the thing that wee haue too beare in minde But by the way it ought too make Paules doctrine of the more authoritie that he speaketh so boldly in the mayntenance of it and that not through humane rashnesse and presumption but in the name of God For in very deede he standeth not heere vppon the praysing of himselfe in his owne persone and that doth he shewe right well in that he sayeth If I my self He setteth himself formost as if he had sayd Let mee euen mee my selfe I say bee taken for a Diuell if I chaunge the doctrine or if you finde me to haue swarued in any maner of wize Heere S. Paule sheweth that he ment not too purchace reputation too himselfe ne fought in his owne quarell to haue it sayd of him that he was a fineheaded fellow or a wyze and excellent man no but he raungeth himself in aray with the faythfull and sayeth let vs all imbrace the doctrine of that Mayster too whose charge God hath cōmitted vs and vnto whose gouerment we ought too bee submitted For although I bee he that taught you the doctrine yet is it not mine but Gods who is vnchaungeable and although yee should see me chaunge yet bee not you remoued nor abashed for it but esteeme mee as a Diuell hold mee accursed and for your own partes continue you stil settled in the truth which you haue learned and as for mee curse you mee and ban you mee yea and the very Angelles of heauen too rather than too chaunge any whit of the truthe of Gods Sonne or too turne aside from it Heere wee see well ynough that S. Paule sought not aught else but that Gods truth might haue such reuerence among men as it deserueth and bee so receyued as all our wittes all our thoughts all our lustes and all our affections might bee subdued and hilde prysoners vnder it and that it might not be lawfull for any liuyng creature to chaūge aught therof but that God only might speake by the mouth of his only Sonne and we hold him for our Mayster yea and euery of vs obey him without gaynsaying That is the thing which S. Paule sought How beit for asmuch as wee cannot now lay forth the rest it shall bee reserued till the next Sunday if it please God Now let vs fall down before the Maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him too make vs perceiue them more and more and that the feeling of them may draw vs too right repentance and cause vs too growe and increace in fayth so as wee may bee true sacrifizes too him that like as our Lord Iesus offered himself for our redemption so wee also may bethinke vs too dedicate our selues wholly vnto him and be guyded by him in such stedfastnesse that nother in lyfe nor death wee may not seeke any other contentation and rest than too apply our selues too his good will nor glorie in any other thing than in the Saluation that is purchaced for vs in him That it may please him too graunt this grace not only to vs but also too all people and nations of the earth c. The. 4. Sermon vpon the first Chapter 8 But if I my selfe or an Angell from heauen tell you othervvise than I haue tolde you cursed be he 9 As I sayd afore so say I yet agayne if any man tell you othervvize than you haue receyued cursed bee he c. WEe haue seene heretofore that we must be sure of the truth of the Gospell or else our fayth is no fayth but rather an opinion if we be ready to stagger too and fro Now then the very proofe which we ought to make of our fayth is to bee fully setled and resolued in our selues that God hath taught vs and that he hath so vttered his will vnto vs that if we swarue from it one way or other it is all one as if wee did wilfully cast our selues away And for this cause wee must not only receyue Gods woord as good holy but also beare such honour too it as to hate whatsoeuer is agaynst it yea or which agreeth not fully with it For when as S. Paule speaketh heere of an other Gospell his meanyng is that if men disguyze the pure simplicitie which they haue learned of him there remayneth nothing else but vntruth and corruption VVherfore let vs learne to set such store by Gods doctrine that wee may not only esteeme it in it self but also reiect as diuelish things what soeuer shall be brought contrarie or repugnant vntoo it And truly Sainct Paule thinkes it not ynough too speake of men but mounteth euen vntoo the Angelles of Heauen and sayeth that wee muste rather hold them accursed than alter any whit of the fayth which wee haue of the Gospell He dothe well too speake of himself first and he doeth that too shewe that he had no regard of his owne persone but that he ment simply too honour God and too cause his woord to bee receyued of all the worlde without gaynsaying Therefore it was needefull that Sainct Paule should vse that protestation for if any man exempt his owne doctrine by priuiledge he maketh the same a priuate cace But he that teacheth ought too raunge himselfe in the common aray and too submitte himself obediently too the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christe so as wee may not haue any other Mayster in this worlde of whom too hold our fayth but that the Sonne of God may haue all soueraintie ouer vs as belongeth vntoo him And Sainct Paule speaketh purposely of the Angelles bycause the false Apostles and deceyuers that were come intoo the countrie of Galatia pretended the name of Peter Iohn and Iames and therefore he setteth a barre in their way saying that when they had all that could bee on theyr side yea and that the whole world tooke parte with them all that was nothing Moreouer though they had the very Angelles of heauē with them yet should God neuerthelesse ouer rule thē by his word all creatures be thrust downe For if any thing lift vp it self against Gods truth wherin his image shineth forth and his maiestie and glorie ought to be knowen the same ought also to be condemned to be hild as accursed It might perchaunce seeme at the first blush that S. Paule vsed an excessiue fashion For too what purpose bringeth he in the Angels seyng wee know how they be wholly giuen too do Gods will According as it is sayde expresly in the. 103. Psalme and as we see moreouer through the whole holy Scripture that they haue not any other regard than simply to obey God Seing then that it is impossible that the Angelles shoulde falsifie the pure truthe Sainct Paule shoulde not haue brought them in Yea it might bee thought that he dooth them wrong and iniurie considering that God hath giuen them the grace too abyde in his obedience and too walke quietly as he hath appoynted them But it
haue a parting of stakes and a mingle-mangle made and that euery man shoulde bowe on his syde But in the meane while will God gyue ouer his right at the pleasure of men Or may wee confederate our selues too his preiudice So then seeing that wee nowadayes haue too incounter agaynst the wilfull Papistes who haue peruerted corrupted and falsified all the truth of the Gospell although they face vs with these honourable tytles of holy Catholike Churche holy Sea Apostolike Prelacie Christendome and holy Supremacie which yet notwithstanding are but vizors in verie deede let vs not be abashed awhit at them For why wee haue God on our side and besides that the truth of the Gospell is so precious in his sight as hee will not haue any creature to bee spared for it according as we haue seene how Saint Paule himselfe telleth vs that if it were possible for the Angelles to turne vs away from the pure doctrine wee shoulde holde them accursed and refuze and abhorre them And why then shall wee seeke too please mortall men when they woulde disguize the purenesse of the Gospell and mingle their owne inuentions wyth it and in so dooing make our Lorde Iesus Christ their vnderling that they mighte still keepe possession of theyr errours Is it meete that wee shoulde yeelde vp our places to them A mischiefe light vpon such concorde for it shall alwayes be cursed of God VVherfore let vs haue such stoutnesse and constancie of minde that when we be once sure that the quarell which we mainteyne is Gods wee stagger not for any greatnesse or loftinesse of the worlde Thus ye see in effect what we haue to beare in minde And heere withall we see also what the fondnesse of the Papistes is and howe shamelesse that vilane the Pope hath bin in exempting himselfe from all correction VVhen the Pope intendeth to magnifie himself greatly he calleth himselfe the Successor of Peter and yet in the meane while hee will by no meanes submit himselfe too any chastizements Hee sayth that it belongeth to him to correct all the world and that it is not lawfull for any man to meddle with him And whence commeth that exemption For if he pretend to hold the place of Peter we see here the contrarie Peter was rebuked and bare it yea and hee willingly graunted himself to be giltie when he saw he was ouercome Seeing it is so wee must needes conclude that there is no dignitie in this worlde how much so euer men colour it which shoulde not alwayes bee subiect too Gods worde For what a thing were it if it were otherwise so as our Lorde Iesus Christ shoulde haue sette vp dumbe Idols in his Church vnder the title and shadow of shepherds and that it should be lawfull for them to finde fault and rebuke yea and too marre and falsifie all things and in the meane while no man shoulde open his lyppes agaynst them Gods Churche shoulde become as it were a Swynes stye infected with all filthinesse and there shoulde bee no remedie to helpe it Let vs marke well then that God will not haue any such preeminence to bee in his Church as shoulde hinder the continuall course of his worde so as it should not be able to bridle all such as are in any superioritie aboue others For it behoueth vs to giue eare to our Lorde Iesus Christ and hee must haue the maystership that is gyuen him of God his father so as euery man must yeelde himselfe therevntoo and none of vs pretend to haue any exemption That is the thing which is shewed vs in the person of Saint Peter On the other part we see also after what sort the faultes that are committed ought to be rebuked that is to say openly before all men and not only in secrete which thing is well worthie too bee marked For there are many that can fynde in theyr heartes too giue cause of offence who after they haue set all in a broile woulde haue a man do no more to them but tel them softly in their eare that they haue done amâ—sse For the common diuinitie is this VVhat I pray you Is it not sayde that eche shoulde reproue other secretely Is it meete that a man shoulde bee so diffamed when hee hath done amisse No verily if hee haue not offended in suche wize as hys faulte ingendereth trouble in the whole Church For euen our Lorde Iesus Christ doth expressely set downe the same differeÌ„ce so that if any man haue done amisse and I knowe it I must rebuke him betwixt him and me But if the fault be notorious and open and an occasion too bring in euill example if hee were not tolde of it then must I not any more keepe that order of rowning him secretely in the eare but condemne the fault as it deserueth that others may take warning by it And this is ment not onely of priuate persons but also of suche as are in highest degree for it becommeth them too leade the waye according also as in another place too Timothie Paule commaundeth expressely that suche as haue done amysse thoughe they bee the Sheepeheardes whiche haue the charge too teache and gouerne the flocke shoulde bee rebuked openly The same thing hath hee put presently in practize in the person of Peter For in as muche as the fault was ouergreate and too farre out of square and might ingender greater trouble in the Churche bicause it was as yee woulde say an ouerthrowing of the Gospell for that there was as yet some infirmitie in manie men Saint Paule sawe well it was requisyte that Peter shoulde bee rebuked and therevppon did it That therfore is the thing which we haue to remember concerning that processe On the otherside we see also the mildnes of Peter It had bin said vnto him by the mouth of our Lord Iesus Christ that besides his ordinarie name of Simon he should be called Peter for the steddinesse of his fayth He was excellent among the rest of the Apostles and yet neuerthelesse he stoupeth with his head and boweth downe his necke when he seeth that he hath done amisse and maketh no buckler of the honourable state wherein he was but onely considereth that sith Gods worde is giuen vs too correct vs it becommeth vs to submit our selues too it except we will bee rebels against him who in the ende will beate downe all the pride of the world Therefore S. Peter perceyuing that nothing is better for a man than to receiue chastizements when hee hath done amisse yeeldeth to that which was told him by S. Paule Now if we consider all these things well wee haue heere a verie profitable storie For on the one syde wee see howe euerie man desyreth too holde in with the worlde and that is an occasion too blinde vs continually in our misdoings For there is nothing with vs but flattering and to our seeming we cannot be friends except euery of vs beare with his fellowe Surely there
heauenly life that is prepared for vs and that although we do but glide away here below and be as straungers yet there is an euerlasting heritage which cānot fayle vs. According as the outward man decayeth saith S. Paule so the inward man renueth For the more that the faithfull see themselues decay the more are they warned and prouoked to looke vpward For we know that such as are strong and lusty do besot and forget themselues and therefore our Lorde is faine to tame vs in such wise as we may renue by decaying I say in such wise as we may be as ye wold say new cast in a mould again to the end that the hope of the heauenly life may be stablished in vs and we haue our sight cleered to behold the thyng which otherwise would be wrapped vp frō vs. Marke how gold and siluer do greatly wast when men make them to passe the furnace VVhē it is cast into the fire it is a great masse of metall but whē it is takē out again ther is but a small quantitie of it And yet the gold if it were not so fined would neuer serue to any purpose no more would siluer nother Euen so is it with vs we could neuer be renued to come to the kingdome of heauen except we dyed first VVe must euer go forward to that vtter defacement and not rest by the way vpon any thing that we see with our eyes For this earthly life is but a shadow and a smoke that slideth and vanisheth away yet neuerthelesse we be renued thereby within Not that all men haue that benefit For the faithlesse do well ynough finde their owne weaknesse and are inforced to feele the summonings of death specially when they be growen old for then they perceiue that any little blast is ynough to cast thē downe and therevpon they fall to storming and could find in their harts to fall out with God nature Howsoeuer the world go though they rotte yet are they not renued For one graine of corne may well rotte and yet not take roote to spring againe and to bring foorth frute and another grain shal rot likewise howbeit for asmuch as it is in good earth hathe takē roote it will bring foorth frute in seasonable time So thē the faithful come to decay and the rewithal are renued and gather new force and why For they rot in this world to the end to be restored and renued againe in the heauēly heritage The faithlesse also do go away to they rot likewise they slip aside they vanish quite away but they haue no vauntage by it bycause they be not restored to eternall life So then let vs marke well that whereas S. Paul sayth we liue by the faith of Iesus Christ it is to wakē vs so as nothing in the world may keepe vs from resting cōtinually vpon Gods promises VVhen we looke vpon al the things that are about vs there is nothing but death But what for that God hath giuē vs his word that being dead in our own nature we haue our life elsewhere namely in our Lord Iesus Christ in asmuch as he was purposely sent to bring vs from death to life Seing then that we haue that promise of god ye see how he may be honored at our hands And for asmuch as the cace standeth so that only saying ought to suffise vs. And if wee setle and resolue ourselues fully therevpon it is a token that we set our handes to Gods truth as faithfull witnesses thereof as sayeth Sainct Iohn Contrariwise when we doubt or be in a mamering then hath Gods word no authoritie nor reuerence among vs. For if we looke no further than to the things that are before vs and to the things that are neare at hand we cannot acknowldge that God is faithfull and that the things which God hath vttered wyth his owne mouth are vnfallible Moreouer in so doing we turne away from our Lord Iesus Christ who notwithstāding is the pledge of all that is conteined in Gods word Seeing we haue the worde we must no more aske as Moses saith who shall climb vp aboue the Cloudes or who shall go downe into the deepe or who shall go ouer the Sea The word sayth he is in thy mouth and in thy hart and we must content ourselues with it And moreouer seeing that we haue our Lord Iesus Christ for a larger confirmation we know that he went downe into the hells that is to saye bare the curse that was due to vs for our sinnes and answered as our pledge and suretie before the iudgement seate of his father and afterward went vp into heauen and in our behalfe tooke possession of the heritage that he had purchaced for vs. For he was exalted vp in our flesh and nature Seeing that we haue such an assurance must wee not needes be tootoo wretched if we cannot hold ourselues too it Agayne the matter willeth vs to looke still backe to that whych hath bin said namely that we hope not for thinges that are open and manifest but for the thinges that are vnknowen to worldly perceiuerance Then sith it is so let vs learne to liue by the faith of Iesus Christ that is to say although we be miserable in this worlde and be faine to indure neuer so many hartbitings greefes anguishes troubles and distresses yet notwithstanding let vs continue in this constancie of beleeuing that there is nothing but singular happinesse in all our miseries bycause God blisseth and halloweth them for our Lord Iesus Christs sake and all is turned to our helpe and welfare as it is said in the .viij. to the Rom. Therfore as we haue seene in another text God must vtter the perfectnesse of his strēgth in our weakenesse and we suffer him to make vs to stoupe in such sort as this world may not keepe vs backe from hauing the promises of the Gospell throughly printed in our heartes nor hinder vs to be glad and cheerfull in the mids of our miseries and afflictions nor boldly too dispyze all the slaunderings and mockages of the faythlesse when they offer vs reproch saying Godes you silly wretches thinke your selues to be princes when you beleeue the Gospell But alack poore soules where is the ioy and happinesse which you say is promised you of God VVhere is the inestimable benefit which you make so great account of For ye haue no more than those whō you call Gods enimies reprobates and cursed kaytifs But as I sayde all this geere must not thrust vs out of the way for we must come backe vntoo fayth Although then that heere beneath we perceiue not the things that are promised vs in the Gospell yet let vs assure our selues of them out of all doubt For as sayth S. Paule our life is hidden and the time of the discouerie thereof is not yet come And where is our life but in our Lorde Iesus Christ Now the
all the faithfull to all his children But yet doth he graunt vs other speciall graces besides as when he giueth vs men that teach vs his woord faythfully or that gouerne the common welth wisely or whiche haue other giftes for in so doing he giueth vs certayne tokens that he dwelleth among vs and thereby also he bindeth vs so much the more vntoo him Let vs marke the reason that S. Paule setteth downe heere He blameth the vnthankfulnesse of the Galathians for that they considered not how it came vnto them by the preachyng of the Gospell And he sayeth it purposely bicause men will alwayes make fayre protestations ynow that they meene not to reiect Gods grace and yet doo shew the cleane contrarie in their dooyngs As howe They that are loth too suffer themselues too be taught and would driue away all the ministers of Gods woord if they could they which through enuie spitefulnesse could find in their harts to abolish the remeÌ„brance of al those whom God hath stablished too maynteyne the welfare of his people they say I doo shew well ynough that they would haue God too holde himselfe a farre off from them and that they bee loth to come at him For he setteth before them the meanes to come too him and they voutchsafe not too take it but do thrust it from them So then whereas S. Paule findeth fault with the GalathiaÌ„s it was not for that they protested openly with full mouth that they woulde none of Gods spirit or that they hild skorne of his giftes but too shewe them that they had very ill regarded Gods vttering of the giftes of his spirite in their Churche VVhat ought wee then too gather vppon this Text. That if God giue vs meanes too come vntoo him wee must take them awoorth euen by fashioning of our selues vnto them For if the Gospell bee preached among vs and wee wilfully forget what is told vs it is all one as if wee reiected God and turned our backe vppon him of purpose too stray away from him VVherefore if wee intend that God should continue his grace towardes vs let vs hold vs too the meanes that he hath ordeyned for vs that is to say let vs suffer our selues to be taught by such as he sendeth vnto vs let euery of vs exercyze himself alone also in reading the holy scripture let such as haue done good in edifying the Church haue roome place among vs and let vs not shet the gate against the holy Ghost This in effect is the thing that wee haue to beare in minde Furthermore for asmuch as S. Paules intent here is to bring backe the faithfull to the Gospell let vs assure our selues that if we swarue neuer so litle from it we be streyght in the high way to destruction And so there is none other knitting of God vnto meÌ„ than by meanes of the Gospell which must go as a chayne that cannot bee broken betwixt theÌ„ And Paule doth purposely once againe call it the preaching of faith to shewe vs how great neede wee haue that God should preuent vs. For vntil such time as he haue reached vs his hand in our Lord Iesus Christe and drawne vs out of the gulfe of confusion wherein wee bee by nature what are wee Moreouer wee see howe bountifull he sheweth himselfe towardes vs in that he giueth himselfe fully to vs in the persone of his only Sonne surely it is much more than if he gaue vs heauen and earth and all the goodes that are in them For what are all other things in coÌ„parison of our Lord Iesus Christ VVherfore let vs marke that seing that God hauing declared vntoo vs that wee bee vtterly vnfurnished of all goodnesse addeth that he will not keepe backe any thing from vs nor shew himselfe a nigard towards vs if wee seeke too him for all things that wee want wee must be contented with it and if wee swarue neuer so little one way or other we deserue well to bee vtterly bereft and dispossessed euen of that which wee haue receyued alreadie And therevppon S. Paule bringeth vs backe too the example of Abraham bycause he is the father of all the faythfull and moreouer bycause that in his person it pleazed god to shew how we may become rightuous to be saued for there is none other way to bring vs to the kingdome of heauen than the same that he went There is but onely one way and that is set foorth too vs in the example of Abraham S. Paule therefore sayeth that Abraham beleeued God and the same was reckened too him for rightuousnesse and therefore that if we will be Abrahams children wee must beleeue Heere we haue too call too rememberance the thing that hath bin declared alreadie heretofore that is too say what this woorde fayth or beâ—eefe importeth It is not a single beleeuing that there is but one God which gouerneth the worlde but an assuring of our selues that he taketh vs for his children and that wee may fully and freely call vppon him as our father bycause he accepteth vs for our Lord Iesus Christes sake Then if wee bee sure of the fauour and fatherly loue of our God and take suche warrantize of it by his promises that wee haue our looke wholly fastened vppon our Lord Iesus Christe in whom wee finde meanes too come vnto God and too go freely vntoo him that is the very thing whiche S. Paule ment by that woord Fayth And so when he sayeth that too bee Ahrahams children wee must bee faythfull it is all one as if he sayd that wee cannot bee faythfull Christians nor members of the Church but by fayth that is to say except we be bereft of all opinioÌ„ of our owne deseruings moreouer so beaten downe and dismayed in our selues as we may not wote where too become nor seeke any other meanes of saluatioÌ„ than in the free goodnesse which God offereth vs when he telleth vs that wee be fordone damned in our sinnes and yet notwithstanding that we must not ceasse to haue full hope and trust of saluation in Iesus Christ Thus yee see what it is for a man to bee a Christian that is too wit to be vtterly out of hart in himself in coÌ„sideration that he bringeth nothing with him but sin and cursednesse and yet vpon the feeling of himself to be so vtterly voyde of all well deseruing to come vnto God to be clothed with the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ For it is not ynough for vs to be out of hart in our selues as we see that Cain was who beyng as it were vpon the racke confesseth his fault howbeit that was but through despayre and so consequently there was nothing in him but murmuring and blasphemie against God in like cace is it with all reprobates or cast awayes but wee must so taste of the loue of our God as wee may be able to settle our selues vpon it and be out of all doubt that he will
vs and that wee shall haue greater gayne of it than of all the things that wee can doo in the worlde he hath not so muche credit among vs that wee wyll trust too his woorde no wee bee deafe on that syde First of all therefore too the ende wee should not bee thrust out of the way by meannes vnkindnesse our Lord sayth whatsoeuer yee doo too the least or to the most despysed of these I accept it and acknowledge it as done to my selfe Too bee short I receiue it as of myne owne hand Lo how God speaketh as in respect of the word profite Also he addeth a promise that there is no vsurie nor gayne so great as the profit that is to be hoped for at his hand so wee shet our eyes ageynst worldly things that they hold vs not backe but bestowe the things that he hath put intoo our handes and whiche he hath committed to our charge as he appoynteth by hys woord But whereas God speaketh after that manner not once or twyce but manie times so as if there were but one drop of trust in vs surely wee shoulde bee fully resoluâ—â—â—â—f it yet notwithstandyng â—â—â—swade wee bee still fastened heere bylowe and cannot beleeue nor perswade ourselues that God speaketh in good earnest Therefore it is not without cause that S. Paule setteth downe the promise that wee shall gather or reape as if he had sayde yee wretched men yee stande vpon thornes when any profite is shewed you and although the issue be vncertayne yet your couetousnesse driueth you to it and euery of you is willing to disburse your money Lo heere God which is true and can not lye assureth vs oftentimes yea and warranteth vs that whatsoeuer wee put into his hande shall yeelde vs inestimable gayne and yet wee can not finde in our hartes to beleeue him for all his promises whiche he makes vnto vs. And can wee doo him a greater wrong He for his owne parte oweth vs nothing whatsoeuer he promiseth vs is of his owne good will without beeing in any wise bound vnto vs and yet can not any thing induce vs to serue him Therefore marke well what Sainct Paule telleth vs to the ende that euery of vs may indeuer too amende this cursed roote of couetousnesse which is so deepely setled in our hearts that wee must bee fayne to inforce our selues when wee shoulde followe whither so euer God calleth vs and specially when wee should play the faythfull Stewards in dealing foorth the goods which he hath put vs in trust with How be it let vs marke the words which he addeth in conuenient season sayth he And this serueth to confirme and strengthen vs in patience For wee would haue God to shewe vs to day or to morrowe or rather out of hande what the profite is that he speaketh of The husbandman will holde him selfe quiet when he hath layde his seede in the grounde Afterwarde he sees frost and snow winde and rayne heate and colde and yet neuerthelesse he wayteth still for the comming of haruest They that occupie the trade of marchaundise put foorth their money yea and their owne persons also in great daunger and in the meane whyle theyr siluer goes and runnes and is shifted too and fro and yet notwithstanding bicause they bee accustomed to buying and selling they knowe well inough that they shall not receyue any profite at the first day but must be fayne to wayte till the time come Howebeeit there 〈◊〉 hoping or looking foâ—â—â—â— present gaine when we haue to 〈◊〉 with God and yet notwithstanding wee must thinke our selues out of all doubt of it in so muche that the time ought not too seeme too long if wee looke vp to the euerlastingnesse of the kingdome of heauen â–ª and yet for all this no man is pacient VVe will bee quiet inough so long as wee hazarde and aduenture our goods and is it not a very pitifull cace that when as God telleth vs that he will bee a faythfull keeper of the things that are too bee spent in his seruice wee fall into sorrowe and vnquietnesse and beare our selues in hande that all is lost if wee see not the thyng performed out of hande Yee see then that the thing whiche wee haue to marke vpon this saying is that wee must bridle our selues till the conuenient time be come For it is not for vs to appoynte the certayne day that must remayne in the hande of God Therefore let vs be contented that he exercise our patience and the time shall not be prolonged further than is for our profite Furthermore S. Paule ment also to draw vs from the world for we desire temporall profite No doubte but wee will bee well contented that God shoulde giue vs it but yet therein wee shewe our selues too bee altogither earthly For if a man doo any almose deedes althoughe his intent bee too serue God yet coulde he finde in his heart too receyue by and by for euery pennie a shilling or rather a Crowne and vnder colour of dooing some small almose deedes he woulde seeke too rake into him selfe on euery side For as muche then as wee woulde chaffer so with God Sainct Paule to correct suche vyce sayth that wee must looke whether God calleth vs that is too wit too the great day at the whiche euery man shall haue hys wages So then althoughe all seeme to bee lost as in respect of this worlde and of this present life yet let vs not ceasse too trust still in God who is a faythfull keeper of our pawnes and gages will doo muche more for vs than wee can hope for so that wee on our side haue patience Heerevppon he concludeth that whyle wee haue tyme and leysure wee must doo good too all men and specially to the housholde of fayth Nowe in saying that wee must labour to doo good while wee haue leysure he setteth before vs the shortnesse of our lyfe And wee see an vngracious maladie still in vs in that behalfe for euery day seemeth as a yeâ—â—â— too vs. VVyll there 〈◊〉 bee no ende say wee Muste wee still continue in this plight 〈◊〉 wee euer bee newe to beginne Lo howe euery of vs thinketh the tyme to bee ouerlong that is spent in well dooing And therevpon O say wee I shall come soone inoughe for if I spende my selfe to day and one come to craue of mee to morrowe I shall wante wherewith and therefore I were better to spare my selfe Nowe these delayes are suche as a man shall neuer finde time to do good For euery man would preferre his fellow before him not of purpose to folowe him in dooing good but to holde him selfe still at a stay But contrariwyse Sainct Paule telleth vs that if wee consider the matter aduisedly as it is in deede we shall finde our selues too haue no great leysure of all the tyme of our lyfe For although wee dyd neuer ceasse but euery man inforced him selfe as muche as were possible too
peâ—uishnesse is a daungerous plague when wee will needes haue the custome of any one Churche too bee receiued for an vniuersall Lawe And that proceedeth of an vnaduised zele when wee bee so affectioned to some maister or place that without any iudgement we will bind all men to that one mannes minde or all places too the ordinances of that onely onâ—â—place as to a common rule Soothly there is alwaies ambition mingled â–ª with that maner of dealing or to speake more rightly suche ouer great waywardnesse is alwaies full of vainglorie But too returne too these false Apostles if their foolish fondnesse had led them no further than onely to assay too bring in the vse of the Ceremonies euery where which they had seene kept at Ierusalem they had done ill inough already For there was no reason why they should of a custome make by and by a common rule But there was yet a further mischief namely their wicked and harmefull doctrine whereby they ment too bind mennes consciences and to ground rightuousnesse in the keeping of Ceremonies Nowe wee vnderstand why S. Paule speaketh so earnestly in defence of his Apostleship and wherefore he setteth himself against the other Apostles He pursueth that matter till towardes the latter end of the second chapter where he openeth a gap to treate of his peculiar matter that is to wit that wee be iustified freely before God and not by the workes of the Lawe For the reason wherevpon he groundeth himself is this If the Ceremonies bee not able too iustifie a man then is not the keeping of them necessarie Howbeeit he treateth not only of Ceremonies but of workes in generall for otherwise it were but a very colde discourse If any man thinke that this is a drawing aloofe from the matter Let him consider twoo things First that the question coulde not otherwise bee resolued than by taking that generall principle that we be iustified freely by the only grace of God which principle excludeth not onely Ceremonies but also all other woorkes And secondly that S. Paule stoode not so much vpon the Ceremonies themselues as vpon the wicked opinion that folowed them that is too wit of purchacing saluation by woorkes Therefore let vs marke that the holy Apostle dealeth not impertineÌ„tly in beginning his matter so farre off but that it stoode him on hand too touche the welspring of the whole matter to the end that the readers might vnderstand that the thing whiche he dealeth with heere is no trifle but of most importance aboue all others too wit by what meane wee obteyne saluation They then doo mistake their marke which imagine that the Apostle standeth vpon the particular point of Ceremonies for that could not be well delt with alone by it self VVee haue a like example in the fifth of the Actes There fell a contention and debate about Ceremonies too wit whither â–ª they were needefull to bee kept or no. For the resoluing of this question the Apostles set downe the vntolerablenesse of the yoke of the Lawe and the free forgiuing of sinnes To what purpose doo they that For it seemeth too be an impertinent digression and that they leape out of the propounded matter without reason But it is not so For the particular errour could not be liuely disproued but by taking a generall proposition As for example if it behoued mee too reason in defence of the eating of flesh I should not onely make mention of meates but I should also arme my self with the generall doctrine and shew whither mennes traditions ought to binde mennes consciences and by and by I would take this ground That there is but one Lawegiuer which hath power too saue and too destroy To bee short S. Paule conueyeth his argument heere from the generall to the particular negatiuely which is a very ordinarie maner of reasoning most agreeable to nature that can bee Furthermore if we go to the bodie of the Epistle woe shall see by what textes and reasons he proueth this sentence that we be iustified by the onely grace of Christ This matter he handleth too the end of the third Chapter In the beginning of the fourth he treateth of the right vse of Ceremonies and wherfore they were ordeyned and there he sheweth also that they be abolished For it behoued him too preuent this absurditie which would haue run by by in euery mans head To what purpose then were the Ceremonies ordeyned VVere they vtterly needelesse did the fathers lose their labour in keeping them Hee dispatcheth both the one and the other in fewe woordes saying that they were not superfluous in their time but that they be now abolished by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ bicause he is the very truth and ende of them And therefore he sheweth that we must rest vpon him Also in that place he sheweth wherein our state differeth from the state of the fathers VVherevpon it followeth that the doctrine of the false Apostles is lewde and daungerous bicause it darkeneth the brightnesse of the Gospell with the old for worne shadowes He intermedleth certaine exhortations with his doctrine too moue mennes affections and towardes the end of the Chapter he beautifieth his discourse with a goodly Allegorie In the fifth Chapter he exhorteth them too keepe the freedome purchaced by the bloud of Iesus Christ too the ende they should not yeeld their consciences in bondage too mennes traditions Neuerthelesse he therewithall admonisheth them also wherein that freedome consisteth and which is the true and right vse of it And too the same ende he sheweth whiche bee the true exercises of christenfolke too the intent they should not lose their time in musing vppon Ceremonies and in the meane while leaue the chiefe things vndone FINIS ¶ A necessarie Table to this present worke gathered by order of the Alphabet where note that the first number signifyeth the Page the seconde the Line and the letter a signifieth the first side the letter b the secoâ—d side of the leafe A. ¶ Abraham ABrahams house a figure and Image of the Churche 215. a. 30. b. 216. a. b. Of vvhat valew Abrahams vertewes vvere before God 129. a. 11. Abrahams mariage with Agar was whordome 215. b. 1. A discription of the true children of Abraham 123. a. 12. b. 124. a. b. 126. a. 22. b. ¶ Abuse All abuses as well small as great are to be remooued vtterly out of the Chuche 76. b. 24. 77. a. The bringing in of Abuses and other Superstitions into Baptim and into the Lordes Supper by the Papistes and the cause therof 181. a. 2. 182. b. 19. Of bearing wyth Aubses 153. b. 10. and Looke more in Beare and Flatter ¶ Adde VVee must neyther Adde any thing too Gods vvorde and ordinaunces nor take any thing from them 248. b. 6. 149. aâ— â–ª b. 150. a. b. 151. a. b. 152. a. b. They that Adde too Gods vvoorde accuse him couertly eyther of vnaduizednesse or of
but holdeth hymselfe wholly too Gods callyng Marke that for one poynt And herewithall wee haue too note that Sainct Paule boasted not hym selfe at all aduentures as manye harebraynes doo For they coulde fynd in theyr hearts to preache with ful mouth that God hath sente them when as notwithstandyng they bee but fantasticall fellowes and Satans very Champion seruing to ouerthrowe all But by the way S. Paule in protesting his calling mente also to shewe by whome he was called as wee haue seene here before And it was sufficiently knowen that he had bene conuerted by miracle to the Gospel that he had bin taught vpon the suddaine that God had by his meanes wrought after a straunge and vnaccustomed fashiō and not only that it had bin openly reueled vnto two or three men in the Citie of Antioche that S. Paule was appoynted too be the Apostle of the Gentiles but also that he had good warrant of it in all places where he came bycause God vttered his power most manifestly in him So then when as S. Paule told them that he was an Apostle he presupposed that it was already sufficiently iustified that God was the author of that office of his and that the thing which he pretended was not a false surmize after the maner of men whome we see too much subiect too vaunting of themselues Therfore we must put a difference betweene S. Paule and all such as falsly boaste and brag themselues too bee sent of God as the Pope dothe who too beguile the wretched world and to maintayne himselfe in his hellish tyrannie which he hath vsurped sayeth and ouersayeth that he is the vicar of Iesus Christe and the successour of his Apostles And all the cankerwormes of his Clergie who name themselues Prelates togither with all the horned beastes and all the rable of Maskers in the Popedome will needes chalenge that honorable title and if a man list too beleeue them vpon their single worde they bee all of them descended of the Apostles But yet for all that it behoueth vs to consider what likenesse and agreablenesse they haue too the Apostles and also it standeth them on hand too shewe by certaine and infallible record that their calling is approued of God In these dayes the Pope and all his are too opēly proued too haue falsified and corrupted the doctrine of the Gospell and that the thing which they terme the seruis of God is nothing but starke abhomination and moreouer that there is nothing among them but outrageous lies and falsehodes yea and inchauntments of Satan All this is knowen well inough But beholde their shield wherwith they cast the mist that couereth al their filthinesse is that there hath bin a continuall succession euer since the tyme of the Apostles and that they represent thē and are the Church and therfore that whatsoeuer they put foorth must bee taken for good VVell gooto if they which do nowadayes take that title vpon them will be herd they must looke whither they haue any resemblance of the Apostles and whither they execute the duetie of good and faithful shepeherds But seing they be cleane contrary to the order which our Lord Iesus Christ hath set in his Church what shall men say to them Yea say they but we haue a continuall succession from the Apostles That would be shewed firste of all They will alledge some recordes howbeit very triflyng ones Yet notwithstanding it may be sayd on the cōtrary part that there were as good successors in the Church of Galatia as euer there was in Rome and not only in some one Churche but in many as well of Ephesus of Colossus and of Philippos as of other places And where is all this succession now If any man thinke himself to haue any priuiledge and name himself S. Paules successour it were meete he should go preach the Gospell and therwithall shew good euidence why he should be rereyued Therfore let vs marke well at a worde that when there are men to preach the Gospel and when there are Shepeherds and Ouerseers it is not ment that they should diminish the authoritie of God or preiudice aught that belongeth to him that is to wit that he alonly should not be honored that our fayth should not rest vpō his word but that by the meanes of men we should alwayes be hild vnder his obeysance Marke that for a speciall poynt And aboue all things our Lord reserueth that right to himselfe namely that men should not thrust themselues in through their own presumption but that they should be raised vp sent by him Now therfore as I haue erst sayd there ought to be cause why too the end we may discerne and not beleeue at all aduenture nor at randon For Satans champions can boast and crake ynough and too much and stand in their owne conceyt to the vttermost to the intent to wind themselues in by their presumptuousnesse But it behooueth vs to trie what is in them that we may be sure of Gods calling And how doth S. Paule speake of it heere Not on the behalfe of men sayth he nor by men VVhen S. Paule sayeth that he is an Apostle not on the behalfe of men it is a generall poynt which ought too extend to all the ministers of Gods woord and too all Shepeherds of the Churche For as I haue sayd heretofore wheras it pleased God that there should bee Prophetes in old tyme and that afterward there shoulde bee shepeherdes too teach his people he bereft not himself of his soueraintie but rather it was too shewe that men must not gouerne heere after their owne lust and in the meane whyle bee but as Cyphers in Algorisme themselues sauing onely for maynteyning still the title but that vvee should all of vs giue eare vnto him so as the men whom he setteth in office should bee as instrumentes or vessels of his holy spirite Now then wee see whereat S. Paule amed when he sayd that he was not sent on the behalfe of men for therby he sheweth that he was authorized of God and that he was his seruant The second poynt where he sayeth that he was not sent by men belongeth peculiarly too the Apostles For although that wee bee called of God and that he allow of vs yet are wee neuerthelesse called of men and if that maner of calling were not agreeable too Gods will S. Paule would not haue vsed it Wee knowe how Sainct Paule proceeded in that cace namely how that in euery place where he came he ordeyned Ministers and Shepeherdes by election and no doubte but that doyng of his was lawfull Then let vs marke well that Sainct Paule dothe not vndiscretely heere condemne such as were called by mens meanes but onely treateth of the thing that was peculiar too the charge of an Apostle For that was the difference betweene the Apostles and such as had charge of particular Churches according whervnto the same state remayneth at this day and shall remayne
