23 By this inbred corruption our vnderstanding is so darkened that naturally we cannot perceiue the things which are of God no we count them foolishnesse our will is in such thraldome and slauerie vnto sinne that it cannot like of any thing spirituall and heauenly but is wholly caried vnto fleshly desires 24 If therefore we perceiue the things that are of God and doe like of them if our hearts be enclined to doe his will because this cannot come of our selues our nature bending a cleane contrarie way we acknowledge most willingly and vnfeinedly The good we doe is his it is not ours our beginning to doe and our continuance in dooing well proceedeth onely and wholly from him If any man receiue the grace of God offered it is because God hath framed his heart thereto If any man come when God calleth it is because his grace which calleth draweth If being brought vnto Christ we continue in him we haue no other reason to yeeld of our dooing but onely this he hath linked vs and fastened vs vnto himselfe We neither rise when we are fallen nor stand when we are risen by our owne strength When we are in distresse we are of our selues so far from abilitie to helpe our selues that we are not able to craue helpe of him vnlesse his spirite wrest out Abba Father from vs. We cannot mone our owne case vnlesse he doe grone and sigh for vs we are not able to name Iesus vnlesse by the speciall grace of his spirite our mouthes be opened no we cannot of our selues so much as think of naming him if to thinke of naming him be a good thought 25 When against our naturall inclination to euill his spirite which worketh all in all hath so preuailed that wee now beginne to hate the workes of the flesh hauing an earnest desire to abounde in loue ioie peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meekenesse temperaunce and all other fruites of the spirite yet by reason of the strength of that bodie of sinne which euer fighteth against the spirite our inward man is so weakened that we cannot do the things which we would and the things which we do euen the best of them are so farre beneath that perfection which the Lawe of God requireth that if he should rigorously examine them in iustice no fleshe could euer be accounted righteous in his sight The loathsomest things that can be imagined the cloathes that be most vncleane are not so foule as our very righteousnes is vnrighteous Wherupon we conclude that whatsoeuer wee receiue by way of reward at Gods hand either in this life or in the life to come wee receiue it as a thing freely giuen by him without any merite or desert of ours we doe not say in our hearts The Lord hath giuen vs these good things to possesse for our righteousnesse For seeing it is he which giueth both to will and to doe he crowneth in deede his owne worke when he rewardeth ours and he neuer rewardeth any worke of his owne wherein there is not somwhat of ours which he pardoneth 26 Thus being naked and vtterly destitute in our selues we seeke all things in Christ Iesus Him onely we acknowledge to be our wisedome our iustification our sanctification our redemption our priest our sacrifice our king our head our mediator our phisition our waie our trueth our life In our selues we finde nothing but pouertie and weakenesse praise and honour and glorie wee giue to him The onely marke we ayme at is to set vp his throne to aduaunce his kingdome to make it knowne that in him the Father hath layde vp all the treasures of heauen to the ende that vnto him the thirstie may repaire for water the hungrie for bread the naked for cloathes and wee all for all things needeful to the safetie of our soules and bodies 27 This is not the scope which the Church of Rome proposeth They direct all things to an other end How can ye beleeue saith Christ to the Iewes which receiue honour one of an other and seeke not that honour which commeth of God alone And howe can the faith of the Church of Rome be sound sith they hold such doctrines as tend wholly to their owne glorie their owne gaine and not to the praise and honour of God 28 That they seeke not his glorie but their owne it may appeare vnto any man which throughly considereth of their doctrine First they will not acknowledge that pouertie and nakednesse those filthie garments of corruption and sinne wherein Adam hath wrapped his posteritie But in the pride of their hearts they dissemble it diminish it and make light of it For although they denie not but that mans nature is corrupted yet marke how they paire and lessen this corruption The Prophet Dauid doeth terme it wickednesse and sinne but they make it onely an inclination vnto sinning The Lorde himselfe doeth witnesse that by it all the imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart are only euill they restraine it to the inferior part of the soule and make it onely a mother of some grosser desires The blessed Apostle prayed groned and wept against it as a thing which made him altogeher