doth not say the words I haue spoken a little before but the wordes I doe speake are spirit and life and therefore are my flesh For euen as that which containeth a mans spirit and life is his flesh euen so saith our Sauiour that which containeth my spirit and life is also my flesh So that by this short sentence he exhorteth all men to the reading of his word Wouldest thou be partaker of Christs life and spirit then eate his flesh that is read his word muse and meditate therein day and night And no doubt beleeue the saying of thy Sauiour his wordes he hath spoken shall be spirit and life vnto thee Thus we may sée how Ferus doctrine most manifestly agrées with the doctrine of our Sauiour Manie for want of eating of this flesh which feede their bodies daintily with the flesh of fishes and foules at this daie haue faint and pined soules nay dead soules void of the life and spirit of Iesus Christ In Mat. cap. 7. Ferus also of the certaintie of our saluation and of the sufficiencie of the Scriptures writes thus What saith he do men so greatly desire as securitie How much would the Emperor of Rome giue that he might be safe from his enemies How much would euery iust man reioice if he were certaine of his estate if he knewe that he should neuer fall how greatly would euery sinner reioyce if safetie were assured him against death hell But all these things doe Christs words onely performe This saith Ferus But the Romane Correctors in their copie do command to put out onely They are loth that so much should bee attributed to the Scriptures Of the sanctification also of the sabboth In cap. Mat. 22 Ferus hath this notable lesson The chiefest worke of the sabboth saith he is to cease from thine owne workes and to giue place that God may worke his in thee that is faith charitie patience longanimitie chastitie The second worke is that we apply our selues to doe good workes and to meditate in the Law of God to heare the word of God to pray in spirit and truth Especially therefore the word of God is to be heard without which there is no hallowing of it know that this is commanded thee of God that thou heare his word and keepe it and of this he will require an account of thee in the day of iudgement Neither is it enough for thee to heare it once or twise vnlesse thou heare it often The Diuell is euer assaulting thee and thou must euer by the word of God resist him by which alone he is ouercome Againe thou must meditate of the word of God or els thou hearest in vaine And two things especially are to be meditated out of the word of God that is to say our sinnes and Gods goodnesse And by these two as in Iacobs ladder sometime we must descend into our selues and sometime ascend vnto God Thus farre Ferus If this be true how hallowed they the Lords sabboth in the daies of our forefathers when Gods word was neuer or seldome preached to them If this be true that we should meditate on this Law of God then must we know it And here the Romane addition to Ferus detractes from the word of God againe that dignitie which Ferus giues to it By which alone saith he the Diuell is conquered but they blot out alone Of voluntarie religion Ferus writes thus Then In cap. 4. Ioh. their worshippings had not the warrant of the word of God and how can then they be certaine or sure to please God for they onely followed their owne reason and the examples of the fathers For thus they reasoned with themselues If an earthly or fleshly calfe pleased God offered at Ierusalem how much more shall a calfe of gold seeing it is more precious lasteth longer Also if it were lawfull for our holy fathers to worship God in this mountaine why is not the same lawfull for vs But in the worship of God neither mans reason neither the examples of the fathers but Gods word are to be followed Thou shalt not doe saieth he that which seemeth good in thine owne eies but that I command Here Ferus sets downe the only true and certaine ground of Gods true worshippe that is the word and commandement of God Here the reason of man or the examples of the fathers are denied to bee sure grounds of Gods worshippe and yet the Papistes doe builde their faith on these Dom. 1. Sexag Of the Scriptures also Philippus de Dies writes thus The matters which faith teacheth are so excellent that no mans wit be it neuer so sharpe and subtile can attaine vnto them for if it could then it were no faith And therefore to obtaine this faith we must heare the word of God as the Apostle exaggerates saying howe shall they beleeue in him which they haue not heard And after he concludes saying Faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God And so it appeareth how to the obtaining of faith it is necessarie to heare the word of God Behold how God which is the fruit which we hope for is not obtained without charitie and charitie is not obtained without faith and faith is not obtained without the preaching of the word of God And therefore for the verie great agreement and likenesse that it hath the Lorde called his worde seed What other doctrine doe we teach at this day here in England of the necessitie of hearing and knowing the worde of God In 3. cap. ad Col. Theodore also vpon that place of the Apostle to the Colossians Let the word of God dwell plentiously among you writes thus The olde law also commanded the daily meditation and studie of Gods word Thou shalt meditate in them saith the Lawe sitting at home in thy house rising vp also and lying vpon thy bed and going in thy iourney This thing the Apostle commandeth that we should also carrie about with vs the doctrine of the Lord and that we should praise him and that we should sanctifie him with our tongues with spirituall songs That phrase also in your hearts is as much to say As not in your mouthes onely That same note which the Hebrew text yéelds in that same Psalme we vse daily to repeat is worth marking Psal 95. v. 7. In the Hebrew it is thus Because he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and sheepe of his hands If to day you will heare his voice Here is the full point in the Hebrew text and here endes the verse and not where the common translation appoints it to ende So that then we are his people and shéepe of his pasture Here are great priuiledges such as none could be wished greater such as euerie man would desire to be partaker of But as euery one desires to be partaker of these priuiledges and blessings so let him as well marke the infallible and most plaine
by and by ought to follow exhortation and interpretation thereof So Paul saith There is but small profit if they speake with tongues in the congregation and doe not also prophesie and expound Here also marke that prophesiing is not to be despised that the interpretations iudgements of others in expounding the Scriptures are to be heard Héere we maie sée as in a little mappe the whole summe of Christian religion and the markes of the true Church The true Church solemnizeth the Lords Sabboth in preaching and hearing his word And without this saith Ferus there is no sanctifying of the Sabboth at all And if this be true in the thicke darknesse of Poperie where Gods word was neither preached nor heard nor meditated on there was no Sabboth kept Nay euen in our daies there are manie Catholikes which thinke they keepe holy the Sabboth verie religiouslie and yet will not come to the Church to heare Gods word And all such Ferus tels that they prophane the Sabboth and kéepe no sabboth at all Againe he teacheth that the onlie weapon to ouercome the diuell is the word of God Then no doubt the diuell was a great conqueror when as no man almost had this sword in his hand he had made as great a conquest of Christians soules as Sisera had made of the bodies of the Iewes of whom being now by her conquered Deborah sings thus They chose new gods then warre was in the gates Iud. 5.8 Was there a speare or shield found among fortie thousand of Israel So dealt Sisera with Israel and so dealt Sathan with Christians he depriued them of their weapons to kéepe them more surely in his obedience Can he be a mans friend that takes his weapon from him in the midst of most raging and cruell enemies But this hath the Church of Rome done she hath taken the Scriptures which Saint Paul calles the sword of the Spirit Ephes 5.16 1. Pet. 5.8 from the hands of the lay people and the diuell is called of Peter A roaring lyon seeking whom he may deuoure In the true Church saith Ferus Gods word is read and not any fancies of man Paul himselfe sits and heares the word of God and therefore no Christian people must thinke scorne to do it And that after the reading preaching ought to follow and that not only works but faith also must be taught These are the markes of the true Church by Ferus iudgement And whether the Church of Rome haue had these in her or not let euerie man iudge In cap. 15. Act. Againe of Christian religion he writes thus vpon these words Why go you about to lay a yoke The second reason is that it is not lawfull for the Apostles to put a yoke vpon the consciences of men which the Lord hath not put for he that doth so tempteth God It is the dutie of the Apostles to preach the Gospel that is glad tidings and not like tyrants to rule ouer mens consciences Let those Bishops marke these words of Peter which make our religion which the mercie of God would haue free in the fewnesse and manifestnesse of her seruices a bondslaue with their burthens they lay vpon it so that the Iewes are in far better case then we who were subiect to the ceremonies of the law and not to mans deuises And Augustine writes thus to the questions of Iamarus c. Euery true Catholike maie marke here how he toucheth the pope who taketh vpon him to rule ouer mens consciences and euen to loade them with his decrees and constitutions And because the Papists brag much of their generall Councels let vs mark how Ferus there describes a true generall Councell vpon these words And when there had beene great dissension See how wisely they deale in the matter They doe not rashly pronounce sentence but they weigh euerie thing For in matters of faith which touch the consciēce it is not enough to say We will and command Marke therefore how the Apostles assembled themselues together They came together plainely they seek for nothing else but the glorie of God they desire the saluation of others To conclude they weigh all things wisely What maruel is it then if the holy Ghost were in this Councell according to the promise of the Lord Where two or three are gathered together c. We come together otherwise with great pompe and state we seek to maintaine our owne glorie and estate and we perswade our selues that we may do any thing by the fulnesse of our authoritie And how can the holy ghost allow such assemblies c He toucheth the Popes state pride He thinks that the holie Ghost will not guide such proud and stately assemblies Againe of the conclusion and doctrine of that Councell he writes thus vpon these words Which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare The law is an intollerable burthen because it requires not onely our hand but also our heart Secondly because it conuinceth vs to be sinners For wee doe euer more against the lawe then according to the law And also those things we do according to the law wee do them imperfectly but by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ we do beleeue to be saued A conclusion and a knitting vp of the matter both very godly and Apostolike that by the grace of Christ both Iewes and Gentiles are saued and not of their merits For only Christ sufficeth to all so that the law profiteth nothing to the Iewes to their saluation for euen they are saued by grace not by the law so farre against all reason is it that any man should impose those things to the Gentiles which profited not the Iewes themselues And to this end were the Epistles of Saint Paul written to the Romans and to the Galathians And our saluation is called the grace of Christ because he hath deserued it for vs. Let them therefore bragge of their merits we will seeke the glory of God Thus farre Ferus Here is the true Church put downe and her doctrine the milke she giues her children That onely the grace of Iesus Christ saues not merits She that brags of her merits and trusts in them is the strumpet is the whore is not the true Church and the spouse of Iesus Christ by Ferus his iudgement And whereas it is obiected of some against the Gospell that since the preaching thereof heresies haue sprung vp in the world and that before the Church was in peace let vs marke how Ferus answereth that obiection vpon these words Ferus in cap. 13. Act. And he resisted them Behold the combat saith he of truth and falshood This combate euer hath beene and will be God spake but one word in Paradise and by and by came the serpent which resisted it Moses being sent into Egypt found there sorcerers which withstood him The Prophets euer had false Prophets opposite vnto them Christ comming into the world found aduersaries The same thing
he is the propitiation of our sinnes But this propitiatorie is but a cubit and a halfe it is limited 2. Cor. 6.2 Heb. 3.15 Ma. 25.12 Gen. 6.3 Io. 3.4 it is not infinite Now is the accepted time saith saint Paul now is the day of saluation He that comes not to day and heares his voice but hardens his heart if he come the next day with the foolish virgins shall be excluded The olde world had a hundreth and twentie yeeres to repent in and Niniuie fortie daies Vers 20. And the Cherubims shall stretch their wings on hie couering the mercie seat with their wings and their faces one to another To the mercie seat ward shall the faces of the Cherubims be The Cherubims stretch out their wings ouer the mercie seate and so ouer the whole arke to teach vs that all Angels attend vpon Iesus Christ are his seruants to defend his Church as he himselfe witnesseth to Nathaniel Io. 1.50.51 And Iesus answered and said vnto him because I said vnto thee I saw thee vnder the figge tree beleeuest thou thou shalt see greater things thē these And be said to him Verily verily I say to you hereafter shal ye see heauen open the Angels of God ascending descending vpon the son of man Cyril in 2. ca. Io Heb. 1.14 1. Pet. 1.2 ◠as Cyrill expounds it at his commaundement ascending descending for the saluation of the faithful as S. Paul also witnesseth Are they not al ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes which shal be heirs of saluatiō And they turne their faces to the mercie seate because as Peter saith they which haue preached the gospell by the holy ghost sent downe from heauen haue preached such pretious things as the Angels desire to behold And thou shalt put the mercy seat aboue vpon the Arke and nothing else Vers 21. The true Arke of God then must alone worship Iesus Christ and for his sake hope for mercie at Gods hands only Vers 21. Exod. 16.34 Deut. 10.2.31.26 1. King 8.9 Heb. 9.4 Io. 6.33 Rom. 10.9 And in the Arke thou shalt put the testimonie I will giue thee Euery member of the true Church must haue those thrée things which after were put in the Arke in his heart that is the law of God which was contained in the two tables A Gomer of Mannah that is Iesus Christs incarnation for he is the true Mannah that came down from heauen And Aarons rod that budded that is his death and resurrection So that he that hath all these in the closet of his heart shall be saued and is Gods Arke and is no doubt a member of the true Church And there I wil declare my selfe vnto thee Verse 22. from aboue the mercie seate betweene the two Cherubims which are vpon the Arke of the testimonie I will tell thee all things which I wil giue thee in commandement vnto the children of Israel From this mercie seat procéeds all Gods spéeches with vs Iosuah 7. Exod. 12.13 2. Cor. 4.1 Lam 3.22 here he heares all our prayers Of his mercie he passed ouer the houses of the Israelites when as he destroyed the Egyptians Of his mercie Paul became an Apostle It is the Lords mercie saith Ieremy that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not The table also being couered all with gold Verse 23. Leuit. 24.5 being placed in the Tabernacle whereon the shew bread or as it is called in the Hebrew the bread of faces was set Verse 29. which loaues were changed euerie sabbaoth and the crowne of gold round about the table and the instruments for the table as dishes incense cups and gobblets and the pure incense that was put vpon them what doe all these signifie but the ministerie the preaching of the Gospell The crowne about the table signifies how glorious the preaching of the Gospell shall be 2. Cor. 3.7 If the ministration of death saith S. Paul written with letters and engrauen in stone was so glorious that the children of Israel could not behold the face of Moses for the glorie of his countenance which glorie is done away how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be much more glorious The word of God also may fitly be called the bread of faces For God himselfe séeth both his stewards that distribute this bread and his seruants that receiue it And at that great day of account he shall pronounce that steward blessed Luk. 12 4◠that hath giuen meat to his family in due season And again those seruants which haue receiued much of them shall much be required Luk. 12.48 Esa 35.11 not a crum of this bread shall be lost not one word of God shall returne to him emptie it shall be either the sauour of life or of death 2. Cor. 2 1◠And this bread was renewed euery sabboth Still bread was set vpon the table but new bread euerie Sabboth day to teach faithfull Pastors that they should euerie Sabbath day preach and breake this bread of life to their flockes Luk. 4.16 So we read of our Sauiour that as his custome was he taught the people euerie sabbath day to leaue all faithfull Pastors a patterne to follow And these loaues were set in order six on one side and sixe on another to teach vs that the word of God hath meat fit for al states conditions of men Psal 2.10 Psal 82.2 Rom. 13.1 Iam. 5.13.7 Act. 2.42 Ios 6.10 for all times and seasons for kings and euen for meanest subiects for the time of prosperitie and of affliction The pure incense placed vpon these loaues declares that we must ioyne prayers with preaching and that our prayers must bée grounded on Gods word In the ouerthrow of Iericho the people should shout but when Iosuah appointed them so in their spirituall warfare must all the souldiers of Iesus Christ not shout nor pray no otherwise then he appointeth The frankinsence must be put vpon the loaues because prayer and hearing the word preached must be ioyned together He that turneth away his eares from hearing the law saith Salomon his prayers be abominable Prou. 2◠9 The dishes also and Goblets and cuppes which were made as instruments for the table declare the diuers states and conditions of men which should be in Christs Church and the diuersities of their gifts 1. Cor. 12.4 Matt. 12.4 1. Pet. 2.5 Reu. 1.6 Exod. 26.31 Rom. 15.4 And that the Priests should only eat of that bread signifies that all Christians should bee Kings and Priests and should now be partakers of those heauenly dainties And this Table should be placed toward the North to teach vs that the Scriptures were written as S. Paul witnesseth that through patience and comfort of the scriptures we might haue hope They are the only table of refreshing Ephes 6.15 amongst the cold and Northren blasts of this life We must bee shod with the shooes of
the beast And doth not the Angell preach the euerlasting Gospell againe at the fall of Antichrists kingdome and at the reedifying of the Church of Christ to all nations kinreds tongues and people As though he had corrupted all these And is then Vniuersalitie if these bée true as they are most true an infallible note of the Church The name also that the Apostle giues to Antichrist declares who he is 2. Thes 2.8 he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without law whom no lawe will bind who will dispense with Gods word And he shall sit in a chaire vers 4. and not be vexed with Elias and Enoch as the Papists following the Iewish opinion héerein do teach And hath not the Pope of long time done so till of late God hath reuealed him and taken the vizard of counterfeit holinesse from his face Antiquitie which they make the second mark of the Church were of some force if it be sincere and pure For that saying of our Sauiour against the Iewes Matt. 19.8 is an vndoubted Maxime of true Christian religion From the beginning it was not so But as Antichrist counterfeited holinesse so he also counterfeited Antiquitie He made Gods people beléeue that all his trish trash was frō the beginning lying like the Gibeonits to Iosuah of their old bread and bottles whereas they were inuented but yesterday and of no great antiquitie at all Ios 9.13 So the blind and superstitious Iewes vrged antiquitie against our Sauiour Christ Art thou greater then our father Abraham Ioh. 8.53 whom makest thou thy selfe And thou art not yet fiftie yeares olde and hast thou seene Abraham Thus they séeme to vrge him with antiquitie But he answered them Before Abraham was I am So the woman of Samaria could saie to Christ Ioh. 4.12 Art thou greater then our father Iacob that gaue vs this well and hee himselfe dranke thereof and his cattell and his children So the old Prophet 1. King 13.14 with his graie haires beguiled the man of God But we must cleaue to the word of God whatsoeuer séems old without this is not old it is copper it is no gold The word of God is the true and only touchstone it onlie endures for euer 1. Pet. 1.25 Gen. 4.26 Succession also of how small force it is the historie of Adam teacheth Enoch began to call vpon the name of the Lord. Adams posteritie as it should seeme till his daies Gen. 11.15 had forgotten this And Heber also teacheth the same which after Enoch his planting of it was quite againe rooted vp and remained in the familie of Heber who not agreeing to go with those wicked Idolaters to build the tower of Babel as some thinke his tongue being not diuided gaue the name to the Hebrue tongue Iud. 2.10 After the daies of Iosuah and the Elders which were in his dayes how soone did the next generation forsake the true worship of God For thus it is written And so all that generation was gathered vnto their fathers and another generation arose after him which neither knew the Lord nor yet the works that he had done for Israel Then the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord and serued Baalim And do we thinke our generations without Gods speciall grace to be more sound then they So Manasses the sonne of good Ezechias 2. Chron. 24.2 became a most notable Idolater And euen in the newe Testament that we should not looke for anie better succession Act. 20.29 Saint Paul told the Church of Ephesus that he knew that after his departing should grieuous wolues enter in which should not spare the flocke And Saint Peter tels all Christians in his Catholike Epistle That as there were false Prophets among the people of the Iewes 2. Pet. 2.1 so shall there bee false teachers among thē many shal follow the way of their damnable heresies That mystery of Peters death which our Sauiour told him may haue a good spirituall sense that when he is olde another shall draw him whither he would not Ioh. 21.18 And doth not the Pope so Who saith he is his successour teaching doctrines contrarie to his doctrines in his Epistles Ferus describes the notes of the true Church vpon these words Ferus in 9. cap. Act. The Churches had rest through all Iurie Galile and Samaria and were edified and walked in the feare of the Lord were multiplied by the comfort of the holy Ghost He often repeates and beates into our heads with what goods and riches the Primitiue Church was famous to our shame which seek nothing but earthly things And wee thinke wee haue verie well prouided for the Church if it abound in riches and riot And after vpon these words They entred into the Synagogue The examples of Christian life may be gathered out of this Text. In cap. 12. Act. First they enter into the Synagogue they teach not in corners For he that doth the truth comes vnto the light Secondly thou seest heere that the Iewes on their Sabboths came together to heare the law and for that cause especially the Sabboth was ordained And therefore hee saith not on the Sabboth thou shalt be idle but that thou shalt keep it holy For the day is holy in it selfe but it ought also to be holy vnto vs which then it is when wee cease from doing euill works giue our selues to those which be good and especially to the hearing and meditation of the law of God without which it is not kept holy at all Neither is it sufficient for thee to haue heard once vnlesse thou heare often For the diuell is euer in assaulting thee thou must euer resist him with the word of God by which alone he is ouercome And also thou must meditate in the word of God or else thou hearest in vaine Thou must meditate also of thine owne sinnes and of Gods blessings these things also wee must doe in keeping and sanctifying our Sabboth Thirdly he saith that they sate downe Behold also Paul himselfe sits downe amongst others and heares the law he doth not intrude himselfe rashly or foolishly but with silence hee waites till opportunitie was offered to him of preaching The which thing makes verie much against the despisers of the Scriptures and haters of vocall preachings Fourthly after saith he the reading of the law and the prophets Thou seest here that the word of God not mans fancies was read Thou seest also that they did not only teach the law that is works but the Prophets also that is faith for both these are verie profitable and necessary to saluation Fiftly they sent vnto them Paul did not speake but being commaunded least he should seem to any to be presumptuous against those which cannot hold their peace as Elihu in the booke of Iob. Sixtly he said Men and brethren Thou seest that after the reading of the law and Prophets that
light to our paths in whatsoeuer we shall goe about or take in hand We saie O good Iesu which for our sakes was content to bee bound with coards giue vs also grace that wee maie be bounde with the coards and commandements of thy law and that wee cast them not awaie as the wicked doe who said Let vs breake their bonds in sunder and cast away their coards from vs. Psal 2.3 Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Psal 19.5 The sunne euerie daie as we sée runned his most swift and stéepe race without wearinesse The earth yéelds not onlie her flowers to delight vs but her fruits also to feede vs yea she openeth her verie bowels to doe vs good the seas and the waters also neuer stand still Gen. 4 9. Ier. 5.12 in the beginning they receiued a law that they should kéepe them within their bounds and not couer the face of the earth 1. Kin. 17.4 against their nature and yet euen to this daie they obeie it God commanded the greedie Rauens to feed Elias and they obeied his commandement To conclude all creatures obeie the will and commandements of God only man Esay 1.3 who is of all others most bound to him and for whome hee hath doone most is most disobedient The Angels and those mighty powers which excell in strength as Dauid saith are readie at his becke and doe his commandements onely man a vile worme dare presume to rebell against him Psal 103.20 and to disobey him Iob. 17.14 O let vs not onely praie thus but also labour studie and endeuour with all our might and maine that the wil of this our louing and most mightie father maie be done as wel in earth as in heauen It is a shame for sonnes that seruants should go beyond them in dutifulnesse and obedience towardes their father Mal. 1.6 Eph. 3.20 it is a shame for men endewed with reason naie enriched and strengthned with Gods spirit that vnreasonable creatures should excell them in dutifulnesse and obedience to their maker and creator And let vs for Gods sake learne to bridle our owne wils our owne natures The earth doth so as S. Paul teacheth vs Rom. 8.20 and against the will thereof is subiect to our vanities for him that hath subdued it through hope It would neuer suffer vs els cruell couetous and vaine men not so much as to treade on it and wickedly and vainelie to abuse it It would swallowe vs vp quicke Num. 16.31 as it did Corah Dathan and Abiram The sea doth so also or els we should haue no houses to dwell in nor lands to lette Psal 104.9 Let vs also in our vaine curious and stately buildings of our houses and in letting our lands also bridle our couetous cruell and vncharitable willes These great and mightie and excellent creatures doe bridle and containe their owne natures at Gods commandement as we sée and yet man will not bridle his nature for Gods sake he will haue his will Let all men learne to pray and practise also be it neuer so vnpleasant or vnprofitable vnto them that prayer of our blessed Sauiour Luke 22.42 Not my will but thy will be done O Father Giue vs this daie our dailie bread What maie we learne by these words surely that the best and richest of vs all are but beggers before the maiestie of God It maie be truely said to euerie one of vs 1. Cor. 4.7 what hast thou that thou hast not receiued We must not be ashamed to begge of God euer our daily bread We haue not so much of our owne as a shiue of bread and yet we proude peacocks the sonnes of Adam how proude are we how deale we in the world how doe we accompt of our selues as though we were lordes of all things Psal 12.4 We saie in our dealings with the wicked 1. Sam. 25.10 who is Lorde ouer vs So we liue so we deale in all our earthly affaires we saie with Naball who is Dauid and who is the sonne of Ishai There are many seruants now adaies that breake away euerie man from his Maister shall I then take my bread and my water and my flesh that I haue killed for my shearers and giue it vnto men whom I know not whence they be This Naball is a right patterne of a worldling he will not know his brethren he forgets that we haue all one father he can finde excuses enow when he will not doe good as all the wicked doe to make emptie the hungrie soule Esay 32.6 He accompts all his my bread and my water and my flesh saith he so doe all worldlings they forget that they are to begge of God euen their dailie bread Such poore beggers they are indéede how rich soeuer they séeme in their owne eye yet they accompt all their owne Nay the more to condemne this harde dealing of worldlings towards the faithfull and Gods children be they neuer so base and poore that saying of Dauid also concerning Naball is now verified in these rich worldlings ver 21. Truely I haue kept in vaine all this mans cattell in the wildernesse saith Dauid and not any thing that belonged to him perished and he hath requited me euill for good No doubt euen nowe for the godly and poores sakes God preserues the liues and all the goods and cattels of the rich and wicked men and yet they will deale hardly with them Is hee a good man and the seruant of God that thou dealest withall whosoeuer art rich deale well with him Thinke verily that for his sake God will preserue thy life and all that thou hast Gen. 18.32 Remember how that if there had béene tenne good men found in all Sodome it had not béen destroied And how that God blessed Putiphar no doubt a prophane man for Iosephs sake 39 2. God gaue Saint Paul all their liues that sailed with him Act. 27.24 Deale well with Gods children which are in neede and flie to thee for succour whosoeuer hast this worlds goods Know this assuredlie that as Dauid here preserued Naball and his cattell so shall these preserue thee and all thine 1. Sam. 25.37 And as in the ende his churlishnesse to poore Dauid killed him so be thou affraid of his ende Let vs not forget that lesson which Peter teacheth vs 1. Pet. 4 7. that liue now in the end of the world Now the ende of all things is at hand saith he Be ye therefore sober and watching in praier but aboue all things haue feruent loue amongst your selues for loue shall couer the multitude of sinnes Be harborous one to another without grudging Men in those daies as should séeme would make no conscience to turne their brethren out of dores or to kéepe their gates shutte that none might come in at them They doe not fulfill that same generall lawe of all christendome Mat. 7.12 and of all
of Adam hauing no goodnesse left in vs but that we maie become the sonnes of God we must be borne againe and receiue Gods spirit and by it be now not helped as the Councell of Trent teacheth but quickened and made aliue againe to do good works And therefore Saint Paul agréeing to this doctrine of our Sauiour writes Eph. 2.8 that by grace yee are saued through faith and that not of your selues no not in parte as the Councell here would haue it For it is Gods gift saith the Apostle and dare we imagine that Gods gifts are not most free most ample Dare we our selues challenge anie part in them this no doubt were diuelish pride proud presumption Nay but that which followes plainlie prooues the same Not of workes saith Saint Paul least anie man should bragge In this matter of our saluation God will haue all the glorie himselfe man maie challenge no part thereof God will not haue him bragge no not of a mite thereof he will haue all the glorie thereof ascribed to himselfe alone As all the Saints of God in the Reuelation to our instruction doe also confesse Reu. 7.10 And they cried with a lowd voice saying Saluation commeth of our God that sitteth vpon the throne and of the Lambe Shall they thus alowde crie out this lesson to vs and shall we not heare them shall they all with one consent testifie this and shall we not beléeue them But Saint Paul to make this matter more manifest goeth on forward For wee are his workmanship created in Christ Iesu to good workes which God also hath long prepared before that wee should walke in them This is an inuincible reason able to stoppe the mouths of all bragging Pharises we are Gods workmanship againe as wel in our Regeneration as in our Creation and we are new creatures can he that is created challenge any part of his strength to himselfe Such is mans estate to that which is good after his fall and to all good workes he is regenerate vnto them And the same doctrine Saint Paul teacheth in another place 2. Cor. 5. â—7 If anie man be in Christ he is a newe creature Olde things are gone and behold all things are newe Here first this lesson is generall If any one be in Christ he is a new creature It concernes all Christians they were all in the same case Secondly we are all new creatures we euerie one of vs now haue newe willes new strength new hearts all thinges are newe The olde things are not onely mended and repaired as the Papists teach Mans naturall frowardnesse to goodnes was described to vs euen in iust Lotte he was loth to go out of Sodome he protracted the time And the men tooke him by the hand the Lord being mercifull vnto him and led him out He had Gods vocation he had Gods grace offered preuenting him but did he by and by as the Councell teacheth embrace it and assent vnto it Naie it is said that the Angels constrained him Gen. 19.15 vim faciebant as Arrius Montanus translates it Such fréedome of will to assent to Gods grace offered was in Lotte and doe we thinke that anie of Gods seruants haue had hearts better disposed No verely The like we maie reade of the children of Israell who although God had promised them the land of Canaan Gen. 17.8 Exod 14.27.16.15.13.21 and drowned Pharao before their eies and fedde them with Mannah and went before them by daie in a clowde and by night in a piller of fire yet such was the frowardnesse of their willes Exod. 16.3 Num. 11.6.14.4 Gen. 6.5 that they spurned against all these graces offered them and euen daily before their eies and often made mention of returning to Egypt againe so that the will of mans corrupt nature of it selfe is now euen from the cradle proue to all euill enemie to all goodnesse euer resisting as Saint Stephen taught the Iewes and not willingly and fréely assenting to the Spirit of God as the Papists teach vs. Act. 7.51 The Councell to confirme their doctrine misapplieth that saying of the Prophet Zacharie Zach. 1.3 Turne you vnto me and I will turne vnto you These words were spoken to the circumcised Iewes who had beene well instructed in the law of the Lord and therefore cannot fitlie be applied to the man vnregenerate Rupertus a Papist expoundes this place of Zacharie thus Rup in ca. 1. ver 13. Zac. Thus saith the Lord of hostes the father and the Lord of hostes the Sonne and the Lord of hosts the Holy-ghost Turne vnto me and I will turne vnto you that is beleeue in me and all anger being set apart I will be reconciled vnto you Be not like your Forefathers to whome the former prophets cried saying Turne from your euill waies and from your wicked thoughts and they woulde not heare nor giue heed to mee saith the Lorde This is like to that which the Holy ghost saith by Dauid To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts as in the prouocation and in the day of temptation in the Wildernesse when your Fathers tempted me proued me and saw my works c. Thus farre Rupertus Where first that word of reconciliation argues regeneration and a former loue and friendship but most manifestlie the example of the Israelites which he addeth out of Dauid These Israelites of whome Dauid here speakes 1. Cor. 10.2 were regenerate in the redde sea as Saint Paul teacheth and had seene Gods wonderous workes and had beene as should seeme a great while schollers in his schoole and therefore to such might this exhortation fitlie be applied But to the vnregenerate the councell doth not rightlie applie it euen by Rupertus his iudgement Luk. 10.30 That man that descended from Ierusalem to Iericho may resemble a man regenerate and now falling into greeuous sinnes or if he signifie Adam falling from Gods fauour into the hands of the diuell let vs marke what a miserable case hee was in hee had no power to helpe himselfe no not a tongue to aske helpe and being helpen vp was neither able to stand nor to goe but was set vpon the good Samaritans owne beast to beare him Hee was halfe dead the flesh liued in him his worst halfe but his spirit and power to doe good was quite dead If this man which came from Ierusalem was in this case what shall wee saie of them which neuer saw Ierusalem It was not the helping vp that would serue the turne but hee stood in neede of other legges to beare him of Wine and Oile to be powred into his wounds and not of these onelie but his wounds were to bee bound vp least these heauenlie graces being powred in should runne out againe and of two pence to be giuen him to paie for his charges Such a case was this man in he had nothing left him hee was quite robbed and spoiled of all his riches Psal
