Creator and the Sonne of God is so produced as that hee receiued the substance of the begetter And therefore in that respect he is said to be begotten but he receiueth it without any mutation or alteration of the begetter and therefore in that respect he may be saide to be created And so he is sometimes said to be begotten and sometimes said to bee created not that any man should thereby denie his eternity and thinke him to be a creature but that from both these words wee might receiue what is fitting and reiect what seemeth to be vnfit for the declaration of this ineffable and inexplicable mystery Ob. 4 Fourthly They doe obiect the words of Dauid Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee And therefore before that day wherein hee was begotten his sonne hee was not his sonne Sol. The words of Dauid are spoken of Christ in respect of his manhood I answere That the words Inquire of me and I will giue thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the vttermost parts of the Earth for thy possessions doe sufficiently proue that these words are spoken of his incarnation and not of his eternall generation for how should he according to his Diuinity demand the ends of the Earth for his possessions when as hee giueth the Kingdome of Heauen which is a thousand times more then the Earth to them that loue him And therefore he which according to his God-head possesseth all things with his Father according to the forme of a seruant which hee assumed for our saluation he requireth of his Father that hee might haue The Gentiles for his inheritance and the vttermost parts of the Earth for his possessions Act. 13. And thus the Apostle doth expound this place in the 13. Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles Ob. 5 Fiftly They doe obiect the words of the Apostle that he is The first-borne of euery Creature Coloss â— 15 and therefore created in the number of the Creatures Sol. That the words of the Apostle are to be vnderstood of the humanity of Christ Rom. 8.29 I answere That this is also meant of his humanity for that the Apostle speaketh here of the Creatures restored and not created because he is said to be Primogenitus ex mortuis The first fruites of the dead for if he were called The first fruites of euery Creature according to his Deity by what testimonies can it be shewed that he is The first-borne of the dead before all Creatures when as they could not be said to be dead which were not yet created And therefore the Apostle saith That whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Sonne Iohn 1. that he might be the first-borne among many brethren To shew that he which according to his Deity is the onely begotten Sonne of God without brethren is according to his humanitie c. 3. the first-borne among many brethren for we must vnderstand this difference betwixt the first-begotten Sonne of God and the onely begotten Sonne of God that the first sheweth his humanity whereby he became man the first and chiefest among many brethren and the second his Diuinitie Iohn 1. whereby hee is the eternall Sonne of God without any brethren or otherwise it were in vaine to call him the onely begotten Sonne of God for that hee gaue power vnto others euen as many as beleeue in him to bee made the Sonnes of God and therefore if hee be not his Sonne by nature then without doubt he lost the name and the truth of being the onely begotten Sonne of God after he began to haue many brethren But because none of his sonnes by adoption Fulgen. in resp ad ob Arrian can be said to be the onely begotten sonne of God nor to be the Son of God â—ather then the rest be because the same name of sonnes is acommodated vnto them all although diuers rewards of retribution is promised vnto them according to the diuersitie of â—heir labours therefore is Christ still said to be the onely begotten Sonne of God because though there be many sonnes of God by grace yet there is none but he alone his Sonne by Nature And this difference doth our Sauiour Christ himselfe shew vnto vs when he saith I goe to my Father and to your Father Iohn 20.17 to my God and to your God because he is otherwise my Father and my God then he is your Father and your God for he is my Father eternally by nature and he is yours in time by grace and therefore hee that is first begotten in respect of his man-hood among many brethren is likewise still the onely begotten Sonne of God in respect of his God-head without any brethren And so you see that maugre all the spite of Hell it is most apparantly true that this Word is the true God for time coeternall vnto his Father CHAP. IIII. Of the coessentiality of the word with the Father and the obiections that are made against the same sufficiently answered SEcondly you haue heard of the eternall Godhead of this Word it followeth that I should shew vnto you how for nature he is coessentiall vnto his Father touching which point Athanasius saith Non res quaepiam extrinsecus adinuenta est filij substantia neque ex nihilo inducta est sed ex patris essentia nata est The substance of the Sonne is no outward thing either found or created but begotten of the very Essence of his Father euen as you see the brightnesse springing from the light or the vapour from the water Neque enim splendor neque vapor est ipsa aqua aut ipse sol neque res aliena For neither the light is the Sunne it selfe nor the vapour the water it selfe and yet they are none other things of another kind then be the substances from whence they spring euen so the Sonne issueth from the substance of his Father Et tamen patris sustantia non perpessa est partitionem And yet the substance of the father aâ—mits no partition for as the Sunne remaineth still the same Athanas in ep cont Eusebium and is no way lessened or diminished in respect of those beames that flow from him so the Father suffereth no mutation by hauing begetting Suam ipsius imaginem filium This his Son and eternall image but remaining still the same he begetteth his Son of the same Essence and we find not only all the Orthodox fathers but also the Scriptures plain enough to confirm the same truth for our Sauiour saith I and my Father are one And so S. Iohn hauing spoken of the Father Iohn 10 3â— the Word and the Spirit 1 Iohn 5.7 saith That these three are one And reason it selfe must needs confirme the same for seeing the Diuine Essence is most simple impartible and indiuisible and that the Father is God as none denyeth and that the Sonne is God as I haue already
dayes he hath spoken vnto vs by his Sonne for this is all one as if he had said that the word heretofore was vttered by other mens mouthes but now after he was made flesh he spake and reueiled his Father vnto vs by his owne voyce and with his owne proper mouth for so Tertullian saith that he which spake vnto the Fathers was this word GOD and so Saint Paul sheweth when hee brings in God saying The Word is neere vnto thee euen in thy mouth Rom. 10.8 and in thy heart and then he expoundeth this word of Christ saying This is the Word of Faith which we preach for they preached Iesus Christ so Saint Iohn himselfe seemeth to shew this reason why he had called Christ the Word when he saith John 1.18 The onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared for this is all one as if he had said This onely begotten Sonne is therefore the Word because he declareth the minde of God vnto vs so when he saith what we haue heard of the Word of life i. e. he is therefore the Word because we haue heard him and so when he saith There be three that heare witnesse in Heauen 1 John 5.7 the Father the Word and the Spirit for why should he say the Word when as the name of Father required that he should rather say the Father the Sonne and the Spirit but because the Sonne as the word of the Father doth beare witnesse vnto vs of his Fathers will and therefore seeing it was the office of the Word to declare the minde of God it belonged vnto the Word to be made Flesh that he might be heard and seene of vs. But then it may be obiected that the Holy Ghost should be incarnate as well as the Sonne for Saint Basil saith Ob. Whether the Holy Ghost is termed the Word that the Holy Ghost is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word as well as the Sonne and that hee is therefore called the Word because hee is the interpreter of the Sonne euen as the Sonne is the interpreter of the Father for he shall teach you all things saith Christ and to proue this he citeth those words of the Apostle that we should take the sword of the Spirit which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word of God and those words in the first Chapter to the Hebrewes that Christ beareth vp all things with the word of his power Basilius l 5. c. 11. contra Eunom Sol. or his mighty Word that is his Holy Spirit saith Saint Basil To this Aquinas answereth that Saint Basil herein speakes improperly for that the Sonne of God alone is properly called the Word and that Saint Paul by the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God doth not vnderstand the Holy Ghost but the word which came vnto the Prophets and was left vnto vs in the holy Scriptures and that the words of the Author to the Hebrewes are to be vnderstood of the command of Christ as if the Apostle had said that Christ beareth vp all things and gouerneth all things by his mighty command or according aâ— himselfe defineth Victorinus in l. aduers Arrium and would haue all things to be as Victorinus saith or else that Christ sustaineth all things by his mighty word that is after an Hebrew phrase by himselfe which is the mighty Word of his Father Maldonat in Iohn 1. as Maldonate saith Secondly the Word was made flesh Propter ordinem seruandum Secondly because God would obserue good order in all things because God which is the God of order would keepe good order in all things As First that the world might be repayred by the same instrument by which it was created but the Father made all things by his Word therefore he would redeeme mankinde by his Word Secondly that he which was the essentiall and vncreated image of God might restore that created image of God which was corrupted in vs. Thirdly that the naturall Sonne of God might make vs the adopted sonnes of God Fourthly that the Sonne by his example might teach vs the obedience of sonnes Thirdly because God would shunne all inconueâ—iences that might arise if he had not beene incarnate Thirdly the Word was made flesh Propter vitandum inconueniens because God would auoide all absurdities that otherwise might seeme to ensue for if the Father had beene incarnate then there had beene two Fathers and two Sonnes the Father in the Deitie had beene the Sonne in the Humanitie and the Sonne in the Dietie had beene the Father of the Humanity and neither of them had beene of himselfe without beginning but he that was the beginning of the Sonne in the Deitie had had his beginning from the Sonne in the humanitie but now he that is from the Father in the Deitie is likewise from the Father in the humanitie and he that is the Sonne in the Deitie is likewise the Sonne in the humanitie and if the Holy Ghost had beene incarnate then there had beene two sonnes one in the Deitie and another in the humanitie Et nomen filij ad alterum transiret qui non esset aeterna natiuitate filius And the name of Sonne had passed to another which was not a Sonne by an eternall natiuitie and therefore in all respects it was fittest and agreeable to all reason that the Word should be incarnate and made flesh as Saint Augustine saith But against this it will be obiected Ob. that seeing Opera trinitatis ad extra sunt indiuisa The outward workes of the Trinitie are indiuisible and common to each person so that whatsoeuer any one of them doth it is done by each one and that this is an outward worke of the Trinitie common to each person each person being an agent in this action the Fathers power the Sonnes wisedome and the Holy Ghost his goodnesse all concurring in this incarnation For First how can the Creator and the Creature That all three persons were the makers of the flesh of Christ especially a creature relapsed from God be ioyned together without great power the power of ioyning the disagreeing elements was very great the power of ioyning them to a created spirit was greater but hypostatically to ioyne a creature disioyned from his Creator vnto an vncreated spirit must needes be the greatest power that can be And therefore this incarnation of the Word could neuer haue beene done without the infinite power of God Secondly how can the first and the last be vnited together without great wisedome for this Word was the beginning yea before the beginning of all things and Adam was the last of all Gods creatures And therefore the Word God and the flesh of man could neuer be vnited without infinite wisedome Thirdly how can the Creator communicate himselfe so neerely vnto his Creatures without the greatest goodnesse that can be for it was a great benignity and kindnesse of
humane Soule That Christ had a true reasonable humane soule AND further we must consider that as he had a true humane body so he had a perfect reasonable soule for First The testimonies of the Scriptures are most plaine and pregnant herein As My soule is heauy vnto death Math. 26.38 And againe Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Heb. 2.17 Secondly Reason it selfe confirmeth it for He was made in all things like vnto his brethren Sinne onely excepted and he is The Shepheard of our soules 1 Pet. 2. And therefore he must needes consist of body and soule Thirdly The whole Schoole of Diuinity did euer teach the same Truth for Nazianzene saith Quod non assumpsit non salvabit Either he had a soule or he will not saue a soule And Saint Augustine saith Aug de tempore Ser. 145. Totum suscepit vt totum liberaret verbum The Word tooke all vpon him i. e. both body and soule that he might saue both body and soule And so Fulgentius doth most largely and excellently proue this point in his first Booke De Mysterio Mediatoris Fulgentius de myst med ad Tras l. 1. vnto King Trasimund where I referre my Reader to a most elegant and learned discourse of this matter Ob. But against this many of the Arrians and Apollinaris doe obiect as Nazianzene Athanasius and Saint Cyrill doe affirme that Christ had no humane soule Iohn 1.14 but onely a liuing flesh because the Euangelist saith That the Word was made Flesh And Saint Paul saith Rom. 1. That he was made of the seede of Dauid according to the Flesh Sol. To this I answere that it is an vsuall thing in Scripture to speake synechdochically and sometimes totum denominare ex parte praestantiori to put the soule for the whole man as seuenty soules that is seuenty men went downe vnto Egypt and the soule that sinneth Exod. 1.5 that soule shall die and let euery soule be subiect to the higher Powers Ezech. 18.20 and sometimes totum denominare ex parte minus praestantiori Rom. 13.1 to put the body for the whole man as all Flesh i. e. all men had corrupted their wayes before God and Gen. 6.12 all flesh shall see the saluation of God and to thee shall all flesh come that is all men And therefore hee was made Flesh signifieth Athanas in Sym. that hee was made Man of a reasonable soule and humane flesh subsisting And the reason why the Euangelist saith He was made flesh Why the Euangelist saith he was made flesh rather then he was made man rather then He was made man is diuersly rendered by the Fathers For some say it was to shew what part of Christ was made of his Mother that is his Flesh for his Diety was increated and his soule say they was created of nothing and his body onely was made of his Mother And therefore hee saith The Word was made Flesh But this cannot satisfie them which beleeue the Soule to be ex traduce by traduction from the Parents And therefore Secondly others with Theophilact say the Euangelist saith The Word was made Flesh to expresse the greatnesse of Gods loue who for our sakes would be contented to be made the vilest thing for all flesh is grasse Esay 40.6 Thirdly others with Saint Augustine say It was to shew the greatnesse of Christ his humility Ex parte ignobiliori to be named by the meanest name and the basest part of man he was contented to be made flesh for so we finde that in this respect i. e. to shew the greatnesse of his humility though hee was the Sonne of God yet most commonly would hee terme himselfe The Sonne of man to shew vs how hee debased himselfe and was well contented with the meanest and most abiect titles for our sakes and to teach vs by his example not to stand so much vpon our dignities but to humble our selues that we may be exalted Fourthly others with Saint Cyrill say It was for our greater confidence that we should not doubt of Gods loue and fauour towards vs because our flesh which was the part most corrupted is now vnited vnto God and because Christ is now become our brother and our kindred according to that of the Euangelist Behold thy Brethren and thy Kinsmen stand looking for thee Mar. 3.32 for that Consanguinity is in regard of flesh and bloud Fiftly others say It was Vt infimum summo poneret that he might put the highest and the lowest together for he had called Christ the Word which sheweth the highest power of God for thy Word is Almighty Heb. 1. and hee beareth vp all things by his mighty Word And therefore as hee had set downe his Deity by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word which declareth his greatest power so hee would shew his humanity by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Flesh which expresseth our greatest infirmity for as Summa dignitas in verbo the greatest dignity is exprest in the word So Summa infirmitas in carne the greatest infirmity is shewed in the flesh And therefore he saith The Word was made Flesh to declare vnto vs Quantus Deus quantillus factus est homo How great a God was made so meane a man All these reasons are very good and may well stand all of them to shew why he saith The Word was made Flesh rather then He was made man Yet Tertul. l. de carne Christi Jrenaeus l. 3. c. 11. Sixtly I like best of Tertullians reason alledged also by Irenaeus Saint Chrysostome and others that the Spirit of God foreseeing what Heresies would follow after and soone creepe to invade the Church of Christ did therefore purposely here and in many other places set downe most euident and vnanswerable arguments to conuince them whensoeuer they should arise that so the light of Truth might be cleered and the mouth of all wickednesse might be stopped God before heresies came prouided for vs that we might be preserued from them when they came And therefore I say that the Pen of the Euangelist was here directed by Gods Spirit to say The Word was made Flesh not because he had not a soule but to assure vs against Marcion Macidonius Valentinus Manichaeus and others that Christ had a true and a naturall flesh assumed from the very flesh and substance of his Mother and vnited vnto his God-head And so you see that Christ had not Ideam humanae naturae An imaginary patterne of humane nature but the whole nature of man In vno indiuiduo Consisting both of body and soule CHAP. IIII. Of Christ his being subiect to all the humane infirmities that are without sinne SEcondly As Christ had all the parts of a true man That Christ was made subiect to all our humane fraileties which are without sinne that is body and soule so he had all the properties that doe concerne mans nature
is traduced from the Parents into the Children 1. On the one side they say the childe receiueth from his Parents not his soule but onely his body for if the soule were ex traduce begotten by naturall generation then it must needs be traduced either from the body or from the soule of the Parents Whether the soule is begotten by the Parents If from the soule then is the soule subiect to deuision to corruption and then we might as well say an Angell may beget an Angell as to say one soule may beget another but to say that the body being an elementarie substance subiect to corruption should beget a spirituall soule that is incorruptible is more absurd as Aristotle doth most truely declare And therefore they say that the soule creando infunditur infundendo creatur is infused as it is created and created as it is infused and then as cleane water powred into a foule Cisterne must needes bee presently corrupted so the pure soule infused into a polluted flesh must needes be instantly defiled for he that toucheth pitch shall be defiled with pitch And to confirme this supposition they alledge that testimony of Scripture Heb. 12.9 where the Apostle calleth our naturall Fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Fathers of our flesh and God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father of Spirits 2. On the other side they say if the soule should not proceed from the Parents then not onely God might seeme to deale vniustly 1. In not performing his law when he saith Ezech. 18.20 the soule which sinneth the same shall dye and not the soule which neuer sinned 2. In the composing and ioyning together of two substances so vnequall to be vnited a pure soule that neuer offended infused into a most vnpure substance wholly corrupted but also the flesh must needes be yeelded to be the primarie seat of sinne and though it be a corporall grosse composition wanting life yet must it needes proue to be not onely the taynter and defiler but also to predominate and to be the guider and ruler of that spirituall substance which giues vs life which is euery way most absurd And so you see that as Saint Augustine saith of this traducta culpa the traduction of this sinne nihil ad predicandum notiu◠Aug. de moribus Ecclesiae c. 22. nihil ad intelligendum secretius nothing is better knowne to bee published for experience wofull experience shewes it that in Adam and through Adam all the race of mankinde is corrupted but how this corruption is traduced in the propagation of the posteritie nothing is harder to be expressed For as the Prophet Dauid saith we are fearefully and wonderfully made Psal 139.13 and ver 5. and the knowledge thereof is so excellent that we may well wonder at it but no wayes well attayne vnto it And therefore as a fellow fallen into a dungeon and crying vnto his companion for helpe that his life might be preserued his friend wondring how hee came there began to question with him which way he had fallen and how long he had continued but he replied Tu cogita quomodo hinc me liberes Aug. de moribus Eclesiae c. 26. non quomodo huc ceciderim quaeras I pray thee rather thinke thou how I may be deliuered then stand questioning how I came indangered so should we rather earnestly seeke the meanes how this originall corruption may be remoued from vs then curiously to search how it is traduced vnto vs. But because as it seemed vnto Festus to bee vnreasonable to send a prisoner Acts 25.27 and not withall to signifie the crimes laide against him so this seemes to me very vnfit to propose the doubts and not to doe our best to expresse the truth therefore I will set downe mine opinion touching this question that is full of contradiction That God created all soules at once as he did the Angels in the beginning and then infuseth them into the bodyes as they are still begotten of their Parents though it was an opinion much patronized by the Origenists yet hath it beene long exploded and truely confuted by the learned and that God still ex nihilo of nothing createth the soules as hee infuseth them into the bodies I see as little shew of reason as nothing yet alledged In what sence God is called the Father of spirits whereby the said thesis may be confirmed For the Apostle in the place aboue cited doth not meane that God is more properly a Father vnto our spirits i. e. our soules as if they were more immediately proceeding from God then of our bodies or that our naturall Parents are more properly the Fathers of our flesh then of our spirits for though the soule in regard of its spirituall being is neerer and more agreeable to the nature of God then the body yet in regard of its being God is the author the framer and the principall Father as well of the body as of the soule Psal 139.12 for my raynes are thine and thou hast couered me in my Mothers wombe saith the Psalmist And our naturall Parents may be truely said to be the instrumentall authors and begetters of the soule as well as of the body for Gen. 5.3 when it is said that Adam begat a childe in his image wee must not referre this image onely to the similitude of the body but also to the like qualities and properties of the soule and so wholly like him both in body and soule and the Apostle by the Fathers of our flesh doth vnderstand Fathers of our corruptible being such as make vs naturall men and no more and by Father of spirits he vnderstandeth the Father of our spirituall birth which makes vs spirituall men and so the meaning of the Apostle is no more but this viz. That euery godly man hath a double being If we doe so reuerently and so contentedly suffer the correction of those Fathers which giue vs our naturall being quae nascimur ad laborem nascimur ad mortem whereby we are borne to miseries born to die how much more contentedly should we receiue the chastisements of that Father which giues vs our spirituall being qua nascimur ad salutem nascimur ad vitam whereby we are borne vnto Sanctification and brought vnto eternall saluation For all men may easily see from the context of the place it selfe that the Apostle speaketh thus not of the naturall and carnall men that are borne only of flesh and blood but of these spirituall and regenerate men which are also borne of water and of the Spirit And therefore seeing the Apostle here by Spirit vnderstandeth the fruits of the Spirit that is the spirituall graces of regeneration whereby we liue sayth the Apostle that is eternally as the coherence of the place and the maine scope of the Apostle makes it playne and not the Soules or Spirits of our naturall generation I say that the parents begetting a childe doe beget
3. thes 1. but that through their contempt and diffidence and abuse of Gods goodnesse by turning the graces of God into wantonnesse they make them all like the vntimely fruit of a woman which perisheth before it seeth the Sunne or like the grasse vpon the house toppe that withereth before it be plucked vp How God is not alike good vnto all men Secondly Though it is most certaine that God is good vnto all yet is it as certaine that hee is not alike good vnto all but as the master of a house is good vnto all that are vnder him and so prouideth for them all men and beasts yet is there a gradation of his loue and goodnesse towards them in as much as he loues his wife and children better then he doth the rest of his familie so God is good vnto all but in a more speciall manner he is good to some rather then vnto others so among the Angels he was good vnto them all in that he made them and indued them with most admirable gifts of nature but he shewed more goodnesse vnto them which he preserued by his grace that they should not fall into condemnation then hee did vnto those which hee suffered to runne into destruction and so among men 2 Tim. 4.3 though he be the Sauiour of all men and doth good vnto all men yet is he specially good to them that beleeue or as the Prophet Dauid sayth Psal 73.1 to them that are of a right conuersation And therefore speaking of Gods goodnesse towards men wee say that although God be good vnto all in respect of his generall goodnesse yet in respect of his speciall goodnesse he is onely good vnto his Church vnto his Saints and chosen children he is good to them that feare him that put their trust in his mercie And this speciall goodnesse of God towards his Saints is chiefely seene in these two things which he extendeth and exhibiteth vnto them and not to others 1. In the decreeing of our eternall election Gods speciall goodnesse towards his Saints is seene in two things Aug. de fide ad Pet. c 35. cont Jul. Pelag. l. 5. c. 3. c. 2. In the executing of this decree for our saluation First God foreseeing all the whole race of Adam in the state of sin wherin they had fallen did before the foundation of the world intend purpose to assume into his fauor a certain number of men out of all that masse of corruption on whom hee would confer more speciall fruits of his goodnes then he meant to do on all the rest that they might be the speciall vessels of his mercie and goodnesse and made fit to follow the Lambe wheresoeuer he goeth And this election of some and not of all is sufficiently shewed in many passages of the holy Scriptures as in Ephes 1.4 Matth. 20.16 where our Sauiour saith God electeth some men and not all Many are called but few are chosen and Ioh. 13.18 I know whom I haue chosen and so the Fathers Schoole-men and all are all of the same iudgement that God decreed to glorifie some and not all Secondly As he shewed his goodnesse towards them more plentifully then the rest in thus purposing to saue them rather then the rest so he doth farre more plentifully shew the same vnto them in the executing of this decree of election and in bringing of them vnto eternall saluation And this hee doth two wayes 1. By effectually calling them 2. By giuing and conferring many singular graces vpon them First though God sent his Sonne to die for all men That God effectually calleth none but his Elect. that whosoeuer beleeued in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting and sends his Preachers to call all men to beleeue in him yet is all this ineffectuall to all those that are not inwardly called by Gods Spirit Quia inanis est sermo docentis nisi intus sit qui docet For we finde many called and often called by the Preachers of the Word which yeeld not obedience vnto the Faith of Christ Matth. 20.16 because as our Sauiour sheweth they are not chosen vnto life But whom God hath decreed to saue he doth inwardly effectually call by his Spirit and when we do outwardly Preach the Word he doth graciously open their hearts as hee did the heart of Lidia Act. 16.14 that they should imbrace and beleeue the same And this Saint Paul sheweth when he saith that whom God did fore-know and predestinate them he called i. e. Inwardly and effectually and so powerfully that when hee doth so call them 1 Sam. 3.10 they doe presently answere Loe I come or with Samuel Speake on Lord for thy seruant heareth And thus he calleth none but those whom he hath decreed to saue for so our Sauiour saith That no man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and he to whom the Sonne reuealeth him i. e. thus effectually by his Spirit And therefore God sheweth more goodnesse vnto them then hee doth vnto all others in that he doth more graciously call them rather then all others Secondly when he hath thus effectually called them he bestoweth many speciall and singular graces vpon them which he doth not vpon all others as chiefly Of certaine speciall graces that God bestoweth vpon his Saints 1. The grace of Preseruation 2. The grace of Iustification 3. The grace of Sanctification 4. The grace of Glorification First the grace of Preseruation is that which keepeth and preserueth these chosen and peculiarly beloued Saints of God from many euils both of 1. Sinne. 2. Punishment For First though as I shewed you before the goodnesse of God preserueth the wicked many times from committing many horrible sinnes which otherwise they would doe yet doth he after a more speciall manner guide the godly with his counsell Psal 73.24 as the Psalmist saith that they runne not with the wicked into the same excesse of riot How God preserueth the Godly from many sinnes Fot seeing by nature we are all equally indifferent to all sinnes how comes it to passe that wee abstaine from may abhominations and haynous impieties that wicked men doe practice is it from our selues or from the goodnesse of our Nature or is it not rather from the goodnesse of God that giueth his holy spirit vnto vs that as he preserued Noah from partaking with the wickednesse of the old world Gen. 6 9. and Lot from following after the abhominations of the Sodomites Gen. 19.7 Gen. 39.8.9 Ioseph from consenting to the lewd inticements of his Mistresse Elias from the Idolatry of Israel and the like so he might preserue vs from those lewd actions that the wicked doe Aug. Soliloq l. 16. Saint Augustine makes it plaine For Tentator defuit saith he Satan was away and time and place was wanting to doe the deed but this was thy goodnesse to preserue mee the Tempter came in time and place
