inlarge our heartes and soules to receiue the vse of these things that assured of wil and assured of power our praiers in fayth may pearce thy dwelling place win our good on Christ for euermore Amen Secondly these words serue to lift vp our hearts and minds from all earthly base and lowe conceites of the Lorde Yea euen to set vs as it were out of our selues and beyonde all remembraunce either of body or soule in our heauenly eleuation of inward powers to that throne so high glorious the seat of that mightie God we pray vnto And cōsequently to make vs aske nothing of him that might bee vnseeming so imperiall a maiestie to deale in and care for But euer to remember that hee being in heauen and wee in earth hee holy and we vnholy hee glory and we shame hee God and wee men it is true that the Prophet sayth his thoughts are not our thoughtes his wayes our wayes But as the heauens are mightier then the earth so are his wayes higher then our wayes and his thoughts aboue our thoughtes To which end it serued also in the Church of olde as Cyprian witnesseth that the Pastor being about to make publique prayers should cry to thee people Sursum corda Lift vp your hearts And the people did answere Habemus ad Dominum Wee lift them vp vnto the Lorde thereby declaring that they thought of no base and earthly lowe matters but of the Lorde and the Lorde in heauen euen as wee do and are euer taught to do by these wordes Which is in heauen Thirdly they serue to strike vs not a litle but euer thorow and thorow with a reuerence of his maiestie whom wee pray vnto For heauen and the height of heauen is his dwelling place and we ought most earnestly euer to thinke of it that wee may come humbly to him This caused the seruants of God not only to crouche their bodyes but to bowe their heartes when they came before him euen the knees of their hearts as thinking neuer their reuerence great inough towarde so mightie a God Heauen is his earth is his hell is his al is his Deuouring fire goeth before his face and mightie tempestes are stirred vp about him He rideth vpon the heauens as it were vpon an horse yea the earth shaketh the heauens drop at the presence of him His charets are twentie thousande euen thousands of Angels It is he that commaundeth the waters it is this glorious God that maketh the thunder It is hee that ruleth the sea it is his voyce that is mightie in operation yea and a glorious voyce Such a voyce as breaketh the Cedar trees yea the Cedars of Libanus such a voyce as deuideth the flames of fire and shaketh the wildernes euen the wildernes of Cades Let vs make hast therefore with the great seruant of God Moses and bow our selues to the earth and worship yea let vs in the true conceit and reuerence of this mightie maiestie couer as it were our faces with our mantels when we pray vnto him So shall we come before him rightly and shew the vse of his glorious dwelling in the heauens noted vnto vs. But alas where is it with thousands thousands that yet take thēselues to be great Christians We clap our selues downe to pray and we thinke of any thing rather then of the mightie maiestie of him before whom wee are come and and therefore we gaze here and gaze there wee note this man and that woman their gesture their apparell yea the least toy especially strange about them And yet wee pray well we huddle and tumble vp in hast the labour of lippes without touch of hart and the faster the better wee long to haue done for feare dinner bee marred and yet we pray well Wee gape and wee yawne we hem and we hawke not for necessitie of nature which is allowed but in the drowsines of our Spirits and to shew our authoritie we are chiefe men in the Church c. and yet we pray well But O we sencelesse wretches in this behalfe for then come we rightly before the Lorde as we learne here when remembring that hee is in heauen that is of such glory maiestie and power as hath bene declared wee throwe downe our soules and bodies in al reuerence and comly feare before him speaking to him as dust and ashes to the immortall king of heauen and earth humbly euen with a reuerent trembling as it were and affection of al our partes leasurely carefully heartily and with all true properties and testimonies of a mind considering the puissance the might the glory and imperiall maiestie of him to whom wee speake Which whether these things that I named declare in vs or no let all christian hearts be iudges It is too true they conuince vs of the contrary and therefore euen in dread of their witnesse to our wo at the day of doome let vs leaue them and vse the place of prayer as we should in all humble lowly and possible reuerence We are so willed and by Christ himselfe that shall iudge vs if wee doe not To this end wee say it euer thinke of it which art in heauen Lastly this notation of the place where our God dwelleth teacheth vs that our Prayers are not tyed to any certaine place as in olde times neither bettered by any place be it this mountaine or Ierusalem or whatsoeuer But the hower commeth yea now is that the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth and in euery place haue libertie and leaue to lift vp pure handes to his maiestie in euery place he sayth and marke it And why so For our God is in heauen and heareth euery where without respect of place now I meane without respect of place as then touching any commaundement from him of particular place but not hereby to ouerthrowe any ciuill order for better meeting together in appoynted Churches of Gods people Yet euen herein beware Superstition againe a fresh in respect of place more than elswhere when true warrant beareth me out as wel there then as in the Church at other times to make my prayer But of Churches and publique meetings there enough hath bene sayd before Where it may be read againe if you will Great is the vse I see well of this short preface so often said so little thought of but now I pray you let mee aske a question doth not this inuocation of God by the name of Father exclude both the other persons Sonne and holie Ghost from both our speech and meaning No indeede for the name of Father being opposed to creatures is taken essentially not personally and agreeth rightly to all the three persons in Trinitie being in essence nature and substance one and so is it here But if it bee put and ioyned with any other person of the Trinitie then is it not taken essentially
⧠A profitable Exposition of the Lords Prayer by way of Questions and Answers for most playnnes Together with many fruitfull applications to the life and Soule aswell for the terror of the dull and dead as for the sweet comfort of the tender harted By Geruase Babington With a Table of the principall matters conteyned in this Booke PSALME 119. O how sweete are thy words vnto my throte yea sweeter than honie vnto my mouth AT LONDON Printed by Thomas Orwin for Thomas Charde 1588. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE HIS VERY singular good Lord Henry Earle of Penbrooke Lord Harbert of Cardiff Marnion and S. Quintine Lord President of Wales and the Marches thereof and of the most Honorable Order of the Garter Knight and to the Right Honorable and vertuous Ladie the Countesse his wife G.B. wisheth all mercie and comfort in Christ Iesus both here now and for euer COnsider the olde generatiōs of mē ye children sayd that wise Sonne of Sirach Right Honorable and my very singular good Lord in his tyme marke them well VVas there euer any confounded that put his trust in the Lord Or who hath continued in his feare and was forsaken Or whom did he euer despise that called vpon him Agreeably truely to all Scriptures and experiences euer if they were searched For such a thing is it to cleaue vnto the Lorde with a faithfull heart that the Bride may forget to trim her selfe the day she is maried and the mother her Jnfant she bare of her bodie and esteemeth full deere before the Lord of heauen can forget such The Lorde knoweth the daies of the vpright men their inheritance shalbe perpetual They shall not be confounded in the perillous tyme and in the daies of famine they shall haue enough Though he fall he shall not bee cast of for the Lord putteth vnder his hand The Lord shall exalt them as themselues shall see and their ende sayth the Prophet shall bee peace Thousands of comforts hath the word mo yet these are both many and great ones if we marke thē Gayne is not godlinesse saith the Apostle but godlinesse is great gayne and hath the promise both of this life that to come VVherfore Right Honorable more ioye in this than in all the earth if it might be your owne For the earth must perish and all the glistring glorie of it passe away as a tale that is tolde burnt and consumed melted with heate but the feare of the Lord shall set her seruants before the highest for euer euer Now did the Apostle say to King Agrippa before so many O King Agrippa J knowe thou beleeuest Surely I may say it before as many I knowe Right Honorable your L. beleeueth both Prophets and Apostles and whatsoeuer the childe of God is bound to beleeue vnto saluatiō I say I know it and yet know I it not alone but others with me aswell as J attending your L. both in like and other places And if we should all denye it yet would the world steppe in and say it knewe what we denied God haue the glorie to whō it is due of his free election manifested both to your self and others by a true calling vnto sanctification And it remaineth Right H. that with a spirit flaming with thankefull loue to so gracious a God you let your light shine further further to a greater glory to the Lord a fuller cōfort to your owne soule Performe your selfe therefore in all truth of hart before the iudging eyes of