in truth in iudgement and righteousnesse c. 133 4 If Israel thou wilt returne returne to mée c. 563 4 Bée ye circumcised to the Lord and cut away the foreskinne of your heart c 361. 1025 5 Turne vs O Lord and we shall be turned c. 564 5 Sincere turning to God is the onely way to remedie and shake off warre c. 210 7 Thou shalt not praye for this people neither giue thankes c. 923 7. Heape vp your burnt offerings with your sacrifices and eate the slesh c. 322. 1000 8 They haue reiected the word of God therefore what wisedome c. 447. 834 8 Howe say ye wee are wise wee haue the lawe of the Lord amonge vs c. 600 8 Doe men fall so that they may not rise againe Doth any man go so astray that he may c. 565 8 Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome nor the strong man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches but let him c. 622 10 Thus sayth the Lord ye shall not learne after the manner of the Heathen c. 481 10 O Lord there is none like vnto thée Thou art great and great is thy name with power c. 621 12 O Lorde thou art more righteous than that I should dispute with thee c. 300 12 But drawe them out O Lorde like a shéep to be slaine and ordeine c. 300 17 Thus sayth the Lorde curssed be the man that trusteth in man c. 687. 861 17 Thus hath the Lord sayd vnto me Goe and stande vnder the gate of the sonnes of the people 142 17 The heart of man is euill and vnsearchable c. 578 18 I will speake soudenly against a nation or a kingdome for to pluck it vp c. 917 20 The Lord with me is a strong Giant 610 22 Kéepe equitie and righteousnesse deliuer the oppressed c. 194 22 Woe to him that buildeth his house with vnrighteousnesse c. 239 22 As truely as I liue sayth the Lorde if Chonenias the son of Iehâ—akâ—m king of Iuda c. 1011 23 Behold the time coÌ„meth saith the Lord that I will raise vppe the righteous braunche of Dauid c. 699 23 Christe the sonne of Dauid called IEHOVAH and our righteousnesse c. 686 23 I haue not sent them and yet they runne c. 893 23 The Prophete that hath a dreame let him tell a dreame c. 904 23 Am I GOD that séeth but the thing that is nigh at hand only and not the thing that is farre off c. 610 25 Take this wine-cup of indignation from my hand and make all the people c. 316 26 If they turne from euill I will also repent me of the euill which I ment c. 562 29 Ye shall call vppon me and ye shall liue ye shall praye vnto me I will heare you c. 657 29 Builde vp houses c. and pray to the Lord for BabyloÌ„ c. 151. 219 31 This is my couenant that I wil make with them after these dayes c. 568. 726 31 Leaue of from wéeping for thy laboure shall be rewarded thée c. 468 31 Turne thou me O Lorde and I shall be turned bycause thou arte the Lord c. 564 31 No man shall teach his neighbourâ— for al shall know me c. 876 31 They shall come and reioyce in Sion and shal haue plenteousnesse c. 284 44 When GOD will punishe the sinne of the fathers in the children c. 125 Out of the Prophete Ezechiel 3 THou shalt heare the worde at my mouth and giue them warning c. 904 3 Blessed be the glory of the Lorde out of his place c 740 7 They shall not satisfie their soul neyther shall their bellies be filled c. 756 13 Woe vnto them that say to the people Peace Peace when there is no peace c. 323 14 If I send a pestilence vnto this land and if Noe Iob and Daniel c. 923 18 A bâ—adrowe of good works knit vp by the Prophete in ample manner c. 475 18 The sonne shall not beare the iniquirie of the father but euery maÌ„ shall dye c. 497 28 The fathers haue eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth c. 124 28 I sawe sathan as it had béene lightening falling downe from heauen c. 746 34 Thus sayth the Lord God Wo be vnto the shepeheards of Israel c. 906 34 Séemeth it a small thing vnto you to haue eaten vppe the good pasture c. 26 34 I will féede my flocke my selfe alone c. my seruant Dauid shall féede it c. 686 34 I will raise vp ouer my shéepe a shepehearde who shall féede them c. 864 36 I will sprinckle cleane water vpon you and ye shall be cleansed from all your vncleannesse c. 568 Out of Daniel 2 WIsedome and strength are the Lordes it is he that chaungeth the times and seasons c. 639 4 Let thy sinnes bee redéemed in righteousnesse and
thine iniquities in shewing pitie to the poore c. 584 4 Nabuchodonosor sawe in a vision a watchman comming downe from heauen c. 742 7 Thousand thousands and hundred thousandes did minister vnto him c. 609. 737 7 Daniel describeth the rising and falling of all kingdomes and of antichrist c. 703 7 Hee shall thinke that hee may chaunge times and lawes c. 887 9 We haue sinned we haue committed iniquitie and haue done wickedly c. 308 9 Thou verily O Lorde art righteous thou arâ—e true and thy iudgements iust c. 564 9 I turned my face vnto the Lord God and sought him by prayer c. 924 9 We do not present our prayers before thée in oure owne righteousnesse c. 921 9 As I was yet a speaking making supplication and confessing myne owne sinne c. 736 9 A people vpon whom the name of God is called c. 656 10 His body was like the Turkish or Iasper stone his face to look vpon was like lightening c. 737 10 Angels are brought in as princes and presidentes or gouernours of kingdomes c. 742 12 And many of them that sléepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life c. 747 Out of Osee 2 I Will not haue compassion vpon her children bicause they are c. 869 3 Thou shalt be without Ephod and Terâ—phâ—m c. 333 6 I desire mercy more than sacrifice and the knowledge of god more than c. 475 14 Take these wordes with you turne ye to the Lorde and say c. 953 Out of Ioel. 1 PRoclayme an holy fast gather the people together c. 238 2 Blowe the Trumpet in Sion sanctifie a fast call a solemne c. 927 2 Turne ye to me sayth the Lord with all your heartes with fasting with wéeping c. 595 2 Euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lorde shall bee saued c. 645. 657 Out of Abdias 1 HE sayth that Sauiours shall ascend into the monne Sion c. 871 Out of Ionas 3 THE men of Niniuie beleued God and proclaymed a fast and put on sackcloth from c. 595 3 Let neyther man nor beast taste any thing neyther féede nor yet drinke water but let c. 595 3 And God sawe their works that they turned from their euill wayes and he repented of c 596 4 The Lorde sayth that he hath a consideration and respect to such as are not yet come to yeares of discretion namely to infantes c. 1045 Out of Amos. 2 VNder Ietoboam the second of that name Amos the prophet a neatchearde of Tecoa taught and preached c. 855 2 I taysed vp of your sonnes for Prophetes and of your young men for Nazarites 1114 3 There is no euill in a citie but the Lord doth it c. 493 3 They store vp treasures in their palaces by violence and robberie Therefore c. 280 6 I am no Prophete neyther the sonne of a Prophete c. 1114 7 Get thee quickly hence and goe into the land of Iudea and propheete c. 855 8 Heare this Oye that swallowe vp the poore and make the néedie of the land c. 276 9 The temnaune of the men shall séeke after the Lord and at the heathen c. 425 Out of Micheas 4 ALI people walke in the name of their God as for vs we wil walke in the name of our God c. 685. 686 4 And the Lorde shall reigne ouer them in mount Sion c. 699 4 A man shall sit vnder his vine c. 72 5 And thou Beth lehem Ephrata art little to be among the thousands of Iuda c. 678. 692 6 For what cause GOD sendeth waree as a plague vppon people c. 209 6 Threatenings of grieuous punishmentes against them that vse deceites in weightes and c. 271 6 I wil them thée O man what is good and what the Lorde requireth of thée namely c. 475. 668 Out of Malachie 1 WHen ye bring the blinde for sacrifice do ye not sinne wheÌ„ ye bring the lame sick c. 368 1 I haue no pleasure in you sayth the Lorde of hoastes neyther will I c. 953 1 The sonne honoureth the father and the seruaunt the maister Therefore if I be a father c. 565 2 My couenaunt was with Leuie of life and peace and I gaue him feare c. 904 3 It is but vaine to serue GOD and what profite is it that we haue kept his commandements c. 292 4 The day of the Lord shall come in which the proude and those that worke wickednesse c. 300 Out of Sophonie 1 I Will out off those that worship sweare by the Lord sweare by Malchom c. 133 Out of Haggee 1 COnsider your owne wayes in your heartes ye so we muche but ye bring little in c. 285 2 I will take thée to my seruaunt Zorobabel thou sonne of Salathiel c. 1011 Out of Abacuche 1 O Lorde howe long shall I cry and thou not heare howe long shall I cry out to thée c. 292 2 What profiteth the Image for the maker of it hath made it c. 122 123 Out of Zacharie 1 AN Angel of the Lorde is brought in sorrowfull for the miserie of the captures in Babylon c. 739 3 Behold I bring foorth the braunche my seruaunt For loe the stone c. 375 7 Thus saith the Lord of hoastes execute true iudgment shewe mercie and louing kindnesse c. 475 7. 8 Hypocriticall fastings found fault withall I haue not chosen c. 241 12 Beholde I make Hicrusalem a cup of poyson vnto all the people c. 316 12 Of warres to be made againste all nations by the Apostles c. 831 11 Take to thée yet the instrumeÌ„ts of a foolish shepheard For lo I wil raise vp a shepheard c. 829 13 Arise O thou sword vpon my shepheard and vpon the man that is my fellowe c. 680 Out of Ecclesiasticus or Iesus of Syrache 1 SEeke not out the thinges that are too harde for thee neyther search after c. 642 7 God created man good but they sought out many inuentioÌ„s of their owne c. 482 11 When the cloudes are full they poure out raine vpon the c. 771 15 Say not thou It is the Lords fault that I haue sinned for thou shalt not doe the thing c 491 15 God made man in the beginning and left him in the hand of his counsel c. 483 12 The dust shal be turned againe vnto earth from whence it came c. 715 Out of the booke of Wisedome 1 GOD hath not made death neither hath he delight in the destruction of the liuing c. 481 482 3 The soules of the righteous are in the hande of God and there shall no torment touch them c. 766 Out of the booke of Tobie 4 BE mercifull after thy power if thou haue much giue
of the holy Ghost which is in you c. 717. 861 6 Ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are iustified in the name of the Lord c. 989 7 Sorrow which is to Godward causeth repentaunce vnto saluation c. 565. 593 7 Let euery man walke according as he is called And so ordeine I in all Churches c. 441 7 He that is called a bondman in the Lord is the Lords freeman Likewise he c. 441 7 To auoyd whoredome let euery man haue his owne wife and euery womaÌ„ her own husband 226. 1132 7 Let the husband giue to the wife due beneâ—olence likewise also the wife to the husband c. 226 7 The vnbeléeuing husband is sanctified by the wife and the vnbeléeuing wife â–ª c. 497 8 Knowledge puffeth vpp but loue edifyeth c. 846 8 There is none other God but one And though there bee that are called Gods whether c. 624 8 Meate commendeth vs not to God For neither if we eate c 244 9 Haue we not power and authoritie to eate and drincke or may wée not carrie about with vs a woman sister c. 1121. 1132 9 Who doeth goe to warre at his owne costes and charges Or who pâ—anteth a vineâ—ard c. 1121 9 Doe I speake these thinges according to man doeth not the scriptur also say the same c. 1121 9 Doeth GOD care for oâ—en or doeth he not speake it altogether for our sakes c. 1121 9 If others be partakers of the power towards you why rather are not we c. 1122 9 Knowe ye not that they whiche take paines in the holy thinges doe eate of the holy thinges c. 1122 9 If wee sowe vnto you spirituall thinges is it a great matter if wée reape your carnall things c. 1120. 1122. 10 Flée fornication c. 234 10 I would not brethren that ye should be ignorant that our fathers c. 435. 982 10 The rocke was Christe c. 861 862 10 God is faithfull and will not suffer his to be tempted c. 174. 310 480 10 Though wee be many yet are we one bread and one body for c. 822 10 Are not they whiche eate of the sacrifice â–ª partakers of the altar c. 329 10 Flée from idolatrie I speake as vnto them that haue vnderstanding iudge ye what I say c. 1022 10 God doeth not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue that we are able to beare c. 754 11 When we are iudged wée are chastened of the Lord that we should not c. 308 11 So often as ye shal eate of this bread and drinke of this cup declare the Lords death tâ—l he come c. 1106 11 Be ye the followers of me euen as I am of Christ c. 828 11 I receuied that of the Lord which I haue also deliuered vnto you c. 963. 1061 11 For this cause many are weake and feeble amonge you and many sleepe c. 1109 11 Whoso eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drincketh his owne damnation c. 1026 1108 11 Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of that bread drinke of that cup. 1007. 1109. 1030 12 As the bodie is one and hath many members and all the members of the body c. 1021 12 There are diuersities of giftes but it is the selfe same spirite c. 716 12 Through one spirite we are all baptised in one body c. 822. 1062 12 And all these thinges worketh euen one and the selfe same spirite distributing c. 717 13 The grace of oure Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the fellowship of the holy ghost be with you all c. 716 13 Loue suffereth wronge and is curteous Loue enuyeth not c. 98 13 If I haue all faith so that I can remoue mounteines out of their places c. 46â— 14 Let the Prophetes speake two or three at once let the other iudge c 839 14 If I pray in a straunge tongue my spirite or voice prayeth but my c. 714. 931 14 I will pray with the spirite and will pray with the vnderstanding c. 925. 933 14 If therefore when the whole church is come together in one and all speake c. 916 15 Loe I tell you a mysterie wée shall not all verily sléepe c. 86 15 S. Paule confesseth that he persecuted the Church or congregation of God c. 812 15 Flesh and bloud cannot inherite the kingdome of GOD c. 27. 89 15 If the dead doe not rise neither is Christ risen But Christ is risen being the first frâ—â—tes of them that sléepe c. 1091 15 It is sowen in corruption it riseth in incorruption it is sowen c 88 15 Of the resurrection of Christe from the dead c. 68 ¶ Out of the second Epistle of S. Paule to the Corinthians 1 IT is God which hath annoinâ—ed vs whiche hath also sealed vs and hath giuen the earnest of the spirite in our heartes c. 726. 1016 3 Paule calleth the Lawe the letter the ministration of death c. 402 3 Ye are the epistle of Christ ministred by vs written not with incke c. 874 3 The Lord hath made vs able ministers of the newe testament c. 715 4 Wee which liue are alwayes deliuered to death for Iesus sake c. 86 4 Wée haue this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellencie of the power c. 293 4 We preache not oure selues but Iesus Christe the Lord and our selues your c. 874 4 Wée are troubled on euery side yet are we not without shift c. 311 5 Thogh we haue knowen Christ after the flesh nowe yet henceforth know we him no more c. 689 6 There is no agreement betwéene Christ and Belial c. 817. 859. 1103. 6 So we as workers together beséech you that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine c. 646 6 Wherfore come out from among them and separate your selues saith the Lord c. 859 11 But I feare least it come to passe that euen as the serpent c. 868 11 If any other be the ministers of Christe I am more in labours more c. 3â—4 11 I haue coupled you to one man to present you a chasâ—e virgin c. 868 11 I haue robbed other Churches hauing receiued wages of them to the incent I might do you seruice c 1122. 12 Least I should be exalted out of measure through the aboundance of reuelations there was giuen vnto me a pricke to the â—lesh c. 753 ¶ Out of the Epistle of S. Paule to the Galathians 1 PAule though taken vp into the third heauen c. is referred ouer vnto a man c. 871 1 When it pleased GOD that I should preach his sonne amonge the Gentiles c. 427 1 I mâ—ruaile that yee are so some turned froÌ„ Christ whiche called you by grace c. 423 1 Thoughe wée or an angel from heauen
sayinges euen as it were siluer cleansed in the fire and seuen times fined from the earth This you shal more fully perceiue dearely beloued if I speake somewhat more largely of the cause or beginning and certaintie of the worde of god The worde of God is trueth but God is the onely welspring of trueth therefore God is the beginning and cause of the worde of God. And here in déede God since he hath not members like to mortall men wanteth also a bodily mouth yet neuerthelesse bycause the mouthe is the instrument of the voice to God is a mouth atributed For he spake to men in the voice of a man that is in a voice easily vnderstood of men and facioned according to the speach vsually spokeÌ„ among men This is euidentlye to bée séene in the things wherein he dealte with the holy fathers with whome as with oure parents Adam and Eua Noe and the rest of the fathers he is read to haue talked many and often tymes In the mount Sina the Lord him selfe preached to the great congregatioÌ„ of Israel rehearsing so plainly that they might vnderstand those tenne Commaundementes wherein is contained euerye poynt of godlinesse For in the. 5. of Deut. thus we reade These words meaning the. 10. CommauÌ„dements spake the Lorde with a loude voyce from out of the middes of the fire to the whole congregation And in the 4. Chapiter A voice of wordes you hearde but no similitude did you see beside the voice God verily vsed oftentimes the meanes of Angels by whose ministerie he talked with mortall men And it is very well knowne to all men that the sonne of God the father being incarnate walked about on the earth and being very God and man taught the people of Israell almost for the space of 3. yeares But in times past and before that the Sonne of God was borne in the worlde God by litle and litle made him selfe acquainted with the hartes of the holy Fathers after that with the minds of the holy Prophets and last of all by their preaching and writinges he taught the whole worlde So also Christe our Lorde sent the holy ghost which is of the father the sonne into the Apostles by whose mouths words writings he was knowen to all the world And al these seruants of god as it were the elect vessels of God hauing with sincere harts receiued the reuelation of God from God him selfe first of all in a liuely expressed voyce deliuered to the worlde the Oracles and worde of God whiche they before had learned and afterward when the world drewe more to an ende some of them did put them in writing for a memoriall to the posteritie And it is good to know how by whom all this was done For by this narration the true cause certaintie and dignitie of the word of God doth plainly appeare There are not extant to be séene the writings of any man from the beginning of the worlde vntill the time of Moses whiche are come to oure knowledge although it be likely that that same ancient and first world was not altogether without all writings For by S. Iude the Apostle and brother of S. Iames is cited the written prophesie of our holy father Enoch which is read to haue ben the seuenth from our father Adam Furthermore the writing or historie of Iob séemeth to haue bene set foorth a great while before But howe soeuer it is all the Saintes in the Churche of God giue to Moses the faithfull seruant of God the first place amoÌ„g the holy writers From the beginning therefore of the worlde God by his spirit and the ministerie of Angels spake to the holy fathers and they by word of mouth taught their children and childers children and all their posteritie that whiche they had learned at the mouth of God when they verily had hearde it not to the intent to kéepe it close to themselues but also to make their posteritie partakers of the same For God oftentimes witnesseth that He will be the God of the fathers and of their seed for euermore This is most plainly to be séene in the historie of Adam Noe and Abraham the first and great grandfathers In the. 19. of Genesis verily we reade that the angell of God yea and that more is that eueÌ„ the Lorde him selfe did say to Abraham And shall I hide from Abraham what I minde to doe since of Abraham shall come a great and mightie people and al the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him And this I knowe that he will commaunde his children and his posteritie after him to keepe the way of the Lorde and to do iustice iudgement and the rest Abraham therfore a faithfull and zealous worshipper of God did not euen as also those olde fathers of the firste world did not waxe negligent at all herein but did diligently teache men the wil iudgemeÌ„ts of God whervpoÌ„ of Moses yea of God him selfe he is called a prophet That deuout liuely tradition of the fathers from hande to hand was had in vse continually euen from the beginning of the world vntil the time of Moses Moreouer God of his goodnesse did prouide the no age at any time should be without most excellent lightes to be witnesses of the vndoubted faith and fathers of great authoritie For the worlde before the deluge had in it 9. most excellent most holy and wise men Adam Seth Enos Kenam Malaleel Iared Enoch Methusalem and Lamech The chief of these Adam and Methusalem doe beginne and make an end of all the. 1656 yeares of the world before the deluge For Adam liued 930. yeres He dieth therefore the. 726. yeare before the floud And Methusalem liued 969. yeres He dieth in the very same yere that the floud did ouerflowe and he liued together with Adam 243. yeres so that of Adam he might be aboundantly inoughe instructed as concerning the beginning of things as concerning God the fall and restoring againe of mankinde and all things else belonging to religion euen as he was taught of God him selfe These two fathers with the rest aboue named were able sufficiently inoughe to instruct the whole age in the true saluation and right wayes of the Lorde After the deluge God gaue to the world againe excellent men and very great lightes The names of them are Noe Sem Arphaxad Sale Heber Palec Reu Saruch Nachor Thaâ—e Abraham Isaac and Iacob Here haue we 13. most excellent Patriarches among whom the first two Noe and Sem are the chiefe nexte to whome Abraham Isaac and Iacob were more notable then the rest Noe liued 950. yeares in all He was 600 yeares olde when the floud drowned the worlde He therefore sawe and hearde all the holy fathers of the firste world before the deluge thrée only excepted Adam Seth and Enos And also he liued manye yeares together with the other whiche had both séene and heard them so that he could be
are sowen abrode very vngodly spéeches For some there are which do suppose that the scriptures that is the very worde of God is of it selfe so darke that it cannot be read with any profite at al. And again some other affirme that the worde plainly deliuered by God to mankind doth stande in néede of no exposition And therefore say they that the scriptures ought in déede to be read of all men but so that euery man may lawfully inuent and choose to himself such a sense as euery one shal be persuaded in him selfe to be most conuenient These fellowes doe altogether condemne the order receiued of the Churches wherby the minister of the church doth expounde the Scriptures to the congregatioÌ„ But I déerely beloued if as ye haue begoon so ye will go forwarde to pray to the Lorde do truste by the hope that I haue in gods goodnesse that I am able plainely to declare that to the godly the scripture is nothing darke at al that the lord his will is altogether to haue vs vnderstande it Then that the Scriptures ought alwayes to be expouÌ„ded Wher also I will teach you the maner and some ready wayes how to interprete the scriptures The handling of these pointes shall take away the impediments which driue men from the reading of the word of god and shal cause the reading hearing of the worde of God to be both wholesome fruitful And firste of all that Gods will is to haue his worde vnderstoode of man kinde we may thereby gather especially bicause that in speaking to his seruaunts he vsed a most common kind of speach wherwithall euen the very idiotes were acquainted Neither do we reade that the Prophets and Apostles the seruaunts of God and interpreters of his high and euerlastinge wisedome did vse any straunge kinde of speach so that in the whole packe of writers none can be founde to excell them in a more plaine and easy phrase of writing Their writings are full of common prouerbes similitudes parables comparisons deuised narrations examples and such other like maner of spéeches then which ther is nothing that doth more moue plainely teach the common sorte of wittes amonge mortall men There ariseth I confesse some darknesse in the scriptures by reason of the naturall propertie figuratiue ornaments and the vnacquainted vse of the tongues But that difficulty may easily be helped by studie diligence faith and the meanes of skilfull interpreters I know that the Apostle Peter saith in the epistles of Paul Many thinges are harde to be vnderstoode But immediatly he addeth which the vnlearned and those that are vnperfect or vnstable peruert as they doe the other scriptures also vnto their owne destruction Wherby we gather that the scripture is difficulte or obscure to the vnlearned vnskilfull vnexercised and malicious or corrupted willes and not to the zealous and godly Readers or Hearers therof Therefore when S. Paule sayth If as yet our gospell be hidde from them it is hid which perish in whom the Prince of this worlde hath blinded the vnderstanding of the vnbeleeuers that to them there shoulde not shine the light of the gospell of the glory of Christ who is the image of God. He doth not lay the blame of this difficultie on the word of God but vpon the vnprofitable hearers Whosoeuer we are therefore that do desire rightly to vnderstand the word of God our care must be that Satan possesse not our mindes and close vp our eyes For our Sauiour also in the gospell sayde This is damnation because the light came into the world and men loued darknesse rather than light Besides that the holy Prophetes of God and the Apostles did not call the worde of God or the scriptures darkenesse obscurenesse or mistinesse but a certaine brightnesse and lightsomnesse Dauid saith Thy word is a Lanterne vnto my feete and a light vnto my pathes And what I praye you is more euident than that which in makinge doubtfull and obscure thinges manifest no man doth referre to darkenesse and vncertainties Things vncertaine doubtful and obscure are made manifest by those things that are more certain sure and euident But as often as any question or controuersie doth happen in matters of fayth do not all men agree that it ought to be ended and determined by the scriptures it must therfore needes be that the scriptures are euident plaine and most assuredly certaine But though the scripture be manifest and the worde of God be euident yet notwithstanding it refuseth not a godly or holy exposition but rather an holy exposition doth giue a setting out to the worde of God bringeth forth much fruite in the godly hearer And for bicause many do deny that the scriptures ought to haue any exposition I will shew by examples which can not be gainsaide that they ought altogether to be expounded For God him selfe hauing often coÌ„munication with Moses by the space of fortie dayes and as many yeares did by Moses expouÌ„d to the Church the wordes of the law which he spake in Mount Sina to the whole congregation of Israeâ—l writing them in two tables which Moses left to vs the Deuteronomie and certaine other bookes as commentaries vpon Gods commaundements After that immediatly followed the Prophetes who interpreting the lawe of Moses did apply it to the times places and men of their age and left to vs that fellow their sermons as plain expositions of Gods law In the eight Chapiter of Nehemias we reade these wordes Esdras the Priest brought the Lawe the booke of Moses and stoode vpon a turret made of wood that is in the holy pulpet And Esdras opened the booke before the congregation of men and women who soeuer else had any vnderstanding And the Leuits stode with him so that he read out of the booke and the leuits instructed the people in the law the people stode in their place And they reade in the booke of the lawe distinctly expounding the sense and causing them to vnderstande the reading Thus muche in the booke of Nehemias Marke here by the waye my brethren that the lawfull and holy ministers of the Churche of God did not onely reade the worde of God but did also expounde it This manner of reading and expounding the Scriptures or worde of God oure Lorde Iesu Christe did neyther abrogate nor contemne when comming in the fleshe he did as a true Prophete and heauenly maister instructe the people of his Churche in the doctrine of the Newe Testament For entring into the Synagogue at Nazareth he stoode vp to reade and there was deliuered to him the booke of the Prophete Esay So he opened the booke and read a certaine notable place out of the .lxj. Chapter Then shutting the booke he gaue it to the Minister againe and expounded that which he had read declaring how that in him selfe nowe that prophesie was fulfilled Moreouer after that he was risen from death he ioyned him self in companie
to the two Disciples whiche went to Emaus with whome he talked of sundry matters but at length beginning at Moses and all the Prophetes he expounded to them what so euer was written of him self throughout all the Scriptures The Apostles following this example of the Lorde did them selues also expound the word of God. For Peter in the seconde Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles dothe expounde the xvj Psalme of Christe his resurrection from the deade And Philip also doth plainely expounde to the noble man of Ethiope the prophesie of Esay wherby he bringeth him to the fayth of Christe and fellowship of the Church Whosoeuer doth say that Paul doth not euery where interpret the holy Scripture he hath neyther read nor séene the déedes nor writings of Paule Thus haue I I hope both plainly substantially shewed that the word of God ought to be expounded As for those whiche cry out against the exposition of the Scriptures and woulde not haue the ministers of the worde and Churches to declare the scriptures in open and solemne audience neyther to apply them to the places times states persons their fetch is to seeke somewhat else then the honour due vnto god They leade their liues farre otherwise then is comely for godly men Their talke is wicked vnséemely dishonest Their déeds are mischieuous and haynous offences And this woulde they to doe without punishment and therefore desire to haue the exposition of the Scriptures to be taken cleane away For if a man doe read the wordes of the Scripture onelye not applyinge it to the states places times and persones it someth that he hath not greatly touched their vngodly and wicked life Therefore when they crie that Sermons and expositions of the scriptures ought to be taken a waye from among men and that the Scriptures ought to be reade simplye without any addition they minde nothing else but to caste behind them the lawe of God to treade vnder foote all discipline and rebuking of sinne and so to offende fréely without punishment whiche sorte of men the rightuous Lorde will in his appointed time punishe so muche the more grieuously as they doe more boldly rebell against their God. In the meane season all the ministers of the Churche muste beware that they followe not héerein their owne affections any whit at all or else corrupt the Scriptures by their wrong interpretations and so by that meanes set foorth to the Church their owne inuentions and not the worde of god Some suche like offence it séemeth that the teachers of the auncient people in olde time did commit bycause the Lorde in Ezechiell accuseth them saying Seemeth it a small thing to you to haue eaten vp the good pasture but that ye must also treade the residue of your pasture vnder your feete and to drinke the clearer water but that ye muste trouble the rest with your feete Thus my sheepe muste be faine to eate the thing that is troden downe with your feete and to drinke that whiche ye with your feete haue defiled A sore offence is this which the Lord according to his iustice punisheth most sharpely We therefore the interpreters of Gods holy worde and faythfull ministers of the Churche of Christe must haue a diligent regarde to keepe the Scriptures sounde and perfect and to teach the people of Christ the worde of God sincerely made plaine I meane not corrupted or darkned by foolish wroÌ„g expositions of oure owne inuention And nowe dearely beloued the place and time require vs to say somwhat vnto you touching the interpretation of the holy Scriptures or the exposition of the word of god Wherin I will not speake any thing particularly of the skilfull knowledge of tongues or the liberall sciences which are thinges requisite in a good interpreter but will briefly touche the generalities alone And first of al ye must vnderstande that some things in the Scriptures or worde of God are so plainly set foorth that they haue neede of no interpretation neyther will admit any exposition Which if any man goe about with his owne expositions to make more manifest he may séeme to do as wittily as he which with faggot light and torches would helpe the sunne at his rising to giue more light vnto the world As for those thinges which are so set down that they séeme to require our helpe to expound them they must not be interpreted after our owne fantasies but according to the minde and meaning of him by whom the Scriptures were reuealed For Saint Peter saythe The prophesie came not in olde time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Therefore the true and proper sense of Gods worde must be taken out of the Scriptures them selues and not be forceably thruste vpon the Scriptures as we our selues lust And therwithal ye must marke a fewe certaine rules which I meane briefly to touch and to shewe vnto you in those fewe wordes which I haue yet to speake First since the Apostle Paul would haue the exposition of the Scriptures to agree fitly and in euery point proportionally with our fayth as it is to be seene in the twelâ—the to the Romanes And bycause againe in the later epistle to the Corinthians he saith Seing then that we haue the same spirite of faith according as it is writen I beleeued and therefore haue I spoken we also beleeue and therefore doe we speake Let it therefore be taken for a point of Catholike religion not to bring in or admit any thing in our expositions which others haue alledged against the receiued articles of our fayth conteyned in the Apostles Créede and other coÌ„fessions of the ancient fathers For saytâ— the apostle in defence of the trueth we can saye somewhat but against the trueth we are able to say nothing When therefore in the Gospel after S. Iohn we read the saying of the Lord The father is greater then I we must thinke that it is against the articles of our fayth to make or admit any equalitie in the Godhead betwixt the Father and the Sonne and therefore that the Lorde his meaning was otherwise then the very words at the first blush do séeme to import Againe when we read this saying of the apostle It can not be that they which were once illuminated if they fall away shuld be renued againe into repeÌ„tance Let vs not beléeue that repentance is to be denied to theÌ„ that fall For the Catholike Fayth is this that in euery place at euery season so long as we liue on this earthe a full pardon of all sinnes is promised to all men whiche turne to the Lorde In like manner when we reade that the Lorde tooke breade and sayde of the breade This is my body let vs presently remember that the Articles of our fayth doe attribute to our Lorde the very body of a man which asceÌ„ded into heauen and sitteth at the righte hande of
