men professing the same religion must be linked in societie and converse togither in Christian loue meekenesse gentlenesse patience as S. Paul taught the Philippians If there be any fellowship of the spirit if there be any compassion and mercy fulfill my ioy that we may be like minded having the same love beeing of one accord and of like iudgement And againe Keepe saith he the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace Why Marke how his reason is feâ—ched from this communion Because there is one body one spirit even as you are called into the hope of your vocation one Lorde one faith one hope one baptisme one God and father of all which is above all and in all And no doubt the same reason made Dauid say All my delight is in the saints which be vpon earth Thirdly euery christian man that acknowledgeth this communion must carrie about with him a fellow·feeling that is an heart touched with compassion in regard of all the miseries that befall either the whole Church or any meÌ„ber thereof as Christ our head teacheth us by his owne exaÌ„ple when he called to Saul said Saul Saul why persecutest thou me giving him to understand that he is touched with the abuses done to his Church as if they had directly beene done to his owne person The Prophet Amos reproueth the people because they dranke wine in bowles and annointed themselues with the chiefe ointments but why was it not lawfull for them to doe so yes but the cause for which they are reprooved followeth No man saith he is sory for the affliction of Ioseph In the middest of their delightes and pleasures they had no regard or compassion of the miseries of the poore Church and seruants of God elsewhere in affliction which euery man ought to shew â—orth in the practise of all duties of loue and therefore Paul saith Pray alwaies with all maner of praiers and supplications in the spirit and watch thereunto with all perseverance and supplications for the saints And he highly commendeth the Philippians for communicating to his afflictions And further he biddeth Philemon to comfort Onesimus his bowels in the Lorde And S. Iohn saieth If a mans life woulde saue his neighbours soule hee must lay it downe for him if need require Wee haue all of us daily occasion to practise this duty towards the afflicted members of Gods Church in other cuntries For howsoeuer we enioy the gospell with peace yet they are under persecution for the same and so oft as wee heare report of this we should suffer our hearts to be grieued with them and pray to God for them Wee must heâ—e be admonished not to seeke our owne things but to referre the labours of our callings to the common good especially of the Church whereof we are members As for them that seeke for nothing but to maintaine their owne estate and wealth and therefore in their trades use false weights and measures the ingrossing corrupting mingling of wares glosing lying smoothing swearing forswearing dissembling griping oppressing of the poore c. they may plead for themselues what they will but in truth they neuer yet knew what the communion of Saints meant Lastly considering wee are all knitte into one mysticall body and haue mutuall fellowship in the same our dutie is both to redresse the faultes of our breethren and to couer them as the hande in the bodie laies the plaister upon the sore in the foote or in the legge and withall couers it Loue couers the multitude of sinnes And when men disgrace their brethren for their wants and blase them to the world they doe not the dutie of fellow members Thus much for the first benefit bestowed on the Church the second is Forgivenesse of sinnes which may be thus described Forgivenesse of sins is a blessing of God upon his Church procured by the death passion of Christ whereby God esteemes of sinne as no sinne or as not committed In this description I haue couched fiue points which we are seuerally to consider The first who is the authour of forgiuenesse of sinnes Ansvv. God whose blessing it is for sinne is onely committed against God and the violating of his lawes commandements are properly sinnes And the offence done to any man or creature is no more in it selfe but an offence or iniurie yea the breach of mans coÌ„mandement is no sinne unlesse it doe imply withall the breach of Gods commandement Therefore it is a prerogatiue belonging to God alone to pardon sinne and when wee are taught to say Forgiue us our trespasses as wee forgive them that trespasse against vs the meaning is not that we forgiue sinnes as they are sinnes but onely as trespasses that is losses hurtes and damages done unto us by men It may be further saide God hath giuen this power and commaundement to his ministers to forgiue sinnes saying Whose sinnes yee remitte they are remitted Ansvvere Gods ministers doe not properly forgiue sinnes but onely in the name of God according to his worde pronounce to a penitent sinner that his sinnes are pardoned and forgiuen of God and therefore it is a most certaen trueth that none can forgiue sinnes but God onely it was auouched by the Pharisies and not denied by Christ. Hence it followeth that remission of sinne being once granted remaines for euer because Gods loue unto the elect is unchangeable and his decree concerning their saluation can not be altered The second point is to whome remission of sinnes is giuen Answer To the Catholike Church that is to the whole company of men predestinate to saluation as Esai saieth The people that dvvell therein that is in the Church shall have their sinnes forgiuen And they shall call them the holy people the redeemed of the Lord and thou shalt be named a citie sought out and not forsaken And if there had bene an uniuersall remission of sinnes to all men as some doe dreame it should not here haue bin made a peculiar prerogatiue of the Church The thirde point is what is the means wherby pardoÌ„ of sin is procured at Gods hand Ans. The death passion of Christ so Paul saith Christ dyed for our sinnes that is Christ died to be a paiment satisfaction to Gods iustice for our sins And S. Iohn saith The blood of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth vs froÌ„ all sinne And Peter saith Knowing that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver gold froÌ„ your vaine conversation c. but with the pretious blood of Christ as of a lamb undefiled without spot The fourth point is after what maner sinne is forgiuen Answ. By an action of God whereby for the merite of Christ hee esteemes and accountes sinne as no sinne or as if it had neuer beene committed Therefore Dauid saieth Blessed is the man to whome the Lorde imputeth no sinne And in Esai the Lorde saieth I have put avvay
