after child-birth according to the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England performed not out of custome but out of conscience not to make the act of honourable mariage vncleane but to blesse God for deliuerance from so manifold perils is not a Iewish ceremonie but a Christian dutie the which I thinke distasteth onely such as haue either an ouer flowing of their gall or an outâ—weening of their wit The Law saith in the 12. of Leuiticus If a woman by the seed of man shall conceiue and beare a child she shall be reputed vncleane A susâ—â—pto semine pâ—perereâ— c. but the power of the most high ouer shadowed Mary Christ was conceiued in her wombe not by the polluted seed of man but by the vertue of the holy Ghost and so by consequence not tied vnto the law for as the lawyers say where the reason of a statute doth cease there the statute hath his end But the reason of the law concerning purification had no place in Mary being a pure Virgine both in her conception and in her childbirth also See S Ambros epist. 81. Auguâ—â—inâ— contra Iulian. lib. 1. cap. 2. de cum lib. 22. cap. 8. Thomas part â— quaesâ— 28. â—rt 2. Erasmus 〈…〉 de surâ—â—m Euchariâ—â— 1. b. â— cap. 6. That Christ might appeare to be man hee was bâ—â—â—â— of a woman and yet that he might appeare to be God he was borne of a Virgin 〈…〉 See Creed born of the Virgin and Epist. allotted for the Annunciation Mary then obserued the 〈◊〉 of purification as Bernard excellent â— not for her selfe but for our example Christ was circumcised for vs and Mary purified for vs he needed no Circumcision who was the end of Circumcision and she needed no purification as hauing conceiued by the holy Ghost yet hee did vndergoe the one and shee performe the other Hereby teaching vs to submit our selues vnto the present gouernment of the Church vnder which we liue teaching vs I say so farre to seeke the peace of Ierusalem as that wee should bee content to depart euen from our owne priuate right rather then in any sort scandalously preiudice the common good of the Church enduring rather a mischiefe in our selues then an inconuenience in the state Mary knowing obedience to bee better than sacrifice performed the rites of purifying albeit shee was not bound to the same But schismatikes in our daies enioyned to keepe the ceremonies of the Church euen by that law which saith expresly Let euery soule be subsed vnto superiour authority hold dissolutenesse a resolutenesse and breaking of ecclesiasticall orders a point of deuotion and piety shedding as it is said of Ioab the blood of warre in peace But if their zeale were such vnto the Gospell as Maries was to the Law they would rather wring themselues in the particular then wrong the Church in the generall I read in Plinâ— how two Goates meeting on a narrow bridge non vim sed viam fecere they did not make a way each other but make way one for the other as Mutianus an eye witnesse tels the tale the one lying downe on his bellie suffered the other to passe ouer his backe and so both escaped the danger of the ditch In the time of the Goâ—â—â— waâ—s I find also that a Romane souldior and a Barbarian casually falling into the same pit as they marched along the countrie were so farre from contending one with another as that they both agreed mutually to relieue each other and so necessity making them friends as Procopius reportes they were drawne out of that hell and safely deliuered againe to their Captaines and Companies I would to God the separatist â—â— case had so much good wit as the Goat or elseâ— much good will as the Goâ—h They brought him to Ierusalem to present him vnto the Lord as it is written in the Law of the Lord euery man-child that first openeth the matrix shall be called holy is the Lord Almighty God in deliuering his Israel out of Egypts bondage sinate all the first borne in the land of Egypt from the first borne of Pharaoh that sat on his throne vnto the first borne of the captiue that was in prison And therefore that his people might alway remember this benefit hee commanded in his law that they should consecrate all their first borne to him Exod. 13.2 For this reason is rendred by God himselfe Numb 8.17 All the first borne of the children of Israel are mine both of man and of beasts since the day I smote euery and horne in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myselfe Now Christ is the 〈◊〉 borne in many respects first in his Diuinity being Gods onely begotten sonne Secondly in his humanity being Maries first borne sonne for she bare none