confuting error sweetly confirming the truth sweetly running ouer all the changes of Gods ring mentioned 2. Tim. 4. without any iarre or false stroke sweetly Such a voyce was Iohn the Baptist rebuking Herod hardened in his wickednes rufly taking vp y e dissembling Pharisies bitterly speaking to his own disciples gently singing to euery one the true note fitly and this as Dauid speakes is to charme wisely Thirdly the Church voyce must bee high and that in regard of the Matter of which He speakes regard of the Men to which He speakes And such a voyce was the Baptist also First for the matter he reached many streines neuer sung before Repent saith he for the kingdom of heauen is at hand This note was neuer heard of the people nor sung by the Priests in old time Iohn being more then a Prophet exalted his voyce aboue the Prophets and in a plaine song without any crotchets preached him who is higher then the highest Secondly in regard of the men to whom he spake For as it followeth in the next word hee was the voice of a Crier Now men vse to crie aloud Either When they speak to meÌ„ which are a far off When they speake to men which are deafe When they are angrie Sinners are farre off from God and exceeding deafe and therfore we must be angrie crying aloud and lifting vp our voyce like a Trumpet shewing the people their transgressions and to the house of Iacob their sinnes First sinners are farre off as it is said of the prodigall childe gone into a farre countrey like lost sheep straied out of Gods pastures into Satans inclosures and therfore it is our office not onely to whistle but also to crie Returne returne ô Shulamite returne returne God doth not goe from man but man from God He that saileth nigh a rocke thinketh the rock runnes from the shippe when as indeed the shippe rides and the rock stands still euen so we leaue the waies of the Lord and runne our owne courses and then wee complaine that God is farre from vs and that our crie comes not nigh him It is true that God is farre off from the wicked not because he is moueable for hee is euer the same but because they bee wandring yet they cannot flie from his presence The further from East the neerer vnto the West the more they goe from Gods grace the neerer his iustice saluation is far from the wicked but iudgemen hangs ouer their heads It is our dutie therefore to recall men à Deo irato ad Deum placatum from God as an angrie Iudge to God as a mercifull Father If we draw neere to God he will draw neere to vs as the good father of the prodigall sonne when hee perceiued him a farre off he had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him It is said in the text that the sonne did go to his father but the father ran to meete his sonne The fathers compassion and mercie was greater then the sonnes passion and miserie Secondly sinners are deafe and therefore wee neede to crie aloud Some will heare but with one eare like Malchus in the Gospell hauing their right eare cut off and only bringing their left eare to the sermon misconstruing all things sinisterly Some stop both their eares like the deafe adder refusing to heare the voice of the charmer charme hee neuer so wisely Psalme 58.5 S. Augustine writing vpon those words hath reported out of naturall Historiographers that the serpent delighting in the darknesse where withall he hath inclosed himselfe claspeth one of his eares hard to the ground and with his taile stoppeth the other lest hearing the Marsus hee should be brought foorth to the light so worldly men stop one eare with earth that is with couetousnesse and the other with their taile that is hope of long life Ieremie therfore crieth O earth earth earth O vnhappie caitiue thou that hast nothing but earth in thy mouth euer talking of worldly wealth thou hast nothing but earth in thy minde euer plotting how to ioyne house to house and field to field nothing but earth in thine hands euer busied about the trifles of this life heare the word of the Lord which chargeth thee not to trust in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God and that thou be rich in good workes euermore readie to distribute while thou hast time stop not thine eare from the crie of the poore with hope of long life but remember what Iob saith in his 21. chap. vers 13. They spend their daies in wealth and suddenly they go downe to hell O foole this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided Thirdly men speake aloud when as they be angrie so the Preacher ought to be zealous in the cause of God euermore displeased with the sinnes of his people saying with Dauid Doe not I hate them O Lord who hate thee and am not I grieued with those that rise vp against thee Such a crier was S. Peter telling Simon the Sorcerer that he was in the gall of bitternes bond of iniquitie Such a crier was Paul taking vp Elymas O full of mischiefe the childe of the diuell and enemie of all righteousnesse c. Such a crier was Polycarpus who told Marcion that he was the diuels darling And such a crier euery Diuine should bee as a Simon helping to beare the crosse of the distressed and a Barnabas which is the sonne of consolation so like Iames and Iohn stiled in scripture