therefore saith our Sauiour againe That to know the times and seasons hath the Father only put in his owne power Act. 1.17 Lastly how could these men know all things when as Paul saith that our knowledge is vnperfect and that we know but in part now that is in the world but that then that is hereafter in the life to come wee shall know euen as we are knowne 1. Cor 13.12 And againe the same Apostle before in the same Epistle saith That if any man thinke that he knoweth any thing 1. Cor. 8.2 hee knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know yea and this modestie had the learnedst and the wisest of all the heathen Philosophers by the Oracle of Apollo himselfe euen Socrates to acknowledge of himselfe that this one thing he knew that he knew nothing What then shall we say to all this Euen briefly and in a word thus That for the knowledge they had and for all those things they knewe of which noe doubt they had a great measure by the benefit of the annointing which they had receiued they did not knowe the same of themselues as of their owne wit labour industrie desert or dignitie but that they were endued therewith by the gift and grace of the holy Ghost and that therefore they were humbly and thankfully to referre and resigne all their vnderstanding vnto the spirit of God by whose blessing they had receiued the same or els thus all those things which they knew were neither erronious lies nor false fables nor humane precepts nor vnwritten verities nor doubtfull dreames but the sound and holesome syncere holy truth of Christs Gospell infused in their soules by the sweet influence of this precious ointment and instilled into their hearts by the heauenly dewe of diuine grace Or againe thus that indeed they perfectly knew all those things that were necessarie vnto their soules health and saluation that is Christ and him crucified Iesus and the Resurrection which was so sufficient for thē as that they needed no other secular know ledge or carnall wisedome of any humane and prophane Artes and sciences whatsoeuer for as a learned writer saith The Apostle writeth not here vnto these Christians Adulatoriè tanquam ad elementarios as flatteringly to soothe smoothe them vp in their infancie and ignorance for he oftentimes tearmeth them babes not as carnall or as babes in Christ but as spirituall not such as Paul calleth the Corinthians 1. Epist 3.1.2 to whom he gaue milke to drinke and not meat to eate but such as he would haue had the Corinthians to be 1. Cor. 14.20 not children in malitiousnes but in vnderstanding of ripe age nor yet vain-gloriously to vaunt or boast himselfe of them being their Doctor as a bragging schoolemaster of his good schollers that profit vnderneath him because afterwards verse 27. that they had no need that anie should teach them for he arrogateth nothing vnto himselfe but attributeth all vnto to Christ Iesus when as he telleth them as it is in my text that they haue knowne all things not by his instruction but by the vnction of him that is holy And therefore also in the 27. ver he saith againe that the annointing that they had receiued and dwelled in them did teach them all things Neither is this to be meruailed at that they should be said of our Apostle to haue knowne all things when as they knew but Christ onely and those things that concerned the common saluation which to know was all sufficient for them would alone without any supply of other knowledge whatsoeuer bring them to eternall life For so our Sauiour This is life eternal euen to know thee to be the onely true God and him whom thou hast sent Christ Iesus Ioh. 17.3 And therfore Paul ingenuously professeth no other knowledge although he did abound in all humane learning and that with a protestation saying God forbid that I should reioice in any thing but in Christ and him crucified for as Christ the onely holy one is the scope of all the scriptures both being the complement of the Lawe and the intendiment of the Gospel So to knowe him is to know all things whatsoeuer Scripture can teach vs or nature can tell vs wherewith God will enlighten vs or man can learne vs. So that in this respect are those two olde Prouerbiall verses found true Hoc est nescire sine Christo plurima scire Si Christū bene scis satis est si caetera nescis As for the secular knowledge of other worldly things it is either superfluous or superstitious vanitie or curiositie such as a Christian man may well be without and the want whereof will not make him the more godly learned for as Aug. saith there is Docta ignorantia Docta ignorantia Rom. 12.3 a learned ignorance when as a man is wise vnto sobrietie and will not dare to learne that which God wil not vouchsafe to teach and will not offer to open his care to heare that which the holy Ghost will not proffer his mouth to vtter euen the profound mysteries deepe iudgements and secret counsels of the hidden will of God Of which saith both the Prophet and the Apostle His iudgements are vnsearchable and his waies past finding out Esay 40.13 Rom. 11.33 Nor