any signes for God hath sufficiently yeelded to our infirmitie that in the beginning of the law and gospell he adioyned to his word certaine signes as seales by which we might be assured that they were the word of God But now he will not at our pleasure giue any more signes but he will haue vs beleeue his word For we walke not by sight but by faith And hereupon he saith to Thomas Blessed are they which haue not seene and yet haue beleeued Therefore not without cause he condemnes those which as yet seeke for signes For first not to beleeue without signes is against the nature of faith For faith is a substance of those things which are not seene but are hoped for Secondly not to beleeue without signes is iniurious to God as though he could either deceiue or be deceiued Thirdly it is daungerous to giue more heed to signes then to the word of God it selfe for the diuell can shew signes the which thing we see in the enchaunters of Egypt Hereof also Moses forbiddeth that no credit should be giuen to the Prophet doing miracles and in the meane while teaching against the law because miracles cannot make the false word true but seduce rather but if they be annexed to the true word they confirme and seale vs the more in the truth Lastly faith conceiued by miracles is not so constant for they which beleeue not because of the word but by reason of miracles oftentimes fall into incredulitie in the time of tribulation neither continue stedfast in faith as we may see in the Israelites who verie often when as the miracles ceased fell a doubting Againe he writes thus Then we may safely beleeue miracles if the doctrine agree with the word of God which they teach that they are done in Christ And againe of the ends of miracles he writes thus God hath annexed miracles to his word Fer. in 3 ca. act as it were certaine seales by which we should be assured that they were not the words of man but of God which we see confirmed with such great signes which belong onely to God to doe for which cause Christ did not onely miracles himselfe but gaue his Apostles also power to do the same as also in times past to Moses and the Prophets Thus much Ferus Therefore miracles of themselues if they be separated from the word are of no force to establish anie doctrine 13. Of Apparitions of spirits AGainst Appearing of spirits Ierome writeth thus Ierom. in 8. ca. Esai This you ought to know that euerie nation asketh counsell of their owne Gods and enquires of the dead for the liuing but to you he hath giuen his law for to helpe you that you may say The diuination of the heathen is not such which often deceiueth the worshippers And not like ours which without any gift is drawen out of the law of God And after No maruell if you follow your traditions when as euerie nation asketh counsell of their Idols speaking of the Scribes and Pharisées following the traditions of their fathers Therefore we will not aske counsell of you being as it were dead concerning the liuing God hath rather giuen you a law and the testimonie of the Scriptures which if ye will not follow you shall haue no light but euer darknes shall oppresse you May we not say the like of the Papists who followed the apparitions of spirits and the traditions of the elders Saint Bernard also asketh a question of the blessed Virgine of whom it is said that she cast in her mind what that salutation should meane Oleast in 2. ca. Gen. And why she should suspect talking with an Angell and he answereth wilt thou O man be in daunger without care feare then securitie it selfe Wilt thou be safe and sure from the diuell then feare Angels from heauen Thou hast heard that Sathan hath transformed himselfe into an Angell of light that he might deceiue man Thus much Oleaster alleadgeth out of Bernard I would to God they themselues had followed this holy fact of the blessed virgin who at the first suspected the Angell that appeared to her and that they had not giuen credit to the apparitions of Angels nor of the Saints No nor to the blessed virgin her selfe or of the soules of any departed of whom they haue learned most part of their religion Sathan may seeme a saint the blessed virgine nay euen an Angell of God Beware therefore how thou at all beléeuest such apparitions least thou be deceiued Looke rather to Moses and the prophets according to thy Sauiours counsell then to these doubtfull apparitions And after Why O woman dost thou lie saying God hath forbidden both to eate and touch the tree when as God onely forbad the eating thereof Note heere that he calleth it a lie to adde to the commaundement of God though it seeme religious as not so much as to touch the trée This Eue might seeme to haue said of a deuotion that she bare to the commaundement that she would not so much as touch the trée But that had béene superstition that had béene more then God commanded she might lawfully haue touched the tree And many such superstitions beside the word Eue the mother Church of Rome vpon a good intent for deuotion bringeth now into the Church Stella also of Reuelations writes thus Simeon beleeued the scriptures which spake of Messias and after he had Reuelations Stell in 2. Luc. Hereby we are taught that they are worthy to haue Reuelations shewed them which beleeuing the scriptures obtaine those things which they beleeue and doe them Secondly that those Reuelations are certaine which doe not dissent from the Scriptures Thus farre Stella I would to God they had examined all their reuelations and apparitions by this rule of the scriptures then the papists by lying spirits had not béene so often deceiued as they haue béene Of the nature and sleights of the diuell In orat dom Ludouicus Viues hath verie excellently writen thus Thou O Lord art onely