the doctrine of inuocation of Saints be found neither in the old nor new Testament with what conscience doe they vrge it on the simple vnder pretence of Scripture If it be said This perhaps is but one Doctors opinion to him consents Asotus a great and learned Iesuite who tells vs plainly Non doceri in scripturis sed insinuari Sanctorum inuocationem that the inuocation of Saints is onely insinuated in the Scripture Marke the force of truth in these two great points of iustification granted by Bellarmine and of inuocation of Saints granted by all these great Papists Our doctrine condemnes the presenting of ones body at the externall diuine worship of any thing which is not God and consequently a man may not be present at false worship to giue it the least allowance no not in gesture Whence they are conuicted of dealing false with God who present their body at the Masse with a conceit that they can keep their hearts to God well enough For 1. Might not our Lord for a whole world haue found by all his wisedom such a present help for him and by such a pollicie haue ouerreached the deuill himselfe who required onely externall bowing keeping his heart still vnto God No our Lord knew well 1. that body and soule make but one man who must haue but one God one Lord one faith one worship 2. that our bodies are the Lords as well as our soules 1. Cor. 6.20 created for his seruice as wel as they redeemed by Christs blood as well as they 3. that he that requireth the whole heart requireth also the whole strength which is of the body 4. that the soule cannot be in heauen if the body be in hell neither can he bow the knee of his heart to God that bowes the knee of his body to Satan 5. that there can be no agreement betweene light and darknes God and Belial the Arke and Dagon cannot stand in the same Temple and the heart cannot at the same time be the Temple of God and of idolls 2. This is the difference betweene the Church of God and the Synagogue of Satan that the one is a chaste wife and spouse of Christ and keeps her to her husband alone and doth not admit others to the vse of her faith the other playes the harlot with many louers and keeps not her faith and confidence to God alone but permits others to be fellowes with him at the same time Now no man can take her for a chaste and vndefiled spouse that will giue the vse of her body to a stranger though she plead neuer so confidently that she keeps her heart to her husband The case here is the very same 3. Here is a number of sinnes infolded in this one action 1. here is a manifest appearance of euill which we should flie 1. Thess. 5.22 2. an occasion of offence to others to draw them in by our example and so farre as we may a destroying of him for whom Christ hath died Rom. 14.15 3. a fight against faith and an allowance of that which a man condemneth Rom. 14.22 Blessed is he that condemneth not himselfe in that he alloweth His body allowes that which his heart condemnes 4. here is a denyall of Christ whose faith hee ought to confesse and professe with his mouth which he would doe if it were in soundnes hid in the heart 5. here is a dastardly ioyning with his Lords enemie for he that is not with him is against him 6. here is not onely an approbation but a communication in idolatry a touching of pitch a defiling of a mans selfe a most present danger of infection and defection from God 7. here is an hypocriticall show of that which the heart abhorres a diuided man and diuided manner of worship which God hateth who requireth the whole man 8. experience shewes that such as giue vp their bodies to idols God in iustice for the most part giues vp the heart to horrible delusions 4. If we must auoid an heretike then much more an idolater We must not onely hate the doctrine of the Nicolaitans but auoid it Many say they hate the Masse but I say then they would auoid it for we separate our bodies not onely our hearts from the things wee hate And the commaundement is to get out of Babylon We read in the Ecclesiasticall historie how S. Iohn fled from Corinthus the heretike and Polycarpe from Marcion And those whom we may not bid God-speed or whom we may not inuite to our owne tables may we ioyne with them in polluting the Lords table 5. Such persons keep not their hearts to God that present their bodies at idolatrie neither present they their bodies onely for the soule gouernes the bodie the will leads the action the vnderstanding the will and the affections attend the vnderstanding Now where there is vnderstanding iudgement will and affections giuen to the idoll-worship is not more then the bodie giuen euen the cheife and highest faculties of the soule Of which we can reckon no better then plowing with an oxe and an asse or sowing the same field with diuerse seeds which the Lord in the law forbiddeth and therein refuseth the mixture of warrantable and vnwarrantable rites in his worship God is a spirit