Diuell Death Christ ouercame the world on earth the flesh on the Crosse the diuell in hell death in the graue now being the Churches head and husband hee tooke her dowrie which was sinne for she had nothing else of her owne and indowed her with all his goods I am my welbeloueds and my welbeloued is mine So that Christ was borne for vs and liued for vs and died for vs rose againe for vs and therefore though the diuell cry ego decipiam the world cry ego deficiam the flesh cry ego inficiam death cry ego interficiam it makes no matter in that Christ crieth ego reficiam I will ease you I will comfort you I will visit and redeeme you See Gospell on whit sonday His people The Iewes as sent to them first and principally whom he did visit in his own person whereas all other diocesses of the world were visited by Commissaries I say first for afterward all people were hiâ—â—â—ople Visitaâ—it omnes gentes quomam omnes egentes In 〈◊〉 we are all one there is neither Iew nor Grecian neither bond nor free neither male nor female Gal. 3. 28. Augustine sweetly The belieuing Gentiles are more Israel then Israel it selfe for the Iewes are the children of Abraham according to the flesh only but we are the children of Abraham after the spirit they be the sonnes of Abraham who doe the works of Abraham But what was Abrahams chiefe worke The Scripture tels vs Abraham belieued and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes So that as Paul concludes all belieuers are true Israelites Abrahams seed and heires by promise See Nunc dimittis But shall we now sinne because grace doth abound God forbid He hath deliuered vs from the hands of all our enemies that we might serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnes all the daies of our life Sine timore inimici non sine timore domini Behauing our selues in this present world religiously towards God righteously towards our neighbor soberly towards our selues Examine these fiue circumstances exactly 1. Who did redeeme The Lord God of Israel factor â—errae factus in terra yea fractus in terra 2. Whom Such as sate in darknes and in the shadow of death His enemies aliants from his common wealth and open traitors to his kingdome 3. From what From the hands of all our enemies 4 With what With his owne pretious bloud the least drop whereof had bin meriti infiniti yet his death only was meriti definiti 5. For what That being deliuered from sinne we should liue in righteousnes Consider these points and thinke not this Hymne too much vsed in our Liturgie but sing with Zacharias daily Benedictus Dominus and say with Dauid Quid retribuam domino pro omnibus quae tribuit mihi Primò nihil eram fecit me perâ—eram quaesiuit me quaerens inuenit me captiuum redemit me emptum liberauit me de seruo fratrem fecit me We owe our soules our selues to God for creating vs more then our selues for redeeming vs. Concerniâ—g Iohn Baptist and his office which is the second generall part of this excellent song see the Gospell Dominic 3. 4. Aduent Iubilate Deo Psal. 100. THe Church doth adioine this Psalme to the Benedictus as a parallel and that not vnfitly for as the one so the other is a thanksgiuing vnto God inforced with the same reasons and arguments in so much as Zacharias is nothing else but an expounder of Dauid or Moses As Augustine wittily The new Testament heth hidden in the old and the old is vnclasped in the new Lex antiqua nouam firmat veterem noua complet in veteri spes est in nouitate fides O be ioyfull in the Lord saith the Prophet blessed be the Lord God of Israel saith our Euangelist Why because the Lord hath made vs and not we our selues we are his people and the sheepe of his pasture That is he hath visited and redeemed his people For Augustine Hierome Caluin Turrecrematensis other old and new writers interpret this of our Regeneration rather then of our Creation According to that of S. Paul We are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good works c. The Lord is gratious his mercy is euerlasting That is he promised euermore by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began that wee should be saued from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate vs. His truth indureth from generation to generation That is hee did in due time performe the mercie promised to our forefathers he remembred his holy couenant and kept that oth which hee swore to our father Abraham and his seed for euer To what end That we might serue God with gladnesse as Dauid in his text that is serue him all the daies of our life without feare as Zacharias in his glosse God insinuated himselfe to the Iewes as a Lord Exod. 20. 2. but to the Christians as a father Mat. 6. 9. And therefore seeing wee are translated from the bondage of seruants vnto the liberty of sonnes hauing in stead of the Law which was exceeding grieuous a burthen which is light and a yoke which is easie let vs serue the Lord with gladnes and come before his presence with a song Non in amaritudine murmurationis sed in iocunditate dilectionis as Augustine vpon the place The whole Psalme doth afford many profitable doctrines and vses in that the Prophet doth double and treble his exhortation O be ioyfull in the Lord serue him with gladnesse with a song Go into his gates with thanksgiuing into his courts with praise be thankfull speake good of his name he doth insinuate our sloth and dulnes in that behalfe and therefore it behoueth all men especially teachers of men in season and out of season to presse this duty It teacheth all people to praise God with a good heart cheerfully vers 1. Not in priuate onely but in the publike assembly also for publike benefits receiued of the Lord vers 3. Our bodily generation and ghostly regeneration are not of our selues but only from God vers 2. See Epist. Dom. post Pasc. Who is alway the same in his truth and goodnesse towards vs abeit we be variable in our loues and promises one to another vers 4. See Nunc Dimittis The Creed THis Apostolicall Creed is pronounced after the Lessons and the Nicene Confession after the Gospell and Epistle because faith as Paul teacheth is by hearing and hearing by the word of God We must first heare then confesse for which cause the Churchâ— of Scotlana also doth vsually repeate the Creed after the Sermon I beleeue in God c. Albeit the Creed be not protocanonicall Scripture yet as Ambrose speakes it is the key of the Scriptures and as Augustine a plaine short absolute summe of all holie
peace in earth towards men good will a song which the world neuer heard before that the seede of the woman should bruse the Serpents head is an old song the first that euer was sung but this was no plaine song till Christ did manifest himselfe in the flesh In the old Testament there were many old songs but in the new Testament a new song That vnto vs is borne a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord in many respects a new song for whereas Christ was but shadowed in the Law he is shewed in the Gospell and new because sung of new meÌ„ of all men For the sound of the Gospell is gone through all the earth vnto the ends of the world whereas in old time Gods old songs were sung in Iury his name great in Israel at Salem his Tabernacle and dwelling in Sion Psal. 76. 3. Whereto To the Lord. See before Psalme 95. 4. Wherefore For he hath done maruellous things he hath opened his greatnes and goodnesse to the whole world in his creation and preseruation in his redemption especially being a worke of greater might and mercie then all the rest for in the creation he made man like himselfe but in the redemption he made himselfe like man Illic participes nos fecit bonorum suorum hîc particeps est factus malorum nostrorum In making the world hee spake the word onely and it was done but to redeeme the world dixit multa fecit mira saith the text Passus est dura verba duriora verbera The creation of the world was a worke as it were of his fingers Psal. 8. 3. When I consider the heauen euen the work of thy fingers But the redemption as it is here called is the worke of his arme With his owne right hand and with his holy arme hath he gotten himselfe the victorie So that if the Iewes obserued a Sabbath in honour of the worlds creation how many festiuals ought we to keepe in thankfull remembrance of our redemption As Diogenes said euery day was an holy day to a good man so euery day should be a Sunday to the Christian man Aquinas excellently Bonum gratiae vnius maius est quà m bonum naturae totius vniuersi The sauing of one soule is a greater work then the making of a whole world 12. quaest 113. art 9. 5. Wherewith in a literall sense with all kinde of musicke Vocall Sing to the Lord. Chordall Praise him vpon the Harpe Pneumatical With trumpets c. In an allegoricall exposition as Euthymius interpretes it we must praise God in our actions and praise him in our contemplation praise him in our words praise him in our workes praise him in our life praise him at our death being not only temples as Paul but as Clemens Alexandrinus calles vs Timbrels also of the holy Ghost Nunc dimittis or the song of Simeon Luke 2. 29. Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace Sic vbi fâ—ta vocant vdis abiectus in herbis Ad vada Maeandri conciâ—it albus olor As the Swanue so Simeon in his old age readie â—o leaue the world did sing more sweetly then euer he did before Lord now lettest c. The which Hymne is a thanksgiuing to God for giuing his Sonne to redeeme his seruants And it hath two principall parts in the 1. He reioyceth in regard of his owne particular vers 29. 30. 2. In regard of the generall good our Sauiour Christ brought to y e whole world vers 31. 32. In the first note 2. things especially 1. His willingnes to die Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace 2. The reason of this willingnes For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation Lord The Papists often in their life specially at their death vse to commend themselues and their soules vnto the protection of the blessed Virgin Maria mater gratiae tu nos ab hoste protege horamortis suscâ—pe This is their doctrine Bellarmine auoweth it this is their practise Father Garnet at his execution vsed this forme of praier twice publiquely But old Simeon heere forgetting our Lady though she were present commends his soule to the Lord who redeâ—med it Lord now lettest thou c. Now Simeon assuredly was not afraid to die before but because a reuelation was giuen vnto him from the holie Ghost that he should not see death vntill he saw the Messias he was exceeding desirous to liue that he might see the word of the Lord fulfilled And therefore men abuse this example saying they will be contented to die when such and such things come to passe when all their daughters be well married and all their sonnes well placed Old Simeon had a reuelation for that he did whereas we haue no warraÌ„t from God for many things we fondly desire so that whether God grant them or not we must submit our selues vnto his good pleasure Now and euer ready to depart in peace when he doth call taking vnto vs the resolution of Iob The Lord giueth the Lord taketh blessed be the name of the Lord. Lettest thou We may not our selues loose our soules but let God let them out of prison We must seeke to mortifie the flesh and to cast the world out of vs but to cast our selues out of the world is an offence against God Our neighbour Our selues Against God who saith Thou shalt not kill if not another much lesse thy selfe For thou must loue thy neighbor as thy selfe first thy selfe then thy neighbour as thy selfe The neerer the deerer I kill and giue life saith the Lord we are not masters of our life but only stewards and therefore may not spend it or end it as we please but as God who bestowed it will Agâ—inst our neighbours because men are not borne for themselues alone but for other also being all members of one common-weale and politike body so that as Paul saith if one member suffer all suffer with it Homo quilibet est pars communitatis Euery particular person is part of the whole State This is the true reason why the King doth take so precise an account of the death euen of his basest subiect because himselfe and the whole kingdome had interest in him Against our selues Because by naturall instinct euerie creature labours to preserue it selfe the fire striueth with the water the water fighteth with the fire the most sillie worme doth contend with the most strong man to preserue it selfe and therefore we may not butcher our selues but expect Gods leasure and pleasute to let vs depart in peace Thy seruant It is not a seruile seruice but a perfect freedome to serue the Lord. And therefore as the good Empetour Theodosius held it more noble to be membrum Ecclesis qâ—â—â—â—caput Imperij so may we resolue that it is better to be a seruant of God then Lord of all the world For while we serue him all other