to the worldes end For the Apostles were not chozen by election of men nor by the common policie of the Church but by the very mouth of the Sonne of God In somuch that when it behoued the Apostles too put another successor in the roome of Iudas too make vp the full number of twelue againe although they themselues were there present and a greate multitude of Disciples with them yet durst they not make any election VVhen there was any choozing of a Shepeherde for the Churche of Ierusalem or of Antioche or of any other people this fashyon was vsed that is too say firste they prayed snto God and therevppon choze suche a man as was found meete and conuenient for that office But as for the other they referred it wholly too the will of God and caste lottes for it as for a thing that passed their witte The cause as I sayd was for that it behoued the Apostles too bee chozen by speciall priuiledge from aboue bycause they were the persones by whome the Gospell was too bee published ouer the whole world Nowe as for S. Paule he was chozen afterwarde But howsoeuer it was he had equall priuiledge with the residue bycause there came a reuelation from heauen too shewe that he was admitted too the executing of that office he was rapted vp intoo the third heauen and wee haue seene that he was well lyked of in all things Finally that it might appeare too bee Gods will too giue him a larger commission and too haue marked him out for the Apostle of the Gentyles he had the holy Ghoste immediatly whiche spake and vttered the woorde from aboue Yee see then that S. Paule was not chozen by meanes of men And yet notwithstanding this maner of choozing as I sayd afore is no faulte in those that are Shepeherdes and Ministers of the Churche But it was requisite that S. Paule should bee priuiledged too the intent he might bee comparable with Peter and Iohn and with all those that had bin conuersant and kept companie with the sonne of God while he dwelled in this worlde and was in this mortall lyfe Now wee see in effect whereat S. Paule amed And hereby wee bee taught that the reuerence whiche wee owe too such as carie abrode Gods woorde and beare the name of Shepeherdes serueth not too barre God from beyng herd continually nor to barre our Lord Iesus Christe from being the onely Schoolemayster of the Churche It behoueth vs too beare this schoole point well in minde or else our fayth will alwayes bee subiect too many varieties and he that is cunningest among men shall euer go away with the gole and so shall wee haue nothing certaine but we shall be still chaungyng from day too day yea euen euery minute of an howre VVherfore let vs marke well that if men alledge the names of the Churche of Prelates or of Bishoppes wee muste alwayes come backe too this poynt that they cannot climbe any higher than too be the seruants of Iesus Christe and to bee allowed of him And how shall we know that they be allowed of him First if they haue bin chozen by lawfull order with calling vppon the name of God And secondly if suche be chozen as are meete that haue in them wherewith to execute their office Lo heere the markes whereby we may know and be well assured that they be suche Shepeherdes as God alloweth and accepteth And herewithall it is not ynough for a man too be called too that vocation but he must also execute the charge that is committed too him according as S. Paule sayeth not singly that he was ordeyned an Apostle but in taking that name too him he sheweth that he is sent to beare abroade the message of saluation and too preache the Gospell too the world Therfore they that wil be taken for Bishops and Prelates must teach and if they be Idolles and dumbe dogges it is certaine that as they doo shamefully mocke Gods name and abuse his maiestie so also men may reiect them and despize them yea and that they ought too be hild as accursed bicause they pretend Gods name falsly Thus yee see what we haue to marke vpon this streyne Now S. Paule sayeth purposely that â—e was sent of Iesus Christe and of God his father who rayzed him from the dead VVhereas he sayeth that he was sente of Iesus Christe it is too bring vs backe too the thing whiche I haue touched already that is to wit that if we couet too obey God and to be subiect to him wee muste imbrace our Lord Iesus Christ and giue eare vnto him as too the only schoolemayster and both great and small must submit themselues to him and too his doctrine for he that honoreth not the Sonne honoreth noâ— the father as it is sayd in the fifth of Iohn And this is well woorthie too be marked for euery man will needes be thought to honour God and to desire nothing so muche as too hold himselfe vnder his yoke But in the meanewhyle we see that the worlde fighteth against the Gospell and noman can willingly finde in his hart to yeeld too it VVhen it commeth to the poynt that Iesus Christ calleth vs to him euery of vs playes the rebell we be so wilde that he cannot tame vs wherby our faythlesnesse is to playnly proued and we shewe ourselues to despize God how goodly protestatioÌ„s soeuer we haue made before For he sendeth vs back to his Sonne willeth vs to stoupe to him to doo him homage Yet notwithstanding as wee see and as experience sheweth too much euery man would shrinke away from subiection too our Lord Iesus Christe S. Paule therefore sheweth what a maiestie there is in Iesus Christe that is too wit that wee ought too tremble at his woorde and to hold our peace when soeuer he speaketh and too receyue without any gainsaying whatsoeuer he teacheth or procedeth from him And without that it is certaine that God reiecteth all the protestations that wee can make of our desirousnesse too serue and honour him Thus are wee exhorted in this streyne to giue our selues wholly ouer vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ seyng he is our only Shepeherd thereby to shew that wee be his true sheepe and that wee herken too his voyce and discerne it from the voyce of straungers Now seyng that God sheweth himself in suche wise vnto vs as wee know that our Lorde Iesus Christ calleth vs too him let euery of vs follow him and shew that wee be of his flocke in deede Thus yee see what we haue too beare in minde Howbeit for asmuch as there is such vnthankfulnesse in a great number that they cannot finde in their hartes too submit themselues euen too the Sonne of God Sainct Paule doth heere set downe the name of God the father as an Ouerplus True it is that the whole fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth in Iesus Christe and cursed bee he that seeketh any other God But
Paule came after that sort to shewe howe conformable he was with the rest of the Apostles and too giue recorde thereof to the whole Church therein wee see that the desirousnesse which he had to serue God and his stoutnesse too aduaunce Gods word aboue all creatures letted him not to be full of curtesie and modestie also And euen so must we do too That is to say we must receiue the consent of our brethren seeke to conforme our selues too them in such wise as we may all be members of one bodie and Iesus Christ be our heade and not be scattered asunder nor euery man walke alone by himselfe but seeke to communicate after such maner one with another as euery man may guide his neybour and all go on forwarde to one marke and eche of vs giue courage to other so as there may be sene a good agreement among vs. True it is that wee cannot haue peace with all men wee shall fayle greatly of that And therefore S. Paule in another place sayth that we must seeke to be at peace with all men at leastwise as much as is in vs whereby he sheweth that we shall be constreyned to bee at variance with many folkes For the Diuell hath many vnderlings and they be all of them bent agaynst Gods worde and we also must set our selues agaynst them if we intende to haue the pure doctrine of the Gospell on our syde But howsoeuer the cace stande if wee see any man willing to submit himselfe too our Lorde Iesus Christ let vs receyue him let vs preuent him let vs seeke to agree wholy togither and let vs not looke to be honoured aboue other men nor say how now If I should agree with such a man it would seeme that I am become his vnderling VVo bee too vs if we haue such pride in vs. But let our onely seeking bee to haue Iesus Christ to be our heade and in such wise become members of his bodie as wee may all woorship him and call vppon him with one mouth in vnitie of fayth And now let vs fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him too make vs feele them more and more to the ende we may mislyke them and beseech him to amende them by his holy spirit that being quite rid of our sinnes and wretchednesse wâ— may be renued after his Image so as hee may bee glorified in all our lyfe and in the meane whyle beare with vs in our frailtie til he haue brought vs to the perfection from whence we be all gone away And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. The. 7. Sermon vpon the first Chapter which is also the first vpon the second Chapter 22 For I vvas vnknovvne by face to the Churches of Ievvrie that vvere in Christ 23 Saue onely they had heard say hee that erevvhiles persecuted vs doth novv preach the fayth vvhich he had destroyed for a â—ime 24 And they glorified God in mee The seconde Chapter ABoute fourteene yeares afte I vvent vp agayne too Ierusalem vvith Barnabas and tooke Titus vvith me also 2 And I vvent vp by reuelation and communed vvith them concerning the Gospel that I preach among the Gentiles hovvbeeit priuately vvith those that are in estimation least I might in any vvise runne or haue runne in vaine WEe haue seene howe S. Paule hath on the one side published the Gospell through the whole world without warrant of any man coÌ„tenting himself in that he was sure he serued God and that his labour was acceptable to him and yet notwithstanding hath not forslowed in the meane while to seeke brotherhod and good agreement with the Apostles as a thing right requisite to succour the infirmitie of suche as might haue bin thrust out of the way vnlesse God had helped them in their feeblenesse So haue we on the one side a warrant of S. Paules doctrine on the other side we see how he intended to gather togither gods children to the end they might be ioyned in one band of fayth and glorifie God as it were with one heart one minde one mouth And therwithall we see also that S. Paule passed not to aske couÌ„sell whether he should go foreward or backward For although he were vnknown to such as had bin in the faith before him yet forslowed he not to serue God wherevnto he had bin erst called And this surely is one verie notable poynt more for it sheweth vs that he was wholy bent to serue God loked not for his hire at mens hands to the end they should pleasure him or esteme of him as he deserued VVherfore let vs learn to walk after such a fashion in the vocation whervnto we be called that although men loke not vpoÌ„ vs yet we may not ceasse to discharge our duties faithfully contenting our selues in that it pleased god to allow of vs. For they that hang vpoÌ„ meÌ„ shall always be attainted with some spice of vainglory it wil be impossible for theÌ„ to walk purely souÌ„dly Besides this Saint Luke sheweth vs that Saint Paule must needes haue bin led with an inuincible constancie seeing hee stepped not out of the way although men made no reckening at all of his dooings For he sayth that the faythfull had him in suspition and that they shunned him when hee came too Ierusalem Nowe it was a greeuous temptation to Saint Paule to see that he coulde not bee receyued intoo the companie of the faythfull considering that hee had suffered so much alreadie For we knowe that at his first comming to Damasco the gates were shet vpon him as we haue seene heeretofore so that he was fayne too bee let downe in a Panyer or Basket Ye see then that as soone as hee was conuerted to the faith of our Lorde Iesus Christ hee was by and by tossed with great persecutions After that hee went intoo the Countrey of Arabie and there trauelled faythfully And thinketh hee for all that too haue friendship and attonement with the faythfull The gate is shette agaynst him and men shunne him as a wilde beast But before hee was turned to the fayth he had bin honoured and in great credite bothe with the enimies of the Gospell and in the Sinagog of the Iewes He had renounced all these things euen so farre as too see himselfe banished out of the place and yet for all that they vouchsafed not to admit him to haue place in the Church VVherefore he might haue bin so greeued at suche vnkindnesse as it might haue made him to haue giuen ouer all if he had had his minde tyed here bylowe Howbeeit forasmuch as he had giuen himselfe wholly too Gods seruice and was fully determined too holde out to the ende although men cunned him no thanke for his labour therefore hee turned not aside from his right way And such examples ought too incourage vs at this day when wee see there are so fewe
the Lawe and fought against the supersticions and Idolatries that had bin deuised by reason wherof the king thought verily that Elias had bene come to make trouble sedition and vprores according as the princes of this world could find in their harts always to welter in their own filth passe not of the seruing honoring of God but al is one to them what come of it so they may be maynteined in their state But the Prophet answered him saying It is not I but it is thou and thy fathers house For they that wil not agree vnto God nor hold themselues to his seruice in such wise as he hath apointed it in his word they say I are the troublers of the world and the parties that ought to be blamed for all the vprores variances and debates that happen For as I haue shewed alreadie it is no reason that God should be robbed of his right when men seeke to knit thēselues togither Ye see then in effect what we haue to think vpon when S. Paule sayth that he would not yeeld one minute as in way of subiection to such as wownd in themselues after that fashion vnder false coloures to make a bastarde Gospell full of minglemangles and corruptions for Gods trueth is the thyng that was to be knowne first of all Furthermore let vs not be afrayde of the slaunder that is layd vpon vs in telling vs that it is pryde presumption when wee will not submit our selues like as nowadayes the thing that the Papists alledge against vs is that we seeme to take vpon vs to be wiser than all the world and that it is a great pryde in vs that wee cannot fynde in our heartes too submit oure selues too the common fashyon True it is that the title of obedience is amiable lyke as I sayde euen nowe of peace but yet must God bee obeyed fyrste of all For if wee will openly spyte God and playe mockeholyday with him too the intent too submitte our selues vnto men and bowe downe our necke too beare their yoke and in the meane while giue no audience vnto God what shall become of it Surely we can not frame our selues to the Papists in way of subiection or yeelding to them but God muste bee thrust out of doores and his word as it were troden vnder foote so as it shall haue nother authoritie nor reuerence amongest vs. VVhat is it that the Papists would haue vs to do That we should leaue Gods worde and giue ouer our Lord Iesus Christ and yet in the meane while receiue all that euer they haue deuised They will not say in flat termes that God shall be spoyled of his honour nor that Iesus Christ shall haue no more authoritie among them they will not speake so with open mouth but yet it is so in deede Like as these deceyuers agaynst whom S. Paule stroue made fayre protestations inow that they ment to be Christians but yet for all that he was fayne to come to the touchstone and to examine all things throughly Now would the Papists haue their traditions receiued and what maner of things are they VVe see that our Lorde Iesus Christ is as good as buried there as I haue shewed alreadie Againe there is nothing but corruption in them the things that are cōteined vnder them are vtter illusions of Satan tending al to this end that there may bee no more any certentie nor any man knowe wherunto to sticke Seeing it is so it is not for vs to make warre agaynst God that men might be obeyed And therefore let vs haue as it were a forehead of brasse to resist them in that behalfe For the greatest manlinesse that can be is to keepe our selues frō swaruing aside for mens sakes what colour or fayre shew soeuer be set vpon the matter and to despise euery whit of it as dung and filth when it standeth vpon reseruing Gods souereintie vnto him and vpon giuing eare to our Lorde Iesus Christ to the ende that he may bee our head and gouerne vs and all of vs from the most to the least cōtinue vnder his guiding do nothing else but simply giue eare vnto him and receiue the things that are for our maintenāce in the fayth of the Gospell Yee see then what wee haue too remember heere concerning S. Paule Surely if yee seeke a meeld and meeke-spirited man S. Paule was he yea and he was euen as a myrrour of all curtesie and gentlenesse Agayne if yee desire a lowely nature what greater lowelynesse can there bee founde than was in S. Paule who abaced him selfe beneath all men And yet notwithstanding wee see howe he stroue for the pure doctrine of the Gospell and passed not to prouoke the wrathe of all the men in the worlde agaynst him selfe in so muche that it was cast in his teeth that all the troubles whiche happened in the Churche of Galatia and else where came of him I saye hee feared not the reproche wherewith men could charge him that he was a rebell and had too muche presumptuousnesse in him Euen so muste wee do in these dayes Let vs be peaceable as neere as wee can let vs relent of our owne right let vs not striue for these worldly goods honor and reputation let vs beare all wrongs and outrages rather than bee moued to any debate through our owne faulte But in the meane while let vs fight for Gods truthe with toothe and nayle ▪ Agayne if any body despise vs so as one steppeth vp maliciously agaynst vs and another goes about to deface vs let vs not make any quarell at all for that But if any man will drawe vs from the obeying of our God to make vs stoupe to the tirannie of men ▪ Let vs hold our owne in that case let vs withstande him stoutly to the vttermost and let vs defie all the loftinesse of the world to the end that our lord Iesus Christ be not diminished but may alwais reigne ouer vs and we be subiect vnto him Thus yee see in effect how we ought to put this text in practise and also how the necessitie of the time oughte to stirre vs therevnto For nowe a dayes wee bee not only persecuted so as wee see the fyres kindled too murther the poore seruants of God but also are fayne to be accused and condemned as seditious persons by those slaues that are in wages with Antichrist to ouerthrowe the truthe of the Gospell Moreouer they say there is nothing but pride in vs bicause wee will not receyue their traditions VVell then doo they slander vs so furiously Let vs beare it patiently and let them rayle their fill as S. Paule sayth so our quarell bee alwayes to stande for our parte in the pure truthe of the Gospell and to withstande the Creatures that will not suffer Christe alone too reigne and all knees too bow before him and all men to doo him homage Nowe as touching that whiche S. Paule speaketh of the truthe of the
Gospell it a very notable saying and which importeth a very profitable doctrine For he might well haue sayd simply to the end that the gospell might abyde among you I would not giue place too them so much as one minute But he speaketh of the truth of the Gospell Howbeit not that there is one true and another false but when he sayth that the Gospell shuld continue true he speaketh it in respect of men And why so For although men make a fayre shewe to be Christians yet do they alwayes labour to haue some medly according as we see many geerish heads in this world who cannot abyde that God alone should gouerne vs but euery man woulde cast in his owne collop or morsel and thereof came the confusion that is at this day in the papacie A man would wonder how so many pelting gewgaws fooles bables yea and also grosse abhominations could be gathered togither But that is come to passe bicause that men were not contented to obey God but would needs adde this and that of their owne fancie So then S. Paule speaketh here purposely of the trueth of the Gospell as he speaketh of the simplicitie of our Lord Iesus in the second to the Corinthians And what is ment by the simplicitie or singlenesse of our Lorde Iesus Christ It is matched ageinst all the minglings that men make For as I haue sayde already they haue a foolish fancie of setting forth things deuised of their owne brayne Nowe when men doe so put too things of their owne it is but corruptnesse and starke abhomination And that is the cause why S. Paule fayth that we must holde still the singlenesse of our Lord Iesus Christ Therfore when vnder colour of handling the Gospell men go about to make a patched pydecoted or motley religiō as a mā might term it it is no more a true religion but ther is much falshod mingled with it Then let vs mark wel that wheras S. Paule vseth here such speech he or rather the holyghost by his mouth warneth vs that it is not inough for vs to bear the name of Christiās to make some fair shew of cleauing to Gods word and to the doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ but that we must stick to it throughly and take heed that we nother mingle nor foyst in any thing to it but consider that lyke as a litle leuen is able to sower a gret deale of dow so al wil be marred as sone as we giue any entrāce to the things that men haue deuized of their own heads To be short the meanes to kepe the doctrine of the Gospel pure is that men adde not any thyng at all to it nor bee so bolde and licentious as too laye one thing or other vppon it but too content themselues with the things that our lord Iesus Christ hath shewed vs so as we become his true disciples and be not so hardie as too replie ageinst him but that all mouthes may be shet and no man lifte vp his neb too say this is my opinion this thinke I to be good but euery one of vs receyue simply that whiche is taught vs by our Lord Iesus Christ who hath all dominion of reigning ouer our soules Lo how we may haue the truthe of the Gospell And it beehoueth vs so muche the more too practyse this doctrine of S. Paules by cause wee see that nowadayes manie men seeke nothing but to mingle one with an other so as they care not of what religion they be so the same be most tolerable and easlyest receyued of the worlde True it is that among the Papistes many be so wilfull as they will neuer abyde that a man should varye one poynt from them For they see well that if there be neuer so little a breache made by and by al their tyrannie decayeth and falles downe to the ground For what holde haue they but by tyrannie and violence too tell vs that wee muste neyther will nor choose but take it for good Those therfore that are flatly on the popes side would haue men too holde through out all the filthinesse and abhominations which they haue had hithertoo But there are a sorte of fantasticall heads which would haue a Reformation wherin the Pope and Mahumet and Iesus Christe shoulde bee mingled toogither so as men myght no more discerne whiche is whiche for all is one to them so the world be agreed vppon it They bear no reuerence at all vntoo God and that is the cause why all thinges haue bene so turmoyled and confounded in our dayes and the verie foundation whervpon the Interim as they terme it was grounded For seing that manye men coulde not fynde in their hearts to consent to Papistrie they thought it good too haue a reformation betweene both And euen at this day a greate sort inclyne stil to the lyke reformation It is true say they that there are abuses and it were meet they should bee mended Yea but their meening is but too plucke away some leafe or little braunche and too lette the rest alone that the roote roote myght growe still that is too say that the Gospell of God myghte be defaced with al maner of superstitions that reigne in the Popedome But what for that heere the holy Ghost condemneth all such neuters and sheweth that theyr dooings are but craftes of Satan yea and mere illusions and mockeries to leade sillie soules to destruction and moreouer also a defacing of the glorie of our Lorde Iesus Chryst And why For we haue not the Gospel at all except we haue the pure truthe wherevnto it maye not be lawfull for men to adde any thing but all of vs to holde our selues to that whiche is shewed vs by our mayster Ye see then how that in these dayes we be inforced by the necessitie of the tyme to put this doctrine in vre And therfore when Gods enimies vpbrayde vs that wee will not agree with them let vs alwayes alledge for oure excuse that our agreement is to be knit together in our Lorde Iesus Chryst and to be all obedient too his woord and doctrine If they alledge that it is a pryde in vs to reiect so the things that are commanded by such men as terme themselues superiors Let vs answer that we must first obey God and that Iesus Chryst must not be bereft of his right and men set vp in his place If they aske why so VVere it not better to haue some meane way and that euery man should shew howe he intendeth not too separate himselfe from the rest than to striue after that fashion and to cause christendome to bee as it were scattered Let vs aunswere that the matter standeth not vpon knowing who shall get the vpper hande or who shall be maister ouer his fellowes but Gods word must continue alwayes vnimpeached or otherwyse all the pretence of concorde that men can make shall be but abhomination before God And why For it were better that all
things should goe to hauocke and confusion in the world than to abyde that Gods woord being so precious and holy a thing as it is should in any wise be peruerted yea it were better that heauen and earth should be confounded together than that that should bee suffered So then lette vs consyder well this doctrine howe it maye serue our turne and doe vs good not onely to beate backe all the assaultes that shall bee put too vs by the enimies of Gods truth but also too frame vs too all lowlynesse and modestie so as oure whole desire maye bee too bee guyded and gouerned by Gods woorde and by the doctrine of our Lorde Iesus Chryste Howbeeit therewithall lette vs bee so stoute hearted as not to bee turned awaye by men neyther for theyr credite and authoritie nor for their threatenyngs nor for all the pryde and statelinesse of the worlde but that wee maye alwayes sticke stedfastly to our Lorde Iesus Chryste And if any bodie come and laye any newe thing afore vs lette vs eâ—ermore haue a good eye too the ende wherevntoo they woulde leade vs and consyder that lyke as Satan hathe many wiles and policies so also haue his vnderlings too And therfore let vs on our side haue the skil to loke to our selues in such wyse as we may always know our Lord Iesus Christ and be guyded thither so as he may be our only marke and shoote anker and we vnderstande that hee hath all fulnesse of welfare in him to the ende that wee should seeke our wantes in him and all things be put away that might hinder vs from comming vnto him And nowe lette vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgemente of oure faultes praying him too make vs feele them in suche wise as wee may craue forgiuenesse of them at hys hande wyth true repentance and profyte after suche sorte more and more in hys worde as it may make vs too forsake oure selues and leane vntoo hym and hys power that he may hold vs vp in our fraylenesse till he haue brought vs to the perfection wherevnto he calleth vs at thys daye And so let vs all say Almighty God our heauenly father c. The ninth Sermon which is the third vpon the second Chapter 6. But as for those that are in estimation I passe not vvhat they haue bin in time past for God regardeth not the outvvard apparance of man surely those that vvere in estimation did adde nothyng vnto me 7 â–ª But coÌ„traryvvise vvheÌ„ they savv that the preaching of the Gospell to the vncircumcised vvas coÌ„mitted vnto me as the preaching to the circumcysed vvas committed vnto Peter 8 For he that vvas of povver in Peters Apostleship tovvardes the Circumcizion was of povver in mee also tovvardes the Gentiles WE saw this morning that when meÌ„ mingle their owne fancies with Gods truth ther is nothing but corruption and by that meanes the Gospel is falsified VVhich thing ought to holde vs in such awe as no man shoulde presume to adde aught at all to the things that we haue from aboue For God hath taught vs so perfectly as we can not put too any thing without great blasphemie forasmuch as it were a couert accusing of him of vnaduisednesse or els of nigardship as who shuld say he were loth too bestow things vpon vs which would be for our welfare Seeing then that the doctrine of the Gospel is sufficient for vs let vs abide in it And if any man step vp to bring in some addition of his own let vs abhor it yea though the thing seme to haue neuer so great reason in it as oftentimes the diuell vseth to shroude himself vnder this couert that we must not stick at light slender points But surely God must be hearkned too in al points and al respects â–ª according as it is to be demed by S. Paules dooing who could easyly haue let slip the circumcizing of Titus as a smal thing yet notwithstanding would not beÌ„d in that behalf the reason wherof was least the Gentiles shoulde be made subiect to such necessitie as was intended to be layde vpon theÌ„ Yet we read that he sticked not to circumcise Timothie Neuerthelesse the matter seemed to be all one and that S. Paule vsed inconstancie and variablenesse in that behalfe Beholde there were twoo Heathen men which had not bin nourished and instructed in the law of Moyses from their birth And the Iewes would neuer haue receyued any man that had not ben circumcized For they deemed all men to be vncleane whiche bare not that warrant about them Now S. Paule circumcyseth the one and will not doe the lyke to the other who will thinke that he kept an euen hande If wee consider all thyngs well wee shall see why he refuzed to circumcyse Titus and yet had circumcysed Timothie Circumcision was at that tyme lawfull of it selfe It was not lyke the Idolatries that are in Papistrie nowadayes If ye aske what holywater is it is an vnhallowing of baptisme For in baptim wee haue a washing that ought to suffice vs both in lyfe and death and God will not haue vs too haue anie other warrant of the spirituall clenzing that was obteyned for vs by the blud of our Lord Iesus Christ but we must be contented with it But as for the Holywater of the Papists what else is it than an endlesse baptysing of our selues As touching the Masse it is so vilanous and outrageous a trecherie that noman can come at it but he must defyle himself by renouncing the death of our Lord Iesus Christ But Circumcision stoode not in the like case for it was profitable for the tyme that it lasted True it is that it was abolished at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ but yet for all that the Iewes myght keepe it still till they were fully instructed in the libertie of the Gospel Saint Paule therfore had circumcised Timothie and the reason why was for that hee sawe manye weaklings whiche woulde haue bene offended bycause they were not yet throughly confirmed in the knowledge of the Gospell but thought that it behoued them to keepe still the ceremonies of the Lawe And it is sayd that wee must yeeld one to an other for charitie byndeth vs thervnto Euery man must not do what he him self thinks good to the trubbling of his neybours but we must so fashyon our selues one too an other as none maye bee offended through our faulte S â–ª Paule then forbare in hauing respect too the poore Ignorant weaklings who not withstanding myghte bee brought to knowledge in tyme. And as concerning the persone of Titus he sawe how men went about to lay a yoke of bondage vpon the Gentiles and that the same wold be a holding of the Iewes alwayes vnder the Lawe whiche was then but superstition For it was for them to haue known that the law had serued out his time and that the ceremonies should not continue for euer If thys
fayth which we hold by his teaching And although there be not nowadayes any such shamelesse persons that labor to deface him or to abolish the authoritie of his Apostleship yet doth not that doctrine cesse to be for our profit As how VVee haue seene already howe Sainct Paule hath sayde that if the Angelles of Heauen should steppe vp too preache a Gospell contrarie to the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christe we should hold them accursed And euen at this day the same is good for vs. For wee may defie Satan and all the misbeleefe and wylinesse of menne and all the trashe and subtileties which they haue to thrust vs from the singlenesse of our fayth I say wee may defie euerywhit of it And why For Gods woorde hath suche a Maiestie in it selfe that all things that can bee set vp agaynst it are but smoke leazing and filthinesse Nowe then if wee take it for a generall rule that nother Peter nor Iohn may diminishe the Maiestie of the Gospell it will serue vs for a buckler too warde all things that can bee alledged in these dayes too shake vs withall according also as wee see that diuerse weakelings are thrust out of the way by that it is sayde vntoo them howe nowe wee see that the wyzest menne of the worlde the men of greatest skill the Prelates and suche as haue the gouernement of the Churche toogither with the Kings and Princes sticke too the fayth that hath bin receyued of long tyme and too the olde accustomed maner of liuyng Thus the poorer sorte haue their eyes bleared and their wittes vtterly dulled and their hartes discouraged by meanes whereof Gods truthe is forsaken so as it hath nother credite nor reuerence among them and in the meane season these maskers gette the vpper hande and flaunt it as who woulde say that men shoulde make Idolles of them and woorship them in despyte of God Then sith it is so wee see it standeth vs on hande in these dayes too bee armed with the doctrine that is contayned heere in Sainct Paule which is that God will haue vs too receyue his woorde without gaynesaying and that when our Lorde Iesus Christe came downe intoo the world he was ordeyned too bee our Mayster with condicion that euery of vs shoulde herken too him and sticke too the things that he speaketh without adding aught too or diminishing aught from that whiche it pleased him too shewe bycause the full perfection of all wisedome is in him VVhen wee once knowe this wee may despyze all the gewgawes that menne can lay before vs. And if menne tell vs that the greatest men the wyzest men the richest men and the men of authoritie of this worlde doo liue so or so â—ee may answer yea marie but when all comes too all what are they in comparison of God VVhen creatures come before him they muste all vanishe away for when soeuer there is that Maiestie giuen too Gods woorde whereby he intendeth too trie whither wee honour him or no it is certayne that wee will receyue all that proceedeth out of his holy mouthe Nowe that woorde is conteyned in the Gospell in so much that when we haue once graunted that God is too bee obeyed wee muste no more runne ouer sea or lande too seeke what his will is for wee haue a sure and infaâ—lible warrant of it in the Lawe Prophetes and Gospell Sith the cace standeth so wee see it is not without cause that the holy Ghost woulde haue this doctrine too continue too the worldes ende And furthermore wee bee warned therewithall too reste vppon God without wauering at euery blast of winde according as wee see how the Diuell stirreth vp much varietie of opinions whiche are as whirlewindes and tempestes too dryue vs too and fro But let vs learne too bee settled vppon God and then shall wee stande out too the laste brunt For if wee hilde our fayth of Iohn or Peter it woulde bee but a leane fayth bycause they were frayle creatures and wee knowe that man is subiect too leasings and vanitie Therefore it standeth vs on hand too haue a much substantialler and surer groundwoorke and foundation than all that is too bee found in this worlde And so for asmuch as wee knowe that God hath taught vs in the persone of our Lorde Iesus Christe and that men haue bin no more but the instrumeÌ„ts thereof it behoueth vs too mount vp vnto God That is the way for vs too apply this doctrine too our owne instruction where Sainct Paule sayeth that the Apostles added not any thing vntoo him Neuer the later it is not ment that he deâ—pyzeth them or that he intended not to profite with them for he liked very well of that yea and imployed himselfe by all meanes therevnto and hild no skorne too bee taught euen of the meanest sort as wee haue seene But his intent was that Gods woorde which he had preached should abyde firme and thervpon he putteth the wisest men in subiection too it and the men of greatest countenance in the world and such as bare greatest shewe and reputation in the Churche to the end that Iesus Christe should keepe his preheminence still and men haue an eye vntoo him and not vnto men but ground themselues altogither vpon one selfsame fayth and say that for asmuch as the Sonne of God is sent vnto vs to shewe vs the will of God his father it is not lawfull for vs in any wyze too doubt of the thing which wee receyue of him Thus yee see what wee haue too doo at this day And whereas Sainct Paule sayeth that he passeth not what the Apostles were bycause God regardeth not mennes persones thereby he sheweth that he ought not too bee counted inferiour too Iohn or Peter for that he had bin an infidell and not beleeued in Iesus Christ at such time as the other Apostles did already preach the Gospell For the manner of the world is that they which come firste should bee first serued Sainct Paule therefore perceyuing that the same might bee some preiudice too his doctrine sayeth that men must not looke what a one he had bin afore or what the other had bin afore And yet his meening is not that he ought not too looke backe too humble himselfe continually or that the giftes of grace which God had bestowed vppon Iohn and Peter should not bee esteemed and commended as they were prayse woorthie for we see that in other places he termeth himself a poore thing borne out of time and confesseth himself too bee vnwoorthie to be counted in the number of the Apostles â–ª Sainct Paule then did not as a number of hypocrites or rather shamelesse persones do who all their lyfe long haue bin eyther whoremongers or drunkardes or looce liuers and of a beastly coÌ„uersation and yet for all that doo but wring their mouth at it and say tush men must not inquyre what I haue bin But surely men must not looke too haue any other
practyze that which is shewed vs by S. Iames which is that the brother which is greate and noble shoulde glorie in his smalnesse knowing that he hath all things of Gods onely meere goodnesse and that the brother which is poore and of lowe and meane degree should glorie in that God hath adopted him and giuen him suche a state as passeth all the kingdomes of the worlde seyng it pleaseth him too auow vs after that fashion for his children True it is that where as men gaze vppon the outward apparance and fayre shewe of things God accepteth a good conscience God looketh at the vncorruptnesse of the hart But yet must he be fayne too put the same before into it for at the first he shall not finde it in vs. Let God looke vppon all the children of Adam and as it is sayde in the Psalme hee shall fiude nothing but vtter corruption They bee starke rotten in their wickednesse See what our nature is Then is there not any thing that coulde moue God too accept vs and too preferre vs before others but wee muste become vesselles of his goodnesse and acknowledge that his accepting of vs is not for our owne woorthinesse but that when he choze vs too himselfe and set vs intoo the way by his holy spirite euen then he knew what soundnesse was in vs. Not that wee haue any at all of our owne but bycause he doth as it were beholde himselfe in vs. For looke howe many good things there are in the faythfull so many recordes are there of Gods goodnesse in that he hath shewed himselfe bountifull towardes them That is the cause why that in the tenth of the Actes and in other places this accepting of persones is put for the deckings and vizors whiche are as false illuzions of whiche sorte are riches credite dignitie nobilitie and suche other things whiche serue too make menne too set store by themselues and too stande in their owne conceytes But it is sayde that God doothe looke into mennes hartes and not gaze vppon the outside of them so they submit themselues too him obediently as I haue declared alreadie This is in effect the thing that wee haue too beare in minde Now S. Paule addeth immediatly that the Apostles auowed him too be their fellowe and gaue him their hande as it were too warrant that the Gospell which he had preached was in all poynts conformable to their doctrine that all of them had serued our Lord Iesus Christ Herevnto S. Paule addeth that he was by common consent receyued as the Apostle of the Gentyles ▪ that is too say of such as had not bin brought vp vnder the lawe nor were Iewes by birthe and auncitrie Heere wee see that S. Paules stryuing was not with the Apostles for they auowed him too bee their fellowe nother did he disdayne them for wee haue seene before that although his comming to Ierusalem was with assured knowledge that God had appoynted him and vppon sure and infallible reuelation after he had bin caught vp intoo the thirde Heauen yet notwithstanding hee was not caried with pryde nother vndertooke he that iourney to Ierusalem to common with the Apostles for feare least he had already or should thereafter runne in vayne For his desire was too haue all menne knowe that he chalendged not any speciall thing too himself but that his onely seeking ▪ was that the Sonne of God might bee published all the worlde ouer and that menne shoulde woorshippe him and rest vppon him so as he brought not a newe Iesus Christe but was conformable in all poyntes too Peter and Iohn and too all their fellowes If Sainct Paule had shrunke aside by himselfe it woulde haue bene sayde that his meening was not too haue any consent of doctrine with the rest of the Apostles But nowe seyng he commeth after that sorte too agree with them he sheweth that he was not caried away with any pryde or presumptuousnesse and that is it whiche he meeneth by saying newe agayne that the Apostles auowed him too bee their fellowe ▪ Then dothe he not take vppon him too bee aboue them but will haue men knowe that the Apostles serued our Lord Iesus Christ that he was one of their number and that the Gospell which he had preached muste not bee taken as a doubtfull thing but as certaine as if Peter or Iohn had spoken it in somuch that when Sainct Paule treateth thereof hee sayeth not it is I but he sayeth it is Iesus Christe VVhither it bee Peter Iohn or Iames that speaketh let vs looke that the Sonne of God haue euer the maysterhood aboue vs and lette the thing that commeth of him bee receyued whither it bee by mee or by an other Sainct Paule will not haue men too gaze after him any more than after the least man in the worlde The thing which wee haue in effect too remember in this texte of Sainct Paules is that he had no minde at all of himselfe ne sought any whit of his owne but was contented that Iesus Christe shoulde haue the prayse that he deserued and that his woord should be receyued with all reuerence and as for all other things he cared not what became of them As touching the other poynt that he was accepted for the Apostle of the Gentiles it is agreeable too that whiche Sainct Luke also rehearceth namely that Paule and Barnabas were ordayned Apostles bycause God had sholed them out for the same purpose too preache the Gospell among the Gentyles Then dyd not that matter come of menne but God had pronounced his vnreuocable sentence of it and Sainct Paules treating after that sorte of himself dooth no whit diminish the commission of the other Apostles But seeing he was sent of God in deed and that his calling was not grounded vpō men nor he had preaced in vnmeasurably nor thrust himselfe in vpon a geerishnesse but was chosen thereunto of God the Apostles shewed that they woulde not in any wise speake agaynst such a calling bicause it was of sufficient authoritie as comming from God And heere we see yet better howe all men ought to frame themselues to obedience too the intent that nothing may let the worde of God to bee a brydle and yoke too holde vs so in awe as none of vs may follow his owne fancies lustes and affections but suffer our selues to be guided and gouerned by the hand of our Lorde Iesus Christ Nowe if it were not lawfull for the Apostles to refuze Saint Paule bicause he was sent from heauen what shall we do Shall it not bee a diuelish pryde if wee cannot indure that the gouernment and order whiche God hath stablished in hys Church shoulde continue vnimpeached but would chaunge callings at our owne pleasure to set vp and pull downe according too the deuice of our owne foolish brayne Then if wee go about too make such trouble in the Church is it not all one as if wee woulde plucke the