good and whatsoeuer thou hast created are good because thou art the creator of them But he that is thy continuall enemie the diuell is naught and wicked He is thy enemie and therefore also ours because thou accountest vs for thy children He can hurt thee by no manner of meanes but he can and is willing to hurt vs diuersly and he is euer readie to destroy vs neuer sleeping his opportunitie And which of vs in any respect is able to resist him for if we deale with him in strength he is most strong neither is there any power found vpon earth as Iob saith that may be compared vnto him If by pollicie he is most craftie he will counterfait loue fauor to thee whose destruction aboue all others he longeth for and to whom euery minute he imagineth mischiefe Nay also he will seeme to beare a faire shew as that he alloweth truth and vertue which he hates most deadly and he will
night in the word of God For by this exercise the soule is fed with the knowledge of the trueth and the will with the loue and sweetnes of it And when as the vnderstanding and the will are as it were two principall wheeles of a clocke that is of a life that is rightly gouerned if they moue in order and as they ought all the whole worke and whatsoeuer dependes thereon shall be perfectly ordered In this holy reading a man seeth his wants he resolueth his doubts he findes remedies to keepe in store against tribulations there are good counsels also afforded him there he learns many mysteries he is strengthened by the examples of vertues and he learnes the profit that comes by them And therefore Salomon so highly commendes it in his Prouerbes Keepe saith hee my sonne the precepts of thy father and forsake not the law of thy mother Binde them in thy heart continually and knit them about thy necke When as thou walkest any whither let them go with thee and when thou sleepest let them preserue thee and when thou awakest talke with them because the commaundement is a lanterne the law a light and the nurture of discipline the way of life Thus farre Granatensis Where he plainely condemnes that position of other Papistes that the reading of the scripture is daungerous Nay hée condemnes that which in their blind kingdome when as Gods word was banished they allowed that is the reading of vaine Histories as of Beuis and such like That saith he is most dangerous The author also of that booke called the Resolution agrees with Granatensis herein Who is there now adaies saith he which maketh the lawe or commaundement or iustifications of God as the scripture termeth them his daily meditation Part. 1. ca. 2. as king Dauid did Neither onely in the day time did he this but also by night in his heart as in another place he testifieth of himselfe How many of vs doe passe ouer whole daies and monethes without euer entering into these meditations Nay God grant that there be not many Christians in the world which know not what these meditatiōs meane We beleeue in grosse the mysteries of our Christ ā faith as that there is a Hell a Heauen a reward for vertue a punishment for vice a iudgement to come and an account to be made and the like but for that we chew them not well by deepe consideration and doe not digest them well in our hearts by the heat of meditation they helpe vs little to good life no more then a preseruatiue put in a mans pocket can helpe his health c. This author besides that he commends the continuall studie and meditation of the scriptures séemes to mislike with that generall faith knowledge which the Church of Rome teacheth we must not beléeue in grosse saith hée but we must particularly muse vpon and applie the things to our selues Ferus also of the princely authoritie of the scriptures writes thus And here thou feest the great boldnes of trueth Only trueth can say Fer. part 2. pass I feare no man No other doctrine is so perfect that it can say so besides that which God hath reuealed in his word And after he writes thus That Christ suffered all other iniuries with silence besides this blow on the face which the high Priests seruant gaue him He replies to that saith Ferus least that he should thinke that it were not lawfull to reprooue princes with the word of God whereas the word of God spareth no bodie It is the iudge of all men c. If the word of God be the iudge of all men then of the Pope hee must submit himselfe vnto it he cannot dispense with it The same Granatensis also De deuor Lib. 1. cap. 44. of the authoritie of the scriptures writes thus The controuersies that arise about trust or credite of bargaines betweene man and man and of ecclesiasticall decrees commaundements the Maisters and Doctors of that facultie know best And those same spiritual matters also are diligently to be examined that we may see if they agree with the rule of the diuine scripture He makes the holy scripture the rule of spirituall matters Granatensis also in another place yéeldes this excellent testimonie to the scriptures Med. 7. vitae Christi Mat. 2. And as these men speaking of the wise men made no account of this wisedome and of the argumentes of the flesh after that they saw a contrarie witnesse and testimonie giuen them in heauen so neither must thou thinke that the iudgements and opinions of the world to be of any force when as thou seest the word of God and the most holy gospell to teach the contrarie Let the world reproue and let it gainesay as much as it listeth the words of God let all the wise men of this worlde storme against it let them alledge olde customes let them oppose the examples of Kings and Emperours all these are but vapors and smoke neither are they of any force against the worde of God and his holy gospell and his heauenly wisedome And after Where art thou which art borne King