priest hath consecrated all the faithfull to be Kinges and Priestes vnto himselfe And yet notwithstanding he doth ordeine ministers of the Church by doctrine and examples to instructe the Church and to minister the sacraments I meane not those old auncient ones but those which the Lord hath substituted in steed of the old ones What doctrine they must teach hée doth expressely declare The mysticall attyre and garmentes of the priesthood hee neither did commend to his Apostles nor leaue to his Church but toke them away with all the Ceremonies that are called the middle wall betwixte she Iewes and Gentiles The Lord himselfe and his Apostle Paule will haue the pastours of the people cladd with righteousnesse and honestie and do precisely remoue the ministers of the Church from superioritie and secular affaires They doe also appoint stipendes for the ministers to liue vppon yet not those which the law allowed them but such as were most tolierable and conuenient for the state and condition of euery Church The Lord left the place to serue and worshipp God in frée without exception or binding to any one prescribed or peculiar place when in the Gospel after Iohn he said The houre shall come and is alreadie when the true worshippers shall worshipp the father neither in this mountaine nor at Hierusalem but in the spirite and in truth For such the father requireth to worship him God is a spirite and they that worship him must worship him in spirite and in truth The Apostle followed the Lord in this doctrine and said I will that men pray in euerie place lifting vp pure hands without anger Neither did the Lord in â—aine as I shewed you eueÌ„ now sufâ—â—r the temple to bee vtterlye ouerthrowne considering that at his death hée had rent the vaile therof And yet for all that the Ecclesiasticall assemblies are not thereby condemned Of whiche I spake in the exposition of the 4. precepte RemeÌ„ber that thou keepe holy the sabboth day Verily y tabernacle the temple bare the type of the catholique Church of God out of which there are no prayers noroblations acceptable to the lord But the Church is exteÌ„ded to the very ends of the world And yet it followeth not theruppon that all are in the Church which are in the world they alone are in the Churche whiche thorough the Catholique faith are in the fellowship of Christ Iesus and by the agréement of doctrine by charitie by the participation of the Sacramentes vnlesse some great necessitie hinder them are in the coÌ„munion of the holy Sainctes But they burne incense sacrifice in highe places whosoeuer séek after any other sacrifice than the one and only oblation of Christ Iesus or looke for any other to offer their prayers to God the father than Christ alone as they are taughte by the mouth of the Pastour sincerely preaching the word of god Moreouer the Church of God hath no néed now of any arke any table any shewbread any golden candlestick any altar either of incense or burnt offeringes nor yet of any braseÌ„ lauer for Christ alone is all in all to the catholique Church which Church hath all these things spiritually and effectually in Christ Iesus and can séek for nothing in any other creatures insomuch that if it perceiue any man to bring in againe either these or such like Ceremoniall instruments it doth sharpely rebuke bitterly curse him for his vnwarranted rashenesse blasphemous presuÌ„ption in the church of Christ For what néede hath the churche of shadowes and figures when it doeth nowe enioye the thing it selfe euen Christ Iesus whose shadowe and figure the ceremonies bare Moreouer the church hath signes enough in that it hath receiued of Christ two Sacramentall signes wherein are conteined all the things which the old church did comprehend in sundrie and verie many figures Furthermore he hath leaft the holy time to worship God in frée to our choice who in the Gospel saith The Sabboth was made for man not man for the Sabboth therefore the sonne of man is Lorde also of the Sabboth And the Apostle Paule saith Let no man therefore iudge you in meate or drinke or in parte of an holie daye or of the new moone or of the Sabbothes which are the shadowes of things to come but the bodie is of Christ Of the Christian Sabboth I spake in the exposition of the fourth Commaundement As for the newe moones they are not solemnized by the churche of Christ in so much as it is taught by Christ to attribute to God not the beginning of Moneths onely but the whole yeare also and the commoditie thereof with the light of the Sunne the Moone and all the starres in heauen Moreouer the Christians do celebrate their passeouer more spiritually then bodily euen as also they doe solemnize their Pentecoste or whitsuntide For as he sent his spirite vppon his disciples so doth hee daily sent it vppon all the faithfull And that is the cause that in the faithfull the alarme is striken vpp to incourage them as souldiours to skirmish with their enimies For the fleash lusteth against the spirite and the faithfull are daily assaulted and prouoked to battaile by the world and by the deuil the prince of the world Furthermore the feast of propitiation being once finished vppon the crosse endureth for euer neither do the Sainctes any more sende out a scape goats to beare their sinnes into the desarte For Christ our Lord came once and was offered vp and by his sacrifice tooke awaye the sinnes of all the worlde Finally since the faithfull doe daily consider beare in their mindes that they haue no abydinge place in this transitorie worlde but y they looke after a place to come they néede not as the Iewes did once a yere to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles In like manner the faithfull do no more acknowlege any yeare of Iubilie For Christe came once and preached vnto vs y acceptable yeare euen the Gospell whereby it is proclaymed that all our sinnes and iniquities are clearely forgiuen vs For so doth Christ himselfe interprete it in the fourth of Sainct Lukes gospell takinge occasion to speake of it out of the sixth Chapter of Esaies prophecie And thus the holy time and festiuall dayes are abrogated by Christ in his holy Church which notwithstanding is not leafte destitute of any holy thing or necessarie matter But nowe because this present yeare wherein this booke is firste of all printed is the yeare of Grace one thousand fiue hundred and fiftie and according to the Romish traditioÌ„ is called the yeare of Iubilie I am therefore compelled as it were of necessitie to make a little digression speake somewhat of the Romish Iubilie I do therfore call it the Romish and not the Christian Iubilie because as I shewed you euen now the church of Christe after oure redemption wrought by Christ and preached by the gospel doth neither acknoledge nor receiue any
in danger of the lawe and of the curse thereof For we are the bondslaues of sinne wée are made subiâ—â—te to sundrie calamities by reason of our sinne This therefore is called the spirituall bondage not because it is onely in the minde of man but béecause of the opposition whereby it is opposed to the bodilie bondage For otherwise sinne hath made oure bodie also subiecte to the curse Neither doe wée sinne in minde alone but in the bodie also For euery part and al the members of our bodies are subiecte vnto sinne and infected with iniquitie Therefore we serue in most miserable bondage while beeing vnder the diuels dominion wee doe the thinges that please the fleshe by the egging on of euil affections to the bringing forth of fruite or rather to the making of abortion with perill of oure liues to the diuell our cruell and ouer rigorous maister For this verilie is oure hardest and most lameÌ„table seruitude and bondage Nowe on the other side let vs sée what Christian libertie is that is to say from what and howe farre foorth the Lord hath made vs frée In one word wée doe briefly say that Christe oure Lord hath deliuered vs from a gréeuous bondage to wit that hée hath so farre forth made vs frée as wée by sinne were slaues and bondseruants This we maye more largely expound and say The sonne of God came into this world and hauing first oppressed the tyrannie of Sathan and crusshed his head by his death and passion hee hath traÌ„slated vs into his owne kingdome hath made himselfe oure Lord and king Secondarilie hee hath adopted vs to be the sonnes of GOD and with his blessing tooke awaye the bitter curse of the lawe For he toke awaye all sinnes and purged all the faithfull from their iniquities Thirdly hee did most liberally bestow the frée gift of the holy Ghoste to the end that the sonnes of God should willingly and of their owne accorde submit themselues to the will of God and to doe the thinges that the Lord would haue them For the hatred of the lawe doeth not remaine although the weakenesse of the fleshe abideth still Lastly the same our Lord king hath taken from the shoulders of his electe the burthen of the law the types and figures with all the coste belonging to the same and hath forbidden vs being once set at libertie to entangle our selues againe with any lawes and traditions of men Of all this being layed together we make this definition To deliuer is to make frée and to set at libertie from bondage Hée is frée or manumised that beeing deliuered from bondage doeth enioye his libertie Therefore manumission or libertie is nothing else but the state of him that is made frée the commoditie I saye whiche a frée made man hath receiued and doth enioy by reason of his deliueraunce to witt in that hée being deliuered from the tyrannie of Sathan from sinne from the curse of the lawe and from death is made the sonne of God and heire of euerlasting life and also that he hath receiued the spirite of libertie by whiche hee doeth wholie giue himselfe to bée the seruaunte of God to doe him seruice all his life long and lastly that beeing deliuered from the lawe of Moses and from all lawes of mortall men hée doeth altogether depende vppon the Gospell onely hauing at libertie the frée vse of external thinges as of meate of drincke of cloathing and of such like indifferent thinges And in these thrée last rehearsed points doth ChristiaÌ„ libertie chiefly consiste Nowe to this I will add such testimonies of Scripture as shall both better confirme and more plainely declare my exposition And first of all I will alledge those testimonies which are to be found in the bookes of the holie Euangelistes and then those that are extant in the writinges of the Apostles Zacharias the priest father of Iohn Baptiste in his hymne of thanckesgiuing Luke 1 doeth declare the trueth and goodnesse of God in performing that to vs which hee promised to oure forefathers to witt That wee beeing deliuered out of the handes of oure enimies mighte serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life In this testimonie of his wée haue the true libertie that fréedome I meane wherein wée being by the Lord deliuered from all our enimies both visible and inuisible should no longer serue them with feare but serue oure GOD in ioye and gladnesse There is added also the manner and order howe to serue him In holinesse and righteousnesse Holinesse doeth cutt off and caste awaye all vncleannesse and incontinencie Righteousnesse giueth to euery man that whiche is his due to witt the thinges which wee of duetie doe owe to euerie man and doeth conteyne in it bothe fréedome and beneuolence And in this kinde of seruice doe they whiche are made frée serue the Lord their God not for a day or two or a certeine fewe yeares but all the dayes of their life Therefore true Christian libertie is the perpetuall seruice which wée owe and doe to God. In the eighth Chapiter of Saincte Iohns Gospell to the Iewes whiche made great bragges of the vaine and sillie libertie which they receiued of their auncestours Christe our Lord maketh this obiection Verilie verilie I say vnto you that whosoeuer committeth sinne hee is the seruaunt of sinne And the seruaunt abideth not in the house for euer but the sonne abideth for euer if the sonne therefore shall make you free then are ye free in deede In these woords hée maketh mention both of bondage and of libertie Hée is a bondman to sinne as to a cruell maister or a neuer contented tyrant whosoeuer doeth committ any sinne For he doth obey as one that is bound to sinne Such bondmen are all the sonnes of men whose punishment is to haue none inheritaunce in their fathers house whiche is the heauenly Hierusalem As for those whiche the Sonne of God restoareth to fréedome they are partakers of the heauenly kingdome and fellowe heires with the Sonne of god But Christe maketh none frée but them that are faithfull therefore the sonnes of God and fellowe heires of Christ are for Christ his sake their onely deliuerer made frée and set at libertie Neither is there any other in heauen or in earth beside Christ Iesu which is able to set vs at fréedome and at libertie Paule in the sixte Chapiter to the Romanes sayth Let not sinne reigne in your mortall bodie that ye should therunto obey by the lustes of it neither giue ye your members as instruments of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne but giue your selues vnto god as they that are aliue from the dead and your members as instrumentes of righteousnesse vnto god For sinne shall not haue power ouer you because ye are not vnder the Lawe but vnder Grace In these wordes he exhorteth them that are purged and made frée by Christ to liue holilie in their spirituall bondage Now
Father and the Sonne and name them the Trinitie teach that the man whiche God the Word tooke vppon him is to be accompted perfecte man not in body onely but in soule also euen as the auncient doctours of the Church did also thinck But forbeecause the question about Ousia and Hypostasis did trouble the Churches that there were sundrie contentions disputations concerning the differēce betwixt them they seeme to me to haue determined very wisely that those names should not at the first presently bee vsed in questions of GOD vnlesse it were that when a man wente about to beate downe the opinion of Sabellius hee were compelled to vse them least by lacke of words he should seeme to call one the same by three names when hee should vnderstand euery one peculiarly in that threefold distinction Socrates in the 7. Chap. and thirde booke of his historie addeth But they did not bring into the Church a certeine newe religion deuised of themselues but that whiche frō the beginning euen till then the Ecclesiasticall tradition taught and prudent Christians did euidently set foorth And so foorth Therefore awaye with the Popes champions to the place whereof they are worthie which when wee teach y all pointes of true godlinesse and saluation are fully conteyned and taught in the Canonicall Scriptures by the way of obiection do demaund in what place of the Scripture we find the names of Trinitie Person Essence and Substance and finally where we find that Christe hath a reasonable soule For although those very words consisting in those syllables are not to bée found in the Canonicall bookes which were by the Prophets and Apostles written in an other and not in the latine tongue yet the thinges the matter or substaunce which those woords doe signifie are most manifestly conteined and taught in those books whiche thinges likewise all and euery nation may in their language expresse for their commoditie and necessitie speake and pronounce them Away also with all Sophisters which thinke it a great point of learning to make the reuerend mysterie of the sacred Trinitie darcke and intricate with their straunge their curious and pernicious questions It is sufficient for the godly simplie according to the Scriptures and the Apostles créed to beléeue and confesse that there is one diuine nature or Essence wherin are the father the Sonne and the holy Ghoste Neither is it greatly materiall whether ye call them substances or subsistences or persons so that ye do plainly expresse the distinctiō betwixt them and eche ones seueral properties confessing so the Vnitie that yet ye confound not the Trinitie nor spoile the persons of their properties And héere now it will do verie wel out of the Scriptures to cite such euident testimonies as maye euidently proue the mysterie of the Trinitie with the distinction and seuerall properties of the thrée persons The Lord in the Gospel after S. Matthew saith All power is giuen to mee in heauen and in earth goe ye therfore teach all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne of the holy Ghost teaching them to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you Tertullian alledging those wordes against Praxea sayth He did last of all commaund his disciples to baptise into the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost We are baptised not into one nor once but thrice at euery name into euery seuerall person Thus much Tertullian Nowe as euery seuerall person is seuerally expressed so the diuinitie of them all is therein singularely taught to be one and common to them all because hee biddeth to baptise not onely into the name of the Father but also of the Sonne and of the holy Ghoste The Apostle and elected vessell Paule doeth flatly denie that any man either ought to be or euer was baptised into the name of any man whiche is nothing else but méere man Were ye sayeth hée baptised in the name of Paule So then the Father is God the Sonne is God and the holy Ghost is GOD into whose name wée are baptised The same Lord in the Gospell after S. Iohn sayeth When the comforter commeth whome I will sende vnto you from the father that is the spirite of trueth he will lead you into all trueth He shal not speake of himselfe but whatsoeuer he shall heare that shall he speake He shall glorifie me for hee shall receiue of mine and shall shewe vnto you All things that the father hath are mine therefore said I vnto you that hee shall take of mine and shewe vnto you In these wordes of the Lords thou hearest mention made of the person of the father from whome the spirite is sente of the person of the Sonne whiche sendeth him and of the person of the holy Spirit which commeth vnto vs Thou hearest also of the mutual and equall communion of the Diuinitie and all good thinges betwixte the thrée persons For the holy Ghost speaketh not of himselfe but that which he heareth He shall sayeth the Sonne take of mine And againe All things that the father hath are mine And therfore what things the Sonne hath those are the fathers the diuinitie glorie and Maiestie of them all is coequall With these most euident speaches doe these two manifest testimonies of Iohn Baptist agrée First he sayth He whom God hath sent doth speake the words of god For God giueth not the spirite by measure vnto him The Father loueth the Sonne and hath giuen all thinges into his hand He that beleeueth on the Sonne hath euerlasting life c. Loe héere againe in the one Godhead thou hearest the three persons distinguished by their properties For the Father loueth sendeth the Sonne and giueth all things into his hand The Sonne is sent and receiueth all thinges but the holy Ghost is giuen of the Father and receiued of the sonne according to fullnesse Then againe the same Baptist crieth the second time and sayeth I sawe the spirite descending from heauen like vnto a Doue and it abode vppon him And I knewe him not but hee that sent mee to baptise with water the same said vnto mee vppon whom soeuer thou shalt see the Spirite descending and tarying still vppon him the same is hee whiche baptiseth with the holy Ghoste And I sawe and bare record that this is the Sonne of GOD. Héere againe are shewed vnto vs as clearely as the day-light the thrée persons distinguished not confounded For he that sendeth Iohn is the Father The holy Ghost is neither the Father nor the Sonne but appeareth vpon the head of Christ in the likenes of a doue And the Sonne is the sonne not the Father and that too the sonne of the Father vpon whose head the holy Ghost did abide And now to this place doth belonge the testimonie of the Father vttered from heauen vppon his Sonne Christ For he sayeth This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am wel
that wheresoeuer an image is there is no religion For if religion consist in diuine thinges and that nothinge is diuine vnlesse it be amonge heauenly thinges than doe images lacke religion Because in that which is made of earth there can bee no heauenly thing Whiche matter euen by the very name it selfe may appeare bee manifest to a wise man For whatsoeuer is counterfecte that must néeds be false neither can that which hath a representation or glose of truth at any time take vnto it the name of truth If then not euery representation or coūterfect be not a thing in earnest but as it were a toy a sport religion is not in images but there is lesse religion where they bée That whiche is true therefore is to be preferred before all things that are false Earthly thinges must bee troden vnder foote that we maye get or obteine heauenly thinges These words not vnaduisedly haue wee cited hetherto out of Lactantius We returne nowe to our purpose But because the outward gesture or habite of the bodie is commonly framed according to the inward qualitie of the minde and the outwarde habite of his body which adoreth submitteth yealdeth and maketh subiect him that worshippeth to him whiche is worshipped therefore adoration is translated likewise to the inner man so that to adore is to reuerence and respecte God to bequeath oure selues wholie vnto him and to cleaue inseparably vnto him vppon him only and alone to hange in all thinges and to haue recourse vnto him in all our necessities whatsoeuer Furthermore the outward adoration doth immediatly when it is néedfull and abilitie graunted followe a minde rightly indued with true faith and holy feare of god For adoration is two-fould or of two sortes one of the minde or spirite which is inward sound sincere and true another of the bodie whiche is outward vnsounde counterfecte and false whiche maye procéede from him in whome there is no sparckle of religion True adoration is the fruite of true faith and holy feare of God namely a lowly or suppliant yéelding and humble consecrating whereby we bequeath oure selues yeald and submitt oure selues vnto our God whome as wee vnderstand to be our best and most merciful father so to be our most highe and Almightie God vppon him therefore alone we do wholie depend and to him onely wee haue respecte whiche also forthwith so soone as occasion is ministred vnto vs wée expresse and testifie by outward adoration All this wée shall the better vnderstand by these testimonies of Scripture following Dauid sayth O come let vs singe vnto the Lord let vs hartily reioyce in God our saluation Let vs come before his presence with thanckesgiuing and shewe our selues ioyfull in him with Psalmes For the Lord is a great GOD and a great king aboue all Gods because in his hand are the corners of the earthe and the highte of the hilles are his For the sea is his and he made it and his hands fastened the drie land O come let vs adore or worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord that hath made vs Beecause hee is the Lord our GOD and we are the people of his pasture and the sheepe of his handes Thou perceiuest therfore that we must adore or worship God and that wee must cleaue vnto him and singe praises to his name because hee is the most mightie GOD creatour of all thinges yea our creatour our father and our shéepeheard Likewise in the Gospell according to Matthewe adoration doeth followe faith and doeth as it were growe out of it and by it is nourished For after that the disciples béeing taughte by myracle beléeued that Iesus was Christ they came sayeth Matthewe and adored or worshipped him saying Thou art truely the sonne of God. Againe thou readest in Iohn that the Lord asked the blinde man that was excommunicate or caft out of the Synagogue whome he restored to his sight saying Doest thou beleeue in the sonne of God And that the blinde man aunswered Who is hee Lord that I might beleeue in him And that Iesus aunsweared and sayde Thou hast both seene him and hee it is that talketh with thee Moreouer vppon this by and by followeth in the historie But hee said I beleeue Lord and he worshipped him Hetherto nowe belongeth that whiche the Lord sayed to the Samaritane in the Gospell The true worshippers shall worship the father in spirite and in trueth For the Lord doth allowe spirituall and inward adoration or worshipping not that outward counterfecte or hypocriticall worshipping but that whiche procéedeth from a minde regenerated by fayth through the holy Ghost and that tendeth sincerely towardes one god For wee read in the historie of the old testament that those princes worshipped in trueth whiche consecrated and made holy themselues vnto one God with their whole heart and on him onely depended againe that they worshipped not the Lord with their whole heart which beeing destitute and voide of sincere faith depended also vppon creatures Nowe a reason of this adoration or worshipping the Lord adioyneth in the Gospel Worshipp sayeth he ought in all poincts to agree with him that is worshipped But God that is worshipped is spirite and trueth and is delighted with spirituall worshipp and vnfeigned fayth in spirite and trueth therefore hée must bée worshipped Wherefore the Sainctes haue a speciall care and regard that the inward worship of the minde be sound and that first of all they worshippe in heart and truely with a sincere faith and a reuerence of Gods Maiestie and whiles they are inwardly so occupied they doe no lesse outwardly falling on their faces with humilitie and doe worship in Gods presence For the outward worship is a companion of the inward and followeth it Hypocrites also worshippe God in body suppliantly and lowly enoughe but because their mindes goe a woll-gathering and neither with faith nor reuerence cleaue vnto the Lord they heare this spoken of the Lord by the Prophete This people honoureth mee with their lippes but their heart is farre from mee but in vaine doe they worship me teaching doctrines precepts of mē And this verily is the counterfecte and false worshipping And that worshipping also is false nay it is most wicked and abhominable wherwith the creatures are worshipped either with GOD or for God or without god And to saye sooth they doe not worship God at all whiche neither feare God neither beléeue in God nor yet depend or hange onely vppon God. All men truely confesse that God must bee worshipped but euery one doeth not surely acknowledge and cōfesse that God onely and alone is to bee worshipped It remayneth therefore to be declared that God only and alone is to be worshipped of men Adoration or worshipping is ioyned with true faith and perfecte or sincere reuerence of Gods maiestie whiche séeing they are due to GOD alone it followeth that god alone is to be worshipped and therefore is
of God the father Here true Christiās are separated from Iewes from Turkes yea and Papistes also For they despising the sonne of God call vpon the father only without the mediation of Christ Iesus But the voice of God by the Gospel and his Apostles pronounceth against them In the Gospel we read the Lord said The father hath committed all iudgement vnto the sonne beecause that all men shuld honour the sonne euen as they honor the father He that honoureth not the sonne the same honoreth not the father which hath sent him And againe I am the way the trueth the life No man cōmeth to the father but by me And Iohn the Apostle and Euāgelist saith Who soeuer denieth the sonne the same hath not the father But these men doe not acknowledge Christ to be the only intercessour but teach the saincts in his stéed or with him ought to bee called vppon as patrones before god But the same Iohn shewing an aduocate vnto Christiās did not appoint him selfe did not lay before vs sainctes in stéed of Christ or them with Christ But saieth he wee haue an aduocate with GOD the father Iesus Christ the righteous Neither doeth Paule shewe vs any other in 1. Tim. 2. cap. and Heb. 7. cap. To the Ephesi By Christ sayth he wee haue bouldnesse entraunce with confidēce by faith in him Christ is sufficient for them that beléeue as in whom alone the father hath stoared vpp all good things commaunding vs to aske those thinges in him and by him thorough prayer These thinges are sufficient for minds not desirous of contention They that wil let them serch further in the third Sermon of the fourth Decade I haue told you who is to be prayed vnto or called vppon of the godly worshipers of God and by whome to witt God alone by the onely sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ Let vs now sée what should stirre vp man to call vppon God surely the spirite of our God principally For prayer is rightly counted amonge the giftes of grace For neither could we earnestly nor hartily call vpon our God vnlesse we be stirred vpp and prouoked thervnto by the spirite of god For albeit the commaundement of God will vs to pray present necessitie and daunger driue vs and the example of other allure vs to pray yet all these thinges would doe nothing vnlesse the spirite inforce our minds vnto his will and guide and kéepe vs in prayer Therefore though there be many causes concurring whiche moue men to prayer yet the chiefe original of prayer is the holy Ghost to whose motion and gouernement in the entraunce of all prayers whosoeuer pray with any fruite do begge with an holy preface To this perteine these words of the holy Apostle The spirite also saith hée helpeth our infirmities For we know not what to pray as we ought but the spirite it selfe maketh requests for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed But he which searcheth the harts knoweth what is the meaning of the spirite for he maketh requests for the saincts according to the will of God. In déede the spirite of God is said to make intercession not that he in very déed prayeth groaneth but because he stirreth vp our mindes to pray and to sighe and bringeth to passe that according to the pleasure of GOD wée should make intercession or pray for the Sainctes that is to saye for oure selues But let vs consider with what abilities hée must be furnished which cōmeth of purpose to pray vnto god First it is necessarie that hée lay aside all opinion of his owne worthinesse and righteousnesse that hee acknowledge himselfe to bee a sinner and to stand in néed of all good thinges and so let him yéeld himselfe vnto the méere mercie of God desiring of the same to be filled with all things that are good For that great prophete of God Daniel saieth Wee doe not present our prayers before thee in our own righteousnes but in thy manifold mercies Also you read the like prayers offered vnto God Psal. 79. For the people of the Lord crie Helpe vs O Lord of our saluation for the glorie of thy name deliuer vs and be mercifull vnto our sinnes for thy names sake Remember not our sinnes of old make hast and let thy mercie deliuer vs. In the new Testament the Phariseie in Luke trusting in his owne righteousnesse is put by and cast off from the Lord but the Publican fréely confessing his sinnes and crauing mercie of God is heard and iustified For vnlesse we acknowledge our nakednes weakenes and pouertie who I pray you wil pray vnto God For not they that bestrong but they that bee sicke haue neede of the Physician And the Lorde in the Gospell sayth Aske and ye shal receiue knocke and it shal be opened vnto you seeke and ye shall finde Hee therfore that is commaunded to aske that he may receiue hath not as yet that he asketh he that knocketh by knocking signifieth that he standeth without doores and he whiche séeketh hathe lost that which yet he séeketh for We therefore being shut out from the ioyes of Paradise by prayer do séeke and aske for that whiche we haue lost and haue not Therefore where as Dauid and Ezechias and other saintes of God in prayer do alledge their owne righteousnes for which they séeme worthily to require to be heard truely they regarde not their owne worthinesse but rather the trueth of god He hath promised that he will heare them that worship him therfore the Godly say Beholde wee are thy worshippers therefore it is méete thou shouldest not neglect vs but deliuer vs In the meane while in other places they speake in suche sort of their righteousnesse that we cannot doubt that in their prayers they made mention of their righteousnesse with a certeine measure and limitation Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant sayth Dauid for in thy sight shal no man liuing be iustified c. Furthermore and that whiche is the chiefe of all it is needefull that they which pray must haue a true feruent faith Let the doctrine of faith therefore in the matter of prayer shewe vs lighte as the morning starr and with an assured hope to obtein of God the thing which is asked let him that prayeth make his petition Let him aske in faith sayth saint Iames nothing wauering for he that wauereth is like a waue of the Sea tost of the winde and carried with violence Neither let that man think that he shal receiue any thing of the Lord. And Paule also sayth Howe shall they call vppon him on whome they haue not beleeued I haue spoken of faith in the fourth sermon of the firste Decade But to the ende that faith may increase in iust measure flourish and continue stable we must labour in the promises and examples from euery place gathered together We will recite a fewe In the booke of Psalmes