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
rose againe from the dead But now this worde fleshe doth a great deale more significantly expresse the resurrection of this flesh then if wee should say the resurrection of the bodie Verily Cyprian saith that in some Churches of the Easte this article was thus pronoūced I belieue the resurrectiō of this flesh And Augustine also in the tenth chap. of his booke De fide Symbolo sayth Wee must without doubting belieue that this visible which is properlie caled flesh shall rise againe The Apostle Paule doth seeme as it were with his finger to point at this flesh when hee saith This corruptible must put on incorruption When hee saith This hee doth as it were put out his finger vnto this flesh This hath Augustine Moreouer Sainct Hierome compelleth Iohn Eishoppe of Hierusalem openly to confesse the resurrection of the flesh not of the bodie onely Fleshe saith he hath one definition and the bodie an other Al flesh is a bodie but euery body is not fleshe That is flesh properlie which is compacte of bloud veynes boanes and synewes A bodie althoughe it be called fleshe yet sometime is said to be of like substance to the firmamēt or to the ayre which is not subiect to touchinge or seeing and oftentimes too maye be both touched and seene A Wall is a bodie but it is not fleshe Thus much out of Hierome Let vs therefore belieue that mens bodies which are taken of the earth and which liuinge men beare aboute wherein they liue and are which also die and turne into dust and ashes That those bodies I say are quickned and liue againe But thou demaundest howe this fleshe beinge once resolued into duste and ashes and so into nothing can rise againe in the former shape and substaunce as when it is torne with the teeth of beastes or consumed to nothing with the flame of fyre and whē in the graue there is to be founde but a small and little quantitie of dustie powder I referre thee to the omnipotencie of God which the Apostle spake of where hée sayth Christ hath transformed this vile bodie of ours to make it conformable to his glorious bodie by the power wherein hee can make all things subiecte to himselfe Wherefore hee that in the beginning when as yet there was not a man in the world could bring forth man oute of the duste of the earth although the same man be again resolued into that out of which hee was taken I meane into earth as the saying is Dust thou art and into dust shalt thou retourne againe Yet notwithstandinge the same God againe at the ende of the world is able to rayse man out of the earth For the Lorde in the Gospell saith plainely The houre shall come wherein all they that are in the graues shall heare the voyce of the sonne of God and shal come forth they that haue done good to the resurrection of life and they that haue done euill to the resurrection of iudgement And now by fayth wee are throughly persuaded As the Apostle sayth that he that hath promised is able also to per forme There are moreouer liuelie examples of this matter and moste euident testimonies of the holie Scripture Ionas is swallowed vp of the Whale in the Syrian sea but the third daye after hee is caste vppe againe alyue vppon the shoare out of the beastes entrailes which is a token that the fleshe shall verily rise againe Wherefore that is not harde to be belieued that in the Apocalipse is said that The Sea casteth vp her dead The force of fyre had no force to hurte the three companions of Daniel yea the rage of wilde beastes contrary to nature absteyned from bytinge Daniell himselfe What marueile is it therefore if at this day neither the force of fyre nor rage of wielde beasts is able to resiste the power of God being disposed to raise his creatures vp againe Did not our Lord Christ rayse vp Lazarus when he had lyen thrée dayes in the graue yea and stancke too to life againe Did not hée himself hauing once brokē the tyrannie of death rise vp againe the thirde day from the deade did he not rise againe in the same substaunce of fleshe and forme of bodie wherein hée hanged on the Crosse and beinge taken downe from the crosse was buried Not without good cause do wée looke back to Christe which is called the first begottē among the dead so often as we thincke in what maner the resurrection of our fleshe shall bee For the members shall rise againe in the same order that the heade is risen vp before them in Wee verilie shall not rise againe the thirde daye after our death but in our maner and order shall wee rise at the last daye yea and that too in the very same body wherin now wée liue I will adde a fewe testimonies to proue the resurrection of oure fleshe Iob confessing his faith touchinge the resurrection of the deade in his greate weakenesse affliction and sicknesse sayth I knowe that my redeemer lyueth and that in the laste day I shall rise out of the earth and shal be clad againe with my skinne in my flesh I shall see God whom euen I my selfe shall see and my eyes shal behold and none other This hope is layde vp in my bosome This testimonie is so euident as that it néedeth no larger an exposition No lesse euident are those testimonies oute of Esaie Cap. 26. Ezech. 37. Psalm 15. Matth. 22. Iohn 5. 6. 11. Throughout the Actes in euerie place is often repeated the resurrection of the dead S. Paule in the 15. Chap. of his first Epistle to the Corrinthians doth make a ful discourse of this resurrection In the fourth Chapter of his 2. Epistle hée sayth Wee which liue are alwayes deliuered to death for Iesus sake that the life of Iesus also mighte appeare in our mortal fleshe Sée now what coulde be spoken more plainlye then that the lyfe of Christe shal be made to appeare in this mortall flesh of ours For by and by after hee saith We know that hée that raysed vp the Lorde Iesus shall rayse vs vp also by the meanes of Iesus And in the fifth Chapiter againe Wee must all appeare before the iudgemente seate of Christe sayth hee that enerye man may receiue the woorkes of his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill Therefore these verie bodyes of ours shall rise againe in the day of iudgement And now déerely beloued I haue to declare vnto you in what manner our bodyes shall rise againe and of what sorte they shal be in the resurrection In the shuttinge vppe and ende of all ages or of this world our Lord Iesus Christe shall come to iudgement with great maiestie and then whomsoeuer that day shall finde alyue they shall in a momente of time be chaunged and first I saye shall all they that dyed from the firste Adam to the laste that shall dye ryse vppe
in God and God in him And that is the way whereby we cleaue to God as to the onely chiefe and eternal goodnesse in whom also wee are delighted and that not a litle On him wee rest thinking assuredlie that withoute him there is no good at all and againe that in him there is to be found all manner of goodnesse Wherefore our hartie loue is set on no good thinge but God And in comparison of him whom we loue wée do lightly loath and treade vnder foote all things else that seeme to be good in the whole world yea verilie the loue of God in vs doth ouercome all the euils whiche otherwise séeme inuincible Let vs heare Paule with a a vehement motion proclaming this and saying Who shal separate vs froÌ„ the loue of God shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or hunger or nakednesse or perill or sword As it is written For thy sake are wee killed all daye long and are counted as sheepe for the slaughter Neuerthelesse in all these thinges we ouercome through him that loued vs For I am sure that neyther death nor life nor Angels nor rule nor power nor thinges present nor thinges to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of God whiche is in Christ Iesu our Lorde Hitherto haue I recited the wordes of Paule The loue of God worketh in vs a will to frame our selues wholy to the will and ordinaunces of him whome we doe hartily loue Yea it is pleasaunt and swéete to him that loueth God to doe the thing that he perceiueth is acceptable to God if it be done He that loueth doth in mynde reuerence him whome he loueth His eye is neuer of him whome he loueth He doth alwayes and in all things wishe for his dearling whom he loueth His onely ioy is as oft as may be to talke with God and againe to heare the wordes of God speaking in the Scripture For the Lorde in the Gospell saith If any man loue me he will kepe my word he that loueth me not doth not keepe my wordes Againe Abide ye in my loue If ye keepe my commaundementes ye shall abide in my loue euen as I also haue kept my Fathers commaundements and do abide in his loue And againe If any man loue me he will keepe my word and my father wil loue him and we will come to him and make our dwelling in him But nowe let vs heare Moses the seruaunt of God declaring and teaching vs the way and manner how to loue God to wit howe great loue ought to be in the elect Thou shalt saith he loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength The very same wordes in a manner did our Lord in the Gospell repeate and sayd Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy strength and with all thy mynde By this we vnderstande that the greatest loue that may be is required at oure handes to God warde as that which challengeth man wholy howe bigge so euer he be and all the parts of man as peculiar vnto it selfe In the mynd is mannes vnderstanding In the heart is the seate of his affections and will. The strength of man conteineth all mans abilitie as his very wordes déedes counsell riches and his whole substance Finally the soule is the life of man And we verily are commaunded to employ all these vpon the loue of God when we are bidden to loue God with all our soule with all oure strength with our whole mynde and our whole heart Nothing is ouerslipt but all is conteyned in this We are Gods wholy and altogether let vs altogether therefore and wholy loue god Let nothing in all the world be dearer to vs then God let vs not spare for Gods sake any thing of all that which we possesse howe deare to vs or good soeuer it be but let vs forsake spende and giue it for Gods sake and as the Lord by his worde appointeth For in doing so we loue God before and aboue all things We are also coÌ„maunded to stick to God only to imbrace him alone For to whom we doe wholy owe all that we haue to him is al the whole sincerely simply and fully to be giuen Here are they condemned whosoeuer wil not once loue God and the world together The Lord requireth the whole heart the whole mynde the whole soule and all the strength finally he requireth al what soeuer we are or haue in possession he leaueth nothing therefore for thée to bestowe on other By what right then wilt thou giue to the fleshe the deuill to other Gods or to the worlde the thinges that properly are Gods owne And God verily alone is the chiefest eternall greatest mightiest creator deliuerer preseruer most gentle most iust and best of all He alone doth giue hath giuen and is able to giue to man all that is expedient for the safegarde of his body and soule God alone doth minister to man abilitie to liue well and blessedly and therefore God deserueth to be loued alone and that too before and aboue al other things This loue of God doth blesse all the haps and chances of men and turneth them to their profite according to that saying To them that loue God all thinges worke for the best This loue of God also conteineth this that it suffreth vs not to honour worship reuerence feare or call vpon any neyther to trust in obey or sticke to any other but to the one and onely God to whome all glory is due But nowe before we speake of the loue of our neighbour it is requisite that we firste shewe who it is that is our neighbour touching whiche I sée some men to doubt and sticke vncertainely For some there are that tâ—ke their kinsfolkes to be their neighbors Other some there are that think that their benefactours are their neighbours iudge theÌ„ strangers that do them any harm But our Lord Iesus Christ telleth vs that euery one yea thogh he be our enimie is neuerthelesse our neighbour if he stande in néede of our ayde or counsell For he imagineth that a Iewe lighting among théeues and lying on the highe way halfe deade and couered with woundes and swelling drye blowes was not regarded of his owne countrey men a Leuite and a Priest that passed by him but at laste was taken vp and healed by a Samaritane Nowe there was a deadly enimitie betwéene the Iewes and the Samaritanes yet notwithstanding this Samaritane doth good to the Iew bycause he sawe that the case and necessitie of the afflicted man did so require Nowe therefore the Lord applying this to his owne purpose demaunded of him that desired to learne who was his neighbour and saythe which of these thrée séemeth to thée to haue bene this mans neighbour He aunswered He that shewed mercy Then sayde the Lorde Goe
punishment of sinne and wickednesse which the Lord hath appointed to be executed as hée himselfe sayth I will giue them children to bee their kings and infants shall rule them because their toÌ„gue and hart hath bene against the Lord. Likewyse the Lord stirred vp the cruell kinges of Assyria and Babylon against his Citie and owne peculiar people whose liuing was not agréeable to their profession But now how and after what sort subiects ought to be affected toward such hard cruel and tyrannical Princes wée learne partly by the example of Dauid and partly by the doctrine of Ieremie and the Apostles Dauid was not ignorant what kind of man Saul was a wicked mercilesse fellowe yet notwithstanding he fledd to escape his hands and when he had occasion giuen him once or twice to kill him he slue him not but spared the tyraunt and reuerenced him as though hee had béene his father Ieremias prayed for Ioachim Zedechias wicked kinges both and obeyed them vntill they came to matters flatly contrary to Gods religion For where I spake touching the honour due to parents there did I by the scriptures proue that wée ought not to obey the wicked commaundements of godlesse magistrates Because it is not permitted to magistrates to ordeine or appoint any thing contrary to Gods lawe or the lawe of Nature Now the Actes of the Apostles teach vs in what sort the Apostles did behaue themselues in dealing with tyrannical magistrates Let them therfore that are vexed with tyrantes and oppressed with wicked magistrates take this aduice to follow in that perplexitie First let them call to remembraunce and consider what and how great their sinnes of idolatrie and vncleannesse are which haue alreadie deserued the reuenging anger of their iealous God and then let them thinck that God wil not withdraw his scourge vnlesse hée sée that they redresse their corrupt maners and euill religion So then first they must goe about and bring to passe a full reformation of matters in religion perfect amendment of maners amisse Then must they pray continually that God will vouchsafe to pul and draw his oppressed people out of the myre of mischiefe wherein they sticke fast For that counsell did the Lord himselfe in the 18. after Luke giue to those that are oppressed promising therewithall assured ayde and present delyuerie But what how the oppressed must pray there are examples extant in the 9. of Daniel and in the 18. Chapiter of the Actes of the Apostles Let them also whose minds are vexed call to remembrance the sayings of Peter and Paule the chiefe of the Apostles The Lord saith Peter knoweth how to deliuer his from temptation as he deliuered Lot. Paul saith God is faithfull wil not suffer his to be tempted aboue their strength yea hee will turne their temptatioÌ„s vnto the best Let them cal to mind the captiuitie of Israel wherin Gods people were deteined at Babylon by the space of 70. yeares and therewithal let them thincke vppon the goodly comfort of the captiues which Esaie hath expressed from his 40. chapiter vnto his 49. Let vs persuade our selues that God is good merciful and omnipotent so that hée can when he will at ease deliuer vs Hee hath many wayes and meanes to set vs at libertie Let vs haue a regard onely that our impenitent filthie and wicked life do not pronoke the Lord to augment and prolong the tyrauntes crueltie The Lord is able vppon the sodeyne to chaung the harts of Princes for the hearts of kings are in the hands of the Lord as the riuers of water to tourne them which way hee will and to make them which haue béene hitherto most cruellie set against vs to bee our friends and fauourable to vs and them which haue heretofore most blouddilie persecuted the true religion to imbrace the same most ardently and with a burning zeale to promote it so farre as they may Wée haue euident examples hereof in the bookes of the kings of Esdras and Nehemias and in the volume of Daniels Prophecie Nabuchodonosor whose purpose was to toast with fire and vtterly to destroy the martyres of God for true religion was immediately after compelled to praise God because hée sawe the martyres preserued and hée himself doth by Edictes giuen out publickly proclaime and set forth the onely true God and his true religion Darius the sonne of Assuerus suffereth Daniel to be cast into the Lyons denne but straightway hée draweth him cut againe and shutteth vp Daniels enimies in the same dâ—nne to be torne in péeces by the famished beastes Cyrus the puissaunt king of Persia aduaunceth true religion Darius sonne of Hystaspes whose surname was Artaxerxes did by all meanes possible ayde and set forward the godly intent of Gods people in building vp againe their citie temple Let vs not doubt therfore of Gods ayde helping hand For God sometime doth vtterly destroy and sometime he chasteneth vntoward tyraunts with some horrible and sodeine disease as it is euident that it happened to Antiochus Herod the great to his nephue Herod Agrippa to Maxentius also and other enimies of God and tyraunts ouer men Sometime hée stirreth vp noble capitaines and valiaunt men to displace tyraunts set Gods people at libertie as wee sée many examples thereof in the bookes of Iudges kings But least any man doe fall to abuse those examples let him consider their calling by god Which calling if hée haue not or else do preuent hée is so farre froÌ„ doing good in killing the tyraunt that it is to be feared least hée doe make the euill double so much as it was before Thus much hetherto Now I returne to that which by my digression remayneth yet vnspoken of Here I haue to speake somewhat touching the election of magistrates and first to whom the choice and ordering of the magistrate doth belong Secondarilie whom and what kind of men it is best to choose to be magistrates and lastly the maner and order of consecrating those which once are chosen Touching the election of magistrats to whom that office shold béelong no one certaine rule can be prescribed For in som places that whole communaltie doth choose their péeres In other places the Péeres do choose the magistrates And in other places Princes come to it by succession and birth In discussing which of these orders shold be the best it were but follie to make much adoe For to euery kingdome euerie citie is worthilie left their countrie facion vnlesse it be altogether too too corrupt not to be borne withall But where Princes come to it by birth there earnest prayer must bée made to the Lord that hee wil graunt them to be good Now for the good election of magistrates the Lord himselfe declareth whom and what kind of men hée will haue to be choseÌ„ in these verie words Looke ouer all the people consider them diligently and choose from amonge them men of courage such
pageants I do not alledge all this as Canonical Scriptures but as proofes to declare that Princes in the primatiue church had power officiall authoritie and a vsuall custome graunted by God as Esai did prophecie and deriued from the examples of auncient kinges to commaund bishops and to determine of Religion in the Church of Christ As for them which obiect the churches priuilege let them knowe that it is not permitted to any prince nor any mortal man to graunt priuileges contrarie to the expresse cōmaundemēts and verie truth of gods word S. Paul affirmed that he had power giuen him to edifie but not to destroy I am the briefer because I wil not stād to proue that they are vnworthie of indifferent priuileges which are not such as priestes and Christ his ministers should be but are souldiers rather and wicked knaues full of all kind of mischiefe Amonge other thinges in the Canon Lawe Distinct 40 wée finde this written See to your selues bretherne how ye sitte vppon the seate for the seat maketh not the priest but the priest the seate the place sanctifieth not the man but the man the place Euerie priest is not a holie man but euery holie man is a priest Hée that sitteth wel vpon the seate receiueth the honour of the seate but he that sitteth ill vppon the seate doth iniurie vnto the seate Therfore an euil priest getteth blame by his priest hoode and not any dignitie And thus much thus farre touching this matter Since now that I haue declared vnto you déerely beloued that the care of religion doth belong to the magistrate too and not to the bishopps alone that the magistrate may make lawes also in cases of religion it is requisite that I inquire what kinde of lawes those are that the magistrates may make in matters of religion There is no cause whie the king or magistrate should suppose that power is giuen to him to make newe lawes touching God the worship of God or his holie mysteries or to appoint a new kind of true iustice and goodnesse For as euery magistrate is ordeyned of God and is Gods minister so must hée be ruled by God and be obedient to Gods holie word and commaundement hauing euermore an eye vnto that and depending stil vppon that alone The scripture which is y word of God doth abundauntly enough set downe al that which is proper to true religion yea the Lord doth flatly forbidde to adde too or take any thing from his holy word The magistrate therefore maketh no newe lawes touching God and the honour to be giuen to God but doth religiously receiue and kéepe doth put in vre and publish those auncient lawes in that kingdome which God hath allotted him vnto For hereunto apperteineth the giuing of the booke of Gods law vnto the kinges of Israell that they might learn therby the way to do the things which they of duetie ought to sée done To Iosue the Lord doth say See that thou doest obserue doe according to all the law that Moses my seruaunt commaunded thee Thou shalt not tourne from it either to the righte hand or to the left Neither shall the booke of this lawe depart out of thy mouth but occupie thy minde therein day and night that thou maist obserue and doe according to all that is written therein For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt do wiselie Deuout and holie Princes therefore did doe their faithfull diligent indeuour to cause the word of God to be preached to the people to reteine and preserue among the people the lawes ceremonies and statutes of god yea they did their best to spread it to al men as farre as they could and as place and time required to applie it holilie to the states persons on the other side they were not slack to banish driue away false doctrine prophane worshipings of God blasphemies of his name but settled themselues vtterlie to ouerthrow and roote it out for euer In this sort I say godly magistrates did make and ordeine deuoute lawes for the maintenaunce of religion In this sort they bore a godlie and deuout care for matters of religion The cities which the Leuites had to possesse were of old their scholes of Israel Now Iosue did appoint those cities for studies sake and the cause of godlines King Ezechias was no lesse carefull for the sure paiment and reuenue of the ministers stipēds than hee was for the restoring and renuing of euerie office For honour and aduauncemēt maketh learning to flourish when néede and necessitie is driuen to séeke out sondrie shiftes beggarie setteth religion to sale much more the inuented lyes of mens owne mouthes Iosaphat sendeth Senatours and other officers with the priestes and teachers through al his kingdome For his desire was by all meanes possible to haue Gods word preached with authoritie and a certaine maiestie and being preached to haue it defended and put in vre to the bringing forth of good workes King Iosias doth together with idolatrie and prophane worshippinges of God destroy the false priestes that were to be found setting vppe in their stéeds the true teachers of Gods word and restoring againe sincere religion euen as also king Ioas hauing rebuked the Leuites did repaire the decayed buildings of the holie temple I am not able to runne through all the Scriptures and rehearce al the examples in them expressed let the Godly Prince or magistrate learne by these fewe what and how hée ought to determine touching lawes for religion On the other side Ahia the Silonite saith to Ieroboam Thus saith the Lord Thou shalt reigne according to all that thy soule desireth and shalt be king ouer Israel And if thou hearken vnto all that I commaunde thee and wilt walke in my wayes and doe that is right in my sight that thou keepe my statutes and my commaundements as Dauid my seruaunt did then will I be with thee build thee a sure house But the wretch despised those large promises and reiecting Gods word his temple at Ierusalem and his lawfull worship refusing also the Leuites hée made him priestes of the dregges and rascall sort of people hée built himself new temples which hée decked nay rather disgraced with images and idolls ordeyning and offering sacrifices not taught in Gods woord by that meanes inuenting a certain new kind of worshipping god and a new maner of religion And although his desire was to séeme to be willing to worshippe God yet is he by God condemned for a wicked man Hearken I pray the sentence of the Lord which hee denounceth against him Thou hast done euil saith Ahia as the Lord had taught him aboue all that were before thee For thou hast gone and made the other Gods and moultē images to prouoke mee and hast cast mee behinde thy backe Therefore I will bring euill vppon the house of Ieroboam and wil roote out from Ieroboam euen him that pisseth against the wall
coÌ„mon weale Judgement and punishment therfore are in the magistrate the most excellent offices although peraduenture they séeme to be somewhat hard and cruel But vnlesse this which seemeth to be crueltie bee put in vre all ages states and sexes shal féele the smart of crueller thinges and that which is most cruel in déede For it is not crueltie but rather iust seueritie which as the Lord commaundeth is put in vre for the safegard of the guiltlesse and preseruation of peace within the realme and common weale Put case there were a common weale wel furnished with most absolute lawes for politique manners and matters of religion suppose also that in the same common weale there were no magistrate to execute and as it were to father those lawes by his authoritie to bring and reduce all the déedes and sayinges of men to the triall of those lawes and that therefore euerie man breaketh forth to what kinde of life hée list himselfe and doth what he will tell mée I pray you what good do those written lawes to the men of the countrie Belieue mée forsooth not one halfpenie worth of good The best part therfore of the magistrates duetie consisteth in vpright iudgement punishing reuengement And those two points require a man of courage and Princely stomache whom the Lord in his law deseribeth liuelie and telleth what kind of man hee would haue him to bee and what the office is whereto hée is called which description I will rehearse expound because therein the Iudges person is chieflie touched Moses at the Lords commaundement saith to the Iudges Heare the cause of your bretherne and iudge righteouslie betwixt euerie man and his brother and the straunger that is with him Ye shall haue no respect of any person in iudgement but ye shal heare the small as well as the great ye shall not feare the face of any man for the iudgement is the Lords The holie Prophete in these woords toucheth two thinges chieflie Hée declareth what the Iudges office is and what vices or diseases doe infecte the Iudge that hée cannot fulfill his office as hee ought to doe Now touching the office of a good Iudge the first point thereof is that hée repel no man but heare euery one the small the great the Citizen the stranger the knowen and vnknowen And hée must heare the parties willingly diligentlie and attentiuelie Herein there is admitted no sluggishnes of the iudge nor a mind busied about other matters Iudgement before the matter be decided is vtterly excluded because it carieth away the minde of the Iudge before the matter is knowen The thing it selfe crieth out that the matter must first be heard and wel vnderstoode before the magistrate procéede to iudgement And the common prouerbe saith Let the other partie be heard too Herie wisely said that Iudge which told one that made a complaint That with the one eare hee heard him kept the other eare for him vppon whom the complaint was made Herein wée contâ—ine the perfecte knowledge of the Iudge and say that hée must not make too much haste in cases vnknowen since hée must iudge them by the thing it selfe and not by the parties secrete tales and priuie accusations Secondarilie let him iudge saith hée yea let him iudge vprightly To iudge is to determine and pronounce truelie and iustly according to the lawes what is good what is euill what is right and what is wronge Wée Switzers saye Vrteilen oder ertetlen oder richten As if one should say to distinguishe a thinge throughlie considered and to plaine and make streighte a crooked thinge Parties blinded with affections make streight thinges crocked which the Iudge by applyinge the rule of equitie and lawe doth streighten againe So that to iudge is to streighten and to make plaine Moreouer to iudge is by defending and punishing to kéepe in libertie The magistrate doeth iudge therefore when hée defendeth the innocent and brideleth the hurtfull personne But hée must iudge iustly that is according to iustice and agreablie to the lawes which giue to euerie man that that is his The Iudge doth iudge vniustlie when of a corrupte minde hée pronounceth sentence contrarie to all lawe and equitie Now therefore wée haue to consider the vices which vsuallie are wont to reigne in iudges The vices that are in Iudges bée many and the diseases of their minds are sondrie but two especiall diseases there are and chiefe of all the rest The one of these two vices which so infecteth the mindes of Iudges that they caÌ„not execute their office as they should is the accepting of faces or respecte of personnes that is when the Iudge in geuing iudgement hath not his eye set vppon the thinges themselues or vppon the causes or circumstances of the causes as they are in déde but hath a regard either of dignitie excellencie humilitie pouertie kinred men of honours letters or some such like scuffe The Lord excludeth this euill and saith Yee shall iudge iustelie yee shall haue â–ª no respecte of any person in Iudgement Yee shall heare the small aswell as the great The other disease of these twaine is feare a verie vehement affection of the minde which disturbeth the verie best and most excellent counsells and choaketh vppe Vertue before it come to light Vnder feare wée doe conteine hope also I meane of commoditie and so by that meanes by feare wée vnderstande the corruption of bribes The Iudge that standes in feare to loose his life or goods or is afrayde to displease a noble man or is loath to loose the common peoples good will hée also that taketh bribes or is in hope to be rewarded at one of the parties handes doth peruerte equitie and aduaunce iniquitie The Lord saith therefore Yée shall not feare any mortall man yee shall not looke for any reward at any mans hand Hée addeth the reason whie Because the matter is not yours neither were yée called to doe your owne businesse but the iudgemente is the Lords The will and lawe of God therefore must bée respected For God is able to defende iuste Iudges from the vniuste hatred of any whatsoeuer they bée and against all wronge and open violence Moreouer where it is said that the iudgement is the Lords thereby are the Iudges warned that they ought to imitate the example of the moste highe god But what and of what sort that example of God is the same Moâ—es in the first of Deuteronomie expresseth and saith GOD doth accept neither personne nor giste hee doth Iustice for the fatherlesse and widdowe and loueth the straunger to giue him meate and cloathinge and therefore shal yee loue the strauÌ„ger And so must godlie Iudges doe in the iudgemente which is Gods. Iosasaphat without all doubt a verie godly Prince speakinge to them whom hee had made Iudges did say Take heede what yee doe For yee execute not the Iudgementes of manne but of God which is with you in
