An EXPOSITION OF THE FESTIVALL EPISTLES AND Gospels vsed in our English Liturgie Together with a reason why the Church did chuse the same By IOHN BOYS Doctor of Diuinitie The first part from the Feast of S. ANDREVV the Apostle to the Purification of blessed MARY the Virgin Psalme 151.1 Laudate Dominum in Sanctis eius LONDON Printed by EDVVARD GRIFFIN for William Aspley 1615. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD GEORGE BY the diuine prouidence Lord Archbishop of CANTERBVRIE Primate of all England and Metropolitane c. My very good Lord. I Finde three sundrie readings of the first words in the last Psalme Praise God in vis Saints praise God in his sanctitie praise God in his Sanctuarie God is to be praised in his Saints as hauing out of the riches of his mercie bestowed on them eminent gifts of grace the which as their bequeathed legacies and onely true reliques are to be remembred often in Gods Church vnto Gods people that as B. Latimer speakes wee may worship the Saints in following their good examples And so these three lines meeting in one center intimate that the most holy being donor of euery good and perfect gift ought to be magnified in his Sanctuarie for his sanctitie conferred vpon his Saints whereby they shined as lights in this heauen on earth and now shine like starres in heauen of heauen For this end I haue begun and I hope to finish an exposition of the Festiuall Epistles and Gospels vsed in our English Liturgie The which howsoeuer herein I may seeme bold yet am I bound to dedicate vnto your Grace for many respectiue considerations especially for this one because your honourable disposition in the middest of a crooked nation is euermore to be both a patron and a paterne of vnfained sanctitie Thus humbly beseeching the Lord to blesse and your Grace to sauour these my labours I rest Your Graces seruant in all dutie IOHN BOYS S. ANDREVVES DAY The Epistle ROM 10.9 If thou knowledge with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord and beleeue in thy heart that God raised him vp from death thou shalt be safe c. THE Gospell and Epistle chosen for this Fesâ—iuall intimate the true reason of our Church in celebrating the memories of the blessed Apostles and Euangelists vnto Gods honour namely because they were fishers of men ambassadours of peace preachers of good tidings euen the disposers of the riches of God in Christ indiffâ—rently to men of all sexes and sorts in that their sound went out into all lands and their words into the ends of the world and so by consequent principall instruments of God in the worke of our saluation and eternall happinesse Which our Apostle sheweth heere by this Sorites or gradation Whosoeuer â—allâ—th on the name of the Lord shall be saued Inuocation is by faith Faith is by hearing of the word Hearing is by the Preachers And Preachers are sent of God c. Ergâ— such as haue learned Christ in their minde beleeuing vndoubtedly with their mouth acknowledging him vndauntedly for their Iesus ought to praise God in his Apostles as being after Christ immediately the first and vnder Christ absolutely the chiefe Trumpetors of the Gospell which is the power of God vnto saluation In the whole text two points are remarkable Cansa causatâ— the means of our iustification and herein a Proposition If thou knowledge c. verse 9. Proofe 1. From a sufficient enumeration of the principall heads of Christianitie Faith for to belâ—eue with the heart instifieth Good works to knowledge with the mouth c. vers 10. 2. From the testimonie of the Prophets Esay Whosoeuer beleeueth on him c. vers 11. Ioel Whosoeuer doth call c. vers 13. Causa causae the meane for these meanes and that is the preaching of the Gospell in this respect aptly termed the word of faith vers 8. If thou knowledge S. Paul hauing in the Chapter afore sufficiently discoursed of the reâ—ection of the Iewes A priore from Gods absolute decree shewing mercie on whom he will and whom he will hardening he commeth in this present to demonstrate the same point â— postâ—riore from their obstinate incredulitie stablishing their owne righteousnesse and not submitting themselues vnto the righteousnesse of God in Christ apprehended and applied by faith only declaring it selfe in a twofold act one which is outward to confesse with the mouth another which is inward to beleeue with the heart Some confesse but beleeue not as hypocrites other beleeue but confesse not as timorous and Peter-like professors in the daies of persecution other doe neither confesse nor beleeue on Christ as Atheists other both confesse and beleeue and they be true Christians A bare confessing with the mouth is not enough except thou beleeue with thine heart Esay 29.13 This people come neere to mee with their mouth and honor me with their lips but haue remoued their heart farre from me c. Neither is it sufficient vnto saluation only to beleeue with the heart vnlesse thou confesse with the mouth according to that vnauoidable sentence Math. 10.33 Whosoeuer shall denie me before men him also will I denie before my father which is in heauen Now though in nature beleeuing with the heart preceed confessing with the tongue yet Paul mentioneth acknowledging in the first place for that wee doe not know the faith of such as beleeue but by their confession according to that of S. Iames I will shew thee my faith by my workes Heere then obserue that to confesse the Lord Iesus is necessary both in respect of other and our selues In respect of other as being herewith armed in the times of persecution and instructed in the daies of peace Christ is the fountaine of the waters of life faith in the heart is as the pipes and cesterne that receiue in and hold the water and confession with the mouth as the cocke of the Conduit that lets out the water vnto euery commer And therefore let your light so shine before men as that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen Againe to confesse that is to praise Christ in thy words and to doe whatsoeuer appertaineth vnto his worship is needfull in regard of our selues in that a true faith is neuer idle but alway working by loue Galath 5.6 For although it iustifieth alone yet is it no more alone then the heat of the Sâ—nne which alone warmes the earth is seuered from light â—or then Christ is diâ—â—oined from his spirit Calâ—â—â— apud 〈◊〉 de Iustist at lib. 1 cap. 15. § Caluinus or men a hand when it alone doth apprehend any thing is separated from the bodie Luther apuâ—â— Sanderâ—m de Iustis◠〈…〉 4 cap. 4. This doctrine makes against the 〈◊〉 in o'd time defending this 〈◊〉 Iura peruira secretum
rose againe leading captiuitie captiue that hee might heereby deliuer thee from the bands and hands of all thine enemies I may tell thee from Paul and Paul here from God vnto the comfort of thy soule that thou art now presently iustified and shalt be hereafter eternally saued For the Scripture saith whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not bee confounded That is whosoeuer hath a sure trust in God that he will euen for his Christ sake pardon all his sinnes and blot out all his offences and out of this assurance calleth on the name of the Lord he shall be safe For the two testimonies of the two Prophets answere the two clauses of Paul Esay speaking of the beleeuing in the heart and Ioel of acknowledging with the mouth And in these texts of the Prophets obserue their vniuersal note whosoeuer for God is no respecter of persons he puts no difference betweene the Iew and the Gentile but being Lord ouer all is rich vnto all that call vpon him Other Lords cannot reward all their followers as being Poore many will not as being illiberall and sordide but our God is able because Lord of all and willing because rich vnto all of whatsoeuer condition or countrey Poore Bartimeus begging rich Zacheus climing old Simeon in the Temple young Iohn in the wombe couetous Matthew grinding his neighbour at the receit of Custome the louing Centurion building his nation a Synagogue the people watching vnder the Crosse the theefe hanging on the Crosse confessing the Lord Iesus and walking in the sonneshine of his Gospell in differently finde refreshing in the conscience rest in the soule For whosoeuer beleeueth on him shall not be confounded and whosoeuer calleth on his name shall be saued As for the subiect or seate of faith it is said here with the heart man beleeueth Ergo faith as many Protestant authors haue noted is not placed in the minde or vnderstanding only but in the will and affections also For faith as it is notitia resides in the minde but as fiducia feared in the will Other Interpretors etiam note purioris and no way branded with the markes of Antichrist hold it noâ— greatly to stand with reason that one particular and single grace should bee placed in diuers parts and faculties of the soule It is true that faith is not a meere prattle of the tongue nor a floting opinion of the braine but a certaine perswasion of the heart Yet notwithstanding this perswasion or particular knowledge whereby a man is resolued that the promises of saluation appertaine to him is wrought in the minde by the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 2.12 A sure trust and a stedfast hope of all good things to bee receiued at Gods hand is not happily faith if wee speake properly but rather a fruit of faith in that no man hath aâ—fiance in God vntill he be first of all perswaded of his mercy toward him in Christ Iesu. For mine owne part I confesse with Luther ingenuously that it is exceeding hard to distinguish exactly between faith hope there is so great aâ—finitie between them one hauing respect to the other as the two Cherubins on the Mercy-seate Exod. 25.20 Faith engendreth hope and from hope proceeds affiance which is nothing else but hope strengthned For whereas an hypocrites confidence shall be like the house of a spider he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be euen as the mount Sion which may not be remooued but standeth fâ—st for euer And for as much as the word heart in my text as is agreed on all sides is put for the wholesoule without limitation to any part all that I will obserue from hence shall be that as wee must loue God euen so beleeue in God with all our heart and soule and minde For hypocrites haue forged faith and deuils haue forced faith acknowledging against their will out of horror vnto their condemnation and not out of loue from their heart to their iustification that Iesus is the Lord. A Recusant may be brought vnto the Church against his will and compelled in despight of his teeth also to receiue the Sacraments Bread and Wine but none can beleeue that Iesus is their Iesus but with the heart only See Gospell Sund. 8. and Epistle Sund. 10. after Trinitie How shall they call on him on whom they haue not beleeued A plaine text against the Gentiles idolatrie praying vnto gods vnknowne As Hecuba in Euripides O Iupiter quic quid es siue hoc coelum siue mens in coelo quanquam din iam ignauos opituiatores inuoco And it is a pregnant euidence to confute the Papists in their inuocation of Saints also for if they trust in S. Martin or Mary S. Catherin or Clare they rob the Creator to clothe his creature and cursed be man that puts his confidence in man and makes flesh his arme If they trust not how doe they call on him in whom they beleeue not Our heauenly Father saith in his word Call vpon me Christ our aduocate with the Father in like fort Come vnto me for I am the way the truth and the life Iohn 14.6 Non est qua eas nist per me non est quô eas uisi ad me No way to God but by mee no light but from mee no life but in mee Christ is a mutuall helpe to the Father one to vs another An hand to the Father by which hee reacheth vs an hand to vs by which wee reach him The Fathers mouth by which he speaketh vnto vs our mouth to the Father by which wee speake to him Our eye to see by footway to goe by the piller of fire by night and cloud by day guâ—ding his Israel in the wildernes of this world Wherefore let vs call on him in whom alone we beleeue which is our strength and refuge in the time of trouble promising in his Gospell aske and yee shall haue seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you See Gospell on the 5. Sund. after Easter How shall they heare without a Preacher Heere you may behold the Ministers Dignitie in respect of their Commission as being sent of God Errand as being ambassadours of good things euen such as bring tidings of peace between God and man Man and man Man and himselfe Wherefore desire the Lord to send forth labourers into his haruest honouring such Elders as rule well and labor in the word euen with double honour 1 Timoth 5.17 receiuing them as Angels yea as Christ himselfe Galat. 4.14 Dutie for if faith come by hearing and hearing by preaching so that the word of God vnto faith is as oile to the lampe such as will haue their feet kissed ought to bring tidings of good things If they will haue the worthie good reason they should doe the
of the filthie Familists had troupes of women euer accompanying him Apelles had Philomene for his mate Montanus had Prisea and Maximilla women of great birth and opulent estate Donatus had Lucilla for his mistresse Arius the Princes owne daughter for his Patronesse as S. Hierome notes in his Epistle to Cresiphon against the Pelagians Postelliu the lesuite had an old beldame called mother Iane and the rest of that ranke as the Quodlibeticall discourse auoweth haue deluded many young gentlewomen and deuoured many widowes houses And this kinde of fishing they learned from Satan himselfe who did first attempt the woman and then tempt the man vsing the wife as a trap to catch her husband And the reason why the deuil and his agents are fishers of women rather then of men is because they be lesse able to resist and more willing to repoâ—â— a new fangled opinion in one word for that their â—its are shorter and their tongues longer Fishers of men not of children as Seruetus absurdâ—y cauillesh Ergo saiâ—â—h he Pâ—eâ—â—hers may not baptise little infants Answer is made by Caluin and other that men heeâ—e signifieâ—h all mankinde of whâ—tsoeuer age or sex Christs commandement is expresse reach all nations baptising them c. and Mark 10.14 suffer the little children to come vnto me There be young Lambes in his fold so well as old sheepe it is not his Fathers will that one of these little ones should perish for of such is the kingdome of heauen See Melancthon loc com tit baptis infant Caluin vbiâ—up in margin Master Iohn Philpots letter concerning this argument apud Fox in his martyrdome Bucan loc com â—it baptis quest 35. Little children must be caught and brought vnto Christ and after these minumes are baptised in the sacred font they must be catechised and further instructed in the principles of holy religion that they may know what a solemne vow they haue made by their godfaâ—hers and godmothers And forasmuch as euery man is a Priest and a Prince in his owne house you must bring vp your childâ—en in instruction and information of the Lord drawing them vnto God while they be young lest afterward being past correction they say with the wicked in the second Psalme Let vs breake their bonds asunder and cast array their cords from vs. Niâ— fundamenta stirpis lâ—cta sint probe Miseroâ— necesse est esse deinceps posteros The draw-net of the Church incloseth all kinde of fish and therefore the Preachers are fishers of all sorts of men None is too good or too bad or too rich or too poore or too young or too old to be brought vnto God I will make you fishers of men indefinitely not of this or that man in particular Andrew must fish for all especially for such as are committed vnto his peculiar charge Acts 20.28 Take heed to your selues and to ak't he flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers Our principall care must be to reduce such as are vnder our proper cure from the linke and seas of their sin to righteousnesse and holinesse by preaching of the word to draw them out of the shadow of death out of the pit of ignorance to the maruellous light and sunne-shine of the Gospell And that we may performe this it is required on our part that we be painfull either casting our nets into the sea or else mending them in our ship and skilfull also that we may know to cast our nets on the right side of the ship Omnis ignorantia mala Sacerdotis autem pessima The blinde leading the blinde drawes him not out of the puddle but rather hurleth him into the ditch Matth. 15.14 Now the fishers of men for the catching of soules ought to preach and presse two points especially repentance and faith Almightie God himselfe the first fisher of men in his very first draught when the worlds sea was not so tempestuous as it is now stood vpon these two principally First hee rebuked Adam for his sinne that he might repent and then he shewed how Christ is the propitiation for his sinne the seed of the woman shall breake the serpents head that he might beleeue The Patriarkes and Prophets vrged these points vnto the men of their age Iohn Baptist the last of the Prophets and first of Apostles a midling as it were betweene both inculcated often these two repent and behold the lambe of God All the sermons of Christ as our Euangelist reports in the verse before my text consisted of these two likewise from that time Iesus began to preach and say amend your liues for the kingdome of heauen is at hand If any then desire to know whether the fishers of men haue caught him or no let him examine his owne heart whether he be repentant and faithfull If he feele sorrow for his sin and comfort in his Sauiour if he confesse his fault as the Publican O God be mercifull to mee a sinner and confesse his faith as Andrew Wee haue found the Messias if crying with teares hee can vnfainedly say Lord I beleeue helpe mine vnbeleefe it is a manifest argument that the fishers of men haue drawne him out of the dead sea into the land of the liuing out of the darke waters into the glorious light of the Sun of righteousnesse Heere the Gospell and Epistle meet againe Preachers are fishers of men because men are iustified by faith and faith commeth by hearing of the word and the word is brought vnto you by the mouth of the Preachers And therefore you must honour their holy function as Gods ordinance for the gathering together of the Saints and edifying of the body of Christ. Abhorre the positions of Stenckfeldius Anabaptists Familists holding that the word is not taught by the sermons of Peter and Andrew c. but only by the reuelation of the Spirit As also the practises of vncharitable Martinists Barrowists Brownists openly breathing out slander secretly threatning sâ—aughter against the Disciples of the Lord making it their greatest vertue to meddle with the Preachers vice so that whereas Andrew should catch them it is apparant that they labour principally to catch Andrew But the best is in the meane while they lose themselues among themselues hauing almost as many factions as there be fractions in their seuerall inuectiues In isâ—a Babylons sectae dissectae their sects are now so diuers and aduerse that as one said Luigando res non dirâ—mitur sed perimitur The last of all the remarkable circumstances in our text is how Iesus called his Disciples and that is hee saw them and saith vnto thens follow me and I will make you c. that is as Ardens in a short glosse pithily Vidit per electionem vocanit per fidem iussit se sequi per obedientiam pramium promisit per obâ—dientie reminerationem According to that
