the tempter cast downe our leaues that declared vs to liue and yet shall the roote remaine a liue though it be not seene saith Theophilact Fowlly fell Dauid we all know and felt a feareful change in his hart when he cryed O Lord Let me feele y e comfort of thy Spirit againe yet finally forsakeÌ„ he neuer was nor cast away Notable is the storie of master Robert Glouer in the Acts and Monuments of our Church to show how shrodly a childe of God may be shaken humbled yet all well in time againe Master Glouer to my remembrance hauing receiued sentence to be burned for his faith was in the prison after so bereft of all swéet comfort and féeling of the Spirit in his soule and inwards that he séemed rather to himselfe as it were forsaken then otherwise of God and his grace Diuers godly brethren to whome he made great lamentation for this his dulnesse comforted him with gods promises assuring him in the truth therof y â— it would be otherwise with him in due tyme though thus it pleased God to humble him for a while happely as in déede it was y â— it might be more swéet when it come Say what they all could he receiued no tast of swéetnesse but remained still all dull and heauie dead in himselfe The tyme of his death came he thus voyde of comfort a dolefull and heauie case if we thinke of it The brethren applied him stil with their comfort bad him not feare for as sure as the Lord liued who neuer forsaketh his in their most néede the Spirit would come againe yet ere he died And because they were most sure of it grounding themselues vpon Gods promises which neuer faile therfore they intreated him that when it came he should giue them a signe or by some meanes or other make them acquainted with it both for their comfort present and instruction euer in the like triall He promised that he would and now sée the wonderfull worke of God being taken out of the prison and vpon his way to the place where he must dye sodainly in y â— way came such a streame of swéetnesse into his hart and such a power of the Spirit replenished his soule that he cryed with a loude voyce He is come he is come he is come To the vnspeakeable comfort of the godly brethren that had assured him thereof before the great wonder of them that knew not what be meant Neuer being so heauy in the tyme of his huÌ„bling as now he was ioyfull after this his lightning Tried therfore I say Gods children may be and séeme as forsaken but yet in the ende it is not so my text being true as God is true He that commeth to me I neuer cast away Stand we therefore in the truth of God with assured comfort of our happy end when once we find we are truely come to Jesus Christ by the Fathers giuing Eor whom the Lord loueth to the and he loueth Iesus Christ is yesterday to day the same for euer But O presumption presumption cry some y t neuer knew or else would not haue y t people of God to know what true pietie meaneth Papists I meane who in no case can abide this doctrine being a cutthrote to their purgatorie masses and satisfactorie works all flowing from a fearefull vncertaintie what shall become of vs deuised by theÌ„ to comfort this feareful thought with all Alas beloued is this presumption to giue credit to God when he promiseth yea againe and againe and twentie times promiseth Make the case your owne and suppose that your selues do promise a man either â—aiment or pleasure or some thing or other and the partie resteth vpon the truth of that word assuring himselfe it shal neuer faile but is as sealed with a thousand seales Doth this man offend in presuming or rather yeld you the credit y â— is due vnto you you meaning w t all truth the performance of your word So is this case yea so much better as God excéedeth man in truth of meaning and power to performe what he promiseth God saith I will not cast him away that commeth or I do neuer cast him away If I beléeue this â—o be true doe I presume or performe my dutie in giuing credit to the Lord Nay is not y â— doubting of it a feareful dishonoring of God and detracting from his truth Surely if a man should doubt one of your wordes you will make it and take it a wrong and shall it be no wrong to doubt of God Much more Therefore let these sinfull men delight in their owne discomfort the Lords disgrace till God open their eyes let you and me be of Austens iudgement in this matter Non est ista superbia elati sed câ—â—fessio non ingrati This is not any pride of one puffed vp but a confession of one that is not vnthankfull If any man thinke yet this doctrine of assuraÌ„ce will make men carelesse how they liue I haue answered before this obiection and showed that is neuer so in them that are truely religious and truely taught because they know God hath aswell apointed the way as the ende that is holy life aswell as saluation in heauen And Pietas quae finem nouit non est pietas Pietie that ceaseth was neuer pietie Lastly these words teach vs constancie in loue and affection one towards an other as our Lord and Sauiour is most constant towardes all â—â—at come to him We are to fickle and tickle many of