a mightie God still more more as you do alreadie an honorable maintainer and furtherer of his truth A shield and defence to all the godly in their griefes and distresses Carefull to haue both your selfe and your familie gouerned by the precious and holy word of God maintayning and countenancing to that end as most honorably you do both at home and abroade the Lords poore seruants appoynted to that ministerie Be a rare example stil both worthy honoring and following of carefull bestowing of those liuings whereof God hath made your Lordship Patrone Multiplie as the Lord shall assist those your Honors zealous prayers which some can witnesse for the peace of Hierusalem that her rightuousnes may breake forth as the light saluation as a burning lampe And stil say with the Prophet Dauid we wish you good lucke ye that be of the house of the Lord. Your Honorable seruices for a most gracious Soueraine as euer the earth had any and for your deere Countrey let them still as they are be most sweete and ioyful to you In your Honorable place and gouernment carie your zeale as your L. doth euen more more agaynst the incorrigible aduersaries of Judah and Beniamin to note their doings to obserue their drifts and to ouerthrowe their plots Cut off still with your sword of holy Iustice as with exceeding trauell your Lordship most honorably doth those contentions disorders and offences that corruption both breedeth and feedeth ouer much And finally as the Apostle sayth if there be any vertue if there be any praise to God or to Prince to Countrey or to any Right Ho. thinke of that For so shall your L. establish your selfe both in earth and in heauen both here and for euer Yea your self your seede as the former promises haue giuen assurance And so shall you to your God and your self as many as knowe your vertues stand approued euer whatsoeuer either ignorance or vnkindnesse may effect in some VVithout this course care in a measure as the Lord shall giue well may a worlde continue a while flattring fauning with many delights God being patient and forbearing long but the end is destruction death and confusion God being iust and paying at last Your self Madame still more and more as your Ladiship doth partake with your owne what your place permitteth in these Honorable actions make them also your owne Let it still be your honorable iust true praise that you feare the Lord that you loue his truth fauour his followers and abhorre his foes For there is no praise shall continue as this there is no wisedome that may bee compared to it The feare of God is the beginning of wisedome a good vnderstanding haue all they that do thereafter the praise of it indureth for euer Againe let this be your wisedome sayd the Lorde of heauen to that people once euen to heare my wordes and to worke my will with a carefull hart For then shall all Nations say you only are wise and you onely haue knowledge of the best course Let it be your Posie Right Honorable as pleasant as euer it was And now Lorde what is my hope truely my hope is euen in thee Though the Lorde should kill mee yet will I put my trust in him And let that plaine Prophet strengthen your Ladiship still by his words to King Asa all Judah The Lord is with you while ye be with him
no man heareth them I say and marke the wordes well The Apostle meant not but that the sound of that vnknowne voyce entred into their eares but because it entred without vnderstanding therfore it was in truth then is now and euer shalbe no hearing in deede that is no good hearing no profitable hearing no commanded or alowed hearing And therefore if it bee a duetie inioyned of God that his people shoulde bee made partakers of common prayers by hearing what is sayd then is it also euident that they ought not to be in a strange tongue forasmuch as in this place the Spirit of trueth telleth vs such prayers are not heard at all in déede as are not vnderstood when they are heard Secondly if the pipe or harpe bee not reason 2 vnderstood for want of distinction in the soundes the hearer is without benefite of that sound and the instrument is not vsed as it ought to bee euen so if the tongue wherein prayers are powred foorth to the Lord be not vnderstood the hearer of that sound is without profite and that sounde is not well vsed in that order The Trumpet also vsed to signifie vnto souldiers when howe to prepare themselues to the battaile if it giue an vncertaine sounde there is no preparation made euen so againe is the tongue or speech which we vse in prayer the meanes to stirre vs vp to that spirituall exercise and to performe the same and therefore if it bee not vnderstoode it leaueth vs wronged as did the other and the dutie required of vs is not done Vnlesse we can say that souldiers that heare the trumpet not vnderstanding what it meaneth runne euery man his way from his felow do wel reason 3 Thirdly the holy prayers of the Church ought not to be spoken into the winde that is in vayn But so they are saith the Lord if they bee made in a tongue that is not vnderstood and therefore they ought not to be so Fourthly neither should the minister be reason 4 a Barbarian to his people in the house of God and dutie of prayer that is one that is not vnderstood and therfore might aswell hold his peace as speake neither ought any man or woman priuately be so to themselues But except we knowe the power of the voyce sayth the Scripture that is except we vnderstand what is prayed that is so namely both hee a Barbarian to vs and we to our selues therfore the tongue should not be vnknowen to vs. Fifthly if wee pray in a strange tongue reason 5 our vnderstanding is without profite and fruite saith the Apostle and that ought not to bee so But when we pray we ought to pray with our Spirit and with our vnderstanding also wee ought to sing with our Spirite and with our vnderstanding also Therefore wee may not pray in a straunge tongue Sixtly our prayers ought to be so made reason 6 that all the company may answere Amen but if they be in a strange tongue sayth the same Scripture againe hee that occupieth the place of the vnlearned can not so answere because hee knoweth not what thou sayest Therefore they ought not to bee so reason 7 Seuenthly the Apostle propoundeth him selfe for an example and sayth that notwithstanding hee was able to speake more languages then they all yet had hee rather in the Church speake fiue words with his vnderstanding that hee might also instruct others then ten thousand words in a strange tongue And what care thinke we shall be in vs to folow his practise Shall he be the déere one of the Lord in so doing and we so also in hauing no such care nor conscience but euen flat contrary to speake rather ten thousand wordes that we do not know neither profit others by than fiue that do both Let vs consider it and setting aside all froward wilfulnes and damnable preiudice of a trueth take héede betimes Prayer is a sweete obedience to the Lord if it be aright make it not a disobedience to his will your selfe by doing it wrong Many are the blessings promised to it turne not those blessings into a curse by a stubborne heart that will not be instructed Lastly we edyfie not our selues by such vnknowne prayers which yet wee ought to doe aswell in our priuat exercises as the publicke minister his whole people in a publique place all thinges being commanded of God priuatly and openly to be done to edifying and the reason being all one namely our benefite theirs before the Lord therefore we should not vse them Thus is the Lord against it his word Let vs nowe consider men and in them either their practise or their iudgement and see if this kinde of praying may be warranted that way Concerning the first then may we find any Patriarke or Prophet any seruant of God whatsoeuer either in the olde Testament or newe that vsed thus to pray in a strange tongue No no it is well knowne that from the very creation of mā till the corruption of Rome infected the Church there is not one to bee produced that either being a minister of common prayer made it in a tongue that the people knewe not or being a priuat man prayed priuatly hee wist not what Not one Prophet not one Apostle not one man or woman of holy memorie in the booke of God that euer vsed it And yet they prayed as often as much as Zealously as fruitefully and as commendably as we I trowe yea happy we if we were like them And is it nothing to leaue the example of all these Saynts and to go a course that not one of them euer practised Is there like comfort in a thing neuer vsed and euer vsed of gods chosen Howe then are summe bewitched in small matters to relye vpon examples and euer to bee spying and prying into the wayes workes of weaker men ten thousand parts and yet in this matter so weightie and great to cast behind them the practise of such great ones and neuer to regard it for the publique prayers of the Church it hath euer moued mee since I knewe it what I see recorded by indifferent men in this behalfe Saint Hierom speaking of the Pompe of Paulaes funerall in his Epitaphe he made of her and shewing what cōcurse was to it of people of diuers languages playnely layeth it downe that euery one had the tongue they vnderstood in their common prayers and not a straunge one And yet none of thē was neither Hebrew Greeke nor Latine which some count only holy but the Syriacke Saint Augustine willing the Priests to apply their studies to correct the errors of their Latine speech in those dayes addeth this reason vt populos ad id quod planè intelligit dicat Amen That the people to that which they fully vnderstand may answere Amen Note the custome of the Church then and the faithfull care of this godly father for the
