sealed Booke of which none was found worthy in Heauen or Earth to open the seales but you may see the Lambe take the booke and open the Seales when he saith This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares When first the seales of ceremonies were put to the law written the finger of God was seene So Pharaohs wise men confessed when they said Digitus Dei hic est the finger of God is here After when God sent his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ into the world the same finger of God was seene If I in the finger of God doe east out Diuels and then did the Lambe of God pull open the whole booke of the law when the fire of his passion melted like waxe his flesh and bloud that we might see in him ouery least impression of those figures and signes and characters to the least shadow and all their contents So now the least we can imagine of Christ is to haue but fulfilled the Law and the Prophets which for the law of signes hath not onely in truth and fulnesse of satisfaction exhibited all but more then the ceremonies did or could signifie and for the predictions of the Prophets hath not onely made good all things whatsoeuer the Prophets spake of him but more then they were able to speake for the ceremonies which did require to be fulfilled in spirit and truth they were all contayned in lesse then fiue bookes but if it should be written what Christ was made and spake and wrought and suffered and testified in their fulfillings The Euangelist saith The a whole world were not able to contayne the bookes As for the Prophets we must consider they spake of Christs birth miracles teaching of his death and passion of his Priesthood his righteousnesse glory kingdome c. Yet were they but poore and niggardly interpretours of that which Iesus Christ in his owne person did represent They did tell vs of this Sunnes rising to the world but how farre inferiour was their relation to this Suns rising No meruaile for how could such a bottomlesse Ocean empt it selfe out of those narrow conduits of the lips of men Therefore they spake of the light but darkely for when we saw the face of that glorious one how rude was their draught Little things increase by fame but of the onely begotten sonne of God we may say as the Queene of Saba said of Salâ—…mon It was a true word that I heard in mine owne land of thy sayings and wisedome Howbeit I beleeued not this report till I came and had seene it with mine eyes but loe the one halfe was not told mee for thou hast more wisedome and prosperity then I haue heard by report Right so may we say it was true O Christ Iesus which wee heard by the Prophets of thy wisedome and power and maiesty and glory but we beleeued not their report but when we saw thee come and shew thy selfe to the world loe the one halfe was not told vs. What could the Prophet Isaas say more then yee heauens send the dew from aboue and let the clouds drop downe righteousnesse But how bare and poore is the conception of the dew in the ayerie cloud to the incarnation of the Sonne of God in the Virgins wombe and what comparison with Canaan to Heauen the drowning of Pharaoh with the vanquishing of the Diuell what is their red Sea to the bloud of Iesus Christ what Iosuahs Sunne standing in Heauen to the Sonne of Gods descending into the world and dwelling with men To this purpose did the holy Prophet pray Open thou mine eyes that I may see the wonderfull things of thy law He did not desire to haue his eyes open to see the Passeouer eaten or the bloud of Goats and Rammes sprinkled or sprinkling with Water or Sabbaths or Feasts for to these his eyes were opened he saw them well The wonder of the law is lesus Christ signed and sealed to the world vnder those egene and poore signes which is Vere admirabilis Deus his name is Wonderfull Counseller the mightie God c. and in him onely we wonder at the Counsell of God which hath by him vnclasped that darke booke of Ceremonies and Riddels of the law and opened the contents of saluation in the light of-the Gospell giuing vs for the Letter the Spirit for shadowes the body truth for figures fulnesse for emptinesse for darkenesse light for bondage freedome for death life for Moses for Eliah for Prophets for Men for Angels One Iesus Christ which raigneth in Heauen But I most conclude onely I will alledge two places which the Apostle hath to shew Christs fulfilling of the law for we will giue the Ceremonies leaue not onely to demand impletion of their greatest and most important signes let them racke themselues to their least shadow and demaund satisfaction for euery tittle and poynt And in like sort wee will not onely make euen with the Law morall to mens vnderstanding but to satisfie the vtmost demaund of GODS iustice in rigour stretching the Law to punish not onely the act and deede but the entent and thought as Christ doth in this Chapter till sinne be shaken as I may say out of the wombe of concupiscence and that first cradle in which it was rocked S. Paul saith of Christ Who hath put out the hand-writing of ordinances which was against vs and contrarie to vs hee tooke it out of the way and fastned it to his crosse Ergo hee hath satisfied the condition