Bonarges which is sonnes of thunder as Ambrose fitly vox and clamor must goe together the voice preach faith the crie repentance the voice comfort the crie threaten the voice sing mercie the crie sound iudgement so most Interpreters expound vox clamantis according to the vulgar Hebraisine vox clamans Yet it is a good obseruation of other that Iohn is not the crier but the voice of the crier for it is Christ who crieth in Preachers he speakes by the mouth of all his holie Prophets he crieth O ye foolish how long will yee loue foolishnes he crieth Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand he crieth Come vâ—to me all ye that are wearied and laden and I will refresh you To day then if yee will heare his voice harden not your hearts but suffer the words of exhortation and doctrine be moued at his crie lest he despise your call As he saith in the first of the Prouerbs Because I haue called and yee haue refused I haue stretched out mine hand and none would regard therefore they shall call vpon me but I will not answere they shall seeke me earely but they shall not finde me Think on this all ye that forget God ye that suffer Christ to stand and knock and crie at the
say vnto the people This part of our Sauiours answere concernes the commendation of Iohn if Alexander the great accounted Achilles happie for that he had so good a trumpeter of his honor as Homer what an exceeding glory was it for the Baptist to be thus extolled by Christ who being truth it selfe would not flatter and could not lie Diuines out of these circumstances of persons and time note Christs wisdome and sinceritie wisdome who did not magnifie Iohn before those who did already praise him too much his sinceritie that would not flatter him before his owne disciples albeit hee did extoll him before the people when they were gone It is an olde saying of Gregorie Plus nocet lingua adulatoris quà m gladius persâ—cutoris The word of the flatterer hurts more then the sword of the persecuter A malicious enemie doth often good by telling vs of our vices but a fauning friend wrongs vs in telling vs of our vertues either commending that which wee haue not or too much extolling that which wee haue the which is termed in the Canon law simonia linguae verball simonie Salt was vsed in the legall sacrifices but not hony that our lips may offer vp acceptable sacrifice to God We must haue salt in our speech and not honey complements as being more desirous to correct our acquaintance wisely then to flatter them basely Sidona non sunt dona quae dant hostium Nec verba quae dant verba sed sunt verbera The Parasite saith the Poet hath bread in one hand and a stone in the other vsing vs as the Iewes did Christ carrie vs vp to the top of an hill and then cast vs downe headlong Christ therefore rebuked the Pharisies before their face but commended Iohn behinde his backe not to his owne but to the people lest they should entertaine an ill conceit of him who was a Preacher and a Prophet and here by the way note that the difference betweene the Disciples of Christ and Iohn in matter of ceremonies as fasting and washing of hands made no schisme in the Church but Iohn gaue this testimonie of Christ that he was not worthie to loose the latchet of his shoe and Christ here commends highly both the carriage and calling of Iohn affirming of the one that hee was not an inconstant or vaine man of the other that he was a Prophet and more then a Prophet There are three kindes of Prophets according to the threefold distinction of time some write of things past as Moses In the beginning God created c. penning an hexameron many yeares after the world was made some of things to come so Christ was foretold by the mouth of all his holy Prophets euer since the world began some of things present as Zacharias in his song Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people Christ being then conceiued had begun his visitation and such a Prophet was olde Simeon at Christs circumcision Mine eyes haue seene thy saluation Now Iohn is more then any of these because he is all these prophesying of things past I am the voice of him that crieth in the wildernes opening an olde text of Esay prophesying of things present Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world prophesying of things to come Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand Secondly Iohn is more then a Prophet for whereas other prophesied onely in their life Iohn was a prophet in his mothers bellie before hee was borne for when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary the babe sprang in her wombe the which was so sensible a prophesie that Elizabeth instantly called Mary the mother of our Lord. Thirdly Iohn was greater then the Prophets vnder the lawe because they prophesied of Christ to come but Iohn bare record that he was come being as diuines haue tearmed him a midling betweene a Prophet and an Apostle a propheticall Apostle and an apostolicall Prophet Limes inter vtrumque constitutus in quo desinerent vetera noua inciperent The Baptist then is more then a Prophet in pointing him out with the finger who is the very center of all the Prophets aime Fourthly greater