may behold and hate the turpitude and deformity of sinne from this one effect that it putteth vs in the state of dead men as S. Paul speaketh of the widow liuing in pleasure shee is dead euen while she liueth A spirituall death in a naturall life Thou hast a name saith God vnto the church of Sardis Apocal. 3.1 that thou liuest but thou art dead And so J may say vnto a sinful man it is but a name a shadow of life which thou hast for thogh thy body liue by thy soule yet thy soule liueth not by grace and consequently thou art separated from GOD the author and fountaine of thy life Thus a sinner is farre from God and God is farre from a sinner the first in grace the second in mercy But from whom God is farre in mercy he is neer in iustice for their destruction sleepeth not 2. Pet. 2.3 So much of the second motiue or cause to wit the great loue of God wherewith he loued vs when we were dead in sinne Now ensueth the third and last namely GRACE for so it followeth by grace you are saued Whereof I will intreat as briefly as I can It may be a question why Not before is now turned into Vos Before he said God loued vs to wit Iewes and Gentiles Now he saith You are saued to wit the Gentiles The answere is Though Iewes and Gentiles haue a common right in Christ yet the right of the Iewes was more singular then ours and in order at the least before ours by reason of their priuiledges as I shewed you before Whence it is that our Sauiour himselfe testifieth in this manner I am not sent saue to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Math. 15.24 Likewise he gaue his commission vnto his disciples Goe not into the way of the Gentiles but goe rather vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Math. 10.5.6 Conformable whereunto is the testimony of Saint Paul vnto the vngratefull Iewes It was necessary that the word of God should first haue been spoken vnto you but seeing you put it from you and iudge your selues vnworthy of eternall life loe wee turne vnto the Gentiles c. Whereupon the Gentiles glorified God and receiued the Gospell with great alacrity of heart that so it might bee verified which the Prophet declared long before Reioice ô barren that didst not beare breake forth into ioy and reioyce thou that didst not trauaile with child for the desolate hath more children then the married wif◠Esay 54.1 Specially therefore the Gentiles were saued by grace But by what grace There is the grace of God toward vs which respecteth vs as the obiects of it there is the grace of God in vs which respecteth vs as the subiects of it So that we are in the first grace the second grace is in vs. It is the first therefore not the second by which we are saued For we are not saued by the grace of God wrought within vs by his Spirit but shewed vnto vs in his Son You are saued by grace that is by the free and voluntary fauour of God the Father in Iesus Christ his Sonne For the grace of which S. Paul doth here speake is referred vnto God euen the Father howsoeuer our translation supplying some words which are not in the originall seemeth to refer it vnto the Son But the matter is not great For this grace is equally in all the persons but originally in the Father exhibitiuely in the Son by whom and in whom the Father hath declared his mercy loue and grace To proceed then We are saued by grace What by grace only We are saued by Christ by faith by hope by grace By all these but in a different manner By Christs death as the only meritorious cause by Faith as the proper instrumentall meanes by Hope Rom. 8.24 as sustaining our expectation of things to come by Grace as mouing God If therefore the question bee as it is properly in this place what was the first motiue of our saluation The answere is The grace of God For as the end of our saluation is his glory so the beginning of it is his grace Our election to life is free our vocation inwardly by the spirit outwardly by the word is free our iustification by the bloud of Christ is free our sanctification by the holy Ghost is free finally our glorification in heauen is free also as Fulgentius obserueth very well Datur ex gratia non solùm iustificatis vita hona sed etiam glorificatis vita aeterna Not only a good life vnto them who are iustified but also eternall life vnto them who are glorified is giuen freely and by the grace of God Not of works lest any man should boast himselfe Ephes 2.9 This is the argument vpon which S. Paul doth spend a great part of his Epistles this is the thing which he doth euery where inforce to wit the grace of God in Iesus Christ O S. Paul S. Paul Vas misercoridiae tuba gratiae the vessell of mercy and the trumpet of grace For in none was the mercy of God more expressed then in thee and in none was his grace more exalted then by thee And this he doth not to destroy actum operis but opinionem meriti