brickes in a fiery furnace that they shall not bee able to wrinch hauing not so much as a chinke where any winde may enter to refresh them in this lake of fire burning with brimstone Their sight is affrighted with vgly diuels and darkenesse their hearing with odious and hideous outcries their smelling with noysome stinkes and insupportable sweat reaking from the filthie bodies vnder torture their cast with a raging thirst and a rauening hunger tasting such things as are more bitter then gall or wormewood the feeling afflicted in euery part with intollerable flames in comparison whereof our earthly fire is no more then as if it were but painted The least of these torments named and infinite moe not named is more grieuous then the greatest either sicknesse or sorrow they suffered on earth and yet all these shall eternally continue without either ease or end See Gospell 1. Sund. after Trinity Lombard sent lib. 4. distalt sententiarios ibidem A quin in additionibus adtertiam suae summae partem quaest 97.98.99 Io. de combis compend Theolog. lib. 7. cap. 21.22 Dion carthusian de quatuor nouissimis part 3. The meditations of Luys de la puente Iesuite translated out of Spanish into English by Ric. Gibbons of the same society meditat 15.16 Euery branch that beareth fruit will he purge Wee collect here first that our Purgatorie is in this life while we goe from strength to strength and grow from fruit to fruit in the vineyard that is in the Church planted in this world 2. That the word and affliction are this our Purgatorie The word vers 3. Ye are cleane through the word which I haue spoken vnto you Cleane not by the water in Baptisme but by the word For saith Augustine Detrahe verbuÌ„ quid est aquae nisi aqua sed ascedit verbum adelementum fit sacramentum Cleare by the word non quia dicitur sed quia creditur The Pharifies and other hypocrites heard the word of Christ but they were not hereby purged because they did not beleeue the word of Christ. Our fruit then ariseth from faith it is faith as S. Peter telleth vs expresly that purifieth our hearts And so Rupertus expounds the words of Christ here you are cleane because you beleeue that which I haue said vnto you concerning my death and resurrection how I must die for your sinnes and rise againe for your iustification and goe away to prouide a place for you But because the flesh is so fraile that we cannot doe that good we would but the euill we would not Almighty God hath appointed for vs another Purgatorie to wit affliction and the Crosse the which is Gods rod where with he scourgeth euery sonne he receiueth and purgeth euery branch that beareth fruite that it may bring forth more fruit The branch of the Vine that is cut vntill it bleed and weepe beares the greater grapes and so the good man is best vnder the crosse tribulation bringeth forth patience and patience experience experience hope c. tanta summi patris est pietas vt etiam ira eius ex misericordiasit Our heauenly father is so good to vs his children that euen his anger is out of mercy destroying the flesh to saue the spirit 1. Cor. 5.5 3. We note from hence that no man in this world is throughly perfect euen the best of the Saints haue need to bee purged that they may bring forth more fruit They be saith Augustine Mundi mundandi not so pure but that they must encrease more and more Mundat it aque mundos hoc est fructuosos vt tanto sint fructuosiores quant to fuerint mundiores See Epist. 2. Sund. in Lent The Epistle IAMES 1.1 Iames the seruant of God and of the Lord Iesus Christ c. THis Epistle consists of 3. parts a Subscription Iames the seruant of God and of the Lord Iesus Christ. Inscription to the twelue tribes that are scattered abroad greeting Prescription My brethren count it exceeding ioy when ye fall into diuers tentations Iames Here two questions are moued ordinarily The first concerning this Epistles authority The second concerning this Epistles author As for the first I refer you to S. Hierom. Catalog script eccles in vita Iacobi Iusti. Sixt. senen bibliothec lib. 1. pag. 25. Bellarm. de verbo dei lib. 1. cap. 18. Dr. Whitaker respon ad Campian rat 1. Tyndal Prologue vpon S. Iames. Doctor Hanmer obseruations vpon Euseb. Eccles. hist. in English lib. 2. cap. 23. Rogers explanat of the confession of England art 6. Aretius Caluin Marlorat argument prolegom in epist. Iacob As for the second quare there were two blessed Apostles of this name Iames the sonne of Zebedeus and Iames the sonne of Alpheus Now this Epistle was not penned as herein the most and best Diuines accord by Iames the sonne of Zebedeus so hee was slaine by cruell Herod about the beginning of the preaching of the Gospell Act. 12. But by Iames the sonne of Alpheus called else where Iames the lesser and Iames the Lords brother this Iames was the first Bishop of Hierusalem of such vpright carriage toward men as that hee was surnamed Iustus and of such indesatigable deuotion in his prayers vnto God that as Hegesippus reportes his knees were like a Cammels knee benummed and made hard by reason of his continuall kneeling And S. Chrysostome further addeth that his forehead also became brawnie through his daily prostrating himselfe vpon the pauement in the Temple The which I note to condemne the proud and irreuerent behauiour of many who comming into the Temple to pray neither cast downe themselues as the Publican not yet stand vp as the Pharisee but they sit on their cushions I feare in the feate of the scornfull as if they were to blesse God and not God to blesse them Seruant of God Hee that serueth himselfe serueth a foole hee that serueth the diuell serueth his enemie he that serues the world serues his seruant the perfect and onely true freedome is to serue the Lord. Wherefore this stile is no way base but exceeding honourable desired euen of the best ambitiously Samuel was Gods seruant speake Lord saith he for thy seruant heareth thee Iob the greatest of all the men of the East was Gods seruant haâ—â— thus not considered my seruant Iob said the Lord to Satan Iob 1.8 Dauid stiled in holy Scripture for his excellency the King boasted notwithstanding of this title Behold O Lord how that I am thy seruant I am thy seruant and the sonne of thine handmaid Psalm 116.14 All the Patriarkes and Prophets and Apostles haue gloried in this seruice For if it bee reputed honourable to serue the King it is assuredly greater preserment to serue the King of Kings and Lord of Lords It is more credit to be a doorekeeper in the house
〈◊〉 And the 〈◊〉 in ourage who following the 〈◊〉 He 〈◊〉 hold it lâ—â— full to distemble their faith 〈◊〉 the Magistrate As also the Nicodemâ—â—es ashamed of Christ and expâ—â—â—cating 〈◊〉 forswerring their Pâ—ieâ—hood and the Pope their holy father vpon eâ—eâ—y pretended occasion of danger In a word all weather â—ise professors adueâ—tring no more for the glorious Gospell then one â—â—tely did for his horrible blasphemie who being bound to the stake suffered only the lingeing of his beard This open acknowledging of Christ is necessaâ—ieâ— not only 〈◊〉 morris at the point of deâ—h as Liraâ—us or in the daie of persecution as Lombard but at all time and in euery place when occasion is offered lustly â—aith 〈◊〉 Forseeing it is an afâ—â—rmâ—tâ—ue prâ—cept 〈…〉 As Christ in his Gospel expresâ—ely 〈…〉 Whereas 〈…〉 〈…〉 the faith not sufficient vnto 〈…〉 mouth and other â—odâ—◠〈◊〉 as efficient cause concure with it in the 〈…〉 may be taken out of his old Schoole 〈…〉 and Cardinall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth af 〈…〉 confession 〈◊〉 act of faith according to that of the Pâ—â—miâ—â— I 〈…〉 haue I spoken And in his second 〈…〉 this Chapter he that is 〈◊〉 by faith ought to be filled with the fruit of righteousnesse Postquam homo per fide mest instificatus oportet quod eius fides per dilectionem operatur ad consequendam salâ—tem And Cardinall Tolet in plaine termes Oris confessio nâ—s non iustificat à peccato c. sed iustificati tenemur eam palà m profiteri c. Confession of the mouth doth not iustifie vs but being iustified wee are bound publikely to professe it afore we can attaine to saluation Herein agreeing with our Protestant Interpreters affirming that good workes are consequents and effects of a true faith as if Paul should haue said here we are iustified by faith onely but yet this faith is operatiue bringing foorth liuely fruits as the confession of the mouth and the profession of the life for they be necessarie to saluation albeit faith alone be sufficient in the act of iustification as you may see further Epist. Quinquages and Sund. 2. in Lent In the words and beleeue in thine heart that God hath raised him vp from the dead three points are considerable namely Faiths Act Obiect Subiect Faiths act is to beleeue and to beleeue hath these degrees as the Schoole teacheth out of Augustine Credere Deo credere Deum credere in Deum A wicked man and a wretched deuill may so farre proceed in faith as to beleeue there is a God and in grosse to beleeue God but a true Christian endued with a sauing faith ascends higher and beleeueth in God also That is he knowes God as hee hath reuealed himselfe in his word acknowledging him onely for his God and thereupon put his whole trust in him applying to himselfe Gods mercifull promise made to father Abraham and his seed with the heart vnto iustification and confessing the same with the mouth vnto saluation He disclaimes not his part in Christ as the deuils Ab what haue we to doâ— with thee thou Iesus of Nazareth art thou come to torment vs before the time but he challengeth his portion in the bloud of his Sauiour saying with the Church in her loue-song My welbeloued is mine and with Paul Christ is become to vs wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Hâ—s bodie is in heauen there shall I finde it mine his diuinitie is on earth and heere doe I feele it mine his word is in mine eare to beget him mine his Sacrament is in mine eie to confirme him mine his spirit is in mine heart to assure him mine Angels are mine to fight for mee Prince mine to rule for mee Church mine to pray for me Vniuersitie mine to studie for me Pastour mine to pâ—each for me all mine whether it be Paul or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come euen all are mine I am Christs and Christ is Gods Faiths obiect is all holy scripture the summe whereof is the Creed and this one point how God raised vp Iesus from the dead is nexus articulorum omnium as it were the bond or tying knot on which all other linkes of our beleefe depend For if it were not true that Christ is risen againe then were it neither true that hee did ascend vp to heauen nor that hee sitteth at the right hand of his father in heauen nor that he sent downe the holy spirit from heauen nor that hee shall come from thence to iudge the quicke and the dead In a word the matter of the whole Creed concerneth either God or the Church his spouse Now the raising of Christ from â—he dead is the worke of God the Father Acts 2.32 of himselfe being God the Sonne Iohn 10 18. of God the holy Ghost also Rom. 1.4 Christ as God only raiseth and is not raised as man he is onely raised and raiseth not as the Sonne of God or second person in the blessed Trinitie both the Father raiseth him and he raiseth himselfe The Father raiseth the Sonne by the Sonne â—nd the Sonne raiseth himselfe by the spirit of holinesse by which he was declared to be the Sonne of God As for the Church our Apostle sheweth elsewhere that Christ died for her sinnes and rose againe for her iustification and that ascending vp on high he bestowed on her gifts as to be Catholike holy knit in a communion and prerogatiues in her soule namely remission of sinnes in the body resurrection of the flesh in both euerlasting life Wherefore Paul here mentioneth only the resurrection of Christ from the dead not exclusiuely but synecdâ—checally because this one article presupposeâ—h all the rest and takes them as granted as if hee rose from the graue then he died and his death is a consequent of his birth Or because this article was and is most doubted in the world for the Iewes and Gentiles acknowledge the death of Iesus whereas the Christians only confesse his resurrection Or because the rest vnlesle Christ had risen againe would haue profited vs little for he triumphed in his resurrection ouer death hell damnation opening the kingdome of heauen to all beleeuers And so the meaning of our text is plaine If thou confesse with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord that is that Lord of whom all the Prophets inquired as being the desire of all Nations euen the light of the Gentiles and consolation of Israel And if thou beleeue in thine heart that this Iesus whom almightie God hath made both Lord and Christ offered himselfe a sacrifice to purge thy conscience from dead workes and take away thy sinnes putting out and fastening vpon the Crosse the Lawes obligation against vs and that hauing ouercome death and the deuill he
of Paul whom he did predestinate them he called and whom he called them also hee iustified and whom hee iustified hee also glorified For faith is a consequent of election obedience of faith and remuneration of obedience He called his Apostles here by word only follow me Goe not before me nor beside me but come after me for I am the way the truâ—h and the life Where note the power of his word hee spake and it was done he called and they came immediately But we reade in the 5. of Luke that he called these by working a wonder also for whereas they laboured all night and caught nothing he commanded them to let down their net and they tooke such a multitude of fish that they filled two ships vntill they did sinke Where Diuines obserue that Christ accommodates himselfe euermore to his present auditors as hee called the wise men of the East addicted vnto the studies of Astrologie by a starre and conferring with a woman of Samaria who came to draw water at Iacobs Well hee tooke occasion to speake of the water of life saying Whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I shall giue him shall neuer â—e more a thirst and in the 6. chapter of S. Iohns Gospell hee did instruct the Capernaits who followed him only for loaues by a similitude taken from bread and meat willing them to labour for the true bread of heauen and for the meat that endureth vnto euerlasting life By whose example fishers of men are taught to become as weake to the weake that they may winne the weake being all things to all men that by all means they may saue some Hitherto concerning the calling of Simon Andrew Iames and Iohn Let vs now come to their comming Simon and Andrew straight way lest their nets Iames and Iohn immediately lest their ship and their father and followed him They came straight way without inquisition or delay considering only who called and not disputing why hee called And they came willingly without any grudging or griefe leauing nets and ship and father and all things or the world to follow Iesus whose kingdome was not of this world whose pouertie was so great that hee was borne in another mans house and buried in another mans tombe as not hauing wherein to rest his head They forsooke all that little they had and all the great things they desired to haue They did not abandon vtterly their estate for S. Peter afterward vsed his neâ—s and followed his trade Iohn 21.3 but they so subdued their will vnto Gods will as that they counted all things losse to winne Christ. Apostoli quoth Hierome quantum ad dâ—uâ—â—s nibil quantum ad voluntatem totum mundum pariâ—er reliquerunt Iesus euery day calleth vs vnto him either by the good motions of his spirit or by his word in the mouth of his Preachers or else by strange iudgements or extraordinarie mercies And therefore let vs I beseech you forsake the vaine pompe of the world the carnall desires of the flesh and all other nets and lets whatsoeuer hindering our comming that wee may follow him immediately For if the Disciples heere followed him in his humiliation and pouertie what a sinne yea what a shame will it be not to follow him now sitting at the right hand of God in the heauen of heauens a Lord of Lords higher then the highest a King of glorie rich vnto all that call vpon him able to doe for his followers exceeding abundantly aboue all that they can aske or thinke These followed him in Bodie being conuersant with him and witnesses of all hee did and said Minde for nothing could separate them from the loue of Christ. Life learning of him to bee meeke and mercifull as he was mercifull exhorting their auditors to be followers of them as they were followers of Christ. Death for as he suffred on the Crosse to make their peace so Peter and Andrew were crucified and Iames slaine with the sword in his quarrell and Iohn as wee finde in Ecclesiasticall historie was by the commandement of the tyrant Domitian cast in feruent is olei dolium or as other solium into a vessell or bath of hot boiling oile from which he was notwithstanding by Gods hand deliuered miraculously without any hurt Though happily neuer occasion shall be giuen vs to die for the Lord yet let vs so follow him in our liues and in our loues as that we may die in the Lord. Let vs mortifie our earthly members our feet that we stand not in the way of sinners our eies that wee may not delight in vanities or wantonly behold a woman our hands that we may labour and worke the thing which is good our mouth that it bee not full of cursing and bitternesse our hearts that they be not exercised with auarice that forsaking our selues to follow him only which is our saluation as we suffer with him euen so wee may be glorified together with him Amen Almightie God which didst giue such grace vnto thy holy Apostle S. Andrew that hee readily obeied the calling of thy sonne Iesus Christ and followed him without delay grant vnto vs all that wee being called by thy holy word may foorthwith giue ouer our selues obediently to follow thy holy commandements through the same Iesus Christ our Lord. The Epistle EPHES. 2.19 Now are ye not strangers nor forreiners but citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God c. THis Epistle sets down the most happy condition of all such as truly beleeue 1. Priuatiuely shewing what they are not in the 19. verse Now are yee not strangers nor forreiners 2. Positiuely describing in the rest of the text what they are namely Gods Citie House Temple Of which heauenly building the Materials are liuely stones all Gods elect built together to be an habitation of God Foundation is Iesus Christ himselfe Builders Apostles and Prophets Properties are to be built together c. answering the three properties of the Church in the Creed Holy a temple of the Lord an habitation of God Catholique all the building c. knit in a communion coupled together and built together Now ye are not strangers As Augustine said it is one thing to walke in the law another thing to liue vnder the law so likewise there is difference between being in grace and vnder grace Many men in our time who receiue the Gospell of God in vaine liue vnder grace but not in grace many Prophets and holy Fathers in old time liued in grace but not vnder grace For properly to liue vnder grâ—ce is opposed vnto the state of the law to liue in grace is opposed vnto the state of sinne The men of Ephesus and other Gentiles in time past vnbeleeuing were neither in grace nor vnder grace not in grace for in walking according to the
course of this world and in fulfilling the lusts of the flesh and will of the minde they became dead in sinnes not vnder grace for they were without Christ aliens from the common wealth of Israel and strangers from the couenants of promise hauing no hope and without God in the world as our Apostle disputes in the former part of this Chapter But non saith he God which is rich in mercie through his great loue wherewith he loued vs euen when we were dead in trespasses hath so quickned vs in Christ Iesus that we be both vnder grace released from the condemnation of the law and in grace deliuered from the dominion of sinne We which once were farre off are made neere to God and his people not any longer strangers or forrainers but fellow citizens with the Saints of Gods houshold yea Gods house Wherein our Apostle doth allude to the goodly buildings of the terrestriall Hierusalem in which all the whole Citie was faire the Kings house fairer the Temple fairest of all And so by these three wherof one doth excell another he describes the blessed estate of Hierusalem which is aboue The materials of this high and holy building are Gods elect as well his seruants on earth as Saints in heauen His elect in the militant Church are called by S. Peter liuely stones or as Hierom reades liuing stones A materiall house consists of blockes and stockes and other senselesse stuffe but all the parts of the mysticall house built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles are moouing and free stones in that they be quickned by God and liue by saith in his sonne And this their faith is not dead but liuely working by loue Galat. 5.6 For as in other buildings one stone lieth vpon another and all vpon the foundation euen so in the spirituall house Christians beare one anothers burthen and Christ as the chiefe stone beares all Vnusquisque portat alterum portatur ab altero quoth Gregory The whole building is so compact as that euery one beares another and is borne of another As for example the rich and the poore man are thrust and piled together in Gods house the poores butthen iâ— his beggeâ—ie he burâ—hen of the rich is his ouergrowen estate Wherefore the poore lieth on the rich and â—he rich is content to sustaine the poore the rich hâ—th hiâ— burâ—â—â—n leâ—â—ened by giuing and the poore his butthen leâ—â—ened by taking and so saith Augustine they beare one â—nother burâ—he A Christian must haue strong shoulders and mightie bones that he may heare flesh that is the weaknesse of his brethren It was excellently said of one when it was told him how his brother had committed a foule fault He fell â— sterdaâ— quoth he and I may fall to day The peble may not enuie the marble nor the marble despise the peble the pinne in the Temple sâ—rues for vse so well as the pinnâ—cle The cie cannâ—t sâ—y to the band I haue no need of thee no the head to the feet I haue no need of you So that euery liuing stone must put on tender mercie kindaâ—â—e humâ—â—tie meâ—◠〈◊〉 long suffering for bearing one another and for giuing one another of one heart and â—f one seule of one accord and of one iudgement Thus all such as aâ—e truly faithfull 〈◊〉 tempore sâ—les from the beginning of their faith and first embracing of the Gospell are translated out of Babylon and made citizens of I â—erâ—salem euen walking and working stones in the building of God house The next point to bee discussed is the foundation of the Church and that iâ— not Peter alone nor yet all the Prophets and Apostlâ—s iointly bâ—t Christ Iâ—sus himâ—â—â—f Not the Christ of 〈◊〉 or the Christ of 〈◊〉 or the Christ of Lâ—gat or any false Christ aâ—beit there be many such in the world but onely the true Christ of the Prophets and Apostle I say that Christ only which is vâ—lâ—â—m in 〈…〉 stamento reâ—â—latus 〈◊〉 promised by the mouth of all the Prophets in the old Testament and preached of all the blessed Apostles in the new So the Doctors expound my text built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles that is vpon Christ aâ— being the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles vpon the foundation which is laid by their doctrine as S. Ambrâ—â—e plainly jsper â—oâ—um veâ—â—â— testamentum vpon the coâ—ents of the two Testaments the summe whereofi nothing else but Christ crucified as beâ—ng the head corner stone lapis summus imus euen the first and the last stone the beginning and ending Apocal. 1.8 by whom the Church is founded and finished In other buildings the foundation iâ— lowest in the ground but the foundation of Hierusalem aboue Galat. 4.26 descending downe from God out of heauen Apocal 21.2 is higher then the highest Ecclesiast 5.7 As Aâ—stotle said a man is arbertransuersa so we that the Church is domus transuersa an house turned vpâ—ide do vne for that Christ is both a rocke on which his Church is founded and a chief or head corner stone in whom all the whole building is coupled together and groâ—â—th c. other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Iesus Christ a tried stone a precious stone a sure stone This doctrine confuces the Papist holding that Peter is the rocke on which the Church is built for that vpon the confession of Pâ—ter thou art Christ the sonne of the â—â—aâ— God our blessed Sauiour said thou art Peter and vpeniâ—iâ— rocke will I build my Church Answer is made that Peter in making this confession thou art Christ either spake â—racaâ—cris or procateris as prolocutor oâ— moâ—â—h of the rest And therefore whatsoeuer in that placeâ— as promised vnto Peter appertained to the whole Colledge of Apostles a Oâ—gâ—nâ—â—m 1. â— Mat. the words spoken â—o Peter are common to all If wee confesse with Peter nobis dâ—â—tur tu es Pâ—â—rus pâ—ra cnim quique Christâ—â—â— cipâ—lus est And S. Hiâ—renâ— Peâ—ra Christu st qui â—â—n â—â—t emâ—â—us Apost lâ—â— vt â—â— quique patrâ— voâ—â—â—â—ar â—nuâ—reâ—rgous faith Ambroâ—eâ—â—â— sis petra so euery confessor is a Peter and euery Peter a liuing stone in the building of God house Touching the words vpon this rocke will I build my Church A â—gustine the most accurate Doctor expound them thus Super bane Petram quam câ—nfesseâ— es super hano Petram qâ—im cognonisti discus tues Christus filâ—s Deiviui â—dâ—fâ—cabo ecclesiam mean id est super mâ—ipsum adâ—sieabo ecclesim meam super me edisicabote non me superte So the Papists owne Writers vpon this rocke that is I will build my Church vpon my selfe the Sonne of the liuing God See Gospell on S. Peters