and truth and will not be worshipped in spirit and falsehood A dissembled worship is a marke of a true neutrall of a plaine Laodicean neither hot nor cold a cake halfe baked on the hearth Quest. But is it not lawfull on some occasion to bee present at Masse Answ. In some cases a man may be present and not sinne as 1. When he is there by violent compulsion beeing bound and cast in as into a prison so as he cannot resist this is not his sinne but theirs and it may be said as of Lucretia Two in the sinne but one adulterer she resisted and was forced so was he 2. If in trauell a man be in a fit place to see and obserue their folly so as he shewe no reuerence at all or approbation by bending his knee vncouering his head or otherwise Thus the Apostle Paul went into the idol-temple at Athens as he passed by not to approoue but to take occasion to confute their idolatrie Act. 17.23 3. A man may be amongst idolaters to reprooue and reprehend them as 1 King 13.1 a Prophet came to the altar where Ieroboam was to cry out against it And Elias stood by Baals Priests mocking them while they daunced and launced themselues 1. King 18. And the three fellowes of Daniel stood by Nebuchadnezzars image to protest that they would neuer worship it Dan. 3.1 4. Some hold that in politike imployment a mans calling necessarily requiring it he may present his bodie at idoll-worship as a Protestant may carry a sword before a Prince into the temple of an idoll with two caueats 1. that neither by word nor gesture he giue any approbation of the idolatrie 2. that publike protestation be made
then a merry word may we not recreate our selues now by recreation they meane gaming vnthriftinesse cousenage and the like may we not now and then be angry and impatient seeing flesh and blood is so weake and it is but an infirmitie what neede a man be so precise and scrupulous as to stand vpon such small triflles all which is but to plead for Sathan against our owne safetie He was afterwards an hungrie In these words is set downe the effect of Christs fast After he had fasted fourtie dayes and fourtie nights he began to be hungry all the while before he was not hungry neither did he want power to haue fasted longer and by his diuine power vpheld his humane nature if he pleased but now the miraculous fast beeing finished he begun to hunger Quest. How could Christ be hungry seeing he was able to feed so many thousands with seauen loaues and two fishes Besides Ioh. 4.34 he saith My meat is to doe the will of him that sent me and to finish his worke Or if he could be hungry why would hee Ans. Some haue thought that Christ needed not to eate sleep c. as we need when our bodily strength is exhaust by labour by fasting and watching And some of the Fathers as Ambrose and Theophylact vpon Mar. 11.12 hold that Christ onely by dispensation gaue his body leaue to be hungry when he pleased as though hee neither was wont nor could nor ought to be ordinarily hungry as other men nor necessarily forced to eate But we must knowe that Christ tooke vpon him a true humane body and the forme of a seruant in which he was obnoxious to all our infirmities onely sinne excepted And the infirmities which hee vndertooke not are these 1. He was not to take any which might hinder the perfection of his soule or body Of his soule as vices sinnes pronenesse to euill heauines to goodnesse Christ tooke miserable infirmities in his soule as Augustine saith such as are naturall negatiue ignorance as of the day of iudgement and the time of figges fructifying but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Damascene saith damnable and detestable Of his body because it was extraordinarily conceiued and created of the Holy Ghost who being of infinite wisedome and power could not erre or not bring his body to perfection Therefore he was not to be blind lame deafe c. which are infirmities in many other men 2. Christ was not to take all infirmities in generall for 1. Some arise of particular causes which could not be in Christ as namely some hereditary infirmities and diseases as the leprosie falling-sickenes sâ—one c. some from redundance of matter in generation haue some monstrous or superfluous part some from defect want some part or haue some part withered or scanted None of this can agree to Christs most perfect conception of the Holy Ghost 2. Some infirmities are acquisite as by surfets feauers and gowts by fulnes These could not befall Christ who neuer exceeded the meane his whole life beeing a continuall exercise of sobrietie neither had he euer any acquisite infirmity but voluntarily vndertaken 3. Some defects and infirmities are the fruit of some speciall iudgement of God as Vzziah his leprosie was a speciall stroke of Gods hand for a speciall sinne so some are borne fooles and simple Neither could these belong to Christ who had no sinne nor cause of iudgement in him 3. Christ was to take vpon him