passe Fer. in Act. cap. 21. he reckons vp vnto them the workes of God and he ascribes all things to God and he accompts himselfe but as a seruant or instrument As also in other places What is Paul What is Apollo but Ministers by whom you haue beleeued I haue planted and Apollo hath watered but God hath giuen the increase The which things when as they heard hee shewes that they gladlie heard what things Paul told them of the profiting of the Gentiles and they glorified God they also ascribe all thinges to God Here it is worth the marking how in the Primitiue Church all the Saintes of God when as themselues or others had doone anie thing well they all attributed it wholie and onelie to God excluding themselues as in this place Paul and all the faithfull doe And in the Acts when as Peter and Iohn had healed the creple Act. 3.12 Peter said vnto the people Ye men of Israel why maruell you at this or why looke ye so stedfastly on vs as though by our owne power or godlines we had made this man go The God of Abraham and Isaac and Iacob the God of our fathers hath glorified his son Iesus whome ye betraied c. And S. Paul speaking of the almes of the Church of Macedonia 2. Cor. 8.1 writes thus We do you also to wit brethren of the grace of God bestowed vpon the Church of Macedonia And after not onelie he calles it so but also they no doubt as hee had taught them Verse 4. And they prayed vs with great instance that wee would receiue that grace and that fellowship of the ministring which is towards the Saints And after Saint Paul applying their example to the Corinthians Verse 6. writes thus That we should exhort Titus as he had begun so he would accomplish the same grace amongst you also And after As ye abound in euery thing Verse 7. in faith in word and knowledge and in all diligence and in your loue towards vs euen so see that you abound in this grace also And after speaking of Luke whose prayse is in the Gospell thorough all the Churches and not so onely but is also chosen of the Churches Verse 19. to be a fellow in our iourney concerning this grace that is ministred by vs. Wée maie note here how both the almes it selfe and the verie exhortation to giue the almes is accompted a grace They called and accompted all the good thinges they did in those dayes grace 1. Pet. 4.11 And so likewise Saint Peter teacheth Let euery man as he hath receiued the gift minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God If any man speake let him talke as the words of God If any man minister or do any seruice or good worke in the Church of God let him do it as of the hability which God ministreth that God in all things may be glorified thorough Iesus Christ To whome bee praise and dominion for euer and euer Amen Saint Peter here teacheth vs to accompt all good workes the manifold graces of God yea euen euerie good word we speake And that we should doe all thinges that God might be glorified in all our workes And the greatnes of this worke makes him also abruptely breake off his Epistle and euen himselfe there to yéeld this praise glory of God No doubt all christians in those daies had perfectlie learned this lesson for so wee read of them when as they heard that Paul preached now the faith Gal. 1.24 which before he destroied They glorified God in me saith Saint Paul They woondred not at him as some would haue doone but they gaue God the glory they acknowledged his hand his worke And saint Paul writing but of the care that Titus had to moue the Corinthians to giue almes 2. Cor. 8.16 Thanks be vnto God saieth hee who hath put into the heart of Titus the same care for you Thus they call all good works the grace of God and all good thoughts as it were put into our hearts by God and they glorified God in all things And to the same effect Ferus writes againe thus Fer. in Act. cap. 22. VVhen as Gods light comes vnto vs the eies of reason must bee shutte and we must follow what waies it leades vs. And after Marke here how hardly mans will submits it selfe to Gods will for it euer repines against it and had rather haue the matter otherwise then God would haue So Moyses although he heard sentence pronounced against him yet he saieth I will goe and see the land so also Ionas being scourged of God would hardly obey So Ezechiel although he foretold the iudgement of God yet notwithstanding he lamenteth it whereby hee declares that hee had rather haue it otherwise if it were possible so doth Paul here These examples are written that we may see how that the Saints haue had their imperfections least we should despaire when we find the like affections in our selues Mans will by Ferus his iudgement is euer spurning against Gods will it doth not willinglie and freelie worke with grace as the Papists doe teach And although he doe defend free will in some other places saying That the greatest things that free will herein affoords is Fer. de filio prod Ser. 6. that it obeyeth grace and embraceth grace and makes it profitable to it selfe when as otherwise by our owne free will we should very slowly or neuer rise from our sinnes if the grace of God were wanting and should not worke with vs both in the beginning in the middle and in the end yet saieth he our will must of necessity bee added thereunto for Augustine saith he that created thee without thee will not iustifie thee without thee And Saint Paul Not I but the grace of God with me But yet after he addes this Secondly marke here what cogitations faith puts in mans mind I wil say saith he father I haue sinned not ordinarily but aboue all measure I haue euen sinned against heauen I will not excuse my selfe vnto thee but I will plainly confesse my selfe vnworthy of all grace and fauour c. All these things saith he are quite contrary to nature which can hardly be brought that it should say I haue sinned or that it should accompt it selfe vnworthy vpon whome any benefit should be bestowed but it selfe will euer be in the first place and it desires to be highly accompted of c. Here Ferus plainelie teacheth the repugnance betweene nature and grace nature must haue a new will put into it or else it will neuer embrace these cogitations these good motions Lib. 5. de sapientia Osorius also out of Plato verie excellentlie paints out the nature of man Call to remembrance saieth he that great caue or denne which he most wittily hath deuised and those chaines wherewith he makes men to be fast bound that they cannot behold the
doe not doubt the theefe did on the crosse This is Poligranes his opinion But here first howe contrarie is he in this his doctrine to that saying of Saint Paul which he alleadgeth If we be iustified freely by the grace of Iesus Christ and for his sake by the redemption which is in him then we are not iustified for our owne sakes No part of this redemption remaines in our selues And what is it els to be iustified but a condemned man to be acquited not onely from his crime he hath committed but also from the punishment due to that crime For herein consisteth the chiefe part of iustification to be deliuered and discharged from the punishment or els he will make our iustification with God like the pardons of some kings when as the malefactors be hanged and the pardons about their necks But the pardon which our mercifull and louing Sauiour hath obtained for vs is most frée is most ample it containes in it no such exceptions of anie part of the punishment of vs after to be redéemed This worke of redemption man must let that alone for euer either in part or in whole either for himselfe or for his brother As the Psalmist teacheth all men high and low rich and poore one with another Psal 49.1.2.7.8 And he yéeldes them also the reason So precious is that redemption of their soules that it requires such a great price as all the goods and riches and lands in the world giuen or bestowed will not serue the turne And to this place of the Psalme alludes no doubt Saint Peter in his Epistle 1. Pet. 1.18 Knowing saith he that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from your vaine conuersation receiued by the traditions of your fathers but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a lambe vndefiled and without spot This point of doctrine all Christians must know that it is onlie the bloud of Iesus Christ that is the ransome of their soules and not any worke of man whatsoeuer as this Papist teacheth no not all their goods and lands giuen to the poore can challenge anie part herein This requires a greater price So precious is the redemption of soules as Dauid teacheth Secondly they must know that the traditions of their fathers will not be a sufficient warrant for them before God vpon which thing at this daie manie simple Catholiques ground their faith and religion To deliuer vs from that vaine conuersation which we had learned from our fathers Christ died And shall wee follow our fathers steps still Shall their doings be a light vnto vs God hath giuen vs another light to follow Psal 119.105 Thy word saith Dauid is a Lanterne to my feete and a light vnto my pathes I would to God all true Catholiques would learne these two lessons out of Saint Peter And heere what neede we anie such supplies Christ Iesus himselfe hath suffered for vs as saint Peter also telles vs and that not sparinglie but abundantlie Col. 1.24 And the same Author goeth forward in this matter thus vpon that place of saint Paul Now I reioice for you in my sufferings I fulfil those things in my flesh which are wanting of the passions of Christ for his body which is the Church Here saith he he giues vs couertly to vnderstand that hee suffers in his flesh to profit the Church and that in these his sufferings that which Christs passions wanted his did supply Not that the sufferings of Paul were more forcible then the sufferings of Christ but because Christ by his passion tooke away the fault but Paul and other iust men working and suffering for the body of Christ fulfilled that which was wanting that is to say the releasing of the punishment which was due to the fault and the daily encrease of grace And therefore these merites of the Saints although they haue beene fully rewarded for them yet because they were also doone for others must needs profit them Wherefore by good right they doe belong to the treasure of the Church to be bestowed of any man for some speciall cause or for the great affection of his deuotion together vvith the merites of Christ Marke here how he obscures the glorie of Christ teaching that he did not wholie and absolutelie redeeme vs but in part onelie and from the fault and not from the punishment due to the fault And he teacheth that Paul and other iust men working doe deserue not some part of the punishment onelie as he said before but simplie and absolutelie the punishment due to the same fault naie more then that also the dailie increase of grace Is not that here plainelie fulfilled which is written in the Reuelation And the fourth Angell blew his Trumpet Reu. 8 1◠and the third part of the Sunne was stricken and the third part of the Moone and the thirde part of the Starres Is not this to obscure the thirde part of the Sunne not as Gagneius a Papist expoundes this place the Pope and his Cardinals who saieth he are as it were Sunnes Gag in 8. cap. Apoc. and giue light to the people But the true sunne of righteousnes Iesus Christ The Holie ghost here names but one sunne If his exposition had beene true it should rather haue been said sunnes in the plurall number But doeth not saint Iohn himselfe expound vnto vs who is this sunne Reu. 1.16 And hee had in his right hand seauen Starres and out of his mouth went a sharpe two edged Sword and his countenance was as the Sunne in his power Who is this but Iesus Christ This sunne Iesus Christ was obscured a third part of it was stricken not his whole glorie but some part thereof was diminished Howe can this prophesie more fitlie be fulfilled then by this doctrine let all men iudge Séewhat shifts they are driuen to to maintaine their pardons Nay not only the third part of the Sunne but also the third part of the Starres Those also whome saint Iohn expounds to bee ministers of the Church were smitten by the Popes fall from heauen by his prowde supremacie That proude Boniface who obtained this superioritie of Phocas fulfilled Greg. lib. 4. Epist 2. ep 32. which Gregorie his predecessour affirmed That if hee should challenge to himselfe that name of vniuersall Bishop or Bishop of the whole world as the Pope doth now the honour and dignity of his fellow Byshops should be diminished Saint Peter also liuelie paintes out this sunne vnto vs 2. Pet. 1.19 We haue also saieth he a most sure word of the prophets to the which you doe well that you take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place vntill the day dawne and that day Starre or as the Gréeke word importeth that light-bringer that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the true Sun Iesus Christ arise in your hearts Saint Peter also whome they would seeme to make so great accompt of tels
how is he all cleane which is commanded as yet to wash his feete Yea how can he be all cleane which is baptized when as the Scripture in euerie place affirmeth that no man is without sinne It is most true that no man is without sinne and yet notwithstanding it is also true that he is all cleane that is purified by faith For he because he is grafted into the body of Christ by faith doth participate and possesse the holinesse and puritie of Christ And therefore Paul said to them that beleeue ye are washed ye are sanctified by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ And againe there is no condemnation to those that are in Iesus Christ Therefore they which are grafted into Christ are called holy for the faith name and bloud of Christ although in the meane time in themselues they are nothing els but sinners and haue in them much sinne as yet but no condemnation because they are accounted iust with God through faith in Christ Hereof it is that Paul speakes of himselfe with my minde I serue the lawe of God but with my flesh the lawe of sinne Ferus here plainly teacheth that mans righteousnesse is by imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ and not by any inherent righteousnesse in himselfe And againe speaking vpon Stephens death he giues these notable lessons vpon these words Fer. in cap. 7. Act. Lord Iesu receiue my spirit He railes not nor curseth not but with great modestie cals vpon God To him alone he coÌ„mits his soule Here I would haue thee also learn the best manner of dying First he is carefull not for his body but for his soule the wicked doe contrarie Secondly hee cals vpon God distrusting in himselfe and of his owne merites but the wicked trust in their owne merites and therefore they builde vpon the sande Thirdly he confesseth his faith briefly but most perfectly calling him Lorde who is able and Iesus who is also willing to saue These three things are especially to be marked for they are verie necessarie to a blessed and happy death For they are blessed which die in the Lord. I would to God all true Catholiques which minde to die wel would learne these thrée lessons of Saint Stephen out of Ferus First to haue more care of their soules then of their bodies It makes no matter what maner of death they die or what cost be bestowed vpon their funerals let them do good and bestow their goods themselues 3. Cor. 5.20 while they are in the bodie Secondly that at the houres of their deathes yea and all their life long also if then in that extremitie they would call vpon none other but as Saint Stephen doth here vpon Iesus Christ Thirdly that they would condemne themselues as vnprofitable seruants before the maiestie of God and not trust in their owne merites as Ferus here teacheth them And here if Saint Stephen trusted not in his Martyrdome being so notable a worke neither was it laid vp in the treasurie of the Church to helpe the saluation of others much lesse the works of anie other as Poligranes teacheth And lastly that they would confesse the Lord Iesus euen this shorte faith these two wordes as Saint Stephen did For as Saint Paul saith God will make his account and gather it into a short sum Rom. 9.28 with righteousnes for the Lord wil make a short count vpon the earth God will make now a short account with his faithfull seruants Psal 143.2.12 with them that beleeue in Iesus Christ they shall not be called to so strickt account of euerie idle word as the Infidels shall Psal 32.1 Matth. 12.36 Luke 9 26. 1. Cor. 15.35 Reuelat. 1.18 Matth. 11 28 they shall be blessed because their sinnes shall be couered and because Iesus Christ at that great day of account shal not be ashamed of them That they would confesse I saie but euen with S. Steuen these two words Lord Iesu That he is a Lord of death of hell and of the Diuell and therefore is able to saue them and that he is Iesus who cals all that are heauie laden with the burthen of their sins vnto him And therefore be thou neuer so blinde Marke 10.49 euen as blinde as Bartimeus thou maiest boldly come vnto him as he did when as he called him and thou shalt not onely receiue thy sight but also be saued as he was Who neuer repelled anie from him not halte not lame not leapers not possessed Mat. 21.14.8.2 28. Iohn 11.44 naie who raised euen dead men vp againe and therefore is willing to saue They which acknowledge but these two things from a liuely faith néede no more This is the summe of Christian religion thus Stephen died and in this Religion Againe the same Ferus speaking of the word of God faith That is rightly called the word of grace because it preacheth grace In cap. 14. Act. and comes to vs of the grace of God and it condemnes merites And againe Of this Chapter as well the preachers of faith In cap. 15. Act. as the Preachers of workes make their bragges and therefore it is most diligently to be marked of all men the question was whether the lawe was necessâ—rie for them which were conuerted to Christ or whether faith in Christ sufficed The same question is now also amongst vs whether faith or workes doe iustifie It is not called in question whether good workes are to be done or no for all are forced to confesse that that good workes must be done but whether they iustifie or not The Apostles conclude that faith iustifieth and not workes nor the lawe And why doth faith iustifie because it leanes vpon the grace and mercy of God vpon the promises of God vpon the merites of Christ Why doth not the law iustifie because no man euer kept it Why doe not workes iustifie because they are vnperfect All our righteousnesse is like a defiled cloth This is the summe of the Apostles councell saith Ferus what can be spoken more plainly then this Here are questions proposed and answeres shaped to them and the conclusion is that faith onely iustifies because it relies wholie and onely of the mercie and promises of God and that works no not of the best men cannot iustifie because they are imperfect I wish that all they which crie out Generall councels Generall councels and will beleeue nothing but that which generall councels doe teach would marke diligently the conclusion of this first Generall and Apostolicall councell in this great and waightie matter euen in the saluation of their soules and that they would condemne all other generall councels which doe not agree with this both in matter and forme They direct their decrées from that generall thus Act 15.28 It seemes good to the holy Ghost and vnto vs Not it séemes good to Peter to vs which should haue béene the title if Peter had béene the head of the Church but
Pintus As this precious stone of it selfe caries a Maiestie and glorie with it it needes not the helpe or skill of man to polish it So much lesse the scriptures They glorifie themselues their authoritie is their owne maiesty And no doubt as in the handling of them of which Pintus seemes here to speake so also in the discerning of them Who requires a witnesse to prooue that the sunne shineth Here the thing it selfe is a sufficient witnes So the scriptures by their owne Maiestie especiallie beare witnesse to themselues To Infidelles perchance which neuer knewe nor read the Scriptures the authoritie of the Church maie bee an Introduction to beleeue them as that woman was to the Samaritanes to beleeue in Christ c. But after they shall haue once read them and hauing also well meditated vpon them day and night and laid them vp in their harts Ioh. 4.42 Luk 2.51 as Mary did the words of Simeon and Anna they will then saie as the Samaritanes also saide to the woman Now we beleeue not because of thy saying For wee haue heard him our selues and knowe that this is indeede that Christ that Sauiour of the world So they will also saie of the Churches Testimonie Pintus of reading the holie scripture writes thus Pintus in 3. cap. Ezech. All holie Scripture giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach In all mens Books may errours be found be the Author thereof neuer so wise nor neuer so learned for euen as in a fruitfull field sometimes amongst holesome hearbes grow those that bee hurtfull so mens wittes sometimes amongst holesome counselles yeeld also manie errors The heathen Philosophers although setting apart all priuate and publike actions they gaue themselues wholy to search out truth yet they haue committed to writing their own vaine deuises and innumerable vanities For All men are liers as the Psalmist sayeth What shall I speake of the vnprofitable fictions of the Poets The Poets sing of strange but not credible matters If sometimes they affoorde vs any thing that is good they mingle it vvith a thousand lyes But all the holy Scripture is true all to bee read all to be searched all to be deuoured As they which digge mettalles doe not lose the least scrappes but if so bee that they find any mine of gold they diligently search after euery vaine and they take out the earth also with the Gold and they are very circumspect so wee must doe in the holy Scripture we must passe ouer nothing we must not make light account of one word of the holy Scriptures yea we must be much more desirous and diligent in searching out this treasure and wee must endeuour to bring all to light For here is no earth mingled with gold it is all most pure gold tried to the vttermost yea as the Psalmist saith Aboue thousands of gold and siluer In the holy Scriptures because God is the author of it Who can neither be deceiued nor deceiue anie whatsoeuer is written is truth whatsoeuer is taught is vertue whatsoeuer is promised after death is immortality and euerlasting felicity The word of God giueth light and directs vs the way to heauen for the diuine Psalmist saith Thy word is a lanterne to my feet Therefore all that loue God desire to heare it therefore saith Christ our God He that is of God heareth Gods word And in Saint Lukes Gospel Blessed are they which heare the word of God and keepe it O woonderfull reliques being so precious and in the world so little esteemed If we make great account of the garments of the saints and if we reuerence some parts of their garments and that rightlie because they touched their bodies how much more ought wee to esteeme the words of Christ which issued from his heart by his most blessed mouth and touched both his tongue and his lippes They are all heauenly full of holinesse breathing heauenly mysteries Moyses beganne his booke from the generation of the creatures but Saint Matthew began his from the generation of the creator saying The booke of the generation of Iesus Christ. And after This booke is the Chronicle of Iesus Christ this is his testament what sonne will not reade the Testament of his father who is it that wil not giue good heed to his fathers last wil This new Testament is an infinit treasure which can neuer be spent of heauenly wisdome and celestial treasures And after The word of God ought to be in our hands that we might neuer forget it but it cannot be in our hands vnlesse it be first in our heart and therefore before God saith My words shall bee in thy hand he saith They shall be in thy heart He that will not fall into sinnes let him keepe Gods words in his heart The holy Prophet would teach vs this in these words I haue hid thy words in my heart least I should sinne against thee He loued the word of God so greatly that as a most precious treasure and most excellent Iewelles he kept them laid vp in the closet of his heart And Salomon in the Prouerbes speaking of the law of God Bind it saith he alwaies in thie heart and compasse it about thie necke and when thou walkest let it go with thee As in the arke of the Testament was the law of God manna as the holy scriptures do record in many places So in the soule where the word of God is kept Christ that hidden and heauenly manna is there by his grace of whome Esay saieth Truelie thou art a hidden God And the same Christ in Saint Iohns Gospell saith I am the liuelie bread that came downe from heauen In that soule which is refreshed with this heauenly food is the law of God written not with inke that I may vse Saint Pauls words but with the Spirit of the liuing God not in Tables of stone but in the fleshie Tables of the heart Saint Paul saith That those which haue the law of God imprinted in their mind that they shew the worke of the law written in their hearts And these obey and loue GOD whereof the truth it selfe saith in Saint Iohns Gospell If anie man loue me he will keepe mie saieng And in Saint Lukes Gospell Blessed are they which heare the word of God and keepe it For as saint Paul in the Epistle to the Romanes saith Not the hearers of the law are iust before God but the doers thereof shall be iustified And saint Iames saith in his Canonical Epistle Be ye doers of the word not hearers onelie deceiuing your owne selues Euen as he which will make an assault vpon his enimies or defend himself from them stands need of a sword the which being taken in his hand he may strike them that he may obtaine the victory So he that will triumph ouer the world the flesh and the diuell the most cruell enemies of the soule he must carie in his hands that is in his works the word of God
night in the word of God For by this exercise the soule is fed with the knowledge of the trueth and the will with the loue and sweetnes of it And when as the vnderstanding and the will are as it were two principall wheeles of a clocke that is of a life that is rightly gouerned if they moue in order and as they ought all the whole worke and whatsoeuer dependes thereon shall be perfectly ordered In this holy reading a man seeth his wants he resolueth his doubts he findes remedies to keepe in store against tribulations there are good counsels also afforded him there he learns many mysteries he is strengthened by the examples of vertues and he learnes the profit that comes by them And therefore Salomon so highly commendes it in his Prouerbes Keepe saith hee my sonne the precepts of thy father and forsake not the law of thy mother Binde them in thy heart continually and knit them about thy necke When as thou walkest any whither let them go with thee and when thou sleepest let them preserue thee and when thou awakest talke with them because the commaundement is a lanterne the law a light and the nurture of discipline the way of life Thus farre Granatensis Where he plainely condemnes that position of other Papistes that the reading of the scripture is daungerous Nay hée condemnes that which in their blind kingdome when as Gods word was banished they allowed that is the reading of vaine Histories as of Beuis and such like That saith he is most dangerous The author also of that booke called the Resolution agrees with Granatensis herein Who is there now adaies saith he which maketh the lawe or commaundement or iustifications of God as the scripture termeth them his daily meditation Part. 1. ca. 2. as king Dauid did Neither onely in the day time did he this but also by night in his heart as in another place he testifieth of himselfe How many of vs doe passe ouer whole daies and monethes without euer entering into these meditations Nay God grant that there be not many Christians in the world which know not what these meditatiōs meane We beleeue in grosse the mysteries of our Christ ā faith as that there is a Hell a Heauen a reward for vertue a punishment for vice a iudgement to come and an account to be made and the like but for that we chew them not well by deepe consideration and doe not digest them well in our hearts by the heat of meditation they helpe vs little to good life no more then a preseruatiue put in a mans pocket can helpe his health c. This author besides that he commends the continuall studie and meditation of the scriptures séemes to mislike with that generall faith knowledge which the Church of Rome teacheth we must not beléeue in grosse saith hée but we must particularly muse vpon and applie the things to our selues Ferus also of the princely authoritie of the scriptures writes thus And here thou feest the great boldnes of trueth Only trueth can say Fer. part 2. pass I feare no man No other doctrine is so perfect that it can say so besides that which God hath reuealed in his word And after he writes thus That Christ suffered all other iniuries with silence besides this blow on the face which the high Priests seruant gaue him He replies to that saith Ferus least that he should thinke that it were not lawfull to reprooue princes with the word of God whereas the word of God spareth no bodie It is the iudge of all men c. If the word of God be the iudge of all men then of the Pope hee must submit himselfe vnto it he cannot dispense with it The same Granatensis also De deuor Lib. 1. cap. 44. of the authoritie of the scriptures writes thus The controuersies that arise about trust or credite of bargaines betweene man and man and of ecclesiasticall decrees commaundements the Maisters and Doctors of that facultie know best And those same spiritual matters also are diligently to be examined that we may see if they agree with the rule of the diuine scripture He makes the holy scripture the rule of spirituall matters Granatensis also in another place yéeldes this excellent testimonie to the scriptures Med. 7. vitae Christi Mat. 2. And as these men speaking of the wise men made no account of this wisedome and of the argumentes of the flesh after that they saw a contrarie witnesse and testimonie giuen them in heauen so neither must thou thinke that the iudgements and opinions of the world to be of any force when as thou seest the word of God and the most holy gospell to teach the contrarie Let the world reproue and let it gainesay as much as it listeth the words of God let all the wise men of this worlde storme against it let them alledge olde customes let them oppose the examples of Kings and Emperours all these are but vapors and smoke neither are they of any force against the worde of God and his holy gospell and his heauenly wisedome And after Where art thou which art borne King of the Iewes the lawe of all deuout men the captaine of all miserable men the sight of all blind men the life of the dead and the euerlasting saluation of them that shall liue for euer And a fit answere followes In Bethlehem Iudah Bethlehem is expounded to be the house of bread and Iudah confessing For there Christ is found where after the confession of our faultes the bread of the heauenly life that is the doctrine of the gospell is heard mused vpon and kept in a deuout mind that it may be practised in deed and also may be declared to others There the child Iesus with his mother Mary is found whereafter sorrowfull contrition and fruitfull confession the sweetnes of heauenly comfort is tasted sometimes amongst streames of teares where praier him whom she founde almost in despaire now leaues reioysing and presuming of pardon c. And in another place he writes As concerning the first we must consider that it ought to be the chiefe and most principall exercise of a christian that he should meditate in the lawe of God and in the doctrine of the commandements And therefore among the commendations of a iust man this is one of the chiefest that he should meditate in the law of God day and night Med. 11. vitae Christi And the kingly Prophet in his Psalmes doth almost euery where make his boast of the loue which he had to the law of God and that he daily meditated in it And that the wordes of God were more sweete to him then hony and the hony combe If it were so delectable and pleasant to that most holy King to reade meditate and studie the words and precepts of that olde law how farre more pleasant should the reading and meditation of the words of the Gospell be to vs All the commandements
of that were for the most part corporall but the commandements of this are spirituall the commandements of that were temporall but of this are eternall that was the law of seruants this of children that was giuen by the hand of man though a holy man this by the hand of the word it selfe of the eternall father and wisedome of God By the excellencie of the law-giuer appeares the excellencie of the law The best wine of the feast was reserued for that Lord whose duety and office it was to turne the cold water of the law into the precious wine of the Gospell c. This studie of the lawe of God and especially of the Gospell of Iesus Christ should be the chiefe studie of all christians by Granatensis iudgement and it is of verie manie their least and last studie Naie the church of Rome hath hidden them from her children as a sharp knife least they should cut their fingers therewith But shee should not haue done so by Granatensis his iudgment In 6. cap. Luc. Stella vpon these wordes And they came to heare him writes thus As the soule of Christ was the instrument of the Deity to worke miracles in the bodies of men so the wordes of Christ were the instrument of the same Deitie to worke miracles in their soules And as it was a wonderfull thing that Christs hand should giue sight to the blinde and should cleanse the Lepour so it was farre more wonderfull that his very word should giue life to dead soules For the words of Christ did not only stirre vp the mindes of his hearers neither did only perswade them as other preachers are wont to doe but they had also such a vertue and power that they seemed euen to compel the hearers that they should doe that which he preached Therefore the words of Christ gaue grace also without the which the minde cannot once moue her selfe to that which is righteous before God And a little after He that is of God heareth Gods word therefore you heare them not because you are not of God Euery one is glad to heare the noble actes of his country-men If any bee a Frenchman hee delights to heare any man tell the noble actes of Frenchmen but if one in the presence of a Frenchman should tell of the noble acts of the Hungarians he would make no account thereof he would giue no eare So by nature euery one delights to heare of the famous actes of his kinred and of his auncestors because hee comes of them But if men chance to talke of those thinges which belong not to his he makes no account of them but he goeth away So they truely which are Gods children delight to heare those things which are of God but they which are not of God but haue the Diuell to their father as obstinate children they delight not to heare Gods word And therefore the Lord said vnto them Therefore you heare not because you are not of God Whose are they then You saith he are of your father the Diuell and therefore you delight to heare his wordes and communication as murmurings blasphemies filthie and dishonest words One of the chiefest signes whereby it may be knowne whether one be predestinate or no is this whether he delite to heare the word of God and sermons For if he delite and take pleasure to heare the word of God surely it is a great argument that he is elected and of the householde and family of God O what a great company is there which are weary of hearing sermons and haue not tasted or sipped of the words of life So there is a great company of them that goe to hell They will haue leasure enough to read prophane filthy bookes wherin is nothing handled but of the world and the flesh but they cannot abide a holy and deuout booke in their handes no not halfe an hower yea if a sermon last aboue halfe an hower how will they goe home murmuring and grudging That now that saying of Paul may be verified of our miserable and vnhappie time There shall come a time when they shall not endure holsome doctrine but they shall heap to themselues teachers according to their owne lusts hauing itching eares and shall turne alwaie their eares from the trueth and shall be giuen to delight in fables Oh that all Christians would acknowledge this mightie power of Gods word which Stella héere teacheth It is as forcible and mighty euen now to heale soules as Christs hand when as hee was here was of force to heale bodies And that if they would apply it often to their soules it would heale all their infirmities Secondly that they would delight to heare Sermons It is the chiefest signe to knowe whether one be predestinate or no and who would not gladly be assured hereof In 6. Luc. And after speaking of the ground of Gods Lawe he writes thus Wherein O good Christ is thy law founded Not in power For thou hast compelled no man to receiue thy faith neither hast thou forced any to embrace thy law Neither is it grounded on naturall reason for although it be not against naturall reason but doth presuppose it yet it is aboue it for it surpasseth all the bounds of reason and goes beyond all the wit of man be he neuer so quicke witted and subtill In what thing therfore is this law grounded Surely onely in his Authoritie for only because Christ hath spoken this therefore we must beleeue it His word must be our only and sufficient warrant in all our actions 2. lib. de Abraham Pat. ca. 5. S. Ambrose verie excellentlie writes of the daily reading of the scripture And that thou maiest know that it is good that the beginning and the ende should agree together good Iesus him selfe hath saide I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ende Therefore let our minde be euer with him let it neuer depart from his Temple and from his word let it euer bee occupied in reading the Scriptures in Meditations in Prayers that the worde of him who is in deede may euer worke in vs and that daily we either going to the Church or giuing our selues to prayers at home we may beginne with him and ende with him So the whole day of our life and the whole race of the daie shall beginne in him and ende in him For euen as in the beginning of our life to beleeue in God and to follow him is our saluation so perseuerance to the ende is necessarie And it is the best care that a soule can haue that marking wel the word of God it do nothing against reason wherewith it may be made sadde that euer knowing well what shee doeth shee maie keepe the ioy of a good conscience Here Saint Ambrose puts downe the whole course of a Christians life dailie to studie the Scriptures and to direct all his actions according vnto them De Iacob beat vita 2. lib. cap. 2. And againe he