teach and hold that a man must come to speake to god by prayer through the intercession of saintes for say they the presence of god is so glorious that we may not be so bolde as of our selues to speake unto him but needs must haue the intercession of others Lastly God will provide for all his Church and children all things needfull both for their bodies and soules so our Sauiour Christ bids his disciples take no thought what they should eate or what they shold drinke or wherewith they should be clothed adding this reason For your heavenly Father knovveth all your vvants And if we take thought it must be moderate and not distrustfull it is a part of the fathers dutie to provide for his family and children and not the children for the father Now shall an earthly father haue this care for his children and shall not our heauenly father much more provide for those that feare and loue him Nay marke further in Gods Church there be many hypocrites which receiue infinite benefites from God by reason of his elect children with whome they liue and we shall see this to be true that the wicked man hath ever fared better for the godly mans cause Sodome and Gommorrha receiued many benefites by reason of righteous Lot and when the Lord was purposed to destroy Sodome he was faine to pull Lot forth of the citie for the text saith the angell of the Lorde coulde not doe any thing till he vvas come out of it So also in Pauls daungerous voyage towardes Rome all the men in it fared better for Pauls company for the Lord told Paul by an angel that there should be no losse of any mans life for the Lord had given to him all that sailed with him And undoubtedly if it were not for some few that feare God hee would poure downe his vengeance upon many nations and kingdomes there is such excesse of wickednesse in all sortes Againe if the Lord doe thus carefully provide for his children all kind of benefites what a wonderfull wickednesse is this for men to get their liuing by ungodly meanes as vsurie carding dicing and such like exercises If a man were perswaded that God were his father and would provide sufficiently both for his body and soule so that using lawfull meanes he should euer haue enough out of all doubt hee woulde neuer after the fashion of the world use unlawfull and profane meanes to get a liuing But this prooveth that howsoeuer such men say God is their father yet indeede they deny him And thus much of this title father the first thing whereby the first person is described Now followeth the second point namely his attribute of omnipotencie in this worde almightie And whereas the father is saide to be almightie it is not so to be vnderstood as though the Sonne were not almightie or the holy Ghost not almightie for euery propertie and attribute saue the personall properties is cōmon to all the three persons For as God the Father doth impart his Godhead vnto the Sonne and to the holy Ghost so also he doeth communicate the proprieties thereof to them God is omnipotent two waies I. Because he is able to doe whatsoeuer he will II. Because he is able to doe more then he will doe For the first that God is able to doe whatsoeuer he will Dauid saith Our God is in heauen and he doth whatsoeuer he will for there is nothing that can hinder God but as he willeth so euery thing is done Secondly that God can doe more then hee willeth to be done it is plaine where Iohn Baptist saith God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham though God can doe this thing yet he will not doe it So likewise when Christ was betraied the Father could haue giuen him more then 12. legions of Angels to haue deliuered him out of their hands but yet he would not and the like may be said of many other things The father is was able to haue created another world yea a thousand worlds but he would not nor will not And likewise Christ beeing vpon the crosse was able at their bidding to haue come downe and saued himselfe from death but he would not and therefore this is true the Lord can doe any thing that he willeth to be done actually yea and more then he will But some will say God can not doe some things which man can doe as God can not lie nor denie himselfe and therefore he is not omnipotent Answ. Although some haue thought God could doe these things and that he did them not because he would not yet we must knowe and beleeue that God can neither lie nor denie himselfe indeede man can doe both but these and many other such things if he could doe them he could not be God God indeede can doe all things which shewe foorth his glorie and maiestie but such things as are against his nature he can not doe as for example God can not sinne and therefore can not lie and because he can not doe those things therefore he is omnipotent for these and such like are workes of impotencie which if God could doe he were but an impotent God Secondly he can not doe that which implies contradiction as when a thing is to make it at the same time to be and not to be as when the sunne doth shine to make it at the same instant to shine and not to shine And therefore false is the doctrine of the Church which in their transubstantiation make the body of Christ whose essētiall propertie is to be only in one place at once to be circumscribed and not to be circumscribed to be in one place and not to be in one place And thus much for the meaning Now follow the dueties wherunto we are mooued by this doctrine of Gods omnipotencie First whereas God the Father is said to be Almightie we are taught true humiliation Humble your selues vnder the mightie hand of God saith Peter where he giueth an exhortation to humilitie alledgeth the cause because God is almightie To make this more plaine Euery one of vs was borne in sinne and by nature we are most wretched in our selues nowe what an one is God Surely he is able to doe whatsoeuer he will yea and more then he will and is able to destroy such as rebell against him euery moment Therefore our duetie is to cast downe our selues for our sinnes in his presence This true humiliation was that which our Sauiour Christ would haue brought the young man in the Gospell vnto when he bad him goe sell all that he had and giue to the poore Therfore whosoeuer thou art take heede thou must for if thou runne on in thy wickednes and still rebell against God it is a thousand to one at length he will destroy thee For he is an almightie God and able to doe whatsoeuer he will his hand is mightie it boots not a man
when thou art converted confirme thy brethren and be readie at all times to render an account of our faith and religion euen before our enemies vvhen wee are iustly called so to doe Secondly because we are set apart in Christ to become spirituall priests vnto God we must therefore offer spirituall sacrifices acceptable unto him and they be in number seven The first is an affiance whereby we rest upon God as Dauid saith Offer the sacrifice of righteousnesse and trust in the Lord. The second is wholly to subiect our selues to the ministerie of the gospell that wee may be changed and converted by it as Paul saith That hee ministred the Gospell to the Gentiles that the offering vp of them might be acceptable beeing sanctified by the holy Ghost The thirde is all manner of prayers and supplications made unto God Let my prayer saieth David be directed in thy sight as incense and the lifting vp of mine handes as an evening sacrifice The fourth is praising and thankesgiving unto God Let vs by him offer the sacrifice of praise alvvaies to God that is the fruite of the lippes vvhich confesse his name And in the Revelation the golden vials full of odors are the praiers of the saints The fift is the reliefe of our poore breethren according to our ability as Paul saieth I vvas even filled after that I had receiued of Epaphroditus that vvhich came from you an odour that smelleth sweete a sacrifice pleâ—sant and acceptable to God The sixt is the deniall of our selues with a contrite and broken heart The seuenth is to resigne our selues