Christianitie but since they were in authoritie and bare the names of magistrates what let is there I pray you whie a true Christian man may not beare that office of a magistrate in his coÌ„mon weal What may be thought of this moreouer that in the new Testament certaine notable men are well reported off who when they were in authoritie were not put beside their offices because they were Christians and of a sound religion Touchinge Ioseph of Arimathea thus we read in Luke And behold there was a man named Ioseph a counsellour Marcke saith a noble Senatour who was a good man a iust the same had not consented to the counsel and deede of them which was of Arimathea a citie of the Iewes which waited also for the kingdome of God. Marke here I beséech you how notable a testimonie this man hath here Ioseph is a counsellour or Senatour yea and that more is a noble senatour too he sate in the Senate and amonge those Iudgâ—s which did coÌ„demne our sauiour christ but because hée consented not to their déede and iudgement he is acquited as guiltlesse of that horrible murder The same is said to haue béene a good man and a iuste and of the number of them that looke for the kingdome of God that is of the number of those which of Christ are called Christians and yet neuerthelesse he was a counsellour or senatour and that too in the Citie of Ierusalem A Christian therfore may lawfullie beare the office of a magistrate Hereunto belonge the examples of the Aâ—thiopiaÌ„ treasurer Actes 8. of Cornelius the Centurion Acts 10. and of Erastus the Chamberleine of Corinth Rom. 16. 2. Tim. 4 But oure desire is to haue the Anabaptistes proue and declare out of the Scriptures that which they obiecte here in saying that these men beinge once conuerted to that faith did streightway put off their roabes of estate and lay aside their magistrats sword For wée haue a litle before by the wordes of S. Augustine vpon Iohn Baptists answere who did himself also preach the Gospel alreadie proued that the souldiers that were baptised were not put beside their office nor coÌ„maunded by Iohn to giue ouer armour and ceasse to be souldiers They obiecte againe that the Lord conueyed himself priuilie away when the people were minded to haue made him a king which say they he would not haue done but because by his example hée would commend humilitie to all Christian people and as it were thereby to commaunde them not to suffer the charge to rule any common weale to be laid on their necks They adde moreouer these sayinges of the Lorde My kingdome is not of this world Againe Kings of nations haue dominion ouer them but ye shal not be so But they vnderstande not that the cause whie the Lord conueyed him selfe away was for the fond purpose of the foolish people which went about by making him a kinge not to doe the wil of God but being blinded with affections to séeke to bring those thinges to passe that were for the ease and fillinge of their bellies For in so much as hée had fedde them miraculously a little before therefore they thoughte that he would be a king for their purpose who was able to giue his subiectes meate without any coste or labour at all Furthermore oure Lord came not to reigne on the earth after the maner of this world as that Iewes imagined and as Pilate feared who dreamt that Messias should reigne as Salomon did and for that cause the Lord doth rightly say My kingdome is not of this world For hée is ascended into heauen and sitteth at the righthand of his father hauinge subdued all kinges to himselfe and all the world beside wherein hée reigneth by his word and his spirite and which hée shall come to iudge in the ende of the world And although Christe denieth that his kingdome is of this world yet notwithstanding hée neuer denied that kinges and Princes should come oute of the world into the Church to serue the Lord therein not as men alone but as kinges and men of authoritie But kinges cannot otherwise serue the Lord as kinges but by doing the thinges for which they are called kinges And vnlesse that Christians when they are once made kinges should continue in their office and gouerne kingdoms according to the rule and lawes of Christe how I beséech you should Christe be called kinge of kinges and Lord of Lords Therefore when hée said Kinges of nations haue dominion ouer them but so shal not ye bee hée spake to his Apostles who stroaue amonge themselues for the chiefe and highest dignitie as if hee should haue said Princes which haue dominion in the world are not by my doctrine displaced of their seates nor put beside their throanes for the magistrates authoritie is of force still in the world and in the Church also The kinge or magistrate shall reigne But so shall not yée yée shall not reigne yée shall not be Princes but teachers of the world and ministers of the Churches Thus briefely I haue aunsweared to the Anabaptistes obiections which in other places also I haue many times confuted somewhat more largely By this that héere I haue saide I thincke I haue sufficiently proued that a Christian man cannot onelie but ought of duetie also to take vpon him the office of a magistrate if it be lawfully offered vnto him Now before I make an end of the discourse of this place I will briefly adde what the duetie of subiectes is and what euerie man doth owe to his magistrate First of all the subiectes duetie is to estéeme honestly reuerently and honourably not vilely nor disdainfullie of their magistrates or Princes Let them reuerence and honour them as the deputies and ministers of the eternall god Let them abroade also giue them the honour that is vsuallie accustomed in euerie kingdome and countrie It is a foule thinge for subiectes to behaue themselues vndeceÌ„tly towards their Lords and men of authoritie But a false a lighte or ill opinion once conceyued bréedeth a contempt of the things and persons touching whom that opinion is once taken vppe Some euidente testimonies of Scripture therefore must bée gathered and graffed in euerie mans heart that thereby a iuste estimation and worthie authoritie of magistrates and officers may bée bred and brought vpp in al peoples minds Here by the way let Princes and magistrates take héede to themselues that by a spotted and vnséemelie life they make not themselues contemptible and laughinge stockes and so by their owne defaulte loose all their authoritie amonge the common people The Lord oure God verilie voucheth safe to attribute his owne name to the Princes and magistrates of the people and to call them gods Exod. 21. Psalm 82. The Apostles called them the deputies and ministers of god â— Peter 2. Rom. 13. But who will not thincke wel of godds and them which are the deputies and ministers of god by
all Goods ordinances scant any one can be found that is more commendable or profitable than wedlocke is Musonius Hierocles and other auncient sages thinke marriage to bee so necessarie to liue well and conueniently that the life of man without marriage séemeth to be maymed Euen they y heathens I meane doe make the euills and discommodities of mariage to consist in y married folkes and not in mariage For marriage of it selfe is good but many vse not well the thinge that is good and therefore they feele the smart of their foule abuse worthilie For who knoweth not that the faulte of dronkennesse is not to bee referred to wyne which is the good and holsome creature of God but to the excessiue bibbing and ouer great gréedinesse of maÌ„ which abuseth Gods good creature That which commeth out of the hart of man saith the Lord in the Gospell and not that which goeth in by the mouth defileth the man. Hereunto belongeth that saying of Paule the Apostle of Christ where hee attributeth sanctification to wedlocke for the bed saith he is vndefiled and in an other place he testifieth that the vnbeleuing husband is sanctified by the beléeuing wife hee affirmeth also that children borne in wedlocke are holy or cleane Moreouer the same Paule maketh Christ an eraÌ„ple of loue betwixt man and wife and shadoweth the mysteries of Christ and the Church by the colour of wedlocke he figureth I say a heauenly thing by an holy type that God doth allowe Wherevpon in an other place the same Apostle doth say That their doctrine is a verie doctrine of diuells which forbid men to marrie And so consequently it followeth that that is an heaueÌ„ly doctrine proceeding from God which permitteth mariage freely to all men and doth commende and reuerence it The excellencie and dignitie of matrimonie being thus vnderstoode let vs now séeke out and looke on the causes for which God hath ordeyned mariage for men to imbrace God according to his natural goodnesse directeth all his ordinaunces to the greate good and aboundant commoditie of mortal men and therefore it followeth that hee ordeyned matrimonie for the preseruatioÌ„ of mankinde to the end that mans lyfe might be pleasaunt swéete and thoroughly furnished with ioyes sufficient But al these causes may be reduced into the number of thrée First God himselfe doth say It is not good for man to be alone let vs make him an helpe therefore to be before him or to dwel with him So then that first cause whie wedlecke was instituted is mans commoditie that thereby the life of man might bée the pleasaunter and more coÌ„modious For Adam séemed not to liue halfe happilie nor sweetly enough vnlesse he had a wife to ioyne himselfe vnto which wife is not in the scriptures called an impediment or necessarie euill as certaine Poets and beastly men who hated women haue foolishly iangled but she is the helpe or arme of the man Antipater an heathen writer In sermone de Nuptiis doth wonderfullie agrée with this saying of the scripture and expresseth plainly what kinde of help and what manner of arme the wife is to her husband Whosoeuer saith hee hath not had triall of wife and children hee is vtterly ignoraunt of true mutuall goodwill Loue in wedlocke is mutuallie shewed when man and wife doe not coÌ„municate wealth children and hearts alone as friendes are wont to doe but haue their bodies in coÌ„mon also which friends cannot do And therfore Euripides laying a side the deadly hate that hee bare to women writ these verses in commendation of marriage The wife that gadds not gigglot wise with euerie flirting gill But honestly doth keepe at hoame not set to gossip still Is to her husband in his cares a passing sweete delight She heales his sicknesse all and calls againe his dying spirit By fawning on his angrie lookes she tourns them into smiles And keeps her husbaÌ„ds secrets cloase when friends worke wilie guiles For like as a man hauing one hand or one foote if by any meanes hee get himselfe an other may thereby the more easilie lay hold on what hee listeth or go whether he wil euen so he that hath married a wife shall more easilie enioy the healthfull pleasures and profitable commodities of this present life For married folkes for two eyes haue foure for two hands as many more which being ioyned together they maye the more easilie dispatche their handie businesses againe when the ones two handes are wearied the handes of the other supplie their roome kepe their worke in a forwardnesse still Mariage therfore which in steede of one member is by increase coÌ„pact of twaine is better able to passe thorough the course of this world than the single and vnwedded life Thus much out of Antipater Hierocles also in his booke de Nuptiis saith To liue with a woman is verie profitable euen beside the begetting of children For first she doth welcome vs hoame that are tyred abroad with labour and traueile shee interteyneth vs seruiceablie and doth all shee maye to recreate ouâ—e wearie mindes She maketh vs forget all sorrowe and sadnesse For the troublesom cases of our life and generallie of care and busines while wee are occupied in matters abroade in bargayning in the countrie or amonge oure friends are not easilie suffered to bee troubled with oure domesticall and houshold affayres but when we haue dispatched them and are once retourned to our wiues at home so that our minds are at quiet we restoared to our ease and libertie then are our coÌ„bersome businesses well lightened eased whereby they ceasse to trouble vs any longer Neither is a wife troublesome vndoubtedly but lighteneth things that are troublesom to vs For there is nothing so heauie that man and wife liuing in concord are not able to beare especiallie if they bee both willinge to doe their indeuour And so forth The second cause why matrimonie was ordeyned is the begetting of children for the preseruation of mankinde by increase and the bringing of them vppe in the feare of the lord For the Lord blessed Adam and Eua saying Increase and multiplie replenishe the earth Paule the Apostle in his Epistle to Titus saieth Speake to the elder women that they maye teache honest thinges that they may make the younger women to be sober minded to loue their husbandes to loue their childreÌ„ to be discrete hous keepers good obedient to their husbands And againe to Timothie Adam was not deceiued but the woman was seduced notwithstandinge through bearing of children she shal bee saued if they continue in faith and charitie and holines with modestie But the begetting of children were altogether vnprofitable if they were not wel brought vppe For shée that loueth her children in déede doth bring them vp in the feare of the Lord Which bringing vppe is no small coÌ„moditie to the comon weale Church of god The glorie also and worship of God is greatly augmented when as by wedlocke there
are as necessarie as those which are alreadie rehearsed For first of all euery one must take héede of prodigalitie or ryot in meate drinke apparaile nice pranking of the bodie and gorgeous buyldings needlesse expences must alwayes be spared For the Lords will is that euery man should kéepe not lashe out the wealthe that he hath where no néede requireth it for the Lorde doth hate and detest riott and néedelesse cost to mainteine pride withall Moreouer the man that is prodigall of that which is his owne is for the most parte desirous of other mennes goods from whence arise innumerable mischiefs theafts conspiracies downright deceipte shamelesse shiftes murders and seditions Secondarily let him which laboureth in his vocation be prompt and actiue let him be watchefull and able to abide labour he must be no litherbacke vnapt or slouthfull fellowe Whatsoeuer he doth that let him do with faith and diligence Slouth and sluggishnesse do displease God vtterly The Lorde mislikes the yawning mouth and folded armes the signes of sleepe which commonly followe the carelesse man who doth neglect the state and condition of his house and familie But on the other side the Scripture commendeth highly faithfull labourers and good and painefull people in woorke Let vs heare I beséech you the golden woordes of Solomon the wisest among all men who where he blameth sluggardes saith Go to the Emmet thou sluggarde consider her wayes and learne to be wise She hath no guyde nor ouerseer nor ruler yet in the Summer she prouideth her meate and gathereth her foode in the haruest Howe long wilt thou sleepe thou sluggarde when wilte thou arise out of thy sleepe yea sleepe on still a little slumber a little folde thine handes together yet a little and take thine ease and in the meane while shall pouertie come vpon thee like a traueyler and necessitie like a weaponed man. Againe Dauid in the Psalmes cryeth saying The labours of thine handes shalt thou eate O well is thee and happie shalt thou be What may be thought of that moreouer that the Lorde God would not haue Adam to liue ydlely in Paradise that happie place for his state and condition for he inioyned him the tending and dressing of that goodly garden Idle people therefore are the moste vnhappie of all mortall men and slouthfull drousieheades are nothing else but an vnprofitable lumpe of vnoccupyed earth Lastely let the artificer haue a regarde that he hurte no man by his arte or occupation And let this be the rule for him to keepe his eye vpon in all businesse affaires of his science Whatso euer thou wouldest haue done to thy self the same do thou to another and what soeuer thou wouldest not haue done to thy selfe that do not thou to another Moreouer thou doest hurte to another man two sundrye wayes that is by kéeping backe and taking awaye as for example if thou withholdest that which thou oweste and is not thine owne or if thou takest awaye that whiche is another mans and that which he doeth not owe vnto thee But of the hurt done in withholding and taking away I will at this present speake somewhat largely that thereby ye may the better vnderstande the Lordes commaundement Thou shalt not steale and more perfectly perceiue what kindes and sortes of theaft there be Theaft they saye is a deceiptfull fingering of another mannes goodes moueable and bodily which is done against the owners will to the intent to make gaine either of the thing it selfe or of the vse of the thing or of the possession of the same Therefore they say that a madde man doth not committe theafte because in him there can no endeuour of craft or deceipte be possibly found Neither can saye they the man be argued of theaft which by mistakinge and not of sett malice did take away another mans good in steede of his owne But he alone is not called a deceiptfull fingerer which layeth hande vppon the thing but he who by any maner of meanes conueyeth it from the possession of the true owner Nowe they say that it is done against the owners will not onely if it be perforce violently taken from him but also if he knowe not of the taking it awaye or if he do knowe yet if he cannot forbidde them or if he can forbid them yet if for some certeine causes he will not Neither is it added without a cause that theaft is committed for gaine and profites sake For if one in ieast or for some other honest cause take any thing awaye he doth not thereby deserue to be called a theefe But of theaft they make two sortes the manifest theaft as that wherewith the theefe is taken the theaft not manifest as when after the deed one is conuinced of theaft Of these there is a large discourse Digestorum lib. 47. tit 2. Let vs returne to the further opening of our presēt propositiō Thy withholding doth hurte another man when thou in buying and selling dost vse false measure or false weightes To this rule is referred vniust and false exchaunge I meane exchaunge of money in banke Touching these pointes we will recite the commaundements and sentences only of the Lorde our God who in Leuiticus setteth this for a lawe Ye shall do no vnrighteousnesse in iudgement in meteyard in weight or in measure true ballaunces true weightes a true Epha that is a busshell or a pecke in measure of drye things a true Hin that is in measure of liquide thinges a pinte and an half or the twelfth parte of a pinte an halfe shall ye haue I am the Lorde your God which brought you out of the lande of Aegypt In Deuteronomie we read Thou shalt not haue in thy bagge two maner of weightes a greate and a small Neither shalt thou haue in thy house diuers measures a great and a small to the ende that in receiuing or buying thou maist vse the greater and in laying out or selling thou maist vse the lesser but thou shalt haue a iust and right weight and a iust and right measure shalt thou haue that thy dayes may be prolonged vppon the land which the Lorde thy God giueth thee For all that do such thinges and all that do vnrightly are abhominable vnto the Lord thy God. Hereunto appertaineth that sentence of Salomons in the Prouerbes where he saith Two manner of weightes and two maner of measures both these are abhominable vnto the Lord. But what can be heard or thought of more grieuous and horrible then a man to be abhominable in the sight of his God In the sixth Chapter of Micheas also the Lorde doth threaten diuers and grieuous punishementes which he myndeth to lay vppon the neckes of them that vse not iustice in weightes and measures Why therefore do we not rather flye from doing wrong and vnrighteousnesse choosing sooner to be happie than vnhappie and hearken vnto the Lorde who saith good measure and pressed downe and shaken together and
but sawe it inhabited of most puissaunt nations Moses hoped that he should deliuer the people of Israel out of Aegypt and place them in the land of promise when as yet he sawe not the maner meanes how hee should doe it Dauid hoped that he should reigne ouer Israel and yet he felt the peril of Saul and his seruaunts hanging ouer his head so that oftener than once hee was in daunger of his life The Apostles and holie martyrs of Christ did hope that they should haue eternall life and that God would neuer forsake them and yet neuerthelesse they felt the hatred of all sortes of people they were banished their countries and lastly were slaine by sundrie tormentes So I say hope is the hope and looking for of thinges not present and things not séene yea it is a sure and most assured looking for of things to come and that not of things whatsoeuer but of those whiche wée beleeue in faith and of those which are promised to vs by the verie true liuing and eternal god For S. Peter saith Hope perfectly in the grace which is brought vnto you Now they hope perfectly which doe without doubting coÌ„mitt themselues wholie to the grace of God and doe assuredlie looke for to inherite life euerlasting Furthermore the Apostle Paule calleth hope as it were the safe sure anchor of the soule And by how much the promise of God is the surer by so much is hope the more firme and secure For hope is not the looking for of any thing whatsoeuer but of faith that is of the thing that faith hath beleeued and which we knowe to be promised to vs in the woord of god And therefore doth Paule expounde faith by hope where he saith Faith is the ground of thinges hoped for the euidence of thinges not seene Faith therfore is as it were the fouÌ„dation wherupon hope doth rest and so God himselfe his infallible word is the obiect to our hope And for that cause Paul calleth God our hope and so doe the Prophets also To this belongeth the 91. Psalm where the faithfull crieth Thou art my hope O Lord thou hast set thine house verie highe Like to this thou shalt find an inumerable sort of places in the booke of the Psalmes But hope cannot bée sure where there is no sound faith and expresse promise of god Nowe since Gods promises are as well of thinges temporall as eternall hope also is as wel of things transitorie as euerlasting And as faith is the gifte of Gods grace and not the power or effecte of our owne nature so hope is giuen vs from aboue and confirmed in vs by the spirite of god For in our looking after thinges there are both groanings and longings for them Temptations assayle and vrge vs sorely as thoughe the thinge were vtterly demed which is for a season deferred or as though God knew not our state condition because he seemeth somewhiles and as it were for euer to neglect and not set by our earnest expectaâ—ion wherfore our hope hath néede of much consolation and coÌ„firmation of the spirite of god Which if it bée sound susteyneth and vpholdeth the minde of man ouerladen howsoeuer wyth very weake infirmities And when the Lord deferreth his promises and séemeth somewhat too long eyther to neglect oure calamities or else to lay more troubles on the backes of vs that are otherwise sufficiently afflicted then commeth hope which doing her duetie biddeth vs pluck vp our harts and stay the Lords leysure who as he cannot possiblie hate them that worship him so he neuer fayleth nor in the least point deceiueth them for hée himselfe is the eternal trueth and euerlasting goodnesse Here now the places of Scripture touching the certaintie of hope are very proâ—itable to teach that the people that hoped in God were neuer confounded although he did delay very long to ayde them with his healping hand The Lord promiseth the land of Canaan to the séede of Abraham but 430 yeares do first come about before he setleth them in possessioÌ„ of it yea before he brought them to it he ledd them whoale 40. yeares about in the wildernes Hée deliuereth the Israelits from the captiuitie of Babylon but not till 70. yeares were spent What may be thought of this also that God hauing immediately after the beginning promised his only sonne did notwythstanding not send him til and toward the latter â—nd of the woorlde The Sainets must therefore stil endure and alwayes wayte the Lords good leysure because truth caÌ„not possibly fayle them and all that hope in it are surely saued Dauid cryeth Our father 's hoped in thee they hoped in thee and thou diddest deliuer them They called vppon thee and were saued they hoped in thee and were not confounded And againe The Lord is good happie is the man that hopeth in him And againe they that hope in the Lord shal be like mount Sion they shal not be moued but shal staÌ„d fast for euer And Paul in his temptations cryeth out in his epist. to the Phil. saying I know that my affliction shal turne to my saluatioÌ„ according to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing I shal be ashamed Thus much haue I said hetherto to teach you how the faithful do behaue themselues in sundry calamities for they despayre not but confirme their harts with assured hope and suffer al euils with a patient minde quietly wayting for the Lord in their troubles who is the only hope of al the faithful Now to the end of this I meane to ad a few general consolations which may the more confirme the hope of that faithfull induce them to patience in suffering calamities cheare vp their heauie spirits to al maner afflictions First of all let the afflicted weigh with himselfe from whence affliction cometh Euil men the diuel sicknes the world are they that afflict vs but not without god who suffereth them to do it satan could not trouble Iob neither in goods or body but by gods sufferaÌ„ce And the Prophet Dauid cryeth Thou art he that toke me out of my mothers womb thou wast my hope when I hanged yet vpon my mothers breasts I was left to thee as soone as I was borne Thou art my God my time is in thy hand And the Lord in the gospel sayth Are not two sparrowes sold for one farthing one of them lighteth not vpon the ground without your father yea euen al the haires of your head are numbred Now God by whose gouernment al things are ruled is not a God a Lord only but also a father to mortal men And his will is good and wholesome to vs ward besids that whatsoeuer he doth he doth it al in order and iustly But if the will of God be good toward vs the thing cannot choose but be good to vs which happneth by the sufferance and wil of him that loueth vs so dearly And herein doe the children
gaue them mee is greater than all and no man is able to take them out of my fathers hand I and my father am one Hereunto belongeth that outâ—rie of S. Paule which he vseth to the encouragement of vs Christians where hee saith Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christe Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or hunger or nakednesse or peâ—ill or sword As it is written For thy sake are we killed all day longe and are compted as sheepe for the slaughter Neuerthelesse we ouercome in all these things through him that loued vs For I am sure that neither death nor life nor Angels nor rule nor power nor thinges present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to seperate vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesu our Lord. The Sainctes I confesse in their calamities doe féele griefe and many discommodities but so yet that euen in their discoÌ„modities they haue farr many more coÌ„modities they are therfore diminished one way but augmented an other way so that the crosse of theirs is not their destruction but an excercise for them and a whoalesome medicine And therfore I thinke that that same worthie and golden sentence of S. Paul can neuer be too often beaten into your minds where hée saith We are troubled on euery side yet are we not without shift we are in pouertie but not in extreeme pouertie we suffer persecution but are not forsaken therein wee are cast downe but we perish not The faith full therefore doe in this world loose these their earthly riches but do they thereby loose their faith Loose they their vpright and holy life or loose they the riches of the inner man which are the true riches in the sight of God The Apostle crieth Godlines is a great luâ—re with a mind content with that that it hath For wee brought nothing into the world it is certaine that wee maye carrie nought away but hauing foode and rayment we must therewith be content And the Lord verily who of his goodnesse hath created Heauen and earth and all that is therein for the vse of men which euen séedeth the Rauens younge ones will not cause the iust man to die with hunger and penury Moreouer that man doth not loose his treasure in this world which gathereth treasure as the Lord hath coÌ„maunded him with whom y faithful know that a most wealthie treasure is layd vpp in heauen for them which are in this world spoiled of their â—errestrial goods for their lordâ— masterâ— sake That worthy notable seruam of god Iob doth cry Naked camed ouâ— of my mothers wombe naked shal I turne to the earth againe The Lord gaue and the Lord hath taken away as the Lord pleased so is it happened Blessed be the name of the Lord. Last of all it is manifest that to denie the truth therby to escape persecution is not the way to kéepe our wealth and quiet state but rather the meanes to loose them yea by so doing wee are made infamous to all good men of euery age and nation For we sée that they which would not for Christ and the cause of his trueth hazard their riches but chose rather by dissimulation and renouncing of the truth to kéepe their worldly wealth did reteyne for euer infamous reproch and daily augment most terrible tormentes which vexed horiblie their guiltie conscience loosing neuerthelesse in the diuels name y wealth which they would not once hazard in the cause of their Sauiour But they on y otherside which ieoparded themselues and all their substaunce in the quarell of Christe despising manfully al daungers that could happen did alwayes finde a swéete and pleasant coÌ„fort which strengthened the minds of their afflicted bodies For they crie with the Apostle Wee haue learned in whatsoeuer estate wee are therewith to be content Wee know how to be lowe wee know also howe to exceede euerie where and in all thinges we are instructed both to be full and to be hungrie both to haue plentie and to suffer neede We can doe all thinges through Christ who strengtheneth vs. They know that the same Apostle hath said Ye haue suffered with ioy the spoyling of your goods knowing that ye haue in heauen a farre more excellent substance which will endure For the Lord in the Gospel also said Verilie I say vnto you there is no man that hath forsaken house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or landes for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receiue an hundred folde now at this present with persecutions and in the world to come eternall life Mar. 10. So than the Saincts and faithful seruauntes of God are oppressed with seruitude in this present world but therewith all they know and consider that the Lord himselfe became a seruaunt for vs men whereby they that are seruauntes in this world are made frée thorough Christe and by terrestriall seruitude a way is made to celestiall libertie The faithfull are exiled or banished their countrie but the heathen Poet sayth A valiaunt harted man takes euerie countrie for his owne Verilie in what place of this world soeuer wee are wée are in exile as banished men Oure father is in heauen and therefore heauen is our countrie Wherefore when wée die wée are deliuered from exile and placed in the heauenly countrie and true felicitie In like maner whom the tyrant killeth with hunger and famine those doth hée ridd of innumerable euils And againe whomsoeuer famine doth not vtterly â—il but only tormeÌ„t â–ª them doth it teach to liue more sparingly and afterward to fast the longer and deuoutly Nowe in this case the faithfull which suffer famine do call to remembraunce the examples of the auncient Sainctes of whome when Paul speaketh hée sayth They wandered about in sheepe skinns goate skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented of whome the world was not worthie they wandered in wildernesse in mountaynes and in dennes and caues of the earth christians also consider that the state of famished Lazarus who died amoÌ„g the tongues of the dogges that licked his blaâ—â—es was farre â—erter than the surfetting of the strutbellied glutton who being once dead was buried in hell Moreouer it is to be abhorred de tested and yet lamented of all men to see a crue of barbâ—rous villaynes and vnrulie souldiours abuse perforce not honest matrenes onely but teÌ„der virgins also that are not fit yet nor ripe for a man But the greatest comfort that wee haue in so great a mischiefe and intollerable ignominie is that chastitie is a vertue of the mind For if it bée a treasure of the minde then is it not lost though the body be abused euen as in like sort the fayth of a man is not thought to be ouercome although the whole body be coÌ„sumed with fire And chastitie is not lost verilie where the body is defloured because the wil