that which our teachers themselues refuse for their owne partes to ioyne with vs as in a course that is neither comfortable nor safe Let vs hearken rather to the Apostle truely aduertising vs to suffer none such as these neither any man liuing at his pleasure to beare rule ouer vs by humblenes of mind and worshipping of Angels aduauncing himselfe in these thinges which hee neuer saw rashly puft vp with his fleshly minde and holdeth not the head c. For assuredly if the consciences of all thē were examined y e delight in other mediators beside Christ to offer vp their prayers to GOD and to speake for them and true confession made of what they finde it would appeare to vs all that this sinne springeth of none other roote than of a persuasion that Christ is not so pitifull and mercifull and willing to bée spoken vnto as other Saints and creatures be Which how blasphemous it is against him to giue his creatures preeminence aboue him in any goodnesse let euery feeling hart discerne and iudge Farre was the godly father from such opinion of our Sauiour when he made him all in all and with truth sayd of him what all true Christians firmely beleeue and holde Ipse os nostrum est per quod patri loquimur oculus noster per quem patrem videmus dextra nostra per quam nos patri offerimus He is our mouth wherewith wee speake vnto God our eye wherewith wee see GOD and our right hande wherewith wee offer our selues vnto GOD. Quo nisi intercedente nec nobis nec Sanctis omnibus quicquam cū deo est But by whose intercession neyther we nor all the Saints in heauen haue any thing to do with the Lord. And y t there remaine no scruple of feare in vs to goe to this gratious mediator euer when we pray consider it in the Scriptures and consider it earnestly that that glistering reason which they vse of our indignitie to goe to him at the first for so I call it because it seemeth so faire at the first vewe neuer discoraged any of the godly mencioned in the worde euer but euen then when they haue seene and thought of their vnworthynes most they haue yet gone vnto God and to no others for helpe Dauid when hee sawe that multitude of offences in him and himselfe so horribly defiled as that there remained almost nothing of olde Dauid in him that is of a good seruant of God neuer yet cried to Abraham Isaac and Iacob nor to any of all the godly departed or Angels in heauen but Miserere mei deus haue mercy vpon me O God and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine iniquitie Iohn Baptist though hee sawe himselfe vnworthy to loose the very latchet of Christ his shoone yet taught he no other Mediatour to God neither had any other himself but only him The good Centuriō that in so true feeling both of himselfe and Christ confessed he was not worthie vnder whose roofe the Lord should come yet with all that vnworthinesse was not feared from him to aske his helpe euen for his seruaunt The poore Publican vnworthie in his owne eies to looke vpon the heauens yet feareth not to loke vpon his God and to say God be mercifull vnto me a sinner when he might haue called vppon Saints and Angels for mercie if it had béene as good or better as these mad men affirme And so farre was this his doing from presumption displeasaunt to God and vnséeming an vnworthie sinner as that sentence is giuen by the Lord himselfe of it it was pleasant acceptable to God and he iustified more than the other Finally the Prodigall Sonne with the same mouth that confesseth his indignitie euer to be counted a Sonne any more yet calleth vpon his Father for pittie and not vpon any of his Fathers seruaunts Wherfore let vs open our eyes and sée the truth let vs not harden our hartes to day when we heare his voyce the mediator betwixt God and man is thr man Christ Iesus none but he it is he that sitteth on the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs and there is no other And if any man sinne wee haue him our aduocate and wee must know no other Yea Sir but you knowe their answere in this matter if they bee charged they doe not denie they saie but Christ and onely Christ is mediatour of redemption but not of intercession and that which they ascribe to holy spirites it is onely to make intercession for them Indeede they so answere but alasse in vaine For it is but a shifte deuised of Satan to deceiue our soules by if wee receiue it and that may appeare both to them and vs if we haue care to see the truth For hath it first anie warrant in the worde If it haue let them produce it if not let them knowe that euen for this cause it faulteth and we reiect it For if this bee graunted that men may frame distinctions at theyr pleasures there is not the truth to bee named but it may be ouerthrowen Wherefore this is one reason agaynst it it hath no warrant in the worde Secondly was not the high Priest in the lawe mediator in figure both of expiation by sacrifices and of intercession by prayers That is more plainly did not he both offer the sacrifice make prayer And what was this but in shadow to shew that so in the new Testament both these things should bee conioyned in one man also euen the man Christ Iesus he that was mediator of redemption should also be mediatour of intercession To diuide these thē is to make the bodie not answere to the shadowe neither the truth to the figure which may not be For looke whatsoeuer was typically shewed Christ should do that hath he truelie done and performed and to affirme otherwise is great impietie Thirdly these two are both duties of the mediatour and in truth none can be a mediator vnlesse he performe both these things namely both redemption and intercession Now of two duties or partes of the office of a mediatour shall we make two sorts of mediators Truely it is euen all one as if because man consisteth of bodie and soule as of two partes that make but one whole we should say there are two sortes of men one consisting of bodie another of soule which were a trimme speech Or agayne because the Prince hath power ouer body and goods and they both are incident to the prerogatiue of his kinglie office therfore of two things belonging to one person we should make a distinction of persons say there are two sorts of Princes one hauing power ouer body and an other hauing authoritie ouer goods For euen so it is in this matter of a mediator whose office consisteth in both these duties as parts of the same to redeeme the people and to make intercession for them Remember also in the
vs. How came it to passe that the Iewish people so seeing dayly the wonderfull workes of God for them the proofes of his power mercie and goodnesse aboue all the nations of the world yet persisted vnfaithfull stubburne and wayward to so good a God O sayth Moses these things being done for you yet hath the Lorde giuen you an heart to perceiue and eyes to see and eares to heare vnto this daie teaching vs playnly that such hart such eyes and eares are onely the Lords to giue and without such gift we profite nothing no not by the verie euident extraordinarie mercies of God In another place agayne The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart the heart of thy seede that thou mayest loue the Lord thy GOD with all thine heart and with all thy soule that thou mayest liue As if hee shoulde saie neuer thinke of anie loue of GOD faythfull and true as possible to be within thee and consequently no obedience loue being the root of all excepte the Lorde circumcise thine heart that is purge all thy wicked affections giue hearing reading a blessing which thing is not in thine owne power to doe It is I sayth the Lord by the prophet Esaie that receiue the spirite of the humble and giue lyfe to them that are of a contrite heart If the Lorde worke in one he worketh in all the spirites of men are ruled and gouerned vnto good onelie by him If he touch vs we are touched if hee turne vs wee are turned and if hee reuiue not and giue life we sinke in all our sinnes as vnfeeling wretches and abide in death How playnly sayth it agayne the Prophet Ezekiel I wil giue you a newe heart and I will put a newe Spirit within you and will take away the stony heart out of your body giue you an heart of flesh And I will put my spirit within you and and cause you to walke in my statutes c. O see and marke howe all lets bee remooued and all grace giuen by the Lorde alone in mercy seeking our saluation And therefore knowe it true as the truth is true that neither hearing nor reading preaching or priuat speaking auaileth euer to doe vs good except the guiding grace of the Lorde direct vs to it by a blessing giuen to them all or any when they are vsed And therefore as for the word so for the blessing of it by the Spirit of God do we euer pray when we say these words Thy kingdom come Then opened he their vnderstanding sayth the Gospell of our Sauiour Christ that they might vnderstand the Scripture And Lydia attended to those thinges which Paul spake because the Lord opened her heart So that neither one nor other Lydia nor the disciples of Christ see heare or vnderstand except the Lorde giue the eye the eare and the heart It is the holy Spirit that teacheth teacheth into all trueth and without whome still still all meanes remaine vnprofitable There is an oyntment sayth Saint Iohn from him that is holy and that anoynting teacheth you all things that is the grace of the holy ghost Wherefore I cease not to make mencion of you in my prayers sayth the holy Apostle and to bowe my knees vnto the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ that he would giue vnto you the Spirit of wisedome and reuelation through the knowledge of him that the eyes of your vnderstanding may bee lightned that we may knowe what the hope