then it may be fire should ceasse to burne as it did in the three children in the ouen Now in this place where he saith These things must be done it is not to be meant of absolute necessitie but of that which is but in part for they must come to passe necessarily onely in regard of Gods decree In them selues they be contingent necessary by the vnchangeable decree of God In regard of which decree of God all things which come to passe be necessarie yet can it not be inferred therefore man hath no free will For this necessitie taketh it not away neither the second causes but rather disposeth them and inclines mans free will Secondly the matter is described by the time shortly or quickly But how can this be true seeing things spoken of in this booke came not to passe a thousād years after which is a lōg time Ans. They may be said to come to passe shortly though a thousand yeares after in two respects First of God to whom a thousand years is but as one day Secondly in regard of men for though a thousand years seeme a long time to men ere it be expired yet when it is once past it seemes but a short time Which must shortly come He sets downe these wordes for two causes First to terrifie all carnall and carelesse men for it foretelleth iudgements and destructions to those which liue in their sinnes which be enemies to the Church of God and so it strikes a terror into their hearts seeing their destruction comes shortly And no doubt if anie carnall man could lay this to his heart that iudgement must come quickly it would rowze him if he belonged to Christ or else would terrifie his soule We here liue still in our sinnes though we heare the word daily we neuer repent of our sinnes But if we which be so carelesse wold consider that destruction and iudgement must come shortly to those which be carelesse it would stirre vs vp to repentance if we had anie grace Let these carelesse men let these consider that the hand of God may be on them quickly take hold on them ere they be aware Let the young man not runne on in his sins lest the Lord come ere he be prepared and prouided For the Lord will come quickly his iudgements they make hast and are not farre off they delay not Secondly the holy Ghost setteth downe this circumstance of time to arme the seruants of Christ the true members of the Church against all persecutions afflictions calamities which might befall them For the children of God being afflicted and crossed they might be impatient and discouraged but lest they should be so the Lord here telleth them that his coming shall be shortly they shall not alwayes beare the heauie burthen of afflictions on their shoulders but for a while a short time and then the Lord will come and ease them deliuer them and comfort their troubled minds lest they should be swallowed vp with griefe It followeth Which he sent That is which reuelation he sent and shewed by his Angell These words are set downe for two causes First to shew that S. Iohn he opened and published this booke not rashly but by calling and warrant from God This teacheth vs what must be our dutie in all our actions whatsoeuer we take in hand we must looke we haue our calling and warrant This was the Apostles practise as here S. Iohns he opened not this reuelation before he had speciall warrant So must we looke for our warrant in the word and till we haue it we must not enterprise anie thing If this dutie were practised there would be more conscience in the seruice and worship of God more care and conscience in our dealings with men then there is Secondly he setteth downe these words to get more reuerence and greater authoritie to this booke that it might more be accepted of and therefore he saith it was sent by an Angell to the Church And this is a verie good reason to get credite to it and reuerence For if an earthly Prince should write his letter to his subiect and withall send it by one of his gard no doubt the subiect would receiue it most reuerently The Scriptures they be the epistle of God sent to his Church not by anie but by his Angell then this should procure a thousand times more reuerence seeing God sends his letter to his Apostle S. Iohn and so to the Church by the hand of an Angell Now followeth the fifth argument of the description of this reuelation which is the instruments of this reuelation whereby it is conueyed from God to the Church and these be two First an Angell Secondly Iohn the Apostle or Euangelist The first instrument is an Angell by whom he sent this Reuelation to conuey it to his Church And so the Lord hath vsed their ministerie in other places of the scriptures So when the Law was giuen it was by the hand of an Angel Daniel had many of his dreames expounded by an Angell And the seuen visions in this booke of the Reuelation were shewed to Iohn by an Angell Yet we must take heede we gather not hence that we may worship them or pray to them because they be present about vs and see