been in effect As Paul sheweth in the like case For if there bee first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not Illud pro facto reputat Deus quod homo quidem verè voluit sed non valuit adimplere 3. We must pay generally owe nothing to any whether he be friend or foe rich or poore stranger or neighbour restore all to all If any man corrupting or corrupted in secular offices hath iuiured many whom he doth not know then his best course is to restore to God that is to the Church and to the poore Touching these and the like questions of debt the learned may further examine Thomas Catetan Aragon Emmanuel Sa. with many moe but the best Schooleman in this argument is thine owne conscience For whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne That is all thou condemnest in thine heart for sinne to thee is sinne satisfie then all other so far that thou maiest satisfie thy selfe owe nothing to any Yet this precept hath his except But this that yee loue one another here then obserue first a difference between ciuill debts and religious A ciuill debt once paied is no more due but charitie being payed is still due debetur etiam reddita when a man dischargeth other debts accedit ad eum cui datur sed ab eo recedit a quo datur But in paying the debt of loue the more we giue the more wee haue Reddendo multiplicatur habendo enim redditur non carendo cum reddi non possit nisi habeatur nec haberi potest nisi reddatur Imò etiam cum redditur ab homine crescit in homine Et tanto maior acquiritur quanto pluribus redditur As Augustine doth excellentlie glosse this text peruse the cited Epistle for it is short and sweet of worldly wealth it may be said truely bonum quo communius eo minus but in spirituall riches it is quite contrarie honum quô communius eô maâ—us or as the Philosopher eo melius in the words of Salomon He that scattereth encreaseth in this except then I note with Gorran The Matter in the word diligatis The Manner in the word inuicem The Priuiledge in the word nisi The matter is to loue the manner mutually to loue the priuiledge continually to loue Owe nothing but loue for hee that loueth another fulfilleth the law This is the first reason enforcing the former exhortation and it is taken from the worthinesse of the thing Loue is the fulfilling of all the law which he prooues by this induction Thou shalt not commit adulterie thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnesse thou shalt not lust and if there be any other Commandement it is all comprehended in this saying namely Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Loue doth no euill vnto his neighbour in deed forbidden in the 6.7.8 Commaundements in word forbidden in the 9. in thought forbidden in the 10. Loue then is the complement of the whole law concerning our dutie to God and man For our loue to man ariseth originally from our loue to God Amicum in Domino inimicum pro Domino We loue our friend in the Lord our foe for the Lord. This saith Luther is the shortest and longest diuinitie the shortest as touching the words and sentence but as touching the vse and practise it is more large more long more profound and more high than the whole world I shall often handle this common place especially Epistle on Quinquagesima Sunday I come now to the second argument from the fitnesse of the time verse 11. This also we know the season how that it is time that we should awake out of sleepe for now is our saluation neerer c. The summe of it is that wee must be more studious in performing our dutie now than heretoforeÌ„ when wee did first beleeue for wee must goe forward and grow vpward from grace to grace from vertue to vertue till we be of full growth in Christ Iesus or as it is here till we haue Put on the Lord Iesus A violent motion is quicke in the beginning but slow in the end a stone cast vpward is then most weake when it is most high but a naturall motion is slow in the beginning but quicker in the end for if a man from a Tower cast a stone downeward the neerer to the Center the quicker is the motion and therefore when a man at his first conuersion is exceeding quicke but afterward waxeth euery day slower and slower in the waies of the Lord his motion is not naturall and kinde but forged and forced otherwise the longer he liueth and the neerer he comes to the marke the more swiftly would he run the more vehemently contend for that euerlasting Crowne which he shall obtaine at his races end The night is passed and the day is come Some by night vnderstand the life present and by day the world to come in this life many things are hidden as in the darke but at the last and dreadfull day the bookes and registers of all our actions shall bee laid open and all things appeare naked as they are to God men angels diuels If we make but twelue houres in our night and sixe ages in the world as vsually Diuines account then fiue thousand yeeres that is ten houres of the night were past when Paul wrote this and since that almost sixteene hundred yeeres that is an houre and an halfe and a quarter so that now there can remaine but some few minutes and then the terrible day of the Lord will come When the heauens shall passe away with a noise and the elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the workes therein shall be burnt vp Wherefore seeing the end of this night and beginning of that day is at hand let vs cast away the works of darknesse c. Other more fitly by night vnderstand the time of ignorance by day the time of knowledge by night the law wherein our Sauiour Christ was onely shadowed by day the Gospell wherein he is openly shewed and so saluation is nearer because clearer Our Apostles argument then is like that of Iohn the Baptist Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand Matth. 3.2 The Gospell is the day Christ is the light faith is the eie which apprehends this light and therefore seeing the day is come let vs cast away the works of darknesse and put on the armour of light Sinnes are called the workes of darkenesse The foole maketh a mocke of sinne as Abner called fighting a sport Let the young men arise and play before vs so many men make sin their ordinarie pastime but our Apostle termes it a work and the wiseman a wearie work too Wis. 5.7 We haue wearied