writes in another place thus Blessed is that man that hath not walked in the counsell of the vngodly nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the chaire of pestilence The Scripture meaning this That he is blessed that hath separated himselfe from the fellowship of the wicked for this is the part of vngodlinesse to acknowledge no author of life nor parent of saluation or that hath not dwelt in sinne or that hath not continued in Ryot and wantonnesse But that he studying in the law of God day and night shall be like a tree that shall yeelde his fruite in due season The former are merits of rewards but this is a reward of merits Let vs marke here how Ambrose prefers the studying of the word of God to all other good workes But some Papists perchance will obiect Stel. in Luc. 21. that our Sauiour Christ taught his Apostles manie things priuately and in secret And that therefore the Scriptures are not to bee knowen of all men for these secrets are contained in them To this obiection Stella answeres All things saith he which Iesus reuealed to his Apostles although he tolde them to them neuer so secretly they ought to preach them publikely for they were as it were the conduit pipes by which the water of the doctrine which Christ the liuely spring preached vnto them should come to all the faithfull of the Church And therefore the Lord said vnto them That which I say vnto you in darkenesse speake ye in light and that ye heare in the eare preach ye in the houses And here I cannot but maruell 2. Tim. 3 16. Psal 12.6 Reu. 22.18 that séeing the Scripture is inspired of God as Saint Paul testifieth and is siluer purified seuen times in the furnace as Dauid affirmeth and as to Saint Iohns Reuelation so no doubt to anie other booke of the holy Scriptures hee that shall adde or diminish or alter any thing shall bee plagued of God that the Papists in their allegations of the scriptures maintaine their old translation against the verity of the original of the Gréeke and Hebrew wheras it differs from them As for example Philippus de Dies alleageth a text of Saint Iohns gospell to good purpose following their olde translation But in the Gréeke originall it is not so as hee alleageth it speaking of the carefull bringing vp of children hee writes thus Phil. de Dies Summa praed titulo adolescens The diligence of parentes is not onely necessary to this purpose but also the great care and watchfulnesse of pastors or prelates which thing our Lord Christ doth aduertise vs in Saint Iohns gospell For when as he committed his Church to Saint Peter and made him vniuersall pastor hee said twise to him feed my Lambes but after hee saith but once feed my sheepe wherein the heauenly Maister taught that a prelate although he bee bound both to feede Lambes and sheep yet he ought to haue more care attendance of Lambes then of sheepe That is greater care of children then of parents c. The scope of this doctrine is not amisse but it is not well grounded on this place for it is in the Greeke twise repeated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say feede my sheepe feede my sheepe And but once said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is feed my Lambes And yet the common translation which Philippus de Dies followes hath twise to gather in the first places pasce agnos meos that is feed my Lambes and after but once feed my sheepe where as in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a Lambe is but once vsed and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a sheepe is twise what great presumption is this to dare to go from the originall 7. Of the sufficiencie of the Scriptures THE Rhemistes first vpon the gospell of Saint Iohn note In cap. 16. v. 12 that the scriptures are not sufficient and expounde that place of the gospell I haue yet many things to say vnto you on this manner This place conuinceth that the Apostles the faithfull be taught many things which Christ omitted to teach them for their weaknesse and that it was the prouidence of God that Christ in presence shoulde not teach and order all things that we might be no lesse assured of the things the Church teacheth by the holy Ghost then of things that himselfe deliuered How contrarie this their exposition is to the exposition of Ferus vpon the same place which hereafter followeth Let euery true Christian iudge and sée who comes néerer to the marke and trueth Andradius also writes thus That the scriptures are not sufficient when as God would helpe the frailty of mans memory Lib. 2 Orthodox Explicat by the working of his Gospell yet he would but so haue such a short abstract or abridgement of his matters committed to writing that the greatest part Lib. 4. de verbo dei non scripto cap. 4. as a treasure of great price should be left to be inclosed or kept in the minde of man And M. Bellarmine plainely affirmes that the scriptures without tradition neither to haue beene simplie necessarie nor sufficient So that by his iudgement the wants of the scriptures must be supplied by traditions But first saint Ierome of the scriptures writes otherwise It was impossible saith Ierome that she which brought forth the man child was in childbed should lacke aboundance of milke In cap. Es 66. for the bringing vp of that people and of those little ones that were borne at once that she might giue them her two pappes not as before in Egypt swampt as we say or brused but with virginall bewtie now full and strowted out that is the olde and new Testament to giue that reasonable milke The olde and newe Testament are by Ieromes iudgement two pappes full fraught with sufficient milke to the nourishing of all the children of Gods Church Serranus also a papist Serranus in 47 cap. Ezech. of the sufficiency of the scriptures writes thus Euery part of scripture containes trueth alike and is alike absolute and perfect in the Reuelation of mysteries euen as the number of a thousand is whole and perfect so all is plainely reuealed and through faith shewed that pertaines to our redemption saluation and instruction Wherefore wee must goe forwarde the scripture beeing our guide But to goe about to search the reasons of it to examine the causes of the articles of our beliefe and with the finger of reason to teach all things and preach the incomprehensible iudgement of God and to haue a will to know that vnsearchablenesse which Paul wonders at is to passe the boundes of the angell the Prophets guide and to endeuour to passe ouer that sea which no man can passe ouer whereat the angell himselfe makes a stoppe is diuelish presumption Wherefore commending these things to be worthy euerlasting consideration and memorie that heretikes
and proud persons which will examine all things at their owne pleasures without the faith of the Church may plucke in their combes he addeth hast thou seene these things Who denie the sufficiency of the scripture but the Church of Rome who will teach all things with the finger of reason but that synagogue As their doctrines of the supremacy fréewill reall presence inuocation of saints do plainly declare Ierome of the scriptures writes thus to Eustochium In praef Esai Thou compellest me O Christian virgine Eustochium to passe ouer now to the Prophet Esay and to performe that to thee which I promised to thy mother Paula while she liued Therefore I pay both to thee and by thee to her that which I doe owe obeying the commaundements of Christ who saith search the scriptures And againe seeke and ye shall finde least I should heare with the Iewes you erre not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God For if according to the Apostle Paul Christ be the vertue of God and the wisedome of God and he which knowes not the scriptures is ignorant both of the vertue of God and of his wisedome the ignorance of the scripture is the ignorance of Christ Eustochium a virgine was so in loue with the scriptures that she compelled Ierome to write his commentaries vpon the Prophet Esay And shall not our women studie know and loue them The ignorance of the scriptures is the ignorance of Christ as Ierome heere plainely auoucheth how can it be then the mother of deuotion as the Papistes affirme In cap. 16. Io. Of the sufficiencie of the scriptures Ferus writes thus I haue as yet many things to say vnto you That which he said before seemes contrarie to this Whatsoeuer I haue heard of my father I haue declared vnto you But they are not contrarie For first that which he saies I haue declared vnto you he takes the preterperfect tense for the future tense for the certaintie of this doctrine which is a familiar thing in the writing of the prophets As when as Esay saith He was wounded for our iniquities which notwithstanding chanced long after Compare this doctrine with the Rhemists doctrine Then Christ also in trueth hath reuealed all things vnto vs necessarie for our saluation because hee hath preached the Gospell which is the fountaine of all trueth For whatsoeuer the spirit hereafter hath reuealed to the Church proceeded our of this fountaine So that trueth which the holy Ghost reuealed in the first councell of the Apostles that is that circumcision and other legall ceremonies were not necessarie to saluation came not from any where else then from the gospell where Christ plainely shewes that we haue saluation through faith in him and not of the workes of the law So that trueth that the sonne is consubstantiall to his father which appeared in the Nicene Councell against Arrius issued out of the gospel for although that word Homousion or consubstantial be not found in the Gospell yet there are found there other wordes of as great force as I my father are one Héere we may note first that that place I haue many things to say vnto you by Ferus a papists iudgement makes nothing for traditions or vnwritten verities Secondly that the holy Ghost reuealeth to the Church no new or straunge doctrine but that which is contained in the scriptures whereas other papistes affirme that the holy Ghost doth reueale doctrines to the Church besides the scriptures which are as firmely to be beleeued as those which are contained in the scriptures Lastly that that same doctrine of Christes equalitie with God his father Ferus acknowledgeth to be gathered out of the scriptures And after vpon the same wordes he writes thus I haue as yet many things to say to you The Apostles had forgotten many things and many things they did not vnderstand aright many things also Christ had spoken obscurely the which might be drawen into a wrong sense the which after chanced in the heretikes Therefore the holy Ghost was necessarie for them which might bring into their memories those things they had forgotten and should lighten those things they vnderstood not and should giue the true meaning of all obscure sayings Therefore this word may be referred to the whole gospell as though he shoul say although I haue taught you many things yet you neede further instructions for the causes now mentioned He shall speake all things which he shall heare that is which truely are and indeed stand fast and haue authoritie in the scriptures deuising nothing of his owne peruerting or misconstruing nothing heere we may learne what is to be preached taught in the Church or else we shall heare that I speake not to them and yet they prophecied Héere we may plainely sée what doctrine Ferus would haue taught and preached in the Church onely the scriptures and such as the holy Ghost doth drawe out of them In cap. 14. Ioh. not any vnwritten verities or traditions of the Church or inuentions of man And in another place he writes thus of Christ I am the way of life the trueth of doctrine and the life of saluation all men desire the way the trueth and the life These are not any where found certaine or sure sauing in Christ In cap. 2. Mat. And of the excellency of the scriptures he writes thus As in the latter daies the word of God came clad with flesh into the world and it was one thing that was seene and another that was vnderstood the sight of the flesh in him was apparant to all men but the knowledge of his diuinitie was giuen but to a few and to his elect so the word of God and the spirit is couered with the vaile of the letter The letter is looked vpon as the flesh and the spirit lying hid within is perceiued like the deitie And as the sheepheards being taught of the Angels knew Christ in his ragges and simple swathling clothes who otherwise would neuer haue beleeued that that childe was Christ although they had seene him a thousand times his clothes were so base of no great cost So the letter of the Scripture is plaine and it seemes often to speake of matters of no waight Therefore vnlesse we be lightened from aboue it doth not seeme that we should finde Christ in them Ferus here doth not make the Scriptures a bare or dead letter as some other Papistes doe but a liuing letter vnder which being read and studied Gods spirit lieth hid euen as vnder Christs flesh his diuinitie Oh wonderfull force and maiestie then of Gods words Oh that all Papists would confesse thus much and beléeue it It would make them reade the scriptures And herein Ferus agrées with the doctrine Ioh. 6.63 euen of our Sauiour himselfe who saith That the wordes which I speake are spirit and life which saying of his is to be referred to all the Scriptures of the Gospell For he
nowe teachest he would by and by haue cried out and would haue stopped his eares and as his manner was he would haue said O good God into what times hast thou reserued me that I should heare these things Would not he also by and by haue fled from the place where sitting or standing he should haue heard such words Héere we may plainly see what maner of traditions they were which the father 's kept and in the commendations wherof they wrote that is such traditions as were agréeable to the scriptures and no other And this one place of Eusebius may be a rule to square all other places of fathers whosoeuer when they highly commend traditions To teach all Christians that they meane no other traditions then Policarpe and Irenaeus that is such as are agréeing to the scriptures Among the Iewes that olde and subtile serpent Sathan had sowen tares amongst the Lordes wheat Munster in annot in cap. 1. Gen. as appeareth by the manifolde dreames and strange opinions of the Rabbins besides the scriptures As that before the world God had created seuen things that is to say paradise the law the iust men the throne of maiestie Ierusalem and Messias Againe they say that the moone was in the beginning created equall in light with the sunne but that this her light was diminished In annot in 7. cap. Gen. for her pride Againe All the Rabbines of the Hebrewes thinke generally that the waters which increased in the floud were hotte and that so the fishes also perished What are all these but sathans plantes so ouershadow the Lords trueth So likewise amongst vs Christians in the time of the Gospell hee hath not beene idle He hath mixed his drosse amongst the Lords gold as appeares in the Popes Legend and other Histories Longinus was a certaine Centurion who standing with other soldiers saith their Legend by the commaundement of Pilate Legend aurea de sancto Long. thrust the Lords side thorow with his speare And after seeing the signes which then happened that is the sunne to be darkened and the earthquake he beleeued but especially for this cause as some say that when as his eies were dimmed either by some infirmity or by age by chance some of the blood which ranne out of Christs side running downe his speare touched his eies and presently he saw most cleerely This is one of their traditions But Granatensis as should séeme not liking this fable in his meditations of Christes passion I thanke thee saith hee O Lord Iesu Orat. 6. parad prec that thou wouldest suffer thy side to be pierced of a certaine soldier He names not Longinus but agreeth with the scripture and goes no further that a certaine soldier pierced him to the heart with his speare So likewise they haue added manie things to the other scriptures of God as in an olde printed booke in verse made in those daies I read thus of Putifats wife and Ioseph He said Madam I will be true to my Lord Traitor will I neuer be to my Soueraigne Therefore beleeue me at a word Rather then do so I had rather be slaine With that loude did she crie and brake her lace in twaine And smote her nose that it gusht out all on bloud And rent down her serket that was of silk ful good She told the Knights that Ioseph would by her laine And that he tare her robes all asunder And helpe had not come the thiefe had me slaine Heere is no mention made howe she kept his garment when he fled away from her whereof the scripture makes mention but of dashing her selfe on the nose and rending her robe whereof in scripture there is no mention Of the first originall of bonefires in their Legend Leg. aur in Nat. Ioh. bap thus wee may read The bones of dead beastes being out of all places gathered together are burnt of some vpon this daie whereof there is two causes as Iohn Beleth saith one an obseruation of an auncient custome for there are certaine beasts called Dragons which doe flye in the ayre and swimme in the water and goe on the earth and sometime when as they goe on earth they are inflamed with lust and doe throw their seede into springs and flouds whereof followed a plaguie and vnholsome yeare Against this this remedie was founde out that a fire should be made of the bones of beasts and this fire would driue them away and because this chanced about this time therefore yet this of some is obserued Another cause is to signifie vnto vs that the bones of Saint Iohn Baptist were burnt in the Citie called Sebasta of the infidels Also then they carie in their hands burning firebrands because Iohn was a light shining burning And they turne about a wheele because then the sunne declines in his circle to signifie that the fame of Iohn who was supposed to be Christ did descende and diminish What preseruatiues against Dragons what doctrines for their soules were these Io. 5 35. Especially when as they neuer then heard in the scriptures read that Iohn was a burning light But that fable of Formosus is notable Fasc Tem. 6 aetate Christi an Dom. 9 14. which Fasciculus Temporum makes mention of This Sergius saith that booke when as he came to Rome by the ayde of the French men tooke Christopher the Antipope and sate in his steed And to reuenge his repulse he drew the body of Formosus out of his graue and being clothed like the Pope he commanded his head to be chopt off in his pontificall chaire and to be throwne into Tiber. But the fishers brought him into the Church the Images bowing themselues vnto him and saluting him reuerently as all they did see which were present This is reported in that historie And after Fulbertus Byshop of Carnotensis in his sicknesse was visited of the blessed Virgin Marie and restored againe with her most blessed milke Also of the visitation of Elizabeth they saie in their Legend that the blessed Virgin carried with her Cousin three moneths waiting vpon her and that she tooke the childe being borne in her holy armes from the ground as it is written in the Scholasticall historie and did most diligently the dutie of a nurse carrying him about This teacheth their Legend Whereas the Gospel saith that she abode with her thrée moneths and after returned to her owne house Luc. 1.56 and that when Elizabeths time was comed that she should be deliuered she brought forth a forme and her neighbours and Cousins reioiced with her But this as should séeme was after Maries departure And this Stella affirmes also in 2. cap. Luc. Thus they erre not knowing the Scriptures That miracle is strange of Germanus the Byshop of Antisiodore Fasc temp Fol. 50. which is written of him that he restored three dead men to life againe and also his Asse That he would shew a miracle vpon his asse séemes verie strange But to
say they hold of Paul I of Apollo I of Cephas If that CorinthiaÌ„s had béen taught this principall point of religion which nowe the catholiques accompt the chiefest point of all other that Peter had béen ordained of Christ his Vicar generall they would neuer haue matched Apollo with him By this it is likelie the there was no such superiority among the Apostles taught in the primitiue Church Fer. in 21. Act. And again vpon these words Thus saith the holy Ghost the Lord as a most wise gouernour of his doth foreshew the crosse which is appointed to his but sodaine destruction falleth on the wicked He makes the holie Ghost the gouernour of the Church And in another place No congregatioÌ„ can contiâ—ue without order Therfore it is a great matter in the reformation of the Church that order be kept Therefore they offende grieuously which in the Church of God disturb rent asunder and quite take away all order Fer. in 23. Act Christ himselfe ordeined an order some Apostles some Prophets some doctors He makes in this order appointed of Christ no one visible head And after speaking of the Apostles hee writes thus It is the office of the Apostles to be seruants or ministers and witnesses of Christ They haue all one office by Ferus iudgement The same Ferus also of the supremacie writes thus The seruant saith he is not aboue his Maister Fer. in pass part 1. By this worde therefore Christ doth bridle all the pride and ambition of ecclesiasticall persons for admitte whosoeuer they be whether Popes or Bishoppes or Cardinals or Doctours what are they else but seruants And if they be seruants as no man will denie they ought to behaue themselues so as that they should not climbe aboue their maister howe this is done among them let them looke to it For here is not a place as we saie to rake in this filthie fenne or lake Their owne consciences will tell them in what thinges they are vnlike to Christ nay wherein they endeuour to climbe vp aboue Christ c. Here Ferus is loth to meddle with the Popes pride as should séeme but for all that hee glaunceth at it and giues him as wee saie an Item And a little after he discouers some parts of this pride In worldly affaires no man dare preferre himselfe before his maister or will seeke to take more ease then his maister doth but in spirituall matters we see it farre otherwise There is no man but coueteth and wisheth to be in better estate theÌ„ Christ was in Christ wheÌ„ as he was in the shape of God huÌ„bled himselfe we vile wretches caÌ„not abide humilitie Christ ministred to vs who were his seruaÌ„ts we thinke scorne to minister or do seruice to any Christ did good euen to the simplest we thinke much to do good euen to our brethren Christ laboured tooke paines we seeke our owne ease Christ although hee were the brightnes of his fathers glorie yet patiently endured the reproches of men we are of a contrarie minde Christ being the iudge of all men notwithstanding suffered himselfe to bee iudged we disdaine to be iudged or reproued of any Christ by the crosse and death entred into his glorie we thinke to come thither by riot and pleasure What therefore doe we else but preferre our selues before our maister and desire a better estate then hee had Therefore not without cause he vrgeth this word so often so vehemently vnto vs He will haue vs knowe that we are seruants Againe that we should consider what he hath done and suffered he that markes this diligently will bee most readie to doe all good and most patient to endure all euill He séemes here also to glaunce at the Popes pride and pompe Againe howe Peter was chiefe amonge the Apostles he writes thus of the washing of the Apostles féete It is most likelie that he began at Peter who was the first or chiefe amonge the Apostles not in calling for Andrew followed Christ before him but in the election of the Apostleshippe for there Peter is placed in the first place c. So that by Ferus his iudgment Peter was the chiefe among the Apostles because when as Christ chose his xij Apostles he first chose Peter he was the first in order the first chosen of the twelue And againe that the Pope ought not to haue both swords Fer. Part. 2 pass he writes thus Christ speakes thus to Peter Hinder not my death but rather studie to imitate it Awaye with thy sworde which kills men my sworde which I haue committed vnto thee cuts off vices but saues men Therefore put thou that materiall sworde into thy sheath againe or as the other Euangelists saide into his owne place The proper place of the materiall sworde is the ordinarie power that is the ciuill magistrate Put thy sword therfore into that sheath let the ciuill magistrate vse it and not thou In this place as in manie other places alledged in this discourse Ferus plainlie teacheth that the Pope ought not to haue both swords because Peter had them not and therefore he quite ouerthrowes the Popes supremacie This is the very foundation thereof that the Pope hath the right of both the swordes And after Againe he teacheth by this worde that the gospell is not to be defended with worldly weapons nor with mans ayde but the defence thereof is to be committed to God So saith Paul the weapons of our warfare are not carnall so Christ neuer vsed any sword nor his Apostles are euer read to haue been girded with swordes They taught the word and the word it selfe fought with his owne power And the Apostles went euer away conquerors So Christ in Luke sayth I will giue you a mouth and wisdome which your enemies shall not be able to resist Therefore Christ especially by this word forbiddes his Apostles the externall sword for they haue and they ought to haue the sworde of the spirite which is the worde of God And hence Esay prophesieth that the battell of the Apostles shal be as in the day of Madian that is as Gedeon ouercame the Madianits not with weapons but with trumpets and breaking of pitchers so should the Apostles do spiritually that they should subdue the whole world to Christ by the trumpet of the word of God and by suffering afflictions c. Here also Ferus plainly teacheth the the gospel must not be maintained with armes and swords with fire and fagotte as the Pope séeke nowe to maintaine his kingdome And Ferus of Christs kingdome Part 3. pass writes thus My kingdome is otherwise gouerned then a warlike kingdome for this is gouerned with a materiall sword but my kingdome stands in no neede of that sword for the sword thereof is the word of God The kingdome of the world hath Cities Castles Townes Villages Armes Weapons but my kingdome only requires the hearts of men The world raignes ouer mens bodies and goods but I ouer
Christian against Antichrist These things haue I written vnto you 1. Ep. 2.26 as concerning those that deceiue you and the annointing yee haue receiued of him abideth in you so that no man needeth to teach you any thing no not Elias nor Enoch We may note here how that he armeth the faithfull onely with the Scripture and the holie spirit against Antichrist and that they neede no other armour And againe I write vnto you children Verse 14. that you haue knowne the father I write vnto you fathers that you haue knowne him that was from the beginning I write vnto you young men that you are strong and the word of God dwelleth in you The worde of God is the knowledge and light of olde men against Sathan and his sonne Antichrist and the strength also of young men to wrastle and encounter with them both and with this they being strengthened they are able to ouercome them Saint Paul also speaking of Antichrist and of his members which by and by after his departure should succéed in the church saieth thus Act. 20 24. I knowe this that after my departure shall grieuous Wolues enter in amongst you not sparing the flocke and from amongst your selues shall men arise speaking peruerse things to drawe away the Disciples after them Therefore watch ye remembring how by the space of three yeeres night and day I haue not ceased to warne euerie one of you And now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you further then I haue as yet builded you and to giue you an inheritance amongst all those which shall be sanctified Here Saint Paul teacheth that Wolues shall succéede in the Church and no doubt these were the members of Antichrist Against these as a faithfull Pastor he commits his shéepe to God and to the word of God which is able to build them further naie to preserue them safe and sound from all errors and dangers in the wildernesse of this worlde and to bring them euen to heauen if so be that they shall follow onely the direction of it And here also we maie learne an excellent commendation of the worde of God it is a bottomelesse pitte no man can euer come to the depth thereof so that of it that saying of Saint Austen is verified So great is the depth of the holy Scriptures that I should euerie day profit in the study of them Aug. ep 3. if from mine infancie till I were a verie olde man I should learne them hauing neuer so much leisure studying neuer so earnestly and hauing neuer so good a wit they are still able to build further This testimonie Saint Paul and Saint Austen yéelde to the worde of God and what néedes Maister Bellarmine then to adde the comming of Elias and Enoch as necessarie to preserue the elect in the faith as though the worde of God were not sufficient Our Sauiour himselfe in the Gospell teacheth the same doctrine and that it is dangerous to beléeue anie rising againe frō the dead whosoeuer they are in points of saluation Luk. 16.31 They haue Moses the prophets saith Abraham the father of the faithful if they will not beleeue them neither wil they beleeue if anie arise from the dead againe no if it were Enoch and Elias This lesson Abraham by our sauiours testimonie hath taught all his children and yet by Maister Bellarmine his iudgement the faithfull must looke for Elias and Enoch to come to preserue them in the faith Esay also opposeth the word of God against all doctrines of dead men whatsoeuer Esay 8.20 Should not a people enquire of their God From the liuing to the dead will you seeke To the lawe and to the testimonie Psal 119.105 The lawe and the testimonie must be a light to our feet our counsellers in all controuersies and doubts as also they were Dauids Chrysostome vpon Matthew writes thus of Antichrist and of the onely way to bewray him Then that is Chrys Ho. 49. in ca. 24. Mat. when Antichrists kingdome shall come they which are in Iewrie let them flie vnto the hilles These things are to be vnderstood spiritually thus Then when you shall see the abomination of desolation sitting in the holy place that is when you shall see a wicked heresie which is the host of Antichrist standing in the holy places of the Church at that time they which are in Iewrie let them flie to the hilles that is they which are Christians let them get them to the Scriptures For as the true Iewe is a Christian as the Apostle saith not he which is a Iew openly but he which is a Iew in secret so christendome is true Iewrie whose name signifies confession or thanksgiuing and the hilles are the writings of the Prophets and Apostles of which hilles it is said Thou wonderfully giuest light from the eternall hilles And againe of the Church he saith the foundations are vpon the holy hilles And why doth he command all christians at this time to get them to the scriptures Because at that time since that heresy hath taken place in the Church there can be no other proofe or triall of true christianitie nor any other help for christians which thē would know which is the true faith but the holy Scriptures Before by many meanes it might be shewed which was the church of Christ and which was the heathenish Synagogue But now they which will know which is the true Church can know it by no meanes else but onely by the Scriptures And after Therefore the Lord knowing what a great confusion of all things should be in the latter daies therefore he commaunds that Christians which would be sure to know the true faith should flie to nothing else but to the Scriptures Here we maie first learne what Antichrist is not a Deuill incarnate as the Papists imagine but a wicked heresie which shall take possession in the Church nay in the beginning of that Homily he saith That when as all heresies are as it were the host of Antichrist yet especially that which shall take vpon it the face and roume of the Church Quae obtinuit ecclesiae locum stetit in loco sancto ita vt videatur quasi verbum veritatis stetisse cum non sit verbum veritatis sed abominatio desolationis id est exercitus Antichrists qui multorum animas reddidit desolatas à Deo which hath borne the shew of the Church so that it seemed to haue continued in the holy place as the word of truth when as it is not the word of truth but the abhomination of desolation that is the host of Antichrist which shall make many mens soules destitute of God And dare anie man then venture his saluation vpon the bare name and shewe of the Church He saith here plainlie that Antichrists heresie shall haue the roume and shewe of the Church Therefore it is dangerous onely to relie vpon
