in thy sayinges and cleare when thou art iudged And Math. 11.14 where our Sauiour saith And wisedome is Iustified of her children meaning himselfe So likwise is it taken Luke 7.20 where the Euangelist declareth that the Publicans iustified God for those things that are exactly perfect and exquisitly absolute without any want or default and therefore allowed and liked of all are saied by a common Phrase of Scripture to be iustified Whereby Paule setteth out vnto vs the might and maiestie of our Sauiour not in outward habit and appearance or in externall pompe or power but in inward spirit and deuine vertue in mightie miracles wonderful workes heaueÌ„ly doctrine most glorious greate and other incomprehensible effects by which word and Phrase the Apostle endeauoreth to take away all kinde of weake diffideÌ„ce or distrust which might any way be conceaued in our harts by taking offence at the lowe and base estate of Christs our sauiours maÌ„hood which seemed to be so vile abiect and contemptible as some supposed him to be only a base and silly man As likewise by spirit in this place is not onely meante that mortified and regenerate partes of man which is contrarie to the fleash as it is vsually taken in the scriptures and especially in the Epistle to the Romans but for what soeuer was and is in Christ extraordinarie supernaturall aboue coÌ„mon manhood and mortalitie As if the Apostle Paule had said although he was cloathed with our fleash combred with our frailties coÌ„passed with our infirmities yet none of these did weakeÌ„ the power of his truth the flower of the glorie of his diuinitie or once derogate from the honour of his maiestie As that although he was verie maÌ„ yet not withstanding he was true God although he tooke vpon him the fourme of a seruant yet he thought it no robberie to be equall with his father Phil. 2.7 for in him remaineth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily Col. 2.9 And he was the brightnesse of the glorie and ingrauen fourme of the substance of God his father Heb. 1 3. As it may appeare throughout the whole historie of the Gospell whereby he is described vnto vs to be mighty indeede and in word for so first he approued himselfe to be God in his birth in that he was borne after the common order and maÌ„ner of men his mother being ouershadowed by the power of the most highest and himselfe coÌ„ceaued by the holy ghost Secondly at his inauguration consecraction after his baptisme when as by the â—iuely voice and diuine oracle from heauen he was pronounced and proclamed to be the Sonne and heire apparent of God his father Thirdly in his temptation when â—s he vanquished Sathan in a Monomachie or single combate and made him voide â—uant from him Fourthly in curing al kind of sicknesses and diseases by taking a way both the cause the effect Fiftly in know â—ng both the thoughts and harts of men as â—t appeareth ofteÌ„times in the Gospel Sixtâ—y in stilling the winde calming the sea â—nd in working other strange signes and wonders Seauenthly in his Passion when as the weakenes of his fleash was succouâ—ed and sustained by the strength of his Godhead Eightly in his Resurection in â—hat he was able to laye downe his life and to take it to him againe Ninthly in asceÌ„ding vp into Heauen for as our Sauiour in the Gospell Iohn 3. No man hath ascended vp into heauen but he that descended downe from Heauen euen the sonne of man which also is in Heauen And tenthly in sending downe the Holy Ghost his blessed spirite which proceeded as well from himselfe as from God his father Insomuch that we cannot but confesse and say with Nicodemus the Pharisie that none can doe such things as these except he came from God or except he were God himselfe without question therefore to be iustified in this place is as Athanasius in his booke De surrectione carnis explaineth it Iustitiam habere nâ—â— humano more sed diuina puritate that is to be iust and Righteous in himselfe and 〈◊〉 himselfe not according to humaine qualitie but by a diuine spirit for so signifieth this Hebrue Phrase in this place and iâ— respect of vs being allone with that which our Apostle hath 1. Col. 1.30 that he is bâ—come our righteousnesse redemption sanctification and saluation being the whole and soâ—â— scope and hope of their faith which by thâ— same spirit doe beleeue putte their truâ—â— in him not resting or relying vpoÌ„ any other meane or merrit what so euer And of this iustifiyng had not only our Sauiour Christ the testimonie of his owne spirit euen the Holy Ghost which was a witnesse vnto Iohn the Baptist wheÌ„ he descended downe vpon him invisibly in the forme of a doue Math 3.16 Which heauenly vision was a diuine oracle and siuely voice of God himselfe which the Lord caused to appeare â—nto him that when he knewe not our Saviour it might be as an infallible token to â—iscerne him from all other as he himselfe â—onfesseth Iohn 1.33.34 And I knewe â—im not but that he sente me to baptize with water he said vnto me vpon whome thou â—halt see the spirit come downe and tarrie still â—ne him that is he that baptizeth with the holy Ghost And I sawe and bare record that â—his is the sonne of God But also the spirit of â—he Saints and seruants of God which giueth â—estimony vnto themselues and their owne â—oules that our Sauiour is their Lord and God â—or so saith Paule