our wants but before we pray to them we must haue a commandement from God and a speciall promise that they can and will heare and helpe vs else we must not pray to them The second instrument is Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist which penned one of the Gospels that Disciple whom Iesus loued sonne to Zebedeus kinsman to Christ. Now to procure credit and more reuerence to his reuelatiō he describeth himselfe by two arguments First calling himselfe his seruant Iohn Secondly by an effect Which bare record c. First he cals him selfe the seruant of Christ not the Disciple of Christ not Christ his cosin or kinsman which he might haue done but he cals himself the seruant of Christ. For he had learned that which Christ speaks Mat. 12. 50. He which doth the will of my Father he is my mother sister and brother not he which is kinsmā or cosin but in this to do his fathers wil stands the note of his kinsman And in this to be the seruant of Christ stands the dignitie of a Christian. Had not the blessed Virgin Christs mother bene a seruant of Christ she had neuer bin saued by Christ. Then by this we see it is nothing to helpe a man to saluation to be borne of great kinred to come of Princes noble bloud but to be the seruants of Christ to do the will of Christ this is to be allyed and cosin to Christ. And if we will be the seruants of Christ we must become new creatures we must leaue off our old seruice and as S. Paule saith he knewe not Christ in the flesh but serued him in the spirit And we must not content our selues to be his
seruants in the generall calling of a Christian but in our particular callings For S. Iohn was his seruant not onely in beleeuing in him and obeying him generally but in beleeuing and obeying him in the particular calling of an Apostle So Paule he was the seruant of Christ not only generally but in the speciall calling of the Gospell in preaching the same This example of his and the Apostles must be our direction we must not content our selues with the generall calling of Christians but serue Christ in our particular callings It is not inough to professe Christ in publike assemblies to heare the word receiue the Sacraments but in our particular callings we must serue him at home as the magistrate not onely in his generall calling of Christianitie but in his particular calling as he is a magistrate the Minister as he is a Minister the maister of a familie as he is a maister and so all men in their particular callings must obey Christ. And if the maister of a familie come to the assembly heare the word receiue the Sacraments yet in his familie faile and performe not the duties of a maister he is but an hypocrite he is no true Christian though men accept so of him because he must be obedient to Christ both in generall and particular calling Now followeth the second argument by which Iohn is described namely the effect that he bare record of the word of God Which Iohn bare this record partly by preaching partly by penning the Gospell of Christ. And because the word of God hath two parts the Law and the Gospell he shewes in the next words that he meanes especially the Gospell of Christ adding Of things done and sayd by Christ. And lest any man should call his testimonie into question he saith he testifies that whereof he was an eye witnesse he saw it and therefore could not be deceiued and therefore his testimonie was true The end why he alleageth these words is to shew that he is a faithfull pen-man of this booke that so it might haue more reuerence for he which was faithfull in penning the Gospell of Christ the same also is faithfull in penning this Prophecie of the Church By these words we may gather that to testifie the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles to be the truth of God is a true note of a true Prophet And by these we may distinguish betweene a true Prophet and a false if they bring the doctrine of the Apostles and the Prophets it is true Deut. 13. If they worke wonders and their doctrine be to draw men from the true God they are false Prophets and must be put to death And our Sauiour Christ being asked of his authoritie he alledges Luk. 10. 1. Iohns testimonie and confirmeth Iohns testimonie to be true asking them this question The baptisme of Iohn was it from heauen or of men shewing that Iohn was a true Prophet seeing his Baptisme that is his doctrine was from heauen Hereby we see the difference of a true Prophet and false alledged by the Papists is no true difference for they say If one can worke miracles he is a true Prophet whereas Deut. 13. false Prophets may do that But the true marke of a true Prophet is the doctrine deliuered by the Prophets and Apostles and he which brings this though he can not worke a miracle is a true Prophet Now followeth the sixth argument by which this reuelation is described which is in the manner of propounding and deliuering of it to the Church And