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
caried very earnestly by the broad way to the pleasures of the flesh riches of this world being accustomed to obey no body being desirous of reueÌ„ge ambitious c. These stumbling blockes as much as in him lyeth euerie good Christian must endeuour to take out of the waie We must not onlie commend praise vertue with our mouthes but also embrace the meanes by the which we maie attaine the same which are contempt of the world heartie earnest prayer fasting such like That holinesse of life which flourished amongst all sorts of men in the Primitiue Church appeares not in our daies because we vse not those means of fasting and prayer which they vsed If we would vse the like tillage to the grounds of our hearts which they then vsed without all doubt we should haue the same fruits of righteousnesse Can euen the best land bring forth good corne without tillage Sow to your selues in righteousnes saith the Prophet and reap after the measure of mercie Break vp your fallow ground Hos 10.12 Fasting no doubt is this spirituall ploughing and braking vp of our fallow ground mercie is that spirituall sowing which the Prophet here speaks of They which will haue the land of their hearts beare good corne plentifullie and be fruitfull in all good workes let them vse these meanes let them vse this husbandrie Manie amongst vs at this daie are like the Iewes which relie onlie on the word of God and search out therein manie high points Rom. 2.17 those things which differ are most excellent but those works of charity to their neighbors of contempt of the world of mercie to the poore of watching in prayer of fasting which so manifestlie almost euerie where it commends to vs commands they practise not And is this to professe Gods word This is plainlie to doe as the Iewes did to brag of it and not to follow it The which if we do Rom. 2.23 it shall no more profite vs then it did theÌ„ For they were as S. Paul there saith catechized instructed in the law euen as well as we are and knew the will of God And here I would to God all Christians would marke what Basill writeth concerning another Christian exercise which is watching in prayer which point also I haue handled before out of the Scriptures But as concerning that matter that we are accused of Basil epist 63. that is for the singing of Psalmes by which thing they chiefly terrifie the simpler sort which slaunder vs yet this I haue to answer that the customes which now are vsed are correspondent and agreeable to all the Churches of God The people rising in the night go to the house of prayer making a confession to God in labours and vexation of mind and continuall teares at length rising from prayer they are appointed to sing Psalmes and being deuided into two parts they sing one part answering another after that they strengtheÌ„ theÌ„selues with exercising meditation of the word of God they prepare to their hearts thereby attention and hauing reiected all vaine cares soundnes constantnesse Then one of them hath this office committed to him to begin the Psalme al the rest sing after him and so they passe ouer the night with varietie of singing of Psalmes prayers being entermingled at the breake of the day they altogether as being one man with one mouth with one hart offer to God a psalme of confession and they professe repentance euerie man with his own words If you flie froÌ„ vs for these things you must also fly froÌ„ Egypt you must also fly from both Libyas from the Thebans Palestines Arabians Phoenicians Syrians they that dwell by Euphrates that I may say all in one word all those with whoÌ„ watchings prayers coÌ„mon singing of Psalmes are of great account Here is plainlie set downe the forme of common prayers vsed in the Primitiue Church They rose to praier before daie they made a general confession as we do all together of their sinnes but with teares which we leaue out They read the Scriptures with them strengthened their faith They sang Psalmes all together sometimes and other somtimes prayed Thus they spent their nights and this was the common practise of all the Churches in those daies but now we cannot abide either to wéepe or to watch in prayer Let vs follow their holie footsteps which agree with the Scriptures as before hath béene declared They which beare the names of Christians are not true Christians indéed are like to counterfeit coin which although it haue as it were the Princes image stamp vpoÌ„ it yet is none of his but is forged of some rebel or enemie so these although they haue the outward stamp of the sacraments are not pure gold within but drosse They are not gold but copper Gold is a soft thing pliable and comfortable restoratiue as Phisitians saie but copper is stiffe hard hurtfull to man These lacke the true gold of faith Their faith worketh not by charitie they are not mercifull Gal. 5.6 2. Tim. 3.3 they are not comfortable to their brethren Their beleefe is a counterfeit beléefe it is of copper they are not louing kind they deale hardlie with their brethren They speak Gnathok as it is in the Hebrew Psal 93 4 which signifies anie thing that is old old things are commonly stiffe stubborne that is stubbornly roughly to their brethren Luke 16.24 they coÌ„fort them not they kill their hearts And though such Hypocrits can saie to Abraham with that same rich man father AbrahaÌ„ to our Sauior Christ with many Christians at the day of iudgment Lord Lord open vnto vs we haue eaten at thy table Luke 13.26 we haue receiued thy Sacraments we haue heard thee preach not seldome but often euen euerie Sabboth plentifully euen in our streetes Yet the Lord at his comming for all these externall religious works of inuocation of his name alone and receiuing his sacraments and of hearing him preach shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall punish to the example of all others such counterfeit Christians which haue wrought iniquitie and he shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matt. 25.32 Luk. 12.46 cut them in the middle because they haue but halfe serued him their part shal be with hypocrits For that seruant which knew his masters will prepared not himself not did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes But he that knew it not yet did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes For vnto whomsoeuer much is giuen of him shall bee much required and to whom men much commit the more of him will they aske O terrible sentence The hypocriticall Christian is in worse case then the infidell and Pagan For he not knowing Gods will and yet sinning shall be punished but with a few stripes but the other which knew his masters will and yet offended shall be punished with many stripes And wo be to him that shall be punished with manie stripes at Gods hand who is not able 〈◊〉 â—ndure one There is a parable in thâ—â—â—spel of a father and two sons and he came and said to the elder Son go worke to day in my vineyard And he answered and said I will not Matt. 21.28 yet afterward he repented himselfe and went Then came he to the second said likewise And he answered and said I wil Sir or as it is in the Gréek I Lord I will worke in thy vineyard He made a great shew of willingnesse but he went not What thinke ye saith our Sauiour Euen in mans reason the former is preferred and this yonger with his great shewes is condemned This parable was theÌ„ verified among the Iewes of the bragging and learned Pharisies and repenting and ignorant sinners and I pray God it be not verified likewise in our daies of some vaine protestants puft vp with knowledge and of some ignorant and repenting Papists That same parable also of the virgins was neuer more trulie verified then now Matt. 25.11 it is to be feared manie that be virgins and hate the spirituall fornication of the whoore of Babylon haue lampes of faith Reuel 17.5 yet for want of the oyle of mercie and light of good works shall be excluded though they knocke and praie saying Matt. 5.16 Lord Lord open vnto vs. Let your light so shine before men saith our Sauior that men may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen This lesson is generall to all Christs disciples Our workes should be séene Manie Christians worldly stately works at this daie are séene but their good works are not séene Reuel 14.13 Blessed are they that die in the Lord saith the Spirit they rest froÌ„ their labors their works follow theÌ„ Many do such works now as cannot follow them but remaine behind them But such works shall not profite them Phil. 2.15 That yee saith Saint Paul to the Philippians may be blamelesse and pure and the sonnes of God without rebuke in the midst of a naughtie and crooked generation amongst whoÌ„ ye shine as lights in the world Such should all Christians bee They should be blamelesse But now one shall hardly heare anie one spoken of but that he shall bee blamed for some thing They should be lights giuing good examples in the midst of a crooked generation but now almost all men giue euill example to their brethren Eph. 4. Luke 15.8 Exod. 19.5 Rom. 4 11 24 Matth. 25.1 Phil. 2.15 Luke 12.37 2. Tim. 1.17 The Lord Iesus giue all Christians grace to walke worthy of their callings of that most honourable name wherewith they are called that they may be the Lords trâ—â—ne his iewels that they may be Abrahams sons and wise â—ins that they may be blamelesse and as shining torches in the â—dst of this wicked world and froward generation That Iesus Christ at his comming may acknowledge them for his obedient and watchfull seruants for his glorious names sake to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost one God immortall inuisible and only wise be al praise honor and glory power and saluation both now and for euer Amen FINIS
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
well or to obtaine by our good deeds Therefore in Saint Matthewes Gospell the Lords prayer seemes to containe in it seuen petitions in three whereof eternall things are desired and in the other foure temporall things but yet such as are necessarie to the obtaining of those heauenly things For when as we say Hallowed be thy name Thy kingdome come let thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen All which petitions some haue verie conueniently vnderstood that we shall keepe them in our body and soule altogether world without end and that here being but as it were begunne in vs how greatly soeuer we shall profit in them they are but increased in vs but that which we all hope for being perfected in another life wee shall enioy them for euer But that we say Giue vs this day our daily bread and forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs and lead vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill who seeth not but that these doe belong to the necessities of this present life Therefore in that euerlasting life where we hope we shall be for euer both the sanctification of the name of God and his kingdome and his will shall remaine in our soules perfectly and euerlastingly But it is therfore called our Daily bread because that here it is necessarie for vs in as much as it is to be giuen both to our soules and bodies whether it be vnderstood either corporally or spiritually or both waies Here also is that Forgiuenesse which we desire where also is all forgiuenesse of sinnes Here also are those Temptations which either allure or moue vs to sinne Here also is that Euill from which wee desire to be deliuered But there that is in heauen there are none of all these The Euangelist Saint Luke in the Lordes prayer makes mention not of seuen but of fiue petitions neither doth he for all that dissent from Saint Matthew but by his breuitie he teacheth vs how these seuen are to be vnderstood The name of God is sanctified in spirit And the kingdome of God shall come at the resurrection of the flesh therefore Saint Luke shewing that the third petition is but as it were a repetition of the two former by omitting that would teach vs thus much Then he addes the other of our daily bread and remission of sinnes and of eschuing temptation but that which Saint Mathew hath last but deliuer vs from euil that he hath not mentioned that we might vnderstand that it belonged to that other which Saint Mathew spake of concerning temptation And therefore Saint Mathew saith but deliuer vs he doth not say and deliuer vs shewing it to be but one petition He did not say that I say but this that euery one might know that then they are deliuered from euill if they were not ledde into temptation Thus farre Augustine In this short summe of the Lords prayer euerie true Catholique maie learne these lessons First to make al their prayers to God alone if they minde to be blessed and not accursed as saint Austen here plainly teacheth And that this prayer containes in it seuen petitions thrée wherof are for heauenly things and foure for the things of this present life And the first thrée by Saint Austens iudgement we must begin to learne here in this life and that although we learne them neuer so well and praie for them all our life yet we shall neuer perfectlie learne them as long as we liue here they shall be onelie perfectlie learned in heauen How farre then shall those be from learning these lessons which all their liues neuer knew what they meant which said Paternoster in Latine in a toong they vnderstood not We maie learne here also out of Austen that all remission of sinnes is in this life and therefore that there is no remission of sinnes as the Papists teach now in the life to come And therefore the Popes pardons and purgatorie are nothing worth Euerie true Catholique must learne here out of Austen that all remission of his sinnes is to be had in this life and that after his death to giue anie thing whereby to hope to bee relieued is in vaine Againe here we maie learne to reconcile Matthew and Luke and not to thinke that euerie thing that séemes contrarie at the first sight is contrarie These two Euangelists though they séeme to disagrée yet they agrée most excellentlie as Saint Austen teacheth Thus much S. Austen teacheth all Catholiques in this briefe summe of the Lords prayer But to come more particularlie to it and to handle euerie part thereof these good lessons brieflie and dailie euerie true Catholique maie learne out of it being said in English which by the latine Pater noster they could neuer haue learned First when as they saie Our Father by these words they may learne that God is now their father and therefore loues them and cares for them yea and that so déerelie as that in comparison of his great loue and care which he hath of them our sauiour Christ saith Mat. 23.9 Call no man father now vpon earth for there is but one your father which is in heauen All the fathers in the world loue not their children so déerely nor are so carefull for them as God our heauenlie father is for euerie one euen the meanest of vs that be his children euen for poore Lazarus And this also was the first lesson our Sauiour taught his after his resurrection when as he appeared first of all others to Marie Magdalen who continued wéeping at his Sepulchre when as Peter and Iohn were gone home againe Io. 20.15.17 A speciall and a comfortable lesson how all true penitent sinners shall finde Christ euen nowe also after his ascension Go saith he and tell my brethren and saie vnto them I ascend to my father and to your father to my God and to your God Oh happie newes the gladdest tydings that euer was brought to men And this is the fruit of Christs passion To purchase this for vs he endured all those torments This we should most assuredlie beléeue and euer haue this opinion of God and euer carrie this in our mindes This is a comfortable lesson This should make vs forsake our olde Pater noster if we should haue said it all our life long it could neuer haue taught vs thus much This should make vs feare nothing This should make vs trust in God in all our dangers and to come to him boldlie and with great confidence euen as children are woont to doe to a most louing father in all our necessities The forgetfulnesse of this Mat. 6.32 causeth vs often to begin to sinke as Peter did when he sawe a great waue of the sea comming against him Mat. 14.30 Secondlie we maie learne by this that if we accompt God our father then also we should accompt one another as brethren and so deale with them as with brethren He is a
christians Whatsoeuer ye would that men should doe vnto you the same doe you vnto them The which lawe our Sauiour Christ commends with these two notable commendations This is the Lawe and the Prophets as though he should saie this is in one worde the summe of all which Moses in all his lawes and the Prophets teach in all their sermons and shall we not obey it And Peter addeth as a spurre vnto it Let euerie man as hee hath receiued the gift so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold graces of God This lesson concernes vs that liue in the ende of the world It should séeme that the holie ghost did foresée how that men in the ende of the world should forget themselues and should take too much vpon them as manie do at this daie and therefore giues vs this lesson We deale here in the world now as though we were Lords let vs remember we are but stewards of the manifold graces of God and not Lords of them The couetous Landlorde thinkes not so who thinks he maie let his lands as déere as he list The cruell vsurer thinks not so who thinks he maie choose whether he will lend or no vnlesse he haue good vsurie for his loane So likewise the couetous practicioners in euerie art and profession either in law or in physicke thinke not so which doe not passe what they gaine by their brethren to whom as the common prouerbe is all is fish that comes to the nette All these doe not remember that they are but stewards of the graces of God which they haue receiued if they remembred this no doubt they would deale more charitably with their brethren Secondly we maie learne hereby to be content with simple fare Luke 16.19 and not to fare daintily euerie daie with Diues that rich man not to loathe fish as manie doe at this daie they cannot awaie with fish Aug. de Mirab. scripturae lib. 1. cap. 4. Mat. 14.17.15.34 Ioh. 21.13 they must haue flesh But our Sauiour loathed them not The most of his meate that we reade of was fish and after his resurrection he onlie did eate fish and a honie combe and not to long for quailes such delicates with the Israelites Remember that flesh was cursed in the beginning and not fish God gaue them their hearts desire he gaue them that they longed for Psal 106.15 but he sent leannesse withall into their soules And it is likewise now to be feared amongst vs that manie which doe desire so daintilie to feede their bodies haue leane soules Nay the heauie wrath of God came vpon them Psal 78.30 and slewe the wealthiest of them and they died with the meate in their mouthes This should make all rich men beware of ryot and daintie fare Let vs learn that lesson of the Apostle Hauing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 6.8 that is such things as will nourish the bodie and not delicates and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is garments to couer vs and keepe vs from the colde not ornaments to set vs out and to make vs fine let vs be therewith content This lesson he giues to all Christians The forgetfulnesse of this lesson our daintie fare our excesse in apparell and our stately buildings and these three makes most men haue such leane soules such emptie purses and such nigardlie houses God resists the proude saith Saint Iames Iam. 4.6 and can the proud thriue or prosper then Manie euils and miseries remaine for them that liue in the latter daies saith Esdras because they shall walke in great pride 1. Esd 8.50 No doubt all the euils which are now in the world and whereof euerie man complaines comes of this roote If the flowers annoy vs let vs plucke vp the roote And I would to God all Christians would here also learne another lesson of our Sauiour as necessarie for vs at this daie as that other It was the last lesson that euer he taught his Apostles before his passion after supper as Saint Iohn recordeth Ioh. 13.3 when as he knew that the Father had put all things into his hands Our most blessed Sauiour put off his garments and girded himselfe with a towell and washed his Disciples feete and after he had done he saith vnto them Doe you know what I haue done vnto you verse 17. If I your Lord and Maister haue washed your feete you ought also one to wash anothers feete For I haue giuen you an example that you should doe euen as I haue done to you Verely verely I say vnto you the seruant is not greater then his Maister neither the Embassadour greater then he that sent him If you know these things happie are ye if ye doe them There is no one thing at this daie that makes all men to deale so hardly with their brethren in all their affaires as this to maintaine their estates for this they racke and wring as they saie and pinch their brethren But they haue not learned this lesson of their Sauiour to doe their brethren good they must make no accompt of their states Did he respect his estate when as hee washed his Apostles féete No verely And he teacheth all his this lesson Verely verely saith he the Disciple is not greater then his Maister And he vrgeth this lesson with a double oath and shall we not marke it shall we not learne it will we be greater then our Maister will we respect our estates O proud and rebellious seruants O proud and vile wormes O wonderfull humilitie of my redéemer saith one that woulde so humble himselfe and stoupe downe euen to poore fishers naie euen to a traitor If Iesus Christ had respected his estate we had all béene damned And shall we respect ours and to maintaine that pinch our brethren we are none then of Christs schollers Let vs remember what he saith vnto vs If ye know these things happie are ye if ye doe them Then accursed are they no doubt which know these things and doe them not Neither did he forget himselfe when as he did this But knowing saith Saint Iohn that all things were giuen into his handes of the Father therefore how great how worshipfull how honourable soeuer thou art let not this thy estate hinder thée to doe thy brother good Gen. 3.21 We are thou rather a leather coate with thy great Grandfather Adam and dwell in a tent with thy father Abraham 13.18 Iud. 4.5 or vnder a Palme trée with Deborah a Princesse and noble Ladie in Israell and eate that homely but heauenly foode which the Angell brought Elias 1. King 19.6 a cake and water and pulse with Daniel Dan. 1.12 then to maintaine thy estate pinch thy brother gorgious costly apparel curious and stately buildings delicate and daintie fare Remember who these were Adam was the honourablest that euer was Abraham the father of all the
faithfull Deborah a Princesse a great ladie in Israell Daniel and Elias great Prophets and yet by this their simplicities their dignities were not impaired We erre greatlie we thinke now adaies that honour estimation worship consists in outward things in apparel in houses such like no no it consists in the vertues of the minde as euen the verie Philosophers could teach Adam was more honourable in his leather coate then Diues in his purple and fine linnen Abraham in his tent then Ahab in his Iuorie house good king Iosiah in his simple pallace and little windowes Ier. 22.14.15 then his proude and couetous sonne Iechonias in his sieled parlours and great windowes Daniel with his pulse then Balthasar with his costlie banquet Dan. 5.1 Let vs euer remember our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ how that he made no accompt of his estate to profit vs Naie let vs remember what he did how he washed his Apostles feete and he commanded vs to do the like that is to do anie thing that we are possibly able for our brethren For this his most humble seruice containes in it all dueties and seruices whatsoeuer euen as the greater measure containes the lesser the quart the pinte But doe wee at this daie wash our brethrens feete Naie wee thrust them ouer the shooes as they saie naie ouer the eares into great sorrowes and cares by our excessiue rents and paiments to maintaine our pride so that as Dauid complaines Psal 69. the waters enter euen now into their soules Let vs remember also that same rich man who neglecting his brother was clothed in Purple and fine linnen and fared delicatelie euerie daie but when hee died hee went to hell for his labour It is an old saying and a true Happie is hee whome other mens harmes doe make to beware let vs beware least that if we follow his steppes in our life wee doe not lodge with him at our deathes That same Meditation of Granatensis is worth the marking Med. lib. 3. Med. 1. O man saieth he made of clay why art thou proude Why art thou arrogant O dust why delightest thou in praise O ashes whose conception is sinne birthe a punishment life a continuall toile and death an extreame necessitie why doest thou so daintily nourish thy bodie Why doest thou clothe it with such costly garments which within a while shall bee deuoured of wormes in the graue Why doest thou not rather adorne and make trimme thy soule with good works which shall be presented before the maiesty of God in heauen by the hands of Angels Why doest thou make so light accompt of thy soule and set so much by thy bodie O great shame and all thinges quite out of order The soule which ought to beare rule is seruant to the flesh and the flesh which ought to be the seruant she is the Mistresse Why doest thou suffer that the mistresse should become the seruant and that the seruaunt should take vpon hir the authority of the mistresse Doest thou not knowe that the flesh is a priuy enemy to the soule who vnder a faire shew of friendship is more cruelly set against thee then the cruellest enimy thou hast in the worlde when thou cherishest and makes much of her thou settest vp an enemy against thy selfe when thou pampers and adornes her thou armest thine enemie to cutte thine owne throate when thou clothest hir with costly garmentes and outlandish furres thou spoilest thy soule of all heauenly ornaments Thus farre Granatensis I would to God these Meditations could sinke into our hearts Thirdlie we maie learne heere to praie dailie Reioice in the Lord alwaies saieth the Apostle pray continually 1. Thes 5.16.17.18 and in all thinges giue God thanks We must euerie daie not forget to saie Giue vs this daie our daily bread naie we must with Dauid and Daniel euen pray thrise a daie if wée will be good schollers in the Lordes schoole Psal 55.17 Dan. 6.10 In the Morning and in the Euening and at mid day I will pray and that instantly saieth Dauid and thou shalt heare my voice and Daniel his window being open towards Ierusalem he kneeled on his knees three times a day and prayed and praised his God as he did afore time Oh holie custome manie are verie precise they will kéepe their olde customes they will doe as they haue beene woont to doe but I would to God they would learne here this good custome of Daniel and that they woulde praie thrise a daie and that they would learne that good custome also to knéele when they praie which custome now verie manie haue forgotten Wee must praie Giue vs this day our daily bread we are taught hereby also not to be ouer couetous of these worldlie goods Wée must not be like that other rich man Luke 12.16 who made him greater barnes and said to his soule now soule be at rest thou hast laid vp for thee in store for manie yeares Manie at this daie draw nigh to this couetous rich man by their ouermuch prouidence and worldy carefulnesse for themselues and their children They néede not saie Giue vs this daie our daily bread they haue laide vp in store for manie yéres as this couetous rich worldling had They are so carefull for their children that they will leaue nothing to doe for them Eral apophth Alexander being a youth when as he heard that Philip his father had conquered many countries and cities wept And being demanded why he did so seeing that all should be his hee answered that his father would leaue nothing for him to doe This mind was in him beeing a child that hee would doe some thing himselfe I would to God it were now the mindes of some fathers that they would leaue some thing also for their sonnes to doe that they would trie them how they would vse the talent God had bestowed vpon them that they would leaue God some thing to doe for them also God will not haue his so couetous so carefull hee will haue them alwaies depend of him hee will haue them be beholden to him And forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. By this wee are taught to bee readie to forgiue the trespasses of our brethren doone to vs. Euerie daie wee offend God hainouslie and if wee will not forgiue our brethren which in small trifles offend against vs but be seuere in punishing and reuenging them how can wée hope for pardon our selues at Gods handes of our so manie and so grieuous sinnes Especially séeing our Sauiour hath not onelie with our owne mouthes made vs say thus that if we should not do so our owne mouthes might as it were condemne vs but also after this prayer hee onelie repeates this againe of all the other petitions as a lesson as should séem that greatly concerned vs and that many would hardlie learne Matth. 6.14 For if you do forgiue men their trespasses saith he your
