chrildreÌ„ take heed therof the wolfe is there can we heare this and not haue cause to suspect them And what then is more likely then to beleeue rather that our Church is much changed sith that the voice of our teachers is quite different from that of these holy Fathers that they set our candlesticke vnder abushel for feare we should perceaue these deformities gaps or seeke after a reformation or call them into the law at least to repentance Therefore Hunc audite Heare Iesus our saviour heare him in his Scriptures But to make vse of them Heare him with due reverence Think with your selfe when you alight vpon this newe Testament of our Lord that you enter into the temple of God into his sanctuarie that Christ preacheth vnto vs therein that it is his voice which is the truth and the way that it is not for naught that the Church hath called these Scriptures Canonicall that is to say Regular they being rules directing our faith and our salvation â—nter therefore with invocation of Gods holy name by the same Iesus requiring of him his holy Spirit that may inspire you enlighten you gine you an accesse to his mysteries being void of all passions full of holy affections hungring after salvation and covetous of his glory And doubt not but that seeking him there for there he is he wil be found of thee knacking at this dore he will open vnto thee hee will preuent thee and draw thee vnto hinn The Eunuch of the Queene of the Ethiopians Act. 8. read Esaias the Prophet in his chariot read him but vnderstood him not And yet found he there Iesus whom he scarse sought after Philip ruÌ„ning vnto him being carried by the Spirit for to bee his trucheman his interpreter Thus is God at hand to those that seek his Son in the Scriptures Thus also is the Son himselfe delighted in being sought after here and in offering himselfe to bee fouÌ„d here in his schoole Which being risen and glorified comming to his disciples at Emmaus when he might haue shewne them his wounds tokens of his mortality and also of his Godhead had rather resolue them in their doubts by Moses by the Prophets Did not our harts said they burne within vs while he talked with vs by the way and wheÌ„ he opened vnto vs the Scriptures Why then simple people idiots as we are you will say for I speak euen vnto them also in these Scriptures what are we to do Thou Christian that hast thy conscience doubtful about the controversies of this time thou shalt consult with Iesus thy Sauiour in this his word on them In a matter of great doubt thou coÌ„sultest with thine Advocate wilt beleeue his writings therin What wroÌ„g then shalt thou do to thy Sauiour in a matter of thine owne saluation if thou wilt not heare him if thou wilt not beleeue him Thou shalt also in reading it see before thee the chiefe points of thy Religion wherof thou art in doubt Those that aboue others are commaunded and commended vnto you of which ether the beliefe is more strictly prescribed vnto thee or the practise in special vrged vpon thee for to obserue or not to obserue those which are told thee to procure greater sinne or greater reward Thou shalt obserue in these holy Scriptures the words of thy Sauiour the rules of thy saluation if there be any mention made of them and in what manner if in the same manner as men teach them vnto thee as they are celebrated in thy church though not in name yet at least in effect though not in expresse tearmes yet at least in such as are equivaleÌ„t In briefe if in the reading of these holy Scriptures thou canst finde out the beliefe the doctrine the discipline the face the visage and lineamentes of thine owne church and of that which is taught beleeued and done in thy church Truely if thou canst perceiue all this call then thy selfe happy think that thou art in Paradise where the voice of Iesus where his worde is heard From this church be thou neuer desirous to departe But say with the Apostle who shal separate me froÌ„ this church wherin is felt the loue of Christ Shall tribulation Rom. 8 35 or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or perill or sworde No neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers For what greater consolation can there be in this conflict of opinions then to haue peace in his conscience and in these so dangerous occurrents theÌ„ to be assured of his way Of the true faith warranted by the word of his God and by a consequent of his saluation But on the coÌ„trary if thou findest nothing therein of the most part of that which men preach vnto thee make thee beleeue and inioine thee to do if in the inward and in the outward in the doctrine in the discipline thou findest altogither a different voice and different hue hast not thou theÌ„ cause to doubte that thou art straied from the Sheepefolde of thy Sauiour where thou knewest not his voice but the voice rather of a stranger in words doctrines so strange that it is now no longer the true temple of God seeing that it is an other then our Sauiour that causeth his voice there to sound hath seased on the chaire thereof And what remaineth then but that with the spouse in the Canticles thou sayest vnto him Shew me ô thou whom my soule loveth Cant 1.6 where thou feedest where thou lyest at noone for why should I bee as shee that turneth aside Psal 25. 23. Shew me thy waies ô Lord direct me in thy truth seÌ„d me thy light let it lead me let is bring me into thy Tabernacles Tabernacles in deed in regarde of that statelie building of this temple wherin I finde my selfe to bee and of a small shew and very contemptible But be they what they wil yet are they the tabernacles boothes of that chiefe Shepheard which I seeke for whose skins and cords hee will stretch out when it shall please him in the meane time I shal be sure to finde there my Shepheard I shall not want Psal 23. That good Shephearde which laieth downe his life for his sheepe Ioh. 10. and lifteth theÌ„ all vp euen the little lambes into his bosome Esa 40.11 doth wash them in the poole of Siloa feedeth theÌ„ to the hand and nourisheth theÌ„ vp with himselfe into life everlasting Whereas in this fained Temple I was fed with nothing but smoake with winde with sound with pride with rumour with luxury I laide out as the Prophet saith my siluer and my labour for that which neither did nourish nor satisfie Esay 55. in idle suffrages in vaine seruices and erroneous indeed because vain Here againe is another stop What then The Religion of Christ the true one the only religion doth she not admit of any increase or
