lambs for so Gedithaik the Hebrew word signifies nigh vnto the tents of those sheepheards Here is that heauenly Oracle first she must know for her selfe Habac. 2.4 Heb. 8.10 The iust man must liue by his own faith And this is now the new couenant that all shall know me saith the Lord from the smallest to the greatest They which lacke this knowledge no doubt are without the couenant And this is life eternall saith our Sauiour that they know thee to be the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ Io. 17.3 They which know not thus much shall neuer haue eternall life But how now shall we attaine this true knowledge and be sure not to go astray in so manie by waies as now are in the world The answere is plaine and easie Follow the tract of those sheepe Hatsoon saith the spouse as it is in the Hebrew that is of the first Christians not of euerie common shéepe as the Papists would haue vs. The shéepe will make a tract or way by which it may appeare which way they haue gone Euen so let vs follow the steppes of the ancient Christians Let vs beléeue to be saued as they beleeued let vs liue as they liued and then surely we shall rest with Iesus Christ For as saint Paul saith The Corinthians wanted nothing 1. Cor. 1.7 but were euen now readie to looke for the comming of our Lord Iesus to iudgement What things then they had not as necessarie to their saluation what néed we thē And S. Peter saith testifieth that that was the true grace of God wherein the Christiās stood in his daies 1. Pet. 5.12 And shall we beleeue to please God now by any other new deuises And this is that which saint Paul teacheth the Corinthians For this cause haue I sent vnto you Timothie 1. Cor. 4 17. which is my beloued sonne and faithfull in the Lord which shall put you in remembrance of my waies in Christ Saint Paul would haue the Corinthians follow his tract follow his waies And againe in the same Epistle Be ye followers of me 1. Cor. 11.1 euen as I am of Christ And againe to the Philippians Brethren be yee followers of me and looke on them which walk so Phil. 3.17 as ye haue vs for an example And to Timothie he writes thus 2. Ti. 3.10 Thou hast fully knowne my doctrine manner of liuing purpose faith long suffering loue patience c. And to the Hebrewes Remember them that haue the ouersight of you Heb. 13.7 which haue declared to you the word of God whose faith follow considering what hath been the end of their conuersation No doubt these are those shéepe which the bridegroome here counselleth his spouse to follow And feed thy younglings Vers 2. Here all Catholickes must learne another principall marke of Gods Church that is to instruct their young children in the law of the Lord as Dauid teacheth them also Wherewith shall a young man redresse his waie euen by taking heed thereunto according to thy word Psal 119.9 1. Ioh. 2.14 And saint Iohn also in his Epistle I write to you babes that you haue knowne the father Euen young infants must know God the Father and then Iesus Christ the Sonne also who makes God to be our louing father Luk. 2 14. and then the holy Ghost by whom this loue of God is shed into our hearts And saint Paul writes of Timothie Rom. 5.5 2. Ti. 3.15 that he knew the scriptures of a child And shall we not beléeue all these and instruct our children in the lawe of the Lord By the Tents of those shepheards that is of the Apostles whō Christ made pastors of his Church not of euery common shepheard nor also of anie one of those shepheards no not of Peter Ephe. 4.11 God hath giuen Apostles Prophets and Euangelistes to the building of his Church and no one Apostle Embrace therefore all the Apostles writings and féede on them and not on Peters onely embrace and follow all the Apostolical Churches as the fathers did and not the Romane Church onely And here I cannot but giue a lift at that great rocke which being deriued from that rocke whereof our Sauiour Christ speaketh in the 16. of Matthew the Papists oppose for the defence of their Church that because hel gates haue neuer preuailed against her Mat. 16.18 as they haue done against others because that now only of the Apostolical Churches she remaines therefore that she is the true Church But I answere that if by hell gates be vnderstood Heresies as some of the Fathers haue expounded them Epiphan in ancorato August de symbolo ad Catechum lib. 1. ca. 6 Bellarm. de Ro. Pont. lib. 4. ca. 3 D. Reinolds against Hart. ca. 7. deuis 8. and as Master Bellarmine seemes to affirme neither haue heresies preuailed against anie of the other Apostolike Churches For Artius though he assaulted the Church of Alexandria and Nestorius the Church of Constantinople yet they preuailed not but had the repulse in the end Nay in the Church of Rome there haue bin Bishops that haue béene heretiks as hath beene of late verie learnedly proued Neither hath hell gates at this day that is heresies preuailed against those Churches of the East which now the Turk possesseth but rather his sword power And that partly for their own sins partly for the sin of the Pope as may appeare by that prophecy of Zachary Zach. 11.17 O Idol sheepheard which leauest the flocke the sword shal be vpon his arme and vpon his right eie His arme shall be cleane dried vp and his right eye shall be vtterly darkened Which prophecie I haue handled else where in a Treatise of the Epistle of saint Iude. Har. euang ca. 66. But if by the gates of hell be meant the kingdome of the diuell as Iansenius doth expound them surely then also the gates of hell haue preuailed against the Church of Rome as well as against other Churches For from what monstrous sinnes hath she béene frée as appeareth by their owne histories But the true meaning of this promise Read Platina that hell gates shall not preuaile against the Church of Christ and against that faith which Peter professed is that although Sathan assault it with all his power and might with sinne heresies persecutions c. yet it shall neuer be quite ouerthrowne Mat. 24.2 as is now that stately Temple of Ierusalem which though it were builded on an earthly hill hath not now one stone left on another but shall remaine euer vnto the worlds ind Nay euen the reliques of those other Apostolicall Churches professing Christianitie remaine yet vnder the Turkes tyrannie so that Rome cannot brag that she alone remaines God shall haue at the least two witnesses to confirme his truth for euer Reuel 11.3 So that whereas the bridegroome bids his spouse to
disquieted within me O put thy trust in God For I will yet giue him thankes which is the helpe of my countenance and my God The ioy of the Lord is your strength Nehe. 8.10 Rom. 15.13 O Lord of hope fill vs with all ioy and peace through faith that we may abound in hope through the power of the holie Ghost When we shall heare the clocke strike let vs say Blessed be the houre wherein our Lord Iesus Christ was borne and died for vs. When as we shall haue done any thing well let vs say Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs Psal 115.1 but vnto thy name giue the glorie For thy louing mercie and for thy truths sake When we shall take a iourney I will go forth in the strength of the Lord God Psal 71.16 and I wil make mention of thy righteousnes only In a doubtfull matter let vs pray thus In silence and confidence is our strength Esa 30.15 In dangers let vs pray thus Our helpe standeth in the name of the Lord Psal 124.8 who hath made heauen and earth For Faith let vs pray thus with the Apostles O Lord increase our faith Luke 17.5 For the loue of God O Lord poure thy loue abundantly into our hearts Rom. 5.5 by thy holy Spirit For remission of sinnes Haue mercie vpon me O God after thy great goodnesse Psal 51.1 according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Psal 19.13 Who can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse thou mee from my secret sinnes Psal 25.7 O remember not the sinnes and offences of my youth but according to thy mercie thinke vpon me O Lord for thy goodnes For good thoughts Psal 19.14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be alwayes acceptable in thy sight O Lord God my strength and my redeemer For good workes Psal 119.122 Make thy seruant delight in that which is good that the proud do me no wrong At the houre of death Psal 31.5 Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of truth For the Church pray thus Psal 28.10 O saue thy people giue thy blessing vnto thine inheritance feede them and set them vp for euer Psal 80.7 Turne vs againe thou God of hosts shewe the light of thy countenance and we shall be saued Psal 85.4 Turne vs O God our Sauiour let thine anger cease from vs. In the afflictions of the Church Amos 7.2 O Lord God spare vs I beseech thee who will raise vp Iacob for he is small Psal 51.18 O be fauourable and gracious vnto Sion build thou the wals of Ierusalem Psal 122.6 7 8 O pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that loue thee Peace be within thy walles and plenteousnesse within thy pallaces for my brethrens and companions sake I will wish thee prosperitie Saint Gregorie his Prayer Greg. post Psalmos poenitent O good Iesu the word of the Father the brightnesse of the Fathers glorie on whom the Angels do desire to looke teach me to doe thy will that being led by thy good Spirit I may come to that blessed Citie where is an euerlasting day and one spirit of all men where is certaine securitie and secure eternitie and eternall tranquilitie and quiet felicitie and happie pleasure and pleasant ioy where thou God liuest with the Father and the holie Ghost for euer and euer Amen He that shall vse these short prayers no doubt as arrowes they shall mount vnto the skies and enter euen into the eares of God A View of Gods houshold and of all his Seruants THis is set downe by king Dauid very excellently in the Psalme They haue seene O Lord Psal 68.25 thy goings how thou my God and king hast walked in the Sanctuarie Here Dauid teacheth vs that the Lord God as a mightie Prince sometimes as it were euen walketh in his Sanctuarie and among the faithfull in the congregation Now followeth his traine The singers Sharim go before the Musitians Nogenim they which play with the hand on instruments of musicke follow after in the middest are virgins playing on timbrels or drummes Here is Gods traine first singers then virgins and lastly they which plaie with the hand And these may signifie vnto vs thrée sorts of men in Gods Church Singers maie represent Martyrs or Confessors of the faith Virgins those that next to them though they haue not shed their bloud for the loue of Christ yet for his sake they haue abandoned all the vaine and fleshly delights and pleasures of this world and therefore by good right they challenge to themselues the middle or second place And lastly are those cunning Musitians which play with the hand Gal. 5.6 these are those Christians whose faith worketh through charitie Who haue sowne plentifully with their handes the Lords talents that he hath blessed them withall 2. Cor. 9.6 as Saint Paul exhorteth them to doe And they which haue done so do receiue plentifully againe as our Sauiour witnesseth Matt. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world for I was an hungrie and ye gaue me meate c. And how fitly agrées all these together Martyrs may bée rightly called Singers for as Prudentius writeth of Romanus the martyr when as the cruell persecutor had bored through his chéekes he spake thus to him Prudent in Rom. mart O Ruler fierce I yeeld thee thanks that for one mouth too straite Now manie mouthes thou hast me made my Christ his praise to speake Virgins may bee said to play with Drummes For their praise soundeth farre and wide Matth. 19.12 Of virginitie Christ said He that can comprehend it let them comprehend it As though hée should say it is a price propounded of me to all my disciples to runne for 1. Cor. 7.32 Happie is he that can attaine it And S. Paul erhorting all men to virginitie I would haue you without care saith he But this thing can only virginitie afford you The vnmaried man careth for the things of the Lord how he may please the Lord But hee that is maried careth for the things of the world how he may please his wife Yea there is difference betweene a virgin and a wife They are not all one the one farre excelleth the other The vnmaried woman careth for the things of the Lord that she may be holy both in body and spirit but she that is maried careth for the things of the world how shee may please her husband Here is the excellencie of virginitie put downe weighed as it were in a paire of ballance and compared with mariage that euerie one maie sée the excellency and difference of the one before the other The virgin careth only for the Lord the maried person for the world The virgin
THE TRVE CATHOLIQVE FORMED ACCORDING TO THE TRVTH OF THE SCRIPTVRES and the shape of the ancient Fathers and best sort of the latter Catholiques which seeme to fauour the Church of Rome The Contents vvhereof are to be seene in the Page following Exod. 12.35.36 And the children of Israel did according to the saying of Moses and they asked of the Egyptians iewels of siluer and iewels of gold and rayment And the Lord gaue the people fauour in the sight of the Egyptians and they graunted their requests so they spoyled the Egyptians Cyprian lib. 2. Epist 3. And because now his second comming drawes neere his bountifulnesse and the great account that he makes of vs doth lighten our hearts vvith the light of truth euery day more and more Ambros de Abrah pat lib 2. cap. 9. We reade of a fire kindled at the sunne-setting which should lighten the euening of the world and should shine in the darknes and should reueale things which were hidden AT LONDON Printed by PETER SHORT dwelling at the signe of the Starre on Bredstreet hill 1602. THE CONTENTS OF this Booke 1 A Preface to the Reader 2 The true Catholikes Alphabet or A B C. 3 His Pater-noster or Lords prayer 4 His Catechisme or briefe summe of Religion wherein the Papists opinion concerning Antichrist is refuted and the true meanes of the calling of the Iewes is declared 5 His house or the notes and marks of the true Church drawne out of the Scriptures 6 Certaine godly Prayers which dayly he may vse 7 The liues maners of the ancient Christians drawne out of the Scriptures and Fathers To the Christian Reader I Offer vnto thee good Christian Reader in this Treatise the summe of our Religion And if forraine things delight thee as now adayes they do all men most commonly I do offer vnto thee I say our Religion proceeding out of the mouthes of the verie enemies thereof For as the people cried and said in Darius his dayes 1. Esd 4.41 Truth is the greatest and strongest thing of all others Euen so this sentence shall stand true for euer And here thou shalt see that performed in deed which Dauid did but prefigurate that Goliah his head is stricken off with his owne sword 1. Sam. 17.51 And surely if the bodie and the shadow bee relatiues as the Philosophers teach and that euerie shadow hath a bodie then truly Dan in the law may be also a figure of Antichrist in the Gospel Gen. 49.17 2. The. 2.2 and the Madianites of the Papists Dan as his name imports in Hebrew is a Iudge He will vsurpe the office of a Iudge amongst his brethren And euen so doth the Pope this spirituall Dan Leuit. 13.3 Matt. 8.4 He will be a Iudge also by vsurpation he will not iudge only betweene leprosie and leprosie that is betwixt notorious sinnes as the law commanded but he will iudge euerie light disease which the law commands not Hee will not bee iudge onely of those knowne sins which goe before to iudgement 1. Tim. 5.22.24 which Saint Paul bids Timothie that he should take heede of but also of those which follow after He will know the secrets of mens hearts of which Saint Paul saith Iudge nothing before the time 1. Cor. 4.5 vntill the Lord come who will lighten things that are hid in darkenesse and make the counsels of the hearts manifest and then shall euerie one haue praise of God And is not this to be Dan Is not this to be a Iudge Madian signifies iudging And as hee is Dan so also his armie and souldiers are Madianites they come of Dan that is their name For they take their name of him as the Papists do of the Pope and they shal perish also as did the Madianites Of whose ouerthrow thus we reade Iudg. 7.22 When the three hundreth blewe with trumpets the Lord set euery mans sword vpon his neighbour and vpon all the host which fled to Beth-hashittah Tsererah to the borders of Abel-Meholah vnto Tabbah Here first is the small number of the Lords armie the small number of the professours of the Gospell in comparison of the Madianites of Papists Friers Here are also the Lords weapons the trumpets of the Gospell against Madian and their destruction by one of them drawing swords against another Here is to make perfect this victorie and to conquer also Sathan the father of Dan the breaking of pitchers that is the mortification of the flesh Rom. 6.19 Col. 3.5 Matth. 16.24 and of the lusts thereof which Saint Paul so often teacheth and the denying of our selues and the following of him with our crosse on our backes which our Sauiour also commands And they fled to Beth-hashittah Tsererah and to the border of Abel Meholah vnto Tabbah Here is that verified which our Sauiour saith of the eternitie of the Scriptures That heauen and earth shall perish Mat. 5.18 2. Tim. 3.16 Rom. 15.4 but not one ioâ—te or tittle of the word of God shall perish And that Saint Paul writes of the excellencie of them That all the whole Scriptures are giuen by inspiration from God And againe That whatsoeuer is written is written for our learning And againe Nowe all these things came vnto them for examples 1. Cor. 10.11 and were written to admonish vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come Euerie verse and word in them doe edifie and are of force nay they edifie and teach vs And in this one point they surpasse almost all other writings The lawes of Iustinian manie of them are not conuenient for our age nor Galens prescriptions of medicines for our bodies 1. Pet. 1.25 but the word of the Lord is the same for euer The Madianites fled to Beth-hashittah Tsererah as to their castle of refuge and that is in our language to the afflicted house now readie to fall on their heads And do not euen now the Papists so Ierem. 7.4 Do they not crie as the Iewes did The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord So now they The Church of Rome the Church of Rome Is not the continuance thereof so manie yeares and the great glorie of it their Refuge Is not this one of their chiefest arguments But what is Rome Is it not Beth-hashittah Tserarah that is 2. Thes 2.8 that afflicted house now readie to fall on their heads It consumes daily by the Spirit of God as Saint Paul prophesieth that it should do and euerie day is it in declining And ere it belong in one day Reu. 18.8 that is sodainly as Saint Iohn prophesieth shall her plagues come vpon her death and sorrow and famine and she shall be burnt with fire For it is the mightie Lord euen God himself that iudgeth her And she shall fall into that miserable sorow and destruction which here also followeth euen to the very border or lippe as it is in the Hebrew of Abel Meholah
that is of the sorrowes of a woman trauelling with child eueÌ„ to Tabbaath to the last moneth in the yeare which answereth to our December which for the abundance of waters Psal 137.8 1. Pet. 5.3 which commonly are â—herein is called in Hebrue Tabbah which signifieth to be drowned Surely such flouds of sorowes and calamities remaine for Rome the daughter of Babylon Reue. 17.2 which Saint Peter calleth Babylon as the prophesies of the holie Scriptures do teach Nay Saint Iohn describeth her most manifestly That great citie which is built vpon seuen hilles and raignes ouer the kings of the earth Psal 73.27 Ier. 3 1. made them drinke the wine of her fornication What citie in the world is thus built and hath had this authoritie ouer Kings Reuel 17.17 and hath made them drinke wine of fornication that is Idolatrie which is so called in the Scripture but Rome The day shall come that these her louers those kings which with one consent haue giuen their kingdome to the beast shall hate her and shall eate her flesh and shall burne her with fire Wee see now the former of these fulfilled so no doubt wee shall see the latter also When God shall put it into their hearts and when his wordes are fulfilled and that euen in one day If Rome be in this case may shee not fitly be called the afflicted tottering house And therefore as the father and prince of the Madianites Dan may resemble the Pope and the Madianites his souldiers which shall one of them kill another so Beth-hashittah may resemble Rome their castle of refuge And God deales euen now as mercifully with his Church 2. Chro. 20.22 as he did in the dayes of good king Iehoshaphat against whom when manie nations had conspired and came to make warre it is thus written When they began to shout and praise the Lord the Lord himselfe laid ambushmeÌ„ts against the children of Ammon Moab mount Seir which were come against Iudah they slew one another 1. King 18.13 Ioh. 3.1 Luke 25 50. Matth. 27.19 euen so the enemies of the Church of God at this day by Gods speciall grace and mercy one of them kill another And euen as in the law Obadiah Ahabs steward nourished the Prophets of the Lord and Nichodemus and Ioseph of Arimathea princes amongst the Iewes Phil. 4.22 Ierem. 38.7 and euen Pilates wife fauoured Iesus Christ euen so now also in the Gospell the Popes darlings and Friers some of them fauour the truth And as Saint Paul also had some friends in Caesars house and Ieremie in the kings court so now hath the Gospell some friends among the Popes traine and that in no smal matters There is no one thing I am perswaded at this day doth so dazell the eyes of a great nuÌ„ber that they cannot behold the cleare light of the Gospel keeps theÌ„ stil in the obedience of the Church of Rome as the reading of Granatensis Stella Ferus Philippus de diez such like But all shall clearly see in this book how that in the principall points of religion they ioyne hands with vs. And that we may say of them 1 King 22.43 as we reade in the booke of the Kings of Iehoshaphat that he walked in all the wayes of Asa his father and declined not therefrom but did that was right in the eyes of the Lord neuerthelesse the high places were not taken away and the people offered still and burnt incense in the high places Good men haue their imperfections So these follow the way of the Fathers in preaching and setting forth zealously the word of God in maintaining the authoritie thereof as also the knowledge reading and meditation thereof they teach also the true vse of prayer with faith deuotion vnderstanding our perfect redemption by Christ and the assured faith that we ought to haue in him and how that we ought to trust in his merits and not in our owne works his exceeding great loue towards vs and the great corruption of our nature without his grace In these points they worship God aright with good king Iehoshaphat and they followe the wayes of their fathers But yet the high places are not taken away they burne incense there still They maintaine the Popes supremacie their patron Col. 2.18 2. King 9.20 10.28 they make prayers to Saints and Angels through their ouermuch humilitie as Saint Paul teacheth vs. Their great and good zeale is like to that wee reade of Iehu And the marching is like the marching of Iehu the sonne of Nimshie for he marcheth furiously And againe So Iehu destroyed Baal out of Israel but from the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat which made Israel to sinne he departed not He was the founder of his kingdome The policie which he deuised to maintaine his estate and kingdome hee also although it were against the word of God embraced So these are zealous Mark 12.34 but they also maintaine their founder the Pope and his authoritie We may say of these truly as our Sauiour Christ in the Gospel sayd of that Scribe Thou art not far from the kingdom of God no more surely are these So that heere good gentle Reader thou maist see Popery pulled vp euen by the roots by the hands of Papists themselues The true Catholike faith out of the Scriptures out of the Fathers out of the mouthes of them who seeme to be the verie enemies therof this small Treatise teacheth Euery one therefore that tendereth his own saluation let him mark wel that faith which herein is taught In the time of ignorance God might and no doubt did shew mercy but now at midday in the most cleare sunshine of the Gospell now I say to shut the eyes is wilful murther Reu. 14.8 For in the Reuelation our daies are most liuely expressed Then I saw saith S. Iohn another Angel fly in the midst of heauen hauing an euerlasting Gospell to preach vnto them that dwel on the earth and to euery nation and kinred tongue and people saying with a loud voice Feare God giue glorie to him for the houre of his iudgement is come and worship him that made heauen and earth the sea and the fountaines of waters Are not here our daies most euidently declared The preaching of the euerlasting Gospell the worshipping of God alone that made all things and not of any creature nay the verie time For the houre of his iudgement is come This preaching of these doctrines and this preaching of the Gospell shall be immediately before the iudgement Hee that is not starke blind cannot choose but see this Now followes the Church of Antichrist And there followed another Angell saying It is fallen it is fallen Babylon the great citie for she made all nations to drinke of the wine of her fornication Here is likewise the Church of Antichrist most euidently described She shall make all nations drinke of the wine
how is he all cleane which is commanded as yet to wash his feete Yea how can he be all cleane which is baptized when as the Scripture in euerie place affirmeth that no man is without sinne It is most true that no man is without sinne and yet notwithstanding it is also true that he is all cleane that is purified by faith For he because he is grafted into the body of Christ by faith doth participate and possesse the holinesse and puritie of Christ And therefore Paul said to them that beleeue ye are washed ye are sanctified by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ And againe there is no condemnation to those that are in Iesus Christ Therefore they which are grafted into Christ are called holy for the faith name and bloud of Christ although in the meane time in themselues they are nothing els but sinners and haue in them much sinne as yet but no condemnation because they are accounted iust with God through faith in Christ Hereof it is that Paul speakes of himselfe with my minde I serue the lawe of God but with my flesh the lawe of sinne Ferus here plainly teacheth that mans righteousnesse is by imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ and not by any inherent righteousnesse in himselfe And againe speaking vpon Stephens death he giues these notable lessons vpon these words Fer. in cap. 7. Act. Lord Iesu receiue my spirit He railes not nor curseth not but with great modestie cals vpon God To him alone he coÌ„mits his soule Here I would haue thee also learn the best manner of dying First he is carefull not for his body but for his soule the wicked doe contrarie Secondly hee cals vpon God distrusting in himselfe and of his owne merites but the wicked trust in their owne merites and therefore they builde vpon the sande Thirdly he confesseth his faith briefly but most perfectly calling him Lorde who is able and Iesus who is also willing to saue These three things are especially to be marked for they are verie necessarie to a blessed and happy death For they are blessed which die in the Lord. I would to God all true Catholiques which minde to die wel would learne these thrée lessons of Saint Stephen out of Ferus First to haue more care of their soules then of their bodies It makes no matter what maner of death they die or what cost be bestowed vpon their funerals let them do good and bestow their goods themselues 3. Cor. 5.20 while they are in the bodie Secondly that at the houres of their deathes yea and all their life long also if then in that extremitie they would call vpon none other but as Saint Stephen doth here vpon Iesus Christ Thirdly that they would condemne themselues as vnprofitable seruants before the maiestie of God and not trust in their owne merites as Ferus here teacheth them And here if Saint Stephen trusted not in his Martyrdome being so notable a worke neither was it laid vp in the treasurie of the Church to helpe the saluation of others much lesse the works of anie other as Poligranes teacheth And lastly that they would confesse the Lord Iesus euen this shorte faith these two wordes as Saint Stephen did For as Saint Paul saith God will make his account and gather it into a short sum Rom. 9.28 with righteousnes for the Lord wil make a short count vpon the earth God will make now a short account with his faithfull seruants Psal 143.2.12 with them that beleeue in Iesus Christ they shall not be called to so strickt account of euerie idle word as the Infidels shall Psal 32.1 Matth. 12.36 Luke 9 26. 1. Cor. 15.35 Reuelat. 1.18 Matth. 11 28 they shall be blessed because their sinnes shall be couered and because Iesus Christ at that great day of account shal not be ashamed of them That they would confesse I saie but euen with S. Steuen these two words Lord Iesu That he is a Lord of death of hell and of the Diuell and therefore is able to saue them and that he is Iesus who cals all that are heauie laden with the burthen of their sins vnto him And therefore be thou neuer so blinde Marke 10.49 euen as blinde as Bartimeus thou maiest boldly come vnto him as he did when as he called him and thou shalt not onely receiue thy sight but also be saued as he was Who neuer repelled anie from him not halte not lame not leapers not possessed Mat. 21.14.8.2 28. Iohn 11.44 naie who raised euen dead men vp againe and therefore is willing to saue They which acknowledge but these two things from a liuely faith néede no more This is the summe of Christian religion thus Stephen died and in this Religion Againe the same Ferus speaking of the word of God faith That is rightly called the word of grace because it preacheth grace In cap. 14. Act. and comes to vs of the grace of God and it condemnes merites And againe Of this Chapter as well the preachers of faith In cap. 15. Act. as the Preachers of workes make their bragges and therefore it is most diligently to be marked of all men the question was whether the lawe was necessâ—rie for them which were conuerted to Christ or whether faith in Christ sufficed The same question is now also amongst vs whether faith or workes doe iustifie It is not called in question whether good workes are to be done or no for all are forced to confesse that that good workes must be done but whether they iustifie or not The Apostles conclude that faith iustifieth and not workes nor the lawe And why doth faith iustifie because it leanes vpon the grace and mercy of God vpon the promises of God vpon the merites of Christ Why doth not the law iustifie because no man euer kept it Why doe not workes iustifie because they are vnperfect All our righteousnesse is like a defiled cloth This is the summe of the Apostles councell saith Ferus what can be spoken more plainly then this Here are questions proposed and answeres shaped to them and the conclusion is that faith onely iustifies because it relies wholie and onely of the mercie and promises of God and that works no not of the best men cannot iustifie because they are imperfect I wish that all they which crie out Generall councels Generall councels and will beleeue nothing but that which generall councels doe teach would marke diligently the conclusion of this first Generall and Apostolicall councell in this great and waightie matter euen in the saluation of their soules and that they would condemne all other generall councels which doe not agree with this both in matter and forme They direct their decrées from that generall thus Act 15.28 It seemes good to the holy Ghost and vnto vs Not it séemes good to Peter to vs which should haue béene the title if Peter had béene the head of the Church but
fauour againe therefore it was meet that mans nature being ioined to the nature of God should be so rich that it should aboundantly make satisfaction to God the father for the sinne of all mankind Therefore Christ borrowed this of his diuinitie that his body being holy innocent and stained with no spot of sinne should haue in it infinite vertue and force whereby it might pay all the debt we were bound in And hereof he saith I paid them the things I neuer tooke And a little after he writes thus He that hath giuen vs the bloud of his Sonne what will he deny vs Ibidem that is necessary to our saluation He that spared not his owne Sonne as Saint Paul saith but required of him the punishment due to our sinnes how will hee againe now punish vs if we shall be vnthankfull for such a benefite So that Osorius here plainlie affirmes that God required of his sonne Iesus Christ the punishment due to our sinnes and that whatsoeuer we now can suffer is but our dueties is but thankfulnesse for so great a benefit And after VVe must be followers of God Ibidem and if God could not be imitated vnles he were seen and if he could not be seen vnles he became man that he might stirre vp men to the earnest desire of true vertue not onely in words but also by examples what thing could be inuented either more profitably or wisely to mans saluation then to see the Sonne of God for mans saluation euen as it were shotte thorough with reproches torne in pieces with wounds tormented with griefes and enduring all these with an inuincible patience that he might not only suffer punishment for vs but that also be might strengthen our minds with the example of his heauenly vertue and with inuincible patience Let vs marke how he saith that he suffered the punishment for vs. Dauid also in the Psalmes teacheth vs verie excellentlie the great benefite of Christs redemption Psalm 85. ◠O Lord saieth hee thou art now well pleased with the land where the Hebrew word Ratsitha which he vseth signifies the greatest good will that can bee Thou hast turned the captiuitie of Iacob Iacob is nowe deliuered from sathans tyrannie Gen 3.15 thou hast broken the Serpents head as thou hast promised thou hast quite taken awaie the transgression of thy people That prophesie of Micah is now fulfilled we maie saie Micah 7.19 He retaineth not his wrath for euer because mercie pleaseth him he will returne and haue compassion vpon vs he will subdue or take with violence all our iniquities and cast all their sinnes into the bottom of the Sea Our sinnes doone awaie by Christs redemption shall neuer be seene anie more this wee must all beleeue And as Moyses said to Israel of Pharaoh and his armie Exod. 14.13 Feare ye not stand ye still and behold the saluation of the Lord which he will shew to you this daie for the Aegyptians whom you haue seen this daie ye shall neuer see them again So Saint Paul saieth to all Christians Wh◠shall laie anie thing to the charge of Gods elect Rom. 8.33 It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne It is Christ which is dead yea rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and makes request also for vs. Ioh. 12.31 And our sauiour saith Now is the iudgement of the world by faith or incredulitie by receiuing mee or not receiuing me And the prince of this world is cast out of doores And againe Luk. 10.18 I saw Sathan like lightning fall downe from heauen As verilie as Pharaoh is drowned in the redde sea so that the Israelites which then sawe him and his armie pursuing them neuer saw him anie more so verilie is this our spirituall Pharaoh his armie which pursues all christians drowned in the sea of Christs bloud in the bottomlesse depth of his redemption that the faithfull shall neuer see him anie more Hée shall not dare or bee bold now to appeare in God sight to accuse them Hée is now quite cast out of doores Reu. 7.14.12.8 By the bloud of the Lambe now and by that mightie Michael Iesus Christ is that great Dragon and all his angels conquered they preuailed not neither was their place found anie more in heauen Exod. 25.21 And thou hast couered all their sinnes Here is also the propitiation of Iesus Christ hee is that golden couering or propitiatorie that couered the whole arke No part of the arke here is excepted and therefore he also couered the blessed virgine Mary her sinnes Luk. 1.47 and hereof no doubt shée called him also her Sauiour Hée couered also the Apostles sinnes and therefore also they saie If anie man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father 1. Ioh. 8. Iesus Christ the righteous and hee is also the propitiation of our sinnes Thou hast gathered together as in a bundell all thine anger and laide it vpon Iesus Christ and art now turned from thy wrathfull displeasure Here is no doubt the great redemption of Iesus Christ and vpon this word of God must our faith be grounded And doe we not thinke then that Christ by his passion hath quite taken awaie both the fault and punishment all our repentance and sorrowes are nothing vnto the punishments due vnto our sinnes They are fruites of repentance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 3.8 of our after wittes as the Gréeke word mate seeme to signifie they are Testimonies that now our former sinnes doe displease vs. As that great sinner Mary Magdalen testified by the breaking of hir Boxe of precious ointment and annointing Christs feet therewith and wiping his feet with hir haire Ioh. 12.3 that now shée made no account neither of that precious ointment nor of her haire wherein before shée tooke great pleasure No doubt where true repentance and turning to God from sinne is these fruites will follow and without these fruites worthie of repentance we maie saie as Iohn said to the Pharisies that our repentance is but hypocrisie And after vpon this loue of God towards his Church followes a Prayer Turne vs O God of our saluation Verse 4. and let thine anger cease from vs. And after Make vs see thy mercie Verse 7. O Lord and giue vs thy saluation What is this but Iesus Christ Vnlesse God reueale it to vs wee cannot see the greatnesse of his mercie towards vs And therefore Dauid prayeth Make vs see thy mercy O Lord and giue vs thy saluation And after Verse 10. Mercie and truth are met together righteousnes and peace haue kissed each other As though hee should saie In Iesus Christ is mercie it selfe In him is the truth of all Gods promises What mercie 2. Cor. 1.20 or loue or blessing soeuer God hath euer promised by the mouth of anie of his Prophets is verified nowe and fulfilled in Iesus Christ These foure vertues neuer
