and grace and euen then by and by after shall follow the iudgement Lumnius devicinitate extremi iudicii lib. 1. cap. 15. Lumnius a Papist concerning the comming of Elias Enoch writes thus That although they shall preach but three yeeres and a halfe yet that the day of iudgement shall be neuerthelesse vncertaine to the world Although saith he we beleeue that Elias shall come and although the remnant of the Iewes be said to be conuerted when as the fulnes of the Gentiles shall haue entred in yet we must thinke that this must be done secretly and by little and little So that all the world shall stand in doubt of the person of Elias and of the time of the conuersion of the Iewes euen as the world stood in doubt of the persons of Iohn and of our Sauiour Iesus Thus farre Lumnius But this his exposition agrées not with the rest of the papists Reu. 11.6 for they expound those two witnesses in the Reuelation literally to be meant of the persons of Elias and Enoch And that they shall haue power in the daies of their prophecies to open and shut heauen and to turne water into bloud If they shall do these euident signes surely no man can say that they shall come secretly These signes also are so manifest that no man can doubt of their persons Nay Saint Iohn there saith Vers 9. that all people and nations shall see their bodies lie dead in the citie that spiritually is called Sodome and Egypt and that they shall be glad of their deaths and shall send presents one to another because they were slaine For they shall vexe the people of the earth and not conuert the Iewes as they imagine These prophets then shall not come secretly when they come as Lumnius imagineth but all the world shall heare of them and hate them They shall be enemies to their carnall mirth and spirituall fornication How angrie will the adulterer be to be depriued of his pleasure so pleasant also is spirituall fornication to flesh and bloud These two witnesses then are the preachers of the gospell Mat. 24.12 which shall preach the gospell to all nations In testimonium and not in patrocinium for a testimonie of their condemnation not for a helpe of their saluation as the same Lumnius alleageth out of Hilarie Lum ca. 14. Reue. 10.11 Which vnder the type of Iohn in the chapter going before haue receiued the little booke yea from the hand of the Lord to preach againe to nations peoples tongues and many kings not Elias and Enoch Ferus also of the vncertaintie of the day of iudgement writes thus If you enquire of me the daie and howre I will not tell you In 24. ca. Mat. but if you will know the seasons and beginnings I will hide nothing from you I haue shewed you in many words how that that day is not vnknowen vnto me But I haue brought you to the gates onely thereof for he had said before know ye then that it is euen in the verie gates But it is for your profit that I will not open the gates vnto you least you should waxe carelesse For so it is written of me I am thy God teaching thee profitable things onely as much as might profit you I haue taught but that which might engender in you a false securitie I conceale from you Here therefore thou seest the cause why he would haue both the day of our death and of iudgement vnknowne vnto vs least we should be more slouthfull but being alwaies vncertain of this we should euer liue in feare should euer watch being careful as though we should be iudged the next day and that we should looke for him euerie day whō we know not when he wil come Thus far Ferus Here is then a Christians life euerie day to looke and waite for Christ and so to liue as though he should not liue til to morrow according to that saying of the heathen Philosopher Who being bidden to a feast against to morrow Surely said he I neuer thought that I should liue til to morrow these many yeeres And it is reported that Saint Ierome that in all his doings he thought he heard that last trumpet sounding in his eares Then Elias comming shall not giue Christians warning thereof thrée yéeres an halfe before it come as the Papists do teach In ca. 11. Mat. Ferus also writing vpon these wordes And if ye will receiue him he is Elias which is to come saith thus As though he should say that you may plainly see that there is no other prophet to be looked for of you who should shew you that Messias should come Iohn is that verie same Elias which Malachie promised vnder the name of Elias And in these words he makes answere to a question couertly all men were perswaded that Elias should come before Messias came whom because they saw not they doubted of Christ And therefore the Apostles when they saw the Lord transfigured said Wherefore do the Pharisees say that Elias must first come To whom he answered Elias is come alreadie But who this Elias was here he signifieth Iohn himselfe is Elias not in person but in spirit and power For as Elias with great zeale was zealous that he might bring the people of Israel to the true God and for this cause he spared not kings so Iohn by the same zeale endeuoured to bring the people vnto Christ After Iohn therfore no other thing is to be looked for but that great terrible day of the Lord. The which also followes in the same prophet Thus farre Ferus If after Iohn nothing is to be looked for but that terrible day of the Lord then not Elias and Enoch according to master Bellarmines assertion Cuthbert Tunstall Bishop of Duresme thus writes in a Sermon put in print which he preached before king Henry the eight on Palme sunday vpon this text Let the same mind be in you that was in Iesus Christ These many yeeres past saith he little warre hath beene in these parts of Christendome but the Bishop of Rome either hath beene a stirrer of it or a nourisher of it and seldome any compounder of it vnlesse it were for his ambition and profit Wherfore seeing as Saint Paul saith in the four 10. chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthiās That God is not the God of dissension but of peace who commaundeth by his word alwaies peace to be kept we are sure that all those that go about to breake peace betweene Realmes and to bring them to warre are the children of the diuell what holy names soeuer they pretend to cloake their pestilent malice withall which cloaking vnder hypocrisie is double diuellishnes and of Christ most detested because vnder his blessed name they do play the diuels part And therefore since Christ is on our side let vs not feare thē at al but putting our confidence in Almightie God let vs
shall not we doe the like for our selues Let vs follow his example But what speak I of shedding teares when we pray some are now growne so stiffe-necked that they will hardlie how their knées when they praie That is now accounted of manie superstition they saie it is sufficient to bow the knées of their hearts But howsoeuer they saie it is superstition I saie it is lacke of reuerence to the Maiestie of God and of deuotion O come let vs worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker Psal 9◠6 saith Dauid We say this euerie daie at our prayers with our mouthes do it not with our bodies What is this but euen as it were to mocke God S. Paul is said to bow his knees to the father of our Lord Iesus Christ of whom is named all the families in heauen and earth Ephes 3.14 Nay Iesus Christ himselfe is said to haue prostrated himselfe vpon the earth to God his Father Matt. 26.39 And shall we thinke much to bow our knées to him Or is it to stoupe a little with their heads when they praie as some vse to do to knéele Is that superstition which Saint Paul and our blessed Sauiour vsed To conclude then this second dutie of a Christian Thus he is taught manifestlie in the word of God to praie continuallie thrise a daie at least To watch in the night in his prayers to praie earlie in the morning and to ioyne with his prayers fasting wéeping and knéeling And then when he prayeth the Lord shall heare him as hee did Dauid and endue his soule with much strength Psal 138.3.109.7 Without these let him take héede his prayers be not turned into sin A third dutie which concernes all Christians is to exhort one another to good workes and to reprooue their brethren when they sée them to commit sinne and especiallie of maisters to catechize and instruct their families And this is that which Ecclesiasticus saith And hee saide vnto them Eccles 17.12 Beware of all vnrighteous things Hee gaue also euerie man a commandement concerning his brother Euery man must haue a care of his brother to exhort him to goodnesse and to keepe him from sinne And this is that allegorie of a bodie which Saint Paul also vseth and teacheth vs Rom. 10.4 We are all members of Christs bodie Now euerie member will not onelie labour for and helpe another but also if it be hurt will haue a care to heale it againe The same care should euerie Christian haue of his brother And hence it is that Saint Paul saith Heb. 3.12 Take heed brethren least at anie time there bee in anie of you an euill heart and vnbeleeuing to depart from the liuing God But exhort one another dayly while it is called to day least any of you bee hardened by the deceitfulnesse of sinne No doubt for lacke of this daily exhortation so manie at this daie amongst vs are hardened with sin No man now adaies exhorteth his brother to do good A man maie do what he list no man will reproue him And the same lesson he repeates againe as a lesson worthie the learning Heb. 10.24 Let vs consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and good workes not forsaking the fellowship that we haue amongst our selues as the maner of some is but let vs exhort one another and that so much the more because yee see that the day draweth neere c. The néerer that the day of iudgement approcheth the more