not the performance of good works but the opinion of merit thereby and specially the merit of Condignity which the Church of Rome defendeth precisely in this sense to wit that after the first iustification by Christ the second being by works as they teach a man being in state of grace may performe and some doe performe such good works as in their owne worth and proper value deserue eternall life This they call merit of Condignity But this is an indignitie to God a disgrace to his grace and blasphemy against his honour More truely saith our Apostle Non sunt condignae c. the afflictions of this present life are not worthie of the glory which shall bee shewed vnto vs Rom. 8.18 Neither our actions nor our passions can deserue the same And I pray you marke the opposition in this behalfe SVNT they are worthy saith the Church of Rome NON SVNT they are not worthy saith S. Paul Away away with merit let vs establish the grace of God which is more honourable vnto him and more comfortable vnto vs. But J leaue the prosecution heereof and after a brief reflexion vpon that which is already past I will proceed vnto the residue of my text First then concerning the Mercy of God Trust in it Trust in it onely Trust in it euer Trust in it without diffidence for in the mercies of the most High you shall not miscarrie Psalm 21.7 Trust in it onely without any other plea. We doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies Dan. 9.18 Trust in it euer without wearinesse for his compassions faile not Lam. 3.22 As the oyle did not cease till there
sacred name of GOD is taken sometimes essentially sometimes personally and this is necessary to be knowne in the explication of my text Essentially it includeth the three persons subsisting in one vndiuided nature as Gen. 1.1 In the beginning GOD created the heauen and the earth Therefore the originall hath it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 creauit Dij the Gods created The noune is plurall the verbe singular to shew a trinity of persons in the vnity of essence Sometimes this sacred name is taken personally importing one person of the diuine nature as Iohn 1.1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with GOD That is the Sonne was with the Father With him because from him With him Deus apud Deum by eternall coexistencie from him Deus de Deo by personall procession In which respect precisely the Father is not with the Sonne the Father and the Sonne are not with the holy Ghost but the Sonne is with the Father and the holy Ghost is with them both For as God is the God of order in all his creatures and externall works so he is a God of order in himselfe also and in his internall workes There is a priority of order in the Father before the Sonne and in them both before the holy Ghost So that the Father being the fountaine of the other hath a prerogatiue of order in his person and consequently a prerogatiue of order also in this glorious name of GOD. And thus it is in my Text GOD who is rich in mercy that is the Father For though it be true in faith that euery person is equally mercifull louing and gracious yet in this place it is proper to say that God the Father is rich in mercy and great in loue and exceeding in grace For here is a necessary relation of one person to the other God quickned vs in Christ that is the Father in the Sonne Now to the matter it selfe It is God that quickneth vs raiseth vs c. not Angels not Man not his owne Works not his owne Will Not Angels they are ministring spirits Heb. 1.14 not quickning not raising spirits Suggerunt bonum non ingerunt hortantur ad bonum non bonum creant saith S. Bernard They may exhort vnto good by their suggestion they cannot powre it into vs by infusion they may perswade it they cannot create it in vs. Not Man himselfe for the wandring sheepe sought not the shepheard but the carefull shepheard sought out the sheepe Matth. 18.12 Not the Workes of man for can a dead tree bring forth liuing fruit or an euill tree good fruite Matth. 7.18 Finally not the Will of man for we did not preuent God in desire but it is he that worketh in vs both the will and the deed of his owne pleasure Phil. 2.13 For though in actions naturall and ciuill man hath a libertie of will yet in actions spirituall and supernaturall his will is dead vntill it bee reuiued by GOD. Thus all other meanes excluded God is the onely Agent in this great and glorious worke Saluation is of the Lord Ionah 2.9 Therefore saith God vnto his people I euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for my owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes Esay 43.25 I with an ingemination euen I excluding all other meanes for mine owne sake excluding all other motiues And this point is excellently inforced by Moses speaking thus vnto the children of Israel lest they should attribute