this maner and forme of deliuerie of it stands in foure degrees First God the Father giueth it to Christ the Mediator Secondly Christ the Mediatour and head of the Church giueth it to an Angell Thirdly the Angell conueyes it to Iohn the Apostle Fourthly Iohn directed and assisted by the holie Ghost deliuereth it to the Churches Now as this particular booke was so no doubt all the whole Scriptures were conueyed to the Church Now in that the Lord hath so conueyed his Scriptures to man we see his perpetuall care and loue of man and of the members of his Church Also we see the great excellencie and dignitie as also the perfection of these bookes seeing they were deliuered to man by God and by him he deliuers his will to his Church This shewes the blasphemie and sin of the Church of Rome who call the written word of God a dead letter a dumbe iudge they hold that generall Councels be equall to the word that the vniuersall consent of the Church is aboue the Scriptures it giues life and sense to them which otherwise they say of themselues be but an inkie and dumbe word But we see they be farre aboue all these for they be most absolute and perfect and also most excellent seeing they being giuen of God the Father to Christ the mediator and head of the Church and by him conueyed to an Angell who deliuers them to Iohn and he published them to the Church these degrees of the deliuerie of thē shew they be most excellent and perfect Blessed are they which heare c. Here is the seuenth and last argument of this description of the Reuelation which is by the fruite effect and the profite which comes of it being heard or read and ioyned with marking and attention it brings happinesse Blessed That is blessednesse which stands in the fellowship of God and life euerlasting belongs to them which heare and reade this booke and marke it keepe it in memorie remember the things contained in it being a prophecie of the estate of the Church partly present partly to come Blessed is he which reades Here the holy Ghost setteth downe the proper end of the Scriptures of this booke particularly For the ende of this booke and so of all other bookes of the Scriptures is to bring men to happinesse and felicitie and life euerlasting Ioh. 20. last the Scriptures be to make vs beleeue in Christ that so beleeuing we might haue eternall life 1. Ioh. 1. ◠He declared to them the word of Christ that by it they might haue fellowship with God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost which fellowship is true happinesse it selfe Ioh. 5. 39. Search the scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternall life And in this they differ from all other books and writings of men For mens writings being penned either by the light of nature and so be thence erronious and misse of the end of happinesse and euerlasting life or else they be penned by them which haue light by by the word and so as they agree with the word they be grounded on the word and haue all their truth from it Seeing the end of this booke as of the other bookes of scripture is to bring men to happinesse we see the opinion and practise of the Church of Rome is damnable who barre the people of God from reading and hearing the Scriptures in their vulgar tongue for in barring them of
any openly wicked in life or doctrine we must not keepe any priuate companie with him shew him no speciall familiaritie but withdraw our selues from such as burdens to vs. And hast examined them This sharpe dealing of the Church of Ephesus hath 2 parts the first is examination the second cōdemnation of the false Apostles The first part is the discouerie of these false Apostles The second the opposing of her selfe against them being discouered The discouerie of the false Apostles teacheth two points first that God hath giuen to his Church and to the Ministers and members of it speciall grace and wisedome an excellent gift of discerning 1. Cor. 2. 15. 1. Cor. 11. Spirituall men endued with the Spirit of God can discerne of the Lords bodie and bloud betweene bread and wine in the Sacrament and common bread and wine 2. Cor. 13. Proue your selues shewing that the Church and the members thereof haue power and the gift of wisedome to try whether they haue faith or not 1. Ioh. 5. Trie the spirits And here she hath power to discerne of false Apostles and by this gift the Church of God differeth from all other societies of men no societie saue the Church of God hath this gift to iudge betweene good and bad truth and error true Apostles and false Apostles Secondly we gather hence that the Church of God can iudge whether a Church be a true Church or not Some men it pleaseth to call this to question nay to deny that there is any Church in England but call it the synagogue of Satan and say there is no ministerie in it no word no Sacraments Now seeing the Church of God can iudge of vs in England and the churches in Germanie in Scotland other Euangelicall