we stand in néed of this exhortation and prouocation one of another forward to good works For then as should séeme Reu. 12.12 Sathan shall labour mightily as we find by experience to draw all men to sinne And therefore all men had neede to ioyne hands together and to labour against him We fight against mightie enemies Ephes 6.12 against principalities and powers as the Apostle telleth vs. And yet the iudge being now at the verie doores Iam. 5.9 and the day no doubt béeing at hand and this enemie béeing so mightie euen now raging so fiercelie because he knowes that hee hath but a short time to raigne Reue. 12.12 No man almost exhorteth his brother to good workes as loue and charitie but rather vnto pride and couetousnesse by his euill example No man reprooueth the sinne of his brother Men are nowe become like Caine who said Gen. 4.9 Am I my brothers keeper What haue I to doe with my brother This is a Caines and not a Christians voice The holy Ghost fell vpon the Apostles in the forme of fitie tongues Act. 2.3 To teach all Christians that are indued with the holie Ghost what their duties are they must be tongues they must not be dumbe they must exhort they must teach they must speake yea they must be firie tongues that is they must reproue also But now adaies that saying of King Dauid is verified Psal 94.16 Who will rise vp with me against the wicked Or who will take my part against the euil doers Perchance one amongst an hundred endued with this firie zeale of Gods Spirit will rebuke sinne will stand vp against the wicked but no man will take his part no man will ioine with him And so by that meanes his godly zeale doth little good One man is no man as the prouerbe is And without manie be ioined and coupled together there is no strength there is no force Secondlie as euery man is bound to exhort his brother so especiallie euerie Master his familie as appeareth by Gods owne spéech to Abraham when as hee reuealed to him the destruction of Sodome Ge. 18.17 c. And the Lord said Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do Seeing that Abraham shall be indeed a great and a mightie nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him For I know him that he will command his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnesse and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that hee hath spoken vnto him Let vs mark here all that will be accounted Abrahams children what God himselfe pronounceth of Abraham that hee will teach his sonnes and his familie to feare God do righteousnesse and let vs follow his steps then shall all that God hath promised Abraham come vnto vs. Would we then be partakers of Gods promises and of his blessings let vs then instruct our children and families Here is a condition or limitation prescribed to vs by Gods own mouth All men condemne Herod that killed the Innocents and yet they which catechize not their families and children are more cruell then he Matth. 2.16 for he killed other mens children and these men kill their owne Nay hee killed but their bodies only and these kill their soules O cruell Herods Let all true Christians beware of this crueltie and be rather Abrahams true children in instructing
common father to vs all so we should be all as brethren one to another and it is greatly to be feared that at this daie that the lacke of this naturall and brotherly loue amongst our selues makes God withdrawe this his fatherlie loue and care from vs. Wilt thou not accompt the poore thy brethren and deale with them as with brethren Surely then God will not be thy father Oh what a losse is this We had better make leases of our lands for nothing nay léese all the goods in the world then léese this Mat. 16.26 Which art in heauen Here is his Maiestie declared vnto vs we haue a mightie father a father of the greatest maiestie in the world The winde the raine the thunder that comes from heauen how mightie how terrible how forcible are they But our father whose dwelling is in heauen 1. King 8.27 naie whom the heauen of heauens cannot containe is of farre greater might These are but his seruants as the Psalmist saith Psal 104.4 He makes the spirits or windes his messengers and his seruants the flames of fire He is most terrible when he is angrie Psal 18.7.2.12 yea if his anger be kindled but a little Oh let vs feare him let vs not sinne presumptuouslie euen the smallest sinnes He is most mercifull Psal 19.13 where hee loues Oh let vs praie vnto him he is able to helpe Heb. 10.26 Psal 103.8 let vs trust in him Let vs not thinke that the darkenesse or anie worldlie pretence whatsoeuer can couer or hide our sinnes Ps 94.9 139.1 The sunne which is but a little aduanced in the heauens we sée howe his beames will pierce into euerie corner much more the power of our God which dwelleth aboue all the heauens his eies his brightnesse his maiestie is in euerie place Hallowed be thy name We will not name the Emperor nor anie king nor anie meane gentleman without reuerence 1. Tim. 1.17 Psal 138.2 and without his titles We cannot sée God he is inuisible he hath onely giuen vs his name here amongst vs to see how we will vse it Hereby are we tried as we accompt of his name so we accompt of him as we esteeme it so we estéeme himselfe Let it be of the greatest accompt amongst vs aboue the names of all Kings and Princes let it be our greatest iewell let vs alwaies vse it most reuerentlie and holilie Let here all Ruffians and Atheists and blasphemous swearers and periured persons quake and tremble that make so light accompt of the name of God This is such a sinne that now although they make light accompt thereof yet God hath tolde them most plainlie in his lawe which if they were not starke deafe they would marke and remember that he that committes it Psal 58.4 he will not accompt him guiltlesse but at that great daie of iudgement when as he will pardon other sinnes he will most assuredlie condemne this Exod. 20.7 Thy kingdome come who hauing land purchased for him would not long to be in the possession of it who being an apprentice would not gladlie be at libertie who hearing his sonne to be a King Gen. 45.27.28 would not now gladlie make haste to go to sée him Did not Iacob thinke you when as he heard that Ioseph his sonne was a Prince in Egypt thinke euerie daie a yeere till he were with him Such are all our estates here in this world we haue not great lands or possessions purchased for vs but euen a kingdome yea and that such a kingdome as farre surpasseth all the kingdomes and monarchies of the world Reu. 1.6 who would not desire to be in the possession of such a kingdome who would not long to sée it we are here all apprentices watching and manie times wanting and euer warring and labouring Who would not gladly be at liberty Iob. 7.1 be deliuered from this bondage be in franchised into that citie where there is not want nor watching nor warring Reu. 21.4 nor labouring but ioie rest peace plenty and fréedome for euermore We doe not onelie heare good newes as Iacob did that our son is a Prince in Egypt but that we our selues are made Kings and Priests by the meanes of Iesus Christ Reu. 1.6 1. Pet. 2.9 and that of the kingdome of heauen and that we are now fellowe heires with him 1. Co. 3.21.22 Rom. 8.17 This is the summe of the Gospell This is our ioyfull newes And did Iacob make hast to go into Egypt and shall not we hasten to our heauenlie kingdome O we of little faith Reu. 22.17 and therefore in the Reuelation the spirit and the spouse say Come Lord Iesu As though they should saie Come Lord Iesu and end this our apprentiship finish this our pilgrimage giue vs now possession of that kingdome which we beléeue that thou hast purchased for vs. And it is all one with that our Sauiour here teacheth vs to praie O Lord let thy kingdome come Iacob was not so sure of his sonne Iosephs kingdome in Egypt nor anie apprentice is so sure after his yeeres expired of his fréedome nor anie purchaser of the landes he hath purchased as we are sure of this our kingdome Mark 16.16 1. Ioh. 5 13. Mat. 5.18 our libertie our heauenlie inheritance The Gospell witnesseth it vnto vs it assures vs thereof Heauen and earth shall passe away but one tittle or iot thereof shall not passe away And therefore being thus assured we saie boldly let thy kingdome come and therefore as Saint Paul teacheth Wee groane and sigh for that great day of our deliuerance out of this bondage and apprentiship with all the creatures of God Rom. 8.22 which also grone with vs that they may be deliuered also into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God And thinking therefore of that great daie of iudgement which is terrible to all Infidels wicked persons and Idolaters Psal 97.7 Esay 2.20 Confounded at that daie saith Dauid and let them hide their faces all such as worship carued Images and delight in vaine gods Reu. 9.20 And to Dauid agrees Esay and S. Iohn Let all papistes marke this then wee are not dismaide but lift vp our heads because we know then that our redemption drawes neere Luke 21.28 Wée praie also O Lorde let thy kingdome come Rom. 6 12. let not sinne raigne in our bodies let vs not delight in it let vs not submit our selues vnto it let not the law of our mēbers Rom. 7.23 which manie times is so imperious and with authoritie euen commands and with necessitie forceth vs that we must néedes doe this or that let not this law O good Lord euer preuaile against vs Eph. 5.18 but be thou our king Let thy holie spirit euer beare rule in our hearts Psal 2.6 Rom. 8.14 Psal 119. 105. Ioh. 18.12 let thy most holie law be a lanterne to our waies and a