hath been to vs then curiously to seeke what he is in himselfe But as for the secrets of his kingdom he reueales them vnto the heires of his kingdome these mysteries may yea must be knowne and therefore Christ cried He that hath eares let him heare Teaching hereby that in making our election sure we must not begin à priori but à posteriori such as with a good heart heare the word and keep it and bring foorth fruite through patience shall inherit the kingdome of God but the kingdom of God shall be taken away from such as are fruitlesse from such as are faithlesse This is the parable Bare reading without vnderstanding is bare feeding the true meaning of the Scripture is the true Manna for as a man so the Bible consists of a bodie and a soule The sound of the letter is the bodie but the sense is the soule this indeed is the scripture this is the parable The seede is the word of God The sower is Christ who went out ab occultô Patris in mundum à Iudaeá in Gentes à profundô sapientiae in publicum doctrinae The Preacher is not properly the sower but the seedcod at the most an vnderseed man The sower went out to sow Not to reape Now many goe out into Gods field only to gather in haruest tâ—nquam Stratocles Dromoclidâ—s ad auream messem intending to reape things carnall more then sowing things spirituall The sower sowed his seede for the seed is the word of God not of Angell or man and this seede hath in it generatiue power in it selfe it is liuely yea the word of life So that if it bring not forth fruit the fault is not in the seed but in the grouÌ„d being either vnplowed or stony or thorny The seed is the word of God And therefore such as corrupt it as heretikes or choke it as hypocrites or keepe it downe from growing by force as tyrants or thrust oâ—her seed into it as Papists doe shall one day feele the 〈◊〉 wrath of God for as he gaue pure seed so will he requâ—re pure câ—rne He left this in the Church euen in the garners of the Prophets and Apostles and therefore whosoeuer adulterate iâ— before it be sowen or nip it when it doth spring or cut it downe before the Lord haruest are not Gods husbandmeâ— but Satans hirelings and you may know them saith Christ by their fruit that is by their doctrine For Gods husbandmen sow Gods seed but the diuels factors as Saint Paul plainly the doctrines of diuels As for example this is pure seed Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue But to worship Angels and Saints and to giue the same kind of worship to the crucifix which is due to Christ is sophisticate seed This was not at the first sowen by the sower but ouersowen after by the malitious enemie while men slept Those that are bâ—â—â—de the way Three parts of foure are bad yea the most of such as heare the word confesse Christ are vnprofitable Striue then to enter in at the strait gate Remember that couetous cares and voluptuous liuing are the thornes which vsually choke Gods seed in our heart riches vnto the couetous are thornes in this and the next life their pricks are threefold in this life namely punâ—tura lâ—boris in acquisitione timoris in possessione doloris in amissione The true reason why so many men are delighted with them is because they put on wants or tiâ—ning gloues and so their hearts and hands being hardened they feele not their pricking but in the next world they will bee thornes againe when Christ shall say to the couetous Hence from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire for I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meat I thirsted and ye gaue me no drinke c. Here pause good Reader and pray with Ludolphus O Domine Iesufac me de veteri vita exire ne semen verbi tui quod in meô intellectu boni propositi quod in meô affectu boni operis quod in meô actu seminâsti comedatur à volucribus inanis gloriae ne conculcetur in viâ assiduitatis ne areat in petrâ durae obstinationis ne suffocetur in spinis solicitudinis sed potiùs in terra bonâ cordis humilimi centesimum fructum edat in patientiâ fac etiam me haec omnia intelligere facere ac verbô vel saltem exemplô alios docere Amen The Epistle 1. COR. 13. Though I speake with tongues of men and Angels c. THe Bible is the body of all holy religion and this little Chapter is as it were an abridgement of all the Bible for it is a tract of loue which is the complement of the law and supplement of the Gospell All the scripture teaching nothing else saith Augustine but that we must loue our neighbour for God and God for himselfe Nihil praecipit nisi charitatem nec culpat nisi cupiditatem it forbids nothing but lust and inioines nothing but loue for without loue there is no true faith and without faith all our righteousnesse is sinne S. Paul therefore doth extoll in this Chapter aboue all other this one vertue 1. largely shewing that it surpasseth al other graces in two things Vse vers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Continuance ver 8 9 10 11 12 13. 