that vnto themselues which was due vnto God alone The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a precious people vnto himselfe aboue all people that are vpon the earth The Lord did not set his loue vpon you nor chuse you because you were more in number then any people for you were the fewest of all people But because he loued you and because he would keepe the oath which he had sworne vnto your Fathers Deut. 7.6.7 8. No merit in them but grace in him that so they might truely say Not vnto vs ô Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glory Psalme 115.1 Now if the Iewes could plead nothing but the loue of God for his peculiar fauour what can the Gentlies plead for themselues also but the same loue of the same God Therefore saith our Apostle God who is rich in mercy c. he hath quickened vs c. So that now we are come from the Author which is GOD vnto the Motiues which are Mercy Loue and Grace in him Secondly of the Motiues IN these also there is an order as well in the attributes of God as formerly in his name Here is Mercy releeuing vs and caused by his Loue. Here is loue embracing vs and caused by his Grace Here is grace sauing vs and caused by his Goodnesse For some learned Diuines obserue that these foure properties Mercy Loue Grace and Goodnesse as they are very like in their effect toward vs so they are all one in God but yet with a difference of order Goodnesse is the cause of all the rest but immediatly of Grace Grace is the cause of the other but immediatly of Loue Loue is immediatly the cause of mercy So in God his Goodnesse is a cause only and his Mercy an effect only the other are causes and effect too And this is a golden chaine the first linke whereof is Goodnesse in God the last is Mercy which reacheth vnto vs. First then of MERCY as it is here first placed in my Text. GOD who is rich in mercy That there is mercy in God it sheweth the compassion of his nature that hee is rich in mercy it sheweth the abundance thereof In both we haue a singular comfort For be it that he hath mercy that is a comfort but our comfort is greater because diues est he is rich in mercie for with him there is plentifull redemption Psal 130.7 Or be it that he is rich it sheweth an abundance and sufficiency in himselfe But where is our comfort euen this Diues est in misericordia he is rich in mercy the sweetest propriety of his diuine nature So then He is not simply rich but in mercie nor hath he simply mercie but is also rich therein Which as it is abundantly discouered vnto vs by the effects thereof so it is testified vnto vs by his owne mouth and we know that his testimony is true For when God descended from heauen which descent was not by mutation of place but by exhibition of presence and proclaimed his owne name see what a style he giueth himselfe The Lord the Lord strong mercifull gratious slow to anger abundant in goodnesse truth reseruing mercie for thousands forgiuing ininquitie transgression and sin not making the wicked innocent visiting the iniquity of the fathers vpon their children vnto the third and fourth generation Exod. 34.6.7 Consider here first the proprieties themselues mercifull gracious slow to anger abundant in goodnesse reseruing mercy forgiuing iniquity vnto all these he opposeth two
A SERMON PREACHED at Pauls Crosse the third of March 1610. By Theophilus Higgons In testimony of his heartie reunion with the Church of England and humble submission thereunto Published by Command MICAH 7.8 Reioice not against me ô mine enemie though I fall I shall rise againe when I shall sit in darkenesse the Lord shall be a light vnto me AT LONDON Imprinted by WILLIAM HALL for William Aspley 1611. GEntle Reader whereas in the former impression by reason of importunate haste of the Worke some few faults escaped and especially page 4. l. 22. in this second thou shalt finde them corrected Farewell A SERMON PREACHED AT PAVLS Crosse the third of March 1610. EPHES. 2. vers 4.5.6.7 4 But God who is rich in mercy through his great loue wherewith he loued vs 5 Euen when we were dead by sinnes hath quickned vs together in Christ by whose grace you are saued 6 And hath raised vs vp together and made vs sit together in the heauenly places in Christ Iesus 7 That he might shew in the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace through his kindnesse towards vs in Christ Iesus THere is a fourefold condition or estate of Man The first of Innocency the second of Sinne the third of Grace the fourth of Glory The first by creation from God the second by propagation from our Parents the third by regeneration from the Spirit the fourth by reall possession of Heauen Now as the substance of my text leadeth me to entreate peculiarly of the third conditiō or estate which is the state of Grace so the very first word and entrance thereof BVT a