in the person of all the electe and faithfull 1. Cor. 8.5.6 Though their â—e that are called Gods whether in HeaueÌ„ or in Earth as there be many Gods and many Lords yet vnto vs there is but one God which is the Father of whom are althings and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are althinges and we by him againe 1. Col. 12.3 No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost But to drawe to an Ende for this point and to make our vse of this matter we are heere taught that we should laboure to iustifie our selues both before God and man not externally by carnall and earthly thinges but internally after an heauenly and spiritual manner not with the hypocritical Ieweâ— in Esaies daies 29.13 To drawe neere vnto God with their mouth and honour him with their lippes but in hart to be farre from theâ— And with the Scribes and Pharises in our Sauiour Christs time to be serious obseruers of outward ceremonies and to be far from inward sinceritie Math. 15.8 not superstitiously with the vnfaithfull Iewes and Idolatrous Samaritans to worshippe they know not what nor ignorantly they knowe not how nor blindly they knowe not where but as the true worshippers to worshippe the father in spirit in truth for God is a spirit and they that worshippe him must worshippe him in the spirit and in trueth Iohn 4.23.24 not to
Adam foure creations of man who was only formed of the slime of the Earth without man or woman then the second Eue who was made of a ribbe of man only without any woman and then the third of all men in generall both by man and woman according to the ordinarie and common course of nature This foure being by woman alone without man a new thing a strang matter a wonderfull miracle neuer the like seene nor hard of before Yea such a marueile as that the reporte of it made an infant to skippe in his mothers wombe for Ioye the Heauens to speake by a starre to declare the wonder of it the wise men from the East to come from farre to see and be eyewitnesses of it the Angels to singe in the Consort and to shew fourth their gladnesse after it was made knowne vnto them The sheaphards of Bethlem to runne in hast to behould it after it was declared vnto them the auncient father Simeon to desire to die and departe in peace after he had seene his saluation Finally this made the ould Prophetesse Anna when as by the motion of the spirit this thing was reueled vnto her to leaue her prayer to God and to fal to praising the Lord Christ and from fasting to come not only to confesse him her selfe but also to commend him vnto other And such a misterie as none was thought worthie to be messenger of the same not a holy preist nor a deuine Frophet nor a greate Patriarch but an holy Angell and Archangel euen Gabriell that standeth in the presence of God Whose countenance being terrible his garments glorious and his cōming sodaine in visiting the virgin Marie he troubled her and yet his voice being pleasant his words sweete and his tydings gladsome in saluting her comforted her telling her that as she was the beloued virgin of God and handmaide of God so she should be the blessed mother of God and spouse of God And such a miracle as whereby the word did not perish being turned into fleash but fleash least it should perish cleauing to the word that as man is both soule and bodie so Christ might be both God and man not by confusion of nature but by vnitie of person and this conceaued and perceaued not with the Eies of the fleash but with the faith of the harte the only begotten and the first begotten of his Father and the first begotten of his bretheren lying in a manger filling the whole world wrapped in swadling clothes and thundering in the Cloudes sucking on earth the pappes of his mother and yet sitting in Heauen at the right hand of God his Father and is finally such a greate mysterie as that it compriseth the principall Pillour of our faith the most certaine groūd of truth the strongest foūdation of the Church wherein we are to consider first the vnspeakeable loue of God the father towards vs who would not spare his owne and only sonne but freely gaue him to saue vs. And our Sauiour in the gospell God so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne c. Secondly his owne incomparable loue in shewing himselfe so kinde and courteous vnto mankind as to suffer himselfe to be cast in his mould to be clothed with his fleash to be compassed about his infirmities which he himselfe commen deth Iohn 15.13 Saying to his disciples greater loue then this hath no man c. Both which their loues our Apostle Paule setteth out most liuelie Rom. 5.8 when he saith God setteth out his loue towards vs seing the while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs. And thirdly our Sauiour Christs lowly humilitie herein likewise appeareth as Paule also declareth the same as that he being in forme of God and thinking it no robberie to be equall with God made himselfe of no reputation c. Phil. 2.6.7 Here then first we are to know for our instruction the two natures of Christ secondlie the destinction of both his natures 2 natures of Christ as first his diuinitie in that the Apostle calleth him God Three distinctions and then his humanitie in affirming him to be manifested in the fleash Thirdly the Hipostaticall vnion and communitie of of properties in one the same personne of our Sauiour three deepe misteries contained and couched in three words in quibus saieth Beza verie briefly duae ponuntur distinguntur vniuntur naturae Christi whereby three sorts of Heresies are confuted First the Arrirans that denie the diuinitie of our Sauiour Christ secōdly the Marcianits who gaine say Christ to haue a humaine and fleashlie bodie but only an heauenly spiritual bodie thirdly the Nestorians who affirme Christ to haue two persons one of his Humanitie the other of his diuinitie and that his manhoode was deified and changed into his godhead Secondly we are to learne for our edification that we may make vse and take proffit in our life and conuersation by this misterie euen three thinges Austin comprehendeth them together in one sweete sentence Ser. 22. 