would deny Sée how fitlie Christ applieth plasters vnto our woundes Sinne first is conceiued in the hart for concupiscence begets sinne Fer. de pass part 1. and after it is by our works finished So Christ is first sorrowfull in heart and after outwardly that he might take away all sinne and fully make satisfaction for vs. So that by Ferus iudgement Christs saluation was full and perfect for vs. All men were like those two debters whereof our Sauiour speakes in the Gospell To whome when they had nothing to pay the lender forgaue mercifully so hath God fréelie forgiuen vs our sinnes for the satisfaction of Iesus Christ All our teares and kneeling downe Luke 7 4◠and workes of mercie and repentance for our sinnes are but signes to so mercifull a Lorde and of the loathing of our sinnes And after Ferus writes thus I am he by this word Christ puts himselfe in our stead patiently about to endure whatsoeuer the iustice of God should endure for our sinnes And a little after Idem part 8. For this cause especially hee would not haue his Apostles die with him least we should think that his death alone had not sufficed and therefore he would die alone that hee alone might be acknowledged our Sauiour Esay 63. Deut. 33. I haue troden the Winepresse alone saith he and of all nations there was none with mee And therefore Moyses also saith God alone was his God neither was there any other God with him Therefore he redeemed vs and not we our selues c. But the Church of Rome addes the Apostles and Martyres merites to Christs as though hee alone had not redeemed vs and calles those the treasure of the Church Fer. part 2. pass In these manifold sufferings of Christ we see as it were with our eyes our vniustice how wicked how full of sinnes we are but especially wee were For how vile here Christ outwardly appeared to men so vile were we before God in our soules yea what kind of one Christ is here such should we haue beene for euer vnles he had taken these things on him Part. 3. pass And after Here let vs consider our selues as here Christ with one consent and with great ioy of his enimies without all pitie without all hope of deliuerance or of returning backe againe no man assisting him or knowing him is led to the iudgment of death So we should haue beene ledde to that horrible iudgment of God vnles Christ had put himselfe in our stead Therefore if thou mind to stand in Gods iudgement rely vpon Christ then by faith For without him none can stand in the iudgement of God For no man liuing is iustified or found righteous in the sight of God And after speaking of those things which Christ had suffered at the handes of the Iewes Although saieth hee those things which we haue heard already had been enough for the redemption of all the world yet he would suffer more then these that he might fully satisfie for our sinnes that considering the greatnesse of the remedy no man might euer haue cause to despaire And speaking of his whipping hee writes thus He that clothes all things is spoiled of his clothes and he that hides all our shame is openly put to shame in the sight of all men least that we should be put to a perpetuall shame which surely we should haue beene if Christ had not endured this nakednes and shame for vs. Part. 2. pass But that agony of Christ signified nothing else hut the feare of our conscience before the iudgment seat of God for the soule now the time of the iudgement drawing neare is touched with the feeling of our sinnes which being touched begins now altogether to tremble and quake and euen to perish being now alone before the tribunall seat of God Of which trembling Iob said If he shall sodainly cal man to an account who is able to answere him This feare was also shewed in that feast of the Gospell whereas he who hauing no wedding garment being examined of the Lord was straightwaies dumbe The godly are sometime possessed with this feare as appeareth in Iob and Dauid saith O Lord chasten me not in thy wrath because there is no health in my flesh by reason of thy displeasure So also Ezechias I saieth hee said in the middest of my daies I shall go to the gates of hell Least therefore that wee should bee euer in danger of this feare Christ was for our sakes in this agony Therefore when that temptation shall inuade vs let vs pray with Ezechias O Lord I am violently afflicted answere thou for me and with Dauid vnder the shadow of thy wings protect me Man is not able no not the holiest man to appeare before the tribunall seate of God without this feare and quaking his best works are vnperfect And therefore Christ was in this agony for him c. And after the same Ferus writes thus Yea Fer. pass part 3. speaking of Barrabas and Christ that vvhich vvas doone in Pilates iudgement the same falles out in the iudgement of God On the one side stood that notable theefe Adam with all his posterity who all of them had deserued death on the other side stood the most innocent Sonne of God Now one of these by Gods iustice was to suffer death and God of his great mercie spared Adam and yeelded his most innocent Sonne vp to death for him Let vs embrace this great mercy of God brethren and be thankfull to God for it And of Christs spoiling of his garmentes he writes thus Ibidem He is turned naked out of his garmentes which cloathes the heauens with Starres and the earth with flowers and what kind of one the first man was when he dwelt in Paradice such a one the second Adam entred into Paradise againe He suffered therefore himselfe to be spoiled of his garments that he might receiue for vs the garment of innocency he was not ashamed to stand naked before all men least we should be found naked before god the endured shame that he might couer the guiltines of our consciences for he is blessed whose sins are couered And vpon these wordes He that is washed Part. 1. pass needs not but that his feet only should be washed he writes thus This second washing is not doone at the Font but by repentance which cleanseth our daily sins For repentance is as it were a second board by which they which after baptisme haue suffered shipwracke may swimme out Of this washing Esay speaketh Be ye washed be ye cleane and this washing of our feet by repentance must be doone euer For the way wherein we walke is mirie as Dauid saith and Ieremy 1. King 21. Lam. 1. 2. Tim. 2. the mire sticks to Hierusalems feet and saint Paul He that shall cleanse himselfe from them shall be a vessell of honour But this may trouble some perchance that Christ addeth But is all cleane
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
mette in anie man since Adams fall till now Truth now hath flourished out of the earth Verse 11. O happie earth that bore at length such a blossome All men before were liars till Iesus Christ was borne Psal 12.2.62.9 In whose mouth was no deceit So that now it maie be said that trueth hath flourished out of the earth and neuer till now And righteousnes hath looked downe from heauen Euen nowe also to impart her selfe to men who were all before vnrighteous who were altogither naked as their great grandfather Adam confessed to cloath and adorne them Gen. 3.10 O happie assembly of heauenly vertues Oh blessed natiuitie of Iesus Christ Without this earth had still brought forth lies man had béene still vnrighteous anger and displeasure of God had raigned in the world Luk. 2.24 Esay 53.5 punishments and all manner of plagues had taken hold of all men Oh happie Metamorphosis and exchange That for lies truth for sinne righteousnesse for anger peace for punishment mercie and louing kindnesse is bestowed vpon man Naie this our king is such a king as that Righteousnesse shall go before him Vers 13. it shall direct his goings in the way he shall not once treade awrie So that to the verie faces of his enemies he shall saie Iohn 8.46 Which of you can rebuke me of sinne And none of them shall be able to accuse him He shall iustifie sinners that trust in him Esay 53.11 He is able to pay their debts and minister iustice for all those that are oppressed to their oppressors as he did to Naboth and Ahab 1. King 21.21 Luk. 16.25 to Diues and Lazarus This is the meaning of this Psalme Granatensis as he is full of holie meditations so especiallie he excéedes in this matter so that although the places I shall take out of him be verie long yet I hope the excellencie of the matter will make them séeme short Euen as it is written of Iacob Gen. 29.20 That he serued seuen yeeres for Rahel and they seemed to him but a few daies because he loued her So all they which loue Iesus Christ all the paines they shall take in reading things that concerne him it should séeme nothing vnto them Granatensis first therefore in a discourse he makes vpon the Lords prayer writes thus verie excellentlie of mans iustification by Christ in the sight of God But O Father doest thou forgiue vs our sinnes freely and without any recompence Truely thou forgiuest them freely not freely not freely for although mercy be readie to forgiue yet iustice will be satisfied freely because thou hast giuen vs freely that wherwith to repaie iustice that is that great and inestimable treasure which thy onely begotten sonne the whole space of xxxi j yeeres did laie vp as treasure for vs An entrance to the which he hath purchased for vs with his bloud We offer to thee this treasure O Father take thereof as much as thou wilt There may be drawn out thereof abundantly but it can neuer be drawne drie we may spend thereof but it can neuer be diminished All his merits are ours his satisfaction is ours his bloud is our ransome Therefore we beseech thee O Lord that being pacified with the bloud and merits of thy sonne that thou wouldest winke at our sins the which if thou shalt call into a streight account there is no man shall be able to abide the fauour much lesse the rigour of thy iustice Let thy mercie helpe vs who acknowledge our selues worthie to be damned for a thousand sinnes by thy iustice Purge vs with the feruent fire of thy loue take vs againe to thy fauour be friendes with vs Forgiue vs our trespasses Thus farre Granatensis And this which he teacheth must all Gods Saints pleade at the tribunall seate of Gods iustice They must saie with Dauid Pleade thou my cause O Lord Psal 35.1 with them that striue with me fight thou against them that fight against me And againe And now truely what is my hope 39.7.38.15 Truelie my hope is euen in thée And againe For in thee O Lord haue I put my trust thou shalt answere for me O Lord my God This must be their plea if they minde to be saued against all the accusations of their owne consciences and enditements of Sathan And this is that which our Sauiour teacheth Verely verely Ioh. 5.24 I say vnto you he that heareth my worde and beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life Granatensis concludes the Lords prayer thus Behold most louing Father how our childishnesse hath plaied her part as well as she can in vttering the words which thy only begotten sonne hath taught vs but now we powre out altogither and at once without wordes our whole hearts that thou wouldest mercifully grant vnto vs those things which we desire of thee O Father we most humbly beseech thee that thou wouldest mercifully bestow vpon vs all those benefites and graces before recited not respecting our vnworthinesse but the worthinesse of thy onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ For he is our aduocate our priest our sacrifice and our patrone before thee For we doe not prostrate our prayers before thy face trusting in our owne righteousnesse as the Prophet saith but in the multitude of thy mercies and in the merites of thy sonne our Lorde For whatsoeuer he hath done or suffered all that he hath giuen vnto vs he hath suffered and done al that for vs therfore for his sake we desire thee that thou wilt grant vs all these our requests By him thou hast created all things and by him thou hast restored all things that were lost by him thou hast created man to thine owne image and likenesse and by him thou hast reformed man againe to the same image He is the foundation of our being he is the foundation of our righteousnesse and the cause of our merites he is our intercessor with thee he is our aduocate and the strength of our hope Therefore whatsoeuer hitherto O heauenly Father we haue asked we haue asked all that by thy sonne for that which is not due to our righteousnesse is due to his merites If thou shalt finde no goodnesse in vs truely thou canst finde no wickednesse in him If there be no merites in vs behold his merites without estimation or number By him therefore we pray thee by him we beseech thee honour him in vs. For that which thou giuest to vs the verie same thou giuest to him for whatsoeuer is bestowed vpon the members redounds to the head whereof they are members We confesse O Father we confesse our pouertie we haue nothing of our owne that we may offer vnto thee least notwithstanding that we should appeare emptie before thee which thing thou forbiddest in thy law behold we offer vp in sacrifice vnto thee thy onely begotten sonne with all his labors
The same faith also teacheth that the debts we do owe vnto God are so great and the benefites we receiue from him are so excellent that if man should liue so many yeares as there are sands on the shoare of the Ocean sea it were a thing of nothing to spend all those in Gods seruice The same faith doth also witnes vnto vs that vertue is such a precious thing that all the treasure of this world and all that which mans hart can desire or imagine is not at al by any meanes to be compared vnto it This place quite ouerthrowes all prowde conceits in mans heart of anie merite all he can doe naie if he could doe a thousand times more then he can is but his most humble duetie to our most mightie and mercifull God But aboue all other places speaking of the name of Iesus vpon these wordes Thou shalt call his name Iesus Med. vitae Christi Med. 6 hee writes thus most excellentlie For he sayth the Angell shall saue his people from their sinnes Blessed be this name and blessed be this saluation and blessed be the day wherein such newes was brought into the world Hitherto O Lord all the other sauiours whom thou hast sent into this world were sauiours of our bodies and of this flesh of ours which saued our houses and Vineyards and such like but they could not saue our soules sighing vnder the heauy burthen of sinne and therefore subiect to the diuell What aduantageth it a man if he winne the whole world and rule ouer it and he himselfe continue the bondslaue of Sathan and lose his soule To remedy therefore this euill this new Sauiour is sent that the whole saluation of man might be fulfilled and perfected VVho sauing soules also cured the bodies and deliuering men from the euill of the fault hath deliuered them also from the euill of punishment And so hath perfected our saluation This is that saluation which the Patriarches desired this is that saluation which the Prophets with so many sighes and cries longed for This is that saluation which so often the Psalmes promise and sing of This is that saluation for which the Patriarch Iacob reioicing died saying O Lord I will wait for thy saluation c. Granatensis heere in plaine tearmes affirmes that Iesus Christ hath deliuered vs as well from the euill of the punishment as from the guilt of sinne And that he hath perfected our saluation contrarie to that former affirmation of Poligranes Med. 11. Vitae Christi And speaking of Christes fasting hee writes thus The solitarines of the Wildernesse did not terrifie thee not the assaults of the diuell nor the sharpnesse of repentance nor the watching in prayer The neede and weaknesse of thy members was euer before thine eyes and therefore thou wast punished as a most faithfull head that thou mightest enrich all vs with the treasure of thy merites that whatsoeuer we wanted we might haue it in thee Thou art he who with thine owne mouth hast said I sanctifie my selfe O Father for them that they maie be sanctified in the truth For as we al by one mans fault became prophane and wicked so we are sanctified and repaired again by the merites and holinesse of another As Adam made vs all prophane and wicked so onelie Iesus Christ the second and true Adam sanctifies vs and restores vs againe Med. Vitae Christi 24. Of Christes death hee writes thus That thing which the gouernour himselfe doth meaning Pilate is not iustice but very great and extreme iniury For he iudgeth him worthy to die whom he himselfe thrise before had confessed to be innocent and iust and that he could find no fault in him But the true Authour of this iustice is the gouernour of heauen in whose sight all the sinnes and offences of the whole world are committed who is also so iust that he will suffer no sinne to escape vnpunished and vnreuenged But because the whole world was not sufficient enough to satisfie and appease the wrath of God euen for one onely sinne hee drew out the Sword of his iustice and smote the innocent and harmelesse Lambe who onely amongst all the men in the world could and was able to answere for all the sinnes of the whole world And this iustice was published and spread abroad not by that iniurious and materiall Trumpet hée supposed that they sounded a Trumpet at Christes death but by the mouthes and writings of the Prophets who foretold many hundreth yeares before that it should be that Lord that should be smitten for the sinnes of the people and should suffer and endure most grieuous and cruell torments for their iniquities Againe concerning the same matter hee writes thus Ibidem How many and how forcible pricks and goades haue we here not onely to make vs loue but also to trust put al our whole confidence in this our Sauiour Tell me how is it possible not to loue him againe who hath first loued thee so tenderly and dearely that freely of his owne accord he hath giuen himselfe to be smitten of most cruell tormentors and would take vpon him the sentence iudgment of death which thou dids◠deserue What brother for his brother what father for his sonne what wife for hir husband would take vpon them and suffer the punishment which any one of these should haue endured Suppose therefore and think with your selfe that there were some certain guilty person who being bound for his offences is kept in close prison and euen now being condemned by the sentence of the Iudge imagine that there would nothing be doone but that the tormentor should come with his instruments of death wherewith he should be slaine and should now execute the Iudges sentence and imagine also that a certaine friend of this guilty and condemned person should come into the prison should put on his apparell and should take to himselfe that guilty mans vnhappy lot and that he might set him free would become himselfe an open spectacle and be punished with the punishment of death for his friend would we not say that the loue of that friend towardes that guilty person was woonderfull and exceeding great that would redeeme the life of his friend with the losse of his owne And likewise what againe should that guilty and condemned mans loue bee towards his redeemer and deliuerer O eternall King when thou sawest me iudged to eternall fire thou being moued with the bowels of pity and compassion camest downe from heauen into the prison of this world and taking vpon thee the Image and shape of a sinner thou camest into my stead and was condemned and put to death for my sake he therefore who hath suffered and endured such extreame and grieuous paines for me shall I not say that he will also loue me exceedingly And againe Neither is onely loue Ibidem but also a sure trust and confidence in our Sauiour kindled and stirred vp by these
merites and these benefits why should I not therefore henceforth hope for grace glory and the forgiuenes of my sinnes seeing I haue such a treasure and such a bountifull treasurer who is euery day ready to satisfie his father for all my debts For if it shall be a thing iust and conuenient that the innocent should be punished and that the honourable should be despised that he should make satisfaction for sinnes and should cancell the bond and obligation openly in the sight of all men shal it not be a thing also both iust meet that the guilty persons for whom he suffered and made satisfaction should now bee acquited from all their debts and pronounced iustified before God Iustice found out a way and meanes to enter into the holy mans house who ought nothing and was not indebted and he executed his great rigor there and shall not mercie then finde out a waie which leades to the debters house that she may blot out our sinnes and pardon our offences It is a greater miracle that God should be taken scourged and condemned and die vpon a Crosse then to receiue an enemie for a friend and to vse a traitour as a sonne if he would repent him and be conuerted vnto the Lord. If therefore that be done which is the greater why should we doubt then of that which is the lesser Now therefore O Lord thy mercie is extold and lift vp verie high and thy bounteous liberality is proued and tried vpon sinners thy iustice also is magnified it hath exercised and executed her rigour and seueritie vpon the innocent and harmelesse without fault wherefore although grace be not giuen to a sinner to him as he is a sinner yet notwithstanding let it be giuen him for thy deerely beloued sonnes sake who redeemed him with so deere a price and at so great a rate It is thy mercie that a sinner should be saued if we looke into and consider the basenesse and vilenesse of sinners but it is thy iustice if we respect Christ and we hauing the one haue the other also And againe Blessed be therefore that condemned innocencie which hath absolued and set free so many condemned persons Ibidem and blessed be that blamed iustice which hath iustified so many reprobates Therefore if his merites haue neither ende nor number and all of them belong to the health and saluation of our soules without all doubt this his petition shall neuer be denied him being our mediator and making nowe intercession for vs. For it were great wrong that he who had indured so many iniuries should not obtaine that which he askes least peraduenture his pitifull and mercifull father should againe torment and afflict the soule of his sonne by denying him that which he desires whose body before he grieued with diuers torments he receiued woundes in his bodie that they might effect and worke saluation in our soules which he deserued and purchased for vs by his patience and sufferings he was taken apprehended handled as a sinner who notwithstanding was iust that we sinners might be accepted of God as iust He died and indured the punishment due to vs and descended euen as it were into the depth of the sea with griefes which he suffered It were an vniust thing that the father should twise iudge one thing and should punish one fault with double punishment but it is meete that the debter should now be restored to his former libertie if he would but only repent seeing that his surety hath paied his debt so liberally and bountifully for him whom he was suretie for And againe Looke vpon O Lord the face of thine annointed Iesus Christ who was made obedient vnto the death Med vitae Christi 25. euen vnto the death of the Crosse and let not his woundes and scarres euer depart out of thy sight but let them alway stil remaine before thine eies that thou maiest remember what a great recompence and satisfaction thou hast receiued of him for our sinnes and transgressions I would to God thou O Lord wouldest way in a paire of ballance the sinnes wherewith we haue deserued thy wrath and indignation and the griefe and punishment which thy innocent sonne suffered for vs Surely it will appeare a farre greater and worthier cause that thou shouldest powre downe thy mercie vpon vs for that his suffering and punishment then was that transgression that thou shouldest hide thy mercies in anger and displeasure for our sinnes Let all tongues giue thankes vnto thee O Father for the exceeding great abundance of thy goodnes who hast not spared thine onely sonne thy best beloued the ioy of thy heart in whom thou art well pleased but hast giuen him ouer vnto death for vs all that we might haue him as a most faithfull aduocate before thee in heauen And what thankes shall I offer and render worthily vnto thee O Lord Iesu thou most zealous louer of mankinde who am a man dust and vile clay for what couldest thou more haue done for my soule that thou hast not done what hast thou left vndone Granatensis in all these places hath most manifestlie set before our eies the great benefit of Christs Redemption not onelie by the example of a suretie who would paie another mans debts but also of a most déere and faithfull friend who would endure punishment and would die for his friend And doth Poligranes saie that he hath onely taken awaie the fault and not the punishment How doth this doctrine diminish the merites of Christs passion and his excéeding great loue towards vs and that to maintaine the Popes pardons for without this they fall to the ground Againe Granatensis whatsoeuer he teacheth of satisfaction by our owne workes in other places Orat. 5. de vita Christi for himselfe hee praies thus O bloud that giues life and saluation O Lord vouchsafe to wash me with that bloud and to sanctifie and purifie me with that most precious liquor O Lord offer it to thy father for a perfect satisfaction and remedie of all my wickednesses What can be saide more manifestly then this No doubt this was his faith thus he praied to God for himselfe And in another place writing of the worthie receiuing of the Eucharist De sanct euch sacra lib. 3. cap 2. he praies thus O my most sweete Lord God so huge is the greatnesse of my sinnes that I can neither amend them nor make satisfaction to thee for them Therefore I desire to receiue thy welbeloued sonne who vpon the altar of the Crosse offered to thee for me a most perfect sacrifice the same I offer vnto thee now for my sinnes that he may make satisfaction for me For I know that there is nothing els neither in heauen nor in earth that is more gratefull vnto thee or can by anie meanes requite thee the debt I owe thee Granatensis here plainlie distrusts in his owne paiment either in part or in whole of his debts and sinnes and