of this exposition let him heare the woordes of the Apostle who saith I knew not sinne but by the lawe for I had not knowen luste except the lawe had said Thou shalt not luste Without the lawe sinne was dead I once liued without lawe but when the commaundement came sinne reuiued and I was dead And againe The affection of the fleshe is death but the affection of the spirite is life peace Because the affection of the â—leshe is enimitie against God for it is not obedient to the lawe of God neither can be So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. The affection of concupiscence therefore doth condemne vs or as I should rather say wée are worthily condemned by the iuste iudgment of God for our coÌ„cupiscence which doth euery houre and moment bewray it selfe in the thoughts of our harts There are I confesse sundrie fantasies and many thoughts in the minds of men which while they tend not to the offence of God or our neighbour nor do coÌ„tâ—ine any vncleannesse or selfeloue are not to be counted in the number of sinns as I did immâ—diately after the beginning declare vnto you So hetherto verilie God hath forbidden the grosser sinnes which man doeth daily commit against him and now at last hee commeth to the concupiscence corrupte nature of man the welspring of al euil which in this precept he goeth about to stop vp and cause to sléepe or as I should rather say to detect to the eyes of all men the infirmitie and weakenesse of mankinde For what is he that hath not some whiles felt concupiscence yea what is he that is not euery houre moment pricked with the stinge of fleshly concupiscence What man is there I pray you that is not diseased with the naturall sicknesse common to vs al and spotied with the blemish of originall guiltinesse Being therefore coÌ„uinced of sinne before the lord wee are not able to excuse our fault nor escape the sentence of the Iudge that doth condemne all flesh For the iust Lord doeth expressely condemne our naturall corruption and wicked inclination which is a continual turning from God and rebellion against the sinceritie which hee requireth at our handes For they are called happie that are cleane in heart because they shall sée god They therefore whose hartes are wrapped in lustes diseased with concupiscence and spotted with the poyson of original guilt shall not sée god But such are al we that are the sonnes of Adam And therefore this lawe doth conuince vs all of sinne infirmitie naturall corruption of damnation which followeth vpon the neck of our corruptioÌ„ Moreouer god in his law doth not only require the outward cleannesse of the body but the inward purenesse also of the minde the soule and al our affections and giueth charge that all whatsoeuer wee thincke determine goe about or doe should tende to the health and profite of oure neighbour This coÌ„maundement therefore may be referred to all the other that went before For the Lord himself expounding this coÌ„mandement Thou shalt not coÌ„mit murder addeth Whosoeuer is angrie with his brother shal be in danger of iudgment c. Matt. 5. and againe in expouÌ„ding this precept Thou shalt not coÌ„mitadulterie hée addeth Whosoeuer looketh on an other manns wife to lust after her hee hath committed adulterie alreadie with her in his hart And here he doth exactly rehearse the things which we do couet and in longing after which we are wont to sin Now our couetousnes consisteth in the desire either of things or persoÌ„s The thinges that we couet are either immoueable or moueable as we Germans do vsually say Der gueteren sind etliche ligende etliche furende The immoueable things are houses farmes lands vineyards woods medows pastures fishpooles such like Things moueable are monie cattell honour office and dignities The persons are wife childreÌ„ manseruants maidseruants These and such like which our neighbor hath in possessioÌ„ none of vs ought to couet to his hurt or hinderance or if any man happen to couet them yet let him not consent to y concupiscence nor take delite therin let him not séek to obteine the thing that he so desireth nor suffer his ill conceiued purpose to break out to y deed doing in taking from his neighbour his things or persoÌ„s for god requireth at the hands of those y worship him such kind of righteousnes as is altogether sound and absolutely perfecte not in the outward déede alone but also in the inward mind settled purpose of the hart Wherupon the lord in the gospel saith Vnlesse your righteousnes exceede the righteousnes of the Scribes Phariseis ye shal not enter into the kingdome of God. But touching the maner how Gods comaundements are fulfilled that faith is the absolute righteousnes I will hereafter in an other sermon tell you as I haue alreadie said somewhat in the sermon that I made vpon true faith Hetherto in twelue Sermons I haue runne through and declared the tenne preceptes of the morall lawe in which I told you that the forme of vertue is layd before our eyes therby to frame our maners according to the wil of god God himself hath diuided al the branches of his moral law into two tables The first doth shew the dutie of vs meÌ„ to our creator teacheth how to worship aright our God gouernor The secoÌ„d table in sixe whole precepts doth declare what and how much euery man is bound to owe to his neighbour how we may al liue both quietly well ciuilie one with another It comaundeth vs to honor our parents al those which god hath ordeyned in stéed of our parents It forbiddeth murder or doing iniury to any man in his life and body It forbiddeth whordom adultrie wicked lustes comending wedlock cleannes a continent life It forbiddeth lyes false witnesse bearinges and euil desires biddeth vs to loue our neighbours with al our harts being ready at all times with al our power to doe them good To God our Lord and most prudent lawgiuer be praise and thankes for euer and euer Amen Of the Ceremonial lawes of God but especially of the priesthood time and place appointed for the Ceremonies ¶ The fifth Sermon IN the partition of gods lawes next after the moral lawe we placed the Ceremoniall lawe and therfore since the morall lawe is alreadie expounded I haue now next by the help of God to treate of the law of Ceremonies And that I may not hide any thing from you note this by the way that some write Ceremoniae and some Cerimoniae which two words are vsed for Ceremonies considering y sundrie men haue sundrie opinions touching y word froÌ„ whence it should come For some after the opinion of Seruius Sulpitius do thinke that they are called Ceremoniae a Carendo But Festus affirmeth that Ceremonies did first take their name of the towne CÄ™res or CÄ™rete For Liuie in his fifte
the law and the Prophets Moreouer oure Lord fulfilled the lawe in that he did most absolutely in all poinctes satisfie the will of God being himselfe the holiest of all in whome there is no spot no euill concupiscence nor any sinne in him is the loue of God most perfecte righteousnesse altogether absolute which righteousnesse he doth fréely coÌ„municate to vs that are most vnperfect if wee beléeue and haue oure hope fast settled in him For hée forgiueth vs our sinnes being made a cleansing Sacrifice for vs and maketh vs partakers of his owne righteousnesse which is for that cause called Imputed righteousnesse Whereunto the testimonies of the Apostle do apperteine God saith Paul was in Christ recoÌ„ciling the world vnto himselfe not imputing their sinnes vnto them For him which knew not sinne he made sinne for vs that we might bee made the righteousnesse of God by him Againe Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse without workes So also if wee beleeue in God throughe Christ our faith shal be imputed to vs for righteousnesse For by faith we lay hold on Christ whom we beleue to haue made most absolute satisfaction to God for vs and so consequently that God for Christ his sake is pleased with vs and that the righteousnesse is imputed to vs as our owne and is in déed by gift our owne because wee are nowe the sonnes of God. These things being diligently weyyed it shal be easie for vs to aunswere them whiche make this question and doe demaunde since no mortall man doth of himself exactly satisfie the law Howe then is righteousnesse life and saluatioÌ„ promised to them that do obserue the lawe Our aunswere is forsoothe that that promise hath a respect to the perfect righteousnesse of Christ which is imputed vnto vs Otherwise it is assuredly certaine that the holy Scripture doth not so much as in one iote disagrée or square in any pointe from it selfe The Apostle doth plainly say If there had a lawe beene giuen which could haue giuen life then had righteousnesse beene of the lawe but now the Scripture hath shutt vpp all vnder sinne that the promise might be giuen by faith to them that do beleeue Wherefore he kéepeth or doeth fulfil the lawe euen of the tenne commaundements who doth the thing for which the lawe was chiefly ordeyned But the lawe was chiefly ordeyned as I did declare a little before to the ende that it might conuince vs all of sinne and damnation and so by that meanes send vs from our selues and lead vs by the hand to Christe who is the fulfilling of the lawe vnto iustification to euery one that doeth beléeue And therefore hée doth fulfil and kéepe the lawe who hath no confidence in himselfe and his owne woorkes but committing himselfe to the very grace of God doth séeke all righteousnesse in the faith of Christ Whereuppon now it is euident that these two sentences of Christ oure Lord are of one sense meaning Whosoeuer beleeueth in mee he hath life euerlasting And If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commaundements For Paule also in the 13. Chapiter of the Actes saith Be it knowen vnto you brethren that thorough Christe is preached to you the forgiuenesse of sinnes by him all that beleeue are iustified from all the thinges from which he could not be iustified by the lawe of Moses And to this place nowe belongeth all the woorke of iustification of whiche I haue at large disputed in an other place Now that faith wherewith we beleeue that Christ hath satisfied the law and that he is oure righteousnesse and our perfection is neither of our owne nature nor of our owne merits but is by the grace of God powred into vs through the holy spirit which is giuen into our hearts This spirite abiding in our heartes doth inflame our breastes with the loue and desire of Gods lawe to doe oure endeuoure to the expressing and shewing of the lawe in al our workes and conuersation Which desire and endeuour although they be neuer fully accomplished by reason of the sâ—eashes frailetie or weakenesse of mans nature which remayneth in vs euen till the last gaspe and end of our life is notwithstanding acceptable to God by grace for Christe his sake alone neither doeth anye Godly man put any confidence in this other but in the first fulfilling of the lawe as that which is onely absolute and perfecte For Paule in his Epistle to the Romans crieth out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death And yet immediatly after he answereth I thanke God. to wit because he hath redéemed me from death through Iesus Christ our lord So then I me selfe with the minde serue the law of God but with the fleshe the lawe of sinne There is then no damnation to them whiche are graffed in Christ Iesu which walk not after the fleshe but after the spirite c. Wherfore since we are in Christ we are in grace and therefore is God pleased with oure woorkes which being giuen to vs by faith and by the liberal spirite do procéede from an hart that loueth God the giuer of them all For Iohn saide This is the loue of God that we keepe his commaundementes And his commaundementes are not greeuous Hée addeth also the reason thereof and saith For al that is borne of God ouercoÌ„meth the world nowe euerie one is borne of God that doth beléeue as is declared in the first of Iohn By whiche it is easie to reconcile these 2. places which séeme at a blushe to iarre one with an other The lawes of God are heauie which neither we nor oure fathers were able to beare And The lawes of God are not greeuous or heauie to be borne For they are not heauie to the faithfull whiche are in Christ and to those which haue the gift of Gods spirite that is to those that are reconciled to God by Christe their Lord and Sauiour Without Christ faith in Christe they are most gréeuous and heauie to be borne of euery vnbeléeuer So the faithfull béeing stirred vpp by the spirite of God doth voluntarilie and of his owne accord do good to all men so farre as his abilitie doeth suffer him will not in any case do hurt to any man not forbecause hee feareth the punishment that in the law is appointed for the disobedient vniuste and wrongfull dealers but forbecause he loueth god And so also he fulfilleth the Iudicial lawe Here I know full well the thou wilt make this obiection and say if the law be fulfilled that the fulfilling thereof hath a place in the Sainctes faithful ones what néeded then I pray you the abrogating of the lawe What néeded Paule and all the best diuines to dispute so largely of the abrogation of the same I wil therefore say somewhat of the abrogation of the law first generallie then by partes peculiarly But first of all
of the Gospell which Paule hath hitherto preached with vs is sufficient to the obteining of life and saluation We intend not to laye any greater burthen vpon you than the doctrine of the Gospell and abstinence from those fewe things In which sentence they séeme to haue had an eye to the opinion of Sainct Peter who in the counsell saide Ye knowe that I beeing called by God did go to the Gentiles and did preach to them saluatiō through the Gospel Ye know that to the Gētiles being neither circumcised nor keeping the lawe while I preached to them faith in Christ Iesus the holie Ghoste was giuen from aboue so that their hearts wer purified of God him selfe by faith not by the lawe that they were made heires of eternal life And vppon this he inferreth Now therefore why tempt ye God to laye vppon the disciples neckes a yoke which neither wee nor our fathers were able to beare But wee beleeue that through the grace of the Lorde Iesus Christ we shal be saued euen as they Sée here Sainct Peter called the lawe a burthen and a yoke and therfore where the Apostles saye that they will not laye vpō the church any greater burthen they do thereby signifie that the lawe is flatly abrogated They do therefore set the church frée from the burthen of the lawe and do acquite it from all burthens like to y lawe We nowe do gather by those woordes of the Apostles that those burthensome and innumerable ceremonies which the church hath receiued by counsels Synodes since the time of the Apostles were vniustly against the Apostolique spirite then layde vppon the churche and at this daye wickedly reteined and defended in the churche For they in expresse wordes saide It seemed good to the holye Ghoste and to vs to burthen you with no more then these thinges necessarie But if any man obiect and saye that those ceremonies were for the rudenesse of the people layde vpon the churches neckes as a rule or instruction to guide or teache them by Mine aunswere is that that kinde of instruction is cleane taken awaye which whosoeuer goeth about to reduce hee desireth nothing else but to bring in Iudaisme againe God knew verie well what kinde of churche that would be which hee purposed to gather together of Iewes and Gentiles and yet he abolished those external ceremonies Nowe who doth better knowe than God what is expedient or not expedient for his church therefore the things that he abolished were not expedient for the faithfull whereupon the Apostles did rightly verie wel pronounce It seemed good to the holie ghoste and vs not to laye vppon you any greater burthen Let them therefore be ashamed of their doinges which lay so great a burthen vppon the shoulders of the church that otherwise ought to be most free Nowe also heere is added the conclusion of the sentence Than these necessarie things that is to say that ye abstaine from things offered to Idols c. In these wordes they had an eye vnto the sentence of sainct Iames the Apostle and brother of the Lorde for he confirminge and allowing of Sainct Peters opinion touchinge iustification by faith and the not laying of the lawe vpon the Gentiles neckes doth alledge a testimonie of scripture out of Amose who did foretell that the Iewes shoulde bee cut off because of their sinnes and that in their steeds the Gentiles should be taken amonge whome the true church of God should be which was prefigured by the ruine and reparatiō of Dauids tabernacle The same Prophet did also foretell a reason how and a cause why the Gentiles should be receiued into the church not for Circumcisions sake nor yet by the helpe of the lawe but by grace through fayth For he saith The remnaunte of the men shal seeke after the Lorde and all the heathen vpon whome my name is called saith the Lorde which doth all this all these workes of God are knowen to him from before the world beganne Loe here they shall seeke the Lorde and shal be receyued into his fellowship vpon whome his name shal be called This phrase of speech doeth signifie that they whiche are electe shal be the sonnes of god For vpon them the name of the Lord is called which are named the sonnes of God and are his elect Nowe the whole scripture attributeth that to faith By fayth therfore we are made the members of the church and sonnes and heires to God our maker But if any man doe murmur against the counsell of God and say why doth God so Let him thinke that this déede is the déede and worke of God whome it is not lawfull for man to gaynsaye and all whose workes are knowen from the beginninge of the worlde to haue beene donne in iudgement and righteousnesse whervpon it doth consequently follow that this counsell of his is good and righteous whereby he doth through faith in Christ ioyne to himselfe and sanctifie the heathen nations Nowe vppon these wordes of the prophet Saincte Iames subscribing as it were to Sainct Peters opinion doth gather and inferre Wherefore my sentence is that wee trouble not them which from among the Gentiles are turned to God That is to say I thinke that they are not to bee molested or charged with the obseruation of the law But least the Gentiles once hearing y the lawe was abolished should thereby thinke that they might freely doe whatsoeuer they would and so by that meanes abuse their libertie and also against all charitie despise giue offence vnto the Iewishe brethren therefore Iames addeth But I think it best for vs to write vnto them that they absteine from filthines of idols For there were at that time certeine conuerts of the Gentiles who thought it lawfull for them to enter into idol Temples and be partakers of things offered to idols because an idol is nothing since there is but one onely God alone whereuppon they gathered that those sacrifices were nothing that they did neither good nor harme and therefore that Christians might with a safe conscience be partakers of them But sainct Iames and Paule also 1. Cor. 8. 9. 10. wil haue the heathen conuerts to absteine vtterly frō the worship of Idols that is from the idols them selues and from those things which are in the idol temples offered to false and fained Gods. Moreouer he addeth Let them beware of fornication The Gentiles verily did by good lawes forbidde the adulteries and defilings of virgins matrones with verie sharpe punishments suppressing the violent deflowrers of honest women but they thought it a verie light and in a manner no fault at all for such to committ whoredome as did of their owne accordes set their chastitie to sale or if an vnwedded man should haue to doe with a single woman and therefore the Apostle Iames euen as Paule also 1. Cor. 6. and 1. Thessa. 4. doeth verie seuerely require the holy pure vse of the bodie
the strict kéeping of Moses lawe This rule must alwayes be kept obserued Sainct Peter doth simply commaunde and saye Submitt your selues to all manner ordinaunce of man for the Lordes sake whether it be vnto the king as hauing the preeminence or vnto rulers as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishement of euil doers but for the laude of them do well And yet the same Apostle affirmeth that we ought rather to obey God than men so often as men do publish lawes against true religion iustice and equitie concerning which I spake in the exposition of the commoÌ„ place of the magistrate And so thus much I thought good to saye touching the abrogatioÌ„ of the Iudiciall lawes Now if euery one of you do throughly ponder with him selfe the things y I haue hithereto saide touching the lawe of God the partes of the lawe the vse or effect the fulfilling and abrogating of the same it will be a thing of no difficultie to determin what euery one ought to think concerning that point or title of this treatise wherof I promised in the beginning of this sermon that I woulde speake somewhat towarde the ende to witte that the testament of the olde and new church is all one and that there is but one way of true saluation to all that eyther are or haue bene saued in this worlde and also wherein the newe testament dothe differ from the olde For since I haue alredie shewed that all the pointes of the lawe haue a respect and a kinde of Relation vnto Christ and that hee was in the lawe preached to the fathers to be the onely Sauiour in whome alone they were to be saued who is it which cannot perceiue that they had none other but the verie same manner and way to be saued which we at this day doe enioy by Christ Iesus And yet that this may appeare more euident I wil not stick to bestowe some paines to make this matter more manifest vnto you with as plaine a demonstration as possible may be although a playner cannot likely be than that which I haue alredie shewed you Verily there is no difference of the people of the testament of the church or of the manner of saluation betwixt them among whom there is found to be one and the same doctrin the same faith the same spirite the same hope the same inheritance the same expectation the same inuocation and the same sacraments If therefore I shal be able to proue that all these thinges were indifferently common to them of the olde church as wel vnto vs then haue I obteined that which I shott at to wite that in respect of the substance there neither was nor is any more than one testament that the olde fathers are one and the same people that we are liuing in the same church and communion and saued not in any other but in Christe alone the sonne of God in whome also wee looke for saluation That they and wee haue all one and the same doctrine I proue thus Our doctrine is the doctrine of the gospel But that the fathers were not without the sanâ—e doctrine it is euident by Sainct Paule who testifieth saying God verily promised the Gospel of God afore by his prophets in the holie Scriptures of his sonne which was made of the seede of Dauid after the fleash and hath been declared to bee the sonne of God with power by the spirite c. What could be saide more plainly The Gospell which is at this day preathed was of olde promised by the prophets in the holie scriptures to wite that the sonne of God should come into the worlde to saue all faithfull beleuers This Gospell also teacheth that the faithful are not iustified by the works of the lawe but freely by grace through faith in Christe Sainct Paule saith By the deedes of the law there shal no fleash be iustified in his sight For by the lawe coÌ„meth the knowledge of sinne But now is the righteousnesse of god declared without the law being witnessed by the testimonie of the lawe and the prophets the righteousnesse of God coÌ„meth by the faith of Christ Iesus vnto all and vpoÌ„ all them that beleeue With Paule S. Peter also doth fully agrée where in the Synod helde at Hierusalem he saith Neither we nor our fathers were able to beare the yoke of the lawe but do beleeue euen as they to be saued through the grace of our Lorde Christ Iesus And so consequently in all other substanciall and material poynctes there is no difference in doctrine betwixt vs and them To procéede nowe they whose doctrine is al one must of necessitie haue all one faith For faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of god What doeth that argue that Abraham the rest of the holie fathers are set before our eyes as examples of faith for vs to followe wee sée that it is so in the holie Gospel of the Lord the sacred writings of the Apostles But who would giue vs such forreine examples to imitate as doe not concerne the thing for which they are giuen Paule in many places but especially in the fourth Chapter to the Romanes sheweth that faith must bée imputed to vs for righteousnesse as we reade that it was imputed vnto Abraham nowe that faith of his was not another but the vâ—rie same faith with ours which restâ—th vppon the promise of God and the blessed séede For he calleth Abraham the father not of these onely which are borne of the circumcision but of those also which walke in the stâ—ppes of the faith which was in Abraham before hee was circumcised Besides that also the confirmation of the Christian rule I meane the Apostles Creede or articles of our beleefe is fetched out of the Scriptures of the fathers of the olde testament which is vndoubtedly a moste manifeste argument that their faith and ours is the verie same faith They did beléeue in the Messiah that was then to come and wee beléeue y he is alreadie come and do more fully perceiue neerely see all that which was spoken of before in the prophets as I will anon declare when I come to shewe the difference betwixte the two testaments That all one and the same spirite did gouerne our forefathers and the people of the newe couenaunt who can doubt considering that the spirit of God is one alone and that Sainct Peter doth in expresse wordes testifie that the spirite of Christe was in the Prophets And Sainct Paule also saith Since we haue the same spirite of faith according to that which is written I beleeued and therefore I spake and we beleeue and therefore do we speake Therefore although the same apostle doth in another place saye that the faithfull haue not receiued againe the spirite of bondage vnto feare but the spirite of adoptioÌ„ whereby they crie Abba father Yet doth he not denie but that the faithful fathers had the same spirite that wée
haue For euen they also cried to God as to their father although they obteined it not by the lawe which terrifieth but by the grace of the Messiah Againe the same Apostle saith Whosoeuer are led by the spirite of God they are the sonnes of God. Which sentence we may thus conuert say that the sonnes of God are led by the spirite of God. But there is none vnlesse it bee such an one as neuer read the scriptures which will denye that the auncient fathers were the sonnes of God and were so called bothe by the Lorde him selfe and also by his seruaunt Moses What may be thought of the moreouer that our forefathers were called kings and priestes and so consequeÌ„tly a royall priesthood and a priestly kingdome which names Sainct Peter applyed to the faithful beléeuers in Christ Iesus Nowe such a kingdome and priesthood cannot be or consist without the vnction of the spirite The holy apostle Iohn I confesse in his Gospell sayde The holy Ghoste was not yet beecause Iesus was not yet glorified But as hee spake not of the substaunce of the holye Ghoste which is coeternall with the substance of the father and of the sonne so he doth not altogether denye that the fathers had the holye Ghost For in that place he speaketh of the excellent gifte which after the ascension of the Lorde was powred out vpon the people that did beléeue For Iohn him selfe interpreting him selfe doeth immediately before saye These wordes who so euer beleeueth on me out of his belye shall flowe riuers of water of life spake hee of the holye Ghoste which they that beleue on him shuld receiue The gifte therefore of the holie Ghoste was not at that time when the Lorde spake those words so commonly and plentifully powred vppon all men as it was vppon the faithfull after the glorification of the Lorde Iesus And verily our forefathers and the holie Prophets coulde not haue so precisely and eâ—pressely foretolde all the mysteries of Christe the church which the Euangelistes and Apostles do testifie to be nowe accomplished fulfilled vnlesse in their prophecies they had béene gouerned by the verie same spirite wherewith the Apostles were afterward instructed For it is a wicked thing for vs to thinke that the Prophets and patriarches did like madde men babble they knewe not what and speake suche woordes as they them selues vnderstoode not Abraham sawe the daye of Christe and was gladde of it for by that spirituall sight of his he had and felt with in him selfe a certeine kinde of spirituall ioye Howe manye times doth Dauid in the Psalmes testifie that the seruice of God and the holie congregation did delight him at the verie harte which wordes he vttered not so much for the ioye that he had in the externall ceremonies but for that he did by the spirite and by faith beholde in those ceremonies the true Messiah and Sauiour of the world And since it is euident that our forefathers were iustified by the grace of God it is manifest that that iustification was not wrought without the spirite of God through which spirite euen our iustification at this day is wrought and finished Therfore the fathers were gouerned by the verie same spirite that we of this age are directed by Of this opinion was sainct Augustine whose wordes dearely beloued I meane to recite vnto you worde for word out of his seconde booke de Peccato orig contra Pelag. et celest Cap 25. Things to come saith he were foreseene of the prophets by the same spirite of faith by which they are of vs beleeued to be alreadie finished For they whiche of verie faithfull loue could prophecie these thinges vnto vs coulde not choose but bee themselues partakers of the same And whereuppon is it that the Apostle Peter saith why temptye God to laye vppon the Disciples neckes the yoke that neither our fathers nor wee were able to beare but wee beleeue that through the grace of the Lorde Iesus Christ wee shal be saued euen as they Whereupon is I saye that Peter saith this but for because they are saued by the grace of the Lorde Iesus Christe and not by Moses lawe by which doth come not the saluing but the knowledge of sinne But nowe the righteousnesse of God is without the lawe made manifest witnessed by the lawe and the prophets Therefore if it be nowe at this time made manifest then must it needes bee that it was beefore although as then it were hidden The hyding whereof was prefigured by the vaâ—le of the temple which when Christe died was rent in pieces for a signification that it was then reuealed And therefore this grace of the onely mediatour of God and man the man Christ Iesus was then in the people of God but it was hidden in theÌ„ as it were rayne in a sliece which God doth separate vnto his inheritaunce not of duetie but of his owne voluntarie will but nowe that sliece being as it were wroung out that is the Iewish people beeing reprobated it is openly seene in all nations as it were vppon the bare grounde in an open place Thus much out of Augustine Nowe also there was sett beefore the eyes of Israel a earnall and temporall felicitie whiche yet was not all that they hoped vppon For in that externall and transitorie felicitie was shadowed the heaueÌ„ly and eternall happinesse For the apostle in the fourth eleuenth Chapter to the Hebrues saith that the fathers out of that visible and temporal inheritance did hope for an other inuisible and euerlasting heritage Neither was Christe to any other ende so expressely promised them nor the blessing and life in Christe for any other purpose so plainly layde defore them nor Christe him self almost in all their ceremonies so often prefigured for any other intent but that they thereby might bee put in hope of the verie same life into which wee are receiued through Christ our redéemer For the Lorde in the Gospell saith that wee shal bee gathered in the kingdome of heauen into the same glorie with Abraham Isaac and Iacob But here is an obiection made that life and saluation was promised onely and not perfourmed vnto the fathers but that they being shut vp in prison did looke for the comming of Messiah I for my parte do not finde any thing in the scriptures to bee written of such a prison whereinto the holie Patriarches were fast locked vpp Peter verily maketh mention of a prison but in that prison hee wil haue the disobedient not the obedient spirites to be But if any man obiect that Christe descended to them belowe we verily do not denye it but yet we say withal that he desceÌ„ded to the departed saincts that is that he was gathered to the companie of the blessed Spirites whiche were not in the place of punishment that is in torments but in the ioyes of heauen as the Lorde him self coÌ„firmeth the same when being readie to descende to them belowe