bodies and soules wholly to the seruice of God Set your selues saith Paul to God as they that are aliue from the dead and your members as weapons of righteousnesse unto God In which wordes he alludes to the manner of the old Testament when a man offered any sacrifice for himselfe hee brought the beast into the temple or tabernacle and set it before the altar in token that hee did resigne it vnto God and so wee for our partes must not giue our bodies and soules to become the instruments of sinne satan but we must haue them alwaies in readinesse freely presenting them vnto him that he may haue the whole disposition of them according to his good pleasure to the honour and glorie of his name Againe in the whole burnt offering all was consumed and turned to smoke no man hauing benefite of it to signifie that we must give our selues not in part but wholly to the service of God euen to death if need be If this be so miserable is the practise of such that giue up their bodies and soules to liue in licentious wantonnesse in the pleasures of their beastly sinnes in idlenesse For they offer themselues a sacrifice not to God but to the devill Thirdly considering wee are annointed to be spirituall kinges euen in this life wee must walke worthie so great a calling That this may be so first of all such as are governours set ouer others must rule not according to their willes and pleasures but in the Lorde withall doeing homage to their heade and king Christ Iesus him-selfe Secondly vvee must euerie one of vs rule and beare sway euen as kings ouer our owne thoughtes willes affections over-mastering them as much as wee can by Gods worde and spirite withall maintaining and proclaiming continuall warre against our corrupt natures the deuill and the worlde And truely hee which can beare rule ouer his owne heart is a right king indeede and hauing receiued some measure of grace to raigne ouer himselfe in this life he shall raigne for ever with Christ in the life to come As for such as are carried away with the svvinge of their corruptions hauing blindnesse and ignorance to raigne in their mindes rebellion in their willes and affections loosenesse in their whole liues they may carrie the forme of Christians as long as they will but indeede they are no spirituall kings but bondemen the strong man satan keepes as yet the hold of their hearts as Lord and king holds up his scepter there Lastly seeing Christ is annointed with the most pretious baulme that ever was and that for our sakes he must be sweete and savourie unto us and all other things must be as vnsavorie drosse and dung in regarde of him VVee must in this case indeauour to say as the spouse of Christ doth Because of the savour of the good oyntments thy name is an ointment powred out therefore the virgins love thee O that we could savour in the feare of God that wee might perceive how all his garments smell of myrrhe aloes and cassia comming forth of his ivory pallaces vnto vs. And because the holy ointment of Christ is powred forth upon all his members to make them favourie and sweete in the presence of God let us make conscience of all maner of sinne lest by the poison and stincke thereof wee infect not onely our selues but all the creatures of God which wee vse yea heaven and earth itselfe It standes not with equitie that after we haue beene embaulmed and sweetned by the pretious merites of Christ that we should make our selues as two footed swine to returne to the mire of our old sinnes The coupling and combining of these two former titles togither containes the principali question of the whole bible which is whether Iesus the sonne of Mary be Christ or no as S. Iohn saith These things are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God and that in beleeving yee might have life everlasting This conclusion was denied by the Iewes but avouched and confirmed both by Christ and by his Apostles and their principall argument was framed thus He which hath the true notes of Christ is the Messias or Christ indeed but Iesus the Sonne of Mary hath the true notes of Christ therfore Iesus is Christ. The proposition is opened at large in the prophesies of the old testament the assumption is confirmed in the writings of the new testament the principall reasons of the confirmation are couched in the articles which coÌ„cern the second person The conclusion followes is set down as I haue said in the knitting togither of the titles Iesus and Christ. Thus much of the second title now followeth the third his only Sonne that is the only sonne of the first person the father In this title we must consider 2. things the first that he is the sonne of God the second that he is the only Sonne of God Touching the first Christ is called the SoÌ„ne of God because he was begotteÌ„ of the father Now for the opening of this eternall generation we must consider three pointes the thing begotten the maner of begetting the time For the thing it selfe it is Christ who must be coÌ„sidered 2. waies as he is a sonne as he is God As he is a sonne he is
Iesus Christ the iust And thus we haue three persons in the worke of intercession really distinguished The partie offended is God the father the partie offending is man and thirdly the intercessour distinct from them both is Christ the second person in trinitie For howsoeuer in Godhead he and the father be one yet in person they are really distinguished he is as it were in the middle betweene the father us for the father is God not mā we that beleeue in Christ are men not God Christ himselfe both man God It may be further replied that this answer will not stand because not only the father is offended but also the sonne the H. ghost therefore there must be a mediatour to them also Ans. The intercessiō of Christ is directed to the father the first person immediatly now the father the sonne and the H. ghost haue all one in diuisible essence by consequent one and the same will wherupō the father being appeased by Christs intercessiō the sonne the holy ghost are also appeased in him Thus then intercession is made to the whole trinitie but yet immediatly directly to the first person and in him to the rest The second point to be considered is the manner of his intercession vnto his father Wee must not imagine that Christ now in heauen kneeles downe on his knees vtters words and puts up a supplication for all the faithfull to God the father for that is not beseeming the maiesty of him that sits at the right hand of God But the maner of his intercessiō is thus to be conceiued When one is to speake to an earthly prince in the behalf of another first of all he must come into the presence of the king and secondly make his request and both these Christ perfourmeth for us unto god For the first after his ascension he entred into heauē where he did present vnto his father first of all his owne person in two natures and secondly the invaluable merits of his death and passion in which he is well pleased And we must further understand that as on the crosse hee stoode in our roome so in heauen he now appeares as a publicke person in our stead representing all the elect that shall beleeue in him as the holy ghost saith Christ Iesus ascended up into heaven to appeare in the sight of God for us And for the second Christ makes request for us in that he willeth according to both his natures