Scriptures For our inherent righteousnesse or our inward renouation is knowne chiefely to consist in faith hope and charitie wherefore if we shall proue that faith hope and charitie can bee perfect in this life we shall also proue that the imputation of Christs righteousnesse is not necessarie But how contrarie also is this his doctrine to the scriptures We know in part saith saint Paul and we prophesie in part 1. Cor. 13.10 but when that which is perfect is come that which is in part shall be abolished There is no perfection in this life that shall come hereafter in the life to come No doubt that prayer of the Apostles is set downe as a paterne for all Christians to vse Luke 17.5 euen vnto the worlds ende And the Apostles said vnto the Lord Increase our faith How contrarie also he is in this his assertion to Ferus and other Papists hereafter euidently shal God willing appeare Of the merites also of good workes Maister Bellarmine writes thus And first of the nature of a merit or deseruing Lib. 5. de Iustifica cap. 18. many thinges saith he as the sunne the moone the fields vineyardes and gardens yeelde vs great commodities and yet they are not said properly to deserue any thing of vs because they doe not their dueties voluntarily neither can they choose but they must doe as they doe Then wages is due to a desert or merit but debt ariseth not but hereof that one giues another that which was his owne For if he should not giue his owne but that which was another mans nothing were owing or due to him There is nothing properlie ours but that which is in our owne power either to doe or to let passe These things are in our power and of these we are properlie said to haue the Lordship To conclude our euill workes vnlesse they be done freely deserue no punishment therefore neither good works shall deserue any reward vnlesse they be done voluntarily His drift is to proue that we haue in vs fréewill and therefore we maie deserue of God And therefore he writes thus after Now truely the good workes of the iust deserue eternall life ex condigno worthily not onely by reason of the couenant and acceptation of God but also by reason of the worke it selfe So that in the good workes which proceede from grace there is a certaine proportion and equalitie to the reward of eternall life And after he writes thus Whereby we perceiue that same degree of glorie which is due to vs by right of inheritance is giuen vs also by right of the reward For one thing as we haue often said may bee due by two titles that is by inheritance and of merites How contrarie also in this doctrine is he to the doctrine of the scriptures whereas Christ shall saie to all his Come ye blessed of my father Matth. 25.34 Luke 12.32 inherite ye the kingdome prepared for you And againe Feare not little flocke for it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome He dare affirme that the saints of God shall not onely inherit this kingdome by their fathers frée gift as the scriptures in these places manifestly teach but also that they shall deserue it How contrarie is he also herein to Philippus de Dies Who saith that the iust can challenge nothing of God and to Ferus as appeares in this that followes But here first let vs marke howe contrarie this his doctrine is to that which Gregory a Byshoppe of Rome concerning this matter Greg. in 7. Psal paenit taught in his dayes The mercie of the Lord sayeth hee is for euer and euer vpon them that feare him if so be that the blessednesse of the Saints is mercy and is not gotten by merites where is that which is written And thou shalt giue to euery man according to his works If it be giuen according vnto works how shall it bee accounted merite But it is one thing to giue according to workes and another to giue for our workes In that hee saieth he will giue euery one according to his works the quality of works is vnderstood that he whose works shall appeare good shall haue that glorious reward For to that blessed life wherein we shall liue with God and of God no labour can be equal nor no works compared especially when as the Apostle saith The sufferings of this life are not worthy the glory which shall be reuealed in vs. Maister Bellarmine saieth that in the good works which proceede from grace there is a certaine proportion and equalitie but Gregory saith no labour or worke can bee compared vnto it And after hee writes thus Although in this respect also it may bee called mercie because it is giuen for those vvorkes which vnlesse Gods mercy did preuent him no man could obtaine wherefore it is said in the Psalme My God his mercie hath preuented me For vnlesse he had made the Vesselles of wrath Vessels of mercy his owne holy life had separated none from that lumpe of perdition his owne righteousnesse had deliuered none from the punishment of euerlasting death Therefore it is certaine that to whome he giues mercifully that in this life they should do well he giues them more mercifully that in that euerlasting blessednes they shuld a hundreth fold be rewarded This is the grace which for grace the Apostle affirmes shall be giuen vnto the Saints of God that to whō in this life is giuen the grace of sanctification to them of this also in the life to come shal be giuen the grace of euerlasting hapines Here wee maie note how Gregory makes two expositions of these wordes God shall render to euery one according to his works And in both he takes awaie all merite and in both he sets downe the onelie cause of our reward to be mercie In the first hee saieth not for our workes as anie cause of our saluation but according to our workes as effectes we shall bee rewarded Againe not according to the quantitie of our workes wherein manie Pagans haue excéeded manie Christians as they which voluntarilie did giue themselues to death for the loue of their countrie these were great workes and of these the Romane histories and other doe testifie but according to the qualitie euen be they neuer so few or so small yet if they shall procéede from a liuelie faith they shall bee rewarded as our sauiour witnesseth Euen a cuppe of cold water giuen in his name Mat. 10.42 shall not loose his reward Naie shall surpasse all the Cuppes of most bitter death which those Pagans suffered for their countrie sakes Such an excellent thing is Christian faith it alone giues vertue and makes acceptable vnto God all our workes Our reward shall bee like theirs that came into the Vineyeard at the last houre of the day Mat. 20.24 the mercifull housholder made them equall with them that came first To teach vs that it is not our vvorking or running
and said I haue ten hands or ten handfuls as we say in the King and in Dauid before thee that is more then thou So that this holie contention betwéene Iudah and Israel who should be most bound to Dauid and loue him best maie fitlie be applied to vs Christians Roman 1.3 Roman 2.2 for whom our true Dauid that is Iesus Christ the sonne of Dauid hath done so much and who are indéede the true Israel and the true Iudah as S. Paul teacheth rather then to christians and infidels as Berchorius teacheth Stella also writes thus concerning this matter But neither would I haue thee In 1. cap. Lucae hauing considered all these thinges to forget through loue to make God thine also that thou maiest be able to say with Abacucke I will reioice in God my Iesus and my Sauiour And also remember this least the most precious bloud of Christ perish in thee but that as he most willingly died for all and is the Sauiour of all so that he be a Sauiour and Lord to thee also and that his Crosse nailes and passion may profit thee God shall profit thee nothing but to thy greater damnation if thou shalt not embrace him as thy Sauiour Thus much Stella And what can be said plainer then this That vnlesse euerie one embrace Iesus Christ as his Sauiour Christ profits him nothing The danger is very great by his iudgement to erre in this point and therefore let all true Catholiques haue care of it But let euerie true Catholique marke how in this point the verie plaine text of the Gospell ouerthrowes the Papists opinion They teach that it is sufficient to saluation to haue a generall faith of Christ and to beléeue as the Church beléeues and not that euerie man should haue a particular faith in himselfe that euen Iesus Christ hath cured his sinnes priuately and that he is his Sauiour But let vs a little marke what the Gospell teacheth herein Christ went to heale Iairus daughter and a great multitude that followed him thronged him and touched him Luk. 8.45.46 But there was a poore woman which had beene sicke of a bloudy issue twelue yeeres and she thought in her heart that if she might but touch the verie hemme of his garment she should be healed And she with this faith touching him was immediatly made hole There were manie other that touched him generallie as the Papists teach to touch Christ with a generall faith but though no doubt many of them that so touched him were sicke of some disease or grieuous sinners yet not one of them were healed but this poore woman that thus by a speciall trust she had in him touched him And of her Christ said That vertue went out of him and to none other euen so now no doubt as manie as will haue vertue to come out of Christ to heale them must touch him not generallie with that multitude as the Papists teach but particularlie and speciallie euerie man by his owne faith and for his owne infirmitie as that woman did and then no doubt shall vertue euen now also procéede from Christ to him He that hath not this faith shall haue no vertue And this also Saint Ambrose teacheth vpon these wordes De Isaac cap. ◠They also drew neare vnto him and held his feete and worshipped him Iesus therefore is held but he delighteth to be held when as he is held by faith To conclude he tooke great plesure in that woman which touched him and was cured of hir bloudy issue Of whom he said Some bodie hath touched mee for I feele vertue to haue proceeded from mee Touch thou him therefore and hold him by thy faith and faithfully sticke to his feete that vertue may proceede from him and heale thy soule 4. Of good works STella of good workes writes thus They lie which say nothing is due to our works of iustice for as wages is due to the worke not of fauour but of true debt so glory is due to them which worke well by good right But this his assertion how contrarie is it to the whole course of the Scripture first our Sauiour saieth Feare not little flock it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you a Kingdome Sell that you haue and giue almes and make you bagges which waxe not old a treasure that can neuer faile in heauen where no theefe commeth nor moth corrupteth for where your treasure is there will your heart be also The kingdome of heauen is the frée gift of God as our Sauiour here teacheth vs. Now when one hath a Kingdome hee will endeuour by all meanes possible to amplifie it and adorne it to enrich himselfe so our almes all our good works are treasures laide vp for vs in store against we come into that heauenlie kingdome they are not purchases or prices of it no if wee should sell all the land wee haue wee cannot purchase heauen To be accounted least in this world grieues the nature of man there shall bee greater and lesser in the Kingdome of heauen There shall bee Rulers of fiue cities and of tenne cities And to this purpose is it that Saint Paul compares all Christians liues to a race VVee should all striue to winne the best game And this is the end of our workes to bee steppes of our greater glorie But as concerning the kingdome of heauen Saint Paul saieth plainelie Rom. 6. The wages of sinne is death but eternall life is the free gift of God And you are saued of grace and not of your selues And of our workes Dauid saieth Thou Lord art mercifull for thou shalt reward euerie man according to his works Who dare then challenge reward of iustice which Stella here affirmes Who dare saie that the kingdome of heauen is by as true debt due to Gods Saintes as the wages of labourers is due to them which labour in this world That Parable in the Gospell teacheth vs a contrary lesson They which came at the last houre of the daie receiued as much wages as they which came at the first To teach vs that there is wages due to Gods Saintes but this wages is due to them more of Gods mercie then of their merites and desertes And therefore here Dauid saieth Thou Lord art mercifull and shalt reward euerie man according to his workes If Gods mercie were not there were no wages due no not to him that came at the first houre of the day And therefore Dauid himselfe who rose so earlie to serue God whose eyes preuented the night watches that hee might bee occupied in his statutes who was a man according to Gods owne heart cried out Oh enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified And Iob saide I know truelie that it is euen so And what a thing is it that man will iustifie himselfe with God If he will contend with him hee cannot answere him one for a thousand Here is great oddes so far
holy Ghost sayeth our Sauiour shall glorifie me for hee shall take of mine and shall shew vnto you he shall imprint Christs death and passion in the harts and minds of the faithfull Secondlie he makes that signe not to bee an externall signe but an inward signe But after hee addeth Hee doeth not onely seale vs with the Sacramentall print which can neuer be blotted out of the soule but also with his grace which may be blotted out and lost through sin But here hee goes besides his Text for both Ezechiel and saint Paul and S. Iohn Reuel 7.2 mentions but one signe not two and therefore that print of baptisme which he saith cannot be blotted out is the grace of God And S. Austen and the best Diuines say A Sacrament is an outward signe or seale of Gods inuisible grace Aug. Epist 23. in Psal 77. so that the inward print of the sacrament in the soule is the grace of God by saint Austens iudgment which inward print of the sacrament can neuer be blotted out saieth Pintus And therefore neither can the grace of God be blotted out and so the saluation of the faithfull is most certaine And to saint Austen agreeth also saint Paul 1. Cor. 6.11 But such like ye were in times past but yee are washed yee are sanctified yee are iustified in the name of our Lord Iesus and in the spirit of our God here is both the outward signe and the inward print of baptisme To be washed outwardly and to be sanctified to be iustified by the Spirit of God inwardly The same doctrine saint Peter teacheth who speaking of the arke of Noah 1. Pet. 2.21 The type whereof sayeth hee saueth vs now euen baptisme not the putting away of the filth of the flesh here is the outward element which of it selfe is not auaileable But the request or prayer of a good conscience to God here is the inward print or seale of the holie Ghost Rom. 8.26 whose chiefe propertie is to teach the faithfull to pray as they ought to pray And here is that same lesson repeated againe of saint Peter which hee taught in the Acts that He that calleth on the name of the Lord shall bee saued Here is Those pure hands which saint Paul also requires in prayer Act. 2.21 which saint Peter calles a good conscience This is the inward print of baptisme by saint Peters iudgement To this also agreeth saint Paul in another place As many as are baptised haue put on Iesus Christ here is also the outward signe Galath 3.27 and the inward print the putting on of Christ Iesus here is the sanctification and iustification of all the faithfull whereof saint Paul spake before which they doe receiue in their baptisme And here first they which flatter themselues that they haue faith and will doe no good works doe deceiue themselues For if the holie Ghost bee imprinted in their soules and if it be compared to fire of Saint Iohn who saieth to the Iewes Mat. 3 1â— that Afterward Christ shall baptize them with the holie Ghost and with fire then it will shew it selfe it wil shine by good works it wil burne in charitie it will worke through loue Gal. 5.6 Can a man carie fire in his bosome and will it not burn and giue light So is it as impossible to haue the holie Ghost in our soules but it will inflame vs with the loue of our neighbours it will make vs shine in all good works it will make vs reprooue sinne and therefore the holie Ghost fell vpon the Apostles in the shape of fiery tongues Act. 2.3 And therefore Dauid saith as saint Paul also alleadgeth him 2. Cor. 4 13. I haue beleeued and therefore I spake And our Sauiour Luke 12 49. I haue comen to send fire vpon earth and what will I but that it burne Secondlie they are reprooued which will not reade nor heare the word of God the preaching of the word is called 2. Cor. 3.8 The ministration of the Spirit God hath appointed meanes to obtaine all things as plowing and sowing to obtaine Corne eating and drinking to sustaine nature studie to obtaine learning no doubt as we cannot obtain any of these without these meanes which God hath appointed no more can wée obtaine that other therefore how greatlie deceiued are they which thinke to haue the spirit of God without hearing the word it is euen as though they should think to haue corn without plowing or streÌ„gth without eating or learning without studying Oh that men would bee wise therefore that they would bee as carefull to procure those meanes which profit their soules as they are those meanes which profit their bodies For their bodilie health to take the aire they will climbe vp hils they will walk by water sides Gen. 1.2 Psal 23.1 130.1 The spirit of God is caried on the waters of coÌ„fort the holy scriptures are those holy hils the spirit of God blowes in them continually be as carefull for the soule to be conuersant amongst these as thou art for the bodie amongst the other When Peter preached The holy Ghost fel vpon Cornelius Act. 10.44 8.29 Luke 24.15 vpoÌ„ al that were present when the Eunuch read the holie Ghost sent Philip a Schoolemaster vnto him when the Apostles talked of Christ in their iourney he was straight waies in the midst of them Surelie if we would so occupie our selues the same effects would follow euen now The holie Ghost if wée would diligentlie and humblie reade the scriptures would not send Philip to vs to bee our schoole master but would come to vs euen his owne selfe as saint Iohn tels vs 1. Ioh. 2.27 Now we neede not that any man should teach vs for the holy Ghost himselfe teacheth vs. But here Pintus will obiect why then shall all they bee saued which are baptized Surelie there is an inward and an outward baptisme they which are both inwardlie and outwardlie baptized they which haue once put on Christ Iesus they which are sealed with the holie Ghost shall most assuredlie bee saued but not all which are outwardlie washed although wee are to saie with the Apostle 1. Cor. 6 11. Gal. 3.27 Ye are washed ye are sanctified And again as manie as are baptized haue put on Christ Iesus This christian hope wee ought to haue of all our brethren The seale may bee applied to the waxe and make no print but that wee must referre to the secret iudgements of God Wée must here saie O Lord how vnspeakeable are thy iudgements Rom. 11.33 Iohn 10.27.28 and thy waâ—â—s past mans finding out My sheepe saieth our Sauiour heare my voice I knowe them and they followe mee I giue them eternall life and they shall not perish for euer and no man shall snatch them out of my hand The sunne maie bee eclipsed but neuer lose his light the faithful are the sonnes
beene paid The Lord had such an earnest care of thy saluation that almost he hazarded his owne that he might gaine thee Hee tooke vpon him all our losses that hee might place thee in heauen that he might consecrate thee with heauenly vertues And hee addeth Very miraculously he gaue himself for vs al that he might declare that he so loued vs all that he gaue his welbeloued sonne for euery one of vs. For whom therefore hee that gaue that which surpasseth all things is it possible that in him he shall not also giue vs all things For he excepts nothing who hath giuen the Author of all things There is nothing therefore that we may feare shall be denied vs there is no cause why wee should doubt of the continuance of this bountifulnes of God towards vs whose goodnesse hath beene so long in continuance and so liberall towards vs that first he predestinated vs then hee called vs and those whom he called them he iustified and those whom he iustified also he will glorifie Can he forsake those whome he hath bestowed so many benefits vpon euen till he crowne them Amongst so many benefits of God shall we feare any of the wiles of our accuser but who dare accuse any of those whom he hath chosen in Gods iudgement can God the father who hath bestowed them cal his gifts back againe and dismisse those from his fatherly fauour whom he hath adopted to be his children But perchance thou fearest least that the iudge will bee seuere consider who shall bee thy iudge To Christ hath the father committed all iudgement can he condemne thee who hath redeemed thee from death for whome he hath offered himselfe whose life he knowes to bee the wages of his death shall he not say what profit is in my blood if I condemne him whom I haue saued Againe thou considerest him as a iudge and not as an aduocate can he pronounce sharpe sentence vvho ceaseth not to request that the grace of his fathers reconciliation may be bestowed on vs Here Ambrose first teacheth the excéeding great loue that God hath towards his children and that hee gaue his sonne for euerie one of vs And shall not then euerie particular man embrace this so mercifull and gracious a gift in his owne armes that is by the faith of his owne soule And lastlie the great assurance that euerie Christian ought to haue of his saluation Our Iudge is our aduocate and shall wee feare the sentence of condemnation 6. Of the reading of the Scriptures and of their sufficiencie STaphilus a Papist Counseller to the Emperour Staph. of translating the Bible into the vulgar tongue whose Apologie was traÌ„slated by Thomas Stapleton student in Diuinitie in his Apologie writes thus Surely I could neuer yet find in holy Scripture that the common people ought of necessity to read the scripture but that of the reading thereof much Schisme and the destruction of manie soules hath proceeded daily experience teacheth vs and holy writte warneth vs where our Sauiour thus speaketh It is giuen to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of God but to the rest in Parables that seeing yet they see not and hearing they vnderstand not Who are those vnto whom our Lord saith To you it is giuen c. Surely the Apostles and their successours the rulers of Christs flocke And Who are they that should learne by parables Surely such men as were better not to know the mysteries least misusing them they procure to themselues a greater damnation For precious stones ought not to be cast before hogges and such of al likelyhood are the Lay ignorant people Thus farre Staphilus Let all true Christians marke what commendations the papists yeeld vnto the scriptures that dailie experience teacheth that the destruction of many soules haue procéeded thereof when as Gods spirit calles the scripture alwaies The word of life Ioh. 6.68 1. Tim. 1.10 and the holesome doctrine of Christ The one marke were sufficient to descrie of whose spirit they are that write this of the scriptures But it is also worthie the marking Lib. 2. ca. 21. de offic bon patr how in this point the papists disagree among themselues Viuiennus a Papist writes thus I counsell thee and all other which haue not as yet purchased to themselues the sound knowledge of the holy scriptures that they eschew that booke of his meaning Ouid and in the meane while that they reade the Bible and other godly mens works For it is not possible that he which is not very expert in the scriptures should not stumble very dangerously and that his faith should not by some meanes be shaken and weakned Hector Pintus also a Papist of the holie scripture writes thus But amongst all other they beare the bell who being guarded with the furniture of vertue giue themselues to the study of the holy scriptures that they may behold with the eyes of their mind the hie mysteries of God clearer then the sunne it selfe for the knowledge of the holy scriptures is that heauenly philosophy wherewith the soules of men are refreshed and are nourished to euerlasting life This is the finder out of vertues and expeller of vices which eases our soules takes away vaine cares deliuers vs from wicked desires and giues vs tranquillity of life wherfore the course of a mans life being well passed ouer and according to the precepts thereof is to be preferred before all the prosperity in the world The diuine and Kingly prophet foreseeing that in his mind calles Him blessed that studies in the law of God day and night For as the same in another place testifieth The law of God is an vndefiled law conuerting the soule and the Testimonie of the Lord is faithfull and giueth wisdome euen to children For such is the excellency of Gods law that it conuerts the minds of men from an euill custome to an honest kind of liuing and to those men which wander and goe out of the way it shewes the right path to obtaine euerlasting glory Thus farre Pintus The which his saying if it bee true as it is most true then is Staphilus and Maister Stapletons sentence false that the reading of the scriptures should leade manie soules to destruction it leades them the waie to euerlasting life which wander and go out of the way saith Pintus Pintus pro â—em in Dan. And of the authoritie of the scripture also he yéelds this excellent Testimonie The most part of the Papists saie that the Scriptures take authoritie of the Church but Pintus of them writes thus Euen as saieth hee that same strange precious stone called Draconites is not polished nor admits any art or cunning about the dressing of it but of it selfe is very beautifull and bright so the diuine scripture is not adorned with childâ—sh eloquence of words nor stands need of the skill of mans Rhetoricke being famous and excellent by her owne maiesty and proper brightnesse Thus farre
