heere taught vs by the apostle The church of God is not found by places and countries it is but a foolish thing to say Here is Christ or there is Christ he is in the desert or he is in the towne but as where the carcase is there are the Eagles so where are men that beleeue in Christ there is his Church This is the Apostles meaning when he saith Whose house are we Now as we haue learned to seeke the church not in places but in the harts of men so in the words folowing the men are also described that by their marks we may know them from other men of the world which are not of the house of God but an assemblie of the wicked It followeth If we hold stedfast the confidence and reioycing of our hope vntill the end Here the Apostle setteth downe three especiall marks and properties by which the Churche and children of God are knowne the first is the ioy of their hope the seconde the assurance of it the third the constancie and perseuerance vnto the end The ioy of our hope is a present feelinge of immortalitie and the glorie of God which the holie Ghost kindleth in our hearts filleth vs with all heauenly gladnes according to the promises preached in the worde of trueth which is his Gospel And let vs not thinke but that God hathe done thus with vs whom he hath chosen to eternall life He hath prepared our hearts to know and feele his vnspeakable gifte which he hath giuen vs for if we should bestow any gifte vpon men we are not so vnwise to giue a precious thing vnto him that knows not what it is we would not giue him a Diamond that would thinke it to be a piece of glasse nor wee would not giue him a pearle that would thinke it to be a graine of salt for so we should leese both our labour and our thankes And shal we thinke the Lord wil so bestow his heauenly blessings will he giue his gifts to those that know them not who can not giue him againe the praise of his goodnes no he will neuer do it but as Peter sayth he hath taken vs for his owne people to the ende we should shewe forth his vertues that hath called vs out of darknes into his maruelous light therefore if we bee in the couenant of his grace appointed to the inheritance of his glorie it is impossible wee should not feele the comfort of it and know the height breadthe of his great mercie and grace If there be a barren and fruitlesse man that knoweth nothing of all this in whose eares the sound of the name of God hath neither feare nor reuerence and in whose heart his knowledge hath neither ioy nor gladnes he is yet a straunger from the church of God and cannot challenge anie part or fellowship of the Gospell of Christe for while he can feele no greater pleasure then of bodily delite his eye to see his eare to heare his mouth to taste his skin to touch why is not the oxe as good as he for these thinges are vnto the oxe as well as vnto him or if honour riches authoritie credite fauour be the things he loue moste and in which he hath greatest comfort what is he better then the Paganes infidels that were before him in whome this desire was as much and this delight muche more abounding then vnto vs for we in respecte of them are beggerly tenants and they in respecte of vs were monarches of the whole worlde If these things coulde make the house of God the house of God were among the beastes of the field or among sauage people worse then beastes whose desires if they be our desires and their delightes if they be our delights we shal be of them and they of vs but the house of God shal be of neither of both for in the house of God is this hope that we speak of a feeling I say of Gods glorie in whiche we haue pleasure more then in all the worlde Let vs take an example of Paule in steede of manie he protesteth thus I accompt all the world to be losse vnto mee yea I accompt it but as doung to the ende I may winne Christe haue thou this heart and thou hast peace and thou hast sealed it that thou art of the house of God and this is it that the Apostle teacheth vs heere in these wordes if we holde this reioycing of our hope stedfast vnto the end Another thinge heere to be learned if wee will knowe our selues to be this house and Churche of God is that as we holde this hope so we must hold it stedfast and without wauering vnto the end for so the Apostle sayth We must haue stedfast assuraunce of our hope he calleth it in the sixt chapter A full persuasion of hope Sainct Paule calleth it His intentiue hope a hope in which he shall neuer bee frustrate So that this assurance and ful persuasion is in a true and liuing hope and it casteth out mistruste and wauering euen as fayth doth for fayth hope cannot be separate neither in nature nor propertie but if you haue fayth you haue hope and as your faith is so is your hope a sure faith a liuely hope a wauering faith a blinde hope for our faith is a persuasion of the loue of God in Christ our hope is an apprehēsiō of the glory which by that loue is giuē to vs. It can not be that we should knowe the loue and grace of God which is our faith but we must know the fruit of his loue that is his glorie eternal life which is our hope if therfore we be sure God doth loue vs in Iesu Christe wee are also sure that God will glorifie vs through Iesu Christe and as our fayth reioyceth in Gods fauour so our hope reioyceth in Gods glorie and as our faith is sure that nothing shall separate the loue of God from vs so our hope longeth after the incorruptible inheritaunce which we feele and knowe is laide vpp in heauen So this constancie and boldenes of our hope without wauering laid vp in our breastes and crying stil within vs Come Lorde Iesu this hope is our warrant we be the house of god And all this I speake more plainely in mo words because there are so many which either cannot or will not vnderstande it for they conceiue no other thinge when wee speake of hope but a desire to haue a thing wherof we doubt if we aske of thē whether they be sure to be saued through Christ they will answer they can haue no assurance for thē how could they hope thus they make them a hope of their owne a new hope which the Church of God knoweth not a doubtfull desire of a thing they wishe in steade of a present feelinge of the thing they long for But let vs be wise hearted and knowe before the Lord as the Apostle
with mee this kingdome is a kingdome of darknesse a kingdome of sinne and it shall returne to the shape of his first beginning The kingdome of Christ shal be euer knowen by the scepter of the onelie Gospell preached and practised in it Now why is this called the scepter of righteousnesse Because saith the prophet it killeth the vngodlie the same exposition the Apostle immediately addeth Thou haste loued righteousnesse and hatediniqui◅ie therefore it is called a scepter of righteousnesse because it maketh the faithful righteous destroyeth the sinners from the face of the earth In this sense Saint Peter calleth it the seed of regeneration because by it we be begotten a-new into the image of God which is in righteousnesse So that heere we know whether we be of the Kingdome of Christ euen by the scepter by whiche we be ruled If the knowledge of the Gospel of Christ haue refourmed vs into a newe image to bee holie as our Sauiour Christ is holie that by his spirit the worlde be crucified vnto vs and we vnto the worlde then haue we our enfranchisement in this kingdome if not though we dwell in the mids of the Sanctuarie yet were we straungers from the lawe that came out of mount Sion And though we were baptised with all the water in the sea or as the Prophet saith though we wash our selues with Nitre and take much Sope yet our iniquities are marked before the Lord except we fele the forgiuenesse of our sinnes in the righteousnesse and holinesse of this kingdome of Christe And what madnes can be like vnto it to flatter my selfe as if I had my portion among the electe of God and yet dwell in tabernacles of the Children of the diuell that is I meane yet walke in all the sinnes of a corruptible man Are not Gods children his Sainctes be they not brought vnto him with the scepter of righteousnes doth hee not keepe them with the seale of his holie spirite If I see no good workes in my hands if I know neuer that the preaching of the gospel killed concupiscence in me and made me hunger and thirst after righteousnesse if I feele not the spirite of God to sanctifie more and more my heart al mine affections how can I say I am the childe of God No no talke while thou wilte vse thy libertie say thou art a Protestant renounce the Pope except thou loue righteousnesse euen as thou louest thy soule reioycest in weldoing as in thy life thou hast bene but an idle hearer of the worde of trueth Godlinesse is not made of wordes as a wood is made of trees but it is an earnest loue proceeding from a pure heart and a good conscience and an vnfeigned faith in whiche wee may glorifie God and do good to his people Paule was godlie when he gloried in nothing but in the crosse of Iesu Christe by which the worlde wascrucified vnto him and he vnto the world They are godlesse Hypocrites which in worde confesse they knowe God but in deedes denie him They are Christs which haue crucified the fleshe with the affections concupiscēce of it they are of their father the diuell that in wickednesse do the desires of the diuell Let vs then learne dearely beloued in good time to be wise when we were in ignorance then we walked in the woorkes of darkenesse now we haue vnderstanding let vs walke as the children of the light if we take the gospel into our mouth let vs knowe it is a scepter of righteousnesse to reforme our life and whosoeuer he be that hath chosen this portion peace be vpō him vpon the Israel of God and he that withdraweth himselfe from this purpose euen as the Apostle after saithe Let our soules haue no pleasure in him And here let vs also marke howe the Apostle setteth out this righteousnesse of christ Thou hast saith he loued righteousnesse and hated iniquitie This is generall in all duetie which we do vnto God to loue the obedience with all our heart and soule and to detest and hate all the transgression and sinne So the Prophet Dauid saith I hate vaine inuentions but thy law I loue againe thy law I loue but I hate falshod abhorre it Euē so must we hate iniquitie if we loue righteousnesse and abhorre falshod if we loue the trueth and this is that eternall lawe whiche God gaue from the beginning I will saith he set enimitie betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seede her seede But O Lord what a rebellious people are we where God hath commaunded all concorde and bound vs together in all bonds of vnitie One bodie one spirite one hope of our calling one Lord one faith one Baptisme one God the father of vs all yet al these bondes we breake in sunder anger hatred reprochful words quarels wounds murders euerie cursed thing but we reach our hands vn to it to make strife one with another and disanull the agreement which God hath made on the other side touching the workes of darkenes we wil walke in them and though God hath separated them from vs as heauen from hell or Christe from Belial and hath made the hatred of them perpetuall to vs and our posteritie yet we thinke as the Prophet sayth to make a league with death and to beat agreement with hel we will follow our fleshly concupiscence as though there were no lorde to controll vs and we will not hate sinne at all A corrupt nature to loue that which we are bid hate and hate that which we are bid loue but a more corrupt affection if we giue place to these desires and are well pleased to loue them still It followeth in the end of this seuenth verse thy God hath annoynted thee with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy felowes In this we may learne an other notable cause why we shoulde acknowledge Christ our onely King and Law-giuer Because he is thus annoynted that is in him dwelleth all fulnesse of grace and the treasures of all wisdome and knowledge are hid in him so that leaue him leaue his lawes leaue his scepter we leaue instruction we leaue righteousnesse we leaue eternall life And heere note that the oyle of gladnesse is the giftes of the spirite of God gladnesse to our selues because it filleth vs with ioy in the Lord and gladnesse to other because it powreth grace into our lips to cōfort the weak harted to make vs a swete sauour of life vnto life to all that hearken vnto vs The heart of earth y is dry and baren and beareth no ioyful fruite of the Lord God this oyle of gladnes hath not yet softened it to make it a fertile soile for the seede of the worde of god And the carelesse man of a dull spirite that is not touched with his brothers sinning but letteth him alone in his vncleanesse to sinck or swim to stand or fall to liue or die
decayed places of Sion and to our selues euery one of vs this I say yet not I but Saint Iohn That He that loueth his brother he hath no offence in him whereat another should fall therfore in any controuersies that can arise in the church if we feare God let vs follow this rule let vs not doe any thing for vaine glory for honour for riches for pleasing men for if we do we may be assured offeÌ„ces wil arise we shall be guiltie of theÌ„ but if only Gods glory the loue of our brethren do constraine vs God will giue vs the spirit of wildome peace and we shall not be offences vnto any but this let you me coÌ„mit vnto the Lord with our hartie praires he wil bring to passe a good worke in our eyes Againe our rest must bee in all trueth and howe doe suche men seeke the glorie of this rest which fil the world with lying and flattering which call good euil and euil good light darknesse and darknesse light The Prophet Amos complayneth of the Iudges of his time that they were so corrupte through brybes that they were redie to sell the people for old shooes if he were aliue now he would add to this another complaint that some preachers are also so corrupt that they wil sell the trueth for a mounrning gowne Let a man be now neuer so blinde that hee walke as at midnight when it is noone dayes yet you shall finde some Preacher will commende his sight if a man were as black as the black horse spoken of in the Apocalypse that nothing were in him but shadowe darknesse yet he shall finde a black prophet with a black mouth and a headlong tongue to make him as white as the white woll or as white as the white snowe and if a false tounge coulde colour him more then that it is set to sale and it is easily bought But haue such men care of our blessed rest or do they delight in the glorie of it Do they thinke that in the church of Christ it wil be euer suffered that the sweete and costly garments of Gods sainctes shal be taken from them and made a spoyle for straungers or he that goeth about this shall hee not disquiet our peace Leaue off then you that feare the Lorde leaue off to sell the praises of faith and of religion to those which neuer sought and inquired after them Remember Elihu saith If I shoulde giue titles my maker woulde destroy mee Do not therefore iustifie the sinner while thou liuest Thou foolish praiser thou folish praised what substance is there in you but a blast of winde Let vs then leaue off lying and speake euerie man the trueth froÌ„ our hearts and so let vs enter into our rest dwell in the peace of Gods Church together Nowe one worde more touching this rest the seuenth day is called the Lordes rest the land of Canaan is called his rest the temple his rest the Gospell his rest yet were not all these his rest but figures and presentations of it as times places meanes by whiche we should rest in him yet had they the name of the rest as things liuely presenting the rest vnto vs in whiche we enioyed the spirituall rest thus it is in all sacraments because they present vnto vs Gods graces and his holy spirite worketh in the ministerie of them the more to assure our faith they are also named by the thinges which they preseÌ„t vnto vs Now touching the sabboth day which is here mentioned you see from the beginninge it was a figure of our spirituall rest in Christ so that as al figures in him haue ceassed are complete so the obseruation of that seuenth day hath also ceassed and the trueth of it must shewe it selfe which is that not the seuenth day but all the days of our life our thoughtes should be with God and our workes to his glorie and thus the olde Sabboth was ceremoniall and is now abrogate euen as you see for that Sabboth is now our saturday in which we lawfully occupie our selues in all honest labour of our calling An other end of that Sabboth was according to the manners of men necessarie for them then and now necessarie for vs and that was that thei might haue a time to meet together to worship God in the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ to make publique prayers vse his sacramentes for strengthening their faith heare his law and his prophets that they might learne his iudgments and edifie one another in the knowledg of God this end of the Sabboth must needs be perpetuall as long as our weaknesse needeth mutuall helpe and as long as it is meete we should openlie serue the Lord to this end the commaundement is stil read vnto vs Remember thou keepe holie the Sabboth day which now is our sunday ordeined by the apostls exaÌ„ples that the superstition of the Iewish Sabboth should be taken away and kept holie that thus we should occupie our selues in that day otherwise the olde Sabboth can possiblie be kepte of vs no other way but as the Apostle here teacheth vs in the tenth verse that as we see God rested in it from all his works so we in all our life must rest from our own woorkes that is wee must rest from our care or regarde of the flesh to accomplish the desires of it but as we are bought with a price so wee muste yeelde our selues seruants vnto our Lord and offer vp our selues a holie liuely sacrifice to doe his will and thus farre of this text Now let vs pray c. ¶ The xx Lecture vpon the 11. 12. and 13. verses 11 Let vs studie therefore to enter into that rest lest any man fall after the same example of disobedience 12 For the word of God is liuely and mightie in operation sharper theÌ„ any two edged sword entreth through euen vnto the diuiding a sunder of the soule the spirit and of the ioyntes and the marrowe and is a discerner of the thoughtes and the intents of the heart 13 Neither is there any creature which is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open vnto his eyes with whome he hath to doe IN this eleuenth verse the Apostle maketh his last proofe of Christe to be our prophet because y â— â—…ce of this word of God agreed â—…t but with the maiestie of his person and so entreth into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 description of the vertue power of this word making earnest exhortation that wee would vse the great benefite of it and therefore hee saith first Let vs therfore studie to enter that is let vs labour let vs be careful let vs giue all indeuour let vs care trauell that we may enter thus shaking off al sluggish dulnesse quickening them froÌ„ heauinesse of spirite as vnto a thing of great weight he calleth vs with great care and studie to giue our selues vnto it And
the present time not knowing that the time passeth the cōcupiscēce is ended in it that that lord after wil call thē to iudgmēt Thus the Prophet Daniel nameth the sinnes of Nabuchadnezar his errours and Abacuch making his prayer for all the sinnes of Israel hee nameth them their ignorances let vs therefore as this Apostle before warned vs beware lest we be hardned with the deceites of sinne but knowe for a suretie when wee be delighted with euil it is our errour if we were wise we would neuer be deceiued with so hurtfull enticements It followeth now in the third verse And for the same cause he must as for the people so for him selfe offer sacrifice for sinne In these words the Apostle beareth witnesse of want imperfection of the priesthood of Aaron that though he appeared as a mediatour betweene God and his people yet he was not perfecte for suche a woorke but acknowledging his owne sinnes hee sett him selfe in their number which looked for a better mediatour who was only figured could not be exhibited in his person to this end he offered sacrifice both for the people and for him selfe according as hee was expresly commaunded in the lawe of Moses as wee reade in the ninth Chapter of Leuiticus and againe after is here mentioned in the seuenth Chapter following And here we see the propertie required in a mediatour that is that he be absolute holie without spot to whome it can not bee said Physician cure thy selfe for then could he be profitable to none but who soeuer shall take vpon him this worke to pacific God and to conquer Satan he must haue a body prepared of God to all obedience he must be armed with the power of God to beate and vanquish sinne hell and condemnation so to abolish the Diuel they neuer knewe this neither the righteousnesse nor yet the power of a mediatour who so easily haue giuen this glorie vnto weake men for this streight condition the iustice of GOD requireth of him that shal reconcile man vnto God that he bring in him selfe all the righteousnesse whiche his holie lawe requireth by it first to sanctifie him selfe to be accepted and in that innocencie to beare the punishment of the sinnes of his people that hee might sett them free then in the power of his spirite to ouercome that punishment rise from it that it might be abolished and all with him might haue entrance into glorie and eternall life Now this comparison of the Apostle somwhat more plainly appeareth in which we see the dignitie of Christe Aaron was in nature a perfect man and so was Christe and more excellent in propertie beeing without sinne Aaron ministred for the peoples sake and for his own also beeing a sinner Christ for his people only himselfe needing nothing Aaron offered sacrifice but of other things none of his owne Christe offered his sacrifice his owne and him selfe Aaron had compassion on his brethren but in a certeine measure and the greatest parte of it for him selfe and sorrowe of his owne infirmities but Christe wholie was grieued for vs and for our sakes onely he bare infirmities of all which the doctrine is plaine vnto the people of Israel that not Aaron but Christ was the great high priest to reconcile them vnto God And here we see touching that that is said the high priest offered for his own sinnes and for the sinnes of the people that is not ment that his sacrifices were in deed a cleansing of their sinnes for neither can the bloud of Calues Goates wash away that infection neither can a sinnful man offer a sacrifice of such price onely the Lord Iesu offering his body could do so excellent a woorke but that the sacrifices of the lawe and that high Prieste were said to purge sinnes it was onely in figure as being signes and tokens of Christ and of his bodie to be sacrificed vppon the crosse which redemption they confessed and beleeued in their oblations and God sealed it vnto them by fire from heauen consuming their burnt offerings that their faith was precious in his sight and he would perfourme his promises vnto them according to their hope and giue them a sacrifice for their sinn euen his only begotten sonne that euery one which beleeued in him should not perishe but haue life euerlasting and in wittnesse of this constant trueth because their sacrifices were as figures of it he giueth them the name of that which they figured and calleth them sinne offeringes and propitiatorie sacrifices and reconciliations betwene God and them And this is cōmon to all sacraments of the olde and newe Testament that they might be vnto vs sure vndoubted pledges of Gods promises that he perfourmeth them all therefore the name and title of the thing is giuen to the figure so these sacrifices were called sinne offeringes and peace offerings circumcisiō was called Gods conenant the Lambe his passeouer the Arke his glorie the temple his rest Baptisme the washing of our new birth and what madnes is in men I can not tel why they stum ble and fall and are broken an this phrase this is my bodie Could the name of reconciliation be giuen to the bloud of an Oxe the name of Gods benefites be giuen to the cutting off of a litle skin and to a white lambe his glorie his blessednesse his rightcousnesse to golde to stones to water and can not the name of the body of Christ be giuen vnto bread or could not the name of forgiuenesse of mercie of couenant of glory of presēce of righteousnesse change the nature of golde stones fleshe water and such like and must needes the name of bodie streight change bread into fleshe or is not the sacrament of Christes bodie and bloud as glorious a mysterie as full of trueth as other sacraments were why should it not haue a greater honour named by the thing whiche it representeth but this as occasion is offered and in a worde for the thing is plaine to those that will vnderstand they that with affection haue robbed themselues of iudgmente let vs pray for them and they that do belong vnto the couenant shal one day with vs confesse the true doctrine of the sacrament in which it is sealed Now Let vs pray c. The 23. Lecture vppon the 4. 5. 6. verses 4 And no man taketh this honour vnto himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron 5 So likewise Christ tooke not to him selfe this honour to be made the high priest but he that said vnto him Thou are my Sonne this day begat I thee gaue it him 6 As he also in another place speaketh Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech Tolde you the Apostle here maketh comparison betweene the priesthood of Aaron of Christ that so by conference the dignitie of Christ might more appeare The comparison hitherto hathe beene in this that the
