the word Father be oftentimes vnderstood Essentially that is for the whole Godhead subsisting in all the Persons as namely when it hath reference vnto men or Angells or the rest of the creatures yet here being referred vnto the Sonne or the second Person it must needs be vnderstood Personally for the Father of that Sonne that is the first person in the Trinity True it is the Person of Christ consisteth of two natures his Deity his Humanity this humanity is a Creature as well as that of other men Yet notwithstanding seeing the Person is but one the Humane nature subsisteth not of it selfe but only in the Son of God by his Subsistance it is the first Person in the Trinity and he alone who is the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. Howbeit the Natures being not one and the same but differing he is Sonne vnto his Father not by one only but by a double Filiation As he is the Word by way of Naturall Generation begotten from all Eternity of the Substance of his Father Of his Substance whereby he is Consubstantiall and Coessentiall with him God of God Light of Light very God of very God as it is in the Nicene Creed From all Eternitie for as the Sunne cannot be without his Beame so neither could the Father ever be without his Word but as himselfe is Eternall so is his Sonne Cöeternall with him also Lastly Begotten not made as Athanasius saith but how and after what manner is incomprehensible and vnspeakable It is enough for vs to know saith Gregory Nazianzen that the Father hath begotten to himselfe a Sonne as for the rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let it be adored with silence And seeing as Ambrose saith neither Archangells know it nor Angells haue heard it nor the world comprehended it nor the Prophets vnderstood it nor the Apostles inquired after it nor Christ taught it but said no man knoweth the Sonne but the Father nor the Father but the Sunne and he to whom the Sonne will reveale it it is our duty to surcease from further searching into this deepe mistery It is sufficient for vs by Faith simply to beleeue that the Manner whereof Reason cannot reach vnto As touching the Manhood of Christ he is in regard thereof the Sonne of the Father also yet not by way of Naturall generation or else of Adoption as all the Saints of God are but by Grace of Personall Vnion whereby being prevented from hauing any Subsistance in it selfe it hath the very Subsistance of the Word or Second Person communicated vnto it So that although as Man he be not Generatus filius the Sonne begotten yet is he Natus filius Dei borne the Sonne of God according to that of the Angell Gabriell That holy thing that shall bee borne of thee shall be called the sonne of God Now the Sonne prayeth vnto his Father first to testify that his eternall Procession and Filiation is from him and that of him he hath receiued both that individuall Vnion by which his Humane Nature is hypostatically assumpted and vnited vnto his Divine that oile of gladnesse or pretious Vnction of the Spirit wherewith hee is Habitually graced and annointed farre aboue all his fellowes Secondly to manifest his Dispensatiue and voluntary subiection vnto his Father in the forme of a Seruant wherein though he were the Sonne and cöequall with the Father yet he learned obedience as the Apostle to the Hebrewes witnesseth Lastly to giue vs an example of imitation both to whom and to whom alone we are to addresse our Prayers namely to God our Father to none other Not to pray vnto him is meere Atheisme and profanenes to pray to any besides him is Idolatry and Superstition First therefore as Christ to his so are wee to pray to our Father Our Father is the holy and blessed Trinity both by Creation and Adoption For being extrinsecall actions they are vndivided and common to them all and so not the Father only but the Sonne and the Holy Ghost together with him created and adopted vs. To the holy Trinity therefore not excluding any of the Persons are wee to pray And to this our Saviour as by his example so by his Precept also directs vs when he commands vs thus to pray Our Father which art in Heaven Shall I spend time to proue that we are to pray vnto God our Father This were but to light a candle at noone day Search the Scriptures and you shall finde it every where commanded Hath he not made all doth he not sustaine all doe we not depend vpon his goodnesse for all whatsoever either wee are or haue If the eyes of all things looke vp vnto him expecting a supply of all their needs from him should not our eyes much more be fixed vpon him The very light of reason dictates the same vnto all and requires this duty at the hands of all Even Gentiles and meere naturalists haue ever duly practised it in all their needs invoking him whom they supposed to be God yea some of the learned among them as Plato and Aristotle and others also as Proclus saith haue written bookes of this argument and in them giuen excellent precepts and directions how to pray A Giant therefore was hee and we read of no more but hee who commanded that for the space of thirty daies together no man should presume to aske any thing of any God or man saue only of him selfe Atheists and prophane wretches are all those who in their heart denying either the Being or the Providence of God refuse to pray vnto him Such as among the Gentiles were the Epicure Philosophers and among Christians some few furious Hereticks Godles and irreligious also are they who beleeuing and acknowledging both yet never privately and but seldome publikely and then very slightly perfunctorily performe this duty Hence is it that the prophet David makes the not calling vpon God the speciall character of a foolish Atheist who if not with his mouth yet in his heart denies God and despises all religion No marvaile if they want the true wisdome seeing they aske it not of him who is the only donor thereof or if they aske it that yet they haue it not because they aske it overly with the lips and not sincerely from the heart But let vs my beloued brethren follow the president of our blessed saviour and as he so let vs ever addresse our prayers vnto him that is our Father Nothing can be denied vs that wee aske of him in the name of his sonne And if evill Fathers giue not insteed of bread a stone or insteed of a fish a serpent or insteed of an egge a scorpion vnto their children how much more will our Heavenly father giue vs his spirit and together with it all good thinges if we aske them of him As to our Father so to our Father only must we pray if wee will keepe our selues to the
glorie thereof one of the Word another of the Flesh. The glorie of the Word standeth in two things first that hee is the eternall Sonne of the eternall Father begotten after an vnspeakable manner of his owne substance and therefore the brightnesse of his glory and the expresse image of his Person A name too excellent for the Angells themselues For neuer did the Father say to any of them Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Secondly that being so begotten hee is consubstantiall and coequall with his Father neither counteth he it robbery to bee equall with him For though he be the Sonne and not the Father yet being of the same Substance hee is one and the same God with him and may iustly challenge vnto himselfe the fulnesse of the Deitie as farre forth as the Father A glory infinitely transcending that of any creature The glorie of his Flesh is likewise double of Assumption and Communication Of Assumption by which it was taken into the divine nature For as soone as it began to haue being in the wombe of the blessed virgin it was prevented from subsisting in it selfe and was drawne into the vnitie of the Person of the Sonne of God eternally to subsist therein The highest dignitie that a creature can aspire vnto That of Communication is whereby glorious things are communicated vnto his humane nature And it is either Personall or Habitual Personall is that whereby as the nature of man is truely giuen to the Person of the Sonne so the Person of the Sonne is truely communicated vnto the nature of man Wherevpon because in the Person of the Sonne is the fulnesse of all perfection and all the essentiall attributes of the Deitie as namely Omniscience omnipotence omnipresence and the rest therefore doe wee say that all these attributes and that fulnesse of perfection are communicated also vnto the Manhood Howbeit not Physically and by effusion as if the same properties which are in God should formally and subiectiuely be in man as heat transfused from the fire is inherent in the water For that which is infinite cannot bee comprehended of that which is finite How then Personally in the sonne of God So that by reason of the hypostaticall vnion there is such a reall communion betweene them that the sonne of man is truly the Sonne of God and consequently also Omniscient omnipotent omnipresent and the rest The want of due consideration hereof was it that bred that monster of Vbiquitie and that great quarrell betwixt vs and the Saxon Churches Communication habituall is that whereby the fulnesse of grace was bestowed vpon him to be subiectiuely and inherently in his Flesh. And this is the glory of his Vnction For the spirit of the Lord rested vpon him the spirit of wisdome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsell and might the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord. By this Spirit was he annointed with the oile of gladnesse aboue his fellowes yea he receiued the spirit without measure or limit both for the essence vertue thereof intensiuely and extensiuely to all effects and purposes both for himselfe and others So that in his Will there was perfect iustice without taint or staine in his Minde perfect wisdome and knowledge both Beatificall whereby he saw God farre more clearly then any other as being more neerely vnited vnto him and Infused whereby he knew all heauenly and supernaturall verities which without the revelation of grace cannot bee knowne yea Acquisite and Experimentall also whereby hee knew all whatsoeuer by the light of reason and nature might bee knowne So that he was ignorant of nothing which hee ought to know or might make to his full happinesse And this was his Habituall glory Now the Glory of his Office breefely was to be the Mediator betweene God and Man An office of so high a nature that it could bee performed by none but only him who was both God and Man For herevnto it was necessary that he should be a Prophet a Priest and a King A Prophet as an Arbiter to take knowledge of the cause quarrell depending betweene them and as an Internuntius or legate to propound expound the conditions of peace that are to be concluded vpon A Priest to be an Intercessor and to make interpellation for the party offending and then to be a Fideiussor or Surety making satisfaction to the party for him A King hauing all power both in heauen and earth to keepe and preserue the Church so reconciled in the state of grace to tread downe vnder his feete all the enimies thereof Wondrous Glory and farre aboue that of any creature And this is the Glory he was already possessed of Wanted he yet any further Glory yes verily and that in regard both of his Divine and Humane nature Of his Divine for the Word had now emptied himselfe of his glory Emptied himselfe I say not simply and absolutely for he could no more in such sort abdicate his glory then cease to be himselfe it being essentiall vnto him and his very selfe but oeconomically and dispensatiuely vailing couering it vnder the cloud of his flesh For if as St Leo saith the exinanition of the divine Maiesty was the advancement of the servile forme vnto the highest pitch of honour then by like proportion the advancement of the servile forme was the exinanition of the divine Maiesty This Exinanition or Emptying of himselfe was in his Incarnation conception nativity obedience actiue to the law of nature as being the sonne of Adam and to the law of Moses as being the sonne of Abraham Passiue in suffering hunger and cold and wearinesse a thousand sorrowes wherevnto the infirmity of his flesh was subiect In this state Christ now stood neither had he as yet recovered the Glory whereof he had emptied himselfe nay he was not as yet come to the lowest degree of his humiliation For though they were instant and nere at hand yet his agonie his sweating of bloud his arraignment his crosse his death his emprisonment in the graue were not yet come All which did more more eclipse the glory of his Deity so that this Glory of the word as yet he wanted In regard of his Humane nature hee had not yet deposed humane infirmities as hunger thirst feare sorrow anguish and the like Neither had hee obtained incorruption impassibility immortality nor that glorious purity strength agility clarity of the body which he expected together with the fulnesse of inward ioyes and comforts in the Soule Adde herevnto that the actions of his mediation namely of his Prophecy Priesthood and Kingdome had not nor could not bee hitherto performe gloriously but only in such an humble manner as suted with the state of humiliation in which presently he stood To make all plaine though as the Schoole speaketh he were Comprehensor in termino affectione iustitiae yet he was viator extraterminum