2. briefly by way of recapitulation in the last verse Now abideth faith hope and loue euen these three but the chiefe is loue Charity doth excell in vse for all other gifts without it are nothing auaileable to saluation as Paul proues by this induction If I speake with tongues of men and Angels c. All vertues are either Intellectuall in accurate speech vers 1. other knowledg vers 2. Morall in doing v. 3. Though I feed the poore with al my goods suffering Though I giue my body to be burned c. Though I speake with the tongues of men That is of all men If I had vnderstanding in all languages and Art to parle in them all if a man could speake so many tongues as our late Soueraigne of blessed memory Queene Elizabeth of whom the diuine Poet as a Diuine truly not as a Poet flatteringly That Rome Rheine Rhone Greece Spaine and Italy Plead all for right in her natiuity If a man could discourse in so many languages as Mythridates of whom Volaterane reports that he well vnderstood 22. sundry tongues or as other 25. If a man could thunder in an Oration as Aristophanes said of Pericles or tune his note so sweetly that hee could moue mountaines and stony rockes with Orpheus or feâ—ch soules out of hell as fabulous antiquity fained of Mercury Though a man could hold the people by the â—ares and cary them vp and downe the Country like pitchers as Socrates did
here Loue suffereth long it is bountifull c. In this encomiasticall passage S. Paul sets downe loues operation in 3. points Imbracing that which is good Internall it is patient Externall it is courteous Eschewing that which is euill against our neighbour in thought it enuieth not deed loue doth not frowardly selues either out of passion it swelleth not dealeth not dishonestly seâ—keth not her owne it is not prouoked to anger election it thinketh no euill it râ—ioyceth not in iniquity Perseuering in both suffering belieuing hoping induring all things Loue suffereth long Saint Paul doth begin with patience because desire to reuenge is a vice most opposite to charitie Malitious impatient men are like the toad no sooner moued but they swell or like gunpowder no sooner touched with an hot word but instantly they are in your face Which accasioned Bion the Philosopher to say Magnum est malum ferre non posse malum For if â—hine enemie be little parce illi the best course is to spare him if great parce tibi the best counsell is to spare thy selfe Si turbet non perturbet as Bâ—â—narà in the like case Though he moue thee let him not remoue thâ—e froÌ„ that which is good from that which is thy good The discretion of a man deferreth his anger and his glory is to passe by an offence Better it is to suffer much and long then by courses of impatience to runne thy selfe out of all honest breath It is reported of the Philosophers that they had a sword and wanted a buckler but a buckler becomes a Christian better then a sword We must not beat euery dog that barks at vs in the way but run with patience the race that is set before vs Heb. 12.1 Loue is courteous or as other readâ— bountifull Amor si est operatur si non operatur non est As loue is patient in wrong so actiue in kindnesse doing good vnto all alway performing liberall and courteous offices euen to the greatest enemie So S. Steuen abounding with loue respected his accusers as brethren and saluted them as fathers Acts 7.2 So Ioseph vsed his brethren nobly who sold him for a slaue basely Loue enuieth not There are two parents of enuie highnesse nighnâ—sse For it is nothing else but a repining griefe for our neighbours happinesse An enuious man saith Saluianus esteemes anothers good his hurt parum est si ipse sit fâ—elix nisi alter fuerit infâ—elix And therefore when Bion saw such an one very sorrowfull asked him I pray thee whether hath some euill happened to thee or good to thy neighbour As high hils are most exposed to thunder fâ—riunt summos fulmine montes and as the fairest flowers are soonest nipt by the venemous Cantharides euen so the most eminent gifts in neighbors are the greatest griefes of enuious wretches In neighbours I say for as the basiliske doth kill none but such as he doth see so the malecontent enuious eye malignes none that are far off And this I take to be the true reason why the schismaticall Brownist and other of the like malitious humor hate the conformable Protestant more then either Turke or Pope because that which eye seeth not heart grieueth not But it hath been their hell to behold their neighbour Bishops and fellow Ministers in bâ—tter fâ—shion and among the best of greater account for iudicious preaching and writing then themselues It is wittily noted by Bonauentura that an enuious man is like Cam who said of himselfe Gen. 4.14 Whosoeuer sâ—â—deth me sâ—all slay me For either he seeth in a man that which is good and then he repineth or else that which is euill and so reioiceth and both these slay the soule Things amisse in our Church are the schismatikes may game but her glory their griefe her weale their woe Let them reade this Chapter often and marke this word especially Loue enuieth not Loue doth not frowardly Not ouerthwartly not insidiously quod est arte alios pellere aut tollâ—re by cunning to thrust men out of their preferments and others loue so Maximus expelled Gregorâ— Nazianzene Aeâ—chines wronged Deâ—osthenes and Mâ—rtin Makebate the Whitgifâ—s of our Church Loue swelleth not As loue doth not abuse good things in other so it makes men vse well their owne graces It swelleth not in any preferment it hath it is not ambitious for any which it hath not it is not querulous for any which it once had and is now lost it seeketh not her owne that is with others hinderance so to ioine house to house and field to field till there be no place for other in the land It doth not desire that oxen should labour and asses feed that one should take the paines and another reape the profit but is content that preferment be conferred vpon men of worth according to merit with equall proportion Or it seekes not her owne principally buâ— so far forth as shall be for the Churches good and Gods glory So faith our Apostle 1. Cor. 10. I seeke not mine owne profit but the profit of many that they might be saued And Philip. 