all naturall and indetractable infirmities as the Schoolemen call them and onely them Naturall that is such as follow common nature infirmities common to all men And indetractable or inculpable which detract not from the perfection of his person nor of his grace nor of the worke of our redemption Of this kinde are hunger thirst labour wearines sleep sorrow sweat and death it selfe all these are common to all men Now hunger beeing a common infirmitie incident to all men yea to Adam in innocency who was hungrie and did eate as Gen. 1.39 euery tree bearing fruit shall be to you for meat and slept c. 2. v. 21. a heauie sleep fell on the man yet without molestation therefore Christ did necessarily hunger as other men doe not by an absolute necessity for 1. hee needed not haue taken our nature or beene incarnate 2. as he was God he could haue exempted himselfe from all the abasement and miseries that he suffered neither by a coacted necessity for he willingly submitted himselfe to this necessity But by a necessity ex hypothesi or conditionate hauing taken our nature to redeeme it he was necessarily to take on him all our weaknesses sinne onely excepted for these reasons 1. He was not onely to be like a man and in the shape of a man but also a very true man like vnto his brethren in all things except sinne therefore it is said Hebr. 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to assure the truth of his incarnation against all Anthropomorphites and such like heretikes 2. This was a part of his obedience and consequently of our redemption that he suffered the same thnigs as we doe both in body and in mind verè pertulit languores nostrâ—s he hath truly borne our infirmities Isa. 53.4 3. That he might sanctifie vnto vs these infirmities and take away the sting of them least we should be wearied and faint in our mindes Heb. 12.3 and that we might haue an example in suffring 1. Pet. 2.21 4. That he might be a compassionate High Priest Heb. 2.17.18 touched with infirmity yea cloathed with our fraile nature that we should not doubt of his grace who vouchsafed to be so abased for vs. 5. Himselfe confirmeth the same in that he tooke not on him such a body of ours as Adam had before sinne but such a one as hee retained after his fall so farre as it was obnoxious to all incriminall paines of sinne namely such as was subiect to wearines Ioh. 4.6 to sorrow teares and weeping as ouer Ierusalem Luk. 19.41 and at the raising of Lazarus Ioh. 11.35.38 and in his agonie when he shed teares and vsed strong cries Heb. 5.7 to sweating water and blood in the garden yea to death it selfe from all which Adams body was free before the fall And by these his body was by a true necessity ouercome as ours are and this not for a short time or space at his pleasure but all the time of his life till he breathed out his holy spirit yea thirsting vpon the crosse it selfe Ioh. 19.28 Neither was this onely to confirme the truth of his humane nature but to fulfill all righteousnesse and carrie away all the punishment of our sinnes and so worke a perfect saluation for vs. Therefore Christ truely and necessarily was hungrie as we vse to bee As for that place in Ioh. 4.34 I answer 1. It must be meant comparatiuely in that the execution of his calling and doing of his fathers will was preferred before his meate
He hateth the word of God because it is the greatest enemie to his Kingdome euery way resembling God the author and carrying his image It is light and no maruell if the Prince of darkenes resist it it discouers his subtilties and fenceth the Christian against his pollicies it discerneth spirits that let him come as an Angel of light he shall be vncased As he preuaileth in darknes so he worketh in impuritie now here the word resembling God himselfe crosseth him it is pure in it selfe and a purifyer as Christ saith Yee are cleane by my word Further his cheife power beeing in the sonnes of disobedience and in the hearts of infidels here also the word clips his wings beeing the word of faith and Ioh. 17.20 Christ prayed not onely for his disciples but for all those that should beleeue in him by their word In a word seeing he exerciseth his cheife power in the sonnes of perdition who are giuen him to rule at his will here the word is his enemie because it conuerteth sinners and saueth soules called therefore a word of saluation 3. Hee opposeth Gods word through the malice he beareth Gods children for he euer opposed true professors casts them into prison and would neuer let them haue a good day in the world if he might haue his wil and followes them with temptations and with outward afflictions But this is the sword of Gods mouth and the sword of the spirit by which they cut through his temptations and make them forcelesse it is that which comforts them and sustaines them in their troubles and directs them happily to heauen so as no way he can haue his will of