if he will haue him For who doubts but that God knowes how to saue and is also able and willing to saue For God is the God of saluation as saith the Psalme but whether hee will saue him or no this the Diuell cals in question especially if a man haue liued among the wicked as Christ was here among the theeues Therefore it is a great temptation when the Diuell makes a man doubt which trusts in the Gospell that although he beleeue that Christ is our righteousnesse yet that he should doubt whether he be his righteousnesse or no c. Euerie true Christian must beléeue in particular that Christ is his righteousnesse if he minde to ouercome the Diuell and be saued To beléeue in Generall that he is the righteousnesse of all men is the marke the Diuell shootes at and this doctrine the Papists some of them doe now teach But he must go further that will be saued and apply this soueraigne plaister of Christs death to himselfe and to his owne soule and beléeue that he is his righteousnesse also Granatensis also of the same matter writes thus But thou O Lord as thou art omnipotent in vertues Granat de perfectione amor dei lib. 2. ca. 34 so thou art sufficient for all men in loue thou art infinit in them both and therefore that cannot be wanting to any which hath neither lymits nor any ende although it be deuided amongst many Euen as no man enioyeth lesse the light of the sunne because it shineth to all men but he receiueth so much thereof euen as though he were alone in the world so that heauenly bridegroome loues no lesse all the Godly soules both in particular and in generall then if it were one soule alone For he is not a louer like to Iacob whose loue towards Leah was colder for the feruent loue wherewith he loued Rachel but as an infinite God whose vertue is no lesse in euerie particular person though it be deuided also amongst many And after The Philosophers say Cap. 37. that goodnesse is to be beloued of it selfe but also that euery one loues his owne goods the best for when as man loues himselfe by nature it followes by a necessarie consequent that he must loue all his owne things as proper and pertaining to himselfe alone Wherefore euerie one loues his owne house his owne vineyard his owne money his owne seruants his owne horses and whatsoeuer he possesseth for all these serue to his vse and therefore man as he loueth himselfe so he loues all things which belong to himselfe Therfore if then thou my Lord God be not the onely best good thing in the world but also my best good thing that I haue in the world I minde here to consider in what degree thou art mine and by how many titles thou art mine that hereby I may more manifestly know how greatly I ought to loue thee Therefore I see O my God that thou art my Creator that thou art my sanctifier and that thou art my gloryfier Thou art my helper my gouernour defender tutour and keeper thou sustainest me thou encouragest me thou preseruest me thou to conclude art my God thou art my Lorde thou art my saluation thou art my hope thou art my glorie thou art all the good things I haue Thou art all these thinges vnto me O Lorde as thou art God but in that thou art man there are many other titles other duties and other bonds wherewith I am bound to thee Thou art my repairer for thou hast made perfect againe mans nature which by sinne was corrupted and weakned thou art my deliuerer for by thy captiuitie thou hast deliuered me from the tyranny of sinne death hell and the diuell my deadly enimy thou art my redeemer for with a price and incomparable treasure laid out for my sake thou hast redeemed me from that seruitude into the which thorow sinne I was fallen thou art my King for thou gouernest me with thy Spirite thou also hast fought for me and hast deliuered me from the hands of mine enimies And so going forward he reckons vp a great many benefits of Iesus Christ to his Church and after concludes thus All these things thou art O Lord my God and more then these both to all and to euery one and to me alone And therefore with what face shal I not loue thee Lord to whom I am bound by so many titles and meanes Par. prec orat 7. de impet amore dei Michaelab Istelt cites thus Granatensis praying But when as indeed euery good thing is to be beleeued by it selfe yet notwithstāding euery one doth loue his own good the best I wil therfore loue thee O Lord my God not only because that thou art the best good thing but because that thou art my good too For when I consider and way with my selfe by how many titles and means thou art become mine my very entrails melt within me and I crie out with the Bride My loue is mine and I am his For thou O Lord art my creator thou art my sanctifier and glorifier thou hast giuen me the essence of nature thou hast giuen me the essence of grace and thou wilt giue me the essence of glory Thou art my helper my gouernour my defender my tutor my preseruer and lastly thou art my Lord and my God thou art my saluation my hope my glory thou art all the goods I haue And truly thou art all these vnto me in as much as thou art God in as much as thou art the Creator and preseruer of all things but in that thou art man there are many other titles other duties and other bonds wherewith I am bound to thee and thou to me for the which also I ought of good right to loue thee if it were possible with an infinit loue c. Granatensis here affirmes that God is not onely the best good thing in the world but that hee is his good to him And what is this else but to teach men to beleeue speciall grace Mem. lib. 2. cap. 4. Granatensis also himselfe of speciall grace writes thus Amongst all those losses which the sinner incurres thorow his sinne there is none greater or more to be lamented then that hee loseth God himselfe for this is the root and fountaine of all other losses For to haue lost God is not to haue God a speciall father tutor pastour and defender and now to haue changed him from being a most louing Father into a most seuere Iudge Here is the verie word vsed that God is as it were a speciall father protector and defender to euerie one of his Granatensis in another place of speciall grace writes thus Mem. lib. 5. orat remiss peccat O Lord remember thy wordes which are most comfortable which sometimes thou spakest by the mouth of thy Prophet Ier. 31. But thou hauing plaide the harlot with manie louers yet turne againe to mee sayth the Lord. Wherefore O mercifull father
yet more to humble thy selfe Crie vnto God without ceassing and saie O Lord I haue nothing I can doe nothing without thy helpe I can do nothing else but sinne Cast down thy selfe prostrate with that notorious sinner and be so greatly ashamed euen as a woman is woont to be that hath defiled her husbands bedde and comes to aske pardon of her husband With such like shame O soule stand thou before thy heauenly spouse in despight of whom thou hast committed fornication so often with manie louers beseech him bedewed with many teares touched with great sorrow that he will pardon and forgiue thee whatsoeuer thou hast sinned against him and that he will receiue thee againe into his family for his great mercy beeing indeede that riotous and prodigall Sonne Thus farre Granatensis I woulde all Papists woulde teach this doctrine It woulde make men humble it woulde make them not trust in their workes it woulde make them flie truelie to the mercie of God which is the onlie and true Sanctuary for all Christians to flie vnto Againe of the imperfections of our good workes hee writes thus It is most certaine that thou felst into the foresaid sinnes speaking of the breaking of all Gods commaundementes before thou hadst receiued the true knowledge of God but after thou hast knowne him if thou haue knowne him yet desire of him that he will open the eies of thy mind and thou shalt find many reliques of the old Adam many of the Iebusites yet to remaine in the land of promise onely allured by thy curtesie And againe a little after VVhen as God doth not so much respect the worke it selfe as the meaning and purpose of the vvorke how many good works dost thou thinke that thou hast doon which are pure from the dregges of vaine glory and free from gaping after worldly praises How many are there which thou wouldest neuer haue giuen thy mind to but being drawne and moued vvith outward ceremonies Howe many are there in which thou hast sought thine owne estimation And how few are there which are doone from a sincere heart and for the pure loue of GOD and for which thou hast not paid the world her toll And all such workes what are they else then a smoake shadow and as it were a vizarde of vertue And againe If thou shalt diligently search all the corners of thy soule if thou shalt put thy hand into thy bosome thou shalt pull it out againe full of leprosie as white as Snow and thou shalt finde therein many deadly wounds Oh what deepe root hath swelling pride taken in thee How doth ambition raigne in thee How many waies doeth hypocrisie and the counterfeite shew of vertue trouble thee by which thou wouldest faine cloake thy faults and imperfections and desire to seeme another then thou art indeed Ah how carefully doest thou pursue after those things which are thine own which are acceptable to the flesh pleasant to the bodie how often vnder pretence of necessitie thou makest much of thy selfe and pamperest thy bodie most daintilie so that hereby thou seemes not to nourish nor feed it so much as longing after pleasures and delites to put a spurre vnto it And hereof this is a most euident argument that if any man who before was most gratefull and acceptable vnto thee shall a little reproue thee and find fault with thee and thine inordinate desires thou shalt feele bie and bie the roote of enuie to sproute in thee and thy selfe to bee woonderfullie mooued against him or if anie one shall a little impaire thy honour howe greatlie wilt thou bee displeased with him Thus farre Granatensis In which wordes hee doeth verie truelie describe the corruption of mans nature that no pure worke procéedes thereof But as long as wee liue in this flesh wee cannot so mortifie olde Adam but he will be mingling his Chaffe amongst the Lords Wheate and his dregges amongst his most cleare water streames of the holy spirit And as hee hath in this place most excellently shewed the grieuousnesse of the wounde so in another place hee shewes the salue and remedie The Souldier sayeth hee comes vvith his Speare and shaking it he thrusts it with all his force into the Lordes heart the crosse being moued with the force of the stroke shakes and by and by out of the fresh wound comes water and bloud to wash awaie the sinnes of the whole world O floud issuing out of Paradice and with thy streames watering the vvhole vvorld Oh precious wound of that side not so much wounded with the fiercenes of the Iron as with the force of loue O gate of heauen Window of Paradise place of refuge Tower of fortitude Sanctuary of the iust the graue of strangers the nest of chaste Doues the fragrant bedde of Salomons spouse Blessed be the wound of that precious side wounding the soules of the godly blessed be that pricking which pricks the soules of the iust blessed bee that beautifull and redde Rose that inestimable Carbuncle the way to Christes heart the testimony of Gods loue the free pledge of euerlasting life Thorough thee all beasts cleane and vncleane doe enter in which desire to be saued from the waters of the floud by the meanes of the Arke of the true Noah All they which are tempted flie vnto thee all those which are afflicted find comfort in thee with thy liquour all those which are sicke are healed through thee sinners do enter into the Palace of heauen in thee all pilgrimes and banished persons doe take their ease most pleasantly O firy Ouen of loue house of peace treasure of the Church veine of the water of life springing into life eternall O Lord open vnto me this gate take me home with thee and make me dwel in this most pleasant house Giue me grace by this to enter into the secret places of thy loue Giue me leaue to drinke of this most sweet Fountaine and make mee drunken with this most precious liquour Sleepe O my soule in this Caue most soundly forget here all the cares and businesses of this world here take thy ease here eate and drinke here sing most ioifully with the Prophet This is my rest for euer and euer here will I dwell I haue chosen this Thus farre Granatensis Wherein hee affirmes that Christes merites and not the merites of Saintes or of Monkes and Friers are the treasure of the Church and that the water and bloud of his woundes heales all sicke sinners And in another place writing of the end of our works he sayeth thus The benefites sayeth hee whereby we do receiue any good De orat Med tract 7. cap. 8 are oftentimes perceiued of men but these secret benefites which doe not consist in bestowing any good vpon vs but in turning awaie and repelling euill who can vnderstand Therefore it is necessary that we giue God thanks no lesse for these then for those other Let vs remember also how many things we doe
ceremoniall nor morall neither in those that go afore iustification neither in those that follow but onely in the grace of Christ And this is one of the chiefest pointes of Christian religion to knowe whereunto one maie trust in his saluation and in this he plainelie agrees with our doctrine And againe in another place he sayeth expresselie That the woman comming for another thing In cap. 2. Ioh. that is for vvater found Christ so God deales with vs. Our saluation chanceth to vs without desert and commonly neither desiring it nor seeking it yea being busied about other matters and seeking other things So the Kingdome fell to Saul seeking his fathers Asses So Christ was preached vnto the Shepheards keeping their flocks So Andrew and Peter casting their nets into the Sea were called of Christ So Matthew and Paul and others going about other matters receiued saluation of Christ To conclude so long wee are carefull for our owne affaires that is for carnall things till Christ of his owne freewill offer himselfe vnto vs beyond all our expectation And hence it is that the Bride crieth Draw me after thee and the prophet Turne vs O God of our saluation For if Christ should not preuent vs with his grace we do still remaine in our sins euen as that woman had returned euen as she came if Christ had not preuented her In cap. 3. Ioh. And in another place hee writes thus Vnlesse a man be borne againe Nicodemus asked Christ nothing expressely and yet Christ first of all answeres him of regeneration By this he hath taught all Preachers that first they make the tree good and then that they require good fruites that is to say that first they teach faith whereby a man may be iustified and afterward good workes and in this one short word he comprehendeth the whole summe of Christian religion Man truly was created to euerlasting felicity but because thorough his sinne he became accursed it came to passe that not onely himselfe and all things that he had but that also all his posterity became accursed therefore because wee are borne of Adam we are all become vnprofitable and abhominable both in body and soule in all our power and hability Vnlesse therefore by the grace of God we be borne againe and of Adams Sonnes bee made the Sonnes of God all things are in vaine that we doe or endeuour or thinke or speake yea our selues are vaine and all our reason will strength and works Therefore he that desires to enter into the kingdome of God must become a new man so also he that desires to see the kingdome of God that is to vnderstand the mysteries of the kingdome of God and his heauenly doctrine as God shewed to Iacob the kingdome of God in that ladder lift vp which reached to heauen he must lay aside all fleshly wisedome he must deny his owne reason he must despise his owne strength and must yeelde himselfe wholy as it were a bondslaue to the word of God By this word therefore Christ condemnes vs and all things that wee haue that hee might prouoke vs more forcibly to seeke helpe of him Againe by this word he wrests from vs all confidence in our selues or in our owne works and takes from vs that staffe of a reede that we may learne to trust in the onely mercy of God For faith is the sure staffe of our old age by which alone we may passe ouer this Iordan of temptation the figure whereof was shewed before in Iacob Here therefore learne why God in the Scriptures oftentimes condemnes our works and our endeuours for he doth not this to bring vs into despaire or because good works do not please him but that he may teach vs to trust only in the mercy of God And a little after hee writes thus Although one man beeing compared to another one may seeme more nobler or wiser or more iust then another yet if we respect the power wisedome and iustice of God we are all alike weake ignorant and sinners neither one not so much as an haire excels another For we all stand need of the grace of God And after It is no maruell if Nicodemus vnderstood not the words of Iesus For the fleshly man vnderstands not those things which are of God For they are foolishnesse vnto him Ferus here plainelie teacheth that a right faith must bee the roote of all good workes and that is such a faith as the Gospell teacheth that is that Iesus Christ is both able and willing to cure all diseases both of bodie and soule and with such a faith all sinners should come to him alone and that this faith should be planted in euerie Christians heart which the Papistes haue not doone heretofore in their Church And after this faith then good works should bee taught and required Secondlie hee teacheth that we haue no power to doe good left in vs wee are not like Birdes in a Cage which if the stoppe of sinne were taken awaie would voluntarilie flie out as other Papistes teach but euen deade Birdes and Carions hauing no strength or power at all to doe good and that Christ condemnes vs to make vs more forciblie to flie to him and that wee must not put anie confidence or trust in our workes and that before God there is not anie one man a haire better then another but all are alike sinners not excepting the blessed Virgine Marie of her owne nature What doctrine can bee more agreeable to the Gospell then this or to that wee nowe teach in the Church of England I woulde to GOD all Papistes woulde marke it and beléeue it Philippus de Dies also writes thus King Ezechias asking life of God Sermone 2. de resur recites his benefits saying O Lord I beseech thee behold I haue walked before thee in truth and in a perfect hart that I haue don that which is right in thy eies Why O holy King sayeth hee doest thou alleadge thy seruices that thou hast done to God It had seemed better if thou hadst alleadged thy miseries thy pouerty So poore men are wont to doe that may moue them to pity of whome they hope for an almes they shew them their wounds and miseries To this Saint Gregory answeres that the holy King here doth not alleadge his vertues as deserts but as all Gods benefites for all the good thinges wee doe they are Gods benefites And so saieth Saint Austen expounding the Psalme Who crowneth thee with mercie and louing kindnes saieth hee Is there not a crowne due to good works But because he works in vs all our good works therefore he sayth which crowneth thee with mercy and louing kindnes because al our good workes are the mercies of God And in another place hee writes thus Conc. 2. in fest Matth. One of the holy fathers being asked who was holy answered He that was humble And beeing asked againe who was more humble answered Hee that was more holy Lastly
that is euery day looke for it and wish that it might come spéedilie Would anie man wish for the spéedie comming of Iesus Christ vnlesse hee were sure hee should bee saued That saying in the Reuelation euidentlie prooues the same Reuel 22.17 The spirit and the bride say Come As the spirit doubteth not of his saluation so neither the bride of her mariage And shall shée doubt of her saluation That saying of the Prophet Esay of the Church of Christ is most manifest to prooue this doctrine One shall say I am the Lords Esay 44.5 another shall be called by the name of Iacob and another shall subscribe with his owne hand vnto the Lorde and name himselfe by the name of Israel Here is the state of Christes Church plainelie set downe One shall saie I am the Lordes another shall saie I am Iacob another shall saie I am Israel and shall anie then doubt of his saluation doeth anie man doubt of Israels or Iacobs saluation But see how contrarie the Papists doctrine is to that which the Prophet here sets downe and teacheth One shall say I am the Lords saieth the Prophet and this one is euerie one no doubt in the Church of Christ but they dare not teach anie one to saie so but thinke to saie so were great presumption But how can that bee presumption which Gods word so plainelie teacheth Let euerie true Christian well ponder in his heart whether he now will beleeue them or the Prophet Esay But the Vniuersitie of Collen speaking of Christians saieth that they hope firmely and with great courage Dialog 40. but they beleeue not that they shall bee saued for faith say they cannot bee deceiued but hope is after declared But here to answere their first point that No man ought to beleeue that he should be saued doeth not Dauid saie plainlie Psal 27.13 I should vtterly haue fainted but that I beleeue verily to see the goodnes of the Lord in the land of the liuing Dauid here plainelie confesseth that hee beleued that hee should be saued and why maie not other Christians also saie so Iob also saieth Iob. 19.25 I know that my Redeemer liueth And Abrahams faith was accounted to him for righteousnes And Saint Iohn saieth Iohn 20.31 That these things were written that all Christians might beleeue and beleeuing might haue eternall life But master Bellarmine alleadgeth that place of Saint Paul 1. Lib. de iustificat cap. 11. We are saued thorough hope and therefore we must hope and not beleeue that we shall be saued But if we marke well the natures of these thrée faith hope and charitie wee shall plainelie see that our hope saueth vs by the meanes of faith for these thrée vertues faith hope and charitie spring one of another and haue their diuers obiects Hope and charitie spring of faith and faith first of all hath respect vnto the word of God and embraceth most assuredlie the promise of God then of faith of the promise necessarilie springeth the hope of the thing promised and lastlie hee that beleeues ones promise and hopeth for the thing promised will loue the promiser and all that be his and this is Christian charitie So that these three vertues are as twinnes all lincked together and one taketh her vertue and force of another And none of these hath anie force without another Therfore hope saueth which procéedeth of the faith of the word of God and that charitie pleaseth which procéedeth to him and to all his from this faith of his word and promise And although hope be properlie of good things of things which concerne our selues yet as faith is of the paines and torments of the wicked so also is hope as we do beleeue verily the promise of God made to Abraham concerning himselfe his posteritie Gen. 12 3. I will make thee a great nation and will blesse thee and make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing So also wee must beleeue the same promise as verilie concerning his friends and his enemies which immediatlie followes I will also blesse them that blesse thee and I will curse them that curse thee and in thee shall all the Nations on the earth be blessed And as wee beleeue the promise so wee must assuredlie hope and looke for the things promised euen the plagues and punishments which without all doubt God will inflict vpon all Abrahams enemies and vpon all the enemies of his Church And vpon this promise no doubt Dauid pronounceth thus boldlie All mine enimies shall be confounded and sore vexed Psal 6.10 They shall be turned backe and put to shame sodainly And in another Psalme Mine eie hath seene his desire vpon his enimies Psal 54.7 Psal 38.37 And againe I will follow vpon mine enimies and ouertake them neither will I turne again till I haue destroied them So that then as we beléeue this promise of the coÌ„fusion of our enimies so we maie most assuredlie hope and looke for their plagues and the perfourmance of the same and so our hope in some sort stretcheth out it selfe as ample as our faith But to end this place of the certaintie of our saluation that place of the Prophet Esay of all Christians is worth the marking Esay 32.1 Behold saieth hee a king shall raigne to be righteousnesse to iustifie and his princes shall beare rule to teach men iudgement What King is this but Iesus Christ who is called by the Prophet Ier. 23.6 The Lord our righteousnes And what bee those his Princes which beare rule in iudgement but his Apostles and ministers and magistrates which teach men to iudge themselues least they be iudged of the Lord to minister iudgement to his people 1. Cor. 11.31 Psalm 82.3 And this man shall be a hiding place from the wind Gods wrath is compared to the wind and men to grasse Psalm 103.15 The dayes of man are but as grâ—sse saieth the Prophet Dauid for he flourisheth as a flower in the field for as soone as the wind goeth ouer it it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more From this sharpe pinching wind of the wrath of God Iesus Christ saueth vs according as Saint Iohn writes Iohn 3.36 He that beleeueth in the son hath euerlasting life and he that obeieth not the son shal not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him This is that hiding place which is mentioned in 1. Sam. 22. which is called Adullam 1. Sam. 22.1 that is their Testimonie their protestation all Christians must protest this that but for Iesus Christ the wrath of God had euen consumed them And to this caue or hiding place fled Dauid and saued himselfe there and his brethren and his fathers howse and there gathered to him thither all men that were in trouble and all men that were in debt and all those that were vexed in mind Here is that prefigured which Christ himselfe in the Gospel
iust man as thy goodnes required thou hast here one iustified according to the measure of our sinnes Therefore O our defender looke vpon this my Lord and looke vpon the face of thine annointed But also thou O our Sauiour doe not cease to set thy selfe alwayes before thy fathers sight for vs. If thy loue were such that thou fearedst not to yeeld thy members to the tormentor that he might beat them wrest them and teare them let thy loue also be so great that it may not grieue thee to offer those members so torne and rent to thy eternall father that he being moued with the sight of them may forgiue vs all our sins and receiue vs againe into his fauour Sée how Granatensis calles those Christians cowards that distrust of the goodnesse of God now hauing so mightie and louing and forcible a Sauiour to pleade their cause To be accounted a coward in worldlie exploites is the greatest disgrace in the world and shall all Christians which are accounted souldiers bee cowards in this necessarie and waightie matter of their saluation Naie if euer courage were necessarie it is here necessarie and to bee cowardlie in other matters it makes no great matter so that here we be not cowards lacke of courage here killes the soule and loseth all the goods wee haue all the good works wee haue done The fearefull shall neuer enter into heauen but their portion shall bee in the lake But some obiect that the gift of perseuerance is not giuen to all Granatensis writes thus thereof Gran. de orat med vesp 7. What kind of great mercie was it that after he haue restored thee being fallen to thy former righteousnesse againe besides this hee gaue thee grace by the meanes whereof thou mightest not fall againe and mightest ouercome thy enemie and perseuere in doing good This is that former and latter raine whereof the Lord speaketh by his Prophet Ioel Ye Sonnes of Sion be glad and reioice in the Lord your God who hath giuen you a teacher of righteousnesse Ioel. 2.23 and hee will raine vpon you the early and latter raine as in the beginning that is he will preuent you with his grace that the seeds of vertues may begin to grow in you and his grace shal also stil continue and follow you that those seedes may waxe ripe and answere your expectation Thus farre Granatensis where hee plainelie teacheth that the gift of perseuerance is so knitte to the gift of faith euen as the former raine by Gods promise here in the Prophet is to the latter And this is euerie true Christians comfort which they learne also out of the Apostle that God who hath begunne that good worke of faith in them will finish it Phil. 1.6 euen vnto the end And out of the Gospell that When as our Sauiour loued his which were in the world he loued them vnto the end Pintus of the signe Taw wherewith euerie one of the faithfull that should bee saued was signed writes thus It is written in the booke of Exodus Ioh in Ezec. ca. 13. that The Lord passed ouer and stroke all the first borne besides those which were signed with the bloud of the lambe c. And Saint Iohn in the Reuelation sayeth that The Angell imprinted a signe in the forehead of Gods seruants which should obtaine euerlasting saluation And after Saint Paul willing to exhort the Ephesians who had imbraced true Religion and now were become Christians that they should not defile the excellencie of their soules with the filth of sinne speakes to them in this manner Doe not make sad the holy Ghost wherewith ye are sealed against the day of redemption As though he should say Do not commit those sinnes wherewith the holy Ghost like a man vexed or molested should forsake you cal to your remembrance how you were sealed with it in the day of your baptisme And our prophet Ezechiel saith that they were onely deliuered from death which were marked with the letter Tau of the man clothed in linnen All these in my iudgement come to one and signifie one thing for that same Lambe with whose bloud the Israelites were signed that they might bee saued being without blemish and rosted with fire whose bones were not to be broken as the holy Scriptures doe testifie in Exodus what doe they signifie but Christ c. And after Hee is the Lambe of God of whome Iohn Baptist sayeth Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world He was inflamed with the fire of loue and rosted with the flames of most bitter torments and was sacrificed for vs on the Altar of the Crosse that he might purge our sins with his bloud and that he might bring vs vnto the true land of promise They which are not marked with his blood they which haue not the memory of his death imprinted in their minds beleeuing it and reposing all their trust therein as in our remedie they which are not sealed with his marke which he in Baptisme hath imprinted into vs which print is not in the substance of the soule as in a subiect but in the power thereof cannot obtaine euerlasting life And after When as the letter Tau signifies a consummation and end as Saint Ierom saith in the Booke of Hebrew names and all the Hebrew letters haue their proper significations and when as Christ is the end as that place sayeth which I haue euen now alleadged out of the Reuelation and according to that which Saint Paul writes in the Epistle to the Romanes Christ is the end of the law it is plainly and manifestly concluded that it is he wherewith wee ought to bee sealed And after hee alleadgeth Cyprian against Demetrius who affirmes verie vehementlie that This signe belongs to the passion and blood of Christ And that he onely shall be preserued to saluation who is marked with the blood of Christ And after There are some which by the letter Tau doe vnderstand the signe of the Crosse saying that this letter in Hebrew hath the figure of the Crosse but they are greatly deceiued for it is not like the Crosse being thus written ◠Vnles they will say that the Hebrewes changed the characters of their letters and the old letters to haue remained among the Samaritans For Saint Ierom saieth that in his time the Samaritans vsed the Crosse in stead of this letter but in Saint Ieroms dayes the same Hebrew letters were which are now Thus farre Pintus wherein hee plainelie teacheth that all Christians are to bee sealed with a marke that is with the blood of Christ and with the holie Ghost And if they bee sealed then they are sure of their saluation for as Saint Paul saieth The foundation of God standeth sure hauing this seale God knowes who are his 2. Tim. 2.19 Ioh. 10.28 16.14 His shéepe haue all his marke And he knoweth them and no man shall take them out of his hands And the
of the sonne 1. Thes 5.5 Mat. 14.31 They are children of light Peter maie doubt and also be afraide but hee cannot be drowned Luk. 22.31 Matth. 8.24 Psalm 94 18. Sathan may fift him but his faith shall not faile The shippe euen wherein Christ is maie be full of water but it cannot sinke Dauids foote may slippe but Gods mercie holds him vp The fire maie bee couered with ashes Psal 116.10 30.6 8 9 31. but at last it will burst out And Dauid will speake with his tongue God maie bee angrie with his ouer night but ioâ—e shall come in the morning If Dauid seede breake Gods law and do not walke in his iudgements if they prophane his statutes and keepe not his commandements He will visite their iniquities with a rodde and their sinnes with scourges but his louing kindnesse will he not take vtterly from them nor suffer his trueth to faile He hath sworne once by his holinesse that he will not faile Dauid The Apostles maie bee at their wittes ends 2. Cor. 4.8 but neuer driuen to despaire For that saying of the Prophet Esay shal stand fast for euer to Christs Church and to euerie member thereof Esay 54.7 For a moment in mine anger I hid my face froÌ„ thee for a little season but with euerlasting mercie haue I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy redeemer For this is vnto mee as the waters of Noah for as I haue sworne that the waters of Noah should no more goe ouer the earth so haue I sworne that I would not be angrie with thee or rebuke thee that is to destruction Ferus verie excellentlie confirmes this Doctrine In cap. 19. Act. vpon these words If they had receiued the holie Ghost or no Being about to search out whether they beleeued aright or no he enquires whether they had the chiefest fruit of faith which is the holy Ghost And the holy Ghost though it be inuisible yet it doeth make manifest it selfe by many signes This is a most sure and euident argument of the holy Ghost and of a true faith the security of our conscience For the holy Ghost witnesseth to our Spirits that we are the sonnes of God not by nature but by adoption and by the grace of God It doeth also encourage vs and make vs take pleasure and delight in God and it makes vs to stand and to trust without any care or feare as Iohn sayth We now know and beleeue the loue that God hath towards vs. To feele this loue of God is to be wel affected towards God in praising of him in giuing him thanks and in beleeuing in him And being iustified through faith we are now at peace with GOD. What is better then peace What is more excellent or more to bee wished for then peace with God This is the chiefest and most excellent good thing in the world as on the contrary to haue God our enemy is the greatest euill in the world as Cain had whose sinnes the Lord discouered so also he brings to light al the sins of the wicked of whom the holy Prophet writes thus I will reprooue thee and set thy sinnes in order before thy face And againe Psal 49. I will discouer his shame he is a vagabond and cursed vpon the earth and in his labours But the Christian hath peace and what peace I pray you is that Heare what God saith by his prophet I will heale all their sorrowes and griefes and I will loue them freely Esay 47. for mine-anger is turned away from them If God forgiue sinnes who shall condemne vs If hee loue vs freely what can the hatred of the world hurt vs If hee asswage his anger what harme can the diuels malice doe vs So he sayeth in Esay I will not be angry for euer c. This is our true peace but from whence haue we it Surely from no where else but only by Christ And hence he is called The king of righteousnes and of peace As Melchisedecke also who was a Type of him was also in times past adorned with these titles He therefore that as yet lacks this foresaid peace truely cannot haue neither the holy Ghost not a liuely faith And what else is this frée loue this forgiuenesse of sinnes this turning awaie of anger this Christian peace which euerie Christian must haue which hath receiued the holie Ghost and hath a true and sure faith but the certaintie of his owne saluation And they answered we haue not as yet heard whether there be any holy Ghost or no. These frankely and freely and very apparently bewray and confesse their ignorance they haue not as yet heard that the holy Ghost doth worke these things in the hearts of the faithful And how many are there at this day who haue beene a great many yeares Christians and yet neuer haue felt this peace of conscience when as it is the first and principall vertue of the Gospell to make quiet our consciences Ferus here complaines greatlie of the want of this peace and shall wee not exhort all men then diligentlie to labour for it They which haue not this quietnesse and peace of conscience haue not as yet tasted the first droppe of the Gospell Of the force of faith both in the receiuing of the holie sacraments and in the certaintie of our saluation that lesson of Granatensis is worth the marking De Euch. lib. 3. cap. 1. He that sayth hee with all his soule and with all his strength striues to be purged from his sins and to be cured of all his faults vites and imperfections and to bee enriched with heauenly graces and now from wandring after the vanities of this world to returne to his beginning againe let him so order and gouerne his life that he may be fit verie often to receiue and be satiated with this most excellent Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ and by this meanes inwardly to be vnited with our most glorious God euen as if one should droppe a droppe of vvater into a Tunne of Wine so that if all creatures were gathered together they could not find any space or distance betweene such a soule and God himselfe And although perchance a man doe not feele in himselfe by and by this vnion yet let him not be troubled in his mind but with a most strong faith let him beleeue Christ who saith He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me and I in him And how much lesse he feeles God in himselfe so much more assuredly let him beleeue him for then his faith shall be more perfect and shall receiue greater rewards of God if so be he doe as much as in him lyes Thus farre Granatensis This is the nature of faith to beleeue the word euen against reason against sense The more lets and obiections which it ouercommeth the greater Crowne it shall haue And this is that which S. Paul saith The iust man shal