2.21 he rebukes all such as seeke their owne and not that which is Iesus Christs Or it seekes no◠〈◊〉 that is to recouer her owne by law when it shaâ—â— be to the scandall of the Gospell as he sheweth in thâ—â—ixt Chapter of this Epistle It is not prouoked to anger That is rash and inâ—onsidâ—rate anger otherwise a man may be angry and sinne not as our Apostle elsewhere â—rasci hominis iniuâ—iâ—â— non facere Christiani It is the part of a man to be angâ—y but the duty of a Christian to doe no wrong in anger A louing man will chide his friend sweetly and a good man punish sinne according to his place sâ—uerâ—ly Quâ—â— te appellem amâ—r nescio bonum in malum â—â—or quippenâ—s facit nostros amare amor interdum cogit offenâ—â—re siâ— vâ—gilet tolerantia saith Augustine vt non doâ—miâ—t disciplinâ— Saint Pauls meaning then is that we must not be transported with heat so that we forget our friends and lose our selues in such sort that the ending of our anger proue the beginning of our sorrow It thinks no euill It is so far from doing wrong that it doth not so much as thinke euill A vertue compounded of truth and ingenuity Truth belieues onely that which is certaine ingenuity construeth in the better part that which is doubtfull whereas suspiciousnesse is misled often with false alway with vncertaine report Ielous yoke-fellowes and suspicious friends are both vncharitable For such as the Prophet aptly trauell with mischiefe and bring forth vngodlinesse vnquiet as the raging sea stirring vp strife all the day long It reioiceth not in iniquity Not â—n her owne fault not in anothers fall Not in her owne for albeit the
AN EXPOSITION OF THE DOMINICAL EPISTLES AND GOSPELS vsed in our English Liturgie throughout the whole yeare TOGETHER WITH A REASON WHY THE CHVRCH did chuse the same By IOHN BOYS Doctor of Diuinitie The Winter part from the first Aduentuall Sunday to Lent ROM 1.16 I am not ashamed of the Gospell Bernard super Cant. ser. 65. Euangelium appellasti ad Euangelium ibis Hast thou appealed vnto the Gospell vnto the Gospell shalt thou goe AT LONDON Printed by FELIX KYNGSTON for WILLIAM ASPLEY 1610. TO THE VERTVOVS AND WORTHIE KNIGHT SIR IOHN BOYS of Canterburie my very good Vncle Grace and peace SIR you did first plant my studies Archbishop VVhitegift that president of pietie watered them and God gaue increase to God as to the fountaine of all goodnesse I consecrate all that I haue to your happy memories as to the conduits of much good I dedicate this ensuing Postill especially to your selfe suruiuing as to my best Patron in Cambridge where the foundation of this worke was laid vnto your selfe as to the chiefe procurer of that small Benefice where the frame was raised vnto your selfe as to the liuely paterne of that doctrine which is here deliuered Accept it as your owne for it beares your name and resembling you much endeuors to honour you long so you shall encourage me daily to lessen my debt to the Church and increase mine obligations vnto your selfe that liuing and dying I may continue Your most bounden Nephew Iohn Boys THE FIRST SVNDAY IN ADVENT The Epistle ROM 13.8 Owe nothing to any man but this that yee loue one another c. IT is a good obseruation of Tertullian that heretikes are wont first to perswade then to teach on the contrarie that orthodoxes vse first to teach and then to perswade the which is Saint Pauls ordinarie method first monere then mouere This epistle then allotted for this day being sutable to the rest of his writings offereth vnto your consideration two principall points 1. An admonition Owe nothing to any man but this c. 2. A double reason of the same 1. From the worthinesse of the thing He that loueth hath fulfilled the law 2. From the fitnesse of the time Considering the season that it is now time c. In his admonition obserue two things 1. A precept Owe nothing c. 2. An except But to loue one another The first doth insinuate that we must pay really for we may not owe. fully owe nothing generally to any man Some Diuines haue stretched this vnto all manner of duties as well of loue as law making it a conclusion of the former doctrine Giue to all men their due tribute to whom tribute custome to whom custome c. Estote debitores omnibus vt nemini debeatis as Luther obserues a strange yet a true saying and it hath a parallell 1. Corinth 3.18 If any man among you seeme to be wise in the world let him bee a foole that hee may bee wise In like manner he that will liue out of debt in the world let him owe so much vnto euery one that hee owe nothing vnto any one so Paul who kept nothing from any man was notwithstanding through his loue debtor to many seruant to all Other restraine this vnto pecuniarie debts arising ex promisso commisso Our promises are due debt Psalm 15. The man that will rest vpon Gods holy hill must not sweare to his neighbour and disappoint him though it be to his owne hinderance The word of an honest man ought to bee so currant as his coyne Pomponius an heathen man was so constant as he neuer made lie himselfe nor could suffer a lie in other euery Christian and a Gentleman albeit not a Christian