before him or after him Thirdly the first borne in grace for he was the first man borne which being offered vnto God was accepted of himselfe Fourthly in power being the first borne of the dead Fifthly the first borne for that all of vs are new borne through him And therefore though he were not tied vnto the rites of the law yet he suffered himselfe to be presented in the Temple for these reasons especially First to shew that the same God is author both of the Gospell and of the Law Secondly in that the Law giuer himselfe obeyed the law he reacheth all Princes to giue good example in obseruing their owne statutes For an Emperour faith Euagrius is not to be counted thereafter as he gouerneth other but as he ruleth and guideth himselfe making his life a light for his subiects to follow For this cause the chiefe Magistrates among the Romans had burning lamps carried before them Publica minurum rectum ibi conâ—tâ—t aquum Imperium cumrex quod suber ipse facit Thirdly he submitted himselfe vnto the law that hee might redeeme those that were vnder the law God became man that men hereby might bee made Gods He who was free became seruant vnto all to make all free Fourthly because the first borne presented in the Temple was a figure of Christ the first borne among many brethren Rom. 8.29 Fifthly that hee might auoid occasion of scandall among the Iewes and exhibite a patterne of meeknesse vnto all Sixthly that being presented in the publike Temple many good people might beare witnesse to him as here you see Simeon and Anna did Seuenthly that the world might be put in possession and sesin of the Sauior He was offered twice first in the Temple which is called his morning sacrifice then on the Crosse which is termed his euening sacrifice In the one he was redeemed in the other he did redeeme giuing himselfe for vs an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour to God Ephes. 5.2 By this precept of Moses and practise of Mary parents ought to learne that
not a locall but a personall distinction I and my Father saith Christ are one Ioh. 10.30 vâ—um of one substance not vâ—â—â— one person and therefore he saith not in the singular I and my father aâ— one but in the plural are onâ— The Sonne is alius then the Father not uliud and her person albeit not another essence non alius in natura sed alter in persona for it is written here the word was so with God as that it was God first said to be with God and then to be God signifying that the word was the same God with whom it was in the beginning Semper cum patre semper in patre semper apud patrem semper quoad pater Here then obserue concerning the word three points especially 1 When it was in the beginning 2 Where it was with God 3 What it was and the word was God The pith of all is that God the Son is a distinct person from God the Father and yet of the same substance with the Father equall in glory coeternall in Maiesty This one verse then ouerthroweth many blasphemous hereticks in the beginning confureth Ebimites and Cerinthians The clause was with God Sabellians and other denying a Trinitie in vnâ—â—ie that is a distinction of persoâ—s in the deity was God confoundeth Arians and all such as with 〈…〉 affirme that Christ was a meere man in the beginning with God all Ennemians and such as hold Christ to be but a temporall God by grace and not an eternall God by nature All thâ—ngs were made â—y it and without it was mâ—de no 〈…〉 made As the epistle doth expound the Gospell he â—â—d the 〈◊〉 of the earth and the hâ—auens are the works of his hands all things as well invisible as visible were created by him and for him he made whatâ—â—euer was made and it was exceeding good Genes 1.31 But Satan as hee is a deuill and sinne which came into the world by the suggestion of the deuill and and death also which is brought vpon man as a curse by sinne are not his workes And the reason is plaine because that which is euill is a nothing mali nutta natura est sed amissio boni quoth Augustine mali nomen accepit And Gregorie Nyssen Mali essentia in eo posita quod essentiam non habet euery good and perfect gift is from aboue comming downe from the father of lights and with him is no variablenesse neither shadow of ruâ—ning It a confert bâ—na quod non infert mala See S. Augustine tract 1. in Ioan Bibliothec. Sixt. Senen lib. 6. annot 174. Mclanâ— postil Eras. câ—nnot in loc The clause more proper to this Festiuall and most profitable for vs to be further examined is that the word became flesh and dwelt among vs c. And this was not by conuersion