and reformed Churches iudge the Church of England a true Church it is so though they deny it For we must rather stand to the iudgement of one or many particular true churches then of any one priuate or of many men Yea seeing the church of God can iudge of false Apostles it hath also power to iudge of Scriptures to iudge which books be canonicall which are not And that which the church of Rome saith is false that the Church indeed can iudge but as it hath authoritie from their Church This Church of Ephesus had this power long before Rome was in such name nay it was in this time of Iohn of farre greater name then Rome and more famous and excellent The second point in what things this discouerie of false Apostles consisteth in what this iudiciall action standeth which God hath giuen to the Church It standeth in two things first examination of false doctrine and false teachers Secondly condemnation of thē after examination For the first he saith And hast examined for the second and found them lyers To come to this examination the Church of Ephesus had a gift of examination and did examine false Apostles and their doctrine But how may a particular Church examine a false Apostle and his doctrine To do this the man or Church which would do it must first prepare themselues and make them fit to examine and in this preparation must haue an humble heart and lowly spirit for God reuealeth not his will to proud men such as haue high minds in their conceit And in this humbling of himselfe he must cleane renounce his owne wit and reason and in regard of himselfe become a foole in his owne reason if he will be wise in the word of God After this preparation he must make prayers to God in his spirit that the Lord would reueale the thing to him and that he would open his eyes by the meanes vsed to iudge of truth falshood Luk. 11. Iam. 1. 5. In the next place he must labour throughly to know and well to conceiue of their false doctrines he must seek to vnderstand them their grounds the differences betweene them and the truth For it is a fowle fault to propound a mans error and not in that meaning he propounded it or gaue it They must further proue and trie whether the doctrine be of God or men To do this he must come to the word of God which must be iudge in the matter not a dumme letter as the Papists hold but the true iudge in all matters and most sufficient Esa. 8. 19. 20. Ioh. 5. Search the Scriptures Only the Lord must be iudge in his owne matters he must giue sentence and no Angell Saint or man Now this he doth in the written word therefore they must search whether such doctrines be contained in the Scriptures or can by necessarie consequence be collected out of them They must after all this looke to their liues for it is not possible that a false Apostle should lead a good life We must looke on his faith and repentance and the fruites of them for though he may bleare the eyes of the world yet if his life be well sifted it will appeare by his faith and repentance he is but an hypocrite and therefore Mat. 7. Christ biddeth vs trie them by their fruites A bad tree cannot bring good fruite but if a man trie and tast them though they appeare beautifull to the eye yet we shall find them to be but hypocriticall and this is a iudgement of God vpon such that they shal be descryed by this one marke by their liues and conuersations If they teach false doctrine they haue liues answerable they cannot but liue accordingly There was neuer any which was a famous hereticke in the Church but his life was stained with monstrous sinnes as the historie of the Church declareth The second part of the discouerie is condemnation or sentence against them for after she had examined them finding them not that they seemed to be she pronounced them to be false Apostles and lyers Note she calleth them lyers vseth sharp speeches and yet sinneth not seeing Christ commendeth her so Ministers to shew their hatred against vice may vse sharpe speeches not to raile or taunt but only to shew our hatred and misliking of sinne So Iohn Baptist calleth them a generation of vipers Christ called Herod a Foxe Paul the Galatians fooles In that she calleth them lyers it sheweth three things first that they spake falsely and deliuered that which was vntrue secondly that they sinned of knowledge thirdly that they did it of malice to hurt and deceiue the Church for these three be the properties of a liar Againe here we see that which Paul Act. 20. foretold by the spirit of Prophecie to be fulfilled that among the Ephesians should arise lyars on them which professed the Gospell with them Againe if men in the daies of the Apostles they being yet aliue durst so take on thē Apostolical authoritie to cal thēselues Apostles and were none no maruell if the Pope of Rome durst sixe hundred yeares after them take this vpon him and say he is Peters successor to take on him Apostolicall power