all this is but a flimflam For S. Paule sayth expresly that Peter was worthie of blame that thervpon he had stepped vp when he saw he walked not aright VVe see then that there was not a secrete agreement or packing in this cace but rather that S. Paule vsed the libertie that was giuē him of God rebuked Peter would not bear with him in that cace although he reuerenced him as the Apostle of Iesus Christ And now vpō this text we haue to gather for our owne instruction how precious this libertie is as I haue declared heretofore For here the cace standeth not vpon the onely vse of things but vpon the hauing of our consciences quiet before God If the debate had bin whither it were lawful to eate swines flesh or no which was a thing comprehended vnder the ceremonies of the law it had bin a trifling matter and it might well haue bin passed ouer like as it may be nowadayes when the like Ceremonies are talked of But it behoued them too come to the wel head as I haue declared heretofore For the figures serued to holde the people of olde time as it were in wardship lyke yong children which are vnder gouernours and do not yet inioy their libertie But at the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ like as fayth grew great so it was meet that such maner of teaching should no more take place among the Iewes Then was not Saint Paules stryuing onely about the outwarde vse of things for hee woulde willingly haue forborne that but to the ende it might be knowne to what purpose the Ceremonies of the lawe had serued namely how it was not a bondage that should indure for euer but that they had stood in force only to the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ And herevpon it may be gathered that when the Iewes forbare the eating of Swines flesh or obserued any holy day or did this thing or that they did not a seruice to God that was of necessitie in it selfe but vsed it for the continuall exercising of themselues in the fayth of Iesus Christ VVhereby wee see that the Ceremonies had no vertue of themselues but that when they were referred too their due ende and spirituall paterne then it was perceyued that God had not ordeyned them but to the benefite of the Church Then let Iesus Christ be separated from the Ceremonies and they shal be but tryfles for little children to play with But if the end be considered wherevnto they ought too lead the faythfull then will it be found that they were profitable Yea and euen we at this day may fare the better by them Although the vse of them be abolished yet may we by them gather the things that are shewed vs in the Gospell As howe It was sayde that the Priest shoulde enter alone intoo the Sanctuarie and not without sacrifice VVell then therevppon wee haue to gather that there is neyther man nor Angell worthie too come vnto God but that we shoulde bee all of vs shet out if there were not a way opened for vs in the person of our lord Iesus Christ Marke that for one poynt Agayne we haue also to beare in minde that we can haue none attonement with God nor boldenesse and libertie to call vpon him except bloud go with it that is too say except the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ go with vs to get vs grace and fauour And all our prayers must be offered vp by that meane or else they shall be refused at Gods hade Moreouer it is sayde that the booke of the law was sprinckled with bloud as well as the Sanctuarie VVe see then that all things shoulde bee vnholy if they were not hallowed by the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ on all sydes ▪ and also that we shoulde haue no assurednesse of Gods promises nor be able to apply them to our welfare vnlesse they had seales continually at them Besides this when as it is sayd that God is our father and that our sinnes are forgiuen vs and wee accepted of him as righteous and giltlesse none of these promises should be of any force neither could they boot vs at all except the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ went before our eyes so as all the word of God were after a sort written vnto vs in red letters of the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ Thus ye see how we should profite our selues by the Ceremonies of the law But howsoeuer we fare the vse of them is abolished and if they continued still wee shoulde not haue so good teaching by them as we haue for we shoulde rest vpon these bace and corruptible things But in as much as we haue the heauenly pattern that was spoken of vnto Moses according also as the Apostle in the Epistle too the Hebrewes and Saint Steuen in the Acts do shew right well now we vnderstand wherefore God ordeyned such Ceremonies The thing then which wee haue too marke for one poynt is that we must vnderstand howe here is no speaking of matters of small importance but in knowing wherein the Ceremonies profited the fathers of old tyme and why it was Gods will to haue them abolished at the cōming of our Lord Iesus Christ And herewithal we see also that Saint Paul spared not Peter though he were his fellowe and were in as worthie and excellent an office as he was and seemed that of dutie he should haue bin borne withall Howsoeuer the cace stood with him he rebuked him sharply for that matter VVe may much better deeme that if it were a smal light thing S. Paule woulde not haue moued such debate and strife for it Needes therefore must it bee a matter of great importaunce But by the way we be warned that whensoeuer Gods truth is defaced or that any man turneth away from the pure simplicity of the Gospell we must not in any wise spare him but although the whole worlde shoulde set it selfe agaynst vs yet must we mainteyne the cace with inuincible constancie without bending for any creature For if any man ought to be borne with the same was Peter and seeing that our Lorde Iesus Christ had bestowed such giftes of grace vpon him as to giue him that name Saint Paule should haue yeelded somewhat vnto him yea but that matter was not to bee borne with Then ye see heere an example which sheweth vs that when the authoritie of men tendeth to the defacing of the truthe of the Gospell wee must fall too stryuing and not regarde any creature And this is greatly for our profite nowadayes For there are many that woulde fayne rowe betweene twoo streames and althoughe they perceyue the abuses and corruptions yet would they beare on both sydes and all to purchace peace as they themselues say wheras in the ende there must needes followe great confuzion when men doo so heaue one at another Therefore too appease all discorde they woulde fayne
folke theyr Apsie and that the Pope is come in aboue hym to bring in the state of perfection and yet notwithstāding it is sene how the Pope maketh a minglemangle or hotchpotch as men terme it of al things Then is the word Gospell villanously vnhalowed among the Papistes and these sticklers which would haue men to agree vnto many superstitions and too content themselues with a little of the Gospell and in the meane while let many abuses and errors continue still do likewise darken the pure doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ That is the cause why S. Paule speaketh expresly of the truth of the Gospell to shew that we must go to it roundly and not by halues and that there must be no adding nor diminishing of the things which the sonne of God hath taught vs but that euery man must be cōtented to heare him speak and too let him haue his mouth open Let vs on our side open our eares and be heedfull to receiue whatsoeuer hee sayth and let no man presume to haue an ore in that boat to say this would be good or this or that should be done VVherefore let vs so reuerence the pure doctrine of the Gospell as none of vs presume too chaunge ought of it but all of vs yeeld to it without exception Thus much concerning the first reason that is set downe heere So to be short let vs keepe our selues true schollers vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ and if any man go about to make vs swarue neuer so little frō him or to gad after the doctrines inuentions of men let vs withstande them stoutly And why For Saint Paule had none other respect but that the Gospell might abide in his pure vncorrupted soundnesse VVherefore let vs followe him in the same nowadayes and we can neuer do amisse Marke that for one poynt Another is that we must also marke well that if an inconuenience should increase and spread abrode by our silence and forbearing wee must prouide for it aforehande For it were to late to shet the stable doore when the Steed is stolne Therefore when we see that such as labour too intangle Gods truth or too mingle their owne fancies with it doo drawe folke to them and begin too haue some traine and tayle following them then is it high time for vs too bee firie in fighting For if we beare it it is certaine that wee bee guiltie of the decay of the Church that shall come vpon it and whereas we thinke too shift it off God will not graunt vs that grace for as much as wee haue bin too colde and retchlesse Therfore when the mischeefe increaseth and that there breedeth any infection of it that is to say when one beginnes too marre another let vs bethinke vs too set our selues lustely agaynst it and not suffer the shrewd weedes too growe so farre as to choke the corne but let vs plucke them vp bytimes And this is too bee done not onely in the errours that marre the pure doctrine of the Gospell but also in all vices and corruptions of manners Truely if there bee any Heresies and wicked opinions which might set all things in a broyle it is all one as if a man should haue a stroke with a swoord or a dagger in his brest or in his throte For wherein is the lyfe and welfare of the Churche but in the purenesse of Gods woord If a man would come and put poyson in our meate whereof wee should take nurrishment should wee holde our peace at it No but wee should rather storme at it Now the self-same reason holdeth in the doctrine of the Gospell and wee muste haue our handes alwayes lift vp too maynteyne the pure doctrine and not suffer it in any wyse to be corrupted Also whē we see vices reygne wee must prouide for them and redresse them in due season For if wee beare with it and doo as most men doo whiche doo but laugh at it and prouide for it at leyzure wee shall afterward bee at our wittes end too see how God hath shet the gate and how Satan hath wonne the goale out of all krie And sure it is a iust reward of our rechlesnesse and coldnesse when wee bee not heedefull to cure the diseases as soone as wee see them infect and marre the bodie of the Churche after that sort Thus yee see what wee haue in effect too remember heere namely that wee must not bee so foolish and lightminded as too receyue the things that these Newters or dubblehanded men doo put vnto vs as who should say that if the great abuses bee amended it ought to suffyze vs. But let vs neuer leaue till the Gospell bee set agayne in his pure soundnesse and that wee haue it in the self same wyze which our Lord Iesus Christ deliuered it too vs without any mingling put thereto by men And secondly agayne thereafter as wee see the mischiefe preuayle let vs bryng these backe vnto God which are gone astray and labour too stoppe those that leade their neighbours after that fashion too destruction and seeke nothing but too turne all vpside downe let such men be repressed and let euery one that hath the zeale of God shewe himselfe their deadly enemie breaking asunder what soeuer may holde vs backe and whither there bee frendship or kinred betwixte vs ▪ or any other of the streyghtest bondes in the worlde lette vs burie euerywhit of it in forgetfulnesse when wee see the foules that were bought with the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ so led to ruine and destruction or when wee see things that were well settled ouerthrowen and nothing else sought but confusion so as menne might not know any more what Iesus Christ is and that by little and little the Diuell getteth full scope and carieth vs away headlong as though the brydle were layd looce in our necke VVhen wee see the mischiefe tende too this poynt let euery of vs streyne himself too stop it and shewe that wee had leuer too haue deadly foode for the seruing of God than too haue all the friendship in the worlde for pleasing and pleasuring of mortall creatures VVherfore let vs not play the blind men or blinkardes when wee see God offended but let vs set so muche store by his truthe and glorie that all other things may be nothing too vs in comparison thereof Thus ye see in effect how we ought to put this doctrine in vre The residue shall be reserued till the afternoone Then let vs nowe fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs feele them more and more and that therewithall for asmuch as hee will haue vs to come to him with true repētance it may please him to draw vs by his holy spirite and to beare with our infirmities till he haue quyte and cleane purged and rid vs of them and brought vs to the perfection wherevnto he calleth and incourageth vs. And
eschew the â—lightes and allurementes of Satan and the worlde so as wee shall not passe too pleasure creatures ouermuch But without that wee shall bee beguyled at euery turne as it happened vnto Peter For if wee compare our selues with him it is certaine that hee was much better able too keepe himself than wee bee Neuerthelesse he was cast downe afterward too the end that his doyng might serue for our learning and wee bee rid of all pryde so as wee might not thrust foorth our owne opinions to bee ouerwyze in our owne brayne and fancie but that all our wisedome might bee too rule our selues according to Gods pure woord But now let vs come to that which S. Paule addeth He entereth further intoo the matter and sayeth wee bee Iewes by nature and not sinners that is too say damnable men defiled and miserable wretches of the Gentyles And yet notwithstanding for asmuch as we know that wee cannot bee iustified by the deedes of the law and that there is none other meanes to make vs acceptable to God than by comming too him with the grace of our Lord Iesus Christe wee haue renounced the rightuousnesse of the lawe and assured our selues that Gods accepting of vs muste bee of his owne free goodnesse for his sonnes sake Seyng then that wee Iewes haue renounced our owne worthinesse what shall the Gentyles now do must not all be reconciled to God through his owne meere goodnesse without bringing any thing of their owne and without pretending to haue any maner of desert or worthinesse of themselues Heere as I haue touched afore S. Paule entereth into the principall poynt of his disputation agaynst suche as mingled the Ceremonies of the lawe with the Gospell Howbeit S. Peter was none of that number For it is certayne that he knew well ynough that there was none other meane too come vntoo God than by his mercie as it is shewed vs in our Lord Iesus Christ Sainct Paule had communed sufficiently with him afore of that matter as wee haue seene He agreed fully with S. Paule as touching doctrine Then was not Sainct Peter wrapped in that errour for it had bin a superstition that had vtterly defaced the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christe Therefore S. Peter would haue abhorred that But the dissimulation that I treated of this morning was an occasion to harden the Iewes in the fond dotage which they had conceyued of their owne meritorious woorkes Not that he intended it nother is it a sufficient excuse for vs though wee protest a hundred tymes that wee meene not too mayntayne euill but if wee make any countenance at all of it surely wee are alwayes woorthie too bee condemned bothe before God and the worlde Sainct Peter then agreed very well with Sainct Paule as concerning doctrine namely that there is none other meane too come before God too obtayne grace than by renouncing all creatures and by confessing that there is nothing but cursednesse in vs and that God muste receyue vs of his owne meere mercie for our Lorde Iesus Christes sake S. Peter knew this and taught it without any gayne saying And moreouer he wist well it was lawfull for him to giue ouer the vse of Ceremonies For he would not haue graunted too any suche libertie vnlesse he had knowen that the same had bin purchaced for vs by the death and passion of the Sonne of God Neuerthelesse he swarued a little too much too the intent too keepe still his owne Countriemen bicause he knew that the Iewes were somewhat too wilfull wayward and therfore he ment no more but to beare with their nature But S. Paule respecteth not the person of his fellow S. Peter nother reasoneth he with him as if he shoulde say thou arte an abuzer of men thou knowest not what the Gospell meeneth but hee sayeth vntoo him bethinke thee well what is like too befall of thy doyng and what inconuenience it will draw with it For whereat ame they that would haue men too keepe the Ceremonies of the Lawe euen too get some holynesse by them or to binde men so too them as they should vse them vpon necessitie of saluation and to deserue fauour by them at Gods hand and finally to obtayne forgiuenesse of sinnes by keeping of circumcision and all other such things But in so doing they be hild downe in this errour that they renounce the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ and yet notwithstanding thou intendest too feede them in that fondnesse and what a thing were that Therfore let vs marke wel how S. Paule passeth not what Peters opinioÌ„ is in this behalf but dealeth with the matter it self to the end that all cloking might be taken away froÌ„ such as did shet the Gospel out of dores besides that they did also rende the Church asunder as we saw this morning Howbeit for asmuch as it is a matter that caÌ„not be fully discoursed in a day or twayne no nor in fower we must take the things in order as they lie to the end we may know why S. Paule stroue so sharply for the abolishing of Ceremonies For the cace concerneth the saluation of our Soules and it is the chief point that we must learne in gods schole next after the glorifying of him For if wee fall too comparisons it is certaine that the seruing of God dooth alwayes go in order and degree before the saluation of our soules True it is that they bee things inseparable for God sheweth his infinite loue which he beareth vs in this that neuer any thing serueth too his glorie but that the same is immediately fitte and profitable for our saluation Howbeit for asmuch as God hath loued vs so greately and continueth still his fauour towardes vs wee on our side are bound vntoo him bothe too forget our selues and to giue selues wholly vnto him But how soeuer we fare wee see heere the twoo groundes of all our Religion namely too know how God ought too be honored and serued and also how we may so offer our selues before him as he may accept vs and auow vs for his children and wee holde him for our father and by that meanes be fully assured of our saluation And these twoo poynts are contayned in the discourse that S. Paule handleth heere For the cace is after what maner God wil be serued according as the cheef sacrifize that he demaundeth is the confession of humilitie I say humilitie not by making demure countenances but by beyng touched with such remorse as wee suffer our selues too bee vtterly condemned before God and all the trust of our owne woorkes and merites be thrust vnder foote Marke that for one poynt And more ouer when God commaunded the Ceremonies it was not for that he passed vpon these outward things but for that he amed at another end which was that on the one side the Iewes should be inured to patience by continuall perceyuing of their owne wantes and miseries and therevpoÌ„ rid
adde that it is but partely But that glose marreth all For heere it is proued that wee can not bee founde righteous before God but by the meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christe and by resting vpon the saluation which he hathe purchased for vs. The Papists see this well inough and therefore for fashion sake they say we be iustified by fayth but not by fayth onely they will none of that That is the thing that they fighte agaynst and it is the chiefe poynte that is in controuersie betwixte them and vs. But S. Paule bewrayeth heere their beastlynesse when he sayth but by beleefe For that word betokeneth that all that euer men presume to bring vnto God to winne his fauour with is quite cut off Yee see then that the doore is shut agaynst all deseruing when S. Paule auoucheth that there is none other meane than by fayth VVee shall see more playnly hereafter why fayth is so compared with the law as a thing ful but agaynst it For the lawe presupposeth that if wee haue once fulfilled Gods commaundements we shall be taken for good seruants and that he wil pay vs the wages which he hath promised and faith presupposeth vs to be wretched dāned forlorne folke and that we must be fayne to seeke the things that we wante in Iesus Christ As for example There are two men that desire to bee boorded and lodged whereof the one bringeth money with him and lookes to be wel interteined for his wel paying and both of them require meate drinke howsoeuer the cace standeth but the second man is poore hath neither penny nor pennies worth and he desireth almes Thus do both twayne of them matche iuste in one poynt for they desire foode as the thing whereof they haue bothe neede But the first hath money to content his host and lyke as he shall haue fared well and bin well and curteously interteyned so shall his hoste receyue money of him and holde him selfe contented with it and not thinke his guest beholden or bounde vnto him For why he is recompenced yea and he hathe gayned by him But as for the poore man that craueth almes he thinks him selfe beholden for his life to him that fedde him and lodged him for he bringeth him nothing but a charge So then if wee will bee iustified before God by the Lawe we must deserue it so as he may receyue of vs and we of him and there may be as it were an interchaunge betwixte vs. And is that possible No as wee shall see more at large heereafter Therefore wee must conclude that wee bee excluded from the righteousnesse of the Lawe and that if wee thinke to bring any thing to binde God withall we doo but prouoke his wrath Then is there none other shifte but to go to hym like poore beggers and so to be iustified by fayth not as by a vertue that is of our selues but bicause we confesse with all lowlinesse that we can not obteyne saluation but by his free gifte ▪ Thus yee see howe the lawe is set heere full but agaynst fayth as if S. Paule should tell vs that all they which go about to winne Gods fauour by their owne merites forsake the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ as shall be declared more at length hereafter ▪ But now if any man say that the lawe was giuen of God so as it can not haue any contrarietie agaynst fayth whereof God is the author also the answere therevnto is easie For God made bothe day and nighte fire and water colde and heate Now it is certayne that the day is not contrarie to the night but we see the wonderfull order of Gods goodnesse and wisdome in that men haue the lighte of the sunne to doo then worke in by day and the darknesse as it were a couert to rest in by night So then although the day differ from the night yet is there no contrarietie betwixte them neither is there any betweene fire and water so eche creature bee put to his owne proper vse but wee see that God hathe very well agreed the fire and the water and yet notwithstanding if 〈◊〉 beholde them fighting togither then is there greate contrarietie Euen so is it betweene the lawe and the Gospell And if any bodie will haue a man to be iustified bothe by the lawe and by the Gospell to he doth but turmoyle and mingle things togither and it is all one as if he should set heauen and earth togither by the eares To be short it were much easier too mingle fire and water togither than too say that wee can purchace any grace at Gods hand by our own deseruings and therwithall also haue neede to bee succored by our Lord Iesus Christe But if a man consider what the lawe is and too what purpose it was giuen he shall find that it is not whit at all repugnant too the Gospell nor consequently vntoo fayth but that they agree very well Thus ye see how this difficultie is dispatched so that if it be alledged that fayth commeth of God as well as the Law it is true Neuerthelesse it is to be considered as wee shall say hereafter to what end God gaue as well the one as the other But let vs returne too that which S. Paule sayeth He sayeth that wee bee not iustified but by the fayth of our Lord Iesus Christe VVhen he speaketh of beyng iustified lette vs marke that it is all one with beyng reckened or taken for rightuous before God And that woorde had neede too bee well vnderstoode for the cace standeth vppon knowing after what maner wee bee saued But are wee not wretched caytifes if after wee haue liued long in the world a man aske vs whiche is the meane too bee saued and wee cannot tell him VVee shall see many beastly wretches whiche haue deuoured Gods breade and yet notwithstanding cannot tell howe they shoulde offer themselues before him And therefore it behoueth vs to take so much the better heede to the things which are taught vs here by S. Paule He sayeth that we be iustified and how Is it that wee bee rightuous and that there is nothing amisse in vs No but it is for that God accepteth vs. Then is the woorde Rightuousnesse put for the fauour whiche God sheweth vs in that he voutchsafeth too bee our father and too take vs for his children If a man demaunde why the Scripture vseth the woorde Iustifie sith it seemeth too make nothing to the purpose for it might well be sayd God loueth vs God pitieth vs God vouchsafeth to become our father and Sauiour and therfore why should not men rather vse that maner of speach than say that he vouchsafeth to iustifie vs I answer it is not without cause that the scripture speaketh so For if we take the woord Saluation rawly say no more but that we be saued by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ we shall not well perceyue what our owne state is nor how
the wretchednesse that was in the Iewes to the intent they shoulde returne vnto him and confesse that they had not any thing in them worthie of Gods fauour nor any other refuge than vnto his mere mercie Thus ye see in effect what wee haue to consider for the solution of the question and doubt which Saint Paule putteth forth heere Likewise in these dayes if a man speake of the Gospell too such as thinke they serue God and hope to winne heauen by their owne desertes they be greeued at it bicause that that gate is shet agaynst them by the presumptuousnesse which they haue conceyued afore hande saying VVhat I pray Shall I haue lost my time when I haue bin so deuout all my life long As for the man that shall haue heard a Masse or twaine or mumbled vp a sort of prayers or gone on pilgrimage or lashed out his money and substance without sparing vpon pardons indulgences and such other things if one tell him that wee bee all wretched and that there is none other thing for vs too leane vnto but the mere grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ and that all that euer we are able to bring vnto God is but filthie and lothly he will storme and replie Is it possible that God should haue no regarde of so greate paynes as I take to serue him Muste not all of it passe in myne accounte and bee allowed mee too my saluation They woulde faine accuze God yea and wee shall see many that will not sticke to rayle vpon him with open mouth bycause they bee lothe to lose that which they haue done Although the Hypocrites perceyue much lewdnesse in themselues yet woulde they fayne hyde all vnder theyr cowles For they breake out after this maner One sayes I haue gone woolwarde another I haue risen at midnight to serue God the thirde I haue forborne the eating of fleshe and another I haue bin shette vp in a Cloyster as in a pryson and finally I haue bin dead to the worldwarde and shall all this be vnprofitable too mee so as God will haue no regarde of it Such murmurings as these we shall heare dayly But let vs see if they can make their cace the better for all their replying For when they haue wel examined what is in them they shall finde that all their doings are but as a paynting to ouercast things withall like as a man that in-intendeth not too repayre his house leaueth the holes vnmended within and doth but dawb them ouer on the outside too the ende they be not seene and afterwarde whytelymes them so that finally it is nothing else but a pargetting or whitelyming according also as our Lorde Iesus Christ vseth the same similitude agaynst the hypocrites that did no more but blaunche things Howbeeit in the meane while God regardeth not the outwarde appearance as it is sayde in the first of Samuell but searcheth mens heartes and the truth and layeth open the things that were hidden afore according also as it is sayd in Ieremie Sith it is so then all such as alledge or set foorth their owne deuotions may peraduenture haue some fayre shew before men but surely before God all is but leasing And assoone as God doth but blowe vppon their painting and starche it shall scale off lyke the painting of harlots that take great paine too starch their faces and yet the Sunne doth no sooner shine vppon them but a man shall see the filthie scales fal off and their foulnesse is discouered to their shame In like taking are all hypocrites when they will needes colour things after that maner before God their shamefull leudnesse must needes bee brought too light VVherefore let vs marke that our Lorde Iesus Chryste in condemning the whole worlde by shewing that none can bee saued but by the free goodnesse of God his father the which hee offereth and imparteth vntoo vs bringeth not sinne for wee haue that alreadie in vs but vttereth and bewrayeth it too the ende wee should bee conuicted of it and all the pryde wherewith wee were made drunken afore be layde downe and nothing remayne in vs but lowlynesse too confesse vnfeynedly that wee bee vndoone and that there is none other shifte for vs but that God vtter the infinite treasures of hys mercy vpon vs. Yee see then that all mouthes shall bee stopped and men must not beguile themselues any more by surmyzing to find any rightuousnesse in themselues And furthermore S. Paule vseth heere a dubble answere too shew that it is nothing so Howbeit before he answer he setteth downe a precyze woord saying God forbid As if he should say it is an horrible blasphemie too intend to lay the blame of our sinnes vpon our Lord Iesus Christ Eor sayth he if I pull downe the thing that I haue buylded vp there shal be contrarietie in mee And in speaking so he bringeth vs backe to the common doctrine of the Gospell For our preaching of the end wherevnto God hath sent his onely sonne is too shew that he hath brought vs rightuousnesse and is come too put away sinne which holds vs as it were vnder Tyrannie till wee bee deliuered and set free from it by the grace whiche was purchaced for vs in the death and passion of the Sonne of God Now then seing it is so wee see that our Lord Iesus Christ is not the bringer in of sinne but is come too destroy sinne as S. Iohn sayeth in his Canonicall Epistle and we also do see it to bee so For what else dothe the Gospell teach vs but that wee bee full of all wickednesse and must bee fayne to bee made cleane by him that is made the Lambe without spot and also that he hath brought vs the spirit of holinesse For asmuch then as mē so long as they be cut off frō Christ haue nothing in thē but cursednesse so as they be vtterly rottē saped in their sins that Iesus Christ is the partie that maketh thē pure and cleane by the sheading of his bloud to wash thē withall and by bringing vs the spirit of regeneration to renue vs with that we might giue our selues too the seruing of God haue his Image repayred in vs and walke in truth and vprightnesse forasmuch say I as it is sayde so we see that our Lorde Iesus Christ is not the bringer in of sinne And why so For let vs consider what we bee and wee shall finde that there is a gulfe of all maner of wickednesse in euery one of vs and in all mankinde But our Lorde Iesus Christ commeth to remedie it Ye see then that the sinne was in vs before but our Lorde Iesus Christ is faine to vncouer it VVhat harme doth a Phisition by letting bloud Beholde a wretched man hath a disease that is not perceyued his bloud is altogither corrupted and yet it is not seene to be so as long as it lieth within the veynes But be he once let bloud it will appeare
vs expressely that the Sonne of God gaue himselfe And hee contenteth not himselfe too say that Christ gaue himselfe for the worlde in common for that had bin but a slender saying but sheweth that euerie of vs must applie too himselfe particularly the vertue of the death and passion of oure Lorde Iesus Christ VVhereas it is sayde that the Sonne of God was crucified we must not onely thinke that the same was done for the Redemption of the worlde but also euerie of vs must on his owne behalfe ioyne himselfe too our Lorde Iesus Christ and conclude It is for me that hee hath suffered Likewise when wee bee baptized as it is not for any one man alone so is not the water sprinckled vppon all men in common but euerie man is baptized seuerally in his owne behalfe too the ende that euerie of vs may applie it particularly too himselfe too saye that wee bee all members of our Lorde Iesus Christ Also when wee receyue the holy Supper euery man taketh his owne portion too shewe vs that oure Lorde Iesus Christ is communicated vntoo vs yea euen to euerie one of vs. S. Paule therefore dooth purposely vse that maner of speech too the ende wee shoulde not haue any colde imagination after the maner of diuerse ignorant persons which take themselues too bee Christians and yet in the meane while are as wretched beastes But when we once knowe that the thing which was done for the redemption of the whole worlde perteyneth to euery of vs seuerally it behoueth euery of vs to say also on his owne behalfe The sonne of God hath loued me so deerly that he hath giuen himself to death for me Furthermore the worde Loue is not superfluous here for Saint Paules intent is too magnifie the gracious goodnesse of our Lorde Iesus Christ as if he shoulde say that we be verie wretches if we accept not such a benefite when it is offered vs seeing that God in sending vs his sonne had none other respect but to our miseries which hee intended too relieue Also our Lord Iesus Christ did so neglect himselfe that he spared not his life for our welfare And what was the cause of it The loue that he bare vs. Seeing it is so must wee not needes be worse than out of our wittes if we accept not such a benefite But it is a verie common doctrine in the holy Scripture that God so loued the worlde that hee spared not his onely sonne but gaue him too death for vs and also that our Lorde Iesus Christ at such time as wee were his deadly enimies as sayth Saint Paule did confirme a maruellous loue towardes vs in that he offered himself in sacrifice to make attonement betweene God and vs and too doo away all our sinnes so as they might no more come to account Lo heere a warrant of our saluation so as wee ought to thinke our selues throughly assured of it Howbeit S. Paule ment purposely here too rebuke mens vnthankefulnesse in that they accept not the benefite which God graunteth them so bountifully yea and of hys owne free goodnesse For it behoueth vs too call to minde howe Saint Iohn in his Canonicall Epistle sayeth that we loued not God first as if shoulde saye wee did not preuent him as those thinke they doo which say I haue done him suche seruice and such For alas what is it that wee can do too him but that he loued vs yea euen at such time as we were his deadly enimies and came euen then to seeke vs out in the verie deepest of the bottomlesse Dungeons And therevppon Saint Paule addeth that hee dooth not dispize or shake off the grace of God This is the knitting vppe of the things that wee haue hythertoo seene For heere he ment too shewe that the Diuell must needes possesse those that make none accounte of Gods mercie that is vttered in our Lorde Iesus Christ and dayly offered vs in his Gospell For looke howe oft the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ is preached vntoo vs and the infinite goodnesse of our God talked of so oft is this message renued vntoo vs that our Lorde Iesus Christ calleth vs vntoo hym to the ende we should forsake the worlde and being out of all hope in our selues fasten and settle our whole trust in him Sith it is so it is good reason that we should not reiect the grace of God And S. Paule in saying so ment to call backe suche as had gone astray before and too shewe them the way as if he had sayde whereas the poore ignorant soules that neuer heard worde of the Gospel might be excuzed we must needes be worse than damnable seeing we refuze the grace of God when it is offered vs for it smelleth of such an vnthankefulnesse as can by no meanes be excused Saint Paule therefore dooth heere make mention of those whome our Lorde Iesus Christ calleth too the hope of saluation by his Gospell and yet doo still welter in their owne wretchednesse and become brutishe not knowing whither there bee a better lyfe or no◠or else of suche as are sufficiently tormented wyth inwarde heartbyting and yet seeke no remedie nor cōfort Yet notwithstanding all they too whome our Lorde Iesus Christ hath not preached his Gospell shall not fayle to perishe without mercie They cannot defende themselues by ignorance I say that all the heathen folke and Idolaters that euer were must haue their mouthes stopped And what shal become of vs then which haue had our eares beaten dayly with the message that God sendeth vs which is that hee requireth nothing but that we should be drawne vnto him wherevnto he incourageth yea and beseecheth vs as we haue seene in the second to the Corinthians It is not a great shame for vs that God should so farre abace himselfe in the person of his onely sonne that he should beseech vs Let vs fall to attonement sayth he And what hath he done on hys side VVhat hath hee offended vs Nay contrariwise wee ceasse not to prouoke him dayly agaynst vs and yet he commeth too say vnto vs I will fall too attonement with you whereas notwithstanding there is nothing but spitefulnesse in vs we be like little feends and to be short we bee damned and forlorne and yet commeth he to seeke vnto vs and desireth nothing but too haue th◠attonement made After that maner speaketh Saint Paule woorde for woorde But nowe what will become of vs if wee reiect such grace seing that God offereth it vs so freely This is it which is ment by that saying And therevppon hee concludeth in the ende that if wee seeke rightuousnesse in the Lawe Iesus Chryst dyed in vayne As if hee shoulde say that if wee iutende to inioy the grace that is conteyned in the Gospell wee muste vtterly gyue ouer the fonde opinion of our owne merites For men are deceyued by bearing themselues in hand that there is euer somwhat of value in
there is none of vs but he shall finde that he prouoketh God too vse suche sharpenesse towardes him as if a father bee as kinde harted as is possible to be wished yet if he haue vnruly children so as they be â—eude and froward he shall bee prouoked after suche a fashion that he shall as it were chaunge his nature bycause he knoweth not at what end too begin with them and is fayne after a sort too transforme himselfe Euen so is it with vs. For we haue a father which in goodnesse surmounteth all that can bee seene among men but we on our side as I sayd afore in steede of yeelding obediently vnto him as we ought to do and in steede of offering our selues redily to walke as he commaundeth so soone as he doth but speake the woord do nothing but stray VVe haue our lustes alwayes inordinate and boyling wee haue our replies alwayes readie coyned and although our mouth speake not yet it appeereth that there is no such calmnesse in our hartes as too be contented to submit our selues to God as we ought to do Seyng then that we be conuicted to our faces by experience that God had neede to be so rough and sharp towardes vs let vs suffer him to do whatsoeuer he knoweth too be for our welfare And no doubt but the Galathians were as nyce as wee and had as itching eares as wee haue and yet were they fayne too be rebuked so sharply by reason of their vnthankfulnesse As for S. Paule we know he indeuered by all humilitie and meeldnesse too drawe all such to the obedience of our Lord Iesus Christ as were committed and appoynted too his Apostleship He likeneth himself and not without cause too a nurce which will beare with hir nurse childe and not spare any thing too shew the loue that shee beareth it VVee shall see hereafter that he will say Be yee as I am for I am as you bee I seeke nothing but too fashion my selfe vnto you and to bring to passe that wee may agree in one And yet notwithstanding necessitie hath constreyned him too crie out as you heare now Yee vnwize yee fooles yee vndiscreete or witlesse as beasts who hath bewitched you after that sorte must you not needes bee possessed with the Diuell Here are very harde woordes and no doubt but the Galathians were greeued at them at the firste sight Yet neuerthelesse it was meete for them to feele that S. Paule vsed not that maner of speach and language without cause Therefore whensoeuer we bee rebuked let vs blame our owne faultes for it and yeeld our selues giltie for wee shall gayne nothing by checking againe VVhen we haue disputed what we can wee may peraduenture iustifie our cace afore men but wee shall alwayes be giltie before God Moreouer it behoueth vs too marke well the reason that is added heere by S. Paule when he sayeth yee muste needes bee bewitched if yee obey not the truth seyng that our Lorde Iesus Christe hath bin as it were peynted out liuely before you yea and euen crucified among you In speaking after that fashion S. Paule sheweth with what force and effectualnesse he had preached the Gospell Therfore he likneth the doctrine which he had brought vnto a picture therevnto inlargeth it yet better saying that the matter which hee had preached among the Galathians ought too auayle asmuch as if they had seene the Sonne of God crucified among them and his bloud sheaded out for the spirituall washing of their soules For so much then as they had bin taught so faythfully they could no more excuse themselues of their backesliding But first of all we see here whiche is the true maner of preaching the Gospell namely to giue knowledge of Gods loue towardes vs in that he spared not his onely Sonne but gaue him too the death for vs according as in very deede all the treasures of wisedome and vnderstanding are layed vp in our Lord Iesus Christ as it is sayd in another place too the Colossians Sith it is so if we bee desirous to profite well in the Gospell lette vs learne too acknowledge the grace that is purchaced for vs by our Lorde Iesus Christe for without that all that wee haue is nothing Many will brag that they bee well learned in Gods word but the true triall too knowe whither it bee so or no is if wee perceyue howe greate neede wee haue that God shoulde poure out his mercie vpon vs too succour vs by drawing vs out of the gulf of Hell and therevpon coÌ„clude that wee cannot be clenzed and washed from any of all our spottes but by the bloud of Gods sonne nor obtayne rightuousnesse but by the obedience that he hath yeelded nor haue any satisfaction for vs but by the sacrifize that he hath offered nor come in Gods fauour but by his meanes nor open our mouthes too call vppon him but by his intercession Therefore when wee bee throughly persuaded of the gracious benefites that are brought vs by the sonne of God then may wee say wee haue some vnderstanding in the Gospell but without that wee haue nothing but imagination and follie Marke that for one poynt And therewith let vs marke that it is not ynough for vs too know slightly that our Lord Iesus Christ hath bought vs so deerely but that we must continue still in the doctrine of the Gospell till it bee throughly printed in our hartes as though his bloud gushed downe too apply the frute that commeth of it too our vse and that is too the end to waken vs out of our drowsinesse For we shal see many that take themselues too bee very great Clerkes if they vnderstande but three or foure woordes of the Gospell at a glaunce And yet the same shall soone bee defaced and put out of rememberance bycause that whereas wee ought too seeke too bee filled with the benefites that our Lord Iesus Christ hath brought vs they holde themselues contented with a tast of them God then punisheth the vnthankfulnesse of such folke and their despizing of his goodnesse And therfore it standeth vs so much the more on hand to put forth apply all our indeuer to be well settled in the foresayd doctrine that is too wit of knowing whervnto the death and passioÌ„ of Gods sonne and the inestimable benefites which we haue receyued do auayle vs. Again on the other side we be warned that our sins are the heynouser before God if after wee haue bin taught his will wee turne head backe againe and sin not through ignoraÌ„ce but through contempt and wilfulnesse For if we shake off his yoke it is a sure proofe that wee bee loth to be subiect to him and play the wilde beasts True it is that euen the ignorantest folk in the world are reproued by their own sinfulnesse for asmuch as hypocrisie reigneth in all men but yet if coÌ„parison bee made betweene those that neuer heard one woord of the truth and vs