Iesus Christ no nor from his Apostles which are grounded only vpon visions in the aire vpon pretended reuelations and certaine tales farre worse then Apocryphall These notwithstanding are articles of beleefe more to be beleeued observed nay more indeed beleeued and obserued then the worde of Christ and the holy Scriptures But it may be that this is spoken to those three onely those three which were taken apart by our Lord were to learne some particular mystery thereby But that which is only spoken to one of them saith our Lord is spoken vnto all The mysteries and the secrets of God are not of the same nature that others are of They are spoken in the eare but to bee preached on the house tops And indeed thou seest that S. Paul did not sticke to apply these wordes to himselfe and the fathers haue told thee that it concernes all the Apostles And if all the Aposties then also all their disciples and successors all such as haue beleeued their word and haue receiued from them their calling to teach the word wee may say all Christians all the faithfull all the sheepe of our great sheepheard For saith he my sheep heare my voice Ioh. 10. they vnderstand not the voice of a stranger they flie backe from him We may say the very Catholike vniuersall Church For it is said vnto her Harken ô daughter Ps 45.10 consider and incline thine eare And how often hath it bin told vs that that which is said to Peter is said to all his successours and to the whole Church And for what reason should it not hold herein also To bee short when our Lord saith vnto his Apostles Hoc facite do this thou drawest from thence a perpetuall institution of a Sacrament of a sacrifice when God therefore saith here solemnly Hunc audite Heare him What right hast thou to restrain it to these few and to some peculiar mystery to the end that all thinges may be lawfull vnto you With what face canst thou deny that these words doe containe a lesson which is to bee continuall and vniuersall vnto the ende of the world how to limit the faith and life of a Christian within the compasse of Christ his voice of Christ his lawe of Christ his schoole which is the only Lawgiuer the only Master and only teacher in his Church But there is more in it yet for this lesson is more necessary for vs then it was then for them or at any other time whatsoeuer since his Apostles For vs I say on whome the last ages are come for vs whom so many ages by a consequent so many forestalled in their iudgement haue preuented by anticipat opinioÌ„s by inueterated customs by presidents of antiquitie by renowne and maiestie which wil offer to part stakes with the Godhead and make themselues to be heard aboue the sonne of God aboue the Father himselfe For is there almost any age that hath not brought forth its own teachers Any teacher that would not haue his priuat opinions his owne inuentions I might say heresies And is there any of them that hath not built his own stubble on Christs fouÌ„dation sowne his owne tares in Christs field And how may al this be remedied Onely by this word alone Heare him heare none other let euery other voice be suspected by you Vnto him that sear cheth for the truth doubteth of his way and seeketh life he who is the truth the way and the life which also wil teach them doth of his own accorde offer himselfe And where then shall wee seek him This againe was an easie matter for his Apostles which had him at hand which were dayly in his company and did as it were draw it out of his breast For S. Paul likewise to whom it was yet graunted to heare him though in lightning in thunder But whither sendest thou vs to heare him He which is asceÌ„ded into heauen and fitteth at the right haÌ„d of the Father will not descend from thence vntill he comes to iudge the worlde And in the mean time what shal become of our doubtings Await patiently our Lord is not so farre from thee as thou imaginest Say not in thy heart Rom. 10. v. 6 7. 8. who shall ascend into heaven That is to bring Christ from aboue Or who shall descend into the deepe That is to bring Christ againe from the dead The word is neere thee This is the word of faith The Gospell which we read by the grace of our God which we preach Iesus Christ hath not left vs Orphans Hee hath not beene preuented by death hauing death in his owne power He is not dead without making a Testament nor gon from earth vp into heauen without a last will By his Testament he speaketh yet at this day and did speake in all the ages past and giueth his law to his family A Bastard he is or vnthankful that doth not heare him It is his Gospell and his holy Scriptures in the which he liueth and teacheth and iudgeth and beareth rule in his Church This Gospel by whose rule hee directeth the faithfull correcteth and reproueth the hereticks and vnbeleeuers and putteth a difference between the one and the other Of which S. Ireneus tels thee That Gospell which the Apostles haue preached haue they since given and delivered vnto vs tradiderunt in the Scriptures by the will of God to bee the foundation of our faith Then is it not by occasion only or by their owne instinct as some would make vs Beleeue August de â—onâ—enâ— â—vang l. 1. S. Augustin All that which our Lord would that wee should haue concerning his â—â—tieÌ„s and his sayings he hath commanded saith he to his Apostles to write it as with his owne hands As if therefore hee had writtten it himselfe if wee read it wee heare himselfe And S. Cyrill addeth All that Cyril l. 12 in loh c. 68. which they haue thought to suffice as well for manners as for doctrine Will we bee more able then they S. Iohn also the beloued Disciple of our Lord Ioh. 20. v. 31. These things are written not casually not by humane instinct but that you might beleeue that Iesus is that Christ that son of God and that in beleeving yee might haue life through his name And this beleeuing truely presupposeth hearing according to the wordes of the Apostle Faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God The Gospell hath succeeded the law but as the truth succeedeth the shadow and manhood infancie that the doctrin might be made cleane and the condition of the Church amended God not being content that his lawe had bin written with his owne finger commaunded also that it should bee written in a booke that they should look in it that euery houshold from their first yeares should bee instructed in it Truly Christ the son of God our only lawgiuer hath in like manner prouided for his Gospell being to
