of Gods temporall giftes is a deniall of God and therefore much more the ascribinâ— of eternall life to our own merites but of our temporal goods and possessions vnto our owne industry and witte be an iniquity to be condemned because it is a deniall of God then is it a greater iniquity more to be condemned and a more heinous deniall of God to robbe him of the glory of his greatest giftes by ascribing them vnto our owne merites But herein is fulfilled the prophesie of Saint Peter * 2. Pet. 2. 1. who hath plainely foretolde that as there were then false prophets among the people so there shoulde bee false teachers among vs who shoulde prively bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lorde that bought them The truth is that the children of the Church of Rome confesse in word their redemption wrought by Christ but wheÌ„ they theÌ„ selues labour to purchase heaven by their ovvn merites do they not plainely disallowe the sufficiencie of the purchase thereof made by Christ Yea whereas our Rhemistes are so bolde as to call the iustice of God which is residenâ— in Christ appreheÌ„ded by our faith and so imputed to vs because it was wrought for vs a new no iustice a phant asticall apprehension of that which is not a falsâ— faith and an vntrue imputation and to affirme that there is no righteousnes Rhem in c. 3. ep ad Rom. whereby we are iustified before God but that which is inherent in vs being giveÌ„ to vs of God by Christ that therby we might merit for our selues our iustification salvation doe they not in flat tearmes deny Christs own inhereÌ„t righteousnes wherby we are iustified saved ascribe the same to our own inherent righteousnes If a friend should procure of a father some portion of a stocke for his son by the which being well emploied encreased the son should in some spate of time purchase a good farme were the friend or the father or the son to be tearmed the purchaser thereof It is plaine and manifest that none but the son Why then if Christs own righteousnes inherent in himselfe and imputed to vs be a new no righteousnes not the price of our redemption but our owne inherent righteousnesse procured of God our heavenly Father by the death of Christ as by the mediation of our dearest friend then wee our selues are the purchasers of everlasting life and so our owne Saviours and redeemers and are no surther beholding to Christ for the same then for that he hath procured for vs some portion of loue repentaÌ„ce obedience and the like the which being well emploied and encreased by our owne free will is the only price that is given for that heavenly purchase But far be this blâ—sphemous doctrine from the heartes of all true and faithfull Christians let it bee enough for vs to enioy the fruite of our salvation purchased by Christ let vs giue to his owne most pure and perfect obedience this glory that we esteeme it bee the only price that is or could bee equivalent vnto that so great and worthy a purchase And whereas the great endlesse loue of God our Father electing iustifying vs freely in Christ are the steppes vvhereby God descendeth to vs to finish his worke heere begunne in vs by bringing vs heere in this lâ—…e to our sanctification and to our glorification in the life to come and vvhereas also the Lorde in his high and admirable vvisedome hath appointed that this his greate and endlesse loue in electing and iustififying vs freely in Christ should bee the only effectuall meanes to worke our conversion and sanctification and the most strong and forcible motiue to in duce vs to the ready performaunce of all such holy vvorkes as are the steppes and staires to our glorification let vs not presume to perverte this order and course ordayned by God in his greate wisedome by setting the cart before the horse by turning all â—opsie turvey by chaunging the effectes into the causes and the causes into the effectes by placing the highest steppes in the lowest roomes and the lowest in the highest by altring the first into the last and the last into the first and yet all this is done by vs if vvee make our sanctification and good vvorkes the merit orious causes of the loue of God and of our election iustification by CHRIST vvhich are but the effectes and fruites of the same Nay rather seeing God hath not only loved vs but also hath made manifest the same vnto vs by his manifold blessinges by giving our selues vnto our selues and all this glorious vvorlde to our vse and service by giving vs his ovvne deare sonne to iustifie vs by his bloode and to sanctifie vs by his spirite and to leade vs by his worde in the right way to our full and finall glorification howe oughte wee to serue him that hath thus served vs and honour him that hath honoured vs and loue him that hath loved vs to be most desirous to testifie the same by our careful continual emploiment in all those works which he himselfe hath ordained for vs to walk in that in most ready and humble obedience vnto his will not onely because it is holy iust acceptable welpleasing vnto himselfe and the wil of him vnto whom we owe all obedience in respect of his supreme auctority over vs but much more for that we are so deeply endebtted vnto him in respect of his infinite endlesse mercies Seing theÌ„ the wil of God must be the rule squier of al our workes or else they will grow much out of square therfore it coÌ„cerneth vs most nearely to make most diligent inquiry by what meanes we may attaine to the assured knowledge therof that so we may conforme our selues wholy therevnto The knowledge of the most certaine and vndoubted will of The sure certaine â—…ill of God â—s onely to â—e learned â—ut of the Canonical scriptures God is now to be found only in the word of God revealed to the Prophets Apostles by the spirit of God sette downe by theÌ„ in the Canonical Scriptures For as words are given to vs of God that therby we might signify each to other the seÌ„ce meaning of our minds eveÌ„ so hath the Lord himselfe revealed to vs by his written word what is the meaning of his wil hath coÌ„manded vs to seeke for the same onely from thence This commandement Deut. 30. 11. saith Moses which I command thee this day is not hidde froÌ„ thee neither is it farre of It is not in heaven that thou shouldest say who shall goe vp into heaven and bring it vnto vs and cause vs to heare it that we may doe it Neither is it beyond the sea that thou shouldest say vvho shall goe over the sea to bring it to vs to cause vs to heare it that vvee may doe it But the word is neere vnto thee even
hoale when they are sicke even to death and therefore haue need of the more spiritual physicke because this their estate is most dangerous of all and such persons of all other are most hardly to be recovered For why did Publicanes and harlots Mat. 11. 21. An infidell is sooner converted then a couÌ„terfeit chri stian and a notorious sinner theÌ„ a dissembling hypocrite Pro. 26. 12. Mat 9. 12. sooner enter into the kingdome of God then the Scribes Pharisies and why would Sodom haue repented before Capernaum but for that all such as content theÌ„sâ—lues with an outward shew of piety and godlines are furthest of indeed from true piety and godlines Seest thou a man saith Solomon that is wise in his owne eies there is more hope of a foole then of such an one So seest thou one that is hoale in his own conceite there is far more hope of his recovery who albeit hee were more dangerously sicke yet hath not so strong an opinion of his own health For it is a good step to health to know a mans owne sicknes but he that cannot be perswaded that he is sicke wil not be perswaded to take physick therefore is past all hope of recovery he that will not bee perswaded that he is out of the way will never be perswaded to seek for a guide and therfore will never come into the right way Wherfore never more neede then nowe that the Lorde shoulde even force vpon vs as faithful guides the doctrine of his holy Apostles and Prophets and never more need then now that our heavenly physition should even constraine vs oftentimes to receiue his spiritual physicke and not only in respect of those that are Christians only in shew who are otherwise past all hope of recovery but also in respect of those that are true Christians indeede who yet notwithstanding are so distempered and crasie that without the continual administring of this spiritual physicke they wil by one ghostly sicknes or other soone fall into great danger yea vnlesse these men be stil feeding on this food they wil soone become so weake and feeble that they will not bee able to doe the Lordes worke vnlesse they be stil moistened with these eaelesâ—…al shewers they wil become fruitlesse and yeeld a smal haâ—vest vnlesse by this net they are stil drawne out of the sea of their sins they will sinke deeper deeper vntil they be drowned vnlesse this light be stil in their hands they will stumble and fall into the pit of destruction vnlesse this voice of the great shepheard doth stil souÌ„d in their eares they wil nothing but wander and go astray vnlesâ—e this spurre be stil in their sides they wil sone be at a stand giue over their iourney vnlesse these bellowes be stil blowing the fire of their zeale wil soone goe out As may appear by the examples of those renowned servants of God Zorobabell Iosuah the residue of that holy remnant of the people of God which returned out of the captivity of Babilon who were soone moued to give over the building of the temple of God and to settle themselues to their owne coÌ„modities pleasures vntill by the vvord of the Lord out of the mouth of the Prophet Haggey they vvere Hagg. 1. 3. effectually stirred vp vnto the finishing of the LORDS worke Wherfore no marvaile that al the faithful servants of God knowing the great necessity of having continuall in their handes and harts the most holesome instructions admonitions of the word of God doe exhort one another zealously after this manner saying Come lette vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lorde to the Isa 2. 5. Mich. 4. 1. house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his lawes and we will walke in his pathes They wil not walke in the vvaies of the Psal 1. 1. vngodly nor stand in the waies of sinners nor sitte in the seate of the scornefull and why their delight is in the law of the Lord. and in that law they doe exercise themselues day and night and thereby they become like erees planted by the water side which bring forth their fruite in due season whose leaves never wither And no marvaile though they prove such fruitful trees seing they are so plentifully watered with such holesome dewes whereas all such as refuse to drinke in continuall those holesome droppes being planted in the dry wildernes of this barren world become withered and deade trees good for nothing but to bee hewen downe and cast into the fire Seeing then the relligious reading hearing and meditating of the worde of GOD is not onely in it selfe a very excellent good worke and a principall part of the service of God which is to bee performed as every day so especially vpon the Lords day but also the meaue to begette and bring forth every good worke and to further the whole service of God to lead the people to the behoulding of God and to their perfect and absolute blessednes what then may we iudge of the vvorkes of the Church of Rome and of her manner of serving of GOD and of her leading of the people to the beholding of GOD and to their perfecte and absolute blessednes seeing shee keepeth this word of GOD fast shutte vp from the greatest part of them vnder the locke and key of a straunge tongue and debarreth them from the continuall reading thereof yea from the reading thereof altogeather and not onely so but also chargeth our Church to lay a stumbling blocke before the people and to minister occasion vnto them of falling into heresie for that wee not onely allowe but also exhort them to haue their continuall and dayly resort to the same that so they might be enabled to know the truth and to discerne it from falshood lies not receiving any doctrine vpon the bare credite of their teachers but trying it by this touchstone before they receive it for currant and good But if hereby we sett open a doore to errour heresie theÌ„ did The doctrine of al teachers is to be tried before it be received Ioh. 5. 39. Act. 17. 11. Christ and his Apostles doe the same before vs and many also Apostolical men For our Saviour himselfe willeth the people to search the Scriptures and no further to give credite to his ovvne Doctrine then they shoulde finde it approved by those vvitnesses And the Beraeans are commended for searching the Scriptures and for putting into those ballances the verie doctrine of the Apostle Saint Paule that so they might see whether it would holde weight For as Austine teacheth all other ballances are deceitfull and therefore in his controversies with Aug. cont Donat. l. 2. cap. 6. the Donatistes he appealeth to them and vvill haue his cause to bee vveighed onely therein And is it not the commaundement of CHRIST himselfe given to the people Beware of false Math. 7. 15. Prephets which come to you in
people to beleeue in grosse and blindefully as the church beleeueth but that they ought to vnderstand the seuerall pointes of their faith IN the Lords praier we are taught to call 〈◊〉 in 〈…〉 alâ—…tie â—…er of heaven earth c. God not my father but our father to teach vs in charity to presume such to bee Gods children which cal vpon one common father togither vvith vs in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ our sole and onely mediatour But in our creede we are taught to saye not vvee beleeue but I beleeue to teach vs that it is not the faith of any other but everie one 's owne particular faith vvhich ioyneth him vnto the house-holde of faith and causeth him to be admitted amonge the members of the faithfull For as by beleeving that such a one or such a one taketh a verie good course to make cloth or to manure the grounde maketh not an other man a good cloth maker or husband-man vnlesse hee knovve the like courses himselfe and bee able also to practise the same even so it maketh not a faithfull christian to beleeue as such or such a faithfull man beleeueth except hee himselfe holde a right faith For an others faith can make mee no more faithfull then an other mans charitie can make me charitable or an other mans patience can make me patient The iust shall liue by his owne faith and Hab 2. 4. not by the faith of any other And so we are taught by the general coÌ„fession of all the articles of our christian faith which is to be made of every faithfull christian that the true christian catholike faith is not to beleeue in grosse and blindfully as the church beleeveth but distinctly and particularly both concerning God that he is one in substance and essence distinguished into three persons the father the sonne and the holy ghost and also concerning his workes that he made vs and not we our selues that he redeemed vs and not we our selues and that he sanctified vs and not we our selues Where vnto agreeth the creede of Athaâ—asius Wherin it is most pereÌ„ptorely avouched that not not only the learned but the vnlearned also even whosoever will be saued not as in the last place but before all thinges neither as a matter only convenient but as a thing most necessary must holde the catholike faith and that he must beleeue and confesse the mistery of the vnity in trinity and of the trinity in vnity with that other great missery of godlines also God manifested in the flesh For as with the hart man Rom 10 10 beleeveth vnto righteousnes so with the mouth he confesseth to salvation So that the true faith both instructeth the harte with knowledge and directeth also the tongue in the confession of the same For as Ierome faith of the scripture that it consisteth not in the reading but Advers Lucif in the vnderstanding so we may say that the catholike faith consisteth not in the wordes wherein it is expresse but in the catholyke sence and meaning and therefore not the bare reciting of the wordes of the creede but the right vnderstanding of the of the sence and meaning thereof maketh a sonnde and a catholike christian This is everlasting life saith our Saviour Christ to Ioh. 17. 3. knowe the true God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ The which knowledge vvhen the Apostles were to preach to other they are saide to haue receaued the keyes of the kingdome of heaven and the same knowledge when they vvere endued withall themselues it vvas a token and signe vnto them that they vvere then receiued among the number of the faithfull Vnto you saith our Saviour Christ vnto his disciples it is giuen Mark 4. 11. to knowe the misteries of the kingdome of heaven but vnto them vvhich are without all thinges are done in parables that seeing they may see and not discerne and hearing they may heare and not vnderstand least at any time they shoulde bee converted and their sinnes shoulde bee forgiuen them A manifest distinction betweene the children of light and the children of darknes vnto the one is giuen the key of knowledge which openeth the dore into the kingdome of Luke 11. 52. heauen the other are left in their blindnes and darkenesse to fall thereby into the pit of eternall destruction For the father of light bringeth his children of light by the light of his word to the kingdome of light and the prince of darkenes bringeth his children of darkenes through the darkenes of ignorance to his kingdome of darkenes Wherefore well may it agree to the Idolatrous Athenians to haue an altar dedicated to an vnknowne God and Act. 17. 23. to professe a blinde kinde of service of God And well may it beseeme the schismaticall Samaritans to worshippe as their fathers worshipped Ioh. 4. 20. and to beleeue as their progenitors beleeued and in truth to beleeue and worshippe they woâ—e not what Surely the faithfull servants of the true God know what they worshippe having for the warrant thereof the infallible word of the everliving Lord and therefore salvation is from them For the true christian saving faith is a wise intelligent and an vnderstanding perswasion it is not a blind blockish and a brutish fancy a blind faith is no faith and a blinde confession is no confession Be not saith the prophet David like the horse and mule in whom there is no vnderstanding Psal 32. 9 1. Cor. 14. 20. Beloved saith the Apostle be not children in vnderstanding but in malice be yee children in vnderstanding bee yee of perfect age And againe be not vnwise but vnderstande what the will of the Lord is If thou Eph. 5. 15. 1. Cor. 14. 16. praiest saith the same Apostle in an vnknowne tongue how can the vnlearned say Amen and ratifie it with his consent euen so if any professing themselues members of the visible church know not the particular points of the christian faith held and taught in the same church how can they faithfully beleeue the same or how caÌ„ they rightly consent thervnto Surely as the seed that falleth on the high way is devoured vp of the fowles of the aire can never giue hope of Math. 13 4. any good harvest so the word of God the seede of faith not vnderstoode can never make vs fruitfull vnto the Lord. Wherefore it was a most godly wish of Moses the man of God O that all the Num. 11. 29 Lordes people could prophecy and that the Lord would put his spirit vpon them And good cause had the childreÌ„ of the captivitie after their returne to their owne couÌ„trey greatly to reioyce before the Lord not onely for that the law of God was distinctly read soundly and sincerely expounded vnto them but especially for that the Lord had opened their eies and had caused them to vnderstaÌ„d the same For all such as the Lord will haue to
so make vs his beloued childreÌ„ Our harts are as barreÌ„ grouÌ„d bearing Matth. 1 â— nothing but weeds trash vntill we be manured by the Lords husbaÌ„dmeÌ„ haue receiued the pure seed of the word yea 1. Pet. 2. 25 we are all as sheepe going astray waÌ„dring in the waies of death destructioÌ„ vntil we are reclaimed by our great sheepheards voice and so brought home to Christs folde Now if we gladly receaue the seede of the worde and fructifie thereby accordingly heereby wee may bee assured that wee are that good grouÌ„d which doth receiue blessing of God And if we harkeÌ„ to this our great shepheards voice and not to the voice of a stranger heereby also we may assure ourselues that vvee are Christes heape and that we belong to his stocke Good cause therefore haue the faithful servants of Christ to loue and embrace the word of God not only for that it is an immortal seede wherby they are begotten to an immortal life of barren ground are made fruitful of waÌ„dring sheepe are reclaimed home to the fold of Christ but also for that it coÌ„taineth the baÌ„ds of the covenaÌ„t of our peace with God and the evidences for the assurance of the remission of our sinnes and of our inheritaunce in the kingdome of glory There is no wise man that is to enioy any temporall landes or possessions either by coppy or by Indenture or by deedes of gift but that hee vvill make good accounte of all such evidences as concerne the same and learne also the contents thereof that so he may know the iustnesse of his title to such possessions And if at any time he be vniustly molested and kept from the enioying of any of those lands he putteth the maâ—ter in suite and speaketh for iustice and making proofe of his title by the view of his evidences sentence passeth on his side and so he obtaineth his right and lawfull possessions It hath beene thought in the time of darkenesse that if a man had beene buried in a cloyster and in a Monkes coule having a crosse and a pardon put into his graue vvith him that those thinges had beene a sufficient safe conduct to fence him from the fenne and that they had beene as good an assuraunce for the silly soule to passe from hence to heaven as a pasport subscribed with a Iustices hand and ratified and confirmed with his â—…ne and allovved is a sure protection with vs for a poore travâ—…ling man to preserue him from al maner of molestation But 〈…〉 the light of the gospel hath appeared it is manifest known that these are but forged evideÌ„ces and of no validity for that no creature is able to bestow so great giftes as are the remission of sâ—nnes deliverance from hell and the inheritaunce of eternall glory or giue any assurance for the obtaining of the same it is God oâ—…ly that can make a grant of these graces and the assurance thereof that he hath made vnto the faithfull in his holy and sacred word are the only evidences that can fully warrant our iust title right to the same The which thing as it is wel known vnto the whole coÌ„pany of the Lords people so it was throughly setled in the hart of a faithfull brother not long since departed from vs in the Lord a George Wrisly bacheler of law fellow of new Colledge in Oxford fellow while he liued of an honourable foundation but now a fellow citizen of the saints enioying the priviledges of a far more honorable society who by order of his house was a studeÌ„t of those laws which are pleadable in the coÌ„sistory before an earthly iudge can giue vs some protectioÌ„ here in this world but by his godly choice he was also a student of those laws which are onely pleadable at the bar of the highest iudge can warrant vs the assuraÌ„ce of greater blessings And therefore he lying in his death bed feeling himselfe sicke vnto death and knowing that his time was now come of his present appearing in that place where he was to lay in his claime to his heauenly inheritance called for his evidences which did concerne the same that is he called for his bible which he had before daily vsed in his health read the fifteenth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians therin beholding how sin was fully satisfied for by the death of Christ and so abolished and sin being abolished death must needs be vanquished for that it hath all his strength from sin and so being assured of his deliverance from death and of his right to the possession of eternal life laying these his evidences open vpon his brest clas-â—ping theÌ„ close to his hart with both his armes yeelded vp immediatly his faithful soule into the hands of his most loving Saviour and now resteth vndoubtedly vnder the altar praising lauding God continually For no doubt to him belongeth the heauenly inheritaunce vvhich vnfainedly loueth and embraceth all such evidences as doe concerne that heauenly inheritance and he hath most assuredly right and interest in everlasting life who highly esteemeth religiously embraceth that eternall will and testameÌ„t of our great gracious God wherin is beqâ—…athed vnto al the faithful the gift and legacy of eternall life and hee shall most certainely enioy the incomparable benefite of the covenant of grace who hath fulfilled the condition thereof by having the law of God planted in his heart and firmely setled in his inwarde man The second note is a full resting vpon God and a placing of our whole trust and confidence onely â—n him according to the direction of this our christian creede I beleeue in GOD. For hee is not to be accounted faithfull that beleeueth in any other but he that beleeueth only in God And it is onething to beleeue here is a God and another thing to beleeue God and another also to beleeue in God He that beleeveth in God shall never be confounded seeing he is made Rom. 10. 11 Ioh 1. 42. Mat. 16. 18. thereby a living stone as Peter was built vpon a most sure foundation and strong rocke hell gates shall never prevaile against him they shal neuer bring him to eternal confusion They that travaile saith Iob 6. 18 19. 20. Iob in the quarters of Tema and Seba in the time of a drought and seeke for some refreshing for themselues and their beastes to the rivers that overflowed and made a great flowde in the winter time returne confounded without succour for that the waters of those rivers are dried vp So it is with all such as trust in creatures they digge to themselues pits even Ier. 2. 13. broken pits that can hold no water haue recourse to dryed brooks therfore in the end are vtterly confounded for this their vaine and fond choice For they that follow lying vanities forsake and Ion. 2. 8. abandon their owne mercy Now
