so it behoued him to fulfill all righteousnesse whereof this was a Branch to shew that he was the Truth of former Types Cap. 8. We read in Leuiticus how solemnely Aaron was consecrated and seeing CHRIST came to bee what Aaron onely did signifie the high Priest of God it behoued that he also should haue an Inauguration but so much more excellent by how much the Truth exceedes the Type Luke 3. and the Lora the Seruant This correspondency is made the more probable because St. Luke tels vs that when this was done CHRIST was about thirtie yeeres old and of that age was the Priest to be when he entred vpon his charge the Holy Ghost by that Law Numb 4.8 and by this example of CHRIST giuing vs to vnderstand That maturitie of age is a necessary requisite in all that will vndertake a sacred function Marke withall the regular humilitie of our Sauiour though he were the Lord of Glory Hâ—b â— No man saith St Paul taketh the honour of Priesthoed vpon him but he that is called of God as was Aaron therefore Iesus glorified not himselfe but was glorified by him that said vnto him Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedeck hee tooke not vpon him the office of a Mediatour vntill he was thereto ordained checking the sacrilegious pride of those which presume of their abilitie and intrude themselues without Imposition of hands into sacred Functions they cannot be so able they should not be lesse humble then was our Sauiour CHRIST St. Luke addeth that CHRIST was praying when the Holy Ghost descended As GOD doth promise so we must desire his guifts the greatest guifts with the most earnest desire CHRIST would herein bee exemplary vnto vs to testifie the humilitie that beseemes our nature and goe before vs in that which he commandeth he prayeth for that which he looked for from GOD. After this holy patterne haue all Christian Inaugurations and Ordinations beene accompanied with publicke and deuout Prayers And if CHRIST did not receiue the Holy Ghost from his Father but by praying how can they but blush at their vnmannerlinesse that refuse vpon their knees to receiue the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of CHRIST Finally we learne of CHRIST praying that after Baptisme we must not be secure for though all sinnes be forgiuen vs yet is not concupiscence wholy extinguisht neither haue we our full measure of grace we ought therefore to fall to our prayers and so prepare our selues to receiue the Holy Ghost which is our needfull guide and strength in our spirituall warfare But because I shall resume this second Person againe in the end of the Text we will passe on and see in the next place how he was consecrated He was consecrated first in signo visibili with a visible signe which was the likenesse of a Doue De Agone Christiano The word likenesse is not vsed saith St. Augustine ad excludenaam veritatem Columbae to denie that that which appeared was a true Doue but ad Ostendendum quod spiritus nâ—n apparuit in specie substantiae to shew that the Essence of the Spirit is a sarre different thing from that wherein he did vouchsafe to manifest himselfe It was then a true Doue and the end for which it was vsed sheweth there is reason we should thinke it to be so It was to be signum analegicum an apt signe to represent what was signified and the shape without the substance of a Doue could not so well signifie the properties of the Holy Ghost their correspondency is to the qualities that are obserued in a liuing Doue I am not ignorant that many thinke otherwise and that the shape onely was sufficient Some aduocates of Rome make vse of this shape without substance to confirme their Transubstantiation and the subsistence of accidents without the subiect Bread and Wine But I leaue them to feed vpon their fancies and will not contend about that which is no Article of Faith onely this I would haue obserued Iohn 1. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text doth not alwayes note a resemblance but some times a truth and seeing the phrase will beare both opinions as well that which holds that it was onely the shape of a Doue as that which defineth it was a true Doue I chuse rather the latter as most agreeable to the intent of the Holy Ghost and the difference that I put betweene the workes of GOD and the workes of the Diuell As GOD is an Omnipotent Creatour so those things which he exhibits are reall but the Diuell affecting to be thought what he is not maketh shew of that which he doth not his workes are spectra meere illusions Though this were a true Doue yet was it not assumed into one Person with the Holy Ghost as the nature of man was at the Incarnation of CHRIST St. Austin giueth the reason Non venit spiritus sanctus liberare Columbas he came not to redeeme Doues Ergo