vs to day takeing and to morow forsaking to day louing and to morow lothing without any cause in the world other then our owne naturall corruption soone hott soone colde Such is not our God Sauiour we héere sée who neuer reiecteth whome once he accepteth neuer casteth away who once commeth to him And what better paterne to frame our selues vnto then such an one Such was not Ruth who answered her mother in law that wold haue had her returne and sayd Intreat me not to leaue thee nor to depart from thee For whither thou goest I will go where thou dwellest I will dwell thy people shalbe my people and thy God my GOD. Where thou dyest I will dye and there will I be buryed The Lord do so to me more also if ought but death depart thee and me This was stedfastnesse worthie praise and an example for all to folow that in this behalfe wil be worthie of prayse Such againe was not Traian the Emperour of whome it is written that when Sura Licinius one whome he greatly trusted was accused to him that he was not faithfull but practised trechery against him Traian would not be induced to suspect his faith â—home long he had loued and duely tried but in stede of that frowne with the appurtenances which the accusers looked for went to Sura his house vnbidden tould him he would suppe with him called for Sura
the increase of true faith in them yet the wicked eate drink it vnworthely to their owne damnation and regard not as they ought the Lords bodie What should I saye Is not Christ himselfe our déere and blessed Sauiour good and full of life and saluation to all that beléeue Yet euen this Lambe of God sonne of the most high to these cursed castawaies is a stone to stumble at a rock of offence they being disobedient and euen ordeigned to this thing Finally in a word vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing nothing is pure but euen their mindes and consciences are destled Contrarywise to the godly which are pure all things are pure and euen all things all things I say worke to y â— best to them that loue God Yea saith Austen Ipsa etiam peceata The very sinnes falls of the godly turne vnto their good some way or other though thereby they may not be imboldned to offend Therefore we sée how firme this decrée of God is the wicked cannot be saued turning all things to their wo and the elect cannot finally be cast away reaping through the assisting grace of Gods spirit good from all things that befall them For number and knowledge of God of these his elect and chosen the scripture againe is not silent but telleth vs thus much that the haires of our heads are nuÌ„bered Then certainly our persons God knoweth who be his Then certainly he knoweth the number and the number is certaine Our names are written in the booke of life Therefore we are knowne and the number is certaine He calleth his by their names therefore he knoweth them both who they are and how many With which proofes and many mo that might be named Saint Austen ioyneth when he saith Praedestinatorum ita certus est numerus vt eis nec addatur nec minuatur The number of the elect is so certaine that neither addition can be made vnto them nor diminution from them Lastly the word instructeth euen vs also to knowe and to beléeue this matter in perciculer of our selues For the Spirit shall rebuke the world of sinne saith Saint Ihon because it beléeueth not and what is it to beléeue but in my soule and conscience to be assured that Christ died not onely for others but euen for me and that by his death and passion as well I my selfe my poore body and soule shalbe saued as any others And what is this I pray you but to beléeue that amongst others with others as well as others God hath chosen you to be an heire of his Kingdome Want this faith in your selfe the place I aledged saith the spirit shall rebuke you and as many as want it for sinne because ye do not beléeue this Therefore we are all bound you sée euen by the will of God to beléeue our particuler election predestination he that doubteth or waueretd must be rebuked and is rebuked euen of Gods spirit for so doing Why againe should so much and so many things be spoken of the mercie goodnesse of God as is in y â— scripture but that you I and all flesh should catch hold of it and conclude out of y â— same that to vs particulerly such so euer God wilbe Looke we then at the light of y â— word of God both for election for y â— causes of the same for the firmenesse stabilitie of it for nuÌ„ber knowledge in God in our selues and sée whether these mad men that cannot away with this doctrine of Gods election do not oppose themselues directly plainely against the euidence of Gods holy sacred Scriptures striuing against the streame and kicking against the prick to their fearfull confusion if they leane not The third last thing which I said they oppose themselues against is the swéet vse of this holy doctrine which it yeldeth suÌ„dry waies to as many as rightly with vnderstanding meditate vpon it As first by confirming most strongly this féeble faith of ours against despayre when troubles crosses