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
name Catholike my surname So Rome was England is a Catholike Church But it properly signifieth vniuersall as here because extended to all places and all times and all persons not only those who are now liuing but also those who haue been from the beginning and shall be to the end of the world So that to say the Roman Catholike Church is like the by-word of Kent and Christendome all one as to say the particular or the speciall generall Church From this naturall acception ariseth that other borowed as in the Creed of Athanasius Haec est fides Catholica that is quod vbique quod semper quod ab omnibus creditum est The Catholike faith is that which is taught all men Matth. 28. 19. Mark 16. 15. in all places Rom. 10. 18. at all times 2. Cor. 1. 19. And Psal. 119. Thy word O Lord indureth for euer and thy truth also from generation to generation Fides est vides in vs quae non vides an euidence of things not euident So that the Church we must beleeue is Catholike not sensible subiect to view but inuisible an object of faith Communion of Saints The Churches third propertie which expoundeth the two former I beleeue the Catholike Church to wit the communion of Saints If a communion then Catholike if Saints then holy This communion hath two parts fellowship Of the members with the head because euery Christian hath interest in all the benefits of Christ who is not a garden flower priuate for a few but the Rose of the field common to all and therefore S. Iude calles his grace the Common saluation Of the meÌ„bers one with another and it is either of the Liuing with the liuing Dead with the liuing As in the naturall body so in the Church Christs mysticall body there is a peâ—petuall sympathie betwen ethe parts if one member suffer all suffer with it if one be had in honour all reioice with it Martin Luther said well and wittâ—â—y that a Christian is a freeman and bound vnto none And againe that he is a diligent seruant and vassall vnto all Vere vir omnium hâ—rarum omnium operum omnium personarura becoming all things vnto all men that he may winne them vnto Christ. As that Antichristian in stile so the Christian is in deed Serâ—us seruorum Dei There is a knot of fellowship also betweene the dead Saints and the liuing They pray to God for our good in generall and we praise God for their good in particular I say we praise God in his Saints particularly for giuing Mary Peter Paul such eminent graces on earth and now such vnspeakable glory in heauen In affection and heart we conuerse with them alway desiring to be dissolued and to be with Christ. Remission of sinnes All of vs are borne in sinne orius damnati quam nati saith Bernard and after increasing we grow from euill to worse vntill our sinnes are remitted by Gods grace conueied vnto vs in the Church by his holy word and Sacraments it is a remission not a satisfaction a worke not of our merit but of Gods mercy who beholding vs in Christ reputes our sinnes as no sinnes I haue put away thy transgressioÌ„s as a cloud thy sins as a mist so remitted as if they neuer were committed Agaus Dâ—i qui tollit peccata mundi dimittendo quae facta sunt adiuuando ne fiant perducendo ad vitam vbi emnino fieri non possunt Sinnes in the plurall be they neuer so many for quantitie neuer so grieuous for qualitie Say not with Caiâ—e My sinne is greater then can be pardoned but with Paul All things worke for the best vnto them who loue God Remember saith Luther the speech of God to Rebecca Maior seruiet minori The greater shall serue the lesser Our spirituall enemies are stronger and our sinnes are greater then we yet they shall serue for our good the greater shall serue the lesser I beleeue the râ—mission of sinnes A very great benefit because this pardon is our soules life Where the wages of sin is death of Bodie which is the temporall Soule which is the â—â—â—rituall Body soule which is eternall death See the Epistle Dom. 7. post Trinit Resurrection of the bodie The whole Creed in grosse and euery parcell argueth a resuâ—rection as Erasmus aptly This one article is the Basis of all the rest for if there be a God almightie then hee is iust and if iust then another reckoning in another world where good men shall be rewarded and euill condignely punished If a Iesus Christ who is our Sauiour then hee must dissolue the workes of Satan which are sinne and death if an holy Ghost then all his hallowed temples who did glorifie him heere shall bee glorified of him hereafter If a Church which is holy then a remission of sinnes a resurrection of the bodie a life euerlasting that all such as haue been subiects in his kingdome of grace may likewise bee Saints in his kingdome of glory for as God is principium effectiuum in creatione refectiuum in redemptione so perfectiuum in retributione Life euerlasting The chiefe good and last end which