3 things to be lerned by this misterie De tempore in these words omnis Natiuitatis schola est humanitatis officina patientiae massa virtutis agonia First humilitie in following him in the like lowlinesse in making our selues equall with them of the lower sort as Paule exacteth secondly Patience whereof he shewes himselfe a president that we should follow his steppes in constantly bearing and abiding all kind of aduersitie and of affliction as Peter admonisheth And finally vertue and especially loue that we should loue one another as Christ hath loued vs as our sauiour himselfe cōmādeth Thus much of these words as hauing a general vew of them but now let vs sift the same more narrowly and perticularly consider them not in waie of ample discourse but in manner of a short suruey as first to declare what manifestation this was and secondly the forme thereof For Paule here saith not only that God was manifested but also sheweth how in the fleash we read in Prophaine Histories that the Gods of the Heathen as first Iupiter the greate Father of these Gods that he did metamorphose himselfe into diuers shapes and formes of sundrie Creatures As into a Bull when he laye with Europa into a swanne when he begat of Leda Castor Pollux and into Amphritrio a man when he begatt of Alcmena Hercules of which the Poet. Nā Deus humana lustrās sub imagine terras And likewise the other Gods that they tooke vpon them the like semblance to the same ends and purposes as Apollo when he changed himselfe into a crowe Bacchus into a goate Diana into a catte Iuno into a Cowe Venus into a fishe and Mercurie into the bird Ibis As Ouid conteineth thē altogether Metamorph. 5. Delius in Coruo proles Semeleia capra Fele soror Phebi niuea Saturnia vacca Fisce venus latuit Cyllenius Ibidis alis But these are but Poets faininges being the Painters out of false
fables as shadowes of some other truth as that these mortall creatures supposed Gods and Idolles of the Gentles were in a manner conuerted into such brute beasts by their vncleane actions Againe we finde in the holy scriptures that Satan transformed him selfe in to an Angell of light 2. Cor. 11.13 that the true Angels of God haue oftentimes takeÌ„ vnto them the shapes forms of men in which they haue appeared when they haue beene sente from Heauen downe into the earth and whereby they haue not only spoken vnto men but also eaten and druncken with men Yea we shall reade in the ould Testament and new in manie places that the Lord God himselfe appeareth vnto his saints and seruants in diuers semblances and fashions but especially in the forme of fire As when he appeared vnto Moises in the flame of a firie bush Exo. 3. Vnto the Children of Israell when he led them throughe the wildernesse in a Pillour of fire Exod. 13. and vnto the disciples and Apostles when the Holy Ghost descended in the shape of fire clouen tounges whervpon Austin vseth these words Hoc enim ele mentum est magnum sacramentum De Symb ad Catech lib. 3. cap. 9. As also the Lord some times to haue shewed himselfe in other formes as God the Father in the shape of a man when he came to Abraham sitting at the Oake of Mamre Gen. 18. And God the Holy ghost in the forme of a Doue when he appeared to Iohn Baptist after Christs baptisme Math. 3. But none of these before mentioned did keepe those shapes and seÌ„blances which they tooke or seemed to take vpon them but forsooke them immediately after they had perfourmed what they would by that meanes But our Sauiour Christ Iesus wheÌ„ he was thus manifested in our flesh he tooke it not vpoÌ„ him for a time but perpetually euen to be our eternall mediatour both God and man world without end and to continewe a preist for euer after the order of Melchesidecke And here we are to note how properly the Apostle writeth when he here setteth downe that God was manifested in the fleash and not the Godhead speaking as the logitians say in the contract but not in the Abstract being true in the one as appeareth but not in the other as in the Contract because it containeth in it the whole person of Christ consisting of both natures but not in the Abstract for that it considereth the seuerall nature of his diuinitie only which in noe wise can be manifested in the fleash nor be confounded with his humanitie vnlesse we will runne into Eutiches errour and thinke that his manhood was not taken only but also absorpt and consuÌ„pt of his Godhead which is a foule Heresie so that it appeareth euidently what maner of manifestation this was Now therefore only in a word or two lette vs speake of the