for the Transformation of Bread into Flesh which he speakes of though still it seeme Bread it is plaine hee meanes not that of Transubstantiation for in this Bread ceaseth to be but in that he confesseth it still to remaine and that it is Bread which is eaten by vs in the Mysteries Which yet he more plainly expresseth where hee saith God in mercy condescending to our infirmity preserueth the Species or Nature of Bread and wine but trans-elementeth or changeth it into the vertue of his flesh blood where it is farther to be obserued that hee saith not into flesh and blood but into the vertue thereof intimating a Change not of Substance but of Operation and Efficacy Your next witnesse is Magnetes an author to me vtterly vnknowne saue that Gesner in his Bibliotheca reporteth that he was very ancient and that about thirteene hundred yeares since hee wrote in the Greeke tongue certaine bookes in defence of the Gospell vnto Theosthenes against the Gentiles that flandered it and that he is quoted by Fr. Turrian By which words it seemes that hee never yet saw the Presse and what is alledged out of him is warranted only by Turrians testimony But Turrian is one that deserues no credit at our hands as being a Iesuite and knowne to haue plaid many foule tricks this way Yet if to make your author agree with the rest of the Fathers you will giue the same construction to his words that aboue is giuen vnto Theophilact you may Otherwise his authority is as easily reiected as alledged N. N. St Hilary vseth this kind of argument If the word of God were truly made flesh then doe wee truly receiue his flesh in the Lords supper and thereby he is to bee esteemed to dwell in vs naturally St Cyril proueth not only a Spirituall but also a Naturall and Bodily vnion to be betweene vs and Christ by eating his flesh in the Sacrament I. D. That Hilary speaketh of the Lords Supper or of our Coniunction with Christ by Eating thereof I thinke it will hardly be proved Had he so meant how cometh it to passe that he never alledgeh those words of the Sacrament This is my body which would haue made more for his purpose but ever voucheth the sixt of Iohn which maketh little to the Sacrament Howbeit if you will needs vnderstand him so I will not striue Know then that in those bookes St Hilary disputes against the Arians To them he obiected that saying The Father and the Sonne are one One answered they as wee are with Christ by Will not by Nature wherevnto he replied that wee are even by Nature one with Christ. And this he proues first because both in Christ and vs there is the same Humane nature by the Incarnation of the Sonne of God which hee calls the Sacrament of perfect vnion Secondly because the Faithfull are ioyned vnto him by his Spirit dwelling in them which regenerateth quickneth sanctifieth them and not only conformeth them vnto him but also transformeth them into him And for proofes hereof hee alledgeth divers passages of St Iohns Gospell such as your selues confesse no way to belong vnto the Sacrament Thirdly for that by Baptisme we are ioyned vnto Christ and that not only by consent of will but naturally according to that of Saint Paul As many as are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ. Whereunto lastly if you please you may adde for that also in the Lords Supper wee are vnited vnto him by Eating his Flesh and Drinking his Blood All these waies saith Hilary are wee Naturally ioyned vnto Christ. If so then not only by the Eucharist And if for the establishing of the other meanes there needeth no Transubstantiation at all as of the Sonne of God into Man of Faith into the Spirit of Christ or of Baptismall water into the Bloud of Christ neither is it necessarie for this that bread be Transubstantiated into the Body of Christ. Or if to bring Christ into vs and our mouth you will needs transubstantiate the bread into his body I wonder what Transubstantiation you will devise to bring vs into him and his mouth For Hilary affirmeth that by the same Mysticall coniunction not only is Christ in vs but also wee are Naturally in him The same Answere may serue for Cyril also wherevnto for farther explication of the word Naturally and Naturall so often vsed both by Cyril and Hilary I adde that in them Naturally signifieth Truly Naturall True if wee may beleeue him who best knew their meaning even Cyril himselfe For thus he Not according to naturall vnity that is true vnity By nature wee are the children of wrath where by nature we are to vnderstand truth So that Naturall vnion is true vnion and naturally to be vnited is truly to be vnited which I hope may bee without Transubstantiation N. N. Theodoret doth proue that Christ tooke Flesh of the blessed virgin and ascended vp with the same and holdeth the same there by that he giueth to vs his true flesh in the Sacrament for that otherwise hee could not giue vs his true Flesh to eat if his owne flesh were not true seeing that he gaue the same that he carried vp and retaineth in heauen I. D. I marvell much not one of the Fathers being more expresse against Transubstantiation then Theodoret that yet you durst to praise him in the maintenance thereof Evē for this cause doth the Preface to the Roman Edition goe about to weaken his authority and Gregorie of Valentia flatly condemneth him It is no wonder saith he if one or two or more of the Ancients haue thought or written of this matter not so considerately and rightly Adde herevnto that Theodoret was noted by the Councell of Ephesus for some other errours besides But how much Theodoret maketh against Transubstantiation you shall heare hereafter Now you may be pleased to knowe that in the place by you cited he disputeth against an Eutychian Hereticke who held that the Humanitie of Christ was abolished and absorpted by his Deitie This hee would proue by the Eucharist that as the Symbols before Consecration are one thing but after it are changed and become another even so the Body of Christ after the Assumption thereof is chāged into the Divine Substance Now if Theodoret had beene Transubstantiator hee had beene finely taken for Transubstantiation abolisheth the substance of Bread and turneth it into the substance of Christs Body But hee taketh the Heretike in his owne nets affirming the Mysticall signes after their sanctification doe not depart from their nature and that therefore Christ after the Assumption thereof retaineth his Humanity still Whereby you may see that although it be yeelded that Christ giueth vs his true Flesh in the Sacrament yet in the iudgement of Theodoret he so giueth it that the Mysticall signes retaine their Nature still which vtterly overturnes your Transubstantiation N. N. S. Irenaeus S. Iustin and S.
Body And wee are stedfastly to beleeue that the Humane nature was so assumpted by the Deity that although they both constitute but one Person yet they still remaine two distinct Natures and each of them retaineth its Essentiall Properties If then as the Apostle saith Christ be made like vnto vs in all things sinne only excepted and our Bodies cannot bee without Dimension of length breadth and depth together with circumscription proportion and Distinction of parts one from the other and the like then neither can the Manhood of Christ be without them Neverthelesse you fancy vnto Christ in the Eucharist such a Body as is vtterly deprived of them all For thus saith your Angelicall Doctor and what he saith is the generall Tenent of the Church of Rome In the Body of Christ in the Sacrament there is no distance of one part from another as of the eye from the eye or the head from the feete as it is in other organicall bodies For such distance of parts is in the true Body of Christ but not as it is in the Sacrament for so it hath not dimensiue quantity O miserable Christ that art driven into such narrow straits that the whole bulke of thy Body should be emprisond and as it were frapt together in every little crum and point of the hoste And more true and seasonable may the complaint now be then it was of old that the Sonne of man hath not so much as a place wherein to rest his head But seeing as Thomas saith The true body of Christ hath distance of parts and the Body of Christ in the Sacrament hath not distance of parts I marvaile what should let but that I may boldly inferre the conclusion Ergo the Body of Christ in the Sacrament is not his true body Againe it is an Article of the Faith that Christ being ascended into Heauen hath quitted the earth and now sitteth at the right hand of his Father This the Scriptures testifie The poore saith Christ yee shall haue alwaies with you but mee yee shall not alwaies haue And I leuae the world and goe vnto the Father And againe Now am I no more in the world but these are in the world and I come vnto thee Hence saith St Peter The heauens must containe him vntill the time that all things bee restored And then as the Angell said This Iesus that is taken vp from you into Heauen shall so come againe as you haue seene him goe into Heauen The Fathers saith the same Origen According to his divine nature he is not absent from vs but he is absent according to the dispensation of the Body which he tooke As man shall he be absent from vs who is every where in his divine nature For it is not the manhood of Christ that is there wheresoeuer two or three be gathered together in his name neither is it his manhood that is with vs at all times to the end of the world nor is his manhood present in every congregation of the faithfull but the Divine vertue that was in Iesus Tertullian In the very pallace of Heaven to this day sitteth Iesus at the right hand of his Father Man though also God flesh and bloud though purer then ours neverthelesse the same in substance and forme wherein he ascended Ambrose Neither on the earth nor in the earth nor after the flesh are wee to seeke thee if wee will find thee Augustine Mee shall you not alwaies haue He spake this of the presence of his Body For touching his Maiesty providence vnspeakable and invisible grace it is true that he said I am alwaies with you to the end of the world But as for the flesh which the word tooke which was borne of the virgin fastned to the crosse laid in the graue you shall not alwaies haue mee with you And why Because hee is ascended into heauen and is not here there hee sitteth at the right hand of the father Cyril of Alexandria He could not be conversant with his Apostles in the Flesh after hee was once ascended to his Father And Notwitstanding he be absent in the flesh yet by that only meanes the power of his Godhead he is able to saue his Finally Gregory the Great The word incarnate both remaineth and departeth he departeh in Body and remaineth in his divinity Thus the Fathers And hence is it that so often in their writings they exhort vs not to settle our thoughts here on earth but to send vp our Faith into heauen and thither to follow him in heart whither wee beleeue him to be ascenâ—â—d in body Now what you The cleane contrary that the Body of Christ is still present with vs here on earth and as ordinarily as he is aboue in heauen Nay more then so For there he is confined circumscribed to one place as also he was here in the daies of his Flesh when he liued among the Iewes but now by your Doctrine he may be and is in more then a thousand places at once even when and where you will For you haue power to reproduce him as often as you list then to keepe him with you as long as you please at least vntill the mouse devoure him or he begin to corrupt and putrifie But is it impossible will you say for the Manhood of Christ to be present in many places at once Impossible if we may beleeue the Fathers neither can you produce any one of them that saith the contrarie If the argument of the Fathers aboue quoted be good Hee is in heauen Ergo he is not in earth then can hee not at one time bee both here and there too And doth not St Cyril expresly say he could not be coÌ„versant with his disciples in the Flesh after he was once ascended to his Father St Augustine likewise Christ according to his bodily presence could not be at once in the Sunne and in the Moone and on the crosse And againe The Body of Christ in which he rose againe can bee but in one place but his truth is every where diffused Vigilius a blessed Martyr and Bishop of Trent The flesh of Christ when it was in the earth was not in Heaven and now because it is in hauen certainly it is not in earth And by and by Forsomuch as the word is every where and the flesh of Christ is not every where it is cleare that one and the same Christ is of both natures that is every where according to the nature of his divinity and contained in a place according to the nature of his humanity Finally Fulgentius One and the same sonne of God having in â—â—m the truth of the divine and humane nature lost not the properties of the true Godhead and tooke also the properties of the true Manhood one and the selfe same locall by that he tooke of Man aâ—d infinite by that he had of his Father