the time that our Lord conversed here in his flesh and hadst had the grace to acknowledge him to bee that Christ that Sonne of the living God wouldst thou haue made any difficultie or thought it to be any grievous fault or an execrable deede to heare him preach Wouldst thou not on the contrary haue gon to seeke after this divine worde euen in the midst of the wildernesse Whatsoever the Scribes and the Pharises had said vnto thee wouldst not thou haue had thine attentiue care linked to his sacred mouth And behold when he was to ascend vp into heaven for to lift you vp thither after him hee hath sealed the same vnto you in his Scriptures in his Gospels which for the greater part are nothing but his Sermons his speeches set downe by writing that thou maist read them and read them againe more distinctly more cleerely chew and chew them againe at your ease written expresly by sundry Evangelists that for thine instruction the one may giue light serue for an interpreter to the other And yet shall men make you beleeue that the pen and stile of his Evangelists and Apostles though ledde by the same Spirit by that Spirit which was promised vnto them was to bring into their memory all that which he had told them hath connected this sauing this quickning word into a dead letter a murthering and condemning letter that thou mightest abhor it and flie from it and cast it into the fire I thy selfe because of it why then what needed this worde haue bin giuen vnto vs in writing by the will of God as S. Ireneus told vs before and by the commandement of Christ as S. Augustin repeated it but that it might be reade And why should it be read lesse then the law and the Prophets by al beleeuers S. Peter called Prophesying a candle but the Gospel a Sun a full midday such a lighte as can admit no increase Truely our Sauiour wrought miracles enough in the which his diuinity appeared both effectually and euidently And for all this yet sendeth he the Iewes to the law the Prophets Search saith he the Scriptures Ioh. 5. And we finde not that they reply vnto him we are forbidden them S. Paul also exercising his Apostleship among the Iewes commeth into a Synagogue of the citie of Berea Act. 17. as he was powerfull in the holy scriptures hee preached vnto them that Iesus is the Christ What doe then those of Berea They were not ignoraunt of that so notorious vision which S. Paul saw in the way to Damascus they might likewise haue laid a foundation on such signes and miracles as confirmed his sayings And neverthelesse the Euangelist Saint Luke telleth vs that they received the word with all readinesse but by what meanes Searching the Scriptures daily whether those things were so to wit as S. Paul had preached vnto them And this is the reason why S. Luke telleth vs that they were more noble men then those which were at Thessalonica by this liue lie faith which they with a zeal mixed with knoweledge did draw out of the reading of the holy Scriptures Whence also it is that hee addeth that many of them beleeved and of honourable womē which were Grecians Women therfore at that time were not reproued but commended by the Euangelist by the holie Ghost himself for hauing read conferred and searched the holy Scriptures And that also that they might iudge of the doctrin and preaching of S. Paul that excellent Apostle Now what is it that the Gospell coulde since haue done vnto vs what euill hath it done to Christendome that we should feare or abhorre the reading thereof Truly whē as S. Iohn telleth vs these things are writtē that ye might beleeue Ioh. 20. v. 31. He telleth vs cōsequently that they are written that yee might read them and read them for to beleeue them and therfore they may be vnderstoode of vs they are not ambiguous they are fit of themselues to perswade vs and to make vs beleeue Whenas also S. Paule directed his Epistles to the churches of Rome of Corinth of Galatia of Ephesus of Philippi c which consisted of al ages sexes and conditions his purpose was not to exclude any one from them he hath admitted al of vs thereunto vnto those Epistles notwithstanding in the which hee treateth most deeplie and profoundly of the deepest and profoundest articles of the Christian faith and none of vs wil wrong him so far as to thinke that his intent was thereby to destroie them he being so powerful and so zealous in their instruction The like is also to bee thought of S. Peter and S. Iames the other Apostles But speake wee also of the church in these primitiue times Of what folly doe we accuse her which tooke so great a care to cause the newe testament to be translated into all languages that all mē might be able to vnderstand it Into the Latine the Syrian the Arabian the Egyptian the Ethiopian the Persian the Indian the Scythian the Sauromaticke the Gothes language And for what manner of men shall wee take S. Hierome and S. Chrysostome which turned it into the Sclavonian and Armenian tongues commending so expresly the reading thereof vnto all persons Chrysost Hom. 3. de Lazaro In Ioh. Hom 29. De verbo Esay Hom 2. In opere Imperf Homil 42 In Matt. Hom. 2. In Ioh. Homil. 16 In Genes Hom. 12.13.21 The one of them so farre as to say that they are the instruments of every Christian mans trade that hee ought and can no lesse want them then an artificer the implements of his shop that he must spare no cost for to buy them that hee ought to haue thē alwaies in his hād and not referre himselfe either to Monke or Clergie man but on the contrary hee ought to preiudice and iudge the sermōs of the Preachers I and his own too Ad Col. Hom 9 ad Thess Hom. 3. by reading before hand the same place which is expounded vnto them ought also to arme himselfe against the Arrians all other hereticks because it shall so happen saith he and repeats it at sundry times that then when Antichrist shall bee come with his army of heresies there shall bee left no other meanes to knowe the truth or true Christianitie by but onely tantummodò Chrysost in Opere Imperf Hom 9 by the Scriptures No more at all by visions nor by miracles The reader may find on that same subiect many homilies in the which hee can never bee cloid almost whole ones together which wee need not bring in here Origen S. Basil S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Hierom say euery one the same also When as thē men spake of of the Scriptures quite otherwise at this day and vse as many inhibitions for to remoue vs from them as these good Fathers had exhortations for to bring vs neere them when as men tell vs as vnto little