ought to be iust in all his words as well as righteous in all his waies It is found counsell in affaires of the world Fast binde fast finde Plus enim creditur annulis quà m animis as Seneca wittily For the seales of men are more regarded than their soules and yet ipse dixit of a Christian Pythagoras is so sufficient as Quod scripsi scripsi of a Iewish Pilate Debts ex commisso be manifold some by borrowing some by buying some by secret fraude some by violent oppression It is not a fault simply to borrow for then there could be no letting no lending no trading in the world then onely debt is deadly sinne when a man hath neither meanes nor meaning to repay Psalm 37.21 The wicked borroweth and payeth not againe Some men hold restitution a point of Poperie borrowing by Caluin and paying by the Bible but Bishop Latimer auoweth vpon his credit that in this all writers agree both old and new that restitution is necessarie to saluation either restitution open or secret or else hell It is easie to shew that in a particular account which hee deliuered in a grosse summe first it was a receiued opinion among the fathers in the daies of Augustine Non remittâ—tur peccatum nisi restituatur aeblatum after entertained of the best Ciuilians and all the Canonists and Schoolemen without exception and stil embraced of our learned Protestant Diuines Illyricus Brentius Aretius in the exposition of the words of Zacheus If I haue taken from any man by forged cauillation I restore him fourefold Melancthon Zanchius Perkins and all that vnderstand any thing at all For no man except a new man is saued he must repent and be borne againe Now where there is vnsained repentance there is contrition for sinne where contrition for sinne there detestation of sinne where detestation of sinne there followeth amendment of life Zache renewed in mind was altered in manners he that stole must steale no more such then as detaine the goods of other vniustly without satisfaction or restitution are not sorrie but reioyce rather in doing of euill As Augustine sweetly Poenitentia non agitur sed fingitur I conclude therefore this argument in the words of Lactantius Apud bonos iudices satis babent firmitatis vel testimonia sine argumentis vel argumenta sine testimonijs nos tamen non alterutro contenti cum suppetat nobis vtrumque ne cui peruersè ingeuioso aut non intelligendi aut contrà disserendi locum relinquâ—mus 2. We must pay fully Owe nothing Many men are willing to pay some part of their debts but they cannot endure to restore all they will not compound except the creditor will take 10. shillings in the pound a common but not a commendable course for a mite is debt so well as a million tà m albeit not tantum so good a debt howsoeuer not so great â— debt if we must owe nothing then there must bee full paiment of euery thing If we cannot pay God assuredly will accept of votall restitution as well as of actuall of that which is in affect as if it had
man could number of all nations and kinreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the Lambe clothed with long white robes and palmes in their hands The number of Angels is infinite Thinkest thou said Christ to Peter in the 26 of S. Matthâ—w that I cannot now pray to my father and he will giue me moe then twelue legions of Angels A legion is 3000. footmen and 300. horsemen or as Caluin vpon the place 5000. foote 500. horsemen as Vegetius 6000. in all and â—uery particular Angell able in one night to kill as is recorded in the storie of Sennâ—cherib one hundred eightie and fiue thousand The number of starres in the skie of fowles in the aire of fish in the sea of beasts in the field of diuels in hell are without number How infinitely infinite then is the number of all his enemies in what a fâ—arefull â—state doth hee stand when as God and man Angels and Diuels saints and sinners heauen and earth fish and fowle beasts and birds other and himselfe in a word all that is within him all that is without him all that is about him combine themselues together to maintaine Gods holy warre against him I know there are degrees of sinners as there are degrees in sinne some be fautores some actores a third sort authores Of the first Seneca wittily Nihil interest faâ—eas ne sceleri an illud facias It is in a manner all one to commit and commend a villanie Non caret scrupulo occultae societatis qui manifesto discrimini non occurrit saith Gregorie He is suspected to be an abetter of euill who doth not endeuour to better the euill A commoner then that flattereth a Commander that fauoureth vngodly wretches in a citie le ts in so many strong foes to cut your throtes and ruine your estate Yet actors on the stage be worse then idle spâ—ctators for howsoeuer sinne be commendable because common as Sâ—luiâ—nus complained in his time In hâ—c scelus res deuoluta vt nisi quis malus fuerit saluus esse non possit In plaine English except a man be first bad he cannot be reputed a good fellow Yet horrible blasphemers incorrigible drunkards shamelesse whoremongers makebate pettifoggers malcontent accusants on the one side recusants on the other are the very men and meanes which bring and keepe the dearth and plague so long among you But authors of euill and plotters of mischiefe are worst of all as it appeares euen by Gods owne censure giuen of the first sinne in Paradise where the serpâ—nt had three punishments inflicted vpon him as the originall contriuer the woman two being the mediate procurer and Adam but one as the partie seduced Applie for I can no further amplifie When Phocas had built a mightie wall about his palace for his securitie in the night he