of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritaunce is in the Saints c. And that yee may bee strengthened by his Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by fayth and yee may bee able to comprehend with all Saynts what is the bredth and length and depth and height c. See Pauls refuge for profitte to his preaching for life and light for these Ephesians euen to the Lorde for his holy Spirite to soften and supple their stony heartes to illuminate and lighten their darke mindes and to make that sweete to them that is sower to many and fruitefull to them by his mightie power that is neuer so to any without the same Wherefore to goe no further knowe it for conclusion that wee praying for Gods kingdome to come vnto vs in this petition by the hearing and preaching of his worde the meanes appoynted of him to erect the same and seeing well by all this that hath bene said that neither one nor other of these meanes cā preuaile with vs any thing vnlesse the Lorde also with them giue the power of his Spirit and the blessing of his grace in our hearts by them therefore there is included herein also euen praier for this grace and the petition being vnderstoode of vs is thus much with the Lord as we should in playne termes say O Lord giue vs not onely thy worde to reade and heare but the heauenly grace of thy holy Spirit also to sanctifie blesse and make fruitefull to vs both our reading and hearing that so reading and so hearing thy kingdome may come vnto vs and thou ruling and wee ruled wee may liue for euer with thee according to thy promise See then still further matter of this petition And since the Lord hath taught vs thus to pray for the helpe of his hande and the blessing of his grace to all the meanes of good vnto vs and so guided the tongues of his children euer before this forme was layde downe vnto them though in other wordes Let vs brethren looke vpon this occasion into our corruption for truely the Lorde reueileth a secret vnto vs of our natures that thousands sée not when hee thus teacheth vs that without his Spirite no meanes profite vs. We trust to our witts to our skill to our yeres and youth and I know not what and wee thinke wee haue wings of nature aboue our fellowes many of vs to flye aloft and to sée the secretes of the Lord but truely it is not so we haue all sinned and sinne hath cut our wings that wee cannot flye aboue wee haue all in our first parentes transgressed and that transgression hath dazeled and darkened our eyes closed our eares and benummed our heartes that we can neither see heare nor feele except it bee giuen vs from aboue as wee haue now fully bene taught As naturall men we perceyue not the thinges that are of GOD we are not able to thinke a thought that is good but all our sufficiencie is of God and by his grace only we are what we are that good is if any trueth bee opened to vs the Lord hath done it and cōcerning life eternall flesh and blood reueileth nothing to vs but the father in heauen reade without this spirit and the booke is sealed to vs heare without this Spirite and it is a pleasant song that sinketh not but passeth with the time pray without this
soules but that thankfull to thy maiestie for the thing they may hate the persons in singular loue for their work sake obeying them and submitting themselues to them as their appointed ouerseers of them that they may giue their accountes with ioy and not with griefe If it fall out otherwise thy iust purpose being to slay those disobedient scorners O Lord O Lorde make strong thy seruants to indure this griefe and not fearing the face of anie whose harts feare nothing nor weighing the godlesse loue of them that loue not the cheerfulnesse to go on through all pikes of worldly vnthankfulnesse through good report and ill report and all snubbes knowing in a sweet feeling that they are vnto thee a sweete sauour of Christ in them that perish as well as in them that are saued And let it neuer be said of vs O heauenly Father as once it was of others that these things beeing done for vs and we professors of thy great mercyes yet thou hast not giuen vs an heart to perceiue and eyes to see and eares to heare vnto this daie but giue vs heart eyes eares for thy mercie sake Circumcise our hearts and the harts of our seed that we may loue thee much our Lord and God and liue with thee for euer Reuiue the spirites of the humble and giue lyfe to them that are of a contrite hart Take awaie our stony harts out of our bodies giue vs harts of flesh Open our vnderstāding as thou didst thy disciples that wee may vnderstand both by reading and preaching to our cōfort Giue vs merciful father that heauēly spirit that leadeth into al truth that happy annointing that teacheth al things that spirit of wisdōe reuelatiō that the eies of our minds may be lightned that wee may know what y e hope of our calling is the riches of that glorious inheritāce prepared for thy Saints That wee may bee strengthened by thy Spirite in the inner man that Christ thy sonne may dwell in our hearts by fayth we able in some measure to comprehend thy louing kindnesse to all penitent weeping and wayling sinners For O Father we haue sinned and darknesse hath entred to rule both bodie and soule if thou helpe not Lord in that mercie that hath no measure looke vppon vs let not his malice destroy the workes that thy mercie hath made His kingdom is death thy kingdom is life ioy for euermore O heauenly God thē let thy kingdome come that wee ruled here by that sauing hand of thine may tast and feele inioy and haue for euer the reward that foloweth such subiectiō in thy glorious kingdome not for our sakes but for Iesus Christ his sake with thee and the holy spirite one maiestie mightie and glorious euer blessed and praised from generation to generation eternally Amen The third Petition Thy will be done c. why followeth this next THE order if we marke it is most fit and good for in the former we prayed that the Lord might rule in vs but that cannot he do if we euer remaine vnwilling stirring and wresting against him and his will inter inuitos enim reluctantes nemo commodè regnare potest therefore very rightly doe wee pray now in the next place that his will may be done And truely very duetie bindeth al children to frame their life according to the will of their fathers and not contrariwise the parents to conforme themselues to the will of their children In the volume of thy booke sayth Dauid it is written of me that I should doe thy will So is it of vs all for this is a matter that concerneth not Dauid only but euery man that hopeth and looketh for the place that Dauid now hath and therefore with Dauid we must all and euery one say most hartely O my God I am content to doe it yea thy law is within my hart that is not ordinarily or superficially thought vpon by me but it is euen my earnest and vehement meditation and desire continually I seeke not mine owne will sayth our Sauiour Christ but the will of the father who hath sent me And let vs thinke that if he did thus that was subiect to no sinne but had receiued all power of God and himselfe was Lord of all what excuse may we haue before his gloriouse face in that high Court of his at the latter day if called into the Kingdom of God and receiued into the adoption of the Sonnes of God we doe not as good children the will of our father but as rebellious wretches euery one his owne will Agayne I came downe from heauen not to doe mine owne will but his will which hath sent me Thus did he as a sonne to his father and thus must we doe if we be sonnes with him And therfore pray we euer and pray we hartely to our heauenly father as here wee are taught Thy will be done For not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Why pray wee that Gods will may bee done and not ours may be done Because our wickednesse is still great in the earth and all the imaginations of the thoughts of our harts by nature are onely euill continually And because the natural man as saith the Apostle perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God For they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can hee knowe them because they are spiritually discerned That is because in truth we are so fallen by our first sinne and our will so corrupted thereby that of our selues wee cannot will the thing that is good no not thinke it but both the will and deede if it be good yea and all our sufficiencie is of him But on the other side the Lords will is all holie and euer holie yea holinesse it selfe and the rule of right for euer Wherfore by good reason we pray as we do Thy will bee done And this being the true ground in deede of our doing let vs by the way consider whether euen this petition assureth not our consciences of their error that say it and of our truth that deny it that in vs or any is left by nature a free will to doe good For are wee not there taught to pray that his will may bee done and not ours We see it And may we contrary to this order pray that our will may bee done that is our owne proper and naturall will Who will say it But I will say it that if I were by nature and of my selfe able to will the thing that is good then might I lawfully and rightly pray that my will might be done Wherefore we see and the world may see how euen this prayer if there were no further proofe yet satisfieth the consciences of men as touching this losse in vs namely of freewill to do or wish good of our selues till the Lord
