as Moyses was commaunded to make the Tabernacle Heb. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the example or patterne that was shewed him in the mount that is according to the example of the old law for we refuse the carnall obseruations of the law and such types and figures as represent our Sauiours comming in the flesh or those benefits and blessings which were proper and peculiar vnto the Iewes yet as the Iewes had a King though their kingdome be now abolished so we haue a new King Vbi est qui natus est rex Iudaeorum Math. 2. a King which is borne both to Iewes and Gentiles And as they haue an old Testament so wee haue a new Testament 2. Cor. 3. and as they had the spirit so we haue a new Spirit I will giue vnto you a new heart and a new Spirit Ezech. 36. and as they had Commaundements so wee haue a new Commaundement A new Commaundement Giue I vnto you Iohn 13. and as they had an inheritance promised them the land of Canaan so wee haue a new inheritance promised vs Apoc. 21. I saw a new heauen and a new earth and as they had their Temple so we haue our Churches and as they had their Sacraments so we haue our Sacraments and as they had their Sabboth so wee haue our Sunday And as they had their Feastes so wee haue our Feastes and new Holydaies to put vs in minde of those blessings we haue receiued of the bounty of God one feast to remember his Natiuity another to put vs in minde of his Passion another of his Resurrection another of his Ascention another of other spirituall blessinges either performed to vs by our Sauiour Christ or his blessed Apostles And no doubt if some ceremonies were necessary to bee obserued among Gods people to retaine the memory of blessinges receiued and maintaine the hope and expectation of the Messias to come seeing wee that are Christians are as vnthankfull and forgetfull of the manifold blessings of God as they were it is as hard a matter as miraculous to vs to beleeue that which is past 1600. yeres since as for theÌ„ to beleeue that which was to come seeing neither they nor wee are eye-witnesses of it but giue credit to other they to their Prophets whom in things to come they firmely beleeued we to our Euangelists Apostles whome we cannot deny or suspect in things that are past wee haue as good vse of our rites and ceremonies as they had of theirs I giue this breefe note the rather because as S. Basil complained of his time Basil ep 70. it is reckoned a great fault and euen superstition amongst vs. Si quis paternas traditiones diligenter obseruet if a man obserue dilligently the rites and ceremonies commaÌ„nded by the Church and receiued from all antiquity And yet heere wee finde that our Sauiour Christ according to the ancient custome of the Iewes goeth vp yearely to Ierusalem to celebrate the Passeouer and satisfie the lawe and the ceremonies of the lawe that reached not to him and suffered him-selfe to bee circumcised which needed not euen by the reason of the lawe because he was intacta matre natus and his mother fulfilled the ceremony of purification which was not necessary because she was not comprehended vnder the lawe for non suscepto semine conceperat shee conceiued not as other women did Luke 1. but was ouershadowed by the holy Ghost and he was subiect to his parents which was not subiectio necessitatis Lyra. but pietatis not matter of necessity but rather example of piety and obedience and here we find him not onely obseruing the sabboth but other sollemne feasts to teach vs Super. Ioh. 2. saith Marlorat to come to Church on holidaies as well as on Sundaies A great negligence or rather contempt by little and little crept in amongst vs I meane not them that are irreligious and little regard any seruice of GOD but euen of such who haue euen in their mouthes though not templum Domini the temple of the Lord for they regard not the place yet â—abbatum Domini the Lords Sabboth but thinke no day holy or lawfull to be deuoted to the seruice of God but the seauenth day onely But as the Iewes beeing too much affected to the letter of the law or misled by the Pharisies the interpreters of it thought the fift Commaundement to be violated onely by murther and slaughter of a man and the 6 coÌ„maundement broken onely by actuall adultery but our Sauiour playing the interpreter telleth them Verely verely I say vnto you that hee that is vnaduisedly angry doth murther and hee that looketh after a woman to lust after her doth commit adultery Math. 5. though there be difference in the sins so we say vnto you who thinke the violating of the seauenth day to bee onely against the fourth commandement we say that the breach and prophanation not only of the greater sollemnities viz. Christmas Easter Whitsontide c. are the breach of the Sabboth but also the prophanation of the smaller feastes which are appointed for the seruice of God and the memory of those blessings we haue receiued by the meanes of his seruants is the breach of the Sabboth And therefore in the holy Scriptures we finde not only the seauenth day called the Sabboth but al other feasts holy daies either appointed by God or the lawfull Magistrate as in the 23. of Leuit. where the first day of the seuenth moneth Leuit. 