Iewishe or much lesse the Popishe priests can be to vs men of good warrante to pacifie hys wrath for our synnes with and by their dayly counterfeyte sacrifices when they haue neyther warrante from thy holy written worde or be The Pope very vnfytte to offer vp sacrifice for synne hys Cardinals lesse hys priests least but his irreligious all to bad or can be such men as it becommeth our priests to be Can the Pope or any his broode be found in truth and search of his owne friends holy harmelesse and vndefyled Is he in all sortes seperate from synners or are his priests Is hys dwellings aboue the Heauens or haue not his Fryers Monkes Byshops Cardinals and Popishe prelates the fertyll soyle of euery Nation to plante their dwelling places in Doe they not néede to offer sacrifice fyrst for their owne sinnes which of all other are most acquainted therewith And doe they not in the daylie sacrifice of their blasphemous Masse fyrst offer for the Pope then for the king Byshop and themselues then for him her or them for whome they are for that tyme hyred These therefore can be no lawfull priests to offer for sinne were there any such sacrifyce to be offered The lawe of Moses made such men priests as were subiect to death The Popishe lawe anoyleth such as are wrapped in infyrmities but the law of the othe of God which is the gospell maketh the sonne of God Christ Iesus onely the sacryfycing priest of hys Churche who is without synne deuoyde of infyrmitie holy harmelesse vndefyled higher then the heauens seperate from synners once for all offred a full price in sacrifyce to his father vpon the crosse for the syns of the whole worlde which can no more be offered or any other in place therof is not subiect any more to death but lyueth to make intercession for his church to God hys father for euer Nowe we haue to consyder also from what it is that thys Sauyour Christ delyuereth vs. Truely from the Fathers wrath from the chaynes of synne and her rewarde which is eternall death Of which deliuerance Zacharius speaketh in his Song Rom. 6.23 Luc. 1.74 that wee being delyuered from the feare of our enimies might serue him without feare c. But when it is sayde he delyuereth vs it is imported we are fyrst in thraldome Mans state wythout Christ thraldome and most misery and bounde from libertie Euen so are the sonnes of men by nature thralled vnto the wrath of God bound in chaynes of synne and subiect to the cursse of euerlasting death Therin borne in it lyuing and lusting death by the contynuall desyres therof Eph. 2.3 But Synne synne is the cause that Gods iustice cannot but giue vs wrath and his wrath cannot procéeding from his iustice but cast the synner into the prison of eternal payne where is darknesse sorrowe wéeping torments and gnashing of téeth the worme that dyeth not and the anger of God And this synne is and maye be sayde to be of two kyndes the one procéeding from the other Originall and Actuall Originall commeth wyth the lumpe of massy poysoned fleshe Originall synne and actuall which our parentage hath brought to vs from the loynes of oure fyrst father Adam And he becommeth synful by the breach of Gods holye lawe in Paradise hath begotten by synfull séede his children in synne who by succession haue encreased the worlde to thys daye from his synfull loynes to beget vs synfull creatures of our synfull mothers And thus are we guyltie of Adams synne called Originall the beginning synne For lyke as out of a poysoned Vessell can be drawne no other lycour but poysoned So from the poysoned séede of Adam can procéede no other then lyke corrupted matter for mans propagation and ofspring And againe thys worde synne signifyeth generally the disobedience to God the offending of God by the breaking of hys most holy commaundements This difference is betwéene Originall and Actuall synne the one we bring with vs in flesh as guyltie by byrth of our fathers transgressiō as the Apostle sayth By Adam all men do dye The other is that our selues in mynde and bodye doe commit daylie agaynst our God and his holy lawe which we do eyther in mynde 1. Cor. 15.22 in will in harte and affection in tong or hande in soule or bodye in one or both The fyrst doth infecte all other that come from his fyrst roote For lyke as leporous parents of their bodyes cannot but beget and the chyldren which are borne of them are defyled as wel with the parents leprosie as contaminate with their owne naturall corruption Euen so are the posteritie of Adam infected with the fyrst fathers leprosie in synne and steyned with their owne actuall offences and iniquitie which one lamenting sayeth And great is that Original synne Barnardus which doth not alone infect the person but corrupteth the whole nature of man also The second which is actuall synne dwelleth in the body of the synner alone and hurteth others no otherwise then when they be pertakers therof eyther by ioyning in facte or consente by suffring or not regarding the poyson thereof the ende of both is death euerlasting Rom. 6.23 How horrible that synne is the Scriptures doe tell Synne breaketh our couenant with God prouoketh anger of God The fruits of synne in man seperateth his loue from vs hasteneth