holie ghost c. 872 1 He which sent me to baptise with water the same sayde vnto me Vppon whom so euer thou shalt sée the holie Ghost c. 1033 1 I am not Christ but am sent before him to beare record of him c. 578 1 Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world c. 365. 568 2 Away with these thinges from hence make not my fathershouse an house of merchandize c. 586 3 He that commeth from on high is aboue al He that c. 527 983 3 I am the voyce of a cryer in the wildernesse make streight the waye of the Lord c. 983 3 Ye your selues are witnesses that I saide that I am not the Christe c. 867 3 If I haue tolde you of earthly things and ye beléeue not c. 964 3 This is condemnation bycause the light came into the worlde c. 546 3 He whom God hath sent dothe speake the words of god For God giueth not the spirite by measure vnto him c. 627 3 God so loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne c. 48. 546. 549 3 He that beléeueth in the sonne of God is not condemned c. 779 3 And as Moses lifted vp the serpent in the wildernesse c. 48. 549 3 No man hath ascended vp into heauen but he that came downe froÌ„ heauen c. 696 3 Verily I say vnto you Except a man be borne of water and of the spirite c. 501. 1046. 1049 3 The winde bloweth where it lusteth and thou hearest the sounde thereof c. 714 3 Hée that beléeueth not is condemned alreadie bycause hâ—e hath not bâ—léeued in the name c. 643 4 God is a spirite and they that worship him must worship him in spirite and truth c. 416 427. 715 4 I knowe that the Messiah shal come which is caled Christ c. 539 4 Iesus him selfe did not baptise but his disciples c. 1056 4 The home coÌ„meth when ye shal neyther in this mounteine neither at Ierusalem worship c. 1004 4 He whiche drinketh of this water shall thirst againe c. 1002 5 They that haue done good shall come foorth vnto the resurrection of life c. 747 5 The father hath giuen all iudgement to the sonne that al might honour the sonne as they honour the the father c. 661. 686. 920 5 Therefore the Iewes sought the more to kill him not onely bycause he had broken the Sabbaoth daye c. 59. 683 5 Who so hath the sonne hath life who so hath not the sonne of God hath not life c. 643 5 My father worketh hetherto I worke c. 638 5 Thinke not that I will accuse you to my father there is one that accâ—â—eth you c. 402 5 There is one which accuseth you euen Moses in whome ye hope c 376 5 The Lord conueyed him selfe away while the people woulde haue made him a king c. 218 5 We know that the sonne of god is come hath giuen vs a mynde that we should knowe him c. 685 6 The words of our lord touching the eating of his body make muche for the meaning of the wordes vsed in the sacramental supper c. 54 6 He that eateth me shall liue by me c. 49 6 I am the liuely bread that came downe from heauen c. 684 6 Exâ—ept ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you c. 1049 6 My fleshe is meaâ—e in déede and my bloud is drinke in déed c. 696 6 He that cateth my flesh drinketh my bloud dwelleth in c. 825 6 No man commeth vnto me vnlesse my father drawe him c. 589 6 This is the wâ—l of him that sent me the â—ather that euery one which sâ—â—th the sonne and beleueth in him shoulde haue euerlasting life c. 48 643 6 Lord to whome shal we go thou hast the wordes of eternall life and we beleeue and knowe c. 569 6 Doth this offend you What therefore if you shall sée the sonne of man c. 69 7 The holy Ghoste was not yet there bicause Iesus was not yet glorified c. 430 7 If any man thirst let him come vnto me drinke c. 706. 725. 825 8 I am the light of the world He that followeth me doth not walke in darknesse 686. 833 8 The diuell was a murtherer froÌ„ the beginning and abode not in the truth c. 485. 746 8 We are not borne of fornication we haue one father eueÌ„ god c 683 8 If ye abide in my sayinge ye shal be my disciples in déede and ye shal knowe the truth c. 676 8 Verily I say vnto you before Abraham was I am c. 678 8 He that is of God dothe heare the word of God c. 822. 827 8 Abraham was glad to sée my daye and he saw it and reioyced c 433 8 Verily verily I say vnto you c. if the sonne therfore shall make you frée c. 444. 591 9 Maister who sinned this man or his parentes that he was borne blinde c. 293 9 Doest thou beléeue in the sonne of God c. 59. 652 10 I am the doore c. 662 10 Many good works haue I shewed you from my father for which of these good works do ye stone me c. 683 10 I and my father are one Then the Iewes tooke vp stones c. 59 10 How long doest thou make vs doubt c. 538 10 I haue power to forgiue â—innes to raiâ—e to life whome I will and to giue righteousnesse c. 696 10 My shéepe heare my voyce I knowe them and they follow me c. 645. 822. 827 10 I giue vnto my shéepe euerlasting life neyther shall they perish for euer c. 683 11 I am the resurrection and the life he that beléeueth in me c 68 12 My soule is heauie euen vnto the death c. 64 12 I when I shal be lift vppe from the earth will drawe c. 64 12 Verily verily I say vnto you vnlesse the séede of corne c. 65 13 Verily verily I say vnto you He that receiueth whome so euer I shall send receiueth me c. 1104 13 About the end of the Supper the diuell entred into Iudas c. 80. 515. 1108 13 Verily I say vnto thée the cock shall not â—â—â—we till thou hast denyed me thrise c. 564 13 He that is washed néedeth not saue to washe his feete c. 772 13 The Apostle or messinger is not greater than he that sent him c. 877 13 A newe commandement I giue vnto you that ye loue one an other as I haue c. 826 14 Ye beleeue in God beleeue and in me c. 692 14 That comforter whiche is the holie Ghost whome the father will send in my name c. 627. 724 14 I will praye the father and
he shall giue you an other comforter c. 625. 723. 816 14 I go to prepare a place for you and will come againe c. 70. 1092 14 Whosoeuer knoweth my commaundementes and keâ—peth them he it is that loueth me c. 462. 822 14 The father is greater than I c. 28 14 Lord shewe vs the father and it sufficeth c. 620 14 Let not your heart be troubled or vâ—â—ed you beleeue in God c. 59 684 14 I will receiue you euen vnto my self that where I am there may ye be also c. 768 14 Haue I bene so long with you and do ye not yet knowe me c. 620 14 I am the way the truth and the life c. 662. 920 17 For their sakes sanctiste I my selfe that they also might be sanctified in truth c. 706 14 Whatsoeuer ye shall aske in my name that will I do c. 707. 922 14 In that day ye shall know that I am in my father and you in me c. 825 15 I am that true vine and my father is the husbandman Euerie braunch c. 863 15 You shall beare witnesse bicause ye haue ben with me from c. 872 15 Nowe are ye cleane throughe the word which I haue spoken vnto you c. 974 15 This is my commaundement that ye loue one an other c. 96 15 The seruant is not greater then his maister if they haue persecuted me c. 316 15 If I had not come and spoken vnto them they had had wherwithall c. 510. 15 I am the vine ye are the braunches As the braunch can not beare c. 454 15 He that hath not the spirite of Christe is none of his c. 825 16 Verily verily I saye vnto you ye shall wéepe and lament c. 292 16 Hetherto haue ye not asked any thing in my name aske and ye shal receiue c. 434 16 I went out from the father and came into the worlde I leaue the world and goe vnto the father c. 625 16 It is expedient for you that I depart For if I goe not away the comforter shall not come c. 728 1091 16 When the comforter shal come whome I will sende vnto you from the father c. 723 16 They shal driue you from their Synagogues and the time shall come c. 316 16 Lord to whome shall we goe Thou hast the word of eternall life c. 819 16 I haue many things to tel you but at this time you can not c. 18 17 This is eternall life to knowe thée the true GOD onely c. 59. 620 17 Father the houre is come glorifie thy sonne c. 684 17 And nowe O father glorifie thou me with thine owne selfe with the glorie whiche thou gauest me with thee before this world was c. 686 18 For this cause was I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I shoulde beare witnesse vnto the truth c. 701 18 Who so is of the truth wil heare my voyce c. 822. 827 18 My kingdome is not of this world c. 218 18 If my kingdome were of this world then wold my seruants surely fight c. 700 19 We haue a lawe and according to our lawe he ought to dye c. 683 19 In Christe there was not one bone broken c. 366 20 The Lorde came vnto his disciples and sayde Peace be vnto you c. 902 20 Whose sinnes ye forgiue they are forgiuen them c. 83. 871. 528 20 But these are written that ye might beléeue that Iesus c. 17 21 When thou wast yonger thou gâ—rdedst thy selfe and wentest whether c. 302 21 Féede my shéepe c. 866. 878 Out of the Actes of the Apostles 1 DEparte not from Ierusalem but waite for the promise of the father c. 1032 1 Peter calling a Church together speaketh of placing an other Apostle in the stead of Iudas c. 837 2 They were continuing in the doctrine of the Apostles and in communicating and in breaking of breade and in prayer c. 1081. 1113 2 WheÌ„ they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and sayde to Peter and the c. 571 2 There were dwelling at Ierusalem certeine Iewes religious men of all nations that are vnder heauen c. 1115 2 Repent and be ye euerie one baptised in the name of Iesus Christe c. 821. 902. 968. 989 1061 2 That Christe is risen againe it is proued by the testimonie of Dauid vttered by Saint Peter in a certeine Sermon c. 68 2 Saue your selues from this froward or vntoward generation c. 858 2 All which beléeued were ioyned in one c. 261 3 Men and brethren what shal we doe To whome Peter answered Repent and be baptised c. 582 3 I knowe ye did it through ignoraunce Nowe therefore turne you c. 517 4 None of them sayde that any thing was his of that which he possessed c. 261 4 If we at this day be examined of the déede done to the sicke man c. 972 4 In the name of the Lord Iesus arise vp and walke and they c. 972 5 The Priests put the Apostles in the common pryson but the Angel of the Lorde c. 735 5 Howe is it that sathan hath filled thine heart to lye vnto the holye Ghost c. 717 5 We ought to obey God more thaÌ„ men c. 146 6 The Church of Antioche ordeine and send Paule and Barnabas c. 837 6 At Ierusalem there was Colleges or Synagogues of Libertines Cyreneans Alexandrines Cilicians and Asians c. 1115 7 And when fourtie yeares were expyred there appeared vnto him in the wildernesse of mount Sina an Angel c. 743 7 They stoned Stephan calling on and saying Lorde Iesu receiue my spirite c. 715 7 He that is highest of all dwelleth not in temples made with handes c. 1004 8 And deuout men carried StephaÌ„ to his buriall and made greate lamentation ouer him 697 8 The Eunuche of Candace Guéene of Aethiopia read the holie Scriptures c. 871 8 Sée here is water what letteth me to be baptised c. 1006 6 Giue me this power also that on whome so euer I lay my handes c. 587 8 Thy monie perishe with thée bicause thou hast thought that the gift of God c. 587 8 Thou hast neyther part nor fellow shippe in this businesse bycause thy heart is not right in the fight of God c. 1051 9 Saule Saule why persecutest thou me c. 586 9 He will tell thée what thou must doe c. 871 10 Ye know that I being called by GOD did goe to the Gentiles c. 424 10 Cornelius indued with Gods grace he and his housholde become the Church of God c. 861 10 Of a truth I perceiue that there is no respect of persons with God but in euerie nation c. 546 10 Arise Peter slea and eate
ignorant in no pointe of those thinges which Adam had taught Noe dyeth which is maruell to be tolde and yet very true in the. 59. yere of Abrahams age Sem the sonne of Noah liued many yeares with his father For he liued in all 600. yeres He was borne to Noah about 96. yeres before the deluge He sawe and heard therfore not onely his father Noe and his grandfather Lamâ—ch but also his great grand siar Methusalem with whome he liued those 96. yeres before the deluge Of him he might be informed of all those thinges whiche Methusalem had hearde and learned of Adam and the other Patriarches Sem dieth after the death of Abraham in the. 52. yeare of Iacob which was 37. yeares after the death of Abraham in the. 112. yeare of Isaac his age So that Iacob the Patriarch might very well learne all the true diuinitie of Sem him self euen as he had heard it of Methusalem who was the thirde witnesse and teacher from Adam Furthermore Iaacob the Patriarch deliuered to his childreÌ„ that which he receiued of God to teach to his posteritie In Mesopotamia there is borne to Iaacob his sonne Leui and to him againe is born Kahad whiche both sawe and hearde Iaacob For Kahad liued no small number of yeares with his grandfather Iaacob For he is rehearsed in the roll of them which went with Iaacob downe into Egypt but Iaacob liued 17. yeares with his children in Egypt This Kahad is the grandfather of Moses the father of Amram from whom Moses did perfectly draw that ful and certain tradition by hand as concerning the will commaundements and iudgements of God euen as Amram his father had learned theÌ„ of his father Kahad Kahad of Iaacob Iaacob of Sem Sem of Methusalem and of Adam the first father of vs all so nowe that Moses is from Adam the seuenth witnesse in the worlde And from the beginning of the worlde to the byrth of Moses are fully complete 2368. yeares of the worlde And who so euer shall diligently reckon the yeres not in vaine set downe by Moses in Genesis and Erodus he shall find this account to be true and right Now also it behoueth vs to know those chiefe principles of that liuely tradition deliuered by the holy fathers at the appointment of God as it were from hande to hande to all the posteritie The fathers taught their children that God of his naturall goodnesse wishing well to mankind woulde haue all men to come to the knowledge of the trueth and to be like in nature to God him selfe holy happie and absolutely blessed And therefore that God in the beginning did create man to his owne similitude and likenesse to the intent that he should be good holy immortal blessed and partaker of all the good gifts of God but that man continued not in that dignitie and happie estate but by the meanes of the deuill and his owne proper faulte fell into sinne miserie and death changing his likenesse to God into the similitude of the deuill Moreouer that God here againe as it were of freshe began the worke of saluation wherby mankind being restored and set free from all euill might once againe be made like vnto God and that he meant to bring this mightie and diuine worke to passe by a certain middle meane that is by the worde incarnate For as by this taking of flesh he ioyned man to God so by dying in the fleshe with sacrifice he cleansed sanctified and deliuered mankinde and by giuing him his holy spirit he made him like againe in nature to God that is immortall and absolutely blessed And last of all he worketh in vs a willing indeuour aptly to resemble the propertie and coÌ„ditions of him to whose likenesse we are created so that we maye be holy bothe body and soule They added moreouer that the word should be incarnate in his due time and appointed age And also that there did remaine a greate daye for iudgement wherein though all men were gathered together yet the rightuous onely shoulde receiue that reward of heauenly immortalitie So theÌ„ this is the brief summe of the holy fathers tradition whiche it is best to vntwist more largely and to speake of it more diligently as it were by parts First therefore the fathers taught that the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are one God in the moste reuerend Trinitie the maker and gouernour of heauen and earth and all things whiche are therein by whome man was made and who for man did make all things and put all things vnder mankind to minister vnto him things necessarie as a louing father and most bountiful Lorde Then they taught that man consisted of soule and body and that he in déede was made good according to the image and likenesse of God but that by his owne faulte and egging forwarde of the deuill falling into sinne he brought into the worlde death and damnation together with a webbe of miseries out of whiche it can not ridde it selfe So that nowe all the children of Adam euen from Adam are borne the sonnes of wrath and wretchednesse But that God whose mercy aboundeth according to his incomprehensible goodnesse taking pitie on the miserie of mankinde did euen of his méere grace graunt pardon for the offence and did laye the weight of the punishment vpon his only sonne to the intent that he when his heele was crushed by the Serpent might him self breake the Serpents heade That is to say God doth make a promise of seed that is of a sonne who taking fleshe of a péerelesse woman I meane that Virgine most worthy of commendations should by his death vanquishe death and Sathan the authour of death and shoulde bring the faythfull sonnes of Adam out of bondage yea and that more is shuld by adoption make them the sonnes of God and heires of life euerlasting The holy fathers therefore taught to beléeue in God and in his son the redéemer of the whole world when in their very sacrifices they did represent his death as it were an vnspotted sacrifice wherwith he ment to wipe away and cleanse the sinnes of all the worlde And therefore had they a most diligent eye to the stocke and lineall descent of the Meschias For it is brought down as it were by a line from Adam to Noe and from Noe by Sem euen to Abraham him selfe and to him againe it was sayde In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed in which wordes the promise once made to Adam as touching Christe the redeemer and chaunger of Gods curse into blessing is renewed and repeated againe The same line is brought downe from Abraham by Isaac vnto Iacob and Iacob being ful of the spirit of God pointed out his sonne Iuda to be the roote of the blessed séede as it is to be séene in 49. of Genesis Lastly in the tribe of Iuda the house of Dauid was noted out of which
to the two Disciples whiche went to Emaus with whome he talked of sundry matters but at length beginning at Moses and all the Prophetes he expounded to them what so euer was written of him self throughout all the Scriptures The Apostles following this example of the Lorde did them selues also expound the word of God. For Peter in the seconde Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles dothe expounde the xvj Psalme of Christe his resurrection from the deade And Philip also doth plainely expounde to the noble man of Ethiope the prophesie of Esay wherby he bringeth him to the fayth of Christe and fellowship of the Church Whosoeuer doth say that Paul doth not euery where interpret the holy Scripture he hath neyther read nor séene the déedes nor writings of Paule Thus haue I I hope both plainly substantially shewed that the word of God ought to be expounded As for those whiche cry out against the exposition of the Scriptures and woulde not haue the ministers of the worde and Churches to declare the scriptures in open and solemne audience neyther to apply them to the places times states persons their fetch is to seeke somewhat else then the honour due vnto god They leade their liues farre otherwise then is comely for godly men Their talke is wicked vnséemely dishonest Their déeds are mischieuous and haynous offences And this woulde they to doe without punishment and therefore desire to haue the exposition of the Scriptures to be taken cleane away For if a man doe read the wordes of the Scripture onelye not applyinge it to the states places times and persones it someth that he hath not greatly touched their vngodly and wicked life Therefore when they crie that Sermons and expositions of the scriptures ought to be taken a waye from among men and that the Scriptures ought to be reade simplye without any addition they minde nothing else but to caste behind them the lawe of God to treade vnder foote all discipline and rebuking of sinne and so to offende fréely without punishment whiche sorte of men the rightuous Lorde will in his appointed time punishe so muche the more grieuously as they doe more boldly rebell against their God. In the meane season all the ministers of the Churche muste beware that they followe not héerein their owne affections any whit at all or else corrupt the Scriptures by their wrong interpretations and so by that meanes set foorth to the Church their owne inuentions and not the worde of god Some suche like offence it séemeth that the teachers of the auncient people in olde time did commit bycause the Lorde in Ezechiell accuseth them saying Seemeth it a small thing to you to haue eaten vp the good pasture but that ye must also treade the residue of your pasture vnder your feete and to drinke the clearer water but that ye muste trouble the rest with your feete Thus my sheepe muste be faine to eate the thing that is troden downe with your feete and to drinke that whiche ye with your feete haue defiled A sore offence is this which the Lord according to his iustice punisheth most sharpely We therefore the interpreters of Gods holy worde and faythfull ministers of the Churche of Christe must haue a diligent regarde to keepe the Scriptures sounde and perfect and to teach the people of Christ the worde of God sincerely made plaine I meane not corrupted or darkned by foolish wroÌ„g expositions of oure owne inuention And nowe dearely beloued the place and time require vs to say somwhat vnto you touching the interpretation of the holy Scriptures or the exposition of the word of god Wherin I will not speake any thing particularly of the skilfull knowledge of tongues or the liberall sciences which are thinges requisite in a good interpreter but will briefly touche the generalities alone And first of al ye must vnderstande that some things in the Scriptures or worde of God are so plainly set foorth that they haue neede of no interpretation neyther will admit any exposition Which if any man goe about with his owne expositions to make more manifest he may séeme to do as wittily as he which with faggot light and torches would helpe the sunne at his rising to giue more light vnto the world As for those thinges which are so set down that they séeme to require our helpe to expound them they must not be interpreted after our owne fantasies but according to the minde and meaning of him by whom the Scriptures were reuealed For Saint Peter saythe The prophesie came not in olde time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Therefore the true and proper sense of Gods worde must be taken out of the Scriptures them selues and not be forceably thruste vpon the Scriptures as we our selues lust And therwithal ye must marke a fewe certaine rules which I meane briefly to touch and to shewe vnto you in those fewe wordes which I haue yet to speake First since the Apostle Paul would haue the exposition of the Scriptures to agree fitly and in euery point proportionally with our fayth as it is to be seene in the twelâ—the to the Romanes And bycause againe in the later epistle to the Corinthians he saith Seing then that we haue the same spirite of faith according as it is writen I beleeued and therefore haue I spoken we also beleeue and therefore doe we speake Let it therefore be taken for a point of Catholike religion not to bring in or admit any thing in our expositions which others haue alledged against the receiued articles of our fayth conteyned in the Apostles Créede and other coÌ„fessions of the ancient fathers For saytâ— the apostle in defence of the trueth we can saye somewhat but against the trueth we are able to say nothing When therefore in the Gospel after S. Iohn we read the saying of the Lord The father is greater then I we must thinke that it is against the articles of our fayth to make or admit any equalitie in the Godhead betwixt the Father and the Sonne and therefore that the Lorde his meaning was otherwise then the very words at the first blush do séeme to import Againe when we read this saying of the apostle It can not be that they which were once illuminated if they fall away shuld be renued againe into repeÌ„tance Let vs not beléeue that repentance is to be denied to theÌ„ that fall For the Catholike Fayth is this that in euery place at euery season so long as we liue on this earthe a full pardon of all sinnes is promised to all men whiche turne to the Lorde In like manner when we reade that the Lorde tooke breade and sayde of the breade This is my body let vs presently remember that the Articles of our fayth doe attribute to our Lorde the very body of a man which asceÌ„ded into heauen and sitteth at the righte hande of
loased If sayth the Lorde in Ieremie ye can vndoe the league that I haue taken with the day or the couenant that I haue made with the night so that it neyther be day nor night at the appointed time then may my couenant be of none effect which I haue made with Dauid But not the whole worlde laying all their strengthes together is able to make it day when it is once Night nor cause the Daye to breake one howre sooner then the course of Heauen doth commaunde Therefore not all this worlde with all the powre and pompe therof shall be able once to weaken or breake to chaunge or abolish so much as one tittle in the word of God and the trueth of Godds worde Faith therefore which resteth vpon a thing most firme or sure can not choose but be an vndoubted certification And since Gods worde is the foundacion of Fayth Fayth can not wander to and fro and leane to euery worde whatsoeuer For euery opinion conceiued without the worde of God or against Gods word cannot be called true faith And for that cause S. Paule the Apostle of Christ would not ground the true or Christian faith vpon any carnall proppes or opinions of men but vpon the truth and power of god With his wordes will I conclude this place Fayth sayth he commeth of hearing and hearing by the worde of God. By the worde of God he saith and not by the worde of man Againe to the Corinthians My preaching saith he was not in entising wordes of mans wisedome but in the shewing forth of the spirite and of powre that your faith should not be in the wisedome of man but in the power of God. Whereby also we learne that some there are which against all reason require fayth at our handes that is they would haue vs to beléeue that which they are not able to shewe out of Gods worde or that which is cleane contrary to the word of god To the better declaring of this that I haue saide auaileth that short abridgement of Gods word and of fayth which we in the definition of fayth haue closely knitte vp together There are there rehearsed two chiefe â—oints of fayth and of the worde And first of al that God in Christ doth fréely promise life and euery good thinge For God who is the obiect or marke and foundation of fayth beinge of his owne proper nature euerliuing euerlasting good doth of himself from before al beginning beget the son like to himself in al points who bicause he is of the same substance with the father is himselfe also by nature life and all goodnesse And to the ende he might communicate to vs his Sonnes and brethren both life and all goodnesse he became man and being conuersant very God and man among men he testified that God the Father through the Sonne doeth powre himselfe wholly with all good things into the faithfull whom he quickneth and filleth with all goodnesse and last of all doeth take them vppe to himselfe into the blessed place of euerlasting life And that he doth frankly and fréely bestow this benefite to the ende that the glory of his grace may in all thinges be praysed This doth true fayth beleeue and herevnto belonge no small part of the scriptures which testifie that God in Christ doth communicate to the faithful life and al goodnes Iohn the Apostle cryeth out and sayth In the beginning was the word and the word was with God God was the word And the word became flesh dwelt amonge vs And we saw the glorie of God as the glory of the onely begotten sonne of the Father full of grace and truth And of his fulnesse haue all we receiued c. For the Lorde him selfe in the Gospell after Saint Iohn sayde Verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer things the Father doth the same also doth the Sonne For euen as the Father doth raise the deade to life and quickneth theÌ„ so also doth the sonne quicken whom he will for neyther iudgeth the father any man but hath coÌ„mitted all iudgement to the sonne that all men may honour the sonne euen as they honour the father He that honoureth not the sonne the same honoureth not the father which hath sent him Verily verily I say vnto you he that heareth my word and beleeueth on him that sente me hath life euerlasting and shal not come into iudgemente but is escaped from death vnto life With these woordes of the Gospell agreeth that sayinge of S. Paule In Christe are layde vp all the treasures of wysedome and knowledge Because in him dwelleth all fulnesse of the Godheade bodily and yee in him are fullyfilled But that these great benefits of God are freelie bestowed vppon the faithful Paule that Vessell of election declareth in these woords Blessed be God who hath chosen vs in Christe before the foundations of the world were layd and hath predestinated vs into the adoption of children through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe accordinge to the good pleasure of his will to the prayse of the glorie of his grace wherein he hath made vs accepted in the beloued throughe whom wee haue redemption in his bloud c. And againe All haue sinned and haue neede of Gods glorie but are iustifyed freely throughe his grace by the redemption which is in Christe And so forward True fayth therefore doth beleeue that life and euery good thinge doth freely come to it from God through Christe which is the chiefe Article of our fayth as in the Articles of the beliefe is more largly layde forth The second principal point of Gods word and fayth is that in the word of God there is set downe all truth necessary to be beleeued and that true fayth doth beleeue all that is declared in the Scriptures For it telleth vs that God is what maner one hee is what Gods works are what his iudgments his wil his commaundements his promises what his threatnings are finally what soeuer is profitable or necessary to be beleeued that doth Gods worde who lie set downe vnto vs and that doth true fayth receiue beleeuing all thinges that are written in the Lawe and the Prophets in the Gospell and wrytinges of the Apostles But whatsoeuer caÌ„not be fetched or proued out of those writinges or whatsoeuer is contrary vnto them that do the faithful not beleeue at all â–ª For the very nature of true fayth is not to beleue that which squareth froÌ„ the worde of god Whosoeuer therefore beleeueth not the fables and opinions of men he alone beleeueth as he should for he dependeth onely vppon the worde of God and so vppon God himselfe the onely fountayne of all truth The matter the argumente and the whole summe of fayth is brieflye set oute vnto vs in the Articles of the Christian fayth whereof I will speake at another time I haue this houre declared vnto you decrely beloued and reuerende brethren in the Lorde the definition of faith which to the ende that
I may surely fasten in euery ones mynde and that all may vnderstand what fayth is I repeate it here againe and therwithall conclude this Sermon Fayth is a gifte of God powred into man from Heaue wherby he is taught with an vndouted persuasioÌ„ wholie to leane to God and his word in which word God in Christ doth freely promise life and euery good thing and wherin al truth necessary to be beleued is plainly declared Let vs all pray to God our father through his only begotteÌ„ Sonne our Lord Iesus Christe that hee will vouchsafe from Heauen to bestowe true fayth vppon vs all that wee by it knowinge him a righte may at the laste obtayne life euerlasting Amen That there is one onely true Fayth and what the vertue thereof is ¶ The fifth Sermon BEinge cutte of with the shortnesse of tyme and deteyned by the excellencie of the matter I could not in my last sermon make an end of al that I had determined to speake touching Fayth now therefore by the grace of the holy spirite I will adde the rest of the argument which seemeth yet to be behind Pray to the Lorde that that which by mans voyce is brought to your eares may by the finger of God be written in your hartes True Fayth is ignorant of all diuision for there is sayth the Apostle one Lorde one Fayth one Baptisme one God and Father of all For there remayneth from the beginning of the worlde euen vnto the ende therof one and the same fayth in all the electe of god God is one and the same for euer the onely Well of all goodnesse that can neuer be drawne drie The trueth of God from the beginning of the worlde is one and the same set forth to men in the word of god Therfore the obiect and foundatioÌ„ of faith that is God and the worde of God remaine for euer one and the selfe same In one and the selfe same fayth with vs haue al the elect euer since the first creation of the worlde beléeued that vnto vs through Christ all good things are fréely giuen and that all truth necessary to be beleued is declared in the word of the Lord wherfore the faithful of the olde world haue alwayes set led their faith on God and his worde so that now without all doubte there caÌ„not be any more theÌ„ one true faith I know very well that in the world there are soweb many and sundrye faythes that is to say religions For there is the Indian fayth the Iewish fayth the fayth of the Mahometists the fayth of the Georgians yet not withstaÌ„ding ther is but one true Christian fayth the abridgement whereof is conteyued in the articles of our beleefe and is taught at the full in the sacred Scriptures of both the Testaments I know also that there are sundry beliefes of men resting vpon sundry things and beleuing that which is contrary to true faith but yet neuerthelesse there remaineth but one true beliefe in God and his worde which is an vndoubted persuasion and confidence of things most true and assuredly certaine This confidence doth grow with increase in the mindes of the faithfull contrarily decreaseth againe and vtterly faileth And for that cause the Apostles besought the lord saying Lord increase our faith And Paul the Apostle doth in his writings euery where wish to the faithful the increase of the spirite and faith Dauid also before him prayed saying O God create a cleane harte within me and take not thy holy spirite from me For he had séene how that from Saule whom he succéeded in the kingdom the good spirite of God was departed and that in stéede therof the wicked spirit had entred into his minde which tormented him very pitifully Here vnto belongeth that saying in the gospel To euery one that hath shall be giuen and from him that hath not shal be taken away that which he hath not or that he maketh no accompt of and shal be giuen to him that hath Neither was it in vain that the Lord said to Peter I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy fayth faile not For Paul speketh of some in his time that made shipwracke of their owne â—aith and ouerthrew the faith of other And to what ende I praye you doe we dayly heare the worde of God and make our humble petitions to the Lord but bycause we looke for increase of godlinesse and request his ayde to keepe vs that we fall not from true fayth verily Paul to the Thessalonians sayth We pray earnestly daye and night to see you personally and to supply that which is wanting in your fayth And a little before he sayde For this cause I sent Timotheus that I might be certiâ—â—ed of your fayth least by any meanes the tempter had tempted you and so our labour had ben of no effect The same Apostle also in his epistle to the Ephesians sayth Christe gaue some Apostles some Prophetes some Pastours and teachers to the restoring of the Saintes vnto the building of the body of Christ vntill we all meete together in the vnitie of fayth and the acknowledging of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of age of the fulnesse of Christ so that now we be no longer children Therfore so long as we liue we learne that our fayth may be perfect and if so be at any time it shall be weakned by temptations that then it may be repayred and againe confirmed And in this diuersitie I meane in this increase and weaknesse of fayth there is no partition or diuision for the selfe same roote and substance of fayth doth alwayes remayne althoughe it be at sometime more and at somtime lesse In like manner fayth is not therefore changed nor cut in sunder â–ª bicause one is called generall fayth and another particular fayth For generall faith is no other then that whiche beleeueth that al the words of God are true and that God hath a good will to mankind Particular fayth beléeueth nothing contrarie to this onely that whiche is coÌ„mon to al the faythful applieth particularly to him selfe beleeuing that God is not well minded towarde others alone but euen vnto him also So then it bringeth the whole into parts and that which is generall into particularities For whereas by generall fayth he beléeueth that all the wordes of God are true in the same sorte by particular fayth he doth beléeue that the soule is immortall that our bodyes rise againe that the faythfull shall be saued the vnbeléeuers destroyed and whatsoeuer else is of this sort taught to be beléeued in the word of god Moreouer the disputation touching faith that is poured into vs and fayth that we our selues get touching formall fayth and fayth without fashion I beléeue to be beaten out of them whiche of them selues do bring these newe disputations into the Churche True faith is obtained by no strength or merite of man but is powred into him of