we gaine by being in the Church All men on earth haue life but not euerlasting the damned in hell endure that which is euerlasting yet not a life but an eternall death as being perpetually tied vnto torments enforced euer to suffer that they would not neither can they doe any thing that they would only the Church elected by the Father redeemed by the Sonne sanctified by the holy Ghost shall enioy life euerlasting not by purchase or inheritance but by donation and franke almaine The spirituall hand which apprehends this deede of gift is faith and therefore begin well with I beleeue in God and continue well in being a member of his Holy Catholike Church and thou shalt be sure to end well with euerlasting life Amen Our assent to the Creed signifying hereby that all which we haue said is true and certaine O Lord increase our faith Ruth 2. 4. THe Nouelists haue censured this and other like Suffrages as short cuts or shreddings rather wishes then prayers A rude speech which sauoureth of the shop more then of the schoole for our Church imitated herein the meeke Publicane O God be mercifull to me a sinner and the good womaÌ„ of Cannan Haue mercie on me O Lord and deuout Bartiâ—â—us O sonne of Dauid take pitie on me These short shreddings and lists are of more value then their Northren broad cloath the which as wee see shrinkes in the wetting whereas our ancient custome hath continued in the Church aboue 1200 yeeres for Augustine writes epist. 121 that the ChristiaÌ„s of Egypt vsed in their Liturgy many prayers euery one of theÌ„ being very short raptim quodammodo
that according to the multitude of his rich mercies hee would pardon all our old sinnes and then put into our mouth a new song that as the seruice is holie the time holie the place holie so we likewise the persons holie who sing Holy holy holy c. Deus faciat tâ—m commodum quà m Ecclesia fecit accommodum Our fathers in this imitated the learned Hebrew Doctors inioyning that this verse should be said at the beginning of euery prayer in tractatu Berachoth that is their Liturgie being the first part of the Talmud as Pet. Galatinus lib. 1. cap. 5. do Arcanis Saxtus Seneâ—sis Bibliothec. lib. 2 pag. 121. My lips A part for the whole sufficient abilitie to praise God Ex abundantâ—a cordis os loquitur He doth intreate God then as before for a cleane hart and a right spirit that his old ioyes of conscience may bee renued and all the whole man throughly repaired a good desire to begin a ready will to continue a constant resolution to end in Gods holie seruice The key of the mouth ought not to stand in the doore of the lippes but to be kept in the cabinet of the minde For the heart of fooles is in their mouth but the mouth of the wise is in their heart Dauid therefore doth desire first a new soule then a new soâ—g The tongue is ambassadour of the minde as often as we speake without meditation before so often the messenger runneth without his errand And idle words are not little sinnes of which one day wee shall giue great account The mind then and the mouth must goe together in ciuill communication hee that will not speake idlely must thinke what he speakes and he that will not speake falsely must speake what he thinks In holy deuotion God must be praised vpon wâ—ll tuned Cymbals and loud Cymbals in his quier first tune well a prepared heart then â—ound well a cheerfull tongue like the pen of a ready writer Albeit mentall praier at sometime and in some place be sufficient yet vocall in Gods publike worship is necessary to stir vp and blow the coales of zeale both in our selues and others Open lips in open seruice Why 3. part That my mouth may shew thy praise That as of thee and through thee and for thee are all things so to thee may be praisâ— for euermore See Pater Noster God is of himselfe and in himselfe so great so good as that we cannot any way detract or adde to his glory Nec â—elior si 〈◊〉 nec deterior si vituperaueriâ— I answere though we cannot make Gods praise greater in it selfè yet we may make it sâ—eme greater vnto other it is our duâ—ie to sheâ—forth his praise in all our words and actions too for albeit we cannot make a new God and a new Christ as the Papists dâ—e yet oâ—r good example and gratious speech may make lâ—tâ—le Christ a greaâ— Christ occasion all those with whom we conuerse to magnifie the Lord now who little regarded him before See the 〈◊〉 This annunciation of praise consists of often repetition and particular enumeration of Gods especiall goodnesse towards vs. Augustine therefore doth glosse the text thus Laâ—dem tuam quâ—a creatus sâ—m Laudâ—m tâ—am quia vt consiâ—erer iam monitus sum Laâ—dem tuam quia peccans non derelictus sum Laudem tuam quia vt securâ—s essem mundatus sum Hugo câ—mprehends all which concernes vs all in foure words God is to be praised qui Creator 〈◊〉 esse Conseruator in esse Recreator in 〈…〉 Glorificator in optimo esse qui non reddit Deo faciendo quod debet reddet ei patiendo quod debet The whole text doth teach all men generally the language of Canaâ—n that is what and how to speake that their moutâ— may glorifie God and edifie their brethren Especiallâ— Pastors to minister a word in time to the weary so to tune their notes as that they may be like apples of gold 〈…〉 of â—iluer In all their sermons to preach Iesus for Iesus hunting not after their owne but his glory Lord open my lips that my mouth may shew not My praise but Thy praise saith Dauid Gloria Patri THis Hymne is of good credit and great antiquity Ramus acknowledgeth ingenuously both It is a paraphrastticall exposition of that excellent speâ—ch Rom. 11. 