him Or how can he not do this which can do all things In a word if I can pardon that which is committed against me if I will shal not God our Christ be able to forgiue that which is committed against him if he wil If therefore hee can forgiue and pardon our sinnes both because hee is omnipotent and onely can because they are onely done against him Surely blessed is the man to whom this Lord Christ will not impute sinne Therefore we know that Christ by the power of his diuinity is able to forgiue sins now of his will who need to doubt For hee that debased him selfe so much as to take our flesh vpon him and to suffer death for vs shall we thinke that he will not imparte vnto vs his righteousnes surely yes so that as it is euident by the consideration of his deitie that he is able to forgiue our sinnes so it is manifest by the consideration of his Humanity that he is willing so to do But what other argument haue we that he hath vanquished death marry this because hee suffered it which did not deserue it And therefore with what reason can that bee required of vs which an other hath already paid for vs hee that tooke away the merrit of sinne by giuing his righteousnes vnto vs hee hath paid the debt of death and restored life vnto vs for so death being vanquished life is restored as sinne being taken away righteousnes is returned But how could he die which was God Euen in this respect that hee was man But how could the death of one man satisfie for an other because he was Iust and Innocent that died As he was a man he might die but being guiltlesse it was not necessary Indeed a sinner is not able to satisfie the debt of death for an other sinner for euery one dieth for his owne sinne but he that hath no cause to die for his owne shall we not thinke his death may be a ransome for an other Surely by how much the more vniustly hee dieth which hath not deserued death by so much the more iustly he liueth for whom he so dieth But what equity is it saist thou that an innocent person should die for the guilty I tell thee it is not Iustice but mercy if it should haue bin Iustice then he had not died voluntarily but of duty if of duty then he himselfe should die indeed yet he for whom he so died should not liue But neuerthelesse if it be not Iustice yet it is not against iustice otherwise God could not haue bin iust and mercifull at once But although one iust man may satisfie for one sinner yet howe is it that one may satisfie for many for it might seeme inough if one dying for one do restore Life vnto one To this the Apostle shall answere As by the offence of one the fault came on all men to the Condemnation of death So by the Righteousnes of one the benefit abounded towards all men to the iustification of Life For as by one mans disobedience many were made Sinners So by the Obedience of one many are become Righteous But perhaps one man might restore Righteousnes vnto many but Life not so By one man saith he death entered into the world and so by one is Life regayned For as by Adam all die so by Christ shall all be made aliue For what shal one man sinne and all become guilty and shall the Righteousnes of one redownd but to one only was gods Iustice such as to condemne al for one and cannot his mercy be as great as to saue all by one Or could Adam do more in euill then Christ in good Shall Adams Sin be imputed vnto me and shall not Christes righteousnes belong vnto me Shall his disobedience be the cause of my Death and shal not Christs obedience restore me to life but thou wilt say we are worthely guilty of Adams Sinne because we were contained in him when he sinned and were begotten of his flesh in the sinfull Lust of the Flesh But I say more truly are we begotten of god according to the spirit then of Adam according to the flesh I meane if we are of the number of those whom God hath predestinated before the creation of the world vnto Life And that we are begotten of god S. Iohn witnesseth where he saith Which were not begotten of blood nor after the will of the Flesh nor of Man but of God And in one of his Epistles he likewise maketh mention of this holy generation saying He that is borne of God sinneth not But thou wilt say our carnall concupiscence and sinne testifieth that we haue descended of sinners according to the flesh and not of God I answere this generation or birth is not seene in the flesh but in the spirit and minde and that of those onely that can say with the Apostle we haue the minde of the Lord and who haue the spirit bearing witnesse to their spirits that they are the sonnes of God for by the spirit of God chastitie is infused into our mindes as by the flesh which is of Adam concupiscence is diffused about in our members and as that which is descended vnto vs from the parents of our bodies doth neuer depart in this life from the flesh so the other proceeding from the father of our spirits is neuer excident from the