forme it selfe into which god is here said to be manifested so to passe on to the nexte branche of this misterie because we haue dwelt verie loÌ„g in this alreadie which forme is here said to be in the fleash that is in humaine nature As that which was immortall inuisible incomprehensible and infinite should take vnto it a kind of nature which was mortal uisible comprehensible and finite yea which might be seene touched and handled and like vnto vs in all respects sinne only excepted not by conuerting the Godhead in to manhood but by conioyning the humaine nature to the diuine vniting them both in one person of Christ our mediatour euen as Iohn 1.1 witnesseth that which we haue hard that which we haue seen which we haue looked vpon our hands haue handled of the word of life neither tooke he any other fourme either of any Creature vpon the earth or of any power in heaueÌ„ noe not of any Angell but of the seede of Abraham onely Heb. 2.16 And why because as the Apostle in the same chapter rendreth the Reason for as much as the children were partakers of flesh bloud he also himselfe tooke likewise parte with them Vers 14 Here then flesh is not taken for the naturall vitiousnesse of mans corruption as it is often times taken in the scriptures especially in the Epistle to the Romanes for the vnregenerate parte of man contrarie vnto the spirit for then should our Sauiour Christ be subiect vnto sinne as we are which were blasphemie to affirme but for the whole naturall and true essence and substance of a mortal man both of reasonable soule and of humaine fleash subsisting and not of body only least we fall into the Erronious opinion of the Apollinarists And thus much of this maine branche of this greate misterie now of the nexte Iustified in the spirite As this is an annexioÌ„ vnto the words going before so is it an amplification of the former misterie as if the Apostle Paule had said although Christ the sonne of God and God himselfe was manifested in the fleash as he hath set downe more at large Phil. 2. Yet did th◠〈◊〉 most glorious shine and signe of diuine power and Godhead manifestly appeare and shew fourth it selfe which here is called spirit as the same is expressed more plainely First by our Apostle Romans 1.4 when he saieth that he was declared mightily to be the son of god touching the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the deade as being one notable and notorious action of his supernaturall vertue Secondly by Peter 1.3.18 by an other semblable acte euen the worthy worke of his passion As that he was put to death according to the fleash but was quickned in the spirit And thirdly Iohn 1.14 that the word became fleash and dwelt amongest vs and we sawe the glorie thereof as the glorie of the only begotten sonne of the father full of grace and truth So that to iustifie in this place is not to make or pronounce one Righteous or iust which is not so indeede as this word is taken Luke 16.15 in those words of our Sauiour vnto the Pharisies Ye are they which Iustifie your selues before men but God knoweth your harts c. And Luke 18.14 in that conclusion of the parable and difinitiue sentence of our sauiour between the Pharisie and the publican wheÌ„ he saith that the one departed â—oÌ„ rather Iustified theÌ„ the other And finally as it is taken so often in the Epistle to the Romans where our Apostle handleth that cheife pointe of our Religion euen our Iustification but especially Chap. 3.28 In those words Therfore we coÌ„clude that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe But this word here signifieth to approue shewe forth or declare a man to be such an one by certaine signes and sure tokens by infallible Arguments and euident demonstrations such as cannot be refelled or refuted As Psal 51. in those words of the Prophet Dauid Against thee alone O Lord haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight that thou mightest be iustified
twelue tribes of the people that he might euermore haue theÌ„ in remembrance the skirts hemmes of his robes being hunge with belles of gould and pomegranets in signe that his life should giue forth a greate sound and good sauor all abroade and that his voice should ring and be hard a loude among the People and therefore also the Lord requireth Leuit 21. That noe preist should be maimed or deformed but whole and sounde Vpon which place Theoderite hath these wordes in his thirtie question A sacris arcentur corpore vitiati saith he vt per affectiones non sponte susceptas ea quae a voluntate proficisci debent pro hiberentur Oculorum enim occaecatio inopiam cognoscendi significat auris amputatio in obedientiam naris ablatio facultatis discernendi priuationem manus abscissio in agendo socordiam atque ita in reliquis Hereby signifying that he cannot be a perfect minister that faulteth or faileth in any anie one of these deuties not so much standing vpon the deformites of the bodie as respecting the giftes of the minde which he hereby signifieth and insinuateth as also is meante by the vnblemished sacrifices that were required which also the verie Heathen did regarde especially both in their Priests and offerings for as Ieremie Ad Fabiolam saith Corporis Vctia ad animum reâ—eruntur Ideoque talibus praeditos corporibus ad rem Diuinam Esse ineptos Besides this how often hath our Sauiour commanded his Disciples in the Gospell as concerning good life and godly couersation How often also hath Paule giuen the same to Tymothie in charge As the other Apostles to other Pastours and Teachers of the word All which of the Preists in the lawe of the Disciples in the Gospell doe as well concerne vs as them as being spoken to all alike As that in the Tim. 