discretiue particle directeth me vnto a consideration of our second estate to wit the state of Sinne which the Apostle describeth in this manner 1. And you hath he quickned that were dead in trespasses and sinnes 2. Wherein in times past you walked according to the course of this world and after the Prince that ruleth in the aire euen the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience 3. Among whom we also had our conuersation in times past in the lusts of our flesh in fulfilling the will of the flesh and of the mind were by nature the children of wrath as wel as others It followeth now in my Text But God who is rich in mercy c. This is the connexion and dependency of these wordes Before there was the state of Sin here is the state of Grace the one opposed vnto the other whereby the deformity of the first dignity of the second doth more spectably appeare For in the former we learne what we were by nature corrupted not created nature in the other we learne what we are by grace In the former we behold our owne misery in the second we contemplate the mercy of God In the former we see our captiuity in the second our deliuerance In the former we see our death in sinne in the second our life in Christ Therfore excellently saith our Apostle Where sin abounded there grace abounded much more that as sinne had raigned vnto death so might grace also raigne by righteousnes vnto eternal life through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5 20.21 Thus the state of sinne in time and order is before the state of Grace as the euening was before the morning Gen. 1.5 and the darkenes before the light You were once darkenes but now you are light in the Lord. Ephes 5.8 For some liued without the Law as Gentiles some vnder the Law as Iewes now both are vnder grace But it is one thing to be in grace another thing to be vnder grace Many liue now vnder grace but not in it many liued heretofore in grace but not vnder it For properly to liue in grace is opposed vnto the state of sinne to liue vnder grace is opposed vnto the state of the Law The first is the state of persons who haue grace dwelling in them the second is the state of time wherein grace is offered vnto all Both are ioined heere together in my Text. The state of time we are vnder grace the state of persons wee are in grace so that we are deliuered from the power of the law and of sinne from the condemnation of the first and from the dominion of the second Sin preuaileth not to dominion why we are in grace The Law preuaileth not to condemnation why we are vnder grace And this is the scope of my Text. Wherein there is such amplitude and varietie of matter that plenty it selfe hath made mee poore it being hard to say where and whence I should take the beginning of my discourse as also it is hard to say where I may conclude the same But since the time hath power ouer my thoughts at the least ouer my words and boundeth them within the limits of an houre or two I cannot speake all of a little in my Text as I would therfore I will speake a little of all therein as I may obseruing fiue generall circumstances as they present themselues in order vnto your view The first is the Author of our saluation God or God in Christ For God was in Christ reconciling the world vnto himselfe 2. Cor. 5.19 The second is the causes which mooued God vnto this excellent worke and they are three First Mercy v. 4. not bare mercy but with an addition rich in mercie Secondly Loue and that not a naked loue but with an addition great loue Thirdly Grace iv 5. not simply grace also but with an addition exceeding riches of his grace v. 7. And here with this motiue or cause I will ioine the effect also by grace you are saued The third is the persons or subiect vpon which the benefits are conferred Vs. Wherein you may obserue First the extension of the subiect to wit Iewes and Gentiles both included therein Secondly the condition dead in sinne The fourth is the benefits bestowed vpon vs and they are three First viuification of the spirit Hee hath quickned vs together in Christ vers 5. Secondly resurrection of soule and body He hath raised vs vp together vers 6. Thirdly Session of both in heauen He hath made vs sit together in the heauenly places in Christ Iesus The Fifth and last is the end and finall cause of all this happinesse towards vs and indulgence from God That he might shew in the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace through his kindnes towards vs in Christ Iesus First of the Author THe Author of our saluation is he that is the author of our creation GOD. Non est qui reficiat nisi qui fecit saith S. Bernard None can make vs good of euill but hee that made vs something of nothing It is he that in my creation dedit me mihi gaue me vnto my selfe by creating me after his owne image It is he that in my Redemption dedit se mihi gaue himselfe vnto me by redeeming mee with his owne bloud But you must vnderstand that this