and desireth as he is man that the father woulde accept his satisfaction in the behalfe of all that are giuen unto him And that he makes request on this maner I prooue it thus Looke what was his request in our behalfe when he was here upon earth the same for substance it cōtinues still in heauen but here on earth the substance of his requests was that he willed and desired that his father would be well pleased with us for his merites as appeares by his praier in S. Iohn Father I will that those which thou hast given me be with me even where I am that they may beholde my glorie which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the worlde Therefore hee still continues to make request for us by willing and desiring that his father woulde accept his merites in our behalfe If it be alledged that Christ in this solemne praier vsed speech and prostration of his bodie the answere is that these actions were no essentiall partes of his praier The prostrating of his bodie serued onely as a token of his submission to God as hee was a creature and the speech which he used serued onely to utter and expresse his request Furthermore a difference here must be marked betweene Christs passion and his intercession The passion serues for the working and causing of a satisfaction to Gods iustice for us and it is as it were the tempering of the plaister the intercession goes further for it applies the satisfaction made layes the salue to the verie sore And therefore Christ makes request not onely for the elect generally but for particular men as Paul Iames Iohn and that particularly as he testifieth of himselfe saying I have prayed for thee Peter that thy faith faile not If any shall say that Christs vvilling and desiring of a thing can not be a request or intercession the answere is that in vertue and efficacie it countervailes all the praiers in the world For whatsoeuer Christ willeth the same also the father being well pleased with him willeth and therefore whatsoeuer Christ as Mediatour willeth for us at the handes of his father in effect or substance is a request or praier The third point is that Christ alone and none with him makes intercession for us And this I prooue by induction of particulars First of all this office appertaines not to the angels They are indeed ministring spirits for the good of gods chosen they reioice when a sinner is conuerted when he dieth they are ready to cary his soule into Abrahams bosome God otherwhiles useth them as messengers to reveale his will thus the angell Gabriel brings a message to Zacharie the priest that God had heard his prayer but it is not once said in all the scriptures that they make intercession to God for us As for the saints departed they can not make intercession for us because they know not our particular estates here on earth neither cā they heare our requests And therefore if we should pray to them to pray for vs wee should substitute them into the roome of God because we ascribe that to them which is proper to him namely the searching of the heart the knowledge of all things done upon earth though withall we should say that they do this not by themselues but of God As for the faithfull heare on earth indeede they haue warrant yea commaundement to pray one for another yet cā they not make intercessiō for us For first he that makes intercessiō must bring somthing of his own that may be of value price with God to procure the grant of his request secōdly he must do it in his own name but the faithfull on earth make request to god one for another not in their owne names nor for their own merits but in the name and for the merits of Christ. It is a prerogatiue belonging to Christ alone to make a request in his owne name and for his owne merits we therefore conclude that the worke of intercession is the sole worke of Christ God man not belonging to any creature beside in heauen or in earth And whereas the papists can not content themselves with his intercession alone as being most sufficient it argues plainly that they doubt either of his power or of his will whereupon their praiers turne to sinne The fruites and benefites of Christes intercession are these First by meanes of it we are assured that
those which are repentant sinners shall stand and appeare righteous before God for euer at what time soeuer Christ being now in heauen and there presenting himselfe and his merits before his father shewes himselfe desirous and willing that they whosoeuer they are beeing sinners should be accepted of God for the same euen then immediatly at that very instant this his will is done and they are accepted as righteous before God indeed When a man lookes vpon things directly through the aire they appeare in their proper formes and colours as they are but if they be looked upon through a greene glasse they all appeare greene so likewise if God behold us as wee are in our selues we appeare as vile and damnable sinners but if hee looke upon us as we are presented before his throne in heauen in the person of our mediatour Christ Iesus willing that wee should be approoued for his merits then we appeare without all spot wrinkle before him And this is the use Paul makes hereof It is god saith he that iustifieth the reason is rendred For it is Christ that is deade yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and makes request for vs. Secondly Christes intercession serues to preserue all repentant sinners in the estate of grace that beeing once iustified and sanctified they may so continue to the ende For when any seruant of God is ouertaken by the corruption of his owne nature and falls into any particular sinne then Christs intercession is made as a blessed hande to apply the salue of his death to that particular sore For he continually appeares before God and shewes himselfe to bee willing that God the father should accept his one only sacrifice for the daily and particular sinnes of this or that particular man and this is done that a man being iustified before God may not fall away quite from grace but for euery particular sinne may bee humbled and receiue pardon If this were not so our estate should be most miserable considering that for euery sin committed by us after our repentance we deserue to be cast out of the fauour of God Thirdly Christes intercession serueth to make our good workes acceptable to God For euen in the best works that a man can doe there are two wants First they are good onely in part secondly they are mingled with sinne For as a man is partly grace and partly flesh so are his vvorkes partly gratious and partly fleshly And because grace is only begun in this life therefore all the workes of grace in this life are sinnefull and imperfit Now by Christes intercession his satisfaction is applied to our persons by consequent the defect of our works is couered and remooued they are approoued of God the father In a vision S. Iohn saw an angell standing before the altar with a golden censure full of sweete odours to offer up with the praiers of the saintes upon the same And this signifies that Christ presentes our workes before the throne of God and by his intercession sanctifies them that they may be acceptable to God And therefore we must remember that when we doe any thing that is accepted of God it is not for our sakes but by reason of the value and vigour of