vnder our feete thinke we that God wil suffer his grace too be so lightly esteemed and hild skorne of No. For wee cannot despise the doctrine of the Gospel but we must vnhalow the bloud of Gods sonne which he did shead for our redemption for the one cannot bee separated from the other VVhensoeuer and how often soeuer God speaketh to vs and offereth vs forgiuenesse of oure sinnes shewing himselfe readie to receiue vs to mercie so often is the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christe sprinkled vpon vs. All the teaching in the world cannot do vs any good except our Lord Iesus Christ be with it to apply the sheading of his bloud vnto vs. And if we despise the doctrine of the Gospel it is all one as if wee did spit at the holy bloud of Goddes sonne which thing is an intolerable trayterousnesse Therfore let vs looke narowlier to our selues and wey wel this text to the intent we stand stedfast and for asmuch as God hath called vs to so great a good turne and we do now know that is not by haphazard that the Gospel hath bin preached but bycause it was Gods will to vtter the infinite riches of his goodnesse towardes vs let vs stand in it and so sticke too it as nothing may thrust vs from it nor by any meanes euer shake vs down Lo in effect what we haue to beare away in this text Moreouer we be warned also which are the true pictures or peintings to leade vs too God The Papists say we must haue rememberances to teache vs and that images are the bookes of the vnlearned which are not apt to conceiue higher doctrine but hath Sainct Paule spoken heere but to three or four folke No It is generally and to all Christians without exception as well to great as small that he sayth that wheÌ„ the Gospell is preached then Iesus Christ is peinted out liuely and we must looke vpon him not with the fleshly eyes of our bodyes but with the spirituall eyes of our faith Then seeing it is so let vs learne that we haue no neede of Images and puppets to teach vs what is necessarie for our saluation nother neede wee a peece of wood stone or other suche pelting stuffe too put vs in rememberance of God for in all those things there is nothing but vanitie and leasing but we haue neede to haue Gods word preached and to indeuer and trauell to make the same familiar too vs that wee may there beholde God in his liuely image that is to saye in the person of our Lord Iesus Christ his only sonne according also as Sainct Paule sayeth in the second too the Corinthians where he protesteth that the doctrine which he brought vntoo them was not hidden from anie but the vnbeleeuers suche as perish whome the Diuell possesseth and which haue their eyes sealed vp And no wonder though they see not awhit in the open light But yet in the meane while the doctrine is so manifest vntoo vs as we may easly perceyue Gods will For he sheweth vs it familiarly ynough as oft as the Gospell is preached in somuch that wee neede not to make much running vp and downe not too fetch farre wyndlasses wee neede no more to say who shall stie vp aboue the Cloudes who shall go beyond sea who shall go downe intoo the deepe Haue we Gods word at leastwise haue wee it preached purely Then is Iesus Christ as it it were in the middes of vs and sheweth himself as it were hanging vppon the Crosse witnessing what hee dyd for vs when he suffered death to reconcyle vs to God his father There hee setteth vs downe a sure and vndeceyuable pledge or warrant and let vs content our selues with it For when we haue pleaded neuer so muche it will not excuse vs oure cace wyll alwayes go againste vs if wee bee not well assured in oure consciences that wee haue whollye leaned vntoo Goddes word which as I sayd bringeth vs so neere vnto God that it is the very vnion itselfe whiche we haue with him in the person of our Lord Iesus Christ And in good sooth we see how God dothe as it were stoup to our rudenesse and infirmitie For doth he speak in so loftie and darke a stile as we can vnderstand nothing No but contrariwise he abaceth hymselfe and therto thinkes it not ynough to haue spoken but also addeth Sacramentes to his worde whyche are the true pictures that we ought to haue Like as when we see the water of baptim it is a picture which sheweth vs that we be â—ull of filth and vncleannesse till we be washed and by whome VVe must seeke our washing from aboue Besides this it sheweth vs that we must be renued by the holy Ghost of God That then is a good picture And why Bycause it beareth Gods marke and is matched wyth hys worde As much is to bee sayde of the Lordes supper VVhen we see the morsells of bread and the droppes of wyne Very well they bee the Creatures whereof wee haue bin wont too take nurrishmeute and sustenaunce for our bodies but the same do leade vs to the lyfe of our soules and gyue vs to vnderstand that we haue no lyfe but in our Lorde Iesus Chryste And the cause why the wyne is added is to shew that he hath such vertue in him as we neede not to seeke any part of the thynges that we want any otherwhere but that he serueth vs for meate and drinke and all These I say are the good images that God hath set afore vs and now if we bee still soring in the aire and gadding after our owne lusts to say I would fayne haue more it is a disdeyning of the grace that is offered vs. So much the more therefore doth it stande vs on hand to marke well this streine where Sainct Paule by the poewr and in the name of God condemneth yea and with the power of the holy Ghost thundereth against all suche as haue bin taught the Gospell faithfully and afterward do turne aside and slip away from it And therevpon he addeth that he woulde fayne haue it knowen by what meane the holy Ghost is receyued For if they had receiued the holy Ghost by the works of the law Sainct Paule would haue graunted that there was some righteousnesse to be had by it But forasmuch as they had receiued him by the Gospell it must needes be concluded that they ought to haue rested vppon the record that God gaue them so apparantly And for the better vnderstanding of the thing that he meant too saye heere let vs marke that Gods spirit is giuen in common to all the faithfull for somuch as they be regenerated and made new creatures Besides this â–ª there are spiritual gifts which God destributeth according to such measure and portion as hee thinketh good but yet they redound all to the common welfare of the Church If we bee Christians we must needes haue Gods spirit as wee shall see
should seeke it in him yea euen al wholy and not by peeces Thus then ye see why S. Paule reasoneth that for asmuch as we haue receiued Gods spirit by meanes of the Gospell it behoueth vs to hold vs therevnto and not go to the Ceremonies of the law nor to any other thyng one or other but be contented with that perfection seing it is gyuen vs and we may enioy it without geinsaying For although thys matter was written to the Galathians yet is it common to vs also at this day as well as to them Let vs marke I say how our Lorde Iesus Christ wrought in vs. And first of all let vs practise that which is shewed vs in the second to the Corinthians whiche is that it behoueth vs to be wholly new fashioned againe and to haue Goddes spirit dwelling in vs. So then the true marke whereby we may discerne whither we bee Gods children or no is Gods spirit But bring we that spirit with vs from our mothers womb Alas no. Nother commeth it any whit the more by our owne deseruings as I haue told you already but bycause it pleaseth God of his graciouse goodnesse to giue vs it thereby to draw vs to him If we haue any desire or willingnesse to walke in the feare of our God or if wee would fayne be able to call vpon him with a pure conscience it is a token that Gods spirit dwelleth in vs. VVe neede not to seeke any other witnesse nor to make any longer scanning of the matter But nowe haue wee gotten and obteyned this spirit by our owne merites No surely Then must we needes conclude that seeyng wee haue it of gyft it was gyuen vs by meanes of the Gospell For in the Gospell God vttereth hys myghtye power and working too the saluation of men as it is sayde in the firste too the Romanes Now if the Gospell bee the instrumente whereby we receyue Goddes spirite shall we go seeke other meanes VVere not that a renouncing of the power whyche is apparantly knowen too vs It is all one as if we would wilfully leaue the way that is shewed vs of our God too seeke bywayes after our owne fancie And if the Galathians were without excuce for theyr turning away from the Gospell too the lawe what shall wee bee in these dayes if wee will needes bee wrapped in the superstitions that men haue forged in their owne shoppes As for example the Papistes thinke too bee iustified not by the Ceremonies that God had commaunded in olde time but by the dotages and gewgawes that they them selues haue deuised For as for the thing whiche they doo nowe a dayes terme Gods seruice what else is it than a certayne hotchpotche whereinto euery man hath cast his owne peece and collop Seeing then that the caâ—e standeth so it is not a despising of God and a withdrawing of our selues from him by reiecting of his grace too the ende he shoulde not haue any accesse at all vnto vs when wee will needes mingle mens inuentions with the purenesse of the Gospell Must we not needes be worse than mad in so dooing Then let vs know at one worde that wee can not bee Christians but the holy Ghost muste holde vs in such humilitie as to make vs confesse that al our welfare commeth of Gods meere grace and so cleaue to our Lorde Iesus Christ as wee not onely take him for a peece or portion of our trust but bee fully satisfied with him as hauing drawne of his fulnesse assuring our selues that he is the full perfection not only of all wisedome but also of all righteousnesse and happinesse that in him lieth and consisteth all our welfare which welfare wee possesse when wee haue the Gospell and the preaching of faythe and when wee be cast downe in our selues and vtterly bereft of all presumpteousnesse which keepeth vs backe from comming vnto God Furthermore let vs be so rauished seeing that our Lord Iesus Christ hath so bountifully giuen vs all that was requisite for our saluation I say let vs bee so rauished with it as all things else that can be layde before vs may be but as smoke too vs and we vtterly despise and abhorre them too shewe how well we haue profited in the Gospell and therewithall bee so constant and stedfast in our selues as neuer to bee thrust out of the way whatsoeuer the diuell whisper in oure care And moreouer for as muche as wee bee so weake grosse and heauie that although God doo daily prouoke euery of vs to come vnto him wee come but as it were halting and creeping let vs inforce our selues more and more to beseech God too strengthen vs with his holy spirite and too make vs profite more and more in the knowledge of his Gospell And let vs not doo as those doo which imagine them selues too bee come to full perfection at the first day â–ª but let vs labour to go forwarde more and more in the hope of the heauenly life to gather such streÌ„gth as our fayth may grow from day to day till we come to the blessed stop wherof S. Paul speaketh in the fourth to the Ephesians which iâ— that we cleaue fully to our Lorde Iesus Christ Nowe let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs so to feele them more and more as the same may cause vs bothe too mislike them and also too aske forgiuenesse of them at his hande that by that meanes he may bee glorified by vs and wee so confirmed by his holy spirite as we may not doubt but that he dwelleth in vs and that as he hath once adopted vs for his children so he will holde vs still for the same And so let vs all saye Almightie God heauenly father c. The .xvj. Sermon which is the second vpon the third Chapter 3 Are yee so vnvvise that vvhen yee haue begonne by the spirite novv yee ende in the flesh 4 Haue yee suffered so muche in vayne At leastvvise if it bee in vayne 5 He therfore that giueth you the spirite and vvorketh mightily in you doth he it by the vvorks of the lavv or by the preaching of the fayth WEe know that all the doctrine of the Gospell tendeth to draw vs out of this worlde and to make vs come vnto God But that is impossible vnlesse wee bee lifted vp continually more and more Therfore if wee intende too profite in Gods schoole wee muste so labour to correct the infirmities that are in our nature as if wee were alwayes at the poynt too bee taken out of the world True it is that God of his goodnesse stoopeth downe vnto vs but that is not too holde vs heere beneath Likewise when he sendeth vs mortall men too bee as his messangers and exhorteth vs to come vnto him by such meanes as are fittest for vs and therto giueth vs his Sacraments which are earthly and visible signes therein wee see
he sheweth himselfe to be so by his worde and also giueth vs a good pledge and earnest pennie of it in our Lord Iesus Christ insomuch that there he sheweth himself to be ioyned and vnited with vs and that although we be wretched creatures and haue nothing in vs but all mischeefe yet he fayleth not too take vs for his owne and too admit vs into his fauour the reason whereof is bycause our Lorde Iesus Christ is the meane betwixt him and vs. Therefore when wee haue that promise and rest wholy vppon it and doubt not but that God doth and will shewe himselfe gracious to vs vnto the ende and therewithall call vpon him and resort onely vnto him giuing ouer this worlde and continuing in the hope of the heauenly life then bee we sure that we haue fayth and are iustified and that was the maner of our father Abrahams beleeuing and without that let vs assure our selues there is no Christianitie at all in vs. For as Saint Paule sayth in the tenth to the Romaimes vntill wee knowe what the Gospell is wee cannot call God our father VVee cannot call vpon God sayth he except wee knewe him and beleeued in him And howe is it possible for vs to knowe him till hee bee reuealed vnto vs Therefore fayth muste needes go before And whereof commeth fayth Of hearing sayth Saint Paule Then must wee bee trayned in the Goâ—pell or else we can haue no fayth And hereby we see yet better that all that euer is termed fayth in Poperie is but starke dotage And why so For there Gods worde is hidden and the greatest brutishnesse that can bee is taken for greatest deuotion VVhen men babble they wote not what when they gad on pilgrimage and neuer come at God when they busie their heades about fonde Ceremonies and heare not so much as one woorde of good doctrine ô that is great deuotion and holinesse But wee see howe there is no Christianitie without fayth nor fayth without teaching of the Gospell and so consequently we cannot bee Christians till God haue giuen vs the grace to taste of his goodnesse and mercie as it is dayly set afore vs in the Gospell assuring our selues that he accepteth vs in the number of his children so as we may be bolde too call vppon him and continue therein too the ende at leastwise in wayting for the full performance of the things which hee reuealeth vntoo vs nowe by hys mouth that is to say by hys woorde But nowe let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him to make vs feele them more and more and that the same feeling of them may drawe vs vnto him with true repentance so as wee may not onely aske him forgiuenesse of them but also so reforme and chaunge our selues as we may truely beare the marke of his children when wee shall appeare before his iudgement seat and as oure Lorde Iesus Christ also may repayre the Image of his father in vs in such wise as hee may acknowledge vs for his members And in the meane while let vs beseech him to beare with our infirmities till he haue vtterly clenzed vs of them That it may please him too graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people c. The .17 Sermon which is the third vpon the third Chapter 7 Knovve yee therefore that they vvhich are of faith are the children of Abraham 8 And the Scripture foreseeing that God vvould iustifie the Gentiles by faith shevved glad tidings aforehande vntoo Abraham saying In thee shall all nations be blessed 9 Those then vvhiche are of faith are blessed vvith faithfull Abraham IF we were such as we would be taken to bee that is to wit if we were Christians we should be well acquainted with this maner of speech of being iustified by faith But there are verie few to be found euen among those that boast themselues too haue profited in the Gospell which knowe what is ment by the rightuousnesse whereof the Scripture speaketh so much Howsoeuer the cace stande either we must haue skill of that article or else we can neuer haue any assurance of our saluation nor resort vntoo God at our neede to call freely vppon him And that is the cause why S. Paule standeth so much vppon that matter The last Sunday wee sawe howe Abraham was counted righteous bycause hee had beleeued God and I tolde you that thereby is shewed vs that no man can bring any woorthinesse of his owne wherewith to winne Gods fauour but that we must bee fayne to receyue it of his free gift For the woorde beleeuing hath a respect too the promise insomuche that Gods free offering of himselfe vntoo Abraham was the cause that Abraham was counted righteous bycause hee accepted the fauour that was offered him of free gyft beeing well assured that of hymselfe hee had nothing but all iniquitie and cursednesse And therevppon Saint Paule concludeth that such as are of fayth are the children of Abraham It is certayne that Abraham is the father of all the faythfull and of all Gods children and therefore it followeth that eyther wee muste bee fashioned after hys example or else the gate of life and saluation is shette agaynst vs and wee bee quite and cleane banished oute of Gods kingdome Heere Saint Paule sheweth vs the waye For wee come not of Abraham as concerning the fleshe neither belong wee aught at all vntoo him and yet notwithstanding it behoueth vs too bee of his race the onely way whereof is to be partners of the promise that was giuen vnto him and to receyue it as he did heere ye see what it is too bee of fayth so that when wee once knowe and fynde by proofe that we cannot deserue any fauour at Gods hande nor bee allowed for our owne workes merits we repoze our whole trust in his goodnesse apply this promise to our selues which is that he adopteth vs for his children Thus ye see Saint Paules Text made plaine ynough Howbeit he addeth that that promise serued not for the Iewes alone but rather that all men in generall are comprehended in it For without that addition the doctrine that wee haue treated of would serue vs to no purpose God choze AbrahaÌ„ and his ofspring So then are wee shet out from the hope of saluation for his choozing importeth a forsaking of all those whom he choozeth not but he hath chosen the linage of Abraham and so by that meanes it seemeth that all of vs are forsaken But the promise which Saint Paule rehearseth consisteth of two partes The one is that God woulde be the protector of Abrahams lynage and shole it out from the rest of the worlde The other is that all nations shoulde bee blessed in Abraham and in his seede Nowe if God had placed his Church in the onely householde of Abraham then shoulde wee at this day bee miserable But for asmuch as in the seconde
God and neuer were moued to true repentance but haue alwayes had their consciences asleepe or rather bewitched none say I but such folks do thinke themselues to deserue aught and they beguyle themselues Then seing that the righteousnesse of the law is shut away from vs and we be vtterly barred from it it behoueth vs to go to another ryghtuousnesse which is that God take vs into his fauour of his owne free goodnesse and in sted of receyuing any thing of our bringing giue vs that thing for our paiment which is none of ours that is to wit the obedience of oure Lord Iesus Christ by deliuering vs from the condemnation wherein we were plunged that is to wit by putting away all our offences and sinnes As much is said of it in another place where Sainct Paul treateth excellently well of the doctrine which we haue heere For he doth also set downe the righteousnesse of the lawe And it is a wonder that the Papists haue bin and yet still are so dulled that they coÌ„sider not the warning that S. Paul giueth here being so faire and cleere as it is For it is always at their tungs end to say what that were a mocking out of al that God hath promised concerning the recoÌ„pence that he wil veld to good works And seing he hath so often sayd that we shal be recoÌ„pensed must he not needes discharge his promise For else men might accuse him of vntruth But Saint Paule telleth them alwayes thus my freendes if we thinke to stand in Gods fauour for our owne desertes let vs consider the promise that is giuen vs. For when there is any controuersie among men either for bying or selling or for any other like thing they will say here is the Indenture let it bee looked vpon I report me too that which is conteyned in it As soone as the deed is read the cace appeareth plaine and the seller will say the ownership of this thing is thine but yet vpon condition that thou haue payed for it If thou haue not payd thou hast nothing to do with it Ye see then that wheÌ„ we fall to scanning for the inheritance of saluation we must resort to the cheefe and originall deed or Indenture that God made betweene himselfe and vs. Nowe that deed or Indenture is the Law Therefore if men will needes bee payed theyr wages according too their seruice they shall finde themselues rather to be banished from the euerlasting life than to come any thing neere it God may say to them that if they performe al that is commaunded them the heritage of saluation is readie for them But nowe remayneth to bee seene whether any man can performe all or no. I haue shewed you alreadie that no man is able to doo it and so are wee euerie one of vs shet quite out of the doores The Papists consider not that but when they heare it sayde that hee which doth those things shal liue in them they beare themselues in hand that that there is no more doubt of the doing thereof it is ynough that God saith the worde In deede God speaketh the worde but hee requireth the performance of it at our handes After the same maner also do they take this text of Saint Paules where he sayth not the hearers of the law but the doers of it shal be iustified The Papists alledge that saying howbeit but to picke out their owne eies withall For S. Paule proâ—eth thereby that we cannot be iustified but by performing all that is commanded vs. The Iewes boasted that the Lawe was giuen vnto them saying Tushe wee haue the Lawe whereby it is tolde vs that we be Gods people Yea but it is with condition And where is the performance of that condition VVill it be found in you No. But S. Paule saith that wee become not righteous by hearing of the Law For it were a fonde matter if we shoulde come to Church too here what is tolde vs and euery man returne home to do what hee listeth himself It behoueth vs to performe whatsoeuer God coÌ„mandeth vs but none of vs performeth it therfore all of vs are damned sayth he The Papistes consider not this consequence but take onely this saying broken off from the rest namely that such as performe the law shall be iustified Yea verely if there were any such but where are they Also in the same Epistle to the Romans he declareth afterward that Gods promising of vs eternall life vpon condition that we performe the Law standeth vs in no steed at all bycause we shall neuer bring it to passe forasmuch as by nature we be vtterly contrary to his rightuousnesse and afterward when he hath begotten vs again by his holy spirit we be so much the more bound vnto him wee haue receyued all our goodnesse at his hande and he shall but crowne his owne giftes in vs. Are these then merits or deseruings No. Howbeeit wee must passe yet further namely that although our Lorde voutchsafe to crowne our woorkes when they be good yet they be but partly good and there will alwayes be matter ynough founde to condemne vs with So then we bee quite and cleane bereft of all trust in our owne righteousnesse not onely bycause our workes are not of sufficient worthinesse before God but also bicause they be to be vtterly mislyked if we shoulde fall to entering into account and that God listed to iudge according to the sayde sentence He that doth these things shall liue in them for it is all one as if he should say you are all of you dead damned and past recouerie For why none of you performeth the things that I require of him and yet you owe them to me And that is the cause why I sayd that we must go to the seconde remedie that is to wit to liue by fayth And S. Paule in the text by me euen now alledged in sted of rehercing the saying of Abacucke which he had set downe in the .xvij. verse of the first chapter sayeth that the rightuousnesse of fayth hath good recorde in the Law For the rightuousnesse of the Lawe that is too say the rule that God giueth vs in his Lawe too iustifie vs with all is that wee shoulde keepe and performe all hys commaundements But the rightuousnesse of fayth speaketh another maner of language For it sayth that it is not for men too seeke in themselues the meanes too make theyr lyfe allowable before God and so to receyue the hyre or crowne of it but that they must rest wholly vppon Gods woorde so as it may be both in their heart and in their mouth For hee that beleeueth with his heart that our Lord Iesus Christ dyed and confesseth with his mouth that he is rizen againe shall by that meanes obteyn rightuousnesse before God VVe see then that Saint Paule vttereth himselfe the more at large to the intent that we should vnderstande that his separating of the rightuousnesse of the Lawe
from the rightuousnesse of fayth is too shewe that they bee vnmatchable and can no more bee ioyned togither than fyre and water True it is that there is no contrarietie betwixt the Lawe and the Gospell as I haue sayde afore for wee knowe that both twaine of them doo come of God But heere it behoueth vs too take Gods meening in such wise as he declareth it to vs which is that by setting the rightuousnesse of the Law before vs he intendeth to humble vs and to make vs condemne our selues when we come before him which thing wee woulde neuer do if he should not bewray our wretchednesse Therfore when he sayth that wee shall be iustifyed by keeping of the Lawe it is all one as if hee should say wretched wightes what woorthinesse or valure weene you to be in your selues VVey my commaundements and consider what they import and therewithall bethinke your selues how euery of you hath liued and ye shall be as good as drowned in despayre VVhen God hath sayd so he addeth the remedie Come saith he to the doctrine of the Gospell And what a maner a one is that Saint Paule alledgeth heere the saying of Abacucke how that the rightuous shall liue by fayth And in the same place which I haue alledged he openeth himselfe howe that it behoueth to resort wholy to our Lorde Iesus Christ For the worde that ought too bee in our mouth and in our heart to bring vs vnto God and too open vs the kingdome of heauen is not a worde that serueth to holde vs downe heere beneath nor too make men beleeue that God will allowe of our owne desertes nor too puffe vs vp with pryde no but too holde vs fast to our Lorde Iesus Christ Therefore when we knowe that our sinnes are wyped out by the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ and that by his resurrection suche rightuousnesse is purchased for vs that in stead of beeing damned too the gulfe of hell which is the heritage that belongeth to vs and whereof we be worthie we be made heyres of the kingdome of heauen and when we know that in Iesus Christ we recouer all that we had lost in Adam and the cursednesse wherein we be wrapped is taken from vs and God hathe sette vs free that is Gods iustifying of vs by fayth And in good fayth when wee haue well considered the circumstance of the text that Saint Paule alledgeth out of the Prophete Abacucke wee shall see plainly that that is the thing wherevnto the holy Ghost leadeth vs. For the Prophete had spoken of the chastizements and corrections which God would send vpon the people so as to looke vnto all shoulde seeme too bee confounded Now therevpon hee sayth that the wicked shall but swell more and more in their pride howbeit that they shall haue no sure footing but shal stūble with all their sway bicause they wil nedes exalt themselues they shall the more cast thēselues down with so much the sorer fouler fal That thē is the thing which the prophet vttereth against the wicked And he addeth on the cōtrarie part but the rightuous shal liue by faith Now wheras he saith that the rightuous shal liue it is all one as if he had said that gods children shal not find their life neere at hand in themselues but that euen when they shall haue traueled ouer all the world vp down it shal seme to thē that there is nowhere any thing else thā the very dungeons of death yet notwithstāding that missing of a presēt life they shal find a life to come when they shall haue nurrished it in their harts mindes by fayth VVe see thē that the Prophets intent is to draw Gods chosen both from the world and frō thēselues to the end they may cleaue wholy vnto him and not seke any other meanes to be saued than by his only grace But S. Paule hath spoken more breefly here bycause he was fully resolued of all that I haue declared heretofore and which hee himselfe hath discoursed that is to witte That fayth teacheth vs too seeke all oure welfare in God But the Lawe teacheth vs the contrarie I say it teacheth vs it to the ende too shewe vs that to seeke it throughly wee must acknowledge that there is not so much as one drop of lyfe in vs. The Lawe then sayth vnto vs go to take yee paynes and do yee so much as ye may winne heauen by it And why doth the Lawe say so Not too feede men in their vaine self trust of weening still that they can deserue well at Gods hād it is not for that but to prepare thē to receyue the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ with lowlinesse For as I haue sayd alreadie when we keepe our selues aloof from God and euery man beares himselfe in hand that he is well worthie to be accepted of him our Lorde will surely be aduenged of such presumptuousnesse and sayth Go to let me see what ye haue done come on and let vs fall to reckening and let him that oweth aught to other pay it Ye shal not be disappointed by me I haue your wages in my hande it is readie for you and if ye shall haue done all that I haue commaunded you feare not but you shall be well payde for your labor Therefore hie you apace and let me see how you will serue me But as I sayd our Lord in saying so prepareth and dispozeth vs to know in what plight we be For when we once perceiue our owne neede then will wee seeke our wantes at his hand Thus ye see how the Lawe leadeth vs to fayth but it is a straunge kinde of leading Howsoeuer the cace stand there is alwaies this cōtrarietie which S. Paule setteth down here namely that we cannot be iustified by fayth except we haue first knowne and acknowledged vnfeynedly that we be damned in our selues and that the groūd of our welfare is to know that there is nothing but damnation in vs. Now at the first sight it might be sayd that S. Paule hath stretched this saying of Abacucks too farre seing he spake there but of the afflictions of this transitorie life The rightuous shall liue that is to say he shal holde out and although God afflict him scourge him yet shall he not quayle if he ground himselfe vpon Gods promises And here the cace concerneth not Gods comforting and deliuering of vs from the miseries wherevnto wee bee subiect in this world but it concerneth our euerlasting saluation which farre passeth all the state of this transitorie life It seemeth therefore that S. Paule applyeth not this Text of the Prophete aright Howbeeit let vs marke that if the Prophet had looked no further than too thys worlde that saying of his had bin very vaine seeing that afflictions are common both to good and bad Againe howe is it that we lyue by fayth Seeing we bee continually subiect to fall into the same daunger
abashed at his sinnes not for three or foure monethes but so as hee shall abhorre them all his life long forsomuch as hee seeth that hell is alwayes readie to swallow him vp at one chop if God supplyed not his wantes and drewe him not as it were out of the gulfe of death And therefore it is sayde that the righteous shall liue by fayth to the ende that the same should serue as a lesson not for a three or foure monethes onely nor for those onely whiche are not of so perfect life as other men but as a lesson that God speaketh euen to such as are the most excellent And surely that also is the thing wherevnto wee must referre the woord Liue so as wee may liue not for a litle while nor for a day nor for two or three monethes but cōtinually in Gods free goodnesse seeke the same from day too day euen to the end And although our life be hidden in this world as S. Paule sayeth and wee see nothing but death before vs yet let vs not ceasse too repose our selues vppon this promis that our life is sure for asmuch as God hath taken it intoo his custodie and will keepe it safely and therevnto hath left vs so good a pledge of it that is too wit our Lord Iesus Christe who died and is rizen againe for vs and therefore wee shall not neede too say any more who shall go vp into heauen or who shall go downe intoo the deepe or who shal passe ouer the sea For the woord is in our mouth and in our hart in asmuch as wee know that our Lord Iesus Christe went downe too hell that is too say as wee shall see in the next sermon by Gods leaue that he became accursed for vs whiche is the thing that muste content vs and afterward went vp intoo heauen whereof the gate is opened vnto vs euer since he entred in thither in our behalfe Therefore let vs take all our hold there and suffer our selues too be as poore dead men in this worlde wayting for the discouerie of the lyfe that is promised vs for no doubte but God will in due tyme discouer it and manifestly shewe it vntoo vs in such wyze as wee shall fully inioy it as it is preached too vs by his Gospell And now let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs feele them more and more and that wee may bee so touched with them as it may beate vs flat downe before him make vs sigh and grone vnder the burthen of our infirmities and vices wherewith we be hēmed in till he haue clenzed vs throughly of them and praying him also too beare with vs during this mortall lyfe till he haue fully deliuered vs from the bondage of sinne and from the bondes of Satan wherein wee bee hild as nowe till he haue set vs vtterly free from them That it may please him too graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people c. The. 19. Sermon which is the fifth vpon the third Chapter 13 Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the lavve in that he vvas made accursed for vs for it is vvritten Cursed is euery one that hāgeth on tree 14 To the end that the blissednesse of Abraham should come vpō the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that we might receiue the promis of the spirit by faith WEe haue seene alreadie that if wee hope not to bee saued by some other meanes than by discharging our duetie we should all of vs be accursed bycause wee bee all giltie before God in that wee are found too haue transgressed and done amisse many wayes For there was neuer yet any of the holiest men so perfect but that there was alwayes some blemish yea and store of infirmities in him Therefore it is to be concluded that if God should call vs too account wee should bee all damned and forlorne Lo in what plight men bee though they set neuer so much store by themselues But now it standeth vs on hand too haue some meanes too scape this cursednesse Else what shall it auayle vs to haue our eares beaten dayly with Gods woord For his will shall serue but to plundge vs still deeper in eternall death To the ende therefore that Gods woord may bee profitable too vs and auaylable to our saluation it lieth vs vpon to get vs out of the sayd sentence of damnation which is giuen and proclaymed vppon all mankinde And Sainct Paule sheweth vs here the meane namely that Christ hath redeemed vs euen by becomming accursed for vs. He sheweth vs that our Lorde Iesus Christ was not hanged vppon tree in vayne for he was fayne too beare the cursednesse of all suche as were too bee called too saluation Yee see wee are all accursed as I haue declared alreadie and therefore was our Lorde fayne too receyue in his persone the thing that was due vntoo vs. Now it was written in the Law of Moyses Cursed shall he bee hangeth on tree VVhen our Lord commaundeth the bodie too bee taken downe he addeth that it is a cursed sight too beholde a man so disfigured and therefore let it bee taken downe sayeth he And at suche tyme as God pronounced the sayde sentence that he which should bee hanged on tree should bee as it were accursed and banned he knew well ynough what he had determined of his owne onely Sonne For our Lorde Iesus Christe suffered not that kinde of death by chaunce nor at mannes pleasure or appoyntment It is true that the vnbeleeuers crucified him but that was bycause God had so ordeyned it by his owne purpose according as it is sayd that God so loued the world that he spared not his onely begotten Sonne but deliuered him too death for vs. And in good sooth if onely Iudassis betraying of our Lorde Iesus Christ had bin the cause of his death and that he had bin haled to that kind of death by onely violence it could not bee the foundacion of our welfare It behoueth vs to note that God had appoynted the matter after that sorte aforehand according also as Sainct Peter treateth thereof more fully in the fourth chapter of the Actes where he sayeth that our Lord Iesus was so crucified by the wicked as they attempted not any thing but that which had bin determined aforehand in Gods purpose Nowe then whereas it is sayde that our Lorde Iesus Christ was crucified wee muste come too this poynt that all was done for our saluation bycause it was Gods will too reconcyle vs too himselfe by that meane and that when he pronounced this sentence cursed is he that hangeth on tree so as it was his pleasure to haue it registred in the lawe of Moyses he was not ignorant what shoulde happen afterwarde for he had alreadie determined and ordeyned it Then muste wee match these twoo things toogither that is too witte that
Christ who is the fountayne and welspring of all blissednesse Nowe let vs fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him too make vs perceyue them more and more so as we may mislike of them and not onely confesse them with our mouth but also lay open our hearts before him and submit our selues wholly to his holy word and that in suche wise as wee may bee comforted by his free goodnesse as it is shewed vs in our Lorde Iesus Christ and he reforme vs also by his holy spirite too the ende that whereas wee of our selues be full of rebelliousnesse we may by his gouerning become teachable and readie to follow his holy will and to giue our selues ouer all wholly vnto him And let vs pray vnto him for all these things saying Almightie God heauenly father c. The .xxij. Sermon which is the eyght vpon the third Chapter 21 Is the lavv then agaynst the promises of God God forbyd For if the lavve vvere giuen too iustifie truely ryghtuousnesse shoulde come by the Lavve 22 But the Scripture hath shut vp all vnder sinne to the intent that the promise by the saythe of Iesus Christ should begiuen to those that beleeue 23 Novv before that fayth came vve vvere kept vnder the lavve shut vp to come to the fayth that vvas to bee reuealed 24 By meanes vvhereof the Lavv vvas our scholemaster to leade vs vnto Christ that vvee might bee iustified by fayth 25 But novv that fayth is come vvee bee no more vnder the Scholemaster WE haue alreadie this morning dispatched this poynt that the Law was not giuen in vayne though it coulde not bring vs too righteousnesse to make vs acceptable to God SecoÌ„dly it was shewed you that Gods giuing of hys Lawe was not to the intent we should seeke our righteousnesse and saluation there as though his grace had bin weake and vnsufficient but for a farre other respect that is to wit to giue men suche knowledge of their sinnes as they might be ashamed of them in theÌ„ selues for otherwise they could not be touched to the quicke to flee to our Lorde Iesus Christ for refuge as we see too much And now S. Paule moueth another question namely whether the lawe bee agaynst the promises For surely when it is sayde that the lawe promiseth vs saluation vpon condition that wee deserue it and the promise of the Gospell telleth vs that wee shall bee taken into Gods fauour without any deseruing a man would thinke there were some contrarietie in the matter As if a man shoulde offer mee a house so I would pay wel for it and did set me a price of it and another man should say vnto me no thou shalt haue it for nothing There is great contrarietie in these sayings And it seemeth that in speaking after that fashion God vnsayeth that which he had spoken in hys law where he sayth Serue me and keepe my commaundements you shall not misse of your wages For in the Gospell he speaketh another language saying I require nothing of you for yee bee so wretched that ye can giue me nothing but I receyue you into my kingdome frankly and of mine owne free goodnesse without any desert of yours your heritage is assigned to you euen bicause it is my good pleasure to doo it Heerevpon S. Paule declareth that although God speake after another maner and fashion in the lawe than in the Gospel yet notwithstanding when we haue well considered the marke that he shooteth at wee shal perceyue there is no contrarietie in the matter For as I haue tolde you this morning Gods promising of rewarde to our works is not to beguyle vs but to stop our mouthes that wee might not repine agaynst him as we see that the world doth which is alwayes ready to carpe at him with diuelish malapertnesse wheÌ„ he handleth them not after their owne will and liking God then cutteth off all occasion of grudging when he telleth vs that wee shall not be disappoynted of our wages for our wel seruing of him Furthermore let euery of vs examine him selfe well and he shal finde that that is not the match wherby we must obteyne saluation for there is none of vs all but he may condemne him self by his own life if he iudge without flattering But after that God hath spoken after that fashioÌ„ he offereth vs remedie in the Gospell and telleth vs that for as much as we be damned and can not hope to attayne any saluation by our works he him selfe offered it vs of his own free goodnesse bicause it pleaseth him so to doo And for that cause S. Paule answereth If the law had bin giuen to iustifie I coulde wel inough graunt that righteousnesse should be giuen vs by it But let vs see whether God ment that or no. It is certayne he ment it not Then sendeth he vs to Gods purpose as if he should say that the Hypocrites which are so puffed vp with pride ouerweening that they think they be able to iustifie them selues to win heauen are il expounders of Gods law yea falsifiers therof For men must alwayes haue an eye to the intent of the speaker Now God ment not to set men a gog with any trust in their own wit deseruings for we be too much giuen to that of our own nature VVe see it hath bin a common error through the whole world in all ages Therfore we nede no scholing to persuade vs that we be able folke that we can bind God to vs by our vertuous doings But contrariwise God hath giuen vs his lawe to the intent we should be wounded with it as with a sword the stripe be so deadly as we might be constrayned to flee to him for succor Seeing then that Gods will it to slea vs by the Law it is not giuen vs to make vs righteous And therfore they that seeke their life welfare there beguile them selues and there is no reason why they should alledge for theÌ„ selues yea how so God hath promised me it No but they must consider to what end he saith so Now we see how S. Paul hath discussed this question that there is no contrarietie betweene the Law the Gospel though God alter the maner of his speech at the first blush Now he addeth afterwarde That the Scripture hath shut vp all â—â—â—der sinne that we might obteyne the promise by the fayth of our Lorde Iesus Christ. VVhen he sayth that the scripture hathe shutte vp all vnder sinne he sheweth that men are too-too blockishe too thinke that God ment too assigne them a due wages or hire when he dyd set them downe this condition He that dooth these thinges shall liue in them Lette them reade the whole lawe let them searche the contents and substance of it let them looke well vpon the whole holy Scripture and they shall finde that it accuseth and condemneth all men from the moste to the