of the God head into flesh but by taking the manhood into God Naturam suscipiendo nostram non mutando suam Homo quippe Deo accessit non Deus à se recessit For in the word made flesh all the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth as the Scripture speaks bodily Col. 2.9 that is personally For albeit he be God and man yet is he not two but one Christ one not by confusion of substance but by vnitie of person For as the reasonable soule and flesh is one man so God and man one Christ. See Epist. Sund next before Easter The first newes of Christs actuall natiuitie was broached and brought into the world as we read in the second lesson appointed for this morning praier by the tongues of Angels and that with an ecce behold I bring you tidings of great ioy that shall be to all the people that is that vnto you is borne this day in the Citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. Reioice grandfather Adam for on this day according to the word of thy gratiou Creator the seed of thy wife Eua hath bruised the serpent-head reioice father Abraham for on this day in thy seed all the nations of the earth are blessed Ge. 22.18 Reioice King Dauid for on this day God hath fruit of thy body set a King vpon thy throne Reioice ye Prophets of the Lord for all your prophecies on this day were fulfilled Reioice yee that are sicke for on this day the Physitian of the world was borne Reioice yee Virgins for a Virgin on this day brought forth a sonne Reioice ye children for on this day the great God became a little babe Let all people reioice for that he who was in the beginning and as it is in the former lesson appointed for this morning praier an euerlasting father in the fulnesse of time was made of a women and wrapped in swadling clothes For that he who was the word became an infant not able to speake one syllable For thâ—t hee who was with God did vouchsafe to dwell among vs appearing in the shape of a man Philip. 2.7 For that hee who was God and therefore most mightie became flesh and so most weake for all flesh is grasse and the grace thereof as the flower of the field Esay 40.6 Saint Bernard preaching on this day said the shortnes of the time constrained him to shorten his Sermon and let none quoth hee wonder if my words be short seeing on this day God the Father hath abbreuiated his owne word for whereas his word was so long as that it filled heauen and earth it was on this day so short that it was laid in a manger I wish vnfainedly with the same deuout Bernard that as the word was made flesh so my stonie heart might be made flesh also that it might alway meditate on this heauenly Gospell Vnto you is borne this day in the Citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord For all our sound comfort stands in happinesse and all our happinesse is in fellowship with God and all our fellowship with God is by Christ. For God the Father if wee consider him in his iustice heares not sinners Iohn 9.31 He therefore remembring his mercie got as it were new eares and set them on our head Iesus Christ who being flesh of our flesh is such an high Priest as is touched with the feeling of our infirmities openly professing that hee came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Come to me all yee that are laden and I will ease you Mat. 11.28 Whatsoeuer yee shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you Iohn 16.23 If thou wert invited to some great wedding thou wouldest I am sure be very carefull what apparell to put on but if thou wert to be maried thy selfe thou wouldest be very curious in thine attire behold saith Augustine all of vs are bidden on this day to a marriage for Christ came out of
or metonymically vnderstanding by the world men of the world Mundus non capit idest non intelâ—git the world cannot comprehend that is apprehend the bookes that should be written A very lanke conceit for the world in this sense cannot vnderstand so much as one line of the Gospell according to that of Paul The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God Other take these words as spoken hyperbolically for the spirit of God accommodating it selfe to the rudenesse of men vseth elsewhere this kind of figure Deut. 1.28 The Cities of the Canaanites are said to haue been walled vp to heauen Exod. 3.17 The land of the same Canaanites is tearmed a soyle flowing with milke and honie Psal. 107. The men who goe downe into the sea in ships and occupie their businesse in great waters are so tossed in the deepe by the stormie winds and waues as that Dauid