of the law for hee could not cancell the band till hee had paid the debt For the law when it stood vnfulfilled was in her whole strength and vertue but now by Christ his death the law is made voyd and of none effect Then the lawes demaund hath beene fully satisfied Now euery obligation doth witnesse against it selfe that when the condition is performed it is voyd though it it be not actually cancelled it mattereth not then though Christ did not actually naile the law of ordinances to the Crosse this was enough to disanull the lawes whole vertue and power when to all the lawes demaund hee made in himselfe full tender vpon the Crosse before so many witnesses God and Angels and Men. Here then wee must conceaue the band is cancelled where the debt is discharged Againe the same Apostle that which was vnpossible to the law c. God sending his owne Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the law might be fulfilled in vs. Then it is too little to say Christ hath fulfilled the law or that by satisfying he hath freed himselfe for he hath done it for vs and in vs and our faith in Christ doth not take away the law but establish it when all these things are spiritually performed in vs which the lawes signes and figures did protend So wee haue for the law a law legem
consciences that as the Father the Son and the holy Ghost are one God so our faith which beleeueth is one faith our knowledge which apprehendeth this mysterie is one knowledge that is with the same obtute of faith I beleeue in God the Father with the same and no other I beleeue in GOD the Sonne and God the holy Ghost And with the same light of knowledge I know one I know all three Neither doth this Vnion rest here to make our faith one and our knowledge one but to make the knowers one for which our Lord prayed That all which shall beleeue in Christ through the Gospell preached by his Apostles may be one as the Father is in Christ and Christ in the Father that they also may be one in vs. I in them and thou in mee that they may be made perfect in one This then we must take for certaine that in reading this Scripture we must of necessitie vnderstand God the holy Ghost with God the Father and God the Sonne as S. Augustine teacheth Ordo verborum est vt cum patre et filio consequenter spiritum sanctum intelligamus quia c The order of the words is saith hee that by consequence wee must vnderstand the holy Ghost with the Father and the Sonne for the spirit is the substantiall and consubstantiall charity of both the Father and the Sonne because the Father and the Sonne are not two Gods neither are the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost three Gods but the Trinitie it selfe is one God Neither is the Father the same person that the Sonne nor the Sonne the same that the Father is nor the holy Ghost the same that the Father and the Sonne whereas the Father the Sonne and the Spirit are three and this very Trinitie is one God Wee haue then by the grace of Christ in these words A Catechisme or Enchiridion for a Christian man contayning in it all the mysteries of saluation all the articles of our faith For at that very instant that wee beleeue God to be the Father maker of the world almighty the onely true and liuing God wee beleeue the incarnation of Iesus Christ we beleeue in the holy Ghost the resurrection from the dead the remission of sinnes we beleeue the holy Catholique Church the communion of Saints and whatsoeuer is written in the law and the Prophets all the contents of the Gospell This one knowledge hath all knowledge in it for as life in that instant that it is life giueth spirit motion seeing tasting feeling and desire to preserue life so as soone as we haue this knowledge wee haue with it all heauenly wisedome and vnderstanding we need not be perswaded to beleeue the Scriptures wee haue the light the feeling the tast of heauenly things and as the light of this Sunne which directeth my going in one place shineth to mee in all places in the house in the field in the Sea in the Desart and in all deepe places so the light of the knowledge of God and Iesus Christ lightneth to mee all things that were in darknesse leadeth me out of all doubts and errours and illuminateth all things that are in heauen and earth But that you mistake me not I doe not deny when we haue receiued this faith but that we haue our farther growing in Christ and encrease in godlinesse by hearing and reading the word by meditation by prayer by receiuing our daily bread and drinke of life in the Sacraments by walking by motion by exercise and labouring in our most holy faith The thing I entend is to shew that all these spring from this fountaine and moue from the power of this life For our bodily life cannot consist or continue without daily foode therefore it is naturall to life to hunger for it daily and by foode wee receiue strength and in our strength we trauaile and labour and doe the things which belong to this life This then is my purpose to shew that all heauenly gifts and powers of the spirit are of the nature of faith So the Apostle By faith we haue an entrance into this grace wherein we stand But first wee liue by faith The iust shall liue