the conditions required Levit. cap. 21. His office was to order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the Lord continually To offer upon the Altar to burn incense Levit. 24.4 1 Sam. 2.28 Levit. 24.8 Levit. cap. 16 to weare the Ephod To make and set forth in order the shew-bread before the Lord every Sabbath To go within the vaile and to make the solemn attonement once a year in such manner and form as is prescribed Levit. cap. 16. Under these conditions Aaron first had it then Eleazer his son then Phinees the sonne of Eleazar c. The Priests of the second order The priests of the second order Levit. 21.21 were all the sons of Aaron successively in their generations who were capable of the Priest-hood that is to say if they had no blemish nor were blinde or lame c. for the Law was No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the Priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire he hath a blemish he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God These were consecrated as the High Priests were and with the same oyl though not to the same measure as hath been said before They might not defile themselves for the dead yet for their near kindred their Mothers their Fathers their Sons their Daughters their Brethren and their Sisters which were Virgins and had not been married they might defile themselves by going in unto them when they were dead They might uncover their head but they might not make baldness upon it by shaving the hair quite off neither might they shave all the corners of their beards nor make any cuttings in their flesh It was not forbidden unto them to marry with widows though they might not take to wife a Whore a prophane woman or her that had been divorced Num. 4.16 S. Luc. 1.9 Levit. 17.6 2 Chron. 29.21 22 23 24. v. 34. for these conditions are required Levit. 21. Their office was to conserve the oyl to oversee all the sacred Vessels to offer incense every day to offer ordinary and extraordinary sacrifices to flay or take off the skin of the burnt-offerings They were in order degree and dignity inferiour to the high priest and therefore though they had vessels befitting their order and degree which the high priest also had in common together with them as the feminalls or linnen breeches the strait linnen coat the girdle of needle work the cap or mitre of fine linnen the linnen Ephod as hath been said before yet the peculiar robes and ornaments of the high priest as the robe of the Ephod the Ephod or superhumerall the breast-plate of judgement the Urim and Thummim and the plate of gold upon the Mitre or Cap it was not lawfull for them to weare Aaron had four sons Nadab and Abihu Eleazar and Ithamar and these four were first consecrated Priests first consecrated being apparrelled with the sacerdotall garments But Nadab and Abihu did rashly presume to offer incense with common and ordinary fire and not with that sacred fire which God commanded therefore there went out fire from the Lord and devoured them and they dyed before the Lord Levit. 10.1 2 1 Chro. 24.2 and left none to succeed them in the priesthood Wherefore the priesthood was continued by Eleazar and Ithamar and in their stock and progeny unto the dayes of David But David in his time finding that there were sixteen families which descended from Eleazar and eight from Ithamar distributed them into four and twenty rancks or orders according to the heads of the severall families by lot that so they might orderly and in their course and not altogether give attendance upon the Temple And these were called the first second third and fourth lots c. as is to be seen 1 Chron. cap. 24. This being done by David Solomon having builded and consecrated the Temple appointed according to the order of David his Father 2 Chr. 8.14 the courses of the Priests to their service The severall Orders served their several weekes and then others succeeded in their places For Zacharias the priest the Father of St John the Baptist executed the Priests office before God S. Luc. 1.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the order of his course saith the Translation But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 courses as Theophilact saith and after him Scuttetus and Beza were Hebdomadae weeks It seemeth also that when they were met together they cast lots what every man should do and what service he should perform for it is said of the same Zacharias that according to the custom of the Priests office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his lot was or he obtained by lot to burn incense v. 9. And by this the Reader may take notice who those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those high priests or chief priests were S. Mat. 2.4 with whom Herod consulted and who they were who so often in the new Testament have obtained to be styled high Priests or chiefe Priests There was but one high priest who was the high or chief Priest of all as was Jehoiada the chief But there were high priests or chief Priests 2 Chr. 24.6 four and twenty in number who were the highest or chiefest of the severall courses orders or lots the heads of the severall families These upon all occasions assisted the high priest and were of his counsell as is to be seen Acts 4.6 Act. 4.6 And because they were the heads of the severall families of the priests and the chiefest of the severall courses orders or lots therefore called the high priests or chiefe priests The Levites under which name and notion I comprehend the whole tribe of Levi Concerning the Levites the stock and progeny of Eleazer and Ithamar from whom the high priest and all the priests of the second order did descend only excepted were by divine institution first set apart to the service of the Tabernacle Their office was to take care of the Tabernacle and of all the vessells thereof Num. 1.50 cap. 3.6 7 8.9 1 Chron. 23.28 and of all things that did belong to it to bear it and all the vessells of it to minister unto it and to encamp about it and to minister to the priests All which things they performed during the peregrination of the Tabernacle and to the daies of David But David reduced them into another forme for the care of the Tabernacle being ceased and the Temple to succeed Levites properly or specially Ezr. 8.16 1 Chron. 23.27 28 29 30 31 32. he appointed some of them to attend the temple and to minister to the priests these were twenty and foure thousand divided into foure and twenty orders courses or lots according as their lot fell who had also their chiefe Levites as the priests had and did give their attendance in their turnes and were called the Levites Concerning whose office and
would do nothing in his childhood which should be accounted a miracle and yet then because he would lose no time to do the businesse of his Father would he begin to evidence his divine wisedome It was to avoid the importunity of his parents who in all likelyhood would have urged or commanded his departure at least-wise have disswaded him from disputing vvith the Doctours as one that was but a childe in years nor had ever frequented the Schooles and withall to give them to understand that he had another Father vvhose vvill he ought to prefer vvhich prevailed vvith him not to acquaint them vvith his stay and to conceal his resolution The Galileans returning by companies his parents vvho knew nothing of his subduction and abobe in Hierusalem went on their journey the first day together with their neighbours friends and kindred but missing him at night they carefully enquired after him and when they could not finde him and saw that he was not in the company that came forth together with them they returned to Hierusalem and with heavy hearts as fearing what had befallen him sought him three daies together going and enquiring from place to place in all places where they thought probably that he might be What he did during those three daies of his absence from his parents where he vvas in what place and with vvhom he abode how and by what means he got food to sustain himself it is curious to enquire and rash to define After three daies which may also be understood upon the third day Mat. 27.63 Mar. 8.31 they found him in the Temple in that place of the temple where the Scribes and Doctours of the law did teach and expound the law and the prophets Sitting in the midst of the Doctours not in the Doctours high seats I suppose but in place convenient and appointed for the younger sort to sit both to hear the Doctours and to ask them questions there was he together with others of the younger sort both hearing them and asking them questions What he heard from them we cannot say doubtlesse the questions which he asked of them were touching the Messiah who was expected Of what tribe he should come Whose son he should be what redemption he should procure to Israel by what means and such like That so he might in some sort manifest himselfe to be that Messiah of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write which properly was the businesse of his Father Whereupon as well his parents as also all others that heard him even the Doctours themselves were astonished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they admired above measure and were ravished in minde as men besides themselves Never heard they such acute questions never such exact answers The disputation being ended first as is piously to be supposed for it is altogether unlikely that she would by any importune or unseasonable question interrupt him while he was asking and answering the Doctours his mother desirous to know upon what motives he had so absented himself demanded of him privatly why he had dealt so with them admonishing him of the care and sorrow which they had by reason of his absence They were both of them carefull to finde him and did both of them sorrow for the present losse of him but more especially the blessed virgin whom it more neerly touched whose motherly love and affection was more tender and compassionate The answer which he makes is no reprehension but a divine instruction As if he should have said I acknowledge you my mother according to my humanity of you it was that I took flesh in your wombe was I conceived by the holy Ghost I do likewise acknowledge you to be my reputed father a father according to the law and that upon both respects as man I owe unto you both honour and obedience But as it is true that as made of the substance of you my dear mother I am the naturall and consubstantiall son of man Even so being begotten of God and of his substance I am the naturall and consubstantiall son of God By him am I sent to do his will this temple is his house How then is it that ye sought me did you not perswade your selves that I would not otherwise absent my selfe from you but to be about the businesse of my holy and heavenly Father This was the meaning of his answer which at that time they understood not Thus they departed out of the temple and from Hierusalem and went down to Nazareth Christ sbuject to his parents and how where he dwelt with them and was subject to them working without doubt at his fathers trade partly to avoid idlenesse in himselfe and to condemn it in others as the mother of all mischiefe for nihil agendo homines male agere discunt in doing nothing men learn to do ill partly to get his owne living vvith the labour of his hands and to relieve his parents in their mean condition It was that which his country men had observed and at which they stumbled Is not this the carpenter say they S. Mar. 6.3 the son of Mary the brother of James and Joses and of Juda and Simon and are not his sisters here with us And they were offended at him That he disposed himselfe to prayers fastings and divine meditations that must not be denyed yet that he vvrought carpenters work and made plowes and yokes for oxen seeing that Justine Martyr saith it more then once Dialog cum Tryph. Jud. who no doubt had it from good hands and that such a condition might well stand vvith divine dispensation and with the forme of a servant it may easily be granted All these words which she had heard in the temple and which elsewhere were spoken of him and by him the blessed virgin his mother kept in her heart as the richest and greatest treasure And Jesus himselfe who is the fountain of all wisdome S. Joh. 1.16 and of all grace of whose fulness have all we received and grace for grace as Saint John saith Who had not his wisdome by measure or degrees but above measure altogether and from the very moment of his conception who was the wisdome of the Father and to whom no wisdome could be added by increase of age or stature yet as he increased in age and grew up to the full stature and proportion of a man so did he more and more dispence his wisdome whereby he was well knowne and observed to be in favour with God and was highly esteemed of men Being in the full perfection of the human nature in whose body there was no spot or blemish Psal 45.3 fairer then the children of men vvhose lips vvere full of grace because that God by the hypostaticall union had beyond all the sons of Adam blessed him for ever Concerning whose stature feature and proportion let the Reader if he please see Niceph. Callist Ec. Hist lib. 1. cap. 40. And the child grew and waxed strong
Salome maried to Alexas and two wives Malthace a Samaritan and Mariamne who was niece to Hercanus by Alexandra his daughter and of the Assamonaean family By Malthace he had three sons Archelaus who raigned after him in Judea of whom St. Mat. 2.22 and Herod Antipas Tetrarch of Galilee and Philip Tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis of whom St. Luc. 3.1 By Mariamne the Assamonaean he had two sons Aristobulus and Alexander Aristobulus had to wife Bernice the daughter of Salome his fathers sister and of her he had a daughter whose name was Herodias But these were not all the wives that Herod had for he had also to wife another Mariamne the daughter of Simon Boethus the high priest born in Alexandria by whom he had also a son whose name was Herod this Herod married Herodias and had by her a daughter whose name was Salome and then he dyed After whose death Herodias married Philip Tetrarch of Iturea a second husband the brother of Herod Antipas by father and mother and both of them brethren to Herod deceased by the fathers side Herod Antipas falls in love with Herodias his brother Philips wife and she consenteth to forsake Philip her husband and did so Herod Antipas for so it was agreed betwixt them repuding his lawfull wife who was the daughter of Aretas king of Arabia took unto him this Herodias who was the wife of Philip his owne brother both by father and mother as is said before and had her home to his house together with Salome her daughter but Philip whom she had forsaken lived still and died not till in the twentieth year of Tiberius the Emperour after that he had governed his Province thirty and seven years as Josephus saith a good and quiet man ready to do justice to all men at all times he obtained a sumptuous funerall and was laid into a monument which himselfe had builded Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 6. Such were the incestuous marriages of the Herodian family But hinc illae lachrymae For Saint John the Baptist comming out of Judea into Galilee as before is said and having accesse unto Herods court was had in esteem by Herod himselfe S. Mar. 6.20 who observed him and when he heard him he did many things and heard him gladly But Saint Iohn knew not how to daube with untempered morter he could not dissemble the sins and vices of the court nor would he permit a sin so hainous to be unreproved but told Herod plainly It is not lawfull for thee to have her S. Mat. 14.4 Levit. 18.16 Levit. 