saith in the 26 vers They mount vp to the heauen and are carried downe againe to the depths And so S. Iohn in auowing the world could not containe c. doth intimate that if all the things which Iesus did should bee written euery one the number of the bookes in folio would be without number As high walles and huge waues are said to reach heauen euen so these bookes hyperbolically to be greater then all the world Other construe this verse literally Iesus is that eternall word in the beginning by whom all things were made Iohn 1.3 and by whose mighty word all things are sustained Heb. 1.3 working from the foundation of the world hitherto Iohn 5.17 So that if euery thing which Iesus did as God both afore the world and in the world should be registred all this huge vniuerse though it be Gods faire library could not containe the bookes that should be written And thus as you see the conclusion of this Gospell is answerable to the beginning both intimating Christs incomprehensible diuinitie Hee made the whole world at the first and hee gouernes all things in the world euer lithens and therefore most impossible that all his words and works and wonders should bee recorded in bookes albeit euery plant were a pen euery drop of water inke euery foot of land paper and euery liuing creature a ready writer The Disciplethen who wrote these things as Horace said of Homer hath so fitly disposed of his whole storie The Epistle APOCAL. 14.1 I looked and loe a Lambe stood on the mount Sion c. THis text is nothing else but a description of Christ a Lambe sitting on mount Sion The Church in quantitie an hundreth fortie and foure thousand qualitative for Faith in that her coÌ„fession is Open hauing his name and his fathers name written in their foreheads a voice like the sound of many waters and great thunder Harmonicall singing a new song of diuerse parts and yet all agreeing as the voice of harpers harping with their harps Good workes in that her children are not defiled with women and in their mouthes is no guile for they follow the Lambe whithersoeuer he goeth and the reason of all is because they were redeemed from the earth and from men that they might be the first fruits vnto God and to the Lambe A Lambe stood on the mount Sion Christ the Sonne of God is the Lambe of God euen the Lambe here mentioned as it is apparant by his correlatiue father For so the text hauing his name and his fathers a Lambe in figure and a Lambe in fact In figure for Christ Iesus is our Pascall Lambe 1. Cor. 5.7 slaine from the beginning of the world Apocal. 13.8 prefigured in the sacrifices of the Law so well as now presented in the Sacraments of the Gospell As one pithily Prius profuit quà m fuit A Lambe indeed so meeke as a Lambe Like a Lambe dâ—â—â—be before his shearer A Lambe for that hee feedeth all his with his flesh and clotheth all his with his white robe of righteousnesse whereby wee stand as it is in our text without spot before the throne of God And this Lambe sits not idle nor lieth asleepe but standeth alwaies in a readinesse to protect his followers He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleepe Psalm 121.4 Hee standeth not as the beast in fickle sand or sea but on mount Sion which cannot be remoued Psal. 125 1. In the middest of his inheritance the Church against which hell gates shall not preuaile For Sion is a type of Christs Kingdome called often in holy Scripture Ierusalem aboue prepared in the top of the mountaines and exalted aboue the hils He stands on a mount higher then either earth or sea from whence the two beasts his opposites arise So that he is willing to defend his followers as standing and able for that he stands on a mount and left any should doubt of this our Apostle saith I looked and loe Two words of attention assuring vs hereby that the woman persecuted in the wildernesse that is the Church afflicted in the world shall at the last haue the victorie though all the red Dragons on earth and al the blacke deuils in hel furiously rage together against the Lord and against his anointed And here giue mee leaue to remember an obseruable note touching the writings of S. Iohn how that in his Gospell he teacheth especially faith in his Epistles especially loue in his Apocalyps especially hope This booke being as reuerend Bellinger censure h Euangeliâ—â—ssineâ—ss liber of all holy Scripture the fullest of consolation And with him an hundred fortie and foure thousand This affoords comfort that the Lambe stands not alone but hath on his side many from East and West as