which honge vppon the Crosse did heare the Angell of the Lord say Whie seeke yee the liuinge among the dead hee is not heere but is risen c. This historie of the Lords resurrection is set forth in the 24. after Luk and the 16. after Marke Peter the Apostle also in the seconde of the Actes affirminge the Lords resurrection by the testimonie of Dauid doth expresslye shew that the Lord is verily risen againe After this wée say againe that hée is risen out of or from the dead Which member doth expresse the truth both of his death and resurrection For the bodie or flesh dieth or is destroyed but being dead is raysed vp again this body therfore or flesh is raised vp again as thoughe hee that maketh confession of his beliefe should say Our Lord died euen in the very same condition of nature that other mortall men doe die in but hee taried not nor yet stack faste amonge the dead For the very same mortall fleshe which hee had taken vnto him and by dyinge had layde asyde hee nowe taketh againe immortallie As Dauid had foretolde before sayinge Because thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell nor suffer thy holie one to see corruption For Christe is the first begotten of them that rise againe in whom as in the heade there oughte to be declared in what sorte the resurrection of all Christ his members shal be in the day of iudgement And wee confesse that this resurrection was made the thirde daye I meane the thirde day after his death For vppon the daye of Preparation hee is taken downe from the Crosse caried into a sepulcher where his bodie resteth the whole Sabboth daye and about the beginning of the first day of sabbothes which I say is the first day of the weeke and amonge vs at this day is called Sunday in the morning hée rose againe from the dead Wheras therfore in the twelfth Chap. of the Gospell after S. Mathewe wee reade that the Lorde saide As Ionas was three dayes and three nightes in the belly of the Whale So shall the sonne of man bee in the harte of the earth three dayes and three nightes Yet notwithstandinge in the sixtenth and twenteth Chapters expoundinge himselfe as hauinge spoken that by Synecdoche hee sayth I must goe to Hierusalem and suffer many thinges of the Scribes and elders and be killed and raysed vp againe the thirde daye The sixt Article of our fayth is He ascended into Heauen and sitteth at the right hande of God the father Almightie That bodye which is of the same substaunce with our bodies taken oute of the Virgine Marie and taken verilie of the substaunce of the Virgin which honge vpon the Crosse and dyed and was buried and rose againe the very same bodie I say ascended into the Heauens sitteth at the righte hande of God the father For after that by the space of 40. dayes our Lord had abundantly enoughe instructed his Disciples touchinge the truth of his resurrection and the kingdome of God hee was taken vp into Heauen By that ascension of his hee declareth to the whole compasse of the earth that hee is Lorde of all thinges and that to him are subiecte al things that are in Heauen and in earth that hee is our strength the power of the faithfull and hee of whom they haue to boast againste the gates of Hell. For hee ascendinge into Heauen hath lead Captiuitie captiue and by spoylinge his enimyes hath inriched his people on whom hee dailye heapeth his spirituall giftes For hee sitteth aboue that by powringe his vertue from thence into vs hee maye quicken vs with the spirituall lyfe and decke vs with sondrie giftes and graces and lastlie defende the Church against all euills For God is our Sauiour kinge and bishoppe Whereuppon when as once the Capernaites were offended because the Lord had called himselfe the bread of life that came downe from Heauen to giue life vnto the Worlde Hee sayth Doth this offende you What therefore if you shall see the sonne of man ascende thether where hee was before As if hee should saye then verilie ye will gather by my quickeninge resurrection and glorious ascension into the Heauens that I am the breade of Lyfe broughte downe from Heauen and now againe taken vp into the Heauens there to remayne the Sauiour life and Lord of Heauen and earth Moreouer S. Peter the Apostle in the Actes sayth Let all the house of Israell knowe for a suretie that God hath made the same Iesus whom yee haue Crucifyed Lord and Christe Furthermore hee did not onely ryse againe from death and come to his Disciples but also ascended into Heauen as they béehelde and looked on him to the ende that wee thereby might bee assuredlie certified of eternall saluation For by ascending hee prepared a place for vs hee made readie the way that is hee opened the verie Heauens to the faithful God hath placed in heauen the very humanitie that hee tooke of vs which is in deede a liuelye and vnreproueable testimonie that all mankinde shall at the laste be translated into Heauen also For the members must needes be made conformable to the heade Christe oure heade is risen agayne from the deade therefore Wée his members shall also rise againe And euen as a cloud tooke away the Lord from the sighte of his Disciples So shall wée that belieue be caried in the Cloudes to meete the Lorde and shal whoalâ—e in Soule and bodie bée and for euer dwell in Heauen wyth oure head and Lord Christe Iesus And this doth Iohn euidently teach him that readeth his fourtenth chapter where the Lord sayth I go to prepare a place for you and will come againe to you and take you vnto my selfe that wheresoeuer I am yee may also be Paule the Apostle also witnesseth and sayth Wee that liue and shal be remayninge in the comminge of the Lorde shal be caryed in the Cloudes together wyth them that are raysed vp from the deade to meete the Lorde in the ayre Wee confesse therefore in this article that Iesus Christe being taken vp into Heauen is Lorde of all thinges the kinge and byshoppe the deliuerer and Sauiour of all the faythful in the whoale world Wée confesse that in Christe and for Christ wee belieue the lyfe euerlastinge which wee shall haue in this bodie at the ende of the worlde and in soule so soone as wee are once departed oute of this world But nowe by the waye wee must weighe the very woords of this article Hee ascended wee saye Who ascended I praye you Hee that was borne of the Virgine Marie that was Crucifyed dead and buried that rose againe from the deade Hee I saye ascended verilie both bodie and soule But whether ascended hee Into Heauen Heauen in the Scriptures is not taken alwayes in one signification First it is put for the Firmament and that large compasse that is ouer our heades wherein the birds flye too and
earthly Gods he shall not doo amisse considering that for the nighe affinitie betwixt vs thei ought to be if it be lawful so to say more to be honored of vs thē the Gods thē selues And it is necessarie to be persuaded that we must with a continuall readinesse of minde doe our indeuour to repay the benefites receiued at their handes with the like again And although we shal do very much for them yet notwithstanding all will be too litle in comparison of that we ought to doe And so foorth as followeth For sooner will the time faile me then that I can conueniently rehearse this and the like belonging herevnto out of heathen writers neyther did I purpose to reckon vp all Against murder wrong and iniurie very seuere lawes haue ben made by the Gentiles From them also came the lawe called Lex Iulia against adulterie and detestable buggerie They ordained excellent lawes for the contracting obseruing of Matrimonie And the worde of truth doth expresly declare that the Chananites were wiped away bycause of their incest in marriage and horrible lustes Leuit. 8 Lycurgus also Solon and the Romans did publishe lawes for the restraint of outragious expences in riotous persons And here of purpose I ouerpasse that which is naturally ingraffed in all men the begetting I meane and nourishing of their issue and ofspring Against thefte deceipt and vsurie for the lawfull getting and possessing of goods for the distributing of riches and for bargaining the Gentiles haue very commendable lawes That saying of Ausonius is notably knowne If greedie gaping after gaine to get another groate Makes vsurie dispatch apace to cut the poore mans throate All the Gentiles in their writings do worthily commend the truth and do by all meanes they can crie out on and condemne lying slaundering and all such kinde of knauerie The lawe of the twelue tables is that a false witnesse shoulde be cast headlong downe from the top of Tarpey Charondas Catanaeus among other excellent sayings of his owne hath this also Let euery one saith he loue honestie and truth and hate dishonestie and lying For they are the markes wherby vertue is knowne from vice We must therfore beginne with children while as yet they are litle ones inure our selues to chastise them if they delight to lye and to make muche of thē for telling the truth that thereby the best and fruitfullest braunche of vertue may be graffed in euery seuerall mynde so be turned as it were into their nature The wiser sorte of the Gentiles doe vtterly condemne concupiscence and euill affections whiche the Poet in his Satyres blameth as the root of all mischiefe where he saith Frō thence almost comes euerie cause of mischief for no vice That reigns in man so many times could franticke heades intice To mingle poyson priuily to stop anothers breath Or else in armour openly to worke his riuals death As beastly raging lust hath done So then by all this we may easily gather that euen in the Gentiles mindes also were grauen a certaine knowledge of God and some precepts whereby they knewe what to desire and what to eschue whiche notwithstanding they did corrupt and make somewhat mystie with the euill affections and corrupt iudgements of the flesh For whiche cause God also beside the lawe of nature did ordeine other meanes to declare his will I meane the liuely tradition of the Fathers the aunsweres of Angels the voices of Prophets wonderfull miracles and written lawes which he published by wise and very deuout Patriarches All these did God ordeine to be a helpe to the law of nature What soeuer therefore is to be found among the Gentiles agréeable to trueth and honestie that is to be referred to God the author of all goodnesse and on the other side whatsoeuer is contrarie to the trueth that must be attributed to the corrupt nature and euil affections of mankinde In all this that I haue sayde ye haue to note especially that here I speake of knowledge and not of abilitie The knowledge of the lawe is after a sorte manifest in the Gentiles but the consent the will and abilitie to fulfill the law is weake and not easie to be foūd in them Wherefore as we affirme that the vnderstanding of the law must be inspired from heauen so also we say that abilitie to fulfill the lawe muste of necessitie be giuen of God aboue Nature without grace is herein without force and effect But whereas some of the Gentiles beare the name and praise of righteousnesse as Melchizedech Iob Iethro other more they haue that not of their own abilitie but of the grace of God as by the hystorie of Iob we may euidently gather by probable argumentes Wherefore if any of the Gentiles be saued then are they saued not by the workes of nature or their owne desertes but by the mercy of God in our Lorde Iesus Christe Moreouer the lawe of nature is not graffed of God in man to the intent that it without grace and Christ should worke mans saluation but rather to teache vs what is good and what is euill thereby to conuince vs to be sinners and without excuse before the Lorde Paule verily prouing that the Gentiles by the lawe of nature are guiltie of sinne as well as the Iewes by Moses lawe doth shew that in Christ alone the sonne of God is iustification life and all good else Thus farre touching the law of nature The lawes of men for my promise was that in my seconde part I would speake of them are those which are by men ordeined published to the preseruation of the common weale and Church of god Touching these they are of diuers kindes For there are politique lawes there are ecclesiasticall lawes and mens traditions Politique lawes are those which the magistrate according to the state of times places and persons doth ordeine for the preseruing of publike peace and ciuilitie Of this sorte there are an innumerable company of examples in the ciuil lawe and constitutions of the Emperours especially of Iustinian All which ought to come as neare as may be to the lawes of God and Nature and not to be contrarie to them or to haue any smacke of impietie or cruell tyrannie To such lawes Saint Peter willeth vs to obey where he sayth Submit your selues vnto al maner ordinaunce of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the king as hauing the preeminence or vnto rulers as they that are sent by him for the punishment of euill doers but for the praise of them that doe well For although the Apostle by ordinaunces or mens constitutions doth inclusiuely meane the kings and magistrates them selues as in the seconde clause of the sentence he doth immediately declare yet notwithstanding he doth bid vs therefore obeye good lawes and iust bycause by them the Magistrates support and rule the common weale Moreouer iust and honest politike lawes are an helpe to loue and
booke Ad Bonifacium c. Nowe touching these Commaundements the Lord hath diuided them into two seuerall orders or tables bicause of the seueral difference of matters handled in either of them For the firste of the two appertayneth to God the second vnto man The first teacheth vs what we haue to thinke concerning God and the worship due vnto him that is it teacheth vs the perfect way to liue vprightly and holily in the sight of god The second is the rule whereby we haue to learne our duetie towarde our neighbour which also teacheth vs humanitie directing vs in the way to liue peaceaand ciuily one with another And in these two tables are so nearely conteined al and euery dutie looked for at mens handes that there can not so much as one iote be added more by all the wise men of the world concerning a godly life and ciuil behauiour which is not conteined in these tenne commaundements The first commaundement of the tenne hath the Lord him selfe expresly spoken in these very wordes that followe I am the Lorde thy God which brought thee out of the lande of Egypt out of the house of bondage thou shalte haue none other Gods before me This commaundement standeth of two branches The very first whereof also conteineth diuers matters For first of al God doth simply offer him selfe to vs and prerisely set downe what he will be to vs ward thereby declaring what he is to all men Wherevpon we againe doe gather what he on the other side doth looke for at our handes and what our duetie is to him Thirdly and last of al he addeth an euident proofe of that where he sayde that he is our God. In the beginning he cryeth out and sayth I am the Lorde thy God. Wherin he declareth what he is and what he will be vnto all men These wordes are like to the wordes of the couenaunt which God made with Abraham and in Abraham with all faithfull beléeuers I am sayeth the Lorde a strong God and I am Schaddai as who should say Saturnus a saturando which is to fill For God is the aboundant fulnesse that satisfieth all men and all things he is the euerlasting well of all good things which neuer is drawne drie And that doth Ieremie declare at large in the seconde chapter of his prophesie All whiche verily God in effect comprehendeth in these fewe wordes I am the Lord thy God. I I say whiche speake to thée from within the fire I and none other Here is expresly ment the vnitie of god We are here taught to acknowledge one God and no more to sticke to one and not to suffer our heartes phantastically to dreame of many I am thy Lorde I am thy god He is a Lorde bycause he alone hath the rule ouer all creatures all things are subiect to him as to their Lord all things do bende and obey him if once he do but becke He as Lorde alone doth gouerne and vpholde all things that are So then in this one worde is conteined the wisedome of God his vertue his power and infinite maiestie Deus whiche worde we vse for God is peraduenture deriued of the Hebrue word Daij whiche signifieth sufficiencie or full abilitie For God alone of him self is vnto him self most perfect blessednesse and absolute felicitie he is also sufficiently able to minister all things most aboundantly to all them that séeke after him in trueth sincerely being of him selfe most liberally welthy to al that call vpon his name Therefore in this braunche the sufficient and full abilitie the liberalitie the goodnesse and mercy of God are to be noted but most especially in this that he sayth I am thy God Thy God I say For God is not good to him selfe alone but euen vnto vs also He desireth to poure and bestowe him selfe wholy with al his goodnesse and gifts of grace vpon the faithful and sincere beléeuers He is no niggard he is not enuious he reioyceth and is glad to bestow and diuide him selfe among vs aboundantly and to our comfort to fill vs with the inioying of him selfe at all times and seasons but especially in time of our necessitie And God verily sayth expresly Thy God and not your God that thereby euery one of vs may vnderstand that the eternall most mightie and holy God both is and will be the God and Lorde of euery particular man that is that he is and will be the kéeper deliuerer redeemer the vnmeasurable mountain and bottomelesse sea of all good giftes of body and soule to all them that eyther are or else euer shall be By this nowe in the seconde place we haue to gather what the good and gracious Lorde requireth againe at our hands and what our dutie to him both is ought to be For this where he saith Thy God betokeneth an euident relation For if he will be mine then I againe of dutie must be his He will be my Lorde and my God therefore must I againe of duetie make accompte of and worship him as my Lorde and my god Wherefore in this commaundement there is required at our handes that we do not only acknowledge the true God to be the true God and so to stay there but also that we do take and account him for our God our Lorde our King our Creator our preseruer and our Father and that we do attribute to him his properties to wit that he is one alone the onely fountaine and giuer of all good things that he liueth is eternall righteous true holie happie mercyfull mightie most excellent and chiefe of all Let vs therefore sticke to him alone let vs obey him in all thinges let vs put our trust in him let vs call on him alone let vs repute him to be the giuer of all good things and craue all good giftes of him let vs thanke him for all benefites whatsoeuer we receiue let vs reuerence him and lastly honour him in feare sincerely in loue most ardently and in hope as constantly as may be For herevnto belong those sentences in the bookes of Moses and the holy Gospell Thou shalt honour the Lorde thy God and him alone shalt thou serue And againe Folowe ye the Lord your God feare him keepe his commaundements hearken to his voyce serue him and sticke to him The Lorde him selfe also in the Psalme cryeth out and sayth Offer to the Lord the sacrifice of praise and pay thy vowes vnto the highest And call vpon me in the day of trouble c. And nowe touching the demonstration whereby he declareth that he hath bene is and will be the God and Lord of vs all of our fathers and of our children that come after vs the proofe thereof is most euident by our deliuerie out of Egypt Therein are conteined all the vertues of God his wisedome his goodnesse his righteousnesse his trueth his power and what not Hee declareth that he is the Lorde in heauen and in earth in all
orderly procéeded in euery point and taught euery thing so euidently and plainely that there is nothing whiche ye doe not very well perceiue and vnderstand Let vs now prayse the Lord and thanke him for his goodnes for shewing vs his ways and let vs praye that we walking rightly in them may at the last come to his eternall ioyes Amen Of the thirde precept of the tenne Commaundementes and of Swearing ¶ The thirde Sermon THE thirde Commandement of the first Table is thus worde for worde Thou shalte not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vaine Bycause the Lorde will not let him goe vnpunished that taketh the name of the Lorde his GOD in vaine In the seconde Commaundement the Lord did set down the worship that he would not haue that he misliked of and did flatly forbid to wit a worldly earthly and carnall kinde of honour a base and vile kinde of worship a seruice that is directly contrarie to the spirite nature and maiestie of God that is to think that God will in shape resemble a man or any other creature made of earth or corruptible stuffe or matter and then againe to worship him vnder those shapes and figures with corruptible thinges that were first ordeined and created for the vse and behoofe of men and not of god For God is an eternall spirite which goeth all ouer and preserueth euery thing whom all the most excellent creatures of the whole world if they were ioyned together in one are not able to resemble nor yet to represent the least iote of excellencie in the liuing god God is so farre from lacking any corruptible thinges that he him selfe supplyeth the want of all our necessities It is a mere follie therefore to set vp a percher a taper or a smoakie torch before the maker and giuer of light It is a very toy to offer flesh of beasts to that eternall spirite who in the Psalmes sayth All the beasts of the woods are mine and the cattel in a thousand hilles I know all birdes vpon the mountaines and in my power are all the beastes of the fielde if I be hungrie I neede not to tell thee since the world is myne and all that is therein Now therfore in this thirde Commaundement the Lorde doth very exquisitely although very briefly declare the manner hâ—w he will be worshipped that is in holy reuerencing of his holy name The names wherby god is called are God Gods Maiestie Gods truth Gods power Gods iustice Now the charge of this commaundement is not to abuse the name of God and not to vse it in light and trifling matters but to speake to thinke and iudge honourably reuerently holily and purely of God and godly things But the pithe and effect almost of the whole lyeth herein that he sayth the name of the Lord thy god to wit which is thy chief goodnesse felicitie thy creator thy redéemer thy tender father Now note that the Lorde doth not barely forbid to vse his name but he chargeth not to vse it lightly or in vaine that is beyond necessarie vse or our behoofe and beside the honour and glory of god Let vs sée therefore howe we ought to sanctifie the Lordes name and howe we maye deuoutly vse the name of God and last of all so worship him as he him selfe hath appointed vs to do Firste of all we haue to thinke of God as of the chiefe felicitie and infinite treasure of all good thinges who loueth vs excéedingly with a fatherly affection alwayes wishing and by all means desiring to haue vs men saued and to come to the perfect knowledge of the very truth whose iudgements are true and iust whose workes for their excellencie are wonderfull and whose words are most true and truth it selfe Then must this holy name of God continually be called vpoÌ„ in praiers néede and requestes By that alone we must looke to obtaine whatsoeuer is néedful for our bodies or souls We must neuer cease to giue thanks to that for all the good benefites that we do or shall receiue For what good soeuer men haue and inioy that haue they not from else where than from God the fountaine and giuer of all This glory must euer be giueÌ„ to god If we be nipped with any aduersitie let vs not by an by murmur againste Gods good pleasure and his secrete iudgements but rather suffering and submitting ourselues vnder his mightie and fatherly hande let vs say with the Prophet Dauid It is good for me Lorde that thou haste chastened me Let not vs appoint God what he shal doe but wholy alwayes submit our selues to his good will and holie pleasure Let vs in al things giue God the glory in praysing openly and plainely professing his name and doctrine before Kings and Princes yea and in sight of all the world so often as occasion shall be giuen and the glory of God shal séeme to require Let vs not be ashamed of God our father of his truth and true religion Let vs not be ashamed of Christ our redéemer nor yet of his crosse But let vs be ashamed of errours idolatrie of the world and vanitie of lyes and iniquitie Let vs holily reuerently and deuoutly both speake and thinke of God his workes and his word Let the law of God be holy to vs let his Gospell be reuerend in our eies let the doctrin of the Patriarches Prophetes and Apostles be estéemed of vs as that which came from God him selfe Let vs not take the name of the Lord our God into our mouthes vnlesse it be in a matter of weight Let vs not blaspheme curse nor lye in the name of the Lorde Let vs not vse nay rather abuse the name or worde of God in coniuring iuggling or sorcerie For in these thinges the name of God is most of all abused Let vs precisely and holily kéepe the othe whiche we haue made by the name of the liuing and eternall god Let vs in al things tell truth and lye not that when this world that will not sée shall be inforced to see so great a reuerence and deuotion in vs to the name of our God it may be compelled thereby to glorifie our father which is in heauen And this verily is the godly vsing of the Lordes name and the religion wherin our God is very well pleased Nowe note by the way that there are sundry wayes whereby we abuse the name of God and first of all we abuse it as often as our harts are with out all reuerence to God him selfe when we do vnreuerently filthily wickedly and blasphemously speake of God of his iudgements of his word and of his lawes when we doe with scoffing allusions apply Gods wordes to light matters and trifles by that meanes turning and drawing the Scriptures into a prophane and vnhonest meaning Moreouer we do disgrace that name of the Lord our God wheÌ„ we call not vpon his name but turne our selues rather to I knowe
should once set a foote out of doores vntil the next morning By which thing it is giuen vs to vnderstand that neither Christ nor our saluation is to bee found without the church in the sects or schismes of wicked heretikes Christe the Lambe of God doth gather al the faithful into one church wherin he kéepeth them lastly doth saue them Last of al this ceremonie did put gods people in mind of their duetie of thākfulnes especially of y studie of godlinesse harmelesse innocencie They therefore did giue thanks to God for these all other his benefites they praised his name and did vtterly absteine from all leauened bread For ye shal finde nothing so seuerely forbidden in this ceremonie as the eating of leauened bread Who soeuer eateth leauened bread saith the Lord his soule shall perishe from amonge the congregation of Israel whether he be a straunger or an Israelite borne The same saying is afterward often times repeated thoroughly beaten into their braines Nowe the Apostle Paule whose cunning and learning was much in the law of Moses expounding what was meant by the leauened bread doth say Therefore let vs keepe the feast not in the olde leauen nor in the leauen of malice and vnrighteousnesse but in vnleauened bread that is in sinceritie trueth Thus muche hitherto touching y eating of y Paschal lamb To these sacraments were also added sacrifices of sundrie sorts many kindes which were not first inuēted and taught by Moses but were taken vp and vsed immediately after the world was created For Caine Abel offered burnte sacrifices to God the maker of the world the one of the fruites of the earth and the other of the cattaile that was in his flock Like wise Seth Noah Sem Abraham Isaac and Iacob with al the other patriarches are knowne to haue sacrificed vnto the Lorde Nowe since the heathenish sacrifices of the Gentiles as the verie heathen writers them selues did testifie were partely like vnto and in many pointes all one with the Iewish sacrifices it is not vnlikely but that the graunde partriarchs of the Gentiles did teach euerie one his owne nation the manner of sacrificing which they had learned of their forefathers Sem Cham Iaphet and of the holie Patriarche Noah him selfe But it is vndoubtedly certein that the holy fathers did bring in nothing of their owne inuention nor adde any thinge to the sacrifices more then they had receiued learned of God who is the author of all goodnesse although Moses did more precisely distinguish certeinly order the sortes the kindes differences betwixt sacrifice and sacrifice And yet whatsoeuer he did that did hee at the Lords appointment God instructed Moses in all that he did For the booke of Leuiticus wherein are especially described all the kindes of sacrifices doth immediatly after the verie beginning testifie that Moses was called by God and that he learned of the Lord all the ceremonies of the sacrifices which he commaunded the Israelites to kéepe And in the 7 Chap. of y booke of Numb we read And when Moses came into the Tabernacle of appointment hee heard the voice of God speakinge vnto him out of the mercie seate Now as I was about to say there were diuers sacrifices sundrily differing in many pointes amōg thēselues yet hauing many thinges cōmon general one with another It was general to al sacrifices not to be offered in any other but one apointed place alone It was general to all sacrifices that they ought of duetie to be offered by faith according as they were taught by y word of god It was general to al sacrifices to be made according to the Lords cōmandement with holy fire not with strange fire or fire prophanely kindled Nadab Abihu the sonnes of Aaron were slaine for nothing else but for because they vsed prophane or strange fire in sacrificing to the lord For when the Israelites or Leuites did first of all sacrifice as the Lord had commaunded them in the tabernacle of appointmēt then did God by sending fire from heauen giue a token that he did like of that manner of sacrifice Whereupon in the sixte of Leuiticus the priestes are charged to mainteine or kéepe the holie fire alwayes burning first in the tabernacle and then in the temple whiche thinge it is manifest that the heathen did imitate in commaunding the vestall virgins at Rome alwayes to kéep the holie fire burning By this perpetual fire is meant the perpetual working of the holie Ghost in the church of Christe which must be kept quicke stirred vp in the heartes of the faithful with feruent prayers with the sincere doctrine of the Lorde with the right vse of his holie Sacraments It was also generall to all sacrifices that in them neither wilde nor vncleane beasts were offered to y lord Moreouer this generall rule of sacrifices is giuen by Moses in the 22. Chapter of Leuiticus saying Let no deformitie bee in the thinge that thou shalt offer If it be blinde or lame or maymed if it haue pusshes or scabbes or tettar ye shall not offer it vnto the Lorde neither shall ye put ought of it vpō his altar Verily if any man had brought a deformed oblation vnto the Lorde hee shewed him selfe plainly to be a contemner vtterly vnthankfull toward his maker And therefore the Lorde in Malachie cryeth out and saith When ye bring the blinde for sacrifice do ye not sinne and when ye bring the lame and sicke do ye not sinne Offer it nowe I praye thee to thy prince or capteine wil he be content with it or wil he accept thy person saith the Lorde of hostes And so I saye my name is in contempt of no estimation among you The iust and true God therefore doth at all times require trueth liberalitie sinceritie and integritie in them that worship him and on the other side he abhorreth and vtterly detesteth vncleanenesse lying and hypocrisie There are certeine other thinges also which be generally cōmon to all sorts of sacrifices but I will not at this time make particular rehersal of euery seuerall iott or minute But what peculiarities euery sundrie sacrifice hath it wil euidently appeare in the exposition of their sundrie sorts which I wil nowe speake of in order as they lye First of all I will expound to you that kinde of sacrifice which in the scripture is called Holocaustum That sacrifice was wholly consumed with fire so that nothing but the skin or hyde of the beast was leafte for the priest The woorde is deriued of the Gréeke For it is called Holocaustū as one should saye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is wholie burnt or consumed with fire This sacrifice was of thrée kindes I meane it was made after thrée sortes to wite with greater with little and with lesse liuing creatures namely with an Oxe a bullocke or a calfe or if any mannes abilitie were not sufficient