a mutual agreement melodie betwene God and vs then hath baptisme the effect whereof S. Paule treateth and discourseth in this text And so the thing that maketh vs Gods children and clothed vs with Iesus Christ is that God draweth vs out of the corruption wherin we were by nature and will haue Iesus Christ to be our head and vs ingraffed into him to be parttakers of his goods Therfore looke when we receiue that then is all accōplished that is figured by baptisme If hypocrites brag of their baptisme S. Paule sheweth them that it is but vanitie and illusion saying that the circumcision of the letter is nothing that is to say if we loke no further but to the outward and visible Sacrament it is all of no value Euen so is it with baptisme it shall stand them in no sted which with their mouthes vaunt themselues to be Christians and great pillers of the Church forasmuch as they defile the thing which God had dedicated to so excellent an vse as I haue told you before Then let vs marke well that S. Paule speaketh this sentence not to all without exception which beare the signe and mark of baptisme outwardly but to such as fare the better by their baptisme Againe S. Paule meeneth not that baptisme that is to say the water hath the power to chaunge vs in such wise that we should be clothed with our Lord Iesus Christ for by that meanes God should be robbed of the prayse that is due to himself alone But he sheweth here the meane whereby we be certified that we be the members of our Lord Iesus Christs bodie I haue tolde you alredie that we must not seeke any other cause of it than Gods mere goodnesse for if we fetch windlasses one wher or other it is like as if a mā were a thirst and would turne his back to the fountaine to seeke water Therfore let vs learne that it is only God which knitteth vs to our Lord Iesus Christ of his own mere goodnesse that he doth it by the secrete power of his holy spirit and yet notwithstanding ceasseth not too woorke by baptisme as by an inferiour instrument according as wee see how all light cōmeth of him in somuch that there was light in the world euen before there was eyther Sunne or Moone And yet neuerthelesse God hath stablished the Sunne whereby we haue light heere bylowe euen vnto this day But yet doth not the Sunne serue too diminish the power that is in God alone Againe it is sayd that man liueth not by bread onely but by euery woord that procedeth out of Gods mouth And in good sooth the bread it selfe is a dead thing VVho giueth it vs It is God that inspireth life into vs for wee liue in him as S. Paule sayeth in the .xvij. of the Actes And yet notwithstanding it is his will too doo it by bread and he applieth it dayly too our vse too the intent we should bee fed with it So then there is none inconuenience that wee should bee clothed with our Lord Iesus Christ by baptisme and yet notwithstanding that the same should proceede of Gods meere grace and that it shoulde bee done by the secrete working of the holy Ghost surmounting the whole order of nature whereof baptisme dothe certifie vs bycause we bee rude and earthly God therefore is fayne too drawe by little and little by reason of our infirmitie too make vs too conceyue the things that otherwise are too high for vs. For where are our wings too stie with aboue the heauens VVee haue much a doo to creepe heere beneath vpon the earth and therefore God is fayne too come downe to vs which thing he doth by his Sacramentes Thus are we clothed with our Lord Iesus Christe by baptisme according also as S. Paule she weth by another similitude in the sixth to the Romanes For he sayeth that we bee greffed into the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ too the end also to bee made partakers of his resurrection and life This similitude of greffyng is as fit as the other of clothing For take mee the syen of a tree and cut mee of the head or some bough of another tree and greffe mee that little syen into it that was taken from another and yee see they growe bothe into one so as they become bothe one substance and the roote yeeldeth his sap too the little sprig that was taken from another tree Euen after the same maner are wee greffed intoo our Lord Iesus Christe sayeth S. Paule and that is too the end that our old man should be crucified in him and we be raysed vp againe in newnesse of life But heere wee haue first too marke howe gratious and bountifull God hath and still doth shew himselfe towardes vs in that it pleaseth him too vnite vs too his owne sonne for that passeth all the benefites whiche wee can conceyue in our imaginacion And therefore also doth S. Paule proue that all things which God hath do belong vnto vs and that we haue the inioying of them whē we once possesse his Sonne Seing sayeth hee that God hath not spared his owne Sonne how should he not giue vs all things with him Too be short God coulde not haue vttered the infinite treasures better than by ioyning vs after that maner to his only Sonne It is more than if he had giuen vs heauen and earth For surely if wee compare Iesus Christ with all the goodes of the worlde yea and all the goodes that are aboue the earthly world he farre surmounteth them all Marke that for one poynt Furthermore let vs vnderstand that God hath so vnited vs to our Lord Iesus Christ as wee must be fayne to haue all our lyfe in him And it serueth to humble vs the better and to make vs perceyue how horrible a thing it is to bee wrapped in the cursednesse of Adam For if the holy Scripture told vs not that wee muste be vnited to our Lord Iesus Christ before wee can bee in Gods fauour wee should not feele sufficiently the wretchednesse wherein we be hild by nature nother should wee hate our sinnes so much as we ought to do But now that it is tolde vs how it is impossible yea though all the Angels should come to our ayde that all the world shoulde helpe forward the matter and too bee short that although nothing wanted yet it were impossible for vs to come neere vntoo God or that he should looke vpō vs with a fatherly coūtenance yea or that he should acknowledge vs for his creatures til we be clothed with our Lord Iesus Christ This were ynough to make vs abhorre our selues And needes must it be that we be worse than lothely seing there is none other meanes to appease Gods wrath towards vs and to set vs againe in his fauour than by his couering of our sinnes by his clenzing of vs frō al our filthinesse infection by
outward gouernement And the better to expresse that hee alledgeth a similitude which we ought to be well acquainted with For if a father leaue his children fatherlesse and vnder yeeres of discretion he will appoint tutors and gouernors of them till they come too full age VVhen the father is deceassed his children shall be vnder Tutors and gouerners without enioying of the goodes that their father hath left them â–ª and yet do the goodes beloÌ„g to them neuerthelesse they haue not the rule of themselues but in sted of following their wanton appetite men giue them schoolebutter with a rodde Thus ye see that although the children be heires yet haue they not libertie at the firste day bycause they bee too weake and haue nother wisedome nor discretion Now according to this similitude Sainct Paule sayth that the fathers that is to say the Iewes which lyued vnder the law were Gods childreÌ„ and heires as well as we but that the Church was theÌ„ as it were vnder age as a yong child needed a bridle and therefore they were in â—â—â—age subiectioÌ„ of the law S. Paule then compareth Gods law whereby the Iewes were hylde in streight awe vnder the yoke of Ceremonies I say he compareth it to a Tutorship But nowe is that time past and gone sayth he for God hath sent his only sonne in somuch that in our Lorde we bee men groweÌ„ and are come to such perfectioÌ„ of age that the gouernment which was vnder the law is now superfluous vnprofitable yea it should be altogither contrary to Gods will and to the order which he hath stablished And so we see whereat S. Paule amed For it is a thing of great importance to know that our Lorde Iesus Christ is no newcome thing as though god had sodenly bethought him to remedie the destruction of mankind For Christ had that power from the beginning and it behoued all men to seeke their saluation in him for the faith hath always bin one selfsame as the Apostle alledgeth in the Epistle to the Hebrues And truly Abels sacrifices were not accepted for any worthinesse that was in his own person nor for any valew that was in him but only by the meanes of faith faith was faine to be his foundatioÌ„ and buttresse In respect whereof also the Apostle sayth that our Lorde Iesus Christ whiche was yesterday is also to day and shall be stil to the end Therefore we must be well resolued of this point as a thing vndoubted out of all question namely that wee in these days haue not any newe hope of atteining to saluation but the very same that hath bin at al times heretofore and that the Gospell is not a newfound doctrine forged within these few yeeres but the very same doctrine wherein all the rightuous men that euer were haue bin instructed And truly it hath bin said heretofore that we be made the childreÌ„ of adoption when we once haue our Lord Iesus Christ For S. Paule intended to rebuke the folie presumptuousnes that was in the Iewes for that they boasted always of their earthly linage He sheweth that in this behalf we must haue respect of nothing but of the incorruptible seede of Gods word whereby wee bee begotten new agayne Now when God adopteth vs and receiueth vs to bee his children theÌ„ doth he auow vs to be the spiritual ofspring of Abraham How then caÌ„ we be AbrahaÌ„s children except we agree with him in faith Ye see then that Paules handling of this point here is to good purpose namely to do vs to vnâ—â—â—staÌ„d that froÌ„ al time out of mind then hath not bin any other meane to renue men to saluation and too bring them into Gods fauour and loue than by trusting in Iesus Christ and by fleeing altogither vnto him for refuge Thus yee see why it is sayd that yong children are masters of the house and that the inheritance belongeth to them though they do not yet enioy it by reason of their age And heere we haue also to marke further that it wer great wrong to the fathers of old time to shet them out of the felowship and onement of the faith that is shewed heere by Sainct Paule For their life was of all mens most miserable bycause God kept them occupyed with many afflictions and the liues of the fathers specially of those whome God marked out too make them excellent were all mirrors of inuincible patience For what things indured Abraham How hard and great incounters dyd hee heare out VVhat manner of temptations did Isaac and likewise Iacob abide Again what vertues see we in Dauid Now if they had set their mind vpon this world they had bin in worse plight than the brute beasts Therefore as I haue sayd afore it must needes bee that they looked higher and that did they witnesse sufficiently not only by word of mouth but also by deede Then let vs marke well the point that is set downe heere whiche is that the fathers hoped for the selfsame heritage that we looke for euen by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ And for asmuch as we agree with Abraham Dauid the other holy kings Prophets in faith we shall be gathred into the heauenly life with theÌ„ obtein the same crowne of saluatioÌ„ with theÌ„ which is the reward of faith as S. Peter termeth it in his first Epistle Furthermore wheras S. Paule sayth that the child differeth nothing froÌ„ a seruant he doth it always to magnify Gods grace towards vs and the priuiledge which we obteine by meanes of the Gospell It is much for vs to be called the children of Abraham but it is much more wheÌ„ it is said of vs that God hath aduanced vs to a higher degree by the Gospell than euer Abraham came vnto For in asmuch as our Lord Iesus Christ was not yet come he was vnder the yoke of the law But we at this day are free from it and so ye see that God hath exalted vs aboue all the Patriarks and Prophets And wel ought we to acknowledge this grace and to esteeme it as it deserueth to the end weâ—â—â—ay giue ourselues to the seruing of God with the earnester affection and zele But as I haue touched already we must marke that S. Paule speakes not heere of any seueral person For there is none of vs all but he ought to confesse himselfe to be much rawer and weaker in faith then were the Prophets and Patriarkes and that doth their liues shew full well Then if we be not come to such perfection as they were how is it sayd that they were as little children and that we be nowadays as it were at the state of men I told you before how S. Paul speaketh not of one man or other but of the common gouernment of the Church For he speaketh not of the men themselues but of the fashion that God vsed in guiding those that are his This will be shewed the better by
things contrary S. Paule vpbraideth the Corinthians that hee was driuen too giue them milke as to little babes bicause they were not yet able to brucke stroÌ„g meate he maketh them ashamed of their dulnesse of their weltring in their vntoward afectioÌ„s for that they had not profited in the faith as the time required Therfore it was a kind of childishnesse for them to be always new to begin Yea we see how the Prophet Esay condemneth the Iewes yet more roughly wheÌ„ he saith that they were little childreÌ„ to whom meÌ„ say A A B B so as they be still new to begin agein looke what they learne to day they forget to morrow so that they neuer go forward but with great hardnesse This is a vice that is too coÌ„mon in the world Moreouer S. Paule in the fourth to the Ephesians doth generally exhort al the faithful al such as are well strengthned able to be teachers of other meÌ„ which be as it were antesigne bearers to shew the way of saluatioÌ„ I say he exhorteth theÌ„ to grow stil til they be come to the ful age of manhood It shuld seme at the first blush that there is some contrarietie For hee sayth here that al those whome God hath receiued into his Church made them of the houshold of faith are already come to ful age yea euen the veriest idiots that scarsly vnderstand three wordes of faith so they haue the principles and as yee would say the grosse fuÌ„me of the power of our Lord Iesus Christ S. Paul sayth that they be already as good as men growen that God wil not hold them any loÌ„ger as children vnder a maister or as vnder tutors gouerners And in another 〈◊〉 he saith that not only suche as are weake and ignorant but eueÌ„ the excelleÌ„test sort which ought to carie the torch before others to giue them light must grow still And how long Not for a yeere or two but al their life time so that as long as they liue in this world they must dayly acknowledge theÌ„selues to be weake still that they haue neede to inforce and streine themselues to go forwarder and forwarder But al this agreeth very well togither For if euery man examin himselfe what he is surely euen the forwardest of all shall finde theÌ„selues to be stil as little children For although we indeuer to come vnto God yet we drag our legs after vs and howsoeuer we bee disposed of ourselues a number of hinderaÌ„ces step before vs euery little straw stoppeth vs or else if a flie do but crosse our eyes byandby we bee ready to turne away And although wee had neuer so great courage in vs yet haue wee many vices to fight against our knowledge is not suche but wee haue neede to pray God dayly to increace our faythe and correct the remnant of vnbeleefe that is in vs. Thus ye see what euery man shal find on his owne behalfe But if we looke vpon the fashion that God keepeth in guiding gouerning his Church it is certaine that we be fully men growen And why For we be no more hilde in so streight subiection of the law as the fathers were but for asmuche as we haue our Lord Iesus Christ we resort vnto him wheÌ„ we haue sinned VVe see welynough how we be berayed with spots blots before God but yet is our washing ready at haÌ„d in somuch that by being dipped in the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ by faith throgh the working of the holy Ghost we become pure cleane God accepteth vs into fauour Againe we be bound to euerlasting death by reason of the faultes that we coÌ„mit dayly against him but yet the amends for theÌ„ is to be found in our Lord Iesus Christ for he is ordeined the ransome to discharge vs. Ye see then that we be no more vnder the bridle wherto the fathers were subiect namely in respect of God and of his gouerning of vs. Therfore although we feele our owne infirmities yet doth not that barre vs froÌ„ being men growen that is to say it is not let but that God giueth vs greater libertie and priuiledge than he did to such as liued vnder the law Thus in effect that question is assoyled And it serueth to bring vs backe too that which I haue touched already 〈◊〉 that we must magnifye Gods grace towards vs for aduauncing of vs to such dignitie But therwithall we see also that it is not lawful for men to deuise a new gouernment at their owne pleasure vnder pretence that folke are raw or that many are not yet fit to be led and guided after a higher and wiser fashion And it behoueth vs to marke that wel For when the superstitions that reigne nowadayes in poperie did firste enter into the world they began not with suche diuelish blasphemie as they bee now mainteined with For looke how many Ceremonies there are in the popedome tearmed by the name of Gods seruis so many be their Idolatries and the Illusions of Satan and to be short all is abhominable before God VVhy so For they imagin them to be things necessary to saluation that by the meanes of them they be able to raunsome themselues and too get forgiuenesse of theyr sinnes Moreouer they deface our Lord Iesus Christ and the grace that is brought vs by him bycause they hope too raunsome themselues by their owne satisfactions and by that meanes vsurp and plucke to themselues the thing that beloÌ„geth to the sonne of God Thus ye see that they be cursed villaines Neuerthelesse wheÌ„ al their gewgawes were first brought into the Churche they were not yet ful of so grosse dotages but they crept in vnder a somewhat more fauorable preteÌ„ce that is to wit that men were rude dul vnable to compreheÌ„d the secrets of the kingdome of heaueÌ„ if they had not bin haÌ„dled dandled after the maner of little childreÌ„ Now as I haue touched alredy it is true that euery maÌ„ ought to huÌ„ble himself wheÌ„ he knowes his owne infirmitie but yet doth it not therfore follow that we shuld bring vp new fashioÌ„s after our owne fancies VVe must be coÌ„teÌ„ted with that which God hath ordeined A yong child must not choose his tutor of his own head no he should not be suffered to do so But his father will apoint him one True it is that there are other meanes stablished by lawes but heere S. Paule hath taken a similitude agreable to the matter that he deales with Then if an earthly father haue authoritie to apoint Tutors to hys children why should not God haue the same power A childe shall not be licenced nor suffered to choose a Tutor to his owne liking Sith it is so by what right or title will wee deuise this or that too saye wee bee yong â—â—yldren and therefore we must haue a fashion meete and agreable to our slendernesse Yea and God hath prouided one for
vs now shall wee be wiser than he Howsoeuer the cace standeth the very cause why mens wits haue bin so tickelishe to deuise store of Ceremonies in the Christen Churche was that they sawe so much rudenesse among the common people Yea mary say they it is good reason that there should be this that Baptisme were to simple a thing if there were nothing else to bee seene in it but water and that water would not bee sufficient For there are a great number of lay folke which are so dull that they vnderstande not what that misterie meaneth that is to wit that we be renued by our Lorde Iesus Christ Therfore there needeth oyle and creame to represent the holy Ghost as it were in a visible figure Besides this there needed light and a white Chrisome and salte and eft one thing and eft another Very well thus was baptisme dayly decked yea in the opinion of men but all of them are but defilings for did not our Lorde Iesus Christ who is the incoÌ„prehensible wisdome of God his father knowe well inough what should be for our profit Shal men come creeping like little todes and seeke I wot not what and beare them selues in hande that the things which our Lord Iesus Christ hath ordeyned are vnperfect and that they will take in hande to make them perfect As muche is to be sayd of all the rest Specially the Supper of our Lorde Iesus Christ hath not only bin corrupted and maymed but also vtterly defaced by the diuelishe abhomination of the hellishe masse For they make it to be but an ordinarie matter to take a bit of bread to drinke three sippes of wyne Gods word willeth vs to looke to the promise namely that wee be made partakers of the body and bloud of our Lorde Iesus Christ when wee receyue his holy Supper with true fayth and obedience and that in him onely lyeth the foode of our soules But contrariwise men haue bin fayne to apparell themselues like players in an enterlude therwithall to vse so many murlimewes as it was a shame to beholde them and what was the ende of al Mary â—ir it was a sacrifice for the remission of sinnes both of quicke and dead VVherin yee see howe our Lorde Iesus Christ is berefte of his priestly dignitie which was giuen him of God his father eueÌ„ with solemne oth that he should neuer haue any successor but yet for al that the Papists make him a thousande thousande successors And what maner of men I pray you Surely if they were Angels of heauen yet ought they to bee taken for diuels But their choyce is of al the vermin of the world of all the rascals and of all naughtipackes and shall wee say that suche a rable are the successors of our Lorde Iesus Christ And yet neuerthelesse yee see what the Papistes alledge for their couert namely that men must needes haue some helpes bicause of their infirmitie And thereof came all the residue of their superstitions as for example when they did set vp their Idols and puppets they termed them the lay mens bookes But wee see that all their malapertnesse is confounded heere when S. Paule bringeth vs backe to the order that God hath set bicause wee must all wholly holde vs too it and there rest So then will wee not disclayme the heritage of heauen whiche our Lorde Iesus Christ hath purchased for vs Let vs followe the gouernement which God hath set downe in his Church and assure our selues that God will supply al wants Howe rude or rawe soeuer wee be he can well skill too drawe vs to him Yea so we keepe the beaten way for as for them that haue so mingled and turmoyled things and pyled vp suche a heape of Ceremonies they haue so little remedied their infirmities therby that they haue rather estraunged themselues quite and cleane from our Lorde Iesus Christ For wee know that men are of their owne natures too muche inclined to visible things Therefore by taking vp many ceremonies men are so intangled so snarled so depely drowned in them that afterwarde they forsake God and our Lord Iesus Christ If any man alledge why so Had not the fathers of olde time many ceremonies also too helpe their infirmities Yes but all theirs were reuealed too them by God For first it was tolde them that the patterne of all those things was heauenly as it is sayde in the .xxv. of Exodus And it was shewed too Moyses in the mountayne too the intent they should not muse vppon these present and corruptible things And when God sawe they were too muche giuen vnto them wee see howe he rebuked them sharply by his Prophets saying away with your sacrifices fye on them for thinke yee that â—â—ake pleasure in your cutting of the throtes of beastes in hope too pacifie mee thereby as thoughe I were an hungred or a thirst Thinke yee that I haue neede of suche helpes Yee see then that God dyd alwayes drawe his people from superstition notwithstanding that there were many ceremonies ordeyned which was done for the necessitie of the time For it was requisite that there should be figures and shadowes in the absence of our Lorde Iesus Christ according too S. Paules saying who telleth vs that the fathers of olde tyme were by that meanes directed too seeke Christ but nowe that he is come wee haue no more neede of any suche thing As for example if a man bee away from mee so as I can not come too the sight of him and I would fayne haue a representation of him too finde him out by I must at leastwise haue an Image that may resemble him but if I see his body present and may beholde him face too face I neede no more any Image or counterfet too paynte him or expresse him more liuely vnto mee Euen after the same maner the fathers of olde time had many figures and shadnwes bicause our Lorde Iesus Christ was not yet reuealed But nowe that he shineth vpon vs and sheweth him selfe as the daysonne of rightuousnesse so brightly vnto vs were in not a wilfull burying of him agayne if wee woulde needes haue figures still And for that cause also was the vayle of the Temple rente a sunder at hys death For now a dayes wee may enter in familiarly vntoo God and offer him our spirituall Sacrifices that is too wit our prayers and petitions and that is bicause wee haue the very body and substaunce as Sainct Paule sayth in another texte to the Collossians Now then wee see that all they which haue forged new deuises after that sort haue vtterly corrupted and falsified the Gospell and haue tied towels and napkins before mens eyes too keepe them from the seeing and knowing of Iesus Christ as they ought to haue done and as was requisite for their saluation And therfore it is certayne that all they which busie them selues about such gewgawes do in steade of seeking Christ
throwe them selues headlong into damnation by following so their owne brayne They bee so giuen too it as they can not be plucked from it they play the little children that are buylding of some house of oyste â—â—â—els who are so earnest at their work that they forget to eate or drinke and are contented to suffer heate and colde hunger and thirst And why so Bicause their fondnesse carieth them away Agayne they remoue their stuffe too and fro and bring in this and that and when they once begin to set them selues to it they can neuer make an ende Euen so is it with men when they will needes serue God after their owne liking Yee see then that we had neede to be sober in that behalfe and to content our selues with the helpes meanes that are ordeyned already to bring vs to our Lord Iesus Christ VVe haue Baptisme the Lords supper let vs hold our selues contented with them for our curiositie will always draw vs vnto euill vnlesse we yeeld to Gods appoyntment and giue ouer al our owne speculations and fancies Yea and let vs vnderstande that it is a blasphemie agaynst God when men say of their owne heads this or that is good for vs. I tell you playnly when soeuer men say we must haue this and we must haue that or we must haue our Church or religion of this fashion or that fashion It is as much as if he should say God was not well aduised how wee should bee gouerned he wiste not what was meete for vs. As for example it seemeth to them to be too slender a matter that there should be no more but only water in Baptisme and they must haue somewhat else to giue it a greater grace and maiestie Therfore they haue tapers and salte and creame and all the rest of the pompes of their owne making Lo how men wyll alwayes bee adding of somewhat vnto Gods commaundement which doing is a cursed blasphemie as I sayde afore And it riseth of this that they had not an eye to the principall but gazed styll vpon the appurtenances The principall is the promises for all the Ceremonies of the world are not onely vayne and baggagely but also diuelishe illusions excepte Gods worde bee printed in them and that that be the thing whereat they looke and the marke wherat they ame As how If wee had no promise for baptisme ne knew to what end it was ordeyned what a gewgawe were it It were much better for vs to forbeare it Agein if we knew not what the Lordes Supper meaneth it were better that the remembrance of it were vtterly buryed But when Gods word goeth with it so as we haue the promises to wâ—â—ant vs that we be washed and clensed from all our spottes by the bloud of our Lorde Iesus Christ then lyeth all our trust there And moreouer it is sayde that there we be renued by the holy Ghost Lo how baptisme leadeth vs to the promises and the promises leade vs to Christ as to the partie that is conteyned in them Thus ye see what wee haue to beare in minde when S. Paule exalteth vs in degree aboue all the Patriarkes and those that lyued vnder the Lawe namely that it is not for that there was not more perfection constancie and fayth in them than is nowe a dayes in vs. And therewithall as I haue earst sayde wee bee still confirmed in this poynt that there is no newe meane of saluation set foorth vnto vs but that God gathereth vs too hym for our Lorde Iesus Christes sake in like wise as he hath in all ages called his chosen and those whome he lysted too cull out and whome he voutsafed too make partakers of the adoption that is imparted too vs at this day For if it mighte bee sayde that men haue had the meane too bee iustified and too come in fauour with God but onely since Iesus Christe came into the worlde what should become of those that lyued afore Our fayth shoulde bee but weake and it would cast vs into suche a maze as wee shoulde not wote where too become How nowe would wee say Hathe not God bin the father of his creatures in all ages VVas there no saluation tyll Iesus Christe came intoo the worlde Yes but where as it is sayde that the saluation is manyfested vnto vs by the Gospell yet was it also alreadie before and althoughe there was a veyle in the Temple and other shadowes yet neuerthelesse the fathers had alwayes an eye vnto Iesus Christe vnto whome wee bee led at this day Thus you see howe they mighte walke freely and without doubting and howe that at this day also there is not any thing that can shake vs if wee keepe on our waye too our Lorde Iesus Christe knowing that by his meanes wee bee all called too the heritage which he hath purchased for vs. And therefore wee ought so muche the more too abhorre these Deuils that â—eare vs in hande and strayne them selues too proue that the fathers of olde time were like to brute beastes as though they had knowen nothing of the spirituall lyfe Beholde a blasphemie meete too deface all the religion of the worlde Of which number was that cursed creature that was punished heere according to his deserts I meane that dogge whiche durst bee so bolde as to write that Abraham neuer tasted nor knew of the heauenly life norâ—euer worshipped God but imaginatiuely and that the reporting of him to be the father of the faythfull is but a mockerie and that his fayth was but a shadowe of fayth and finally that he neuer knewe of Iesus Christ nor of his comming Beholde I praye you the blasphemies wherwith his bookes were stuffed But let vs in these dayes abhorre suche plagues of Satan For it is certayne that the sayde Champion of the Diuell was purposely bent too bring too passe that there shoulde bee no more fayth in the worlde For inas muche as the Diuell transformed him selfe and shewed not his hornes at the first it was very daungerous when he came after that fashion as it were too digge downe the foundation of oure fayth as it were vnder the earth And Sainct Paule warneth vs expresly heereof too the ende wee should stande vppon our garde and keepe good watche that wee bee not taken tardie Then let vs marke well that wheras it is sayd heere that to be made the heires of God we must be made the members of our Lord Iesus Christ thereby the holy Ghost intendeth too confirme vs to the ende we should be so muche the better disposed to go on forwarde continually vnto God and to holde out in the hope till wee haue ouercome all the battels of this world to be brought into the spirituall rest which we looke for Also we haue therewithall to marke well what is sayde concerning the fulnesse of time For according too mens vnmeasurable inquisitiuenesse it mighte bee demaunded heere why and how so VVhy hathe God driuen it off so
any worthinesse that he pretendeth in himself He hath an eye onely to the doctrine It is sayd firste that he was receyued as an Angell of God And why not For the same title hath bin giuen too all such as haue had chardge too beare abrode the doctrine of the Lawe and of much more reason ought too bee giuen to the publishers of the Gospell for there God vttereth his maiestie and power muche more than he did in olde time vnder the Lawe For asmuch then as God appoynteth mortall men to speake in his name and authoritie it is requisite that they should be acknowledged to be his Angelles that is to say Messengers or Ambassadors for the woord Angell betokeneth none other thing And in good sooth too what purpose were the doctrine which wee heere if it came not of God It were much better that we preachers were dumbe and speechlesse and that the heerers were deafe and blind than to stand herkening to a man that were not sent of God For the chief honour that God requireth at our hands is that we should be whist and herken to his woord yeelding him all authoritie and holding our selues bridled and captiue as vnder the royall scepter wherevnto he will haue vs too submit our selues Now if a mortall creature should vsurpe this to himself what a thing were it So then let vs marke well that S. Paule doth iustly compare himselfe with an Angell as in respect of his doctrine And why For he knewe well inough he had not forged it of his owne brayne but had receyued it of God And that also is the cause why he addeth as Iesus Christ. For surely our Lorde Iesus Christe will haue vs too receyue such as he ordeyneth too bee his ministers as if he himself were heere in visible shape among vs. He that he ereth you sayeth he heereth mee 〈◊〉 neuerthelesse it is certaine that he ment not too make idolles when he ordeyned his Apostles and such as should bee ministers of his woord He ment not that they should bee woorshipped in his steed for out of all doubte that preheminence is not to be giuen to the very Angelles of heauen and what shall bee done too vs then whiche are but dung and rottennesse Howbeit our Lorde Iesus Christ regarded not what maner of ones men are but ment too aduaunce his owne woorde too the end that all men should submit themselues too it Although then that wee bee but as brittle earthen pottes or rather already broken so as wee bee nothing woorth yet muste not the treasure of the Gospell which wee beare abrode bee therefore despyzed For when Gods woorde is preached purely vntoo vs it is all one as if he dwelte among vs and appeered personally vntoo vs and it behoueth vs too giue a proofe of our feare loue and obedience towardes him by receyuing his woorde though it come out of a mortall mans mouth And furthermore if wee holde skorne of the Gospell vnder colour and pretence that they which speake vntoo vs are nother Kings nor Princes ouer vs let vs assure our selues that that rebelliousnesse of oures heaueth at our Lorde Iesus Christe He that despyzeth you sayth he despyzeth mee and he that reiecteth you reiecteth mee And this is well woorth the marking For wee see now adayes that Gods woord shall bee so lightly esteemed vnder pretence of mens persones as it is dreadfull too behold And all suche as are loth too bee rebuked will by and by haue this answere in their mouth who are you Sir who made you my Prince As who shoulde say that God had not superioritie ouer vs nor might speake too vs by the mouth of his seruaunts A Prince may well ynough sende his officer or some such man as he listeth to chooze and although the persone bee of no countenance yet will he haue him receyued without doubting and men do so And when God who hath soueraine dominion ouer vs and sole preheminence ouer all the kingdomes and principalities of the world sendeth vs his seruāts whom he auoweth and will haue vs too giue them the heering if wee neuerthelesse do disdayne thē and in respect of their persones make none account of the message that he sendeth vs by them and therewithall alledge how now is this fellowe a 〈◊〉 what a presumptuousnesse were that If a man carie abrode Gods woorde ▪ faythfully and tell men that whosoeuer despizeth it setteth and aduaunceth himselfe agaynst God what say they this fellow makes himselfe God As who should say that God might not speake by those whom he hath appointed to be his instruments for as I haue sayd heretofore cursed mought we be if wee bring our owne inuentions It were muche better that wee were drowned a hundred times than that euer wee should go vp into the pulpet if we should not vtter Gods will faithfully and sticke too that which he commaundeth vs and draw it out of the cleere fountayne of his holy woord Should not these things be declared Thinke we that God can be bereft of the thing that is peculiar too him that is too wit of his truth No he and his truthe can neuer bee separated So then let vs abhorre the blasphemies of these naughtipackes which say ô he that speaketh will make himself a God If he require men too heere him without gainsaying namely when he is sure in himself that he bringeth not any thing whiche is not of God it is good reason that he should commend the authoritie of his mayster So then let vs not haue any acquayntance with these worldlings but let vs yeeld such reuerēce to our God that although suche as speake in his name bee of no estimation yet wee may not ceasse to obey the things that they set foorth with a true and lowly fayth Yet neuerthelesse we must also discerne betweene those that pretend Gods name falsly and make a vayne cloke of it and those that be faythfull dealers of his woord which he hath committed vnto them Looke me vpon the Pope with his whole kenell who are not ashamed to say that whosoeuer heereth them heereth Christ that he which reiecteth them reiecteth Christ for they alledge that saying of Christes he that heereth you heereth mee c. too authorize themselues withall But they that will bee receyued as Angels must doo the duetie of Angelles that is too say they muste bee true messengers of God in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath sent them and they must hold all of him so as they serue him truly and seeke not soueraintie too themselues but that he may alwayes bee the shepeherd of the Churche and that the sheepe of his flocke may heere his voyce and follow him whither soeuer he calleth thē And as for them that be false 〈◊〉 peruerting the truth and vsurping superioritie too deface Gods woorde it is meete that they should be taken for such as they be in deede this hath bin shewed by that which
shaped and fashioned as were to be desired Thus yee see breefly howe Sainct Paule mitigateth the rigoure that myght haue bin too great and haue wounded the Galathians too sore when hee sayde vnto them VVhat Yee bee as it were borne before your time I thought I had cōceiued you bred you borne you and brought you vp in Iesus Christ and I see now there is no life in you at leastwise no spirituall life and that all is slipped and vanished away If Sainct Paule had stayed there surely those wretched people had bin driuen to confusion and vtter despaire Therefore to giue them courage to returne againe he sayth Go too truly ye haue profited very ill hitherto but enter new againe into the right way and let that which seemeth to be starke dead bring foorth new frute againe and let it be perceiued that your protesting too walke according to the Gospell heeretofore hath not bin vayne For like as if a tree bee as good as dead and seeme to be vtterly withered it wil spring againe if a man put new earth to the roote of it and cherish it so will it fall out that a man which is quite strayed away from the Gospell shall not only bee as it were eftsoones begotten new againe if hee bee brought backe agayne into the way but also the thing that hee had receiued afore shal do him good as is to be seene wheresoeuer God giueth the grace too bring those backe againe intoo the right way which were strayed from it But surely that happeneth not too all men and therefore let vs beware that wee abuse not Gods goodnesse as many of these skoffers do whiche turne away as though they had confederated themselues with Satan whereof we see examples in these folke that defyle and vnhalow themselues and deface Gods truth to the vttermost of their power And if any man turne away through vnconstancie it seemeth that all is marred and some will say what shall a man win by teaching of them behold he is but a lost child and so they will conclude that there is not one drop of good knowledge in them But if God call them agayne as there are many such examples to be seene a man shall find that the thing which was as good as choked ouerwhelmed before sprouteth againe like as if dung were cast vpon a well tilled grounde or as if dust and such other things were strowed vpon it that which is vnderneath it shoulde lye hid for a time but afterward it woulde shoote vp againe This in effect is the thing that Sainct Paule ment to tell vs heere But by the we way we haue to marke that whereas hee saith that Iesus Christ shall be fashioned in them new agayne it is meant condicionally that they returne vnder his obeysance Surely thys saying might seeme somewhat harsh at the first sight for we be rather fashioned in Iesus Christ than he in vs. For proofe whereof beholde Iesus Christ is our full and whole perfection Now too say that he is nurrished in vs as a little babe or that he groweth or is furthered is not seemely for hys persone Neuerthelesse Sainct Paule saith so howbeit that is but too shew the vnion that is betwixt vs and Iesus Christ our head Although then that Iesus Christ can neither increace nor diminish in himselfe yet doth hee take all our faultes and infirmities vppon him I haue told you already that we are then borne in him when we bee called too the hope of saluation by the doctrine of the Gospell for wee bee all dead and damned in Adam There is but one meane of lyfe whych is to be made one with our Lorde Iesus Christ who is the fountaine that hath all fulnesse in it and whereoutof it behoueth vs too drawe Then we are borne in Iesus Christ as I sayd afore so doth hee suckle vs with the doctrine of his Gospell till we bee able too receiue perfecter learning and till our faith be so farre forward that wee resemble little babes no more but increace still in profiting more and more till we be come to mans age as Sainct Paule sayth in the fourth to the Ephesians Furthermore to the end wee may know that oure Lorde Iesus Christ intendeth not to bee separated from vs but that he and we be all one hee sayth that hee taketh our faultes vppon him and becommeth as a little babe in vs. How so Can Iesus Christ be weake No not in respect of hymselfe but for asmuch as we bee members of his body hee sayth he is little in vs in respect of the little knowledge of hym whiche wee haue And for asmuch as we proceede still further and further he saith also that hee groweth and is increased in vs. Lo heere a record of excellent goodnesse yea of the infinite goodnesse of Gods sonne in that it pleaseth him so to abace himselfe as not onely too haue compassion and pitie of our infirmities too releeue them and remedie them but also transformeth himselfe and is contented too say that he is as it were vnperfect and as a little babe and that hee groweth greater and greater according too the continuall increasing of our fayth And heere ye see also why in another place Sainct Paule calleth the Churche the fulnesse of God and of his sonne our Lord Iesus Christe But surely if we imagine that God is not throughly full and perfect in himselfe but that he hath neede too borrow of vs it is ranke trayterousnesse for what are wee able to gyue vnto him VVhen hee shall haue gathered vs all before him what can he find in vs but vtter miserie For we bee plunged yea and vtterly saped in it Yet notwithstanding he telleth vs by the mouth of Sainct Paule that we be his accomplishment and that in that respect he is after a sort imperfect Not that he could not bee without vs. for he hath bin always euerlastingly before he had created the world And although there were nother heauen nor earth could not God be satisfyed with himselfe VVere hee nor riche ynough of his owne glory Yes surely but he will not be perfect nor fully satisfyed til he haue vs knit in one with him Thus ye see what we haue to marke vpon this text And by this word Fashion we be warned that it not ynough for vs to haue some slight knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ but that he must be so liuely shaped in vs to the full as we may haue suche a print of his power of all his graces and of all his benefytes grauen in our harts as may neuer bee blotted out or defaced againe He sayd heeretofore that when the Gospell is preached with suche efficacie as belongs vnto it Iesus Christ is after a sort crucifyed among vs in somuch that wee not only see him peinted liuely afore vs but it is asmuch as if wee saw him vpon the Crosse with his bloud streaming downe as though he were presently offering vp