in vision Now S. Iohn saw the holy Ghost in forme of seuen lights in a vision Reu. 4. 5. Which are before the throne This he speakes by comparison taken from earthly kings which fitting in their thrones do there shew their might and maiestie most So S. Iohn he saw God the Father sitting in a throne by vision and Christ at his right hand and before the throne the holy Ghost Hence it followes not that he is inferiour to the Father and to the Sonne but by this comparison and kind of speech S. Iohn sets out the office of the holy Ghost which is to be sent by the Father and Sonne to the Church to enlighten the members thereof and to sanctifie them Seeing that he ascribes grace and peace from God the father and also from the seuen spirits that is the holy Ghost hence we note the holy Ghost is very God for from whom grace and peace proceeds he is perfect and very God We learne that we may direct our prayers to the holy Ghost for to whom grace and peace is ascribed to him we may direct our prayers seeing he can giue grace c. but they be ascribed to him and he can giue them ergo we may pray to him for them There be some which doubt whether we may pray to the holy Ghost but they may aswell doubt whether he be God or not but they say we haue no example Ans. It is false for here we haue an example for though this grace and peace c. be a blessing yet in substance it is a prayer as though he had said O Father Sonne and holy Ghost let thy grace and peace be vpon the Church Which are before the throne of the Father Hence we note the holy Ghost is a substance and a person subsisting not a quality as some Heretikes hold confessing the Godhead of the Father of the Sonne and denying the Godhead of the holy Ghost But here we see for the holy Ghost he is a substance and person subsisting standing before the throne of the Father not a gift or grace proceeding from God but a person distinguished from the Father and the Sonne the Father he sits on the throne the Sonne is on his right hand the holy Ghost distinguished from them both stands before the throne And from Iesus Christ. That is grace and peace from Iesus Christ. Where Christ Iesus is ioyned to the Father and the holy Ghost in bestowing grace and peace on his Church Ob. Why is Christ the second person of the Trinitie placed after the holy Ghost the third Person Answ. For two causes First Christ is considered two wayes first as he is the Sonne of the Father secondly as he is the Mediator of the Church Now as he is the Sonne of the Father he is the second Person in Trinitie and so before the holy Ghost in order Secondly as he is Mediator and so he is after them both the Father and the holy Ghost Esa. 61. 1. The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me hath sent me to preach Where Christ is sent by the holy Ghost to preach as he is Mediator and so as he is sent in that respect he is after the holy Ghost Secondly he is placed after the holy Ghost because the maner of them which pen the Scriptures is to set them in the last place of whom they meane to speake last So Mat. 1. he setting downe the genealogie of Christ from Abraham though in all those there was none more excellent then Christ yet he is in the last place because of order the Euangelist meaning to speak and treat of him he sets him in the last place purposing still to continue his historie of the life and death of Christ. So here S. Iohn he placed Christ in the last place because he purposed to continue his historie in speaking of the death and passion of Christ and other things which concerne him Now what saith he of Christ From this fift till the ninth verse he describes Christ first by his offices secondly by the execution of his offices His offices are three first he is set out by his propheticall office in these words which is that faithfull witnesse secondly by his priestly office the first begotten of the dead thirdly by his kingly office and that Prince of the kings of the earth First his propheticall office First he is a witnesse Secondly a faithfull witnesse Thirdly that faithfull witnesse First he is a witnesse Esa. 55. 4. I gaue him to be a witnesse to the nations In that he is called a witnesse there are signified many duties of his propheticall office as first to reueale the will of his Father secondly to certifie the Church of the certaintie of the same and in these two stand his whole office propheticall First to reueale his Fathers will to the Church is his office for there is none which knowes his Fathers will but he which came from the bosome of the Father and he hath declared it Ioh. 1. 18. And he hath not onely declared his Fathers will since he came in the flesh but from the beginning he reuealed the will and word of God When the Lord rained fire on Sodome Gen. 19. 