non est natus dé Columba therefore was not incarnate by a Doue but he came to signifie the properties of CHRIST therefore it was sufficient that by his Almighty power hee created a Doue of nothing and thereby gaue notice of his presence and residence in our Sauiour CHRIST which Doue as it was made of nothing so after the seruice was done was dissolued into nothing againe Wherein amongst other things appeares a difference betweene this Doue and the imposture of Mahomet and superstition of Rome both practised by a Doue whereof the later in a Romane Councill proou'd but an Owle S. Chrysostome giueth another note vpon this Doue In principijs spiritualium rerum c. when GOD first foundeth Religion he vseth sensible visions in commiseration of them which are not capable of incorporall natures but his purpose is that when once such things haue made faith vnto his truth we should continue our faith in his truth though he doe not dayly confirme it vnto vs by such things Which the Romanists should obserue who after so many hundred yeeres plantation of the Christian saith will still haue Miracles a marke of the true Church Finally we must obserue that signes come not Propter se but Propter aliud there is some other thing intended besides that which is presented so was it here the Doue appeared but the Spirit of God was meant thereby the Spirit was the Sacred Oyle wherewith our Sauiour was annointed The holy Spirit though in Person but one yet is hee infinite in the varietie of operations and so may haue answerable vaâ—ietie of resemblances out of which the Scripture maketh choice vpon seuerall occasions of such as come neerest vnto the Argument in hand And to this purpose must we referre signes they serue not onely for illustration but for limitation also they confine our thoughts which otherwise would bee confused and fixe them vpon that which is presently intended The grace then of the Holy Ghost here meant
filio Dei hominis the same title belongeth vnto him euen as hee was incarnate whereof the ground is the personall vnion the man-hood being assumed into one person with the God-head In regard of the first consideration is hee called vnigenitus the onely begotten of his Father in regard of the second he is called Primogenitus the first borne of many Brethren both wayes is CHRIST neere vnto GOD but our comfort standeth in the latter that Emanuel God with vs or in our Nature is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sonne of God for that is fons origo Adoptionis nostrae it is that which layeth the soundation of being the sonnes of GOD. As CHRIST was neere so was hee deere vnto GOD. And indeed the words that note the neerenesse containe the grounds of the deerenesâ—e also and they were vnigenitus the onely begotten and primogenitus the first borne vnigenitus ergo vnicè dilectus the onely begotten therefore onely beloued primegenitus ergo praecipuè dilectus the first begotten therefore the especially beloued of GOD for this is a principle Euery man loneth himselfe the more of himselfe hee findeth any where the more he affecteth if he bee not degenerate A father loueth his onely sonne intirely because he hath no more and his eldest chiefely because hee is Principium praecipuum roboris the first and chiefe of his strength But this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or naturall affection of men is but a sparkle and that much allaied of that which is in GOD originally and but deriuatiuely in vs. Therefore we may easily conceiue that CHRIST that is so neere in nature and grace must needes bee most deere vnto GOD that indeed he is Vir desidertorum a man after Gods owne Heart and the true Dauid that is beloued as the Prophets call him Adde hereunto that setled loue where it is iudicious is more feruent Now Christus is dilectus not recenti impulsu sed inolito probato it is as ancient as GOD euen coeternall that CHRIST is the Sonne of GOD onely it is in time delated to the man-hood but the length of it is Aeternitie See then how GOD expresseth his loue to vs when he so describeth the person that hee bestoweth vpon vs. And haue we then any thing which we should thinke too good to render vnto GOD Abraham will teach vs better who spared not Vnicum and dilectum silium his onely beloued Sonne when GOD called for him and we see how his thank fulnesse prospered Certainely we would prosper much better if in this kindnesse we would striue to bee answerable vnto GOD. I. pray GOD we may sure I am wee haue good cause if there were no other motiue then is contained in filius and Dilectus if we doe consider onely what the second Person in Trinity is to the first How much more if wee consider what hee doeth for vs In him is the Father well pleased Wee will resolue this Note into two