sorrowes stripes wounds and whatsoeuer he hath done and whatsoeuer he hath suffered from the first minute that he was borne into this world and that he beheld this light vnto the verie last gaspe which he dying on the Crosse yeelded vp all that we offer vnto thee For we are partakers of all these al these are ours he did all these things for vs he suffered them for vs We trusting and relying wholy of this oblation of this sacrifice of these merits do come vnto thee and we desire mercie of thee euen as it were now of iustice and good right for if thou respect thy sonne it is iustice but if thou respect vs it is mercie But there is also another thing that makes vs bolde that makes vs hope well that makes vs be of good courage because we doe not come to thee through mans presumption or with the impudent face of flesh and bloud and doe begge of thee these so great requests and petitions but we come thus begging sent of thine only begotten sonne for he commands vs to come to thy throne to aske in his name whatsoeuer is necessary to both our liues Neither doth he onely command vs this but also he hath put wordes in our mouthes fitte for the same purpose he hath giuen vs those phrases and maner of speeches which thou knowest and art acquainted wel withall which hitherto we haue repeated Know them O Lord it is the stile of thy sonne they are the words which he left vs to deserue our saluation Remember O Father that woman of Thekoah which obtained pardon of Dauid for his beloued sonne Absolon assoone as the king perceiued that shee came being sent of Ioab the captaine of the hoste which fauour Ioab expounded to be done vnto himselfe and not to the woman so I O Lord am sent of thine onely begotten sonne it is he that hath put these words in my mouth it is he that beseecheth thee by me and for me That which thou grantest to me thou grantest to him and he will thanke thee for it Remember O Lord how thou didst not condemne but commende that vniust steward of thy goods who made himselfe friends with them Be not angrie with me if that I the poorest creature in the world who haue euill spent thy goods and wasted them doe come to thy sonne make him my friend submit my selfe to his patronage and protection that in this time of my neede and extremity he may receiue me into his tabernacle and that his merits may protect and shrowde me I know that it is a dangerous thing to come into thy sight without our spirituall brother Beniamin that is thine onely begotten sonne Behold him therefore behold we bring him with vs and we present him vnto thee that by his intercession we may be mercifully heard of thee And thou also O thou onely begotten sonne of God who also art the sonne of man stretch foorth thy arme ouer vs. For thou art our protectour and with thy cloake couer our nakednesse and with thy riches helpe our pouertie and do not put vs backe from thy grace and fauour whom thou hast vouchsafed to make partners and companions of thy nature who liuest with the Father and the holy Ghost for euer and euer We maie learne here how that as our iustification is frée in respect of our selues but déerelie bought with the precious bloud and innumerable merites of Iesus Christ so likewise all the good things we haue we also obtaine by his meanes He is the captaine of the Lords hoste by whose meanes all disobedient wicked Absolons are restored into their heauenly fathers grace and fauour againe he is that beloued Beniamin without whom it is dangerous to appeare in our heauenly fathers presence Therefore in our praiers let vs be sure euer to bring him with vs and no bodie els To the same effect Granatensis also writeth in another praier Thou art my king Orat. 7. pro impet amor dei for thou gouernest me with thy spirit thou hast fought for me and hast pulled me out of the hands of mine enimies thow art my high Priest for thou hast prayed and dost still pray for me without ceasing as an euerlasting high priest in the presence of God thy heauenly Father Thou are my sacrifice for thou hast offered vp euen thine own selfe a sacrifice vpon the Altar of the crosse that most graciously and mercifully thou mightest purge and wash away my sinnes Thou art my Aduocate for when the diuell accuseth mee and teacheth to thy father against me an inditement wherein are written all my sinnes thou defendest me and maintainest my cause Thou laiest downe of thine and suppliest all that is wanting to my righteousnes Thou art my redeemer for thou art both God and man mans friend and also true man a friend also that can do much with God and the true Son of God And therefore thou settest thy selfe as a Mediatour in the midst between God and me And after To conclude thou art my Sauiour and surely such a Sauiour who euery where alwaies and in all things sufficeth me for thou didst worke in the middle of the earth most perfectly and absolutely all whatsoeuer was required to my saluation Thou hast lightened my ignorance with thy doctrine thou hast strengthened my weaknes with thy examples thou hast kindled and enflamed my luke-warmenes with thy benefits Thou hast instructed my soule with thy mysteries Thou hast enriched my pouerty with thy merites Thou hast healed my wounds with thy sacraments Thou hast paide and satisfied for my pleasures with thy griefes and sorrowes and now sitting in heauen at the right hand of thy father thou makest intercession for me VVhat shall I vse many words Thou art made my wisdome my righteousnes my sanctification and redemption and therfore all my goods This glorie Granatensis attributes to Iesus Christ and all true catholiques wil most assuredlie beleeue this doe the same Here is the perfect summe of our saluation And speaking of the holie communion he writes thus That it is a Sacrament of infinit vertue Lib. 3. Mem. cap. 1. I say of infinit vertue saieth hee for it containes in it Christ who is the fountaine of grace And man by that Sacrament is made partaker of all the merites of the Lords passion which also haue neither measure nor number If this be true how doeth Poligranes measure and number them affirming that they take awaie the fault and not the punishment Hée also writes thus This faith affirmeth Lib. 1. Mem. cap. 5. that the reward of vertue and the punishment of sinne the one of them is so sharpe and the other so great that if all the world were full of bookes and all creatures were writers yet all these writers should be sooner weary and the world should be ended then that they should lacke matter what to write of either of these what these things containe in them according to their exceeding greatnes
is commanded vs. Also by this word he taught that we should seeke all good things from him and by him for it is a most true saying No man ascends c. And againe the same Ferus writes thus Who that he might spare his seruant Ibidem would whippe his owne sonne But God that he might spare his enemies and them who were vnthankefull to him gaue his sonne to death He hath giuen vs his righteousnesse merits yea and whatsoeuer he hath done or suffered And therefore wee may glorie of them as if they were our owne which thing only can preserue vs from desperation Thus farre Ferus If we haue Christ with all his merites giuen vs what néede we anie more what neede we anie merites of Saintes out of the Popes treasure then to satisfie for our sinnes And after the same Ferus writes thus But thou wilt say Christ is now absent from our eies how shall we lay holde on him I answere he is not laide hold on saith he by the hand of the body but by the hand of the hart which is faith Therefore in only Christ by the faith of thy heart thou shalt finde sufficiencie and aboundance because he alone brought with him God himselfe with all his goods This faith in Christ maketh not ashamed because Christ is truth And therefore Esay saith All that beleeue in him shall not be confounded For faith directed aright neuer confoundeth This word therefore teacheth that God is both top and toe the beginning and ending of our saluation the Author and the finisher thereof I am Alpha and Omega saieth he c. And to the same effect Ferus writes on the Preface of Matthew Haue that euer before thine eies of Esay A childe is borne vnto vs and liued for vs and died for vs and that which is more is giuen vs with all that he hath Therefore when thou hearest Christ to haue done or suffered anie thing thinke that same Christ with that he hath done or suffered to be thine insomuch that thou maiest bragge thereof as of thine owne for he needed not to be incarnated or circumcised he needed not to fast pray or suffer but hee hath giuen all these thinges to vs we stand in neede of them For our merites are not sufficient For they are like a defiled cloth of a woman Therefore thou must say O Father I acknowledge that I am nothing but I know that Christ hath done this not for himselfe but for me c. But some will saie then whereunto serue our good workes if Christs merites be sufficient Ferus answereth a little after Haue care saith he that of the truth of God thy faith may be nourished and of his mercie thy hope and of his goodnesse thy loue and of his iustice thy feare Behold saith he these are the exercises of a Christian life For what doth God require els but that thou shouldest feare him Here we maie plainlie sée how Ferus still makes our workes not merits but dueties and exercises of our Christian life God will not haue vs idle or vnprofitable or vnthankefull to him And after the same Ferus writes thus The wise men shewed their inward deuotion of their mindes In cap. â— Mat. by their outward falling downe for our outward worship is without superstition when it proceedes from the inward So the children of Israell hearing that God had respect to their afflictions fel down flat on the earth so we also are prostrated by this acknowledging our selues to be nothing but dust and we arise againe