of the Iewes the lawe of all deuout men the captaine of all miserable men the sight of all blind men the life of the dead and the euerlasting saluation of them that shall liue for euer And a fit answere followes In Bethlehem Iudah Bethlehem is expounded to be the house of bread and Iudah confessing For there Christ is found where after the confession of our faultes the bread of the heauenly life that is the doctrine of the gospell is heard mused vpon and kept in a deuout mind that it may be practised in deed and also may be declared to others There the child Iesus with his mother Mary is found whereafter sorrowfull contrition and fruitfull confession the sweetnes of heauenly comfort is tasted sometimes amongst streames of teares where praier him whom she founde almost in despaire now leaues reioysing and presuming of pardon c. And in another place he writes As concerning the first we must consider that it ought to be the chiefe and most principall exercise of a christian that he should meditate in the lawe of God and in the doctrine of the commandements And therefore among the commendations of a iust man this is one of the chiefest that he should meditate in the law of God day and night Med. 11. vitae Christi And the kingly Prophet in his Psalmes doth almost euery where make his boast of the loue which he had to the law of God and that he daily meditated in it And that the wordes of God were more sweete to him then hony and the hony combe If it were so delectable and pleasant to that most holy King to reade meditate and studie the words and precepts of that olde law how farre more pleasant should the reading and meditation of the words of the Gospell be to vs All the commandements
ceremoniall nor morall neither in those that go afore iustification neither in those that follow but onely in the grace of Christ And this is one of the chiefest pointes of Christian religion to knowe whereunto one maie trust in his saluation and in this he plainelie agrees with our doctrine And againe in another place he sayeth expresselie That the woman comming for another thing In cap. 2. Ioh. that is for vvater found Christ so God deales with vs. Our saluation chanceth to vs without desert and commonly neither desiring it nor seeking it yea being busied about other matters and seeking other things So the Kingdome fell to Saul seeking his fathers Asses So Christ was preached vnto the Shepheards keeping their flocks So Andrew and Peter casting their nets into the Sea were called of Christ So Matthew and Paul and others going about other matters receiued saluation of Christ To conclude so long wee are carefull for our owne affaires that is for carnall things till Christ of his owne freewill offer himselfe vnto vs beyond all our expectation And hence it is that the Bride crieth Draw me after thee and the prophet Turne vs O God of our saluation For if Christ should not preuent vs with his grace we do still remaine in our sins euen as that woman had returned euen as she came if Christ had not preuented her In cap. 3. Ioh. And in another place hee writes thus Vnlesse a man be borne againe Nicodemus asked Christ nothing expressely and yet Christ first of all answeres him of regeneration By this he hath taught all Preachers that first they make the tree good and then that they require good fruites that is to say that first they teach faith whereby a man may be iustified and afterward good workes and in this one short word he comprehendeth the whole summe of Christian religion Man truly was created to euerlasting felicity but because thorough his sinne he became accursed it came to passe that not onely himselfe and all things that he had but that also all his posterity became accursed therefore because wee are borne of Adam we are all become vnprofitable and abhominable both in body and soule in all our power and hability Vnlesse therefore by the grace of God we be borne againe and of Adams Sonnes bee made the Sonnes of God all things are in vaine that we doe or endeuour or thinke or speake yea our selues are vaine and all our reason will strength and works Therefore he that desires to enter into the kingdome of God must become a new man so also he that desires to see the kingdome of God that is to vnderstand the mysteries of the kingdome of God and his heauenly doctrine as God shewed to Iacob the kingdome of God in that ladder lift vp which reached to heauen he must lay aside all fleshly wisedome he must deny his owne reason he must despise his owne strength and must yeelde himselfe wholy as it were a bondslaue to the word of God By this word therefore Christ condemnes vs and all things that wee haue that hee might prouoke vs more forcibly to seeke helpe of him Againe by this word he wrests from vs all confidence in our selues or in our owne works and takes from vs that staffe of a reede that we may learne to trust in the onely mercy of God For faith is the sure staffe of our old age by which alone we may passe ouer this Iordan of temptation the figure whereof was shewed before in Iacob Here therefore learne why God in the Scriptures oftentimes condemnes our works and our endeuours for he doth not this to bring vs into despaire or because good works do not please him but that he may teach vs to trust only in the mercy of God And a little after hee writes thus Although one man beeing compared to another one may seeme more nobler or wiser or more iust then another yet if we respect the power wisedome and iustice of God we are all alike weake ignorant and sinners neither one not so much as an haire excels another For we all stand need of the grace of God And after It is no maruell if Nicodemus vnderstood not the words of Iesus For the fleshly man vnderstands not those