doth not say the words I haue spoken a little before but the wordes I doe speake are spirit and life and therefore are my flesh For euen as that which containeth a mans spirit and life is his flesh euen so saith our Sauiour that which containeth my spirit and life is also my flesh So that by this short sentence he exhorteth all men to the reading of his word Wouldest thou be partaker of Christs life and spirit then eate his flesh that is read his word muse and meditate therein day and night And no doubt beleeue the saying of thy Sauiour his wordes he hath spoken shall be spirit and life vnto thee Thus we may sée how Ferus doctrine most manifestly agrées with the doctrine of our Sauiour Manie for want of eating of this flesh which feede their bodies daintily with the flesh of fishes and foules at this daie haue faint and pined soules nay dead soules void of the life and spirit of Iesus Christ In Mat. cap. 7. Ferus also of the certaintie of our saluation and of the sufficiencie of the Scriptures writes thus What saith he do men so greatly desire as securitie How much would the Emperor of Rome giue that he might be safe from his enemies How much would euery iust man reioice if he were certaine of his estate if he knewe that he should neuer fall how greatly would euery sinner reioyce if safetie were assured him against death hell But all these things doe Christs words onely performe This saith Ferus But the Romane Correctors in their copie do command to put out onely They are loth that so much should bee attributed to the Scriptures Of the sanctification also of the sabboth In cap. Mat. 22 Ferus hath this notable lesson The chiefest worke of the sabboth saith he is to cease from thine owne workes and to giue place that God may worke his in thee that is faith charitie patience longanimitie chastitie The second worke is that we apply our selues to doe good workes and to meditate in the Law of God to heare the word of God to pray in spirit and truth Especially therefore the word of God is to be heard without which there is no hallowing of it know that this is commanded thee of God that thou heare his word and keepe it and of this he will require an account of thee in the day of iudgement Neither is it enough for thee to heare it once or twise vnlesse thou heare it often The Diuell is euer assaulting thee and thou must euer by the word of God resist him by which alone he is ouercome Againe thou must meditate of the word of God or els thou hearest in vaine And two things especially are to be meditated out of the word of God that is to say our sinnes and Gods goodnesse And by these two as in Iacobs ladder sometime we must descend into our selues and sometime ascend vnto God Thus farre Ferus If this be true how hallowed they the Lords sabboth in the daies of our forefathers when Gods word was neuer or seldome preached to them If this be true that we should meditate on this Law of God then must we know it And here the Romane addition to Ferus detractes from the word of God againe that dignitie which Ferus giues to it By which alone saith he the Diuell is conquered but they blot out alone Of voluntarie religion Ferus writes thus Then In cap. 4. Ioh. their worshippings had not the warrant of the word of God and how can then they be certaine or sure to please God for they onely followed their owne reason and the examples of the fathers For thus they reasoned with themselues If an earthly or fleshly calfe pleased God offered at Ierusalem how much more shall a calfe of gold seeing it is more precious lasteth longer Also if it were lawfull for our holy fathers to worship God in this mountaine why is not the same lawfull for vs But in the worship of God neither mans reason neither the examples of the fathers but Gods word are to be followed Thou shalt not doe saieth he that which seemeth good in thine owne eies but that I command Here Ferus sets downe the only true and certaine ground of Gods true worshippe that is the word and commandement of God Here the reason of man or the examples of the fathers are denied to bee sure grounds of Gods worshippe and yet the Papistes doe builde their faith on these Dom. 1. Sexag Of the Scriptures also Philippus de Dies writes thus The matters which faith teacheth are so excellent that no mans wit be it neuer so sharpe and subtile can attaine vnto them for if it could then it were no faith And therefore to obtaine this faith we must heare the word of God as the Apostle exaggerates saying howe shall they beleeue in him which they haue not heard And after he concludes saying Faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God And so it appeareth how to the obtaining of faith it is necessarie to heare the word of God Behold how God which is the fruit which we hope for is not obtained without charitie and charitie is not obtained without faith and faith is not obtained without the preaching of the word of God And therefore for the verie great agreement and likenesse that it hath the Lorde called his worde seed What other doctrine doe we teach at this day here in England of the necessitie of hearing and knowing the worde of God In 3. cap. ad Col. Theodore also vpon that place of the Apostle to the Colossians Let the word of God dwell plentiously among you writes thus The olde law also commanded the daily meditation and studie of Gods word Thou shalt meditate in them saith the Lawe sitting at home in thy house rising vp also and lying vpon thy bed and going in thy iourney This thing the Apostle commandeth that we should also carrie about with vs the doctrine of the Lord and that we should praise him and that we should sanctifie him with our tongues with spirituall songs That phrase also in your hearts is as much to say As not in your mouthes onely That same note which the Hebrew text yéelds in that same Psalme we vse daily to repeat is worth marking Psal 95. v. 7. In the Hebrew it is thus Because he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and sheepe of his hands If to day you will heare his voice Here is the full point in the Hebrew text and here endes the verse and not where the common translation appoints it to ende So that then we are his people and shéepe of his pasture Here are great priuiledges such as none could be wished greater such as euerie man would desire to be partaker of But as euery one desires to be partaker of these priuiledges and blessings so let him as well marke the infallible and most plaine
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
nowe teachest he would by and by haue cried out and would haue stopped his eares and as his manner was he would haue said O good God into what times hast thou reserued me that I should heare these things Would not he also by and by haue fled from the place where sitting or standing he should haue heard such words Héere we may plainly see what maner of traditions they were which the father 's kept and in the commendations wherof they wrote that is such traditions as were agréeable to the scriptures and no other And this one place of Eusebius may be a rule to square all other places of fathers whosoeuer when they highly commend traditions To teach all Christians that they meane no other traditions then Policarpe and Irenaeus that is such as are agréeing to the scriptures Among the Iewes that olde and subtile serpent Sathan had sowen tares amongst the Lordes wheat Munster in annot in cap. 1. Gen. as appeareth by the manifolde dreames and strange opinions of the Rabbins besides the scriptures As that before the world God had created seuen things that is to say paradise the law the iust men the throne of maiestie Ierusalem and Messias Againe they say that the moone was in the beginning created equall in light with the sunne but that this her light was diminished In annot in 7. cap. Gen. for her pride Againe All the Rabbines of the Hebrewes thinke generally that the waters which increased in the floud were hotte and that so the fishes also perished What are all these but sathans plantes so ouershadow the Lords trueth So likewise amongst vs Christians in the time of the Gospell hee hath not beene idle He hath mixed his drosse amongst the Lords gold as appeares in the Popes Legend and other Histories Longinus was a certaine Centurion who standing with other soldiers saith their Legend by the commaundement of Pilate Legend aurea de sancto Long. thrust the Lords side thorow with his speare And after seeing the signes which then happened that is the sunne to be darkened and the earthquake he beleeued but especially for this cause as some say that when as his eies were dimmed either by some infirmity or by age by chance some of the blood which ranne out of Christs side running downe his speare touched his eies and presently he saw most cleerely This is one of their traditions But Granatensis as should séeme not liking this fable in his meditations of Christes passion I thanke thee saith hee O Lord Iesu Orat. 6. parad prec that thou wouldest suffer thy side to be pierced of a certaine soldier He names not Longinus but agreeth with the scripture and goes no further that a certaine soldier pierced him to the heart with his speare So likewise they haue added manie things to the other scriptures of God as in an olde printed booke in verse made in those daies I read thus of Putifats wife and Ioseph He said Madam I will be true to my Lord Traitor will I neuer be to my Soueraigne Therefore beleeue me at a word Rather then do so I had rather be slaine With that loude did she crie and brake her lace in twaine And smote her nose that it gusht out all on bloud And rent down her serket that was of silk ful good She told the Knights that Ioseph would by her laine And that he tare her robes all asunder And helpe had not come the thiefe had me slaine Heere is no mention made howe she kept his garment when he fled away from her whereof the scripture makes mention but of dashing her selfe on the nose and rending her robe whereof in scripture there is no mention Of the first originall of bonefires in their Legend Leg. aur in Nat. Ioh. bap thus wee may read The bones of dead beastes being out of all places gathered together are burnt of some vpon this daie whereof there is two causes as Iohn Beleth saith one an obseruation of an auncient custome for there are certaine beasts called Dragons which doe flye in the ayre and swimme in the water and goe on the earth and sometime when as they goe on earth they are inflamed with lust and doe throw their seede into springs and flouds whereof followed a plaguie and vnholsome yeare Against this this remedie was founde out that a fire should be made of the bones of beasts and this fire would driue them away and because this chanced about this time therefore yet this of some is obserued Another cause is to signifie vnto vs that the bones of Saint Iohn Baptist were burnt in the Citie called Sebasta of the infidels Also then they carie in their hands burning firebrands because Iohn was a light shining burning And they turne about a wheele because then the sunne declines in his circle to signifie that the fame of Iohn who was supposed to be Christ did descende and diminish What preseruatiues against Dragons what doctrines for their soules were these Io. 5 35. Especially when as they neuer then heard in the scriptures read that Iohn was a burning light But that fable of Formosus is notable Fasc Tem. 6 aetate Christi an Dom. 9 14. which Fasciculus Temporum makes mention of This Sergius saith that booke when as he came to Rome by the ayde of the French men tooke Christopher the Antipope and sate in his steed And to reuenge his repulse he drew the body of Formosus out of his graue and being clothed like the Pope he commanded his head to be chopt off in his pontificall chaire and to be throwne into Tiber. But the fishers brought him into the Church the Images bowing themselues vnto him and saluting him reuerently as all they did see which were present This is reported in that historie And after Fulbertus Byshop of Carnotensis in his sicknesse was visited of the blessed Virgin Marie and restored againe with her most blessed milke Also of the visitation of Elizabeth they saie in their Legend that the blessed Virgin carried with her Cousin three moneths waiting vpon her and that she tooke the childe being borne in her holy armes from the ground as it is written in the Scholasticall historie and did most diligently the dutie of a nurse carrying him about This teacheth their Legend Whereas the Gospel saith that she abode with her thrée moneths and after returned to her owne house Luc. 1.56 and that when Elizabeths time was comed that she should be deliuered she brought forth a forme and her neighbours and Cousins reioiced with her But this as should séeme was after Maries departure And this Stella affirmes also in 2. cap. Luc. Thus they erre not knowing the Scriptures That miracle is strange of Germanus the Byshop of Antisiodore Fasc temp Fol. 50. which is written of him that he restored three dead men to life againe and also his Asse That he would shew a miracle vpon his asse séemes verie strange But to
the Church as manie doe nowe Chrysostome or whosoeuer he was that wrote this booke a verie auncient and learned Christian was of this iudgment long before Antichrist came and shall we now not beleeue it seeing it with our eies And he addeth that the onely way nowe to trie the truth is by the Scriptures This is his counsell And the Pope herein by disswading men from reading the scriptures declares plainely that hee is Antichrist for as the Gospell teacheth He that doth euill hateth the light and will not come neere it Why should the Pope debarre men from reading the scriptures but that he feares they would discouer his darkenesse and false doctrines Neither is the comming of Elias and Enoch necessarie for the conuersion of the Iewes The scriptures doe teach vs other meanes of their conuersion Euen to this daie saith Saint Paul when Moses is read 1. Cor. 3.15 there is a vaile put ouer the hearts of the Iewes but when they shall returne to the Lord the vaile shall be taken away It is God alone which must take awaie the vailes from their hearts and then they shall be conuerted Psal 119.18 As Dauid also prayeth O Lord take awaie the vaile from mine eies and I shall beholde the wondrous things of thy law And in another place saint Paul writes thus If the reiecting of them were the reconciliation of the world Ro. 11 15. what is the resumption and taking them againe but euen life from death The conuersion of the Iewes then and their resumption is euen as it were of dead men to make liuing men And this is the worke of God alone And this worke doth he worke euen in a moment as many histories do proue That hereof then no Christian may dreame of any long continuance of this world because the Iewes are not as yet conuerted when as their conuersion is of the hand and power of God as saint Paul plainly teacheth and not of the comming and preaching of Enoch and Elias and is as it were putting life into dead men which God can doe in a minute And of the ouerthrowing of Antichrist 2. Thes 2.8 Saint Paul also writes thus That he shall be consumed by little and little by the Spirit of Gods mouth and shall be quite abolished by his glorious appearance Iesus Christ himselfe by his word and by his owne presence shall consume and quite destroie Antichrist he shall not need the ministerie of Elias and Enoch The prophet Zacharie also prophecying most manifestly of the conuersion of the Iewes attributes it to Gods extraordinary mercie and not to the preaching of Elias and Enoch And I will powre out saith God vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and prayers or of mercie For the hebrew word may signifie both Zach. 12.10 And they shall looke vpon him whō they haue thrust thorow they shall lament ouer him as one doth ouer his onely begotten and the whole land shall lament family to family by themselues the family of the house of Dauid apart c. And here in this waightie matter concerning the fulfilling explication of this prophecy to let all mens interpretations passe the holie ghost it selfe by whom the prophet spake is the best interpreter of this prophecie and teacheth vs most plainly in whom and when it shall be fulfilled As concerning the first in whom it shall be fulfilled saint Iohn in his gospell tels vs plainly That it shall be fulfilled in those Iewes that put Christ to death and caused him to be pearced with a speare Io. 19.37 For he saith that therefore one of the souldiers thrust him thorow with a speare that that scripture might be fulfilled And they shall behold him whom they haue pearced That was done then that this might be fulfilled hereafter So that of the persons vpon whom this prophecie shall be fulfilled it is plaine that by Saint Iohns interpretation they are the true naturall Iewes and not as some haue here allegorically gone about to expound this place the spirituall Iewes that is vs Christians And if S. Iohn here do plainly affirme that this latter branch of Zacharias prophecie shall be fulfilled in the true Iewes I will adde that then likewise the former branch of this prophecie that is That God will powre vpon them the spirit of grace and mercie shall be fulfilled in them We may not dismember the prophecies of God If the latter part be verified in them then surely it necessarily inferres that the former is verified also And at what time all this shall be fulfilled the same saint Iohn in another place declares Behold saith he he comes in the clouds and all eies shall see him Reue. 1.7 yea euen they which haue pearced him and all the tribes of the earth shall lament ouer him Amen That this shall be fulfilled in the day of iudgement here saint Iohn plainly affirmes and he also ads that wéeping whereof Zacharie maketh mention to make the matter more plaine And that this wéeping which Zacharie speakes of shall be of such as shall be saued is manifest hereby first that the prophet saith That God will powre vpon them the spirit of grace and mercy This powring this aboundance of grace and mercie argues no doubt the hainousnes and the miserablenes of their estate wherein they are euen now also it argues their fauourable acceptation and pardon at Gods hands And that also it shal be of such as shall be saued appeares hereby that the prophet declares the manner thereof so apparantly euen twise togither They shall lament him saith he as one that lamenteth bitterly for his onelie sonne and they shall be sorie for him as one that is sorie for his first borne No doubt this argues that this their repentance shall be syncere Gen 34. Heb. 12. Mat. 27.4 Luke 7.3 Mat. 26.7 8. euen from the bottome of their hearts not like Esaus or Iudas his repentance but like Marie Magdalens and Peters So that to expound this place of vs Christians who are spirituall Iewes seemes not to agrée naturally with the text and also to gainsay saint Iohns exposition Who saith that Christ was pearced with a speare that the scripture might be fulfilled in them and that not then but hereafter And they shal see him whom they haue pearced Neither do we read of anie such generall mourning required or practised of the spirituall Iewes that is of vs Christians when we were conuerted In the Acts of the Apostles Act. 2.37.41 They were pricked in their hearts we read and of their baptisme but of the teares of anie we read not Neither was it fulfilled in those women which when Christ was led to his passion came weeping after him Luke 23.27 For these were but certaine women neither do we read that they wept apart but altogither neither that anie men wept with them but women onely And those women wept before he
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
of the Crosse And of this conuersion of the Iewes and of this their wéeping ioyning hands as it were with the Prophet Zacharie Ier. 50.1 the Prophet Ieremie prophesieth thus also saying The word which the Lord spake concerning Babylon and the land of the Chaldees by the hand of Ieremie the Prophet Declare among the nations and publish it set vp a standarde and conceale it not say Babel is fallen c. And in those daies and at that time saith the Lord the children of Israel shall come they and the children of Iuda togither going and weeping they shall go and seeke the Lord their God And that this destruction of Babel shall be in the end of the worlde Saint Iohn witnesseth who out of Ieremy cites this Verse Go out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins Ier. 50.8 Reu. 18.4 21. Reu. 18.21 and that ye receiue not of her plagues And after A mightie Angell tooke vp a great stone like a milstone and cast it into the sea saying With such violence shall the great Citie Babylon be cast and shall be found no more And this is also Ieremies conclusion of his prophesie concerning Babel Ier. 51 6◠And when thou hast made an ende of reading this booke thou shalt binde a stone to it and cast it into the midst of Euphrates And shalt say Thus shall Babel be drowned and shall not rise from the euill I will bring vpon her and they shall be wearie Thus farre are the words of Ieremy So that this destruction of Babylon and this wéeping and conuersion of the Iewes shall be at one time no doubt in the verie latter ende of the world immediately before Christs comming to iudgement The Babylonians shall still striue to maintaine their kingdom but they shall not prosper they shall be wearie I would to God that all Seminaries and Iesuits that take such great paines to establish the Popes kingdome would marke but this one word and the last of Ieremies prophesie it would make them cease from their vaine labours And that testimonie also which Saint Paul cites out of Esay for the conuersion of the Iewes Rom. 11.26 Esay 59.17 plainly prooues that they shall be conuerted in the verie latter end of the world and euen by Christs comming to iudgement For thus saith the Prophet He shall put on righteousnesse as an habergeon and the helmet of saluation vpon his head and he shall be cloathed with the garments of vengeance for cloathing and was clad with zeale as with a cloake As to make recompence as to requite the fury of the aduersaries with a recompence to his enemies he will fully repaie the Ilands So they shall feare the name of the Lord from the West and his glorie from the rising of the sunne when the enemy shall come like a floud But the spirit of the Lorde shall chase him away or shall lift vp a standard that is Gods word against him as it is in the Hebrew Is not here a most plaine and euident description of Christs comming to iudgement Phil. 2.7 In his first comming he came as a sauiour clothed in his apparell like a man but now he comes like a iudge to requite his enemies now he comes cloathed with the garments of vengeance And shall he not come thus at his second comming Doth not now also Antichrist and enemies assault the Church of Christ like a floud and doth not the spirit of God put them to flight doth it not raise vp the standard of Gods word against him 2. Thes 2.8 as Saint Paul also prophesieth that by that meanes Antichrist shall be ouerthrowne And then next after this followes in Esay that prophesie which Saint Paul alleadgeth for the conuersion of the Iewes And the redeemer shall come vnto Sion and he shal turne iniquitie from Iacob So that by the comming of Christ to iudgement the Iewes shall be conuerted and not by the comming of Elias and Enoch Acts 3.20 The same lesson also Peter taught the Iewes Amend your liues and turne that your sinnes may be done away when the times of refreshing shall come from the face of the Lord and he shall send Iesus Christ who hath been preached to you before Thus farre Peter This refreshing no doubt argues the great heate of afflictions the Iews haue endured And these comfortable times shall come to them but not from the face of Elias and Enoch which they now dreame of but from the face of the Lord himselfe when he commeth to iudgement For before that time now after his ascension they cannot sée his face For Saint Peter there saith that the heauens must containe him till all things be restored which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his prophets since the world began This Sermon of Peter may séeme to be a perpetuall lesson to the Iewes for euer Dauid also in the Psalme most euidently declares the sin of the Iewes against Christ Psal 59. their dispersion and also the manner and time of their conuersion Verse 2.3 Deliuer me saith he from the wicked doers and saue me from the bloudie men For loe they haue laid waite for my soule the mightie men are gathered against me not for mine offence nor for my sinne O Lord. Here is first Iesus Christ painted out most liuely vnto vs who alone might saie The mightie men are gathered togither against me not for my sin O Lord who euer could say so els Now verely here is the sinne of the Iewes they conspired against him they sought his life being a poore innocent Verse 11. Slay them not least my people forget it but scatter them abroad by thy power and put them down O Lord our shield Here is their dispersion and continuall and grieuous punishment like Caines whose posteritie they are for their bloudie and haynous offence against their brother Gen. 4.12 And thou O Lord God of hosts O God of Israel awake to visit all the heathen Verse 5. and be not mercifull to those that offend maliciously Is not here plainly the last iudgement What is it els for God to awake and to visit all the heathen and not alwaies as it were to be a sleepe and to keepe silence as it is in the 50. Psalme but to come to iudgement And then followes the time of their conuersion Verse 6. They go to and fro in the euening they howle or barke like dogs and go about the Citie Their conuersion shall be in the euening they shall weepe or howle like vnto dogs Is not this plainlie to agree with Zacharie that they weepe and lament wofully one by one euen as dogs vse to doe And after their zeale followes And in the euening they shall go to and fro howle like dogs Verse 14. and go about the Citie they shall run here and there for meate and surely they shall not be satisfied though they lie without doores all night This