wearie of his life But after Baptisme they make no more account of those inward rebellious motions against the spirite than they doe of the beating of a mans pulse 29 And as they hide that weakenesse which indeede they haue so they boast of that strength which is not in them For being subiect vnto miserable bondage vnder sinne by reason of that corruption which hath spred it selfe ouer all flesh they bragge notwithstanding of the freedome of their wil as if sinne had not vtterly bereaued vs thereof but stil it were in vs to frame and fashion our owne hearts vnto good things For proofe whereof their maner is to make long discourses teaching that Gods foreknowledge doth not take away free will that men are not violently drawen to good or euill Which things we easily and willingly graunt neither doe we teache or euer did that the freedome of our wil is taken away by the eternall decree of his vnsearchable purpose but this we say and all that haue the trueth doe say the same that the will of man being free vnto naturall and ciuill actions hath of it selfe no freedome to desire things heauenly and spirituall not because the eternall purpose of God but because the corruption of our nature hath addicted vs only vnto euill We doe not teache or euer did that any man is the seruaunt either of sinne or of righteousnesie by constraint For whether we obey the one vnto death and condemnation or vnto life and saluation the other our obedience is alwayes voluntarie it is not wrested from vs against our wils But the question being how we are made willing vnto that which is good this is the difference betweene our aunswere and theirs We say onely by the grace of God
they say partly by grace but principally by the power and strength of their owne nature For being ashamed to affirme with Pelagius that a man may doe the workes of righteousnesse by nature without the grace of God they hold his grace to be a thing indeede necessarie But howe As a birde that is tyed or a man that is in fetters needeth onely to haue those incumberances remooued hauing then a naturall abilitie to flie and walke without any further helpe so man as they say hath in himselfe abilitie to doe good if the grace of God doe but remooue lets Is not this to make nature the principal cause of our well dooing whereas in trueth without the speciall motion of Gods spirite and that in euerie particular action wee are no more able to walke in the waies which GOD hath commaunded than a drunken man to goe without leading who staggereth euen in the plainest ground though all stumbling blockes be remooued though his waie lie neuer so smooth before him such is our weakenesse In consideration whereof the blessed Apostle sayth plainely It is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie We dragge and are not able of our selues to set one foote before an other Drawe me saith the spouse in the Canticles and then we will runne after thee But these men litle considering of what fraile metall they are made perceiuing not how sinne hath weakened the faculties of the soule vaunt of freedome of strength of inward power and make their owne will the chiefest cause of their wel dooing 30 And when they haue doone any thing which to their seeming is wel doone they prise it so high and esteeme so much of it that God as they thinke should doe them iniurie if in iudgement he did not pronounce them iust and righteous for their workes sake If it were possible that God entering into iudgement should finde any so vpright and perfect that by their workes they might be iustified in his sight doubtlesse he should finde his owne seruaunts to be such or else none if any of his seruaunts surely his Prophets if any Prophet rather Dauid than any other But Dauid crieth out Enter not into iudgement no not with thy Seruaunt O Lord. For in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified For whether we consider workes forbidden or commaunded by the Lawe what man is there liuing which can say in the one My heart is pure in the other I haue doone all that is enioyned me For if it were so that we knewe nothing wherein we had transgressed the lawes and statutes of the almightie yet herein could we in no wise be iustified because of secret sinnes hidden euen from our owne selues For which if God shal call vs to our reckoning and marke straitely what is doone amisse O Lord saith the Prophet who shall stand Againe if we had doone whatsoeuer wee could yet because we cannot doe so much as we should we ought to acknowledge our selues vnprofitable whereas we euen the best of vs are farre from dooing that which if we would we might doe 31 Nowe if God notwithstanding for his sonnes sake doe so allowe and accept the worke of our hands that he bountifully rewardeth our weake seruice with an excellent and an eternall waight of glorie how much are wee bound both to praise his mercie and to hate the insolencie of those men who besides al this swelling in the