20.21 Saint Iohn spake law for the law of God saith Thou shalt not uncover the nakednesse of thy brothers wife it is thy brothers nakednesse And if a man shall take his brothers wife it is an unclean thing he hath uncovered his brothers nakednesse they shall be childlesse Herodias the cause of her hatred against Saint John Hence sprung the hatred of Herodias against Saint John who for that cause had a quarrell against him and would have killed him if she could She was impudent and was not ashamed of her uncleannesse she was proud and obstinate so that she would not endure reproof Besides it is well observed by venerable Bede she did fear lest that Herod should at length repent or be reconciled to his brother whereby it would come to passe that this her incestuous mariage should be dissolved Therefore watched she all opportunities to destroy him and no doubt had counselled her daughter to do the like having by her importunity so far prevailed with Herod that he had laid hold on him and laid him a prisoner in bonds in the castle of Machaerun which was a frontire town betwixt his and Aretas king of Arabia Petraeaes country Herod also himselfe I suppose was not difficultly induced to imprison him whom he knew to be a just man and an holy justum quoad homines sanctum quoad Deum S. Mar. 6 20. just to men-ward holy to God-ward as the Glosse saith such is the rage of unlawfull lust He was vvilling but durst not put him to death and when he would have done it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he feared the multitude lest they should make insurrection and revolt from his government because they counted him as a prophet S. Mat. 14.5 But Herodias did neither fear nor care what would come after so that she might have her will to wash away her present fear in the innocent blood of the Baptist Therefore attending all seasons at length there came a convenient day It was the birth-day of this Herod Antipas which of custome he did solemnize anniversarily an old custome in the courts of princes especially pagan for the solemnity whereof he made a supper to his Lords high captains and chiefe estates of Galilee and then the foresaid Salome the daughter of Herodias by her first husband Herod came into the presence and danced before Herod Antipas and before all his guests Wherewith he was so much taken that he bad her to ask whatsoever she would swearing that whatsoever she should ask he would give it her to the halfe of his kingdom She who had been pre-instructed by her mother Herodias S. Mat 14.8 upon all occasions to work the destruction of St. John the Baptist went in presently and acquainted her mother how matters had passed betwixt the king and her demanding her advice what she should ask She counselleth that setting all other demands aside she should ask the head of the Baptist as being of more consequence to them both then any thing else which the Tetrarch could give And so it followeth in the Evangelist that she came in straight way with haste unto the King and asked saying I will that thou give me by and by in a charger S. Mar. 6.25 the head of John the Baptist And the King was exceeding sorry yet for his oath's sake and for their sakes which sate with him he would not reject her 26 And immediately the King sent not to the castle of Maehaerun which was in the confines of his countrey remote but to some neerer place whither he had removed him to another prison 27 and from whence he might presently send for his head an executioner and he went and beheaded him in prison 28. S. Mat. 14.9 10 11. And brought his head in a Charger and gave it to the damosell and the damosell gave it to her mother Thus was the blood of that righteous man most unjustly spilt but his body whether at Samaria then called Sebast The body buried by his Disciples in honour of Augustus Caesar or in what other place it is not mentioned was buried by his Disciples who so soon as they heard of it took it up and buried it and went and told Jesus But his head remained in the power of wicked Herodias S. Mat. 14.12 S. Mar. 6.29 by whom they say it was secretly buried 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Holy Ghost whereby the believer giveth his assent or credence unto Gods holy word and doth apprehend and apply to himselfe in particular as well the Originall promise as also all other promises of the saving good will and grace of God in Christ the promised seed to his glory and to the salvation of his own soul The efficient cause of which justifying faith primarily is God himself The efficient of justifying faith who is one divine essence distinguished into three persons the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost for faith is the gift of God as St. Paul saith Unto you it is given in the behalfe of Christ not onely to believe on him Phil. 1.29 but also to suffer for his sake Yet so as that instrumentally it is either internall or externall The internall is the Holy Ghost by his speciall working the shining of God in our hearts whereby faith is begotten in us 2 Cor. 4.6 while that he doth dispose our understanding to the saving knowledge of Christ and moveth our will to give assent and adhere thereunto The externall is the administration of the Gospell in the dispensation of the Word and Sacraments whereby the Holy Ghost doth ordinarily forme and confirm the work of faith in us although it must not be denyed that for the liberty of the power of his will God without the use of this ordinary meanes when and where he shall so please doth beget and work faith in the hearts of men Rom. 1.16 I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greeke 17. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by faith The matter of faith The matter of Faith if considered subjectively the proper subject thereof is the understanding and will of man so farre forth as each faculty is regenerate by the supernaturall grace and power of the Holy Ghost whereby the understanding discerneth those supernaturall benefits of faith offered in Christ to be true and the will applyeth them assuredly as good and saving O fooles and slow of heart of understanding and of will to believe all that the Prophets have spoken Luc. 24.25 But the matter of faith considered objectively in respect of the understanding is divine verity and in respect of the Will the sole singular grace of God promised in Jesus Christ both which are contained and circumscribed in the written word of God all which and onely which faith respecteth and embraceth as its adequate object and therein Christ crucified as its principall first and proper object Let us draw neare with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience Heb. 10.22 23. and our bodies washed with pure water Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithfull that promised The matter of faith in respect of the parts of it The matter of faith in respect of the parts thereof are diversly considered as well in regard of the subject as of the object For in respect of the understanding and divine will it is knowledge and assent knowledge whereby a man understandeth the whole word of God according to the principall heads thereof for the measure of grace revealed Assent whereby a man taketh it for granted and is firmly perswaded in his heart that all those things which he knoweth out of the Law and the Gospell are so certainly true that in them as in divine truths is setled rest to be found Rom. 7.16 I consent saith the Apostle unto the Law that it is good In respect of the will of man the principall and primary part of faith is confidence which is a most firm perswasion of the heart whereby all the faithfull doe appropriate the generall promise of Grace to themselves in particular Which confidence produceth a two-fold effect whereof the first is a sure ground or foundation upon which a mans faith standeth in opposition of all dangers internall and externall The second is a full trust in God S. Mat. 7.25 whereby a man doth depend on him that he may be saved It is the testimony of the Spirit which as St. Paul saith beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God Rom. 8.16 The forme of faith The form of faith consisteth in Relation whereby the believer doth apply unto himselfe the word of truth and the divine promises of the grace of God in particular So that look what the Scripture promiseth and propoundeth generally the believer appropriateth to himselfe by a firme perswasion As for example God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son S. Joh. 3.16 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And this is it which the Scripture speaketh in generall termes and was first spoken to Adam after his fall and is further spoken in all the old and new Testament which yet the believer appropriateth to himselfe God so loved me that he hath given his onely begotten Sonne that I believing in him should not perish but have everlasting life The finall cause of faith for the first and principall end of it The finall cause of faith is the glory of God the Author of our faith and the Redeemer of our Souls But the next or secundary end is out owne salvation which the scripture therefore calleth the end of our faith and the reward of it as the Apostle St. Peter sayeth 1 Pet. 1.9 Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your soules Here note by the way Observation that faith towards God is one and yet divers One in the species for though there are many sorts of Christians yet there is but one Catholique faith for faith is species specialissima One in regard of the object for the thing believed is one and the same upon which ground St. Athanasius in his Creed doth conclude peremptorily This is the Catholique faith which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved And the scripture accordingly One Lord one Faith one Baptism Divers both in number and in degree Eph. 4.5 In number Every believer hath his own faith proper and peculiar to himself which is his own faith and is not the faith of any other In degree for faith is in some more in others lesse according to the measure of the divine grace of God There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If God so cloth the grass of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the oven shall he not much more cloth you O ye of little faith But the woman of Canaan had a great faith S. Mat. 15.28 O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Now this
Machabeus having received the City cleansed and dedicated the Temple a nevv vvhich the Gentiles had prophaned taking avvay the abomination and reducing every thing to its former state as is to be seen at large 1 Mac. 4. In vvhich state it continued till king Herod most sumptuously repaired and enlarged it to the admiration of all men vvithin the space of one year and six months Joseph lib. 15. cap. 14. And so it stood in its glory to the passion of Christ S. Mat. 27.51 at what time the vaile of the Temple rent in twain from the top to the bottom Afterwards Caligula the Emperour affecting Deity reduced the Synagogue of the Jews to his own worship adorning them with his own statues and the Temple it self which to that day had been kept inviolate he dedicated to his own name Whereby it appeared saith mine Author that the speech which the Jews unadvisedly had spoken before Pilate when they said they would have no other king but Caesar to have deservedly fallen upon their own heads After this the Iews rebelling against Caesar their King Titus Caesar in the raign of Vespasian took the City and whether willingly or unwillingly that is not here to be disputed burnt the Temple upon the same day that it had been burnt by the Babylonians before And that which made the judgement the more remarkable was that after the Souldiers had kindled the fire no humane industry was able to extinguish it Even so doth God by man bring things to pass which no human power can prevent But it was Adrian the Emperour who caused the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet Dan. 9.27 to stand in the holy place For he set up his own Statue and an image of Iupiter in the place of the Temple and when the Iewes rebelled he subdued them laid the City levell to the ground burnt that which remained of the Temple and because he would utterly take away the Iewes Religion he overwhelmed it with earth and dedicated a Temple to Venus in place of it Like as the Temple had the same utensils which the Tabernacle had so had it also the same mysterie The Mysterie Foras much as the Tabernacle was no other but a portable Temple neither was the Temple any other thing but a fixed and immoveable Tabernacle Yet because the Temple did in many things excell the Tabernacle therefore the mysterie must not go unobserved The Temple did succeed the Tabernacle which was to give them to understand that the Evangelical Church figured by the Temple should succeed the legall Tabernacle or Iewish Synagogue The Tabernacle was built by Moses and was so made that it might be dis-joynted and taken down but the Temple was built by Solomon and was made to stand and remain signifying that the Iewish Synagogue and legall worship given by Moses should be dissolved but the Christian Church and Evangelicall worship founded and built by Christ should stand and remain unto the end of the world The Tabernacle had no foundation but the Temple was surely founded upon a strong Rock signifying the weakness of the legall if compared with the Evangelicall worship founded upon Christ the Rock The Temple was more great and glorious then the Tabernacle and all the utensils that Solomon made did excell those that Moses made for the use of the Tabernacle teaching them to know that the Evangelicall Church should be more great and that farre more glorious things should be spoken of it in the time of the new Testament then could be spoken of the Iewish Synagogue or legall worship in the time of the old Testament That it should be both of Iewes and Gentiles That it should be extended all the world over that it should be adorned with gifts more rare and admirable in the persons of the Apostles and Prophets and Evangelists and Teachers that it should be enlightned with a more plentifull measure of Gods most holy and most blessed spirit That it should be directed by the Evangelicall word That it should be confirmed by miracles greater and more abundant That it should have Sacraments more venerable a worship more plain and easie a more glorious and victorious army of Martyrs and Confessors That Kings and Princes and Magistrates and all worldly Rulers should cast down their Crowns and Scepters and all engines of honour and greatness descend from their Thrones do homage unto Christ bend and bow their knees at or in the blessed name of Jesus weare the venerable sign of his Cross in their foreheads fight under his Banner and account it their chiefest happiness to be Christs his servants And therefore it was not without mystery that when Solomon dedicated the Temple he also the same day hallowed the midle Court that was before the house of the Lord and there he offered burnt-offerings and meat-offerings and the fat of the peace-offerings two and twenty thousand Oxen and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep because the brazen Altar that vvas before the Lord 1 Kin. 8.63.64 2 Chro. 7.7 vvas too little to receive the burnt-offerings and meat-offerings and the fat of the peace-offerings The Holy Ghost thereby signifying the fulness of the Gentiles to be brought unto the father by Christ his son who should present their bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God For which cause when Christ suffered his passion and dyed the vaile of the Temple rent in twain from the top to the bottom shewing unto all those that looked upon these things with spirituall eyes that then the midle wall of partition was by him broken down that so the fulness of the Gentiles might come in Concerning those who are to administer in or attend upâ—n holy things as St. Paul sheweth Eph. 2. Lastly to the Evangelicall part of the Testament belonged all those who by their place and office were to administer in or give their attendance upon holy things These were first the Priests who were of the sons of Aaron whom God who is the God of order distributed into two orders The first was the Pontificall order of which order there was alwaies one and but one who had it or ought to have had it from Aaron by succession and birth-right if he were in capability of it that is to say if he had no blemish if he were not blind nor lame nor had a flat nose nor had any thing superfluous nor were broken footed or broken handed or crook-backt or a dwarfe or had a blemish in his eye or scurvie or scabbed or had his stones broken c. For every blemish made him uncapable of the pontificall function Then again he must not uncover his head nor rend his clothes nor go into any dead body nor defile himselfe for his father or for his mother nor go out of the sanctuary nor prophane it and might onely take a virgin to wife of his own people and might not prophane his seed among his people for these are
the wife of Lapidoth who judged Israel Num. 11.25 Judg. 4.4 Judg. 6.8 And one more of whom mention is made Judg. 6. In the daies of Eli the high priest the word of the Lord was pretious there was no open vision and then the Lord spake unto Samuel and appeared again in Shiloh where the Tabernacle and the Ark at that time were and revealed himselfe unto him And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew 1 Sam. 3.20 21. that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. But Samuel taught the art of prophesying by the appointment of God for which cause many had recourse unto him and by him were taught to prophesie 1 Sam. 19.20 2 King 2.3 5. so that from that time forth there were not only prophets in Israel but houses and Seminaries of the Prophets at Naioh at Bethel at Jericho and so wonderfully were the sons of the prophets multiplyed that their Seminaries or Colledges became in time too strait and little for them 2 King 6.1 Among whom were most famous the Prophets Gad Nathan Asaph Iduthum Ahias Samaias Jad Azarias Hanani Jehu Jaziel Eliezer Zecharias in the raign of Uzziah whose prophesies and predictions were not written and if written not extant But above all 1 King 17.14 1 King 18.38 2 King 1.10.12 1 King 17.1 2 King 2.11 2 King 4.34 2 King 13.21 2 King 6.17 the prophet Elijah who continued the oyl from wasting in the cruse brought down fire three times from heaven carried the rain in his tongue raised the dead and was carried up into heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a whirle-wind of fire saith S Epiphanius And Elisha upon whom rested a double portion of the spirit of Elijah who raised two from the dead one while he lived and another by his dead bones multiplyed the widows oyl to fill up all the vessels to the brim and brought horses and horsemen and Chariots of fire from heaven for the defence of Israel saith Justine Martyr or whosoever else is the Author of those questions and answers ad Orthodox 85. Prophets whose writings are extant and received in the Church as authenticall are the Prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezechiel and Daniel who are called the greater Prophets because they wrote the greater volume Also the Prophets Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micha Nahum Habbakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah the son of Barachiah and Malachi who are called the lesser Prophets because they wrote the lesser books All these testified of Christ and preached the redemption of mankind by him as the Apostle St. Peter sheweth in the Acts of the Apostles Act 3 18 21 22 24. Mal. 3.1 S. Mar. 1.2 S. Joh. 1.29 cap. 3. Now Malachi was the last of all the Prophets and by the spirit of prophesie he foretold the coming of St. John the Baptist a messenger sent immediately before Christ to prepare his way by his preaching and by his baptism and to point him out saying Behold the lambe of God which taketh away the sin of the world So that from Malachi to St John the Baptist St. John the Baptist they had no Prophet But