24. there Iehouah the Father rained downe by Iehouah the Sonne So when the couenant was made to our first parents it was made in Christ the promised seed It was renewed to Abraham and the Patriarkes from the Father by the Sonne as appeared in the bush where Iehouah appeared but 1. Cor. 10. there he is called Christ. The Prophets and the Apostles wrote as they were inspired by Christ they were but his instruments to speake and write that he put into them by the holy Ghost The matter and the stile and phrase of the Scripture all came from Christ. Nay when any particular man comes to vnderstand the Scriptures this is by the working of Christ he opens their eyes He gaue the disciples vnderstanding as they went to Emaus to vnderstand the Scriptures The second duty of Christ is to certifie men of his Fathers will and that in conscience of the certainty of his Fathers will This certification is generall or particular When he certifieth men that the word written or spoken by man out of the word is the word of God neither nature nor learning can do this but it is proper to Christs Propheticall office and for this he saith to his disciples he will send them the comforter which shall leade them into all truth Here we must know first by what meanes he assureth vs secondly the principall cause of this assurance The meanes is the word it selfe The principall cause is the operation of the holy Ghost By this three points are resolued First the Papists aske how a man can come to know that the Scriptures read and taught be the word of God Answ. We must here haue recourse to the word and to the faithfull witnesse and desire
of him his spirit and so we shall be able to discerne and iudge of it for no naturall man can do it no naturall man can discerne the things of God but he which is enlightened by the Spirit of God he can Secondly a man must haue Christ his testimonie of Scripture which is the Scriptures themselues for in them he setteth downe this testimonie of the Scriptures But if Christs testimonie be set downe of the Scriptures why do not all men know it Vnlesse a man haue a natural facultie of seeing he cannot discerne the Sunne though it shine so vnlesse a man haue grace from Christ to iudge of the Scriptures he cannot iudge of thē but if any haue the spirit of discerning then if he read and mark the phrase and manner of writing the stile and authoritie of the Scriptures he shall see then in euery line a testimonie of them giuen by Christ. How can a man know the true religion seeing the Turke Papist Iew Protestant haue their religions and dye in them I answer for to know which is true of these we must haue recourse to the faithful witnesse Christ and what he saith is true religion that we must hold for true religion Now Christ he giueth testimonie of them in the Scriptures and the Scriptures be as a letter sent from heauen to the Church shewing and testifiing which is true religion not that of the Iew Turke or Papist but of the Christian. Sundry men hold diuerse opinion in matters of religion as the Iew Turke Papist Christian which is the true opinion how is it knowne Answ. Still we must haue recourse to the witnesse of truth the faithful witnesse and Prophet of the Church and he is the iudge of these cōtrouersies Now in the Scriptures if we marke them we shall see his iudgement which of these is true But if there be diuerse opinions of Scriptures what must be iudge In this diuersitie of opinions yea of the Scriptures thēselues we must still haue recourse to the Scriptures if we note the circumstances the manner of writing if we conferre Scripture with Scripture we shall easily find out the true sense and meaning for the Lord sets out in them his iudgment plainly and fully The second certificate is particular belonging to the Propheticall office of Christ which is to certifie men in particular that the promise of the Gospell belongs to them as to Peter Iohn c. that he is the child of God and that euerlasting life belongs to any child in particular and this is done especially by the word not read but preached being ioyned with the working of the Spirit Rom. 8. We haue the spirit of Christ which testifies with our spirit we be the sonnes of God Now if this be the dutie of Christ to certifie men in particular that euerlasting life belongs to me or to any particular man then their doctrine is damnable who deny this seeing it is the proper office of the propheticall office of Christ. And in this he differs from al other Prophets and Apostles which be witnesses for they can witnesse onely outwardly to the eare but he can speake and testifie to the conscience neither can any of them certifie any man particularly though their ministerie tend to that end Christ is not onely a witnesse but a faithfull witnesse first because he testifies not his owne will but his which sent him namely his Fathers Secondly he testifies all his Fathers will neither adding nor detracting from it Thirdly because he teacheth it as he receiued it sincerely in the same manner in which he receiued it not altering changing or deprauing his Fathers will That faithfull