Tabernacle he had left him nothing to doe after his owne minde For what serues then both his and our industrie That by thee saith hee men may vnderstand that more cleerely which before they beleeved more obscurely One and the same article of faith more cleerly but no newe one none of thine owne head That in teaching that which thou hast learned thou maist say the same things after a new manner with a new grace or methode but no new things nothing that is not in this rule of holy Scripture nove saith he non nova And he addeth that this is not said vnto Timothie in particular but to the whole Church to the whole body of those that haue any charge therein because that this Depositum is a thing which hath beene commanded thee and thou thy selfe hast not invented which thou hast receiued and thou thy selfe hast or forged It is no worke of chine owne wit but it was taught thee it is no matter of private vsurpation but of publique graunt In respect of which lastly thou oughtest not be the author but the keeper not the ordainer but the follower thou oughtest not to lead others but to follow And to speake truely what neede is there of all these inventions and of so many careeres as we giue vnvnprofitable to our owne wittes for to beautifie the Religion to our owne fansie As if saith hee it were not an heavenly doctrine and suffised to haue beene once revealed but an earthly institution and could never be perfected but by a continual amendmēt according as men vse to deliberate together of one thing to day and to morrow of another After him which flourished about some twelue hundred yeares agoe all wearied and tired by the inuentions of his own time what is there that wee may not now say Shall we esteeme of it as heresie or a lust after schisme to call the Church backe againe vnto Christ vnto his holy word and vnto his holy Scriptures Therefore Hunc audite Heare Iesus heare him yee which haue heard so many others and that to your great harme heare him and shut your care vnto them which was too open to humane teachings and is from hence forth to bee reserued for his voice alone But because that our cares are vncircumcised filled with fatte let vs beseech this everlasting Sonne that by his spirit he would cleanse them and pearce them even vnto our hearts and vnto our soules for to heare and vnderstand our Iesus and his voice in his word and in his doctrine and that he will graunt that wee may heare it to beleeue it with our hearts that we may beleeue it to confesse it to saluation and that we may professe it to the edification of our neighbours and his Church But aboue all because that in his language to heare is to obey and that truely to beleeue and to doe well doe naturally follow the one vpon the other let vs make our supplication vnto him that he will giue vs the grace to be of the number of those which harken vnto his word and keep it and being consequently built laying our foundation on that Rocke which all the waues of the sea can neuer shake and the gates of hell with all their indeavors can never approach vn to we may then be assured that as he hath graunted vs here beneath to bee of the number of his true disciples so hee will make vs in heauen aboue not vpon this earthly mountaine partakers of his full glory because that there we cannot say as S. Peter did Let vs make here three Tabernacles as being rauished with the sense of a light shadow of this heauenly glorie but rather as being both better in our wits and better instructed and that by himselfe wee are to heare him and to depend on his sayings and to seeke him in his word wherein hee makes vs to vnderstand him as being the finisher of the law and the author of saluation in his Gospell yea himselfe being that saluation that so when the earthly habitation of this our abode shall come to be destroyed wee may be carried vp into that building and euerlasting house which was neuer made with hands but hath beene prepared by the father for his Disciples Now to him be all honour and glorie with the Sonne and the holy Ghost for euer and euer Amen NON SIC FVIT ab initio MATTH 19. v. 8. WE haue told you that two onely words out of the Gospell were able to decide the most parte of doubts that are at this day in Christendome and wee haue already expounded vnto you one of them Hunc audite Hear him that well beloued Sonne that Sonne and Christ of God in his worde in his holy Scriptures Whereby are cutte off all forged articles of faith or of religion that haue no foundation all in this his worde Now followeth the second Non sic fuit ab initio From the beginning it was not so Which banisheth out of the Church and consequently blotteth out in our consciences whatsoeuer the inuention or imitation of man either in imitation of the Iewes and Pagans or in loue of their owne fansies hath added to those very articles which are grounded in the holy Scriptures in so much that wee haue need from time to time to recall them to their first institution beginning it belonging to the same diuinitie and being of the same kind nature and consequence to inuent new articles of faith or to cast the old ones anew to institute a religion in the whol or in some parts Iesus Christ therefore being asked by the Pharises which came to tempt him whether it be lawfull for a man to put away his wife answers them by the law of God Haue yee not read that hee which made thē at the beginning made them male and female and would haue them twaine to be one flesh And let no man therefore put asunder that which God hath coupled together Here was wherewithall to stoppe their mouth But they neuerthelesse reply Why then did Moses commaund to giue a bill of divorcement This proud nation opposing Moses to God the seruant to the master the creature to his Creator But what answereth our Sauiour which was euen meeknesse and humblenes it selfe but yet for all that abated nothing from the glory of the father Moses because of the hardnesse of your heart hath suffered you to doe so A number of things haue either bin brought in or tolerated in the Church vnder this pretense But from the beginning it was not so Such was not the institution of marriage ordained by God that great lawgiuer to this original it is that he calleth them without any respect of their prescriptions I say therefore vnto you I which was present with God being coeternall with him whē he made them when hee coupled them together when hee blessed them which knowe his meaning and the reason of the law which also will cause it to be followed