St. John the Baptist was a Prophet â—uc 1.17 and more then a Prophet he was a Prophet for the spirit and power of Elias was upon him He was more then a Prophet for he was an Apostle too extraordinarly called and sent forth by Christ to preach and to baptize to prepare his way and to point him out He was of greater holiness then any that were before him for though the Prophet Jeremiah were sanctified in his mothers wombe Jer. 1.5 S. Luk. 1.15 yet St. John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mothers wombe He received greater grace then any that were before him for the mysterie of the blessed Trinity was never so plainly revealed unto any as unto him in that he baptized Christ saw the Holy Ghost descend upon him in a bodily shape like a Dove and heard the sweet voice of the Father from heaven saying S. Mat. 3.17 This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased Here the Reader may please to take notice that God in time past was pleased to be consulted with How God was consulted with and to give answers to his people the Jewes in four divers manners First by Oracle for so long as the Tabernacle and the first Temple were standing they came unto the Oracle that is to say to the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant was and the propitiatory or mercy seat thereupon covered aloft with the wings of Cherubims and although they might not enter in yet they stood before it without the vaile and enquired and God answered by voyce for they heard the voyce of one speaking unto them from off the mercy-seat that was upon the Ark of the testimony from between the two Cherubims Exo. 25.22 Num. 7.89 But the second Temple had not the Ark and Oracle as the Talmudists do say but only that stone and censer of which mention hath been made before notwithstanding they talk of answers by Bath-kol which was that sometimes there came a small still voyce from heaven such a voyce as St. John the Baptist did hear after that Christ was baptized S. Mat. 3.17 such as the Disciples heard at the transfiguration of Christ Which voyce came unto him as the Apostle St. Peter saith from the excellent glory S. Mat. 17.5 2 Pet. 1.17 And which Bath-kol or small still voyce the people once heard but knew not what it was 2ly By his Prophets before time in Israel S. Joh. 12.28 29. when a man went to enquire of God thus he spake Come and let us go to the seer for he that is now called a Prophet was before time called a seer Neither did they diffide the answers which the Prophets of the Lord should give For when king Ahab consulted with his false Prophets 1 Sam. 9.9 about the expedition that he intended to make unto Ramoth Gilead and was counselled by them as from God to undertake it king Jehosaphat not satisfied with their answer required to know what God would have to be done by the mouth of one of his own Prophets Is there not here a Prophet of the Lord besides that we might enquire of him saith he But these Prophets ceased after the return of the people from Babylon and were not under the second Temple the Prophet Malachi being the last as was intimated before 3ly By the Priest that is to say by the high Priest who when he asked counsell of God had on his Ephod or superhumerall and the Rationall or breast-plate of judgement wherein was the Urim and Thummim a mute Oracle placed within the duplicate over against his heart whereby when he enquired he understood the will of God But how that is not known because it is not revealed in the Scriptures what the Urim and Thummim were But
them the Gospell by bringing unto them good tidings of great joy which should be to all people for that which they had long expected was that day brought to passe Unto you said he speaking with a lively and audible voyce is born this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord And this shall be a signe unto you ye shall finde the babe wrapped in swadling clothes lying in a manger Then immediately appear in the like glory and brightnesse and with the divine glory of him that was born shining round about them a multude of other Angels not seen to the shepheards at the first by the like lively and audible voice pronouncing the doxologie and declaring the fruits of the Gospell That God would by this wonderfull incarnation procure his owne glory and give peace to the earth making by that Saviour so born peace between heaven and earth peace betwixt God and man peace betwixt men and angells peace betwixt man and man peace betwixt men and the creatures and peace of men with themselves And finally that from hence is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that good pleasure of the will of God that good will towards men whereby the Father is well pleased with them in Christ his son For so saith the Evangelist Saint Luke S. Luc. 2.8 9 And there were in the same country shepheards abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock by night And lo the Angell of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them 10 and they were sore afraid And the Angel said unto them Fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people 11 12 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a signe unto you ye shall finde the babe wrapped in swadling clothes lying in a manger And suddenly there was with the Angell a multitude of the heavenly hoste 13 14. praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good-will towards men He that was born was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a shepheard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the good shepheard Why the Gospel first preached to the shepheards 1 Pet. 5.4 St Joh. 10.14 he was the great shepheard of the sheep Heb. 13.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chiefe shepheard it was he who had honoured the shepheards life in the persons of the righteous Abel of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and especially of David himself the head of his family who had fed kept the sheep of Jesse his father in the same place The pastoritial life was simple innocent and harmlesse such were the shepheards usually therefore the shepheards according to the divine wisdome which reacheth from one end to another mightily and doth order all things sweetly were the fittest persons to be brought first of all to the chiefe shepheard Wisd 8.1 by the preaching of the Gospell But this is not all for he had promised to his Church pastours according to his own heart which should feed them with knowledge and understanding Now he shewes what he will do with those pastours or shepheards and what the shepheards themselves must do Jer. 3.15 For it was not without great mystery The mystery that the shepheards were Evangelized by an angell from heaven to teach us to know that the divine revelations are first made manifest to the shepheards of the Church It was not without great mystery that the shepheards so soon as the Angells were gone up into heaven consulted what was best to be done and then went unanimously to Bethlehem to teach us to know that the affairs of the Church and of religion must be managed by the shepheards of the Church who being led by one and the same spirit must go hand in hand for the preservation of truth peace and unity It was not without great mystery that they went thither with haste for this was to teach the shepheards of the Church to use no delay when there shall be cause to enquire about matters of religion It was not without great mystery that the shepheards made known abroad every where the things wherewith they were Evangelized for this was to teach the shepheards of the Church to hide nothing from the people which shall be necessary for them to know that they may be saved and to teach the people also in matters of religion to hearken to the shepheards of the Church Therefore the blessed Virgin who had read the Scriptures diligently and was not ignorant of what was figured in the law and foretold by the prophets concerning Christ conferred and compared the things which she had seen and heard to be done and said concerning that blessed Babe with those things which she had learned out of the law and the prophets and pondered them in her heart for the confirmation of her faith upon every respect S. Luc. 2.15 And it came to passe as the Angells were gone away from them into heaven the shepheards said one to another Let us now go even unto Beth-lehem and see this thing which is come to passe which the Lord hath made known unto us And they came with haste and found Mary 16.17 and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger And when they had seen it they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this childe And all they that heard it 18 19. wondered at those things which were told them by the shepheards But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart as the text saith Christ was factus sub lege made under the law as Saint Paul saith therefore was it necessary for him to receive the signe or mark of Circumcision in the flesh of his fore-skin Gal. 4.4 Christ circumcised and why S. Joh. 7.22 For although that circumcision according to the primary institution of it was not of Moses but of the Fathers as Christ saith in the Gospell yet the law required circumcision that so the circumcised party might become a debtor to do the whole law Levit. 12.3 Gal. 5.3 What hath been already declared in the former book of this our Sacred History concerning circumcision the mystery and the use of it may suffice for that matter the question now is concerning Christ his obedience to the law whereunto he was obliged by his circumcision wherein I suppose the reader will desire to be satisfied in two things viz. 1st Why he was made under the law subject or obedient to the law and therefore a debtor to it by his circumcision 2ly In what manner he became obedient to it and was therefore circumcised Great and weighty are the reasons of Christ his subjection and obedience to the Law Why Christ was made subject or obedient to the Law For first He was obedient to the Law that so he might give approbation thereunto For
in Act for he was stoned Some are Martyrs in Will but not in Act so was the blessed Apostle and Evangelist St. John a Martyr in Will for being eighty and six years old he was cast into a vessell of boyling oyl and was willing to have laid down his life Deu. 3.27 but by the providence of God was preserved as the three children in the midst of the fiery fornace and came forth without hurt Some are Martyrs in Act but not in Will and such were these Innocents who dyed for Christ and his cause though they had not the will to do it because by reason of their tender age they knew not what they did Iesus Christ was the great Martyâ— 1 Tim. 6.13 the Lord and Prince of the Martyrs who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession The martyr St. Stephen was the first Martyr of the new Testament who after Christ was a Martyr both in Will and Act. St. Iohn the first Martyr likewise of the new Testament who was a martyr in Will but not in Act. These Innocents the first Martyrs of the new Testament who were Martyrs in act but not in will Upon which considerations it is probable that the Church thereby approving this distinction would that the festivall dayes for the commemoration of their severall martyrdoms should in order next follow the blessed day of Christs nativity for whom they were martyred So by the death and martyrdom of these Innocents was fulfilled the prophecie of Ieremiah Jer. 31.15 Then Herod when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men was exceeding wroth and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof from two years old and under according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men S. Mat. 2.16 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Ieremy the Prophet saying In Rama was there a voice heard lamentation 17 and weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her children 18. and would not be comforted because they are not Thus was the Covenant administred by him in the two first years of his age The Recapitulation for the abolishing of the old Testament By being born of a pure Virgin by being born at Bethlehem Ephrata By taking in the first fruits of the Iewes the shepheards the same day By being circumcised upon the eighth day By being presented in the temple upon the fortieth day By receiving in the first fruits of the Gentiles the magi upon the twelfth day of the second yeare of his age By his flight into Egypt for the preservation of the humane nature and to fulfill the scriptures By taking in the first fruits of his martyrs in the persons of the Innocents It became him in his infancy not to abhor the virgins wombe to accept the manger the doxology of Angels the visitation of the shepheards the seal of the Covenant the presentation of the law the testimony of Simeon the gratulation of Anna the presents of the Magi the providence of his Father the premonition of his Angell the security of his flight and the blood of his Martyrs And thus our sacred History doth put an end to the second year of his age How long it was that Herod lived after that Christ was gone into Egypt Christ his return out of Egypt and the young children most inhumanely slaughtered forasmuch as there is nothing noted in the Scripture by the Evangelist and other Authors whereof some will have it to be four years some two years some but three months some less cannot be accorded it is hard to determine Venerable Bede with others who â—t iâ— likely either follow therein the old tradition of the Church or perchance had read it in some of the writings of the ancient Fathers now lost refer his return out of Egypt to the seventh day of the month of January which is also generally assented to wâ—â—ch generall opinion seeing it ought not to be denyed unless any one were able to bring good reason or authority to the contrary makes me to think that our blessed Lord made his abode in Egypt by the space of two whole years till he was fully four years old and made his return from thence in the beginning of the fifth year of his age And this I think to be most consentaneous to truth For Herod dyed somewhat before Easter but the slaughter of the Infants was divulged far and neer and was come to Rome and to the ears of Augustus as was said before therefore not before Easter next and immediately following Probably before the second Easter when his funeralls being first most sumptuously solemnized Archelaus went to Rome for confirmation of his Kingdom as is observed by Josephus was there at the feast of Pentecost and was not suddenly dispatched for there he found his brother Antipas a competitor for the Kingdom and had there also to answer to the accusation of Antipater the son of Salome who was Herods sister Which when he had cleared before the councill yet Caesar himself took time to deliberate as touching the affairs and how to settle Herods kingdome Mean while came fifty ambassadors out of Judea sent by the Iewes to make complaint unto Caesar against Archelaus and his brother and humbly to petition that they might no more be governed by Kings but by his Presidents in Syria To which Ambassadours comming from the whole nation adjoyned themselves eight thousand Iewes which dwelt at Rome and these obtained audience of Caesar in the Temple of Apollo who that day determined nothing Not long after he made Archelaus Archelaus made king or Ethnarch of Judea and Samaria not King of his Fathers whole kingdom but Ethnarch or king of Judea and Samaria and Herod Antipas he made Tetrarch of Galilee and his brother Philip Tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis so dividing Herods Kingdom into four parts for a tetrarchie is the fourth part of a Kingdom and he that obtaineth the fourth part of a Kingdom is called a Tetrarch The fourth Tetrarchie was that of Abilene whereof Lysanias another brother as some say but not truly the son of Herod others but with as little truth his nephew the son of Ptolomaeus and Alexandra the said Herods sister was we know not whether by Augustus or Tiberius made Tetrarch neither have we to say whose son he was These things being thus ordered at Rome Archelaus betaketh himself to his journey towards the beginning of winter and arriveth in Iudea Now after that Herod was dead and before that Ioseph had otherwise heard of it the Angell of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream told him of the death of Herod commanded him to return into his country which Joseph readily performed and upon the seventh day of Ianuary returned But when he heard what was done at Rome and that Archelaus had obtained the Ethnarchie of Iudea he went not to Bethlehem for fear least