writes in another place thus Blessed is that man that hath not walked in the counsell of the vngodly nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the chaire of pestilence The Scripture meaning this That he is blessed that hath separated himselfe from the fellowship of the wicked for this is the part of vngodlinesse to acknowledge no author of life nor parent of saluation or that hath not dwelt in sinne or that hath not continued in Ryot and wantonnesse But that he studying in the law of God day and night shall be like a tree that shall yeelde his fruite in due season The former are merits of rewards but this is a reward of merits Let vs marke here how Ambrose prefers the studying of the word of God to all other good workes But some Papists perchance will obiect Stel. in Luc. 21. that our Sauiour Christ taught his Apostles manie things priuately and in secret And that therefore the Scriptures are not to bee knowen of all men for these secrets are contained in them To this obiection Stella answeres All things saith he which Iesus reuealed to his Apostles although he tolde them to them neuer so secretly they ought to preach them publikely for they were as it were the conduit pipes by which the water of the doctrine which Christ the liuely spring preached vnto them should come to all the faithfull of the Church And therefore the Lord said vnto them That which I say vnto you in darkenesse speake ye in light and that ye heare in the eare preach ye in the houses And here I cannot but maruell 2. Tim. 3 16. Psal 12.6 Reu. 22.18 that séeing the Scripture is inspired of God as Saint Paul testifieth and is siluer purified seuen times in the furnace as Dauid affirmeth and as to Saint Iohns Reuelation so no doubt to anie other booke of the holy Scriptures hee that shall adde or diminish or alter any thing shall bee plagued of God that the Papists in their allegations of the scriptures maintaine their old translation against the verity of the original of the Gréeke and Hebrew wheras it differs from them As for example Philippus de Dies alleageth a text of Saint Iohns gospell to good purpose following their olde translation But in the Gréeke originall it is not so as hee alleageth it speaking of the carefull bringing vp of children hee writes thus Phil. de Dies Summa praed titulo adolescens The diligence of parentes is not onely necessary to this purpose but also the great care and watchfulnesse of pastors or prelates which thing our Lord Christ doth aduertise vs in Saint Iohns gospell For when as he committed his Church to Saint Peter and made him vniuersall pastor hee said twise to him feed my Lambes but after hee saith but once feed my sheepe wherein the heauenly Maister taught that a prelate although he bee bound both to feede Lambes and sheep yet he ought to haue more care attendance of Lambes then of sheepe That is greater care of children then of parents c. The scope of this doctrine is not amisse but it is not well grounded on this place for it is in the Greeke twise repeated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say feede my sheepe feede my sheepe And but once said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is feed my Lambes And yet the common translation which Philippus de Dies followes hath twise to gather in the first places pasce agnos meos that is feed my Lambes and after but once feed my sheepe where as in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a Lambe is but once vsed and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a sheepe is twise what great presumption is this to dare to go from the originall 7. Of the sufficiencie of the Scriptures THE Rhemistes first vpon the gospell of Saint Iohn note In cap. 16. v. 12 that the scriptures are not sufficient and expounde that place of the gospell I haue yet many things to say vnto you on this manner This place conuinceth that the Apostles the faithfull be taught many things which Christ omitted to teach them for their weaknesse and that it was the prouidence of God that Christ in presence shoulde not teach and order all things that we might be no lesse assured of the things the Church teacheth by the holy Ghost then of things that himselfe deliuered How contrarie this their exposition is to the exposition of Ferus vpon the same place which hereafter followeth Let euery true Christian iudge and sée who comes néerer to the marke and trueth Andradius also writes thus That the scriptures are not sufficient when as God would helpe the frailty of mans memory Lib. 2 Orthodox Explicat by the working of his Gospell yet he would but so haue such a short abstract or abridgement of his matters committed to writing that the greatest part Lib. 4. de verbo dei non scripto cap. 4. as a treasure of great price should be left to be inclosed or kept in the minde of man And M. Bellarmine plainely affirmes that the scriptures without tradition neither to haue beene simplie necessarie nor sufficient So that by his iudgement the wants of the scriptures must be supplied by traditions But first saint Ierome of the scriptures writes otherwise It was impossible saith Ierome that she which brought forth the man child was in childbed should lacke aboundance of milke In cap. Es 66. for the bringing vp of that people and of those little ones that were borne at once that she might giue them her two pappes not as before in Egypt swampt as we say or brused but with virginall bewtie now full and strowted out that is the olde and new Testament to giue that reasonable milke The olde and newe Testament are by Ieromes iudgement two pappes full fraught with sufficient milke to the nourishing of all the children of Gods Church Serranus also a papist Serranus in 47 cap. Ezech. of the sufficiency of the scriptures writes thus Euery part of scripture containes trueth alike and is alike absolute and perfect in the Reuelation of mysteries euen as the number of a thousand is whole and perfect so all is plainely reuealed and through faith shewed that pertaines to our redemption saluation and instruction Wherefore wee must goe forwarde the scripture beeing our guide But to goe about to search the reasons of it to examine the causes of the articles of our beliefe and with the finger of reason to teach all things and preach the incomprehensible iudgement of God and to haue a will to know that vnsearchablenesse which Paul wonders at is to passe the boundes of the angell the Prophets guide and to endeuour to passe ouer that sea which no man can passe ouer whereat the angell himselfe makes a stoppe is diuelish presumption Wherefore commending these things to be worthy euerlasting consideration and memorie that heretikes
that they came out of the land of Egypt in the moneth of Abib when corne waxed ripe and began to be eared And this God wils them here to remember And surely no doubt for our learning and instruction That we also should come out of Egypt in the moneth Abib when as the Lords corne shall waxe ripe when as the doctrine of the Gospell shall growe to perfection when as the séede of the Gospell shall not now be newe sown as it was in the daies of the Fathers but now shall be eared and be comed to perfection Mat. 13 26.30 Mar. 4.28 and be readie for the reapers to thrust in the sicle and reape it into the Lords barnes As our sauiour teacheth The earth bringeth out of her selfe first the blade then the eare and after the full corne in the eare Such like is the growth of the seede of the worde in the Church I would to God all Israelites which nowe amongst vs belong to the Lord would remember this moneth Abib when we shall come out of the spirituall Egypt as the other Israelites came out of that corporall Egypt the Lords corne shall waxe ripe and shall growe to perfection Manie Israelites obserue not this They will haue the ceremonies and rites which the Fathers obserued euen now to be obserued still as though corne being greene and like grasse had not the hoses or huskes belonging to it which it being now ripe do wither away and fall downe as nothing which in the beginning grew aloft and flourished Surely this lesson the moneth Abib must teach vs the Lordes corne is now waxen ripe and therefore wee must not looke for those rites and ceremonies those hoses or huskes which in the beginning when as the Lords corne was greene the Fathers tolerated or perchance made great account of that part of the corne which in the spring flourished most and grewe aloft is now become withered and quite fallen to the ground The true worshippers as our sauiour teacheth worship the father in spirit and trueth Io. 4.23 And the name of the whore of Babylon is a mysterie as saint Iohn sheweth vs Reue. 17.5 that is she is full of ceremonies and mysteries Wee are made partakers of Christ if we keepe and holde fast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 3.14 That is the beginning of our confidence our vnderpropping that is of our faith as Chrysostome expounds it euen vnto the ende That is asmuch to say as if wée kéepe fast the faith in the beginning taught and preached They that holde not the beginning of their firmitie and first faith haue lost their part in Christ The traditions of men will not warrant it them as saint Paul also writes to the Galathians O ye foolish Galathians Gal. 3.1 who hath bewitched you that you should beleeue another Gospell Euen then Sathan began by little and little to chaunge the Gospell of Christ to bring in his traditions and so to make the first Christians to loose their benefit in Christ let vs beeing warned by their example beware this his sleight Ferus of the markes of the true Church writes thus In 2. cap. Mâ—â— That also is the true Church which the starre declares that is where the word of God is taught and raigneth and where they liue according to the word of God and where all things are done according to the word of God and of Christ in what corner of the earth soeuer it be The new Testament saith Ferus is nothing else but a manifestation of those things which were sealed vp in the old vnder the rude letter vnder diuers figures The which thing is excellently declared vnder the figure of a booke sealed which none could open but the Lambe that was slaine and hereof it came to passe that the Apostles in their preachings opened the scriptures and hence it is that Christ wrote nothing but preached by worde of mouth that which was conteined in the olde lawe And also sewe of the Apostles wrote any thing And if any of them did write they would onely teach things that were contained in the olde If this be true then the scripture which the Papists cal traditioneÌ„ is not of like force with that which is scripta or written Secondly then the traditions which we are to beléeue are commended to vs in the worde of God and are the same that are contained in the written word of God For such traditions onely the Iewes were commaunded to obserue As we read in Ieremie Stand by the waies Ier. 6.16 marke and enquire of the auncient waies which is the good way and walke in it and you shall finde comfort for your soules But the traditions of the fathers besides the word were vtterly forbidden them as we read in Amos Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Iudah and for foure I will not turne Am. 2.4 but because they haue cast away the lawe of the Lord and haue not kept his commaundementes Their lies caused them to erre after which their fathers haue walked Sée how the following of their fathers steppes could not iustify them neglecting or making light account of the law of the Lord no traditions of fathers besides are warranted them So saint Paul writes to the Thessalonians That they should keepe the traditions which they had learned eyther by word or by Epistle 2. Thes 2.15 That is no doubt such traditions as either were written in other parts of the scripture or were agréeing to the worde written How greatly soeuer the nature of man delightes in traditions in the seruice of God yet our Sauiour telles all men plainlie They worship me in vaine Mat. 15.9 teaching the doctrines and commandements of men God will be worshipped of all his according to his own commandements All other worshippe be it neuer so statelie or costlie is vaine worship and displeaseth God Then by Ferus iudgement that doctrine which is not contained in the olde Testament vnder some type or figure is not to be beléeued in the newe And then as the olde Testament condemned all traditions besides the lawe written so that from that the Iewes might not depart neither to the right hand nor to the left so doth also the new Testament In cap. 4.30 The same Ferus of the worship of Christians writes thus The true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and truth Waye saith he our worship according to this rule and see whether it be not more like Iewish then Christian worshippe Nay be sure that thou art not as yet a true worshipper although thou obserue al outward things neuer so exactly vnlesse thou worship God in spirit and truth How manie euill worshippers were then in the daies of our forefathers by his iudgement in the midst of Popish darknesse In. cap. 16. Mat. Also Ferus writes thus of this matter There is nothing more pestilent then euill doctrine and therefore Christ doth shadow it by
expounded it and shall we not beleeue him rather then Master Bellarmine he writte thus of our Sauiour Christ In. 5. Psal penit I am Α and Ω the first and last the beginning and the end In this beginning was the earth founded because in him is the Church founded and therefore the Apostle saith No man can lay any other foundation besides that which is laid alreadie which is Iesus Christ So doth Theodoret also expound it This foundation Peter laid or rather the Lord himselfe Theo. 1. Cor. 3. And therefore the mediator of God and man said to the prince of the Apostles Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church For he is that rocke from which Peter tooke his name and vpon the which he said he would build his Church And after But the Church founded vpon the strength of that rocke whereof I haue spoken meaning Christ Iesus neither is shaken with the stormes of threates nor moued with the waues of persecution Here we may note that Gregorie affirmes that the rocke vpon which the Church must be built must be strong and firme which no stormes nor no waues can be able to moue but such strength is in no mortall man Secondly that Christ is that rocke that no other can be put This was the Catholikes doctrine in his daies And heereby we may plainly see how now the common receiued opinion of Catholikes dissents from him And although some other of the Fathers haue called Peter the rocke vpon which our Sauiour said he would builde his Church and M. Bellarmine saith that saint Austine when as he had also sometime affirmed the same retracted it after because he vnderstood not the Hebrewe tongue and thought that Cephas did not signifie a rocke but some thing deriued from a rocke as if we should say rockish or of the nature of a rocke I answere that Austine vnderstood the Gréeke tongue which plainely expounds this word Cephas to be Petra as appeares not onely by saint Matthewes Gospell Io. 1. 42. but also by saint Iohn where our Sauiour himselfe saith Thou shalt be called Cephas which is interpreted Petrus or a stone no doubt the holy Ghost foresaw how some would goe about by this worde Cephas to make Peter the rocke whereon the Church should be builded And therefore to stop the mouthes of all such expositors whosoeuer it selfe hath expounded that Cephas is by interpretation not a rocke but a stone And this interpretation of the spirit of God is sufficient to settle anie true Christians conscience against any other mans interpretations whatsoeuer And Austin himselfe distinguisheth Peter farre otherwise then M. Bellarmine doth Tract in Ioh. 133. Forasmuch saith he as belonged properly to himselfe Peter by nature was one man by grace one Christian and by his more abundant grace Primus Apostolus that he had more then others one and the same * first Apostle But when it was said vnto him I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt bind on earth c. he signified the whole Church and not one person M. Bellarmine distinguisheth Peter as one person and againe as he was head of the Church But S. Augustine distinguisheth him as he is one person and in that consideration he saith by that abundant grace he had more then others he was not head of the Church as M. Bellarmine saith but onely the first Apostle And in his second consideration he represented the whole body of the Church when hee receiued the keyes which is tossed with many waues and is built vpon the rocke so in this consideration Peter himselfe was built vpon the rocke But to make the matter without all doubt not all the Catholikes as M. Bellarmine affirmeth do auouch Peter to be that Rocke whereon the Church was built For Ferus expounds Cephas to be taken for a stone and not for a rocke when it was giuen to Peter his words are these Thou art Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he in Greeke Cephas in the Chaldee tongue in Latine is a stone Ferus in 16. cap. Matth. Therfore we must search out the reason of this name for he did not without cause call him Peter which before was called Simon We reade in Iohn when as Andrew had brought Simon his brother to Christ by and by as soone as Christ sawe him hee said Thou art Simon the sonne of Iohn Thou shalt be called Cephas At the very first sight of him hee foretold that hee should haue another name and that not any name whatsoeuer but such a name as should signifie a stone neither did hee notwithstanding giue a reason of that name in that place neither in any other place of the Gospell as hitherto ye haue heard why he is called Peter but only in this place for when Peter had said Thou art Christ the sonne of God he heard by and by Thou art Peter As though he should say Hitherto thou hast beene called Simon and thou hast beene called the sonne of man now thou art the sonne of God and thou art Peter now thou art worthy of this name now thou art truly a stone because thou standest vpon the rocke Thou seest that Peter was so called for the confession of the faith And this changing of the name also concernes vs For thus it is prophesied of the beleeuers For Sions sake I will not hold my peace And thou shalt be called by a new name because the mouth of the Lord hâ—th spoken it It is not a newe name that one should be called Peter that is a stone It is not for man that he should be a rock euen as Iob saith My strength is not the strength of stones Nay on the contrary All flesh is grasse and euery man liuing is altogether vanitie It belongs only to Christ that he should be a rocke And he gets this new name who is built vpon this rocke as thou seest in Peter Thus far Ferus Where we may learne euidently that he agrées not with M. Bellarmine who expounds Cephas to be a rocke but he agrées with vs and with the interpretation thereof set downe in the Gospell and cals it a stone and so also makes Peter himselfe to be Nay he addes farther which quite ouerthrowes M. Bellarmines assertion that all Christians which are built vpon the rock which is Iesus Christ get to themselues this new name why then if Cephas signifie a rocke then all Christians should be rockes and vpon them also as well as vpon Peter should the Church be builded But to put the matter out of all doubt he saith plainly that it is not for any man to be called a rocke no not for the Pope then if he be a man And yet to make it more euident if it were possible what was his opinion and iudgement concerning this matter he addeth It belongeth only to Christ to be a rocke What can be more
they say neither can I find any thing els giuen to the Apostles to execute their authoritie meaning the sacraments What dealing is this thus to mangle his words what truth to take away the principall meanes of the power of forgiuing sinnes from the pastors of Christs Church And whereas Christ hath giuen them as it were two keyes to steale one from them what is this else but to throwe Gods people into hell and this dealing to bee at Rome which calles her selfe the mother Church the mistresse of all pietie and religion what a sinne is this But as Ferus goeth on further in setting forth the truth so do they also in their corrupt dealing The execution therefore saith Ferus of the Ecclesiasticall power consisteth in these two that is to say in preaching of the Gospell and administration of the Sacraments Neither do we read that the Apostles did any other things To which Ierome agrees vpon the 14. of Esay The Apostles saith he loose by the word of God the testimonies of the Scriptures and exhortations of vertues and as they loose by the word of God so also they loose by the sacraments which are adherents and appendants to the word Here the Roman copie leaues out Ferus drift The execution saith Ferus of Ecclesiasticall power consists in these two that is in preaching the Gospell and administration of the sacraments Neither do we reade that the Apostles did any thing else This sentence they leaue out which is the summe of all They after alleage Ierom as Ferus doth That they loose by preaching But that the execution of the power Ecclesiasticall consists only in these two points that they leaue out which ouerthrowes all their Popish pardons And after Ferus saith These things therefore I alleaged in this place that thou mightest see that my opinion wherein I said that the execution of the power ecclesiasticall did consist in the preaching of the word and administration of the Sacraments to differ nothing from the saying of the saints This sentence in the Roman copie is quite left out That conclusion of Ferus they do not like Of these things which haue beene spoken saith he is that question dissolued easily which troubles some how Priests can forgiue sinnes when as that only belongs to God according to that I am he that doth blot out thine iniquities And also that Christ alone hath the keyes of death and hell To which thus it may be answered That onely God forgiues sinnes by power of dignitie and excellency but the Apostles and their sucessours like seruants apply these things by which God forgiues sinnes and giues grace as are the word of God and Sacraments Here we may learne plainely by Ferus iudgement the power and authoritie of forgiuing of sinnes remaines only in God the pastors and ministers like poore and humble seruants to this great cure doe but applie those medicines and remedies by which God cures There is no power nor authoritie in them that is in God alone Here the Romane copie leaues out that only God forgiues sinnes by power of dignitie and excellencie It is likely they woulde haue that power in their priests They saye that God alone remitteth sinnes but they leaue out these wordes by the power of dignitie and excellencie To conclude saith Ferus these keyes of the Church are nothing else then power of binding and loosing of forgiuing sinnes and retaining them But the Roman copie leaues out are nothing else To conclude say they the keyes of the Church are power of binding and loosing of remitting and retaining of sinnes Ferus procéedeth To thee will I giue the keyes Some labour to proue that this was said only to Peter because hee said To thee I will giue Others say the contrarie But lest I should determine anie thing rashly I will shewe not mine owne but Augustines opinion Aug. in Io tract 120. who in the 120. Tract vpon Iohn saith thus Peter saith he bare a figure of the Church For properly as much as belongeth to himselfe by nature he was but one man and by grace one Christian and by his more aboundant grace but one and the same first or chiefe Apostle But when it was said to him To thee I will giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen he signified the whole Church Also in his booke of Christiā doctrine the first boke and eight chap. he teacheth plainly that the keyes were giuen to the Church Here we may plainly see by Austines Ferus iudgement what Peter was in his greatest excellencie but one the first Apostle giuing him no more prerogatiue then the Gospell yéelds vnto him who in the numbring of the twelue Apostles saith the first Simon Peter He was as it should séeme most ancient therefore in order to be preferred before the rest Thus much concerning his owne person Austine and Ferus attribute to him but the keyes were giuen to him in another person that is in the person of the Church and therefore in her name he receiued them not in his owne name or for himselfe and his successours So that by Austines iudgement these keyes were not giuen to Peter alone but as Ierome before also professed that euerie Church in her Bishops and priests receiues that which was giuen to Peter This is Ferus opinion in his true originall but the Romane copie hath thus mangled him Some say they labour to proue that this was spoken to Peter alone because he said To thee I will giue c. to whom others are contrarie Thus far they go in the Roman copie but they leaue out Ferus opinion concerning this matter and that grounded vpon Saint Austine Here we may sée againe how little they doe estéeme the fathers and how little in truth they do make for them In this waightie matter of the Popes authoritie they haue reiected both Augustine and Ierome If they had liked their sayings why should they haue purged them out And after where Ferus declareth how the Church and also how Peter receiued the keies I answere saith he that both is true that the keies are giuen to the Church as to the mystris or spouse but to Peter not as a Lord or maister but as to a minister And to this belongs that which St. Paule saith Let a man so esteeme vs as the ministers of Christ And the same sayeth againe I am a debter both to the wise and foolish And hereunto belongeth the names of the Apostles who in the scriptures are called pastours watchmen laborers To conclude saith Ferus heare what Bernard writes to Pope Eugenius in his second booke of Consideration Thy predecessors sayth he the Apostles heard that the haruest is great and the labourers few challenge therefore the Fathers inheritance be watchfull in this and be not idle least it bee saide vnto thee why standest thou all the day idle much lesse it becommeth thee to bee either found dissolute through pleasures or effeminated with pompe and state The will
of the testator giues thee none of these But what If thou bee contented with that which is conteined in them haue a more care of the inheritance and of the worke then of glorie and riches For what did the holie Apostle leaue thee that which I haue sayth he I giue thee And what is that not gold nor siluer when as he had none of that but what care ouer the Church But what did he leaue thee a Lordshippe Heare what hee sayeth not ruling as Lords ouer the Lords inheritance but being made a paterne of the flocke And that thou mayst know that these things are so in deede Christ sayth in the Gospell The kings raigne ouer the nations but you shall not do so Of these it is plaine that Lordships are forbidden the Apostles the which whosoeuer doe challenge to themselues are of the number of them of whom God complaines thus They haue raigned but not by me And after they are the ministers of Christ and so am I and hee addeth I speake as vnwise I more being in many labours O excellent ministerie if thou must glorie let the patterne of the holy Apostles be set before thine eies acknowledge thine inheritance in Christs crosse in many labours happie is hee that can saye I haue laboured more then they all Thus farre Bernard let them marke well this saith Ferus that glorie in their authoritie To Peter therefore were the keies giuen but as to a minister This Ferus alledgeth out of Bernard to beate downe the Popes idle pompe and pride and to extoll the excellencie of the ministerie of the gospell The name whereof nowe to be called a minister the catholikes cannot abide All this sentence of Bernard and Ferus haue they of Rome in their edition left quite out they like not that Peter should receiue the keies as a minister that he should be matched with other pastors as he both ioineth himselfe 1 Pet. 1. Gal. 2 9. and Paule ioineth him They like not that Bernard giueth him not a Lordshippe or dominion ouer Christs Church which Christ onelie challengeth to himselfe Iohn 23.3 I am sayth he your Lord and maister but a ministerie or seruice and therefore impaires his authoritie that he should not be Christs vicegerent here on earth Ferus repeates that twise that to Peter were the keies giuen but as to a minister This they leaue out in both places It pleaseth them not that Peter should be a minister Thirdly that is also to be marked sayth Ferus that it is expresly sayd I will giue thee the keies of the kingdome of heauen hee doth not say of the kingdome of the earth These wordes belong nothing to earthlie iurisdiction which notwithstanding they goe about to establish on these words affirming that Peter not onely in spirituall but also in externall and worldly affaires to haue receiued fulnesse of authoritie The which thing Bernard to Engenius doth manifestly reproue Ber. lib. Io. d◠consid your authoritie saith he is in trespasses not in possessiōs because for those and not for these you haue receiued the keyes of the kingdom of heauen It followeth whether power seemes greater to thee to forgiue sinnes or to deuide landes These earthly and base things haue their Iudges the kings and princes of the world neyther doe you enter into another mans bounds why doe you thrust your sickle into another mans haruest why will you be greater then your maister who being requested of one saying speake to my brother that he may deuide the inheritance with me Answered who hath ordained me a Iudge betweene you Thus far Barnard Héere most manifestly both Bernard and Ferus take one of the Popes swords from him that he hath nothing to do in worldlie matters that he cannot translate kingdoms at his pleasure which hath béen a gainefull sword to the Pope which sword gat him both his Peter pence his popes power while by this sword he made all Christian Kinges to be at his commaundement This third note of Ferus and assertion of Bernard is thus peruerted in the Roman addition Thirdly say they that is to bee marked that it is expresly sayde And I will giue to thee the keies of the kingdome of heauen as though hee should say the keies are mine therefore vse them according to my pleasure They quite leaue out that it is expresly sayd that to thee I will giue the keies of the kingdome of heauen and not of the kingdome of the earth as also all the sentence of Bernard which confirmes the same Ferus also alleadgeth Ierome To conclude saith he that is to be marked which he saith I will giue thee the keies Thus saith he Ierome writes on this place in the 16 Chapter of Matthew Bishops saith he and Priests not vnderstanding this place take some thing vnto them of the pride of the Pharisees that they thinke they maye eyther condemne the innocent or loose the guiltie when as with God not the sentence of the priests but the liues of the offenders are required Christ therefore willing to reproue this presumptiō sayth I will giue the keies as though he should say The keies are mine therfore vse thē according to my pleasure and not acccording to thine owne pleasure This saying of Ierome also is omitted in the Roman editions It séemes to giue to Bishops and priests interest in that saying of our Sauiour and I will giue to thee the keies of the kingdom of heauen which they would haue belong to Peter It quite ouerthrowes the Popes pardons The Pope cannot pardon whom he list nor sell his pardons to those whose liues he knowes not as he vseth commonly to do For with God saith Ierome not the sentence of the priests but the life of the penitent sinner is respected All the pardons in the world without true and heartie repentance are nothing auaileable to any man And true and hartie repentaunce with a liuely faith saueth without all popes pardons If all men knew this it would make the Popes pardons lesse saleable To conclude Peter saith Ferus receiued power but not any earthly power that hee might giue or take away or alienate kingdomes and gouernments nor such power that it might be lawfull for him to do what he list that which many dreame he did but he receiued power of binding and loosing of remitting and detayning sinnes of openning and shutting neyther that according to his owne pleasure but as a seruant or minister doing his maisters will This sentence also in the Roman edition is quite left out And héere all men may sée that will not wilfully shut their eies whose kingdome they maintaine that deale thus deceitfully Euen Sathans that prince of darknes who was a lier and a deceiuer from the beginning Truth needes no such shiftes And here also euerie faithfull christian may obserue another sleight which the Papists vse to maintaine their Popes authoritie Hect. Piu◠in Dan. Ca. 1. Hector Pintus a verse learned
ghost teach Peter this lesson Thirdly In ca. Act. 10. Whom God bindes doe thou not loose and whome hee looseth do not thou binde for thou hast not power at thy pleasure to place soules in heauen or hell but according to the worde of God For all soules are mine saith the Lord. Fourthly whome I haue serued let it not grieue thee to serue them also for the disciple is not aboue his maister I haue been a seruant to all do thou so also Fiftly whome I haue not as yet condemned doe not thou iudge rashly or condemne least thou be condemned thy selfe He glaunceth at the Popes authoritie in pardoning and condemning whomsoeuer he pleaseth And he is no changling as in his Commentaries vpon Mathew In ca. Act. 10. so here also he quite writhes the Popes temporall sword out of his hand vpon these words Arise Peter By an excellent metaphor saith he the office of the Apostles is described whose office is to rise not to take their ease and to watch take care for their flocke and then to kill not with the materiall sword for that was forbidden Peter but with the sword of the spirite which is the word of God which sword the Apostles are commanded to buye if they sold their coate for it And they kill when they preach the lawe and shew men their sinnes and doe teach that our strēght and righteousnes is nothing yea that wee are nothing but euen damned and miserable sinners And after also hee makes Peter subiect to the Church In ca. 11. Act. Peter saith he an Apostle the first and chiefe of the Apostles is forced to yeeld an account to the Church neither doth hee take this grieuously as a thing not agreeing to his authoritie For hee knewe wel enough that he exercised the office not of a Lord or maister but of a seruant of the Church The Church is the spouse of Christ and she is the Ladie of the house Peter is but a seruant and minister The Church therefore hath authoritie not onely to aske accompt of her seruants but also if they bee not fitte quite to put them away So heretofore it hath been often done in generall councels But nowe wicked Bishoppes will not be reproued nor rulde by the Church as though they were Lordes and not seruantes Therefore by the iust iudgment of God they are despised of all men Ferus agrées here with Austen and the auncient Fathers that the Church rules she is Christs vicegerent shee calles to accompt and deposeth whome it pleaseth her The fathers called this the Colledge of priests and hereof Cyprian called Cornelius Colleague This holy Colledge of priests ruled through the world not anie one prelate as now the Papists teach Euerie one seuerallie euen Peter the Bishop of Rome are but a seruant the Church is the Lady as Ferus termes her They are wicked Bishops sonnes o◠perdition that wil not be ruled by the Church this is Ferus iudgment And againe he writes thus vpon these words In cap. 9. Act. Hee went thorowe euery Citie confirming and stablishing that which the other had taught or adding to that which they had not done sufficiently he caried that scrole imprinted in his heart which Christ last of all commanded Peter saying Feede my sheepe if thou louest me In Peter thou seest the office of B shops that is to visite all according to that saying Heale that which is weake and binde vppe that which is broken c. They which are Bishoppes and doe sleepe and are idle doe not know in what a dangerous estate they are nor doe not thinke that the bloud of all that perish shall be required at their hands Heere hee makes Peter a patterne for all bishops to followe and not a type of the Pope and his successors And after vpon these words Behold three men c Marke saith hee that these wordes spoken to Peter doe belong to all pastours For so it is sayde to euerie one of them Behold men as though hee should saye These sheepe committed to thy charge doe require care and help the sinner succour the weake strength those which go astraie doctrine the vnrulie correctiō those which are tormented through afflictions comforte the whole church now dispersed peace Secondly Arise thou art not a Lord but a seruant this is not a time of ease but of labour hitherto thou hast done nothing through thy negligence the Wolfe hath entred in that is the Diuell For he is a Wolfe howe greatly soeuer he shewe the face of a friend c. Peters lessons Ferus attributes to all pastours And againe In ca. 10. Act. In Peter thou seest expressed what becomes Bishoppes that is to goe vp aloft to fast to praie Thou seest the contrarie in wicked and euill Bishoppes they onely take care of temporall thinges themselues they committe spirituall things to others They liue like Princes not like shepheards they neuer praie they giue themselues to pleasures And after hee writes thus In this Chapter Luke dooth prosecute the historie of Paul and Barnabas pilgrimage and hee names certaine countries which in their preaching they passed through Fer. in Act. ca. 14. that here al men may see how couragiously these two Apostles preached to al men the word of saluatiō to the great shame of those which brag themselues to be the successors of the Apostles whē as they are nothing else but slothfull vnfaithfull seruāts sharply to be reproued of the Lord nay iustly to be condemned No doubt he condemnes here the Popes proud and idle state And after he writes thus of the first generall councell of the authoritie of Iames Iames confirmes the sayings of the three Apostles pronounceth sentence as Bishop of Ierusalem If Peter had been dead of the vniuersall Church he should now haue pronounced sentence and ratified the councell as the Pope doth now But then this one thing verie euidentlie proues that there was no such authoritie acknowledged of Peter seeing that in the first generall councell in his presence Iames pronounceth sentence and as it were confirmes the councell And after Marke that he saith not that thou shalt haue much people but I haue much people in this citie As though he should saie the people is not thine but mine So he sayd to Peter Fer. in Act. cap. 18. Feede not thy sheepe but my sheepe As though he should say they are mine I haue redeemed them with my bloud I loue them I take care of thē therefore thou shalt not rule ouer them at thy pleasure thou shalt plaie the part of a shepheard and not of a Lord. If Peter had Christs authoritie committed to him and were his vicegerent then he had a kinde of Lordship ouer his sheepe But this Ferus denies And writing of Apollo he saies thus Mention of him is made in this place very fitly for he was such a great man the Corinthiās made him equall with Peter and Paul I