acknowledging that our saluation is only of the grace of God Thus Ferus writes in the Text in the Copie printed at Paris but the Corrector in correcting the escapes in the printing at Rome biddes put out onely the Papists will not acknowledg with Ferus that our saluation comes onelie of the grace of God Apoc. 7.10 but partlie also out of our owne merites and workes But all the true Saintes of God with Ferus acknowledge their saluation to come of the Lambe Genes 38.18 This was prefigured in the law by manie Types and shadowes Thamar requireth of Iudah as a pledge of his loue his Signet his Cloake and his Staffe The same pledges of his loue hath our true Iudah Iesus Christ giuen to vs that is the signets or seales of his Sacraments the cloke of his righteousnes the staffe of his holy spirit By the strength where of wée may passe thorow all the waues and flouds of this world 2. King 2.11 This was that which was prefigured long before also in the ascension of Elias who left his double Spirit and his Mantle to his Scholler Elizeus so our true Elias Iesus Christ who by his own power hath ascended into heauen who as it were a shadowe of him the other Elias did ascend hath left to all his Disciples to all his faithfull seruantes his double spirit his two Sacraments and the mantle of his righteousnesse Of him it is truelie saide that hee hath put on righteousnesse as an Habergion Esay 59.17 and an helmet of saluation vpon his head This Habergion of his righteousnesse and this mantle and this shield of faith hee hath left to all his faithfull seruantes and souldiours And by the strength of these they are able to stand against all the assaultes of their enemies and to quench all the fierie darts of the diuell Dominic 1 in Septuagesima Philippus de Dies also writes thus concerning this matter Our heauenly Redeemer saith Know that your saluation dependeth of my onely will and pleasure and this is his predestination that shal be saued wherefore let no man be exalted though he come early into the Vineyard neither despaire â—hough he come late so that hee come for if he come early he owes me more then I owe him saith God for I helped him that hee might come early and I am the Lord who may do whatsoeuer pleaseth me And this is better and more profitable for men that euery one be sober and watchfull considering I receiued the theefe from the Crosse and dismissed Iudas from my Table and Dish And so Saint Augustine saith that men how to knowe how to liue well it is the gift of God And man owes more to God because he doth good works in his seruice then God owes to man because he does them And so this glorious saint sayth The works of man they are the gifts of God And if any shal say O Lord I fast recompence me for my fasting the Lord may say to him again yea rather pay thou me because I gaue thee grace and helpe that for me thou mightest fast Another sayth Lord recompence me because I haue giuen away all my goods for thy sake Another Lord recompence me for in thy seruice I haue beaten and chastened my body Another saith I haue beene a Virgine or martyr for thy sake Another because I haue endured so many tribulations To whom the Lord
if he will haue him For who doubts but that God knowes how to saue and is also able and willing to saue For God is the God of saluation as saith the Psalme but whether hee will saue him or no this the Diuell cals in question especially if a man haue liued among the wicked as Christ was here among the theeues Therefore it is a great temptation when the Diuell makes a man doubt which trusts in the Gospell that although he beleeue that Christ is our righteousnesse yet that he should doubt whether he be his righteousnesse or no c. Euerie true Christian must beléeue in particular that Christ is his righteousnesse if he minde to ouercome the Diuell and be saued To beléeue in Generall that he is the righteousnesse of all men is the marke the Diuell shootes at and this doctrine the Papists some of them doe now teach But he must go further that will be saued and apply this soueraigne plaister of Christs death to himselfe and to his owne soule and beléeue that he is his righteousnesse also Granatensis also of the same matter writes thus But thou O Lord as thou art omnipotent in vertues Granat de perfectione amor dei lib. 2. ca. 34 so thou art sufficient for all men in loue thou art infinit in them both and therefore that cannot be wanting to any which hath neither lymits nor any ende although it be deuided amongst many Euen as no man enioyeth lesse the light of the sunne because it shineth to all men but he receiueth so much thereof euen as though he were alone in the world so that heauenly bridegroome loues no lesse all the Godly soules both in particular and in generall then if it were one soule alone For he is not a louer like to Iacob whose loue towards Leah was colder for the feruent loue wherewith he loued Rachel but as an infinite God whose vertue is no lesse in euerie particular person though it be deuided also amongst many And after The Philosophers say Cap. 37. that goodnesse is to be beloued of it selfe but also that euery one loues his owne goods the best for when as man loues himselfe by nature it followes by a necessarie consequent that he must loue all his owne things as proper and pertaining to himselfe alone Wherefore euerie one loues his owne house his owne vineyard his owne money his owne seruants his owne horses and whatsoeuer he possesseth for all these serue to his vse and therefore man as he loueth himselfe so he loues all things which belong to himselfe Therfore if then thou my Lord God be not the onely best good thing in the world but also my best good thing that I haue in the world I minde here to consider in what degree thou art mine and by how many titles thou art mine that hereby I may more manifestly know how greatly I ought to loue thee Therefore I see O my God that thou art my Creator that thou art my sanctifier and that thou art my gloryfier Thou art my helper my gouernour defender tutour and keeper thou sustainest me thou encouragest me thou preseruest me thou to conclude art my God thou art my Lorde thou art my saluation thou art my hope thou art my glorie thou art all the good things I haue Thou art all these thinges vnto me O Lorde as thou art God but in that thou art man there are many other titles other duties and other bonds wherewith I am bound to thee Thou art my repairer for thou hast made perfect againe mans nature which by sinne was corrupted and weakned thou art my deliuerer for by thy captiuitie thou hast deliuered me from the tyranny of sinne death hell and the diuell my deadly enimy thou art my redeemer for with a price and incomparable treasure laid out for my sake thou hast redeemed me from that seruitude into the which thorow sinne I was fallen thou art my King for thou gouernest me with thy Spirite thou also hast fought for me and hast deliuered me from the hands of mine enimies And so going forward he reckons vp a great many benefits of Iesus Christ to his Church and after concludes thus All these things thou art O Lord my God and more then these both to all and to euery one and to me alone And therefore with what face shal I not loue thee Lord to whom I am bound by so many titles and meanes Par. prec orat 7. de impet amore dei Michaelab Istelt cites thus Granatensis praying But when as indeed euery good thing is to be beleeued by it selfe yet notwithstāding euery one doth loue his own good the best I wil therfore loue thee O Lord my God not only because that thou art the best good thing but because that thou art my good too For when I consider and way with my selfe by how many titles and means thou art become mine my very entrails melt within me and I crie out with the Bride My loue is mine and I am his For thou O Lord art my creator thou art my sanctifier and glorifier thou hast giuen me the essence of nature thou hast giuen me the essence of grace and thou wilt giue me the essence of glory Thou art my helper my gouernour my defender my tutor my preseruer and lastly thou art my Lord and my God thou art my saluation my hope my glory thou art all the goods I haue And truly thou art all these vnto me in as much as thou art God in as much as thou art the Creator and preseruer of all things but in that thou art man there are many other titles other duties and other bonds wherewith I am bound to thee and thou to me for the which also I ought of good right to loue thee if it were possible with an infinit loue c. Granatensis here affirmes that God is not onely the best good thing in the world but that hee is his good to him And what is this else but to teach men to beleeue speciall grace Mem. lib. 2. cap. 4. Granatensis also himselfe of speciall grace writes thus Amongst all those losses which the sinner incurres thorow his sinne there is none greater or more to be lamented then that hee loseth God himselfe for this is the root and fountaine of all other losses For to haue lost God is not to haue God a speciall father tutor pastour and defender and now to haue changed him from being a most louing Father into a most seuere Iudge Here is the verie word vsed that God is as it were a speciall father protector and defender to euerie one of his Granatensis in another place of speciall grace writes thus Mem. lib. 5. orat remiss peccat O Lord remember thy wordes which are most comfortable which sometimes thou spakest by the mouth of thy Prophet Ier. 31. But thou hauing plaide the harlot with manie louers yet turne againe to mee sayth the Lord. Wherefore O mercifull father