both assent and assurance that our requests shall be granted And therefore as one notes aptly this â—men is of more value then all the rest by how much our faith is more excellent then our desire for it is a testification of our faith whereas all the petitions are only testifications of our desire Ludolphus hath comprised all in this short paraphrase PAter noster Excelsus in creatione suauis in a more diues in haereditate qui es in coelis speculum aeternitatis corona iucunditatis the saurus felicitatis Sanctificetur nomen tuum vt nobis sit mel in ore melos in aure iubilum in corde Adueniat regnum tuum non illud modò potentiae quod nunquam euertitur sed istud gratiae quod saepius auertitur adueniat ergo iucundum sine permixtione tranquillum sine perturbatione securum sine amissione Fiat voluntas non nostra sed tua sicut in Coelis ab Angelis sic etiam in terra ab hominibus vt omnia quae non amas odio habeamus quae diligis diligamus quae tibi placent impleamus Panem doctrinalem sacramentalem victualem nostrum sed ne putetur a nobis dicimus da nâ—bis quotidianum qui sufficiat nobis Et dimitte nobis debita nostra Quae cunque contra te commiâ—â—â—mus aut contra proximos aut contra nosmet ipsos Sicut nos â—â—â—â—ttimus debitoribus nostris qui nos offendeâ—unt vel in verbis vel in personis vel in rebus Et ne nos inducas in tentationem mundi carnis Diaboli Sed libera nos à malo praesenti praeterito futuro Haec potes quia tuum est regnum potentia haec vis quia tua gloria nunc in secula Amen Psalm 51. 15. Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise AS man is a little world in the great so the tongue a great world in the little Nihil habet medium aut grande malum est aut grande bonum If good as Eunapius said of that famous Rhetorician a walking librarie a whole Vniuersitie of edifying knowledge but if bad as S. Iames doth tell vs a world of wickednesse No better dish for Gods publike seruice when it is well seasoned againe none worse when ill handled So that if we desire to be doore-keepers in Gods house let vs intreat God first to be a doore-keeper in our house that he would shut the wicket of our mouth against vnsauory speeches and open the doore of our lippes that our mouth may shew forth his praise This was Dauids praier and ought to be thy practise wherein obserue three points especially Who the Lord. What open my lippes Why that my mouth may shew thy praise For the first man of himselfe cannot vntie the strings of his own stammering tongue but it is God only which openeth a doore of vtterance When we haue a good thought it is as the schoole doth speake gratia infusa when a good word gratia effusa when a good worke gratia diffusa Man is as a locke the spirit of God as a key which openeth and no man shutteth againe shutteth and no man openeth He did open the heart of Lydia to conceiue well Acts 16. the eares of the Prophet to heare well Esay 50. the eies of Elishaes seruant to see well 2. Kings 6. and here the lips of Dauid to speake well And therefore whereas in the former verse he might seeme too peremptory saying my tongue shall sing of thy righteousnesse he doth as it were correct himselfe by this latter edition and second speech O Lord I finde my selfe of my selfe most vnable to sing or say but open thou my lips and touch thou my tongue and then I am sure my mouth shall shew thy praise This doctrine sheweth in generall our dependance on God in whom we liue and moue and haue our being from whom only commeth euery good and perfect gift Man is Gods image Gen. 1. 26. Some translators vse the word which signifieth a shadow Now as an image or a shadow doth onely mooue as the bodie whereof it is a likenesse when the body doth stretch forth an arme the shadow presently hath an arme when the bodie doth put foorth a legge the shadow hath a legge So man in all his actions as a shadow depends on God as the sole foundation of all his being In more particular this ouerthroweth all workemongers and if I may so speake babling word-mongers If a man cannot open his owne lips to praise God much lesse direct his owne heart to please God if not able to tune his tongue let him not presume to turne his soule And if a man cannot open his mouth aright let him not picke it with a false key but rather pray with Dauid in the 141. Psalme Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keepe the doores of my lips As it is absurd in building to make the porch bigger then the house so monstrous in nature when wee commit burglarie breaking the doores and pulling downe the barres of our mouth that the narrow passage may be made wide for our bigge words and high conceits A foule fault when our words are either too many or too mightie Ecclesiastes 5. 1. 2. Point what Open my lips Dauid elsewhere thinkes our mouth too much open and S. Iames that our tongue is too glib and vnrulie Lingua facilè volat ideo facile violat saith Bernard In old age when all other members are dull and stiffe the tongue notwithstanding is quicke and nimble What neede any then pray for opening their lippes I answere with the Prophet Ieremie chap 4. vers 22. They are wise to doe euill but to doe well they haue no knowledge Men haue tongue enough to speake ill an open mouth to blaspheme God and slander their neighbour but like Plinies Astomi no mouth no lippes no tongue possessed with a dumbe diuell when they should speake well Hierome Basil Euthymius and other ancient Doctors obserue that naturall corruptions and actuall sinnes are the very rampiers which stop this free passage So Dauid himselfe doth expound himselfe vers 14. Deliuer me from blood guiltinesse O God and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousnesse His vnthankfulnesse did crie his adulterie crie his murther crie vnto the Lord for reuenge but alas himselfe was mute till God in exceeding great mercie did stop the â—outhes of his clamorous aduersaries and gaue him leaue to speake Here we note the great wisedome of the Church assigning this place to this versicle in this booke namely before the Psâ—â—â—es Lessons and Collects and yet after the Confession and absolution of our sinnes insinuating that our mouthes are silenced only by transgression and opened only by God and therefore when wee meete together in the Temple to bee thankfull vnto him and to speake good of his name wee must craue first
fearefull example and that in their owne Fathers for omitting this excellent dutie In the first part two points are remarkable Who must praise Let vs sing let vs come let vs worship How Where Before his presence Whereto Sing to the Lord. Wherewith with our voice Let vs sing with our heart heartily with hands and knees O come let vs worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker For the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 content alone to praise God but exciteth all other about him to doe the â—ame O come let vs sing Now Dauid may be considered As a Priuate man Publike person Prince Prophet Here then is a threefold paterne in one An example for Masters to stir vp their â—amilie an example for Preachers to exhort their people an example for Princes to prouoke their subiects vnto the publike worship of the Lord. It becommeth great men especially to be good men as being vnprinted statutes and speaking 〈◊〉 vnto the rest This affection was in Abraham Paul Iosua and ought to be in all exhorting one another while it is called to daâ— You hold it a good rule in worldly businesse not to say to your seruants Come ye goe ye arise ye but let vs come let vs goe let vs arise Now shall the children of this world be wiser in their generation then the children of light Do we commend this course in mundane affaires and neglect it in religious offices Assuredly if our zeale were so great to religion as our loue is towards the world Masters would not come to Church as many doe without their seruants and seruants without their masters parents without their children and children without their parents husbands without their wiues and wiues without their husbands but all of vs would call one to another as Esay prophecied O come let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob hee will teach vs his waies and wee will walke in his paâ—hs And as Dauid here practised O come let vs sing to the Lord let vs heartily reâ—oice in the strength of our saluation How First where before the Lord before his presence vers 2. 6. God is euery where Whither shall I goe from thy spirit or whither shall I goe from thy preâ—ence True God is a circle whose Center is no where Circumference euery where yet is he said in holy Scâ—ipture to dwell in heauen and to be present in his Saâ—ctuarie more specially manifesting his glorie from heauen his grace in the Church principally For hee said in the Law In all places where I shall put the remembrance of my name I will come vnto thee and in the Gospell Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them Albeit euery day be a Sabbath and euery place a Sanctuarie for our priuate deuotions according to the particular exigence of our occasions yet God hath allotted certaine times and certaine places for his publike seruice Leuit. 19. 30. Ye shall sanctifie my Sabbaths and reuerence my Sanctuarie God is to be worshipped euer and euery where Yet the seuenth of our time and the tenth of our liuing must more specially be consecrated to that honour which hee requires in the Temple And therefore Caluin is of opinion that Dauid vttered this speech vpon the Sabbath as if hee should say Come let vs sing to the Lord not in priuate only but let vs come before his presence with thanksgiuing As in the 100. Psalme Goe your way into his gates and into his courts with praise The consideration of this one point that God is in euery place by his generall presence in this holie place by his especiall presidence may teach all men to pray not hypocritically for fashion but heartily for conscience not only formally to satisfie the law but also sincerely to certifie our loue to the Lord our maker giuing vnto Caesar the things which appertaeine to Caesar and vnto God the things which belonâ— to God That we may not only praise where we should but as it followeth in the diuision Whereto Let vs sing to the Lord let vs reioyce in the strength of our saluation let vs shew our selues glad in him Euery one in his merrie mood will say Come let vs sing let vs heartily reioyce But as good neuer a whit as neuer the better Silence is a sweeter note then a loud if a leaud sonnet If we will needs reioyce let vs saith Paul reioyce in the Lord if sing saith Dauid let vs sing to the Lord. Vaine toyes are songs sung to the world lasciuious balads are songs sung to the flesh Satyricall libels are songs sung to the Diuell onely Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songs are melodie for the Lord. Pâ—e debes Domino exultare si vis securus mundo insultare saith Augustine vpon this text we may not exalt but insult ouer the world the flesh the diuell our exaltations and exultations are due to God only Venite exultemus Domino LEt vs worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker not before a Crucifix not before a rotten Image not before a faire picture of a foule Saint these are not our makers we made them they made not vs. Our God vnto whom we must sing in whom wee must reioyce before whom we must worship is a great King aboue all gods hee is no god of lead no god of bread no brazen god no wooden god we must not fall downe and worship our Ladie but our Lord not any Martyr but our Maker not any Saint but our Sauiour O come let vs sing vnto the Lord let vs heartily reioyce in the strength of our saluation Wherewith with voyce Let vs sing with soule let vs heartily reioyce with hands and knees let vs fall downe and kneele with all that is within vs with all that is without vs he that made all must be worshipped with all especially when we come before his presence Here let vs make a stand and behold the wise choice of the Church assigning this place to this Psalme which exciteth vs to come to the Temple quietly and ioyntly Come let vs sing and when wee are come to demeane our selues in this holie place cheerefully heartily reuerently I would faine know of those who despise our Canons as not agreeable to the Canon of holy Bible whether their vnmannerly sitting in the time of diuine seruice be this kneeling whether their standing bee this falling downe whether they giue God their heart when as they will not affoord him so much as their hat whether their lowring vpon their brethren bee singing to the Lord whether their dutie required here bee to come in to goe out to stay in the Temple without any respect of persons or reuerence to place I would such as doe imitate the Turks in habite would likewise follow them in
humble comportment while they pray Magna cum Ceremonia attentione sacris suis intersunt Turcae nam si vel digito scalpant caput perisse sibi precationis fructum â—rbitrantur quid eâ—im si cum Bassis sermo tibi habendus ergo multo magis si cum Deo Thinke of this yee that forget God hee will not bee mocked his truth is eternall heauen and earth shall passe but not one â—ot of his word shall passe if an Angell from heauen or diuell on earth if any priuate spirit shall deliuer vnto you rules of behauiour in the Church contrarie to this Canon of Gods owne spirit let him be accursed Anathema Let vs sing let vs worship let vs who feare God and honour the King fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker Thus much of Dauids exhortation to praise God The reasons why we should praise follow Set downe First briefly God is our Creator therefore let vs worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker vers 6. He is our Redeemer therefore let vs sing vnto the Lod let vs heartily reioyce in the strength of our saluation vers 1. Secondly more at large from his Mercies in generall vers 3. 4. 5. Iudgements For the Lord is a great God Most mightie almightie able to doe whatsoeuer he will and more then he will too See the Creed In himselfe so great that the heauen of heauens cannot containe him much lesse any barren braine inwombe him and therefore Dauid here being not able to set downe the least peece of his greatnes in the positiue degree comes to the comparatiue shewing what he is in comparison of other A great King aboue all gods As being more excellent and mightie then any thing or all things that haue the name of God Whether they be Gods in Title Angels in heauen Princes on earth Opinion As gold is the couetous mans god bellicheere the Epicures god an Idoll the superstitious maÌ„s god Now the Lord is the King of all gods in title for he made them of all gods in opinion for he can destroy them Angels are his messengers and Princes his ministers all power is of the Lord. The manner of getting kingdomes is not alwaies of God because it is sometime by wicked meanes yet the power it selfe is euer from God and therefore stiled in scripture the God of gods as the Wise man saith higher then the highest for religion and reason tell vs that of all creatures in heauen an Angell is the greatest of all things on earth an Emperour is the greatest but the Lord as you see is greater then the greatest as being absolute Creator of the one and maker of the other Quantus Deus est qui Deos facit How great a God is hee that makes gods yea marres them too at his pleasure surely this is a great God a great king aboue all gods And therfore in what estate soeuer thou be possesse thy soule with patience reioyce in God be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might feare no man no diuell no other god he y â— is greater theÌ„ al these shal be thy defence he will performe whatsoeuer in his word he did promise concerning this life the next In his hand are all the corners of the earth A reason to proue that God is a great King aboue all gods he is a great God because a king of gods and he is a King of gods because in his hand are all the corners of the world subiect to his power and prouidence The most mighty Monarch on earth is king as it were but of a molehill a Lord of some one angle but in Gods hand are all the corners of the earth and the strength of the hils i. of most puissant potentates in comparison of whoÌ„ al other are low valleyes I say the strength height of the hils are his Antichrist doth extoll himselfe aboue all that is called God and the Pope doth make himselfe Lord of Lords vsurping the whole world for his diocesse yea hee hath a triple kingdome according to his triple crowne Supernall extended to heauen in canonizing Saints Infernall extended to hell in freeing soules out of Purgatorie Terrestriall extended ouer the whole earth as being vniuersall Bishop of the Catholique Church But alas vaine man hee is but a â—ox in an hole many corners of the earth are not his England God be praised is not his Scotland Holland Denmarke not his a great part of France the greatest part of Germany none of his many thousands in Portugall Italy Spaine none of his the great Cham the Persian the Turke the least whereof is greater then himselfe none of his And albeit all the Kings of the earth should be drunken with his abomination yet should he bee pastor vniuersall of the Church but as the diuell is prince of the world not by his owne might but by others weakenesse as Saint Paul said He is our master to whom we giue our selues as seruants to obey So likewise the gods of the superstitious HeatheÌ„ haue not all the corners of the world for as themselues ingeniously confesse some were gods of y â— water only some of the wind some of corne some of fruite Nec omnia coÌ„memoro quia me piget quod illos non pudet As Heretikes haue so many Creeds as heads so the Gentiles as Prudentius obserued had so many things for their god as there were things y â— were good Quic quid humus pelagus coelum mirabile gignunt id duxâ—re Deos colles freta flumina flammas So that their god is not as our God euen our enemies being Iudges Other hold some parcels of the earth vnder him and some lay claime to the whole by vsurpation But all the corners of the world are his by right of creation as it followeth in the next verse The sea is his for hee made it An argument demonstratiue to shew that all the world is subiect to his power and therefore in the Creed after Almightie followeth instantly Maker of heauen and earth If any shall demaund why Dauid nameth heere first and principally the Sea before all other creatures answere may be giuen out of Plinie God who is wonderfull in all things is most wonderfully wonderfull in the Sea Whether we consider as Dauid elsewhere The 1. Situation of it 2. Motion 3. Innumerable creatures in it 4. Wonderfull art of sailing on it Yet God in the beginning made this vnruly foaming fuming beast and euer since ruled it at his becke for hee stilleth the raging of the Sea and the noise of his waues hee shutteth vp this barking curre in the channell as in a kennell he laieth vp the deepe as in a treasure house saying to the waters Hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall it stay thy proud waues