were not the seede of Abraham wee had not the seale of the couenant the promises appertained not vnto vs at least according to the letter All which things the Iewes might plead as peculiar vnto themselues alone Therefore S. Paul hauing demanded What is the preferment of the Iew and what is the profit of circumcision answereth Much euery manner of way and chiefly because vnto them were committed the oracles of God Rom. 3.1.2 But since wee Gentiles were not priuiledged by any of these graces but were strangers from the couenant and wholly inthralled into the captiuitie of sinne and Satan heerein the loue of God is more spectable and more commended in vs then in them because hee quickned Vs also when we were dead in sinne So that now we are succeeded into the state nay more into the very name of the Iewes themselues For hee is a Iew who is one within Rom. 2.28 And wee are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit Philip. 3.3 For it is true my brethren that God delighteth not in outward things without an inward affection not in Ceremonies not in Sacraments not in Sacrifice not in his owne People Nay more Christ acknowledgeth not the blessed Virgin to be his Mother if she heare not his word and keepe it Luke 8.21 Whereby he did not reproue her but instruct others in this behalfe It is not therefore succession from worthy persons it is not birth from religious fathers it is not the splendor and dignity of a particular place vpon which wee may securely rest yet these these are things and principall things too wherein the Church of Rome doth so confidently repose And as the literall Babylon Esay 47.8 so she the mysticall Babylon Apocal. 18.7 glorieth in this manner and saith I sit being Queene and am no widow and shall see no mourning Howbeit her destruction is ordained of old the sentence of condemnation is past the writ of execution is gone forth The Kings of the earth shall hate the whore the sometimes Mother Church now become a whore and make her desolate and naked and shall burne her with fire Apoc. 17.16 I come now from the Obiect vs vnto the quality thereof dead in sinnes There is a spirituall death of the soule a temporall of the body an eternall of both I speake not of the two latter they are deaths for sinne not in sinne of which alone my text doth here peculiarly intreat This spirituall death therefore of the soule in sinne is sometimes in Thought onely when we yeeld not consent thereunto For there is first suggestion either externally from Satan or internally from our concupiscence then delectation and finally consent which properly bringeth sin vnto her birth Otherwise S. Bernard asketh in the person of a regenerate man An forte iam non ago illa sed patior si vtique non consentio Mea dixerim peccata non quia facio sed quia sustineo I am rather a patient then an agent in my sinnes c. Sometimes this spirituall death is in Action to wit transient action for there was an immanent action before For a sinne may be actuall in the mind though not acted in the body Sometimes this spirituall sinne is in Habit and custome when sinne is not only inhabitant for so it is in all though not imputed vnto all it remaineth in act not in guilt but regnant in our soules Of which our Apostle speaketh in this maner Let not sinne raigne in your mortall body that you should obey it in the lusts thereof neither giue you your members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse vnto sinne Rom. 6.12 All these deaths of the soule are figured and represented in certaine persons whom our Sauiour raised vp from the death of the body The first in the Centurions daughter Mark 5.40 Her body lay yet in her fathers house and there she was raised vp vnto life The second in the widowes son Luke 7.12 His body was carried forth into the Citie and there he was raised vp vnto life The third in Marthaes brother Iohn 11.39 His body was laid in the graue and there he was raised vp vnto life Now our spirituall death was of the last and worst sort We were dead in the habit and custome of sinne dead in al our faculties and powers Dead in the Will which is the Queene-regent of the soule dead in the Vnderstanding which is her Counsellor dead in the Memory which is her Secretary dead in the Affections which are her messengers and seruants So dead in all that sinne raigned and grace was extinguished in our soules And yet ô Lord didst thou loue vs when wee were dead men Euen thou also who art the God not of the dead but of the liuing He did so Brethren our great sinnes could not euacuate his good purpose He loued vs in his election then by manifestation the first before all time the second in time And thus he was not changed by hauing loue now which he had not