nothing can be sayd to be trueth but God because nothing is or can be sayd to be of himselfe but God Secondly As God is essentially truth so hee is causally truth Iohn 14.6 The manner how all Truths doe proceede from God that is the fountaine of truth from whence all other channells of truth doe flow for this is the order of all veritie First The trueth of all things is conceiued in the Idea and notion or practicke knowledge and vnderstanding of God from all eternitie because all things had their being in the diuine vnderstanding before they had their being in themselues then Secondly This truth floweth to the things existing in themselues which are therefore true because they are adaequated and conformable to that truth conceiued in the minde of God concerning them then Thirdly This truth of things passeth to the vnderstanding both of Men Angels when the vnderstanding is adaequated and conformable to the things conceiued as they are in themselues i. e. when we truely vnderstand things to be as they be then Fourthly This truth conceiued in the vnderstanding proceedeth vnto expression either by words or writings when our expression of things is agreeable to that conception which wee haue of them in our vnderstanding that is when we speake or write as we thinke And therefore whensoeuer our words doe any wayes swarue from our minds and vnderstanding they cannot be true quia mendacium est contra mentem ire because a lye is to goe against our owne mindes or to say otherwise then wee thinke sayth Saint Augustine and a truth of words is the adaequation and conformitie of the tongue with the minde and vnderstanding and whensoeuer we vnderstand any thing otherwise then it is there can bee no trueth in that vnderstanding because the truth of the vnderstanding is the adaequation of the same to the things existing and being in their naturall causes and whensoeuer things doe any wayes swarue from that aeternall notion and conception of them in the minde and vnderstanding of God they cannot therein be true because the truth of all things consisteth in their adaequation and conformitie to the truth eternally conceiued of them in the diuine vnderstanding How the diuine vnderstanding is the rule that measureth all Truths But when our words are agreeable to our mindes our minds and vnderstandings to the things conceiued and those things to the minde of God then are they true because as the Schooles truely teach Intellectus diuinus est mensurans non mensuratus c. the diuine conception of things is that which measureth the trueth of all things and is not measured it selfe by any thing Et res naturalis est mensurata mensurans and euery naturall thing thus measured by the notion of God doth measure the truth of our vnderstanding and our vnderstanding measured by the truth of things conceiued doth measure the truth of our words And so you see Truth to be primatiuely in God as the light in the body of the Sunne and thence to be deriued in res existentes into the things wherein it resteth subiectiuely like vnto the light of the Moone and the starres which they receiue from the Sunne and so to passe into the vnderstanding terminatiuely like the reflection of the light of the Moone and the Starres vpon these lower orbes and lastly to our words or writings expressiuely like vnto the manifestation of things by that light which shineth vpon them Now this verum declaratiuum this expressed trueth is to bee considered two wayes 1. Primarily 2. Secondarily First As it is directed by God and guided by his Spirit so as therein there can be no cōmixtion of error and in that respect it is called the diuine Truth because it is wholy Truth and expressed by the Diuine Spirit for as Saint Peter saith 2 Pet. 1.21 The holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost This is Theologicall Truth and it is wholy contained in the holy Scripture Coloss 1.5 which is therefore called The Word of Truth And this Truth though I might alledge many other reasons to proue the worth and the excellency thereof yet is this sufficient in stead of all that besides what Zorobabel saith of it it is in many passages of the Scripture compared vnto the Light as the Psalmist saith Send forth thy Truth and thy Light And that especially in three respects for as the Light is 1. The dispeller of darkenesse The excellency of the diuine Truth 2. The shewer of things 3. The effecter of generable Creatures So is Truth for First As the Light when it ariseth chaseth away all darkenesse and suffereth not the same to adhere vnto it whereupon the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 6.14 Truth expelleth errors What agreement is there betwixt light and darkenesse Euen so this Truth when it shineth dispelleth and driueth away all errors and ignorance from the mindes of all wherein it resteth And therefore Father Zachary saith That Christ which is Truth it selfe when hee came to preach this Word of Truth came To giue light to them that sit in darkenesse Luke 1.79 and in the shaddow of death i. e. To disperse those mysts of ignorance and errours which had ouer-shadowed the whole face of the Earth Secondly as the Light when it shineth displayeth it selfe and pierceth euery transparent body though neuer so solid and maketh all things manifest what they are for in the darke Ephes 5.13 Truth sheweth what euery thing is there is no certainty of colours white from blacke is scarce discerned there is no certainty of things Gold cannot be knowne from Copper but when the Light shineth it presently sheweth what euery thing is Euen so though while we are ignorant of Gods will euill may be deemed good and good euill yet when this Truth of God shineth i. e. this Word of God is Preached it maketh knowne euery thing what it is it sheweth the true God from the false the true seruice of God from the false superstition of men the true Church of Christ from the false Synagogue of Satan and the true members of Christ from the false hypocrites of the World Hence it is that the wicked cannot abide the Truth John 3.19 Because their workes are euill and by the preaching of the same their workes are manifested to be so And therefore Saint Paul saith That the Preachers of Gods Word are oftentimes become enemies vnto the wicked Gal. 4.16 because they tell them the Truth Truth begets vs vnto God Thirdly As the Light when it ariseth doth so heate and hearten euery thing that it is most truly said Sol homo generat hominem The Sunne and Man begets a Man Euen so this Truth of God and the Preaching of the same is the onely meanes whereby we are regenerate and begotten againe to be the Sonnes of God as the Apostle sheweth And this is that Truth whereby God sheweth himselfe to
God wherein euery one must be well instructed that would be partaker of humane felicitie and happinesse All which doth most apparantly proue that the Gentiles had so much knowledge of the true God as not onely was able I say not with Clemens Alexandrinus to bring them to saluation but to make them without excuse in the day of retribution because that they knowing God glorified him not as God but also as doth exceed the knowledge of many which make profession of Christianity and will no doubt rise in iudgement to condemne them in the latter day And as we see many of them vnderstood many things concerning the most true and euerlasting God so we finde some of them haue deliuered some things concerning this word and Son of God Heron. in ep ad Paulinum for though S. Hierome speaking of this word saith Hoc doctus plato nesciuit This word eloquent Demosthenes was ignorant of it 1 Cor. 1.19 because it is written I will destroy the wisedome of the wise Aug. l. 5. c. 3. de haeresibus and cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent Yet Lactantius saith that Zeno affirmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word to be the maker of this vniuerse and that Mercurius syrnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thrice great did often describe the power and Maiestie of this word and Saint Augustine affirmeth that the said Trismegistus did compose a booke whose title was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e the perfect word and that therein he left written Monas genuit monada in se suum reflexit ardorem Which is as much as if he had said the Father begate the Sonne or the minde begate the word and from both proceeded the Holy Spirit Idem l. 7. c. 9. confess and l. 7. Confess c. 9. hee saith that he saw certaine books of the Platonists wherein he found though not in the same words yet the very selfe-same matter proued by many reasons that in the beginning was the word and the word was with God Saint Cyrill also saith that the Philosophers haue affirmed the essence of God to be distinguished into three subsistences Cyrillus l 8. cont Iulian. and sometimes to haue deliuered the very name of Trinitie and Theodoret doth affirme that Plotinus and Numenius haue collected out of Plato that there are three eternities Bonum mentem vniuersi animam i. e. Goodnesse which answereth the Father that is the fountaine of the Deity the minde which signifieth the Sonne and the soule or life of this whole vniuerse Gen. 1.2 which is the holy Spirit that as in the beginning of the creation he presently moued vpon the waters to sustaine the same Clemens Alex. l. 5. strom so euer since he spireth and preserueth euery liuing thing and Clemens Alexandrinus saith that Plato in his Epistle to Erastus and Coriscus hath manifestly spoken of the Father and the Sonne and so Eusebius likewise and Eugubius and many others haue collected out of their writings that this name of the Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word Seneca Traged Oedip. was not altogether vnknowne vnto the Gentiles but that as Oedipus in the Poets knew that he had a Father though not who he was so they did conceiue a certaine kinde of knowledge and vnderstanding though vndigested and imperfect ouershadowed as it were with humane reasonings concerning this eternall word God enough to saue them if they beleeued in him or else to make them without excuse if they knowing though not simply Verum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed aliquid veri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This true word but something of this word did neglect and not seeke further into the knowledge of the same And this knowledge they might attaine vnto How the Gentiles came to haue any knowledge of the Word God either by 1. The illumination of God himselfe 2. The diuination of the diuels 3. The traditiō of their elders 4. Their owne exceeding diligence to seeke and search after the knowledge of diuine mysteries For First the Apostle saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.19 what may bee knowne of God that is his eternall power and Godhead God hath shewed it vnto them and as the Deitie it selfe 1 Cor. 13.12 might bee contemplated in his creatures as in a glasse or read by them Basilius hom 11. hexam as in a booke as Saint Basil saith So no doubt but he left therein certaine impressions of the Trinitie of his persons Ph. Mornaeus de veritate relig c. 5. Rom. 1.16 which though they could not fully attaine vnto the knowledge thereof no more then an vnskilfull Arithmetician can finde the iust summe that cyphering characters doe import yet they might perceiue something thereby and know that there was such a thing to be knowne And thus much God himselfe might shew vnto them not as Clemens Alexandrinus thought thereby to bring them vnto saluation because saith he Phylosophy was vnto them as the Law was vnto the Iewes a Schoolemaster to bring them vnto Heauen but that as the Apostle saith They knowing this God and not glorifying him as God nor seeking to be saued by this God might be without excuse in the sight of God August de cognit verae vitae c. 37. Secondly The very Diuels might make knowne the same vnto them for the Diuels beleeue that there is a God and they know him to be but one God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One in himselfe one in all things and they know him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The most High and Omnipotent God neither doe they know the Father onely but they know Christ also for the euill Spirit said vnto the Sonnes of Scaeua Acts 19.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iesus I know and they know him to be the Son of God God himselfe as Sozomen out of this verse of Sybill doth declare O lignum foelix in quo Deus ipse pependit I may thee call a happy Tree whereon a God to hang I see And they know the sacred mystery of the Trinity for by them this disticke was related vnto a certaine Egyptian that desired to know this truth Serapis ad Thulem Selneccerus l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Principio Deus est tum Sermo Spiritus istis Additur aequaeua haec sunt tendentia in vnum The Father Sonne and Spirit all three Are one God of the same eternitie Aug. in Expos Ep. ad Rom. And so the Diuels knowing these things might suggest them and reueale them though aenigmatically and darkely vnto the Sybilles which as Saint Augustine saith were none of Gods Prophets from the Sybils they might bee spread vnto their Priests from the Priests vnto the Phylosophers Poets and Orators and from them they might be divulged and spread vnto the lowest ranke of the vulgar people Neither must we thinke that Sathan did it with intent to doe them
God to communicate himselfe vnto all creatures by his presence and it was a greater kindnesse to communicate himselfe to all the godly by his grace but it is the greatest of all to vnite himselfe hypostatically by his spirit vnto our flesh And therefore this could not be done without infinite goodnesse and so in this respect we find this worke of the incarnation ascribed to each person for the Father sent me saith our Sauiour and I came into the world saith he of himselfe and the Holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most high shall ouer shadow thee whereby thou mayst conceiue saith Gabriel vnto the blessed Virgin And therefore seeing the whole Trinitie was the Maker of this Word flesh how can it be but that the whole Trinitie should be incarnate and made flesh Sol. That the Son onely assumed our Flesh I answere that this worke of the words incarnation is to bee considered 1. Inchoatiue 2. Consummatiue As it was inchoated and begun As it is consummated and finished In the first sense it is common to all the three persons of the Trinitie for it was made by them all three but in the second sense it was proper onely vnto the Word because it was assumed onely by the Word Aug. in Enchyrid C. 38. as Saint Augustine sheweth for as if three Maides should spinne and make a garment and then put it vpon one of them to weare all three should be the makers yet but one should be the wearer of the same Euen so though the Father did appoint Christ a body and this body was conceiued by the Holy Ghost yet neither the Father nor the Spirit did assume that body but only the person of the Sonne of God and therefore Saint Augustine saith truly Idem Ser. 3. de temp that Impleuet carnem Christi pater spiritus sanctus sed maiestate non susceptione The flesh of Christ was filled with the Maiestie of the Father and of the Holy Ghost but it was onely vnited to the person of the Word Ob. But then againe it may be obiected that seeing the nature of the Father and the nature of the Sonne be the very same for they be both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the very selfe-same essence as I haue sufficiently shewed vnto you before and the whole diuine essence is in euery one of them therefore how can it be but the Sonne being incarnate the Father should be incarnate also Sol. To this we answere briefly that although the nature of the Father and the nature of the Sonne be the very same yet Aliter est in patre aliter est in filio This very selfe-same essence is otherwise or after another manner in the Father The diuine nature limited in the person of the Sonne was made Flesh and after another manner in the Sonne and therefore we say that the Diuine nature simply considered cannot be said to be incarnate Sed natura diuina determinata limitata in persona filij But the diuine nature limited and determined in the person of the Son And this Saint Augustine doth most excellently expresse against the Iewes saying O Iudae Cytharam respice c. Behold O Iew the Harpe when it yeelds sweet and pleasant tune there be three things that seeme to concurre alike the skill the hand and the string and yet there is but one sound heard Ars dictat manus tangit chorda resonat The Art or skill directeth the hand toucheth and the string onely soundeth Tria pariter operantur they doe all three worke alike and yet neither the skill nor the hand doe yeeld the sound but onely the string Sic nec pater Operatio in tribus constat sed quemadmodum ad solam chordam soni redditio sic pertinet ad solum Christum carnis humanae susceptio nec spiritus sanctus susceperunt carnem tamen cum filio pariter operantur So neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit did assume the flesh and yet they did all agree in the working and making of this flesh but as the string alone doth yeeld the musicall harmony so the word alone did assume the flesh the worke is seene in all three but as the sound of the musicke pertaineth vnto the string alone so the assumption of our flesh pertayneth to the word alone and if any incredulous Iew with Nichodemus demaunds how this Word should be made flesh of a Virgin without the helpe of man let him tell me how Aarons rod Aug. de incarnat Dom. cont Iudaeos being a drie sticke could blossome and beare ripe Almonds and I will tell him how the Virgin did conceiue and beare a Sonne but he cannot tell the former though the lesser miracle and therefore no wonder that I cannot expresse the latter which is so ineffable a mysterie saith Saint Augustine And so you see the first Branch of this Text touching the person who was made the Word the Sonne the second person of the blessed Trinity fully discussed BRANCH II. CHAP. I. Of Christ his apparition before his incarnation and of the conception of Christ the manner of it and the reasons why hee was so conceiued 2. Branch Tres misturas fecit omnipotens illa maiestas in assumptione carnis nostrae ita mirabiliter singularia singulariter mirabilia vt talia nec facta nec facienda sint amplius super terram SEcondly We are to consider what hee was made Flesh for the Word was made Flesh Saint Bernard saith God did three workes three mixtures as hee calleth them in the assumption of our flesh so singularly wonderfull and so wonderfully singular that the like were neuer made before nor shall be made hereafter vpon the face of the Earth Coniunct à quippe sunt ad invicem Deus homo mater virgo fides cor humanum For now are ioyned together God and our Flesh a Mother and a Virgin a diuine Faith and a humane Heart for the Word and Soule and Flesh haue met and made but one Person These three are one and this one is three not by the confusion of substance but in the vnity of person This is the first and most super-excellent mixture or coniunction The second is a Virgin and a Mother a thing so admirable so singular that since the World beganne it was neuer heard that shee which brings forth a Childe should be a Maide and that shee should be a Mother which still remaines a Virgin The third is Faith and Mans Heart Inferior quidem sed non minus forsitan fortis an inferior copulation but perhaps not deseruing much lesse admiration For it is a wonder to see how the Heart of Man can yeeld Faith and beliefe vnto these two and to beleeue that God should be made Man that shee should remain a Virgin which had borne a Sonne for as Iron and a Gally-cup can neuer be coupled together Bernard Ser. 3.
both Body and Soule not that the Soule begetteth a Soule That man and all other creatures receaued power to produce creatures like vnto themselues Totum generat totum hoc est corpus generat corpus mediante anima anima generat animam mediante corpore Psal 51.5 or the Body begetteth a spirit but that as all other creatures receiued power from God to produce creatures like vnto themselues as the seede of the vegetatiue to bring forth vegetatiue creatures and the sensible sensible creatures so man consisting both of Body and Soule should beget a creature like vnto himselfe consisting of the same parts for otherwise sinne must needes bee in the body before the Soule be infused for if the schoole of the naturalists be to be belieued the Soule is not infused into the Body vntill the thirtieth as some or fortieth day as some affirme and yet the Psalmist saith that he was conceiued in sinne therefore both Body and Soule were both conceiued at once or else corruption was in the Body before the infusion of the Soule and this liuing Soule by this dead flesh must needes be defiled which is most absurd for as Saint Augustine sayth of Adam It was not his corruptible flesh which made his Soule to become sinnefull but his sinnefull Soule made his flesh subiect to corruption so it must needes be in the sonnes of Adam Gene. 5.3 that not our flesh corrupts our Soules but both body and soule are conceiued in sinne both produced of sinfull seede and so sinne principally resides in the Soule and not in the Body because the Soule giues life and motion vnto the flesh hence it is that Adam hauing defiled both his Body and Soule is sayd to haue begot a childe in his owne image i. e. sinfull and polluted like himselfe both in regard of his body and Soule Bosquierus de finibus bonorum lib. 1. con 6. p. 27. Nam Adam vt persona publica sibi ac suis aut sapiebat aut delirabat for now Adam standing in paradise a publique person as I told you before was to make or to marre himselfe and all his posteritie and therefore if this roote had continued holy the branches had beene likewise holy but the tree prouing to be euill Rom. 11. the fruit could not possibly be good Math. 7.18 for a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit sayth our Sauiour and therefore Adam sinning all his seede are become sinnefull all his ofspring tanquam serie continuata as in a continued line doe like corrupted branches of a rotten tree bring forth still corrupted fruits and so make all their generation so soone as they are begotten liable to the curse of God for that first transgression for the reward of sinne is death and the Prophet Dauid sayeth Psal 51.2 hee was shapen in wickednesse and conceaued in sinne Iohn 3.6 and our Sauiour sayth that which is borne of flesh is flesh i. e. he that is borne of a sinnefull man can be nothing else but a sinnefull man That Gods graces are not traduced from the best parents not that a godly man begets a godly man for the graces of Gods spirit are not begotten in our carnall generation but they are giuen from aboue in our spirituall regeneration and a man begets his childe not as he is spirituall but as hee is a creature consisting of body and soule and therefore whosoeuer is borne of flesh and blood must needes be tainted and corrupted with sinne and wickednesse for flesh heere is not taken pro natura carnis sed pro vitiosa qualitate totius hominis for the single nature of flesh but for the corrupted qualitie of the whole man as Saint Paul excellently sheweth when hee sayth in my flesh dwelleth no goodnesse Rom. 7.8 i. e. in the corrupted nature of a naturall man there is no grace there is no goodnesse And therefore hoc virus paternum this hereditarie poyson as Paulinus calleth it What we learne from this doctrine this our originall sinne that is inbred in euery man since the fall of the first man may sufficiently serue to teach vs. First to iustifie God First to iustifie God for inflicting death vpon euery man though man should doe nothing else to procure his death quia damnati antequam nati because euery one is guilty of this sinne and therefore of death before hee commeth to this present life for the reward of sinne is death and therefore the death of children and infants that haue done no actuall sinne doth proue them tainted with this sinne because death cannot be iustly inflicted vpon those that are no wayes infected with sinne for the reward of sinne is death but you see they are subiect vnto death and therefore you may know they are tainted with sinne Secondly Secondly to be humbled this may serue to teach all those that stand so much vpon the honour and dignity of their naturall birth to consider whâ—t they are and what they haue thereby a sinnefull corrupted and contagious being children of wrath subiects to death slaues of damnation be they Kings Princes Nobles what you will this is all they haue or can haue by their naturall birth Iohn 3.6 for whatsoeuer is borne of flesh is flesh i. e. all things that parents can conuaye vnto their children is but a corrupted natural being yea though the parties should be sanctified themselues and thereby procure their children to bee receiued and reputed members of the visible Church before men yet can they not infuse Grace Perkins in Jud. 1. nor produce sanctified children in the sight of God For though we reade of some that were sanctified in their Mothers wombe as Ieremie Iohn Baptist and the like Ier. 1.5 yet this sanctifying grace was infused by God and not traduced from their parents Luke 1.44 and therefore this should make all men to be of an humble spirit and to reioyce more in their second birth in the Baptisme that they haue receiued it may bee by the hands of some meane Minister and their begetting vnto the faith of Christ by the preaching of the word of God then in all that glory and excellencie that they haue gotten from their naturall parents for they did but make vs Men these must make vs Christian men And thus you see that by the guilt of Adams sinne euery childe of Adam deserues eternall death before he comes to this present life But because we would be sure enough of death wee will hasten it and draw it on as it were with cart-ropes throughout all our life and we will not haue it sayd Ezech. 18.2 our fathers haue eaten sower Grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge or that Adam sinned we are punished nam errauimus cum patribus for we haue sinned wil sinne with our fathers more then our fathers we will drinke iniquity like water and adde vnto our originall corruption