do euery way beset vs as it were ouerwhelme vs. For truely may it be saide of the afflictions often of the godly as one saide of an other matter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one labour begâ—◠〈◊〉 â—â—her one sorow foloweth an other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—iue godly in Christ 〈…〉 the troubles 〈…〉 But â—eare not litle flock saith our Sauiour Christ for it is your Fathers will to giue you a kingdom as if he should say whatsoeuer befalleth you bitter in this world dispaire not but comfort your selues and soules with this that you are of the flock that is elect chosen for a kingdome which your fathers will is w tout all faile to giue you Reioyce that your names are written in the booke of life that is stay your selues vpon your election euer feare not Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword No I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angells nor Principalities nor powers nor things preseÌ„t nor things to come nor height nor depth nor ani other creature shalbe able to seperate vs from y â— loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Sed superatis omnibus pro cellis tandem in portu c. But all storms waues of wo being passed ouer well broken of at last in y â— quiet hauen of euerlasting comfort I shall haue my rest for euer euer In a word how can a man dispaire of Gods mercie in due time that findeth his election in the meane time Swéete therefore euer against finall feare is this doctrine Secondly it cooleth and quencheth the proud puffe of sinfull flesh telling vs that be we neuer so mightie neuer so Honorable and high by place and calling in the world yet we were made of the same masse and mould that the poorest man and most wretched caitife to see to in the world was we haue stode before the potter no better matter then he to receiue a choise to such vse and ende as might please him What difference is in vs if any be touching election it hath come by mercy and not from merit therefore no pride but thankes no disdaine of any but humilitie toward all and euer in our selues bewtifieth adorneth vs most He that gloryeth let him glorie in the Lord saith this doctrine of election For fauour in God is the fountaine of our grace whatsoeuer it is that we reioyse in Shall I hoyse sayle and looke bigge vpon others when onely by grace I am that I am It may not be Thirdly it â—â—réth our harts with a féeling of loue in God towards vs that is swéeter then hony or the
of God vpon their vnderstanding may I saye y â— hastning of this day by conspiracies and treasons treacheries and practises abhorred of all true Christians proue vnto any mans soule this comming that we speake of Let the iudgements of God answer for me who hath euer yet wounded in wrath the hayry scalp of such cursed caitifes and being immutable in his iustice shall still finde out such wickednesse and giue them their portion of shame and confusion in this world with endlesse wo in y t world to come Which Lord we beséech thée in mercy towards vs and this land still doe and with hands harts lifted vp to heauen we thaÌ„ke thy maiestie for thy great goodnesse in this behalfe crauing in y â— precious bloud of Jesus Christ that the Soule of our Souereigne may still be bound in the bundell of life with thee her gracious God and her our enemies for thy gospells sake be euermore cast out as out of the middle of a sling Amen Amen May that most fearefull diuision bitternesse and gaule both in word writing y â— hath now too long so spotted this famous Church of England and many worthy men in it prooue vnto any guiltie causer of the same his comming to Christ Surely it doth not Surely it cannot And y â— God of might and power persuade it to vs. What am I beloued that after so many worthy instrumeÌ„ts in Gods Church which both in this place and else where haue touched this griefe I should assay to coole and delay the heat of it Surely I am no bodie and therefore better for me to doe as I haue hitherto done sit still in silence and wish that my head were full of water and myne eyes a fountaine of teares y t I might wéepe day and night for this fault amongst vs theÌ„ to say any thing of it Yet since God is strong in weaknesse and hath a blessing for euerie mans speach seasoned with his truth according to his pleasure I ioyne my hart tongue and soule to theirs that haue herein persuaded and with all the power of my spirit I beséech you brethren with them high and low whatsoeuer you are as the Apostle dyd y t Philippians If there be any consolation in Christ any comfort of loue any felowship of the Spirit any compassion and mercy fulfill we the Apostles ioye being like minded hauing the same loue being of one accord and of one iudgement nothing being done through contention or vaine glory but that in meekenes of minde we may euery man esteme others better theÌ„ our selues c. Thinke we of the words of our Sauiour Christ neuer to be forgotten of a Christian man that Hereby we are to be discerned to be his disciples if we loue one an other Hereby I say hereby