heard a voice O King though thou build as high as the clouds yet the citie might easily be taken the sinne within will marre all as see Ambrose notably Grauiores sunt iniâ—â—ci mores praui quam hostes inâ—esti Wicked manners are stronger then armed men If God be with vs who can bee against vs if we stand against God who can withstand him And as God is ablâ— because God so willing to maintaine this warre because my God that is the God of his people whom the wicked persecute for his Grant is faire in letters patent to Abraham and his seed for euer I will blesse them that bleâ—â—e thee and curse them that curse thee Or my God that is the God by whom I speake who dealeth alway with his seruants according to his word The gods of the Gentiles are lying gods and dying gods but my God is the truth and the life who can neither deceiue nor be deceiued Or my God because wee must not only beleeue the Maior of the Gospell but the Minor also saying with Thomas my Lord with Mary my Sauiour with Esay my God If we can gaine this assumption it will bring vs to the most happie conclusion enioying peace of conscience which is an heauen on earth peace of glory which is heauen in heauen Vnto which hee bring vs that hath made peace for vs euen Christ Iesus the righteous to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost as we are bound so let vs heartily yeeld all honour c. Amen The Epistle COLOS. 3.12 Put vpon you as the elect of God tender mercy c. THis Epistle consists of two parts In the first Saint Paul exhorts the Colossians vnto many speciall vertues as tender mercy kindnesse humblenesse of mind meeknesse long suffering c. In the second because it is infinit to insist in euery particular he drawes them and all other duties vnto two generall admonitions in grosse whereof the 1. concernes our theory Let the word of Christ dâ—ell in you plenteously c. 2. our practise whatsoeuer ye doe in word or deed doe all in the name of the Lord c. Put vpon you Christ had two sorts of garments as we read in the Gospell one without seame not diuided at his death and that was a figure of faith which maugre the rents of all heretikes and schismatikes in the Church is but one Another with seames parted among the souldiers and that was a type of loue which seekes not her owne but communicates it selfe to many So the Christian must haue two coates one of faith indiuisible by which he puts on Christ another of loue parted among many by which one Christian puts on another reioicing with them that reioice weeping with them that weep Vpon the point these two coates are but one faith being inside and loue outside faith in respect of God and loue toward the world This Epistle speakes of the outside put on tender mercy quoad affectum kindnesse quoad effectum meeknesse bene vtendo prosperis long suffering bene se habendo in aduersis c. These vertues are both ornamenta and munimenta clothes and corslets Ephes. 6.11 Put on the whole armour of God that yee may be able to stand against the assaults of the diuell Seeing we must euery day sight and euery day be seene let vs as well for armour as honour put on tenâ—er mercy kindnesse c. that we may walke vprightly and confidently See epist. dom 21. post Trinit How loue is said to be the bond of perfectnesse and chiefe vertue See epist. dom quinquages As the elect of God Saint Paul builds all these good exhortations vpon one argument drawne ab honesâ—o seâ— debito you are the elect of God holy and beloued chosen and beloued of God before the world through baptisme consecrated solemnly to God in the world wherefore being thus electi selecti dilecti Gods owne workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good works it is most meete new men should vse new maners in stead of
malitious incorrigible sinner reioiceth in doing euill and delights in frowardnesse Prou. 2.14 yet the man of God doth no sinne 1. Iohn 3.9 For it is rather done on him then of him according to that of Paul I doe not the good thing which I would but the euill thing which I would not that do I. Not in anothers fall for it doth grieue when they grieue yea sometime because they doe not grieue for their sins as Hieroâ—e to Sabinian Hoc plango quòd te non plangis And Aâ—gustinâ— calles this a blessed vnhappinesse when a man is aâ—fected not infected with his neighbours iniquitie â—â—â—ta miseria vitijs alienis tribulari non implicari dâ—lor◠〈◊〉 trabi noâ— amore attrahi Iâ— suâ—fereth all things it beleeueth all things It suffereth not it selfe to bee abused but it iudgeth other wiâ—h alâ— loue and humanitie To beleeue all werâ— sillinesse to bâ—â—â—â—ue nâ—â—e â—ullennâ—sse discreet loue therefore doth bâ—lâ—eue much and hope the best of all Enduring all thingâ— that is all that it may without offence to Gods holy word Nor pâ—titur ludum fâ—ma fides oculus A 〈◊〉 gâ—od nâ—me faith and eye will not be dallied withall A Châ—â—stâ—an as concerning his faith cannot bee too sterâ—â—â—â—ooâ—lour I will â—ake vpon me saith Luther this tiâ—le 〈◊〉 I giue place to none loâ—â—â—oâ—h not fall aâ—ay Knowledge is not abolished in the â—orld to come but perfited as Paul expounds himselâ—e We know in pâ—rt we prophecie in part but when â—hat which is perfect is come then that which is vnperfect shaâ—l be done awaâ— Ex abstractiuâ sit intuitiua notitia As the light of a candle doth vanish away when the bright Sunne doth shine The manner of teaching in the world to come shall câ—aâ—e for we shall neede no schooles or tutors in heauen all there shall see God face to face but knowledge it selfe shall not vanish for this is eternall liâ—e to know God S Paul proues our knowledge and