heauenly phisition hath bought for thee with the price of his bloud hath bestowed freely vpon thee what to these things shall those most miserable men answere what shall they say for themselues what shall they doe surely euen that which our Sauiour euen here saith Then shall all the kinreds of the earth lament c. Thus farre Granatensis But here some will say all the infidels in the world shall wéepe at the beholding of this signe And shall they all be saued I answere The scripture saith not that all those which then wéepe shall be damned And therefore where the scriptures hold their peace let man take héed how he pronounceth sentence Let vs leaue them to the mercy of God God may among those weepers saue some if it please him as among two théeues he saued one on the crosse Luke 25.43 Hab. 3.1 That saying of Abacucke may then be fulfilled When thou art angrie thou wilt thinke vpon mercie And Dauid saith I will sing of mercie and iudgement Psal 101.1 Luke 16.9 Iudgement excludes not mercie euen in that terrible and great day of account Mercie must saue all Christians Io. 2.13 and why may it not at that time saue some Iewes also Especially séeing God promiseth here by his prophet that he will powre vpon them the spirit of grace and mercie and then they shall weepe This wéeping thall procéed of grace and therefore shall be healthfull This powring forth of the spirit of grace and mercie and this hauing respect then to him whom they haue pearced and this weeping belong all to one kind of people and are fruites and effects the one of the other The former the powring out of the spirit of grace and mercy doth belong to the elect and this latter the beholding of him whom haue they pearced and these teares to the reprobate As Ribera would haue it on that place of Zacharie And that the crosse was taken for the signe of the sonne of man in the primitiue Church Eusebius testifieth Rib. in za c. 12. For so when as the Christians admitted vnto their society one Basilides he saith they gaue him the Lords signe And the next day he was martyred And he that translated Eusebius addes in the margine that by the Lords signe he vnderstands the crosse But if we shall not admit his exposition Eus lib. ca 5. let vs heare what Sibylla an ancient Prophetesse prophecieth of Christs comming to iudgement and of this signe Sib. lib. 8. Orac fol. 383. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which Verses are thus turned into English Vnto all men a famous signe whereby they may be knowne In those daies shal be giuen euen by the wood a trumpe most dire Of all the faithfull much esteemd but to the worlds state Reposing trust in earthly things a cause of great offence Here Sibylla in her Achrostickes as she doth most truly and plainly paint out vnto vs Christes name and his merits This King saith she whom we haue described in the first letters of our verses is our God and our eternall Redeemer and Sauiour who suffered for vs And of his comming againe to iudgement why should she not also saie the truth in the appearing of this the signe of the crosse It is a great argument to make one be trusted if he shall haue borne true witnes often before in other matters The true faith of Sibylla in the former may also win her credit with vs in this latter And to confirme the authoritie of her prophecie Cic. lib. 2. de Diuin Au. de ciuit dei lib. 18. ca. 23. that it is no new thing forged of late since Christs passion Cicero makes mention of this her Achrosticks who was before Christ and Lactantius in his booke often cites her verses And saint Austen saith That a certaine noble man called Flactianus who was the Emperors Lieutenāt when as they two talked togither of Christ shewed him a Greeke booke saying that they were the verses of Sibylla Erithrea and that he shewed him in a certaine place of that booke in the beginning of euerie verse letters set in such an order that these words might be read therein Iesus Christ Son of God Sauiour This account all these famous men made of Sibylla her verses and shal we discredite them Gualter also a learned man of our daies of famous memorie so expoundes that place of saint Matthewes gospell and by the signe of the sonne of man vnderstandeth the signe of the crosse These be his wordes Most of the auncient fathers expound the crosse to be this signe whose image as Eusebius witnesseth with this inscription In this signe thou shalt ouercome appeared to Constantine when he made warre against Maxentius that he might helpe the Church which seemed then forsaken In cap. 24. Euan. secun Mat For because Christ by the merit of the crosse ouercame all the power of the enemie the signe of the crosse appeareth most fitly before any other to our victorie and by it also we shall ouercome And it is verie profitable for vs often to muse vpon this and it is a shame for vs to feare any misfortune when as the verie name of the crosse promiseth vs most certaine victory Thus farre Gualter Wherein he doth not onely declare his owne opinion but also the opinion of the fathers concerning this matter That same learned father also Thomas Cooper sometimes Byshoppe of Lincolne in his visitation there agreed with Gualter in this his exposition who spake to this effect to his cleargie in Latine in my hearing all the rest of his Sermon being in English Annon potestis ferre fratres mei Anno Dom. 1583. signum illud formari hîc in terra quod ante aduentum iudicis erit conspicuum in coelo Can you not abide my deere brethren that that signe should be made here on earth which shall appeare manifestly before the iudge come in heauen In cap. 4. Ioh. Ferus also of the conuersion of the Iewes writes thus Allegorically as the foresaid woman of Samaria was a figure of the Church of the Gentiles so this noble mans sonne was a figure of the Iewes And it makes much to the purpose that the woman came to Christ at the sixt houre but he was healed first at the seuenth houre For the Church of the Gentiles beleeued the true sonne of Righteousnesse Christ Iesus ascending into heauen but when as he shall begin to come downe againe that is when he sendeth before him the signes and wonders of his comming to iudgement then shall the people of the Iewes beleeue Ferus thinkes that the verie signes and wonders which shall immediately precede Christs comming to iudgement shall cause the Iewes to beléeue and not the preaching of Elias and Enoch And it is verie likely that he means among those signes which shall appeare immediately before the iudgement which shall conuert the Iewes shall be the signe
declares the great zeale that they shall haue and the loue to Iesus Christ when as they are once conuerted they shall be like Marie Magdalen as zealous of him at his second comming as she was at his resurrection Peter and Iohn when as they had come to the graue and found not his bodie there went home againe by and by Ioh. 20.10.11 but Marie tarried still by the graue weeping shée loued him better then so so zealous of Christ shall the Iewes be when as he shall arise also to them And here also is insinuated to vs a good lesson why God wil then shew them such mercie and to make vs beware least we fall from Gods mercie Oh saith Dauid Psal 59.5 bee not mercifull to those that offend of malicious wickednesse Rom. 10.2 As though he should saie those that offend ignorantly yet zealously but not according to knowledge as Saint Paul witnesseth that the Iews doe now be mercifull to those O Lord. But be not mercifull to those that offend maliciously which knew their masters will Luk. 12.47 and yet will not doe it such shall be beaten with many stripes And this lesson concernes vs those sins are the sins which Dauid cals the greatest sins sinnes of presumption Psal 14.13 1. Tim. 1.13 And so Saint Paul also writes of himselfe that he obtained mercie because that he sinned ignorantly through vnbeliefe And so also it séems here by Dauids prayer that the Iewes also shall obtaine mercie The man also that appeared to Daniel Dan. 10.14 that was cloathed in linnen whose loines were girded with fine gold of vphaz telles Daniel that he is sent to shew him what shall come to his people in the latter day but yet the vision is for many daies And Daniel thus is instructed of this man verie manifestly of the calling of the Iewes Cap. 12.1 At that time Michael the great prince shall stand vp who stands for the children of thy people and there shall be such a time of trouble as there was neuer since there was any people till this time and in this verie time shall the people be deliuered all that shall be found written in this booke And many that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to shame and perpetuall contempt Thus much this heauenly man reueiled to Daniel that the Iewes shall be called in that troublesome time And our Sauiour referres this troblesome time both to the destruction of Ierusalem and also to the ende of the world as we maie plainly sée in Saint Markes Gospell Chap. 13. v. 20. 24. And those daies shal be shortned for the elects sake or els no flesh should be saued Therfore by this prophesie of Daniel it maie be verie necessarily collected that séeing this troublesome time shall immediatly precede Christs comming and that in that time they shall be conuerted and that those daies shall be shortned that they maie be conuerted euen immediatly before the comming of Christ For he addes the Resurrection as the next thing that should follow their calling and what is that els but the verie appearance of Christ himselfe Ier. 30.7 Ieremy also agrees with Daniel both concerning the day and the Iewes deliuerance Alas for this day is great none hath bin like it it is euen the time of Iacobs trouble yet shall he be deliuered from it Ieremie séemes here to come néerer then Daniel and to saie that not onely in that troublesome time but in the latter daie thereof which no doubt is the daie of iudgment that then Iacob shall be deliuered What great daie is this then the which none hath béene like but the daie of iudgement And so the Prophet Ioel also describes that daie A day of blacknesse and of darknesse Ioel. 2.2 a day of cloudes and obscuritie And Zacharie also of this strange daie writes thus Zach. 14.7 And there shall be a day it is knowne to the Lord neither day nor night but about the euentide it shall be light In this strange and great daie saith Ieremy shall Iacob be deliuered Thus we maie plainly sée how that all the other Prophets almost do agrée with the prophet Zacharie that the Iewes shall be called at the day of iudgement But to let passe the scriptures and to come to the fathers Iust ◠apol and to shew what some of them haue thought concerning this matter Iustine the martyr affirmes that this generall wéeping the Prophet Zacharie speaks of shal be at the second comming of Christ who writes thus The prophet Zacharie hath foretolde what words the people of the Iews shal say when as they shal see him comming in his glory I will commaund the foure winds saith God that they may gather togither my dispersed children And then in Ierusalem shall be great mourning not mourning of countenance and face but of heart And then they shall not rent their garments but their minds And they shal lamēt tribe to tribe And they shall see him whom they haue pierced Thus farre Iustine And he plainly referres this prophecie of Zachary to be fulfilled in the end of the world To whom agrées also Theodoret who writes thus Theo. in ca. 12. Zach. And it shall come to passe that at that day I will destroy all nations that fight against Ierusalem and I will powre vpon the house of Dauid and the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and mercie c. Vpon these words Theodoret writes thus I haue euen loaden them with all kind of benefits I haue killed their enemies by diuers meanes And contrariwise to them I haue opened the fountaines of my mercy and haue filled them with all kind of graces But they haue betraied me comming into this world into the hands of mine enemies and hauing nailed me and lifted me vp vpon a crosse they haue thrust me to the heart with a souldiers speare and haue railed vpon me and haue laughed me to scorne but notwithstanding when as within a little while after they shall see me comming in my diuine maiestie then they shall bewaile and lament this their madnes And a little after speaking of their lamentation he saith Lastly he inferres that all the other tribes shall also seuerally weep and lament This selfe same thing the Lord in his gospell also hath foretolde Then they shall see the signe of the sonne of man in heauen and then all the kinreds of the earth shall lament It is most certaine that all they which haue not receiued the preaching of the gospell shall lament looking for nothing else but vtter destruction But these things shal be fulfilled in the time of the verie end yet I will defend them meaning the Iewes although I am not ignorant how they shall crucifie me and kill me comming into this world for my benefits bestowed vpon them c. He referres the fulfilling of this prophecie plainly vnto the end of the world
and that God will defend the Iewes for all this their ingratitude De ciuit Dei lib. 20. ca. 30. Saint Austen also referres this prophecie of Zacharie to be fulfilled in the end of the world It shall repent saith he at that day the Iewes yea euen those which shall receiue the spirit of grace and mercy hat in this passion they haue triumphed ouer him when as they shall haue respect vnto him comming in his maiestie and shall know that this is he whom being humble before and of no account among them they haue laughed to scorne in their parents Although their parents the ringleaders of that most hainous offence rising againe shall see him also but to be punished not to be pardoned Therefore in this place he meanes not them whereas he saith I will powre out vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and mercie and they shall now haue a speciall regard of me for that they made a iest of me but only those which come of their progenie which at that time shall beleeue by the meanes of Elias Thus farre Austen where he also thinkes that this prophecie of Zacharie shall be fulfilled in the end of the world and in the ofspring and progenie of those Iewes which put Christ to death But Austen here saith that Elias shall come But what then Ierome denies it Ier. in cap. 4. Mat. and cals them heretiques that say so And whether of these now shall we beléeue The Angell also taught Zacharie that in Iohn Baptist that prophecie of Malachie was fulfilled and he repeats the verie words of that prophecie that he shal turne the hearts of the fathers to the children c. least any one should doubt Luk. 1.17 whether he meant that prophecie or no. And our sauiour also in the gospel plainly teacheth that Elias was thē come and that they had done to him whatsoeuer they would Therefore he is not to come and to be killed againe of Antichrist as the papists teach Luk. 17.12 Likewise also saith he shall the sonne of man suffer of them They may as well say that Christ shall come and suffer againe as to say that Elias shall come and suffer againe for Christ himselfe compares both their sufferings togither And speaking of the prophecies which should be fulfilled All the law and the prophets saith he prophecie but vnto Iohn Mat. 11.13.14 And if ye will receiue it he is Elias which was to come What can be more planly spoken The prophecie of Malachie is fulfilled Iohn is not a type or figure of Elias as the papists would haue him but he is Elias which was to come saith our Sauiour And shall we not beléeue the Angell that taught Zacharie alleadging the verie words of the prophecie of Malachie that Iohn should fulfill it nor our Sauiour who agrées with the Angell and saith that that prophecie is fulfilled Nay who saith plainly that Iohn is Elias which was to come In this matter being so plaine to doubt surely is great incredulitie Nay our Sauiour addes yet more to make vs very wel to marke and beléeue this Vers 15. He that hath eares to heare let him heare saith he And yet for all this shall we not heare this doctrine of our blessed Sauiours owne mouth shall we not beléeue it So that then the prophecie of Malachie is fulfilled alreadie And what néds then Elias to come againe to fulfil it But they will say Elias neuer died but all men must die And therefore he must needs come againe to suffer death 1. Cor. 15.51 Must all men die Those that liue when Christ comes againe to iudgement shal not die vnlesse you cal that their change to be a death 2. Cor. 5.4 They shall not be vncloathed but cloathed vpon which thing saint Paul himselfe desired And so no doubt Elias and Enoch haue died already and are chaunged And therefore their bodies now vnlesse God should create them new bodies cannot suffer death And therefore for this cause they néed not nay they cannot come Now if Austen Gal. 1.8 nay if an Angell from heauen shall teach any thing contrarie to the gospell let him be acursed saith Saint Paul neither doth Saint Austen affirme this out of the scriptures but rather by tradition No man saith he will denie the iudgement but he that will denie the scripture But we haue learned that at the daie of iudgement or about that time these things shall be meaning Elias the Thesbite the conuersion or the faith of the Iewes that Antichrist shall persecute Lib. 20. de ciui ca. 30 that Christ shall come to iudgement that there shall be a resurrection of the good and a spoile of the wicked a consuming of the world by fire and a renewing of it againe All which that they shal come we must beleeue but in what manner and what order they shall come experience shall then better teach then now any mans wit can perfectly comprehend Lib. 20. ciu ca. 29. But I thinke that they shall come in order as I haue said And of Elias comming thus he writes in another place By this great Elias and wonderful prophet that the Iewes shall beleeue in the true Christ that is in our Christ before the iudgement by Elias who shal expound the law vnto them it is a verie common thing in the mouthes and hearts of the faithfull It was as should séeme a common spéech among the Christians in Saint Austens daies that Elias should come but we must ground our faith vpon the scriptures not vpon spéeches To these fathers Rup lib. 5 in Zac. Rupertus a latter writer agréeth And it shall come to passe that in that day I wil destroy al nations which come against Ierusalem This saith he needs no fauourable exposition for although this word conterere may sometime signifie mercie yet no man doubts or is ignorant but in that day of iudgement God ought to breake in peeces or destroy al nations which come against Ierusalem which haue shed so many martyrs bloud and haue not repented But before this the remnant of the Iewes are to be conuerted And therefore he saith And I will power vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the dwellers of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and prayers that is the spirit of the rem ssion of their sinnes which is the chiefest and greatest gift of grace And it shall come to passe that they shall be the house of Dauid and the inhabiters of Ierusalem And after this shall be the great day of iudgement of which he said In that day I will seeke to breake in peeces all nations which come against Ierusalem And therefore by and by he addeth and they shall behold me whom they haue pierced and they shall lament ouer him as ouer their onely begotten sonne c. Here is Rupertus iudgement that God will powre vpon the Iewes the spirit of mercie
and grace and euen then by and by after shall follow the iudgement Lumnius devicinitate extremi iudicii lib. 1. cap. 15. Lumnius a Papist concerning the comming of Elias Enoch writes thus That although they shall preach but three yeeres and a halfe yet that the day of iudgement shall be neuerthelesse vncertaine to the world Although saith he we beleeue that Elias shall come and although the remnant of the Iewes be said to be conuerted when as the fulnes of the Gentiles shall haue entred in yet we must thinke that this must be done secretly and by little and little So that all the world shall stand in doubt of the person of Elias and of the time of the conuersion of the Iewes euen as the world stood in doubt of the persons of Iohn and of our Sauiour Iesus Thus farre Lumnius But this his exposition agrées not with the rest of the papists Reu. 11.6 for they expound those two witnesses in the Reuelation literally to be meant of the persons of Elias and Enoch And that they shall haue power in the daies of their prophecies to open and shut heauen and to turne water into bloud If they shall do these euident signes surely no man can say that they shall come secretly These signes also are so manifest that no man can doubt of their persons Nay Saint Iohn there saith Vers 9. that all people and nations shall see their bodies lie dead in the citie that spiritually is called Sodome and Egypt and that they shall be glad of their deaths and shall send presents one to another because they were slaine For they shall vexe the people of the earth and not conuert the Iewes as they imagine These prophets then shall not come secretly when they come as Lumnius imagineth but all the world shall heare of them and hate them They shall be enemies to their carnall mirth and spirituall fornication How angrie will the adulterer be to be depriued of his pleasure so pleasant also is spirituall fornication to flesh and bloud These two witnesses then are the preachers of the gospell Mat. 24.12 which shall preach the gospell to all nations In testimonium and not in patrocinium for a testimonie of their condemnation not for a helpe of their saluation as the same Lumnius alleageth out of Hilarie Lum ca. 14. Reue. 10.11 Which vnder the type of Iohn in the chapter going before haue receiued the little booke yea from the hand of the Lord to preach againe to nations peoples tongues and many kings not Elias and Enoch Ferus also of the vncertaintie of the day of iudgement writes thus If you enquire of me the daie and howre I will not tell you In 24. ca. Mat. but if you will know the seasons and beginnings I will hide nothing from you I haue shewed you in many words how that that day is not vnknowen vnto me But I haue brought you to the gates onely thereof for he had said before know ye then that it is euen in the verie gates But it is for your profit that I will not open the gates vnto you least you should waxe carelesse For so it is written of me I am thy God teaching thee profitable things onely as much as might profit you I haue taught but that which might engender in you a false securitie I conceale from you Here therefore thou seest the cause why he would haue both the day of our death and of iudgement vnknowne vnto vs least we should be more slouthfull but being alwaies vncertain of this we should euer liue in feare should euer watch being careful as though we should be iudged the next day and that we should looke for him euerie day whō we know not when he wil come Thus far Ferus Here is then a Christians life euerie day to looke and waite for Christ and so to liue as though he should not liue til to morrow according to that saying of the heathen Philosopher Who being bidden to a feast against to morrow Surely said he I neuer thought that I should liue til to morrow these many yeeres And it is reported that Saint Ierome that in all his doings he thought he heard that last trumpet sounding in his eares Then Elias comming shall not giue Christians warning thereof thrée yéeres an halfe before it come as the Papists do teach In ca. 11. Mat. Ferus also writing vpon these wordes And if ye will receiue him he is Elias which is to come saith thus As though he should say that you may plainly see that there is no other prophet to be looked for of you who should shew you that Messias should come Iohn is that verie same Elias which Malachie promised vnder the name of Elias And in these words he makes answere to a question couertly all men were perswaded that Elias should come before Messias came whom because they saw not they doubted of Christ And therefore the Apostles when they saw the Lord transfigured said Wherefore do the Pharisees say that Elias must first come To whom he answered Elias is come alreadie But who this Elias was here he signifieth Iohn himselfe is Elias not in person but in spirit and power For as Elias with great zeale was zealous that he might bring the people of Israel to the true God and for this cause he spared not kings so Iohn by the same zeale endeuoured to bring the people vnto Christ After Iohn therfore no other thing is to be looked for but that great terrible day of the Lord. The which also followes in the same prophet Thus farre Ferus If after Iohn nothing is to be looked for but that terrible day of the Lord then not Elias and Enoch according to master Bellarmines assertion Cuthbert Tunstall Bishop of Duresme thus writes in a Sermon put in print which he preached before king Henry the eight on Palme sunday vpon this text Let the same mind be in you that was in Iesus Christ These many yeeres past saith he little warre hath beene in these parts of Christendome but the Bishop of Rome either hath beene a stirrer of it or a nourisher of it and seldome any compounder of it vnlesse it were for his ambition and profit Wherfore seeing as Saint Paul saith in the four 10. chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthiās That God is not the God of dissension but of peace who commaundeth by his word alwaies peace to be kept we are sure that all those that go about to breake peace betweene Realmes and to bring them to warre are the children of the diuell what holy names soeuer they pretend to cloake their pestilent malice withall which cloaking vnder hypocrisie is double diuellishnes and of Christ most detested because vnder his blessed name they do play the diuels part And therefore since Christ is on our side let vs not feare thē at al but putting our confidence in Almightie God let vs
of grace is called the fulnes of time And for this cause the sonne of God is called the hand of the father because as by the hand things are wont to be distributed So the eternall father by the sonne hath giuen his heauenly gifts This hand Dauid praied so earnestly for send out thy hand from aboue c. If we lacke anie thing we are wont to receiue it at mens hands and not at their féet So here let vs receiue all things at the hands of God Almightie let vs not seeke anie thing at Saints or Angels which may resemble Gods féet In ca. 19. Esa Ierome writes thus vpon these words And they shall not remember the former things Although this may be said that in the new heauen and the new earth all the remeÌ„brance of our conuersation shall be quite blotted out least this should be some peece of euill to remember our former griefes and necessities As the saints shall not remember their former anguishes or griefes to impaire in anie respect their ioy so no doubt much more not the griefes of others And againe In all their trouble there shall be no trouble And the Angell of his face shall saue them that is Iesus Christ who is the Image of God and appeares before God now for vs or else who is like to vs and is perfect man Psal 118. v. 27. In times past as Dauid witnesseth The sacrifices were bound to the hornes of the Altar not to the postes of the house of God though they were neuer so holy and gilded So now we must binde our sacrifices that is our prayers to the Altar Iesus Christ not to the postes of the house that is to the Saints In cap. 3. Io. Ferus also writes thus Afterward Iohn expresseth the conditions of those that be Christes friends he standeth saith he as readie to doe whatsoeuer is to be done he heareth what the bride groome talketh with the bride and he reioyceth in the glorie of the bridegroome These are those thrée conditions of all the friends of Iesus Christ which were bidden to the marriage by Ferus his iudgement and of all Gods Saintes And no doubt as they performed the two former while they were here in this life that is they stood all readie to doe his commandements and they gladlie heard his words so likewise in heauen they reioice in his glorie his glorie is their glorie They all with Saint Iohn here doe put awaie all glory yéelded vnto them and attribute it vnto him And after he must increase I must decrease we are taught by this sentence that all the authorities dignities offices righteousnesses wisedomes powers of all men are to be made no account of that only Christs authoritie dignitie office righteousnesse wisedome power may be established To conclude it belongs to him to be exalted it belongs to vs to be humbled If this be true what meanes all those hymnes and songs and prayers to the glorie of Saints which the Church of Rome vseth In the councell of Rhemes cap. 2. celebrated vnder Charles the great An. dom 913. we are taught that it is not lawful for a christian not to know without booke the Lords prayer or not to vnderstand it or not too often vse it If this be true how many thousand Christians in the time of Poperie were transgressors of this lawe who vnderstood not the Lords prayer Theodoret against prayers to be made to Angels writes thus They which defended the law In 3. ca. ad Col. perswaded them to worship Angels saying that the lawe was giuen by them And this fault remained long in Phrygia and Pisidia wherefore also the synode which met at Laodicea which is the chiefe Citie of Phrygia did forbid by law that they pray to Angels And euen vnto this day we may see amongst them and amongst their borderers houses of prayer of S. Michael They gaue men counsell to doe this vsing humilitie saying the God of all things could not be seene nor comprehended nor that any man could come vnto him and that they must get them the good will of God by the means of the angels Is not this plainly the papists doctrine at this day they build Churches to Angels they teach that by the meanes of Angels we must procure the fauour of God And after vpon these words Doe all things in the name of our Lords Iesus Christ because saith Theodoret they commanded to worship Angels he commaunds the contrarie that they should make glorious or acceptable to God both their wordes and deedes by the remembrance of our Lord Christ And saith he send forth your thankesgiuing to God your father by him and not by Angels The councell of Laodicea following this law and hauing a minde to cure this olde disease decréed Conc. Lâ—od cap. 32. that they should not make any prayers vnto angels that they should not leaue out the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Here we may note that we should not make anie prayers vnto Angels and that we should neuer leaue out of our prayers the name of our Lord Iesus Christ but that we should doe all things in his name and that he alone makes our prayers glorious in the sight of God and procures vs Gods fauour Stella also of the great mercie of our Sauiour writes thus Secondly he touched the leaper In 5. ca. Luc. that he might mooue vs boldly to come to him and that he might take away all occasion of feare let no man be affraid let all come to him Christ doth not loathe our Leprosie nor filthy corruption but he pities vs more then any father doth his children because he knowes whereof we be made If a leprous sinner maie come boldly to Christ what sinner shall be affraid to come Also vpon the first of Luke he askes a question why God sent an Angell to the virgin could not God himselfe haue reuealed this mysterie to the virgin he could truely but he would send an Angell first that he might declare the loue and charitie he beares vnto vs so that he procures our redemption euen by the ministerie of Angels So Paul saith Are they not all ministring spirits for those which shall receiue the inheritance of saluation Out of which place man may drawe an argument that he may magnifie or thinke well of his owne estate because Angels are sent to minister and serue vnto him And after If any prince or noble man should prostrate himselfe on the ground that he might gather vp the crums which fell from thee were he not despised and no account made of So thou which art a noble and excellent creature of God when as thou hast Angels to be thy seruants oughtst not to bow thy selfe to these earthly things which are vile and of no reputation Thus farre Stella The same reason we make against praying to Angels If God haue so exalted vs that Angels are our seruants why should we abase our selues to knéele downe to
testimonies God will haue and what witnesses in his Temple what trées in this his new Paradise and what candles in his house Exod. 25.31 The old Tabernacle had but one Candlesticke in it with seuen braunches to lighten it 2. Pe. 2.5 Heb. 3.5 and the olde world but one Noah to testifie to them the wil of God and the house of Israel but one Moses as a seruant to testifie those things which should be spoken after As our Sauiour also tolde the Iewes Doe not you thinke that I will accuse you to my father Io. 5.45 there is one that accuseth you euen Moses in whom you trust But in the Church of Christ shall be two witnesses The Law and the Gospell Besides this former testimonie of Moses The gospell also shall be preached to all nations for a testimonie Mat. 24 14. Mat. 18.16 saith our Sauiour and then shall the ende come Out of the mouth of two or three witnesses shall euerie word or matter be confirmed Before his iudgement God will haue his truth firmely ratified to the world And therefore of these two witnesses and of these two testaments of the Law and of the Gospell in our daies in the repairing againe of the Temple which was prophaned and defaced by Antichrist Saint Iohn saith These are two Oliue trees and two Candlestickes standing before the God of the earth Alluding no doubt to Dauid here in the Psalme The word of the Lord is purified to the Lord of the earth and these Oliues and Candlesticks stood before the Lord of the earth As though the word of God and these Oliues and Candlesticks were all one The word of God the two testaments are the Lords two Oliues able not onely to sustaine Psal 104.15 but to chéere and make merie all Gods household seruants They are also the Lords two great lights like the Sunne the Moone which are sufficient also to lighten his whole house in all obscure and dark points of Religion and to shew vs the perfect and readie way to heauen Now let all his faithfull seruants haue an eie only to these De Mirah scrip lib. 1. cap. 6. Let vs marke what authoritie saint Austen himselfe yéelded to the fathers and expositers of the holy scriptures which were before him who speaking of the doores of heauen which were opened and of the fountains of the déepe at Noah his floud writes thus We cannot saith he for the slendernes of our wit and knowledge vnfold the hardnes of this matter with a grounded or ratified opinion that that is truth which we teach notwithstanding we will without anie partiality shew what in these matters the studies of our former masters could finde out in their diuers opinions yeelding no more authoritie to one then to another of whose iudgements and of whose particular choises we giue euerie man leaue to allow or disallow at his pleasure This opinion Saint Austen had of the opinions and iudgements of those which before him expounded the holy scriptures whom he cals Masters he himselfe was bound to none of them nor no more would he haue anie other And so no doubt by this his owne example he hath taught all men what opinion if they will not be wilfull euery one should haue of his writings expositions So that then in the time of popery the shepheards the pastors of congregations in not giuing this meat vnto their flocks in not healing their woundes sores with the leaues of these trees in not preaching the word of God they haue declared themselues not be Christs shepheards Io. 10.10 but to be Antichrists hirelings Nay to make this matter more plaine They haue not only not fed them but torne in peeces their hoofes as Zacharie prophecieth wounding their consciences and weakneng their faithes in teaching that vnlesse they sang masses for them after their deaths their faith in Christ did not profit them And that they were damned if they brake one of the least of their ceremonies and traditions Is not this quite to teare in péeces the verie hoofes and clawes of the poore sillie lambes whereby they began now to go and to lay hold on Christ Secondly this same Author saith That now one hauing gotten such a faithfull and holy confessor let him account of him euen as of God himselfe and reueale to him boldly all his secret sins and all the secrets of his heart And is not this plainly to say that the Pope is Antichrist He shall sit in the Church shewing himselfe as God saith saint Paul And doth not he here confesse the same What is it else to be God Psal 7.9 Ier. 11.20.20.12 Reu. 2.23 but to search the harts and raines as the scriptures often teach This thing they attribute to God onely And yet the Pope and his cleargie arrogate it to themselues And is not this to sit in the Church as God Saint Paul writes to the ministers of the Church of Corinth that they should iudge nothing before the time 1. Cor. 3.5 vntill the Lord come who shall lighten things that are hidde in darknesse and make the counsels and secrets of the hearts manifest 1. Ti. 5.24 and then shall euerie man haue praise of God And to Timothie Some mens sinnes are open before hand and goe before vnto iudgement but some mens follow after But the papists by this their doctrine contrarie to saint Pauls doctrine in both these places doe make their confessors to take vpon them that knowledge of secrets which belongs to God and that no sinnes are to be reserued vnto the daie of iudgement Their confessors if men will not be damned as they teach must knowe them before This author here himselfe confesseth that to know the secrets of the heart belongs onely to God And that therefore euerie one is to account of his confessor euen as of God himselfe And is not this plainly to affirme that the Pope shall sit in the Church as God Let vs neuer looke that anie other shall euer come into the Church and challenge or take vpon him more of the diuine Authoritie then this And therefore let vs acknowledge that this prophecie of saint Paul is alreadie fulfilled in him And that the Pope and his cleargie sit now in the Church of God 17. Of Purgatorie Psa 40.1 FIrst concerning Purgatorie that vehement and comfortable Sermon which God commaundes Esay and in him all ministers to preach to his Church is as it were a double cannon to beat downe the paper wals of Purgatorie Comfort comfort my people saith the Lord your God speake to the heart of Ierusalem and crie vnto her that her warfare is now at an end and that her iniquitie now hath obtained pardon For she hath receiued at the Lords hands double for all her sinnes This is a sermon of comfort and this must be preached to the heart of Ierusalem and of all Gods Church and cried out in their eares that their warfare now