by faith By faith we feed therefore the word of God is most properly called the word of eternall life which is the word of faith which wee preach And this word must be mixed with faith and be as meat digested in the stomack of our soules The word did not profit them in whom it was not mixed with faith By this faith we eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his blood which is the bread of life By faith wee are nourished as said Paul of Timotheus which hast beene nourished vp in the words of faith In faith we grow When your faith shall encrease In faith wee haue our strength Strong in the faith By faith wee stand Thou standest by faith By faith we walke For wee walke by faith and not by sight By faith we worke as Saint Paul saith The worke of your faith in power By faith wee resist Satan Whom resist being stedfast in faith By faith wee fight Fight the good fight of faith By faith we conquer and ouercome This is the victorie which ouercommeth the world euen your faith See how S. Paul ascribeth to faith all the patience labours workes striuings assurance hope and the victories of the Saints in the whole Chapter which is the eleuenth to the Hebrewes But here the Scripture speaketh of knowledge not of faith No it cannot vnderstand this knowledge without the light of faith For our knowledge of God is the issue and birth of our faith In all earthly things knowledge maketh faith for all the wise men of this world beleeued no farther then they were led by reason but of heauenly things faith maketh the knowledge for these are aboue reason and captiue our vnderstanding Therefore Saint Paul By faith wee vnderstand c. And Saint Peter I beleeue and know that thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing GOD. Therefore our faith hath her perfection in this life and knowledge doth surrender to faith heere In the world to come faith shall surrender to knowledge and faith shall bee no more Wee beleeue not heere in part wee know but in part now but wee beleeue all things Then in the life to come vvee shall know all thinges as vvee are knowne Then as Saint Paul and Saint Peter ioyne faith with knowledge so doe wee heere and more then that with Christ himselfe in this Chapter the twentith verse vvee take them both for one for so hee prayeth that they vvhich beleeue in him may bee one euen all that shall beleeue by the preaching of their that is the Apostles word that they be one as hee and his Father are one Now let vs goe forward Hypocrates said truely of the Art of Physicke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
battell wonne whos 's first let is because that ardor pugnandi that alacrity of the minde and heate to fight which should be in a Souldier begins to cease This we see in many worldlings which beganne with a zeale and feruor of the spirit but that heate and burning of the spirit is now abated and retarded They grow colder and colder to heauenly things till at last they shrinke and fall away If they be not starke cold yet they are not hot and of such we may heare the Apostle complayne Demas hath for saken me Secondly being made rich they grow timerous For the nature of these earthly things is to beget diffidence and feares and jealousie because our worldly riches haue many suiters and many competitours which seeke by flattery and sleight to vndermine our estates and pilfer away our happinesse so many enemies not onely of rust and mothes but of a Theeues which breake through and steale so all our study and care is now deriued from heauen to guard and watch these base gatherings that we may justly complayne Our feete are set in the snare What snare In the snare of the Diuell Saint Paul telleth vs b in laqueo Diaboli So these first stole away our zeale and we beganne to faint now they haue taken away our courage and we are turned cowards And now for feare wee durst not speake the truth especially if wee should offend some great person To omit other feares wee will change our religion and profession too rather than suffer losse But say we are not brought to this triall See the rich mans feare when he comes to die I meane not his which hath riches but his which loues riches I say when he comes to the last stroke and should be ful of fortitude for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now it is come to the crowne What can wee stirre such men vp with the view speculation of heauenly things of which their hearts haue beene so long naked and dispossest Now is the time of feare the thiefe is come which begins to dig through the wall all is full of trouble and terrour When that soule which was the least part of their goods is swallowed vp of Despaire When one poore Ague shakes all the frame of the house as it would sinke all downe into hell when they await the heauy doome of the Physition as the thiefe doth the Sentence of the Iudge when that strong enemy I meane their owne fleagme and spittle hath so wofully besieged their life when groanes and stitches and burnings and shakings begin to hale and pull those fat Bulls out of their rich pastures thus doe they perish that haue renounced this warfare for the Kingdome of Heauen and wrapt and snared their soules in