things which are of God For they are foolishnesse vnto him Ferus here plainelie teacheth that a right faith must bee the roote of all good workes and that is such a faith as the Gospell teacheth that is that Iesus Christ is both able and willing to cure all diseases both of bodie and soule and with such a faith all sinners should come to him alone and that this faith should be planted in euerie Christians heart which the Papistes haue not doone heretofore in their Church And after this faith then good works should bee taught and required Secondlie hee teacheth that we haue no power to doe good left in vs wee are not like Birdes in a Cage which if the stoppe of sinne were taken awaie would voluntarilie flie out as other Papistes teach but euen deade Birdes and Carions hauing no strength or power at all to doe good and that Christ condemnes vs to make vs more forciblie to flie to him and that wee must not put anie confidence or trust in our workes and that before God there is not anie one man a haire better then another but all are alike sinners not excepting the blessed Virgine Marie of her owne nature What doctrine can bee more agreeable to the Gospell then this or to that wee nowe teach in the Church of England I woulde to GOD all Papistes woulde marke it and beléeue it Philippus de Dies also writes thus King Ezechias asking life of God Sermone 2. de resur recites his benefits saying O Lord I beseech thee behold I haue walked before thee in truth and in a perfect hart that I haue don that which is right in thy eies Why O holy King sayeth hee doest thou alleadge thy seruices that thou hast done to God It had seemed better if thou hadst alleadged thy miseries thy pouerty So poore men are wont to doe that may moue them to pity of whome they hope for an almes they shew them their wounds and miseries To this Saint Gregory answeres that the holy King here doth not alleadge his vertues as deserts but as all Gods benefites for all the good thinges wee doe they are Gods benefites And so saieth Saint Austen expounding the Psalme Who crowneth thee with mercie and louing kindnes saieth hee Is there not a crowne due to good works But because he works in vs all our good works therefore he sayth which crowneth thee with mercy and louing kindnes because al our good workes are the mercies of God And in another place hee writes thus Conc. 2. in fest Matth. One of the holy fathers being asked who was holy answered He that was humble And beeing asked againe who was more humble answered Hee that was more holy Lastly
dangers So the Apostles teach three things first the law that is what we must doe and what we must eschew Secondly the gospell Thirdly they bring remedies against perils But he especially counsels them that they should take meate for there is nothing more necessarie to thē that be in danger then the bread of the word of God No man can swimme out and escape from death vnlesse he first strengthen himselfe with the bread of life Wouldest thou escape death then follow Ferus his counsell strengthen thy soule with this bread 8. Of Pilgrimages FIrst concerning Pilgrimages Ioh. 4.21 the Gospell teacheth vs these lessons And Iesus said vnto the woman of Samariah Woman beleeue me the houre commeth when ye shall neither in this mountaine nor at Ierusalem worship the Father c. No nor in any other set place But the houre commeth and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth that is in euerie place Mal. 1.11 And this is that which Malachie also prophesieth of Christs kingdome From the rising of the sunne vnto the going downe of the same my Name is great among the Gentiles and in euery place incense shall be offered in my name Here are two things of vs to be considered First that Gods name alone shall be great among the Gentiles and of it shall proceede incense that most swéet smelling sacrifice vnto God in euerie place And what is this els but prayers to bee made in all places in the name of Iesus Christ The same lesson also grounded no doubt of this Prophesie Saint Paul teacheth al christians I will therefore that men pray euery where 1. Tim. 2.8 lifting vppe pure hands without doubtfulnesse No doubt this prayer in all places is that sacrifice and most pleasant incense whereof Malachie spake before But that place of Saint Paul most manifestly ouerthrowes all Pilgrimages The word is neere thee Rom. 10.8 euen in thy mouth and in thy heart This is the word of faith which we preach for if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus shalt beleeue in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued For with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth vnto saluation The word of faith the worde of saluation is nigh thée saith Saint Paul thou néedes not go to Rome or to any other place for it For if at home in thine house thou shalt beléeue in the lord Iesus confesse him with thy mouth thou shalt be saued thou néeds not make any great long iournie for to obtain thy saluation Nay our sauiour Christ himselfe most manifestly makes it a signe of heretikes to teach this doctrine of pilgrimages There shall arise false Christes saith he and false prophets c. Mat. 24. Wherefore if they shall saye vnto you behold he is in the desart goe not forth behold he is in secrete places 23. or in their cels cloisters beleeue them not For as the lightning commeth out of the East and shineth into the West 27. So shall also the comming of the sonne of man be Not onely in his comming to iudgement but also to euerie faithfull soule as saint Luke seemes to expound this For as the lightening that lighteneth out of the one part vnder heauen shineth vnto the other part vnder heauen Luke 17.24 so shall the sonne of man be in his day Where as that which