would neuer haue said When as we are iudged of the Lord we are corrected that we should not be damned with the world And therfore Iohn was taught by the mouth of an Angell Whom I loue I chasten and correct And therefore also it is written Whom the Lord loues he chasteneth he scourgeth euerie sonne that he receiueth Héere Gregorie séemes to referre that saying of the Apostle but to some And it is true in respect of the reprobate but in respect of his chosen all that he iudgeth here he will not condemne with the world Reu. 3.19 And so the Angell taught Saint Iohn indefinitely that al whom he loues he corrects Gregorie expounds this correction of the punishments of this life And of the same punishmēts he expounds that place of S. Paul And then S. Paul saith that euery son that he scourgeth that is in this life saith Gregorie receiueth and therefore not in Purgatorie Theodoret vpon that place to the Corinthians If anie man shall build vpon this foundation gold In 1. ad co ca. 3 c. writes thus Some thinke that the Apostle speakes thus concerning opinions in doctrine but I thinke he speakes it of exercises of vertue and vice And that he makes as it were a way to the accusation of him who had committed fornication Furthermore he cals gold siluer precious stones the kinds of vertues and wood hay stubble those things contrary to vertue for the which hell fire is prepared And these things do not depend of the fault of the teachers but of the intent and purpose of the schollers They truly teach them heauenly doctrines but amongst them which heare some make themselues gold some siluer some precious stones by diligently marking such things as are taught them Some other liuing slouthfully and idlely choosing that which is nought resemble the nature of wood hay or stubble which may easily be burned and the difference of these matters not this present life but the life to come shal reproue for this thing that meanes the day of the Lord shall make manifest That is to say the day of iudgement And a little after vpon these words Euerie mans worke what it it is the fire shall trie The teachers saith he teach heauenlie things the hearers according to their pleasures chuse that which they think is to be done But in the day of the comming of the Lord there shall be a sharpe and vehement examination those which haue liued well as gold and siluer the fire shall make more bright And it shall burne them which haue liued euill like wood hay or stubble The teacher also which hath taught such things as became him shall not suffer punishment but shall be accounted worthie of saluation for this he saith but he shall be saued that is the teacher The worke shall be burned that is as much to say they who haue made themselues as euill worke And after If anie will not applie that as it were by fire to the worke but to the teacher let him so vnderstand it that he shal not suffer punishment for them but he also shall be saued tried by fire if he haue a life agreeing with the doctrine Thus much Theodoret whereby it appeares plainly that he expoundes this place not of anie purgatorie fire before the day of iudgement but of the fire which at that day shall be reuealed And shall then trie and purge not the works of any middle sort of men but of all men And againe vpon these words of Malachie Behold he comes Theodoret in cap. 3. Mal. Of this second comming Zacharie also prophecieth and they shal behold him whom they haue pearced c. So also the blessed Apostle Saint Paul because it shall be reuealed in fire And the fire shall trie euerie ones worke what kinde of one it is c. And I thinke also of these fires that the Prophet meanes not onely this that is the fire of the day of iudgement or of the second comming of Christ but the purgation of the holy Ghost For by this mystically they which come vnto him the Lord doth purge with the fire of his spirit So therefore that great Prophet Iohn said He shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire and also by his heauenly grace as it were with a certaine hearb he washeth away the filthinesse of sinnes Theodoret here as it were making a suruey of purgatories findes but thrée And in none of them the Popes Purgatorie fire but first the fire of the second comming of Christ then the fire of the holy Ghost and lastly the heauenly grace and mercy of God These were all the purgatories which Theodoret could find out as this place teacheth And he referres manifestly that place of the Corinthians to the day of Iudgement 1 Cor. 3.13 The text it selfe séemes to prooue manifestly that by this fire is meant afflictions For thus we reade Euerie mans worke shall be made manifest for the day shall make it manifest for through fire it shall be reuealed and euerie ones worke what kind of one it shal be the fire shall trie No doubt fire in all these places is taken in the same signification But it is manifest that as Christ said of the séed of his word the Sunne arising that is the heate of persecution tries whether the seed had taken déepe roote or not so fire here reueales euerie ones worke that is persecutions and afflictions This fire shall disclose and make things hid manifest which the Apostle here speakes of it shall trie workes but such a fire is not the fire of purgatory It discloseth nothing nay it is hid it selfe Neither doth it trie workes as this fire the Apostle here speakes of doeth but it purgeth soules as the papists teach And therefore this place can make nothing for their purgatorie fire The verie text it selfe refutes it M. Bellarmine and Poligranes expound that place of Matthew Agree with thine aduersarie of purgatorie Wherof Poligranes writes thus There are manie other places of scripture Polig de suffrag defunct De Purg. lib. 1. ca. 4. out of which as concerning this matter the fathers say nothing yet our later writers being stirred vp by heretiques searching the scriptures more diligently do from them confirme purgatorie of which sort is this Agree with thine aduersarie And Master Bellarmine affirmes that they all agree that the prison is hell But yet there are many mansions some for the damned and some for them which shall be purged Againe almost all agree that by the last farthing are meant small sinnes Againe that vntill thou hast paide the last farthing cannot seeme rightly to be said vnlesse there were an end of payment Neither Saint Austens examples are sufficient to prooue the contrarie For when it is said he knewe her not vntill shee had brought foorth we may not hereby gather that he knewe her after but we may wel inferre that she should sometime
intreate of the punishment of them that are dead For therefore a great tribulation shall go before and afterward fire shall descend and shall quickly purge all the relickes of sinne in iust men For as Ireneus notes in the ende of his fift booke Then sodainly the Church which is on earth shal be taken to her spouse Neither then shall be any time of purging any more as there is now after death before iudgement Here is purgatorie and no purgatorie for those fathers in déede speake of a purging which shall be at the daie of iudgement by fire but not of those onely that then shall liue as M. Bellarmine here séemes to expound Ierom but of all men in generall as appeareth by the words Ierom there vseth Peccatores quosque flumina ignis ante cum traehent voluentia The rowling streames of fire shall drawe before him all sinners not those that be liuing as Master Bellarmine expounds him And the Lord is called a fire and a consuming fire that he may burne our wood hay and stubble alluding to that place of Saint Paul That if any man haue built vpon Iesus Christ wood hâ—y or stubble the day of the Lord shall trie euerie mans worke not the workes of them that liue then onely but euerie mans worke And after he addeth That according to the saying of Ezechiel whatsoeuer in our gold and siluer that is in our vnderstanding and word is mingled with brasse iron or lead in the Lords furnace may be a Percoquitur thorowly fined that pure gold and siluer may remaine Here Ierome speakes of all sinners not of those that shall liue then And he addeth That our gold and siluer that is iust mens workes as well as sinners drosse shall then bee examined And in another place which hath béene alleadged before he manifestly confirmeth this exposition As we beleeue saith he that the torments of the Diuell and of all them which denie God and of wicked men which say in their heart there is no God Ieron in 66. ca. Esaiae are euerlasting So also wo is me of sinners yea of Christians whose workes shall be purged and tried with fire we suppose that the sentence of the iudge shall not be extreame but mixed with mercie This place against M. Bellarmines exposition prooues that all Christians workes which are sinners shall be tried and purged at that daie and not those onely that then are liuing in stéede of the purgatorie they should haue endured Saint Augustine also saith which place Master Bellarmine there also hath alleadged for purgatorie Aug. de ciuit lib. 20. cap. 25. of these things which haue been spoken it seemes to appeare most euidently that in that iudgement there shall be some purgatorie punishment of some but he names not who they be It should séeme he means those whom Ierom meant before Neither doth that place of Irenaeus which alleadgeth make anie thing for his purpose For Irenaeus there first writes thus The day of the Lord is as it were a thousand yeeres Iren. lib. 5. And in sixe daies were all things finished that were made And therefore it is manifest that the sixt thousand yeere shall be the consummation of all these things And therefore in all that time man being made in the beginning by the hand of God that is of the Sonne of the Spirit that he may be according to the image and likenesse of God the chaffe being cast away which are Apostacie and the corne being taken into the barne that is they which bring forth fruits to God through faith And therefore tribulation is necessarie for them that shall be saued that being as it were broken in peeces and made into smal powder and sprinkled here and there through patience by the word of God yea euen beene all a fire they might be fit guests for the kings banquet And as one â— our Christians who being iudged to be cast to wild beasts to be torne in peeces of them for his martyrdome towards God said Because I am the corn of Christ I am grinded by the teeth of these wild beasts that I might be found fine manchet of God And after The nations are so farre profitable and fit for the iust in as much as the stubble is profitable for the increasing of the wheat the chaffe thereof to burne for the purifying of Gold And therefore in the end when the Church departing hence shall be taken aloft there shall be saith he tribulation such as neuer was nor shall be That shall be the last combate of the iust wherein the conquerors shall be crowned with incorruption Thus farre Irenaeus And here M. Bellarmine mistakes a word for repetente Ecclesia as it is in Irenaeus printed at Basil Anno Dom. 1526. which is as much as to say the Church repairing againe to a place he puts in repente that is sodainly As though this sodainnesse of her departure should be the cause of that her purging by fire because she could not stay to endure the fire of Purgatorie It may séeme of that one word he grounds this his exposition And if he doe it is but his collection it is not Irenaeus assertion as he saith and that also of a false foundation taking repente for repente which is in the auncient copie And if so be that the word were repente so dainly yet there néeded not anie Purgatorie fire to the end that they might attaine saluation For euen sodainly God is able and hath also saued sinners as Elias is called of Saint Iames A man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subiect to like affection and perturbations euen as we are Iam. 5.17 and therefore a sinner yet was he translated into heauen sodainly And our Sauiour himselfe speaketh thus of Zacheus who before was a Publican as soone as he beléeued on him This day is saluation come vnto this house Christ also healed very many both of their bodily Luke 19.9 Mark 5.34 Luke 7 50. and spirituall diseases sodainly saying thy faith hath saued thee No doubt if these had then died they should haue béene saued euen sodainly without enduring anie Purgatorie There is a place in saint Paul where the word sodainly is vsed 1. Thes 5.3.4 For when they shall say peace and safetie then shall come vpon them sodaine destruction c. But you brethren are not in darknesse that that day should come on you as a theefe in the night But that sodaine destruction or punishment respects the wicked not the faithfull that shall then liue at that day more then them that haue liued before that day Here is not one word of anie purging but of the purging of afflictions And that shall be all the time of the continuance of the world saith Irenaeus And that shall so cleane purge vs as it shall make vs fit guestes for the Lords banquet and what other purgatorie then shall the faithfull stand néede of Here is not that those that liue at the
things that they doe not lift vp their harts to pray to him whom that Image or picture representeth Here is their opinion plainly set downe that Images are to be adored and worshipped and that we must lift vp our hearts to him whomsoeuer the Image representeth Is not this to giue Latria to creatures Dauid saith to God I lift vp my heart to thee Psal 25.1 This is a part of his honor and shall we giue it to anie other And God himselfe saith Thou shalt make thee no image of any thing Exod. 20.4 in heauen aboue nor in the earth beneath thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them No doubt the first branche of this commandement is as large as the second As by this all Images of earthly things are forbidden so by the other the Images of all heauenlie euen of Angels and of Saints yea of God himselfe And yet Stella here affirmes that we may worship Images and is not this Idolatrie Esay also séemes to expound this commandement thus Esay 40.18 To whom will yee liken God and what likenesse will you make for him The workman hath made an Image and the goldsmith hath couered it with gold and melts chaines of siluer for it The poore man also for an oblation chuseth a tree that will not rot and he wil seeke for a cunning workeman to make him a grauen Image that cannot mooue it selfe Will you not know will ye not heare hath it not been shewed to you from the beginning will ye not vnderstand it by the foundations of the earth He that sits vpon the spheare of the earth and the dwellers thereof are like Locustes stretcheth out the heauens like a webbe and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in God who brings the rulers of the earth to nothing and makes the iudges like a thing of nought yea they haue not been planted they haue not been sowen yea he hath not suffered their stocke to take roote in the earth and he hath but blowen vpon them with his spirit and they haue withered away and the whirlewinde doth take them away like stubble And to whom will ye liken me and I shall be like to him saith the holy one The Prophet here séemes to expound the commandement and therefore he saith hath it not been declared to you from the beginning will ye not yet vnderstand that same olde and first commandement And here he condemns not only poore mens Images made in the honor of God of wood but rich mens also of gold naie by the wonderfull works of God he prooues that they can make no Image like to him And therefore their Images are not onlie against the commandement but also against reason And yet for all these speeches and reasons the Papists will not know thus much at this day They which paint God like a iudge sitting in iudgment or like a king sitting vpon his throne doe dishonor and disgrace the Maiestie of God All the iudges and kings of the world are nothing vnto him as the prophet Esay here teacheth vs and yet thus haue the papists painted him And yet Stella in another place plainly affirmes that Images distract manie times the mindes of men In cap. 2. Luc. and hinder deuotion and that to take anie part of Gods glorie from him is flat sacriledge he would faine defend their Images and yet in truth he condemnes them For thus he writes Marke saith hee that oftentimes it chanceth that men going into houses or Churches are distracted and let by pictures and Images and such like but Christ being borne in a base cottage would haue no pompe that we should marke and behold him alone For externall trimming and decking is wont to distract the mindes that sometimes it lookes here and sometimes there that being neglected which most chiefly was to be looked vnto But Christ in his natiuitie was poore and base because that he would haue nothing but himselfe to be considered Stella here plainly confesseth that images oftentimes distract mens minds and hinder deuotion that in Bethleem where Iesus Christ was borne there were no images or pictures because that Iesus Christ alone ought to be considered and marked I would to God our Catholikes and Iesuits at this daie would also obserue this lesson that in Bethleem in the Church where as now also Iesus Christ is daily borne they would haue no images 1. Cor. 4.15 and that they would consider and marke Iesus Christ alone And againe in the same place vpon these words Glorie to God on high he writes thus By which place we must learne in all things and chances whatsoeuer to giue glorie to God alone neither let that thought euer come into thy minde that thou wouldest violently take that from him because that then thou shalt be most grieuously punished For in euerie good thing thou doest two things are to be considered the praise or honour and the profit whereof God chuseth the honor as due to himselfe but the profit or gaine he reserues for thee Therefore if thou shalt with a wicked violent hand take away the honor due to God God will also take from thee the reward which also was thine Therefore if thou shalt doe this hainous act thou shalt not only be worthy to haue no gift giuē thee of God but he wil most seuerely punish thee So the Angell strooke Herod as we read in the Acts because he gaue not the honour vnto God For it is plaine theft and robberie not to giue God his proper honor no lesse then to steale any vessell of siluer from thy neighbour And a little after That same holy Ioseph when as his vnchast Lady did entise him to sinne said thus My Lord hath giuen me al things besides thee which art his wife how then dare I sinne against my Lord So God hath giuen thee all things besides his glorie which is as it were his wife how then darest thou sin against thy Lord God in taking from him his glorie Thus far Stella It is of all sins a most hainous sin in anie part to impaire Gods glory The saints of God haue learned this lessō here on earth and shall we thinke that they haue forgotten it in heauen Shal we now worship thē or knéele to thē or call vpon them when as now they cast downe all their crownes before the lamb and giue him the glorie In one of the first miracles Reu. 4.10 that euer was done after our Sauiours ascension I would to God all true Catholikes would marke what a lesson Peter giues them when as he had healed that lame man Act. 4.12 Ye men of Israel saith he why maruell you at this or why looke you so stedfastly on vs as though by our owne power and godlinesse we had made this man go The God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob the God of our fathers hath glorified his sonne Iesus c. It was not the power or holinesse of Peter
glorifie him Thus farre Ferus Wherein he doth teach vs manie notable lessons First not to giue to Saints those things which belong to God Secondly that we maie honor the Saints too much which some I thinke at this daie do not beléeue Thirdly what is the minde of all Saints they cannot abide that they should be extolled for any of Gods gifts Fourthly that they are but Gods instruments and do nothing by their owne power as hath been taught and beleeued most commonly in the darknesse of Poperie when as men went a pilgrimage and offered to them as if they of their own power could helpe them Fiftly let all men in all wonderfull works acknowledge God the chiefe workman and giue him all the glorie and praise and magnifie him in his Saints as the first Christians did in Paul they did not magnifie Paul Gal. 1.24 Neither that they make anie of them equall with God The same Ferus manifestly refutes that same obiection which the Papists make commonly for their pictures and images of God Fer. in 2. Act. God say they hath appeared often times in many formes and shapes and why may we not then paint him according to that forme he appeared in Here first besides that this their picturing of God is manifestly against the second commandement and against the doctrine of the prophet Esay where God as it were euen reasons with these idolaters Esay 40.18 and saith To whom will ye liken me c. Ferus yéelds another reason of these appearances of God God saith he in himselfe is inuisible yet we reade that he hath oftentimes appeared And all such his appearances are for the most part as the matters required for the which hee appeared So Esay saw God sitting as a iudge for the iudgement of Israel was at hand He appeared to Moses in a bush burning and not consuming For then such like was the state of the people of Israel in Egypt for they were in the fire of aduersitie and were not consumed Also he shewed himselfe to the eies of man at the giuing of the law in thunder lightning cloud and an earthquake to declare that that law should be a fearfull lawe and should cause wrath So the Angell hauing a sword drawne in his hand shewed himselfe to Iosuah now ready to fight whereby he declared that he would fight against the enemies of the Iewes So to Zacharie Angels appeared like horsemen for it was a time of feare and trembling for the inuasions of the Persians So the holy Ghost was seene vpon Christ in the shape of a Doue that he might declare that singular and rare innocencie puritie and mildnesse which was in Christ For a Doue is a gentle simple and plaine creature without any gall So in the transfiguration of our Lord which is a type of the resurrection the holy Gost appeared in a bright cloud that he might declare that at the last resurrection shall want no comfort not glorie Here also the holy Ghost appeared in toongs and fire for the state of the matter then euen so required it The Apostles stood need of toongs but both of firie and heauenly toongs So Ferus giues these reasons of these apparitions and not that we should by them make images of all these things Ferus also concerning images quite dissents from M. Bellarmine Bellar. de imag lib. 2. cap. 12. M. Bellarmine writes thus We with the Church affirme that the images of Christ and the Saints are to be honoured if so be that as it is declared in the councell of Trent Sess 25. we put no trust in the images neither that we aske any thing of them neither that we thinke that there is any diuinitie in them And againe answering after the obiection of the golden calfe which the Israelites made he answeres Cap. 13. that the Israelites thought verily that they had receiued their deliuerance out of Egypt not of the God of Moses but of Apis the god of the Egyptians which they had seene in Egypt worshipped of the Egyptians and therefore to him they made the image of a calfe But Ferus is of another and better iudgement vpon these words Make vs Gods c. he writes thus Fer. in 7. c. Act. He shewes that they were not only rebellious against Moses but also against God By gods here they meane saith he some worship of God by which they might purchase his helpe For they were not so blockish that they beleeued that Aaron could make them a god And this prooues that which Aaron said Tomorrow is the holy day vnto the Lord therfore they worshipped the true God with this worship The which thing is euident also by their owne words These are the gods c. For they knew well enough that that calfe was not then when they came out of Egypt therefore no worship whatsoeuer pleaseth God which he himselfe hath not appointed Therfore they sinned herein two waies First in that they made an image against the first commandement of God Secondly in that they worshipped him with a worship deuised of themselues The true worship of God is in spirit and truth He worships God which beleeues in him trusts in him loues him feares him praiseth him and obeyeth him This worship is to be preferred aboue all others nor any other are auailable without this Images are therefore tolerated and borne withall in the Church that they may put vs in minde not that they should be worshipped otherwise they cannot at all be excused Here Ferus quite dissents from M. Bellarmine First he plainly affirmes that the Israelites as we doe teach did worship the true God vnder the image of the golden calfe and not Apis the God of the Egyptians as M. Bellarmine affirmeth Secondly that images are not to be worshipped at all And that their worship cannot be defended and yet M. Bellarmine goeth about to defend it Thirdly he teacheth that no worshippe whatsoeuer can please God which God himselfe hath not ordained Contrarie also to M. Bellarmines exposition Bell. de Imag. lib. 2 cap. 4. who expounds that place of the second to the Colossians thus I say secondly that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluntarie worship doth not signifie any voluntarie worship whatsoeuer not commanded of God or deuised of man but onely superstitious worship as our interpreter hath rightly translated it or false religion as S. Ierom expounds it in his Epistles in his tenth question to Algasia Therfore saith he Caluin must prooue the worship of reliques to be superstitious or false if he will haue it reprooued here of Paul Thus farre M. Bellarmine He affirmes that some worship of God deuised of man or besides that which God hath commanded so that it be not superstitious maie please God But Ferus plainly condemnes all worships of God whatsoeuer besides those which he hath appointed himselfe And to this purpose he writes thus after vpon these words Fer in 7. Act. Ye haue
féed her young ones by the Tabernacles of those shéepheards he meanes not anie one of the Apostolicall Churches but them all And what these Apostolicall Churches taught we may learne by Chrysostome Cyrill Clemens Gregorie Athanasius and others which succéeded in them whose works we haue at this day Againe wée haue now the Ethiopian Church which professeth Christ where Prester Iohn gouernes and the Gréeke Church founded no doubt by the Apostles which in manie points of religion differ from the Romane Church which Churches also we are here by the bridegroomes sentence to embrace and feed our younglings by Lastly that correlation or mutuall respect which the bridegroome here vseth betweene those shéepheards and those shéepe may plainely declare what shéepe he meaneth whose tract we are to follow For by those shéepheards no doubt he meanes the Apostles And then by those shéepe he meanes likewise those Christians which liued in the daies of the Apostles This is that heauenlie and manifest aunswere which the bridegroome himselfe makes vnto the bride of this waightie and doubtfull question I would to God all true Catholiks would marke it well and by it be resolued It is plaine And this is the effect of this treatise following It teacheth first the faith of the Church and her true markes and next the tract of the Lords shéepe the manners and conuersations of the former Christians which here the heauenly bridegroome counsels his spouse to follow The true Catholickes house or the notes and marks of the true Church taken out of the holy Scriptures THe true Church began in Paradice And God himselfe as he was the Creator of man so was he the founder thereof For thus we read in Genesis immediatly afer mans creation And God commaunded Adam saying In eating thou shalt eate Gen. 2.16 that is thou maist fréely eate of euerie tree of the Garden But of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt not eate therof for in the day wherein thou shalt eate thereof thou shalt surely die Here is the foundation of the Church the preaching of Gods word God himselfe being the first preacher thereof Now followes Sathans synagogue But the Serpent was craftier then euerie beast of the field which the Lord God had made Gen. 3.1 Here is first craft and subtiltie in the foundation of the false Church Gods Church is builded vpon a plaine sure and hard rocke but Sathans Synagogue on a moorish deceitfull and vnstable marsh or fenne And to this saint Paul alludes writing to the Corinthians I am iealous ouer you saith he euen with the zeale of God I haue made you fit for one husband 2. Cor. 11.2 to make you a chast virgine to Christ Here is first saint Pauls great loue to the Church of Corinth he is as iealous ouer them euen as God is ouer his No greater loue can be then wherwith he loueth them And as a token of this his loue as louing Parents are wont to bestow great cost vpon their children to preferre them in mariage so he hath made theÌ„ a fit spouse for Christ He hath adorned theÌ„ with all heauenly Iewels that he might set them forth as a chaste virgin fit for Christ and all this he hath done by the preaching of the Gospell But as louers are euer carefull and fearefull of them whom they loue and especiallie parents of their children So S. Paul feares one thing least that as the Serpent by his wilinesse beguiled Eue in Paradise and caused her to depart by his subtilties and wilines from Gods plaine word and commandement so now also least he should corrupt their vnderstandings from the simplicitie and plainnes that is in Christ As Gods commandement was plaine to Adam that in what day soeuer he did eate of the trée of knowledge of good and euill he should die the death so in the gospel he hath as plainly taught that whosoeuer with a liuely faith beleeueth on his sonne Iesus Mark 16.16 Ioh. 3.16 and now by faith eateth againe of that true trée of life shall be saued So that as that corporall eating of the trée of knowledge condemned them euen so now the spirituall eating of the trée of life shall saue vs. But the Diuell as he did then so he doth now seeke to drawe awaie mens mindes from this simplicitie and subtillie to mingle things of his owne deuise to this plaine meanes of our saluation so that now to be saued by his doctrine is the most intricate hardest and grieuoust thing in the world So manie obseruations of his owne besides Gods word as he did then so hath he now forged and added to this plaine worde of our saluation by faith in Iesus Christ And that which S. Paul then feared we sée now plainlie come to passe And he said to the woman yea Gen. 3.1 and hath God commaunded you that you shall not eat of euery tree that is in the garden Here secondly is another corner stone of Sathans house to depart from Gods expresse word Whereas God had commanded Adam plainlie that he should eate of euerie trée now Sathan comes and preacheth quite contrarie that God had commanded that they should not eate of euerie tree And so he doth preach still if we doe marke well Whereas God doth command that we should make no grauen Image Exod. 20.4 and that we shall not kneele downe to it nor worship it Sathan saith that wee maie make Images and knéele downe to them and worshippe them And whereas God saith Psal 50.14.15 that in the time of our trouble we shall call vpon him and he wil deliuer vs Sathan perswades vs then to make other intercessors and spokesmen for vs. And whereas God saith herein we shall glorifie him Sathan saith that this inuocation is not Latria it is no part of Gods honor but he communicates it to Angels and creatures Thirdly Eue by giuing eare to this craftie serpent and by communing manie words with him as should séeme as sathans first wâ—â—d doth séeme to import whereas he saith yea and hath God c. She addeth a stone or two more to further sathans building by adding Gen. 3.2 detracting and doubting of Gods word And the woman said to the Serpent we shall eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden but of the fruit of that tree which is in the midst of the garden said God ye shall not eate of it nor shall ye touch it least peraduenture ye die Here Eue ioines hands with sathan to erect his synagogue First she detracts from Gods word wheras God most amplie had commanded them that they should eate freely of euerie tree of the Garden Gen. 2.16 she leaues out euerie trée and saith onlie of the fruit of the trees of the Garden Againe she addes that that trée which was forbidden them stood in the midst of the Garden Gen. 3.2.3 that was more then God told them And that they might not touch it And this
and men gather them vp and cast them into the fire and they burne Here is the roote and here are the branches here is Christ his Church Here are those drie withered branches that are none of the Church but hell fire brands Here are those fruitfull braunches that bring forth much fruit But you will say this is true and plaine but how shall we know whether we be grafted in this vine or no whether we be members of the Church or no The manifest marke whereby this thing also is knowne which troubles so many at this day followes that he that will not wilfully blindfold himselfe may see it If ye abide in me saith our Sauior my words abide in you Vers 7. aske what you will and it shall be done vnto you Here is the meanes and true marke of them that abide in Christ They haue his words abiding in them The knowledge obedience to the word of God is the onely meanes to engraft vs into Christ or to breake vs off As saint Paul teacheth vs by the example of the Iewes Rom. 11.20 For their incredulity they were broken off and we by faith were grafted in their place Wouldest thou then be grafted into Christ wouldest thou be sure that thou art a member of his Church Let his word abide in thée Psal 119.11 Col. 3.16 Deut. 6.7 Let it be hidden within the closet of thy heart and dwell plenteously within the roofe of thy house as S. Paul commandeth Talke of it by thy fire teach thy childrē and thy seruants it And then thou shalt surely abide in the vine and be a member of the true Church And that thou maiest haue an euident token and signe hereof although now signes and miracles are ceased yet God will giue thée a signe to strengthen thy faith Aske what thou wilt and it shall be done vnto thee This is the dignitie of Gods children that they which heare him speaking by his word to them he also will heare them when by their prayers they talke with him And to this Salomon agrees Pro. 28.9 He that turneth away his eares saith hee from hearing the law his prayers are abominable Though they make neuer so long prayers and pray neuer so deuoutly yet if they refuse to heare the law of God their praiers be they neuer so deuout are abominable with God Surely by this it may séeme that their much praying in Poperie did them little good because they heard not thē Gods word And that euen now all the good blessings we enioy in Gods Church farre aboue our deserts we may attribute to our prayers and to our hearing of the law of God Let all Recusants marke this well and be diligent to heare the law of God if they minde to haue their prayers heard Salomon and Iesus Christ teacheth them That if Gods word abide in them then let them aske what they will and they shall obtaine it Otherwise they shall obtaine nothing at Gods hand This marke of Gods Church also was prefigured in the law Deut. 15.17 That seruant that would not go from his master which had solde himselfe at the sixt yeeres ende because he loued his master and because he is well with him Let him take an nawle saith Moses and pearce his eare thorow against the doore Io. 13.13 and he shall be his seruant for euer Iesus Christ is the best master in the world they that will not depart from his house must haue their eares bored thorow with an nawle they must be diligent hearers of his word And such shall be his seruants for euer And to this alludeth Dauid in the Psalme Psalm 40.6 Sacrifice and offring thou didst not desire For mine eares hast thou digged or bored thorow as it is in the Hebrew burnt offering and sinne-offering hast thou not required Then said I loe I come For in the volume of the booke it is written of mee Io. 4.34.14.31 I desired to doe thy good will O my God yea thy law is within my heart Dauid heere prophesieth of Iesus Christ that his eares were not bored thorow onely but euen digged he was so obedient to all his fathers commaundements his law was in his heart and so must all Gods seruants eares be they must follow Iesus Christ They must haue their eares not bored but digged thorow they must be diligent and obedient hearers of Gods word and this is a principall marke of the Church a true cognisance of all Gods seruants To this also agréeth the first Psalme which teacheth the verie first step to blessednes which onely is in Gods house That man is blessed saith the Psalme whose delight is in the law of the Lord and he meditates therein day and night Who would not be blessed That is the marke that all men ayme at The plaine way to attaine it is here set downe To delight in the law of God and to meditate therein day and night This is the faithfull mans delight this is his glorie this is his badge He that doth this is most assuredly Gods seruant is a member of the true Church So that then the first marke of Gods Church is the true knowledge and obedience of his word The second marke is inuocation of his name Gen. 4.25 For thus we read And Adam knew his wife and she brought forth a son and called his name Seth because God saith she hath giuen me another sonne for Abel because Cain slew him And also Seth had a son borne vnto him and he called his name Enoch and then men began to call on the name of the Lord. Here is as it were the petigrée of the Church here was first Abel slaine the first begotten sonne of this mother and then after succeeds him as his heire Seth and after Seth Enoch And then men began to call on the name of the Lord. Here no doubt was typically euē then the verie platforme of Christs Church drawen out Abel the first begotten sonne of the Church Ephes 1.22 Rom. 8.14 was slaine of his owne brother and so was Iesus Christ who is the head of his Church and the first begotten among many brethren After Abel Seth succéeds which signifies in Hebrew put set or placed as a foūdation or an ornament or a comfort therefore Eue giues her sonne this name And this Seth may verie fitly resemble faith Mat. 16.18 1. Cor. 1.30 Io. 14.1 which is put in our hearts by the holy Ghost as a foundation and our onely ornament and comfort among the manifold sorrowes and troubles of this life Let not your heart be troubled saith our Sauiour beleeue in God and beleeue in me Seth begets Enoch which in Hebrew signifies calamities or miseries And this doth faith beget in man True faith makes him confesse his frailtie his miserie how that there remaines no goodnes in him And then followes true inuocation of the name of God which is the second marke of the true