intention of the mindes of his children that are perfected in him If then we are borne of God and elected in Christ what equity is it that our earthly and humane generation should hurt vs more then our spirituall and heauenly is able to helpe vs Can our carnall succession hinder the election of God and a momentary sinne be a let vnto his eternall and euerlasting purpose Nay if by one man death entered vpon all shall not life by one man especially such a man as Christ be giuen vnto all And if in Adam wee all died shall we not much more in Christ be made aliue for the fault was nothing so much as the gift for iudgement came for one sinne vnto condemnation but grace was of many sinnes vnto iustification Christ therefore both could remit our sinnes in that he was God die in that he was man and by dying deliuer vs from death in that he was iust and though but one yet be sufficient vnto iustification and life for all because both sinne and also death did enter into vs all by one Thus all of Christ was powerfull to helpe vs in euery thing he was profitable for vs neither was his infirmity lesse auaileable then his maiestie for although by the power of his deitie hee remoued the yoke of sinne from our neckes yet in the infirmity of his flesh he destroyed the power of death by his death And therefore true is that of the Apostle the weakenesse of God is strongest vnto men for his death hath freed vs from death as his life did from errour and his grace from sinne
that beleeued in him which were not borne of water and bloud but of the spirit of God And so by all we may vnderstand the kinds of people as a learned father saith Non pro singulis generum sed pro generibus singulorum c. Christ died not for all of euery kinde but for the kinde of all euen for those that were of his Church and beleeued in him And in this respect saith Augustine let euery one wipe his teares from his eyes and bannish feares from his heart that doth beeleeue in this Sauiour that is sent Art thou a sinner saith he Reioyce now because a pardon is sent from the Iudge vnto thee Art thou a Gentill Reioice now because thou shalt receiue saluation with the Iewes hast thou bin a stranger from God and an Aliant from his couenant be glad now because thou mayest be ingrafted into his Body And in an other place he saith Reioyce ye Iust because it is the Birthday of your Iustifier Reioyce ye feeble and sicke because it is the Birthday of your spirituall Phisition Reioyce ye that liue in captiuity because it is the Birthday of your Deliuerer Reioyce ye seruants because it is the Birthday of your Lord Reioyce ye freemen in heauen because it is the Birthday of him that did set you free Reioyce all Christians because it is the Birth-day of Christ and to be short Reioyce all people because it is the Birthday of the Sauiour of all people If any man haue cause to feare or be sorrowfull still this is the cause that though Light came into the world yet he loued Darknesse more then the Light because his works should be euill And thus much of the reason of the comfort why they should not feare now to the Tidings of Ioy it selfe Vnto you is borne this day in the Citty of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. Wherein wee will note first the Person who was borne Secondly the Person of whom he was borne Thirdly when Fourthly where and Fiftly for what cause he was borne In the beginning of this Treatise you heard in part of the misery of Adam after his fall that whereas he had bin placed in Paradise a garden of pleasure inioying the sight and presence of God his state was comparable euen to the Angels of Heauen for though he were subiect vnto God his Creator yet was he Soueraigne ouer all his Creatures his labour was rest and his rest might haue bin continuall his paine was pleasure and his pleasure might haue bin eternall he had health without danger of sicknesse and life without feare of death the flesh and the spirit neuer striued the body obeyed the soule and the soule gouerned the body In a word neither hell nor graue death nor diuell could so much as touch or trouble him so standing as God had appointed But when he presumed to taste of that fruite that onely was forbidden him presently the case was cleane altered so that in stead of life he heard that fearefull sentence Thou shalt die the Death Then was the Earth accursed for his sake and he was thrust out of Paradise in the entrance whereof God set the Cherubines with the blade of a sword shaking to keepe the way of the tree of life so that he was faine to betake himselfe to this miserable and wretched world the kingdome of the Serpent whither could he now goe but he should meete with a curse seeing all things were accursed What might he do but lie sweating in the miserable and pittifull pangs of desperation What comfort might hee finde in his wife or his wife in him but teares and torments sorrowes and sighes crying