saint Matthew calles his comming saint Luke calles his day And saint Luke before calles the light of the Gospell the daie of the sonne of man which in the thicke darkenesse of Antichrist he saith Vers 22. Men shall desire to see but one of them and shall not see it Christ in his kingdome as the true sunne of righteousnesse to illuminate to quicken things nowe dead thorow sinne shines not onely at Rome but thorow the whole world Of Pilgrimages to Rome or to other places Concerning this matter Ferus writes thus By this word hee shewes Fer. in ca. 4. Io. all controuersies of the prerogatiue of places are to be taken away for in the newe Testament the worship of God is tyed to no one place but in all places of his dominion God is praised of the faithfull as it was foretolde by Malachie This is our great comfort that we may finde God in all places For otherwise if we must all goe to Ierusalem who seeketh not howe fewe should haue beene saued therefore he left not one stone vpon another in the Temple of Ierusalem that we might all know that that law of worshipping God in one place was now abrogated as concerning externall things for spiritually we all do worship and sacrifice nowe in Christ the true Temple of God Fer. in pass Parte 4. And againe of the same matter in another place hee writeth thus To conclude saith hee no man knowes where Moses graue is neither makes it any great matter But Christes graue is knowen to all men and so also it was necessarie that of it wee may learne our burials and resurrection for as Christs passion is ours so his buriall is ours also that wee are buried with him in baptisme to death c. It makes no matter for Moses his graue saith Ferus and the chiefe end of Christes graue why it is knowne where it is is not to go to sée it but to beleeue that as hee was buried and rose againe so shall wée also But how contrarie is all this to that which the Rhemists in their Testament haue noted vpon the second chapter of Saint Matthew vpon these wordes Came to adore they write thus This comming so farre of deuotion to visite and adore Christ in the place of his birth was properly a pilgrimage to his person and warrants the faithfull in the like kinde of externall worship done to holy places persons or things But this followes not they came to worship Christ therefore the faithfull may go a pilgrimage to worship holy places or things when as God is onely to be worshipped Then they had a starre to direct them but we haue none now therefore their fact cannot warrant vs. 9. Of Traditions and ceremonies AS concerning traditions and ceremonies Deut. 16.1 and what account to make of them that shadow of the lawe may seeme to teach Thou shalt keepe the moneth of Abib or new corne as Ierome translates it that is when as corne growes to be eared Reue. 11.1.8 And thou shalt celebrate the Passeouer vnto the Lord thy God For in the month of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee out of the land of Egypt The comming out of that corporall Egypt was a signe no doubt of the comming out of the spirituall Egypt as S. Iohn teacheth vs in the Reuelation And amongst manie other resemblances Rom. 15.4 that the one of these hath to the other this is not the least and to be obserued of vs
the Church as manie doe nowe Chrysostome or whosoeuer he was that wrote this booke a verie auncient and learned Christian was of this iudgment long before Antichrist came and shall we now not beleeue it seeing it with our eies And he addeth that the onely way nowe to trie the truth is by the Scriptures This is his counsell And the Pope herein by disswading men from reading the scriptures declares plainely that hee is Antichrist for as the Gospell teacheth He that doth euill hateth the light and will not come neere it Why should the Pope debarre men from reading the scriptures but that he feares they would discouer his darkenesse and false doctrines Neither is the comming of Elias and Enoch necessarie for the conuersion of the Iewes The scriptures doe teach vs other meanes of their conuersion Euen to this daie saith Saint Paul when Moses is read 1. Cor. 3.15 there is a vaile put ouer the hearts of the Iewes but when they shall returne to the Lord the vaile shall be taken away It is God alone which must take awaie the vailes from their hearts and then they shall be conuerted Psal 119.18 As Dauid also prayeth O Lord take awaie the vaile from mine eies and I shall beholde the wondrous things of thy law And in another place saint Paul writes thus If the reiecting of them were the reconciliation of the world Ro. 11 15. what is the resumption and taking them againe but euen life from death The conuersion of the Iewes then and their resumption is euen as it were of dead men to make liuing men And this is the worke of God alone And this worke doth he worke euen in a moment as many histories do proue That hereof then no Christian may dreame of any long continuance of this world because the Iewes are not as yet conuerted when as their conuersion is of the hand and power of God as saint Paul plainly teacheth and not of the comming and preaching of Enoch and Elias and is as it were putting life into dead men which God can doe in a minute And of the ouerthrowing of Antichrist 2. Thes 2.8 Saint Paul also writes thus That he shall be consumed by little and little by the Spirit of Gods mouth and shall be quite abolished by his glorious appearance Iesus Christ himselfe by his word and by his owne presence shall consume and quite destroie Antichrist he shall not need the ministerie of Elias and Enoch The prophet Zacharie also prophecying most manifestly of the conuersion of the Iewes attributes it to Gods extraordinary mercie and not to the preaching of Elias and Enoch