day Againe this sentence Christ is the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles ouerthroweth as Interpreters obserue Marcion and other heretickes affirming that two sundrie disagreeing Gods are Authors of the two Testaments As if one God were preached in the Gospell and another in the Law whereas one and the same Christ is the very center of both at which all the Prophets and Apostles aime principally The builders of Gods house are the Prophets and Apostles and all their lawfull successours the Ministers and Preachers of the word Behold saith the Lord to Ieremie the Prophet I haue put my woreis in thy mouth I haue set thee euer the nations and ouer the kingdomes to plucke vp and to roote out and to destroy and throw downe to build and to plant That is to roote out vice to plant vertue to destroy the dens of Sâ—tan and build vp Gods remple to throw downe the kingdome of Antichrist and to set vp the kingdome of Christ. And so Paul cals himselfe a skilfull Architect or a cunning master builder laiing the foundation and hee faith of other Preachers of the word that they build vpon his foundation gold siluer precious stones c. that is doctrines and exhortations answerable to the foundation and worthie of Christ. In a word that the Pastors are Gods labourers and the people God building 1. Cor. 3 9. it is true that Christ himselfe is the chiefe builder as hee saith in the Gospel vpon this rocke will I build my Church he builds as it is in our text through his holy spirit vers 22. yet hee doth vse Prophets and Apostles and Euangelists and Pastors and Teachers as vnder-workmen for the gathering together of his saints and edification of his Church Ephes. 4. 11.12 The tooles or instruments which Apostles and Preachers vse toward this worke are the Word and the Sacraments especially For so the Lord of these labourers hath appointed Goe teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost His word iâ— his power to bring his elect to the foundation and to build them vpon the foundation His Sacraments are fastnings as it were to strengthen and confirme them after they be laid in the building that they fall not away but grow to an holy temple of the Lord. Our doctrine must be according to the analogie of faith our exhortation according to the rules of good life the Bible which is our lanterne and our guide furnisheth vs with both and therefore wee must euer build vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Beside these tooles a Minister ought to further Gods building with heartie praiers and good example Bellarmine said of Erasmus falsely that he was but halfe a Christian but it may be said of a lewd Pastour truly that he is but halfe a Preacher he may peraduenture pull downe more building in one weeke with his bad life then he can set vp againe in a whole yeere with his great learning Seneca thought it impossible that any body should at onetime be both a good man and a good captaine but a Clergie man is not a good Pastor vnlesse he be a good paterne God defend me and mine from a mangie Physitian a ragged Alchimist and a dissolute Diuine If thou be a president of godlinesse to thy people pray to the God of all grace that you may so remaine if you sometime were and are now fallen returne if you neuer were repent if you neuer will be perish Nam à Deo separabitur qui à diabolo superabitur Concerning the properties of the Church it is built together in such a due proportion and concinne symmetrie that euery part is content to keepe his ranke and performe his function without any faction It is a body fitly ioined together and compacted by that which euery ioint supplieth c. Ephes. 4.16 See Epistle 2. Sund. after Epiphanie It is built together in respect of her vnion with Christ the head corner stone and coupled together in respect of her communion with the members See Communion of Saints in the Creed And being thus inserted and built on Christ it liueth and groweth from grace to grace till it become an holy Temple to the Lord. The which Interpreters vnderstand of euery singular part so well as of the whole body for euery Christian is an habitation of God If thou be then a consecrated Chappell vnto the Lord how darest thou commit Idolatrie which is against the first table What agreement hath the temple of God with Idols Or how dinest thou commit adulterie which is against the second table Know yee not that your body is the temple of the holy Ghost and that God is to bee glorified in your spirit and in your body will you then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot God forbid Euery liuing stone that is built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles is holy Lapides in templo sancto non possunt esse non sanctificati The temples of God are holy both in regard of their righteousnesse imputed in that their vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and Christ himselfe made their holinesse and in regard of sanctification and righteousnesse in herent for that being deliuered out of the hands of all their enemies they serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of their life The Gospell IOHN 20.24 Thomas one of the twelue which is called Didymus was not with them when Iesus came c. THis Scripture consists of a Dialogue Thomas one of the twelue c. Epilogue Many other signes truly did Iesus c. The Dialogue is between a weake sinner and a meeke Sauiour And according to these two principall persons it hath also two principall parts one concerning Thomas and another touching Christ. In Thomas obserue his Faults which are two 1. His absence from the meeting of the other Apostles 2. His incredulitie not beleeuing the resurrection of Christ occasioned by that absence Faith My Lord and my God That other part concerning Christ is a relation of his second appearing vnto the blessed Apostles after his rising againe from the dead And heerein is set down 1. What he did After eight daies he came againe c. 2. What he said 1. To the whole companie Peace be to you 2. To Thomas in particular Bring thy finger hither c. 3. In conclusion to him and them and vs and al Blessed are they that haue not seen and yet haue beleeued In that our Euangelist hath set downe the fall of Peter and fault of Thomas wee may learne that euen the most holy men are but imperfectly perfect in this life The Pontificians are true Donatists and as it were the very spawne of the Cathari For is any man so great a Puritan as the Papist highly conceiting that he can obserue all
that which is crooked can none make strait This fact then of Thomas is a fault and it is amplified heere by three circumstances especially 1. That he was one of the twelue Not to beleeue the resurrection of Christ is a sinne in an ordinary Christian in a Disciple yet greater but in an Apostle so well instructed and so well beloued it was greatest of all 2. For that hee gaue no credit to the report of his fellow Disciples although his Master had often said hee that despiseth you despiseth mee Moreouer they were the greater part of the companie tenne against one and each of those tenne had receiued afore the Holy Ghost Ver. 22. and concerning the present businesse had heard and seene more then he Ver. 20.21 3. For that hee did vent his incredulous thought in such a bold and peremptorie stile except I see in his hands the print of the nâ—ilâ—s nay that is not enough except I feele the print except I put my finger into the print of the nailes euery one being so bigge as my finger except I thrust mine hand into his side and search his wound so great as mine hand except with hand and finger I measure both and finde by due proportion that they are the same I cannot beleeue nay the truth is I will not beleeue From hence then obserue that the naturall man if Christ once leaue him is not able to discerne the things of God especially that hard article concerning the resur rection it seemeth as a fained thing to such as with their senses only seeke their Sauiour Thus much of the fault I proceed now to the faith of Thomas And heere the Doctors haue moued a double doubt 1. Whether Thomas did touch the wounds of Christ or no. 2. Whether his speech my Lord and my God were an exclamation or an acclamation For the first it is thought by some that hee did not touch the wounds of Christ and that for these two reasons especially First because Christ saith in the 29 verse Thom is because thou hast seene me thou hast beleeued and not because thou hast touched me Secondly for that it is probable that Thomas hearing his masters voice and seeing his countenance was abundantly satisfied without any further enquirie But these obiections in the iudgement of the most ancient and best learned expositors are very weake because Christ in the 27. verse saith expresly put thy finger hither and see mine hands c. What as Augustine disputes in 121. tract in Ioan. had Thomas hâ—s eies in his fingers if not then seeing in that text is nothing else but touching put thy finger and see For seeing is attributed to all the senses Audi vide quâ—m bene sonet Heare and see how trimly the bels ring Olfac vide quâ—m bene cleat Smell and see how sweet the flower is Gusta vide quâ—m bene sapiat Taste and see the pleasantnesse of the fruit And so Tange viâ—e touch and see reach hither thine hand and christ it into my side For the second arguments albeit happily Thomas at the very sight of his master instantly became satisfied in himselfe yet that euery scruple might be remoued out of his and our minde our blessed Sauiour suffered his glorious bodie to be touched as S. Iohn in his first Epistle That which was from the beginning which wee haue heard which we haue seene with our eies which we haue looked vpon and our hands haue handled of the word of life Yea but Christ said in this Chapter at the 17. verse to Mary Magdalene Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father is it likely that Thomas obtained more fauour then Mary so dearely beloued of the Lord Diuines answer this obiection diuersly First our Sauiour did not forbid all touching simply but immoderate embracing only for Mary Magdalene and other holy women with her touched his feet Matth 28.9 They tooke him by the feet and worshipped him It is plaine then that Mary was suffered to touch and onely forbidden when she did it too much Secondly Mary beleeued the resurrection of Christ and therefore had no such need to touch him as Thomas had Thirdly Christ did intimate that his body being now glorified he was not any longer to be respected carnally but onely to be touched spiritually with the finger of faith according to that of Paul If ye be risen with Christ set your affections on things which are aboue not on things which are on the earth And lastly there is an euasion in the text Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father but goe to my brethren and say to them c. As if Christ should say you need not be so fond and forward in touching mee nowfor I meane not as yet to depart from you but goe tell my brethren that I am risen againe from the dead and then both they and you shall further handle and see me For so we finde Luk. 24.39 Behold mine hands and my feet for it is I my selfe handle me and see palpet videte see with your fingers that it is I. This exposâ—tion is proper and pertinent and therfore notwithstanding the former obiections I conclude if not demonstratiuely yet probably that Thomas did actually touch Christs wounds according to Christs words bring thy finger hither and see mine hands and reach hither thine hand and thrust it into my side The next qâ—ere to be discussed is whether the words of Thomas my Lord and my God are an exclamation or an acclamation Arius and his brood who denie Christ to be very God of very God make them an exclamation as if Thomas should haue said O Lord God what is it that I touch and see I not an acclamation or acknowledgement that Christ is the Lord God Answere is made first that the text hath not any note of exclamation it is â— not â— which is prefixed to the two Greeke words Secondly Thomas acknowledged something which he did not afore beleeue but he knew before thâ—â— the Father was God and therefore this speech of his concerned God â—he Sonne Lastly Christ commended his faith in confessing the sonne to be the Lord Thomas because thou hâ—st seene me thou hast beleeued hee did reprehend Thomas for the manner but yet approoue him for the matter of hiâ— beleefe So that the words my Lord and my God are a plaine confession of Didymus his faith touching Iesus Christ the Sauiour of the world He saith not thou art my Lord and my God but as if he had not time enough to put in Creed enough hee brake foorth into this abrupt and impeâ—fect speech as being of greater force my Lord and my God And it is so sweet as it is short v◠〈◊〉 sie 〈◊〉 confâ—ssioâ— quoth Bullinger a very briefe yet a most absolute Creed For the further examination whereof obserue first his
knowledge then his application the which are the two principall parts of faith As for his knowledge Thomas confessed here not only that Christ is a Lord and a God for there be many Gods and many Lords in opinion analogie title But to distinguish Christ from all these kindes of Lords and Gods he doth affirme that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord and the God that is the Lord of Lords and God of Gods Psal. 50.1 Here then is a pregnant text against vnbeleeuing Iewes and misbeleeuing Arians If Christ had not been very God of very God euen one substance with the Father he would haue condemned and not commended this confession of Thomas If any shall aske why Thomas is not content with one word but vseth two Lord and God and why first hee calls Christ Lord and then God Answere may be that he called him Lord in that he conquered hell and death and God in that hee knew the very secrets of his heart For when Christ had said put thy finger hither and see mine hands and reach foorth thine hand and put it into my side Thomas instantly remembring what hee had fondly thought and foolishly said confesseth his fault in confessing his faith my Lord and my God The Disciples vsually termed him Lord in his life to signifie therefore that it was the same Christ hee first according to his accustomed manner calleth him Lord and then after hee proceedes further then he was wont and calleth him also God In the word Lord acknowledging his humanitie in the word God his diuinitie Faiths obiect is the reuealed will and word of God and the summe of his word is the new Testament and the summe of the new Testament is Iesus Christ God and man In that therfore Thomas confessed his Lord to be crucified dead and buried as a man and that he did againe raise himselfe and loose the bonds of death as God hee did vtter that in two words which is the contents of the two Testaments and summe of all summe of faith and holy beliefe Now for application hee saith my Lord and my God Not onely God in generall but my God in particular mine by promise mine by stipulation mine by oath mine by free gift mine by purchase mine by participation of grace my Emmanuel my Shilo my Iesus Of this particular faith Isaiah the Prophet spake wheÌ„ he said Secretum meum mihi secretum meum mihi My secret to my selfe my secret to my selfe The Papists indeed terme this personall and particular assurance presumption but the children of God in all ages haue thus applied the medicine to the maladie saying with Dauid O God thou art my God and with Mary my Sauiour For as their owne Frier notes vpon my text it is not sufficient to beleeue that he is the Lord except thou beleeue likewise that he is thy Lord as Didymus here not only once but twice my Lord my God doubling as it were his faith as he had before doubted his fall O the deepnesse of the riches of Gods mercie Who would haue thought that Thomas who beleeued least and last of all his fellowes vpon so short a conference should thus equall if not excell them all in his abrupt yet absolute confession And therefore let not any man either discomfort himselfe or condemne his brother afore the time for no man hath so weake a faith or so wicked a life but that one day Christ out of his infinite goodnesse may call him and heale him as he did S. Thomas making him who did not beleeue so soone as the rest to become notwithstanding in his beleefe so sound as the rest apprehending and applying the merits of his Sauiour to his soule my Lord my God After eight daies againe his Disciples were within and Thomas with them then came Iesus Hee came before hee was vp sought and that to seeke one lost sheepe only Teaching vs heereby to recall such as are in errours and to beare the infirmities of the weake But hee deferred his comming a whole weeke that Thomas in the meanewhile might be better instructed and induced to beleeue the resurrection Or happily for the greater manifestation of his goodnesse in tolerating such incredulitie so long Or as other to trie the faith of the rest and to shew that humane reason is not able to perswade this article The translation of Gods holy day from the Saturday to the Sunday is not by patent in the Bible but only by paterne because the blessed Apostles vsually met together on this day The which assuredly they did by the direction of Gods holy spirit and as it may seeme heere by Christs approbation at the least if not institution againe and againe manifesting himselfe to be risen on the eighth day So that albeit happily some will grant that the Church assembled in a generall Councell hath authoritie to constitute another day for the Sabbath as the second or third of the weeke yet I am sure wee can neuer haue so good a patterne nor yet so great a reason for altering this our day as was heere for the changing of that other day The patterne is Christ and his Apostles and the reason is the resurrection of Christ euen that exceeding wonderfull worke of our redemption Againe Christs appearing on the eighth day is not without a mysterie wee labour six daies in this life the seuenth is the sabbath of our death in which we rest from our labours and then being raised from the dead on the eighth day Christ in his owne body the very same body that was crucified dead and buried shall reward euery man according to his worke When the doores were shut Papists vrge this place to prooue the carnall and grosse presence of Christ in the Sacrament extremely condemning our incredulitie who will not beleeue that Christs body and blood is vnder the formes of bread and wine seeing his whole body heere perfect in all his lineaments length bredth and thicknes distinct and diuers from the substance and corpulence of the wood was in the same proper place the wood was in and passed thorow the same To this obiection our Diuines answer diuersly some that the doore opened of it selfe to let him in other that the doore was vnbarred by some of the house within vnknowne to the Disciples other that to come in the doores being shut is no more but that hee came in late in the euening at what time men vse to shut their doores but most acknowledge that he came in miraculously not thorow the wood and iron of the doores as the Papists absurdly conceiue but through his omnipotent and al-commanding power the dooâ—es were opened to him aâ— they were to Peter Acts 12 9. and to some other Apostles Acts 5.19 Creatur acessit Creators Hieron epist. ad Pammac tom 1. fol. 178. Or