Hitherto concerning the greatnes and goodnes of God in generall Now Dauid in the seuenth verse proceedes intimating that the Lord of all in common is our God in speciall Hee is the Lord our God as being the people of his pasture and the sheepe of his hands that is himselfe doth feede and fauour the Church in a more particular sort committing this charge to none other See preface of the Decalogue The last reason is from iudgement for God vseth all meanes to winne men vnto him The summe whereof is that wee must not harden our hearts and obstinately settle our selues in sinne as our forefathers in the wildernesse but rather heare the voice of the Lord speaking vnto vs out of his word all the day long the whole time of our life generally but on the Sabbath day more specially leâ—t in his anger hee sweare that wee shall not enter into his rest Reade this historie Numb 14. Exod. 17 for as Paul doth teach these things are written for our ensample vpon whom the ends of the world are come Lege historiâ—m ne fias historia The iudgements of God are like thunder claps poena ad vnum terror adomâ—es As in a Common-weale places of execution are publike ad terrorem populi because as Plato said Nemo prudens punit quia peccatum est sed ne peccetur And another ancient Philosopher to the same purpose Malefici non pereunt vt pereant sed vt pereundo alios deterreant That the State which had no benefit by their life should make vse of their death In like manner almightie God in this huge Theater of the world doth make some spectacles vnto other all of vs being either actors or spectators and so by consequence must take example by other or else make example to other See Epist. Dom. 9. post Trin. Te Deum THat Hymnes accurately framed by deuout men according to the word may be sung in the Church with the Psalmes of Dauid and other spirituall songs taken out of the word we can alleage precept and example Precept Colos. 3. 16. Admonish your selues in Psalmes and Hymnes c. Marlorat doth construe this of singing in the Church and Haymo that Hymnes were godly songs inuented by the Christians of that age For Gods holy Church hath vsed this custome from the Primitiue times euen vnto this present day Concerning Te Deum in particular it is approued by Luther and held by our Martyrs a good Creed as it is thought generally composed by those two great lights of the Church Ambrose who was the most resolute Bishop and Augustine who was the most iudicious Doctor of all the Fathers It is reported by Dacius a reuerend Bishop of Millane that in his time who liued vnder Iustinian anno 538. this Hymne was receiued and vsed in the Church which argueth it of greater antiquity then vpstart Popery The Nouelist as Augustine writes of Faustus the Manichee Vel non intellâ—gendâ— repreâ—endit vel reprehendendo non intelligit Either too much passion or else too little knowledge Benedicite omnia opera THâ—â— Cantiâ—â—e is a rapsodie gathered here and there from diuâ—â—s Psalmes of Dauid as the marginall notes indigitate cited often by the learned and ancient fathers and not censured for it by the Lutheran Historiographers Cent. 5. colum 219. Imprinted at Mâ—â—elburgh with the Dauidicall Psalmes in English meeter an honour denied vnto the Church Psalter in prose In a word I finde this Hymne lesse martyred then the rest and therefore dimisse it as Christ did the woman Iohn 8. Where be thine accusers Hath no man condemned thee no more doe I goe thy way Benedictus LVKE 1. 68. THe Benedictus Magnificat and Nunc dimittis are said in the Church daily whereas other Psalmes of Dauid Asaph Moses are read but monethly The reasons hereof are manifest and manifold I will onely name two First these most excellent Hymnes as gratulations wherewith our Lord and Sauiour was ioifully receiued at his entrance into the world concerne vs so much more then the Psalmes of Dauid as the Gospell more then the Law and the new Testament more then the old For the one are but prophecies of Christ to come whereas the other are plaine discoueries of Christ already present Secondly these songs are proper onely to Christianitie whereas other Psalmes are common to the Iewes as well as to the Christians wherewith they praise God in their Synagogue so well as we praise God in our Church A Iew will sing with Asaph and Dauid that the Messias of the world shall come but he cannot he will not acknowledge with Zacharias and Simeon that he is come So that the Nouelist herein misliking the Churches custome doth seeme to play the Iew which I rather ascribe to the lightnes of his folly then to the waight of his malice Sententiam Ecclesiae non intelligit sedamat suam non quia vera est sed quia sua est It is fitly placed after the second Lesson as an Hymne of praise to magnifie God for the comfort we receiue by the sweet tidings of the Gospell Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for visiting and redeeming his people It hath two principall parts 1. Concerning Christ and his kingdome 2. Touching Iohn the Baptist and his office vers 76. c. It is very remarkable that Zacharias who was dumbe vers 20 doth now not onely speake but also prophecie He was made speechlesse because he was faithlesse but now belieuing his lips are opened and his mouth doth shew forth Gods praise saying Blessed be the Lord. Let no man in his affliction despaire for as Ambrose notes if we change our manners Almightie God will alter his mind Nec solum ablata restituit sed etiam insperatâ— concedit He will not onely restore that which was taken a way but also giue more then we can expect So he blessed the last daies of Iob more then the first for whereas he had but 7000 sheepe 3000 comels 500 yoke of oxen and 500 shee asses afterward the Lord gaue him 1400 sheep 6000 camels 1000 yoke of oxen and 1000 asses In the second of Ioel If you will turne to me saith the Lord with all your heart with fasting weeping and mourning I will render vnto you the yeeres which the grashopper hath eaten the canker worme and the caterpiller And moreouer I will powre out my spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie c. In the 9. of Matth. when Christ saw the faith of the palsie man he did not onely cure the sores of his body but also the sinnes of his soule Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes are forgiuen thee In the first part two points are to be considered especially 1. Who to be blessed the Lord God of Israel 2. Why first for promising then for performing redemption vnto the world Blessed That is praised as
Psalme 18. 47. Matth. 22. 39. So that Zacharias here remembring a great benefit begins his Hymne with thanks Benedictus Dominus Hereby signifying that it is our first and chiefe duty to be thankfull to blesse God who doth so wonderfully blesse vs in all the changes and chances of this mortall life to say with Iob The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh blessed be the name of the Lord. God be praised and the Lord be blessed is the language of Canaan whereas vnthankfulnesse is the diuels text and the blasphemies of wicked men are Commentaries vpon it The Lord For as Aristoâ—le said Praise is onely vertues due but none is good except God Other are to be praised in him so faâ—re forth as they haue receiued any gift or good from him onely the Lord worthy to be praised in and for himselfe God of Israel So called in two respects first in regard of his loue towards them as being his peculiar incloser out of the Commons of the wholeworld Deut. 7. 6. Psalme 76. Esay 5. Secondly in regard of their seruice to him hee is God of other will they nill they Psal. 99. 1. The Lord is King be the people neuer so impatient he sitteth betweene the Cherubims be the earth neuer so vnâ—uiet but Israel willingly submitted her selfe to serue him cheerefully with all her heart The Diuell is prince of the world because the wicked of the world be ready to giue place to his suggestions but the Lord is God of Israel that is of all good men because they resist Satan and yeeld to his gouernment desiring daily that his kingdome may come and his will be done in earth as it is in heauen He doth vse this title rather then another in generall to describe the true God and to distinguish him from the gods of the Gentiles who were not gods but 〈…〉 that is Diuels as Euthymâ—â—s obserues In particular this title did best fit his occasion because Christ the redeemer of the world was promised vnto the Iewes Abraham and his seed for euer and therefore blessed be the Lord God of Israel Why First for promising then for performing The promises of God touching the Messias are twofold 1. Made by himselfe to Adam Abraham Isaac vers 72. 73. 2. Made by his seruants As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which haue been since the world began vers 70. He spake The Prophet is but the voice God himselfe is the speaker as Iohn Baptist said I am the voice of him that crieth in the wildernesse By thâ— mouth In the singular number for albeit they were many yet they spake but one thing from one spirit as it were with one mouth Which haue been since the world began For all the Prophets haue foretold of these daies In the transfiguration Moses and Elias are said to talke with Christ signifying hereby saith Origen that the Law and the Prophets and the Gospell agree all in one And therefore Peter was vnwise to make three Tabernacles for one Holy Prophets holy by Place separated froÌ„ the prophane vulgar and consecrated to this high calling Grace for being hallowed and elected to this office they spake by the holy Ghost endued also with gifts of sanctification in so much that Prophets and holie men heretofore were voces conuertibiles as it is obserued out of the old Testament Gen. 20. 7. and new Luk. 7. 16. Ioh. 9. 17. This may teach the Prophets in our time to be walking Sermons Epistles and holy Gospels in all their cariage toward the people Praedicat viua voce qui praedicat vita voce He doth preach most that doth liue best As it is said of Iohn the Baptist Cum miraculum nullum fecerit perpetuum fuit ipse miraculum So a good man doth alway preach though hee neuer comes in pulpit Whereas such a Minister as is no where a Minister but in the Church is like Achitophel who set his house in order and then hanged himselfe The word preached is as Aarons rod if in the Preachers hand it is comely but if he cast it from him it will happily proue a Serpent That which God hath ioyned together let no man put asunder Holinesse and Prophecie O Lord indue thy Ministers with righteousnesse that thy chosen people may be ioyfull As God is mercifull in making so faithfull in keeping his promise for he visited and redeemed his people Visited In the better part for visitation in mercie not in iudgement as Psal. 8. 4. Gen. 21. 1. If Christ did visit vs in our person let vs visit him in his members All of vs are his stewards and the good things he hath lent vs are not our owne but his either the goods of the Church and so wee may not make them Impropriations or else the goods of the Common-wealth and wee may not inclose them He is the best subiect that is highest in the Subsidie booke so he the best Christian that is most forward in subsiaijs in helping his brethren with such gifts as God hath bestowed vpon him The whole world saith S. Iohn lieth in wickednes sicke very sicke vnto death All wickednesse is weaknes euery sinne is a sore Couetousnes an insatiable dropsie Pride a swelling tympanie Lasinesse the Gentlemans gout Christ therefore the great Physition of the world came to visit vs in this extremitie we did not send for him hee came of his owne loue to seeke and saue that which was lost It is a great kindnes for one neighbour to visit another in sicknes but a greater kindnes to watch and pray with the comfortlesse yet the greatest kindnesse of all is to helpe and heale him Euen so and much more then so Christ loued y e world he came not only to see it but to saue it not only to liue among men but also to die for men as to visite so to redeeme The Lord did endure the crosse that the seruant might enioy the crowne the Captaine descended into hell that the souldier might ascend into heauen the Physition did die that the patient might liue Bernard pithily Triplici morbo laborabat genus humanum principio medio fine idest natiuitate vita morte Venit Christus contra triplicem hunc morbum attulit triplex remediuÌ„ Natus est vixit mortuus est eius natiuitas purgauit nostram mors eius destruxit nostram vita eius instruxit nostram As S. Paul in two words He died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification that is saith Aquinas he died to remoue from vs all that which was euill and rose againe to giue vs all that which was good All is infolded in the word Redeeme the which as Interpreters obserue generally doth implie that wee are deliuered from the hands of all our enemies and they be principally foure The World Flesh.