fit to bee done before vs but what Christ the first of all which is before all hath done because also we ought not to followe the customes of men but the truth of God And to the same purpose doth hee bring in many places out of the holy Scriptures both before and after The reason thereof is to be sound in S. Ambrose Ambr. de fide l. 1. c. 5. Because that no man commeth to the Father but by the SoÌ„ be it what it will that thou meditatest coÌ„cerning the Father Chrysost Homil 57 in Matth. And likewise thou caÌ„st think nothing touching divine matters but by the Sonne Wherevpon Chrysost saith Heare him in all things In all without exception that from hence forth Hiero Matt. 6.17 saith S. Hierome we might no more pitch anie taberna cle but to him obey none but him no loÌ„ger Moses nor Elias they are but seruaÌ„ts it is no lesse their dutie then ours to raise him up a tabernacle within their hearts He that spake thus of theÌ„ what would he haue saide of such as are com since of all those founders of new orders vnto which notwithstanding we erect as well as to Christ yea in some sort aboue Christ temples al tars and sacrifices and obey theÌ„ rather theÌ„ the law the Gospell or the Sonne of God himselfe But passe we this ouer not to anger the world Yet truly we see that this lesson as being engrauen with the finger of God in their souls doth remain deep he imprinted in all there writings whereas Iames telleth vs there is one lawgiuer I am 4.12 which is able to saue distroy who art thou that iudgest another man that takest vppon thee to giue him a law how great so euer thou art that may binde his conscience and giue or take from him life euerlasting 1. Ioh. 1. And S. Iohn That which we haue seene and heard of that word of life declare we vnto you we haue learned it both for you and for our selfes that you might haue felloship with vs that our fellowship might be with the father and with his son Iesus Christ This is the reward of hearing him Farre different from that which once they asked to witt his right haÌ„d or his left hand here on earth S. Peter also alleadging for a reason this same vision 2. Pet. 1.8 16.17 For we followed not deceauable fables whenwe opened vnto you the comming and power of our Lord Iesus Christ but with our eies we saw his Maiestie when there came such a voice to him sent froÌ„ that excellent glory This is my beloued sonne c. then making a difference betweene the doctrine of the law that of the Gospell between Moses and Elias which he had seene and that Iesus whome he was coÌ„manded to harken vnto he goeth on thus We haue the word of the prophets V. 9. â— to the which ye doe well that yee take heed But as to what as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place and how long vntil the day dawne and the day starre arise in your harts This Iesus the Sonne of righteousnes the true light of our soules of the which all the Prophesies are but litle sparkes this Iesus of whom Peter said when he had knowne him To whom should we goe Lord thou hast the words of everlasting life Thou hast them that is to say none hath them but thou but by thee thou art the only head-spring spring of them all others 〈◊〉 but stinking cisternes In sonâ— other place perhaps wee might find the words of life but of a temporall life of a mortall life of an immortall death Wordes of saluation and happinesse are not found but in Iesus onely in my Iesus alone And therefore with good reason was it told vs in the mountaine Heare him S. Paul was not at this vision and yet stickes not to taker the same lesson for himself also Heb. 1. v. 1 2. God saith he hauing at sundry times and in divers maners spokeÌ„ in the old time to our fathers by the Prophets in these last daies hath spokeÌ„ vnto vs by his son 2. I 16. In these last daies saith hee that is to say for the last time and for good reason sith that by this sonne the heire as he addeth of all things by whom also hee made the worlds that euerlasting wisdome that assisted him when he â—epared the heavens Prov. 8. v. 27. when hee â—et the compasse vpon the deepe â—eing descended neuerthelesse â—ratiously from heauen from â—he bosome of the father for to set vs aright in his waies For which cause also he relateth not â—nto vs these visions and reueâ—ations of his which hee had seen 2. Cor. 12. taken vp into the third heaven into Paradise those wordes which cannot be spoken What could not he haue told vs if hee would but haue entertained the time with such discourses But those things barely which hee had learned of our Lord for the saluation of the Churches that is to say of the assemb lies of the faithfull of all sortes men women children learned and vnlearned vnto which hee did write 1. Cor. 1 v. 23. 1 v. 3. I haue saith hee receiued of the Lord that which I haue delivered vnto you I haue delivered vnto you that which I received the Gospell whereby you are saved if you keepe in memorie after what manner I preached it vnto you If you keepe it still the same that I gaue it you without adding therevnto any thing of your owne And the rather because I neither received it of man Gal. 1. v. 12. nor was I taught it but by revelation of Iesus Christ Is not that man therefore very arrogant that dares passe beyond that within which these great Apostles doe keepe themselues bound both their preaching and writings And after yea besides this well beloued Son this Sonne in whom the Father is well pleased to teach and expound vnto vs what the pleasure of God is and with what service he is pleased and therevpon to adde somewhat of his owne minde and display his owne fancies and inuentions Doth not this deserue that God should say vnto vs Who hath required these thinges at your hands Not to bee allowed not to bee approued in your accounts It is in vaine that you serue me to please men and according to the inventions of men He are him whome I haue sent you him of whom I haue told you long since that whosoever will not harken vnto his words I will require it of him Deut. 18. v. 19. 20 For the Prophet that shall presume to speake a word in my name which I haue not commaunded him to speake even the same Prophet shall die shal incurre everlasting damnation And here let these looke to themselues which against their own knowledge conscience doe preach vnto the simple people so many things which they haue not heard froÌ„ our Lord