well Gentiles as Iewes hauing his fathers name written in their foreheads It is thought by some that this number is mysticall insinuating the perfection of Gods elect because both the duodenarie number and millinarie are numbers of perfection It is a certaine number because the Lord knoweth who are his 2. Tim 2.19 as hauing their names written in his booke yet a definite for an infinite as almost all haue noted in that the number of such as are with the Lambe is a multitude which no man is able to number Apocalyps 7.9 it is in it selfe a very great number but in comparison of the company fauouring lies and following Antichrist it is a little flocke a few people which are redeemed from the earth selected out of those innumerable troops of small and great rich and poore bond and free whose names are not written in the booke of life of the Lambe Apoc. 13.8 16. Hauing his name and his fathers name written in their foreheads The vulgar Latine Aretas Ardens and other reade as the translation of Hen. 8 and our Communion booke His name and his fathers name the which is more significant then
salutations as sent from God and not according to the worlds fashion only For some speake friendly to their neighbors but imagine mischiefe in their hearts Iudas had an hade master as well as Gabriel an haile Mary Christians in their complements ought to be hearty not hollow See Gospell Sund. 4. after Trinity Haile the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth as Erasmus obserues gaudere saluere valere If wee take it in the first acception it is Gabriels giuing of the ioy to Mary Teaching vs to wish much ioy to the good and to labour for true ioyes in our selues alway reioycing in the Lord Philip. 4.4 If in the two latter health is a good blessing of the Lord to bee desired in our owne selues and for our other selues in this world without which all our whole life is but a lingring death O Lord grant thy seruant health and heauen It was good for Dauid that he was in trouble so likewise it is good for the health of our soule that our body bee sometime sicke Affliction is the true purgatorie of the flesh infirmit as carnus vigoremmentis exacuit Vpon this ground Plato scared his Academie at Athens in an vnhealthy place We must especially wish haile to the soule praying alwaies Vi sit mens sâ—na in corpore sano The Lord with thee Some construe this clause by way of enunciation affirmatiuely the Lord is with thee Other imprecatorâ—e by way of a good wish or salutation the Lord be with thee They who take this affirmatiuely make it a reason of Maries haile reioyce Mary because full of grace because the Lord is with thee because blessed among women God is in beat is per gloriam in electis per gratiam in assumpta carne per vnionem in omnibus per prouidentiam sed in virgine per supereminentem quandam opâ—ratiouem As if Gabriel should haue said I am sent from God and so the Lord is with me but he is with thee much more The Lord is in mee because hee made mee but with thee because within thee because he shall bee borne by thee Is a domenies est secum â—t is in corde tuo sit in vtero tuo adempleat mentem tuam adempleat carâ—â—m 〈◊〉 God the son is with thee for thou shalt conceiue him in thy wombe God the holy Ghost is with thee for the holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most highest all ouershadow thee God the father is with thee making his sonne thy sonne Demmus silim tecum quem câ—t ne tua induâ—â— dominus spiritus sanctus de quo concipis dominus pater qui genuit quem concipis But I follow their iudgement which vnderstand this imprecatorie because the blessed Virgin her selfe tooke it so vers 29. She cast in her mind what manner of salutation that should bee ergo all the words spoken by Gabriel vnto her hitherto were salutatorie Blessed art thou among women In comparison or aboue other women happie The like phrase is vsed Iudg. 5.24 Iael the wife of Heber the Kenite shall be blessed aboue other women It doth insinuate that Mary was highly fauoured of God as also that she shall be praised of men throughout all generations Elizabeth expounds Gabriel in this present chapter at the 4â— verse Blessed art thou among women because the fruit of thy wombe is blessed and Bernard expounds Elizabeth Non quia tu benedicta ideo benedictus fructus ventris â—â—i sedâ—yâ—tia ille te praeuenit in benedictionibus dulcedinis ideo â—ubenedâ—cta Mary was blessed of God in that she was chosen to bee the mother of God Other women haue bin and are the daughters of God but Mary was both a