priest of the olde lawe must necessarily be a naturall man then that he must do the worke of the people in thinges apperteining to God thirdly that he must doe it with some sacrifice fourthly with compassion for the peoples errours in all which Christ onely is excellent aboue all other Now the Apostle goeth forward and yet sheweth a fifte propertie of the high priest afore and that is that he was called of God and thrust not himselfe into that roome function To this purpose now it followeth And no man taketh vnto him selfe this honour but he that is called of God as was Aarō then in the two verses following sheweth howe in this also Christe excelled Aaron and had a more glorious calling then he first because an high decree of God was pronounced by the Prophete in which vnder the name of a soone God ordeyned him priest saying Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Againe he called him not vnto a priesthood of signes and shadowes which endured but for a while but he called him to the true priesthood it selfe which chaunged not but made him a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech So as the sonne is higher then a seruant the trueth better then the figure of it and that which abydeth euer better then that which in time is abolished so much this calling of Christ exceedeth Aarons calling and all the priestes of the lawe Heere let vs first learne sith the Apostle speaketh plainely No man taketh honour to him selfe but he that is called of God as Aaron was that bothe it is vnlawfull for any man without a calling to take vppon him the ministerie neither yet any calling ought to be which is not according to the will of God for seeing the ministerie is honourable and hee is iustly honoured that executeth it faithfully how can I exalt my selfe but of right I ought againe to be brought lowe and in steede of glorie haue shame for what doe I in this but rob Christe of his glorie who is head of his Churche and appointeth ministers whom hee will who ruleth in the house of Iacob and ordeyneth officers at his owne pleasure If in an earthlie kingdome subiectes would presume to take offices at their owne choice were it not extreme confusion vtter reproche and shame vnto the prince howe muche more to bring this confusion into the Churche of Christ Therfore both our Sauiour Christ himselfe did openly ordeine his own apostles neuer any of them executed that office but with protestation that they had this calling of God therfore their Epistles beginne as you reade Paule an Apostle of Iesus Christ. Peter the seruant of Iesus Christ. And y same frō the beginning hath beene a perpetuall lawe in the church of god Moses Dauid Esay Ieremie and all the residue they tooke not this honour to them selues but were called of God in the name of God they declared vnto the people his visions and his wordes from which if they declyned to the righte hand or to the leste they made them selues sinners and not onely thus it is in the ministerie but for as much as the Apostle giueth it a generall terme No man taketh honour vnto him selfe euen in the common wealth in matters of this vaine life not onely the God of peace wil not haue his people to liue in confusion euery man to exalte himselfe but also limitteth to euery one the bounds of his calling in which God hath giuen him honour and without which bothe hee sinneth against God and offendeth his Prince that hath appointed him The Iustice muste deale with those thinges whiche apperteine vnto a Iustice a iudge with the things of a iudge and as it is rebellion for the priuate man to resist the magistrate so is it presumptiō in a magistrate to take vpō him aboue his calling We haue gotten amōg vs I know not what prouerb which cōmonly we call A cast off our office if this bee to cast off the lawe of our calling and take more honour then is giuen of the higher power we deserue it right wel if for such prety castes our selues should be cast quite out of our places for in matters aboue vs we be all priuate men and must goe vnto them to whom God hath giuen the iudgemente where we our selu◅s haue the place of honour there let vs be faithful as before the Lord. The second thing to be learned in these wordes is that we haue all such a calling as we may be sure it is of God for we must be called of God as Aaron was Heere dearely beloued I woulde wee had no cause to complaine or seeing thinges are so ill as they are I would we had the spirite of the prophete Ieremie to wishe that our handes were full of water or in our eyes were a founteine of teares that we might weepe day and night for the sinnes of our nation then the Lorde in due time would hearken vnto vs and the highest from his holy seate woulde regarde vs that our eyes might see all our ruines restored But nowe touching this calling in magistrates and officers of our common wealth I will say no more but in one worde as the scripture speaketh God calleth him vnto his dignitie who is orderly appointed and is a man of courage fearinge God dealing truely hauing no respecte of persons and hating couetousnesse otherwise if by bribing by ambition or by any vnlawfull meanes he come to his preferment the more he knoweth himselfe the more he wil feare least his calling be not of God but this they will regarde to whome it belongeth our speciall doctrine here is in the callinge of the ministers wherof by the grace of god I wil tel you the trueth but because this and other thinges are nowe in bitter controuersie betweene our selues so that the vncharitable wordes of our mouthes are witnesses against vs of the euill affections of our hearts and our hurtfull doings one toward another do shew abundantly that euil will hath taken deepe root within vs I protest y I haue neither part nor fe lowship in this diuisiō but in loue vnitie I beare him witnesse who speaketh trueth and beare with his errour who is deceiued acknowledging my self more vnworthie then either both And that you dearly beloued may hold fast the bonde of peace and not be broken off with euerie temptation I befeeche you consider but this with me hath not God giuen his gifts diuersly to one more to one lesse to one ten pounds as it is in the parable to another but one and can we thē all know a like must we not of necessity one know more another lesse one be more wise another lesse one vnderstand this truth another that euen as God reuealeth it and euerie one of vs haue our wantes in which wee may bee better taught and shall it not be euer so as long as our knowledge is in part we see not the
because otherwise the scripture would bee hard vnto them Againe because it was ashame after so longe time to haue profited so little Nowe he exhorteth them by shewing the great hurte which shal be vnto them by their ignorance and rudenesse ▪ and sayth that while they are such they can neuer knowe the pretious and hid treasure of righteousnesse whiche Christ hath giuen onely to those that are wise and haue learned his blessed Gospel For better vnderstanding of this you muste knowe this figuratiue speeche of the Apostle of milke and strong meate by milke he meaneth the generall principles of doctrine as him selfe after declareth as of repentance of faith in Christ of baptisme of the resurrection and suche like set out breifely in generall tearmes and according to the capacitie of Children with whiche they are prepared to the kingdome of heauen and must still growe vp in more vnderstanding till they doe see with all the saincts the higth the deapth the length the bredth of Gods vnsearchable goodnesse in Iesu Christ which the Apostle calleth here the word of righteousnes Now if we wil abyde stil in our first instruction when gray hayres shal be mingled with our black yet then still we will be children in vnderstanding the Apostles wordes shal be iustified in vs we are not meete disciples of the excellent knowledge of the Gospel for he that is still at his milke hath not yet tasted of the worde of righteousnesse which is strong meate And it foloweth in the Apostle For strong meate belongeth to thē that are of perfect age which through long custome haue their wits exercised to discerne good euill In these words the Apostle maketh it more plaine what is milke and what is strong meate and why they are so called that is milke which agreeth to beginners and such as haue little experience that is strong meat which is for olde practitioners such as haue wisdome to iudge betwene truth falshod And thus much briefly of the sense of the woordes out of which what instructions we haue to gather for our owne edifying I will speake more at large God willing the next time Now let vs praye c. The 26. Lecture vpon the 13. 14. verses before mentioned so forth vpon the 1. 2. verse of the sixth Chapter 13 For euerie one that vseth milke is inexpert in the word of righteousnesse for he is a childe 14 But strong meate belongeth to them that are of age which through long custome haue their wits exercised to to discerne both good and euill CHAP. VI. 1 THerefore leauing the doctrine of the beginning of Christ let vs be led forwarde vnto perfection not laying againe the foūdation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. 2 Of the doctrine of baptisme and laying on of handes of the resurrection from the dead and of eternall iudgment WE haue heard alreadie what reprehension the Apostle hathe hetherto made of the slackenesse of the people in learninge the mysteries of Gods word First because they haue beene so carelesse that they haue made the word hard vnto them that they cannot vnderstand it where I tolde you y who soeuer he be that accuseth the scripture of hardnesse the Apostle concludeth against him that he hath a hard dul hart Secondarily he rebuketh them in respect of the time which hath beene so long that they might nowe haue taught other yet they neede to bee taught them selues yea euen the beginnings And heere I wishe vs to looke well vnto our selues for all men knowe how longe the time hath beene in whiche the Gospell hath beene preached vnto vs and howe little we haue profited God knoweth Thirdly hee blameth them for their slacknesse because by it they spoile themselues of a great treasure for while they be thus rude and ignoraunt the worde of righteousnesse that is perfect knowledge can neuer be taught vnto them neither can they bee partakers of the excellent knoweledge of the gospel of Christe but it is vtterlie impossible euen as it is for children to eate stronge meate Then he sheweth who be strong euen those that haue their wisedome perfect so that they can iudge betweene good and euill To this purpose are these laste wordes of the Apostle Euery one that vseth milke is inexpert of the word of righteousnesse for he is a childe but strong meate is for the perfect whiche through long custome haue their wittes exercised to discerne good and euill Firste wee haue heere to learne this principle of Christianitie he that is rude and ignoraunt can not apprehend the excellent knowledge of the Gospell of Christe that is he that can say no more but this I beleeue in one God wee muste repent vs of sinne we are saued by faith we must worship God in spirite and trueth we are baptised in the name of the father the sonne and the holy ghost we beleeue the resurrection of our bodyes we looke for eternal life and suche like confessions in generall wordes though where this is confessed with a single heart and a minde willing to learne more God may and will for his Christes sake accept it vnto saluation yet we that haue receiued of the Lorde bothe time and abilitie ought more exactly to vnderstand if we wil not bee despisers of the manifolde graces of God as for example the childe is taught that there is but one God aboue al and to worship him alone whome he confesseth in three distinct persons the father the sonne and the holy Ghoste Surely a young Christian man which with this faith shoud humble him selfe before God and crye Our father which art in heauen no doubt God would heare his prayer yet notwithstanding seeing this mysterie is not onely taught in generall termes but is set out also in more particular pointes in knowledge of al we must looke for the fulnesse of our comforte and reioycing that now we haue in god Thou sayest I beleeue in God the father almightie thou sayest well and it is a holy confession if thou haue hearde no more but if thou hast also learned that God is a spirit not of the nature of man not like vnto the idols of the Gentiles not like vnto any creature that thou hast heard or seene but a nature of maiestie glorie incomprehensible and aboue the thoughts of man then thou oughtest heere to exercise thy senses with wise meditations howe greate and glorious the Lord is whome thine eye cannot see thine heart can not conceiue no creature in Heauen or earth can resemble vnto thee so thou shalt learne obedience to say vnto thy senses and vnto thy naturall heart what haue I to doe with you All carnal cogitations and thoughts of man be they neuer so high of Kinges and Emperours of golde and precious stones they are vile filthy to cary into heauen if thine imaginatiōs will resemble them to the God of glory thou doest but fill thy soule with corruption
XXVII LECTVRES or readings vpon part of the Epistle written to the Hebrues Made by Maister Edward Deering Bachelour of Diuinitie ¶ Imprinted by Lucas Harison ANNO. 1577. ¶ To the Christian Reader increase of faith and knowledge with an earnest Zeale of Christ Iesus the Lord. THE Epistle to the Hebrues conteyneth such doctrine as the holy apostle knew moste necessarie for the Iewe who a fewe excepted in the blindnes of their heartes acknowledged not Christe Iesus for the Messias albeit all thinges long before prophecied of the Messias by the holy Patriarches and Prophetes were in him clearely and fully accomplished and that in the eyes and eares of all Israel This their great blindnes caused the excellent light of this Epistle to be set foorth to the whole world for as their other wantes and falling off from the faith and naturall Oliue tree caused the fullnesse and grassing in of the Gentiles so their doubtfulnes as the doubtfulnesse of Thomas occasioned such cleare doctrine that we which come afterwarde cannot now without singular impietie make any doubt in the doctrine and gospel of our Lord Iesus Christe the which long agoe hath not beene both made and fully aunsweared Whereuppon all men ought to bee armed with this persuasion that whosoeuer againe doubteth where the doubt is already taken away and whosoeuer sinneth the sinne that hath beene heeretofore punished is a double offender for hee is not guiltie of the infidelitie alone or of the sinne but also of the despising the example set downe for vs that we trembling at the iuste iudgements of God against others should auoyde the the sinne in our selues knowing that if wee cōmunicate with the wicked in their blindnes wee must also communicate with them in the daunger is in the prouocation then in the punishment Wherefore concerning my first woordes the Iewes acknowledged not Iesus Christ for the Messias and redeemer of the world but we must acknowledg it and the rather hauing amongst the vnspeakable treasures of the word of God this pretious epistle wherin the doctrine of the person and offices of Christe are most substantially prooued and witnessed by the holy Ghost For therein the Apostle chiefely proueth Christ to be the annoynted of God annointed not with common Oyle but with the Oyle of gladnes that is with all fulnesse of the spirite into a prophet that teacheth vs the wisedome and loue of the father hee alone the priest that washeth away sinne maketh peace with his sacrifice euen a high Priest after the order of Melchisedech al other priests after the order of Leuie being for the time but shadowes and figures of the light and life in Christe hee alone the King of Salem whose kingdom is without vnrighteousnes and euerlasting not as other kingdomes which are outward and bodily but his kingdome frameth and ruleth the hart by the spirit of God and the scepter of his lippes the throne thereof being established in trueth and maiestie for euer and euer Besides these chiefe partes being the bodie of the Epistle there be other braūches conteining both vehemēt exhortations to the worthy receiuing of the word this present doctrine in faith and also to the bringing forth of the plentifull fruite therof in patience This excellent epistle about foure yeres past was expoūded in the citie of London by two learned godly men who made I suppose their choice of that Epistle as conteining very necessary doctrine for our times wherin the enimies of the Gospel are to to many preuaile too too much against the peace of the Church for they seke righteousnes in their own works sacrifices whiche is not foūd otherwise in heauē or earth thē in the righteousnes alone sacrifice of our lord Iesus Christ who not by the sacrifice of staūge bloud but by the offering vp of his owne bloud being himselfe the sacrifice and sacrificer made an end of all sacrifices and oblations going before and lefte no place for any new sacrifice or oblation to be vsed afterwarde Neither was this all that the Apostle ouerthroweth all other sacrifices establishing that as all sufficient which was at the fullnes of them according to the eternall decree of God the father made vpon the altar of the crosse once for euer and so consequently confuteth the Papistes mainteyning euen with bloudie sacrifices of men their vnbloudy sacrifice of the Masse but moreouer the doctrine is ve ry profitable and necessarie to stirre vp the minds and furnish the harts of professours of the Gospel 〈◊〉 knowledge concerning the person and offices of Christ Iesus the Lord. For to leaue the Catholiques as they vntruly call themselues either to the grace of God to be conuerted which God graunt vs hartily to pray for or to the blindnes of their hart to worship they know not what concerning the professours of the truth I beseech thē in the mercies of Iesus Christ to knowe the height the depth the length bredth al the mesures of Christ preached in the Gospel that as the foundation is moste certeine so it may bee also certeinely knowne and bring forth certeine fruites to the glory of God their own assured saluatiō in him Otherwise if the know ledge of our lord Iesus Christ be weake our faith cānot be strong if the faith be not strong thē our hope is small the afflictions of the spirit many But on the other side daily and effectuall exercises of the worde bringe increase of knowledge increase of knowledge bringeth increase of faith increase of faith bringeth increase of hope hope bringeth patience and in patience wee holde the possession of our soules til the day of our ful redemption But to returne to the two Interpreters of this Epistle the one lyueth and may doe wel if the Lord so dispose of his hearte to publishe in Printe his Readinges made to his greate prayse vpon the whole the other is layd vp in peace with the righteous but before his death he painfully gathered together the greatest part of his lectures leauing thē in writing that therby he might againe profite the Church after his death and now they are published to the benefite of the Church the zeale wherof greatly exercised his godly minde and many times brought his watchfull head and weake body neere to the graue Of whome I might truly speake much to his great prayse yet nothing vnknowne but let God haue the praise neuerthelesse as I will say no more ▪ in persuading men so I can say no lesse in duetie then this his goodnesse was by the grace of God very much and his harmelessnes more his giftes notable and his spirite more notable accompanying him for the measure of his bodily strength with daily increase til the last day and hower wherin for our punishment the Lord translated him from mortalitie to immortalitie Touching these his Praelections a goodly paterne of his swete spirite thou hast them gentle Reader in thy hands and I leaue
them to thy iudgement they neede not my commendation But be not thou deceiued in iudgeing good thinges by the first taste for they delight more the second time then at the first and more at the third time then at the second Try my commendation and giue thy sentence But of all other readers of these M. Ed. Deerings expositions I haue namely to exhort and beseech the Citizens of London others sometime his diligent auditours that they would now repaire their vnderstanding and reâ—…site their consolations reaped at the first fâ—…utes of this present doctrine that they would also examine and take an accompt of their memorie to see what is now set downe in writing here that they haue vtterly forgotten long agoe So they shall beholde how easily good thinges and comfortable things euen thinges of eternall life how soone they perishe and for want of true reuerence to the worde or diligent regard to our sáluation are by Satan made fruitelesse whereas in small matters olde men haue freshe memories as to remember where their gold lyeth and how many obligations they haue and of what conditions And what is it I pray you that in them causeth so good momorie euen the hart set theron with diligent care which heart more set vpon that that is more precious infinitely what iudgement what comfort what stedfastnes would it cause in the word of life But how commeth so small heede in so mightie matters Certeinly herevpon that the worldly man is of a worldly minde and a man without the spirit as the Apostle Iude speaketh hath no tast of the spirit no delight in spritual riches they are to him foolishnes But of memorie thus much may suffice I would haue thought it too muche were it not that to learning and knowledge in man I know nothing better For thy memorie though the voice be taken away and the spirite with the Lord yet the doctrine remaineth to thee in letters remaine thou mindfull now to make that hereafter fruitfull to thee by diligence which hetherto hath by negligence lyen barren Let vs account it a blessing from God that we haue thus many of M. Deerings readings the rest whiche wâ—…re to the x. Chapter or there about 〈◊〉 the other three Chapter 's waite for and desire some other 〈◊〉 faithfull labour If any man hauing small hope to make the remainder like to that which wâ—…e haue refuse therefore to attempt the matter let him otherwise abouÌ„ding with gifâ—… and 〈◊〉 and hauing exercises in the Church humble himselfe to be in the second or third place to finishe the worke and benefite the Church whereunto al men are insâ—…tely â—…ndebted and almost no man carefull to come out of debt But most of all let vs continually pray that our good God would in these perillous ends of the world put on vs al his whole complet armour to stand against the power and malice of Satan that he would also illuminate our heartes with the bright beames of his wisedome and holy word that we may be freed from the darknes of ignoraunce and errour that the mouthes of the wicked may be stopped and the lippes of the children of God opened and fulfilled with the 〈◊〉 of God. Moreouer seeing the Lord hath layed sharpe roddes and long time executed great iudgements vpon our neighbours round about giuing vs now all these 18. yeares of our gratious Souereigne the Gospel in great peace it is our duetie to consider our duetie in this behalfe first that we in brotherly compassion and in an inward fellowfeeling lament to our power redresse their calamities secondarily that wee be thankefull to God for our peace and carefull to yeeld our selues in all singlenes and trueth euery way obedient to the kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ the king of peace in as large the same maner that is to vs offered in the word of life in the third place that all diligence bee vsed that the word may haue his free passage and main course to the ouerthrow of all aduersarie power especially of the open enimies Papists and Atheistes to the discouerie of other sectes springing vpp of their owne accord where the word is not planted finally to the cutting off of prophane and loose life which nowe aduaunceth it selfe against heauen and prouoketh the Almightie except by discipline it be broken downe that the kingdome of Iesus Christe may be moste glorious on earth and that the sonnes of men may be safe and reioyce vnder the shadow of his winges For a further vnderstanding hereof and of many other like exercises in the knowledge practise of Christianitie I referre thee gentle Reader to these Lectures beseeching God to make thy labours fruitful with his coÌ„tinual blessings especially in thy prayers wherein as carefull for the whole Church also pray that the Lord in mercie would make the Churches beyonde the seas rather partakers of our peace with fulnesse therof then in iustice to make vs companions of their punishment in the laste place and greatest measure Amen The xxiiii of Nouember 1576 ¶ The Praelections of Edward Deering vpon certeine of the first Chapters of the Epistle to the Hebrues ¶ The first Lecture vpon the firste verse of the first Chapter 1 AT sundrie times and in diuerse manners God spake in the olde time to our fathers by the prophets in these last dayes he hath spoken vnto vs by his sonne AT sundry times in diuers maners c. Before we begin the exposition of this Epistle I wil briefly speak somewhat of these three pointes Why this Epistle was written by whome and at what time And first touching the cause of the writing though we knowe assuredly it was cause sufficient to leaue so excellent doctrine vnto the church of God yet a speciall occasion then giuen was vndoubtedly this The Iewes were stubbernly set to the maintenance and defence of the law of Moses holding fast al the ceremonies of it as things necessarie neuer to be abrogate but perpetually to be vsed in the worshipp of god Among the residue they did especially striue for Circumcision next vnto it for the obseruation of meates and drinkes and times and feastes and sundry purifyings as these things are namely mentioned in the scripture Besides these other ceremonies they imbraced them and loued them And though many thousandes as it is in the xxi of the Actes did beleeue yet were they still zealous for the law nor could possibly heare of the abrogation of it In so much that they and their forefathers had made this an article of their faith and it is the ninth article of their Creede they holde it to this day God gaue his lawe to his faithful seruant Moses and he wil neuer alter it nor chaunge it for any other And this their opinioÌ„ as it was rooted in theÌ„ so they had very many plausible persuasions for it they stroue not for the inuentions of man but for the law of God not