first wee will see in whom and then how the FATHER is pleased Hee is pleased in his beloued Sonne This opens a Mystery Thou shalt make a plate of pure gold Exod. 28. said GOD to Moses and graue vpon it like the ingrauing of a signet Holinesse to the Lord and thou shalt put it vpon a blew lace that it may bee vpon the Miter vpon the forefront of the Miter it shall be and it shall bee vpon Aarons fâ—rehead that Aaron may beare the iniquitie of the holy things which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their hory guifts and it shall be alwayes vpon his forehead that they may bee accepted before the Lord Euen so CHRIST being to bee consecrated now High Priest hath the Holy Ghost descending vpon him that so the Church may bee made acceptable in GODS beloued SONNE Neither was hee the Trueth onely of the High Priest but of the Sacrifices also St. Paul Hebr. 10. applieth to this purpose that place in the Psalme Psal 40. Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not but a body hast then prepared me in burnt offerings and Sacrifices for sinne thou hast no pleasure then said I loe I come In the volume of thy Booke it is written of me to ave thy will O God In this sense doth the Law vse the word Ratza when it is applied to Sacrifices â—enit 1. and saith that they shall be accepted for the offerer and make an attonement for him Vntill CHRIST came there was no remedy against the curse of the Law but Typicall within the Church and without fruitlesse Colos 1. but CHRIST incarnate brought a soueraigne remedy Ephes 2. when hee became the true Propitiatory in him it pleased God that all fulnesse should dwell and by him to reconcile all things both in Heauen and earth De Censensu Ruangelact lib. 2. cap. 4. St. Austin speaketh briefely but fully In te complacui is as much as Per te constitui gerere quod mihi placuit In thee am I well pleased not onely taking delight in that which thou art but also by thee accomplishing all the good that I meane to the sonnes of men But what did CHRIST Surely he did propitiate GODS wrath and giue man grace in GODS eyes these two workes are contained in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are the blessings that flow from GODS good will towards men Reconciliation is composed of both of GODS Indulgence and Beneficence Indulgence is not enough without Beneficence â— Sam. 14. Absalon shewed this to Ioab when hee was restored from his banishment but not admitted into the King his fathers presence A good patterne to bee imitated by men is GOD who dealeth so in his reconciliation with men whereas men vse some times to forgiue but seldome to forget also they thinke it too much to deserue well and enough that they doe not deserue ill I would it were no more But let vs touch at these points a sunder first at the propitiating of GODS wrath The latter Chronologers will haue this Sacring of IESVS to haue beene performed vpon the day of Expiation in September which if it bee true then the Holy Ghost doeth fairely insinuate that CHRIST came as the Lambe of God to take away the sinnes of the world How soeuer this is true that hee bare our sinnes in his body and by his stripes we are made whole that he cancelled our obligation and slew hatred when hee suffered â—pon the Crosse Neither did CHRIST onely propitiate GODS wrath but also gaue man grace in GODS eyes CHRIST teacheth it in three Parables of the lost Sheepe the lost Groat and the Prodigall Childe The Fathers obserue the Allegory that St. Peter maketh in comparing Noahs Arke vnto the Church and obserue moreouer that as the Doue brought the Oliue branch into the Arke in token that the deluge was ceased and the world was become habitable againe Euen so the Doue that lighted vpon CHRIST brought the glad tidings of the Gospel it
plaine hee was without the loue of his Neighbour because hee came to tempt Christ and therefore Christ striketh directly at his fault and sheweth him that there is a second Commandement beside the first euen such a one as without which the first cannot consist for there can bee no true Loue of God which is not accompanied with the loue of our Neighbour 1 Ioh. 4.20 Hee that loueth not his neighbour whom hee doth see how can hee loue God whom hee doth not see So that Christ doth answere not onely fully but abundantly The word Second doth moreouer teach vs that these Commandements are not Co-ordinata but Sub-ordinata the doe not goe hand in hand but one doth attend the other and there is good reason why because the one doth flow from the other To open this a little more fully This Commandement hath a secondarinesse in nature and a secondarinesse in worthinesse A secondarinesse in nature for wee cannot loue the fountaine of Loue but wee must loue the streames that