and not euill So the deliuering of the Gentiles into a reprobate mind and all such examples in the woorde Tertullian against Marcian and Augustine against Iulian handle this matter and may further bee read of it This sufficeth to shewe that although wee say that God willeth often that thing that in it selfe considered is euil yet as it proceedeth from him that it should be so and consequeÌ„tly he the author of euil it followeth not For many times euill is the punishment of euill that is iust with the Lord euer Concerning the second distinction how God may bee the author of the action and yet not of the euill any way in the action sée by these similitudes The Sunne lighting with his hote beames vppon a dead carcasse causeth a strong and loathsome sauour yet is not the Sunne either vnswéete it self or the cause of that vnswéetenes but the carion it selfe For if the Sunne were the cause then euer the like cause the like effect but wee see it is not so but contrary when it lighteth vppon sweete hearbes and odoriferous flowers it draweth out of them great sweetenes and pleasaunt smels Againe the earth wee all knowe with her sap and moysture feedeth and nourisheth al the trees plantes and rootes that are yet is not that earth cause why this tree bringeth a bitter fruite and that hearbe or roote a bad tast but the nature seuerall of y e things themselues is the cause of that Thirdly the pure worde of the Lorde is preached or read and one sauoureth and gathereth to life an other to death and destruction is now y e word cause of those seuerall effects or the creatures themselues blessed or not blessed with Gods holy Spirit Thus may the Lorde then bee author of an action and yet not of the euill in the action and so hee séemeth to will euill when yet in trueth he doeth not What is now his reueiled will All that which in the holy booke of his worde hee hath layd downe and declared to be the duetie which he will haue performed of vs towards him And is this that will which here we pray may be done Yea this is it and therefore if wee will vnderstand this petition let vs looke what is required of vs in this worde and all that we begge of the Lord strength and abilitie to doe We beseech him that whereas the mindes of earthly men burning with lustes are commonly caried to desire and to doe those things that most displease God hee of his mercie will with the mouing of his holy Spirit so chaunge and fashion all the willes of vs all to that will of his maiestie that we may will and wish nothing that his diuine will misliketh Praecamur optamus vt non tantum faciat Deus quod vult sed nos facâ—re possimus quod vult We pray that not onely God would doe his will but that wee may doe what is his will sayth Cyprian To runne ouer all the dueties of a Christian required in the word were too long let vs therefore not so doe but for example sake of all the rest consider these three First we knowe it is the Lords will that wee should beleeue in Iesus Christ whome he hath sent and that by faith in his name wee and all the worlde should obtayne remission of our sinnes and eternall life So God loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life And againe This is the worke of God that is the worke that God requireth of you that ye beleeue in him whome he hath sent Wherefore in this petition wee beseech him that that will of his may be done in vs that is that we may receiue grace so to doe and neuer to looke for saluation in any other Secondly we knowe it is the Lordes will that wee should in a true faith leade a holy and cleane life for so sayth the Apostle haec est voluntas dei sanctificatio vestra This is the wil of God euen your sanctification and that ye should absteyne from fornication that euery one of you should know how to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour and not in the lust of concupiscence as the Gentils which know not God What do we then in this petition but beseech the Lord that that will may be daylie done of vs and we daylie chaunged by the renewing grace of his blessed spirite into such men and women as he desireth delighteth in namely into holy creatures walking not after the flesh but after the spirit and so consequently sauouring not the things of the flesh but of the spirit That we may be holy as he is holy That our light may so shine before men as they may see our good workes and glorifie our father which is in heauen that wee may keepe iudgement and doe iustice in our callings that being buried with Christ by baptisme into his death as he is risen froÌ„ the dead to the glory of the father so we also might walke in newnes of life That sinne may not rule in our mortall bodies that we should obey it in the lusts thereof or giue our members as weapons of vnrightiousnes vnto sin That fornication and al vncleannes or couetousnes may not once be named amongst vs as becommeth Saynts That we may putte on as the elect of GOD holy and beloued the bowells of mercy kindnes humblenes of mind mekenes long suffring forbearing one another if any man haue a quarrell to an other and forgiuing euen as Christ hath forgiuen vs and what should I saie We beseche the Lord euen that very GOD of peace to sanctifie vs throughout that our whole Spirit and soule and body may be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ And with Dauid we saie in effect Looke if there bee any way of wickednesse in mee and leade mee in the way euerlasting Thus saith Cyprian Voluntas Dei quam stabiliri fieri precamur est quam Christus fecit docuit humilitas in conuersatione stabilitas in fide verecundia in verbis infactis iustitia in operibus misericordia in moribus disciplina The will of God which wee pray to bee established and done is that which Christ both did and taught humilitie in life stabilitie in faith shamefastnes in words iustice in deedes mercie in workes discipline in manners And doe we thus pray then to be holy O my beloued what shall we answer the Lorde then I say not for our vnholinesse but euen for our securitie dulnesse deadnesse and conceiued hartie pleasure in vnholinesse Was it euer counted better than a mockerie to seeme to aske a thing and yet to doe against it To desire a Phisition to helpe vnto health in the meane while our selues with al our might to féede vpon the foes of that wished good Consider then our cases and the cases of
brokē from the tree which if it were it could not beare It is a meruaylous proofe to vs of this good and therefore marke it well The Apostle againe sayth There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Yea but who bee those See what followeth Which walke not after the flesh but after the spirite So then if I would know whether I bee in Christ Iesus or no I must looke how I walke that is still how I am sanctified And if I finde that the God of mercie by his perpetual spirit hath wrought in me a chaunge that whereas once I walked after the flesh that is was ruled guided and gouerned by my corrupt nature now it is not so but the holy Ghost leadeth me into a feruent loue of God and a true hatred of euill then is the conclusion inferred by the very spirit of truth himselfe I am in Christ Iesus and there is no condemnation to me nor for me So that Sanctification the lowest step leadeth mée surely to election the highest of the ladder Giue rather diligence sayth Saint Peter my brethren to make your calling and election sure Yea but how might they say shal we do it Peter telleth them If yee doo these things you shall neuer fall And what be those things Hee also sheweth them namely If you ioyne vertue with your faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience with patience godlynesse with godlynesse brotherly kindnes and with brotherly kindnes loue c. Now what is al this but sanctification of life So that still our rule is proued that if wee woulde know whether we be elected to liue in heauen we must euer looke how we leade our liues in earth And if there the Lorde hath chaunged vs from carelesse to careful men and women to please him in holynesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life then is this Sanctification a note of Iustification Iustification of Vocation Vocation of Election and so heauen is ours But now take heed that in this search for holynesse of life we bee not carryed away with outward shewes For such holynesse holdeth not either in promisses or conclusion of our former argument The Lorde abhorreth approching lippes and reproching hearts And Except your righteousnesse sayth hee exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharesies you shall neuer enter into the kingdome of GOD. That is except you haue more thā a painted visard which they had most glorious and a counterfait hypocriticall shew of holynesse your reckoning of heauen will bee without your host and you will fayle of it Write sayth the Lord to the Angell of the Church of Sardis I knowe thy workes for thou hast a name that thou liuest but thou art dead It is not then a name only y t wil serue the turne Hauing a shew sayth Paule of godlynesse but haue denyed the power thereof As if hée should saie vaine thrice vaine is the shew without the power and truth when this search of our election is in hand O beloued consider then of this earnestly and think with your selues if there be no comfort to be had in our heartes that we are the Lordes appointed to life and blisse in the worlde to come but onely by a true espiall of sanctification of life in our selues how carefull should we bee by hearing of the worde by praying by reading and by all appoynted good meanes to haue this change wrought in vs that our light shining forth may not onely make others glorifie our heauenlie Father for his graces in vs but euen vnto our selues as Saint Peter sayth Make our election and future state in the glorious kingdome of God sure Truly there should be no cares greater than this neyther anie diligence as the Apostle speaketh more faythfull whilest we liue And