say they hold of Paul I of Apollo I of Cephas If that CorinthiaÌ„s had béen taught this principall point of religion which nowe the catholiques accompt the chiefest point of all other that Peter had béen ordained of Christ his Vicar generall they would neuer haue matched Apollo with him By this it is likelie the there was no such superiority among the Apostles taught in the primitiue Church Fer. in 21. Act. And again vpon these words Thus saith the holy Ghost the Lord as a most wise gouernour of his doth foreshew the crosse which is appointed to his but sodaine destruction falleth on the wicked He makes the holie Ghost the gouernour of the Church And in another place No congregatioÌ„ can contiâ—ue without order Therfore it is a great matter in the reformation of the Church that order be kept Therefore they offende grieuously which in the Church of God disturb rent asunder and quite take away all order Fer. in 23. Act Christ himselfe ordeined an order some Apostles some Prophets some doctors He makes in this order appointed of Christ no one visible head And after speaking of the Apostles hee writes thus It is the office of the Apostles to be seruants or ministers and witnesses of Christ They haue all one office by Ferus iudgement The same Ferus also of the supremacie writes thus The seruant saith he is not aboue his Maister Fer. in pass part 1. By this worde therefore Christ doth bridle all the pride and ambition of ecclesiasticall persons for admitte whosoeuer they be whether Popes or Bishoppes or Cardinals or Doctours what are they else but seruants And if they be seruants as no man will denie they ought to behaue themselues so as that they should not climbe aboue their maister howe this is done among them let them looke to it For here is not a place as we saie to rake in this filthie fenne or lake Their owne consciences will tell them in what thinges they are vnlike to Christ nay wherein they endeuour to climbe vp aboue Christ c. Here Ferus is loth to meddle with the Popes pride as should séeme but for all that hee glaunceth at it and giues him as wee saie an Item And a little after he discouers some parts of this pride In worldly affaires no man dare preferre himselfe before his maister or will seeke to take more ease then his maister doth but in spirituall matters we see it farre otherwise There is no man but coueteth and wisheth to be in better estate theÌ„ Christ was in Christ wheÌ„ as he was in the shape of God huÌ„bled himselfe we vile wretches caÌ„not abide humilitie Christ ministred to vs who were his seruaÌ„ts we thinke scorne to minister or do seruice to any Christ did good euen to the simplest we thinke much to do good euen to our brethren Christ laboured tooke paines we seeke our owne ease Christ although hee were the brightnes of his fathers glorie yet patiently endured the reproches of men we are of a contrarie minde Christ being the iudge of all men notwithstanding suffered himselfe to bee iudged we disdaine to be iudged or reproued of any Christ by the crosse and death entred into his glorie we thinke to come thither by riot and pleasure What therefore doe we else but preferre our selues before our maister and desire a better estate then hee had Therefore not without cause he vrgeth this word so often so vehemently vnto vs He will haue vs knowe that we are seruants Againe that we should consider what he hath done and suffered he that markes this diligently will bee most readie to doe all good and most patient to endure all euill He séemes here also to glaunce at the Popes pride and pompe Againe howe Peter was chiefe amonge the Apostles he writes thus of the washing of the Apostles féete It is most likelie that he began at Peter who was the first or chiefe amonge the Apostles not in calling for Andrew followed Christ before him but in the election of the Apostleshippe for there Peter is placed in the first place c. So that by Ferus his iudgment Peter was the chiefe among the Apostles because when as Christ chose his xij Apostles he first chose Peter he was the first in order the first chosen of the twelue And againe that the Pope ought not to haue both swords Fer. Part. 2 pass he writes thus Christ speakes thus to Peter Hinder not my death but rather studie to imitate it Awaye with thy sworde which kills men my sworde which I haue committed vnto thee cuts off vices but saues men Therefore put thou that materiall sworde into thy sheath againe or as the other Euangelists saide into his owne place The proper place of the materiall sworde is the ordinarie power that is the ciuill magistrate Put thy sword therfore into that sheath let the ciuill magistrate vse it and not thou In this place as in manie other places alledged in this discourse Ferus plainlie teacheth that the Pope ought not to haue both swords because Peter had them not and therefore he quite ouerthrowes the Popes supremacie This is the very foundation thereof that the Pope hath the right of both the swordes And after Againe he teacheth by this worde that the gospell is not to be defended with worldly weapons nor with mans ayde but the defence thereof is to be committed to God So saith Paul the weapons of our warfare are not carnall so Christ neuer vsed any sword nor his Apostles are euer read to haue been girded with swordes They taught the word and the word it selfe fought with his owne power And the Apostles went euer away conquerors So Christ in Luke sayth I will giue you a mouth and wisdome which your enemies shall not be able to resist Therefore Christ especially by this word forbiddes his Apostles the externall sword for they haue and they ought to haue the sworde of the spirite which is the worde of God And hence Esay prophesieth that the battell of the Apostles shal be as in the day of Madian that is as Gedeon ouercame the Madianits not with weapons but with trumpets and breaking of pitchers so should the Apostles do spiritually that they should subdue the whole world to Christ by the trumpet of the word of God and by suffering afflictions c. Here also Ferus plainly teacheth the the gospel must not be maintained with armes and swords with fire and fagotte as the Pope séeke nowe to maintaine his kingdome And Ferus of Christs kingdome Part 3. pass writes thus My kingdome is otherwise gouerned then a warlike kingdome for this is gouerned with a materiall sword but my kingdome stands in no neede of that sword for the sword thereof is the word of God The kingdome of the world hath Cities Castles Townes Villages Armes Weapons but my kingdome only requires the hearts of men The world raignes ouer mens bodies and goods but I ouer
safe among their fellow Bishops wil keepe some priuate opinions to themselues which they haue once liked of Wherein wee will not vrge nor prescribe a lawe to any man when as euery one in the Church hath free power and authoritie to gouerne as he will and euery one is set ouer the Lords flocke beeing to giue account to the Lord of his doing Here is plaine by Cyprians and Ieromes iudgments the common honour of all Bishoppes that one of them cannot enforce another And that they haue euery one of them frée power of gouernment in their seuerall charges whereof they are to giue accompt to the Lord. And of the authoritie and necessitie of Bishops he writes thus in the same booke If at the praier only of the Bishop the holy ghost descended then they are in a lamentable case who beeing baptized by priests and Deacons in villages townes far distant places haue died before euer they were visited of the Bishops The health of the Church consisteth in the dignitie reuerence of the chiefe priests to whom if a peereles chiefe authoritie be giuen of all men there will bee so manye schismes in the Church as therē are Priests c. Héere wee may plainly see first the iurisdiction of Bishops ouer manie villages and countrey townes in which onelie Priests and Deacons were placed in Ieromes daies And that euen then as some now a daies thinke euerie pastor was not a Bishop in his flocke Secondlie what the authoritie of euerie Bishop was it was Exors it was péerelesse he had none aboue him in this world in his charge noe not the Bishoppe of Rome And lastlie that whereas M. Dorman in his booke against M. Nowell doth alleage this place to proue the Bishoppe of Romes authoritie and would proue that S. Ierome in this place ment him Marianus Victorinus Reatinus Episcopus who hath corrected S. Ieromes workes and newly imprinted them being a great Papist affirmes that this place is ment of euery Bishoppe in his Diocesse Hee calles saith he the Bishoppe the chiefe priest whose authoritie also to be greater thē the other priests hee doth otherwhere plainly and manifestly auouch So the Apostles whose roome the Bishops now occupie succeede in were aboue the 72 disciples whom as blessed Damasus the Priest doth witnes the Priests do now succeede So Aaron and the other hie priests were euer aboue the Leuites So that by his iudgment by this chiefe priest is not ment the Pope but euerie Bishop And that euerie Bishops authority is péereles And this vnitie of Bishops makes Ierome to be the vnitie of the Church Augustine writes thus The scribes and Pharisees sitte vpon Moses chaire doe what they say but doe not as they doe You see that in the chaire of Moyses to which hath nowe succeeded the chaire of Christ that also euill men doe sitte and yet notwithstanding the good thinges which they are about to teach doe not hurt their hearers Wherefore doest thou for the wicked mens sake forsake the chaire Returne againe to peace returne againe to vnitie which hurt thee not If I speake well and doe well followe me But if I doe not as I say thou hearest the counsell of the Lorde Doe what I say but what I doe doe thou not But yet depart not from the catholique chaire Héere we may sée that this chaire of Christ was in euerie countrey and that euery Bishop sate in it not the Bishop of Rome onelie Austen himselfe sate in it and to the vnitie of the chaire he exhorts schismatikes that they would returne Secondly we may note howe this chaire then was called Christs chaire not Peters chaire As the Pope nowe calles his Of the strickt vnitie that is betwixt Christ the head and his Church the bodie Aug. in psal 37. he writes thus Whē as Christ speaketh somtime he speaketh in the persō of the only head because he is a sauiour borne of the Virgin Marie sometime in the person of his bodie which is the whole church dispersed through the whole world And we are in his bodie if our faith be pure our hope sure and our loue inflamed And after where hee saith The wordes of my sinnes there is no doubt but that it is the voice of Christ But how come sinnes but of his bodie which is the Church because both the bodie of Christ and the head speakes Why speakes he alone because they shal be two in one flesh This is a great mysterie saith the Apostle I meane of Christ and of his Church And a little after If he hath sayd now they are not two but one flesh what maruaile is it if one flesh and one tounge vtter the same words as of one flesh one head and of one bodie let vs heare them as one but yet the head as the heade and the bodie as the bodie The personnes are not deuided but there is a differēce of their dignities because the head doth saue the body is saued The head shewes mercie the body bewailes her miserie the head is to purge sinnes the bodie to confesse sinnes and yet one voice of them both Héere we may sée the narrowe vnion betwéene Christ and his Church They are one flesh hee is an adulterer that intrudes himselfe betwéene these The Church sinneth euen the Pope himselfe if he be a member of this body by Augustines iudgment and the head alone saueth Christ alone is the head and all the rest are members Quaest ex vtroque testā quaest 101. Augustine of the Deacons of the Church of Rome which estéemed themselues better then the order of those whome they called presbyters writes thus But because they are the ministers or deacons of the Church of Rome therefore they thinke thēselues more honorable then in other Churches for the statelines of the Citie of Rome which seemes to be the head of all other Cities Let vs marke héere what priuiledge Austen giues to the citie of Rome and whie the Deacons thereof might perchance aduance themselues aboue other Deacons because the Citie of Rome saith he Was the head of all other Cities If it had been accompted the head of all other Churches no doubt Austen would haue here giuen it that commendation but hee saith no such thinge thereof but that the magnificence thereof consisted in that it was the head of all other Cities What can be plainer then this Shall wee not beleeue Austen And in another place of the foundations and bulwarks of the Church he writes thus Epist 56. Heretiques goe about to vndermine or ouercome the most sure foundations of the Church by the shew of reasō but that mercifull Captaine of our faith hath as it were with a most stronge tower defended his Church by the solemne assemblies of all nations people by the seats of the Apostles and by certaine excellent learned godly and spirituall men also he hath fenced it with the plentifull furniture of inuincible reason These are all the visible
bulwarks and towers of defence of the Church which S. Austen knewe in his daies First generall councells then the apostolicall seas no one apostolicall sea more then the rest no not Rome and lastly some especiall godly learned men with their inuincible arguments and forces of reason Where also we maie note that as he preferreth no one apostolicall sea before all the rest so that he doth preferre generall councels before them all So that by Augustines iudgment a generall councell is to be preferred before the Church of Rome And here Augustine declaring the bulwarks of Gods Church against heretiques had shewed himselfe to be a verie vnskilfull Captain of the Lords armie if so be that he had quite forgotten the chiefe bulwarke aboue all the rest against them that is that the Pope cannot erre This had been the forciblest bulwarke that the Church could haue had against all heretiques But Austen in his daies knewe no such and therefore no doubt hee makes no mention of it And also in another place of Peters prerogatiue he writes thus As some things are sayd which seeme properly to belong to Peter himselfe and yet they are not rightly expounded In psal 108. vnlesse they be referred to the Church of which hee is acknowledged in a type to haue borne the figure for the primacie that hee had among the Apostles As this To thee I will giue the keies of the kingdom of heauen and other speeches of our sauiour to him like to this so Iudas likewise as it were sustaineth the person of the Iewes that bee enemies vnto Christ which then hated Christ and now also their wickednes continuing as it were by a succession doe hate him still Here Austen acknowledgeth a primacie of Peter amongst the Apostles But for all that by this his primacie by Austens iudgement hee gaineth nothing to his successor or to the Bishop of Rome but to the whole Church whose Image he sustained because he was the chiefe among the Apostles He plainly affirmes that Peter was a type of the whole Church to it conueyed that priuiledge giuen to him and not to his successor the Bishop of Rome as that papists now would haue him And to expound that saying of our Sauiour To thée will I giue the keies of the kingdom of heauen as the papists doe nowe to Peter himselfe is not rightlie to expound them what can be plainer then As Iudas sustaineth the persons of all the wicked Iewes so doth Peter not of the bishop of Rome but of the whole Church This is Austens iudgment concerning this matter and he ouerthrowes the papists exposition of these words To thee will I giue the keies which referre them to Peter himselfe and his successors And to Austen agrées Chrysostome both concerning the authoritie of Rome and of Peter he manifestlie preferres Antioch before Roome Ho. 17. ad pop Ant. What saith he is the dignitie of our Citie it chanced first saith he that the disciples at Antioch were called Christiās this dignitie hath no citie else that is in the world no not Romulus his citie And therefore she that is Antioch may lift vp her eyes and ouerlooke all the world beside for this fire of her loue toward Christ for this her great confidence and boldnes for this her valiantes He cals Rome but Romulus his citie if she had béen then accounted the catholique mother church as the papists nowe affirme that she is he would not haue béen too bould with her he would haue giuen her some more honorable stile then to call her Romulus his citie nay he would not haue preferred Antioch before her yea and not onlie Chrisostome but the Emperor himselfe yéelds that same priuiledge to Antioch Ho. 21. ad pop Ant aeditione Harma 21. And haue I not saith hee alwaies preferred that citie before all other and haue I not accompted it dearer to me then mine owne natiue countrie The Emperor preferred Antioch before all other cities in the world and therefore before Rome and it is not likelie that he erred in iudgment And after of the Emperors authoritie in the same homilie Chrysostome writes thus Oh howe great is the force of Christian religion It restrained and bridled a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that on earth had none to be compared with him that Lord that can ouerthrowe and destroy all things and taught him such heauenly philosophie as a meane man would neuer haue embraced c. He plainly here affirmes that the Emperor is the chiefe man here vpon earth And that there is none equall to be compared with him no not the Pope Victorinus an auncient father vppon the Reuelation concerning the church writes thus These seuen starres are seuen churches Victor in 1. cap. Ap. which he calls by their names and to whom also he writes his Epistles Not that they were the principall Churches of all other but that which hee speakes to one hee speakes to all for there is no difference as when one doth preferre the standerd of a fewe souldiers to a greater number Paul taught first that all the churches of the world were but seuen and those seuen which he named to be that one catholique Church The which thing that he might obserue him selfe he exceeded not the nūber of seuen Churches but he wrote to the Romanes Corinthians Galathians Ephesians Philippians Collossiās and to the Thessaloniās And afterward he wrote to particular persons least he should exceede the nūber of seauen Churches And briefly knitting vp togither the whole summe of his preaching he saith to Timothie That thou maist know how thou oughtest to behaue thy selfe in the Church of the liuing God We read also that this type was declared by the holy Ghost by the prophet Esay of seuen women that should lay hould of one man Christ is that one man which was not borne of mans seede the seuen women are the churches taking their bread and with them that is their garments they are couered who desire that their reproch may bee taken from them and that the name of the Lord may be called vppon them They take their bread which is the holy Ghost which nourisheth into his eternal life promised them by faith and their garments also which are promised thē which desire that they may be clothed Of which S. Paul speaketh this mortalitie must be clothed with incorruption and this mortall must put on immortalitie And they desire that their reproch may be taken away their reproch is their old accustomed sinne which is taken away in baptisme and a man then beginnes to be called a Christian which is as much to say as let thy name be called vpon Therefore in these seuen churches it may be that of one Church is made seuen c. Victorinus here plainly makes but one catholique Church and the Romane church being one of the seuen whereunto S. Paul wrote his Epistles a member thereof In psal 99. in praelat Austine writes thus Eyther
our Lord Iesus doth hee not now euer gouerne the worlde with his Father and whether to this matter doth he call any man making him his imitator or follower that with him he should gouerne heauen and earth and all Christ by S. Austines iudgement calles no man to bee partaker with him in his gouernement of heauen and earth therefore not the Pope Primasius also S. Austines scholler writes thus Let no man glorie in men in false Apostles no nor in any eyther king or priest for all thinges are yours In 1. ep ad Cor. cap. 3. eyther Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death we are yours you are not ours c. Nowe if Peter had béen Christs vicar then the saints had béene his as they were Christs whose place he sustained But Primasius saith plainly that the Corinthians were Christs they were not Peters Therefore Peter was not in any respect their head but their seruant or minister That Christ alone is the head of the Church Theodoret writes thus Theod. in 2 ca. ad Col. Againe saith he he cals Christ the head and the congregation of the faithfull the bodie And he hath put downe all this place metaphorically for euen as in the bodie the braine is the root of the sinewes and by the sinewes the bodie hath feeling so the bodie of the Church by Christ our Lord receiues both fountaines of Doctrine and matter of saluation And that thing which sinewes are in the bodie that are Apostles prophets and teachers in the assemblie of the Church Thus much Theodoret the Apostles are but ligaments or sinewes by his iudgement nowe it is monstrous and against all reason to make a sinew a head In 1 ep Co. 10 And in another place he writes thus This is required of Stewards that they bee founde faithfull not that hee should take vnto him the honour o◠dignitie of his maister but that he should keepe his maisters good will In 1 ep ad Cor. cap. 9. And in another place of S. Paul hee writes thus Am I not free that is as much to say I am vnder no mans iurisdiction I am not in the place of a disciple But to whose credite the whole world was committed because he was called after Christs assumption And the same prerogatiue he yeelds also to S. Paul in another place vpon these words whereof I am made a minister The saluation of the Church was committed to me meaning S. Paul to me was committed the office of preaching that I should fill you all with heauenly doctrine And that word you doth not onely meane them but also the faithfull that are in the world Gregorie also writes thus In 5. psal penit Christ is one person with his whole Church which either now is conuersant here on earth or is in heauen now with him And as there is one soule which quickens the diuers members of the bodie so one onely holie spirit quickens and lightens the whole Church And as Christ which is the head of the church was conceiued by the holy Ghost so the holy Church which is his bodie is filled with the same holy spirit that it may liue and by his power is strengthned that it may stand in the ioining or coupling togither of one faith and charitie By which the whole bodie being ministred vnto built by ioints and couplings growes to the increase of God Gregorie here makes plainly Christ his Church whether in heauen or in earth to be but one bodie And that by the holie spirite he quickens strengthens and gouernes the same euen as our soule quickens and gouernes our bodies And that by ioints couplings not by any ministeriall head as the papists do imagine nay he saith that his triumphant and his militant Church is but one bodie So that then if they will make Peter the head of the militant Church he must also be the head of the triumphant which I thinke they will not graunt Lastlie to conclude to make the matter more plaine and to shew how farre Gregorie was from imagining Peter to bee the head of the whole Church he writes thus in another place In psal penit 3. 5. The Apostles were called feet because that as feet carrie the bodie so the Apostles carried Christ into the knowledge of al nations which were moued when they doubted that he whom they saw did suffer was the sonne of God In the bodie of the Church he compares Apostles to féete not to heades and that verie fitlie alledging that place of the Apostle Ro. 10.15 How beautifull are the feete of thē which bring glad tydings of peace And of the gouernment of his Church by his holie spirit our sauiour most manifestly speaketh himselfe And I will praie the Father and hee shall giue you another comforter that he may abide with you for euer Io. 14.15 euen the spirite of truth As though he should say you are discomforted because I goe from you but I in my stead will send you a comforter which shall neuer forsake you but shall abide with you for euer And after I wil not leaue you like Orphans without a guide or gouernour but I will come vnto you meaning by his holie spirite The holie spirit then is the gouernour and guardian of Christs Church here on earth wee are not orphanes And the same lesson he taught al his Apostles again immediatlie before his ascension It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power Act. 1.7.8 But you shall receiue the power of the holy ghost when he shall come on you Héere is the authoritie heere is the power and the gouernment of the Church And you shall be witnesses vnto me both in Ierusalem and in all Iudea and in Samaria and vnto the vttermost part of the earth Héere also is the estate and condition of all the Apostles put downe no one of them is made better then an other They are all appointed witnesses of him no one of them Lord or Iudge And this authoritie and office of gouernment in the Church to declare that it was of God giuen to the spirit of God the spirit of God expresly oftentimes executed As when Peter doubted what the vision ment Act. 10.19 the spirit sayd vnto him Behold three men seeke thee Arise therfore and get thee downe and goe with them doubt nothing For I haue sent them What can be more plaine then this The holie ghost sent those thrée men from Caesarea to Ioppe and also sent Peter with them Is not this to gouerne If Peter had béen head appointed by Christ vnder him he might haue gone by his owne authoritie but here he is namelie sent of another to declare that the authoritie was not in himselfe And when Peter came again to Ierusalem Act. 11.3 They of the Circumcision contended with him about this matter And he alleadgeth this
commission and commandement of the holy spirit for his warrant Now this same disputing and reasoning taught that Peter was not their head The brethren make him yeeld account of his doings to them Act. 8.39 as to his equals So the spirit caught Phillip awaie from the Eunuch and placed him at Azoto and he walked too and fro preaching in all the cities till he came to Caesarea The like practise of this authoritie and gouernment of the holy spirit in the Church we read in the Acts c. 13.2 Now as they ministred vnto the Lord fasted the holy ghost saide separate me Barnabas and Saul for the works whereunto I haue called them And after they had fasted and prayed and layd their handes on them they let them goe and they after they were sent forth of the holy ghost came euen to Caesarea and from thence sailed to Cypris Is not this to gouerne Amongst a number to elect out certaine men and to send them to certaine countries The like testimonie of this gouernment in Gods Church of Gods spirit yeeldeth S. Paul to a great number of pastors in a solemne synode Act. 20.28 Take heede therefore vnto your selues sayth he and to all the flocke whereof the holy ghost hath made you ouerseers To place pastors in the Church is it not to gouerne And this S. Paul attributes heere to the holie ghost and as hee affirmes this of the pastors of Ephesius so no doubt of the pastors of the whole world They are placed in their cures by the holie Ghost All the Apostles likewise attribute this power and authority to the holie Ghost In that great controuersie about circumcision and obseruing the lawe of Moses Act. 15.28 doe they not conclude thus It seemes good to the holie Ghost and to vs Héere is the holie Ghost first put as head and gouernour and decider of this great controuersie and they themselues all alike but as assistants vnto it And is not this to gouerne And as the holie Ghost did then expreslie shew his gouernement in the beginning so no doubt by his most mightie power and secret inspiration he gouernes the same still and as the Apostles acknowledge him the gouernour of the church no one of them but him as the head commanding works placing ministers and deciding controuersies and themselues all as hands and féete as Gregorie makes them fulfilling his will Philippus de Dies writes thus out of Ambrose of the authority and pleasure so let vs and no other _____ of all the Apostles Dom. 2. posi pasc conc 1 To this end S. Paul doth confesse that himselfe and his fellowe Apostles receiued grace and Apostleship we haue receiued saith he Grace and Apostleshippe that all nations might obey the faith That is that all nations might obey those thinges which faith teacheth For his name which S. Ambrose expounds as Christs Vicars occupying his roome in the Church And this is that which the same blessed Apostle saide before Wee are Embassadours for Christ But Theophilact expounds it thus For his name That is for the aduancement of the name of Christ that the virtue of his name might bee spred through the whole worlde Thus farre Philippus de Dies Ambrose and he makes all the Apostles Christs vicars and not the Pope onelie and Theophilact testifieth that it is the chiefe part of the apostles to teach that the virtue of Christes name might bee spred through the whole world but the Pope hath dyminished the virtue of this name by adding other names vnto it euen as when many hearbs in a medicine are mingled togither one hindreth the operation of an other what néeds any more if one be sufficient Of Antichrist Fer. in cap. 4. Io. OF the succession of place howe little it auaileth Ferus writes thus As the Iewes bragged of the citie of Dauid and of the Temple of Salomon so the Samaritanes had the dwellings of the former patriarkes who dwelt in those places And by reason of these places they defended and comforted themselues against the Iewes when as they had nothinge of Iacobs religion as also the Iewes nothing of Dauids holines Thus farre Ferus The like may be said of the succession of the Romane Bishop Succession of place without faith is nothing Ferus of the preaching of the Gospell thorough all the world before the ende of the world writes thus The gospell came before the destruction of Ierusalem euen to the verie end of the world but it shal be fulfilled more perfectly before the end of the world Let vs marke how he saith that the gospell shall be preached further and more perfectlie nowe In cap. 24. Mat. then in the Apostles daies And after Behold the goodnesse of God hee might iustlie condemne vs and yet he deferreth his iudgment till all be called to mercie Before he destroied all men with the floud Noe admonished them an hundred yeares before he destroyed Egypt first he sent Moses Euen so before the vniuersall iudgement first he calles all to mercy by the gospell And after To the good the gospell is to their saluation but a testimonie against the wicked Let all men take heede then now that make light accompt of the gospell marke not the doctrine conteyned therin least it be a testimonie against them to condemne them And againe he writes thus Marke that that Ierusalem on whom Christ pronounced the sentence of destruction signifies the world and the Temple of God in the world is the Temple of the faithfull Therefore in the Church he foretold that there shoulde be an abhomination before the end of the world To abhorre is to execrate to loath to disdaine not to suffer to throw a thinge away with disdaine or indignatiō Hence an abomination or a thing abominable that is called which engenders an abhorring loathing or detestation But no outward vncleannes God doth loath but our sinnes Hereof verie often and for the most part they are called abominations in the scripture as for example The way of the vngodly is abomination vnto the Lord but the greatest abomination of all other in the scriptures is Idolatrie impietie heresie and falling away frō God Therfore after this māner Christ doth saie that there shal be abomination in the Church that is an apostacie or departing from God And that not any meane departing or falling away but such a one as shall bring desolation with it that is shall vtterlie goe about to ouerthrow christian religion And this abomination S. Iohn meanes in the Reuelation sometime by the beast to which the Dragō hath giuen his power somtime by the woman sitting on the beast and making all Nations drunken of the wine of her fornication Of which S. Paul speaketh more plainely vnlesse saith he that a departing come first that that man of sinne be reueiled c. Therefore this abomination is nothing else then the kingdome and tyrannie of Antichrist or the falling away from god which shal
Christian against Antichrist These things haue I written vnto you 1. Ep. 2.26 as concerning those that deceiue you and the annointing yee haue receiued of him abideth in you so that no man needeth to teach you any thing no not Elias nor Enoch We may note here how that he armeth the faithfull onely with the Scripture and the holie spirit against Antichrist and that they neede no other armour And againe I write vnto you children Verse 14. that you haue knowne the father I write vnto you fathers that you haue knowne him that was from the beginning I write vnto you young men that you are strong and the word of God dwelleth in you The worde of God is the knowledge and light of olde men against Sathan and his sonne Antichrist and the strength also of young men to wrastle and encounter with them both and with this they being strengthened they are able to ouercome them Saint Paul also speaking of Antichrist and of his members which by and by after his departure should succéed in the church saieth thus Act. 20 24. I knowe this that after my departure shall grieuous Wolues enter in amongst you not sparing the flocke and from amongst your selues shall men arise speaking peruerse things to drawe away the Disciples after them Therefore watch ye remembring how by the space of three yeeres night and day I haue not ceased to warne euerie one of you And now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you further then I haue as yet builded you and to giue you an inheritance amongst all those which shall be sanctified Here Saint Paul teacheth that Wolues shall succéede in the Church and no doubt these were the members of Antichrist Against these as a faithfull Pastor he commits his shéepe to God and to the word of God which is able to build them further naie to preserue them safe and sound from all errors and dangers in the wildernesse of this worlde and to bring them euen to heauen if so be that they shall follow onely the direction of it And here also we maie learne an excellent commendation of the worde of God it is a bottomelesse pitte no man can euer come to the depth thereof so that of it that saying of Saint Austen is verified So great is the depth of the holy Scriptures that I should euerie day profit in the study of them Aug. ep 3. if from mine infancie till I were a verie olde man I should learne them hauing neuer so much leisure studying neuer so earnestly and hauing neuer so good a wit they are still able to build further This testimonie Saint Paul and Saint Austen yéelde to the worde of God and what néedes Maister Bellarmine then to adde the comming of Elias and Enoch as necessarie to preserue the elect in the faith as though the worde of God were not sufficient Our Sauiour himselfe in the Gospell teacheth the same doctrine and that it is dangerous to beléeue anie rising againe frō the dead whosoeuer they are in points of saluation Luk. 16.31 They haue Moses the prophets saith Abraham the father of the faithful if they will not beleeue them neither wil they beleeue if anie arise from the dead againe no if it were Enoch and Elias This lesson Abraham by our sauiours testimonie hath taught all his children and yet by Maister Bellarmine his iudgement the faithfull must looke for Elias and Enoch to come to preserue them in the faith Esay also opposeth the word of God against all doctrines of dead men whatsoeuer Esay 8.20 Should not a people enquire of their God From the liuing to the dead will you seeke To the lawe and to the testimonie Psal 119.105 The lawe and the testimonie must be a light to our feet our counsellers in all controuersies and doubts as also they were Dauids Chrysostome vpon Matthew writes thus of Antichrist and of the onely way to bewray him Then that is Chrys Ho. 49. in ca. 24. Mat. when Antichrists kingdome shall come they which are in Iewrie let them flie vnto the hilles These things are to be vnderstood spiritually thus Then when you shall see the abomination of desolation sitting in the holy place that is when you shall see a wicked heresie which is the host of Antichrist standing in the holy places of the Church at that time they which are in Iewrie let them flie to the hilles that is they which are Christians let them get them to the Scriptures For as the true Iewe is a Christian as the Apostle saith not he which is a Iew openly but he which is a Iew in secret so christendome is true Iewrie whose name signifies confession or thanksgiuing and the hilles are the writings of the Prophets and Apostles of which hilles it is said Thou wonderfully giuest light from the eternall hilles And againe of the Church he saith the foundations are vpon the holy hilles And why doth he command all christians at this time to get them to the scriptures Because at that time since that heresy hath taken place in the Church there can be no other proofe or triall of true christianitie nor any other help for christians which thē would know which is the true faith but the holy Scriptures Before by many meanes it might be shewed which was the church of Christ and which was the heathenish Synagogue But now they which will know which is the true Church can know it by no meanes else but onely by the Scriptures And after Therefore the Lord knowing what a great confusion of all things should be in the latter daies therefore he commaunds that Christians which would be sure to know the true faith should flie to nothing else but to the Scriptures Here we maie first learne what Antichrist is not a Deuill incarnate as the Papists imagine but a wicked heresie which shall take possession in the Church nay in the beginning of that Homily he saith That when as all heresies are as it were the host of Antichrist yet especially that which shall take vpon it the face and roume of the Church Quae obtinuit ecclesiae locum stetit in loco sancto ita vt videatur quasi verbum veritatis stetisse cum non sit verbum veritatis sed abominatio desolationis id est exercitus Antichrists qui multorum animas reddidit desolatas à Deo which hath borne the shew of the Church so that it seemed to haue continued in the holy place as the word of truth when as it is not the word of truth but the abhomination of desolation that is the host of Antichrist which shall make many mens soules destitute of God And dare anie man then venture his saluation vpon the bare name and shewe of the Church He saith here plainlie that Antichrists heresie shall haue the roume and shewe of the Church Therefore it is dangerous onely to relie vpon