daughter and a mother The one is a speciall fauour the other a singular honour and Mary was blessed in respect of both Albeit we doe not beare Christ bodily yet if wee spiritually beare him in our heart by faith it is a great mercy which wee must acknowledge both in our selues and others For he that doth the will of God is a brother and a sister and a mother vnto Christ. As Mary was highly graced of God so she was and is and shall bee magnified of men And from hence we may learne that there is a time to commend so well as to condemne namely 1. when the party praised needeth encouragement 2. when his gifts extolled are most excellent and eminent as in Mary fulnesse of grace 3. When he that is commended hath the grace to giue the glory to God acknowledging himselfe to be freely beloued therfore blessed 4. When the party praising doth it as Gabriel heere not to flatter men but to magnifie God I haue spoken of three remarkeable persons in this Gospell of the party sending God of the party sent Gabriel and Angel of the party to whom he was sent A Virgin whose name was Mary full of grace blessed among women It remaineth I should now treate of the partie to whom all this annunciation was and that is man For all this was said and all that followeth in our text was done for vs men and our saluation I will heere briefly glosse this Gospell in the words of Bernard Felix est qui mittiter felix à quo mittitur felix ad quam mittitur vt home fiat felix pro quo mittitur Wee beseech thee Lord powre thy grace into our hearts that as we haue knowne Christ thy sonnes incarnation by the message of an Angel so by his Crosse and passion wee may bee brought vnto the glory of his resurrection through the same Christ our Lord. Amen The Epistle ACTS 10.34 Peter opened his mouth and said of a truth I perceiue that there is no respect of persons with God c. THe summarie pith in this accurate speech of saint Peter vnto Cornelius is that all men indifferently whether they be Iewes or Gentiles haue remission of their sinnes by faith in Christ which is Lord ouer all things and ordained of God to bee the iudge of all men quicke and dead The whole sermon is diuided into three parts A Proeme vers 34.35 wherein obserue what is said for the matter there is no respect of persons with God c. how it is said for the manner Peter opened his mouth and said of a truth I perceiue Narration ye know the preaching c. Wherein S. Peter catechizeth his auditour Cornelius in the chiefe points of holy beleefe concerning the doctrine verse 36.37 of Iesus Christ. miracles vers 38. of Iesus Christ. life vers 39. of Iesus Christ. death ibid. of Iesus Christ. resurrection vers 40.41 of Iesus Christ. comming to iudgement v. 42. of Iesus Christ. Confirmation by production of witnesses new the blessed Apostles v. 39. Wee are witnesses of all things which he did c. and such witnesses as were chosen before of God vers 41. old the holy
are written for our comfort for if these great pillars of the Church had such a shake let vs not despaire though happily sometime many mountaines of distrust arise in our troubled harts Assure thy selfe thou hast a good measure of faith if thou feele want of faith As a woman that seeleth the mouing of the child in her body though very weake assureth her selfe that she hath conceiued and goeth with child so if wee haue these good affections and vnfaigned desires of faith in our soule if hungring and thirsting after righteousnes wee say with the man in the Gospell I beleeue Lord help mine vnbeleefe let vs not in any case doubt but that we haue the holy spirit who is the giuer of these godly motions dwelling in vs and so consequently that wee haue true faith It is said Psalm 10.19 that the Lord heareth the desire of the poore yea that he fulfilleth the desires of all such as feare him Psalm 145.19 It is sufficient then in the middest of any grieuous tentation if thou truly desire to repent and beleeue For God accepting the will for the deed taketh a heart desirous to repent and beleeue for a penitent and a beleeuing heart indeed It is recorded in the 20. chapter of S. Iohns Gospell that Mary Magdalene seeking Christ at his sepulchre found afore the felt him He talked with her and stood high her and comforted her and yet the text saith at the 14 verse she knew not that it was Iesus In like fort the spirit of Christ is sometime present with vs and within vs helping our infirmities albeit we haue little sight or sense therof he is a secret friend and doth vs often most good when we least perceiue it