proude conceit of their workes will haue eternall life which is his gift to be their merite nor onely that but the worthinesse of their deserts to be so great that many of them dooing God more seruice than can bee sufficiently rewarded in their owne persons deserue heauen not onely for themselues but for others too These shipwracks of faith they haue made by reason of their inward pride 32 The excessiue desire of outward pompe hath furthermore caused them to disdaine the basenesse of Christ Iesus and of his Apostles to bee ashamed of the meane and lowe estate wherein they liued to make of their Deacons and Priests Cardinals exceeding the kings of the earth in glorie of their Bishop a Monarke vnder whose foote the Emperour himselfe hath beene a footestoole whose stirrop the greatest Soueraignes haue scarse beene deemed worthie to holde at whose bridle kings haue attended as seruaunts that the wordes of the Preacher might bee iustified Follie is set in great excellencie and the riche set in the lowe place I haue seene seruaunts on horses and Princes walking as seruants on the ground 33 This pompe cannot bee maintained with nothing it must haue strong sinnewes And therefore whatsoeuer mans wit might possibly deuise for gaine they haue both founde it out and put it in vre setting Offices Masses Prayers Pardons Sacramentes Heauen and Earth all the treasures of the house of GOD to sale if wee may terme it the house of God which they haue made a shoppe of so vile merchaundise It were infinite to recite what huge summes of money they haue heretofore by religious pretenses euerie yeere gathered within the compasse of this one Ilande What heapes then haue they raked out of other partes of Christendome Which offals and profites if once men beginne as here so in other kingdomes also to withholde from them if men leaue off buying their wares any more if things which are fatte and excellent depart doubtlesse that citie which nowe is cloathed in fine linnen and purple and skarlet which nowe is guilded with golde and decked with pretious stones and pearles shall in one houre be made desolate This they know and it maketh them carefull to maintaine whatsoeuer is commodious and gainefull to them As for the glorie of GOD it is the least part of their care nay they care not howe heynous sacrilege they commit in spoyling and robbing him of his honour 34 It is an honour vnto God when all men by faith point their fingers as it were at Christ Iesus naming him the onelie Lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde when he is acknowledged the onely mediatour betweene God and vs when wee confesse that hee is that Priest according to the order of Melchisedech which hauing offered one sacrifice for sinnes hath therewith because it was a perfect sacrifice consecrated for euer them that are sanctified when our faith is so ascertained and grounded vppon his promises that we can bee bolde as Lyons assuring our selues that the eye of the Lorde is on them which trust in his mercie to deliuer their soules from death as the Prophet witnesseth But how doe they giue vnto him this honour who haue deuised so many waies to take away sinne besides the bloud of the Lambe of GOD who as though wee might not be bolde to enter into the holie place by the newe and liuely way which hee hath prepared for vs through the vaile which is his fleshe or as
Thessalonica vnto whom he was not onely content to giue the milke of the gospel of Christ but willing that they might sucke euen bloud out of his brest so it were for their benefite So deare and precious they were vnto him Such a nurce was Moses which fed the people with the Lawe of God the foode of life meate sweeter than honie or the honie combe Such a one Iehosaphat in sending abroade preachers to feede the people Such a one Ezechias in washing and cleansing the Church from Idolatrie Iosias in reforming the house of God Salomon in deposing euil priests and placing better in labouring by all meanes to inlarge the glorious kingdome of God These did the parts of good and faithfull nurces and God did highly requite their seruice 16 After pietie honestie and order must be sought This is attained vnto by seeing good Lawes both made and put in execution For the execution of the Lawe is the life of the Lawe and a Lawe not executed is but a dead Lawe And here let rulers first learne to obserue Lawes themselues and so with greater courage and better countenance they may punish by Lawe the transgressors of the Lawe For this cause S. Paul would haue a Bishop whose office it is to reprooue others himselfe to bee vnreprooueable Iudah gaue sentence against Thamar for her incontinencie Bring her foorth and let her be burnt But when he once vnderstoode it was his owne offence the case was altered The Prophet Dauid was driuen to the like Those magistrates doe both wickedly and shamefully which prescribe a Lawe of honest life vnto others and keepe it not themselues It is