heauenly phisition hath bought for thee with the price of his bloud hath bestowed freely vpon thee what to these things shall those most miserable men answere what shall they say for themselues what shall they doe surely euen that which our Sauiour euen here saith Then shall all the kinreds of the earth lament c. Thus farre Granatensis But here some will say all the infidels in the world shall wéepe at the beholding of this signe And shall they all be saued I answere The scripture saith not that all those which then wéepe shall be damned And therefore where the scriptures hold their peace let man take héed how he pronounceth sentence Let vs leaue them to the mercy of God God may among those weepers saue some if it please him as among two théeues he saued one on the crosse Luke 25.43 Hab. 3.1 That saying of Abacucke may then be fulfilled When thou art angrie thou wilt thinke vpon mercie And Dauid saith I will sing of mercie and iudgement Psal 101.1 Luke 16.9 Iudgement excludes not mercie euen in that terrible and great day of account Mercie must saue all Christians Io. 2.13 and why may it not at that time saue some Iewes also Especially séeing God promiseth here by his prophet that he will powre vpon them the spirit of grace and mercie and then they shall weepe This wéeping thall procéed of grace and therefore shall be healthfull This powring forth of the spirit of grace and mercie and this hauing respect then to him whom they haue pearced and this weeping belong all to one kind of people and are fruites and effects the one of the other The former the powring out of the spirit of grace and mercy doth belong to the elect and this latter the beholding of him whom haue they pearced and these teares to the reprobate As Ribera would haue it on that place of Zacharie And that the crosse was taken for the signe of the sonne of man in the primitiue Church Eusebius testifieth Rib. in za c. 12. For so when as the Christians admitted vnto their society one Basilides he saith they gaue him the Lords signe And the next day he was martyred And he that translated Eusebius addes in the margine that by the Lords signe he vnderstands the crosse But if we shall not admit his exposition Eus lib. ca 5. let vs heare what Sibylla an ancient Prophetesse prophecieth of Christs comming to iudgement and of this signe Sib. lib. 8. Orac fol. 383. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which Verses are thus turned into English Vnto all men a famous signe whereby they may be knowne In those daies shal be giuen euen by the wood a trumpe most dire Of all the faithfull much esteemd but to the worlds state Reposing trust in earthly things a cause of great offence Here Sibylla in her Achrostickes as she doth most truly and plainly paint out vnto vs Christes name and his merits This King saith she whom we haue described in the first letters of our verses is our God and our eternall Redeemer and Sauiour who suffered for vs And of his comming againe to iudgement why should she not also saie the truth in the appearing of this the signe of the crosse It is a great argument to make one be trusted if he shall haue borne true witnes often before in other matters The true faith of Sibylla in the former may also win her credit with vs in this latter And to confirme the authoritie of her prophecie Cic. lib. 2. de Diuin Au. de ciuit dei lib. 18. ca. 23. that it is no new thing forged of late since Christs passion Cicero makes mention of this her Achrosticks who was before Christ and Lactantius in his booke often cites her verses And saint Austen saith That a certaine noble man called Flactianus who was the Emperors Lieutenāt when as they two talked togither of Christ shewed him a Greeke booke saying that they were the verses of Sibylla Erithrea and that he shewed him in a certaine place of that booke in the beginning of euerie verse letters set in such an order that these words might be read therein Iesus Christ Son of God Sauiour This account all these famous men made of Sibylla her verses and shal we discredite them Gualter also a learned man of our daies of famous memorie so expoundes that place of saint Matthewes gospell and by the signe of the sonne of man vnderstandeth the signe of the crosse These be his wordes Most of the auncient fathers expound the crosse to be this signe whose image as Eusebius witnesseth with this inscription In this signe thou shalt ouercome appeared to Constantine when he made warre against Maxentius that he might helpe the Church which seemed then forsaken In cap. 24. Euan. secun Mat For because Christ by the merit of the crosse ouercame all the power of the enemie the signe of the crosse appeareth most fitly before any other to our victorie and by it also we shall ouercome And it is verie profitable for vs often to muse vpon this and it is a shame for vs to feare any misfortune when as the verie name of the crosse promiseth vs most certaine victory Thus farre Gualter Wherein he doth not onely declare his owne opinion but also the opinion of the fathers concerning this matter That same learned father also Thomas Cooper sometimes Byshoppe of Lincolne in his visitation there agreed with Gualter in this his exposition who spake to this effect to his cleargie in Latine in my hearing all the rest of his Sermon being in English Annon potestis ferre fratres mei Anno Dom. 1583. signum illud formari hîc in terra quod ante aduentum iudicis erit conspicuum in coelo Can you not abide my deere brethren that that signe should be made here on earth which shall appeare manifestly before the iudge come in heauen In cap. 4. Ioh. Ferus also of the conuersion of the Iewes writes thus Allegorically as the foresaid woman of Samaria was a figure of the Church of the Gentiles so this noble mans sonne was a figure of the Iewes And it makes much to the purpose that the woman came to Christ at the sixt houre but he was healed first at the seuenth houre For the Church of the Gentiles beleeued the true sonne of Righteousnesse Christ Iesus ascending into heauen but when as he shall begin to come downe againe that is when he sendeth before him the signes and wonders of his comming to iudgement then shall the people of the Iewes beleeue Ferus thinkes that the verie signes and wonders which shall immediately precede Christs comming to iudgement shall cause the Iewes to beléeue and not the preaching of Elias and Enoch And it is verie likely that he means among those signes which shall appeare immediately before the iudgement which shall conuert the Iewes shall be the signe
holpen our rebels in Ireland Who persecutes kings in their owne pallaces in their chambers in their closets as the secret murthers of manie Princes and Kings by his fauourers in our memorie plainly testifie There lackes nothing but this that when as he sees that all his priuie and secret practises can do no good that he with open warre come into the field himselfe and with his riches and treasures wherein he abounds and with all the friends that he can make proclaime open warre against that great day of the God almightie of which great day of battell both the prophet Ioel and Zacharie and also Saint Iohn in his Reuelation may seeme to spake Ioel. 3.9 Zac. 14.13.14 Rev. 16.14 Aust de ciu de lib. 18. ca. 52. S. Austē saith That some in his daies thought that the last persecutiō of Antichrist should be like the eleuenth plague of the Egyptians in which while the Egyptians fiercely persecuted the Israelits in the red sea the people of God going thorow on drie ground they themselues perished But Saint Austen doth not thinke that by those ten plagues of Egypt these ten persecutions of the Roman Emperours were prophetically signified Although saith he of those which thinke thus these are wittily and exquisitly compared the one to the other but not by the spirit of prophecie but by mans coniecture which sometimes proues true and sometimes false Saint Austens chiefe reason against this opinion is because of the number For that there haue beene and may be more persecutions then ten or eleuen against the Church of God But to let the number go the matter of this exposition may séeme fitly to agrée with the other prophecies of the scripture If Antichrists kingdome be spiritually Egypt as saint Iohn calleth it then Pharaoh was a type of Antichrist and fitly may we coniecture that he shal both deale in Gods Church persecute and also perish as he did Is not the Pope like Pharaoh Pharaoh killed the infants in the water And hath not the Pope done so with Christian children 2. Tim. 3.15 1. Ioh. 2.14 Timothie knew the scriptures from his childhood And saint Iohn saith You young men are strong because the word of God dwelleth in you And Dauid how shall a yong man cleanse his waies that through the filth of sin he perish not but by keeping thy word But the Pope hath taken this word from children from young men from all men Therefore he hath taken away their strength and in them he hath defiled and polluted their waies And therefore he hath as much as in him lies killed them For God hath testified that the soule that sinneth shall die And as also that other Pharaoh burthened mens backs and bodies so hath he burthened all mens consciences with the obseruations of his superstitious lawes And is he not then rightly Pharaoh This persecution of Gods Church comming out of Egypt makes also the same most manifest Since the first day that Gods people began to forsake his blinde superstition he hath neuer ceased to persecute them And as in his doings he is a Pharaoh so he shall be Pharaoh in his ende And here the papists opinion concerning Antichrist how absurd is it and against all reason that another Antichrist should be borne in Babylon and should come with such a power that he should persecute the Church of Christ more then euer it hath béene persecuted I thinke they thinke that Antichrist when he comes shall not be able to ouercome their Pope and yet this he must doe if their opinion be true The Turke hath not beene able to ouercome Christendome for all his might riches and power and do they thinke that euer any shall arise mightier then he Ians har Eu. ca. 22. After the affliction of those daies the sunne shall be darkened c. which without all doubt saith Iansenius belongs to the comming of Christ to the which comming shall goe before the most grieuous persecution of the faithfull by Antichrist But surely it is not likely that euer anie shall come more mightie then the Turke and Pope and therefore let vs thinke surely that this persecution is begun alreadie that Antichrist is comed The Pope hath taught thus much himselfe For he decreed that none should preach of the day of iudgement nor of Antichrist Concil Lat. ses 11. although he had a Reuelation vnlesse he first examine him What néede he haue feared if he had not béene guiltie especially séeing we are commaunded to preach the iudgement 2. Thes 2.8 Nay how contrarie to the verie plaine and manifest text of the scriptures is their opinion of Antichrist Saint Paul telleth vs plainly that the Lord Iesus shall consume Antichrist with the breath of his mouth and shal quite abolish destroy him with his glorious appearāce What can be plainer then this that Iesus Christ by his second comming shall quite destroy Antichrist But they teach that Michael the Archangel shall destroy him with a thunderbolt And that Antichrist being thus dead and slaine by Michael Christ shal not by by come after but that there shall be granted to the elect 45. Iohes Vinaldus opere regali de 12. persecut Eccles daies after to repent in And that then after those 45. daies no man shall know the time when Christ shal come to iudgement And that then there shal be silence as it were in heauen and peace in the Church that tribulation ceasing And that then Antichrists disciples shal reioyce and shall beginne to marrie and to make feasts saying although our master be dead yet now we shall haue rest and securitie And so that day of the Lord shall come vpon them vnawares c. How this and saint Pauls doctrine doe agree togither let euerie one in this great and waightie matter iudge but indifferently And yet this they dare auouch euen contrary to the iudgement of Austen whom there the same author alleadgeth who writes thus concerning this matter in his Epistle to Hesichius I dare not number the times as concerning the comming of our Sauiour which is looked for in the end Neither do I thinke that any of the prophets haue set downe this number but that rather ought to be of force amongst vs which our Lord himselfe said Act. 1.7 No man can know the times which the father hath put in his own power Thus in their opinion the papists doe dissent both from S. Paul and Saint Austen But thus much of Antichrist 12. Of Miracles FErus of this matter writes thus Vnlesse you see you will not beleeue In 4. cap. Io. This word condemneth vs for we also require signes That is we will be otherwise certified then by the word For when as we heare the forgiuenesse of sinnes and other promises of God then we think we would beleeue if we were assured by any sensible signes But if thou be one of the faithfull the word of God ought to suffice thee without
of grace is called the fulnes of time And for this cause the sonne of God is called the hand of the father because as by the hand things are wont to be distributed So the eternall father by the sonne hath giuen his heauenly gifts This hand Dauid praied so earnestly for send out thy hand from aboue c. If we lacke anie thing we are wont to receiue it at mens hands and not at their féet So here let vs receiue all things at the hands of God Almightie let vs not seeke anie thing at Saints or Angels which may resemble Gods féet In ca. 19. Esa Ierome writes thus vpon these words And they shall not remember the former things Although this may be said that in the new heauen and the new earth all the remeÌ„brance of our conuersation shall be quite blotted out least this should be some peece of euill to remember our former griefes and necessities As the saints shall not remember their former anguishes or griefes to impaire in anie respect their ioy so no doubt much more not the griefes of others And againe In all their trouble there shall be no trouble And the Angell of his face shall saue them that is Iesus Christ who is the Image of God and appeares before God now for vs or else who is like to vs and is perfect man Psal 118. v. 27. In times past as Dauid witnesseth The sacrifices were bound to the hornes of the Altar not to the postes of the house of God though they were neuer so holy and gilded So now we must binde our sacrifices that is our prayers to the Altar Iesus Christ not to the postes of the house that is to the Saints In cap. 3. Io. Ferus also writes thus Afterward Iohn expresseth the conditions of those that be Christes friends he standeth saith he as readie to doe whatsoeuer is to be done he heareth what the bride groome talketh with the bride and he reioyceth in the glorie of the bridegroome These are those thrée conditions of all the friends of Iesus Christ which were bidden to the marriage by Ferus his iudgement and of all Gods Saintes And no doubt as they performed the two former while they were here in this life that is they stood all readie to doe his commandements and they gladlie heard his words so likewise in heauen they reioice in his glorie his glorie is their glorie They all with Saint Iohn here doe put awaie all glory yéelded vnto them and attribute it vnto him And after he must increase I must decrease we are taught by this sentence that all the authorities dignities offices righteousnesses wisedomes powers of all men are to be made no account of that only Christs authoritie dignitie office righteousnesse wisedome power may be established To conclude it belongs to him to be exalted it belongs to vs to be humbled If this be true what meanes all those hymnes and songs and prayers to the glorie of Saints which the Church of Rome vseth In the councell of Rhemes cap. 2. celebrated vnder Charles the great An. dom 913. we are taught that it is not lawful for a christian not to know without booke the Lords prayer or not to vnderstand it or not too often vse it If this be true how many thousand Christians in the time of Poperie were transgressors of this lawe who vnderstood not the Lords prayer Theodoret against prayers to be made to Angels writes thus They which defended the law In 3. ca. ad Col. perswaded them to worship Angels saying that the lawe was giuen by them And this fault remained long in Phrygia and Pisidia wherefore also the synode which met at Laodicea which is the chiefe Citie of Phrygia did forbid by law that they pray to Angels And euen vnto this day we may see amongst them and amongst their borderers houses of prayer of S. Michael They gaue men counsell to doe this vsing humilitie saying the God of all things could not be seene nor comprehended nor that any man could come vnto him and that they must get them the good will of God by the means of the angels Is not this plainly the papists doctrine at this day they build Churches to Angels they teach that by the meanes of Angels we must procure the fauour of God And after vpon these words Doe all things in the name of our Lords Iesus Christ because saith Theodoret they commanded to worship Angels he commaunds the contrarie that they should make glorious or acceptable to God both their wordes and deedes by the remembrance of our Lord Christ And saith he send forth your thankesgiuing to God your father by him and not by Angels The councell of Laodicea following this law and hauing a minde to cure this olde disease decréed Conc. Lâ—od cap. 32. that they should not make any prayers vnto angels that they should not leaue out the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Here we may note that we should not make anie prayers vnto Angels and that we should neuer leaue out of our prayers the name of our Lord Iesus Christ but that we should doe all things in his name and that he alone makes our prayers glorious in the sight of God and procures vs Gods fauour Stella also of the great mercie of our Sauiour writes thus Secondly he touched the leaper In 5. ca. Luc. that he might mooue vs boldly to come to him and that he might take away all occasion of feare let no man be affraid let all come to him Christ doth not loathe our Leprosie nor filthy corruption but he pities vs more then any father doth his children because he knowes whereof we be made If a leprous sinner maie come boldly to Christ what sinner shall be affraid to come Also vpon the first of Luke he askes a question why God sent an Angell to the virgin could not God himselfe haue reuealed this mysterie to the virgin he could truely but he would send an Angell first that he might declare the loue and charitie he beares vnto vs so that he procures our redemption euen by the ministerie of Angels So Paul saith Are they not all ministring spirits for those which shall receiue the inheritance of saluation Out of which place man may drawe an argument that he may magnifie or thinke well of his owne estate because Angels are sent to minister and serue vnto him And after If any prince or noble man should prostrate himselfe on the ground that he might gather vp the crums which fell from thee were he not despised and no account made of So thou which art a noble and excellent creature of God when as thou hast Angels to be thy seruants oughtst not to bow thy selfe to these earthly things which are vile and of no reputation Thus farre Stella The same reason we make against praying to Angels If God haue so exalted vs that Angels are our seruants why should we abase our selues to knéele downe to
Else when thou blessest with the spirit how shall he which occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen at thy giuing of thanks seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest Thou verily giuest thanks wel but the other is not edified S. Paul here speakes manifestly of common prayer in the Church both of praying singing of Psalmes and not only of priuate hymnes or some particular songs which some Christians made to their owne comforts and to praise God as Master Bellarmine expounds this place Saint Pauls doctrine agrées with the promise of our sauiour Lib. 2. de verb. dei cap. 16. and with the practise of the Church before recited The same doctrine he deliuereth to Timothie a Bishop to be deliuered to the whole Church I will therefore saith he first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thanks be made for all men for kings 1. Tim. 2.1 and all that are in authoritie that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlines and honestie No doubt he meanes here common praiers And he puts downe the benefits which are reaped thereby which being knowen and vnderstood of the Church should as it were whet on this their desire of praying These benefits they should know assuredlie they did reape by their prayers and that they were to obtaine them by no other meanes but by prayer And therefore séeing they are such things as no man can be without all men greatliest desire it behooueth them especially to praie for these and as they know and vnderstand the price of them to be so much the more earnest by their prayers in begging them of God The like doctrine he teacheth all men after in their priuate prayers I will saith he that men pray in all places lifting vp pure hands without doubtfulnes They must haue faith ioined with their prayers and beleeue verilie they doe receiue that which they praie for according to our sauiours doctrine or else they shall obteine nothing at Gods hands But this faith of receiuing the things they praie for argues a knowledge They cannot beléeue they receiue the things they praie for vnlesse they know what they praie for so that by saint Pauls doctrine both common priuate prayers must be made with our vnderstanding The same teacheth saint Iames Is anie sicke amongst you Let him call for the elders of the Church let them pray for him Ia. 5.14 And annoint him with oyle in the name of the Lord And the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke Here are common praiers set downe but they must be done in faith and in the name of the Lord Iesus S. Iames agrees with the gospell Our common praiers must haue these two conditions which the gospel teacheth they must be made in faith and with knowledge as is before repeated And they must be made in the name of the Lord Iesus They must not be barbarous prayers without vnderstanding as saint Paul tearmes them but Christian prayers framed according to the doctrine of Iesus Christ The same doctrine saint Iohn teacheth 1. Io. 5.14.15 And this is the assurance which we haue in him that if we aske anie thing according to his will he heareth vs. And if we know that he heare vs whatsoeuer we aske we know that we haue the petitions that we haue desired of him Saint Iohn ioines the same two conditions to common prayers which saint Iames did that is faith and assurance that we shall obtaine our petitions and knowledge And this is that which our sauiour himselfe also teacheth all his Io. 16.24 Hitherto haue ye asked nothing in my name Aske and ye shall receiue that your ioy may be full What can be greater ioy to a man then to haue his suit granted of a mortall man euen of a king but to haue it granted at the handes of God is the cause of the greatest ioy in the world Prou. 13.12 The hope that is deferred saith Salomon is the fainting of the heart bu◠when the desire commeth it is a tree of life But how shall w◠know that our suits and prayers be granted vs or not vnlesse we know what we pray for Therefore they take from vs this tree of life which teach vs to praie in Latin and not to vnderstand our prayers They take from vs the greatest ioie we haue in the world And what kind of enemies are they 1. Iohn 5.16 The same doctrine saint Iohn giues of priuate prayers If anie man saith he see his brother sinne a sinne not vnto death let him aske and he shall giue life for them which sinne not vnto death All Christians ought to praie for their brethren when they sée them offend They should praie God to amend them And should they not then vnderstand their prayers I would to God all Christians would attentiuelie marke this forcible effect of prayer they shall by their praiers giue life to their brethren offending To restore a dead man in bodie to life againe what a great commendation would we account it but it is a farre greater matter to restore a dead man in soule to life againe And this most assuredly doth faithfull praier Oh that all Christians would remember this and practise it and cease in their brothers sinnes as most men do now a daies either to backbite them or slaunder them but rather as saint Iohn here counselleth pray for them Neither were the common prayers onelie in the Gospell but in the law also in a knowne tongue Before the captiuitie Dauid saith O come let vs sing vnto the Lord Let vs heartily reioyce in the strength of our saluation This exhortation had béene in vaine if the people then had not vnderstood what had beene said And in another Psalme he concludes thus Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for euer and euer Psal 106.48 And let all the people say Amen prase ye the Lord. And againe speaking of the Church of Christ Psal 47.7 he saith God is king ouer all the earth sing ye praises with vnderstanding All Christs subiectes must be children to maliciousnes but not in wit they must be men in vnderstanding And they must praise God with their vnderstandings He requires only the heart He will be worshipped in spirit and truth Iohn 4.23 Esay 29.13 as our sauiour teacheth And againe We must not now worship him as the wicked did in Esaias daies This people honoureth me with their lips but their heart is farre from mee This kinde of worship God condemned in the Iewes and do we thinke that he wil allow of such like amongst christians Of the common praiers also of the Iewes after the captiuity Neh. 8.6 we read thus in the booke of Nehemiah And Esdrah praised the Lord the great God and all the people answered Amen c. No doubt if they had not vnderstood his praises they could not haue answered Amen So that contrarie to M. Hardings and Mast Stapletons assertions
both the diuine nature and our nature who vnderstands what is profitable for man and also what God requires of vs both worthy of God and him also that asketh And also with what words not so much fit for God for he knoweth the meaning and force of all words as for the minde of him that speaketh that he may not be ignorant how he ought to thinke of God And of this his vnderstanding the loue of God may spring in him and be confirmed And after There is no prayer which ought so diligently and attentiuely to be said and meditated vpon of vs as this meaning the Lords prayer euerie part of it nay euerie word euerie letter euerie prick of it are to be weighed of vs. He would haue this praier especiallie of all to be vnderstood and not to be saide in Latine as they vsed in Poperie 16. Of Auricular confession De Baptis ad Io. CYprian writes thus of that place in the 20. of Iohn Whose sins ye remit c. It is manifest where and by whom remission of sinnes may be giuen which is giuen in baptisme for the Lord gaue first that power to Peter vpon whome he built his Church and from whom he ordained and shewed the originall of humanitie that that should be loosed on earth that he had loosed And after his resurrection he speaketh also to his Apostles saying As my father sent me so send I you when he had said thus He breathed vpon them and said to them receiue yee the holy Ghost whose sinnes yet forgiue they are forgiuen to him whose yee retaine they are retained Whereby we perceiue that it is lawfull in the Church for the gouernours thereof and those that are appointed by the law of the Gospell and the Lords ordinance to baptise and to giue remission of sins and that without neither any thing can be bound or loosed seeing there is no body that can binde or loose any thing Neither doe we set downe this O brother without the authoritie of the scriptures So that we said that all things are set in order by a certaine law and by his own appointment Neither that any man may take vpon him any thing against the Bishops and priests which is not in his right and power For Chore Dathan and Abiram against Moses and Aaron tooke vpon them authoritie to sacrifice neither did they that without punishment which they attempted vnlawfully Here we maie learne first that the fathers workes either thorough malice or ignorance haue béene corrupted for what sense should this haue for God first gaue this power to Peter from whom he shewed and ordained the originall of humanitie no doubt it should be of vnanimitie or vnitie as appeares by the other place of his booke of the simplicitie of prelates So we may sée how that olde cousoner Sathan hath not kept back his fingers from the fathers workes he hath béen doing with them And therfore who dare safely build his faith vpon them Secondly that the Church was built vpon Peter to declare the vnitie that should be amongst all pastors not to declare anie superioritie of Peter in power or authoritie of binding or loosing aboue the rest for there hereafter he addes That al the rest receiued like power with him of binding and loosing And that the heretiques rebelling in the Church and breaking the vnitie thereof doe not rebell against anie one but against the Byshops and priests euen as Chore Dathan and Abiram did against Moses and Aaron And lastlie he expounds plainely where this power of binding and loosing is executed which hee affirmes to be in Baptisme and not in auricular confession as our late diuines of Rome teach who attributes the verie strength and power and force of that place to auricular confession and to their priests then either forgiuing or detaining sinnes Cyrill also as hath béene alleadged before agrées herein with Cyprian and expounds this authoritie of forgiuing sinnes which the ministers haue to be executed in baptisme or in repentance of notorious sinners Austen also expoundeth that place of S. Matthews Gospell Aug. Tract in Ioh. 123. To thee I will giue the keies of the kingdome of heauen thus that Peter when this was said vnto him signified the whole Church And of Christs coate which was without seame he writes thus Tract in Ioh. 118. The coate without seame least at any time it should be ript in sunder came vnto one because he gathers all into one euen as amongst his Apostles when as the number was twelue that is three times foure and they were all asked Only Peter answered Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God And it was said to him To thee I will giue the keies of the kingdome of heauen as though he alone had receiued power of binding and loosing when as he being but one answered that for all and receiued this withall as a figure of vnitie therefore one for all because vnitie is to them all And therefore this when he had said wrought about he addeth thorow out the which if we referre to that which it signifieth no man lackes it who is found to pertaine to the whole from which whole as the Greeke tongue shewes the Catholique church is called This is Austens iudgment that Peter answered for all and receiued like authoritie for all But M. Bellarmine saith There was no cause why Christ should so particularly say to Peter To thee I will giue the keies and feed my sheepe and that for his singular faith and loue if he should receiue nothing besides the rest He plainlie dissents from Austen and so their new Catholique faith from the olde Austen and Cyprian affirme that this spéech of our Sauiour was to him alone to declare the vnitie he would haue amongst all his ministers and in this he made him a mirror and not a maister Cyrill in Io. cap. 64. And Cyrill saith by his threefold commission he comforted him againe for his threefold denying this he gained by it Franciscus de Euia a Papist of auricular confession writes thus Direct confes I counsell thee also deare brother if thou wilt confesse thy sinnes often that thou get thee a proper confessor and such a one as is well experienced in that matter a wise man and of a good and commendable life to whom thou maiest safely committe thy conscience and to haue now euen in the steed of the Lord God to whom thou maiest surely reueale all thy secrets both inward and outward and all thy sinnes Herein he plainlie discouers the corruptions of their Church Should a shéepe go from his shepheard This is an absurd thing But such hath béen their doctrine and practise that the pastors of congregations neede not preach themselues but friers in their roomes and thereby were all their Frieries maintained and that the shéepe maie go from their pastors to séeke some other to reueale their sins vnto 1. Pet. 5.1 Whereas S. Peter exhorts all elders and
testimonies God will haue and what witnesses in his Temple what trées in this his new Paradise and what candles in his house Exod. 25.31 The old Tabernacle had but one Candlesticke in it with seuen braunches to lighten it 2. Pe. 2.5 Heb. 3.5 and the olde world but one Noah to testifie to them the wil of God and the house of Israel but one Moses as a seruant to testifie those things which should be spoken after As our Sauiour also tolde the Iewes Doe not you thinke that I will accuse you to my father Io. 5.45 there is one that accuseth you euen Moses in whom you trust But in the Church of Christ shall be two witnesses The Law and the Gospell Besides this former testimonie of Moses The gospell also shall be preached to all nations for a testimonie Mat. 24 14. Mat. 18.16 saith our Sauiour and then shall the ende come Out of the mouth of two or three witnesses shall euerie word or matter be confirmed Before his iudgement God will haue his truth firmely ratified to the world And therefore of these two witnesses and of these two testaments of the Law and of the Gospell in our daies in the repairing againe of the Temple which was prophaned and defaced by Antichrist Saint Iohn saith These are two Oliue trees and two Candlestickes standing before the God of the earth Alluding no doubt to Dauid here in the Psalme The word of the Lord is purified to the Lord of the earth and these Oliues and Candlesticks stood before the Lord of the earth As though the word of God and these Oliues and Candlesticks were all one The word of God the two testaments are the Lords two Oliues able not onely to sustaine Psal 104.15 but to chéere and make merie all Gods household seruants They are also the Lords two great lights like the Sunne the Moone which are sufficient also to lighten his whole house in all obscure and dark points of Religion and to shew vs the perfect and readie way to heauen Now let all his faithfull seruants haue an eie only to these De Mirah scrip lib. 1. cap. 6. Let vs marke what authoritie saint Austen himselfe yéelded to the fathers and expositers of the holy scriptures which were before him who speaking of the doores of heauen which were opened and of the fountains of the déepe at Noah his floud writes thus We cannot saith he for the slendernes of our wit and knowledge vnfold the hardnes of this matter with a grounded or ratified opinion that that is truth which we teach notwithstanding we will without anie partiality shew what in these matters the studies of our former masters could finde out in their diuers opinions yeelding no more authoritie to one then to another of whose iudgements and of whose particular choises we giue euerie man leaue to allow or disallow at his pleasure This opinion Saint Austen had of the opinions and iudgements of those which before him expounded the holy scriptures whom he cals Masters he himselfe was bound to none of them nor no more would he haue anie other And so no doubt by this his owne example he hath taught all men what opinion if they will not be wilfull euery one should haue of his writings expositions So that then in the time of popery the shepheards the pastors of congregations in not giuing this meat vnto their flocks in not healing their woundes sores with the leaues of these trees in not preaching the word of God they haue declared themselues not be Christs shepheards Io. 10.10 but to be Antichrists hirelings Nay to make this matter more plaine They haue not only not fed them but torne in peeces their hoofes as Zacharie prophecieth wounding their consciences and weakneng their faithes in teaching that vnlesse they sang masses for them after their deaths their faith in Christ did not profit them And that they were damned if they brake one of the least of their ceremonies and traditions Is not this quite to teare in péeces the verie hoofes and clawes of the poore sillie lambes whereby they began now to go and to lay hold on Christ Secondly this same Author saith That now one hauing gotten such a faithfull and holy confessor let him account of him euen as of God himselfe and reueale to him boldly all his secret sins and all the secrets of his heart And is not this plainly to say that the Pope is Antichrist He shall sit in the Church shewing himselfe as God saith saint Paul And doth not he here confesse the same What is it else to be God Psal 7.9 Ier. 11.20.20.12 Reu. 2.23 but to search the harts and raines as the scriptures often teach This thing they attribute to God onely And yet the Pope and his cleargie arrogate it to themselues And is not this to sit in the Church as God Saint Paul writes to the ministers of the Church of Corinth that they should iudge nothing before the time 1. Cor. 3.5 vntill the Lord come who shall lighten things that are hidde in darknesse and make the counsels and secrets of the hearts manifest 1. Ti. 5.24 and then shall euerie man haue praise of God And to Timothie Some mens sinnes are open before hand and goe before vnto iudgement but some mens follow after But the papists by this their doctrine contrarie to saint Pauls doctrine in both these places doe make their confessors to take vpon them that knowledge of secrets which belongs to God and that no sinnes are to be reserued vnto the daie of iudgement Their confessors if men will not be damned as they teach must knowe them before This author here himselfe confesseth that to know the secrets of the heart belongs onely to God And that therefore euerie one is to account of his confessor euen as of God himselfe And is not this plainly to affirme that the Pope shall sit in the Church as God Let vs neuer looke that anie other shall euer come into the Church and challenge or take vpon him more of the diuine Authoritie then this And therefore let vs acknowledge that this prophecie of saint Paul is alreadie fulfilled in him And that the Pope and his cleargie sit now in the Church of God 17. Of Purgatorie Psa 40.1 FIrst concerning Purgatorie that vehement and comfortable Sermon which God commaundes Esay and in him all ministers to preach to his Church is as it were a double cannon to beat downe the paper wals of Purgatorie Comfort comfort my people saith the Lord your God speake to the heart of Ierusalem and crie vnto her that her warfare is now at an end and that her iniquitie now hath obtained pardon For she hath receiued at the Lords hands double for all her sinnes This is a sermon of comfort and this must be preached to the heart of Ierusalem and of all Gods Church and cried out in their eares that their warfare now