his iustice procureth our perpetuall destruction caused Christ to come from heauen and he the sonne of God to suffer death for vs moste wretched creatures which else should haue perished in synne Is of that nature that if we wyllingly fall into it agayne we crucifye Christ anewe and there is no more looking for redemption but a fearefull wayting for the wrath of Gods furye fyre and vengeance Finally it is the worke of the Deuill and he the author therof who is the vtter aduersarye of God and we his sworne enemies and Gods famylye How intollerable a matter it is for the Quéenes seruante of her priuie chamber from beggery exalted farre aboue all brauery to become Traytor to her grace and in her secret chamber to violate his fayth who séeth not with darkned eyes How much more vgly is he and most intollerable is his case that casteth dyrte by synne euery daye into the face of God by carnall concupiscence courtly carnall lustes and fylthy actions Well from all thys yet he the Lord Christ saueth his people 1. Ioh. 1.7 euen his bloud doth wash their soules and bodyes from euerye synne and his death doth purge our consciences from dead workes Heb. 9.14 Esay 1. to serue the lyuing God Of this delyuerance Esay sayth Washe you make you cleane if your synnes were as redde as Scarlet I wyll make them as whyte as Wooll Iere. 31. sayth the Lorde Ieremy Your synnes and iniquities will I remember no more Ezechiel Ezech. 18. At what tyme soeuer a synner doth repent of hys synne
art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Which wordes he most aptly applyeth to Iesus Christ And what can be more manifest then that most deuyne witnesse of the Father and testimony of the holye ghost at the baptisme of Christ our sauiour where from the heauens he thundred these wordes to his Disciples and the Iewes of Iesus Christ This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased Mat. 3.17 17.5 The Lorde Christ is of the same substance wyth the Father coeternall destinct from the father but not seperate Cirillus in Ioh. 6.1 To vse the wordes of the auncient father Cirill It is no absurdity to saye that Christ is destinct from the father Christ of one substāce with the father as the running water is from his Fountayne the Sunne beames from the Sunne the heate from the fyre These Images so passe from their substance as they are euer of and with the same as the Sunne beames are destinct from the Sunne and yet not seperate from it The Ryuer so commeth from the Fountayne as it is the selfe water and not seperate but destinct by running from the Fountayne But as no simile can in all poyntes holde hys Analogian with his matter by him resembled So let vs go to the warrante of the worde where the mouth of our God shall teache vs this Homonsion that Christ in his deuyne nature is consubstanciall coeternall and coequall with his father Esa 53. Ioh. 1.1 Ioh. 10.30 Coeternall Esay sayth His birth day who can recken Iohn sayth In the beginning was the worde that is the sonne of God And our Sauiour My father and I are one One in substance eternity power equalitie and glory This Christ is coequal with his father Zacha. 13. also the Prophet Zachary doth affirme in the fathers person thus Aryse O sworde vpon my Shepheard and vpon the man that is my fellow sayth the Lord of hostes Smyte the Shepherd and the Sheepe shal be scattered Beholde he calleth the Shepheard thus to be striken his equall Mat. 16.16 Ioh. 6.69 which Shepherd the Euangelists testifye is Christ Iesus the sonne of the lyuing God This Iesus coeternall consubstanciall coequall and his onely nature beyonde all tyme and without begynning as he is God In the fulnesse of tyme tooke our nature vpon him also and became manne that so he might be this Shepheard that should be beaten and his shéepe scattred that the little ones might be brought to him there Lorde and Sauiour This Christ was promised to Adam at his fall Apo. 12.9 Gen. 3. in condemnation of the olde Serpente Satanas The seede of the woman shall breake thy heade The Serpents heade is the power of Satan which the bodye of the scriptures testifye Christ to haue trode vnder foote And Christ is here called Seede to testifye the truth of his humaine nature Christ called seede and why And the womans séede not the séede of man in respect of his conception and natiuitie without the séede of man of the Virgin Mary by the holy ghost And in as much as she was the true seede of Adam Abraham and Dauid it must néeds be that Christ comming of her must also verily and in deede of her nature be partaker of ours be very man as he is verely God Gal. 3.17 Mat. 1.12 Luc. 3.23.24 c. Wherfore Paule to the Gallathians affyrmeth Iesus Christ to haue taken fleshe and to be of Abrahams seede Mathewe and Luke doe drawe by lyniall discente the womans séede Christ Iesus to be of the naturall séede with Adam Abraham and Dauid and of theyr fleshe and bloud and so of the same fleshy substance sinne excepted To conclude he was conceyued by the holye ghost encreased in his mothers wombe was borne of her suckt of her breasts grewe as a chylde to mans estate and into increase of godly grace in his humanitie He also had all the instruments of our