If we loue one an other Loose this badge and loose our comfort weare it and show it and as the Lord is God we are his chosen God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him An vnspeakeable comfort to the man that hath loue God is not contention malie 〈◊〉 therefore he that dwelleth in these dwelleth not in God nor God in him As vnspeakeable a terror where loue is lacking if it were thought of Blessed are the peace makers for they shalbe called the children of God Cursed then are the peace breakers bate makers for they are not the children of God What saith y â— Apostle to the Ephesians So say I. Ther is one bodie one spirit one hope of our calling one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all and through all and in vs all For his Blud that dyed for vs let all these ones make vs one indeuoring to our dying day to keepe that vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace which there the Apostle inferreth And I beséech you marke what vertues in y t place are noted as necessary to this vertue if euer we wish it Humblenesse of minde to bridle pride contempt Meekenesse moderating anger desire of reuenge Long suffring to indure infirmities in brethren And a supportation one of another thorough loue to meete with summum eius when we are wronged These are y â— vertues that preserue concord and are as cheynes and braceletts of gold to y â— possessors of them Againe what strength and power to persuade euery good minde is in y â— similitude of members which the holy Ghost vseth you haue often heard therefore I spare to stand vpon it Onely let me remember you what Xenophon speaketh with good consideration to witte that we haue Oculos manus pedes binos vt coniuncti se adiuuent non impediant Eyes hands feete two of eche that ioyning ioyned together one may be an help to the other Sic decet fratres 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So becommeth it brethren to haue hands eyes and féete one for an other As the man that was blind caried the lame man on his back and so lent him his legges the lame man guided y â— blind man and so lent him his eyes But against a brother we should neither haue handes eyes feete pen paper yncke tongue hart word thought nor any thing if all were as it should be O fearefull 〈◊〉 beloued if it were felt with trembling hart to fall into the offence of God Why 〈◊〉 thou my words in thy mouth c. 〈◊〉 what hast thou to doe with me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thée as long as 〈…〉 to â—uell and with thy tongue forgest deceipt as long as thou sittest and speakest against thy BROTHER and slandrest thy mothers sonne When brethren therefore speake one against an other they are not reformed as they should be the Lord wil neither alow them to speake in his name nor take them as beleuers in the same if they continew But wil reproue them as the text saith setting before them these misdemenors will teare them in peeces and no man shall deliuer them How feareful againe is that of Salomon that sixe things the Lord hateth and the seuenth his soule abhorreth What is that seuenth euen he that rayseth vp contention amongst brethren This man or woman this person rich or poore the Lord hateth the Lord loatheth and the very soule of the Lord abhorreth A fearefull speach If any man tell me I loose my labour in persuading peace as long as men kéepe the mindes they haue that they must haue this that in the state altered or they will haue no 〈◊〉 To this man I saye as Austen sayd 〈◊〉 dicitur glacialem niueÌ„ calulam esse 〈…〉 pacto quam diuÌ„ nixest 〈…〉 c. It is truely said y t the congealed snow cannot be hat For as long as it is snow it cannot be hotte But that Snow may be dissolued then that water that before was cold snow may be heat
become hotte water So men that wish some things and want by reason of that want still blow the cole of this grieuous discention amongst vs though while they retaine such iudgement resolutely ther be small hope of peace yet may they by Gods gracious working sée either some fault in matter wished or in manner vsed to attain their wish and so become otherwise inclined to peace then earst they were God is able and God is good and therefore wishing but what God willeth and my persuasion being but the Lords message deliuered to me in his worde I will not dispaire what so many good Christians ioyne with me in begging at Gods hands I hope that of Salomon shall 〈◊〉 déepe 〈◊〉 that It is a mans honor to cease from 〈◊〉 but euery foole will be medling 〈◊〉 the holy Ghost censureth to be fooles they are like to proue no lesse what soeuer they think of themselues Haue solt in your selues sayth the holy Ghostby and by ioynes◠Peace one with an other For Sal 〈…〉 est virtutis donum sed damnationis argumentum Salt without peace is not a vertue but an argument rather of damnation sayd he truely that sayd it Let vs consider one an other sayth the Apostle to prouoke vnto loue and to good works not forsaking the felowship that we haue among our selues as y e manner of some is but let vs exhort one an other that so