he hath ratified the same with holy sacraments as with his own seale annexed therevnto And verely if circumcision much more Rom 4. 11. baptisme and the Lords supper may worthily be called seales of the righteousnes that cometh by faith The cuppe saith our Saviour Christ Luk. 22. 20 is the new testament in my blood that is to say a seale and an assuraÌ„ce of the graunt of the remission of sinnes and eternall life giuen vnto you through my bloud which is the summe of the new testament And to what end tendeth both these sacraments of the new testament but to assure all the faithfull that they hauing put on Christ haue their sinnes washed away through his blood and that their soules are fedd with very Christ the heaveÌ„ly Mannah Galat. 3. 2â— bread of life whereby they are sustained to everlasting life The cuppe of blessing saith the Apostle which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion 1. Corinth 10. 16. of the body of Christ that is to say there all participatioÌ„ of these outward elementes and visible signes are they not most certaine pledges and assurances to all the faithfull of their spirituall vnion and communion with Christ and all his blessings And was not this the iudgment of those godly learned fathers of the councell of Nice in that they will that this holy sacrament of the Lords supper should be sent vnto penitent persons lying in their death beddes which stood as yet excommunicate for apostasie or for some other notorious crime that by the participation of that celestiall food they might be assured of their coÌ„munion with Christ and his church and of the remission of their sinnes and eternall life and so enabled to passe over in peace the end of their laborious and painefull life The which most comfortable doctrine is most coÌ„veniently set downe in our English liturgy at the celebration of these holy misteries in these wordes The body of our Lord that vvas giuen for THEE preserve thy body and soule to everlasting life The blood of our Lord that was shedd for THEE c. For hereby everie faithfull christian that reverently receiveth this holy sacrament may assure himselfe that the spirituall life that is nowe begunne in him and shall be made perfite in the worlde to come 〈◊〉 wrought by the speciall loue of Christ now dwelling in him by a true faith so that he may boldly say with the Apostle both â—n his life In that I nowe liue I liue by the faith of the son of God who loued Gal. 2. 20. Me and gaue himselfe for Me and also at his death I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith hence forth 2. Tim. 4. 7. there is laide vp for me a crowne of righteousnes c. And from whence also proceedeth that ioy in the holy ghost and that peace of God that Ro. 14. 17. 5. 1. passeth all vnderstanding which is felt in the heartes of the faithfull servantes of Christ in their greatest crosses and most greevous afflictions but of a faithfull perswasion of the remission of their sinnes and reconciliation which God procured for them by the death of Christ Otherwise also how could they serue the Lord Luc. 1. 74. Eph 3. Heb 10 22. Iaco. 1. 6. without feare and come vnto him in their praiers with boldnes yea in assurance of faith without wavering without doubting Yea how could they come vnto him not as vnto an offended and an angry iudge but as to a louing and a mercifull father saying O our Father which art in heaven And from whence else proceeded their solemne protestations that they did assuredly knowe that they were in the estate of grace and in the favour of God and that God was their God in particular and after so stable and stedfast a manner that nothing was able to sever them from his loue We knowe that we are of God I know that my redeemer liueth My spirite 1. Ioh. 5. 19. Iob. 19. 25. Luc 1. 77. Psal 18 1. 116 16. reioyceth in God my Saviour The Lord is my strength my castle my deliverer my God and on the other side Behold Lord I am thy servant I am thy servant and the sonne of thine handmaide Yea so great a stay and comfort had the prophet David in this assurance of his owne â—aith that he protesteth his adversities being so many and so Psal 27. 13. grievous as they were he should vtterly haue fainted but that he did beleeue verily to see the goodnes of the Lord in the land of the liâ—ing The which most comfortable assurance of faith was such a stay also to the blessed Apostle S. Paul that howsoever an whole army of Rom 8. 37. tribulations did presse sore vpon him yet he protesteth that hee was a conqueror yea more then a conqueror through him that loued Rom 8 37. him being most assuredly also perswaded for the time to come that neither death nor life nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come should be able to seperate him from the loue of God which was in Christ Iesus our Lord. Neither vvas this comfortable assuraunce of faith a speciall and an extraordinarie prerogatiue granted only to some principall persons among the faithfull but a gifte in some measure common to the whole church For all the children of the church being the children of God are led by the spirite Rom 8. 14. 2. Cor. 2. 12â— of God whereby they know such thinges as are giuen vnto them of God And they are all indifferently commanded in the Lordes praier to call God their father the which name they cannot sincerely vse vnlesse they be perswaded in some measure of faith that he beareth a louing and a fatherly affection towardes them having receaved them into favour for his Christes sake and giuen them a place among the number of his children And vvhy 1 â—oh 5. 13. else saith S. Iohn writing to the whole church in generall these thinges I vvrite vnto you that beleeue in the name of the sonne of God that yee may knowe that yee haue eternall life and that yee may beleeue in the name of the sonne of God So S. Paule writting to the church of the Corinthians in generall Proue your selues knovve yee not your owne selues how that IESVS CHRIST dwelleth in you vnlesse yee bee reprobates and in his former epistle Kâ—ovve yee not that your 1. Cor. 6. 15 19. bodyes are the members of Christ Knowe ye not that ye are the temples of the holy Ghost which is in you whom ye haue of GOD that yee are not your ovvne By the vvhich testimonies of Christ his Apostles it is evident that not a fewe onely but also every mâ—mber of the vniversall church in their times and according vnto the measure of
vertue of CHRISTS bloode to vvash and clense the staines of all the sinnes of the faithfull were infidelitie or not to doubt thereof but to doubt vvhether it bee availâ—able to purge and clense THINE iniquities sinnes is to bewray thine infidelity in another degree even in that thou beleevest not thy selfe to belong to that number nor yet to bee partaker vvith them of their mercie VVherefore to teach the faithfull that they shoulde bee persvvaded of the remission of their ovvne sinnes through the death of Christ is to plucke vp the rootes of infidelity it is not to teach pride but faith nor to open a gappe to all â—inne and vvickednesse but contrarivvise most effectuallie to provoke to repentance loue and thankefulnesse and to the practise of all other christian dueties Aâ—d in truth we cannot bee rightly offended with our selues for offending so merciful and gracious a God vntill he hath given vs some sense feeling of his vnspeakeable mercy towardes vs in assuring vs of the pardon of our offences and sinnes Neither can vve vnfainedly loue the Lord and desire to be thankfull vnto him as we ought to be vntil we be perswaded that he loueth vs and beareth a kinde affection tovvards vs. Neither yet can we wholy resigne our selues to God vntil we perceiue that we are not our ovvn but that we are bought with a price that so we should 1. Cor. 6. 20 sanctifie the Lorde both in our bodies and in our spirites which are the Lordes My beloued sâ—ith the spouse is mine and I am his he hath Cant. 2. 16. giuen himselfe to me and hath assured me of his loue and therefore I giue my selfe to him and assure him of mine obedience VVee loue him saith Saint Iohn because he loved vs first For as 1. Ioh. 4 19. one fire kindleth another and one heate raiseth vp another so the â—iâ—…y heate of the Lords kindnes and loue felt in the hearts of the faithful doth kindle againe the fiâ—e of their loue and thankefulnesse towards God causing them to busie all their thoughtes and cogitations how they may after the best manner perfourme this there bouâ—den duety and service to God When the Lord by the prophet had mentioned his great mercies bestowed vpon his people of Israel the prophet straâ—t-waies in the person of the people breaketh out into these words Wherewithall shall I come before Mich 6. 6. the Lorde and bowe my selfe before the high God Likevvise David vppon the like consideration VVhat shall I render vnto the Psa 116. 12. 103. 1. Lorde for all his benefites bestovved on mee and againe Praise the LORDE O my soule and all that is within mee praise his holy name praise the LORDE O my soule and forget not all his benefites vvho forgiueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities vvhâ— saueth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindnes In which words we may perceaue that the sence and feeling of the Lords mercies in reâ—…tting to the prophet David his manifold sinnes was in him as a great vehement flame kindling in his very hart soule a most fervent zealous desire of magnifying and extolling the Lords mercies So Mary loved Luc. 7 47. much because manie sinnes vvere forgiven her â—eeling first the great aboundance of Gods loue tovvardes her selfe in pardonâ—ng her manifolde and grievous sinnes vvhich caused in her as it vvâ—re a reflexion and reciprocation of her loue towards God for those his great and endlesse mercies And surely if the small kindenes of a man and that towardes his enimy doth oftentimes â—eape coales of fire on his heade turning malice into meekenesse Rom. 12. 20 and currishnes into kindenes and so overcomming evill with goodnes how much more the infinite loue of God in pardoning our manifold and grievous sinnes being once felt within vs vvill it not possesse our soules with his loue and winne al our affections to his obedience Surely it vvil cause vs to reioyce if wee may suffer any tribulation for his names sake or performe any other duety whatsoeuer that may be grateful and acceptable vnto him We reioice saith the Apostle in tribulations knowing that tribulation Rom. 5. 4. bringeth foorth patience and patience experience and experience hope hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shedde abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost And to say the truth who euer were greater enimies to carnal security and dissolutenes of life more zealous followers of Christ more religious embracers of true piety and godlines then such as aboue all other haue felt the loue of God most aboundantly towardes themselues in assuring them most vndoubtedly of the forgiuenes of all thâ—ir sinnes of their inheritance in the kingdome of glory Wherefore this doctrine which teacheth the faithful to raise vp themselues to a stedfast assurance of Gods mercies tendeth neither to pride noâ— to dissolutnes of life but that doctrine which teacheth to doubt of Gods favour is no better then a flat stepmother to faith and a naturall nurce to infidelity For he that wil rightly come vâ—to God must come vnto him without doubting whereby we see that faith Iac. 1. 6. and doubtfulnesse cannot wel agree together So vvhen God promised Abraham a sonne in his old age adding further that Rom 4. 2â— in his seed al the nations of the earth should be blessed Mâ—t â—4 31. Rom. 14 23 In Gen 4â— The popish faith â—…ke to the Infidell Poets he doubted not saith the Apostle through vnbeliefe shewing thereby that doubtfulnes ariseth of infidelity Wherefore for any that professeth himselfe to belong to the number of the faithfull to doubt of the performance of any of the Lordes promisâ—s in generall or in particular of the promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes and eternall life made to al that beleeue doth argue a very small faith at the least if it doe not convince the party of â—latte infidelity Non si mihi Iuppiter ipse sâ—…n â—…at â—…am sâ—crem hoc contingere ponâ—… Wherefore as Martin Luther truely avouched if there were no other errors and heresies in the doctrine of the church of Rome but euen this that they teach that the faithful which are iustified before God ought not yet assure themselues of 〈◊〉 owne iustification and of their owne vndoubted calling vnto the estate of grace but remaine stil pensiue and doubtful of the remission of their sinnes and of their interest in the kingdome of glory yet this alone were a sufficient motâ—ue to make a separation from her as being the mother of infidelity and not of faith Div. 3. That we ought to beleeue onlie in God and not in the church or in anie creature THose things which the Gentiles offer vp in sacrifice they I beleeue in God I beleeue the church offer to devils not to God the Iews all hereticks beleeue not in the true God but
be the kingdome of heaven the second hell where every apostata and infidell is tormented And as for any thirde place vvee are vtterly ignorant thereof neither doe vvee finde any such in holie scripture Div. 9. That our Saviours resurrection is as strong an argument against his bodilie presence in many places as in all BEllarmine vseth this argument of Christes rising and leauing He arose againe from â—he dead the sepulcher against the Vbiquitaries vvho affirme Christes body to be present in all places whereas it may as well bee vrged against him and his fellowes vvho teach that his body is in tenne thousande places at one time euen vvheresoeuer there is any 〈…〉 seeing that nature which may be in so many places at once may as well be truely in all places And if it cannot stande vvith the verity of CHRISTES bodie being a creature finite and limited to bee euery vvhere neither canne it stande vvith the trueth thereof to bee in many places at one time Div. 10. That Christ needeth not to descende bodily to vs seeing wee must ascend by faith vnto him that so we may be partakers of him and of his passion AS our Sauiour Christ vsed this argument of his ascension to He ascended into heauen Ioh. 6. 62. teach his disciples which murmured at his doctrine that it was not a grosse carnall and bodily eating of his flesh that he vrged as necessary to eternal life but a spiritual partaking therof by faith that at his ascensioÌ„ they should see that he would take away his flesh from them place it in heauen at the right hand of God and not leaue it here to be grosly devoured with their mouthes and swallowed downe into their stomakes euen so may wee now vse the selfe same argument against the church of Rome which teacheth the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist Christ hath by his ascension taken vp his flesh into heauen hath placed it at the right hand of God and therfore it is not to be sought for here on earth as if it might be either carnally touched with our hands or really receiued into our stomakes For so doth Austine and Athanasius vse this argument of Christes ascension When yee shall see the sonne of man saith Austine ascending thither where he was Aug. in Ioh. tract 27. also before then surely yee shall see that he giueth not forth his body after that manner as yee take it yea then shall yee perceiue that the grace of Christ is not consumed with morsels So Athanasius Therefore doth Athan. in illud Evangelii Quicunque dixeriâ— verbum in filium hominis our Saviour Christ mention his ascension into heauen to drawe from them their carnall cogitations and that they might learne that the flesh whereof hee spake was a celestiall foode from heaven a spirituall nourishmente vvhich hee himselfe giveth The vvhich argumente these learned fathers vvoulde neuer haue vsed if they had knowne or beleeued the doctrine of the church of Rome which teacheth that our Saviour hauing by his ascension taken away his bodily presence from vs yet continually causeth his body to be made of bread in the sacrament of his supper that so it may be carnally albeit invisibly received But this invisible presence they did not see nor beleeue and therefore they condemned all carnall eating with the mouth and allowed of the spirituall receaving thereof onely by faith By faith saith S. Ambrose Christ Amb. in Luc li. 6. ca. 8. de filia princ Synag resuscitata li. 10. cap. 24. de hora dominicae resurrectionis is touched by faith he is seene hee is not touched with our body nor seene with our eies And againe We touch not Christ by corporall handling but by faith therefore neither on the earth nor in the earth nor after the flesh ought we to seeke Christ if we will finde him I am the bread of life saith our Saviour Christ Ioh 6. 35. that came downe from heaven He that commeth to me shall never hunger and he that beleeveth in me not he that seeketh to eate my flesh and drinke my blood with his mouth shall never thirst So then to come to Christ by faith and to beleeue in him is so effectuall a manner of eating of his flesh that thereby it becommeth to the faithfull receiuer an incorruptible foode the vertue whereof is neuer consumed How saith Austine shall I possesse Aug. in Ioh. tract 50. 25. Christ being now absent how shall I sende vp my hande to heaven to take holde of him sitting there Sende vp thy faith and thou haste possessed him And againe Why preparest thou thy teeth and thy belly Beleeue and thou hast eaten He must flie on high saith Chrysostome that wil come Chrysost in 1. Cor. hom 24. to this body yea to heaven it selfe or rather aboue the heavens for where the body is there the Eagles be And this was the iudgement of the vvhole church in purer ages when at the receiuing of these holy mysteries the people were vvarned to lift vp their hearts and they Sursum corda were to answere we lift them vp vnto the Lord. Whereby they were admonished even at the receiuing of this holy sacrament not to seeke Christs body here below on earth vpon the Lordes table vnder the shewes of bread and wine but to lift vp their hearts to heauen to the Lord of life that so they might possesse him which is life it selfe Div. 11. That Christ being placed at the right hand of God is made Lorde of heaven and earth and protectour of his church and not any saint or saintes departed CHristes sitting at the right hand of God is the dignity and He sitteth at the right hand of God Maâ— 28. 18. Phil. 2. 11. Act. 2. 36. Apo. 19. 16. authority whereunto he is advanced to be as it were Lord gouernour of heauen and earth as himselfe testifieth All power is giuen to me in heauen and in earth In respect whereof everie knee must bow to him and euery tongue coÌ„fesse that Iesus is the Lord yea the Lord of Lords and king of kings Whereby it is evident that he is patron and protectour of his church to rule it by his spirit to direct it by his word to instruct it by his ministers to enrich it by his graces and in the end to giue it a full and final coÌ„quest over all her enemies For it is he that ascending vp on high ledde captiuity captiue and gaue giftes vnto men and declared himselfe Lord of heauen it selfe by powring downe the heauenly treasures of his holy spirite in the shape of fiery tongues vppon his Apostles whereby they were not only endued with all celestiall Act. 2. 1. wisedome and with the knowledge of all tongues but also furnished with all other giftes meete for the discharge of so weighty an office Neither hath this great state of states dispossessed himselfe of the seate of
themselues many also of the râ—probaâ—e beleeue the mystery of the Trinity the truth of the doctrine coÌ„cerning the vvorkes of the creation redemption and sâ—…ctification but they looke for â—o benefite to redounde to themselues by the fame therefore they beleeue and tremble beeing excluded from all hope But this true catholike faith teacheth the faithfull so to beleeue the doctrine concerning God and his vvorkes that they beleeue also in particular that the benefite thereof belongeth to themselues beeing already receiued into the housholde of faith and made members of the holy catholike church For otherwise then by this faithfull perswasion how could they be induced to beleeue in God and to place their assured hope and confideÌ„ce in him For to beleeue that God is a father redeemer and sanctifier to other and to doubt whether he be such a one to me also were but a cold comfort and a very faint and feeble motiue to induce me to beleeue in God to devote my selfe to his service and to associate my selfe to his church VVherefore it is not to be doubted but that the liuely members of the holy catholike church hauing an holy assurance of the grace and favour of God towardes themselues and being resolued that he is now become their louing father in Christ and hath cast all their sinnes into the bottome of the sea doe thereby beleeue and reioyce in Gods mercies and so grow daily by little and little into a stedfast aâ— assured perswasion of their full and finall glorification But the church of Rome teacheth her children not to seeke for any assurance in particular of the favour of God and of the remission of their sinnes by the death of Christ but still to doubt and to be in suspence thereof so by keeping them from the true faith excludeth them out of the number of the faithfull and so by consequent out of the true church Whereas the true church the spouse of Christ hauing a stedfast assurance of the loue of her bridegrome is thereby induced not onely to trust confidently in him and to loue him againe but also to testifie the same by harkening most reverently vnto his vndoubted will and resting her selfe onely vpon his most sure word and yeelding all â— Pet. 1. 19. obedience to the same And hereof it is that this true church is sometime called Gods feilde wherein the most pure seede of his Math. 13. 3. holy worde is sowen and not the darnell and cockell of mens inventions sometime his sold wherein are his sheepe which harken onely Ioh 10 5. to the voice of their sheepheard not to the voice of a stranger sometimes Gods family and housholde wherein he ruleth alone all autority Eph 2. 19. of commanding being yeelded to him sometime the mother of the faithfull hauing her children begotten by the immortall seede of the worde of God and nurced also by the sincere milke thereof drawen out of her two brestes which are the olde and the newe testament Lastly Aug in ep Ioh. tract 3. Apoc. 8. 20. she is called a goldeÌ„ candlesticke for that she resteth not on her own light but holdeth out the candle of the word of God to al such as are of his family houshold to direct them therby in the waies of the Lorde and to detect vnto them all stumbling blockes by pathes which might cause them either to stumble or fall or else to wander out of the right way And the verie name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a convocation or congregation doth signifie a company wakened by the shrill call of the voice of a crier out of the drowsie sleepe of ignorance and sinne emploied in the workes and the waies of piety and godlines By all which appellations is signified that the true church hath her children begotten onely of the immortall seede of the word of God and nourished with the sincere milke of the same directed by the light thereof and alwaies ruled by that autority wakened thereby when they fall a sleepe and reclaimed when they beginne to wander made fruitfull also to all good workes Now the church of Rome hath her children begotten also of the corruptible seede of mens traditions and ruled by her owne decrees and decretals for shee will not haue them harken onely to the voice of the true shephearde vttered in the sacred scriptures nor to be obedient to the commaundement of the master of the family onely therein contained nor to be guided by the candle onely of that vndoubted will of God shee deemeth that foode to be to harde meate for them and therefore shee setteth before them the festivityes of her golden legend so causing the prophecy of the Apostle to be fulfilled who saide that the time should come that men shoulde turne away their eares from the truth and 2. Tim 44. should be turned vnto fables Moreover shee addeth to the Canonicall scriptures the bookes Apocrypha and her vnwritten verities to the written word and whereas the holy scripture is profitable after so sufficient a manner to teach that the faithfull christian the man of 2. Tim. 3. 17 God may thereby be made absolute and perfect shee denieth this sufficiency and perfection thereof and whereas the spirit of truâ—h calleth this word a light she calleth it darke and whereas hee avoucheth it to be easie to him that will vnderstand she chargeth it to be an obscure and hidden doctrine even to the Lords owne chosen and peculiar people yea whereas our blessed Saviour the very wisedome of God speaking to the multitude commandeth them to search the scriptures yet shee very flatly forbiddeth the same Ioh. 5 39. Where by it is evident that seeing shee thus disgraceth the holy scriptures inspired of God that vndoubted worde of the bridegrome and his last will and testament sealed with his own blood calling light darkenes and darkenes light harkeneth not wholy â—sa 5. 20. to his decrees therein contained neither suffereth him to strike the stroke only to rule therewith in his owne family repealing disanulling his direct coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts that therefore shee is not to be esteemed the chast faithfull spouse of Christ but a cursed harlot a faithles adulteresse The which thing that it may more evidently appeare I wil here set downe sixteene distinct direct oppositions betweene the true church and the false betweene the faithfull servantes of Christ and the Sinagogue of Satan the limbes of Antichrist Opposit 1. The faithfull especially vnder the raigne of Antichrist flye only to the scriptures as to the onely sufficient iudge for the deciding of all controversies and that according vnto the precise commandement of Christ and the ensample of his faithfull servantes whereas seducing and seduced heretikes take away this key of knowledge and shut the gates against the truth not onely defaming the faithfull for the study of holy scripture but also disgracing those most holy bookes