as God saying my Lord and my God acknowledging the diuinitie which he did not see by the wounds he did see So that Christ here commends the faith of Thomas in saying thou hast beleeued and reprehends only his slacknesse of faith in adding because thou hast seene me First handling the wounds of Christ afore hee would credit the words of his Apostleâ— Quid enim est fides nisi credere quod non vides eo plus habit merui quo nanus argumenti Thomas in beleeuing after he saw Christ is a type of the Iewes and the rest of the Disciples in beleeuing afore they saw Christ a figure of the Gentiles Augustin tract 121. in Ioan circa sin Blessed are they that haue not seene and yet haue beleeued He denieth not Thomas to be blessed in this sentence but only preferreth other Apostles and all other Christians afore him in that they haue not seene and yâ—t haue beleeued For if thou knowledge with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord and beleeue in thine heart that God hath raised him vp from the dead O well is thee and happie shall thou be So blessed as Iohn whose head lay neere his Masters heart so blessed as Ioseph of Arimathea who buried his bodie so blessed as old Simeon who lulled his Sauiour in his armes yea so blessed as the Virgin her selfe that bare him in her wombe for thee was more blessed in being the daughter then in being the mother of Christ. Here the Gospel and Epistle meet all they that haue not seene and yet haue beleeued are fellow citizens with the Saints and of Gods house built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Iesus Christ himselfe being the head corner stone in whom they grow to be an holy temple of God hauing the promises of the life present and of that which is to come See Gospell Sunday 13. after Trinitie By this it doth appeare that the resurrection of Christ is the chiefe obiect of a blessed faith as also the maine subiect of all this out present Gospell And it is exceeding profitable for confutation and instruction As first it doth ouerthrow the wicked error of Corinthus who taught Christ should not rise againe till the generall resurrection of whom Epiphanius worthily Stolâ—dus est stolidorum magister Secondly Apelles heresie who said Christ rose againe but not in his owne flesh or as Augustine reports his opinion without any flesh Thirdly that of Cerdon and the Passionists affirming that Christ ascended into heauen in soule only Fourthly that assertion of Eutychian heretikes holding that Christs humane nature was deiâ—ied after his resurrection and made not glorious only but meerely diuine also Againe the doctrine of Christs rising againe from the dead serues for instruction in matters of holy faith and good manners In articles of beâ—iefe concerning Christ and our seâ—ues First touching Christ whereas he did abide among the dead at least thirtie three or thirtie foure houres as he continued among the liuing thirtie three or thirtie foure yeeres I say whereas Christ being starke dead raised himselfe to life by his owne power it is a manifest demonstration of his Godhead as Paul disputes Rom. 1.4 and God said in the second Psalme Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee The which text ought to be construed not so much of Christs eternall generation afore all worlds as of the manifestation therof in time This day that is at the time of thine incarnation but at the day of thy resurrection especially haue I begotten thee that is I haue made knowne vnto the world that thou art my sonne as Paul expounds it Acts 13.33 for none euer raised another from the dead but by God none euer raised himselfe from the dead but God Secondly this doctrine proues euidently that Christ was a perfect Priest and that his passion was an omnisufficient sacrifice for the sinnes of the whole world For if hee had not fully satisfied for them all if there had remained one little sinne only for which he had made no satisfaction he could not haue risen againe for death and the graue which came into the world by sinne and are daily strengthened by sinne would haue held him in bondage To this purpose Paul saith If Christ be not risen againe your faith is vaine and you are yet in your sinnes That is Christ had not answered fully for your sins or at least you could not possibly know that hee had made satisfaction for any of them if he had not risen againe As for points of faith appertaining to thy selfe more neerely the resurrection of Christ is a demonstration of our resurrection according to that of Paul If it be preached that Christ is risen againe from the dead how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead 1. Cor. 15.12 Behold saith the Lord I kill and giue life I wound and I make whole that is as Tertullian aptly killing by death and giuing life by resurrection If a man be cast into the sea though all his bodie sinke vnder the water yet there is hope of recoueâ—ie so long as his head is aboue the waues in like manner if wee beleeue that Christ our head is the first fruits of those that sleepe let vs not doubt but vnfainedly beleeue that we which are his members in our due time shall be raised out of the dust also Moreouer the resurrection of Christ is a proofe of our iustification before God he was deliuered for our offences and raised againe for our iustification As in his death he stood in our place wounded for our transgressing and broken for our iniquities and bearing our sinnes in his body on the tree so likewise in his resurrection he is not to be considered as a priuate but as a publike person representing the whole Church making his righteousnesse a cloke to couer all our vnrighteousnesse If death could not keepe Christ fettered in his prison it is euident that his power was ouercome Now then if death be conquered it followeth necessarily that sinne the wages of death is also destroied If death and sinne be vanquished then the tyrannous kingdome of Satan is subdued who had the power of death and was author of sinne and ruler of hell So that euery true Christian may reioice with Paul O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but thankes be to God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. And lastly concerning matters of honest and holy conuersation this doctrine teacheth vs to seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth as the right hand of God and to rise from dead workes vnto newnesse of life See Epistle on Easter day and Epistle Sunday 6. after Trinitie Touching our Euangelists
readeth often and seeth almost daily the seuere iudgments of God vpon sinners and yet himselfe continueth in the same sinne deserues worthily to be punished with as many stripes as he neglected examples He that knowes how Cain was a runagate on earth and how the clamour of his brother Abels bloud entred into the eares of God in heauen and how this cry was a voice vox sanguinum a voice of bloods in the plurall namely the voice of the bloud shed and of all the bloud which might haue come of that bloud if it had not been shed Againe hee that heaâ—e of the lamentable destruction of Ierusalem how her magnificent Temple was made dâ—selate and the glorious Towers of her Citie were laid euen with the ground and all this for that shee killed the Prophets and stoned such as were sent vnto her Hee that reads and beleeues theâ—e things and yet is an obstinate despiser of prophecie killing crucifying securâ—â—â— persecuting the mâ—ssengers of the Lord from City to City shall receiue greater damnation then either Cain or Ierusalem as hauing negleâ—â—ed greater mâ—â—nes of saluation For all things are written for our learning but these things I meane Gods extraordinarie iudgments vpon notorious sinners are written more principally for our examples vpon whom the ends of the world are come See Epist 9 Sund. after Trinitie How often would I haue gathered thy children How often by the mouth of my Prophets how often by mine Apostles how often by mine owne selfe as the louing Hen is alway caring for her chickins alway clucking and calling them if they wander out of her â—ight neuer so little that she may gather them vnder her wings and so guarde them from the mischiefe of the Kite euen so Ierusalem I would haue gathered thy Children vnder the wings of my protection I would haue kept thee and thine from the iawes of thy rauenous enemie Sathan and from the hands of all such as hate you but yee would not O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in me is thine helpe now this ought to be construed either of Christs humane will as he was man or else of his conditionall and reuealed will as he was God otherwise Gods absolute will is effected alway both in heauen and earth and hell it was the conditionall will of God the Iewes resisted according to that of Saint Steuen in the second Lesson allotted for euensong this day Yee stiffe-necked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares ye haue alwâ—y resisted the holy Ghost aâ— your Fathers did so doe you this I would of Christ is voluntae signi not voluntas beneplaciti See Melanct. Câ—ietan Pâ—scator Marlorat in loc Iansâ—n Concord cap 41. 90. didac Aluarez de anxilys diuinae gratiae lib. 5. dâ—â—putat 33.34 O Father of mercies increase our faith and graunt vnto vs in this thy day of our visitation vnfained repentance that howsoeuer England hath equalled Ierusalem in being dissolute yet shee may not parallell Ierusalem in being desolate The Epistle 1. IOHN 1.1 That which was from the beginning which we haue heard which we haue seene with our eyes c. SAint Iohn euer like himselfe that his Gospell and generall Epistle might be sutable confirming each other in the maine scope makes in the beginning was the word the beginning of words vnto both omitting here an ordinarie salutation that hee might at the very first entrance treate of more necessary points of saluation and yet this exordium à re ipsa preamble raised from the matter it selfe is agreeable to the rules of arte wherewith he makes his readers attentiue docile beneuolous attentiue for that he writes not of a trifle but of Christ Iesus the word of life who cleanseth vs from all sinne docile for that the subject of his doctrine is neither new nor vncertaine not new for we shew vnto you that which was from the beginning not vncertaine for we preach vnto you that which we haue heard which we haue seene with our eyes which wee haue looked vpon and our hands haue handled Beneuolus for that hee penned this Epistle for their good namely that they might haue fellowship with the Saints and that their ioy might be full I finde the whole tract diuided into three parts answerable to the three chiefe christian vertues Faith Hope Charitie but for as much as our Apostle writes of these promiseuously without distinction and order I rather amit of Aquines plaine partition Into a Commendation of the Gospell Chap. 1. Exhortation â—o the fruitfull and faithfull obseruing of the same Chap. 2.3 Disswasion from the contrarie Doctrine Chap. 4.5 In the present text there be two descriptions One of Christ in respect of his Natures As God that which was from the beginning As man which we haue heard and seene c. Office being our light and life cleansing vs from all sinne Another of a Christian hauing fellowship with God his Saints and his Sonne in whom are Two remarkeable properties 1. A studiousnesse to doe good Ergo not a carnall Epicure For if we say we haue fellowship with God who is light and walke in darknesse we lie and doe not the truth 2. A sorrowfulnesse when hee doth ill Ergo not a spirituall Puritane For if we say wâ— haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. I haue spoken enough of the first description in my notes vpon the Gospell on Christmas day the pith of it is that Christ Iesus eternally God in the fulnesse of time made man is our only mediator and aduocate with God the Father insomuch as our fellowship with God in this world and fulnesse of ioy in the next is attained by faiâ—h alone first apprehending and after applying his merits Here then our Apostle commends the doctrine of the Gospell in three respects especially First in regard of the subiect as being most ancient and excellent euen that which was in the beginning Godâ— owne sonne the word of life yea that eternall life which was with the father afore all worlds Secondly in regard of the certainty that which wee haue heard which we haue seen with our eyes which we haue looked vpon and our hands haue handled declare wee vnto you For Christ who was in the beginning that eternall word with the Father in these last daies appeared vnto vs. And as S. Paul expounds S. Iohn he was manifested in the flâ—sh Or as S. Iohn in his Gospell expounds himselfe hee became flesh and dwelt among vs. And so wee haue seene and heard him immediatly speaking in the world as well as mediately speaking in his word For he spake to the Fathers by the mouth of all his Prophets euer since the beginning but in our daies he hath spoken with his owne mouth vnto vs our eares haue heard him in his Sermons our eyes haue seene him in acting of his miracles our hands haue
Christs sake whose bloud cleanseth vs from all sinne 2. Why because God is faithfull and iust so forgiue vs our sinnes 3. What a plenarie not a partiall absolution a pardon for all vnrighteousnesse 4. When in this present life while wee walke in the light Our selues must acknowledge for our selues and not another we must indeed confesse one to another but not one for another wee must also confesse sinnes and not vertues as the proud Pharisie Luk. 18. I fast twice in their 〈◊〉 I pay tithes of all that eâ—â—r I possesse and our owne sinnes not our neighbours offences as the same Pharisie who did accuse the Publican and in comparison of his faults excuse himselfe This confession is to be made to God as being the searcher of our hearts vnderstanding all our secret sinne so well yea better then our selues O Lord who can tell how ofâ— he offendeth O cleanse me from my secret faules and to God as being very willing and mostable to purge vs from all vnrighteousnesse It is true that we must acknowledge our faults one to another as hauing trespassed one another and in some cases it is expedient also that wee resort to deuour learned discreet pastors for the releefe of our distressed conscience yet by Bellamines leaue this our text is not a pregnant Scripture for popish auricular confession vsed in the Church of Rome For the Ministers of the word may both openly pronounce absolution vnto true penitents and in secret also when occasion is offered iustly Though annuall and auricular confession of euery singular and single sin were thrust out of the Church as it was for twelue hundred yeeres after Christ See Gospell 3. Sund. after Epiphanie Wee must acknowledge that is say with our mouth and acknowledge in our heart that wee haue sinned in Adam and doe sinne for the present and may sinne hereafter as long as we liue For faith Augustine Iderat peccatum insanabilius quo me peccatorem esse non arbitrabar it is our dutie to feele sinne to feare sinne to flie sinne so farre as wee can in one word soundly and seriously to repent vs of all vnrighteousnesse Non fit satis quod doleamus sed ex side doleamus non semper doluisse doleamus de dolore gaudeamus Wee must hartily griue for our offences and grieue for that we grieue no more and ioy for that we grieue so much After such a confession a penitent ought to seeke for an absolution of God as being faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes Happily some will obiect God if wee consider him as iust is more ready to punish then to pardon for the wages of sinne is death and the Church hath taught vs euery day to pray with the Psalmist enter not into iudgement with thy seruants O Lord for no flesh is righteous in thy sight For answere to this obiection I find the word iust expounded diuersly Somesay God is iust as being able to iustifie sinners Other thinke that God is called iust in forgiuing our sinne because Christ hath paid a iust and sufficient price for the sinnes of the whole world Other construe iust here to bee nothing else but a comely thing or a propertie besitting the goodnesse of God according to that of Anselme Iustum est oÌ„ Deus vt parcas malis And so some read God is faithfull and facile ready to forgiue But I follow their Glosse who thinke that faithfull and iust in this place signifie the same God is faithfull in his promise iust in his word to forgiue Now God saith in his word though their sins were as crimson they shall be made white as snow though they be red like scarlet they shall be as wooll I am not come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance Wherefore come to me all yee that labour and are laden and I will ease you yea that which is more then his word if any thing can be greater his oath is As I liue saith the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue Now God euer dealeth with his seruants according to his word and hauing bound his word with an oath it is due debt and then it is iustice to pay debts he is faithfull and therefore can no more deny his promise then himselfe who saith at what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne from the bottome of his heart I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance Wherefore let vs boldly come to the throne of grace let vs agree with our aduersary quickly while wee are in the way while wee walke in the light while it is called to day for after this life there is no purgatorie for sinne in another And let vs aske not onely some parcell of a pardon but an absolute absolution and a plenarie discharge from all vnrighteousnesse Larga Dei piet as veniam non dimidiabit aut 〈◊〉 ant totum se lachrymante dabit The Gospell IOHN 21.19 Iesus said vnto Peter Follow thou me c. THis Scripture containeth a Correction of Peters curiositie What is that to thee Follow thou mee The disciples error touching the death of Iohn yet Iesus said not vnto him he shall not die c. Commendation of Iohn in respect of his Grace with Christ the Disciple whom Iesus loued which also learned on his breast at supper c. Place in the Church as being an Apostle that testified of these things an Euangelist who wrote these things Conclusion of the Gospell intimating that so much is written as is necessarie to saluation and other things omitted and those many for that if they should bee written euery one the world could not containe the bookes that should bee written Our blessed Sauiour in the words immediately going afore shewed Peter in what vocation hee should liue Feed my sheepe as also by what death he should die When thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thine hands and another shall gend thee and leade theâ— whither thou wouldest not And when hee had spoken thus alluding to both especially to the latter he said vnto Peter follow me that is be thou such a Pastor in feeding my sheepe and such a Pastor in suffering for my sheepe as I haue giuen example Christ said vnto Peter in the 13. chapter of this Gospell at the 36. verse Whither I goe thou caust not follow me now but thou shalt follow me afterwards Vnto whom Peter answered Lord why can I not follow thee now I will lay downe my life for thy sake Iesus replied wilt thou lay downe thy life for mysake Verily vâ—rily I say vnto thee the Cocke shall out crowâ—â— thou haue deared me thrice Now Iesus remembring this conflict and conference with his Disciple said vnto him in the words a little before our tex
Wâ—â—â— thou wast rouâ—â— thou girdeast thy selfe and walke liâ— who here 〈◊〉 That is when thou wast a yâ— angling in faith and diddest gird thy selfe with thine owne strength it was thy follie to thinke that thou couldest 〈◊〉 me whither I went and therefore by denying me thrice thou diddest proue my words to be true Weâ—ther I â—e thou canst not sodow me now but when thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thine hands and another shall gird thee c. that is when thou shalt feele thine owne weaknesse and grow strong in the Lord my other saying also shall be found true Thou shalt follow â—â—ce afterwards I therefore now command thee Peter againe and againe follow mee whither I â—â—â— But Peter as it may seene neglecting this charge concerning himselfe but of a curious humour enquites after the doing and dying of other saying vnto Iesus Lord what shall we here â—â—â— to whom his matter answered And â—â—â— haue him to 〈◊〉 I come what is that to 〈…〉 Teaching vs hereby to follow him in the same calling and in the same way that hee doth appoint It is not said examine others imploiment but see your owne calling 〈◊〉 let euery man abide in the some calling wherein he was called walking in his vocation worthily studying to be quiet and to meddle with his owne businesse 1 Thess. 4.11 The which apostolicall apophthegme being a parallel vnto the words of Christ here what is that to thee follow thou mee may serue to direct vs in all matters of this life Whether they be Theologicall Concerning God Whether they be Ecclesiasticall Concerning The Church Whether they be Politicall Concerning Common-weale Whether they be Morall Concerning Our neighbours friends Whether they be Occonomicall Concerning Our priuate familie Whether they be Monasticall Concerning Our single selues In matters appertayning to God it teacheth vs not bee curious inquisitors after the secrets of his will vnknowne for what is that to thee but to keepe the words of his Law doing his will which is knowne for of this onely Christ speakes here follow thou mee The secret things belong to the Lord our God but the things reuealed belong to vs and to our children for euer In affaires of the Church it sheweth how the good sheepheard should spend his life for the benefit of the flocke committed vnto his charge Peter follow mee forbidding Vzzab to put his hand to the arke of God recalling the Lacke not onely from incroaching vpon the Clergie mans benefice but also from intruding into the Clergie mans office for what is that to thee In businesse of the Common-wealth it correcteth oâ—ercurious Euesdroppers of State for what is that to thee Teaching vs to giue the things of Casar vnto Caesar honour to whom honour custome to whom custome tribute to whom tribute though as Christ Mat. 17.27 wee fish for money for in performing this office like wise Iesus said vnto Peter follow thou mee The soole saith Salomon will euer be medling but hee that iwise will not walke in magris mirabilibus in great affaires and such as are too high and huge for him hee plots not how to dispose of the Scepter but possessing his soule in patience desires the Scepter should rightly dispose of him as being assured that Princes are the ministers of God euen fingers of that great hand that gouerns all the world In morall offices or duties of charity between neighbour and neighbour it inhibits thee to be a busie body or as Peter speakes a busie Bishop in another mans diocesse for what is that to thee aduising on the contrarie to doe good vnto all vnto such as are of the houshold of faith especially For in this respect Christ Iesus our great patrone and patterne speakes vnto all as to Peter here follow me Learne of me to be humble and meeke walking in loue euen as I haue loued you giuing my selfe for you to bean offering and a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour to God in all other businesse appertayning either to the priuate house or single selfe the counsell is wholesome res 〈◊〉 age plough in thine owne ground fish in thine owne boat looke to thy selfe ouerlooke not other vnlesse they bee such as are committed vnto thy proper charge For in this exempt case Christ expects not of Peteâ— aâ—tendance to the former clause what is that to thee but obedience to the latter onely follow thou mee Then went this saying among the brethren that that Disciple should not 〈◊〉 Hence wee may leaâ—ne to take good heede how â—ereid and heare holy Scripture For by misconthing the words of our Sauiour many false rumours are spread among the brethren If the Disciples easily were deceiued how much more wee Let vs imbrace therefore those things which are cleare and such things as are spoken darkly let vs conferre with pâ—ainer places alway calling vpon God to giue vs the key of true knowledge that wee may dâ—scerne the thingâ— of his spirit The Disciples here made that an absolute affirmatiue which indeed is but a conditionall proposition If I will haue him to tarry c. not I will haue him to tarry For wee may not reade as the vulgar Latine corruptly sic cum volo manere but si cum volo manere Againe Iesus said not hee shall not die but if I will that hee tarry till I come what is that to thee In this correction of the Disciples errour obserue first S. Iohns ingenuitie who would not suffer a false report to be spread among the brethren though it were for his honour Secondly that it is not alway safe to follow the most in all things one Iohn here is opposite to the rest of his companie one Lot opposite to the rest of his Citie one Luther opposite to the rest of his country one Noah opposite to the whole world Thirdly wee may learne by this example to bee diligent and patient in reuoking all such things as haue been mistaken either in our words or writings Augustine hath his retractations Bellarmine his recognitions Baronius his Emendanda the Disciples here their Errata sic corrige This saying went among the brethren c. yet Iesus said not hee shall not die c. The Disciple whom Iesus loued The word by whom all things were made loues all that he made Yet men more then vnreasonable creatures and his Saints more then other men and his chosen Apostle more then other Saints and Iohn more then other of his Apostle He loued all his Disciple as the Father hath loued mee 〈◊〉 haue I loued you continue in my loue Iohn 15.9 But hâ— loue to Iohn as the schoole speakes was greater â—xtensiue though not intensiue shewing more signes of familiaritie to Iohn then to the rest of his company For whereas Iohn the Baptist held himselfe not worthy to beare