leaue this world to withdraw his voice together with his flesh from vs. hee hath perpetuated it vnto vs in his Gospell He hath giuen vs EuaÌ„gelists Apostles whose pens he hath inspired In them by them if thou wilt hee speaketh vnto thee thou needest not climbe vp into a mountaine for it or enter into a cloud or be ouertaken with feare thou needest only his bountifulnesse and grace alone of him I say speaking in these Euangelists his heauenly father telleth thee as well now as then Heare him â—â—are him in them As well as our Lord at euery table where his Sacrament is celebrated according to his institution telleth thee yet throughout the whole world Hoc facite Doe this And communicateth vnto thee on the one part his Spirit in his word on the other his body his flesh and his blood in his holy table Which also is the reason why every one of these good ancient fathers in al those conflicts of heresies did in times past betake themselues to this testament did therein take couÌ„saile from the mouth of Iesus as in old time froÌ„ God in the Arke and did therehence carie awaie healthfull answers to the peace of their conscience and the pacification of the Church Miserable men that we are if some meÌ„ had said vnto vs heare Plato hearken vnto Aristotle wee would vnderstand it so Opt S. Aug. that he had directed vs to their books and would goe to buy them at the Stationers nor would wee any way trouble our selues to seeke their persons either in Hell or in their feined Elisian fieldes But when it is said vnto vs Heare Christ we begin to wauer make as if we were very idiors but indeed are malicious aske where hee is Herevpon marke what Optatus saith that great African Doctour contesting against the Donatists Opt. Milevit l. 5. contra Parmen You Donatists say yea we Catholiks say Nay In the midst of your yea and our nay mens soules are in doubt None will beleeue you nor vs also because therefore that we are at ods we must seeke iudges The Christians saith he are the parties themselues the heathen cannot conceiue our mysteries And therfore can there be found no iudgement on earth Must wee seeke it in heaven Note here the question marke how hee answeres it But what go wee to seeke for in heaveÌ„ seeing we haue a Testament in the Gospell So long as the father is present hee chargeth every one of his childreÌ„ what they are to do There is as yet no need of any testament And so Christ gaue to these Apostles their charge whilest yet he was on earth But as an earthly Father seeing himselfe to be neere the graue maketh his will for to preuent and end all controversies betwixt his children then men goe not to seeke him in his tombe but in this will wherein he speaketh as if he liued and though dumbe yet is vnderstood so indeed Christ he that hath made the TestameÌ„t is in heaven but let vs seeke his will in his Gospell as in his testament For even these very things which some of you do now hee did euen at that time see you do them And as at that time he did foresee them as being God euerlasting vnto whom all things are knowne from eternity so without doubt hee hath manifestlie prouided against them he hath preuented all chances and anticipated all tricks and cauils heare also S. Augustin Optatus his Country-man which either had learned it of the other or was inspired by the same spirit We are brethren why striue wee one with another Our father died not without a Testament he made a will and then died died rose againe Men do pleade concerning the succession of the dead vntill the will be brought forth It being brought forth every one is silent that it may be opened rehearsed The Iudge harkeneth at tentiuely the Advocates holde their peace the Cryers cause silence the people stands in suspeÌ„se whilest that the wordes of the deceased are a reading who lyeth in his tombâ— without feeling and yet his words haue their force Christ is seated in heaven shall he bee contradicted in his Testament August in Psal 21. Open then and let vs read we are brethreÌ„ why are we at variance Let vs appease our anger our father hath not left vs without a Testament His Gospels A Testament saith S. Basill Basil de Fide vnto which nothing ought to be added It would be false nay sacriledge The Apostle saith he by a worldly example forbiddeth vs exprestie to adde any thing to the holy Scripture wheÌ„ he saith And notwithstanding no maÌ„ reiecteth the Testament of a maÌ„ or addeth any thing therevnto if it hath once beene established Wherefore we haue alwaies knowne that we must flie from every voice and all meanings which are beside the doctrin of our Lord. Beside saith he and not against And now in the mouth of these three witnesses shall not our speech be confirmed vnto you God will haue it hath appointed that his well beloued Son should be heard Heard here beneath so long as he conuersed here in his owne person and heard in his holy Gospell sealed vnto vs by his Apostles by the will of the Father and the commaÌ„dement of the Sonne since that he hath been lifted vp from this world Heard doe you tell vs in his Gospell I you to heare him Then behoveth it vs to reade May we do so without being excommunicated or anathematised A book so dangerous full of ambushes full of snares HOW the world is changed nay euen the very voice of the Church since the time of these good fathers That the law of our Lord which is to decide all our controuersies should be esteemed of in these daies as a matter of question and this Testament which ought to bring to an agreemeÌ„t the most contentious brethren as a bundle of contradictorie clauses Could this Testament euer haue beene altered Seeing that we agree in this that it could not what remaines then but that this alteration proceeds not from the truth of the thing but from the malice of the persons Thy father hath made a wil doth it not concern thee to see what hee leaueth thee and vnder what title to know also what things he chargeth thee to doe Were hee the greatest stranger in the world wouldst thou not be so curious as to reade it Hee that would conceale it from thee yea and keepe thee from reading it couldst thou beleeue he did this without fraud And being curious in euery other thing wilt thou be negligent in this Thou that seemst to bee a quicke fellow and wouldst bee esteemed of for such a one in all thy businesse wilt thou in this bee an idiot lesse then a babe Canst thou doe this without a contempt to God Canst thou doe this if Gospell and an eternall life Tell mee in thy conscience if thou hadst lived in