And I will powre out saith God vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and prayers or of mercie For the hebrew word may signifie both Zach. 12.10 And they shall looke vpon him whō they haue thrust thorow they shall lament ouer him as one doth ouer his onely begotten and the whole land shall lament family to family by themselues the family of the house of Dauid apart c. And here in this waightie matter concerning the fulfilling explication of this prophecy to let all mens interpretations passe the holie ghost it selfe by whom the prophet spake is the best interpreter of this prophecie and teacheth vs most plainly in whom and when it shall be fulfilled As concerning the first in whom it shall be fulfilled saint Iohn in his gospell tels vs plainly That it shall be fulfilled in those Iewes that put Christ to death and caused him to be pearced with a speare Io. 19.37 For he saith that therefore one of the souldiers thrust him thorow with a speare that that scripture might be fulfilled And they shall behold him whom they haue pearced That was done then that this might be fulfilled hereafter So that of the persons vpon whom this prophecie shall be fulfilled it is plaine that by Saint Iohns interpretation they are the true naturall Iewes and not as some haue here allegorically gone about to expound this place the spirituall Iewes that is vs Christians And if S. Iohn here do plainly affirme that this latter branch of Zacharias prophecie shall be fulfilled in the true Iewes I will adde that then likewise the former branch of this prophecie that is That God will powre vpon them the spirit of grace and mercie shall be fulfilled in them We may not dismember the prophecies of God If the latter part be verified in them then surely it necessarily inferres that the former is verified also And at what time all this shall be fulfilled the same saint Iohn in another place declares Behold saith he he comes in the clouds and all eies shall see him Reue. 1.7 yea euen they which haue pearced him and all the tribes of the earth shall lament ouer him Amen That this shall be fulfilled in the day of iudgement here saint Iohn plainly affirmes and he also ads that wéeping whereof Zacharie maketh mention to make the matter more plaine And that this wéeping which Zacharie speakes of shall be of such as shall be saued is manifest hereby first that the prophet saith That God will powre vpon them the spirit of grace and mercy This powring this aboundance of grace and mercie argues no doubt the hainousnes and the miserablenes of their estate wherein they are euen now also it argues their fauourable acceptation and pardon at Gods hands And that also it shal be of such as shall be saued appeares hereby that the prophet declares the manner thereof so apparantly euen twise togither They shall lament him saith he as one that lamenteth bitterly for his onelie sonne and they shall be sorie for him as one that is sorie for his first borne No doubt this argues that this their repentance shall be syncere Gen 34. Heb. 12. Mat. 27.4 Luke 7.3 Mat. 26.7 8. euen from the bottome of their hearts not like Esaus or Iudas his repentance but like Marie Magdalens and Peters So that to expound this place of vs Christians who are spirituall Iewes seemes not to agrée naturally with the text and also to gainsay saint Iohns exposition Who saith that Christ was pearced with a speare that the scripture might be fulfilled in them and that not then but hereafter And they shal see him whom they haue pearced Neither do we read of anie such generall mourning required or practised of the spirituall Iewes that is of vs Christians when we were conuerted In the Acts of the Apostles Act. 2.37.41 They were pricked in their hearts we read and of their baptisme but of the teares of anie we read not Neither was it fulfilled in those women which when Christ was led to his passion came weeping after him Luke 23.27 For these were but certaine women neither do we read that they wept apart but altogither neither that anie men wept with them but women onely And those women wept before he
name I am in the midst of them And he was at the same time present with Peter at Ierusalem For he fils heauen and earth And this is the comfort of the godly that God is present with them in all places and therefore in all places they may call vpon him for he is nie vnto them that call vpon him in truth Here is a forcible reason whie we should call vpon God alone because he alone fulfils heauen and earth and therfore in all places we maie boldlie call vpon him So are we not sure of the presence of anie creature els so that when we praie to them we maie perchance praie to the walles Ferus speaking of the woman that powred the pretious ointment on Christ writes thus Fer. de pass part 1. Marke with what confidence this woman comes vnto Christ whom notwithstanding that same holy man Iohn was affraid to touch at Iordan She conceiued this confidence by no other meanes then of the often tried and approued goodnesse of Christ therefore it was not rashnesse in this woman but great charitie and exceeding loue So also the faithfull although they be not now altogither without sinne yet they dare boldly say vnto God our Father Ibid. Of Peters refusall also to Christ to washe his féete he writes thus Againe in this Peter also erred that as should seeme because he would haue reuerenced Christ therefore he refused this his seruice Euen as in another place also he repelled Christ from him when as he said Depart from me Lord for I am a sinner yea but if thou shalt thinke thy selfe to be a sinner yet thou must not put the Lord from thee This seemes to be a kinde of reuerence but it is a preposterous reuerence proceeding of flesh and bloud As