made a league and a couenant with me with sacrifice All true christians must learne that lesson that Naaman the Syrian being now cleansed of his leprosie had learned 2. King 5.17 that he would now offer sacrifice to no other Gods saue to the Lord. As they are all Naamans by nature euen lepers through sinne 1. Cor. 6.11 and now pure by cleansing by water so they must be Naamans also in profession that they will offer sacrifice to no other gods but to the Lord. He confessed that sacrifice was a seruice due to God and that he now detesting all other vaine gods would onely doe this homage to the Lord and shall not christians know and professe as much No doubt he was a figure of christians let the truth surpasse the shadow in cleerenesse As manie as doe offer sacrifice to anie other are more leprous in soule then euer Naaman was in bodie And are not payers sacrifices Doth not S. Paul teach all christians that now the Iewish sacrifices being ceased Heb. 13.15 that they must offer to God the calues of their lippes And doth not Dauid saie euen in the shadowe Psal 141.2 let my prayer be set foorth in thy sight as the incense and let the lifting vp of my hands be an euening sacrifice Then if we will be Gods shéepe we must haue this brand if we will be his Saints we must make this vow that we will sacrifice or make our prayers to none other but to him alone And at the daie of iudgement such onlie shall be gathered into Gods shéepfould and such God shall account for his Saints howsoeuer man and the Pope now doe canunise others This word shall stand sure this word shall be approoued true at that daie Gather my Saints togither who haue made a league and couenant with me with sacrifice Wouldest thou be a Saint then most assuredly canonised not in the Popes Calendar but in heauen make a firme couenant and league with God onely with thy sacrifices and prayers Wouldest thou be at that daie a shéepe gathered into Gods shéepfolde and stand on his right hand while thou liuest here then praise him alone call vpon him alone and vpon none other On the contrarie Psal 79.6 Dauid describes the Malignant Church thus Powre out thine indignation saith he vpon the heathen that haue not knowne thee and vpon the kingdomes which haue not called vpon thy name Ephes 6.12 Here are two markes of Sathans synagogue ignorance and idolatrie Sathan is the prince of darknesse his house shall be a darke house it shall lacke light It shall be like Egypt his children shall not knowe God Exod. 10.22 and therefore neither shall call vpon him Psal 103 11. Esay 65.24 Psal 139.7 Gen. 17.1 Mâ—t. 11.28 For he that knowes what God is that he is most mercifull most ready to heare that he is in all places that he is of all power might alone that he cals euen sinners vnto him he that knowes this I say cannot chuse but he will call vpon God These are they then which shal haue Gods wrath powred vpon them which haue not knowne God nor called vpon his name Ose 2.17 The Idolaters call vpon Baal and other names Acts 4 1â— but there is no other name giuen to men in the which they must be saued but only the name of Iesus Christ Peter teacheth this and I would to God he that would be Peters successour would learne this lesson and teach it also if no other name then not of Saint or Angell And S. Paul makes plain this lesson of Peter Col. 3.17 and takes awaie all the wiles and sleights of Sathan all Popish cauils and distinctions They saie that there is no other name of saluation but there maie be other names of inuocation or intercession But Saint Paul saith plainly doe all things in the name of Iesus Christ Thankesgiuing prayers intercessions inuocations all requests whatsoeuer must be done in the name of Iesus Christ and therefore in no other name Let all Gods seruants marke well these two markes they are the markes of the false Church to be ignorant of God and not to call vpon his name let them take héede If they be signed with these markes God will not be angrie with them onely but he will powre out his wrath vpon them O fearfull sentence And doe we make no account of this matter When as God would renue to Abraham the promise made to Adam of the womans séede to take awaie the curse that Adam by his sinne had deserued and was iustly inflicted vpon him he added that in his seede should all the nations of the world be blessed Gen. 12.3.16 So that now here we maie learne another plaine marke of the true church to haue her blessednesse consist onlie in that one feede of Abraham Gal. 3.16 not in many no nor in anie thing beside God also describing the blessed estate of his church by the Prophet Esay Esay 54.17 writes thus Euerie vessell it is Celi in Hebrew which signifies properly a vessell that is made to holde anie thing against thee shall not prosper and thou shalt condemn euerie tongue that striueth against thee This is the inheritance of the seruants of the Lord that is this for euer is as it were an inheritance which shall succéede in Gods true Church that all those great learned men that shall stand vp against it shall not prosper and all those eloquent tongues that thall speake against her shall be condemned Here is a speciall priuiledge of Gods church which we maie see fulfilled in all ages The Prophet Esay here agréeing with our Sauiour Mat. 16.18 that hell gates may impugne but they shall neuer preuaile against the Church as Arrius Nestorius and other gerat learned heretikes haue testified This is the dignitie of the true Church now followes her cognisance And their righteousnesse is from me saith the Lord not of themselues And this is that which Ieremy also teacheth Behold the daies are comming saith the Lord and I will raise vp to Dauid a righteous branche Ier. 23.5 and a King shal raigne and he shall haue vnderstanding he shall deale wisely he shall doe iudgement and iustice vpon the earth Here is most euidently our Sauiour Iesus Christ described he shall be a braunch of Dauid comming of his Ioynes he shall be righteous Io. 8.46 1. Cor. 1.30 Col. 2.3 euen his verie enemies shall not be able to accuse him of sinne He shall doe wisely he is the wisedome of God the father he shall set vp iudgement and righteousnes vpon earth he shall iudge and condemne that olde Prince of this world Sathan Io. 12.31 and cast him out of doores and shall teach all men the way of true righteousnes that is faith in him And in his daies saluation shall be to Iudah and Israel they shall dwell safely And this shall be the name wherewith they shall
be by it wiser as he himselfe was then the aged By Gods word the holy Ghost shall so teach euerie one of them that now as saint Iohn saith they shall need no other teacher 1. Io. 2.27 Esay 11.9 Then shall be fulfilled that which Esay prophecieth The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord euen as the waters that couer the sea If this be the marke of the true Church then euerie one that is not to too partiall or will not shut his eies wilfully against the light of the sunne néed goe no further but may here plainly discerne which is the true and false Church and may decide that great doubt which at this day troubles so many mens consciences Hath this knowledge béene in the Popes Church Haue they thus knowen God from the greatest to the smallest Speake truth herein whosoeuer thou art And if it be most apparant that this knowledge hath béene wanting therein be not afraid to say with the Prophet Ieremie and with S. Paul with Esay that she is none of Christs spouse that she hath no part in his testament This same onely marke bewrayeth her and condemneth her The same marke hath God put downe againe of his house and true Church by the Prophet Esay least we should doubt thereof Esay 59.20.21 The redeemer shall come vnto you and vnto thē that turne from iniquitie in Iacob saith the Lord. Here first is Iesus Christ now followes his Church And I wil make this my couenant with them saith the Lord My spirit which is vpon thee the words which I haue put in thy mouth shal not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seed saith the Lord frō henceforth euē for euer Here is first a couenant Secondly here are the spirit Gods word vnited and knit togither So that euen as the windes accompanie the waters so doth Gods spirit the waters of comfort Rom. 15.4 that is the waters of the scriptures And these words as they haue bene in Christs mouth for he spake not of himselfe but as his father gaue him commaundement so he spake so they shall be in the mouth of his séed Io. 12.49 and of his seedes séede for euer If these be the true markes of the Church the Popish Church which lacks these markes is not the true Church Nay she hath broken this couenant most apparantly And therefore no doubt she is that whore of Babylon which saint Iohn speaketh of in the Reuelation Reu. 17.2 Io. 6.63 Ro. 8.9 Gen. 1.2 Act. 10 44. 2. Cor. 3.6 Nay she is not onely a trucebreaket but a murtherer she hath debarred Gods people of his word and so also of his spirit which is the verie life of the faithfull and without the which they are but withered braunches For the word and the spirit are knit togither as the Prophet here teacheth vs and therefore shée is guiltie of murther And of such liuing and spirituall murtherers of whom the ciuil lawes of magistrates take no hold Saint Iohn saith also Cap. 9.11 that they will not repent of these their murthers but still maintaine them and practise them euen as the Papists doe at this daie They which wil be accounted Gods séede and his children let them sée that they haue Gods word in their mouthes euen as Iesus Christ had Let it neuer depart neither from their mouthes nor hearts let it alone direct all their workes let them in all their workes saie as he said As my father hath commanded me so doe I. Iohn 14.30 Dauid also thus pictureth out Gods Church Psal 87.1 A paraphrase of the 87. psal 1. Cor. 15.3 Her foundations are vpon the holy hils What other holy hilles are these but the scriptures Gods Church is built vpon the scriptures vpon them shée groundeth all her doctrines God loueth the gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of Iacob Here is next her glorie her beautie her strength her felicitie God loueth nowe the meanest christian better then the best Iewe euen the gates of Sion before the stately pallaces of Iacob Ier. 9.23 So that now let not the wise man reioyce in his wisedome nor the strong man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches but let him that reioiceth glorie in this that he knoweth me saith the Lord. 1. Cor. 1.31 And wherein this knowledge consisteth S. Paul teacheth that is to know that Iesus Christ of God is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption That according as it is written saith S. Paul let him that reioiceth reioice in the Lord for these things for this wisedome of Gods word for this strength of faith for the riches of Christ merits which all are ours And therefore he saith so often to the Philippians Phil. 4.4 Reioice in the Lord and againe I say reioice And why because God loues thee If thou be a christian euen whosoeuer thou art though thou be neuer so meane a christian though thou be but a gate no stately pallace yet the Lord loues thée more then all the pallaces of Iacob Though thou be but a little one in Christ Mat. 18.10 yet thy Angell thy seruant that attends vpon thée beholds the face of God in heauen And this loue of God is another marke of Gods Church Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou citie of God The Church is called here the citie of God Reu. 22.17 shee is called also the Spouse of Christ And againe Esay writes thus of her Esay 54.10 For a moment in my anger I hid my face from thee for a little season but with euerlasting mercie haue I had compassion of thee saith the Lord thy redeemer And againe O thou afflicted and tossed with the tempest that hast no comfort Behold I will lay thy stones with the carbuncle and lay thy foundations with Saphires And I will make thy windowes of Emerauds and thy gates shining stones and all thy borders of pleasant stones And thy children shall be taught of the Lord and much peace shall be to thy children In righteousnesse shalt thou be established and be farre from oppression for thou shalt not feare it and from feare for it shall not come neere thee These are great blessings euen in worldly affaires in things that concerne our bodies but in those things which concerne our soules how farre more excellent are they such glorious things are spoken of Gods Church But the Romish Church by their placing of peblestones and stones that lie in the hie waie in the windowes of Gods church that is simple and vnpreaching Prelates and also by teaching the doctrine of the vncertaintie of saluation hath obscured this glorie I will thinke of Rahab and Babylon with them that know me c. Here is another marke of the church She shall now be spread ouer the whole world
the image of the beast which had the wound of the sword and did liue it was permitted him to giue spirit to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast should speake Doe not these two beasts liuely represent the Pope and the Emperour whereof the one doth confirme the other Hath not the Pope healed the Emperours deadly wound in Christendome which the Turke hath giuen him So that by his meanes all nations do yéeld a kind of obedience to him who no doubt but for him would haue forsaken him Hath not he taught that men must make an image to the beast That as there is one Monarch in the world so there must be also in the Church Hath not the former beast suffered him to do wonders in his sight euen what him pleased Hath he not brought to passe that as manie as would not worshippe the Image of the beast that is which would not knowledge his supremacie should be killed Hath he not made both great and small rich and poore bond and free to receiue a marke in their right hand or in their forehead and that no man might buy nor sel saue he that had the marke or the name of the beast or the number of his name That is he was hated of all men Io. 16.2 accounted an heretique Nay that euen to kill such was high seruice done to God which had not the number of his name in their right hand that is his Latine primers and portuises and his characters that is his ceremonies in their foreheads that is that professed them not manifestly whereof his religion was full and in truth was nothing else but a huge heape of characters and ceremonies he that refused to doe any of their ceremonies which were then vsed might neither buy nor sell all men hated him But now the sunne shining of the gospell he that cleaues still to these shall die eternally These are the markes of the false Church The figures and types of the Church may also teach vs which is the true Church It is reported that Hercules his stature after his death was found out by the length of his foote God hath made nothing in vaine euen the verie shadowes of things may teach man wisedome First therefore the Arke of Noah may be a figure of the Church And God said vnto Noah make thee an Arke of Pine trees Gen. 6.14 And the arke is called in Hebrew Tabah of Bauah which signifies to build because the Church of God must euer be in building The building thereof is not like to other buildings it neuer hath an ende As long as this world lasteth it shall euer be in building And therefore saint Paul saith that Iesus Christ hath giuen some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors Ephes 4.12 and teachers for the gathering togither of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the building of the bodie of Christ till we meete altogither in the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ Neither without a mysterie doe the Grammarians call a word Tiba with Iod because no doubt this Arke of Gods Church must be builded with his word Gen. 6.14 Exod. 2.3 Secondly this word Tabah is but twise read in all the scripture That is the Arke that Noah was in and saued him and the Arke that Moses was in saued him For that is called also by the same name And this may teach vs the two Churches of the Iewish synagogue which was but like a basket made of twigges and bulrushes in comparison of the Arke of Noah that is the Arke of Iesus Christ Es 60.17 of which the Prophet Esay prophecieth that God promiseth that for brasse God will bring gold and for yron siluer The Pastors in Christs Church in comparison of the Priests in the Iewish synagogue are as it were great Cedars of Libanus to small twigs Againe this Tabah is neuer found but where water is To signifie no doubt that the Church of God as well the synagogue as the Church of Christ shall be alwaies in this world afflicted It shall euer bee on the water It shall be like to Christes shippe not onely tossed with waues but also in daunger of drowning Thirdly it is called an Arke and not a ship Mat. 8.24 because it must kéepe Iewels or else it is none of Gods Church Psal 1.3 Blessed is the man saith Dauid that hath not walked in the counsell of the vngodly c. but his delight is in the law of the Lord and therein will he meditate day and night And in another Psalme he saith Thy words haue I laid vp I haue hid them within my heart least I should offend against thee Psal 119.11 And it is said of the blessed virgine Marie that she laide vp those words she heard of the shepheards within her heart Luke 2.18 Such Arks both men and women both Kings and Inferiours must Christs Church be It must not be a ship to trafficke for gold to seeke earthlie riches héere in this world For no doubt as it were in a mysterie hereof and to teach vs this lesson 1. King 22.48.49 God brake the ships of good King Iosaphat which he sent to Ophir for gold who was as should séeme a little couetous and would not suffer the seruants of Ahaziah his friend to go with his seruants Couetousnes will haue all her selfe She cannot abide that anie should haue any thing wth her And God commaunded Noah to make his Arke of Pine trees Gen. 6.14 that is of such wood as would swimme aboue the water as would not be rotten or corrupted To teach all Christians that as many as call vpon the name of the Lord Iesus 2. Ti. 2.19 Ephes 4.1 Gal. 6.14 1. Pet. 2.11 should depart from iniquitie And that they should walke worthy of their calling and that they should be crucified to the world and the world to them that is that they should liue in the world like pilgrims and swimme aboue the water like Pine trées and not sinke downe therein like Okes of Basan and not be drowned with the loue and pleasures thereof like worldlings And thou shalt make nests or cabbins in the Arke That is resting places Heere the Hebrew word is Kinnam which may fitly be deriued of Kanah which signifies to buy or purchase Gods Church is called Ierusalem Psal 51.18.122.2.3.6 a vision of peace It must haue nests resting places in it But they are purchased they are bought That great price of Iesus Christ which he paid not of gold or siluer 1. Pet. 1.18 but of his own bloud hath made these nests these resting places Now we being iustified by faith saith saint Paul we are at peace with God Ro. 5 1. And then if we be at peace with God what neede
pardon of sinnes for them euen like the prowd Pharisées She lacked a window in her she was like a dungeon without anie light Psal 1.2 She teacheth not her children to meditate in the law of God day and night Col. 3.16 and that the worde of Christ should dwell plenteously in their houses Her light is not midday like the light of the Arke but midnight Her Linsie Wolsie translation of the newe testament into English which shee giues some leaue to reade is but a light in a corner whereas S. Paul excepts none it lightens not the whole house it is but the light of a Rush it is not the light of a torch Psal 119.105 The doore in her was not in the side but on her toppe by the Pope all entred into heauen for the most part in her She had diuersities of mansions in her as the Arke had but shée did disorder them that should haue béen placed in them She placed her Prelates and Cleargie in the highest roumes Rom. 13. ◠and Princes and Magistrates in the inferiour roumes The onlie true meanes of saluation the couenants of God she hath not taught the people with Noah naie she hath apparantly broken the couenant in denying the cuppe to the laytie which Christ cals the new couenant and therefore belongs to all as though they had not béen in the couenant or if they were 1. Cor. 11.25 to exclude them That blessing our Sauiour pronounceth to all good Pastors Blessed is that seruant Luk. 12.42 whom his maister when he commeth shall finde giuing meate to his family in due season She hath quite taken awaie she hath not fedde Gods flocke as Noah did in the Arke but she hath pined them Matt. 4.4 For man liueth not by bread only saith our Sauiour but by euerie word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God But her pastors haue not giuen meate to the Lords familie in due season nay they haue not giuen them anie meate at all They haue fedde their bodies with bread as though man had liued with bread onlie as Sathan then did séeme to instruct our Sauiour and would haue the world beléeue still and not their soules with Gods word which foode was the more necessarie Amos 8.11 And to conclude the Church of Rome is not built in all points according as God hath commanded How manie points of doctrine hath she in her which are not grounded vpon anie promise or commandement of God her inuocation of Angels and Saints departed her Latine prayers her worshipping of Images prooue this Therefore being so farre vnlike shee doth falsly bragge that shee is the Arke of Noah as hereby euerie one maie see Iericho also is a figure of the world and of Satans Citie as the name thereof in Hebrew deriued from the Moone which is called Iarak prooues which neuer continues in one state but is euer stil either increasing or decreasing Iosuah 6.34 The compassing also thereof 7. daies about with the Arke of God and the seuenth day 7. times plainly declares the same So after Christs ascension seuen Angels blew their trumpets Reu. 8.6 and in the daies of the seuenth Angell when he shall begin to blowe the mysterie shall be finished there shall be no more time the walles of Iericho shall fall downe And surely the daie we liue in now is the seuenth daie At this daie Iericho is compassed about with the Arke of God euen seuen times as much as in all the daies before The plentifull preaching of the Gospell by men speaking and writing more then euer before in anie age plainly prooue this The sunne now arising all the birds of heauen begin to sing whereas before the cockes onely did sing Surely this generall knowledge of God in the world and the profession of his gospell euen of some wicked Kites and couetous cormorants and Rauens declares that the rising of the true sunne Iesus Christ is not farre off And as Iericho resembles the worlde so no doubt the house of Rahab the harlot resembles the Church God will haue a house in Iericho Psal 87.4 Mat. 8.24 he will haue a shippe on the raging sea of this world And first her name Rahab which signifies a streete or enlarged agrées with the calling of the Gentiles The Church of God now is Rahab that is it is enlarged Esay 54.2 now is that prophesie of Esay fulfilled stretch foorth thy cordes and spare not c. Secondly her condition of life agrées with the Church She was Zonah Heb. 11.31 which signifies a vittailer or rather as the Gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expounds it and restraines it she was a harlot and so is the church before regeneration an Adultresse Iam. 4.4 Esay 50.1 Ezech. 16.15 Iosuah 2.2 separated from God the Spouse of Satan Assoone as the men were come into her house the king of Iericho had word and persecutes them by and by So the Gospell of Iesus Christ his true professors shall be sure to be persecuted in this world 2. Tim. 3.12 They cannot be so secret in anie place but the king of Iericho the prince of this world will heare of them will spie them out And the woman tooke the men and made them go vp to the toppe of her house and hid them in line of that tree which shee had laid in order vpon the roofe of her house Here is a liuely Image of the true Church She greatly honours reuerences and makes much of Gods seruants and ministers Rom. 10.15 Gal. 4.15 she exalts them she would euen pull out hir owne eies to giue them to do them good withall as the Galathians would haue done to Paul And she hides them in the line of that tree Bepishbe Hagnets This line of that tree no doubt is a figure of the holy Scripture which was to bee written in paper which is made of linnen cloth And in the line of that tree meaning some notable and especiall trée no doubt signifies Iesus Christ He is that tree of life Reuel 22.2 that whosoeuer tasteth of shall liue foreuer and he that shrowdes himselfe vnder it needes not to feare the persecutions of the king of Iericho In the line of this tree the true Church hides her Ministers with this they are couered They are mightie in the Scriptures with Apollo In these they are ouer the head and eares Acts. 18.24 as we say Againe here we may learne how the true Church esteemes of the Scriptures She placeth the line of that tree vpon the roofe of her house She hath them in high estimation according as Dauid saith in the Psalme Psal 138.2 O Lord thou hast magnified thy name and thy word is aboue all things And she had laid her line in order 2. Ti. 2.15 Psal 2.10.11 Ro. 13.1 Ephes 5.22.23.6.1 5 So the true Church doth rightly deuide the word of God She hath meat for kings subiects for men and
wildernes which was a figure of the militant Church of Christ neuer rested in one place it was caried to and fro and therefore it quite ouerthrowes that firme and vniforme state of the Church which the Church of Rome now teacheth The Tabernacle was not only assaulted of enemies but also the Arke of God was taken of the Philistines 1. Sa. 4.11 No doubt an euident argument how Antichrist should possesse the visible Church of God in our daies The Church is a Tabernacle it is a Shippe it neuer continues in one place nor in one state and therefore they are vnwise Mat 8.24 1. Pet. 1.25 that will build their faith on the outward shew or name or place thereof But we know Gods word endureth the same for euer And therefore the more surer way is to builde our faith on it The Leuites and Priests caried onely the Tabernacle of the appointment of the Lord Num. 1.51 Ios 3.3 but the Church of Rome hath admitted allowed her Friers to carie it and hath dispensed with their Priestes Their Friers preached the couenants of God and his appointments made with man Their Priests were bound to say their seruice onely Granat prolog memor Thus much Granatensis confesseth This duty saith he especially belongs to the Priests and Ministers of the Church whom God hath commaunded that they should instruct and teach men in his law And therefore among other ornaments of the high Priest was his breastplate of iudgement which he bare on his breast wherein was engrauen learning and truth which two things God would haue in Aaronâ— heart that from him as from a fountaine all other men might draw learning and truth And after writing of the ignorance of the cleargie he writes thus But now wo is me the parish Priests and other Curates thinke that they are bound to nothing else but to minister the Sacraments and to say their seruice in due time and doing this in Hamlets and villages or in some townes they thinke that they haue verie well discharged their dutie and office Thus much Granatensis saw and condemned Exod. 25.2 The Tabernacle was made of the voluntarie offerings of the people The Church of Rome had vowes no man might be a priest vnlesse he would vow chastitie Here was a yoke of necessitie laid vpon their necks Vers 2. This voluntarie offering was quite taken away In the Tabernacle they offered onely to God but they in those daies offred to creatures And euerie one contributed somthing towards this building none was excluded but the cleargie in the Popes kingdome tooke vpon themselues only the name of the Church and excluded the people Lastly this Tabernacle was builded in all points Exod. 26.30 according to that patterne which Moses saw in the Mount Therefore euen as in Noah his Arke so in Moses Tabernacle and so in Christs Church also all mans deuises and inuentions must surcease But the Church of Rome admits the inuentions and deuises of man in her buildings And therefore as she is vnlike to Noah his Arke so she is also disagreeing to Moses Tabernacle And God commanded also Moses besides this tabernacle Exod. 25. ve 10 to make an Ark of Shittim wood two cubits an halfe long a cubit an halfe broad And thou shalt ouerlaie it with pure gold within and without shalt thou ouerlaie it And shalt make vpon it a crowne of gold round about it This Arke as the Tabernacle did represent the Iewish Synagogue so may it represent the Church of Christ Esay 60.17 Vers 11. of which as the Prophet Esay prophecieth I will giue thee for siluer gold and for yron siluer So heere it was all couered with Gold both within and without no doubt with the gold of God 1. Io. 4.8 1 Cor. 16.14 Phil. 3.12 that is with charitie For God is charitie saith saint Iohn and let all things be done with charitie saith S. Paul The length of it two cubits and an halfe declares that our perfection in this life is but imperfect The crowne of gold round about it signifies that as saint Iohn and saint Peter teach 1. Pet 2.9 Reuel 1.6 all Christians now are Kings and Priests And thou shalt cast foure rings of Gold for it Vers 12. and put them in the foure corners thereof that is two rings shal be on the one side of it and two rings on the other side thereof And thou shalt make barres of Shittim wood and couer them with gold And thou shalt put the barres in the rings by the sides of the Arke to beare the Arke with them the barres shall be in the rings of the Arke they shal not be taken away from it These foure rings doe liuely paint out vnto vs Io. 20.31 1. Ti 3 15. Ephe. 4.11 the foure gospels of our Sauiour Iesus Christ which are rings which are perfect and absolute which are fastened to the Arke which should neuer be parted from the Church And the two barres put thorow them couered also with gold to carie the Ark signifie Pastors and Doctors which preach these gospels and carie and spread the Church being guilded with this gold of charity thorow the whole world And these all must studie the gospell they must not be taken from it So thou shalt put in the Arke the testimonie that I shall giue thee The testimonie is the law of God Vers 16. Psal 19.7 Psal 119.129 Io. 14.6 Heb. 8.1 Act. 20.31 Nehem. 8.2 Heb. 8.11 which is not onely a rule of our life but also a couenant and contract betweene God and his people And this testimonie must be in the Church of God continually this she must witnes to great and small This contract or bagaine euerie one must know that will be saued And thou shalt make a mercie seat of pure golde Vers 17. two cubites and an halfe long and a cubit and an halfe broad And thou shalt make two Cherubims of gold of worke beaten out with the hammer Vers 19. Thou shalt make them at the two ends of the mercie seat And the one Cherub shalt thou make at the one end and the other Cherub at the other end of the matter of the mercie seat shal ye make the Cherubims on the two ends thereof This propitiatory or couering Luke 22 1â— Io. 13.1 this mercy seate signifies Iesus Christ He was pure gold His onely loue towards man caused him to be incarnate nay to die for vs. This mercie seat is in length and breadth as much as the Arke to declare that all the Arke stands need of this propitiation and couering So that now as Dauid witnesseth Psal 32. ver 1. the blessednes of euerie man liuing consisteth herein that his sinnes are couered And saint Iohn teacheth all Christians the vse of this propitiatorie or seat of mercie If anie man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous 1. Io. 2.2 and
chanced to his Apostles Let vs not therefore be troubled if there be now great dissension and quarels about religion Neither for this cause must we neglect to go to godly sermons but rather let vs diligently do this First call vpon God with the kingly Prophet saying Shew me thy wayes O Lord and teach me thy paths Then compare the doctrines diligently together and that which thou shalt perceiue more forcible to drawe thee from the world to God from the flesh to the Spirit from euill to goodnesse and from idolatrie to the true worshipping of God embrace that without anie feare with tooth and naile as they say nothing respecting the gainesayings of others The diuell hath euer gone about this That good deeds and words might bee made none account of least men beleeuing should bee saued Therefore by his ministers he sowes errours and sometimes also hee doth worke miracles that by errours he might make Gods word and by false signes Gods works to be lightly set by that by this means he may rather draw men quite frō the word or at least wise he may make them distrust and doubt of it God suffers this first that the godly may be tried according to that If a Prophet rise among you c. beleeue him not Deut. 13.1 for God tries you And hereof also Christ saith that in the end of the world so great shall be the beguilings of false Prophets that if it vvere possible the very elect should be seduced And hereof Saint Iohn saith Beleeue not euerie spirit but proue the spirits whether they be of God or no. The doctrin of the Gospell which we haue receiued is the word of God which hath been confirmed by many signes and with the bloud of many thousands Wherefore let no man doubt of that although an Angell from heauen should perswade the contrarie Againe therefore God suffers the diuell to shew lying signes that the wicked may be more blinded For it is done by the iust iudgement of God that they which will not beleeue the truth should be seduced and should cleaue to lies Thus far Ferus Where he plainly teacheth that it is no maruell that after the preaching of the Gospell contention and heresies haue sprung in the Church he saith it hath béene alwaies so and shall be euer And that for this cause no man ought to refuse to go and heare sermons And he loues the doctrine of the Gospell not anie lying miracles as the ground-worke of true Christian religion And after concerning the same matter he writes thus vpon these words The citie was deuided Ferus in 14. cap. Act. Here thou seest fulfilled that which Christ foretold I came not to send peace into the world but a sword The Gospell teacheth not seditions nor soweth discords but because it reprooueth their sinnes it cannot choose but the worldlings should repine against it I came to send fire vpon the earth maruell not therefore if there spring vp and be sects in the world for it hath beene euer so yea there must be heresies that the elect may be proued As much more as we see sects to arise so let vs striue earnestly to find and search out the truth and to stand firmely and vnmoueably in the confessed truth and to professe it boldly vnto our liues end And after he writes thus of the ground of euerie true Christians faith Ferus in cap. Act. 15. Euerie Christian ought to bee so sure of his faith that if all the world were of a contrarie opinion yet he could say I am sure this is Gods word let other men think what they will God cannot deceiue or beguile Yea if an Angell frō heauen should preach the contrarie let him be accursed Vnles thou be thus grounded thou canst not stand stedfastly when the false Apostles shall teach the contrarie And hereof Christ saith My sheepe heare my voyce and they will not heare stangers but run from them Gods word by Ferus iudgement is the onely Rocke of Christians faith and religion in these doubtful daies And againe in another place he makes these steps of Christianitie Marke in the foresaid words this order in Christianitie Ferus in cap. 22. Act. First is the predestination of God For it is not of him that willeth but of God that sheweth mercie Reade the ninth chapter to the Romans And we are predestinate not to idlenesse or wantonnesse but that wee may know the will of God what kind of one he is towards vs what he requires and willes at our hands Then wee are sent to Christ in whom alone we see how God is affected to vs. By him also we receiue the holy Ghost that we may be able to doe the will of God After we haue knowne Christ it remaines that in our life maners and words we testifie his goodnesse towards vs and that we are his disciples And this testimonie cōsists in foure things First that we rise vp from our old conuersation Secondly that we be baptized and bee partakers of the Sacraments Thirdly that we wash away the sinnes whereinto wee haue fallen by Christs bloud Fourthly that we call vpon his name that is his righteousnes and merits Here Ferus doth as it were make a perfect anatomie of a Christian man I would to God euery true Christian would marke well euerie part thereof and sée whether himselfe were sound in that faith or no. And in another place of Christian conuersation he writes thus Ferus in cap. Act 20. Marke here the manners of Christians First of all hee prayes the Saints alwayes giue themselues diligently to prayers both in the beginning and end of their work yea all their work thorough For we euer stand neede of the helpe of God for without him we can do nothing We are not sufficient of ourselues to thinke any thing that is good And againe He workes in vs both the will and to finish And in Osee O Israel thy destruction comes of thy selfe but thy helpe comes of me Let no man therefore trust in his owne strength Cursed is he that puts flesh his arme Therefore Paul neuer tooke any thing in hand nor finished anie thing without the helpe of prayer Secondly he kneeles downe against those which make a iest at all ceremonies in prayers He that goes about to make his prayers vnto God must haue well profited first in the schoole of humility otherwise he shall not be heard The prayers of him that humbleth himselfe pierceth the clouds And hereof it is said by the Prophet Vpon whom shall my Spirit rest but vpon the humble and peaceble And thirdly he prayes not alone but with all the companie The prayers of the holy Church is of great force So when the Apostles continued praying with one accord and consent the holy Ghost came vpon them and filled them all In like maner after the Iewes had threatned them when they had prayed altogether the place moued and they were all filled