the righteousness of faith in his heart And here we may learne the true doctrine of the Sacraments against Anabaptists ascribing too little to them and Papists attributing too much Anabaptists affirme that Sacraments are bare badges of Christianity distinguishing a Christian from an Infidell as a gowne did a Romane from a Grecian But we teach out of our Apostle that the Sacraments are not onely signa but also signacula certaine sure witnesses and seales of grace whereby God inuisibly worketh in vs and doth not only quicken but also strengthen our faith in him And against our aduersaries of Rome wee conclude from hence that the Sacraments iustifie not ex opere operato for if they bee the seales of the righteousnesse of faith how can they saue by the bare worke done without faith Ista non tribuunt quod per ista tribuitur in the wordes of reuerend Hooker they bee not physicall instruments of our saluation as hauing in themselues any vitall efficacy but onely morall instruments of Gods grace the vse whereof is in our hands the effect in his according to that of Augustine Multi nobiscum manducant bibunt temporaliter sacramenta qui bababunt in fine aeterna tormenta Touching Circumcision see further in the Gospell ensuing and concerning the second argument vsed here taken from Gods promise made to father Abraham Epistle 13. Sund. after Trinity The Gospell Lvke 2.15 And it fortuned assoone as the Angels were gone away from the shepeards into heauen c. ALâ—eit this text commend vnto your consideration a great many of remarkeable vertues of the glorious Angels in preaching Christ of the good sheepheards in seeking Christ of blessed Mary the Virgine in keeping Christ as his mother in her louing armes as his handmaid in her lowly heart yet the more proper and proportionable parts accommodated vnto the present feast are principally two 1 The Câ—câ—â—ciâ—ion of Christ. 2 The imposition of his name Iesuâ— Of these first I purpose to speake ioyntly then seuerally These two were ioyned together to thevv that Christ our Mediatour betweene God and man was both a man in beâ—ng circuâ—â—â—d and God in being Iesius that is a Sauâ—â—r of his people from thâ—◠〈◊〉 or Christ happily was called Iâ—sus and 〈◊〉 at the â—aâ—â—â—me to â—â—gnitie that there is no remission of sinne 〈◊〉 it 〈◊〉 of blood Heb. 9. â—1 Hee could not therefore become Iesus vntill hee had giuen vs a taste of his blood for wee haue redemption through his blood euen the forgiuenesse of sinnes according to his rich grace â—â—pheâ— 1.7 or the dolorous Circumcision and sauing Iesus are coupled together insinuating that there should be persecution and bloodshed in the world for the preeching of this name So Christ in the Gospell assured his Apostles expresly Yee shall â—â—â—â—ted of â—â—men â—â— my name And Paul saith of himselfe while hee was an oppressour of the Church I â—â—râ—ly thought in my selfe that I ought to doem 〈…〉 or these two were conioyned to put vsin minde hoâ— God doth exalt the humble and mecke Christ humbled himselfe quoth Paul and became obedient Wâ—â—efore Go I hath also highly exalted him and gâ—uen him a nâ—me â—houe euery name that at the name of Ieâ—us euery â—nee should bow both of things in â—â—â—â—en and things in earth and things vnder earth Or it may be that these were both at once to witnesse that Christ is the true Physition of the world For when all mankinde was exceeding sicke in head and heauy in heart when from the sole of the foot vnto the head there waâ— nothing whole but wounds and swellings and sores full of corruption as it is in the Prophet then our blessed Sauiour came to visit his people binding vp their wounds on this day Pelaculae carnis and powring in oile and wine washing them euen with the wine of his blood and mollifying them also with the sweet oile of his sauing name Iesus For some deriue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or as almost all Interpreters obserue these two went together for that it was vsuall among God people the Iewes to giue names vnto children in their circumcision as it is among vs in Baptisme So wee reade in the first lesson appointed to be read this morning praier that God altered Abrams name when he did institute Circumcision Thy name shall not any more be called Abram but Abraham for a father of many nations haue I made thee Now the reason hereof is plaine that as often as we heare our selues named we might instantly call to minde the Couenant betweene God and vs in holy Baptisme to wit how God on his part promised to be our God and we vowed on our part by Godfathers and Godmothers that wee would forsake the deuill and all his workes the vaine pompe of the world the carnall desires of the flesh and continue Christs faithfull souldiers and seruants vntill our liues end Hitherto concerning Circumcision and the name Iesus iointly let vs now treate of these parts apart and first of Circumcision which is Threefold Carnall vnder the Law Threefold spirituall vnder grace Threefold Celestiall in the kingdome of glorie The first is Sâ—cramâ—ntum â—acrâ—res the second sacra 〈…〉 the third res sacramenti The first in it due time was good the second at all timeâ— is better the third in eternitie best of all The first is nascen 〈◊〉 euery manchild of eight dâ—ies old among you shall â—he circumcised Geneâ— 17.12 The second is renascentiâ—â— a circumcision of the heart in the spirit Rom. 229. when as the regenerate by the sword of the spirit which is sharper then the sharpe kniues vsed in circumcision yea sharper then any two edged sword as being a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart doe not onely circumcise the fore kinne but all the power of the soule and all the parts of the body Circumcising their eye 〈◊〉 they looke vpon a damseâ—â— or behold vanitie Circumcising their eares and their lips hedging their possessions â—rit â— tâ—ornes and making doores and bars for their mouth Ecclesiast 28.24 Hedging their eares again't heresie backbiting â—ttery barring their mouth against lying blasphemie foolish â—â—lking Circumcising their hands that they steale no more but worke the thing that is good Ephes 4.28 Circumcising their feet that they be not swift to shed blood Circumcising their very thoughts Esay 1.16 Wash you make you cleane put away your â—â—â—â—tents out of my sight as our olde English translation according to the vulgar Latine In a word cutting of all superfluous lusts of the flesh and all superfluous cares of the world casting off all the old man which is corrupt and putting on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Ephes. 4.22 The third kind of circumcision is resurgentium
shewes to bee most excellent in regard of Himselfe Vnto mee the least of all Saints is this grace giuen Other God Vnsearchable riches of Christ â—idde in God c. Angels Vnto rulers and powers in heauenly things c. Men to make all mensee what the fellow shippe of the mystery is and that by Christ wee might haue boldnesse c. The summe of all which is seeing I haue receiued so much good and endured so much euill for your sake seeing the great mystery concerning the common saluation as S. Iude speakes in his Epistle was not in times past opened vnto the ionnes of men on earth or to the blessed Angels in heauen as it is now declared by the spirit seeing I say yee may see what is the fellowshippe of the mysterie which euen from the beginning hath 〈◊〉 hid in God I desire you not to faint in your course but to continue stedfast in the profession of this holy faith vnto your liues end For this cause Some Diuines haue troubled themselues and other in examining the context heere but it is among words as among men affinnity which is neerest ought to be dearest and therefore seeing the first words of this chapter agree very well with the last of the former I take the coherence to b◠〈◊〉 â—â—uer preached that you Gentile in 〈…〉 〈…〉 are noâ— citizens with the Saints 〈◊〉 together in Christ the châ—â—â— corner stone to be the 〈…〉 And for th◠〈◊〉 namely for that I have together that you Gentiles are 〈…〉 I 〈◊〉 hated of my countrimen accused in their Synagogue 〈◊〉 â—â— their councels iniured by their offâ—cer◠〈…〉 appeale to Casar I was sent to 〈◊〉 where I am apâ—â—â—â—er as you may reade at large in the fast eight chapâ—â— of the Acts of the Apostles A priâ—â—ner of Iesus Câ—râ—â— He was the prisoner of Caâ—ar but Caesâ— had his authoritie from aboue for there is no power but of God Whoâ—oeuer then is in prison is â—â—â—tâ—s Ieâ—u Christs though otherwise libâ—â—â—â—â—eâ—u Christs suffering by Gods power and permittance â—ho can whâ—n he wâ—ll and will as shall make moâ—t for â—â— glorie proclame libâ—rtie to the captues and oâ—â—niâ—g â—â— the prison vnto them that are â—â—â—â—d Or he was â—â—e priâ—oâ—eâ— Châ—â—â—â— as enduring his â—ond for Christs faith and seruice Vâ—â—â—â—s noâ—â— Chrs to â—eâ—pro Christo. Namely for preaching among the Gentiles the eâ—searchable â—â—hes of Chrâ—st as it is in the S. verse So that whereas two thing especially commend a Maâ—tyr saith in Christ and loâ—e to the Church boâ—h are meâ— in the Apostle Hee suffeâ—ed for the true faith a pâ—iâ—onâ—r of Ieâ—â—s Christ and out of vnfained loue to Godâ— people Fâ—r â—â—u Gentiles as it iâ— in the hitteenâ—h verse â—or your sakeâ— euen for your good and example thaâ— yee likewise may conâ—â—nue conâ—tant in the sincere pâ—â—feâ—â—ion of Christianitie Fâ—â—â—â—â—◠〈…〉 is your glorie that ye hâ—â—e such â—n inâ—truâ—tor as is Christâ—n â—n boâ—d noâ— for any faction of yourâ— or fault of his oâ—ne but â—â—r confeâ—ence toâ—â—â—d God euen for the â—â—â—irâ—â—â—n â—f the grâ—â—e whâ—â—h â—s â—â—â—en â—ee to you-ward See Epistle Sâ—nday 16. after Trinitie Hitherto concerning the griefe which our Apostle suffered in Christs cause for the Gentiles I come now to treate of the grace which he receiued In respect of his knowledge being Certaine By reuelation shewed he the mysterie to me Full euen so perfectly reuealed that in a few words you may read and vnderstand â—y knowledge in the mysterie of Christ. Excellent which in other ages was not made knowne vnto the sonnes of men as it is now declared c. Practise whereof I am made a Minister according to the gift of the grace of God which is giuen vnto me c. If you haue heard of the ministration of the grace The calling of ' aul to be the Doctor of the Gentiles as it was knowne vnto himselfe by reuelation so to them by report If yee haue heard c. As if he should haue said if ye doubt not of my calling ye may be well assured of my doctrine But ye cannot doubt of my calling as hauing often heard how Christ in a vision appeared to me saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And when I had answered Lord what wilâ— thou haue mee to doe Iesus told Ananiâ—â—s in another vision Hee is a chosen vessell vnto mee to beare my name before the Gentiles and Kings and the children of Israel And so God separated mee from my mothers wombe and called me by his grace to reueale his sonne among the Gentiles as the Gospell ouer the circumcision was committed to Peter so the Gospell ouer the vncircumcision was committed vnto me being an Apostle not of men or by man Galat. 1.1 Or after man Gal. 1.11 but the ministration of Gods grace was giuen vnto me by the reuelation of Iesus Christ. The word mimstration or dispensation may bee construed either passiuely being a grace giuen and dispensed to Paul or actiuely for that Paul was dispenser of it vnto other 1. Cor 4.1 Let a man so thinke of vs as of the ministers of Christ and disposers if the secrets of God His office then is called a dispensation For that it consisteth in the dispensing of Christs vnsearchable riches And the Gospell is called here Gods grace for that it is faithfully deliuered and fruitfully receiued nor by mans merit but onely through Gods free grace Preaching in the teacher and beleeuing in the hearer are both the faire gifts of God Or the Gospell is called Gods grace because the summe thereof is nothing else but the preaching of Gods exceeding rich mercies in Christ intimating that our iustification is not by the workes of the Law but freely by grace through faith As I wrote afore in few words I finde that some construe this of that which is written in other Epistles vnto other men as to Philemon and other Churches as to that of Colossus and Philippi Marlorat is of opinion that our Apostle wrote another Epistle though it bee not extant vnto the Church of Ephesus Other referre this clause to that which is deliuered in this present Epistle to wit vnto that which is sayd in the two former chapters Or to that in chap. 1. vers 9. or chap. 2. vers 14. He is our peace which hath made of both one and hath broken the step of the partition wall In this little briefe is contained all that great mysterie which in times past was not opened vnto the sonnes of men as it is now declared by the spirit that the Gentiles should bee fellow heires and of the same body and partakers of the same promise in Christ by the Gospell Which mysterie in times past was not opened vnto the sonnes of men This verse cannot easily bee digested as one sayd without a graine of
and perfect gift corporall spirituall temporall And therefore they did honour him as interpretors obserue with all these kinds of goods In falling downe slâ—t they did honour him with the good of the bodie in adoring him with the goods of the minde in offering to him gold frankincense mirrhe with the goods of the world They did offer gold to relieue Maries necessitie frankincense to sweeten the stable myrrhe to comfort the swadled babe In offering frankincense they confounded Arius holding that sacrifices are onely due to God the Father In offering myrrhe they confounded Manichaeus who denied that Christ truly died for our sinnes In offering gold they confounded them both as denying that Christ is our King In offering all these they confounded Nestorius diuiding Christ into two persons one diuine another humane for the Magi gaue not here some gifts vnto God and other vnto man but all vnto one Christ. Ergo non diuidatur in personis qui non invenitur diuisus in donis as Pulgentius excellently Or as other they did offer gold to Christ as being a King Frankincense as being God myrrhe as being man according to that of the Christian Poet. Auruen Thus Myrrhem regique deo hominique Dona ferunt It is an idle conceit that one did offer gold another myrrhe and the third frankincense for seeing each of them acknowledged Christ to bee a King and God and a passible man it is more probable that all of them offered all these gifts euery one three singuliaria They returned into their owne country another way The grace of God appearing teacheth vs that wee should deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and that wee should liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present world Wherefore the Wise-men hauing found Christ and being taught of God not to returne againe to Herod that is any longer to serue the deuill they renounce their owne wills and their olde waies and walke according to Gods will in new waies Immutatio via emendatio vitae quoth Euseb. Emisen Heretofore they walked in errour but now they walke in truth Heretofore they went a whoring after their owne inuentions but now they follow the word and warning of God The summe then of all this Gospell is that wee must seeke Christ by the guiding of a starre that is by the light of his word and when wee haue found Christ it is our duty to manifest our faith by good workes in presenting vnto Christ our King gold that is a pure confession of a true beleefe frankincense that is humble prayer and inuocation myrrhe that is a chast and a mortified life Wee must also giue to Mary that is to the Church vnto the Preachers of the word and all other members of Christ in want a part of our temporal estate And all this ought to be done cheerefully for the Wisemen opened their treasures and our heart is our treasure Matth. 12.35 So that wee must euen with exceeding gladnesse from our heart offer gold frankincense myrrhe That is almes praier fasting Praier respects God almes our neighbours fasting our selues And thus hauing changed the whole course of our inordinate conuersation in time past and walking in another way which is the path of Paradise wee shall in fine returne to our owne Countrey which is Heauen in Heauen and there wee shall enioy Christ our King God and man in eternall happinesse euermore There be many points in this text as yet vntouched and I might as Ruth happily gleane after such as haue reaped before me but I am so deuoted to breuitie that I rather chuse to wonder a little with another then to write any more my selfe vpon this Gospell O strangest thing that God doth now begin In being which he hath no godheads grace O strangest Roome this subiect takes his place In want of Roome for none was in his Inne O strangest colour to be viewed in For humane darknesse vailed hath his face O strangest middle of respectiue space Where as a starre more then the sunne could win O strangest starre that must reueale this sight That by disorder from the rest giues light O strangest eies that saw him by this starre Who when by-standers saw not saw so farre And since such wonders were in seeing him No wonder if my wondring thought grow dim O God which by the leading of a starre diddest manifest thine only begotten Sonne to the Gentiles mercifully grant that we which know thee now by faith may after this life haue the fruition of thy glorious God-head through Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS THE PVRIFICATION OF SAINT MARIE THE VIRGINE The Epistle being the same which is appointed for the Sunday is expounded among the Dominicals in due place The Gospell is written LVK. 2.22 When the time of their purification after the Law of Moses was come c. IT is the saying of S. Bartholmew reported by Dionysius Areopagita that the Gospell is little yet large If we consider only the syllables it is a very small booke but if we examine the profound sense mundus non capit it is so great that as S. Iohn speakes the world cannot containe it Example hereof is found in this present Chapter abounding with as many wonders almost as words Here you may reade that Marie was at once both a wife and a maide at once both a wife and a midwife bringing forth a sonne who was her father by whom all things were made swadling him in cloutes and laying him in a cratch who filled heauen and earth Here you may reade how the Word in the beginning infinite and incomprehensible was not onely circumscribed but also circumcised Here you may reade that the pure was purified God offered and the Redeemer redeemed Here you may reade that a glorious Angell attended silly shepheards and that a child of twelue yeeres old confounded the Doctors in his disputations and that a dying man vttered songs in stead of sobs In the words allotted for our text 3. points are to bee considered especially the Purification of Marie When the time of her purification was come Christ They brought him to Hierusalem to present him to the Lord c. Simeon Behold there was a man in Heirusalem whose name was Simeon and the same was iust and godly c. Presentation of Marie When the time of her purification was come Christ They brought him to Hierusalem to present him to the Lord c. Simeon Behold there was a man in Heirusalem whose name was Simeon and the same was iust and godly c. CommeÌ„ndation of Marie When the time of her purification was come Christ They brought him to Hierusalem to present him to the Lord c. Simeon Behold there was a man in Heirusalem whose name was Simeon and the same was iust and godly c. And this feast hath accordingly three names as the Masters of ceremonies obserue 1. The
