Sinners 1. Saints because they beleeue in Christ and with all desire doe affect sanctity and doe indeuour by all meanes vt crescat quod habent impleatur quod non habent that that sanctity may increase which they haue and that that may bee supplied which they want for the Apostle doth not call them Saints according to their merit but according to their purpose not according to what they are but according to what they desire to bee saith S. Bernard and therefore whosoeuer Ber. ser 3 de duabus mēsis f. 434. saith hee doth purpose in his heart to decline from euill and to doe good to keepe what hee receiued to pray for what hee wanteth to striue to grow better and better and if by humane frailty hee hath done amisse to amend the same by true repentance without doubt hee is a Saint of God 2. Sinners because the reliques of sinne are left in them to striue withall and their sanctity is but inchoated and so S. Paul himselfe confesseth quod nondum apprehendisset brauium that as yet he had not attained the marke and therfore septies in die cadit iustus the holiest man falleth seuen times a day eorum lapsus vtiles their fals are profitable saith S. Augustine ideo scripti sunt and therefore are written saith Theophilact in Mar. c. 14. f. 75. Theophilact and that as wee may gather for two speciall reasons 1. To shew Gods goodnesse and the riches of his mercy in forgiuing our sinnes for where sinne abounded there grace super abounded 2. For our manifold instructions that The falls of the Saints are registred for our good wee should learne from the examples of the lapses and infirmities of the Saints not for the discrediting or dishonouring of them which are now in heauen but for the bettering of our selues which are yet in earth for the consideration of their falls may serue 1. For our humiliation When we see their frailty wee should learne humility God suffered them to fall that wee should not presume when wee stand and therefore the Apostle saith qui stat videat ne cadat for as the staffe that is held vp by the hand as soone as euer the hand leaues it though the hand throwes it not downe yet it falleth downe of it selfe euen so wee euen the best of vs assoone as euer God withdrawes his helpe from vs we presently fall of our selues and therefore in all thy sanctity learne humility 2. For our circumspection to beware of falling for cecidit Petrus vt reliqui caueant S. Peter fell that others might take heede of falling if I see a Giant throw downe a strong man I shall be more afraid he will sooner throw downe me And therefore non sit lapsus maiorum imitatio minorum let not the fal of the greater be for imitation to the lesser sed casus maiorum sit timor minorum but let the fall of the greater induce a feare and a care in the lesser when they wrastle against that roaring Lion saith S. Augustine 3. For our consolation that we should not despaire when we fall into sinne for many falling into sinne desperando plus pereunt quà m peccando doe sooner perish by their despaire then by their sin for plus peccauit Iudas desperando de venia Aug. in l. de Nat. gratia fol. 316. quà m tradendo Christum Iudas sinned more by despairing of pardon then in betraying his Redeemer and therefore against this dangerous disease the commemoration of the fals of the Saints may helpe vs saith S. Augustine for their sinnes are set downe not for their shame but for our consolation vt in ijs tanquam in speculis diuitias bonitatis diuinae contemplemur that we might Zanch. in Eph. ca. 2. fo 85. in them as in a glasse see the riches of Gods great mercie and thereby conceiue hope of pardon vnto our selues saith Zanchius for seeing they were sinners as well as we yet through repentance obtained pardon euen so if we repent we shall obtaine pardon as well as they for God is rich in mercie ouer all and vnto all that call vpon him 4. For a confutation of Donatists Catharists We must not forsake the Church vpon the pretended corruption of the Church Brownists c. that would haue the Church to be of perfect beautie and from her infirmitie doe conclude her nullitie for the infirmitie of Gods children doth not presently denie them to be Gods children and therefore the rottennesse of many members of the Church ought not to induce vs to relinquish the Church for so long as the Scribes and Pharisies sate in Moses Chaire we are inioined to heare them as the Church of God Yea though there should be many imperfections both in manners and in Doctrine yet many circumstances are to be considered before we depriue them from being a Church for no doubt but the Church of Rome had her imperfections in both respects and yet the Apostle saith they were beloued of God called Saints or if it be denied that it had not then may the same be instanced in the Churches of Corinth and of Galatia for in the Church of Corinth not only touching manners the discipline of the Church was loosely obserued but also the sinceritie of Preaching was much profaned and a great question was among them touching the resurrection of the flesh an article of such waight that without it our faith our hope and all our preaching were but vaine and yet the Church of Corinth holds the name of the true Church of Christ and in the Church of Galatia the most part of them were turned aside by the false Apostles from free iustification by the grace of Christ which is the principall pillar of the Christian Church and yet S. Paul calleth them the Church of Christ But the Scripture telleth vs that 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2. Pet. 2. 1. many should make such schismes and separations from the Church and therefore the godly and wise should be nothing moued at their departure for though they pretend the cause thereof to be the want of sanctitie in vs yet the true cause indeed is the iniquitie or at least the want of iudgement in themselues for whensoeuer we reade of the name of Saints ne putemus sanctitatis vocem significare perfectionem we should not thinke that the name of sanctitie doth implie perfection saith S. Augustine Aug. l. 6. contra Iulian for that there is no Saint that wanteth sinne and yet hereby he ceaseth not to be a Saint And therefore beloued seeing the Saints and holiest men were not so holy but that they had their sinnes and imperfections ideo patientiam eorum Ambros to 4. fo 249. virtutes imitemur non vitia we should follow their vertues and not their vices saith S. Ambrose for not all the facts of righteous men are to be laid as patterns for imitation saith S. Augustine Aug. l.
as the Poet said of his labors of vanity that nec Iouis ira nec ignis Nec poterit ferrum nec edax abolere vetustas And therefore I presumed out of my vnfained loue to insert your honoured name in the frontispice of this tract Accept it as the token of a thankfull heart for though you may haue many greater friends yet will I euer rest in the number of your truest and faithfullest friends At your seruice wholly to be commanded GR. WILLIAMS The Epistle to the Reader Gentle and Christian Reader Must confesse this little Treatise though it was not in a short time composed for I preached it all in the Cathedrall Church of Saint Paul in my ordinary lectures there yet came it in haste to be printed for after I had preached the chiefe heads of most part of it at Pauls Crosse it was requested for the Presse and I had not time lambere foetum to ouersee it againe as I would and because my bookes and all my notes saue only a few scattering papers that I brought with me were farre from me almost two hundred miles from London I was faine to let it passe without any diligent search for the quotations either of the Scripture places or of Fathers saue only what I bore in memorie and what were in my notes I brought with me And by reason of my absence from the Presse I finde manie faults committed in the printing I gathered some of them together and I pray thee sweet Christian brother take thy pen and mend them and where thou findest any other doe the like and I will take it kindly at thy hands and my praiers shall be euer readie for thee I hope the matter will proue profitable and that is my greatest desire For I take God to witnesse who is fidelissimus testis the most faithfull witnesse that my aime hath beene alwaies non scire vt scirem nec scientiam vendere not for any gaine either of credit or of profit but for the gaine of soules which is vberrimus quaestus the greatest gaine in the world to studie and preach and to doe all that lieth in me to discharge my dutie and therefore I euer affected verum magis quà m verba soundnesse of matter rather then nicenesse of words If any man say I did but collect the same out of other mens workes I say so too And I wish he that saith so would doe so too quia facilis est obliuio boni I gathered my stones out of many quarries but I composed my frame my selfe And I reioyce in this that I deliuer what I learned and not what I inuented as Lyrinensis speaketh To the censures of maleuolent mindes I doe expose my selfe Let them goe on say what they will Ego sic viuam vt illis fides non habeatur I hope God will giue me grace to feare him and not them and I hope the godly Reader of this little Tract of mine will finde some profit by it for the most necessary and the most frequent points of Diuinity that doe meet vs almost in euerie passage of the Scripture are here fully handled Scarce any Text of the New Testament can be found but some part of this Treatise will affoord some matter fit for some part thereof What profit it will bring I leaue it to the euent If none I hope God will esteeme my labours non ex euentu sed ex affectu not according to what it did but according to what I desire it should doe so praying to my good God for thee and for all men and desiring thee and all Saints to pray for me I rest Thy true brother in Iesus Christ GR. WILLIAMS The chiefe Contents Controuersiall points 1 OF the will of God 2 Of vniuersall grace 3 Of the certaintie of our estate 4 Of the perseuerance of the Saints 5 Of our iustification freely by grace 6 Of the Author of sinne and punishments 7 Of intercession for vs. 8 Of praying vnto Saints Morall points 1 OF the afflicted estate of the Saints 2 Of the loue of God and the extent of it 3 Of a two-fold calling 4 Of the true Saints in a three-fold respect 5 Of holinesse of life 6 Of the necessity and excellencie of grace 7 Of each kinde of peace and how had and of each kinde of warre handled at large 8 Of the Author of all goodnesse 9 Of the miserie and infirmitie of man 10 Of the word God and the foure things it signifieth 11 Of Father and the manifold comforts thereof 12 Of Lord and his foure-fold properties 13 Of Iesus and how he doth saue vs. 14 Of Christ and how King Priest and Prophet 15 Of fiue Christian Sacrifices And many other points Good Reader by reason of my absence from the Presse many faults escaped in the printing I pray thee mend these with thy pen and the rest where thou meetest them PAge 50. line 22. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 56. l. 5. r. fraudaberis à victoria p. 92. l. 1. r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 221. l. 9. r. Hubertus p. 244. blot out the 15. and 16. lines pag. 247. lin 25. r. peacetakers p. 248. l. 8. r. effect p. 248. l. 20. r. extumuit p. 254. l. 27. read Drances p. 262. l. 5. r. Therons p. 264. l. 18. r. silice p. 334. l. 8. read goodnesse p. 343. l. 3. r. scori◠p. 345. l. 4. r. vermium p. 367. l. 9. r. and not equality p. 420. l. 11. read vnpossible THE DELIGHTS OF THE SAINTS ROM 1. 7. To all that be at Rome beloued of God called Saints grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ. IN this verse is set downe vnto vs the Desires and Delights of the Saints the desire of S. Paul and delight of Christians and therefore as Titus Vespasian was called deliciae generis humani the delight of humane kinde so the contents of this my text may be more fitly termed Solatia Sanctorum The ioy and solace of Saints Iupiter ambrosia satur est est nectare plenus saith Persius but neither the Poets ambrosia nor Homers Moly nor Plinies Centauriae that preserue men as they say from all lustfull inchantments can be so delightfull to the sonnes of men as grace and peace are to the Saints of God for as he that findeth the stone of Thracia is neuer after troubled so he that findeth grace and peace can neuer after be discontented What therfore the Apostle wished vnto all them I wish the same vnto all you i. grace and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ Wherein I obserue two things 1. The Saints described to whom the Apostle wisheth these blessings 2. The blessings themselues wherewith the Saints are delighted are here expressed First the Saints are described three waies 1. From the number which the Apostle meaneth all Saints 2. From the place where the Saints inhabite in Rome 3. From their proper differences whereby