the euerlasting sacrifise to God hys father to wash away all our offences and misdeedes Now lyke as God sheweth vs that fauoure so let vs on our side beware that we let not the thing slip that is set afore vs as many folke do who whē they haue gotten the vnderstanding of a two or three wordes of the Gospel do fall to florishing and thinke themselues to haue too much whereas notwithstanding they haue but a confused imagination Therefore it is not to be wondered at though they be vtterly at their wittes ends in euery temptation be it neuer so small so as all that they weene themselues to haue learned serueth them to no purpose for God doth by that meanes punish their negligence VVherefore in asmuche as God hath graunted vs the grace to knowe hys sonne let the foresaid representation be printed in vs as oft as we come to any Sermon and let vs bee renued in knowledge and remembrance that when the Diuell shall labour to darken and finally to deface the fayth which we shall conceiue he may gaine nothing at our hands bicause we haue the liuely impression of Christes sacrifize so deepely grauen in our hartes as it may well bee sayd that he is truely and throughly fashioned in vs. And herein it to is be seene that the Papistes haue vtterly renounced our Lord Iesus Christ For they cokes the world saying that it is ynough too haue a confused faith and that men must not bee too inquisitiue and that it is perlous for men to indeuer themselues to profit in the Gospell Behold their blasphemies But heere wee see how S. Paule telleth the Galathians that it is a great shame for them that Iesus Christ Christ should bee fashioned new ageyne in them saying that it is all one as if they were doted and had not receiued the doctrine as they ought too haue done which had bin preached among them Therefore if wee doo our dutie and bee as good scholers too Godwarde as he is a good and faithful scholemaister towardes vs surely wee shall not haue an intangled fayth of some confused imagination but wee shall beholde the sonne of God as he is spoken of the Corinthians where it is sayde that the Gospell is the true looking glasse wherein wee behold Iesus Christ as it were in the face Not that wee see him with our eyes for that is reserued to the last day at what time we shall be lyke vnto God As then his glorie shall bee fully discoured vntoo vs but as nowe wee behold our Lord Iesus Christ in the Gospell so farre forth as is meete for vs and as our weaknesse and rudenesse will beare that wee may bee transformed and fashioned like vnto him And wheras S. Paule addeth that he would faine be with the Galathians to change his speeche bicause he was sorie for them therein he bewrayeth ageine howe grosse and intolerable their fault is sithe he woteth not at which ende too begin with them and that although he haue bred them in Iesus Christ and fed them vp with the doctrin of the Gospell yet he knoweth not how to rule them any more whereas notwithstanding a mother ought to knowe the complexion and nature of hir childe Needes then must those men bee vtterly froward and leaudmynded whose fathers and mothers are at their wits end and wote not how to behaue themselues and when their children are become eyther serpents full of poyson or Lyons full of pryde and stubbornnesse so as they be past teaching or handling it must needes be that they are become feendes And yet doth S Paule vpbrayd the Galathians with it Howbeit in stead of blaming them let vs see if the like vice bee not to bee founde in vs namely that when God openeth his mouth to teache vs he finde vs so fickle-headed that he must be fayne to alter his speeche at euery turne It is true that he can welinough weeld our hearts when it shall please him But we treate not heere of his secrete power whereby he worketh in his chosen VVe treate heere but only of our owne nature how beastly it is if it be considered in it selfe and of the preaching of the Gospel Are not they that would preach the doctrine of our Lorde Iesus Christ faythfully striken continually in heauinesse to see men so beastly as they shew them selues to bee For our tasting of the goodnes of our God ought to tame vs. Surely we ought to giue good eare to his doctrine and if wee could bee drawn vnto him by gentlenesse or if wee would bee warned with euery little beckening of his finger like the childe that seeketh too please his father who as soone as his father dooth but speake the worde hath his feete readie out of hande too runne whither soeuer his father sendeth him and both his hands ready to doo whatsoeuer he commaundeth him he should not neede to vse long processe with vs. But when God speaketh to vs we be so dulwitted as we wote not what he meeneth or else wee stop our eares that cry he neuer so loude it is to no purpose for wee abide alwayes at one poynte Therefore the thing that S. Paule hath spoken in this text serueth not for any one people alone but it is all one as if he blamed the whole world in all ages for vnthankfulnesse saying that God is after a sorte greeued with vs for beeing so crooked and frowarde and for the great number of lurking holes and hypocrisies that are in vs in so muche that if he vse vs gently wee become so muche the more sturdie and if he handle vs roughly wee kicke agaynst the spurre And in good soothe wee see what his gentlenesse and roughnesse auayle vs that is to wit so little that our leaudnesse must needes be ouergreat seeing he can not winne vs by the one nor by the other Therefore let vs bethinke our selues throughly Furthermore forasmuch as God is willing to beget vs by his word to the end we should be his children and in the end obteyne inheritance whervnto he hath adopted vs by our Lord Iesus Christ and which he hath purchased for vs by the death passion of him that is the true only heire as oft as we come to Sermons or any of vs reade the holy Scripture let vs consider to what end it serueth And moreouer if wee finde not suche power and efficacie in Gods worde when wee heare it preached or read let vs blame our own naughtinesse or dulnesse for it assuring our selues that the worlde doth still holde vs backe and hinder vs too much and let vs pray God that his worde may not bee vnprofitable to vs. Besides this when we be once reformed by it so as we are become his children let vs dayly feede vpon it assuring our selues that wee haue neede of it all the time of our life and that wee bee not yet come to the perfection wherevnto wee must tende VVherefore let that stirre
sayd perfection without swaruing asyde at any time And so let vs all say Almightie God our heauenly father c. The. 30. Sermon which is the seuenth vpon the fourth Chapter 26 But the Ierusalem vvhiche is from aboue is free vvhich is the mother of vs all 27 For it is vvritten be glad thou barrein vvhich bearest no children breake forth and crie thou that trauellest not for the desolate hath many mo children than she that hath a husband 28 And vve my brethren vve be children of promise after the maner of Isaac 29 But like as then hee that vvas borne after the flesh persecuted him that vvas borne after the spirit euen so is it novv 30 Neuerthelesse vvhat sayth the scripture Cast out the bondvvoman and hir sonne for the sonne of the bondwoman shal not be heire with the sonne of the free vvoman 31 So then brethren vve be not children of the bondvvoman but of the free vvoman WE haue seene this morning that many do boast themselues to be faithfull pretending falsly to be Gods childrē are so taken to the worldwarde who notwithstanding are but bastards and God disclaymeth them bicause they haue corrupted the good seede whiche is the pure doctrine wherby we be begotten new again to be made partakers of the free adoption wherto God calleth vs. Thē all that we haue to do is not to be counted too bee of the Church except we be of the pure sound seed that is to say except we follow Gods worde without any corruption or mingling And for this cause doth S. Paule bring vs backe too the heauenly Ierusalem that we might know who is our mother Truly to speake properly such as peruert the naturall sense of the scripture are not the children of God and all their crying and calling vpon him as their father is but starke lying and hypocrisie Howbeit forasmuch as they be taken to be of that degree S. Paule discerneth them out by their mother too the end we might know which are Gods true and lawfull children and allowed of him For the 〈◊〉 of the Church is oftentimes pretended at al aduenture and in these dayes the Papists make a buckler of it to sheeld their errours withall And bicause the holy scripture is against them they thinke it may serue them for a couert that they as they wene haue the Church on their side Yea but S. Paule telleth vs that we must be wise to discern which is the true Church For the Iewes had colour ynough to shew that God had his abiding place in Ierusalem bicause hee had chosen it out with assurance that he woulde rest there for euer as we haue seene this morning And yet notwithstanding the very same Ierusalem became as a denne of theeues bicause our Lord Iesus Christ was crucified there and the Iewes were for their vnfaythfulnesse cut vtterly off from the house of God bicause they had indeuered to the vttermost of their power to abolish his truth Though the name of Ierusalē had earst bin honorable yet was it then had in reproch and disdein both before the Angels and before all the faithfull Euen so at this day wee ought to consider well which is the Church to the ende that we be not children of a bastarde seede and so God shake vs off and banishe vs out of his house for pretēding his name so falsly through hypocrisie before men In deede it is a verie excellent honor that God giueth to his Church in saying that she is the mother of all the faythfull and it agreeth with S. Paules report in another place where he sayeth that shee is as it were the piller that vpholdeth Gods truth in thys worlde Not that the truth hath any neede to be mainteyned by vs which are inclined to all lightnesse and inconstancie and which haue nothing in vs by nature but vntruth for what stedinesse is there to be found in vs to say that Gods truth shoulde stay vpon men But bicause that of his infinite goodnesse it is his will to haue his worde preached here beneath and hee hath committed the charge thereof to such as he calleth therto in respect where of the Church is called the mother of vs all For as our lord Iesus Christ telleth vs we haue but one father which is God yea and he is the father as well of our bodies as of our soules Howbeit God is our spirituall father without hauing any make yet notwithstāding he begetteth vs into the hope of eternall life and that is by the meanes of his Church wherinto he hath put the said incorruptible seed according as he saith by the Prophete Esay My worde sayth he shall be in thy mouth and continue with thy children from time too time and with all those that shall come of thy race Thus ye see how God intendeth to gouerne his faithfull ones namely by his worde which he maketh to bee as a pledge and inestimable treasure of saluation in his Church to the ende that we should be begotten and nurrished with it Therfore as I haue touched alreadie we had neede too bee so much the more skilfuller in discerning the Church For seeing it is the mother of Gods childrē the name of it ought not to be dishonored and trampled vnder foote nor yet defiled as it is seene to be nowadayes There is not a more common treacherie than to put forth the name of the Church to deface and darkē Gods truth For whereat do the Papists ame nowadayes in vaunting with full mouth and full throte that they be the Church but to stoppe Gods mouth and to thrust his worde vnder foote that it might no more be spoken of and that in the meane while the things that men haue forged after their own lyking should be receyued without any gainsaying and sticked to and obeyed VVe see then that men which are but earthwormes and rottennesse are put into the balance agaynst God and all vnder pretence of the Church But here Saint Paule warneth vs to seeke the Church which hath the pure doctrine whereby wee were adopted of God to be his children Nowe I haue tolde you heretofore that the whole matter lyeth in our being ingreffed into the bodie of our Lorde Iesus Christ and also in our acknowledging that wee be accursed by nature that all our workes are but filthinesse that the Diuell holdeth vs subiect to his tyrannie and that there is none other helpe for vs but that God should receyue vs to mercie and pitie Therefore let vs go into Gods house by the sayde gate that is to wit by acknowledging that there is none other way for vs to get in but by the onely mere grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ Thus ye see howe the Church doth breede vs and beare vs verely euen by the foresayde incorruptible seede Nowe that we may sore the better by this text wee haue two poyntes too marke The one is that we must not be like these
fantasticall fellowes which thinke they may be faythfull without readings or preachings bearing themselues in hande that the holy Ghost ought to reueale himselfe too them by dreame or I wote not â—owe else And in good sooth they despize all doctrine and to their seeming all instruction is but as an Apcie for yong children Let vs beware that we let not our selues looce after that fashion by the meanes of Satan and of his wiles But if we couet to bee counted Gods children and to haue the true marke whereby wee may bee knowne before the Angelles let vs suffer our selues too bee taught and let vs keepe the order of the Church with all reuerence and lowlinesse And so the greatest sort and such as are exalted to any degree of honour ought alwayes to be throughly persuaded in themselues that the greatest dignitie which is possible for them to haue is to bee children of the Church yea through they were Kings and Princes For hee that exempteth himselfe from that state doth vtterly renounce God and cut himselfe quite off from all hope of saluation Therefore marke it for a speciall poynt that so long as we be in this worlde wee must indeuer too profite in Gods woorde bycause that that is the place where all our spirituall life lyeth and that like as God hath begotten vs againe by it so also we shall bee fed by it too the ende as by the onely food of our soules Then let vs not bee so proude and presumptuous as to despize all teaching as though we had no more need to be scholers But let vs from day to day receyue that which is tolde vs and by that meanes let vs become true children of the Church Thus much for that poynt The seconde poynt is that we must discerne and not bee as beastes that are driuen ouer marises and ouerthwart the wide fieldes but consider which is the Church according as God hath imprinted certaine signes of the Churche which signes will neuer deceiue vs. Therfore when we haue Gods worde preached vnto vs purely without any mingling so as there is no corrupting of the Gospell but we be led wholly vnto God to seeke all our welfare in him and kepe the way which is shewed vnto vs which way is our Lorde Iesus Christ so that wee beeing ridde of all pride and ouerweening do suffer our selues to bee clad with the clothing that is offered vs in our Lorde Iesus Christ and repose al our glory ther I say wheÌ„ we haue the doctrine after that maner then is it Gods house and Sanctuarie then is it the true Church and our mother and we may bee well assured that God also auoweth and accepteth vs as his children Tâ— say I is a must sure and infallible proofe at leastwise if we become not brute beastes wilfully as we see many do who shet their eies stop their eares and beare themselues in hand that they be safe if they can once pretende the name of the Church to hide all their abuses and trumperies and the illusions of Satan with it VVherfore let vs not bee so beastly by our owne wilfulnesse but let vs consider whither God sendeth vs to be truly regenerated by the seed of his worde and to bee fed with it as with our only food And for the same cause also is this text of Esay aledged God speaketh not at randon to some multitude that might vaunt themselues too bee the Church but onely to the flocke that should be left after that the Iewes had bin horribly run astray and scattered asunder as we know to haue happened vnto them Surely at the first sight a man woulde haue thought that God had vtterly banished and abolished his Church out of the worlde and yet notwithstanding he had gathered togither a small number of them and those are called the remnant of the free election For which cause the Prophet Esay sayth that such as are redeemed and vnfeynedly returned vnto God to rule their life obediently after his worde are the children of the Church And here we haue to note by the way that the Church tryumpheth not in this world neither shineth with so gay and stately pompe that men might bee rauished at the onely sight of it so as they should submit themselues vnto it but that it is most commonly forsaken as it were disfigured and that is a point well worthie to be marked For whereas the Papists brag that they haue the Church on their side how are they able to do that They must needes bring some euidence But they alledge not aught saue their riches their authoritie and the great pompe and brauerie that is among them but those are not the things that God will haue his Church knowne by For we knowe that our Lord Iesus Christ will reigne heere in the thickest of his enimies insomuch that the lesson which he taught his disciples must alwayes bee verefied vppon vs that is to wit we shall be forsaken and despyzed of the worlde men shall bleare out their tongues at vs and we shall be so troubled and vexed heere as we may not seeke for any peace or rest heere Now then whensoeuer any man talketh too vs of the Church let vs bethinke vs well of the thing that Saint Paule telleth vs heere For he likeneth the Church to a widdow which is all alone in hir house and hath neither succour nor helpe The world forsakes hir no man makes account of hir shee is as good as halfe dead and buried alreadie Neuerthelesse God sayth that she shall be set aflote againe and that she shall haue mo children than she that is maried and is in credit and reputation This lesson must we I say put in vre nowadayes when we see the poore Church so troden vnder foote and the enimies thereof in suche pride or rather madnesse that they set vp their crests and triumph ouer vs as though we were no better than dust and smoke VVhen we see such things let vs wayt paciently till God gather togither those whom he hath chosen and let it content vs that he auoweth vs for his children though the world disdeyn vs and shake vs off after that sort Yee see then that wee muste not bring eies full of vanitie to discerne which is the Church as they do which will haue nothing but pompe and great outward shewes But contrariwise let vs consider that god will so afflict his poore church as there shall not appeare any beautie or shape in hir too the worldwarde but rather vtter desolation yea and as we coÌ„monly see euerie man shall rise vp agaynst hir But howsoeuer she fare let it content vs that God gathereth vs to him as his children yea and let vs marke that when we be called by the pure doctrine of the Gospel we be made fellowes with all the fathers whome God chose vnder the Lawe with all the holy Kings and Patriarkes with all the Prophets and Martyrs and finally with
Beholde I Paule doo tell you that if yee be circumcised Christ shall profite you nothing at all 3 And agayne I protest to euery man that is circuÌ„cised that he is bounde to keepe the vvhole lavve WE haue seene heeretofore that to haue a state of continuance in the Churche wee muste bee grounded vpon our Lord Iesus Christ For many doo boast themselues to be Gods children who notwithstanding are not begotten of the true seede which maketh the differeÌ„ce wherby God auoweth and acknowledgeth vs for his children Therfore if we wil be truly knit to our Lord Iesus Christ we must hold fast the doctrine of the Gospell that he as our heade and mediator may ioyne vs to God his father Therwithall I haue declared that the cause why S. Paul speaketh so of boÌ„d free seed is for that they which seeke their righteousnesse in their owne vertues do alienate theÌ„selues froÌ„ our lord Iesus Christ froÌ„ his grace For by that meanes they bind theÌ„selues to an impossibilitie that is to say to satisfie God in keeping his coÌ„maundements But there is such weaknes in vs as none of vs is able to perform the least point of the law and therfore much lesse can we attaine to the perfectioÌ„ that is shewed vs heere And for that cause S. Paul coÌ„cludeth now â–ª that we must stand fast in the freedome which our Lord Iesus Christ hath purchased for vs. It is certayn that he treateth heere of the ceremonies of the law but yet must we always resort to the welhead and cheefe poynt For if the matter concerned no further than the keeping of a holyday or the forbearing of some kinde of meate it were not of so great weighâ— that suche strife should bee moued for it in the Church But Sainct Paule pored not vppon a matter so slight and of so small importance He had an eye to the doctrine he considered that if meÌ„ should be tyde to do this thing or that thing of necessitie it were an excluding of them from the hope of saluation For if I must needes performe a thing vnder peine of deadly sinne then if I fayle I am become a transgresser and there is no shift for me bycause God is my iudge and I must be fayne to come too account and there is no meanes to redeeme me Now it is certaine that al of vs are subiect to the keeping of the law but yet notwithstanding there is a remedie for it which is to runne vnto our Lord Iesus Christ in all our needes who was made subiect to the law to purchace vs freedome and bare our curse to discharge vs of it Now if any necessitie be layd vpon vs againe too say that the doing of this or that is sinne then cannot our Lord Iesus Christ stand vs in any more stead as I sayde afore by reason whereof we must needes bee plunged in our owne cursednesse without any manner of releefe Therefore it is not without cause that Sainct Paule exhorteth the Galathians to hold their owne and not too suffer themselues to be brought into bondage For by that meanes he faith that they shall be bereft of inestimable benefyte euen so farre foorth as they shall be falne quite away from Gods grace or fauour and vtterly separated from our Lord Iesus Christ in whome lieth all our welfare and happinesse Now that wee may the better conceiue S. Paules meening and also reape the frute that is offered vs in thys text Let vs marke that by this word Libertie oâ— freedome it is meant that we may walke with full confidence before God and that hee will alwayes be fauorable so that although wee bee giltie of many offences yet we shall be quit of them for our Lord Iesus Christes sake and moreouer that it is not in mans power to bridle vs or too hold vs in bondage but that it ought to suffise vs to yeld ourselues obedient vnto God howbeit not after a slauish and constreyned fashion but as children yeeld themselues subiect too their father knowing well that their father will not handle them roughly Thus ye see what is meant by the worde libertie or freedome whiche S. Paule vseth Neuerthelesse to the end that this shortnesse bee not darksome I will declare it more aâ—â—â—ge So long as we be in doubt whither God do loue vs or hate vs there will always bee trouble and vnquietnesse in our consciences and we shall be as it were locked vp in prison So then there will be no freedome in our mindes till we know and be throughly perswaded that God is at one wyth vs and that he receiueth vs into his fauoure grace though we be not worthy of it But it is impossible for vs to haue any certeintie of it except we haue our quittance alwayes before our eyes which was made vs in the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Chryste VVhy so For as I said afore we be indetted vnto God many wais yea infinite wayes For we be bouÌ„d to keepe the law and we breake it a hundred times a day yea euen or euer we thinke of it Again we offend euen in grosse faultes But howsoeuer we deale we cannot assure ourselues of Gods loue vnlesse wee bee discharged againste him of the obligation of euerlasting death wherein we staÌ„d bound Now we atteine that benefyte when we be perswaded by the Gospel that the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ was shed to wash away al our spottes and that his death is a sufficient sacrifise too appease Gods wrath and to wipe out the remembrance of al our offences iniquities Ye see then that the way to set vs free is to know that God receiueth vs to mercie for our Lord Iesus Christs sake that our faults sins shal not hinder vs to find fauor alwais in his sight or to haue familiar accesse vnto him as children haue vntoo theyr fathers SecoÌ„dly we must not be wauering too fro to make coÌ„science of euery thing that meÌ„ deuise of their owne heads but walke stedfastly according to gods word knowing moreouer that our coÌ„scieÌ„ces are free that whither men coÌ„mand or forbid any thing it is nothing to vs I meene as in respect of the spirituall regiment of our soules For we talke not heere of ciuil policie nor of the common life of men but of our saluation So then all things ought too bee free vntoo vs when they bee not forbidden vs by Gods owne mouth Yet is it not ynough that we haue Gods word for our guide without mingling any thing at all with it but as I haue touched alreadye we must therewithall know that God accepteth our affection when he seeth vs willing to obey him and that although there be much faultinesse and ouer many infirmities in vs and that we come halting vnto him and 〈◊〉 that all that euer wee doo were trifling toyes if he listed to examin them with rigorâ— yet neuerthelesse he taketh al in good woorth And
that fashion And why For it is all one to pull Christ in peeces and too giue him but the one halfe of that which belongeth fully and wholly vnto him alone He is giuē vs to be our rightuousnesse he is called our peace what betokeneth the word Rightuousnesse That God accepteth vs freely for oure Lord Iesus Christs sake Now thē if we say that we win Gods fauor by our own deserts and that Iesus Christ is but a supplyer of wāts is it not a rending of him in peeces and a dismembering of hym as much as in vs lyeth But that cannot be done nor suffered Moreouer our Lord Iesus Christ is giuen for our satisfaction or amendsmaking for there is none other meanes to set God and vs at one but by knowing that we bee quite and cleane discharged and freely quit of the bond of endlesse death For if wee thinke to ransome our selues by our owne desertes and say that if there be any want in vs Christ shall make it good as a small matter it is a flat mockerie and that is in no wise to be borne with VVe see then that the cause why S. Paule telleth vs that Iesus Christ shal profit vs nothing is that mē should not beguile themselues in deuising a newe Iesus Christ that should do but halfe his dutie for we must receyue him in such wise as he is giuen vs of God his father Now he is giuen vs with condition that we should rid our selues of all selftrust and resort wholly vnto him and furthermore that it should suffice vs to haue him too be our head and thervpon serue God his father offering him al that we haue and assuring our selues that although the same all bee nothing yet notwithstanding howsoeuer we fare it fayleth not to bee taken in good part bicause the adoption that is gone afore groūded in our Lorde Iesus Christ maketh vs and our workes to be alwayes accepted of God vs I say that are nothing woorth and our workes that are but pelting trash and yet notwithstanding God taketh them in good worth bicause he looketh not what wee bee or what we do nor vpon the qualitie or quantitie of our workes but only looketh at this that we come vnto him as members of his only sonne resting wholy vpon the sacrifice whereby he hath redemed vs. And therefore S. Paule for a larger confirmation addeth that he protesteth and witnesseth that he which is circumcised is a detter of the performance of the whole lawe For sayth he Iesus Christ is vnauailable when folke will needes iustifie themselues by that meane VVee haue a declaration cleare and easie ynough of the things that Paule hathe sayde and wee must marke it well bicause it is hard too perswade mē that Iesus Christ is vtterly vnauaylable when they go about to make him vnauylable in any part For although the Turkes and other Heathen folke neuer knewe what Iesus Christ is yet haue they had an opinion fully lyke the Papistes and a man shall finde them to be both of one stampe For there were neuer yet any heathenmē in the world which haue not bin of opinion that they could not satisfie God and yet they haue gloried in their owne workes beleeuing that their saluation or welfare proceeded of them The Heathen men then did alwayes beare themselues in hande that they were able to purchase grace and too deserue somewhat at Gods hande And therevppon they offered Sacryfices knowing not that the same were a figure of Iesus Christ but yet howsoeuer the worlde went they thought too make some satisfaction or amendes Euen so also did the Iewes when they had once marred and corrupted the true meening of the Lawe As much also doo the Papistes at this day fully resoluing that God accepteth theyr dooings and that hee is in a maner bounde too them so too doo Let them then bargaine with him too allowe of theyr dooings though they doo amysse For they bee sure ynough that they can not make satisfaction too the full nor in all poynts but yet on the other syde they say that they can doo more than God hath commaunded and that that shall serue for recompence and payment Nowe forasmuch as it is so harde a matter too perswade men that Iesus Christ will not serue their turne by halues it standeth vs on hand to marke this Text so much the better where Saint Paule sayth that whosoeuer is circumcysed is a detter of the performance of the whole Lawe VVhen Saint Paule speaketh after that sort of Circumcision wee muste marke that hee talketh not according to Gods first instituting of it for too what purpose did God giue it vntoo Abraham Hee gaue it him as a seale of the rightuousnesse of fayth and so dooth he himselfe say in the fourth too the Romanes Therefore the Circumcising of Abraham was not too make him a detter of the performance of the whole Lawe but contrarywise too assure him of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes and that God accepted him for one of his children for oure Lorde Iesus Christes sake Yee see then that Circumcision did set our father Abraham at full libertie VVhy then did hee take it Bicause God gaue it him as a recorde and Sacrament of his free goodnesse But contrarywise those agaynste whome Saint Paule reasoneth tooke Circumcision as a meritorious worke and thought therby to deserue at Gods hande they entered intoo a kinde of bargayning with him as if they shoulde say verie well I am beholding to you for such a thing and I haue done this or that in recompence of it Therfore whensoeuer we fall to indenting after that sort with God we become detters of the performance of the whole Lawe As if he shoulde say yee must not bargaine in this cace men must not beare themselues in hand that they can partly binde God so as he should of right bee in theyr dette and bounde of necessitie to take them into his Paradice for dooing this or that for him No no sayth Saint Paule wee muste go more substancially too worke wee must not fall to bargayning with God to say that he bindeth vs to performe the whole Lawe and that we binde him to giue vs euerlasting life If we come to that poynt wee bee detters of the whole Lawe To bee short Saint Paule stryueth heere agaynst the diuelishe errour that reigneth in the Popedome They terme it a parting rightuousnesse that is too say a rightuousnesse that commeth partly of gods grace and partly of meritorious workes And why so For it is wel knowne that there was neuer yet man in this worlde that performed Gods Lawe and that doth experience shewe too much Forasmuch then as the Papistes as shamelesse as they bee doo knowe well ynough as I sayde that it is too manifest a thing that men are not able to keepe all the Lawe they say we mainteyne not that we bee fully rightuous in all poyntes but wee say that Iesus Christ
farre ouerseene as to take vpon him that he hath performed the whole Lawe Then if all of vs be found giltie of offence against God wee be as good as vtterly vndone till our Lord Iesus Christe reach vs his hand Therefore it followeth that wee must forget the rightuousnesse of the lawe and lay it vnder foote so as it may bee vtterly abolished and therevpon that wee go naked too our Lord Iesus Christe for remedie confessing our owne pouertie and not beyng ashamed too bee defaced with all reproche before God that we may be clothed againe with his glorie Thus ye see in effect what we haue too gather vpon this text where S. Paule sayeth that Iesus Christ is made vnprofitable if men hope to iustifie themselues by the Lawe For it hath bin too common an errour in all ages that at the first setting forth and first brunt men will needes pay God all that is due too him and in the end seeke startingholes when they see no power nor abilitie in them too doo it VVell say they though wee cannot doo all yet will wee do somewhat But in this cace it is not for vs to follow our owne imaginacions for God will iudge vs according too his owne woorde Therefore let vs not recken without our host as the Prouerb sayes by making our selues beleeue that God will accept what we think good but let vs vnderstand that Iesus Christ cannot boote vs at all except wee seeke the fulnesse of our saluation in him For it is not sayde in the Scripture that the father hath giuen vs him as a help to obtaine our saluation but that he is giuen vs to be our rightuousnesse and lyfe It followeth then that in our own selues there is nothing but wickednesse endlesse death til we haue recouered the thing in Iesus Christ which wee lost and were vtterly bereft of in Adam And these twoo things are ioyned here togither namely that Iesus Christ profiteth vs not at all and that wee be fallen from grace according as in very truth all the grace or fauour that we must finde at Gods hand is coÌ„municated to vs by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ And it is a very notable poynt For euery man will well ynough graunt that we must resort vntoo God bycause he is the welspring of all welfare But in the meane whyle the most part of men wander in their own windlasses and in stead of coÌ„ming vntoo God do go from him as it is too bee seene in the Papacie where wretched hipocrites the ignorant sort say that their gadding after their Sainctes and puppets their marâ—yring of theÌ„selues in their foolish deuotions is to get Gods fauour But in the meane whyle Iesus Christ is let alone and no man makes accouÌ„t of him but they rather hie theÌ„ to some stocke or stone which they call their Lady than to the Sonne of God And wherof coÌ„meth this Euen bicause they know not how God hath giuen vs his grace nor after what maner he will haue vs too seeke it nor what way and order it behoueth vs to hold Therefore when we be once throughly resolued that God is our father also know perfectly that what soeuer we haue neede of he will haue vs to draw it from out of our Lord Iesus Christ who is as a spring that was vnder the earth and afterward is opened and floweth abrode that euery man may take his fill of it then say I do we know that Gods grace cannot bee drayned drie but yet dooth it not come at vs but by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ Too bee short let vs marke that all that euer belongeth too our saluation is so put intoo the persone of Gods onely sonne that he alone must suffize vs and we go streyght vnto him and take all our contentation there And as I sayd afore let vs keepe our selues from this imagination of thinking to purchace any thing by our desertes for it separateth vs vtterly froÌ„ our Lord Iesus Christ Nowe herevpon S. Paule addeth that wee wayt for the hope of rightuousnesse by fayth in the spirite It serueth to confirme that which he hath sayd heretofore concerning the diuersitie that is betweene vs and the fathers that liued vnder the Lawe For howe was Abraham receyued intoo fauour but through fayth Yet notwithstanding he differed from vs in one thing For in asmuch as Iesus Christ was not yet discouered Ceremonies were giuen him and many mo were added at the publishing of the Lawe according too the neede which the people had too bee so led and guyded Too bee short the faythfull of all ages haue euer sought their whole rightuousenesse in the grace of God Neuerthelesse they were helped by the Ceremonies and shadowes bycause the Gospell was not yet so reueled vntoo them as it is vntoo vs nother was Iesus Christe who is the very pledge of rightuousnesse made yet so manifest But nowe lette vs come too that which Sainct Paule sayeth He setteth heere the spirite now adayes among the Christians to exclude all figures and shadowes as if he should say that it ought too suffize vs that the Sonne of God is appeered too vs for our rightuousnesse and therefore wee muste let go the Ceremonies bycause the shadowe were needelesse now adayes And not in this Texte alone dothe Sainct Paule match the woorde spirite agaynst the shadowes of the Lawe Truly when God in old time did ordeyne Circumcision Sacrifices and suche other things it was not too set folke at a gaze heere bylowe for all things that are contayned in the Lawe are in very deede spirituall There was a patterne of them shewed too Moyses on the Mountayne So then it is certayne that the fathers had a spirituall beleef as well as wee so as they knewe they were not washed and made cleane by three or foure droppes of water nor reconcyled too God by the sacrifizing of a Calfe or of some other brute beast but that oure Lorde Iesus Christe was their onely washyng and clenzing and that hee by the Sacrifyze of his deathe had discharged them quyte or at leastwyse should bycause the thyng was not yet done but the Fathers looked aloofe at the thing which was not yet disclozed And moreouer it is 〈◊〉 without cause that the sayde woord Spirit is set downe heere to shewe that the fathers could not imbrace the grace of our Lord Iesus Christe but by the meanes whiche our Lorde had ordeyned for the time Therefore when any man had done amisse he came with a sacrifice to acknowledge himself woorthie of death before God not too seeke his attonement in a Calfe or in a Sheepe or in any such other thing for that was too bee had in Iesus Christe but yet was it of necessitie that the figure of him should go before As much is to be sayd of the washings and of the residue of those things In these dayes we haue the body sayeth S. Paule and
euery thing neuer beeing resolued of any one poynt Of which sort also are the Papists who haue an infinite number of doubts among them And no maruell at all for they knowe not too what master they must yeeld their account Euery of them talkes according to the disposition of his owne brayne one sayes to my seeming such a thing would be good another sayes Lo this my deuotion telleth me and the third says it were good yet that this or that were doone more Now when they be once entred into suche a maze at length they fall to doubting whether they may kembe their heades or no and make a scrupulousnesse with whiche finger they shoulde feede themselues and of euery thing else To bee short there is neyther ende nor measure of their fondnesse VVhen S. Paule intendeth to shew what it is to be wrapped in mens traditions he saith that wheÌ„ they haue once forbidden too eate flesh anone after they forbid to tast it and when they haue forbiddeÌ„ to tast it soone after they forbid to touch it Yee see then that the way for vs to maynteyne the libertie that is purchased for vs by the death passion of our lord Iesus Christ is first too knowe in what wise God will bee serued and honored to the ende wee be not tossed with so many scruples of conscience for want of discerning what is good or euill but determine fully and certenly with our selues to follow Gods word assuring our selues also that in so dooing wee can not doo amisse And secondly to serue one anothers turne that none of vs bee so addicted to his owne selfe as to ouermate his fellowes but bee so gentle kindharted as euery of vs haue an eye wherin he may aduauntage or succor his neybour absteyning froÌ„ all offence giuing so as it be not sayd I care not for suche a one or for suche a one I passe not whether he sinke or swim but that for as much as our Lorde Iesus Christ hath linked vs â—â—gither too bee members of his Churche wee holde fast the sayde doctrine that is too witte first that God be honored and serued among vs as he commaundeth and secondly that wee agree in suche wise togither as wee labour through meeknesse to matche our selues one with another and to serue one anothers turne notwithstanding that wee be free still to Godwarde as in respect of our consciences And now let vs fall down before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him to make vs so too feele them as it may humble vs before hym and drawe vs too true repentance and wee go forwarde therin more and more groning continually vnder the burthen of our sinne till wee be quite clensed and vtterly ridded of it And that it may please the same good God to beare with vs and not to handle vs so rigorously as he could doo but to guide vs in suche wise by his holy spirite as he may both forgiue and forget our sinnes till we be fully clensed froÌ„ them That it may please him to graunt this grace not only to vs but also to all people and Nations of the earth c. The. 35. Sermon which is the fifth vpon the fifth Chapter 14 For all the Lavve is fulfilled in one vvorde vvhich is this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy self 15 If yee bite and deuour one another bevvare that yee be not consumed one of another 16 But I say vnto you vvalke after the spirite and yee shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh 17 Surely the flesh lusteth contrarie too the spirite and the spirite contrarie to the flesh For these things are one agaynst another so as yee can not do all things as yee vvould 18 But and if yee be led by the spirite then are yee not vnder the Lavve WE see that Moyses intending to bring the lawe into a summe to the ende wee might knowe what was taught vs and tolde vs sayth that God will be loued of vs as good reason it is that we should first sticke vnto him be knit vnto him and afterward that there should be such a bonde of friendship among our selues as we might bee knit togither as members of one bodie And our Lord Iesus Christ also sayth that that is the thing wherby his disciples may be knowen shewing therin that he brought not vp any doctrine contrarie to that which god had always giuen to the people of olde time And for that cause S. Paule sayth now that the fulfilling of the lawe consisteth in this worde that we loue our neibours Not that God ought in the meane while to be forgotten as I haue tolde you heeretofore for it is good reason that hee should be set formost and bee preferred before all his creatures in so muche that for his sake wee ought to forget euen our father and mother our wife and children and all that euer is in this world Neuerthelesse to loue God and to loue our neibours in their degree are not things contrarie For when euery man walketh in charitie thereby he sheweth the loue that he beareth to his God according also as I haue declared And that is the cause why I stande no longer vpon these poynts To be short if wee be giuen to our selues it is a token that wee know not what it is to cary Gods yoke for that is the thing whervnto our own nature driueth vs. Now as we shal see anone men are wholly inclined to all euil therwithal they giue the bridle to all their lusts they make war agaynst God al their whole life is nothing else but a rebellion which sheweth that the diuell doth so possesse al our affectioÌ„s that God can not way with vs til we haue beateÌ„ down al that is of our own nature Now then we know that he which loueth his neibours seeketh not his owne nor is giueÌ„ to himself That therfore is a true certeÌ„ profe that we be desirous to obey God to rule our life according to his word Also our Lord Iesus Christ beginneth at the same poynt wheÌ„ he intendeth to shew briefly what his doctrine is It is saith he a learning to renounce or forsake ourselues For so long as we followe our own trace we must needes go ful coÌ„trary to Gods wil. So then it is not without cause that S. Paule saith in this text that the whole law coÌ„sisteth in this poynt that we loue our neibours But it behoueth vs to mark that by this word neibour God meeneth not our kinsfolk friends at whose haÌ„ds we hope for some profite or aduantage or which haue deserued some recoÌ„pence at our hands but he wil haue vs to haue an eye to the coÌ„mon aliance which he hath set amoÌ„g vs. Therfore we be al formed after his image we beare his mark Besides this we be al of one nature that ought to hold vs in true vnitie brotherhod But many
