made her the very dore by which we enter into Paradise shut by Eue opened by her the very window whereby God doth looke vpon vs with the eye of mercy the very Ladder of Iacob whereby our deuotion ought to ascend vnto God and his blessing descend vnto vs. Was this yet the worst Truâ—y no. But as it is said in Ezechiel so may we say Behold greater abominations then these For they were not content to make her a Mediator for intercession but also they make her the Mediaâ—resse of Reconcilement and Propitiâ—tion ioyning her in the Commission of Mercy and Merit with our Sauiour Christ yea making her many times more mercifull then he In the prayer of Anselmus held for currant this is read Hee that hath offended let him cast himselfe downe betweene them both Pie Domine parce seruo matris tuae pia Domina parce seruo filij tui c. O Pitifull Lord be fauourable to the seruant of thy Mother O pitifull Lady be fauorable to the seruant of thy Sonne Dic mundi Iâ—dex cui parces dic mundi Reconciliatrix quem reconciliabis Tell vs thou Iudge of the world whom thou wilt spare tell vs thou Reconciliatresse of the world whom thou wilt reconcile if thou Lord wilt condemne and thou Lady wilt reiect a poore man that confesseth your vertues louingly and his owne sinnes mournefully Thâ—s Anselmus most blasphemously And were they ashamed of this euâ—ll in Queene Maries dayes Nay they were not ashamed for aâ—â—â—he light of the Gospell that had shined before vnto them â—or euen in their Primer setforth then by authority they rely vpon the blessed Virgins merits as wee doe vpon our Sauiour and ascribe vnto her the power and honour of sauing and defending and deliuering c. Shall I recite vnto the yonger sort a place or two for they that are old may remember it themselues In the third houre thus they reade The dolorous Passion of Christs sweet Mother bring vs to the blisse of Almighty God the Father And in the sixth houre O blessed Lady O singular Virgin in perfect mâ—ekenesse all other excelling deliuervs from the bondage of sin and make vs meeke and chaste in liuing make vs euer pure life to ensue guide vs euer vpon â—ur iourney that we beholding the face of Iesu may ioy with him in heauen alway Thus in that place and as bad in diuers others I haue not shewed you as that how they make the blessed Virgin many times more mercifâ—â—l then our Sauiour and how when Christ was resolued to destroy the world for their sinnes she being moued with pity became suppliant vnto him and so turned away his wrath c. But because I haue other matters behind vntouched and the comparison being so odious and sacrilegious as it is Therefore I will forbeare by word of mouth to vtter it and referre them that care for such matters for Doctrine to Iacobus de Voragine and the booke called Sermones Discipuli and for examples to Vincentius Antoninus whereout they may haue enough to choake them You haue heard Wel-beloued that it was of Gods mercy and fauour and of his fauour onely that the blessed Virgin was called to that honour and dignity to be the Mother of her Lord and our Lord and therefore as she most frankly and deuoutly confessed so much so wee must beware lest vnder the colour of honouring the Mother with other honour then of praise and imitation which is due vnto her we doe not dishonor and so offend the Maiestie of the Sonne who is God blessed for euer This I haue touched the rather because many among vs bee not as yet purged from their former superstition and Idolatries but notwithstanding that they haue beene earnestly laboured and exhorted that they would returne from their vaine and thankelesse wil-worships to serue the true and liuing God the Creator of whom are all things and wee of him the Redeemer in whom are all things and we in him the holy Spirit through whom are all things and we through him yet without commandement without praise without example of any that were Godly for certaine hundreds of yeeres after Christ they will needs inuocate the blessed Virgin in their necessities troubles nay put their trust in her in deifying a creature which Epiphanius doth abhorre and forsaking God that bought them by a spirituall kinde of fornication which the Scripture doth euery where detest Well hauing spoken so much of the first part of Christs wonderfull Conception it is time wee now come to the second namely His wonderfull Birth And beare a Sonne Or rather bringeth forth a Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In which words the Prophet signifieth that it should not goe so hard with the mother as it did with those women which Hezekiah spake of though allegorically The children are come to the birth and there is no strength to bring forth Nor yet that the child should be so vnhappy as Iob wished himselfe to bee in the 3. chapter of his booke Why dyed I not in the birth or why dyed I not whâ—n I came out of the wombe But rather that it should goe no worse with her then it did with the Church and her child Esay 66. Before shee trauelled she brought forth and before her paine came she was deliuered of a Man-child And againe Shall I cause to trauell and not bring forth Shall I cause to bring forth and shall I be barren saith thy God As if he said Forasmuch as