shewe when I shal more particularly speake of them Nowe of his prophecie in the iii. iiii chapters he teacheth this that he is our onely prophet prouing it first because the sonne of God tooke vpon him our nature the excellencie of his person is warrant ynough that God ordeined him our only prophet Secōdarily he was faithful in his ministerie neither needeth any to be ioyned with him Thirdly he was more honorable then Moses himselfe and therefore much more should rule in the house of God alone Fourthly the Prophet sayth To day if you will heare his voice c. Therefore by the Prophet commended to vs as our only prophet Last of all the nature of the worde agreable onely to his person maketh that he is our prophet alone and thus he endeth this treatie Of his priesthood he speaketh more at large shewing first in the end of the fourth chapter what maner of Priest he is euen such a one as by his own vertue hath entred into the heauens and made a way for vs that wee might boldly through him come vnto god After this he beginneth a comparison of y priesthood of Christ with Aaron and so more clearely sheweth both his priesthood and the excellencie of it This comparison he maketh in these pointes First that the priest of the lawe was a naturall man like vnto his brethren Secondarily that he hath not a priuate worke but doeth all the peoples seruice in thinges apperteyning to god Thirdly that he appeared not before God in his own vertue righteousnes but with offerings sacrifices for sinne Fourthly that he was ful of compassion toward his brethren to pittie them in their weakenes Fiftly that he had his calling of God in all which things Christ exceeded all that were before him this he teacheth in the ten first verses of the fifte Chapter Then beginneth by occasion an exhortation which continueth to the vij chapter After that he setteth out at large the example of Melchisedech and the comparison of the first couenant with the tabernacle sacrifices apperteyning vnto it so teaching at the last our sauiour Christ to be our onely priest The second parte of the Epistle which is how this saluation of Christ is giuen vnto vs in the 11. 12. and 13. chapters the summe of it is that we haue this saluation through faith which faith is tried in many afflictions stil bringeth forth fruit in good works Now let vs come to the text I tolde you firste the Apostle proueth the excellencie of the person of Christ God and man In this first Chapter hee proueth his Godhead and beginneth thus Many times c. In this first verse setting downe the generall proposition of the whole Epistle that God hath now made knowen vnto vs all our saluation in his sonne Christ naming him Sonne that these titles after attributed vnto him might appeare more to bee according to the prophesies of him Then streight he describeth him making it manifest that he is god First by the glorie which his father hath giuen him Secondarily by the excellencie of his person Thirdely by the greatnesse of his power Fourthly by the benefites purchased to vs Fiftly by the dignitie which to him self he hath obteined all this is in the third verse Lastly by comparison with Angels whiche comparison hee maketh in many points alledging scripture according to the titles before giuen vnto him so endeth this first chapter Many times and after diuerse sortes c. Out of this verse first let vs note and consider well touching this doctrine which we are taught by Christe the certeintie of it which is first in the authour who is God himself euen the same God of our fathers which so many times and ways spake euer by his Prophets euen he in an assured trueth hath also spoken by his sonne Thus giuing the authoritie of the word of Christe to God the father that it might be confessed true and to take away al vaine quareling of contentious men who vnder pretēce of the name of God would easily haue disputed against our sauiour Christ and saide We know God is true and he spake to Moses he spake to the Prophets this man speaketh of himself and we wil not heare him To stop this offence though the Apostle might haue giuen the authoritie of his word euen to the person of Christ himselfe yet he would not but said thus God spake by him Another profe for the certeintie of his word is that he spake by his sonne in whiche name God sealed it vnto him to be his sufficient witnesse in the world euen as him self had spoken with a voice of glorie This is my beloued sonne in whom I am wel pleased he are him And this was a sure knowen truth vnto thē that no man had sene God at any time but the only begotten sonne who is in the bosome of his father he reuealeth him He is the personal word maketh knowen al the mysteries of God euen as he hath beene present with him in all his wayes Now as our sauiour Christ is our certeine teacher of vndoubted truth so how farre this truth is taught by him appeareth also in the wordes Many times many wayes by many Prophets of olde to our forefathers Of all these we must set the contrariotie in our sauiour Christ that God spake by him not many times reuealing his will by measure nowe some then more but once he hath sent him filled with all measure of wisedome and vnderstanding And before God spake many wayes either by Angels or by the cloude or betweene the Cherubims or by Vrim or by visions or by dreames but now he hath spoken one way euen by Christ made our brother with the voyce of a man in the middes of the Congregation plaine and euident in all mens hearing and all varietie shall ceasse for euermore Likwise before God spake by many prophets now he doth not so but hath sent his sonne alone in sted of all that all his people should heare him Likewise those times they are olde and past but the time of Christes teaching passeth not but is for euer And that was to y fathers men of diuers calling but this is to vs al of one condition So this the Apostle teacheth that Christe alone once euen in the dayes of his life after one manner and fourme hath preached vnto vs all that Gospell which eternally shal be the power of his heauenly father to saue all which doe beleeue Nowe let vs marke first the agreement then these differences manifestly to be seene betweene Christ and the Prophets First they agree all in this that God spake by all and this onely they haue a like from the first to the last Adam Seth Enoch Noe Abraham Moses Dauid Esaie Christe not one of them spake one worde of a naturall man in all their ministerie but onely the wordes of him that sent them that is they spake
not themselues but God spake within them Whē soeuer were the time whatsoeuer were the meanes whosoeuer were the man wheresoeuer were the place whatsoeuer were the people yet the wordes were the Lordes And whosoeuer he be in the church of God from the beginning to the ending to whome this ministerie shal be committed if he will be numbered with Patriarches and Prophets Apostles and Pastours and with our Sauiour Christe himselfe whatsoeuer he speake Let him speake as the word of God. For this couenant God hath made with al his seruants euen as the Prophet Esaie saith My spirite which is vpon thee my words which I haue put in thy mouth shal not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede nor out of the mouth of thy seedes seede from henceforth ▪ euen for euer And in deede whose words else should diuide betweene the marrowe the bones but his onely who alone searcheth the hearts and the reynes Or whose wordes should kil our earthly affections but his alone who giues the sworde of the spirite And we whose messingers are we Or of whome are we sent Is not God our Maister and shall we not make our account to him according to that which we haue receiued of him We must looke vnto our owne charge and for all other men though they seeme to be pillers what they are it skilleth nothing to vs we are not accountable by their giftes Augustine Ambrose Ierome Gregorie or any else they had their owne charge of God and we haue ours by warrant from God they did speake and so must we If I speake out of the fathers of the Church and know it to be the word of God why do I attribute it to man rather then to God whose trueth it is Or if I speak of the Fathers and knowe it not to be the word of God be it neuer so true in the doctours mouth in mine it is sinne because I speak not as I am taught of god This I speake not so much for the papists whose heartes and soules the decrees and decretalles haue stolne away and left them without vnderstanding But I speake it because of brethren who knowe not their calling but fill the pulpites with doctours and counsels and many vanities where they should onely speake the word of God that our agreement may be with the Apostles and Prophets and with our sauiour Christ. Nowe let vs see the differences here spoken of betwene our Sauiour Christ and all other prophets what we may learne of them The firste is the doctrine taught by them was at diuerse times reuealed but that which Christe teacheth is reuealed but once And this is twise after expresly noted by the Apostle himselfe as in the ninth chapter Now at the latter end Christ hath beene once reuealed And in the xii chapter Yet once will I strike not onely the earth but the heauens also And this it is whiche sainct Iude saith of the christiā faith that once it was giuen to the saints which once doth mean the time of Christ in earth for so he saith it was by his sonne For though the Apostle yet vnderstoode not all and the spirit was after giuen them yet the same Spirite did but more lighten them in such things as Christ had also taught them By this we learn boldly to refuse it accoūt it as bastard doctrine whatsoeuer is sprong vp since cōmeth vnder the warrant of a mortall man as namely the idolatries of that mightie king and priest Prete Giam of the Abizannes in Africa and the idolatrie of the great Cam king and priest of the Tartarians in Asia and the idolatries of Ismael king and priest of the Persians and the idolatries of Mahomet king and priest of the Sarasins and the idolatries of the Pope and Papall men this day kings and priestes as proude as the other And of these what sects soeuer haue sprong of Homares or Halys Cuselbasoe or Casaboe of decrees decretalls Thomists or Scotists white friers or black that eternall Gospell as they called it more then 300. yeares since deuised at Paris the reuelations of S. Brigitt all other doctrines and expositions we must cast them away so many as came not in the warrant of our Sauiour Christ once preaching vpō earth which because it was once it cōfuteth all after it and abrogateth all before it which had diuersitie of time as the Apostle himselfe gathereth ca. 12. 27. The second difference that the doctrine of Christ is taught after one sort For though first were miracles and nowe none firste Apostles nowe none these were but meanes to confirme the preaching the word onely was the power of saluation which is the same it was then Whiche because it is but one therefore it is perfect For if any way before had bene absolute in itself there should none other haue come after it but it pleased not God to giue the glorie vnto all those maner of reuelations but reserued it to the preaching of the gospel which he hath made his owne power to saue all that do beleeue giuen it so great grace that it worketh more mightily then all miracles and pearceth deeper into the hart of man then any maner persuasiō yea though one should arise frō the dead to speake vnto vs And therefore we may condemne that whiche before vs was done in building monasteries vowing of pilgrimages praying for the dead their masses diriges honouring of saincts setting vp of Crosses and such like For howe were these thinges taught vnto men Not by preaching the Gospel but for the most part men were driuen vnto it by feare terrour of the night as we may see in their owne books legendes But as it was so it is come vnto it and the darkenesse hath couered it out of whiche it sprang The third difference here is that that was old therefore abolished for it cannot be but that which waxeth elder and elder must at last vanish but the testamēt of Christ it is still new yea though it were frō the beginning yet it is still the same and the day passeth not in whiche it was giuen but it endureth with the age of mā And therfore it is no sacrifice of the new testament to haue a masse which waxeth olde and when it is done is not but you must haue a newe so fill your number Neither yet is it possible that works should iustifie which also wax old are forgottē so that the righteous man of an hundred yeare olde if he leaue then his righteousnes it hath none accoūt The saluatiō of y world it is not thus but alwayes new if once I be in this couenāt it is an euerlasting couenant I was not taken vnder cōdition of time nor no time shal preuail against me The saluatiō it self it is not changeable as Ad◅s was in Paradise but it is made sure in the bodie of
Christ vnited with the person of his Godhead so the ways in which we are led vnto it they are imutable our faith is not quenched our loue not extinguished our hope faileth not nor the holy spirit can euer be takeÌ„ from vs but still they are newe euen to eternall life The fourth difference is in the fathers with whoÌ„ the first couenaÌ„t was made who though they were al called in Iesu Christ yet was there a difference of their honour euery one more exalted as God approched more neere vnto them So Abraham his posterity were a more honorable people then the other before him So the Israelites that had receiued the law dwelt in the land of promise had greater blessing then their fathers in Egypt So Iohn Baptist more then all Israel But now they that are called of Iesu Christ by his owne voice in him crucified before their eies haue aâ—…eined a singular honour the least of them touching their calling are greater then al Patriarches Prophets And these al in like precious faith like spirit like promises like couenaÌ„ts like accepted of god euery man in his own measure of grace No difference of Iew or Gentile learned or vnlearned but al haue throgh faith one entrance vn to the throne of grace that I neede not say now O Lord remember Dauid nor the couenaÌ„t made with Abraham But O Lord remember me the couenant which thou hast made with my fathers house For vnto all both those that are nigh and those that are far off there is but one couenant in Iesu Christ whome now we knowe not according to the flesh And this excellent glorie of Christian men dearly beloued as oft as I remember it it grieueth me to thinke vpon the madnesse of some who call them selues spirituall other temporal themselues clergie and other layitie them selues regular and other secular themselues they should say straungers from the Lord Iesus and other the liuely members of his body For what is it else to make this difference but to denie the brotherhode in the calling of Christe The fifte difference is that God then spake by his Prophets now by his sonne by Prophets meaning the continuall succession of Prophets in all ages For as they were men taken away by death so it was necessarie other to come in their places And because no Prophet was able to giue his grace to other or of his fulnes make other learned in the mysteries of God but they were al taught of the Lord therefore they had the credite of their worde euerie one in himselfe and none iudged by anothers gifts But so it is not with the Sonne of God for both he liueth to appoint vs teachers still and of his fulnesse he giueth all other their continuall increase of grace For which cause now the warrant of all dependeth vpon him alone And the greatest Apostle that euer was hath no other glorie but onely to be his seruant and messinger for he is that redeemer whose worde must be in the mouthe of his seede and in the mouth of his seedes seede after him for euermore So that it must needes be the pride of verie antichrist for a mortall man to exalt him selfe and giue the warrant of truth vnto his owne word that he cannot erre that all knowledge is in the closet of his breast that we must beleeue it as the Gospell what soeuer he decreeth A vile seruant so to swell in pride and set him selfe in the seate of the sonne of God why do we not abhorre it and rather kisse the ground vnder the feete of the Sauiour of the world to be slowe to speake out of our owne hart and quick to heare what hee hath commaunded And these be the differences which I thought good to note vnto you as the Apostles wordes plainely teach them Now where it is said In these last times meaning the daies in which this gospel is preached which also the Apostles and Prophets call the end of the world and last dayes It hath this name bothe for because in comparison of the age of the world these dayes shall be but few and also for that the will of God is finally reuealed in his sonne Christe who shall inherite the glorie to be our Prophet from the day in which first his father sealed him to that office euen to the latter end And thus much of this first verse Now let vs pray to almightie God our heauenly father who hath so loued vs that hee gaue his only begotten sonne to lead vs in the way of truth to saue vs from the bondage of death and to sacrifice his owne bodie for the raunsome of our sinnes that for his sake we may bee strengthened with the grace of his holie spirite to heare his word kepe it that we may in a good time and happie issue of our wayes be blessed by him who is our onely Sauiour to whome with the father and the holie Ghoste be honour and glorie for euer ¶ The second Lecture vpon the second and third verses 2 WHome he hath made heire of all things by whome also he made the worldes 3 Who beeing the brightnesse of the glorie and the ingraued forme of hiâ—… person and bearing vp all thinges by his mightie woorde baâ—… by him selfe purged our sinnes and sitteth at the right hand of the maiestie in the highest places WE haue heard howe the Apostle hath taught that our Sauiour Christe the sonne of God hath beene once sent vnto vs an eternall Prophet to teach vs all thinges which GOD hath done for our saluation through the preaching of the gospel to sanctifie vs all vnto him that him alone we should acknowledge to be our leader vnto eternall life Now the Apostle beginneth to proue this singular glorie to belong onely to Christe which he doeth by setting out a full and large description of him â–ª in which as I sayd he proueth him to be eternall God. Firste by his rule ouer all creatures verse 2. Then by the glorie of his owne person Thirdly by his great power Fourthly by his benefite bestowed vpon vs Fiftely by his glorie purchased to him selfe verse 3. Sixtly by comparison with Angels verse 4 whiche comparison he maketh in manie pointes as shall appeare in the residue of the chapter The rule of Christ ouer all creatures he sheweth in this That he is heire of all and created all By heire of all meaning howe in the person of a mediatour he hath restored all as in the person of the sonne he was the wisedome of God to make all And therefore called the heire because he restored not the worlde but by redeeming it and purchasing it vnto himselfe according as God the Father had giuen it to be a recompence of his worke in whiche respect it is said that God appointed him heire of all things This our Sauiour taught vs when he say de All power is giuen vnto mee in heauen
and in earth And all things the father hathe are mine Not onely earthly things but also heauenly For of the graces of the spirite he saith also He shal glorifie me and take of mine and giue it vnto you The Apostle addeth the seconde note of this authoritie That by him the world was made by the worlde meaning all things in heauen earthe and vnder the earthe For so Sainct Iohn addeth to this testimonie And without him nothing was made what so euer was made Then if all creatures were by him himselfe was vncreate and onely creator of all that is that we might boldely giue him the glorie of the father Almightie maker of heauen and earth And this is notably set out by S. Paul in the first chap ter to the Colossians where he saith He created all thinges in heauen and earth visible inuisible whether they be thrones dominions principalities or powers all things were made by him of which it must needes followe euen as S. Paule also concludeth that he is God aboue all The second thing wherein Christ is here exalted is the glorie of his person First that he is the brightnesse of his fathers glorie whiche title is absolutely giuen him as essentiall vnto the sonne of God not onely before vs but euen before his Father that as all the properties of the Godhead haue their beeing in the person of the father so the brightnesse and beautie of them is in the person of the sonne and so this name was proper to him before the worlde was made noting that eternally he was of the father In whiche sense Sainct Iohn calleth him The worde not according to the time in which creatures haue bene but an essentiall worde before all creatures In the beginning saith he was the worde and the word was with God. But of this mysterie I ceasse to speake For we cannot knowe it our tongues cannot speake it And these verie wordes whiche I nowe vse or any man can vse of Gods maiestie thinke not that their sense and meaning is according to Gods nature they are onely helpes of our weakenesse that by them our faith might be quickened in a spirituall vnderstāding otherwise all the woordes in the worlde cannot expresse the least part of the liuing god Touching vs he is called the brightnesse of his fathers glori◅ many wayes as because in our nature he shewed foorth the liuely countenaunce of his father in all fulnesse of grace and trueth and because in the power of his worde hee wrought mightily in all creatures and againe expressely Sainct Paule calleth him The image which is the shining brightnesse of God in respect of the cleare manifestation of the Gospel in which he hath set out so glorious a light of the power of GOD to saue his electe So he is to vs the brightnesse of glorie because many wayes he shewed foorth the glorie of his father vnto vs Euen as Sainct Iohn sayth No man hath seene GOD at any time that onely begotten sonne who is in the bosome of his father he hath reuealed him The second thing here attributed to him is that he is the ingrauen fourme of the person of his father noting hereby the vnitie of substance as in whome the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelt bodilie Euen as Saint Paule doeth also call him the image of God distinguishing him by this name from all shadowes and figures like as this Apostle vseth the woorde in the tenth chap. And here expressely he addeth ingrauen aboue all the figures in the lawe the Ephod the Vrim or the Arke it selfe shewing the excellencie that is in Christe The third title of honour here giuen vnto Christ is of the greatnesse of his power and that is that he heareth vp all things with his mightie word In the metaphore of bearing after the manner of the Prophets no doubt he meaneth the nourishment and preseruation of all things in the state that God hath giuen them which is the prouidence watching ouer al his woorkes Now this beeing knowen to be the work of the liuing God That in him we liue we moue we are and this manifestly agreeing to Christe by cleare proofe of all his workes here in fleshe in which hee reuealed the image of God in him In this also it is assured that he is very God the stay and strength of the world without whose hand all thinges would fall into confusion Forthly he extolleth the person of Christ by the greatnesse of his benefites bestowed vpon man in these wordes By him selfe hauing purged our sinnes put in here as a Parenthesis because it sheweth the way how Christe purchased that excellent dignitie to sit at the right hand of his father wherof after he speketh In that he saith purged our sinnes expresly hee warranteth his Godhead For what creature could haue done so excellent a worke The Iewes could not be ignorant but though a man were as great as Adam yet Adam when sinne rested on him it draue him out of Paradise yea though a man could be as pure as an Angel yet the Angels when they sinned and kept not their first order their sinne weyed them into the condemnation of hel so y our Sauiour Christ taking our sin vpon him beeing able to purge it which no sainct or angel could euer doe it necessarily followed that he is the eternal God euen according to the knowen prophecies of the Messias that they should call him the Lord God our righteousnesse The fifte thing wherein Christe is here extolled is the high dignitie which he hath gotten in these woordes he sitteth on the right hande of high maiestie Noting hereby that God the father hath taken him vp into his glorie so that he sitteth in power and maiestie equall with his father and this is plaine in that he calleth it the right hand of highest maiestie And the scripture sheweth this end of it till I make thine enimies thy footestoole shewing that this is the power of God in him to sitte at the right hand of god And thus muche of the woordes of the Apostle in this magnifying the person of our Sauiour Christ. Now a litle further we will examine the words and applie them more particularly to our instruction In that it is saide firste God made him heire of all So that we see howe these woordes of the Apostle haue euerie way their weight to proue that Christe is the sonne of God the king of his people God and man mediatour betweene God and vs. We must learne of our selues we haue nothing but beeing ingraffed in him we are owners of all thinges In mine owne right I am naked and voyde of all I haue no meate to feede my hungrie bodie no drinke to comfort my faint and thirstie spirite no cloathes to keepe me warme no house to harbour mee I am to take no profite of any creature nor no pleasure in the sight of the Sunne For the earth is