them 4. It stands him in hand to oppose Gods word for his long experience hath taught him that so long as men hold to the word they be safe enough vnder Gods protection and hee could neuer winne his captaine-sinners to such high attempts in sinne were it not that he had first shaken the truth of Gods word out of their hearts How could he haue brought Pharaoh to such obstinacy against God and his people as to say Who is the Lord and I will not let Israel goe but that he had brought the word in Moses and Aarons mouth into contempt further then the sting of the miracles forced him When Saul had once cast off the word of the Lord Satan lead him as in a chaine to hunt Dauid to throwe a dart at Ionathan to seeke to the Witch against whom himselfe had enacted a seuere law The like of Ahab Herod Nero Domitian c. 5. The word of God is the sentence and rule of righteousnes which condemneth Satan and therefore no maruell if he cannot endure it and wish it false and loue it no better then the bill of his owne condemnation and death eternall It is a note of a man foyled by the temptation of Satan and of a deuillish spirit to call Gods word into question either to deny it as false or doubt of it as vncertaine either of which if Satan can perswade vnto he hath his wish for he knowes they are no subiects to God that will not acknowledge his scepter but doubt of the rod of his mouth he can easily blindfold them and lead them whether he will that denie the light he can easily vanquish them and lead them captiue to all sinne if he can get them to cast away their weapons Yet what a number of men hath the deuill thus farre preuailed with in this violent kind of temptation Some call in question whether the Scripture be the word of God or no swarmes of Atheists and Macheuillians that hold the word but an humane deuise and policie which is to open a doore to all carnall and bruitish Epicurisme and to confound man and beast together Others doubt not of all but of some bookes and others not of some bookes but of some places of the holy Scripture But we see that Satan would haue Christ but to denie or doubt of one sentence and what Eues calling into question of one speach of God brought on all our necks all we her posteritie feele And it is in our natures when God speakes plainely against that sinne we make ifs and peraduentures at it and so turne it off As for example 1. Our Sauiour teacheth plainly that whosoeuer are of God heare his word and his sheepe heare his voice Either men must beleeue it or denie it and yet how few can we perswade conscionably to heare the word all who must plainely either make the voice of Christ false or themselues none of Gods none of Christs sheepe for not hearing it 2. Our Sauiour saith expressely He that heareth you heareth me Luk. 10.16 and that God speakes in the mouthes of his Ministers 2. Cor. 5.20 and that they haue an heauenly treasure in earthen vessels But how fewe are of this minde neuer did any heathens so despise the voice of their Priests and the answer of their Oracles as Christians in generall despise our voice in which God and Christ professe they speake 3. Christ plainely saith this word is the immortall seed of our new birth the sincere milke to nourish the soule the bread of life heauenly food But who beleeue him for generally men haue no appetite no desire to it and can well be content to let their soules languish in grace and be staruen to death And whereas they would goe as farre or farther into other countries as Iacob and his sonnes into Egypt when there was no corne in Canaan to supply their bodies with food this they will not stirre out of their doores for Well take heed of calling diuine truths into question stand not in them vpon thy reason and vnderstanding which are but low and shallow suspect them in things thou canst not reach rather then the truth of Scripture and make good vse of these rules 1. In the rising of any such temptation know that Satan seekes aduantage against thee and would bring thee into the same condemnation with himselfe by the same sinne and malice against God If he durst thwart so diuine a truth so strengthned from heauen and that to Christs owne face he dares and will contradict Gods word to thee 2. Consider if thou sufferest Satan to wrest away the credit of any part of diuine truth or the word of God what shall become of all our religion and the ground of our saluation all which is laid vpon the truth of the word of all which our Sauiour saith that not one iot of it shall faile 3. Know that by yeelding a little to Satan herein God in his iustice may giue thee vp to such strong delusions as the deuill himselfe cannot be so besotted as to beleeue See it in some instances Satan beleeues there is a God and trembleth saith S. Iames and yet he so farre deludes a number as their sottish hearts say There is no God Psal. 14.1 Satan knowes there is a day of reckoning and