merits while he crowneth he crowneth his owne giftes In all this therefore the Ecclesiasticall Apostolique doctrine remayneth still immutable and vnreproueable That we are iustified and saued by the grace of God through faith and not throughe our owne good woorkes or merits Wee doe nowe againe returne to good workes and are come to expound the description or definition of good woorks which we did set downe in the beginning of this treatise Now therfore vnlesse oure workes doe spring in vs from God throughe faith they cannot haue the name of Good Workes But contrarilie if they doe procéede from God through faith then are they also framed according to the rule of the word of god And for that cause did I in the definition of good workes significantly saye That they are done of them which are regenerate by the good spirite of God through faith according to the word of god For God is not pleased with the workes which we of our selues doe of our owne braines authoritie without warrantize of his word imagine deuise For the thing that he doeth most of all like and looke for in vs is faith and obedience which is most euident to be séene in the verie example of our graundfather Adam and coÌ„trarilie he doth mislike and vtterly reiecte the woorkes of our owne choice our good intents which spring in and rise vpon our owne minds and iudgementes as I will by these testimonies of scripture declare vnto you In the 12. of Deuteronomie we read Euerie man shall not doe that which is righteous in his owne eyes Whatsoeuer I commaund you that shall ye obserue to doe it neither shalt thou ad any thing to it nor take any thing from it Moreouer in the historie of Samuel there is a notable example of this matter to be séene For Saule the king of Israel receiued a commaundement to kill all the Amalechites with all their beasts and cattell but he contrarie to the precept throughe a good intent as he thought of his owne and for a religious zeales sake of his owne chosing reserued the fattest Oxen for to be sacrificed for that cause the Prophete came and said vnto him Is a sacrifice so pleasant acceptable to the Lord as obedieÌ„ce is Behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken is better than the fatt of ramms For rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and stubbornnesse is as the vanitie of Idolatrie Lo here in these few words thou hast the goodly praise and commendation of the religion of our owne inuenting and of our owne good workes which doe arise of oure owne good intents and purposes They whiche doe neglecte the preceptes of the Lord to follow their owne good intents and forecastings are flatly called witches Apostataes wicked idolaters They seeme in their owne eyes verilie to be â—ellie fellowes and true worshippers of God and zealous followers of the traditions of the holy fathers bishops kinges and princes but God whiche cannot lye doeth flatly pronounce that their woorkes doe differ nothing from witchcraft Apostacie blasphemous idolatrie than which there can bée nothing more heynous by any meanes deuised Therefore the Lord in the Gospell citing that place out of Esaies Prophecie doth plainly condemne reiecte and treade vnder foote all those workes which we choose to our selues hauing their beginning of oure owne good inteates and purposes where hee sayeth In vaine doe they worshippe mee teaching doctrines the precepts of men Euerie planting which my father hath not planted shal be plucked vp by the rootes Let them alone they be blinde leaders of the blinde And therevppon it is that S. Paule did so boldly affirme that the precepts of men are contrarie to the truth and are meere lyes The same Paule in one place sayeth Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne And in another place Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Wherevppon we may gather that the woorkes whiche are not framed by the expresse word of God or by a sure consequence deriued from it are so farre from béeing good workes that they are plainly called sinnes Inforce thou I pray thée neuer so great a good turne vpon a man against his will sée what fauour thou shalt winne at his hand and howe thou shalt please him with that inforced benefite Therefore good woorkes do first of all require the precise expresse obseruing of Gods wil to which alone they ought to tend In his Epistle to the Colossians the same Apostle doeth openly condemne the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the voluntarie religion which they of their owne choyce and minde brought in to bee obserued And what néede haue wée I pray you to inuent to our selues other newe kindes of good woorkes considering that we haue not yet done those woorkes whiche God himselfe prescribeth and doth in expresse words require at our handes By this now oure aduersaries maye perceiue that wée doe not altogether simplie condemne good woorkes but those alone whiche wée by reiecting the woord of GOD doe first set abroache by oure owne imaginations and phantasticall inuentions of which sort are many vpstart woorkes of our holy Monkes and sacrificing shauelinges But to conclude the workes that are repugnaunt to the word of God are by no meanes worthie of any place or honour And that wée maye more rightly perceiue the sense or meaning of good woorkes wée must in mine opinion diligently obserue these wordes of the Apostle We are created in Christ Iesus vnto good woorkes which God hath before ordeined that we should walke in them Hee maketh here two notes concerning those that are good woorkes in deede The first is Wee are sayeth hée created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes It doth therefore necessarilie followe that good workes are wrought of him whiche is by true faith graffed in Christ Iesu For vnlesse the braunche abide in the vine it cannot bring forth fruite All the workes therefore of the faithfull howsoeuer they shine with the title of righteousnesse are notwithstaÌ„ding not good woorkes in verie déede The latter is Whiche God hath before ordeyned that wee should walke in them We must not therfore make accompt that all the workes which men maye doe are to be counted good woorkes in déed but those onely which God hath ordeyned of old that wée should walke in them Now what workes those be the Lord in his lawe whiche is the eternall will of God hath verie plainely expressed And therevppon it is that the Lord in the Gospel being demanded questions concerning eternal life and the very true vertues sendeth the demaunder vnto the lawe and sayth What is written in the lawe And againe If thou wilt enter into life kepe the commaundements Therefore the tenne commaundementes are a most sure and absolute platforme of good woorkes Which that ye may the better vnderstand I will briefly recapitulate and as it were in a picture laye it before your eyes To
reason of that first corruption which roote bringeth foorth a corrupt braunche in nature like vnto it selfe which braunch Satan euen nowe as hee hath done alwayes doeth by his sleightes subtilties and lyes cherish tende and tender as an impe of his owne planting and yet notwithstandinge hee laboureth in vaine vnlesse wee yelde our selues to his handes to bee framed as he listeth Nowe therefore that there may herein appeare lesse doubte or darkenesse I will for confirmations sake adde two moste euident testimonies the one out of the writinges of the Euangelistes the other out of the doctrine of the Apostles The Lorde in the Gospell saith The diuell was a murderer from the beginninge and stoode not in the trueth because the trueth is not in him When he speaketh a lye he speketh of his owne because he is a lyar and the father of lyes By these wordes of the Lorde wee gather that euill is to be referred to the diuel who being created in trueth and goodnesse did not stand fast in trueth and goodnesse but degenerated from his nature wherein hee was made good and fell into another nature corrupt and wicked and hath out of him selfe dispersed al euil as it appeared by the historie of our first parentes into the worlde to wite murther and lyes vnder which two are comprehended all other euils of which he is expressely saide to be the father that is the cause the author the welspring and beginning not because he was made suche an one of God but because hee stoode not fast in the trueth To them therefore that do demaunde of what beginning Satan came and whether God made him or no Our aunswere is that God in déede made all the Angels and those also which afterwarde did become reprobates and wicked diuels but we do not therefore saye that the cause of euil doth redound to god For we knowe that God in the beginning made all the Angels good For all things which hee made were good Furthermore it is saide that the diuel stoode not in the trueth that is that he reuolted from the trueth froÌ„ which he could not haue reuolted if he had neuer stoode in it Therefore God in the beginning did place all his Angels in the trueth Hee required of them trueth faith or fidelitie and the duetie that they ought him which they were able to haue done if they them selues would But they did disloyally fal from their allegiaunce and sinned as the Apostle Peter testifieth against the Lorde and therefore the fault of their falshood and of all their naughtinesse was not in God but in the rebellious and reuolting Angel. For since the time of his fall there is no trueth no fidelitie no integritie no feare of God no light or goodnesse to be found in him Therefore truely saide Sainct Iohn in his Canonicall Epistle He that committeth sinne is of the diuel for the diuell sinneth from the beginning For he is the first sinner and the beginning of sinne To this also may this note be added that of Peter and Iohn the diuel is saide to sinne For sinne is repugnaÌ„t to the will of God therefore God would not haue had him perish whervpon since he perished it followeth that he perished not by the faulte of God but by his owne fault Let vs nowe heare the other testimonie concerning the corrupt will of man which is in verie deede the cause of sinne Sainct Iames the Apostle saith Let no man saye when hee is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot bee tempted with euil neither tempteth he any man But euerie man is teÌ„pted when he is drawen away and enticed of his owne concupiscence then when lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death In these wordes Sainct Iames I hope doth euidently enough make God to be free from all faulte of sinne and doeth deriue it of vs our selues shewing by the way the beginning and procéeding of sinne Neither doeth Iames in this place gainsay the place in Genesis where Moses saide God tempted Abraham For in Moses to tempt doth signifie to make a triall or a proofe But in this argument of ours it signifieth to stirre or drawe to euil and so to corrupt vs Therefore God as hee cannot saith he be â—â—mpted of euil that is to saye as God is by nature good and vncorrupt so doth he not corrupt depraue or defile any man with euil For that is contrarie to the nature of God From whence then hath sinne his beginning The holie Apostle aunswereth saying Yea euery one is tempted corrupted and drawen into euil while he is withdrawen and enticed with his owne concupisence Lo here sinne taketh beginning of our concupiscence and is accomplished and finished by our owne woorke and labour Note heere by the waye what a weight and Emphasis euery one of y Apostles wordes doeth carrie with it For firste hee maketh concupiscence our owne or proper to vs al euen as the Lorde before did saye of Satan When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne Nowe because concupiscence is our owne therefore sinne is our owne also For concupiscence doth withdrawe vs from that that is true iust and good to that which is false vniust and euil The same coÌ„cupiscence enticeth vs that is by making a shewe of false hope it doth deceiue vs as foulers are wont with meate to entice birdes into their nets which wheÌ„ they haue deceiued them they catch vpp and kill What I pray you could bee spoken more plainely wee are by our owne concupiscence cast into euil This concupiscence draweth vs from God it doth entice and vtterly deceiue vs And then hauing layde the foundation of sinne and opened y welspring from whence it floweth he doth verie properly allude and by an Allegorie shewe vs y genealogie that is the beginning and procéeding of sinne That concupiscence saith he which is proper vnto vs all doeth as it were a matrix conceiue sinne in vs and immediatly after doeth bring it forth to wite when our lust bursteth out into the act when wee do gréedily prosecute that which we lusted after and being once obteined we do inioye it against the lawe of God vppon the necke whereof death doeth followe without intermission For the reward of sinne is death I haue I trust by these euident proofes of Scripture plainly declared that God is not the cause of euil but our corrupt will or concupiscence and the diuel which stirreth prouoketh and inflameth our depraued nature to sinne and wickednesse as he which is the tempter and vtter enimie to mankind and his saluation It will not be a misse here to heare the obiections of certeine cauillers against this doctrine and to learne howe to aunswere them accordinge to the trueth Some there are which when they sée that wee deriue sinne not of the nature of God but of the corrupt will of man and false suggestion of the diuel do presently obiect that
which god had threatened vnto him to wit that he shoulde so be humbled by the incest of his sonne c. And what is the cause that they demaund not if God for sinne did threaten that scourge why then when he had pardoned the sinne did he fulfill that whiche he threatened but for bicause they knowe if they demaund that question that they shall rightly be answered that the remission of the sinne was graunted to the end the man shuld not be by his sinne hindered to obteine eternall life but the effect of Gods threatening did followe after the remission of the sinne to the end that the godlinesse of the maÌ„ might be tryed and exercised in that humilitie In like manner God hath for sinnes layde bodily death as a punishment vpon the body of man and after the forgiuenesse of sinnes hathe not taken it away but left it in the body to be a meane to the exercise of righteousnesse Thus farre hath Augustine Nowe as concerning the punishments of the wicked If the most iust God doe in this worlde touch them with any let vs knowe that they bee the arguments of Gods iust iudgement who in this worlde beginneth to punishe them temporally and in the worlde to come doeth not ceasse to plague them euerlastingly The wicked verily perishe thorough their owne default For God beginneth to whippe them in this life to the end that they beeing chastened may begin to be wise and turne to the Lorde but they by his chasticement are the more indurate and murmur at the iudgements of God conuerting that to their owne destruction which was ordeined to haue bene to their health For as to them that loue GOD all thinges worke to the best so to them that hate the Lord all things do work to their vtter destruction This argument might bee extended further yet but for because I haue alreadie spoken a great deale to this effect in the third Sermon of this thirde Decade that whiche is here left out may there be founde therefore I referre you to the looking vpon that And so nowe hitherto touching sinne I haue with somewhat too long a Sermon dearely beloued by more than the space of two whole houres deteyned you here That therefore I may nowe make an end let vs humblie acknowledge our sinnes and méekely crye with prayers vnto the Lorde which sitteth in the throne of Grace saying Haue mercie vppon vs O Lorde for against thée haue wée sinned and do confesse our offences Thy debters are wée Forgiue thou vs our debtes as wée forgiue our debters and leade vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euil Amen ⸫ The ende of the thirde Decade of Sermons The fourth Decade of Sermons written by Henrie Bullinger ¶ Of the Gospell of the Grace of God who hath giuen his sonne vnto the worlde and in him all thinges necessarie to saluation that wee beleeuing in him might obteine eternall life The first Sermon AFter the expositioÌ„ of the lawe and those poyntes of doctrine that depende vppon the lawe I thinke it it best nowe to come to the handling of the Gospell which in the exposition of the lawe other places else hath bene mentioned often times Nowe therefore dearely beloued as I haue béene hitherto helped with your prayers to God so here againe I request your earnest supplications with mee to the father that I by his holie spirite may speake the trueth to your edification in this present argument Euangelium is a Gréeke woorde but is receiued of the Latines Germanes and at this day vsed as a worde of their owne It is compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth good and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to tell tydings For Euangelium signifieth the telling of good tydings or happie newes as is wont to be blowen abroade when the enimies being put to foyle wee rayse the siege of any citie or obteine some notable victorie ouer our foes The worde is attributed to any ioyfull luckie newes concerning any matter luckily accomplished The Apostles did willingly vse that terme not so much because the Prophets had vsed it before them as for that it doth wonderfully conteine and doth as it were laye before our eyes the manner and woorke of oure saluation accomplished by Christe wherevnto they haue applyed the worde Euangelium The Prophet Esaie as Luke interpreteth it bringeth in Christe our Lorde speaking in this manner The spirite of the Lord vpon mee because he hath annoynted mee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to preache the Gospell hath he sent me to heale the broken harted to preach deliuerance vnto the captiue and recouering of sight vnto the blindâ— freely to sett at libertie them that are brused and to preach the acceptable yere of the Lorde Lo here the Sauiuiour of the worlde doeâ—h in the Prophet and the Euangelist expounde to vs what Euangelium is and wherevnto it tendeth The father sayth hee hath sent mee to preache Euangelium the Gospell to the poore And immediately after to shew who those poore should bee hee addeth whiche are broken hearted or broken minded to wite suche as finde in them selues no soundnesse or health but vtterly despairinge of their owne strength do wholy depend vpon the help of Christ their cunning and willing Physician Nowe the Gospell or good tydings which is shewed to the afflicted is this that the sonne of God is descended from heauen to heale the sicke and diseased soules To which also to make it more euident hee addeth another cause saying that the sonne of God is come to preache deliueraunce vnto captiues and the recouering of sight to the blinde c. For all men are helde captiue in the bondes of damnation they doe all serue a sorrowfull slauerie vnder their cruel enimie Satan they are all kept blinde in the darknesse of errors And to them it is that redemption deliuerance and the acceptable yere of the Lorde is preached Now this ioyfull tydings is called Euangelium the Gospell Therefore the Gspell is of all men in a manner after this sorte defined The Gospell is a good and a sweete worde and an assured testimonie of Gods grace to vs warde exhibited in Christe vnto all beléeuers Or else the Gospell is the moste euident sentence of the eternall God brought downe from heauen absoluing al beléeuers from all their sinnes and that too freely for Christe his sake with a promise of eternal life These definitions are gathered out of the testimonies of the Euangelistes Apostles For Sainct Luke bringeth in the Angel of the Lorde speaking to the amazed shéepeheards saying Feare not for behold I bring you good tydings of greate ioye that shal be to all people for vnto you is borne this daye in the citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lorde Lo here he taketh from the sheepeheardes all manner of feare with the 〈…〉 of good tydinges that is with 〈…〉 of health which is a 〈…〉 is full of
be called vppon For that God only is the searcher of heartes cōprehended in no place but present euery where and omnipotent Solomon in these words doth testifie Behold the heauens and the heauen of heauens are not able to conteine thee how much more vnable than is this house that I haue built Thou therfore shalt heare in heauen in the place of thy habitatiō or in thy dwelling place and shalt haue mercie For thou only knowest the heartes of the sonnes of men Thou shalt doe and giue to euery one according to al his wayes which knowest his very hart As for the heauenly patrons as these men cal them they do neyther know the thoughtes of men neither is their power spred throughout the heauen the earth and the seas neither do they know althings or yet are euery wher present or be omnipotent For if it were so with them they shoulde be transformed changed into a diuine nature should ceasse any more to be creatures but althogh by Christ they inioy euerlasting blessednes yet notwithstanding they remain creatures stil neither do they knowe al things neyther are almighty therfore are they at no hand to be called vpō In one prick moment of time truly innumerable thousands of mortal mē offer vp their vowes and make their petitions so that he verily which heareth must at a pinche and in a very moment not at sundry seasons or degrées of time know be able to doe all things yea and in a moment also reache out his helping hande vnto all Which as no creature though neuer so excellēt can do so the only God that knoweth al is omnipotent can do all things and therefore only alone is to be called vpon I wot well what the defenders of heauenly patrones or Saints obiect against that which I haue spoken to wit that they of their owne nature do neither sée nor yet heare what is done of vs vpon the earth but in the face of God as in a most lightsome looking glasse to sée all thinges what so euer God vouchsafeth to reueale to them and that so they haue an vnder-knowledge of all our affaires also helpe vs But this imagination or forgerie in all points doutfull can be proued by no authoritie out of the holy scriptures But touching the celestiall Saints the scripture doth rather affirme the flat contrarie For in Isaie the people of god cry out Thou O God art our father though Abrahā be ignorant of vs and Israel know vs not yet thou O Lorde art our father and our redeemer If than the patriarchs so studious and careful for their people knew not what they did which of the Saints I pray you shal we graunt or point out that knoweth what we do that intermedleth with the affaires of the liuing True doutlesse is y that the holy Psalme soūdeth Bicause my father and my mother haue lefte or forsaken me the Lord hath taken me vp If our parents forsake and leaue vs how I pray you can they tel or do they care how it fareth with vs Let that suffice vs wherw t Dauid held himself throughly cōtent saying The lord hath takē charge ouer me We reade y Iosias was trāslated out of this life into an other to the end he shuld not sée the mischiefes or plagues and punishments which the Lord determined to bring vpon the Israelitish people for their most wicked naughtie life The blessed souls therfore enioy the sight of god therby participate light and endlesse ioy or gladnesse they knowe none of our affaires neither is it néedefull they should knowe them considering that the Lorde alone hath all things in his gouernement Nowe is that also most certeine that inuocation springeth from faith as the fruit from the roote For Paul vsing that saying of the Prophete Who so euer calleth vpon the name of the Lord shall be safe doth by and by adde But howe shall they call vpon him in whome they haue not beleeued Sée howe the Apostle bringeth in one vppon an other He is not called vppon who is not beléeued Wherefore in whom we beléeue vpon him we doe also call But in God onely and alone we do beléeue therefore on him onely do we call For where so euer true faith is there likewise is the gift of the holie Ghost For the Apostle sayth If any haue not the spirite of Christe this man is none of his And againe You haue not receiued againe the spirite of bondage vnto feare but you haue receiued the spirit of adoption by which we cry Abba father They therefore that are indued with a true beliefe in God call vpon God whome they doe acknowledge and confesse to be the onely father of all Neyther might so much as the lest part in that solemne forme and order of inuocation deliuered vnto vs by the sonne of God be attributed by any meanes vnto Patrones or Saintes The onely God therefore is to be called vpon The hart of sinfull man trembleth and quaketh to approche neare vnto so greate a maiestie For who may séeme worthy in him selfe to appeare and come before the presence of the most holy the most iust and the moste terrible God Here therefore some supply and make vp the matter with the patronship or intercession of celestiall Saintes by whose mediation and making way before vs passage lyeth open for vs vnto God. But this they bringe foorthe without the warrant of the scripture The scripture hath layde before vs a law as it were of calling vpon god thervnto hath annexed most ample or large promises so the commaundement doth set foorth vnto vs by and through whome we shoulde call vpon God adding therevnto a most excellent promise and opening vnto vs through Christe Iesus onely a ready way to the Father For in the Gospell the Lorde sayth Verily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye shal aske the father in my name hee shall giue it you Hetherto you haue not asked any thing in my name Aske and ye shall receiue that your ioy may bee perfect or full And Whatsoeuer ye shall aske in my name I will doe it that the father may bee glorified by the sonne If you shall aske any thing in my name I will doe it What could be spoken more fully and clearly than these words Christe biddeth vs by or in his name to call vpon god the father and promiseth that he will giue the faithfull what so euer they aske in Christ his name Who doubteth now any whit at all of the truth constancie of him which promiseth What néed we therfore hencefoorth the intercession of Saintes Of calling vpon them or of comming to God by their mediation we haue no testimonie of scripture we haue no promise Wherevnto I adde that he contemneth the commaundement and precept of God who so euer seeketh by any other than by Christe and his intercession to come to the father
He that obeyeth the commaundement of Christe and in his name maketh inuocation the same néedeth not at al the mediation of Saintes Hath not he all thinges plentifully in Christe We say therefore and affirme that onely Christe is the mediatour intercessour and aduocate with the father in heauen of all men whiche are in earth and in such sorte the onely mediatour c. that after him it is néedelesse to haue other aduocates Many do graunt that Christe is giuen vnto vs an intercessour with God but bycause they ioyne with him many other they do not surely send all vnto him alone neyther yet do they preache one onely mediatour They imagine that Christe is the mediatour of redemption yea and the onely mediatour how be it not the onely mediatour of intercession but together with him many more But the scripture setteth foorth vnto vs Christ as the only mediatour of redemption so also of intercession The office of a mediatour touching redemption and intercession is one and the selfe same A mediatour putteth him selfe in the middest betwéene them that are at variance or disagréement and he is ioyned to eache in disposition and nature An intercessour putteth him self in the midst betwéene them that are at strife and dissention and vnlesse he be indifferent for eyther side he can not be an intercessour On both parts reconciliation or attonement is required and looked for There muste néedes therefore be a certeine cause of discorde which being taken away the discord or debate doth also ceasse The cause of discorde is sinne It is the duetie therefore of a mediatour or intercessour quite to raze out sinne that disagréement may no longer remayne For this there is no amendes or satisfaction made with wordes or with prayers but with bloude and death Hebr. 9. Wherevpon we doe necessarily gather that only Christ is the mediatour or intercessour with the father For principally Christ may set him selfe in the middest betwéene God and men bycause he onely is partaker of both natures The Saints participate but onely one For they are men But Christe is both God and man Furthermore he that is an intercessour muste also be a reconciliatour or an attonement-maker For the end wherat he y maketh intercession doth shoote is reconciliation But Christe is the onely reconciliatour of men therfore also the onely intercessour For it belongeth to an intercessour to disolue the cause of contention and discorde that is to say to abolish and take away sinne But Christ alone and no creature taketh awaye sinne It remayneth therefore that Christe is the onely intercessour Hetherto doe nowe perteine the testimonies of scripture Paul sayth There is one god and one reconciler or mediatour of God and men the man Christ Iesus who gaue him selfe the price or raunsome for the redemption of all And although the Apostle speake expressely of redemption yet notwithstanding these wordes are placed in the middest betwéene the disputation of the inuocation vppon God which is done by Christ who is the onely mediatour of redemption and intercession For as he alone redeemed vs so doth he alone euen now commend vs being redéemed vnto the father Touching this let the Apostle be heard once againe saying to the Romanes Christe when as yet we were sinners dyed for vs muche more therefore no we being iustified or made righteous by his bloud we shall bee saued from wrath through him And yet againe somewhat playner For if when we were enimies we were reconciled to god by the death of his sonne much more being recoÌ„ciled we shall be saued by his lyfe For in an other place the same Apostle sayth Christ euer liueth for this ende to make intercession for vs. And againe It is God that iustifieth who is hee that can condemne Christ is he that dyed yea that is raysed vp who also is at the right hande of God and maketh intercession for vs The same Christe openeth the waye or maketh accesse for vs vnto the father Hebr. 4. chapter and Ephes 2. chapter For the Lorde Iesus him selfe in the gospel doth not shew vnto vs many doores but one onely doore I am sayth he the dore And againe I am sayth he the way the truth and the life None commeth to the father but by me Doth not he which sayth I am the way the truth and the life yea and such a way that there is accesse to the father by none other than by me that is by me onely and alone exclude all other meanes al other wayes and al other patrones or aduocates what so euer Also in an other place of the Gospell least any through shamefastnesse â—nowledge of their owne vnworthinesse and guiltinesse of sinnes or the maiestie and glory of Christ the sonne of God shoulde be hindered from calling vppon God in the name of Christe and commiting them selues to Christ his defence he in his owne person plainly and louingly calling all vnto him to the benefite of his defence cryeth Come vnto me al you that labour are heauie loaden and I wil giue you rest Out of the Epistle to the Hebrues no lesse euideÌ„t testimonies thaÌ„ these and that good store may be gathered Amongst other this one is excellent Christe for that hee endureth for euer saith the apostle hath an euer lasting priesthoode Wherefore he is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing he euer liueth for this ende to make intercession for theÌ„ For such an high priest it became vs to haue which is holy harmlesse vndefiled separated from sinners and made higher than the heauens c. Marke I praye you howe many arguments in this testimonie of Paule we haue to proue that Christe is the onely intercessour of the faythfull in heauen with the father The proper or peculiar office of the prieste is to make intercession But only Christe is priest in the presence of God He therefore is the only intercessour Nowe also the priesthoode of Christe is euerlasting or vnchangeable Therefore not by once offering vp hath he redeemed vs being made the onely and alone mediatour of redemption but the euerlasting and perpetuall mediatour also of intercession making intercession for vs euen till the end of the world For albeit our Lorde be a iudge yet notwithstanding he is a iudge of the vnfaythfull a defender and vpholder of the faithfull and at the length when the worlde is at ende a iudge of all And if so be he haue an euerlasting priesthood and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not conueyable I say or remoueable which can not eyther by succession resignation or part-taking passe ouer to any other then certeinely Christe onely and alone remayneth intercessour of the faithfull Moreouer there is no cause why we should choose and take to our selues eyther after Christe or with Christe other intercessours For he is able him selfe alone to worke oure saluation at the full leauing vnto others nothing at all whereabout to