divine mission that according to the prophecies of Isaias and Malachias by the preaching of repentance Concerning Saint Iohn's Preaching and Baptism and by the baptism of water he might prepare the waies of the Lord by disposing the hearts of men to receive Christ who was presently to be manifested to the world Such a preparation was to be made two manner of waies by preaching repentance for the remission of sins and by baptizing with water for the seal and confirmation of his doctrine Such as his preaching was such was his baptisme but his preaching was but a preparation to receive and entertain Christ therefore his baptisme was no other It was not a seal of the covenant therefore it was not a sacrament properly and for that cause it could not confer the grace of regeneration Yet was it preached for the remission of sins and was the Baptism of repentance because whom he baptized he taught to repent disposed and prepared them to receive Christ and his baptisme that so their sins might be remitted Saint John's baptisme was from heaven and therefore had its perfection for Saint John came not of himselfe but was sent of God to baptize S. Joh. 1.33 But Saint John was the institutor of his own Baptisme therefore his Baptisme was no Sacrament properly neither was grace conferred thereby for sacraments were not instituted by servants but by the Lord himselfe to him that made the world to him it belongeth to make the sacraments Saint John's Baptisme did not oblige to the participation but only from contempt all men were not necessarily to receive it though no man might contemn it quia contemnens consilium contemnit consiliantem he that contemneth the counsell contemneth him that giveth it therefore it was not a sacrament with promise of grace for such sacraments are generally necessary to salvation Finally it had not the form of words for Saint John did not baptise those whom he baptised in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost forasmuch as some of them who were baptised by him had not so much as heard whether there be any holy Ghost It was personall to Saint John only while he lived neither had he any successour to baptize in that manner after he was dead Therefore it was not the Baptisme of Christ begun in his person howsoever necessary for the present time and that the waies of the Lord might be prepared by him And this which hath been laid down thus plainly and briefly concerning the Baptisme of Saint John Act. 19.2 is consonant to the doctrine of the learned fathers and school Divines S. Luc. 3.4 5 As Saint John was seriously employed crying out unto the people and saying in his doctrine Prepare the way of the Lord make his paths straight Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be brought low and the crooked shall be made straight 6. and the rough waies shall be made smooth And all flesh shall see the salvation of God And therefore exhorting and perswading them to fill up the lovv vallies and concavities of their hearts with all vertues to pull down the high mountains and hills of pride by humility to make straight the crooked waies of injustice by righteousness and to make smooth the rough waies of unjust and immoderate anger by meeknesse For that now said he Christ who is the salvation of God and bringeth salvation unto all the world is presently to shew himselfe that therefore they would hearken unto his doctrine and come unto his Baptisme that so they might be worthy to receive and entertain him I say as Saint Iohn was thus busied Saint John seeth the Pharisees and Sadduces at his baptisme and preaching and baptising he espied among the promiscuous multitude certain Sectaries called Pharisees and Sadduces the reader peradventure would know what they vvere The Pharisees professed themselves to be very skilfull of the law whereof they were great professours they had their name from the word Phares which signifieth Division for they had separated themselves from others The Pharisees for certain voluntary superfluities in religion which they had undertaken to hold The master of that sect is said to be one Aciba or Bar-Aciba They did not believe a Trinity of persons in the Unity of one Godhead They acknovvledged but one nature in the person of the Messiah They supposed the kingdome of the Messiah to be an earthly or worldly kingdome and of this world They knew nothing of internall obedience They held justification by legall works only And besides the vvritten lavv they had many unvvritten traditions of their ovvn vvhich they obtruded to the people for true godliness The Sadduces The Sadduces named themselves Sadduces à justitia from their justice for Sadoc signifieth a just man They held the same opinion vvith the Samaritans touching the resurrection and denyed it They did not believe that there be any Angells or Spirits They knevv nothing of the holy Ghost and being Iewes they complied vvith the Samaritans When therefore he savv these and knevv them to be such proud fastuous hypocrites vvho came thither out of pride and curiosity to deride his doctrine to despise his ministry and to question his authority S. Luc. 7.30 having no intention to be baptized by him as indeed they vvere not baptized he breakes out into this bitter commination S. Mat. 3.7 8 9 O generation of vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repâ—ntance And think not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our father for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham 10 And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but he that commeth after me is mightier then I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire Whose fan is in his hand and he will thorowly purge his floor and gather his wheat into the garner but will burn up the chaffe with unquenchable fire Which commination taking a deep impression in the hearts of the people but not of the Pharisees and Sadduces they that is to say all the people crying out with one voyce asking him saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What shall we do then He answereth S. Luc. 3.10 and saith unto them He that hath two coats let him impart to him that hath none and he that hath meat let him do likewise 11 The Publicans The Publicans or customers who farmed and exacted the Roman imposts or customes who came not subtilly and in hypocrisie as the Pharisees and Sadduces did but to be baptized indeed thought themselves more particularly concerned and therefore
a Sacrament the first sacrament of the new Testament for the mysticall washing away of sin I shall not doubt but that he did pray that those who are baptized might in that Sacrament receive the holy Ghost Therefore as he was praying the holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him That Dove was not the holy Ghost himself it was but a visible testification of the speciall presence of the holy Ghost But it descended to bear witness unto Christ and to his Baptisme a baptism not of water onely as St. Johns was but of water and of the holy Ghost It descended upon him S. Joh. 1.33 to the end that St John himself might know him to be that Baptizer And it descended upon him as he was praying to the end that his Church may know that his prayers were heard and that by his prayers he obtained that in his baptism we may receive the holy Ghost as St. Augustine saith Water exhibiting the Sacrament of grace without and the spirit working the benefit of grace within loosing the bond of sin reconciling the good of nature doe regenerate a man in one Christ that was generated of one Adam ad Bonifac. Epist 23. I will not dispute what grace it is which is conferred in Baptisme it sufficeth me to know that it is the grace of regeneration whereby we are born again and do rise again with Christ unto newness of life Rom. 6.3 Gal. 3.27 and of justification whereby we put on Christ It sufficeth me to know that it is the grace of sanctification whereby those that are baptized are purged and cleansed and made holy to the Lord. And therefore Faelix sacramentum aquae nostrae saith Tertullian Eph. 6.23 A happy Sacrament of our water because the sins of our pristine blindness being washt away we are made free to everlasting life De Bapt. cap. 1. And Jesus when he was baptized went up straight way out of the water and loe the heavens were opened unto him and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him S. Mat. 3.16 17. And loe a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased Christ goeth into the wilderness to be tempted Having ended his prayers after that the holy Ghost had descended upon him visibly and his Father had proclaimed him his beloved son and therefore the Messiah from heaven wherein the sacred und undivided Trinity was most apparently manifested for the Father spake from heaven the son was there presently baptized the holy Ghost visibly descended a mystery not observed by the multitude he was directly and immediately led or driven by the Spirit into the wilderness that is to say he went thither by divine impulsion and by the motion and instinct of the holy Ghost that he might there be tempted of the Devill What wilderness that was it is not mentioned further then that St Mark saith that he was there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the wild beasts And therefore in all probability that great wilderness the wilderness of Arabia Petraea through which he led the wandering Israelites by the space of forty years S. Mar. 1.13 Wilderness of Arabia Petraea a wilderness incult dry barren without inhabitants frequented by wild beasts A great and terribâ—e wilderness saith Moses wherein were fiery Serpents and Scorpions and drought where there was no water Such there were none in Judea Deut. 8.15 or in all the land of Canaan though yet we read of many deserts there it is consequent therefore that this was that wilderness into which he went where he might be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the wild beasts For this wilderness extendeth it self from the borders of Egypt and the red sea to Jordan and to the place where St. Iohn baptized and from thence by the country of Trachonitis to the mountain of Libanus Itinerar Scrip. 432. And in this wilderness were the mountains Sinai and Horeb two tops of one and the same mountain where Moses and Elias types of Christ fasted by the space of forty dayes Into this wilderness he came and there fasted forty dayes and forty nights abstaining totally from all manner of sustenance and during all that time he did eat nothing as St. Luke saith By fasting he fitted and prepared himself to the conflict which he was to have with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the tempter S. Luc. 4.2 S. Mat. 4.3 And by compleating the number of forty dayes he answered the Types Therefore went he fasting from Jordan in all likelihood towards mount Horeb one hundred thirty and six miles that so he might terminate his fast in that place where Moses and Elias the one being the law-giver the other the renewer of the law suppressed had terminated theirs The forty dayes being expired and he remaining in the same place the tempter the Devill the Prince of Devils who no doubt had tempted him before at severall times in his childhood and in his youth and in the wilderness for the whole forty dayes of his abode there as St. Mark S. Mar. 1.13 Luc. 4.2 and St. Luke do both of them expresly say came unto him thither to tempt him in a new manner and with stronger temptations then ever before the strongest of all that he could devise He saw that it was in vain for him to suggest sinfull thoughts or otherwise to attempt which way to creep into his heart by unlawfull desires by those waies he had alwaies received the repulse and fallen off with loss He must batter this fort with other manner of Engines if he mean to take it Wherefore he assumes a visible shape and tempeth him face to face comming unto him with the greater confidence in such a desolate place Christ did not provoke the Devill to this combat he sent him no challenge he was led or driven to it by the spirit when the Devill came he gave not the onset but the Devill assailed him and then he received him with divine resolution and fortitude threw him prostrate and trode upon him It was fore-seen and fore-told by the Prophet in the spirit of prophecie Thou shalt tread upon the Lyon and Adder Psal 91.13 the young Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou trample under feet That therefore he might trample under foot this Lyon this Adder this young Lyon this Dragon Then was Jesus led up of the spirit inâ—o the wilderness S. Mat. 4.1 to be tempted of the devill Never was the like combat never were the like combatants never such a brabium or reward fought for The combat was not corporall but spirituall The combatants the prince of Devils and chief captain of all the hellish army and the captain of the host of the Lord. The first temptation The prize or reward for which the combat was the precious souls of all mankind The Devill gives the onset for knowing him to be hungry he first
multitude saw it they marvelled and glorified God S. Mat. 9.8 which had given such power unto men Certainly Maldonats note upon the place is not amiss Observation That like as the divinity of Christ communicated to his humanity the power of doing miracles Even so the power is dirived from Christ the head unto the ministers of his Church to forgive sins Christ is the Lord he as God hath the key of authority to remit sins tum quod culpam tum quod poenam as well in respect of the fault and guiltiness of sin as also of the consequent punishment due unto the same as God and man he hath the key of excellency to remit sins upon his own merit His ministers have a ministeriall key to remit sins in the name and by the power of Christ For was this spoken by Christ and written by St. Matthew for our Instruction Hath God given such power unto men as to pronounce the pardon of sin to the sick man in his bed Is the doctrine of confession and absolution agreeable as well to the Scriptures as also to the practice of the Church both present and primitive then may every one who is a minister of the word and sacraments a priest in sacred orders rightly and duly ordained to his office and function upon good information of faith and repentance say to the sick sinner in his bed thy sins are forgiven thee Or by his authority committed unto me I absolve thee from all thy sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost For absolution as well private as publick belongeth principally yea properly and by vertue of his office to the minister as Christ his Ambassadour in his ministeriall function But of this we dispute no farther but return again to the matter Christs his miracles for the glory of God upon three respects Christ his miracles were wrought for the glory of God more particularly upon three respects 1st Because that Christ is thereby mightily declared to be the son of God and the promised Messiah Saint John the Baptist did no miracles therefore when he sent two of his disciples unto Christ to aske him this question saying S. Mat. 11.3 Art thou he that should come or do we look for another he pleadeth his miracles in evidence of his divinity The blind saith he receive their sight and the lame walk the lepers are clensed the deaf hear the dead are raised up and the poor have the Gospell preached unto them As if he should say I who do all these things and am preached to be him who else am I but the son of God and the promised Messiah 2ly Because the doctrine of the gospell is thereby confirmed Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me S. Joh. 14.11 or else believe me for the very works sake We read that when God offered a signe or miracle unto king Ahaz to the end that he might believe the words which were spoken unto him by the mouth of the prophet Isaias he refused saying I will not ask Isa 7.12 Judg. 6.17.37 39. S. Mat. 16.4 neither will I tempt the Lord. Gideon required a signe or miracle and he had it more then once or twice The Pharisees required a signe and are sharply reproved and the signe denyed Thus their actions agreed not unto their ends Ahaz out of pride 2 King 16. or peradventure out of that trust and confidence which he reposed in the strength and power of Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria refused the miracle and to contemn or refuse a signe or miracle when God shall offer it is a sin The Pharisees were a generation of proud hypocrites who had before hand set up a resolution not to believe on him whatsoever he should say or whatsoever he should do therefore when they require a miracle out of pride and curiosity they are condemned and rejected But Gideon in his humility did aske a signe for the confirmation of his faith in the promise of God It is no example for us now for the gospell is sufficiently confirmed by miracles we must believe and have recourse unto the ordinary signes the sacred and mysterious sacraments To refuse or contemn them is the sin of Ahaz Lastly they make for the glory of God because thereby he breaks the serpents head and destroyes his kingdom Sathan erecteth his kingdome among men by his works When the Jewes boasted that they were the seed of Abraham and the sons of God Christ told them that the devill was their father S. Joh. 8.48 1 Joh. 3.8 because they did their father's lusts The lusts of the devill are his works but Christ hath destroyed them He destroyed them by his miracles for he cast out devills he purified the minds of men he remitted sins he raised the dead nay he himselfe dyed and rose again Rom. 6.9 10 11. to the end that we also should die unto sin by vertue of his death and rise again unto newnesse of life by vertue of his most blessed and glorious resurrection So the glory of God was the primary and more principall end of his Divine miracles But the Secundary and lesse principall end was the utility and profit of men 1st and more specially of those men The secundary or lesse principall end who had the present benefit were healed and cured and were raised from the dead for sicknesse and death being the effects of sin they were hereby taught to believe and to hope for greater mercies The wages of sin is death the bodily death the spirituall death with all manner of sicknesses and diseases of the body tending to the bodily death and with all manner of sicknesses and diseases of the soule as griefe anger anguish horrour dread presumption desperation tending to the spirituall death Adde here all those evills in the city which the Lord hath done by war by pestilence by famine also all private crosses and losses in the particular goods and estates of men But the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 2ly For the Church Rom. 6.23 and for all her members generally and that first to the end that if any man be sick or diseased he may look up unto Christ the true physician He that hath wrought all his Divine miracles immediately and mediately He that hath wrought his miracles in all the miseries and calamities of men He that hath wrought all his miracles by his own divine power and vertue He that wrought his miracles to destroy the kingdome of Sathan and did remit the sins of men He that wrought his miracles by his word only to them that were present to them that were absent He that wrought his miracles by his word together with a touch of his hand or by permitting the sick and diseased to touch him He that wrought his miracles sometimes by means and things naturall sometimes by means and things not naturall or
