sheepes cloathing therfore cannot easily be discerned vntill their cloakes be taken from them a due viewe be taken of them by their portraitures and resemblances most liuely drawen out onely by the pensill of the Prophets and Apostles Doth not S. Iohn also will the Christian congregation not to beleeve ever ie spirite but to trie the spirites whether they bee of 1. Ioh. 4. 1. God or no seeing even then in his life time many false Prophets were gone out into the world For he is a foole that beleeveth every Prov. 14. 15 thing and the iointes of true wisdome are these two first to bee â—ober in our owne opinions and secondly not to bee to hasty in giving credit to others Proue all things saith the Apostle 1. The. 5. 21 but approue that which is good even that which is found to be so by sufficient triall Yea he was not only contented to haue his owne doctrine to bee tried but also giueth a straite charge that the same be diligentlie done I speake saith hee as to them that have vnderstanding iudge yee what I say and his commaundemente is 1. Cor 10. 15 that all other teachers be subiect also to the same lawe Lett the Prophets speake two or three and let the other iudge VVherfore Origen 1. Cor. 14. 29 Orig. in Ios hom 2. speaking vnto the people saith vnto them Doe yee that vvhich is vvritten that is that one speaking all the rest examine So saith he vvhiles I speake that vvhich I thinke doe yee discerne vvhat is right and vvhat is othervvise And Saint Ambrose Ambr. cp lib. 5. orat in Auxen doth exasperate his auditory against his adversarie Auxentius for that hee refused to haue his cause heard and tryed by the censure and iudgment of the people Auxentius saith hee speaking to the people knovving you not to bee ignorant of the faith hath shunned your iudgement and hath chosen foure or five heathen men Then in that hee hath chosen Infidels hee is vvorthie to bee condemned of Christians because hee hath reiected she Apostles precepte vvhere hee saith Dare any of you having ought against another hee iudged vnder the vniust and not rather vnder the Saints Yee see that vvhich hee hath offered is against the Apostles auctority But vvhat speake I of the Apostle vvhen the LORDE himselfe proclaimeth by the Prophet Heare yee mee O my people that know vvhat belonges to iudgment in vvhose hearte my Lavve is GOD saith Heare yee mee O my people that knovve iudgment Auxentius saith yee knovve not hovve to iudge yee see that hee contemneth GOD in you vvhich refuseth this sentence of the heavenly oracle for the people in vvhose hearts the lavve of God is doth iudge VVho then doth you vvrong Hee that refuseth or hee that referreth himselfe to your audience Wherfore to be able to discerne the spirites and to distinguish truth from falshoode and verity from vanity is not a special gift proper to a few but a generall grace common to al the Lords people For as the natural man is able to discerne holesome foode from vnholesome vnlesse his body be infected with sicknesse and his tast distempered with some corrupte humor so the spirituall man is able to discerne the foode of the soule and to distingush falshoode from truth vnlesse his minde be blinded with errour and his iudgment corrupted with some preiudicate opinion According as our Saviour himselfe hath Ioh. 10. vers 4. sette it dovvne as a property belonging to all his sheepe that they doe knovve his voice from the voice of a stranger and are able to discerne the sheepheard from the wolfe And verely hovve othervvise could they shunne the wolfe and follovv the shepheard Hovve could they flye falshood that leadeth to destruction and embrace the truth to the salvation of their soules Yea but saith the composer of the Ward-vvord if the The due trial of the doctrine of our teachers by the touchstone of the scriptures is not the cause of falling into heresie but of sinding ouâ— the truth People may iudge of the doctrine of their teachers and if every one may make choice according to his ovvne private fancy is not this the high and open vvay to errour and heresy It is sufficiently declared before that the people ought to try and to discerne by the Scriptures the doctrine of their pastors and teachers and to approue of that only which is agreeable to that foundation of truth but not of that which best fitteth their owne private fancies or the fanciful opinions of any other For we must not drawe our pastors and teachers before the consistory of our owne harts to receive their censure iudgmeÌ„t froÌ„ our selues but before the tribunal seat of the word of God For as for our selues wee must not presume to pronounce any definitiue sentence but we must giue our esseÌ„t consent to that seÌ„teÌ„ce which we vnderstaÌ„d to be pronouÌ„ced by that iudge And if we be desirous rightly to vnderstaÌ„d what is the seÌ„tence of that iudge we must renouÌ„ce our own iudgmeÌ„t which we haue drawen other froÌ„ the blindnes of our corrupt nature or else froÌ„ our evil badde education we must become fooles that is coÌ„demne all our 1. Cor. 3. 18. own thoughts of extreme folly if we be desirous to be partakers of that wisdome which is to be learned out of the word of God the fouÌ„taine welspring of all wisdome We must most huÌ„bly devoutly resort in our praiers to the father of light that he would cause vs to behold our own blindnes darknesâ— haue our continual recourse to his holy word which is a lanterne to our feete and a light to our pathes that so the eles of our mind being lightned we may attaine to a sound and vncorrupt iudgment and be â—…le to disâ—…rne falshoode from truth For if thou call for knovvledge and crie for vnderstanding and if thou seeke for her as for silver Pro. 2. 3. and search for her as for treasures then shalt thou vnderstande the feare of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God A scorner indeed seeketh Pro. 14. 6. knowledge and findeth it not but vvisedome is easie to him that will vnderstande The vvorde of God saith Origen is shut vppe against Orig. in Exod. hom 9. Heb. 5. 11. the negligent but it is open to them that seeke and knocke Manie thinges saieth the Apostle are harde to them that are dull of hearing and are vnexpert in the vvorde of righteousnes and haue not their vvittes exercised through longe custome to discerne betvveene good and evill But if vvee haue our continuall resorte vnto GOD by praier and bee dayly exercised in reading and meditating on the vvorde of GOD and lay it as our sure ground-worke and foundation of all trueth vvee shall not long bee neglected neither shal our labour bee in vaine in the Lord but we shal be lightned with