it came to the full So that albeit the spouse of Christ remained a pure virgine whiles the Apostles Euseb l. 3. Cap 32. Niceph. l. 3. Cap 16. liued yet assoone as they were dead shee began to be corrupted and wicked erroures beganne then not onely to be sowen but also to take roote in the Lordes fielde The which erroures albeit they were sometimes withstoode and for a time repressed by the learned and religious fathers that liued in those dayes yet being countenanced out by the blinde zeale and superstitious deuotion of the multitude and by the cunning plots and pollicies of their autors and abettors at the length beganne to be receaued for catholike as it may in particular more evidently appeare by the historicall observation of the rising encreasing and growing to the full of that one presumptuous heresie of their Papal supremacy Whereas the strange and wonderfull prevailing of the gospell of Christ as at the first publishing thereof by the Apostles themselues even so at the renevvinge of the same in these last times albeit it vvas vvithstoode vvith all the learning of the greate Rabbyes and Doctors through out all nations and persecuted by the sword of such as were in authority and defamed also with all manner of shameful and ignominious reportes doth manifestly declare that it is the most powerfull doctrine of the almighty â—…b 4. â—4 â— Esd 4. 4â— GOD and that strong and puissant trueth that must prevaile according as it vvas most liuely set foorth in the prophesie of Daniell by the little stone cut out vvithout handes vvhich â—…n 2. 34. brake that goodly and glorious image in pieces and became it selfe a great mountaine so that it filled the vvhole earth wherefore if quicke and speedy prevailing be an argument of the miraculous power of God giuing thereby testimony vnto the truth according vnto Augustines opinion and Bellarmines also then is the doctrine 〈◊〉 22. de 〈◊〉 dei c. 5. of such as embrace the gospell the very truth and the doctrine of Popery a fardell of lyes for that the one prevailed with speed and the other crept in by little and little Opposit 6. The powerfull trueth of the gospell breaketh of all familiar vse vvith the Devill and stoppeth the course of his Satanicall illusions vvhich haue great foorth in his kingdome of darkenesse hee being very familiar with his familiars IN the night Lyons Beares and other savage beastes with the venemous serpentes doe bestirre themselues seeking their pray but when the day appeareth they hide themselues in their dennes and holes and so man hath the safer passage to betake himselfe to his labour euen so in the night of ignoraunce and errour the roaring Lyon redde Dragon and subtile Serpent beareth the svvay and the spirites of darkenesse mightely bestirre themselues to establish and strengthen their kingdome of darkenesse but when the lighte of the gospell beginneth to breake foorth and the day-starre of righteousnesse once ariseth then the powers of the kingdome of darkenesse are shaken and the captaines thereof put to flight For Satan is no vvay able to vvithstande Christ Dagon cannot stand before the arke nor superstition endure the strength and power of true religion So that vvhere the trueth openeth her mouth and teacheth there the Devill is driuen out of the chaire and put to silence VVhen CHRIST sent foorth his seuenty disciples to preach the gospell vnto the Iewes hee testifieth of the effecte thereof saying Loe I savve Satan likâ— Luk 10. 18. lightning fall downe from heaven So vvhen the Apostles vvent foorth to preach the gospell to euery creature the oracles of the Deuill vvere stroken dumbe and his common apparitions restrained and hee vvas bounde for a thousande yeares Likevvise Apoc 2. 1. vvhen Paule had preached two yeares at Ephesus the vvorde of Act. 19 19. GOD so mightely grewe and prevailed that many that vsed curious artes brought their bookes and burned them before all men After the same manner vvhen the gospell beganne to bee preached againe in these last daies the apparition of spirites hath ceased and the arte of coniuring hath decayed vvhich was so common in former ages vnder the popish kingdome that the bookes of that blacke science lay open in some libraries publikely to bee reade and the mysteries thereof vvere almost knowen and practised also of euery priest that was but meanely learned And vvhat ordinary apparitions of spirites then were vvhat familiarity with Robin-good-fellovve the Faires and the like all olde mens and womens tongues can yet testifie sufficiently VVhereby it is evident that it was the truth of God that was first taught by the Apostles amongst the Gentiles and nowe renewed againe in these last daies and that both Gentilisme and Papisme are the very proppes and pillars of the Devils kingdome and the professours thereof his great familiars and friendes Opposit 7. The faithfull haue their fierce and furious affections cooled and softned by the Lords most meeke spirit and milde word and of tygers beares wolues are turned into doues lambes and sheepe but the vnfaithfull delight in cruelty and blood WHeÌ„ the Samaritans refused to entertaine Christ Iames Iohn said vnto him Lord wilt thou that we commaunde Luk. 9 54. fire to come downe froÌ„ heauen to consume them as did Elias but Iesus rebuked them saying yee know not of what spirite yee are for the son of man came not to destroy mens liues but to saue them And the wisedome that is from aboue euen froÌ„ the spirit of wisedome is first pure â—ac 3. 17. then peaceable gentle easie to bee entreated full of mercy c. yea so ful of mercy that it mooveth the righteous to shewe mercy to his verie Pro. 12. 10. beast whereas the very bowels of the wicked are cruell And therefore as Salomon discerned the true mother from the false for that she chose rather to loose her deare childe then that her childe should â— King 3. â—3 loose his life so may we discerne the church the true mother of the faithfull from the false church their cruell hard harted stepmother For in that the church of Rome when shee ruled the sworde among vs spared neither age sexe nor calling but brought al to the fire that defied her impieties yea many also that relented froÌ„ the truth coÌ„sented with her in her Idolatries as it is to be seene in diverse places of the Actes and Monumentes of the church of England in that her associats yet for al this yea for all their deep dangerous conspiracies treasons so often attempted against our Prince country enioy both life liberty also amoÌ„g vs all that haue eies may easily discerne who resemble the savage and blood â—hirsty wolues who the milde meeke sheepe who the tigerlike hardhearted stepmother who the natural kinde mother of the faithfull who the cruell and mercilesse whoore of Babylon embrued with the blood of
to trye â— Pet. 1. 6. their obedience and patience and to humble them for their manifold infirmities and sinnes or when Tyrantes persecute them for their most holy faith But as for all voluntary tortures and tormentes they leaue the same to infidels and heretikes vvho thereby seeke after a greater opinion of godlines and devotion before men THe Gentiles did offer vp their sonnes in fire vnto Idols and did â— Reg. â—… 28. â—…v 21. 5. cutte and launce themselues vntill the bloode followed the which voluntary tortures the Lord precisely interdicteth his owne people Contrary to the which interdiction the dearest darlinges of the church of Rome as likewise such among the Turkes as would seeme most devout vse to scourge and to whippe theÌ„selues diverse waies tormenting their owne bodies and not sparing their ovvne flesh Whereby it is evident that they haue â—…ol 2. 23. not onely sorted themselues with the Gentiles and some of the olde heretikes but also with these of the last times who through hipocrisie hunte after a shewe of most rare holines in these outvvard â— Tim. 4. 1. thinges preferring these their wil-worshippes and voluntary devotions before faith repentance and the fruites of the spirit imagining thereby to ascende to the highest degree of the greatest perfection and to be esteemed the only religious of all other Opposit 12. The faithfull souldiers of Christ furnish themselues against their ghostly enimies with such weapons as are taken out of the Lordes armoury whereas the counterfeite christian furnisheth himselfe with such as are framed in the devils forge and in the shoppe of mans invention THe faithfull which fight vnder the banner of Christ even al the members of the militant church knowing the greate force of their fendish foes seeke according vnto the exhortation of the Apostle to be strong in the Lorde and in the power of Eph. 6. 10. his might putting on to that purpose all the armour of God that so they may bee able to stand against all the assaultes of the Devill they stand and their loines girded about with verity hauing on the breastplate of righteousnes and their feete shodde with the preparation of the gospel of peace aboue all they take the shield of faith whereby they may quench all the fiery dartes of the wicked and the helmet of salvation and the sworde of the spirite which is the word of God praying alway with all manner of praier and supplication in the spirite and watching thereunto withall perseverance VVhereas the souldiers of Satans companies are forbidden for the most parte to enter into the Lordes armory wherein are the weapons of all the Lordes worthies wherevvith they prevailed against all their enemies and to fence their soules with that armour of proofe whereby they may be preserued from Chrys in Math. hom 43. Hier. in Mat. ca 23. Num. 9. 11. Tert. de Idola Lact. instit l. 6. ca. 2. all deadly woundes it is enough for them to arme themselues with holy bookes tyed at their girdle but not laid vp in their hartes with holy reliques such as defiled those that touched them vnder the law with holy candle lighted at noone-day to driue away belike spiritual darknesse with holy breaede to put away the famine of the soule with holy water to wash away the spots of the spirit with holy bell to fray the hell-hound with that sacred sound with crossing and crossing againe this and that member and with anoyling the instruments of the fiue wits with holy creame holy salt holy spitile with as holy exorcismes and coniurations as were vsed by the seven sonnes of Sceva the priest with holy graines agnus deies crucifixes with buriall in an holy cloister in a Monkes coule or a Friers frocke with Act. 19. 13. a pardon cast into the graue with the body for the safer passage of the silly soule albeit it had passed and receiued iudgement before with other such furniture of their owne framing as if those things which are without could sanctisie a man and fence him from the woundes of sinne as if the subtile serpent were some silly foole that could be driuen away with such scarre-crowes or some weake and feeble foe that could be overturned with such bulrushes Opposit 13. The faithfull are not puffed vp with pride in respect of Gods graces but rather hang downe their heades in respect of their owne infirmities ascribing to God the glory of all good things IF when wee haue done all that is commanded vs we must say that â—uc 9 54 we are vnprofitable servantes then when we faile more or lesse in all what iust occasion haue we with the humble Publican to stande aloofe and to hange downe the heade and to beate the brest being â—zr 9 6. â—zech â—6 33. â—an â— 7. full of confusion in regarde of our ovvne iniquities Nowe as the faithfull thus cry out shame and confusion against themselues so they ascribe righteousnes to God in all his corrections and endles mercy in all his blessinges magnifying and extoling his glory in both And verely he that seeketh the glory of him â—oh 7. 18. that sent him is true and there is no vnrighteousnes in him But in Aug in â—oh Tract â—9 Antichrist saith Austine there is vnrighteousnes and hee is not true because hee will not seekeâ—… he glory of him that sent him Let vs all then which pertaine to the body of Christ beware lest we fall into the snares of Antichrist and let vs not seeke our owne glory Chrys in Math. Hom. 19. If one cover saith Chrysostome a wolfe with a sheepes skinne how may another know him but by his voice or by his action The sheepe bleateth looking downe ward the wolfe looketh vpwarde and howleth against heaven He then that vttereth the voice of humility and confession according vnto God is a sheepe but hee that howlethout blasphemies against God and against the truth is a wolfe Nowe howe the doctrine of the church of Rome teacheth to lay aside the humility of a sheepe and to take to our selues the pride of the wolfe to advaunce our selues and not to giue the glory of all thinges onely to GOD see before in the preface to the Christian roader Opposit 14. The faithfull Christian as in generall he giueth the glory of all good things onely to Gods mercy and goodnes so especially of his eternall salvation resting onely vpon the mediation and merite of Christes passion for the obtaining thereof and not vpon his owne or other mens workes VVHat worthy thing do we that thereby we may be Walâ—ensis contra Wicleâ—um made partakers of heavenly glory whereas the Apostle saieth I thinke that the passions of this time are not worthy of the glory that shal be revealed Therefore I recken him to be the more sounder divine the more saithfull catholike and more agreeable to holy scriptures who doth flatly deny any such merite And verely our Saviour Christ
in respect of them for that their number is alwaies the greater â—as shee is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy in respect of the godly for that they are the better part Wherfore all vngodly and faithlesse dissembling hypocrites as they seeme onely to be holy and are not so they seeme also but are not in deed the true members of the holy catholike church For how can they haue the church to be their mother which are not begotten againe of the immortal seede of the word of God which liueth and lasteth for euer How can I say those bee members of the holy catholicke church and haue her for their mother vvho haue not God for their father who as they honour not God as a father neither endevour to resemble his image so he doth not acknowledge them for his sonnes nor accept them as inheritours of his heavenly kingdome And doth not our creede reach vs also that this holy catholike church of Christ is a communâ—on of saintes who haue in this life remission of sinnes and shall attaine in the life to come to a glorious resurrection and to lâ—e everlasting But the wicked vngodly dissembling hypocrites the sonnes of the bond woman which are base-borne and bastarde brethren they haue no part nor portioÌ„ in these blessings of God with the sonnes Gal. 4. 30. of the free woman which are the elect chosen children of God and the true members of the holy catholicke church of Christ Wherefore the church of Rome greatly disgraceth this holy catholike church of Christ in that shee would allowe an interest in her to impuâ—e and vngodly dissembling hypocrites as on other respectes shee advaunceth her to high in assigning her that priviledge that shee cannot erre and graunting that ability vnto her children whereby they may perfectly fulfill the law of God Div. 4. That the church may erre in matters of faith THe Apostles prophets had their doctrine from God not onely mediately by instruction but also immediatly by revelation Holy but revelations are now ceased and the church hath her doctrine now mediatly onely by instruction out of the divine and sacred scriptures and therefore the church may erre albeit the Apostles and Prophets were free from errour For in learning out of the scriptures the dulnesse and blindnes of our capacity oftentimes misseth of the true sence and meaning thereof which is no impediment when as the spirite of God by revelation vseth not the blockishnesse of our vnderstanding to bring vs to the knovvledge of God but doth immediately by his power shâ—dde it in our heartes or else teacheth vs by such as are instructed immediately 〈…〉 2. Div. 3. That every member of the church breaketh the law and doeth not perfectly fulfill the same NO man loveth the Lorde with all his heart power and strength so that all his â—ffections cogitations thoughts are only employed in the Lords service and in obedience to his commandementes and therefore no man perfectly fulfilleth the whole law For our loue doth so follow ouâ— knowledge that no man can perfectly loue God that perfectly knoweth not his loue and goodnes towardes vs but in this life wee knowe but in 〈◊〉 13. 9 parte vvee vnderstande but in parte wee see as through a glasse and in a darke speaking and so our loue also is but in parte it is no wise so perfect as it ought to be VVherefore that perfect loue beeing not in any which the lawe requireth that which wanteth thereof is sinne â—…p 29. and a breach of the lawe and commaundementes of God For to loue the Lorde withall our hearte soule and strength is not a point of perfection counselled onely in the gospell aboue the lawe but a necessary duety commaunded in the lavve and therefore our Saviour calleth it in slâ—tte tearmes not onely a commaundement 〈◊〉 â—…2 38. but also the first of the commaundementes VVherefore all being guilty of the breach of this commaundement there is none that is able to fulfill the vvhole lawe much lesse to doe any worke of supererogation more then is commaunded in the law of God Many prowde debtours hauing not as yet wasted their whole stockes but beeing only declining and ready to fall conceaue so well of themselues and of their owne ability that when they looke but vpon the particular billes of their debt they conceaue some hope to recover and to bee able in time to discharge all but vvhen they cast them all togither and so take a viewe of the totall summe that appeareth by and by to bee so great that thereby they are cleane dismaide and discouraged and vtterly excluded from all hope But the pride of our Romish banke-ruptes is in a farre higher degree in that the summe of all the commandements contayning the summe of our vvhole debte bee it neuer so great and neuer so huge yet it doeth not mooue them to acknowledge their inhabilitie but they still imagine themselues to be able to fulfil the whole lavve and so to discharge their vvhole debte yea and more also vvith the surplussage vvhereof beeing due vnto them The meanest in the church of Rome are taught that they may fulfil al the commandementes whereas the very best in the church of Christ more or lesse faile in all vppon a reckoning and an accountes they thinke themselues able to helpe tovvardes the dischardge of the debtes of others also VVhereas in trueth if vvee vvoulde duely looke into the greatnesse of the duety that is required at our handes in any one of the commaundementes wee should perceiue the very debte of every one of these particular billes to amounte and grovve to so great a summe that as long as vvee liue heere in this life such is our spirituall penury and beggary vvee are neuer able to discharge the same 1. CoÌ„mand For vvho is there euen amonge the most perfecte and iust that neuer preferreth profite or pleasure or the satisfying of one affection or other before iustice and righteousnesse and before his loue and obedience to God thereby placing them after a sort in Gods throne 2 who alvvaies so highly conceiveth of the incomprehensible maiesty of the almighty Iehovah as hee ought to doe and of his incomparable and vnmatchable glory that cannot be resembled by any similitude without great impeachment and derogation to the same 3 Who conceiveth so reverently of the infinite power of the most mighty creator of heaven earth that hee neuer taketh his glorious and dreadfull name in vaine but euer vseth it with such reverence and feare as is due vnto it 4 VVho sanctifieth on that manner the Sabaoth day that ceasing altogither from satisfying his owne vvill hee suffereth the Lord by his holy spirite and sacred vvorde vvholy to vvoâ—ke in himselfe and so employeth himselfe only in his service Yea who is it that keepeth a perpetuall Sabaoth vnto the LORDE 5 VVho is it that so honoureth his pâ—rentes and the rest of his
superiors in the Lord that hee neuer so much as murmureth and â—…dgeth at their lawfull authority 6 7 8 9 Who is so far of from murder adultery thefâ—â—nd from bearing false witnes that he neuer transgresseth in any of these not so much as by hatred carnall lusts covetous desires or lieâ— 10 Lastly who hath his whole heart so possessed with the loue of God and his neighbour that he neuer delighteth no not for a moment of time in any thought or desire coÌ„trary the evnto David a man after Gods owne heart who is said after a manner to haue fulfilled all his wil and whose posterity is commeÌ„ded for walking in his steppes after that he had most highly magnifiâ—d the law of God as holy and righteous altogether and had testified thâ—t in keeping thereof there vvas great revvarde addeth immediatly but vvho can tell howe of te hee offendeth O clense â—…l 19. 12. thou me from my secret sinnes As if he had said I know that I even I my selfe not seldome but often offende against this righteous and perfect â—avv yea further I acknowledge my frailty to be so great that I am perswaded how that some times I commit also faults some or other which escape my knowledge and are secret from me Wherfore if we say we haue no sin we cannot but be charged â—oh 1 8. as transgressors of this law we deceaue our selues and the trueth is not in vs. For not only Saint Ambrose hath confessed of himselfe â—…b de saâ—…mentis li â—…â—ap 6. that he did sinne continually but the Apostle Saint Iames hath testified of all that in many thinges wee offende all not some of vs saith he but all of vs offende and that not in a fewe but in many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. 2. thinges from the number of which offenders hee excepted not himselfe albeit he was had in great admiration even of the enemies of the christian faith for his most iust and vpright life nor any of the rest of his fellow Apostles Yea Adam himselfe before his fall being entrenched as it were within the fortification castle of his owne complete and perfect innocency the vvalles whereof being as walles of yron and the gates thereof as of pure brasse a may den-hold that was neuer taken neuer shaken by any shot neuer weakened by any battery having neuer sustained any manner of breach in any part or parcell thereof our greate grand-father Adam himselfe I say being here set vpon withstoode the assault a very shorte time but straite-waies yeelded suffering the same to be soone surprised and himselfe to be taken prisoner by the enemies force Nowe this holde of innocencie vvhich is restored vnto vs againe by our most powerfull redeemer and vvherein vvee the posterity of Adam are seated and placed is nothing so strong and sure in it selfe as it vvas at the first vvhen it vvas delivered vnto Adam The gates thereof are very vveake and the vvals thereof of small strength to keepe out the force and fury of the enemy For novv he entreth in at the gate of the eies by pride and covetousnesse of the tongue by lying and slaundring of the handes by bribing and stealing of the tast by gluttony drunkennesse and excesâ—e novve hee attempteth to take the same by carnall security and at another time by murmuring grudging and impatiencie hee putteth it still in daunger by idle vvordes vaine imaginations carnall lustes and earthly affections Many breaches are quickely made and the whole hold soone battered vnlesse it be continually succoured by the Lordes power and still rescued by his aide For how can the weake Lambe stande against the bloody wolfe or the silly sheepe against the roaring Lyoâ— No mervaile then that we be sometimes vvounded and sometimes forced to giue ground and be driuen from our place and standing in these our ghostly and spirituall skirmishes No mervaile though oftentimes we transgresse the most holy and righteous lawe of God and turne out of the direct way of his commandements VVell may it agree with the church triumphant in heauen resting in the place where righteousnesse dwelleth and enioying the security of the full conquest victory to be free from the danger of al wounds to attaine to the fulnesse of all righteousnes and to be most glorious without spot without wrinckle how beit surely the church militant remaining in this wicked and sinfull world where shee is still so fiercely assaulted is sure neuer long to escape without blowes neuer to be pure from all staines neuer to be free from all sinnes Now sinne being a transgression of the law and a breach 1 Ioh. 3. 4. of the commandement therefore there is none to be founde that perfectly keepeth the whole lavve and exactly fulfilleth all the commandementes Div. 6. That the spirite of God the spirite of truth is not alvvaies annexed to the outvvard face of the visible church and to such as haue the cheife roomes therein much lesse to any particular church as to the church of Rome or to any other .. BEFORE the ascension of our Saviour Christ it was true â—…olike that the Psalmist saith In Iurie GOD vvas knovven his name vvas greate in Israell hee had not dealt so vvith any 〈◊〉 75. 47. 20 other nation neither had the Heathen knovvledge of his lavves And therefore the Apostles vvere vvilled for a time not to 〈◊〉 10. 5. goe into the vvaie of the Gentiles nor to enter into the cities of the Samaritanes but to goe onely to the lost sheepe of the house 〈◊〉 15. 26. of Israell Yea it vvas tolde the vvoman of Canaan by our Saviour himselfe that it vvas not meete to take the childrens bread and to cast it vnto dogges VVhereby hee signifyed that the Israelites onely vvere receaued by GOD into the number of his elect and chosen children and that all other nations vvere as hogges and svvine vvallovving in the mire of ignorance and sinne and therefore most odious and abominable before GOD. But novv by the death of CHRIST 〈◊〉 2 14. 〈◊〉 28. 19. 〈◊〉 10 34. 〈◊〉 3. 28. 〈◊〉 â—… 10. 12 the partition vvalle is broken downe and the Apostles commission is enlarged to goe and teach all nations and to preach the gospell to every creature For there is novve no more respect of Iewe then of Grecian but all are one in Christ Iesus and Gods favor is so procured to all that as he is Lord of all so he is rich vnto all 〈…〉 23. that call vpon him And now is the houre come that the true worshippers worshippe not God in the mount of Samaria nor yet at Ierusalem but worshippe him euery where in spirite and truth For now the true service of God and the sincere faith of Christ is not tied to any one place or countrey but lieth open to all nations and the church of Christ is now catholike not annexed any more to any one people but dispersed abroad