purge his temple and he manifested that his commission by the miracle which he did For what greater miracle then that one man with a little whip should drive out so great a multitude with the sheep and the oxen poure out the changers money and overthrow the Tables A greater miracle it was saith Origen then that whereby the water was turned into wine for so much as the matter of that miracle was inanimate Christ promiseth a sign but here the wits of many thousands are subdued by miracle But seeing they would not see that which was done before their eyes he tells them that he would shew them the greatest signe namely that when they should dissolve that Temple in three days he would raise it up Which when the Jewes heard and thinking that he had spoken of the inanimate temple they derided him as Theophylact observes telling him that the Temple having respect unto that very Temple in which they then were yet not as it was lately raised into that magnificent structure by Herod but as builded and in building by Zorobabel was forty and six years in building Herod indeed finished his wotk almost in three years nay in a year and six months saith Josephus having provided the materialls in six years and an half before But the Temple of Zorobabel was forty and six years in building 2 Chr. 36.22 Ezr. 1.1 or thereabouts if you compute from the first year of Cyrus when he began first to raign over the Persians although he could then decree nothing concerning the Jewes but not if you compute from the one twentieth year which was the first year of his raign over the whole kingdome he having then taken in Babylon and added it to his own kingdom when he made the proclamation for so you shall find but twenty four years from the going forth of the decree in that one and twentieth year and the Jewes licensed to return who presently in the seventh moneth set the Altar upon his bases and offered thereon the daily sacrifices to the sixth year of the raign of Darius in which year notwithstanding the seventeen years interruption by Cambyses it was fully finished But he spake not of that Temple the matter whereof was wood and stone but of his own body which properly is that temple in which the divinity it self dwelleth by the hypostaticall union a figure whereof was that materiall temple which the Jewes had And indeed had they dissolved that temple he could have raised it up in less then three dayes he could have raised it in a moment only by his word But because they dissolved this Temple the temple of his body he could not by divine dispensation raise it but in three days For the types and prophecies of the scripture must be fulfilled in him It was a parable which the Disciples themselves to whom he did not then nor afterwards expound it understood not till after his resurrection How be it at that feast he did many miracles and for those miracles sake many believed on him to whom being perswaded but only by his miracles he did not commit himself because he knew their hearts and that they were not firmly rooted and would peradventure fall off again Then answered the Jewes S. Joh. 2.18 19 and said unto him what signe showest thou unto us seeing that thou doest these things Jesus answered and said unto them Destroy this temple and in three dayes I will raise it up Then said the Jewes forty and six years was this temple in building 20 21 and wilt thou reare it up in three dayes But he spake of the temple of his body When therefore he was risen from the dead his Disciples remembred that he had said this unto them and they believed the Scripture 22 and the word which Jesus had said Now when he was in Hierusalem at the passeover in the feast day many believed in his name 23 24 25. Nichodemus when they saw the miracles which he did But Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men and needed not that any should testifie of man for he knew what was in man Among these Nichodemus a Ruler of the Jewes and a Master in Israel being attracted by those miracles which yet are not written was one but was desirous to be further confirmed by his heavenly doctrine for as St. Chrysostome saith They who are more gross are drawne by signes but they who are more rationall by prophecies or by doctrine Apud Aquin. in Catena He therefore came unto Jesus by night acknowledgeth him to be a master and his master and that he had by his miracles approved himself to be a teacher come from God Him Christ instructeth wonderfully concerning the necessity of regeneration of faith in his death concerning the love of God towards the world condemnation for unbelief As it is in the third chapter of the Gospell by Saint Iohn from the beginning of the chapter to v. 21. But our sacred History leaveth those things to expositers The paschall solemnities being ended Iesus came from Hierusalem into Iudea Christ cometh from Jerusalem into Iudea and baptizeth together with his Disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and staying there some time with them but how long it is not mentioned he baptized saith the text as if it should say he baptized them For it is congruous that they who were to administer that great and venerable Sacrament unto others should first receive it themselves and how could they receive it but of Christ his own hands They being baptized by him baptized others for him and as his ministers in no other manner then they themselves had been baptized by him in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost This indeed is not expressed in the Scripture and I know that many grave and learned Authors both ancient and modern do dissent from this some thinking that he baptized none with his own hands some that he baptized only the Apostle St. Peter and by him the other Disciples some that he baptized all the Apostles but most probably after his resurrection our History is not to dispute these things severally I think it rightly deduced from the text that he baptized with his own hands his Disciples at that time in Judea where he then was though it be not literally expressed that he did baptize them no more then it is said particularly where whom or how he did baptize And this I thought good for the order of our History to premonish the Reader The Apostles themselves or as many of them as were called to be his Disciples for as yet they were not made his Apostles being first baptized then did he dispence his Baptism by their ministery unto others baptizing them also in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Whereupon much people came and were baptized of them in this manner And because the people magnified his
baptism some of the Disciples of St. John zealously affected in their masters cause stood up for his baptisme which they feared would by means of this new bap isme be totally neglected and disputed with the Jewes about purifying They contending as St. Chrysostome saith that the baptism of their master ought to be preferred before the baptisme of Christs Disciples as if it had some greater thing these as St. Augustine saith affirming Christ to be the greater and that therefore men ought to come unto his baptisme At that time St. Iohn who was not yet cast into prison being gone from Bethabara was baptizing in Aenon Aenon which was a certain town scituate on the west side of the river of Jordan forty and two miles from Hierusalem northward at the distance of two miles from Salim another town lying towards the east side of Jordan forty miles off Hierusalem towards the north Gen. 33.18 a place of note because that Iacob sometimes dwelt there He went thither to have the better opportunity of water for as yet much people came unto his baptisme To end the controversie they appeal unto St. John himself telling him that the same person who had been with him beyond Jordan at Bethabara whom he had baptized and to whom he bare witness that he had now separated himself instituted a new baptisme and that his Disciples did baptize and that men preferred that baptism of theirs before his and resorted unto him to be baptized in far greater numbers For saith the text After these things S. Joh. 3.22 came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea and there he tarried with them and baptized And John also was baptizing in Aenon 23 neer to Salim because there was much water there and they came and were baptized For Iohn was not yet cast into prison 24 25 Then there arose a question between some of Iohns disciples and the Iewes about purifying And they came unto Iohn and said unto him Rabbi he that was with thee beyond Iordan to whom thou barest witnesse 26. behold the same baptizeth and all men come to him Whereupon Saint Iohn taketh occasion to preach unto them that most excellent Sermon concerning the person merits and office of Christ the sum and substance of all the Evangelicall doctrine from v. 27. to the end of that third chapter And here to the end that our history be not lame we must lay down something briefly concerning Christ his baptisme Concerning Christ his baptisme and that as well concerning the name as also touching the thing it selfe The word Baptisme is derived from the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to plunge or dip into the water as they do that wash any garment or themselves So that baptisme The word Baptism according to the meaning of the word is plunging dipping or washing in water In the Scripture it is taken sometimes in a common sense for all manner of washing and purifying by water but more especially such as the Iewes had either by Mosaicall institution S. Mar. 7.3 4. or by Pharisaicall tradition Sometimes it is taken in a singular or speciall sense and that either metaphorically so that by baptisme is meant the cross affliction martyrdome S. Mat. 20.22 which is Baptismus sanguinis the baptisme of blood Or Synecdochically so that by baptisme is meant the effusion of the visible gifts of God and the graces of the holy Ghost powred forth upon the Apostles which is baptismus flaminis the baptisme of the spirit Sometimes in a most proper and theologicall sense and meaning Act. 1.5 so that by baptisme is meant that great and venerable sacrament of the new testament whereby we are initiated in Christ and consecrated to him and wherein we are made members of Christ children of God and inheritors of the kingdome of heaven which is baptismus fluminis the baptisme of water S. Mat. 28.19 Baptisme defined Christ his baptisme It must be defined to be the sacrament of our purgation whereby we are received into the Church of God that we may be numbered with and have our inheritance among the children of God An happy sacrament of our water saith Tertullian because the sin of our pristine blindenesse being washed off we are enlarged to everlasting life lib. de Bapt. cap 1. The Iewes had their purgations and purifications by water so had the Gentiles too as in the solemnities of Isis or Mithra but Christ his baptisme is the peculiar washing of us that are christians Those Leviticall washings which the Iewes had could not make him clean that was washed Heb. 9.10 as touching sin for so much as they were but carnall ordinances imposed on them untill the time of reformation The priests of Isis washed foure times a day and the priests of Methra they washed often and the more they washed the fouler they were But baptisme saveth us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh 1 Pet. 3.21 but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Iesus Christ The parts of it are two there is the externall part and there is the internall part The parts of Baptisme that is to say the outward visible signe and the inward spirituall grace the signum the signe or seal and the res signi the thing of the signe The externall part which is the outward visible signe is applyed visibly by the priest or minister to the party baptized the internall part which is the inward spirituall grace the thing of the signe is wrought invisibly in the party baptized by the holy Ghost As Saint Austin most excellently to Bonifacius Water exhibiting the sacrament of grace without and the spirit working the benefit of grace within loosing the bond of sin reconciling the good of nature doe regenerate man in one Christ generated of one Adam Epist 23. That externall part The external part or outward visible signe is water wherein the person baptized is dipped or sprinkled with it in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost So that the externall part or outward visible signe comprehendeth two things 1st The elementary signe which is water and nothing else but water For nihil habet rationem sacramenti extra usum à Deo institutum Sacramentall signes are by divine institution only Act. 10.47 Eph. 5.26 Water is by divine institution therefore this sacrament cannot be administred in wine or any other liquor 2ly The ceremoniall signe which is either immersion aspersion or pouring forth the water upon the party baptized as they say Saint Lawrence did Those things which are by accident varie not the substance of the sacrament saith Aquinas Of that nature is dipping sprinkling poureing forth water in that nothing is prescribed to the contrary If it be likely that Saint Iohn the Baptist dipped or plunged those whom he baptized in the river
of Jordan S. Mat. 3.6 Act. 8.38 and that Saint Philip baptized the Eunuch in the same manner it is altogether as probable that those three thousand who were baptized by Saint Peter and the other Apostles in one day Act. 2 41. and that at Hierusalem were not dipped but sprinkled with water If any will object against the use of our Church which baptizeth by aspersion the custome of other Churches which baptize only by immersion let him learn to know that which Saint Gregory to Leander a bishop layeth downe as a rule In una fide nihil officit sanctae ecclesiae consuetudo diversa So long as the faith be one and the same a different custome bringeth to the holy Church no detriment at all The internall part The internal part or thing of the signe communiter is Christ for he is res sacramenti the thing exhibited in that sacrament and in every sacrament and that upon three principall respects 1st In respect of his person for Christus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ God and man is exhibited as well in regard of his divinity as of his human nature 2ly In respect of his merit in that the variety and utility of the death of Christ whereby he purchased life for us is propounded and confirmed 3ly In respect of his benefits for look what Christ had and what Christ did he setteth forth by his sacraments testifying by the visible signes that he had them and did them for us which benefits Saint Paul reduceth to foure heads wisdome 1 Cor. 1.30 righteousnesse sanctification and redemption But the internall part or thing of the signe properly is 1st The precious blood of Christ shed for the remission of sins whereby our souls and bodies are so clean washed from originall and all actuall sins that they shal never be imputed It is that blood of sprinckling Heb. 12.24 that speaketh better things than that of Abel Abels blood was vox sanguinum the voice of blood and it cryed aloud but it cryed for vengeance Eph. 1.7 not for remission of sins but the voice of Christ his blood is remission of sins 2ly The spirituall efficacy of the same blood whereby we are regenerate and born again by the mortification of the flesh and by the vivification or quickening of the spirit For these things doth God require by the very text and tenour of his covenant of all those who are initiated to Christ and consecrated and by the signe or seal of the covenant Rom. 6.3 4. do give their names to him 3ly That neer union and conjunction betwixt Christ and us whereby we are so joyned unto Christ and Christ to us that we have put him on Gal. 3.27 and are verily and indeed made partakers of his person of his merit and of all his benefits The analogicall and sacramentall relation The analogicall or sacramentall re ation betwixt the signes and the things signified consisteth in three things 1st In signification for by a most convenient proportion or similitude the water of Baptisme doth signifie the blood of Christ and the dipping of the person baptized into that water or the sprinckling of that water upon him the death of the old man by mortification of the flesh and the life of the new man by the vivification of the spirit And the communion of the Baptisme of the faithfull with Christ doth fitly set forth that neer conjunction which is betwixt Christ and them in that he also was baptized This is a new birth if we die unto sin which is signified and represented when we are dipped into the water or when the water is sprinckled upon us for then we are as it were laid into the grave and are given to understand that we die unto sin by vertue of Christ his death who was buried in the grave And if we live unto righteousnesse which is signified and represented when we are taken up from the water for then we do as it were rise out of the grave and are given to understand again that we live unto God by vertue of Christ his resurrection Hos 6.2 who was raised again from the dead upon the third day 2ly This analogicall or sacramentall relation consisteth in obsignation And that because as well the verity of that similitude which is betwixt the signe and the thing of the signe is confirmed as also because that the power and efficacy of them both in the lawfull use of that sacrament is assured by the seal For when the Eunuch said unto St. Philip See here is water what doth hinder me to he baptized Act. 8.36 to receive a full assurance by the seal St. Philip said If thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest 37. 3ly In Praebition For the things signified and represented in Baptisme the same by baptisme are made good unto the person baptized not by virtue of the outward act of baptisme ex opere operato but sacramentally and by faith 1. Because by that sacrament he doth exhibit them to the minds of those that believe as if they were visibly present And again because he doth thereby as by his own seale assure them that those things are certainly made good in the soule which are shewed and promised by the visible signe When they cryed out to the Apostle St. Peter and to the rest of the Apostles saying Men and brethren what shall we do St. Peter sends them away to the Sacrament of baptisme saying Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost Act. 2.38 Rebecca who was a type of the Church found Abrahams servant at the well of water and the Church it self as St Augustine saith found Christ at the sacrament of Baptisme The ends for which the sacrament of Baptisme was instituted and ordained For what causes Baptisme was ordained are either primary and antecedent or secundary and consequent The first respect our faith towards God the second our confession before men Upon the first respect the end of baptism is to signifie to seal to deliver in a sacramental manner the remission of our sinnes the benefit of our regeneration and our union with Christ I say first the remission of our sins for howsoever it must be affirmed that sinne for so the state of nature doth remain in those that have received remission of sinnes in baptisme as touching the matter the root and disease of sin like the head of an arrow sticking still in the flesh though the deadly wound be cured yet for the state of the person baptized it is taken away in as much as concerneth the guilt or forme of sin Act. 2.38 which is not imputed to the believer For baptisme is given for the remission of sinnes And is as Tertullian saith The ablution of sins which faith obtaineth sealed up in the Father the Son and the holy