the Lord Iesu Christes and all that is in it I may haue from man my warrant here in earth that my house is mine and my lande is mine and he is a theefe and a robber that taketh it from mee But all the men in the worlde cannot giue me my possession before the liuing God but onely his Sonne Christ who is Heire of all And I am a theefe and a robber if before God I claime any other right in it Then that our hands may be our owne our goods our own our seruants our wiues our childrē ours Let vs be Christes that in him we may haue the good assurance of all our substance Take not thy meate but as the gift of Christ who hath sanctified it vnto thee nor any thing thou hast but with thankesgiuing to Christ that hathe sanctified it for thee if thou doest thou art an intrudour into the right not of a mortal man but of the fonne of God and thou shalt be sure the recompence of the iniuries that thou hast done will fall vppon thee and thou shalt know what it is so to dishonor thy god But contrariwise if I know my self by faith made a member of Christe and his right is mine in the creatures of the worlde and in his name and to his glorie I vse them whatsoeuer God hath giuen mee in the dayes of my pilgrimage the profite of it is mine I may vse it to my necessitie and the pleasure of it is mine I may vse it to my delight If my garments be silke I may put them on If my table be furnished with sortes of meate I may eate what my stomach craueth If I haue fieldes pleasant and delectable I may walkein them If I haue orchards of great delight I may eate the fruit of them Nay I will say more that their condemnation may be iust which loue not the Lord Iesus If thy dogges will hunt the beastes of the fielde or thy hauke will kill the birdes of the aire thou mayst vse the delight of Gods creatures I meane so farr as the state of Gods people in common wealthes which he hath ordeyned doth permit to euerie one for his holy recreation and pleasure who walketh faithfully in his calling to the glorie of God and profite of his people I do not iustifie the shamefull abuse of the worlde which hath carried away the christian libertie into carnall wantonnesse I allowe them not which wil needs weare silke and are not able to buy cloth or those whiche so giue ouer themselues to vanitie that the day is to short to make thē pastime except they watche the night at cardes and dice and riotous dauncing with suche men I meddle not but in their sinne in which I find them in it I leaue them I speake onely of the goodnesse of God vnto his Saincts what recreation God hath giuen in their wearie life And where it is further saide All things were made by Christ we may boldly conclude that no man hath power ouer his creatures but they must serue their creator What haue I to doe with another mannes worke God hath appointed his creatures a vse in it they are holie If thou wilt set them another law thou prophanest thy selfe in them When S. Paule had saide that to forbid meates was the doctrine of deuils he proueth it by this reason because God created them to be receiued with thankesgiuing If God created them who will exalt him selfe to be Lord ouer them If God appointed them to be receiued who shall say vnto me they are vncleane to vse Surely dearly beloued and before the Lord who hath made all will iudge all that proude and arrogant man of sinne who hath left all the ordinances of God to fill the world with his decrees and decretalles he hath taught vs the doctrine of diuels and let vs cast it frō vs We are Christes he hath made all in his holy appointments let vs euer liue For other lawes of meates drinks dayes apparel c. as then they may stand when they are profitable to any countrie and made onely for policie so they are to be despised when they are thrust vpō the church made matters of faith and religion Further in that that it is saide in the third verse That Christ is the brightnes of glorie ingrauen fourme of the substance of his father Let vs marke well why the Apostle thus magnifieth the person of Christe For no other cause but to warrant vnto vs the trueth of his worde that he is our Prophet we must beleue him And so S. Peter in the Acts teaching Christ to be the onely warrant of faith saluation he sayth God approued him thervnto by many signes and miracles mightie workes And in deed the father himself with a voice of excellent glorie approued him out of the clowd his voice was heard This is my beloued sonne heare him And all this was that Christe alone might be before vs the onely warrant of trueth Nowe he that shall take vpon him this honour bid y world beleeue because he hathe spoken what doeth he but boast himselfe as if he were the brightnesse of Gods glorie or that God had approued him by signes and miracles and who would do this that feared either to be or to be called the verie Antichrist that should come Againe it is said he beareth vp al things with his mightie word Where we must marke it is attributed to Gods mightie power the gouernance of all things in our sight either great or small that wee should learne not to measure the power of God by our weake senses It is his mightie power y vpholdeth the earth that stretcheth out y heauens that sēdeth forth the windes that raiseth on high the great waues of the sea these things we cōfesse are great mightie but as it is here so euery where the mightie power of God maketh the fether to moue his strong arme leadeth the flie in her way the same force which now shaketh a lease if he had sent it against a monteine it would haue turned it vp from the foundations and the same strength that bloweth vp the dust if it came against the earth it would shake the bottoms of it And this should make vs feare before him y what soeuer he hath done whether it seeme great or little wee should confesse his handie work according to his greatnesse so wee should honour him that whatsoeuer he hath commaunded whether it seme weightie or light al our obedience should be streight vnto it It foloweth by him self he hath purged our sinnes I do not doubt but you knowe how Christ hath purged our sinnes and the more you know it I am sure you are the more glad to heare it for this cōfort that we haue all in it I thought euē my duty to make some rehearsall of it Thus therefore we are taught and thus we doe beleeue
Our Sauiour Christ being y eternall sonne of God through the work of the holy ghost was made man of the virgin Marie and borne without originall sinne and by the same spirit filled still his manhood more and more with grace till the fulnesse of all righteousnesse was within him that so his manhood might inherit saluation according to the promisse Do this and thou shalt liue But hitherto as he is righteous so he is righteous for him selfe and only that man is yet blessed which was conceiued by the holie Ghost and borne of the virgin Marie Our sinnes doe yet remaine and we abide holden vnder the death of them and therefore as his first woorke sanctified him self so yet there remained more that he might sanctifie vs For when he commeth to vs he findeth vs in sinne through sinne in death and in the condemnation of the diuell who had the power of death So that he had nowe another worke then in his first righteousnesse to sanctifie his owne bodie He must also abolish sinne and death and hel in which we were holden if he wil be a sauiour vnto vs And heere he must multiplie all his former righteousnesse and make it infinite for a greater worke is behind and a new law is giuen vnto him a law neuer giuen to all flesh a singular law out of the depth of Gods wisdome and goodnesse which without the fall of Adam had neuer beene seene neither of man nor Angel a law of a redeemer that is a law by which he might bring man from death to life from hel to heauen from hatred to loue and from the diuell to God a work farre greater then to make the worlde of nothing This law was to loue God his brother not in vsual things of life whervnto al we were appointed but in taking vpon him sin and death and treading the winepresse of the anger of almightie God. And this thing he hath also done For being righteous pure holie and without spot the sinne that abounded he tooke it all vpon him and deathe that reigned he submitted him selfe vnto it and went as despised among men in shame in ignominie in affliction of the flesh for the sinne of our bodies and in anguishe of spirite in mourning and in sorrowe to beare the sinnes of our soules before GOD feeling the heauinesse of his wrathe whiche was the sting of death and condemnation and before man shewing the signes of it vpon a cursed crosse in agonies bloudie sweates and in wofull crying according to the sense and feeling of sorrowe that was vppon him And all this he endured not vnwillingly for then he had done nothing but with exceeding ioy of heart that he had found out the miserie in whiche he might seale it howe muche he loued his father and make it manifest howe he loued vs So went he willingly vnto death and that he might satisfie the iustice of his father and purge the sinnes of his people with all his heart he gaue his bodie vnto the crosse and his soule a sacrifice for our sinne which obedience was accepted of his father the iust punishment of all sinne and full redemption of all his elect And this the Apostle here meaneth when he sayth that by himselfe he purged our sinnes And because he saith by himselfe he purged our sinnes in this we see a cleare discharge giuen to the Tabernacle and all the sacrifices at the doore of it not one of them purged sinne And though some wee called sinne offeringes and the sinnes of the people in such sacrifices were saide to be forgiuen yet they had that name and calling not according to the merite of the woorke but according to the vertue of the thing they signified euen as the Lordes supper is called the communion of the bodie of Christe and baptisme is saide to bee the washing away of our sinnes not in trueth of the thing but in mysterie of the signe The phrase being so vsed for more assurance and warrant of the promise not to carrie the grace of God from our sauiour Christ and his spirit to the dumbe elements of bread or water And if the Iewes are here instructed to leaue their vaine trust and confidence in the lawe and to knowe that the forgiuenesse of their sinnes was not in meates drinkes and diuerse washings and carnall rites of the temple nor in the bloud of Goates and Calues or in the ashes of an heifer sprinckling thē which are vncleane but onely in the precious bloud shed and the bodie crucified of Iesus Christ notwithstanding all these ordinaunces were giuen them of God what could our fathers say who sawe the Lawe abrogate the temple pulled downe the lande prophaned the Iewes scattered the wordes of faith preached and that they should glorie in nothing but in the Crosse of Iesu Christ what could they say either Tertullian for fasting crossing oyling whiche he learned and had of Montanus the heretique Or Cyprian for satisfaction or Theodoretus for martyrs merits or Cyrill for iustification of woorkes or Augustine for prayer for the dead or Ierome for so many superstitions of lights garments vessels c. Nay what can we say who haue seene all that the olde fathers haue seene why at this day we should loue their errours nay why we should deuise new of our owne which the oldefathers knew not why haue we loued the popes woful Iubileis or his damned pardons why do we yet think that the masse is a sacrifice propitiatorie for the quick dead why was purgatorie first drempt on as much hotter thē our fire as ours is hotter then a painted fire or why was the building of chapels chauntries or religious houses thought to be a meanes to deliuer vs from such burning A thousand such things why we haue loued them what cause can wee alledge before the Lord The lawe of God giuen by Moses his faithfull seruant a lawe which had bene a scholemaister to leade many thousands vnto Christ could it not stand with Christ without darkening of his glorie and can the lawe of the pope giuen by Summists Canonists a people not knowē in y house of God which lawe onely leadeth to the obedience of the church of Rome can it be that it should bring any light to the gospel of Christ I nede not stand in ma ny words to confute so great folie I leaue it to the conscience of all that be wise hearted whether God abrogating his ownelaw ment that the pope shuld institute a new or whether he ment to take away all earnall ordinaunces that hee might make it plaine whiche the Apostle heere teacheth that by Christe alone all our sinnes are purged But heere some man by a subtile enimie may bee easily deceiued who will saye All this neede not they attribute not the forgiuenesse of sinnes to the popes pardons or to any masses but to Christ alone The Pope and masses are onely the applying of the fruit of Christes death vnto
and all that vse companie only for worldly pleasure without regarde of swearing lying backbiting idle talke wantonnesse or what soeuer what gladnesse receiue other by their admonitions exhortations Or how can they say this sweete oyle is in their heartes Let no man deceiue him selfe God is not mocked Hee that is of Christ hath a care to bring other vnto Christe hee hateth the iniquitie of all men and giueth comforte to manie with the oyle of gladnesse of whiche hee hath receiued And thus farre of these verses Now let vs pray to god our heauenly father that we may be taught of his spirit that like as he in his vnspeakable wisdome and mercie hath giuen vnto vs his owne sonne to be a Sauiour to establish vnto him a perpetuall Kingdome that our libertie might bee defended with his strong hande and to make vs partakers of all his benefites by rulinge vs with his scepter of righteousnesse that is filling vs with a holie knowledge of his Gospell to loue righteousnesse to hate iniquitie and by giuing vs of his fulnesse that we should receiue grace for grace haue a hapie measure of the oyle of gladnes with which he was annoynted so according to these his great mercies towarde vs let vs pray and the Lorde graunt vs that wee may finde fauour in his sight to imbrace his sonne alone to follow his wayes to loue his trueth to set out his honour and to finishe our weary pilgrimage in his seruice to the profit of our brethren strengthening of our faith through Iesus Christe our onely Sauiour to whome with the father c. ¶ The fift Lecture vpon the 10. 11. 12. verses 10 And thou Lord in the beginning haste established the earth and the heauens are the works of thine hands 11 They shall perish but thou doest remaine and they all shall waxe olde as doeth a garment 12 And as a vesture shalt thou folde them vp and they shall be chaunged but thou art the same and thy yeeres shall not faile THE Apostle goeth forward as before and heere addeth the fourth comparison in exalting Christe aboue Angels And hee maketh this comparison according to the title before giuen him that by him the worlde was made and it is this The sonne of God our Messias of whome we speake he made the worlde and ruleth it as he will and wil abolish it in the time appointed him selfe being vnchangeable in all his wayes which is a glorie farre aboue al that the scripture attributeth vnto angels Touching this scripture here alledged how it may be applied to Christ it is certeine that the Psalme according as the title is was a prayer of the afflicted Churche most like when it was in the captiuitie of Babylon bothe because of the great complaint of the singular miserie which they suffered because they in their prayer alledge the appointed time of deliuerance to bee come vpon them which was only of the captiuitie of Babylon to which God had appointed by his prophet Ieremie 70. yeres Now that captiuitie being a figure of our captiuitie vnder sathan the Prophets fortelling that deliuerie sawe also in spirite the deliuerie which we should al haue vnder christ And accordingly the spirite so spake in the Prophets that something was so proper to Christ figured as it must needes be referred to him and not applied to any figure And this is generall in all the expresse figures of our Sauiour Christe who so euer were the men or what soeuer were the blessings that GOD brought vppon his people because in Iesu Christe all his promises had their trueth and accomplishement therefore hee is some way so described that the people must needes be lead to acknowledge still the couenaunt which they had in him So in this captiuitie of Babylon the Prophet Ieremie foretelleth their deliuerie thus that they shal returne to serue God and Dauid their King Dauid beeing before dead And againe He would raise vp to Dauid a righteous braunch whome they should call the Lorde our righteousnesse which must needs be meant of the Messias whome they looked for to be the sonne of Dauid and expressely he noteth their returne into the fauour of GOD with the same wordes with which God maketh with vs his new testament in Iesu Christe that God wil be our God and we shal be his people He will forgiue their sinnes and iniquities they shal be all taught of god Euen so heere in this Psalme the prophet sore telling their returne from Babylon fore-seeth the redemption that is in Christ and breaketh out in complaint of his shorte life because he should not tarrie to see the day and to comfort him selfe againe speaketh out in spirite what ioy and gladnesse he sawe in Christ and how glorious a God he is and so vttereth the wordes here alledged And thou in the beginning O Lorde didst lay the foundations of the earth the workes of thy hands are the heauens c. And heere these words He laide the foundations of the earth and the Heauens are the work of his hands are spoken according to our infirmitie which knowe no buildings but by foundations nor can make any great workes without our hands otherwise it is certeine the earth hath no foundations nor no handes could make y heauens but al was made consisteth by the power of god Thus we haue heard what argument the Apostle heere vseth how this text is applied vnto Christ. Now touching the wordes where the Prophet saith And thou Lord the Apostle is a good expositor that this is spoken to the Sonne of God to whome he attributeth the original and cause of making the worlde A place most worthie to be diligently marked for it giueth clearely vnto Christ the fullnesse of the godhead according to the article of our crede I beleue in God the father almightie maker of heaueÌ„ earth And all Arrians olde and newe which so long haue blasphemed the Sonne of God and made him but a seruant in the creation of the world because many times the Scripture sayth By him God made the world if they heare this spoken to that sonne And thou Lord in the beginning didst lay the foundations of the earthe they will ceasse to blaspheme and confesse he is God to be blessed for euer And where it is saide that God the Father by him made the world that phrase of speache diminisheth not his glorie but rather testifieth it more clearely For we haue saide before that Christ is the sâ—…ning brightnesse of the glorie of his father that is the person in the Deitie by whome onely the eternall wisedome of GOD could make his maiestie shine vpoÌ„ any creature neither was it euer possible that any creature shonlde shewe forth the goodnesse of God but onely by the person of the sonne And therefore when the name of God or creation of the worlde is giuen vnto the Sonne as here we see we doe humbly confesse and adore