he hath ratified the same with holy sacraments as with his own seale annexed therevnto And verely if circumcision much more Rom 4. 11. baptisme and the Lords supper may worthily be called seales of the righteousnes that cometh by faith The cuppe saith our Saviour Christ Luk. 22. 20 is the new testament in my blood that is to say a seale and an assuraÌ„ce of the graunt of the remission of sinnes and eternall life giuen vnto you through my bloud which is the summe of the new testament And to what end tendeth both these sacraments of the new testament but to assure all the faithfull that they hauing put on Christ haue their sinnes washed away through his blood and that their soules are fedd with very Christ the heaveÌ„ly Mannah Galat. 3. 2â— bread of life whereby they are sustained to everlasting life The cuppe of blessing saith the Apostle which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion 1. Corinth 10. 16. of the body of Christ that is to say there all participatioÌ„ of these outward elementes and visible signes are they not most certaine pledges and assurances to all the faithfull of their spirituall vnion and communion with Christ and all his blessings And was not this the iudgment of those godly learned fathers of the councell of Nice in that they will that this holy sacrament of the Lords supper should be sent vnto penitent persons lying in their death beddes which stood as yet excommunicate for apostasie or for some other notorious crime that by the participation of that celestiall food they might be assured of their coÌ„munion with Christ and his church and of the remission of their sinnes and eternall life and so enabled to passe over in peace the end of their laborious and painefull life The which most comfortable doctrine is most coÌ„veniently set downe in our English liturgy at the celebration of these holy misteries in these wordes The body of our Lord that vvas giuen for THEE preserve thy body and soule to everlasting life The blood of our Lord that was shedd for THEE c. For hereby everie faithfull christian that reverently receiveth this holy sacrament may assure himselfe that the spirituall life that is nowe begunne in him and shall be made perfite in the worlde to come 〈◊〉 wrought by the speciall loue of Christ now dwelling in him by a true faith so that he may boldly say with the Apostle both â—n his life In that I nowe liue I liue by the faith of the son of God who loued Gal. 2. 20. Me and gaue himselfe for Me and also at his death I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith hence forth 2. Tim. 4. 7. there is laide vp for me a crowne of righteousnes c. And from whence also proceedeth that ioy in the holy ghost and that peace of God that Ro. 14. 17. 5. 1. passeth all vnderstanding which is felt in the heartes of the faithfull servantes of Christ in their greatest crosses and most greevous afflictions but of a faithfull perswasion of the remission of their sinnes and reconciliation which God procured for them by the death of Christ Otherwise also how could they serue the Lord Luc. 1. 74. Eph 3. Heb 10 22. Iaco. 1. 6. without feare and come vnto him in their praiers with boldnes yea in assurance of faith without wavering without doubting Yea how could they come vnto him not as vnto an offended and an angry iudge but as to a louing and a mercifull father saying O our Father which art in heaven And from whence else proceeded their solemne protestations that they did assuredly knowe that they were in the estate of grace and in the favour of God and that God was their God in particular and after so stable and stedfast a manner that nothing was able to sever them from his loue We knowe that we are of God I know that my redeemer liueth My spirite 1. Ioh. 5. 19. Iob. 19. 25. Luc 1. 77. Psal 18 1. 116 16. reioyceth in God my Saviour The Lord is my strength my castle my deliverer my God and on the other side Behold Lord I am thy servant I am thy servant and the sonne of thine handmaide Yea so great a stay and comfort had the prophet David in this assurance of his owne â—aith that he protesteth his adversities being so many and so Psal 27. 13. grievous as they were he should vtterly haue fainted but that he did beleeue verily to see the goodnes of the Lord in the land of the liâ—ing The which most comfortable assurance of faith was such a stay also to the blessed Apostle S. Paul that howsoever an whole army of Rom 8. 37. tribulations did presse sore vpon him yet he protesteth that hee was a conqueror yea more then a conqueror through him that loued Rom 8 37. him being most assuredly also perswaded for the time to come that neither death nor life nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come should be able to seperate him from the loue of God which was in Christ Iesus our Lord. Neither vvas this comfortable assuraunce of faith a speciall and an extraordinarie prerogatiue granted only to some principall persons among the faithfull but a gifte in some measure common to the whole church For all the children of the church being the children of God are led by the spirite Rom 8. 14. 2. Cor. 2. 12â— of God whereby they know such thinges as are giuen vnto them of God And they are all indifferently commanded in the Lordes praier to call God their father the which name they cannot sincerely vse vnlesse they be perswaded in some measure of faith that he beareth a louing and a fatherly affection towardes them having receaved them into favour for his Christes sake and giuen them a place among the number of his children And vvhy 1 â—oh 5. 13. else saith S. Iohn writing to the whole church in generall these thinges I vvrite vnto you that beleeue in the name of the sonne of God that yee may knowe that yee haue eternall life and that yee may beleeue in the name of the sonne of God So S. Paule writting to the church of the Corinthians in generall Proue your selues knovve yee not your owne selues how that IESVS CHRIST dwelleth in you vnlesse yee bee reprobates and in his former epistle Kâ—ovve yee not that your 1. Cor. 6. 15 19. bodyes are the members of Christ Knowe ye not that ye are the temples of the holy Ghost which is in you whom ye haue of GOD that yee are not your ovvne By the vvhich testimonies of Christ his Apostles it is evident that not a fewe onely but also every mâ—mber of the vniversall church in their times and according vnto the measure of
through the whole worlde neither are the large kingdomes of * â—…er non â—…frica â—…undus Affrica the Lordes onely field wherein the pure seede of his word is sowen much lesse the smal territories of the city of * Jllud esseâ— includere orbâ—m in vrbe Rome but the vniversal globe of the whole earth And yet wheÌ„ of al the families kinreds of the earth the Lorde had called out and chosen onely the posteritie of Abraham and when the church of Christ vvas annexed to that one people alone the service of God was not theÌ„ so tied to theÌ„ which had the roomes of the cheife professors therof but that the lawe did sometimes perish from the priest and counsell from the auncient and the Sunne went downe vpon their prophets in Ier. 7. 4. 18. 18. Mich. 3. 6. so much that night was vnto them for a vision and darkenes for a divination As for example in our Saviours time those that shoulde haue beene the principall pillars of the church vvere the cheife subverters thereof and they which had the roomes of the master builders reiected the cheife corner stone and sought the Mat. 21. 