witnesse The Lord hath sundrie faithfull witnesses as the Prophets Apostles the Church nay the Sunne and Moone Psal. 89. vers 37. but Christ alone is that faithfull witnes whereby he is distinguished from all other witnesses for he is aboue all other his witnesse is authenticall sufficient of it selfe needs no confirmation The witnes of the Apostles and Prophets be not authenticall and certaine but as they consent with Christs witnesse Secondly he is that witnesse because he is the Lord of that house whereof he giues witnesse namely the Church but the Apostles and Prophets are but seruants Thirdly Christ his witnesse is inward it assures and speakes to the conscience but the witnes of men as of the Prophets and Apostles is outward onely it comes to the eares it neuer binds and assures the conscience so that for that prerogatiue he is aboue all witnesses and here called THAT faithfull witnesse 1. Whereas Christ the Doctor and Prophet of the Church is called a faithfull witnesse we learne that all Ministers must be faithfull witnesses for euery Minister of the Gospell when he preacheth out of Gods word he is in the roome of Christ speaketh that which Christ should speake therefore he must be like Christ a faithfull witnesse 2. Now that they may be faithful witnesses they must deliuer the testimony of Christ aboue all other things and before all testimonies of man in the office of their ministery So it was meate and drinke to Christ to teach his Fathers will So Abraham his eldest seruant shewed his fidelitie in that he would not eate or drinke till he had done his maisters message Gen. 24. 33. So the Ministers must haue care first to teach the wil of God aboue all things secondly they must testifie all the will of God concerning matters of saluatiō As among men we count him a faithful witnes which testifies all the truth and no more but the truth so they be faithfull Ministers which testifie the whole will of God in things belonging to saluation neither adding nor detracting So Paul cleared himselfe that he was free from all mens blood seeing he deliuered the whole will of God in matters necessary for saluation and kept nothing backe 3. He must neither adde nor take away much lesse in any case depraue the word of God and this is the true marke of a faithfull witnesse In the Church of Rome a man may heare things concerning morall vertues handled soundly but come to faith and repentance matters of saluation they take away one part and adde another to the Scriptures they hold the Creed in word yet in deede they deny the same as by their doctrine it will appeare 4. The true witnesse must deliuer the testimony of Christ in that manner he receiues it namely in a spirituall manner in a plaine easie manner in a familiar kind of speech that the conscience of euery hearer may be moued When we seeke to obscure the word we do corrupt the same and as trades men and huxters we cannot be content to declare the word in a plaine easie familiar speech but as they set out their wares with sterching blowing spicing c. so we set a gloze on the word and make merchandize of it 2. Cor. 2.
to allow of those bookes for canonical which are not and to make them as pure Scripture which are onely Apocrypha And thou hast suffered In the former words were the first part namely of her seueritie for which Christ commended the church of Ephesus now followeth the second part which is after their discouery to oppose her self against false apostles how it will appeare in the particulars First of the words Thou hast suffered or as well thou hast borne as a burthen for the word signifieth to be pressed down vnder a great burden These burdens were troubles which these false apostles caused after they were discouered first open iniuries and persecutions secondly the spreading of damnable and hereticall doctrines The Ecclesiasticall histories report that these false apostles were such as Cerinthus Ebeon Marcion and such like Now in these words we note it is the will of God that euen the best church shall be troubled by false Apostles teaching hereticall doctrine and persecuting the church of God and so become great burdens to the church and that the Lord suffers for weightie causes first these false apostles must be that the beleeuers and true imbracers of the Gospel might be stirred vp more to embrace and loue the same as Iude exhorts the true beleeuers To fight for their common faith and the more religion is oppressed the more we should labour to maintaine it Secondly that professors might be proued and tried whether they be true and sound or not 1. Cor. 11. 19. There must be heresies c. Thirdly that God may exercise his indgements on the wicked and hypocrites for they be giuen vp to beleeue lies to receiue their false doctrine 2. Thess. 2. 