many for their vnworthinesse thinke that they dishonour God if they pray vnto him or receiue the sacraments But faith thinkes farre otherwise that is that he dishonors God which sins and not he which craueth pardon and vseth the meanes ordained of God to heale his sinnes so he dishonoureth God not which endures his seruice but he that refuseth him and preferres his owne iudgement before the will of God It is a good thing to confesse our owne vnworthinesse nay we ought to doe it It is a good thing also to reuerence the Maiestie of God but this goodnesse turnes it selfe into superstition if we exclude the seruice of Christ for out vnworthines Therfore let vs not feare to come vnto God because he commaunds vs to come vnto him and to call vpon him Come to me saith he all yee that trauell c. And againe Call vpon me in the time of thy trouble Nay thou yeeldest to God the greatest honour if thou shalt call vpon him faithfully And againe thou dishonourest him with the greatest dishonour that may be if he calling thee vnto him and promising thee helpe thou despise him by not comming vnto him so also thou yeeldest greatest honour vnto Christ when as thou endurest his seruice towards thee Hence it is that Marie sitting as it were quietly and idly at Iesus feete enduring Christs ministerie which he yeelded vnto her by preaching is farre more honourably commended then busie Martha To conclude if thou wouldest haue health thou maiest not put away the Physition from thee yea come thou so much the more boldly to him as thine infirmitie or vnworthines is the greater So also in our necessities concerning these our temporall and worldly things we respect neither our owne vnworthinesse not the dignitie of any other so that we may be helped and relieued So he that is hunger-bit and almost famished will not feare to speake to any be he neuer so honourable being forced with the extremitie of hunger doe thou so likewise c. And after Also hee couertly shewes his Apostles by what means and as it were greeses or steps they must climb vp to God For we cannot come to the father but by Christ for he is the way And we cannot come vnto Christ vnlesse we receiue his Apostles that is their words therfore we must begin to climbe vp to God by the hearing of his worde He that receiueth this receiueth Christ and he that hath Christ hath the Father and he that hath the Father hath all good things c. So that to heare Gods word is the first steppe to climbe to God and then in what case are they that refuse to hear Gods word preached Secondly by hearing Gods word we are taught the next steppe that is to make our praiers to Christ only for Gods word teacheth vs to make our praiers to God by the means of no other And therfore the inuocation of saints is no step of this heauenly ladder by Ferus his iudgement Ferus of Christ being whipped and spit vpon writes thus Fer. part 3. pass Thinke these things with thy selfe O Christian behold Christ in this forme and plight and thou shalt neuer despaire of his grace for he will neuer forsake thee trusting in him which suffred so great things for thee deseruing nothing at his hands And of Christs mother the blessed virgin hee writes thus For at other times Christ seemed to vse hard speeches vnto his mother that is when as the worke of God was to be done Fer. de pass part 4. as in the 2. of Iohn Mat. 12. Luk. 12. For when as Gods businesse is in hand all mans affections must cease and giue place But here on the Crosse he acknowledgeth his mother most faithfully and curteously c. In Gods affaires all motherlie affection must cease saith Ferus but the forgiuenesse of sins and such like are Gods affaires therefore in these matters the blessed virgin medleth not Of the first word that our Sauiour spake on the Crosse Father forgiue them Fer. part 4. ◠for they know not what they doe Ferus writes thus When as the Lord Iesus was made now a true sacrifice and now he was come to the fulfilling of our redemption and saluation although he were oppressed with vnspeakeable torments yet remembring wherefore he suffered such things that is for our sakes therefore forgetting all his griefes and paines he begins to encounter with his fathers anger with his prayers and now he begins to execute his office he begins his priesthood he is become a mediator betweene God and man an intercessour and a defender of vs and he sets himselfe wholy as an inuincible wall against his fathers anger for he could not forget his naturall goodnes Therefore whereas others would haue cursed blasphemed and rayled he praies and that not for himselfe but for others and not onely for others but for his most deadly enemies and his crucifiers who notwithstanding had been woorthy either to haue beene deuoured with fire from heauen or to haue been swallowed vp of the earth And a little after If Christ prayed so earnestly for his crucifiers how much more now doth he make intercession for those