loath to raise their thoughts beyond them Asa his physicke shall not helpe him because he trusts in the Physitians Israel shall die of that flesh wherein they thought their life was And it is iust with God that when the meanes steppe vp into his place and men ascribe that vertue vnto them which onely Gods blessing addeth vnto them he depriues men either of the meanes or of the right and comfortable vse of them And were not the meanes too too much magnified and set aboue their owne place men would not so spend their dayes in carking cares for them with such instance and neglect of all things else as if they were euer to liue by bread onely not so wise as the foole and churle in the parable who when he had goods enough for many yeares would haue his soule take his rest but these men hauing bread and meanes enough for many ages are as restlesse and insatiable as euer before their life stands in seeking and holding abundance 2. Let vs learne to trust God without the meanes which the worldling cannot doe In plentie in health when the barnes bee full and the chests readie to breake with treasures the most earthly churle can bee content and praise God for all but in pouertie and sickenesse his heart lets him downe as though God is not as able and willing to helpe in one estate as in another But now faith were it present would most shew it selfe it is a dead faith that withdrawes it selfe from the liuing God and sets it selfe on dead things 3. Learne we to moderate our care for the things of this present life as such who valew them according to their right estimate which without a superiour vertue can doe vs no good for what is food apparell and the like but base things without Gods blessing which men of thousands enioy aboundantly and yet by a secret curse either vpon the wicked getting or holding them want the comfort that many poore men haue whose portion is but a mite to the others superfluity And what is the reason that men burie themselues aliue in the graues of their lustings and earthlines but that they falsly conceiue of the meanes and place them aboue their worth or worke What saith the worldling is it not my liuing and must I not looke to that I tell thee no it is not thy liuing vnlesse thou liuest by bread alone or hast that animam triticiam that wheaten-soule of the rich man in the Gospell who thought he must now liue many yeares because hee had wheate enough Obiect But you speake as though we were to expect miracles for our maintenance or to cast off our callings to neglect the meanes and liue by the word of God Answ. 1. Miracles are ceased and yet if God bring vs into an estate wherein all meanes faile vs God remaines as powerfull and able as mercifull and willing to help as euer he was and rather then his children shall miscarrie he will saue them by miracle 2. Our callings and meanes are not to be neglected because 1. Christ denies not but that man liues by meanes but not onely by them 2. they are a part of that euery word of God whereby man liues and if ordinary meanes be offred we may not trust to extraordinary without some speciall promise or reuelation 3. it is a tempting of God to pull pouertie on our selues or cast our selues into danger and is a breach of his ordinance who inioynes euery man to get his liuing in the sweat of his browes But one thing is a Christian care another a carking care for the things of this world one thing is the care of the world in Mary who especially minds the one thing necessary another in Martha who distracts her selfe with many businesses neglecting the good part which should neuer be taken from her one thing to possesse the world another to bee possessed by it one thing to vse meanes another to trust in them 4. If man liue not by meanes alone be more carefull for Gods blessing then for the meanes be more thankefull for that then for these else he that made bread and gaue it thee can breake the staffe of it else he can make thee great and rich but lay a sensible curse on thy person and estate either in thine owne time or in thy heires And as for thanksgiuing Christ neuer vsed any meanes but by prayer and thanksgiuing and taught vs to pray for daily bread .1 for a blessing vpon bread It is a greater mercy of God to giue vs comfort of the creatures then the creatures themselues Yet a number as if they liued by bread onely come to their tables as the hogge to his trough or the horse to his prouender without either prayer or thankes A wonder that euery crumme choakes them not for without Gods blessing it might But by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God This affirmatiue part of the testimonie alleadged by Christ teacheth vs that It is onely the word of God and euery word of God that preserueth the life of man But first wee must distinguish of mans life which is either supernaturall or naturall and also of the word which is put forth either for the life naturall or