Else when thou blessest with the spirit how shall he which occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen at thy giuing of thanks seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest Thou verily giuest thanks wel but the other is not edified S. Paul here speakes manifestly of common prayer in the Church both of praying singing of Psalmes and not only of priuate hymnes or some particular songs which some Christians made to their owne comforts and to praise God as Master Bellarmine expounds this place Saint Pauls doctrine agrées with the promise of our sauiour Lib. 2. de verb. dei cap. 16. and with the practise of the Church before recited The same doctrine he deliuereth to Timothie a Bishop to be deliuered to the whole Church I will therefore saith he first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thanks be made for all men for kings 1. Tim. 2.1 and all that are in authoritie that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlines and honestie No doubt he meanes here common praiers And he puts downe the benefits which are reaped thereby which being knowen and vnderstood of the Church should as it were whet on this their desire of praying These benefits they should know assuredlie they did reape by their prayers and that they were to obtaine them by no other meanes but by prayer And therefore séeing they are such things as no man can be without all men greatliest desire it behooueth them especially to praie for these and as they know and vnderstand the price of them to be so much the more earnest by their prayers in begging them of God The like doctrine he teacheth all men after in their priuate prayers I will saith he that men pray in all places lifting vp pure hands without doubtfulnes They must haue faith ioined with their prayers and beleeue verilie they doe receiue that which they praie for according to our sauiours doctrine or else they shall obteine nothing at Gods hands But this faith of receiuing the things they praie for argues a knowledge They cannot beléeue they receiue the things they praie for vnlesse they know what they praie for so that by saint Pauls doctrine both common priuate prayers must be made with our vnderstanding The same teacheth saint Iames Is anie sicke amongst you Let him call for the elders of the Church let them pray for him Ia. 5.14 And annoint him with oyle in the name of the Lord And the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke Here are common praiers set downe but they must be done in faith and in the name of the Lord Iesus S. Iames agrees with the gospell Our common praiers must haue these two conditions which the gospel teacheth they must be made in faith and with knowledge as is before repeated And they must be made in the name of the Lord Iesus They must not be barbarous prayers without vnderstanding as saint Paul tearmes them but Christian prayers framed according to the doctrine of Iesus Christ The same doctrine saint Iohn teacheth 1. Io. 5.14.15 And this is the assurance which we haue in him that if we aske anie thing according to his will he heareth vs. And if we know that he heare vs whatsoeuer we aske we know that we haue the petitions that we haue desired of him Saint Iohn ioines the same two conditions to common prayers which saint Iames did that is faith and assurance that we shall obtaine our petitions and knowledge And this is that which our sauiour himselfe also teacheth all his Io. 16.24 Hitherto haue ye asked nothing in my name Aske and ye shall receiue that your ioy may be full What can be greater ioy to a man then to haue his suit granted of a mortall man euen of a king but to haue it granted at the handes of God is the cause of the greatest ioy in the world Prou. 13.12 The hope that is deferred saith Salomon is the fainting of the heart bu◠when the desire commeth it is a tree of life But how shall w◠know that our suits and prayers be granted vs or not vnlesse we know what we pray for Therefore they take from vs this tree of life which teach vs to praie in Latin and not to vnderstand our prayers They take from vs the greatest ioie we haue in the world And what kind of enemies are they 1. Iohn 5.16 The same doctrine saint Iohn giues of priuate prayers If anie man saith he see his brother sinne a sinne not vnto death let him aske and he shall giue life for them which sinne not vnto death All Christians ought to praie for their brethren when they sée them offend They should praie God to amend them And should they not then vnderstand their prayers I would to God all Christians would attentiuelie marke this forcible effect of prayer they shall by their praiers giue life to their brethren offending To restore a dead man in bodie to life againe what a great commendation would we account it but it is a farre greater matter to restore a dead man in soule to life againe And this most assuredly doth faithfull praier Oh that all Christians would remember this and practise it and cease in their brothers sinnes as most men do now a daies either to backbite them or slaunder them but rather as saint Iohn here counselleth pray for them Neither were the common prayers onelie in the Gospell but in the law also in a knowne tongue Before the captiuitie Dauid saith O come let vs sing vnto the Lord Let vs heartily reioyce in the strength of our saluation This exhortation had béene in vaine if the people then had not vnderstood what had beene said And in another Psalme he concludes thus Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for euer and euer Psal 106.48 And let all the people say Amen prase ye the Lord. And againe speaking of the Church of Christ Psal 47.7 he saith God is king ouer all the earth sing ye praises with vnderstanding All Christs subiectes must be children to maliciousnes but not in wit they must be men in vnderstanding And they must praise God with their vnderstandings He requires only the heart He will be worshipped in spirit and truth Iohn 4.23 Esay 29.13 as our sauiour teacheth And againe We must not now worship him as the wicked did in Esaias daies This people honoureth me with their lips but their heart is farre from mee This kinde of worship God condemned in the Iewes and do we thinke that he wil allow of such like amongst christians Of the common praiers also of the Iewes after the captiuity Neh. 8.6 we read thus in the booke of Nehemiah And Esdrah praised the Lord the great God and all the people answered Amen c. No doubt if they had not vnderstood his praises they could not haue answered Amen So that contrarie to M. Hardings and Mast Stapletons assertions
wiues for parents and children for maisters and seruants Before the men slept she went vp vnto them Heerof we may learne the zeale the true Church hath of hearing the word of God She makes no delay she goes vp to them presently She is desirous to heare the doctrine of her saluation She prefers this ioyfull newes before her sléepe And she saith to the men Vers 9 I know that God hath giuen you the land for the feare of you is fallen vpon vs c. Here is the confession of a true faith and here is also first the first propertie of a true faith not to doubt to know to be assured I know saith she that you shall conquere this land though as yet their wals stand and there many mightie kings being linked togither in leagues liued and flourished All these fleshly arguments could not daunt her faith I know saith she you shall haue the victorie For we haue heard how the Lord dried vp the red sea before you when you came out of Egypt and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites which were beyond Iordan Sehon and Og whom ye killed 1. King 10.1 Ro. 10.14 Here is the ground of faith Faith commeth by hearing She hearing the wonderfull works of God beléeued to teach vs the meanes to obtaine faith by hearing also Now followes the confession of her faith Wee haue heard and our heart is quite gone and there is no courage left in any one of vs against you For your God is a God in deed in heauen aboue and in the earth beneath Deut. 64. Mat. 28.18 Psal 136.13.14.15.16 First her faith is grounded on one God and of his omnipotencie that he alone is of all power in heauen and earth he can drie vp the red sea he can destroy mightie kings euen Sheon and Og kings of the Amorites And here also the true Church may learne in her iourney out of Egypt with what enemies she must encounter For euerie true Israelite must now also come out of Egypt euen as those auncient Israelites did Reu. 11.8 Ps 114.1 1. Cor. 10.11 and the red sea must be dried vp before him and those two kings of the Amorites conquered and subdued And here first the red sea in Hebrew is called the sea of Rushes or the sea of consumption or ending And surely this world also for these two respectes may fitly be called the red sea First it is a sea neuer quiet but in it still one waue of afflictions followes another Secondly it is a sea of Rushes There is nothing sound in it Though the honours riches and pleasures thereof seeme great gréene to flourish yet they are but rushes they are not sound within they are but vanitie As that great king Salomon who had experienced all these things teacheth al men in his booke called the Preacher All saith he is but vanitie And if that were all it were well but he addeth further Eccles 1.14 and vexation of spirit This is worse then the former that such vaine things should vex a mans heart should trouble him should make him hurt his neighbour nay euen offend his most gratious God This world also is a consumption Ia. 5.4 2. Ti. 4.10 2. Sa. 20.10 a destruction to all that do loue it The louers of this world are enemies to God and he that embraceth this world with Demas it will in the end slay him as Ioab did Amasa traiterously and Iudasly This Rushie sea God dries vp by the mightie operation of the holy spirit to all his faithfull seruants 1. Cor. 7 31. 