they are distinguished And they are 3. viz 1. Their dilection 2. Their vocation 3. Their sanctification Secondly the desire of the Apostle and the delights of the Saints are expressed 1. From the number of blessings requested they be two 1. Grace 2. Peace 2. From the fountaine from whence they flow i. From God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ Of these by the assistance of God in order First touching the number to whom the Apostle wisheth these blessings two things are to be obserued 1. Declaratio amoris the manifestation of the Apostles loue How Ministers should loue their people 2. Restrictio gratiae the restriction of the grace of God 1. In that he writeth to all and wisheth grace and peace to all Saints he sheweth how largely his loue extended it selfe to the Romans quòd effuso animo eos omnes complectitur saith a Bucer in hunc locum Bucer he loued all remembred all and excepted none of all a speciall point required in Gods Ministers S. Augustine tels vs b Aug. de Doct. Christ li. 3. ca. 10. that nihil praecipit Deus nisi charitatem nihil culpat nisi cupiditatem God commandeth nothing but charitie and forbiddeth nothing but cupiditie It is therefore necessarie in all especially in vs for if we could speake with the tongues of men and Angels i. so many languages as men vse to speake more then Mithridates could that had 22. languages as Volateran Volateran li. 17. saith and so diuinely and truly as the Angels of God more mellifluously then Origen cuius ex ore non tam verba quà m mella fluere videntur out of whose mouth the honey did seeme to flow as the Magdeburgenses out of Vincentius Magd. cent 3. col 269. doe report yet would our preaching be no better then sounding brasse or tinckling cymbals for when our auditors are not perswaded we teach them out of charitie we can neuer perswade them to beleeue the veritie but as Theocritus saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theocrit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quae minimè sunt pulchra en pulchra videntur amanti every thing comes well from him to whom we are well affected And therefore what S. Augustine saith of euery Christian I may truly say of euery Preacher Vniuersa inutiliter habet qui vnum illud quò vniuersis vtatur non habet He hath all things in vaine that hath not charitie whereby he may rightly vse all things I wish therefore with all my heart that all we Preachers would study what lyeth in vs to lay aside all maliciousnesse all suits and contentions whereby our Ministerie is made vnfruitfull and liue in loue and peace with all men whereby I assure my selfe wee should purchase more spirituall gaine by loue then all the wealth of the world would be vnto vs that we should get by Law 2. In that he writeth to all beloued The restriction of sauing grace Gorram in hunc locum of God called Saints it sheweth the restriction of grace fidelibus tantùm non alijs to the faithfull only and to none else saith Gorram Non Romae simpliciter manentibus sed Deo duntaxat dilectis Not to all the inhabitants of Rome but to all the Saints that were in Rome saith Theophylact and so Theoph in hunc locum S. Chrysost also and all the rest of the Fathers qui dictorum intelligentiam expectant ex verbis potius quà m imponunt as S. Hillarie saith in another case Hilar. de Trin. l. 1. which rather seeke the true meaning of Gods Spirit from the words then impose a false glosse vpon the text to corrupt the truth doe from hence collect a restriction of grace to the Saints of God and not to the sonnes of Belial Euen so the Prophet Esay calling Esay 55. 1. euery one that thirsted to come to the waters meanes none but those that thirsted And our Sauiour inuiting all that were weary and heauie laden to come vnto Matth. 11. vlt. him to be eased meanes none but those that were weary and the like we finde almost in euery passage of the Scriptures This restriction therefore of Gods grace doth sufficiently confute Pelagius Hemingius Huberus and all the rest of the Arminian broode touching the doctrine of vniuersall grace who say that God would haue all men to be saued and therefore gaue his Sonne to die for all and so offereth sauing grace vnto all that all men might be saued if they would them selues beleeue in Christ and perseuere in faith according to the condition of the Euangelicall promises and doe further vnderstand these Euangelicall promises to be so offered and indefinitely left in the power of man as that he may either of his owne will receiue them and be saued or reiect them and be condemned But for the fuller vnderstanding of this one point I will examine these two points 1. Whether God by his absolute will would haue all men to be saued 2. Whether he gaue Christ Iesus to die for all men that they might be saued To the First I answer negatiuely To the Second affirmatiuely Of the first I say then it is not the absolute Whether God wold haue all men saued will of God that all men should be saued or haue sauing grace giuen vnto them for if it were I demand the reason why they are not saued for Voluntati eius quis restitit Who hath Rom. 9. euer resisted his will If they say that the cause hereof is not in the will of God that offereth grace but in the frowardnesse of mans will that refuseth grace I answer with S. Augustine that Sic velle nolle in Aug. de corrept gratia cap. 7. cap. 14. volentis nolentis est potestate vt diuinam voluntatem non impediat diuinam potestatem non superet So to will or nill is in the power of him that willeth or nilleth as that it neither hindereth the diuine will of God nor especially surmount the power of God For otherwise it were to make the will of God depend vpon the will of man and to subordinate the first cause vnto the second which is contrary to the lawes of Nature And as S. Aug. speaketh it were to make the weake and the peeuish will of man of more power and might then the omnipotent will of God whereof S. Ambrose saith Voluntas S. Ambros in 5. Luc. eius potestas eius his will and his power are both a like because he can doe whatsoeuer he will doe for if God would haue men to be saued and men by their nilling or refusing will not be saued then certainly Dei voluntas superata S. Aug. in Euchrid ad Laurent ca. 97. est hominum voluntate infirmissimis nolendo impedientibus non potest facere potentissimus quod vult The will of God and his desire is ouercome by the will and deniall of man so that by the nilling
vnto himselfe euen so though Christ died for them and made satisfaction for their sinnes yet may they be most iustly condemned for not receiuing and applying the same vnto themselues but to suffer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this great price to bee vneffectuall vnto them And this our Sauiour sheweth This Ioh. 3. 19. is condemnation that light is come vnto the world and men loue darknesse more than light for this is spoken of the reprobate and not of the godly for they loue light more than darknesse and therefore this is the condemnation of the wicked that light i. Christ Iesus is come vnto them and yet they refuse to accept him or to apply his benefits vnto themselues and doe loue darknesse more than light because their works are euill And therfore in a word to determine this question I say that the exhibition or giuing of Christ was for all men the manifestation of him by the preaching of the word vnto many and the speciall application of him by a liuely and sauing faith vnto few according to that saying of our Sauiour Christ Manie are called but few are chosen And so you see in what sense Christ may be said to haue died for all men and to procure grace for all men and in what sense he may be said to die only for his elect and to procure grace only vnto the elected Saints And from hence we may behold with ioy and consider with admiration the exuberancie and the exceeding superabundancie of Gods loue vnto his elected Saints and chosen people aboue all other men in the world for being all in the same masse of corruption cui nihil nisi supplicium debebatur to all which was nothing due but destruction we could deserue nothing at the hands of God no more then the wickedest men in the world And yet he doth not only giue his Sonne for vs as he did for all men else and offer his grace vnto vs as he doth vnto many others but also he extendeth his loue further towards vs then he doth vnto any other for he pittieth our vnaptnesse to receiue and vnablenesse to retaine his grace and therefore he helpeth our imbecillitie and worketh grace in our hearts to accept his grace to applie that grace vnto our selues and to retaine that grace vnto our liues end And so not of our selues but by the speciall and effectuall working of Gods grace we only that are elected doe accept apply and retaine the grace of God and all the benefits of Iesus Christ vnto our selues whereby we are iustified and sanctified here and shall be glorified hereafter O that we would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and shew the wonders that he doth and the exceeding superabundant kindnesse that hee sheweth for vs poore children of men And thus much for the restriction of sauing grace as it is effectuall and beneficiall only to the Saints though the same be done for all and offered as sufficient vnto many yet not effectually wrought in any but only in the Saints and chosen people of God 2. Touching the place where the How the godly dwell alwaies among the wicked Saints inhabit it is said to be Rome concerning which if we doe obserue The antiquitie The iniquitie of the same we shall easily finde subiect for large discourses 1. Some thinke that the Pelasgians ouerflowing the Countrey of Greece came into Italy and builded the Citie of Rome and called it Roma by reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Impetus of the great strength and power thereof which Roma in Greeke doth signifie Others thinke that the Troyans reliquias Virgil. Aeneid DanauÌ„ atque immitis Achillis being tossed to and fro and wearied with their wiues and children landing in Italy their wiues by the aduice of a noble Lady called Roma did burne vp their ships that they might saile no further and therefore they were constrained to tarrie and to build a Citie which they called Roma in remembrance of that noble Lady sic alij atque alij aliud atque Plut. in vit Romuli aliud opinati sunt euery seuerall man had his seuerall iudgement as S. Aug. speaketh in the like case and Plutarch sheweth in this case But the common receiued opinion is that Romulus and Remus being departed from Alba did build the same and erect a sanctuarie of refuge that what malefactor soeuer did flie vnto the same he should be safe from all reuenge whereby in a short time it grew so populous so strong and so great a Citie that it excelled all others and at last became the Empresse and Metropolitan citie of the whole world quae inter alias caput extulit vrbes quantuÌ„ Virgil. Eglog 1. lenta solent inter viburna cupressi 2. For the iniquitie of it it began in bloud when Cain-like Romulus did vnnaturally murder his naturall brother Remus and as Belus king of Niniuie erected a golden statue bearing the image of his father Beel and warranted all malefactors free that fled vnto the same whereby at last the wicked Beda in Luc. ca. 11. fugitiues adored the same for a god and so committed horrible idolatrie euen so by their wicked asylum did the Romans multiply in such multitudes that they exceeded all others And because they gaue tolerations for all Religions there was no hinderance of their increase because all men are euer readier to yeeld their allegeance Valeâ— Max. then their conscience vnto their enemies and so by these meanes they grew to the height of all impietie towards God of all sauage crueltie towards men as we reade of L. Sylla who stroue to be called foelix for his crueltie yet C. Marius iustified him and Caligula went beyond them both but Nero was born to iustifie Caligula saith Suetonius and so of the rest repleti omâ—â—â—â—iustitia they were full of all vnrighteousnesse saith the Apostle Rom. 1. vlt. Yet heere among these wicked people in hac famosa ciuiâ—ate in this citie famous for her infamie did these beloued Saints inhabite whereby we see The care of the Saints 1. Their care and circumspection 2. Their state and condition It is naturall in man to desire societie Arles li. 1. ca. 2. de Repub saith Arist yet there is nothing so dangerous as the societie of wicked men saith Isidorus for though that ship was Isidor lib. 2. sol not troubled that carried Peter yet that was greatly tossed that carried Iudas like that which carried Ionas and therefore all the godly that were with him licet suis meritis firmi yet turbebantur alienis saith S. Ambrose though Ambros l. 4. super Luc. they were firme in respect of their own deserts yet were they hazarded for the wickeds sake And therefore these Christians liuing among the wicked in the midst of impietie were very circumspect of their societie else could they neuer haue preserued their sanctitie euen so should we doe though we