their safetie who shall inherite his Kingdome Against this doctrine as many haue offended so among all there is none which haue sunken down so deepe in folie as the Papists haue done First they haue made to euerie countrie a peculiar and proper Angel a thing altogether strange from the word of God a meere imagination of their owne heade And the reason wherewith some would proue it is nothing worthe thoughe I graunt some Godlie men doe not vtterly reiect it for they say there is named in Daniel the Prince of Persia the Prince of Graecia meaning the Angels particular gouernours of those countries In deede the Aramites might so haue vnderstoode it which did thinke there were some Gods of the mounteines other some of the vallies but Christian men that reade the Prophets shoulde knowe that in the nexte Chapter Daniel him selfe expoundeth that those Princes were the Kings of those couÌ„tries And in deed this is not the opinion of the Prophets or of the Prophets childreÌ„ but it came first from the olde idolatrous Gentiles who from the beginning had this fancie and made Noe him selfe whom they called Vertumnus to be the Angel or countrie God of Hetruria and from that day to euerie nation they made euery patrone euen as they would Againe they teache that particular men haue their particular Angels one good an other bad and some good men dare not vtterlie condemne this opinion but sure to mee it is an heresie not muche vnlike the Mâ—…nicheies who taught that euery man was violently drawen to do good or euil by a good spirit or euil which equallie of them selues had rule in man for what vanitie is it when I knowe that Gods commaundement is to all his Angels to haue charge ouer me for mee to seeke whether any one haue a particular charge Or what comforte can I haue in it except I think Gods coÌ„maundements are some of light accompt some in earnest Or except I thinke it is with Angels as it is with men that which is cared for of all is cared for of none Besides this it is a thing not agreeing to the similitude of God of his Saintes for Gods loue is one ouer all with out respect of persons and our duetie is to all our fleash of what nation or countrie so euer it be A difference I graunt there is of magistrates parents maisters kinsfolke c. whiche maketh our fault more or lesse but this onely is according to the age of men a thing not incideÌ„t vnto Angels But they haue also reasons to proue this is true and first they alledge that Christ saith of his little ones their Angels see all wayes the face of my father which is in heauen therfore euerie one hath his angel I meruel wise men can like of this reason for seing they argue vpon this because they are called their Angels and are so named because of the ministerie which they haue for their safetie may not these woordes as well stand though the Angels bee apointed al ouer all as if they had charge euery one ouer one Nay doth not the scripture thus expound it when it sayth of euerie one of those little ones when they turne from their sinnes that all the Angels reioyce at it But an other reason they haue where the disciples being astonished at the newes of Peters comming as they are amased they say it is not he it is his Angel. Sure this must needes bee a slender trueth that hath no better proofe then the Disciples wordes when they are amased know not what they say So we might proue that Saintes might dwell in Tabernacles because Peter saide Lorde let vs make Tabernacles one for Moses an other for Elias So we might think that dead men walke because the Disciples astonished at the sight of men thought somtime that they were goastes If it be saide yet they spake after common opinion of men be it so so was it the common opinion that deade men did walke as appeareth by Herode who thought our Sauiour Christ was Iohn Baptist risen againe from the dead And what if that place were as cleare as they could wishe it why mighte I not expound it it is his Angel that is some Angel which God hath sent for his deliuerance this being according to the scripture more then that to haue it his peculiar Angel but let this goe an errour as it is had it neuer so great patrones and let it appeare more manifest by the errour which it draweth with it that likewise euerie man hath an euill Angel for what reason hath that when we know that into one was a Legion entred Let this also therefore goe euen to the Gentiles from whom it came The first authour of it that I read of was Empedocles the Philosopher who as Plutarch sayth taught it that euerie man had two Angels one good another bad and the Grecians haue a common verse which they vse in manner of a prouerbe Euerie man hath his owne Angel to be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all his life And so when Brutus was slaine the night before one appeared vnto him and saide I am thine euill Angel ô Bâ—…utus But beside these things which I confesse some wisemen haue beleeued the papists haue gone much further and haue tolde vs of the shape and figure of Angels what colour they haue how bigge they be of how many orders what difference of each degree and many other things which I meane not here to touch as things more worthie to be forgotten for euer then once with good reason to bee confuted For if Moses by inspiration knowing the originall of the world how it was yet had it not reuealed what to write of Angels If Stephan that sawe the heauens open yet saw not these orders of Angels what they were If Paule who was taken vp in the third heauens sawe yet so litle of Angels that who so euer will teach so curiously of them he saith they be puft vp of a fleshly minde to speake of thinges which they neuer sawe If Iohn in all his high reuelation had no suche knowledge reuealed of Angels who is the Pope or what is his parentage that in these thinges we should beleeue him In deede to get him credit in greater folie then this that vnchast counsell of Laterane writeth that the Pope hath authoritie ouer all powers in Heauen But all the worlde knoweth now suche witnesses haue taught their tounges to lye One doubte may heere arise touching the degrees of Angels because they will seeme to alledge scripture for it And first they saye The Prophet Ezechiel describing the glorie of the King of Tyrus he nameth nine precious stones which are in his garment in which place he nameth the same King Cherub comparing him with the Angels therefore these stones signifie nine orders of Angels The second reason is that there be nine seuerall names with which Angels are called in y
diuel he shall shew all power and signes and lying wonders Euen as it was euer from the beginning so it is with straunge things we haue beene delighted and with straunge things we haue ben deceiued How Iannes Iambres by many miracles helde the people of Aegypt in continuall idolatries we may see in the booke of Exodus How the Assyrians Persians had their soothsayers and charmers who wrought them miracles and helde them in errour the scripture in many places beareth witnesse And how all nations of the earth by miracles and wonders were made idolaters and worshipped before stockes and stones all stories beare yet record Augustine saith the Donatistes did glorie of their miracles Ierome saith that the Aegyptians when they were stung with serpēts would go sacrifice at Ieremies sepulchre and they were healed Ambrose saith y all mē were healed of all diseases as many as came to y tumb of S. Agnes to be short the fathers themselues here began to bee blind their posteritie far exceded thē til antichrist at last with lying signes got him greate victories and by such miracles from the top to the toe all standeth A miracle made S. Peter to be crucified at Rome for as Ambrose reporteth it when he fled away Christ mett him at y gate at whose sight Peter beeing astonnished talked with him and perceiued that Christ would haue him go back be crucified and so he dyed at Rome then because Ambrose saith Vbi Petrus ibi Ecclesia Where Peter is there is the church euer since the Pope hath ben head of the church When this was gotten by a miracle then al things came apace by manie miracles we learned Transubstantiation the sacrifice of the masse prayer for the dead going a pilgrimage holie water holie bread oyle candels to be shorte all and for euerie point of Poperie sundrie miracles done yea the verie dregges of miracles in milkepannes and greasie dishes by Robin goodfellowe and Hags and Fayries all wrought somewhat for their idle superstitions that at this day we should knowe their mysteries by their lying woonders But we know all the miracles of God are to confirme his woorde other signes neither wee nor our fathers haue knowen none And now that y vse of miracles is performed vnto vs and we doe beleeue the Gospell in token that our saith is accepted of God now hee hath taken signes from vs which serued vs before when we were vnbeleuing And surely our fayth is neuer so honourable nor God so well pleased with vs as when we haue said bothe to heauen and earth wee seeke no signes from them when the worde of God hath suche a persuasion in our heartes that wee haue now taken holde of all the good promises of God and said vnto miracles Get you hence The Iewes seeke a signe saith S. Paule surely we that be Christians seeke for none when they were offered of God he shewed his compassion vpon our infirmitie now he hath taken them away he sheweth greater mercie y he accepteth our faith and let vs hearken to y word of Christ by it we shall liue if we beleue it not we wold not beleue all miracles in the world no though dead mē should rise to preach vnto vs For great miracles haue bene already done not only by the Apostles but by Christ him selfe to confirme his worde if we beleeue not them it is to to much childishnesse to think we would beleeue other Signes were whē doctrine was more obscure now it is so cleare the signes are gone The sonne of God once reuenged the transgression of his lawe with the earth opening with waters with fire with hurlewindes that the people might feare he doeth not so now because his threatnings haue ben heard of all flesh Go ye cursed into eternall fire a voyce that pearceth betweene the marowe and the bones with greater feare then the rage of earth or water And Christe once shewed louing signes to make his people put their trust in him but now he hath spokē into our hearts Come ye blessed of my father into euerlasting life a voyce that goeth deeper into the soule spirite then the hearing of all the miracles by which Israel was lead into the lande of Canaan And we shal do iniurie to our Sauiour Christ if now we will aske that to these wordes he should adde miracles for if we bring saith to that which is spoken it will fill our hearts with all fulnesse and will sell the sight of all the miracles in the world to buy but one graine of a cōstant sayth in Christ wherin who soeuer shall stumble let him accuse him selfe if God giu◅ ouer to his owne blindnes that because he had no loue to beleeue the trueth therfore he should be ledd with lyes deceiuable things Thus much I thought to speak of miracles that we might be wise to knowe them as they be and from henceforth for euer put our only trust in the worde of our Sauiour Christ which only in the world is y power of God to saue all that do beleeue Now let vs pray c. The eighth Lecture vpon the 5. 6. 7. 8. verses vnto But we yet see c. 5 For he hath not put in subiection vnto the Angels the world to come whereof we speake 6 But one in a certeine place witnessed saying what is man that thou shuldest be mindful of him or the sonne ▪ of man that thou wouldest consider him 7 Thou madest him a litle inferiour to the Angels thou ▪ crownedst him with glorie and honour hast set him ▪ aboue the workes of thy handes 8 Thou hast put all things in subiection vnder his feete And in that he hath put all things in subiection vnder ▪ him he left nothing that should not be c. IN the last verse before the Apostle had saide that God gaue witnesse to the Gospel of his sonne with signes wonders diuerse miracles gifts of the holie Ghost according ▪ to his owne will. The words now that followe depend vpon these as I iudge in this sense According I say to his owne will for God hath not put in y hands no not of his Angels to dispense the riches of his new testament to whom they will but this is the glorie of his sonne according to the prophesies gon before of him and therefore let vs carefully hearken vnto his word So this is an other reason added vnto his exhortation Now let vs examine his words to se how this sense is gathered of them He beginneth For God hath not submitted to Angels c. This word for rendreth euer a cause of the speache before so that here we must needes so referre it his last woordes were According to his owne will and why he saide so he sheweth because God hathe not giuen it no not to Angels that at their will these graces should be dispensed but onlie by the will of Christe It followeth The
world to come of which we speake whereof the Apostle hath spoken no man can doubt All his speach hath bene to bring vs vnder the rule gouernement of Christ then it is Christs kingdome which heere he calleth The world to come which is through the power of the spirite to renewe the worlde to kill in vs the olde man with all his concupiscence to quicken our soule and bodie into all righteousnesse to vanquishe sinne death hell and to establishe vs in hope of perpetuall inheritance of the glorie of god This did our Sauiour Christ perfectly and fully accomplish in his owne person and we by the same spirit euerie one according to the measure which he hath receiued so he doth shew forth this victorie Thus the Apostle when he had mentioned the giftes of Gods spirite commeth into the speach of the kingdome of Christ which by the gifts of that spirite is set vp in vs not according to the will of mā nor according to the will of Angels but as it hath pleased God we if we wil be partakers in it let vs confesse and serue the Lord Iesu for he giueth this blessinge to whom he will. It foloweth But one testifieth in a certeine place c. that honour of renuing of the world which the Apostle before had denied to angels now by plaine testimonie of the prophete he proueth it to beelong vnto Christ and where he beginneth thus But one witnesseth in a certein place rather then naming the prophet bothe the vnwoonted speache better expresseth the affection of his minde inflamed with the loue of that whereof he spake and it is more answerable with the words of the prophet who not with vsual speach but with a souden exclamation saith What is man that thou art mindeful of him now touching this saying of Dauid it is no doubte but he spake it in extolling the goodnesse of God to all Mankinde both the wordes of the Psalme are plaine in reckoninge vp the benefites which apperteine to all men and here the Apostle expresly so vnderstandeth it in the eight verse where he saith But yet we see not all thinges subiect vnto him How then is it applied vnto Christ rightly truly and according to the prophets meaning for one thing let vs learne which I haue tolde you often bothe of the prophets and of their prophesies they had a continuall desire to see the dayes of Christ and longed after the time of his appearance more then the chased Hart doth long for water brookes or the fainte and thirstie soule longeth for meate and drinke and therefore had a delight euen to speake of his comminge which they do often and with glorious words touching their prophesies because they knew y all benefites which God gaue vnto man he gaue them for Christs sake who was onely beloued therfore bothe in setting out benefites receiued and foretelling the blessings which God would surely bring vpon them in their woords they had respect to him in whom all Gods promises were accomplished and many times vttered such speches as could properly agree to no other but Christ alone to whome alone was giuen and by whome we were partakers of it so that thoughe most of their prophesies had a trueth of the present time and incident vnto themselues yet they are also truely and according to the prophetes sense applied vnto Christ by whome all goodnesse came vpon them and vs So it is here in this prophesie of Dauid the words then are true and spoken of the state of man as it was but yet also are referred to Christ because he is authour of it and the only man to whom God gaue this excellent glorie whiche we also haue but through him and that we may knowe thus the Prophet meant in deede hee added these words thou hast made him a litle while inferiour to Angels thou hast crowned him with honour glorie c which fully wholy agree to none but christ But of all this we shal haue occasion to speake more after Thus we se how this prophesie is applied out of which the Apostles second argument of his exhortation is this In the preaching of the worde of Christ God hath giuen vs his kingdome and eternall life a glorie which no Angel could bring vnto vs how then shall we not moste iustly be condemned if we contemne such a heauenlie blessing God hath not made subiect to angels the world to come we do here consider as it were two worlds the one past made by Adam which was sul of hatred enuie rebellion sorrow shame sinne death the bondage of the diuel the other now restored by Christ ful of loue blessings obedience honour righteousnesse life the fauour of God not distinguishing these worlds by times the one first y other after or making any change of heauē earth or any creature for they stand both together in the light of the same sunne moone but as in man are two estates y one of Adam natural which is in death and condemnation the other of Christe and by grace which is in life saluation so they are called the olde world and the new which phrase is vsuall in the scripture often when God speaketh of sending his sonne hee sayth thus Lo I wil create a new heauen and a new earth And the 70. interpreters whom here the apostle followeth they call our Sauiour Christ y Father of the world to come because I say of this restitutiō which he maketh in the world And though the name properlie be giuen to these dayes in which the gospel is preached yet the fruite benefite was also before neither were Abraham Isaak and Iacob nor the other Patriarches and Prophets of the olde worlde but they also sawe in spirit the day of Christe and were then of his kingdome onely the name is reserued to vs because that blessing is now clearely reuealed in perfect beautie and Christ the author of it hath appeared as one of vs and dwelt among vs in our owne nature This world God hath not put in subiection to Angels that is God hath not made his Angels neither purchasers nor dispensers of this heauenlie treasure It was neuer in their power to haue done this thinge In vaine wee should looke for such blessing at their hands If they should enter into this worke they would fall downe vnder it for it is not an Angel but it is the Sonne of God that shall chaunge the worlde whiche was in sinne and shame to fashion it a new into righteousnesse and glorie This is a verie good place out of which we may learne how to knowe our selues and all other creatures how to giue vnto Christ his own honour for seeing the world to come noteth all the restitution which is by Christ the full chaunge of all that euer was by sinne and therfore named World because wee should assuredly knowe there is nothing excepted if then no parte of this worlde bee
God nothing must make thee breake the righteousnes of it not thy profite not thy pleasure not thy kinsman not thy friend not thy Father not thy King for if thou do thou hast sinned and thy sinne will finde thee out in the day in which shal be saide Come giue account of thy stewardshippe The Prince may sette thee in the seate of iustice but the prince must not make thee pe◅uert iustice he may giue thee an office but he cannot giue thee thy Quietus est for the vnfaithfulnesse of thine office if magistrates officers knew this they would not so ambitiouslie sue as they doe when they had obteined they would bee more faithfull then they are but this is a desperate disease and for me let it grow til it be rottennesse in their bones I speake not in hope of any amendment but I beare witnes of their sinne against the day of vengeance Further I say nothing they haue made their gaine their God and with the idol to which they are ioyned let them alone In this matter of faithfulnesse which we haue in hande let vs learne this that as it is necessarie in all so it is especially necessarie in the minister And to the ende that we may all learne what is the faithfulnesse of a minister let vs see what was in Christ whose faith is the example for all to followe It followeth He was faithful as Moses in all his house What was the faithfulnes commended in Moses That he did in euerie point acording to that which God had commaunded and pretermitted nothing of all that the Lord had saide This was then the faithfulnesse of Christe to doe nothing but at the will of his Father and this Saint Iohn witnesseth expresly in many places that Christe did and saide all things according to the word and will of his Father And thus Sainct Paule when he would shewe the faithfulnesse of him selfe and his fellowes he saith He maketh no merchandize of the worde of God nor mingleth it as vinteners doe their wine but speaketh as from God himselfe And in another place he saith He doth not mingle deceipt with the word of god Now the worde it selfe is called by Sainct Peter the milke that is without all deceipt shewing whatsoeuer is else of man it is falshod and no sweete nourishment of life in it therefore he that is faithfull speaketh onely the wordes of Christ as S. Paule saith in cleare and manifest declaration of trueth And expressely in plaine woordes this is taught vs by Paule in the first Epistle to the Thessalonians saying Our exhortation was not by craftinesse nor by deceipt nor by vncleanesse but as God allowed of vs to commit his Gospel vnto vs so wee spake not as studying to please men but to please God who tryeth our heartes neither euer did wee either flatter you as you know nor sought subtile meanes to winne ought vnto our selues as God is our witnesse Here is the image of this faithfull minister like vnto Christe one that preacheth nothing but the worde of God nor for any cause but for Gods glorie How many ministers know this the Lorde alone can tell but howe fewe followe it all we this day are witnesses And I may almoste say heere as I saide afore of officers I speake not for any hope I see of amends for I assure you it is almost with vs in the ministerie as it was in Esaies time with y people of Israel The whole head is sick and the whole heart is heauie from the sole of the foote to the crown of the head there is nothing whole therein but woūds swellinges and sores full of corruption from the priests of the highest chaires to the beggerly curates of the countrie a generall neglecte is of this faithful teaching of Gods people The other greatest part of vnfaithfulnesse is when we corrupt and defile the word of God committed vnto vs to mingle it with our owne deuices bring it into small account that we might magnifie our owne traditiōs this vnfaithfulnes we pray day and night that the Lord would keepe it from vs and we exhort you in the name of the Lorde receiue the worde ingraffed in you whiche can saue your soules and receiue the immortall seale which is the word of the liuing God by which you may be regenerate where in you haue the power of God to saluation through a pure faith and haue no trust in man for euerie man is a liar This faithfulnes by the grace of God we bring vnto you and beseech you to abide vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets but of this faith what one ◅ot or title is left vnto our aduersaries Zimrie was as faithful vnto Elahor or Hazael to Benhadad as they haue ben faithfull to the Lord Iesu in this behalfe for what is it else but to be guiltie of y death of Christ to pollute as they haue done his Testament which was confirmed in his bloud What is it but to bring him downe againe from heauen or to raise him vp againe from the dead to take away from vs the word of faith printed in our hearts by the preaching of his Gospell and to sende vs to Rome to inquire of our religion Surely dearely beloued I tell you true and yet not I but Paule nor Paule but Christ y he that sendeth vs beyond the seas to learn our faith when we haue the word of God at home he is an vnfaithfull creature adulterating the word of God and as one that would pull Christe againe downe from heauen and all the Decrees and Decretalles and Constitutions of the church of Rome which they haue ioyned to Gods word and tel you you must needes beleeue them they are the verie fornications of the whore of Babylon and haue no thing but filthinesse in them and if any doubt of it let him consider what hath ben said This was the faithfulnes of our Sauiour Christe to speake onely the woordes whiche his Father had commaunded him to speak This was the faithfulnesse of Christs Apostles to preache only what our Sauiour Christ had taught them This is our faithfulnes to beleeue according to the preachinge of the Apostles and to be built vpon their foundation not the Pope who hath exalted him selfe and cōmeth with his dispensatious against God the Father againste his Sonne Christ against his Apostles and maketh Lawes of his owne what a periured and faithlesse creature is he And thus farre of the ministers faithfulnesse Now more touching this comparison here made betwene Christ and Moses there is no doubt but the Apostle vseth it the more to ioyne the Hebrues vnto Christe for howe they accompted of Moses he knewe well and what soeuer was spoken of him they did willingly applie them selues to marke it learne it his praise did winne their affections to be more equally bent to learne christ Taking this occasion