1. Pet. 2.11 before they enter into his land of Canaan They despise the world they vse it as though they vsed it not They account themselues here but as pilgrimes And to this agréeth that which is said in the Reuelation when the first Angell blew his trumpet there were haile and fire mingled with bloud cast into the earth Reu. 8.7 and the third part of the trees were burnt and all greene grasse was burnt This is not meant literally but spiritually That is that in all Gods children all worldly pompe and vanitie is now quite consumed The world is to them crucified and they to the world Gal. 6.14 The other two enemies which also must be destroyed are two kings Sehon and Og kings of the Amorites Whose names declare their natures Sehon signifies in Hebrew a rooter vp and Og signifies fine māchet And they may fitly resemble our flesh and our spirit our appetite and our senses Our senses delight in vanitie and therfore Dauid saith Psal 119.37 Col. 3.5 Turne away mine eies least they behold vanity And our appetites or fleshly desires must be mortified which are the rooters vp of all vertue This Sehon is king of Hesbon which signifies Reason so in the carnall man is will and lustes of the flesh And so also Og that is the flesh that delights in fine delicates in manchet is king of Basan that is ouer the spirit of God which is compared to oyle and fatnes the which also Basan signifies in Hebrew These two kings must be conquered of all Christians before they enter into the land of promise and Hesbon that is reason now must rule ouer Sehon that is affections And Basan that is Gods spirit must rule ouer Og that is Num. 21.23 33. the pleasures of the flesh And Sehon fightes with Israel in Lasha that is the field of saluation Og in Edrai that is on the mount of strength Mans carnall wisedom thinkes it selfe able to saue Psal 20.7 Psal 44 3. Reue. 7.10 and the flesh thinks her arme of force But Gods children must acknowledge another arme to be their strength euen the arme of the Lord and their saluation also not to be of themselues but of the Lord. And these are two kings of the Amorites which signifies rebellious These two kings are in man that do daily rebell against that onely and great king God Almightie And these two Rom. 7.33 saint Paul called the law of his members No doubt for their kingly authoritie which without Gods spirit they do challenge in vs. And these two kings must be killed nay as the Hebrew word which Rahab vseth Hekeramtem signifieth must be euen vowed to destructiō Psal 119.106 1. Pet. 3.21 And what doth this note else but our baptisme Wherein euerie one vowes himselfe a souldier against these kings And now sweare vnto me in the Lord because I haue shewed you mercie Ios 2. that you also will shew mercie vnto my fathers house and that you will giue me a signe of this truth And you shall cause to liue my father and my mother and my brethren and my sisters and all things that they haue and ye shall deliuer our soules from death Here is another marke of the true Church all her doctrines must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 1.15 3.1 Mat. 5.18
2. The. 2 3. was the mother of that sonne of perdition and neither taught true Christian religion nor yet eternall life That saluation comes of the Iewes Here our Sauiour doth teach this woman also what thee must know and in her all Christians They must know their saluation from whence it comes and be thankfull to God for it The Church of Rome hath erred in this point also who hath taught that saluation hath not comed of the Iewes that is by the means only of Iesus Christ but by the bloud of Martyrs She hath added here in England euen the bloud of Thomas which euē Ferus condemnes vpon these words of Saint Iohn Ferus in 1. cap. ep Io. And the bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all our sinnes Mark saith he that he mentioneth not anie bloud but the bloud of Christ For no other bloud can or euer could do this Act. 4.12 c. There is no other name giuen vnder heauen saith Peter in which we must be saued To Iesus Christ alone the people and the children crie Hosannah that is saue vs Lord and as it is also in the Psalme Matt. 21.9.15 Hashlikah and O Lord send vs now prosperitie Matt. 28.18 He alone blesseth the works of our hands and also saues our soules He hath all power in heauen and earth And so must all true Catholikes crie also to him alone and to none else This is also a marke of the true Church But the houre comes and is euen now when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and truth Reu. 22.17 Here is another euident mark of the true Church She still waites for the cōming of Iesus Christ she accounts the time of this world but an houre euen then when Christ spake this and that now the houre is almost quite runne a small time or nothing thereof remaines She thinks that this world is of no great continuance as the Popish Church doth not thinke who teacheth that as yet Antichrist is not comed She thinks that those things which S. Iohn said should be fulfilled shortly Reu. 1.3 are fulfilled alreadie She thinkes not that the greater part of them are yet to be fulfilled as the Church of Rome doth She euer stands in the doore of her tent with Abraham Gen. 18.1 1. King 19.13 and in her caues mouth with Elias still looking when the Lord will come When the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and truth For such worshippers the Father now lookes for Here is another marke of the true Church Ioh. 4.23 To worship the Father God alone and also the maner how in spirit truth In spirit that is with our hearts and in truth that is without all types and shadowes Iohn 19.30 The law now hath an end the sunne shines all shadowes must vanish awaie Our humble hearts now must bée those sacrificed bulles Rom. 12 1. and our chast hearts those sacrificed Turtles and our good hearts those sacrificed Rammes and our bountifull hearts those sacrificed sheepe and our ioyfull hearts those sacrificed calues which God requires Heb. 13 15. God will not be worshipped now with those Iewish shadowes Col. 2.17 which he himselfe commanded the true sonne of Righteousnesse Iesus Christ being comed into the worlde much lesse with Popish shadowes and mysteries and mans deuise Reu. 14.9 or with Popish Images Exod. 20 4. Esa 40 25. which his Lawe and Prophets flatly condemne God is a Spirit and therefore he will be worshipped in spirit and truth Those externall things 2. King 12.28 which séeme pleasant to flesh and bloud as Ieroboams golden calues which he made as some thinke because that God would more highly esteeme golden calues Dan. 3.15 2. King 10.22 then calues of flesh Nebuchadnetzars Psalterie and musicke Baals Priests gay garments and robes frankinsence and such like thinges whatsoeuer wherein flesh and bloud takes so great pleasure and delight are an abomination to the Lord as our Sauiour Christ tels vs in the Gospell Luke 16.15 That which is verie highly esteemed amongst men is abominable before God Hée requires the loue of thy heart the faith and trust of thy soule Eccle. 9.10 Heb. 13.16 the knowledge of thy vnderstanding the obedience of thy will the praise of thy mouth and the good workes of thy handes And this is that which Dauid saith in the Psalme Psal 50.8 that at that great day of iudgement God shall not reproue the people for their burnt offrings of bullocks or goats but if they shal not haue offred him praise and thankesgiuing Let all true Catholikes feare this reproofe God hath foretold vs like a good Maister what hée will reproue vs for and what he will finde fault with in his house when he comes againe and shall we not take héede thereof O carelesse and disobedient seruants Let vs offer to him alone our praise and thankesgiuing and all our prayers least we be reproued and condemned of him when hée comes The true worshippers This proues that there shall be false worshippers in Gods house Esa 1 22. Mat. 13.25 25 33. there shall bee there copper as well as gold there shall be tares as well as wheate there shall be goates as well as sheepe O let vs marke this point well here is the brand wherewithall the Lords shéepe are discerned here is the touchstone whereby the Lords gold is tried from copper Matt. 3.12 here is the sieue and fanne which tries the Lords wheat from the chaffe that we may be shéepe and not goates gold and not copper wheat and not chaffe Let vs take diligent heed of this Vers 25. And the woman said vnto him I know that Messias shall come which is called Christ and when he shall come he shall shewe vs all things This opinion shée had of Christ that he should teach thē all things when he came And shall we beléeue lesse of him Shall we beléeue any doctrine which he neuer taught in his word And our Sauior himself agrees to this her spéech saying I will call you no more seruants Ioh. 15.15 because the seruant knoweth not what his maister doth but I haue called you friends because I haue made manifest to you all things that I haue heard of my father He testifieth here plainlie that he fulfilled her spéech that he had told them all things necessarie to their saluation he kept nothing backe to be reuealed after by the meanes of the Church and therefore he commands his Apostles to go and preach to all nations Matt. 28.10 baptizing them and teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer he had commanded them and nothing els And Saint Paul saith 1. Tim. 6.3.4 He that teacheth anie other doctrine and agrees not with the whole some words of our Sauiour Christ and that doctrine which agrees with godlinesse is puft vp and knowes nothing how wise