fowle thing when he that punisheth is more woorthie punishment than the partie punished Paul himselfe being blamelesse executed discipline with great authoritie vpon that lewde incestuous person Samuel a faultlesse magistrate was not afraide to cut off the head of Agag the king with his owne handes Moses could not with that courage haue hanged vp those Gentlemen-fornicators had not his owne life that way beene without staine or blemish When magistrates themselues be cleare they may boldely punish others and see diligently to the straite execution of Lawes For want whereof it commeth to passe that for the most part Lawes are accounted like to cobwebs which take small flies and hold them fast but suffer hornets to breake through In execution of lawes we may not respect the person of the riche or of the poore neither feare nor pitie must remooue vs that which is iust must take place in both For if Lawes be not executed without respect of person if sinne be not seuerely repressed if the people bee not kept in order it wil shake the state all wil be in an vprore no man shall be master of his owne or in any safetie of his life al iniquitie will abound all honestie will be exiled and the magistrate shall beare the sword in vaine To neglect it is to neglect that thing for which this ordinance of God was first appointed For if men without these meanes might be kept in order surely God would neuer haue established gouernement to keepe them in order by these meanes Barbarous therefore and wicked is the opinion of the Anabaptists which condemne all superioritie authoritie and gouernement in the Church For what is this else but vtterly to expell both out of Church and common wealth all godlinesse all peace all honestie 17 Nowe as magistrates and rulers should by good gouernment procure peace promote religion and preserue honestie amongst men so our Apostle requireth at the peoples handes that they vnder gouernement leade a peaceable quiet and honest life There is a double peace the one outward the other inward peace with men and peace with God With God there is no peace but in Christ. Through faith in him wee haue peace with God and not otherwise He hath peace with God whose sinnes are remitted for Blessed are they whose iniquities are pardoned But our sinnes are remitted onely in the bloud of Christ Iesus his bloud doeth purge vs from all sinne Christ therefore is our onely peacemaker with God This is that peace which passeth all vnderstanding He that wil enioie it must be careful to keepe a good conscience Haue a good conscience that when men speake euill of you as of ill doers they may be ashamed For if our owne heart condemne vs God is greater and wil more syncerely iudge vs. A good conscience maketh a strong faith Many by loosing their hold of the one haue made shipwracke of the other 18 The peaceable and quiet life which S. Paul in this place doeth chiefly require is to haue outward peace with men If it be possible and as much as in you lies haue peace with all men Yet not peace with all men so but that we may be alwaies readie for Gods cause to sustaine the hatred of all men in the world We may not for peace sake flatter men in their sinne for that is to be partakers of euill We must haue peace with all if it may be and so farre as in vs lyeth euer preferring a good conscience and a Christian minde For it may not be which may not be honestly Followe those things that belong vnto peace but vnto godlie peace For our God is the God of true of good peace He detesteth them that sowe discord yea the soule of the Lorde abhorreth them Doeg was hated of God for setting dissension betweene Saul and Dauid Achitophel likewise for stirring vp Absolon to striue against his father For as peacemakers are blessed so cursed are all disturbers of peace all breeders and maintainers of sedition Vnto peace we must ioine holinesse true and religious worshipping of God So saith the Apostle Followe peace and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lorde Thou shalt worship the Lorde thy God and him onely shalt thou serue He is a spirite and will be woorshipped in spirit and trueth in inward holinesse not in outward shew of holinesse onely in synceritie and not in ceremonie alone according to his owne will and commaundement not according to the fancie or inuention of man Euerie God saith Socrates is so to be worshipped as himselfe hath appointed 19 This our seruing of God in the Church of God in true holinesse consisteth chiefly in true and earnest praier vnto God in diligent and duetifull hearing of his word in faithfull and reuerent receiuing of his Sacraments In praier we beg of God those things which we wish and hope to receiue and wee praise him for things alreadie receiued This is a sweete and an acceptable sacrifice The hearing of his word is also a seruice wherewith he is pleased 20 And as praying and hearing so the woorthie receiuing of his sacraments is not onely a sealing of his grace vnto vs but also a testifying of our godlinesse towards him His sacrameuts are two in number