ever was committed to mortall men and were sent forth by him immediately even as the Father had sent him They were the Patriarks of the spirituall seed The number of the Apostles which is the Israel of God therefore fitly according to the number of the sons of Iacob twelve They were the pillars of religion and of divine worship therefore fitly according to the number of those pillars Gen. 35.22 Exod. 24.4 which supported the Altar built by Moses twelve They were wells to supply the world with the spiritual water of divine doctrin therefore fitly according to the number of the wells in Elim Exo. 25.27 twelve They were radiant pearles in the Church which is the robe of Christ therefore fitly according to the number of those precious stones which were in the Rationall or breast-plate of judgement twelve They did communicate the spiritual food Exod. 39.14 that bread which came down from heaven unto all nations therefore fitly according to the number of the proposition cakes twelve They were Princes of Israel in a spirituall and Evangelicall sense and meaning Exod. 24.5 therefore fitly according to the number of the Princes of Israel twelve Num. 1.44 They were officers to whom pertained the stewardship of the mysteries of God therefore fitly according to the number of Solomons officers 1 King 4.7 twelve They were sent all the world over to baptize all nations Therefore fitly according to the number of the oxen which supported that sea which Solomon made whereof three looked toward the North and three toward the West and three toward the South 1 King 7.25 and three toward the East twelve They did support the kingdom of Christ by their doctrin by their miracles by their sufferings therefore fitly according to the number of the lyons that stood upon the steps of Solomons throne twelve 1 King 10.20 Upon them the fire of Gods Spirit came down from heaven therefore fitly according to the number of those stones with which Elijah built the altar 1 King 18.38 upon which the fire of the Lord fell twelve Whatsoever the reason was why he made choice of twelve only to be his Apostles Adeò numerus iste sacratus est ut in locum unius qui exciderat non posset nisi alter nominari saith Saint Augustine divinely In Psal 103. So sacred is this number that into the place of one who had fallen away it could not be but that another must be named S. Mar. 3.13 And he goeth up into a mountain and calleth unto him whom he would and they came to him And he ordained twelve that they should be with him 14 15 and that he might send them forth to preach And to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out devills All the Apostles were Israelites descended from Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and the patriarchs none of them strangers The Apostles what they were Idumeans or Samaritans Nor yet were any of them born in Iudea or at Hierusalem but all of them Galileans by birth and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men of Galilee Act. 1.11 Act. 2.7 Are not all these which speak Galileans But although none of them were born in Iudea yet were some of them of the tribe of Iuda as the brethren of our Lord and the sons of Zebedaeus Saint Iames and Saint Iohn the rest probably supposed to be of the tribes of Zabulon and Nephthali unlesse peradventure Iudas the traitour were of Issachar which hath been thought by some Search and look said the chiefe Priests and Pharisees to Nichodemus for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet S. Joh. 7.52 But it was that transcendent honour that he would do unto Galilee to make it his owne country to be incarnate in the wombe there to dwell there to do his most mighty works there and that all his Apostles should be of Galilee The names of which twelve Apostles according to Saint Matthew are set down thus The first Simon who is called Peter S. Mat. 10.2 and Andrew his brother Iames the son of Zebedee and Iohn his brother Philip and Bartholomew Thomas and Matthew the publican 3 4. Iames the son of Alpheus and Lebbeus whose surname was Thaddeus Simon the Canaanite and Iudas Iscariot who also betrayed him But this order is not kept neithrr in the Evangelists Saint Mark and Saint Luke neither doth Saint Luke in the acts of the Apostles S. Mar. 3.16 S. Luc. 16.14 Act. 1.13 nominate them in the same order as in his gospell notwithstanding in every one of these Saint Peter is named first to him therefore is given priority but not majority Simon the Canaanite was he who is also called Zelotes and Lebbeus whose surname was Thaddeus he whom Saint Luke calleth Iudas the brother of Iames. With these he came down from the mountain and stood in the plain there being much people assembled from many places to hear and to be healed in the presence of whom having first cured the diseased he preacheth to his disciples of blessings and curses How we must love our enemies and do them all the good that we can Not to judge rashly or uncharitably That the masters must first mend themselves That we must joyne the obedience of good works to the hearing of the word S. Luc. from v. 17. to v. 49. lest in the evill day of temptation we fall like an house built upon the face of the earth without any foundation at all He did not presently send forth his Apostles to preach so soon as they were elected but so soon as he had sufficiently prepared and instructed them by his divine doctrine and precepts Christ his Sermon upon the mount whereunto pertaineth that famous Sermon of his preached unto his Apostles after their election before the multitude upon the mount repeated by the Evangelist Saint Matthew Cap. 5.6.7 There were some brethren in Saint Hieroms time who were of those that vvere more simple who thought that Sermon to have been preached by Christ to his disciples before the multitude upon mount olivet but they were merely deceived for all circumstances both antecedent and subsequent do plainly evince it to have been preached in Galilee upon mount Thabor saith Saint Hierom or upon some other mountain there Mount Thabor Thabor was a round high hill in Galilee upon the borders of Issachar and Zebulon fifty and six miles they say from Hierusalem towards the north of a pure aire and wonderfully fertile and I am easily induced to think that his concio ad clerum to have been preached to his elected Apostles and other disciples upon that mountain It was not the former sermon mentioned by Saint Luke to have been preached in the plain standing but rather that sermon enlarged and preached at another time to his Apostles upon a mountain sitting which posture of sitting as Saint Augustine saith did pertain ad dignitatem magistri to the dignity of
is the judgment of Theophilact Which compassion of theirs proceeded meerly out of humane affection but was not sinfull Whatsoever the cause was he knew it and being about the businesse of his holy and heavenly Father he did not intermit it nor yet condemne his mother and brethren of importunity but from thence takes occasion to tell them of other mothers and brethren which he had by the adoption of God For S Mat. 12.50 S. Mar. 3.35 saith he Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my brother and sister and mother So when he had made an end he went to dinner with a certain Pharisee where he reprehended the outward shew and simulate sanctity of the pharisees scribes and lawyers as it followeth in Saint Luke cap. 11. from v. 37. to the end The same day as Saint Matthew saith Jesus went out of the house the pharisees house where he had dined Christ teacheth the people in parables S. Luc. 11.53 54. S. Mat. 13.1 for the scribes and pharisees did not patiently bear his reprehensions but began to urge him vehemently and to provoke him to speak of many things laying wait for him and seeking to catch something out of his mouth that they might accuse him and sate by the sea-side And great multitudes were gathered together unto him among whom were Saint Mary Magdalen and Joanna the wife of Chuza and Susanna Luc. 8.2.3 so that he went into a ship and sate 2. and the whole multitude stood on the shore In that posture he taught them many things by parables Psal 49.4 78.2 for so the Scriptures had foretold of him whereof Saint Matthew observeth seven Of the sower and of the seed Of the tares Of the mustard-seed Of the leaven Of the hidden treasure Of the pearl Of the draw-net Concerning all which the Rhemists gives this briefe account He sheweth say they by the parable of the sower The account which the Rhemists give of his parables that in the labours of the Church three parts of foure do perish through the fault of the hearers And yet by the parable of good seed and cockle as also of the net that his servants must not for all that never while the world lasteth make any schisme or separation And by the parable of the little mustard-seed and leaven that notwithstanding the three parts perishing and over-sowing of cockles yet that fourth part of the good seed shall spread over all the world And withall what a treasure and pearl it is Now when he had spoken unto them all these his parables he departed thence and came into his owne country He commeth to Nazareth he second time namely to Nazareth together with his disciples and went into the Synagogue upon the sabbath day and taught but with no successe for they were offended at him and reproached him saying Is not this the carpenter the son of Mary the brother of James and Joses and of Juda and Simon and are not his sisters here with us Therefore when he had testified against them S. Mat. 13 53 54 55 56 57 58. S. Mar. 6.1 2 3 4 5 6. S. Mar. 3.7 saying A prophet is not without honour but in his own country and among his own kin and in his own house he departed doing no mighty works there but only that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk and healed them marvelling at their unbeliefe who had thus rejected him the second time And he went round about the cities and villages teaching and preaching in their Synagogues and working cures every where But when he saw the multitudes he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepheard S. Mat. 9.36 The Apostles sent forth two and two Hereupon he called together those twelve disciples whom he had ordained and named Apostles to the end that they should be with him and that he might send them forth to preach and sendeth them forth by couples S. Mar. 6.7 S. Luc. 9.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two and two to preach the kingdome of God and to heal the sick by casting out devills and by curing all manner of sicknesses and diseases These he sendeth to the lost sheep of the house of Israel S. Mat. 10.6 with instructions accordingly which Saint Matthew who himselfe was one of them setteth down at large 1st He gives them a charge concerning the execution of his commission S. Mat. 10.7 8 by doctrine by works How they must go forth not as the Embassadours of Princes with much preparation but as legats of Divine providence without provision For the workman is worthy of his meat 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 How they must deport themselves where they shall come And concludeth with a commination against those who shall not receive them as his Ambassadours 2ly He tells them how he sends them forth and that they must expect persecution in the world 3ly He comforteth them as touching persecution and exhorteth them to perseverance for the reward sake 4ly He gives them leave to flie from citie to citie yet not to be disheartned nor to fear but to speak his word boldly 5ly He assureth them of divine providence 29 30 31 32 33 and that there shall be no cause for them to fear but to persevere and to expect the reward if they faint not 6ly That the cause of his comming was not to send peace to the wicked world to the end that men should conclude and keep an inviolable peace with their sins and vices but the sword of persecution accidentally by the gospell 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43. Lastly He sheweth who are worthy of him and promiseth a blessing to those that shall receive them or any other whom he shall send forth with his commission to preach the gospell in his name So the Apostles went forth as they were commanded throughly instructed with an undaunted spirit and resolution S. Mar. 6.30 S. Luc. 9.10 And when they were returned they gave an account to him which all his ministers must also do of all things both what they had done and what they had taught How long it was that the Apostles were absent from Christ in this legation before they returned it is not mentioned The decollation of Saint John the Baptist Howbeit so neer as I can collect by all circumstances in the time of their absence it was and while they went about two and two preaching the gospell and doing miracles in his name that Herod took off the head of Saint John the Baptist whose imprisonment by him we mentioned before but reserved the history to this place Herod the King the first and greatest of that name who persecuted Christ in his cradle and caused the poor infants to be massacred for his sake had a sister named
and what buildings are here Which stones as Josephus faith were tvventy and five cubits long eight cubits high and tvvelve cubits broad Isa 28.16 In like manner this spirituall structure is built on Christ vvho is the rock the strong and sure foundation the prophets and Apostles great and mighty stones a second foundation necessary for the spirituall structure upon vvhom the members of the Church as fair stones are built for an habitation of God through the spirit Eph. 2.22 Saint Peter a stone of the spirituall building and how as Saint Paul saith Of this spirituall building vvas Saint Peter a stone by his faith and by his function By his faith he vvas made an elect and pretious stone by his function he vvas made a great and mighty stone a second foundation a necessary foundation stone By his faith he vvas laid into the building by his function he vvas laid into the foundation of the building By his faith he had fellovvship vvith the Saints by his function he had equality and copartnership vvith the Apostles His function what it was His function vvas the office of his Apostleship vvhereby he vvas made a strong foundation stone upon whom other stones in the building are fitly placed Eph. 4.11 For Christ gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists 12. and some Pastours and teachers For the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ The Apostles the Prophets the Evangelists the Pastours and Teachers therefore are necessary stones for the building of the Church that it might be raised But the greatest of all these were the Apostles whose function none could attain unto but those twelve elected first by Christ and after his resurrection Saint Matthias Act. 1.6 Act. 9.15 who succeeded in the place of Judas the traitor And Saint Paul that chosen and elect vessell the Apostle of the gentiles last called These are great foundation stones of the Church which is now in the time of the new testament sure foundations upon Christ the rock or first foundation Of whom they obtained commission to teach all nations S. Mat. 28.19 and to baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Which commission of theirs they faithfully executed Rom. 10.18 for their sound went out into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world They had gifts and graces answerable to such a function and by their ministry The Lord added to the Church dayly such as should be saved These great stones upon divers respects are said to lie Acts. 2.47 The Apostles how laid into the foundatâ—on and to be laid in the foundation of the building for the supportation of other stones lesse in graces and lesse in office 1st Because they were called to that office and function not by the ministry of man but immediately by God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of