many times subdued and after they be committed they bee not often itterated I speake not of the ineuitable lustings of the flesh against the spirit which no strength of grace in the best men was euer able in this life to suppresse but I speake of outward enormities that are sometimes committed through the infirmities of the Saints for so Saint Augustine speaking of Noas sinne sayth Aliquando fuit ebrius sed non ebrosius Idem de peccat merit remiss l. 2. c 10. that he was once drunke indeed but he was no drunkard quia vt actus virtutis because as one act of vertue makes not a vertuous man so one act of sinne in a Saint makes him not wholly vicious sayth the Philosopher But those that plot for iniquitie and imagine mischiefe vpon their beds those that neuer seeke to resist but euer to kindle the sinders of sinne that follow after drunkennesse and hunt for opportunities and like Salomons strumpet will come foorth to meete sinne and reioyce when they find it and commit it with greedinesse I dare not not say they sinne of infirmity but I rather feare that they are in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquitie Acts 8.23 Esay 5 â—2 And therefore though they that are mighty to drinke Wine the common swearers and blasphemers of Gods sacred name the lasciuious talkers and all leaude liuers doe pretend infirmities to excuse their sinnes yet may they truely feare that these spirits of infirmities are no humane but hellish spirits wherewith they are like the woman in the Gospell Luke 13.11 most lamentably possessed Malicious sinnes haue two violent properties Fourthly For sinnes committed of malice it is obserued that they haue two violent and bitter properties 1. Wilfull 2. Spitefull First They be wilfull sinners and they doe commit their sinnes with resolute wilfulnesse i. e. with an absolute will and with a full consent for otherwise euery sinne is voluntarie or else it cannot be iniquitie Zanch. de peccat actuali li. 1. Thes 1. pag. 101. Acts meerely violent are no sinnes for those actions quae mouentur a principio extrinseco which are outwardly compelled by violence and are meerely violent without any consent of the will as if a man were dragged by force into the idols temple or a woman forced to adultery and she no wayes yeelding consent of will either before the deed or in the doing thereof wee say these things cannot bee sinnes because they are outwardly compelled by force and not inwardly moued by the will voluntati vis inferri non potest and no outward force can worke vpon the inward will Jdem ibid. but all those actions quae mouentur a principio intrinseco which proceed from within and are done with any maner of consent of will must needs bee sinnes if they be such acts as are contrarie to Gods will because they are voluntary though not wholly yet in part in respect of the flesh though not in respect of the spirit But this sinne that I am to speake of which is done of malice is not onely voluntarie In some respect but wholly in all respects with all greedinesse committed and without any maner of vnwillingnesse effected so as Satan doth no sooner tempt them to sinne but they doe as readily attempt to commit the sinne for as the godly are desirous to serue God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not by constraint but willingly Examples of most wilfull sinners so doe malicious sinners perpetrate their sinnes not through any great constraint but with all willingnesse And we haue almost infinite examples of this kind the Sodomites would not be diswaded by any meanes Gen. 19.8.9 from seeking to offer violence vnto the Angels of God but still obstinately and maliciously persisted vntill they were wearied and the Prophet Dauid reporteth of the courtiers of Saul that they said our tongues are our owne and we will speake who is Lord ouer vs Psal 12.4 So the Israelites in the dayes of Ieremie being most earnestly intreated by Gods seruants to walke in the good way which is the commandements of God did most wilfully answere Ieremie 6.16 Wee will not walke therein and so are all those amongst vs that notwithstanding all the earnest admonitions of the preachers and the sweet motions of Gods Spirit that doth often times knocke and call at the doore of their hearts for amendment the infallible testimony of their owne soules and consciences that doe assure them they should not doe as they doe yet will they commit all vncleannesse all prophanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen with all greedinesse But they may assure themselues How fearefull is the state of wilfull sinners Deut. 29.19 that their state is very dangerous for hee that heareth the curse of the Law and yet blesseth himselfe in his sinnes and will still confidently and wilfully goe one in his wickednesse the Lord will not be mercifull vnto that man sayth Moses neither shall the iniquitie Esay 22. of such a sinner be pardoned sayth Esayas quia in his nulla est excusatio infirmitatis sed culpa voluntatis because such sinners can pleade no excuse either of ignorance or impotencie sayth Anselmus Anselmus in heb c. 6. and therefore the Lord is mightily prouoked and most highly offended with all such wilfull resolute sinners Secondly The malicious sinners are likewise spightfull sinners Heb. 6. Examples of spitefull sinners 2. Chron. vlt. 16. i. e. such as doe despight the spirit of Grace and doe make but a mocke of Christ and of all Christian Religion Such sinners were those Iewes that mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets vntill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people so as there was no remedie such sinners were those stiffe-necked Iewes who though they were not able to resist the spirit to speake in Saint Stephen yet with their stones they stopped his mouth and as he sayth did alwayes resist that spirit Acts 8. to worke in themselues 2. Tim. 4.15 Such a sinner was Alexander the Copper-smith who did not onely distaste but also withstand yea vehemently withstand the Preaching of the word of God Such were Iulian the Apostata Libanius the Sophister Pope Iulius the third and the like who scorned Christ and scoffed at all Christians and such are those in our dayes whosoeuer they be and wheresoeuer they are which not onely wilfully sinne but also most lewdly and prophanely make a mocke of Religion and with Serapion scoffe at all Preachers and either wickedly hinder the free passage of the Gospell or else secretly trample it vnder their feete And therefore being thus growne to the height of sinne to sit in the seat of the scornefull Psal 1.1 The fearefull state of spightfull sinners 1. John 5 16. and with Achab to set and to sell themselues to commit wickednesse presumptuously
there cannot be but one Iehoua one infinit eternall being that both the Father the Sonne and the Holy Spirit Each person of the Trinity is the true Iehoua are called each one of them Iehoua as you may most apparently see if you compare the 6. of Esay and the 9. where the great Iehoua saith vnto the Prophet Goe and tell this people heare and vnderstand not see but perceiue not make the heart of this people fat with the 12 of Iohn 41. Where the Euangelist saith that these words of the Prophet were spoken of Christ when hee saw his glory and spake of him and with the 28 of the Acts 25. Where Saint Paul saith The Holy Ghost spake these words by Esayas the Prophet and if you looke into the first of the Reuelations 8. where Christ assumeth the same name vnto himselfe saying I am Alpha Omega the beginning the ending 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was which is which is to come And so into the 8 of Iohn the 58. where our Sauiour alludeth vnto the same Name saying Before Abraham was I am It doth sufficiently proue each one of these persons to be an infinite God subsisting in that one eternall Essence Zanch. de natura dei l. 1. c. 13. p. 35. because it is most certaine that the Name Iehoua is so propper vnto God that it can be ascribed to none else as Zanchius saith But because many other places of Scripture are more plaine and pregnant to proue this great Mystery of godlinesse I will not insist to wring out an apparant truth from the obscurest places Chrysost hom 2 in Heb. and because as Saint Chrysostome saith Nequue ad loquendum digne de Deo lingua sufficit neque ad percipiendum intellectus praeualet Our tongues are not able to speake worthily enough of God and our vnderstandings are not sufficient to conceiue of him as we ought to doe yea and that De deo loqui etiam vera aliquando periculosissimum est It may be dangerous sometimes to speake truths of God for as Euclides being demaunded of one what God did and in what things he most delighted did most truly answere that he knew not well what he did but he was certaine he delighted not in vaine and curious persons Maxim ser 33. That it is not safe to search too farre into the seeing of God so I say that curiosity in this highest point of Diuinity is very dangerous or as Saint Bernard saith to inquire too farre into this point is peruerse curiositie to beleeue it as the Scripture teacheth is infallible security and to see him as he is is most absolute felicity therefore I will wade no further into this depth but I will exhort and desire you all Potius glorificare eum qui est quam inuestigare quid est Chrysost quo supra hom 2. in Heb. Rather most faithfully to serue him which is then curiously to search what he is Ne in hac illicite curiosi in illa damnabiliter inueniamur ingrati least in this wee be found vnlawfully curious Prosper de vocat gentium and in the other most damnably vnthankefull as Prosper speaketh CHAP. II. How God is the giuer of Being to all Creatures and the fulfiller of all his promises AND yet I must note vnto you Zanch de natura Dei l. 1. c. 18. Why Jehoua is twice repeated that here Iehoua is twice repeated not to make Moses the more attentiue as some doe thinke it for the very speech of God at such a time and in such a manner was enough in my iudgement to moue attention but rather to signifie as I take it that as he is an eternall being in himselfe so he giueth being to all things else viz. 1. To all Creatures 2. To all his promises For First In him we liue we moue and haue our being Acts 17.1.28 saith the most learned Apostle of the Gentiles euen in the streetes of Athens and of him and for him and through him are all things Rom. 11.36 saith the same Apostle vnto the Romans the sole Monarchs of the whole World and so GOD himselfe saith Esay 44.24 I am Iehoua that made all things Which is all one as if hee had said As I am called the Creator because I haue made That all things doe subsist in God and created all things so I am called Iehoua Being because I gaue and doe giue their being vnto all the things that are And it is obserued that as in the Hebrew word Iehoua there is nothing but Consonants Iod He Vau Am which without their prickes that doe stand for the vowels can not be pronounced to shew how ineffable How ineffable is God and how vnexpressable the essence of God is So in the Latine word Iehoua there are contained all the vowels a. e. i. o. u without some of which no word can be spoken no name can be vttered and that in it there is nothing but vowels excepting h. which is no letter but the aspiration of the word to note vnto vs That God is the very life of all things that as the vowels together with the aspiration is the life and as it were the soule of euery word so is Iehoua the Lord God the very life and being as it were of euery Creature that can be named because that of him and for him and through him are all things Rom. 11.36 Non quod illa sunt quod ipse est sed quia ex ipso sunt Not that they are the same Bern. in cant serm 4. that he is but because they haue their existence and perfection from him as Saint Bernard saith Exod. 6.3 This place of Exodus explained Secondly when God saith He was not knowne vnto Abraham Isaac and Iacob by his name Iehouah it is not to be vnderstood of his essentiall being for so they knew him euen by this very name Iehouah as we may see in the fifteenth of Genesis and the seauenth verse and in the eight and twenty of Genesis and the thirteenth verse of the originall Text and so Tremellius reades it Gerard. l. 3 de nat Dei Neither is it to be vnderstood De gradibus diuinarum patefactionum Of the degrees of the diuine manifestations of God as Gerardus saith because sometimes it is the manner of the Scriptures to say that things are then when they are manifested to be Alsted Lexic Theol. c. 2. as it is said of the holy Ghost Quod nondum erat quia nondum innotuerat That he was not because as yet he had not manifested himselfe to be Iohn 7.39 for so he may be said not to be knowne vnto Moses nor vnto any man else because neither himselfe nor any of his names can be knowne of any man 1 Cor. 13. but onely in part as the Apostle sheweth And the example alleaged of the holy Ghost is mis-interpreted because
God And so as Goclenius saith Crimen in excessu nec non defectus aberrat Sâ—d verum medium qui tenucre tenent We must walke in the middle-way if wee would not walke awry Psal 14.1 First for the Infidels The foole hath said in his heart there is no God and what he saith in his heart he testifieth and confirmeth by his workes for by their workes they deny God saith the Apostle and some in plaine tearmes as Diagoras and others And therefore seeing they deny him to be what maruell is it that they should deny him to be Almighty and therefore one of the Captaines 2 Reg. 7.2 and a Lord of the King of Israel said vnto Elizeus If the Lord should make windowes in Heauen to raine downe Corne like hayle-stones yet how can he doe those things that thou hast spoken and the wicked in Iob say Quis est omnipotens vt seruiamus ei How the Atheists and Infidels deny the Power of God or quid est omnipotens as Tremelius reads it who or what is Almighty God that we should serue him as if they said we know none such But what doe I stand vpon Infidels the most learned of their Philosophers the wittyest of their Poets and many Heretickes haue made but a scoffe of that Doctrine of the Omnipotent Power of God and did with all their strength maintaine that Ex nihilo nihil fit Of nothing nothing could be made and therefore concluded it was impossible for God Ex non ente ens producere To make any being of that which had no being in the world Arist l 1. 2. de caelo mundo and thereupon Aristotle the Prince of all the Philosophers doth striue with all his might to proue that this world is Eternall and neuer had any beginning and they that yeeld it was made doe affirme that it was composed of a prae-existent matter this was the opinion of the Stoiks and Peripateticks Cicero l. 3. de nat deorum which Cicero imbraceth So Seleucus and Hermias as Sebastianus Medices witnesseth and Hermogines against whom Tertullian writ a most elegant booke haue said Medices in summa haeres that the matter and the substance of the Elements whereof the world was made was not made by God but was coeternall with God D. Sicul. l. 1. c. 1. Euseb de preparat Euang l. 1. all which with many others whose opinions Diodorus Siculus and Eusebius Caesariensis haue most painefully collected and which is needlesse for me to rehearse haue erred in this point because with Petrus Abaylardus as Medices saith they were ignorant of the Omnipotent Power of God But against all these and the like How the Power of God is prooued the Power of God may bee easily shewed both from the Creation of the world and also from the Gubernation of it and of all things that are therein for the World it selfe saith Saint Augustine Ordinatissima sua mutabilitate mobilitate c. by his most comely mutability and mobility and all visible things in their kinde First from the creation of things doe as it were tacitely and after a secret manner proclaime it selfe to be made Yea and to be made by none other but by that most ineffable and inuisible excellent God and therefore although Aristotle in saying that this world was eternall was farre wide from the Truth because that whatsoeuer doth consist of a solide a ponderous body as it must of necessity haue an ending Diuers Heathens confessed God to haue made the world so it must needes be that at some time or other it hath had its beginning yet diuers of the very Heathens haue by the light of Nature seene and confest this Truth for we reade that Orpheus saide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. There is one of himselfe i. e. God Justin Martyr in l de Monarchia and from him alone are all things that are and Pythagoras as Iustin Martyr cites him said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any man besides that one euerliuing God doth say I am God let him create a world like vnto this and say this is mine And so Epicurus himselfe did in this thing confesse the Truth He ydelpheldius de deo c. 2. and say that this world had beginning and must in its due time haue ending and so many others of the most ancient Philosophers did professe this Truth and left their faith written for their posterities If any man desire to see it let him looke into Iustin Martyr in his exhortation vnto the Gentiles and in his Booke of Monarchy and to Eusebius Casariensis de preparat Euangel and especially into Lactantius Firmianus l. 1. c. 5. 6. 7. By whom the sayings and opinions of the former Age are most carefully collected And yet not one of them was able either to shew any reason or to expresse the manner how any of these things should be made which was the cause that Aristotle and his followers that would haue the reason of euery thing No man by the light of Nature is able to shew the reason how the world should be made Heb. 11.3 or else would beleeue nothing to say it was not made at all because they were all ignorant of those Diuine Oracles whereby God had made knowne this Truth vnto men and especially because they were destitute of that Spirit whereby we are perswaded to beleeue this Truth for that as the Apostle saith through faith we vnderstand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God Secondly Gods Power is prooued from the gouernment of the world Quintus Curt. de rebus gest Alexand. And as the Creation of the World so the Gubernation of the same doth as fully shew the Omnipotent Power of God for I may truly say Non minor est virtus quam condere facta tueri It requires as great a power or greater to sustaine all things that they turne not to nothing as to create all things of nothing When Alexander asked a certaine people what thing they feared most thinking they would say they feared him they scoffingly answered the falling of the Skies indeed if we knew all we might feare both the falling of the Heauens and the ouerflowings of the Seas and the vntamed furie both of men and beasts were it not for Almighty God which rideth vpon the Heauens as vpon a Horse Psal 68 4. and by his Power ruleth the rage of the Seas and the noyse of his waues and the madnesse of the people And therefore well doth that Christian Poet conclude Est Deus omnipotens qui temperat omnia nutu That he must needs be an Omnipotent God which ruleth and guideth all things with his becke or with a word according to his owne will And Victorinus Strigelius saith that it is worth the obseruation to consider out of Histories the beginnings and inlargements the declinations and subuersions
Medicis in Thom. p. 1. q. 23. artic 3. that although God made not euery thing vniuersally good that is good for all things because though God be good to euery thing yet non communicauit omnibus omne bonum he made not euery thing good for euery purpose as we see the fire which is good to heate is not good to coole any thing yet God made euery thing good in some respect and for some vse And this is the reason why many things which are good in themselues and good to some things may notwithstanding be euill and hurtfull vnto other things as wee see many times that feedeth and nourisheth one creature which is poyson and death vnto another Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 11. c. 18. And therefore if wee see some men abstayne from some things which are good in themselues and good to many others yet let vs not presently condemne them for superstitious because that thing may be good for one which is not good for another and if wee see things not good for vs or whose goodnesse wee know not let vs not by and by with the Manichees say God made them not because wee know not to what end they are good but rather let vs confesse with Saint Augustine Omnia esse pulchra in suo genere that all things are good in their kinde Jdem de Gen. contra Man although many things become hurtfull vnto vs for our sinnes and we know not to what end many things were created by reason of that ignorance which is in vs. Secondly God sheweth and extendeth his goodnesse vnto his creatures by their continuall sustentation and this also hee doth two wayes 1. Liberando à malo by freeing them from euill 2. Largiendo bona by inriching them with good For the First Euill is either 1. Of sinne 2. Of punishment And God deliuereth from both for How the goodnesse of God withholdeth all men from falling into many sinnes First Though God suffered Adam to fall into sinne yet had not God withheld and vpheld him euen in that very time of his sinning no doubt but he had with Satan vnrecouerably fallen away from God and so euer since did not God withhold the sonnes of men they would become more abominably sinnefull then the deuils and all their sinnes would proue to bee peccata clamantia such horrible and hideous sinnes that the earth would not be able to beare them but God puts a bridle in their iawes and a hooke in their nostrils and sayth vnto sinners as he doth vnto the seas Hitherto shalt thou goe and no further Here shalt thou stay thy proud waues and this we see in Saul Acts 9.1 when he went breathing out slaughters against the Church God layd a blocke in his way and hindered him to runne into the height of iniquitie 1 Kings 13.4 and so hee did to Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat and to many other wicked men that would haue become most intollerably wicked had they not beene hindered by this goodnesse of God Gen. 3.17 Secondly Though God hath cursed the Earth for the sinne of Man and hath most iustly inflicted punishments and miseries vpon vs all and vpon all other creatures for our sakes yet is there not any creature but had bin swallowed vp by his deserued miseries How God suspendeth the punishments that we haue most iustly deserued were it not preserued and the iust punishment thereof suspended by this goodnesse of God I know men slightly deeme of their deliuerances and doe seldome thinke of their preseruations but if they truely weighed the same in the ballance of good consideration they should herein finde abundant testimonies of Gods goodnesse towards them for if we would seriously obserue those abhominable sinnes and Luciferian pride that raigneth euery where in the world wee should not only adore with reuerence that infinite patience and long-suffering of God that still giues them leaue to walke after the lusts of their owne hearts but wee should also admire with all humilitie this vnspeakable goodnesse of God that not onely hindereth the wrath of God to consume vs but also withholdeth those plagues and punishments from vs which otherwise our sinnes would soone pull downe vpon vs. For the Second that is How God inricheth his creatures with all good things the good things which wee receiue from God Non est dignus peccator pane quo vescitur neque lumine caeli quo illuminatur the best of vs is worthy of nothing and yet God heapeth vpon vs beneficia nimis copiosa multa magna priuata positiua innumerable admirable blessings and his abundant goodnesse fluit acrius amne perenni doth most plentifully flow ouer all the world and none can say hee hath not tasted of it for the eyes of all waite vpon thee O Lord Psal 145.15.6 and thou giuest them their meate in due season thou openest thy hand and fillest all things liuing with plenteousnesse and as Saint Paul sayth Acts 17. In him we liue and moue and haue our being In this respect Saint Paul sayth vnto the Lyconians that God left not himselfe without witnes in that he did good Acts 14.17 gaue vs rayne from Heauen and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with foode and gladnesse and yet such is the stupiditie and sencelesnesse of men that although God should as hee doth euery day shower downe his goodnesse in plentie vpon them yet if they haue not wealth and promotion and euery thing else that they would haue they are ready to quarell with Gods Goodnesse but alas if we would but looke within our selues there is not one of vs all but he should easily finde a plentifull theame of Gods goodnesse for be it that wee haue not such plentie of wealth as wee desire yet we haue our health our limbes our sight our sences and are these nothing an diuitias bonitatis contemnis what shall we contemne these things that are better then all wealth Oh that wee would therefore prayse the Lord for his goodnesse and shew the wonders that he doth for the children of Men. Neither doth hee onely confine his goodnesse vnto these temporall blessings but he doth many times bestow vpon many of the children of this world many excellent gifts graces of his spirit as not onely the calling of them from their sins and the shewing vnto them the way of Righteousnes by the preachers of the word Matth. 13.20 but also the working in them of some ioy at the hearing of the same and some Faith to beleeue the same and to bring forth some fruits of repentance Heb. 6.4.6 and diuers other graces which are common to some of the wicked with the Godly and which are rightly termed by Bucer initia fidei the beginnings of sauing faith All which are sufficient arguments of Gods goodnesse and might bee the meanes to bring them vnto Happinesse Zanch. de nat dei l. 4. c. 1. q.
Sancta custodiens veritatem a Righteous and a holy Nation Esay 26. to hold fast this Truth of God not shewing our selues like Rehoboam that found shields of gold but left behinde him shields of Brasse to receiue the cleere Truth from our fathers and to leaue the same darkened vnto our children Secondly As the word of God is the primary and most absolute declared Truth wherein there is no possibility of error Quia dicta Iehouae dicta pura Because the words of the Lord are pure words So the words of men agreeable to their vnderstanding conformed to the Truth of things Iohn 8.44 are secondarily the Truth of God because as euery lye is from the Deuill though it should be vttered from the tongue of a Saint as our Sauiour sheweth so euery Truth is from God though it were spoken from the mouth of a Diuell because the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Truth Et omne verum à quocunque dicitur à Spiritu sancto est And all Truth whosoeuer speaks it doth spring from the Spirit of God saith Saint Ambrose Euery Truth whatsoeuer whosoeuer saith it proceeds from God A sufficient reproofe for them that will not heare the Word of God but from the mouth of Saints for we are not to respect who speake or what they be that speake but what is spoken and therefore if Balaams Asse should preach me Christ I would willingly be his disciple for Saint Paul tels me that none can say 1 Cor. 12.3 that Iesus is Christ but by the Spirit of God and therefore hee did not so much care who preached nor how they preached so they preached Iesus Christ because he knew that euery truth must needs proceed from the Spirit of Truth â—hat we should say nothing but Truth And therefore this should teach vs to make much of Truth and not onely to beleeue the Truth whosoeuer speakes it but also to speake the Truth euery man vnto his neighbour whatsoeuer comes of it though it should be like Cassandra's Prophesie not beleeued or O dium parere Beget hatred as the Comicke speaketh Quia dilexit Deus veritatem because as all Truth is from God so God loueth all Truth whatsoeuer Corruit in platea veritas And yet we see Quod diminutae sunt veritates à filijs hominum The Truth is troden downe in the street and the faithfull are minished from among the children of men Psal 12.1 we are all like the Cretians alwayes lyars and though the godly man keepeth his promise vnto his neighbour Psal 15.5 though it were to his owne hinderance yet now we seldome think of any promise vnlesse it be for our furtherance to attaine vnto our owne desires so farre are wee from Truth But we must all loue Truth and follow after Truth if we would be children vnto him that is abundant in Truth And so much for the fift Particle of Gods goodnesse Of Gods abundant Truth CHAP. X. Of the large extent of Gods mercy and of the remission of all kinde of sinnes and the vsefull application of the whole Attribute of Gods goodnesse THe sixt Particle of Gods Goodnesse is God is mercifull to all men that hee reserueth mercy for thousands and that as I vnderstand it two manner of wayes 1. Extensiuely 2. Successiuely First he meaneth that his Mercy is not like a carnall Patrons loue which commonly reacheth no further then his kindred he can preferre none else Nor yet like great mens fauours which extendeth no further then their seruants their greatnesse is no greater but Miserationum Dei multitudo numerari Basil in regulis contract q. 15. magnitudo mensurari non potest The mercies of God are so many that they cannot be numbred and so great that they cannot be measured so that he hath enough in store to helpe not onely a few but also many multitudes thousands he hath enough for all being not like Isaac that had but one blessing Gen. 27.38 for he hath many blessings for euery one Secondly Gods Mercie lasteth for all times euen for euer and euer he meaneth that his Mercy is not for any set Period of time which is the property of all other things euen of the greatest Monarchs they haue but their time and when that time is gone they can do nothing which a little before seemed to be able to do all things but Gods mercies are tyed to no time but they continue froÌ„ generation to generation they are like a springing well that can neuer be dryed or like the Lampe that is fed with the oyle of immortality And this the Word reseruing doth most plainely shew that he hath mercy enough in store not onely for the fathers that beleeue in him but also for their children for their childrens children euen vnto a thousand generations of them that loue him and keepe his Commandements Good Parents doe leaue the best patrimâ—ny vnto their children Rom. 11.28 O then what a Patrimony doe good parents purchase vnto their children to haue the Mercies of God reserued and laid vp in store for thousands of them and as the Apostle saith of the Iewes to make them to be loued for their fathers sakes Most happy are those children which haue such fathers as doe feare God and keepe his Commandements And so much for the sixt Particle of Gods goodnesse Reseruing Mercy for thousands Forgiuenesse of sinnes our chiefest comfort Rom 4.7 The seauenth Particle of Gods goodnesse is that he forgiueth iniquitie and transgression and sinne Here is the last but not the least act of Gods goodnesse expressed For herein consisteth all our happinesse Blessed is the man whose vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered And here by these three words God vnderstandeth three sorts of euill 1. By Iniquity is vnderstood originall corruption 2. By Transgression is meant the outward actuall commission 3. By Sinne is vnderstood the height of all abhomination No sinner excluded from hope of pardon The custome of sinning and the greatest sinnes For God depriues not these from hope of Pardon if these come to him with penitent hearts and therefore that none should despaire of his goodnes he sheweth that he can forgiue all these and forgiuing these he forgiueth all But here I must haue leaue to take away the vaile froÌ„ Moses his face and to looke further then the Iewish Tabernacle for as in Ezekiels vision Ezek. 10.10 Rota erat in rota Gospel was in the Law Law in the Gospell as Saint Gregory expounds it so here I finde all this to be Gospell and I see Iesus Christ in euery word for in Christ Coloss 1.14 we haue Redemption through his blood the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and so of all the rest of these Graces wee haue them all by Christ for though the Law came by Moses yet as Saint Iohn saith Grace and Truth yea Mercy and Peace and all the other good