42. vtter ruine and dovvne fall of the LORDES house And as it thus happened to the Sinagogue of the Ievves even so also it befell the church of CHRIST when Arrianisme overflowed the outvvarde face thereof in so much that Liberius himselfe Hier de eccles scriptoribus in Fortunatiano being then Bishoppe of Rome yeelded thereto and confirmed it vvith his subscription At what time nothing vvas esteemed a matter of greater pietie and more befitting the servaunt of CHRIST then to follow vnity and not to be divided from the communion of the world when the christian vvorlde Hier. adversus Lucifeâ—ianos sighed and vvondred that of a Christian it vvas become an Arriaâ— VVherefore no mervaile that diverse particular churches planted by the Apostles themselues haue not beene so firmly seased of the truth but that they haue beene longe agoe cast out of the possession thereof no marvaile though they hauing reiected the faith of CHRIST haue themselues also beene reiected from beeing the people and Church of Christ Now that which happeneth to many may also happen to any yea to Rome it selfe and the church thereof seing they haue no Cypr. ad Pomp. cont epist Sâ—eph Hier. ad Princip Marcel ep Tim. 1. greater charter or priveledge of not erring then any other partilar church Certainly Cyprian knevve none for he avoucheth of the Bishope of Rome that he maintaineth heresie against the church Hierome knevve none for hee saith that the fountaine of the Romane faith vvas defiled vvith mudde and that the faith commended by the Apostle was violated in most things albeit our Romanists greatly boast that no good autor hath ever testified of the failing of faith in the church of Rome Nay the Apostle himselfe knewe none for writing to the church of Rome by name he telleth her plainely that she should not be proude of her staÌ„ding nor insult against the church of the Iewes for her fall for of 〈◊〉 11. 21 God saith he spared not the naturall branches take thou heede also that he spare not thee For if they which were Iewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles being borne vnder covenant of mercy and descending from most holy progenitors had no such perpetuity in the favour of God nor assurance for the continuance of the true worshippe and service of God amongst them but that they might vtterly fall from both then surely such as descended from impious and idolatrous parentes and were straungers and alians from the covenantes of grace being of the Lordes endles goodnes receiued into favour can haue no such assurance of the Lordes mercie but that in successe of time the posterity may fall away from that grace whereof their progenitors were made partakers And if the true worship service of God was not vnseperably tied vnto Siloh Sion or Ierusalem whâ— presumption is it in the church of Rome to make such boast thâ— her faith caÌ„not faile as if the truth were necessarily annexed to that city and the spirite of God as it were entailed to Peters châ—ire or as if God were in bonds still to keepe that See vpright whatsoever else became of all other christian churches Verely of them it may be verefied that which Terasius Archbishop of Constantinople testified of their like that the heresie of Macedonius was more tollerable then theirs in that he avoucheth the spirit of God to be servaÌ„t to the father and the sonne wheras they after a â—ort make him their servant to convey over continually the certaintie of faith from the predecessor to the successor VVhat may a man in his death bed dispose of the inward qualities of his soule as he may of his temporall goodes and possessions May any one make over by deede of gifte vnto an other his faithfull hart and sincere minde or bequeath by will and testament his piety and godlines These thinges are personall and appropriated to the person on whome they are bestowed they pasâ—e not from hand to hand they remoue not from subiect to subiect these giftes are not parted by death but accompany vs continually when all other things bid vs adue when all all other things faile they faile not when all other things are lefte behinde they cannot be lefte there is no conveyance to be made from one to an other of these goods For Non naâ—ciâ—ur Christiani seâ— fimus vertue is no inheritance it descendeth not from the father to the child the child taketh his bodely substance from his parentes at his first birth but as for the substance of vertue if he receaue it he receiveth it by a second birth Now if these giftes come not by descent from the father to the sonne that succeedeth him an nature in substance in the very covenat of grace also much lesse doe they come by descent vnto him that succeedeth onely in place and office It is true indeede that Elias promised Elizaeus thâ—t was to succeede him in his propheticall office that if he saw him when he waâ— tâ—ken out of his sight he should haue his spirite doubled vpon him But Elias knewe that God hauing appointed Elizâ—…s to succeede him in his propheticall office woulde haue him endued with such a measure of his spirite that so he might be meete â—or the execution of the same moreover his promise was made to the person of Elizaeus alone and not to any of his successors But the church of Rome will haue the stability of Peters faith to be conveyed over to all his successors and that to the worlds end yea shee will haue it annexed to Peters chaiâ—e to his very consistory and iudgement seate For when it is proved that many of the Popes in person were Apostataes from the faith Lyra in Math c. 16. Conc. Basil Op. â—inod Non
out of the same The spirit of God sendeth him not to a second table of penance to tâ—ke holde thereof that by the power thâ—rof he might be deliuered but remember saith he how thoâ— hast received and hearde and holde fast and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 3. repent Now no doubt but he had receiued and heard aâ—d therefore was to hold fast that to the peniteÌ„t humble sinner Christs blood is the purgation of all his sins that by the mediatioÌ„ of his death he doth obtaine remission of theÌ„ not only when he is received into favor at the first but even to his liues end being thereby still pâ—eâ—erued in the same grace obtaining the forgiuenesse of hiâ— dayâ—y offences For so S. Iohn setting downe the meanes whereby the faithfull themselues are continually cured of their dailie infirmities If any man sinne saieth hee vvee haue Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. â—0 our Advocate and hee is the propitiation for our sinnes So the Apostle Saint Paul sheweth that not onely when wee were enemies we were reconciled at the first by the death of Christ and obtained the release of our grosser offences but much more beeing once reconciled and made the children of God by CHRIST wee are still preserued in the same grace and obtaine the forgiuenesse of ouâ—…maller offences by the same meanes The trueth is that none are cured of their sinnes by Christ vvhich continue stil in the same and doe not dayly fight against them vvith dayly repentaunce but yet the physicke is one thing vvhereby the soule is cured and the disposition of the soule another thing vvhereby the soule is prepared that so the physicke may effectually vvorke The preparatiue is one thing and the physicke is another thing the physicke is onely the physicke and nothing else Our Saviour CHRIST is our onely physicke and physition also Repentance after a sort may bee called the preparatiue and the Minister of the vvorde may be to vs in steede of the Apothecarie or as â—he physitions man that is sent to vs vvith the purgation The purgation it selfe is made of none other ingredientes but of the most bitter panges of our Saviours owne passion not of the rootes of our hearty repentaunce neither yet of the fruites of our christian faith that is vvhatsoeuer our sinnes bee and vvhensoeuer they bee committed we obtaine not the forgiuenesse of them by our owne merites nor by the satisfactions of any other but onely by the free and vndeserued mercy of GOD and by the most precious satisfaction of the death of CHRIST All haue sinned saith the Apostle and are deprived of the glory of GOD but are iustified from their sinnes freelye Rom 3. 