men neither by man as Saint Paul saith of himselfe 2ly Because they first of all had commission to preach Christ crucified unto the gentiles to joyne both Jewes and Gentiles into one people that so the root of Jesse might stand for an Ensigne of the people Isa 11.10 and the Gentiles might seek unto it 3ly Because that other great officers in the Church Bishops Priests and Deacons were ordained by their ministery and consecrated by the hand of their Apostleship Act. 6.6 but they themselves were not so ordained but were chosen immediately by God and received their commission from Christ his owne mouth Lastly they ordained none to succeed in the fullnesse of their office and Apostleship viz. To go unto all nations S. Mar. 16.16 and to preach the Gospell unto every creature which was their immediate commission Apostolicall but they ordained proper Pastours unto particular Churches to whose care they recommended the flock of Christ in those places where they themselves had preached and prevailed reserving the oversight even of the Bishops and priests unto themselves And hence it is that Saint Paul directeth Timothy and Titus how to behave themselves in their function And that Saint Peter taketh upon him to instruct the elders of the Church And that Saint John counselleth reproveth and commendeth the Angells or Bishops of the seven Churches of Asia these things being branches of the Apostolicall dignity It was no small matter therfore that Christ performed unto Simon the son of Jona upon his confession Thou art Peter a stone a great foundation stone the chiefe and principall of all the foundation stones and as such a stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Basil hath it For the eminency of his faith such a stone as should receive upon himselfe the whole fabrick of the Church But if the house be built upon the sand or in a marish ground the foundation stones will not cannot assure the building from falling or sincking therefore 2ly having told him what he had made him to his Church a stone he proceedes to tell him what he himselfe is to his Church a rock for the supportation of all the foundation stones and of the whole superstructed building Upon this rock I will build my Church The Church built upon Christ the rock This rock which thou hast confessed saith Saint Augustine Upon this rock which thou hast known saying thou art Christ the son of the living God will I build my Church I will build thee upon me not me upon thee For men intending to build upon men said I hold of Paul I of Apollo I of Cephas that is Peter and others who would not be builded upon Peter but upon the rock said I hold of Christ For the rock was Christ upon which foundation Peter himselfe was builded De verb. Dom. ser 13. sith no man can lay another foundation besides that which is laid which is Jesus Christ And in the same sense have Saint Gregory Nyssen Saint Cyril Saint Chrysostome Saint Ambrose Saint Hilarie venerable Bede and many other holy Fathers and learned Divines understood this place for against the Church so built the gates of hell shall not prevail Upon this reason that the gates of cities are most strongly fortified The gates of hell and firmly bar'd and bolted by gates is to be understood as saith the new glosse omne robur omne munimentum every strength and every muniment And by hell omnem vim contrariam Satanicam omnem hostis impetum all contrary and Sathanicall power every incursion of the enemy viz. The devil himselfe and all his angells all the power that they have the wicked world all tyrants and seducers who are the devills instruments For the state of the faithfull and chosen of God in this present life is as it were a warfare whereof the Church is called militant The adversaies and enemies whom we must fight against our Saviour speaketh of them as of a strong kingdome which
he calleth hell because it warreth all for hell and the devill is the prince of it Eph. 6.11 2 Cor. 10.4 The gates of hell therefore do signifie those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those fortresses munitions and strong holds which the powers of hell do hold against the Church and from whence they assault it in all her members by force or fraud All which is meant by gates because the gates of castles and of strong holds are wont to have the best munition and to be most strongly fenced So that the gates of hell are not only heresies although heresies are of them as Saint Epiphanius lib. Anchor and Saint Augustine De symb ad Catechum do note but also persecutions in name in goods in liberty or in life and specially sins with all manner of evills which seek to subdue us to everlasting death As is well observed by Origen Saint Chrysostome Saint Gregory and others The gates of hell therefore may assault but they shall not prevail against the Church catholick utterly to extinguish it nor against any sound member of the same who is an homogeniall part of the whole rightly built and abiding upon the rock Psal 139.1 2 3 4. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth may Israel now say Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth yet they have not prevailed against me The plowers plowed upon my back they made long furrowes The Lord is righteous he hath cut assunder the cords of the wicked And this is the first part of that retribution which the Apostle Saint Peter received from his Lord S. Mat. 16.18 upon his good confession Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it A second part of his retribution was in expectance and to be made good in the future The keyes of the kingdom of heaven promised and given that was the keyes of the kingdome of heaven then to be given when he shall be risen from the dead and shall have fully accomplished the work of mans redemption Saint Peter for the present was not in capacity and Christ himselfe was not yet fully manifested to be the Saviour and redeemer of all mankinde That promise therefore must be performed in its season after his resurrection and he performes it the same day The same day at evening being the first day of the week when the doors were shut S. Joh 20.19 where the Disciples were assembled for fear of the Jewes came Jesus and stood in the middest and saith unto them Peace be unto you And when he had so said he shewed unto them his hands and his side Then were the Disciples glad when they saw the Lord. 20 Then said Jesus unto them again Peace be unto you As my Father sent me even so send I you And when he had said this he breathed on them 21 22 and saith unto them Receive ye the holy Ghost Whosesoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosesoever sins ye retain they are retained 23. The power of Christ to give the keyes of the kingdome of heaven is three-fold 1. The power of the Creator By what power Christ gave the keyes S. Joh. 1.3 Eph. 1.7 All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Heaven it self was his creature how shall he not dispose the work of his own hands 2ly The power of the Redeemer in whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace Is he the redeemer of that Church of his part whereof singeth the songs of victory in heaven and is called the triumphant Church part whereof lyeth in the camp of warfare upon earth and is called the militant Church and must not then the keyes be his to open the doors of heaven by himself and by his ministers unto whom he shall commit them 3ly He is the head of his Church Eph. 5.23 as the husband is the wives head Is that head of his Church the Lord of heaven and hath he not the keyes to open the doors of heaven to that mysticall body whereof he is the head To that little flock of his who are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones 30 The keyes of the kingdom of heaven were his to give and he gave them according to his word and promise he did not delay to give them but being risen from the dead he gave them the same day The kingdom of heaven in the scriptures is compared to a city therefore called the holy Hierusalem Reu. 21.10 12 having a great and high wall and twelve gates Man was a citizen of that city till he sinned but by sinne he lost his freedom there in as much as there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye 27 For his sinne he was banished this city and the gates fast lockt and shut against him He was cast out of Paradise and God placed cherubims and a flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life Gen. 3.24 So that there was found no way to return back into the city or into Paradise from whence man was expulsed But God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Him therefore did God give to open the gates of heaven which were shut and lock't by sinne and by the guilt thereof to bring in man and to open them to the faithfull S. Joh. 3.10 and to shut them against the unbelievers What keyes Christ had and what keys he gave to the Apostles Rev. 3.7 S. Mar. 2.7 S. Joh. 1.29 Who because he is the great King of this city he is said to have the key of David and openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth By a two-fold possession he is Lord of the keyes For 1ly As he is one God with the Father he hath the same keyes which the Father hath even the key of authority to forgive sinnes Who can forgive sins but God onely 2ly As he is the Son of the Father made man and by the merit of his death and passion is that very lambe of God which taketh away the sin of the world he hath the key of excellency and by a speciall prerogative doth open and shut the gates of heaven Neither of these keyes gave Christ to his Apostles the keyes which they had by his Donation were ministeriall keyes to the end that not by themselves but by the power of God and by the virtue of Christ his passion they might open and shut the gates of heaven These keyes as St. Chrysostome saith are the knowledge of the scriptures according to Tertullian the interpretation of the law and as Eusebius saith the
word of God The matter of them is a double act Keyes of two sorts of knowledge and of execution from whence also the keyes are of two sorts the key of knowledge whereby the man of God doth judge rightly to whom the gates of heaven are to be opened and against whom they are to be shut like a wise door-keeper in the Lords temple well knowing whom to admit and whom to repell And the key of power whereby accordingly he putteth the matter in execution opening the doors of heaven to those that are worthy and shutting them against those that are unworthy This judgement of discerning the worthy from the unworthy had the Apostle Saint Peter Act. 8.23 for he perceived and affirmed Simon the Sorcerer to be in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity And therefore he did not open the gates of heaven unto him but shut him out Act. 10.48 How the keys are to be administred and bound him as an unclean thing But when Cornelius the Centurion had sent for him he found him worthy and therefore opened the gates of heaven unto him and baptized him The manner also how these keyes are to be administred is to be respected For the ministerial function is either common to the whole priesthood 1 Cor. 4.1 so far forth as all the priests are ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God And are by their function obliged to preach the word to administer the Sacraments of the Church 2 Tim. 4.2 to be instant in season out of season to reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine Or else it is peculiar to the Bishops and goverours of the Church who because they are ordained not only to administer in holy things but to bear rule in the Church of Christ S. Mat. 18.17 and to preside therefore the keyes are again to be distinguished For there is the key of Order which doth belong to the inward court of conscience and by the ministery of the Gospell doth immediately open and shut the gates of heaven and is the common key of every priest rightly and lawfully ordained to his office and function by imposition of sacred haâ—â—s of what degree or title soever he be by that authority which is delivered unto him to preach the Gospell and to administer the Sacraments And there is the key of jurisdiction whereby Ecclesiasticall censures as publick pennance for publick crimes admonitions suspensions excommunications and such like are enjoyned and inflicted which is not the common key of every priest but doth belong only to the Bishops and governours of the Church to whom it belongeth to bear rule and to preside as before is said Nor yet is this key adminâ—stred in the inner court of conscience but in the outward court of jurisdiction Neither doth it open and shut heaven gates immediately but before the militant Church And hence it is that the Apostle Saint Paul instructeth Timothy not only as a Priest how to administer his key of order in the inward court and to open and shut the gates of heaven immediately by administration of the Gospell but also as a Bishop how to administer his key of jurisdiction as a Bishop in the outward court and to open and shut heaven gates in the consistory and before the militant Church as is plainly to be seen 1 Tim. 5. But these keyes were not promised unto Saint Peter only and excusively as to the other Apostles but omnibus cum Petro quia Petrus pro omnibus loquutus est Apostolis To whom the keys were prom sed and given to all the rest with Saint Peter because that like as Christ demanded of them all saying Whom say ye that I am even so by the revelation of the father Saint Peter answered for them all saying Thou art Christ the son of the living God Like as he demanded so was he answered as he was answered so did he promise as he promised so did he perform for between these four things a question an answer a promise and the performance there is mutuall reference Christ demanded of them all saying Whom say ye that I am They all answered by the mouth of Saint Peter as a jurie of sworn men giving up their verdict by their foreman Thou art Christ the son of the liâ—ing God Like as the tongue speaketh on the behalf of all the body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Even so was Saint Peter the tongue of the Apostles and he alone made the answer for them all Christ therefore maketh his promise to all by replying to St. Peter only because only St. Peter had spoken for them all and given up their answer And finally as the truth it self what he had promised to all he performed to all For he gave them all his peace He breathed on them all the Holy Ghost S. Joh. 20.19 20 21 22 23 S. Mat. 28.19 20. S. Mar. 16.15 He gave them all the same power of remitting and of retaining sins that is to say the power of the keyes promised before He sendeth them all forth with one and the same commission to preach and to baptize all the world over And this is the doctrine of the catholique Fathers and was of the Bishops of Rome themselves in purer times for said Leo The jurisdiction of this power passed over unto all the Apostles Ser. de Apost And when Christ saith he said unto Peter I will give unto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heaven the right of this power passed over unto others and that which is commended in express termes unto one is intimated unto all and Christ said it unto Peter singularly because the form of Peter is propâ—sed to all the governors of the Church And so Pope Anacletus also The rest of the Apostles saith he together with the like fellowship received both honour and power Ad Epis Ital. Ep. 2. Saint Cyprian The other Apostles were the same thing that Peter was endowed wiâ—h the like or equall fellowship pari consortio both of honour and power Lib. de unit eccles And finally among many other St. Augustine who speaking of the keyes and of the power of binding and loosing saith plainly thus Hoc Petrus pro omnibus tanquam personam unitatis accepit This hath Peter received for all as it were the person of unity Ser. 10. The use of the keyes super Johan The use of the keyes was from the beginning of the world And God himself did then first administer them by his own authority by making unto Adam the original promise It succeeded in all ages before the resurrection of Christ Gen. 3.15 in that ministery which God gave unto his Church But Christ would abolish the old Testament and legall worship therefore must he transfer the keyes to another priest-hood And this was it which he promised St. Peter to do and performed it after his resurrection as before is said Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona for