cannot be where the other is not Walke honestly because the daies are euil denie impietie and worldely lustes liue soberly iustly godlily in this present world looking for that blessed hope and appearing of the glorie of the mightie God our Sauiour Iesus Christ. If we wil be Christs Disciples let vs treade in his footsteps If we follow him here in peace pietie and honestie we shall receiue in his kingdome that crowne of eternal glorie which God the father for his sonnes sake grant vs to whom with the holie Ghost three persons and one God be all honour and glorie now and for euer Amen The fifth Sermoni A Sermon preached before the Queene PHILIPPIANS 2. 2 Be like minded hauing the same loue being of one accord and of one iudgement 3 That nothing be doone through contention or vaine glorie but that in meekenesse of minde euerie man esteeme other better than himselfe 4 Looke not euerie man on his owne things but euerie man also on the things of other men 5 Let the same minde be in you that was in Christ Iesus THE Apostle of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ with a most vehement spirit and most earnest obtestation doeth here exhort the Philippians if there were any consolation in Christ any comfort of charitie any communion of the spirite any bowels of tender affections or any compassion in them they would to the fulfilling of his ioie followe peace vnitie loue and brotherly concord remoouing withall the lets thereof and shewing the meanes how vnitie loue and concord may be continued and preserued And that his exhortation might be of greater authoritie and so take better effect he setteth downe our Sauiour Christ as an example who is the God of vnitie and peace the Lorde of loue and the liueliest patterne of all pietie and sweetenesse of maners requiring of vs as we professe Christ in name and worde so in minde and in deede to be so affected as Iesus Christ himselfe was 2 Be like minded hauing the same c. We haue here an exhortation and an example so linked and tied together the one depending vpon the other that they cannot well be sundred My purpose therefore is iointly to laie them both before you and in explicating the one to propose the other The exhortation is this Bee like minded hauing the same loue being of one accorde and of one iudgement That nothing be doone through contention or vaine glorie but in meekenesse of minde euerie man esteeme other better than him selfe Looke not euerie man on his owne things but euerie man also on the things of other men Vpon this exhortation followeth the example Let the same minde be in you that was in Christ Iesus The exhortation standeth vpon three parts First he mooueth vnto vnitie saying Be ye like minded hauing the same loue and this vnitie by way of interpretation he diuideth into two members Be of one accord and of one iudgement Of one iudgement in matters of religion and of one accord in brotherly loue In the second part he remooueth the lets of this vnitie and concord saying Let nothing be doone through contention and vaine glorie These are great hinderances to vnitie and concord Lastly he telleth the meanes whereby agreement and loue may be vpholden maintained saying In meekenesse of minde let euery man esteeme other better than himselfe Looke not euery man to his owne things but euerie man also to the things of other men Here hee setteth downe two preseruatiues and defences of vnitie and loue the one in humblenesse of minde to thinke better of others than of our selues the other not to looke vpon our owne things onely but euerie man also on the things of other men 3 The Apostle requireth of vs a double vnitie in Religion and in brotherly concord Both are so necessarie that the one cannot stand long if the other fall Vnitie in religion is a thing most to be desired What is the woorst thing of all others Dissention What the best Vnitie peace and agreement Thus thought Gregorie And we reade that the Gospel had his beginning in vnitie The multitude of them which beleeued had one heart and one soule Schisme had his beginning of dissention I am of Paul I of Apollos I of Cephas this was that which rent the church of God in peeces The Church is called the kingdome of God the Arke of Noah the bodie of Christ to teache vs that it should be at vnitie in it selfe For a house a ship a bodie diuided cannot continue By themselues they are brought to ruine Wherefore together with the blessed Apostle I beseech you brethrē by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye all speake one thing and that there be no dissentions among you but bee yee knit together in one minde and in one iudgement 4 But we must consider which is true vnitie For euerie agreement is not that concord whereunto we are in this place exhorted Lucifer with other Angels consented together Eue and Adam and the serpent were all of one minde