much the more because y e daye draweth neere I will conclude with Austen and so trouble you no more in this matter Si vultis viuere de Spiritu Sancto tenete charitatem amate veritatem desiderate vnitatem vt perueniatis ad aeterminatem If you will liue according to the holy Spirit then imbrace loue make much of truth and desire vnitie that you may come to aeternitie God in his swéete mercy giue vs vnitie May reuerence to superiors as holow as euer was Iudas his to his master proue vnto our soules that we are come to Christ by the fathers giuing No no neither cap nor kisse nor crouching curtesie without faithfull honor within can euer be testimonie of true pietie And if séeming to reuerence them both by gesture and title as Iudas did cannot make me better thē a Iudas except there be truth within me how much lesse may open wayward and wilful withstanding malitious and spitefull denying both of title and gesture yeld my soule comfort in the day of féeling what all sinne meriteth at the hand of God I read quoted out of Chrisostome a complaint which may fitly be thought of in our dayes Vt diabolus ita inquit etiam quilibet facit haereticus vehementissimus in tempore persecutionis Loquens cum pontifice nec eum vocat pontificem nec archiepiscopum nec Religiosissimum nec sanctum Sed quid Reuerentia tua Sapientia tua Prudentia tua Iustitia tua nomina illi adducit communia eius negans authoritatem Diabolus hoc tunc fecit in deo As the diuell so saith he doth euery earnest and vehement heretike when once he is touched or troubled for his fault Speaking with y e Bishop he neither calleth him Byshop nor Archbishop nor most religious nor holy But what Common names he giueth vnto him as your Reuerence your wisedome your Prudence your Iustice denying his authoritie This then did the diuell in God Which whether some come very néere vnto in our dayes or rather be not all out so good as this I appeale to your knowledge and say no more Certainly beloued it is worthy marking and may make vs wise séeing Satan to run ouer his olde lessons againe to such as will learne them at his hand An other man saith thus Sicut rem ipsam ita in scribendo morem obseruare nostrarum partiū ducimus esse As we obserue the matter of mens writings so is it our part to obserue the manner also And what hath bene the manner of reuerencing men with titles in olde tyme Surely not sparingly not grudgingly but fully largely hartely Ignatius who liued in y e apost time writing but to a Deacon vseth all these tytles Honorato a deo exoptatissimo ornatissimo Christo spirituque pleno germano filio in fide charitate Diacono Christi famulo dei To the honored of God to y e most Wished most Excellent full of Christ and the holy ghost his true sonne in faith loue the Deacon of Christ the seruant of God And what was y e custom then thinke we to men of higher place I could easely show if it were my purpose Quod aijt Paulus Apostolus Iesu Christi tale mihi videtur quasi dixisset praefectus Praetorio Augusti Caesaris magister exercitus Tyberij Imperatoris That Paule intitleth himselfe an Apostle of Iesu Christ saith Hierome it semeth to me asmuch as if he should haue writ the chiefe ruler of Augustus Caesars palace or the master of y e host of Tyberius the Emperour Meaning he thought y ◠one as great and honorable as the other as lawful for Ministers to haue titles of honor to worke reuerence and submission to their places as for others Which he insinuateth after whēhe saith he intitled himselfe thus highly Vt lecturos nominis autoritate deterreret That he might feare the readers with the authoritie of his name Wherefore beloued let vs neuer enuie any man nor for malice denie any man what his place yeldeth vnto him Neither let vs giue it with holow hart For surely such hart towards men in place ouer vs yeldeth no comfortable testimonie vnto our consciences y ◠we are come vnto Christ if we examine it The Lord hath sayd measure vnto all men good measure heaped vp and pressed downe And what we giue we shall receiue againe in his promise If we grudge other men what is due to their places some shall rise vp and requite vs in our places for God is iust and God is true who hath vowed that as we measure to others we shall receiue againe good and bad Neither may then beloued pride outward or pride inward pride of body or pride of minde assure our harts that we are come to Christ No more can a false faith to the state we liue in nor that lamentable diuisiō amongst vs as it is maintained this day ne yet a holow hart to superiours by gréeuing at either gesture or title due to them do it What should I say of one thing mo so passe away from this examination and that is a lusting longing coueting minde to haue the spoyle of Church and Church liuing ordayned at the first and to this day continued to the maintaināce of learning and knowledge amongst vs may that proue vnto him that hath it that he is the childe of God come vnto Christ by the fathers giuing Then would not God haue visited with so strange a sight the Sonne of that notable church robber Belshazzar