23. by his grace through the redemption that is in CHRIST IESVS And in trueth otherwise our case were most miserable For in the parable of the debtour the summe of one thousande Mat. 18 24. talents declaring the infinitenesse of our debt doth openly proclaime our insufficiency and inabilitie to discharge the same as also the wordes annexed vvhen he had nothing to pay and I forgaue Psal 130. 3. Iob. 93. Psa 143. 2. thee all thy debt For verily if God should marke what were done amisse vvho vvere able to abide it And if hee shoulde call vs to an accounte vvho vvere able to aunsvvere one for a thousande And therefore our best plea is Enter not into iudgement with thy servants O Lord cal vs not to reckoning put not our billes in suite for we are no way able to make payment we are no way able to make satisfaction Div. 10. That Purgatory is no article of the Christian faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resurâ—…on of â—…sh IF the deliverance of the soules out of Purgatorie had beene an article of the christian faith as it is iudged to be by the church of Rome then it had beene convenient that after mention made of the resurrection of the body out of the custodie of the graue there shoulde haue beene adioyned the deliveraunce of the soule out of the prison of Purgatory the tormentes there being so greate as they say they be the deliverance from thence being as great a blessing at the lest as the raising of the bodies out of their graues should not haue beene altogeather vnremembred especially sinne verie much abounding before the day of the generall resurrection and the Popes pardons nothing so much regarded and his charitie without a fee being not vsual and ordinary Purgatory then must needes be well filled and so the deliverance from thence a great benefite to many Div. 11. That everlasting life is the free gifte of God through CHRIST and noway purchased by the merite of our owne vvorkes 〈◊〉 ever â—…ng IF any thing be bestowed vpon vs by free gift froÌ„ God theÌ„ surely everlasting life is so bestowed as the greatest gift proceeding froÌ„ the most bouÌ„tifull giuer the most excelleÌ„t effect from the most excelleÌ„t cause And why is God else accouÌ„ted a most liberall bountifull free franke and gracious benefactor but that most liberally bountifully frankely and freely he bestovveth vpon his faithfull servantes the most precious crovvne of eternall glory VVhen that bountifulnes saith the Apostle and that loue of GOD our Saviour tovvardes man appeared not by the vvorkes of righteousnes vvhich wee had vvrought but of his ovvne mercie he Tit. 3. 4. saued vs. And verely the glory of this greate bountifulnes must needes haue beene much dimmed if vvee had attained to salvation by our owne merites and not by the LORDES onely mercy The vvages in deede of sinne is death but everlasting life is the gifte of GOD through IESVS CHRIST our Lorde Rom. 6. 23. For our evill vvorkes are perfectly evill and therefore deserue eternall death but our good workes are not perfectly good and therefore eternall life is the free gift of GOD through CHRIST and not a vvages due to the merite of our vvorkes Othervvise vvhy did the Wiseman say Beholde the righteous are here recompenced vpon earth hovve much more the vvicked and the sinner VVhat doth not the LORD as well loue righteousnes Pro 11. 31. to recompence it as he hateth vnrighteousnesse to punish the same Yes verely but this is heere spoken to this end by the VViseman that vve shoulde vnderstand that the sinner most iustly deserueth this punishment vvhereas the righteous deserueth not the revvard And therefore it is not without cause that iust Iob thus speaketh of himselfe If I haue done evill vvoe vnto mee if I haue done righteously yet vvill I not Iob. 10 15. lifte vp my heade being full of confusion because I see mine affliction And vvhy The evill vvorkes of the best are in an higher degree evill then their good vvorkes are in themselues good and therefore in respect of the one they may be rustly cast dovvne vvith the feare of eternall confusion and vvoe but in
lay vp in the store-houses of your harts all manner of spiritual graine that when yee be called abroad to be the â—ords husbandmen yee may bee able to sow the Lordes fielde with plentifull store of all good seede Verely the harvest is great and the Matth. 9. 37 labourers are â—ewe and ye may well perceive by experience in your selues what a labour it is to bring into tillage the vntidy soile of one soule to cause it to yeelde but a meane harvest for vndoubtedly in this kind of husbandry especiallie is the proverbe best verified A great harvest and a little corne And therefore also my brethren while ye are so neere the Lords aâ—moâ—… â—ay fitte your selues with weapons of all sortes offensiue and defensiue furnish your selues nowe with all manner of munition against the time that yee are to be sent to any speciall kind of service by any of the Lordes chiefest captaines commanders Ye haue in place of your Honorable Founder the right reverend Father in God the Bishop of Winchester one that hath bin of your owne society a famous and renowned Coronell who hath most couragiously fought the Lordes battels and hath fitted for you many notable weapons whereby yee may be able not onely to encounter but also to subdue and vanquish the enimie who hath already called some of you and is readie to cal other of you also and to place you over no meane bandes O most reverend and renowned Bilson thou hast best deserved among al our companie to haue the prehemineÌ„ce for that thy sword hath hewen cleane a sunder manie of the stroÌ„gest greatest Pillars of the VVesterne Babilon O lift it vp stil against the common enemie and let it be as the bowe of Ionathan as the sword of Saule which never returned emptie 2. Sam. l. 22. from the blood of the slaine and from the fatte of the mightie And so as all the sheves of Iosephes brethren did stand about Iosephes sheife Gen. 37. 7. and did obeysance vnto it so shal al our swordes stoupe lowe to thy sword and shal be marshalled at thine appointment But to turne to you my brethren which are nowe as it were the Lordes trained souldiers and out of whose companie manie captaines are to be chosen for the guiding and leading of many severall bandes ye may behould and looke vpon the ensamples of your owne predecessors even of such as haue beene of your owne society And withal yee may somewhat respect your pay which no doubt may bee good here if that you endevour faithfully to performe your service but especially you may assure your selues that you shall receiue a large allowance when ye come to appeare before the great Lord of all hostes and the high generall of all armies Then if yee haue fought the good fight and kept the faith and finished your course there remaineth for you a crowne of righteousnes and if this be given to every good souldier what a large portion may every captaine expect But here by the way I would willingly put you in minde of this one thing which is that many famous captaines and couragious souldiers both in the bodelie and ghostlie fightes haue beene brought to vtter ruine and decay by leaving the pursuite of the vanquished enemie and by turning too hastelie greedelie after the pray Waâ— not Hanniball and his armie made weake and effeminate by the spoiles of Capua which could not bee daunted