13. and many other feasts are called the Sabboth And least you shoulde thinke that these feastes had the name onely of a Sabboth and not the sollemnization you may reade that Hester Mardocheus in remembrance of the deliuerance of the Iewes proclaimed a feast or holydaie to be obserued yearely and added this law Nulli liceat hos duos dies absque solemnitate transigere that it should be lawfull for no man to passe ouer those daies but in great sollemnity and the new feast instituted by Iudas Machabaeus Eneauia Ioh. 10. our Sauiour obserued as wee read in the Gospell and walked not in the streetes but came In porticum Solomonis into the house of God into that place where in all probability hee did vse to teach when it is said he came into the Temple and thus far by occasion of the second circumstance The third circumstance Chrysost in opere imperfecto The third circumstance is the place where he began this reformation and that was in the Temple of God and Iesus went into the Temple of GOD. S. Chrisosotome in opere imperfecto or the author whosoeuer noteth it to bee the property of a good sonne first to visit his fathers house when hee commeth to towne and performe that duety and honour which is due vnto him And here wee see our Sauiour Christ when he commeth to Ierusalem first to visit his fathers house Templum Dei the
Temple of God though now for the abuse thereof it might bee called Templum Iudaeorum the Temple of the Iewes as Saint Iohn calleth the feast of the Passouer Ioh 2. Pascha Iudaeorum not Pascha Dei because the Iewes abused it by their inuentions as Saint Origen noteth vpon that place Origen Ibid. but considering the first institution he calleth it the Temple of God though by abuse it was become a den of theeues And wherein should a good sonne rather busie himselfe than in reforming the abuses of his fathers house the gouernment whereof is committed to him as our Sauiour tolde Ioseph and his blessed mother Luke 2. must I not goe about my fathers businesse Now although the people were called the people of GOD and the Cittie the Cittie of God as wee read euery where in the Psalmes and Prophets though as it is in the prophesie of Esay Esay 1. The faithfull Cittie was become an harlot and had neither Iudgement nor Iustice in it and the people of God become a sinful nation and a people laden with iniquity yet he beginneth not his reformation there but in the temple of God Giuing this as a lesson by his example to all Princes and Magistrates to whome it may appertaine that as a Phisition when hee comes vnto a sicke man first demaundeth the state of his stomacke and laboureth especially to order it because if the stomacke bee sounde the body is strong if the stomacke be sicke the whole body is weakned so the Magistrate when hee findeth the bodie of the common wealth diseased or distempered let him first inquyre after the stomacke how that is affected that is what is amisse in Church and Church-men for from thence as from the roote or from the heart or from the fountaine or from the stomacke proceedeth the health or the diseases the sinnes or the vertues of the Prince and the people Chrisost in opere imperfecto as S. Chrysostome obserueth De templo omne bonum egreditur de templo omne malum procedit From the Temple commeth all good and from the Temple proceedeth all euill For the vertues of the Priest are like the oyntment which being powred vpon Aarons head runneth downe to his beard and so along to the border and skirts of his garment that is first affect the Magistrate them that are seated in higher places and so by degrees the meanest people and the sinne of the Clergie is like a rheume which ascendeth out of the stomacke into the head and from thence spreadeth it selfe into all parts of the body according to that of Leuiticus Si sacerdos qui vnctus est peccauerit faciet delinquere populū Leuit. 4. If the Priest which is the annointed of the Lord shall hap to sin he shal cause the people to sin also So that if the people be good and vertuous the Priest may say as Saint Paul said to the Corinth Nonne opus meum vos estis in Domino 1. Cor. 9. are not you my workemanship in the Lord If the people be ill they may say to the Priest Hug. Card. Nonne destructio nostra vos estis are not you our destruction yea no question you are our destruction Wherefore though many other thinges were amisse amongst the people of the Iewes yet because they proceeded from the disorder of the Temple as the effect from the cause according to the counsaile of God by the prohet Ezechiell à sanctuario meo incipite Ezech. 