euidently he writes thus If any man therefore haue tares which may be burnt which the enuious man did sowe whilest the housholder slept these shall the fire burne these shall be burnt and in the eies of all the Saints their punishments shall be made manifest which in steed of gold siluer and pretious stones haue built vpon the foundation of the Lord hay wood stubble food of that euerlasting fire And after As of the diuels and all them that denie God and wicked men which say in their hearts there is no God we beleeue their torments are euerlasting fire so also of sinners Alas euen of Christians whose works are to be prooued and tried with fire we thinke that there shall be a mercifull sentence of the iudge mixt with clemencie This fire and this purging and this sentence Ierome plainly affirmes to be at the last daie Also writing of that hard place of the Psalme Pardon me before I go hence he writes thus Lib. 18. in Es He truely which while he liues in this body and hath not obtained pardon for his sinnes and so shall depart out of this life perisheth to God and ceaseth to be any more although as concerning himselfe he remaine in punishments Of purgatorie also Ierom in another place writes thus Ier. Epist 135. ad Damas God wil not punish twise the same fault and he that hath once receiued euils in this life shall not suffer again the same torments at his death which he hath suffred in his life But if néed be al Gods children are chastened in this life saith S. Peter Againe 1. Pet. 1.6 4.27 now the time is that iudgement begins at the house of God Therefore none of Gods children shall be punished hereafter If need be they shall be punished now Ephes 4.5 Iam. 4.12 And S. Peter séemes to make but as there is one God and one law and one lawgiuer so also but one iudgement concerning all the transgressions of this law And he affirmes that it is begun alreadie in Gods house among Gods children but it shall bee perfited and consummated at that great day of iudgement of all the wicked and damned And in another place he writes thus Tract 1.2 par Epist 3. ad Dar. Doe we therefore seeke where this healthfull burning shal be No man doubts but in the holy Scriptures By the reading whereof all the sinnes of men are purged These thrée purgatories Ierome séemes to auouch vnto vs the purgatorie of Gods worde the purgatorie of afflictions and the purging fire of the daie of iudgement which according to the opinion then receiued of manie in the Church he thought should purge the Lords gold without impairing it or hurting it from his drosse that it might shine the brighter Although S. Peter doe referre this purging to the afflictions of this life 1. Pet. 1.7 Cyp. de mortalitate The common receiued opinion of the Church was in Cyprians daies that all Christians departed were with the Lord as at large he prooues first by a vision secondly by the scriptures He writes thus When as one of his fellowes ministers and priests being now wearie with sicknesse and affraid of death approching desired deliuerance from death there stood by him thus desiring and almost dying a young man of maiestie of honour to be worshipped of great dignitie and glorie whom no mortall eie could almost behold but that he was able to see him being now ready to die But he not without griefe of minde and voice groned out and said Are you affraid to suffer will you not depart hence what shall I do to you Our brother being at the point of death heard what he should say to others for he which heard it being nowe dying heard it to this end that he should shew it to others he heard it not for himselfe but for others c. And after he writes thus To vs our selues the least and basest of all others how often hath it bin reuolued how often and plainly by the grace of God commaunded that I should diligently and humbly preach and protest that our brethren are not to be lamented that by the Lords calling are deliuered out of this world when as I know that they are not lost but sent before and departing from vs that they go before vs. And that as going a iourney or sayling we should long for them we should not lament them neither that we should here weare mourning garments for them when as they there haue taken white garments And that we should not giue occasion to the Gentiles that they may iustly and rightly reprooue vs that we should lament those as extinct or perished whom we affirme to be aliue with the Lord and that we should reprooue with the testimonie of our heart and mindes the faith which wee professe with our tongues and voice We our selues sin against our owne hope and faith all the things we say seems but faigned forged counterfaited It auaileth nothing in wordes to tattle of vertue and with deeds to destroy the truth S. Paul also reprooues and chides and blames those that are sorie for the departure of their friends He affirmes that those are sory for their friends departure which haue no hope but we which liue thorow hope and beleeue in God and beleeue that Christ suffered for vs and rose againe we beleeue that those that remaine in Christ Iesus shall rise again by him and in him Why will not we our selues depart out of this world or why doe we deplore and lament our friends departing as though they were perished Our Lord Christ admonishing vs saying I am the resurrection he that beleeues in me though he were dead yet shall he liue And all that liues and beleeues in me shall not die for euer If we beleeue in Christ let vs beleeue his words and promises and we shall not die for euer that we may come to Christ ioyfully and without care with whom we shall liue and raigne That in the meane time we die by death we passe to immortalitie neither can immortalitie succeede vnlesse we depart hence first Death is not a going out of the doores but a passage from a worse place to a better And an earthly iourney being ended as an arriuall to things eternall who will not hasten to obtaine these things which are better Who will not wish the sooner to be changed and to be made like the forme and shape of Christ to come to the dignitie of eternal glorie as S. Paul preacheth our conuersation is in heauen 3. Philipp And that we shall be such as our Lorde Christ promiseth when as he prayeth to his father for vs that we might be with him And that we may liue with him in eternall dwellings and may reioice with him in the heauenly kingdome O father those that thou hast giuen me I will that where I am they be with me and that they may see my glorie which thou
hast giuen me before the world was made He that is about to go to the dwelling place of Christ to the glorie of his heauenly kingdome ought not to weepe or lament but raâ—â—â—r according to the promise of the Lord according to the faith of truth in his passage and translation to reioice Here we maie plainly see the faith and hope of all Christians at their deaths in Cyprians daies They died ioyfullie without feare and care in as much as they were sure they went to God This was the common receiued opinion of the Catholike Church then This doctrine Cyprian by reuelation was commanded to preach The latter reuelations which the Papists bragge of which teach a doctrine contrarie to this it is likely they were not of God And after Cyprian writes thus We must consider beloued brethren and often thinke that we haue renounced this present world and that we liue here as strangers and pilgrimes let vs embrace that day which appoints euerie man to his home which taking vs hence and deliuering vs from the snares of this world restores vs againe to paradise and to the kingdome of heauen who being placed in a farre countrey will not make haste to returne into his owne countrey who making haste to saile to his friends would not wish for a prosperous winde that he might sooner embrace his dearly beloued friends We account now Paradice for our country we begin now to haue the Patriarkes for our parents why doe we not make haste and runne that we may see our countrey that we may salute our parents In 1. ad cor c. 3. Primasius also S. Austens scholler vpon that place of S. Paul writes thus And euery mans worke what it is the fire shall proue If any mans worke shall abide that which he hath builded vpon he shall receiue a reward that is saith he either the examination of the last iudgement or present affliction which is compared often to fire He makes mention here of no fire of purgatorie which if it had béen the faith once giuen to the Saints he would not haue béen ignorant of nor vpon the exposition of this place here omitted it In cap. 9. Mat. Iansenius of that place of S. Marks Gospell writes thus The Lord said that the eie or hand offending is to be cut off but because that cannot be done without paine he addeth euerie one of Gods elect and chosen which will please God must be seasoned with the fire of afflictions And after Because we haue need of wisedome circumspection and discretion it is necessarie that one may beware of offences that he neuer giue any offence or take any he addeth And euery offering must be seasoned with salt And after he concludes thus As no oblation according to the prescription of Moses is lawfull vnlesse it passe thorow the fire and be seasoned with salt so whosoeuer will be a spirituall sacrifice which is acceptable to God it is necessarie that he be purged and tried with the fire of tribulations and as it were preserued to saluation and that he also be seasoned with the salt of the wisedome of the Gospell lest he be corrupted with the contagion of the wicked or by his owne infection he infect and giue offence to others but that rather by his soundnesse he may take corruption from others Héere we may learne how that Iansenius expounds that fire and falt whereof Saint Marke speaketh of the doctrine of the Gospell and of the fire of afflictions in this life and not of the fire of Purgatorie To which fire some other Papistes would wrest that place Petrus Berchorius writes thus Where Christ buildes his Church the sound of a hammer or hatchet is not heard Berch moral in 3. lib. Reg. ca. 4. no punishment or griefe is felt because for a suretie the stones that is the saints which are the matter of the temple are first in this world hewen by tribulations and engrauen and made square by vertues Therefore when they ascend thither they shall be troubled no more but shall be placed in Gods sanctuarie in rest This world by his iudgement the quarrie that is the forrest here all the stones and timber for Gods heauenly temples are squared and hewed after this life they are placed in the building and they do rest Ferus also writes thus Furthermore therefore also faith is said to saue because by it we are incorporate into Christ and are made his members and one bodie with him In 3. ca. Io. but Christes bodie and members shall not be iudged neither can be iudged or damned yea they shall iudge others No not into Purgatorie For is not Purgatorie a sentence or iudgement Gregorie also teacheth the same that Berchorius hath taught Salomons temple saith he bare an image of this citie In Psal 4. penitent meaning the Church In the building whereof with stones there was not the noise of a hammer heard without For we which shall remain in these holy buildings we are knocked as yet without doores by afflictions that hereafter we may be placed in the temple of the Lord without any correction of discipline In as much as whatsoeuer is superfluous or crooked in vs is now by hammering as it were and knocking cut off And then in that heauenly building the onely bond of truth shall couple vs. Whatsoeuer saith Gregorie is superfluous in vs or not squared or straight is now in this world cut away from vs by tribulations that we may be fit stones for the heauenly buildings and in them to remaine for euer What needs then that squaring and making fit in purgatorie whereof Gregory seemes to make mention in the third Psalme 3. Psal peniten Both these sentences cannot stand togither and the latter seemes to be the truer Greg. lib. 9. ca. 33. in Iob. Gregorie also of the afflictions of this life writes thus God iudgeth man two waies in this life For either by the euils which he presently suffers he begins to inflict the torments to come or else he quite extinguisheth the torments following with these present afflictions For if so be the iust Iudge their sins requiring it did not both correct some here also hereafter the Apostle Iude would not haue said he destroied them the a Secundo second time or twice that beleeued not And also the Psalmist wold not haue said of the wicked let them be cloathed with shame as with a dubler Now we call a dublet a double garment Therefore they are clothed with shame as with a dublet which according to the guiltinesse of their deserts are punished both temporally and eternally For punishment in this life deliuers them onely from paine to come whom it changeth and maketh new men For those whom the calamities of this present life do not amend they bring them to those which are to come But if so be that the afflictions of this life present did not defend some from euerlasting punishment Paul
féed her young ones by the Tabernacles of those shéepheards he meanes not anie one of the Apostolicall Churches but them all And what these Apostolicall Churches taught we may learne by Chrysostome Cyrill Clemens Gregorie Athanasius and others which succéeded in them whose works we haue at this day Againe wée haue now the Ethiopian Church which professeth Christ where Prester Iohn gouernes and the Gréeke Church founded no doubt by the Apostles which in manie points of religion differ from the Romane Church which Churches also we are here by the bridegroomes sentence to embrace and feed our younglings by Lastly that correlation or mutuall respect which the bridegroome here vseth betweene those shéepheards and those shéepe may plainely declare what shéepe he meaneth whose tract we are to follow For by those shéepheards no doubt he meanes the Apostles And then by those shéepe he meanes likewise those Christians which liued in the daies of the Apostles This is that heauenlie and manifest aunswere which the bridegroome himselfe makes vnto the bride of this waightie and doubtfull question I would to God all true Catholiks would marke it well and by it be resolued It is plaine And this is the effect of this treatise following It teacheth first the faith of the Church and her true markes and next the tract of the Lords shéepe the manners and conuersations of the former Christians which here the heauenly bridegroome counsels his spouse to follow The true Catholickes house or the notes and marks of the true Church taken out of the holy Scriptures THe true Church began in Paradice And God himselfe as he was the Creator of man so was he the founder thereof For thus we read in Genesis immediatly afer mans creation And God commaunded Adam saying In eating thou shalt eate Gen. 2.16 that is thou maist fréely eate of euerie tree of the Garden But of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt not eate therof for in the day wherein thou shalt eate thereof thou shalt surely die Here is the foundation of the Church the preaching of Gods word God himselfe being the first preacher thereof Now followes Sathans synagogue But the Serpent was craftier then euerie beast of the field which the Lord God had made Gen. 3.1 Here is first craft and subtiltie in the foundation of the false Church Gods Church is builded vpon a plaine sure and hard rocke but Sathans Synagogue on a moorish deceitfull and vnstable marsh or fenne And to this saint Paul alludes writing to the Corinthians I am iealous ouer you saith he euen with the zeale of God I haue made you fit for one husband 2. Cor. 11.2 to make you a chast virgine to Christ Here is first saint Pauls great loue to the Church of Corinth he is as iealous ouer them euen as God is ouer his No greater loue can be then wherwith he loueth them And as a token of this his loue as louing Parents are wont to bestow great cost vpon their children to preferre them in mariage so he hath made theÌ„ a fit spouse for Christ He hath adorned theÌ„ with all heauenly Iewels that he might set them forth as a chaste virgin fit for Christ and all this he hath done by the preaching of the Gospell But as louers are euer carefull and fearefull of them whom they loue and especiallie parents of their children So S. Paul feares one thing least that as the Serpent by his wilinesse beguiled Eue in Paradise and caused her to depart by his subtilties and wilines from Gods plaine word and commandement so now also least he should corrupt their vnderstandings from the simplicitie and plainnes that is in Christ As Gods commandement was plaine to Adam that in what day soeuer he did eate of the trée of knowledge of good and euill he should die the death so in the gospel he hath as plainly taught that whosoeuer with a liuely faith beleeueth on his sonne Iesus Mark 16.16 Ioh. 3.16 and now by faith eateth againe of that true trée of life shall be saued So that as that corporall eating of the trée of knowledge condemned them euen so now the spirituall eating of the trée of life shall saue vs. But the Diuell as he did then so he doth now seeke to drawe awaie mens mindes from this simplicitie and subtillie to mingle things of his owne deuise to this plaine meanes of our saluation so that now to be saued by his doctrine is the most intricate hardest and grieuoust thing in the world So manie obseruations of his owne besides Gods word as he did then so hath he now forged and added to this plaine worde of our saluation by faith in Iesus Christ And that which S. Paul then feared we sée now plainlie come to passe And he said to the woman yea Gen. 3.1 and hath God commaunded you that you shall not eat of euery tree that is in the garden Here secondly is another corner stone of Sathans house to depart from Gods expresse word Whereas God had commanded Adam plainlie that he should eate of euerie trée now Sathan comes and preacheth quite contrarie that God had commanded that they should not eate of euerie tree And so he doth preach still if we doe marke well Whereas God doth command that we should make no grauen Image Exod. 20.4 and that we shall not kneele downe to it nor worship it Sathan saith that wee maie make Images and knéele downe to them and worshippe them And whereas God saith Psal 50.14.15 that in the time of our trouble we shall call vpon him and he wil deliuer vs Sathan perswades vs then to make other intercessors and spokesmen for vs. And whereas God saith herein we shall glorifie him Sathan saith that this inuocation is not Latria it is no part of Gods honor but he communicates it to Angels and creatures Thirdly Eue by giuing eare to this craftie serpent and by communing manie words with him as should séeme as sathans first wâ—â—d doth séeme to import whereas he saith yea and hath God c. She addeth a stone or two more to further sathans building by adding Gen. 3.2 detracting and doubting of Gods word And the woman said to the Serpent we shall eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden but of the fruit of that tree which is in the midst of the garden said God ye shall not eate of it nor shall ye touch it least peraduenture ye die Here Eue ioines hands with sathan to erect his synagogue First she detracts from Gods word wheras God most amplie had commanded them that they should eate freely of euerie tree of the Garden Gen. 2.16 she leaues out euerie trée and saith onlie of the fruit of the trees of the Garden Againe she addes that that trée which was forbidden them stood in the midst of the Garden Gen. 3.2.3 that was more then God told them And that they might not touch it And this
and men gather them vp and cast them into the fire and they burne Here is the roote and here are the branches here is Christ his Church Here are those drie withered branches that are none of the Church but hell fire brands Here are those fruitfull braunches that bring forth much fruit But you will say this is true and plaine but how shall we know whether we be grafted in this vine or no whether we be members of the Church or no The manifest marke whereby this thing also is knowne which troubles so many at this day followes that he that will not wilfully blindfold himselfe may see it If ye abide in me saith our Sauior my words abide in you Vers 7. aske what you will and it shall be done vnto you Here is the meanes and true marke of them that abide in Christ They haue his words abiding in them The knowledge obedience to the word of God is the onely meanes to engraft vs into Christ or to breake vs off As saint Paul teacheth vs by the example of the Iewes Rom. 11.20 For their incredulity they were broken off and we by faith were grafted in their place Wouldest thou then be grafted into Christ wouldest thou be sure that thou art a member of his Church Let his word abide in thée Psal 119.11 Col. 3.16 Deut. 6.7 Let it be hidden within the closet of thy heart and dwell plenteously within the roofe of thy house as S. Paul commandeth Talke of it by thy fire teach thy childrē and thy seruants it And then thou shalt surely abide in the vine and be a member of the true Church And that thou maiest haue an euident token and signe hereof although now signes and miracles are ceased yet God will giue thée a signe to strengthen thy faith Aske what thou wilt and it shall be done vnto thee This is the dignitie of Gods children that they which heare him speaking by his word to them he also will heare them when by their prayers they talke with him And to this Salomon agrees Pro. 28.9 He that turneth away his eares saith hee from hearing the law his prayers are abominable Though they make neuer so long prayers and pray neuer so deuoutly yet if they refuse to heare the law of God their praiers be they neuer so deuout are abominable with God Surely by this it may séeme that their much praying in Poperie did them little good because they heard not thē Gods word And that euen now all the good blessings we enioy in Gods Church farre aboue our deserts we may attribute to our prayers and to our hearing of the law of God Let all Recusants marke this well and be diligent to heare the law of God if they minde to haue their prayers heard Salomon and Iesus Christ teacheth them That if Gods word abide in them then let them aske what they will and they shall obtaine it Otherwise they shall obtaine nothing at Gods hand This marke of Gods Church also was prefigured in the law Deut. 15.17 That seruant that would not go from his master which had solde himselfe at the sixt yeeres ende because he loued his master and because he is well with him Let him take an nawle saith Moses and pearce his eare thorow against the doore Io. 13.13 and he shall be his seruant for euer Iesus Christ is the best master in the world they that will not depart from his house must haue their eares bored thorow with an nawle they must be diligent hearers of his word And such shall be his seruants for euer And to this alludeth Dauid in the Psalme Psalm 40.6 Sacrifice and offring thou didst not desire For mine eares hast thou digged or bored thorow as it is in the Hebrew burnt offering and sinne-offering hast thou not required Then said I loe I come For in the volume of the booke it is written of mee Io. 4.34.14.31 I desired to doe thy good will O my God yea thy law is within my heart Dauid heere prophesieth of Iesus Christ that his eares were not bored thorow onely but euen digged he was so obedient to all his fathers commaundements his law was in his heart and so must all Gods seruants eares be they must follow Iesus Christ They must haue their eares not bored but digged thorow they must be diligent and obedient hearers of Gods word and this is a principall marke of the Church a true cognisance of all Gods seruants To this also agréeth the first Psalme which teacheth the verie first step to blessednes which onely is in Gods house That man is blessed saith the Psalme whose delight is in the law of the Lord and he meditates therein day and night Who would not be blessed That is the marke that all men ayme at The plaine way to attaine it is here set downe To delight in the law of God and to meditate therein day and night This is the faithfull mans delight this is his glorie this is his badge He that doth this is most assuredly Gods seruant is a member of the true Church So that then the first marke of Gods Church is the true knowledge and obedience of his word The second marke is inuocation of his name Gen. 4.25 For thus we read And Adam knew his wife and she brought forth a son and called his name Seth because God saith she hath giuen me another sonne for Abel because Cain slew him And also Seth had a son borne vnto him and he called his name Enoch and then men began to call on the name of the Lord. Here is as it were the petigrée of the Church here was first Abel slaine the first begotten sonne of this mother and then after succeeds him as his heire Seth and after Seth Enoch And then men began to call on the name of the Lord. Here no doubt was typically euē then the verie platforme of Christs Church drawen out Abel the first begotten sonne of the Church Ephes 1.22 Rom. 8.14 was slaine of his owne brother and so was Iesus Christ who is the head of his Church and the first begotten among many brethren After Abel Seth succéeds which signifies in Hebrew put set or placed as a foūdation or an ornament or a comfort therefore Eue giues her sonne this name And this Seth may verie fitly resemble faith Mat. 16.18 1. Cor. 1.30 Io. 14.1 which is put in our hearts by the holy Ghost as a foundation and our onely ornament and comfort among the manifold sorrowes and troubles of this life Let not your heart be troubled saith our Sauiour beleeue in God and beleeue in me Seth begets Enoch which in Hebrew signifies calamities or miseries And this doth faith beget in man True faith makes him confesse his frailtie his miserie how that there remaines no goodnes in him And then followes true inuocation of the name of God which is the second marke of the true
Church How shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued saith the Apostle The sense and féeling of miseries and calamities will make a man call for help Rom. 10.24 And thus we may plainly sée how by an excellent order our faith is portraied out euen in Adams children and the true Church described In Seth his daies as should séeme was no publique inuocation of the name of God True religion would not so soone take roote though he laboured no doubt verie earnestly about it or else being planted of Adam by Cains posteritie it had bene defaced But in his sonnes daies she sprang vp and put out her head againe And then men began to call on the name of the Lord. Here is another principall marke of the true Church to call vpon the name of the Lord. For the holy ghost doth meane the whole here by the principall part No doubt they offered sacrifices then as Abel and Cain did and they did meditate of that promise of God made vnto them of the womans seed Gen. 3.15 But this was a speciall note of Gods Church They called on the name of the Lord. To commend the excellencie and necessitie of praier Mark 11.17 our sauiour also saith That his house shall be called a house of prayer to all nations and not a house of preaching As tectum the roofe of the house in Latin is put for the whole house so inuocation of the name of the Lord is here put downe for the whole seruice of God Exod 20.1 And this seruice of God he commaunds in his first commaundement thou shalt haue no other Gods but me That is thou shalt trust vnto shalt call vpon no other but me for on them whom men trust in they call vpon Psal 50.15 And in the Psalme more plainly call vpon me in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou sholt glorifie mee Where are added two notable reasons to make vs willing and euen to binde vs to this seruice first that God promiseth that he will deliuer vs and who being in trouble will desire anie thing else Secondly we shall hereby glorifie God This is such a seruice and dutie as belongeth to him alone we may not yéeld it to anie other This was also Abrahams religion which no doubt he had learned of his auncestors For thus we read of him Gen. 13.1 And Abraham came out of Aegypt and his wife with him and all that he had and Lot with him towards the South And Abraham was verie rich in cattell and in siluer and gold And he went on his iourney from the South to Bethel to the place where his tent had beene in the beginning betweene Bethel and Haie vnto the place of the Altar which he had made there at the first And there Abraham called on the name of the Lord. Here is Abrahams religion and worship of God set down in one word Rom. 4 12. he called on the name of the Lord. As he is the father of the faithfull in beleeuing as saint Paul teacheth so he is their father in this point also All his sonnes must follow his steppes This is a marke of the true Church If they do this they cannot erre And here we maie also note that Abraham changed not his religion though he had béen in Egypt Trauellers must not alter their religion they must not be like wethercocks turned about with euerie blast of vaine doctrine Eph. 4.14 And though also he was now waxen rich yet he kept the same religion he professed in the beginning Religion must be alwaies one no time maie alter it no wealth make it wauer Abraham being now wealthie comes a great iourney to worship euen there where he did worship before when he was poore So must the rich men of this world do riches must not choake their religion their zeale in Gods seruice as manie times they do They should now be more zealous not more slacke in Gods seruice then they were before The Philosopher could say he that found out benefites found out fetters And shall not Gods benefites binde them as they did here Abraham more firmelie vnto him Again here Iesus Christ is portraied out vnto vs He comes to the altar betweene Bethel and Hai. Bethel in Hebrew signifies Gods house and Hai desolation or a disordered heape and masse and maie fitlie represent the world Betwixt these is Abrahams altar that is Iesus Christ that all maie haue accesse vnto him he is placed betwixt Bethel and Hai Euen as God placed Ierusalem in the midst of the world as a fountaine of liuely waters that all people that would might repaire thither Esay 55.1 and freely quench their thirst And Abraham there called on the name of the Lord. The same lesson no doubt he taught Isaac his sonne who went out at the euentide Lashnak as it is in the Hebrew Gen. 24.63 to meditate or to pray in the field He called on the name of the Lord as his father did And in this one word his religion or seruice of God is put downe also Thus also is Enochs religion described he walked with God Gen. 5. â—2 24 Heb. 11.27 and he was no more séene for God had taken him away He walked with God not onlie praying but also euen liuing He liued so as though God had been alwaies present with him Psal 9.17 as he was indeed and is with euerie man although the wicked forget God and thinke not so As Moses also walked Verse 22.24 And it is twise said that he walked with God as a speciall commendation This is that great promise which our Sauiour Christ hath giuen to his Church Ioh. 16.23 That whatsoeuer they shall aske in his name they shall obtaine it And who that beleeues this will desire anie more if prayer in the name of Iesus Christ giue vs all things who will praie for anie thing in the name of any other And this is the marke whereby christians were knowne in the primitiue Church Acts 9.14 Ananias said vnto Christ Saul hath authoritie to binde all that all on thy name and after Pauls conuersion Verse 21. all the people that knew him said Is not this he that persecuted all that called on this name To call on the name of Iesus Christ was the badge of all christians in the primitiue Church by this Cognisance they were then knowne And Saint Paul himselfe by this marke points out all christians when he writes to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1.3 and to all that cal on the name of the Lord Iesus as well in their places as in ours That is euen in all places thorow the whole world Psal 50.5 And Dauid in the Psalme against the daie of iudgement when as all Gods shéepe shall be gathered togither giues this generall marke of Gods Church and this common brand of all his shéepe Gather my Saints togither saith God that haue
made a league and a couenant with me with sacrifice All true christians must learne that lesson that Naaman the Syrian being now cleansed of his leprosie had learned 2. King 5.17 that he would now offer sacrifice to no other Gods saue to the Lord. As they are all Naamans by nature euen lepers through sinne 1. Cor. 6.11 and now pure by cleansing by water so they must be Naamans also in profession that they will offer sacrifice to no other gods but to the Lord. He confessed that sacrifice was a seruice due to God and that he now detesting all other vaine gods would onely doe this homage to the Lord and shall not christians know and professe as much No doubt he was a figure of christians let the truth surpasse the shadow in cleerenesse As manie as doe offer sacrifice to anie other are more leprous in soule then euer Naaman was in bodie And are not payers sacrifices Doth not S. Paul teach all christians that now the Iewish sacrifices being ceased Heb. 13.15 that they must offer to God the calues of their lippes And doth not Dauid saie euen in the shadowe Psal 141.2 let my prayer be set foorth in thy sight as the incense and let the lifting vp of my hands be an euening sacrifice Then if we will be Gods shéepe we must haue this brand if we will be his Saints we must make this vow that we will sacrifice or make our prayers to none other but to him alone And at the daie of iudgement such onlie shall be gathered into Gods shéepfould and such God shall account for his Saints howsoeuer man and the Pope now doe canunise others This word shall stand sure this word shall be approoued true at that daie Gather my Saints togither who haue made a league and couenant with me with sacrifice Wouldest thou be a Saint then most assuredly canonised not in the Popes Calendar but in heauen make a firme couenant and league with God onely with thy sacrifices and prayers Wouldest thou be at that daie a shéepe gathered into Gods shéepfolde and stand on his right hand while thou liuest here then praise him alone call vpon him alone and vpon none other On the contrarie Psal 79.6 Dauid describes the Malignant Church thus Powre out thine indignation saith he vpon the heathen that haue not knowne thee and vpon the kingdomes which haue not called vpon thy name Ephes 6.12 Here are two markes of Sathans synagogue ignorance and idolatrie Sathan is the prince of darknesse his house shall be a darke house it shall lacke light It shall be like Egypt his children shall not knowe God Exod. 10.22 and therefore neither shall call vpon him Psal 103 11. Esay 65.24 Psal 139.7 Gen. 17.1 Mâ—t. 11.28 For he that knowes what God is that he is most mercifull most ready to heare that he is in all places that he is of all power might alone that he cals euen sinners vnto him he that knowes this I say cannot chuse but he will call vpon God These are they then which shal haue Gods wrath powred vpon them which haue not knowne God nor called vpon his name Ose 2.17 The Idolaters call vpon Baal and other names Acts 4 1â— but there is no other name giuen to men in the which they must be saued but only the name of Iesus Christ Peter teacheth this and I would to God he that would be Peters successour would learne this lesson and teach it also if no other name then not of Saint or Angell And S. Paul makes plain this lesson of Peter Col. 3.17 and takes awaie all the wiles and sleights of Sathan all Popish cauils and distinctions They saie that there is no other name of saluation but there maie be other names of inuocation or intercession But Saint Paul saith plainly doe all things in the name of Iesus Christ Thankesgiuing prayers intercessions inuocations all requests whatsoeuer must be done in the name of Iesus Christ and therefore in no other name Let all Gods seruants marke well these two markes they are the markes of the false Church to be ignorant of God and not to call vpon his name let them take héede If they be signed with these markes God will not be angrie with them onely but he will powre out his wrath vpon them O fearfull sentence And doe we make no account of this matter When as God would renue to Abraham the promise made to Adam of the womans séede to take awaie the curse that Adam by his sinne had deserued and was iustly inflicted vpon him he added that in his seede should all the nations of the world be blessed Gen. 12.3.16 So that now here we maie learne another plaine marke of the true church to haue her blessednesse consist onlie in that one feede of Abraham Gal. 3.16 not in many no nor in anie thing beside God also describing the blessed estate of his church by the Prophet Esay Esay 54.17 writes thus Euerie vessell it is Celi in Hebrew which signifies properly a vessell that is made to holde anie thing against thee shall not prosper and thou shalt condemn euerie tongue that striueth against thee This is the inheritance of the seruants of the Lord that is this for euer is as it were an inheritance which shall succéede in Gods true Church that all those great learned men that shall stand vp against it shall not prosper and all those eloquent tongues that thall speake against her shall be condemned Here is a speciall priuiledge of Gods church which we maie see fulfilled in all ages The Prophet Esay here agréeing with our Sauiour Mat. 16.18 that hell gates may impugne but they shall neuer preuaile against the Church as Arrius Nestorius and other gerat learned heretikes haue testified This is the dignitie of the true Church now followes her cognisance And their righteousnesse is from me saith the Lord not of themselues And this is that which Ieremy also teacheth Behold the daies are comming saith the Lord and I will raise vp to Dauid a righteous branche Ier. 23.5 and a King shal raigne and he shall haue vnderstanding he shall deale wisely he shall doe iudgement and iustice vpon the earth Here is most euidently our Sauiour Iesus Christ described he shall be a braunch of Dauid comming of his Ioynes he shall be righteous Io. 8.46 1. Cor. 1.30 Col. 2.3 euen his verie enemies shall not be able to accuse him of sinne He shall doe wisely he is the wisedome of God the father he shall set vp iudgement and righteousnes vpon earth he shall iudge and condemne that olde Prince of this world Sathan Io. 12.31 and cast him out of doores and shall teach all men the way of true righteousnes that is faith in him And in his daies saluation shall be to Iudah and Israel they shall dwell safely And this shall be the name wherewith they shall
call him The Lord our righteousnes Psal 4. ◠And thus also Dauid cals him heare me O God that art my righteousnes And this also then is another true marke of the true Church to call account Iesus Christ their righteousnes And if this be his name it must not be giuen to anie other he must haue his name alone himselfe They denie him his name that attribute their righteousnes to an thing else in this world what soeuer And this name haue al Gods saints alwaies attributed vnto him Gen. 18.27 I haue begun to speake vnto my Lord saith Abraham which am but dust and ashes thus basely he thought of himselfe what glorie what beautie is in dust and ashes And O Lord saith Iacob I am not worthie of the least of all thy mercies Gen. 32.10 and of all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant As though hee should say I can challenge nothing no not the least grace which thou hast bestowed vpon me And Iob saith Iob. 9.2 How should a man compared to God be iustified If he would dispute with him he could not aunswere one thing for a thousand And to Iob agréeth Dauid Innumerable troubles saith hée are comed about me my sinnes haue taken such holde vpon me that I am not able to looke vp Psal 40.12 Yea they are moe in number then the haires of my head and my heart hath failed me Euen Dauid himselfe thus manie in number accounted his sinnes Act. 13.22 being a man according to Gods owne heart And who dare then account his sinnes fewer And our Sauiour likewise teacheth all his when as they haue done all that is commaunded them if they were able to doe it Luk. 17.10 as there is none able euen then to say and to account themselues in deed vnprofitable seruants Much more then when they shall not be able to doe perfectly euen the least of that which is commaunded them Nay if the Apostles themselues shall say they haue no sinne 1. Io. 1.8 they were lyers Much more then anie other Christians whatsoeuer All true Christians account their works doe they neuer so manie and so excellent but duties not deserts as saint Paul teacheth them For the loue of Christ now saith he pincheth vs or constraineth vs to doe all things 2. Cor. 5.14 For we thus iudge that if one be dead for all then were all dead And he died for al that they which liue should not henceforth liue vnto themselues but vnto him that died for them and rose againe Here is the ende and cause of all good works They are but duties which we are bound to doe for Iesus Christs sake that died for vs if so be we could do euen a thousand times more thē we can doe Mat. 5.16 They are light they are not fire Let your light so shine before men saith our Sauiour that men seeing your good works Luke 12.44 may glorifie your heauenly father But he deserueth the praise of this light that kindled the fire And that is he which said I am come to send fire vpon the earth and what will I now but that it burne Io. 2.18 The light is his that oweth the fire our works are not ours they are but the light of faith The Apostle Paul cals them fruits of righteousnes Phil. 1.11 they are not causes thereof They procéed from it When we are iustified then we bring forth good workes Heb. 11.6 2. Cor. 3.5 Before we can doe nothing that is good no not so much as thinke a good thought He that owes the trée may iustly challenge these fruits Ephes 1.13 After saith saint Paul that the Ephesians beléeued which is their new life and iustification they were also sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of their inheritance vntill the redemption of the possession purchased vnto the praise of his glorie God bestowes all his gifts vpon vs our faith whereby we liue and are iustified the holy spirit whereby we are sealed and assured that we are Gods children whereby we are sanctified and enriched with all good works yea and preserued euen till the day we shall obtaine that glorious kingdome of heauen purchased for vs by Iesus Christ for this onely ende that we should be to the praise of his glorie A Christian must in all things and for all things all his life long glorifie God This is the marke he must shoote at the thing he must doe daily And for this cause God bestowes his benefits yea euen all the good works he doth daily vpon him Gal. 1.23 So the Saints magnified God in Paul being now conuerted So in the Psalme all the saints protest Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs Psal 1 15 1. but vnto thy name giue the glorie And in the Prophet Esay 26.12 Thou hast wrought all our works in vs. We chalenge nothing our selues but onely glorifie thée that by vs vile earth blunt tooles vnfit instrumēts thou wouldest vouchsafe of thy aboundant mercie wisedome and power to worke such excellent things So that this is another marke of the true Church to attribute and ascribe all her righteousnes to the Lord Iesus Christ Another euident marke of the true Church to be cunning in the Scriptures to haue Gods law in her heart Heb 8.8 And this is that which saint Paul alleadgeth out of Ieremie that out of the mouth of two witnesses Deut. 19.15 this truth might be confirmed to vs That he that should now doubt thereof might iustly be condemned Behold the daies wil come saith the Lord when I shall make with the house of Israel with the house of Iudah a new testament Not like the testament I made with their fathers in the day I tooke them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt For they continued not in my testament and I regarded them not saith the Lord. For this is the testament that I will make with the house of Israel after these daies saith the Lord I wil put my lawes in their minds in their harts I wil write them and I will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall not teach euerie man his neighbour saying know the Lord For all shal know me from the greatest of them to the least of thē Here we may note a notable yea and a principal marke of the true Church God cals this his new testament or couenant Why then they that haue not had this or haue it not are not within the couenāt of God are none of his heirs are not partakers of his testament But what is this couenant They shal haue Gods law written in their heart they shall al know God frō the greatest of thē to the smallest Psal 19.7.119.110 They shall now be all cunning in Gods word that thereby as Dauid saith the verie simple shal get vnderstanding that they shall