by all those hard labours that they patientlie endured in passing over the vnpassable Alpes And how els was the large and ample Empire of the city of Rome and of manie other great kingdoÌ„es and couÌ„tries overthrowne But to omitte these great commanders in bodilie Religio peperâ—t divitias filia devoravit matrem warres haue not the most famous captaines in spirituall services come to ruine by the same meanes What made the high Priestes Elders among the Iewes to destroy Christ and to treade vnder their feete his heavenlie doctrine but that they might retaine the favour of the Romane Emperour so might preserue their earthlie estate And did not the latter Bishops of Rome neglect the true gift of gifts given vnto their predecessors by Constantines Lord while they laide all their plottes howe they might most firmelie â—ease themselues and their successors of the preâ—ended donation of the Emperour Constantine And what made them giue over the carefull seeking of that glorious inheritance that St. Peter enioyeth in the highest heavens but their deepe devising how they might make the counterfeite and forged evidences of St. Peters patrimonie to goe for currant and good And whereof also did it proceede that they clouted and patched togither but with all manner of worldly pollecie and cunning such an earthly religion as they nowe professe but that they saw it to bee most fitte for the better maintenaÌ„ce of their earthly kingdome And was not all this most significantly shadowed drawen out vnto vs Apocal. 9. by a starre falling from heaven to earth who giuing over the care of heavenly matters and fastening his heart wholy vppon earthlie became the heade of the blacke and darke kingdome of Antichrist which can agree to none so fitly as to the Papacy wherof a Bishop is the cheife prince who is stil accouÌ„ted as a most principall starre aboue al other by many that thinke themselues to bee the onely Christians And not onelie this starre is fallen by this meanes but also Apocal. 12. the dragon is said with this his taile of ambition covetousnes to throw down eveÌ„ the third part of the stars of heaven to cast them to the earth Which he bringeth to passe when hee perswadeth them to vse all vnlawfull meanes to bring them to their earthly preferments commodities also wheÌ„ he causeth them to giue over all their former laboures in setting forth and promoting the kingdome of God that so they may haue more leasure to seeke their owne by neglecting the things that are Iesus Christs Wherfore worthy of most Mr. Foxe in his third consideration given to the professors of the Gospel honourable commendation commemoration is that sinceritie that was in Wickeleife others of those times who went about bare-foote and very meanely cladde preaching the ioyfull and glad tydings of the Gospel thinking it to be a sufficient reward to haue liberty freely to publish the same albeit it were without all earthly reward But here I pray you mistake me not for I thinke it no way to be vnlawful for the ministers of the Gospell to enioy temporall possessions honours seeing they are best worthie of them that know how to vse them best and are thereby made more careful to ameÌ„d their worke as they perceive their wages to be amended but these things are spoken to this end that al such as seeke after earthly vanities by al sinister meanes are moued therby to giue over their labours in preaching and publishing
possibly do any thing that can please him better theÌ„ when we yeeld him that service which he himselfe hath coÌ„maunded Now every true and faithfull servant of God woulde most willingly doe vnto God that service which is most acceptable vnto him and therefore hee ought most readilie to addresse himselfe to the carefull performance of all duties as are prescribed in the commandements of God Subiects servants ought to performe their civill duties to their magistrats and masters by yeelding obedience to their lawfull commandemeÌ„ts but yet being so done they are to be esteemed but civil duties But if they wil haue them to be religious duties also theÌ„ they must performe them in obedience not so much vnto men as vnto God for that hee hath most straightly enioyned them to bee subiecte to those whom he hath placed over them Servants saith the Apostle be Coll. 3. 22. obedient vnto them vvhich are your masters according to the flesh in all thinges not with eie service as men pleasers but with singlenes of heart fearing God and whatsoever yee doe doe it hartelie as to the Lord not vnto men knowing that of the Lord yee shall receiue the inheritance for yee serue the Lord Christ By which words wee may learne that servants yeelding their obedience to their bodely masters at the commandement of Christ doe therein serue Christ and therfore howsoever they are heere oftentimes very slenderly rewarded by their bodely masters they shal be sure to bee well rewarded elsewhere by their master Christ Verely it ought to bee a sufficient motiue vnto vs to be exercised in the commandementes of God for that it is the holy and acceptable will of God that we should so doe and yet behould his great and endlesse goodnes who applieth himselfe to our frailety and weakenes not onely by promising vnto vs all manner of blessings both spirituall and temporall thereby to allure vs also to the ready performance of that dutie which shall be so liberally rewarded both in this life and in the The faithfull in some sort may respect both promises threatninges rewardes and punishmeÌ„ts the better to stirre them vp to doe their duties and all many times little ynough but yet to doe the wil of their heavenly father and to please him is the most principall motiue to stir them vp to the ready performance of all good workes life to come but also by threatning vs with all plagues punishments that so he might force and compel vs to that the omission and neglect whereof shall in the end be revenged with so great severity Wherein the Lord dealeth with vs as a wise and carefull father dealeth with his deare childe who while hee is young and wanterh discretion sometimes vseth the terror yea the sharpe blowe of the rodde and sometimes a figge and an apple and the promise of a gay coate the better thereby to nurture him and to traine him vp but when he beginneth to be of yeeres discretion then he seeketh to make manifest vnto him his fatherly care and kindnes towardes him therby to possesse him with the loue of his dutie the which thing when it is once wel perceiued of the kinde and naturall childe then he thinketh that he can never be careful inough by al meanes to please so careful kind a father he is greatly grieved with himselfe if any waie he offend him hee is very much ashamed of his former child shnes in that hee was reâ—dier to hee nurtured with a rodde and an apple then with the due consideration of his fathers loue So dealeth with vs the father of our spirites sometimes assaying to winne vs with his promises and sometimes to terrifie vs with his threates but when we are come to that discretioÌ„ that we are able somewhat to discerne that dignity of our high calling in Christ the great honour of our heavenly and caelestial adoption theÌ„ nothing doth prevaile so much with vs as the due consideration and admiration of the Lords great endlesse mercies which he hath already made manifest vntovs Then we begin to bee ashamed of our too much childishnes that we should still stand