other by creation then is the second a creature and therefore but one God vncreated and if one bee from the other by generation then the first gaue the second either a part or his whole substance if a part then is God partible may be diuided which cannot be said of such spirituall indiuidible substance and if the first gaue the rest his whole Essence then haue all the same Dietie and so all must be the same Godhead And so Anâ—isthenes saith it was the opinion of the best Philosophers Plures esse Deos populares vnum naturalem That although the people worshipped many Gods yet indeed there was but one onely God by Nature And therefore against the Valentinians thirty couple of gods Jrenaeus contra Valentin and all others that professe many gods it must needes follow euen from reason it selfe that there can be no more gods but one not specificall but numericall i. e. so absolutely one Tertul. l. contra Hermog e. 17. that he is one alone besides whom there can be none other and is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely one for we deny all number in the Deitie vnlesse you meane in the personall proprieties and therefore Gregory Nissen saith well Quod in multitudinem extendere numerum Deitatum eorum duntaxat est Nyssen ad Eustach l. de trin qui laborant multitudinis deorum errore That to extend the number of the Deities into a multitude belongs onely vnto them which doe erroniously maintaine a multitude of gods for the Catholicke faith is this that wee should worship the Trinity in Vnity and the Vnity in Trinity that is Basilius Ep. 141. ad Caesarium the trinity of Persons and the vnity of Essence because all number is to be reiected from the Essence of God saith Saint Basil For the Diuine Essence is so simple and so numerically one that no diuersitie can be giuen whereby the very persons doe differ in regard of the Essence and therefore in respect of this identitie and vnitie of Essence in the three persons of the Godhead our Sauiour saith I am in the Father and the Father in me Iohn 14.10 Wherupon Saint Cyril addeth further for the explanation of the same that we may not say that the Father is from the Sonne nor contained in the Sonne nor the Sonne to be in the Father as we are said to be and to liue in God for that we are onely by the effects of his grace he in the vnitie of his essence i. e. wee are one with God by grace but the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost are one by Nature so that whatsoeuer the Father essentially is the Sonne is the same and the holy Spirit is the same That the Essence of God is distinguished into three persons Gen. 1. And yet we must know that this one onely one indiuisible Essence is distinguished into three persons which we call the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost for so the Scriptures plainely teach vs as Let vs make man in our image and behold the man is become like one of vs saith the Lord himselfe to shew that in this vnity of Essence there is a plurality of persons and againe the Lord rained vpon Sodom and vpon Gomorrha from the Lord out of Heauen Gen. 19. that is the Sonne rained from the Father as Iustin Martyr Tertullian Epiphanius Cyprian Irenaeus Eusebius Cyrill Sozomen the Councell of Smyrna held in the yeare of Christ 336. Socrates Eccl. hist l. 2. c. 30. wherein Marcus Arethusius against the heresie of Photinus and many others doe so expound that place And so the three men that appeared vnto Abraham and that Heauenly harmony of Cherubims saying Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabboth Esay 6. doe sufficiently declare the Trinitie of persons in the Vnity of Gods Essence Ob. But then it may bee some will say these and the like places are too obscure to confirme the truth of so great a point Sol. Why God did not fully and plainely reueile the mysteries of the Trinitie at the first I answere that God at first would not shew this great mystery vnto all lest that being so prone as they were in the infancie of the Church to fal into Idolatry they should shake off the seruice of the true God therby be drawn to worship many Gods but the more his Church did increase in abilitie to vnderstand the more did God reueile vnto it both this mystery of the Trinitie and also many other mysteries of the Incarnation Passion Resurrection and Ascention of Iesus Christ And therefore what hee obscurely shadowed in the time of the Patriarchs hee did more cleerely shew vnto his Prophets and most plainely in the time of the Apostles proclaime the same vnto all people For Christ bad them goe and baptize all men Matth. 28. in the name of the Father and of the Sonne 1. Iohn 5. and of the Holy Ghost And so Saint Iohn saith there be three that beare witnesse in Heauen the Father the Word and the Spirit And yet these three be but one saith the Apostle For as in one Sunne there are the body of the Sunne the Sunne beames and the heate Aug. de Trinit the beames are begotten of the Sunne and the heate doth proceed both from the Sunne and the Sunne beames but the Sunne it selfe proceeds from none Euen so in the one Essence of God there are the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost the sonne is begotten of the Father the Holy Ghost proceeds from both but the Father is of himselfe alone and as the fountaine begets the brooke Jdem de verbis Domim and both the fountaine and brooke doe make the Poole and yet all three is the same water so the father is the Fountaine which begets the Sonne and from the Father and Sonne proceeds the Holy Ghost That there are certaine similitudes of the Trinity to be seene in the creatures and yet is the Deity of all three the same in like manner the fire hath motion light and heate and yet but one fire and in the soule of man there are three faculties the vegetatiue the sensitiue and the rationall and yet but one soule and in all other creatures wee may behold certaine glimpes and similitudes that doe after a sort adumbrate and shadow out this ineffable and inexpressable mysterie for by their greatnesse we may consider the power of the Father by their beauty we may see the wisedome of the Sonne and by their vtilitie we may note the goodnesse of the Holy Ghost God left not himselfe without witnesse no not wholly of the manner of his subsistence if not to proue this blessed mysterie yet at least to illustrate it Thom. p. 1. q 32. art 1. and to proue as Aquinas saith Non esse impossibile quod fides praedicat That those things are not impossible which faith preacheth But it may be some
will aske touching my former illustration why is power ascribed to the Father Wisedome to the Son Quest and goodnesse to the Holy Ghost whereas all and each of the three persons haue the same power wisedome and goodnesse Saint Augustine answereth that amongst the creatures Resp it is wont to be obserued that in a Father is found a defect of power by reason of his antiquitie in a Sonne is seene ignorance by reason of his youth and inexperience of things and in the name of a Spirit there seemeth to be a kinde of fearefull vehemency Esay 52. as Quicscite ab homine cuius spiritus in naribus eius Whose Spirit is in his nostrils and therefore least the like might be thought to be in these Diuine persons we find power ascribed to the Father wisedome vnto the sonne and goodnesse vnto the Holy Ghost whereas indeed each one of them is of the same power wisedome and goodnesse as the others bee And although the Essence of God can neither be diuided nor distinguished yet the three subsistences or the three diuers manner of being in the Diuine Essence which we call the three persons The three persons are distinguished one from another two waies Father Sonne and Holy Spirit may be distinguished two wayes 1. By their personall actions 2. By their nominall relations First the actions of the persons are either 1. Outward or 2. Inward The outward workes of God are common to each person of the Trinity First all outward actions are called communicable because although after a sort they are appropriated to each person as the Father to send the Son and to create the world the Son to be sent to be Incarnate to redeeme mankind and the Holy Ghost to appeare in the form of a Doue like clouen tongues of fire to worke in our hearts for our consolation and sanctification yet Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indiuisa these outward workes of the Trinitie are so indiuisible that we cannot so properly ascribe them to any one but we finde that they may be likewise ascribed to any other for as Nazianzen truly affirmeth of the three persons themselues Non possuÌ„tria discernere quin subito ad vnum referar nec possum vnum cogitare quin trium fulgore confundar So may we say of their outward operations that although they be affirmed of one yet may they presently be referred to all three and so we finde them in many passages of the holy Scriptures as redemption and sanctification to the Father Act. 20.28 1 Pet. 1.2 Creation and Sanctification to the Sonne Iohn 1.3 1 Cor. 1.2 And creation and redemption to the Holy Ghost Psal 33.6 Ephes 4.30 And besides these outward operations are transient voluntary for that God in these things is Liberrimus Agens A free Agent so that he might haue chosen whâ—ther to doe them or not doe them and therefore in all these workes Election Creation Gubernation Redemption Sanctification Glorification there can be ascribed none other cause but quia voluit because he would for whatsoeuer pleased the Lord that did he in Heauen and in Earth in the Sea and in all deepe places And therefore these outward actions and so likewise those names which are giuen vnto these persons in regard of these actions as Creator vnto the Father Redeemer vnto the Sonne Comforter and sanctifier vnto the holy Ghost are not altogether sufficient to expresse the differences of these persons Secondly the inward actions of these persons are 1. Permanent 2. Necessarie 3. Incommunicable First they are so permanent The inward actions of God are euer in doing that as the Sunne doth alwayes beget his beames and both Sunne and beames doe send forth the heate so the Father from all eternity euer did and now doth and euer will beget his Sonne and both Father and Sonne doe spire and breath forth the Holy Ghost and therefore Origen saith excellent well Origen hom 6. in Ierem. Saluator noster splendor est gloriae splendor autem non semel nascitur deinceps desinit nasci c. Our blessed Sauiour is the brightnesse of Gods glory Sed quotiescunque ortum fuerit lumen ex quo splendor oritur toties oritur splendor gloriae Luke 12. but the brightnesse of glory is not once begotten and then afterwards leaues to be begotten but as often as the light riseth from whence the brightnesse springeth so often doth the brightnes of glory arise And our Sauiour saith he is the wisedome of God but the wisedome of God is the brightnesse of that eternall light Et ideo saluator semper nascitur The Father doth euer beget the Sonne And therefore as the Scripture saith Ante colles generat me Before the Mountaines were laid he begetteth me and not as some doe erroniously read it Generauit me He hath begotten me So the truth is that the Sonne of God is euer begotten and the holy Spirit euer proceeding Secondly these inward actions are no voluntary operations The inward actions are necessary I meane such as that the Father might either beget the Sonne or not beget him and the Father and the Sonne might either spire forth the Holy Ghost or not spire him forth but they be so absolutely necessary that they cannot otherwise be Cyrillus l. 1. c 3. thesauri because it is the property of the nature of God the Father to beget God the Sonne as it is for him to be a God so that he can no more relinquish or leaue to beget the Sonne then hee can leaue to be a God as Saint Cyril sheweth And Thirdly these inward actions are so incommunicable The inward actions are incommunicable that whatsoeuer is proper to the one can no wayes be ascribed to the other Quia hoc est proprium patris quod solus est pater quod ab alio non est nisidse For this is the property of the Father that he alone is the Father Et hoc est proprium filij quod à patre genitus est solus à solo hoc est proprium spiritus sancti quod nec genitus nec ingenitus est sed à patre filio aequaliter procedeus and that he is not from any other but onely of himselfe and this is the property of the Son that he alone is begotten of the Father alone coequall vnto him and coessentiall and this is the propertie of the Holy Ghost to be not made not begotten but from the Father and the Sonne equally proceeding And therefore we say that these incommunicable and proper operations of the persons doe so make the true and reall distinction of the persons that the Father cannot be the Sonne nor the Holy Ghost that the Sonne cannot be the Father nor the holy Ghost and that the Holy Ghost cannot be the Father nor the Son so that in a word all three is the same Essence and yet neither of the three can
be the person of the other Secondly from these inward operations of these persons doe proceed the nominall relations of the one vnto the other as father Sonne and Holy Ghost which doe likewise make a true reall distinction of the persons for the Father is not a name of Essence but of relation vnto the Sonne and the Sonne is not a name of Essence but of relation vnto the Father and so the Holy Ghost proceeding is not a name of Essence but of relation to the Father and the Sonne and therefore these names are so proper to each person that the name of the one cannot be ascribed to the other But you wil say that the Sonne is called Father as Esay 9.6 Sol. he is said to be the Father of eternities I answere that the name of Father is taken two wayes 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Essentially 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Personally Ob. First Essentially and so in respect of the creatures each person of the Trinitie may be rightly tearmed Father The name of Father is taken two-wayes Secondly personally and so the first person onely is Father because he onely doth beget his sonne And thus you see that although the Diuine Essence is onely one yet that there are three persons in this one Essence not that the Essence begets either Essence or person but because the person of the Father begetteth the person of the Sonne and both Father and Sonne doe eternally spire and send forth the person of the Holy Ghost Athana 2. Dialog de Trinit But for the manner how the Father begetteth the Sonne or how the Father and the Sonne doe spire and send forth the holy Spirit I must answere as Galenus did Galenus l. 15. de vsu partium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a point farre inferior to this which is of infinite profundity How this is done if you enquire you will be taken for one that hath no vnderstanding either of your owne infirmity or of the power of the Creator And the Fathers doe often dehort vs from the curiosity of explaining the manner of diuine mysteries for that worthy Nazianzene saith You heare the generation of the Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazian orat 1. de theolog 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That we should not enquire too farre into the manner of Diuine Mysteries be not curious to know the manner You heare The Holy Ghost proceedeth be not busie to enquire how And in another place he saith Let the generation of God be honoured with silence it is much for thee to haue learned that he was begotten As for the manner how wee grant it not to be vnderstood by Angels much lesse by thee If the Fathers of the Councell of Lateran had followed the councell of this Father they had neuer gone so farre to enquire how Christ is in the Sacrament and so positiuely to conclude it to be by that vnheard vnknowne incredible and impossible way of transubstantiation And therefore if we would not erre with them or beyond them in this point farre more difficult then that let vs not be too curious to enquire how these things can be but let vs faithfully beleeue them to be a Trinity of Persons in the vnity of the Diuine Essence and each person to haue the whole Diuine Essence so communicated vnto it as that all the three persons must needes be co-eternall co-essentiall and co-equall But because the second Person which is the Sonne and which the Euangelist here meaneth by the Word as hereafter I shall shew vnto you was incarnate and made flesh you must giue me leaue to insist chiefly vpon that person and to discusse these three especiall points concerning the same 1. Touching this person how excellent he is 2. Touching this name here vsed why hee is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word 3. Touching this worke why he was incarnate and made flesh For the first I will onely shew these three things 1. That for time he is God Three things handled touching the person of the Son co-eternall 2. For nature co-essentiall and 3. For dignity co-equall vnto his Father CHAP. III. Of the Coeternity of the Word with his Father That the Word was before he was made flesh FIrst That this Word was before he was made Flesh the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first vsed here and the second in the fourth Chapter to the Galathians doth make it plaine for that they signifie one that first was and afterwards was made that which hee was not And therefore hee doth not say that the Word was made first and then was made Flesh but that the Word which in the beginning and before all beginnings was in the fulnesse of time was made flesh And this may be further proued by almost infinite arguments as First He is the Sonne of the Father the wisedome and the power of God and therefore either the Father was without a Sonne and then he could be no Father and God was without his wisedome and without his strength or else he was neuer without his Sonne but to say that God was without his wisedome or without his strength Aug. ep 6.6 is most absurd Ergo Non ex tempore genitus est qui cuncta tempora condidit And therefore he was not begotten in time which created all times saith Saint Augustine Secondly He is God for Si Dietas verbi non nostrae est insita carni tum Christus falsi corporis vmbra fuit Either Christ is God or he is no man nor any Sauiour of man and he is no titular God but by Nature God hee is the true Iehoua which was which is and which shall be And therefore euerlasting for thou art God from euerlasting and World without end But That Christ is a true God is proued That he is a true God both apparant Scriptures and vnanswerable reasons drawne from Scriptures doe make it plaine For First from Scriptures First The Scriptures call him the true Ieheua as we may see by the collation and comparing of these places viz. Exodus 3.2.13.4.14.24.20.2 and Acts 7.30.32 1 Cor. 10.4.9 c. And so the Scriptures call him God as Gen. 32.28 Psal 45.7 Esay 7.14 Mathew 3.3 Heb. 1.8 And therefore Saint Iohn saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Word was God And Christ himselfe saith Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to know thee to be the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ For these words are thus to be expounded that they know thee and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ to be the onely true God because these two persons are but the very selfe-same Essence So Thomas saith vnto Christ My Lord and my God Iohn 20.28 And so we finde the same truth expressed Acts 20.28 Rom. 8.5.1 Iohn 3.16 1 Iohn 5.20 1 Tim. 3.16 Psal 47.6 and in many other places of the Scripture which wee may
in vigil natiuitatis so no more can these two vnlesse they be glewed and coupled by Gods Spirit And therefore this is an excellent coniunction the second is more excellent but the first is most excellent that the Word should be made Flesh But to descend a little into more particular examination of the same We must obserue that he doth not say That there is a great difference betwixt Christ his apparition in the shape of man and the assumption of our flesh to be made man The Word appeared in Flesh but the Word was made Flesh To note vnto vs a speciall difference betwixt his apparitions in the forme and shape of man vnto the Fathers of the Old Testament and his incarnation and making himselfe man now in the time of the New Testament For it is most certaine that this Word at diuers times did appeare and conferre with the Fathers in the visible forme and shape of man It is not improbable nor to many men incredible that hee assumed vpon him the forme and shape of Man when hee created man and so made man not onely in his owne Image which he had as God i. e. In holinesse and true righteousnesse but also like vnto himselfe in respect of that forme and shape which hee then assumed and which he intended to be made himselfe thereafter for which cause it is said that hee made man in his owne Image and likenesse to shew by these two words That Christ diuers times assumed the form of a Man before hee was made man that as he purposed to bee made like vnto this man which hee was now to make so this man should be made like vnto him in a double respect that is both of this forme assumed and of those Diuine Excellencies wherewith he should be indued And this may be collected out of Moses where he saith That Adam heard the voyce of the Lord God walking in the Garden For God as he is a God hath neither voyce to speake nor feete to walke but assuming the forme and shape of a man hee did both walke and talke with him And in respect of this bodily presence of God the man did specially seeke to hide himselfe among the Trees of the Garden when hee heard his voyce and not before Gen. 3.8 But to Abraham it is apparant that he appeared two seuerall times at least First In the plaine of Mamre for Moses saith not onely Gen. 18.13.20 that the Lord talked with Abraham but he saith also that Abraham calleth him The Iudge of all the World Verse 25. which can be ascribed to none but Christ which is the Iudge of quicke and dead But against this it may be obiected Ob. that the Apostles which are the best Interpreters of the Old Testament doe interpret this of the Angels and not of Christ as the Authour of the Epistle to the Hebrewes sheweth saying Be not forgetfull to entertaine strangers Heb. 13.2 for thereby some haue entertained Angels vnawares That Christ is often called an Angell To this I answere briefly that an Angell being a name of Office and not of Nature that signifieth a Messenger or one that is sent Christ is oftentimes called an Angell because he was sent from God to performe those Offices that he did in those assumed formes on the behalfe of God So he is called The Angell of the Couenant Esay 63.9 And so Esayas saith That the Angell of Gods presence should saue his people that is Iesus Christ for it is he and none but he that shall saue his people from their sinnes And therefore I say that which appeared vnto Abraham was none other but Iesus Christ accompanied with two Angels to shew both the mystery of the blessed Trinity and the soueraignty of Christ ouer all his Creatures and therefore Abraham speakes to one as to the Lord and calles but one of them the Iudge of all the World Secondly He appeared vnto Abraham in his returne from the Conquest of the foure Kings Ieron in Epist ad Eust Petrus Cunaeus de republ Heb. for though Saint Ierome and diuers others old and new Writers of good esteeme in the Church of Christ doe reiect the iudgement of one which in Saint Ieromes time did say that Melchisedecke which met Abraham and blessed him was the Sonne of God and that opinion of Origen likewise who thought this Melchisedecke to be an Angell of God and saith that he was one of the Inhabitants of Canaan and a King of Shalem and alledgeth for the confirmation of his opinion the iudgement of Ireneus Hippolitus Eusebius Caesarensis Eusebius Emissenus Apollinarius and Eustathius first Bishop of Antioch and though some of our latest Diuines haue imagined him to be Seth the sonne of Noah yet if we search out this truth without partiality we shall finde this man to be none other then Iesus Christ the Sonne of God For That Melchisedecke was no Inhabitant of Canaan First it is not likely that he should be an Inhabitant of Canaan and a King of Salem first because it is certaine that hee must be a greater and a holier man then Abraham for the lesser is euer blessed of the greater Secondly because S. Paul explaining the story of Melchisedecke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was first by interpretation King of Righteousnesse Heb. 7.2 and after that also King of Salem which is saith he King of Peace So that although there was a towne in Canaan called Salem yet the Apostle sheweth that he was called Melchisedeck not because hee was King of such a towne but because hee was indeed a King of Peace Thirdly because then Verse 2. there must be of necessitie another euerlasting Priesthood beside the Priesthood of Christ For that this Melchisedeck had neither beginning of dayes nor end of time but remaineth a Priest for euer Verse 3. And whereas they that would haue this Melchisedeck to be a mortall man King of Salem doe answere hereunto and say that he was not eternall but is so said to be by the Apostle to haue neither beginning of dayes nor end of time because the Scripture especially there where he is named Melchisedeck makes no mention of it I say that this is a weake and simple answere for how many Leuites Priests and worthy men haue we in Scripture whose beginnings and endings are not mentioned and shall we therefore say that they were eternall Fourthly because then this Priest must needes be of a more excellent order and perfection then the Leuiticall Priesthood and this is not like to be that in Salem a towne in the midst of Canaan there should be now a more excellent order then that which God himselfe gaue vnto the Priesthood of the Iewes and therefore I conclude That Melchisedeck was the Sonne of God in a humane shape that this Melchisedeck could not be any mortall man And Secondly it is most probable that it was none other then
vnto her sonne and what is it to be the fruit of the wombe but to be of the same substance as his mother was of for how can that be called the fruit of a tree that neuer had the nature of a tree for I would suppose it to bee madnesse to call a Pomegranate the fruit of the Orange tree and therefore it was as great a madnesse to call Christ the fruit of Maries wombe if he had brought his body with him either from Heauen or from any other place and the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes saith Heb. 2.14 That for as much as the children were partakers of flesh and bloud he himselfe also tooke part of the same And againe Heb. 10.5 he bringeth in Christ himselfe saying Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared me And therefore when the Apostles thought that they had seene a phantasme Luke 24.39 or a Spirit he said vnto them Handle me and see because a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me haue and aboue all Gal. 4.4 the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed by Saint Paul and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here vsed by the Euangelist which signifie to take our nature vpon him and to be made flesh if they be diligently marked and well vnderstood doe make it most apparantly plaine that the Sonne of God tooke vnto himselfe personally the true nature of man and the very substance of his mother for the Apostle doth not say Factus de muliere sed factus ex muliere Made in a woman but made of a woman as Nicolaus de Gorram well obserueth euen as the bread is made of the wheate and Wine of Grapes and therefore though Christ had his Principium formale His formall beginning from the Holy Ghost yet it is most certaine that hee had Principium materiale his whole matter and substance from the body of his Mother Thirdly the same truth is confirmed by the vniforme consent of all Orthodoxe antiquity as the great Councell of Chalcedon that had in it 630. Bishops Fulgentius l. 2. de persona Christi the Councell of Lateran the Councell of Toledo Tertullian in his booke De Carne Christi Fulgentius Saint Basil Saint Augustine Venerable Bede and diuers others whose pithy sayings Basilius in l. de hum Christi generat and vnanswerable arguments to confirme this point I might here alledge but that Theodoret Leo Vigilius and Gelasius haue so fully collected what the Fathers before them had written hereof Aug de trinit l. 13. c. 18. that more proofe neede not be required and more excellent arguments cannot be composed for the manifestation of any truth Beda in 11. Luc. l. 4. c. 48. and therefore not willing to write Iliads after Homer I referre my Reader vnto them if hee desires any further comprobation of this point And yet for all this Macedonius and Valentinus affirmed L. 2. de trinitate L. de diuina maiest humanitatis Christi that Christ brought with him a celestiall body from Heauen and that Dogge Seruetus and his fellow Memnon taught that the Body of Christ was begotten of the substance and essence of his Father and so Apelles Marcion and Apollinaris auouched that he had an aeriall body and a syderiall flesh So Gasper Swenkfeldius saith that Christ in respect of his humanity is a true God as if his very flesh had beene begotten of God as Seruetus said Bucanus lo. 2. p. 21. Loc. com so Manichaeus saith that he had but an imaginary body a phantasme only in shew and no true body in substance and so the Anabaptists of our time do now auouch it that he tooke not vpon him the very nature of man nor the very flesh of the Virgin but that he had onely the shew and phantasme of a man which passed the wombe of his Mother Cochlaeus in l. de erroribus Monaster Anabap. as water passeth through a Conduit and this is one of their most principall points as Iohannes Chochlaeus witnesseth And therfore to maintaine their damnable errors to obscure this cleere light of veritie and to shew themselues Grand Captaines of that Arch-Hereticke and aduersary of Christ and all Christians the Diuell they doe obiect Ob. 1 First that Christ himselfe saith No man ascendeth into Heauen but he that descended from Heauen Iohn 3.13 the Sonne of Man which is in Heauen And againe speaking of the Iewes he saith You are from below Iohn 8.23 1 Cor 15.47 I am from aboue you are of this world I am not of this world And that Saint Paul saith The first man is of the Earth Earthy but the second Man i. e. Christ was from heauen heauenly and therefore say they he had the substance of his flesh from Heauen and not from the substance of his Mother Sol. I answere that all these and the like places are spoken of the whole person of Christ to whom the properties of each nature in respect of the communication of properties which hereafter I shall more fully declare vnto you may be fitly ascribed and they teach vs that the Sonne of God descended from heauen not by any change of place but by his voluntary humbling of himselfe That we must not referre that to the body of Christ which is spoken of the whole person of Christ to receiue the forme of a seruant and that hee was conceiued after a Heauenly manner by the operation of the Holy Ghost and not after any Earthly generation and therefore they doe impiously and most falsly referre that to the substance of his flesh which is indeed spoken of the whole person of Christ and of the heauenly manner of his conception for though it be true that I should say I am a reasonable creature which doth both heare and vnderstand yet doth this no way proue that my Body alone without the soule is such or can doe either of these euen so though Christ saith that he descended from Heauen because he was a God that euer was in Heauen yet that doth no way proue that his flesh which he assumed on earth descended from heauen because hee had that from his Mother and brought it not downe from aboue And that he is not of this world but from aboue or from Heauen heauenly is nothing else but that he is not worldly minded or swayed with the lusts of the flesh or any wayes earthly affected and this though in a farre inferiour degree to him hee saith of the Apostles You are not of this world Iohn 15.19 because as Saint Paul saith of all Christians they minde not the things of this world but haue their conuersation in Heauen Phil. 3.30.20 Secondly they say that in what body he appeared to the Fathers Ob. 2 of the Old Testament he appeared in the like body to the Apostles and Disciples in the New Testament but he appeared vnto the Patriarchs in no true