spiritus Dei cum muliere coeat eique sobolis quaedam principia ingoneret 3. The Cerinthians Ebionits and Carpocratian Heretikes held that Christ was the naturall sonne of Ioseph verus merus hâ—mâ— Contrary to text Mat. 1. 25. Luk. 3. 23. See the Gospell Dom. 1. post Epiphan In his birth against Iouinian Durandus Vnto these that of Esay 7 is opposed Ecce 〈…〉 pariet filium The which words are to be construed in censu composito non diuiso scilicet integra permanâ—eâ—â— conceptura paritura nam quale signum vel prodigium esset vt quae fuit virgo conciperet corrupta pareret Hic si ratio quaeritur non erit mirabile Si poscitur exemplum non erit singulare Demus Deum aliquid posse quod nos fateamur inuestigare non posse Fides adsit nulla quaestio remanebit See the Gospell of the purification After his birth against the Old Heluidians New Antidicomarianits holding it a point of zeale to disgrace this holy Virgin whereas it is our dutie rather highly to reuerence her as being the Mother of our Lord a Prophetesse on earth a Saint in heauen as the Fathers vsually the window of heauen through which it pleased the light of the world to illuminate such as fit in darknesse and in the shadow of death Of such estimation in the Church that whereas the first generall Councell was assembled against Arrius to maintaine the honour of the Sonne and so by consequence of the Father The second against Macedonius to maintaine the honour of the holy Ghost The third was assembled against Nestorius to maintaine the dignitie of the blessed Virgin And therefore let not vs giue her too little though the Papists haue giuen her too much See Gospell on the Annunciation Passion Christs passion is set downe First summarily Suffered vnder Pontius Pilat Then particularly Crucified Dead Buried All which our Sauiour did not endure for himselfe but for vs. He was wounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities In me pro me doluit qui pro se nihil habuit quod doleret O Domine Iesu doles non tua sed vâ—laera mea He suffered for vs leauing vs an example that his passion might deliuer vs from sinne and his actions direct vs to vertue teaching patience humilitie obedience charitie Greater patience cannot bee found then for the author of life to suffer an ignominious death iniustly no greater humilitie then for the Lord of all Lords to submit himselfe to be crucified among theeues nor greater obedience then to be willing rather to die then not to fulfill the commandement of his Father nor greater charitie then to lose his life to saue his enemies For loue is more shewed in deedes then in words and more in suffering then in doing See Gospell on Sunday before Easter and Epistle 2. Sunday after Easter Nos immortalitate malè vsi sumus vt moreremur Christus mortalitate bene vsus vt viueremus Exaltation Note the Creeds order answerable to the Scripture For Christ first suffered and then entred into glorie Teaching vs hereby that we must first beare with him the Crosse before wee can weare with him the Crowne Christianus as Luther said is Crucianus As a lilie among the thornes so is my loue among the daughters Cant. 2. 2. Christs exaltation hath foure parts his 1. Triumph in hell 2. Resurrection 3. Ascension 4. Session I make Christs descending into hell a part of his aduancement rather then abasement because this generall Creed of the whole Church and the particular confession of our Church make it a distinct article following Christs Suffering Death Buriall and therfore cannot aptly be construed of his agonie in the garden before his death nor of his tortures on the Crosse at his death nor yet of his buriall after his death Ergo Credendum est Christum ad inferos in genere credibile ad inferos damnatorum in specie triumphandi gratia secundùm animans realiter localiter descendisse That as hee did ouercome the world on earth and death in the graue so likewise he did triumph ouer Satan in the courts of hell his owne kingdome For my owne part I rest my self in the iudgement of the Church wherein I liue and hold it enough to beleeue that Christ did so much and suffered so much as was sufficient for all efficient for me praying with the Greeke Fathers in their Liturgie By thine vnknowne sorrowes and sufferings felt by thee but not distinctly manifest to vs haue mercie on vs and saue vs. O gracelesse peeuishnes we scantly follow Christ to heauen albeit wee beleeue that he went for vs into hell Christs resurrection is the locke and key of all our Christian religion and faith on which all other articles hang. See the Gospell on S. Thomas and Easter day In Christs ascension 3. points obseruable Place Mount Oliuet Time When hee had taught his Disciples and while they beheld him Manner A cloud tooke him vp out of their sight Act 1. 9. See the Epistle for Ascension day Christs Session is set foorth by the Place Heauen that is Heauen of heauen Effect Comming to Iudgement To iudge the quick the dead Spiritually The good which liue with the spirituall life of grace The bad which are spiritually dead in sinne Corporally Because at that day most shall be dead and many shall be found aliue who in the twinckling of an eye shall suddenly be changed as S. Paul tels vs. Origen thinketh that the Priest had bels in the lower part of his roabe to put vs in minde of the end of the world Our good God hath prepared such things for vs as eye hath not seene neither eare hath heard neither came into mans heart Si in cor hominis non ascendit cor hominis illuc ascendat Seeing the Iudge shall come from heauen let vs before send thither our hearts to meete him and in the meane while thence to looke for him Philip. 3. 20. He hath said it who is truth it selfe Surely I come quickly Amen euen so come Lord Iesus I beleeue in the holy Ghost The Godhead of the Father is especially manifested in the Law the Godhead of the Sonne especially manifested in the Gospell the Godhead of the holy Ghost especially manifested in the Creed intimating so much in foure words as the whole Bible containes of this argument namely first that the holy Ghost is God otherwise we might not beleeue in him Secondly that hee is a distinct person from the Father and the Sonne I beleeue in the Father in the Sonne in the holy Ghost And thirdly that he proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne infolded in the Title holy Ghost For albeit the Father is holie the Sonne holie the Father a Spirit and the Sonne a Spirit
eâ—aculatas as if they were darts throwne out with a kind of sudden quicknes lest y â— vigilant and erect attention of minde which in deuotion is very requisite should be wasted and dulled through continuance if their prayers were few and long Nam plerumque hoc negotium plus gemitibus quà m sermonibus agitur plus fletu quà m afflatu saith the same Father in the same place Peruse that learned epistle for it is a sufficient apologie both for the length of our whole seruice as also for the shortnes of our seuerall prayers If Augustine now liued and were made vmpire betweene the Nouelists and vs he would rather approue many short praiers in England then those two long praiers one before and the other after sermon in Scotland and Geneua For this particular Dominus vobiscum it is taken out of the second chapter of Ruth an vsuall salutation among Gods people Iudg. 6. 12. Luke 1. 28. And therefore the like among vs as God saue you God blesse you God speed c. are not idle complements or taking Gods holy name in vaine but Christian and commendable duties See Gospell Dom. 6. post Trinit and Gospell on the Annunciation This and the like salutations or benedictions in the time of diuine seruice betweene the Priest and people are of great antiquitie and good vse For in the Liturgies of S. Iames Basil Chrysostome and that of the Aethiopians I finde that the Priest was wont to say Pax vobis and the people replied Et cum spiritus tuo In that old Liturgie of Spaine called Mozarabe because the Christians were mingled with Arabians it is enioyned that the Priest should say Dominus vobiscum as in our booke and the people as ours answered Et cum spiritu tuo Againe Adiuuate me fratres in orationibus vestris and the whole companie replied Adiuuet te Pater filius spiritus sanctus It is reported by Bellarmine and Tritenhemius that one Petrus Damianus hath written an whole booke of this argument intituled Dominus vobiscum in which as it should seeme sundrie needlesse questions are discussed hee liued in the daies of William the Conquerour therefore thought probable that it was vsed in the Latine Church euer since their Liturgie was composed by Damasus about the yeere 376 deduced out of the Greeke Churches into the Romane as Beatus Rhenanus and Master Fox coniecture Cum spiritu tuo THe peoples answere Cum spiritu tuo is taken out of the second Epistle of Paul to Timothie The Lord Iesus Christ be with thy spirit It answereth the reapers answere to Boaz The Lord blesse thee These mutuall salutations insinuate sweete agreement and loue betweene the Pastor and parishioners it is the Ministers office to begin and the peoples dutie to correspond in good affection and kindnes for loue is the adamant of loue When the Minister is a Paul the people must be Galatians if it were possible willing to pull out their eyes and to giue them for his good not only to reuerence his place but also to loue his person A Pastor cannot vse to the people a better wish then The Lord be with you For if God be with them who can be against them and the people cannot make a fitter reply then with thy spirit For as Plato diuinely said euery mans soule is himselfe Againe forasmuch as God is a spirit and ought to bee worshipped in spirit it is meete we should performe this spirituall seruice with all carnest contention and intention of spirit See Magnificat Christ promised Matth. 18. to bee with vs in our deuotion in the middest of vs when wee meete to pray But as Eusebius Emissenus obserueth how shall God be in the middest of thee when as thou art not in the middest of thy selfe Quomodo erit deus in medio tâ—i si tecum ipse non fueris If the aduocate sleepe how shall the Iudge awake No maruell if thou lose thy suite when as in praying thou losest thy selfe Prayer is the Christians gunshot saith Luther Oratio bombardae Christianorum As then a bullet out of a gun so prayers out of our mouth can goe no further then the spirit doth carrie them if they be Timidae they cannot flie far if Tumidae not pearce much only feruent and humble deuotion hitteth the marke penetrating the walles of heauen albeit they were brasse and the gates iron The Church hath placed these mutuall responsories at the very beginning of our prayers after the Lessons and Confession of saith because Christ said Without me ye can doe nothing Wherefore the Church as I haue shewed begins her prayers at the first with O Lord open thou our lips and here praying afresh The Lord be with you begins I say with The Lord bee with you and ends with through Iesus Christ our Lord. Signifying hereby that Christ is Alpha and Omega the first and the last without whom we can neither begin well nor end well And this is the reason why the Church after this interchangeable salutation enioynes vs to pray Lord haue mercie vpon vs Christ haue mercie vpon vs Lord c. vsing an earnest repetition as I coniecture rather to presse this one point then as other write to notifie the three diuine persons And it is worth obseruing that we conclude these short Suffrages as we began for as in the first we desire the Lord to be with vs and our spirit so likewise in the last that hee would not take his holie spirit from vs but accompanie the whole Church vnto the end and in the end I am occasioned in this place iustly to defend the peoples answering the Minister aloud in the Church The beginning of which interlocutorie passages is ascribed by Platina to Damasus Bishop of Rome by Theodoret to Diodorus Bishop of Antioch by Walafridus Strabo to S. Ambrose Bishop of Millane all which liued 1100 yeeres before the Church was acquainted with any French fashions and yet Basil epist. 63. alleageth that the Churches of Egypt Libya Thebes Palestina Phoenicians Syrians MesopotamiaÌ„s vsed it long before Socrates and Strabo write that Ignaetius a scholler vnto Christs owne schollers is thought to be the first author hereof If any shall expect greater antiquitie and authoritie wee can fetch this order euen from the quier of heauen I saw the Lord said Esay set on an high Throne the Seraphims stood vpon it and one cried to another saying Holy holy holy Lord God of hostes all the world is full of his glorie Blessed spirits in praising God answere one another interchangeably though vnhappie scornefull spirits vnmannerly terme this custome Tossing of seruice But it may be said of them as Hâ—erome wrote of Heluidius Existimant loquacitatem esse facundiam maledicere omnibus bonae conscientiae signum arbitrâ—â—tur The Magnificat LVKE 1. 46. My soule doth