the loue of this present world whose condition was worse then that of Swine to whom life was giuen in stead of Salt to keepe them from stinking and now see what followes we haue lost our courage and our enemies haue found it we haue deuised to tie our selues so fast that they may take vs and carry vs whether they will take we heede then least that which is most dangerous the enemy set not vpon vs while we are sub sarcinis vnder our burthens For that I may conclude wee gather not the spoyles heere for they are not earthly things but Ioy Loue Truth Peace a of conscience and the fruits of the Spirit with the Kingdome of Heauen and life eternall of these rich booties doe our enemies robbe vs and these are gathered in Heauen Againe in this life the fight is not ended No man is crowned vnlesse he haue lawfully ariued Shall we seeke to triumph before the victory Lastly the Souldier must not take the spoyles but the Generall must distribute them which viewes the whole Armie ouer and sees who fight best in their seuerall ranckes and Stations so doe earthly Princes to them which haue deserued bestin the warres To some they giue gifts to some honour and Knighthood to some Lands to some the seate of Iudgement and so doth our Lord IESVS CHRIST looking downe from heauen on such as striue and wrestle for his name and glory to some gifts Him that ouercommeth will I cloth in white aray to some Lands and possessions Goe to thou faithfull Seruant be thou ruler ouer ten Cities to some honour he that shall doe these things and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdome of heauen Some he maketh Iudges You which haue followed me in this generation shall sit vpon twelue Seates and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israell Let these giue vs to consider what our calling is we should fight for the truth but how many fight against the truth as Heretiques with what vehemency of spirits raysing vp all mans reason and force of arguments seeking with allmalice subtilty with extreame rage and cruelty the detorsion of the word of God from it's end vrging Scripture against Scripture Which abuse we seeing may iustly crie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are wounded and shot through with our owne feathers Our enemies haue said Mutemus clipeos Danaumque insignia nobis aptemus Let 's change our Bucklers while t is night And vnder Greekish Ensignes fight We should fight for God but how many fight against him Atheists Blasphemers Swearers which by their liues doe beare witnesse against God which neuer vse his trembled name but when they sweare and blaspheme as if they would spit him out of their mouthes Such we haue which open their mouthes wide against Heauen we heare them say Our tongues are ours who are Lords ouer vs We should fight against the Diuell we fight for him when we will not confesse our sinnes but iustifie them and say to the Prophets face Nay but I haue not sinned Thus doe we absolue Sathan and condemne CHRIST this makes the Ministers of God as welcome to vs as Eliah was to Ahab Hast thou found mee O mine enemy And as Michaiah was to the same Ahab he neuer prophesieth good to me but euill We should fight against the world but we stand in the worlds defence as couetous men will they suffer the least diminution of their riches nay rather perish mercy dye Almes-giuing waste zeale be forfeited all the treasures of Grace to the vttermost wracke of saluation the losse of Heauen to boote What Counsell what Law can we not finde to recouer an earthly losse But Gods laws are not cared for All our striuings buildings plowings saylings doe obey Hell and the Diuell If we could rippevp the hearts of such we should finde written in them The God of this present world We should fight against the flesh wee are for the the flesh as gluttons adulterours drunkards which in the combate betweene the flesh and the Spirit doe take the flesh her part which contrary to the rule of Saint Paul doe castigare spiritum chastise and subdue
and learne to examine and iudge and condemne your selues What then Either doe those things which you haue beleeued or else confesse against your selues that you haue not beleeued at all For Christ is the end of our faith which is the beginning of a godly life We that haue heard Christ preached are beyond hearing and are come to doing This then remayneth Loue one another frequent diuine Prayers visite the sicke releeue the poore receive the Sacraments auoid contentions lay aside idle questions haue peace and concord one with another giue glory to God It is not hard to know what to doe but to doe what we know Wee may learne that in one Sermon which all our life is not enough to put in practise They which gathered Manna aboue their measure which was an Homer full it stanke and turned to wormes This doth our lusting and greedinesse of knowledge vvhen our measure is full and vvee are not content breede Schismes and factions and make vs stinck one in anothers nosthrils VVhy doest thouseeke far Why search for hidden thinges this one Homer full I beleeue in God and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ is able to sustaine thy soule to eternall life In this thou