supernatural The former is a word of Gods power and prouidence creating and gouerning all things according to their naturall courses called in the text a word that goeth out of the mouth of God for no word of the creature can produce the beeing or well-beeing of any other The latter is the word of truth whereby he doth quicken the soule and repaire it to his owne likenes and this word proceedeth not only out of the mouth of God but of his Prophets Apostles Pastors and this word begetteth and preserueth a supernaturall life in man as the other doth a naturall Ier. 15.19 Now our Sauiour meaneth here the naturall life of the bodie and the word of Gods power and prouidence generally sustaining the beeing and life of all creatures and not that a man can liue by the written word without meat and drinke It is true that the soule of man liueth by Gods word of truth for 1. he is be gotten a Christian by it and borne of this immortall seed Iam. 1.18 2. he is nourished by it as by sincere milke 1. Pet. 2.2 3. as bread increaseth the bodie in all dimensions so the word strengthneth the soule in faith patience comfort hope loue as children grow by milke 4. bread strengthens the heart and all the strength of a Christian is in the word it preserues the naturall heate and the word makes his heart burne within him and keeps it in a readines to euerie good word and worke But yet this is not the proper meaning of this place neither can it agree with the meaning of Moses who plainely speakes of the bodily hunger of the Israelites and the seeding of them with Mannah that they
lesse she loues her husband whence S. Iames is bold to call worldlings adulterers and adulteresses c. 4.4 whom the Lord will not endure to dally and sport and go a whoring after the world Ye cannot serue God and Mammon 2. Consider that a course lead in lusts is fitter for the Gentiles then those that professe the teaching of grace Tit. 2.11 for the grace which hath appeared teacheth vs to denie worldly lusts Our relation to Christ of whom we are called Christians must draw our affections out of the world for 1. He hath chosen vs out of the world so that now he professeth of vs They are not of the world Ioh. 15.19 2. He gaue himselfe to deliuer vs out of this present euill world Galat. 1.4 3. No man hath benefit by Christs death but he that with the Apostle is crucified to the world and the world to him Gal. 6.14 4. The world as it hath no part of his death for he dies not for the world so no part in his intercession Ioh. 17. I pray not for the world 5. In the entrance of our profession we haue not onely renounced the world but proclaimed and vowed warre against it and therefore shall prooue no better then runagate souldiers yea Apostates if we fight not against it The loue of the world is a leauing of Christs colours 3. Consider what cause there is in the world to loue it 1. In respect of God it is contrary to his nature he is holy pure righteous the world lieth in vnrighteousnesse It is contrarie to all his commandements He commands holines and sanctification it incites to all vncleannes in soule and body he commands truth sobrietie c. it teacheth to lie sweare curse slander and circumuent He commaunds all fruits of the spirit it inioynes all the workes of the flesh He commaunds to giue our goods to the needy it wills vs to get our neighbours 2. In respect of it selfe it is changeable variable inconstant and wilt thou affect that which thou canst not hold or enioy 3. In respect of thy selfe is it not madnesse excessiuely to loue that which doth thee so much harm pricks as thornes and peirceth with so many sorrowes crosses losses persecutions which if thou beest good will fight against thee and pursue thee with mortall hatred and only slayeth those which resist it not 4. Consider we what strangers and pilgrimes we are in the world and so be mooued to lay bridles vpon our affections which is the Apostles argument 1. Pet. 2.11 Dearely beloued aâ— pilgrims and strangers abstaine from earthly lusts Let vs estrange our affections from this world and deale as wise trauellers that make the greatest Cities but through-fares to their owne home Let this doctrine moderate our affections in seeking and hauing yea and not hauing the things of this life This is the common error that men looke altogether vpon the beautie glorie and faire side of the world and wealth of it but neuer looke vpon the inconueniences of them and how strong they are to pull vs away from God or how apt to make vs a spoyle to Sathan which one consideration would somewhat abate our heat and affection towards them How ambitiously doe many affect promotion and great places not considering in what flipperie places their feete are set How eagerly doe they desire wealtâ— as though it had no power to drawe the heart from God and the wealth of heauen How vnsatiably do they pursue pleasure not considering how the deuill insnares