so were the builders of the tower of Babel so were they of Sodome a puero vsque ad senem from the childe to the man of graie haires so were Dathan and Abiram with their complices so were the woorshippers of the golden calfe so were the sacrificers in Dan and Bethel so were Pilate and Herode so were the Iewes that cried with one voice Let him be crucified and so are they which haue ioined themselues in holie league with no other intent than those wicked confederates had of whom the Prophet saith They assembled themselues together against the Lord and against his Christ. But it is vnitie of the spirit vnitie in the truth vnitie in Christ and in his gospell whereunto our Apostle here exhorteth vs. The name of peace is goodly and the opinion of consent saith Hilarie is a faire and a beautiful thing but who doubteth that the linked peace of the Church and of the Gospell is that peace only which is of Christ which he spake of to his Apostles after his glorious passion which he commended at his departure as the pawne of his euerlasting commaundement All other peace is no peace indeede Nor is he ioined to the Church saith Cyprian who is seuered and sundered from the Gospell S. Paul moouing men to vnitie in religion saith This is all one thing but he addeth further according to Iesus Christ. The citie whereof the Prophet speaketh which is at vnitie within it selfe must be builded vpon the foundation of the Apostles and of the Prophets For what a concord is that which is at strife with Christ Vnitie must be in veritie Thy word is veritie in this we must agree Let vs not heare This I say This thou saiest but This saith the Lorde For vnitie in religion not grounded vpon Christ and his Gospel is not concord but conspiracie 5 And here
euerie good worke 5 The Prophet beeing inflamed with a desire of knowledge and vnderstanding sawe no other waie to attaine thereunto but by ioyning with continuall meditation earnest prayer Teache me thy waies O Lord Giue me vnderstanding Shewe me thy Law He knewe that praying was as needefull altogether as reading that if there be any difference at all it is this By praying we profite more than by reading 6 As he desireth to be taught so it is especially to bee noted that his desire is to be taught of God Teache thou me O Lorde There is none that can open the sealed booke of God but onely the Lion of the tribe of Iuda the roote of Dauid the Lambe of God For Thou art woorthie to take the booke and to open the seuen seales thereof because thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud It is he that hath the keie of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth shutteth and no man openeth For the outward reading of the word without the inward working of his spirite is nothing The precise Pharisees the learned Scribes red the Scriptures ouer and ouer againe they not onely red them in bookes but woore them on their garments they were not onely taught but were able themselues to teache others But because this heauenly teacher had not instructed them their vnderstanding was darkened their knowledge was but vanitie they were ignoraunt altogether in that sauing trueth which the Prophet Dauid is so desirous to learne The mysteries of saluation were so hard to be conceiued of the verie Apostles of Christ Iesus that he is forced many times sharpely to rebuke them for their dulnesse which vnlesse he himselfe had remooued by opening the eyes of their mindes they could neuer haue attained to the knowledge of saluation in Christ Iesus The eares of that woman Lydia would haue beene as close shut against the preaching of Paul as any others if the finger of God had not touched and opened her heart As many as learne they are taught of God and no man knoweth the father but he to whom it pleaseth the sonne to reueale him There is but one teacher in the schoole of Christ hee it is that leadeth vnto all trueth 7 Nowe although Christ onely openeth the booke of knowledge giueth vnderstanding and reuealeth vnto vs the wil of his father although the spirite onely bee the schoolemaster that inwardly guideth the heart in the way of trueth yet may wee not gape for reuelations as the Anabaptists doe or thinke that God hath reuealed vnto vs whatsoeuer wee doe vainely imagine and conceiue in our braines For as there is a spirite of truth so there is also a lying spirit S. Iohn therefore giueth vs a caueat not to credit euerie spirit but to trie spirits whether they be of God or no. We are to bee taught of God yet by such meanes as God hath appointed The riche man beeing in torments craued reuelations for his brethren to whom it was aunswered They haue Moses and the Prophets God doth teache inwardly but by outward meanes He spake in old time by Angels by dreames by visions by reuelations But now in these latter daies he hath spoken by his sonne and he by his ministers He taught the Eunuch but it was by Philip he taught Cornelius but it was by Peter he taught