shall be not propter but secundum opera according to his works according to the matter of his worke so shall be the substance of his reward according to the manner of his worke the kinde of his reward and according to the measure of his worke the degree of his reward As a man soweth so he shall reape that 's for the kind and he that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly he that soweth bountifully shall reape bountifully that 's for the degree If a cup of cold water shall not passe without a reward much lesse he whose whole study hath beene to aduance Gods glory in the works of charity and piety There is no question but the confessors who for the profession of the truth patiently endured stripes banishment imprisonment confiscation of the goods and the like and much more the holy Martyrs who chearefully sealed it with their bloud shine more gloriously then ordinary Christians There is no question but the Patriarchs the Prophets specially Abraham the father of the faithfull shine more gloriously then ordinary beleeuers no doubt but Lazarus and Abraham were both in glory yet Abrahams condition was of the two the more eminent There is no question but the blessed virgin the mother of our Sauiour a chosen vessell full of grace highly favoured blessed among aboue women shineth more gloriously then Mary Magdalen or other women There is 〈◊〉 question but the Apostles of Christ who not only laid downe their liues for the testimony of the truth but were in a manner the first founders of Christian religion and the Secretaries of the holy Ghost being specially inspired for the penning and publishing of those sacred Oracles which they recommended to posterity and are now extant for our saluation shine more gloriously then ordinary Professors in which regard our Sauiour at his comming to judgement assignes them twelue thrones as assessors with himselfe in a speciall manner Lastly there is no question but those faithfull Pastors who like sacred lamps spend their oile and consume themselues to ashes to giue others light and to direct them in the way to heauen by their pens and tongues teaching and turning many to righteousnesse shall shine more gloryously then those Disciples who by them are turned but haue neither faculty nor authority to teach and by teaching to turne others Here then is our comfort incouragement that howbeit from men we haue many times very little thankes for our great paines in teaching yea even from those we haue taught and endeavoured to turne nay though â—â—steed of thanks the world frowne vpon vs and raise stormes against vs yet our reward is the contentment of a good conscience in the discharge of our duty here and that shining crowne of glory hereafter laid vp and promised to them who are faithfull to the death who haue fought the good fight and haue finished their course Our trust assurance is that the lesse thanks and reward we haue on earth the greater our reward shall be in heauen and the more that those whome we haue turned vnto righteousnesse shall increase in number in knowledge and in obedience the greater shall the augmentation of our reward be and lastly if in glory we shall know one another as good Diuines probably coniecture for that we shal vndoubtedly know our Sauiour in regard of his humane nature and the Apostles present at his transfiguration perfectly knew Moses and Elias though they had neuer seene them before if I say we shall then and there know one another it cannot be but a great addition to our happinesse to see and know them in the same state with our selues of whose conuersion vnder God we haue beene the happy instruments The last considerable point in this reward is perpetuitie they shall shine as the starres for euer euer for though the degrees thereof be different yet are â—â—â—y all equall and agree in duration and therefore are they all by the purchaser of them called mansions not houses because they euerlastingly abide or houses not made with hands but eternall in the heauens for here wee haue no coÌ„tinuing citie but we seeke one to come this world passeth away with the lust and fashion thereof but that which is to come is laid vpon sure foundations whose builder and maker is God and as is the maker so is the citie as the citie so the citizens as the citizens so the state of glory all correspondent each to other all euerlasting the shining is for euer and euer without variation without diminution without intermission The moone is sometimes waxing and sometimes waining but with these starres it is not so they are allwayes in the full the sunne it selfe is somtimes eclipsed by the interposition of the body of the moone betweene vs it but with these starres it is not so they neuer loose their light nay those visible starres in the firmament which we now behold shining so brightly shall one day fall from heauen but these starres shall neuer fall Stella cadens non est stella cometa fuâ—t if they fall they were neuer starres and if they be starres they shall neuer fall Euen thâ—â—tarres fixed in the firmament of heauen which are but shadowes and resemblances of these blessed starrs in that ordinary course of nature wherein Almighty God hath set and setled them could neuer of themselues either fall or faile according to that of Siracides At the commaundement of the holy one they will stand in their order and neuer faint in their watches Agreeable whereunto is that of the Prophet Dauid speaking of the kingdome of Christ His seede shall endure for euer and his throne as the sunne before me it shall be establshed for euer as the moone and as a faithfull witnesse in heauen and in another Psalme praise yee him sunne and moone praise him all yee starrs of light He hath established them for euer and euer he hath made a decree which shall not passe Though then at the dissolution of all things Ignea pontum astra petent these starrs we now gaze vp on with a delight mixed with wonder shall by the extraordinary power of that hand which made them be againe vnmade and cast downe from heauen yet these wise these teaching these iustifijng starres resembled by them shall neuer faint but shine in the fulnesse of their strength for euer and euer they shall neuer wander as the planets but remaine for euer as fixed starres to them it shall neuer be said as to Lucifer How art thou fallen from heauen O Lucifer sonne of the morning Esay 14.12 Adam might and did fall from paradise The Angels both might did fall from their first habitation but these starres shall neuer leaue their stations If here they be preserued safe in the right hand of him who is Alpha and Omega the first and the last Reuel 1.16 much more shall they there bee out of gun-shot out of all doubt or feare or possibility of
affectione commodi that is though in regard of holinesse and righteousnesse he were already peâ—â—â—â—y blessed and arrived at his end yet by reason of thâ—â—pprehension of those vnpleasing and afflictiue evills which now were and yet were more to be vpon him the ioyes delights of heauen were not imparted to him So that the fulnesse and complement of Glory he had not yet attained Which being so the third and last enquirie how hee would be glorified may easily be resolued For as appeares by what we haue said he desires the dispelling and remouing of all those thicke mists and clouds which hitherto eclipsed his Deity that is the deposition not of his Humane nature for that is now become an essentiall part of his Person and shall continue therein vnto all eternity but of all humane infirmities and that low condition to which he had humbled himselfe to the end the glory of his Deity might at length appeare and shine forth most perfectly He desires furthermore that his Father would be pleased to glorifie him by preseruing and supporting him in the last act of his tragedy I meane his bitter agonie and passion by loosing the sorrowes of death and raising him from the graue by taking him vp into heaven setting him at his right hand crowned with maiesty and power and finally by conferring vpon him all glorious endowments both of soule and body and ioyning him vnto himselfe not only by the affection of perfect iustice but of comfort and delight also Hee desires lastly to bee glorified by the full manifestation of his Glory both that which already he had and that which yet he was to haue that not only Iewes but Gentiles also by the mission of his holy spirit and the preaching of his Apostles might know him to be the eternall Sonne of God of the same substance with the Father and no way inferiour vnto him Man also but such a man as is assumpted 〈◊〉 the vnitie of the second person in the Trinitie slaâ—â—â—â—ed and condemned yet iust and innocent dead and buried yet raised vp againe and liuing humbled low yet exalted high even to the highest top of all as hauing a name given him aboue every name And that these things being generally knowne of all he might be magnified and adored of all and at the name of Iesus all knees might bow both of things in Heaven and things in earth and things vnder the earth and every tongue might confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father And thus you see how our Saviour would be glorified The consideraâ—ion of all which may be vnto vs of singular vse and comfort For first seeing Christ who cannot be denyed what ever he demands hath prayed for his glorification what vanity is it for any man to thinke or hope that he can hinder or obscure it Let Iewes persecute him put him to death set a watch about his sepulcher to keepe him down yet can they not let but hee shall reviue and rise againe Though tyrants by open violence oppose the profession of his name and Hereticks by Sophistrie seeke to vndermine it and Antichrist assault it both waies by violence and sophistrie yet maugre all their cunning and malice his Father shall surely glorifie him Yea he is God manifested in the flesh iustified in the spirit seene of Angells preached vnto the Gentiles beleeved on in the world and received vp into glory Onely now it remaines to expect and pray for his returne in glory Secondly the Glorification of Christ is the pledge and earnest of our Glorification For had not he risen ascended and beene receiued vp into glory neither should wee The gates of death had beene bard vpon vs and of heaven shut against vs we should haue beene covered with eternall shame and ignominie But now Christ like another Sampson hath broken through the gates of death our head is risen and wee in him Hee is ascended and gone from vs but gone to prepare a place for vs that where he is there we may be also and behold that his glory and beholding it be made like vnto him bearing his glorious image For as now because hee is full of grace wee of his fulnesse receiue even grace for grace so being full of glory of his fulnesse wee shall also receiue even glory for glory Memorable is that saying of Tertullian As he hath left vnto vs the earnest of his spirit so he hath receiued from vs the earnest of our flesh and hath caried it into heaven as a pledge that the whole summe shall one day be reduced thither Rest therefore secure oh flesh and bloud yee haue livery seizan of heauen and the kingdome of God already in Christ. Thirdly Christ so earnestly suing for his Glorification it is our duty by all meanes both to procure and further his Glory which if wee cannot doe in such sort as his Father doth yet are wee to performe it in such a sort as we may If not gloriosum faciendo by bestowing glory vpon him yet gloriosum dicendo by praising and magnifying his glory By faith we are to be assured thereof by confession to acknowledge it by our holy Christian life to testify that the faith of our hearts and the confession of our mouthes accord and agree together and as much as lies in vs to labour that others may glorifie Christ together with vs. Fourthly and lastly as Christ did so are wee warranted by his example to pray for our owne Glorification that God would be pleased to perfect that glory vpon vs which here by grace he hath begunne in vs. Hence is it that the Saints are said not only to loue but also to long for the second comming of Christ as knowing that till then it cannot be obtained that the Church also so earnestly prayes Turne my beloued and be like the Roe or young Hart vpon the mountaines of Bether and againe yea come Lord Iesu come quickly But may we with Christ desire that the Glory begun in vs be manifested vnto others we may For wee are commanded to provide things honest in the fight of all men and to let our light so shine before men that they also may see our good workes Only wee must take heed that wee affect it not from men principally nor make it our maine end for this would be the foule sinne of Vaine-glory but that with Christ wee seeke it of our Father in the first place and to the end that being glorified of him hee may be glorified by vs. For not hee that commendeth himselfe or is commended of others is approued but hee whom God commendeth And so much for Quid what our Sauiour craueth to himselfe Now that he may not be denied his request he presseth his Father with sundry weighty and important reasons all which God willing we will handle in their order The first is drawen from the circumstance of time thus