Temple You may imagine to what a straight the church was brought when the high Priest himselfe findeth this booke but by a chance No sooner had he found it but hee sendeth it to Iosiah by Shaphan the Secretarie which read it be fore him therein hee findeth that it was a thing of nothing to build vp againe the Temple of God vnlesse hee also would establish againe his seruice that it rained not only on the hoâ—se top as they say but that the inside also was posaned and the Sanctuarie filled with Idolatry And hereupon beginneth hee nowe to detest the sinne of the Church rent his cloathes taketh counsell with the Prophetesse and humbleth himselfe Here the Priest might haue coÌ„forted himselfe with this that he knew his lesson by hearte might haue contented him with the tradition of the Church which neuer faileth never lieth but what do'es he He gathereth together the Priests and the Levits in the house of God all Iuda all Ierusalem from the verie least to the greatest At that time was it not the fashion to get a dispensation for to read the holy Scriptures In the middest of them all he causeth this booke to bee read which being read hee maketh a couenant to obserue it and bindeth therewith all the people And after al this he purgeth the Temple from all idolatrie and superstition and driueth out al the Priests thereof hee casteth their vessels into the fire and breaketh down the high places euen those that were in the cities of Iuda hauing beene tolerated by so many good kings in the which the Priests of the stock of Leui those that had their lawfull calling did sacrifice vnto the true God And hereupoÌ„ there might haue beene much to gainesay what is there wanting to these sacrifices Are they not offered to him and by those to whome and by whom they ought to be offered Is this therefore any thing else but a desire of noveltie And put the case that there is some defect in them is it not for all that tolerable having already beene tolerated by so many good kings by so many high Priests for so many yeares to gether And is it not in this that that law of policy is to take place that a thing once well setled though it bee euill ought not to bee taken away but to shun all inconueniences it ought to be left still in his place And neuertheles our rule makes him not sticke at all this Deut. 12 v. 11. From the beginning it was not so There shall be a place saith Moses which the Lord shal chuse to cause his name to dwell there thither shall you bring all your burnt offerings and your sacrifices c. Take heed V. 1â— that thou offer them not in every place that thou seest and which thou thinkest to be fit for thy purpose As if he said for I will not take any of thy pretended supererogations for sacrifices or worshipping I will be worshiped according to that which I haue commanded thee and not after thine owne fansie Because indeed that God the very reason and cause of all things hath his end in all whatsoeuer he ordeineth for to direct all nations to the sacrifice of his onlie sonne alone hee would haue but one temple one sanctuarie and one altar whereas thou dost darken and confound his meaning by thine owne inventions by thy pretended good purposes and by such a multitude of thine high places and thine altars every sacrifice of thine is a wroÌ„g worship Therefore also is it said in that which followes that he commanded the people to keep the Passeover But how As it is written in the booke of the covenant 2 Kin. c. 23 according to the word of the Lord delivered by the hand of Moses He sendeth them to the originall to the old form thereof and indeed it is added There was no Passeover holden like that from the daies of the Iudges that iudged Israell V. 22. nor in all the daies of the kings of Israell and of the kings of Iuda not in Samuels time no nor in the time of Hezekiah himselfe So necessarie a thing did hee esteeme it to keepe himselfe exactly to the law of the Lord and to his holy Scriptures In the time of the captiuitie of Babylon the Church of God Gods Israell in the midst of the Chaldeans those great masters of ceremonies and patrons of al idolatrie and superstition could not possibly haue stood out so long without being corrupted What does then Esdras in this case when he bringeth back the people into Ierusalem Howe doth he proceed to set them in order againe Truely it is said that as soon as they were come into Ierusalem Ieshua the son of Iozadak with his brethren the Priests and Zerubbabel the sonne of Salathiel the captaine of the transmigration Builded the altar of the God of Israell to offer thereon Esd 3 v. 2 not according to their owne fansy nor according to that which they might haue learned in that medlie of the heathen but saith hee as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God As if it were said that they calling to minde the punishment of the sonnes of Aaron which were consumed by the fire of the wrath of God for hauing offered vnto him a strange fire they reestablish after the same manner the service of God in Ierusalem as it is written in the booke of Moses they are not ashamed to go and learne their lesson therein And yet are wee not to thinke that they wanted amongst theÌ„ such men as were of courage and had in theÌ„ presumptioÌ„ enough to adde somewhat of their own therevnto Lastly to apply somwhat neerer our text to this purpose Esdras the restorer of the Church at that time was fully informed how that many of the cheefest of the people yea soÌ„e Priests also against the expresse law of the Lord had taken vnto themselues strange wiues Chap. 9. of those nations which were forbidden them whereupon hee rent his clothes pluckt of the haire of his heade and of his beard fell on his knees and coÌ„fessed both his owne and the peoples sinnes in the preseÌ„ce of God V. 7. from the daies of our fathers saith he haue wee beene in a great trespasse vnto this day The longer that the sinne had lasted the greater doth hee acknowledge to bee the fault so farre was he from taking thereby any right occasion to continue it But did he stay here only No he returned to his principle Thou hadst forbidden vs to do so Levit 18. â— 25 27. saith he by thy servants the Prophets Deut. 7.3 c. And now shall wee returne to breake these commandements Shall wee goe on stil ô Lord in these abominations So that being strengthned by the assistance of honest men amongst others by Shechaniah the sonne of Iehiel hee caused the people to sweare bound them with a newe oath to the keeping of Gods