reason of that first corruption which roote bringeth foorth a corrupt braunche in nature like vnto it selfe which braunch Satan euen nowe as hee hath done alwayes doeth by his sleightes subtilties and lyes cherish tende and tender as an impe of his owne planting and yet notwithstandinge hee laboureth in vaine vnlesse wee yelde our selues to his handes to bee framed as he listeth Nowe therefore that there may herein appeare lesse doubte or darkenesse I will for confirmations sake adde two moste euident testimonies the one out of the writinges of the Euangelistes the other out of the doctrine of the Apostles The Lorde in the Gospell saith The diuell was a murderer from the beginninge and stoode not in the trueth because the trueth is not in him When he speaketh a lye he speketh of his owne because he is a lyar and the father of lyes By these wordes of the Lorde wee gather that euill is to be referred to the diuel who being created in trueth and goodnesse did not stand fast in trueth and goodnesse but degenerated from his nature wherein hee was made good and fell into another nature corrupt and wicked and hath out of him selfe dispersed al euil as it appeared by the historie of our first parentes into the worlde to wite murther and lyes vnder which two are comprehended all other euils of which he is expressely saide to be the father that is the cause the author the welspring and beginning not because he was made suche an one of God but because hee stoode not fast in the trueth To them therefore that do demaunde of what beginning Satan came and whether God made him or no Our aunswere is that God in déede made all the Angels and those also which afterwarde did become reprobates and wicked diuels but we do not therefore saye that the cause of euil doth redound to god For we knowe that God in the beginning made all the Angels good For all things which hee made were good Furthermore it is saide that the diuel stoode not in the trueth that is that he reuolted from the trueth froÌ„ which he could not haue reuolted if he had neuer stoode in it Therefore God in the beginning did place all his Angels in the trueth Hee required of them trueth faith or fidelitie and the duetie that they ought him which they were able to haue done if they them selues would But they did disloyally fal from their allegiaunce and sinned as the Apostle Peter testifieth against the Lorde and therefore the fault of their falshood and of all their naughtinesse was not in God but in the rebellious and reuolting Angel. For since the time of his fall there is no trueth no fidelitie no integritie no feare of God no light or goodnesse to be found in him Therefore truely saide Sainct Iohn in his Canonicall Epistle He that committeth sinne is of the diuel for the diuell sinneth from the beginning For he is the first sinner and the beginning of sinne To this also may this note be added that of Peter and Iohn the diuel is saide to sinne For sinne is repugnaÌ„t to the will of God therefore God would not haue had him perish whervpon since he perished it followeth that he perished not by the faulte of God but by his owne fault Let vs nowe heare the other testimonie concerning the corrupt will of man which is in verie deede the cause of sinne Sainct Iames the Apostle saith Let no man saye when hee is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot bee tempted with euil neither tempteth he any man But euerie man is teÌ„pted when he is drawen away and enticed of his owne concupiscence then when lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death In these wordes Sainct Iames I hope doth euidently enough make God to be free from all faulte of sinne and doeth deriue it of vs our selues shewing by the way the beginning and procéeding of sinne Neither doeth Iames in this place gainsay the place in Genesis where Moses saide God tempted Abraham For in Moses to tempt doth signifie to make a triall or a proofe But in this argument of ours it signifieth to stirre or drawe to euil and so to corrupt vs Therefore God as hee cannot saith he be â—â—mpted of euil that is to saye as God is by nature good and vncorrupt so doth he not corrupt depraue or defile any man with euil For that is contrarie to the nature of God From whence then hath sinne his beginning The holie Apostle aunswereth saying Yea euery one is tempted corrupted and drawen into euil while he is withdrawen and enticed with his owne concupisence Lo here sinne taketh beginning of our concupiscence and is accomplished and finished by our owne woorke and labour Note heere by the waye what a weight and Emphasis euery one of y Apostles wordes doeth carrie with it For firste hee maketh concupiscence our owne or proper to vs al euen as the Lorde before did saye of Satan When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne Nowe because concupiscence is our owne therefore sinne is our owne also For concupiscence doth withdrawe vs from that that is true iust and good to that which is false vniust and euil The same coÌ„cupiscence enticeth vs that is by making a shewe of false hope it doth deceiue vs as foulers are wont with meate to entice birdes into their nets which wheÌ„ they haue deceiued them they catch vpp and kill What I pray you could bee spoken more plainely wee are by our owne concupiscence cast into euil This concupiscence draweth vs from God it doth entice and vtterly deceiue vs And then hauing layde the foundation of sinne and opened y welspring from whence it floweth he doth verie properly allude and by an Allegorie shewe vs y genealogie that is the beginning and procéeding of sinne That concupiscence saith he which is proper vnto vs all doeth as it were a matrix conceiue sinne in vs and immediatly after doeth bring it forth to wite when our lust bursteth out into the act when wee do gréedily prosecute that which we lusted after and being once obteined we do inioye it against the lawe of God vppon the necke whereof death doeth followe without intermission For the reward of sinne is death I haue I trust by these euident proofes of Scripture plainly declared that God is not the cause of euil but our corrupt will or concupiscence and the diuel which stirreth prouoketh and inflameth our depraued nature to sinne and wickednesse as he which is the tempter and vtter enimie to mankind and his saluation It will not be a misse here to heare the obiections of certeine cauillers against this doctrine and to learne howe to aunswere them accordinge to the trueth Some there are which when they sée that wee deriue sinne not of the nature of God but of the corrupt will of man and false suggestion of the diuel do presently obiect that
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
vnseparable ioyning or knitttng vnto him For Dauid sayeth There is fulnesse of ioyes in thy sight and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore And Sainct Iohn sayeth Nowe are we the sonnes of God and yet it appeareth not what wee shal be But we knowe that when he shall appeare wee shal be like him for we shal see him as hee is Moreouer the Lord in the Gospell sayeth Blessed are the pure in heart for they shal sée god But all men are indued with vnpure hearts therefore no man shall sée god Because no vncleannesse abideth in consuming fire And God is a consuming fire therefore wee cannot bee partakers of saluation vnlesse we be purely cleansed But without the shedding of bloud there is no cleansing or remission of sinnes I doe not meane the bloud of Rammes or Goates but of the onely begotten sonne of GOD oure Lord Christ Iesus Hée therefore toke our fleshe and bloud hée came into the world died willingly for vs and shed his bloud for the remission of oure sinnes and so by that meanes purged the faithfull so that now being cleane they maye be able to stand before the most holye God who is a consuming fire To this may be annexed the coÌ„sideration of the incarnation of oure Lord Iesu Christ his death resurrection and ascension into heauen wherof I did aboue make mention in the definition of the Gospell For in those pointes doeth consist the whole mysterie of our reconciliation Touching whiche I doe in this place speake so much the more brieflye because in the eâ—position of the Apostles Créede I haue handled so much as séemeth to concerne these points of doctrine whiche whosoeuer will knowe may looke and finde them there Now that Christ alone is our most absolute life and saluation it may bée gathered by that whiche is alreadie spoken and yet not withstanding I will héere alledge some testimonies more to the ende that the veritie and sinceritie of the Euangelicall trueth may be the more firme and euident to all men That in Christ alone our life and saluation doth coÌ„sist so that without Christ there is no life and saluation in any other creature y Lord himselfe doth testifie saying Verilie verilie I say vnto you hee that entereth not by the doore into the sheepefold but goeth in some other way hee is a theefe and a robber Verilie verilie I say vnto you I am the doore of the sheepe as many as came before mee are theeues robbers Loe here there is but one doore onely through whiche the way doeth lye vnto eternal life And Christ is that doore They therefore which doe by other meanes than through Christ striue to come to life saluation are theeues robbers For they steale from Christ his honour and glorie considering that hée both is and abideth the onely Sauiour and in so doing they kill their owne soules The same Sauiour in the Gospell sayeth I am the waye the trueth and the life No man commeth to the father but by mee Hath hee not in these fewe wordes reiected and vtterly excluded al other meanes of saluation making himselfe alone our life and saluation This phrase of speach No man commeth to the father but by mee is the same that this is Through Christ alone we come vnto the father Moreouer the Lords Apostles haue so layde Christe alone before oure eyes that no man can choose but vnderstand that without Christ Iesus there is no life to bée founde in any other creature The holy Apostle Sainct Peter in the Actes sayeth There is in none other any Saluation For there is none other name vnder heauen giuen amonge men wherein wee must bee saued And Sainct Paule in the fift Chapiter to the Romanes doeth often times repeate That by the righteousnesse of one man Iesus Christe all the faithfull are iustified Againe the same Paule sayeth Thoroughe him is preached to you the remission of sinnes and throughe him is euerie one that beleeueth iustified from al the thinges from whiche ye could not be iustified by Moses lawe Like to this also hee hath other testimonies in the second Chapiter of his Epistle written to the Galathians It is manifest therefore that thoroughe Christe alone the forgiuenesse of sinnes life euerlasting are fréely bestowed vpon all the faithfull whiche giftes as they are not without Christe at all so are they not bestowed by any other meanes than thorough Christ alone Concerning the remission of sinnes whiche is the chiefe tydinges of the Gospell I haue at large alreadie discoursed in the ninthe Sermon of the first Decade other places more Nowe for the proofe that our Lord doeth fully absolue from sinnes fully remitte sinnes and fully saue repentaunt sinners so that nothing more can be desired or wished for and consequently that the Lord himselfe is the most absolute fulnesse of all the faithfull without whome they that beléeue neither doe nor can wishe for any thinge else to life saluation and absolute felicitie hee doeth himselfe in the Gospell say Euerie one that drinketh of this water shall thirst againe but whosoeuer shall drincke of the water whiche I shal giue him he shal liue eternallie And againe I am the bread of life Hee that commeth to mee shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in mee shall neuer thirste The Apostles therefore after they had eaten this celestiall bread that is after they had once beléeued in Christe when many departed and did forsake Christe being demaunded whether they also would leaue him did aunswere Lord to whome shal wee goe Thou hast the wordes of eternal life and we beleeue and knowe that thou art Christ the sonne of the liuinge God. Loe heere they neither wil nor can forsake Christ Because there is none other to whome they may ioyne themselues For hee alone is the life and saluation of them that beléeue and that too so absolute and perfecte that in him alone they maye contente and stay themselues With the writinges of the Euangelists doth the doctrine of the Apostles fully agrée For Paul to the Colossians sayth It pleased the father that in the sonne shuld dwell all fulnesse And againe In the Sonne doeth dwell all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodilie and ye are fulfilled in him And in the Epistle to the Hebrues he affirmeth that the faithfull haue ful remission of sinnes because sacrifices for sinne doe ceasse to be offered and that God doeth by the Prophete Ieremie promise so absolute remission of sinnes that hee will not so much as once remember or thincke on them hereafter To this place belongeth the whole Epistle written to the Hebrues and the conclusion of the eighth Sermon in the first Decade wherein I reckoned vnto you the treasures that God the father doth giue to vs in Christ his sonne our Lord and Sauiour Vppon this nowe doth follow consequently that they haue not yet rightly vnderstoode the Gospell of Christe nor syncerely preached it whosoeuer doe attribute to
And Sainct Paul to Timothie sayeth It is a sure saying and worthie by all meanes to be receiued that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners In the same Gospel the Lord sayeth Euerie sinne blasphemie shal bee forgiuen men but blasphemie against the holy Ghoste shall not bee forgiuen men And whosoeuer shall say a word against the sonne of man it shall bee forgiuen him but whosoeuer speaketh a word against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiuen him nether in this world nor in the world to come Concerning sinne against the holy Ghost I haue alreadie spoken in another place Nowe to this place doe belonge all the examples of that most liberall kinde of forgiuenesse whiche is expressed in the Gospell as for example of the sinnefull woman Luke the seuenth Also Iohn y fourth and Matthew the eighth Chapiter Of Zachee Sainct Peter and the théefe vppon the Crosse But who is able briefely to reckon them all To this also doe apperteine the thrée parables in the Gospell after the Euangeliste Sainct Luke In the Gospell after Sainct Iohn the forerunner of the Lord doeth crie out saying Behold the lambe of God that taketh awaye the sinnes of the world And the Lord himselfe did say to his disciples Whose sinnes soeuer ye forgiue they are forgiuen Peter the Apostle in the Actes doth crie and say All the Prophets beare witnesse to Christe that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should by his name receiue remission of his sinnes The same Apostle againe in his Epistle sayeth Christ his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his bodie vppon the Crosse that wee beeing dead to sinne might liue to righteousnesse by whose stripes ye are healed The Apostle Paul in the 5. chap of his 2. Epistle to the Corinthians saith God was in Christe reconciling the world vnto himselfe not imputinge their sinnes vnto them For him that knewe not sinne hee made sinne for vs that wee throughe him might bee made the righteousnesse of God. And in the tenthe to the Hebrues hee hath Christ hauing offred one sacrifice for sinne is set downe at the right hand of God for euer from henceforth tarying till his foes bee made his footestoole For with one offering hath he made perfecte for euer them that are sanctified Moreouer the blessed Apostle and Euangeliste Iohn doth no lesse truely than euidently testifie saying The bloud of Iesu Christ the sonn of God doth cleanse vs from all sinne And againe And he is the propitiation for our sinnes not for ours only but for the sinnes also of the whole world But nowe most vaine and the verie messingers of sathan himselfe are the Nouatians and Anabaptists whiche feigne that wee are by baptisme purged into an Angelicall life whiche is not polluted with any spotts at all but if it be polluted then can hee that is so defiled looke for no pardon at all For to passe ouer many other places of holy Scripture was not S. Peter cōsecrated to God in baptisme had hée not tasted of Gods good grace After that notable confessiō which he made the Lord said vnto him Happie arte thou Simon Bar Iona flesh bloud hath not reuealed this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen Againe when the Lord demaunded of his disciples saying Will ye depart also Then Peter in the name of them all aunsweared Lord to whome shal we goe ▪ Thou hast the words of eternall life and wee beleeue and knowe that thou art Christe the sonne of the liuing God. And yet this very fame Peter after his baptisme and tasting of the grace of God sinneth notwithstanding and that too not lightly in denying and foreswearing his Lord and maister Now was he for this sinne of his altogether vnpardoneable was his returne to God againe stopped vp by his stumbling No verilie For when he heard the cocke crowe he remembred presently the wordes of the Lord hee descended into himselfe hee considered what hee had done hee wept bitterly and mourned lamentablie And yet hee was not longe tormented in that griefe without consolation For the third day after to the women which came to the Lords sepulchre it was said by the Angels Tell his disciples Peter that he is risen and goeth before you into Galilee Loe here the Lord wil haue it knowen to Peter by name that hee was risen And why to Peter by name Because forsooth he had sinned more gréeuously than the other not that the Lord did like of Peters sinne but because hee would therby declare to vs that penitents doe obteine forgiuenesse of their sinnes so often as they do turne to the heauenly grace of God againe And not many dayes after he restored Peter to the ministerie againe commending to him the charge of his shéepe Moreouer the Lord in Ieremie speaketh to the people of Israel saying If any man put away his wife and shee marrie to an other man will her first husband turne to her againe But is not this land defiled Hast thou not committed fornication with many yet turne thee to me againe sayth the Lord. And the Galathians being once rightly instructed by the Apostle Paule but after that seduced by the false apostles reuolted from the trueth preaching of the Gospell yet notwithstanding they obteyned pardon The Corinthians also after they had receyued grace did wittingly willingly sinne in many things but yet vppon repentaunce the Apostle Paule promised them forgiuenesse of their sinnes at the handes of the lord And what is more manifest than this that all the saincts doe daily in earnest and truly not hypocritically or falsely praye saying Forgiue vs our trespasses They whiche praye thus doe plainelye confesse that they are sinners And the Lord promiseth to heare those that praye with faith therefore euen those sinnes are forgiuen at the prayers of penitents whiche are committed after the grace of God is once knowen and obteyned Nowe the places in the Epistle to the Hebrues whiche the Nouatians alledge for the confirmation of their opinion I haue in an other place so thoroughly discussed that I neede not heere busilie to stand longe vppon them But nowe to gather a summe of those thinges whiche I haue hetherto said concerning repentaunce let vs hold that repentaunce is a turning to God which although hee doeth by his woord and other meanes stirre it vpp in vs is notwithstanding especially by the holy Ghoste so wrought in vs that with feare wée loue and with loue wee feare our iust God and mercifull Lord from whome wee were turned backe being sorie now withall oure heartes that wee with oure sinnes did euer offende so gratious a father For being humbled before his eternall and most sacred maiestie we acknowledge the sinnes that are obiected against vs by the word of God yea we acknowledge that in vs there is no integritie or soundnesse but doe hartily desire to bee reconciled wyth God againe and since that reconciliation cannot be otherwise made than by the only
the first Decade and in the thirde Decade where I entreate of the Sainctes affliction in the tenthe Sermon of the same Decade and also in the fourth Decade where I spake of the Gospell The priests and Monkes do teache that repentaunce of the sinne committed and faith in Christ are not sufficient for the purgeing of sinnes without the satisfaction of our owne woorkes and merites whiche they make to be wearing of sackcloth fastings teares prayers almes déedes offeringes sundrie afflictions of the bodie pilgrimages and many other odde knackes like vnto these For they affirme that by these meanes the penaltie due to sinnes the guilt whereof they saye is only pardoned is washed awaye as with a showre of water powred downe vpon it But wee alreadie haue taught out of the Canonicall Scriptures that God doth not onely forgiue freely the guilte but also the penaltie of oure sinnes Wee haue alreadie taught that men are not iustified by theire owne workes and merites but by the meere grace of God through the faith of Christe Iesus For otherwise hee should in vaine haue taken our fleshe vpon him and in vaine should Christ haue qiuen him selfe vnto the moste bitter and reprochefull death of the Crosse Nowe we add if we are not iustified by workes then doe wee not with our woorkes make satisfaction for our sinnes For in effect although I acknowledge that there is a difference and do not confound them iustification and satisfaction come bothe to one ende By the iustification of Christ we are absolued By the satisfaction of Christ or rather for his satisfactions sake wee are also absolued Christ is our righteousenesse therefore also our satisfaction The price of our redemption is in Christe not in our selues If wee make satisfaction for our selues then is the price of our redemption in our selues And therefore are we both Christes Sauiours vnto our selues whiche thing doth flatly make Christ of none effect and therefore is it extreme blasphemie Moses in his lawe doth with little businesse or none dissolue all the arguments for satisfactiō wrought by our works For where he describeth the maner of cleansing sinnes he placeth no iott thereof in the workes of men but sheweth that it all consisteth in the Ceremoniall sacrifices Now we doe all agree and ioyntly confesse that in those sacrifices the onely sacrifice of Christe was plainly prefigured And to that is added that that only preaching and promise of the newe testament is this I wil be appeased vpon their vnrighteousenesse and sinnes will no more remember their iniquities Nowe where suche a remission is there is no oblation or satisfaction for sinne And wee in the Creede verily doe beléeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes But if the debitor make satisfaction to the creditor then what I pray you doth the creditor forgiue him Therefore this article of our faith the principall promise and preachinge of the newe testament is vtterly subuerted if we admit the doctrine of the satisfaction of our woorkes for sinnes We do acknowledge that teares fastings wearing of sackcloth almes déedes and the other woorkes of pietie humiliation and charitie haue a place in repentaunce Of whiche I will speake in place conuenient but wee denye that with them wee make satisfaction for our sinnes leaste wee should make the price of Christ his redemption of none effect We acknowledge that at some times the Lorde hath whipped them whose sinnes hee hath forgiuen as he did to our parents Adam and Euah and to king Dauid after his adulterie and murther of Vrias But I haue alreadie shewed you that those afflictions were not satisfactions for the sinnes which God had pardoned but exercises of Gods discipline and humiliation whiche doth by those meanes keepe his sernaunts in their duetifull obedience doth declare to all men howe hartilye he hateth sinnes although he doth fréely forgiue and pardon them Therefore least we because of that frée forgiuenesse should be the more inclined and proue to sinne he promiseth them whome he maketh to be examples for vs to take heede by Neither doe wee read that the Sainctes did simply attribute the benefite of iustification or satisfaction vnto their afflictions I cōfesse that Daniel the Prophet gaue counsell to the moste mightie kinge Nabuchodonosor and sayed Let thy sinnes be redeemed in righteousnesse and thine iniquities in shewing pitie to the poore But in these woordes the kinge was taught howe to leade the reste of his life that was yet behynd howe to rule the state of his kingdome The king had till then oppressed many nations and sinned in mercilesse crueltie wherevppon he persuadeth him to chaunge his olde kinde of life to imbrace iustice and deale well with all men Therefore hee speaketh not of the satisfaction of his sinnes before God but before men For there is saluation in none other than in Christe alone But if any man do stubbornly sticke vppon the letter wee saye that the righteousenesse of Christians is faith by whiche their sinnes are properly cleansed and that faith is not without good woorkes and charitie to which iustification is vnproperly ascribed Of which matter I spake in the treatise that I made of good woorkes Therefore when Saincte Peter doth cite that place of Solomon Charitie couereth the multitude of sinns the woorde Couereth is not there vsed for Purging For by the onelye bloud of Christe all sinnes are purged and wiped awaye but it is taken for Turning awaye For as selfe-loue in a manner is the roote of all sinnes so charitie is thought to bee the driuer away of all mischiefes For loue doth none ill to his neighbour Nowe whereas they obiecte that sentence of the Gospell where the Lord saith Many sinnes bee forgiuen her because shee loued muche they do misse here in because they vnderstande not that the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is commonly englished because or for that is here a note of inferring somewhat and that no other sense is gathered than this Manye sinnes bee forgiuen her therefore shee loued muche Or whereby it commeth that shee loueth muche Neither do wee here wrest the wordes of the Gospell to mainteine a wronge opinion For in the historie there goeth before First When they were not able to paye hee forgaue them both If hee forgaue them and if they were not able to paye he did not then forgiue thē for their loue For if they had béene able to paye he would not haue forgiuen them Secondarily there goeth before Whether of these will loue him more Simon saith He to whome hee forgaue the more Therefore the Lordes answer could in effecte bee nothing else but this I haue forgiuen her verie much therefore hath shee loued much So then I saye loue is of forgiuenesse not forgiuenesse of loue And then it followeth immediatelye And he saide to the woman thy faith hath saued the go in peace Wee doe therefore conclude that there is but one onely satisfaction for the sinnes of
diligence to correcte that which is amisse Verily out of carelesse loosenesse doeth arise invred custome to committ sinne and negligent securitie Penitents doe not stande in defence of their sinnes but make their supplicant apologie to God to haue them remitted Hypocrites excuse themselues and seeke out shiftes and starting holes not coÌ„fessing fréely their sinns and offences nor praying to God to haue them forgiuen He which repentâ—th truely in verie déed is angrie with him selfe because of his wicked manners and life alreadie lewdly spent The punishment which he doth exercise vpon him selfe preuenteth and turneth awaye the reuengeing and imminent wrath of God. Moreouer with feare he doeth take heede howe hee sinneth any more For the contempte of GOD is the originall of mischiefes and bonde of an impenitent life Furthermore he which doeth truely repent is rauished with the passing vehement desire or loue of GOD and heauenly thinges hee burneth with zeale whereby it commeth to passe that hee neither foadeth off from daye to day nor yet doth coldly nor slackely go about that whiche hee hath learned by the word of God to be required at his hand to be done and performed Briefly what soeuer he doth he doth it with al his minde euen from the very bottome and roote of his heart For so sayeth the great Prophete of God the holy man Moses If thou wilt turne to the Lord thy God and hearken vnto his voice with all thy heart and with all thy soule the Lord thy God also shall turne thy captiuitie and shewe pitie vpon thee in the bowels of mercie Thus much touching the fruits of Repentaunce Nowe vppon all the premisses we inferre this consequent that Repentaunce whose onely scope whereto it tendeth is the renouation by the spirit of Christ of the image of God whiche was by Adams fall of old defiled is not a worke of a day or twaine or of a prescribed number of yeres but a coÌ„tinuall obseruaunce of our whole life and so coÌ„sequently a daily putting off and renuing of the old man for euer For they that are regenerate by the holy spirite of God are neuer so purged that they féele no motions of the flesh of sinne and of carnal affections There is alwayes obiecte to the eyes of the faithful this sentence of s Paul that cannot by any meanes be pluckt out of their minds I know that in me that is in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing For to will is preseÌ„t with mee but I finde no meanes to perfourme that which is good For the good that I would I doe not but the euill that I would not that doe I. For wee beare about the reliques of the flesh thorough all our life Wherevppon it commeth that in the Saincts there is a perpetuall and very sharpe battaile For they doe partly obey the spirite and are partly weakened of the flesh By the spirite they are lifted vp to the contemplation desire of heauenly thinges But by the flesh they are thrust downe to earthly thinges troubled with the allurements of this naughtie world For euen the Apostle féeling that combat in himselfe sayed The flesh lusteth contrarie to the spirite and the spirite contrarie to the flesh For they are so at enimitie beetwixt theÌ„selues that what ye would ye cannot doe And in an other place he sayth Euen I the same doe in the minde serue the lawe of God but in the flesh the lawe of sinne And to help the matter forward withal there lackes no deceipt no craft and a thousand temptations of the subtile crafts maister our enimie the diuell Therefore the labour and perill of the true penitent that is of a Christian man is farre greater than that our prayers are comparable vnto it But now who doeth not here perceiue how great watching abstineÌ„ce constancie fortitude and patience are néedeful for those y doe repent What great néede they haue of earnest and continuall prayers Let vs in this sharpe conflict lay before our eyes the instruction of that valiaunt champion the Apostle Paule For that which he sayeth may be to vs in stéed of a large and ample commentarie For he will in fewe wordes passingly instruct vs how to behaue our selues in this troublesome combate how to vanquish howe to triumphe when the victorie is gotten In his Epistle to the Ephesians thus he sayth Brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Put on al the armour of God that ye may stand against the assaults of the diuel For wee wrestle not against flesh and bloud onely but against rules against powers against worldly gouernours of the darckenesse of this world against spirituall subtiltis in heaueÌ„ly things Wherfore take vnto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to resist in the euill day and hauing finished all thinges to stand fast Stand therfore hauing your loynes girt about with the truth hauing on the brest plate of righteousnesse your feete shodd in the preparation of the Gospell of peace Aboue all taking the shield of faith wherwith ye may quench al the sierie dartes of the wicked take the helmet of saluation and the sword of the spirite which is the word of god Praying alwayes in al prayer supplication in the spirite and watching for the same wth all instance And so as followeth in the 6. to the Ephesians Here therfore are also to be rehearsed y outward exercises of repentance or rites of penaunce wherewith the Sainctes do exercise themselues partly to tame and kéepe vnder the motious of flesh and partly to testifie their repentaunce vnto the congregation Those exercises are carelessenes of the flesh teares sighes sackcloth fastings wéeping lamenting neglecting hatred of deintie diet trimming of the body and also of allowable pleasures which although they be done and yet do not procéed from the very heart and from true faith are notwithstanding nothing auaileable to him that vseth them But it is best héere to learne as it were in a painted table to behold them pictured in the word of god The Prophete Ioel sayth Turne ye to me sayth the Lord with all your heartes with fasting with weeping and with mourning and rent your heartes and not your garmentes and turne to the Lord your God for he is gratious mercifull slowe to anger and of great goodnesse he wil repent him of the euill Who knoweth whether the Lord wil returne take compassion and wil leaue behind him a blessing Blowe vp a truÌ„pet in Sion proclame fast call an assemblie sanctifie the coÌ„gregation gather the people gather the elders assemble the children and sucking babes Let the bridegrome come forth of his chamber and the bride out of her closet Let the priests the Lords ministers weepe betwixte the porch and the altar and let them saye Spare thy people O Lord and giue not ouer thine heritage vnto reproch that the heathen should rule ouer them Wherfore