made flesh that is a true and a naturall man in all things like vnto his brethren sinne onely excepted CHAP. V. Of the comfortable instructions that we may collect from this Doctrine of the incarnation of the Word YOu heard what the Word was made Flesh What we may learne from this doctrine of Christ his Incarnation and from thence we may learne many comfortable excellent lessons for our instruction especially in respect 1. Of God 2. Of Christ 3. Of our Selues First in respect of God we may see and we ought seriously to consider it first his great loue and charity towards vs First Gods loue to man that he should giue his onely Sonne to be made flesh for our sake and therefore seeing he gaue his Sonne for vs and that while we were yet sinners while we were yet enemies vnto God how can it be but that he should giue vs all things together with his Sonne especially now being reconniled vnto him through his Sonne Rom. 5.10 for in him he is well pleased and through him he cannot bee offended with vs and therefore Christ to shew how dearely God loueth vs through him saith Whatsoeuer you aske the Father in my Name it shall be giuen you Secondly we may from hence see the faithfulnesse and truth of God in performing his promise Luke 1.73 and the oath that he sware vnto our Fathers Secondly that God is a true performer of all his promises Numb 23.19 touching the giuing of this Word to be made Flesh and therefore wee may assure our selues that whatsoeuer hee saith shall come to passe for he is not as man that he should lie or as the Sonne of Man that he should alter the thing that is gone out of his lipâ— Secondly in respect of Christ we may from hence see these two things First Christs perfect obedience First His great obedience in that he was contented in all things to submit himselfe vnto his Fathers Will and therefore we that doe beleeue in Christ should herein follow the example of Christ to be obedient vnto our heauenly Father Secondly how Christ humbled himselfe Secondly his rare and singular humilitie in that he being the Sonne of God and the eternall Word of God that could haue commanded all the Angels and by his stretched-out-arme without the assumption of our weakenesse haue made all his enemies his footstoole was notwithstanding contented Exininare seipsum to emptie himselfe as it were of his diuine riches and to clothe himselfe with our humane nakednesse and so to become the Sonne of Man and to be made flesh i. e. a vile a base and an abiect thing for vs Psal 144.4 for man is like a thing of naught his time passeth away like a shadow And therâ—fore we should not lift vp our hornes on high Phil. 2. nor speake with a stiffe necke but we should labour to haue the same minde in vs which was in Christ Iesus and learne of him to be meeke and lowly in heart Matth. 11. It was an humble speech of King Dauid when hee said I am a worme and no man a very shame Psal 22.6 or scorne of men and the out-cast of the people Hee was lowly in his owne eyes and did imitate herein our Sauiour Christ who as I shewed you before was not onely contented to be made a true man but also in the iudgement of the World to become no better then one of the basest of the people so rare a patterne of humility did he leaue vnto vs And yet now as the Poet saith Maxima quaeque domus seruis est plena superbis How farre we are from true humilitie Euery man is full of pride and as the prouerbe is euery Iacke will be a Gentleman Proijcit ampullas sesquipedalia verba It is strange to see how we strout our selues and speake great swelling words magnifying our selues by contemning others swaggering them out of countenance and thinking our selues to be gods and not men and with the Church of Laodicea to be rich and want nothing to be wise and valiant Reuel 3.17 and neither our manifold sinnes which are as the sands of the Sea nor our miserable estate which is most fraile and feeble so weake that a little sickenesse will euen vs downe with the dust can humble vs before the mighty hand of God so farre are we from learning true humility And Thirdly we see from hence our Sauiours loue Thirdly the great loue of Christ Bernard ser 1. de Epiphan and his aboundant great charity towards vs for quanto pro me vilior tanto mihi charior The viler and baser he made himselfe for me the dearer he shewed that he loued me but how could he euer debase himselfe more then he did not onely to appeare for a time in the visible shape of a man but also to assume for euer the true nature of man and though we be loath to take his sweet and easie yoke vpon vs yet he willingly tooke our heauy and bitter yoke on him for he tooke our infirmities and carried all our sorrowes Esay 53.4 and therefore O thou sweet Iesus that vsest to clothe thy selfe with the cloudes as with a garment and now clothest thy selfe with my naturall nakednesse that I might be adorned with thy supernaturall riches we beseech thee inflame our spirits with the loue of thee that nothing but thy selfe may be deare vnto vs because it so pleased thee to vilifie thy selfe for vs. Thirdly in respect of our selues we may from this doctrine of the words incarnation collect vnto our selues these singular comforts As First generally what fruits and benefits we haue What great benefits we receiue by the incarnation of the Word from this incarnation of the Sonne of God Beneficia nimis copiosa multa magna priuata positiua and they are exceeding great blessings innumerable and inualuable as repentance remission of our sinnes Grace Faith Righteousnesse Wisedome Sanctification and Redemption and in a word whatsoeuer blessing grace or goodnesse we haue we haue the same from this incarnate Word for Collos 2.3 in him are hidden all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge and from his fulnesse we all receiue and grace for grace Iohn 1.16 For neither his Deitie onely Quia non debuit Because he ought not nor his humanity onely Quia non potuit Aug. c 12. hom de â—vibus Because that could not was sufficient to bee a Mediator betwixt God and man Sed inter diuinitatem solam humanitatem solam mediatrix est diuina humanitas humana diuinitas Christi but betweene the bare humanity and the bare diuinity the diuine humanity and the humane diuinity of our Sauiour Christ doth mediate for vs vnto God and therefore by reason of this Incarnation of the Word God we are made Kings and Priests and a peculiar people vnto God Reuel 1.7 How Christ hath performed all
4. he saith Chap. 4. v. 3. Euery spirit Qui soluit Iesum which looseth or diuideth Iesus i. e. to make two persons of him is not of God and so in many other places hee doth most plainely shew that the eternall word and our humane nature vnited vnto the same word is but one and the selfe-same Christ i. e. one Christ one person And this is confessed by all antiquity All our Creeds and all antiquity confesseth the same truth touching vnity of Christ his person for in the Apostles Creede we say that we beleeue in Iesus Christ his onely Sonne our Lord which was conceiued of the Holy Ghost and borne of the Virgin Mary and therfore he is but one person because he which is said to be the onely Sonne of God is said also to be borne of the Virgin Mary the same is said in the Nicen Creed and in the Creede of Athanasius it is said that although Christ be both God and Man yet is he no more twaine but one Christ and that not by confounding of the substances but by the vnity of person i. e. by the vniting of both natures into one person What should I rehearse any more for the third Councell of Ephesus the great Councell of Chalcedon the Councell of Lateran and all the ancient Orthodoxe Fathers as Iustin Martyr Irenaeus Saint Basil Saint Nazianzen Saint Damascen Saint Hillary Saint Ambrose Saint Hierome Saint Augustine and the rest of them haue most truely confessed and most learnedly confirmed this truth that although Christ hath two natures the Word and the Flesh yet doe these two make but one person one Sonne of God one Sauiour of men What the Hereticks haue conceiued and most impiously thought concerning the person of Christ But against this Cerinthus and certaine of the Pelagian Hereticks and afterwards Nestorius seperating Iesus from Christ or rather Christ from Himselfe haue affirmed that Iesus was but meere man hauing not onely a humane nature but a humane person and afterwards to be made Christ at the time of his baptisme when the Holy Ghost descended vpon him in the forme of a Doue and therefore they conclude that as he consisteth of two natures so he is likewise two persons which notwithstanding may be said to be one in respect of their co-habitation affection operation and participation as hereafter I shall further shew vnto you Ob. 1 And to confirme this damnable errour against the inuiolable truth they doe obiect that our Sauiour said Destroy this Temple when he spake of his humanitie and therefore the God Christ Iohn 2.9 and the man Christ are two seuerall persons for hee doth not say destroy me but destroy this Temple and I will reare it vp in three dayes to shew vnto vs that the Temple and the dweller in the Temple or the raiser vp of the Temple are not the same but diuers persons Sol. To this I answere briefly that this alledged instance may well proue two natures to be in Christ but not two persons for the soule of man is said to dwell in the body as in a tabernacle because the nature of the soule is different from the nature of the body and yet man hath not two but one person which consisteth of both natures i. e. soule and body for Iob saith that men dwell in houses of Clay Iob 4.19 2 Cor. 5.1 and Saint Paul saith if this earthly house of our Tabernable be dissolued And therefore Saint Chrisostome vpon these words of Saint Iohn and he dwelt in vs doth most truely gather that in Christ there are two natures but from these or from any other places it can neuer be proued that in him there are two persons Ob. 2 Againe they doe obiect that the Sonne of Mary had an Angell to comfort him Matth. 27.46 Iohn 12.27 and said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And againe Father Saluifica me ex hac hora Saue me from this houre and such like speeches which are not consonant and agreeable to the Sonne of God and therefore the Sonne of Mary is one different and another person from the Sonne of GOD. To this I answer with S. Cyrill Sol. that as there are many things which doe agree with him according to the forme of God which cannot be agreeable to him according to the forme of a seruant so there are many things that do agree with him according to the forme of a seruant which doe not agree with the Sonne of God absolutely considered because he is both a true God and a true man so vnited together as that the properties of neither nature are confounded as hereafter shall be shewed Cyrillus deffâ—nt 4. Anath contra Theodor. and therefore all such sayings and allegations which are said of him or be referred vnto him in respect of one nature which are not properly agreeable to the other nature doe onely shew and most rightly proue two natures but not two persons to be in our Sauiour Christ CHAP. III. Of the manner of the vnion of the two natures and wherein this vnion chiefly consisteth SEcondly Wherein the Hereticks haue affirmed the vnion of both natures in Christ to consist for the manner of this vnion of these two natures in one person or wherein chiefly it consisteth herein resteth the greatest difficulty For First the Nestorians and their followers say that both these natures are saide to bee one by the vnitie of 1. Co-habitation 2. Will and affection 3. Operation 4. Participation First by the vnity of Co-habitation because the Word dwelled in the man Christ as in his choicest House and Temple accocding to that saying of the Euangelist and he dwelt in vs. Iohn 1.14 Secondly by the vnity of will and affection because the will of Christ was alwayes agreeable to the will of God and this they doe illustrate by the example of Man and Wife which though they be two persons Math. 19.5 yet are they said to be one flesh in regard of their mariage knot and especially in respect of their vnanimous hearts so the Sonne of God and the Sonne of Mary are two persons say they and yet may be said to be one Christ in regard of that indissoluble spirituall coniunction and affection that is betwixt them Thirdly By the vnity of operation because the man Christ was the Instrument which the Word God vsed for the effecting of all those great workes that he did while hee walked here on Earth Fourthly By the vnity of participation because the Word God did impart vnto the man Christ his name and dignity that hee should be called God and the Sonne of God and should be worshipped of all Creatures not for his owne sake but for his sake to whom hee was thus vnited How falsly the Heretickes affirme the vnion of the two natures to consist in the aforesaid points But how false and fained are all these subtle infernall distinctions to misteach the
is not offended in him Why then O thou incredulous Iew wilt thou not receiue thy Sauiour is it because he came poore without any shew of worldly pompe why that should make all men the rather to imbrace him and the more thankefully to acknowledge him because that he which might haue come in Maiestie Cum caelestibus Attended on by Angels would come in pouerty and haue his bed made cum iumentis among the beasts that perish that so by his comming poore we might be all made rich through him and therefore O Iew I doe aduice thee that as thy Fathers accomplished the decree of God in condemning him so doe thou according to the will of God in beleeuing on him and thou shalt be happy for he that beleeueth in him shall neuer perish To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be ascribed all Honour Thankes and Praise both now and for euermore Amen A Prayer O Eternall God who as in all things else so more especially in giuing thy dearest Sonne co-eternall coequall and co-essentiall vnto thy selfe to be made flesh subiect to our humane frailties and in all things like vnto vs sinne onely excepted hast shewed thy goodnesse and thy loue to man to be like thy selfe infinite and incomprehensible we most humbly beseech thee to giue vs grace to know thee and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ to be the onely true God whom to know is eternall life through the said Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS The Fourth Golden Candlesticke HOLDING The Fourth greatest Light of Christian RELIGION Of the Passion of the MESSIAS LVKE 24.46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus it behoued Christ to suffer YOu haue heard dearely beloued how miserably man is distressed by sinne The coherence of this Treatise with the former Treatises how he may be releeued onely by the Mercy of God and how this reliefe is applied vnto vs by the Incarnate Word for he is the true Samaritan that doth helpe the wounded man he is the blessed Angell that doth stirre the poole of Bethesda and giue vertue vnto the water to heale our sores to helpe our soules But alas this Angell as yet is but descended and the waters are not troubled and this Samaritan is but alighted and the poore semi-dead Traueller is not set vp vpon his horse to be carryed towards his Inne that is hee hath not yet entred into the waters of tribulations to saue our soules from drowning in Hell neither hath he put our sinnes vpon his backe that we being freed from the burthen might walke on towards Heauen this resteth yet behind and this Tragedie is yet vnheard and therefore though he much humbled himselfe by his Incarnation yet is that nothing it is but the beginning of sorrowes in respect of his sore and bitter Passion For to redeeme our soules from sinne the deepe waters must enter into his soule and all our sinnes must be laid vpon his backe and for our sinnes It behoueth Christ to suffer Hic labor hoc opus est And this is that which we are now to treat of Thus it behoued Christ to suffer CHAP. I. Of the manifold vse and commodities that we reape by the continuall meditation of the sufferings of Christ Three things that mooue attention THere be three speciall things that doe vse to moue attention 1. An eloquent Author 2. An important matter 3. A compendious breuity And all these three doe here ioyne and meete together in this Text of Scripture For First the Author of these words is Christ Luk. 11.49 First the Author of these words is Iesus Christ the wisedome of God Wisedome it selfe so incomprehensibly wise that all men wondred at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth Secondly the summe of these words is the Tragedy of Iesus Christ Secondly the matter is the Tragedie of himselfe the laborious life and the dolorous death of the Sonne of God the chiefest Tragedy of all Tragedies for the Catastrophe hereof hath the effusion of bloud and the mourning not onely of the Sufferer or Parents and Friends but of Heauen and Earth and all the whole world farre more dolefull then the mourning of Hadadrimmon in Valley of Mâ—gyddo The Actors of this Tragedy are Kings Vice-Royes Dukes Scribes Pharises High-Priests Elders of the people The Actors of this Tragedy the Apostles themselues and others all great Christ the King of Kings Herod the great King Pilate the Vice-Roy Annas and Cayphas high Priests Peter and Iudas great Apostles and those that were mute as the Sun the Earth the Stones the Vaile of the Temple and the very Graues did by apparant signes most dolefully bewayle the nefarious death of the Son of God yea more the Angels mourned and the Diuels trembled to behold the same The Theater on which it was acted was Ierusalem The Theater was Ierusalem the very midst and heart of the earth as some imagine according to that saying of the Psalmist Operatus est deus salutem in medio terrae GOD hath wrought saluation in the midst of the Earth Heere is the place where it was acted Hic hic mors vita duello Conflixere mirando Here life and death did striue for victory and here the beholders were men of all Nations Hebrewes Greekes and Romans and the time was their most solemne feast wherein all did â—eete to eate their Paschall Lambe And therefore if there be any Theame that may challenge our eares to lysten and our hearts to meditate vpon the same it is this for this is one of those things that was once done that it might be thought of for euer that it might be had in euerlasting remembrance And the continuall meditation thereof is 1. Acceptable vnto Christ 2. Profitable for vs. For First The continuall meditation of Christs passion what it doth if the rod of Moses which wrought so many miracles in Aegypt and the Manna which fed the children of Israel 40. yeares in the Wildernesse and the Booke of the Law which was deliuered vnto Moses vpon Mount Sinai were to be preserued in the Arke First It is most acceptable vnto Christ as testimonies of Gods loue throughout all generations how much more should we keepe the remembrance of the Crosse of Christ of the Body and Bloud of Christ and of the glad tidings of saluation which we haue by the death of Christ in the Church of God for euermore Our Sauiour gaue but two Sacraments vnto his Church and one of them is chiefely instituted to this end for a remembrance of his suffering for as often as you eate this Bread and drinke this Cup Luc. 22. you shew the Lords death vntill he come 1 Cor. 11.1 And the remembrance of Christs death saith Saint Chrysostome Est beneficij maximi recordatio Chrys hom 8. in Matth. caputque diuinae erga nos charitatis Is the commemoration of the greatest benefit that euer we receiued
yet behold his Spirit his Soule is sorrowfull vnto death no doubt but his Apostles saw it yet like a barrell full and wanting vent hee must needes burst forth and confesse it Spem vultu simulat premit altum corde dolorem he doth not here Aeneas-like dissemble his griefe with a fained countenance his sorrow is greater then can be contained for it is vnto death that is not onely extensiuely such as must continue for the space of seauenteene or eighteene houres euen vntill death it selfe shall finish it but also intensiuely such and so great as that which is vsed to be at the very point of death and such as were able to bring death vnto me were I not reserued to a greater and a heauier punishment And therefore he kneeled downe and fell grouelling vpon his face and said Father if it be possible let this Cup passe from me Matth. 26.39 and there praying he fell into a dreadfull agonie his thoughts were troubled his spirits affrighted his heart trembled his pores opened Et totus sudore defluit and he sweat great drops of bloud that streamed downe to the ground and so panting hee prayed and sweating still he prayed and the more hee was afflicted the more he prayed and fainted as it were in the bathe of his owne bloud weeping not onely with his eyes but euen with all his members Bern Ser. 3. as Saint Bernard saith And therefore the end of his Passion must needes be mournefull when the beginning of it is so fearefull and the cause of this agony must needs be supernaturall when it proceeds so contrary to the course of nature for it was in a cold season in the open ayre and they were faine to make a fire within doores without any exercise without any man neere him to offer him violence and therefore naturally he should be inclined to a cold chilly operation rather then to a bloudy sweating agony yea not onely to sweat some cold thinne faint sweat which is called sudor diaphoreticus but in such abundance of great drops saith the Euangelist that they were able to die his garments with crimson red according as the Prophet Esay saith though properly in another sense yet in some respect may be applyed to this Wherefore art thou red in thine apparell Esay 63.2 and thy garments like him that treadeth in the Wine-fat And as the Christian Poet Houedemius saith Sudor fluit vndique riuis sanguineae manant tanquam de vulnere guttae Cum cor sentit amoris gladium Cruor carnis rubricat pallium When through loue his hearts-vaine bled It dyed his garments crimson red And that these drops did not onely distillare drop out but decurrere runne and streame downe so fast to the ground from all the pores of his body as if they had issued out of most deadly wounds Wynton in Ser. sup Thren It is well obserued by our learned Bishop of Winchester out of Saint Hierome and the Chaldee paraphrast that the greatnesse of his sorrow melted him so as if he had stood by some burning furnace which was able to cast him into that sweat and to turne that sweat into drops of bloud and it appeares the rather because the Prophet Ieremie saith in the same place that a fire was sent into his bones and that might well melt all his marrow and cause the bloud to distill from his flesh and to trickle downe to the ground O happy garden watered with such teares thou must needes surpasse the garden of Eden that was watered with foure goodly riuers for this bloud of Christ doth speake better things Heb. 12.24 and bring forth better fruits then the bloud of Abell for that cryed out of the earth for vengeance against his brother but this cryeth for mercy vnto all the earth euen to his enemies Father forgiue them Luk. 23.34 for they know not what they doe and whereas our fruitfull Land the Land of our hearts was made barren for the sinne and iniquity of our fore-Father to bring forth thornes and thistles sinnes and wickednesse yet now being watered with these heauenly showers of his bloud he maketh it very plenteous to abound in all grace and godlinesse But alas Quest what was the cause that should make him so supernaturally to sweat so strangely to kneele so deuoutly and to pray so earnestly that if it were possible that houre might passe from him Thomas Aquinas answereth Resp that the cause of all passions is to be considered either 1. Ex parte obiecti In regard of the obiect Or 2. Ex parte subiecti In respect of the subiect That as in the conception of gold in the bowels of the earth there is Aestus solaris ignis subterranius A concurrency of the heate of the Sunne from aboue with a sulphurious fire from below So in the Passion of our Sauiour Christ we must know that in respect of the obiect he saw the Diuine wrath from aboue ready to be powred forth for the sinnes of men and in respect of the subiect hee saw the Church which was his body so iustly punished by this wrath of God and all that punishment to alight on him which had vndertaken to satisfie Gods Iustice and to free his members from euerlasting torments And therefore no doubt but the cleere sight The cause of Christ his agony in the Garden and the deepe consideration of that Cup which he was so sheerely to drinke vp was the cause that made him both so vehemently to pray against it and â—lso in the vehemency of the feare of it to be in such perplexed agony as thereby to sweat the drops of bloud CHAP. II. Of that fearefull Cup what it was which our Sauiour was to drinke of and that he so much feared and prayed against it What was the Cup which our Sauiour was to drinke BVt what was this Cup which hee was to drinke of we cannot easily determine For Some thinke this prayer this feare this agony proceeded onely from the weakenesse of his humanity that was now though not dis-vnited yet vnassisted of the Deity and that they were chiefly effected through the feare of that death which so neerely approached and therefore though they were vttered as proceeding from Passion or at least humane affection yet were they presently seasoned and as it were corrected with more deliberate consideration when he said Not my will but thine be fulfilled But To these men I answere that although Christ tooke our infirmities vpon him as well the spirituall Passions of the soule as the corporall infirmities of the body i. e. all such as are onely miserable but not damnable penall but not culpable or those that are painfull without sinne but not those which are sinfull without paine as both Damascen Saint Augustine and Aquinas haue most excellently obserued yet we say that these affections in Christ doe much differ from ours in three respects That the Humane affections
sole of his foote vnto the crowne of his head Esay 1.6 there was nothing whole in him but wounds and swellings and soares most full of grieuous paines And in all this his great and grieuous sufferings we must know them to be the sharper in respect of the tendernesse of his body and the senciblenesse of his spirit because as Aristotle saith Quo complexio nobilior quo mens dexterior Aristot l. 2. de anima c. 9. co tenerior esse solet caro The more noble our complexion and the more quicke and nimble is our apprehension the more sencible is our flesh of the least paine and correction but the flesh of Christ of all other men must needes be the most tender The tenderer our flesh and the quicker our spirits the more sensible wee are of paine because as I shewed you before he was soly begotten of a pure Virgin and his minde must needes be most intellectiue and most apprehensiue of all paine because he was of that age which is most sensitiue and therefore the sufferings of Christ in all respects must needes be most insufferable And yet all this was but the least part of his sorrowes not neere the halfe of his sufferings for hee was to wrestle with the wrath of God that was due to vs for our sinnes yea hee was to tread the fiercenesse of the wrath of God Reuel 15.5 And there can be no conflict in the World so great as to grapple with an angry God for the Prophet Dauid speaking hereof Psal 76.7 saith Thou euen thou art to be feared and who can stand in thy sight when thou art angry The Earth trembled and quaked Psal 18. v. 7. 15. the very foundations also of the hilles shooke and were remoued because he was wroth yea the springs of waters were seene and the foundations of the round World were discouered That the sufferings of Christ were a great deale more then are expressed by the Euangelists or then can be conceiued by any man at thy chiding O Lord at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure And if his anger and displeasure be so great O who can endure the height of his furie who can ouercome by suffering the fiercenesse of his wrath And therefore to shew how vnspeakeable and how dangerous a tâ—ing it is for any man to define what the vnspeakeable sufferings and the incomprehensible feelings of Christ were both in the Garden of Gethsemane before his Iudges and especially vpon the Crosse in Mount Caluarie the Fathers of the Greeke Church in their Lyturgie after they had recounted his bloudy sweate his shamefull crowning his spitefull handling and all the other particular sufferings which are recorded by the Euangelists they doe most excellently conclude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By thine vnknowne sorrowes and by those infinite sufferings incomprehensible to vs though most sensibly felt by thee Haue mercy vpon vs and saue vs O Lord our God And in all this he truly suffered not imaginarily as some haue imagined Sed vere languores nostros ipse tulit But he truly bare our infirmities and carried our sorrowes Not as the Priests of the Law Leuit. 10.17 which were likewise said to beare the sinnes of the people i. e. typically in the figure but truly in the fact hee bare the punishment of them all and that not in outward appearance as malicious Marcion held it Tertull. contra Marc. l. 4. 8. Aug. de haeresibus ad Quodv heres 46. and afterwards the Manichees maintained it as Saint Augustine saith but as he was a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 physically and truly so hee endured and suffered all these sorrowes Vere sicut verus homo Most truly as being a true naturall man as Aquinas saith He did most sencibly and feelingly suffer them all for it was not with him as it was with the three Children in the third of Daniel Dan. 3 27. who were cast into the fierie Furnace and yet came out not hauing their hayre singed nor their coates changed nor the smell of fire had passed on them but as Plutarch reports of Coriolanus hee can yet shew his wounds that he suffered and make demonstratiue expressions of his sorrowes farre beyond the apprehension of any man to conceiue them But if any man demand how Christ being God could suffer any paine seeing the Deitie is subiect to no passion Heinsius P. 81. Heinsius answereth that Christ suffered not in respect of the diuine nature which he had as God but in respect of his humane nature which he had as he was Man for though the Deity was in the sufferer yet was it not in the suffering How the Godhead suffered not but sustained the manhood that it might suffer though it was in the Body of Christs passion yet was it not in the passion of Christs Body but as I shewed vnto you before Page 438 the humanity onely suffered and the Deity sustained it that it might suffer because the impotency of the one required the omnipotency of the other Christ being a man that he might suffer and being a God that he might be able so to suffer such insufferable things And therefore we say that Christ in respect of his Deity remained still intire vntouched invulnerable impassible and that very then when his humanity suffered and was dead the Deity liued impassibly and rent the vayle of the Temple sealed vp the Sunne-beames vnder a signet of Cimmerian Cloudes caused the Earth to tremble the Centurion to auerre that Christ was the true and essentiall Sonne of God and raysed vp the interred Carkasses from their graues And we say that it was the humane nature of Christ that stood and suffered vpon the Crosse and in the anguish of its passion breathed out that dolefull complaint euen to the Godhead hypostatically vnited vnto it as well as to the Father and to the holy Spirit saying My God my God Math 27.46 why hast thou forsaken me And although the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the distance betwixt these two Natures be so great and the disparity be so euident as that the one was passible and mortall the other impassible and immortall yet are they so combined and vnited in our Sauiour Christ that although he is not one nature yet is he but one person one Christ one Redeemer and when the humanity suffered and was buried yet was it not neither could it be possibly cast off or forsaken by the Deity vnto which the linkes and ligaments of Gods loue had so strictly and eternally obliged it by an hypostaticall and indissoluble vnion Thus Christ though he was God yet as man Dixit multa gessit mira pertulit dura dura verba duriora verbera durissima supplicia He bore and suffered an incredible paine and vnsufferable sorrowes Esay 53. so great and so grieuous that Esayas may well call him virum dolorum No sorrow like the sorrowes of Christ