spittles 4. In his taste the bitternesse of gall 5. In his sight the effusion of teares his friends bewayling his foes exulting and all forsaking him 2. In his minde such thoughts and sorrowes as cannot bee conceiued much lesse by men any waies expressed and all this was done for vs and for our sake vt iniusta mors iustam vinceret mortem that hee being vniustly put to death as iniustus cum iniustis ex iniustis causis by the vniust with the vniust and for vniust causes hee might iustly deliuer vs from that iust death which wee deserued And therefore if wee behold this man of sorrow and say Quae sunt hae plagae quae sunt haec vulnera Christe What stripes or wounds bee these O blessed Christ hee will answer Et plagae sunt haec vulnera quaeque tua All these are onely thine tibi natus tibi passus tibi mortuus for I was borne for thee to suffer for thee and to dye for thee and if thou wouldst know the impulsiue cause heereof and say Si mea cur tua diripiunt tua viscera Christ◠Hee will answer Loue is the onely cause heereof O amor his plagis membra cruent at amor his loue to man is the cause of all these things And all these things are sufficient arguments to shew the superabundancie of his loue to man aboue all other creatures whatsoeuer and therefore in many places this great loue of God is shewed with notes of incomprehensiblenesse as so God loued the world so as it cannot be expressed and againe behold what manner of loue the father hath shewed vnto vs that we should be called the sonnes of God And yet heere we must vnderstand that this loue of God to mankinde is twofold 1. common to the iust and vniust Bern. Serm. 14. de coena domini 2. speciall to the Elect onely in whom the loue of God doth more manifestly appeare and vpon whom hee bestoweth all the benefits of his loue And of these also hee loueth some The holier we are the dearer God loues vs. better then others for there bee three sorts of Elects 1. Some whom God hath decreed to iustifie but as yet are not regenerate as Paul while he was a Persecutor 2. Others in whom regeneration is inchoated and the reliques of sinne remaining as the Saints in earth 3. Others in whom perfect obedience is effected and their sanctification fully accomplished as the Saints in heauen He loueth the first wel the second better but the third best of al for the holier we be the neerer vnto his image the dearer wee are beloued of him and therefore hee saith diligentes me diligo I loue them that loue me and I will shew mercie on them that keepe my commandements as if hee should say I loue all men well but I loue them especially aboue all men that loue me and keepe my commandements And this S. Augustine sheweth most excellently Aug. tom 9. in Ioh. saying Omnia diligit Deus quae fecit inter ea magis diligit creaturas rationabiles de illis eas amplius quae sunt membra vnigeniti sui multo magis vnigenitum God loueth all that hee made and among them hee chiefly loueth his reasonable creatures that is men and of all men the members of his sonne and his sonne himselfe aboue them all Now these things being thus made manifest what the loue of God is how farre it extendeth and how hee loueth all creatures it is easie enough to know whom the Apostle meaneth by the beloued of God not those that he loued best for they were in heauen and not in Rome nor those that he loued least because they liued in their sinnes but those that were regenerated and sanctified in some measure as the next words doe declare called to be Saints De 2. The Apostle in these few What lessons wee may learne from this doctrine of the loue of God words doth giue vs to learne many things but especially 1. A confutation of heretiques 2. A consolation for Christians 3. A manifold instruction for all men in their liues and conuersations 1. Seeing the Apostle doth not call them diligentes Deum the Louers of God or those that loue God though they did so too but dilectos Dei beloued of God or those whom God did loue hee sheweth hereby that the loue The loue of God to vs is the cause of all our goodnesse of God is the primary and efficient cause of our sanctitie and goodnesse and not our goodnes the cause of his loue and therefore this confuteth the Doctrine of humane merit and the foggie mist of the Pelagian heresie fayning fancying certaine causes without God as the Schoole-men speake that is not subsisting in God himselfe but externally mouing the will of God to determine and dispose of sundry things As if the workes of men foreseene of God and not the loue of God to men were the cause why hee elected and called them vnto sanctity that not his loue and grace to vs but our good vsing of his grace should bee the cause why he bestoweth his grace vpon vs. A doctrine cleane contrary to the order of this Scripture and indeede contrary to all truth for our Sauiour telleth his disciples you haue not chosen Ioh. 15. mee but I haue chosen you and ordained that you should bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remaine Whereupon S. Augustine most excellently hic vacat vana illorum ratiocinatio S. Aug. Tract 86. in Iohan. qui praescientiam Dei defendunt contra gratiam Dei this confuteth their vaine babling which defend the prescience of God to the derogation and preiudice of the grace of God For if God did therefore chuse vs because he did foresee know we would be good then he did not choose vs to make vs good but rather we choose him in purposing to be good but our Sauiour saith you haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you and the Apostle sheweth that Eph. 1. 4. God did not choose vs because hee foresaw wee would bee holy but hee chose vs to the end we might be holy and that he did not predestinate vs vpon the fore-sight of the good vse of our free will but according to the good pleasure of his owne will quae omnium quae sunt ipsa est causa And therefore nullum eligit dignum S. Aug. contra Iul. pelag li. 5. c. 3. sed aligendo efficit dignū God did chuse none because he was worthie but God maketh him worthy because he chuseth him neither doth he loue any of vs because we loue him first but therefore 1 Iohn 4. 19. we loue him because he loued vs first for if he had neuer loued vs we could neuer haue loued him his loue therefore to vs is the cause of our loue to him and of all other our goodnesse and not our loue and goodnesse the cause
heed vnto our selues and not harden our hearts any longer but let vs hearken vnto his voice lest he sweare in his wrath that we shall not enter into his rest But indeed all these kinds of outward callings are but in vaine and bring no benefit vnlesse the Lord calleth vs inwardly by his spirit for 1. Nisi spiritus adsit cordi audientis In vaine is al outward calling vnlesse we be inwardly called by Gods Spirit Greg. hom 30. super Euangel inanis est labor docentis In vaine do we preach vnto your eares vnlesse the Spirit of God doth open your hearts as he did the heart of Lydia that you may beleeue our preaching as she did the preaching of Paul 2. All the blessings of the world will but puffe vs vp with pride as they did the Israelites as Moses sheweth dilectus Deut. 32. 15 meus impinguatus calcitrauit my beloued fatted and inlarged spurned with his heeles vnlesse God doth giue vs the grace to vse those blessings to the glory of his name 3. All punishments and all iudgements will sooner worke desperation then conuersion in a sinfull soule vnlesse the grace of God worke true humility in vs to make a right vse of his fatherly chastisements And this experience daily sheweth First the word is preached the one beleeueth the other refuseth it Secondly God bestoweth his blessings vpon men the one is puffed vp with pride the other is truly thankfull Thirdly God sendeth his iudgements the one groweth desperate with Saul the other is humbled with Dauid And what is the cause of this to the one sort hee sendeth his messengers onely to call them outwardly to the other sort he sendeth his spirit and giueth his grace to make them yeeld vnto his calling and this effectuall calling of the Saints to beleeue the Gospell and to obey the voyce of God is the effect and fruit of the loue of God Whensoeuer therefore wee be outwardly called by what way or meanes soeuer it bee let vs presently pray to God that hee would inwardly worke in our hearts to incline them to yeeld vnto his calling else will the outward calling bring no benefit but only make vs without excuse And so much of their vocation 3. Touching their sanctification called to bee Saints wee must vnderstand that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued froÌ„ the pâ—iuatiue particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies the earth as if it were a separating from earthly things So it signifieth a pure and a cleane thing free from all contagion and touch of inferiour things and it is taken two waies 1. simpliciter 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simply or in some respect 1. In the first sense God onely is of himselfe and of his owne nature simply holy and the author of all holinesse for God is light and in him there is no â— Ioh. 1. darknesse at all and the blessed Virgin saith holy is his name Conueniunt rebus nominasaepe suis And this name sheweth his nature and the greatest praise of God for the glorious Seraphims which Esaias saw Esay 6. and those wonderous creatures which S. Iohn did see cryed three times holy Apoc. 4. holy holy Lord God of hosts which we doe not read of any other attribute of God And therefore Damascen reporteth Damasc l. 3. c. 10. that when the people of Constantinople were terribly afraid of some dangers did humbly pray vnto God against the same a childe was suddenly rapt vp on high and was taught by the Angels this holy Song Sanctus Deus Sanctus fortis Sanctus immortalis miserere nostri holy God holy Almighty holy immortall God haue mercy vpon vs and when he was restored downe and declared the same vnto the people the whole multitude sung the same incessantly and so were deliuered from all the dangers that they feared And for this cause the third person of the blessed Trinitie as by a proper name is called holy spirit and therefore in that golden plate that was to adorne Aarons forehead was ingrauen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 28. 