potestatem suam Aug. It was to shew his power and that he was voluntarily apprehended Wherefore they being risen from the ground he asked them again Whom seek ye They answered Iesus of Nazareth He replies I have told you that I am he if therefore ye seek me ye have nothing to do with these my disciples let these go their way Inimicos jubet hoc faciunt quod jubet sinunt scilicet nunc eos abire quos non vult perire He commands his enemies and they do that thing which he commandeth them they now suffer those to depart whom he would not have to perish so he fulfilled his own word St. Joh. 17.12 Then came Iudas and gave the signe signum osculi cum veneno doli the signe of a kiss with the poyson of deceit as saith Saint Ierom and for better direction to his accursed crue cried out saying Master Master hail Master and kissed him He admitted the kisse but reproved both his treason and hypocrisie So they came laid hands on and took him who gave himselfe up voluntarily into their hands And when the disciples vvho had tvvo svvords vvith them savv vvhat vvould follovv they demanded saying Lord shall we smite with the sword But Saint Peter vvhose resolution vvas to lay down his life in his defence drew one of the swords vvhich vvas his immediately and smote a servant of the high priests vvhose name vvas Malchus and cut off his right ear Christ vvould not be rescued therefore he commanded him to put it up for that none must dravv the svvord to kill and slay but they only into vvhose hands it is delegated by God vvould he be rescued he could be rescued by the ministery of Angells but the Scripture must be fulfilled So vvhen he had healed him vvhose ear vvas cut off by a touch of his hand he expostulated vvith the chiefe priests and captains of the temple and with the whole multitude for comming forth to apprehend him in that hostile manner and by night who was daily with them teaching in the temple where though they might have had him yet they laid no hold on him As if he should have said for so Bede also doth paraphrase the words Stultum est cum gladiis fustibus quaerere eum S. Mat. 26 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56. S. Mar. 14.43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50. S. Luc. 22 47 48 49 50 51 52 53. S. Joh. 18.3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. S. Mar. 14 51 52. qui ultrò se vestris tradidit manibus in nocte quasi latitantem per proditorem investigare qui quotidiè in templo docâ—bat It is a foolish thing with swords and clubs to seek him who of his owne accord hath delivered himselfe into your hands and by a traitour to make search as for one latitant in the night who taught daily in the temple But this is your houre and the power of darknesse But the Scriptures must be fulfilled At this word all the disciples forsook him and fled Yet there followed him a certain young man who was none of his disciples for they all fled having a linnen cloth cast about his naked body and the young men laid hold on him And he left the linnen cloth and fled from them naked Who this young man should be what he made in the garden at that time of the night and in such a garb it is not mentioned probably one of the servants of that house where they had eaten the passeover who having heard what he had discoursed unto his disciples came thither out of curiosity to see the event Whatsoever he were the story I suppose is told by Saint Mark to no other end but to shew the present danger which the disciples escaped by their flight His disciples being all fled the captain and officers of the Iewes bound him He is bound Psal 118.27 Brought to Annas for he was led away to be sacrificed and to be bound even unto the hornes of the Altar And first they bring him to Annas and the reason why to him first is given by Saint Iohn For he was father in law to Caiphas which was the high priest that same year It was not therefore because his house stood in the way towards the palace of the high priest it was out of reverence to him he had been high priest himselfe and he was father in law to the present high priest This was Annas or Ananus the elder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Iosephus Which elder Annas was said to be most happy for he had five sons all who ministred unto God in the office of the high priest he himselfe having enjoyed that honour along time which thing never hapned to any of the high priests before him Antiq. lib. 20. cap. 8. I should have said so too had I not now found him in the counsell of the ungodly From Annas and by his direction and commandement they bring him to Caiphas Annas sendâ—th him to Caâ—aphas with whom were assembled all the chieâ—e priests and the elders and the scribes the whole Sâ—nhedrim Annas himselfe doubtlesse following after in readiness to judge and to condemn him that upon their condemnation he might be transmitted to Pontius Pilate the deputy He is examâ—nâ—d Being brought before them the high priest asked him of his disciples and of his doctrine Concerning his disciples he answered nothing they had saved themselves by flight and he would not that they should then be sought for and apprehended for his sake As touching his doctrine he frameth his answer in these words I spake openly to the world I ever taught in the synagogue S. Joh. 18 12 13 19 20 21 22 23 24. and in the temple whither the Iewes alwaies resort and in sâ—cret have I said nothing Why askest thou me aske them which heard me what I have said unto them behold they know what I said When he had so spoken one of the officers which stood by smote him with the palme of his hand saying Answerest thou the high priest so To whom he replyed no more but this If I have spoken evill bear witnesse of the evill but if well why smitest thou me in that manner checking him for the injury which he had done unto him Being not able by examination to evict him the whole councill unanimously betook themselves to false witnesses that so they might have some colour to condemne him They produced many False witnesses produced but proved nothing because their testimonies did not agree for the law required two concurring testimonies and amongst them all there were not found any two which did speak ad idâ—m At the last when they had made much search and enquiry two false witnesses were brought in sumphonous in evidence which said We heard him say I will destroy this temple that is made with hands and within three daies I will build another made without hands They were false witnesses indeed
be the Son of God The vail of the temple rent Having rendred his sweet soul into the hands of his most holy and most heavenly Father forthwith the vail of the temple which was a most beautifull wall of firm stone and of great strength which divided the holy from the most holy which was only pervious to the high Priest as hath been said before was rent in twain from the top to the bottom together with the hanging or vail which was hung before it being of blue and purple and scarlet Exod. 23.31 and fine twined linnen of cunning work and made with cherubims For by the death of Christ the gates of heaven figured by that vail were opened and the middle wall of partition between the Iew and the Gentile was broken down And forthwith the earth did quake The earth did quake not universally but in Iudea and about Hierusalem and by vertue of this earthquake the rocks did rent The rocks did rent not all the rocks of the world but some particular rocks in Iudea where the earthquake was And forthwith the graves did open The graves did open and many of the bodies of the Saints which slept arose from the sleep of death but came not out of their graves so as to appear to any till after his resurrection and then they went into the holy city Hierusalem so called in respect of the temple and divine worship yet fixed there S. Mat. 27.51 52 53. S. Mar. 15.38 S. Luc. 23.45 though otherwise it was a valley of slaughter a den of theeves and the place of dragons and there they appeared unto many that knew them therefore it seemes they were of those who had not been long dead From which holy city after his resurrection it is piously to be conjectured they went up with him into the holy and heavenly Hierusalem which is above that so he that came down alone might go up with company He carried the soul of the thiefe into paradise together with his soul he carried the bodies of the saints into heaven together with his body All these miracles attending his death to the end that he might be believed and confessed to be the Son of God The Centurions confession though the Iewes remained still blinded in minde and hardned in heart so as neither to have remorse of conscience for the perpetration of so great a wickednesse much less to believe in him whom they had crucified The Centurion and the soldiers that were with him who had divided his garments and cast lots for his vesture and were appointed to watch and to see the execution done taking notice of the miracles of the darknesse and of the earthquake and of the manner of his death that he cried with a loud voice whereby they perceived that he did not languish and that he bowed his head and gave up the ghost whereby they also perceived that his death was voluntary and that it was in his power to die when he pleased S. Mat 27.54 S. Mar. 15.39 S. Luc. 23.47 they were all exceedingly afraid and the Centurion for his part confessed him to be the Son of God saying Truely this was the Son of God An egregious confession of an heathen man extorted from him by fear but servile fear serves oftentimes to a good end for if right use be made of it it will bring a man to the chast fear whereby God is loved for his own sake Serviliter times formido est mali nondum dilectio boni sed time tamen ut ista formido custodiat te perducat ad dilectionem saith Saint Augustine excellently Thou fearest servilly it is the fear of that which is evill it is not yet the love of that which is good But yet fear notwithstanding that so this fear may keep thee and bring thee to the love of that which is good De verb. Apost Ser. 18. I cannot say that this Centurions name was Longinus though some contend to have it so the Scripture names him not nor any of the antient Fathers But I shall easily be induced to believe that he who first confessed him upon his expiration to be the Son of God received further grace at his hand to confess him by blessed Marâ—yrdome It was the parasceue or day of preparation and every friday was a parasceue The parasceue or day of preparation to the sabbath ensuing for upon that day they did prepare and make ready such things as they would eat upon the sabbath But that sabbath day was an high day as Saint John observeth for upon that day they would eat the passeover Wherefore because the law had provided concerning those malefactours that were hanged upon the tree that their bodies should not remain all night upon the tree but that they must in any wise be taken downe Deut. 21.22 23. and buried the same day and because it was then drawing towards the Evening of the sabbath which would then begin so soon as the sun was set therefore the Jewes came unto Pilate and besought him that their legs might be broken to the end that they might the sooner die the subpedaneous part of the crosse being by that means made useless to preserve their life longer in torment and that they might be taken away Pilate having given them leave so to do the soldiers came and brake the legs of the first and of the other which was crucified with him but seeing that Iesus was dead before they brake not his legs But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side and forthwith not without great mystery came there out blood and water Saint John testifieth that he saw it and thereunto applieth two places of Scripture the one taken out of Exodus cap. 12. v. 46. A bone of him shall not be broken S. Joh. 19.31 32 33 34 35 36 37. which was literally spoken of the paschall lamb but spiritually meant of Christ The other taken out of the prophecy of Zecharias Zech. 12. v. 10. who foretold it of Christ They say that the pericardium which is a skin or filme about the heart containeth in it clear vvater to cool the heat of the heart Colum de re Anat. lib. 7. If this be true it is likely that skin vvas then pierced Hovvever the blood and the water setting forth in a mystery the great sacraments of the Church are pregnant proofes of a true and not a putative death O mors unde mortui reviviscunt quid isto sanguine mundius quid isto vulnere salubrius crieth out Saint Augustine O death vvhereby the dead revive vvhat is more clean then this blood vvhat is more salubrious then this vvound When the even was come which was the fourth part of the artificiall day The history of his buriall Arimathea called the Even as hath been observed before and began from the ninth houre Joseph of Arimathea a city scituate sixteen miles from Hierusalem towards the north-west
14.28 S Mar. 28.7 S Mar. 16.7 S Mat. 28.10 as St. Matthew saith Then the eleven Disciples went away into Galilee into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them And when they saw him they worshipped him but some doubted His appearance to them in Galilee was promised both before and after his resurrection Before his resurrection by himself After I am risen again I will go before you into Galilee After his resurrection first by his Angell Tell his Disciples that he is risen from the dead And behold he goeth before you into Galilee there shall ye see him 2ly By himself Go and tell my brethren that they go into Galilee and there they shall see me No doubt but the time and place was appointed by himselfe though it be not mentioned when it was that he appointed it Probably at Hierusalem when he came in unto the eleven the eighth day after his resurrection in the evening when the doors were shut permitting unto St. Thomas to put his finger into the print of the nayles and to thrust his hand into his side The mountain is commonly thought to be the mout Thabor where it is also supposed that he preached unto his elected Apostles and other Disciples that most divine Sermon which is contained in the 5 6 7 chapters of Saint Matthew's Gospell S Mat. 17 2 3 and that upon that mountain he was transfigured and had conference with Moses and Elias The apparition it self seemeth to be that which is mentioned by Saint Paul in his Epistle to the Corinthians After that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once 1 Cor. 15.6 of whom the greater part remain unto this present but some are fallen asleep This apparition was most illustrious nor could it be but that the time and place must be appointed and intimation also given by the Apostles to the other Disciples of his appearing there Among so many there were some that doubted as St. Matthew saith His ninth apparition to St. James 1 Cor. 15.7 His ninth apparition was to St. James alone and was after that his apparition upon the mount for St. Paul observeth order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After that he was seen of James when where and how he saith not But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deinde after that It is therefore fabulous which S. Hierom reporteth out of that apocryphal book called the Gospell of the Nazarens That St. Iames had sworn that from that hour wherein he had drank the cup of the Lord he would eat no bread till he should see him risen again from the dead That therefore so soon as he was risen he went unto him commanded the table to be set and bread to be brought and then took the bread brake it and gave it unto S. Iames called Iustus saying My brother eat thy bread for that the Son of man is risen from them that sleep De ecclesiast Script Which St. Iames it was that he appeared unto privately after he had been seen by them all upon the mount St. Paul saith not Upon consideration of his former priviledges I am easily induced to think that it was S. Iames the son of Zebedaeus and brother of S. Iohn His tenth and last apparition was the fortieth day after his resurrection for S. Luke saith His tenth apparition to all the Apostles at meat Act. 1.3 That he shewed himself alive unto them after his passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them forty dayes and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God Saint Paul mentioneth this his last apparition next in order to the former which was to S. Iames After that he was seen of Iames then of all the Apostles The manner was this The eleven Apostles were sitting at meat together he comes in sheweth himself unto them and eateth with them for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 1.4 doth import that he did eat or use the same salt with them obraiding them with their unbeliefe and hardness of heart because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen S. Mar. 16.14 They had been very hard of unbelief as touching his resurrection he had often told them that he would rise again after that he should be killed but they understood him not And when he was risen indeed they would not be perswaded but by so many infallible proofs it was meet therefore that he should obraid them with their former incredulity and then specially when he was to be gone from them in respect of his bodily presence Ut verba quae recedens diceret in corde audientium arctiùs impressa remanerent as saith St. Gregory That those his words spoken unto them at his departure might take the deeper impression in their hearts For this cause he gave them their commission after such an exprobation that they should go into all the world and preach the Gospell to every creature St. Matthew setteth it down in express terms All power is given unto me in heaven S Mat. 28.18 and in earth Go therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost 19 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and loe I am with you alway even to the end of the world Amen 20. St. Mark addeth He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved S. Mar. 16.16 but he that believeth not shall be damned And then concerning the signs and miracles to be wrought for confirmation of the faith These signs shall follow them that believe In my name they shall cast out Devils they shall speak with new tongues 17 they shall take up Serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay their hands on the sick and they shall recover 18. This must they do after necessary endowments first received which would be when they should receive the holy Ghost promised by the Father S. Luc. 24.49 50. till then they must abide in Hierusalem So he led them out as far as to Bethany As they went it should seem they demanded of him this question Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel They fancied still an earthly kingdom Act. 1.6 and thought that he would sit upon the throne of David and raign for ever in the earthly Hierusalem and that they also should raign with him sitting upon their thrones with power and judging the twelve tribes of Israel But he answers them saying It is not for you to know the times or the seasons v. 7. which the Father hath put in his own power Power they should receive after that the holy Ghost is come upon them not such as they imagined but power to go forth in his name and in the power and might of the holy Ghost to be witnesses unto him both in Hierusalem and in Iudea and in Samaria and unto the