flow from it the same nature that teacheth Children to loue their Parents teacheth them to loue one another Abraham thought so Gen. 3. when hee perswaded Lot not to contend vpon this ground for wee are Brethren and Moses vpon the same ground would haue reconciled two Israelites that were at variance when hee reproued him that was iniurious thus you are Brethren The secondarinesse is as plaine in the resemblance of the Body Acts â— for the members that are respectiue of the Head should not in reason bee ill affected betweene themselues the sense which they deriue from the Head maketh them effectually feeling of each others state and Christians cannot bee senslesse of any part which is in Christs body except they haue lost the sense of their coniunction with Christ their Head Finally the liuing stones that are in the Spirituall Temple doe as willingly embrace and hold fast each the other as they doe gladly entertaine the fountaine of their vnion which is the holy Ghost whatsoeuer motiue there is that perswadeth vs in the first place to loue the Lord our God doth perswade vs in the second place for to loue our Neighbour because our Neighbour and wee doe pertake thereof so that the loue of our Neighbour is a second Commandement to bee obeyed not arbitrarily but necessarily because the same nature teacheth vs in the second place to loue our neighbour which taught vs in the first place to loue God Another secondarinesse there is and that is of worthinesse for though our Neighbour deserue to bee beloued yet is his worthinesse but secondarie And why Such is his Goodnesse God is good a se his goodnesse springeth from himselfe but our Neighbours goodnesse is a Deo hee hath it from the gift of God God is good perse Goodnesse is his very nature but our neighbour is good only in Deo so farre as hee hath communion with God Finally God is good propter se there is no end of his goodnesse but his owne glory but our neighbours goodnesse is ad Deum it aymes at something beyond it selfe and that is at God and vnion with him So that this must passe for an vndoubted and grounded truth that as the reason why wee must loue our Neighbour must bee Goodnesse so that Goodnesse must bee conceiued to bee but in a secondary degree And as the effect doth respect his efficient so must the loue of our Neighbour respect the loue of God because no man can loue his neighbour orderly that doth not first loue God Yea as hee concludeth soundly that hath the principles whence his conclusion must issue euer in his eye and obserueth their direct influence into the Conclusion euen so a man can neuer erre in the loue of his neighbour that guideth himselfe by his loue of God for Quod primum est in vnoquoque genere est mensura reliquorum In a word wee must neuer loue our neighbour but in a double intention a primarie which looketh vpon God a secundarie which looketh vpon our Neighbour and beholdeth God in him This Rule is of speciall vse to make our loue regular whereof wee haue an excellent example in the Macedonians to whom Saint Paul beareth witnesse that they gaue themselues first to the Lord â— â—or 8 5. and then to the Apostles according to the will of God wee must not bee content to know this will doe our neighbour good but see that it agree with the first Table which doth qualifie the second It is true that as in naturall knowledge so also in the affection of Loue wee begin a prioribus sensui wee first apprehend the lineaments of a liuing body and then discerne therein the effects of a soule and last of all come to know the Soule it selfe euen so in the course of nature wee first take notice of our neighbour and the inducements to loue him then we apprehend some higher cause that worketh these inducements and last of all wee acknowledge that that cause is most louely whereupon Saint Austin Tract in Ioh. Diligendo proximum purgas oculum ad diligendum Deum But yet as in naturall knowledge when by going backward wee are come to that which is first in nature wee make that our guide to vnderstand distinctly what before we knew but confusedly euen so though the imperfect loue of our neighbour doth draw vs to a knowledge of our loue of God yet when wee haue attained that wee must take the true taste of our affections from thence and that must correct the corrupt relish which otherwise would be in our Loue for it fareth with our spirituall taste as it doth with our corporall if either bee possest with any quality whatsoeuer it receiueth will seeme answerable according to the Maxime in Philosophie Intus apparens excludit alienum Againe this order of first and second doth teach vs that wee must first giue to God and our Neighbour our Loue before any other gift for all other will easily follow if this goe before and they are