prophecying vnperfâ—ct by two familiar exâ—mplâ—s one taken from his owne person another from a looking glasse When I was a childe I spaâ—e as a childe â— vnderstood as a childe I imagined as a childe Speaking may be referred vnto the gift of tongues vnderstaâ—ding to the gift of prophecie thinking to knowledge Now we see in a glâ—ssâ— darâ—lâ— but then shall wee see face to face When a man sees a map of Hierusalem he can presently conceiue what maâ—ner of citie it is imperfectly but when he comes thither and beholds all the streetes is better satisfied The Scripture is a glasse faith is an eye by which all Gods elect in part know the glorious building of Hierusalem aboue they beleeue that this corruption shall put on incorruption that this mortall shall put on immortalitie that the iust shall shine like stars for euer in heart conuersing with the Saints and assured through hope that themselues are burgesses of that celestiall Incorporation I am sure saith Iob that my redeemer is aliue who died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification and now sitteth at the right hand of God as our aduoâ—ate But hereafter when wee shall sup with him in his kingdome and sit with him in his throne when al mists of ignorance and diffidence shall vanish away when we shall see God face to face then we will say to him as the noble Queene of Sheba to Salomon Loe the one halfe of thy kingdome was not told vs. Now abideth faith hope and loue The rest of the graces are reduced to these saith Melancthon and the chiefe of these is loue saith Paul There is so great affinitie betweene faith and hope that as Luther obserues it is hard to finde any difference they cannot be well separated one hauing respect to the other as the two Cherubins on the mercie seate Exod. 25.20 Yet they differ much especially in their Obiect Subiect Order Office In their obiect Faith hath for her obiect the truth Hope for her obiect the goodnesse of God Faith as Augustine notes is of good things and bad but hope lookes on good things onely The Christian beleeues there is an hell as well as heauen but hee feares the one and hopes only for the other as the Poet distinguisheth aptly liceat sperare timenti Faith is of things Past for wee beleeue that Christ is dead buried risen againe c. Present for wee beleeue that Christ now sitteth at the right hand of God Future for we beleeue Christ shall come again to iudge the quick and the dead But hope doth expect and respect only things to come In their subiect Faith is in the vnderstanding hope resteth in the will if they differ in place this I take to be the most probable separation In order for faith is the ground of things hoped for A stedfast hope proceeds out of a liuely faith if the sparke of faith should not giue light to the will it could not be perswaded to lay hold vpon hope Faith alway goeth before then hope followeth after In their office for faith is our logicke to conceiue what we must beleeue hope our rhetorick to perswade vs in tribulation vnto patience So S. Paul saith Wee are saued by hope Rom. 8.24 Sic liberati sumus vt adhuc speranda sit haereditas postea possidenda nunc habemus ius ad rem nondum in re Faith is a Doctor and a Iudge disputing against error and heresie iudging spirits and doctrines hope is a Captaine fighting against impatience tribulation heauines of spirit weaknes desperation In a word the difference betweene faith and hope in Diuinitie is the same that is betweene fortitude and prudence in policie Fortitude not guided by prudence is rashnes and prudence not ioyned with fortitude is vaine So faith without hope is nothing and hope without faith a meere presumption and tempting of God And therefore wee must ioyne together all these graces as Paul here faith hope charitie We waite for the hope of righteousnesse through faith and faith worketh through loue First faith teacheth vs the truth and then hope teacheth vs what to suffer and loue what to doe for the truth Faith engendreth hope faith and hope loue but the chief is lone c. The Papists hence reason against vs If charitie bee greater then faith it is vnprobable that men are iustified only by faith Our Diuines answere that the argument is not good A Prince doth excell a pesant Ergo till the ground better A man is better then a beast Ergo runne faster then a horse carrie more then an elephant c. Secondly that loue is not greater in euery respect absolutely but onely greater in latitude of vse and continuâ—nce faith and hope are restrained within the bounds of our priuate persons as the iust man doth liue by his owne faith and the good man hopes only for himselfe but loue
like Dauids vine doth couâ—r the mountaines with her boughes and stretcheth her branches vnto the sea extending it selfe to God Angels men in men to our selues and other in other vpward to supeâ—iours downward to inferiours on the right hand to friends on the left to foes Loue theÌ„ in respect of other is of greater vse but if we consider a man in himselfe priuâ—tly faith is more needfull then loue as wherein originally stands our communion and fellowship with God by which Christ dwels in our hearts into which as an hand Almightie God powreth all the riches of his grace for our saluation and by which only whatsoeuer else is in vs is accepted of God as Saluâ—anus excellently Omnibus semper ornatibus ornamento est quiae sine hac nihil tam ornatum quod ornare possit See Epist. Dom. 17. post Trinit Againe charitie is greater in latitude of continuance faith apprehends the Lords gratious promise concerning eternall saluation and hope doth expect it with patience When God then shall