36 as the Septuagint translate it that is sanctitas Iehouae as Tremellius or sanctum Domino as the vulgar hath it holines to the Lord or all sanctity is to be ascribed vnto the Lord and doth onely proceede from the Lord. In this respect our Church in her highest straine of deuotion immediately after the receiuing of the blessed Sacrament sings vnto God tu solus Sanctus thou only art holy thou onely art the Lord that is simply in all respects essentially in himselfe and causally the fountaine of all holinesse and purity in all his creatures And yet of all Gods attributes this is most contradicted and murmured against by the wicked as if he were not pure vpright and holy especially 1. In the election of his creatures 2. In the distribution of his graces 3. In the remuneration of our deserts But for the first wee answer that he hath ius absolutum in creaturas an absolute right ouer all his creatures so that hee may doe with it what he will euen as the Potter hath power of the clays Rom. 9. as the Apostle sheweth and yet we say that hee doth not vse the same nor preparare filios ad patibulum but finding them all in the masse of corruption by Adams transgression hee doth shew mercy vpon whom he will and whom he will he leaueth still in that state wherein they were not created nor intruded by him but most miserably fallen in the loynes of Adam So that herein God sheweth vnto his elect indebitam misericordiam more then deserued mercy to the other nothing but debitam institiam what they most iustly deserued To the second wee say that although hee giueth to one fiue talents to others but one to others none at all that hee exalteth one pulleth downe another and so of all other gifts and graces whether temporall or spirituall yet wee say that hee doth no wrong to him that hath least or that hath none at all quia non tenetur Creator creaturae because hee is debtor to none and hee is not bound to giue vnto any and therefore may most iustly and freely doe what he will with his owne as our Sauiour sheweth most excellently in the Parable of the Labourers hired vnto his vineyard And to the third wee answer that in giuing vnto them which by continuance in well doing seeke glory and honor and immortality eternall life hee sheweth himselfe most gracious mercifull Rom. 2. as all men will confesse and in rendring vengeance to them that obey not God indignation and wrath vpon euery soule that sinneth hee sheweth himselfe most iust and vpright And therefore the Prophet Esay ch 5. after hee had set downe many of Gods iudgements against the wicked lest any should thinke God vniust therein hee addeth that the Lord of hosts should be exalted in iudgement and the
holy God should be sanctified in iustice vers 16. that is pure and holy and commended for his iustice And so you see that as the Prophet Dauid saith the Lord is righteous in all his workes and holy in all his wayes and though as S. Augustine saith the iudgements of God occulta esse possunt cannot bee alwayes vnderstood of vs by reason of our owne ignorance yet imusta esse non possunt they are alwayes most iust and holy and therefore hee is holy holy holy holy in the election of his creatures holy in the distribution of his graces and holy in the retribution of our deserts holy simply holy in all respects and the only fountaine of all holinesse 2. There are other things called holy by communication of holinesse or by receiuing the same from this fountaine of holinesse and in this sense wee finde holinesse ascribed to the creatures and especially to foure sorts of them viz. 1. To the man Christ Iesus 2. To all truely faithfull 3. To all outward Profâ—ssors 4. To all things dedicated 1. In this kinde of holinesse the man Christ Iesus holdeth the first place for hee is perfectly holy and so is none Aug. to â— Beda in Lu. l. 1. c. 2 f. 63. besides him saith S Aug and therfore Beda saith that hee is singulariter Sanctus singularly holy and perfectly holy in a double respect 1. By reason of the hypostaticall vnion with the Deity 2. By reason of the most perfect quality of holinesse impressed in his humanity For hee receiued the Spirit of Sanctity without measure and therefore he is called that holy thing and that holy one conceiued without sinne because conceiued of the holy Ghost borne without sinne because borne of a Virgin and liued without sinne because in his mouth was found no guile and therfore among all creatures hee only is perfectly and singularly holy 2. S. Bernard tells vs that among other creatures there bee Saints from heauen whereby as I thinke he meaneth the Angels and Saints from the earth whereof saith he there be 1. Some in heauen 2. Some in earth 1. Those that are in heauen are these holy men that hauing ouercome the world and being deliuered from all sinne and endued with perfect holinesse doe now triumph with Christ and alwayes behold the face of God And because they are perfectly deliuered from sin and from the striuing betwixt the flesh and the spirit and are now receiued into that Sanctum SanctoruÌ„ the holy of holies into which none vncleane thing shall enter Reu. 21. vlt. and are likewise now not onely holy by the imputatiue righteousnesse of Christ but also by a perfect inherent righteousnesse quia facti sunt propè because they are made neere vnto God not onely by a blessed communion through the inhabitation of grace but also by an immediate coniunction through the fruition of glory therfore the name of Saints may more properly bee giuen and ascribed to them then to the holiest and godliest man vpon the face of the earth And therfore this should teach vs as not to ascribe too much honour so not to deny their due honour vnto them Bellarmine indeed doth ascribe too Bellar. l. 1. c. 7. de Sanct. beatitud too much vnto them as 1. The canonization of some of them for Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aboue all others 2. The inuocatioÌ„ of theÌ„ in our praiers 3. The erection of Temples to them 4. The oblation of Eucharisticall sacrifices vpon their canonicall houres 5. The celebration of so many holidayes to them 6. The collation of their Pictures in our Churches 7. The adoration of their reliques All which the word of God neuer commanded themselues neuer required the primitiue Church neuer practised in that sort as our aduersaries haue maintained for 1. Their canonization began not C. 1. extra de reliq sanctor till 880. when Adrian tooke vpon him this authority and Alexander the 3. confirmed it or not before Leo the 3. as Bellarmine himselfe confesseth 2. Their inuocation by vs and intercession for vs was a point neuer questioned vntill the time of Origen Orig. lib. 2. ad Rom. ho. 3. in Cant. Nazian Orat de laude Gorgoniae and afterwards by Nazianzen it was proposed doubtfully but neuer receiued certainly 3. The dedication of Temples was but onely a naming of the Churches after their names either because they were builders of them or onely for distinction sake to know one Church from the other for S. Augustine proueth Aug. l. 1. cont Maxim none but God should haue any Temple erected to him and S. Basil and S. Ambrose doe proue the Holy Ghost to bee a true God because hee hath a Temple 4. The Canonicall houres were not intuted Walfridus de rebus eccl c. 15. a long while after the time of the Apostles saith Walfridus 5. For holy daies wee celebrate as many as the first Christians did 6. Their pictures wee confesse may bee vsed for ciuill vses but not in Temples to bee worshipped nor for Lay-mens bookes to bee accounted 7. Their reliques are but forgeries wee know not which they bee for though the crosse of Christ was no bigger then a man might beare yet the parcles of wood that they say were parts of that crosse if they were gathered together would loade a ship and so wee may thinke of all other reliques And therefore though they bee perfect Saints in Heauen yet dare we not giue more honour vnto them then the word of God doth warrant vnto vs. But on the other side we should not derogaâ—e their due from them for as Heluidius in the time of S. Ierome was a Mariae mastix as Roffensis termes Roffensis l. contr Lutherum f. 8. in margine him so haue wee many that are the scourge of the Saints cannot endure to call them Saints wee must therefore vnderstand that the Saints in heauen are to bee honoured and highly esteemed of vs for naturale est praemium virtutis Arles l. 1. c. 12. aethic honos it is a naturall thing that praise should bee the reward of vertue so God promiseth that men should speake of their wisedome and the congregations should declare their praises and therefore the sonne of Syrach doth Ecclus. 44. highly commend the Saints of God and so Saint Paul himselfe and S. Augustine saith in Deo laudandi sunt they Heb. 11. Aug. to 2. f. 223. Damasc l. 4. c. 16. de fide Orthod Amb. serm 6. in fine are to bee praysed in the Lord and Damascen saith that it behooueth vs to honour the Saints as the friends of Christ and as the sonnes and heyres of God and S. Ambrose saith that whosoeuer honoureth a Martyr honoureth Christ and hee that despiseth the Saints despiseth the Lord for that they are not onely the consorts of Angels but also the glory of God as Theophilact speaketh f. 191. 2. For that wee receiue much benefit by them for by
their paines the word of God is explained to vs by their blood the truth of God is preserued and sealed vnto vs and by their examples wee are prouoked to sanctity quia sanctorum vita norma viuendi nobis est the liues of the Saints is a rule of life to vs saith S. Ambrose and the history of Ambros to 4. f. 248. the Saints doth induce vs to imitate their examples saith Nazianzen de laude Basilij And therefore seeing wee receiue so much good from them both for illustration of Doctrine and imitation in manners though wee doe not adore them as Gods yet wee doe reuerence and honor them for Saints and as the remembrance of Iosias is like the composition of the perfume that is made by the Art of the Apothecary so the remembrance of the Saints is precious vnto vs their memoriall is blessed wee reuerence their names we loue their pictures more deere then the pictures of our deerest friends and in all respect we giue them as much as either God commanded or themselues required 2. Those that are Saints on earth are taken 1. Primarily for the faithfull Ministers 2. Secondarily for the godly Christians For 1. S. Ambrose in 2. Cor. 1. saith Preachers aboue all meÌ„ should excell in sanctitie that by Saints may be vnderstood the Priests or Preachers of Gods word and it is obserued by S. Cyril Maldonat Bernard and others that heretofore the Prophets or Preachers and holy men or Saints were voces conuertibiles equiualent speeches and so it seemes that the name of Prophet in Gen. 20. 7. Luke 7. 16. Iohn 9. 