euer but we were changed by receiuing grace which we had not before Wherefore God loued vs when we were spiritually dead he loued vs I say in respect of his owne purpose not of our works And now as the Prophet Ieremy spake literally of his owne greefe but typically of Christs Was there euer Dolor sicut dolor meus griefe as my greefe Lam. 1.12 So I may truly say of Gods loue O Lord was there euer Amor sicut amor â—uus loue as thy loue No man hath greater loue then this that he lay downe his life for his friend Iohn 15.13 It is true no man hath greater but thou my Lord hadst greater for thou laidst down thy life for thine enemies Therefore saith S. Paul God setteth out his loue toward vs seeing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs. Rom. 5.8 While we were yet sinners dead in sinne and had no means to relieue our selues For if in our restitution vnto life we had preuented God in desire or cooperated with him in act his loue had not bin so set forth as now it is But the truth is we were passiue not actiue in this excellent work and so passiue that there was nothing in vs to concurre with God It was not a slumber and so we were awaked it was not a wound and so we were healed but it was death and so wee were raised vp againe not by any vertue within vs but by an externall power For what motion or actiuity is there in a dead body to raise vp it selfe None Therfore as in his creation A dam was made a liuing soule when God breathed the breath of life into him Gen. 2.7 so in his renouation for he was an old Adam as soone as hee was a new God inspired grace into him and Adam was quickned againe from the death of the soule Whereby as we learne how much we owe vnto God how little vnto our selues in this worke of our restitution vnto the life of grace so we
Suarez a grand Iesuite charged by Cumel a learned Dominican in this maner I am greeued to see how fraudulently they Suarez Molina c. cite Driedo vrging that which he spake by way of argumentation or obiection for his owne iudgement whereas Driedo vseth many arguments to confute that opinion Againe Zuarez citeth a sentence of Soto but leapeth ouer one part of it leauing that out which maketh against himselfe Againe Suarez hath changed the word Praeordination in S. Thomas into Subordination and expoundeth S. Thomas sinisterly I cannot tell with what spirit he citeth Driedo c. Heare further how the great Cardinal Baronius is reproued by some famous Diuines of Venice viz. When Baronius intreateth of the immunity of the Clergy and wanteth other support he disliketh all historians When he admitteth any he singleth out the words which make for him but these which make against him he saith were inserted by others There is a booke intituled The errors of Baronius wherein there are discouered more then twenty seuerall errors which he hath commited about one story c. Finally heare the like accusations by them against Bellarmine himselfe He expoundeth Thomas contrary to his meaning He imputeth a speech vnto an Author who yet doth affirme the contrary He saith that Nauarr holdeth thus and thus whereas he held the plaine contrary It is no rare thing for his illustrious Lordshippe to cite Authors for an opinion whereas they affirme the plaine contrary He abuseth the testimony of Gerson He falsly citeth a place of S. Hierome who saith the plaine contrary It greeueth me to see things imputed by Bellarmine vnto the Fathers the contrary whereof they affirme c. For conclusion let me acquaint you with one I say but one to spare you not him singular imposture of Bellarmine against Caluin and so I will dismisse this point The Å¿ Bellarm. de sanct beat lib. 1. cap. 1. §. â—…st igitur question is Whether the soules of holy men dissolued from the body and standing in need of no purgation be admitted vnto the fruition of blessednesse which consisteth in the cleere vision of God It followeth Some heretikes saith Bellarmine were of opinion that the soules were reserued in certaine receptacles vnto the day of iudgement where they saw not God nor were blessed otherwise then in hope What heretikes Tertullian Vigilantius c. Be it so Who else He addeth Iohn Caluin also hath the same errour Where Institut 3. booke 20. chap. § 20 What are the words t Bellarm. ibid § Eâ—…ndem habet c. Caluin doth say that Christ alone is gone into the Sanctuary of heauen and that all others remaine in the Court expecting there vntill the consummation of the world Let vs make a triall now whether Caluin bee guilty of this opinion or Bellarmine calumnious in his assertion FIRST then for the opinion of Caluin in this matter you shall finde that he is singularly traduced therein For amongst many passages in his works behold this one u Caluin aduers Libertin cap. 22. The soules of the faithfull as soone as they are departed from this body doe liue with