Christ his merit Fourthly the intercession of Christ made in heauen breedeth and causeth in the heartes of men upon earth that beleeue another intercession of the spirit as Paul saith He giveth vs his spirit which helpeth our infirmities maketh request for us with sighes which can not be expressed but he which searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit for he maketh request for the saints according to the will of god Now the spirit is said to make request in that it stirres and mooues euery contrite heart to pray with sighes and grones unspeakable to God for things needfull this grace is a fruite deriued from the intercession of Christ in heaven by the operation of the spirit For as the Sunne though the bodie of it abide in the heauens yet the beames of it descende to us that are on earth So the intercession of Christ made in heauen is tyed as it were to his person alone yet the grones desires of the touched heart as the beames thereof are here on earth among the faithfull And therfore if we desire to know whether Christ make intercession for us or no we need not to ascend up into the heauens to learne the truth but we must descend into our owne hearts looke whether Christ haue giuen vs his spirite which makes us crie unto God make request to him with grones and sighes that can not be expressed and if we find this in our hearts it is an euident and infallible signe that Christ continually makes intercession for us in heauen He that would know whether the Sunne shine in the firmament must not clime up into the cloudes to looke but search for the beames thereof upon the earth which when he sees he may conclude that the Sunne shines in the firmament and if wee would know whether Christ in heauen makes intercession for us let us ransack our owne consciences and there make search whether we feele the spirit of Christ crying in us Abba Father As for those that neuer feele this worke of Gods spirit in them their case is miserable whatsoeuer they be For Christ as yet makes no intercession for them considering these two alwaies go togither his intercession in heauen the worke of his spirit in the hearts of men moouing them to bewaile their owne sinnes with sighes and grones that can not be expressed and to cry and pray unto God for grace therfore all such whether they be yong or old that neuer could pray but mūble up a few words for fashion sake can not assure themselues to haue any parte in Christs intercessiō in heauē The duties to be learned hence are these First whereas Christ maketh intercession for us it teacheth all men to be most carefull to loue and like this blessed mediatour and to be ready willing to become his seruants disciples that not for forme fashion sake only but in all trueth and sincerity of heart For he is ascēded to heauen there sits at the right hand of his father to make request for us that we might be deliuered frō hell come to eternall life Wicked Haman procured letters frō the king Ahashuerosh for the destructiō of all the Iewes men women childrē in his dominions this done Hester the Queene makes request to the king that her people might be saued and the letters of Haman reuoked shee obtaines her request freedom was giuen contrary letters of ioyfull deliuerance were sent in post hast to al provinces where the Iewes were Whereupō arose a wonderfull ioy gladnes among the Iewes it is said that therupon many of the
wearie but we are faultie herein For with what affection doe we beleeue the communion of Saints when we our selues are as drie fountaines that doe scarse convey a drop of refreshing to others The last meanes is praier whereby Gods Church procureth Gods blessings for the seuerall members thereof and they againe for the whole And herein lies a principall point of the communion of Saints which ministreth notable comfort to euery ChristiaÌ„ heart For hence we may reason thus I am indeede a member of the Catholike Church of God and therefore though my owne prayers be weake yet my comfort is this I knowe that I am partaker of all the good praiers of all the people of God dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth my fellowe members and of all the blessings which God bestowes on them This will make us in all our troubles to say with Elisha Feare not for they that be with vs are more then they that be with them When the people of Israel had sinned in worshipping the golden calfe the wrath of the Lord was kindled made a breach into them as canon shott against a wall but Moses the seruant of God stood in the breach before the Lord to turne away his wrath least hee shoulde destroy them And the prayer of Moses was so effectuall that the Lord said Let me alone as though Moses by praier had held the hand of God that he could not punish the people And some think that Stevens praier for his enemies when he was stoned was a meanes of Pauls conuersion And surely though theâ—e were no other reason yet this were sufficient to mooue a man to imbrace Christian religion considering that being a member of the Church hee hath parte in all the praiers of the saintes through the world and of the blessings of God that come thereby The third part of this communion is in temporall things as goods and riches whereby I meane no anabaptisticall communion but that which was used in the primitiue Church when they had all things common in respect of use and some solde their goods and possessions and parted them to all men as euery one had neede And by their example we are taught to be content to employ those goods which God hath bestowed on us for the good of our fellow members within the compasse of our callings and to our abilitie beyond our ability if need require Paul saith Do good to all but specially to theÌ„ which are of the houshold of faith The communion of the liuing with the deade standes in two things the one is that the saintes departed in the Church Triumphant doe in generall pray for the Church Militant vpon earth deâ—iring the finall deliuerance of all their fellow members from all their miseries And therefore in the Apocalyps they crie on this manner How long Lord holy and true doest not thou iudge and avenge our bloode on them that dwell on the earth I say in generall because they pray not for the particular conditions and persons of men upon earth considering they neither know nor se nor heare us neither can they tell what things are done upon earth The second is that the godly on earth doe in heart and affection converse with them in heauen desiring continually to be dissolued and to be with Christ. Now whereas the Papists do further inlarge this communion auouching that the Saintes in heauen make intercession to Christ for us and impart their merits vnto us that we againe for that cause are to invocate them to do unto them religious worship we dissent from being resolued that these things are but inventions of mans braine wanting warrant of the word Lastly to conclude a question may be demanded how any one of us may particularly know and be assured in our selues that we haue part in this communion of Saints Ans. S. Iohn opens this point to the full when he saieth If vvee say that we have fellowship vvith him and yet vvalke in darkenesse vve lye but if wee walke in the light as hee is light then we haue fellowship one with another and the bloode of Christ purgeth vs from all our