17. doth imply a holy and an vpright man And therefore Dauid ascribeth this Epithete vnto Aaron the Saint of the Psal Lord. For they are as a Citie placed vpon a hill on whom euery eie doth looke and of whom euery tongue doth speake and therefore they should approue themselues to be Sancti 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saints aboue al others like Greg. Nazianzen of whom Ruffinus testifieth Ruffinus in vita Naz. that ea docuit quae fecit seipsum minimè condemnauit agendo contraria quam do cebat he did the things which he taught and did not condemne himselfe by teaching one thing and doing the contrarie for a true Preacher preacheth not only with his words in the Church but also by his workes in the world and he that preacheth vnto others and doth not the same himselfe is like the Cooke that dresseth good meat for others but tasteth not a bit himselfe But he is a true Preacher that is in A true Preacher should preach both in life and doctrine verbis Chrysostomus in factis Polycarpus the voice of a Cryer in the pulpit and a Saint of God in the world a painfull Preacher and a godly liuer and therefore in the garment of the Priest there were to be a golden Bell and a Pomegranate a golden Bell and a Pomegranate in the skirts of the robe round about And the Law threatned death vnto the Priest if he made not a Greg. Pastor p. 2. c. 4 sound with his Bels i. if he preached not the Gospell as Saint Gregory expoundeth it And you know that in a golden Bell there are two things 1. Matter 2. Sound or 1. Price 2. Pleasure For a golden Bell 1. Pretio valet 2. Dulciter souat It is pretious in estimation and pleasant in the eloquution So should our Sermons be full of profitable matters in a pleasant stile for a good matter slubbered vp in rude termes becommeth loath some to the hearers and elegancie of words without soundnesse of matter is but nicenesse and vanitie and therefore a Preacher should match words of delight with words of truth for the lips of the Spouse i. the Preachers of the Church as S. Gregorie IdeÌ„ in Cantic expoundeth it nam praedicatores benè labia dicuntur quia per eos populis loquitur Christus populus Christo drop downe hony combes i. excellent matter and that very sweetly And to the golden Bels should be added Pomegranates which is an excellent fruit and was therefore added for a symboll of good workes for he wanteth not Pomegranates to his Bels that ioineth holy workes vnto his heauenly words saith S. Gregorie and all this was to signifie what sanctitie and holinesse was required in the life of the Priests aboue all other men whatsoeuer And therefore the Fathers of the Primitiue Church were wonderfull holy and vpright they had stabilitatem in fide sanctitatem in opere such constancie in their profession and such sinceritie in their conuersation as that none could iustly accuse them as Ruffinus in the life of Nazian Nazianzen in the praise of S. Basil and Possidon in the life of S. Augustine and S. Ierome in the life of the Fathers doe declare But within a short time this sanctitie was changed to iniquitie and that saying was fulfilled qualis Sacerdos talis populus like Priest like people nay saith S. Bernard the Priest became worse then the people and did burne in lust and concupisence so that Mane filium virginis afferunt in choro Legi quotatum ex Innocent 3. Nocte filium Veneris agitant in thoro And then they respected the satisfying of their lusts more then the sauing of their soules and regarded their fleeces more then their flockes for which it was truly spoken Pastores odere grâ—gem nec pascere curant Sed tondere pecus pecorique illudere tonso they became most wicked in their conuersations and at last dumbe dogges in their functions worse then all that should be holier then all and therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against vs and he deliuered vs into the hands of our enemies and tooke away the rewards of our labours to see if this would make vs seeke vnto his name Wherefore beloued brethren seeing the Lord requireth that the Preachers of his word should be the holiest in their liues it behoueth vs to pray to God with Moses that his Vrim and his Thummim may be vpon the men of his mercie that he would indue his Ministers with righteousnesse that all his people may be ioyfull and that he would giue vs grace to take heede vnto our selues and to all the flocke of Christ whereof the holy Ghost hath made vs Ouerseers for it is most certaine that omnis negligenter pascens toties sibi commendatum dominicum gregem conuincitur summum non amare pastorem Hee that cares not for the flocke cares not for him whose flocke it is as Damascen Epist 4. speaketh 2. All other Christians that doe truly All Christians are Saints in a threefold respect beleeue in Christ that are washed in his bloud and sanctified by his Spirit are likewise called Saints and that in a three-fold respect 1. In respect of their head Christ Iesus into whom they are incorporated for he is the holiest of all holies as I shewed you
before and therfore they being his members they must needs be holy 2. In respect of the graces of Gods holy Spirit wherewith they are endued as faith and repentance whereby their sins are cleansed and the righteousnesse of Christ imputed vnto them For the word Sanctus may be taken à verbo sanciendi saith S. Augustine because that 〈…〉 is called Sanctum which is constant and firme but there is nothing that hindereth vs to remaine firme for euer but only sinne and therefore sanctitie coâ—sisteth in the condonation and remission câ—sinne saith this father And the Apostle doth inferre as much when after he had rehearsed a They are Saints that haue their sinnes remitted catalogue of the sinnes of the Corinthians and said that sometimes they were such and such he addeth But now ye are washed but now ye are sanctified to shew that when our sinnes are washed our vnrighteousnesse forgiuen our iniquities couered then are we sanctified And Saint Chrysostome vpon these Chrysost in hom 5. words called Saints saith that the Apostle meaneth hereby all beleeuers And S. Ambrose saith the Apostle meaneth these by Saints which doe thinke well of Christ and he sheweth them to be those Qui censent ei soli fidendum in ipso credunt perfectam esse salutem which beleeue only in Christ and expect perfect saluation from Christ and so the Apostle saith that fide purificantur corda faith purifieth the hearts but that which is purified is holy And therefore they were called Saints in respect of their faith and repentance which washed away their sinnes and indued them with the righteousnes of Christ Whosoeuer therefore would bee a Saint he must be penitent for his sinnes and wash the same away with the teares of true repentánce So S. Peter did fleuit amarè he wept bitterly saith the Scripture vt lachrymae lauarent delictum that his teares might wash away his sinne saith S. Ambrose Vade fac tu similiter Ambros in Luc. if thou wilt be a Saint thou must doe the like Lachrymis dilue culpam to cleanse away thy sinnes with teares for Lachrymis opus est non sanguine dixit Saepe per has flecti principis irasolet And we must beleeue in Christ if we will bee Saints for faith layeth hold of his righteousnesse and applyeth the same vnto vs and maketh vs Saints by the imputatiue sanctity of Christ who was made vnto vs wisedome iustification sanctification and redemption 3. In respect of the holinesse and piety 1. Cor. The Christians of the primitiue Church were most holy in all their life which they practised For though they liued in the world yet were they separated from the world and had their conuersations in heauen and respected not the vanities of this life but deemed them as nothing and worth nothing damnuÌ„ stercora as dung and drosse and triuiall things as the Apostle speaketh And therefore if wee compare the life of the Saints with the life of the wicked wee shall see as much difference betwixt them as is betwixt light and darknesse for whereas the wicked haue their feete swift to shed blood and are Mezentius-like contemners of the Gods or as the Sicilian Tyrants vndoers of men these godly Saints saith S. Augustine did wholly separate themselues Aug. in ps to 9. f. 410. from euill and fixe their whole desire on Christ in summo bono sese delectabantâ—â— and forsaking all worldly delights they delighted themselues onely in the chiefest good and S. Chrysostome saith aliena commoda propriis Chrys to 1. anteponebant they preferred their neighbours good before their owne proper gaine they shed teares for sinners and were ready to lay down their liues euen for their enemies and were of all men admired both for their humility and charity for caeteris omnibus humiliores fuerunt saith S. Ambrose they were more meeke and lowly then all others and they were so bounteous that Christiana religio propter Christianorum erga omnes cuiuscunque religionis beneficentiam propagata est the Christian Religion by reason of their exceeding liberality to all men did wonderfully increase saith Maximinus And therefore as it was the wish of Wee are now farre short of the sanctity of our forefathers Caesar that hee had such souldiers as were in the time of Alexander the Great so doe I wish with all my heart that wee had such Saints as these our fore-fathers were for wee are but like the leaues of the Cypresse tree whereof the Poet saith Pulchra coma est pulchro digestaeque ordine Alâ—iat Emblem frondes Sed fructus nullos haec coma pulchra gerit Faire leaues but no fruite or like the Scribes and Pharisies whose righteousnesse and sanctity was saith S. Chrysostome in ostentatione non in rectitudine intentionis in ostentation not in sincerity of intention or like the meteor which the Philosophers called assub that made a great fiery shew for a while and then suddenly vanisht to nothing But the whole life of the former Saints was a continuall exercise of piety and sanctity they were iust in promise though it were to their owne hinderance they were plaine in their attire and moderate in their diet S. Basil and Sozomene write that the Basil Orat. de 40. mart Sozâ—m l. 7. beholding of their vpright and godly life moued many heathens to become Christians and Eusebius saith that Maximinus and other cruell Tyrants could not choose but wonder to see how sedulous they were in doing good and how carefull in auoyding euill with true fastings earnest prayers diligent watchings and painfull labours in their vocations and therefore in respect of their inchoatiue inherent sactity they might well bee called the Saints of God that liued so holily in the sight of God But against this it may be obiected Obiect that they were not so holy nor could not bee such Saints when as the best of them were tainted with great and grieuous sinnes as Noah Dauid Peter c. I answer that all Saints in earth haue their sinnes for whosoeuer saith he hath The best Saints had their imperfections no sinne hee deceiues himselfe and there is no truth in him Quia nihil peccare solius Dei est sapientis est emendare poenitentiam agere de peccato And yet if wee say wee haue no righteousnesse we belye the gifts of God or else wee bee no Christians what then Aliquid iustitiae haebemus aliquid non habemus some righteousnesse wee haue and some wee want wee are baptized and therefore our sinnes are forgiuen to vs and yet there resteth a conflict against sinne against the flesh the world and the Diuell but hee that striueth sometimes striketh and sometimes is stricken and therfore though wee haue some sanctity yet all sanctity wee cannot haue saith S. Augustine Aug. to 10. de verb. Apostoli ser 16. f. 131 and therefore the holiest and purest men are both Saints and
contra Mendac ad Consent but only those are to be followed wherein they follow Christ for he is that true way which leadeth vnto life and that true vibilia which will preserue euery man from wandering that will be guided by his direction and therefore to say we haue erred with our Fathers whether in life or doctrine will not excuse vs in the day of triall 3. Zanchie obserueth that all those Zanch. in c. 1. ad Philip that are baptized and doe professe Christian Religion are likewise called Saints for though many of the Iewes were wicked people yet because they professed themselues separated from the world and associated themselues to the communion of Saints they were all called gens sancta populus Sanctus a holy nation and a chosen people Euen so the professors of Christ are called Saints before men though they be neuer so wicked before God but herein standeth the difference The true Saints are not only professors but also practisers of true holinesse and therefore they be Saints Sanctitate Sacramentali imputatiua inherente by profession by imputation and by an inchoated inherent sanctitie but the other are only sacramentall Saints Saints only by profession and not by practise Saints outward but not inward a great shew of holines ad extra before the world but their inward parts are very wickednesse as the Prophet speaketh And surely these Saints multiplicati There be many sorts of fained Saints sunt super numerum are infinite in number and of diuers sorts as 1. The proud Saint 2. The idle Saint 3. The prophane Saint 4. The verball Saint 5. The Herodian Saint 6. The Pharisaicall Saint or Professor 1. Are those who in their pride and womanish nicenesse do withdraw themselues froÌ„ the Church as if God and his ministers were all bound to attend them doe turne their parlors into temples their carousing pots into communion cuppes whereas S. Chrysostome Chrys to 4. in 1. Cor. hom 36. saith that neque vnguentaria taberna nec officina forensis ecclesia est wee must not make our shops or tauernes to be temples for that the Church is locus Angelorum locus Archangelorum regia Dei