bare witnes that this is the sonne of God. Herevnto belongeth that which Peter beeing asked of the Lorde But whome do ye say that I am answered in the name of all the Disciples Thou art that Christe the sonne of the liuing God. And againe the Lorde obiecting this Will you also be gone Peter againe made answere in the name of them all Lorde vnto whome shall we goe Thou haste the wordes of euerlasting life and wee beleeue and haue knowne that thou art Christe the sonne of the liuing God. We also verily are called the sonnes of god howbeit by adoption But Christe not by adoption neyther by imputation but by nature For in the 14. chapter of Marke the high Prieste saith vnto our Lord Art thou Christ the sonne of the blessed In Matthe we also the same high priest saith I adiure or charge thee by the liuing God that thou tell vs whether thou be the sonne of the liuing God Iesus answered I am For ye shal see the sonne of man sitting at the right hand of power and comming in the cloudes of heauen Which appeareth to be repeted out of the seuenth chapter of Daniel Furthermore they bring this confession of the Lorde before Pilate as blasphemous and not to be satisfied but with death crying Wee haue a lawe and according to our lawe hee ought to dye by cause he made him selfe the sonne of God. But they them selues in the historie of the gospel thunder out these words against the Lord We are not borne of fornication we haue one father euen God. It is certeyne therefore that the Iewes accused our Sauiour for none other cause of high treason committed against Gods maiestie than for that he named him selfe the naturall not the adopted sonne of god For the firste did not deserue death but the last was worthie of death For we read also in the first of Iohn Therfore the Iewes sought the more to kill him not onely bycause he had broken the Sabboth day but also for that he sayd that God was his father making him selfe equall with God or Gods fellowe Loe thou haste the manner howe he called him selfe the sonne of God not by adoption or reputatiō but by nature substance For yet againe the Lord himselfe obiecteth this to them that would haue stoned him Many good works haue I shewed you frō my father for which of these good works do ye stone me The Iewes answered againe saying for thy good woorkes or wel going wee doe not stone thee but for blasphemie namely bycause thou being a man makest thy selfe God. Loe what could be spoken more plainely Thou makest thy selfe God. And what I praye you had he spoken whereof they gathered these thinges I giue vnto my sheepe euerlasting life neyther shall they perishe for euer neyther shall any plucke thē out of my hande My father whiche gaue them mee is greater than all and none can pull them out of my fathers hande I and the father are one To giue life euerlasting doth belong to the power of God to preserue and so to preserue that none may be able to plucke them out of his handes belongeth to the same power Nowe the Lorde proueth his saying with this argument or reason None is able to pull the shéepe out of my fathers hands therefore none can pul them out of my handes The proofe of his antecedent bycause the father is greater than all that is to say is the greatest of all whose diuine power is aboue all The proofe of his consequent bycause I and my father are one to wit not in will and agréement onely but in maiestie also and power whereof we doe at this present entreate not of concorde or agréement but of power to make aliue and to preserue Touching whiche the Lorde him selfe most plentifully discourseth throughoute the whole fifte chapter of Sainte Iohns Gospell shewing that he forgiueth sinnes that by his power he maketh aliue and rayseth vp from the deade euen as his father doeth therefore that he is of one and the same diuine power and maiestie with God the father These thinges are so euident playne and manifest that albeit we had none other testimonies yet these may aboundantly suffice to proue the assertion of the true Diuinitie or verie Godheade of the sonne of God that the sonne indéede is true and verie God. Againe the selfe same our Lorde and Sauiour with greate libertie of speache and playnenesse of wordes without all manner of riddle darke sentence and obscuritie of wordes openly and expressely sayth to his disciples Let not your hearte be troubled or vexed You beleeue in God beleeue also in mee I am the way the trueth and the life Hee that hath seene mee hath seene the father Doe ye not beleeue that I am in the father and the father in mee And certeine it is that Christe our Lorde is the heauenly doctour or teacher the moste constant defender of the truth who neyther hath seduced neyther yet coulde seduce and leade out of the way no not so muche as one But biddeth vs beleue in him as true and verie god Therefore our Lorde and Sauiour is true and verie god For in another place he sayth moste plainely I am the liuely breade or the breade of life that came downe from heauen Hee that beleeueth in me hath life euerlasting He againe in the Gospell playnely pronounceth and saythe Father the houre is come glorifie thy sonne that thy sonne may also glorifie thee As thou haste giuen him power of al fleshe that so many as thou haste giuen him hee might giue them lyfe euerlasting And this is euerlasting life that they should knowe thee only true GOD and whome thou haste sent Iesus Christe By whiche wordes hée hath expressely proued both the vnitie of GOD that is to say that there is but one GOD againste the Ethnickes who worshipped many GODS and notably touched the distinction of the persons in the meane while likewise declaring him selfe to be verie GOD with the father For by and by he addeth Glorifie thou me O Father with thine owne selfe with the glorie which I had with thee before this worlde was Héere I thinke must not be ouerslipped of me the argument of Tertullian whiche I will recite vnto you Dearely beloued out of his booke De Trinitate wherein he doth gather together verie many most sound and strong reasons of Christe his diuinitie or Godheade If sayth he Christ be only man why hath he appointed set vs downe suche a rule to beléeue wherin he should say And this is life euerlasting y they might know thée y onely true or very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christe If also he would not be knowne to be God why doth he adde And whome thou haste sent Iesus Christe but for that he woulde be taken also for GOD Bycause if he would not be knowne to be GOD he would haue added And whome thou haste
called Christ a Chrismate that is to say of annointing Kinges also and priestes were annointed he was annointed king and priest Beeing a king hee fought for vs Beeing a priest he offered himselfe for vs When he fought for vs he was as it were ouercome yet by right hee hathe ouercome in verie deede For he was crucified and on his crosse whereon he was nailed he slewe the diuell and then was hee our king But wherfore is he a priest because he hath offred himselfe for vs Let a priest haue somewhat to offer What could man finde to giue A cleane sacrifice what sacifice what cleane thing can a sinner offer O wicked sinner O vngodly wretch What so euer thou shalt bring it is vncleane Seeke within thy selfe what to offer thou shalt find nothing Seeke out of thy selfe what to offer hee is not delighted in rammes or goates or bullockes They are all his though thou offer them not Hee found nothing cleane among men whiche he might offer for men therfore he offered himselfe a cleane offering an vndefiled sacrifice Therfore he did not offer that whiche we gaue vnto him but that which he tooke of vs and that he offered pure cleane He tooke fleshe in the wombe of the virgin that hee might offer pure and cleane flesh for vs that were vncleane He is a king he is a priest In him let vs reioyce To him be glorie for euer and euer Amen ¶ Of the holie Ghost the third person in Trinitie to be worshipped and of his diuine power ¶ The eighth Sermon IT remaineth that after wee haue expounded the mysteries of the sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ we consequētly speake of the holy Ghost and of his diuine power and operation For vnlesse he inspire our minds and rule our tongue wee shall neuer bee able worthily or profitably either to speake or heare any thing concerning him For as no man knoweth those things which are of God but the spirite of God so men fetche the vnderstanding of heauenly thinges and the knowledge of the holy ghost from no where else than from the same spirite of god Let vs therefore pray and beséech God the father that by his sonne Iesus Christe hee would vouchsafe to inlightē our darke and mystie mindes by sending this his holy spirite into our hearts and to direct vs in the sincere waye of trueth according to the holy Scriptures And first of all it séemeth not vnprofitable to expound the woord spirite because in the scripture it is diuerslie taken and very often vsed so that not séeldome times hee shall greatly erre which is ignoraunt of the force of that word Spirite properly is the signification of an element signifying aire winde breath In that signification we read this spoken of our Sauiour The winde bloweth where it lusteth and thou hearest the sounde thereof but canst not tel whence it commeth whither it goeth And Paule saith If I pray with an vnknowen tongue my spirit prayeth but my vnderstanding is made vnfruitefull Loe the Apostle vseth spirite for the breath or voice For he ioyneth it to the tongue and setteth it against the minde By a Metaphore it is translated to euery bodilesse substance and is set against the body Spirite therefore signifieth an Angel either good or badd For the Prophete whose wordes Paul hath also rehearsed sayth Which maketh his Angels spirits and his ministers a flaming fire And againe Are they not all ministring spirits These testimonies are vnderstoode of good Angels when the scripture speaketh of euil Angels commonly it addeth somewhat as an euill spirite or an vncleane spirite Wée call also spirites or ghostes whiche haue taken some shape that cannot well be discerned spirits So the Apostles not beléeuing that the Lord was risen againe with his true bodie when they sawe him they thought they had séene a spirite To whom shewing his féete and his handes hee sayeth A spirite hath not fleshe and bones as ye see mee haue Againe spirite is taken for the breath of life as with the Latines to breath is to liue to leaue breathing is to die Dauid sayeth When thou giuest it them they gather it when thou openest thy hand they are filled with good When thou hydest thy face they are troubled when thou takest away their breath they die and are turned againe to their dust And the Lord in Moses sayeth I will destroy all flesh wherein there is breath of life The reasonable soule also of man is peculiarly called spirit in so much that spirite is verye often taken in the holy scripture for the resonable soule of man For in the Gospell thou doest read Iesus when hee had bowed downe his head gaue vp the ghost or the spirite And thou doest read of the holy martyre Stephan They stoned Stephan calling on and saying Lord Iesu receiue my spirite For Solomon said before The dust shal be turned againe vnto earth from whence it came the spirite shall returne vnto GOD who gaue it And sometimes spirite signifyeth the affection and motion readinesse and prouocation of the minde For Solomon sayeth A man that refraineth not his appetite or spirite is like a cittie whiche is broken downe Thou mayest oftentimes finde in the Scriptures the spirite of pride anger luste or enuie taken for a proud angrie lustfull or enuious affection Also in Luke the 13. the verie sore disease or force of sickenesse is called the spirite of infirmitie The spirite also signifieth those spirituall motions which the holie Ghost stirreth vp in the heartes of the Saincts yea and the verie gifts powred into the hearts of men by the spirite Whiche in euery place in Paule is to be séene Else-where spirite is opposed against the letter the bodie the figure the type or shadowe and is vsed for a more highe or mysticall meaning and for the very pithe of the thing as when Paule sayeth The circumcision of the heart is the circumcision which consisteth in the spirite not in the letter And againe The lord hath made vs able ministers of the new testament not of the letter but of the spirite For the letter killeth but the spirite giueth life Therefore thou mayst finde spirite to be taken for inspiration reuelation and doctrine For Iohn sayeth Beleeue not euerie spirite but proue the spirites whether they bee of God or not And againe Quench not the spirite despise not prophecies Last of all God is called that vnmeasurable and vnspeakeable power of the spirite God sayeth our Lord is a spirite they that worship him must worship him in spirite and in trueth By this meanes the word spirite is common to al the persons of the reuerend Trinitie howbeit it is peculiarlie applied to the third person in Trinitie of whom we make this sermon And albeit the holie Ghoste forsomuch as hee is God can be compassed within no limits for by
nations together but some into Asia some into Scythia other dispersed into other natiōs according to the dispensation of the holye Ghost whiche they had with them euen as they also heard the Lord saying I am with you alwayes euen vnto the ende of the world Herevnto doeth that also agrée Ye shal be wittnesses vnto mee euen vnto the vttermost partes of the world If therefore they being sent into the furthest parts of the earth to beare wittnesse of the Lord were seuered one from another with a very great distaunce of place and yet had present with them the holy Ghost dwelling within them whose substance is not limitable it is manifest that the power of Angels doeth farre differ from this power of the spirite For to vse an example the angel whiche was present with the Apostle when he prayed in Asia could not together at the selfe same time bee present with other whiche were abiding in other partes of the world But the holy Ghost is not onely present with men being seuered one from another but is also a continuall dweller in euerie Angel principalitie throne and dominion c. Now who cannot hereby gather that the holy Ghoste is true and very God The selfe same authour hath gathered very many argumentes of the true godhead of the holy ghost and next him the holy father Cyrill and holy Athanasius hath absolutely discoursed vpon that matter Lib. de Trinitate 11. to Theophilus These fewe testimonies thus farre rehearsed wée thinke shal suffice those that obey and loue the trueth They that stedfastly beléeue these things are not moued with any straung opinions and questions curiouslye yea wickedly brought in about this matter by ill occupied persons For some are reported to haue denied the holy Ghost to be lord For they haue taught that he is a minister and as it were a certeine instrument of the father and the sonne But Christ oure Lord ioyned the holy ghost to himselfe and to the father when hee deliuered the fourme of baptisme For he sayth Baptising them in the name of the father and of the sonne of the holy Ghost And yet it is manifest that a creature is not ioyned to the creatour in baptisme neither that there is any seruile condition in the Godhead Therefore the counsell of Constantinople in their créede giue to the holy Ghost certaine termes whereby they might destroye certaine errours calling him lord giuer of life for when he calleth him Lord he maketh him equall to the sonne and excludeth the condition of a seruaunt or minister beside that he denieth that he is their instrument For there is one Lord there are not many Lords And the sonne is not Lord of the holy Ghoste but the Lordshipp is common to the thrée personnes whiche are onely one lord And séeing the holy Ghost is the Lord surely he is not appointed to a seruile ministerie but indued with Lordly authoritie nether is he an vnderseruaunt to doe the worke but is a ioynt worker with the father and the sonne yea and he himselfe doth worke as Lord. Againe certaine other are reported to haue taught that the holy ghost is not a substance or a person but as it were an accident that is to saye a stirring vp a prouocation or a motion of a Godly and renued minde And in very déed our minde being illuminated with the holy Ghoste is oftentimes called spirite but we must wisely distinguishe the creature from the creator and the accident from the substance The blessed Apostle distinguished our spirite from the holy spirite of God when he said As many as are ledd by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of god The spirite it selfe beareth wittnesse to our spirite that wee are the sonnes of God. And the same Apostle saith The flesh lusteth cōtrary to the spirite the spirite cōtrarie to the flesh And who vnderstandeth not that the mind of man instructed of the holy Ghost is héere called the spirite not the third person himselfe in the reuerend Trinitie And that minde as touching illumination is not of it selfe but procéedeth from the holy Ghoste illuminating it neither commeth it from any other thā from him which is the third person in Trinitie but that minde is not the very person of the holy Ghoste as imagination procéedeth from the soule and yet it is not the soule it selfe That stirring of the spirite in vs is an accident but GOD is not an accident neither is mingled with the accident We must therefore confesse according to the Scriptures that the holy Ghost is a person subsisting coequall in nature or essence with the father and the sonne and therfore to be worshipped and glorified of vs as very God and creatour againe that a godly and holy motion stirred vpp in the mindes of holy men by the spirite is the effecte and woorking of this holy spirite and is called a holy spirite but after a certeine manner proper to it Otherwise we denie not that the holy Ghoste him selfe beeing promised is communicated vnto vs but after our capacitie and as he will. For what is hée amongest men that is able to comprehende the fullnesse of the eeuerlastinge and incomprehensible GOD Furthermore touching the procéeding of the holy Ghost from the father and the sonne the Diuines haue curiously subtily and busily disputed For the question is asked whether he procéed from the father alone or from the sonne also In which question the Latinistes séeme to disagrée verye much from the Grecians The question is also asked what maner of procéeding this is Wée omitting many curious questions wil briefly declare those thinges vnto you whiche are wholsome and agréeable with the holy Scriptures For who shal be able to canuasse out al the questions of curious men and all the bould and vncleane thoughtes of idle heads without offence to good men and especially of the simple hearers That the holy Ghost procéedeth from the father and the sonne the scripture manifestly teacheth which most plainly sheweth that hee is the spirite of either or both of them For hée it is of whome the Apostle sayeth Beecause ye are sonnes God hath sent the spirite of his sonne into your heartes And the sonne speaking of the same spirit sayeth For it is not you that speake but the spirite of your father hee it is which speaketh in you Againe the same sonne sayeth of the holy Ghost Whome I will sende vnto you from the father And againe he sayeth else where Whome the father will sende in my name Therefore hée procéedeth from both as well from the father as from the sonne For although this bee read else-where to bee spoken of the holy Ghoste Whiche proceeded from the father yet it is not denyed that he procéedeth from the substance of the sonne also But that more is Cyrill a Gréeke writer expounding the Gospell of S. Iohn and interpreting this selfe same place Lib. 10.
Cap. 33. sayeth When he had called the comforter the spirite of trueth that is to say his spirite for he is the trueth he addeth that he procéedeth from the father For as hee is the spirite of the sonne naturally in his abiding and through him procéeding so also surely is hée the spirite of the father But vnto whome the spirite is common surely they cannot by any meanes bee disseuered in substance Againe S. Augustine in his fiftéenth booke De Trinitate Cap. 26. sayeth Who may vnderstand by this that the sonne sayeth as the father hathe life in himselfe that he gaue life vnto the sonne as béeing then without life but that hee so begatt him without time that the life whiche the father gaue to the sonne in begetting him is coeternall with the life of the father which gaue it him Let him vnderstand as the father hath power in himselfe that the holy Ghoste mighte procéede from him so hath he giuen to the sonne that the same holy Ghoste maye procéede from him and both without beginning and so it is said that the holie Ghoste procéedeth from the father that that which procéedeth from the sonne might be vnderstoode to be of the father and the sonne For if the sonne haue ought he hath it of the father surely hee hath it of the father that the holy Ghoste procéedeth from him Thus farre hée By all this wée gather that the holy Ghost procéedeth as well from the father as from the sonne Nowe as concerning the manner of procéeding wée saye that the procéeding of the holie Ghoste is two-fouldor of two sortes temporall and eternall Temporall procéeding is that whereby the holie Ghoste procéedeth to sanctifie men The eternall procéeding is that whereby from euerlasting he procéedeth from god The spirite procéedeth from both partes from both of them as well from the father as the sonne Neither doeth hée procéede from the father into the sonne seuerally and from the sonne into creatures For I say the nature and substaunce of the father and the sonne is one and the self same inseparable and coeuerlasting too Temporall procéeding commonly is called a sending and gifte For the holie Ghoste is sent two manner of wayes vnto men visiblie that is to say vnder some visible fourme as of a Doue of fierie tongues as hée is read in the Gospell and in the Acts of the Apostles to haue béene giuen to Christe and the Apostles inuisibly hée is daily and as it were euerie moment giuen to the faithfull the spirite of Christe wateringe vs with his grace and giuing faith hope and charitie vnto vs. Moreouer the eternall procéeding of the holie Ghoste whereby hée procéedeth out of the substaunce of the father and the sonne is vnspeakeable as the begetting of the sonne by the father Wherevppon it is not said in the Gospel hath procéeded or shall procéede but Proceedeth for so the Lord declareth his eternitie of procéeding and that the substaunce of the father and of the sonne and of the holie Ghoste is coeternall and vnseparable and nothinge at all differing Sainct Augustine in his fiftéenthe booke De Trinitate and 26. Chapiter sayeth Hee that is able to vnderstand the beegetting of the sonne by the father without time let him also vnderstand the proceeding of the holie Ghost from them both without time And if anye aske this question Since the holie Ghoste proceedeth from the substance of the father and the sonne howe commeth it to passe that hee is not called the sonne I aunsweare that the Scripture calleth the second person the sonne and testifyeth that hée is the onely begotten of the father and that the same no where maketh any mention that the holie Ghoste is begotten or that hée is called the sonne Neither haue the auncient fathers made any other aunswere to this question And I like the similitude whiche whâ—ere expressed If one streame should flowe from two springs it might wel bee saide to flowe from them both yet it could be said to be the sonne of neither of them Herevnto I shall not séeme vnfruitfully nor beside the purpose to add the disputations of Didymus concerning sending least any should vnderstand that peruersly and according to the flesh whiche is spiritually to be interpreted by faith The holy Ghost the comforter is sent of the sonne sayeth he not according to the ministerie of Angels or Prophets or Apostles but as it becommeth the spirite of God to bee sent of the wisedome and trueth of God hauing an vnseparable nature with the selfe same wisedome and trueth For the sonn being sent of the father abiding in the father and hauing the father in himselfe is not separated nor sundered from the father And the spirite of trueth also being sent of the sonne after the manner aforesaid procéedeth from the father not from elsewhere remouing vnto other thinges For this is impossible and blasphemous likewise For if this spirite of trueth bee limitted within a certaine space according to the natures of bodies leauing one place he goeth to another but euen as the father not consisting in place is farre aboue and beyond the nature of all bodies so also the spirite of trueth is not limitted within space of place séeing he is bodilesse and as I may more truly say excelling all and euerie reasonable creature Béecause therefore it is impossible and wicked to beléeue these thinges which I haue said in bodily creatures we must vnderstand that so the holy Ghost went out and came from the father as oure Sauiour doeth beare witnesse that he himselfe went out and came from the father saying I went out and came from God. And as we separate places and chaunginges of places from bodilesse things so also we do separate these speaches inwardly I meane outwardly from the nature of things intellectuall For these two woordes perteine to bodies that may bee touched haue biganes Therefore wee must beléeue the vnspeakeable woord whiche faith onely and alone maketh knowen vnto vs that our Sauiour is said to come out from GOD and the spirite of trueth to procéede from the father c. Other questions both scrupulous and very many I passe ouer vntouched in these things I require a mind religious and not a curious a faithfull minde and not a subtile Now there is but one holy Ghost béecause hee is alwayes one and the selfe same god It is the same spirite therefore whiche spake vnto the Patriarches prophets and Apostles and whiche at this day speaketh to vs in the Church For therefore the counsel of Constantinople is thus read to haue confessed their faith I beleeue in the holy Ghost the Lord. And anon after Who spake by the prophets And I beleeue one Catholique and Apostolique Church These sayings are taken out of the holy Scripture For S. Peter testifieth in expresse words that the spirite of Christe was in the Prophetes and there was none other spirite in the Apostles than the spirite of
Christe And Paule the Apostle sayeth Seeing then wee haue the same spirite as it is written I beleeued and therefore haue I spoken wee also beleeue and therefore speake Vppon which testimonie Tertullian inferreth and no doubt soundlie It is one and the selfe same spispirite therefore whiche was in the Prophetes and the Apostles He promiseth that the selfe same spirite shal be alwayes in the Church They erred therefore yea foulye they erred who so euer among them of old feigned one God and spirite of the olde Testament and an other of the newe Testament Didymus Alexandrinus the bright light in his age of all the Grecian Churches in his first booke intituled De Spiritu sancto saith Neyther ought we to thinke that the holy Ghost is diuided according to substaunces bicause he is called the multitude of good graces For he can not suffer he can not be diuided neyther yet be chaunged but according to his diuers maners of workings vnderstādings he is called by mny names of good graces bycause he doth not indue his partakers with his cōmunion after one and the selfe same power c. Furthermore the holy ghost hath increasing or fulnesse and diminishing and want in man not that in God who as it is commonly and truely sayde neyther receiueth more or lesse there is any chaunge to be founde but bycause man according to his capacitie receiueth the spirite plentifully and liberally or measurably sparingly euen as it pleaseth the holy ghoste The portion of the spirite of Helias was giuen double from heauen to Heliseus And it is sayde of our Sauiour that the father gaue him the spirite not by measure For the Lord himselfe elswhere saith Whosoeuer hath to him shall be giuen and hee shall haue more aboundance but whosoeuer hath not from him shall bee taken away euen that he hath Saule had receiued excellent graces but bicause he did not vse exercise them the good spirite of God departed from him and the euill spirite succéeded and tormented him And the spirite of God departeth euen as it commeth also at one instant For when we are forsaken of the Lorde the spirite of God departeth from vs Wherevppon we reade that Dauid prayed Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirite from me And againe Stablishe me with thy principall spirite Next after these things it séemeth y we must diligently search out what the effect what the power of the holy Ghost is The power of the Almightie and euerlasting God is vnspeakable therefore no man can fully declare what the power of the holie ghost is Yet somewhat I will say making those things manifest which he worketh chiefly in men For otherwise the father by the spirit worketh all things by him he createth susteyneth moueth giueth life strengtheneth and prescrueth al things by the selfe same he regenerateth his faythfull people sanctifieth and indueth them with diuers kyndes of graces Whervpon in the description aboue mentioned of him cōprising in foure members his principall powers and effectes which shewe them selues by their working in men I sayde that he doth illuminate regenerate sanctifie and fulfill the faithfull with all good graces Which things that they may the better be vnderstoode it shal be good first of all to declare as well as we can the appellatiōs or names of the holy ghost which the holy scripture giueth him and then to recite one or two places of the old and new Testament to set foorth declare the power of the holy Ghost First he is called the holy spirite of God bicause all creatures as many as are sanctified are sanctified by him The heauenly father sanctifieth with his grace but throughe the bloud of his beloued sonne and sanctification is deriued into vs and sealed by the spirite Therefore the holie trinitie being one God doth sanctiūe vs It is a wicked thing therefore to attribute sanctification to straunge and forreine things It is a wicked thing to translate purification and iustification from the Creator vnto the Creature Moreouer he is called holy to make a difference of him from other spirites For we reade in the Scriptures that there was and is a spirite of the worlde a spirite of infirmitie a spirite of fornication and vncleannesse and a spirit of pride From all these the holy ghost is separated which inspireth into vs the contempt of this worlde whiche openeth vnto vs the Scriptures and confirmeth vs in trueth whiche purifieth our heartes and maketh oure mynds chast and so preserueth them finally whiche maketh vs lowly and gentle and driueth away from vs all maliciousnesse The same holy Ghost is called the spirite of God and of the sonne Of God to make a difference betwéene it and the spirite of sathan And it is called the spirite of the sonne bicause it is the proper and naturall spirite of the sonne which he also communicateth vnto vs that we also might be the sonnes of god For Paule sayth Ye are the temple of God and the spirite of God dwelleth in you Againe If any man haue not the spirite of Christe the same is none of his And againe Bicause ye are sonns God hath sent the spirit of his sonne into your harts crying Abba father Moreouer our Lorde him selfe in the historie of the Gospell calleth the holy Ghost a comforter saying I will pray the father and he shal giue you an other cōforter that he may abide with you for euer euen the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receiue bycause the worlde seeth him not neyther knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shal be in you For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a comforter a stirrer vp or a prouoker an exhorter an aduocate or patrone which pleadeth the cause of his client For the holy Ghoste is the mouth the eye the heart the counsel the hande and the foote of all the faythfull Didymus in his worke intituled De spiritu sancto sayth Christe Giuing the holy ghost a name answerable to his working calleth him the comforter Bycause he doth not onely comforte those whō he findeth worthy of him and setteth them frée from all heauinesse and trouble of mynde but giueth vnto them a certeine incredible ioy and gladnesse in so muche that a man giuing God thankes bycause he is counted worthy of suche a guest may say Thou hast giuen me gladnesse in my heart For euerlasting ioy and gladnesse is in the hearte of them in whome the holy Ghost dwelleth The holy ghost verily alone maketh the consciences of men voyde of care quiet and at peace before God in the matter of iustification and in all temptations of the worlde Paule sayth This only I desire to learne of you whether ye haue receiued the spirite by the workes of the lawe or by the preaching of faith The Apostles being beaten with roddes when they were indued with the