be by it wiser as he himselfe was then the aged By Gods word the holy Ghost shall so teach euerie one of them that now as saint Iohn saith they shall need no other teacher 1. Io. 2.27 Esay 11.9 Then shall be fulfilled that which Esay prophecieth The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord euen as the waters that couer the sea If this be the marke of the true Church then euerie one that is not to too partiall or will not shut his eies wilfully against the light of the sunne néed goe no further but may here plainly discerne which is the true and false Church and may decide that great doubt which at this day troubles so many mens consciences Hath this knowledge béene in the Popes Church Haue they thus knowen God from the greatest to the smallest Speake truth herein whosoeuer thou art And if it be most apparant that this knowledge hath béene wanting therein be not afraid to say with the Prophet Ieremie and with S. Paul with Esay that she is none of Christs spouse that she hath no part in his testament This same onely marke bewrayeth her and condemneth her The same marke hath God put downe againe of his house and true Church by the Prophet Esay least we should doubt thereof Esay 59.20.21 The redeemer shall come vnto you and vnto thē that turne from iniquitie in Iacob saith the Lord. Here first is Iesus Christ now followes his Church And I wil make this my couenant with them saith the Lord My spirit which is vpon thee the words which I haue put in thy mouth shal not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seed saith the Lord frō henceforth euē for euer Here is first a couenant Secondly here are the spirit Gods word vnited and knit togither So that euen as the windes accompanie the waters so doth Gods spirit the waters of comfort Rom. 15.4 that is the waters of the scriptures And these words as they haue bene in Christs mouth for he spake not of himselfe but as his father gaue him commaundement so he spake so they shall be in the mouth of his séed Io. 12.49 and of his seedes séede for euer If these be the true markes of the Church the Popish Church which lacks these markes is not the true Church Nay she hath broken this couenant most apparantly And therefore no doubt she is that whore of Babylon which saint Iohn speaketh of in the Reuelation Reu. 17.2 Io. 6.63 Ro. 8.9 Gen. 1.2 Act. 10 44. 2. Cor. 3.6 Nay she is not onely a trucebreaket but a murtherer she hath debarred Gods people of his word and so also of his spirit which is the verie life of the faithfull and without the which they are but withered braunches For the word and the spirit are knit togither as the Prophet here teacheth vs and therefore shée is guiltie of murther And of such liuing and spirituall murtherers of whom the ciuil lawes of magistrates take no hold Saint Iohn saith also Cap. 9.11 that they will not repent of these their murthers but still maintaine them and practise them euen as the Papists doe at this daie They which wil be accounted Gods séede and his children let them sée that they haue Gods word in their mouthes euen as Iesus Christ had Let it neuer depart neither from their mouthes nor hearts let it alone direct all their workes let them in all their workes saie as he said As my father hath commanded me so doe I. Iohn 14.30 Dauid also thus pictureth out Gods Church Psal 87.1 A paraphrase of the 87. psal 1. Cor. 15.3 Her foundations are vpon the holy hils What other holy hilles are these but the scriptures Gods Church is built vpon the scriptures vpon them shée groundeth all her doctrines God loueth the gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of Iacob Here is next her glorie her beautie her strength her felicitie God loueth nowe the meanest christian better then the best Iewe euen the gates of Sion before the stately pallaces of Iacob Ier. 9.23 So that now let not the wise man reioyce in his wisedome nor the strong man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches but let him that reioiceth glorie in this that he knoweth me saith the Lord. 1. Cor. 1.31 And wherein this knowledge consisteth S. Paul teacheth that is to know that Iesus Christ of God is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption That according as it is written saith S. Paul let him that reioiceth reioice in the Lord for these things for this wisedome of Gods word for this strength of faith for the riches of Christ merits which all are ours And therefore he saith so often to the Philippians Phil. 4.4 Reioice in the Lord and againe I say reioice And why because God loues thee If thou be a christian euen whosoeuer thou art though thou be neuer so meane a christian though thou be but a gate no stately pallace yet the Lord loues thée more then all the pallaces of Iacob Though thou be but a little one in Christ Mat. 18.10 yet thy Angell thy seruant that attends vpon thée beholds the face of God in heauen And this loue of God is another marke of Gods Church Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou citie of God The Church is called here the citie of God Reu. 22.17 shee is called also the Spouse of Christ And againe Esay writes thus of her Esay 54.10 For a moment in my anger I hid my face from thee for a little season but with euerlasting mercie haue I had compassion of thee saith the Lord thy redeemer And againe O thou afflicted and tossed with the tempest that hast no comfort Behold I will lay thy stones with the carbuncle and lay thy foundations with Saphires And I will make thy windowes of Emerauds and thy gates shining stones and all thy borders of pleasant stones And thy children shall be taught of the Lord and much peace shall be to thy children In righteousnesse shalt thou be established and be farre from oppression for thou shalt not feare it and from feare for it shall not come neere thee These are great blessings euen in worldly affaires in things that concerne our bodies but in those things which concerne our soules how farre more excellent are they such glorious things are spoken of Gods Church But the Romish Church by their placing of peblestones and stones that lie in the hie waie in the windowes of Gods church that is simple and vnpreaching Prelates and also by teaching the doctrine of the vncertaintie of saluation hath obscured this glorie I will thinke of Rahab and Babylon with them that know me c. Here is another marke of the church She shall now be spread ouer the whole world
sighing and groning Ro 8 15.16.26 with faith and assurance For all these are the fruits of the holy Ghost Thirdly keep your selues in the loue of God that is be sure that God loues you Be sure and know that you haue eternall life Let not that subtil serpent euer perswade you to doubt of Gods loue towards you as he did Eue your grandmother And who goes about still teaching the same lesson to them that will beléeue him Gen. 3.5 And lastly looke for the mercie of our Lord Iesus Christ to eternall life Do not trust in your workes challenge nothing of desert Confesse that you are vnprofitable seruants Trust onely in his mercie Luke 17.10 These are the markes of the true Church by saint Iudes iudgement And they which lacke these are Sathans synagogue are the false Church what markes soeuer else they doe bragge of Psal 119.142 For Gods word is the word of truth And the markes of the Church that are in it set downe are onely the true markes But to conclude although many other cleare and manifest marks of the Church might be gathered out of the scriptures yet these markes are especially to be marked of vs which saint Iohn puts downe in the Reuelation For they concerne our daies they are those marks of Gods house which Babylon had defaced Antichrist had raced out so as in mans iudgement it séemed impossible that euer they should haue béene brought to light againe Antichrist heere dealt so cunningly euen as Pharaoh did in murthering the Israelites children intending to destroye their posteritie Exod. 1.14 and Herode in murthering the young innocēts Mat. 2.16 thinking thereby also to haue murthered Iesus Christ But God that dwelleth in heauen laughes all these their counsailes all this their wisedome to scorne And therefore saint Iohn saw an Angell flie in the midst of heauen Psal 2.4 Reue. 14.8 hauing an euerlasting gospell to preach to them that dwell on the earth and to euerie nation kinred and tongue and people Here is the first marke of the Church the preaching of the gospell This marke Antichrist had quite abolished And although in his kingdome that he might not séeme to be quite opposite to Iesus Christ vtterly to disallow preaching he had his Friers that preached yet the pastors of congregations Luk. 12.42 1 Pet. 5.2 whom Iesus Christ and Peter also commaunded to feede their flocke themselues in those daies seldome preached And these Friers preached not the Gospell but their legends of Saints commonly And therefore the second marke of the true Church is to preach not legends or olde wiues tales but an euerlasting Gospell that which was from the beginning not a new faith deuised of mans braine in the succession of manie ages Iesus Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for euer Heb. 13.8 Iud. 1.3 And all Gods true Saints must striue to maintaine that faith which was once giuen to the Saints in the beginning by Christ Iesus himselfe and by his Apostles That gospell which the Church of Rome now teacheth is not such a gospell And this gospell must be preached to the inhabitants of the earth to euerie nation and kinred and tongue and people Antichrist had seduced all these Reu. 17.2 all these were drunken with the pleasant wine of Babylons fornication Antichrist had not seduced the nation of the Iewes as the Papists thinke hee shall What néede the Diuell go about that they are his alreadie they are alreadie seduced as much as can be but he shall seduce all nations tongues kinreds and people he shall peruert the gospell of Iesus Christ And therfore to them it behooueth that this euerlasting gospell should be preached againe The plaster must be applied to the sore And here that marke which the Church of Rome woulde make men beléeue is a true marke of the true church is quite ouerthrowne and approoued to be a false marke Shall all nations be made drunken with Antichrists poisoned and pleasant wine why then Vniuersalitie is not a sound and a true marke of the Church Saying with a lowd voice Feare God Reu. 14.7 and giue glorie to him c. Now followes the doctrine and chiefe points of this euerlasting gospell as also by the contrarie most euidently may appeare the points of Antichrists doctrine for contraries make one another more manifest and cléere So that then if this be the euerlasting gospell to feare God and giue him the glorie the gospell which Antichrist preached was contrarie to this Not to feare God and not to giue him glorie Deut. 10 1◠And now Israel what doth thy Lord thy God require of thee saith Moses but to feare thy Lord thy God to walke in all his waies and to loue him and to serue thy Lord thy God with all thy hart and with all thy soule And God himselfe speaketh thus by the Prophet Ieremy Ier. 5.21.22 Heare now this O foolish people and without vnderstanding which haue eies and see not which haue eares and heare not Feare ye not me saith the Lord or will yee not be afraid at my presence which haue placed the sand for the bounds of the sea by the perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it and though the waues thereof rage yet can they not preuaile though they roare yet can they not passe ouer it And of man the Prophet Esay saith Esay 2.22 Cease you from the man whose breath is in his nostrels Marke 7.7 And our Sauiour saith of the Pharisees They worship me in vaine teaching the doctrines and commandements of men For ye lay the commandement of God apart and obserue the traditions of men as the washing of pots and of cups and many other such like things yee doe Such feare to breake mans lawes and commandements they had also most manifestly in the time of Poperie As concerning Gods glorie also the Prophet Esay writeth thus Esay 42.8 I am the Lord this is my name and my glorie will I not giue to another neither my praise to grauen images And after Behold I haue fined thee Esay 48.10 but not as siluer I haue chosen thee in the furnace of affliction For mine owne sake for mine owne sake will I doe it for how should my name be polluted Surely I will not giue my glorie to another And so Ieremy counsails the people Ier. 13.16 Giue glorie to the Lord your God before he bring darknesse and or euer your feet stumble on the darke mountaines And Dauid saith Psal 65.1 To thee O Lord praise keeps silence or vpon thee it waites in Sion So that whereas God by his eternall word commandeth to feare him and to be afraid to break his commandements and to giue all glorie to him the gospell of Antichrist was to feare man and to kéepe his commandements and to giue glorie to creatures And did not we sée this fulfilled in the time of Poperie how
the image of the beast which had the wound of the sword and did liue it was permitted him to giue spirit to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast should speake Doe not these two beasts liuely represent the Pope and the Emperour whereof the one doth confirme the other Hath not the Pope healed the Emperours deadly wound in Christendome which the Turke hath giuen him So that by his meanes all nations do yéeld a kind of obedience to him who no doubt but for him would haue forsaken him Hath not he taught that men must make an image to the beast That as there is one Monarch in the world so there must be also in the Church Hath not the former beast suffered him to do wonders in his sight euen what him pleased Hath he not brought to passe that as manie as would not worshippe the Image of the beast that is which would not knowledge his supremacie should be killed Hath he not made both great and small rich and poore bond and free to receiue a marke in their right hand or in their forehead and that no man might buy nor sel saue he that had the marke or the name of the beast or the number of his name That is he was hated of all men Io. 16.2 accounted an heretique Nay that euen to kill such was high seruice done to God which had not the number of his name in their right hand that is his Latine primers and portuises and his characters that is his ceremonies in their foreheads that is that professed them not manifestly whereof his religion was full and in truth was nothing else but a huge heape of characters and ceremonies he that refused to doe any of their ceremonies which were then vsed might neither buy nor sell all men hated him But now the sunne shining of the gospell he that cleaues still to these shall die eternally These are the markes of the false Church The figures and types of the Church may also teach vs which is the true Church It is reported that Hercules his stature after his death was found out by the length of his foote God hath made nothing in vaine euen the verie shadowes of things may teach man wisedome First therefore the Arke of Noah may be a figure of the Church And God said vnto Noah make thee an Arke of Pine trees Gen. 6.14 And the arke is called in Hebrew Tabah of Bauah which signifies to build because the Church of God must euer be in building The building thereof is not like to other buildings it neuer hath an ende As long as this world lasteth it shall euer be in building And therefore saint Paul saith that Iesus Christ hath giuen some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors Ephes 4.12 and teachers for the gathering togither of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the building of the bodie of Christ till we meete altogither in the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ Neither without a mysterie doe the Grammarians call a word Tiba with Iod because no doubt this Arke of Gods Church must be builded with his word Gen. 6.14 Exod. 2.3 Secondly this word Tabah is but twise read in all the scripture That is the Arke that Noah was in and saued him and the Arke that Moses was in saued him For that is called also by the same name And this may teach vs the two Churches of the Iewish synagogue which was but like a basket made of twigges and bulrushes in comparison of the Arke of Noah that is the Arke of Iesus Christ Es 60.17 of which the Prophet Esay prophecieth that God promiseth that for brasse God will bring gold and for yron siluer The Pastors in Christs Church in comparison of the Priests in the Iewish synagogue are as it were great Cedars of Libanus to small twigs Againe this Tabah is neuer found but where water is To signifie no doubt that the Church of God as well the synagogue as the Church of Christ shall be alwaies in this world afflicted It shall euer bee on the water It shall be like to Christes shippe not onely tossed with waues but also in daunger of drowning Thirdly it is called an Arke and not a ship Mat. 8.24 because it must kéepe Iewels or else it is none of Gods Church Psal 1.3 Blessed is the man saith Dauid that hath not walked in the counsell of the vngodly c. but his delight is in the law of the Lord and therein will he meditate day and night And in another Psalme he saith Thy words haue I laid vp I haue hid them within my heart least I should offend against thee Psal 119.11 And it is said of the blessed virgine Marie that she laide vp those words she heard of the shepheards within her heart Luke 2.18 Such Arks both men and women both Kings and Inferiours must Christs Church be It must not be a ship to trafficke for gold to seeke earthlie riches héere in this world For no doubt as it were in a mysterie hereof and to teach vs this lesson 1. King 22.48.49 God brake the ships of good King Iosaphat which he sent to Ophir for gold who was as should séeme a little couetous and would not suffer the seruants of Ahaziah his friend to go with his seruants Couetousnes will haue all her selfe She cannot abide that anie should haue any thing wth her And God commaunded Noah to make his Arke of Pine trees Gen. 6.14 that is of such wood as would swimme aboue the water as would not be rotten or corrupted To teach all Christians that as many as call vpon the name of the Lord Iesus 2. Ti. 2.19 Ephes 4.1 Gal. 6.14 1. Pet. 2.11 should depart from iniquitie And that they should walke worthy of their calling and that they should be crucified to the world and the world to them that is that they should liue in the world like pilgrims and swimme aboue the water like Pine trées and not sinke downe therein like Okes of Basan and not be drowned with the loue and pleasures thereof like worldlings And thou shalt make nests or cabbins in the Arke That is resting places Heere the Hebrew word is Kinnam which may fitly be deriued of Kanah which signifies to buy or purchase Gods Church is called Ierusalem Psal 51.18.122.2.3.6 a vision of peace It must haue nests resting places in it But they are purchased they are bought That great price of Iesus Christ which he paid not of gold or siluer 1. Pet. 1.18 but of his own bloud hath made these nests these resting places Now we being iustified by faith saith saint Paul we are at peace with God Ro. 5 1. And then if we be at peace with God what neede
he did manie things very stately who in the end vanished away verie miserably And he gaue an example to all Prelates not to be high minded but being rather a patterne to their flocke that they would desire rather to be loued of their subiects then to be feared of them This is he of whom it is said that he entred as a Fox liued as a Lion and died as a Dog But not to make many words concerning this matter which hath beene so largely and learnedly handled of others I will but note the generall complaint which that author makes about that time Fascic temp Anno Christi 874. wherein the Popes began to climbe vp into their chaire of pride and into Antichrists seat Charitie saith he waxed verie cold about these times in all degrees and heresies for the most part now ceased But ambition couetousnes other vices being now set at liberty persecuted the Christian saith more then anie heresie Then Adrianus tertius decreede that the Emperor should in no wise meddle with the election of the Pope 884. Héere we may sée how Sathan after persecutions were ended persecuted the Church a fresh with pride and ambition And here the Popes pride began to sprout and shew it selfe A little after the same Author writes thus Oh good Lord how is the gold waxen dimme the glittering gold now is chaunged what offences do we read to haue chaunced about this time euen in the holy sea Apostolike which hitherto thou hast preserued with so great zeale What contentions and emulations sects enuies ambitions intrusions persecutions Oh wicked time wherein there was not one godlly man left and truth was decaied from among the sonnes of men But after these times there were some holy popes but not so in order nor so many as in the former times And a little after These eight Bishops following one after another 904. did sit but a short time I can say nothing worthie of commendation of them For I found nothing but scandalous things of them for the strange contentions which were in the sea Apostolike one against another and all of them euerie one against another c. These were not Pine trées but elder trees sauoring not pleasantly euen as we may sée in the noses of their friends But to come neerer to our daies since their pride began such hath been also their manners Paulus Iouius writes thus Tom. 1. lib. 1. Hist sin temp The people of Rome being deuided into two parts followed either the Colummans or the Vrsines The Sabellians mightie both for the antiquitie of their family and for the multitude of their petigree and valiant youths tooke the Colummans part and the Grapessians being Earles both for nobilitie and power as good as they tooke the Vrsines part On the Vrsine faction were famous then who became afterward both at home and abroad notable souldiers Verginius and Nicholas Vrsinus on the Columman faction Prosper and Fabritius were famous and Iacobus Comes Antonellusque Sabellus The Bishops of Rome as either the times or warres gaue occasions were euer enemies and against the wealthy powers of both these and they neuer studied for any thing more then to maintaine the one faction and to nourish their quarels that when both their powers were consumed with mutuall slaughters and domages they themselues hauing also extinguished the remainders of them might enioy their townes neere vnto the Citie This Iouius reports of the Bishoppes of Rome Here are peaceable and not couetous prelates as they would make the world beleeue that they are whom one of their owne friends reports that they maintaine a faction in Rome to the end to obtaine their townes and lordships when as they had one killed another by their meanes And after he writes The Romans also either mindfull of their olde worship and auncient libertie or els as they are troublesome and fierce of nature cannot with quiet minds endure the rule of Priests meaning the Popes because many of them rule not with moderation but couetously He confesseth that Popes are couetous And againe writing of Alexander the sixt he writes thus At this time Alexander the sixt was Pope a Spaniard Tom. 1. lib. 1. Histor who before was called Rodericus Burgia who being of a prowd nature and therefore both craftie and liberall hauing manifestly corrupted some of the chiefe Cardinals at the time of the election with briberie when as the better sort which would haue chosen the most worthy had taken the repulse gat to be Pope Thus we maie sée how euen latter Popes were ambitious and craftie as wel as the former And writing of Luther hee writes thus Tom. 2. lib. 20. Histor At the same time Charles the Emperor at Vangium neere to Rhemes called a councell of the nobles of Germanie for the report of the sturs about religion because Martin Luther a Frier of Saxonie had spoken against the Popes authoritie In that assembly Martin Luther had leaue giuen him to shew the causes why he thought by the law of Christ he might depart from the censure of the Pope And hee yeelded this cause especially that certaine couetous embassadours sent from the court of Rome taught that they selling the Popes pardons could deliuer the soules which were burning in purgatorie The Popes couetousnesse kindled Luther against him Thus we maie sée plainely how the Church of Rome is not built of pine trées but of rotten earthlie heauie and stinking wood of ambition couetous seditions diuelish and most wicked prelates euen as their owne histories and friends doe testifie 2. Thes 2.3 That therefore the Pope maie be truely called that man of sinne in whose chaire so manie and so notorious sinners haue sitten And therefore it is nothing like to the Arke of Noah which was built of pine trées The Church of Rome hath cels in her for the bodies but no nests for the soules of Christians to rest in She troubles mens consciences with her doubtfull doctrine of saluation and therefore in this respect also she is vnlike to the Arke of Noah Their Church also is farre vnlike the Arke of Noah in this respect she is higher then she is long or broad In the mysterie of their saluation how short was their knowledge in those daies yea and in their charitie whereof they bragge so much towards the soules of their brethren No pennie no pater noster was a common prouerb and true then no man reprooued the sinne of his brother Exod. 10.23 They liued as in the darkenesse of Egypt for the lacke of the light of knowledge of the lawe of the Lord no man sawe his brother no man reprooued his brother as all christians ought to doe as they are commanded Heb. 10.24 But their height was hautie she retched vp euen to heauen and tooke vpon her euen more then the sonne of God did to dispence with the law of God to trust in the works of her owne deuising and to promise
pardon of sinnes for them euen like the prowd Pharisées She lacked a window in her she was like a dungeon without anie light Psal 1.2 She teacheth not her children to meditate in the law of God day and night Col. 3.16 and that the worde of Christ should dwell plenteously in their houses Her light is not midday like the light of the Arke but midnight Her Linsie Wolsie translation of the newe testament into English which shee giues some leaue to reade is but a light in a corner whereas S. Paul excepts none it lightens not the whole house it is but the light of a Rush it is not the light of a torch Psal 119.105 The doore in her was not in the side but on her toppe by the Pope all entred into heauen for the most part in her She had diuersities of mansions in her as the Arke had but shée did disorder them that should haue béen placed in them She placed her Prelates and Cleargie in the highest roumes Rom. 13. ◠and Princes and Magistrates in the inferiour roumes The onlie true meanes of saluation the couenants of God she hath not taught the people with Noah naie she hath apparantly broken the couenant in denying the cuppe to the laytie which Christ cals the new couenant and therefore belongs to all as though they had not béen in the couenant or if they were 1. Cor. 11.25 to exclude them That blessing our Sauiour pronounceth to all good Pastors Blessed is that seruant Luk. 12.42 whom his maister when he commeth shall finde giuing meate to his family in due season She hath quite taken awaie she hath not fedde Gods flocke as Noah did in the Arke but she hath pined them Matt. 4.4 For man liueth not by bread only saith our Sauiour but by euerie word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God But her pastors haue not giuen meate to the Lords familie in due season nay they haue not giuen them anie meate at all They haue fedde their bodies with bread as though man had liued with bread onlie as Sathan then did séeme to instruct our Sauiour and would haue the world beléeue still and not their soules with Gods word which foode was the more necessarie Amos 8.11 And to conclude the Church of Rome is not built in all points according as God hath commanded How manie points of doctrine hath she in her which are not grounded vpon anie promise or commandement of God her inuocation of Angels and Saints departed her Latine prayers her worshipping of Images prooue this Therefore being so farre vnlike shee doth falsly bragge that shee is the Arke of Noah as hereby euerie one maie see Iericho also is a figure of the world and of Satans Citie as the name thereof in Hebrew deriued from the Moone which is called Iarak prooues which neuer continues in one state but is euer stil either increasing or decreasing Iosuah 6.34 The compassing also thereof 7. daies about with the Arke of God and the seuenth day 7. times plainly declares the same So after Christs ascension seuen Angels blew their trumpets Reu. 8.6 and in the daies of the seuenth Angell when he shall begin to blowe the mysterie shall be finished there shall be no more time the walles of Iericho shall fall downe And surely the daie we liue in now is the seuenth daie At this daie Iericho is compassed about with the Arke of God euen seuen times as much as in all the daies before The plentifull preaching of the Gospell by men speaking and writing more then euer before in anie age plainly prooue this The sunne now arising all the birds of heauen begin to sing whereas before the cockes onely did sing Surely this generall knowledge of God in the world and the profession of his gospell euen of some wicked Kites and couetous cormorants and Rauens declares that the rising of the true sunne Iesus Christ is not farre off And as Iericho resembles the worlde so no doubt the house of Rahab the harlot resembles the Church God will haue a house in Iericho Psal 87.4 Mat. 8.24 he will haue a shippe on the raging sea of this world And first her name Rahab which signifies a streete or enlarged agrées with the calling of the Gentiles The Church of God now is Rahab that is it is enlarged Esay 54.2 now is that prophesie of Esay fulfilled stretch foorth thy cordes and spare not c. Secondly her condition of life agrées with the Church She was Zonah Heb. 11.31 which signifies a vittailer or rather as the Gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expounds it and restraines it she was a harlot and so is the church before regeneration an Adultresse Iam. 4.4 Esay 50.1 Ezech. 16.15 Iosuah 2.2 separated from God the Spouse of Satan Assoone as the men were come into her house the king of Iericho had word and persecutes them by and by So the Gospell of Iesus Christ his true professors shall be sure to be persecuted in this world 2. Tim. 3.12 They cannot be so secret in anie place but the king of Iericho the prince of this world will heare of them will spie them out And the woman tooke the men and made them go vp to the toppe of her house and hid them in line of that tree which shee had laid in order vpon the roofe of her house Here is a liuely Image of the true Church She greatly honours reuerences and makes much of Gods seruants and ministers Rom. 10.15 Gal. 4.15 she exalts them she would euen pull out hir owne eies to giue them to do them good withall as the Galathians would haue done to Paul And she hides them in the line of that tree Bepishbe Hagnets This line of that tree no doubt is a figure of the holy Scripture which was to bee written in paper which is made of linnen cloth And in the line of that tree meaning some notable and especiall trée no doubt signifies Iesus Christ He is that tree of life Reuel 22.2 that whosoeuer tasteth of shall liue foreuer and he that shrowdes himselfe vnder it needes not to feare the persecutions of the king of Iericho In the line of this tree the true Church hides her Ministers with this they are couered They are mightie in the Scriptures with Apollo In these they are ouer the head and eares Acts. 18.24 as we say Againe here we may learne how the true Church esteemes of the Scriptures She placeth the line of that tree vpon the roofe of her house She hath them in high estimation according as Dauid saith in the Psalme Psal 138.2 O Lord thou hast magnified thy name and thy word is aboue all things And she had laid her line in order 2. Ti. 2.15 Psal 2.10.11 Ro. 13.1 Ephes 5.22.23.6.1 5 So the true Church doth rightly deuide the word of God She hath meat for kings subiects for men and
and sisters home vnto this house Euerie one must exhort his brother we must exhort one another as S. Paul commands Againe 1. Pet. 3.21 Ephes 4.4 Iosuah 6.25 Rom. 16.17 we must bring them all into one house There is but one Arke of Noah that saueth but one house in all Iericho that shall escape but one church of God wherein is saluation And therfore we must beware of schismes in the Church we must not be more cruell then the souldiers Ioh. 19.24 which would not rent in pieces Christs coate without seame but cast lots for it He that departs out of this house into the streete Verse 19. his bloud shall be on his owne head We must kéepe vs within the limits of the Church we must also follow her holie precepts that we go not foorth into the stréetes They which shall followe the world which shall doe as the most part doe Luk. 13.24 Rom. 12.2 shall be in danger of death But whosoeuer shall continue within the house Verse 19. shall be assuredly safe his bloud say they be on our heads if any touch him The ministers of the Gospell to all faithfull and obedient hearers ought and maie safely warrant them of their saluation they maie euen venture soule for soule they are so sure thereof they maie warrant their hearers And they ought not now to doubt thereof but to beleeue their preaching And lastly we must beware of Apostasie of Reuolting from the faith when persecution comes for the Gospell or when Sathan shall with faire promises go about to make vs forsake it we maie not be turnecoats we must be Peters that is stones not reeds 1. Pet. 2.5 Ephes 4.14 vnremoueable in the faith Though the king of Iericho terrifie vs or our friends flatter vs Gal. 1 16. or reason and flesh and bloud go about to perswade vs yet we must not be ledde by anie of them Wee must keepe the faith with Paul 2. Tim. 4 7. wee must finish our race we must not giue ouer as they saie in the plaine fielde And shee said according to your words so be it Verse 21. And shee let them downe and they departed And shee tied the red threed in her windowe Here is to conclude the last but not the least marke of the true Church according to your words so be it So Marie the blessed virgin answered the Angell Luk. 1.38 Behold the seruant of the Lord be it vnto me according to thy words And after when she was purified according to the lawe Luk. 2.22.23.24 and she presented him to the Lord as it is written in the lawe and she gaue an oblation as it was commaunded in the lawe So should the Church of Christ do all according to the scripture Gal. 1.8 But now let vs consider a little how vnlike Rahabs house the Church of Rome is Rahab placed the line of that trée that is the Scriptures of Iesus Christ in the roofe of her house She makes greatest account of them but the Church of Rome doth not so Concil Trid. Sess 3. she makes equall all her traditions and vnwritten verities with them She couers and hides the spies of Iosuah in them 2. Tim. 3.9 Acts 20.32 1. Pet. 5.2 Gen. 3.7 2. Tim. 4.4 the ministers of Iesus Christ should be cunning in the scriptures but the Church of Rome hath not couered her pastors with his holie line but hath rather with hurds of her own with Adams figge leaues with rags of mans deuises with the Master of the sentences and such like She doubts not of Gods word she knowes that Iericho shall be destroied and that Israel shall be Lords thereof The Church of Rome doth not teach her children this assurance grounded vpon Gods promises neither in their saluations neither in their prayers they make to God She mingles the drosse of mans frailtie Iam. 1.6 with the pure gold of faith and when as this colde water of doubtfulnesse is ready enough of it selfe to créepe in at the riftes of our weake shippe she bids vs not to stoppe it out but let it haue frée passage Rom. 10.11 Deut. 6.4 Mat. 28.18 Deut. 10.20 Ier. 5.7 Sophon 1.5 Her faith is grounded only vpon God that he is God alone that hath all power in heauen and earth and she requires an oath of them in his name as though this were a chiefe part of his honour But the Church of Rome hath vsually sworne by creatures in her thicke and palpable darknesse and her children as yet can hardly be drawne from it She dwels in the wal she reposeth all her trust in Iesus Christ 1. Pet. 1.21 The Church of Rome dwels farre from this wall reposing part of her trust and confidence in other things 1. Cor. 11.26 Rom. 10.9 She hangs the purple coard in her window she is able with her mouth to confesse Iesus Christ and him crucified the Church of Rome for lacke of the knowledge of the scriptures 1. Cor. 11.26 is not able to shew foorth the Lords death She brings her father and mother and brethren and sisters home to her house but the church of Rome doth not exhort one another Heb. 10.24 for the thicke darknes that raigned therein no man did sée his brother And lastly according to their words so she did shee added nothing of her owne when they were gone Mat. 28.20 but the Church of Rome hath added manie things of her owne to the commandements of Iesus Christ which he commanded his Apostles to go and preach to all nations and therfore in this point also as in the former she is vnlike to Rahab Exod. 25.3 The Tabernacle also which Moses builded for the children of Israel maie teach vs as a shadow which is the true bodie and as a type which is the true Church of Christ It was moueable and caried on the Priests backs from place to place Num. 4.15 Exod. 25.2 It was called the Tabernacle of the appointment because there God promised to answere them concerning all matters and in no place else Vers 9. 40. It was made of the voluntarie offerings of the people It was made according to the fashion and forme that God shewed Moses in the mount according to all that I shall shew thee saith God shall ye make the forme of the tabernacle and the fashion of all the instruments thereof And to the building of this his tabernacle God admitted as well haire of Goats as silke as well yron and brasse as gold And here first the consideration of this Tabernacle ouerthrowes the doctrine of the Roman Church Exod. 25.3.4 who teacheth that the Church in this world shall be alwaies visible and that at no time she shall loose her glorie And therefore they teach all men to beléeue the visible Church and then they shall be sure of their saluation But this Tabernacle which the people of Israel had here in the