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is a pure harte a good conscience and vnfained For as he describeth a minister in the third Chap of the same Epist He must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as the Apostle requireth in a Deacon and therefore much more in a Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And as he requireth in the fourth Chapter That he haue a good report of those that are without least they fall into the rebuke and snare of the diuell and in the same chapter That he be vnto them that beleeue an example in word in conuersation in loue in spirit in saith and in purenes as Peter in the 1.5.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as tipes patternes presidents and examples vnto your flockes of which the Lord hath made you ouerseers as Paule againe lastly warneth vs in the same fourth Chapter last verse Take heede vnto thy selfe and vnto thy doctrine for in so doing thou shalt saue thy selfe and those that heare thee least that preaching vnto other thou thy selfe become a reprobate 1. Cor. 19. last verse So that hereby we are all to learne what is our dutie that take vpon vs to preach the word of God vnto others that we our selues first giue example of good workes who as we call others we our solues may first leade and shewe the way to others and be deafe our selues whoe should giue good example and if we bid others goe and we our selues stand still and if we pipe and sing to others and we our selues be not delighted therewith what doe we els but moke God condeme them for as the Poet saith Turpe est Doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum and as another saith Quid didicisse viam prodest quia pergere nolis Turpior ignaro factus es ipse sciens But lette such loose and dissolute ministers remember that Agens Theologia contrarie to Aristotles opinion of felicitie as saith Barnarcinus Ochinus Tanto maior est contemplante quantum domina serua etuiua fides mortuae anticellit dialogue 2.20 Better is he that hath actiue the hethat hath contemplatiue Diuinitie let them remember that which Austin saith to their sham evenit indoctum vulgus et rapit caelum The common people winning away as it were by violence the Kingdome of Heauen from them being like Astronomers and Starregasers which alwaies are pointing at it but neuer possesse it or sette foote in it and being in the pulpitte as one a stage bearing the partes and taking vpon them the persons of good men but afterwardes become their owne men againe when as Christ saith in the eight of Iohn if ye would abide in this my saying then should ye be truely my disciples which our Sauiour speaketh to all in generall and therefore much more vnto the minister it was the saying of Prophaine Protagoraes in the Pagane Plato herein agreing with mischeivous Machiueli he is as a madde man that cannot counterfaite Iustice but contrarie wise godly Paule he saith That the wrath of the Lord is reueiled from Heauen vpon all them that hould the trueth of God in vniustice Let all Preachers therefore imitate the patriarch Iacob in taking vnto them both Lea and Rachel that is both life and learning manners and knowledge science and conscience together that I may vse the Allegorie of a Iewish Rabbie who likneth Action vnto Lea and contemplation to Rachel Lea seeming to be deformed or rather not so well fauoured in comparison to Rachel which was most beautifull workes and deedes more harde and laborious then bare speculation when as they doe other wise they shall shew themselues like vnto Iacobs wiues maides Biltha and Zilpha Who did bring forth children which were free they themselues being bound and likewise being themselues most sinnefull children of God did make others good and Godly themselues continuing badde and wicked But would to God they would call to mind whensoeuer they goe aboute to reprehende and reproue the sinnes of the people that which the Heathen Tullie hath in his thirde of his Tusculan Est propruim stultitiae aliorum vitia cernere obliuisci suorum And againe in an other place Omni vitio carere debet is qui in alium paratus est discere And would they would remember that which they reade of that famous Lawgiuer Licurgus who gaue noe lawes but those which he first practised himselfe They may happelie deceaue the ignorant and simple people who as Horace saieth 1. lib. Epist Vertutem verba esse putant vt ligna lucum But beloued the Lord is not mocked who is the searcher of the Hartes and reines And is not as Mercurie to whome onelie tongues are offered and sacrificed but requireth all both inward and outward partes and powers yea holy man perfect and absolute in euerie good worke whose sacrifice is a sorrowfull soule and a contrite harte whose worship consisteth in spirit and trueth and whose offeringes are the fruites of the spirite euen all diuine vertues whatsoeuer wherefore Cyprian saieth verie well in this behalfe Vt Musici cor cum chordis ita ministri mens cum monitionibus conueniret Which cannot be