holy Ghost had y comforter present in their mindes went reioycing from the presence of the counsel bicause they were counted worthy to suffer reproch for the name of Christe So we read in the Ecclesiasticall historie that the martyrs of Christ being full of the holy Ghost euen in extreme torments and moste bitter deaths were most patient and sange prayses and gaue thanks vnto GOD. Furthermore we haue heard that the holy Ghoste is called of the Lorde the spirite of trueth For in an other place also hee beautifieth him with that name for he saith When the cōforter shall come whome I will send vnto you from the father euen the spirite of trueth which proceedeth from the father hee shall beare witnesse of me And he is called the spirite of trueth bycause there is an other hypocriticall spirite an erronious and lying spirite in the mouth of all false Prophetes This our spirite worketh in his worshippers sinceritie gentlenesse of mynde and integritie Those he teacheth all trueth For our Lorde elsewhere in the gospel sayth That comforter whiche is the holy Ghoste whome the father will send in my name he shall teache you all things and bring all thinges to your remembraunce what so euer I haue sayde vnto you Therefore the spirite of trueth hath taught the Apostles all trueth that is to be beléeued and all godlinesse and they haue deliuered the same fully to the Church For the holie Ghost driueth away all errours destroyeth all heresies confoundeth all Idolatrie and vngodlinesse and poureth true faith into our heartes and establisheth true religiō in the Church The Actes of the Apostles affoorde vs verie many of examples By this spirite of God the Apostles foretolde things to come shadowing out amōg other things Antichrist and the corruption of this oure last age and admonishing the Church least the elect shoulde be intangled in errours and blasphemous wickednesses Now he is called the spirit of promise for that he was promised of god by the Prophetes through Christ to the Fathers to the apostles and to al that beleue the apostles doctrine and was at length also through the same Christe fully giuen and perfourmed This worde putteth the godly in mynde that they shoulde not ascribe the hauing of this so great and healthfull a gift to their merites but to the méere grace of god And the holie Ghoste is graunted yea giuen vnto vs by the promise of god Wherevpon it followeth that all the giftes of God are fréely giuen which thing the Apostle Paule principally proueth and earnestly beateth into our heades in his epistles specially to the Romanes and the Galathians In Luke the Lord sayth If I with the finger of God cast out diuels no doubt the kingdome of God is come vpon you Saint Matthewe rehearsing the same wordes sayth If I by the spirite of God cast out diuels thē is the kingdome of God come vpon you Therefore the holie Ghost is called the finger of god to wit the might and power of god Men of occupations worke with their fingers God worketh his workes by his diuine power I meane by his spirite whose power is so greate that euen his little finger giue me leaue so to speake surpasseth all the power and strength in the worlde That appeared in those Sorcerers of Egypt Didymus rehearseth a parable touching the vnitie of the diuine substaunce and admonisheth diligently and conueniently that we should not for corporall things forge and feigne vnto our selues a corporall meaning of spirituall things For he sayth But beware lest thou being cast downe vnto base things doest imagine in thy mynd diuersities of corporall actions and begin to forge to thy selfe magnitudes and inequalities and other members of the body greater and lesser saying that the finger from the hand and the hand from him whose hand it is doth differ by many inequalities bycause the scripture doth now speak of bodylesse thinges purposing to shewe the vnitie onely and not the measure of substance also For as the hand is not diuided from the body by the whiche it worketh and bringeth all things to an end and is in him whose hand it is so also the finger is not separated frō the hand whose finger it is Therefore away with inequalities and mesurings when thou thinkest of God and vnderstande the vnitie of the finger of the hande and of the whole substaunce by which finger the lawe was written in tables of stone Thus farre he Now the holie Ghost is read as wel in the writings of the Prophets as also of the apostles to be shadowed out by water and a liuely or continuall running founteine I will poure out sayth the Lord by Esaie waters vppon the thirstie and riuers vpon the dry ground And anon by interpretation he addeth I will poure my spirite vpon thy seede and my blessing vpon thy stocke And in the Gospell the Lord sayth If any mā thirst let him come vnto mee and drinke Hee that beleeueth in me as sayth the scripture out of his bellye shall flowe riuers of water of life To which in way of exposition the holie Euangeliste addeth But this he spake of the spirite whiche they that beleeue in him should receiue Surely water maketh barren groundes fruitfull cleanseth things defiled giueth drinke to them that be thirstie and cooleth them that are in a heate so the grace of the holy spirit maketh barren myndes fruitfull to bring foorth fruite to the liuing god By the selfe same grace our harts are cleansed from all vncleannesse the same quencheth the thirst of the soule and comforteth it when it is afflicted and fulfilleth all the desires thereof Fire is simple and pure and some bodies it consumeth and othersome it purgeth making them more fine and cleane It warmeth also and hath many profitable and necessarie operations in man Therefore the holy Ghoste is rightly shadowed out vnto vs by fire For he is pure and simple he consumeth the vngodly cleanseth the faythfull from the filthinesse of sinnes and maketh them to burne with the loue of God and their neighbour setting them on fire doubt lesse with the fire of his loue When he was giuen to the Apostles in the day of Pentecoste there was heard a sound as it had bene with the force of a mightie winde comming by which thing was signified that the doctrine of godlinesse shoulde be spread throughout the whole worlde by the power of GOD and wonderfull successe maugre the might of the whole world setting shoulder against the same all in vaine For the wind no man staying it bloweth through the whole world pearceth all places and no mā can keepe it out it hath also wonderfull effectes in bodies to chaunge thē And the holie Ghost pearceth al thinges softneth mens hearts and of froward stubborne and rebellious he maketh most lowly modest and obedient men Fierie toungs appeare vpon the heades of the Apostles and disciples indued
And where the spirite of the Lord is there is libertie This is he which by water woorketh the second byrth or regeneration being a certeine seede of heauenly generation and he that consecrateth the heauenly natiuitie being a pledge of the promised inheritance and as it were a certein hand writing of euerlasting saluation who maketh vs the temple of God and bringeth to passe that wee be his dwelling house who perfourmeth the office of an Aduocate maketh intercessioÌ„ for vs in the hearing of God with sighes that can not be vttered And pouring foorth his gifts of defence is giuen to be a dweller in our hearts and a worker of holinesse who exercising that in vs bringeth oure bodies vnto euerlastingnesse and vnto the resurrection of immortalitie while hee accustometh them to bee partakers in him of his heauenly power and to bee coupled with the heauenly eternitie of the holy Ghost For our bodies are trayned vp in him by him to proceede to immortalitie whilest they learne to behaue them selues moderately according to his ordinaunces For it is he that lusteth contrarie to the flesh bycause the fleshe fighteth against him It is he which bridleth insatiable lustes which tameth immoderate coÌ„cupiscences which quencheth vnlawful desires which vaÌ„quisheth flaming affections whiche abhorreth drâ—nkennesse whiche banisheth 〈◊〉 which abandoneth 〈◊〉 bâ—nkettings which knitteth the knot of loue and charitie which subdueth the affections driueth awaye sectes sheweth the rule of truth conuinceth heretiques casteth out the wicked is a dâ—fence to the gospell Of him the apostle also saith For we haue not receiued the spirite of the world but the spirit which is of god Of this spirit he triumpheth saith And I thinke verily that I haue the spirite of god Of him he saith And the spirite of the prophets is subiect to the prophetes Of him he saith againe Nowe the spirit speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shal depart froÌ„ the faith giuing hede vnto spirits of error and doctrines of diuels which speake false in hypocrisie hauing their conscience scared with an hote yron No man beeing guided by this spirit calleth Iesus execrable no man denyeth that Christe is the sonne of God or forsaketh god the Creator no man vttereth any of his own words against the scriptures neither doth any maÌ„ establish other wicked decrees no man coÌ„mandeth contrarie lawes Whosoeuer blasphemeth against this spirite shall neuer haue forgiunes neither in this world nor in the world to come It is he that in the Apostles beareth witnesse to Christ that sheweth constant faith of religioÌ„ in martirs that planteth maruelous continencie of assured loue in virgines that kepeth the lawes of the Lords doctrine vncorrupted and vndefiled in others that confoundeth heretikes reformeth the froward reproueth the vnfaithful reuealeth dissemblers and punisheth the wicked and preserueth the church chaste and vnstained in purenesse of perpetuall virginitie and holinesse of trueth Thus farre Tertul. Thus farre not without trembling we haue intreted of the moste holie mysterie of the reuerend Trinitie the father the sonne and the holie ghoste which we haue learned out of the scriptures and here nowe we will stay humbly worshipping this vnitie in trinitie and trinitie in vnitie And let vs kéepe in mind and acknowledge this distinction or diuision most manifestly declared in the scriptures and the vnitie also coÌ„mended vnto vs with excéeding great diligence For in the scripture the beginning of doing and the flowing founteine and welspring of al things is attributed to the father wisedome counsel the verie dispensatioÌ„ in doing things is ascribed to the sonne y force effectual power of working is assigned to the holy ghost Howbeit let vs take heede least through the distinction we separate the vnitie of the substaunce of god For there is but one God in whome those properties are It is but one fire thoughe there be thrée things séene in it light brightnesse and heate For these rise together and cease all at once The light goeth not before the brightnes 〈◊〉 that the 〈◊〉 before the heate And though onâ— thing â—e â—â—â—â—â—buted to â—he light an other thing to the brightnesse and a third thing to the heate yet they worke vnseparably Therefore when we reade that God created the worlde we vnderstande that the father from whome are all things by the sonne by whom are all thinges in the holy ghoste in whome are all thinges created the worlds And when we read that the sonne became flesh suffered died and rose againe for our saluation we beleue that the father and the holy ghost though they were not partakers of his incarnation and passion yet notwithstanding that they wrought that our saluation by the sonne whom we beléeue neuer to haue bene separated from them And when sinnes are said to be forgiuen in the holy ghoste we beléeue that this benefite and all other benefites of our blessednesse are vnseparably giuen and bestowed vpon vs from one onely true liuing and euerlasting God who is the father the sonne and the holie ghoste To whome be peayse and thankesgiuing for euer and euer Amen Of good and euill spirites that is of the holie Angels of God and of diuels or euill spirits and of their operations The ninth Sermon NExt vnto this sermon of the holie Ghost I will adde a treatise of good and euill spirites that is of the holie Angels of god and of diuels or wicked spirites and of their operations Of whome since the holy scripture deliuereth vs an assured doctrine and in all pointes profitable it séemeth that we ought not lightly to regard it but with as much faith and diligence as we can to bring it vnto light It were a foule fault in him that studieth after godlinesse to be ignorant of the dispositions of good and euill angels of whome so often mention is made in the holy scriptures yea it were a thing most dangerous not to know what maner of creatures the diuels are which vnder that 〈…〉 spoyle vs â–ª But firâ—â— we will speake of holy angels and then 〈…〉 The worde Angel some sâ—y to â—e a name of office not of 〈…〉 common to the 〈◊〉 and Gréeks of whome it is borrowed and it signifieth an embassadour or legate and therefore it hath a larger signification For the preachers of the truth are called Angels as in Malachie and in the Apostle Paule For they are the embassadours or messingers of the Lord of hoastes S. Peter also calleth euill spirites Angels as Paule also doth saying that the faithful shal one day iudge the Angels and that the Angel or messinger of Sathan was sent vnto him howbeit the scripture peculiarly calleth Angels the blessed spirites of God Ministers and messingers and heauenly armies But the Saduceis denied that there be angels For Luke in the Actes of the Apostles sayth The Saduceis say that there is no resurrection neyther Angel nor spirite but the
manner one it is For first wee confesse that there hath béene and is a Church of God and that it shall continue for euer Then professing what it is wée add this The communion of Sainctes That is to say Wée beléeue the Church to bee nothing else but the companie of all those Sainctes that are haue béene and shal be as wel in this present age as in the age to come who enioye all good thinges in common granted vnto them by god Also wee declare what manner one it is in calling it holy I say the spouse of Christ cleansed and blessed For S. Paule calleth them holy whiche are cleansed with the spirit and bloud of oure God of whiche a great part haue receiued crownes of glorie the residue labour heere vppon earth hoping to receiue them in heauen And truely in consideration of the Church the chiefest matter is that thoroughe the Grace of God wee be made the members of Christes body and partakers of all heauenly gifts with the Angels For wée confesse none to be more holy than our owne selues Or else it may be taken more largly and then it doeth comprehende not onely them that are the very faithfull and holy in déede but also them who althoughe they beléeue not truely or vnfeignedly neither be cleane or holy in the conuersation of their life yet do they acknowledge and professe true religion with the true beléeuers and the holy men of God yea they speake well and allowe of vertues and reproue euill neither doe seauer themselues from the vnitie of this Militant Church In whiche consideration not so much as the wicked and hypocrits such as wée read to haue béene in the Church in the time of Christe and the Apostles as Iudas Ananias and Saphira Simon Magus also Demas Hymenęus Alexander and many other are excluded and put from the church which Church maye well be called the outward and visible Church But this Church whereof wee speake is to bée accompted off either by reason of some part thereof or else of the whole For it is to be considered generally particularly And the particular Church is that whiche is comprised in a certeine number is knowen by some sure and certeine place For it is named of the place being called after the names of cities as the Churches of Zuericke and Bernes c. The Gréekes called those particular Churches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche wee commonly call Parishes And we call that a parish which hath dwelling houses and streates ioyned together in neighbourhoode But in cities and townes vnto certeine portions are vsually ascribed both Churches and parish priestes to serue them and the whole circuite is called a parishe In the Dutche tongue Ein Barchi oder pfarkirch oder ein kirchhory And in the old time the parish priest was a prouider For hee prouided and gaue necessaries to straungers and chiefly salt and wood Some called him the maker of the feast other cal him a preparer of Virgins Therefore because the pastours of Churches were preparers of Virgins for the redéemer and head of the Church whiche is Christe bringing vnto him a chast and vndefiled virgin to be short because they themselues prouided things most necessarie for the people of God and also prepared heauenly meates and banquets the pastours of the Lords flocke are very well called parish priestes or the curates of soules The Lord speaking in the Gospel of the particular Church said If hee that offendeth the Church will not regard when hee is warned complaine vnto the Church But it is not possible that the vniuersall Church through the whole world should assemble come together that the rebellious and obstinate should be brought before it wherfore iudgment is referred to be giuen on that stubborne by the particular Churches To conclude the vniuersal Church consisteth of al the particular Churches through out the whole world and of all the visible partes and members thereof This is the same which we drue forth euen nowe when wée spake more at large thereof But the catholique Church of God doeth abide with vs as wée began to tell a litle before cōtinually from age to age from the beginning and is at this time dispersed thorough out the whole world both visiblye and inuisiblye and the Lords people and God his house shall continue vppon earth vnto the worlds end For there was neuer yet any world neither shal be any age wherein God hath not or will not sanctifie some vnto himselfe wherin he will dwell and that they shall be his flocke and holy house For the testimonies of auncient Prophets doe record that the Church is perpetual For thus wee finde it written in the 132. Psalme The Lord hath chosen Sion hee hath chosen her for an habitation for him selfe This is my resting place for euer and euer heere will I dwell because I haue chosen her And againe I haue sworne vnto Dauid in my holinesse his seede shall remaine for euer and his seate shall continue before mee as the Sunne But who knoweth not that all this is to be vnderstode of Christ the sonne of Dauid and of his seate and spirituall Sion which is the Church He also signifying the continuaunce of the Church sayeth in the Gospell I will remaine with you continually vnto the ende of the world And againe I will aske of my father and hee shall giue you an other cōforter the spirite of truth that he may abide with you for euer To this belongeth also that saying in the Gospel And the gates of hell shal not preuaile against the Church Whiche saying truely is a great comfort to the faithfull in so many and so great persecutions intended to the vtter destruction and ouerthrowe of the Church As Christ had alwayes his Church héere vppon earth hath now and for euer shall haue So likewise the diuel as longe as the world shall continue shall neuer want his people in whom hee maye reigne This Church of the diuel toke her first beginning of Cain and shall continue to the last wicked person comprehending also all those euill peoples that haue beene in the meane time and shal be betwixte the beginning and the ending But they liuing héere on earth haue societie and common with them that are tormented in hell For as all that bee Godly béeing vnder one head Christ do make one body so all the wicked vnder one head sathan are one incorporate body This maye right worthily be called that wicked Church Sodome and Gomor Babylon the cōgregation of Chora Dathan Abyron a synagogue a schole and a stewes of the diuell the kingdome of antichriste or any other of like sort In this Church are reckoned vpp all such as are wicked and and infidels separating themselues from the societie of oure holy mother the Church or forsaking the communion thereof and specially such as are mockers of God and his holy woord blasphemers
Iesu through the gospel And the same apostle saith in an other place Faith cōmeth by hearing and hearing cōmeth by the word of god Since ther fore faith cōmeth by hering hearing by the word of God and that specially by the word of God the church truely can by no meanes spring or be builded by the decrées doctrines of men Therefore we affirme that onely the word of god is apt for the building vp of the church of god Mens doctrines set vppe mens churches but Christes word buildeth the Christian churche For the doctrines of men proceede of flesh and bloud But Peter confessing Christ with a pure faith and therfore grounded vpon Christ who is the foundation of the church heard these words of Christ him selfe Fleshe and bloud hath not reuealed these thinges vnto thee but my father which is in heauē And therefore Paule saith When it pleased God that I should preach his sonne among the Gentiles I conferred not of the matter with fleshe and bloud c. He also most manifestly abolishing all doctrines of men from the setting vp building of faith and the church only commending the word of God saith to the Corinthians My word and preaching stood not in the enticing spech of mans wisdome but in plaine euidence of the spirit of power that your faith should not be in the wisdome of men but in the power of God. To this now perteineth these testimonies of Christ He that is of God heareth Gods word Againe He that is of the truth will heare my voyce And againe more plainely he saith The shepe wil follow the shepheard bicause they know his voyce They will not follow a stranger but wil run away from him bicause they know not the voice of strangers But vnder the voice of straungers we include all traditions and decrées of mē differing from the doctrine of Christ to which traditions the apostle S. Paul doth attribute the shape of wisdome but the truth he denieth them caleth them superstitious For our lord him selfe in the gospel bringeth foorth of the prophete Esaie the immutable saying They worship me in vaine teaching for doctrines mens preceptes Let vs therefore holde that the true church is not built by mans decrées but y she is founded planted gathered together builded onely by the word of Christe We doe adde that it is out of doubt y the church of God is preserued by the same word of God least at any time it should be seduced or least it shuld slip perish y neither can it at any time be preserued by any other meanes Paul againe witnessing and saying Christ hath giuē some to be apostles some prophets some Euāgelists som pastors techers for the gathering together of the Saintes for the work of the ministerie that is to say to teach preach the word for the edification of the body of Christ till we al meete together in the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ that we hēceforth be no more children wauering carried about with euery winde of doctrine by the deceit of mē marke I praye howe mens doctrines are condēned againe with great inuiolable authoritie with craftinesse whereby they lay in wait to deceiue But let vs folow the truth in loue in al things grow vp into him whiche is the heade that is Christ by whom al the body being coupled and knit together by euery ioint for the furniture therof according to the effectual power which is in the mesure of euery part receiueth increase of the body vnto the edifying of it selfe in loue increaseth the body vnto the edifying of it self through loue These words of the apostle are so plaine that they néed no better expositiō thā they haue of thē selues In this place also the order maner of the church by the preaching of Gods word shuld of right be set downe which many doe terme call the ministerie of the word or of the church but we wil speak of the God willing in the third sermō It shal be sufficient in this place to defend that our Lorde God hauing giuen doctours vnto the church doth found build mainteine inlarge the church by his word yea by his word only There come two things now to be cōsidered First that the church of good for y continual and constant studie of the word of God is called propheticall apostolical ye also orthodoxical For it is called prophetical or apostolical bicause by y trauell of the prophets apostles it was first builded by their doctrine is preserued euen at this time shall by it be spred abroad euē vnto the end of the world It is called Orthodoxical bicause it is soūd of iudgement opinion faith For without the church there is no true faith neither any perfect doctrine touching true vertue felicitie The faith doctrin of the church was reuealed from God him self by Adā the patriarchs by Moses the prophets by Christ and the apostles Wherby she elsewhere is named a mother whereof we will speake in the next sermon Secondarily that the succession of doctor or pastors of the church doth proue nothing of it selfe without the word of god The chāpions defenders of the papisticall churche do boast that they haue a most certein marke of the apostolique church to wit in y continuall succession of bishops cōming from S. Peter by Clemēt the first so to Clemēt y 7. to Paul y 3. who died of late so cōtinuing to Iulius y 3. not lōg agoe created Moreouer they add that al such members are cut off as do separate themselues from the church in that which only that apostolical succession is found And we do not deny but that the right succession of pastors in the primitiue church was of gret weit For thei which then were call pastors were pastors in déed executed the office of pastors But what maner of pastors they haue ben a great many yeares which of the rout of Cardinals mitred bishops sophisters haue ben caled pastors none is ignorāt but he which is altogether without any vnderstāding The Prophete Zacharie heard these words spoken to him from that lord take to thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd for loe I wil raise vp a shepheard in the lande whiche shall not looke for the thing that is lost nor seeke the tender lambs nor heale that that is hurt nor feede that that standeth vp but he shal eate the flesh of the fat and teare their hoofes in pieces Woe be to the idle shepeheard that forsaketh the flocke c. Therfore neuer a whit more do these men proue by their continuall succession of Byshops who teache not the worde of God sincerely nor execute the
whiche should also continually aske fauour of him Suche an endeuoure is commended vnto vs in Anna the daughter of Phanuel of whom Luke maketh mention That she departed not from the temple but night and day serued the Lord with fastings and prayers not that she did nothing else hauing no regarde to her bodie nor did at any time eate drinke or sléepe but because that was her continuall and chiefest businesse For at this day speaking after the same maner we say that the husbandman doth labour without ceassing and the student reade night and day when as yet all men vnderstand that by this kinde of spéech is signified a continual and an excéeding great diligence in worke and reading The woman of Syrophoenissa in Matth. Chapter 15. sheweth vnto vs a notable example of vnwearied continuance in prayer or inuocation But if so be GOD séem to neglect vs or to defer our requests longer then is méete let vs alwayes remember what the Prophet hath said Yet a litle while and he that shal come will come and wil not tarie and the iust shal liue by faith c. Here it shal be verie easie to shew the time of prayer whereof inquirie is made to wit When we ought to pray We ought therefore priuately to pray alwayes For continually while wee liue there is diuerse and manifolde matter offered vnto vs to pray Pray therefore as oft as the spirite moueth thée as often as necessitie it selfe or mater prouoketh thée to pray Yet let nothing here be of constraint let all things procéede from a willing frée spirite But publique prayers are â—estrained to time For ther are sette foreappointed hours to pray set houres are those certeine times receiued of the Churche wherin in the morning or euening the whole congregation assembleth together to heare the word of God to praye and to receiue the Sacramentes That the auncient Churches whiche were in times past did not méete together in an holy assemblie all at one time and the selfe same houres Socrates in his Historie beareth witnesse And in this diuersitie there is no daunger Let it be left to the discretion of the Churches to come together vnto the seruice of God when it shal séeme moste necessarie comely méete and profitable vnto them selues Moreouer foreappointed houres of prayer are those whiche are set or forewarned for a certeine time by the Church for presente necessities sake In daungerous times and in weightie affaires the holie Apostles appointed prayers and fastinges Which thing also at this day is lawfull without superstition and with iust moderation And that this is a moste auncient ordinaunce it appeareth out of these woordes of the Prophete Ioel. Blowe the trumpet in Sion sanctifie a fast call a solemne assemblie gather the people together c. Doeth not the Apostle commaunde man and wife priuately to separate themselues for a time and to absteine from their lawfull delightes that prayer in necessitie may be the more feruent And nowe also it will not be hard to iudge of the place of praier For as at al times priuatly so also in all places I haue saide in the beginning of this sermon y holy men may pray For the true prayer of holy men is not tyed to any place neither is it iudged better in one place than in another For the goodnesse or worthines of the prayer is not estéemed by the place but by the minde of him that prayeth For the Lorde in the Gospel sayth The houre will come and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirite and in trueth c. But they are in no wise to be passed ouer in this place who are persuaded that the godly may pray in no other place but at home in their chamber To the confirmation wherof they wrest these words of our sauiour But thou when thou prayest enter into thy chamber and when thou haste shut thy doore pray to thy Father which is in secrete and thy Father which seeeth in secrete shal rewarde thee openly But these wordes haue an Antithesis or contrarie sentence to that whiche goeth afore For there went before And when thou prayest thou shalt not be as the Hypocrites are for they loue to stand praying in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seene of men Againste this immediately he opposeth But thou wheÌ„ thou prayest enter into thy chaÌ„ber And as in reprouing the abuse of prayer hee did not properly condemne the place but rather spake figuratiuely after this manner The Phariseis with their prayers whiche they make in the stréetes do hunt after praise and commendation of the people So on the contrarie parte making mention of a chamber he meant not that the place of it selfe maketh the prayer either better or worse but hee taught by a figuratiue spéeche that wee ought to pray with an vpright minde and moste frée from hunting after the praise of men For he that prayeth with a minde not troubled with affections hauing regarde only vnto God he prayeth in his chamber whether he pray in the Churche or in the streete For otherwise the Lord prayed with his Disciples in the temple in the citie in the fielde and wheresoeuer occasion was offered Also it followeth And the Father which seeth thee in secrete shal reward thee openly that is to say The Father who alloweth the minde that is not proud but humble and frée from ambition will rewarde thée openly But publique prayers are vsed in the Churche or assemblie of Saintes which if any man despise saying that prayer ought not to be tyed to any place I can not thinke him woorthie the name of a Christian since he shamefully abuseth Christian libertie Finally of assemblies I haue spoken before we will peraduenture speake more in the last Sermon of this Decade Here commeth also to be handeled the gesture of those that pray But let all riot all pride all immoderate trimming of the bodie be farr froÌ„ theÌ„ y shal come into the Church of Christ to pray He should séeme filthily to haue scorned the Godly magistrate whosoeuer he were that in comming to craue pardon for his fault would lay aside his mourning wéedes and putting on white apparell proudely appeare before the assembly of graue and godly Senatours Suche a one might be iudged worthie not onely to be denied of his request but also to be cast into prison And who wil denie that they more shamefully mock God who comming into the Churche to aske pardon being oppressed with the burthen of their sinnes and yet in that place to be so farre off from being humble that they rather appeare before the presence of God and his Saintes hauing their bodies so attyred as they thereby bothe prouoke the wrath of God a new against them and doe grieuously offende the most godly y are in the church Wherfore Paul at large teacheth that modestie comely and humble
And truely the greater or more famous solemne Churches whiche at this daye they call Cathedrall to witt of Cathedra a Chayre or of the order of Prophetes teaching or professing there as some time the Churche of Antioche Corinth Alexandria and suche like séemed to haue béene at certeine houeres to witt in the morning at noone yea at Euening also assembled to expound or discusse the holie canonicall Scriptures The foundations of that obseruation séeme to bee layed in the Churche of the Corinthians Of whiche the Apostle aboundauntlie witnesseth 1. Corint 14. Chapter Eusebius in the fifte Booke of his ecclesiastical historie and 9. Chapter making mention of an ecclesiasticall Schoole at Alexandria sayeth From a long time the doctrine and exercise of the holie Scriptures flourished among them which custome also continueth euen to our time whiche we haue hearde also to be instituted by menne mightie in Eloquence and in the studie of the holie Scriptures to witt after the example of the Corinthian Church Some markes of this moste wholesome rite or custome appeared sometime in the Occidentall or Weste Church as it is to be gathered out of the writinges of Sainct Ambrose and Augustine But truely in these very times and in the times immediatly following when all nations in a manner were together by the eares with perpetuall warres and when the Romane Empire in reuengement of the bloud of Christe of his holie Apostles and Martyres according to the Prophecie of Daniel and Sainct Iohn the Apostle and Euangeliste was torne in peeces made a pray for all people The Gothes or Germanes rushing vppon them on this side the Hunnes and other barbarous Souldiours on the other side assaulting Rome sharply the best Scholes were spoyled goodly Libraries were burned honest good studies perished whervpon were giuen vnto the churches Doctors or teachers most vnlike vnto the auncient doctours and teachers who were not furnished with that abilitie that they could deale in the holy Scriptures with such dexteritie and fruitefulnesse as their predecessours In this disorder downefall least nothing should remaine of the canonicall scriptures vntouched it is euident that there rose vp men not altogether negligent of the canonicall doctrine who diuided the whole canonicall scripture after such a sort into parts and for the whole course of the yeare that they might once in a yeare read ouer the whole Bible and the Psalter oftner yea euen euery seuenight They vsed the psalmes in stéed of prayers to whiche as times increased many other prayers also were ioyned And least the verie reading of the scripturs should séeme to want al exposition the readinges lectures or homilies of the fathers were therevnto added at the length not that the priestes should read them secretely to thēselues as at this day in a maner they are woont to do or that they should with a post-hast reading mumble them vp in stéede of mattins but that they should throughly handle them in the open church as an exercise before the people to the edification of the church That I maye not nowe rehearse that this rite was not receiued of all men so farre off is it from beeing streictly commaunded Of whiche thing there remain some tokens or proofes In Distinct 15. Sancta Rom. Furthermore of reading the canonicall Scriptures those houres wherin they were read séemed to be named Canonical as also Canons are so called of studying and reading the Canonicall Scriptures But at what time this was done and who were the doers thereof it is not certeinely knowen Some doe attribute some parte hereof to Hierome other some to Damasus and some to Pelagius the second of that name othersome also to Gelasius and Gregorie And because homilies and lectures not a few are said to be Bedaes and other doctours of later time finally for that many other thinges are read in those hourely prayers whiche sauour neuer a whit of antiquitie truly as it is an institution patched vpp diuersely and at sundrie times so is it farre more new than the papists thincke or take it to bée Neither are there some wanting which affirme that at the request of Carolus Magnus Paulus Diaconus or monke of Cassina and monke Isuarde ordeined and deliuered to the Churche selected or chosen lessons those especially which cōcerne the Saincts and are accustomed to be read in these houres But howsoeuer the matter standeth most certeine it is that those houres at this day commaunded and called Canonicall are the inuention of man and not of God and ragged and rotten reliques or shadowes of the old law Wherevnto beside that there are many fables toyes follies annexed it cannot be denied Truly at this day there appereth such a mingle mangle or hotch-potch that it séemeth vtterly vnworthy either to bee vsed or suffered any longer in the church of Christ vnlesse wée had rather that care were taken for the bellies of some than for the good state and well-fare of the whole Church Of whiche thus much thus farre It remaineth in the last place to discusse howe wee must praye what words or what fourme of prayer wée must vse Truely there are many fourmes of prayer but none better than that whiche our Lord the onely beloued sonne of God the father hath deliuered Neither is there a more certeine forme as comprehending in fewe words all in all In this summarie hee hath prescribed what is worthie of him what is acceptable to him what is necessarie for vs and to bee short what hee is willing to graunt Wherevppon S. Cyprian expounding the Lords prayer amonge other thinges sayeth Hee that made vs to liue the same hath taught vs also to pray euen of the same his bountifulnesse whereby hee hath vouchsafed both to giue and to bestowe all other thinges whatsoeuer that when wee speake with the father in that prayer and supplicaton whiche the sonne hath taught vs wee may bee the more easlie or readily heard and may truly and spiritually worshipp him For what prayer can bee more spirituall than that whiche is giuen vnto vs of Christe from whome also the holy Ghoste is sent vnto vs What prayer before the father more true than that of the sonne proceeding out of his mouth who is trueth it selfe So that to pray otherwise thā he hath taught is not onely ignoraunce but also offence since hee him selfe hath sett downe and saide Yee cast aside the commaundement of God to stablish your owne tradition Therefore dearely beloued brethrene let vs pray as God our maister hath taught vs It is a friendly and familiar prayer to call vppon God in such manner as hee hath taught vs and when that the prayer of Christ commeth to his eares let the father acknowledge the woordes of his sonne when wee pray Hee that dwelleth within the heart let him also bee in the tongue And since wee haue him oure aduocate with the father for oure sinnes when wee beeing sinners aske pardon for oure offences let vs vtter the woordes of