through the whole worlde neither are the large kingdomes of * â—…er non â—…frica â—…undus Affrica the Lordes onely field wherein the pure seede of his word is sowen much lesse the smal territories of the city of * Jllud esseâ— includere orbâ—m in vrbe Rome but the vniversal globe of the whole earth And yet wheÌ„ of al the families kinreds of the earth the Lorde had called out and chosen onely the posteritie of Abraham and when the church of Christ vvas annexed to that one people alone the service of God was not theÌ„ so tied to theÌ„ which had the roomes of the cheife professors therof but that the lawe did sometimes perish from the priest and counsell from the auncient and the Sunne went downe vpon their prophets in Ier. 7. 4. 18. 18. Mich. 3. 6. so much that night was vnto them for a vision and darkenes for a divination As for example in our Saviours time those that shoulde haue beene the principall pillars of the church vvere the cheife subverters thereof and they which had the roomes of the master builders reiected the cheife corner stone and sought the Mat. 21. 42. vtter ruine and dovvne fall of the LORDES house And as it thus happened to the Sinagogue of the Ievves even so also it befell the church of CHRIST when Arrianisme overflowed the outvvarde face thereof in so much that Liberius himselfe Hier de eccles scriptoribus in Fortunatiano being then Bishoppe of Rome yeelded thereto and confirmed it vvith his subscription At what time nothing vvas esteemed a matter of greater pietie and more befitting the servaunt of CHRIST then to follow vnity and not to be divided from the communion of the world when the christian vvorlde Hier. adversus Lucifeâ—ianos sighed and vvondred that of a Christian it vvas become an Arriaâ— VVherefore no mervaile that diverse particular churches planted by the Apostles themselues haue not beene so firmly seased of the truth but that they haue beene longe agoe cast out of the possession thereof no marvaile though they hauing reiected the faith of CHRIST haue themselues also beene reiected from beeing the people and Church of Christ Now that which happeneth to many may also happen to any yea to Rome it selfe and the church thereof seing they haue no Cypr. ad Pomp. cont epist Sâ—eph Hier. ad Princip Marcel ep Tim. 1. greater charter or priveledge of not erring then any other partilar church Certainly Cyprian knevve none for he avoucheth of the Bishope of Rome that he maintaineth heresie against the church Hierome knevve none for hee saith that the fountaine of the Romane faith vvas defiled vvith mudde and that the faith commended by the Apostle was violated in most things albeit our Romanists greatly boast that no good autor hath ever testified of the failing of faith in the church of Rome Nay the Apostle himselfe knewe none for writing to the church of Rome by name he telleth her plainely that she should not be proude of her staÌ„ding nor insult against the church of the Iewes for her fall for of 〈◊〉 11. 21 God saith he spared not the naturall branches take thou heede also that he spare not thee For if they which were Iewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles being borne vnder covenant of mercy and descending from most holy progenitors had no such perpetuity in the favour of God nor assurance for the continuance of the true worshippe and service of God amongst them but that they might vtterly fall from both then surely such as descended from impious and idolatrous parentes and were straungers and alians from the covenantes of grace being of the Lordes endles goodnes receiued into favour can haue no such assurance of the Lordes mercie but that in successe of time the posterity may fall away from that grace whereof their progenitors were made partakers And if the true worship service of God was not vnseperably tied vnto Siloh Sion or Ierusalem whâ— presumption is it in the church of Rome to make such boast thâ— her faith caÌ„not faile as if the truth were necessarily annexed to that city and the spirite of God as it were entailed to Peters châ—ire or as if God were in bonds still to keepe that See vpright whatsoever else became of all other christian churches Verely of them it may be verefied that which Terasius Archbishop of Constantinople testified of their like that the heresie of Macedonius was more tollerable then theirs in that he avoucheth the spirit of God to be servaÌ„t to the father and the sonne wheras they after a â—ort make him their servant to convey over continually the certaintie of faith from the predecessor to the successor VVhat may a man in his death bed dispose of the inward qualities of his soule as he may of his temporall goodes and possessions May any one make over by deede of gifte vnto an other his faithfull hart and sincere minde or bequeath by will and testament his piety and godlines These thinges are personall and appropriated to the person on whome they are bestowed they pasâ—e not from hand to hand they remoue not from subiect to subiect these giftes are not parted by death but accompany vs continually when all other things bid vs adue when all all other things faile they faile not when all other things are lefte behinde they cannot be lefte there is no conveyance to be made from one to an other of these goods For Non naâ—ciâ—ur Christiani seâ— fimus vertue is no inheritance it descendeth not from the father to the child the child taketh his bodely substance from his parentes at his first birth but as for the substance of vertue if he receaue it he receiveth it by a second birth Now if these giftes come not by descent from the father to the sonne that succeedeth him an nature in substance in the very covenat of grace also much lesse doe they come by descent vnto him that succeedeth onely in place and office It is true indeede that Elias promised Elizaeus thâ—t was to succeede him in his propheticall office that if he saw him when he waâ— tâ—ken out of his sight he should haue his spirite doubled vpon him But Elias knewe that God hauing appointed Elizâ—…s to succeede him in his propheticall office woulde haue him endued with such a measure of his spirite that so he might be meete â—or the execution of the same moreover his promise was made to the person of Elizaeus alone and not to any of his successors But the church of Rome will haue the stability of Peters faith to be conveyed over to all his successors and that to the worlds end yea shee will haue it annexed to Peters chaiâ—e to his very consistory and iudgement seate For when it is proved that many of the Popes in person were Apostataes from the faith Lyra in Math c. 16. Conc. Basil Op. â—inod Non
another manner then he himselfe had appointed therefore they are accused as if they had vtterly forsaken the GOD of their faâ—hers and had altogeather reiected his worshippe and service By whose example let vs take heede that we forsake not the one true and all-sufficient God who is a ful fouÌ„taine of al good things yea al in al vnto all by speaking vnto any other then only to him and devoting our selues to their service Especially whereas we haue beene baptized in the name of one God the father the sonne and the holy ghost â—…r 1. 13 haue most solemnly vowed our selues therein vnto his sole onely service what madnes is it willingly and wittingly to breake this holy vowe by devoting our selues to the service of the saints as if the â—ords service were not honorable enough for vs or at the least not sufficient for vs of it selfe alone Or if vvee esteeme Gods service to be honorable enough sufficieÌ„t for vs what neede haue we to betake our selues also to a meaner service by becoming servants to our fellow servants for who here in this world being admitted to the Princes service doth afterward betake â—…ipere â—…um Siâ—…s forâ—…en by 〈◊〉 in the â—…versâ—ty 〈◊〉 Oxford himselfe to the service of a subiect Or what scholar hauing taken the highest degree in the scholes doth aftervvarde sue to obtaine a lovver And yet the children of the church of Rome hauing in Baptisme vowed themselues to the only service of one GOD doe aftervvard devote themselues to the service of the saintes doe giue them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and become their servantes by making them their Patrones and Protectors and by ascribing to their favourable helpe the good successe of their affaires Camp â—p ad Everg. Merc. Prepos Gener. societatiâ— Jesu As Campâ—an before he vvas apprehended here among vs glorieth of himselfe that he from his youth being devoted to Saint Iohn the Baptist vvas thus and thus protected by his aide Div. 2. That we ought not to resemble or worship God in any image or similitude 2. THe grounde of this commandement is the true GOD is in comprehensible and incomparable in maiesty and glory and therefore not to be likned or resembled to any creature whatsoeuer without greate disparagement and most heinous derogation vnto his glory The vvhich thing we may learne of the Lord himselfe who hauing set downe in diverse of his workes his owne incomprehensible and vnmatchable maiesty with the vanity and as it were a plaine nullity of all his creatures in respect thereof therevpon inferreth To vvhome vvill yee liken God! or what similitude vvill yee set vp vnto him for whereas all the Isa 40. 18. creatures are nothing in respect of him therefore hee cannot rightly be resembled by anie of them And for this cause it vvas that the LORD when he delivered his lavve vnto his people as he himselfe testifieth would not appeare vnto them in any likenes or similitude lest they should corrupt themselues by making Deut. 4. 15. any similitude or image of God the Lord in that place coÌ„deÌ„ning it for a greavous corruption to make any resemblance or representation of himselfe The which enormity yet for all this when it vvas committed by the children of Israell in the wildernes VVhen they turned even their glorie into the similitude of a calâ—e Psa 106. 20 that eateth â—ay the LORDE vvas so highely offended therevvith that had not Moses his servante rose vp in the gappe his feirce wrath vvould haue broken forth against them to their vtter destruction As also vvhen the same enormity was committed by the Gentiles when they in like maÌ„ner turned the glorâ—e of the incorruptible God into the similitude of an image 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. 23. of a corruptible man and of birdes and of fowre footed beastes and of creeping thinges albeit they did it ignorantly through vnbeleiâ—e yet the LORD was so highly offended therevvith that he delivered vp the offendors into a reprobate sence punishing that their enormous sin with a most great and greavous punishmeÌ„t And yet the church of Rome teacheth not only to make images to reseÌ„ble God but also to worship adore the same Div. 3. That wee ought not to sweare by the saintes or other creatures but onely by the true God 3. THE ground of this commandement is GOD is infinite in might puissance and power and therefore vve must not in any case take his glorious and dreadfull name in vaine but vse it alwaies with all reverence and feare The partes of this commandement are two 1. First because GOD is infinite in power the searcher of the hearte the maintainer of truth and iustice and the avenger of all falshoode and wrong therefore in such cases as iustice and truth cannot couveniently be found out but by oathes vve must as it vvere appeale vnto GOD and call him to witnes and iudge what is truth and right by taking an oath onely in his name 2. Secondly our taking of an oath in GODS name must not at any time be done lightly or vainly but seriously and religiously and that in matters of moment and vveight 〈◊〉 in â—…h c. 23. Now contrarie to the first pointe of this commandement the church of Rome offendeth in that shee alloweth liketh of sâ—vearing by saintes thereby after a sorte placing them in GODS throne as searchers of the hearte iudges of right maintainers of truth and iustice and avengers of falsehode and wrong For as Chrysostome saith â—…ys in 〈◊〉 imperf Math. â—… 12. he maketh himselfe an Idolater whosoever sweareth by any thinge besides GOD and sinneth double First because he sweareth and then because he maketh him God by whome he sweareth Div. 4. That all the Lordes people ought especially vpon the Lordes day religiously to frequent the publike assemblies and â—oyne togeather in their common praiers and in preaching and hearing Gods most sacred worde that thereby they may be stirred to the exercise of all christian duties and so therein not serue their owne â—ustes but keepe that day holy vnto the Lord. THE ground of this commandement is God is infinite in wisedome and onely knoweth himselfe all such things as belong to his owne worship service Neither is he rightly knowen of vs but so farre forth as it pleaseth him to open himselfe 1. Cor. 2. 11 2. Tim. 3. 16 2. Pet. 1. 20 by his spirit speaking vnto vs in his word so revealing himselfe vnto vs. And therefore are we coÌ„manded on the Lords day to rest from all our bodily labours and much more from such exercises as tend to the stirring vp of our corrupt lusts and to the satisfying of our fonde fancies and to come with the residue of the Lordes people to the publike assemblies in the Lordes house that his holy spirit may sanctifie our spirites and by his holy word stirre and excite vs vnto all holy exercises and so cause vs
only doth this their doctrine of satisfaction and merites greate wrong vnto our Saviour Christ by disanulling the covenant of life made in him and by defacing of the sufficiency of his death but otherwise also it is most iniurious vnto God and tendeth highly to the dishonour of his sacred maiesty 1. First it maketh him like to a very vniust and hard Land-lord whoe hauing graunted an estate in a bargaine vnto a yonger brother vpon a sufficient fine tendered by the elder yet will not let the yonger enioy it vnlesse he fine for it againe himselfe 2. Secondly it maketh him like to a cruell Creditour who hauing the debt discharged to the vttermost by a frieÌ„d yet casteth the poore debtour himselfe into prison vntill he there also in parte make some satisfaction 3. Thirdly it maketh him like to a mercilesse Iudge who hauing punished an ofâ—ence with condigne punishment yet will haue the offender punished againe as if he delighted in the tormentes of the miserable 4. Fourthly it maketh him lesse mercifull then man who doth remitte to his penitent brother all manner of offence and all manner of revenge also 5. Lastly it â—inistreth matter to the malitious to the satisfying of his malicious humor to the full seeing as GOD doth pardon vs so vve are to deale one vvith an other and therefore if GOD doth so forgiue vs our sinnes in CHRIST as that we must yet still either afflict our selues vvith the rigorous vvorkes of Penance or else bee cast into the extreame tormentes of Purgatorie then we may also so forgiue our brother as that we may yet procure his most greavous punishment Wherefore let all true and faithfull Christians abhorre those aboâ—inations of the whore of Babylon yea let all such as looke for forgiuenes of sinne and eternal life by the covenant of mercy in CHRIST Iesus giue the glory thereof not to themselues or their owne workes but onely to the death of our al-sufficient Redeemer And yet let them haue a most earnest care to shew forth their most holy faith by their godly workes not as if they were part of the satisfaction made for sinne or anie parcell of the price giuen for the purchase of eternall glorie but thereby to testifie their thankefulnes to him who hath paide the whole price for that purchase himselfe and hath made for them a perfect and full satisfaction For true faith is not idle nor deade but a living faith working by loue albeit this mother iustifieth vvithout the Fides iustificat ante partum Roffensis helpe of her daughters yea before their very birth as the truth hath forced an enimie to confesse For workes do follovve the iustified man they go not before our iustification even as good fruits proceede from a tree which is already good declaring and not making the tree good Wherfore if we which by nature are wilde oliues being ingraffed in Christ are made good oliues and if we which of our selues bringe forth sowre grapes being planted into the true vine yeeld a sweete liquor if we be made good trees and pleasant plantes such as are setled in the caelestiall paradise we owe that wholy to our engraâ—…ing into Christ by a true faith and not in any vvise to the fruites of our faith the vvhich are only requisite and necessary duties vvhich are carefully to be performed of all such as are called to be pertakers of so greate mercies For as in those landes and liuinges vvhich are holden of temporall Lords ther are besides the fines paide for the purchase of the first estates certaine rentes services and other duties vvhich are also to be performed for the quiet and peaceable possessing of the same liuinges and yet he were but a simple tenante that vvoulde imagine those rentes and seruices to be his whole fine or any part or parcell thereof even so the faithfull which haue their estates purchased for them by the death of Christ in the kingdome of heaven must as it vvere pay their rents performe their services submit theÌ„selues to the custoÌ„e of that heavenly mannour and yet they must neither be so proud nor so simple as to thinke that these rentes services and duties are any part or parcell of that fine that was paid for the first purchase of that heavenly inheritance Chap. 13. That the very end and scope of the sacramentes also is to teach the faithfull that remission of sinne and eternall life is obtained onely by faith in Christ VNTO the preaching of the gospell and Bap isme Eucharist doctrine of the new testament vvere adioyned by our Saviour Christ the sacramentes of the newe TestameÌ„t For it pleased our louing and gracious father not only to giue vs eternall life in his onely begotten sonne but also by certaine external rites and ceremonies to take vs as it were by the hand and to put vs into possession thereof If vvee had beene saith Chrysostome spirituall GOD Chrys in Math. hom 83. vvoulde haue giuen vs these thinge nakedly and spiritually but now for that our soules dvvell in bodies hee giueth spirituall thinges vnder visible creatures Visible sacramentes saith another vvere In quaest ve teris testamenti ordained for such as are environed vvith flesh that by the steppes thereof vvee mighte ascende from such thinges as are seene to thinges that are vnderstoode Saint Austine calleth the sacraments Aug. â—ont Faustum Lib. 19. Cap. 16. in generall a visible vvorde as our Saviour calleth the cuppe in particular the nevve Testament in his bloode because as the worde and testament doth teach our eares that the blood of Christ is the purgation of all our sinnes and his body the bread of eternall life even so doe the sacramentes represent the same doctrine visibly to our eies For certaine it is that in the right vse of thâ—se holy mysteries by the reverent receauinug of the bodely creatures God doth ratifie to the faithfull his graunt and donation of spirituall thinges that is of remission of sinnes and of eternall life in CHRIST IESVS and the faithfull in the religiouâ— vse thereof do againe for their part after a sort vow vnto GOD that they will seeke for the same blessinges onely by Christ and not by any other meanes whatsoever VVherefore the members of the church of Rome seeking for remission of sinnes and eternall life not onely by CHRIST but also by their owne merites and satisfactions may worthely be charged not onely as transgressors of the new TestameÌ„t but also as violaters of the holy sacraments and breakers of that solemne and sacred vovve made at thereceauing of these holy mysteries Yea vvhereas in the religious vse of the sacramentes GOD giueth vs CHRIST vvith all his blessinges according vnto the plaine vvordes of the institution of the LORDES supper take yee eate yee this is my body the church of Rome hath turned this tipsie turvy and vvill not so much receaue CHRIST therein as a sacrifice already offered to GOD for them
but vvill offer vp him againe vnto GOD and that as a propitiatory sacrifice both for the quicke and deade In so much that this holy sacrament being ordained of GOD to testifie the sufficiency of that sacrifice vvhich our Saviour himselfe once offered vpon the altar of the crosse is cleane perverted by the church of Rome and as it vvere forced to witnes the contrary and being appointed to coÌ„tinue the memory of CHRISTES death and of the singular vertue thereof in procuring the full and perfect redemption of man by this meanes it is abused to evacuate the crosse of CHRIST and to annihilate the vertue of that perfect redemption Thus haue they turned this holy and blessed sacrament into a sacrilegious and Idolatrous sacrifice the vvhich because it is grounded vpon their doctrine of Transubstantiation and the Reall presence I vvill therefore adde one vvorde also for the confutation thereof The vvorshippers and adorers of their bredden CHRIST doe charge vs for that vvee deny Transubstantiation and their Reall presence to make CHRIST a liar and to deny his plaine vvordes or at the least greately to darken and obscure them vvith tropes and figures But that all indifferent persons may vnderstand vvho they be that make Christ a liar darken and obscure his plaine words I vvould demande of them but this one questioÌ„ which is In vvhat outward elements Christ ordained this holy sacrament of his body and blood and vvhat therein be the visible signes of the invisible grace whether bread and vvine in their nature and substaunce or the bare and naked shevves thereof Verily the Evangelisteâ— vvith the Apostle doe Mat. 26. 26. Luk. 22. 19. 1. Cor. 11. 24. testifie that our Saviour Christ at the institution of this holy sacrament tooke bread in his nature and substance and not the bare and naked shevves of bread and when he had given thankes he brake it gaue it to them saying this is my body which is given for you do this in remembrance of me And in truth sacramentes if they haue not a certaine similitude as Austine saith with the things whereof they are sacraments Aug. ad Bâ—nif â—p 23. they are no sacraments at all but loose the name and nature of sacraments Now true and substantiall bread and wine haue a certaine similitude vvith Christ the heavenly Mannah and true bread of life the bodily nourishment that proceedeth from the very substance of these earthly creatures doth fitly represeÌ„t our spiritual nourishment that we haue by Christ but whitenes rednos roundnes with the outward shewes of bread and wine what resemblance haue they either of Christ himselfe or of the benefits that we receiue by him wherfore it is not a giving of the lie to the Lord of truth nor so much as an obscure and hid kinde of speech but that which is most familiar and agreeable to the nature of a sacrameÌ„t thus to interpret Christs words this is my body this bread is the sacrament or sacred Occam in 4. sent dist 13. Gardiner in Marco Antâ— Const De consecratione dist 2. c. timorem Glossa ibideÌ„ signe of my body Wheras in truth it is not only a great obscuring but a plaine perverting of our Saviours words to interprete them with some of the members of the Romish church as this is my body that is this bread goeth away my body succeedeth in the place therof or with other of them this my body is my body or with a third sort this Individuum vagum this I cannot tel what is my body or this nothing is my body Surely these doubtfull and strange interpretations of Christs words doe not only obscure but pervert the same deluding the harts of the Lords people and vndermining the soundnes of their faith For how can they eate these outward shewes or what benefite could they obtaine by them if they could eat theÌ„ was not this sacrament of the Lordes supper ordained to the same end as all other sacramentes are euen to assure vs of our spirituall vnion with Christ the interest that we haue thereby to all his blessings how is this herein ratified and confirmed vnto vs verily not by the bodily receiving of Christs body nor by receiving of the outward shews of bread wine but by the reverent receiving of the holy sacraments and signes of the body of Christ and of his blood And seeing there is no bodily commixtion betweene Christ and the faithful to what purpose serveth a bodily participation seeing also as they themselues teach Christ being bodily receiued of the wicked departeth againe from them and being bodily receiued of the faithfull yet is not thereby vnited vnto them nor receiued to life but only when he is receiued of theÌ„ by faith Lastly why should the litterall sence of these words this is my body be so much vrged which is impossible barbarous blasphemous See Thom. Biâ—son Epis Winton parte 4. fol. 733. but that all the world might most evidently discerne thereby who is that blasphemous whore of Babylon Thus hath the Bishoppe and church of Rome set vp many manifest contradictions against the gospel and the law the creed the commandements the groundes of faith and of a godly life and so hath brought in that great Apostasie foretold by the Apostle 2. The. 2. 3. the which our Rhemistes themselues vpon the same place do in the end resolue to signifie a revolt from most of the pointes of our christian religion vvhich vvas to be brought in by the greate Antichrist For whereas all other heretikes being in comparison but petty adversaries to Christ haue oppugned but one or tvvo or some few pointes of our christian profession this adversary hath assaulted the whole body thereof that so he might openly proclaime himselfe to be that grande adversary of Christ even that very great Antichrist And therfore we neede not now looke for the coÌ„ming of such an Antichrist which shall seate himselfe in the teÌ„ple of IerusaleÌ„ seeing we may behold him already come placed in Peters chair in the statly pallaces of the church of Rome The which thing as it hath bin sufficiently declared already in the former partes of this treatise so it remaineth further to be made manifest by diverse other particular prophesies wherin the great Antichrist is as it were drawn out in his proper colours that so hee might be the better known avoided which are to be delivered in the chapter following CHAP. 14. 1 That the great Antichrist his adherents shall not be open enemies to all professed ChristiaÌ„s but rather pretensed favorites and friends 2 That the principall point of the Christian faith oppugned by Antichrist and his adherentes shall not be the dignity and authority of the church but the vertue and perfection of the worke of the redemption wrought by the heade of the church vvith his priestly and kingly offices whereby hee accomplished the same as being