coelum ipsum a place or a house of Angels of Archangels the Court of God and Heauen it selfe 2. Are those who vpon a carelesse negligence are like those of whom S. Chrysostome complaineth that toto anno Idem in 2. Cor. hom 2. vix semel in ecclesia conspiciuntur are scarce seene in the Church once a yeere and therefore are worse then the very Iewes as S. Ambrose speaketh for Ambros ser 19. in Psal 119. that they came neere vnto God with their mouthes and honoured him with their lips but these giue him neither speech nor presence 3. Are those who though they come to the Church yet were it as good they came not at all for that they make the house of prayer a place of intemperate babling or else otij diuersorium Seneca â—p ad Lucil. somni domum a place of sleeping and snorting as Eutichus did 4. Are those that are like the Iewes indeed that draw neere vnto God with their lips but their hearts are farre from him 5. Are those that like Herod will be contented to amend many of their lesser faults but their deere and darling sinnes they cannot yet relinquish 6. Are those that as the Pharisies deuoured widowes houses vnder the colour of long prayers so doe these commit all villanies vnder this colour of pietie these men are oues habitu vulpes astu crudelitate lupi in sheepes cloathing but inwardly they are rauening wolues none make more shew of pietie none are fuller of all iniquitie I will say no more of them but as Saint Augustine saith vae illi misero qui sanctitatem Aug. l. de Spiritu anima c. 62. seruat in memoria scribit in charta sed non habet in vita Woe to those miserable men that haue sanctitie and pietie in their mindes in their tongues and in the sight of men but not in their hearts in their liues or in the sight of God Wherefore beloued brethren let not vs be such Saints as these be for we must be holy as God is holy i. truely and sincerely without hypocrisie for God made vs in his owne image which consisteth in holinesse and true righteousnesse but these are holy as the deuill is holy and transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light i. only in shew that he may deceiue vs for that tuta frequensque via sub amici fallere nomen it is easie to deceiue vnder a fained shew 4. All other things that are dedicated to Zanch. in ca 5. ad Philip. holy vses and to the seruice of God are likewise Sancta sanctified things but of these I will say nothing in this place as being without the compasse of this Text. And so much for the manifold sorts of Saints Yet one thing more I must needs note touching these differences of these Saints that some would haue these words called to bee Saints ioyned together as if the Apostle meant that they were called from the filthinesse of sinne Erasm in h. loc vnto holinesse of life and thereby would giue them to vnderstand two things 1. Terminus à quo That is from what they were called from darknes from wickednes therfore that they should not returne with the dog into his vomit or with the sow to wallow in the mire a doctrine against backsliding reuolters 2. Terminus ad quem That is vnto what they were called vnto sanctity vnto light and therefore should walke as children of light and bee now a great deale more holy and more wary to commit sinne then euer they were before for this is the end of our election Ephes 4. Holines the onely thing that God requireth of vs. Heb. 13. 14. that wee should be holy of our redemption that wee should bee holy and of our vocation that wee should bee holy yea this is the end of all that wee should bee holy For without holinesse no man shall see the face of God but the pure in heart are blessed because they shall see God and no maruell for though the Philosophers say penes scire maxime attenditur similitudo hominum ad Deum that knowledge makes men come neerest to the similitude of God yet Diuinity saith that by sanctity and purity we are made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consortes 2. Pet. 1. 4. diuinae naturae partakers of the diuine nature not by transformation or incorporation of vs into the identity or nature of God but by the conformation of vs to the similitude and likenesse of God especially in this one attribute of being holy as hee is holy for licet potestas subiectionem maiestas Bern. Serm. 1. in Die nat Dom. admirationem neutra tamen imitationem though the power of God inciteth vs to subiection and his maiesty moueth vs
can doe vnto them nor what the deuill can doe against them And therefore S. Gregorie saith nulla nocebit aduersitas si nulla dominatur iniquitas no aduersitie can hurt thee if no sinne doth raigne ouer thee And so you see the three-fold peace which the holy Apostle wisheth vnto the Saints and which euery godly Saint enioyeth But here before we passe any further we must consider that as the Saints haue this three-fold peace so they haue a treble warre for alas alas non potest Bern. in parab Christi ecclesiae esse pax firma solida nisi in regione sua we may not looke for firme and perfect peace but in the kingdome of peace saith S. Bernard And therefore our life is but a warfare The life of the Saints is a continuall war a warfare against three mortall enemies 1. The World and all vanities 2. The Flesh and all concupiscence 3. The Deuill and all temptations 1. The loue of the world is enmitie 1 Ioh. 2. 15. with God saith the Apostle and therefore we must not only vse the world as though we vsed it not but wee must despise it and trample it vnder our feet and haue no fellowship with the workers of iniquitie but super custodiam nostram stare to stand vpon our guard Hab. 2. 1. and to professe open hostilitie against them for as Iehu said vnto Iehoram what peace can there bee so long as the 2 Reg. 9. 22. where domes of Iesabel her witcherafts are so many so say I to the wicked worldlings what peace can they expect from the Saints so long as their whoredomes idolatries drunkennesse swearing and other fearefull sinnes and most horrible abominations doe remaine and reigne amongst them for we must hate the very garment that is spotted with sinne as the Apostle speaketh Jude ep ver 23. 2. The flesh lusteth against the spirit Gal. 5. 17. saith S. Paul and lust when it hath conceiued bringeth forth sinne and Iac. 1. 15. sinne when it is finished bringeth death saith S. Iames and therefore cum Aug. to 10. f. 333. c. 2. vitijs bellum semper est habendunt we must euer striue and fight against our vices and against the concupiscence and the lusts of our flesh which alwaies fight against our soules saith S. Augustine 3. Satan goeth about like a roaring 1 Pet. 5. 8. Lion seeking whom he may deuoure he enticeth vs to sinne and when we haue sinned he accuseth vs to God and he bringeth vs to hell and there he plagueth vs for euer for our sinnes And therefore pax nostra bellum contra Satanam saith Tertullian Our only way Tertullian in lib. ad Martyr to haue peace with God is to make warre against the deuill and when he seeketh to tempt vs to any vice to say vade Satana non tentabis auoid Satan Matt. 4. 10. thou false inticer and the accuser of our brethren I will not yeeld vnto thy wicked suggestions And so you see that although the Saints be at peace with God at peace with men and at peace with their owne selues yet must they looke for nothing else but war war with the world and all worldly vanities warre with sinne and with all sinfull men and war with Satan and with all Satans temptations In this respect our Sauiour saith he came not to send peace into the world but the sword yea many times to set a man at variance against his father and the Matt. 9. 35. daughter against her mother and the daughter in law against her mother in law yea and that which seemes worst of all to set a man against himselfe For if any man will come after me he Mat. 16. 24. must deny himselfe and take vp his crosse and follow me saith our Sauiour i. he must not only resist the deuill and suffer all the miseries that the world can inflict vpon him but he must mortifie the deeds of his owne flesh and destroy Rom. 6. 6. the whole body of sinne And in this respect the whole life of the Saints is called a warfare and all the Saints are called Souldiers that must manfully fight this christian battle and that three waies or after a threefold manner 1. By the word of the minister 2. By the sword of the magistrate 3. By the lawfull assistance of euery man For all these must ioyne together not only to fight each one against his owne sinnes but also with vnited forces to fight against all the enemies of the Lord. 1. We that are the ministers like chiefe captaines must crie aloud and spare not to tell the people their transgressions Esay 58. 1. The Ministers must be chiefe Captaines in the war against the wicked and the house of Iaacob their offences we must refute their errors reproue their sinnes and indeuour by all meanes to destroy whatsoeuer maketh against the glorious Gospell of Christ To this end it is worth the noting which the Apostle speaketh that the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds and imaginations and euery high thing that exalteth 2 Cor. 10. 4 5 6. it selfe against the knowledge of God and to the bringing into captiuity of euery thought to the obedience of Christ and hauing vengeance in a readinesse against all disobedience You see how strongly we are armed and how well we are weaponed to fight against the wicked And yet because we doe all this but with the word of our lips the wicked feare vs not but let them looke vnto it for that word is sharper then a two-edged sword and it is able to diuide their soules in sunder and to condemne them all in the day of condemnation as our Sauiour sheweth The word that I haue Ioh. 12. 48. spoken the same shall iudge them in the last day 2. The Magistrates must be likewise The Magistrates must warre against the wicked Captaines and Commanders in this warre of God and with the sword of iustice they must cut off Idolaters Heretickes Schismatikes and such like enemies of our peace and roote out all the workers of iniquitie from the Church of God as King Asa Iehu Iehosophat Iosias and Ezechias and all good kings and gouernours euer did and as the Lord commandeth all to doe Cantic 2. 15. For they are the ministers of God to take vengeance on Rom. 13. 4. such as doe euill 3. Euery priuate man after a iust and Euery man must ioyne helpe to warre against the wicked lawfull manner in his owne place and station must to the vttermost of his ability aide and assist both Magistrate and Minister to roote out sinne debellare superbos and to subdue the workers of iniquitie For In communem hostem quilibet homo miles Euery man must fight when euery man is interessed in the danger or else the sparing of our enemies will proue to be a