declares the great zeale that they shall haue and the loue to Iesus Christ when as they are once conuerted they shall be like Marie Magdalen as zealous of him at his second comming as she was at his resurrection Peter and Iohn when as they had come to the graue and found not his bodie there went home againe by and by Ioh. 20.10.11 but Marie tarried still by the graue weeping shée loued him better then so so zealous of Christ shall the Iewes be when as he shall arise also to them And here also is insinuated to vs a good lesson why God wil then shew them such mercie and to make vs beware least we fall from Gods mercie Oh saith Dauid Psal 59.5 bee not mercifull to those that offend of malicious wickednesse Rom. 10.2 As though he should saie those that offend ignorantly yet zealously but not according to knowledge as Saint Paul witnesseth that the Iews doe now be mercifull to those O Lord. But be not mercifull to those that offend maliciously which knew their masters will Luk. 12.47 and yet will not doe it such shall be beaten with many stripes And this lesson concernes vs those sins are the sins which Dauid cals the greatest sins sinnes of presumption Psal 14.13 1. Tim. 1.13 And so Saint Paul also writes of himselfe that he obtained mercie because that he sinned ignorantly through vnbeliefe And so also it séems here by Dauids prayer that the Iewes also shall obtaine mercie The man also that appeared to Daniel Dan. 10.14 that was cloathed in linnen whose loines were girded with fine gold of vphaz telles Daniel that he is sent to shew him what shall come to his people in the latter day but yet the vision is for many daies And Daniel thus is instructed of this man verie manifestly of the calling of the Iewes Cap. 12.1 At that time Michael the great prince shall stand vp who stands for the children of thy people and there shall be such a time of trouble as there was neuer since there was any people till this time and in this verie time shall the people be deliuered all that shall be found written in this booke And many that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to shame and perpetuall contempt Thus much this heauenly man reueiled to Daniel that the Iewes shall be called in that troublesome time And our Sauiour referres this troblesome time both to the destruction of Ierusalem and also to the ende of the world as we maie plainly sée in Saint Markes Gospell Chap. 13. v. 20. 24. And those daies shal be shortned for the elects sake or els no flesh should be saued Therfore by this prophesie of Daniel it maie be verie necessarily collected that séeing this troublesome time shall immediatly precede Christs comming and that in that time they shall be conuerted and that those daies shall be shortned that they maie be conuerted euen immediatly before the comming of Christ For he addes the Resurrection as the next thing that should follow their calling and what is that els but the verie appearance of Christ himselfe Ier. 30.7 Ieremy also agrees with Daniel both concerning the day and the Iewes deliuerance Alas for this day is great none hath bin like it it is euen the time of Iacobs trouble yet shall he be deliuered from it Ieremie séemes here to come néerer then Daniel and to saie that not onely in that troublesome time but in the latter daie thereof which no doubt is the daie of iudgment that then Iacob shall be deliuered What great daie is this then the which none hath béene like but the daie of iudgement And so the Prophet Ioel also describes that daie A day of blacknesse and of darknesse Ioel. 2.2 a day of cloudes and obscuritie And Zacharie also of this strange daie writes thus Zach. 14.7 And there shall be a day it is knowne to the Lord neither day nor night but about the euentide it shall be light In this strange and great daie saith Ieremy shall Iacob be deliuered Thus we maie plainly sée how that all the other Prophets almost do agrée with the prophet Zacharie that the Iewes shall be called at the day of iudgement But to let passe the scriptures and to come to the fathers Iust ◠apol and to shew what some of them haue thought concerning this matter Iustine the martyr affirmes that this generall wéeping the Prophet Zacharie speaks of shal be at the second comming of Christ who writes thus The prophet Zacharie hath foretolde what words the people of the Iews shal say when as they shal see him comming in his glory I will commaund the foure winds saith God that they may gather togither my dispersed children And then in Ierusalem shall be great mourning not mourning of countenance and face but of heart And then they shall not rent their garments but their minds And they shal lamēt tribe to tribe And they shall see him whom they haue pierced Thus farre Iustine And he plainly referres this prophecie of Zachary to be fulfilled in the end of the world To whom agrées also Theodoret who writes thus Theo. in ca. 12. Zach. And it shall come to passe that at that day I will destroy all nations that fight against Ierusalem and I will powre vpon the house of Dauid and the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and mercie c. Vpon these words Theodoret writes thus I haue euen loaden them with all kind of benefits I haue killed their enemies by diuers meanes And contrariwise to them I haue opened the fountaines of my mercy and haue filled them with all kind of graces But they haue betraied me comming into this world into the hands of mine enemies and hauing nailed me and lifted me vp vpon a crosse they haue thrust me to the heart with a souldiers speare and haue railed vpon me and haue laughed me to scorne but notwithstanding when as within a little while after they shall see me comming in my diuine maiestie then they shall bewaile and lament this their madnes And a little after speaking of their lamentation he saith Lastly he inferres that all the other tribes shall also seuerally weep and lament This selfe same thing the Lord in his gospell also hath foretolde Then they shall see the signe of the sonne of man in heauen and then all the kinreds of the earth shall lament It is most certaine that all they which haue not receiued the preaching of the gospell shall lament looking for nothing else but vtter destruction But these things shal be fulfilled in the time of the verie end yet I will defend them meaning the Iewes although I am not ignorant how they shall crucifie me and kill me comming into this world for my benefits bestowed vpon them c. He referres the fulfilling of this prophecie plainly vnto the end of the world
and grace and euen then by and by after shall follow the iudgement Lumnius devicinitate extremi iudicii lib. 1. cap. 15. Lumnius a Papist concerning the comming of Elias Enoch writes thus That although they shall preach but three yeeres and a halfe yet that the day of iudgement shall be neuerthelesse vncertaine to the world Although saith he we beleeue that Elias shall come and although the remnant of the Iewes be said to be conuerted when as the fulnes of the Gentiles shall haue entred in yet we must thinke that this must be done secretly and by little and little So that all the world shall stand in doubt of the person of Elias and of the time of the conuersion of the Iewes euen as the world stood in doubt of the persons of Iohn and of our Sauiour Iesus Thus farre Lumnius But this his exposition agrées not with the rest of the papists Reu. 11.6 for they expound those two witnesses in the Reuelation literally to be meant of the persons of Elias and Enoch And that they shall haue power in the daies of their prophecies to open and shut heauen and to turne water into bloud If they shall do these euident signes surely no man can say that they shall come secretly These signes also are so manifest that no man can doubt of their persons Nay Saint Iohn there saith Vers 9. that all people and nations shall see their bodies lie dead in the citie that spiritually is called Sodome and Egypt and that they shall be glad of their deaths and shall send presents one to another because they were slaine For they shall vexe the people of the earth and not conuert the Iewes as they imagine These prophets then shall not come secretly when they come as Lumnius imagineth but all the world shall heare of them and hate them They shall be enemies to their carnall mirth and spirituall fornication How angrie will the adulterer be to be depriued of his pleasure so pleasant also is spirituall fornication to flesh and bloud These two witnesses then are the preachers of the gospell Mat. 24.12 which shall preach the gospell to all nations In testimonium and not in patrocinium for a testimonie of their condemnation not for a helpe of their saluation as the same Lumnius alleageth out of Hilarie Lum ca. 14. Reue. 10.11 Which vnder the type of Iohn in the chapter going before haue receiued the little booke yea from the hand of the Lord to preach againe to nations peoples tongues and many kings not Elias and Enoch Ferus also of the vncertaintie of the day of iudgement writes thus If you enquire of me the daie and howre I will not tell you In 24. ca. Mat. but if you will know the seasons and beginnings I will hide nothing from you I haue shewed you in many words how that that day is not vnknowen vnto me But I haue brought you to the gates onely thereof for he had said before know ye then that it is euen in the verie gates But it is for your profit that I will not open the gates vnto you least you should waxe carelesse For so it is written of me I am thy God teaching thee profitable things onely as much as might profit you I haue taught but that which might engender in you a false securitie I conceale from you Here therefore thou seest the cause why he would haue both the day of our death and of iudgement vnknowne vnto vs least we should be more slouthfull but being alwaies vncertain of this we should euer liue in feare should euer watch being careful as though we should be iudged the next day and that we should looke for him euerie day whō we know not when he wil come Thus far Ferus Here is then a Christians life euerie day to looke and waite for Christ and so to liue as though he should not liue til to morrow according to that saying of the heathen Philosopher Who being bidden to a feast against to morrow Surely said he I neuer thought that I should liue til to morrow these many yeeres And it is reported that Saint Ierome that in all his doings he thought he heard that last trumpet sounding in his eares Then Elias comming shall not giue Christians warning thereof thrée yéeres an halfe before it come as the Papists do teach In ca. 11. Mat. Ferus also writing vpon these wordes And if ye will receiue him he is Elias which is to come saith thus As though he should say that you may plainly see that there is no other prophet to be looked for of you who should shew you that Messias should come Iohn is that verie same Elias which Malachie promised vnder the name of Elias And in these words he makes answere to a question couertly all men were perswaded that Elias should come before Messias came whom because they saw not they doubted of Christ And therefore the Apostles when they saw the Lord transfigured said Wherefore do the Pharisees say that Elias must first come To whom he answered Elias is come alreadie But who this Elias was here he signifieth Iohn himselfe is Elias not in person but in spirit and power For as Elias with great zeale was zealous that he might bring the people of Israel to the true God and for this cause he spared not kings so Iohn by the same zeale endeuoured to bring the people vnto Christ After Iohn therfore no other thing is to be looked for but that great terrible day of the Lord. The which also followes in the same prophet Thus farre Ferus If after Iohn nothing is to be looked for but that terrible day of the Lord then not Elias and Enoch according to master Bellarmines assertion Cuthbert Tunstall Bishop of Duresme thus writes in a Sermon put in print which he preached before king Henry the eight on Palme sunday vpon this text Let the same mind be in you that was in Iesus Christ These many yeeres past saith he little warre hath beene in these parts of Christendome but the Bishop of Rome either hath beene a stirrer of it or a nourisher of it and seldome any compounder of it vnlesse it were for his ambition and profit Wherfore seeing as Saint Paul saith in the four 10. chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthiās That God is not the God of dissension but of peace who commaundeth by his word alwaies peace to be kept we are sure that all those that go about to breake peace betweene Realmes and to bring them to warre are the children of the diuell what holy names soeuer they pretend to cloake their pestilent malice withall which cloaking vnder hypocrisie is double diuellishnes and of Christ most detested because vnder his blessed name they do play the diuels part And therefore since Christ is on our side let vs not feare thē at al but putting our confidence in Almightie God let vs
cleaue fast to the Kings Maiestie our supreme head in earth next vnder Christ of this Church of England as faithfull subiects by Gods law ought to do Though they go about to stirre Gog and Magog and all the rauenours of the world against vs yet we trust in God verily and doubt not but they shal haue such a ruine and ouerthrow as is prophecied by Ezechiel in his 39. chapter against Gog Magog going about to destroy the people of God whom the people of God shall so vanquish and ouerthrow on the mountains of Israel that none of them shall escape but their carcasses there to lie to be deuoured by kites and crowes and birds of the aire And if they shal persist in this their pestilent malice to make inuasion into this Realme then let vs wish that their great captaine Gog I meane the Bishop of Rome may come with them to drinke with them of the same cup that he maliciously goeth about to prepare for vs that the people of God might after surely liue in peace Thus far Bishop Tunstall By whom we may learne these notable lessons that the Pope hath béene no peacemaker but a maker of wars these many yéeres and therefore he is the child of the diuell by his iudgement Secondly that all true subiects ought to trust in God and their Prince and not to feare anie inuasions he shall deuise against them Thirdly that he is that Gog that hidden and hypocriticall enemie of Christ of whom Ezechiel prophecieth and that he and all his shall be destroyed and all their attempts against Gods Church shall not prosper Tunstal a man of great learning and iudgement saw thus much in his daies when the daie of the gospel began but to shine and shal not we now in the cléere sunshine therof acknowledge so much But to returne to Master Bellarmine againe he answeres to the former place De Rom. pont lib. 3. ca. 6. that I haue alleadged out of Ierome vpon Malachie That although Ierome in this place was of this iudgement yet in his Commentaries vpon Matthew he taught the contrarie But Master Bellarmine doth mistake Ierome For Ierome himselfe doth not say vpon Matthew that Elias shall com before the second comming of Christ In Mat. ca. 11. but he there shewes the opinions of others These be his words There are some saith he which thinke that therefore Iohn was called Elias that as in the second comming of Christ according to Malachie Elias must come before must shew the comming of the Iudge So Iohn did in his first comming And so they both are messengers either of his first comming or of his second Ierome shewes here the opinion of others and not his owne why Iohn was called Elias which he had set downe before in these words That Iohn was called Elias not according to the opinion of some foolish Philosophers and certaine heretiques which bring in transmigration of soules from one bodie to another but because according to another testimonie of the gospell he came in the power and spirit of Elias and that he had the same grace or measure of the holy spirit which Elias had And also the austeritie of life and courage of mind both of Elias and Iohn were equall Hee was in the wildernesse so also was he He was girded with a girdle of a skinne so also was he He because he rebuked Ahab and Iezabell of their wickednes was compelled to flie he because he reproued the vnlawfull mariage of Herode and Herodias lost his head These are Ieromes considerations why he thought Iohn might be compared to Elias Then he addes There be some others that thinke c. As though that which followes were not his opinion but the opinion of som others whom he also makes mention of in that other place of Malachie which I haue before alleadged And there he cals them plainely Iewish heretikes And the same opinion of others concerning the comming of Elias Ierom alleadgeth in other places and he inueieth against all such followers of Iewish fables Iohannes Viualdus a Papist in opere regali de duodecima persecutione ecclesiae Dei affirmes plainly that Ierom thought In explic orat Ier. in cap. 29. Ezec. that Elias should not come in his owne person but that the vertue and power of Elias should come But he himselfe saith that he followes rather Austen Thomas and Vincentius So that Ierom in this matter is not contrarie to himselfe as Master Bellarmine would haue him but all one Nay he is so farre from being of the Papists opinion concerning Antichrist that although the booke were sealed and this matter concealed from the fathers and by degrées not all at once opened to the church as we maie note in the Reuelation yet euen by that small light of Gods word Reu. 5.2 6.1 which at that time was giuen the Church of this matter he aiming at the truth doth quite ouerthrow the Papists opinion For vpon the second Chapter of Malachie he writes thus The Iewes saith he vnderstand that which is spoken here of the prophet Behold I will send my Angell of Elias the Prophet and that which followes The Lord whom you seeke for shall by and by come to his temple and the Angell of the testament whom you would haue they referre to their Messias that is to their Christ who they say shall come in the ende of the world But I maruell how that the verie experience of the things which haue chanced hath not taught them the truth for what temple shall their Lord find which is ouerthrowne to the verie foundation Or is it to be builded vp againe of any other before Christs comming What shal their Christ do more when as all things are restored to their former state of another Our Lord in the Gospell expounding Elias to be Iohn Baptist saith If you will vnderstand he is Elias which is to come of whom also this same Prophet whom we now expound speakes of in the end of his prophesie Behold I wil send you Elias the Prophet before that great and fearefull day of the Lord come But how Iohn also might be called Elias he gaue vs also to vnderstand saying that he came in the power and spirit of Elias Thus farre Ierome Where he plainly out of the scriptures refutes the Papists opinion concerning Antichrist Whom they teach shall be borne in Babylon of the tribe of Dan and when he shall come to Ierusalem circumcising himselfe he shall say to the Iewes I am Christ promised vnto you Then all the Iewes shall flocke vnto him and they shall build againe the temple destroyed of the Romans And he shall sit there saying that hee is God and shall kill Enoch and Elias This is the Papists opinion concerning Antichrist as it is set downe in their Catholicon by Ioh. de Ianua a Frier And this their opinion Ierome in this place manifestly refutes who saith that the temple shall not be built
againe and that Elias in his owne person shal not come but that in Iohn the prophesie of Malachie was fulfilled and that all things are restored alreadie which is the ende for which our Sauiour saith that Elias shall come And Iohn Baptist shall turne the hearts of the fathers vnto the children and the vnbeleeuers to the wisedome of the iust to make a perfect people to the Lord as the Angell teacheth which is the end also why Malachie saieth that Elias shall come So that then both the ends and offices of Elias being fulfilled alreadie by the testimonie of an Angell and of Saint Ierome in this place what néede is there why Elias should come And in that other place which I haue cited before Ierome in this point calles them Iewish heretickes which teach that Elias in his own person shall come he would neuer haue changed his opinion and embraced that doctrine which himselfe before had called heresie without some great and waightie reasons and also he would haue set downe the reasons In explic orationis Ierem. And this opinion of Fathers as should séem he often mentions in other places but neuer as his owne For thus hee writes In that he saith renew our daies as from the beginning he saies it to desire this that as in the beginning he made the first Patriarkes deuout vnto him through perfect faith and charitie so he would vouchsafe through the same his grace to make them faithfull and deuout vnto him The which thing many thinke is promised them by Malachie the Prophet by the comming of Elias And I will send you Elias the Prophet before that great and terrible daie of the Lord c. Many saith Ierom thinke thus but he saith not that he doeth thinke so he is the same still that he was before And vpon the 29. of Ezechiel he inueies against those which followe and beléeue Iewish fables But to make this matter yet more plainer that Ierom did neuer change his opinion concerning this matter Let vs heare the opinion of Rupertus Rupertus in Malac. a great learned Papist who touching this matter writes thus Of the comming of Elias I dare determine nothing because some of the Doctors to whom we almost all agree doe beleeue that he shal come in deed and that he shall restore all things and that he shall be put to death Others thinke the contrarie to whom S. Ierom that famous man seemes to agree saying Although also there be many amongst vs that thinke he shall come in deed and that he shall restore all things and that he shall suffer death yet our Lord being asked of the Apostles concerning the comming of Elias answered Elias is now comed alreadie and they knew him not but they haue done to him whatsoeuer pleased them willing them to vnderstand Iohn in Elias And therefore by and by after be addeth If ye will receiue him Iohn is that same Elias which is to come Here we maie plainly sée that by Rupertus his iudgement Ierom neuer changed his opinion as Mast Bellarmine would make vs beléeue that he did Againe we maie note here Ieroms bulwarke against all the sayings of the fathers in this matter which must be ours also not onely in this but in all other doubts and controuersies whatsoeuer He alleadgeth the authority of the Gospel against all the sayings of the Fathers and so must we doe not onely in this but in all other controuersies whatsoeuer If all the fathers séeme to teach that which is contrarie to the scriptures we must here with Ierom forsake them all and cleaue to the authoritie of the scriptures No doubt Ierom had read Tertullian and Iustine and Ambrose and Austen which all seeme to saie that Elias himselfe shall come but he preferres as we maie here plainely sée the authoritie of the Gospell before all these That resolution also of Theodoret concerning this matter Theo. in Gen. quest 45. is worth the marking who vpon Genesis writes thus Hee makes this question Into what place did the God of all things translate Enoch He answereth that we are not to enquire for those things which are committed to silence but we are to reuerence those things which are written I thinke that the God of all things hath done this to comfort his valiant champions For when as Abel the first fruit of righteousnesse being as yet vnripe was cut vp by the rootes and then no hope of the resurrection did comfort men The God of all things did translate Enoch who was most acceptable vnto him and did separate him from the societie of men that whosoeuer did determine to liue godly might perceiue what great account God made of him when as the God of all things who is iust and doth iustly gouerne all things did thus honour Enoch nor suffered not Abel to want an ornament For for this cause he beheld him when he was slaine and he also translated Enoch that by him he might declare to all men the resurrection that should be For he which in this life hath not obtained the reward of his vertue shall most assuredly obtaine it in the life to come I would to God all Christians would here follow the counsell of Theodoret and not be curious in searching for the comming of Elias or other such hard points which the scripture hath not reueiled vnto vs but reuerently meditate vpon those things which are plaine and are written Ierom also takes away that same offence whereat manie at this day stumble which is the outward name and shew of the Church Manie thinke that so long as they embrace the Church which hath continued so manie hundreth yéers they are safe enough But of the Church Ierom writes thus Ier. in 2. cap. Soph. Of the Church it seemes at the first sight a blasphemous thing to say that she shall become a wildernesse and that no man shall walke in her and that beasts shall dwell in her And that hereafter how scoffingly it shall be said vnto her This Citie is plagued with all euils which dwelt in hope which said in her heart I am and there is none other besides me any more How is she become a wildernesse a pasture of wilde beasts But he that shall consider that saying of the Apostle wherein it is said In the latter times shall be perilous seasons men shall be louers of themselues couetous arrogant proud blasphemers disobedient to parents vnthankefull wicked c. and also that which is written in the Gospell that iniquitie being increased the charitie of manie shall wax colde in so much that at that time shal be fulfilled But the sonne of man when he commeth shall he finde faith vpon the earth will not maruel at the last desolation of the Church which Antichrist raigning shall become a wildernesse and be giuen to wilde beasts and suffer all things which the Prophet here nowe describes It appeares here by Ieromes iudgment that the Church shall not continue alwaies in
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
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