it be that he shoulde not also with him giue vs all thinges What thing therefore should we not reckon vppon and promise our selues from so beneficiall a father For thou canst not complaine that he will not giue vnto thée his sonne or that be is not thyne who as the Apostle saith was giuen for vs all Moreouer the Lorde him selfe crying out in the Gospell saythe Come vnto mee all ye that laboure and are heauie loaden and I will refreshe you And againe to his disciples Goe ye in to all the worlde and preache the Gospell to euerie creature Hee that shall beleeue and bee baptised shall be saued Wherevppon also Paule sayeth God oure Sauiour will that al men shall be saued and come vnto the knowledge of the trueth In olde times long agoe it was saide to Abraham In thy seede shall all the tribes or nations of the earth be blessed And Ioel saieth And it shal be that who so euer shall call vppon the name of the Lorde shall be saued The whiche Peter also hath repeated in the Actes chapter 2. and Paule to the Romanes chapter 10. Isaie also saith We haue all gon astray like shepe we haue turned euery one to his owne waye and the Lord hath layd vpon him the iniquities of vs all And therefore durst S. Paule say As by the offence of one the faulte came on all men to condemnation Euen so also by the iustification of one the benefit abounded towards all men to the iustification of life Therefore the Lorde is read in the Gospell to haue receiued sinners publicanes with outstretched armes and embracings adding moreouer these wordes I came to seeke that which was lost Neyther came I to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Al which sayings doe hitherto belong that being more narrowly weighed they might confirme and establishe vs of Gods good will towardes vs who in Christ hath chosen vs to saluation whiche saluation truely can not but be most certeine and by all meanes vndoubted especially for that the Lord him selfe in the Gospell saith My shepe heare my voice and I know them and they followe me and I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perishe neither shall any plucke them out of my hand c. I knowe what here againe dothe sting and grieue the minds of many The chosen shéepe say they of Christ do know Christ his voyce being indued with a stedfast faithe sticke in Christ inseparably since they haue felt that drawing whereof the Lorde speaketh in the gospel No man commeth to me vnlesse my father drawe him as for me as I féele no such maner of drawing so do I not with ful and perfect faithe sticke in the sonne of god First of all verily true faith is required of the elect For the elect are called and being called they receiue their calling by faith and frame them selues like him that caled them Hee that beleeueth not is alreadie condemned Wherevpon also Paule saith God is the sauiour of all men specially of the faithfull Furthermore vnlesse we be drawne of the heauenly father we can not beleeue And we must be verie carefull leaste we conceiuing vaine opinions of that diuine drawing neglect the drawing it selfe God verily drewe Paule violently but he doth not drawe all vnto him by the haire There are also other wayes of drawing by whiche God draweth man vnto him but he doth not drawe him like a stocke or a blocke The Apostle Paule sayth Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God. God therfore doth then drawe thée when he preacheth vnto thée the Gospell by his seruants when he toucheth thy hart when he stirreth thée to prayer wherby thou mayest call and crye for his grace and assistance his inlightening and drawing When thou féelest these thinges in thy minde I woulde not wishe thée to looke for an other drawing despise not thou grace offered but vse it whiles tune presēt serueth pray for the increase of grace For to greater and perfecter thinges thou aspirest godlily afterwards in y meane space there is no cause why thou shouldest despise the lesser In the Gospell after S. Matthewe they receiue large riches who hauing receiued but a fewe talents occupied the same faithfully But he that despised the talent wherewith he was put in credite and cloaked his slouthfulnesse with I wot not what care is greatly accused yea he is spoiled of the monie whiche was once giuen him and is throwne into euerlasting torments being bound with bondes of condemnation For the Lorde pronounceth generally Who so euer hath to him shall be giuen and he shall haue aboundance But who so euer hath not from him shall be taken away euen that which hee hath He hath who acknowledgeth magnifieth and reuerenceth the grace of god To his heape of graces more is added so that it is made more aboundaunt He hath not which doth not acknowledge the giftes of God and imagineth other I can not tell of what kind in the mean time he doth not put in vre the grace receiued which is present And these are wont to vse excuses that that drawing came not to them as yet and that it is a matter very daungerous to vse occupying or to make merchandize of the giftes of god But S. Paule iudging farre otherwise saith So we as workers together beseeche you that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine And to Timoth. I put thee in remembraunce that thou stir vp the gift of God which is in thee Not that without God we are able to doe any thing of our selues but that the Lorde requireth our endeuour which notwithstanding is not without his assistance and grace For truely saide the selfe same Apostle God worketh in vs both to will and to doe euen of his good pleasure Againe Not that we are sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but al our sufficiencie is of God. Furthermore I wish not any man to despaire if by and by he féele and try not in his mynde a most ripe and perfect faith The Gospell saith Of her owne accord doth the earth bring forth fruite first the blade then the eare and afterwards full corne in the eare For so likewise hath faith her increasings and therefore did the very Apostles of the Lord pray Lorde increase our faith Furthermore in Marke truely a woefull man cryeth vnto our Sauiour If thou canst do any thing Lorde haue compassion vpon vs and helpe vs but he hearde the Lord streightwayes saying vnto him If thou canst beleeue it All things are possible to him that beleeueth And this silly soule cryed out I beleue Lord helpe mine vnbeliefe Loe this wofull wretch beléeued féeling in his minde faith giuen him of God which notwithstanding he perceiued to be so weake that he stoode in néede of Gods helpe
and ayde He prayeth therefore helpe mine vnbeliefe that is my faith which if it be compared with an absolute and perfect faith may séeme but vnbeliefe But heare I beséeche you what this faith how litle soeuer it was wrought and brought to passe what an humble minde and hanging vpon the only mercie of God was able to doe For streightwayes he healed the childe of the wofull father and being restored vnto health as it were raysed vp from the deade giueth him againe to his faithfull father If any therefore doth feele faith in his mind let him not despaire although hée knowe that it is weake enough God wot and feeble let him cast him selfe wholy vpon Gods mercy let him presume very little or nothing at all of his owne merites let him pray incessantly for the increase of faith In which purpose verily these wordes of our Sauiour verie ful of comfort out of the Gospell maye confirme and strengthen any man most wholesomly Aske and it shall bee giuen you seeke and ye shal finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you For who so euer asketh receiueth and who so euer seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Is there any man among you who if his son aske him bread wil giue him a stone or if he aske fish will giue him a serpent If you therefore which are euill can giue good giftes vnto your children howe much more shal your heauenly father giue good thinges euen the holy Ghost it selfe if you shall aske of him These and suche like sayings set foorth vnto vs in the holy gospel for our consolation ought more to moue and establish our mindes of the good yea the right good will of God towards vs than the eggings of the diuell wherwith he goeth about not onely to ouerwhelme the hope of our election but to make vs suspect and doubt of God as though he had his creature in hatred whome he had rather haue destroyed than saued But he is wel enough knowne to the Saints by his subtilties and traines For so he deceiued our first parents Let vs kéepe it déepely printed in our breastes that God hath chosen vs in Christ and for Christe his sake predestinate vs to life and that therefore hee giueth and increaseth faithe to Christ ward in them that aske it and that it is he that puts it in our harts For all things that tend to our saluation come from the grace of God nothing is ours but reproch and shame These thinges brethren thus farre haue I layde before you concerning the maruellous and wonderful work of the creation wrought by the eternall true and liuing God without any trouble doubtlesse or paines taking For he spake the woorde and they were made He commaunded and they were created A little we haue added touching the most wise and excellent gouerning of all things by Gods diuine prouidence which is alwayes iust and moste righteous Likewise of Gods good will towards vs of Predestination and certeine other pointes vnto these belonging All these things truly haue we rehearsed to beautifie the glory knowledge of God our Creatour To whome both the perpetual and vniuersal course of nature as well of things inuisible as also visible beareth witnesse Whom the Angels worship the starres wonder at the seas blesse the earth reuerenceth and all inferiall thinges behold Whom the minde of euery man féeleth albeit it doe not expresse him At whose becke al things are moued the springs cast forth their streames riuers decrease the waues arise aloft all things bring forth their increase the windes are forced to blowe showers to fall seas to rage al things in al places to deliuer abroad their frutfulnesse who planted a peculiar garden of felicitie for our first parents gaue them a commaundement and pronounced sentence againste their sinne deliuered righteous Noe from the daungers of the Deluge translated Enoche into the fellowship of his friendship did choose Abraham to him selfe defended Isaach increased Iacob appointed Moses the capteine ouer his people set frée from the yoke of bondage the groaning children of Israel wrote a lawe brought the ofspring of the fathers into the lande of promise instructed his Prophetes with his spirite and by all these promised his onely begotten sonne againe and at the same instant that he had promised to giue him hath sent him through whome also he woulde be acquainted and come in knowledge with vs and hath poured foorth vppon vs all his heauenly graces And bycause of him selfe he is liberall and bountifull lest this whole world being turned away from the riuers of his grace shoulde waxe drye hée woulde haue Apostles to be sent by his sonne as teachers throughout the whole worlde that the state of mankynde might acknowledge their maker and if they followed him might haue in stead of a GOD one whome in their petitions and prayers they might call Father Whose prouidence hath not onely extended it selfe and is nowe extended not only seuerally vnto men but also vnto verie townes and cities the ends of which he foretolde by the voyces of his Prophetes yea throughout the whole worlde Whose endes plagues decayes and punishments for their vnbeliefe he hath described And least any should thinke that this infatigable prouidence of GOD extended not to euerie thing though neuer so small the Lorde sayth Of two sparrowes the one of them falleth not to the grounde without the will of the father And The haires of your head are all numbered Whose care also and prouidence suffered not the garments of the Israelites to waxe olde nor their simple shooes on their féete to be worne and torne And not without good reason For if this God comprehendeth that whiche conteyneth all thinges and all thinges and the whole doth consist of partes and particulars than shall his care reache consequently euen to euerie part and particular whose prouidence hath reached already to the verie whole whatsoeuer it is To this God be all glory Of adoreing or worshipping Of inuocating or calling vppon and of seruing the onely liuing true and euerlasting god Also of true and false religion ¶ The fift Sermon TOuching GOD what he is in person what in qualitie and what in substaunce I haue tolde you already not as I ought but as I was able I haue likewise shadowed out howe good and readie his will is towardes man whome he hath ordeyned to life euerlasting in his onely begotten Sonne whome also he hath ▪ made Lorde of all thinges in this present worlde all thinges being brought in subiection vnto him Now that man should not be ignorāt what he oweth to so mighty a god and to a father so louing and liberal I will anon ioyne a disputation touching this liuing true and euerlasting GOD of man to be adored called vpon and worshipped For mā is neither created nor borne to beholde and gaze vpon the starres as y Philosopher doted but that he shoulde be the image and temple of
vppon any other than that GOD who liueth euerlastingly world without end For the Lord himselfe by Asaph sayeth In thine extremities and troubles O Israel thou calledst vppon mee and I deliuered thee Also Dauid saith Our fathers hoped in thee they hoped in thee and thou deliueredst them Vnto thee they cryed were deliuered In thee they trusted and were not coÌ„founded Now add vnto all these the commaundement of Christ our Lord When you pray say Our Father c. Add also the wordes which followe in Luke 11. and Matthew 7. Aske and it shal be giuen you And so forth Wée conclude therefore that the true liuing and euerlasting God ought of all meÌ„ in all their necessities to be called vppon But to no purpose peraduenture I take paines in this poinct séeing that there are but a fewe or none at all whiche denie that God is to bee called vppon This séemeth to require a more diligent declaration that God onelye and alone is to bee called vppon For many doubtlesse doe call vpon GOD but together with God or for God certeine chosen patrones wherevpon insueth that they call not vppon God onely and alone Now that hee alone is to be called vppon in this sort we declare By inuocation or calling vppon we require helpe or succour either that good thinges may be giuen to vs or that euill things may be turned away from vs Whiche néedeth no further proofe séeing it cannot be denyed of any that is ruled by his right wittes Now God only and alone is our helper who only giueth good things taketh away euil things For the Lord sayth in the Gospel There is none good but one to wit God where One is taken for only and alone Againe in the lawe by the mouth of Moses the Lord sayth Behold that I am God alone and that there is none other God beside mee And againe by Isaie Haue not I the Lorde and there is none other God beside me a iust God and a sauiour there is none beside me And Dauid Who sayth he is God besides the Lorde and who is mightie or a rocke saue our God In verie euill part therefore did the worshippers of God take it so often as men asked of them those thinges which are in the Lordes handes onely to giue Rahel sayde to Iacob Giue me children or else I dy But the scripture by and by addeth And Iacob being angrie said Am I in Gods stead which hath denied thee or withholden from thée the fruite of the wombe So when the king of Syria desired besought Ioram the king of Israel a king I wisse not so godly that he wold heale Naaman who was infected with the leprosie Ioram sayth Am I a God that I shoulde be able to kill and to giue life For he sendeth to me that I should heale a man from his leprosie Wherefore most certeine it is that to God only it belongeth to giue good thinges and to turne away euill thinges Wherevppon it doth consequently followe that God only and alone must be called vpon For if these patrones whome they call vpon as their helpers and succourers that doe not call vpon the onely God be able either to giue those things that are good or to turne away those thinges that are euill then certeinely there is not one onely god For those shoulde likewise be Gods. But Gods they are not bycause there is but one God who onely and alone giueth or bestoweth good things and taketh away or remoueth euill things God only and alone therefore is to be called vppon Patrones are not to be called vppon in so much as they are able to do vs neyther good nor harme As touching that whiche of their owne heades some doe here obiect that Patrones doe vs good and harme not of them selues but of God it is doubtfull yea it is most false For the Lord him selfe by the Prophete sayth I am the Lord Hu This or Being is my name and my glory I will not giue to an other neither my praise to grauen Images So that all glorie belongeth to God bycause he is onely and alone not onely the wel-spring of all good graces whiche is neuer drawne drye but also a most iust and equall distributer of the same and for that cause he is called vpon worshipped and serued of men Psalme 50. Furthermore in so muche as we ought to sacrifice vnto none but to one God certeine it is that we muste worship but one onely god The Lord cryeth in the lawe He that offereth vnto other Gods than to the onely God let him be rooted out And therefore Paule and Barnabas when the people of Lystra were preparing sacrifices to offer vnto the Apostles they rent their clothes thereat as at intollerable blasphemie For in the law of the Lord we reade againe Who so euer shall make for him selfe a composition or perfume of incense to smell thereto he shall be cut off from among his people But the sacrifices of the godly are prayers thankesgiuings and inuocations on Gods name For Dauid sayth Vnto thee wil I sacrifice a sacrifice of praise and I will call vpon the name of the Lord. And againe Let my prayer be directed in thy sight as incense and the lifting vp of my handes as an euening sacrifice Paule likewise sayth By Christe we offer the sacrifice of prayse alwayes vnto God that is the fruite of lippes which confesse his name For the Prophete Osée biddeth vs offer y calues of our lips For so much therefore as one onely God is to be sacrificed vnto therefore one only God is to be called vpon Neither is it possible that they whom such as call not vppon the onely God name heauenly patrones woulde if they be Saintes require of men such maner of inuocations Nay rather both against God and against the Saintes do these offend ascribing that to such which no blessed spirites do acknowledge S. Augustine saith that they are not the Angels of the good God but wicked diuels whiche will haue not the onely and most high God but themselues to be wâ—rshipped and serued with sacrifices Besides that the blessed spirites or Saintes during the time that they lyued in their mortall bodies prayed Thy wil be done as in heauen so in earth therefore being nowe deliuered and set frée from all corruption they doe muche more fully yea moste perfectly agrée vnto the will of God which commaundeth all men to worship and call vpon the onely God. Againe he that looketh into and séeth the harts of them that call vpon him heareth their petitions or requestes and is able to fulfill the desires of all men liuing he I say is lawfully and fruitfully called vpon And surely it is requisite and necessarie that he knowe all thinges that he be almightie and the searcher of heartes Wherefore séeing the onely God is he the only God without further question ought to
bare witnes that this is the sonne of God. Herevnto belongeth that which Peter beeing asked of the Lorde But whome do ye say that I am answered in the name of all the Disciples Thou art that Christe the sonne of the liuing God. And againe the Lorde obiecting this Will you also be gone Peter againe made answere in the name of them all Lorde vnto whome shall we goe Thou haste the wordes of euerlasting life and wee beleeue and haue knowne that thou art Christe the sonne of the liuing God. We also verily are called the sonnes of god howbeit by adoption But Christe not by adoption neyther by imputation but by nature For in the 14. chapter of Marke the high Prieste saith vnto our Lord Art thou Christ the sonne of the blessed In Matthe we also the same high priest saith I adiure or charge thee by the liuing God that thou tell vs whether thou be the sonne of the liuing God Iesus answered I am For ye shal see the sonne of man sitting at the right hand of power and comming in the cloudes of heauen Which appeareth to be repeted out of the seuenth chapter of Daniel Furthermore they bring this confession of the Lorde before Pilate as blasphemous and not to be satisfied but with death crying Wee haue a lawe and according to our lawe hee ought to dye by cause he made him selfe the sonne of God. But they them selues in the historie of the gospel thunder out these words against the Lord We are not borne of fornication we haue one father euen God. It is certeyne therefore that the Iewes accused our Sauiour for none other cause of high treason committed against Gods maiestie than for that he named him selfe the naturall not the adopted sonne of god For the firste did not deserue death but the last was worthie of death For we read also in the first of Iohn Therfore the Iewes sought the more to kill him not onely bycause he had broken the Sabboth day but also for that he sayd that God was his father making him selfe equall with God or Gods fellowe Loe thou haste the manner howe he called him selfe the sonne of God not by adoption or reputatiō but by nature substance For yet againe the Lord himselfe obiecteth this to them that would haue stoned him Many good works haue I shewed you frō my father for which of these good works do ye stone me The Iewes answered againe saying for thy good woorkes or wel going wee doe not stone thee but for blasphemie namely bycause thou being a man makest thy selfe God. Loe what could be spoken more plainely Thou makest thy selfe God. And what I praye you had he spoken whereof they gathered these thinges I giue vnto my sheepe euerlasting life neyther shall they perishe for euer neyther shall any plucke thē out of my hande My father whiche gaue them mee is greater than all and none can pull them out of my fathers hande I and the father are one To giue life euerlasting doth belong to the power of God to preserue and so to preserue that none may be able to plucke them out of his handes belongeth to the same power Nowe the Lorde proueth his saying with this argument or reason None is able to pull the shéepe out of my fathers hands therefore none can pul them out of my handes The proofe of his antecedent bycause the father is greater than all that is to say is the greatest of all whose diuine power is aboue all The proofe of his consequent bycause I and my father are one to wit not in will and agréement onely but in maiestie also and power whereof we doe at this present entreate not of concorde or agréement but of power to make aliue and to preserue Touching whiche the Lorde him selfe most plentifully discourseth throughoute the whole fifte chapter of Sainte Iohns Gospell shewing that he forgiueth sinnes that by his power he maketh aliue and rayseth vp from the deade euen as his father doeth therefore that he is of one and the same diuine power and maiestie with God the father These thinges are so euident playne and manifest that albeit we had none other testimonies yet these may aboundantly suffice to proue the assertion of the true Diuinitie or verie Godheade of the sonne of God that the sonne indéede is true and verie God. Againe the selfe same our Lorde and Sauiour with greate libertie of speache and playnenesse of wordes without all manner of riddle darke sentence and obscuritie of wordes openly and expressely sayth to his disciples Let not your hearte be troubled or vexed You beleeue in God beleeue also in mee I am the way the trueth and the life Hee that hath seene mee hath seene the father Doe ye not beleeue that I am in the father and the father in mee And certeine it is that Christe our Lorde is the heauenly doctour or teacher the moste constant defender of the truth who neyther hath seduced neyther yet coulde seduce and leade out of the way no not so muche as one But biddeth vs beleue in him as true and verie god Therefore our Lorde and Sauiour is true and verie god For in another place he sayth moste plainely I am the liuely breade or the breade of life that came downe from heauen Hee that beleeueth in me hath life euerlasting He againe in the Gospell playnely pronounceth and saythe Father the houre is come glorifie thy sonne that thy sonne may also glorifie thee As thou haste giuen him power of al fleshe that so many as thou haste giuen him hee might giue them lyfe euerlasting And this is euerlasting life that they should knowe thee only true GOD and whome thou haste sent Iesus Christe By whiche wordes hée hath expressely proued both the vnitie of GOD that is to say that there is but one GOD againste the Ethnickes who worshipped many GODS and notably touched the distinction of the persons in the meane while likewise declaring him selfe to be verie GOD with the father For by and by he addeth Glorifie thou me O Father with thine owne selfe with the glorie which I had with thee before this worlde was Héere I thinke must not be ouerslipped of me the argument of Tertullian whiche I will recite vnto you Dearely beloued out of his booke De Trinitate wherein he doth gather together verie many most sound and strong reasons of Christe his diuinitie or Godheade If sayth he Christ be only man why hath he appointed set vs downe suche a rule to beléeue wherin he should say And this is life euerlasting y they might know thée y onely true or very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christe If also he would not be knowne to be God why doth he adde And whome thou haste sent Iesus Christe but for that he woulde be taken also for GOD Bycause if he would not be knowne to be GOD he would haue added And whome thou haste
and man whosoeuer for the vnities sake of natures doth not so farr extend his humanitie as his diuinitie is extended For in the Gospel after S. Matthewe the Lord goeth not with his bodie into the house of the Centurion whereas yet notwithstanding there is no doubt that his Godhead being present not absent the seruaunt of the Centurion was cured of his disease And who will say that therfore the person is diuided by S. Matthewe for that he hath not extended the humanitie of Christe euen vnto his diuinitie The Angels speaking to the women concerning the bodie of Christ risen from the dead and now glorified say He is not heere he is risen But we are not ignorant that his diuinitie is in euery place And yet the Angels diuided not his inseparable person in that they did not make equal in al respects the humane body of Christ with his Godhead The Angels them selues doe not diuide the person of Christ when his body being taken vp from the mount Oliuet into heauen they standing on the earth testifie that he shall come againe after the same māner as they sawe him depart from them But who dare denie that the Lord was then also present with them Therefore our Lord after the manner of his verie body is in heauen not in earth but according to his infinite godhead he is euery where in heauen and in earth Man consisteth of soule and body and these most contrarie in natures betwene them selues make one person not two And who so euer attributeth and defendeth that which is proper to eyther of them doth not diuide the person The body sléepeth the soule sléepeth not these properties of partes make not two persons Herevnto séemeth to belong that whiche Theodoret hath left written in his 3. Dialogue saying We do not diuide the natural vnitie of the soule and the body neyther separate we the soules from their owne proper bodies but consider those thinges which properly belong to their natures Therefore when the scripture sayth And deuout men carried Stephan to his buriall made greate lamentation ouer him wilt thou say that his soule was buried with his body I thincke not And when thou shalt heare Iacob the Patriarch saying Burie ye me with my fathers thou doest vnderstand that to be spoken of his body not of his soule Againe thou doest reade There they buried Abraham and Sara his wife c. In whiche speach the scripture doth not make mention of the body but in al points signifieth the soule and body together But wee rightly diuide and say that the soules are immortall and that the bodies onely of the patriarches are buried in the double caue Euen so we also are wont to say In this or that place this or that mā was buried We do not say This mans bodie or that mans bodie but this man or that man For whosoeuer is wel in his wits knoweth we speake of the bodie So wheras the Euangelistes so oftentimes make mention of Christes bodie buried at the lengthe they sett downe the name of the person and say that Iesus was buried layd in the graue c. Thus farre Theodoret. And since it is without controuersie that this faith and doctrine from Christes time euen vnto our age hath flourished in the holy Church of God and against innumerable assaultes of sathan and heretiques hath remained most stedfast and the selfe same is deliuered and confirmed by testimonies of scripture and consents of holy coūsels I exhorte you dearely beloued that calling on the name of Christe you may perseuere continue in the same doctrine and béeing 〈…〉 by true faith and obedience to Christe verie God and man you may giue continuall thanks worshipping him that reigneth for euer ¶ Of Christe King and Prieste of his onely and euerlasting kingdome and Priesthoode and of the name of a Christian The seuenth Sermon I HAUE declared vnto you déerely beloued y Christ Iesus our Lorde is verye God and man whiche will bring more plentiful profite if we vnderstand what the fruite of that thing is Whiche is chiefely knowen by the offices of Christe our Lorde He is King and Prieste of the people of God therefore he hath a kingdome and a priesthoode Which things if we shall somwhat more diligentlie consider they shall declare vnto vs the excéedinge greate benefite of the diuinitie and humanitie of Christe Christe Iesus is a king therefore hee is Lorde of all ruler and gouernour of all things which are in heauen and in Earth and specially of the catholique Church it selfe whiche is the communion of Sainctes and for so muche as hee is King and Lorde truely by his royall or Kingly office he is the deliuerer or preseruer the reuenger and defendour and finallie the lawgiuer of his electe For he crusshed the Serpentes head that stronge and moste cruell enimie of Gods people whome when hee had conquered he bound and spoyled He deliuered the elect out of the power of darcknesse and sett them into the libertie of the sonnes of God that we might bee his peculiar people sanctified through the bloude of our kinge a purchased people to serue him in righteousnesse and holinesse Hee is humble louing and gentle which the historie of the Gospell also out of Zacharie rehearseth of him Matth. 21. Hee watcheth for vs he defendeth and gardeth vs hee enricheth vs with all manner of good thinges and furnisheth vs against our enimyes with spirituall armour and giueth vs aboundantly power to resist and to ouercome Hee hath purged the Temple of God casting out the Chanaanites he hath cancelled vnrighteous lawes he hath deliuered vs from them and now hee ruleth and gouernethe vs with the scepter of his mouthe exceeding good and most iust lawes being proclamed For he is God and man therefore hee is the onely Monarche the King of kinges and the Lorde of Lordes for he hath all the kings and rulers in the worlde subiect vnto him some verily of their owne accorde through faithe being obedient and other though striuing and rebelling againste him made subiect by his power And therefore saith the Prophet Dauid Be wise O ye kings be learned ye that are Iudges of the earth serue the Lorde with feare and reioyce vnto him with reuerence kisse the sonne least he be angry and so yee perishe from the right way For in an other place the same Prophet saith The Lord said to my Lord sitt thou on my right hand vntil I make thine enimies thy fotestole The Lord wil send foorth the rodd of his power out of Sion be thou ruler euen in the middes among thine enimies Esay also bringing in the Lord speaking saith I wil lift vp my hands vnto the Gentiles and set vp my standarde to the people and they shall bringe thee their sonnes vppon their shoulders for kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queenes shal be thy noursing mothers Whiche thing ecclesiasticall
histories declare more largelie Of this King Christ the Prophets prophecying said And in mercie shal the seate be prepared and he shall sitt vpon it in trueth in the tabernacle of Dauid iudging and seeking iudgement and making haste vnto righteousnes And againe Beholde the time commeth saith the Lorde that I will raise vp the righteous brauÌ„che of Dauid which King shall beare rule he shall prosper with wisdome and shall set vp equitie and righteousnes againe in the earth In his time shall Iuda be saued and Israel shall dwell without feare and this is the name that they shall call him The Lorde our righteousnesse And because our Lord is a king therefore be must néeds haue a kingdome As well the realme dominion subiecte to a kinge is called a kingdoÌ„e as principalitie empire power maÌ„ner of gouernment it selfe Therefore the church the communion or fellowship of saints béeing obedient subiect to their king Christe is called the kingdoÌ„e of god For Micheas saith And the Lord shall reigne ouer them in mount Sion therfore Sion which signifieth the church is the kingdome of god And god is said to reigne when in the church he ruleth gouerneth kéepeth defendeth those that be his and indueth and maketh theÌ„ fruitful with diuerse graces For Paule saith The kingdome of God is not meate and drink but righteousnes peace ioy in the holy ghost Moreouer the kingdome of god is that eternall glorie felicitie which God dâ—eth communicate to his elect For the Lord saith in the gospel Comeye blessed of my father inherit the kingdome which is prepared for you froÌ„ the beginning of the world And the théefe euen at point of death making his praâ—er to the Lord who was redy to dye on the crosse desiring to bee â—artaker of this kingdoÌ„e saith Lord remember me when thou coÌ„mest into thy kingdome â–ª Againe since y gospel teacheth vs how God reigneth in vs in this world in time to translate vs vnto him self into that other that is since the gospell is that thing by which the Lord reareth vp his dominion it is not vnaduisedly called of Matthew in his 13. cap. the kingdome of god In another place for the same cause it is called the word of the kingdome To be short we at this preseÌ„t by the kingdome of God vnderstand the coÌ„gregation of saints it self the catholique church I meane and the power or administratioÌ„ of God reigning therein that is preseruing gouerning glorifying the same And this kingdome of god is verily but only one for ther is but one God only one king Christ only one church â— life â—uerlasting But his one kingdome of god according to he dispensation 〈…〉 two wayes First acording to y omâ—ipotencie of god For he 〈◊〉 he iâ— the highest omnipotent hath executeth ouer all creatures visible inuisible â—oste iust rule and equall powerâ— nill they or will they be obedient Secondly according to his spirits whereby he reigneth in his elect And so y kingdoÌ„e of God is againe two waies coÌ„sidered For either it is earthly is called the kingdome of grace or else it is heauenlye and is called the kingdome of glorie The earthly kingdome of grace is not therefore called earthly as though it were carnall earthly like the kingdome of Babylon Persia Alexander or Rome but because it is on earth For a good parte of the holie churche of God is conuersant on this earth beeing partaker of flesh bloud while it â—â—eth on the earth though it liue not an earthly life according to the â—â—esh For acording to the spirit whereby it is ruled it liueth a heauenly life Not that the partakers of the kingdome of God sinne not For the iust man falleth riseth seuen times in a day Whervpon it is also called the kingdome of grace For as long as we liue in this world our King Lord neuer denyeth his grace mercie to vs that craue pardon And the faithfull doe wholie hange vppon the grace of their king they embrace continuall repentance and endeuor theÌ„ selues to things of more perfectnesse For they frame all that they do according to the lawes of their king prince For he reigneth in his elect by the worde of truth and by the holie ghost By the word of truethe hee teacheth what the Saintes should doe and what they should auoide By his holie spirit he moueth their hartes and giueth strength to 〈◊〉 euill and followe that is good For truely our king reigneth not so much for him self as for vs For he maketh vs also kinges that we béeing deliuered from the diuell damnation sinne and the curse may be Lords ouer the diuel damnation sinne and the cursse yea ouer all thinges and ioynâ—t-heires with the sonne of God him self For these causes the kingdoÌ„e of God is called a spirituall kingdoÌ„e For the partakers of the kingdome of God indued with the spirite of God doe bring foorth the fruites of the spirit not the works of the flesh and to be short are gouerned with the spirit of god Neither truelie doeth our Lorde reigne after the manner of the kinges of this worlde sayinge to Pilate My kingdome is not of this worlde Which sentence some abuse gathering y there is no ouâ—ward gouernemeÌ„t in the church of God vnder whiche name they also take away the office of a Magistrate and speake so subtilely of the kingdome of God that a man cannot tell where the kingdome of God is or who be partakers of this kingdome They vnderstand nâ—t that the meaning must bee gathered vppon the occasion of that saying The Iewes accusing the Lorde before Pilate laide to his charge that he ambition flye sought after a kingdome The lord clering him self of this crime sheweth Pilate that his kingdome shal not be such a one whiche after hee had cast out Tiberius Caesar should be gotten and kepte with armes and be gouerned after the manner of this worlde declaring that he addeth If my kingdome were of this world then would my seruaunts surely fighte that I should not bee deliuered to the Iewes Therefore he inferreth But now is my kingdome not from hence therefore they fight not for me to place main the throne of the kingdome Tiberius béeing cast out And anon he saith For this cause was I borne and for this cause came I into the worlde that I should beare witnesse vnto the truethe and all that are of the truethe heare mye voice As therefore Christ by trueth not by lyinge deceipts and craftie practises like the Princes of this worlde prepareth him selfe a kingdome so by trueth he doeth bothe reteine gouerne his kingdome and whosoeuer imbrace trueth are partakers of Christes kingdome whether they be princes or of the coÌ„monaltie all these obey the voice of their king and serue their highest prince Héere neuerthelesse we expresly add y Kings can no