Nature sinne onely excepted Wherfore we worthyly cursse for Anathema Valentyne Maryon Eutiches Appelles and Manachae with all other their adherents and fautors which derogate from the deuyne the humayne nature in Christ and doe faythfullye conclude with Paule to the Philippians Phil. 2.6 when Christ was in the shape of God he thought it no robery to bee equall with God but he humbled hymselfe and tooke vpon hym the shape of a seruant and was made lyke vnto man was founde in shape as a man he humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto death euen to the death of the crosse For by this and that we haue sayde it appeareth sufficiently that our Sauiour Christ is verye God and very man consubstantiall with his father and of self nature wyth vs sinne onely excepted But least anye man should dreame that I ioyne with their pestiferous Arius Bulling deca 4. ser 6. who taught that Christ the sonne of God receyued onely our fleshe without a soule and the Deitie to stande in stead thereof Or with Apolinarius which graunteth Christ to haue a soule but not endued with her qualities I say as the scripture sayth that Christ in his humanitie consisteth of two partes of perfite soule and perfite flesh with the whole minde reason and iudgement of the soule Mat. 20.28 Mat. 26.38 Ioh. 12.27 Luc. 22.15 c. The sonne of man sayeth Christ came not to be ministred vnto but to minister and to giue his soule for the redemption for many Agayne My soule is heauie vnto death sayth our Sauyour Nowe my soule is troubled I haue desyred to eate this Pasouer with you before I suffer All which to be sory heauie troubled and affectionate are passions of the minde and proper to the soule and approue Iesus Christ to haue with vs animam rationalem a reasonable soule humayne fleshe subsisting as that holye father Athanasius hath it in hys Symbole of our most christian fayth with whom we also say Christ is God of the substance of his father before all worlds man of the substance of his mother borne in the worlde perfite God and perfite man of a reasonable soule and humayne fleshe subsisting The which Deitie is so knytte in vnitie that after his death in his resurrection he reassuming to his Godhead his soule and bodye is ascended in the same vp into aboue all heauens on the right hande his Father Christs naturall body but in one place but yet not confounding the substance of the Deitie or of his humanitie but eche nature styll and alwayes kéepeth his proper qualitie As for example Tertul. li. de car christi August ad Dar. Epist 57. his Godhead to be in all places at one instante and his body to contayne onely one place as to the holye Scriptures Saint Augustine subscrybeth to Dardanus We must take héede sayeth he that we doe not so preach the deuyne nature of Christ that we take away the truth that is the true propertie of hys bodye As he is God sayth
gloryously arose from death and ascended aboue al heauens as that he shall appeare most gloryouslye to haue gouerned all things when he shal call before him to iudgement all the Nations of the worlde and giue to them their portion in his right iustice due vnto them This Lorde Christ and Sauiour is also the high Byshop of our soules the one and onely priest that hath fully taken awaye oure sinnes in the sacrifice of himselfe vpon the aulter of the crosse once for all and all ages there and then offered Of whose priesthood Dauid long before prophecied in these wordes Psal 110. The Lorde hath sworne and wyll not repent thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech By which words the Apostle Paule purposing to proue Christ the sayde priest thus speaketh Thys Melchisedech was king of Salem Heb. 7.17 king of the most high God c. Hee is the king of righteousnesse after that he is called the king of Salem 1. king of peace without father without mother wythout kyndred and hath neyther beginning of his dayes nor ende of his lyfe but is lyke vnto the sonne of God and contynueth a priest for euer And that rightly for Christ the sonne of God is our righteousnesse and peace and the king of Salem euen of the peaceable church and tryumphante kingdome euerlasting He is without father in his humanitie onely being conceyued by the holye ghost of the womans séede wythout mother in his deuyne nature begotten of the fathers owne nature without beginning of dayes or ende of lyfe For he is God for euer And though in his humanitie he suffred for vs yet his Godhead coulde not dye but remayneth immortall for euer This Iesus is both king and priest not after Aaron but according to Melchisedeches order for all tymes to come And as the holye scriptures hath mention of no mo such So is he the onely priest of God for the saluation of his church and there can besides hym be none other who gaue hymselfe to dye for vs and by whose onely death we be all saued that beléeue in hym The meane whereby this eternall Priest saueth hys people is by tryple operation Howe our Christ saueth vs. all which haue their force from the action of his death First in gyuing hymselfe a raunsome for theyr sinnes to God his father and by hys bloudy sacryfice once for all offered he fully acquyteth all his people of all