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A04028
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A sermon vpon part of the second chapter of the first epistle of S. Iohn: Preached by Thomas Ingmethorp. The summe whereof is briefly comprised in this hexameter ...
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Ingmethorpe, Thomas.
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1598
(1598)
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STC 14086; ESTC S106261
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22,018
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51
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worde of God and keepe it As therefore that son doth degenerate is not worthy to beare the name of his father which studieth not by all meanes possible to obey please his father even so no more is he to be esteemed a true Christian and child of God which endevoureth not as much as in him lieth to approoue himselfe to God the father by keeping of Christs commandemēts wherin only he delighteth But aboue all this one thing I would haue escecially noted as it were with a hand in the margēt that S. Iohn reckoneth for true faithful Christiās only such as obserue keepe the commaundements of Christ This toucheth to the quicke al those that imagine Christianity to be placed in the observing of humane traditiōs nay stifly cōtēd with tooth naile not some peece but the very perfeciō as it were quintessence therof to cōsist therin As for example the Frāciscā Friet must no remedy be reputed holier thē the rest because he followes the rule of S. Francis The Dominican he preferreth himselfe before the Franciscan and all other Christians for that he professeth the rule of S. Dominike so of the rest of those irregular orders But it is the rule of Christ that maketh a Christian and therefore we must either hold our selues satisfied with it or els shewe that S. S. Francis Dominicke and other such like patrons of theirs haue found out somwhat that is more holy perfect thē that which was delivered and established by Christ which once to thinke or speake were horrible blasphemie Verely as no mā will take him to be a right English-mā borne who refuseth to liue after the lawes statutes cōstitutiōs of Englād so is not he to be deemed a true Christian who to choose embraceth the hests of men before the cōmādemēts of Christ Our savior himselfe is plaine perētory in this behalfe Mat. 15.9 in vain do mē worship me teaching doctrins that ar but the traditiōs of mē vers 13. eury plāt which my hevēly father hath not planted 1. Cor. 1.12 shal be rooted vp S. Paul sharpely rebuketh those which said I hold of Paul 3.3 I of Apollos I of Cephas and condemneth the Corinthians as carnall for that by those names they were severed sundred as it were into so many sortes sects of professions But we alas at this daie are growne to such madnes that we magnifie extoll thē for holy-ones we applaud admire yea and adore thē as the onely perfect men of the world who disdaining and despising the name of Christians made vnto vs expresly lawfull and honourable by the worde of God doe call themselues Frāciscans Dominicans Bernardines Benedictines Augustines and I cannot tell what rather then Christians But howsoever they vaunt themselues of their perfection Miles gloviosus like the glorious souldier in the comedye of his imaginarie valour and swell like Esops toade till they burst againe with the proude titles of Angelical Seraphicall and Cherubinical yet by the verdit of S. Iohn or rather of the holy Ghost in despight of all Monkish Friers and Frierly Monkes they onely are indeede and are to be accounted true Christians which applie themselues wholy to the observing keeping of Christs commandements But some man may aske what those cōmandemēts which import vs so greatly to be kept are for if he harken to the prelates of the Romish Church and popish religion they will tel him they are none other but the same which they both practise themselues prescribe vnto others to be done But to be resolved aright of this doubt he must in no wise be carried away with ours or theirs yea or nay but holde him selfe sure to the word of Christ sounding in the scriptures For Christ Iesus as S. Paul beareth record being yester day and to day Heb. 13. ◠and the same for ever it is a cleare case that all such thinges as Christ hath appointed heretofore to be kept doe shall remaine in ful force even to the worlds end And seeing he is the wisedome of God the father 1. Cor. 1.24 and the father gaue the spirite vnto him not by measure Ioh. 3.34 but in such abundance as we all partake grace of his fulnesse can the perfection of Christs commandemēts be doubted-off but the perfection of God himselfe of the holy ghost must needs bee called into question therwithall furthermore in that God in the old Testament gaue such a law as might neither be added-to Deut. 4. ◠nor taken-from without attaint of high treason against the Highest as the holy Ghost in sundry places affirmeth is it likely I appeale and report me to your own cōsciences that our estate vnder the Gospell in the time of reformation should be in worse case then theirs so vncertaine that it should neede every day new additions to be supplied new peeces of traditions to be patched to be cobled clowted thervnto Besides it is apparent that Christ gaue not so much liberty no not to his Apostles to obtrude and thrust vpō the Church whatsoever seemed good vnto them but he restrained their commission with this limitation goe gather me disciples out of all nations Math. 28.19 teching them to obserue whatsoever I cōmand you 20. Wher vpon S. Paul grew so precise that he doubted not to denounce anathema against him whomsoever Gal. ◠8 though in degree of an Angell that should presume to ānounce any other Gospel then what himselfe his fellow Apostles had preached and published before But it shall bee needefull I speake something of these cōmandements which be they For though they bee almost infinite being severallye consydered in themselues yet for plainenesse and shortenesse sake they may be all raunged and as it were marshalled into three generall rankes The first cōprehendeth all such as concerne our faith Amongst which that leades the ring whereby wee are bounde to beleeue in God alone according as is put downe formost in the Decalogge Iet 17.5 or ten cōmandemēts For cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme Next this marcheth that which pointeth-out Christ in affiance of whose merites and intercession wee may boldely repose our trust and confidence in GOD. For except a man bringe Christ with him to bee his spoakes-man in vaine is hee sent vnto GOD to treate for mercye whilst the testimonye of his owne conscience will accuse and convict him to be both a sinner the child of wrath And that we must beleeue in Christ he himself doth vs to wit wher he saith this is the wil of God that sēt me Ioh. 7 4◠that evere one which seeth the son beleveth in him should haue life everlasting Also where he inviteth those that be weary loaden to come vnto him to be disburdned refreshed Math. 11.28 the thirsty to repaire vnto him drinko Ioh.