also execution accordingly never making stay of your fervent zeale vntill yee haue brought her to her vtter desolation And so if yee fight this good fight and fulfill your course keepe the faith be yee most assured that there is laid vp for you a crowne of righteousnes 2. Tim. 4. 7. which the righteous iudge shall giue vnto you and to all those that loue his appearing Now to the immortall invisible and onely wise God be all honour and glory dominion and power praise and thankes both now and ever Amen Psal 40. 74. Let all those that seeke thee be ioyful and glad in thee and let all such as loue thy salvatioÌ„ say alwaies The Lord be praised FINIS THE SECOND PART OF THE TRIAL OF TRVTH WHEREIN IS SET DOWNE THE proper fountaine or foundation of all good works the fowre principal motiues which the spirit of God so often vseth in the sacred scriptures to perswade therevnto togither with the contrariety of the doctrine of the Church of Rome to the same wherein also are opened not only the causes of all true piety and godlines but also of all heresie and Idolatry which is and hath beene among Gentiles and Iewes and vs likewise that are called Christians By JOHN TERRY He that commendeth himselfe is not allowed but whom the Lord commendeth 2. Cor. 10. 18. VVhether we be out of our wit we are it to God or whether we be in our right minde we are it vnto you The loue of Christ constraineth vs. 2. Cor. 5. 13. 14. AT OXFORD Printed by Joseph Barnes and are to be solde in Fleetstreete at the signe of the Turkes head by IOHN BARNES 1602. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL Master Doctor RIVES warden of S. Mary Colledge of VVinchester in Oxford commonly called New Colledge and to the residue of the members that are or haue bin of that society IT is a truth generally confessed Right VVorshipful yee the residue beloved in the Lord that of all feastes that is the most sumptuous and dainty which wisedome hath provided for Proâ— 9. her guests the which consisteth of three courses that is of the instructions of faith of the precepts of life and of the rules of discipline and government The two first courses of this worthy feast especially the first coÌ„sisting of the instructions of faith as they haue bin seasoÌ„ed served in by the Lords most skilfull Cookes and sworne servaÌ„ts and also as they haue beene attempted to be distempered even poisoned by the blacke guard of Antichrists kitchin the devils scullery I haue already set before the Christian Reader which vouchsafeth to be a guest at wisedomes table that vnder the tast of the Right Reverend Father in God my very good Lorde the Bishop of SaruÌ„ And now that which was then wanting of the second service without the supply wherof this feast might seeme to be somwhat sparing as far forth as I haue beene credited therewith I present vnto the church vnder the approbation of the Right worshipful M. Doctor Riues laâ—e chiefe overâ—eer of our coÌ„mon mother the Vniversity of Oxford and remaining still a careful Guardian of one of my speciall nurses the Colledge of S. Mary of Winchester in Oxford coÌ„moÌ„ly called New Colledge Sir your kinde affection towardes mee of long time and your friendly perswasion in moving mee to publish to the benefite of the church of Christ the first part of my private labours and your advaÌ„cemeÌ„t by God to the governmeÌ„t of that Colledge vnto the which â—owe more then vnto any other place or person whatsoever seeing there I had my being well wheras elsewhere I had but my bare being or rather with my being my being evil haue induced me so farre forth to presume of your favour and good will as that I am bold to request your protection for the seconde part of these my travailes and paines For my hope is the more that God hath advaÌ„ced you to worshippe that the greater will bee your care to further all such meanes as doe concerne his worship that you do esteeme this to be your chiefest worship that you haue receiued of the â—ord not only a minde to will but also by reason of your place hability to perfourme many thinges that belong to the glory of God and to the good of his church Cicero saide of Caesar that his high estate had nothing greater and his nature nothing better theÌ„ that he was both able ready to preserue many And Plinie saidâ— of Vespasian that the greatnesse of his honor had changed nothing in him but this that now by his advancement he was made able as before he was willing to doe good to many And Aristotle hath set down this as a differeÌ„ce between a king a tyraÌ„t that the one seeketh the publike the other his own private good Lastly the Poet could say that this was the great Hoc reges habeÌ„t magnificum ingens nullus quod ra piat dies prodesse miseris and magnificeÌ„t prerogatiue of princes which no day could take from them to profite the miserable and to protect the suppliant c. Now Christian magistrates know more then these heathenish persoâ—s did which liued without the knowledge of the true God eveÌ„ that they are the Lords Leifetenantes not onely to preserue the commodities of their earthly kingdoÌ„ms for the good of their subiects but much more to maintaine establish among them the meanes whereby they may be made partakers of the kingdome of heaven And verely this is a great dignity vnto you that God the full fountaine of all good thinges hath made you a river to water the plantes of a goodly nursery and to minister vnto theÌ„ al such thinges as might further their growth and a carfull Guardian to fence and keepe them from all such things as might worke their annoy ance that so many good trees might grow vp therein fit to be transplanted into many places of this land to replenish the same with much fruite We also which haue bin heretofore plantes in your nurserie hope that your river wil flowe forth farre further and extend it selfe even vnto vs to water vs with some of your droppes and to bee our fence and fortification that the fruites of faith godlines that growe vpon our branches may bee the better preserved and kept vntill they come to maturity and ripenes And now to come to you my foster brethren as I togither with you expect protection and direction from our common head so as a fellowe member I am bould to put you in minde that while yee may come to the full breast yee desire the sincere milke of the word that ye may grow thereby if ye haue tasted how sweete the Lord is and what an honour it is to be borne of God and how great is the gaine of faith and godlines And that while the yeeres of plenty coÌ„tinue ye follow the ensample of provident Ioseph and
gospell of Christ may encounter herein euen their stoutest champions For if either we respect the sounde doctrine or the sincere practise of good workes for good words bring forth good manners not only at their birth but also in their growth it shal be declared in the treatise following that the holsome doctrin of good workes is most soundly delivered by vs and not by them and as for the practise let vs nowe briefly take a true view thereof euen in the fowre cardinal vertues wisedome fortitude temperance and iustice and let vs in a word see whether we haue iust cause to giue ground vnto them and to yeeld backe one foote Concerning wisedome which is the Lady and M is The professors of the gospell are no whit behind the papists but a great way before them in the holy exercise of all vertues to all the residue of the vertues not onlâ— our doctrine but our practise also is that both priest and people haue their dayly resort to the word of God the full fountaine welspring of true wisedome and meditate thereon day and night that their harts being continually moistened with the sweete droppes thereof they may be made partakers of her fruits And is it not a point of true wisdome for one that cannot of himselfe wisely iudge of al thinges to make choise of a wise instructer teacher But the doctrine the practise of the church of Rome is to cause the people for the most parte to reiect the daylie reading of the word of God and therfore what wisedome can there be in theÌ„ Ier. 8. 9. yea it hath not bin required much lesse practised by their priestes and great Bishops to be much busied in the Lords bookeâ— it hath beene thought to haue bin inough for them to haue biâ— skilfull in their portuise and in their pontificall It may shame indeede the priestes of Italy who truelie Aenaeas Silvius coÌ„ment de dict fact Alphon. regis 1. 2. 17 Eras 1. 9. ep ad Natal Bedd as it is wel knowen haue no not so much as once read over the new testament whereas among the Thaborites that is the Gospellers yee can hardly finde any woman which cannot aunswere both out of the olde testament and the new And a proveâ—be went currant in Scotland not many yeares since testifieng the blindnes and brutishnes of some of their great Bishops ye are like the Bishops of Dunkelden who knew neither new nor olde lawe Now concerning true Christian courage and manhood it hath beene so great in many thousands of the professors of the Gospel of Christ that even among such as were of the meanest trades and occupations that they haue willingly lost both their liberties and liues to giue testimony vnto the truth of their most holy faith and the paucity of the seedsmen of rebellion that haue bin executed for treason against their prince and country and for the defence of the vsurped iurisdiction of the Romish Antichrist may no way bee compared and matched with them And as for the exercise of temperance and chastity it is well knowne to the whole world how we reverence the divine institutioÌ„ of holy matrimony and keepe our selues within the bounds of this ordinance of the Lord Wheras among our Romish votaries simple fornication hath beene accounted no sinne and it hath beene thought to goe well with them if they liued Si noÌ„ castè â—ameé cautè charily though not chastly And howe chastly some of their religious persons liued among themselues some of their fishpondes haue testified sufficiently and concerning their secular priestes the toÌ„gues of such as liued with them haue witnessed that very few wives in their parishes were left at the least vnattempted by these their ghostlie Fathers that I may omitte the vowed trotting on pilgrimage by many that the barren wombe might so be made fruitfull Lastly concerning iustice equity conscience and an vnspotted and vnblameable life as it hath beene reported by Reinerius an inquisitor and that no doubt vpon sufficient inquiry of our brethren the poore men of Lions that they had a great shew of godlines lived iustly with men and beleeved al things well concerning God and all the articles of the creede saue only saith he that they hated blasphemed the church of Rome so I doubt not but that the like testimony may be given of al the sincere professors of the Gospel and that by the mouth of the very enemy if that he wil lay aside blind malice as Reinerius did and simplie and plainely declare the truth At least suppose his conscience wil not make vs worse then those of his religious orders of whoÌ„ it hath bin testified long since that they haue fallen from conscience to science and from Petr. Rodulph Tossian histor Seraph religion 1. â— science to be bareences And what conscience I pray you and what regard to Gods commandements was in those that apprehended Thomas Sanpaulinus at Paris vpoÌ„ suspition of heresie for that he reproved one for swearing in vaine and never left him vntil they had brought him from the tortures of the racke to end his life in fiery torments And yet these things are not spoken to this end as if we meant to detract al ciuil carriage from all the members of the church of Rome nay that the Deuill himselfe may haue his right we ingenuously confesse and acknowledge the outward exercise of many civill politicke vertues in many of them especiallie the most profitable works of piety liberality and mercy in founding Colledges Hospitals and the like But yet so that if they would take from their Faulcons eies the hood of selfe loue and partiality look into one little corner of the glasse of that paineful labourer in the Lords vineyard Master Doctor VVillet they might Andrew-Willet controv gener 19. error 104. see that the professours of the gospel are nothing behinde them in those so goodly and glorious workes How beit although we were not altogither matchable with theÌ„ in the outwarde worke of these vertues for that wee are no way matchable with them in those great dignities priviledges offices and honors and in those large and ample possessions which they enioied to the ful yet they may know that the poore widdowes mite is as much and more also with Christ then al the large summes which were cast into the treasury by the Scribes Pharisies especially if they were giuen as parte of that pray which vnder pretence of long praier they got from poore widdowes And from whence I pray you did most of those greate Donatiues proceede that were cast into the treasurie by our popish Pharisies Is it not likelie that they were either part of that bootie that they gained by thesale of their Masses and pardons or at the least some portion of the fleeces which they tooke froÌ„ the sheepe for their little and course yea no feeding at all of the flocke of Christ And what
though hee had decreed to cast vs dovvâ—e into hell fire both for that we owe him for that our whole life is still sustained by him What must we not forsake father and mother al other earthly comfortes whatsoever if that they hinder vs from following Christ Must we not sacrifice vp to God our deere only child if he commaund vs and not onely so but also wish our selues rather to be accursed then God any waies should be dishonoured Surely we ought to loue God aboue all and therefore aboue our selues and wee ought to preferre our peace with God before our peace with the world and the smallest measure of grace godlines before the greatest store of all earthly treasures For otherwise when these things begin to be taken from vs our zeale to Gods service will soone bee cooled as it is sette forth vnto vs in the parable of the sower For by the stony and thorny groundes such being represented vnto vs that haue but a temporary faith who albeit they reioice truely and vnfainedly in the Lord goe on cheerefully in his service for a while yet for that they doe not in sincerity embrace the word of God nor loue the Lord for the Lords sake but are moued especially vpoÌ„ carnal respects to make profession of the faith of Christ therfore they continue not stedfast in their profession but being a little assaulted are soone vanquished Wheras the sound and sincere servants of Chrâ—st being represented vnto vs by the good ground for that in al sinceritie they embrace the word of God and loue the Lord for the Lords sake they stil finding that in the Lord in his word whâ—ch doth moue them more and more to cleave therevnto therefore are constant in their holy profession and can never be cleane removed from the service of God For these persons for that with full purpose of hart they cleaue to the Lord and in all sincerity serue him therefore his favouâ— doth cleaue fast vnto them and his constant loue and goodnes doth alwaies assist them preserve theÌ„ in his feare Wheras on the coÌ„trary side al such as in their workes pretending the Lords service doe indeede seeke their owne and not the Lords in the end loose all their owne and themselues also and are most iustly deprived at the last of their preteÌ„ded shew of the Lords service And so our Saviour Christ told the hypocritical Matth. 6. 1. Pharisies who seemed to be very rich in al good workes that because their praiers and almes deedes were done to please meÌ„ and to wine fame and glory to themselues and not to the Lord therefore they were to looke for no reward at the Lords handes As St. Paule doth testifie also to the whole nation of the Iewes that because they did performe the workes of the whole lawe rather to Rom 10. 3. iustifie themselues thereby then to testâ—fie their obedience to the good will and pleasure of God therfore both themselues and also their workes were reiected of God Wherefore the Apostle to the Hebrewes in the conclusion of his Epistle could not wish a greater blessing vnto them then this that the God of peace which brought againe froÌ„ Heb. 13. 21. the deâ—d our Lord Iesus Christ the great sheepheard of the sheepe by the blood of the everlasting testament shoulde make them perfect in all good workes to doe his will working in them that which was pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ wherby we may learne that the perfection of al good workes is the respect had to the wil and pleasure of God in doing the same Wherfore if we wil be fully assured that our workes are good and allowed of God we must not therein serue our selues and seeke our owne by entending either our estimation before men or our iustification before God but in them wee must seeke those things which are Christes intending if not only yet principally at the least to serue please him to testifie our obedieÌ„ce to his wil. What then may we iudge of al the most glorious works of the children of the Romish synagogue which are The children of the church of Rome doe their works principally to serue themselues and to procure their own good and therefore they are no part of Gods â—…râ—ice done principally to iustifie themselues before God to make satisfaction for their owne sins to merite for themselues the Kingdome of heaven and to releiue the soules of their deare freindes being most miserably tormented in purgatory fire The which merite of their workes is in so great an account with them such a principall motiue to al holy actions that because we deny the same ascribe our whole iustification first and last onely to the merite of Christs death and to the dignity of his passion therefore they charge vs to deny good workes or at the least greatly to diminish the care and studie of doing good workes Yea some of theÌ„ haue not beene ashamed to avouch that if we be not iustified by our good works it were as good to play for naught as to worke for naught As if to doe good workes to testifie our obedience to the good will of GOD and to serue and please him were a thing of nought VVherefore it cannot otherwise bee but that all their good workes howe glorious in shewe soever they bee should bee disallowed of God and vtterly reiected as things of nought 3 The will of God is to be respected of vs in all our workes for that he is our only spirituall Lord who hath authority to rule over our soules Exod. 20. 2. Eze. 20. 19. The third reason why in the performing of all good workes we ought to haue a speciall respect to the will of God is for that hee is our only Lord that hath authority to rule over our consciences and vnto whose supreame and soveraigne will wee owe all humble and dutifull obedience This is one of the reasons that is alleadged by God himselfe at the promulgation of his owne lawe to procure obedience to his commandements I am the Lorde thy God c. thou shalt haue none other Gods before me So likewise when he would haue reclaimed his people from those superstitions Idolatries wherinto they were fallen by following the customes and orders of their forefathers he proposeth vnto them the selfe same argument Yee shall not walke in the ordinaunces of your fathers nor obserue their manners nor defile your selues with their Idols I am the Lorde your God walke in my statutes and keepe my iudgementes and doe them and sanctifie my Sabbethes and they shall bee a signe betweene me and you that yee may knowe that I am the Lorde your God The cause of their falling away from God was the falling away froÌ„ his lawes and the embracing of the decrees and customes of their forefathers and the meanes of their recovery is the acknowledging of the Lordes supreme and soveraigne
of the meanest witch that hath before bouÌ„d her selfe vnto him And hee doeth extenuate all that service that Iob himselfe had done vnto God for that he was so sufficiently hyred thereto paide so well for it and that before hand Doth Iob saith he feare Iob. 1. 9. God for nought Haste thou not made an hedge about him and about his house and about al that he hath on every side Thou hast blessed the works of his hands and his substance is encreased in the land and therefore what great thing is it that he doth so regard thee hath he not very good cause so to do Verily if he did not seek to serue thee after the best manner he were the wickedst wretch that ever lived Now if the most envious and malicious wretch of all other who by his intollerable ingratitude and vnthankfulnes had deprived himselfe most iustly of al the Lords blessings could yet notwithstanding reason after this maÌ„ner how much more ought the true and faithfull servants of God themselues which do and for ever shall enioy the inestimable favour of his vnchangeable loue set the loving kindnes of the Lord alwaies before their eies making it a sharpe spurre to stirre them vp to walke on forwarde in the Lords truth and even to run the way of his coÌ„mandements And that Psal 16. 3. so much the rather for that the Lord himselfe hath beene so carefull to remember them thereof in sundry places of divine scripture and that after a most vehement and patheticall manner Ier. 2. 31. O yee generation take yee heede vnto the word of the Lord Haue I bin vnto you a wildernes or a land of darknes Wherfore say my people we are Lords we will come no more vnto thee Surely I haue not bin as a wildernes but as a most fruitful land ministring vnto you all blessings in all aboundance And therefore yee ought to haue beene most fertile in my feare and most plentifull in my service This most ample beneficence of God towards his people is so apparant that he appealeth therein even to themselues O yee inhabitants of Ierusalem and men of Iudah iudge yee I pray you betweene Isa 5. 3. me my vineyard What could I haue done any more vnto my vineyard that I haue not done vnto it So likewise in the Prophet Micah O my Mich. 6. 3. people what haue I done vnto thee or wherein haue I grieved thee testifie against me Surâ—… I brought thee up out of the land of Aegypt redeemed thee out of the house of servants and I sent before thee Moses Aron and Myriam O my people remember now what Balaak king of Moab had devised and what Balâ—am the sonne of Beor answered him froÌ„ Shittim vnto Gilgall that yee may know the righteousâ—es of the Lord. The recital of the which so great kindnesse and loue did so inwardly touch the very hart of the Prophet of the residue of the faithfull to whoÌ„ it was vttered that immediatly in their person he calleth as it were al the powers of his soule to a consultation howe al dâ—tiful thankefulnes may after the best manner be rendred vnto God for these his so large and ample mercies Wherewithall saith he shall I come before the Lord and bowe my selfe before the most high God Shall I come before him with burnt offrings and vvith calâ—es of an yeare olde will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rammes or with teâ— thousand rivers of oile Shall I giue my first borne for my transgression the fiâ—ite of my body for the sinne of my soule Hee hath shevved thee ô man what is good and what the Lord requireth at thy hands Surely to do iustly and to loue mercy to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God Wherby we may learne what be those sacrificeâ— that are best acceptable to God first to do iustlie in giuing to God that which is due to God and to man that which is due to man Secondly to sheâ—e mercy to them that are in misery and lastly to haue Gods goodnes alwaies before our eies our owne vnworthines that so wee may learne to humble our selues to renouÌ„ce our owne worth and to cleaue vnfeinedly vnto God yea to deny to die vnto our selues that so we may devote out selues and our whole liues only to God And verely when the Lord hath once revealed shewed vnto vs how he hath loued vs and given himselfe vnto vs and hath abounded towardes vs in his gracious blessings and hath caused al his creatures to serue to our vse theÌ„ shal we desire in al sincerity to loue and please him and to resigne our selues wholy to his service When God shal say vnto vs ye are my people then shal we answere thou art our GOD. When Christ shal haue Hos 2. 23. made manifest his tender affection to his spouse haue taught her to say my beloued is mine and hath assured me of his â—idelity Cant. 2. 16. then shal shee reply I am his and am fully resolved to keepe true touch and faith with him His loue is mine and shall bee alwaies before mine eles and my service is his and shal be continually in his sight If a master among men should giue vnto his servant an annuity of 20. nobles by the yeere or some little farme or other living if hee serue him not therefore at his becke hee crieth out straight waies against his ingratitude but if he happen to ioine against him in any cause or suite and that with his professed and deadly enemie how intollerable an indignity doth this seeme in his sight Now we our selues haue receaved from our grand master and Lord not only some small parte portion of our liueing maintenaÌ„ce but our selues also whatsoever we enioy out lot tâ— is fallen out vnto vs in a good grouÌ„d we haue a very goodly hevitage Psal 16. 6. for the Lord himselfe is our portioÌ„ he doth maintaine our lotte What vnkind vnthankful wretches are we theÌ„ if we surrender not backe againe vnto him both our selues al that we enioy to be prest ready at his coÌ„mandemeÌ„t If we keepe not a continual remeÌ„braÌ„ce of these inestimable mercies sette theÌ„ not alwaies before our eies wee bee worthy to be cleane cast out of his sight vtterly to be put out of his remeÌ„braÌ„ce If so ful streames flowing froÌ„ so pure a fouÌ„taine do not moisteÌ„ the dry barreÌ„ soile of our soules make vs fruitful to al good works theÌ„ are we verely but badd grouÌ„d â—…re to the curse whose end is to be burâ—…d Vndoubtedly as al the rivers flowing out of the sea returne thither againe so empty theÌ„selues after a sort into their mothers lappe eveÌ„ so the Lords innumerable blessings issuing froÌ„ the maine sea of his loue vnto the vse of his faithful sincere servaÌ„ts are thaÌ„kfully returned by them backe againe and faithfully employed
wretched estate when yee sate in darknes and in the shaddow of death and forget not Gods mercy that hath translated you out of darknes into the kingdome of light and so see that yee walke worthy of God and of your high calling in Christ Iesus This due consideratioÌ„ of the Lords endlesse mercy in Christ and their owne vnworthines hath beene the only effectual motiue from the beginning of the world to draw the faithful out of the slavery of Satan vnto God and to confirme and establish them in his feare The seede of the woman shall breake the serpentes head made Adam who before hid himselfe from God afterward with boldnes to come into his presence In thy seede shall all the â—ations of the earth be blessed made Abraham who before was bred vp in Idolatry to forsake kindred and countrey and to endure many annoyances in a strange land that so he might shew his humble obedience vnto God Yea by the eies of this faith all the holy men of God before the comming of Christ in the flesh beholding the great goodnesse and loue of God as the Apostle testifieth Hebr. 11. haue offered vp their sacrifices acceptable to God performed all dueties and endured all crosses for the constant confession of this their holy faith And now since the comming of Christ in the flesh wherby was the whole world converted froÌ„ dumbe Idols to serue the living God Was it by the promulgation of the law of Moses or by the preaching of the gospel of Christ Surely the preaching and publishing of the glad tydings of the gospell of the yeare of Iubile of the acceptable day wherein the Lord for his Christes sake had graunted a free full and generall pardon and release of all debts trespasses and sins to all such as would willingly accept and faithfully embrace this vnspeakeable loue and make it the matter of their daily meditation and consolation and the rocke and foundation of their faith and hope was that warrelike chariot wherein the faith of Christ got the full victorie over falshoode and lies and trod vnder foote all infidelity and Idolatry and triumphed most gloriously against all the power and puissaunce of hell it selfe By the sounde of this doctrine did the servauntes of the great shepheard and Bishoppe of our soules call home all his straying and wandring sheepe and gathered them into the folde of Christ by this net did the fishers of men dravve into the arke of Christs Church all such as were before ready to bee drowned in the sea of their sinnes and to bee overwhelmed with the most terrible tempest of the Lordes wrath by this key did the Lords potters open the doore of the kingdome of heauen to them that vvere before most worthely driven out and dispossessed of that celestiall paradise With this ensigne did the Lordes standard bearers gather together all his companies and bandes which before had revolted became fugitiues fighting vnder the Devils colours by this boxe of ointmeÌ„t powred forth did the Lordes Apothecaries reviue and quicken the spirites of all the Lords patients who were before not only in a sound but also starke dead by the most noysome stincke of their abominable sinnes Lastly by this seed of faith sowen in the most drie and barren wildernes of the peoples hearts by the hand of the Lordes painefull and skilfull husbandmen vvas there raysed vppe a most plentifull and fruitefull harvest vnto the Lorde For faith commeth by hearing the word of faith Neither doeth this worde of faith revealing the vnspeakeable loue of God shining in the face of Christ beget faith only but by faith loue praier confession patience repentance feare obedience thankefulnes even all sounde and sincere devotion with all the partes and parcels thereof By faith we haue accesse to God and are admitted into his Church which is therefore called the family of Faith And Baptisme the sacrament of our Baptisme cleanseth as it doth fâ—…her make manifest vnto va and causeth vs to embrace the word of faith initiation and the seale of faith is added to the worde of faith for the further manifestation of the cause of this our admission into so honourable an estate and calling by setting after a sorte before our eies the loue of God who hath given vs his sonne with his owne most precious bloode to wash and cleanse our sinnes whereby there was before a seperatioÌ„ betweene vâ— God Now from whence saith Austine hath the water of Baptisme this vertue that it doth touch the body cleaâ—se the soul but by means of the word whervnto it is added that it might togither with the same not only represent the washing away of our sinnes by the blood of Christ but also â—atifie and coÌ„firme the same for the further strengthning of our fraile faith Not saith hee for that the word is vttered but for that it is beleeved not for that there is such vertue in the letters and sillables or in the pronunciation of the very wordes but for that they are the powerfull instrument ordained of God so to open the Lordes good and gracious meaning towardes vs and to assure vs of his vnchaungeable loue in Christ that thereby we might attaine to a sure faith For as long as we remaine in our naturall blindnes and ignorance either we fly from God as Adam did beeing touched with the pricke of a guilty conscience or else we embrace an Idol in steed of the true God being misled by the wrongful guiding of a blind coÌ„science as now naturally do all the posterity of Adam But wheÌ„ the Lord hath once revealed vnto vs the glory of his endlesse goodnes in Christ and hath made vs to behold the dignity of his death that he endured for our sins and the worthines of his obedience that he performed for our righteousnes thereby we are made bold to enter Heb. 10. 19. into the holy place by the newe and living way which he hath prepared for vs by his flesh and are encouraged to draw nigh with a true hart in assurance of faith being fully perswaded of the perfect purgation of all our sins and of our entire and absolute righteousnes I am saith our Saviour Christ the way the truth and the life no man commeth to the father but by me He then that is set in this way and walketh therein he vndoubtedly walketh in the right way and he cannot misse but come directly vnto God Hee that buildeth on this rocke buildeth on a sure foundatioÌ„ his faith cannot faile he cannot be vanquished his hope is sure he cannot be coÌ„founded He may be bold to triumph with the Apostle saying If God be on our side who can be against vs who spared not his owne sonne but Rom. 8. 31. gave him for vs all how shall he not with him giue vs all things also Who shall lay anie thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifieth Who shall condemne It is Christ that is dead