The word originall signifieth rather fauour then pitie because pitie is shewed onely in aduersitie not in prosperitie whereas fauour in both and therefore the vulgar Latine Deus misereatur happily not so sufficient as Deus faueat Be fauorable O Lord and so mercifull as to blesse vs that is not only to deliuer vs from euill but also to giue whatsoeuer is good In more particular Shew vs the light of thy countenance Euery man doth desire blessing but the good man only this blessing all other are blessings of the left hand common to the wicked with the godly but this a blessing of the right hand which only belongs vnto Gods elect God lookes on the reprobate like an angry Iudge with a cloudie countenance but beholds all his adopted children in Christ as a mercifull father with a gratious aspect Shew vs thy countenance that is indue vs with true knowledge of thy word and a liuely faith in thy Sonne which is thine owne image and countenance where we may learne to confesse with Paul that all other things are but losse in comparison of the superexcellent knowledge of Christ Iesus for it is eternall life to know God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ. That thy way may be knowne As light so the participation of Gods light is communicatiue we must not pray for our selues alone but for all other that Gods way may be known vpon earth and his sauing health among all nations Thy way that is thy will thy word thy works Gods will must be knowne on earth that it may be done on earth as it is in heauen Except we know our Masters will how shall we do it Ergo first pray with Dauid here Let thy way be knowne vpon earth and then let all the people praise thee Gods will is reuealed in his word and his word is his way wherein we must walke turning neither to the right hand nor to the left or thy way that is thy works as Dauid elsewhere Psalm 25. 9. All the waies of the Lord are mercie and truth Or as other most fitly Thy way that is thy Christ Thy sauing health that is thy Iesus for I am the way saith our Sauiour Iohn 14. 6. No man commeth to the Father but by me wherefore let thy sonne be knowne vpon earth thy Iesus among all nations At this time God was knowne in Iurie but saith Hierome Gods way was vnknowne his sonne was not as yet manifested in the flesh this as Paul speakes was his wisedome but now reuealed as S. Iohn in his first epistle Wee haue heard wee haue seene with our eyes and our haâ—ds haue handled of the word of life Blessed eyes happie eares for I tell you many Prophâ—â—â— and Kings haue desired to see the things which you see and haue not seene them and to heare the things which you heare and haue not heard them Let the people praise thee Marke the sweete order of the blessed Spiâ—it first mercie then knowledge last of all praising of God We cannot see his countenance except he be mercifull vnto vs and wee cannot praise him except his way be knowne vpon earth his mercie breeds knowledge his knowledge praise Wee must praise God alway for all things Ephes. 5. 20. but especially for his sauing health among all nations And this is the true reason why the Church in her Liturgie doth vse so many Hymnes and giue so much thanks vnto God for the redemption of the world Wherein assuredly she did imitate the blessed Apostles in composing the Creed the greatest part whereof as hath been noted is spent in the doctrine which concerneth our Sauiour Christ. Let all the people Some mislike the Letanie for that it hath a petition for all men and all people yet wee haue both a precept and a precedent out of Gods owne booke the Commandement is 1. Tim. 2. I exhort that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men The practise of Gods Church is apparent in this place let the people let all the people which the Psalmographer vttered from the spirit of God as the mouth of God and therefore let men construe the Church as the Scripture when as the Church doth speake Scripture lest they wipe out of the Bible many good lessons as Tertulli in said of Marcion if not with a spunge yet with a peeuish and ouerthwart interpretation And heere let the Nouelist also remember that both our English reformers and the Churches of Scotland vse the same petition for all men in their prayers after the Sermon O let the nations reioyce and be glad It is obserued to good purpose that this clause is inserted fitly between that doubled exclamation Let the people praise thee because none can praise God well except they doe it heartily with ioy and gladnesse For as the Lord loues a cheerefull giuer so likewise a cheerefull thanksgiuer God is terrible to the wicked but a God of gladnesse to such as haue seene the light of his countenance for being reconciled vnto God they haue such inward ioy and peace that it passeth all vnderstanding For thou shalt iudge the folke righteously The Psalmist here may seeme to contradict himselfe for if mercie make men reioyce then iudgement occasioneth men to tremble Answere is made that all such as haue knowne the waies of the Lord and reioyce in the strength of his saluation all such as haue the pardon of their sinnes assured and sealed feare not that dreadfull assise because they know the Iudge is their aduocate Or as Hierome let all nations reioyce because God doth iudge righteously being the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Iewes Acts 10. 34. Or let all nations reioyce because God doth gouerne all nations that whereas heretofore they wandred in the fond imaginations of their owne hearts in wrie waies in by-waies now they are directed by the spirit of truth to walke in Gods high way which leades vnto the celestiall Ierusalem now they shall know Christ the way the truth and the life For iudging is vsed often for ruling 1. Sam. 7. 15. 2. Cor. 1. 10. So Dauid here doth expound himselfe Thou shalt iudge that is thou shalt gouerne the nations Vpon earth Not excluding things aboue but openly meeting with their impietie who think God careth not for the things below for Epicurus in old time so taught Epicures in our time so liue as if almightie God did not marke what were done well or ill vpon earth O yee fooles when will ye vnderstand He that planted the eare shall he not heare or he that made the eye shall he not see Totus oculus est quia omnia videt totus manus est quia omnia operatur totus pes est quia vbique est as Seneca like a Diuine Prope à te est Deus
tecum est intus est Ita dico Lucili sacer intra nos spiritus sedet malorum bonorumque obseruator custos Let the people This and other manifest repetitions in this Psalme may serue for a warrant to iustifie the repetitions in our Liturgie but I will answere the Nouelist in the words of Paul Rom. 2. In that thou blamest another thou condemnest thy selfe for thou that iudgest doest the same thing The reformers in one of their prayers after the Sermon vse repetition and that of the Lords prayer and in such sort that within a very narrow roome it is first expounded paraphrastically then againe reiterated euery word particularly So likewise the Scotish Church in the ministration of Baptisme doth enioyne that the Creed be repeated twice First the father or in his absence the Godfather propounds it and then instantly the Minister expounds it Wherfore that worthie Diuine most truly there is in England a schismaticall and vndiscreete companie that would seeme to crie out for discipline their whole talke is of it and yet they neither know it nor will be reformed by it Then shall the earth Literally the earth which was cursed for mans sinne shall through Gods blessing giue her increase The valleyes shall stand thick with corne and our garners shall be full with all manner of store So that if the vine be dried vp or the figge tree decaied if our corne bee blasted or graine so thinne that the mower cannot fill his hands nor he that bindeth vp the sheaues his bosome we must remember it is for our vnthankfulnes and sin For if all the people praise the Lord then shall the earth bring forth her increase See the two first Chapters of Ioel. In a mysticall sense Mary shall bring foorth Christ or the blessed Apostles by preaching in all corners of the world shall bring foorth increase to God a great haruest This prophecie was fulfilled Acts 2. when S. Peter in one sermon conuerted about three thousand soules or earth that is all men on earth shall bring foorth fruite vnto God when as they shall know him and praise him Let the people c. let all the people praise then shall the earth bring foorth increase God euen our owne God Out of this sentence the Fathers and other Interpretors obserue generally the Trinitie and vnitie of God the Trinitie in the three-fold repetition of the word God vnitie in the pronoune him all the ends of the world shall feare him in the singular not them in the plurall It is very remarkable that Christ the second person is called our God God euen our God as being ours in many respects as hauing taken vpon him our flesh liuing among vs and at length also dying for vs. Immanuel God with vs Esay 7. 14. Matth. 1. 23. Hee bare our infirmities and answered for our iniquities our reconciliuion and our peace through whom and in whom God is ours and we are his Can. 6. 2. All the ends of the world shall feare him In the 4 verse Dauid desired earnestly that all nations might be glad and reioyce now that they may feare teaching vs hereby to serue the Lord in feare and to reioyce vnto him with reuerence Psal. 2. 11. So to feare him as to serue him with gladnesse and so to reioyce in him as to worke out our saluation in feare and trembling without ioy wee shall despaire without feare presume The feare of God as Salomon speakes is the beginning of wisedome not only principium but praecipium not only primum but primarium and therefore as it is called the beginning of wisedome Prou. 1. 7 so likewise the end of all Ecclesiastes 12. 13. â—et vs heare the end of all feare God and keepe his commandements This feare is not slauish a distractiue and destructiue feare which ouerthroweth our assurance of saith and spirituall comfort for such a feare God forbids Esay 35 4. Luke 12. 32. but it is a filiall and awfull regarding feare Terrens à malo tenens in bono being an inseparable companion of a liuely faith and therefore commanded in Gods word and commended in his seruants old Simeon a iust man and one that feared God Cornelius a deuout man and one that feared God Iob a iust man one that feared God and here God is said to blesse the Church in that all the ends of the world shall feare him Quicunque vult THe learned Athanasian Creed consists of two speciall parts vnfolding fully the two chiefe secrets of holy beliefe namely The Vnitie and Trinitie of God Incarnation and passion of Christ. The which are called the principal mysteries of our faith because in the former is contained the first beginning and last end of man in the second the only and most effectuall meane to know the first beginning and how to attaine vnto the last end So that Athanasius hath comprehended in a very narrow roome both the beginning and middle and end of all our felicitie For this happily called the worlds eye because he did see so much and pierce so far into these vnsearchable and ineffable mysteries And as this excellent Confession is a key of beleefe so the Letanie following is as a common treasure house of all good deuotion It may be said of the Church in composing that exquisite praier as it was of Origen writing vpon the Canticles In caeteris alios omnes vicit in hoc seipsam In other parts of our Liturgie shee surpasseth all other but in this her selfe These points I confesse come not now within the compasse of my walke but I purpose pro Nosse posse to iustifie them and all other portions of our Communion booke in my larger expositions vpon the Gospels and Epistles as the text shall occasion me iustly The next eminent Scripture to bee considered in this Tract is the Decalogue recorded Exod. 20. 1. The Decalogue Then God spake all these words and said I am the Lord thy God c. THe Law was imprinted at the first in mans heart the which is acknowledged euen by prophane Poets as well as diuine Prophets in generall Exemplo quodcunque malo committitur ipsi displicet authori prima est haec vltio quod se Iudice nemo nocens absoluitur improba quamuis gratia fallacis praetoris vicerit vrnam And Seneca notably Prima maxima peccantium poena peccasse Sinne is the greatest punishment of sinne in particular as Melancthon obserues Heathen authors haue a paterne for euery precept according to that of Paul Rom. 2. 14. The Gentiles hauing not the law are a law vnto themselues But when the light of it through custome of sinne began to weare away it was openly proclaimed vnto the world ingrauen in stone written in a booke kept for record in the Church as a perfect abridgement of all law setting downe the duties of all