and the redemption of all mankinde was now fully effected but also to teach all Christians to finish the course of their life according to the will of God Seauenthly The seauenth and last saying of Christ vpon the Crosse Luke 23.46 When he considered and vnderstood all things that were to be done of him to be fully ended he saith Father into thy hands I commend my spirit to teach euery man especially in affliction to cast himselfe in sinum diuinitatis euen into the armes of Gods protection and so to relie wholly vpon God as vpon a sure foundation and as at all times else so chiefly when we see death approaching neere to vs to commend our soules into the hands of God euen as our Sauiour did Many worthy obseruations to be considered in the manner of Christ his crucifying Iohn 19 23. Thus Christ suffered thus he preached and thus he prayed vpon the Crosse and in this time of his suffering it is obserued First That as he bowed the Heauens and came downe to be incarnate and made flesh so here he boweth his head to imbrace vs and to kisse vs with the kisses of his lips Secondly That his armes were extended and stretched out Psal 22.16 to receiue all men throughout the compasse of the whole world into his grace and fauour againe Thirdly That the nayles were fixed through his hands and feete not onely to shew that hereby thy hands are inlarged to doe good workes and thy feet are set at liberty John 20.25 that thou maist runne the way of Gods commandement but also to teach vs how the remembrance of his Passion should be so fixed in our hearts as that nothing in the world should be able to roote it thence Fourthly That he was vnstripped of his garments and his body extended naked vpon the tree Iohn 19.23 to shew that hee forsooke all to redeeme vs that all things are patent and open in the eies of God and that we poore sinnefull men are miserable and naked of all goodnesse vntill we be clothed with the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ Fiftly That his side was opened with a speare to make way for the effusion of his bloud to satisfie for our sinnes Iohn 20.34 and to make roome for vs to come neerer to his heart and to hide our selues with Moses Exod. 33.32 in foramine Petrae in this sluce of his side in this hole of the Rocke vntill the anger of God be ouer-past And Many other points of great moment I might here shew vnto you as the darkning of the Sunne for shame and sorrow to see the Sonne of God put to such a shamefull death the quassation and trembling of the Earth and cleauing of the Stones for horour to beare her Maker dying and to condemne the most cruell hardnesse of a sinners heart that seeing the Stones renting will not relent from his sinnes and the cleauing of the Temple from the top to the bottome to shew that the Leuiticall Law should be no longer a partition wall betwixt the Iewes and the Gentiles and that the way to Heauen is now made open to all beleeuers but that to speake all I might of this point would inlarge a Treatise into a Volume That it is vnpossible for anâ— one man to expâ—esse all the paâ—ticulaâ—s of Christ his Passion and that indeed the Witte and Learning of any one man is no more able to expresse all the mysteries and most excellent points that wee might collect and learne from the Passion of Christ then one poore Fisherman is able to catch all the Fishes in the Ocean Sea And therefore commending all vnto your meditation to muse vpon the particulars of this great worke that was once done that it might neuer be forgotten I will end this point of his Passion and proceede vnto the third part of my Text which is the necessitie of his suffering For thus it behooued Christ to suffer PART III. Part. 3 CHAP. I. Of the necessity of Christ his suffering THirdly Hauing heard the chiefest particulars of the sufferings of Christ wee are now to consider the necessitie of his suffering expressed here by Christ himselfe in these words That there is a threefold necessity Thus it behoued Christ to suffer Touching which we must consider that there are three kinds of necessities The first is an obsolute necessitie as when a thing in regard of the nature of it cannot be otherwise so the Sunne mooueth and the fire burneth as wee see necessarily because it is the propertie of their nature so to doe as it is for euery light thing to ascend and for euery heauy thing to descend downewards towards the center The second is a necessity of constraint That Christ suffered because he willinâ—ly gaue himselfe to suffer as when a malefactor is constrained and must necessarily suffer whether hee will or not because the sentence of the Law hath passed ouer him and his strength is not sufficient to saue himselfe And in these two sences our Sauiour Christ was not of necessitie for to suffer because God might if he had would haue vsed a 1000. other wayes to haue saued man without the death of his onely Sonne and there was neither Law to inioyne him nor any force that could compell him for to suffer for he saith Abba Father all things are possible vnto thee and Marke 14.36 he could pray to his Father and haue more then twelue legions of Angels to haue assisted him And therefore no absolute necessity that he should suffer Sed oblatus est quia voluit But he was offered vp for vs because he would he gaue his soule an offering for sin Esay 53.10 he yeelded vp himselfe into the hands of his enemies he could but he would not be rescued and he gaue Pilate power against himselfe for vnlesse he would hee needed not to haue suffered Iustice could not seize vpon him because he was a Lambe without spot and constraint could not compell him because all things were possible vnto him and he had all the Angels at his command and therfore as the Prophet Esay saith that he did beare the burthen imposed by his Father Esay 63.6 so he did assume the same himselfe S. Paul saith Rom. 8.32 that as God gaue Christ for vs Rom. 8.32 So Christ gaue himselfe for vs and our Sauiour saith No man taketh my life from me Gal. 2.20 but I haue power to lay downe my life and I haue power to take it vp againe and so it was that he himselfe layd downe his life Iohn 10. as a man layeth downe his garment for it is obserued by the Euangelists Crucem sustinuit voluntate non necessitate S. Hieron in Esayam c. 53. Iohn 19.30 that when he would die he seeing that impotent man could not take away his soule he bowed downe his head and gaue vp the Ghost as calling and yeelding vnto the stroke of death which
How the want of loue is the cause of many mischiefes in the world I onely pray it may neuer be so with any Christian soule that we make not the truth of God with all reuerence be it spoken as a Packe-horse to support our vile desires I am sure if there were more loue and charity among Christians lesse faults lesse errours would appeare to bee in the Church of God then now there seemes to be 1 Cor. 13. for charity suffereth all things beleeueth all things and is euer willing to make faults and errours lesser then they be whereas the want of loue will make the worst of euery thing euery errour to be an Heresie and euery infirmity to be hainous impiety nay want of loue will make sinnes where God made none We ought to loue all men and to hate all vices in whomsoeuer they be and make vertues to be vices whereas perfect charity will neuer hate the man though he be full of iniquity and therefore my conclusion of this point is that as Christ hath loued vs and gaue himselfe for vs so let vs loue Christ and loue one another for Christ his sake and he that doth these things shall neuer fall Part. 4 PART IIII. CHAP. Of the manner of Christs suffering how he suffered all that I haue shewed so as the Prophets fore-told and as the Apostles had seene the same with their eyes The incomprehensible manner of Christ his sufferings FOurthly Hauing heard of the person suffering Christ of the chiefest things that he suffered which are recorded by the Euangelists and of the necessity of that suffering in respect of those causes which did necessitate the same wee are now to cōsider the maner how he suffered expressed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so to suffer that is so humbly so louingly so meekely so patiently and so euery way in respect of himselfe as that neither the tongues of men nor Angels are neuer able by any like to expresse it by any words to declare it That all predictions touching the Messias were all accomplished in Iesus Christ or by any apprehensions or thoughts of man to conceiue it And so in regard of men as the Prophets had foretold and the Apostles had already seene for so it pleased Almighty God before the comming of the Messias to fore-tell almost euery thing that should happen throughout all the whole life of the Messias euen from the first moment of his conception vnto the very last act of his Ascention that so all men might beleeue in him in whom they saw all those predictions fulfilled none other for the Prophet Esay had said that a Virgin should conceiue and beare a sonne Esay 7.14 Mich. 5.2 Hos 11.1 Esay 9.1 Micheas said that hee should be borne in Bethlehem-Iuda Hoseas foretold of his flight into Egypt and to be briefe the place of his dwelling in the borders of Nepthali the manner of his liuing Healing all manner of infirmities Cap. 53.4 and preaching the glad tydings of saluation and almost euery one of the least particulars that should happen vnto him at his death Zach. 2.9 as how he should be sold and betrayed by his owne Disciple Psal 41 2. how all his followers should flie from him how craftily and maliciously he should be apprehended Esay 53.10 how falsly he should be accused how basely he should be handled buffeted whipped and spitted vpon how vniustly hee should bee condemned and how cruelly he should be fastned vnto the Crosse to die an accursed death and as most accursed betwixt the wicked and how he should be generally mocked his garments taken from him and haue Gall to eate and Vinegar to drinke and what not all was fore-shewed that should happen vnto the Messias and therefore it behoued Christ so to suffer because it was prophesied that he should so suffer And as the Prophets did fore-shew how the Messias should suffer so the Euangelists and Apostles testifie how Christ did suffer all and euery one of those things that were written of him for they were eye-witnesses of the same 1 Iohn 1.1 and soth ey testifie vnto vs that which was from the beginning which we haue heard and seene and our hands haue handled of the Word of life that testifie wee vnto you i. e. that all the things that were written of him which was promised from the beginning wee haue seene them fully accomplished fulfilled in him which liued and conuersed amongst vs and which we preach vnto you Iesus Christ S. Mathew recollects 32. seuerall Prophesies that he saw fulfilled in our Sauiour Christ Saint Iohn addes many other and so doe the rest diuers more So that whosoeuer would with the men of Berea search the Scriptures from the first Booke of Moses vnto the last Prophet Malachy and marke out all the things that were spoken of the Messias that was for to come we shall if we doe but looke finde them all recorded in the writings of the Apostles and Euangelists to be most fully fulfilled in the person of Iesus Christ A sufficient condemnation to all Iewes that still looke for another Christ for why should not they beleeue their owne Prophets they said the Messiah should suffer these things Christ suffered them so as they were prophesied who then can be the Messias but he in whom all these prophecies were fulfilled but Saint Paul tels vs why they will not beleeue in him Why the Iewes beleeue not in Christ Rom. 11. because partly blindnesse is come vpon them vntill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in And now Lord if it be thy will open their eyes that they may see this truth and circumcise all infidelity from their hearts that they may beleeue thy Sonne Iesus Christ to be the Sauiour of the world And as this condemneth all vnbeleeuing Iewes so it confirmeth all true Christians in the faith of Christ and I wish to God that as the seeing of all these things fulfilled in Christ makes vs all to beleeue in Christ so the suffering of all these things for vs would make vs all to praise this our Lord Iesus Christ for his goodnesse to feare him in all our wayes to loue him with all our hearts and to serue him truly and faithfully all the dayes of our life O blessed God grant this vnto vs for Iesus Christ his sake To whom with thee O Father and the Holy Spirit three distinct persons of that one indiuided essence be ascribed all praise and glory both now and for euermore Amen A Prayer O Most blessed God that hast giuen thy dearest and thine onely Sonne not onely to be made man subiect to all infirmities but also to suffer all miseries throughout his whole life and in the end to be put vnto a most shamefull painefull and accursed death by wicked men for sinnefull men that hee suffering what wee deserued wee might be deliuered from thy wrath we most humbly beseech
thee in his Name and for his sake to forgiue vs all our sinnes to accept his death as a plenary satisfaction to acquit vs from euerlasting death and to giue vs thy grace that for this and all other thy louing sauours vnto vs we may be truely thankefull and most dutifully obedient to please thee and to praise thy blessed Name for euer and euer through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS The Fift Golden Candlesticke HOLDING The Fift greatest Light of Christian RELIGION Of the Resurrection of CHRIST MATH 28.4.5.6 And for feare of him the Keepers did shake and became as dead men And the Angell answered and said vnto the Women feare not you for I know that you seeke Iesus which was crucified He is not here for he is risen as hee said come see the place where the Lord lay OVR blessed Lord God The coherence of this Treatise with the former and louing Father out of his excellent prouidence and secret loue to Man hath so tempered all the accidents and whole course of mans life with such proportion and equall counterpoyse that euer and anon ioyes and sorrowes are mixt together as wee may easily see in our blessed Sauiour for vpon Mount Thabor he was transfigured in glory Math. 17.2 that his face did shine as the Sunne and vpon Mount Caluary he was disfigured in sorrow that confusion went ouer his face and that in him there was neither forme nor beauty and vpon Mount Oliuet euen now Esay 53.2 Luke 22.43 Verse 44. an Angell comforting him and by and by an agony affrighting him so vpon the Crosse euen now he cries as destitute of all helpe My God my God why hast thou forsaken me yet by and by after as assured of comfort he saith O my Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Math. 27.46 Euen so it is with vs all Nocte pluit tota Luke 23.46 redeunt spectacula mane Heauinesse may indure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning To day we may be sicke at the point to die to morrow wee may be restored to life againe to night in prison and in distresse to morrow at liberty and aduanced to dignitie And this we see plaine in my Text for the last day was a day of cloudes and darkenesse a day of griefe and sorrow for the passion and suffering of the Sonne of God But behold this day is a day of ioy and gladnesse a day of Iubile for the most glorious resurrection of this Omnipotent Son of God for as it behoued him to suffer for our sinnes as you heard so it behoued him to rise againe for our iustification saith the Apostle And so this Angell testifieth that he did Rom. 4.25 He is not here but is risen as he saide Come see the place where the Lord lay And In these words we may obserue The diuision of the Text. 1. The persons here mentioned 2. The action of each person plainely expressed First The Persons mentioned are especially of three sorts 1. Keepers 2. Women 3. Angels Secondly The actions expressed are 1. Of the Keepers watching Christ 2. Of the Women seeking Christ 3. Of the Angell 1. Terrifying the former 2. Comforting the latter And from all this we may see these three things 1. The malice of the Iewes 2. The deuotion of the Women 3. The Office of the Angels And the maine summe of all is The Resurrection of Christ PART I. CHAP. Of the malice of the Iewes against our Sauiour Christ FIRST The malice of the Iewes against our Sauiour Christ is seene in that they did not onely spitefully oppose themselues against him throughout all his life and most vniustly deliuer him to a most shamefull death but also maliciously watched him in his graue that he might not rise to shew the right property of the wicked not onely to throw the righteous downe but also to keepe them downe and to trample them still vnder feete and to hire the Watchmen to belie both themselues and his Disciples that the truth of his Resurrection might not be knowne and beleeued for our saluation O miseri quae tanta insania ciues O wretched men that you are what is your rage as strong as death nay stronger then death and longer then death For the man is dead and he is buried And yet Vos excandescitis ira Your rage is implacable you set armed Souldiers to watch and ward ouer this dead harmelesse man And so we finde what the Scripture saith of the wicked to be true in you Malicia eorum excaecauit eos Wisedome 2.21 Your malice and your wickednesse haue blinded your eyes Nay but this deceiuer said saith some of them That after three dayes I will rise againe A deceiuer indeede Sed pius seductor How wicked men are deceiued But of them onely that deceiue themselues either First By relying too much on his mercy and not thinking of his iustice or Secondly By fearing too much his iustice and forgetting all his mercy or Thirdly By not beleeuing his power either to saue the penitent beleeuers in him or to punish the wicked contemners of him for of all these and the like the Prophet saith The Lord will deceiue you that is suffer you to deceiue your selues He will make his Arrowes drunken in bloud Deut. 32.42 and hee will cause his Sword to goe through your sides But them that truly trust in him he will neuer deceiue nor suffer them to be deceiued in him For our Fathers hoped in him Psal 22.4 and were not confounded But what if you had seene him rise againe what would you haue done would you haue beleeued in him no surely for you know he rose his Disciples testifies it to your faces and your owne Souldiers sayes it and you are faine to hyre them to say the contrary What then would you haue done would you haue crucified againe the Lord of life Yes no doubt such is the malice of the wicked that the death of the godly decies repetita placebit is neuer often enough inflicted O therefore good Lord thou King of Heauen Giue me any head saue the head of a Serpent and any malice saue the malice of an enemy For death it selfe cannot hide me from these but they will rage and rayle on my very Ghost And so much for the malice of the Iewes Part. 2 PART II. CHAP. I. Of the number and the names of these Women that came to seeke our Sauiour Christ in his Sepulcher SEcondly The deuotion of the Women is here commended in that they are said to come early while it was yet darke to seeke Iesus Iohn 20.1 for to imbalme him And for the better vnderstanding of this point these three especiall things must bee considered 1. Their number 2. Their names 3. Their action First Saint Mathew here seemes to say they were two Why three Women went together vnto the Sepulcher Mary Magdalen and the other
not these women goe but still stayed to seeke him vntill they should finde him for as Wormewood is good for ill stomackes Marcus heremita l. 2. de legi spirituali saith Marke the Heremite because it stirreth vp the appetite vnto a desire of meate so the sorrow and bitternesse of these women for the lesse of Christ did the more eagerly stirre and prouoke them to search and seeke for Christ so should we most earnestly seeke for Christ as for hid treasure till we finde him Thirdly They seeke him mournefully with watered eyes Iohn 20.11 Thirdly That we should seek Christ sorrowing till we finde him and with heauy hearts for so Iohn saith that Mary stood without at the Sepulcher weeping and surely not without cause doe they deplore his absence in whose presence is the fulnesse of ioy for the losse of him is more then the losse of all the world and therefore they seeke him sorrowing so should wee for if we put on mourning robes and weepe for our ordinary friends departed how should we weepe and waile Luke 2.48 Bernard Ser. 2 de alt bass cord Fourthly that we should seek for nothing but for Christ when Christ for our sinnes is parted from vs Fourthly They seeke him onely for wee doe not finde that they inquired for any thing so as for him nor any thing beside him nor any thing after him saith S. Bernard so should we seek for Christ and for Christ alone for as the Poets say of the Clitorian well Clitorio quicunque sitim de fonte lauarit Vina fugit gaudetque meris abstemius vndis Whosoeuer drinkes of it will neuer drinke Wine after it so the Scriptures say of Christ Whosoeuer eateth his flesh shall neuer hunger Iohn 6. and whosoeuer drinketh his bloud shall neuer thirst therefore as Iacob said Gen. 45.28 when he heard that Ioseph was aliue I haue enough so will euery Christian say I haue enough that I haue Iesus Christ Fiftly that we should neuer leaue seeking Christ till we finde him Psal 105. Fiftly They seeke him continually vntill they finde him to teach vs that we should seeke the Lord and his strength and seeke his face euermore Thus these women sought him and thus wee should seeke him and thus we are taught to seeke him and I thinke neuer people more faithfully taught then we be and yet alas I feare that as Plinie saith There be certaine trees which he calleth Indociles arbores Plin. l. 14. in praem quia in alienas non comeant terras Indocible trees because they will grow no where but where they are bred so there be too too many of vs that will not be taught to seeke after God but as they are bred of the earth so they will seeke for nothing but earthly things To what end the women sought for Christ Thirdly For the end of their action and the very depth of their intention it is here said to be not as the Souldiers sought him in the Garden of Gethsemane to crucifie him but to imbalme him not because they could adde any sweetnesse vnto him which was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wholly delectable and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sweetnesse it selfe as Nazianzen cals him but because they would shew their loue and affection vnto him So should wee seeke him to imbalme him i. e. to pray vnto him and to praise his Name Quia aromata mulierum significant preces sanctorum Because their balmes signifies our prayers saith a Father And therefore we should seeke for him with these women to imbalme him with our prayers and finding him wee should say with King Dauid Let our prayers be directed in thy sight as the incense and the lifting vp of our hands as the euening sacrifice Psal 142.2 And so you see the deuotion of these women here accompanied with euery circumstance of a most iust and holy action But here it may be some will aske Quest how came these women now so deuout so zealous and so religious to seeke Mary Magdalen was a sinnefull woman and so earnestly to seeke for Iesus that was crucified for not long before one of them was most sinnefull for life and most hatefull for her luste prostibula an vnchaste Lady nay a common Curtizan and a most publique Publican liuing in all kind of lasciuious luxury how then comes she so suddenly so deuout Alas beloued they runne farre that neuer turne It is true that she was plunged in sinne and possessed of Diuels and all that while shee neither sought God nor confessed Christ but when she was conuerted and had her eyes opened then she hated her sinnes and forsooke all wantonnesse and began to seeke Christ and most earnestly to loue her Sauiour I but how came shee to forsake the one and to follow the other or how came she then and not before then to doe it I answere that as Adam neuer sought God Resp How we can neuer find nor seeke after God vntill God seeke after vs. vntill God first sought him and cryed Adam where art thou so this daughter of Adam this lost sheepe had neuer sought for this now lost shepheard had not this shepheard formerly sought for this long wandring sheepe for it is most certaine that all our power and ability to come to him proceeds from him his Spirit must spirare breathe vpon vs before we can aspirare aspire to him and his hand must moue the golden Cymbell before we can yeelde any pleasant note And so Saint Bernard saith Bern. de delig deo Nemo domine te quaerere valet nisi qui prius inuenerit No man O Lord can seeke for thee but he who hath first found thee i. e. when thou hast first found him And we haue examples enough for the illustration God is the first authour of our conuersion and apparant proofes for the confirmation of this truth For First When Saint Peter denyed Christ Peter neuer repented vntill the Cocke crowed Christ looked on him i. e. looked outwardly and moued him inwardly to goe out and weepe bitterly and the poore blinde man that was blinde from his birth Iohn 9.1 had neuer seene Christ had not Christ as he passed by seene him and had compassion on him so Saint Paul had neuer asked the Lord What wilt thou haue me to doe had not the Lord said first Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Iohn 6.44 Secondly Christ saith expresly that as No man commeth vnto the Father but by him i. e. as he is a Mediator betwixt God and man so no man commeth vnto him i. e. to beleeue in him to be his Sauiour except the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth draw him and so the Church saith Cant. 1.4 Draw me and I will runne after thee where you see grace is promised and then the action is performed So when the Spirit said vnto Esayas Esay 4.6 Cry he knew not what to cry vntill
therefore he had none other remedy but to wander as a Pilgrime and a forlorne creature till hee ended his dayes in extreame miseries so Agrippa suffered intollerable calamities Cap. 17. so Herod the Tetrarch was spoiled of his goods depriued of his Kingdome and banished from his Countrey So Herod that killed Iames Cap. 18. was miserably eaten vp of loathsome wormes and to the Iewes was measured the same measure as they had measured vnto Christ before for as they had sold him for thirty pence so thirty of them were sold for one peny and fiue hundred of them were nayled to Crosses in one day in so much that nec locus sufficeret crucibus nec cruces corporibus there was not place sufficient for the Crosses nor Crosses enough to nayle them on It were too too lamentable to relate more of those dolefull Tragedies which Iosephus Eusebius Euagrius and others haue written of them and what they suffered at the finall ruine and destruction of Ierusalem and what heauy bondage farre worse then that Egyptian slauery they haue endured to this very day In aureo tractatu Rabbi Sam. de miserimo statu Iudaeorum Hence it is that Rabbi Samuel about sixe hundred yeares agone writ a tractate in forme of an Epistle vnto Rabbi Isaac Master of the Synagogue of the Iewes in Subiulmeta a Citie of Morocco wherein he doth excellently discusse the cause of their long captiuity their great blindnesse and extreame misery and after that hee had proued tâ—at this punishment was inflicted vpon them for some great and grieuous sinne he sheweth that sinne to be the same whereof the Prophet Amos speaketh For three transgressions of Israel and for foure Amos 2.6 non transferam eo I will not turne away the punishment thereof because they sold the righteous for siluer And though he saith that their Rabbies doe vnderstand this righteous to be Ioseph that was sold by his brethren vnto Egypt What Rabbi Samuel saith concerning Iesus Christ yet because the Prophet putteth this for the fourth sinne and the greatest sinne of Israel and because he cannot finde any three sinnes of the sonnes of Israel before the selling of Ioseph therefore he maketh the selling of Ioseph to be the first sinne of Israel the worshipping of the Calfe in Horeb to be the second the abusing the killing of Gods Prophets to be the third and the fourth to be the selling of Iesus Christ For the first they serued foure hundred yeares for the second they wandred forty yeares in the Wildernesse vntill they that came out of Egypt were all consumed and brought to nothing excepting onely Caleb and Iosuah for the third they were held Captiues seauenty yeares in Babylon and for the fourth the said Rabbi Samuel confesseth that they were held in most pittifull Captiuity to this very day because hee was most vniustly sold and most shamefully deliuered to death as he sheweth in the seauenth Chapter of the said Tractate Much and many more circumstantiall proofes and demonstrations of his Resurrection to shew him to be the true Messias Why the Author did so prosecute the proofes of Christs Resurrection might be produced but I hope these will serue I say not to make vs to beleeue this truth for to that end I hope we neede not bring any proofe at all because we doe fully and vndoubtedly beleeue the same already but to shew that our fore-fathers haue not or we doe not beleeue these things without more then abundant and vnanswerable proofes thereof and to conuince that malicious obstinacy and infidelity of all those whether professed Iewes or seeming Christians which notwithstanding such an Army of arguments and such a cloud of witnesses will still continue blinded and hardened in vnbeleefe It were strange there should be any Athiests amongst vs yet I thinke it was not without cause that Dr. Fotherby writ his large and learned discourse against Atheisme and questionlesse they that deny God will neuer beleeue in Christ and therefore as that booke shall be a witnesse against all Atheists in the latter day to condemne them so shall this which I haue written be an accuser of all those that will not beleeue in Iesus Christ CHAP. VIII Of the place from whence our Sauiour rose both in respect of his body and soule NOw hauing seene that the Messias when hee should come was to rise againe the third day and that our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ is that true Messias because he did rise againe vpon the third day I must yet intreate you to consider that so you may haue the full knowledge of this point these two especiall things Arsatius in postilla ser de resurrect fol. 122. 1. The place from whence he rose 2. The manner how he rose First We must vnderstand that as Christ in respect of his humane nature consisted both of body and soule so his Resurrection must needs be considered both in respect of his body and soule First The Resurrection of the Body was that whereby hee raised the same from the graue a dead carkasse to be a liuing and a most glorious body neuer to die againe The place from whence Christ raised his soule Secondly The Resurrection of his Soule must be from some infernall place or else it must be a descention and not a Resurrection of his soule and therefore as in our Creede we professe to beleeue that he descended into Hell so we must likewise confesse that he raised himselfe from Hell but here vnawares I am fallen into an Ocean of contention For First Some say this Article of our Creede crept in by negligence and therefore would haue raced it out againe but that would proue a want of Gods prouidence that would suffer his whole Church to erre so grossely in the chiefe summe of her Christian faith and if such things might creepe into our Creede which is but the abstract of our faith then much more might easily creepe into our Scriptures which is so large an expresser both of faith and manners but the Spirit of Christ is alwayes with his Church to guide it into all truth and the Church of Christ is the Pillar of truth and a most faithfull preseruer of all truth and therefore this opinion is most absurde Secondly Others still retayning the words Foure expositions of that article of Christs discention into Hell cannot agree vpon the meaning of the sentence and of these I finde foure seuerall expositions The first is that the soule of Christ suffered the paines of Hell vpon the Crosse But this cannot stand first because we must bring in such a sense as will agree with the words after his buriall for that being dead and buried he descended into Hell and secondly That Christ suffered not the torments of the damned Iohn 9. because as that worthy Bishop of Winchester hath most excellently shewed there bee eight speciall things in Hell paines which the soule of Christ could not