A ship doth aâ— thy resemble the Church of Christ for as a ship is small in the foredecke broad in the middle little in the sterne so the Church in her beginning as you see was exceeding little in her middle age flourishing but in her old age her companie will bee so small and her beleefe so weake that when the Sonne of God shall come to iudge the sonnes of men he shall scarce find any faith on earth This Scripture must needs haue been fulfilled S. Peter in his oration heere first sheweth how Iudas Apostleship became void Secondly that it is needfull another should be chosen into his place Iudas Bishopricke was lost by treason as being guide to them who tooke Iesus Whereupon as wee read in the Gospell hee did first accuse himselfe I haue sinned in betraying innocent blood secondly arraigning himselfe hee repented and brought againe the thirtie plates of siluer to the chiefe Priest and cast them downe in the Temple thirdly executed himselfe he departed and went and hanged himselfe Now to take away thy scandall of this horrible sact our Euangelist intimates that nothing in Iudas treacherie came to passe casually but it was foreseene of God and foretold in his word This Scripture must needs haue been fulfilled And yet the fall of Iudas is not excused hereby no more then the fault of Herod and Pilate who did whatsoeuer Gods owne hand and counsell had determined before to be done Act. 4.28 For Iudas committed not this outragious crime by the compulsion of prophecy but through his owne motion and malice His delight was in cursing and it did happen vnto him he loued not blessing therefore was it far from him It is true that Peter saith hee was numbred with vs and had obtained fellowship in this ministration but hee receiued the grace of God in vaine abusing it to couetousnes and worldly lusts he did open a dore to Satan and gaue him as it were possession of his heart This necessity then is not necessitas absoluta sed consequentis suppositionis a necessity hypotheticall and by consequent not an absolute or a simple necessity So the holy Ghost elsewhere There must be heresies it must needs be that offences shall come ye shall heare of warres and of rumours of warres for all these things must come to passe That is supposing the malice of Satan and wickednesse of man it is impossible but that there should bee warres and offences and heresies in the world An Astrologer expert in his art foretelleth an ecclips of the Sunne yet his prediction is not any cause why the Sunne is ecclipsed euen so God foreseeth all the workes of darkenesse and ecclipses as it were in the reprobate but his prescience compels not any to commit any sinne It is the prince of darkenesse who worketh in the children of disobedience taking them in his snares at his will 2. Tim. 2.26 All our waies are known vnto the Lord our going out and our comming in Esay 37.28 being of euery good pace bonus author but of euery bad passage â—ustus vltor I will end this argument in the words of Augustine Viuit O Domine Deus apud te semper bonum nostrum quia inde auersi sumus peruersi sumus For saith he ligatus eram non ferro alieno sed mea ferrea voluntate velle meum tenebat inimicus inde mihi catenam fecerat constrinxerat me quippe ex voluntate peruersa facta est libido dum seruitur libudini facta est consuetudo dum consuetudine non resititur facta est necessitas How the fall of traterous Iscariot may serue to terrifie the pastour and teach also the people See Gospell 6. Sund. in Lent Wherefore of these men which haue companied with vs Christ in his life chose twelue Apostles one therefore must be ordained and elected into Iudasâ—oome â—oome to fill vp the number againe answerable to the twelue tribes of Israel of which as our Sauiour promised they shall be Iudges and to the twelue gates of heauenly Hierusalem of which also the twelue Apostles were builders according to that of Paul Ephes. 2.20 built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone See Epistle on S. â—homas day There bee manie moe resemblances 〈◊〉 the twelue Apostles as you may read in my 〈…〉 vpon the Gospell Sund. 6. in Lent and in 〈…〉 part 3. considerat 29. One must be chosen and one of these men ergo not a Pope Ioâ—ne â—or a woman must bee silent and not a teacher in the Temple one of these men ergo not a boy Bishop not a yonker in yeeres or scholleâ—ship for pastours are called elders and Christ himselfe preached not vntill he was thirtie yeeres olde one oâ— these 〈…〉 câ—mpaâ—â—ed with vs ergo not a stranger but a domesticall one that is knowne a man of note liuing among vs all the time that the Lord Iesus was conuersant among vs ergo not a leaud or ignorant person but a proficient in Christs owne schoole brought vp euen from his youth in instruction and information of the Lord. See Gospell on S. Andrew 8. Sund. after Trinity But why should one being such an one chosen into Iudas roome to witnesse with vs of the resurrection of Christ. A Prelate then ought to bee predicant not an Idle or an Idoll Apostle like the dumbe Doctors and Abbey-lubbers and lasie lay Bishops vnder the gouernment of the Pope Right prelating as old Father Latimer said is labouring and lâ—rding or loytering it is horrour rather then honour for an Apostle to leaue the text and onely to follow the tithe A witneâ—â—e hee must be yet not a witnesse alone broaching insolent nouelties and other doctrines of his owne braine but a witnesse with vs of one heart and of one mind with vs endeauouring to keepe the vâ—itie of the spirit in the bond of peace For hee who seâ—kes in the troublesome sea of this world to schismaticall Apostles affecting singularity Non portum sed planâ—tam inueniet as Augustine pithily Well the new chosen ought to record and accord to witnesse and to witnesse with vs agreeing with the rest of his Colledge and companie But whereof is hee to be a witnesse of the resurrection of Christ in all his words and in all his workes in his preaching and in his life so behauing himselfe as one that beleeues the resurrection of Christ and hopeth also for his owne redemption euer looking for his Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus who shaâ—l change our vile body that it may be like to his gloriou◠〈◊〉 Or a witnesse of the resurrection of Christ becausâ— this one point is primarium Euangeli caput as it were the predominant article presupposing all the
of Remaliahs sonne For albeit they determine to depose thee and to dispose of thy Kingdome purposing to set vp in thy throne the sonne of â—abeal vers 6 Yet thus saith the Lord God their counsell shall not stand neither shall it bee for the head of Aramis Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin and within threescore and fiue yeeres Ephraim shall be broken from being a people As if he should say these two kingdomes shall haue their limits and their two Kings must be content with their owne greatnesse they both aspire to the Crown but I haue set them their bounds which they shall not passe Beleeue my words and it shall goe well with you but if ye will not beleeue surely ye shall not bee established vers 9. And therefore that Ahaz and his people might giue credit to this promise the Lord saith our text spake once more to Ahaz Where note Gods long suffering and patience toward an Idolatious and a wicked King who did not vprightly in the sight of the Lord his God 〈◊〉 Dauid his father â— but made his sonne goe thorow the fire after the abominations of the Heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel and offered and burnt incense in the high places and on the hilles and vnder euery greene tree The Lord desired not the death of a sinner but that he may turne from his euill waies and liue speaking to him as heere to Ahaz againe and againe turne you turne you for why will ye die O yee house of Israel He doth inuite to mercie not onely such as are godly men according to the prayer of Dauid Do well O Lord vnto those that be good and true of heart But he maketh his Sunne to rise on the euill and sendeth his raine on the iust and on the vniust Matth. 5.45 Hee is not slacke faith Peter in comming to iudgement as some men count sâ—â—icknesse but is patient toward vs and would haue no man to perish but would all men to come to repentance Wherefore thou whosoeuer thou bee which art in the gall of bitternesse selling thy selfe to worke wickednesse nay giuing thy selfe to wantonnesse to commit all vncleanenesse euen with greedinesse How dost thou thinâ—e thou shalt escape the iudgement of God or despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnesse and patience and long sufferance not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance The Lord spake to Ahaz againe yet not onely for his sake nor for the wicked alone but rather to prouide for the weake which had some seeds of Godlinesse For albeit they did offend the Lord very much in their distrust and Idolatrie yet God as being the father of mercies in wrath remembers mercy Habac. 3.2 Compassion and forgiuenesse is in the Lord our God albeit wee haue rebelled against him Dan. 9.9 Require a token of the Lord thy God As if Esay should haue said I perceiue you giue credit to my report entertaining my speech as the words of a meere man and not as the word of God Wherfore to demonstrate that I come not in mine owne name but from the Lord of Hosts Aske a signe not of Idols or of strange gods vnable to helpe thee but of thy God Aske a signe not of me but of the Lord which onely doth wondrous things Aske of him Ahaz and thou shalt vnderstand that it is the Lord who speakes vnto thee God for the confirmation of our faith addeth vnto his promises as proppes of our infirmitie signes and tokens which Augustine calles aptly visible words And these signes are of two sorts extraordinarie whereof the Prophet in our present text and that which was giuen to Hezekiah in the 38. chapter of this prophesie vers 7. Ordinarie in daily vse as Baptisme and the Lords Supper the which are signes and seales of Gods holy couenant with vs. And wee must so ioyne faith vnto the word that wee despise not the Sacraments which Almighty God offereth as helps for the strengthening of of our faith It is a true saying that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners And this saying ought by all meanes to bee receiued and one chiefe meane is the ministration of the Sacraments and therefore the frantick spirits in our time who make no reckoning of Baptisme nor of the blessed Eucharist but esteeme them abces onely for little children are worthily censured by reuerend Caluin to separate those things which God hath ioyned together Whether it be toward the depth beneath or toward the height aboue The Prophet prescribes not what token Ahaz should aske lest happily the truth of the miracle might be suspected but hee leaueth it to the Kings owne free choice whether hee will haue it toward the depth or height that is in earth or heauen Or it may be the word depth is of some deeper signification as if Esay should say God will openly shew thee that his dominion is farre aboue all the world yea that it reacheth euen from the heauen of heauens to the very depth of depthes insomuch as hee can at his good pleasure fetch Angels out of heauen and also raâ—e the very dead out of their graues Here then obserue Gods omnipotencie who can doe whatsoeuer hee will in heauen and in earth and in the sea and in all deepe places Psal. 135.6 O God the great and mighty great in Counsell and mighty in worâ—e Behold thou hast made the heauen and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arme and there is nothing hard vnto thee This doctrine is comfortable to the godly who dwell vnder the defence of the most high and abide vnder the shadow of his wings hauing his spirit for their guide and his Angels for their guard But it is very terrible to the wicked in that all the creatures in heauen in earth and vnder earth attend the Lord of Hosts euenmore readie to fight against such as fight against him noneâ— This argueth his pride rather then humblenesse Or as other his trust in the strength of the King of Ashor rather then his affiance in the King of Kings And yet hee colours his foule contempt hypocritically with a faire pretence saying I will not tempt the Lord alluding doubtlesse to the text Deut. 6.16 ye shall not tempt the Lord your God He forgate the words in the some chapter a little before yee shall not walke after other gods c. and only wrested that clause which he thought would fit his turne wrest I say for to require a signe when God inuiteth and inioyneth vs is not to tempt the Lord but to trust and obey which is better then sacrifice Gedeon is commended for asking signes of the Lord Iudges 6. the Pharities on the contrary condemned euen by Christ himselfe the wicked generation and adulterous seeketh a
Sauiour knoweth whereof ye haue need before ye aske of him Againe if a King appoint a master of Requests he wil not ordinarily receiue petitions from other and therefore seeing the King of Kings is pleased to make Christ our only mediatour and aduocate the sole master of the requests in heauen euer liuing to make intercession for vs it cannot bee but dishonourable to Gods choice and Christs office to substitute any other halfe mediatours either of redemption or intercession as Saint Ambrose com in Rom. 1. Misera vtantur excusatione dicentes per istos posse ire ad Deum sicut per comites peruenitur adregem Yea but although Aue Maria bee not a supplication it may be taken as a thankesgiuing and that is a kind of prayer according to that of Paul I exhort that supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thanks bee made for all men c. Answere is made that it is not a thankesgiuing and if it were yet should it not bee babled vnto Mary but vttered vnto God as conteining his praise to whom all honour is due king dome power and glory Well Aue Maria notwithstanding all this may be vsed as a salutation our answere is noe for that a salutation is ciuil whereas the Papists appoint this to be said as a religious office 2. Salutations are to persons present but the vergine is absent and therefore the Papists may not nay the Papists indeed cannot vse these words in the same sense they were deliuered by Gabriel and Elizabet that there should bee ten Anemaries to one Pater noster and that 150. Auemaries with fifteene Pater nosters make a Ladies psalter and that after the Pater noster which Christ himselfe taught vs by his owne mouth Aue Maria is the most excellent prayer and that in it we speake with the mother of God as the Queene of heauen and our aduocate is now knowen in the world to be such intollerable soppery that as Hierome said of 〈…〉 heresies a repetition of it is a sufficient refutation I know that reuerend Foxe in his Calender of Saints annexed to his Martyrology cals the blessed Virgin our Lady and the Church of England also tenneth vsually this present feast our Ladies day but herein we doe not as the Papists ascribe to the Virgin any diuine honour making her our Lady as God is our Lord. It is a ciuill vse not a religious office for in a holy seufe to speake properly there is but one Lord and neuer a Ladye one Lord one faith one baptisme or the Virgine is stiled our Lady because she was as Elizabet cals her the mother of our Lord Luke 1.43 Hitherto concerning the wrong done by the Papists in grosse to the haile Mary let vs examine now their iniuting of euery word in particular the first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they transtate Aue turning vpside downe the letters of Eua the woman who did occasion the worldes woe was named Eua therefore it was fit that Mary who bare Christ the worlds ioy should be saluted with Aue being opposite in name so well as in nature this playing vpon the word is pretie but not pithie because Aue is latine whereas Eua is Hebrew and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 greeke so that the Fryars wit hath out runne the holy spirits wisedome in this exposition and transposition of Eua and Aue. The Greeke predicant Illephonso Giron obserues in the three letters of Aue the three persons in holy Trinity A altitudo patris V veritas filty E aeternitas spiritus sancti Some Fryers haue profoundly deriued Aue of A priuatiuely taken and ve quasi sine va that is without woe now there is a threefold woe denounced Apocalips 8.13 Vae vae vae ix colis terrae woe woe woe to the inhabitants of the earth and this woe is for sinne in the world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eâ—es and pride of life Woe to the couetous woe to the luxurious woe to the proud all which Esay sets downe in his 5. Chapter expresly Woe to them that ioyne house to house and field to field till there be no more place for other in the mids of the land c. that is a woe to the couetous Woe to them that rise vp early to follow drunkennesse c. that is a woe to the luxurious woe to them that are wise in their own eyes c. that is a woe to the proud now the Virgin as being poore chast and humble was exempted from all these woes therefore worthily saluted by Gabriel with an Aue or as other popish expositors inhabitants of the earth haue deserued a woe for their originall sin and that is the woe which is in Limbus a woe for their venial sin and that is the woe which is in Purgatory a woe for their mortall sinne and that is the woe which is in hell but Mary the Virgine say they was free from all these kindes of sinne and so consequently free from all these kindes of woe the which assertion is contradictory to the text of holy scripture concluding all vnder sinne Rom. 3.9 Galat. 3.22 Yea but say Suarez and Bellarmine Mary was exempted ex speciali Dei priuilegio let them if they can shew her patent and wee will instantly beleeue it otherwise Gods word is a lanterne to our feet and a guide to our pathes if either man or Angell preach a new Gospell let him be accursed That Mary was a blessed Virgine and the mother of the worlds Sauiour we beleeue because we read so but that she was impeccabilis conceiued without sinne borne without sinne liuing without sinne dying without sinne we doe not beleeue because we do not read it in the Bible nay we reade the contrary for Mary saith in her hymne my spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour c. If she needed a Sauior vndoubtedly she was a sinner for the whole need not a physitiaÌ„ Mat. 9.12 and therefore the popish annotation of Aue thus applied vnto the virgin is both vnlearned and vntrue The next word is Maria the which is so magnified and extolled by the Romanists as that King Alphonso the sixt would not haue his wife called by that high and venerable name Petrus de Palude whose wit as it should seeme dwelt in a sen hath this muddy conceit the fiue letters of Maria designe the fiue singular priuiledges almightie God granted vnto the Virgine M mater omnia sanctorum A aduocata omnium peccatorum R regula omnium morum virtutuos I interfectrix omnium vitiorum A harmonia spiritus sancti donorum The Portugal Frier and flower Philip Diez approued by Didacus Caro Dominicus Bannes and other great Clearkes of Spaine for an exquisite preacher affirmes that Maria is compounded of the first letters in the names of fiue most illustrious and holy