and howling weeping and wailing groaning and gnashing of teeth Beeing so clogged with the intollerable burden of their sinnes so ouerwhelmed with the bloody floudes of Gods vengeance so pittifully and plentifully powred out vpon them now they perceiue the wages of their sinne to be death and damnation now they pine away for hunger and would be glad of the worst and sowrest apple in all Paradise now they thirst like the Hart after the water of those sweet running Riuers now they feele the want of Gods presence and amiable countenance they perceiue the Serpent to be busie about their heeles most greedily sucking their blood neither can they both finde out the meanes to shake him off or bruise his head therefore they sit like two children hauing by misfortune slaine their deere and louing father weeping and howling the one to the other they had slaine the Image of their heauenly father they had poisoned their soules with an Apple which the venemous serpent had spit vpon they feele the worme of a guilty conscience lie gnawing their bowells and all Creatures disobeyed them and rebelled against them in that they had shewed themselues disobedient rebells against their Lord and Creator But what followed The mercifull and louing Lord when we stood at this point and in a maner at defiance with him although he saw that the imaginations of mans heart would be euill and that he would alwayes beare a stiffe stomacke against him and his holy will yet did he not vtterly cast vs off but blessed O blessed be his name therefore hee hath shewne vs a glad and cheerefull countenance it greeued him that we had deserued his wrath but it would haue greeued him much more if that we had died the deserued death therefore that Iustice might haue his course and his mercy neuerthelesse might be seene ouer all his workes he was content to send the Diadem of his deitie that precious pearle his owne glory in whom was all his delight his onely begotten his best beloued Sonne euen him before whom the 24. Elders threwe downe their Crownes humbly whom the Angels magnified and all the hoast of heauen worshipped continually and to this end that he might bee borne of sinfull flesh that it being defiled with sinne might be cleansed by the seede of righteousnesse to be hungry for materiall bread that our hungry soules might be fed with the bread of life to be polluted with our spitle that we might be cleansed by his spirit to be condemned to death by vs that we might attaine vnto life by him to bee crowned with a crowne of thornes that we might be crowned with crownes of glory to sustaine our sorrowes that we might attaine his ioyes and in a word to be borne in misery to liue in beggery and to die with ignominy for his cradle was a cratch his life crossed and his kind of death accursed that mankind might be blessed but of this hereafter The person of whom he was born is most distinctly expressed and expresly designed in Luke both with the name of hir espoused Husband the Citty she dwelt in the linage and Tribe she came of and the messenger that was sent from god vnto hir All which I thinke was not superuacaniously or in vaine set downe seeing that neither a leafe from the tree nor
three sorts of officers viz. Kings Priests and Prophets whereby he did signifie that by the hand of this King he would gouerne and defend his people in the person of this Priest bee called vpon and worshipped and by the mouth of this Prophet declare his wil and pleasure vnto the people Vnto all these Offices was our Sauiour annointed not with materiall or visible oyle but with the oyle of gladnes wherewith Dauid Prophesied hee should be annointed aboue his fellowes Neither beareth he these names and titles in vaine but also hee executeth the Offices belonging thereunto For first he hath deliuered vs like a King from the power of our enemies and hath made vs free-men with the Angels in heauen yea he hath giuen vs Lawes and Statutes to obserue which whoso keepeth shall liue in them blessing also them that serue him and damning such as rebell against him Therefore in that we heare our Sauiour is annointed our King to rule ouer vs wee haue no little cause to reioyce in that we may be assured that the kingdome of darknesse which our aduersarie the diuell had begun to erect and stablish in vs shall nowe bee ruinated and pluckt downe In stead whereof Christ wil establish his heauenly kingdome which is iustice peace and ioy of the holy ghost also that he shall bridle with his might and bruise with his rod of iron not onely wicked and diuelish men but also the diuel himselfe and al his Angels which go about to hinder the increase of his glory or our health and saluation Secondarily in that he is annointed our Priest we haue this comfort giuen vnto vs that we haue one that will sacrifice continually like good Iob for his children and make intercession for vs. The office of the Priest in the time of