and last is the Knowledge he had both of the worke and the houre The Houre saith he is come Hee knew it therefore else how could he say it And out of this knowledge was it that so often he foretold of both Of his Passion As saith he Moses lifted vp the serpent in the wildernesse even so must the sonne of man be lifted vp And againe more plainely vnto his disciples hee shewed that he must goe vnto Ierusalem and suffer many things of the elders and chiefe Priests and Scribes and be killed Of the Houre For sometime saith hee Nondum venit hora mea my houre is not yet come Another time Iesus knew that his houre was come And if Simeon and Anna and other of the Iewes foreknew the time of his comming in the flesh and accordingly expected him should not hee much more know the houre appointed vnto his sufferings and accordingly prepare himselfe for it For as himselfe witnesseth for that houre he came into the world But how came he to the knowledge hereof First by the Scripture and the prediction of the Prophets For thus saith he it is written and thus it behooved Christ to suffer But where is it written Every where almost And concerning his Passion in the Psalmes of David especially the prophecy of Esay And touching the houre in the blessing of Iudah by Iacob recorded in Genesis and that memorable prophecy of seaventy weekes in Daniell as is aboue already specified All which Scriptures he himselfe could not but vnderstand who opened the minds of others that they might vnderstand them Againe he came to the knowledge hereof by speciall revelation as being a Prophet yea the greatest of all Prophets For being in his humane nature assumpted into the Deity and to this end assumpted that when the houre was come in it hee might suffer it could not be that either the houre or the worke of the houre should be concealed from him The Word vndoubtedly knew it for he appointed it As vndoubtedly he made it knowne vnto his manhood which he had so neerely taken vnto him for that the same so mainely concerned it If this be so will some say why then knowing it did he not avoide it was it because he could not Not so For he was omnipotent and hee only had power of his life to lay it downe or to take it vp neither could any without his owne permission take it from him If hee would hee might haue prayed to his Father hee would haue sent him more then twelue legions of Angells to preserue him And if before the houre was come hee had so often freed himselfe from the hands of his most violent enimies why should he not in the very houre be as able to deliver himselfe For his power was still the same and never a whit diminished He could then but would not avoide it And why would he not First because his Father had decreed it and he would in no case bee disobedient vnto him For he came to doe his will and therefore professed it was vnto him meat and drinke to doe it In regard whereof he disclaimes his owne will Not my will saith he but thy will be done Wherefore though hee were the Sonne yet he learned obedience and became obedient vnto death even the death of the crosse Secondly because of the tender loue his Father inspired into him towards mankind For it was the loue he bare them which made him so willing and out of it though wee were his enimies yet he was content to dye for vs and to lay downe his life though it were so deare vnto him Lastly had he not bin willing neither had he satisfied His willingnesse proceeding from such loue was the very forme of his sufferings and made them meritorious Without theÌ„ sacrifice is vaine and without vertue according to that misericordiam volo non sacrificium I will mercy and not sacrifice and againe melior est obedientia quam victimae obedience is better then sacrifice But it will bee said that all this notwithstaÌ„ding he seemed very vnwilling to dye For did not he very passionately entreat his Father to bee delivered from that houre And that if it were possible the cup might passe from him For satisfaction of which doubt we are to know that Christ though his manhood were assumed into the Deity yet was hee not thereby freed from ought that is humane Being man therefore as man he was measured by time and his apprehensions could not all be in an instant but one after another successiuely Wherefore the first apprehension of his Passion was simple as of a thing evill in it selfe and afflictiue to his nature without any further consideration for so only Sence inferiour reason at the first presented it vnto him And thus farre it is true he desired to decline it Neither was it evill so to doe it being agreeable to that law of nature which in creation was imposed vpon vs. But when in the second place it was by superiour reason presented vnto him invested with other circumstances as namely that it was his Fathers will that for this end he was sent to the world and that without it the world could not be redeemed there being no other meanes besides to effect it forthwith apprehending it in this manner hee yeelded most willingly therevnto and said vnto his Father not as I will but as thou wilt Iust as a Patient who considering the potion offered him by the Physitian only as bitter distastfull loatheth and abhorreth it but considering with all the operation thereof and what good it may doe him he readiy admitteth and accepteth of it And thus much touching the knowledge Christ had of his Passion and the houre thereof together with his willingnesse to suffer in obedience to his Father and out of the loue he bare vs. Whence we may learne first from his knowledge that as he knew both what and when hee was to suffer in his owne person so he knowes also both what and when to suffer in his mysticall body This may minister matter of singular comfort vnto vs. For if it be so what harme can at any time betide vs Hee will not suffer so much as a haire to fall from our head but as hee pleaseth For hee hath numbered them all and there is not a teare we shed from our eyes but he laies it vp in his bottle Many may be the troubles of the Righteous but as he foresees them all so will he support vs in them and one day deliver vs from them all Secondly from his willingnesse to suffer for vs to assure our selues that his free-will offering is accepted of his Father we may confidently râ—ly thereon as a full satisfaction for all our sinnes Withall that we be also ready and willing to suffer for him What ever can be laid vpon vs is nothing to that which hee endured for vs.
note of similitude but importeth a reason or cause In regard whereof Euthimius expoundeth it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he had said forasmuch or because Secondly that the word Power is in the originall not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betwixt which two there is great difference For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth power of right or authority and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Power of might or ability Which although they may and oftentimes doe concurre in the same person yet many times they are divided For some there are who haue right and authority but want might and ability and others there are who haue might and ability but want right and authority These for want of right doe not iustly what they can doe and they for want of might cannot doe that which otherwise they might justly doe These things duly considered the reason of the Consequence will easily appeare For if God haue given him authority as indeed hee had hee ought withall to giue him ability For that without this is fectlesse and to no purpose and it sits not with the wisdome of God to doe things in vaine This were with Herod and the Iewes to set a crowne on his head to put a reed in his hand to clap a purple robe on his backe to make a mock king of him As therefore he hath giuen him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 right and authority so must hee also giue him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strength and ability But Ability hee can haue none nor giue life to them that are giuen him which is the end propounded vnto him except his Father glorifie him This appeares thus The glorification which the Sonne desires stands especially in his Resurrection Ascention Session at the right hand of his Father and Returne to iudgement If then he rise not againe we are yet in our sins as St Paul saith and haue no right either in the first or second resurrection Death hath still power vpon vs yea vpon Christ himselfe and vtterly bars vs from eternall life Againe if he ascend not neither can wee The way vnto heauen is not opened neither are there any mansions there prepared for vs. And what life can there be if we be excluded from those ioyes aboue Thirdly if hee sit not at his Fathers right hand then can he not gloriously interceed for vs with his Father nor send his spirit vnto vs nor governe vs by his spirit nor subdue our enimies vnto vs without which wee cannot be partakers of that life Lastly if hee returne not againe to iudge both the quicke and the dead then can hee not according to promise returne any more to take vs home vnto himselfe that where he is there we also may be to behold that his glory and by beholding to bee made like vnto him wherein standeth our eternall life And thus you see the necessity of this Consequence Thou hast given mee power Therefore must thou glorify mee Come wee now to the Antecedent In which for the fuller handling thereof we may obserue these foure particulars Quid In quos A quo Quorsum Quid what is given him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Power In quos over whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over all flesh A quo from whom from his Father thou hast giuen Quorsum to what end that he may giue eternall life to all that his Father gaue him Of these in order First Quid what hath the Father given him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power that is as we haue aboue shewed Right and Authority over all flesh This is double for it is either Essentiall or Oeconomicall Essentiall is that which he hath qua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he is the Word In regard whereof being God coequall with his Father looke what Power the Father hath he hath the same also inhering in him namely an infinite vnlimited independent and soveraigne power And this because it is of his very essence so that hee can no more be without it then not be God therefore doe I call it Essentiall And yet as I take it this is not heere meant For the end of the Power heere spoken of is to giue eternall life Now to purpose an end implies Election Deliberation and so an indifference before choice so that it is arbitrary not necessary But this Essentiall power of Christ is not arbitrarie but necessary as proceeding not of choice but of the necessity of his nature and therefore cannot be here meant The Oeconomicall Power then is that which he hath quà Emanuell as he is God-man and hath taken vpon him the forme of a servant For the Man Christ Iesus is our Mediatour therefore our King it being one office of his Mediation to be a King And hence it is that our Saviour affirmeth that authority is giuen him to execute iudgement because he is the sonne of man or as some expound it quatenus as he is the sonne of man In this nature also it is said that the government is vpon his shoulders that he is made a Governor to rule his people Israell This Power because he hath not as the former of the necessity of his nature but only of voluntary dispensatiō therefore I call it Oeconomicall And because it is Oeconomicall therefore is it not infinite vnlimited as is the Essentiall but Subordinate vnto it True it is the humane nature subsisting in the Word the very Word together with all the divine attributes are cōmunicated vnto it so that it may be said the man Christ is Omnipotent hath infinite power But this must cautelously be vnderstood not that the Manhood hath in it formally subiectiuely such infinite power but only personally and by grace of Vnion Otherwise the humane nature being finite is no more capable of infinite power then it is to be God which is impossible The Power then which the Manhood of Christ hath residing in it is finite and created but yet such as is farre greater then of any creature besides For to which of the creatures besides is the Subsistence of the sonne of God communicated If to none then can they not haue such power as hee that subsisteth in the Deity Whence the holy Apostle affirmeth of him that he is advanced farre aboue all Principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come againe that God hath highly exalted him and giuen him a name which is aboue every name that at the name of Iesus every knee should bow of things in Heauen and things in earth things vnder the earth and that every tongue should confesse that Iesus is the Lord. And yet againe that hee is made farre greater then the Angells inasmuch as hee hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they Read the rest of that Chapter for all makes to this purpose