see with your selues in your secrete meditations often this difference of holynesse and vnholynes of sanctification and prophanenesse the one proueth vnto me my euerlasting ioy with GOD when this course is ended and the other my assured woe with the deuill and his Angels in the blacknesse of darknesse for euer O what are the pleasures of sinne then for a season when swéet meate shall haue so soure a sauce Could the Lord with a more pearcing argument pricke vs forwarde to holy life or with a sharper knife cut in sunder the cords of vanitie iniquitie and sinne wherewith thousandes of vs are so fettered and tempered than to teach vs that the one assureth vs of lasting life and the other of lasting death in the world to come Truly he could not And therefore euerie one laie his hand vppon his soule betimes Beleeue the Lorde and we shall not be confounded Had I wist sayth the olde Prouerbe commeth euer too late Nowe liue like a Christian amongst men and euer liue like a Saint among the Angels of heauen For the Lord hath spoken it But now soake in sin with the bit in thy teeth vnrestrainable and then rot in the reward of it an euerlasting curse from God and all his ioyes for the Lorde hath also sayd it And if this sanctification beloued may not be in shew onely as hath bene said but in truth and veritie how desperate how woful how wretched and miserable is the estate of that man and woman that hath not so much as a shew If there bee no comfort gotte by a glistering outward appearaunce what comfort may be in the soule if the Lord awake to thinke of it where euen this also vtterly wanteth and the contrarie to wit all libertie loosenesse and sinne aboundeth meruailouslie Shall we forget the curse of our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell vppon the figge trée that yet had goodly leaues fresh greene because also with y e leaues it had no fruit If so fearefull a curse light vpon that O curses of curses how many of them shalbe vpon those trees that haue not so much as leaues no not one greene leafe but are altogether withered twice dead and plucked vp by y e rootes Wherfore I pray you euen again as you loue your life w t god another day desire any assurāce of it to your soule in this worlde Giue your bodies dayly a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God which is your reasonable seruing of God And fashion not your selues like vnto this world but be you chaunged by the renuing of your minde that you may proue what that good and acceptable and perfect will of GOD is And Whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer thinges are honest whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer thinges are worthie loue whatsoeuer things are of good report if there be anie vertue or if there be any praise thinke of these things For as you haue hearde and seene trulie proued these thinges shall assure vs that we are the Lordes cared for here and chosen else where to be with him for euer and
and that is thus not to meditate of sinne but still with an eye to the salue of sinne Christ Iesus and then though it be neuer so terrible by his foule shape seeme neuer so strong to giue vs a fearefull fall yet shall it bee founde too weake and wee receiue after a mazing feare true comfort agaynst it and the deadly sting thereof If a man were vppon the top of a high tower without battlements it would seeme fearefull vnto him to looke downe but if he haue high strong battlements that he may take holde on not so Euen so it is with sinne looke vppon it without our strength agaynst it and it astonisheth to death but with him it vanisheth as too weake to condemne Gods chosen Dauids adulterie and murder were great sinnes yet repentance found mercie and they were pardoned Peters denyals were great sinnes yet in Christ rased out when he wept bitterly for them Paules persecuting and making hauocke of the congregation was no smal offence yet a wounded hart found a forgiuing God when opened eyes sawe what was done Those murmuring Iewes after so many strange workes and wonders wrought of the Lord for their deliuerance making a question whether he were amongst them or no did they lightly offend Or doth not the Scripture euery where speake of it as a most horrible and dreadfull offence Yet was there mercie with God and pardon to repentance But this course might bee long if I should note all particulars Let vs stay therefore with those murdring Iewes not of a malefactor but of a iust one not of the sonne of a man but of the sonne of God Christ Iesus and consider well whether the earth hath yeelded since her first creation a greater indignitie or whether the heauens haue behelde a more vggly transgression Surely no neither any whit comparable yet in Christ was this pardonable and euen then when their handes were red with the innocent bloud of Christ Iesus the speare scarse washed that pearced his holy heart euen then I say preached Peter pardon to repentance and as many as repented had mercie To the greatnesse of their sinne adde the vnfeelingnesse of their heart that had no remorse for any thing they had done And then consider will the Lord offer mercie before it be sought and shut vp mercie when it is sought Will he so graciously seeke to drawe men to repentance and shewe no pitie when we repent Will the Lorde forgiue the death of his deere sonne to the bloudie murderers of him and neuer be intreated for sinnes though greeuous yet not comparable O God forbid that after this example of mercie to these crucifiers of the Sonne of GOD Satan should euer shake our faith by feare of any sinne to be vnpardonable which with waiâ—ing harts wee lament that euer wee committed agaynst our deare God Therefore take fast holde of it and print it deepely in your memorie I omit Iacobs children I omit Manasses I omit many that might be named peruse their sinnes and beholde with ioye in a gracious God their full remission When the Spirit of truth sayth were thy sinnes as red as scarlet doth he meane to comfort agaynst small and fewe offences or against great and many Truly euen against all must you needes confesse And if you will not S. Iohn will reprooue you who sayth that bloud shall cleanse vs from all sinne making no distinction of fewe or many great or little Some not all And if the Lord distinguish not that must shewe mee mercie I defie a distinguishing deuill of whom I seeke no mercie Consider it often that the same Apostle saith If we acknowledge our sinne God is faithfull to forgiue vs. Making the assurance of pardon to a confessing sinner no lesse sure than it is that GOD is faithfull O beloued can God bee vnfaithfull if he can then feare if not be of good comfort for so certaine is mercie to a bleeding hart as he is faithfull that can bee no other O sweete foundation of our wished ioy the essence of our God Agayne is it not an article of our faith that our sinnes shalbe pardoned Will you say little sins God forbid restrayne not Gods mercie deny not your faith and then must you bée comfortable Remember agayne what the Lord Iesus sayth All that the Father giueth me shall come to me and him that commeth to me I cast not away What a speech is this if wee marke it And what a comfort and ioy is there in it if wee haue but euen a peece of an heart to receiue it For to let passe the former part so plainly taking away distinction of Iewe or Gentill of bond or free in affirming that al that the father giueth him shall come to Christ what nation or language soeuer they bée of how sweet is the second part to a sinfull soule groaning and sighing vnder the burden of iniquitie sore laden and euen pressed downe with thoughts words and deedes in the sight of the Lorde damnable For what might be your case looke at your self Haue you read in the lawe that if God enter into iudgement with you sinne is so great that you are but gone Doe your transgressions pricke you and loose course of life begin to sting you What then are you dead and wil you not liue are you ill and will you be no better Smarteth your soule within through the deepe wounde of sinne and will you haue no ease O yes full faine say you but my sinnes my sinnes are so out of measure great and horrible that I feare the Lord hath cast me off and hath no mercie for me Ah deuell auant Doth my Sauiour say here he that commeth to me and is not a very great sinner I cast not away No no Satan my God and Lord my Christ and ioy speaketh indefinitely of any man of any woman in any case he that commeth vnto mee bee he Iewe be he Gentill be he bond be he frée Greeke or Barbarian and what sinne or sinnes so euer hee bee troubled for how weake and fraile so euer how poore vile so euer yea be his sinnes mo than y e heares of his head mo than the sand of the sea so that his heart fayle him with Dauid for them yet if he come to him he is welcome he is accepted and hee will not cast him away O soule awake then be of good cheare within me cast away the mourning wéede and hearken to thy most gracious GOD may you say Sorrowing and sighing for that which is past as my duetie is to him will I go knowing that he is the same yesterday to day and for euer His pitie decreaseth not his mercie fadeth not others haue found it and why should I doubt of it Neuer came sinner with sorrowe and faith but hee was accepted and his owne mouth in this place sayth it No man that commeth to me will I cast away Nay see further comfort here