no darknesse at all And therefore God appeared to Moses in a flame of fire to Exâ—d 3. shew that he would cherish and comfort that poore people which were so much distressed and tormented of the Egiptians these be the two properties of fire to cherish or consume for nothing is so comfortable as fire if it be before vs nothing so violent if it be vpon vs so nothing is more comfortable then God vnto the godly nothing more terrible vnto wicked Tu terribilis Deus extunc ira tua who is able to abide his wrath And to these three deriuations of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zanch addeth a fourth That Zanch de nat Dei it may be deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by changing δ. into θ. which signifieth feare because of all nations he should be feared And indeed Primus in orbe Deos fecit timor feare makes vs know there is a God when a mans conscience telleth him that euery good shall be rewarded and euerie euill must be punished And so you haue the significations of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God take it how you will it serueth 1. To shew vs qualis est Deus that The greatnesse of Gods Maiestie should teach vs to feare him God is a great and terrible God that seeth all things disposeth all things and rewardeth all things according to their iust deserts 2. To teach vs quid sit nostri officij what our duties are to feare and tremble to offend this great and terrible God and to be affraid of his iudgements because it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God 2. Though God be a burning fire Exod. 3. yet he consumeth not presently for though the bramble bush burned because God was in it yet it consumed not because his goodnesse preserued Exod. 3. it euen so though in the first place we see his Maiesty and his title of feare and reuerence yet in the second place if you but looke a little further you shall see his lenitie and his titles of loue and boldnesse not one but many like a boundlesse Ocean that would extoll it selfe in goodnesse aboue himselfe Our Father and our Lord Iesus Christ Now these titles are to be considered two waies 1. In respect of the Father 2. In respect of the Sonne In both which respects the loue and goodnesse of God is most abundantly shewed vnto vs 1. In that he is our Father 2. In that he is our Lord and Sauiour Of these in order These two words Our Father containe the sum of the Law and the Gospell Our Father De 1. The titles that doe expresse the goodnesse of the first person are two 1. Pater Father 2. Noster Our Father The first is verbum fidei a word of faith The second is verbum spei charitatis a word of hope and charitie and therefore in these two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our Father are contained both 1. Lex operandi the law of workes Basil obseru 2. Lex credendi the law of Faith i. both the Law and the Gospell For 1. To loue God with all our heart with all our soule and with all our strength and our neighbour as our selues is the summe of the Law and the Prophets saith our Sauiour but the name of Father vt explicat ita excitat Eliensis in orat domin charitatem as it sheweth the loue of God to man so it stirreth vp and kindleth the loue of man towards God the word noster Our Father sheweth the fraternity and brother-hood of vs all as being the children of the same father and therefore should loue one another euen as brethren ought to doe so here is our loue to God and our neighbour 2. The sum of the Gospell is faith working by charity but Father is a word of faith a word of boldnesse and Our is a word of community a word of charity And therefore as the whole world is described in a little mappe saith Synesius so in these two little words are most closely included the sum of the Law and the Gospell And therefore I will handle them more particularly And first of the word Father then of Our Father De 1. God is said to be a Father God is a Father in two respects in two respects 1. Respectu filij in respect of his sonne Christ Iesus 2. Respectu creaturarum in respect of all his creatures 1. In respect of his Sonne Christ Iesus he is alwaies a Father from all eternities Quia ille semper Pater Aug. to 10. ser 33. in apend de diuersis ille semper filius ac proinde Pater nunquam non Pater filius nunquam non filius he is alwaies a Father the Sonne is alwaies a Sonne and therefore the Father was neuer no Father and the Sonne was neuer no Sonne Sed sicut semper Deus it a semper Pater habens semper filium quem semel genuit ex sua aequalem sibi natura but was as he was euer a God so he was euer a Father hauing euer a Son which he once begat of his own nature coequall vnto himselfe saith Saint Augustine 2. In respect of his creatures he is said to be a Father 1. Generally of all his creatures God is said to be the Father of all his creatures 2. Particularly of man the chiefest of his creatures 1. Seeing all creatures haue their being from him he may be well called the Father of them all quia Pater dat esserei And therefore Iob calleth him Iob 38. Pater pluuiae the father of the raine And Saint Iames calleth him Pater luminum the Father of the Iam. 1. lights And so in respect of creation he is the Father of all things 2. He is the Father of men after a more speciall manner then he is of all other creatures whatsoeuer and that two waies 1. In respect of their generation 2. In respect of their regeneration For 1. Whereas of all other things he did but say fiat lux let there be light and producat terra let the earth bud forth and of all other things he spake the word and they were made he commanded they stood fast yet when man was to be created he said Let vs make God is more properly the Father of men man as consulting with his wisdome in our owne image and likenesse as more properly to be our sonne then any other creature and so he breathed in the nostrils of man the breath of life and man became a liuing soule And therefore the very Heathens doe ascribe to the soule of man both maxima vis maximus honos the greatest power and the greatest honour and the prince of Philosophers telleth vs it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an infusion celestiall and no naturall traduction and therefore doth alwaies seeke to mount vp super altitudines terrae aboue all earthly things haerere origini
Because a little before the phrase of annointing was twice vsed for the annointing of the two kings Hazael and Iehu and therefore the same phrase was still vsed to annoint Elizeus for the appointing of him to be a Prophet 4. Because God himselfe seemeth to put a difference betwixt Christos and Prophetas the annointed and the Prophets when he saith touch not mine annointed and doe my Prophets no harme as if Prophets were not included in the word Christos mine annointed but rather were of another kinde and because extraordinary therefore not to be ordained with this ordinarie rite which belonged properly to the office of Kings and Priests which though they were most excellent yet were they successiue and ordinarie 5. Because S. Augustine saith that Aug. in Psal 26. duae personae illo tempore vngebantur two kinds of men were annointed at that time i. Kings and Priests induabus personis praefigurabatur futurus vnus Rex Sacerdos vtroque munere vnus Christus ideo Christus a chrismate i. vnctione and in both these persons was prefigured that one king and Priest which was to come euen that one Christ that was to inioy both functions and therefore was called Christ of his annointing and so both Ruffinus and S. Cyprian were of the Ruffinus in expos Symb. Cyprian in sermone de vnctione Christi same minde And surely as they doe not absolutely deny but the Prophets might be annointed so doe not I absolutely denie but these reasons may be true to proue that the Prophets were not annointed yet I am inclined with S. Clemens Eusebius Clemens l. 1. recog Euseb l. 1. Eccles hist and others to thinke that these three sorts of men were annointed with materiall oyle 1. Priests as Aaron Exod. 29. 7. 2. Kings as Saul Dauid c. 1 Sam. 10. 1. 3. Prophets as Elizeus 1 Reg. 19. 16. And therefore as these were outwardly annointed with oyle so Iesus was annointed with the inward vnction of the spirit of God to be 1. A Priest 2. A King 3. A Prophet 1. He was annointed to be a Priest for the Lord sware and will not repent thou art a Priest for euer after the order Psa 110. 4. That Christ was annointed to bee a Priest of Melchisedech And in these words the Prophet setteth downe 1. The certainty of his ordination the Lord sware that thou art a Priest 2. The irreuocability of his office the Lord will not repent it that thou art made a Priest 3. The perpetuity of his Priest-hood thou art a Priest for euer 4. The excellency of his Priest-hood for it is after the order of Melchisedech 1. It is certaine then that he is a Priest and so we may see in the 6. of Zach. 13. and almost in all places of the Epistle to the Heb. And therefore Tertullian calleth him Catholicus Tertul. l. 4. contr Marcion patris Sacerdos per quem munus Deo offerre debemus the Catholike Priest of his father by whom we are to offer our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiuing vnto God And although Saint Chrysostome denieth him to haue descended Chrys hom 16. in c. 5. Matt. of the Priestly linage yet venerable Bede affirmeth flatly that our Lord Iesus Christ which according to the flesh was to be true King Priest did therefore de vtraque stirpe Dauid sc Beda l. 1. in c. 1. Luc. Aaron ipsam carnem suscipere take his flesh both from the stocke of Dauid and Aaron But whether he did or not it was not much materiall for that his Priesthood was not after the order of Aaron but after the order of Melchisedech And so you see the certainty of his annointing to be a Priest 2. It is irreuocable not onely because the Lord spake it which had beene enough because he is immutable Iam. 1. without any shadow of turning but also because he sware it and addeth further that he will not repent it and therefore this truth that he is a Priest must needs be more irreuocable then the lawes of the Medes and Persians that cannot be changed 3. It is a perpetuall Priesthood i. The order of Melchisedech more excellent thē the order of Aaron in diuers respects an eternall Priesthood because it is not after the order of Aaron but after the order of Melchisedech for the Priesthood of Aaron was to be abolished when the Priesthood of Christ was to come in esse but the Priesthood of Melchisedech hath all the notes of eternitie For Melchisedech hath neither beginning of daies nor end of life but is likened vnto the sonne of God and continueth a Priest for euer For when we read of Melchisedech we neuer read of his father of his mother of his beginning or of his ending and such a one is Christ as he is a God without mother wonderfully begotten as he is a man without father wonderfully conceiued as he is a God without beginning of daies and as God and man without end of time and therefore a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech And 4. It is a most excellent Priesthood because the order of Aaron was farre inferiour to this order of Melchisedech for Leui himselfe in the loynes of Abraham payd tithes vnto Melchisedech to shew that there was no perfection in the Priesthood of the Leuites for the tenth is a signe of perfection Them part 3. q. 31. art 8. saith Aquinas in quantum est quodammodo terminus omnium numerorum qui procedunt vsque ad decem in as much as the tenth is the last of all number which proceede to tenne and then beginne againe and therefore he that giueth the tenth vnto another protesteth himselfe to be imperfect and ascribeth perfection vnto him to whom hee payeth his tenth and therefore Leui paying tithes vnto Melchisedech did acknowledge himselfe imperfect but our Sauiour paying tithe to none sheweth himselfe most perfect But then it may be obiected that as Ob. Leui so Christ himselfe was then in the loynes of Abraham when Abraham paid tithes vnto Melchisedech and therefore Christ himselfe was tithed I answer briefly that Christ was not in the loynes of Abraham as all others were for he was to be deriued from Abraham non secundum rationem seminalem sed secundum corpulentam substantiam not according to our naturall begetting with mans seede but onely in respect of his corporall substance and therefore he was in Abraham potius vt medicina vulneris quà m vt indigens curatione rather as the physicke that heales the sicke or the salue that cures the wound then as one that Thom. ibid. ex Aug. l. 10. c. 20. sup Gen. ad liter wanted to be cured saith Aquinas And thus you see that Christ was annointed to be Priest an eternall Priest and a most excellent Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech and that as we doe collect for two especiall ends 1. To make satisfaction for the sinnes