religiō of the temple which was once the seruice of god is now finished hath his end frō henceforth there is neither circumcision nor vncircūcision nether Iewe nor Gentile but Christ is al in all the pure chaste bodie is his holie tabernacle spirit and truth is his heauenly worship thus much directlie the apostle teacheth them in these words whose house be we therfore called the house of God because his holie spirite dwelleth in vs as appeareth in all the places before alledged out of Paule It followeth now If we holde fast the confidence reioycing of our hope vnto the ende these wordes he addeth to teach them manifestly to know themselues whether they be this house or no for if they be they do hold and shall holde the reioycing of their hope constantly and faithfully vnto the ende These wordes dearely beloued let vs marke them well and learne them euerie iott and title with a wise hart for they conteine a blessed instruction most necessarie for our time There is not this day any other thing that holdeth backe a great number from the gospel of Christ but only the ignorance of this one sentence for what say al our aduersaries against vs but onely this Shal we leaue the Catholique Church to beleeue a few new sproung vp Shal we leaue the Church followe Luther or Zuinglius The Church hath beleeued as we beleeue the Church hath taught as we teach in the Church we abide thus vnder the name of the church the churche the world is mocked as Paule saith the hearts of manie men whiche are nor enill are seduced so that though they haue no thing to blame in vs yet they dare not come vnto vs least they should forsake the brotherhod in the Church of Christ. This generall plague is easily cured and al the euil of it is soone remedied if we can but holde our peace and heare the Apostle speake for vs all This same verie question is here handled the Iewes were now affeard to receiue Christ they thought him a new doctour they had Moses the temple the ceremonies things ful of excellent glorie and they were sure the church was heere and these things were in the Church to leaue them all soudenly and cleaue to Christ alone were to leaue the Church and follow new doctrine The Apostle to stop this offence he setteth downe first this plaine doctrine without question or cōtrouersie that the church of God or to vse his own word the house of God is not any building of woode or stones not any citie or any material Temple but man is the house of god Here first we learne one necessarie lesson Wilt thou know the house of God that is his Church Looke not at Ierusalem nor at Mount Sion for neither the Citie nor the Temple in it are nowe the house in whiche God dwelleth It thou doubtest know it for a truth that Ierusalō long since is troaden downe of the Gentiles the Turke and Infidels haue defiled all the stones of i◅ for the temple there are manie hundred yeres since the vncircumcised haue entred into it and the abhomination of desolation hathe stoode in the holie place that it might be fulfilled that was spoken by the Prophet Daniel This therefore learne for a trueth The Church of God is not in any materiall Temple not it is not knowen by any Citie or Countrie Ierusalem that for this cause once was the glorie of the worlde and the beautie of the whole earth hathe no more this dignitie neither shall it be giuen to any place for euer but to finde the Church of God seeke in the heart of man for the Apostles haue all spoken plainely We are his house Now let Rome goe and boast her selfe and pronounce her proude decrees that in her palaces the Churche of Christe doeth dwell let all her louers striue for her prayses that shee is our mother her we must serue vppon her we must wayte she cannot erre against all these children of pride we dare set out selues The house of God is neither in Rome nor in the Capitol of Rome no more then it is in Aegypt or the high pinacled Churches in Aegypt but in euery nation and in euerie countrie the men that feare God and woorke righteousnesse they are the church and the house in which God doth dwel And as the Lord hath done to Ierusalem and to the ruines thereof that the place should not boast of the Oracles of God so God hath done to Rome to the idols thereof that their boasting should bee in vaine of the church of God for what was Rome euen from her birth but a Citie builte in parricide then strengthened with robberie and made a sanctuarie for murderers of all nations What was it after but a slaughter-house of the martyrs of God And what is it in oures and our fathers dayes but the Queene of pride the nurse of idolatries the mother of whoredomes the sincke of iniquitie out of which sorceries witchcrafts poysonings adulteries rebellions and bloudie warres haue ouerflowed the whole earth I lye not on them dearely beloued neither they them selues can accuse mee if any of them heare what I say A thousand testimonies I haue of this out of their owne stories and ten thousand ryming verses haue beene made against them for their greate iniquitie by example of one learne the residue A hundred and fourtie yeeres past one sayth of Rome and of the Pope thus Imatenet Iupiter c◅lum habet Pluto Et accedit dignitas animali bruto Tanquam gemma stercort aut pictura Iuto We haue brought GOD into Hell and the diuel into heauen dignitie is now added to a brute beast as a pearle to a dounghil or a faire picture to a peece of dyrt Euen such as these are and no better a thousande testimonies are of the Church of Rome all which if we coulde not beleeue yet let vs beleeue our owne eyes we haue seene his wicked dispensations the brother to marrie his brothers wife the sister to marrie her sisters husbande the vncle to marrie his neece and the nephue to marrie his aunt Wee haue seene his bulles to make the subiects rebell against their princes we haue seene his stues in open knowen places The Turke hath no more defiled Ierusalem then the Pope hath defiled Rome and all the altars of Mahomet are not so vncleane as the Popes reuerend altars whiche serue for Sodomites and as the Popes honourable churches in which they nourish vp amorous boyes Nulla hie arcana ro◅elo Mantuan saith I speak no secrets the world knoweth this wel enough And yet if they will boaste The Church of Rome the Church of Rome shall wee still beleeue them or shall we rather beleeue the Apostle that the church of God is not neither Rome nor not Rome but in Rome and out of Rome the men that feare God are the Church of Christ. And let this be our first lesson
hearts condemned them selues those y were disobedient He destroyed not Caleb and Iosua that were of an other spirit he destroyed not Moses that was faithful in all his house and if our hearts condemne vs not we haue boldenes with God he wil not impute our sinnes vnto vs but hee wil geaunt all our request fulfil all our desires this reioycing let vs haue in our selues and how so euer the world be moued no man shall take our ioy from vs It is not so with them which put their trust in other things whether it be in the Pope or in the Citie of Rome or in the multitude of their fathers or what soeuer in all these is no suretie at all for if God shall destroy Rome and all the buildings of it what will they then say or what if the Papacie bee troaden downe so that none be after found in that seate is not then all their reioycing done and what a miserable faith is it whiche is no stronger then a mortall man whose spirit is in his nostrels or then a walled towne whiche is easily battered is this the rock which Christe commendeth whiche neither storme nor tempest shall euer shake nay this is the blinde confidence whiche the people of Israel had in the temple and in mount Sion whiche vanished as smoke when the people were led into Babylon and left the temple naked behinde them So these men when we shall see such thinges come to passe they shal be ashamed of the Pope their expectation of Rome which was their glorie but we wil dwell in the defence of our God with a true faith committing our selues vnto him and neither Rome nor Babylon nor our forefathers nor our posteritie shall euer turne away his loue from vs this comforte is here taught vs by the apostle in this example of our forefathers whiche kepte their faith in the wildernesse and were not seduced with the multitude Now where he saith With whome was he angrie fourtie yeere we haue here to learne what is the long suffering of the Lord who doeth not streight punishe the sinner but as he endured the māners of the people of Israel fourtie yeeres so he beareth with vs in all our transgressions and so the prophet Dauid setteth out vnto vs this example that God made his ways knowen vnto Moses and his workes vnto the children of Israel that we might see The Lord is ful of compassion and verie stowe to anger and of great kindnes againe in the hundreth and seuenth Psalme reckoning vpp the works which God did for his people in the wildernesse making this an instruction vnto vs of his long patience goodnesse he addeth streight O that men would therfore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnes his wonderful workes before the sonnes of men if thus we consider this example such like we are no idle hearers but profitably exercise ourselues in his iudg ments and as we ought to giue him this praise that he is long suffering patient and of much mercie so let vs knowe what duetie wee ought againe to render vnto God for all his goodnesse for a greate manie of vs we cry with loude voyces The Lord is mercifull but we be dum be deafe and haue no hearts when we should learne what his mercie requireth of vs Be wise then and learne of the blessed Apostle Paule who thus teacheth the Romanes The bountifulnesse of God must prouoke thee to repentance for else thou despisest the bountifulnesse patience and long suffering of the Lorde Marke this well derely beloued be not mocked if we say God is good the Lord is gratious full of patience to the children of men know that our owne hearts do then answer vs render againe praises obedience to him that is so good vnto thee for tell me what wouldst thou think of such a child who because his father is louing kinde would therefore be rebellious riotous what wouldest y think of a seruāt that because his maister is gētle courteous would therefore be carelesse in his worke and not regarde him what subiect thinke we were he that because his prince is good and fauourable woulde therefore be trayterous and conspire against him would we not giue speedie sentēce against such monstrous vnnaturall men and what heartes then haue wee that be here this day if we will confesse this greate goodnes of God our king father and yet walke in our sinnes before him we know it to be true and we cānot deny it if sinne should carrie vs still away all the day long to be defiled in it our consciences would aunswer vs at night euen as Paul saith This hardnesse of ours and harts that cannot repent they heape vp vnto vs wrath against the daye of wrath when this merciful father will shewe himselfe that he is also a righteous and a iust God and if we do not in time beleue it foresee it now while it is yet called to day experience which is the scholemistres of fooles shall make vs cōfesse at y last that god forgetteth it not which he long leaueth vnpunished I remember this was once the fault of Israel why they lied vnto the Lorde and set not their mindes on him because as the Prophet saith God helde his peace and that of long time But why should this faulte be ours who by their example should learne wisedome nay let vs rather leaue them in their wayes and followe the spouse of the bridegrome Christe who in the day of he◅ calling though shee sleepe yet her heart waketh and when the head of her beloued is ful of deawe and his lockes with the drops of the night shee despiseth not his long patience but aunswereth in the ioy of her heart I haue put off my coate how shall I put it on I haue washed my feete how shal I file them againc as the Church saith in the Canticles Thus let vs answere the long suffering of our God and how so euer he be angrie with many as with the Israelites in the wildernesse he wil be pleased with vs as with Caleb or Moses and we shall enter into his rest Againe where it is here set out howe God was angrie let vs remember the commaundemente of our sauiour Christ to vs Be perfect as your heauenly father is perfect The prophet Dauid being greatly prouoked against his enimies yet would he not hurte them because saith he thy louing kindenesse was before mine eyes and therefore I walked in thy trueth So wee if Gods image and likenesse shine in our dooinges we are sure wee walke in peace therefore where the scripture biddeth Be angrie but sinne not how can we haue a better rule then to see in the worde howe God is saide to be angrie with his people He is angrie here because they refused wisdome imbraced follie because they forsooke the word of trueth and followed
of God in so much that if they should bee made causes of our lustification and the glorie of Christe should be so giuen vnto them wee might iustly call them the beggerlie elements of the world and vnprofitable things What shall wee say or thinke of so manie childishe toyes and foolishe fancies as wee haue seene of late when men will attribute saluation vnto them When our owne woorkes haue this honour giuen them When Holie water Belles Candles Crosses Palme bowes Ag◅us deies the beginning of Saint Iohns Gospel hanging aboute your necke when to these thinges we attribute power against the diuel whom Christe vanquished onely vppon his crosse what name shal wee giue these beggerly thinges When pilgrimages fastinges visiting of mens tumbes kissing of reliques purchasing of Masses when these things are exalted and said to purge our sinnes what shal we cal them what drunkennes what witchings what madnesse what brutish astonishment hath couered our spirits that we should beleue such things what strange illusions and sleights of Satan haue hid our vnderstandings that we should know nothing The ceremonies ordeined of God himselfe the sacramentes of his eternall testament they are but helpes of our infirmities to leade vs vnto Chr◅ste from whom whē you shal separate them they are no more Gods holie sacramentes but beggerly elementes and our owne fansies and fonde immaginations which are contrarie to Christe euen from our cradle to exalt them thus what is it but a proude liking of our owne presumption This is a cleare proofe that in nothinge is saluation but in Christe alone and that one saluation hath beene from euer whyle these outwarde thinges haue had manye chaunges And againe in that Christe was then the prophet we are sure the patriarches and forefathers did not worship God after their owne will and deuice but onely as the spirite of Christe did teache them from which testimonie of spirite when they fell away all their religion was reiected for onely in Christ God was also well pleased so that thoughe they had no lawe written yet were they taught of God and his sonne was their scholemaister to lead them in al trueth reuealing his will vnto them euer by such meanes as best pleased him and after when God wrote his lawe he wrote this also as a decree for them to holde euer that they should neuer adde nor take away but do onely what they were commaunded and much more now in these last dayes in which our Sauiour Christe hath appeared vnto vs in our owne nature man like vnto vs vppon whome we sawe the holie Ghost to come downe and God him selfe hath sealed him in making manifest the owne glorie speaking out of his cloude This is my beloued sonne heare him much more I say we ought now only to heare his voice because now more clearly thē euer before he hath reuealed all the counsell of God vnto vs but nowe the diuel hath beene no lesse enuious against the saluation of man then he hath beene before now also he hath made some to set forth the imaginations of their owne hearts and hath bewitched many to followe their damnable wayes by whom the way of truth is blas phemed and for their owne traditions sake he hath made the woorde of the Lorde Iesu of none effecte This worke hath he wrought in all the Papacie yet we cānot or wil not se his rebellious doings Christ saith his kingdom is not of this world yet hath he taught them to make their Bishops Princes and hathe giuen them power ouer life and goods Christ saith The princes of the nations beare rule ouer thē but it shal not be so among you yet hath he made his firste begotten sonne to weare a triple crowne and al the kinges of the nations to come kisse his feete So Christe hath taught vs to worship in spirite and trueth to drinke the wine in the sacrament of his bodie and bloude to praye in a knowne toung to eate of any meates without scruple of conscience to vse holie matrimonie in all estates as a remedie against sinne but as though Christ were no prophet vnto vs we haue abrogated these his lawes and made other con◅ratie of our owne This our eyes haue seene our eares haue hearde and whether we will or no wee must needes confesse it yet some flatter them selues in a maruelous madnesse and doing all things contrarie to the Lorde Iesu they say still they cannot erre but they shall one day see and knowe that Christ is the onely prophet of the new Testament and blessed be the Lorde God who hath made vs this day to beleeue it and while yet the day of health and acceptable time is to hearken onely vnto him and refuse all the vaine inuentions of men It followeth now in the Apostle But the worde that they heard prof◅ed thē not ▪ because it was not mingled with faith to those that heard it As before the Apostle concluded repeating againe his exhortation so in this verse he repeateth the cause why they profited not by the word of exhortation that wee againe hearing the cause of our sinne should be made more wise to take heede of it the cause was their infidelitie because saith he The word was not mingled vnto them with faith the word of God preached is as a cup offered vnto vs of which we must drinke whether we wil or no one way it is made vnto vs a cup of the water of life another way a cup of destructiō and such a liquor as is of death vnto death euen as saith or infidelitie is brought vnto it so it is a cup of life or death In this similitude the Apostle speaketh thus The word was not mingled to them with faith As men that loue to sit at the tauerne do mingle their drink with spices or their wine with sugre so we in that most blessed tauerne in which the worde of God is offered vs to drinke we must mingle it with the sweete spice of faith and it is a cup of eternall life vnto vs otherwise if we be vnsaithfull we haue lost our blessing and are fallen from the hope of life Christ who is the head corner stone in whō the building doth stande he is nowe to vs a stone of offence at which we haue stumbled are fallen downe because we haue not receiued his worde with faith It is true the gospel is the power of God to saue man but yet to saue the man that doth beleue whether he be Iewe or Gentile here we see how God hath ioyned vnseparablie his word our faith wherfore it is also called the word of faith neither is it possible to be faithful without the knowledge of the word neither is any knowledge of the worde profitable but beeing mingled with faith This dearly beloued is no obscure doctrine that you should not vnderstād it neither is it taught vs in ambiguous wordes that ye can doubt of it but it
is plaine plainely taught that if we wil be saued by Iesu Christe his worde must be mingled to vs with fayth if wee be of the newe testament belong vnto this couenāt which is made in Christ to the forgiuenesse of our sinnes then we beleeue the word that is preached and the lawes of God are written in our heartes And this S. Paule setteth out so cleare vnto vs that it is impossible impossible I say for any to knowe the Gospel and to be ignorant of it for this is the gospel as Paul saith The power of God to saue all that do beleue do you heare this and do you vnderstand it tell me then what think you of that religion where this preaching of the gospel is holden back nay where they haue bene so enuious vnto it that they haue not suffered the woorde to be in such a language as the people might once reade and vnderstand it The Priestes them selues vpon whome they laied the worke to sacrifice for their sinnes and to whome they confessed their sinnes to haue forgiuenesse of them And what I say will you think of suche a people or what religion haue they doeth not the Apostle say true there is no saluation but by beleuing the worde as it is preached vnto vs and doe they say true that the Masse purgeth our sinnes ▪ the prieste forgiueth them the masse is in latine the priestes ignorāt the people are led with vaine imaginations no faith no worde is in all their doeing but it is no maruel though some men be robbed of their harts and beleeue all the illusions of Sathan for how can a man beleeue the trueth except the spirit of God be in him Pharaoh was not taught by all the woonders y Moses wrought in Aegypt The Iewes were not the wiser for all the miracles whiche Christe wrought before them If such thinges haue happened in the daies before vs though now the Apostles and prophets do all cry Without faith in the Gospel preached you can neuer be saued Ignoraunce is abhomination before God and yet the Pope who taketh the word from vs teacheth vs no faithe couereth vs with blindnes prayseth ignorance in our hearing if we embrace him follow him loue him honour him as Pharaoh did Iannes and Iambres or as the Iewes did Annas and Caiphas let vs not maruel no new thing hath happened in our dayes The Lord hath not lightened their mindes what wisdome can be in them but we will leaue them to him who is iust and mercifull and let vs pray that his woorde may be alwayes mingled vnto vs with fayth that in this greate darknesse of the worlde we may see light One thing else wee may heere marke that it is said the word did not proofit thē because it was not ◅ngled with faith wherby we know it is only faith that com mendeth vs vnto God without which the woorde is in vaine the presence of Christ is in vaine to be his brother sister mother al is in vaine nothing but faith carrieth vs with boldnes into his presence Manie singular proofes of this our Sauiour Christ sheweth in many places when a woman crieth vnto him Blessed is the wombe that bare thee the pappes that gaue thee suck Our sauiour Christ answereth nay rather blessed are they that heare the word of God kepe it When some saide vnto him Beholde thy mother and thy brethren would speake vnto thee he answered again He that doth the wil of my heauēly father he is my brother my mother In another place when cōtrouersie was how we should haue life saluation through him he saith to his disciples The fleshe profiteth nothing it is the spirit that quickeneth noting in al this that not his bodily presence not his kinred not y trauell of his mother nor any thing is imputed vnto vs for right ousnesse but only faith in which we beleeue according to his gospel preached vnto vs y in his death al our sinnes are purged in his resurrection wee are iustified This maketh vs acceptable without this it is vnpossible to please him this the Apostle teacheth vs here when he saith For this cause the word profited them not because it was not mingled vnto them with faith for only faith doth all apprehendeth all ouercommeth all and the gates of hell shall not in the ende preuaile against it and the Lorde increase this faith in vs And let vs pray c. The nineteenth Lecture vppon the 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. verses 3 For we whiche haue beleeued do enter into rest as he said to the other As I haue sworne in my wrath if they shall enter into my rest although the works were finished from the foundation of the world 4 For he spake in a certein place of the seuenth day on this wise And God did rest the seuenth day frō all his works 5 And in this place againe ▪ if they shall enter into my rest 6 Seeing therfore it remaineth that some must enter therinto and they to whom it was first preached entered not therein for vnbeleefes sake 7 Againe he appointed in Dauid a certein day by To day after so long a time ▪ saying as it is said this day if ye heare his voice harden not your heartes 8 For if Iesus had giuen them rest then woulde he not after this haue spoken of another day 9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entred into his rest hath also c◅assed from his owne workes as God did from his THIS Scripture whiche nowe I haue read vnto you I must needes confesse to mee it seemeth yet somewhat obscure neither hathe God so reuealed it vnto mee that I dare boldly pronounce this it is but submitting my selfe to any better interpretation which shal be shewed of other according to that whiche God hath giuen me so I will shewe you what I think moste likely and so muche the more boldely I will shew you mine opinion because by the grace of God I wil speake nothing but agreeable to all which the Apostle before hath most plainly taught vs You knowe howe earnestly hee hath exhorted vs to harken vnto Christ what fault especially shal make vs neglect it and that is infidelstie what great peril we haue in this sinne that it We shall not enter into his rest Nowe he teacheth and addeth sure arguments to his doctrine howe wee shall auoide so great punishment and so great sinne and how we shal be obedient vnto Christ and that is by faith an humble acknowledgement of him to be our Prophet and a constant beleeuing of all his trueth This doctrine firste hee setteth downe in these woordes For we enter into his rest that doe beleeue This he proueth first by the manifest text afore alledged for it was said To whom I sware in mine anger that they should not enter into my rest meaning the