all of no value if they flow not from this it is not possible we should doe any other seruice if wee yeeld not this and if it were possible yet wee should doe it in vaine Therefore wee must repute this first and second Commandement the foundations of pietie before wee set our selues to doe our dutie wee must loue God if we will serue him and if we will serue our Neghbour we must first loue him To conclude this point out of all which you haue heard you may learne the truth of that which Saint Austin hath Lib. 15. d. ciuit Dei câ—p 22. Ipse amor ordinatè amandus est Loue it selfe must be loued orderly and if Order bee requisite in the exercise of euery vertue much more in Charitie which is the root of vertues in somuch that where there is no Order there can bee no Charitie Austm ibid. because this Order is nothing else but that Quo
Testament Whensoeuer God began a new reformation of his Church he did alwayes accompanie it with some new Ceremonie which serued to shew the beginning of that worke and to keepe it in remembrance When Adam fell God altered the Ceremonies whereunto he was vsed before the Fall namely the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and euill into Sacrifices that might prefigure the Redemption by Christ When the world degenerated againe and God renued this Couenant with Abraham hee instituted a new Ceremonie that of Circumcision When Abrahams posteritie degenerated God reformeth againe and to point out this new Reformation hee instituted the Tabernacle the Priesthood of Aaron And when this could not hold the Iewes in the truth of Religion God commeth to his last Reformation and that hath his Ceremonies also whereof the first was Baptisme Baptisme whereby men were admitted into the Church of Christ And this Baptisme was the easier entertained by this â—ultitude because the Prophets had foretold that when the Messias came he should poure forth cleane waters Ezâ—k 36 v 25. and cleanse the filthinesse of Israel with them Galatinus saith that the old Rabbins did vnderstand it of such a worke of the Messias But whatsoeuet is to bee thought of his iudgement who doth oftentimes make the most of the Rabbins sayings sure it is that the Prophets words doe sound that way reade Ezech. 36. Esay 44. Zacharie 13. where this point is enlarged and Baptisme foretold 〈◊〉 5 which also was prefigured in Naamans cleansing and in the curing vertue of the poole of Bethesdah In a word hearing that by this Ceremonie they might be admitted into the kingdome of the Messias they frequented it A dispute there is whither Saint Iohns Baptisme and Christs were all one Some difference is pretended out of the Fathers but they are mistaken as Zanchius hath well obserued in the Annotations vpon his Confessions Neither is it likely that the Baptisme of Christians should differ from the Baptisme of Christ although the efficacie of Saint Iohns Baptisme was not from his sprinkling of the water but from Christs giuing of the spirit The defect of these persons that came to be baptized was that they did affect Baptismum fluminis but not flaminis and this Saint Iohn apprehended and this made him to be quicke with them as he shewed himselfe to bee in the manner of his reproofe I come now to that wherein you may perceiue the spirit of Elias Notwithstanding their great number and faire shew whereof the one would haue terrified the other deceiued ordinarie men this Prophet of whom Christ saith Matth. 11.9 more then a Prophet reuealeth and declareth the bad case of these Iâ—wes as by the holy Spirit it was no doubt discouered vnto him for Christ elsewhere vseth the same phrase and that to the same persons And marke that he doth not only in generall preach repentance but he doth discreetly apply himselfe to the persons and tempereth his language as is fitting to them And so should wee doe for nothing is more absurd then vniformitie of language when wee haue to doe with different hearers But yet herein we must not be indulgent to our corrupt affections but the fire that kindleth our zeale must bee heauenly Wee must reproue those within the Church more sharpely then those without and the leaders more sharply then the followers those that are Hypocrites then plaine dealing men And it was fit that the Pharisees and Saduces that were so selfe-conceited and so domineered ouer the consciences of the common people should heare how little they did answere the opinion they had of themselues and the people should see there was no reason they should haue their skill in the Scriptures or holinesse of life in so great admiration The Saduces and Pharisees were at oddes betweene themselues but all agreed in this qualitie of Vipers And if they that pretend so fairely are so reproued how should they bee reproued