Now the power here meant not being that Essential must needs be this Oeconomicall For other power hee hath none and this he hath receiued thereby to giue eternall life But let vs enquire a little farther into the nature of this power There is a double created Power the one Secular and Mundane the other Heavenly and Spirituall Is this Power of Christ Secular and Mundane Surely such a Power the Iewes expected in their Messias and the Apostles themselues were for a while swaied with the like hope concerning Christ. And now also some Papists there are who for the easier advancement of the Pope therevnto would faine haue it so because as here hee saith Power so else where our Saviour saith All power is given vnto me But for these Bellarmine himselfe may suffice to confute them For saith hee every kingdome is acquired by one of these waies either by Inheritance or Election or Conquest or Donation But Hereditary kingdome Christ had none For although he were descended from David and so was of the blood royall yet that he was next of blood vnto the crowne doth not appeare And besides as touching the kingdome the seed of Iecon David had long before determined in Ieconiah neither was any of his race ever after King King also by Election he was none as appeares by that of Iohn that when he perceiued they would come and take him by force to make him a King he departed from them into a mountaine himselfe alone And when he was requested to divide the inheritance betweene two brothers he refused for said he Man who made me a iudge or a divider over you Neither was he so by conquest for he neuer made warre vpon any mortall Prince but only on the prince of darkenesse Nor finally by Donation from God for my kingdome saith he is not of this world and againe my kingdome is not from hence as if he should say a King I am but no secular King Neither did he at any time exercise any kingly power but â—ame rather to minister and to be iudged then to iudge to be ministred vnto Furthermore Kingly authority was neither necessary nor profitable vnto him but superfluous and vnprofitable For the end of his comming was the redemption of mankind wherevnto temporall power was not necessary but only spirituall And whereas it was his office to perswade from the loue of worldly glory wealth and pleasures vnto the contempt thereof temporall power would haue beene not only vnprofitable but also a great let and hinderance therevnto Lastly all the Prophets foretell only of a spirituall and eternall kingdome which should be restored to Israell But temporall is not eternall and how can such a kingdome bee said to be restored seeing it continued still in the hands of the Romans vntill by them they were rooted out from being a nation vpon earth Secular and worldly power therefore our Saviour had none What then Heavenly and Spirituall And this appeareth first by the end of Christs comming and the authority bestowed vpon him For this was Spirituall namely to deliver mankind from spirituall Egypt and Babylon the bondage of Sinne and Satan and to bring them vnto the eternall fruition of God wherein standeth everlasting life Secondly by the meanes appointed for the atchieving of this end For the weapons of his warfare are not carnall but spirituall Outwardly hee worketh through the eare by the preaching of the Gospell inwardly vpon the spirit conscience by the power of his divine spirit wherevpoÌ„ saith the Apostle St Paul The kingdome of God is not meat drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the Holy Ghost In a word what more frequent in Scripture then to call this power of Christ the kingdome of Heaven Which what other doth it import then that it is no way earthly but altogether heavenly and spirituall But you will say wherein standeth this Spirituall authority of Christ I answere in two things whereof the first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the enacting of wisdome and good lawes For without lawes no kingdome or state can stand And to him alone it belongs to command lawes who is the soveraigne The soveraigne in this kingdome is Christ. He therefore is Legislator the law maker yea as St Iames saith Vnus legislator the only law maker And by vertue of this power hee prescribeth vnto the subiects of his kingdome both credenda what articles we are by Faith to beleeue facienda what duties we are in life to performe All which least any should pleade ignorance he hath caused publikely to be proclaimed both by word and writing And to perswade the readier obedience to them after the manner of all law-makers he annexeth both promises and threatnings promises of rich and plentifull reward to them that shall be obedient threatnings of rigorous and severe punishment to all that shall be rebellious and disobedient To descend to farther particularity would bee infinite I forbeare therefore and passe to the other part of his power which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteous iudgement For lawes without due execution are vaine and to no purpose duly executed they will not be vnlesse there be a superior to looke vnto it As therefore Christ is the Lawmaker so is he also Iudge ordained by God according as we beleeue in the Articles of the Creed to be the Iudge both of quick and dead A soveraigne Iudge from whom lies no appeale A righteous Iudge who accepteth the person or none but pronounceth sentence precisely according to the worke According I say to the worke For herein standeth his power of judicature namely in dispencing rewards and punishments according to the observation of his lawes or the transgression of them which ever he doth vpon due cognizance of the cause and conviction of the party A power farre aboue the reach of any other creature and incident only to him who subsisteth in the person of the sonne and that by vertue of such personall vnion So that as the Priesthood of Christ is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which cannot passe from him vnto another by the same proportion his kingly power is so proper vnto him as it is vncommunicable to any other whatsoever And thus much of the first poynt Quid what is given Whence wee may obserue first seeing the Power of Christ as he is man be farre aboue all created Powers yet is not infinite it makes against all those who either swallow vp the humane nature into the divine and so turne it into God such as were some of the ancient Heretikes and among them the Eutychians or who shed and poure out all the divine attributes and so the omnipotence and infinite power of God into the humanity such as are if yet now adayes such there be some of the rigider divines in Germanie If there be such I say For perhaps all the late quarrell risen betwixt them and vs grew
Iesus whom yee haue crucified both Lord and Christ. Howbeit this power the Father giues not as the former Donatione naturali by naturall donation sed gratuitâ by free voluntary gift And therefore as notwithstanding the former he was co-equall with the Father so in regard of this hee is subiect to the Father Wherefore in this respect hee saith Pater major me est my Father is greater then I and though he be Lord of all yet the Father calleth him his Servant And the Schoole in regard of his humane nature saith that he is Subiectus sibi ipsi subiect to his owne selfe But it will be obiected that Christ obtained his kingdome by conquest how then could he receaue it from his Father by gift Wherevnto I answere first that the right title he had was from the gift of the Father before he went about to conquer it secondly that the power also whereby he conquered it hee receaued from the gift of his Father In regard whereof the Father sticketh not to challenge the conquest vnto himselfe Sit thou saith he vnto the Sonne on my right hand vntill I make thine enimies thy footstoole Which yet is thus to bee vnderstood that the Father by the Sonne and the Sonne vnder his Father by power receaued from him hath subdued and mastered all his enimies But when receaued he this power from him and how long was he to hold it He receaued it then when hee receaued his vnction His Vnction he receaued in the instant of his Incarnation For assoone as the Personall vnion began so soone was he annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue all his fellowes that is with the fulnesse of all such graces as were fit for the menaging of so great power as wisdome counsell zeale of iustice strength and the like And no sooner was he annointed but presently hee was a King Melchizedeck a king of righteousnesse wise to doe iudgement iustice It is true he suppressed this power for a time For the Word emptied himselfe of his glory and his humane nature was to suffer many things Wherevpon it is said He could doe no miracle in his owne country nor might not send his Disciples into the way of the Gentiles It was as a sword in the sheath or as Dauids authority before Sauls death At times indeed he shewed some tokens thereof as in stilling the Sea commanding spirits raising the dead and the like yet the execution thereof could not be plenarie till after his resurrection and when he was set at the right hand of his Father Licet Christus quantum ad divinitatem c. saith Lira Although Christ according to his divinity had from all eternity this power in heauen and earth and authoritativè by way of authority had it he also as man from the first instant of his conception yet executivè by way of execution hee had it not before his resurrection but would be subiect to possibility for our redemption But how long was this power to continue with him Forever For as he was a priest so also was he to be a King for ever after the order of Melchizedecke Thy throne ô God saith David is for ever and ever a text which Saint Paul to the Hebrewes applyeth vnto Christ. And Daniel His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not passe a way and his kingdome that which shall not be destroyed And the Angell Gabriell Hee shall raigne over the house of Iacob forever and of his kingdome there shall be no end Yea but doth not the Apostle say that when he shall haue put downe all rule and all authority and power then the kingdome shall be delivered vp by him to God even the Father and that then the sonne himselfe shall also be subiect vnto him It is true hee saith so But we are further to know that the kingdome of Christ containeth in it two things the mediatory function of his Kingly office and his Kingly glory That he shall lay aside for then there will be no further necessity nor vse thereof He shall not need to fight any more with the prince of darknesse nor to governe his Church as formerly by the word and sacrament For God as he is now something in vs so then shall he be all in all vnto vs. But this hee shall hold for ever as being by the acts of his mediation iustly acquired and according to covenant bestowed vpon him by his Father As therefore the Father even now raignes although he haue delivered the kingdome to the Sonne even so then shall the Sonne also raigne although he deliver vp his kingdome vnto the Father And thus hath Christ omnem potestatem in omnia in omnia secula all power over all things and vnto all eternity The vse of this point briefly may be this First seeing Christ vsurped not this power but receiued it by lawfull donation from his Father therefore neither should wee presume vpon any office or place vntill wee be lawfully called therevnto Should we runne without sending wee should but incurre the displeasure of God be authors of much confusion and mischiefe in the Church Secondly seeing he receiued this power together with his Vnction it may lesson vs not to affect any calling till wee be annointed with sufficient gifts for the discharge thereof Go teach baptize all nations saith our Saviour to his Apostles but withall he furnisheth them with cloven tongues and filleth them with the Holy Ghost To adventure on a businesse without due abilities as it proceedeth from abundance of boldnesse so will it be recompenced with equall measure of shame Lastly seeing his power continueth for ever and of his kingdome shall be no end wee may take knowledge that it will bee in vaine for any to oppose themselues vnto it Hell gates shall never be able to prevaile against it how much lesse the policies of mortall men or their strongest attempts For that which is eternall is invincible and can never be destroyed And thus much of the third point A quo from whom The fourth and last is Quorsum to what so great power was given him For wee may not thinke that God doth vse magno conatu nihil agere with much a doe to effect nothing And if nature which is but the creature of God doe nothing in vaine and wise men ever propound some end vnto their actions much more ought we to iudge so of him who is both the author of nature and wisdome it selfe An end therefore was intended and that doubtlesse of highest consequence For otherwise what need so great power and glory to atchieue it If in the creation dixit factum est the word was no sooner said but the thing was done yet here not words no nor so great power without his glorification will not serue the turne this it seemes is of a higher straine then that What then may it be This that to as many as are