hast the substance sweetnesse of all whatsoeuer lyeth eyther hidden or scattred in the volume of the Scriptures The whole Scrptures are Manna but that which feedeth my soule to life eternall is this faith in Christ As then he that had filled his Homer full had beene ridiculously absurd to thinke he should want because he saw so much lye scattered in the mountaynes and in the plaine fields so should we be dangerously deceiued if we should not thinke that the knowledge of God the Father and his Sonne were sufficient for vs to eternall life because there are so many things contayned in the holy writ which our vnderstandings haue not gathered This was Saint Peters Homerfull Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God This was Saint Paul his Homer full I esteemed to know nothing but Christ and him crucified This measure they delt to all that beleeued Wee preach Christ. Then let vs not onely take our sufficient sustenance from this liuing bread which descended downe from Heauen and which cryeth in all our eares This is the will of the father that he that beleeueth in mee should haue euerlasting life but let vs take out of this word euen our compleat armour and learne to fight with this sword against all our enemies all our euils and the gates of hell and the Diuell If your aduersaries deny you to be of the true Church and will seeke to examine your hold say you hold in Capite in Fee by fayth in Iesus Christ you hold by the head and whosoeuer holds by the head is a true member of Christ his body If they obiect but the Church is built vpon an hill confesse it and shew them the hill the diuinitie of Iesus Christ that hill of Peters Tu es Christus This hill heere haec est vita aeterna Why hop you so high O ye hils This is Gods hill this hill is Iesus Christ himselfe which is God and God is not onely a Rocke and an high Hill to those that serue him but they that trust in him shall be rockes themselues and high and stedfast as mountaynes as Saint Peter was If they will offer to make your faith void by vrging their succession of Popes and Priests as if your Ministers had beene at a fault in their succession and ordination or if home aduersaries as Familists or Brownists or Barrowists vrge and prâ—…sse your Ministers as not lawfully called answere these hence The Scripture is not carefull to answere in this poynt it is the succession of true doctrine which concerneth vs not of men for God will not haue our life in him depend vpon a quirke or misse in mens callings but on faith in Christ. Of this I am seased and am interessed in life eternall I will no more dispute of the meanes to it then I will of my faith did they which preached Christ to mee preach of pride or enuy or contention or gaine this is my sure gaine Christ is preached of this I am assured No man can say Iesus is Christ but by the holy Ghost As true as I beleeue this Article so truly I know God the Father in heauen was my teacher This I know Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of God in him God dwelleth of this I am assured Whosoeuer beleeueth that Iesus Christ is borne of God This record all the diuels in hell shall neuer ouerthrow o God hath giuen vs eternall life and this life is in his sonne and he that hath the sonne hath life This is a serious poynt to haue life eternall to haue God my teacher to haue God dwell in mee to be borne of God vpon this will I build I will not tamper about successions Farther if as now it is vsuall with too many any seeke to seduce you or trouble your faith with questions of Canons or Church-order or Discipline or such like say that you had rather build straw and stubble vpon the foundation then set the foundation vpon straw and stubble In these words is the foundation the ground it selfe of all true Religion we will not tamper about reparations or couerings this is the body it selfe I fight not for the shadow Heere is the compleat armour of a Christian I will not passe how it be guilded or enamelled Finally in trouble in sorrow in sicknesse in persecution in prison in danger by Sea in danger by Land in feare against height against depth and whatsoeuer may seeme to shake our faith or wound our conscience or discomfort our spirit hold we vp this confession that our Sauiour Iesus Christ is God and man Let vs say to Death it selfe this is life eternall to Satan this is the onely true and liuing God to Sinne this is Iesus Christ the onely begotten sonne of God oppose wee to hell and hell gates this faith in Iesus Christ which hath opened to vs Heauen and Heauen gates To whom with God the Father and God the I holy Ghost three persons and one God be ascribed all Honour Power and Glory now and for euer Amen FINIS a 〈◊〉 4. 1. b Iohn 6. 〈◊〉 â—…at 4. 4. c Iohn 6 〈◊〉 d Cor. 2. 4. Hom 〈◊〉 in Mâ—… a Mat. 21. 〈◊〉 b Mat. 9. 36. c Luk. 13. 37. d Esa. 63. 3. e Ier. 8. 8. f Psa. 〈◊〉 6. g Nom. 25. 1â—… h Eâ—… 7. 1â—… i Mat. 3. 14. k Pro. 26. 10. * Gen. 37. 22. l Gen. 39. m 2 Sam. 16. 4. n 2 Sam. 14. 20. o 1 Sam. 28. Aeneid 7. p Rom. 12. 24. a Luke 23. 5. b Luke 2â—… 13. c Eccles. 7. 1â—… d Math. 5. 44. a Rom. 3. 15. b Iliad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Psal. 57. 4. b Prou. 25. 18.