rose vp the same houre and returned to Hierusalem and found the eleuen gathered together and them that were with them and they told c. verse 33.34.35 Behold two of the Disciples went the same day Two are better then one for if they fall the one will lift vp his fellow And therâ—fore the Disciples here went not alone but in company two that they might by their mutuall helpe and conference mittigate one anothers griefe And for this end they went to Emmaus which is interpreted a thirsting after good aduice signifying hereby that their afflicted soule desired earnestly to bee relieued with healthfull and heauenly counsell in this extremity Two they were and two of the Disciples not of the twelue for Iudas had hanged himselfe before this and it is said in our present text at the 33. verse that these two found the other eleuen gathered together but of the seuentie Disciples as almost all interpretors obserue Yet as one notes it may bee that these were Disciples of Christ in secret as Ioseph of Arimathea was Ioh. â—9 â—8 One of the two Disciples is named here Cleophas and he was as Hierome writes a Citizen of Emmaus in whose house Christ was entertained at table and so knowne by breaking of bread That other Disciple not named is thought by Gregory the great Theophylact and other to be S. Luke conceâ—â—ing his owne name out of modesty But it is apparent in the proem of this euangelicall history that Saint Luke receiued his relations from other and therefore not â—robable that he was one of these two See Iansen conco d. cap 146. Maldonat in Luc. 1 1. Epiphantus saith expresly that this disciple was Nathaniel Origene coniectures it was one Simeon Ambrose calleth him Amâ—on in this dissention of opinions obserue two things especially 1. That it is fruitlesse to search after this name curiously seeing the spirit of truth and wisedome concealeth it 2. That traditions are vncertaine though ancient and therefore wee must build our faith vpon the word written and not vpon tales vnwritten These two disciples went the same day Christ arose from the dead out of their Colledge but they went not out in Apostaâ—â—â— like to them of whom Saint Iohn 1. Epist. 2. cap. 19. vers They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had bin of vs they would haue continued with vs. Neither went they forth in curiosity like to Dinâ— who went out to see the daughters of the land but they went out from the rest of their company like bees out of their â—iue that they might returne home laden with honie for their communication is answerable to the present doctrine and griefe of their Colledge they gather sweet from the flowers of Christs speech hearing him expounding the law and the Prophets attentiuely compelling him importunately to stay with them neuer leauing him vntill in breaking of bread they knew him And then as being filled with heauenly food which is sweeter then hony and the hony combe they returned home to the blessed Apostles and other disciples at Hierusalem and 〈…〉 things were done in the way To a towne called Emmaus Plâ—nie reckoneth Emmaus among the Toparchies of Iudea called afterward 〈◊〉 vpon the victory which Augusthus Caesar 〈…〉 Antonius and Cleopatra This 〈◊〉 was 〈…〉 famous as I finde in the records of antiquiâ—â— but our Euangelist â—â—eth it here not for the 〈◊〉 of the towne but for the certaincie of the truth And 〈…〉 of all the things that had happened of the death of Christ and of the Iewes inhumane cruelty who put him to death of the â— womens going to his sepulchre and of their report vnto the brethren their heart was fixed on Christ and out of their hearts abundance their mouth spake Quicquid agit Cleophas nihil est Cleophae nisi Christus Si gaudet si stet si tacet â—unc loquitur The newes at Hierusalem how Christ was crucified dead buried and risen againe are called things that happened and chanced in respect of the disciples ignorance not in respect of Gods knowledge for as concerning the passion of Christ it is said expresly by Saint Peter Acts 3.23 that hee was deliuered and crucified and slaine by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God and so nothing happened casually seeing euery thing was aforetime written of him in the law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes And as for the resurrection of Christ himselfe saith in this present Chapter at the 25. verse O fooles and slow of heart to beleeue al that the Prophets haue spoken ought not Christ to haue suffered these things and to enter into his glory and he began at Moses and all the Prophets and interpreted vnto them in all Scriptures which were written of him Mistically these two disciples are prayer and meditation the which are two so neerely coupled together as that they talke together often In prayer our meditation is illuminated and by meditation our deuotion in praying in flamed Meditatio ruminat liuores vulnerum fixuras clauorumdanceam â— acetum persecutorum sauitiam Apostolorum 〈◊〉 â—oortem turpissimam corporis sepulturam oratio â—undit suspiria piae deuotionis stillat aromata tota resoluitur in lâ—menta And it chanced while they communed together and reasoned â—esus himselfe drew neere the Lord is nie to such as are of a contrite heart and in the mids of such as are gathered together to praise him In the tap-house where the communication is idle prophane scandalous and in euery respect vnsauorie there the diuell is in the drunkards heart and eares and tongue but in Gods house when wee meet together to magnifie his name nay in our owne house when as we meditate on Christs precious death and buriall and other mysteries of holy beliefe Iesus himselfe standeth behind our wall looking forth of the windowes shewing himselfe thorow the grates and putting in his hand at the hole of the â—â—ore to helpe vs he drawes neere to vs and walketh along with vs as hee did with the two disciples here neuer leauing vs vntill he perceiue that we be thoroughly confirmed and comforted in the truth Ambulat cum illis in via non dum illi ambulabant in via inuenit enim eos exorbitasse de via he which is the way seeing his disciples out of the way shewes them his pathes and leades them forth beside the waters of comfort and for this end he doth aske what manner of communications are these not as doubting himselfe but only to put them out of doubt quaerit ab eis quid inter se loquerentur vs quod ipse sciebat idi faterentur He doth aske them and vrge them againe and againe that he might haue fit occasion and ample matter of discourse and
when he found them vpon conference to be dullards in his schoole he chides them O fooles and slow of heart c. fooles in vnderstanding slow in affecting the truth Arguit eos amentiae in parte cognoscitiua tarditatis in parte affectiâ—a But yet in calling them fooles he brake not his owne law whosoeuer shall say foole to his brother is worthie to be punished with hell fire because this rebuke proceeds out of a spirituall zeale for their good and not out of any carnall hatred for their hurt And such a reproofe is not a reproch it is officium and not conuitium a worke of charity and not a marke of malice So Paul called his Galathians foolish and hee gaue this precept vnto Timothie improue rebuke but with all long suffering and doctrâ—ne for Christ here did not only correct his diâ—ciples â—â—â—our but also direct them in the truth and that by words and deeds By words vrging the truth of his death and resurrection First by reason ought not Christ to haue suffered these things and to enter into his glory 2. From authority hee began at Moses and all the Prophets and interpreted vnto them in all Scriptures which were written of him Here first note the sweet harmonie betweene the two Testaments in that both agree together and meet together in Christ as being alpha and omega the beginning of the Gospell and the end of the Law 2. That the grounds of all our sermons are to be taken out of holy writ the Ministers and messengers of God ought o deliuer the words of God 3. That in our preaching we should vse such scriptures as are most apt and fit for our present occasion as Christ heere cited not all the Scriptures in all the law but onely such as were written of him euen those which euidently proued his death and resurrection He did interpret vnto them in all Scriptures and yet named none that hee might incite vs hereby to the diligent searching and examination of them Secondly Christ instructed his Disciples in this present controueâ—sie with his actions for as it is said at the 19. verse hee was a Prophet mighty in deed and word That is in soundnesse of docâ—rine and sanctity of life First as Theophylaâ—t obserues powerfull in deed and then powerfull in word For he perswadeth vnto vertue most who liueth best As in this place Christ himselfe was knowne by breaking of bread sooner then by preaching of the word Or as other powerfull in his miracles and powerfull in his teaching His actions here mentioned concerning the bread are foure He tooke it and blessed it and brake it and gaue to them Among all which he was onely knowne in breaking of bread for that hee did miraculously breake bread with his hands as other cut it with a knife The which hee did often in his life and so by this easily knowne after his rising from death By this dialogue you may see that Christ is especially knowne in the Scriptures and yet not in the Scriptures except he first open our eyes and breake and giue to each one the bread of life And in the conclusion or epilogue following you may see likewise the fruit of interpreting Scriptures how the ministry of the word maketh the fire of Gods spirit to burne first in our selues and then ofterwards to shine towards other As the two Disciples heere so soone as their eyes were opened to see Christ instantly the same houre they rose vp and returned to Hierusalem and found the eleuen gathered together and they told what things were done in the way and how they knew him in breaâ—ing of bread the circumstance of the time and distance of the place manifestly shew their â—ealous affection in relating these newes vnto the brethren Emmaus as our Euangelist in the 13. verse was about threescore furlongs from Hierusalem eight furlongs make an ordinary mile and so threescore furlongs are about seuen miles and an halfe Some Diuines affirme that it was a iourney of three or foure houres on foot If then it were towards night when Christ vpon their importunity sat at table with them as we read at the 29. verse then it was as we may coniecture probably midnight before they could come to Hierusalem and yet saith our text they went the same houre neither deferring the time nor preferring their priuate businesse before the publike good Howsoeuer they were doubtlesse after trauell wearie and after meate in the night sleepie yet they would not suffer their eyes to sleepe nor their eye lids to slumber nor the temples of 〈◊〉 head to take any rest vntill they had published vnto the brethren how Christ was risen againe from the dead and how they knew him in breaking of bread That we may performe the like diligence toward Gods people as occassion is offered in our seuerall estaâ—es and callings let vs pray with our mother the Church Almighty God which through thy onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ hast ouercome death and opened vnto vs the gate of euerlasting life wee humbly beseech thee that as by thy speciall grace preuenting vs thou doest put in our minds good desires so by thy continuall helpe we may bring the same to good effect through Iesus Christ our Lord c. The Epistle ACTS 13.26 Yee men and brethren children of the generation of Abraham c. THis text is part of that excellent sermon made by the blessed Apostle S. Paul at Antioch a City of Pisidia to the Iewes assembled together in their Synagogue on the Sabbath day The maine scope whereof is that Iesus Christ is the Sauiour of Israel and Messias of the world promised vnto the fathers and exhibited in the fulnesse of time to their children euen vnto vs as being by faith a generation of Abraham and that through him all that feare God and beleeue receiue forgiuenes of their sinnes and are iustified from all things from which they could not be iustified by the law of Moses The whole sermon hath especially two parts Explication from the 16. verse to the 26. intimating that Iesus Christ is the blessed seed promised in old time by the Prophets and preached in these last daies by Iohn the Baptist who was more then a Prophet Application in the words allotted for our present text wherin three points are principally regardable to wit an insinuation ye men and brethren c. preoccupation for the inhabitors of Hierusalem c. commination beware therefore lest that fall vpon you c. The Gospell of Christ is a proclamation in writing common to all and the Preacher is the voice of a cryer euen the mouth of God to giue notice to the people that the contents of the proclamation concerne them and euery one of them As Act. 2.39 The promise is made to you and to your children and to all that are a farre off euen as
the gifts of the holy Ghost vnto them in the visible formes of clouen and fierie tongues Acts 2.3 see epist. on Whiâ—sunday 2. Ostension in regard of execution of their office for albeit they had a commission before to preach first vnto the lost sheepe of Israel and then vnto all nations in the world Mat. 28.19 yet they did not execute this commission in gathering together a Church out of both vnto God vntill Christ had ascended farre aboue all heauens to fulfill all things and the reason hereof is rendred in our text because Dauid had so prophesied of him in the 68. Psalme when hee went vp on high he led captiuity captiue and gaue gifts vnto men And in deed it was at this time most fit for him and best also for his to giue gifts it was exceeding fit for himselfe because glorious conquerours in their solemne triumphes vsually lead their chiefe enemies settered either in iron chaines as Paulus Aemilius triumphed ouer Persius or in iron cages as Tamberlane the great vsed proud Batazet king of the Turkes And so leading captiuity captiue they deuided the spoile to their friends and followers as it is in the Psalme Christ ascending on high led captiuity captiue that is the diuell and all his complices hell death and the graue triumphing ouer them openly Giuing also gifts vnto the Church as Apostles and Prophets and Euangelists and Pastors and Teachers who might loose such as Satan bindes and it was at this time 〈◊〉 for his followers as not depending any longer vpon his bodily presence See Gospell 4. Sun after Easter The 3. remarkable point in this Scripture is what he gaue to men vnto euery one is giuen grace according to thâ— measure of the gift of Christ c. He doth vnderstand by grace not liuing grace for that as he shewed in the former â—art of this Chapter is in all the members of the Church one and the same one faith one hope one baptisme c. But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken here for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely for the diuers gifts of the holy Ghost as interpretation of tongues and discerning of spirits and the gifts of healing propheâ—ie the word of knowledge and the like of which hee disputeth at large 1. Cor. 12. and so Paul expoundeth himselfe in our present text at the 11. verse the same made some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists c. Apostles were such as he called himselfe either in his state moâ—â—all as the 12. disciples or in his state glorious as Paul Acts 9.15 and Matthias Acts 1.16 to preach his Gospell and to plant his Church in euery nation of the world Prophets were such as interpret the scripture of the Prophets 1. Cor. 14.4 He that propheseth 〈◊〉 the Church and Mat. 23.34 I â—hold I send vnto Prophets that is preachers Or Prophets were such as had marueâ—lous wisdome and could foretell things to come as Agabus Acts 11.28 signified by the spirit that there should be great famine thorough oâ— all the worldâ— which also came to passe vnder Claudus Caesar. Euâ—ngeliâ—ts are so called either of preaching the Gospell and so Paul exhorted Timothie to doe the worke of an Euangelists or else of writing the Gospell and so there â—ee but 4. Euangelists only Mathew Marke Luke Iohn And here we may note the reason why the Church appointed this scripture to be read at this time namely because Saint Marke was an Euangelist Pastours are such as are placed ouer a certaine cure whereas Apostles had the whole Church for their charge So Paul speakes vnto the Elders of the Church at Ephesus take heed to your selues and to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you ouer seerâ— And so Bishops in their dioces and Priests in their parishes are Pastors Or as Theophylact Pastors and Doctors are Presbyters and Deacons Or as some late Diuines obserue Pastors are rectors of the whole congregation Doctors are catechists and teachers of the youth and other new comes into Christs schoole Pastors are such as feed Christs sheepe and Doctors are such as feede Christs lambes or as Beza Pastors are they who gouerne the Church and Doctors are they who gouerne the schooles But I rather embrace their opinion who think Pastorâ— Doctors are diuers names of one office euen as feeding and teaching are all one for otherwise Paul as Hierome Lombard Anselmo haue noted vpon the place would haue distinguished them as he did the rest and haue said he gaue some Pastors some Teachers as well as some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists c. but he ioyneth them together Pastors and Teachers insinuating that Pastors should teach and that as our Church speakes both by their preaching and liuing ensamples in word in conuersation in loue in spirit in faith and purenes 1. Tim. 4 12. Some Diuines obserue that these functions are partly temporall and extraordinary as Apostles Prophets Euangelists and partly continual and ordinary as Pastors and Teachers but herein I tread in the steps of that holy father my most honoured and honorable master Archbishop Whitgift who writing against the schismatickes of his age saith and proueth out of this our present text also that all these degrees of ministers remaine still in some sort vntill the worlds end For first as Nouelists acknowledge Paul in this place maketh a perfite platforme of a Church and a full rehearsall of all offices therein contained and he saith expresly that Christ ascending vp on high gaue them for the gathering together of the Saints and for the worke of the ministry c. tell we all come to the vnity of the faith and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the full age of Christ. That is as Caluin Zanchius and other vntill wee meet in that other world to come I know there were certaine things in the blessed Apostles which were proper vnto themselues as their immediate calling from God the power of working miracles and their commission to goe into the whole world c. but to preach the Gospell of Christ in places where need requireth although it be not peculiarly committed to them or to gouerne the Churches already planted I see no cause why it should not be perpetuall among the Ministers of the word Likewise the function of an Euangelist if it be taken for the writing of the Gospel it was temporal and hath his ende But if it be taken for preaching to the people plainely and simply as Bullinger thinketh or generally for preaching the Gospell as Musculus supposeth in which sense Paul said vnto Timothie do the worke of an Euangelist or for preaching more zealously then other as Bucer imagineth I make no doubt but that it still remaineth in the Church Moreouer Prophets if they bee taken for
such as our Apostle meaneth in his Epistles often I say for such as haue an especiall gift in interpreting the Scripture whether in vnfolding the deepe mysteries thereof vnto the learned or in expounding the plaine sense thereof vnto the people then it must of necessity be granted that they be perpetuall officers in the Church as Pastors and Doctors Saint Ambrose therefore construeth our text thus Apostles are Bishops Prophets are Interpretours of the Scriptures Euangelists are Deacons And Hyperius saith that God will alwayes haue these degrees in the Church and Peter Martyr in his Commentaries vpon the 12. to the Romanes is of opinion that our Apostle describeth in that place such gifts as are necessarie for the Church at all times among which hee mentioneth as a chiefe one prophesying To be short Bullinger vpon this text obserues that the words Apostle Prophet Euangelist are confounded and the Pastors of Zurich in the latter confession of Heluetia chap. 18. write thus the mâ—nisters of the new testament are termed by diuerse names for they be called Apostles Prophets Euangelists Bishops Elders Pastors and Doctors And here Protestant Diuines haue well obserued against the Church of Rome that Paul among all these degrees of the ministry names not the Popes office the which he would not haue forgotten if it had bin so necessary for the deciding of controuersies and preseruation of vnity in truth as our aduersaries pretend And whereas the Rhemists reply that Bishops Elders Deacons are not mentioned in this catalogue Answere is made that the functions of Bishops and Priests as they respect the externall gouernment and policie of the Church are named elsewhere generally and particularlie but in respect of teaching which is intended here more principally they are contained vnder Pastors and Doctors If the Pope will be reputed an Apostle then as Cardinall Caietane notes he must also be both a Prophet and an Euangelist and a Pastor and a Teacher for as he saith an Apostleship eminently comprehendeth all these graces it may be granted as I conceiue which Anselme collecteth here that Archbishops and Primates haue the roomes of Apostles in the Church but yet I see not how the Pope can be crouded into the text for if this absolute supremacie were necessary then assuredly Paul would not haue said Christ made some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists c. But rather Christ gaue to the Church one Apostle some Prophets and many teachers The fourth and last obserueable point in our text is for what end Christ ascending vp on high gaue gifts vnto men and that is threefold Namely the Perfecting of the Saints the Worke of the Ministry the Edifying of the body of Christ. The first concernes such as are called already Saints The second such as are to cal exercising the worke of the ministry to wit Apostles Prophets Euangelists c. The third such as are yet to be called and to bee built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Or the first concernes the people the second the Pastour and the third both For the edifying of the Saints I finde diuerse readings of this clause Some reade ad constitutionem or ad condendos sanctos agreeable to the present text of our Communion book here The Saints are of Gods houshold and the Church is Gods house Hebr. 3.6 The chiefe builders where of vnder Christ are Apostles Prophets Pastours and Teachers as I haue shewed Epist. on Saint Thomas day Other reade ad instaurationem for the repairing of such as are decayed in Gods building The iust man falleth seuen times in many things we sinne all eum dicimus optimum qui peccat minimum And therefore that we may not fall from grace finally wee need daily to be repaired and vnderpropt in Gods house by the powerfull exhortations of Pastors and teachers Our new translation herein agreeing with the Syriae and vulgar Latine reades for the perfecting of the Saints And it may be so construed in two respects first in regard of their daily growing from strength to strength vntill they bee perfect men in Christ for the word is profitable to teach improue correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may bee perfected throughly furnished vnto all good works 2. For that their number is fully perfected and accomplished by the preaching of Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastors Teachers According to this exposition the Geneua bible hath it for the gathering together of the Saints All of vs are by nature like sheepe which haue gone astray wherefore Christ as being the chiefe sheepheard gaue some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists to gather vs together from East and West and to bring vs vnto his flocke that there may bee but one sheepfold and one sheepheard His sheepe heare his voice Pastors and teachers vttering his words are his voice he made therefore for the gathering together of his elect some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists c. Other reade ad coagmentationem sanctorum for the ioyning and ioynting of the Saints He speaketh of the Church as of a body consisting of Gods elect as of many members a body coupled and knit together by euery ioynt vers 16. And therfore whereas the Saints through Adams originall transgression and their owne actuall offences are many times out of ioynt disunited from their head Christ and diuided also from his members it pleased the Lord out of his infinite wisedome and goodnes to giue some Apostles Prophets and Euangelists c. As Chirurgions and Physitians of the soule who might by the preaching of faith vnite them againe to their head and by the preaching of good workes knit them together among themselues in the bond of peace And here you may note the true cause why the worst men and members of a parish euermore regard a good Pastor least It is because they bee feet and legs and thighs and hands out of ioynt so cannot endure the touch of the Chirurgions hand whose chiefe care is to worke their cure He that is sicke of a lethargie desires to sleepe although he die for it and hee that is lulled asleepe in sinne cannot away with the watchman of God If a Minister shall either out of weaknesse suffer his drowsie people to snore stil in their vncleannesse or out of wickednesse sleepe with them a little himselfe then hee may peraduenture for a while bee reputed a good shepheard among those scabbie sheepe but if he shall once rouze them and raise them out of their security saying with Paul awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead then instantly the wit-foundred drunkard cryeth out â—way with such a fellow from the earth it is not meet hee should liue for hee subuerts the state of the world and troubleth our city Then the couetous oppressor