bee able to doe all Therefore to his goodwill to vs ward which in these woords Our father wée haue expressed wee do now ioyne knowledge of all thinges and power to do althings adding Which art in heauen By these wordes the faith of them that pray is stirred vpp and confirmed Nowe there doe followe in order sixe petitions The first is Hallowed be thy name Wée haue called God our father and our selues his sonnes But it is the part of sonnes to honour or glorifie their father and therefore immediatly vppon the beginning we desire that the name of the Lord God and our father might be sanctified or hallowed That truely is holy and vndefiled alwayes in it selfe neither is it made any whitt the better or the worse by vs Wherevppon we pray that that which is and remaineth holy in it selfe should be acknowledged of vs to bee such and alwayes sanctified of vs. A name is the definition of any thing whatsoeuer and names are inuented to make a difference of one thinge from another whereby they mighte bée knowen amonge themselues But GOD is infinite and vnmeasurable moreouer hee is one therefore hée hath not a name whereby to bee defined hee néedeth not a name whereby to be discerned from other Gods. Therefore those names that are attributed vnto him in the Scriptures are attributed for our infirmitie to the end that by some reason and comparison wee mighte vnderstand somethinges that are spoken of him that is vnmeasurable and infinite Therefore the name of GOD in verye deede is GOD him selfe with all his Maiestie and glorie To Sanctifie or Hallowe otherwhiles signifieth to separate thinges from a prophane vnto an holy vse In this place it signifieth to magnifie to praise and to glorifie Wée desire therefore that GOD himselfe who of his owne nature is a good holie and for euer blessed gentle bountifull and a mercifull father might as hée is in himselfe bee acknowledged and magnified of all vs that all nations leauing their errour and heresies mighte consecrate them selues in trueth to this one onely father and God that all thinges which defile the name of the Lord of whiche sort are wicked deceiptes or practises vngodlinesse Epicurisme an vncleane life and especially corrupte and antichristian doctrine may bee taken awaye that béeing inlightened wee mighte sanctifie or hallowe the name of the Lord. Wherefore in this petition we desire the holy ghost the verie onely authour it selfe of all true sanctification Wée pray for true faith in GOD by Christ thoroughout the whole world Wée pray for holy thoughtes and a pure life wherewith wée might glorifie the name of the Lord whiche is done while euerie one doeth his owne duetie while Sathan the authour of al vncleannesse is cast out while corrupt doctrine is taken awaye and deceipt ceasseth while the filthinesse of the world is banished This petition the most excellent king and Prophete Dauid setteth forth in these wordes GOD be mercifull vnto vs blesse vs shewe vs the light of his countenaunce and bee mercifull vnto vs that thy way may be knowen vppon earth thy sauing health amonge all nations Let the people praise thee O God yea let all the people praise thee And as followeth in the thréescore and seuenth Psal. To this belongeth the whole prayer of oure Sauiour described by S. Iohn in the 17. Chapiter of his Gospel The second petition is Thy kingdome come For the name of God and our father cannot bee sanctified or hallowed vnlesse hee reigne in vs There is one kingdome of GOD another of the diuel Furthermore one kingdome of God is said to bee of glorie and another rightly of grace The kingdome of glorie is not of this world but of another world The kingdome of Grace is the kingdome of Christe in this world wherein Christ reigneth by the holy spirite in his faithfull ones whiche of their owne accord submit themselues vnto him to bee gouerned saying and doeing those thinges which beautifie and beséeme christians The diuell also reigneth in the children of vnbeléefe which yeeld themselues vnto him to be gouerned according to his vngodlinesse and wickednesse doeinge those thinges which are not onely delightfull to the flesh but whiche turne to the reproch of Gods maiestie whom after this life by the iust iudgement of God the diuel the king of the vngodly catcheth vnto hell into the kingdome of death and iudgement there continually to burne Moreouer the earthly kingdome which princes of this world gouerne is called either the kingdome of God or the kingdome of the diuell euen as it shall fashion frame it selfe to one of the twaine All these things wée do knit vpp in fewe words because wée haue more plentifully entreated of them in another place Wherefore we pray in this second petition that Christe might reigne and liue in vs and wée in him that the kingdome of Christ might be spread abroad and inlarged and preuaile thoroughe the whole world that Doctours or teachers and ecclesiasticall magistrates finally that princes also yea and scholes too and whosoeuer may further the kingdome of Christe béeing annoynted and watered with his graces may flourish ouercome and triumphe furthermore we pray that the kingdome of the diuel and antichriste maye bée broken and vanquished least it hurte and annoye the Sainctes that with with the kingdome of the diuell all vngodlinesse may be dasht and troden vnder foote to be short that all the weapons and armour of Antichristianisme may be broken into shiuers and come to naught Lastly we pray in this second petition that after we haue sayled out of the tempestuous gulfe of this worlde we might be receiued and gathered vnto Christ and all the Saintes into the euerlasting kingdome of glory For as we desire the kingdome of God to come vnto vs and God to reigne in vs so we praye to come or to be receiued into his kingdome and to liue for euer with him most holily The thirde petition is Thy will be done as wel in earth as it is in heauen God reigneth not in vs vnlesse we be obedient vnto him therefore after his kingdome we desire the grace of perfect obedience For we desire not that God do what he will. For continually Gods will is done albeit we neuer pray for it and though we wrestle and striue against it with all our might For the Prophet sayth Our God is in heauen he hath done whatsoeuer pleased him in heauen and in earth We aske therefore that what he will the same he maye make vs both to will and to do For his wil is alwayes good but our wil through the corruption of sinne is euill Therefore we pray him to be present with vs with his grace that our will may be regenerated and framed to the good wil of God that of it own accorde it yealde it selfe to the holie Ghoste to be framed that his grace will that which he inspireth that he finish in vs that which
Distinct 1. Quest 3. among other thinges at the length sayth Wee must not say by any meanes that grace is conteyned substantially in the Sacramentes as water in a vessel or as a medicine in a boxe yea to vnderstande it so it is erronious But they are saide to contein grace in that they signifie grace and because vnlesse there bee a want on the part of the receiuer grace is alwayes giuen in them so that ye must vnderstand that grace is in the soule and not in the visible signes For this cause they are called also vesselles of grace They may be also called vessels after another maner Because as that whiche is in a vessel is no parte of it neyther commeth of it and yet neuerthelesse is drawen out of it so grace commeth neither of nor by the Sacramentes but springeth from the eternall founteine and is drawne out from thence by the soule in the sacramentes And as a man when he wold haue liquor goeth streight to the vessell so he that seeketh after the liquor of grace and hathe it not must haue recourse to the sacramēts Thus farre Bonauentura who rightly referred grace vnto GOD the founteine of all good thinges I would he had also more purely and simplie sett downe the rest He also saide truely that the soule of man was the seate and receptacle of grace and of the gyftes of GOD and not thinges without sense For the holie Scripture teacheth euery where that the minde of man not any Element or whatsoeuer is forged by mans deuise is the mansion place of the grace of god and that it is not to be sought for or worshipped as included in any insensible thing If the heauen of heauens sayth Solomon be not able to conteine thee howe shoulde then this house do it that I haue builded Wherevnto the most constant martyr of Christ Stephan alluding saieth He that is highest of all dwelleth not in Temples made with handes as sayeth the prophete Heauen is my seate and earthe is my footestoole What house will ye builde for mee sayeth the Lorde or whiche is the place of my reste Hathe not my hand made all these thinges Which that great Apostle of Christe Paule following sayth God that made the world and al that are in it seeing that he is Lord of heauen and earth dwelleth not in temples made with hands neither is worshipped with mennes handes as thoughe he needed of any thing seeing he himselfe giueth to all life and breath and all thinges c. Wherevpon Christ him selfe in the Gospell speaketh more expressely The houre commeth when yee shall neither in this mounteine neither at Hierusalem worshippe the Father But the houre commeth and now is whē the true worshippers shal worship the father in spirit and truth The faithfull therefore do lifte vpp the eyes of their minde from earthly and visible thinges vnto heauenlie wherevppon our godly forefathers when they celebrated the Lords supper heard that saying repeated or soūg vnto them most agréeable to such holy mysterics Lifte vpp your hands all the people answearing together Wee lifte them vpp vnto the Lorde Doth not the verie grosse absurditie of the thing plainely proue that grace is not conteyned in the signes For if by grace you vnderstande the fauour and good will of God if pardon and forgiuenesse of sinne cleansing I saye and iustifying of the beléeuers if finallie the giftes and graces of the spirite what I pray you can be imagined more absurde and senselesse than that suche excellent thinges shoulde be kepte inclosed in water bread and wine The signes truely haue no néede of grace nor a-any pardon and forgiuenesse of sinnes To what purpose then should grace be conteined within Sacramentes What profite I pray you will redound vnto men Or who knoweth not that all the institutions GOD were ordeyned for the commoditie of man Or shall wee say that grace is therefore kepte included within the Sacramentes that from thence it might be conueyed vnto vs by chanels But the scripture speaketh not after that manner For grace as hath béene often nowe repeated is the fauour and good will of GOD whereby he him selfe not by sensible matters but of his owne accorde and thoroughe his power and might is brought vnto vs These thinges are spirituall and therefore are brought to passe by the gyft and mediation of the holy Ghost GOD is ioyned vnto vs by his spirite and we are coupled to him by faith thorough the gyfte of the holy Ghoste whiche thing in the writinges of the Euangelistes and Apostles is euerie where to be séene Moreouer the wordes of the Canon of the counsell of Nice are not to be vnderstoode after suche a grosse and rude manner Our baptisme is not to be considered with the bodily eyes but with the eyes of the minde Thou seest water weygh the heauenly force whiche lyeth hidde in the water c. For it is a Sacramentall spéeche whiche truely euery bodie at that time vnderstoode as also at this day to vs it is no new nor harde kinde of speaking to say that in the seale there is faith and trueth in a marriage ring the faith and loue of wedlocke in a Scepter and crowne the kinges authoritie For no man is so foolishe that by reason of the kinde of speeches he will affirme that the thinges them selues are conteyned and inclosed in the signes euerie man knoweth this kinde and manner of spéech To this matter also apperteineth that Iohn the Baptist baptised in the riuer Iordane that the Apostles also themselues baptised with water neither cōsecrated nor prepared with any inchauntmentes breathinges or crossinges that it might receiue the grace of God into it and make them that are baptised partakers thereof The Aethiopian in the Acts of the Apostles saw a founteine not mingled with Dyle neither consecrated with any holy charmes neither moreouer prepared with any breathinges nor putting in of waxe candles nor pictures of crosses yet neuerthelesse he said to Philip the Apostle See here is water what doth let me to be baptised But Philip required faith of him in the Lord Iesus and vpon his confession he foorthwith baptised him no consecration of the founteine first prouided for by the whiche forsoothe he might call downe the grace of the holy Ghoste and the power of regeneration into the water and forthwith might applie it to the purifying of the Aethiopian And if so be wee procéede to include the grace of GOD within the Elementes and the thinges themselues within the signes by the whiche they are represented who séeth not with howe great daunger wee shall doe the same especially among the simple sorte For vnto those we shall giue occasion of idolatrie and to cleaue vnto the visible signes of whome also they will require and aske that whiche ought to be asked of God the authour of all goodnesse with mindes lifted vpp into heauen For where as it is obiected
the christian church or congregation and afterwarde Paule the Apostle laying his handes on them they are baptised not with water againe but with fire Luke bearing witnesse and saying The holie Ghoste came vppon them and they spake with tongues and prophecied But this baptisme of fire and the visible ministration of the giftes ceased together with miracles neither at this day is it vsuall or common in the Churh but the baptisme of water remaineth whiche is one and the selfe same whether it be ministred by the handes of Iohn or of the Apostles or by diuerse handes of the ministers of the Churche For diuerse handes make not diuerse baptismes Wherefore we rightly beléeue that there is but one onely and simple Baptisme of the faithfull in all ages For Paule in expresse wordes sayth There is one Lorde one faithe one baptisme and one god and father of all Where-vnto also tendeth this saying of the same Apostle I thanke God that I baptised none of you but Crispus and Gaius least any should say that I had baptised in mine owne name Vppon this Apostolique trueth the reuerend fathers of the Counsel of Constantionople are reade to haue made this confession in their Créede I beleeue one Baptisme for the remission of sinnes For there is but one Churche onely one body one head and one king prince and highe Priest of the Catholique Church Now I am come to expound the rite or ceremonie of Baptisme It was simple and but one from the beginning and not charegable or burdenous to the Churche through immoderate ceremonies Iohn baptised in Aenon beside Salem because much water was there and he baptised in the name of Christe So did the Apostles likewise Whereby it remaineth for an vndoubted truth that the verye beste fourme of baptising is that whiche is done by water in the name of the Father and of the sonne and of the holie Ghost For so the Lorde commaunded in the 28. of Matthew Doe you aske howe it commeth to passe that Luke in the Actes maketh mention that Peter and Paule baptised in the name of the Lorde and expresseth not that they baptised in the name of the Father and of the sonne and of the holie Ghoste I answere That vnder the name of the Lorde the mysterie of the trinitie is comprehended For when the Lorde saide I and the Father are one he whiche is baptised into the Lorde is also baptised into the father and so in like manner into the holie Ghoste whiche is not diuided from them For verily they haue one and the selfe same spirite For truely Luke sayth that they were baptised of the Apostles in the name of the Lorde whome the Apostles baptised according to the Lords instiution Some say Christe is the accomplishment or fulfilling and the proper obiecte of Baptisme wherefore it is no meruaile that the Apostles baptised into the name of the Lorde who neuerthelesse were commaunded to baptise in the name of the father and of the Sonne and of the holie Ghoste For all the mysteries of Baptisme are laide foorth vnto vs in the onely Sonne of god Truely wee say bothe To baptise into the name of the Lorde and to baptise in the name of the Lorde The vse of speaking after the firste manner is read in the 28. of Matthew and in Luke Actes the 19. For bothe haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In nomen into the name And so also Tertullian interpreteth it contra Praxeā saying Hee commaunded that wee should be baptised into the father the sonne c. The latter manner doeth the same Luke vse in the Actes 10. and 2. saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is In the name Moreouer what it is to baptise into the name or in the name of the Lord I tolde you in the last Sermon next before this that it is to be inrolled into Gods housholde that he whiche is baptised may now receiue the name of GOD and be called the sonne of God yea and be as it were registred into the roll of the children of God Citizens of the kingdome of Heauen Wherevppon we haue also nāmes giuen vs in baptisme that as often as wee heare our selues named wee may remember our Baptisme and the mysteries therof Neither is it a new thing or straunge from the Scriptures that names are giuen vs in baptisme For so it was vsed also in Circumcision whiche is to be séene in Luke 2. Chapter Furthermore the question is asked Whether we oughte to baptise with these bare words I baptise thée in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holie ghost Or whether it be lawful to ad or ioyne some thing els I thinck we ought to aunswere That it is the seruants dutie to ad nothing to his lords institutiō but diligentlie to kéep that which he hath deliuered yea aduisedly to marke what in baptisme the Lord him selfe and his Apostles did holily to imitate the same that in the church of God as Paule hath commaunded all thinges may be done decently and in good order But after that most holie fourme of baptising set downe and deliuered we sée two things in holie Baptisme and in the vse thereof to be obserued For firste the Apostles and they that were with the Apostles did teache verie significantly of the promises of GOD and faith in Christ whiche is apparaunte in the Actes of the Apostles It is lawefull therefore in the action or ministration of Baptisme to recite the promises of God to rehearse the beliefe and require faithe either of them that are to be baptised béeing of perfecte age or else of them whiche bring the Infantes to bee baptised Moreouer when the Lorde was baptised of Iohn Baptiste in Iordan he prayed Which thing Luke in his Gospel reporteth of him in the historie of the Gospell It is lawfull therefore in the vse of Baptisme to pray and solemnely to cal vpon the name of the Lorde At the firste these Prayers were moderate and shorte not of a great length tedious In processe of time there was no measure kept not onely in tedious blessings but also in diuerse ceremonies which they that came after added therevnto Of the whiche it shall not séeme altogether vnprofitable to rehearse somewhat out of the olde Doctours Tertullian in his booke De Corona militis saith When we go to the font there and also a little before in the church the bishop laying his hand on vs wee doe confesse that wee forsake the diuel his pompes and all his angels Then are wee thrise dipped in the water not some leaue out not aunswering any thing more then the Lorde hath set downe in the Gospell When wee be taken out of the fonte we taste of milke and honie mingled together and from that time wee absteine from daily washinge by the space of a whole weeke We heare in this an vtter denying or renouncing a thirde dipping a
mingled with the wine in the cuppe the people is vnited vnto Christe and the multitude of the beleeuers is coupled and ioyned vnto him in whoÌ„ they beleeued And thus in blessing the Lords cup only water may not be offred neither in like sort may wine only For if any man offer onely wine the bloud of Christe beginneth to be without vs but if it be water only then doeth the multitude beginne to be without Christe But when they are both mingled together and are ioyned with a confused mixture betwixt them theÌ„ is there an heauenly spiritual sacrameÌ„t wrought By these words truly doth S. CypriaÌ„ shewe vnto vs a good mysterie but why doe we seeke to bee wiser than Christ and to mingle together moe mysteries than wee haue receiued of him The holy scripture maketh mention of no water but rather reporteth that the Lorde vsed nought else but meere wine For the Lord sayth Verily I say vnto you that henceforth I will drinke no more of the fruite of the vine For he plainely sayde not the wine but the fruite of the vine that herein wee shoulde make no manner of mingling But what if that the holy martyr of God himselfe Saint Cyprian hath laboured by all the meanes hee might to shewe that the only is to be followed of the faithfull in celebrating of the Lordes supper which they haue receiued of our Lord Christe himselfe And forasmuche as that testimonie doth make much to all this our treatise concerning Christes supper to be celebrated according to the words of the gospel I will recite it worde for worde out of the second epistle of the 3. book of his epistles We must not sayth he depart in any respect from the doctrine of the Gospel and those things that our maister taught did himself the scholers also ought to obserue and do The blessed Apostle in another place speaketh more coÌ„stantly and stoutly saying I meruell that you are so soone chaunged from him that called you to grace vnto another gospel which is nothing else but there besome that trouble you go about to ouerthrowe the Gospell of Christ Howbeit if we our selues or an angel from heauen do preach vnto you any other thing than that wee haue taught let him be accursed As I haue said before so say I now againe if any man preache any other thing vnto you than that whiche you haue receiued let him be accursed Since therefore neither the Apostle himselfe neither an angel from heauen can preache or teache otherwise than Christe him selfe once hathe taught and his Apostles haue preached I muche maruell from whence this custome hath growen that contrarie to the doctrine of the Gospell and the Apostles in some places water is offered in the Lords Cup whiche being taken alone caÌ„not expresse the Lords bloud And againe there is no cause déerely beloued brother that any man should thinke that the custome of certeine men is to be followed if there be any that heretofore haue supposed that water alone is to bée offered in the Lordes â—up For it must be demaunded of them whom they haue followed herein For if in the sacrifice which is christ none is to be followed but Christe doubtlesse then ought wée to hearken vnto to do after that which Christ hathe done and commaunded to bee done since he him selfe sayeth in his Gospel If you do that which I commaunde you to do I will call you no longer seruaunts but friendes And the Christ alone should be heard the Father him selfe also witnesseth from heauen saying This is my welbeloued sonne in whâ—â—e I haue delight heare him Wherefore if onely Christe is to be heard wee ought not to regard what any other before vs hath thought meete for vs to doe but what Christ did first who is before all other Neither ought we in any case to follow the custome of men but the trueth of God considering what the Lord speaketh by the prophet Isaie saying They worship me in vaine teaching the commandements doctrine of men And againe the Lord repeating the selfe same words in the gospel sayth Ye set Gods commandementes aside to establish your owne traditions And in another place he sayth He that shall breake any one of the least of these commaundementes and shal on this sort teache men shal be accounted least in the kingdome of heauen But if it be not lawful to breake the least of the commaundementes of God howe muche more heinous is it to breake thinges so greate so weightie and so muche belonging to the Lordes passion the sacrament of our redemption or else to change it into any other order by mans traditions than is instituted by God And so forth as followeth There is no man can denie but that these thinges are of authoritie euen against the authour himselfe For neither by the scriptures nor by the example of Christe can it bee proued that water was mingled with the wine at the supper As for the authorities and testimonies which the author alledgeth euery man may perceiue how litle they make to the purpose yea that they be wrested froÌ„ their naturall meaning The gospel plainly pronounceth that the Lord dranke of the fruite of the vine vnto his disciples And as often as Paule maketh mention of the cup yet teacheth hee in no place that water was mingled with the wine or that it ought to be mingled with it Wherefore these watermen that is to say they that vse water only in celebrating the Lords supper are iustly condeÌ„ned such as the Martionites and Tâ—â—tianes were Howbeit it is an indifferent matter whether you vse râ—d wine or white in the supper Againe why did not the Lord deliuer the Sacrament of the Supper vnto vs vnder one fourme of bread or wine only but rather vnder both kindes the doctours of the church by one coÌ„sent suppose this to be the cause for that he would signifie or rather testifie vnto vs that he tooke both soule flesh vpon him and gaue the same for vs and also hath deliuered our soules flesh froÌ„ euerlasting destruction For although there be 2. kinds yet do they make but one sacrament and they may not be separated Neither is their opinion of iudgemente to be allowed of who of their owne priuat or rather sacrilegious authoritie do corrupte the institution of Christ offering to the Lay people whiche do coÌ„municate the one kind only of bread graunting to priests both kinds so challenging both kinds to themselues only But Paul the Apostle receiued the authoritie from the lord himself to admit all the faithful people of Christ vnto the Lords cup and therefore let these bold fellowes consider from whome they haue receiued commaundement to put back the Layitie and to forbid them the cup whiche by the Lorde our God is graunted vnto them For Christ in plaine wordes and as it were by the spirite of prophecie foreséeing what shoulde come to passe in the Church saide
sacraments Of the gestures which the ministers doe vse in celebrating the Lords supper we can say none other thinge out of the gospel than what we haue learned The Lord toke the bread blessed it brake it distributed it c. If the minister do follow these things he néed not to be carefull of other gestures Those which at this day are by the inuention of men receiued into the celebration of the masse are so farre off from giuing any maiestie to the mysteries that they bring theÌ„ rather the more into coÌ„tempt I wil say nothing elso that may séeme more greuous The matter is indifferent whether the Churche take the supper sitting downe or going to the table whether a man take the holie mysteries in his owne hand or receiue it into his mouth at the hands of him that ministreth It is moste agréeable with the first simplicitie and institution of the supper to sit and to receiue the sacraments in a mans owne handes of him that ministreth and afterwards to breake it eate it and to dinide it vnto others For as the Lord sat at table with his disciples so he reached foorth that mysteries saying Take and diuide it among you Moreouer as there is more quietnes and lesse stur in sitting at the supper while the ministers carrie the holie mysteries about the congregation so is it well knowen by histories of antiquitie that the sacrament hath béene deliuered into the hands of the communicantes It is méere superstition repugnant to the doctrine of the Apostles to scrape the hands of that lay people that haue touched the holie sacrament of the supper Why do they not also by the same lawe scrape the lips tonge iawes of the communicants Of these things before handled springeth an other question What is to be thought of the remnaunts leauings of the Lords supper whether there ought any parte of it to be reserued and whether that whiche is reserued or shut vp ought to be adored This question séemeth to haue no godlines at al in it but to be altogether superstitions and very hurtfull For who knoweth not that bread wine out of the holie and lawfull vse appointed are not a sacrament Shall we pracéede to demaund with these Sophisters what that is which the mouse gnaweth when hee gnaweth the Lords bread These questions are most vnworthy to bee demanded and to be raked vp in holie obliuion Touching the shutting vp of the sacrament the lord teacheth vs not one word in the gospel much lesse of worshipping it Take saith hee eate and diuide it among you He saith not Lay it vp worshipp it For the true worshippers worship the father in spirit and trueth Moreouer wee read how the Lord hath plainly said in the gospel If they say vnto you beholde where he is in the desert go not foorth beholde where hee is in the innermoste partes of the house doe not beleeue He setteth downe the cause of this his commaundement For like as the lightening goeth foorth of the East appeareth in the West so shall the comming of the sonne of man be The comming againe of the sonne of man saith he shall be glorious and not obscure neither shall he come againe but to iudge bothe the quicke and the dead And therefore S. Paule the Apostle teaching vs true religion willeth vs to worshipp Christe not vppon the earth but with our mindes lifted vnto Heauen where hee sitteth at the right hand of his father And who will he so frantique I beséeche you to worshipp the holie signe for the holie thing it selfe it appeareth by the decrées made of late that these thinges were inuented by mans deuise For it is certeine that the feaste of Christes bodie commonly called Corpus Christi was instituted but of late yéeres vnder Pope Vrbane in the yéere of our Lorde 1264. as it may appeare in Clement the 3 booke title 16. the Chapter beginning Si Dominum It remaineth that we discusse the question concerning the time of celebrating the Lordes Supper and what season is méetest for the same the morning or euening whether we ought to sup together whether we must receiue it fasting or when wee haue dyned also how often we must celebrate the supper once or often or seldome It is euidently enough knowen that Christe sat downe at the table with his disciples in the euening but it followeth not héereof that the supper cannot be rightly celebrated at any other time but at euening The Lorde vppon occasion of the feast of the Passeouer and because he should bee betrayed that night did bothe eate the supper that euening with his disciples and instituted also the supper for vs Notwithstanding hee leâ—te the libertie to remoue this mysterie vnto the morning for that when we be sober then are we most méete to deale in all matters specialy in religion for which we be then fitter then when our bellyes be full of good cheere Wherefore this banquet requireth fasting and emptie guests but yet not so fastinge that a man maye not taste of somewhat a-fore-hand for his healthes sake For S. Paule sayeth If any man bee hungry let him eate at home The same Apostle also wil not haue any other feast to bee receuied together with the Lordes mysticall Supper And therefore we say that wee ought not to receiue that with other meate Tertullian writeth that Christians haue vsed oftentimes to eate other meate with it which kinde of Supper as hee writeth was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say mutuall loue or charitie borrowing the name froÌ„ loue for that there the poore were refreshed with the feastinge of the richer sorte Howbeit prouision of meate drink and other necessaryes might wel enough be made for them without the Churche Paule will not permit that in one place both publique feastes should be made and also the mysticall supper of the Lorde celebrated Furthermore how many times in a yéere the faithfull ought to receiue this Sacrament of the Lords supper the apostles haue giuen forth no commaundement but haue lefte it indifferent vnto euery Churches discretion For what is more plaine than that which S. Paule hath said As often as you shall eate of this bread and drink of this cup you shall declare the Lords death vntill he come For the Lord as the same Apostle setteth it downe first commaunding said Doe this as oft as you shal drink it in remeÌ„brance of me Howbeit let no no maÌ„ think that the celebration of the Lords supper is left so fréely vnto him that hee néed neuer to receiue it For that were no lawful libertie but most vnlawful licentiousnes They that celbrate the supper of y Lord vpoÌ„ certeine ordinary times of the yere would not haue it brought into contempt or loathed by reason of the daily frequenting For they haue some consideratioÌ„ of their owne people they would haue the supper to be celebrated worthily