suche as are so firie at the first dashe that reason can neither appease them nor stay them Therefore when men be so hot and fling themselues at al aduenture things must bee alledged agreeable to their nature to make them ashamed that they may bee drawen too the obedience of God S. Paule then ment heere to bring vs by little and little to the ouercomming of all our affections which are to farre out of square too the end that whensoeuer wee bee prouoked to hate any man or to be reuenged of him we may consider thus with our selues what will bee the end of it but that we shall one of vs consume another lyke dogges and cattes And when we haue considered that wee must proceede yet further which is that althoughe our hatred myght aduauÌ„tage vs neuer so much although we might alwayes haue the vpper hand of our enemyes and although wee could bring all our practizes and attempts to effect I say although wee might haue aduauntage by gyuing head to our passions yet were it but a prouoking of Gods wrath seing we could not yeelde so farre vnto him as to loue those that are vnworthie Sith the case standeth so let vs bee afraid submit ourselues with all humilitie And forasmuch as it is a hard thing let vs fight so much the more manfully tyll God haue gotten the maysterie and wee renounced our selues as I sayde forsaking all our owne nature too the ende that wee may keepe the sacred vnitie which he did set among vs when it pleased him that wee should bee one flesh Now herevpon Sainct Paule addeth that if wee mind to restreine the lustes of our fleshe from reigning in vs wee muste walke in the spirit Furthermore the battell is ryght harde so that wee doo not what wee would do but although God haue reformed vs and touched vs to the quick so as wee would fayne please him in all poynts yet notwithstanding wee shall not yet atteyne too perfection bycause our owne nature will alwayes leade vs vntoo euill But before wee go any further wee must marke that by the word Fleshe Sainct Paule meaneth all that is in man and 〈◊〉 what euer we bring with vs by our birth According also as our Lord Iesus Christ declareth sufficiently in the third of Iohn That which is borne of fleshe sayth he is flesh By the woorde Spirit he meaneth not the Soule of man but the grace whych God giueth vs when he bringeth vs backe to his obedience correcteth our vyces all that is contrarie to his word And the terming of men by the name of Flesh in the holy scripture is in way of contempte But yet in this texte it is a marke of vyce and corruption Sometymes when the Scripture speaketh of flesh it saythe verie well what else are men but fleshe that is too say but rottennesse Ageine all fleshe is grasse And ageine what are the Aegyptians They bee fleshe and not spirit Yee see then that vnder this woord fleshe men are taught their owne frayltie and doone to vnderstand that they be but earth and dust wormes and woormes meate And this serues first of all to humble them But when fleshe is matched ageynst Spirite then are not men taken in their first state as they were created of God but it serueth too shewe that they bee corrupted and full of infection and wickednesse so as there is no taste at all in them to discerne aright but they are vtterly peruerted in all their lustes Yee see then that whereas our Lord Iesus Christ sayth wee bee fleshe euen from our birth his meaning is that wee bee blind wretches which haue no wit at all too come vntoo God and that although he haue put an vnderstandyng in vs to discerne good euill yet notwithstaÌ„ding wee bee growen brutish and cannot come to him and al the reason that we haue serueth but to make vs vnexcusable and finally that we couet nothing but vtter euil that loke how many affections wee haue so many are the enemyes that fighte ageynst all ryghtuousnesse Lo how the holie Ghost blazeth our armes wheras most men bragge of their owne free wyll and of their vertues it is sayd that there is nothing in vs but starke corruption that the same is as an enmitie against God and separateth vs from his rightuousnesse True it is that our Soule or mind is oftentimes called by the name of Spirit for the woord Spirite or Ghoste betokeneth an inuisible substance which cannot be seen nor felt as can a body The Angells are Spirites and so are the Diuells also Howbeit these are corrupted spirites and alienated from God so as there is nothing but vtter wickednesse iâ—â—â—em So then our soules also are Spirites but yet they bee spirits infected with sin which thing happened too them when wee were chaunged and abaced and Gods image defaced in vs by the fall of Adam Now then there had need to be some renewment therof and that renewment is called spirit which is when God reformeth vs and maketh vs new creatures by his holy spirit The first poynt wherof is that we be inlightened so as we conceiue the things that were hidden from vs by nature for faith is the speciall gift of God bycause it is impossible for man to conceiue the things that are for his soule health vnlesse God haue wrought in him Yee see then that fayth is a gift of the spirit as wee shall see hereafter in due time and place insomuch that as wee haue not one good motion to come vnto God and to frame ourselues to his will except he gouerne vs so also forasmuch as he hath adopted vs he giueth vs his holy spirit which is the true marke that sheweth vs to bee Gods children Too bee short looke whatsoeuer God putteth intoo his chosen and faithfull ones too correct theyr wicked and sinfull nature the same is comprehended vnder the word Spirit Now S. Paule sayth that wee must walke after the spirit and then wee shall not fulfill the lustes of our fleshe Hereby he giueth warning too such as delight too much in their owne vyces and take leaue to do naughtily vnder pretence that they be not able too withstand it Heere he wakeneth them vp and telleth them that they be without excuse and that although they bee giuen vntoo naughtinesse yet they ought too seeke the remedie of it And what is that Truely wee shall not finde it in ourselues but God will supply in that behalfe by giuing vs grace to fight in such wyse against all our lustes and wicked affections as his holy spirite shall reigne in vs and get the vpper hande of them God will not deceiue vs in making vs such promise and therefore let vs hye vs to him as diseased folke to a Phisition To bee short S. Paule hath an eye to the excuse that men would bring and are wont too bring in this cace O say they wee bee fleshly and charitie
who hath exempted vs from it gouerneth vs. To be short the marke that he shooteth at is that Christians shuld be free from the bondage of the law Not all those whiche haue the name of Christianitie in their mouth or which make their braggs of it but such as shewe by their deeds that they be meÌ„bers of our Lord Iesus Christ inasmuchas they be begotteÌ„ agein by his holy spirit For mens liues must be answerable therevnto or else all their protestations are nothing worth yea they shal be proued Lyers vnlesse it appeare by their works that they speake truly and vnfeinedly Besides this wheras S. Paule 〈…〉 all goodnes al coÌ„mendable thing 〈◊〉 â—â—utes of the spirit therby he coÌ„firmeth the thing that I told you heretofore which is that if ther be any one drop of goodnes in vs the same is not of our own growing neither can we chaleÌ„ge the praise of it without doing wrong and iniurie vnto God For they be all of them frutes of his grace he is faine to put them into vs by his holie spirite Ye see then that here againe we be humbled to the end that none of vs should deceiue himself in thinking that he hath any vertue or stayednesse or louingnesse or any other like thing of his own For vntil such time as God haue shaped vs new ageyne we be like a peece of grounde that is barrein yea and starke naught For we not only beare not any good thing but also bring forth exceeding much euill till our Lord haue rid vs of it like a naughtie grounde whiche not onely is vnprofitable too the owner in that it yeldeth him neither corne wine nor other necessary things but also bringeth foorth thistles thornes wicked weeds Euen at the same point are we And now wee haue to marke according also as S Paule hath declared heeretofore that loue is the summe and substance of the lawe which he hath set down here in the formost ranke not to make vs forget the calling vpon God nor the affiance which we oughte to haue in all his promises and the whole seruice that is conteined in the first table of the law S. Paule holdeth not scorne of those things neither would he haue them reiected but the matter that he treateth of is how men may giue sure proofe to the worldward whether they be rightly mynded to the obeying of God or no. And I haue told you alreadie that such proof is seene by our louing of our neyghbours when wee bee not giuen euery man too his owne profyte but laboure in common too nourishe good peace and vnitie and put to our helping hande also so farre as God giueth vs abilitie meanes wherwith to do them good to whom we be bound by his woorde Thus yee see why S. Paule setteth downe the woorde Loue in the first place It is not to the intent we should so loue our neyghbours that God should be thrust backe behynde vs but bycause that in hauyng mutuall loue and frendship one with an other wee shewe ourselues to be rightly giueÌ„ dedicated to god which thing caÌ„not be with 〈…〉 trust in him nor without resortiÌ„g vnto him by praier and supplicaâ—â—â—n Furthermore seing that all the things which beare the name of vertue and are iustly commended among meÌ„ are called the frutes of the spirit surely it is much more likely that when we should come vnto God and bee armed ageinst all temptations and be earnest in praying by meanes of faith we be not ready for it if the holy Ghost worke not in vs. Then of natural inclination there is not any thing in vs wherby we take hold of the doctrine of the Gospell neither are wee so lightsome as to mount vp vnto God to talke familiarly with him by prayer and supplication but the holy Ghost must dispose vs too it by inlightening our harts with his grace by mouing our harts to cal vpoÌ„ him Lo what we haue to remeÌ„ber heere Now wheras S. Paule matcheth ioy with loue it is not only to do vs to vnderstand that we shall be quiet to Godward and haue cheerfull hartes when he shall haue receyued vs to mercie and shewed himselfe too fauor vs but he speaketh of another kind of ioy which is that there bee no hartburning among vs to make vs lowre one at another nor spite to withdrawe vs froÌ„ our neybors but that we be gentle fellowlike yea and that we be glad when wee can ayde and succor them that haue neede of vs. In the .xiiij. to the Romans S. Paul saith that the kingdome of heaueÌ„ is ioy of spirit howbeit he taketh that word in another meaning For wee may reioyce in God when he witnesseth vnto vs that he receiueth vs for our Lord Iesus Christes sake and without that we must needes be vexed and turmoyled with such vnrest as we shal liue in continual trouble It is true that the despisers of God do sport theÌ„selues as much as may be in their iollitie but yet haue they neuer any rest or ioy for they bee faine too suffer much hartburning inwardly and God dooth so sting them with sundry hartbytings as they be alwayes in heauinesse and vexation in so much that when they would be merrie they be faine to play the brute beasts and to shake off al vnderstanding so as the discerning of good and euill is quite and cleane daunted in them Now it is a cursed ioy when men stray away after that fashion from God and forget what they bee But as I haue told you already S. Paule speaketh heere of the ioy that we haue in being conuersant with our neybors And after the same maner also is the word fayth 〈…〉 faithfulnesse and soundnesse of hart 〈◊〉 is a faith that respecteth God and that is the sure beleef which we haue of his promises according wherevnto it is sayde that wee bee iustified by fayth bicause it appeareth that God abolisheth and mortifieth in vs whatsoeuer is of our owne nature Therefore in that fayth wee must bee grounded vpon Gods onely mercy which is shewed vs in our Lorde Iesus Christ But howe come wee to the possessing of so great a benefite By trusting vnto Gods promises and by receyuing them with all obedientnesse acknowledging our selues to bee damned and forlorne and resting onely vpon him Yee see then that oure fayth which respecteth God is an assurance whiche wee conceyue of his goodnesse and loue towards vs to the ende wee may preace vnto him not doubting but that he heareth vs. And for that cause also S. Paule sayth that those whiche haue suche fayth doo trust boldly in God and therewithall doo also freely and boldly pray vnto him But in this present texte S. Paule taketh fayth for the faythfulnesse which wee perfourme one to another when we walke vprightly so as wee go not about to deceiue our neybour through lewdnesse or suttletie nor vse any double dealing nor any dissimulation to
downe into the worlde nor what grace he imparteth vnto vs by his Gospell they knowe not neyther what fayth nor what prayer is and yet for all that they will needes haue leaue to doo what they liste and that folke should lay the bridle looce in their necke Of these wylde Christians there are tootoo many nowe a dayes In the meane while the doctrine of God is blamed by their meanes For the enimies of the truthe vpbrayde vs with all suche as are loose liuers now a dayes and say that the same springeth of our preaching For this cause S. Paule hath answered his aduersaries and also armed and fenced vs to answere them to the ende to stoppe the mouthes of all raylers and of all suche as doo falsly slander the doctrine of the Gospell First of all therfore when the wicked sort say that we giue an inordinate libertie to all suche as seeke nothing but to doo lewdly Let vs looke backe to S. Paule who telleth them that the libertie which we speake of serueth for none but such as are a law to them selues namely through the working of the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ But yet notwithstanding this ought to serue for a warning to all suche as imagine a libertie after their owne liking Therefore let them vnderstande that first of all it behoueth them to become members of our Lorde Iesus Christ VVil we then eate quietly without making any 〈…〉 VVill wee bee exempted from all 〈…〉 whiche doo nowe a dayes vexe the simple and ignorant sorte in the Papacie Let vs vnderstande what Iesus Christ is and let vs bee throughly his Let him gouerne vs and let his death and passion shewe their power and effectualnesse in our whole life Thus yee see what we haue to beare in binde in this text And heere S. Paule sheweth agayne that the true perfection of Gods children consisteth in abacing themselues so as they followe not the rule of their owne brayne and affections for wee bee vtterly corrupted Then can wee not bee but rebels agaynst God all the time of our life till wee haue kylled all the sinfulnesse of oure owne nature Marke this for one poynt that our lyfe shall neuer bee framed to the will of God excepte wee bee vtterly chaunged bothe in our thoughts and in our affections Secondly S. Paule sheweth that that can not be done but by communicating with our Lorde Iesus Christ for it is not without cause that he vseth this worde Crucified For thereby he declareth that so long as wee bee separated from our Lorde Iesus Christ and cast off from him and not knit vnto him by fayth our nature will alwayes bring foorth hir owne frutes that is to say nothing but all maner of naughtinesse and vice Thus ye see that first of all Freewill is beaten downe Secondly it is shewed vs that wee can not be partakers of any of Gods giftes nor of his holy spirite but by the meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christ according as I haue tolde you alreadie that wee must all drawe of his fulnesse for he is the onely fountayne that is able too suffice vs. And if wee seeke neuer so farre aboute elsewhere wee shall finde nothing but drythe and wee shall continue a thirst styll and if wee thinke too fill our selues it will bee but wyndinesse and misweening wherewith wee shall burste and yet not gather any good nourishment or substance Nowe heerevppon Sainct Paule concludeth that if wee liue after the spirite wee shoulde also walke after the spirite And it is a more easie declaration of the thing that I haue touched alreadie It had beene inough too haue auouched that wee can not bee set free but by crucifying all oure wicked lustes howe bee it for as 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Hypocrisie is so great that they doo alwayes finde â—â—aâ—ting holes and 〈…〉 man would bee esteemed as an Angell though his life bee out of order therefore Sainct Paule intended for a confirmation too adde this saying â–ª that if wee liue after the spirite wee must therewithall walke after the spirite As if hee should say that it is not inough for men too protest them selues to haue Gods spirite dwelling in their heart but they muste shewe that he is there for he is not idle Therfore if a man will discerne whether Gods spirit dwell in vs or no he must come to our works and to our life and according as our conuersation is so may he see what we be and what is within vs and giue iudgement by our outwarde workes that are apparant As for example if one would beare mee in hande that a blocke were a liuing a man too see too It stirreth neyther head nor foote thrust at it and shoue at it and yet there appeareth no lyfe in it and shall he then make mee beleeue that a peece of stone remoueth from place too place or hath any power in it or is a creature that hath a soule Euen so is it with those that boast them selues to be spirituall For although the vnbeleeuers and enimies of God be aliue as in respect of the body yet are they dead in respect of the heauenly life bicause their soule is vtterly corrupted but wee liue to Godwarde through the grace of his holy spirite And if this grace be in vs it can not bee idle as I sayde afore And that is the cause why S. Paul sayth that our conuersation will shewe whether we liue in the spirite or no. The worde walke is very rife in the holy scripture when the whole ordering of our life is mentioned neuerthelesse heere is not onely walking The worde that S. Paul vseth importeth more that is to wit too walke orderly as if he should say that we must frame our selues to the thing that is conformable too the will of God and of his holy spirite and that our life must bee so well ruled as it maye bee knowen that God gouerneth vs in deede and that our Lorde Iesus Christ holdeth vs too him selfe as the members of his body and that he hath truly witnessed that he dwelleth in vs by his holy spirite Therefore at a worde this thing muste needes bee knowen Nowe to bee shorte S. Paule ment heere to bewray the hypocrisie of all suche as make fayre protestation with their mouthe and woulde haue men to beleeue wonderous well of their zeale and yet in all their whole lyfe doo shew 〈…〉 at all too come neere God nor any 〈◊〉 of hys worde All such folke then are heere condemned of lying and vnfaythfulnesse And therefore that wee may discerne which are Gods children let vs come to the examining of our liues True it is as I haue touched heeretofore that sometimes the ignorant wretches and suche as neuer had any instruction in the Lawe shall haue some apparance of vertue But if a man sounde them throughly he shall finde it is but a shadowe and that they bee not well bent eyther too loue their neibours or to walke
and that the same hath taken roote in vs not too lie hid still but to yeelde foorth fruyte in such wise as Gods name may be honored and we shew that wee be not idle and vnprofitable seruants but that we haue bin quickened by the spirite of our Lord Iesus Christe and that it is he that gouerneth vs by reason whereof the fruyte of it redoundeth immediatly too our neyghbours in so much that wheÌ„ Gods name is so glorified by vs we haue yeelded true proofe of our christianitie men knowe that whereas wee were taught it was to the end that all others should reape profit by it For God hath a respect to the whole bodie of his Church and like as he maketh his sonne to shyne both vpon good and bad so will he haue the faythfull to do good to such as are not worthie of it Therefore let vs acquaynt our selues with it and moreouer acknowledge that we be nothing and that all the goodnesse which wee haue is none of our owne but that we haue it of Gods meere grace And for asmuch as we bee not yet come to the perfection that were requisite let vs not surmise our selues too be in Gods fauour for any other respect than that he beareth with vs till wee bee come intoo his kingdome where we shall haue the fulnesse of all holinesse Now let vs cast our selues down before the Maiestie of our good God with acknowledgmeÌ„t of our faults praying him to make vs so to feele them as wee may bee sorie for them before him yea euen with a true repentance and desire to be rid more and more of them and practize the doctrine that we haue herd that whereas the blinde and ignorant wretches doo now adayes martir and tyre themselues to much in excesse of their fonde deuotions we may learne to hold our selues too the pure simplicitie of his woord knowing that there is none other rule but that and that the same is it wherein he will haue vs to exercyze our selues and wherevnto it behoueth vs too apply all our studie and thereby shew that that is the meane wherby our Lord Iesus Christ will haue vs fashioned lyke to himselfe and therfore let vs go foreward trauell vnto him till we be throughly knit vnto him and in the end be come 〈…〉 such time as he shall appeere to our full 〈…〉 and deliuer vs not onely from this earthly pilgrimage but also from all corruptions and all other things whiche hinder vs from the full inioying of the heauenly heritage That it may please him too graunt this grace not only to vs but also too all people c. The. 38. Sermon which is the first vpon the sixth Chapter BRethren if any man bee ouertaken vvith a fault you that are spirituall helpe too amend him vvith the spirit of meekenesse and consider thy selfe least thou also bee tempted 2 Beare ye one anothers burthen and so fulfill the Law of Christ I Haue declared heretofore that there is not a more deadly plague than Ambition wheÌ„ euery man is giuen too himself and will needes exalt himself to the contempt of his neyghbors for then is nother indifferencie nor measure kept Here is now another vyce very neere of kinne to the other namely when wee snatch at such as haue done amisse to the intent to aduaunce our selues in comparison of them which we see to be coÌ„mon a vyce in the world For to our seeming other mens vertues are a hinderance to vs that wee cannot bee in such reputation as we sayne would This is the cause that euery of vs prieth and peereth at his fellow to the intent to disgrace him in such wise as he alone may not beare away the bell and by that meanes haue chiefe prayse and coÌ„mendacion And although that that be not yet will it often come to passe that wee shall be ouer rigorous vnder pretence of zele For this cause Saint Paule doth heere exhort the faythfull too do their indeuer too reforme a man with all gentlenesse when he hath done amisse And he dooth purposely 〈…〉 state before vs heere For it ought too moue vs to compassion 〈…〉 â—onsider the common frayltie that is in vs all as he will touch the same point more at large hereafter Neuerthelesse his putting of vs in mind of our infirmitie by nature is too the end that none of vs should climbe to high And furthermore he addeth the woorde ouertaken meening thereby that it alwayes deserueth gentlenesse at our handes when we see a man surpryzed by the wylinesse of Satan For S. Paule spake not heere of such as haue rooted malice in their hart which are vtter despyzers of God which are altogither heathenish which are so full of poyson throughout that they cannot alledge for themselues that they fall by ouersight â–ª for why they bee madde beastes rushing wilfully agaynst God according as wee shall see many that manifestly despize all order and would haue all the worlde put too confuzion Suche maner of men are not compryzed in the number of those whom Sainct Paule speaketh of heere But although a man feare God and be willing to giue himself to his seruis yet notwithstanding Satan hath his snares ready layd and catcheth vs oftentimes ere wee thinke of it And so you see how wee bee ouertaken or surpryzed Nowe S. Paule telleth vs that yet in such faultes wee must bee pitifull still and beare with suche a man through the spirite of meekenesse Howbeeit wee must marke well all the woordes that are set downe here and therby wee shall gather the meening of the Apostle For in very deede heere is nothing superfluous but euery woorde hath his weyght For in saying that wee muste indeuer too amend him agayne that is fallen he sheweth that the gentlenesse whiche many men vse in flattering suche as haue done amisse sauoreth nothing at all of Christianitie Therefore mennes vyces muste bee rebuked and wee muste labour too bring backe the partie intoo the right way which is strayed out of it For if a man vpholde him in his naughtinesse and foade him in it he betrayeth him bycause he rocketh him a sleepe and by that meanes sinketh him the deeper in destruction Yee see then that the meane whiche Sainct Paule hath appoynted is that if a man haue done amisse he shoulde bee amended howbeit that the same muste bee done with the spirite of gentlenesse and meekenesse He could well ynough haue vsed the woord Meekenesse without the woorde Spirit but he hath 〈…〉 do vs to wit that we must haue a hartie 〈…〉 procure the welfare saluation of such as haue neede too bee warned and exhorted when they haue committed a fault and therewithall he ment also to expresse that the same proceedeth of God For like as he is the fountayne of all goodnesse so also doothe he giue his children some meekenesse too the intent they shoulde followe him and frame themselues after his example VVee knowe that
his worde Howbeeit that in the meane while 〈…〉 so eager in rebuking other mens faults as too forget to put 〈…〉 that is to say to vse the sayd spirite of meekenesse For it were to smal purpose to haue Suger in our mouth as many men haue and in the meane time to beare poyson in our heart And therefore Saint Paule speaketh not here alonely of the tongue ne sayth that we must haue intioing wordes but that in rebuking mens faults we must alwayes be led and moued therto by an earnest desire to our neighbours saluation For it is certaine that if we couet the soule health of such as do amisse wee will behaue our selues soberly and that sobernesse will bring with it the moderation that Saint Paule speaketh of so as wee shall not bee ouereager nor depart from the fountaine which is too beware that wee bee not too hastie in fynding fault wee wote not why nor too what ende but that wee haue a care too fetche him backe againe that is in an euill-trade and be desirous to bring him with vs vntoo God To be short wee must couet to haue him our brother that God may bee serued of vs all and mainteyned in his state If wee bee so mynded surely the rest will followe after But vnder the woorde Spirite wee bee warned moreouer as I sayde euen nowe that we must be fashioned lyke vntoo God forsomuch as hee hath vouchsafed too choose vs for his children accordingly as our Lord Iesus Christ telleth vs saying Bee yee lyke vntoo your heauenly father who hath pitie euen on theÌ„ that are vnworthie of it VVherfore if we desire to be hilde and auowed for Gods children let vs haue an eye to the nature of him which calleth vs too the likenesse of his owne Image which is that we be meeld and gentle Now God in his gentlenesse flattereth not such as haue done amisse For he hateth iniquitie and must needes alwayes shewe himselfe an enemie to it But we see the thing that is sayde namely that God dooth in such wise correct his children that the chastizements which hee vseth begin at his owne house and at his owne housholde folke Yet for al that he thundereth not against poore sinners but wayteth for them paciently incouraging them drawing theÌ„ bearing with them setting his grace before them and shewing them that he is readie to receyue them and hath his armes stretched out to imbrace them if they will come vnto him Ye see then that the first thing which we haue to consider is that we must fashion our 〈…〉 example of our God so as we oppresse 〈…〉 the first daâ—he in whoÌ„ we see any infirmitie but rather labour to winne them bycause they bee as lost soules And heerevpon we may also gather that such as nowadayes woulde haue vyces cloked yea and borne oute vnder pretence that God is pacient and gentle do falsly corrupt the holy scripture For nowadayes if neuer so detestable crymes bee committed by and by they alledge mercie ô they must be pitied yea but such folke blaspheme God in that they woulde haue vs too bee more mercifull than hee is Surely wee knowe him too bee the welspringâ— of all goodnesse and it is ynough for vs if wee can followe him a great way off and it were a thing to be greatly desired that we coulde come neerer and neerer vntoo him But when wee haue streyned our selues too the vttermost it is verie much if wee can haue in vs but some little sparke of the mercie which is infinite in God Neuerthelesse God promiseth not his grace but to suche as returne vntoo him True it is that hee toucheth them with hys holy spirite and chaungeth their myndes but yet must repentance alwayes bee matched with forgiuenesse of sinnes Now after what maner is it that men would be pitifull It is that they might mocke God too his face that men shoulde winke at their lewdnesse yea and sooth them vp in it that God should be reiected and that such as are readie to do still worse and worse shoulde bee borne withall and borne out But I haue tolde you that it is too cursed a blasphemie when men transforme good intoo euill after that fashion Then according to Saint Paules exhortation let vs lerne to bring a mekenesse that may be of Gods spirite not too allowe of the euill or to deface the good but too amende things modestly with discretion Therewithall let vs learne also to pray God to gouerne vs when the cace requireth that we shoulde correct our neighbours assuring our selfe that of our owne nature wee shall neuer be able too doo it VVee knowe that to serue God and to imploy our selues faythfull in that behalfe wee must first receyue of him the things that wee want Nowe then let a man streyne himselfe as farre as hee list â–ª and hee shall not finde himselfe able to bring one droppe of goodnesse of his owne But when wee come too correcting there wee repreâ—◠〈…〉 God and if I mynde to tell a man his fault I come not to him in 〈◊〉 priuate name as his superiour but in the name of God Nowe then seeing it is so that we execute Gods office in rebuking such as haue done amisse how shall we be fit for that purpose except he guide and direct vs therevnto Therefore let vs learne to desire him to guide and rule vs by his holy spirite when any admonition is to be made to bring such backe againe as are gone out of the right way And herewithall wee must marke also as I haue sayd afore that Saint Paule speaketh not heere of such as are saped in wickednesse in contempt of God and in rebelliousnesse but of such as are ouertaken so as they haue some good will to doo well and yet notwithstanding doo fall through infirmitie Therefore this matter must be handled very skilfully and discretely For if we will deale alike with all men it is certaine that we shall oftentymes do wrong too such as haue neede too bee borne withall and in the meane while doo nothing but inflame the despyzers of God and make them more malapart than they were before Then as I sayd we must put a difference betwene the one and the other For when the Prophete Ezechiell speaketh of the good shepheard hee sayth that he must beare with the shepe that are weake and if any of them be infected he must heale them by good medicins But if he should keepe one maner of vsage without putting a difference betweene one and another howe should he shewe himselfe to be a sheepherd in so doing In like cace is it with all suche as deale with the rebuking of their neighbours that haue done amisse As for example if there be a shamelesse naughtipacke that dayly runneth headlong into all naughtinesse which maketh none account of Gods woorde nor doth any thing but marre others like a scabbed Ramme that spreadeth his infection through the whole
that which S. Paule tolde vs heretofore that is to wit to beware that wee deceyue not our selues wilfully when we would shew our selues hardie and bolde in correcting rebuking and amending one man or other Let vs not bee so foolish as to iustifie our selues by comparison as who should say that God ought to hold himselfe contented with our rebuking of others after that maner and for that there is some shewe of vertue in vs. Let vs not stay vpon any of these things as is told vs vs heere but let vs marke also by the way that whereas it is sayde that euery man shal beare his own burthen we haue right great need of our Lord Iesus Christs helpe and that he should take all our burthens vpon him according as in very deed hee hath borne all our sinnes vpon the crosse as sayth S. Peter in his first Epistle True it is that the matter which S. Paule handleth here is none other than the same that I haue declared alreadie that is to wit that we must not imagin that men are able to warrant vs for the rightuousest man aliue is combered ynough with himself And furthermore that if our Lord had not regard to hold vs vp wee shoulde be oppressed vnder our burthen Yet notwithstanding euery man must answer for himselfe and Gods word must haue the maistrie as I said afore Thus ye see what S. Paule intended to tell vs. But yet further let vs thinke a little vpon our selues If euery man should be faine to beare his own burthen who were able to indure it VVe should needes be borne downe For if a man had but some one sinne in him behold hel were readie too swallowe him vp Surely the weight of one sinne is heauier than a stone that were able to crush all our limmes and bones a peeces Nowe it is no talking of any one nor of a hundred the multitude of them is infinite How then shall we stande in iudgement before God when he bringeth vs to account VVho can say that hee commeth franke and free To be short we see that if there were not a remedie in the matter that S. Paule telleth vs heere we shouâ—◠〈…〉 we must repayre to our Lorde Iesus Christ for it is hee that hath borne all our burthens as I haue alledged alreadie Truly the redeeming of vs did cost him deere and if we seeke heauen and earth throughout for the price of a ransome we shall not finde any other than him that is able too pacifie God Then had we neuer bin sanctified except the sonne of God had giuen himselfe for vs. And in very deed the prophete Esay sheweth how hee bare our burthens Namely that he felt the paynes of death and that the father was faine to wreake himselfe vpon him as though hee had bin an offender and giltie of all the sinnes of the worlde Now therefore we must resort vnto him according also as he allureth vs to him And by the way if any man alledge that here seemeth to be some contrarietie considering how Saint Paule saith that euery man shall beare his owne burthen the answere thereto is easie VVhen the Scripture speaketh too vs of Gods iustice it sayth that euery man shall bee recompenced according to his owne workes After which maner Saint Paule speaketh in the .xiiij. to the Romanes According as euerie man shall haue walked in his conuersation in this world sayeth he and according as hee shall haue wrought in his bodie so must he receyue his rewarde That is the order which the scripture keepeth in speaking of Gods iustice Yea but in the meane while it excludeth not the remedie that is giuen vs in our Lorde Iesus Christ whereby men are succoured Lo how God succoureth his elect and such as hee hath reserued too saluation that is to wit after he hath chastized them he reacheth them his hande and lyfteth them vp againe when hee hathe cast them downe And truly we shoulde not knowe of what value the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ is neyther coulde wee taste of it neyther coulde wee euer bee partakers of it vnlesse wee were vtterly confounded in our selues Therefore let vs learne to feele our burthen in such wise as too bowe vnder it as hathe bin declared this morning and let the same leade vs too true humilitie And afterwarde when wee haue felt the burthen more than wee are able too beare let vs repayre too oure Lorde Iesus Christ who promiseth too ease vs so wee seeke oure whole rest in hym So then wee see that Gods grace is not excluded when hys iustice is spoken of For it standeth vs in 〈…〉 â—â—ayes too his mercie VVhereas it is sayde that hee whiche shall haue beene a cruell and mercilesse persone shall haue iustice withoute mercie thereby Saint Iames dooth vs too vnderstande that oure Lorde hath his iudgement against the wicked and the reprobates to recompende them according to their misdeedes and againe that he measureth his owne otherwise that is to wit that after he hath condemned them in themselues and made them to feele their diseases thereby to bring them to true lowlinesse then he setteth them vp againe Then must we first be striken downe with Gods hande and afterwarde be lifted vp againe by his gracious promises in that hee telleth vs that in our Lorde Iesus Christ wee shall find all that wee want Thus ye see in summe after what maner we must practize this text namely that in admonishing our neighbours with a gentle and meeld spirit and being also humble mâ—ke our selues without presuming any thing vpon our selues wee must examin well our owne liues so as we may dayly bewayle our sinnes and be sorie for them to the ende that we be no more deceyued with hipocrisie but labor to withdraw our selues from the worlde to the intent we surmize not that we shall scape Gods iudgement by our shiftes So then let vs beare all these things in minde that we may submit our selues to the pure worde of God And whatsoeuer men do to turne vs away from it let vs not suffer our selues too be seduced And for the bringing hereof to passe let vs flee to our Lorde Iesus Christ knowing that howe desirous so euer we bee to giue our selues wholly to the seruing of God yet wee be so ouerloden with sinnes and imperfections that they were able to sinke vs downe to the bottome of hell if wee had not one to holde vs backe that is to wit our Lorde Iesus Christ who hath borne all our sinnes and set vs vtterly free from them too the intent wee might hereafter come before God with our faces vpright Now let vs acknowledge our sinnes with such humilitie as euerie of vs may confesse yea euen vnfeynedly that we are all forlorne and paste hope except this oure good God haue pitie vppon vs praying him neuerthelesse too make the fruite and vertue of the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ
if a man aske them go too what is the world They will say it is a shadowe that slippeth away And what is our life It is nothing And what are the goodes of this worlde They be but a dreame All of them will say thus much and yet neuerthelesse they bee so rauished as a man cannot tell how to plucke them from it and the Diuell holdeth them as it were bewitched so that God crieth out at their eares wretched men where are you and yet they go on still too plundge themselues deeper in the quamyre And although they knowe well ynough that all their lustes are nothing that this life slippeth swiftly froÌ„ them yet will they needes bee wedded to it still Although then that God doo crie too these vnaduized folke to bring them intoo the right way yet are they so dulled that they cannot obey â—â—â—er the Counsell nor the warnings whiche they heere Thus yeeree why S. Paule sayeth that suche as haue sowen after that maner shall of the fleshe reape corruption But they sayeth he which sowe to the spirit that is to say whiche know that there is a much preciouser life than this wherein we bee and set their whole affection and minde therevpon shal reape of the spirit euerlasting life That is to say bycause they haue bin gouerned by Gods spirit and haue labored to come vnto him and too bee knit to him therefore is their reward also ready for them Now heere first of all wee bee warned to thinke better vpon all our thoughtes doings attempts wishes and indeuers and to consider well too what end they tend For this similitude shall alwayes be found true that we do then sowe when we apply our labour or trauell to any thing Therfore let vs looke well to our selues and consider that although God will haue vs to gather Corne and wyne in this worlde for the sustenance of our bodies yet notwithstanding he calleth vs yet higher and will not haue vs to be hild still heere VVherefore let vs learne to seeke first that God may reigne and beare rule so as we may yeeld our selues wholly to him and his rightuousnesse and that the care of this transitorie life dull vs not as I haue sayd afore but but that it may be as an income to the principall wherevnto we must go that is to say to the kingdome of God To be short let vs consider that God hath put vs into this world to sowe that is to say not to be idle nor vnoccupied And how Truely the Ministers of Gods woord ought to sowe to the end to gather in such a haruest as they may offer vp to God as an holy offering And their sowing is too teach faithfully to the end that Gods woord may bring forth frute and his name be glorified and blissed accordingly as our Lord Iesus Christ sayd to his Apostles I haue chozen you to the end you should go and bring forth abundance of frute and such frute as shall last for euer The ministers then haue this peculiar to themselues howbeit all of vs in common must sowe to eternall lyfe that is to say wee must passe through this worlde as straungers lifting vp our mindes to the heritage where wee should rest and wherevnto also it behoueth vs to apply all our indeuer And euen when wee trauell for the sustenance of our bodies let it be alwayes with tending to the sayde marke according as it is sayd that we must not liue to eate 〈…〉 but eate and drinke to the end to be conueyed to another life and that our liuing in this world is not to settle heere but to atteyne to a higher thing that is to say to the heauenly life Sith it is so whensoeuer any man buzieth himselfe to get his liuing whither it bee by tillage or by some handicraft or by trade of merchandise or howsoeuer it bee in all the cares that wee take for ourselues or for our housholdes let vs alwayes shoote at a higher mark For surely it is a naughtie thing if a man buzie himself but only about the getting of his liuing and haue no regard of Gods seruice For in the getting of his liuing he ought too consider thus with himselfe Howe will God allow of my dooyng How will he accept my seruice Truely that will he doo if I walke not after myne own lustes if I looke that I doo no man wrong and if I buzie my selfe faythfully about the thing that I am bounde too doo This I say is the way for vs too sowe that is too wit that wee bee not wedded to the worlde nor hilde downe heere beneathe but that wee may alwayes mount vpwarde too the lyfe of heauen Now then let vs looke well vppon the meane of sowing after that sorte that is to wit of sowing too the spirit sayth Sainct Paule VVherefore let vs consider that wee bee not as Asses and Oxen that toyle and labour and afterwarde doo eate and drinke and are fed as reason and good right require but that God hath adopted vs too come to the life of heauen Therefore let vs sowe to the spirit and cut off all that may hinder our mounting vpward let vs shake them off as hurtfull things and assure our selues that al such as labor to get reputation in this world shall in the end finde themselues disappointed VVhy so For they shall see plainly that it is but corruption VVhen he that shal haue gathered great abundance of goods commeth vnto death he hath so much the more greef bycause he made this world his paradise Therefore he then gnasheth his teeth at God and he stormeth and tormenteth himselfe much more than if he had not takeÌ„ so much peynes to gather Thus ye see that such as haue sowed in the flesh perceiue at length that they haue sowed to corruption bicause they gather nothing else but corruption but it is all to late and therfore let vs bethink ourselues And although we 〈…〉 men beguile themsâ—â—â—s and too make their reckening that it is a happie life to haue all thing that they wishe as commonly euerie man is ruled by his owne lyking although wee see men storme after that fashion let vs learne to do otherwise consider that God calleth vs to an euerlasting life which he setteth coÌ„tinually before vs by his Gospel Let vs set our whole mindes vpoÌ„ that and let al our intents desires tend thitherward let vs indeuer to profit more more in the doctrine of saluation that he may lift vs vp and drawe vs hence from beneath according also as S. Paule sayth when he telleth vs what the weapons of Christenfolke are making the doctrine of the Gospell to bee our shooes For it standeth vs on hand to be armed from top too toe or else wee should soone be wounded with the assaultes that are giuen vnto vs in this world After he hath declared this say I he sayth that the Gospell must lift vs vp and drawe