the Lawe was to pray for the people to blesse them to sacrifice for them to consecrate and sanctifie them according to the commandement This was a great comfort in those dayes vnto the afflicted consciences of distressed sinners groaning and groueling vnder the heauy burden of their manifold transgressions to haue a Priest to pray for them and to reconcile them vnto the fauour of God whom by their sinnes and iniquities they had prouoked vnto anger Sithens then that we heare that Christ is annointed our Priest we may assure our selues that hee is tied to the selfe same Offices but indeed to so much more excellent then these as he hath obtained a more excellent Priesthood The Priest after the order of Aron serued in the corruptible and figuratiue Tabernacle but our Priest is taken vp into the true Tabernacle heauen it selfe where he sacrificeth for all the saints and seruants of God there he maketh intercession for vs for hee ascended thither that he might follow all our suites faithfully and earnestly He blesseth vs also in that he was made a curse for vs he sacrificeth for vs in that he offered vp himselfe a sacrifice once for all for the sinnes of the whole world lastly he sanctifieth and consecrateth his Catholike church renewing hir minde and washing hir in the fountain of regeneration by the word that she may be holy euen as he is holy Seeing then he is anointed of God to sacrifice and make intercession for vs to blesse consecrate and sanctifie vs and to reconcile vs againe into the fauour of Almighty god that we may now without feare approach vnto him what a ioyfull thing is this that our Sauiour is a Priest Lastly in that he was annointed to bee a prophet vnto vs we may reioyce and bee glad therein because we shall truely vnderstand know the will and pleasure of our God seeing the Sonne of god himselfe who is one with his father to whom the eternall will and counsell of God is manifest and open is annointed and appointed to declare it vnto vs. And thus much of the Ioy which a sinner may receiue when he vnderstandeth that his Sauiour is Christ Thus beloued haue I acquainted you with the particularities of Ioy that occurre vnto vs in the message of the Angel what remaineth now but that you should sing psalmes of praise and thanksegiuing vnto god who hath sent these ioyfull Tidings vnto vs Seeing he hath so gratiously regarded the low estate of vs his poore Creatures as that he hath not spared his owne sonne to saue vs. Vnto which sonne if ye runne with penitent and contrite harts though ye be neuer so heauy loaden he will ease and refresh you You know that in Adam ye were al alients from the house of God but you heard how that in Christ ye are brought home vnto the bishop and shepheard of your soules you did walke in darkenesse but Christ is come to giue you light you haue mourned for your sinnes but a Sauiour is come to make you glad you haue bin poore but Christ is come with all the Treasures of the Trinity to make you rich You haue sorowed for beeing shut out of Paradise but now Reioyce in that more then in any thing else For as far as Adam being in Paradise did exceed vs in temporall blessings so far do we out of Paradise exceed Adam in spirituall benedictions for though we were condemned to death for the tree of knowledge yet Christ is come that by the tree of his Crosse wee might haue life and that wee might haue it more aboundantly more aboundantly what is that that aboundantly we might haue more life by the Crosse of Christ then euer we had or could haue had by the tree of life that aboundantly wee might gaine more by the obedience of Christ in his death then euer wee lost or could loose by the disobedience of Adam in his life and therefore though the sinne of Adam was so heinous and horrible that it cast the Image of God out of Paradise that it polluted all the race of mankinde that it condemned the whole world that it defaced the very frame of heauen it selfe yet nowe considering the sequele how not onely the guilt of sinne but also the very memory of it is abolished by the comming of Christ we may not be afraid to say with S. Gregory O faelix culpa quae talem ac tantum meruit habere redemptorem O happy man was Adam that euer he so sinned and transgressed against God seeing both he and all we haue found such plentiful redemption such inestimable mercy such superaboundant grace such felicity such eternity such life by one Sauiour Wherefore deere Christian whatsoeuer thou art feare not any more as a man without hope but let thy spirit reioyce in God thy Sauiour Doe thy sinnes greeue thee and the punishment due vnto them terrifie thy conscience Why behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the whole world art thou stung with the old serpent Sathan Looke then on the brasen serpent Christ who healeth the sting of the other art thou hungry Christ is borne the bread of life of which whoso eateth shall