solemnized to the praise of God in comme notation of the ioyous Martyrdome of two blessed Apostles Saint Philip who for the constant profession of the Christian faith as Hyppositus reported was vnder Domitian the cruell Emperour crucified with his head downeward and S. Iames euen for the same cause being Bishop of Hierusalem was cast downe headlong by the Scribes and Pharisees from the pinnacle of the temple and afterward stoned and finally brained with a Fullers club This exhortation to constant cheerefulnes vnder the crosse for the Gospell is pressed here by diuers and sundry reasons as expositions haue well obserued all which in breife may bee reduced either to the fruit or else to the root of this Christian vertue The fruit in this world knowing this that the trying of your faith gendreth patience and let patience haue her persit worke c. There is a twofold temptation as Augustine told Consentius vn a deceptionis alter a probat onis a temptation to deceiue which is from the diuell and our owne concupiscence verse 13.14 of this present Chapter Againe there is a temptation to proue and improue the which is from God and so suffering for the Gospell is termed here â—temptation and a triall of our faith The fruit in the world to come is eternall happines vers 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receiue the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him See Gospell appointed for this day As for the root if any lacke wisedome that is true iudgement how to beare the crosse let him aske it of God he is a giuing God from him is euery good and perfect gift verse 17. Ergo he giueth also this he giueth vnto all indifferently without any respect of person exclude not thy selfe from an vniuersall number he liberally giueth and vpbraideth not after he hath giuen hee giues for the measure fully for the manner cheerefully Wherefore come to him and aske of him in saith and it shall be giuen vnto you See Gospell Sun 5. after Easter The Gospell Iohn 14.1 Iesus said to his disciples let not your hearts be troubled c. THe Prophet Dauid saith a troubled spirit is an acceptable sacrifice to God and it was good for me that I was in trouble How then is it true which is here said by the sonne of Dauid let not your hearts be troubled answere is made that the passions of the minde as anger feare delight and the like are in their owne nature neither simplie commendable nor yet absolutely vituperable but either good or bad as their obiects and endes are good and bad To bee troubled for sinne is a godly sorrow causing repentance to saluation not to bee repented of and therefore grieue for offending God and grieuing his spirit yea grieue much because thou canst grieue no more But an inordinate trouble for the things of this world arising either out of enuy sluggishnes or impatience is forbidden in this sentence let not your hearts be troubled The disciples as yet ambitiously sought after worldly honour conceiuing that Christ ere it were long would restore the kingdome of Israel and so prefer them in his kingdome on earth at his right hand and at his left as yet they did expect a crowne not a crosse Wherefore Christ vnderstanding that they were dismayed at his words in the former Chapter at the 43. verse little children yet a little while am I with you ye shall seeke me but whether I goe can ye not follow me now he commeth in this present vnto that which is Euangeliâ— caput summa the cheife part in the whole body of his Gospel namely to binde vp the broken hearted and to comfort such as mourne in Sioâ— Isaac the signe of Christ is interpreted laughter insinuating that Christ should be the consolation of Israel and great ioy to all his people Luke 2.10.25 scare not as one notes is the first word in the first annunciation of his conception and the first word in the first annunciation of his birth and the first word in the first annunciation of his resurrection and almost the last words in his last exhortation a little before his death are let not your hearts be troubled and be of good comfort strengthening his followers and sweetening his crosse by diuers forcible reasons in our text by two more principally The 1. Is taken from the buckler of faith ye beleeue in God beleeue also in me 2. From the holde of hope in my fathers house are many mansions c. meâ— Concerning the fourefold reading of these words examine Iansen concord cap. 134. Erasmus annot Maldonat com in loc I take them as I find them here ye beleeue in God c. the Saints in olde time thorough faith haue subdued kingdomes wrought righteousnes obtained the promises stopped the mouthes of Lyons quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword of weake were made strong waxed valiant in battell and turned to flight the armies of Aliants In a word faith is a shield where with ye may quench all the fiery darts of the diuell Ephes. 6.16 If ye beleeue them in God and cast all your care on him he that is the father of mercies and God of all comfort will assuredly so care for you that yre shall not any longer be troubled in your hearts a little faith euen so small as a graine of mustard seed is able to remoue mountaines of distrust out of your soule faith is a buckler and a buckler guarde th especially the head and the heart that is the vnderstanding and the will vt non turbetur intellectus non formidet affectus Here humane weaknes doth obiect as Philip at the 8. verse Lord shew vs the father and it sufficeth vs. It is true that we beleeue God and beleeue in God also but yet our hearts are troubled thirsting after his sight and sensible knowledge we would faine see that we beleeue so Moses in the 33. Chapter of Exodus I beseech thee shew me thy glory to whom answere was made by the Lord thou can't not see my face for there shall no man see my face and liue yet behold there is a place by me and thou shall stand and vpon the roâ—ke and while my glorie passeth by I will put thee in a cleft of the rocke and will couer thee with mine band whiles I passe by then I will take away mine hand and thou shalt see my backe parts but my face shall not be seene This rocke is Christ as Paul in another case 1. Cor. 10.4 and the Church is a dâ—ue in the holes of the rocke Caâ—t 2.14 Whosoeuer then is placed in Christs Church and hath faiths eye may see God in his hinder parts as in the world hee passeth by that is in
1 Cor. 14.22 Strange tongues are for a signe not to them that beleeue but to them that beleeue not a yong plant must often be watered at the first setting but after it is once thoroughly rooted in the ground it will easily sprout and spring without irrigation euen so the Church primitiue was a while watered by signes and tokens in those who did beleeue but being now perfitly grounded in Christ it may nor say thy wonders O Lord but thy word O Lord is a lanterne vnto my sect and a guide to my pathes The second limitation is in respect of the persons all beleeuers in the primitiue time were not workers of wonders but only some few whereof euery one had a seuerall gift as S. Paul teacheth expresly 1. Cor. 12. â—0 Are all doers of miracles haue all the gifts of healing do â—ll speake with tongues it is said indefinitly them that beleeue because these tokens were wrought at the first preaching of the Gospell vnto euery creature for the common good of such as beleeue but euery true beleeuer was not endued with a gift actually to worke these signes himselfe Iohn the Baptist albeit he was more then a Prophet yet he did no miracle Iohn 10.41 Hee had as one distinguisheth vpon this text potestatem faciendi miracula sed non actum a power to haue done many wonders if need had bin but hee did act none The meaning then of these comfortable words vttered by Christ vnto his Apostles are plaine though I goe now to my father and so leaue you yet in executing your ministry ye shall haue power to worke signes and tokens your preaching of my Gospell vnto the world shall euery where be confirmed with miracles I haue done many strange things among you yet I say vnto you verily verily he that beleeueth in me the workes that I doe he shall doe also yea greater then these shall he doe And he did performe so much as he did promise for we reade that his Apostles in his name did cast out deuils Acts 16.18 And spake with new tongues Acts 2.4 And driue away serpents as Paul Act. 28.5 shooke off a viper from his hand into the fire and felt no harme and heale the sicke as Peter Acts 9.34 There was a certaine man at Lydda named Aeneas which had kept his bed eight yeares and was sicke of the palsie to whom Peter said Aeneas Iesus Christ maketh thee whole arise and make vp thy bed and he arose immediatly Yea they did greater signes in Christs name then Christ himselfe greater in number for whereas Christ wrought all his workes either about the borders or else within the boundes of Iudea his Apostles preached vnto all the world and had the word confirmed euery where with miracles Other thinke that they did greater workes in nature maius est enim vt sanet vmbra quam fimbria saith Augustiâ—e it was a greater miracle that the very shadow of Saint Peter as hee walked in the streete should heale many sicke Acts 5.15 Then that the hem of Christs vesture should heale one woman who hauing an issue of blood Mat. 9.22 But here you must obserue that Christ said not hee that beleeueth in me shall doe greater workes then I can or then I will doe but only greater then these which I haue done Hereby signifying that they should not doe greater workes out of thir owne power but only thorough his helpe Hoc saith Euthymius est demonsiratio potentiae eius qui signa dedit non eius qui signa edit And Augustin tract 72. in Ioan. Maiora quam ipse fecit dicit eosesse facturos sed in eis vel per eos se faciente non ipsis tanquam ex seipsis He saith elsewhere without me can ye do nothing but in my name they shall cast out deuils and speake with new tonques c. The seruant is not greater then his Lord nor the disciple greater then his master nor man greater then his maker In the beginning he made the world without them and hee made them also without them and in vouchsafing to be man he made himselfe without them ipse sine ipsis fecit hunc mundum ipse sine ipsis fecit eos ipse sine ipsis fecit seipsum but alas what haue they without him excepting sinne Christ then in saying he that beleeueth in me shall doe greater workes then I doe meaneth vndoubtedly this if our heart be so troubled that ye can not now beleeue that I am in the father and the father in me yet when I am gone to the father and shall in his kingdome sit at his right hand ye shall euidently see that I am God and that I and my father are one for I will in my corporall absence from you doe greater workes in you and by you then euer I did hitherto before you So himselfe doth interpret himselfe in the words immediatly following whatsoeuer ye aske in my name that will I doe that the father may bee glorified in the sonne and againe if ye shall aske any thing in my name I will doe it The which is agreeable to the tenour of our text verse 17. In my name they shall cast out deuils c. and vers 20. The Lord wrought with them and confirmed the word with miracles following He was receiued into heauen Saint Augustine Gregorie the great and other Diuines obserue that the foure beasts mentioned Ezechiel 1. Apocalyps 4. mystically represent the 4. chiese actions of Christ in his working of our redemption The 1. beast had a face like a man the 2. like a bullocks the 3. like a lyon the 4. like a flying Eagle So Christ in his incarnatioÌ„ was found as a man in his passion as a sacrificed Bullocke in his resurrection like a lyon in his ascension as a flying Eagle mounting aboue the cloudes and sitting at the right hand of God in the highest heauens And therefore S. Marke relating here the glorious ascension of Christ addes to the name Iesus the title Dominus so when the Lord had spoken vnto them hee was receiued into heauen hereby shewing that he was Lord of all things able to command the cloudes in heauen as well as the cloddes on earth He manifested himselfe to be Lord of the seas in walking on the water without a ship and in calming the stormy waues when he was in a ship He manifested himselfe to be Lord of the land in commanding the graue to giue forth her prisoner Lazarus which had bin dead foure dayes He manifested himselfe to be commander of hell in casting out Deuils and when he did ouercome Sathan in his temptations and take from him all his armour wherein he trusted and diuided his spoiles openly triumphing ouer him and his on the crosse Coloss. 2.15 And now to shew that he was Lord of heauen and equall
Christ as man acknowledgeth himselfe to be lesse then his father Iohn 14.18 my father is greater then I But Christ if you consider him in the forme of God filled heauen and earth and so he may bee said to send himselfe as elsewhere to giue himselfe for vs. See Saint Augustine vbi sup in margin Lombard seâ—t lib. 1. dist 15. Thomas part 1. quast 43. art 8. Touching that eternal sending of the holy spirit from the father and the sonne we say that the mysteries of the sacred Trinity being ineffable the words are almost all borowed that are vsed to shew the distinct operations of the same Saint Augustine speaking of the generation of the sonne and proceeding of the holy Ghost ingeniously confessed his want of wit and wordes Inter illam generationem hanc processionem distinguere nescio non valeo non sufficio quid illis â—sta est inefabilis But here the Apostles in proper phrase of speaking sent Peter and Iohn ergo they were subiect to their authority Thirdly whereas they say that there is a twofold sending one which is amoris and another which is impery for an equall or an inferiour may perswade his friend to doe his busines for him a body politike may send their head to the Parliament and a common weale â— their Prince to the warres our answere is ready that an inferiour intreating his friend can not truely say that he sent his peere much lesse his superiour neither can a corporation that is vnder a soueraigne head such as the Church of Rome would haue Peter to be choose him to be their foot to goe for them he may peraduenture goe by his owne consent or desire but hee can not bee sent neither can a common weale thrust their absolute King into the danger of warre Sponte hoc ille faciendums indicat sed ab illis ad bellum gerendum extrudi non potest Lastly we say that Peter here was sent not as a Prince but as a peere for Iohn was ioyned with him in the mission and commission as a copartner in his office so the text they sent Peter and Iohn And Peter being sent into Samaria by his brethren repined not as holding himselfe their gouernour but went his way as their messenger and elsewhere being questioned by the Apostles for going to Cornelius and eating with vncircumcised heathens he forthwith excused himselfe and came to his answere Fourthly wheras they be driuen here to confesse that the Colledge of Apostles comprising Peter was greater then Peter their head alone Wee say this being granted that Peters Popedom was not the â—oueraigne power of Christ neither was Peter head of the Apostles as Christs Vicar for the whole Church comprising Christ the head thereof is not of greater authority then Christ himselfe Againe it is a receiued opinion among moderne Iesuited Papists that the Church is nothing else but the Pope so that the Successor of Peter is now farre greater then Peter himselfe for hee will bee tied neither to Councell nor Canon nor custome more then himselfe liketh Who when they were come downe prayed for them that they might receiue the holy Ghost It is probable that Peter and Iohn did preach as well as pray but S. Luke reporteth onely what new thing happened to Samaria by their comming namely the receiuing of the holy Ghost through imposition of hands and prayer Here S. Augustine Lombard and other obserue that Christ is God in giuing the holy spirit quantus deus est qui dat deum His Apostles did not giue the holy Ghost at Samaria they prayed for them that they might receiue the holy Ghost and they laid thir hands on them and they receiued the holy Ghost euery good gift is from aboue Samaria then had extraordinarie gifts of the spirit By Peter and Iohn not from Peter and Iohn and Simon Magus insinuates so much in his offer of money to to them at the 19. verse giue mee this power that on whomsoeuer I lay the hands hee may receiue the holy Ghost He did not say that I might giue but onely that he may receiue Happily some will obiect that Paul gaue the spirit to the Galathians as it may seeme wher hee saith he that ministreth vnto you the spirit and worketh miracles among you doth hee it through the workes of the law or by the hearing of faith preached Our answere may be gathered out of the text that hee gaue not the spirit by his proper power but onely that they receiued the spirit through his preaching and ministry They were baptized onely in the name of Christ Iesus You must here referre the word onely to baptized and not to the clause following in the name of Christ Iesus It is not the meaning of S. Luke that they were baptized in the name of God the Sonne onely for it is Christs owne Canon Matth. 28.29 That all the three persons of the blessed Trinity must expresly bee named in Baptisme Goe teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost See Bellarm. de Baptismo lib. 1. cap. 3. Suarez in Thom. 3. part tom 3. disput 21. Caluin Lorin in act 2.38 So that to bee baptized in the name of Iesus Christ in this and other like place of this booke is to be baptized in the faith of Iesus Christ or in the power of Iesus Christ or according to the prescript of Iesus Christ. Here then a question is moued how the faithfull in Samaria were baptized and yet the holy Ghost was come on none of them Hee that is baptized must acknowledge that Christ is the Lord and no man as Paul telleth vs can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost All that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ and are buried with him in his death that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glory of the Father so they likewise should walke in newnesse of life Answere is made that the Samaritans had already receiued inuisible graces of the sanctifying spirit which are common vnto all such as truly beleeue but as yet Samaria had not any singular and extraordinarie miraculous gifts as in Christs name to cast out diuels and to speake with new tongues and to heale the sicke c. the which in the Primatiue time was conferred vpon certaine persons according to the will of the spirit for the confirmation of the Gospell It is apparant that the Apostles had the sanctifying and illuminating spirit for their guide from the very beginning of their preaching Matth. 10.20 It is not ye that speake but the spirit of your father which speaketh in you Yet wee reade Iohn 7.38 that the holy Ghost was not yet giuen because Iesus was not yet glorified For they receiued not those miraculous gifts of healing and speaking with