them saying if it seeme evill in your eies to serue the Lorde then chuse ye this day Ios 24. 15. vvhome yee vvill serue c. I and mine house vvill serue the Lorde VVhere vnto they answere as it were with one voice God â—orbid that vvee shoulde forsake the Lorde to serue other Gods for the Lorde our God hath brought vs and our Fathers out of the lande of Aegypt and out of the house of bondage and hee did those greate miracles in our sighte and preserved vs in all the vvaie that vvee vvent and amonge all the people through vvhome vvee came And the LORDE did cast out before vs all the people even the Amorites vvhich dvvelte in the lande therefore vvill vvee also serue the Lorde for hee is our GOD. In vvhich wordes it is evident howe these faithfull servauntes of GOD vvell vveighing vvith themselues that the Lorde vvas their good and gracious God who had â—atified his loue towardes them by his manifolde blessings doe take themselues thereby to bee most straightlye bounde to his service and therevpon doe make a most solemne promise and vow to continue his loyall and obedient people The which promise and vowe beeing made by them vpon so iust and sufficient cause they as faithfully and truely kept and perfourmed For it is reâ—orded of them not only in the same Chapter but also Iudges the second to their eternall glory and renowne that they served the Lorde all the daies of Iosuah and all the daies of the elders that everlived Iud. 2. 7. Iosuah vvhich had seene all the greate vvorkes that the LORD had As the religious remeÌ„brance of the Lordes merâ—ies is the cause of all sincere obedience so the wretchlesse forgetfulnes therof is the cause of al rebellious vngodlines ver 10. done for Israell The cause then that kepte this people sound and vprighte in the service of GOD vvas for that they religiouslie kept an holy remembraunce of the Lordes manifold and greate mercies Now on the contrary side if wee will beholde and see vvhy the bad children of so good parentes revolted and fell away so quickely from the GOD of their fathers and continued not in his service and feare see vvhat followeth in the same Chapter VVhen Iosuah was deade and all that generation vvas gathered to their fathers then there arose another generation after them which neither knevve the Lorde nor yet the vvorkes that hee had done for Israell then they did vvickedlie and served Baalim and forsooke the God of their Fathers vvhich had broughte them out of the lande of Aegypt So in the dayes of the Prophet Ieremie the cause also why the badde posteritie of this backeslyding people departed likewise from the Lorde and vvalked after vanitye and became vaine is this for that none saide in their heartes vvhere is the Lord that broughte vs out of the lande of Aegypt that sedde vs through the Ier. 2. 6. vvildernesse through a desâ—rte and vvaste lande and through the shaddâ—vve of death and broughte vs into a good and plentifull land and made vs eate of the fruite thereof So likewise Psalme 78. and the hundred and sixt a like revolte of the same nation and namely of the Ephraemites who descended from holy Ioseph being meÌ„tioned the same cause is added of their revolte They forgate God Psal 78. 106. 21. their Saviour vvho had done so greate thinges for them vvonderfull thinges in the lande of Ham and fearefull thinges by the redde sea For as it fared vvith the children of Ioseph and the residue of the Israelites vvhen there arose a nevve king in Aegypt which Exod. 1. 8. knevve not Ioseph nor did remember those greate commodities vvhich all Aegypte enioyed by his meanes then they dealte most vnkindly vvith them and vsed them with all extremitie even so dealte the vngracious and vnthankefull posterity of Ioseph with the GOD of Ioseph who had advaunced him to bee a father to Pharaoh and the greatest state in all his kingdome vvhen thâ—y forgate the greate mercies of GOD both tovvardes him and tovvardes themselues also then they started aside from his service and fell away from his feare Yea Hos 2. 5. vvhen they ascribed their Corne and VVine and VVooll to Bâ—alim and the fruites of the earth to the hoast of heaven and their deliveraunce from their bodyly enemies to Ashur and Aegypte and their greate plentye to their ovvne pollicie then they forsooke God and followed Baalim and vvorshipped the host of heaven and sente giftes to Ashur and Aegypte and burnt incense to their owne yarne highly magnifying and extolling themselues and leaving of to magnifie God of whom they had not only received all these thinges but theÌ„selues also The which thing also vvhen it vvas forgotten by the wicked Sap. 2. Cap. When they did not beleeue that GOD was their creator that al maÌ„ner of coÌ„modities which they enioied were his giftes but imagined that they were borne at al adventure and left to their owne hands to shift for themselues then like filthy swine they trod vnder foote all feare of God gaue themselues over to wallowe in the mire of their owne sensual and vncleane lusts Come said they lâ—t vs enioie the pleasures that are present Sap. 2. 6. let vs cheerefully vse the creatures as in youth let vs fill our selues with costly wine and ointment and let not the flower of our life passe from vs let vs crowne our selues with rose buds before they be withered and let vs leaue some token of our wantonnes in every place for this is our portioÌ„ and this is our lot So daungerous a thing it is either to forget the Lords mercies or not to beleeue him to be the only fountaine of al good things but to ascribe ' theÌ„ either to our selues or to chaÌ„ce fortune or to the dispositioÌ„ of any creature for it causeth God to withdraw his favour wholy from vs and to giue vs cleane over to a reprobate sense and to suffer vs vtterly to fall away from his feare Yea it not only maketh the Lord to be most grievously offended with such an abominable sinne but after a sort to be vtterly astonished and amased for that there coulde come to passe any such impiety O yee heavens be astonished at this be afraide and vtterly confounded saith the Lord For my people haue committed two evilles Ier. 2. 12. they haue forsaken mee the founetaine of living waters to digge to themselues pits even broken pits that can hold no water And in the very beginning of Isay Heare O heavens and harken O earth for the Lorde Isa 1. 1. hath spoken I haue nourished and brought vp children and they haue rebelled against me The oxe knoweth his owner the asse his masters crib but my people hath not knowne Israell hath not vnderstoode The oxe the asse albeit they be voide of al reason yet haue so much sense as to be serviceable to them by whom
they are fed yea the very deade and senselesse earth yeeldeth forth her encrease to thē by whom it is manured and husbanded and therefore all such are more brutish then the very oxe and asse and more vile and base then the very dead and senselesse earth who having received all from God will not acknowledge their gracious benefactor be thankfull vnto him for his great mercies Verily they which are carelesse to tast of the Lords loue are worthy to drinke the dregs of his displeasure they that refuse to loue God for his goodnesse and to reioice in him for his mercy are worthy to shake quake at his iustice and to tremble at his fury they that neglect to take at his hands the cuppe of salvation are worthy to heare from his mouth the dreadfull sentence of iust condemnation they that will not aboue all thinges esteeme of his invaluable favour and alwaies meditate vpon that vnspeakeable loue whereby they are delivered from everlasting fire are worthy still to be remembred of their vnthankfulnes by their continuall suffering of those intollerable torments of hell fire they which are carelesse to blesse God day and night most cheerefully for their eternal and everlasting happines are worthy to curse themselues day night most ruefully for their eternal and everlasting wretchednes And verily if David purposed to destroy all that belonged to Naball for that when he had preserved his flockes in the wildernes and had beene as a wall vnto his servants this his kindnes was requited with currishnes and his messengers sent backe vnto him with reproaches insteed of rewards What cause thē hath God who causeth all his creatures to attend vpon his servants maketh his glorious angels to be their guard to encāpe round about them yea who is himselfe a brasen wall vnto them to defend them and theirs frō all their enemies most highly to be offended with his vnthankful servants for the contempt of so many and great favours and to be revenged of the same withall condigne punishment what to forget the kindnes of our bodily parents and to be stubborne against them was by the law of Moses adiudged to bee worthy of no lesse punishment then stoning to death and but to enter consultation of conspiring against prince countrey deserveth by our laws to haue the bodies of all such offenders dismembred and to be set vp vpon the toppes of our gates as ruefull spectacles to warne all to beware of the like treacherous vnthankfulnes and yet our parents prince and country are for the most parte but the meanes of some temporal blessings to be conveied vnto vs for it is God that is the author both of the one and the other and the ordainer both of al meanes and of all blessings also what an heavy iudgement then doth it deserue so far to forget the Lords mercies as that we should be stubborne and disloyall to him ioine our selues in conspiracy with that archtraitour Satan Verely when the Lord hath bin so mindful of vs wee haue bin so forgetful of him whē he hath bin so kind to vs we haue bin so vnkind to him it cannot but highly incēse him against vs and wrest out of his hands most grievous plagues as we may perceive by that dreadful destruction that came vpon the ten tribes that direful desolatlō vpon the nation of the Iewes the whole remnant of Israel especially for their vnkind forgetfulnes contempt of the Lordes so sundry and manifold mercies The first of the which iudgments with the causes therof is sette downe vnto vs by the Prophet Amos Thus saith the Lord for three transgressious Amo 52. 6. of Israel for fowre I wil not turn to it because of their oppressiōs adulteries superstitions their wicked reioycing before their Idols as if by their meanes they had bin so inriched advaunced Yet saith the Lord it vvas I that destroyed the Amorite before them whose height was like the Cedar trees he was strong as the oakes Notwithstanding I destroyed his fruite from aboue his roote from beneath Also I brought you up from the land of Aegypt ledde you fourty yeares through the wildornes to possesse the land of the Amorite and I raised vp of your sonnes for Prophets and of your young men for Nazarites is it not even thus ô yee children of Israell saith the Lord But ye gaue the Nazarites wine to drinke commanded the Prophets saying prophesie not behould vnthankfulnes is the principal circumstance that most of all aggravateth the greivousnes of sin Amos. 3. 1. I am pressed vnder you as a carte is pressed that is full of sheaves Behould then what it was that added such a weight vnto their sins made them so grievous and offensiue vnto God and so againe in the next chapter Heere this word that the Lord pronounceth against you ô yee children of Israel even against the vvhole family that I brought out of Aegypt saying you only haue I knowen of al the families of the earth therfore I will visite you for all your iniquities In both which places it is manifest that the Lord himselfe testifieth against this vnthankeful nation that seing he had so laboured to winne them with his blessings and yet they would not giue place to his kindnes therfore he himselfe would make place vnto his plagues to his most heavy but iust vengeance And now cōcerning that other iudgment executed vpon Ierusalem the nation of the Iewes the whole rēnant of Israel the which was the most strange and the most dreadfull that ever was executed vpon any people from the beginning of the world was it not for this cause that as God had at the first in kindnes exceeded towards them aboue al other nations of the whole earth they againe had exceeded towards him in their vnthankefulnes therfore at the last his plagues against thē did exceed the plagues of al other nations of the whole earth As we may gather by that woefull complainte that our Saviour tooke vp over Ierusalem saying O Ierusalem Ierusalem thou that killest the Prophets and Mat. 23. 37. stonest them that are sente vnto thee hovve often vvoulde I haue gathered thy children as the hen gathereth her chickens vnto her vvinges and yee vvoulde not Therefore is your house left vnto you desolate Howe often saith our Saviour haue I called you vnto mee by my manifolde blessinges corporall and spirituall and vvith what kindnes haue I succoured you in all your necessities and wantes and how long haue I had patience with you in wayting for your amendement Therefore patience so often offended and kindnes so much contemned must needes at the last be turned into furie Sinne verely is exceeding sinfull because it is a transgression of the most holy pure and righteous law of God and is a contempte of his maiestie vnto whome vvee ovve all obedience if it were but in respect of his supreme
auctority over vs and yet heerein it doth exceede all this and is made most sinfull even in the highest degree for that it is committed against him vvhose mercies haue so farre exceeded towardes vs and haue made vs so deepelie endebted vnto him that if we should most frankely and freely giue our selues and all that vve haue to bee prest and ready continually to doe him service if I saie wee shoulde doe this againe and againe yea ten thousande times more then we are any way able yet we can no way match his vnspeakeable kindnes or be answerable vnto his endles loue To forget him then that hath so remembred vs hath given vs such cause to remember him coÌ„tinually casteth vs downe below all maÌ„ner of â—enceles liveles creatures yea it maketh vs in some sort worse then the very devils theÌ„selues For they in sinning forgate God their Creator saÌ„ctifier but we adde also thervnto the forgetting of God our Saviour redeemer WheÌ„ we defile our selues with the pollutions of the vvorlde vvee forgette that we vvere ever clensed from our olde sinnes and former vncleanes we tredde vnder foote the sonne of God count the blood of the covenant 2 Pet. 1. 9. Heb. 10. 29. as a vile thing of no price and after a sort crucifie againe the Lord of glory We contemne and despise this blessing of blessinges and cleane sette at naught this mercy of mercies or else wee would not so wretchlesly forgette the same We forgett it for if we did carefully embrace remember it it would not be without fruit But we contemne and forget it and neglect the meanes wherby we should be put in continual remembrance of it yea by little little we are drawen on eveÌ„ to hate to persecute these meanes and so draw nearer nearer vnto that sin of sins which maketh vs vncapeable of all mercie From the which sin from al other that we might be preserved The manifold means that God hath ordaned to preserve the remeÌ„braÌ„ce of his endlesse loue in Christ and the residue of his manifolde mercies as 1. the word the Lord hath given vs his holy word to bee alwaies before our eies and so to keepe in vs a faithful remembrance of all his mercies wherin we may record his gracious merciful covenaÌ„t in Christ by the which he hath giveÌ„ himselfe to vs to be our God and hath taken vs to himselfe to be his people wherein we may reade his will and testament in the which he hath adopted vs for his sonnes in Christ made vs heires to all his treasures hath bequeathed vnto vs besides al other gifts that grand legacy of eternal glory wherin we may pervse that autheÌ„tical charter of al these priveledges immunities which we preseÌ„tly do are hereafter more fully to enioy being already made fellow citizeÌ„s with the saints of the houshold of God and incorporated into the heavenly caelestial Ierusalem wherin we may take a true view of the large plenary pardon of all our trespasles and debtes of that great graunt of the free remission of al our sins signed after a sort with the Lords owne hand ratified coÌ„firmed with 2. The Sacraments Doe this in remeÌ„braÌ„ce of me the seale of his sacraments For they were also ordained for the same principal end vse that by the outward resemblaÌ„ce of the visible signes vvith the invisible grace they might togither vvith the word not only represent and sette before our eies the Lords spiritual giftes and graces for Sacramentes if they had no resemblance they should be no Sacramentes but also to assure vs by the bodely receiving of the outvvard signes of the invvard participation of the invisible giftes The Church hath also appointed vnto vs certaine principall feastes as the feast of the nativity of the LORD and of his resurrection and ascension and the like that they might likewise be a meanes vnto vs to 3. Festivall daies continue an holy remembrance of his principall mercies And therefore on those daies there are appointed also to bee opened vnto the Lordes people such speciall parcelles of holy Scripture as do more clearly sette forth the same And for that these feasts come but once in the yeare there is one special day appointed in 4 The Saboth or the Lords day every vveeke that vve should not onely call to minde that God made the vvorld in sixe daies and rested the seaventh blessed it and consecrated it to the holie remembrance of the glorious worke of the creatioÌ„ but much more that we which are ChristiaÌ„s haue the Iewes Saboth traÌ„slated into the day of the Lords resurrection should most carefully record especially on that daie that he both died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification And therefore as vpon the Iewes Sabboth there were certaine Psalmes appointed to be redde publikely to the people for Read these Psalmes hymnes not cursorely for fashion but with relligious and devout attention thou shalt soone finde the fruite thereof the calling to their remeÌ„brance of the blessings of the Lord so in the churches of the ChristiaÌ„s the same haue bin coÌ„tinued even to this day other holy hymmes added therto for the further manifestation of the same mercies And for as much as this publike meeting of the whole coÌ„gregation to record the Lords mercies is appointed by the Lord himselfe to be but one day in the weeke therfore there is a most strait charg giveÌ„ also by the Lord hiÌ„selfe that every one of the Lordes people shoulde privatly every day haue their resort to the word of God and meditate therin day night that so they might keepe a coÌ„tinual remeÌ„braÌ„ce of al those things which never can be too much remembred And least any of the more simple ignorant should pleade either simplicity in vnderstaÌ„ding or weaknes in remembring the Lord in his great goodnes hath provided a remedy also for the same by causing diverse short plaine senteÌ„ces to be sett down in his holy word which are both easie to be vnderstood to be remembred also These and the like seÌ„tences may easily be learned without booke and ought to be remembred when we are by our selues continually 5. The office of the Lords Ministers Psal 105 1. that so eveÌ„ they might haue no preteÌ„ce at al to faile in so behovful necessary a duty As Iob 35. 10. Ier. 2. 6. 5. 24. 14. 20. Ho. 14. 2. And yet least any of the Lords servaÌ„ts should discontinue in this the Lords worke he hath appointed also the ministers of his word to be his faithful remeÌ„braÌ„cers therin to cal coÌ„tinually vnto their remembrance both the Lordes manifold mercies and their manifold dueties that they owe vnto him for the same For if all the Lords people ought not only themselues to be employed diligeÌ„tly about the Lords works but also to further
in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest doe it By which words we are to learne that God in his divine and heavenly wisedome hath not appointed either an Angel from heaven or a messenger from beyond the seas to bee the instruments wherby his wil may be related vnto vs but only his holy word sacred coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts In truth such is the pride curiosity superstition and rebellion of sottish sinfull man that he setteth light by the meanes appointed by God for his best instruction would needes haue one raised from the deade or an Angel from heaven to bring him tydings of the Lordes wil and to make relation thereof or else hee woulde receive it by tradition from his auncestors or by descent from his forefathers The rich glutton beeing in hell is saide to haue made his petition to Abraham being in heaven that he should cause one to come froÌ„ the deade to admonish his brethren whom he had lefte aliue behinde him least they also should come into the same place of tor ments Not that the damned spirits in hel are so charitably affected that they could wish others to be delivered from those miseries which they themselues endure wheras on the contrary side they are so envious and malitious that they envy at the happy estate of the blessed and would haue all entangled with them in the same curse But the purpose of the parable is to shew the vanity of such as are aliue who coÌ„tent not themselues with the instructioÌ„ of the word but needs would be taught by a messenger from the dead Now what is Abrahams answere to this petition They haue saith he Moses and the Prophets that is the word of Luk 16. 29. God sett down in their writings let them beare them For howsoever many perswade themselues that they should verily beleeue and amend their liues if one should arise from the deade and admonish warne them of the great danger they are subiect vnto in respect of their sins yet it is a contrary resolution from the spirit of God by the mouth of Abraham If they wil not heare Moses the Prophets neither will they beleeve though one rose againe from the deade For if they will not be taught and reformed by such meanes as God in his dâ—vine wisedome hath thought to be best for their instruction reformation then surely al such meanes must needs be of lesse force and efficacy which blinde foolish man hath of himselfe imagined conceaved And therfore when the vaine people in the time of the Prophet Esay would needes be certified Esa 8. 19. of the Lords will by sorcerers coniurers by informatioÌ„s from the deade What saith the Lord from the living to the deade Doe yee appeale from the censure of the eternall and everliving Lord vnto the sentence of such as are deade To the lawe to the testimony for if they vvhich pretend to certifie you of the vvill of the Lord speake not out of this vvorde it is because they haue no light in them And verely if we meane to consult with God and to haue an answere from him concerning his will wee must seeke for the same froÌ„ the divine Oracles of his sacred word if we be desirous Rom. 3. 2. Psal 119. to be partakers of the Lords counselles our counsellours must bee the Lords owne bookes For they are the Lords testimonies and after a sort his sworne witnesses to testify vnto vs all the truth nothing but the truth in all matters that concerne the glory of God the salvation of our owne soules They containe the full and whole wil and testament of our heavenly father the disposition of all such blessings as he bestoweth vpon his deare louing children the prescription of all such duties as he requireth at their hands And yet there haue bin still are many who had rather seeke for the manifestation of the will of God in the traditions of their auncestors in the examples of their forefathers then in the very will testament of God himselfe Our Fathers Ioh. 4. 10. saith the woman of Samariâ— worshipped in this mount but ye say thaâ— Ierusalem is the place where men ought to worshippe The Samaritaneâ— had forsaked the most certaine infallible rule of the vvritten word pretended the example of their progenitors an olde tradition from their forefathers Our Fathers worshippeâ— in this mount But what replieth our blessed Saviour vnto this so plausible glorious an allegation yee worshippeyee wote not what vve Vers 22. know what we worshippe therfore salvatioÌ„ is from vs. So the Idolatrous Iewes The word say they that thou hast spoken to vs â—n Ier. 44. 16. the name of the Lord we will not heare it of thee but will doe whatsoever goeth out of our owne mouth as to burne incense to the Queene of heaveÌ„ and to powre out our drinke-offrings to her as we haue done both we our fathers our kinges our princes in the cities of Iudah in the streetes of Ierusalem for then bad we plenty of victuals and vvere well and felte none evill So mightely doth crooked custome the example of carnal progenitors other carnal respects prevaile with carnal sensuall men but the spirituall man is taught by the spirit of truth to follow no such deceaveable guids We followed not saith S. Peter deceaueable fables wheÌ„ we opened vnto you the power coÌ„ming of our 2. Pet. 1. 16. Lord Iesus Christ but with our eies we sawe his glory for be received of God the father honour glory when there came such a voice vnto him from the excellent glory This is my well beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased And this voice we heard when it came from heaven being vvith him in the holy mount We haue also a most sure word of the Prophets vnto the which yee doe well that yee take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place Wherby we learne that the word of God delivered either by revelation from himselfe or else sett downe by the pennes of the Apostles and Prophets is a most sure vndeceavable testimony of the Lords wil wheras that which is delivered by tradition from hand to hande hath oftentimes a mixture of decea veable fables in steede of pure and sincere truth as the Iewish Thalmud and the popish Legende can testifie sufficiently And therefore for the safer custodie and preservation of the truth it Luk. 1. 4. pleased the spirite of GOD that the Gospell first preached by the mouth of the Apostles and Evangelistes should afterward be registred by their ovvne pennes and sette dovvne vnder their ovvne handes VVee haue not saith Irene by any other knowen those thinges that belong to our salvation but by those by whom Iren l. 3. c. 1 the Gospell came vnto vs the vvhich they at the first published by mouth and