God and inioy the happinesse of that kingdome which is in heauen Howbeit saith he and he saith it truly God hath reserued their perfect consummate felicity vntil the second comming of Christ SECONDLY therefore it may please you to consider with me how vnworthily and slanderously Bellarmine inforceth this error vpon Caluin out of the assigned place I finde indeed that Caluin doth there expresly affirme Christus sanctuarium coeli ingressus ad consummationem vsque seculorum solus populi eminùs in atrio residentis vota ad Deum defert that is Christ being entred into the Sanctuary of heauen vnto the end of the world doth alone carry or present the praiers of the people remaining a farre off in the Court vnto God Now obserue the fraud Of whom is the question Of the dead or of the liuing Of the DEAD to wit concerning the soules of them who are fallen asleepe in Christ And of them Caluin is charged by Bellarmine to say that they are not in heauen c. and for a proofe he hath alleaged this place But of whom doth Caluin there intreat of the dead or of the liuing Of the LIVING for so doth the whole discourse import As in the words a little before Membrorum omnium adhuc in terra laborantium mutuae pro se inuicem orationes ascendunt ad caput quod praecessit in coelum c. The mutuall prayers of all the members yet labouring here vpon the earth ascend vnto the Head which is gone before vs into heauen Likewise in the very place it selfe for Caluin saith that Christ being in the Sanctuarie carrieth vp vnto God the praiers of the people remaining in the Court What people the liuing for the office of the Saints departed is not to pray but to praise the Lord. Again immediately after euen in the very next words vnto those which Bellarmine doth so fraudulently cite Quantum ad Sanctos attinet qui carne mortui in Christo viuunt c. As for the Saints who being dead in the flesh liue in or with Christ c. Which words as they doe plainely shew that Caluin spake before of the liuing and not of the dead so likewise they doe fully conuince the falsity of this pretended crime Wherein the collusion of Bellarmine is the greater also because Caluin doth not say as the Cardinall imputeth vnto him that Christ alone is gone into the Sanctuary of Heauen he none els but that he being entred into it doth alone he and none else present the praiers of the x Who are liuing in this world and are not in the Sanctuary of Heauen people vnto God so that vnto him alone the office of a Mediatour doth peculiarly belong And this is the subiect of Caluins dispute But I leaue this second point wherein I haue too much abused your patience and come vnto the THIRD which was concerning Vocation vnto sacred Ministerie in this Church Wherein I know that the power of order is complete in all respects In respect of the persons calling that they had sufficient ability to conferre it In respect of the persons called that they had actuall capacity to receiue it In respect of the vocation itselfe that it had no substantiall defect in Matter nor in Forme As also that the power of Iurisdiction here is entire that it hath not necessary deriuation from the Pope but floweth from God by the Church by the Magistrate by the people differently but truly as I am able and willing to proue when good opportunity shall serue and iust occasion shall require Concerning the FOVRTH and last point namely the Church I know and acknowledge that God had a Church alwaie that it was y D. Field lib. 1. c. 10. visible that though many erred therein yet not all or at the least not so but that there
remained a substance of faith sufficient vnto saluation Finally that as a generall Reformation was expedient and necessary so our particular was orderly good and iust In a word therefore to acquaint you with my totall conformity vnto the doctrine of this Church contained in the 39. Articles of Religion I haue submitted my self thereunto by profession of mouth by subscription of hand by consent of heart In this faith J desire to spend and end the course of my life to the honour of GOD the benefit of his CHVRCH the comfort of my owne soule Now I may say ioyfully with Dauid z Psal 116.7 Returne vnto thy rest ô my soule for the Lord hath beene beneficiall vnto thee Or with Simeon a Luke 2.29 Lord now let rest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation I lost thee but thou didst not loose me I fled from thee and thou didst seeke me I erred and thou didst reduce me I was blind and thou didst illuminate me I was hardened and thou didst mollifie me so I returned by thee vnto thee and thou hast receiued me againe Therfore I will exalt thy name for euer and humble my selfe with Dauid befor thee saying b Psal 86.11.12.13 Teach me thy way ô Lord and I will walke in thy truth knit my hart vnto thee that I may feare thy name I will praise thee ô