againe by labour and industrie to seeke to get the sound knowledge of foolish trifling things which rather swimme in the braine with puffed vanitie then sincke downe into the heart with sound veritie like him in the Poet Qui magno conatu magnas nugas egit such trash and trumperie which Paul biddeth Timothy and Tytus to beware that they giue no heed vnto them 1. Tim. 1.4 and 4.7 and 6.25 and 2. Epist Tim. 2.16 and Titus 3.9 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aniles ineptias Profaine fables vaine bablings olde wiues tales endlesse genealogies oppositions of science falsely so called foolish questions and braulings about the Lawe which are vnprofitable and breed contentions and controuersie rather then Godly edifying which is by faith Seneca Whereof may be said as Seneca of the like Summa dementia est tam superuacanea ediscere in tanta temporis egestate Of which things although these vnto whom our Apostle writeth seemed to be ignorant yet was that true in them which Iohn here saith that they knew all things that is all that concerned the saluation edification and consolation of their soules According to that of Salomon Prou. 28.5 That wicked men vnderstand not iudgement but they that seeke the Lord vnderstand all things and if any man meruaile at this let him also maruaile how Dauid of a homely shepheard Shepherds Prophets Elizeus of a rude plowman and Amos of a rough-hewed heardsman Moyses of a stuttering stammerer Ieremy of a tender childe and Daniel of a young stripling could become zealous and learned professors and Prophets full of heauenly and diuine knowledge And how Peter and Andrew Iames and Iohn of simple
in thy sayinges and cleare when thou art iudged And Math. 11.14 where our Sauiour saith And wisedome is Iustified of her children meaning himselfe So likwise is it taken Luke 7.20 where the Euangelist declareth that the Publicans iustified God for those things that are exactly perfect and exquisitly absolute without any want or default and therefore allowed and liked of all are saied by a common Phrase of Scripture to be iustified Whereby Paule setteth out vnto vs the might and maiestie of our Sauiour not in outward habit and appearance or in externall pompe or power but in inward spirit and deuine vertue in mightie miracles wonderful workes heaueÌ„ly doctrine most glorious greate and other incomprehensible effects by which word and Phrase the Apostle endeauoreth to take away all kinde of weake diffideÌ„ce or distrust which might any way be conceaued in our harts by taking offence at the lowe and base estate of Christs our sauiours maÌ„hood which seemed to be so vile abiect and contemptible as some supposed him to be only a base and silly man As likewise by spirit in this place is not onely meante that mortified and regenerate partes of man which is contrarie to the fleash as it is vsually taken in the scriptures and especially in the Epistle to the Romans but for what soeuer was and is in Christ extraordinarie supernaturall aboue coÌ„mon manhood and mortalitie As if the Apostle Paule had said although he was cloathed with our fleash combred with our frailties coÌ„passed with our infirmities yet none of these did weakeÌ„ the power of his truth the flower of the glorie of his diuinitie or once derogate from the honour of his maiestie As that although he was verie maÌ„ yet not withstanding he was true God although he tooke vpon him the fourme of a seruant yet he thought it no robberie to be equall with his father Phil. 2.7 for in him remaineth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily Col. 2.9 And he was the brightnesse of the glorie and ingrauen fourme of the substance of God his father Heb. 1 3. As it may appeare throughout the whole historie of the Gospell whereby he is described vnto vs to be mighty indeede and in word for so first he approued himselfe to be God in his birth in that he was borne after the common order and maÌ„ner of men his mother being ouershadowed by the power of the most highest and himselfe coÌ„ceaued by the holy ghost Secondly at his inauguration consecraction after his baptisme when as by the â—iuely voice and diuine oracle from heauen he was pronounced and proclamed to be the Sonne and heire apparent of God his father Thirdly in his temptation when â—s he vanquished Sathan in a Monomachie or single combate and made him voide â—uant from him Fourthly in curing al kind of sicknesses and diseases by taking a way both the cause the effect Fiftly in know â—ng both the thoughts and harts of men as â—t appeareth ofteÌ„times in the Gospel Sixtâ—y in stilling the winde calming the sea â—nd in working other strange signes and wonders Seauenthly in his Passion when as the weakenes of his fleash was succouâ—ed and sustained by the strength of his Godhead Eightly in his Resurection in â—hat he was able to laye downe his life and to take it to him againe Ninthly in asceÌ„ding vp into Heauen for as our Sauiour in the Gospell Iohn 3. No man hath ascended vp into heauen but he that descended downe