by these wordes Were it so that my heart were as it were closed vp for a time the Lords will being in this sort to exercise me humble mée and trie me that I could not beléeue nor pray nor sorrowe nor feele any comfort yet if euer there was a time wherein I could doo these things and did them in and with a feeling of sweet assurance of Gods fauour in Christ to my poore soule that time doth tell mee that the Father hath giuen me to Christ and that I did come to him then and nowe I heare that he that commeth to him hée casteth not awaye neuer neuer Therefore bee of good comfort his spirite is not gone it is but hidden and with-held for a time as fire couered with ashes it wil come agayne doubled and increased For hee that is once giuen to Christe of his father is neuer cast away finally but reuiueth agayne though many times humbled very greatly for a season You haue had examples before And thus in the Lordes helpe and blessing may this assaulte of the greatnesse of sinne bee salued Much and much agayn is the strength in Gods word that may be brought to lay in this breache if I intended volumes But by this example goe further your selfe as you neede These are large fields to walke in blessed be God for his comforts Sometimes agayne I know the Lord humbleth his deere ones with this cogitation beating in their inwards surely I shal not continue I shall haue a fall I do but flatter my selfe with a perswasion of Gods fauour For albeit I nowe doe well heare the word read it pray and so forth yet in deede I am not setled and grounded in the feare of God for these things will away Many haue had as much as I for a tyme and yet haue fallen away and so I feare me shall I. Truely a dangerous temptation I must needs confesse yet no other than appertayneth to man and be of good comfort the worde is stronger than this also And first againe it serueth that short praier of the Apostles Lord increase our fayth and that of Dauid giue mee the comfort of thy helpe and establish me establish me with thy spirit Then those places following with such like which you may find by your owne reading and partly haue bene quoted before when this temptation almost was in speech I am perswaded sayth the Apostle of this same thing that hee that hath begun this good woorke in you will perfourme it vntil the day of our Lord Iesus Christ Cōsider wel of the place and of the Spirit that directed Paul to say it the spirite of God and see what a powrefull comfort this may bee that that Spirit should set it downe that where the graces of God and fruites of righteousnes once appeare in truth that is without fayning in man or woman there is an immoueable assurance of continuance in the same the meanes being vsed Why should we rather then beleeue the father of lyes saying we shall continue Or why shoulde we more bee throwne downe with the one than lifted vp with the other Yet see more comfort For what newe thing is spoken here that is not often beat vpon elsewhere also When Saul told Dauid hee was but a boye and therefore not able or meete to ioyne with that great Goliah so strong a giant howe did hee ouerthrowe this bone cast against his fayth and establish his hart against that temptation was not his strength this I haue O King found God heretofore my deliuerer when I was in danger and therefore I doubt him not but he will euen nowe also be to me as he hath bene And what if Satan should haue whispered in his eare Dauid thou deceiuest thy self by thinking that if God once do for thee he will euer do for thee it is no good argument Would Dauid haue beleeued him No out of doubt hee woulde haue bidden him auant Satan my argument is good For a very chiefe ende of Gods benefites to man is to make him still in assured trust to hang vppon his gouernement and prouidence And therefore as I haue founde him so will I take him my deliuerer hath he bene from the Beare and the Lion and my deliuerer will he be I feare not from this vncircumcised Philistine Againe when the Apostles began to thinke that Christ was angry because they had forgotten to bring bread with thē what sayth Christ O ye of litle fayth do ye not remember the fiue loaues when there were 5000. men howe many baskets full tooke ye vp teaching them and al the world that the consideratiō of Gods goodnes already shewed shoulde mightily assure vs for the time to come euer For as he hath bene so will hee be if wee beléeue him This was one cause also why hee instituted the Sacrament of his Supper to keepe his former goodnes in continual remembrance with vs Because that such remembrance is ought to be most effectual euer to establish our fayth as touching the continuance of his fauour towards vs still Marke therfore meditate of this drift of the Lord often and think with your selfe y t if a mortal man looke for his benefits that I should accompt him not my fickle but my firme friend that as he hath bene so he wil be O how much more may the God of heauen looke for it at my handes and if my doubting of an earthly friends constancie who hath by many testimonies giuen me notice of his loue be in trueth a foule fault in me how infecteth it heauen earth with noisome sauour to mistrust a mighty God nay a merciful God a kinde God deare louing father that with milions of mercies testified his loue and fauour without desert in me and to make him as a fickle changing man farre be it therfore from vs euer but let passed grace assure our soules of future goodnes for so would he haue it so in truth should it I cannot omit it I pray you marke it with me How whē Dauid sheweth y t the Israelites forsooke God and his wayes he addeth for a reason as it were of such a fall They forgat his actes and his wonderfull workes that he had shewed them As if hee should haue sayde had they looked backe stil to receiued mercy and kept that diligently in minde they would neuer haue fallen Nowe this could bee no reason if this were not a certaine course with our liuing God that where he beginneth there he continueth if the fault be not ours Looke therefore at this thing and be of good comfort your God hath no ioy in changing he hath sworne hee would not our fall his worde is past that whome he loueth to the end he loueth them that his gifts and calling are without repentance that is without change Dauid thus reasoned Paul thus reasoned Christ thus reasoned that passed mercy should assure vs future mercy
his times Yet neither that desperate impietie of the Pharisies nor that loose libertie that ouerflowed as it were the Church then could hinder Christ either from vsing the same forme of seruing God with the people or from comming into the same temple with the multitude to the publique exercises of Religion there appoynted But he would bee circumcised with the rest and presented in the temple as others were when the time came and doe all things with them appoynted by the lawe for him to doe If any man doubt of it let him consider the Scripture well that sayth When the fulnes of time was come God sent foorth his sonne made of a woman and made vnder the lawe that hee might redeeme theÌ„ which were vnder the lawe that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes Hee speaketh of the Ceremoniall lawe by name and therfore no question but he performed whatsoeuer therein was commanded and of man whom he was to redéeme ought to be performed Let him consider also Christes owne wordes when he sayd Wee worship what wee knowe ioyning himselfe not with a fewe picked and choyse Christians but with the whole multitude of the people of the Iewes and adding a reason that proueth so much for saluation commeth from the Iewes Which is as much as if he should haue sayd for the Religion not of some certaine but of the whole people or bodie of the Iewes is a seruice that pleaseth God for his owne appoyntment of it and therefore I communicate with them therein my selfe and we worship what we knowe together Musculus considering asmuch therefore noteth by our Sauiours example what care and conscience ought to bee in euery Christian to obserue the forme of his owne nation in seruing God if it may be warranted And it is not vnnoted of many others that our Sauiour notwithstanding the great corruptions of that Church communicated with it in all holy exercises and made not an other Church by himselfe of some certayne better people and yet there wanted not such euen in those euil daies diuers as Zachary Elizabeth Mary Simeon and others besides his disciples So that our Sauiours example is playne against this deceiuing error that we speake of namely that any man communicating in the publique exercises of religion according to the word of God appoynted with the wicked should by their companie there bee polluted he himselfe hauing a good conscience and doing his duetie as he ought From our Sauiour Christ let vs next come to his disciples tyme and see if they followed not the very same course and trod not in the very same steps of their masters practise Let vs remember the Church of Corinth which the Apostle in the Spirite of trueth calleth the Church of God sanctified beloued and abounding with the gifts of God And yet in it were many imperfections and sundry great and foule enormities There was enuying and strife and diuisions one holding of Paul an other of Apollos an other of Cephas in so much that the Apostle telleth them they are carnall and he could not speake vnto them as vnto spirituall men but as vnto carnall There was puffing and swelling pride in such order that the Apostle asketh shall I come vnto you with a rod or in loue There was fornication and euen such as is not named among the Gentiles one had his Fathers wife and they that sawe it and knewe it were puffed vp and sorowed not neither punished as they ought so foule a wickednes There was quarelling brabling and busie going to lawe one with an other and that vnder infidels Men and women that were maried together made separations and diuorses of themselues one from an other of their owne authorities and when themselues listed