vs directly to GOD and in the least iote and title thereof they are vnerring and vndeceiueable teachers and therefore they are to bee embraced and followed vvithout any limitation or restriction at all The lavve of the Lorde saith David is perfect and converteth the soule Psal 19 7. and needeth no supply to â—e made there vnto He that addeth any thing to the same setteth but a rotten patch vnto a new and whole garment Yea whereas such is our forget fulnes and readines to let slippe out of our heartes holy things that still vvee haue neede to bee 2. Pet. 1. 12. remembred and to bee put in minde of the same and vvhereas such is our slâ—cknesse and lazinesle in walking on forvvard in the Lordes vvaies that still vvee haue neede to haue the spurre in our sides the holesome and heavenly instructions of the Canonicall scriptures being the meanes appointed by God both to remember vs at all times of our duety tovvardes God and also to stirre vs vp continually to the performaunce of the same The faithful teaching heaâ—ing and embracing of the word of God is the most principall yea the only necessary duty of a faithfull christian Luk. 10. 40. therefore the dilligent teaching hearing and meditating therof hath beene iudged to be the most principall yea the only necessary duety of a faithfull Christian and a most certaine token of our vnfained loue towarde God and an evident marke of a true servant of Christ O Martha Martha saith our blessed Saviour thou art trouâ—led about many thinges but one thing is necessarie Mary hath chosen the best pars vvhich shall never bee taken from her Now Martha was troubled about many things which were provided for the better entertainmenâ— of Christ himselfe and his disciples but Mary was busied about the caroful entertainement and laying vp in her heart of the divine instructions of Christes heavenly doctrine and therefore it is a farre more acceptable worke to haue care that our soules be fedde with GODS holy worde then with our bodily sustenaunce to refresh the bodies of GODS dearest Saintes yea it is after a sort the only or at the least the most necessary duety of all other from the which vve ought in no case to be hinderâ—d no not for the performance of any other duety VVhen complainte vvas made to the Apostles for some disorder that vvas committed aboute the providing Act. 6. 1. for the poore and as it seemeth it was required at their handes that they themselues setting aside the preaching of the vvoâ—de for a â—ime shoulde more throughly looke into that matter and redresse the abuse they aunsvvere peremptorelie that it vvas not meete that they shoulde leaue the worde and serue tables and therefore they committing that businesâ—e of lesse importaunce to men of meaner giftes themselues possessing the highest roomes in the Church and being endued with the greatest gifâ—es employed themselues in continuall praâ—er and preaching as being the greatest and chiefest dueties And verily it is a more glorious vvorke to builde the spirituall temple of GOD in the heartes of the faithfull by the preaching of the vvoorde then to â—recte a sumpâ—uous temple of timber and stones for the out vvarde exercise of the service of God it is a farre more excellent vvorke by the seede of the nevve birth to be get many children to God and so to enlarge the kingdome of heaven then by ouâ— vvealth vvisedome and provvâ—sse to enrich and enlarge any earthly kingdome it is a farre more excellent vvorke to feede the soules that are ready to famish with the bread of life then to feede the bodies of such as vvant with our temporall sustenaunce It is a farre more excellent vvorke to bring those that sit in darckenesse and in the shaddowe of death to the vision of GOD by the light of the vvâ—orde then to deliver them out of bodyly bondage and to enrich them with all earthly and temporall commodities For our fâ—ll vision of GOD is the cause of our perfect blessednâ—sâ—e so that wheÌ„ 1. Ioh. 3. 2. vve shall see him vvith open face themshall vvee be perfectly blessed and the nearer in this life vve come to behold him the nearer we come to this our perfect bleslednes now here in this life wee behold him principally in the glasse oâ— his worde espeoâ—ally in the mirrout of the glorious gospell of CHRIST and 1. Cor. 3. 18 therefore the more often and the more reverently wee contemplate the same and the more serious is ouâ— study and meditation therein the nearer we come to our perfect blessednes Wherfore it was not without cause that our Savâ—our himselfe a little before his ascension â—nto heauen did so straightly charge Peter a principall Ioh. 21. 15. man among his Apostles that if hee did loue him more then the rest he should feede his sheepe more then the rest and by his continuall holding ouâ— of the light of the word he shoulde bring the Lordes people to the vision of God as to the châ—efest bâ—essing of God and to the cause of all other blessing And hereof it is that on the Lordes day which is especially dedicated to the service of God the Lord especially requireth both of Pâ—est people that they shoulde principally be emploied in the teaching hearing meditating of the holy word of God as being not only in it selfe a principal worke but also the cause of al good works and of the whole worship and service of God And therfore wheÌ„ this so principal and necessary a worke began to be neglected among vs Englishmen when the service of God according vnto the order of Gregory began to be established in our churches the people had their senses satisfied more with sweete soundes goodly shewes then their soules fed with the heavenly foode of the word Venerable Bede ablbeit he bare great reverence to the Bed l. 4. c. 18. de gest Anglor church of Rome could not refraine himselfe but that he must vtter his great dislike thereof in plaine tearmes Heretofore saith he insteede of these things the principall service of God consisted in the preaching of the gospell and in the hearing of the word of God Neither must we imagine that there was more need of the diligeÌ„t preaching hearing of the word of God in former ages then is now or shal be to the end of the world not only for that whether we be baptised or vnbaptised and descend either from faith full or faithlesse progenitors we are all without any difference equally Rom. 3. 9. by nature blind and ignorant of God and therfore stande in neede to haue the lampe of the worde alwaies burning in our hands if we desire to be preserved from continuall stumbling falling but also for that the most part of all that professe themselues Christians content themselnes with an out ward professioÌ„ of the faith albeit they feele no inward conversion and take theÌ„selues to be
sheepes cloathing therfore cannot easily be discerned vntill their cloakes be taken from them a due viewe be taken of them by their portraitures and resemblances most liuely drawen out onely by the pensill of the Prophets and Apostles Doth not S. Iohn also will the Christian congregation not to beleeve ever ie spirite but to trie the spirites whether they bee of 1. Ioh. 4. 1. God or no seeing even then in his life time many false Prophets were gone out into the world For he is a foole that beleeveth every Prov. 14. 15 thing and the iointes of true wisdome are these two first to bee â—ober in our owne opinions and secondly not to bee to hasty in giving credit to others Proue all things saith the Apostle 1. The. 5. 21 but approue that which is good even that which is found to be so by sufficient triall Yea he was not only contented to haue his owne doctrine to bee tried but also giueth a straite charge that the same be diligentlie done I speake saith hee as to them that have vnderstanding iudge yee what I say and his commaundemente is 1. Cor 10. 15 that all other teachers be subiect also to the same lawe Lett the Prophets speake two or three and let the other iudge VVherfore Origen 1. Cor. 14. 29 Orig. in Ios hom 2. speaking vnto the people saith vnto them Doe yee that vvhich is vvritten that is that one speaking all the rest examine So saith he vvhiles I speake that vvhich I thinke doe yee discerne vvhat is right and vvhat is othervvise And Saint Ambrose Ambr. cp lib. 5. orat in Auxen doth exasperate his auditory against his adversarie Auxentius for that hee refused to haue his cause heard and tryed by the censure and iudgment of the people Auxentius saith hee speaking to the people knovving you not to bee ignorant of the faith hath shunned your iudgement and hath chosen foure or five heathen men Then in that hee hath chosen Infidels hee is vvorthie to bee condemned of Christians because hee hath reiected she Apostles precepte vvhere hee saith Dare any of you having ought against another hee iudged vnder the vniust and not rather vnder the Saints Yee see that vvhich hee hath offered is against the Apostles auctority But vvhat speake I of the Apostle vvhen the LORDE himselfe proclaimeth by the Prophet Heare yee mee O my people that know vvhat belonges to iudgment in vvhose hearte my Lavve is GOD saith Heare yee mee O my people that knovve iudgment Auxentius saith yee knovve not hovve to iudge yee see that hee contemneth GOD in you vvhich refuseth this sentence of the heavenly oracle for the people in vvhose hearts the lavve of God is doth iudge VVho then doth you vvrong Hee that refuseth or hee that referreth himselfe to your audience Wherfore to be able to discerne the spirites and to distinguish truth from falshoode and verity from vanity is not a special gift proper to a few but a generall grace common to al the Lords people For as the natural man is able to discerne holesome foode from vnholesome vnlesse his body be infected with sicknesse and his tast distempered with some corrupte humor so the spirituall man is able to discerne the foode of the soule and to distingush falshoode from truth vnlesse his minde be blinded with errour and his iudgment corrupted with some preiudicate opinion According as our Saviour himselfe hath Ioh. 10. vers 4. sette it dovvne as a property belonging to all his sheepe that they doe knovve his voice from the voice of a stranger and are able to discerne the sheepheard from the wolfe And verely hovve othervvise could they shunne the wolfe and follovv the shepheard Hovve could they flye falshood that leadeth to destruction and embrace the truth to the salvation of their soules Yea but saith the composer of the Ward-vvord if the The due trial of the doctrine of our teachers by the touchstone of the scriptures is not the cause of falling into heresie but of sinding ouâ— the truth People may iudge of the doctrine of their teachers and if every one may make choice according to his ovvne private fancy is not this the high and open vvay to errour and heresy It is sufficiently declared before that the people ought to try and to discerne by the Scriptures the doctrine of their pastors and teachers and to approue of that only which is agreeable to that foundation of truth but not of that which best fitteth their owne private fancies or the fanciful opinions of any other For we must not drawe our pastors and teachers before the consistory of our owne harts to receive their censure iudgmeÌ„t froÌ„ our selues but before the tribunal seat of the word of God For as for our selues wee must not presume to pronounce any definitiue sentence but we must giue our esseÌ„t consent to that seÌ„teÌ„ce which we vnderstaÌ„d to be pronouÌ„ced by that iudge And if we be desirous rightly to vnderstaÌ„d what is the seÌ„tence of that iudge we must renouÌ„ce our own iudgmeÌ„t which we haue drawen other froÌ„ the blindnes of our corrupt nature or else froÌ„ our evil badde education we must become fooles that is coÌ„demne all our 1. Cor. 3. 18. own thoughts of extreme folly if we be desirous to be partakers of that wisdome which is to be learned out of the word of God the fouÌ„taine welspring of all wisdome We must most huÌ„bly devoutly resort in our praiers to the father of light that he would cause vs to behold our own blindnes darknesâ— haue our continual recourse to his holy word which is a lanterne to our feete and a light to our pathes that so the eles of our mind being lightned we may attaine to a sound and vncorrupt iudgment and be â—…le to disâ—…rne falshoode from truth For if thou call for knovvledge and crie for vnderstanding and if thou seeke for her as for silver Pro. 2. 3. and search for her as for treasures then shalt thou vnderstande the feare of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God A scorner indeed seeketh Pro. 14. 6. knowledge and findeth it not but vvisedome is easie to him that will vnderstande The vvorde of God saith Origen is shut vppe against Orig. in Exod. hom 9. Heb. 5. 11. the negligent but it is open to them that seeke and knocke Manie thinges saieth the Apostle are harde to them that are dull of hearing and are vnexpert in the vvorde of righteousnes and haue not their vvittes exercised through longe custome to discerne betvveene good and evill But if vvee haue our continuall resorte vnto GOD by praier and bee dayly exercised in reading and meditating on the vvorde of GOD and lay it as our sure ground-worke and foundation of all trueth vvee shall not long bee neglected neither shal our labour bee in vaine in the Lord but we shal be lightned with
of their Idolatries was their following of the corrupt customs of their owne countries and their refusall of the ordinaunces and 2. Kin. 17. 34 lawes of God And what was the cause that the Iewes theÌ„selues also which had the law and the prophets to direct them in al the waies of God did so often fall away from the service of God and defile theÌ„selues with abominable Idolatries but that they either vtterly forsooke the directioÌ„ of the word of God and follovved their owne inventions or the corrupte customes of their forefathers or else they mingled their owne dreames and the traditioÌ„s of their elders togither with the worshippe of God delivered in his worde which ought to haue bin kept pure and sincere without any mixture without any such hotch-potch mingle maÌ„gle The cause of the Idolatries that so much abouÌ„ded in the time of the Iudges was for that there was no king in Israel who was to coÌ„mand Iud. 17. 1. the carefull keeping of the law of God but every man did that which was good in his owne eies And what was the cause of those outragious dolatries in the daies of the kings especially in the daies of Manasses and Amon his sonne but this that the lavve of 2. Chro 34. 14. God was so neglected that the very autheÌ„tical coppy therof given by the hand of Moses himselfe was lost And if we will know also what was the cause of those damnable Idolatries that so prevailed in the daies of the prophets we may heare the same out of their mouthes who were the principall actors or at the least the chiefe abetters therof The word say they to the prophet Ieremy which thou hâ—st spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lord we will not heare Ier 44. 16. it of thee but we will doe whatsoever goeth out of our owne mouth as to â—…rae incense to the Queene of heaven and to powre out our drinke offerings vnto her as we haue done both we and our Fathers our kings our Princes in the cittie of Iudah and in the streetes of Ierusalem for then had we plenty of victuals and were well and felt none evill Their wilful reiecting of the word of God and their obstinate resolution to follovve their ovvne customes and the practise of their forefathers vvas the cause of all their abominable Idolatries Neither vvas the vtter reiecting of the woorde of GOD the cause of so many corruptions in the Iewish religion but alâ—o the mingling therewith of their ovvne Inventions and of the traditions of their forefathers For in the Lordes fielde there oughte nothing to bee sowen but the most pure seede of the worde of God whatsoever is beside the same it is not good corne but cockle and darnell and they of the Lordes family are onely to be fedde with the holesome foode of that vvorde which is provided for their sustenaunce by their heavenly master whatsoever meate they take beside it is corrupte leaven yea deadly poison And therefore both GOD himselfe did most sharpely reproue the hypocriticall Iewes in the time of the Prophete Isay and our Saviour CHRIST the Scribes and Phaâ—isies in his dayes not foc that they did vtterlie reiect the service of GOD prescribed in his own word for it is cleare manifest that they did not so but for that they did corrupt the same with the mingling of their owne leaven they condemne that worship for Isa 20. 14. Mat. 1â— 9. vaine which is prescribed either wholy or in part by the precepts and doctrines of men And verily as in the bodies of men either want of good holesome food or the receiving of corrupt and bad either wholy or but in parte is the cause of many bodily disâ—ases even so either the want of the holesome food of the worde of God or the receiving of the corrupt food of humane doctrins either wholy or in part doth breed many sins corruptioÌ„s in our soules and make them sicke even to death Yea this hath bred al manner of errours heresies and Idolatries in all ages and at all times This was the cause of errour vnder the law and that amoÌ„g the Lords own people They erred in their hearts saieth the Lorde Psa 95. 10. himselfe because they haue not knowne my waies And why erred the Sadducies at the time of our Saviours appearing in the flesh so grosly and that in the chiefest grounds principles of the faith Mark 12. 23 Aug. in psa 131. Cyp. de simpl praelatorum Chrys hom 3. de Laza Yee erre saith our Saviour vnto them not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God This is the cause of all evill saith Austine that the scriptures are not knowne Hence saith Cyprian proceede errours for that menreturne not to the head nor seeke to the spring of truth nor keepe the doctrine of our heavenly Master The reading of the scriptures saith Chrysostome is a strong fortresse against sinne and the ignoraunce of them is a great downefull and a deepe hell to know nothing of â—he divine lawes is a great losse of salvation this thing hath bred heresies and brought in a corrupt life and hath turned al topsie turvy For how can it otherwise be but that health must needes decay and sicknesse grow where either holesome foode is not received at all or else is not received alone without the mixture of that which is corrupt And how can it otherwise bee but that weedes must needes spring vp where either good seed is not sowen at al or else not without the mixture of cockle and darnell And how can it otherwise be but that such must needs be misledde which either will not at all follow those are vnerring guides or else will not be guided by them alone but by such also as may be deceived Wherfore in that the church of Rome doth not only keep the greatest part of the people from the liberty of reading the holie scriptures but also doth mingle with the pure foode thereof the corrupt leaven of humane doctrines it cannot otherwise be but that spiritual sicknesses must grow in her apace ghostly health and strength greatly decay And seeing that shee soweth in the harts of the people not the sincere seede of the worde of God alone but also the darnell of mens inventions it caÌ„not be but that weedes must neâ—des mount vp and overgrowe the good corne And seeing she will haue her followers ledde by bookes Apocripha vnwritten verities ordinaunces of the Church decrees of Popes canons of Councels rules of Friers customes of the multitude traditions of forefathers and the like and not by the books alone of the Canonicall scriptures who are the only sure and vndeceiueable guides it is no marvaile that shee hath beene so misledde out of the way of truth hath wandred in the by-pathes of heresies and Idolatries even as the Idolatrous Iewes and Gentiles haue bin before her for that they followed the same
but especially for that they are after a sorte committed in a mockaâ—e of the bloode of Christ and doe proceede from the forgetfulnesse of his death The which if it bee so then vve must hold this for a sure thing that wee ought not to be grieved so much for that we haue broken the commandement of God as for that wee haue forgotten that wee were redeemed by the bloode of Christ and haue contemned the great price of our most glorious redemption VVherefore that wee may be brought the sooner to repentaunce and to acknowledge the greatnesse of our sinne vve must all our whole life be busied about this that we may vnderstande hovve great is that price of our redemption and that vve may so worthyly esteeme of the blood of the new testameÌ„t as we ought to do It followeth in the nexte verse And the two disciples heard him so speaking and they follovved Iesus Ioh. 1. 37. That testimony which Iohn the Baptist gaue of Christ that he was the lambe of God before two of his disciples causeth them to come to Christ and to follow him Whereby wee learne how effectuall is the preaching of Christ yea how powerfull is one worde or two concerning Christ and his crosse to alter and change the very heartes of men Verily there is no other speech whereby a stony hart may be made flesh and an vnfaithfull man may be made faithfull Speake as much as thou liste of the most famous factes of all the Kinges and Emperours that ever haue beene and of their goodly vertues and great glory these things may delight the minds of men but they wil not renevv them But speake thou of the man crucified a thing in shevv base and foolish this vvord of the crosse which is foolishnes to them that perish is the wisdome power of God to theÌ„ that are saved Nay that we may let passe these profane persons with their deedes teach againe againe the very law of God eveÌ„ this law is weak by reason of the flesh Rom. 8. 3. But that which the law cannot the worde of the crosse can Now what is the cause of this great efficacie The Lord which is the matter and subiect of this word is a spirit which is able to set our harts at liberty in so much that if they be once fixed vpon him the vaile of corruption which before did so cleaue vnto vs wil soone be taken away and if we do duely looke into that glory of his which doth shine in the gospel as in a glasse we shall be changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of God Before Phillip called thee I saw thee when thou wast vnder the figge tree Ioh. 1. 48. The more any one doth search into the vnsearchable riches of Christ and the greater revelation hee hath of the same the more is his faith and loue also encreased and the more vnspeakeable and glorious is his ioy 1. p. 1. 8. Wherefore this ought to be our continuall labour day and night by praier and by reading and meditating vpon the scriptures to seeke after the mistery of Christ that so at the length there may be opened vnto vs the treasures of all knowledge and vnderstanding that are hid in him and so al other things may be vnto vs as trash in comparison of that inestimable treasure It is strange to see how the Apostle that looked most into that excellent mistery could never satisfie himselfe in setting forth and amplifying the greatnesse thereof God saith he which is rich in mercy of his great loue wherwith he loved vs. Eph. 2. 4. Hath given vnto vs so worthy a Saviour in whom are bid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Coll. 2. 3. Haue care therefore saith he that yee may be able to comprehend what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints Eph. 1. 18. He saw much and beleeved much and magnified much this great mistery Verily verily I say vnto you from hence forth yee shall see the heavens open and the Angels of God ascending and descending vpon the sonne of man Ioh. 1. 51. The opening of the misteries of faith engendreth faith and the revealing of Christ maketh a Christian Speake to men of heaven and of everlasting life and of al maÌ„ner of blessings both bodily and ghostly and yet they cannot beleeue vntill they see Christ by whom and for whom are all these things For if we be throughly touched with the sense of sinne and of the wrath of God most iustly provoked to punish vs for the same wee must first finde him that hath satisfied the iustice of God for our sinnes before wee can hope for eternall life Yea if I do not beholde Christ and haue him present before the eies of my minde it is so far of that I should see heaveÌ„ and heavenly glory that I shall feele nothing but terrours and feares and extreame anguish and bitternes of soule But when Christ doth once shine vnto me then is there sure hope of eternall life They then that desire to bee partakers of all manner of blessings and to be assured of life everlasting must seek Christ and set him before their eies and behold him true God and true man who died for their sins and rose againe for their iustification and thence will issue and proceede a ful trust and confidence of obtaining al such benefites blessings which he hath thereby purchased for them That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirite is spirite Ioh. 3. 6. The only presence of Christ by faith is the means wherby the spirit worketh our regeneration Now Christs preseÌ„ce is imperfectly appreheÌ„ded in this life by faith but perfectly by sight in the life to come And hereof it is that our regeneratioÌ„ which is but imperfect in this life shal be most perfect in the life to come This we knowe saith S. Iohn that when Christ doeth appeare we shall bee like him for wee shall see him as hee is 1. Ioh. 3. 2. Yea that presence of Christ shal be so glorious and so effectuall in vs that it shall transforme even our vile body and make it like to his glorious body Phil. 3. 21. For we must know that the presence of Christ is not like the presence of earthly princes the which if thou beholdest a thousand times thon shalt be made thereby never a whit the more glorious but if thou once truely beholde the glorious presence of Christ thou shalt straitwaies bee changed and transformed into the same As Moses left vp the brasen serpent in the wildernes so must the son of man be lifted vp that whosoever beleeveth in him shoulde not perish but haue life everlasting Ioh. 3. 14. As they which beheld the brasen serpeÌ„t were healed of the sting of the fiery serpents which otherwise could not bee cured So theÌ„ beholding of Christ lifted vp vppon the crosse doth cure