haue so greate gladnesse of hearte O Lorde what are the Heauens of Heauens where we are citizens which is our countrie where our bodie is glorious and crowned with life where thy maiestie shal shine in perfect beautie before vs where all thinges shal be our owne and we shal bee thine A happie lordship a happie Earledome a hap pie man whose honour teacheth him thus to know the Lord who hath had mercie vppon him These and such like meditations thoughts which carrie vp our mindes from the Creatures to the Creatour and from our worldly calling to him that hath called vs these doe leade vs into the rest of the Lorde these are our holie woorkes on the sabbaoth dayes and this is our wisedome in enioying all the benefites of god But of this meditation I spake before vnto you in the exposition of the sixt verse of the second chapter Nowe touching this woorde whereof we haue heard so much that is the rest of God we must marke how the scripture vseth it sometime for the trueth which is euer one somtime for the figures whiche haue beene diuerse The true and perfecte rest is that which is now begonne in vs the resting from our owne workes that is our dyinge vnto sinne the crucifying of the olde man that wee may giue ouer our bodies vnto the Lord to be seruants of righteousnesse and that onely his spirite may reigne in vs that as Paule saith it be not nowe we that liue but that it be Christ that liueth in vs and this rest shal be made perfecte in the resurrection of the iust when we shal be ioyned vnto Christe our head and God shal be vnto vs all in all The figures of this rest as I saide haue beene diuerse The first figure was the rest of the sabboth day called our rest because wee were without bodily labour only in spirituall exercise to consider the works of God his greatnesse and power and goodnesse therby to learne with al our harts to serue him to glorifie him as our only god so y al the seuenth day longe while the sunne shined it preached vnto the people that they should ceasse from sinne and serue God die vnto the world and liue in him An other figure of this spirituall rest was the lande of Canaan called their rest because they ceassed from the fearefull trauell of the solitarie wildernesse and from feare of enimies which alwayes rose againste them from their bondage before in Egypt now inhabiting a quiet countrie full of all fruit and pleasure and their spirituall exercise in this rest was to see from what miseries God had deliuered them what blessings he had giuen them howe mightilie he saued them from al hurt of man and beast and euerie creature and therfore now in a holy rest and quietnesse to be thankful vnto him to serue him to trust in him to rest vnder the shadow of his wings An other figure of this rest was also y tēple of whiche it was said This is my rest for euer here wil I dwel for I haue a delight therin called also the rest in respect that before the tabernacle and the Arke was carried from place to place but nowe it was settled for euer in mount Sion the spirituall exercise of this rest was that God had now made knowen vnto them his statutes and ordinaunces in which they should liue his couenauntes and promises were sure vnto them and that they shoulde not immagine vaine thoughts or followe their own deuises but abide in the waies of God acknowledging them alone to be the wayes of life and so giue ouer them selues to walke in them These were the figures of this spirituall rest which abideth for euer and vnto vs nowe to whō figures haue ceassed this rest is set out clearlie in it self that we should liue in it ceasse from our owne workes doe the woorkes of our God and worship him in spirit and trueth hauing according to this exhortation of our Apostle our Sauiour Christ our onely prophet to rest in his woorde our onely priest to rest in his sacrifice for sinne our only king to rest in his defence our only head to rest in his nourishment who only with his blessed spirite feedeth vs to eternall life and worketh in vs all in all This is that kingdome of God whiche we are taught to pray that it may come and prosper and this is that the prophet Esay sayth of the roote of Ishaie that in those dayes his rest should be glorious this is the trueth sigured in all the former restes of the Sabboath of the lande of Canaan of the temple as Zacharias ful of the holie ghost doth most plainly shew This is saith he the othe which he sware to our father A brahā that he would graunt vnto vs that we beeing deliuered out of the handes of our enimies might serue him without feare in holines righteousnes al the dayes of our life and this rest hath in it as Paul saith a pure heart that is vn◅ed cōstant loue a sincere saith that is holy and true religion and a good corscience that is peace toward God through Iesus Christ and these properties of our rest deerely beloued mark them wel that we may knowe the place where we dwell in peace and lest we thinke foolishly that we are at rest when yet we are tossed in the tempestuous sea our religion must be pure and vntouched from the curious and entising fancies of Philosophie from traditions and decrees of men from superstition of the elements of the worlde as meate drinke daies times and such other to be short pure from al thinges which Christ our only prophet hath not taught vs And how can we thinke then that we are yet in this rest if we be holden with decrees Touch not tast not c. if counsels and fathers whiche are diuerse and daily renued do lead vs with their sūdrie indgments what rest is in my religion if thus I muste walke vncerteinly It was said of the first rest What I commaund thee do that onely this rest is nowe abundantly confirmed vnto vs more amplie thē before as Christe is greater then Moses and how then do we seeke after any instruction but onely after the word of Christe alone Againe seeing in our rest is vnfeigned loue contention and strife quarels are cast out how do we say we are entred into our rest when this dissention is amōg vs one with another let vs looke vnto it wel to whom it belongeth It is a greuous thing to trouble the peace of the church so is it a greuous thing to see trueth lye hidden or despised therfore iudge not you rashly nor condemne any mans worke before it be tried We are called vnto a rest and let vs nourish our peace who soeuer fall out with vs let vs not fall out with them but let vs seeke the truethe in loue and so shall be built vp the
heere in this word Let vs studie we haue a plain interpretation of that he said in the first verse let vs feare for the whole verses that and this as you may see haue one and the same meaning there hee saith Let vs feare lest forsaking the promised rest we seme to be fr◅strate that is lest by such vnfaithfulnes as was in them wee also make the promise to vs in vaine here he saith Let vs studie to enter into this rest least wee fall into their example of vnfaithfulnesse thus the exhortation beeing all one it is manifest that this worde Let vs feare which he vsed first hath the meaning of this word Let vs studie which he vseth now so that this is as I told you then y feare of gods children a careful studie in deuour to walk faithfully before god And an other good lesson we may here learne sith the Apostle saith let vs studie it is plain we ought not to nourish in vs as the manner of the world is a carelesse securitie to speake and think of our hope in God with a secure mind as if we cared not greatlie for it or longed not much after it such a carelesse minde is altogether vnmeete for the profession of the gospel of Christ and it is a thing that we do all vnderstand none can excuse him selfe by ignorance we know the fault by the tryall of our owne hart when we think of God and his heauenly kingdome what parte and fellowship we haue in it wee can tel how our heartes are then affected if it bee our ioy our comforte our consolation if it drawe our delight and studie after it then are we children of that kingdome then we obey this calling of the Apostle which is here Let vs studie to enter into this rest but if we can think or speake of the kingdome of heauen as wee would speake of farre countries for talke sake to heare what is sayde of them but without any care whether we see them or no then we are seduced with the deceit of sinne and this exhortation of the Apostle is made in vaine vnto vs And let vs not here deceiue our selues to think wee haue our cares for the life to come when wee haue no care at all for it our nature is here verie blind beleeueth easilie her owne vaine fancie not onely Scribes and Phariseis and suche frowarde sinners doe presume much of their owne righteousnesse glorie in them selues but euē Gods good people are soone beguiled with selfe-loue the Corinthians talked much that they were wise that they were spirituall holy men but Saint Paule saith vnto them Seeing such contentions emulations sectes are among you you are yet children and you are carnall So we dearly beloued if we wil say we feare before God our care our study our hart is in the kingdom of God yet we laugh when we talke of his iudgmentes make our ieastes and rymes with his holie woorde or if we be nothing moued in spirite when wee speake of it then are we not studious but carelesse secure negligent we heare not this exhortation of the Apostle Let vs studie to enter into his rest and thus is this exhortation ended made out of the woordes of the Prophet To day if you will heare his voice harden not your hearts c. It followeth now For the word of God is liuely mightie in operation and sharper then any two edged swoord and entreth through euē to the diuiding asunder of the soule the spirit and of the ioynts of the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughtes and the intents of the heart neither is there any creature which is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked open vnto his eyes with whom we haue to doe In these wordes the Apostle setteth out the nature of the worde of God vnto vs vppon what occasion wee may easily see he hath taught that Christe is our onely Prophet and we haue no other schoolemaister to teach vs and instruct vs in the wayes of God he hath also earnestly exhorted vs to heare his voice and faithfully to harken vnto him lest we fall into the condemnation of others who haue bene despisers afore vs and whose iudgement we should not escape for the word of God woundeth euen into the soule of the sinner thus hee commeth to this description of the strength and force of Gods word as may appeare by his owne woordes going before lest we fall into the same example of disobedience thus prouing it y we cannot escape because the word is so strong and mightie And this doctrine of the Apostle let it this day be our instruction if we do beleeue or if we think the Apostle saith true that the word of God hathe so greate power in it let vs regarde it let vs giue our feare our reuerence our obedience vnto it for how great a sinne must it needes bee to despise a thing that is so precious and howe great peril is there in it to prouoke a thing against vs whiche is so strong If it were but the roaring of a beare or Lion it would make any of vs affraid yet could it but only pearce into our eares if it be but the voice of thunder it seemeth to make the verie earth to shake yet is it but a bodily sound and the spirite heareth it not a whitt what then When he speaketh whome the marrow within our bones doth heare how truly saith the prophete of him his voice shaketh not only the sea and the drie land but the verie heauens also and can we haue yet any excuse if we heare not him that speaketh so lowde If we beleue not him to whom our own hearts beare witne◅e of his trueth or if we heare not his word whose voice shaketh both heauen and earth or are we born of God if so great vertue power of god haue no feeling in vs No no be not deceiued God is not mocked his sheepe heare his voice we are not borne of him but we are born of hard rocky mounteins a stonie generation nourished and sed of cruel Tygres if such instruction such teaching preuaile not with vs Heare then dearely beloued heare learne that we may be edified let our harts be softened that we may haue the wordes of God written in them And seeing wee haue so excellent a prophet let vs be thankfull scholers and growe vppe in the knowledge of his doctrine if at it neuer be imputed vnto vs that wee haue hardened our hearts and would not knowe his wayes And to the end we may take the more heede let vs marke these words of the Apostle in which he setteth out vnto vs the great force of the woorde of God The woord of God saith he is liuely and sharper then any two edged sworde c. This place is well to be weighed of vs for of purpose the Apostle speaketh to teache vs what the worde of
light of the Lord is the breath of man it sercheth al the bowels of the bellie where also he calleth the word light because it shineth in mās heart as in a darke place and trieth out all the secrets of his thoughtes in this meaning heere the word is called liuelie as I tolde you before the more to stir them vp not to neglect so high a prophet as the sonne of God whose worde came with maiestie and power vnto them The second title heere attributed to the worde is that It is mightie in operation meaning that it hathe in it force and vertue able to subdue all enimes and bringe vs in obedience vnto Christe this vertue of the woorde Sainct Paule notablie setteth out to the Corinthians magnifying his Apostleshippe by this means Our weapons saith he are stronge by the power of God 〈◊〉 cast downe holds wherwith we ouerthrow imaginations euerie high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God bring into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ haue readie vengeāce against al disobedience howsoeuer a man magnifie him selfe or a man exalt himselfe in whiche arrogancie of spirite he seemeth as it were buried in sinne and his heart hardened against the grace of God yet let him heare this word and let it oft fall into his eares for it is as the prophet saith a hammer which breaketh the stone in peeces and is able in the power of God to mollifie his heart or if the sinner be suncken downe so deepe that he will not rise it will crushe him down deeper that he may perishe in his sinne and so God saith to his Prophet Ieremie I will put my wordes into thy mouth and it shal be as fire this people shal be as wood and it shal deuour them And this is it Saint Paule expressely witnesseth to be the onely meanes to glorifie God to preache the trueth of his word vnto all for so saith he we are alwayes a sweete smelling sauour of Christ vnto God as wel in those that perishe as in those that be saued to the one a sauour of life vnto life to the other of death vnto death I would we that are preachers could learne and beleeue this it would make vs leaue our vain babling much talke of philosophie and prophane things and fill our mouthes onely with the worde of the Lorde for this only is mightie in operation the other hath at all no strength no strength at all in this behalfe to glorifie God or to conuert a sinner but strong to delude the people with idlo sounds strong to tickle our eares with fond delight strong to puffe vs vp with pride of our wittes but more weak then water to teach vs true repentance for proofe I say let the sinner come forth that hath beene conuerted by hearing stories or fables of poets I am sure there is none for faith is onely by the worde of God of let the preacher come forth that vseth such thinges and doeth it not either to please men or to boast of his learning for this he knoweth that the word only not prophane things conuerteth the people and why then doeth he vse them The Lord saith by his prophet Ieremie If they had stand in my counsell and had declared my wordes to my people then they should haue turned them from their euill way from the wickednesse of their owne inuentions a plaine testimonie why our preachings are vnprofitable to the people euen because we speake in our owne fansies and vse exhortations of our owne heade And againe in the prophet Malachie the Lord declareth what couenant he made with Leuie and how he promised to blesse his labours in the teaching of his people The Lawe of truth saith he was in his mouth and there was no iniquitie founde in his lipps he walked with mee in peace and equitie and did turne manie away from their sinnes Can any thinge be spoken playner Hold fast the word of God committe the fruite of thy work to the strength of it and thou shalt finde it as is here said mightie in operation and thou shalt conuert manie sinners Let them tell me nowe all that haue eares to heare what madnesse is it to fil the peoples eares with vnknowen tales and sweete wordes in which is nothing but a deceitfull sound leaue the word of God mightie in working to conuert their soules And you dearely beloued who delight in such vanitie and make the preacher transgresse for your fansies sake let me but reason with you as S. Paule reasoned with the Galathians Tel me whether by such tales or by hearing the word of God haue you receiued the spirite that is wherby were you conuerted from your vanitie vnto the liuing God was it the worde of truethe or else Gentile stories that wrought this vertue in you and are you so foolish that when you haue begun in the spirit you wil now go forwarde in the flesh Let vs leaue then this greate abuse bothe you to turne away your eyes to follie and the preacher to vse the pulpit like a Philosophers chaire We may alledge sometime a storie or prophane sentēce I denie it not but then it is good doing it when the remembring of the saying bringeth necessarilie into memorie the worde of God also for which it was alledged and giueth light vnto it for a more cleare declaration of the truth yet when the story is told and remembred by it selfe there is then but a foolish delight of a vaine man to helpe him in his talke to multiplie idle woordes there is no edifying in it at all The third title of the word now following is this That It is more sharpe then a two edged sword and this similitude is often made in the Scripture The prophet Esaie preaching the promises of God hee saith His mouth is made like a sharp sworde And Sainct Paule giueing armour to a Christian souldiour by which he may kil his enimies he biddeth him Take the sworde of the spirit which is the word of God. So in the firste and nineteenth Chapters of the Apocalypse the sonne of GOD is described with a two edged swoorde proceding out of his mouthe meaning by these speeches no other thing but that by the preaching of y gospel Christ should get the victorie and bring all enemies in subiection vnto him euen as the Prophet Esai saith He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lippes shall he kill the vngodly by which we doe learne that the more wee pray Thy kingdome come and the more we wishe the prosperitie of the Churche the more we must striue to make the word of God knowen vnto all for that is the swoorde and scepter of his kingdome The next title heere attributed to the worde is That it entreth into the diuisiō of the soule the spirit of the ioynts and the marrow
hande and foote back and side shall haue experience of his anger all the thoughts of their harts shal be wounded with death and so much the more vnspeakable because their bodyes shall feele and their minde knowe the immortalitie of death and euerlasting destruction that is vppon them whiche extreeme wretchednesse no horrour of darcknesse no weeping and gnashinge of teeth no gnawinge of conscience no eternall fire doth fully and inough set out vnto vs. But this we leaue to the reprobate men who euen to this day haue sould their heartes to conceiue mischiefe and it repenteth them not Let vs feare now in the day of health and better thinges are appointed for vs We shall heare an other voice Come ye blessed into eternall life possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning which voice shal enter depe and into all our members bring a sensible feeling of the loue of God and his greate glorie when with heart and minde wee shall see and knowe our inheritaunce with God in eternall glorie wherevnto if nowe we be raysed vp and the promises of God beginne with vs this vnspeakable and glorious hope so that our heartes be fast holden in the loue of it neuer to chaunge for worldly vanitie or rather shame woorse then vanitie for with what name shall we name it that is exalted against the Lorde if I say thus the woorde of God bee vnto vs wee haue sealed it that his word is liuing and entreth into the diuision of the soule and the spirite and we haue beene fruitfull hearers of all this longe exhortation which the Apostle hath made and ended to stirre vp his brethren faithfully to heare this prophet of God his sonne Iesus Christe and our sauiour who hath reuealed all his wil vnto vs And thus farre of this former parte of the Epistle in which we are taught that Christe is our only prophet but the time is paste Now let vs pray c. The xxj Lecture vpon the residue of the chapter the 14. 15. 16. verses 14 Seeing then that we haue a geat high priest which is entred into Heauen euen Iesus the sonne of God let vs holdefast our profession 15 For we haue not an hye Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all thinges temped in like sorte yet without sinne 16 Let vs therfore go boldely vnto the throne of grace that we may receiue mercie and finde grace to help in time of neede WE haue heard dearely beloued howe the Apostle hath taught that Christe is nowe our onely Prophet what care we should haue diligently and faithfully to harken vnto him if we will not be guiltie before God of great condemnation and iudgement The reasons are of the Apostle to proue him our onely Prophet first because God sending his onely begotten sonne into the worlde made man like vnto vs and reuealing the will of his father vnto vs the excellencie of his person inforceth vs to confesse that God ordeyneth him alone to be our Prophet Againe he was faithful in the house of God and then what nedeth any other prophet vnto vs thirdly he was more honourable then Moses in this office many wayes to be preferred afore him therfore no other Prophet is to bee ioyned with him Fourthly the Prophet Dauid said To day if you hear his voice c. which we must needes vnderstand to be a perpetuall prophesie and therefore accomplished in Christ whome we must heare if we wil beleeue and be saued Last of all the force strength of the word of God is such as it must needes warrant the maiestie of God in Christ the author of it and as n one other hath that glory so none to be our prophet but he alone vnto all those reasons he hath added as you haue heard ernest exhortatiōs to giue more weight vnto them for the better persuasion of his brethren to whome he writeth Nowe he beginneth the other principall point of this first part of the Epistle that is to proue that Christ is our only priest which disputation he continueth to the eleuenth chapter as we shal god willing heare He beginneth it firste with an exhortation as he vsed the like often before and as I saide to make vs more carefully regarde his woordes Sith thē we haue a great high priest who hath entred into heauen Iesus the sonne of God let vs hold this professiō the force of this exhortation is in the excellencie of the priesthood of Christe secretely compared with the priesthood of Aaron who was in nature their brother in person weake as other men in office earthly entring into a tabernacle made with hangs in vertue a figure of a better sacrificer himselfe not profiting at all but Christ is another highe priest in nature the sonne of GOD in qualitie great and full of glorie in office heauenly entering before God to be our mediatour in vertue holie and perfect himselfe to purge our sinnes This the Apostle noteth calling him high priest greate entring into heauen and the sonne of God and so much the more we are guiltie before him if we shal not holde fast and professe all his instruction and doctrine Now least we should thinke the Apostles exhortation is weake and that he taketh it for graūted which is in controuersie for he calleth our sauiour Christ high priest which yet it seemeth he hath not proued we must consider what hath beene spoken before and so we shall see good argumentes in this exhortation for the proof of his cause He hath taught him to be the sonne of God made man reuealinge vnto vs the counsell of his father purchasing a most glorious inheritance for vs and setting vs free from the bondage of the diuel in which wee were holden vnder the feare of death which things before witnessed of our Sauiour Christ and necessarily prouing him for the same cause to be our priest according to that trueth in the beginning of this disputation he calleth him our great highe priest So he beganne before the thirde chapter Consider holie brethren the Apostle and high priest of our profession not yet hauing particularly spoken of those offices but calling him by those names because according to the description of his person before made it must needes followe that he was both our priest and Prophet Another argument of his priesthood is that hee was here in earth afflicted as we be submitting him selfe to death from which he is risen and nowe ascended into heauen therefore he is our priest crucified for our sinnes risen for our iustification and making now Intercession for vs before God his father Thus we see vpon howe good warrant the Apostle in the beginning exhorteth them to acknowledge Christ their priest and thus muche touching this entraunce of the Apostle into this disputation and why he vseth such wordes Now touching the matter To teach that our sauiour Christ is our onely priest he first sheweth by the workes of