office of this Angell here expressed to serue Christ to affright the souldiers and to delight these women to teach them to direct them Reuel 4.8 and to preserue them in all their wayes for as they neuer cease to serue the Lord so they neuer cease to preserue the Saints vntill they cease to serue their God and therefore to vse Saints Bernards exhortation Quantum debet hoc verbum inferre reuerentiam afferre deuotionem conferre fiduciam How ought this doctrine to moue vs and worke in vs reuerence for their presence confidence for their custody and obedience vnto God for so great an argument of his beneuolence vnto man as to giue his Angels charge ouer vs Et quam cauté ambulandum and how warily ought we to walke seeing the Angels of God are euer present with vs when all the men of the world are absent from vs It is reported of a godly Virgin that being often sollicited by a gallant vnto vnlawfull lust at last she yeelded that if hee met her at such a place he should haue leaue to worke his pleasure with her both came to the place appointed and the place was full of people then the mayden told him that now if he pleased he might vse her as he would he answered that now for shame he durst not doe it in the sight of so many men and women then she replyed and thinkest thou that I dare doe that in the presence of God and his holy Angels which thou darest not doe in the sight of mortall men and I wish euery one of vs did so that is to be ashamed to doe those things in the sight of God and his holy Angels Psal 139.2 Velleius paterculus which we are afraid to doe in the presence of men for they alwayes see vs though wee see not them they are about our beds and about our pathes and spie out all our wayes and therefore as Marcus Drusus when one told him he could build him an house of such a forme as that no man might see what he did therein answered that hee liked better of such an Architector as could build his house so as that euery one passing by might plainely see what was done therein so I wish to God that euery one of vs would striue and labour so to liue as it becommeth vs to doe in the sight of God and of his blessed Angels And so we see the Resurrection of Christ fully and plainely shewed vs to the eternall praise and glory of God and to the endlesse ioy and happinesse of all Christians through the said Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be ascribed all power and dominion both now and for euer Amen A Prayer O Blessed God which gauest thine onely Sonne Iesus Christ to suffer death for our sinnes to descend into Hell to destroy our enemies and to rise againe for our iustification and so to declare himselfe mightily to be the Sonne of God and the true Sauiour of all men We most humbly beseech thee to raise vs from the death of sinne from all our sinnes and to giue vs grace to beleeue in thee to be thankfull vnto thee and to serue thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life that when we shall be laid to rest in our graues we may rest in assured hope to be raised vp by Christ to liue with him for euermore through the same Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS The Sixt Golden Candlesticke HOLDING The Sixt greatest Light of Christian RELIGION Of the Ascention of our SAVIOVR and of the Donation of the HOLY GHOST EPHES. 4.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore he saith when hee ascended vp on high heeled captiuity captiue and gaue gifts vnto men AFter that the blessed Apostle Saint Paul had by many arguments proued vnto the Ephesians that they should earnestly studie The coherence of this verse with what goeth before and most carefully labour to preserue the vnity of the Church of Christ he seemeth in the seuenth verse to answer a certaine obiection that might bee made viz. seeing the graces the gifts and the offices which God hath bestowed vpon his Church are so many and so manifold so diuers and so vnequall some hauing many graces some but few some one gift and some another how can it be that this vnity can be so faithfully preserued therefore the Apostle sheweth that the diuersity and inequality of gifts is not onely no hinderance but is indeed a great furtherance to cherish and preserue the same First Because all these gifts do flow from the same fountaine Iesus Christ Secondly Because they are all giuen and imparted for the same end and purpose that is to gather together the Church of Christ into the vnity of faith The first reason he proueth out of this Prophesie of Dauid who speaking of the Messias triumphing ouer his enemies saith Thou art gone vp on high thou hast led captiuity captiue and receiued gifts for men And The second reason he confirmeth at large in the verses following where he sheweth that Christ gaue some Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers and all to this end that is for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Ministery for the edifying of the boâ—y of Christ till wee all come into the vnity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God Two things contained in this verse And therefore we finde contained in this verse two speciall points First A confirmation of the Apostles alledged reason that all graces doe flow from Christ in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore he saith Secondly A Propheticall prediction of the Messias in these words When he ascended vp on high he led captiuitie captiue and gaue gifts vnto men That the Scripture is the best warrant for all Preachers For the first I meane not to stand long vpon it I will onely note this one thing that all we the Teachers of Gods people according to the example of this Apostle nay of Christ himselfe and of all Christs true Schollers should not teach any positiue point of doctrine vnlesse we can either directly or by necessary consequence proue and confirme the same out of the Sacred Scriptures for whatsoeuer hath not authority from the word of God Eadem facilitate refellitur qua probatur may as well be reiected as receiued Hieron in Matth. c. 23. saith Saint Hierom and whatsoeuer is therein contained it requires absolute faith without doubting because as Hugo Cardinalis saith Quicquid in sacris literis docetur veritas est sine fallacia quicquid praecipitur bonitas est sine malicia quicquid promittitur faelicitas est sine miseria Whatsoeuer is caught in the Scripture it is truth it selfe without fallacy whatsoeuer is commanded it is purely good without the commixtion of any euill and whatsoeuer is promised it is perfect felicitie without the least
Triumph of Christ Part. 3 PART III. CHAP. I. Of the speciall ends why Christ ascended into heauen and of the gifts which he giueth to edifie the Church THirdly touching the bounty of Christ set downe in these words and he gaue gifts vnto men we must first reconcile the difference betwixt the Prophet and the Apostle about the same for Dauid saith thou hast receiued gifts for men and Saint Paul saith he giueth gifts to men and I answer that if we vnderstand it literally Dauid receiued gifts which for feare of his power were freely offered vnto him and if we vnderstand it mystically of Christ we finde the saying of both to be true for the Apostle speaketh of the things which Christ doth as God sending forth the holy Ghost and bestowing gifts on men and the Psalmist speaketh of him according to that which the same Christ doth in his body August in Psal 67. p. 289. a. i. which is his Church Thus no doubt saith Saint Augustine but as he is persecuted in his Church so accepit in membris qua dona membra eius accipiunt he receiued and receiueth gifts in men for whatsoeuer is done to them that beleeue in him the same is done to him or else we may say that the Son of God as he was man receiued those gifts from his Father which hee was afterwards to distribute and to giue vnto his Church for so we reade that he being exalted and hauing receiued of the Father the promise of the holy Ghost Act. 2.33 hee hath shed foorth this which we now see and heare and so the originall word which the Psalmist vseth signifieth to receiue that which wee must presently distribute saith Mollerus Mollerus in Psal 68. and therefore the difference is soone ended and the matter in both is true he receiued gifts and he gaue those gifts to men for wee finde as Bonauenture tels vs that our Sauiour ascended for foure speciall ends Christ ascended for foure speciall ends First to receiue his kingdome as himselfe intimateth vnto vs in the nineteenth of Luke and the twelfth verse Secondly to make vs the more earnestly to long for him Quia abijt occultat se Deus vt ardentius quaeratur à nobis because God doth therefore hide himselfe from vs that he may be the more earnestly sought of vs saith Saint Bernard Bernard in cant Thirdly to prepare a place for vs for though in respect of Gods purpose it was prepared for vs before the beginning of the world yet in respect of the effecting and bringing to passe the said purpose it was specially prepared for vs by Christ because he remoued all hinderances and made way for vs to enter into glory 1. by appeasing his fathers wrath 2. by cleansing our consciences from dead workes 3. by opening vnto vs the gates of heauen and 4. by making continuall intercession for vs As Bonauenture speaketh Fourthly to send downe his holy Spirit vnto vs Ioh. 16.17 for so our Sauiour saith It is expedient for you that I goe away Quia nisi dederitis quod amatis non habebitis quod desideratis for vnlesse I goe away the comforter will not come vnto you but if I depart I will send him vnto you Tertul. l. de carne Christi for now saith Tertullian Graetum quoddam commercium inter coelum terram existit celebratum a most gratefull exchange and a friendly louing bargaine was made betwixt heauen and earth that to the inhabitants of heauen should be giuen the flesh of Christ and to vs on earth should be bestowed the comforts of Gods holy Spirit and so the Spirit of God should remaine with vs on earth and our flesh should dwell with them for euer in heauen and then all things to be common betwixt vs eternally and therefore he did not send his Spirit vnto vs before he had ascended into heauen Why Christ would not bestow his gifts on men before his ascention non propter impotentiam sed quia habuerunt corporalem prasentiam not in respect of any impotency that he could not doe it but because we had his corporall presence and because as the raine doth not descend vntill the mist and dew doe first ascend so the gratious raine of Gods Spirit did not fall vpon Gods inheritance to refresh it when it was weary vntill this fruit of the wombe which was as the dew of the morning had first ascended into heauen but as when that little cloud like a mans hand 1 Kings 11. did rise out of the sea there was a sound of much raine so when that humble flesh of Christ was ascended out of this world into heauen then he gaue gifts vnto men Aug. de verbis domini p. 63. b. 1. to 10. But what are these gifts which he giueth Saint Augustine saith it is his holy Spirit Tale donum qualis ipse est such a gift as himselfe is for he gaue himselfe and he giues a gift equall to himselfe because the gift of Christ is the Spirit of Christ but heare the Apostle saith hee gaue gifts and not a gift and therefore though I doe confesse that this holy and blessed Spirit is the author and fountaine of all gifts by whom wee haue remission of sinnes subiection of our enemies and all other gifts of grace and glory sealed vnto vs yet I say that the Apostle herein meaneth not so much the spirit himselfe as the gifts and graces of his Spirit And therefore that wee may the better vnderstand the fulnesse of this point of the bounty of Christ we must consider these foure speciall things Foure points to be considered 1. What manner of gifts they are 2. What gifts are here meant 3. How he doth bestow them 4. On whom he doth bestow them First that the gifts of God are free gifts For the first wee must know that they were gratuita free gifts so the words dedit dona he gaue them and he gaue them as gifts doe sufficiently declare or otherwise si praememeruisti tum emisti non gratis accepisti if thou hadst done any thing to deserue these gifts then hadst thou bought them and not freely receiued them and God had sold them and not giuen them and so they had beene praemia non dona rewards for thy good deedes and not gifts of his meere grace but this point is so cleere that I neede not stand on it Matth. 10.8 Freely you haue receiued saith our Sauiour freely giue for euery one may take of these waters of life freely and may haue these gifts Esay 51.1 like Esayas milke without money or moneyes worth For the second wee must note that the gifts of God are either 1. Temporall Secondly the the gifts of God are of two sorts 2. Spirituall First The temporall gifts he gaue vnto all sorts of men aswell before as after his ascention for wee must note that euery thing which we haue is
people and say hearing yee shall heare and shall not vnderstand and seeing yee shall see and not perceiue Acts 28.25 26. and therefore our Sauiour biddeth vs to goe and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost But it is obiected as Nazianzen saith that he is no where called God but the holy Ghost or the spirit of God Nazian orat 5. de Theol. and therefore he is not God I answer briefely that this is false for Saint Peter said vnto Ananias why hath Satan filled thy heart Acts 5.3.4 to lye to the holy Ghost thou hast not lied vnto men but vnto God And therefore seing the spirit of God created all things and being created preserued them as Moses sheweth Gen. 1.2 the spirit of God moued vpon the waters i. e. to cherish and to retayne them together and now in like manner hee sanctifieth and preserueth vs as Melancthon sheweth in that godly wish which he maketh Spiritus vt Domini nascentia corpora fouit cum manus artificis couderat ipsa Dei Sic foueat caetus qui Christi oracula discunt accendatque igni pectora nostra suo And especially seeing that the holy Scripture doth more plainely testifie the same almost in euery place wee say that the name of the Holy Ghost is first taken for the Essence of God Secondly The name of the Holy Ghost is taken for the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost as where the Prophet saith Take not thy holy spirit from me Psal 51.11 2 Cor. 13.5 and where the Apostle saith Know you not that Iesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates And againe Rom. 8.9 you are not in the flesh but in the spirit if the spirit of God dwell in you and so when it is said that they were all filled with the Holy Ghost we must vnderstand it of the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost And these gifts and graces of Gods Spirit are excellently deciphered and set downe vnto vs vnder the properties and conditions of those formes and figures wherein the Holy Ghost did appeare vnto vs and that is if I doe rightly collect them three speciall times The Spirit of God appeared in the likenesse of fiue speciall things First vnto the Israelites 1. In a pillar of cloud by day 2. In a pillar of fire by night Secondly at the Baptisme of Christ he descended vpon him like a Doue Thirdly At the day of Pentecost he appeared 1. Like the rushing of a mighty winde 2. Like clouen tongues of fire First like a cloud First He appeared in a pillar of cloud to shew vnto vs that as the cloud betokeneth 1. A shadowing from heate 2. A sending downe of raine As 1 King 18.45 the Heauens were blacke with cloudes and windes and there was a great raine so the Spirit of God doth ouershadow vs from the heate of the wrath of God it cooleth and refresheth our scorched soules and as the raine maketh the barren earth fertile and fruitfull In what râ—spect the holy Ghost is like vnto waters so doth the graces of Gods spirit make our barren hearts plentifull in all good workes for the Holy Ghost in many places is compared vnto water because that as water 1. Mollifieth the hard earth 2. Fructifieth the barren ground 3. Quencheth the greatest heate 4. Cleanseth the foulest things and so forth So doth the Spirit of God In what respect the Holy Ghost is like vnto water 1. Soften our hard hearts 2. Fructifie our barren soules 3. Quench the heate of lust 4. Clense vs from all our sinnes And so make vs to become fit temples for himselfe to remaine in vs. Secondly He appeared in a pillar of fire Secondly like fire to shew his consubstantiality with the Father and the Sonne saith Nazianzen because God is fire and so appeared in the fiery bush from whence it may be came that custome among the Chaldeans which afterward spread it selfe among many other Nations of the Gentiles to worship the fire for their God whereas indeed they should haue worshipped that God which is fire and did appeare like fire to teach vs that as the fire hath in it saith Oecumenius 1. Calorem 2. Splendorem 3. Motionem 1. Heate to warme mollifie and purifie In what respects the Holy Ghost is like vnto fire 2. Splendor to giue light and to illuminate 3. Motion to be alwayes working Euen so the Spirit of God First Warmeth and heateth the hearts of the godly with a feruent and a fiery zeale of all godlinesse he mollifieth their hard and stony hearts and it consumeth all the drossie substance of sinne and so purifieth their soules from all wickednesse Secondly Iohn 6.13 He illuminateth their hearts with the knowledge of God for he bringeth them into all truth and he maketh their light to shine before men that they seeing their good workes Mat. 5.16 doe glorifie their Father which is in Heauen Thirdly He maketh them alwayes to be in action and neuer idle but as it is said of Christ euer going about doing good Thirdly He appeared like a Doue Thirdly like a Doue when he descended vpon our Sauiour Christ at his Baptisme first because as Bonauenture saith he came not then to strike our sinnes by the zeale of his fury but to beare them and to take them away through the meekenesse of his Passion but on the other side Greg. hom 30. in Euang. hee descended vpon the Apostles like fire because in these which were simply men and therefore sinners he would kindle a spirituall feruency against themselues and cause them to punish those sinnes in themselues by repentance which God had pardoned vnto them through his mercy and secondly he descended on Christ like a harmelesse Doue and not like vnto tongues of fire because Christ was not to be taught Cyrillus hierosol Catech. 7. which is signified by the tongues for his lippes were full of grace nor to be sorrowfull for his sinnes which is signified by the fire because in him there was no sinne but his Doue-like properties were to be shewed that hee was innocent Iohn 1.29 meeke and lowly in heart for as of all the beasts of the field the little silly Lambe is in most respects best qualified and therefore is Christ called the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinne of the world In what respect the Holy Ghost is like a Doue so of all the fowles of Heauen the Doue in most respects is most excellent for she is annunciator pacis the messenger and proclaimer of peace shee brought the Oliue branch vnto Noah she wanteth gall she hath no bitternesse in her she neuer hurts with her bill nor clawes she is full of loue and yet she neuer sings any wanton tune but woo woo is her matutinus vespertinus cantus her mournfull morning and euening song and
therefore the Holy Ghost descended on Christ like a Doue Matth. 3.16 to shew these Doue-like qualities of this Lambe of God and to teach that we must be thus qualified like Doues if we would haue this heauenly Doue this Holy Spirit of God to remaine within vs for on them that are otherwise this Doue hath not yet descended Fourthly like a mighty winde Fourthly He appeared like the rushng of a mighty winde for a true winde it was not saith Oecumenius but the Spirit of God Qui à spirando flando dicitur which from blowing or breathing is called spirit is said to appeare First Like the winde and that for these fiue reasons Iohn 9. â— First As the winde bloweth where it listeth so the graces and gifts of Gods Spirit are giuen to whomsoeuer it pleaseth him for he will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy Exod. 33.19 In what respect the Holy Ghost is like vnto winde Secondly As the winde scattereth the dust and driueth away the chaffe from the corne so the graces of Gods Spirit doth winnow the consciences of the Saints and driue away all wicked thoughts and cogitations from their hearts Thirdly As the winde carrieth away the ship against the maine streame so will the grace of Gods Spirit carry a man against the current of his naturall inclination for if Socrates by the sole helpe of morall instructions was able to bridle his loose disposition how much more shall those men bee restrained from all lewdnesse which are led by diuine inspiration Fourthly As the winde cooleth and recreateth all those that are scorched with the heate of the Sunne so doth the grace of Gods Spirit recreate all those distressed people that are scorched with the heate of afflictions or burned with the concupiscence of their sinnes Fiftly As the winde will passe vnresistably so will the grace of Gods Spirit worke it owne â—ffect and all the power of darknesse is not able to resist it and therefore Secondly It is said 1 Kings 10.11 that he appeared like the rushing of a mighty winde because that as the mighty winde in the first booke of Kings the 10. and the 11. did rend the mountaines and brake the rockes before the Lord so the grace of Gods Spirit and the Word of God is mighty in operation Why the Holy Ghost is compared to a mighty winde able to shake the stoutest and the proudest man and to breake in pieces the stoniest heart Indeed our people do esteeme our words none otherwise then winde which makes vs spend so much winde to little purpose to weary our selues and scarce to waken them but here let them know that the Spirit of God like Aeolus which shutteth vp the windes in his bagges can when he pleases let out the same in a mighty manner to amaze the consciences of the stoutest Peeres and either to driue away their sinnes Exod 10.19 Psal 1.5 as it droue away the Grashoppers and Locusts that ouerspread the land of Egypt or else to driue them away like the Chaffe from off the face of earth Fiftly He appeared like clouen tongues of fire First Like tongues for though the tongue Fiftly like clouen tongues of fire i. e. such a tongue as is set on fire from Hell as Saint Iames saith is many times the instrument of the Diuell to doe much mischiefe to blaspheme God and to abuse men yet Vt non debent oues odere pelles suas quia induunt eas lupi As the sheepe should not hate their skins because the Wolues doe many times put them on so ought none that is wise reiect that which is good because it is often abused by the bad therefore seeing as Pittacus saith the tongue as it is the worst member in a wicked man so it is one of the best members in a godly man Iames 5.6 Why the Holy Ghost appeared like tongues the Holy Ghost did appeare like tongues First Because as a Father saith Symbolum est lingua spiritus sancti à patris verbo procedentis The tongue is a symbole of the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Word of the Father for as the tongue hath the greatest cognation and the neerest affinity with the Word and is moued by the Word of the heart to expresse the same by the sound of the voyce saith Saint Gregory Iohn 16.14 so the Holy Ghost hath the neerest affinity that may be with the word God and is the expressor of his voyce and the speaker of his will that receiueth of him and reueileth all vnto vs. Secondly Because as the tongues are the sole instruments of knowledge which conuayes the same from man to man for though the soule be the fountaine from whence all wisedome springeth yet the tongue is the channell and the conduite pipe whereby this wisedome this knowledge is communicated and transferred from man to man so the Holy Ghost is the sole Author and Teacher of all truth Christ is the wisedome of God but the Holy Ghost is the Teacher of this wisedome vnto men 1 Cor. 1.21 and it pleased him by this onely way to conuay this wisedome of God vnto men for seeing the world by their wisedome knew not God in the wisedome of God it pleased God through the foolishnesse of Preaching to saue those that beleeue Why he appeared like clouen tongues Secondly He appeared like clouen tongues because all tongues and all languages are alike knowne and vnderstood of God and because this Spirit can teach all men all languages and the gift of tongues is a gift of God Why he appeared like clouen tongues Thirdly He appeared like clouen tongues of fire they were ignitae non politae fiery tongues and not fine polished tongues because the Spirit of God delighteth rather in the zealous and the feruent tongues of Saint Paul and Apollos that warme the heart then in those eloquent tongues of Cicero and Demosthenes that delight the eares for this is the desire of Gods Spirit to kindle the hearts of men and to set them on fire with the loue of God and our brethren So when our Sauiour preached vnto the two Disciples that trauelled towards Emaus they said Did not our hearts burne within vs Luke 24. while hee talked with vs by the way This is the effect of the tongue of the Holy Ghost to worke zeale and feruency in the hearers And so you see the thing wherewith they were said to be filled that is the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost CHAP. IIII. Of the filling of the Apostles with those gifts of the Holy Ghost and the signes of their fulnesse SEcondly They are said to be filled with these gifts and Dydimus saith that wee cannot be filled with any creature Quia deus solus implet creaturas Because nothing but God can replenish and satisfie his creatures Vnus pellaeo Iuueni non sufficit orbis The whole world is not able to content vs so large