be saued he will haue theÌ„ come Neh. 8. 12. 2. Tim. 2. 4. thereto by the knowledge of the truth And therefore this is also sette downe as a marke of all such as the Lord wil receaue into the covenant of mercy by Christ Beholde this is the covenante that I vvill Ier. 3â— 34. â—…b S. 11. make with the house of Israell after these daies saith the Lord I vvill set my lawes in their mindes and in their harts will I write them and I vvill be their God and they shall bee my people they shall not teach each one his neighbour saying know the Lord for they shall know me even from the least vnto the greatest of them The which promise how it was accoÌ„plished by the preaching of the gospel in the primitiue church Theodoret may witnesse one for all We doe manifestly shew you saith Theod. de â—…rat grâ—c affect â— 5. he the great power of the doctrine of the Apostles and prophets for the whole face of the earth vnder the sunne is full of such wordes and the Hebrew bookes bee not onely translated into the Greeke but also into thâ— Romane Aegyptian Parthian Indian Arabian Sâ—yâ—hian Slavon and in a worde into all tongues which the nations vse to this day You may everie-where see our doctrine vnderstoode not onely of such as bee teachers in the church and instructers of the people but also of tailers weavers smithes all artificers yea also of women and not onely of them which bee learned but of victuallers pudding makers handmaides and servantes Neither those men onely that dwell in citties but husbandmen also vnderstande the same one may finde ditchers and heard-men and planters of vineyardes disputing of the trinity and of the creation of all things and having better knowledge of the nature of man then Plato and Aristotle had Now if in the primitiue church this were an evident testimony of the great power of the glorious gospell of Christ that it was able to settle the knowledge of the greatest mysteries of christian religion in the hearts of such as were but of the meanest basest callings and if it were a commendation then for such as were the meanest and simplest among the professors of the gospell of Christ that they were able to discourse dispute even of the deepest points of their christian faith how is the case altered now in these our dates as if the same word had lost his former power and were not able through the antoâ—s blessing to bring to passe the same effect or as if that which was then so commendable in the professours of christian relâ—gioâ— were now to be condemned for curiosity pride and presumption aâ— our Rhemistes would beare the world in hand in their preface to their translaâ—ion of thâ— new Testament CHAP. 3. division 1. 2. 1 Whether every faithfull christian may assuredlie knowe whether hee beleeueth aright and hath a true iustifying faith or no 2 Whether every faithfull christian knowing that he is in the faith may know also assuredlie whether he himselfe hath remission of sinnes and eternall life by faith in Christ THese questions because they lay opeÌ„ vnto vs the I beleeue maâ—ke wherevnto all true christians doe aime euen our association with Christ and the fruites thereof being the most sure and strong foundation of all christian comfort and consolation I wil therefore by Gods most gracious assistance handle them somewhat more at large and vse the more words in the opening of the same And first concerning the first No maÌ„ ought to make professioÌ„ of that before God and his congregatioÌ„ which he knoweth not assuredly whether it be so or no for that were but meere dissimulation and hypocrisie and as it were a deluding and mocking of God but every true christian ought to make profession of his faith euen before God and his congregation after this particular manner I beleeue and therefore he ought assuredly to know that he doth beleeue And so saith S. Austine the Epist 112. faithfull man doth see his owne faith whereby hee doeth answere without doubting I beleeue Secondly it were bootlesse for a christian man to examine himselfe whether he hath a true iustifying faith or no vnlesse vpon due examination and triall he might be able sufficiently to discerne the same but the faithfull christians are commaunded to examine themselues Proue your selues saith the Apostle Noses teipsum 2. Cor. â—3 5. vvhether yee are in the faith or no examine your selues know yee not your owne selues that Iesus Christ dwelleth in you vnlesse yee be reprobates The Apostle in this place speaketh of that faith whereby Christ dwelleth in the harts of the faithful which can be no other then the true iustifying faith or if he did speake of the doctrine of faith yet his reason were as forceable as otherwise For if it be needful for vs to examine our selues whether we hold a right opinioÌ„ iudgmeÌ„t in the doctrine of faith theÌ„ much more it lyeth vpoÌ„ vs to proue our selues whether we faithfully reioyce in the same doctrine place our cheifest coÌ„fort happines therein 1 Pet. 1. â— which is an evideÌ„t marke of a true iustifying faith otherwise our right opinioÌ„ in maters of faith wil be to vs as it is to the devils theÌ„selues only to our greater coÌ„demnation Furthermore as one may vnderstaÌ„d by the true nots of iustice patieÌ„ce such like whether he be a iust a patieÌ„t man even so by the notes markes of faith he may assuredly know whether he hath a souÌ„d faith The which notes markes of a right faith of a true faithfull christiaÌ„ Rom. 15. 4. should not haue ben set downe in the Lords booke wherein whatsoever thinges are written they are writteÌ„ for our learning but that the faithfull by examining theÌ„selus therby mightht assuredly perceaue vnderstaÌ„d that they held a right faith The markes are these 1. First the harty vnfained loue of the word of God For a faithful maÌ„ knowing the great benefit that coÌ„eth to himselfe by his true faith not only maketh great accouÌ„t therof but also entirely loueth and embraceth the meaÌ„es wherby it was begotteÌ„ at the first wherby it is dayly streÌ„gthened encreased Now faith cometh by hearing hearing by the word of god The word therfore is deerer vnto the faithful Ro. 10. 17. theÌ„ gold yea theÌ„ much fine gold sweeter also theÌ„ the hony the hony coÌ„be Psalm 19. A. 10. 1. 2. al the day loÌ„g doth he study in it meditate theron day night therby he doth becoÌ„e as a tree plaÌ„ted by the water side which bringeth foth his fruit in due seasoÌ„ whose leafe doth never wither In deede originally we are defiled with sin are by nature the children of wrath vntill Ephes 2 3. Iames 1. 18. the Lord of his owne good will begette vs againe by the word of truth
to keepe the Lordes day holy vnto the Lord. Contrarily the church of Rome depriveth the people of the benefite of publike praâ—er and of the worde of GOD by locking them vp from them in a strange tongue and so taketh avvay the meanes whereby that day should be sanctified and in steed thereof hath brought in such abuses as vvhereby it cannot be but greately prophamed For the practise of her greate Masters in former times hath beene to solemnize the greate feast of the Lordes Nativity vvith a LORD of misrule as if our Saviour had come in the flesh to deliver vs from obedience to all good lawes and to procure a dispensation for all disorder as also to celebrate that other greate feast of VVhitsuntide at vvhat time our LORD and Saviour CHRIST Iesus to make manifest his great power that hee had in heaven and earth sent downe in forme of cloven tongues his holy spâ—rite vpon his Apostles with a freer vse of all such exercises as kindle the coales of vncleane lustes and blow the bellowes to al filthy communication which are things well-pleasing to the vncleane spirite but most offensiue to the holy Ghost and no way tending to the sanctification but rather to the prophanation of the Lords day VVhereas the purpose of the church of Christ in forbidding Marriages about the times of the three great solemnities of Christians was lest by the more free vse of these earthly pleasures and delightes which abound most commonly at marriage feastes the peoples mindes should bee somewhat hindered from the carefull preparation to receaue the holy sacrament which was most vsually celebrated at those times and from the thankefull commemoration of those great benefites which are then also especially to be most religiously remembred Moreouer whereas the Lord in this commaundement giveth a speciall charge to all his people that in no vvise they forget but carefully remember to obserue and keepe holy the Sabboth day by frequenting the publike assemblies and by ioyning vvith the congregation in praier and in hearing the word of God and in causing those of their families to do the like as also on the other sixe daâ—es to vvalke paineâ—ullie in their severall callings to his honour and the good of his people vvhat shall vvee thinke of the Monkes Eremites and Anâ—chorists of the church of Rome which are had in so high reputation for their extraordinary and as it is thought Angelicall holines vvhich liue in the open and manifest breach of both the partes of this commaundement For they both forsake the publike assemblies contrarie to the Apostles 〈◊〉 10. 15. commandement on the Lords day and do not performe on the other sixe daies the painefull vvorke of any profitable calling to the Lords church and yet they are put in great hope by their holy mother the church of Rome that by omitting these so necessary dueties so straitly enioined by the Lord himselfe for the better perfourming of their ovvne vvill-vvorshippes they are in the readiest way to the greatest perfection CHAP. 9. 5 That the Pope cannot exempt the cleargy from secular iurisdiction nor licence any Princes subiectes to withdraw their loyalty obedience and to take armes against their soveraignes 6 That the Pope cannot make it lawfuâ—l much lesse meritorious to lay violent handes on the Lordes Annointed 7 That the Pope cannot authorise stewes and incestuous marriages disallowed by God 8 That the Pope cannot make good the sale of Masses and Pardons but that it shall be condemned for theâ—t before God 9 That the Pope cannot licence any to conceale the truth or to avouch any thing contrary thereto especially vvhen they are commanded by the Magistrate and that vpon their oath to open the same nor yet to breake faith and promise made no not to heretikes 10 That concupiscence entertained and liked for a while albeit it get not our full and setled consent is sinne COncerning the commaundementes of the second table which lay downe our duety tovvardes our neighbour and belong to the preservation of humane society the church of Rome is an oâ—…ender also against the same neither can she being charged therevvith iustly and truely pleade not guilty 5 For against the fift commandement shee offendeth by exempting ecclesiasticall persons from secular iurisdiction and by discharging as shee thinketh it expedient all manner of subiectes from their oath of obedience made vnto their naturall Princes and in exciting them also to take vp armes against them and so to stande out in open rebellion For this is not to honour the parentes of our countries Rom. 13. 1. and to yeeld subiection to higher powers albeit they be heathenish and persecuting Idolaters 6 See Cardinal de Como his letter to Will Parry Against the sixth commaundement she offendeth in teaching it to bee not onely commendable but also meritorious to murder even the Lordes Annointed the vvhich outragious villany many other murders also are like to follovve all true subiectes especially such as by speciall oath hand and promise of association are bound more precisely thereto being ready to adventure their liues and liuings for the avenging of the death of their leige and loving Soveraignes But this heard hearted steppe-dame little regardeth the liues of many beeing ready at all assayes to embrue her selfe over with blood so that shee may bring to passe her plots and purposes 7 〈◊〉 luâ—…d turâ—… est â—…dor ex â—…alibet Against the seventh shee offendeth in allowing or at the least in tolerating of open stewes for her great revennew shee receaveth by them and in dispensing with incestuous and vnlawfull marriages belike vpon the former respect 8 And albeit shee hath no colour nor shevve to allovve of theft done by violence yet shee her selfe vvaxeth vvonderfull rich by that vvhich is done by fraude and deceite in that she perswadeth the Laity to pay vvell for her Masses and Pardons thereby robbing them of their landes and goods for certainely this is no better then cunning cousonage yea then statte thefte before God If anie Priest saith Saint Augustine â—…e verb â—…ecunâ—… Math. 19 â—0 47. not contented vvith the wages which hee hath by the commaundement of Goâ— for his service at the altar doth play the merchaunt and set to sale his praiers and to readie to receiue the very vviddovves rewardes such an one is to bee accounted rather a merchandizer then a Clerke Neither may vvee alleadge No man can charge vs vvith invasion no man can accuse vs of violence as if oftentimes flattery did not gette a greater booâ—y from vviddowes then force And it skilleth not before God vvhether by force or subtlety thou gettest the goods of others so thou enioy them by either 9 Novve hovve this painted Babylonish harlot vvhich boasteth 〈◊〉 tract 〈◊〉 con 1. â—…6 â—…se poâ—…s this â—…ee 〈◊〉 hearte 〈◊〉 suffiâ—… so much of fidelity and truth liketh in deede of true and faithfull dealing betweene man and man hovv farre shee is of from
authority over them and their humble submission vnto his statutes and lawes And therefore in the prophecie of Ieremie the Lorde himselfe doeth most vâ—hemently cry out vnto this backesliding generation O yee disobedient children turne againe saith the Lorde for I am your Ierem. 3. 14 Lord. And verily if it seeme vnto every man iust and reasonable that the eies of servantes shoulde looke to the hands of their masters Psal 123. 2. and the eies of maydens to the handes of their mistrestes then much more reason is it that our eies shoulde waite and attende vpon the LORDE our GOD if that vvee vvill bee accepted of him as his faithfull servauntes The Centurions goe Mat. 8. 9. in the Gospell vvas enough to his souldiours and his doe this was sufficient vnto his servantes and shall not the orders and iniunctions of the Lord of Lords and commander of al commâ—unders make vs prest and willing to yeeld to him al humble ready obedience Especially whereas he is our only Lord and lawmaker who hath authority not only to impose lawes vpon our consciences but also to revenge all contempt and disobedience even with everlasting perdition both of body and soule There is Iac. 4. 12. Eph. 4. 5. one lawgiver saith S. Iames who is able to saue and to destroy There is one God saith the Apostle and one Lord. All other Lord here among men haue no lawfull authority but from him for they are but his Lieuetenants and deputies and therefore must not goe beyond their commission in making statuces and imposing lawes no not vpon their owne subiects Concerning the safety prosperous estate of themselues and of their earthly kingdomes and concerning the welfare of their owne subiects that are coÌ„mitted to their fidelity and trust they haue sufficient authority in wisedome equity and iustice to make holesome lawes but as coÌ„cerning the worship and service of God they haue none authoritie to make any new lawes of their owne but to provide that the Lords lawes alone be duely put in execution The which thing if they religiously perfourme then they are to bee obeyed in the Lord and that not only for feare but also for conscience otherwise if they goe beyond their commission their subiects owe theÌ„ patience but not obedience For as they themselues wil not tolerate or indure any such presumptioÌ„ in any of their own subiects if they take vpon them to make lawes to overrule them their kingdomes for that were to suffer the scepter to be wrested out of their owne hands and the crowne to be taken from their own heads so they themselues must not presume to make lawes for the ordering of the church of God for the administring of his spirituall kingdome but religiously to provide that the Lordes lawes only be carefully observed and kept And therefore at the day of the kings coronation the booke of the law was delivered into his hand to put him in minde that thereby he ought to rule both himselfe and all his subiectes in all matters concerning the service of God So likewise the ecclesiasticall officers governours even they that are the chiefe builders of the Lords spirituall temple must lay no other stones in that building but such as are digged out of the Lordes owne quarries That is they must teach no other points of faith and precepts of life then such as they haue received froÌ„ him who only hath authority to appoint and ordaine what we ought to beleeue and how to liue otherwise if they teach any thinge of their owne wee ought to giue no eare nor credite vnto them The Scribes and Pharisies saith our Mat. 23. 2. Saviour Christ sit in Moses chaire whatsoever therefore they say vnto you that doe yee For in sitting in Moses chaire they teach the law delivered by Moses and so God himselfe teacheth by them vnto whom we owe all ready obedience But if they doe mingle therewith their owne leaven that is their owne doctrines and inventions Mat. 16. 6. we must avoide and shun the same as a most daungerous deadly poyson The truth is that in matters of ceremony the church governours haue authority to ordaine such thinges as belong to edification comelines and order and yet therin also they are to take heede that they do not clogge the Lordes people with such burdens as the Lord would not haue to be laid vpon them and also that matters of ceremony and circuÌ„stance be not so vehemently pressed and vrged as if they were matters of substance When king David not without the approbation of Nathan the prophet had purposed to builde a sumptuous temple for the arke of the Lords covenant for the fitter assembling of the people and for the more convenient performing of all such things as did belong to the service of God albeit also it was a matter of circumstance and not of substance therfore left in the hands of such as were in authority yet for that it was new and strange and not precisely and particularly commanded by the Lords owne mouth beholde howe the Lorde seemeth at the first to take exception against this so relligious and godly a purpose of his owne most choice and beloued servant In all the places saith the Lord wherin I walked with the childreÌ„ of Israell spake I one word to any of the tribes of Israell when I commanded the Iudges to feede my people Israell or said 2. Sam. 7. 7. I why build ye me not an house of Cedar trees Yea when those very sacrifices offerings Sabbothes new moones solemne feastes with other the like exercises belonging to the service of God which were also precisely commandâ—d by the Lordes owne expresse word were performed by priest and people but not after that manner as they were ordeined by God how doth hee reiect them al cast them of saying what haue I to do with the multitude of your sacrifices when yee come to appeare before meo who bath required Isa 1. 11. these things at your handes No marvaile then that the Lord doth with so great detestation reiect al those kinde of services which the people had sucked either out of their owne bâ—ainsicke heads or had receiued by tradition from their forefathers saying They haue done that which I commanded them not neither ever entred into Ier. 7. 31. my hart So Isay 29. Because this people commeth neare vnto mee vvith their mouth and honoureth me with their lippes but haue remooued their hart farre from me and their feare towardes mee was taught by the precepts of men therfore behould againe I will doe a marvelous worke in this people even am trvelous worke and a wonder for the wisedome of the wise shall perish and the vnderstanding of the prudent shall be hidde Behould how dangerous a matter it is in those thinges which concerne the service of God to maime or to mingle any thing with the pure perfect word of God to
harken but in parte to the preceptes of men and not to resigne our selues wholy to the Lord to be guided ruled only by his lawes For this people being in outward shew and profession the onely people of God in performing the service of God did observe those things which God himselfe had coÌ„manded yet because they did ascribe somewhat to their owne wisedome and did thinke that they could adde something takeÌ„ out of their owne braines or delivered to them by tradition from their fathers as matters profitable to the servâ—ce of God their wisdome was condemned for folly and their honouring of God for the dishonouring of his holy name and for the corrupting of his service And verely is it not extreme folly and madnes to take vpon vs to be wiser theÌ„ God vnder any pretence whatsoever to presume against so special and peremptory a decree of the supreme iudge of the whole earth set downe in direct termes with his owne penne That which I commaund thee thou shalt doe that only thou shalt not add ought therto nor take ought therfrom And againe Deut. 4. 5. 6 Take beed that you doe that which the Lord your Goa hath commaunded you yee shall not turne to the right hand nor to he left you shall doe that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord not that which is good in your owne eies For who hath knowen the mind of the Lord or who hath beene his counsellour Verely St. Paule had many and great revelations Rom. 11. 54 and was rapt vp into Paradise even into the third heaven and heard such words as cannot be vttered yet he acknowledged that it did not belong vnto him to beare rule over the faith of the people of God Nay he denounceth a double curse against himselfe 2. Cor. 1. 24. Gal. 1. 8. and against any Angel whoÌ„soever if that he presume to deliver any other Gospell or point of faith then was receiued from God himselfe For we are all whatsoever we be but fellow schollers in the schoole of Christ he is our onely teacher scholemaster and his doctrine onely is sound and catholike Wee are but fellow servants vnder one Lord he onely hath authority to rule and raigne over our soules and his commandements must beare the whole sway In the earthly kingdome there is Iewe Gentile In the kingdomes of this world there is a difference betweene prince and people master servant but in the kingdome of Christ all are servaÌ„ts alike vnder one master 1 Cor 2. 24. Heb 1. 14. bond and free Lord and servant prince subiect but in the spiritual kingdome of Christ all are one of the same estate condition and calling they are al alike the Lordes free-men and they are al the servants and subiectes of Christ For what is Paule or what is Apollos but Ministers by whom ye haue beleeved And what are the most glorious Angels themselues Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes that shall bee heires of salvation And what honourable title haue the highest in the church of Christ taken vnto themselues to sette forth their owne dignity honour Iames a servant of God of the Lord Iesus Christ Simon Peter a servant and an Apostle of Iesus Christ Paule a servant of God an Apostle of Iesus Christ And what honorable title haue the highest in the earthly kingdome as they did belong to the spiritual kingdome of Christ taken vnto them selues to the setting forth of their dignity and honour Behould saith David a great king I am thy servant I am thy servant and the sonne of thine handmaide And what honourable title haue the Angels in heaven taken vnto thâ—selues to the setting forth of their dignity and honour I am thy fellow servant saith the Angel to St. Iohn and one of thy brethren which haue the testimony of Iesus worshippe God Yea the most blessed virgin Mary the mother of the Lord who is called by the children of the church of Rome their Lady and Queene of hoaven as if shee were a meeâ—e mate and peere to our Lord acknowledgeth this to be her greatest honour that God had respect vnto the lowe estate of his haÌ„dmaide Al then in the spiritual kingdome of Christ are fellow servaÌ„ts which are not to make lawes in matters concerning the service of God but to proclaime the lawes of their onely Lord and to propose them vnto their fellow servants to be religiously observed by them al. The which if we could so throughly dispatch that we should stand as it were idle for lacke of worke then wee might harken for a new master and goe as it were about the country to seeke more work Or if we could performe so much of his worke as were answerable to that allowance and wages wee receiue froÌ„ him theÌ„ we might seeke for some other worke also for the mending of our wages and for the bettering of our maintenance Or if we could haue better wages allowance and and maintenance at anothers hand then we might cast of the Lordes livery betake our selues to a more profitable service But wee can never so perfectly performe our duty to God but that in many things we shal faile all neither will our labour be it never so great be ever answerable vnto our wages neither is it possible for any of vâ— to finde so good a master as the Lord is and therfore it is good keeping of vs in his service and continuing in his feare that his favour may be our countenance credite and his livery our protection and safety it is good for vs in al our workes to haue his commandements before our eies to sette before vs his soveraigne authority that so in all thinges we seruing him may be acknowledged of him as his faithfull servants But vnto the children of the church of Rome the auctority of this our onely Lord is noâ— so great that he should rule over their consciences by his own laws alone vnlesse there be ioined therto the decrees of their church the constitutions of their popes the Canon of their councels and the rules of the founders of their religious orders Yea their popes power is so great with them that he can dispence with the law of our only Lord and free from obedience to his commandements He can alter the substantial points of the Lords service maime and mangle the institution of Christ wheras none of his owne Concil Trident. Scss 7. c. 13. patches and ragges must in any case bee neglected and omitted without the daÌ„ger of their blacke curse Yea the perfect fulfilling of the whole law of God is so light and easie to these men that they shoulde stand as it were idle and vnimployed if no greater matter were requiâ—ed at their hands therefore the founders of their religious orders haue found out many workes of greater holines and perfection which were not commanded