obedientia blinde and absolute obedience is as necessary commendable as in Friars to their superiours it is foolish and vnreasonable To this I answere that God indeed had intimated his purpose vnto Abraham but yet in this forme of words Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sinne is exceeding grievous I will goe downe now and see whether they haue done altogether according to that crie which is come vnto me and if not that I may know In these words you see he doth not say that he would destroy the godly with the wicked and by the deliverance of Lot it plainely appeares he never intended so to doe and therefore it could be no arrogance in Abraham to make such a charitable deprecation for them Neither doth that appeare by the words that God had past an absolute and peremptory sentence against the wicked Sodomites for if ten righteous men had beene found amongst them they had beene spared and the threatnings of God ordinarily are to be vnderstood with a condition annexed vnto them if men repent not yea although it be not in plaine tearmes expressed as in that against Niniveh yet forty daies Niniveh shall be destroyed for this notwithstanding vpon their repentance they were not destroyed So that this condition being here also vnderstood what presumption could it be in Abraham to desire favour for the Sodomites at least vpon their repentance Finally had God absolutely threatned without condition yet ought not man so much to attend what God intendeth to doe agreeable vnto his owne will and iustice as what he himselfe is to doe agreeable to the law of God and nature and then shall he find that God in denouncing and executing iudgement wills two things both that they perish and that he greeue God had laid Iudea wast and sent away the inhabitants thereof into captivity yet Ieremy lamented for it Christ knew well that God had absolutely determined to destroy Ierusalem yet hee wept over it a sonne may know by evident symptomes that his Father cannot liue and yet desire the prolonging of his life and all without sinne In like manner might Abraham without offence wish all good vnto the Sodomites notwithstanding Gods will vnto the contrary Now this affection of this holy Patriarch is iustifiable both by the law of God and nature hauing a three fold foundation to support it Humanitie Consanguinitie Piety First Humanity for what heart of flint or adamant would not melt to behold so many thousands so fearfully to perish It is reported of Xerxes a king of Persia that leading into Greece a huge hoast of about a leauen hundred thousand men and being desirous on a time to take a view of them from the top of a hill while he beheld thē he burst forth into weeping and shed many teares and being demanded the reason because quoth hee within one age not one of all these will be left If Xerxes were so affected at the consideration of the naturall death of so many should not Abraham be much more moved at the destruction of the Sodomites so sudden so violent so terrible for the manner of death is far more fearfull then death it selfe Nay if God himselfe pittied the great City of Niniveh in which were sixscore thousand persons that could not discerne betweene the right and the left hand why should not Abraham also commiserate these fiue citties in which without question were many thousands of young tender babes and infants who never partaked in their parents transgressions Aboue all If yee consider that this temporall plague of fire and brimstone from heaven was praeludium aeterni a fore runner of eternall miserie in hell what man is he that hath but a sparke of humanity in him but would wish it to be otherwise and prevent it if he could For one man not to sympathize and compassionate with another in his miseries is meere inhumanity Another ground of this affectio◠in Abraham was Bloud and Consanguinity for there liued among the Sodomites Lot his children and family Now Abraham was vnkle vnto Lot Lot being Harans sonne which Haran was brother vnto Abraham and this is so great a neerenesse in bloud that by the very law of nature marriage betweene vnkle and neece aunt and nephew is interdicted and vnkles are accounted as fathers to their nephewes Betweene these therefore there must needs passe a naturall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and affection more then betweene them and others inasmuch as there is a neerer vnion and coniunction betweene them Others may be glewed together by friendship or alliance but these are of the same peece naturally one bone of bone and flesh of flesh Here there ought to be no difference at all let there bee no strife betweene me and thee saith Abraham to Lot for wee are brethren yea extraordinary loue and amity I behaued my selfe saith David as to my friend or to my brother and the more the loue is the more earnest and vehement will the desire be for the prevention of such evills as doe threaten them The third and last ground of Abrahams affection was Religion and Piety For where there is a profession of the same true religion there is a straiter bond then that of bloud being members of the same mysticall body in Christ Iesus hauing one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one body one spirit one hope one God and Father of all which is aboue all through all and in all And out of this Vnion issueth that holy communion of Saints mentioned in the articles of our Creed in regard whereof we are bound to loue the Saints farre aboue other men according to that of St Paul while we haue time let vs doe good vnto all specially vnto those that are of the houshold of faith Of this family was Lot and his houshold and many others for ought Abraham knew and therefore vnlesse hee would be not only without naturall affection but also without religious sympathie and compassion he must needs stand thus affected towards this mixt company in Sodom and beseech God either to spare the wicked for the godlies sake or to preserue the Godly in the destruction of the wicked that it may not every way be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to the one so to the other And thus you see the affection of Abraham both what it is and by what grounds it is justified warranted Let vs apply this before we proceede farther As we all professe our selues to be the children of Abraham according to the faith so is it our duty also to be his children in affection And first even towards the wicked ought wee to be tenderly affected and to pittie them more then they pitty themselues Thus doth Abraham in this place thus did David a true son of Abraham when they were sicke saith he I clothed my selfe with sacke cloath and humbled my soule with fasting Thus did Christ a true sonne both of
prepared for you from the foundation of the world vnto the which kingdome the Lord bring vs all for his Christs sake Amen FINIS AN AMVLET OR PRESERVATIVE against the contempt of the MINISTERY OXFORD Printed by I.L. for E. F. 1633. TIT. 2 15. See that no man despise thee BEing in regard of the present oportunity to addresse my speech at this time vnto you principally reuerend Fathers and beloued brethren of the Clergie I haue by the direction I trust of Gods blessed spirit made speciall choice of this Text as affording matter both of great importance and euery way concerning you That the office and calling of the Ministery is of all other the most honourable worthy euery one of vs presumeth That of all other it is generally most obnoxious and subject to contempt wee all by lamentable experience feele How it may be freed from this contempt and againe recouer its ancient dignitie is a point of high nature and well worth the hearing And this is the very purpose intent of this Apostolicall charge For as St Pauls care that Titus be not despised implies the honour of his calling and his feare least he be despised argues it is subject therevnto so his charge vnto Titus to looke vnto it that hee be not despised evidently shewes both where the cause of this contempt mostly lies and how our selues if wee list may preuent it So that this Text may not vnfitly be called An Amulet or Preservatiue against the contempt of thâ— Ministery And it offereth as you see vnto our mediâ—ation these three particulars first the dignity of the Ministry secondly the contempt of the Ministry thirdly the redresse of this contempt Of which while I discourse vnto you plainely according to my poore abilitie breefly in regard of the businesses to succeed lend mee I beseech you blessed brethren both the assistance of your prayers and the encouragement of your fauorable attention And first as touching the Dignitie of the Ministrie cui non dictus his Hylas What tongue or penne almost hath not travailed in this argument Or what can herein bee said which hath not beene already said And to say all that may be said in this short scantling of time is impossible I omit therefore that Scripture expresly calleth Priesthood an Honour and affirmeth Elders to be worthie of double honour charging all to haue them not onely in honour but also in singular reputation Neither will I stand to reckon vp all those titles wherewith Ministers are honoured as Stewards Fathers Rulers Men of God Gods Embassadors the light of the world the salt of the earth Saviours Starres Angells Nor lastly will I spend time in mustering vp all those honourable personages who haue borne this office as the First borne of euery family before the Law vnder the Law the house of Aaron in both mighty Kings as Melchizedeck and Solomon and finally vnder the Gospel Christ himselfe the King of Kings and Lord of Lords These things I say and sundrie other of like nature although demonstratiuely prouing the Dignity of the Ministry yet of purpose I passe by as obvious and vulgarly vrged Onely at this time these three points as the choicest among the rest would I command vnto your serious consideration First the excellency of the science we professe secondly the efficacy and powerfull operation of our Ministry thirdly the authority and iurisdiction annexed therevnto For if the Science we professe be architectonicall if the execution of our Ministry bee most energeticall if our authority and iurisdiction bee the amplest and greatest then is our Calling of all other the most noble and worthy Let vs therefore enquire if these things be so and first the excellencie of the science we professe As the wise man saith of a vertuous woman Many daughters haue done worthily but thou surmountest them all so say I all Arts and Disciplines in their kinde are good as issuing from God the fountaine of all goodnesse but Divinity is transcendent and as Gregory calleth it ars artium the science of sciences For whereas the preeminence of one science before another standeth in two things either that it is more worthie in it selfe in regard of the matter it teacheth or more certaine and infallible in regard of the manner of knowing this Divine science farre excelleth in both For as touching the matter the very gleaning of Ephraim is better then the vintage of Abiezer the meanest part of this heauenly knowledge is greater and nobler then all whatsoeuer is comprehended within the whole circle of humane Sciences For these taken at the highest aspire not aboue Nature contemplating only such Verities and directing vnto such goods as are connaturall vnto vs and being naturall are also finite and so cannot satisfie the vast and infinite desire either of the mind or will But the obiect of this Diuine science is meerely supernaturall the speculatiue part whereof contemplateth the first and highest verity even God himselfe â—â—e infinite beautie and glory of his nature the incomprehensible Trinitie of Persons his wonderfull workes and operations creating all things of nothing sustaining all he created by his mighty word ordering and gouerning all by his most wise prouidence but specially redeeming mankinde from Sinne death and hell into the glorious liberty of sonnes by the incarnation and passion of the Sonne of God A mystery so profound that not only the naturall man knowes it not but euen the blessed Angells longed to be acquainted therewith and knowing stand amazed and rauished with admiration thereof Neither is the Practicall part any way inferior vnto the speculatiue for that also directeth vnto the first and highest Good euen Good in vision and fruition of whom standeth our eternall blessednesse shewing also what the way is which leadeth vnto this soueraigne End namely Repentance from dead works Iustification by Faith in Christ Regeneration by water and the Holy Ghost vnfaigned study and practise of new obedience in Pietie towards God Iustice towards all men and temperance towards our owne selues Thus the subiect matter of our science so farre surpasseth that of other Disciplines as supernaturall excelleth naturall heauen earth eternitie time the boundlesse wisdome of God the narrow compasse of mans reason and they are vnto it but as Hagar vnto Sarah hand-maides vnto their Lady and Mistresse As is the matter so is the manner of knowing also that of highest price and value this most certaine and infallible Vnto the truths of other sciences wee yeeld assent either induced by authority of humane testimonie or inclined by probability and likelihood of reason or convinced by the light and evidence of demonstration The two former breed but a morall or coniecturall certitude both obscure nor excluding all doubt nor securing vs of the truth The third though it haue greater evidence clearnes yet hath it no more theÌ„