haue fulfilled his word and filled vs with vnspeakable ioy when in that other life we shall see God face to face faith is at an end hope is at an end their vse cease but loue shall continue betweene God and vs an euerlasting bond So the fathers expound it only loue saith Chrysostome is eternall in this respect the greatest is charitie because they passe away but charitie continueth alway So Saint Augustine Loue is the greatest of the three because the other two departing it shall continue more increased and better assured auctior certior permanebit In this pâ—esent life there are three but in the life to come loue remaineth onely therefore that is greater which is euer needfull then that which once shal haue an end And so Gorran and other popish writers heretofore construed this text I conclude to saue a man faith is greater in a man saued charitie is the greater vntill faith haue finished our saluation loue must yeeld to faith but when faith hath fully saued vs it shall haue an end and so must yeeld to loue which is without end The Gospel LVKE 18.31 Iesus tooke vnto him the twelue and said vnto them Behold we goe vp to Ierusalem and all shall be fulfilled c. IN this Gospell our Sauiour Christ the true light of the world doth illuminate two sorts of blinde the disciples who were spiritually blind and a poore beggar who was corporally blind The disciples vnderstood not as yet the mysteries of our redemption wrought by Christs humiliation and exaltation by the one taking from vs all euill and by the other giuing all that is good Hee died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification Christ therefore doth open their eies and instruct them in these two points exactly First generally vers 31. Behold we goe vp to Ierusalem and all things c. Secondly more particularly declaring the maner of his death and resurrection in the 32.33 verses Concerning his passion fiue things are deliuered traditio that hee shall be betraied illusio that hee shall be mocked conspuitio that hee shall be spitted on flâ—gellatio that hee shall be scourged occisio that hee shall be put to death For truth it selfe was betraied wisdome it selfe mocked glory it selfe spitted on innocencie it selfe scourged and life it selfe killed Concerning his resurrection hee sets downe two points especially 1. that he shal rise 2. that hee shall rise the third day Iesus tooke vnto him the twelue Reuealing to them the secrets of his kingdome foretelling his passion for two causes especially 1. that they might beare it more patiently praemoniti praemuniti 2. to signifie that hee suffered willingly Ioh. 10.18 See Gosp. dom 10. post Trin. Behold This word of attention is like the sounding of a trumpet before some waighty proclamation or like the ringing of a great bell before the sermon of a famous Preacher And therefore let vs heare this doctrine with an especiall care which Christ hath commended vnto vs here by such a remarkable note We goe vp Christs passion is called an exaltation or ascending For albeit he could not ascend higher as God yet he was exalted by his humiliation as man and had a name giuen him aboue euery name Phil. 2.8.9 Lucifer and Adam by climbing vp were cast downe but Christ by casting himselfe downe went vp Or We goe vp insinuating that his iourney was not easie Facilis descensus Auerni Men go sooner downe hil then vp hill yet he that hath a good horse can ride faster vp hill then downe hill So the charets and horsemen of Israel assisted by Gods especiall grace lifting them vp aboue the base vallies of the world runne faster and are more delighted in heauens vp hill then the wicked iâ— hels downe hill To Ierusalem Interpreters haue rendred sundry reasons why Christ was crucified at Ierusalem especially two First because there was not enough malice in any other Citie to kill the Lord of life none but the holy could enuie the most holy The prophane Gentiles ignorant Iewes elsewhere did not maligne Christ in his words and wonders Ierusalem onely the Prophet-killer could not indure the Prophet His holinesse and wisdome was the fittest obiect for the Scribes and Pharises enuie That vpon them might come all the righteous blood shed vpon earth euen from Abel the shadow to Christ the substance whose bloud speakes better things vnto vs and cries â—owder against them then that of Abel Here note by the â—ay that as the Sonne of God was crucified in the Citie of God so by good correspondence the members of Christ are persecuted most by the vicar of Christ. Secondly Christ suffered in that eminent place that his passion and patience might be renowned in the whole world There was not another stage fit for his tragedie which is our comedie In a mysticall sense Christ and his Apostles ascend to Ierusalem euen to Ierusalem aboue the new Ierusalem prepared as a bride trimmed for her husband but the god of this world with his company descend to Iericho to the lowest hell Hee that followes not Christ in his course goes from Ierusalem to Iericho from heauenly paths vnto the by-waies of destruction and so he falles among theeues that is as the fathers expound it among many diuels and euils who rob him and wound him and in fine will leaue him dead except Christ the true Samaritan relieue him and set him in his right way againe And all shall be fulfilled that are written by the Prophets of the Sonne of man As the Painter at the first drawes his picture with a coale roughly then with an accurate pensill and orâ—ent colours exactly so the holy Ghost in the Prophets and old Testament shadowed Christs passion obscurely but in the new paints it as it were to life perspicuously