from Heauen euen the sonne of man which also is in Heauen And tenthly in sending downe the Holy Ghost his blessed spirite which proceeded as well from himselfe as from God his father Insomuch that we cannot but confesse and say with Nicodemus the Pharisie that none can doe such things as these except he came from God or except he were God himselfe without question therefore to be iustified in this place is as Athanasius in his booke De surrectione carnis explaineth it Iustitiam habere nâ—â— humano more sed diuina puritate that is to be iust and Righteous in himselfe and 〈◊〉 himselfe not according to humaine qualitie but by a diuine spirit for so signifieth this Hebrue Phrase in this place and iâ— respect of vs being allone with that which our Apostle hath 1. Col. 1.30 that he is bâ—come our righteousnesse redemption sanctification and saluation being the whole and soâ—â— scope and hope of their faith which by thâ— same spirit doe beleeue putte their truâ—â— in him not resting or relying vpoÌ„ any other meane or merrit what so euer And of this iustifiyng had not only our Sauiour Christ the testimonie of his owne spirit euen the Holy Ghost which was a witnesse vnto Iohn the Baptist wheÌ„ he descended downe vpon him invisibly in the forme of a doue Math 3.16 Which heauenly vision was a diuine oracle and siuely voice of God himselfe which the Lord caused to appeare â—nto him that when he knewe not our Saviour it might be as an infallible token to â—iscerne him from all other as he himselfe â—onfesseth Iohn 1.33.34 And I knewe â—im not but that he sente me to baptize with water he said vnto me vpon whome thou â—halt see the spirit come downe and tarrie still â—ne him that is he that baptizeth with the holy Ghost And I sawe and bare record that â—his is the sonne of God But also the spirit of â—he Saints and seruants of God which giueth â—estimony vnto themselues and their owne â—oules that our Sauiour is their Lord and God â—or so saith Paule in the person of all the electe and faithfull 1. Cor. 8.5.6 Though their â—e that are called Gods whether in HeaueÌ„ or in Earth as there be many Gods and many Lords yet vnto vs there is but one God which is the Father of whom are althings and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are althinges and we by him againe 1. Col. 12.3 No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost But to drawe to an Ende for this point and to make our vse of this matter we are heere taught that we should laboure to iustifie our selues both before God and man not externally by carnall and earthly thinges but internally after an heauenly and spiritual manner not with the hypocritical Ieweâ— in Esaies daies 29.13 To drawe neere vnto God with their mouth and honour him with their lippes but in hart to be farre from theâ— And with the Scribes and Pharises in our Sauiour Christs time to be serious obseruers of outward ceremonies and to be far from inward sinceritie Math. 15.8 not superstitiously with the vnfaithfull Iewes and Idolatrous Samaritans to worshippe they know not what nor ignorantly they knowe not how nor blindly they knowe not where but as the true worshippers to worshippe the father in spirit in truth for God is a spirit and they that worshippe him must worshippe him in the spirit and in trueth Iohn 4.23.24 not to
twelue tribes of the people that he might euermore haue theÌ„ in remembrance the skirts hemmes of his robes being hunge with belles of gould and pomegranets in signe that his life should giue forth a greate sound and good sauor all abroade and that his voice should ring and be hard a loude among the People and therefore also the Lord requireth Leuit 21. That noe preist should be maimed or deformed but whole and sounde Vpon which place Theoderite hath these wordes in his thirtie question A sacris arcentur corpore vitiati saith he vt per affectiones non sponte susceptas ea quae a voluntate proficisci debent pro hiberentur Oculorum enim occaecatio inopiam cognoscendi significat auris amputatio in obedientiam naris ablatio facultatis discernendi priuationem manus abscissio in agendo socordiam atque ita in reliquis Hereby signifying that he cannot be a perfect minister that faulteth or faileth in any anie one of these deuties not so much standing vpon the deformites of the bodie as respecting the giftes of the minde which he hereby signifieth and insinuateth as also is meante by the vnblemished sacrifices that were required which also the verie Heathen did regarde especially both in their Priests and offerings for as Ieremie Ad Fabiolam saith Corporis Vctia ad animum reâ—eruntur Ideoque talibus praeditos corporibus ad rem Diuinam Esse ineptos Besides this how often hath our Sauiour commanded his Disciples in the Gospell as concerning good life and godly couersation How often also hath Paule giuen the same to Tymothie in charge As the other Apostles to other Pastours and Teachers of the word All which of the Preists in the lawe of the Disciples in the Gospell doe as well concerne vs as them as being spoken to all alike As that in the Tim. 