would neuer haue said When as we are iudged of the Lord we are corrected that we should not be damned with the world And therfore Iohn was taught by the mouth of an Angell Whom I loue I chasten and correct And therefore also it is written Whom the Lord loues he chasteneth he scourgeth euerie sonne that he receiueth Héere Gregorie séemes to referre that saying of the Apostle but to some And it is true in respect of the reprobate but in respect of his chosen all that he iudgeth here he will not condemne with the world Reu. 3.19 And so the Angell taught Saint Iohn indefinitely that al whom he loues he corrects Gregorie expounds this correction of the punishments of this life And of the same punishmēts he expounds that place of S. Paul And then S. Paul saith that euery son that he scourgeth that is in this life saith Gregorie receiueth and therefore not in Purgatorie Theodoret vpon that place to the Corinthians If anie man shall build vpon this foundation gold In 1. ad co ca. 3 c. writes thus Some thinke that the Apostle speakes thus concerning opinions in doctrine but I thinke he speakes it of exercises of vertue and vice And that he makes as it were a way to the accusation of him who had committed fornication Furthermore he cals gold siluer precious stones the kinds of vertues and wood hay stubble those things contrary to vertue for the which hell fire is prepared And these things do not depend of the fault of the teachers but of the intent and purpose of the schollers They truly teach them heauenly doctrines but amongst them which heare some make themselues gold some siluer some precious stones by diligently marking such things as are taught them Some other liuing slouthfully and idlely choosing that which is nought resemble the nature of wood hay or stubble which may easily be burned and the difference of these matters not this present life but the life to come shal reproue for this thing that meanes the day of the Lord shall make manifest That is to say the day of iudgement And a little after vpon these words Euerie mans worke what it it is the fire shall trie The teachers saith he teach heauenlie things the hearers according to their pleasures chuse that which they think is to be done But in the day of the comming of the Lord there shall be a sharpe and vehement examination those which haue liued well as gold and siluer the fire shall make more bright And it shall burne them which haue liued euill like wood hay or stubble The teacher also which hath taught such things as became him shall not suffer punishment but shall be accounted worthie of saluation for this he saith but he shall be saued that is the teacher The worke shall be burned that is as much to say they who haue made themselues as euill worke And after If anie will not applie that as it were by fire to the worke but to the teacher let him so vnderstand it that he shal not suffer punishment for them but he also shall be saued tried by fire if he haue a life agreeing with the doctrine Thus much Theodoret whereby it appeares plainly that he expoundes this place not of anie purgatorie fire before the day of iudgement but of the fire which at that day shall be reuealed And shall then trie and purge not the works of any middle sort of men but of all men And againe vpon these words of Malachie Behold he comes Theodoret in cap. 3. Mal. Of this second comming Zacharie also prophecieth and they shal behold him whom they haue pearced c. So also the blessed Apostle Saint Paul because it shall be reuealed in fire And the fire shall trie euerie ones worke what kinde of one it is c. And I thinke also of these fires that the Prophet meanes not onely this that is the fire of the day of iudgement or of the second comming of Christ but the purgation of the holy Ghost For by this mystically they which come vnto him the Lord doth purge with the fire of his spirit So therefore that great Prophet Iohn said He shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire and also by his heauenly grace as it were with a certaine hearb he washeth away the filthinesse of sinnes Theodoret here as it were making a suruey of purgatories findes but thrée And in none of them the Popes Purgatorie fire but first the fire of the second comming of Christ then the fire of the holy Ghost and lastly the heauenly grace and mercy of God These were all the purgatories which Theodoret could find out as this place teacheth And he referres manifestly that place of the Corinthians to the day of Iudgement 1 Cor. 3.13 The text it selfe séemes to prooue manifestly that by this fire is meant afflictions For thus we reade Euerie mans worke shall be made manifest for the day shall make it manifest for through fire it shall be reuealed and euerie ones worke what kind of one it shal be the fire shall trie No doubt fire in all these places is taken in the same signification But it is manifest that as Christ said of the séed of his word the Sunne arising that is the heate of persecution tries whether the seed had taken déepe roote or not so fire here reueales euerie ones worke that is persecutions and afflictions This fire shall disclose and make things hid manifest which the Apostle here speakes of it shall trie workes but such a fire is not the fire of purgatory It discloseth nothing nay it is hid it selfe Neither doth it trie workes as this fire the Apostle here speakes of doeth but it purgeth soules as the papists teach And therefore this place can make nothing for their purgatorie fire The verie text it selfe refutes it M. Bellarmine and Poligranes expound that place of Matthew Agree with thine aduersarie of purgatorie Wherof Poligranes writes thus There are manie other places of scripture Polig de suffrag defunct De Purg. lib. 1. ca. 4. out of which as concerning this matter the fathers say nothing yet our later writers being stirred vp by heretiques searching the scriptures more diligently do from them confirme purgatorie of which sort is this Agree with thine aduersarie And Master Bellarmine affirmes that they all agree that the prison is hell But yet there are many mansions some for the damned and some for them which shall be purged Againe almost all agree that by the last farthing are meant small sinnes Againe that vntill thou hast paide the last farthing cannot seeme rightly to be said vnlesse there were an end of payment Neither Saint Austens examples are sufficient to prooue the contrarie For when it is said he knewe her not vntill shee had brought foorth we may not hereby gather that he knewe her after but we may wel inferre that she should sometime
intreate of the punishment of them that are dead For therefore a great tribulation shall go before and afterward fire shall descend and shall quickly purge all the relickes of sinne in iust men For as Ireneus notes in the ende of his fift booke Then sodainly the Church which is on earth shal be taken to her spouse Neither then shall be any time of purging any more as there is now after death before iudgement Here is purgatorie and no purgatorie for those fathers in déede speake of a purging which shall be at the daie of iudgement by fire but not of those onely that then shall liue as M. Bellarmine here séemes to expound Ierom but of all men in generall as appeareth by the words Ierom there vseth Peccatores quosque flumina ignis ante cum traehent voluentia The rowling streames of fire shall drawe before him all sinners not those that be liuing as Master Bellarmine expounds him And the Lord is called a fire and a consuming fire that he may burne our wood hay and stubble alluding to that place of Saint Paul That if any man haue built vpon Iesus Christ wood hâ—y or stubble the day of the Lord shall trie euerie mans worke not the workes of them that liue then onely but euerie mans worke And after he addeth That according to the saying of Ezechiel whatsoeuer in our gold and siluer that is in our vnderstanding and word is mingled with brasse iron or lead in the Lords furnace may be a Percoquitur thorowly fined that pure gold and siluer may remaine Here Ierome speakes of all sinners not of those that shall liue then And he addeth That our gold and siluer that is iust mens workes as well as sinners drosse shall then bee examined And in another place which hath béene alleadged before he manifestly confirmeth this exposition As we beleeue saith he that the torments of the Diuell and of all them which denie God and of wicked men which say in their heart there is no God Ieron in 66. ca. Esaiae are euerlasting So also wo is me of sinners yea of Christians whose workes shall be purged and tried with fire we suppose that the sentence of the iudge shall not be extreame but mixed with mercie This place against M. Bellarmines exposition prooues that all Christians workes which are sinners shall be tried and purged at that daie and not those onely that then are liuing in stéede of the purgatorie they should haue endured Saint Augustine also saith which place Master Bellarmine there also hath alleadged for purgatorie Aug. de ciuit lib. 20. cap. 25. of these things which haue been spoken it seemes to appeare most euidently that in that iudgement there shall be some purgatorie punishment of some but he names not who they be It should séeme he means those whom Ierom meant before Neither doth that place of Irenaeus which alleadgeth make anie thing for his purpose For Irenaeus there first writes thus The day of the Lord is as it were a thousand yeeres Iren. lib. 5. And in sixe daies were all things finished that were made And therefore it is manifest that the sixt thousand yeere shall be the consummation of all these things And therefore in all that time man being made in the beginning by the hand of God that is of the Sonne of the Spirit that he may be according to the image and likenesse of God the chaffe being cast away which are Apostacie and the corne being taken into the barne that is they which bring forth fruits to God through faith And therefore tribulation is necessarie for them that shall be saued that being as it were broken in peeces and made into smal powder and sprinkled here and there through patience by the word of God yea euen beene all a fire they might be fit guests for the kings banquet And as one â— our Christians who being iudged to be cast to wild beasts to be torne in peeces of them for his martyrdome towards God said Because I am the corn of Christ I am grinded by the teeth of these wild beasts that I might be found fine manchet of God And after The nations are so farre profitable and fit for the iust in as much as the stubble is profitable for the increasing of the wheat the chaffe thereof to burne for the purifying of Gold And therefore in the end when the Church departing hence shall be taken aloft there shall be saith he tribulation such as neuer was nor shall be That shall be the last combate of the iust wherein the conquerors shall be crowned with incorruption Thus farre Irenaeus And here M. Bellarmine mistakes a word for repetente Ecclesia as it is in Irenaeus printed at Basil Anno Dom. 1526. which is as much as to say the Church repairing againe to a place he puts in repente that is sodainly As though this sodainnesse of her departure should be the cause of that her purging by fire because she could not stay to endure the fire of Purgatorie It may séeme of that one word he grounds this his exposition And if he doe it is but his collection it is not Irenaeus assertion as he saith and that also of a false foundation taking repente for repente which is in the auncient copie And if so be that the word were repente so dainly yet there néeded not anie Purgatorie fire to the end that they might attaine saluation For euen sodainly God is able and hath also saued sinners as Elias is called of Saint Iames A man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subiect to like affection and perturbations euen as we are Iam. 5.17 and therefore a sinner yet was he translated into heauen sodainly And our Sauiour himselfe speaketh thus of Zacheus who before was a Publican as soone as he beléeued on him This day is saluation come vnto this house Christ also healed very many both of their bodily Luke 19.9 Mark 5.34 Luke 7 50. and spirituall diseases sodainly saying thy faith hath saued thee No doubt if these had then died they should haue béene saued euen sodainly without enduring anie Purgatorie There is a place in saint Paul where the word sodainly is vsed 1. Thes 5.3.4 For when they shall say peace and safetie then shall come vpon them sodaine destruction c. But you brethren are not in darknesse that that day should come on you as a theefe in the night But that sodaine destruction or punishment respects the wicked not the faithfull that shall then liue at that day more then them that haue liued before that day Here is not one word of anie purging but of the purging of afflictions And that shall be all the time of the continuance of the world saith Irenaeus And that shall so cleane purge vs as it shall make vs fit guestes for the Lords banquet and what other purgatorie then shall the faithfull stand néede of Here is not that those that liue at the
glorifie him Thus farre Ferus Wherein he doth teach vs manie notable lessons First not to giue to Saints those things which belong to God Secondly that we maie honor the Saints too much which some I thinke at this daie do not beléeue Thirdly what is the minde of all Saints they cannot abide that they should be extolled for any of Gods gifts Fourthly that they are but Gods instruments and do nothing by their owne power as hath been taught and beleeued most commonly in the darknesse of Poperie when as men went a pilgrimage and offered to them as if they of their own power could helpe them Fiftly let all men in all wonderfull works acknowledge God the chiefe workman and giue him all the glorie and praise and magnifie him in his Saints as the first Christians did in Paul they did not magnifie Paul Gal. 1.24 Neither that they make anie of them equall with God The same Ferus manifestly refutes that same obiection which the Papists make commonly for their pictures and images of God Fer. in 2. Act. God say they hath appeared often times in many formes and shapes and why may we not then paint him according to that forme he appeared in Here first besides that this their picturing of God is manifestly against the second commandement and against the doctrine of the prophet Esay where God as it were euen reasons with these idolaters Esay 40.18 and saith To whom will ye liken me c. Ferus yéelds another reason of these appearances of God God saith he in himselfe is inuisible yet we reade that he hath oftentimes appeared And all such his appearances are for the most part as the matters required for the which hee appeared So Esay saw God sitting as a iudge for the iudgement of Israel was at hand He appeared to Moses in a bush burning and not consuming For then such like was the state of the people of Israel in Egypt for they were in the fire of aduersitie and were not consumed Also he shewed himselfe to the eies of man at the giuing of the law in thunder lightning cloud and an earthquake to declare that that law should be a fearfull lawe and should cause wrath So the Angell hauing a sword drawne in his hand shewed himselfe to Iosuah now ready to fight whereby he declared that he would fight against the enemies of the Iewes So to Zacharie Angels appeared like horsemen for it was a time of feare and trembling for the inuasions of the Persians So the holy Ghost was seene vpon Christ in the shape of a Doue that he might declare that singular and rare innocencie puritie and mildnesse which was in Christ For a Doue is a gentle simple and plaine creature without any gall So in the transfiguration of our Lord which is a type of the resurrection the holy Gost appeared in a bright cloud that he might declare that at the last resurrection shall want no comfort not glorie Here also the holy Ghost appeared in toongs and fire for the state of the matter then euen so required it The Apostles stood need of toongs but both of firie and heauenly toongs So Ferus giues these reasons of these apparitions and not that we should by them make images of all these things Ferus also concerning images quite dissents from M. Bellarmine Bellar. de imag lib. 2. cap. 12. M. Bellarmine writes thus We with the Church affirme that the images of Christ and the Saints are to be honoured if so be that as it is declared in the councell of Trent Sess 25. we put no trust in the images neither that we aske any thing of them neither that we thinke that there is any diuinitie in them And againe answering after the obiection of the golden calfe which the Israelites made he answeres Cap. 13. that the Israelites thought verily that they had receiued their deliuerance out of Egypt not of the God of Moses but of Apis the god of the Egyptians which they had seene in Egypt worshipped of the Egyptians and therefore to him they made the image of a calfe But Ferus is of another and better iudgement vpon these words Make vs Gods c. he writes thus Fer. in 7. c. Act. He shewes that they were not only rebellious against Moses but also against God By gods here they meane saith he some worship of God by which they might purchase his helpe For they were not so blockish that they beleeued that Aaron could make them a god And this prooues that which Aaron said Tomorrow is the holy day vnto the Lord therfore they worshipped the true God with this worship The which thing is euident also by their owne words These are the gods c. For they knew well enough that that calfe was not then when they came out of Egypt therefore no worship whatsoeuer pleaseth God which he himselfe hath not appointed Therfore they sinned herein two waies First in that they made an image against the first commandement of God Secondly in that they worshipped him with a worship deuised of themselues The true worship of God is in spirit and truth He worships God which beleeues in him trusts in him loues him feares him praiseth him and obeyeth him This worship is to be preferred aboue all others nor any other are auailable without this Images are therefore tolerated and borne withall in the Church that they may put vs in minde not that they should be worshipped otherwise they cannot at all be excused Here Ferus quite dissents from M. Bellarmine First he plainly affirmes that the Israelites as we doe teach did worship the true God vnder the image of the golden calfe and not Apis the God of the Egyptians as M. Bellarmine affirmeth Secondly that images are not to be worshipped at all And that their worship cannot be defended and yet M. Bellarmine goeth about to defend it Thirdly he teacheth that no worshippe whatsoeuer can please God which God himselfe hath not ordained Contrarie also to M. Bellarmines exposition Bell. de Imag. lib. 2 cap. 4. who expounds that place of the second to the Colossians thus I say secondly that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluntarie worship doth not signifie any voluntarie worship whatsoeuer not commanded of God or deuised of man but onely superstitious worship as our interpreter hath rightly translated it or false religion as S. Ierom expounds it in his Epistles in his tenth question to Algasia Therfore saith he Caluin must prooue the worship of reliques to be superstitious or false if he will haue it reprooued here of Paul Thus farre M. Bellarmine He affirmes that some worship of God deuised of man or besides that which God hath commanded so that it be not superstitious maie please God But Ferus plainly condemnes all worships of God whatsoeuer besides those which he hath appointed himselfe And to this purpose he writes thus after vpon these words Fer in 7. Act. Ye haue
taken the Tabernacle Moloch saith he was an Idol of the Ammonites The Iewes oftentimes desired to serue God with strange worships So they yeelded vnto the true God the worshippe wherewith Moloch was worshipped of the Ammonites in the meane while omitting that which he had commanded So Ieroboam appointed calues as though that had bin a more acceptable worship to God then that which Moses had prescribed so Achaz in the Temple placed an altar like that which he had seene at Damascus so Achab besides Ieroboams calues brought in the worship of Baal In that thing therefore wherein they thought greatly to please God they greatly offended him Therefore in the sacrifices of God a good meaning as they say is not sufficient vnlesse it agree with the word of God Ferus herein teacheth vs two things first that vnder the worship of Baal the Iewes worshipped the true God And to this his exposition séemes to agrée that place of Osea Osea 2.16 At that day saith the Lord thou shalt call me Ishi and shalt call me no more Baali And that spéech of Rabsake 2 king 18.22 But if you say vnto me we trust in the Lord our God Is not that he whose hie places and whose altars Ezechias hath taken away and hath said to Iudah and Ierusalem ye shall worship before this altar at Ierusalem Secondlie that all worship be it neuer so austere and sharpe in pinching themselues as was Baals or so costly of gold and siluer as was Ieroboams calues or so stately in building as was the high places which no doubt of their statelinesse tooke their name can please God if it bee not commaunded in his word and by himselfe ordained And after Ferus declares vnto vs the greatest thing that the Diuell takes pleasure in and what he labours most about I would to God all Catholickes would marke his lesson and not further the diuell in his worke Behold saith he the diuell hath euer gone about and goes about yet that the glorie of God omnipotent may be yeelded to creatures As on the contrarie Fer. in ca. 8. act the holy Ghost counsels vs to giue all glorie to God Of Idolatrie and what it is the same Ferus writes thus As God abhorres no other sin more then Idolatrie In cap. 17. act so thou shalt find the saints of God to haue beene moued to anger with no sin more then with Idolatrie Moses is a witnes hereof who for this sinne brake the tables written with Gods owne finger Helias is a witnes hereof who for this sinne slew many hundreds of the sacrificers Iosias also and Matathias is a witnes hereof who slue Antiochus seruant compelling the Iewes to Idolatrie so also Phinees c. For a godly man cannot patiently endure and see the contempt of God And surely he that can behold and endure this hath no religion in him So Paul was greatly moued when as he saw the citie most famous for learning and religion to be wonderfully giuen to Idolatrie Paul had trauelled thorow many cities yet it is reported of none of them that they were altogether giuen to Idolatrie but of Athens where learned men were So the olde prouerbe was verified The more learned the more wicked So amongst all the Iewes the inhabitants of Ierusalē were the worst So is it also now amongst vs. And after he sheweth what is Idolatrie thus Ye men of Athens It may be gathered out of the text that the Athenians were studious of Gods honour for so it is said before that Paul saw the citie giuen to Idols And after that they erected altars to vnknowen gods But Paul cals this worship not religion but superstition Then he proues that they are not to be called Gods which dwell in temples made with hands and stand need to be helped of others Religion is one thing and superstition is another yet many thinke it comes to passe that they which seeme religious to themselues before God are accounted nothing but superstitious To the vnknowne God This was the title To the Gods of Asia Europe and Africa straunge and vnknowne Gods Paul amends this title putting in the singuler number for that which they put in the plurall And he applies that title to the one true God who truly is the God of Asia Europe and Africa of all the earth but to that day vnknowen to the nations The which you ignorantly worshippe This is most truly said For the Apostle did not preach anie new God that which the Gentiles thought but they shewed the same God which al the Gentiles worshipped not knowing him for although they erected Images to themselues yet their mind was to worship the true God Here we may learne what a horrible sinne Idolatrie is Men account it as nothing but of all sinnes it is most grieuous And let vs take héed that we incurre it not againe now by sathans perswasions with the olde Paganes They worshipped in their hearts the true God to whom they made their images But that was Idolatrie saith Ferus And shall we commit the like The grieuousnes of the sinne should make vs verie carefull least by anie meanes we should come neere it And of that foolish pitie which mooues many simple mens hearts when they sée great buildings pulled downe or golden images defaced Fer. in 19. ca. act Ferus writes thus They which practised curious arts came and burned their bookes True charitie respects not the price nor losse of anie thing when she seeth that it is contrarie to Gods commaundements So Ezechias and Iosias destroyed the Altars and Temples although they were builded with great cost Againe a little after he writes thus For the ouerthrowing of Idolatrie of all other things the Apostles most suffered persecution Diana was the Moone which the Ephesians worshipped for her speciall influence which she hath towards these earthlie things The Temple of Diana the Goddesse of the Ephesians was 220. yeeres in building of all Asia It was 425. foot in length 220. in breadth It had 127. pillars in it euerie one of them built of a king threescore foot in height whereof 36. were engrauen To conclude this Temple was built in a marrish ground that it should not fal with earthquakes Here I beséech you mark how vngodlines spares no expēces costs in an euil superstitious matter whē as she is most niggardly to giue any thing to a good worke there are very many so superstitious amongst vs. That famous Church being so long in building built with such great cost Paul pulled down in two yéers by the word of the gospell Therfore great is the glorie force of the gospell Fer. in act 28. And againe vpon these words They said he was a God They said this of the vanitie of the Gentiles of their false opinion they had concerning the Gods The world can keepe no meane for it either ouermuch despiseth a man or else it attributeth too much vnto him But
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
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
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