in neede either to bee as it were stil flattered or chidde and would most willingly perswade our selues that onely to please so loving and gracious a father ought to be a sufficient motiue of it selfe to induce vs to the careful performance of al duties And verely the kind and louing child of God in doing those workes which are required at his handes seeketh not so much to please men or to profite himselfe as he intendeth to serue and please God by being obedient to his wil and he respecteth al other thinges no otherwise then it standeth with the good likeing and wil of God that he should respect and regard the same Hee loueth God principally for Gods sake not for his own or anie others to gaine any thing thereby to himselfe or to any other The cause saith an auncient father of louing God is God the measure Bern. lib. de diligendo deo of louing him is without measure God verelie saith he is not loued without reward albeit he be to be loued without respect to the reward For he loveth God lesse then hee should that loueth any thing besides GOD. Wherefore if in doing good workes we principally respect praise commendation among men and to be honoured magnified of the multitude for the same or if wee principally regarde either the procuring of the Lordes temporall blessings heere in this life or the purchasing of eternal glory in the life to come then wee serue our selues and not the Lord and loue our selues and not the Lord. And is he not to be accounted a slaue that is forced to his duty for feare of the whippe an hireling that is drawen thereto in respect of his hire Verely the sincere servant of Christ embraceth godlines for it selfe and honoureth God for his owne sake If thou be a slaue saith Nazianzene feare the whippe and if thou bee an Nazianz. de sanct baptism hireling expect thine hire but if also aboue these thou art a sonne reverence God as thy Father doe well for that it is an excellent thing to be obedient to thy father and albeit there were no other thing to bee attained hereafter yet this very thing will be a sufficient reward to haue done that which is well pleasing to thy father I haue applied my minde saith David to keepe thy commandements even to the end Some thinke saith Isidore Clarius the vvord that signifieth to the ende to signifie for the reward Psal 119. But saith he it is to servile a thing and not worthy such a prophet to giue dilligence to Gods commandements for the reward and for the hope of retribution seeing for this one thing that we â—e created by him wee can never satiâ—fie this debt yea saith he we are bound to serue him vvith our whole minde
authority over them and their humble submission vnto his statutes and lawes And therefore in the prophecie of Ieremie the Lorde himselfe doeth most vâ—hemently cry out vnto this backesliding generation O yee disobedient children turne againe saith the Lorde for I am your Ierem. 3. 14 Lord. And verily if it seeme vnto every man iust and reasonable that the eies of servantes shoulde looke to the hands of their masters Psal 123. 2. and the eies of maydens to the handes of their mistrestes then much more reason is it that our eies shoulde waite and attende vpon the LORDE our GOD if that vvee vvill bee accepted of him as his faithfull servauntes The Centurions goe Mat. 8. 9. in the Gospell vvas enough to his souldiours and his doe this was sufficient vnto his servantes and shall not the orders and iniunctions of the Lord of Lords and commander of al commâ—unders make vs prest and willing to yeeld to him al humble ready obedience Especially whereas he is our only Lord and lawmaker who hath authority not only to impose lawes vpon our consciences but also to revenge all contempt and disobedience even with everlasting perdition both of body and soule There is Iac. 4. 12. Eph. 4. 5. one lawgiver saith S. Iames who is able to saue and to destroy There is one God saith the Apostle and one Lord. All other Lord here among men haue no lawfull authority but from him for they are but his Lieuetenants and deputies and therefore must not goe beyond their commission in making statuces and imposing lawes no not vpon their owne subiects Concerning the safety prosperous estate of themselues and of their earthly kingdomes and concerning the welfare of their owne subiects that are coÌ„mitted to their fidelity and trust they haue sufficient authority in wisedome equity and iustice to make holesome lawes but as coÌ„cerning the worship and service of God they haue none authoritie to make any new lawes of their owne but to provide that the Lords lawes alone be duely put in execution The which thing if they religiously perfourme then they are to bee obeyed in the Lord and that not only for feare but also for conscience otherwise if they goe beyond their commission their subiects owe theÌ„ patience but not obedience For as they themselues wil not tolerate or indure any such presumptioÌ„ in any of their own subiects if they take vpon them to make lawes to overrule them their kingdomes for that were to suffer the scepter to be wrested out of their owne hands and the crowne to be taken from their own heads so they themselues must not presume to make lawes for the ordering of the church of God for the administring of his spirituall kingdome but religiously to provide that the Lordes lawes only be carefully observed and kept And therefore at the day of the kings coronation the booke of the law was delivered into his hand to put him in minde that thereby he ought to rule both himselfe and all his subiectes in all matters concerning the service of God So likewise the ecclesiasticall officers governours even they that are the chiefe builders of the Lords spirituall temple must lay no other stones in that building but such as are digged out of the Lordes owne quarries That is they must teach no other points of faith and precepts of life then such as they haue received froÌ„ him who only hath authority to appoint and ordaine what we ought to beleeue and how to liue otherwise if they teach any thinge of their owne wee ought to giue no eare nor credite vnto them The Scribes and Pharisies saith our Mat. 23. 2. Saviour Christ sit in Moses chaire whatsoever therefore they say vnto you that doe yee For in sitting in Moses chaire they teach the law delivered by Moses and so God himselfe teacheth by them vnto whom we owe all ready obedience But if they doe mingle therewith their owne leaven that is their owne doctrines and inventions Mat. 16. 6. we must avoide and shun the same as a most daungerous deadly poyson The truth is that in matters of ceremony the church governours haue authority to ordaine such thinges as belong to edification comelines and order and yet therin also they are to take heede that they do not clogge the Lordes people with such burdens as the Lord would not haue to be laid vpon them and also that matters of ceremony and circuÌ„stance be not so vehemently pressed and vrged as if they were matters of substance When king David not without the approbation of Nathan the prophet had purposed to builde a sumptuous temple for the arke of the Lords covenant for the fitter assembling of the people and for the more convenient performing of all such things as did belong to the service of God albeit also it was a matter of circumstance and not of substance therfore left in the hands of such as were in authority yet for that it was new and strange and not precisely and particularly commanded by the Lords owne mouth beholde howe the Lorde seemeth at the first to take exception against this so relligious and godly a purpose of his owne most choice and beloued servant In all the places saith the Lord wherin I walked with the childreÌ„ of Israell spake I one word to any of the tribes of Israell when I commanded the Iudges to feede my people Israell or said 2. Sam. 7. 