Saint Thomas here said we know not the way nor whither thou goest and yet truth it selfe anowed the contrary whither I goe ye know and the way ye know They knew the way but they did not know that they knew saith Augustine Sciebant 〈◊〉 sed se scire nesciebant See the long of S. Simeon and the grace of our Lord c. in the Liturgie I am the way the truth and the life That is as Ferus Exorduins salutis ergo via medium salutis ergo veritas finis salut is ergo vâ—a The beginning of heauenly happinesse and therefore the way the meane and therefore the truth the end and therfore the life 〈◊〉 incipientium veritas â— oficientium vita perfectoruus Or as Euthymius if I am the way then I am able to bring you to the man ieâ—s in my fathers house if the truth I he not in sâ—ying I goe to prepare a place for your if the life then neither Angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor death it selfe shall separate you from me but I will receiue you to my selfe that where I am there ye may be also Or as Leo the great The conuersations sancte veritas doctrine diuine vita beatiâ—udinis sempiterne The which is expressed by S. Bernard in these words elegantly Via in example verita promise vita in premio The 〈◊〉 in my workes and the truth in my words and the life in my rewards Via ducens veritas listens vita pascens With such as waÌ„der in a bie way I am the high way to such as are doubting in the way I am the truth vnto such as are wearied vnto heir heauie burthen in their courses I am the life Or as Cyril vpon the place for as much as we shall ascend to the mansions in Gods house by faith hope charity of all which onely Christ is the donor he may be tearmed the way for giuing vs an example that we should loue one another as he hath loued vs that truth in deliuering such infallible rules of faith the life by coÌ„forting vs with an assured hope that we shal one day raign with him in his fathers house for euermore Thus Christ is via in qua per charitatem ambulare veritas cui per sidem adhaerere vita ad quaÌ„ per speÌ„ attolli de bemus or as Aug. Christ is the truth the way qua itur the life quo itur And in another place Permi v nitur ad me prouenitur in me permanetur in me Other taking this phrase for an hebraisme construe it thus I am the true way leading to life which is euerlasting Or I am the way to truth and life making truth and life but Epitheta to way Or I am the way and the true light going before you in the way to life as hee doth expound himselfe in the words immediately following No man commeth to the father but by me called else where the light as well as here the life which occasioned Bernard to say Nos populus â—uas oues pascus tue sequamur te per te ad te I will end this obseruation with a meditation of S. Ambrose Ingrediamur banc viam reneamus veritatem vitam sequamur Via est que perducit veritas est que confirmat vita qua per se redditur Suscipe nos domine quasi via confirma quasi veritas vinifica quasi vita nam in te sumus vinimus mouemur mouemur quasi in via sumiu quasi in veritate viuimus quasi in vita eterna This one sentence doth afford many comforts vnto troubled hearts if Christ bee the way to life there is none other name whereby we must be saued Aliter qui vadit cadit If the truth all other religions opposite to the Christian faith are â—ither ignorant fantasies or else arrogant heresies It the life let vs nor despaire in death â—ur redeemer hueth he which is the resurrection and the life shall at the last day raise our vile bodie making it like his glorious body receiuing vs to himselfe that where he â— in his fathers house there wee may be also The Epistle Acts. 1.1 In the former treatise O Theophilus wee haue spoken of all that Iesus began to â—ive and teach IN this History of S. Luâ—e two points are more principally remarkeable namely the Context or connexion of this treatise with his Gospell vers 1.2 Text or narration it selfe throughout the rest of the whole booke diuided into two portions 1. Generall as setting downe the acts of all the blessed Apostles in the twelue former chapters 2. Particular as containing more specially the acts of S. Paul in the sixteene latter chapters In the former treatise Saint Luke hauing alreadie penned a tract of all that Iesus did and taught He commeth in this present history to shew what his Apostles did and taught declaring at large that their doings and doctrine were conformable to the workes and words of their master These two treatises howsoeuer dedicated vnto one man are notwithstanding parted into two volumes