from a thousand dangers Psal 121.4 and euen as it were to loade me with many graces for all which as it is méete that I should craue pardon at thy hands Psal 19.12 not only for the forgiuenesse of these sins which I know but also of those which I know not so it is méete that I should in like sort giue thee as great and bounden thankes as possiblie I can not onlie for the benefites I know but also for those I know not And therefore I worship thee I praise thee I giue thanks to thee in them and for them all Giue me grace O my Redéemer that I may so learne to vse all these thy benefits hereafter Mat. 25.24 that they be not occasions of pride and slouthfulnesse in me but of greater humilitie and thankfulnesse and that they may kindle in me a greater desire and zeale of thy seruice To thee therefore who liuest and raignest with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honor and glorie both now and for euer and euer Amen A Forme of Morning Prayer taken out of Granatensis for Christian families O Lord God of Israel which dwellest betweene the Cherubins 2. King 19.15 thou art the verie God alone ouer all the kingdomes of the earth thou hast made heauen and earth thou hast made winter and sommer Psal 74.16 Gen. 1.1 the day is thine and the night also is thine O Lord God our most bountifull most mercifull and most louing Father wee most wretched sinners here gathered together in thy most holie name humblie prostrate our selues before thy throne of mercie crauing pardon and forgiuenes for al our sins And although we be vnworthie through our manifolde iniquities Luke 18.13 to present our selues before thy glorious Maiestie much lesse to offer to thée any oblation of praise thāksgiuing considering our owne basenesse demerits yet we know that thou art a Lord most bountifull a God most merciful a Father most louing and a sauior most swéet comfortable Luk. 15.20 whose propertie is euer to saue and haue mercie on the humble sorowfull penitent persons that come to thee in the name of thy beloued son Iesus Christ We confesse O Lord our wretchednesse Psal 32.5 wee acknowledge O Father our vnworthinesse wee are hartilie sorie for our sinnes we most humbly craue pardon for them euen for Iesus Christs sake Esay 59.2 we know that our sinnes stand before vs as great huge heaps like walles of iron and gates of brasse which hinder our petitions so that they cannot come before thee Esa 1.18 we do account our sinnes as red as scarlet in thy sight wee feele our burthen is so heauie and intolerable that we are not able to beare it Psal 40.12 we sée in our selues to be no frée spot from the crowne of the heade to the sole of the foote but all is spotted and corrupted with sores and vlcers Esa 1.6 whose great vengeance which they worthily deserued would haue fallen vpon vs long agoe Lam. 3.22 but that it was stayed and kept backe by thy mercifull hand Wee giue thee O most gratious God and louing Father humble and heartie thankes for this thy fatherlie loue in the name of thy dearely beloued Sonne Iesus Christ beséeching thee for his sake to continue this thy loue and mercy towards vs all the daies of our liues Psal 84.9 O most louing Father looke not vpon vs but looke vpon the face of this thy annointed Iesus Christ and for his sake haue mercie vpon vs Remoue O Lord our sinnes as farre from vs as the East is from the West Psal 103.12 that they bee neither hinderances to let thy mercie for falling on vs or our prayers Psal 51.7 for comming vp into thy sight Purge vs with Isop dipped not in the bloud of the lambe but in the bloud of thy Son Iesus Christ and we shall be as white as snowe O good Lord sprinckle not only the vppermost poste Exod. 12.7 Rom. 10.9 and the two side postes of the doores of our houses but the whole houses of our hearts and soules with that most precious bloud with the Isop of thy Gospell now preached and wée doe beleeue verily that the destroyer shall passe ouer vs he shall in no wise hurt vs. Ease we beséech thée O swéete Sauiour our burthens as thou hast promised Matt. 11.28 who callest all to thée that are heauie loaden and burthened We confesse O Sauiour euerie one of vs that we carie on our backes the greatest burthens that euer were borne 1. Tim. 1.25 Heb. 13.20 Rom. 8.33 Ephes 5.16 And graunt to vs we beséech thee O mercifull Father that by the bloud of the euerlasting testament sprinkled in our harts by a liuely faith all the inditements and accusations of Satan against vs maie be quite blotted out and all his fir is darts quenched Make this couenant with vs O sweete Sauiour that so long as we serue thée that thou wilt be our God 1. Sam. 2.30 Psal 119 32. our guide and protectour And graunt vs euer therefore thy grace that we may be able to do thée seruice and willing minds to do it with chéerefulnesse 2. Cor. 5.25 And because O Lord Ephes 1.6 the whole course and end of our life should be no other thing but to delight to do thy will and pleasure Psal 5.3 giue vs grace to begin to praise and serue thée the first thing we do in the morning and let vs account and make it the principall ground-worke of all other whereon we should laie all other businesses and affaires whatsoeuer And that we may do it more effectuallie giue vs the holie Ghost the seale of our saluation 2. Cor. 1.22 to seale and shut vp the doores of our hearts and minds from all earthly thoughts and worldly cogitations And close O good Lord Ier. 9.21 the windowes of al our senses frō the vaine appetites of the world the concupiscence of the flesh and the baites of the diuell first of all in the morning when we awake so that all these being excluded and shut out of doores our hearts and minds may be open onlie to thee and to receiue and admit thy Son our Sauiour Iesus Christ into them before all things else 1. Thess 2.13 Reu. 14.4 That so wee may offer vnto thee the firstlings of this day and of all the dayes of our liues And here we giue thee deare Father Psal 137.2 most humble and heartie thankes for the quiet rest and swéete sléepe that thou hast giuen vs this night and for that thou hast deliuered vs from all vaine dreames and foolish fantasies and from all the subtill snares and illusions of our enemy the diuell Psal 91.3 and for all other the benefits of our creation our redemption 1. Cor. 1.30 our election our iustification our sanctification that thou hast called vs vnto the knowledge of
thy truth and faith in thée Rom. 8.30 that thou hast poured into vs good inspirations and good thoughts that thou hast deliuered vs from that euill one Matt. 6.13 and preserued vs from all perils and dangers from sodaine death burning with fire robbing with théeues and such like casualties Iob. 1 19 Luk. 13.4 wherewith manie are sodainlie taken in the night vnawares that thou hast with such greate patience and mercie staied thy wrath so long frō vs Rom. 2 4. giuen vs so large a time of repentance amendment or life For these and all other thy benefites which thou hast bestowed vpon vs from the first day of our birth vntill now Psal 105.2 which are mo in number then the haires of our heads we giue thee as we are most bound O most mercifull Father in the name of thy Sonne Iesus Christ continual and most humble and heartie thanks And we offer vnto thee O Lord all that we go about to do or suffer to be done Psal 37.5 all our labours all our studies all our exercises in a word all that we are to doe or wherein we shall bee employed or occupied this daie And we beséech thée poure downe thy blessing vpon them and prosper and giue good successe vnto them Psal 90.17 118.25 To thee also we offer euē our selues our soules and bodies with all ours Psal 150.6 that both we and all things els maie shewe thy praises set forth thy honour and declare thy glorie Into thy hands we commit all our affaires so that thou maiest do and worke in all things and dispose of all things whatsoeuer as shall please thy most holy and sacred will euen as though they were thine owne businesses and affaires and none of ours Moreouer Matt. 26.39 for as much as of our selues we are not able to doe thee anie seruice giue vs O Lord thy grace that we maie be so strengthened therwith Ephe. 3.16 that we may think saie or do nothing which is not agréeable to thy most blessed will O Lord make our wils alwaies agrée with thy wil. Psal 19.14 1. Cor. 3.5 And we most humblie beséech thée euer to assist vs with thy grace and to giue vs power and strength against all kind of sinnes especiallie against those whereunto we are inclined of our owne natures as pride couetousnesse enuie maliciousnesse gluttonie vncleannesse vaine glorie idle words such like so that through the power of thy might Ephes 6.10 we maie get victorie against these and all sinnes whatsoeuer Furthermore for as much as man is borne to labour and trauell as the birds to flie and thou hast ordained him the day to labour in Iob. 5.7 Psal 104.25 thou wouldst not haue him liue idly or spend his time vainlie endue vs all O Lord with thy grace that wee maie euerie one labour and studie to serue thée faithfullie in our callings Ephe. 4.1 2. Tess 1.11 And that labouring for the bodie and sustentation of this present life we maie yet cast awaie the great blindnesse of our minds and carefulnesse of worldly thinges and maie alwaies labour without all care ioyfully Matt. 6.33 1. Pet. 5.7 euen as the birds flie putting our whole trust in thée being most assuredlie perswaded that thou carest for vs and therfore O good Father giue vs grace to cast all our worldly cares vpon thée And giue vs alwaies onlie this care that we maie put our whole studie and care in kéeping of thy commandements O good Lord 2. Pet. 1.5 Iam. 1.23 make vs not only hearers but doers of thy word O Lord let vs not haue only a shew of thy religion but let the force and power thereof shine in our liues and conuersations 2. Tim. 3.5 Matt. 18.7 that we be not offences and stumbling blockes but lights and good examples to others And that wee may dayly do this Matt. 5.16 O good Lord as it hath pleased thée to make the Sunne to shine vpon the earth to giue our bodies light so we most humbly beséech thée inlighten our mindes and hearts by thy holy Spirit 2. Pet 1.19 that we may bee euermore directed in the way of righteousnesse Psal 90.2 And as this day addeth somwhat to our age so let thy holy spirit adde therein somewhat to our knowledge and faith that so growing in the measure of thy grace daily Ephes 4 15. Luk. 1.71 till we come to our perfection which is in Christ Iesus we maie serue thée in holinesse and righteousnesse not onlie this daie but all the dayes of our life Graunt vs these our petitions deare Father and all other necessarie graces for vs and thy whole Church for thy deare Sonne Iesus Christ his sake our most blessed Sauiour to whom with thee and the holie Ghost be all honour and glory now and for euer Amen Amen A Forme of Euening Prayer for Christian Families O Almightie God our heauenlie Father Psal 47.7 73.24 139.1 which art the great king ouer all the world which gouernest and preseruest all things which searchest vs out knowest vs which knowest our sitting downe and our vprising and vnderstandest our thoughts long before which art about our path and about our bed and spiest out al our waies We thanke thée through our onely Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ for blessing vs this daie past in all the studies businesses and affaires that we haue gone about We confesse what soeuer we haue brought well to passe to haue beene thy great mercies towards vs. Psal 108.13 Wée thanke thée for sauing vs from all dangers of bodie and soule we confesse our life our strength all the good things we haue Iam. 1.17 wholie and onlie to depend of thée And now as the day which thou hast made for labour is past and the night is come Gen. 1.25 which thou hast in like manner created for the refreshing of our wearie bodies and minds graunt vs therefore so to take our bodilie rest therein that our soules maie continuallie watch for thée and our heartes be lifted vp to loue thée Cant. 5.2 Grant that our sléepe be not excessiue but onelie sufficient to comfort our weake natures Giue euerie one of vs good Lord we beseech thée thy grace Pro. 6.9 that before we suffer our eies to sléepe or our eie lids to slumber or the temples of our heads to take anie rest to examine our consciences and to iudge our selues and to call to remembrance all our actions that wée haue done this daie whether all our thoughts words and works haue béene agréeable to thy holie will and commandements Psal 145.2 or no. And if we haue done anie thing well to giue thée in the name of Iesus Christ heartie and humble thanks for it Matt. 6.12 and if we haue omitted anie good worke which we might haue done to condemne our negligence slacknes and wearinesse in thy
seruice and to craue thy grace that we maie be more zealous hereafter in all good works 1. Thess 4.1 2. Pet. 3.8 And if wee haue done anie thing amisse to be heartilie sorie for it Psal 25.7 And now O Father we most humblie beséech thée to pardon and forgiue vs all the sinnes and frailties of our youth all the offences of this daie and of our whole life which we haue committed against thy diuine Maiestie And giue vs grace to amend our former liues 2. Cor. 5.17 and to become newe creatures And we now humblie beséech thee that as the night darkeneth and shadoweth all things so that thou wouldest for thy deare Son Iesus Christs sake couer all these our sinnes remouing them quite from thy sight Psal 32.1 Micah 7.19 assure our consciences of thy frée pardon and forgiuenesse of them all that as our bodies shall haue the rest of sléep so also our mindes euer through hope of thy mercie maie enioy the rest of a quiet conscience Esa 57.19.20 And so being wholie refreshed we maie awake and rise vp to thy seruice the next day and all the daies of our liues Graunt that wee laying our bodies downe in bed to take our naturall sléepe maie be thereby put in mind of that our long sléepe of death and that as we do now laie downe our bodies in bed 1. Thes 4.13 so we maie thereby be admonished that hereafter we shall be laid in our graue to be consumed to dust and earth Gen. 18.2.7 from whence we were first taken and giue vs grace to consider the streight and narrowe roome the hard and colde lodging the low and vnpleasant situation of that our parlor and home and the loathsome fashion vglie shape Eccles 7.40 and horrible sauour our bodies then shall haue that we hauing these before our eies maie bee stirred vp in our minds to be humble and not to passe for the pompe state Ephes 5.15 1. Pet. 1.17 pleasures and vanities of this world but to walke warilie in this our pilgrimage not knowing when the time shall be of our departure And O good Lord giue vs victorie against death 2. Cor. 5.1 Phil. 1.23 so that when death it selfe shall come we be not dismaied or discouraged at it â—â—om the which it is as easie for thée to raise vs Ioh. 11.43 as from our bodilie sléepe but that we maie euer rest in hope of that most ioifull resurrection wherein our bodies shall awake Phil. 3.20 Reu. 21.23 Psal 119.62 into that euerlasting daie which neuer shall haue anie night And as often as we shall awake in the night O Lord giue vs grace to praise thée for thy benefits O Lord shake off all fleshly drowsinesse in vs and giue vs grace Ephes 6.18 Col. 4.4 euen to watch in prayer as thou hast commanded vs. And O good Lord neuer forget vs Guide vs with shine eye all the dayes of our liues In the houre of death helpe vs Iam. 2.13 Iud. ep ver 21. Psal 39.5 Psal 99.12 Rom. 12.11 Ephes 5.16 and in the day of iudgement be mercifull vnto vs. We knowe O Lord our life is but short not a spanne long O giue vs grace to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts vnto wisedome to redéeme the time to omit no opportunitie or occasion of doing good Oh Lord vnlesse thou giue vs thy grace how manie opportunities of doing good will ouerslip vs And grant vs now thy grace we beséech thée that although our senses be bound this night with the chaines of naturall sléepe yet our mindes maie watch continuallie Luke 16.37 1. Thess 5.6 and looke for the comming of our Sauiour Iesus Christ that whether he come at midnight or at the cockcrowing Marke 13.35 or in the dawning of the daie he maie alwaies find vs waking readie and prepared with our lampes of a pure faith Matt. 25 8. clearely burning in our hands through the light of good works that we maie be wise and not foolish virgins Luke 12.35 and that the loines of our minds maie be girded vp and that as good seruants that stand with their torches in their hands still waiting when their maister will returne from the mariage we maie be commended and praised of him when he commeth O Lord giue vs all grace so to lead our liues as at that daie we maie heare that comfortable sentence spoken vnto vs Matt. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit yee the kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the world And that there we maie raigne with thée in perpetuall ioie together with all thy saints and elect children in that most blessed citie Reu. 21.23 the heauenly Ierusalem where shall bee no néede of candle neither of the Sunne nor of the Moone to lighten it for the glorie of the Lord shall lighten it and the Lambe is the light of it where our workes shall bee nothing els then with all the heauenlie multitude continually to sing praise and to laud the glorious Maiestie of thée O Lord God and heauenlie Father through our Lord Iesus Christ in the holy Ghost Vnto the which most glorious kingdome wee beséech thée to bring vs euen for Iesus Christs sake our onely Sauiour and redéemer to whom with thee and the holy Ghost one God immortall inuisible and onely wise be all praise saluation power and glory now and for euer more Amen Amen Certaine briefe and familiar prayers which euerie true Christian ought euer to haue in his mouth In the Morning Psal 3.5 I Laid me downe and slept and rose vp againe for the Lord sustained me Psal 5.8 Leade mee O Lord in thy righteousnesse because of mine enemies make thy way plaine before my face In the beginning or doing of any worke Psal 118.25 O Lord I beseech thee saue vs now O Lord I beseech thee send vs now prosperitie Psal 108.13 Through God we shall doe great acts and it is hee that shall tread downe our enemies In temptations of the flesh Psal 51.10 Create a cleane heart in me O Lord and renew a right spirit within me In the Euening Psal 4.6.7 Manie say who wil shew vs any good O Lord lift thou vp â—he light of thy countenance vpon vs. In Tribulations O forsake me not O Lord my God be not thou farre from me Psal 38.21.22 Haste thee to help me O Lord God my saluation I shall find trouble and heauinesse Psal 116.4 I wil call vpon the name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliuer my soule Against the assaults of the enemie Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall Psal 118.13 but the Lord was my helpe The Lord is my help I wil not feare what man can do vnto me Heb. 13.6 In sorow or heauinesse Why art thou so heauie O my soule Psal 43.5 and why art thou so
hide from Abraham the thing which I do God doth here euen as the kings are wont to doe also with their Noblemen and Princes hee imparts with him his secrets and counsels Gen. 18.17 Seeing that Abraham shall bee indeed a great and a mightie nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him For I know him that hee will command his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the word of the Lord to do righteousnesse and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him And is not Abraham here called a prince of Zabulon by Gods owne mouth He wil teach his family I know saith God Such a Prince also was that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. 4.53 that Nobleman in the Gospell of whom it is reported that when his daughter was cured he beleeued and all his houshold Such a Prince was Cornelius a Captaine and a Centurion who are wont commonly to be most vnruly it is reported of him that he was a deuout man and that he feared God and all his houshold Act. 10.2 which gaue much almes to the people and prayed to God continually Here are three notable properties of a good housekéeper to instruct his family to giue much almes and to pray continually I would to God that all housekeepers would learne but these three good pointes of husbandrie of him surely they would enrich them nay make them Princes euen in the Lords Court But what doe I reckon vp these examples in the new Testament For euen Iosuah himselfe did professe the same to all Israel And if it seeme euill to you to serue the Lord saith he choose ye this day whom you will serue Ios 24.15 c. I and my house will serue the Lord. It is a shame for Christians who by reason of their long continuance in Christs schoole Heb. 5.12 should now be Doctors and teachers of others as Saint Paul writes to the Hebrewes not to learne this lesson being now taught it by so many examples If Abraham our Father did catechize his familie though he were a mightie man shall any of his sonnes thinke himselfe too good to instruct his familie If the Noble man in the Gospell did shewe himselfe so kind for one benefite receiued at the hand of Iesus Christ shall not we much more hauing now receiued so manie If Cornelius a Souldier did this how shall a Citizen excuse himselfe if he doe it not And if Iosuah in the shadow did it how shall a Christian in the light not doe the same In the last but not in the least place are the Princes of Nephthalie and Nephthalie signifies a Comparison And such a kind of Prince is he that dare compare himselfe with Gods enemies nay that goes beyond them in all their morall vertues Such Princes of Nephthalie God hath had in his Church such as neither Roman nor Grecian in anie morall vertue euer excéeded or went beyond But now they are dead they are gone to the great shame of Christians Now Turkes excéed them in vertues to the great shame of the professors of Gods word Now manie Papists goe before them in good works Saint Paul thus writeth to Titus Let ours learne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 3.14 to excell in good workes to helpe poore men in their necessities that they be not vnfruitfull And our Sauiour saith to all his disciples Matth. 5.20 Vnlesse your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen And the Pharisees fasted and prayed often Matth. 9.14 Luke 18.12 as the Gospell teacheth vs Nay Saint Luke records that the Pharisie there said that he fasted twise in the weeke And hee is reproued there not of lying but of boasting And manie Christians thinke much now to fast once in the wéeke We cannot abide now no set times of fasting which this Pharisie obserued This is that most grieuous complaint that God makes against Ierusalem Eze. 15.48 that after so manie benefites bestowed vpon her euen from her cradle that Sodome and her daughters hath not done as Ierusalem and her daughters Neither hath Samaria committed halfe of her sinnes and that shee hath iustified both these her sisters And this is that which God saith to the Iewes by the Prophet Ieremie Ier. 2.10 Goe to the Iles of Chittim and behold and send out vnto Cedar and take diligent heed and see whether there bee such things God here as wee may sée vseth comparisons and compareth his seruants with others And do we not thinke that as he did then that hee doth not so euen now still also And are we not ashamed then that Turkes or Papists should go beyond vs in good workes Thus we haue séene a briefe viewe of Gods houshold now followes their manners The liues and maners of all Christians in particular briefly drawne out of the Word of God FIrst euerie Christian is bound continually to meditate vpon the word of God for so God commaunded the Iewes Deut. 6.6 And these wordes which I commaund thee this day shall bee in thy heart and thou shalt rehearse them continually to thy children and shalt talke of them when thou tariest in thy house and as thou walkest by the way and when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp and thou shalt binde them for a signe vpon thine hand and they shal be as frontlets between thine eyes And thou shalt write them vpon the posts of thine house and vpon thy gates This commaundement is generall to all not to Priests only And it was commanded the Iewes much more vs Christians Deut. 11.18 And againe Therefore shall yee lay vp these my words in your heart and in your soule and bind them for a signe vpon your hand that they may be as frontlets betweene your eyes And yee shall teach them your children speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp Men should talke of the word of God in their houses and should teach their children the same This is a plaine commandement without anie trope or figure and yet how hath Satan bewitched a great manie that they thinke it concernes them not that will neither know it themselues nor suffer their children to learne it And not onely Moses but also Dauid teacheth all men the same lesson And it is his first lesson that he teacheth a man to make him blessed Psal 1.1 Blessed is that mā saith he that doth not walk in the counsell of the wicked nor stand in the way of sinners not sit in the seate of the scornefull But his delight is in the lawe of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night And as he teacheth all men this lesson so he practised it himselfe though he were a king Psal 119.44 My hands also will I
is said to haue continued all night in prayer So that good king Dauid saith of himselfe At midnight will I arise to giue thankes to thee for thy righteous iudgements And of Anna that holy widow it is said Psal 119.62 Luke 2.37 that shee serued God with fastings and prayers day and night And here is another holy circumstance ioyned to our prayers that is fasting 2. Sam. 12 1â— This also Dauid ioyned to his prayers for his child as we may reade nay euen for his verie enemies when they were sicke he put on sackcloth Psal 35.13 and humbled his soule with fasting and his prayer returned euen to his owne bosome And shall not we then ioyne fasting to the prayers we make for our friends nay for our selues So Daniel ioyned prayer and fasting together those three weekes wherein no pleasant Dan. 10.4 bread nor flesh came within his mouth and therefore his prayers were heard as that man sent from God to him teacheth vs Dan. 10.12 Feare not Daniel saith he for from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to vnderstand and to humble thy selfe before thy God thy words were heard I am come for thy words No doubt these words were his prayers So in the Acts Cornelius a Heathen Act. 10.30 and a souldier was praying and fasting to the ninth houre of the day and he saw an Angell appeare vnto him and Peter was fasting and praying till the sixt houre that is Vers 9. till noone and he saw that heauenly vision of the calling of the Gentiles and shall not we followe these holie examples in this cleare light of the Gospell Shall we neither watch in prayer nor ioyne fasting to our prayers Is this to professe the Gospell Is this to haue faith 2. Tim. 3.5 This is to haue a shew of godlinesse as Saint Paul prophesieth that some should haue but plainely to denie the force thereof Oh let vs watch in prayer and ioyne fasting to our prayers Let not the Papists herein go beyond vs. These are plaine and manifest commandements of the Gospell and shall we not obey them Nay how often saith Dauid Psal 5.3 143 8. Psal 108.2 thou shalt heare my prayers betimes in the morning And early in the morning I will looke vp and direct my prayers vnto thee And againe Awake lute and harpe I my selfe will awake right early And yet we will scant now come to prayers at nine of the clocke Surely the Papists Mattens if they had béene done with vnderstanding had béene more agréeable to Gods word then our slouthfull and sluggish prayers are which wee now vse God will be serued earlie in the morning And therefore it is noted as a speciall mark and commeÌ„dation of Abrahams faith that when as he was commanded to offer his son Isaac Gen. 22.3 that Abraham rose vp in the morning very early If Abraham rose vp so early to offer such a sorrowfull sacrifice what should we doe which offer vp such a pleasant sacrifice to God as our prayers are Hence it is that the Christians in the Primitiue Church as hereafter shall be noted had their assemblies before day to praie to God and to giue him thanks The Scriptures also teach Christians to ioine another circumstance to their prayers and that is wéeping and sighing And so no doubt Samuel prayed for Saul as before it hath béene alleaged And Dauid often mentioneth these his teares added to his prayers Euery night will I wash my bed Psal 6.6 and water my couch with my teares And againe Away saith he from me ye wicked for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping vers 8. Dauids teares spake to God And againe Heare my prayer O Lord and hearken vnto my crie keep not still silence at my teares Psal 39.12 And thus it is also recorded of Ezechias that when as Esay the Prophet had denounced to him that heauie message from the Lord Put thy house in order for thou shalt die and not liue 2. King 20.3 that then he turned his face to the wal and prayed to the Lord saying c. And Ezechias wept sore And after Esay was gone out of the middle of the court The word of the Lord came to him saying Turne again tell Ezechias the Captain of my people vers 5. Thus saith the Lord God of Dauid thy father I haue heard thy prayers and seene thy teares Behold I haue now healed thee No doubt if Christians in their sicknesse would vse these pilles to purge their heads withall that is their teares as Ezechias did God would heale them as he did him These teares are the best and surest purgations in the world And for lacke of these it is likely all our other pilles and potions deuised of Physitions do manie times so little good So Marie Magdalene so Peter Luke 7.38 Matt. 26.75 in their sinnes wept bitterly as the Gospell teacheth vs. And who dare say that he is not as grieuous a sinner as either of theÌ„ No man liuing knowes his secret faults Psal 19.12 It is written thus of the people of Israel that when as they had sinned against the Lord that Samuel commanded to gather all the people to Mizpeh 1. Sam. 7.5 and that he would pray vnto the Lord. And they gathered togâ—ther to Mizpeh and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted the same day and said there We haue sinned against the Lord. No doubt these waters they drew and poured out before the Lord were teares from their hearts And here is that perfect patterne and forme of repentance which Ioel teacheth Ioel 2.12 Turne to the Lord with weeping fasting and mourning So these Israelits here no doubt turned to God And this is that iudgement which Saint Paul teacheth all Christians to vse euen against themselues Iudge your selues saith he that you bee not iudged of the Lord. For if we would iudge our selues 1. Cor. 11.31 we should not be iudged of the Lord. But now for lacke of this iudgement many are sicke amongst you and many sleepe and are dead Euerie Christian for the sinnes he hath committed against God should now be as it were a iudge against himselfe euen as it were punish himselfe by fasting weeping praying for his sins and so turne to God as Ioel counselleth And then as Saint Paul here teacheth without doubt he shall escape the iudgements and plagues of God in this world as sicknesse and such other euils which his sinnes deserue But aboue all other examples especiallie the example of our Sauiour should moue vs to ioyne these teares to our prayers of whom wee reade thus Which in the dayes of his flesh did offer vp prayers and supplications Heb. 5.7 with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death If Christ for our sakes offered vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares
shall not we doe the like for our selues Let vs follow his example But what speak I of shedding teares when we pray some are now growne so stiffe-necked that they will hardlie how their knées when they praie That is now accounted of manie superstition they saie it is sufficient to bow the knées of their hearts But howsoeuer they saie it is superstition I saie it is lacke of reuerence to the Maiestie of God and of deuotion O come let vs worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker Psal 9◠6 saith Dauid We say this euerie daie at our prayers with our mouthes do it not with our bodies What is this but euen as it were to mocke God S. Paul is said to bow his knees to the father of our Lord Iesus Christ of whom is named all the families in heauen and earth Ephes 3.14 Nay Iesus Christ himselfe is said to haue prostrated himselfe vpon the earth to God his Father Matt. 26.39 And shall we thinke much to bow our knées to him Or is it to stoupe a little with their heads when they praie as some vse to do to knéele Is that superstition which Saint Paul and our blessed Sauiour vsed To conclude then this second dutie of a Christian Thus he is taught manifestlie in the word of God to praie continuallie thrise a daie at least To watch in the night in his prayers to praie earlie in the morning and to ioyne with his prayers fasting wéeping and knéeling And then when he prayeth the Lord shall heare him as hee did Dauid and endue his soule with much strength Psal 138.3.109.7 Without these let him take héede his prayers be not turned into sin A third dutie which concernes all Christians is to exhort one another to good workes and to reprooue their brethren when they sée them to commit sinne and especiallie of maisters to catechize and instruct their families And this is that which Ecclesiasticus saith And hee saide vnto them Eccles 17.12 Beware of all vnrighteous things Hee gaue also euerie man a commandement concerning his brother Euery man must haue a care of his brother to exhort him to goodnesse and to keepe him from sinne And this is that allegorie of a bodie which Saint Paul also vseth and teacheth vs Rom. 10.4 We are all members of Christs bodie Now euerie member will not onelie labour for and helpe another but also if it be hurt will haue a care to heale it againe The same care should euerie Christian haue of his brother And hence it is that Saint Paul saith Heb. 3.12 Take heed brethren least at anie time there bee in anie of you an euill heart and vnbeleeuing to depart from the liuing God But exhort one another dayly while it is called to day least any of you bee hardened by the deceitfulnesse of sinne No doubt for lacke of this daily exhortation so manie at this daie amongst vs are hardened with sin No man now adaies exhorteth his brother to do good A man maie do what he list no man will reproue him And the same lesson he repeates againe as a lesson worthie the learning Heb. 10.24 Let vs consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and good workes not forsaking the fellowship that we haue amongst our selues as the maner of some is but let vs exhort one another and that so much the more because yee see that the day draweth neere c. The néerer that the day of iudgement approcheth the more we stand in néed of this exhortation and prouocation one of another forward to good works For then as should séeme Reu. 12.12 Sathan shall labour mightily as we find by experience to draw all men to sinne And therefore all men had neede to ioyne hands together and to labour against him We fight against mightie enemies Ephes 6.12 against principalities and powers as the Apostle telleth vs. And yet the iudge being now at the verie doores Iam. 5.9 and the day no doubt béeing at hand and this enemie béeing so mightie euen now raging so fiercelie because he knowes that hee hath but a short time to raigne Reue. 12.12 No man almost exhorteth his brother to good workes as loue and charitie but rather vnto pride and couetousnesse by his euill example No man reprooueth the sinne of his brother Men are nowe become like Caine who said Gen. 4.9 Am I my brothers keeper What haue I to doe with my brother This is a Caines and not a Christians voice The holy Ghost fell vpon the Apostles in the forme of fitie tongues Act. 2.3 To teach all Christians that are indued with the holie Ghost what their duties are they must be tongues they must not be dumbe they must exhort they must teach they must speake yea they must be firie tongues that is they must reproue also But now adaies that saying of King Dauid is verified Psal 94.16 Who will rise vp with me against the wicked Or who will take my part against the euil doers Perchance one amongst an hundred endued with this firie zeale of Gods Spirit will rebuke sinne will stand vp against the wicked but no man will take his part no man will ioine with him And so by that meanes his godly zeale doth little good One man is no man as the prouerbe is And without manie be ioined and coupled together there is no strength there is no force Secondlie as euery man is bound to exhort his brother so especiallie euerie Master his familie as appeareth by Gods owne spéech to Abraham when as hee reuealed to him the destruction of Sodome Ge. 18.17 c. And the Lord said Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do Seeing that Abraham shall be indeed a great and a mightie nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him For I know him that he will command his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnesse and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that hee hath spoken vnto him Let vs mark here all that will be accounted Abrahams children what God himselfe pronounceth of Abraham that hee will teach his sonnes and his familie to feare God do righteousnesse and let vs follow his steps then shall all that God hath promised Abraham come vnto vs. Would we then be partakers of Gods promises and of his blessings let vs then instruct our children and families Here is a condition or limitation prescribed to vs by Gods own mouth All men condemne Herod that killed the Innocents and yet they which catechize not their families and children are more cruell then he Matth. 2.16 for he killed other mens children and these men kill their owne Nay hee killed but their bodies only and these kill their soules O cruell Herods Let all true Christians beware of this crueltie and be rather Abrahams true children in instructing
wâ—re trauell to heauen To this all Gods creatures do as it were exhort vs which shew vnto vs the excellencie of their Creator that we should seek him alone And when as the holy Ghost is compared to Raine as Dauid saith prophesying thereof Psal 68.9 Thou Lord shalt send a gracious Raine on thine inheritance c. Zacharie plainly testifieth that vpon those that do not thus celebrate this feast of Tabernacles but are carefull of these worldly affaires that heauenlie raine shall not fall O terrible sentence O barren soules that lacke this heauenlie and gracious raine The like lesson God taught all men by the burning of Iericho and all that was therein which no doubt was a type of this world and her delights and pleasures Iosua 6.24 Whereof when as Achan amongst the spoyles saw a goodly Babylonish garment and two hundred shekels of siluer a golden tongue as it is in the Hebrue and coueted them and hid them in his tent Hee was stoned to death with stones for his labour And here are those thrée dearlings of the world againe plainly described to vs which S. Iohn mentioneth which are not of the father a Babylonish garment which maie signifie the pride and state of this life two hundred shekels of siluer which may signifie couetousnesse and the desire and lusts of the eyes And a golden tongue which maie signifie the lust of the flesh which must haue a golden tongue must bee dayly fed daintily with Diues Luke 16.19 Zephanie 1.8 God wil visite such as are clothed in strange apparell no meane diet or fare will content it These things damned Achan Let all true Christians despise and contemne them Let our garment not be in the fashion not strange not Babylonish but comely and such as our owne countrie hath vsed Let our treasures bee not excessiue Let not our tongue bee a golden tongue but content with simple fare as was our Sauiour Iohn 6.9 who is read to haue had barly bread and fish for his prouision Iosuah no doubt was a figure of our Sauiour Iesus and that earthlie Canaan of our heauenlie inheritance Iosua 3.17 But how brought Iosuah the Israelites into that Canaan The first thing they did they went ouer Iordan drie shod And what doth that teach vs but that wee must also passe ouer the Iordan of this life drie shod so that our féete must not be dipped in the delightes pleasures honours desires and affaires of this present world 1. Cor. 7.29 And hereof the Apostle said The time is but short henceforth let them which haue wiues bee as though they had none and they that weepe as though they wept not c. And Dauid Psal 66.6 They passed through the riuer on foote there did wee reioyce in him The true souldiers of Iesus Christ passe ouer the floud of this life with drie féete but there that is in the life to come we shall reioyce in him we shall be as it were drowned in that bottomlesse sea of pleasures The like contempt of the world Iosuah himselfe declared who when as he had conquered all the land of Canaan was serued the last himselfe Iosua 19.49 When as they had made an end of deuiding the land by the coasts thereof then the children of Israel gaue an inheritance vnto Iosuah the son of Nun amongst them according to the word of the Lord they gaue him the citie which he asked euen Tymnah-serah in mount Ephraim and he built the citie and dwelt therein Here he was not his owne caruer but the children of Israel gaue him it and it was called Tymnah serah that is a great image such an account made he of his inheritance but euen as of an image as of a type of that heauenlie inheritance The like account made Dauid of this world Psal 119.17 Psal 16.2.3 though a king O Lord saith he thou art my portion And againe Thou art my Lord my goods are nothing vnto thee To thy Saints that are in the earth or to the excelleÌ„t my delight is in them All Dauids account was of God he made no account of his riches and then next vpon Gods Saints that is vpon his seruants and vpon the poore He set more by the poore then he did by his riches O that this mind were in vs Christians Matt. 9.9 Rom. 13.7 Matt. 17.27 Matthew sitting at the receipt of custome which was a gainfull and a lawfull office for as Saint Paul saith Tribute is to be paid to whom tribute belongeth and our Sauiour paide tribute himself yet he despised this gainefull and lawfull office and followed Iesus Christ But especially that notable example of Zacheus and that singular commendation that our Sauior yéeldes to him for it should teach all Christians to despise the world As soone as Christ had entred into his house Luke 19.8 hee stood forth and said vnto the Lord Behold Lord the halfe of my goods I giue vnto the poore and if I haue taken anie thing from anie man by forged cauillation I restore him foure fold What néed he haue giuen halfe of his goods to the poore but that he despised them and this world and that his delight was now vpoÌ„ Gods Saints as Dauids was To make restitution was necessary but the other was voluntarie And our Sauiour addeth This day is saluation come vnto this house Here are euident signes of a liuelie faith This mans faith flames through charitie for as much as he is become the sonne of Abraham Gal. 5.6 Gen. 18.1 Such a faith had Abraham which wrought through charitie as appeared by his sitting in his tent doore euen in the heate of the day which was extreme in those countries to waite that hee might entertaine strangers As soone as Christ entred into Zacheus his house he stood forth and said thus Behold Lord the halfe of my goods I giue vnto the poore c. They which lacke this faith and this charitie it is to be feared that Christ is neither yet entred into their houses nor into their hearts where Christ is by and by this fire flameth And surelie this his liberalitie to the poore maie séeme but reasonable that a man should giue againe halfe to God Pro. 19.17 1. Cor 4.7 1. Sam. 12.8 who gaue him all that he hath and reserue but the other halfe for himselfe and his children And it séemes to be written for an example not for vs onlie to talke of but for all rich men to follow Whatsoeuer is written is written for our learning Rom. 15.4 saith Saint Paule And nothing is put downe idlie in the Scriptures Christ Iesus will feede the fancies or pleasures of no men no not of kings no not of Herod himselfe Luke 23.9 O that our rich men then would follow this so manifest an example then should the poore be sufficientlie relieued and they do but their duties and be blessed for their labours Then should they be
would haue perished in the earth is preserued in heauen Therefore that which is preserued we shall receiue Thy desert is preserued thy merit is become a treasure For marke what thou shalt receiue Receiue ye the kingdom that was prepared for you from the beginning of the world On the contrarie they that would not lend what shall they heare Goe yee into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his Angels Thus farre Augustine Where he plainly sets downe the great blessing that the merifull lender shall obtaine at Gods hands and the terrible punishment which not the vsurer only but he that will not lend shall be sure to haue I would to God all Christians would but marke what censures the verie Heathens haue giuen concerning vsurie WheÌ„ as one asked Cato Censorius Cic. lib. 2. Off. what were the chiefe points of good husbandrie He answered To feed well to cloath wel and to till well And to him that asked What is it to commit vsurie Is not that also a point of good husbandrie Cato answered What is it to kill a man He thought that an vsurer sinned as greatly as a murtherer Did Cato iudge thus of vsurie by the light of nature and shall Christians professe it or thinke better of it in the light of the Gospell Panor lib. 4. Alphonsus king of Aragon compared vsurers to greedie birds which snatched catched all things And surely no doubt verie iustlie For vsurers are the cruellest Kites and vultures in the world They consume mens patrimonies they often kill their bodies and vndoe their heires And this they do to their brethren to whom they were bound to open euen their verie hearts and bowels to do them good 1. Ioh. 3.17 as Saint Iohn teacheth And will not then these cruell hearted men open to them their coffers or purses Another compares Vsurers to the diuell for what els saith he do Vsurers but that which the diuell perswaded Christ to haue done when as hee would haue had him to haue made stones bread for by their lending Pet. Greg. de Rep. lib. 2. cap. 20. they gaine of stones and mettalles that which nature cannot bring forth For naturally a peece of gold or any other money engendreth not money O wicked age that we liue in now vsurie amongst some is accounted the gainfullest and surest trade of liuing And wheras lending was commanded of God to profit our brethren now the vsurer thereby peruerting this order of God profits himselfe To conclude that interpretation of the two edged sword in the Reuelation of Victorinus an ancient Bishop Victor in Apocal is worth the marking By the two-edged sword glistering out of his mouth is meant that it is he that now shewed to the world the glad tydings of the Gospell and by Moses the knowledge of the lawe But because by the same word hee shall iudge hereafter all mankind that were both vnder the law and vnder the Gospell therefore it is said to be a two edged sword A sword armes a souldier kils a mans enemie and punisheth a reuolter or a turnecoate And that he might shew his Apostles that he preached iudgement he saith I came not to send peace into the world but a sword And after that he had ended his parables he saith vnto them Haue you vnderstood all these things And they said yea Therefore euerie Scribe learned in the kingdome of God is like to a housholder bringing out of his treasure new and old things that is the new words of the Gospell and the old of the law and Prophets And that these come out of his mouth He said to Peter Go to the sea and cast in an angle and the fish that thou shalt first take opening his mouth thou shalt find a stavre that is two pence giue it for me and thee And Dauid also by the holy Ghost saith God hath spoken once I haue heard these two things That God hath once determined that in the beginning that shall continue to the end To conclude when as he is appointed of his Father to be Iudge he minding to shew that through the word which is preached to them men should be iudged he saith Do you thinke that I will iudge you in the last day But the word which I haue spoken vnto you that shall iudge you in the last day And Paul against Antichrist saith to the Thessalonians 2. Thes 2.8 Whom the Lord shall kill with the spirit of his mouth This is therefore that two-edged sword proceeding out of his mouth c. I would to God all men would marke this exposition By Gods word all men at the last daie shall be iudged whether they haue directed their liues according to that which they haue heard with their eares or no And therefore our Sauiour saith so often Matt. 11.15 13.9.43 Mark 4.24 Hee that hath eares to heare let him heare And againe Take heede what you heare As though he should saie one daie ye shall giue an account of it And here that is verified that our Sauiour saith You are cleane for the word that dwelleth in you Ioh. 15.3 Gods word maketh our faith and religion pure and cleane and also our liues cleane But we must not be like those that can say Lord Lord Mat. 7.22 and haue done wickedlie which haue professed Christ with their mouthes and haue denied him with their works Wee must not onlie embrace the promises of saluation which the Gospell teacheth vs but also the precepts of life We must eate the whole Paschal Lâ—mbe or else it will do vs no good Exod. 12.9 As well the feete as the head and purtnance Manie at this daie eate gréedily the head and purtnance of Christ that is his diuine promises and his heauenly miracles they are verie desirous to eate these but few eate the féete that is his precepts and commandements Matt. 24.14 To such the Gospell shall be preached as a testimonie of their condemnation at that day of iudgement and not of their saluation Let vs beware that we be not hearers but doers Iam. 1.22 and not onely desirous to eate the head and purtnance but also the féete of Christ and let vs as willinglie learne his precepts and commandements and do them as we are content to beléeue his promises and remaine in them These are the waies which Gods word teacheth all Christians to walke in These are plaine waies here are no tropes or figures yet manie which will séem to professe Gods word make no account of these let such take héed at the day of iudgement they stand not among those to whom God shall saie Why didst thou preach my lawes Psal 50.16 or take my couenant in thy mouth Why didst thou professe my word and wouldst not bee reformed by it All such hypocrites shall then be condemned The manners and conuersation of the ancient Christians drawne out of the Fathers IVstine the Martyr thus describes
either in prayer or reading he that cannot reade let him seeke out some holy maÌ„ by whose talk he may be edified Let no worldly works hinder the works of God Let not playing at tables withdraw thy mind nor the pleasure of thy dogges abstract thy senses nor the greedines of the gaine of any matter peruert thy soule For whatsoeuer thou shalt do beside the commandement of God although thou abstaine thou fastest not For this is a wholsom fast that as thy body abstaines from delights so also that thy soul be brideled from vices This also my brethren which is required to the perfection of fasting is not to be passed ouer in silence that wee which abstaine and doe not dine at this time should bestow our dinners vpon the poore for this is true righteousnesse that when as thou art hungrie another be refreshed with thy meate and when as thou prayest God with thy foresaid fastings hee being filled obtaines thy sutes for thee Both these profiting thee both thine owne hunger and the beggers belly being well filled But he that fasts so that he imparts nothing to the poore of his good cheare seems to haue made a gaine of his fasting a good market as we say by his sparing for to that end he abstained not that he might please God but that he should not spend ouer much c. This place teacheth vs how we ought to spend our fasting daies in studying the scriptures in prayer and that when we fast we should not dine but bestow our dinners vpon the poore For he that breakes his fast in the morning with bread drinke and after at noone dines and at night hath his bellie full of bread and drinke againe as the most vse to do when they fast doth this man fast No verily But he fasts that eates nothing till night if he be not hindred through infirmitie of bodie or sicknesse So Cornelius fasted till the ninth houre of the day Act. 10.30 that was till three a clocke and then the Angell appeared vnto him No doubt he continued his fast after euen till night And in another place he describes to vs the force of fasting thus Our fastings are our tents which do defend vs from the assaults of the diuell They are also called standings or aboades because that standing continuing in them we ouercome our enemies assaulting vs. He compares our fasting in the leÌ„t to the â—o mansions of the children of Israel Without all doubt fastings are the tents of all Christians out of which if any wander or stray he is either inuaded of that spirituall Pharaoh or els he is deuoured of the wildernes of his sins He must needs haue euen a wildernes of sins that forsakes the society of the Saints and wil not fast with them Fasting therefore is a wall vnto a Christian which the diuell can neuer assault nor the enemie euer climbe ouer For what Christian euer fasted was taken who euer remained sober and was ouercome The diuell assaultes the drunkard the enemy laies siege to the riotous person but when as he sees one fasting he flies away he feares he is afraid he is terrified with his pale countenance his hunger weakens him his weaknes quite ouerthroweth him He is ouerthrowne I say by his weaknesse because Christian weaknes is fortitude Wherefore the Apostle saith When I am weak 2. Cor. 12. then I am strong But some wil demaund how can infirmitie be strong Then is infirmity strong wheÌ„ as the flesh is leane with fasting but the soule is fat with purity For as much as you take from that the iuyce of meats so much the vertue of righteousnes is increased in this Then a man is weake to worldly works but strong to the works of God then he more seriously thinks of God then he feares his iudgement theÌ„ he ouercomes his enemie Matt. 17. Our Sauior saith of the diuel This kind is not cast out but by fasting prayers He saith verily that he which is possessed of the diuel cannot be purged but by fastings Marke wel therefore what great force is in fasting what great grace she affordeth to the man himselfe whom she dwelleth in which yeelds such a forcible medicine to another man how she sanctifies her owne man which doth thus purifie another man It is a strange thing one man fasts another reaps the coÌ„moditie of his fasting Therefore my brethren let vs not lay aside the weapons of our abstinence let vs haue a care to keep the fastings of our 40. dayes without any intermission for this is a perfect number to ouercom withall For the Lord ouercame the diuel after that he had fasted 40. daies not but that he could haue ouercome him also before his fasting but that he might shew vs that then we are able to be conquerors of the diuel when as we haue beene conquerors of our carnall lusts by fasting 40. dayes that he that hath violated this holy number through the excesse of gluttonie as a weakling and a wretch he may be easily ouercome of the enemie for how can he ouercome the malice of the diuell in another which hath not ouercome the vnrulinesse of gluttony in himselfe Therfore O man be first a conqueror of thy self that thou maist be a conqueror of another For thou hast thy proper enemies within thee which dayly do assault thee Behold couetousnesse with the ambition of riches vndermines thee Riot with her pleasant banquets takes thee prisoner and heresie with her froward knowledge ouerthrowes thee Ouercome therefore these thy proper enemies that thou maist be able to ouercome other mens c. Here we maie learne the necessitie of fastings by Ambrose iudgement they are the onlie tents of Christian souldiers he that abideth not in them shall be soone snatched vp of the enemie And their force is such that they preuaile euen against the diuell himselfe I haue béene more large in handling this point because of a slaunder that the enemies of the Gospell laie to our charge One of them writes thus of vs Michael ab Isselt epist dedicat ducis Priet Granat If there be any among them which teach any thing of the new obedience as they tearm it and with strange flaunting words do commend newnesse of life they do that very coldly and when as they shew the way of vertue they lend not meÌ„ their hands nor they prescribe not the means whereby they may attaine vnto it Such like teachers Plutarch compares to theÌ„ which light a candle or a lampe poure in no oile c. And after Which of theÌ„ euer hath written any booke of the contempt of the world of the narrow and streight way of saluation of perpetuall chastitie of the pouertie of the Gospel of true obedience of louing our enemies who of humility poorenesse of spirit And what maruel is it wheÌ„ as they theÌ„selues being altogether drowned in this world are