7. I why build ye me not an house of Cedar trees Yea when those very sacrifices offerings Sabbothes new moones solemne feastes with other the like exercises belonging to the service of God which were also precisely commandâ—d by the Lordes owne expresse word were performed by priest and people but not after that manner as they were ordeined by God how doth hee reiect them al cast them of saying what haue I to do with the multitude of your sacrifices when yee come to appeare before meo who bath required Isa 1. 11. these things at your handes No marvaile then that the Lord doth with so great detestation reiect al those kinde of services which the people had sucked either out of their owne bâ—ainsicke heads or had receiued by tradition from their forefathers saying They haue done that which I commanded them not neither ever entred into Ier. 7. 31. my hart So Isay 29. Because this people commeth neare vnto mee vvith their mouth and honoureth me with their lippes but haue remooued their hart farre from me and their feare towardes mee was taught by the precepts of men therfore behould againe I will doe a marvelous worke in this people even am trvelous worke and a wonder for the wisedome of the wise shall perish and the vnderstanding of the prudent shall be hidde Behould how dangerous a matter it is in those thinges which concerne the service of God to maime or to mingle any thing with the pure perfect word of God to
or rather that is risen again who is also at the right handâ— of God and maketh request to God for vs. Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or â—…kednes or perill or sword As it is written for thy sake are we killed all the day long and are as sheepe appointed for the slaughter Neverthelesse in all these things we are more then conquerours in him that loued vs. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor thinges to come are able to seperate vs from the loue of God vvhich is in Christ Iesus our Lord. In which words it is manifest that the apprehension of the loue of God in Christ doth breede such a strong faith and confidence in God that the faithfull are thereby fully perswaded that they shal be never finally forsakeÌ„ of God not vaÌ„quished cleane overthrowen by the force and furie of all their enemies Now as this loue of God breedeth faith in God so also it engendreth 1. Ioh. 4. 19. loue towards God We loue God saith S. Iohn because he loved vs first and hath revealed this his loue vnto vs hath made vs to apprehend it with the eies of our faith and to be assured Ignoti nulla cupido Tantfi diligimus quantum credimus Gre. in Ez. ho. 22. perswaded of the same For if God loue vs and we be ignorant of it how can we loue him againe for the same For our charity doth so depend vpoÌ„ our faith that so much we loue God as we know and beleeue his loue and goodnesse towards vs. A strong faith a strong loue a weake faith a weake loue For God worketh not in vs as he doth in those creatures which are vtterly voide of al vnderstanding and reason and so haue no sense and feeling of the Lords working in them but in the worke of our regeneratioÌ„ first he informeth the vnderstanding with knowledge and thereby moveth the affections and will Now faith beeing the eie of our spirituall vnderstanding whereby with Abraham the father of Ioh. 8. 56. the faithfull we behold the day of Christ and reioice therein first in him apprehendeth the loue of God towards vs then kindleth in our harts our loue towards him For true faith is not idle 1. Tim. 1. 5. Gal. 5. 6. and vnfruitful but first worketh loue and then worketh by loue shee is the mother of loue in that shee first breedeth it and then Aug de fide operibus c 22. Greg. in Ezek. ho. 9. Faith is the life of loue not loue the soule of faith by loue bringing foorth all good works shee is the grandmother of all good workes And hereof it is that Austine saith that it may rightly be said that all the commandements of God pertaine to faith if not a dead but a living faith that worketh by loue be vnderstoode For as Gregory teacheth Faith is the doore and entrance vnto good workes not good workes vnto faith Neither is loue the soule of faith that quickneth it and giveth it life but faith is the very life of loue and maketh it liuely and industrious in her worke And therfore the Lord vseth to sette before the eies of his faithfull servants his owne loue testified by his sundry and manifold blessings and so causeth them to manifest their loue towards him by their readie obedience to all his commandements And hereof it is that they are called the friendes of God Abraham the friend of God Moseâ— Iac. 2. 23. the friend of God So our louing Saviour vnto his deare disciples HeÌ„ceforth cal I you not servaÌ„ts for the servaÌ„t knoweth not what the master Ioh. 15. 15. The faithfull are accepted of God as his frendes therfore are put in assurance of his loue doth but I haue called you friends for what soever I haue heard of the father I haue made manifest vnto you And what is true and sincere frendshippe but a mutual and interchangeable ben evolence and good wil not lying hidde or kept secret within the closette of the hart but breaking forth and manifesting it selfe by the effectes And therfore in that the â—aithfull are called the frendes of God it is evident both that they feele the loue of God towards themselues â—oÌ„finned vnto them by his gracious blessings that they likewise are stirred vp to loue him to testifie the same by their ready obedience to his will yea this is one sure signe of the speciall loue of Christ towards his that he doth shew himselfe not vnto Ioh. 14. 21. the world but vnto them and so raiseth vp in them faith and loue and strengtheneth them in his feare If a prince favour his subiect and he knoweth it not he must needes loose a great part of the benefit and comfort that he might receiue therby if that he did perfectly vndestand so much And verely that favour caÌ„â— not be great that can be altogeather concealed and kept close A little fire may be covered vnder ashes so preserved for some time but if it be kept so long it wil be extinguished cleane put out but a great fire wil not bee covered but wil shewe it selfe by heate smoke flame even so the great fire of the Lordes loue towards his elect cannot long be hidde but it will make it selfe manifest vnto them sooner or later by the effectes therof Earthlie parents conceale in part their loue from their children beeing in their tender yeares least they should waxe wanton and be made the worse for the same but when they are once come to ripenes of age and to yeares of discretion then they commonly seeke to make it manifest vnto theÌ„ by al the meanes that possibly they caÌ„ and they desire nothing more then that they should be through ly perswaded therof and he is a bastard a very vnnatural child worthy to loose both his name and inheritance which either will not be perswaded of the kind tender affection of his parents towards him or else is made therby more careles negligent to do his duty Even so our heavenly father whose tender loue affectioÌ„ towards his elect so far exceedeth the kindnes of al earthly pareÌ„ts as God exceedeth man testifieth his loue kindnes and care towards his continually either by his gifts or by his corrections or by both albeit he doth not at al times make theÌ„ feele so much it is for this end that wheÌ„ he doth so they should be more throughly moved to mislike theÌ„selues the more for their formet vnkindnes also to loue the Lord the more for his coÌ„stant and coÌ„tinual loue towards such as theÌ„selues were who before had so little regard so much as to take notice of such loue And therfore aâ— such as either wil not be perswaded of the fatherly affectioÌ„ of God towards theÌ„selues condeÌ„ning the same of
