ostendit probat discipulum Tho. Aquinas in Lect. 4. super Galat. 3. see him also on Rom. 3. his tongue turned to English runnes thus No Workes either Ceremoniall or Morall are the cause why any man is iust before God For Workes are not the cause that man is iust but the execution and manifestation of his iustice because no man is iustified with God by his Worke but by the habite of Fayth infused Let the Romanist wrangle in the abuse of Distinction so long as they shall euen through their Church as they will haue it it hath through all ages passed for vndoubted trueth that vnto Iustification with God no one externall Worke whatsoeuer no not of Baptisme or Circumcision hath once been required for essentiall to the sauing-being of a Christian but Sola fides Fayth onely which is internall and the guift of God also But to become a Christian visible vnto others there is required such outward Workes as fruites whereby we may be well perswaded of the Fayth that is inward as the inward life of the tree which is vnseeable otherwise then in the fruites flowing from it The first fruite of which Fayth to vs-ward is a free Confession that the heart so beleeueth For sayth the Apostle with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth vnto saluation The second speciall Worke is subiection to Baptisme the seale of their iustification annexed to the word of beleefe and therefore the Apostles commission ran thus First Preach and then Baptize Nor would the Eunuch so instantly haue craued Baptisme had not Philip taught the necessitie thereof True it is that it is not necessarie to saluation simply but conditionally as it may be conueniently had But Contempt or wilfull Omission is as damnable as Esaus base thought of Canaan and king Ahaz his hypocriticall shew in seeming not to stand in need of a Signe For how can a soule haue true respect to Gods Word when it shall thinke lightly or vilely of that Seale which is suffixed to that Word A third Worke flowing from true Fayth is a Desire of being further informed in the mysterie of the Gospell which the Angels themselues desire to peire into whom notwithstanding it so much concernes not And who will not desire to know the full of their Fathers Will The fourth fruite issuing from true Fayth is to Loue God aboue all and our Neighbour as our selfe and to testifie the trueth of such loue in all duties of Pietie and Iustice as from Gods word shal be manifest Such a soule so beleeuing working is to vs-ward a true visible Christian. 2 A companie of such gathered togeather are a true Christian assemblie or as the Apostle sometimes calles them finding them in some house a Church of God Which caused Tertullian to conclude thus Vbi tres Ecclesia est licet Laicj Where be but three although Lay-men there is a Church 3 A company of such not only gathered togeather but also possessed of spiritual Ouerseers and Seruitours for the regiment of the whole by Doctrine and Discipline such a people be a true visible constituted Church For as the common sort of them be but as an Eare for hearing so their Ouerseers be as an Eye for seeing and the Seruitours as necessarie Hands to their Ouerseers As the Apostle then can say If all the Body were an Eye where were the hearing So I by like proportion If all were Eye and Eare where were the power of conuayance betweene them CHAP. vij Touching the Ministers of an established Church THE auncient Church of Israel had constituted vnto it two sortes of Ministers Priestes Leuites The Priestes againe were deuided into 2. sortes first in that one was to be Hy-priest not onely for a yeare as was the corruption at last but for the whole tearme of life and he onely might enter into the Sanctum sanctorum and in other businesses was principall In the second place were many other Priestes attending the dayly Sacrifice which after by Dauid were for better order distributed into 24. Classios Of the Leuites simplie so called for otherwise the Priestes were of Leuj they were deuided into two rankes each knowing what partes of the Tabernacle he was to wind vp and carry the one sort of them called Gershomites the other Merarites as all the Priestes were called Kohathites according to the Heads of the Families they came of But when Dauid prepared for a Standing house vnto the Lord he distributed them into other Orders for other purposes as in 1. Chro. 25. and this by no particular precept from the Lord otherwise then from the generall rule whereto Naturall reason leadeth namely That all in the Church should be done with comlynesse and order Another sort of Ministers God prouided for that Church and these were the Prophets and Prophetisses stirred vp out of what tribe soeuer These were not constituted to the Tabernacle or Temples businesses but raysed vp of God besides any ordinarie forme of calling specially for calling Priest and people into order when they erred from the commandement And as their calling for forme sake was