worship them call vpon them is there any thing in all this wherof God may complaine To whom doth this honour redounde but to him his Saints beeing glorified in their images he in his Saintes But know thou will he answere thee that God as he is a Spirit so he will haue such as worship him in spirit and truth he wil be worshipped as he himselfe hath commanded and not after the fansies of men Know also that an image is a teacher of lies Habak 2 v. 18. and maketh of men beasts and confoūdeth those that are inclined therevnto and as for those Masters that haue giuē you images insteede of Masters they did this since the time that they are become ignorant and carelesse and haue bin dispensed withall for not preaching my Gospell dumbe Pastors as they were themselues they haue givē thee these dumbe preachers But frō the beginning it was not so before the law and vnder the law for the space of fower thousand yeares the church of God hath had no images To haue them or not to haue them as some particular liverie did then put a difference betweene the beleeuer and the infidell Yea and for eight hundred yeares together since the time that by mee grace was come into the world in the better part of Europe in France it selfe there were none of them I therefore say vnto you Of the ignorance of your Masters doe not you make your knowledge make not your Christianitie of the imitation and emulation of Paganisme The word of the Lord standeth fast for ever That which once he hath ordained hee never superannuateth nor disanulleth Let another proceed I know Lord that thou art the Lambe which takest away the sinnes of the world But wee are told also of a certaine fire at our going out of this world wherein wee must be purged and must for all this pay and make euen our rekoning what must I beleeue in this matter And therevpon hee will tell thee all that which the holy Scripture teacheth vs hast thou not read what my Prophets say That I was wounded for your transgressions Esai 53. v 5. and broken for your iniquities that the chastisemēt of your peace was vpō me God which is al iustice all mercy will he haue the same debt paid twise Zacharie saith There shall be a fountaine opened to the house of David Zacharie 13. v. 1. to the Church for sinne for every vncleanesse whatsoeuer and I verily am this fountaine a fountaine that neuer dryeth vppe to what purpose serues thy fire if this water doe suffice And that this water is not sufficient who can say it without blasphemie But yet if thou wilt haue a fire also heare what Iohn the Baptist saith Matth. I baptize thee with water and with fire Thy spirit indeed with a spirituall fire euen with mine own spirit And here thou wilt reply for thou art for bidden to yeeld But S. Augustine and S. Gregorie doe not they speak of a fire to the which wee must goe when wee depart out of this world Doe not they say thee it is not altogether incredible that there is one and that it may be true And at all aduentures hath it not beene a good thing to keepe the soules in such aw For how many faire Churches haue beene founded thereby how many cloisters Chappels and Masses And will you then haue the olde doubts of those men to be vnto you as articles of faith The fables of Platonikes as truth The fictiōs of Poets as sound diuinitie Our Lorde moreouer will say vnto thee He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath life euerlasting he is already gon from death to life hee that beleeueth not in him the wrath of God remaineth vpon him hee is already condemned and shall not see life Betweene these two where canst thou finde any place for this Purgatorie And then will the Sonne of God say vnto thee againe Do not stand vpon that which the Doctours tell thee thereof They could never create it From the beginning it was not so If it had beene from the beginning there is no question but the Church of Israell would haue made vse of it by so much the more because that fountaine for the cleansing of sinne was not as then opened And yet for foure thousand yeares together is there any one word spoken of it Amongst so many sacrifices and those of so many fashions is there any one word spokē of such sacrifices as were for the dead or for their sinnes And if it had been created since that time would then the Apostles haue hidden it from vs would they haue told vs. Blessed are they that die in the Lord from henceforth they do rest from their labours If wee confesse our sinnes God is faithfull and iust The blood of his Son Iesus Christ doth purge and cleanse vs from all sinne This Purgatorie then is a strange fire in the Church such a one as quencheth her naturall heate her confidence in the merit of the Redeemer And therefore That which the Lord hath paid and quitted for vs so dearely so fully the faithfull mā needs not to buy it againe Let no servant of God therefore sel it him againe Let another also come that perhaps hath looked more deepely into it and say Master I knowe that thou hast bin made an oblation on the tree of the Crosse wiped out and vtterly abolished the handwriting that was against vs. And neuerthelesse we are told that thou art every day offered vp euery day sacrificed in Masse and herevpon is all this stirre To what opinion therefore shall we stand fast and hereupō he wil tel thee Hast thou not read what Esay saith of me His soule shall bee made an oblation for sinne The soule of the Sonne of God At what rate thē dost thou reckon her and knowest thou not that I haue giuen my flesh for the life and my blood for the remission of the sins of the world In comparison of this price all your pretended Oblations can amount to nothing Knowest thou not also that likewise all the other sacrisices of the Law are fulfilled and abolished in this one onely And here either blown vp by tradition or forestalled by custome thou wilt reply but would then our Fathers for so long time together haue made so great account of the Masse and all for nothing Why then art thou not then really with thy flesh and bones sacrificed therein every day Did not men speake of this oblation even in the time of good S. Gregorie not aboue six hundred yeares after thine incarnation The ill disposed facilitie of men in accommodating themselues to infidelitie hath brought in these things And this carnall wisdome hath beene found to be but naturall and is rightly convicted of folly before God The outward worship of Iewes and Gentiles consisted in sacrifices and when they haue been brought to the Christian faith they were willing to content them with the word