hoale when they are sicke even to death and therefore haue need of the more spiritual physicke because this their estate is most dangerous of all and such persons of all other are most hardly to be recovered For why did Publicanes and harlots Mat. 11. 21. An infidell is sooner converted then a couÌ„terfeit chri stian and a notorious sinner theÌ„ a dissembling hypocrite Pro. 26. 12. Mat 9. 12. sooner enter into the kingdome of God then the Scribes Pharisies and why would Sodom haue repented before Capernaum but for that all such as content theÌ„sâ—lues with an outward shew of piety and godlines are furthest of indeed from true piety and godlines Seest thou a man saith Solomon that is wise in his owne eies there is more hope of a foole then of such an one So seest thou one that is hoale in his own conceite there is far more hope of his recovery who albeit hee were more dangerously sicke yet hath not so strong an opinion of his own health For it is a good step to health to know a mans owne sicknes but he that cannot be perswaded that he is sicke wil not be perswaded to take physick therefore is past all hope of recovery he that will not bee perswaded that he is out of the way will never be perswaded to seek for a guide and therfore will never come into the right way Wherfore never more neede then nowe that the Lorde shoulde even force vpon vs as faithful guides the doctrine of his holy Apostles and Prophets and never more need then now that our heavenly physition should even constraine vs oftentimes to receiue his spiritual physicke and not only in respect of those that are Christians only in shew who are otherwise past all hope of recovery but also in respect of those that are true Christians indeede who yet notwithstanding are so distempered and crasie that without the continual administring of this spiritual physicke they wil by one ghostly sicknes or other soone fall into great danger yea vnlesse these men be stil feeding on this food they wil soone become so weake and feeble that they will not bee able to doe the Lordes worke vnlesse they be stil moistened with these eaelesâ—…al shewers they wil become fruitlesse and yeeld a smal haâ—vest vnlesse by this net they are stil drawne out of the sea of their sins they will sinke deeper deeper vntil they be drowned vnlesse this light be stil in their hands they will stumble and fall into the pit of destruction vnlesse this voice of the great shepheard doth stil souÌ„d in their eares they wil nothing but wander and go astray vnlesâ—e this spurre be stil in their sides they wil sone be at a stand giue over their iourney vnlesse these bellowes be stil blowing the fire of their zeale wil soone goe out As may appear by the examples of those renowned servants of God Zorobabell Iosuah the residue of that holy remnant of the people of God which returned out of the captivity of Babilon who were soone moued to give over the building of the temple of God and to settle themselues to their owne coÌ„modities pleasures vntill by the vvord of the Lord out of the mouth of the Prophet Haggey they vvere Hagg. 1. 3. effectually stirred vp vnto the finishing of the LORDS worke Wherfore no marvaile that al the faithful servants of God knowing the great necessity of having continuall in their handes and harts the most holesome instructions admonitions of the word of God doe exhort one another zealously after this manner saying Come lette vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lorde to the Isa 2. 5. Mich. 4. 1. house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his lawes and we will walke in his pathes They wil not walke in the vvaies of the Psal 1. 1. vngodly nor stand in the waies of sinners nor sitte in the seate of the scornefull and why their delight is in the law of the Lord. and in that law they doe exercise themselues day and night and thereby they become like erees planted by the water side which bring forth their fruite in due season whose leaves never wither And no marvaile though they prove such fruitful trees seing they are so plentifully watered with such holesome dewes whereas all such as refuse to drinke in continuall those holesome droppes being planted in the dry wildernes of this barren world become withered and deade trees good for nothing but to bee hewen downe and cast into the fire Seeing then the relligious reading hearing and meditating of the worde of GOD is not onely in it selfe a very excellent good worke and a principall part of the service of God which is to bee performed as every day so especially vpon the Lords day but also the meaue to begette and bring forth every good worke and to further the whole service of God to lead the people to the behoulding of God and to their perfect and absolute blessednes what then may we iudge of the vvorkes of the Church of Rome and of her manner of serving of GOD and of her leading of the people to the beholding of GOD and to their perfecte and absolute blessednes seeing shee keepeth this word of GOD fast shutte vp from the greatest part of them vnder the locke and key of a straunge tongue and debarreth them from the continuall reading thereof yea from the reading thereof altogeather and not onely so but also chargeth our Church to lay a stumbling blocke before the people and to minister occasion vnto them of falling into heresie for that wee not onely allowe but also exhort them to haue their continuall and dayly resort to the same that so they might be enabled to know the truth and to discerne it from falshood lies not receiving any doctrine vpon the bare credite of their teachers but trying it by this touchstone before they receive it for currant and good But if hereby we sett open a doore to errour heresie theÌ„ did The doctrine of al teachers is to be tried before it be received Ioh. 5. 39. Act. 17. 11. Christ and his Apostles doe the same before vs and many also Apostolical men For our Saviour himselfe willeth the people to search the Scriptures and no further to give credite to his ovvne Doctrine then they shoulde finde it approved by those vvitnesses And the Beraeans are commended for searching the Scriptures and for putting into those ballances the verie doctrine of the Apostle Saint Paule that so they might see whether it would holde weight For as Austine teacheth all other ballances are deceitfull and therefore in his controversies with Aug. cont Donat. l. 2. cap. 6. the Donatistes he appealeth to them and vvill haue his cause to bee vveighed onely therein And is it not the commaundement of CHRIST himselfe given to the people Beware of false Math. 7. 15. Prephets which come to you in