that are openly prophane There are but two heads whereunto we reduce all euill Malum Culpae and Malum Poenae Sinne and the Wages thereof he sheweth that they were noâ— free from either First not a Malo Culpae not from Sinne for they were a generation of Vipers few words but they reach home and challenge these persons as being gone as farre as may bee in sinne For behold the three dimensions thereof the Intensiuenesse noted by the word Viper Secondly the Extensiuenesse noted by the word Generation and Thirdly the Protensiuenesse the generation of Vipers The word Viper sheweth that they were corrupt euery one in his owne nature and the word generation sheweth that the corruption had ouerspread whole multitudes for a generation is a multitude of persons that liue at the same time put Generation and Vipers together and that will import that the infection reached from Parents to children whereof the later were no better then the former It is a wofull thing if sinne be only personall and defile the nature of any one man but yet there is good hope that the righteousnesse of a multitude may slay Gods hand from proceeding against the personall sinne If of personall sinne become Nationall the case groweth much worse and yet some hope remayneth euen for a whole sinfull Nation if their Parents were not such for God doth oftentimes spare the children farre gone in sinne in remembrance of their Parents which had serued and feared him But when they also haue beene bad and sinne is become naturall to a Nation what hope none for sinne can goe no farther then of personall to become Nationall and of Nationall to become naturall So farre was sinne gone in these persons whom here Saint Iohn calls a generation of Vipers But to single the words a Viper is a beast the persons of whom Saint Iohn speaketh were men behold that vnto men hee giueth the name of beasts Man that was created after the Image of God was to better his estate and become like an Angell but by the Fall he made it worse and fell below himselfe to the condition of a beast Man being in honour saith the Psalmist hath no vnderstanding Psal 49. v 20. but becommeth like the beasts that perish Hence is it that the Scripture doth often giue him the name of a beast Basil in Hexameron Hom 8. 9. Tertull. contra Iudaeos cap 4. of a Lion of a Leopard of a Wolfe c. yea what beast is there whose name the Scripture doth not fit vnto man giuing vs to vnderstand that he is a compound beast compounded of all those ill qualities that are obserued in any beast so that no one beast bee it neuer so bad can bee matched vnto man seeing man can transforme himselfe into the sauagenesse of all be as cruell as any Lion as rauenous as any Wolfe as implacable as a Beare as craftie as a Fox as filthy as a Swine c. But of all beasts he is most compared vnto
of wrath Repentance should be vsed while we may sinne for then it will be fruitfull and medicinall because we leaue sinne before sinne leaueth vs but if we will then vse Repentance when we can sinne no more our Repentance will be vnfruitfull and only penall And indeed they which will not vse Repentance in this World fruitfully shall will they nill they repent in the World to come but it will be vnfruitfully they will not weepe here for their sinnes but in Hell they shall both weepe and gnash their teeth they will not here manicle and fetter their lusts but there they shall be bound both hands and feet they will not here purge their stubble and drosse with the fire of Gods Spirit therefore hereafter they shall burne and their drosse their chaffe shall be endlesse fuell of the flames of Hell O then let mee weepe let mee repent out of the loue and with the comfort of Iesus Christ that hereafter I be not driuen to repent out of feare and with the paine of the fire of Hell The conclusion of all is God by the sight of our euill moueth vs to a desire of our good when he preuenteth vs with his grace we must take care that we receiue not his grace in vaine and this shall we doe if we disparage not our heauenly Conuersion with an earthly Conuersation LOrd graft in thy Preachers such Charitie that they may aime wisely at their hearers good and increase in their hearers that desire of goodnesse and happinesse which may make them capable of wholsome counsell So shall the dew of Heauen worke fotnesse in the Earth and wee shall all grow in thy Church as trees loaden with abundance of fruit when wee sinne wee shall repent and we shall repent also that we may not sinne vntill the Haruest day come when thou shalt haue reaped all the fruits thou requirest of vs in this state of Grace and we shall begin to reape those fruits which thou hast premised vnto vs in the state of Glorie Amen The fourth Sermon LVKE 3. VERSE 8. And beginne