sinnes In which wordes hee makes knowledge of Gods will ioyned with obedience to be an infallible marke of one that is in the communion as on the contrarie ignorance of Gods will or disobedience or both to be tokens of one that hath neither fellowship with Christ or with the true members of Christ. And therefore to end this point if we would haue fellowship with Christ let us learn to know what sin is to fliâ— froÌ„ the same as froÌ„ the bane of our soules to make conscience of euery euil way The duties to be learned by rhe communion of the saints are manifold And first of all if we do beleeue the fellowship which all the faithfull haue with Christ with themselues and be resolued that we haue part therein then must we separate and withdrawe our selues from all ungodly and unlawfull societies of men in the world whatsoeuer they be Vnlawfull societies are manifold but I will only touch one which euery where annoieth religion and hindreth greatly this communion of saints that is when men ioyne them selues in company to passe away the time in drinking gaming c. Behold a large fellowship which beareth sway in all places there is almost no towne but there is at the least one knot of such companions he that will not be combined vvith such loose mates he is thought to be a man of no good nature he is foisted forth of euery company he is no body if a man will yeeld to run riot with them in the mispending of his time goods he is thought to be the best fellow in the world But vvhat is done in this societie and hovv do these cupcompanions spend their time surely the greatest part of day night is usually spent in swearing gaming drinking surfetting revelling railing on the ministers of the vvord such as professe religion to omit the enormities vvhich they procure unto themselues hereby this behauiour spreads it selfe like a canker ouer euery place it defiles both tovvne and cuntry But vve that looke for comfort by the communion of saints must not cast in our lotte vvith such a vvicked generation but separate our selues from them For undoubtedly their societie is not of God but of the deuill and they that are of this societie can not be of the holie communion of saints and surely except the Magistrate by the sword or the Church by the power of the kaies doe pull downe such fellowship the holy societie of Gods Church and people must needes decay Excommunication is a censure ordained of God for this end to banish them from this heauenly communion of the members of Christ that liue inordinately and haue communion with men in the workes of darkenesse Secondly by this we are taught that
God to serve In the sixe dayes of the weeke manie men vvalke verie painefully in their callings but when the Lordes day commeth then every man takes license to doe what hee will and because of the princes lawes men will come formally to the Church for fashions sake but in the meane time how many do nothing else but scorne mocke and deride and as much as in them lieth disgrace both the worde and the ministers thereof so that the cōmon saying is this oh he is a precise fellow he goes to heare Sermons he is too holy for our cōpanie But it stands men in hand to take out a better lesson which is if we will haue God to be our father wee must shewe our selues to be the children of God by repentance and newnesse of life he can not be but a gracelesse child that will lead a rebellious life flat against his fathers minde Let us then so behaue our selves that we may honour our father which is in heauen and not dishonour him in our liues and callings rather let us separate our selues from the filthinesse of the flesh loathing those things which our father lotheth and fleeing from those things which our father abhorreth And thus much for the duties Now follow the consolations which arise from this point But first we are to know that there are three sortes of men in the world The first are such as will neither heare nor obey the word of God The second sort are those which will heare the word preached vnto them but they will not obey both these sortes of men are not to looke for any comfort hence Now there is a third sort of men which as they heare Gods worde so they make conscience of obeying the same in their liues and callings and these are they to whome the consolations that arise out of this place doe rightly belong and must be applyed unto First therefore seeing God the father of Christ and in him the father of all that obey and doe his will is our father here note the dignitie and prerogative of all true beleeuers for they are sonnes and daughters of God as saith S. Iohn So many as received him to them he gaue a prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God even to them that beleeve in his name This priviledge will appeare the greater if we consider our first estate for as Abraham saith We are but dust and ashes and in regard of the deprauation of our natures we are the children of the deuill therefore of such rebels to be made the sonnes of God it is a wonderfull priviledge and prerogative no dignitie like unto it And to enlarge it further he that is the sonne of God is the brother of Christ fellow heire with him and so heire apparant to the kingdom of heauen and in this respect is not inferiour to the verie angels This must be laid vp carefully in the hearts of Gods people to confirme them in their conversation among the companie of vngodly men in this world Secondly if a man doe indeauour himselfe to walke according to Gods worde then the Lord of his mercie will beare with his wants for as a father spareth his owne son so will God spare them that feare him Now a father commaunds his child to write or to apply his booke though all things herein be not done according to his mind yet if he find a readinesse with a good indeavour he is content and falls to praise his childs writing or learning So God giueth his commandement and though his servants faile in obedience yet if the Lord see their heartie indeavour and their vnfeigned willingnesse to obey his will though with sundry wants hee hath made this promise and will performe it that as a father spareth his sonne so will he spare them If a child be sicke will the father cast him off nay if thorough the grievousnesse of his sicknesse he can not take the meat that is giuen him or if he take it for faintnesse pick it up againe will the father of the childe thrust him out of dores no but he will rather pitie him And so when a man doth indeauour himselfe through the whole course of his life to keepe Gods commandements God will not cast him away though through weakenesse he faile in sundry things and displease God This prerogatiue can none haue but he that is the child of God as for others when they sinne they doe nothing else but draw downe Gods iudgements upon them for their deeper condemnation Thirdly hence we learne that the childe of God can not wholly fall away from Gods fauour I doe not say that hee can not fall at all for he may fall away in part but hee can not wholly and so oft as he sinnes he depriues himselfe in part of Gods fauour David loued his sonne Absolon wonderfully but Absolon like a wicked sonne played a lewde pranck would haue thrust his father out of his kingdom And David although he was sore offended with Absolon shewed tokens of his wrath yet in heart he loued him and neuer