9. Begin at my sanctuary and the rule which his Apostle Saint Peter learned of him that iudgement must begin at the house of God 1. Pet. 4. he beginneth his reformation at the Temple of God The fourth circumstance But let vs consider the fourth circumstance what it was that he reformed there Hee cast out all those that sold and bought in the Temple and ouerthrew the tables of money-changers and the seates of them that sold doues Now because these abuses buying and selling of sheepe and oxen and doues and money-changers and that in the Temple of God may seeme somewhat strange vnto you may it please you to vnderstand that according to the commandement of God all sorts of people from all the regions of Iurie came vp to this most royall and ample Temple especially on festiuall daies to offer sacrifice vnto the Lord. The richer sort offered oxen goates sheepe c. the poorer sort pigeons and turtle doues c. But it hapned oftentimes that they which came far off brought no sacrifices with them wherefore the Priests to make a prey of the people as Saint Ierome noteth sold them-selues or caused to be sold by others sheepe and oxen and doues whatsoeuer was necessary for the sacrifice and for this merchandizing in the Temple had their pretence out of the letter of the law Deut. 14. where they that dwelt farre off were commaunded to sell their offerings at home and with that money buy oxen and sheepe c. when they came to Ierusalem Now the Priests seemed to prouide for this law that none that came farre off might want sacrifices but indeed vnder pretence of that studied their owne prophane profit and gaine Now because it happened that some came thither that were so poore that they had no mony to buy thē offerings they placed there money-changers who vppon securitie would lend them the mony but because vsury was forbidden by the law yet they would make some gaine of their money they were contented to take smaller trifles which would yeeld them money as raysons and apples and such kinde of stuffe as they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thinking by this meanes to auoid the law whereas the Prophet Ezechiel saith vsura a superabundantiam non accipietis Ezech. 22. you shall not take either vsury or increase Others that are learned are of opinion that these money-changers these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they be called in the text were placed there to change their monies that came to that place to buy their sacrifices as to change greater money for smaller or good for siluer or forraine money for currant money and were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signified an halfepenny which was giuen for the change which may be gathered to be more probable because Saint Iohn calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. 2. which signifieth small money and serueth for change so that it shoulde seeme these money-changers were such as Caietane noteth to bee in Rome for such purposes in gradibus Diui Petri vppon S. Peters staires Moreouer may it please you also to vnderstand for your better instruction in this story and that you may perceiue what these abuses were that the name of the Temple is sometimes taken properly and strictly pro domo templi for the body of the temple which was diuided into two parts as our churches are one was
instrument of sin and iniquity and beeing giuen vnto man as an excellencie aboue other creatures doth make him much woorse than any brute beast De interiori domo Cap. 50. They will forbid reading and diuersity of study because as S. Bernard noteth Prolixa lectio memoriam legentis obliterat Ouer much reading hurteth the memory of the reader not considering with S. Bernard that often times Crimen non est in rebus Ibid. sed in vsu agentis the fault is not in the things but in him that vseth them nor with S. Aug. de doct châ— lib. 3. cap. 12. Austin that In multis non vsus rerum sed libido vtentis in culpa est In many things not their vse but the disorder of him that vseth them must be blamed nor that the rule is not Arist topic 1. Cuius abusus malus est ipsum quoque malum est but Cuius vsus malus est id est per se malus est ipsum quoque malum est that which may bee abused is euill but that which cannot be well vsed which is the same which the Canonists haue Nauarus enchir cap 14. Si vsus principalis alicuius rei sit mortifer mortiferam quoque rem ipsam efficiet that is if the principall vse of any thing be deadly it shall make the thing it selfe of like nature Now our Sauiour here teacheth them another lesson not to pull downe Churches for the abuse of them or the abuse of the Priest but reforme the abuse and retaine the good vse And although our Sauior when the Iewes were incorrigible and would not be reformed nor repent them of that sinne of sinnes the putting to death to shamefull death that innocent Lambe the