that is they must haue fulnesse of knowledge And they must haue engrauen in them palme trees that is victorie perseuerance And flowers also engraued in them that is the beautie of all vertues And they must be couered all ouer with spirituall gold through holinesse of their liues Although now alas saith he they are rather guilded with materiall gold to their great shame and reproch And they must bee doores easie to be turned about that is diligent in their office and ministerie And as saith he the outward house signifies the laytie so the doores thereof may signifie secular Princes and Iudges who also must be two by the common care they ought to haue of themselues and of others For they must not be one that â—s wholy their owne through couetousnesse and illiberalitie â—nely respecting their owne gaine but they must haue a care of â—he common wealth of their sebiects They must also bee two iâ— respect of the loue of God and of Christ and they must also â—ne maintaine another by peace loue concord and ioyne togâ—ther by mutuall helping one of another Whereof it is said in Eâ—ech 41. that there were two doores on either side that they iâ—yned together And these must be of fir trees which are straight â—hich also must haue posts of Oliues which signifies the sweetnes of mercie pitie which also must haue foure corners that is the â—ablitie and strength of constancie and fortitude For a thing that is foure square will not easily rowle so truly a wise man will not easily bee moued from his word or purpose nor will bee changed from his straightnesse no neither by intreatie nor briberie neither by prosperity nor aduersitie neither by slaunders or flatteries And therefore such a doore that is such a superiour is said to be made foure square according to a rule or square to declare that he must bee foure square through constancie and ruled by temperancie Therefore it is said in the 20. of the Reuelation that the citie was foure square They are also couered with gold that is with brightnesse of holy conuersation and they haue the image of Cherubims ingrauen in them that is a fulnesse of knowledge they are decked with the pictures of Palme trees because they must be conquerours of vices Thus Berchorius applies these doores to the ciuill Magistrates And surelie these things creellie teach them their duties They must be doores of the Church they must be good Churchmen by deuotion and protection They must serue the Lord in feare Psal 2.12 they must be afraid to offend him yea euen a little lest they perish in their way They must also defend the Church 2. Chron. 19.6 they must not be one wholie their owne but now the common wealthes also They must be straight whom neither flatterie nor friendship nor bribes nor threates nor feare may anie thing moue Their postes must bee of Oliues they must be mercifull and they must be foure square So that they do their duties they must not passe what become of them they maie not feare the losing of their offices with Pilate Ioh. 19.12 and so do vniustice And in the fourth yeare was the foundation of the house of the Lord layd in the moneth of Zif 1. King 6.37 And in the eleuenth yeare in the moneth of Bul which is the eight moneth hee finished the house with al other furniture thereof and in euerie point So was he seuen yeeres in building it The house of the Lord was begun to bee builded in the moneth Zif which answereth to our Aprill when trées flourish but it was finished in the moneth Bul which signifieth ouerflowing to declare the glorie of the Primitiue Church and then the manie flourishing trees in all vertues but now our barrennesse and coldnesse Matt. 24.12 and the ouerflowing of sinne and wickednesse which should be in the end of the world according to our Sauiours prophesie when the Church should be finished Then Christians so despised the world that as manie as had lands although it were when as it was as dangerous a time as it is now yet trusting vpon Gods prouidence Act. 4.34 to helpe to reléeue their brethren sold them and laid the price thereof at the Apostles feete Now the world is come to that passe that manie will not relieue their brethren that they know stand in néed by letting them their lands at reasonable rents and keeping the possessions of their lands still So greatlie now is the loue of our lands increased and the loue of our brethren decreased Manie then were giuen to abstinence Rom 14.2 Act. 10.30 that they liued with hearbes and such like Cornelius fasted till the ninth houre of the day a Captaine and a souldier And Annah a widow Luk. 2.37 a Iew serued God with fastings and prayers day and night being verie old Few such Citizens now a daies few such Christians and young women whose bodies maie better endure it Philip the Euangelist had foure daughters Act. 21.9 and they were all virgins Few now striue for that goale The Macedonians aboue their abilitie as Saint Paul witnesseth of them were rich in liberalitie towards the poore euen in great triall of afflictions Origen a child was so desirous of martyrdom 2. Cor. 8.1 Euseb eccl hist lib. 5. cap. 2. that his mother was coÌ„trained to hide his clothes that she might keep him back froÌ„ running with his father to martyrdome Such flourishing trées there were in all maner of vertues 2. Tim. 3.1 when Christs Church was planted but now are they withered Couetousnesse and selfe loue hath ouerrunned all Thus we maie sée the plaine and euident marks of the true Church both by the expresse word of God as also by the shadowes and types thereof But the marks which the Church of Rome giueth to the Church and by the which she would prooue her selfe to be the true Church are not sure marks She makes Vniuersalitie Antiquitie Succession to be infallible marks of the true Church but they are not For first concerning Vniuersalitie Gen. 6.12 Luk. 17.26.28 do we not reade in Genesis that all flesh had corrupted his wayes And in the Gospell that as it was in the dayes of Noah and of Lot so shall it be in the dayes of the Son of man And doth not Saint Paul teach vs plainlie 2. Thes 2.2 that there shall bee a departing away or an apostasie and that it shall be an apostasie from the true faith and religion and not a secular or ciuill apostasie Doth not that which followes euidentlie prooue that that wicked one the sonne of perdition shall fit in the Church as God And that to imbrace him shall be to depart from the faith Reu. 13.15 And doth not Saint Iohn in the Reuelation speaking of the same Antichrist false Prophet teach that he shal cause al both smal great Reu. 14.8 to worship the Image of
the beast And doth not the Angell preach the euerlasting Gospell againe at the fall of Antichrists kingdome and at the reedifying of the Church of Christ to all nations kinreds tongues and people As though he had corrupted all these And is then Vniuersalitie if these bée true as they are most true an infallible note of the Church The name also that the Apostle giues to Antichrist declares who he is 2. Thes 2.8 he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without law whom no lawe will bind who will dispense with Gods word And he shall sit in a chaire vers 4. and not be vexed with Elias and Enoch as the Papists following the Iewish opinion héerein do teach And hath not the Pope of long time done so till of late God hath reuealed him and taken the vizard of counterfeit holinesse from his face Antiquitie which they make the second mark of the Church were of some force if it be sincere and pure For that saying of our Sauiour against the Iewes Matt. 19.8 is an vndoubted Maxime of true Christian religion From the beginning it was not so But as Antichrist counterfeited holinesse so he also counterfeited Antiquitie He made Gods people beléeue that all his trish trash was frō the beginning lying like the Gibeonits to Iosuah of their old bread and bottles whereas they were inuented but yesterday and of no great antiquitie at all Ios 9.13 So the blind and superstitious Iewes vrged antiquitie against our Sauiour Christ Art thou greater then our father Abraham Ioh. 8.53 whom makest thou thy selfe And thou art not yet fiftie yeares olde and hast thou seene Abraham Thus they séeme to vrge him with antiquitie But he answered them Before Abraham was I am So the woman of Samaria could saie to Christ Ioh. 4.12 Art thou greater then our father Iacob that gaue vs this well and hee himselfe dranke thereof and his cattell and his children So the old Prophet 1. King 13.14 with his graie haires beguiled the man of God But we must cleaue to the word of God whatsoeuer séems old without this is not old it is copper it is no gold The word of God is the true and only touchstone it onlie endures for euer 1. Pet. 1.25 Gen. 4.26 Succession also of how small force it is the historie of Adam teacheth Enoch began to call vpon the name of the Lord. Adams posteritie as it should seeme till his daies Gen. 11.15 had forgotten this And Heber also teacheth the same which after Enoch his planting of it was quite againe rooted vp and remained in the familie of Heber who not agreeing to go with those wicked Idolaters to build the tower of Babel as some thinke his tongue being not diuided gaue the name to the Hebrue tongue Iud. 2.10 After the daies of Iosuah and the Elders which were in his dayes how soone did the next generation forsake the true worship of God For thus it is written And so all that generation was gathered vnto their fathers and another generation arose after him which neither knew the Lord nor yet the works that he had done for Israel Then the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord and serued Baalim And do we thinke our generations without Gods speciall grace to be more sound then they So Manasses the sonne of good Ezechias 2. Chron. 24.2 became a most notable Idolater And euen in the newe Testament that we should not looke for anie better succession Act. 20.29 Saint Paul told the Church of Ephesus that he knew that after his departing should grieuous wolues enter in which should not spare the flocke And Saint Peter tels all Christians in his Catholike Epistle That as there were false Prophets among the people of the Iewes 2. Pet. 2.1 so shall there bee false teachers among thē many shal follow the way of their damnable heresies That mystery of Peters death which our Sauiour told him may haue a good spirituall sense that when he is olde another shall draw him whither he would not Ioh. 21.18 And doth not the Pope so Who saith he is his successour teaching doctrines contrarie to his doctrines in his Epistles Ferus describes the notes of the true Church vpon these words Ferus in 9. cap. Act. The Churches had rest through all Iurie Galile and Samaria and were edified and walked in the feare of the Lord were multiplied by the comfort of the holy Ghost He often repeates and beates into our heads with what goods and riches the Primitiue Church was famous to our shame which seek nothing but earthly things And wee thinke wee haue verie well prouided for the Church if it abound in riches and riot And after vpon these words They entred into the Synagogue The examples of Christian life may be gathered out of this Text. In cap. 12. Act. First they enter into the Synagogue they teach not in corners For he that doth the truth comes vnto the light Secondly thou seest heere that the Iewes on their Sabboths came together to heare the law and for that cause especially the Sabboth was ordained And therefore hee saith not on the Sabboth thou shalt be idle but that thou shalt keep it holy For the day is holy in it selfe but it ought also to be holy vnto vs which then it is when wee cease from doing euill works giue our selues to those which be good and especially to the hearing and meditation of the law of God without which it is not kept holy at all Neither is it sufficient for thee to haue heard once vnlesse thou heare often For the diuell is euer in assaulting thee thou must euer resist him with the word of God by which alone he is ouercome And also thou must meditate in the word of God or else thou hearest in vaine Thou must meditate also of thine owne sinnes and of Gods blessings these things also wee must doe in keeping and sanctifying our Sabboth Thirdly he saith that they sate downe Behold also Paul himselfe sits downe amongst others and heares the law he doth not intrude himselfe rashly or foolishly but with silence hee waites till opportunitie was offered to him of preaching The which thing makes verie much against the despisers of the Scriptures and haters of vocall preachings Fourthly after saith he the reading of the law and the prophets Thou seest here that the word of God not mans fancies was read Thou seest also that they did not only teach the law that is works but the Prophets also that is faith for both these are verie profitable and necessary to saluation Fiftly they sent vnto them Paul did not speake but being commaunded least he should seem to any to be presumptuous against those which cannot hold their peace as Elihu in the booke of Iob. Sixtly he said Men and brethren Thou seest that after the reading of the law and Prophets that
by and by ought to follow exhortation and interpretation thereof So Paul saith There is but small profit if they speake with tongues in the congregation and doe not also prophesie and expound Here also marke that prophesiing is not to be despised that the interpretations iudgements of others in expounding the Scriptures are to be heard Héere we maie sée as in a little mappe the whole summe of Christian religion and the markes of the true Church The true Church solemnizeth the Lords Sabboth in preaching and hearing his word And without this saith Ferus there is no sanctifying of the Sabboth at all And if this be true in the thicke darknesse of Poperie where Gods word was neither preached nor heard nor meditated on there was no Sabboth kept Nay euen in our daies there are manie Catholikes which thinke they keepe holy the Sabboth verie religiouslie and yet will not come to the Church to heare Gods word And all such Ferus tels that they prophane the Sabboth and kéepe no sabboth at all Againe he teacheth that the onlie weapon to ouercome the diuell is the word of God Then no doubt the diuell was a great conqueror when as no man almost had this sword in his hand he had made as great a conquest of Christians soules as Sisera had made of the bodies of the Iewes of whom being now by her conquered Deborah sings thus They chose new gods then warre was in the gates Iud. 5.8 Was there a speare or shield found among fortie thousand of Israel So dealt Sisera with Israel and so dealt Sathan with Christians he depriued them of their weapons to kéepe them more surely in his obedience Can he be a mans friend that takes his weapon from him in the midst of most raging and cruell enemies But this hath the Church of Rome done she hath taken the Scriptures which Saint Paul calles the sword of the Spirit Ephes 5.16 1. Pet. 5.8 from the hands of the lay people and the diuell is called of Peter A roaring lyon seeking whom he may deuoure In the true Church saith Ferus Gods word is read and not any fancies of man Paul himselfe sits and heares the word of God and therefore no Christian people must thinke scorne to do it And that after the reading preaching ought to follow and that not only works but faith also must be taught These are the markes of the true Church by Ferus iudgement And whether the Church of Rome haue had these in her or not let euerie man iudge In cap. 15. Act. Againe of Christian religion he writes thus vpon these words Why go you about to lay a yoke The second reason is that it is not lawfull for the Apostles to put a yoke vpon the consciences of men which the Lord hath not put for he that doth so tempteth God It is the dutie of the Apostles to preach the Gospel that is glad tidings and not like tyrants to rule ouer mens consciences Let those Bishops marke these words of Peter which make our religion which the mercie of God would haue free in the fewnesse and manifestnesse of her seruices a bondslaue with their burthens they lay vpon it so that the Iewes are in far better case then we who were subiect to the ceremonies of the law and not to mans deuises And Augustine writes thus to the questions of Iamarus c. Euery true Catholike maie marke here how he toucheth the pope who taketh vpon him to rule ouer mens consciences and euen to loade them with his decrees and constitutions And because the Papists brag much of their generall Councels let vs mark how Ferus there describes a true generall Councell vpon these words And when there had beene great dissension See how wisely they deale in the matter They doe not rashly pronounce sentence but they weigh euerie thing For in matters of faith which touch the consciēce it is not enough to say We will and command Marke therefore how the Apostles assembled themselues together They came together plainely they seek for nothing else but the glorie of God they desire the saluation of others To conclude they weigh all things wisely What maruel is it then if the holy Ghost were in this Councell according to the promise of the Lord Where two or three are gathered together c. We come together otherwise with great pompe and state we seek to maintaine our owne glorie and estate and we perswade our selues that we may do any thing by the fulnesse of our authoritie And how can the holy ghost allow such assemblies c He toucheth the Popes state pride He thinks that the holie Ghost will not guide such proud and stately assemblies Againe of the conclusion and doctrine of that Councell he writes thus vpon these words Which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare The law is an intollerable burthen because it requires not onely our hand but also our heart Secondly because it conuinceth vs to be sinners For wee doe euer more against the lawe then according to the law And also those things we do according to the law wee do them imperfectly but by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ we do beleeue to be saued A conclusion and a knitting vp of the matter both very godly and Apostolike that by the grace of Christ both Iewes and Gentiles are saued and not of their merits For only Christ sufficeth to all so that the law profiteth nothing to the Iewes to their saluation for euen they are saued by grace not by the law so farre against all reason is it that any man should impose those things to the Gentiles which profited not the Iewes themselues And to this end were the Epistles of Saint Paul written to the Romans and to the Galathians And our saluation is called the grace of Christ because he hath deserued it for vs. Let them therefore bragge of their merits we will seeke the glory of God Thus farre Ferus Here is the true Church put downe and her doctrine the milke she giues her children That onely the grace of Iesus Christ saues not merits She that brags of her merits and trusts in them is the strumpet is the whore is not the true Church and the spouse of Iesus Christ by Ferus his iudgement And whereas it is obiected of some against the Gospell that since the preaching thereof heresies haue sprung vp in the world and that before the Church was in peace let vs marke how Ferus answereth that obiection vpon these words Ferus in cap. 13. Act. And he resisted them Behold the combat saith he of truth and falshood This combate euer hath beene and will be God spake but one word in Paradise and by and by came the serpent which resisted it Moses being sent into Egypt found there sorcerers which withstood him The Prophets euer had false Prophets opposite vnto them Christ comming into the world found aduersaries The same thing
2. The. 2 3. was the mother of that sonne of perdition and neither taught true Christian religion nor yet eternall life That saluation comes of the Iewes Here our Sauiour doth teach this woman also what thee must know and in her all Christians They must know their saluation from whence it comes and be thankfull to God for it The Church of Rome hath erred in this point also who hath taught that saluation hath not comed of the Iewes that is by the means only of Iesus Christ but by the bloud of Martyrs She hath added here in England euen the bloud of Thomas which euē Ferus condemnes vpon these words of Saint Iohn Ferus in 1. cap. ep Io. And the bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all our sinnes Mark saith he that he mentioneth not anie bloud but the bloud of Christ For no other bloud can or euer could do this Act. 4.12 c. There is no other name giuen vnder heauen saith Peter in which we must be saued To Iesus Christ alone the people and the children crie Hosannah that is saue vs Lord and as it is also in the Psalme Matt. 21.9.15 Hashlikah and O Lord send vs now prosperitie Matt. 28.18 He alone blesseth the works of our hands and also saues our soules He hath all power in heauen and earth And so must all true Catholikes crie also to him alone and to none else This is also a marke of the true Church But the houre comes and is euen now when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and truth Reu. 22.17 Here is another euident mark of the true Church She still waites for the cōming of Iesus Christ she accounts the time of this world but an houre euen then when Christ spake this and that now the houre is almost quite runne a small time or nothing thereof remaines She thinks that this world is of no great continuance as the Popish Church doth not thinke who teacheth that as yet Antichrist is not comed She thinks that those things which S. Iohn said should be fulfilled shortly Reu. 1.3 are fulfilled alreadie She thinkes not that the greater part of them are yet to be fulfilled as the Church of Rome doth She euer stands in the doore of her tent with Abraham Gen. 18.1 1. King 19.13 and in her caues mouth with Elias still looking when the Lord will come When the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and truth For such worshippers the Father now lookes for Here is another marke of the true Church Ioh. 4.23 To worship the Father God alone and also the maner how in spirit truth In spirit that is with our hearts and in truth that is without all types and shadowes Iohn 19.30 The law now hath an end the sunne shines all shadowes must vanish awaie Our humble hearts now must bée those sacrificed bulles Rom. 12 1. and our chast hearts those sacrificed Turtles and our good hearts those sacrificed Rammes and our bountifull hearts those sacrificed sheepe and our ioyfull hearts those sacrificed calues which God requires Heb. 13 15. God will not be worshipped now with those Iewish shadowes Col. 2.17 which he himselfe commanded the true sonne of Righteousnesse Iesus Christ being comed into the worlde much lesse with Popish shadowes and mysteries and mans deuise Reu. 14.9 or with Popish Images Exod. 20 4. Esa 40 25. which his Lawe and Prophets flatly condemne God is a Spirit and therefore he will be worshipped in spirit and truth Those externall things 2. King 12.28 which séeme pleasant to flesh and bloud as Ieroboams golden calues which he made as some thinke because that God would more highly esteeme golden calues Dan. 3.15 2. King 10.22 then calues of flesh Nebuchadnetzars Psalterie and musicke Baals Priests gay garments and robes frankinsence and such like thinges whatsoeuer wherein flesh and bloud takes so great pleasure and delight are an abomination to the Lord as our Sauiour Christ tels vs in the Gospell Luke 16.15 That which is verie highly esteemed amongst men is abominable before God Hée requires the loue of thy heart the faith and trust of thy soule Eccle. 9.10 Heb. 13.16 the knowledge of thy vnderstanding the obedience of thy will the praise of thy mouth and the good workes of thy handes And this is that which Dauid saith in the Psalme Psal 50.8 that at that great day of iudgement God shall not reproue the people for their burnt offrings of bullocks or goats but if they shal not haue offred him praise and thankesgiuing Let all true Catholikes feare this reproofe God hath foretold vs like a good Maister what hée will reproue vs for and what he will finde fault with in his house when he comes againe and shall we not take héede thereof O carelesse and disobedient seruants Let vs offer to him alone our praise and thankesgiuing and all our prayers least we be reproued and condemned of him when hée comes The true worshippers This proues that there shall be false worshippers in Gods house Esa 1 22. Mat. 13.25 25 33. there shall bee there copper as well as gold there shall be tares as well as wheate there shall be goates as well as sheepe O let vs marke this point well here is the brand wherewithall the Lords shéepe are discerned here is the touchstone whereby the Lords gold is tried from copper Matt. 3.12 here is the sieue and fanne which tries the Lords wheat from the chaffe that we may be shéepe and not goates gold and not copper wheat and not chaffe Let vs take diligent heed of this Vers 25. And the woman said vnto him I know that Messias shall come which is called Christ and when he shall come he shall shewe vs all things This opinion shée had of Christ that he should teach thē all things when he came And shall we beléeue lesse of him Shall we beléeue any doctrine which he neuer taught in his word And our Sauior himself agrees to this her spéech saying I will call you no more seruants Ioh. 15.15 because the seruant knoweth not what his maister doth but I haue called you friends because I haue made manifest to you all things that I haue heard of my father He testifieth here plainlie that he fulfilled her spéech that he had told them all things necessarie to their saluation he kept nothing backe to be reuealed after by the meanes of the Church and therefore he commands his Apostles to go and preach to all nations Matt. 28.10 baptizing them and teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer he had commanded them and nothing els And Saint Paul saith 1. Tim. 6.3.4 He that teacheth anie other doctrine and agrees not with the whole some words of our Sauiour Christ and that doctrine which agrees with godlinesse is puft vp and knowes nothing how wise
so euer he séemes to be and whatsoeuer he pretend either reuelations of Angels or anie miracles to confirme his doctrine withall The doctrine of Iesus Christ is the rule and square of all doctrines 2. Ioh. ver 8. by this place And Saint Iohn also saith Take heed to your selues lest wee lose all the works which we haue wrought but that we may haue a full reward For he that transgresseth or ouerreacheth the doctrine of Christ for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gréek word signifies and that kéepes not himselfe within the limits and bounds thereof but will go beyond it though that which he doth séeme in his owne eye holy religious and deuout hath not God This is a terrible sentence let vs beware how in our deuotion and religion and zeale of seruing God we do more then the Gospell teacheth we go beyond the doctrine of Christ and abide not in it for if we doe we shall haue no part with God This place condemnes all blinde superstitious Papists which did manie things of a zeale and good intent and not according to the Gospell nay how manie of them neuer knew the Gospell and yet thought that they did well But all such workes how painfull and costlie soeuer they were by this place we may plainly learne that they were lost nay more then this they also sustained a greater losse they lost God God cannot abide seruants Esa 1.12 2. Io. 9. that will doe that he commands them not He will say to such Who required this at your hands But he that abides in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Sonne O happie continuance And what is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to abide to continue but to beléeue no more to do no more then God commaunds in his word then Christ Iesus taught not to go beyond this either in faith or workes no not an haires breadth though the doctrine which is taught besides this seeme neuer so old neuer so deuout practised of Fathers confirmed by Councels Let vs remember that the poore silly woman of Samariah could say that Messias when as he should come should teach them all things and shall not we say the same And Christ said to her I am he that talkes with thee Vers 26. Surely in all the Gospell Christ did neuer reueale himselfe to anie so manifestlie as he did to this woman He said to the high Priests when as they said Art thou the sonne of God Luke 22.70 You say that I am And to the Iewes Before Abraham was I am And Abraham desired to see my daye and saw it and reioyced Iohn 8.58 8.25 And againe to the Iewes which said vnto him Who art thou And Iesus said vnto them The beginning And therefore I speake vnto you No doubt hauing relation to that first word in Genesis Ioh. 1.1 whence that booke tooke his name Beresheth In the beginning c. Iesus Christ is that beginning 1. Cor. 8.6 And therefore Saint Paule saith To vs there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we for him And one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him Here is the Creator one God here is the onely meanes of the creation Iesus Christ All thinges were created by him And here is the end of all things Gods glorie So that Iesus Christ is that beginning by whom God created all things And thus he obscurely taught the Iewes who he was As though he should say Looke into the first booke of Genesis and take no great paines to reade it ouer but looke and marke well the very first word thereof and there you shall find who I am I am the beginning and therefore I talke with you Prou. 8.31 My delight is to be with the children of men as Salomon saith The workman loues his worke euen so that excellent workman the Sonne of God loues vs who are his workmanship De Gen. ad lit lib. 1 ca. 5. And therefore Austen saith The beginning of the intellectuall creature is the eternall wisedome of God which beginning abiding in it selfe vnchangeable neuer ceaseth by secrete inspirations to speake to that creature whereof it is the beginning that it may be conuerted to that by which it is made because otherwise it cannot haue his forme and be perfect Thus our Sauior obscurely shewed himselfe to these but neuer to anie so plainlie as to this woman hereby we may coniecture the excellencie of her faith no doubt her excellent faith euen as it were deserued such a great rewarde of our Sauiour Messias when he comes saith shée we know shall shewe vs all things Who could haue spoken more of Christ No not all the Iewish Rabbins And I would to God euen now our great Doctors in the Popes Church would say as much And therefore she receiued the greatest answere and reward that could be in the world Vers 26. I am he saith Christ that talks with thee neuer such an answere neuer such a word spoken in the world before Let vs haue the same faith of Christ that he may bestow also such like blessings vpon vs. And the like definition of true Catholike Religion and the same marks of the true Church S. Paul himselfe also hath no doubt expressed Act. 24.11 being taken from this stampe I confesse this vnto thee saith he vnto Felix that according to that way which they call heresie I so worship the God of my fathers beleeuing all that is written in the law and the Prophets hauing this hope in God which they also haue that there shall bee a resurrection of the iust and of the vniust Here are also markes of the true Church She must be able to giue an account of her faith as Saint Paul doth here to Felix and Saint Peter commaunds all Christians to doe to all men Sanctifie saith he the Lord God in your hearts 1. Pet. 3.15 euer being readie to maintaine and defend if that any shall aske you a reason of that hope which is in you We must not onely haue this hope of saluation in vs which is by Iesus Christ but we must be able also to yéeld a reason and an account of it Luke 12.8 to maintaine and defend it And our Sauiour saith He that shall confesse mee before men him shall I confesse before my Father in heauen We must be able to make confession of our faith if so bee we will haue Christ acknowledge vs for his But this in the Popish Church they were not able to doe and therefore that Church was not the true Church I confesse vnto thee saith he that after that way which they call heresie I worship the God of my fathers Act 24.11 Here is another marke of the true Church To be slaundered reuiled called heretikes Sée here how at this time the true Church of Christ was called hereticall And therefore let not that name of
must all his Christians So did Saint Paul who writes thus of himselfe God forbid that I should reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ whereby the world is crucified to me Gal. 6.14 I vnto the world What worldly pompe or delight was there in the crosse of Iesus Christ but hunger cold nakednesse vineger raylings and such like In these S. Paul reioyced Let the worldlings with that rich man delight in their braue apparell in their daintie fare in their state and pompe S. Paul with his Sauiour Iesus Christ will despise all these and reioice rather in nakednes in hunger in reproches as he himselfe witnesseth in another place Euen vnto this houre we both hunger and thirst are naked 1. Cor. 4.11 are buffetted haue no certaine dwelling place no place to put our heads in This is the crosse of Christ which Saint Paul reioyced in Here is a contempt of all the pleasures of the world And in another place We approue our selues the ministers of God in much patience 2. Cor. 6.4 in afflictions in necessities in distresse Here is the proofe that S. Paul was an Apostle of Iesus Christ and by the same arguments must all Christians proue themselues to be Christians For thus our Sauiour pronounceth of his Apostles and in them of all Christians Blessed are ye poore Luke 6.20 for yours is the kingdome of God Blessed are yee that hunger for ye shall be satisfied Blessed are ye that weepe now for ye shall laugh Blessed are ye when men hate you and when they separate you and reuile you and put out your name as euill for the Sonne of mans sake Reioyce you in that day and be glad For behold your reward is great in heauen for after this maner did their fathers to the Prophets But woe vnto you that are rich for you haue receiued your consolation Wo be vnto you that are full for ye shall hunger Wo be to you that now laugh for ye shall waile and weepe Wo be to you when all men speake well of you for so did their fathers to the false prophets c. Here is plainly put downe Diues and Lazarus Diues was rich was full reioyced euerie daie was highly no doubt commended of all men and Lazarus was poore hungry despised contemned of all men But mark what followes befals to both these Abraham told there Diues Sonne Luke 16.25 remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasures or good things and contrariwise Lazarus paines or euill things Now therefore hee is comforted and thou art tormented The same here our Sauiour pronounceth to all those which embrace the pleasures of this present world Woe to them that now laugh for that they haue receiued their consolation And againe Blessed are they which now weepe and that despise the pleasures of this world for that their consolation is to come And here is plainelie portrayed out vnto vs the crosse of Christ wherein Saint Paule gloried hunger wéeping reuilings and such like to which a blessing is pronounced But a wo and curse to the contrarie Let all Christians therfore hearing this lesson at their Sauiours mouth and séeing it plainly put in practise of Saint Paul and of all the rest of the Apostles nay perceiuing the terrible execution of the transgression thereof verified in that rich man learne to despise this world and all the pleasures and delights thereof and only to reioyce in the crosse of Christ with Saint Paul and to remember that solemne vow they made in their Baptismes Let them not buy repentance so deare The money they bestow vpon these vaine delightes and pleasures maie be far better bestowed with Cornelius vpon almesdeeds and works of mercie Act. 10.1 Such a despiser of the world was Abraham Gen. 14.22 Who told the king of Sodom that he would not take of all that was his so much as a thréed or a shoo latchet whē as he offred him all the spoiles We would haue said who but a foole would haue refused gold whē as it was offred him But such a foole was Abraham We would haue bin sure to haue taken the riches with this flattering perswasion beguiling our owne selues as manie doe now adaies Iam. 1.22 that when we had possessed them we wold haue bestowed them well But Abrahā chose the safer way not to meddle with them at all His like contempt of the world appeares in his dealing with his brother Lot whē their heardsmen fell out Who though he was the elder had the promises of God made vnto him Gen. 13.1 9 yet he said Let there be no strife I pray thee between thee and me neither betweene thine heardsmen and mine heardsmen for we are brethren Is not the whole land before thee Depart I pray thee from me If thou wilt take the left hand then I wil go to the right if thou go to the right hand then I will take the left If Abraham had made account of the world he would not haue yéelded from his right hee would not haue giuen Lot leaue to haue chosen The like we reade of Moses who when as he was come to age refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter Heb. 11.24 chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God He reioiced rather in the crosse of Christ with Saint Paule then in worldlie pleasures with Diues Some here would haue said though I be in Pharaohs Court I will serue God in my heart I maie do both But Moses thought that Pharaohs delightes and pleasures and Gods loue and fauour could not stand together The prophet Zacharie writes thus of Christs Church Zach. 14.16 that euery one that is left of all the nations which came against Ierusalem shall go vp from yeare to yeare to worship the king the lord of hosts to keepe the feast of Tabernacles And they which will not come vp c. vpon them shall be no raine A strange law and no lesse strange punishment God séemes to renewe againe the ceremonies of the olde law which by the comming of our Sauior are abrogated Againe it is very strange that omitting all the other feasts hee will haue one onlie to remaine that is the feast of Tabernacles Here no doubt the Prophet teacheth vs to forsake the letter For the letter killeth The feast of Taberbernacles was ordained as appeareth in Exod. 23. that the children of Israel might remember their abode in the wildernesse 40. yeares without anie dwelling houses And this feast though it be abolished literally yet God will haue the faithfull still to obserue it spiritually that as they trauailed in the wildernesse those fortie yeares so we also in this world should be as pilgrims and strangers all the course of our life and that we should know that we are borne here in the world no◠that we should fixe our hearts here but that we should as it