36. Of him and through him and for him are all things to him be glory for euer Amen vsed in the Church to manifest our sound iudgement in matter of doctrine concerning the sacred Trinitie We must saith Basil as we haue receiued euen so baptize and as we baptize euen so beleeue and as we belieue euen so giue glory Baptizing we vse the name of the Father of the Sonne of the holy Ghost confessing the Christian faith we declare our beliefe in the Father and in the Sonne and in the holy Ghost ascribing glory to God we giue it to the Father and to the Sonne and to the holie Ghost And howsoeuer Anabaptisticall Antipodes out of their ambitious humour to contradict all other and heare themselues only speak would haue thrust out of the Church all solemne set formes of holy seruice yet Gloria Patri stands still and like a true Martyr doth shew the greatest counteuance in lowest estate For antiquitie such as looke lowest affirme that it was ordained first by Damasus ann Dom. 376. Others that it was enacted in that famous Councell of Nice consisting of 318. Bishops vnder Constantine the Great an 320. â—aebadius in lib. aduersus Arrian insinuates that it was vsed in the Church long before The curious in this point may further examine Bellarmine and that Oxenford of learning Master Richard Hooker Venite exultemus Domino IT is euident not only by Church history but also by the Scripture that Psalmes haue alwaies taken vp a great roome in diuine seruice Mat. 26. 30. 1. Cor. 14. When you come together as euery one of you hath a Psalme Let not any then wonder at our often Psalmodie both after and before the word expounded and read and sometime interlaced betweene both A custome continued in all other reformed Churches of Scotland France Flanders c. Aboue all other Psalmes our Church hath fitly chosen this as a whetstone to set an edge vpon our deuotions at the very beginning of publike praiers in the Temple teaching plainly for what matter and after what maner it behoueth vs to serue God in his Sanctuary For it consists of two parts 1. An exhortation to praise God in the 1. 2. 6. verses 2. An allegation of causes why we should doe this and they bee taken either from his Mercies In generall for creating and ruling the whole world 3. 4. 5. In particular for electing his Church 7. IudgemeÌ„ts in the 8. 9. 10. 11. setting before their eies a
application of Christs merits against all Papists who teaâ—h that a generall confused implicite faith is enough without any further examination of Scriptures or distinct beleefe Contrarie to the practise of Christ who prayed in our nature and name Deus meus Deus meus Of Dauid Thou art my God of Thomas My Lord of Mary My Sauiour The second part of this Hymne containeth a reason why she did magnifie the Lord namely for his goodnes Toward Her selfe He hath regarded the lowlines of his handmaid he hath magnified me From henceforth all generations shall call me blessed Other Regarded God is said in Scripture to regard three waies as Augustine notes vpon this place secundum Cognitionem Gratiam Iudiciuâ— 1. His eye of knowledge regardeth all things Heb. 4. 13 There is not any creature which is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open vnto him 2. His fauourable countenance and gratious eye is vpon them who feare him and vpon them who trust in his mercie 3. God in iudgement will only regard his elect For he will say to the reprobate Verily I know ye not God regarded here Mary with his gratious eie vouchsafeing to make her both his childe and his mother The one is a benefit obtained of very few the other denied vnto all It was only granted to Mary to be the mother of Christ whereas it was denied vnto all men to be the father of Christ. This was so great a grace to Mary that as in this Hymne her selfe doth prophecie From hencefoorth all generations shall account her blessed An Angell of heauen said that she was full of grace Gratia plena in se non à se in her selfe but not of her selfe And therefore her soule did magnifie the Lord and her spirit reioyced in God her Sauiour not in regard of her owne greatnes but in respect of his goodnesse For so she saith He hath regarded The loâ—linesse God cannot looke aboue himselfe because he hath no superiour nor about himselfe for that he hath no equall he regards only such as are below him and therefore the lower a man is the neerer vnto God the more exposed to his sight who lookes from aboue Who is like vnto the Lord our God that hath his dwelling so high and yet humbleth himselfe to behold the things in heauen and earth He taketh vp the simple out of the dust and lifteth the poore out of the mire And Psal. 138. vers 6. Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect vnto the lowly but as for the proud he beholdeth them a far off The most high then hath especiall respect to such as are most low Now lowlinesse in holy Scripture is vsed both Actiuely for humilitie Passiuely for humiliation basenesse and affliction Origen Beda Bernard construe this of Maries humilitie but I thinke with the most and best that she meant by lowlinesse her base degree For Humilitas dum prodâ—â—ur perditur He that brags of his humilitie loseth it It is saith Hierome the Christians Iewell Now saith Macarius he is a foolish begger who when he findes a Iewell instantly proclaimes it Inueni inueni for by this meanes he that hath lost it will demand it againe so likewise when we boast of any good gift the Lord who lent will resume it It is improbable then that Mary spake this of her humilitie for as somâ— Popish writers obserue she did in this song ascribe all her happinesse to Gods mercy and nothing to her owne merit It is true that as death is the last enemie so pride the last sinne that shall be destroied in vs. Inter omnia vitia tu semper es prima semper es vltima nam omne peccatum te accedente commuttitur te recidente dimittitur Augustine told Dioscorus Vitia caetera in peccatis superbia verò etiam in benefactis timenda When other sinnes die secret pride gets strength in vs ex remedijs generat morbos euen vertue is the matter of this vice in such sort that a man will be proud because he is not proud But this was not Maries mind to boast in that she did not boast but as the word and coherâ—nce more then insinuate she did vnderstand by lowlinesse her meane estate and â—ualitie Quod me dignatus in altum erigere ex humili celsam So doth her selfe construe the word vers 52. He hath put downe the mightie from their seat and hath exalted the humble and meeke where humble is opposite to mightie as in this verse the lowlinesse of Mary to Gods highnesse I presse this point because some Papists as Erasmus affirmes haue gathered out of this place that Mary through her modest carriage worthily deserued to bee the mother of Christ. Whereas besides the reasons alleaged the words of this verse and the drift of the whole song confute them abundantly For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed by Luke signifieth properly basenesse whereas humilitie is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and albeit the vulgar Latine reade respexit humilitatem yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is aspexit as in our English Bibles hee looked on the poore degree of his handmaid And this is not only the criticall Annotation of Erasmus but their owne Iansenius and Maldonatus obserue the same for her intent was not to magnifie her selfe but to magnifie the Lord. Heere then wee may behold Maries exceeding great miserie and Gods exceeding great mercy the good Ladies infelicitie who descended of a noble house yea a royall blood was notwithstanding a distressed sillie maiden so poore that as we reade Luke 2. 24. she was not able to buy a young lambe for an offering See the Gospell on the Purification Let not the wiseman glory in his wisdome nor the strong man glory in his strength neither the rich man glory in his riches nor the Nobleman of his parentage for one generation passeth and another commeth and as we haue heard so haue we seen some who came from the scepter to hold the plough and other who came from the plough to manage the scepter And the reason is reÌ„dred in this Hymne The Lord hath put downe the mightie from their seate and exalted the humble and meeke hee hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich he hath sent emptie away This was his exceeding great goodnesse toward Mary to raise her out of the dust so to magnifie her as that all generations account her blessed From henceforth all generations shall call me blessed In the verse before Magnificat Elizabeth called her blessed now the Virgin opposeth all men to Elizabeth and all times to the present saying as Theophylact doth note that not Elizabeth only but all men and women as at this time so for euer also shall account me blessed All generations that is all men in all generations as the Schoole doth vsuallie distinguish genera
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
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.