them and makes them louers of pleasure more then louers of God Surely were men acquainted with their owne hearts they would not suffer them so to roaue in these desires Oh saith one if I were a rich man how liberall would I be to the poore But alas he knowes not what spirit he is of the deuill would make no doubt to change his minde if his state were changed and make of this liberall man either a prodigall or an vsurer or an oppressor and doe much more mischeife then he can in his low estate Oh saith another were I in high place I would right wrongs and set things in order But so said Absalom and yet who did more wrong then he deflowring his fathers concubines and deposing if he could his father himselfe And such right would many doe if they were in higher place All which is an argument how open we lie to Satan in such estates To conclude this point obserue these few rules 1. Put on the Lord Iesus Christ and care not to fulfill the flesh 2. Vse the world as not vsing it 1. Cor. 7.31 3. Count all things dung for Christ as Paul did Phil. 3.8 whose blood is set against and aboue all corrupt things 4. Pray that thy heart may be set vpon Gods statutes and not enclined to couetousnesse Psal. 119.36 First seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse c. 5. Whether thou hast the world or no shew not thy selfe a louer of it by encreasing thy wealth or bettering thy estate by swearing lying deceiuing reioyce in no part of it which God reacheth not to thee by good meanes desire none but that on which thou mayest craue a blessing and for which thou maiest returne praise hold none but with moderate affection and mind to forgoe when God calls for the whole or any part to good vses vse none but with sobrietie as not vsing it and that euer to Gods glory and the good of men VERS 9. All these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship mee NOW after the preparation standing in the choise of a fit place and presenting a glorious vision we come to the dart or temptation it selfe in which there is 1. a profer All these will I giue thee 2. a reason For they are mine and to whomsoeuer I will I giue them 3. the condition If thou wilt fall downe and worshippe mee And first of the profer Before he had shewed his wares now he tells the price All these here is no pinching nor parting of the matter but 1. Christ shall be an absolute Monarch none shall share with him There is the extent of the profer he will part with all 2. The quality of it All these the glory bewtie wealth and all that can be desired in the world all that he saw and nothing else he would giue him vnmixed and vnblended glory and honour without sorrow trouble shame or vexation for he saw none of them 3. I will giue thee but he will not barter or sell these so deare to Christ as he would to another but he will deale kindly with him he will as good as giue them to him if he will but make a legge and thanke him for them Note here the nature of all the deuills promises they seeme to be liberall and very faire whereas indeed they are miserably foule and deceitfull Who could expect more franke and plaine dealing then is here pretended but looke a
seemed to oppresse the Church in the cradle when wicked Cain slew righteous Abel so as all religion and true worship seemed to be destroyed in all Adams posterity hauing onely Cain left But shortly after God gaue Adam a Seth in whom the Church was restored and preserued and pure religion propagated In Henochs time how was the worship of God profaned when the sonnes of God married the daughters of men which was the cause of the flood but afterward it was restored by Noah and Sam and by him continued to Abraham Now the Church as it was in the Arke so was it like the Arke of Noah against which the waters had a time to increase and a time also of decreasing What a night of trouble was the Church in all the while it was in Egypt a stranger for 400. yeares especially when they were oppressed with burdens and had their infants drownd in the riuer but a change came God sent and saued a Moses by whom he will deliuer his people but so as they must be acquainted with this continuall enterchange in their estate they must be no sooner deliuered out of Egypt but bee chased into the bottome of the sea but there God makes them a way and no sooner out of the sea but into the wildernesse and from thence the good land takes them and in that good land they neuer rested in one estate but sometimes had the better of their enemies and sometime for sinne their enemies had the better of them as all the history of the Iudges witnesseth In the time of the Kings how was the Church troubled and wasted in the time of Ahab and Iezabel when all Gods Prophets were slaine and true religion was quite troden downe But what a sudden change was there euen when things were at the worst did the Lord bring a strange alteration by Elijah who slew all the Prophets of