it is I and none other that helpeth women in their ordinary trauels and giueth them quicke speed or slow speed as it pleaseth Me You may thinke with your selues whether it be an hard thing with Mee to cause the mother to bring forth without paine euen while you will say What 's this Indeed among the strange and wonderfull things that Bernard said were in the Mother of Christ these were not the least that she was Sine grauamine grauida sine dolore puerpera her burden was not burdenous vnto her her trauell was not painefull Whereto agreeth that saying of Hieronym against Heluidius Nulla ibi obstetrix nulla multerum sedulitas intercessit ipsa mulier obstetrix fuit She had no Mid-wife to helpe her no Side-woman to assist her shee was both Mother and Mid-wife too and well she might be bearing and bringing forth such a Child as was free from originall sinne which you knowe is in part the cause of womens trauell nay which sanctifieth whatsoeuer is sanctified and of whose fulnesse all doe receiue euen grace for grace This is He which is prophesied of by our Prophet Esay chapter 9. Vnto vs a Childe is borne and vnto vs a Sonne is giuen and the Gouernment is vpon his shoulders and He shall call him Wonderfull Counsellour The mighty God The euerlasting Father The Prince of Peace This is he that was prophesied of by Ieremy The dayes come that I will raise
of God without the concurrence of any second cause So the true Manna which came downe from heauen and the true Water of life which whosoeuer drinketh of by faith shall neuer perish Christ Iesus I meane he was none otherwise to be conceiued but by Gods working Other Types might bee alleaged as of Aarons Rod which blossom'd without maÌ„s setting or watring of the Gate mentioned by Ezechiel whereat no man entred c. But the former be sufficient and therefore I will not trouble you with the latter A Virgin she ought to be we heare for the excellent Prophesies sake and to expresse the Types which were of it and so no â—â—ubt shee was as testifie Mathew and Luke and as we are bound by our Creed to beleeue Borne of the Virgin Mary c. But what manner of Virgin was shee the fairest the richest the noblest of all the daughters of the East Alas these things though they be much set by in the world yet with God they be but vile euen as dongue Hee is not a respecter of persons as the Apostle saith that is hee respecteth not these outward things in any hee lookes not vpon the outward appearance neither vpon the countenance neither vpon the height of ones stature as God saith to Samuel but if any feare God and worke righteousnesse he is accepted of God Act. 10. To him will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words Esay 66. He that loueth me shall be loued of my Father and I will loue him c. Iohn 14. These and the like vertues doe please the Lord a thousand times more then either beauty or wealth or parentage or friends or the like for if he had respected these he would haue gone into the Kings Court not vnto Nazareth to one that was sued vnto and wooed by Princes not vnto such a one as was thought but a fit match for a Carpenter briefly to such a one as had Kings for her kinsmen and Queenes for her kinswomen and her familiars and withall great store of men-seruants and maid-seruants great store of gold and siluer and not to one that was destitute and vtterly voyd of all these outwards comforts and which could leaue her Sonne none inheritance no not the breadth of a foote Yet behold here the good pleasure of the Lord and his free election happy vnto the blessed Virgin most happy but to the eyes of all the world admirable This poore Maid so base in her owne eyes so little regarded in her neighbour-hood so generally obscure to all the world was called to that honour that neuer woman was called vnto nor shall be For she was made of God to kindle that Light within her which enlightneth euery one that commeth into the world to conceiue Him in her wombe that brought forth the whole world with a word of his mouth to giue him nourishmentâ— who openeth his hand and filleth all things liuing with plenteousnesse to moue and carry him about in whom we all liue moue and haue our being In a word she was made to bring him forth whose beginning was from euerlasting to swaddle and bind him who bindeth the earth together that it can neuer be remoued to giue him sucke that giueth her breath to help him that must saue her to be his Nurse Mother that was her Father Creator and Redeemer yea the Creator Redeemer of all the world And was this Beloued a small thing a small dignity preferment and had not her cousin Elizabeth cause to say vnto her Blessed art thou amoÌ„gst women and her selfe to reioyce with a spirituall reioycing for that henceforth all generatioâ—â—hoâ—â—d call her blessed And why this Because of her outward endowments No for you haue heard that these are no inducements to make God to fansie any body Or for her inward graces and vertues Indeed meekenesse gentlenesse humility chastity temperance piety c. which same were found in the blessed Virgin and did abound are such things as God did neuer despise or abhor Abhorre nay they smell more sweetly in the nostrils of the Highest then euer did the