so euer he séemes to be and whatsoeuer he pretend either reuelations of Angels or anie miracles to confirme his doctrine withall The doctrine of Iesus Christ is the rule and square of all doctrines 2. Ioh. ver 8. by this place And Saint Iohn also saith Take heed to your selues lest wee lose all the works which we haue wrought but that we may haue a full reward For he that transgresseth or ouerreacheth the doctrine of Christ for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gréek word signifies and that kéepes not himselfe within the limits and bounds thereof but will go beyond it though that which he doth séeme in his owne eye holy religious and deuout hath not God This is a terrible sentence let vs beware how in our deuotion and religion and zeale of seruing God we do more then the Gospell teacheth we go beyond the doctrine of Christ and abide not in it for if we doe we shall haue no part with God This place condemnes all blinde superstitious Papists which did manie things of a zeale and good intent and not according to the Gospell nay how manie of them neuer knew the Gospell and yet thought that they did well But all such workes how painfull and costlie soeuer they were by this place we may plainly learne that they were lost nay more then this they also sustained a greater losse they lost God God cannot abide seruants Esa 1.12 2. Io. 9. that will doe that he commands them not He will say to such Who required this at your hands But he that abides in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Sonne O happie continuance And what is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to abide to continue but to beléeue no more to do no more then God commaunds in his word then Christ Iesus taught not to go beyond this either in faith or workes no not an haires breadth though the doctrine which is taught besides this seeme neuer so old neuer so deuout practised of Fathers confirmed by Councels Let vs remember that the poore silly woman of Samariah could say that Messias when as he should come should teach them all things and shall not we say the same And Christ said to her I am he that talkes with thee Vers 26. Surely in all the Gospell Christ did neuer reueale himselfe to anie so manifestlie as he did to this woman He said to the high Priests when as they said Art thou the sonne of God Luke 22.70 You say that I am And to the Iewes Before Abraham was I am And Abraham desired to see my daye and saw it and reioyced Iohn 8.58 8.25 And againe to the Iewes which said vnto him Who art thou And Iesus said vnto them The beginning And therefore I speake vnto you No doubt hauing relation to that first word in Genesis Ioh. 1.1 whence that booke tooke his name Beresheth In the beginning c. Iesus Christ is that beginning 1. Cor. 8.6 And therefore Saint Paule saith To vs there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we for him And one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him Here is the Creator one God here is the onely meanes of the creation Iesus Christ All thinges were created by him And here is the end of all things Gods glorie So that Iesus Christ is that beginning by whom God created all things And thus he obscurely taught the Iewes who he was As though he should say Looke into the first booke of Genesis and take no great paines to reade it ouer but looke and marke well the very first word thereof and there you shall find who I am I am the beginning and therefore I talke with you Prou. 8.31 My delight is to be with the children of men as Salomon saith The workman loues his worke euen so that excellent workman the Sonne of God loues vs who are his workmanship De Gen. ad lit lib. 1 ca. 5. And therefore Austen saith The beginning of the intellectuall creature is the eternall wisedome of God which beginning abiding in it selfe vnchangeable neuer ceaseth by secrete inspirations to speake to that creature whereof it is the beginning that it may be conuerted to that by which it is made because otherwise it cannot haue his forme and be perfect Thus our Sauior obscurely shewed himselfe to these but neuer to anie so plainlie as to this woman hereby we may coniecture the excellencie of her faith no doubt her excellent faith euen as it were deserued such a great rewarde of our Sauiour Messias when he comes saith shée we know shall shewe vs all things Who could haue spoken more of Christ No not all the Iewish Rabbins And I would to God euen now our great Doctors in the Popes Church would say as much And therefore she receiued the greatest answere and reward that could be in the world Vers 26. I am he saith Christ that talks with thee neuer such an answere neuer such a word spoken in the world before Let vs haue the same faith of Christ that he may bestow also such like blessings vpon vs. And the like definition of true Catholike Religion and the same marks of the true Church S. Paul himselfe also hath no doubt expressed Act. 24.11 being taken from this stampe I confesse this vnto thee saith he vnto Felix that according to that way which they call heresie I so worship the God of my fathers beleeuing all that is written in the law and the Prophets hauing this hope in God which they also haue that there shall bee a resurrection of the iust and of the vniust Here are also markes of the true Church She must be able to giue an account of her faith as Saint Paul doth here to Felix and Saint Peter commaunds all Christians to doe to all men Sanctifie saith he the Lord God in your hearts 1. Pet. 3.15 euer being readie to maintaine and defend if that any shall aske you a reason of that hope which is in you We must not onely haue this hope of saluation in vs which is by Iesus Christ but we must be able also to yéeld a reason and an account of it Luke 12.8 to maintaine and defend it And our Sauiour saith He that shall confesse mee before men him shall I confesse before my Father in heauen We must be able to make confession of our faith if so bee we will haue Christ acknowledge vs for his But this in the Popish Church they were not able to doe and therefore that Church was not the true Church I confesse vnto thee saith he that after that way which they call heresie I worship the God of my fathers Act 24.11 Here is another marke of the true Church To be slaundered reuiled called heretikes Sée here how at this time the true Church of Christ was called hereticall And therefore let not that name of
thy truth and faith in thée Rom. 8.30 that thou hast poured into vs good inspirations and good thoughts that thou hast deliuered vs from that euill one Matt. 6.13 and preserued vs from all perils and dangers from sodaine death burning with fire robbing with théeues and such like casualties Iob. 1 19 Luk. 13.4 wherewith manie are sodainlie taken in the night vnawares that thou hast with such greate patience and mercie staied thy wrath so long frō vs Rom. 2 4. giuen vs so large a time of repentance amendment or life For these and all other thy benefites which thou hast bestowed vpon vs from the first day of our birth vntill now Psal 105.2 which are mo in number then the haires of our heads we giue thee as we are most bound O most mercifull Father in the name of thy Sonne Iesus Christ continual and most humble and heartie thanks And we offer vnto thee O Lord all that we go about to do or suffer to be done Psal 37.5 all our labours all our studies all our exercises in a word all that we are to doe or wherein we shall bee employed or occupied this daie And we beséech thée poure downe thy blessing vpon them and prosper and giue good successe vnto them Psal 90.17 118.25 To thee also we offer euē our selues our soules and bodies with all ours Psal 150.6 that both we and all things els maie shewe thy praises set forth thy honour and declare thy glorie Into thy hands we commit all our affaires so that thou maiest do and worke in all things and dispose of all things whatsoeuer as shall please thy most holy and sacred will euen as though they were thine owne businesses and affaires and none of ours Moreouer Matt. 26.39 for as much as of our selues we are not able to doe thee anie seruice giue vs O Lord thy grace that we maie be so strengthened therwith Ephe. 3.16 that we may think saie or do nothing which is not agréeable to thy most blessed will O Lord make our wils alwaies agrée with thy wil. Psal 19.14 1. Cor. 3.5 And we most humblie beséech thée euer to assist vs with thy grace and to giue vs power and strength against all kind of sinnes especiallie against those whereunto we are inclined of our owne natures as pride couetousnesse enuie maliciousnesse gluttonie vncleannesse vaine glorie idle words such like so that through the power of thy might Ephes 6.10 we maie get victorie against these and all sinnes whatsoeuer Furthermore for as much as man is borne to labour and trauell as the birds to flie and thou hast ordained him the day to labour in Iob. 5.7 Psal 104.25 thou wouldst not haue him liue idly or spend his time vainlie endue vs all O Lord with thy grace that wee maie euerie one labour and studie to serue thée faithfullie in our callings Ephe. 4.1 2. Tess 1.11 And that labouring for the bodie and sustentation of this present life we maie yet cast awaie the great blindnesse of our minds and carefulnesse of worldly thinges and maie alwaies labour without all care ioyfully Matt. 6.33 1. Pet. 5.7 euen as the birds flie putting our whole trust in thée being most assuredlie perswaded that thou carest for vs and therfore O good Father giue vs grace to cast all our worldly cares vpon thée And giue vs alwaies onlie this care that we maie put our whole studie and care in kéeping of thy commandements O good Lord 2. Pet. 1.5 Iam. 1.23 make vs not only hearers but doers of thy word O Lord let vs not haue only a shew of thy religion but let the force and power thereof shine in our liues and conuersations 2. Tim. 3.5 Matt. 18.7 that we be not offences and stumbling blockes but lights and good examples to others And that wee may dayly do this Matt. 5.16 O good Lord as it hath pleased thée to make the Sunne to shine vpon the earth to giue our bodies light so we most humbly beséech thée inlighten our mindes and hearts by thy holy Spirit 2. Pet 1.19 that we may bee euermore directed in the way of righteousnesse Psal 90.2 And as this day addeth somwhat to our age so let thy holy spirit adde therein somewhat to our knowledge and faith that so growing in the measure of thy grace daily Ephes 4 15. Luk. 1.71 till we come to our perfection which is in Christ Iesus we maie serue thée in holinesse and righteousnesse not onlie this daie but all the dayes of our life Graunt vs these our petitions deare Father and all other necessarie graces for vs and thy whole Church for thy deare Sonne Iesus Christ his sake our most blessed Sauiour to whom with thee and the holie Ghost be all honour and glory now and for euer Amen Amen A Forme of Euening Prayer for Christian Families O Almightie God our heauenlie Father Psal 47.7 73.24 139.1 which art the great king ouer all the world which gouernest and preseruest all things which searchest vs out knowest vs which knowest our sitting downe and our vprising and vnderstandest our thoughts long before which art about our path and about our bed and spiest out al our waies We thanke thée through our onely Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ for blessing vs this daie past in all the studies businesses and affaires that we haue gone about We confesse what soeuer we haue brought well to passe to haue beene thy great mercies towards vs. Psal 108.13 Wée thanke thée for sauing vs from all dangers of bodie and soule we confesse our life our strength all the good things we haue Iam. 1.17 wholie and onlie to depend of thée And now as the day which thou hast made for labour is past and the night is come Gen. 1.25 which thou hast in like manner created for the refreshing of our wearie bodies and minds graunt vs therefore so to take our bodilie rest therein that our soules maie continuallie watch for thée and our heartes be lifted vp to loue thée Cant. 5.2 Grant that our sléepe be not excessiue but onelie sufficient to comfort our weake natures Giue euerie one of vs good Lord we beseech thée thy grace Pro. 6.9 that before we suffer our eies to sléepe or our eie lids to slumber or the temples of our heads to take anie rest to examine our consciences and to iudge our selues and to call to remembrance all our actions that wée haue done this daie whether all our thoughts words and works haue béene agréeable to thy holie will and commandements Psal 145.2 or no. And if we haue done anie thing well to giue thée in the name of Iesus Christ heartie and humble thanks for it Matt. 6.12 and if we haue omitted anie good worke which we might haue done to condemne our negligence slacknes and wearinesse in thy
is holy in body and soule And so is not the maried And for this cause S Paul addeth generally to all Christian parents That he that giues his daughter to mariage doth wel but he that giueth her not to mariage doth better Besides the excellencie of the gift of virginitie it selfe which the virgin shall enioie yea euen the father the author therof deserueth commendation of God And so no doubt Philip the Euangelist had foure daughters that were virgins Act. 21.9 Hée followed here the Apostles counsell And therefore Ambrose on this place writes thus To diuers vertues diuers wages are appointed Amb. lib. 1. de vid. Neither do we finde fault with the one that wee might commend the other but all are commended that those that are more excellent may be preferred Mariage therefore is honorable but virginitie is more honorable For he that ioynes his virgin in mariage doth well and he that couples her not in mariage doth better Therefore that which is good is not to be eschewed And Saint Augustine writeth also thus It is good to marie Aug. de bono coniug cap. 9. 10. because it is good to beget children and to be a housekeeper but it is better not to marie because it is better for humane societie not to stand in neede of this worke But I know some that murmure What say they if all men should abstaine from mariage how then should mankind be maintained I would to God saith Augustine all men would do this onely in charitie and from a pure heart and from a good conscience and not from a fained faith for then a great deale sooner Gods citie should be filled and the end of the world should be hastened For what other thing seems the Apostle to meane when as he saith speaking thereof I would to God that all men were as I am or in that place This I say brethren because the time is short it remaineth that they also which haue wiues be as though they had none and they that weepe as though they wept not and they that reioyce as though they reioyced not they that buy as though they possessed not they that vse this world as though they vsed it not for the fashion of this world goeth away I would haue you without care And after he addeth He that is vnmaried careth for the things that belong to the Lord how hee may please the Lord but he that is maried thinketh on the things that are of the world how he may please his wife Thus farre out of Saint Augustine And no doubt as should séeme the same Apostle Saint Paul hauing respect to this doctrine he exhorteth Timothie and in him all other ministers to labour to obtaine this great gift of virginitie No man that warreth saith he entangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life 2. Tim. 2.4 because he would please him that hath chosen him to be a souldiour And in the verse going before he calleth Timothie a Souldier So that if Ministers be the Lords souldiers by S. Paules counsell here they ought not to entangle themselues with the cares of this life vers 3. But those cares follow them that be maried as necessarily as the shadowe doth the bodie as before he hath taught the Corinthians Therefore a Minister that will be a good Souldiour of Iesus Christ should striue to comprehend that notable gift of virginitie The Apostle here doth teach Timothie and all other mystically this lesson for hee addeth Consider what I say The Lord giue thee vnderstanding in all things Vers 7. And in another place he saith Not onely pursue loue but with all force and zeale striue for the greatest gifts 1. Cor. 14.1 Euerie Christian but especiallie those that haue giuen their names to fight vnder the Lords banner should striue to obtaine the excellentest giftes As God himselfe is the chiefest good thing in the world so he will haue all his seruants as much as is possible to come néere to him and to bée singular in all vertues Matth. 5.48 Chastitie is a gift of God but such a gift is not giuen to the slouthfull and sluggish but to those that knocke and praie to God for it No doubt that gift is compreded vnder that ample and large promise of our Sauiour What soeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you Euen Chastitie if it be expedient for them that pray for it Ioh 16.23 And surely I thinke I may saie of this excellent vertue as Saint Iames saith Iam. 4.2 You haue not because ye aske not I thinke there be few at this daie that once thinke on it or once open their mouthes to pray to God for it Againe this most excellent gift is not giuen as I said before to the idle or slouthfull but to those which vse the meanes to obtaine it which Gods word teacheth vs to vse that is fasting and mortification of the flesh Ministers saie not with Paule I tame my bodie and bring it in subiection 1. Cor. 9.27 lest that when as I haue preached to others I should be reproued my selfe 1. Cor. 7.7 And therefore they are not such as he was and as he wisheth not onely them but all men Widowes follow not Anna her steppes Luke 2.37 they frequent not the Temple they are not euer present at prayer they serue not God with fasting and prayers day and night and therefore in our Church wee haue so few continue widowes and so fewe follow S. Paules counsell but all will marie againe They respect not that blessednesse which he promiseth them 1. Cor. 7.40 Young maides saie not with that blessed virgin Marie Hee filleth the hungrie with good things Luke 1.53 but the rich he sendeth emptie away They will haue their bellies full they will not fast and therefore wee haue so few virgins Matth. 19.12 Yet our Sauiour himselfe said He that can comprehend it let him comprehend it Euerie one is to shew his force and courage herein and if infirmitie will not suffer him to obtaine the principall or best game then let necessitie make him bold to vse the remedie 1. Cor. 7.36 as Saint Paule counsels fathers do with their daughters whom he would wish to kéepe virgins But to conclude as none of our works no not our knowledge 1. Cor. 1◠9 so is not our virginitie perfect in this life What Saint hath a cleane heart or what virgin a chaste eye Pro. 20.9 Matth. 5.28 Psal 119.37 2. Cor. 12.7 Greg. in glossa that hath not beheld vanitie or what flesh so tamed that hath not felt that pricke which Saint Paul felt Gregorie writes verie excellently concerning virginitie and mariage vpon that place of Genesis Saue thy selfe in the mountaine Virginitie is that high hill which the Angell exhorts him to flie vnto and saue himselfe but he that feeles himself that he cannot ascend thither let him
lift vp vnto thy commandements which I haue loued And I will meditate in thy statutes vers 9â— And againe Oh how do I loue thy law it is my meditation continually And this commandement also God himselfe gaue to Iosuah being a Captaine and a man of warre Ioâ—ua â—â— Let not this booke of the law depart out of thy mouth but meditate therein day and night that thou maist obserue and doe according to all that is written therein For then shalt thou make thy waie prosperous and then shalt thou haue good successe And Dauid no doubt grounded that his great blessing which euery one that meditateth thus on the word of God should reap that is that whatsoeuer hee doth it shall prosper vpon this great promise of God made vnto Iosuah Eph. 6 11.1â— For now euerie Christian is the Lords Captaine against that spiritual enemy Sathan As Saint Paul doth also applie that same other great blessing of God made to Iosuah As I was with Moses Heb. 13.5 Iosua 1.5 so will I be with thee I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee to euerie Christian souldier Let your conuersation be without couetousnesse saith he and be content with such things as God presently sends what kind soeuer they be for he hath said I will not faile thee neither forsake thee So that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper neither will I feare what man can do vnto me That same Eunuch of Candaces Queen of Ethiopia Act 8.28 no doubt moued by Gods Spirit fulfilled that commandement of Moses giuen to the Iewes who as he was in his iourney read the Prophet Esay If a Barbarian did this in his iourney whie should not Christians do the like Luke 24.14 Our Sauiour also after his resurrection appearing to those two Disciples that trauailed to Emaus talked of him expounded to them the Scriptures Hereby also no doubt teaching euen trauailers what to talke on in their iournies Neither was this commandement onelie giuen to the Iewes but also it is as it were Col. 3.16 reuiued againe amongst vs Christians Let the word of God saith S. Paul dwell amongst you plenteously in all wisedome teaching and admonishing your owne selues in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs singing with grace in your hearts vnto the Lord. 1. Ioh. 2.14 And S. Iohn in his Epistle writes generally vnto all I write vnto you babes because ye haue known the Father I haue written to you Fathers because ye haue knowne him that is from the beginning I haue written vnto you young men because ye are strong and the word of God abideth in you and ye haue ouercome the wicked Young men must know the word of God and therefore old men And this is their strength against that spirituall enemie Satan And therefore as all Christians are Souldiers in this warfare against this enemie Ephes 6.10.11 as Saint Paul teacheth so all must be endued with this strength and armed with this sword As our Sauiour also by his example hath most manifestly taught vs that as he did so also must we fight against all the assaults of Satan with this sword Matt. 4.4 So that then this is the first dutie of all Christians to know and meditate vpon the holie Scriptures Kings Captaines old men young men trauailers and to conclude all men in generall All the Lords faithfull seruants and souldiers doe this Secondly euerie good Christian must be altogether prayer as Dauid wils theÌ„ as he witnesseth of himselfe that he was For my good will saith hee they hated me Psal 109.3 but I was prayer Am te phillah as it is in the Hebrew He must pray without ceasing as S. Paul also commands him He must pray without wearinesse although prayer of all spirituall exercises bee the Luke 18.1 most troublesome as one noteth as our Sauiour himselfe doth also enioyne him Such earnest practisers of this holie exercise haue all Gods seruants béene Daniel who was a Iew and bare a type of them Dan. 6.10 prayed thrise euerie day and that vpon perill of his life He chose rather to venture his life then to omit his prayers But we that are Christians are to exceede the Iewes in our righteousnesse Matt. 5.20 and in our good workes as our Sauiour teacheth And shall not we pray so often Nay Dauid also in the person of Christ and of all Christians saith Euening and morning Psal 55.17 and at noone will I pray and that instantly and thou shalt heare my voice Psal 119.164 And in another Psalme Seuen times a day do I giue thankes to thee because of thy righteous iudgements Geâ— 5.22 That is no doubt verie often So Enoch is said to haue walked with God That is no doubt by the works of his hands by the words of his mouth especially by praying He did all things Col. 3.17 as S. Paul teacheth vs to doe in the name of the Lord Iesus So no doubt in the sight and presence of God himselfe Gen. 24.63 Isaak is reported to haue gone into the fields euery euening to pray and meditate And Abraham praying for the Sodomites teacheth vs his perseuerance in prayer for himselfe Gen. 32.28 Iacob when as he wrestled with the Angel by prayer obtained a newe name and was called Israel that is mightie with God They that will be Israel that is of force and great power with God must be earnest prayers And of this force of prayer it was that God himselfe spake to Moses Exo 32 1â— 1. Sam. 16 1. Suffer me now that I may destroy them And againe the Lord said to Samuel How long wilt thou mourne for Saul seeing I haue cast him away from raigning ouer Israel No doubt this mourning was in his prayers Such a forceable thing prayer is that it séemes euen as it were to bind God himselfe Ios 10.13 So at Iosuah his prayer the Sunne stood still And Iosuah when as he was ouercome of his enemies by Achans sinne 7.6 hee and the Elders of Israel sought with prayer and so found out the cause of their ouerthrow Elias as S. Iames reporteth by prayer opened and shut heauen Iam. 5.17 And as Ecclesiasticall histories doe testifie Saint Iames was such a diligent practiser of this holy exercise Euseb Eccles hist lib. 2. c. 23 that his knees were with often kneeling downe to prayer as hard as brawne Neither must Christians onely pray but also euen watch in prayer as S. Paul often commands them First to the Ephesians Ephes 6.18 And pray alwayes in all maner of prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watch thereunto with all perseuerance And againe to the Colosians Continue in prayer Col. 4.2 and watch in the same with thanksgiuing And that this his watching is literally meant no doubt that example of our blessed Sauiour from which he deriued it plainly proues Luke 6.12 who
is said to haue continued all night in prayer So that good king Dauid saith of himselfe At midnight will I arise to giue thankes to thee for thy righteous iudgements And of Anna that holy widow it is said Psal 119.62 Luke 2.37 that shee serued God with fastings and prayers day and night And here is another holy circumstance ioyned to our prayers that is fasting 2. Sam. 12 1â— This also Dauid ioyned to his prayers for his child as we may reade nay euen for his verie enemies when they were sicke he put on sackcloth Psal 35.13 and humbled his soule with fasting and his prayer returned euen to his owne bosome And shall not we then ioyne fasting to the prayers we make for our friends nay for our selues So Daniel ioyned prayer and fasting together those three weekes wherein no pleasant Dan. 10.4 bread nor flesh came within his mouth and therefore his prayers were heard as that man sent from God to him teacheth vs Dan. 10.12 Feare not Daniel saith he for from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to vnderstand and to humble thy selfe before thy God thy words were heard I am come for thy words No doubt these words were his prayers So in the Acts Cornelius a Heathen Act. 10.30 and a souldier was praying and fasting to the ninth houre of the day and he saw an Angell appeare vnto him and Peter was fasting and praying till the sixt houre that is Vers 9. till noone and he saw that heauenly vision of the calling of the Gentiles and shall not we followe these holie examples in this cleare light of the Gospell Shall we neither watch in prayer nor ioyne fasting to our prayers Is this to professe the Gospell Is this to haue faith 2. Tim. 3.5 This is to haue a shew of godlinesse as Saint Paul prophesieth that some should haue but plainely to denie the force thereof Oh let vs watch in prayer and ioyne fasting to our prayers Let not the Papists herein go beyond vs. These are plaine and manifest commandements of the Gospell and shall we not obey them Nay how often saith Dauid Psal 5.3 143 8. Psal 108.2 thou shalt heare my prayers betimes in the morning And early in the morning I will looke vp and direct my prayers vnto thee And againe Awake lute and harpe I my selfe will awake right early And yet we will scant now come to prayers at nine of the clocke Surely the Papists Mattens if they had béene done with vnderstanding had béene more agréeable to Gods word then our slouthfull and sluggish prayers are which wee now vse God will be serued earlie in the morning And therefore it is noted as a speciall mark and commeÌ„dation of Abrahams faith that when as he was commanded to offer his son Isaac Gen. 22.3 that Abraham rose vp in the morning very early If Abraham rose vp so early to offer such a sorrowfull sacrifice what should we doe which offer vp such a pleasant sacrifice to God as our prayers are Hence it is that the Christians in the Primitiue Church as hereafter shall be noted had their assemblies before day to praie to God and to giue him thanks The Scriptures also teach Christians to ioine another circumstance to their prayers and that is wéeping and sighing And so no doubt Samuel prayed for Saul as before it hath béene alleaged And Dauid often mentioneth these his teares added to his prayers Euery night will I wash my bed Psal 6.6 and water my couch with my teares And againe Away saith he from me ye wicked for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping vers 8. Dauids teares spake to God And againe Heare my prayer O Lord and hearken vnto my crie keep not still silence at my teares Psal 39.12 And thus it is also recorded of Ezechias that when as Esay the Prophet had denounced to him that heauie message from the Lord Put thy house in order for thou shalt die and not liue 2. King 20.3 that then he turned his face to the wal and prayed to the Lord saying c. And Ezechias wept sore And after Esay was gone out of the middle of the court The word of the Lord came to him saying Turne again tell Ezechias the Captain of my people vers 5. Thus saith the Lord God of Dauid thy father I haue heard thy prayers and seene thy teares Behold I haue now healed thee No doubt if Christians in their sicknesse would vse these pilles to purge their heads withall that is their teares as Ezechias did God would heale them as he did him These teares are the best and surest purgations in the world And for lacke of these it is likely all our other pilles and potions deuised of Physitions do manie times so little good So Marie Magdalene so Peter Luke 7.38 Matt. 26.75 in their sinnes wept bitterly as the Gospell teacheth vs. And who dare say that he is not as grieuous a sinner as either of theÌ„ No man liuing knowes his secret faults Psal 19.12 It is written thus of the people of Israel that when as they had sinned against the Lord that Samuel commanded to gather all the people to Mizpeh 1. Sam. 7.5 and that he would pray vnto the Lord. And they gathered togâ—ther to Mizpeh and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted the same day and said there We haue sinned against the Lord. No doubt these waters they drew and poured out before the Lord were teares from their hearts And here is that perfect patterne and forme of repentance which Ioel teacheth Ioel 2.12 Turne to the Lord with weeping fasting and mourning So these Israelits here no doubt turned to God And this is that iudgement which Saint Paul teacheth all Christians to vse euen against themselues Iudge your selues saith he that you bee not iudged of the Lord. For if we would iudge our selues 1. Cor. 11.31 we should not be iudged of the Lord. But now for lacke of this iudgement many are sicke amongst you and many sleepe and are dead Euerie Christian for the sinnes he hath committed against God should now be as it were a iudge against himselfe euen as it were punish himselfe by fasting weeping praying for his sins and so turne to God as Ioel counselleth And then as Saint Paul here teacheth without doubt he shall escape the iudgements and plagues of God in this world as sicknesse and such other euils which his sinnes deserue But aboue all other examples especiallie the example of our Sauiour should moue vs to ioyne these teares to our prayers of whom wee reade thus Which in the dayes of his flesh did offer vp prayers and supplications Heb. 5.7 with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death If Christ for our sakes offered vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares
proue this vnto thee out of another place O Peter doest thou loue me saith he feed my sheepe And when as he had asked him this thrise he confirmed that this was an argument of his loue Which thing was not spoken only to Priests but also to euery one of vs to whom a little flocke is committed for because it is a verie little flocke therfore it must not be neglected for my father hath a pleasure in them Euery one of vs hath a sheep let vs leade it to fat pastures When therefore a maister of a familie shall rise from his bed let him care for nothing else then that he may do and speake those things by which he may increase religion in his whole family The good wife also let her haue a care of her house but let her greatest care be concerning those things which belong to heauen Let all the whole family do those things For if in our worldly affaires we preferre the matters of the common wealth before our houshold affaires lest for the payment of these common taxes and subsidies we being brought before the Iudge and being punished we should incurre blame reproch how much more in spirituall matters ought wee to haue a principall care of them first of all which concerne God our creator and that great king of all kings least that we be drawne thither where is gnashing of teeth Let vs therfore embrace those vertues which are profitable to our own saluatiō also profitable to our neighbours Thus farre Chrysostome Wherefore as first he teacheth vs that that commandement of our Sauiour Christ to Peter Feede my sheepe belongs not only to him or his successours as the Papists now teach but to euerie Christian Euerie Christian is Peter and must féed his little flock his familie that is committed vnto him Origen in Matt. hom 1. in cap. 6. As also Origen expounded that saying of our Sauiour to Peter the 16. of Matth. To thee will I giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen It seemes to bee spoken saith he to all perfect Christians For they are all Peters and Rockes and in them all is the Church builded And if you thinke that the Church was built of that one Peter what doe you say of Iames and Iohn the sonnes of thunder and of the other Apostles Wee maie note here the consent of Chrysostome and Origen in expounding these two places concerning the Popes primacie otherwise then the Papists do now And yet they wold make the world beléeue that all the Fathers were on their side Secondly Chrysostome teacheth that euerie maister is bound to instruct his familie yea more then to paie his subsidie to the Prince For this is a subsidie that is due to the king of heauen which hee requires at all mens hands And that euerie Christian ought to know the Scriptures and to be able to doe this Chrysost ho. 2 in cap. 1. Matt. he writes thus in another place Which of you I pray you that stand here can say one Psalme without booke if ye were examined or anie other portion of scripture Surely there is none And this is not onely the mischiefe that you are slouthfull slacke to learne spirituall things but to learne diuelish things ye are more hot then fire for if any one should aske you anie vaine ballads or any such like foolish and vnchast songs and tunes hee shall find verie manie that are skilfull in thē that also will sing them with great pleasure and delight But this is the common excuse of these faults I am no Monke saith he I haue wife and children and a familie to care for This is that which as a common plague marres all because you thinke that the reading of the Scriptures doth belong only to Monks when as it is farre more necessarie for you then for them For they which are conuersant in the worlde and receiue dayly wound vpon wound doe not they stand more in need of the salues of God c. Let vs note here how that Chrysostome would haue all men to reade the Scriptures he excepteth none they néede not séeke to the Ordinarie to be licensed to reade them as the Papists now teach Naie that this is more necessarie for them then either for Priests or Monkes And that this is Gods salue to heale their daily wounds therewith and then they need not to feare anie harme therby as the Papists now do A fourth dutie which belongs to all Christians is that they ought to despise the world and all the vaine pompes and pleasures thereof And this we haue all vowed in our Baptismes but alas how smally is this vow amongst many either regarded or almost euer all their whole life after remembred And this solemne vow promise is grounded of the word of God Loue not the world saith S. Iohn nor the things that are in the world If any man loue the world 1. Ioh. 2.15 the loue of the Father is not in him And S Iames saith He that is a friend to the world is an opposed enemie to God O dangerous frienship Iam. 4.4 which bereaueth vs of the fauour of God! Nay which opposeth vs as open enemies to God And yet no man almost feares or cares for it And least wee should bee deceiued Saint Iohn puts downe plainly what the loue of this world meaneth For al that is in the world saith he as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world As though he should saie those things which our flesh desireth which our eyes delight in which our life gapes after so gréedily are not of the father but are the worlds dearlings And all these must all Gods children contemne hate and despise And who is it not now that yéelds to his flesh all that it desireth Who is it that feedeth not his vaine eyes Who is it that followeth not after the pride and state of this present life We follow at this day that rich man of whom our Sauiour makes mention We followe not Christ himselfe Luke 16.19 That rich man was cloathed in purple and fine linnen and fared delicately euerie day And there was a poore man named Lazarus which lay at his gate full of sores 1. Ioh. 2.6 c. Here is in two words all these comprehended The lust of the flesh to fare daintily the state of this life to be cloathed gorgeously and the lust of the eyes to bee couetous and vnmercifull not so much as once to looke vpon poore Lazarus But these delights and desires though we read not that he did anie man wrong to maintaine and fulfill them damned him in hell And here let all such take héede by his example that to maintaine these do oppresse and deale hardlie with the poore mēbers of Iesus Christ Christ Iesus who is the way the truth and the life Iohn 14 6. despised all these and so