fearfull ends And indeede to what end hath God put into the heart of man this passion of feare but to decline and avoid all such euills as would destroy him or afflict him Take away feare and men will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 despise all danger and run headlong into all mischiefe but feare is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a preseruing nature as saith the philosopher inclining and perswading man carefully to keepe himselfe from dangers If then to come to an issue yee will not worke mischiefe vnnaturally vnto your owne selues if yee will avoide the Magistrates fury if yee will not incurre the rigour of the law nor fall vpon the edge of the sword of justice yee must needs be subiect But what need will some man say so much to feare the Wrath of the Magistrate May not a man hide his counsells so deepe and carry his actions so cunningly that nor witnesse nor Iudge shall know them If they come to light and bee discouered doth not greatnesse breake through lawes as wasps doe through cobwebs May not judges jury witnesses by friends fauour bribes be corrupted Are pardons impossible to bee obtained from Princes Nay suppose the worst that the penalty of the law can by no meanes be escaped what care they for fines and amercements who are content to beggar themselues to enioy their pleasures What for shame and ignominy who are growne impudent in all wickednesse What for death who count it worse then death not to liue as they list and to bee barred from their desires For there haue beene who haue said moriar modo regnet let mee dye so he may be King and aut Caesar aut nihil an Emperour or nothing To all this I answere briefly first trust not vnto secrecy but remember what wise Solomon saith Curse not the King no not in thy thought neither the great one in thy bedchamber for the foule of the Heaven will carry the voyce and that which hath wings shall declare the matter Secondly hope not for impunity many as great as gratious as wealthy as thou haue failed thereof and how knowest thou but one time or other thou maist meete with one who will accept nor thy person nor thy fee but will say vnto thee with Saint Peter thy mony perish with thee Lastly if any haue so farre put off naturall affection as not to feare Wrath chusing rather to fall into the hands of justice then to be restrained from his wickednesse let such a one know that what Wrath cannot yet Conscience should worke in him For here it must freely bee confessed that Wrath of it selfe is not sufficient it striketh at the branches not the roote and endeavoureth to reforme outward actions but reacheth not vnto the cause which is inward corruption Which remaining in vs Wrath happily may make vs more wary in offending but cannot worke in vs a loue of goodnesse and a desire not to offend at all Wherefore God in his deepe wisdome hath thought it good to binde vs vnto subiection not by a single but double tie and vnto Wrath to adde Conscience Yee must needs be subiect not only for wrath but also for conscience Conscience is that facultie or power of the Practicall vnderstanding in man whereby he is priuy to all his actions whether they be immanent and conceaued within as thoughts or emanant and issuing forth as his words and workes This Conscience is then said to be bound when by him who hath power and authority ouer it it is charged to performe its dutie that is to beare witnesse of all our actions vnto God and according to the qualitie of them to excuse or accuse vs for that these are the duties of conscience plainely appeareth by that of S. Paul their conscience bearing witnesse and their thoughts accusing or excusing This charge is then laid vpon the Conscience after that by the same authority man himselfe is bound for man being free Conscience also is free but man being bound by a law Conscience stands bound also But who is the binder of the conscience God without question He is the Law-giuer saith S. Iames that can both saue and destroy and he as S. Iohn saith is greater then the conscience But can the Magistrate also by his lawes binde the conscience Papists attribute vnto vs the Negatiue that they cannot themselues hold the Affirmatiue that they can and warrant it by this my Text Yee must bee subiect for conscience Vpon this plaine song sundry of them descant very pleasantly but none plaies the wanton more then Doctor Kellison who inferres that we despoile Princes of authority and superiority and giue subjects good leaue to rebell and revolt that we bring Iudges and Tribunall seats and all lawes into contempt that no Prince can rely on his subjects no subjects on their Prince or fellow subjects in a word that wee take away all society and ciuill conversation To all which I answere breefly First suppose the maine ground were true yet neither can they proue it out of my Text nor doe such absurdities follow therevpon Out of my Text they cannot proue it for that only affirmes that the Conscience is bound but determines not that mans lawes bindeth it Neither doe such absurdities follow for albâ—it wee should deny man to be the binder yet doe wee freely professe that the Conscience is bound which is enough But we answer farther that they much abuse vs for we deny not rem that they binde onely wee differ from them in modo maintaining that they binde not in such manner as they teach They hold that mens lawes binde non minùs guà m lex divina equally with Gods lawes so that were there not any law of God binding to Subiection yet mans law of it selfe and of its owne power would binde This we deny teaching contrarily that humane lawes binde the Conscience not immediatly but mediatly not primarily but secundarily not in themselues of their owne power but in the force and vertue of Divine law Divine law I say whether that which is imprinted in the heart by nature or that which is revealed vnto vs by Scripture both which command Subiection This truth in fâ—w words thus I demonstrate First if mans law immediatly binde the Conscience then is euery transgression thereof without farther respect vnto Gods law a mortall sinne But so it is not for according to St Iohns definition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sin is a transgression of the law meaning not mans but Gods law only in regard whereof St Augustine saith more expresly Sin is dictum factum concupitum any saying doing or coueting against Gods law Besides if man of himselfe without respect vnto Gods law can binde the conscience then either is he Lord of the conscience and may himselfe conuent it examine it take its testimonie and accordingly proceed to sentence either of life or death both vpon body and soule or he hath power to command God to sit in
deserueth with no other then equal disdaine and contempt For it hath abundantly beene manifested to the world that as in the goodnesse of our cause wee are every way superiour vnto you so in all kinde of learning both Humane and Divine wee are no way inferiour to the best of you Howbeit seeing I am put in good hope by some of your best friends that you carry a minde prepared to imbrace the truth if at any time it shall bee discouered vnto you and your selfe haue freely professed vnto mee that your meaning is not any way to contest with me but only to be instructed by me I am content laying aside all advantages whatsoever to enter the lists with you by framing vp a short yet full answere to endeauour your best satisfaction God grant that as it is intended so it may redound first to his glory and then to the reducing of your straying soule from the servitude of Babylon into the liberty of Ierusalem which is from aboue and the right Mother of all true Beleeuers N. N. Catholike grounds for the Article of the Real Presence I. D. This title prefixed vnto your Writing intimateth that you craue resolution in the article as you terme it of the Real Presence and the Grounds thereof For the better performance whereof and to cleare the way of all rubs before vs you may be pleased to know that we denie not either the Presence or the Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament Not the Presence For seeing therein his Body is delivered receaued eaten as the Scriptures testifie and that can no way be deliuered receaued eaten which is every way absent we cannot but beleeue with the heart confesse with the mouth that Christ is present Nor the Reall presence For seeing Eating betokeneth our Vnion and Incorporation with Christ whereby we are so closely joyned and joynted vnto him that wee are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones certainely vnlesse wee will question either the power of Faith or whether God be able to worke such an effect we cannot well doubt but that the Presence is True and Real not Imaginarie and Fained According herevnto S. Chrysostome Christ offereth himselfe vnto vs in these Mysteries not onely to bee seene but also to be touched and felt And S. Augustin We cannot with our hand feele Christ sitting in heauen but by Faith we may touch him Agreeing therefore in the Thing that there is a Real Presence wherein lies the difference betwixt vs It lies partly in the Manner of Presence and partly in the kinde of Change whereby the Presence is wrought As touching the Manner of Presence wee acknowledge it to bee double the one Sacramentall the other Spirituall The sacramentall is a Relatiue Presence of the thing signified vnto the signes partly for that they are significatiue represent Christ vnto vs even as the word spoken vnto the eare represents the thing signified thereby vnto the minde and partly because they are Exhibitiue God in them offering vs his Sonne vpon condition of Faith And in regard hereof it may also well be called a Pactionall presence The spirituall is a presence of Christ vnto the Faith of the Receauer or which is all one vnto the Receauer by Faith whereby we seeke him not here on earth in with or vnder the Accidents of bread but aloft in heauen where hee sitteth at the right hand of his father For where the carcase is thither saith Christ will the Eagles resort Whence S. Chrysostome He must climbe vp on high whosoeuer commeth to this Body And S. Augustine How shall I convay my hand into heauen that I may hold him sitting there Send thy faith thither and thou holdest him Now if any farther demand how this sacramentall and spirituall presence is wrought I answere it is done by a Change in the Elements of Bread and Wine By a change I say yet not of their Nature and Substance but of their Vse and Vertue For they are now no longer common but consecrated Bread and Wine ordained by Christ to bee effectuall symbols and Pledges of our Vnion and Communion with his Flesh and Bloud So saith Theodoret The visible symbols hath hee honoured with the name of his Body and Bloud not changing their nature but adding grace vnto nature And so the rest of the Fathers But all this little contents you except withall we yeeld you a Corporall and Locall Presence of Christ vnder the Accidents of Bread and Wine and that by way of Transubstantiation Transubstantiation a terme as lately devised so also inconvenient Lately deuised for it is but foure hundred yeares old or thereabouts bâ—ing forged in the Lateran councell vnder Innocent the third Inconvenient for properly it imports a Productiue kinde of Conversion by which one Substance is produced out of another or whereby one Substance is turned into another such as was the turning of Water into Wine by the power of Christ at Cana in Galilee But you vnderstand thereby an Adductiue kinde of Conversion by which as Bellarmine defineth it the Body of Christ which before was only in heaven is now also vnder the Accidents of Bread So that more fitly it might haue beene tearmed Cession or Succession or Substitution or Translocation or some such like rather then Transubstantiation the meaning you giue vnto it being no other then a succeeding of Christs Body into the roome of Bread vpon the abolishing of the Substance thereof Yet is it not so much the Newnesse and Inconvenience of the terme as the Impietie of the Doctrine intended thereby which we condemne For it crosseth the truth of Scripture ouerturneth the Articles of Faith destroyeth the Nature of a Sacrament gainesayeth the perpetuall consent of antiquity and implieth in it innumerable contradictions all which God willing shall in due place be demonstrated In the meane season hauing thus briefly stated the Question I come now to examine the particulars of your Writing and whether the passages you quote in such abundance reach home to that Corporall and Locall Presence which you hold or passe no farther then that Sacramentall and Spirituall Presence which we maintaine N. N. The first ground that Catholike men haue for these and all their mysteries of Christian Faith that are aboue the reach of common sense and reason is the Authority of the Catholike Church by which they were taught the same as Points of Faith revealed from God I. D. If by the first Ground you vnderstand the first introduction vnto Faith I grant the Authority of the Catholike Church to be the first ground that by it wee are taught the same But if thereby you meane as vndoubtedly you doe that highest Principle into which all the Mysteries of Faith are finally resolued and by which the Mind is staied and freed from farther doubting I deny the Catholike Church so to be the first ground For as Bellarmine truly writeth Faith beginneth from