our selues too set more by that grace and honour than by all the goodes in the worlde And in proofe thereof let vs shewe also that wee haue a brotherly affection too doo good too such as haue neede of vs according to such oportunitie as God shall giue vs and according too the measure of our abilitie Nowe herevppon Sainct Paule sayeth that the Galathians ought too consider that he hath written them a large letter with his owne hande And this serues too make them the more attentiue when they see what care he hath of their saluation For his commending of the largenesse of his letter was not too bee payed for it by the pounde as they say but too the end that the Galathians might knowe that he ment too open his hart vnto them and that for asmuch as he sawe them thrust out of the way into a wrong trade and was lothe that they shoulde perish therfore he had not only warned them in a woord or twaine but also coÌ„firmed his doctrine so as they might perceyue themselues to haue bin misledde before Lo in effect whereat Sainct Paule amed And by this text we ought all to take warning to confirme our selues the more according too the meanes and helpes whiche our Lorde giueth vs to come to him withall If God had but incled his minde vntoo vs in one woord yet had there bin no excuce for vs if we could not beleeue him to submit our selues with such obedience as becommeth vs. But when wee see that besides his giuing of the Lawe he hath also added an exposition of it and moreouer sent his Prophets too the ende that the doctrine should alwayes bee of the more authoritie the things be made cleere which else would haue bin darkesome and after his Prophetes sent his onely Sonne who hath brought vs the full perfection of all wisedome and finally his Apostles so that he thought it not ynough too giue the Lawe but also willed the Gospell too bee published and that the same shoulde continue to the end and stirreth fit men still to instruct vs sith 〈◊〉 I say that God doth so much for vs and that he hath such a care of our welfare quickening vs vp continually without ende or ceassing must we not needes be so much the more blameworthie if wee be negligent and all this stande vs in no stead Therefore let vs not looke at Sainct Paule here how the Galathians had little regarde of him but let vs consider that God had raysed him vp and ment too shewe how deere we be vnto him and how great store he setteth by our soules in that he would haue his doctrine so confirmed True it is that there are not past a sixe or seuen leaues in this Epistle and at the first it should not seeme to be so great a letter But if wee marke the substance and contents of it surely wee shall finde heere wherewith to confound the Diuell and all the wyles that he can bring with him so as Gods truth whiche is our saluation shall haue the vpper hand In somuch that if we had no more but this Epistle we might be sufficiently fenced and armed to fight against all the lies deceytes abuses which the Diuell can alledge to bleare our eyes with But we haue not this Epistle alone but we haue also so many other of Gods testimonies as are sufficient as yee would say to put out our eyes if we list not to looke vpon them And therwithall wee haue so many confirmations to help vs that although we were the stubbornest wildest creatures in the world yet might wee be drawen too some knowledge seing that God trieth so many wayes to winne vs to him To be short he maketh vs too come vnto him though wee would not come by our good will And if wee go backe wheras we should come forward must not the rebelliousnesse that is in vs bee tootoo intolerable So then whensoeuer and as oft as wee reade this text although it seeme not to touche vs but too haue bin spoken only to the Galathians yet let vs vnderstand that god casteth vs in the teeth that his labour should be lost as vnauaylable among vs except we were furthered coÌ„tinually by the doctrine more more confirmed Howbeit he had much leuer that we came with a cheerefull corage For he intendeth not to blame vs nor too go to law with vs coÌ„dicionally that we be so well aduized as to say Go too I see now that my God deserueth well that I should hie me to him if he did but becken too mee a farre off But he calleth mee wonderous familiarly and is noâ—â—â—â—tented with opening his mouth once for all and away but he hath also sent Moyses and all the â—â—â—phetes he hath sent teachers without number he hath sent his Apostles yea his owne only sonne which is his euerlasting wisedome woord Seing then that God is so friendly to me yea and aduaunceth me to excellent dignitie seing that by all meanes possible he sheweth mee his wisedome wherby he seeketh to win mee to himself coÌ„tinueth in the same without end or ceassing early and late should I lie stil as asleepe without any more vnderstaÌ„ding or feeling than if I were a blocke So much the more then doth it stand vs on hand to take a better tast of Gods woord to apply all our indeuer therevnto And seing there is nothing superfluous in it and that wee haue neede to bee prouoked to giue ourselues to it Let euery of vs be moued too apply our selues thereto not say that the repeating of one selfsame thing is needlesse but let vs vnderstaÌ„d that although men bring vs no noueltie yet must we coÌ„tinually beate vpoÌ„ the self-same lesson namely that in asmuch as God hath sent Moyses the Prophets Apostles ouermore vouchsafed to haue his doctrine put in writing all this was done for our instructioÌ„ and that wheÌ„ our Lord Iesus Christ was sent at the full time he vttered all that is requisite for our saluation and moreouer raysed vp men to bee the instruments of his spirit to shewe vs his will and too bring vs the tydings of saluation as he doth still at this day who are witnesses too vs of the things which otherwise should haue bin vnknowen too vs. For asmuch therefore as it is so let euery of vs agree therevnto and whither wee reade it euery man alone by himselfe or whither wee be taught it publikely let vs bee stablished in the woord which it hath pleased God too bestowe vppon vs. Thus yee see in effect what wee haue too beare in minde too the ende wee may haue so much the greater good will too giue our selues wholly too this holy woord and that it may be receyued with the greater reuerence according also as it is well woorthie too bee But now let vs fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God and father acknowledging him as our iudge except
he burie our faults through his infinite mercie and let vs pray him too take vs to mercie for our Lorde Iesus Christes sake and in the meane whyle too graunt vs the grace too walke in suche wyse as wee may â—â—â—de a true proofe that we 〈◊〉 his children and that his calling of vs hath not bin in vayne and also to cause the same grace too auayle in such wise in our hartes that wee may growe in it and bee strengthened more and more too serue and worship him all our lyfe long in true obedience to his holy woord And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. The. 42. Sermon which is the fifth vpon the sixth Chapter 12 As many as desire vvith outvvard apparance to please in the flesh constreyne you too bee circumcized onely to the ende they may not suffer persecution for the crosse of Christ 13 For euen they themselues vvhiche are circumcized keepe not the Lavve but vvoulde haue you circumcyzed that they mighte glorie in your fleshe IT is not for nought that God hath so often warned the Preachers of his woorde not too seeke the well liking and fauour of men but as it were too shet their eyes against all worldly respects to the end that they gaze not heere there nor be hindered to do their duetie rightly For wee see it is impossible for vs too discharge our selues aright vnlesse wee looke vp vntoo God and turne away our looke from men bycause wee shall bee easly corrupted when wee bee so ledde whereas nothing ought too bowe vs one way or other Howbeeit this constancie is cheefly requisite in suche as shoulde beare abrode Gods woorde namely that they bee not ledde nother by ambition nor by couetousnesse too speake in fauour of men or too please them and that they bee not abashed at any threatening or perill For experience sheweth that so soone as a man is afrayde of his â—inne or hath respect of 〈◊〉 owne profite he will bee chaunged in the turning of a hande True it is that such as couet mennes fauour after that fashion will not at the first dash shew themselues to be wicked enemies of the truth according as our Lord Iesus Christ also putteth a differeÌ„ce betwene the hyrelings and the woolues After he hath spoken of the good and faythfull sheepeherds which seeke the coÌ„mon welfare of the flocke he sayeth there are also rauening woolues or theeues whiche seeke nothing else but too put all too spoyle ruine and confuzion And these are they which fight openly against God laboring and indeuering to ouerthrow the pure doctrine of the Gospell Neuerthelesse there are also which rowe betweene twoo streames who do make a countenance to serue God And truly some men builde howbeit not for any zele for there is no soundnesse of hart in them Notwithstanding so long as it is not to their coste they set a good face vpon the matter so that the world is oftentimes deceyued by them and taketh them too bee the ministers of Iesus Christ but yet their seeking is but for wages they bee wholly giuen too their bellies For proofe whereof if yee do but threaten them by and by they be dismayed and they will turne the cat in the pan so that wheras yesterday they seemed too maynteyne Gods woord too day they bende crooked and a crosse And why For they see it is the way to please the world and to profite themselues And for the same cause doth Sainct Paule nowe warned the Galathians to marke well that such as had troubled them and thruste them out of the right way were men giuen too their owne profite and by that meanes had brought their doctrine in suspicion Heeretofore he hath already sufficiently discussed and shewed by reason that if wee put our whole trust in Iesus Christe the Ceremonies of the Lawe are henceforth superfluous for they serued but for a time too shewe that it is not for vs too mingle any merite of their owne or any fonde opinion of purchacing rightuousnesse before God if wee bee well settled vpon the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christe Sainct Paule then hath handled and layde foorth that matter as much as needed And now too the end that the simple sorte may bee the more moued he turneth his â—ale too the persones themselues saying Consider what is the 〈◊〉 that these men against whom I striue heere make such a minging of the Ceremonies of the law with our Lord Iesus Christ Is it zele that moueth theÌ„ therevnto or is it for that they be desirous to serue God No it is rather for that they bee lothe too put themselues in daunger of persecution Seyng then that feare causeth theÌ„ too misfashion Gods woorde yee neede not too make any long inquirie too knowe what maner of men they bee and whither they bee to be credited or no for yee see that their chaunging and transforming of themselues after that fashyon is bycause they would fayne shunne the battell Nowe then seing that they bee such traytours vnto God through their cowardlinesse deserue they too bee beleeued or to haue any reuerence yeelded to their sayings Thus yee see Sainct Paules meening But heere all Ministers of Gods woord are taught to haue such constancie and stedfastnesse as they may not passe whither the doctrine that they bring bee hated or beloued of the worlde but go on still in their race and not strike sayle at euery winde nor be shaken like wauering reedes that bowe too and fro but alwayes hold on in seruing of God what turnings and chaunges so euer happen and what troubles and disorders so euer befall To bee short wee must practize the thing that we haue seene before which is that if wee will please mennes fancies wee must giue ouer the seruis of the Sonne of God Marke that for one poynt And heerewithall also all the faythful may receyue a good and profitable lesson in this text that is too wit that they muste looke well vppon such as seeke their owne profit and aduauntage and are desirous to winne fauour with the worlde and woulde fayne be prayzed for a man shall neuer haue any holde of such folke They will not shewe themselues too bee such at the firste brunt as I sayd afore for there are that play the Popeholy hypocrites in somuch that it seemeth that but for them the woord of God woulde growe odious and so long as it is well lyked they cast out fire at their mouthes and yet in the meane whyle yee shall see them chaunge their minde from day too day If any perill happen and they see that they muste witnesse with our Lord Iesus Christ in good earnest then shew they their cowardlinesse and in the end turne quite away chauÌ„ge their coates as it is sayd in the Prouerbe But howsoeuer they fare let vs staâ—â— vpon our gard continually that wee may beleeue such as walke vprightly and start not out when they see the
S. Paule say that for as muche as he had setled his glory in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ he had quite forsaken and giuen ouer the worlde Nowe by the worlde he meaneth all that is delightsome to the fleshe as when men think neyther vpon God nor vpon the lyfe of heauen so as one is giuen to couetousnesse another to ambition and euery man is driuen by his owne naturall sway and there is not any that passeth further than this world VVhen men followe their owne swinge and God hath not yet touched them with his holy spirite to draw them too him surely although they doo all fling ouer the feelds and runne astray yet is there great diuersitie in their affections so that if the matter come to triall one drawes one way and another another way cleane contrarie and to be short men seeme to differ quite cleane one from another But yet they be all alike in one thing that 〈◊〉 wit that they would aduaunce thēselues to the worldwarde that they be giuen to their owne priuate profite or pleasures At a worde they be so intangled here that they could find in their harts too be separated from God But S. Paule sayth that when wee shall haue set all our glory in our Lorde Iesus Christ knowing that by the meanes of his Crosse he hath dedicated vs vnto his father and purchaced vs the kingdome of heauen then it will be easie for vs to withdraw our selues from the world and to be as it were cut off from it And why For it is certayne that whosoeuer hath bin touched and wounded to the quicke with the feeling of his sinnes will so pursue the grace that hath bin giuen him in our lord Iesus Christ as the world shall be nothing with him And in good sooth wee shew that al the spirituall benefites which God offreth vs whervnto the calleth vs are as things of nothing vnto vs in that wee esteeme them not in comparison of the trumperie and inticements of Satan VVhat is this world if a man view it in it selfe There is no man but he seeth howe frayle our life is and howe it is but as a smoke that passeth and vanisheth away and yet wee see men frye still in their affections and howe they bee vtterly caried away and rauished with them God on his side crieth out Ye wretched folk ye be more destitute of wit than little children For ye buzie your heads about mooneshine in the water and about pelting trifles wherein there is nothing but foolishnesse ye be wholly wedded vnto thē and yet in the meane season whē I offer you perfect happinesse ye make none account of it all is one to you Yee see then that the cause why we be so cold negligent now a dayes in receiuing the benefites which God offreth vs by his Gospel is for that the world hath gotten the possession of vs aforehand and on the other part we also do set too much store by the world And why do we so Bicause we know not the inestimable benefites that God offereth vs. Therefore let vs ioyne these two togither that is to wit that we be crucified to the world and the world to vs bicause we haue our glory in our Lord Iesus Christ crucified But this is easier to be sayd than to be doone and therfore euery man must strayne himselfe in his owne behalfe when he vnderstādeth this lesson he must put it in practise For if we couet to be taken auowed for Christians before God his Anger 's we must be conformabl◠〈◊〉 the holy Ghost in the thing that he setteth down here And in very deede if we were not too farre ouerseene wee haue occasion of it inough as hath bin said afore For they that doo but only enter into themselues to consider what they be and what their state is so long as they be separated frō Iesus Christ must needs be scared with the feling of gods wrath which they haue deserued whē they perceiue thēselues to be plūged in such cursednesse that it were much better for thē if the earth had swallowed thē vp a hundred times than to haue liued in that plight but one day being in the meane while enimies to their God frō whose hands they can not scape Therefore let vs lerne to looke to our selues Such as intend to deck thēselues to the worldward specially women will looke in a glasse that shal be done with as much curiositie warenesse as may be But in the meane while we looke not vpō our selues to spie our own wāts and filthinesse to the end we might humble our selues truly before God seeke our glory where it is to be had Now it is certen that he which knoweth his own reproch shame wil seeke to come to the remedie of it at leastwise of Gods spirite worke liuely in vs that we be not sotted by Satā as I haue said afore Let vs lerne let vs lerne to looke vpō ourselues both without feining without flattery And whē we shall haue knowē our own wāts miseries let vs resort to our lord Iesus Christ And forasmuch as al loftinesse statelinesse vaunting must be beaten down by meanes of the Crosse Let vs be truly crucified to the world and let the world also be nothing vnto vs. Now whereas S. Paule sayth that the world was crucified to him he to the world it is true that he meeneth another thing than playn crucifying For therby he intended to shew yet more strongly how we may renounce the world and be separated frō it namely by beeing crucified to ourselues as in respect of the world that is to say by mortifying al the lusts that fight one against another within vs haue too much force inflame vs al wholly like a burning fire cast vs heere there bicause wee see that the son of God was fayne to suffer so reprochful a death for vs. VVho would now make his triumphes braueries in the world when he seeth that he which is the head of the Angels vnto whō belōg all maiestie glory dominiō 〈◊〉 hāged vpō tree made accursed abhominable for vs Thus ye see by what meanes al our lusts may be mortified and the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ worke so in our hearts as our lusts may be no more so ticklishe as they haue bin And that is for one poynt Agayne the world must be crucified vnto vs. As howe By esteeming all worldly thinges as chaffe and corruption according as in very deede there is not any thing in them whiche is not corruptible in comparison of the spirituall benefites whiche Iesus Christe hathe brought vs and whiche wee inioy by this meanes For in very deede all worldly things are corruptible And moreouer what else are all the things whiche men couet so sore and so vehemently that they bee vtterly intangled in them but snares
leaue to do what they list and harden themselues in such wise ageinst Gods word Although then that they be had in reputatation to the worldward and be in a maner drunken in their owne pride and presumption and set more by themselues than reaâ—â—â— would they should yet wee see that God doth alwayes holde them as accursed So then the thing that wee haue to remember in effect is that we haue but one only rule which is conteyned in the Gospell And whither doth that rule leade vs Euen to this that we bring not to God what we our selues think good or what we haue deuized of our own head but that we submit ourselues wholly vnto him to his woord and coÌ„sider also that seing we haue all perfection in our Lord Iesus Christ we must be coÌ„tented with him alone specially for asmuch as we see God to be pitifull in hauing mercie vpon vs and that our life shall be happie and blissed of him so we go on foorth whither soeuer he calleth vs Lyke as on the contrarie parte what soeuer opinion the worlde haue of vs and how much so euer it fauour vs we must needes be accursed if we haue not the rule that Sainct Paule speaketh of heere And hee addeth Israell that belongeth too God too shewe that they whiche serue God after that spirituall maner shall alwayes bee acknowledged of him for his people For Sainct Paules enemies agaynst whom he disputed in all this Epistle woulde needes haue all the Ceremonies kept and that they shoulde bee the markes of the Churche as they surmyzed Likewise in these dayes the Papistes woulde haue men too keepe Oyle and Creame and diuers other things But Sainct Paules enemies had much more colour than the Papistes haue and their cace was much better in comparison Neuerthelesse Sainct Paule reiecteth all those things and sayeth that God muzeth not vppon any of those small toyes True it is that he had ordeyned the figures of the Lawe for a tyme and they had also some profite in them bycause they serued too leade the people too our Lord Iesus Christe But nowe that wee haue the substance and pithe of them in him wee muste gyue them quyte ouer Then of muche more lykelyhood they bee not the Israell of God that set foorth themselues with greate pompe before men but they that haue the true marke of God For when the Papistes speake too vs of the Churche the Pope muste needes bee there with his tryple Crowne the Bishoppes muste bee disguyzed too playe their enterlude there muste bee a sorte of horned beastes all muste glister the Priestes and Monkes muste bee present and the eyes of the simple soules muste bee dazeled Yee see then wherein the Churche of God consisteth after the opinion of the Papistes that is too wit in pompe and in tryfling and vnprofitable gewgawes And what say they too the Sacramentes They must haue this and that and to bee shorte they haue their maâ—kes whych they take to bee good stuffe But in the meane whyle let vs come too the Gospell VVhat shall a man fynde there Nothing but plaine simplicitie God will not haue the preachers of his word and the ministers of his sacramentes too bee disguised nor too make so many murlimewes neither is it his will that his sacramentes should bee defyled with mennes inuentions for all that is nothing before God Therefore let vs beare well in mynde the definition of the true Churche whiche Sainct Paule setteth downe heere too the end we bee not shaken when men say too vs. How nowe See I pray you how goodly things they bee They bee so in deede according too our naturall vnderstandyng For after as a man is fleshly and earthly so will he be alwayes inclined to followe the thing that caryeth a fayre shewe to his senses But it is not for vs too iudge of Gods seruice we must sticke too that which he hath determined for his sentence cannot bee repealed which is that wee must seeke al our whole wysedome in Iesus Christ which thing wee then doo when wee obey him and not else Furthermore let vs vnderstand that he will not haue vs any longer tyed too the outward things which he ordeined in the time of the Law but he will haue vs to be contented with Iesus Christ alone with the perfection that is in him And therevpon wee haue also too marke how he wisheth the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ too bee with their spirit For it sheweth that the worlde by reason of his vnthankefulnesse is not worthie too see the benefites that are offered it in Iesus Chryst The Gospell shall perchaunce bee preached ynoughe but yet in the meane whyle we see how euery man shrinkes back and wrytheth aside as thoughe wee had conspyred too forsake the good way of saluation too cast our selues intoo ruine and destruction And what is the cause thereof It is for that wee haue oure myndes emptie and the Diuel fynds always entrance into vs and thervpon tempteth and prouoketh vs too flitter in the ayre Too bee short vntill 〈◊〉 grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ bee with our spirit it is certeyn that wee shall alwayes bee as wayeryug reedes so as there shall bee neither holde nor stay in vs. Yee see then that the point wheretoo wee must come is not onely that God should poure out his grace vppon vs but that wee also shoulde so receiue it in harte and minde as it may take roote not to hold vs downe heere beneath but to lift vp our affections all our senses vnto God And bicause this doctrine can neuer passe vnspoken ageinst S. Paule doth heere defie all such as lift vp theÌ„selues ageinst it and saith Hereafter let no man trouble mee for I beare the markes of our Lord Iesus Christ in my body VVhen he speaketh of the markes of our Lord Iesus Christ he setteth them ageinst all the cotes armours of Princes ageinst all their Crownes and scepters ageinst all the cognisances or badges which they haue too honour theÌ„selues withal or to purchase theÌ„selues any maiestie or reuerence to the worldward VVhen a Prince intendeth to keepe his estate he will furnish and apparell himself in such sort as men shal not bee able to looke vpon him without dazeling of their eyes And they do it oftentimes bicause they haue not in themselues wherwith to win estimation but are faine to borrow it else where and so yee see it is the fashion of worldlings to set out themselues with pomp and brauerie and to vse many things to get themselues reputation To be short the world doth alwayes borrow of others bicause it hath nothing but vanitie in it selfe But S. Paule telleth vs that the marks of our Lord Iesus Christ are much better preciouser and of farre greater Maiestie than all the things wherwith the world is so rauished as wee see But by the way wee must see what he ment by these markes He hath
I sayde at the beginning that is too wit that whereas our Lord Iesus Christe hath tolde vs that he will haue vs too heere those that come in his name as if he spake in his owne persone he ment not thereby too make them idolles among men too the ende that such as haue charge to speake in his name should be exalted too haue any tirannie but he ment that his woord should be receyued reuerently and without gaynsaying And whereas S. Paule sayeth heere that he was receyued as an Angell or rather as Iesus Christ it is as much to say as he came not in his owne name but indeuered too preach Gods grace purely and too make men too followe Iesus Christ to frame themselues wholly vnto him that he might haue his due preheminence that the Gospell might be receyued without gaynsaying and that it might bring foorth such frute as it ought too doo that is to wit that it might be the power of God too the saluation of all beleeuers as it is sayd in the beginning of the Epistle too the Romanes Now let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs so to feele them as we may be moued more and more to amendment and that it may please him to beare with our infirmities till he haue ridde vs quite and cleane of all and so renewed vs according too his owne image so as all may bee pure and cleane in vs and his glory shewe it self there and we more and more fight in such wise agaynst our own sinfulnesse as it may bee vtterly emptied out of vs and he so fill vs with the grace of his holy spirit as we may draw others therevnto so as all of vs may with one common consent indeuer to serue to his glory and giue ouer our selues wholly therevnto And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. The. 28. Sermon which is the fifth vpon the fourth Chapter 15 VVhere is then your blissednesse for I beare you vvitnesse that if it had 〈◊〉 possible you vvoulde haue plucked out your eyes and giuen them vnto mee 16 Am I then become your enemie bicause I tell you the truth 17 They be ielous ouer you hovvbeit not for any good Nay rather they meene to shet you out too the end you should be fond of them 18 It is good too bee alvvayes earnest minded in good things not only vvhē I am present vvith you 19 My little children of vvhom I trauell in birth again till Christ be fashioned in you 20 I vvould I vvere vvith you novv could chaunge my voyce for I stand in doubt of you WEe neede no teaching to seeke the thing which we thinke to be good and profitable for vs for euery man is inclined to that by nature yea too much giuen vnto it But the mischief is that we know not the true profite frō the thing that is harmfull but are oftentimes so blinded with our foolish lusts that euery of vs ouerthroweth himself wilfully Not that we forget the thing which I said to be imprinted in our hartes but for that we be caried away by our vnruly lustes or else so bleared with the vanities of this world that we haue no discretion at all to iudge rightly And therfore we ought to flee vnto God continually so much the more that he may giue vs skill to discerne what is good for vs to the intent we may serue him and haue our mindes so wholly set vpon him as we may neuer be remoued specially for somuch as it oftentimes falleth out that suche as are taken to be very wise to the worldward become lyke little children according to the alteratiō of their desires giuing vp the things which they had set much store by and gadding after some pelting trifle that cōmeth in their sight so as there is no stay at all in them Sometimes we shall see a chiefe runne after three or foure at once and if there come a thing that he fought for he catcheth at that by and by and anon after if he spie an apple or a cherrie or some other thing that likes him he leaues all the residue too runne after that Euen so play wee no doubt but we alwayes thinke our selues wise ynough and wee take scorne too bee taught at any mannes hande or too bee warned what is good for vs for it seemes too vs too bee an offering of wrong too vs but yet experience sheweth that wee want bothe wit and reason For what is the cause that men doo so tosse and turmoyle themselues out of measure and yet runne astray all their lyfe long As I sayde afore all of vs with one common accorde holde this principle that wee desire too seeke our owne profit there is nother greate nor small but he is inclined vntoo that But lette vs see wherevntoo men apply their mindes there is not that man whose affections boyle not within him in somuch that ye shall see the greatest number as yee would say racke themselues and their mindes neuer ceasse day nor night too runne still vppon the things that come afore them whereby they hope for any profite And when they haue well tormented themselues a man shall scarsly finde one among a thousande that hath his affections well ordered in somuch that it were much better for them too bee a sleepe all the time of their lyfe than too take so much trauell without knowing why or wherefore Nowe then seyng that the moste parte of vs are proued not to discerne betwixt good and euill as were requisite and expedient wee haue neede to submit our selues vnto God praying him too guyde vs by his holy spirite And specially when the souerayne felicitie or welfare commeth in question surely whereas wee shoulde bee caried away and rauished in loue with it wee bee haled another way and doo nothing but fiske too and fro and there is so greate inconstancie and lightnesse in vs that the thing whiche wee loue more deerely than our lyfe too day shall bee as good as despyzed too morrowe And that also is the cause why Sainct Paule dooth in this texte vpbrayde the Galathians with their forgetting of their owne happinesse For this saying of our Lord Iesus Christs that looke where a mannes treasure is there is his harte also is taken of the cōmon order of nature He termeth that thing our treasure which we set most store by and whervpon we do wholly repose our selues for there are many things which men do well like of the which neuerthelesse they can easly finde in their harts too forbeare Though a man see a fayre and costly thing yet can he content himself quietly with his owne state still if he haue wherewith too maintayne himself But if wee esteeme our life vnhappie or vnfortunate without the inioying of any welfare at all surely we shall bee tossed with continuall vnquietnesse till wee haue
why For he beareth with vs as a father with his childrē That therfore is the freedom wherein we must stand except we wil be separated frō our lord Iesus Christ For as I haue sayd alreadie if we beleeue not assuredly that God loueth vs though we be vnworthie of it and that his louing of vs is bycause our sinnes are buryed by the death and passion of oure Lord Iesus Christ what will become of vs what shal Iesus Christe boote vs Ageyn if we be in doubt and vnquietnesse not knowing whether God accept our seruice or no and therwithall be bounde to the keeping of this or that at mennes appoyntment the intangling of our selues in so many debatyngs will neuer suffer vs too haue any rest Neyther is it without cause that Saint Paule hauing exhorted the faythfull to continue in the freedome that was purchased them so dearly addeth that Iesus Christe shall not profite them at all vnlesse they know the thing that he hath purchased for them and suffer not themselues to be in any wise bereft of it by men Nowe we see heere that the freedome which Sainct Paule speaketh of is not to giue vs leaue to doo what we our selues thinke good as though he layd the reynes of the brydle vpon our necke and that will he also protest in place conuenient Then intendeth he none other thing than that we might serue God quietly without greef of mind without constreint and without any continuall tormenting of our selues with diuersitie of debatings doubtfull scruples as wee see the vnbeleeuers do namely such as haue not their trust wholly settled vpon our Lord Iesus Christ Therfore besides that which hath bin sayd alredie we haue to mark further that the end of that freedome is too bee able too carie a cheerfull and quiet minde before God For without that wee shall neuer haue the hart to obey him but wee shall alwayes bee in trouble and not bee able too call vppon hym which is the cheefe seruice that he demaundeth and alloweth of VVe see thē that this matter concerneth the cheef point of oure welfare if it bee well vnderstoode VVhen wee speake now a dayes of Christen libertie the Papistes say wee go aboute too abolishe all the ordinances and traditions of the Churche and that we passe not what commeth 〈◊〉 so euery man may liue as he listeth to eate flesh on all dayes alike without let and to despise all other such ordinances But their saying so is bycause they neuer knew that it is no obeying of God vnlesse it be done with an vnconstreyned will For let the Papistes be throughly sifted all the packe of them yea euen the deuoutest of them and it is certayne that they chafe vppon the bitte when they tyre and ouerlabour themselues most to serue God For all that euer they do is but vnwillingly and if they could plucke their heads out of the collar they would full fayne do it Furthermore when they haue toyled after that fashion in their fond deuotions they beare themselues in hand that God ought to like well of it And if a man tell them that they cannot do any thyng that God shoulde accept and furthermore that although their works were good yet they deserue not aught before hym ye shall see them spew out their poyson as they do and fall to blaspheming of God vnlesse yee beleeue them that they be able to worke wonders by their owne merites Howsoeuer the cace stand they are neuer able to know and to tast what it is to obey God For why they vnderstand not what it is too bee quiet namely that it is an vnconstreyned offering of their dooings vnto God with a free hart and an assuring of themselues that he accepteth the same euen bycause he handleth them gently and beareth with them as with his children The Papists know not this and therefore it is not too be wondered at though they thinke it straunge that we should striue for that freedome for they wote not what it meeneth But yet doth not Sainct Paule speake it without cause and by those words we see how precious that libertie is and that it is not a thing to be despised For Iesus Christ did not iest in hys death and passion when he offered vp himselfe vnto God hys father but wrought a worke that in excellencie and worthinesse passeth the creation of heauen and earth Now if Sainct Paule bring in this libertie for an excellent frute purchaced to vs by the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ it must needes followe that it is a high and precious thyng And to the intent wee may conceyue what the nature and power of it is wee must learne too gather in ourselues vnto God when wee bee spoken to of it As for example if we be commanded or enioyned of necessitie too do such a thing or such a thing very well the doing thereof too the worldward hindereth not our freedome before God for the thynges that concerne common policie may bee bidden or forbidden bycause that otherwise they might turne too the hurt of the common weale or else such things may be expedient and thē must one of vs serue anothers turne in common Therefore let vs haue a regard of the things that concerne the policie bycause it behoueth vs to be knit and vnited togither and to haue suche an onement among vs that euery of vs serue his neighbours turne and none of vs be addicted to himselfe But when the cace concerneth the spirituall libertie then must euery of vs draw home into himselfe too consider the nature and propertie thereof Euery of vs say I must draw home himselfe as it were before God For our account is too be made to the heauenly iudge and therefore it behoueth vs too enter into ourselues to say thus How may I present my self before Gods iudgement seate If my life come to be tried by the lawe wo worth me For I am giltie after so many sorts yea euen withoute number that if I should suffer a Million of deaths it were too little for the offences that I haue committed Neuerthelesse God will be fauourable to me and take me to mercy for our Lord Iesus Christs sake and when I resort to him I may come with my head bolt vpright as hauing my quits est and cleere discharge which was gyuen me in the sacrifise that he offered vp for vs bycause that therein hee hath made full satisfaction for me and set me at full libertie Marke this for one point that I must serue God and it is good reason that I should dedicate my life vnto him But at which end shall I begin I cannot bring such perfection as is requisite no nor the hundreth part of it Yet for all that God beareth with me and ceasseth not to take the things in good worth which are vnperfect and weake yea sinful too And why doth he so Bycause he admitteth me as one of his children for our Lord
Iesus Christs sake After thys manner say I must we come before God if wee will conceyue and vnderstand the frute of this libertie or freedome that Sainct Paule treateth of Now whereas he addeth that wee shoulde not wrappe ourselues agayne in the yoke of bondage thereby he sheweth that before we be come to the faith of the Gospell and do know what benefyte is brought vs by the death and passion of the sonne of God wee bee all hild in streyt bondes like prisoners and haue not any freedome or libertie at all And in very deede were it not that Iesus Christ maketh intercession and is a meane betweene God hys father and vs it is certaine that our mindes should be in continual torment and vnquietnesse For there is none of vs all but he is conuicted to be more than giltie and therfore we should needes stand at a stay as drowned in dispaire till we were succoured by our Lord Iesus Christ and knew that God will be fauorable to vs thervpō could find peace and assurance to call vppon him as knowing that Iesus Christ wil be there aforehand On the otherside if we knowe not that God hath so receiued vs into his fauor as he is contented with our willingnesse to obey him and with our comming towards him though it be with infirmitie we see yet another halter that serueth to hang vs withall But yet so is it with all vnbeleeuers S. Paul therfore doth purposely warne vs that vntill such time as the Gospell haue taught vs that God loueth vs and of his own free goodnesse taketh vs as his children and moreouer wil not haue vs to be ouertroden by mens tyrannie and specially that he deliuereth vs from the bond and rigor of the Law we are all of vs drowned in bondage and that when Iesus Christ hath once set vs free it behoueth vs to maynteine well such a benefite Now let vs come to the reason that he addeth Verily sayth he I Paule yea euen I do tell you if you bee circumcised Iesus Christ shall profite you nothing at all ▪ It is a very sore saying that circumcision should cut men off in such wyse as they should haue no part in the saluation that is purchaced for vs by our Lord Iesus Christ But first of all wee must marke that when as S. Paule speaketh heere of Circumcision he looketh not at the thing in it selfe but vntoo the ende of it bycause the deceyuers that had peruerted the purenesse of the Gospell among the Galathians made them beleeue that they ought too bee circumcised too the ende too keepe the Lawe Sainct Paule standeth vpon that poynt and sayth that if wee doo so constreyne and bynd our selues before God or enter intoo suche couenant with him Iesus Christ shall profite vs nothing at all And this is well worth the noting For when as wee nowadayes doo say that is a hellishe Tyrannie for men to commaund the keeping of a thing vnder pein of deadly sin or to forbid a thing bicause them selues like not of it as the commaundement of keeping the Lent or the shiruing of mens sinnes once a yeare if we striue against such things the Papistes as I said cast foorthe their desperate rage without considering of the cause that moueth constreineth vs to stand vpon that poynt and ground For why they looke no further than to the outward thing But it behoueth vs to go further For when the Papistes command a thing vnder paine of deadly sin it is a bynding of vs in such wyse as we may not haue Gods fauor but vpon condition of dooing our duetie in that poynt And he that shall haue so done his dutie he I say shall haue as it were bound God vnto him yea truely after the diuelish opinion that reigneth in poperie which is that wee must earne grace by our own deserts and also that we must pacify Gods wrath and wype out the rememberance of our sinnes and offences by making amendes VVherby it appeereth well that if wee can so discharge our selues then is Iesus Christ made vnauailable too vs and he shal profit vs nothing at all For why Iesus Christ cannot be our rightuousnesse except we seeke the forgiuenesse of our sinnes in the sacrifize of his death therwithal be wel assured that God is our father to the end wee may call vpon him with quiet consciences bycause he hath adopted vs in our Lorde Iesus Christ It is true that the deceyuers which had beguyled the Galathians could well haue found in their hart that Iesus Christ shoulde haue bin acknowledged and called the Sauiour of the world And they did so mingle the law with the Gospel as yet notwithstāding Iesus Christ should haue had his titles still But they made a coparcinerie that mē on their side should deserue that by that meanes God shuld bee appeased As if they had sayde that Iesus Christ supplyed mens wants howbeit after such a sort as the wretched consciences were alwayes out of quiet The lyke dealing is at thys day in the Papacie And the Pope with all the rable of his Clergie differ nothing at all from the cousiners ageynste whom Sainct Paule incountereth heere sauing that those cousiners did put foorth theyr owne inuentions and would haue had them too preuayle vnder the shadowe and authoritie of Moyses Lawe They then ageinste whom Sainct Paule disputeth sayd we must keepe still Circumcision we must needes be circumcised still And to what purpose to the ende wee may discharge ourselues towardes God and bee accepted at his hand for doing of our duetie VVhereto then shall Iesus Chryste serue He shall serue for to fill vp a voyde roome for hee is not vtterly vnprofitable but when men haue so discharged and cleered themselues then if there bee any want Iesus Chryste shall supply that After that manner did those Cousiners speake whiche were Sainct Paules aduersarie partie And what sayes the Pope Hee sayth that in sted of the Ceremoniall lawe of Moses wee must keepe his ordinances and the thyngs that are decreed by Councelles or by thys man or that man and that the same byndeth vs vppon peyne of deadly sinne so that if we offende God wee must make him amendes for it by our owne satisfactions and not by the things that God hath commaunded For the amendes that we must make is not any of the thynges appoynted by Gods lawe but an addition of an ouerplus of oure owne deuice besydes and so are wee discharged to Godwarde and God must needes take it a woorth VVee see then that the Pope holdeth the same diuelish foundation whiche those Cousiners laboured too bring in Howbeit that thys is yet woorse that whereas they inforced the law of Moses whiche ought too beare some sway the Pope bringeth in his owne inuentions and the forgeries of his owne brayne But contrariwise Sainct Paule sayth that Iesus Christ shall profyte vs nothyng at all when we wil needes indent with God after