not be sure and good vnto all the seede of Abraham for he was a father of manie nations euen of such as were vncircumcised to whom the lawe was not written therefore to the ende that Iewe and Gentile might both inherit this blessing it must needes be by faith not by workes So then thus farre we are taught by the Apostle that if we receiue Iesus Christ to be our high priest our only way to enter with him into the heauens is by faith our faith hath boldnes and full persuasion in which it is accepted according to that which is written God hath not giuen vs the spirite of feare againe vnto bondage but God hath giuen vs the spirite of adoption by which we crie Abba Father Here dearly beloued let vs learne to discerne spirits to trie whether they be of God or no Euerie spirit that confesseth Christ to be our only mediatour is of God for by him wee haue libertie through faith to go with boldnes vnto the throne of grace And euerie spirite that denieth Christ to be our onely mediatour is not of God but it is the spirit of Antichrist of whome we haue heard that he is entred into the world for god dwelleth in light which no creature can approch vn to neither hath any man seene him nor cā see him but only by Christ through one spirite we haue all entrance vnto him These dearly beloued they are y words of the scripture they are not the wordes of man whē you are in place obiect them vnto the papists see what one word they are able to answer who in times past haue told you yet of a great number of mediatours confessours martyrs Saints Angels Archangels euerie one in his degree they haue made them mediatours and besought them to leade vs vnto god I beelie them not tenne thousand of their bookes are yet to see tenne thousand prayers in them in which they haue done this wickednesse Aske them bid them speake plaine what one woord haue they of defence for this dooinge surely dearly beloued I tel you the trueth not one worde they can speake which is a word of trueth a word of righteousnesse a worde of life a worde I meane of God to which you may trust a fonde fansie they haue found of their owne as hee that dreameth doth tell a dreame and they say there are two mediatours one of intercession an other of redemption beside the foolishnesse of this speache a mediatour of intercession which you may as wel call an intercessour of mediation for intercessour and mediatour are both one beside this I say manifest follie let them name any Apostle prophet or Euangelist vpon whome we must build and stand that euer mentioned any such thinge let them tell of whome they learned it sure they wil not they are starke dumbe they knowe they haue no Scripture no not a word of their schoolemaisters in deede they are ashamed but I wil tel you who they be and they shall not denie it except they bee as shamelesse as they of whome they are learned The Gods of the Gentiles which are diuels they had this woorshipp amongst them these diuels amonge them selues they which were reputed of the lower sorte were made as meanes to come vnto the higher whereof also they were called Dij medioximi that is Gods only for intercession and Gentiles bookes are ful of examples how these thinges were practised as if Neptune would speake to Iupiter hee made Mercurie his meanes and intercessour and such like toyes which shall bee abolished and tholouers of them And wee may see howe GOD hath recompenced this their euill vnto them for where this is the comforte of a Christian man to haue peace towarde God and which is giuen vs by hauing Christe our only mediatour they who haue made so manie coulde neuer finde it but still they are in suspense and doubt wauering vnconstant in all their wayes and this doubtfulnesse they begett and nourishe vnto them selues while they seeke so many mediatours and what else doe they but teach all their posteritie in choosing many mediatours to haue confidence in none Euen as the rebellious people of Israel wearied them selues running as the prophet saith like Dromedaries to euery high hill and euery greene tree till they were weake and wearie and their soules fainted in them seeking peace and could finde none and in deede howe should they finde it for though they followed a thousand Gods yet was there but one the God of peace whome they had forsaken so though the Papists seeke a thousand mediatours yet haue they no boldenesse to goe vnto God for there is but one mediatour betwene God and vs euen Iesus Christ whome they for their Sainctes haue forsaken for Christ wil be ioyned with no fellowes And what a miserable brotherhood must they then needes be which haue no peace but feare and trembling is in their wayes Againe wee haue heere to marke that the presence of God to which Christe leadeth vs is called heere the Throne of grace noting heereby that by the merites of Christ we be brought vnto God as before a iudge who from his iudgement seate doth acquite vs for euer from al guiltinesse of our sinnes and therefore called the throne of grace because we be quit onely by grace and Gods free mercie a monument of which loue he setteth before vs in the name of the seate on which hee sitteth and calleth it the throne of grace neither shall euer man be iustified before it who bringeth with him boldenesse of his owne woorkes nature kinred or any thing and looketh not only for his pardon by grace and mercie neither can the Lord any more shewe mercie vnto him that is proude of his owne selfe then he can chaunge the propertie of his iudgement seate to make it no more the throne of grace Now it foloweth That we may obteine mercie and finde grace to help these wordes teache vs what the throne of grace is what it offereth vnto vs euen as we saide before boldenesse and constancie that we should not feare to goe vnto it For if it bee a throne of grace that is of fauour of mercie of loue of forgiuenesse of life then can there not be in it anger guiltinesse affliction of spirit bondage and feare of death but as the Apostle saith here it giueth vnto vs mercie grace and helpe in the time of neede Let vs not then say as the Papistes say that we ought to feare and doubt of Gods fauour and fil our mouthes with blasphemie as they haue done to say It is presumption to come with boldenesse vnto the throne of grace but let vs rather acknowledge all the goodnesse of God and confesse that he hath set vp vnto vs a throne of grace before whiche wee shall finde nothing but mercie but pardon but forgiuenesse but helpe neither wil we euer despise his grace to bring doutfulnesse or
our care and diligence for so the Apostle heere exhorteth his brethren the thing is hard and difficult whereof we speake there fore marke it more carefully and giue greater heede to vnderstanding this then is a good cause why the scripture is hard euen that we should put farre from vs all idle sluggish thoughts and prepare our selues with a good conscience and greate diligence as oft as either we heare or read the same and why should it not be so is there any knowledge wisedome learned but by labour and diligence to plowe thy fielde to dresse thy vineyard to keepe thy cattel to buylde thy house to euery worke hath not God appointed care and trauell no otherwise hath God dealt with his worde The Papistes not knowing this or else dissembling it they haue tolde vs an other cause why the Scripture is hard and that is that either we should not at al presume to read it or if we doe read it yet we should not presume of any vnderstanding of it otherwise then the Church of Rome hath taught vs I doe not speake one worde vntruely of them not one of them but this day they will confesse it This they teache The scripture is harde therfore euery man must not read it and if any do read it yet he must vnderstand it after the interpretation of the Church of Rome Heere I beseech you consider it diligently and tel me whether in such doctrine there be any reason trueth or godlinesse we haue a controuersie with these men whether the Churche of Rome be the Churche of Christe or of Antichrist the cause must be tryed by the Scriptures is it any reason nowe for them to challenge that we must beleeue the scripture according to their interpretations is not this to make them Iudges of their owne cause when the Apostle bad vs Try the spirites whether they be of God or no meant hee trowe you we should trie them according to the testimonie of the church of Rome when the men of Thessalonica tried the apostles doctrine whether it were true or no asked they the iudgement of the church of Rome Surely dearely beloued all this is but childish follic whiche of vs euer heard of any men who would bee Iudges in their owne cause except those of whome it is saide aske my fellowe if I be a theefe and beside this their vnreasonable talke haue they any truth in their words was there euer true and iust man that claymed this manner of try all is it not confessed and agreed vpon among all men that trueth seeketh no corners why runne they for defence to their owne darke hoame and feare the open iudgement of all men Learne of our sauiour Christ who is trueth it selfe saith he not If I should beare witnesse of my selfe my witnesse were not true and againe If I honour my selfe mine honour is nothing worth then if beside the wordes of his owne mouth who was the sonne of Dauid he had had no testimonie he could haue beene no true prophet but therefore he was true because his heauenly Father bare witnesse to him bothe in his glorious voice and in the assured testimonie of the lawe and the prophets and in al his miracles which made it manifest that he was the sonne of god If thus our sauiour Christ confirmed his credite vnto men and offered himselfe to be tried by the scriptures what proude people are these and what proude wordes are in their mouthes that woulde haue no triall of their dooings but the censure and iudgement of their owne mouthes Againe this vnreasonable vnture speach the the church of Rome onely must expound the scriptures because they be hard is there any godlinesse at all in so saying is it not taught vs many times that if we loue feare honour serue God we must obey his worde kepe his ordinances make all his lawes the rule of our life how then doe they loue God or what godlinesse is in thē that giue not gods worde credit in it selfe but make the truth of it to stand vpon their owne vnderstanding This nowe we knowe the hardnesse of scripture is not that we shoulde absteine from reading and hearing it nor because we should trust the interpretation of the Church of Rome but because we should with great and earnest affection applie our studie pray vnto God to lighten our minds that we may be taught of his spirit Now further let vs consider yet these woordes of the Apostle Because you be euil of hearing not only as I haue saide they teache vs because of the hardenesse of the scripture to take more heede vnto it but also verie plainly and manifestly they teach vs by what meanes the scripture becommeth harde vnto vs that is through our dull hearinge And who so euer he be to whome the scripture is hard let him accuse his owne dulnesse and whosoeuer blameth the Scripture in this behalfe hee blameth him selfe bothe of slowe eares and of a faithlesse heart for is there any thing thing more plaine then these woordes therefore it is harde because you be dull of hearing Take away from the man a deafe eare and a carelesse minde and thou hast taken from the scripture all obscuritie and darknesse leaue the man in his negligent minde thou makest the scriptures as hard as any darke speeche or riddle and I beseech you the more to confirme your faith in this persuasion marke how oftē in the scriptures this is taught vs that nothing maketh the scripture hard but our infirmitie our Apostle heere once taught it before The worde saith he did not profit them because it was not mingled to them with faith Saint Peter when he had said of Paules Epistles that many thinges in them were harde to vnderstand he addeth which the vnlearned the vnstable do peruert euen as they doe all other scripture heere you see again the scripture is hard but you se to whō and why to the wicked because they are wauering minded and will learne nothing be it neuer so plaine Saint Paule also speaking of the vnderstanding of the mysterie of the Gospell sayth plainely it is the carnall man that perceiueth not the thinges of God and in deede he can neuer vnderstande them because they be discerned spiritually Our sauiour Christ himselfe being asked this question why he spake so darkly and in parables he answereth thus To you it is giuen to knowe the mysterie of the kingdome of God but to those that are without all thinges are done in parables coulde he speake more plainely his worde is not hard vnto his children but to straungers to Infidels to men without God in the worlde to those hee speaketh darkly then dearly beloued this case being so clere let vs be bolde to say to all that accuse the worde of God of hardnesse as Sainct Paule hath say de before vs If the Gospel be yet hid then is it hid to those that perish
drawe it that was spoken in Hierusalem two thousand mile out of Italie that it was ment only of the Citie of Rome Againe they say the sinne against the holie ghost shall neuer be pardoned neither in this world nor in the world to come Ergo there is a purgatorie such are their proofes in their greatest mysteries And is not this trow you a miserable doctrine which hath no plaine and directe scripture but by suche wrested and straunge expositions can onely be proued and this I speak of their best expositions which to this day they hold and reuerence but infinite other expositions they haue and in times past of greatest account for they are written in their masse bookes their portesses their pontificalls their legends their decrees their councels their lawes that you may be sure they were expositions of generall consent and greatest force howe so euer now some woud dissemble them and these are suche expositions as I assure you and I beseech you to beleeue it for before the liuing God you shall finde it one day true the mad men in bedlem can not speake more foolishly they reason thus Peter drewe his sword and cut off Malchus eare therfore the Pope is head of the Church The world was finished in seuen dayes therfore none must marrie within seuen degrees of kinred God made two great lightes the Sunne and the Moone therfore as much as the Sunne is brighter then the Moone so much the Pope is greater then the Emperour The Prophet saith behold the face of thine anointed thus saith the pontifical is a Bishops prayer ouer the popes legat when he kneeleth before the Altar Behold I sende my messinger to prepare thy way before thy face saith God by his prophet Esaie the pontificall vseth this as a prophesie fulfilled when the Popes legate meeteth the Emperour to receiue him into any citie I haue found Dauid my seruant and annointed him with holie oyle My loue is beautifull among the daughters of Hierusalem This they applie to kings and Queenes when the cleargie receiue thē personally into their churches The prophet saith sprinkle mee Lord with ysop I shal be cleane that they applie to the priest sprinkling with holie water Lifte vp your head O ye gates and ye euerlasting dores lifte vp your selues that is when the Clarke openeth the churche doore for the Prieste to come in with the crosse on Palme sunday Tenne thousand such applications and expositions are in their bookes suche I say as I thinke no bedlem man coulde deuise more vaine and foolish Now if any of thē be ashamed of these doings I pray God that shame may be the triall of their countenance which testifieth against them and so be in them a good colour of repentance if they wil not be ashamed then the wrath of the Lord is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still ◅il hee make their madnesse knowen vnto all the world make them a hissing amonge his people who haue so prophaned his word of life And thus much touching the hardnesse of the scripture which the Apostle heere speaketh of It foloweth in the Apostle For wheras considering the time you ought to be teachers yet haue you neede again that we teach you the first principles of the word of God and are become suche as haue needs of milke and not strong meat this is the cause why the Apostle said they were slowe of hearing because they had profited no more in knowledge a great while the gospel preached professed among them yet they stil so ignorant that they knowe not the principles of their Christiā faith We haue had a great while the Gospell preached we might haue beene by this time doctours if we would haue learned I say not euery day or weeke or moneth but euery yeere a little and what a shame is it fos vs if yet we be ignoraunt in the principles of fayth howe many sermons haue wee heard or reade in vaine how many times haue wee made the sower to sowe his seede in the high wayes or among the thornes and stones If in xv yeeres we bee scarce past our A. b. c. when doe we hope that the secretes of the word shal be reuealed vnto vs Are so many yeares so small a portion of our life that wee may giue them to vanitie and learne nothing the Lord graunt that wee may better looke vnto our selues and seeing euery day taketh away parte of our life maketh this earth lie tabernacle more to corrupt let euery day bringe increase of knowledge and adde to our life that when our course is runne our faith may be kept and we may finde the crowne of righteousnesse whiche God hath laid vp for those that be wise of heart Or if this counsel of the Apostle wil not persuade vs but by leasure in xv yeeres to come we will learne hereafter I assure you our graues wil meete many of vs in our wayes while wee are yet dull in learning and when then shal be the time in which we wil enioy our knowledge Let vs looke therefore to our selues for I am afraid this sharpe rebuke of the Apostle is as iust against vs as it was against them and it must needes make vs at last ashamed except it make vs in time repent our sluggishnesse And heere by the way I beseeche you to marke well this place to see the difference of the spirit of trueth and the spirit of errour The Apostle checketh the people because they be so dull of hearing that the woorde of God is harde vnto them which ought to be moste familiar and easie He rebuketh them of ignoraunce that in so long time they haue not learned to be doctours in Christianitie able to teach others He threateneth them that if this greate sinne bee not amended let them looke for no other but that vengeaunce and wrath shal be a recompence vnto them Thus the Apostle sayth but what saith the false apostolicall man the pope of Rome forsooth he pray seth them of greate modestie that wil not presume to read the scripture as those which are darke and obscure writings he alloweth well of learning nothing and after many yeares to be neuer the wiser for ignorance saith he is the mother of deuotion He blesseth the men that haue no wisedome in them though they knowe not how to giue accompt of their faith yet he biddeth them beleue as the church beleeueth and they shal be saued Can any thinge be more contrarie to other then the apostles doctrine is contrarie to this why then do we not yet cast him off for shame and bid sye vpon the beaste that speaketh so presumptuously against the worde of God let him and his foolishnesse perishe together but let vs learne the knowledge of the Lorde It followeth For euery one that vseth milke is inexpert of the word of righteousnesse for he is a babe The Apostle before prouoked them to diligence first
word of truth we do see where the sixe tribes of Israel do curse such presumption In the xxvi of Deuter. vppon Mouut Eball Ruben Gad Asher Zebulon Dan and Nepthtalim they pronounce a decree Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this booke and all the people shal say A men If to confirme and ratifie be not to repeale or giue contrarie dispensation then all the Israel of the Lord must accurse his blasphemie that wildispense against the word of god We see the Pope vseth a triple crowne and challengeth honour aboue Emperours and kings but if we haue learned the commaundement of Christe and are lightened by it to iudge betweene good and euill when Christ saith Kings of the nations reigne ouer them and their rulers are called gratious Lords but it shall not be so among you we muste needes knowe the Popes pride is intollerable which taketh such honour vnto him selfe We see how they cry against vs The Church the church make vs beleeue that they are the church and they cannot erre but if we be exercised in the scripture to discerne betweene trueth and salshod we knowe that Christ hath built his church vppon the rocke which rocke is not Peter and his successours in Rome as the Pope expoundeth it but our Sauiour Christe sayth He that heareth his woorde and obeyeth it he is the wise man that buildeth vpon the rocke and neither stormes nor tempestes nor the gates of Hell shall preuaile against that buyldinge and Sainct Paule saith The foundation or rocke vppon which we be buylte is the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets And who so euer commeth vnto vs and bringeth vs that doctrine though they say they bee Apostles yet they belyers and though they say they be the church yet they are an assembly of theeues and murtherers Let vs then bee wise at the laste it is not ignoraunce it is perfect knowledge it is not infancie it is ripe vnderstanding that must commend vs vnto God. And mark it wel that you may knowe what God requireth of vs That which is here translated long custome the Apostle calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a knoweledge with long studie and practise learned as lawe in the Iudge or counseller as physick in the learned expert Physician so must diuinitie be in vs. Againe he sayth we must haue our senses exercised it is not enough to know nor to know much but wee muste bring the practise of it in our life neither concealing our knowledge nor withholding our obedience but with minde and bodie testifying our faith til experience teach vs that Gods spirit hath the victorie in vs Lastly he sayth wee must be able to iudge betweene good and euill or as S. Paule termeth it able to trie the difference of things one from other that is that we may know how to discerne betweenâ—… Gods wisedome and mans vaine inuentions betweene trueth and falsehoode betweene vertue and vice not as the manner of some is that stil be babes and worse then babes with whom if you wil reason of their religion to persuade them by the worde of trueth they will say I am not booke learned I can not dispute with you let me alone with my faith other men haue bene as well learned as they be now I am sure they beleeued otherwise are not these miserable people and are not they more miserable whiche thus haue seduced them and shall not wee thanke God this day who hath saued vs from suche vnspeakable madnesse both of the cursed teacher and of the wretched disciple yes dearly beloued let vs thanke God and let vs leaue the blinde leaders of the blinde and let vs pray that God would giue vnto vs according to his glorious riches the strength of his spirite in the inner man that by faith Christ may dwel in our heartes and wee may apprehende with all the saints the heigth the breadth the length the depth and knowe the loue of Christ whiche iâ—… aboue all knowledge and be filled with the fulnesse of God. Nowe it followeth in the sixte Chapter Therefore leuing the doctrine of the beginning of Christ let vs be led forward vnto perfection not laying again the fouÌ„datioÌ„ of repentaÌ„ce from dead works of faith towards God c. In these words the Apostle first maketh the conclu sion of his exhortation therfore let vs leaue the beginnings and go foreward vnto perfection In the wordes following he sheweth by particular pointes what is this beginning beyond which we must go that we may be perfecte and hee numbereth foure points repentance from dead works faith towardes God the resurrection of the bodie eternall iudgment whiche principles were learned and confessed of Christian mens children in the day of their confirmation of Gentiles that came to the faith of Christ in the day of their baptisme in this meaning some thinke he calleth these forenamed points the doctrine of baptismes and laying on of hands meaning thereby that seeing this confession and knowledge is in vs then when first we are receiued into the felowship of the church to be partakers of their mysteries howe ought wee of all duetie to growe vnto greater knowledge and wisedome when now many yeares we haue bene of the Church daily taught all the counsels of God or it may bee that the Apostle here reciteth the manner of catechising vsed them in Churches for instruction of children in which they were taught especially these sixe principles of religion what they are and howe they should learne them that is Repentance Faith Baptisme Laying on of handes the Resurrection and eternall iudgement whiche things being first learned of them and giuen vnto them in bookes such as our Catechismes are the Apostle may seme to speake thus Let vs not alwayes be beginners when we were yet children we learned this since so long time hearing the word preached and religion more perfectly taught vs howe shal we be blamelesse if we learne no more By which wordes the meaning of the apostle is to giue vs no time of rest when we should thinke we were wise enough wee neede learne no more but as long as God continueth our life so long we should continue our studie still to knowe more of his vnsearcheable wisedome and goodnesse Touching the learning of these thinges to bee milke and meate of children I tolde you before by some examples howe we might vnderstand it it is milke to know these things in the simplicitie of the wordes it is strong meate to bee able to distribute them into euerie part and applie it to our selues in our life Repentance whereof he first speaketh hath here a sorrowe and purpose of amendment as these affections can be in children which is to be grieued or wepe for a thing done and to beware afterward for feare of the like but the wise and graue man that hath profited in the schole of Christe his sorrowe sinketh much deeper he