11. Seeing the Lord suffereth his best churches to be troubled with false Apostles and that for most weightie causes we must not be offended because we see dissensions and scismes in the church which proceed not by reason of the Gospell but from wicked erronious and hereticall men for the Lord will haue such to liue in his church to make his owne seruants to loue him more to trie who be sound professors and to bring iudgement on the wicked these should not make vs discouraged but more to loue and embrace the Gospell Now after the dealing of these false apostles is set downe the dealing of the church of Ephesus against them in all things opposing her selfe against them Thou hast suffered and hast patience That is thou hast borne a burden by manifold troubles and persecutions and hast patience to beare them Obiect But how can troubles persecutions and patience stand together for troubles are against mens nature and makes them fret and be impatient against God man Ans. These stand together not by nature but by grace Rom. 5. 4. Tribulation brings patience And they stand thus together to him which truly beleeueth in Christ God giueth the spirit of meeknes sheds his loue in his heart so in the midst of trouble giues him a speciall tast of his mercie And thus in the time of trouble they which be most troubled are withal most patient so trouble and patience may be together And hast patience Here is the first way by which the church of Ephesus opposed her self against false apostles and their dealings which were double first iniuries and persecutions secondly false doctrines heretical and damnable teaching Now by patience she opposed her selfe to both these So the onely way to oppose our selues against persecutors such as iniury or wrong vs is patience whereby we stop their mouthes and if it be possible ouercome and winne them to Christ. This should be our meanes to oppose our selues against wicked men as well in life and maners as in iudgement and doctrine not to returne iniury for iniurie and wrong for wrong but to haue patience not that we should beare their sinnes but their wrongs And for my names sake hast laboured Here is the second meanes how she opposed her selfe against their spreading of damnable and hereticall doctrine which is the second way how they were a burden to her Hast laboured that is taken much paines for my name that is my glory and the Gospell of Christ for maintaining my glory and true Religon thou hast taken as great paines as they did to broach heresies and so thou hast opposed thy selfe against them Here then is our second way to oppose our selues against damnable heresies of wicked men we must labour to haue the true word of God to maintaine the glory of God and true Religion Is this so Then euery man shall labour for the name and Religion of Christ both minister and people for this labour is double partly of the minister partly of the people Concerning ministers the ministers first labour must be by studying and reading the word to furnish himselfe with sufficient knowledge in the foundation and substance of the Gospel of Christ. And for this cause S. Iohn Reuelation 11. must eate the booke that is by study meditation haue it in his hart and mind to digest it wel Psal. 2. 7. the Priests lips must preserue knowledge and the people must seeke it at his mouth Secondly he must deliuer the whole counsell of God concerning the matter of saluation to the people and the whole doctrine of the Gospell contained in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles So did Paul Act. 20. He kept nothing backe but deliuered the whole counsell of God Thirdly he must be able to discouer and labour to discerne false teachers to the people not onely to know them but make the church to know them Tit. 1. he must conuince false teachers and then discerne and discouer them which he shall do by two things first by conuincing and discrying their erronious doctrine secondly by reprouing their wicked life So Christ noteth the erronious doctrine of the Scribes and Pharises in their misinterpreting the law secondly their hypocriticall life So Paul in all his Epistles noteth wicked mens errours and then their bad life Fourthly he must labour that the doctrine deliuered out of the Gospell may edifie and take fruite in mens hearts which is the end of all preaching and teaching 1. Cor. 14. Fifthly he must labour to be a patterne and president in his owne person of that doctrine which he teacheth that so they may haue his example to follow which is an excellent meanes to make them obey the word and the neglect of it is the cause why many contemne the word Sixthly he must make petition to God that his particular church may hold receiue obey that doctrine he deliuereth So Paul in all his Epistles praies for them that they may receiue his doctrine Now as the minister so the people also must labour for the name of Christ euery true member of the church must labour to know vnderstand that doctrine which is deliuered out of the word Christ bids vs beleeue the Gospel and repent therfore we must first know