god Now also hee eggeth false prophets inchaÌ„ters against vs Whervnto beloÌ„g deceitful inglings and all kinds of sorcerie witchcraft which the workes of the sorcerers of Egypt and of SimoÌ„ the place of Moses in Deut. 13. testifie to be moste effectuall Herevnto chiefly belong false miracles corrupt answers or Oracles By these truely in times past he did very much hurt to that church of god as histories testifie nether ceaseth he at this day to do hurt which thing experieÌ„ce it self doth teach verifie For though it be certeine y sathan is not cast out by that power of sathan yet one giueth place to another for a time to this end that they may that more dsilie deceiue men and obteine a kingdome Christe truelie and the Apostle Paule foretoulde that euen the last times should bee wonderfully bewitched with deceiptful signes and powers Moste euident places touching y thing are extant in Mat. 24. 2. thess. 2. cha More might be spoken déerely beloued that at large concerning the operations or workings of the diuell But I trust these things béeing gathered together in breuitie are sufficient and giue occasion to muse of higher thinges But let no man so vnderstand these thinges as if the diuel were able to doe all things and that what he will he can also doe by and by For his power is definite or limitted restrained so y he cannot doe so much as he would Otherwise all things had béene ouer throweÌ„ and perished long agoe Therefore not without consideration I added in the describing of the diuel y he is subiect to god for he can do nothing with out Gods permission Now God permitteth him either to exercise trye the patience of those that are his and to hasten their saluation as it is manifest in the historie of Iob and in the words of Paule to the Corin saying Least I should be exalted out of measure through the abundance of the reuelations there was giuen vnto mee a prick to the flesh the messenger of sathan to buffet me Neither is it doubful that in most gréeuous tormentes of persecutions he exalteth many notable martyrs yea and at this day doeth and in times past hath exalted such vnto glorie and euerlasting rest Or els hee giueth the diuell leaue to execute violence and crueltie vppon men by that meanes to chastice their wickednesse or to punish their vnbelief For verily the diuels are the instruments of Gods wrath to execute his vengeauÌ„ce For Paule saith The comming of Antichriste is after the working of sathan in all power signes and wonders of lying and in all deceiuablenes of vnrighteousnesse in them that perishe because they receiued not the loue of truth that they might be saued And therefore GOD shall send them stronge delusion that they should beleeue lyes that all they might be damned which beleeued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse And this in a manner is the strength and power of sorcerie or inchaunting whiche is féeble in the faithfull Wherefore there is no cause why any man should miserably feare the Diuell But rather sanctifie yee saith Esaie the Lorde of hostes let him be your feare your reuerence Some say that certaine nations of the Easte worshipped the diuell for this cause that he should not hurte them But these are starke staring madde For if it bee not Gods will which euen now I began to tel you or if hee giue no leaue Sathan cannot touch so much as a haire of thine For he could not enter into the heard of swine whiche were féeding nighe the lake Genezaret at Gadara and destroy them but by the Lords permission Saincte Augustine also expounding the 32. psalme alledgeth in these wordes the historie of Iob What could the diuell himselfe doe durste he take away one seely shepe from the holie man Iob before he said Lay thy hand on him that is to say giue mee power Hee was willing but GOD did not suffer him When God gaue him leaue then hee was able therefore the diuell was not able but GOD whiche gaue him leaue Therefore Iob being well instructed did not say as we nowe are wonte to say The Lord gaue and the diuell hath taken away but The Lord gaue and the Lorde hathe taken away And these thinges do excéedingly comfort the godly in temptations who vnderstand that nothing can happen to theÌ„ without Gods permission that he permitteth nothing but that which maketh for our amendment and saluation and therefore that we are alwayes preserued by the prouidence and bountifulnesse of god For whatsoeuer hath hitherto béene spoken concerning the power and workinges of the diuelles perteined not hitherto to dashe vs out of courage and caste vs downe but to make vs more vigilant or watchfull The Lorde that ouercame the diuell and sheweth vs the way to ouercome him commaundeth vs to watch For therefore he encountered with sathan the first second and thirde time to instructe vs howe we shoulde fight againste the enimie of mankinde He ouercame him for vs that we shoulde not despaire of ability and nower easilie to ouercome him since he is alreadie weakened and wounded By faith doubtlesse we shal ouercome him For by faith we are knit vnto Christ and by faith we drawe the spirite of Christe by the force and vertue whereof we shall triumphe Truely for that cause Saint Peter willeth vs To resist by faith Saint Paule exborting vs vnto this conflict furnishing vs with excellente complete armour sayth Take vnto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to resiste in the euill day and hauing finished all thinges to stande fast Stande therefore hauing your loynes gyrt aboute with the trueth and hauing on the breaste plate of righteousnesse and your feete shodde that you may be prepared to the gospel of peace Aboue all thinges taking the shield of faith wherewith you may quenche all the firie dartes of that wicked And take the helmet of â—aluation and the sword of the spirite which is the word of God praying always in al prayers and supplication in the spirite c. Wherevnto that also beelongeth whiche the same Apostle witnesseth God doth not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue that wee are able to beare but shall with the temptation make away to escape Let vs therefore reuerence this God let vs béeséech him that throughe his power might we may ouercome Amen Of the reasonable Soule of man and of his most certeine saluation after the death of his bodie The tenth Sermon ALl men doe confesse that the reasonable soule of man hathe affinitie or likenesse with spirites neither is there any wiseman as I thinke which doth denie that the knowledge of the reasonable soule of man wherof the Scripture teacheth so many thinges and that too so diligently is moste wholesome and necessarie to all the godly the order therfore the profite and the verie necessitie also of
death of the soule But neuerthelesse y reasonable some liueth in his proper Essence or béeing so that when it liueth miserably a miserable life is in verie déede called death but desperation also is the very death of the soule For by hope wée liue And Paule sayeth I liue yet not I but Christe liueth in mee and the life whiche I nowe liue in the fleshe I liue by the faith of the sonne of God therefore they that are destitute of faith are dead they that haue faith liue S. Augustine Cap. 10. De fide Symbolo sayeth The soule as it may bee called corruptible by reason of finne and wickednes so it may be called mortal For the death of the soule is the reuolting or falling from God whiche first sinne of the soule was committed in Paradise as is declared in the holy Scriptures And the same Augustine againe Lib. de Trinitate 14. Cap. 4. sayeth The soule also hath his death when it lacketh a blessed life whiche is to bee named the true life of the soule But for this cause it is called immortall for that whatsoeuer life it liueth yea thoughe it bee most miserable yet it neuer ceaseth to liue Wée therefore fréely confesse that the soules of men separated or taken out of their bodies doe not die but liue immortall for euer the faithfull in euerlasting ioye and felicitie but the vnbeléeners in eternall damnation Whiche thing I will now goe on to confirme by some substantial testimonies of Scripture But first take this with you that testimonies of scripture in this case are farre more liuely than mans reasons framed out of Philosophie For these testimonies are fetched from the verie mouthe of the liuing God himselfe whiche preserueth vs in life who since he is true cannot lie and who since hee giueth life and is life it selfe is able to wittnesse most certainely aboue all other touching life Neither is it doubtfull that the spirit of God worketh ioyntly with the word of GOD of whom vnlesse the heartes of men be touched the reasons of Philosophie howe manifest soeuer they bee shall preuaile nothing especially in the daunger of death and in other temptations They are fleshlie therefore and brutishe altogether whiche are not ashamed to say That they cannot be persuaded or brought to beléeue the immortalitie of soules by the Scriptures onely Nay which is more that shall neuer be stedfast and stable in temptations whiche shall procéede from fleshe and bloud Wee will therefore add some certaine testimonies and those too most manifest Dauid the most nuissaunt and happiest king in the world comprising in one verse both the immortalitie of soules and the resurrection of bodies sayeth Thou O Lord shalt not leaue my soule in hell neither shalt thou suffer thine holie one to see corruption Man consisteth of bodie and soule The bodie rotteth awaye when it is dead and is turned into dust but it shall not therefore perish For as the bodie of Christ which was buried did not rat but rose againe the third day so in the day of iudgemente shall oure bodies be raised vpp and by Christe â—e deliuered from corruption And our soul goeth not into hell there to remaine But as the soule of Christ returned from the nether parts vnto his bodie and ascended into heauen in his bodie which he had taken againe euen so shall oure soules also liue by Christ â–ª they shall not dit Solomon the sonne of Dauid excelling all kinges and mortall men in wisedome in one verse likewise expounding the prouidence of GOD touching the soule and the body saith The dust shall bee turned againe vnto earth from whence it came and the spirite shall returne vnto God who gaue it Solomon calleth mans bodie Dust béecause it is said in Moses that GOD made it of the dust of the earth Therefore the bodie turneth againe vnto dust for it putrifieth and is resolued into that which first it was euen vntill the Iudgement daye as the Lord sayeth For dust thou art and into dust shalt thou be turned againe But the spirite that is to say the reasonable soule dieth not with the bodie it is not resolued into dust béecause it is not taken out of the dust neither is it scattered into the aire because it doest not consist of aire but returneth aliue from death vnto god And therefore it returneth vnto GOD because God gaue the soule and after a singular manner made man after his owne likenes image breathing into his face the spirite of life of life I say that is of liuely power not the spirite of death Therefore the soule caÌ„not perish béecause it receiueth immortalitie from God who since hee is life is able to preserue that breath of life which he hath made The Lord Iesus the true and verie sonne of God the life and resurrection of the faithfull sayeth plainely in the Gospell Feare ye not them whiche kill the bodie but are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him whiche is able to destroye both bodie and soule in hell If when the bodie being slaine by tyrauntes the soule is not killed then it remaineth aliue after the bodie is destroyed and so assuredlie it remaineth that hauing put off the bodie it should bee caste of the most iust God into hell there euerlastingly to burne for his vnâ—aithfulnes For in the same Gospel the Lord saith againe Whosoeuer wil saue his life shall loose it againe whosoeuer will loose his life for my sake shal finde it For not he only looseth his life or soule whiche bridleth it from the pleasures of the world and liueth most temperately but hée also who offereth himselfe into the bloudy hands of tyrants to be slaine for the confession of Christian faith And hée findeth his life or soule whiche he lost Therefore the soules of men euen after the death of the bodie remaine aliue and immortall In the Gospel according to S. Iohn the Lord saith Verilie verilie I say vnto you hee that heareth my word and beleeueth on him that sent mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into iudgement â–ª but is eâ—caped from death vnto me Thou hast in these words of the Lord the death of the bodie But forthwith afterward he witnesseth that wée Escape vnto life therefore mens â—oules remaine aliue after death For nowe hee speaketh nothing of the raising againe or of the saluation of the bodie but of the life of the soule after death In the same Gospel the Lord sayth againe Verilie verilie I say vnto you if a man keepe my saying he shall neuer see death But it is euident that all men are ordeined once to die namely with bodily death therefore the soule liueth after the death of the bodie For it must néedes be that a faithfull man shall neuer sée or â—eele death vnlesse hee told a lie who affirmed with an oth that which he spake For in euery other place he
ouerthrowe the trueth they are neuer able For the soules of the faithfull euen out of the verie mouth as is commonly said Von mund vss zu himmel faren vppon a sodeine enter into their blessed seats and by faith enioy euerlasting felicitie Againe we read in the Reuelation of our Lord Iesus Christe made to Iohn the Apostle that it was said And I heard a voice from heauē saying vnto mee write Blessed are the dead which hereafter die in the Lord euen so saith the spirit that they may rest from their labours their workes followe them In these words an heauenly and vndoubted oracle touching the blessednes of all such as die in faith is knitt vpp and S. Iohn is commanded to write the oracle from heauen that it may remaine to all times and be read of all people The summe of the oracle is this Blessed are the dead whiche heerafter die in the Lord. But they die in the Lord whosoeuer depart out of this life in the faith of Iesus Christ For so the Apostle vseth this kind of speach in the 1. Cor. 15. and 1. thess. 4. Furthermore they whiche depart out of this life in the faith of Iesus Christe are simplie and truly pronounced blessed to witt happie and free from all miserie Yea a note of the time when they shal obteine this blessednes is added namely Hereafter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say presently at an instāt by and by out of hand to witt as the Lord saith in the Gospel forthwith after the death of the bodie There is added also another testimonie whereby againe the certainetie of felicitie is expressed and perfection too not delayed till the morrow Euen so saith the spirit that they may rest from their labours The spirite I meane of trueth whiche cannot lie sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Amen so it is truely the faithfull are blessed in déed and euen at an instāt they are blessed and so blessed that They rest from their labours The labours of the faith full are miseries calamities afflictions sorrowe feare or dread and other euils of this sort wherewith in this world they are vexed yea rather exercised in faith From these thinges the soules of the faithfull departing from their bodies are deliuered therefore they are not purged by torments and vexations they are not scortched in that middest of their iourney but beeing happie and blessed are forthwith deliuered from all anguish and trouble And if so bee that they suffered any thinge whiles they were yet liuing in the bodie if they did any good workes in faith they do follow them Let no man thincke that those woorkes beecause they nowe ceasse were and are vaine For they receiue their reward in that blessed life For that it is that Their works do folow them And let vs marke that he sayth not The workes of other followe them to deliuer them forsooth out of purgatorie but Their owne works follow them For in the Gospell also the wise virgins which had oyle readie in their lamps went in with the bridegrome to the mariage the folish virgins which had prepared themselues no oyle but did hope to haue from elsewhere to serue their turne are excluded and shut out from ioy To the omnipotent God therefore our most mercifull father and continuall-running founteine of all good Graces and whiche is neuer drawne drie who fashioned our bodie in our mothers wombe and breathed or powred into it a reasonable soule whiche might whiles it is ioyned to the bodie quicken and direct vs and when it is separated from the bodie might forthwith after the death of the bodie be translated into heauen there to liue in ioy and happines vntill it returne againe vnto the bodie beeing raised from the dead in the last iudgement with the which it maye reioyce and be glad for euer and without end to that God I saye thoroughe Iesus Christ for whose sake we are made partakers of so great a benefite be glorie praise and thankes giuing for euermore Amen ¶ The ende of the second Tome THE FIFT AND LAST DECADE OF Sermons WRITTEN BY HENrie Bullinger The thirde Tome IESVS This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased Heare him Matth. 17. THE FIFTE DECADE OF Sermons written by Henrie Bullinger ¶ Of the holie catholique Church what it is how farre it extendeth by what markes it is knowen from whence it springeth how it is mainteyned and preserued whether it may erre Also of the power and studies of the Church ¶ The first Sermon THE order course of things so leading vs next after God the workeman and authour of all thinges wee come to speake of his most excellent worke to witt the Church For so great is the goodnesse of our good God and most louing father that not he himself is desirous to liue happily blessedly alone but moreouer to bestowe and powre vppon vs men his beloued creatures all kinde of blessednes and that wée should enioye his goods by all meanes possible And for that intent he choseth men to him self who liue in this world that he may once translate vnto him selfe in whome also euen while they liue héere hee maye dwell whome he may enriche with all his goods in whom he may reigne and that they should be called by his name to wit a people a house a kingdome an inheritaunce a flocke a congregation or Church of the liuing god Of which Church I will speake being ayded with your prayers such things as the Lord of the Church shall graunt vnto mée to vtter This word Ecclesia which signifieth a Church or Congregation is a Gréeke word vsed receiued amonge the Latines signifying as I said a congregation communion or assemblie in the Dutche tongue Ein Gemeind or a people called together to heare of matters of the cōmon wealth For so it is founde that S. Luke vsed this word in the 19. Chap. of the Actes of the Apostles But it was translated to an holy vse and began to bée called a congregation assemblie or companie of the faithful calling vppon the name of the lord S. Paul saith that he persecuted the cōgregation or Church of God who in another place sayeth I receiued authoritie from the highe priestes to binde all those that call vpon the name of christ For now doth hee terme them such as call vppon the name of Christ or Christians whome before he named the Church Or else this word Ecclesia the church or congregation is so called of caling forth together for in the Gréeke tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to call forth For God calleth forth from al parts of the wide world and from the whole congregation of men all beléeuers together with their séede that they may bee his peculiar people he againe may be their God that is to say that they may be the Church of the liuing god In times paste the congregation or assemblye of the Iewishe
people being God his flocke was called a Synagogue For this woord Synagogue signifieth as much as Ecclesia the Congregation But because of the stubbornesse of the Iewes and the vnappeasable hatred whiche they bare towards Christian religion this word Synagogue is not estéemed but is almost quite growen out of vse But we will not dispute by due and right order of the Churches either of the Iewes or the Turkes or of other strange Churches of the Gentiles whereof we know there are many sortes and kinds Wée will speake of the Christian Church and congregation of the faithfull which the Germans do call Die kirch alluding peraduenture to the Gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any thing belonging to the Lord to witt a house or a people as the Germans doe call Die kirchen both the people of God themselues and also the place wherin they assemble together to worship god But first of all wée will describe a little plainelier what the Church or congregation is The Church is the whole companie and multitude of the faithful partly being nowe in heauen and partly remayning yet here vpō earth where it doth agrée plainely in vnitie of faith or true doctrine and in the lawefull partaking of the Sacraments neither is it diuided but ioyned and vnited together as it were in one house and fellowship This Church was vsuallie called Catholique that is to say vniuersall For shée bringeth forth her branches in all places of the wyde world in all times of all ages and generally doth comprehend all the faithfull of the whole world For the Church of God is not tyed to any one region nation or kinred to condition age sexe or kinde all the faithfull generally and each one specially where euer they or hée be are citizens and members of this Church Sainct Paule the Apostle sayeth There is neither Iewe nor Greeke neither bondman nor free neither man or woman for ye bee all one in Christ Iesu The Church is distinguished into the Triumphant and the Militant The Triumphant is that great companie of holy spirits in heauen triumphing for the victorie gotten against the world sinne and the diuel still enioying the sight of God wherein consisteth all fulnesse of all kinde of ioye and pleasure Wherevppon they set forth Gods glorie and praise his goodnesse for euer This Church doth S. Iohn the Apostle set forth verie notablie in his Reuelations saying After this I sawe and behold a great companie which no man was able to nūber of all nations peoples tongues standing before the Throne and in the sighte of the Lambe clothed in white garments and Palmes in their handes and they cryed out with a lowde voice saying Saluation belongeth to him that sitteth vppon the throne of our God to the Lambe And a little after that he sayeth And one of the Elders aunsweared said vnto me These which are clothed in white garments who are they or frō whence come they And I said vnto him Thou knowest lord And hee said vnto mee These are they that haue come out of great affliction and haue spread abrode their garments haue made them white in the bloud of the Lambe therefore are they before the Throne of God and serue day night in his holy temple And hee that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell ouer them They shall neyneither hunger nor thirst henceforth any more neither shall the Sunne shine on them or any heate beecause the Lambe who sitteth in the middest of the Throne shal gouerne them bring them to the springes of the water of life And the Lord shall wype away all teares from their eyes Brethren ye haue heard a notable description of the triumphant Church in heauen and that too triumphinge truely thoroughe the bloud of Iesus Christ by whom they conquered and doe nowe reigne For Christ is that Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world By whome all which be sanctified are sanctified and shal be sanctified and doe liue from the first creation of the world vnto the end of all times Sainct Paule in a certeine place giuing vnto vs also a notable description of this Church telleth that wée whiche as yet are busied in the Militant Church shall sometime bée translated to the same and be made fellowes with the Angels of GOD receiued amonge the orders of the Patriarches and placed in the companie of the blessed spirites with the most highe God himselfe and the Mediatour oure Lord Iesus Christe For hée preaching the greatnesse of Gods grace brought vnto vs by the Gospell exhorting vs to receiue the same with a true faith Ye came not sayeth he vnto mount Sina to a fire to a whirlewinde a stormie tempest and darckenes but vnto mount Sion to the citie of the liuing God to heauenly Hierusalem to the innumerable companie of Angels and to the Church or Congregation of the first begotten whiche are written in heauen and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirites of the perfecte iust and to the mediatour of the newe testament Iesus Christe speaking better things than the bloud of Abel spake And therefore all the Sainctes in heauen do belonge vnto our companie or rather we belonge vnto their fellowship For we are companions and fellowe heyres with the Sainctes from Adam vnto the end of all worlds and Gods householde Which conteyneth the greatest comfort of all mans life and moueth most of all to the studie of vertue For what more worthie thing is there thā to be of Gods househould Or what may be thought more swéete to vs than to thincke our selues fellowes with the Patriarches Prophets Apostles Martyrs of all Angels blessed spirits This benefite I say Christ hath bestowed on vs To him therfore be praise glorie and thankes for euer and euer Amen The Militant Church is a congregation of men vppon earth professing the name and religion of Christ continually fightinge in the world against the diuel sinne flesh and the world in the campe and tentes and vnder the banner of oure Lord Christe This Church is to be cōsidered two wayes For either it is to bee taken strictly comprehending them onely which bée not onely called but are in very déede the Church the faithfull and electe of God liuely mēbers knit vnto Christ not with bandes and other outward markes and signes but in spirite and faith often times by these meanes without the other Of which matter wee will speake hereafter This inward and inuisible Church of GOD may be wel named the electe spouse of Christ onely knowen vnto God who alone knoweth who are his When wée bee first taught to knowe this Church we confesse her with the Apostles créede saying I beleeue the holie Catholique Church the communion of Sainctes And in these fewe woords wee conclude that there is a Church also what is the Church and what
manner one it is For first wee confesse that there hath béene and is a Church of God and that it shall continue for euer Then professing what it is wée add this The communion of Sainctes That is to say Wée beléeue the Church to bee nothing else but the companie of all those Sainctes that are haue béene and shal be as wel in this present age as in the age to come who enioye all good thinges in common granted vnto them by god Also wee declare what manner one it is in calling it holy I say the spouse of Christ cleansed and blessed For S. Paule calleth them holy whiche are cleansed with the spirit and bloud of oure God of whiche a great part haue receiued crownes of glorie the residue labour heere vppon earth hoping to receiue them in heauen And truely in consideration of the Church the chiefest matter is that thoroughe the Grace of God wee be made the members of Christes body and partakers of all heauenly gifts with the Angels For wée confesse none to be more holy than our owne selues Or else it may be taken more largly and then it doeth comprehende not onely them that are the very faithfull and holy in déede but also them who althoughe they beléeue not truely or vnfeignedly neither be cleane or holy in the conuersation of their life yet do they acknowledge and professe true religion with the true beléeuers and the holy men of God yea they speake well and allowe of vertues and reproue euill neither doe seauer themselues from the vnitie of this Militant Church In whiche consideration not so much as the wicked and hypocrits such as wée read to haue béene in the Church in the time of Christe and the Apostles as Iudas Ananias and Saphira Simon Magus also Demas Hymenęus Alexander and many other are excluded and put from the church which Church maye well be called the outward and visible Church But this Church whereof wee speake is to bée accompted off either by reason of some part thereof or else of the whole For it is to be considered generally particularly And the particular Church is that whiche is comprised in a certeine number is knowen by some sure and certeine place For it is named of the place being called after the names of cities as the Churches of Zuericke and Bernes c. The Gréekes called those particular Churches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche wee commonly call Parishes And we call that a parish which hath dwelling houses and streates ioyned together in neighbourhoode But in cities and townes vnto certeine portions are vsually ascribed both Churches and parish priestes to serue them and the whole circuite is called a parishe In the Dutche tongue Ein Barchi oder pfarkirch oder ein kirchhory And in the old time the parish priest was a prouider For hee prouided and gaue necessaries to straungers and chiefly salt and wood Some called him the maker of the feast other cal him a preparer of Virgins Therefore because the pastours of Churches were preparers of Virgins for the redéemer and head of the Church whiche is Christe bringing vnto him a chast and vndefiled virgin to be short because they themselues prouided things most necessarie for the people of God and also prepared heauenly meates and banquets the pastours of the Lords flocke are very well called parish priestes or the curates of soules The Lord speaking in the Gospel of the particular Church said If hee that offendeth the Church will not regard when hee is warned complaine vnto the Church But it is not possible that the vniuersall Church through the whole world should assemble come together that the rebellious and obstinate should be brought before it wherfore iudgment is referred to be giuen on that stubborne by the particular Churches To conclude the vniuersal Church consisteth of al the particular Churches through out the whole world and of all the visible partes and members thereof This is the same which we drue forth euen nowe when wée spake more at large thereof But the catholique Church of God doeth abide with vs as wée began to tell a litle before cōtinually from age to age from the beginning and is at this time dispersed thorough out the whole world both visiblye and inuisiblye and the Lords people and God his house shall continue vppon earth vnto the worlds end For there was neuer yet any world neither shal be any age wherein God hath not or will not sanctifie some vnto himselfe wherin he will dwell and that they shall be his flocke and holy house For the testimonies of auncient Prophets doe record that the Church is perpetual For thus wee finde it written in the 132. Psalme The Lord hath chosen Sion hee hath chosen her for an habitation for him selfe This is my resting place for euer and euer heere will I dwell because I haue chosen her And againe I haue sworne vnto Dauid in my holinesse his seede shall remaine for euer and his seate shall continue before mee as the Sunne But who knoweth not that all this is to be vnderstode of Christ the sonne of Dauid and of his seate and spirituall Sion which is the Church He also signifying the continuaunce of the Church sayeth in the Gospell I will remaine with you continually vnto the ende of the world And againe I will aske of my father and hee shall giue you an other cōforter the spirite of truth that he may abide with you for euer To this belongeth also that saying in the Gospel And the gates of hell shal not preuaile against the Church Whiche saying truely is a great comfort to the faithfull in so many and so great persecutions intended to the vtter destruction and ouerthrowe of the Church As Christ had alwayes his Church héere vppon earth hath now and for euer shall haue So likewise the diuel as longe as the world shall continue shall neuer want his people in whom hee maye reigne This Church of the diuel toke her first beginning of Cain and shall continue to the last wicked person comprehending also all those euill peoples that haue beene in the meane time and shal be betwixte the beginning and the ending But they liuing héere on earth haue societie and common with them that are tormented in hell For as all that bee Godly béeing vnder one head Christ do make one body so all the wicked vnder one head sathan are one incorporate body This maye right worthily be called that wicked Church Sodome and Gomor Babylon the cōgregation of Chora Dathan Abyron a synagogue a schole and a stewes of the diuell the kingdome of antichriste or any other of like sort In this Church are reckoned vpp all such as are wicked and and infidels separating themselues from the societie of oure holy mother the Church or forsaking the communion thereof and specially such as are mockers of God and his holy woord blasphemers