Baal and restored true religion How great misery suffred the Church in the time of Manassah and Ammon but how happily was it changed by the piety of good Iosiah in whom God made his people more happie then formerly miserable But who would haue thought but that the Church had been vtterly wasted in the seuentie yeares captiuity wherein it sate in the shadow of death Yet it was happily restored by Cyrus But when his godly decrees concerning the building of the Temple were hindred by Cambyses his sonne God stirred vp Darius who fauoured the Church and commaunded the continuance and perfection of the worke but not without many vicissitudes of stormes and calmes euen after their returne as appeareth in the bookes of Ezra and Nehemiah What a raging storme was that wherein our Lord and Head of the Church was put to death now the whole Church lay bleeding and dead with him But what a change was there the third day by his glorious resurrection In the Apostles dayes how was the Church wasted when Saul had letters from the high Priests to carrie bound to Ierusalem whosoeuer called on the Lord but when he that breathed out nothing but slaughter and threatning was once conuerted then the Church had for a while rest and peace Act. 9.31 After the Apostles what a continuall storme arose against Christians which lasted 300. yeares vnder the ten monsters of men those bloody men Nero Domitian Traian Antoninus Seuerus Maximinus Decius Valerianus Aurelianus Dioclesianus whose rage was such as a man could not set his foot in Rome but tread vpon the graues of Martyrs But after this night a faire sunne rose vp in the East Constantine the Great who chased before him that horrible darknesse and brought a blessed calme But this lasted not long but his second sonne Constantius farre short of his Fathers piety with all his strength set vp and maintained that Arrian-heresie which his good father had condemned in the Nicen Councell by which as bloody persecution sprung vp in the Church as euer was before which lasted almost 80. years vntill Constance the youngest sonne of Constantine set vp againe the Nicen faith in the Westerne part of the world as Italie Greece Africke Illiricum and banished the former poyson After this what a blacke darkenesse of Mahometisme possessed the Easterne part of the world vnder which it lies sunck at this day And as pitchy and palpable darkenesse of Antichrist and Poperie occupieth the Westerne part of the world But what a light did the Lord raise vp in the midst of Poperie his zealous seruant Luther since whome the light hath mightily preuailed to the blasting of Antichrist and the consuming of him vpon his nest Yet not this without a cloud◠for To speake of our owne Church After the long darkenesse like that of Egypt had preuailed and couered for many hundred years the face of our countrey it pleased God that the light of the Gospell should peepe into our land in the dayes of King Henrie the eight but yet much clouded and opposed almost all his dayes In his sonne Edward the sixt Englands Iosiah it began to shine more brightly and a more thorough reformation was vndertaken But this sunne-shine lasted not long but in Queene Maries dayes the truth was againe cast into the fire and the bodies of Gods Saints pitilesly destroyed God in mercy for his elects sake shortened those dayes and raised vp our late Queene Elizabeth of blessed memorie in all posterities who was semper eadem in the maintenāce of the faith left Christ sitting in his kingdome and the truth triumphing ouer Poperie and Antichristian falshood which by Gods mercy we enioy vnder our gracious King This hath been the changeable estate of the Church from the beginning and eadem est ratio totius ac partium the same truth discouers it selfe in the particular members As for example Abraham now a poore man in Egypt presently enriched and made heire of the land of promise now reioycing in his Isaac and a while after stretching out his hand to kill his only sonne who also herein was a notable type of the Church now bound and presently loosed and raised vp after a sort from the dead Iacob was now afraid of Esau when he came in warlike manner to meet him with 400. men at his heeles but in a little season God lets him see a sudden change who had enclined his brothers heart to doe him no harme against his often former purposes to slay him Ioseph is now hated of his brethren after a season honoured of them now sold as a slaue to the Ismaelites afterward made a gouernour of Potiphar a Princes house now accused by his Mistresse and cast into prison but after fetched out by Pharaoh and made ruler of all his Princes and the whole land of Egypt Dauid sometimes cast downe and God hath forgotten him a while after so confident in God that he will not feare to walke in the vale of the shadow of death sometimes pursued by Saul as a traytor and rebell sometimes by Saul acknowledged his good