chanced to his Apostles Let vs not therefore be troubled if there be now great dissension and quarels about religion Neither for this cause must we neglect to go to godly sermons but rather let vs diligently do this First call vpon God with the kingly Prophet saying Shew me thy wayes O Lord and teach me thy paths Then compare the doctrines diligently together and that which thou shalt perceiue more forcible to drawe thee from the world to God from the flesh to the Spirit from euill to goodnesse and from idolatrie to the true worshipping of God embrace that without anie feare with tooth and naile as they say nothing respecting the gainesayings of others The diuell hath euer gone about this That good deeds and words might bee made none account of least men beleeuing should bee saued Therefore by his ministers he sowes errours and sometimes also hee doth worke miracles that by errours he might make Gods word and by false signes Gods works to be lightly set by that by this means he may rather draw men quite frō the word or at least wise he may make them distrust and doubt of it God suffers this first that the godly may be tried according to that If a Prophet rise among you c. beleeue him not Deut. 13.1 for God tries you And hereof also Christ saith that in the end of the world so great shall be the beguilings of false Prophets that if it vvere possible the very elect should be seduced And hereof Saint Iohn saith Beleeue not euerie spirit but proue the spirits whether they be of God or no. The doctrin of the Gospell which we haue receiued is the word of God which hath been confirmed by many signes and with the bloud of many thousands Wherefore let no man doubt of that although an Angell from heauen should perswade the contrarie Againe therefore God suffers the diuell to shew lying signes that the wicked may be more blinded For it is done by the iust iudgement of God that they which will not beleeue the truth should be seduced and should cleaue to lies Thus far Ferus Where he plainly teacheth that it is no maruell that after the preaching of the Gospell contention and heresies haue sprung in the Church he saith it hath béene alwaies so and shall be euer And that for this cause no man ought to refuse to go and heare sermons And he loues the doctrine of the Gospell not anie lying miracles as the ground-worke of true Christian religion And after concerning the same matter he writes thus vpon these words The citie was deuided Ferus in 14. cap. Act. Here thou seest fulfilled that which Christ foretold I came not to send peace into the world but a sword The Gospell teacheth not seditions nor soweth discords but because it reprooueth their sinnes it cannot choose but the worldlings should repine against it I came to send fire vpon the earth maruell not therefore if there spring vp and be sects in the world for it hath beene euer so yea there must be heresies that the elect may be proued As much more as we see sects to arise so let vs striue earnestly to find and search out the truth and to stand firmely and vnmoueably in the confessed truth and to professe it boldly vnto our liues end And after he writes thus of the ground of euerie true Christians faith Ferus in cap. Act. 15. Euerie Christian ought to bee so sure of his faith that if all the world were of a contrarie opinion yet he could say I am sure this is Gods word let other men think what they will God cannot deceiue or beguile Yea if an Angell frō heauen should preach the contrarie let him be accursed Vnles thou be thus grounded thou canst not stand stedfastly when the false Apostles shall teach the contrarie And hereof Christ saith My sheepe heare my voyce and they will not heare stangers but run from them Gods word by Ferus iudgement is the onely Rocke of Christians faith and religion in these doubtful daies And againe in another place he makes these steps of Christianitie Marke in the foresaid words this order in Christianitie Ferus in cap. 22. Act. First is the predestination of God For it is not of him that willeth but of God that sheweth mercie Reade the ninth chapter to the Romans And we are predestinate not to idlenesse or wantonnesse but that wee may know the will of God what kind of one he is towards vs what he requires and willes at our hands Then wee are sent to Christ in whom alone we see how God is affected to vs. By him also we receiue the holy Ghost that we may be able to doe the will of God After we haue knowne Christ it remaines that in our life maners and words we testifie his goodnesse towards vs and that we are his disciples And this testimonie cōsists in foure things First that we rise vp from our old conuersation Secondly that we be baptized and bee partakers of the Sacraments Thirdly that we wash away the sinnes whereinto wee haue fallen by Christs bloud Fourthly that we call vpon his name that is his righteousnes and merits Here Ferus doth as it were make a perfect anatomie of a Christian man I would to God euery true Christian would marke well euerie part thereof and sée whether himselfe were sound in that faith or no. And in another place of Christian conuersation he writes thus Ferus in cap. Act 20. Marke here the manners of Christians First of all hee prayes the Saints alwayes giue themselues diligently to prayers both in the beginning and end of their work yea all their work thorough For we euer stand neede of the helpe of God for without him we can do nothing We are not sufficient of ourselues to thinke any thing that is good And againe He workes in vs both the will and to finish And in Osee O Israel thy destruction comes of thy selfe but thy helpe comes of me Let no man therefore trust in his owne strength Cursed is he that puts flesh his arme Therefore Paul neuer tooke any thing in hand nor finished anie thing without the helpe of prayer Secondly he kneeles downe against those which make a iest at all ceremonies in prayers He that goes about to make his prayers vnto God must haue well profited first in the schoole of humility otherwise he shall not be heard The prayers of him that humbleth himselfe pierceth the clouds And hereof it is said by the Prophet Vpon whom shall my Spirit rest but vpon the humble and peaceble And thirdly he prayes not alone but with all the companie The prayers of the holy Church is of great force So when the Apostles continued praying with one accord and consent the holy Ghost came vpon them and filled them all In like maner after the Iewes had threatned them when they had prayed altogether the place moued and they were all filled