others that are said to be our aduocates but only he But it is obiected that the fathers taught and maintained this doctrine that the Saints doe intercede and pray Nazianz. orat de laude Basilij Aug. ser 17. de verbis Apostoli for vs as 1. Gregorie Nazianzene saith that Saint Basil was in the heauens offering Sacrifices for vs and praiers for the people 2. Saint Augustine saith it is an iniurie to pray for a Martyr by whose praiers we on the other side ought to be remembred and so many others and therefore they doe pray and intercede for vs. I answer first that whosoeuer will looke into that place of Nazianzen shall there finde that Nazianzen doth but thinke so And secondly he shall finde that he spake this Orator-like who many times speake to the absent as though they were present as Pliny saith vnto Cicero salue primus omnium parens patriae And thirdly I say that this place of Nazianzen and likewise that of Saint Augustine doe proue nothing We yeeld that the Saints doe after a sort pray for the whole Church but that in a generall manner they pray for vs as they doe for the whole Church which we doe not denie for that cannot be called an intercession but rather an approbation of the intercession of Christ and as it were clarkes vnto this high priest to say Amen to approue his will in heauen as we should in earth And so you see how Christ was annointed to be a Priest which I thinke should be sufficient to take away all contempt from the name of Priests And you see to what end he was annointed priest first to make satisfaction for our sinnes and secondly to make intercession for vs that we might regaine his fathers fauour And therfore this should teach vs 1. To cast away that deceitfull doctrine That we merit nothing at the hands of God of workes satisfactory or meritorie or call them what you will For this our Priest hath paid for all when we could pay for nothing and he merited all happinesse for vs when we merited destruction vnto our selues and therefore I say with Saint Bernard that sufficit ad meritum scire quod non sufficiunt merita herein we merit best when we know that we merit nothing but hell and when we crie with the Psalmist Enter not into iudgement with thy seruants O Lord for in thy sight can no flesh liuing be instified 2. Seeing Christ is our only mediator that praieth for vs we should only pray to him for Abraham hath forgotten vs and Isaack is ignorant of That we should pray to none but to God alone vs but this our Priest will neuer forget vs he doth at all times heare vs and can at any time helpe vs if we doe call vnto him for helpe And therefore though we loue the Angels and reuerence the Saints their names are sweet vnto vs and their memoriall is blessed yet we will pray to none of them for we haue neither precept from God nor practise in Gods Church to doe the same But we finde the same flarly forbidden in many places For Origen saith ne quis audeat Origen l. 5. contra Celsum praeces offerre nisi soli Domino Deo Let no man dare to offer praiers vnto any but only to the Lord God And the councell of Laodicea doth anathematise all those that leaue the Lord Concil Laâ—d c. 35. Basil in orat de 40. Martyr Ambros in l. de viduis Iesus to pray vnto any Saint or Angel But against this it may be obiected that Saint Basil exhorteth vs to haue recourse vnto them in our necessities and to pray vnto them And so Saint Ambrose likewise exhorteth the widowes to pray vnto the Saints and to the Angels when they were in their necessities I answer that Saint Basil doth not say confugiat oret but confugit orat i. he telleth vs what they did and not what they should doe And it is no maruell that people That we are faine to suffer many things that we doe not approue newly conuerted from Gentilisme to Christianity should retaine something of their old idolatry and that the godly fathers should be constrained for a while to tolerate those tares among the wheat lest the good seed scarce rooted should be indangered For Saint Augustine saith that he knew Aug. l. 1. c. 24. de moribus Eccl. l. 2. c. 21. contra Faust Manich. many that adored sepulchers and pictures and such like and many that drunke most excessiuely ouer the dead but he saith aliud est quod docemus aliud est quod sustinemus hoc tolerare compellimur donec emendemus It is one thing that we teach another thing that is suffered vntill it be amended And for the booke of Saint Ambrose concerning widowes I say with Molinaeus that it is one of Molinaeus contra Coefetau his first workes that he made after his conuersion and therefore sauoreth of infirmity and faileth of sound diuinity in many points For in the same booke he saith that the Martyrs if any sinne remained in them did purge the same with their owne bloud and this is a doating of the truth and an error plaine contrarie vnto all truth For first who knowes not that no man is void of sinne And secondly who knoweth not that no man can wash away his owne sins 1 Ioh. 1. with his owne bloud For the Scripture saith plainly that it is the bloud of Iesus Christ that washeth and cleanseth vs from all sinne And therefore Saint Ambrose recalleth this errour a Ambros in c. 1. Ep. ad Roman saith it is a miserable excuse to say we goe to God by the mediation of Saints as we goe to the king by his officers for therefore saith he doe we goe to the king because he is a man knoweth not to whom to commit himselfe or his affaires but God knoweth all things and is ready to receiue all men Ideo ad Deum promerendum suffragatore non opus est sed mente deuota and therefore we need not any other suffragan to goe to God but a deuout and pious heart And in his oration vpon the death of Theodosius he saith plainly Tu solus Deus es inuocandus turogandus Thou only O God art to be praied vnto thou only O God art to be intreated And so much for the annointing of Iesus to be a Priest 2. He was annointed to be a king That Christ was annointed to be a king For thy throne O Lord is for euer and euer the scepter of thy kingdome is a scepter of righteousnesse c. And this we may see in Psal 2. 6. Ierem. 23. 5. 1. Chron. 17. 12. 14. and in many other places of the Scripture And this point viz. that Iesus is a king how he differeth from all other kings and what lessons we might learne from this doctrine I haue handled at large in
my Treatise of The resolution of Pilate and therefore now I will but only desire all men to consider that seeing Christ was a king and yet refused all pompe of worldly vanities yea rex fieri noluit this king would not be made a king in this world because his kingdome was spirituall and so not of this world he was a king of righteousnesse then why should not we his subiects imitate this our king herein It is reported of king Alexander That we should not too eagerly seeke for the things of this world that his souldiers would imitate him euen in his stoopings And if they imitated him in his vices why should not we imitate our king Christ Iesus in his vertues His kingdome is spirituall and he is a spirituall king and therefore if we would be his subiects we must be spirituall men and we must vtterly despise these worldly vanities For it is possible we should doe both we cannot serue God and mammon we cannot be filled with temporall and spirituall things at once For if thy hand be full of counters thou must throw away the same before thou canst fill it with gold saith Saint Chrysostome euen so if thy heart be full of the riches of this worldly kingdome there can be no roome for spirituall riches Why then doe we not seeke to be rich Ieron de vita solit in ep ad Heliodor in Christ nam affatim diues est qui cum Christo pauper est for he is truly rich that is poore in spirit poore with Christ saith Saint Ierome and therefore seeing our kingdome is not of this world cibus potus sunt diuitiae nostrae meat and drinke food and raiment is all the riches that we should desire all other things we should willingly leaue vnto the subiects of this world apud quos solummodo splendor tectorum attenditur labes animorum non attenditur For they only respect the gainesse of their houses and the greatnesse of their lands but they neuer looke to the foulenesse of their soules And further I must desire you to note this one thing that Christ is an eternall king and his kingdome an euerlasting kingdome gloriosum imperium sine fine dabit and so shall all his subiects haue an euerlasting kingdome for that good is no good that wanteth perpetuity but our life in this How short is the life of man world is very short it is but a span long it is euen as nothing orimur morimur as soone as we are borne we draw to our end cùm vir crescit vita decrescit and while a man growes more and more in yeares his yeares grow fewer and fewer vnto him sic breuis vita ipsa breuitas semper incerta and so our life is but a very little little while and that little while is alwaies vncertaine for Irus erit subito qui modo Croesus erat There are twenty waies for the vanities of this world to vanish away and therefore Saint Augustine saith Si Aug. l. confess quid arisisset prosperum taedebat apprehendere quia pene priusquam teneretur auolabat If any worldly wealth did offer themselues vnto me I was euen loth to accept them for I saw they were ready to flie from me before I could lay hold vpon them But the kingdome of Christ is a kingdome vnshaken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it knoweth no Chrysâ—st in 5. Rom. That the kingdome of Christ is without ending end it hath no bounds and the riches of this kingdome are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 graces giuen without repentance neuer to be taken away I will therefore conclude this point with that sweet demand of Saint Augustine Quae maior est insania quà m pro momentanea delectatione perdere aeterna gaudia nosmetipsoâ— obligare ad aeterna supplicia O what great madnesse is it or what greater madnesse can there be then for a little momentarie delight to depriue our selues of an euerlasting kingdome and to cast our selues headlong to euerlasting destruction And so much for the kingly office of Christ and his kingdome 3. He was annointed to be a Prophet That Christ was annointed to be a Prophet for I will raise them a Prophet from the midst of their brethren like vnto thee him shall they heare And therefore he is called pacis annunciator Dei fidelissimus testis the proclaimer of our peace and Gods most faithfull witnesse And therefore the Lord saith that whosoeuer would not heare that Prophet that soule should be cut off from his people Now the parts of his Propheticall office are The true exposition of the law The ioyfull declaration of the Gospel The infallible prediction of future things All these he did himselfe while he was on earth and now likewise by his spirit inwardly by the preachers outwardly he informeth his Church of all truth vnto the end of the world for whosoeuer heareth you heareth me saith this great Prophet qui omnes Prophetarum prophetias signauit adimpleuit primo aduentu which sealed and fulfilled Tertull. l. contra Iudaeos all the prophesies of his precedent Prophets by his first comming saith Tertullian and now left none but his owne to be accomplished And thus you see first how Iesus That all Christians are annointed with the graces of Gods Spirit was annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes In respect of the sweetnesse of which oyle the Church saith meliora sunt vbera tua vino fragrantia vnguentis optimi thy loue is better then wine it is sweeter then the sweetest ointment And with this ointment he annointeth all his members and from this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are likewise called Christians quia excellenter vnctus corpus suum perungit because he being most excellently annointed did annoint all his body saith Saint Augustine and so Saint Iohn Aug. in Psal 103. saith we haue an ointment from that holy one i. from Christ the annointed that is the sweet gifts and graces of Gods holy Spirit as Theodoret doth expound Theodor. in Cant. it and as the Prophet Dauid did meane when he saith that the pretious ointment was powred vpon the head and ran downe vpon the beard euen vnto Aarons beard and ran downe to the skirts of his clothing for this cannot be interpreted literally of any materiall oyle 1. Because we neuer read that Aaron Anton. p. 1. to 6. c. 2 §. 5. was so annointed that the oyle ran downe to the borders of his garments 2. Because the words immediatly following like the dew of Hermon that fell vpon the hill of Sion must necessarily bee spiritually vnderstood for the dew of Hermon cannot possibly descend vpon the hill of Sion 1. Because they are farre distant the one from the other 2. Because mount Sion is farre higher then mount Hermon as Hugo Cardinalis doth obserue And therefore this must bee vnderstood of that spirituall oyle of gladnesse the most