men in all things for all times In it obserue Prefaces One of the Law writer God spake all these words c. Another of the Law-giuer I am the Lord thy God c. Precepts of the First table coÌ„cerning our loue to God Second touching our loue to man In the former preface note the Matter all these words Manner When. Who. The matter is these words that is these sentences and all these for Almightie God spake not the first Commandement only nor the second or third and left there but hee spake them all and therefore the Pope proues himselfe Antigod in leauing out one and dispensing with many God gaue so strict a charge to keepe euery one as any one but the Vicar of God abounding with vnlimitted authoritie doth first publish what he list and then expound them as he list To leaue them who thus leaue God is our dutie because God spake them all to beg of him obedience and make conscience to keepe them all as one wittily Totus Tota Totum The whole man The whole law The whole time of his life In the manner I note first the circumstance of time when God spake namely when all the people were gathered together aud sanctified as appeareth in the former Chapter then God spake Whereupon it is well obserued that all men ought to take notice of the law whether they be Commoners or Commanders high or low none so mighty that is greater or so meane that is lesse then a subiect to God and his ordinances and therefore Martin Luther hath worthily reprehended Antinomian preachers who teach that the Law need not be taught in the time of the Gospell Indeed Christ is the end of the Law but as Augustine construes it finis perficiens non interficiens an end not consuming but consummating for as himselfe said I came not to destroy the law but to teach it and doe it Secondly we may learne by this circumstance due preparation when wee come before God either to speake or heare his word Auenzoar vsed to say that hee neuer gaue purgation but his heart did shake many daies before Let the Physition of the soule then tremble to thinke what hurt bad physicke may doe when it is administred abruptly corruptly without either paines in reading or reuerence in speaking Vnto the vngodly said God Why doest thou preach my lawes and takest my couenant in thy mouth when as thou hatest to be reformed and hast cast my words behind thee If hearers of the Law much more Preachers of the Gospell ought to be throughly sanctified In the Millers hand wee lose but our meale in the Farriors hand but our mule in the Lawyers hands but our goods in the Physitians hand but our life but in the hands of a bad Diuine wee may lose that which surpasseth all our soule Hearers also being of vncircumcised hearts and eares ought to fit and prepare themselues as Moses and Iosua were commanded in disburdening their mind when they come to Gods house to heare God speake not only from vnlawfull but also from all lawfull worldly busines presenting themselues and their soules in the righteousnes of Christ a liuing holy acceptable sacrifice to God and it is the dutie both of speaker and hearer to desire the Lord that he would forgiue our want of preparation and so to assist vs with his holy spirit in handling of his holy word as that the whole businesse may be transacted for our good and his glory The second circumstance noted in the manner is the person and that is God Then God spake these words in his owne person attended vpon with millions of glorious Angels in a flame of fire so that there is neuer an idle word but all full of wonderful wisdome so perfect a law that it proues it selfe to be Gods law For the lawes of men albeit they fill many large volumes are imperfect some statutes are added daily which were not thought vpon before many repealed which after experience taught not to be so profitable but this law continueth the same for euer comprehending in a few words all perfection of dutie to God and man inioyning whatsoeuer is good and forbidding whatsoeuer is euill God is author of all holy Scripture but the ten Commandements are his after a more peculiar sort first because himselfe spake them and said in a sound of words and a distinct voice that the people both heard and vnderstood them in which sâ—nse S. Stephen happily calleth them oracula vina liuely oracles not that they did giue life for Paul sheweth that the Law was the ministration of death but liuely words as vttered by liuely voice not of men or Angels as other Scripture but immediatly thundred out by God himselfe Secondly because God himselfe wrote them after a more speciall maner hee did vse men and meanes in penning the Gospels and Epistles and other parts of sacred writ for holy men of God wrote as they were moued by the spirit of God as the Fathers obserue they were the pennes of Gods owne finger but in setting downe the Decalogue Gods owne finger was the pen hee made the tables also wherein they were first written that there might be nothing in them but only Gods immediate worke Since then God had such speciall regard in deliuering the Law wee must hence learne with all humble reuerence to receiue the same If King Eglon a barbarous tyrant respected Ehud a man of meane qualitie when he brought a message from the Lord how much more should we with awfull respect embrace the Decalogue which God in his owne person vttered and it should make vs exceeding zealous also notwithstanding the scoffes of Atheists and carelesse worldlings in obseruing and maintaining the same For what need any feare to defend that which God himselfe spake and whereof Christ said He that is ashamed of me and my words in this world I will be ashamed of him before my father in the world to come As a liuely faith is the best glosse vpon the Gospell so dutifull obedience is the best Commentarie vpon the Law To conclude with Augustine Faciemus iubente imperatore non faciâ—mus iubente creatore Yes Lord speak for thy seruants herare Thus much concerning the first preface The second is of the Law-giuer I am the Lord c. Containing two sorts of arguments to proue that hee may giue a law and that his people are bound to keepe it The first kind of reason is taken from his essence and greatnes in himselfe I am Iehoua The second from his effects and goodnes towards Israel In Generall Thy God More speciall Which haue brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Now whatsoeuer is said vnto them is said vnto all Almightie God is euer the same which is which was and which is to come who being Iehoua the Lord made vs
custome in sinne wee fill vp our periods with vnnecessarie oathes Wickednesse as when a wretch in his discontented humor shall binde himselfe with an oath to doe some notable mischiefe So certaine Iewes Acts 23. sware that they would neither eate nor drinke till they had killed Paul or when he shall despitefully sweare to vex the good spirit of God and to trample the bloud of Christ vnder his feet if cardes or bowles or dice runne against him he will make his tongue to runne so fast against God or when he doth sweare by heauen or earth or any other creature in stead of the Creator An oath is an inuocating of God he therefore that sweares by the light makes light his God hee that sweares by the Masse doth make that Idoll his God A man may forsweare himselfe three waies as Lombard out of Augustine whē he doth sweare 1. That which is false and hee knowes it false 2. That which is true but hee thought it false 3. That which is false but hee held it true The two first kinds are abominable namely when a man sweares either that hee knowes to be false or thinks to be false but the third in the Court of Conscience is no sinne because it is with forswearing as with lying Periurie is nothing else but a lie bound with an oath As then a man may tell an vntruth and yet not lie so likewise sweare that which is false and yet not sweare falsly Thou shalt sweare in truth that is as thou shalt in thy conscience and science thinke to be true for doubtlesse it is a lesser offence to sweare by a false god truly then to sweare by the true God falsly it is a sinne to lie but a double sinne to sweare and lie The 4. Commandement THe fourth Commandement doth set downe the time and place of Gods holy worship the time expresly Remember thou keepe holy the Sabbath day the which insinuates also the place for God was publikely worshipped in his Sanctuarie in his Tabernacle in his Temple Leuiticus 19. 30. Yee shall keepe my Sabbaths and reuerence my Sanctuarie The Sabbath as one calles it is Gods schooleday the Preachers are his Vshers and the Church is his open schoolehouse This Commandement is hedged in on euery side lest we should breake out from obseruing it with a caueat before Remember and two reasons after one drawne from the equitie of the law Six daies shalt thou labour As if God should speake thus If I permit thee sixe whole daies to follow thine owne businesse thou maiest well affoord one onely for my seruice but sixe daies shalt thou labour and doe all thine owne worke therefore hallow the seuenth in doing my worke Six daies shalt thou labour A permission or a remission of Gods right who might challenge all rather then an absolute commandement for the Church vpon iust occasion may separate some weeke daies also to the seruice of the Lord and rest from labour Ioel 2. 15. Blow the trumpet in Sion sanctifie a fast call a solemne assemblie Daies of publique fasting for some great iudgement daies of publique reioicing for some great benefit are not vnlawfull but exceeding commendable yea necessarie Yet this permission is a commission against idlenesse because euery man must liue by the sweat of his browes or sweat of his braines hauing some profession or occupation or vocation wherein he must labour faithfully Another argument is taken from the Law-giuers example For in six daies the Lord made heauen and earth and rested the seuenth day God requires no more then himselfe performed his owne practise is a Commentarie vpon his law This may teach all Magistrates all masters all superiors who prescribe lawes vnto other to become first an vnprinted law themselues If the Prince will haue his Court religious himselfe must be forward in deuotion if the father will haue his children possesse their vessels in chastity then himselfe must not neigh after his neighbours wife When Sabbath breakers are rebuked all their answere is other and that the most doe so If they will follow fashion and example let them follow the best Fashion not your selues like the world but be ye followers of God who framed the whole world in six daies and rested the seuenth he rested from creating not gouerning from making of new kinds of creatures not singuler things he is not as Epicurus imagined idle but alway working Iohn 5. 17. My father worketh hitherto and I worke The Commandement it selfe is First propounded briefly Keepe holy the Sabbath day Then expounded more largely shewing 1. What is the Sabbath day namely the seuenth 2. How it must bee sanctified In it thou shalt doe no manner of worke Keepe holy This day hath no more holinesse in it selfe then other times only God hath appointed it to holy vses aboue other and therefore wee must keepe it more holy then other The Sabbath There is sabbathum Pectoris of the mind Temporis of time The sabbath of the mind is double Internall peace of conscience in the kingdome of grace Eternall rest of body and soule in the kingdome of glory When as we shall rest from our labors all teares shall be wiped from our eies and cares from our heart Among the Iewes the sabbath of time was of Daies Yeeres Daies Lesser euery seuenth day Greater as when the Passeouer fell on the Sabbath as it did when Christ suffered Yeeres Euery seuenth yeere a Sabbath of rest to the land Euery seuen-times seuen yeere which was 49. and then followed in the 50. yeere the Iubile This Sabbath is of daies expressely kept holie the seuenth day There is A naturall day which is the space of 24 houres a night and a day Gen. 1. 5. An artificiall day the space of 12. houres as Christ Iohn 11. 9. from the Sunne rising to the Sunne setting of which I thinke this Commandement is vnderstood For albeit the Iewes counted the Sabbath from euening to euening yet it was but as they reckoned other daies not to sit vp and watch all night but to spend in Gods seruice so much of the naturall day as may be spared without hurting the body The seuenth is the Sabbath It is the iudgement of the most and best Interpreters that the Sabbath is morale quoad genus but ceremoniale quoad speciem Ceremoniall for the manner albeit morall for the matter I say ceremoniall it regard of the particular as the strict obseruation of the same day and same rest precisely to keepe the Saturday and strictly to cease from all labour as the Iewes did was a shadow therefore abrogated by the comming of the body Christ. The blessed Apostles herein led by the spirit of truth and as some thinke by Christs owne example altered and so by consequence abrogated the particular day Consentaneum est Apostolos hanc ipsam ob causam