purposed to cast him off Hereupon when he went against him he commanded the Captaines to intreat the yong man Absolon gently for his sake And when he was hanged by the haire of the head in pursuing his father then David wept and cried O my sonne Absolon my sonne Absolon would God I had dyed with thee Absolon my sonne And so it is with God our heauenly father when his children sinne against him and thereby loose his loue and fauour and fall from grace he forsakes them but how farre Surely he shewes signes of anger for their wickednesse yet indeed his loue remaines towards them still and this is a true conclusion the grace of god in the adoptiō of the elect is unchāgeable he that is the childe of God can neuer fall away wholly or finally On the contrary that is a bad and comfortlesse opinion of the Church of Rome which holdeth that a man may be iustified before God and yet afterward by a mortall sinne finally fall from grace and be condemned Fourthly the child of God that takes god the father for his father may freely come into the presence of god haue liberty to pray unto him We know it is a great priviledge to come into the chamber of presence before an earthly prince and fewe can alwaies haue this prerogatiue though they be great men yet the kings owne sonne may haue free entrance speake freely vnto the king himselfe because he is his sonne Now the children of God haue more prerogative then this for they may come into the chamber of presence not of an earthly king but of Almightie God the king of kings and as they are the sonnes of god in Christ so in him they may freely speake unto God their father by prayer And this ouerthrowes the doctrine of such as be of the Church of Rome which
embrace this benefite which redoundes vnto vs by Christs ascension Secondly in that Christ is ascended to heauen to leade captiue sinne and satan here is a good consolation for all those that are afflicted in conscience for their sinnes There is no man in this case but he hath great cause to feare yet must he not be discouraged For Christ by his ascension like a noble captaine hath taken sinne and satan prisoners and hath pinnioned them fast so as all the power that they haue is in Christs hand and therefore though they doe exercise and afflict vs yet by his grace they shall neuer be able to preuaile against vs. Therfore we may safely cast our care vpon God and not feare ouermuch Hence also we may learne a third dutie There is no man that knoweth what sinne meaneth and what the bloode of Christ meaneth but in regard of the corruption of his owne nature he will say with Paul that he is sold vnder sinne and in regard thereof will cry out with him also O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death yea it will make his heart to bleede within him Now what shall he doe in this case Surely let him remember the ende of Christs ascension which is to vanquish and subdue the rebellion of his nature and labour to feele the benefit thereof then he shall no doubt finde that Christ will dissolue in him the workes of the deuill as Saint Iohn saith and treade satan vnder his feete And thus all those that feele in themselues the law of the members rebelling against the law of the minde must come to Christ and he will helpe and free them The second benefit of Christs ascension is that he ascended vp to heauen to bestow gifts vpon his Church as it is said in the place before mentioned He ascended vp on high c. he gaue gifts vnto men that is the gift of the knowledge of Gods word the gift of preaching and prophecie and all other gifts needefull for the good of his Church The consideration of this that Christ who is the fountaine of grace and in whome are hidde all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge should be mindefull of vs and vouchsafe such speciall fauour to his Church must cause euery one of vs who haue receiued any gift of God as there is no man but he hath receiued his portion to be humbled in his owne eyes for the same There is no cause why we should be proude of our gifts seeing we haue nothing but that which we haue receiued For to this ende Christ ascended to giue gifts vnto men and therefore our gifts whatsoeuer they be are not our owne but wee had them from Christ and we are stewards of them a while for the good of others The more the Lord giueth to a man the more he requireth at his handes and therefore those vvhich haue good gifts and doe abuse the same their sinne is the more grieuous and their daunger the greater Men of great gifts vnlesse they vse them aright with humbled heartes shall want Gods blessing vpon theirs For he giueth grace to the humble The high hills after much tillage are often barren whereas the lowe valleis by the streames of vvaters passing through them are very fruitefull and the gifts of God ioyned vvith a swelling heart are fruitelesse but ioyned with loue and the grace of humilitie they edifie Secondly if Christ ascend vp to heauen to giue gifts vnto men here we may see how many a man and woman in these our daies are ouerseene in that they pleade ignorance and say that they hope God will haue them excused for it seeing they are not learned they haue dull wittes and it is not possible to teach them nowe they are past learning hereupon they presume they may liue in grosse ignorance as blinde almost in religion as when they were first borne But marke I pray you who it is that is ascended vp to heauen namely Christ Iesus our Lord who made thee of nothing Now was he able to giue thee a beeing when thou was not and is he not likewise able to put knowledge into thy soule if so be thou wilt vse the meanes which he hath appointed and the rather seeing he is ascended for that ende but if thou wilt not vse the meanes to come to knowledge thy case is desperate and thou art the cause of thine owne condemnation and thou bringest confusion vpon thine owne heade Therefore let ignorant men labour for knowledge of Gods worde Ignorance shall excuse none it will not stand for payment at the day of iudgement Christ is ascended to this ende to teach the ignorant to giue knowledge and wisedome vnto the simple and to giue gifts of prophecie vnto his ministers that they may teach his people Therfore I say againe let such as be ignorant vse the meanes diligently and God will giue the blessing Thirdly whereas it is thought to be a thing not possible to furnish a whole Church with preaching ministers it seemes to be otherwise For wherefore did Christ ascend to heauen was it not to giue gifts vnto his Church what is Christs hand now shortned vndoubtedly we may resolue our selues that Christ bestowed gifts sufficient vpon men in the Church but it is for our sinnes that they are not imploied The fountaines of learning the Vniversities though they are not dammed vp yet they streame not abroad as they might Many there be in them indewed with worthie gifts for the building of the Church but the couetousnes of men hinders the cōfortable entrance which otherwise might be Lastly seeing Christ ascended to giue gifts needefull for his Church as the gift of teaching the gift of prophecie the gift of tongues of wisedome and knowledge the duetie of euery man is especially of those which liue in the schooles of learning to labour by all meanes to increase cherish and preserue their gifts and as Paul exhorteth Timothie to stirre vp the gift of God As men preserue the fire by blowing it so by our diligence we must kindle and reuiue the gifts of God bestowed on vs. Christ hath done his part and there is nothing required but our paines and fidelitie The third benefite that comes by Christs ascension is that he ascended to prepare a place for all that should beleeue in him In my fathers house saith Christ are many dwelling places if it were not so I would haue told you J goe to prepare a place for you For by the sinne of Adam our entrance into heauen was taken away If Adam by his fall did exclude himselfe from the earthly paradise then how much more did hee exclude himselfe from heauen And therefore all mankinde sinning in him was likewise depriued of heauen The people of Israel beeing in woe and miserie cried out that they had sinned and therefore the Lord had couered himselfe with a cloud that their praiers could not