Paul but it was by Ananias 8 But howsoeuer or by whomsoeuer we taught the thing which we must learne is the woord of God not the decrees and decretals of Popes not the quiddities of too curious schoolemen not lying legends not amorous arts not the daungerous discourses of Politikes voide of the feare of God denying defacing Christian religion This is not our schoole these are not our studies What we should desire to learne the Prophet sheweth by the words following Thy waies 9 This word WAIE by a translation or metaphor in the scripture hath sundrie significations Sometime it is taken for doctrine as thou teachest the WAIE of God truely sometimes for religion as when S. Paul saith I persecuted this WAIE and againe According to this WAIE which they call heresie I woorship the God of my Fathers sometimes it is taken for the course and order of a mans life as in the words of the Prophet Esay The Lord taught mee that I should not walk in the WAIE of this people sometimes for the counsels and purposes of men so Elihu meant it saying His eyes are vpon the WAIES of man and he seeth all his goings The waie which the Prophet heere would learne of God is true religion the doctrine of his holie wil in his word reuealed but chieflie the doctrine of the true Messias promised the waie of trueth it selfe hee onely being the waie the trueth and the life hauing giuen vs an example that we should followe his steps who did no sinne Now as God hath his waie so man hath his My waies are not your waies The waies of Christ and Antichrist of the Church of God and the Synagogue of Satan of religion and superstition these are contrarie eche to other Christ saith of himselfe I am the waie In the knowledge of this waie S. Paul glorieth I esteemed to knowe nothing but Christ Iesus and him crucified and in the knowledge of this waie the Prophet desireth to be taught of God Teach me thy waie O Lord. 10 To this petition he addeth a promise first to walke and secondly to walke in trueth We may not be idle We are created vnto good workes which God hath prepared that we might walke in them Wee are redeemed and bought with a price not to doe nothing or to liue as we list but to serue him which hath redeemed vs. Our Sauiour could in no wise abide idlenesse Why stand ye still Saint Paul would haue all men to be stirring Let euerie man walke Not one is excepted not one can be dispensed withall Whosoeuer hee bee that will not labour let him not eate For it is good that euerie man should eate his bread in the sweate of his browes And worke in the wise mans iudgement is euen as needefull for men as meate There is no such bane to a common wealth or kingdome no such poison to the maners of euerie particular man as idlenesse is Examples we haue too many in all ages Idlenesse in Dauid was a cause of lewdenesse so that it is not good no not for Princes to bee idle Idlenesse was the roote of all that filth in Sodoma Israel in the absence of Moses being idle fell to feasting dauncing and idolatrie And therefore seeing that such as bee idle are subiect to so many noysome temptations S. Ieroms counsell is this See thou be alwaies dooing somewhat that the diuell may finde thee occupied he that is out of good exercise is easilie snared of the diuell And idlenesse saith S.
thou doest 7 As God is perfit in himselfe in his worde and in all his workes so we are exhorted to fashion our selues according to that similitude and likenesse which is in him and to become perfit as our father in heauen is perfit There is a perfection which all beleeuers haue by imputation whereof although S. Paule doe not speake directly in this place yet because it is the roote of that perfection whereof he speaketh it is not besides the purpose for me to put you in minde of it Vnto euerie sonne of Adam it may iustlie be saide Thou wast perfit in thy waies from the day that thou wast created till iniquitie was founde in thee But our sanctification being once defiled and polluted with sinne he which liketh no vncleane or vnperfect thing if hee looke vppon vs as wee are in our selues cannot but loath vs. Wherefore except the perfection of righteousnes which is in Christ be imputed vnto vs and accounted as ours except in him we be made the righteousnes of God howe should we euer hope to appeare without spot and wrincle in the sight of God He therefore is perfect whose imperfections Christ with his perfection hath couered This is a secret which because the Iewes were not able to comprehende therefore they stumbled Israel sought perfection and found it not Wherefore Because they sought it by the workes of the law and not by faith they thought perfection by imputation to be a meere fancie Contrariwise the Gentils not following that perfection which is by the lawe attained vnto that which is by faith which S. Paule did so esteeme that although he were concerning the righteousnesse which is in the lawe vnreproueable yet he thought all the labour and trauell lost which hee had spent about attaining perfection that way and desired nothing more than to be found not hauing his owne perfection which was of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ. 