mutassediem vt oftenderent exemplum abrogationis legum ceremonialium in die septimo Melanct. tom 2. fol. 363. Whereas therefore the Iewes obserued their Sabbath on the seuenth day wee celebrate the eighth They gaue God the last day of the weeke but Christians better honour him with the first they keepe their Sabbath in honour of the worlds creation but Christians in memoriall of the worlds redemption a worke of greater might and mercie and therefore good reason the greater worke should carrie away the credit of the day See the Gospell on Saint Thomas day The particular rest of the Iewes is ceremoniall also for it is a type of our inward resting from sin in this life Exod. 31. 13. Ezek. 20. 12. and a figure of our eternall Sabbath in the next as S. Paul disputes Heb. 4. Yet this Commandement is morall in the generall As for example wee must keepe one day in the seuen holie to the Lord wherein we must doe no manner of work which may let the ministerie of Gods word and other exercises of pietie We must leaue to doe our worke that the Lord may bring foorth in vs his worke The duties then required on the Lords day be principally two Rest. And a sanctification of this rest A double Sabbath rest from labour and rest from sinne for as our Church doth determine two sorts of people transgresse this Commandement especially 1. Such as will not rest froÌ„ their ordinary labour but driue carry row ferry on SuÌ„day 2. Such as will rest in vngodlines idlely spending this holy day in pampering pointing painting themselues So that God is more dishonoured and the Diuell better serued vpon Sunday then on all the daies of the weeke beside Thou shalt do no manner of worke That is no seruile work of thine ordinarie calling which may be done the day before or left well vndone till the day after But some workes are lawfull namely such as appertaine to the publike worship of God as painfull preaching of the sacred word reading of diuine prayers administring of the blessed Sacraments and euery worke subordinate to these as ringing of bels and trauelling to Church Acts 1. 12. 2. Kings 4. 23. And workes of mercie toward Our selues as prouision of meate and drinke Matth. 12. 1. Other Men our Sauiour healed the man with the dâ—ied hand on the Sabbath Mark 3. 5. Beasts in watering cattell and helping them out of pound and pit Luk. 14. 5. Workes of present necessitie Physitions on the Lords day may visit their patients Midwiues helpe women with child Shepheards attend their flock Mariners their voiage Souldiers may fight and messengers ride post for the great good of the Common-wealth Works of honest recreations also so farre as they may rather helpe then hinder our cheerefull seruing of the Lord and the reason of all this is giuen by Christ Mar. 2. 27. The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath Thou Thy wife is not named because she is presumed to be thy selfe that whatsoeuer is forbidden thy selfe must also be knowne to be forbidden thy second selfe Thy sonne and thy daughter Euery man is a gouernour in his owne house and therefore must take charge of such as are vnder him Adduc eos ad domum dei tecum qui sunt in domo tua tecum mater Ecclesia aliquos à te petit aliquos repetit petit eos quos apud te inuenit repetit quos per te perdidit Thy man seruant This is for Thy good Their good The common good Thy good For hee that on Sunday shall learne his dutie will be more fit all the weeke to doe his dutie such as obey God with a good conscience will serue their master with an vpright heart as Iacob serued Laban and Ioseph Pharaoh Againe it is for thy good often to remember with thankfulnesse that God hath made thee master and him seruant whereas hee might haue made thee seruant and him master For their good that they may know God and whom he hath sent Christ Iesus the way the truth and the life Thy seruants are men of the same mold with thee Iisdem constant nâ—triuntur elementis eundem spiritum ab eodem principio carpunt eodem fruun ur coelo aequa viuunt aeque moriuntur serui sunt imo conserui That is in the words of scripture Thy seruants are all one with thee in Christ made of the same God redeemed with the same price subiect to the same law belonging to the same master Ephes. 6. 9. Pitie then and pietie require that thou see them obserue the Lords day for the good as well of their bodies as soules For the common good For euery man hath iust cause to be ready willingly to labour all the weeke when as he is assured he shall rest on Sunday Thy cattell Hence we may gather much comfort for if God in his mercy prouide for the welfare euen of our brute beasts of which he hath made vs Lords he will assuredly much more respect vs his seruants and children he cannot be carelesse for men who is so carefull for oxen The Commandements are so well knowne and often expounded that as Augustine speakes in the like case Desiderant auditorem magis quà m expositorem I passe therefore from the first table containing all dutie to God vnto the second teaching all dutie to man I say to man as the proper immediat object of them Otherwise these Commandements are done vnto God also for he that clotheth the naked and visiteth the sicke doth it vnto Christ Matth. 25. 40. The law then concerning our neighbour is partly Affirmatiue teaching vs to do him all good Honour thy father and mother c. Negatiue teaching vs to doe him no hurt Thou shalt not kill c. This table begins with honour of our father First because next vnto God we must honour those who are in the place of God Secondly because the neglect of this one Commandement occasioneth all disorder against the rest for if superiours gouerne well and inferiours obey well how can any man be wronged in word or deed Thirdly because of all neighbours our parents are most neere to vs as being most bound to them of whom we haue receiued our life Thy parent is Gods instrument for thy naturall being thy Prince Gods instrument for thy ciuill being thy Pastor Gods instrument for thy spirituall being Wherefore as thou art a man thou must honour thy naturall father as a citizen honour thy ciuill father as a Christian honour thy ecclesiasticall father Honour imports especially 3. things Obedience Reuerence Maintenance Obedience Children obey your parents in all things Coloss 3. 20 that is as Paul doth interpret himselfe Ephes. 6. 1 in the Lord. In all things agreeable to the will of God otherwise for Christs loue wee must hate father and mother Luke 14. 26.
mentis not so toothsome as wholsome not corporall meate but spirituall Manna The Lords Supper in three respects 1. Because it was ordained by the Lord 1. Cor. 11. 23. 2. Because it was instituted in remeÌ„brance of the Lord Luk. 22. 19. 3. Because it was in the Primitiue Church vsuallie receiued on the Lords day Acts 20. 7. It is called a Communion in respect of the common vnion among our selues hauing at that time more specially perfect peace with all men or a Communion in respect of the publike participation as being a common messe not a priuate Masse proper to one as the Popish priests vse it or a Communion as being a signe and seale of our communion with Christ for his graces are conueied vnto vs by the preaching of the Word and administration of the Sacraments Hence the Sacraments as Paschasius obserues haue their name Sacramenta dicuntur à secreto eò quòd in re visibili diuinitas intus aliquid vlâ—ra secretius efficit In the words of our Church Sacraments are visible signes of inuisible grace ordained of God as badges and sure witnesses of his good will towards vs. It is meete euery Christian should vnderstand these and the like plaine principles of holy faith but exact knowledge to discusse controuerted points about the Sacraments is not required according to that of Chrysostome The table of the Lord is not prepared for chattering â—ayes but for high towring Eagles who flei thither where the dead bodie lieth It is not for subtle Sophisters but for simple beleeuers ascending vp to Christ vpon the wings of faith and therefore the Communicant must not only know but applie that in particular which he beleeueth in generall as that Christs body was crucified for him and his bloud shed for him Hee that vnderstands and beleeues and applies these things examineth his faith as he should In our repentance we must examine two points especially to wit our Contrition for sinne past Resolution to preuent so farre as we can all sinne to come For the first Poenitentia est quasi punientia Poenitere saith Augustine is poenam tenere Wee must therefore weepe with Peter and water our couch with Dauid and put on sackcloth with Nineueh nay we must rent our heart For a broken spirit is an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord. O magnum donum quod in poenam dedit in salutem vertit peccatum tristitiam peperit tristitia peccatum contriuit As the worme bred in the tree deuoures the tree so sorrow brought into the world by sinne doth ouerthrow sinne so good is God to turne curses into blessings and griefe into grace If thy heart be not throughly touched for sinne become sorrie because thou art no more sorrie resolue to be more resolued For as one wittily factum infectum si non sit cor affectum If Ioseph of Arimathea wrapped the bodie of Christ in cleane linnen how darest thou receiue it with an vncleane soule If thou wilt not kisse a Princes hand with a foule mouth eate not the Lords bodie with a foule minde Let a man therefore examine him selfe c. And so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this 〈◊〉 Hauing thus examined examination I come now to the participation And so let him eate c. Of which words I purpose to speake first ioyntly then seuerally Considered ioyntly they confute three popish conclusions as first the reseruation eleuation circumgestation adoration of the bread Our Apostle saith here plainly that the bread must be taken and eaten Ergo not to be reserued nor carried about not lifted vp nor kept in a box to be worshipped Secondly to take to eate to taste to drinke to doe this in remembrance of Christ are actions of the liuing only pertaining to the liuing and therefore the Papists are deceiued holding the Masse to bee a propitiatorie sacrifice both for the quick and the dead How can the dead eate or drinke taste or take Ergo neither the dutie nor the benefit belongs vnto them but only to those aliue who first examine themselues and after eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. Thirdly the coniunction of these two Let him eate of this bread and drink of this cup abundantly proues that both parts of the Lords Supper ought to be ministred vnto all Ergo the Papists in denying the cup vnto the Laitie wrong both God and his people by defrauding them of this comfort As euery one must examine so euerie one both eate and drinke not onely drinke and not eate or eate and not drinke but both eate and drinke Christ foreseeing this Papisticall error said in his first institution Drinke ye all of it he tooke the bread and said only take eate indefinitely but when he tooke the cup he did adde an vniuersall note Bibâ—â—e omnes Drinke ye drinke all ye We conclude therefore with Cyprian Adulterum est impium est sacrilegum est quodcunque humano furore instituitur vt dispositio diuina violetur Christ is the truth and the way to the truth Ergo non aliud fiat à nobis quà m quod pro nobis prior fecit Thus much of the words iointly Now of euery one seuerally And so Let there be first preparation and then participation when a man is thus examined let him thus eate Let him eate The which are not words of permission only leauing it to his choice whether he will eate or not eate but they are words of Pauls commission insinuating that hee must eate necessarily not vpon custome but vpon conscience For it is not said here let him if hee haue no let at home or occasion of absence abroad if he be neither displeased with his Pastor nor angry with the people but let him without all let examine and then let him without all let eate of this bread Eate Christ in his first institution hath take and eate First take then eate take not onely into your mouthes but into your hands hereby representing the soule and faith for the taking of the bread and wine into our hand sealeth our apprehension of Christ by the finger of faith Ioh 1. 12. As many as receiued him to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeued in his name Eating of the bread and drinking of the wine sealeth our application of Christ incorporated into vs mystically 1. Cor. 10. 16. For by the strength of faith wee chew the cud as it were and make Christ our owne Yet herein obserue a great difference betweene corporall food and this heauenly bread for the one digested is made like vs but the other receiued into our soule maketh vs like it This action then of taking is very significant and therefore I see no reason why the Priest altering Christs ordinance should giue the bread into the peoples mouth only not into their hand First the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