passe through And Esay saith that our sinnes are a wall betwixt God and vs that we cannot enter into heauen And Saint Iohn that no vncleane thing must enter into the heauenly Hierusalem Nowe seeing we haue shut our selues out of heauen by our sinnes it was requisite that Christ Iesus our Sauiour should goe before vs to prepare a place and to make readie a way for vs. For he is king ouerall he hath the keies of heauen he openeth and no man shutteth and therefore it is in his power to let vs in though we haue shut our selues out But some may say if this be the end of his ascension to prepare a place in heauen then belike such as died before the comming of Christ were not in heauen Answer As there are two degrees of glorie one incomplete and the other complete or perfect for the faithfull departed are in glorie but in part and there remaineth fulnes of glorie for them at the day of iudgement when soule and bodie shall be both glorified together so answearably there are two degrees of preparation of places in heauen The places of glorie were in part prepared for the faithful frō the beginning of the world but the full preparation is made by Christs ascension And of this last preparation is the place of Iohn to be vnderstood The vse of this doctrine is very profitable First it ouerthroweth the fond doctrine of the Church of Rome which teacheth that Christ by his death did merit our iustification and that we beeing once iustified doe further merit saluation and purchase for our selues a place in heauen But this is as it were to make a partition betweene Christ and vs in the worke of our redemption whereas in truth not onely the beginning and continuance of our saluation but also the accomplishment thereof in our vocation iustification sanctification glorification is wholly and onely to be ascribed to the meere merit of Christ and therefore hauing redeemed vs on earth he also ascends to prepare a place in heauen for vs. Secondly this serueth to condemne the fearefull lamentable and desperate securitie of these our daies Great is the loue of Christ in that he was content to suffer the pangs of hell to bring vs out of hell and withall to goe to heauen to prepare a place for vs there and yet who is it that careth for this place or maketh any account thereof who forsaketh this world and seekes vnto Christ for it Nowe least any man should say alas I knowe not the way therefore Christ before he ascended made a new and liuing way with his owne blood as the Apostle speaketh And to take away all excuses from men he hath set markes and bounds in this way and hath placed guides in it namely his ministers to shew all the passengers a straight readie course into the kingdom of heauen And though Christ haue done all this for vs yet the blindnes and securitie of men is such that none almost walketh in this way nor careth to come to this mansion place but in stead of this they walke in by-waies according to the lusts of their owne flesh When they are commaunded to goe eastward to Ierusalem they turne westward an other way when they are commanded to goe on forward to heauen they turne againe backward and goe straight to hell Men runne on all the daies of their liues in the broad way that leadeth to destruction and neuer so much as once make inquirie for a resting place in heauen but when the houre of death commeth then they call for the guide whereas all their liues before they haue run out of the way many thousand miles but then alas it is too late vnlesse it be the vnspeakeable mercie of God For they haue wandred so farre astray that in so short a space they cannot be able to come into the right way againe Yet generally this is the state of most among vs whose securitie is so much the more grieuous fearefull because Christ hath done al that heart can wish There is nothing else required but onely that by his grace we should walk in the way There was neuer any that knew the state of the people in these daies but he will say that this is most true which I say Besides as by this we are brought to a sight of the desperate securitie of this age so we may further learne our owne dueties Is Christ gone to heauen beforehand to prepare a place for thee thē practise that which Paul teacheth Haue thy conuersation in heauen The wordes which he vseth are very significant and the meaning of them is this Ye are free denizens of the citie of God and therefore as freemen in Gods house let all your cares and studies all your affaires and doings be in heauen In the world if a man make purchase of an house his heart is alwaies there there he pulls downe and builds againe there he makes him orchards and gardens there hee meanes to liue and die Christ Iesus hath bought the kingdome of heauen for vs the most blessed purchase that euer was hath paid the dearest price for it that euer was paid euen his owne pretious blood and in this citie he hath prepared for vs a dwelling place and made vs free denizens of it therefore all our ioy and all our affaires ought to be there But how shall a man vpon earth haue his conuersation in heauen Answ. We must converse in heauen not in bodie but in heart therfore though our bodies be on earth yet our hearts ioy and comfort and all our meditation must be in heauen Thus must we behaue our selues like good freemen in Gods house It must be farre from vs to haue our ioy and our hearts set on the things of this world Thirdly the consideration of this that Christ Iesus hath prepared a place for vs in heauen also hath trayned the way with his own blood must make euery one of vs to striue to enter in at the straight gate as our Sauiour Christ counselleth vs and that as wrastlers doe which striue for life and death Within this gate is a dwelling place of happines readie for vs. If a man were assured that there were made for him a great purchase in Spaine or Turkie so as if hee would but come thither he might inioy it would he not aduenture the daungers of the sea and of his enemies also if neede were that he might come to his owne Wel behold Christ Iesus hath made a purchase for vs in heauen there is nothing required of vs but that we will come and enioy it Why then should men refuse any paines or feare in the way nay we must striue to get in It may be we shalbe pinched in the entrance for the gate is both straight and low and we must be faine to leaue our wealth behinde vs the pleasures of this life and enter we must though we should be constrained