then a Prophet in that he baptized the Lord of the Prophets But what need we looke any further when as our Sauiour in the very next verse giues a sufficient reason of this assertion out of the Prophet Malachie This is he of whom it is written Behold I send my messenger before thy face c. Other Prophets are sent to men but Iohn to God from God the Father to God the Sonne Behold saith God the Father I send mine Angell before thee c. Christ in all his Sermons vsually cited text for the proofe of his doctrine so Iohn the Baptist I am the voice of a crier as saith the Prophet Esay So Saint Peter This is that which was spoken by the Prophet Ioel so Saint Paul buildeth all his exhortations and conclusions vpon euidence of holy writ teaching vs hereby that howsoeuer the descant bee fetched out of the schoole yet the grounds of all our preaching must be taken out of Gods owne booke Beleeue this for it is written doe this for it is written Aâ—di dicit Dominus non dicit Donatus aut Rogatus aut Vincentius aut Hilarius aut Augustinus sed dicit Dominus Expound one text by comparing it with another for the Prophets are commentaries vpon Moses and the Gospell is a short exposition of both and that you may the better performe this examine the questions harmonies concordances annotations glosses of the learned Doctors in Christs Church from time to time for it was an impudent speech of Abelardus Omnes sic sed ego non sic and worthily censured by Bernard Os talia loquens â—ustibus iustâ—â—s tunderetur quà m rationibus refelleretur For as the word of God was not penned in olde time so lâ—kewise not to be consâ—â—ued in our time by any priuate spirit 2. Pâ—t 1.20.21 â—eâ—old I seâ—â— my 〈…〉 Our Euangelist reports 〈◊〉 spokeâ— by God the Fathâ—â— but the Prophet as 〈◊〉 by the Sonne Bâ—hâ—ld I 〈◊〉 â—end my â—essâ—nger and 〈…〉 before me This alâ—ering of the persons hath troubled Interpreters a little some therefore thus I send my messenger before my face that is before my Sonne Hebr. 1.3 This obseruation is true but not pertinent for to send a messenger before a mans face is nothing els but to send a messenger before him as Hab. 3.5 Before him went the pestilence and Ieremie Lament 1.5 Her children are gone into captiuitie before the enemie Ante faciem tribulantis and so Christ expounds it here before thy face that is before thee Now for the changing of the persons it is vsuall in the Bible Saint Peter affirmes thaâ— the word of God was written by the holy Ghost but Saint Paul
saith Hebr. 1.1 that God the Father in olde time spake by the Prophets Esay doth ascribe this vnto the Sonne My people shall know my name in that day they shall know that I am he who sent to them and the reason hereof is plaine because all the workes of the sacred Trinitie quoad extra be common vnto all the three persons and so God the Father and God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost send The persons diuersitie then alters not the sacred Identitie but as Interpreters obserue that text of Malachie compared with this of Matthew proues notably that God the Father and God the Sonne are all one their power equall their maiestie coeternall My messenger In the vulgar Latin Angelum meum Origen therefore thought Iohn was an Angell but other expositours more fitly that the Baptist was Angelus officioÌ„ non naturâ so Malachie cals other Prophets Angels in his 2. Chapt. 7. The Priests lips shall preserue knowledge and they shall sâ—eke the law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts Angelus Domini so Preachers are called Angels in the new Testament that is messengers and ambassadours of God and here the Gospell agrees with the Epistle This is a paterne of S. Pauls precept Preachers are to be respected as the Ministers of Christ and stewards of God for God saith of Iohn the Baptist Behold I send my messenger c. Happily some will obiect if ordinarie Prophets are called Angels how doth this testimonie proue Iohn to be more then a Prophet Answere is made by Zacharie that Iohn is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prophet here by Matthew that Angell as it were bedell or gentleman vsher vnto Christ. As then in a solemne triumph they be most honoured who goe next before the king so Iohn being next vnto Christ euen before his face is greater then they who went farre off he was the voice Christ the word now the word and the voice are so nâ—ere that Iohn was taken for Christ. Againe Iohn may be called that Angell in regard of his carriage so well as his calling for albeit he did no miracle yet as one said his whole life was a perpetuall miraâ—le first his conception was wonderfull begotten saith Ambrose with prayer Non tà m complexibus quà m orationibus An Angell from heauen auoucheth as much in the first of Luke verse 13. Feare not Zacharie for thy prayer is heard and thy wife Elizabeth shall beare thee a Sonne and thou shalt call his name Iohn It was another miracle that a babe which could not speake yea that was vnborne began to execute his angelicall office and to shew that Christ was neere that dumbe Zacharie should prophesie was a third wonder at his circumcision and so the whole life of Iohn was very strange