without word and warrant without right and conscience which the Apostle rebuketh and telleth them might not be so There was going to the prophane bankets of the Gentiles and eating of thinges sacrificed to Idols with great offence to the weake The vâ—ry Sacrament of the Lords Supper was greatly prophaned Those Spirituall giftes which the Lorde gaue them they abused bragging ambitiously of them and so robbing God of his prayse for them hauing no consideration of their brethren to edifie theÌ„ by an humble mind submitting it selfe to the capacitie of the weakest On the other side they that were inferiors in gifts enuyed the superiors and went about to make a departure so that all that body was as it were skattered and rent in pieces That notable gift of tongues and languages they greatly abused neglecting prophecie And what should I say the very resurrection that great Article of a christians faith was called in question in that Church and yet for all that and al these that I haue thus named it ceased not to bee a Church and the Church of God and Sanctified and beloued and blessed and made rich with many graces neither for these blots might any man haue bene iustified then to haue giuen it the blacke stone of condemnation and to haue separated himselfe from it as from no Church Let vs remember the GalathiaÌ„s of whom the Apostle complaineth that they were so soone remoued away vnto an other Gospell from him that had called them in the grace of Christ that they were bewitched not to obey the trueth but to turne againe vnto impotent and beggerly rudiments seeking to be in bondage to them againe as at the beginning that they obserued dayes moneths tymes and yeres and so foorth euery of which was a great blot and spot and all together a very great declyning from a right course yet neuerthelesse doth the Apostle in the Spirit of trueth salute them as the Church of God and so nameth them and so taketh them To the playne prouing of this truth that imperfections in a Church where the worde is preached truely and the Sacraments administred according to the institution of Christ taketh not away the name of a Church And marke it in Paul because we seeke not nowe other examples howe notwithstanding these great blemishes in Corinth Galatia and other places that he came to yet he euer without any scruple â—ntered into their Churches into y e Iewes Synagogues and into all places to pray and to interpret the Scriptures Yea hee made no doubt to exhibite himselfe in the Temple to call vpon God and to vse other lawfull ceremonies together with others that vsed them although the wickednes impietie of the Scribes Pharises which were there then was exceeding foule and great Neither doth he euer perswade any of the better sort when hee speaketh of the faults either in Corinth or Galatia or other Churches to forbeare all communion with those Churches till thinges were better reformed but onely exhorteth them to beware the vices and euils he speaketh of and neuer mencioneth any separation Which assuredly he would haue done if it had bene as satan
vt semper quoad licet refugiant Tantam ministerij ac sacramentorum reuerentiam esse oportere vt vbicunque extare haec cernant ecclesiam esse censeant c. That there ought to be in Christians such a detestation of Schisme that as neere as they may they euer flye it Again that there ought to bee such a reuerence of the ministerie and of the sacraments that where so euer they see these extant there they acknowledge the Church to bee For as much therefore as by Gods permission the Church is gouerned by these men what manner of persons soeuer they bee if they see the notes of the Church there it shall bee better not to separate themselues from the communion Neither hurteth it that some vntrue doctrine is there deliuered For there is hardly any Church that hath not some reliques of ignorance It sufficeth vs if the doctrine wheron the Church is founded haue his place and be kept Neither stoppe wee at this that hee cannot bee accompted a lawefull Pastour which hath not onely crept but most wickedly broken into the place of a true minister For it is not fit that euery priuate man should trouble himselfe with these scruples Sacramenta cum ecclesia communicant The Sacraments they receiue with the Church Per eorum manus sibi dispensari sustinent Only by their handes they indure them to be deliuered For whō they see to haue the places whether lawfully or vnlawfully they haue them although the matter somwhat appertayne to them yet may they suspend their iudgement thereof till a full knowledge bee had Therefore if they vse their ministerie yet is there no daunger least they shoulde seeme either to acknowledge or allowe or confirme the same for good But by this meanes they giue a testimonie of their patience whilst they are content to indure those whom they iudge worthy of condemnation euen by a solemne iudgement Thus farre master Caluin Somewhat long but truely very materiall to the poynt wee nowe speake of if humilitie woorke a reuerence of other mens iudgments especially that haue abounded with the great graces of God to the profiting of the Church and puffing pride doth not dangerously perswade vs that no man seeth the trueth of GOD but our selues which God forbid Bullinger agayne deliuered it boldly to the people of God in his time and after that qui saepe admonitus dolo vtitur non ecclesiam Dominum aut ministrum decipit sed se ipsum ipsi iudicium manducat Whosoeuer admonished often yet dissembleth and vseth guile hee deceyueth not the Church hee deceyueth not the Lorde nor the minister but hee deceyueth himselfe and to his owne damnation hee eateth Meaning that none could bee hurt by the company of any that communicate with them themselues being right And therefore meaning to prosecute this question no further in a comfortable hope I neede not I conclude both with the iudgement and very wordes of Master Caluin in his institutions remembred before Fixum igitur vtrumque istorum maneat Therfore let both these thinges remaine firmely fixed first that he hath no excuse that of his owne will forsaketh the outward communion of the Church where the worde of God is preached and the Sacraments administred then that the faultes of a few or many are no hinderance but that we may therein rightly professe our fayth by the ceremonies instituted by God Because a godly conscience is not hurt by the vnworthynes of any other either Pastor or priuat man and the mysteries are to a holy vpright man neuertheles pure and holesome though they bee together handled of vncleane men The fourth temptation concerning compulsion to good LAstly there haue bin and to this day are that thinke men shoulde not bee compelled to fayth and religion The Donatistes Pelagians and Anabaptistes in their seuerall times the Papists still dayly in their printed pamphlets But as the rest so is this also a subtile sleight of a tempting deuill to animate men vnto euill boldly An vntrueth in the word plainly refelled and of the Church and Children of God truely instructed euer abhorred The noble kings Asa and Iosia did constrayne and compell the people by seueritie of their Lawes punishments to serue the Lorde For whosoeuer will not seeke the God of Israel shall be slain whether he be smal or great man or woman saith the text Nebuchadnezzar made a decree that euery people nation and language which spake any blasphemy against the God of Sydrach Mysach and Abednago should be drawne in peeces and their houses put to the most base vse that might be A very sharpe law I trowe we will confesse to compell men to a dutie iust and godly And if this heathen king moued by Gods spirite did this and might doe it may not they that professe religion do it Nay shall they not as their knowledge and charge is greater so suffer double punishment if they do it not Surely the trueth is playne they shall King Darius did the like in the same Prophet And I make a decree sayth he that in all the dominion of my kingdome men tremble and feare before the God of Daniel For hee is the liuing God and remaineth for euer and his kingdome shall not perish c. The King of Niniueh againe forced by his authoritie all men in the City to humble them selues before God yea sayth he Let man and beast put on sackcloth and cry mightely vnto God Which example Austen vrged in his time against the Donatists and sayth the King of Niniuie did God good seruice by compelling the whole Citie to serue God In the Gospel the master sayd to the seruant Go out into the high wayes and hedges compell thē to come in that my house may be filled Neque absque causa sic loquitur Dominus Quia enim diuersi hominum mores ingenia item diuersa sunt non eadem docendi aut praedicandi ratio omnibus conuenit Sunt enim quibus simplicem institutionem doctrinam adhibuisse sufficit aliis admonitione seueriore multis adhortatione imo correptione obiurgatione acriore opus est Et ideo suprà verbi ministros exactorum similes dixit Neither did the Lord without good cause sayth a learned interpreter speake after this sort For diuers men being of diuers manners and dispositions one and the same way of preaching agreeeth not to them all Some it sufficeth to haue doctrine plainely deliuered to them others must haue earnest admonition also many must haue exhortation yea sharpe rebukes and chidinges or else they profite not And therefore the Ministers of God were compared before to Stewardes or Baylifes that sharply and roughly require their masters rent for his Vineyarde if it be wanting Fit etiam saepenumero vt magistratus suam authoritatem interponere oporteat quando multorum peruicacia tanta est vt aliter vinci non possit And many times it commeth to passe