meaner Schollers cannot doe so profoundly as the grauer Diuines can doe and the older men cannot doe it so often as the yonger sort can doe and yet neither must be contemned for if the young men had had the time of the aged no doubt but they would doe as well as the aged Aristotle Et si senex haberet oculum inuenis videret vt iuuenis And if the ancient men had the strength bodies of yong men it is not vnlikely but that they would still take paines as young men Neither doe I say this to vphold sloath or negligence in any Age for to our vttermost ability as I said before we must all continue constant vnto death but to reproue our partiall Age that adoreth the Sunne rising in the East and applaudeth the quicke wits and many Sermons of youth but make none account of aged Paul and the best labours of declining age Philemon v. 9. vnlesse with the Israelites they can make vp the same tale of Brickes as they did in youth though they haue neither Straw nor Stubble neither sight of eyes nor strength of bodies to performe it and to shew how euery man should doe his best Iuxta mensuram Donationis Christi according to that measure of grace which he hath receiued from Christ And so much for the filling of the Apostles with the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost CHAP. V. Of the effects and fruits of their filling with the Holy Ghost and how this Spirit sealeth them and sheweth them to be the true seruants of Iesus Chist THirdly For the effects of their filling it is said The fruits and effects of the holy Ghost that they began to speake with other tongues as the Spirit gaue them vtterance First They began to speake because the Spirit of God is neuer idle but where it sees cause will speake though it should cost the speakers life Secondly They spake with other tongues i. e. not as carnall men talking of fleshly or worldly matters nor as wicked prophane wretches belching forth Blasphemia in deum Blasphemies against God but as regenerate and sanctified men they shew forth magnalia dei the wonderfull workes of God And hereby all men might know whether they were the seruants of Christ by this Spirit of Christ for as our Sauiour saith of the false Apostles the same is true of all Apostles Matth. 7.16 by their fruits you shall know them for as in whomsoeuer the spirit of Satan is you shall see that he will reueale them by their lewd words and by their wicked works which are the workes of darkenesse so in whomsoeuer the Spirit of God is hee will seale them and marke them with a foure-fold marke saith Bonauenture that is signo 1. Veritatis credendorum 2. Honestatatis morum 3. Contemptus mundanorum 4. Charitatis Dei et proximorū 1. With true Religion The holy Ghost sealeth vs with a four-fold seale 2. With an vpright conuersation 3. With contempt of vanity 4. With perfect charity First It worketh Faith in their hearts for this is the fundamentall root of all other graces and therfore the Apostle well obserueth out of the Prophet that a man first beleeueth Faith is the root of all graces and then speaketh for we haue beleeued saith he and therefore haue wee spoken whereas if they had not beleeued they would neuer haue spoken of the wonderfull workes of God and therefore the holy Ghost did first worke faith in their hearts and then it caused the same to speake and to expresse it selfe by this preaching of the works of God And Secondly of good workes which are Secondly because the verity of our faith is euer knowne by the sinceritie of our life therefore these signes shall follow them that beleeue Gregor de 7. pec Magdal First to suppresse sinne First They shall cast out Deuils i. e. vitia voluptatis they shall suppresse all sinnes as Saint Gregory expounds it because euery sinne is as bad as the Deuill Secondly They shall speake with new tongues i. e. vtter forth verba vtilitatis Secondly to praise God holy and heauenly words and because our naturall tongues were like the poison of Aspes these may well be called new tongues when they doe sing a new song Thirdly to bridle their lusts Thirdly They shall take vp serpents i. e. concupiscentias sensualitatis the biting and poisonous concupiscences of our sensuall flesh shall be though not quite taken away from them yet they shall bee taken vp in their hands as Hercules is said to haue held the two serpents which Iuno sent to deuoure him in both his hands while hee was but a childe in his cradle and they shall be so restrayned and held fast that they shall not be able to doe them violence Fourthly to beare all iniuries Fourthly If they drinke any deadly poison it shall not hurt them i. e. iniurias aduersitatis if they must swallow downe lies and slanders yet for all the malice and the mischiefe of the wicked non inflammantur per superbiam non suffocantur per maliciam non disrumpuntur per inuidiam they shall neither swell with enuy nor burst with malice nor any wayes perish through their indignity Luke 21.19 but in their patience they shall possesse their soules And Fiftly to doe good vnto all men Fiftly They shall lay hands on the sicke and they shall recouer them i. e. adiutoria charitatis remedia iniquitatis they shall exercise such deeds of charity that by their good counsels and admonitions they shall recouer many a languishing dying soule Thirdly of contempt of vanities and bring them backe againe to sauing health And Thirdly because these things cannot be practised vnlesse the pompe and pride of worldly vanities be quite contemned and troden vnder feet therefore the Spirit of God worketh in them a minde to forsake all worldly things And Fourthly Fourthly of charity Rom. 5.5 because no worke is good vnlesse it proceedeth from the root of charity therefore the Spirit of God diffuseth this loue into the hearts of his seruants that they wish no euill to any man but are ready to doe good euen to them that hate them And these foure seales and signes of Gods Spirit are expressed in the twelfth chapter of the Reuelation where Saint Iohn saw a woman clothed with the Sunne Apoc. 12.1 and the Moone vnder her feet and vpon her head a crowne of twelue Starres and she being with childe cryed trauelling in birth and paine to be deliuered For this woman signifieth the Church of Christ or euery faithfull Christian soule And first her Sun-like shining is the brightnesse of her good workes and heauenly conuersation which doth so shine before men Matth. 5.16 that they glorifie God which is in heauen Secondly the Moone vnder her feet signifieth her contemning and trampling vnder feet all the vaine and variable things of this sublunary world Thirdly her crowne
are giuen vnto all other Preachers CHAP. VII How the gifts and graces that are giuen for the sanctifying of our soules are conferred and bestowed vpon men SEcondly By what meanes we receiue the grace of God for the other gifts and graces that are giuen for the sanctifying of our soules they were and are giuen euer after the same manner that is First by those outward meanes which God hath appointed and Secondly by the inward working of his blessed spirit for though I confesse with Saint Augustine and others that God can speake by his spirit in occulto and teach our spirits in silentio to crie Abba Father All graces come by hearing Gods Word and by receiuing of his Sacraments yet we find that ordinarily all the gifts and graces of God as Faith Hope Charitie Patience and all other graces whatsoeuer are wrought in vs by those meanes which God hath appointed for this purpose and they are two 1. The hearing of Gods Word 2. The receiuing of the blessed Sacraments First we finde that the best way to attaine vnto any gift of grace is to heare the Preaching of Gods Word because prayer by which all graces are obtained is the fruit of Faith Rom. 10.17 and Faith commeth by hearing saith the Apostle Neither is it euery kinde of hearing That all kinde of hearing profiteth not the hearers that will suffice to obtaine grace for as there be many that can receiue no grace because like the deaffe Adders they will not heare at all so there be as many that can receiue but very little grace because they heare amisse I haue read it in Erasmus that Demosthenes on a time discoursing seriously of necessarie considerations of State-businesse all his Auditors fell asleepe the Orator to awaken them said he had a prettie storie to relate vnto them viz. that a young man hyred an Asse from Athens to Megara and in the heate of the day he couched vnder the Asse to take the benefit of her shadow the owner denied him the vse of the Asses shadow saying he hyred the Asse and not her shadow and therefore he should not haue it vnlesse he would anew compound for it the young man said he would haue the aduantage of his bargaine with that they fell from words to blowes and so Demosthenes staid his speech whereupon all his Auditors desired him to goe on that they might heare the issue of that Tragedy the Orator replied I discoursed of the safetie of your Common-wealth and you fell asleepe and now I told you a Tale of an Asse and see how attentiue you are to it and so he reprooued the madnesse of his people Foolish hearers euen so wee haue many hearers that are more attentiue vnto trifling words and more delighted with the forme and phrases then they are with the substance of the matter like vnto little children that loue the guilded out-side of the book better then all the wisdome that is therein contained or the laces of there coate better then the coate it selfe And some we haue like the Egyptians about the fall of Nilus that at the first were much affrighted at the hideous noyse thereof Acts 26.28 but within a little while after they were accustomed with the same they were no waies moued thereat so they like Agrippa at the first hearing of the Word Preached are something touched with the sence of their sinnes but within a very little while Customarie hearers they grow carelesse of all goodnesse others like the Auditors in Strabo that attentiuely heard the Philosopher vntill the market-bell of their profit did ring and then they left him all alone or rather like the hearers of Saint Paul Worldly hearers which gaue him audience vntill hee touched their hearts with their vnbeliefe so our men will heare vs if it be not against their worldly profit they wil heare placentia such things as are pleasing for them others heare so much that in very deed Onely hearers and no doers they doe nothing els but heare for they neuer practice any thing at all but the practice of iniquitie they will heare a Sermon euery day two for fayling three sometimes but they will not forsake one sinne for a whole yeeres Sermons they heare them to be wiser not to be better Ah wretched men that you are procul hinc procul ite profani Why will you heare Gods Lawes and yet hate to be reformed for this will turne to your further condemnation not because you doe heare Gods Word which is good but because you doâ— not doe that which you heare to be good and so we haue many other sorts of hearers that by their hearing doe receiue no grace because they heare amisse And therefore not all hearers but all those that take heede how they heare that doe heare that they may vnderstand and vnderstand that they may practise and practise that they may please their God those doe receiue the gifts and graces of God Secondly The receiuing of the Sacraments a most excellent meanes to beget all graces we know that the blessed Sacraments are most excellent meanes to beget Faith and Loue all other graces in the worthie receiuers of the same for they be verba visibilia euangelij such things as doe visibly shew vnto our eyes all that the Word of God doth teach and speake vnto our eares for what is the sum of Gods Word and of all the Preaching in the world but that Iesus Christ suffered and died for our sinnes that we through him might haue eternall life and what can shew this more plainely then the blessed Sacraments doe for in Baptisme we see how the childe is regenerate and borne anew and ingrafted into Christ and as the water cooleth all the scorching heat of the flesh and washeth away all filthines from our bodies and maketh euery thing fruitfull so the gifts and graces of Gods spirit doth coole in vs the heat of our fleshly concupiscence and clenseth vs from all sins How the Sacraments shew vs all that the Scripture teacheth and maketh vs to abound in all good workes and in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we doe most apparantly see that as the Bread which is broken and then giuen vs to be eaten for to strengthen our heart and to sustaine our life and the Wine is powred out and giuen vs to drinke it for to comfort our hearts so Christ was broken in pieces as I shewed in my Treatise of his Passion for our sinnes and his blood was powred out to make satisfaction for our transgressions and so he is giuen vnto vs as the foode of our soules and the onely ioy of our heart to sustaine vs to refresh vs and to be our onely comforter in all distresse And the consideration of these visible things should as effectually work in vs Faith to beleeue in him Hope to expect all good from him and Charity for all receiued graces most intirely to
to receiue and therefore prayer which is the onely grace whereby wee render vnto God that praise and glorie which is due vnto his name must needs be more excellent then all the other graces whereby we receiue blessings from god And is prayer so superexcellent a grace super alias caput extulit omnes that it surpasseth all other graces then surely I cannot choose but commend that great deuotion of our auncestors and fore-fathers that were so zealous so instant and so constant in continuall praying Indeede I bewaile their ignorance and their blindnesse that knew not well for what or to whom or how to pray but I know God will not breake the bruised reed and the smoking flaxe he will not quench and therefore How our forefathers exceeded vs in deuotion though their prayers wanted the true light of knowledge which no doubt would haue made them more acceptable vnto God more comfortable to themselues yet I doe assure my self God despised not the smoake of their deuotion nor reiected the desire of their hearts yea seeing that as Saint Augustine saith melior est fidelis ignorantia quam temeraria scientia an humble zealous ignorance is better then a rash proud and disdaineful knowledge I doubt not but they pleased God farre better with their deuout ignorant praying then many of vs doe with our negligent and neuer praying knowledge for they ascended to the highest steppe of all deuotion and pietie which is prayer and many of vs neuer goe beyond the lowest steppe which is hearing they did what was commanded and knew it not many of vs know it and doe it not they spent most of their time in praying and most of vs spend our time in hearing and so placing all religion almost in hearing wee are like those foolish women which are euer learning and neuer able to come to the knowledge nor willing to come to the practise of the truth But though the hearing of Gods Word bee the chiefest outward ordinarie meanes to beget Faith and Hope and all other graces in the hearts of Gods elect and therefore must not by any meanes be neglected if we would bee saued yet seeing that as the Apostle saith not the hearers of the Law but the doers of the Law shall bee iustified and that prayer is the chiefest part of Gods seruice yea and that it is First the onely request that Christ made vnto his Church when he tooke his last farewell of her on earth saying O let me heare thy voice Cantic vlt. the companions hearken to thy voice O cause me to heare it that is by thy continuall praiers and supplications vnto me Secondly the greatest comfort of a Christian man for we are all so full of miseries while we liue in this wretched world that there is no man liuing but if hee could haue knowne before he was borne what miseries must befall him in this life he would haue heartily prayed that the wombe of his birth might be the tombe of his buriall yet in all the calamities that man must vndergoe he can haue no greater comfort then he hath by praying to God for by this alone wee walke with Angels we talke with God we relate our griefe wee bewaile our sorrowes and being alone we haue the best and sweetest conference in the world O then beloued brethren as Nazianzen saith of Gorgonia that shee was giuen to pray Vt genua terra contreuerint that her knees seemed alwayes to stoope and grow to the ground by reason of her continuall kneeling in hearty prayers and as Eusebius saith of Iames the brother of the Lord that his knees by reason of his continuall kneeling in prayers became as hard Camels knees i. e. benummed and bereaued of all sense and feeling so let vs vse continually to pray and if wee would obtaine any thing at the hands of God or if we would ouercome the malice of men let vs pray and pray continually saith the Apostle or if wee be so full that wee want nothing yet wee haue need to pray for Christ prayed not only in deserto which was a place of distresse That wee haue as great neede to pray in prosperity as in aduersity Iohn 18.2 Iohn 6. but also in horto in the garden which was a place of pleasure not only in his agony but also in his dignity when he should be made a King to teach vs that we haue as much need to pray in prosperity as in aduersity to pray for help that we enter not into temptation and to pray for grace that we may rightly vse the grace of God and therefore in all estates and at all times pray and in your prayers pray for vs. And so I come to the last part which is the large extent of prayer PART IIII. CHAP. I. For whom we ought to pray generally for all men more especially for the Magistrates and most especially for the Ministers of Gods word SEcondly Hauing heard of the first part of the Apostles request the act that you should doe pray we are now to consider of the second part which is the extention for whom you should pray for vs pray for vs. You must therefore pray first for your selues it is of necessity included for nulli sapit qui sibi non sapit it is certaine that hee which seldome prayeth for himselfe will neuer pray for others neither is it enough for vs to pray for our selues but we must pray one for another for though the wicked fibi nati sibi vinunt sibi damnati are good for nothing and therefore will pray neither for themselues nor others yet the godly will pray for themselues and for all others First Propter vniuersalem vocationem That we ought to pray for all men because we outwardly call all men and preach to all men euery one that thirsteth come to the waters and therefore we must pray for all men Secondly Propter efficaciam gratiae because of the vnspeakeable efficacy of this grace of prayer which is able to obtaine of God of these stones and stony hearted sinners to raise vp children vnto Abraham for if the words of men be so powerfull to moue the affection as that the Poet saith quid facundia posset Repatuit fortisque viri tulit arma disertus then how much more powerfull is the word of God which is the power of God vnto saluation to all that beleeue Christus vim verbis vim gēmis vim dedit herbis Verbis maiorem gemmis herbisque minorem and is able to diuide the soule and the spirit and if the word preached bee so powerfull how much more powerfull is the word of prayer and therefore seeing we preach to all why should we not pray for all Thirdly Propter nostram ignorantiam because God onely knoweth who are his and we are none of his priuie Counsellers we know not whose names are written in the booke of life nor when God will call any man vnto his mercy whether
like King Therons Coursers that were neuer weary of running that so they may escape all the fiery darts of Satan and finish their course with ioy when they shall receiue that Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord hath prepared for them that loue him And thus dearely beloued you see that although man for his sinne was eiected out of Paradise and subiected to all miseries yet through the mercy of God in sending his Sonne to be made man to suffer for man to ouercome the diuell sinne and death to raise himselfe from death to ascend to Heauen to send his holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his heauenly graces wee shall if we beleeue in him and serue him praise his Name for all his blessings loue one another and pray one for another attaine vnto euerlasting happinesse Vnto the which happinesse the Lord of his goodnesse bring vs all through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be ascribed as is most due all Glory and Honour and Praise and Thankes and Power and Maiesty and Dominion both now and for euermore Amen A Prayer O Eternall God and our most gratious Father wee most humbly beseech thee for Iesus Christ his sake to forgiue vs all our sinnes which we acknowledge and confesse to be more in number then the sands of the Sea which cannot bee numbred cleanse vs O Lord with the bloud of Christ and plant in vs those heauenly gifts and graces whereby wee may be inabled to serue thee as we ought to doe in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life increase our faith stirre vp our hope and kindle our loue and our charity both towards thy selfe and all men for thy sake giue vs patience to vndergo without offending thee whatsoeuer miseries this wicked world shall any wayes heape vpon vs blesse our gracious King the Prince and all the royall issue blesse all the Ministers of thy Church and all the Magistrates of this Common-wealth Grant O Lord thy grace vnto thy Ministers that they may faithfully preach the Word of truth and sincerely liue a most vpright and a godly life grant to the Magistrates thy grace O God to defend right without remissenesse and to punish vice without maliciousnesse and because we are all thy creatures the workes of thy hands made by thee preserued by thee and inioying all we haue life and liuelihood from thee O Lord be mercifull vnto vs all and remember that we are but dust consider O consider that we are but as grasse not able to doe what we would not able to doe any thing that is good vnlesse thou dost it in vs O then let our soules liue and wee will praise thy Name we will magnifie thee for euer and euer for all the blessings that we haue receiued from thee our Creation Redemption Sanctification Preseruation and our assured hope of Glorification and all other graces whatsoeuer through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Soliloquie of the Author O Eternall God thou hast created me and I haue offended thee thou hast redeemed me and I still continued vnthankefull vnto thee and yet thou hast heaped many blessings vpon me and giuen me grace to be desirous to serue thee and according to my poore and weake ability to shew forth these lights vnto thy Church I confesse O Lord whatsoeuer is ill herein is onely mine and whatsoeuer is good is truely thine and therefore I desire thee to pardon mine euill and to make me thankefull for thy good and so to accept that worke done by thy grace that it may be crowned with thy glory I doe not long for any worldly thing the whole world lyeth in wickednesse but I desire my soule may be married vnto thee to liue with thee for euermore and therefore O blessed God seeing that as I haue none in heauen so I haue none in earth but onely thou to be my helper I beseech thee to be my redeeming kinsman to preserue my wearied body from the malice of this world and to preferre my disconsolate soule vnto euerlasting ioyes through Iesus Christ mine onely Sauiour Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS THE TABLE AB ABstaine from sinne is from God 205 God neuer absolueth vnrepentant sinners 242 Absurdities God shunneth in all things 324 Absurdities of the Lutheran doctrine touching the communication of properties 377. c. Absurdities following the high-Priest saying that the Disciples stole Christ away 564 Nature not able to shew the reason how the world should be made 138 God able to doe what he will 147 To hinder what he will not haue done ibid. To doe more then he did or doth or will doe 148. 149. c. Phrases of being able or not able how to be vnderstood 158 God able to produce any thing of nothing 163 God able to forgiue all sinnes 164 God not able to doe contrary to what hee decreed 165 Not able to doe things contrary to his Nature 165 Gods ability to helpe vs a great comfort to the godly 177 Absurdities of the doctrine of transubstantiation 174 God able to saue men without the Incarnation of his Sonne 320 None able to know God as hee is in himselfe 120 Abstract names of all excellencies most proper vnto God 122 Goodnesse of God abused by the wicked 225 Abuse of Christ not paralelled in any age 474 AC To be an Accepter of persons what it is 210 We should acknowledge whence wee haue all our goodnesse 211 Inward actions of God euer in doing necessary incommunicable 275 Christ how falsly accused by his enemies 471 Whereof accused before Pilate and how false those accusations were 472 Acts meerely voluntary no sinnes 15. 32 Actuall sinne what it is 10 All actions adiudged according to the disposition of the will 55 Act of punishment least agreeable to Gods nature 195 No act can exceed the power of the agent 209 Actors in the Tragedy of Christ his Passion who they were 421 Gods free actions not curiously to be searched into 555 Chiefest Acts of Dauid types of Christ 617 AD Adam sinning we all sinned 3 Adams fall brought on vs a two-fold euill 3 What God commanded Adam how small a thing it was 98 Adamant how mollified 5â—6 Aduersity makes the Saints more resplendent then prosperity 207 Aduersity and affliction not simply good ibid. AE Aescilus how he came by his death 613 AF. Affirmatiue precepts how many viz. 248. 230 Christ why afflicted by God 496 Affections of Christ how they differ from ours in three respects 444 AG. Agony of Christ what was the cause thereof 443 The seuerall ages of the world 402. 403 Agents that there be three sorts 162 Christ borne in the sixâ— age of the world and why 403 Age of man diuided into foure parts 68 AL. How all we haue is from God 129 All men taste of Gods goodnesse 201 How all men may be said to hate the Preachers 435 Alcestes how deerely she loued her Husband 425 AN. Anabaptists heresie what
of vs. 118 All the excellencies of Christs man-hood were created excellencies 146 God expressed to Moses what he is three manner of wayes 121 Examples of Gods mercy in seeking after sinners 181 We should carefully examine whether we loue God or not 189 Examples of Gods slownesse to punish sin 194 Good examples a great meanes to further godlinesse 360 Three sorts of men excluded from the Paschall Lambe 682 Excellency of diuine truth 215 EK The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether rightly translated created or not 287 FA. THree faculties of the soule of man 53 Euery faculty of the soule defiled by sinne ibid. Fathers how they extoll the power of God ibid. Faith seeth what reason perceiueth not 176 God called Father of mercies neuer called Father of vengeance and why 195 Faults of some not to be ascribed vnto all 221 God the Father alwayes begetteth the Sonne 275 The name of Father taken two wayes 278 God the Father of Christ not as he is our Father 291 The Father how greater then Christ 300 Father sent not Christ by way of command 301 Christ the fairest among the sons of men 353 Family from whence Christ descended 396 c. Faults of the Disciples Christ would not reueale 466 Faith foure-fold 647 Iustifying faith the properties of it 648 FE That we should feare our Lord. 131 That we should aswell feare Gods iustice as hope for his mercy 244 Feare is two-fold 355 Feare and sorrow how they differ 449 What Christ feared 450. 455 c. Whom we neede not feare 538 God in what sence to be feared 539 Magistrates and parents in what sence to be feared 538 Feare brought into the world by sinne 540 God how he ought to be feared 541 That we ought to feare in euery state of grace lapse and recouerie 441 FI. Fire and sinne cannot be concealed 20 Fire and sinne not resisted will necessarily increase 22 Christ in what respect sayd to be the first begotten Sonne of God 291 That we should striue to be the first in Gods seruice 590 Apostles onely filled with the holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost 658 Fiue kindes of kisses 460 FL. Flesh apt to conceiue sin 14 Flesh taken for the corrupted qualitie of man 8 Flesh of Christ made by all the three persons of the Trinity 325 Flesh diuers kindes 339 Our flesh assumed by Christ 369 Flesh of Christ how said to be Deified 369 How said to doe diuine operations 389 Christ how flouted by all men 481 482 Flesh the tenderer the more sensible of paine 483 FO Forgetfulnesse an infernall Fiend 60 To forbeare to punish sinne increaseth the number of sinners 90 Fore-sight of good and euill is not the cause of punishment or reward of either 95 Heathens fâ—lsly ascribed to Fortune what is true of God 139 To forgiue sinne the greatest worke of Gods power 140 God able to forgiue sinnes ibid. In the forgiuing of sinnes many particulars to be considered 183 God forgiuâ—th all sinnes or no sinne 184 God cannot forget to be mercifull ibid. Foâ—giuenâ—sse of sinnes our chiefest comfort 224 That wee ought to forgiue one another 236 And to foâ—get all iniuries ibid. Our foâ—e fathers how they exceeded vs in deuotion 731 To be in the forme of God is to be very G â— 280 To lay a good foundation the best way to teach 392 Fortitude of the women seeking Christ 521 Christ in heauen forgetteth not his seruants on earth 629 Foure points handled touching the power of God 13â— Foure sorts of men erre about the doctrine of Gods power 135 Foure speciall graces bestowed vpon the elect 204 Foure kindes of redemption 500 Foure sorts of ascenders 609 Foure-fold end of Christs ascention 639 Foure points considered about the gifts of God 640 Foure signes of fulnesse 665 Foure-fold feales or signes wherewith Saints are sealed 669 Foure sorts or receiuers of the Sacraments 680 FR. Christ assumed all our humane frailties 351 Friends of Christ how dearly he loued them 488 God expecteth not the like fruits from all men 602 The Saints are freed from all their enemies 636 Christ freeth vs from Satan to place vs in his owne seruice ibid. We are not freed from Satan to doe what we list 637 FV. Fury of the wicked restrained 178 All men are full of somethings 665 GA. WHy Christ went to the garden of Gethsemane to bee taken and what befell him there 441 Gaufredus Clareuallensis what he said 613 GI Gifts of God of two sorts 192 641 Hee giueth spirituall gifts to the godly ibid. And temporall gifts to the wicked ibid. Gifts of God are free gifts 640 Diuersly bestowed 523 Euery man should be contented with the gifts God giueth him 523 Diuersity of gifts among the Apostles and Fathers ibid. Gifts requisite for Preachers 641 Gifts to edifie the Church how giuen 657 Speciall gifts of God whereby the elect are saued vnpossibly to be knowne 646 Gifts of prayer the chiefest of all Gods graces 730 Gifts of the Magi what they shewed Christ to be 413. GE. Generation of Christ two-fold 288. Gentiles were not altogether ignorant of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 311 What they writ of this name of Christ 312 313 Gentiles how they might come to the knowledge of this word 313 3â—4 Gentiles expected the comming of the Messias 316 412 Generality of Christ his suffering 483 GO God how said to bee the Father of Spirits 6 Goâ—ly mens sinning differ in three things from the wicked 35 36 Godly life maketh a happy death 82 God loueth righteousnesse 90 No respect of persons 91 Most iust ibid. Iudgeth euery man according to his desert 92 How great and how mighty he is 102 How ineffable 125 A most faithfull performer of all his promises 127 How he guideth and gouerneth all things 138 Of his owne nature most intelligible 120 To vs incomprehensible 120 121 That there is but one God proued many wayes 269 270 God onely to be prayed vnto 710 Christ no titular but a true God by nature proued 278 279 280 c. To deny the God-head of Christ what a hainous sinne 305 God-head of Christ suffered not but sustained the man-hood to suffer 438 485 The godly how they doe ascend 614 Loue of goodnesse should make vs hate sin 66 Goodnesse of God to man how incomprehensible 101 103 Good and godly men ought to be cherished and promoted 110 Goodnesse what it is 196 Goodnesse of things two-fold 197 God good to all things 197 Perfectly absolutely and vniuersally good 198 Nothing absolutely good but God ibid. Goodnesse of God two-fold 198 Generall goodnesse of God seene in two things 198 All things made good in their kinde 199 Good for some vse yet not vniuersally good ibid. Goodnesse of God withholdeth the wicked from many sinnes suspendeth our iust deserued punishments 200 How it extendeth it selfe to all men 201 Yet not alike good to all men 202 Gods speciall goodnesse seene in two things 203 It preserueth the Saints