Paule baptised as a minister not as one that had power of himselfe but the Lord baptised as he that had power of himselfe Behold if it had pleased him he could haue giueÌ„ this power to his seruants but he would not For if hee should haue giuen this power vnto his seruaunts that it should also haue beene theirs which was the lords then there should haue beene as many sundrie baptismes as seruaunts c. In the Church Christ reserueth that absolute power to himselfe For he continueth the head king bishop of the Church for euer neither is that head whiche giueth life separated from his body at any time But that limitted power he hath giuen vnto the Church Whiche thing it ought to acknowledge to wit an Ecclesiastical iurisdiction hemmed in with certeine lawes whiche procéedeth from God and for that cause it is effectuall and therefore in all thinges ought to haue chiefe regard vnto God and that Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction is for that purpose giuen vnto the church that it might be put in practise for the profite of the Church For S. Paule sayth The Lord hath giuen vs power to the intent we should edifie not for the destruction of the Church And therefore that power whiche tendeth to the hinderance and destruction of the Church is a diuelish tyrannie and not an ecclesiasticall power procéeding from god And it behoueth vs diligently to marke and reteine this ende of Ecclesiasticall power But the limitted power of the church consisteth verie néere in these points to witt in ordeyning of the ministers of the Church in doctrine and in the discerning betwéene doctrines and finally in the ordering of Ecclesiasticall matters Of euery one of which pointes in their order we will speake a litle declaring what manner of authoritie the Church hath and howe farre it is limitted in euery part thereof The Lord himselfe appointed the chiefe doctours of the Church whiche were the Apostles that all men might vnderstand that the Ecclesiastical ministerie is the diuine institution of God himselfe and not a tradition deuised by men And therfore after that the Lord was ascended into heauen S. Peter calling the Church together speaketh out of the scriptures of placing an other Apostle in the stéed of the traytour Iudas by that very facte shewing that power was giuen vnto the Church by God to electe ministers or teachers The same Church also not longe after by the persuasion of Peter and the Apostles so persuading vndoubtedly by the inspiration of the holy Ghost choose seuen deacons The Church of Antioche being manifestly instructed by the holy Ghoste doeth ordeine and sende Paule and Barnabas althoughe they were longe before that time assigned to the ministerie It is read also in the Actes of the Apostles that the churches by the commaundement of the Apostles did ordeine doctours for the holy ministerie as often as néede required And yet notwithstanding they did not ordeine euery one without choice but such onely as were fitt for that office that is to say such as afterward by expresse lawes they themselues did describe to witt If any man were faultles the husband of one wife watchfull sober c. The rule set downe by the Apostle is sufficiently knowen as appeareth in the 1. to Tim. 3. Cap. But as touching the ordeyning of ministers God willing wee will speake in the third sermon of this Decade But if the Church haue receiued power to appoint fitt ministers for the Church I thincke no man will denie that the Church hath authoritie to depose the vnworthie wicked deceiuers and also to correct and amende those thinges whiche being lacking may séeme necessarie for this order And forasmuch as ministers are chosen chiefly to teach it must follow that the Church hath power to teach to exhort to comfort and such like by her lawfull ministers and yet no power to teach euery thing but that onely which she receiued being deliuered vnto her from the Lord by the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles Teach them sayeth the Lord that whiche I commaunded you Go ye and preach the Gospell to all creatures And S. Paul sayth I am put a part to preach the Gospell of God which he promised before by his Prophets in the holy Scriptures But this ministerie office of preaching is nothing else but the power of the keyes whiche the Church hath receiued The office I saye of binding and loosing of opening shutting heauen In another place also the apostles receiued power from the Lord ouer all ouer all I say not absolutely but ouer all diuels and not ouer all Angels and men and yet that authoritie and power they receiued ouer diuels they receiued it not absolutely for it is added vnto it that they should expell and cast them out And therefore they could not deale with diúels after their owne fancie but that onely so farre forth as he would haue them to dâ—e who hath absolute power ouer all diuels and that they might cast diuels out of men but not to sende them into men thoughe they would haue desired it neuer so much And so also as touching diseases they could not doe what they would else would not S. Paule haue left Trophimos sicke at Miletum who might so greatly haue béene profitable vnto him in the holy ministerie The two disciples if they had béen able to haue done what they would would haue commanded fire from heauen to haue fallen downe vppon Samaria and so would haue taken vengeaunce of the vncourteous and barbarous people of Samaria for that they denied to harbour the Lord Christ In like manner those same Apostles receiued keyes that is to saye power to binde and to lose to open and shutt heauen to forgiue and to reteine sinnes but perfectly limitted For they could not lose y which was bound in hell neither bind them that were liuing in heauen For he said not What soeuer ye binde in heauen but whatsoeuer ye binde vppon earth Neither said he Whatsoeuer ye lose in hell but what soeuer ye lose vppon earth Againe they were not able eyther to binde or lose whom they would not so much as vpon earth For they were not able to lose that is to say to pronounce a maÌ„ frée from sinne that was without faith Againe they could not binde that is say pronounce condemned him that was lightened with faith was truely penitent And surely such as teach other doctrine than this touching the power of the keyes deceiue the whole world of whiche wee will more largly intreat in place conuenient Likewise the Church hath receiued power from Christ to administer the sacraments by ministers but not according to her owne will and pleasure but according to Gods will and the forme and manner sett downe by the Lord himselfe The Church cannot institute sacraments neither yet alter the ends vse of the sacraments Finallie that the Church hath
and skant good name and fame the whole ministerie béecome vile and that which with wholsome doctrine they build vpp their wicked life doe pull downe againe Wée will rehearse the rule of the Apostle fully comprehending all thinges perteyning to this matter Thou shalt ordein elders or bishops sayeth he if any be blamelesse the husbaÌ„d of one wife hauing faithful children which are not slandered of riot neither are disobedient For if a man cannot rule his owne house how shal he care for the church of God For a bishop must be blamelesse as the steward of God for it is required in the disposers that a man be fouÌ„d faithful not froward not angrie no striker but gentle not giuen to wine not couetous not giuen to filthie lucre but harborous one that loueth goodnes watchfull sober righteous godly teÌ„perate modest apt to teach holding fast the faithful word which is according to doctrine that he may be able both to exhort in wholsom doctrine and to improue them that say against it to stop their mouthes No young scholer least hee being puffed vp fall into the condemnation of the diuell Hee must also haue a good reporte of them that are without least he fall into the rebuke snare of the diuel All these are the wordes of the Apostle recited out of the 1. epist. to Timothie in his epist. to Titus Wherfore exacte iudgment and great diligence shal be very néedful in this case to discusse al the points of doctrine life I say there shal be néedful of a streight trial of life perfect examination of learning for this is not a matter of smal weight the whole safetie of the churche hangeth herevpon If any vnworthy vnlearned be ordeined the whole churche for the most part is neglected lead astray and ouerthrowne But we do not meane a childlike and scholerlike examinatioÌ„ but a graue streicte examination of knowledge in the scripture the true interpretation thereof of the charge of a pastour of the mysteries of sound faith and of other such like points And that the elders in times past were very diligent in these things it may appeare by that which Aelius Lampridiê° in the life of Alex. Seuerus rehearseth that it was the maner among the ChristiaÌ„s to offer the names of their bishops to the whole church afore they were receiued if happily any among the people would shew a reasoÌ„ that he were vnworthie of such an office Wherevpon Iustinian the Emperor Const 123. Ifin the time of ordination saith hee any accuser stand vp say he is vnworthie to be ordeined let all things be defferred let examination iudgment first be had And here I wil at this present recite the deerée of the 4. counsel of Carthage vpon this matter which is after this sort WheÌ„ a bishop is to be ordeined let him be first examined whether he be by nature wise if hee be able to teach if he be temperat in behauiour if chast in life if he bee sober if careful about his owne busines if lowlie if curteous if merciful if learned if in structed in the law of the lord if warie carefull in the sense meaning of the scriptures if exercised in the opinions of the church aboue all things if hee teach the grounds of faith with substantial words or perhaps of lesse moment that is to say confirming that the father and the sonne the holy ghost are one God auouching the whole godhead of the Trinitie to be coessentiall consubstantiall coeternall and coomnipotent if he acknowledge euerie person by himselfe in the Trinitie to bee perfect God the whole thrée persons one God if he beléeue the incarnatioÌ„ of god not wrought in the father neither in the holy ghost but in the sonne only so that he who was the sonne in god the father y same should be made the sonne of maÌ„ in the manhoode of his mother very God of the father very man of his mother hauing flesh in the womb of his mother hauing in him a humane reasonable soule together of either nature that is to saye God maÌ„ one person one sonne one Christ one Lord creatour of all things and the author Lord gouernour of all creatures with the father the holy ghost who suffered a true suffering of his fleshe died with the true death of his body rose again with the true taking againe of his fleshe a true taking againe of his soul wherin he shal come to iudge the quicke and the dead Hée must also be asked if hée beléeue one the selfe same author and Lord of the new and old testament that is to say of the law the prophets Apostles if the diuel became euil not by creation but by choice He must also be asked if he beléeue the resurrection of this flesh which we beare and none other if hée beléeue the iudgement to come that euerie one shal receiue according to that they haue done in the flesh either punishmentes or rewards if he forbid not marriage if he condemne not Bigamie or secoÌ„d mariage if he coÌ„demne not the eating of flesh if hee haue fellowshipp with penitent persons that are reconciled if he beléeue that all sinns in baptisme are forgiuen as wel original sinne wherein we are borne as also those which wée coÌ„mit willingly if he beleue that none which are without the catholique church can be saued c. When he shal be examined vppon all these points and fouÌ„d fully instructed theÌ„ let him be ordeined a bishop with the consent of the cleargie and laitie by the assemblie of the bishops of the whole prouince and especiallie of the Metropolitane This counsel is said to be celebrated in the yeare of the Lord 400. But I doe not rehearse these thinges to that ende as if I stayed my selfe vpon the decrées of counsells and men or as if I thought all things whiche perteine to true saluation and perfection were not conteined in the holy scriptures but to admonish oure aduersaries that their manners doings at this day do not only not agrée with the examples and doctrines of the Apostles but not so much as with the decrées of the ancient writers if happily they may enter into themselues and leauing the diuerse doctrine of men they maye receiue the most auncient tradition and the most infallible doctrine of the holy Apostles I come now to the declaration of the last point that is to say after what manner they y be called are to be ordeined The apostles in their ordinations exhorted the church to fasting and prayer and they that were called they placed and set in the sight of the churche and laying their hands vppon the heades of them that were ordeined they committed the churches vnto them Of the laying on of hands I haue spoken elsewhere It was a signification of the charge committed vnto them Neither
the in respect therof wee were acceptable vnto God and when wée departe out of this life wée should flye straight wayes vpp into Heauen but without receiuing the Sacramente bée throwen directly downe to hell There muste also néedes arise sundrye other errours Neither is there any necessitie to constraine vs to minister the sacrament to the sick For as prisoners are absent from receiuing the Lords supper without danger of saluation so likewise are the sick those that are ready to dye For béeing neuertheles by perfect faith gathered to the body of Christe although they be absent in body yet being in minde present with the congregatiō they are also made partakers of all spirituall good things And it is sufficient for thē that as lōg as they haue bene in helth they haue bene alwayes presēt at the holy mysteries The feast of Passeouer was not celebrated euery where but at Hierusalem onely in one place But howe many were there thincke wée the by reason of their bodily health impaired with sicknes for old-age could not trauell to Hierusalem from so large and wide a kingdome And although no man brought them home a péece of the Paschal lambe in their pockets notwithstanding they did cōmunicate with the whole church of Israel And who doubteth but that by the comming of Christ the condition of the Christians is made better Our Lord Christ did not institute his mysticall supper for the dead but for the liuing onely wherefore it is not to be celebrated for the dead and to bee applied to their redēption They that die without faith immediatly fall vnder the iudgment of damnation But they that are dead in Christ are alreadie ioyned vnto the companie of the elders and stand before the Lambe singing Halleluiah for euermore For I haue declared in my sermon of the Soule that the saluation of the faithful soules which are departed by corporal death is most vndoubted And where some obiect that the auncient sathers haue made mētion of offering for the dead we suppose that it apperteineth not vnto vs We beléeue the Canonicall scriptures without contradiction we beléeue not the fathers further than they can proue their owne sayings by the Canonicall scriptures Neither would they haue thē-selues otherwise beléeued And therfore if the fathers thincke that the supper is a sacrifice that it is to be offred to procure rest to the souls departed we do not receiue that opinion as not agréeing with the Canonicall scriptures whiche teache that the Lord instituted not his supper for that purpose and therefore by such abuse of the supper God is rather displeased than pleased yea that there is no work of man be it neuer so good much lesse if it be against Gods word that can sanctifie since that prerogatiue belongeth onely to the merite of the sonne of God and moreouer that the souls departed are not in any such state in the other world that they can or ought to be holpen by any woorkes in this world But if the auncient fathers by oblation or offering doe vnderstand the sacrifice of praise or thanckesgiuing we will not striue against them but that there may be made oblations for the dead that is to say that thanks be giuen to God his goodnes praised who hath called out of this miserable world such as were indued with true faith and hath ioyned them vnto the companies of angels and all the blessed sainctes in the euerlasting kingdome of all ioye and felicitie But surely there is no truth nor godlines that willeth vs to celebrate the supper for the dead And we make a distinction in sacrifice or oblatiō For there is a sacrifice of expiation and there is a sacrifice of confession or praise The sacrifice of expiation is offered to cleanse or purge sinns and also for satisfaction for sinnes This cānot be accomplished without death and bloud as S. Paule the Apostle sheweth plainely in the 9. Cap. to the Hebrues The sacrifice of Christ was such a one the figures of whiche were all the sacrifices of all the holy fathers of the old testament who beeing both priest and sacrifice offered vp himself once to God the father while he suffered vpon the crosse and shedding his most innocent bloud there gaue vpp the Ghost The supper at this day is no such sacrifice but a commemoration of the death or of the sacrifice once offered vpon the crosse For nether ought or can Christe bee sacrificed againe who being once offered is sufficient to cleanse all the sinnes of all ages Why then should hee be sacrificed againe Neither can the sonne of God be sacrificed by any man since that for the same cause he offered vp himselfe once to God as being a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech Therefore the minister of the Churche doeth not in the Churche sacrifice the body and bloud of Christe in the supper for the liuing but together with the whole Church doeth celebrate the remembraunce of the sacrifice which was once offered vpon the Crosse Of which as I haue said elsewhere the supper may also be called a sacrifice because it is a sacrament or signe of the sacrifice whiche was once offered by Christe as Augustine also hath lefte written The sacrifice of cōfession is of praise thankesgiuing which wée offer to God for the redemption and benefits of god fréely bestowed vpon his Church And since we offer the same alwayes vnto GOD in prayer but chiefly when wée are ioyned in the sacramēt of the Eucharist or celebrating the supper therefore the auncient fathers called it a sacrifice because in the same we giue thanckes vnto God for oure deliuerance from death and for the inheritaunce of euerlasting life which is giuen vnto vs And that this sacrifice is generally offered by the vniuersall Churche in celebrating the supper not by the minister of the church alone for those the liue in the Church we tould you before Now forasmuch as wee haue hetherto discussed certaine circūstances or questions whiche are wont to be moued about the Lords supper so farr forth as the necessitie of the matter séemed to require as muche as our smal abilitie was able to performe it remayneth that we descend further to declare for what cause the Lords supper was by the Lord instituted which place truely is not rashly reckoned among the chiefest For we made mention of the same immediatly vpon the beginning of this sermon For the lord by setting bread wine before vs in the holy banquet would haue his promise and communion testified vnto vs and his gifts represented vnto vs made manifest to our senses would also gather vs visibly into one bodie and reteine the memorie of his death in the hearts of the faithfull and finally put vs in minde of our duetie chiefly of praise thankesgiuing All these thinges haue we seuerally expounded hauing discoursed vpon them at large in the generall cōsideration
knowne nor lefte in writing of the holye Scriptures Some there are that dâ—e attribute it to the Apostles them selues and therefore doe call it by the name of the Apostles Créede Saint Cyprian the Martyr in his exposition of the Apostles Créede saythe Our auncestors haue a saying that after the Lordes ascension when by the comming of the holy ghoste the fierie tongues sate vpon euery one of the Apostles so that they spake both diuers and sundrie languages whereby there was no forreine nation nor barbarous tongue to whiche they seemed not sufficiently prepared to passe by the way they had a commandement from the Lorde to goe vnto all nations to preache the worde of god When therefore they were in a readinesse to departe they layde downe among them selues a platform of preaching for them all to followe least peraduenture being seuered one from another they should preach diuers things to them that were conuerted to the fayth of Christe Wherefore being there altogether and replenished with the holy ghoste they gathered one euery ones seuerall sentence and made that Breuiarie as I saide to be a patterne for all their preachings to be framed by appointing it for a rule to be giuen to them that should beleeue This sayth Cyprian But whether they were of the Apostles owne making or no or else that other the Apostles disciples made theÌ„ yet this is very wel knowne that the very doctrine of the Apostles is purely conteyned and taught in them These twelue Articles are called also a badge bycause by that signe as it were by a badge true Christians are discerned from false Nowe I will declare what order I will vse in expounding them vnto you This whole breuiatie or abridgement of faythe may be diuided into foure partes so that the thrée firste partes may make manifest the misteries of the thrée persons in one godheade and that the fourth may laye forth the fruits of fayth that is to say what good things we looke for by faith what good things God bestoweth on them that put their trust in him And yet this notwithstanding I wil procéed herein euen orderly so as the twelue Articles are placed or set downe The first article of Christian faith is this I beleeue in God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth And this first Article of the Créede containeth two especiall pointes For firste we say generally I beléeue in god Then we descende particularly to the distinction of the persons and adde The father almightie For God is one in substance and thrée in persons Wherefore vnderstanding the vnitie of the substaunce we saye plainly I beléeue in god And againe kéeping not confounding the persons we adde In the father almightie In Iesus Christ his only sonne And in the holy Ghoste Let vs therefore be léeue that God is one not many and pure in substaunce but thrée in persons the Father the Sonne and the holy ghost For in the law it is writteÌ„ Hearken Israell The Lord our God is one Lord. And againe in the gospell we reade that the Lorde sayde Baptise them in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holy ghoste By the way this is singularly to be marked of vs that when we pray wée say Our father which art in Heauen giue vs this day our daily breade but that wheÌ„ wée make Confession of our beliefe wee say not we beleeue but I beleeue For faithe is required of euery one of vs for euery particular man to haue wythonte dissimulation in his harte and without double meaninge to professe it wyth his mouth It was not enough for Abraham to haue fayth for all his seede Neyther wil if auayle thee any thing for an other to beleeue if thou thy selfe art without fayth For the Lord requireth fayth of euery particular man for himselfe Wherefore so oft as wee confesse our fayth euery one of vs by himselfe doth saye I beleeue But what it is to brleeue I haue declared alreadye in my fourth Sermon It followeth in the Confession I beleeue in god God is the obiecte and foundation of oure Fayth as hee that is the euerlastinge and chiefe goodnes neuer wearie but alway ready at our neede Wée therfore beléeue in God that is to say wee put our whole hope all our safety and our selues wholy into his handes as vnto him that is able to preserue and bestowe on vs all thinges that are requisite for our behooâ—e Nowe it followeth that that God in whom we rest and vnto whose tuition wée do all commit oure selues is The Father Almightye Our God is therefore called Father because from before all beginninge hee begatte the sonne like to himselfe For the Scripture calleth God the father of oure Lord Iesus Christe He sayth the Apostle is the brightnesse of the glorie of God and the liuely Image of the substaunce of the father to whom he said Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee And againe I will be his father and hee shal be my sonne Also God is called father in respecte of the likenesse that hee hath with oure earthly father to witte because of our Creation the fauour loue good will carefulnesse where with he is affected towards vs For God hath created vs God loueth vs God regardeth our affayres and is careful for vs yea and that more exceedinglye too then any earthly father is For saith Dauid Euen as the father pitieth his childreÌ„ so doth the Lord pitie them that feare him for hee knoweth our estate remembring that we are but duste Esaias also in his 49. Cap. sayth Can a woman forget her owne infante and not pitie and be fayne ouer the sonne of hir owne wombe But admit she do forget yet will not I forget thee In this is declared Gods good will to vs ward and wée confessing that God is our father do also professe that God to vs is both gentle liberall and merciful who wisheth vs all thinges that are auayleable to our health and purposeth nothinge to vs warde but that which is good and wholesome and last of all that at his hande wée receiue what good soeuer wée haue either bodilye or ghostly God is called Almighty because by his might hée can do al things because he is Lord of all thinges and hath all thinges subiecte to his commaundement For the same cause also is hee called the Lord of Hostes Heauen Earth and whatsoeuer is therein Starres all Elements Men Angells deuils al liuing Creatures all things created are in the power of the moste highe and euerlasting god What soeuer hee commaundeth that they doe nothing is able to withstand his will. What hee wil that must of necessitie be done and also these things he vseth euen as his owne wil and pleasure is and as his iustice and mans saluation do require Firste wée confessed that God doth will vs well and nowe wée acknowledge that whatsoeuer hée wil that he is able to bring
to passe For wée saye that God is Almighty that is that there is nothing but he cā do it which is profitable necessarye for vs men as hée that is Lord of all our stronge helper But that God is oure good father liberall gentle mercifull stronge Almighty Lorde of all and our defender and deliuerer it is to be séene by his wonderful works For hée is the maker of heauen and earth And in the making of Heauē and earth hée hath declared the great loue that hée beareth to mankinde For when as yet they were not nether were able with desartes and good tournes to prouoke God to do them anye good then God first of his owne méere and naturall goodnesse made heauen earth a most excellent and beautifull Palace and gaue it them to dwell in putting vnder mans dominion all the Creatures of this whole world But how great power he shewed in the making of all these things it is euident by this that Hee spake the woorde and they were made he commaunded and they were created Which if thou bringe into partes and seuerally examine what hée made in those sixe dayes in what order with what beauty to how great commodity of mankinde and finallye how almost wyth no labour at all hée brought them al forth as it is at large writtē by Moses in the first of Genesis thou shalte be compelled to be amazed at the goodwill and power of god And yet by the waye wée muste thincke the Creatour of all thinges to be such an one as by his sonne that is by his eternall wysedome hath created al things both visible and inuisible yea and that of nothing too and doth moreouer at this very presēt sustaine nourish rule and preserue all thinges by his euerlasting spirite without which euery thinge woulde presently fall to ruine and come to nought Wée doe herein therefore confesse also the prouidence of our eternall God and hys excéeding wyse gouernment And thus in this first parte I haue declared vnto you that which is proper to the father For hée is a father yea hée is the father of our Lorde Iesus Christe and our father also being Lord of all things maker of heauen earth gouernour and preseruer of all thinges by whom all thinges are and in whom all things consist Who frō before all beginning begot the eternal sonne equall wyth the father being of one substaunce power and glory with the father by whom also hee made the world From both them precéedeth the holie ghoste as Dauid witnesseth and sayth By the worde of the Lord the heauens were made by the breath of his mouth all the hoste thereof Now followeth the seconde parte wherein are contayned all the mysteries of Iesus Christ our Lord the sonne of god For the seconde article of the Christiā fayth is thus word for word And in Iesus Christe his onely sonne our Lord. This article also comprehendeth two things The first is that wee beleeue in the sonne of God The second what the sonne of God is For wée confesse that wee beléeue that is that wée put our whole hope and confidence of lyfe and saluation as well in the sonne as in the father And therefore wée say plainely I beléeue in Iesus Christ euen as before wée said I beleeue in god c. For the Lorde Iesus himselfe in the 14. chapter of Iohn sayth Let not your harte be troubled ye beleeue in God beleeue also in me Againe This is the worke of God that ye beleeue in him whom hee hath sent And againe This is eternal life to know thee the true God onelie and him whom thou hast sent Christ Iesus Moreouer in the Gospel after S. Iohn we read that the Lord speaking to the blinde whose eyes hée opened saide Doste thou beleeue in the sonne of God And that the blind hauing receyued his sighte aunswered Who is he Lord that I may belieue in him wherunto the Lord replied Thou hast seene him and hee it is that talketh with thee And that then againe the blinde said I belieue Lorde and there withal hée worshipped him Therfore let vs also belieue worship let vs belieue that Iesus is the very sonne of God the father beinge of one power with the father althoughe in person hee differ from the father Which Dauid testifying sayth The Lord said to my Lord sit thou at my right hand c. But if wée declare at large who the sonne of God is in whom wée belieue then must wée note thrée things especially The first is that hée is called the Onely Sonne If hee be the sonne yea and that too the Sonne of God then is his nature and substaunce a diuine nature and substaunce For in this signification doth the Apostle call him The brightnesse of the glory of the father and the liuelie image of his substance Very well therefore do the holy fathers saye that the Sonne is of the same substaunce and beinge with the father Whereunto belongeth that that hée is called the onelye sonne and in another place the onely begotten and first begotten sonne For wée also are called sonnes not by participation of nature or likenesse of substaunce or naturallye but by adoption And therfore the Iewes were not offended because hée called himselfe the sonne of God in that sense that all the faithful are called and are the sōnes of God but because they did perceiue the he did more extoll himselfe in saying the hee is the naturall Sonne of God equall to God God himselfe For thus wée reade in the fifthe of Iohn Therefore the Iewes sought the more to kill Iesus not onelie because hee had broken the Sabboth but saide also that God was his father made himselfe equall with God. Againe where the Lord in the tenth chapiter saide I and my father are one then the Iewes toke vp stones to stone him withal But Iesus aunswered Many good workes haue I done vnto you for which of them doe yee stone mee To which the Iewes replied For thy good workes sake wee stone thee not but for thy blasphemie because thou being a man makest thy self God. These are most euidente testimonies of the natural Godhead of Christ which whosoeuer belieueth not hee hath not the father For hee that honoureth the sonne honoureth the father and hee that is withoute the sonne hath not the father and vnlesse the sonne were God by Nature hée coulde not be the Sauiour of the worlde Now the second thing that is to be marked is that the name of the onely begotten sonne of God is opened and he is called Iesus Christ The name is expressely set downe the we may know who it is in whom we beleue lest peraduenture we might be deceyued in the person It is Iesus which name was geuen vnto him by Gods appointmēt from heauen euen as also it was prefigured in Duke Iosue and in Iosue the high priest The Angell in the Gospell after