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is a pure harte a good conscience and vnfained For as he describeth a minister in the third Chap of the same Epist He must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as the Apostle requireth in a Deacon and therefore much more in a Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And as he requireth in the fourth Chapter That he haue a good report of those that are without least they fall into the rebuke and snare of the diuell and in the same chapter That he be vnto them that beleeue an example in word in conuersation in loue in spirit in saith and in purenes as Peter in the 1.5.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as tipes patternes presidents and examples vnto your flockes of which the Lord hath made you ouerseers as Paule againe lastly warneth vs in the same fourth Chapter last verse Take heede vnto thy selfe and vnto thy doctrine for in so doing thou shalt saue thy selfe and those that heare thee least that preaching vnto other thou thy selfe become a reprobate 1. Cor. 19. last verse So that hereby we are all to learne what is our dutie that take vpon vs to preach the word of God vnto others that we our selues first giue example of good workes who as we call others we our solues may first leade and shewe the way to others and be deafe our selues whoe should giue good example and if we bid others goe and we our selues stand still and if we pipe and sing to others and we our selues be not delighted therewith what doe we els but moke God condeme them for as the Poet saith Turpe est Doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum and as another saith Quid didicisse viam prodest quia pergere nolis Turpior ignaro factus es ipse sciens But lette such loose and dissolute ministers remember that Agens Theologia contrarie to Aristotles opinion of felicitie as saith Barnarcinus Ochinus Tanto maior est contemplante quantum domina serua etuiua fides mortuae anticellit dialogue 2.20 Better is he that hath actiue the hethat hath contemplatiue Diuinitie let them remember that which Austin saith to their sham evenit indoctum vulgus et rapit caelum The common people winning away as it were by violence the Kingdome of Heauen from them being like Astronomers and Starregasers which alwaies are pointing at it but neuer possesse it or sette foote in it and being in the pulpitte as one a stage bearing the partes and taking vpon them the persons of good men but afterwardes become their owne men againe when as Christ saith in the eight of Iohn if ye would abide in this my saying then should ye be truely my disciples which our Sauiour speaketh to all in generall and therefore much more vnto the minister it was the saying of Prophaine Protagoraes in the Pagane Plato herein agreing with mischeivous Machiueli he is as a madde man that cannot counterfaite Iustice but contrarie wise godly Paule he saith That the wrath of the Lord is reueiled from Heauen vpon all them that hould the trueth of God in vniustice Let all Preachers therefore imitate the patriarch Iacob in taking vnto them both Lea and Rachel that is both life and learning manners and knowledge science and conscience together that I may vse the Allegorie of a Iewish Rabbie who likneth Action vnto Lea and contemplation to Rachel Lea seeming to be deformed or rather not so well fauoured in comparison to Rachel which was most beautifull workes and deedes more harde and laborious then bare speculation when as they doe other wise they shall shew themselues like vnto Iacobs wiues maides Biltha and Zilpha Who did bring forth children which were free they themselues being bound and likewise being themselues most sinnefull children of God did make others good and Godly themselues continuing badde and wicked But would to God they would call to mind whensoeuer they goe aboute to reprehende and reproue the sinnes of the people that which the Heathen Tullie hath in his thirde of his Tusculan Est propruim stultitiae aliorum vitia cernere obliuisci suorum And againe in an other place Omni vitio carere debet is qui in alium paratus est discere And would they would remember that which they reade of that famous Lawgiuer Licurgus who gaue noe lawes but those which he first practised himselfe They may happelie deceaue the ignorant and simple people who as Horace saieth 1. lib. Epist Vertutem verba esse putant vt ligna lucum But beloued the Lord is not mocked who is the searcher of the Hartes and reines And is not as Mercurie to whome onelie tongues are offered and sacrificed but requireth all both inward and outward partes and powers yea holy man perfect and absolute in euerie good worke whose sacrifice is a sorrowfull soule and a contrite harte whose worship consisteth in spirit and trueth and whose offeringes are the fruites of the spirite euen all diuine vertues whatsoeuer wherefore Cyprian saieth verie well in this behalfe Vt Musici cor cum chordis ita ministri mens cum monitionibus conueniret Which cannot be