not to say within your selues we haue Abraham to our father for I say vnto you that God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham OF the remedy of their Heart which came to Saint Iohn Baptist I haue already spoken the next point is the remedy of their Heads which taketh vp the remainder of the Text. In applying this remedy the Baptist doth first open then correct their errour hee openeth it in their obiection and in his owne answere doth correct it their errour was this vaunt We haue Abraham to our Father this they obiected against the first part of Iohn Baptists Sermon But the words are ellipticall they include more then they expresse you may gather it out of the Baptists answere which is the rust measure of their obiection for what he correcteth in that they erred Now he correcteth in their obiection Ignorance and Arrogancie both double double Ignorance double Arrogancie double Ignorance for they first maine secondly misplace the truth They maime it in that not knowing how much was requisite to the making vp of a child of Abraham their words meant that they were wholly his whereas they were his but in part and that too the worst part Saint Iohn correcteth this he forbiddeth their claime say not we haue Abraham to our father you haue nothing in you worthy of so honorable a title As they did maime the truth through ignorance so did they also through ignorance misplace it they did misplace it in beginning their defence at this claime For although there bee comfort in being any wayes a child of Abraham yet the triall of our comfort must begin at our resemblance of not our allyance vnto Abraham therefore Saint Iohn that corrected their defect in matter correcteth also their defect in order Begin not to say let not this be the entrance to your Apologie Hauing thus corrected their Ignorance hee goeth on and correcteth their Arrogancie Arrogancie is the child of Ignorance of the good things which we thinke we haue the lesse we know the more we crake certainely the Iewes did they were doubly arrogant first they did appropriate Abrahams family vnto them selues As they thought them selues to bee wholy his so they thought none his but themselues onely they held all other Nations vile the Iewes onely to be noble And this first branch of Arrogancie sprang from the first branch of their Ignorance for indeed as they were children of Abraham so none were children but they Saint Iohn correcteth this Arrogancie and telleth them that there is no impediment in Gods power but Abraham may haue yea there is faire euidence in Gods Couenant that Abraham shall haue other children seeme they neuer so vnlikely to become children not onely besides them which is enough to take downe their pride but also which striketh them to the very heart insteed of them though they all faile this Saint â—ohn meaneth when he saith that God is able euen of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham The second branch of their Arrogancie is their scoffing at Gods Iudgements as if We haue Abraham to our father were armour of proofe against them and they needed no buckler but their pedigree This second Arrogancie springeth from their second Ignorance for where they begin their defence vpon that they stand and thinke their needeth no more prouision against the wrath to come so they put it off as if liued they neuer so inordinately it did nothing concerne them This Saint Iohn correcteth hee telleth them that they are not so in the Couenant but they may be cast out that they must haue some worth of their owne besides that of their fathers otherwise they must looke for and that shortly a totall a finall eradication Now is the Axe layed to the roote of the tree You see what particulars remaine vnhandled of these by Gods affistance and your Christian patience I will now touch at so many as the time will permit And first because no defect nor excesse and such are the Iewes Ignorance and Arrogance the on detracting from the other adding to the truth can bee knowne without the meane which is their measure in reference whereunto we iudge of them the truth of Abrahams fatherhood must first be opened and we must see what grace God vouchsafed him that thereby we may conceiue the vprightnesse of the Baptists censure I will not fall into the common place of Abrahams praise the large Texts which the Scripture doth yeeld thereof hath found most eloquent most aboundant commentaries there is scarse a Iew or Christian Greeke or Latine Father that doth not write of him and make a Panegyricke of his worth I will cull out of them so much as will illighten my text And the first thing that I obserue is that there were Patriarkes before him and Patriarkes that came after him yet none left behind them so honourable a name