their damnable debt Secondly by the preaching of hys Ghospell vnto the sonnes of men as whereby he is depaynted thus crucifyed for them therby they brought by his spirite to beléeue the forgiuenesse of synnes in his bloud Thirdly by that he remayneth the onlye Mediator for his people to his father so reconciling the worlde to God and guydeth his people by his spirite in the pathes of righteousnesse for his holy names sake 1. Pet. 2.5 Mat. 20.28 Thus is thy soueraigne Lorde and Christ thy highe Priest and Byshop of thy soule thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to saye the price of thy redemption by whose sacrifice alone vpon the crosse God the father is iustly payde the pryce due to hym for all our iniquities For the which cause also that he is the pryce of thy Redemption in hys death he is of God constitute for thy only Mediator as Paule sayth to the Hebrewes and saint Iohn If any man sinne Heb. 9.15 1. Ioh. 2.2 we haue an Aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the reconciliation for our sinnes and not for our sinnes only but for the synnes of the whole worlde Where note that the Apostle sayth and for this cause is he the Mediator of the new Testament Hebr. 9.15 Namely for thys cause that through his death men might receyue the promise of inheritance He that dyeth for mans transgressions is onely the Mediator for their sinnes But Christ only dyeth for mans transgressions therfore Christ is the onely Mediator for mans iniquitie This is the Apostles reason And further this priesthood so dwelleth still in Christ that no inferiour creature maye be enstalled into that function For he lyueth for euer and therfore contynueth a priest for euer after the order of Melchesedech Whersoeuer then any man or Angell would take vppon hym this office to be a priest to offer sacrifice in the Church of God For thy synnes know thou that he is not thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy redemption and therefore cannot be thy sacrificer Besydes thys that sacrifice of Christ is thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the absolute price of thy raunsome and therefore no neede of further payment to God by sacrifice Christ hath fully payde the ransome for our syns therefore can there be no more offring to God for synne Thirdly neyther néede nor can that sacrifice of Christes death and bodye to be iterate or offred of freshe for that were to kyll Christ agayne and to make lesse the valour of thy redemption by which thou art redéemed fully and for which cause Christ is called in the holye scripture thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to saye an absolute price of thy redemption by whome and whose price thou hast by fayth in hym the whole forgiuenesse of thy sinnes Heb. 10.18 And where thys Remission is sayth the scripture there remayneth no more offerings for synne but we maye with boldnesse enter into heauen not by an other sacrifice but by a new and lyuing way namely sayth he by fayth in Christs fleshe bloud once thus offred who remayneth our high priest with God Lastly were there a sacrifice remayning to be offred for sinne we had no priestes or anye one man or Angell in heauen or earth that could be a fitte Sacrificer for the same For besyds that a true Sacrificer for synne by whose Sacrifice iniquitie shall be awaye taken There can be found as a meete man no Priest in earth to offer sacrifice must be the sacrifice hymselfe There are also certayne Noble qualities must inhabite that man which can be a sacrifycing priest for sinne and the house of GOD which are by the Apostle to the Hebrewes set downe on thys maner Such an high priest it became vs to haue sayth he which is holy harmlesse vndefiled seperate from sinners and made higher then the Heauens which needed not daylie to offer vp sacrifice first for his owne sinnes and then for the synnes of his people for that did he once when he offred vp himselfe for the lawe maketh men highe priests which haue infyrmitie but the worde of the othe which was synce the lawe maketh the sonne who is consecrated namely the onely priest of God for euermore Now deare Reader if it be of necessitie that we should haue such a Priest to offer sacrifice for our sinnes and that no other can take that office to pacifie the father whose iustice changeth not or is by affection altred how can it be that eyther the
worldly cares and enimies there is consolation and happy euent easely had If destrest and perplexed there is sound counsell and faythfull friendship If doubting of Gods lyfe there is a most sure Towre of defence and well buylded bulwarkes against all such assaultes And truely our second Dauid Christ did not else where 1. Sam. 17.40 Mat. 4. then forth of this Scrip take those little stones which slue the olde Goliath Satanas in his subtile assaulte and cruell temptation Scriptum est c. What wouldest thou haue Hence floweth the Ryuers of God in Christ to the drinking of which Ioh. 4.14 our Christ doth daylie inuyte vs whose nature is absolutely to quenche oure intollerable thyrst The treasures dwelling in the worde of God and to satisfie vs in desire of most happinesse Here is the Storehouse of GOD whether we