liuing in the wildernes more like an Angell then a man and in a word those things which are commendable in other seuerally were found in him all ioyntly being a Prophet Euangelist Confessor Virgin Martyr liuing and dying in the truth and for the truth I know not as Ambrose speakes whether his birth or death or life was more wonderfull How Iohn doth prepare the way before Christ is shewed in the Gospell on next Sunday yet obserue this much in generall that it is the Ministers office to shew men the right way to saluation and to bring them vnto God our Sauiour hath promised to come vnto men it is our dutie therefore to knocke at the doores of your heart by preaching faith and repentance to prepare the way for our master that when himselfe knocks he may be let in and so sup with you and dwell with you and you with him euermore Amen The Epistle PHILIP 4.4 Reioyce in the Lord alwaies againe I say reioyce A Text of reioycing against the time of reioycing whereby the Church intimates how wee should spend our Christmas ensuing not in gluttonie and drunkennesse in chambâ—ring and wantonnesse doing the diuel more seruice in the twelue daies then in al the twelue moneths but rather in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs making melodie in our hearts vnto the Lord I say the Church allotting this scripture for this Sunday teacheth vs how this holy Time should be well imploied not in vnholinesse and mad meriments among Lords of misrule but in good offices of religion as it becomes the seruants of him who is the God of order obseruing this festiuall in honour of Iesus not Iacchus alway praising our heauenly Father in louing vs so well as to send his Sonne to saue his seruants and lest we should erre in our spirituall reuels obserue in this Epistle both The Matter Of our ioy The Manner Of our ioy The matter and obiect of our ioy reioyce in the Lord. The manner how Long alway reioyce The manner how Much againe and againe reioyce It is an old rule in Philosophie and it is true in Diuinity y t affections of the mind as anger feare delight c. are in their own nature neither absolutely good nor simply euill but either good or bad as their obiect is good or bad As for exaÌ„ple to be angry or not angry is indifferent Be aâ—grie and sin not saith Paul there is a good anger Whosoeuer is angrie with his brother vnaduisedly saith Christ is in danger of iudgement there is a bad anger So Matth. 10.28 Feare not them that kill the body and are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule and body in hell So likewise to reioyce or not to reioyce in it selfe is neither absolutely disgracefull nor altogether commendable we may not reioyce in the toyes of the world in frowardnes or doing euill faith Salomon Non in vitijs non in diuitijs saith Bernard Woe bee to you that thus laugh for yee shall waile and weepe but wee may delight in the Lord saith Dauid Reioyce in Christ saith Mary then our ioy is good when as our ioyes obiect is good yea God as Paul here Reioyce in the Lord. As sorrow is a straitning of the heart for some ill so ioy the dilating of the heart for some good either in possession or expectation Now Christ is our chiefe good as being author of all grace in this life and all glorie in the next and therefore we must chiefly reioyce in him and in other things only for him in him as the donor of euery good and perfect gift for him that is according to his will as the phrase is vsed 1. Cor. 7.39 If her husband be dead sâ—ee is at libertie to marrie with whom shee will only in the Lord. So then we may reioyce in other things for the Lord as in the Lord we may reioyce in our selues as being the Lords and in other because they reioyce in the Lord. Psal. 16.3 All my delight is vpon the Saints that are in the earth
creature not a Creator therefore not to be worshipped adored as God If good men on earth and glorious Angels in heauen haue refused alway to bee reputed Christ what shamelesse Idolaters are they who say heere is Christ and there is Christ this is Christ and that is Christ The second question is Art thou Elias To which Iohn answers No. Yet Christ saith he is that Elias An Angel from heauen hath answered this obiection Luk. 1.17 Iohn Baptist is Elias in power not in person indued with the like temperance like wisdome like courage Now the Pharisies imagined that Elias himselfe should come not another in the spirit of Elias and therefore Iohn according to their meaning answered truly that he was not Elias How Iohâ— and Elias parallel see Beauxamis Harmoâ— Euangel Tom. 1. fol. 101. Ludolphus de vita Christi part 1. cap. 19. Postâ—l catholic Con. 2. Dom. 4. Aduent Whether Eliâ—s shall come before the great day of the Lords second comming see Luther postil maior in loc and his Maiesties Premonition from the 62. pag. to the 80. The third question is Art thou a Prophet To which Iohn answered also negatiuely Christ said he was more then a Prophet himselfe that he was lesse then a Prophet There are three degrees of humility 1. To submit our selues vnto our betters 2. To giue place to equals 3. To yeeld vnto inferiours All these were found in Iohn he submitted himselfe to superiors affirming