Garment of Esau vnto Isaack or then euer did the precious oyntment of the Priest that ranne vnto the beard euen vnto Aarons beard nay then euer did the same Reach nichoach the same Sacrifice the same smell of â—est wherewith the Lord shewed himselfe well pleased being offered by Noah Vertues therefore and good life be well liked in all and therefore in a person so accepted with God as was the blessed Virgin they must needs haue beene singularly well liked But was it for the worth and merit of them that she was so aduanced as she was O no for then man might boast of that which he hath receiued which yet the Apostle denies that he may 1. Cor. 4. Then flesh might reioyce in Gods sight which yet St. Paul denyeth that it may 1. Cor. 1. Then Election were of workes which yet the Apostle proueth to be of grace that is free and not of workes Rom. 11. Yea then the blessed Virginshould not haue sung My spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour But My spirit reioyceth in God my debtor Then she should not haue said For he regarded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the low â—state 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my vertue of humilitie yea and my other vertues Thirdly then she should not haue said His mercy is ouer them that feare him but His Iustice is toward them that obey him thorowout all generations Fourthly then the Angell should not haue said Feare not Mary for thou hast found fauour with God but Triumph Mary for thou hast had thy deseruing Lastly then the Church should not sing as it doth at the end of that Canticle the rest Glory be to the Father to the Sonne and to the holy Ghost but Glory be to the blessed Virgin and Inuocation and Offering and Pilgrimage and whatsoeuer seruice may be named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too for she prepared her heart to grace and so merited Ex congruo and she vsed the grace giuen as she ought to doe and so merited Ex condigno And lastly she obserued not onely the Commandements of God but also his Counsels and so merited for her selfe and for others too euen for all â—hem that will be her Beads-men Thus should â—heir song be agreeable to their Doctrine if they would deale plainely and if of the aboundance of their heart their mouth would speake And iâ—deed so they haue sung and taught in these later corrupt times nor soundly but superstitiously not superstitiously but blasphemously They haue made her their Aduâ—cate their Spokes-woman their Patronesse and is that the worst They haue made her Gods Almner Gods Steward Gods Treasurer which containeth in her the treasures of Wisedome and Power and Mercy and dealeth the same at her pleasure was this the worst They hâ—ue
which are couered with siluer their feathers with fine gold There is no resisting the Lord or his power he is stronger then you Gods will shall be done either by you or vpon you as Augustine saith If his Gospell proue not vnto you to be the sauour of life vnto life then it will proue the sauour of death vnto death Therefore let no man any longer despise him that speaketh bringeth vnto him the Gospell for if they escaped not that despised him that spake from earth that was the Minister of the Law much lesse shall any of vs escape if wee despise him that speaketh from heauen that bringeth the more heauenly Doctrine But some man will say If the Gospell be such power euen the power of God how can it be withstood Why be there any Recusants Why doth it not inforce all to embrace it I answere with Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and with Arnobius 2. contra Gentes Vis ergo est ista non gratia c. This were force not grace neither Princely liberalitie in God but a kind of childish and vaine emulation to get the mastery c. And with Tertullian in Apologet. Nemo se ab inuito coli vellet ne homâ— quidem There is not a man in the world but he despiseth forced seruice Indeed the Lord did not commend Zipporah for circumcising her sonne when she was thereto forced Neither yet Balaam for staying his iourney when he was therefrom letted by his Angell Thy people shall come willingly Psalme 110. This is thanke-worthy with God Et hoc ipsum quod fit rectum est si sit voluntarium Nothing is iust but that which is voluntary this is the common esteeme euen of men Therefore as Marius answered Silo Popedius when he braued him and challenged him saying If thou be a worthy Captaine Marius fight with me nay if thou be a worthy Captaine make me to fight with thee against my will So may God seeme to answer them that are so lusty with him as to say Shew the power of thy Gospell Let it make me beleeue whether I will or no Let it saue me whether I will or no Nay rather may God answer Doe thou shew that it is my honor to doe so as thou requirest Is it not enough that Gods wisedome doth reach from one end to another mightily and disposeth all things sweetly or commodiously 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisdome 8. That hee teacheth vs more then the beasts of the field as Iob saith That hee hath made vs after his owne Image and instilled into vs a reasonable soule That he giueth his Word plenteously great is the multitude of the Preachers In a word that he