8 But the perfection wherof S. Paul heere speaketh is nothing else but the finishing of that which the grace of Christ hath alreadie begun to worke in our hearts our growing and increasing in true godlinesse our proceeding and going forwarde from vertue to vertue from strength to strength till we come vnto that whereunto we striue Brethren sayeth the Apostle I count not my selfe as if I had attained it or were alreadie perfect But one thing I forget that which is behinde and endeuour my selfe vnto that which is before and followe harde towardes the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Let vs therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded let as many as haue attained the former perfection striue vnto this which is the latter 9 For this cause Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes pastors and teachers at the first were giuen vnto this all doctrine and exhortation doth tende that being builded together to be the habitation of God by the spirite wee might rise to a perfect man vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ and in all things growe vp into him which is the head in all thinges whether they be inwarde vertues or outwarde duties which God requireth at the handes of men Touching inwarde vertues although we haue knowledge and be established in the present trueth although our faith bee such that it be knowen and spoken of through out the worlde although we abound in godlinesse in brotherlie kindenesse and in all loue it is neuerthelesse a thing needefull as long as we are in this tabernacle that we be alwayes put in minde stirred vp and prouoked to endeuour that in these thinges we may abounde more and more and go forward in them to perfection 10 The worde of truth which is the Gospell was fruitfull among the Colossians from the very first day that they hearde and truely knewe the grace of God Yet S. Paule ceased not still to pray for them and to desire that they might be fulfilled with the knowledge of his will in all wisedome spirituall vnderstanding that they might encrease in the knowledge of God and so be perfect The Hebrues no dout were not vtterly ignorant in the highest mysteries of their saluation yet are they sharply reproued for their rawnesse and exhorted to proceede from the doctrine of the beginning of Christ and from the first principles of the word of God that at the length they might come to some perfection We must all confesse euen the best learned amongst vs all that as yet we are but beginning to learne we knowe but little our skill is of small and tender growth It behooueth vs therefore to pray continually with the prophet Lord teach vs thy statutes make vs to vnderstande the way of thy preceptes that we may profit in meditating of thy lawe leade vs on in our way by the gracious conduction of thy holy spirite so direct our course that we may run out the race into which we are entred not ceasing till thou hast brought vs into all truth fully instructed vs in thy righteousnesse made vs absolute and perfect vnto all good workes 11 Where there is backwardnesse in knowledge there must needes be also weakenes of faith if we growe in the one we are the nearer to perfection in the other Howe great care the blessed Apostle had that the faith of as many as did beleeue through his preaching might be perfited let that one speach of his to them of Thessalonica serue to shewe in steede of manie Bretheren wee had consolation in you in all our affliction and necessitie through your faith For nowe are we aliue if we stande stedfast in the Lorde What thankes can we recompence to God againe for you for all the ioy for which we reioyce for your sakes before God night and day praying exceedinglie that we might see your face and might accomplish that which is lacking in your faith If he were thus carefull for the faith of others shall we neglect to make perfect our owne When we heare that this is the victorie which ouercometh the world euen our faith that by faith all the firie dartes of Satan are expelled and driuen back that vnto beleeuers all thinges are possible that he which beleeueth commeth not into iudgment but hath passed from death to life are we not glad to say in our hartes Lord we beleeue If we be then considering that by how much our faith is more stedfast by so much we are the more certainlie assured of all these thinges let vs ioyne in request with the disciples of Christ and beg of him to increase faith in vs let vs crie euen with teares Lorde helpe our incredulitie 12 But how can you beleeue saith our sauiour that receaue glorie one of another and the glorie which is of God onelie ye seeke not How should we growe vnto fulnesse of faith which are so emptie and void of godlinesse The complaint