would haue perished in the earth is preserued in heauen Therefore that which is preserued we shall receiue Thy desert is preserued thy merit is become a treasure For marke what thou shalt receiue Receiue ye the kingdom that was prepared for you from the beginning of the world On the contrarie they that would not lend what shall they heare Goe yee into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his Angels Thus farre Augustine Where he plainly sets downe the great blessing that the merifull lender shall obtaine at Gods hands and the terrible punishment which not the vsurer only but he that will not lend shall be sure to haue I would to God all Christians would but marke what censures the verie Heathens haue giuen concerning vsurie WheÌ„ as one asked Cato Censorius Cic. lib. 2. Off. what were the chiefe points of good husbandrie He answered To feed well to cloath wel and to till well And to him that asked What is it to commit vsurie Is not that also a point of good husbandrie Cato answered What is it to kill a man He thought that an vsurer sinned as greatly as a murtherer Did Cato iudge thus of vsurie by the light of nature and shall Christians professe it or thinke better of it in the light of the Gospell Panor lib. 4. Alphonsus king of Aragon compared vsurers to greedie birds which snatched catched all things And surely no doubt verie iustlie For vsurers are the cruellest Kites and vultures in the world They consume mens patrimonies they often kill their bodies and vndoe their heires And this they do to their brethren to whom they were bound to open euen their verie hearts and bowels to do them good 1. Ioh. 3.17 as Saint Iohn teacheth And will not then these cruell hearted men open to them their coffers or purses Another compares Vsurers to the diuell for what els saith he do Vsurers but that which the diuell perswaded Christ to haue done when as hee would haue had him to haue made stones bread for by their lending Pet. Greg. de Rep. lib. 2. cap. 20. they gaine of stones and mettalles that which nature cannot bring forth For naturally a peece of gold or any other money engendreth not money O wicked age that we liue in now vsurie amongst some is accounted the gainfullest and surest trade of liuing And wheras lending was commanded of God to profit our brethren now the vsurer thereby peruerting this order of God profits himselfe To conclude that interpretation of the two edged sword in the Reuelation of Victorinus an ancient Bishop Victor in Apocal is worth the marking By the two-edged sword glistering out of his mouth is meant that it is he that now shewed to the world the glad tydings of the Gospell and by Moses the knowledge of the lawe But because by the same word hee shall iudge hereafter all mankind that were both vnder the law and vnder the Gospell therefore it is said to be a two edged sword A sword armes a souldier kils a mans enemie and punisheth a reuolter or a turnecoate And that he might shew his Apostles that he preached iudgement he saith I came not to send peace into the world but a sword And after that he had ended his parables he saith vnto them Haue you vnderstood all these things And they said yea Therefore euerie Scribe learned in the kingdome of God is like to a housholder bringing out of his treasure new and old things that is the new words of the Gospell and the old of the law and Prophets And that these come out of his mouth He said to Peter Go to the sea and cast in an angle and the fish that thou shalt first take opening his mouth thou shalt find a stavre that is two pence giue it for me and thee And Dauid also by the holy Ghost saith God hath spoken once I haue heard these two things That God hath once determined that in the beginning that shall continue to the end To conclude when as he is appointed of his Father to be Iudge he minding to shew that through the word which is preached to them men should be iudged he saith Do you thinke that I will iudge you in the last day But the word which I haue spoken vnto you that shall iudge you in the last day And Paul against Antichrist saith to the Thessalonians 2. Thes 2.8 Whom the Lord shall kill with the spirit of his mouth This is therefore that two-edged sword proceeding out of his mouth c. I would to God all men would marke this exposition By Gods word all men at the last daie shall be iudged whether they haue directed their liues according to that which they haue heard with their eares or no And therefore our Sauiour saith so often Matt. 11.15 13.9.43 Mark 4.24 Hee that hath eares to heare let him heare And againe Take heede what you heare As though he should saie one daie ye shall giue an account of it And here that is verified that our Sauiour saith You are cleane for the word that dwelleth in you Ioh. 15.3 Gods word maketh our faith and religion pure and cleane and also our liues cleane But we must not be like those that can say Lord Lord Mat. 7.22 and haue done wickedlie which haue professed Christ with their mouthes and haue denied him with their works Wee must not onlie embrace the promises of saluation which the Gospell teacheth vs but also the precepts of life We must eate the whole Paschal Lâ—mbe or else it will do vs no good Exod. 12.9 As well the feete as the head and purtnance Manie at this daie eate gréedily the head and purtnance of Christ that is his diuine promises and his heauenly miracles they are verie desirous to eate these but few eate the féete that is his precepts and commandements Matt. 24.14 To such the Gospell shall be preached as a testimonie of their condemnation at that day of iudgement and not of their saluation Let vs beware that we be not hearers but doers Iam. 1.22 and not onely desirous to eate the head and purtnance but also the féete of Christ and let vs as willinglie learne his precepts and commandements and do them as we are content to beléeue his promises and remaine in them These are the waies which Gods word teacheth all Christians to walke in These are plaine waies here are no tropes or figures yet manie which will séem to professe Gods word make no account of these let such take héed at the day of iudgement they stand not among those to whom God shall saie Why didst thou preach my lawes Psal 50.16 or take my couenant in thy mouth Why didst thou professe my word and wouldst not bee reformed by it All such hypocrites shall then be condemned The manners and conuersation of the ancient Christians drawne out of the Fathers IVstine the Martyr thus describes
to thanke you that we as it were triumphing may reioice that we also are deliuered froÌ„ these slaunderous accusations Here also we maie see the same Christians most liuely painted out which before we saw in Iustine holy in life and conuersation Despisers of this world not giuen to quarrelling or going to law they had learned another lesson saith Athenagoras in those daies which condemnes the quarrelling and contentious Christians of our age who sue at lawe now for euerie light trifle their brethren When as I haue heard that euen in the memorie of some yet liuing to haue a sute in lawe in a whole towne or to haue one goe to London was counted a great strange matter euen as now it is counted to trauell to Rome or to Constantinople So peaceablie they liued in those dayes A man in all his life neuer sawe London that was a rare thing But nowe our sutes are so common that they make the waie thither beaten The former Christians were not so contentious as wée maie learne here by Athenagoras Eusebius also verie excellentlie describeth thus vnto vs the maners and conuersation of Christians in his time De demonst Euang. lib. 3. cap. 8. If it be now a thing most certaine that the Disciples of our Sauiour were such like why was not then their maister also such a one long before And if you will learne of the Disciples what a kind of maister they had you haue at this day innumerable scholers of the words of Iesus of whom there are manie great assemblies of men who both as it were in battell aray stand and fight against the naturall pleasures of the body also who keep their minds safe and stand without anie wound froÌ„ all vnlawful affections or lusts of the flesh who wheÌ„ as they haue spent their whole life eueÌ„ to their old age most temperately may yeeld vnto vs most euident proofes of the information of his doctrin what his doctrine teacheth Neither men only vnder this Schoolemaster do teach vs this philosophy but so manie thousands of women thorow the whole world which are so many as their number cannot bee told who as it were certaine priests worshipping the God of the whole world and hauing imbraced that heauenly philosophie and for the loue of this heauenly wisedome make no account of off-spring and children as of things which pertaine to the body but with all their studies and diligence hauing a care of their soules haue dedicated themselues wholy both in bodie and soule to the king of all things and to the God of all the whole world that so they might practise perfect and perpetuall chastitie and virginitie Behold here another notable description of Christians They despised not only the world but also the pleasures of the flesh They embraced virginitie they did dedicate themselues as spouses wiues onelie and wholy to the king of all kings as Saint Paule teacheth 1. Cor. 7.34 They seeke to please the Lord only they are holy in bodie and spirit So are not they who are maried And in those daies of this sort were thousands so manie as their numbers could not be told How are now Christians degenerated from this Surelie now we maie saie They marie and are maried as our Sauiour prophecieth in the Gospell Mat. 24.38 Luk. 17.27 so few at this time embrace virginitie in comparison of the thousandes in those dayes Apolog. ca. 34 Tertullian also a verie ancient Father describeth the conuersation of Christians in his dayes thus Now I will declare the workes of the sect of the Christians that seeing I haue repeated the euils wherewith they are charged I may also declare the good things wherein they are occupied Wee are all one bodie bound together with one maner of religion with one truth of discipline and with one league of hope we meete altogether in our assemblies that praying with our prayers we may as it were euen with an armie of souldiers take God And this force is pleasant to God We pray also for the Emperours and for their officers and for all those that bee in authoritie for the whole world for peace and for the stay of the end of the world We meete altogether also to haue the holy Scriptures read as the present state of the time forceth vs either to forewarne any thing to come or to consider anie thing that is past We feed as it were our faith with that most holy word we strengthen our hope therewith as with an anchor we make sure our confidence And we also print deeply into our mindes the doctrine of those holy precepts by often beating vpon them There also are exhortations corrections and euen as it were Gods iudgement seat For we pronounce sentence there against sinners most seuerely that to others in the sight of God this may seeme to be but a preamble of Gods iudgement to come If any offend so that he bee accounted worthie to be excommunicated from the communion of prayer and of the assembly and of other holy exercises certaine chosen Elders set in authoritie who haue obtained that honour not with anie money but for their good report for none of Gods things with vs are bought and sold and they do excommunicate all such Of euerie artificer also we gather somewhat for the poore but not anie grieuous summe of money as though he should pay for his religion Euery one brings his little almes euery moneth or when he will puts it according to his abilitie in the poore mens box For with vs no man is compelled to do this but euery one contributes willingly And this same worke of chaâ—itie is a cause why we are euill spoken of some See say they how they loue one another wheÌ„ as they hate one another how they are ready euen to die one for another when as they themselues are more readie to kill one another But I suppose they are grieued at no one thing more then that we call one another brethren when as amongst them all names of kinred through pride and ambition are but counterfeit We are your brethren by the law of nature as it were of one mother although you in this point doe a little degenerate from the nature of men because that you are euill brethren among your selues But how much more rightly are they called accounted brethren which acknowledge one God for their father which haue drunke one spirit of iustification which as it were from one wombe of ignorance haue aspired to the same light of truth But perchance therefore we are accounted lesse brethren because no tragedy exclaimes of our brotherhood or else because we are as brethen in the communicating of our temporall goods which amongst you most commonly breakes this brotherhood We which are ioyned together in soule and heart make no account to communicate our riches one to another there is no difference of anie things amongst vs but of our wiues c. Such vnitie as
members of one bodie such common prayers with faith and knowledge such hearing of the Scriptures with punishments of the disobedient such voluntarie contributions to the poore such Christian charitie such a communitie of the vse of all things were in those former good Christians But with vs almost all these are quite contrarie so farre we haue degenerated And in their prayers they vsed great reuerence in those dayes they knéeled For thus I reade in a sermon of Beatus Caesarius Bishop of Orleance For when as verie often as it becommeth me I marke diligently when as the Deacon cries Biblioth Pat. Tom. 7. ser 30. Let vs kneele downe I see the greatest part of the people to stand vpright like pillers which is neither lawfull nor seemely nor expedient for Christians to do in the Church in the time of prayers c. It should séeme that the Deacon in time of prayer cried Let vs kneele as we in our prayers now saie Let vs pray to stir vp the peoples minds to prayer And that the Bishop had a care to marke whether the people in time of prayers knéeled or no. I would all Pastors of Churches would do the like nowe and marke who kneeles not and exhort them to knéele But now no man regards this And in another place of the discipline of Christians the same Tertullian writes thus Loue your enemies and blesse them which curse you Tert. lib. de Pat. and pray for them which persecute you that you may bee the children of your heauenly Father In this chiefe commandement all the doctrin of patience is briefly comprehended when as we may not hurt anie though wee haue a iust cause Now if we shall runne ouer all the other causes which may driue vs into impatiencie the other commandements will likewise fall out iustly in their places If thy mind be moued to impatiencie by the losse of thy goods it is admonished almost in euerie place of the Scriptures that it ought to despise the world Neither can there be any greater exhortation to despise money then that the Lord himselfe had no riches And he euer iustifies the poore and condemnes the rich The former Christians as appeareth by this did not so greedilie séeke for money and riches as we do at this daie They despised riches they passed not for money Cyprian also condemnes this couetousnes in Christians Câ—â— Lib 2. â—piâ—t 2. But those whom thou supposest to be rich men ioyning field to field and excluding the poore of their quarters haue their pastures and fields without bounds which haue great store of gold and siluer and huge masses of money or reekes it as were of siluer hid in the ground these being afraid amongst the middest of all their riches the doubtfulnesse of their estates often troubles them least the thiefe should robbe them least the murtherer should catch them least the malice enuie of anie wealthier then themselues should vexe them with trouble some sutes He sighes euen in the middle of his banquet though he drinke in pearle and when as the downe and soft featherbed hath embraced his pined bodie for all his good cheare ouer the eares as it were in her bosome yet he cannot take any rest for all these feathers Neither doth this miserable wretch vnderstand that his riches are no other thing to him then braue torments and that he is bound with his golde as theeues are with gyues and fetters And that he is rather possessed of his riches then that he should possesse them And O abominable blindnesse of the mind of man and deepe darknesse of raging couetousnesse when as hee might disburden himselfe and also ease himselfe of so great a weight he goeth on still forward to set all his mind vpon these same riches that thus vexe him he goeth on still to cleaue fast to these pinching burthens There is no bestowing of them vpon his poore retainers no distribution to them that stand in need And they call that their money which they keepe verie carefully lockt vp in their houses as if it were another mans whereof they will bestow none vpon their friends no nor to their children no nor to themselues They possesse these riches onely to this end that another should not haue them And what a misnaming of things is this They call them goods whereof they haue no vse but to those things which are naught Or do you think that they are also safe whom amidst the robes of their honours and great riches whom flourishing with the glorie of kings courts a great companie of armed men continually waites vpon and guards They are more afraid themselues then others are of them he is as glad to feare himselfe as he is feared of others Dignitie honour or authâ—rity seemes to take punishment euen of the mightie man himselfe c. Their auâ—hâ—â—itâ—â— first maketh themselues afraid which make them so terrible to others This account the former Christians made of riches as of fetters and of honors as of burthens But to come neerer vs and to condemne our couetousnes Chrysostome telleth a strange historie of two Christians I wil shew you saith he a thing that was done amongst our forefathers Ho. 30. ad Pop. Ant. not concerning anger but concerning money There was a certaine place that had treasure hidden in it And when as the Lord thereof knew not so much he sold the place Hee which bought it when as he digged it vp that he might plant his field and dresse it he found that treasure that was hidden in it And when as he came to him that sold him the field hee would haue compelled him to haue receiued the treasure For he said that he bought the place and not the treasure But hee on the contrarie refused that which he would haue giuen him saying I haue solde the place neither haue I now any right in it They fell at strife the one would haue giuen it the other and the other striuing that he would not receiue it And going to a certaine man they reasoned the matter before him and after they asked his sentence to whom the treasure was due He would giue no sentence on neither side But saith he I will end your controuersie let me haue it possesse it for you both The which wheÌ„ they had both yeelded to he that was so greedie to receiue the treasure sustained afterward a thousand euils And learned by experience that they iustly and not without good cause had departed from it Such contempt of riches was in those dayes and such a conscience amongst Christians The Fathers here agree with the scriptures alleaged before concerning the contempt of the word The like should be amongst vs if we were not growne out of kind Such like contemners of the world were Augustine Ambrose Cyptian Ierom and all the Fathers as by reading their liues appeares We haue now few such Augustines Ambroses and Ieromes We alleage their sayings commonlie but neuer follow
caried very earnestly by the broad way to the pleasures of the flesh riches of this world being accustomed to obey no body being desirous of reueÌ„ge ambitious c. These stumbling blockes as much as in him lyeth euerie good Christian must endeuour to take out of the waie We must not onlie commend praise vertue with our mouthes but also embrace the meanes by the which we maie attaine the same which are contempt of the world heartie earnest prayer fasting such like That holinesse of life which flourished amongst all sorts of men in the Primitiue Church appeares not in our daies because we vse not those means of fasting and prayer which they vsed If we would vse the like tillage to the grounds of our hearts which they then vsed without all doubt we should haue the same fruits of righteousnesse Can euen the best land bring forth good corne without tillage Sow to your selues in righteousnes saith the Prophet and reap after the measure of mercie Break vp your fallow ground Hos 10.12 Fasting no doubt is this spirituall ploughing and braking vp of our fallow ground mercie is that spirituall sowing which the Prophet here speaks of They which will haue the land of their hearts beare good corne plentifullie and be fruitfull in all good workes let them vse these meanes let them vse this husbandrie Manie amongst vs at this daie are like the Iewes which relie onlie on the word of God and search out therein manie high points Rom. 2.17 those things which differ are most excellent but those works of charity to their neighbors of contempt of the world of mercie to the poore of watching in prayer of fasting which so manifestlie almost euerie where it commends to vs commands they practise not And is this to professe Gods word This is plainlie to doe as the Iewes did to brag of it and not to follow it The which if we do Rom. 2.23 it shall no more profite vs then it did theÌ„ For they were as S. Paul there saith catechized instructed in the law euen as well as we are and knew the will of God And here I would to God all Christians would marke what Basill writeth concerning another Christian exercise which is watching in prayer which point also I haue handled before out of the Scriptures But as concerning that matter that we are accused of Basil epist 63. that is for the singing of Psalmes by which thing they chiefly terrifie the simpler sort which slaunder vs yet this I haue to answer that the customes which now are vsed are correspondent and agreeable to all the Churches of God The people rising in the night go to the house of prayer making a confession to God in labours and vexation of mind and continuall teares at length rising from prayer they are appointed to sing Psalmes and being deuided into two parts they sing one part answering another after that they strengtheÌ„ theÌ„selues with exercising meditation of the word of God they prepare to their hearts thereby attention and hauing reiected all vaine cares soundnes constantnesse Then one of them hath this office committed to him to begin the Psalme al the rest sing after him and so they passe ouer the night with varietie of singing of Psalmes prayers being entermingled at the breake of the day they altogether as being one man with one mouth with one hart offer to God a psalme of confession and they professe repentance euerie man with his own words If you flie froÌ„ vs for these things you must also fly froÌ„ Egypt you must also fly from both Libyas from the Thebans Palestines Arabians Phoenicians Syrians they that dwell by Euphrates that I may say all in one word all those with whoÌ„ watchings prayers coÌ„mon singing of Psalmes are of great account Here is plainlie set downe the forme of common prayers vsed in the Primitiue Church They rose to praier before daie they made a general confession as we do all together of their sinnes but with teares which we leaue out They read the Scriptures with them strengthened their faith They sang Psalmes all together sometimes and other somtimes prayed Thus they spent their nights and this was the common practise of all the Churches in those daies but now we cannot abide either to wéepe or to watch in prayer Let vs follow their holie footsteps which agree with the Scriptures as before hath béene declared They which beare the names of Christians are not true Christians indéed are like to counterfeit coin which although it haue as it were the Princes image stamp vpoÌ„ it yet is none of his but is forged of some rebel or enemie so these although they haue the outward stamp of the sacraments are not pure gold within but drosse They are not gold but copper Gold is a soft thing pliable and comfortable restoratiue as Phisitians saie but copper is stiffe hard hurtfull to man These lacke the true gold of faith Their faith worketh not by charitie they are not mercifull Gal. 5.6 2. Tim. 3.3 they are not comfortable to their brethren Their beleefe is a counterfeit beléefe it is of copper they are not louing kind they deale hardlie with their brethren They speak Gnathok as it is in the Hebrew Psal 93 4 which signifies anie thing that is old old things are commonly stiffe stubborne that is stubbornly roughly to their brethren Luke 16.24 they coÌ„fort them not they kill their hearts And though such Hypocrits can saie to Abraham with that same rich man father AbrahaÌ„ to our Sauior Christ with many Christians at the day of iudgment Lord Lord open vnto vs we haue eaten at thy table Luke 13.26 we haue receiued thy Sacraments we haue heard thee preach not seldome but often euen euerie Sabboth plentifully euen in our streetes Yet the Lord at his comming for all these externall religious works of inuocation of his name alone and receiuing his sacraments and of hearing him preach shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall punish to the example of all others such counterfeit Christians which haue wrought iniquitie and he shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matt. 25.32 Luk. 12.46 cut them in the middle because they haue but halfe serued him their part shal be with hypocrits For that seruant which knew his masters will prepared not himself not did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes But he that knew it not yet did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes For vnto whomsoeuer much is giuen of him shall bee much required and to whom men much commit the more of him will they aske O terrible sentence The hypocriticall Christian is in worse case then the infidell and Pagan For he not knowing Gods will and yet sinning shall be punished but with a few stripes but the other which knew his masters will and yet offended shall be punished with many stripes And wo be to him that shall be punished with manie stripes at Gods hand who is not able 〈◊〉 â—ndure one There is a parable in thâ—â—â—spel of a father and two sons and he came and said to the elder Son go worke to day in my vineyard And he answered and said I will not Matt. 21.28 yet afterward he repented himselfe and went Then came he to the second said likewise And he answered and said I wil Sir or as it is in the Gréek I Lord I will worke in thy vineyard He made a great shew of willingnesse but he went not What thinke ye saith our Sauiour Euen in mans reason the former is preferred and this yonger with his great shewes is condemned This parable was theÌ„ verified among the Iewes of the bragging and learned Pharisies and repenting and ignorant sinners and I pray God it be not verified likewise in our daies of some vaine protestants puft vp with knowledge and of some ignorant and repenting Papists That same parable also of the virgins was neuer more trulie verified then now Matt. 25.11 it is to be feared manie that be virgins and hate the spirituall fornication of the whoore of Babylon haue lampes of faith Reuel 17.5 yet for want of the oyle of mercie and light of good works shall be excluded though they knocke and praie saying Matt. 5.16 Lord Lord open vnto vs. Let your light so shine before men saith our Sauior that men may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen This lesson is generall to all Christs disciples Our workes should be séene Manie Christians worldly stately works at this daie are séene but their good works are not séene Reuel 14.13 Blessed are they that die in the Lord saith the Spirit they rest froÌ„ their labors their works follow theÌ„ Many do such works now as cannot follow them but remaine behind them But such works shall not profite them Phil. 2.15 That yee saith Saint Paul to the Philippians may be blamelesse and pure and the sonnes of God without rebuke in the midst of a naughtie and crooked generation amongst whoÌ„ ye shine as lights in the world Such should all Christians bee They should be blamelesse But now one shall hardly heare anie one spoken of but that he shall bee blamed for some thing They should be lights giuing good examples in the midst of a crooked generation but now almost all men giue euill example to their brethren Eph. 4. Luke 15.8 Exod. 19.5 Rom. 4 11 24 Matth. 25.1 Phil. 2.15 Luke 12.37 2. Tim. 1.17 The Lord Iesus giue all Christians grace to walke worthy of their callings of that most honourable name wherewith they are called that they may be the Lords trâ—â—ne his iewels that they may be Abrahams sons and wise â—ins that they may be blamelesse and as shining torches in the â—dst of this wicked world and froward generation That Iesus Christ at his comming may acknowledge them for his obedient and watchfull seruants for his glorious names sake to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost one God immortall inuisible and only wise be al praise honor and glory power and saluation both now and for euer Amen FINIS
cals them not Dogges or Hogges Fer. in cap. 11. Act. which are Gentiles but such as despise the word of God and doe slander it or do vse it to cloake their vnrighteousnes withall These onelie are hogges by his iudgement And that of great likelyhood Staphilus affirmes the Laie men to bee those hogs our Sauiour ment Ferus also in another place teacheth the contrarie Fer. in cap. 7. Mat. By an outward example saieth hee he teacheth how and to whom the Gospell ought to be preached There is none so mad which vvill throw a precious Pearle before Hogges or Dogges For first precious stones are not fodder for bruite beasts A Swine had rather haue durt and mire then gold and a Dogge had rather haue a rotten Carion then all the holy things in the world Againe the things themselues should be lost After the same manner saith Christ ye possesse those things which are holy indeed and which farre surpasse all precious stones be they neuer of so great price therefore giue not to Dogges c. I would haue you willing to doe good to all men bearing with those which do you wrong hauing compassion on those which fall through mans infirmity yea euen towards the froward I would haue you cary that mind that you had rather haue them corrected and amended then perish Yet in preaching the Gospell to those which openly despise holsome doctrine and in whom there seemes to be no hope of amendment yea by occasion of your preaching which shall seeme to be worse then they were before to such I will not haue you impart the secrets of the heauenly doctrine least that befall you which happeneth as if one should throw pearles before swine or should giue dogges that which is holy For euen as a dogge by eating a holy thing is not made holier but prophanes the holy thing and a swine is not made more beautifull with pretious stones but defiles their brightnes so men that are past grace doe not onely scoffe at and slaunder wholesome doctrine but are made worse thereby and doe persecute those who haue deliuered it to them Thus farre Ferus Whereby we maie plainly sée how he cals not lay men swine as Staphilus did but obstinate and wicked men men past grace of whose amendment there is no hope And to such he saith that our Sauiour would not haue his Gospell preached How iniurious is Staphilus and Stapleton to their brethren and to Gods Church that say of all likelyhood they are those swine Ioh. 21.15.16 1. Cor. 6.15 1. Cor. 16.1 Phil. 1.1 which our Sauiour meanes What greater iniury can there be then to liken the Lambes and sheepe of Iesus Christ nay his verie members and those whom he cals his brethren and the Apostles often call Saintes to filthie swine and dogges Is not this to dishonor the Saints of God And yet they slaunder vs as though we did not honor the saints But let all men iudge hereby whether we honour the Saints of God more then they or no Granatensis also of the secular artes and liberall sciences whereof they haue made so great account in times past and haue spent most of their age before they would come to studie the Gospell of Iesus Christ Lib. 1. de deâ—ot cap 38. writes thus The which studies although for the alteration of times and in the importunitie of heretiques doe seeme as it were in some sort to be necessarie yet in truth they are to be accounted plagues of our life when as they steale away from vs such a great part of our time and make vs as it were outlawes so many yeeres from the sweet and louing embracing of Iesus Christ especially wheÌ„ as we shal consider that al the doctrine writings of the Ethnicks as Nazianzen witnesseth to be as it were the scourges plagues of Egypt which for our sins haue comed into the church But now because the estate of our miserable life hath driuen vs to this necessitie we must waite for a conuenient time to be employed to this kinde of studie that is first of all we must take care that our workes haue a sure foundation and that vertues houses be first built surely especially in yoong Schollers that they may be able to sustaine the waight of this studie without any dammage But when as yet our works are raw and the youth is nursed with the milke of Christ to haue him called away from his breasts to the pease coddes of the heathen Philosophers where nothing is to bee found but subtilties and sophistrie it is a lamentable thing For tell me I praie you if we marke this thing well what is it els but to do as Pharaoh did that he might destroy the people of God when as he commanded all the males as soone as they were borne to be cast out and drowned in the waters of Egypt And what els doe we see in these our daies then that there is scarce any one as soone as he is regenerate in Christ before he begin to grow and to receiue the strength of the new man but that he is throwen ouer the eares into these waters that he may be choked and loose againe the spirit he hath receiued Granatensis in this his discourse plainely prooues the Popes kingdome to haue béene that spirituall Egypt whereof saint Iohn makes mention in the Reuelation For who knowes not how in those daies not only their children but also euen their olde fathers spent most of their time in studying Aristotle their Dunses commentaries which wrote vpon him So that their youthes as Granatensis here witnesseth were not first noursed with the milke of Iesus Christ They knew not the scriptures with Timothie from their childhoode But they were euen drowned as soone as they were borne in these waters of Egypt and so in them continued most of their life after And shall we not say that these follow the steppes of Pharaoh euen as Granatensis confesseth it And the same Granatensis also of the reading and studying the scriptures writes thus Gra. de ration bene viuend ca. 10. A good resolution is much furthered by reading of godly and profitable bookes For this is a thing most profitable as contrariewise the reading of vaine matters is most pestilent and dangerous For the word of God is our light our phisicke our meate and our guide The word of God filles our will with good desires and it gathers together the distracted senses of our mindes and kindles deuotion in vs when as it seemes now quite to be smothered in the ashes of our infirmities and as it were quite put out Besides this also this reading driues away idlenes which is the originall of all vices as we will teach hereafter To conclude as corporall foode is necessarie to the preseruation of naturall life so the word of God is necessarie to preserue the spirituall life And therefore Saint Ierome saith It is the foode of the soule to meditate day and