in his hand Totum hoc saith Augustine fide tenemus oculis cordis intuemur dominus ascendit in coelum ascendat cum illo cor nostrum His bodie must bee contained in heauen vntill the time that all things are restored it cannot descend downe to vs we must ascend vp to it So Nicolaus Cabasila writes in his exposition of the Liturgie the Priest after some speech to the people doth erect their mindes and lift vp their thoughts and saith Sursum corda let vs thinke on things aboue not on things below They consent and say that they lift vp their hearts thither where their treasure is euen to heauen where Christ sits at the right hand of his Father Luke 2. 14. Glorie be to God on high THe Lords Supper is called an Eucharist because it is a thanksgiuing to God for giuing his Sonne to die for vs and therefore this Hymne is so fitly sung by men on earth at the commemoration of his death as it was by the quier of heauen at the celebration of his birth for our reconciliation and peace with God is ascribed in holy scripture to Christs passion especially Rom. 5. 10. Heb. 9. 12. 15. Some make three parts of this song which if you please call the Trebble Glory to God on high Busse Peace on earth Meane Good will toward meÌ„ Other haue diuided it into two The first concerning Gods glorie The second touching our good For peace on earth and good will toward men are both one because our peace with God is not from our good will toward him but altogether from his good will toward vs. It is God saith Paul that maketh in you both the will and the worke and therefore the Rhemish translation In earth peace to men of good will and the Romish Glosse that Christ brings no peace but to such as be of goodwill are insufficient and condemned euen by their owne mouth as we may reade in the Commentaries of Arboreus Caietan Iansenius Maldonatus vpon the place Concerning other scholiall or scholasticall obseruations vpon the text I referre the reader vnto Beauxamis Erasmus Caluin and other learned expositors especially to Iacobus Perez de Valentia who compiled a whole treatise on this Hymne It was first vsed in the Communion as it is thought by Thelesphorus a good man and a glorious Martyr anno 254. Iaâ—uar 5. That which followeth in our Communion book We praise thee we blesse thee was added by that famous Bishop Hilarie singing it first in his owne Church anno 340 and after brought into other Churches by Pope Symmachus aâ— 510 the Churches of Scotland vse the like forme of thankes at their Communion And therefore the Nouelist can mislike nothing in this Hymne but that which all other like most Antiquitie 2. Cor. 13. 13. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ THe two fiends that torment vs are sinne and a bad conscience grace releaseth sinne peace doth quiet the conscience Paul therfore begins his epistles with grace and peace and the Church ends her deuotions either with the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ c. or with the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding c. But because there can bee no peace with God except wee haue the grace of Christ first and chiefly Paul desireth grace then peace Rom. 1. 7. Grace be with you and peace Because I say grace comprehends in it euery good and perfect gift by which only we are whatsoeuer we are Paul doth not only begin but end his writings also with this one clause specially Grace be with you c. But aboue the rest the conclusion of this excellent epistle is most full and therefore worthilie receiued of our and other Churches as the fittest close to shut vp our publique prayers In it obserue Pauls affection towards the Corinthians amplified With Extention in regard of the Thing The grace of Christ the loue of God the communion of the holy Ghost Persons With you all Intention Amen The worke of our saluation is ascribed in our Election to the loue of the Father RedeÌ„ption to the grace of the Son Sanctification to the communion of the holy Ghost So S. Ambrose doth expound this text pithily Dilectio dei misit nobis Saluatorem Iesum cuius gratia saluati sumus vt possideamus hanc gratiaÌ„ communicatio facit spiritus sancti God the Father so loued the world that hee sent his only begotten Sonne to die for our sinnes and to rise againe for our iustification and God the Sonne from God the Father sent God the holy Ghost which crieth in our hearts Abba father applying to our comfort both the loue of God and the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ. The word God is vsed here personally not essentially for the Fathers on this text note the blessed Trinitie that God is Trinus in numero vnus in numine S. Hierom thinkes that Paul foreseeing the blasphemous Arrian heresie placed the second person in the first roome God the Son before God the Father Other affirme that the grace of Christ is named first because it concernes vs most For albeit the loue of God in it owne nature goe before the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ chusing vs before the foundation of the world Ephes. 1. 4 yet in our view the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ goeth before the loue of God Rom. 5. 10 We are reconciled vnto God by the death of his Sonne we feele the mercies of the one in the merits of the other It is a fruitfull obseruation of Martin Luther that Christian religion beginneth not at the highest as other religions doe but at the lowest it will haue vs to climbe vp to heauen by Iacobs ladder whose feete touch the very earth And therefore when thou art occupied in the matter of thy saluation setting aside all curious speculations of Gods vnsearchable counsels all cogitations of workes of traditions of Philosophie yea and of Gods law too runne straight to the manger embrace the little babe Christ in thine armes and behold him as hee was borne sucking growing vp conuersant among men teaching dying rising againe ascending aboue the heauens and hauing power aboue all things This sight will make thee shake off all terrors and errors as the Sunne driueth away the cloudes In a disputation with a Iew Turke Papist Heretike concerning Gods infinite wisedome Maiestie power imploy all thy wit and industrie to be so profound and subtill as thou canst but in the matter of Iustification wherein thou doest wrestle with the law sinne death and other spirituall enemies it is the best course to looke vpon no God but Christ incarnate and cloathed with thine owne nature to fixe thine eyes vpon the man Iesus only who setteth himselfe foorth vnto thee to be a Mediatour and saith Come vnto me all â—ee that labour and are heauie laden and I will refresh
you To behold the Lambe of God who taketh away the sinnes of the world and so by the grace of Christ thou shalt vnderstand the loue of God thou shalt perceiue his wisedome power Maiestie sweetned and tempered to thy capacitie thou shalt finde the saying of Paul to be most true that in Christ are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge that Christ in our iustification is all in all and therefore good reason he should haue the first and most place in this argument that his grace should be named first and last The loue of God is the fountaine of all goodnes as Diuines speake gratiarum gratia from which originallie proceeds euery perfect gift and grace For almightie God hath not elected vs in regard of our works or other worth but coÌ„trariwise because God loued vs we do that which is acceptable in his sight I obtained mercie of the Lord saith Paul to be faithfull Vt fidelis essem non quia fidelis eram as Lombard aptly The nature of this short treatise will not endure that I should wade farre into this Abyssus I remember Pauls exclamation O the deepnes of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waâ—es past finding out And the glosse of Augustine Volentes disputare de deâ— profundo mersi sunt Or as other Versi sunt in profundum I come therefore to the Communion of the holy Ghost a point more comfortable then ordinarily felt and yet more felt then can be disputed It is said Gal 4. 6. God hath sent the spirit of his Sonne crying in our hearâ—s Abba father he said not calling but crying and Rom. 8. 26. hee calleth this crying vnspeakeable groaning When a man is tempted and afflicted hee feeleth the strength of his enemies and the weaknesse of his flesh he feeleth the fierie darts of Satan the terrors of death the wrath of God all these cry out against him horribly so that the perplexed soule sees nothing but sinne threatning heauen thundering the diuell roring the earth trembling hell mouth open and ready to swallow him vp But yet in the midst of all these Gods holy spirit crieth in our hearts and this cry doth outcry the clamors of the law the bellowes of hell and howlings of infernall fiends it pearceth the clouds and ascends vp to the eares of God insomuch that the blessed Angels seeme to heare nothing else but this cry The spirit helpeth our infirmities and the strength of Christ is made perfect through our weaknesse For Christ is most powerfull when as we are most fearfull euen when we can scarsely groane marke the words of Paul The spirit maketh intercession for vs in our temptation not with many words or long praiers he crieth not aloud with teares haue mercie on me O God but only giues a little sound and a feeble groaning as ah father this is but one word yet notwithstanding comprehends all things Indeed the mouth speaketh not but the good affection of the soule crieth aloud after this manner O Lord God of compassion and father of mercies although I am grieuously vexed on euery side with affliction and anguish yet am I thy child and thou art my father in Christ. This little word or rather no word but a poore thought conceiued aright passeth all the flowing eloquence of Demosthenes and Tully yea Tertullian and all the Orators that euer were in the world for this matter is not expressed with words but with groanings and these groanings are from the blessed Spirit Thus you see the large extent of Pauls affection in regard of the thing wished vnto the Corinthians The grace of Christ the loue of God the communion of the holy Ghost The second extension is in regard of the persons be with you all for the Pastor must wish well not only to the best or to the worst but this praier ought to be made for euery one as well as for any one There is none so bad but hath receiued some grace none so good but hath need to receiue more grace Wherefore pray we still that the grace of Christ may be with vs all The Church of England addes a third extension in regard of the time for euermore the which is implied in the text also for the Corinthians as we reade in the former epistle were Saints by calling and so doubtlesse had receiued already the grace of Christ and had tasted of the loue of God through the fellowship of the holy Ghost He doth therefore now desire that the good worke begun in them may be perfect that the grace receiued may continue with them and increase daily vnto the end and in the end that the loue of God which cannot be greater secundùm essentiam may be greater secundùm efficientiam appearing growing abounding in them more and more for euermore Amen Amen is vsed in holy Scripture three waies as Gabriel and Gerson speake Nominaliter Aduerbialiter Verbaliter As a nowne for truth Apoc. 3. 14. These things saith Amen the faithfull and true witnesse and so it is added in the conclusion of euery Gospell and of the whole Bible as a seale to confirme that which is written In the beginning is the first Amen the last word of holy writ a stately beginning a strange ending For what is more stately then antiquitie what more strange then truth Hereby teaching vs that the Scriptures haue vetera and vera which are not together in any other writing For in humane learning many things are vncertainly true and more certainly vntrue onely the word of God is sealed with Amen Secondly as an Aduerbe for verily so Christ often ii the Gospell Amen Amen dico vobis Thirdly as a Verbe signifying so be it Deut 27. 15. Dicet omnis populus Amen and so it is vsed in Pauls praier expounded before and in all our Collects insinuating our earnest desire that those things which we haue faithfully asked may be effectually obtained And this custome of answering the Minister in the Church Amen is ancient as it appeareth in the 1. Cor. 14. 16. Iustin Martyr Apolog. 2. Hieron prolog lib. 2. in epist. ad Galat. Augustin epist. 107. Vsum respondendi Amen antiquissimum esse patet saith Bellarmine lib. 2. de Missa cap. 16. Here is open confession I would the Church of Rome would make open restitution also For if the people must answere the Priest Amen then the Priest must pray to the peoples vnderstanding and how shall they vnderstand except common praier be said in a common tongue A conclusion agreeable not onely to the Scriptures as Bellarmine acknowledgeth and to the practise of the Primitiue Church as Iustin Martyr and Lyra report and to the paternes of other Liturgies in South India Moscoâ—ia Armenia but euen to their owne constitutions and Masse booke for their owne Clement and their owne Missale giue order that