to thanke you that we as it were triumphing may reioice that we also are deliuered froÌ„ these slaunderous accusations Here also we maie see the same Christians most liuely painted out which before we saw in Iustine holy in life and conuersation Despisers of this world not giuen to quarrelling or going to law they had learned another lesson saith Athenagoras in those daies which condemnes the quarrelling and contentious Christians of our age who sue at lawe now for euerie light trifle their brethren When as I haue heard that euen in the memorie of some yet liuing to haue a sute in lawe in a whole towne or to haue one goe to London was counted a great strange matter euen as now it is counted to trauell to Rome or to Constantinople So peaceablie they liued in those dayes A man in all his life neuer sawe London that was a rare thing But nowe our sutes are so common that they make the waie thither beaten The former Christians were not so contentious as wée maie learne here by Athenagoras Eusebius also verie excellentlie describeth thus vnto vs the maners and conuersation of Christians in his time De demonst Euang. lib. 3. cap. 8. If it be now a thing most certaine that the Disciples of our Sauiour were such like why was not then their maister also such a one long before And if you will learne of the Disciples what a kind of maister they had you haue at this day innumerable scholers of the words of Iesus of whom there are manie great assemblies of men who both as it were in battell aray stand and fight against the naturall pleasures of the body also who keep their minds safe and stand without anie wound froÌ„ all vnlawful affections or lusts of the flesh who wheÌ„ as they haue spent their whole life eueÌ„ to their old age most temperately may yeeld vnto vs most euident proofes of the information of his doctrin what his doctrine teacheth Neither men only vnder this Schoolemaster do teach vs this philosophy but so manie thousands of women thorow the whole world which are so many as their number cannot bee told who as it were certaine priests worshipping the God of the whole world and hauing imbraced that heauenly philosophie and for the loue of this heauenly wisedome make no account of off-spring and children as of things which pertaine to the body but with all their studies and diligence hauing a care of their soules haue dedicated themselues wholy both in bodie and soule to the king of all things and to the God of all the whole world that so they might practise perfect and perpetuall chastitie and virginitie Behold here another notable description of Christians They despised not only the world but also the pleasures of the flesh They embraced virginitie they did dedicate themselues as spouses wiues onelie and wholy to the king of all kings as Saint Paule teacheth 1. Cor. 7.34 They seeke to please the Lord only they are holy in bodie and spirit So are not they who are maried And in those daies of this sort were thousands so manie as their numbers could not be told How are now Christians degenerated from this Surelie now we maie saie They marie and are maried as our Sauiour prophecieth in the Gospell Mat. 24.38 Luk. 17.27 so few at this time embrace virginitie in comparison of the thousandes in those dayes Apolog. ca. 34 Tertullian also a verie ancient Father describeth the conuersation of Christians in his dayes thus Now I will declare the workes of the sect of the Christians that seeing I haue repeated the euils wherewith they are charged I may also declare the good things wherein they are occupied Wee are all one bodie bound together with one maner of religion with one truth of discipline and with one league of hope we meete altogether in our assemblies that praying with our prayers we may as it were euen with an armie of souldiers take God And this force is pleasant to God We pray also for the Emperours and for their officers and for all those that bee in authoritie for the whole world for peace and for the stay of the end of the world We meete altogether also to haue the holy Scriptures read as the present state of the time forceth vs either to forewarne any thing to come or to consider anie thing that is past We feed as it were our faith with that most holy word we strengthen our hope therewith as with an anchor we make sure our confidence And we also print deeply into our mindes the doctrine of those holy precepts by often beating vpon them There also are exhortations corrections and euen as it were Gods iudgement seat For we pronounce sentence there against sinners most seuerely that to others in the sight of God this may seeme to be but a preamble of Gods iudgement to come If any offend so that he bee accounted worthie to be excommunicated from the communion of prayer and of the assembly and of other holy exercises certaine chosen Elders set in authoritie who haue obtained that honour not with anie money but for their good report for none of Gods things with vs are bought and sold and they do excommunicate all such Of euerie artificer also we gather somewhat for the poore but not anie grieuous summe of money as though he should pay for his religion Euery one brings his little almes euery moneth or when he will puts it according to his abilitie in the poore mens box For with vs no man is compelled to do this but euery one contributes willingly And this same worke of chaâ—itie is a cause why we are euill spoken of some See say they how they loue one another wheÌ„ as they hate one another how they are ready euen to die one for another when as they themselues are more readie to kill one another But I suppose they are grieued at no one thing more then that we call one another brethren when as amongst them all names of kinred through pride and ambition are but counterfeit We are your brethren by the law of nature as it were of one mother although you in this point doe a little degenerate from the nature of men because that you are euill brethren among your selues But how much more rightly are they called accounted brethren which acknowledge one God for their father which haue drunke one spirit of iustification which as it were from one wombe of ignorance haue aspired to the same light of truth But perchance therefore we are accounted lesse brethren because no tragedy exclaimes of our brotherhood or else because we are as brethen in the communicating of our temporall goods which amongst you most commonly breakes this brotherhood We which are ioyned together in soule and heart make no account to communicate our riches one to another there is no difference of anie things amongst vs but of our wiues c. Such vnitie as
would be content to release vs such a great debt for doing him some such light seruice for such a small trifle howe glad would we be how would we thanke him and shall we not doe the like to God In as much as ye are able saith Saint Paul liue peaceably with all men Rom. 12.18 not reuenging your selues my beloued but giue place to anger Shall I suffer the wicked to escape vnpunished then saith the malicious person Yea for though thou forgiue him yet shall he not escape vnpunished For it is written saith the Apostle vengeance is mine and I will reuenge saieth the Lord. If thou shalt seeke reuenge then God will not reuenge but if thou forgiue with Iesus Christ and commit thy cause to God then God will reuenge thy cause as he did his cause euen fortie yéeres after by ouerthrowing the common wealth of the Iewes and at their solemne feast of their passeouer besieging them euen as they then apprehended Christ and by selling them euen thirtie for a penie as they solde him for thirtie pence So Amalecke pursued Israell when they came out of Egypt Exod. 17 18. nowe being wearie and wanting water and faint but in the daies of king Saul a great while after 1. Sam. 15.2 God remembred what Amalecke had done to Israell and when as no doubt both the Israelites and the Amalekites had forgotten it euen then he remembred it and reuenged it Sufferest thou wrong then haue thou patience forgiue thy brother fréelie commit thy cause to God neither craue the magistrates sword for what is that but to seeke reuenge and in the end God shall reuenge thy cause as he did Christs as he did Israels And therefore to this purpose also Ecclesiastes saieth If in a countrie thou seest the oppression of the poore and the defrauding of iudgement and iustice bee not astonied at the matter either at the will of God which suffers it or at the frowarde will of the man that dare doe it Eccl. 5.7 For hee that is higher then the highest of them that doe this iniurie bee they neuer so high marks it and regards it and there be higher then they Do not thou so much as maruell at it be not grieued there at in thy mind let it neuer trouble thee for be sure God marks it and if he marke it he will also surelie reuenge it And also Dauid in the Psalmes saieth thus to the same effect Psal 10.14 Thou hast seene O Lord this oppression and the sorrowe of the poore mans heart thou respectest to put the matter into thy hands the poore will leaue it vnto thee thou hast euer beene a helper to the fatherlesse God seeth all wrongs and he seeth also the sorrowes of poore mens harts which no mortall iudge can see therfore commit thy cause into his hands he will giue right iudgement So we read that Ieremy did when the Iewes sought his life But thou O Lord of Sabboth saith he who iudgest iustly triest the raines and hearts Ier. 11.20.21 Let me see thy reuenge vpon them for I haue reuealed my cause to thee But thou wilt saie I forgiue my brother fréelie but yet I will goe to law with him Is this to forgiue thy brother fréelie This is as Ioab did 2. Sam. 20.9.10 to embrace and kisse Amasa friendlie with thy mouth and to kill him with thy handes Is this to forgiue as thou wouldest haue God to forgiue thee Wouldest thou haue God enter into iudgement and goe to law with thée Euen as thou wouldest