ought to goe to satisfie oure hungry soules Thys is the Table of the Lorde most amply furnished with all dyshes of necessary dyet dressed by the finger of God wherewith he doth most lyberally féede vs Here is also moste pleasaunt Wyne of consolation and lyfe the Fountayne of Christs bloud daylie open for euery soule that thyrsteth after it to washe away his synnes In this holy Byble is situate the Heauenly Paradise farre passing the Garden of Eden where is all kinde of fruit for vs to eate in which the Trée of lyfe Christ Iesus is most fayre and frée to vs. The trée of knowledge of good and euill is set to our instruction vz the worde of God of which we maye eate and muste eate wyll we be saued But that we eate not as our fyrst Father Adam did in earthly Paradise it is fyt that we come as Bées and not lyke vnto venemous Spyders Let vs search and séeke therein the most swéete lycour of lyfe the knowledge of God and his Christ the knowledge of our synnes the reward of them the forgiuenesse of them by whome and the maner howe The will of God and the strength to serue him orderly the power of Satan and his wylie engins and how to escape them The weapons and armour of God and how to be armed therewith and by battayle in our Captayne Christ to beate downe Satan vnder our féete If on this sort we come and humbly with open hartes pray and reade aduisedly and eftsoones meditate in the lawe of God we shall moste ioyfully returne daylie to our brethren into the Hyue of Gods Churche where we shall become profitable to all men by the honey of lyfe euen his spirite and truth which forth of the Garden of Gods scriptures we haue receyued But if we come with mindes to cauill forestuffed with errors and bent to gather to féede our yll we shall misconster the worde for his truth is open to babes Mat. 11.15 that are content to take the lesson at the parents mouth and not to the worldly wyse and lyke learned resting in their owne wouen webbe of frayle humayne spynning Hence commeth darknesse error heresies schismes backslydings from God and running into Hell without remorse Take héede therfore how thou commest to this holy booke and looke not therein superficially but in great diligence and let the hardnesse thereof procure thy whole industrie as before consydering wyth what paynes men attayne to skyll and how harde things by often vse become both swéete and easie Mortall men take great paines to read prophane but little in gods Booke The mortall bookes of heathen men we toyle and turne ouer with incredible endeuour and contynuall labor beating body and brayne the solace and safetie of health often berefte and contemned hereby that we might attayne the perfection of the wryters will And yet doe such labors but teach or the kéeping or recouery of Natures health or the increase of state and wealth or the ruled lynes of common welths guyde or such other artifyciall poyntes of temporall blessings which in themselues consydered are in deede precious but compared with the treasures of Gods booke the lyght of lyfe there is no comparison For we haue not therein mannes earthy but Gods heauenly wisedome speaking vnto vs to whose worde Gods word wyll make vs apt to all perfection if we giue obedient eare we shall receyue most synguler aptnesse and ability to al heauenly things we shall dryue from vs all heauy depressing pleasures that hinder godly paines in Gospel studie we shall be lightened with consolation in the booke of God and his worde shal become most swéete and easie vnto vs of what estate soeuer Kings shall haue in this booke their rule to gouerne learned Preachers to teache and the matter and Methode Counsellors Lordes and Lawyers matters of health the déepe wyttes and great Clarkes high and déepe mysteries and louing lowly persons plaine and most open doctrine sufficient to their saluation Therfore reade diligently and praye continually and no doubt the Lord according to his promise seeke and you shal finde Luc. 11.10 Math. 6. Ezech. 36. pray and it shall be giuen you c. will giue thée his holye spirite change thy heart of stone into a fleshy heart and teach thée his statutes giue thée the vnderstanding of hys lawe and teach thée himselfe This onely remayneth that we which be Gentyls should cast away our former darknesse and put on this armour of lyghte and embracing Christ for our lead Starre as he is of his father giuen to vs should by his spirite and sacred worde of fayth in his power cast of the power and workes of darknesse Otherwise it shall be to all Recusants their condemnation that light is come into the worlde Ioh. 3.19 and those blynde men loue darknesse rather then the light The Iewe ought to refuse his Righteousnesse by the lawe also and the Pharisey not to bragge glory of his holynesse but sincerely to receyue this our light Christ and in him onely to repose his trust bycause he is giuen him of GOD to be his onely glory And this God graunt to his good pleasure in Christ To the which Christ with God the Father and the holy Ghost be all honor and glory nowe and for euer Amen Laus Deo A. A. ⧠Imprinted at London in Fleetestreate beneath the Conduite at the Signe of Saint Iohn Euangelist by H. Iackson 1581.