standeth at the dore and knocketh Open to me my Loue my Doue my vndefiâ—ed one c. What would you haue him to burst open the dores and come vpon you by force Indeed the Kingdome of heauen suffereth violence and the violent take it by force they that are violent and striue with might and maine to get it they are commended but when did God thrust it vpon any by force No he is debtor to none and therefore will be brought into subiection to none Therefore let no man so thinke of the power of the Gospell as that he be wanting to himselfe and looke for extraordinary illuminations and incitements and thinke it is no matter how seldome he heareth it but rather let him thus thinke of it that it is a power perswasiue not compulsiue alluring not enforcing and all that it doth it doth by the power of Gods Spirit which must be begged of the Father and by most ardent prayer and well vsed also that it be not grieued and fostered that it be not quenched And let so much be spoken of the first attribute that is giuen to the Gospell in my Text and what both Preacher and hearer ought to learne thereby Now the Apostle thinketh it not enough to commend it by its attribute but setteth downe the worthy act or efficacy thereof namely that it saueth To the same purpose speaketh Saint Iames Receiue with meekenâ—sse the Word that is grâ—ffed in you which is able to saue your soule It is an Art of Arts saiâ—h Gregory to rule soules And surely it is an act of acts a worke of workes to saue soules Is not the life more worth then meate saith Christ Is it to any purpose to winne the whole world and to lose his owne soule No God knoweth yet such is our vnhappinesse that we labour least for that meat that endureth to euerlasting life and care least to learne the skill to saue our soules The Latine Orator complaineth that there being so many Professors of Philosophy in his time as they were yet the most had rather Disâ—um audire quà m Philosophum And the Greeke Orator he complaineth in his time they chose rather to heare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most vile Comedie then most worthy Sentences But what speake I of naturall men The holy Prophet complaineth of his Country-men the people of God That they spent their mâ—ney and not for bread and their labour without being satisfied Esay 55. And so doth Ieremy That they forsooke God the Fountaine of liuing water and digged to themselues pits broken pits that would hold no water Ieremy 2. And so doth Saint Paul that some were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Louers of pleasure more then louers of God And our Sauiour Luk 12. That some did treasure vp to themselues and were rich but not in God If the Gospell had power to make vs rich or noble or mighty or to get the vpper hand of our Aduersaries or to saue preserue vs from sicknesse or misaduenturs c. then we would hearken to it a little better we would say How beneficiall are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of peace bring glad tydings of good things We would hang vpon the necke of the Preacher as they did vpon our Sauiour Yea wee would say with the woman of Samaria Sir giue mee of that water that I may not thirst Or with them in the 6. of Saint Iohn Lord giue vs eueâ— more this bread Money that is the thing that maketh a man said one while thou art poore thou art no body And Simonides by the report of Theodorit The best thing that a man can desire is health and the second thing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be well fauoured or discended the third is to be rich So that if Piety or knowledge of God will haue any place it must be cast at the Cartes taile and come after these This is the corrupt iudgement of sinfull flesh and blood though the holy Ghost doe seriously inculcate meat for the belly and the belly for meat and God shall destroy both And againe No mans life coÌ„sisteth in the multitude of the things that he possesseth and The fashion of this world vanisheth away and to be short That
we haue not here an abiding City but are to looke for another What account then shall we make of those things which we are not sure of while we liue here and we are sure to leaue when we depart hence A mans soule that is himselfe and that is true life not which lasteth for a day or two Who will make account of the life of a Summer Bird nay of a Summer flowre that is fresh to day and to morrow cut downe but that which abideth for euer Therefore giue me that Doctrine let me learne that which will saue my soule and that is the Gospell which we preach vnto you Socrates is thought to haue brought Philosophy downe from heauen because hee trained men to the study of vertue and to the reformation of their owne liues without embusying themselues so much to find out the naturall causes of things So Moses is commended to haue beene in speciall fauour with God for being trusted with the Law which is but a Schoole-master to Christ So Iohn Baptist is preferred to all the sonnes of men for pointing to our Sauiour more demonstratiuely then any other But now in the Gospell we may behold Christ with open face yea wee may taste Christ how good he is yea we may feele and feed vpon the vertue of his death the power of