these things hang together for my part I cannot see Would to God your selfe had taken the paines to shew it But this is your solemne fault you quote the sayings of the Fathers and leaue mee to gather your Conclusions I may well thinke because you saw no great force or strength in them And whether Gregory did favor Transubstantiation or no let it be tried by these words As the Divinity of the word of God is one which filleth all the world so although that body bee consecrated in many places at innumerable times yet are there not many bodies of Christ nor many cups but one body of Christ and one bloud with that which he tooke in the wombe of the Virgin and which he gaue to the Apostles For the Divinity of the word filleth that which is every where and conioyneth and maketh that as it is one so it bee ioyned to the body of Christ and his body be in truth one Here according to Gregory the body of Christ doth not succeed and fill vp the roome of bread after the substance thereof is abolished but the fulnesse and vertue of the Divinity which filleth the bread maketh it â—o passe into the body of Christ and so to be one body of Christ. Which how it can stand with your Transubstantiation iudge you N. N. These Hereticks admit not the Eucharists and oblations because they will not confesse that the Eucharist is the Flesh of our Saviour Iesus Christ which hath suffered for our sins which the Father hath raised vp againe by his goodnesse These words alleaged by Theodoret are reported by him to be the words of St. Ignatius the Apostles scholler written in an Epistle ad Smyrnenses and therefore of greater antiquitie I. D. These words are not found in that Epistle ad Smyrnenses which is now extant Whereby you may perceaue it is true that I said the Epistles of Ignatius are not come perfect to our hands Of this Epistle saith Eusebius Ignatius when he wrote to them of Smyrna vsed words I knowe not whence taken And Hierome If you vse not his testimonies for authoritie at least vse them for antiquity And the Abbot of Spanheâ—m reckons it not among the rest of his Epistles as being doubtfull Yet for all this the credit of this Epistle shall not be questioned by mee I answere therefore the Heretikes which Ignatius meanes were Menander and the Disciples of Simon These denied that Christ was come in the Flesh and consequently that hee had Flesh. Wherevpon they reiected the Eucharist also least thereby they should be constrained to confesse that he had true Flesh. For granting the signe of a body you must also grant a true body Figure and Truth being Correlatiues whose Relation is to figure and to be figured And thus they added aloes vnto wormwood one error vnto another first denying the truth of Christs body and then that the Eucharist was the Sacrament of his body or that it was Sacramentally his body More then this cannot bee meant For I presume Theodoret would not alleage this to crosse himselfe who holdeth that Bread and Wine still remaine and argueth from them for the verity of Christs body because they are symbols of his body as is aboue declared N. N. Doth not the Evangelist Iohn say in the Apocalyps If any man shall adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke and if any man shall minish of these words of the booke of this Prophecie God shall take away his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy City and the things which are written in this booke Is this malediction or curse lesse to be feared here that we diminish not or put any thing to the words of him that said This is my body which shall be delivered for you this is my bloud of the New Testament which shall be shed for many in the remission of sinnes For when he saith This is my body wee shall put to an vnderstanding saying a Figuratiue Body or that it is spoken by a similitude when I say he saith this is my Body we shal say this signifieth my Body is it not much that we put to his words or by an evill change take from them and make a sense which so great an author God man in no place hath spoken nor at any time did ascend into his heart This man especially with many of the rest answereth M. Downe and all Protestants fully I. D. In this Authority I cannot but greatly pitty you to see how miserably you are gulled and beguiled by your Author For what was this Rupertus but a man of yesterday one that liued towards twelue hundred after Christ and a very Heretike in this point of the Sacrament For he maintained that the Eucharisticall Bread is hypostatically assumed by the Word iust after the same manner that the humane nature was assumed by the same Word This he expresseth in words as cleare as the noone day For expounding that of our Saviour The Bread which I will giue is my Flesh he saith That the eternall word by incarnation was made man not destroying or changing but personally assuming the humanitie and after the same manner by consecration of the Eucharist the same word is made Bread not destroying or changing but personally assuming Bread This he declareth elsewhere very largely shewing that Bread is made the Body of Christ not by turning it into his Flesh but because it is assumed by the Word Whence it followeth that Bread is the Body of Christ yet not his Humane or Carnall but Bready Body much differing from that which he tooke of the Virgin That yet these two bodies may be said to be One because the Person is but one or Christ is one who assumed them both so that the same Christ aboue that is in heauen is in the Flesh and beneath that is on the Altar is in Bread This grosse errour Algerus who liued in the same time with Rupertus confuâ—ed calling it as it iustly deserued a new and most absurd heresie What say you now to this good sir Is this the man who especially among the rest fully answereth Mrâ— Downe and all Protestants Doth he not as fully answere you Papists who cleane contrary to his Tenet destroy and change the bread to make it Christs body Yea but we adde vnto the Text vnderstanding it to be a Figuratiue body That is a shamelesse slander for wee place no Figure in the word bodie but litterally interpret it of Christs naturall body At least we say bread signifieth his body So wee say indeed and so say the Fathers also And to giue the true sense vnto a Text is not to adde vnto it Neither can I conceaue why it should be counted addition in vs to say This is my body Sacramentally or by way of signification more then in you to say it is so by way of Transubstantiation or
the present Roman Church is still in some sort a part of the Visible Church of God but no otherwise then other Societies of Hereticks are in that it retaineth the profession of some parts of Heauenly truth and ministreth the true Sacrament of Baptisme to the salvation of the soules of many thousand infants that dye after they are baptized before shee haue poysoned them with her errours Thus he Wherevnto I adde that of St Hilary God in the Churches of the Arrians called many by the word and Sacraments to the knowledge of the truth whose eares were more pure then were the mouthes of their teachers The issue of all is this You are a Church but neither the Catholike Church nor a sound member thereof What then An Hereticaâ— and impure Church And if Salvation may be had therein it is only by those truths you haue common with vs and not the Papacie wherein notwithstanding there can bee no more security had thereof then of life in a pesthouse of which though there may be a possibility yet the danger is such that a thousand to one if a man escape the infection And what folly is it to leaue that Church wherein there is security and to cleaâ—e vnto that wherein there is no hope but only of a poore possibility Willet remaines for whom what better advocate then himselfe That many Kings and Queenes of this land are Saints in Heaven is not by any protestant denyed For they might be carried away with some errours of the time then not revealed yet holding the foundation through Gods mercy they might be saved It is a divers case when a man sinneth of infirmity or simplicity and when hee offendeth willingly and of obstinacy To stumble in the darke craueth pitty to grope at noone-daies is great folly I say therefore in this case as our Saviour to the Pharisees If yee were blind yee should not haue sin but now ye say we see therefore your sinne remaineth And as St Paul the time of ignorance God regarded not God therefore might shew mercy to them that erred of Simplicity which is no warrant for them that should now be seduced willingly And such are you Recusants to whom wee can promise nothing but fearfull things though of our fore-fathers wee hope all good That which your Author farther addes of himselfe let the same Willet answer Though divers saith hee of those ancient Kings became Monks yet neither was the Monasticall life so farre out of square as now it is they made it not a cloke of idlenesse and filthy liuing a nursery of idolatry and grosse supertitions but they desired that life as fittest for contemplation and free from the encumbrances of the world Neither doth this one opinion of the excellency of Monasticall life shew them to be resolute Papists for it followeth not because they were Monks that consequently they held Transubstantiation worship of images and the more grosse points of the Romish Catechisme Will you haue any more In few words thus Anciently Monks some of them were lay-men some were married they bound themselues with no vowes they made no distinction of meats they laboured with their hands and liued not in Citties but remote places By all which you may see Polydor Virgill had reason to say It is incredible how much nowadaies they are degenerated N. N. Your fourth and last reason the quarrells and bitter speeches of Luther Melancthon Zuniglius Beza Carolus Molniaeus Amsdorfius Hosiander Protestants of Zurich of England c. I. D. This reason differeth not in substance but only in quotations from the second Which quotations whether they be true or false neither will I spend time to search neither is it any whit materiall And therefore neither will I vouchsafe it any farther answer then that which already I haue given to the second The best Churches haue seldome beene without their quarrels and vsually are menaged with two much passion The malice of Satan is the cause of the one and humane infirmity of the other Which infirmity seeing wee cannot altogether put off while we liue here in the flesh Christian charity would rather pitie it then vpbraid it Neverthelesse that which is amisse may not be defended neither meane I to goe about it Only I perswade my selfe that if wee vnderstood one the other better our quarrells would never be so vehement For what was it that set Luther and Zuinglius so farre asunder but misprision And what caused such hard censures to passe vpon Hosiander but his owne inconvenient speeches and other mens mistakings These are the two principall quarrells here mentioned by you giue me leaue therefore to shew so much in them but briefly The quarrell betweene Luther and Zuinglius was about Christs presence in the Sacrament which as you hold to be by way of Transubstantiation so did Luther by way of Consubstantiation Which how it could be vnlesse the body of Christ were every where Zuinglius others could not conceiue and being pressed therewith he and his followers not being able to avoid it maintained that also But how by reason of the Hypostaticall vnion and coniunction thereof with the word For the Word being every where and the Humane Nature being no where feuered from it how can it be say they but every where And hence the distraction and therevpon all those passionate speeches Now saith Zanchy if they meane that the body of Christ is present according to his personall being they say true contradict not those who speake of his Naturall being or being of Essence D. Field thus expresseth it The humane Nature of Christ hath two kinds of being the one naturall the other personall the first limited finite the second infinite incoÌ„prehensible For seeing the nature of man is a created nature and essence it cannot be but finite and seeing it hath no Personall subsistence of it owne but that of the Sonne of God communicated to it which is infinite and without limitation it cannot be denied to haue an infinite Subsistence to subsist in an incomprehensible and illimited sort and consequently every where Thus then the body of Christ according to his Naturall being is contained in one place but according to his Personall being may rightly be said to be every where So Field whereby you may easily perceiue that the warres betwixt hony-bees are not such but the casting vp of a little dust will soone stint them For if this distinction had well beene conceiued this Vbiquitary strife had quickly beene ended If any notwithstanding haue beene so grosse as to maintaine an Vbiquity according to Essence or Naturall being which I can hardly beleeue I must professe I know no excuse for them The second quarrell is against Hosiander who seemeth to define Iustification by a transfusion of the Essentiall righteousnesse of Christ into vs and a confusion as it were and mixture of it together with vs. And against this divers haue written very