very Sonne of God our Sauior Christ Iesus threatned the destruction of the Temple and the miserable captiuity of the whole Nation and perfourmed it So that Ierusalem became as Iericho was an execrable thing for although Iulian Iosua 6. and the Greacians and the Iewes endeuoured to repaire it and build it againe yet it was impossible by reason of earthquakes and fires from heauen which consumed the stuffe and troubled the workmen as Theoderet reporteth yet this was but a remoouing of their candlesticke as I may call it Theod lib. 5. ca. 10. not the putting out of the Candle a remoouing of the Temple of God and the Priesthood to another Nation that is to the Gentiles not an vtter subuersioÌ„ of Churches ecclesiasticall State or to vse our Sauiors words in this same Chap. Ver. 43. A taking away of the Kingdome of God from them and giuing it to a Nation that should bring foorth the fruites thereof as when Saul became incorrigible and abused his State Samuel said not the Lord hath rent away the kingdome from Israel this day and will haue no more Kings but Iudges c. but The Lord hath rent the kingdome of Israel from thee this day and hath giuen it to thy neighbour 1. Sam. 15. who is better than thou that is hath remooued the insufficient from the place of gouernment and put in his roome one more sufficient To teach vs that as for the sinnes of Princes and abuse of their State the manner of gouernment is not altered by God nor their priueledges abrogated but the Office translated to a fitter person so for the abuse of Churches and Church-men neither the Churches ought to bee defaced and ruined nor the state of the Cleargie to bee disgraced and villified but those that are disordered must bee displaced and their honours bestowed vpon better men For this is a lesson set downe in the rules of the law as an axiome or maxime in nature not in a law positiue or humaine constitution 6. decrâ—t de â—eg iuris that Semel Deo dedicatum non est ad vsus humanos vlterius transferenduÌ„ That which hath beene once dedicated to God is not any more to bee transferred to the vses of men And it seemeth to bee so euident by the light of Nature that children acknowledge it as Plato confesseth who speaking of a truth as euident as he tooke it as that two and two make foure Nos dicimus saith he quod pueri solent Quae rectè data sunt Plat. Phileb eripi non licet We say as children vse to doo Thinges well giuen must not be taken backe againe and therfore no meruaile if it were a case ouer-ruled by the more ancient sort of heathen Phylosophers in their Courts of iustice Plin. 2. Epist lib. 10 Epist 74. and 75. Si facta aedes sit licèt collapsa sit iam religio tamen eius occupauit solum If an house hath bene once dedicated to God though it be fallen down and vtterly decayed yet the soyle is holy and the ground religious and not to bee imployed to ciuill or prophane vses The fift circumstance The fifth circumstance in the Fact is the manner how our Sauiour performed this reformation Hee cast out them that sold and bought c. An extraordinary course is vsed by our Sauiour and therefore the more obseruable For whereas in all other places and against all other sinnes hee vseth wordes and reproofes and reprehensions and those also tempered with humility mildnes and gentlenes Heere he vseth force and execution and externall discipline and present correction by casting them out of the Temple by making a whippe of small cordes Iohn 2. and so whipping theÌ„ out by ouerthrowing the tables of the money-changers and the seates and chaires of them that sold doues and whereas he saith of himselfe that hee was sent into the world not to iudge the vvorld but that the worlde might bee saued by him Iohn 3. yet in this case in this sinne in this abuse and prophanation of the Temple as it were forgetting his accustomed gentlenesse and the end of his comming hee exerciseth punishment striketh with a whippe ouerthroweth the tables casteth abroad the money and to conclude casteth them out of the Temple and that by himselfe alone and with his owne hands If her excellent Maiestie beeing famous and renowned for her singular clemency shoulde come to this Citty and with her own hands punish a fault or misdemeanor it were a good argument that that kind of sinne were most odious vnto her here our Sauior the Prince of peace and fountaine of mercy commeth to Ierusalem and with his owne hands doth punish the abuses and the prophanations of the temple of GOD. Adam sinned Gen. 3. and hee sent his Angels or Cherubins to cast him out of Paradise The wicked Sodomites sinned and hee sent his Angels Gen. 19. and it rayned fire from heauen and consumed them The whold world corrupted their way vpon earth Gen 7. and hee sent raine from heauen and destroyed them with a flood Pharaoh would not harken to his voyce to let the people goe Exod 8. and he sent Frogs and Grashopers c.