haue God forgiue thee so fréelie oughtest thou to forgiue thy brother As Saint Paul teacheth Coloss 3. Cap. ver 13. Forbearing one another and forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarrell to another euen as Christ forgaue you euen so doe ye Lastlie if so be thou wilt needes goe to law be sure that thou haue euer charitie in thy heart Ephes 4 26. For if the sunne set on thine anger thou giuest place to the diuell as Saint Paul teacheth thee Oh that our quarrellers and contentious persons which delight in nothing but in going to law would remember this and beleeue it I thinke it would make them make hast to be friendes with their brethren Who would set open the doores of his house but one night for feare of robbing And shall we haue lesse care of our soules by our sléeping in malice or anger we set open the doore of our soules to the diuell to enter into it and to spoile it of all heauenlie vertues There is no theefe so watchfull as he is nor so bloodthirstie as saint Peter telleth vs 1. Pet. 5.8 He is like a roaring and raging lion walking about continually to seeke whom he may deuour Hée will not onelie robbe but kill And dost thou not feare him Darest thou through thine anger towardes thy brother leaue the doore of thy soule open vnto him Mat. 5.40 see that according to thy sauiours counsell rather then thou wouldest loose this rich iewell of Christian charitie thou wouldest loose both coat and cloake and lands and all Againe by this petition we maie learne that wee all are sinners If wee euen the Apostles of Christ saieth Saint Iohn whome Iesus loued shall say Ioh. 13.23 1. Io. 1 8. that we haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and there is no trueth in vs And who is there then else that must not saie so This lesson must humble vs it must stop our mouthes it is like the Peacockes deformed feet which when shée beholdes shée pluckes in her proude taile This will make vs pure in spirit Mat. 5.3 And lead vs not into temptation Gods grace is as it were a bridle to vs without which we should stumble and fall continuallie euen to the bottomlesse pitte of hell without it we cannot so much as thinke a good thought nor speake a good worde nor doe a good worke It is like to the Oare of a boate without it the boate wanders vp and downe the streame it is caried hither and thither so vaine and foolish likewise are all mens deuises if God guide them not And therefore we praie here that God will not leade vs into temptation that he will not take his grace from vs that he will not giue vs ouer vnto ouer selues that hee will not take this his bridle Rom. 1.24 this his heauenlie Oare from vs that he will guide vs euer with his heauenlie grace Rom. 8.1.4 and leade vs with his holie spirit least we incline our heartes and eares vnto vanitie Psal 119 37.52.11 And this is that which Dauid praieth O forsake me not O Lord my God be not farre from me And againe Cast mee not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me And againe Teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God Let thy good spirit leade me into the land of righteousnes Psal 143.10 King Saul maie teach
vs what we are without this good spirit of God For thus we reade of him 1. Sam. 18.10 And on the morrow the euill spirit of God came vpon Saul and he prophesied in the midst of the house and Dauid plaied with his hand like as at other times and there was a speare in Sauls hand and Saul tooke the speare said I will smite Dauid thorough to the wall But Dauid auoided twise out of his presence Mat. 26.33.34 Peter the first Apostle also when as God withdrew his good spirit from him denied his Maister and began to curse and to sweare although he before hauing Gods spirit vowed that he would die with him Leu. 26.36 This maie teach vs what we are of our selues prone to all sinne more vaine then a leafe which a small winde will mooue and make to quake and therefore we haue néede to praie continuallie O Lorde leade vs not into temptation But deliuer vs from that euill That is from the Diuell who tempted Iesus our most blessed sauiour and therefore no doubt will likewise tempt all his Mat. 4.1 Luke 22.31 Luke 17.5 who desired to sift Peter euen as wheat is sifted And who is able to abide this sifting vnlesse God giue him the strength of faith as he did to Peter I haue praied for thee saith he that thy faith shall not faile O let all Christians praie also for thēselues dailie for the encrease of faith against these his temptations against these his siftings So he sifted Iob Iob. 1.12.2.5.11 not onlie with the losse of his goods and children but also with the griefe and torments of his bodie and with the vexation of his friends And here Iob is set downe for an example to all Christians by him to learne patience as S. Iames teacheth them Iam. 5.11 and to endure lesser griefes and lesser losses considering his ende Psal 30.5 There is but a minute of an houre in Gods wrath as Dauid saith but in his fauour are liues as it is in the Hebrew euen a thousand liues and good blessings Nay Sathan buffeted Paul 2. Cor. 12. 11.24.25 and did so vex him in his flesh that for that to haue it remooued Paul praied to the Lord thrise No doubt it was a mightie temptation that made Saint Paul so earnestly desire to be deliuered from it He had sustained shipwracke he had beene whipped often times he had been stoned he had beene in prison but this griefe this temptation passed them all But God answered him that his grace his loue was sufficient for him As long as God loued him whereof these his troubles and afflictions were a most certaine token he néede care for nothing And hereby also we may learne that the multitude or the sharpenesse of anie afflictions whatsoeuer ought not to moue vs. God loued Paul in this extremitie of afflictions in this great affliction which Paul could verie hardly endure and therefore let no extremitie of afflictions dismaie anie Christian or make him doubt of the loue of God towards him Dauid also in the Psalme faith I am troubled aboue measure O Lord Psal 119.107 quicken me according to thy word Dauid being afflicted euen aboue measure yet despaired not he trusted and praied to God Againe if we shall praie with Paul and with Dauid and with the Woman of Canaan and yet not perchance be heard let vs not forsake God let vs continue in prayer still Gran. lib. 2. de orat cap. 3. Med. ex Bar God will either giue vs our petitions or that which is better for vs. Saint Paul he receiued of God this answere this honie to swéeten that his bitter potion My grace my loue is sufficient for thee As though hee should saie If I loue thee what carest thou for else Let sathan buffet thee vexe thee torment thee and doe what he can against thee if thou hast my loue it is sufficient for thee If thou loose all thy goods it is riches enough for thee if thou endure all paines and griefes it is comfort enough for thee if thou bee wounded neuer so deadlie it is plaster enough for thee Thinke onelie this that I loue thee and it shall be able to counteruaile all the paines and griefes and losses in the world 1. Pet. 5.8 Be sober and watchfull saieth saint Peter for your aduersarie the diuell as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whome he may deuour whome resist stedfast in the faith The diuelles studie and dailie practise is here declared vnto vs he goeth about continuallie and is malitious like a Lyon seeking whome he maie deuour Hée is a watchfull painefull spitefull and blood thirstie enemie O be sober and vvatch saieth saint Peter If you excéede in anie thing yée giue him the aduantage The Papistes euen in this point erre mightilie and they disagree from saint Peter they are not sober they kéepe no meane in their religion they make the sacrament a god they make the blessed Virgine an angell saying that she was without sinne they also decline too farre from the vse of this world by teaching their wilfull and voluntarie pouertie They excéede in the worshipping of saints in making their Images and in worshipping them as though this kind of honor pleased them naie in praying vnto them and yet they would make vs beleeue that they giue not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto them as they call it but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And is not prayer Latria that who sees not They go also beyond all measure in whipping and scourging their bodies we neuer read in the scriptures that anie of the saints did so Paul was whipped of others but hee neuer whipped himselfe In the moderate vse of these we would ioine with them but their excesse in these with Peter wee condemne Gods religion is called a reasonable seruice Rom. 12.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let all Christians be sober and vse a meane in all things Meane things are firme and sure but huge things are tottering and vnstable as the common Prouerbe is Bée fober therefore in your cares in your apparell in your fare excéede not herein with Diues that rich man least with him yée bée ouerthrowne Watch in prayer praie often O deliuer vs from that euill one Remember that saying of Dauid Psalm 56.9 Whensoeuer I call vpon the Lorde then shall mine enimies bee put to flight this I knowe for God is on my side Let vs marke this lesson well and who it is also that telles it vs Dauid was an old beaten souldier against this enemie hee had often experienced this This is as it were an armour of proofe against him This I know saieth hee this I haue often prooued true by experience Wouldest thou then put this enemie to flight most assuredlie why then praie And in another Psalme Dauid saieth When I called vpon thee O Lord thou heardest me Psal 138.5 and enduedst my soule with much strength Wouldest thou