his resurrection the fellowship of his afflictions euen be changed into his Image nay be made partakers of his Diuine Nature 2. Pet. 1. And consequently be saued Therefore the Gospell that is the Doctrine of our Saluation by Christ should be our first study and our last our plaine-song and our discant it should be all in all vnto vs. If the vessell be saued though the wares be spoyled with the Sea-water or cast ouer ship-boord yet we may arriue vnto the hauen and there be in safety So if the field bee gotten by vs as Alexander told Parmenio our baggage horses will be recouered againe with aduantage So if a tree be sound at the root there is hope that it will sprout forth notwithstanding it should be lopped and shred neuer so much but now if it be rotten at the root then fare it well In like maner if the soule be safe if it liue by faith in the Sonne of God if it fight the good fight of faith and winne the field all other losses are not to be reckoned of wee are more then gainers more then conquerours but if the soule perish and it will perish except it be fed with the Word of the Gospell and it will make shipwracke if Christ sit not at the Sterne and it will be ouercome in the day of battell if Christ be not his Captaine his Sauiour his deliuerer then all the world is gone with vs it had beene good for vs if we had neuer beene borne One thing is necessary saith our Sauiour Mary hath chosen the better part That is the thing that will sticke by vs euen the fauour of God apprehended by faith in the Gospell when all the world besides can doe vs no good What may I doe to be saued That was the thing that the Gaoler in the Acts was desirous to learne when he was affrighted with the earth-quake c. Send men to Simon Peter hee shall speake words vnto thee whereby both thou and all thy housâ—hold shall be saued That is the true wisedome and knowledge that is the true blessing happinesse and without it nothing is worthy to be accounted of Therefore Beloued accept this the greatest fauour that God euer vouchsafed you that he hath reuealed his Sonne vnto you in the Gospell whereby you may learne to liue and beleeue in him and be saued by him euen saued perfectly not onely directed as the Pelagians taught not onely holpen as the Papists The Gospell is the power of God vnto Saluation and no lesse but now whom doth it saue or how doth it saue not by being tyed about the necke or carryed in the bosome for an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Sorcerers and silly superstitious people haue vsed the matter but being beleeued and embraced by faith If thou couldest beleeue all things are possible to the beleeuer saith Christ. The Word did not profit some because they did not mingle it with faith saith the Apostle Indeed the Gospell consisteth not in sound but in sense not in hearing but in beleeuing He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath euerlasting life he that obeyeth not the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Whereby we see that though faith be a free assent and perswasion assent to the truth of God perswasion of his goodnesse toward vs in his Sonne yet for all that we are not free nor at liberty whether wee will beleeue or no no for this is the worke of God which he especially requireth that we beleeue on him whom he hath sent except you beleeue surely you shall not be established and he that beleeueth not is condemned already because hee beleeueth not in the Name of the onely-begotten Sonne of God Therefore wee must not forget that the Apostle speaketh here expressely and precisely that the Gospell saueth such as beleeue them and none other For what if a man reuerence the vtter side of the Bible as if he were to handle a heauenly thing and care not for the contents thereof which fault Chrysostome noteth in some or doe put it to their head for the head-ake as Augustine witnesseth that some did in his time or doe make as much of it in outward semblance as the Iewes doe of the booke of the Law which they giue a good summe of money to be preferred to the handling of and doe bragge that they haue handled of the Tree of life for so they call it Gnets hachaijm What I say if we haue in singular esteeme the barke the rinde the sheath the superficies of the Gospell will that saue you No no as it maketh no matter how neere we come to God with our lippes if our hearts be farre off and as when the multitude thronged vpon our Sauiour yet one onely a woman that had faith touched him and as the most blessed Virgin her selfe was not so blessed for bearing Christ in her wombe as for beleeuing on him as Saint Augustin speaketh So if we meane to be saued by the Gospell we must bring faith to the hearing of it to the reading of it to the embracing of it to the digesting of it and without it we shall but deceiue our selues claspe the ayre in stead of a body feed vpon ashes in stead of bread imbrace a cloud in stead of Iuno as Ixion did Neither is Gods mercy in the Gospell the lesse free because it requireth the duty of faith to come now to the third point of my amplification for who will except against a mans charitablenesse because he saith to the poore man that craueth an almes Reach thy hand or hold open thy