that he was not Christ he gaue place to equals answering that he was not Elias he did yeeld to his inferiors in saying he was not a Prophet Yea but Iohn out of his humilitie must not tell an vntruth his father Zacharias in the Benedictus cals him the Prophet of the most high and Christ more then a Prophet Chrysostome Theophylact Euthymius and other Greeke fathers are of opinion that the Pharisies imagined Iohn to be that Prophet spoken of by Moses Deut. 18.15 The Lord thy God will raise vp vnto thee a Prophet like vnto me from among you euen of thy brethren vnto him ye shall hearken The which text must bee construed either of the whole Colledge of Prophets or else of Christ the chiefe of the Prophets and therefore Iohn answered directly that he was not that Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prophet Rupertus and other Latine Doctors affirme that the Pharisies in this interrogatory desired to know whether his office were like that of Esay Ieremias Amos and the old Prophets vnto which Iohn might answere well that he was not such a Prophet for their office was to foreshew Christ by some works or foretell him by some words vel dictis praesignare vel factis praefigurare saith Rupertus But Iohns ambassage was not to foretell that Christ should come but plainly to tell that Christ was come Thou shalt be called the Prophet of the most high not to prefigure but to goe before the face of the Lord. A Prophet â—s a Preacher of the Gospel not as a Priest of the Law Hitherto Iohn Baptist answers negatiuely shewing what he was not neither Christ nor Elias nor a Prophet Wheâ—ein hee did not satisfie the messengers of the Iewes fully That therefore they might returne a more perfect answere they further importune and presse him to know what he was What saiest thou of thy selfe The which is the fourth interrogatory To this Iohn affirmatiuely declaring what he was I am the voice of a Crier c. There were two chiefe prophecies of him one that he should be that Angel of the Lord and this that he should be the voice of a Crier in the wildernesse Here then Interpreters obserue Iohns humility giuing himselfe the meanest title not Christ not an Angell not a Prophet but onely vox clamantis c. Wherein he liuely describeth a good Preacher of the Gospell hee must be the voice of a Crier in the wildernesse to make straight the way for the Lord. The word of God is a proclamation in writing common to all and the Minister is the voice of the Crier to giue notice to the people that the matter of the proclamation concerneth them and euery one of them Acts 13.26 Men and brethren and whosoeuer among you feareth God to you is the word of this saluatioÌ„ sent To you God raised vp his Sonne Iesus and hath sent him to blesse you by turning euery one of you from your iniquities Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh A Preacher therefore must cry from the bottome of his heart the which is prefigured Ezekiel 3.1 Sonne of man eat this roll and goe and speake vnto the house of Israel Vtter nothing to the people but that which thou hast first digested thy selfe The voice A word is first conceiued in the heart then vttered by the voice yet we heare the voice before wee know the word so Christ the eternall Word was before Iohn and all other Preachers In the beginning was the Word and that beginning was before all beginning yet the world knew not the Word till it was preached by the voice of men and Angels albeit the word in it selfe be before the voice yet vnto vs the voice goeth before the word He that commeth after me was before me Christ then is the Word and euery Preacher of Christ is a voice the which one word confounds all such as being called thereunto doe neglect their dutie of preaching In euery voice specially a Church voice three commendable qualities are required that it bee cleere sweete and high Cleere for as Hierome said Omnia in sacerdote debent esse vocalia All things in a Diuine should preach his apparell preach his diet preach his whole life preach An example in word in conuersation in spirit in faith in purenesse Such a voice was the Baptist his preaching was of repentance and he liued as a penitent as he did boldly speake the truth so constantly suffer for the truth on the contrarie bad manners and false doctrine make harsh and hoarse the loud voice Couetous Iudas had an hoarse voyce filthie Nicolaes an hoarse voyce Simon Magus an hoarse voyce Peter in denying his Master through extreame coldnesse of feare had an hoarse voyce too for a time Manicheus Arius Pelagius all Hereticall Schismaticall Atheisticall teachers are hoarse voyces in Gods quier Iâ—le solus praedicat viua voce quipraedicat vita voce Secondly the Church voice must be sweet euery seed is not to be sowen at euery season in euery ground and so it is in Gods husbandrie The voyce therefore must aright diuide the word which it sings and saies obseruing time and keeping it selfe in tune speaking to the proud boldly to the meeke mildly to all wisely The bels hung on Aarons garment were of pure gold hereby signifying that Aarons voyce should bee no founding brasse no iarring cymball but a sweete ring prouing sweetly reprouing sweetly