places taking aduise of faith we say that the sonne is equall with the father touching his diuinitie but inferiour vnto him in respect of his humanitie according to that saying of the prophete which is alleged by the Apostle to that purpose Thou hast made him litle inferiour to the angels We read in the Eospell that Christ our lord had brethren and that S. John the Apostle was called the sonn of Marie Marie called the mother of John. But who vnlesse he were infected with the heresie of Heluidius wil stand herein that these places are to be expounded according to the letter specially since other places of the scripture do manifestly proue that they were called brethren which in déede were brothers sisters children cousen germans kinsmen or néere of bloud also the circumstāces of the place in the 19. cap. of S. John proue that Marie was committed to John as a mother to her sonne Wherefore if they haue a desire stil to wrangle as hetherto at their owne pleasures wee haue by proofe founde them to doe crying out and in crying to repeate This is my bodie This is my bloud This is This is This is This is Is Is Is Wée will also repeate The woord was made was made was made flesh The father is is is greater than I. Christ hath brethren I say he hath brethren hee hath brethren The scripture hath so The trueth sayeth so But tell mee nowe what commoditie shal there redound to the Church by these troublesome odious outcries and most froward contentions Howe shall the hearers be edified Howe shal the glorie of God be enlarged How shal that truth be set forth Necessitie therfore cōstreyneth vs to confesse that in some places wée must forsake the letter but not the sense and that sense is to be allowed which faith it selfe w other places of scripture conferred with it and finally the circumstances of the place the first being compared with the last do yeld as it were of their owne accord Howbeit we also cry out and repeate againe and againe that we ought not without great cause to goe from the simplicitie of the word But when as the absurditie not of reason but of pietie and the repugnancie of the Scriptures and contrarietie to the articles of oure faith doe inforce vs then we say affirme and cōtend that it is godly yea necessarie to departe from the letter and from the simplicitie of the words And that these places which we alledged euen now doe constreine vs to depart from the letter in these words of the Lord This is my bodie This is my bloud wée will proue by most sound arguments taken out of the sciptures when I haue first briefly declared the true auncient sense meaning of those vsuall and solemne words The Lord sitting at the selfe same table with his disciples reached the bread vnto them with his owne hand And he hauing only one true humane and natural body with the very same bodie of his deliuered bread vnto his disciples and not a body either of any other mans or that of his owne Neither doeth that trouble vs whiche S. Augustine reciteth of Dauid in expounding the 33. Psalm And he was borne in his owne hands where vnto he addeth immediatly Who is borne in his owne handes A man may bee borne in the hands of other men but none can be borne in his owne This is therefore ment of Dauid not of Christ For Christe was borne in his owne handes when as commending his very body vnto them he said This is my body For that body was borne in his owne handes For by these wordes S. Augustine doth not feigne that Christ hath two humane bodies but he meaneth that the humane body bare in his handes the Sacramentall bodie that is to say the bread which is the sacrament of the true body For he speaketh plainely saying He cōmending his body bare that body in his owne hands For in the second sermon almost in the same words being but a litle chaunged he saith How was he borne in his owne hands For whē he had commended his body bloud he toke that in his handes whiche the faithful know and after a sort he bare himselfe when he said This is my bodie By which words he manifestly de clared that he ment not that Christ in his naturall body deliuered his naturall body to his disciples but the which the faithful do know to wit the sacrament or mysterie For it followeth And hee bare himselfe after a sort I pray you marke this saying After a sort when hee said this is my body Wherfore those solemne words This is my body whiche is broken for you And likewise this is my bloud which is shedd for you can haue none other sense thā this This is a cōmemoration memoriall or remembrance signe or sacrament of my bodie which is giuen for you This cup or rather the wine in the cup signifieth or representeth vnto you my bloud whiche was once shed for you For there followeth in the Lords solemne words that which notably confirmeth this meaning Do this in the remēbrance of me As if he should say Now am I present with you before your eyes I shall die ascend vp into heauen then shall this holy bread wine be a memorial or token of my body and bloud giuen shed for you Then breake the bread eate it distribute the cup and drink it and do this in the remembrance of me praysing my benefits bestowed on you in redéeming you giuing you life Althoughe this interpretation bee most slaunderously reuiled and become abhominable in the sight of many yet is it manifest to be the true proper and most auncient interpretation of all other Tertul. lib. 4. contra Mart. saith Christ taking the bread and distributing it to his disciples made it his bodie in saying This is my body that is to say the figure of my bodie Hierom vpon S. Matt. Gospel saith That like as in the prefiguring of Christ Melchisedech the priest of almightie God had done in bringing forth bread wine so he might represent the truth of his bodie Chrysostome also in his 83. homilie vpon Matt. If Iesus be not dead saith he whose token signe is this sacrifice Ambrose vppon the first to the Corinthians cap. 11. Because wee be deliuered by the Lords death saith he being mindeful thereof in eating drinking we do signifie the flesh and the bloud whiche were offered for vs Au. Aug. also in many places heapeth vpp many speaches like to this same kind of speach The bloud is the soule The rock was Christ And This is my body Let vs heare then what he saith of these speaches that we may vnderstand what he thinketh of the true interpretation of this text This is my body In the 3. booke of Questions in the 57. question vppon Leuiticus hee saith It remayneth that that be called the soule whiche signifieth the
that all the ministers of the Churches euen from the Apostles time did both acknowledge and openly teach original sinne In that place he citeth the testimonies of IrenÄ™us Cyprian Retilius Olympius Hilarie and Ambrose his father and maister in Christian doctrine Innocent Gregorie Basil and Iohn Chrysostome And at length hée inferreth Wilt thou now call so great a consent of Catholique priestes a coÌ„spiracie of naughtie men Neither thincke thou that S. Hierome is to be coÌ„temned because he was but a priest onely and no bishop who being skilful in the Greeke Latine and Hebrue tongues and passinge from the West vnto the East Church liued in holy places and the studie of the sacred Scriptures euen to his croane crooked age He read all or in a maner al the woorkes of them whiche in both partes of the world did write of Ecclesiasticall doctrine and yet he neither held nor taught any otherwise of this point of doctrine And againe the same Augustine in his third booke De peccatoruÌ„ meritis remissione Cap. 7. sayeth Hierome expounding the propheâ—ie of Ionas when he came to that place where meÌ„tion is made that euen the little children were chastened with fasting sayth It began with the eldest and came euen to the yongest For there is none without sinne no not hee which is but one day old nor hee whose gray head hath seene many yeares For if the starres are not cleane in the sight of God how much more vncleane are duste and putrifying earth and those which are in subiection to the sinne of Adams transgression To these words of Hierome doeth Augustine himselfe annexe this that followeth If it were so that wee might easilie aske it of this most learned man how many teachers of the holie Scriptures in both the tongues and howe many writers of Christian treatises would hee reckon vp which since the time that Christ his Church was first planted haue themselues nether thought of their predecessours learned nor taught their successours any other thaÌ„ this doctrine touching originall sinne I verilie thoughe I haue read nothing so much as hee do not remember that I haue heard any other doctrine of Christians whiche admit or receiue both the testaments whether they were in the vnitie of the Catholique Church or otherwise in Schismes and heresies I doe not remember that I haue read any other thing in them whose writinges touching this matter I could come by to read them if either they did followe or thought that they did follow or would haue men beleeue that they did followe the Canonicall Scriptures Thus farre hath Augustine teaching in the very beginning that all the Sainctes did by a full consent and agréement in doctrine most expressely graunt and confesse that originall sinne is euen in newe borne infants Mée thincketh that Sainct Hierome did not onely in Ionas but also much more euidently in Ezechiel confesse and affirme originall sinne His wordes are to bée séene Comment lib. 14. in cap. 47. ad Ezechielem and are verbatun as followeth What man can make his boaste that hee hath a chaste heart or to whose minde by the windows of the eyes the death of concupiscence or to vse a mylder terme the tickling of the minde doth not enter in For the world is set in wickednesse euen from his childhood the hart of man is set to naughtinesse so that not the very first day of a mans natiuitie his nature is free from sinne and naughtinesse Wherevppon Dauid in the Psalme sayeth For behold I was coÌ„ceiued in iniquitie and in sinne my mother conceiued mee Not in the iniquities of my mother or in mine owne sinnes but in the iniquities of our mortall state And therfore the Apostle saith death reigned from Adam vnto Moses ouer them also whiche had not sinned with the like transgression as did Adam Thus much hath Hierome and we haue hetherto alledged al these sayings to the end wee might proue that originall sinne is the naturall or hereditarie corruption of mans nature Let vs nowe sée what and howe great the hereditarie naughtinesse or corruption of our nature is and what power it hath to woorke in man Our nature verilie as I shewed you aboue was before the fall most excellent and pure in oure father Adam but after the fall it did by Gods iuste iudgement become corrupte and vtterly naught which is in that naughtinesse by propagation or Extraduce deriued into all vs whiche are the posteritie and ofspring of Adam as both experience and the thing it selfe doe euidently declare as well in sucklings or infantes as those of riper yeares For euen very babes giue manifest tokens of euident deprauation so soone as they once beginne to bée able to doe any thing yea before they can perfectlye sounde any one syllable of a whole word All oure vnderstandinge is dull blunt grosse and altogether blinde in heauenlie things Our iudgement in diuine matters is peruerse and friuolous For there arise in vs most horrible and absurd thoughtes and opinions touching God his iudgementes â— wonderfull woorkes yea our whole minde is apt and readie to errours to fables and our owne destruction and when as our iudgements are nothing but méere follie yet doe wée preferre them farre aboue Gods wisedome whiche wee esteeme but foolishnesse in comparison of oure owne conceiptes and corrupte imaginations For hee lyed not whiche saide The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirite of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them because they are spirituallie discerned Nowe Paule calleth him the naturall man which liueth naturally by the vitall spirite and is not regenerate by the holy Ghoste And since we all are such wée are therefore wholie ouercome and gouerned of Philautie that is too great a selfeloue and delight in our selues whereby all things that wee oure selues doe woorke doe highly please vs loking still verie busilie to oure owne selues and our commoditie when in the meane time wée neglecte all others yea rather doe afflicte them Neither did Plato vnaduisedly estéeme that vice of selfeloue to bee the very roote of euery euill Furthermore our whole will is ledd captiue by concupiscence which as a roote enuenomed with poyson infecteth all that is in man and doeth incline drawe on driue man to things carnall forbidden and contrarie to God to the end that hée maye gréedilie pursue them put all his delight in them and content him selfe wyth them Moreouer there is in vs no power or abilitie to doe any good For wée are sâ—owe sluggish and heauie to goodnesse but liuely quicke and readie enoughe to anye euill or naughtinesse And that I may at last conclude and briefely expresse the whole force and signification of our hereditarie deprauation and corruption I say that this deprauation of our nature is nothing else but the blotting of Gods Image in vs There was in oure father Adam before his fall the very Image and likenesse of God
which Image as the Apostle expoundeth it was a conformitie and participation of Gods wisedome iustice holinesse trueth integritie innocencie immortalitie and eternall felicitie Therefore what else can the blotting or wiping out of this Image bée but originall sinne that is the hatred of God the ignoraunce of God foolishnesse distrustfulnesse desperation selfeloue vnrighteousnesse vncleannesse lying hypocrisie vanitie corruption violent iniurie wickednesse mortalitie and eternall infelicitie This corrupte Image and likenesse is by propagation deriued into vs all according to that saying in â—he fifte of Genesis Adam begatt a sonne in his owne similitude and likenesse Therefore as our father Adam was him selfe corrupted depraued and full of calamities so hath hee begotten vs his sonnes corrupte depraued and full of miseries so that all we which do descend of his vnpure séede are borne infected with the contagious poyson of sinne For of a rotten roote doe springe as rotten braunches which in like manner put ouer their rottennesse into the little twiggs that shoote out and growe vppon them And this euill verilie this corruption and this sinne althoughe it lye hidd in infants and by reason of their tender age doeth not breake foorthe into any déede dooing yet notwithstanding it is a sinne and such a sinne verilie as maketh them indaungered vnto Gods wrath separateth them from the fellowship of God. For with the most holy God who is a consuming fire no man can abide but hee that is vnspotted and cleane from the filthinesse of sinnes And Paule sayeth All haue sinned and are destitute or haue neede of the glorie of God. This glorie of God is the very image of God whereof because they are destitute they being corrupted with originall sinne are worthilie excluded from the fellowship of god To this place doth belong the whole treatise of concupiscence in the fourth Sermon of this third Decade where I taught you that bare concupiscence which is not yet burst forth to the déed doing is a sinne that to such a sinne as maketh all men subiecte to the curse of god For it is written Cursed be euerie one whiche abideth not in all thinges that are written in the booke of this lawe Therefore the first effecte of originall sinne is this that it bringeth wrath death and damnation vppon verie infants and so consequently vppon all mankinde whereof that it maye the more firmely be settled in euerie mans minde without all scruple of doubting I wil by some store of testimonies out of the scripture make manifest proofe vnto you not by repeating those places againe which I haue alreadie cited in this Sermon in the fourth Sermon of this thirde Decade The Lord in the Gospell sayeth to Nicodemus Verilie I say vnto thee vnlesse a maÌ„ be borne from aboue he caÌ„not see the kingdome of God. And againe Vnlesse a man bee borne of water and of the holie Ghost he cannot enter into the kingdome of god That whiche is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirite is spirite In these words are comprehended two things worthie to be remembred and very consonant to our present argument First none enter into the kingdome of heauen but those that bee regenerate from abcue by the holy Ghost therefore ourâ— fâ—â—st birthe tendeth to death and not to life For in oure first natiuitie wee are borne to death The latter is That which is borne of flesh is flesh therefore in oure first natiuitie wee are all borne flesh But touching the disposition of the flesh and the force thereof the Apostle sayeth The fleshly minde is enimitie against God for it is not obedient to the lawe of God neither can bee Therefore that fleshly birthe ingeÌ„dreth vs not the friends sonnes but the enimies of God and so consequently doth make vs indaungered to the wrath of God. Paul in his second Chapiter to the Ephesians sayeth Wee were by nature the sonnes of wrathe euen as other In which words he pronounceth that all men are damned For al those that are damned or are worthie of eternall death and all such with whom God hath good cause to be offended hée calleth the sonnes of wrath after the proper phrase of the Hebrue speache For the wrath of God doth signifie the punishment which is by the iust iudgment of God layd vppon vs men And he is called the child of death which is adiudged or appointed to be killed So is also the sonne of perdition c. Now marke that he calleth vs all the sonnes of wrath that is the subiectes of paine damnation euen by nature in birth from our mothers wombe But whatsoeuer is naturallie in all men that is originall therefore originall sinne maketh vs the sonnes of wrath that is we are all for our originall corruption made subiecte to death and vtter damnation This place of Paule for the proofe of this argument is worthie to be remembred The same Apostle in the first to the Colossians sayeth God hath deliuered vs from the power of darcknesse and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his deere sonne Nowe if we be translated into the kingdome of the sonne of God then were we once in the kingdome of the diuel And to this place belong very many testimonies of the same Apostle in the fifte Chapter of his Epistle to the Romanes By one mans sinne many are dead Againe By one that sinned came death For iudgement came by one vnto coÌ„demnation Againe For the sinne of one death reigned by the meanes of one And againe By the sinne of one sinne came vppon all men vnto condemnation Finally original sinne is by Dauid and Paule expressely called sinne therefore death is due to originall sinne For the reward of sinne is death Wée do therefore conclude that infants doe bring damnation with them into this world euen from their mothers wombes because they bring with them a corrupt nature and therefore they perish not by any others but by their owne fault naughtinesse For althoughe S. Augustine doeth in one place séeme to cal this sinne peccatum alienum that is an others sinne that thereby he may shew how it is by propagation deriued from other into vs yet doeth he confesse that it is in very déed and truely proper to all and euery seuerall one of vs And although it bee so that for lacke of age in a newe borne babe this disease hath not alreadie brought foorth the fruite of his iniquitie yet notwithstanding the very whole nature of the babe is nothing but filchie corruption and a certeine séede of sinne and wickednesse whiche cannot choose but bée abhominable vnto the lord For God doth hate al maner of vncleannesse With this agréeth that sentence of Paule where he sayth Where no law is there is no transgression For the Apostle doth not absolutely saye that the sinne or transgression whiche is sinne in very déed in the sight of God is no sinne but hee respecteth the
and man whosoeuer for the vnities sake of natures doth not so farr extend his humanitie as his diuinitie is extended For in the Gospel after S. Matthewe the Lord goeth not with his bodie into the house of the Centurion whereas yet notwithstanding there is no doubt that his Godhead being present not absent the seruaunt of the Centurion was cured of his disease And who will say that therfore the person is diuided by S. Matthewe for that he hath not extended the humanitie of Christe euen vnto his diuinitie The Angels speaking to the women concerning the bodie of Christ risen from the dead and now glorified say He is not heere he is risen But we are not ignorant that his diuinitie is in euery place And yet the Angels diuided not his inseparable person in that they did not make equal in al respects the humane body of Christ with his Godhead The Angels them selues doe not diuide the person of Christ when his body being taken vp from the mount Oliuet into heauen they standing on the earth testifie that he shall come againe after the same māner as they sawe him depart from them But who dare denie that the Lord was then also present with them Therefore our Lord after the manner of his verie body is in heauen not in earth but according to his infinite godhead he is euery where in heauen and in earth Man consisteth of soule and body and these most contrarie in natures betwene them selues make one person not two And who so euer attributeth and defendeth that which is proper to eyther of them doth not diuide the person The body sléepeth the soule sléepeth not these properties of partes make not two persons Herevnto séemeth to belong that whiche Theodoret hath left written in his 3. Dialogue saying We do not diuide the natural vnitie of the soule and the body neyther separate we the soules from their owne proper bodies but consider those thinges which properly belong to their natures Therefore when the scripture sayth And deuout men carried Stephan to his buriall made greate lamentation ouer him wilt thou say that his soule was buried with his body I thincke not And when thou shalt heare Iacob the Patriarch saying Burie ye me with my fathers thou doest vnderstand that to be spoken of his body not of his soule Againe thou doest reade There they buried Abraham and Sara his wife c. In whiche speach the scripture doth not make mention of the body but in al points signifieth the soule and body together But wee rightly diuide and say that the soules are immortall and that the bodies onely of the patriarches are buried in the double caue Euen so we also are wont to say In this or that place this or that mā was buried We do not say This mans bodie or that mans bodie but this man or that man For whosoeuer is wel in his wits knoweth we speake of the bodie So wheras the Euangelistes so oftentimes make mention of Christes bodie buried at the lengthe they sett downe the name of the person and say that Iesus was buried layd in the graue c. Thus farre Theodoret. And since it is without controuersie that this faith and doctrine from Christes time euen vnto our age hath flourished in the holy Church of God and against innumerable assaultes of sathan and heretiques hath remained most stedfast and the selfe same is deliuered and confirmed by testimonies of scripture and consents of holy coūsels I exhorte you dearely beloued that calling on the name of Christe you may perseuere continue in the same doctrine and béeing 〈…〉 by true faith and obedience to Christe verie God and man you may giue continuall thanks worshipping him that reigneth for euer ¶ Of Christe King and Prieste of his onely and euerlasting kingdome and Priesthoode and of the name of a Christian The seuenth Sermon I HAUE declared vnto you déerely beloued y Christ Iesus our Lorde is verye God and man whiche will bring more plentiful profite if we vnderstand what the fruite of that thing is Whiche is chiefely knowen by the offices of Christe our Lorde He is King and Prieste of the people of God therefore he hath a kingdome and a priesthoode Which things if we shall somwhat more diligentlie consider they shall declare vnto vs the excéedinge greate benefite of the diuinitie and humanitie of Christe Christe Iesus is a king therefore hee is Lorde of all ruler and gouernour of all things which are in heauen and in Earth and specially of the catholique Church it selfe whiche is the communion of Sainctes and for so muche as hee is King and Lorde truely by his royall or Kingly office he is the deliuerer or preseruer the reuenger and defendour and finallie the lawgiuer of his electe For he crusshed the Serpentes head that stronge and moste cruell enimie of Gods people whome when hee had conquered he bound and spoyled He deliuered the elect out of the power of darcknesse and sett them into the libertie of the sonnes of God that we might bee his peculiar people sanctified through the bloude of our kinge a purchased people to serue him in righteousnesse and holinesse Hee is humble louing and gentle which the historie of the Gospell also out of Zacharie rehearseth of him Matth. 21. Hee watcheth for vs he defendeth and gardeth vs hee enricheth vs with all manner of good thinges and furnisheth vs against our enimyes with spirituall armour and giueth vs aboundantly power to resist and to ouercome Hee hath purged the Temple of God casting out the Chanaanites he hath cancelled vnrighteous lawes he hath deliuered vs from them and now hee ruleth and gouernethe vs with the scepter of his mouthe exceeding good and most iust lawes being proclamed For he is God and man therefore hee is the onely Monarche the King of kinges and the Lorde of Lordes for he hath all the kings and rulers in the worlde subiect vnto him some verily of their owne accorde through faithe being obedient and other though striuing and rebelling againste him made subiect by his power And therefore saith the Prophet Dauid Be wise O ye kings be learned ye that are Iudges of the earth serue the Lorde with feare and reioyce vnto him with reuerence kisse the sonne least he be angry and so yee perishe from the right way For in an other place the same Prophet saith The Lord said to my Lord sitt thou on my right hand vntil I make thine enimies thy fotestole The Lord wil send foorth the rodd of his power out of Sion be thou ruler euen in the middes among thine enimies Esay also bringing in the Lord speaking saith I wil lift vp my hands vnto the Gentiles and set vp my standarde to the people and they shall bringe thee their sonnes vppon their shoulders for kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queenes shal be thy noursing mothers Whiche thing ecclesiasticall
histories declare more largelie Of this King Christ the Prophets prophecying said And in mercie shal the seate be prepared and he shall sitt vpon it in trueth in the tabernacle of Dauid iudging and seeking iudgement and making haste vnto righteousnes And againe Beholde the time commeth saith the Lorde that I will raise vp the righteous brauÌ„che of Dauid which King shall beare rule he shall prosper with wisdome and shall set vp equitie and righteousnes againe in the earth In his time shall Iuda be saued and Israel shall dwell without feare and this is the name that they shall call him The Lorde our righteousnesse And because our Lord is a king therefore be must néeds haue a kingdome As well the realme dominion subiecte to a kinge is called a kingdoÌ„e as principalitie empire power maÌ„ner of gouernment it selfe Therefore the church the communion or fellowship of saints béeing obedient subiect to their king Christe is called the kingdoÌ„e of god For Micheas saith And the Lord shall reigne ouer them in mount Sion therfore Sion which signifieth the church is the kingdome of god And god is said to reigne when in the church he ruleth gouerneth kéepeth defendeth those that be his and indueth and maketh theÌ„ fruitful with diuerse graces For Paule saith The kingdome of God is not meate and drink but righteousnes peace ioy in the holy ghost Moreouer the kingdome of god is that eternall glorie felicitie which God dâ—eth communicate to his elect For the Lord saith in the gospel Comeye blessed of my father inherit the kingdome which is prepared for you froÌ„ the beginning of the world And the théefe euen at point of death making his praâ—er to the Lord who was redy to dye on the crosse desiring to bee â—artaker of this kingdoÌ„e saith Lord remember me when thou coÌ„mest into thy kingdome â–ª Againe since y gospel teacheth vs how God reigneth in vs in this world in time to translate vs vnto him self into that other that is since the gospell is that thing by which the Lord reareth vp his dominion it is not vnaduisedly called of Matthew in his 13. cap. the kingdome of god In another place for the same cause it is called the word of the kingdome To be short we at this preseÌ„t by the kingdome of God vnderstand the coÌ„gregation of saints it self the catholique church I meane and the power or administratioÌ„ of God reigning therein that is preseruing gouerning glorifying the same And this kingdome of god is verily but only one for ther is but one God only one king Christ only one church â— life â—uerlasting But his one kingdome of god according to he dispensation 〈…〉 two wayes First acording to y omâ—ipotencie of god For he 〈◊〉 he iâ— the highest omnipotent hath executeth ouer all creatures visible inuisible â—oste iust rule and equall powerâ— nill they or will they be obedient Secondly according to his spirits whereby he reigneth in his elect And so y kingdoÌ„e of God is againe two waies coÌ„sidered For either it is earthly is called the kingdome of grace or else it is heauenlye and is called the kingdome of glorie The earthly kingdome of grace is not therefore called earthly as though it were carnall earthly like the kingdome of Babylon Persia Alexander or Rome but because it is on earth For a good parte of the holie churche of God is conuersant on this earth beeing partaker of flesh bloud while it â—â—eth on the earth though it liue not an earthly life according to the â—â—esh For acording to the spirit whereby it is ruled it liueth a heauenly life Not that the partakers of the kingdome of God sinne not For the iust man falleth riseth seuen times in a day Whervpon it is also called the kingdome of grace For as long as we liue in this world our King Lord neuer denyeth his grace mercie to vs that craue pardon And the faithfull doe wholie hange vppon the grace of their king they embrace continuall repentance and endeuor theÌ„ selues to things of more perfectnesse For they frame all that they do according to the lawes of their king prince For he reigneth in his elect by the worde of truth and by the holie ghost By the word of truethe hee teacheth what the Saintes should doe and what they should auoide By his holie spirit he moueth their hartes and giueth strength to 〈◊〉 euill and followe that is good For truely our king reigneth not so much for him self as for vs For he maketh vs also kinges that we béeing deliuered from the diuell damnation sinne and the curse may be Lords ouer the diuel damnation sinne and the cursse yea ouer all thinges and ioynâ—t-heires with the sonne of God him self For these causes the kingdoÌ„e of God is called a spirituall kingdoÌ„e For the partakers of the kingdome of God indued with the spirite of God doe bring foorth the fruites of the spirit not the works of the flesh and to be short are gouerned with the spirit of god Neither truelie doeth our Lorde reigne after the manner of the kinges of this worlde sayinge to Pilate My kingdome is not of this worlde Which sentence some abuse gathering y there is no ouâ—ward gouernemeÌ„t in the church of God vnder whiche name they also take away the office of a Magistrate and speake so subtilely of the kingdome of God that a man cannot tell where the kingdome of God is or who be partakers of this kingdome They vnderstand nâ—t that the meaning must bee gathered vppon the occasion of that saying The Iewes accusing the Lorde before Pilate laide to his charge that he ambition flye sought after a kingdome The lord clering him self of this crime sheweth Pilate that his kingdome shal not be such a one whiche after hee had cast out Tiberius Caesar should be gotten and kepte with armes and be gouerned after the manner of this worlde declaring that he addeth If my kingdome were of this world then would my seruaunts surely fighte that I should not bee deliuered to the Iewes Therefore he inferreth But now is my kingdome not from hence therefore they fight not for me to place main the throne of the kingdome Tiberius béeing cast out And anon he saith For this cause was I borne and for this cause came I into the worlde that I should beare witnesse vnto the truethe and all that are of the truethe heare mye voice As therefore Christ by trueth not by lyinge deceipts and craftie practises like the Princes of this worlde prepareth him selfe a kingdome so by trueth he doeth bothe reteine gouerne his kingdome and whosoeuer imbrace trueth are partakers of Christes kingdome whether they be princes or of the coÌ„monaltie all these obey the voice of their king and serue their highest prince Héere neuerthelesse we expresly add y Kings can no