7.37 But because faith is no vaine opinion conceaved by the perswasion of man but a solid sounde apprehension of the things which are exhibited in Christ it shall not be amisse if wee consider a little what the scripture doth report as concerning Christ For vnlesse we doe acknowledge him to be such a one as hee is there purtrayed and depainted to be wee can never fulfill the commandementes of faith but shall runne headlonge against the perilous rockes of mis-beleefe to the everlastinge hazard and shipwracke of our souls For to forge any thing of Christ that he is not is as horrible as to saie there is no Christ Whatsoeuer therefore is registred in scripture of Christ either it toucheth his person or his office The person of Christ is one therfore in no wise to be devided Wherein are ioiued two distinct natures the one of the selfe-same eternity maiestie substance with God the Father the other in the time prefixed taken of the Virgin Marie Both these I say be cōioyned in one person but not confounded For the Deity remaineth whole is not stained with any spot of humane infirmity neither is the humanitie swallowed-vp with the glory of the divine maiesty But as he is perfect God so is he likewise perfect man consisting of a true humane body reasonable soule This may be avoued by many manifest testimonies of holy writte For the olde Prophets in regarde of the divine nature of Christ Esai 7.6 call him wonderfull Zach. 13.9 the everlasting Father Ier. 23.6 coequall with God eternal yea and which more is the Lord and God himselfe Esai 11.1.53.2 but having respect to his manhoode they name him a branch a graffe of the roote of Iesse David the sonne of David the last and least amongst men Ioh. 1.1 In the gospel likewise there is expresse mention made of the Godhead of Christ in the beginning was the worde Vers 14. and the worde was with God and that word was God but the same Changelist in the same place intimating his humane nature saith further 10 30. and that woorde was made flesh not by making exchaunge of his divinity but by taking our humanitye into him For by way of exposition hee addeth and dwelt amonge vs. So CHRIST himselfe 8.58 speaking in the person of the sonne of GOD sayeth I and the father are one 14.28 and before Abraham was I am but in the person of man hee sayeth the Father is greater then I. Much might heere bee alleadged for further proofe of this pointe if neede required But let it suffice vs that it is a speciall commaundemente of CHRIST necessary to bee beleeued of every true Christian man that Jesus Christ in one person is very GOD and very man * This figure of speech is called of some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Damascene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but commonly communicatio idiomatum a cōmunicating or mutuall entercourse of properties whēas that is vouched of one which is proper to another both those natures being in such sorte vnited and knit togither that the properties of either doe abide sound though by reasō of the Hypostaticall coniunction and vnion betwixte them it commeth oft to passe that that is attributed vnto whole Christ which properly belongeth but to one of the natures only Which caution if we giue not good heede vnto in reading holy scripture we may soone run contrarie ere we be aware with Arrius Evion Marcion Valentinus Nestorius and others who through ouersight in that point intangled themselues with many grosse heresies to the great annoyance of the Church and their owne vtter destruction The informattō of this doctrine is very behoofeful for the corroborating and strengthning of our weake faith For so much as otherwise Christ could not haue atchieued that wōderful exploit of our redemption had he not bin both God man Man to make satisfaction for man that had offended God to ouercome death the due stipend of sin whom no meere man of him selfe was able to surprise The office of Christ is implied in his names For if that saying of the Poet be found daily verified in a number conveniunt fatis nomina saepe suis mens names oft proue sutable correspondent to their fortune and destinie the same ought especially to take place in the son of God so long longed looked-for The name Jesus is an Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and expresseth his office in a more general signification for it soūdeth as much Mat. 1.21 as a Saviour according to the true etymologie thereof giuen by the Angell Christ is a Greeke word and doth more specially notifie his maner of sauing vs. For whom the Grecians terme Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hebrewes call Messias and is as much in Latine as vuctus in English annointed Now of old by the ordināce and appointment of God 1. King 1 3◠Kings and Priestes were wont to be annointed Exod. 30.30 whom to haue bin types and shadowes of Christ then to come cānot be gainesayed and so answerably vnto that figure was our sauiour called Christ that is annointed Not that he was annointed with materiall oile but as it is in the Psalme Psal 45.7 with the oile of gladnes that is with the giftes and graces of Gods holy spirit aboue all other his brethren the sonnes of men being consecrate thereby to take vpon him the office both of the chiefe and eternal priest-hood and prince-hood of Gods people In witnes and token whereof John Baptist saw the holy Ghost Math. 3.1 in a visible forme descending and lighting on him In beleeuing then and professing the son of God to be Christ we acknowledge and confesse him to be both king and priest of Gods people that is to say of the whole Church And therefore except wee will make of him an image without life we must agnise in him accordingly the duties aswell of the one as of the other The priests office in time past was to teach the people and to instruct them in the lawe of God as also to pray and offer sacrifice for thē These things are al fully performed by Christ in every part for hee did not only teach the people when he was conversant vpon earth but still doth to this day whilst hee revealeth and maketh his wil known to the Church by his ministers and by his spirite quickeneth the same in the heartes of men Nay Christ is to bee holden for the only and singular doctour and schoole-master of the Church 1. Cor. 1.7 For ministers doe but execute the externall function onlye which though it be done neuer so exquisitely neuer so in printe as they say yet if Gods spirite doe not inwardely concurre therewithall it availeth no more then if a candle bee set before a blinde man though neuer so bright or a tale tolde to a deafe man though neuer so lowde and