Lord my God with all my heart yea I will glorifie thy name for euer For great is thy mercy toward me thou hast deliuered my soule from the nethermost hell Thus you see Brethren in part what God hath done vnto my soule as also what I owe vnto him for his mercy loue and grace and what I shall perform vnto him for the same by the assistance of his Spirit Hereunto I will adioin a briefe remonstrance of my duty vnto the CHVRCH of my loialty vnto the KING finally I will conclude with a petition and promise vnto your selues The FIRST is my duety vnto the Church of God in this flourishing Iland or rather little world the glory whereof I haue laboured to obscure with my vnfortunate and misaduised pen. But as c See August epist 13. Stefichorus lost his eies by dispraising the faire Helena of Greece recouered them by praising her againe so to reobtaine my former sight I wil expend al the faculties that I haue in aduancing the dignity lustre of this incōparable Church incomparable in many respects but specially in two First in the excellency of preaching the Gospell For as God hath giuen the word and great is the multitude of Preachers so in their gifts matter and manner of preaching singular also is the perfection of Preachers in this Land Secondly in the Common praier and Liturgy a iewel so pretious that it cannot be valued at too high a rate The SECOND thing was my loialty vnto our gratious Soueraigne Lord and King whose mercy towards me hath been very great in pardoning my offences which mediatly at the least did touch his roiall Selfe The Subiects whom I grieued are vnder his dition the Lawes which I violated are vnder his administration the Church which I scandalized is vnder his protection the Faith which I impugned is vnder his DEFENCE by common right and speciall title So that all these coniunctiuely might plead for a reuenge from his princely hands since d Rom. 13.4 Hee beareth not the sword in vaine But as J said before his Highnesses mercy hath bin very great vnto me in making me an example of his clemency which in truth is so naturall vnto Him that He as sometimes e Senec. de Clem lib. 1. cap. 10. Augustus may well be called Parens Patriae the Father of his Country because as Seneca testifieth of Augustus apparet illum dare poenas cùm exigit It appeares that He doth suffer punishment Himselfe when by compulsion He doth take it of another It is my speciall obligation therefore beyond a common duty to pray yea I pray now and beseech you all to ioyne your hearts with mine lifting them vp vnto GOD for Him that his Maiesty may inioy a peaceable raigne a prosperous estate and obtaine a blessed end after a long and happy life that He may be translated from an earthly vnto an heauenly kingdome where the glorious Lambe sitteth f Apoc. 19.16 The King of Kings and Lord of Lords that as now he raigneth g Prou. 8 15. by him so there he may raigne with him in that happinesse which hath no misery in that abundance which hath no want in that security which hath no feare in that eternity which hath no end Amen Now THIRDLY and lastly I turne my speech vnto you deare and welbeloued Countrimen in whose audience and with whose patience I haue made a full and free confession of my error I haue not hid it for thereby I should hide God from me not me from God I haue not hid it I say by Negation nor by Extenuation nor by Iustification thereof remembring what was h Februar 10. by Mr. Kitson of Peterhouse in Cambridge lately deliuered here in the prosecution of a Text well chosen and excellently handled i Prou. 28.13 He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercy As for your charity towards me I cannot doubt but that at the least you will esteem of me as S. Paul did sometimes iudge of Onesimus Philemons seruant k Philem. vers 15. It may be that he departed for a season that thou shouldest receiue him for euer As for me I trust in God by the gratious assistance of his holy spirit so to comport my self in the whole course of my studies and actions that with iust application you may call vnto your remembrance that which S. Paul said a little l Ibid. vers 12. before of that fugitiue seruant He was vnprofitable in times past vnto thee but now profitable both vnto thee and me Wherefore I request you Brethren to praise God with me and for me who hath thus extended his Mercy Loue and Grace towards me when I was dead in sinne Pray him also that I may vse his blessings to the honour of his name and benefit of his Church Finally I beseech him for you and my selfe that we all may haue for the end of our actions his glory for the rule his word for the fruit of our faith the saluation of our soules through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the blessed spirit of both be ascribed all maiesty power and dominion in heauen and in earth now and for euer Amen FINIS