extraordinarie so they were furnished with guifes extraordinarie both for knowledge and strange workes working The Ordinarie ministrie therfore constituted to the Church were Priestes Leuiâ—es the extraordinarie ministrie tyed not directly to any one place or people they were such Prophets tearmed of elder times Seers This for that Churches ministrie ¶ The New-testaments Church hath her ministerie proportionable to her Mother Some for calling and qualification Ordinarie some againe Extraordinarie Extraordinarie were these Apostles Prophets Euangelistâ— all whose Outward forme of calling so well as qualification was besides the generall rule Apostles and Prophets hauing their calling immediatly from God howsoeuer the Church might adde sometimes their seale vnto it as in the sending out of Paul and Barnabas The Euangelistes had their calling immediatly from the Apostles and sometimes I doubt not from the Prophets being indeed to these that called them but as godly trustie seruantes as Elisha was to Elias Geâ—èzi should haue been to Eâ—isha The ordinarie ministerie were Bishops Deacons the first being as the Eye of the Church therfore in English called Ouer-seers the other as the Churches hands for better dispatch of some dueties therefore in English called Ministers and Seruitours And into these two sortes as Maister and Man the Apostle distributes them in 1. Tim. 3. But then these Bishops called also Elders for that ordinarily they were such for their yeares they be of two sortes one of them hauing preheminence for place and voyce as the Hy-priest ouer his brethren and for that in Râ—uel 2. 3. hee is styled The Angel of the congregation and very fitly for his place may be tearmed Arch-bishop which is in plaine English but chiefe Bishop or chiefe Ouerseer Obiection Christ is the onely Arch-bishop of
Sacrifice comming from the Arke could neuer haue smelled sweete in the Lords nosethrils otherwise then he had that Fayth which respected Christ whom the Apostle stileth Osmen euodias the sweete oâ—â—ur Abraham Isaac Iaacoh had eye to no other meanes of saluation Israel before the Law some and some in Egipt came as Ezekiel 20. 5. c. to fashion themselues to the Idols there but Moses and Aaron were stirred vp to fetch them away to whom the Lord at Mount Horeb recommended the true forme of Sacrifice with rites peculiar to the land of Canaan And in Iudiâ— a part of Canaan they were continued till their deportation to Babel But then the outward Ceremonie ceasing for 70. yeares they notwithstanding looked to the promised Seed of the Prophets tearmed Messiah and Danâ—l in that place was foretold by the Angell of Messiahs comming to suffer for Sinne Seauentie-seauens of yeares before When he was come Iôhn Baptist poynted him out saying This is the Lambe that takes away the sinnes of the world for that it was Christ that was shadowed out vnder the Law by the Lambe offred morning and euening All which the Apostle teacheth the Hebrewes when he sayth that The Law was a shadow of good thinges signifying that these good thinges were in Christ. Yea to the Collossians he sayth that The body of such shadowes was Christ. I conclude then thus that that which is Essentiall or tendeth to the very Bâ—ing of A true Christian is not euery good thing but this one good thing Fayth in Christ Iesus for perfect Redemption Martha may combere her selfe about many things and in themselues otherwise prayse-worthy but this one thing is necessarie who with Mary hath choseÌ„ it hath elected the better part Iob in the land of Vz the Eunuch in Aethiopia Certaine in the Court of bloody Nero had their Iustification with God onely by this Fayth in Christ there being no other name vnder Heauen whereby as S. Peter teacheth man is to be saued As for Good-workes which necessarily doe follow true Fayth they belong not to the very-being of a true Christian seeing some one may be saued by the Fayth before he can come to do an externall good worke but such workes tend to the true Being of a Visible Christian. For as Fayth internall iustifies towardes God for Abraham beleeued and that was counted to him for Righteousnesse so Workes externall do iustiâ—ie towards man according to that of S. Iames Shew mee thy Fayth by thy Workes Sutable to which is that of Origen The Apostle sayth he saith that Iustification by Fayth ALONE is sufficient so that the belieuer whosoeuer he be is ONLY so iustisfied Whereto he addeth speaking of the Theefe on the Crosse The Lord requireth not of him what before he had wrought nor did expect what worke he should fulfill after he beleiued but being justified by soâ—e confession nameâ—y of Fayth he joyned him companion vnto him being ready to enter into Paradise Afterwardes againe Abraham might haue glory for his Workes with holy and just-men that saw them but this glory with God was Only by Fayth-secret And his Maister Clemens before him writ thus By Fayth alone the beleeuer is perfected For a Corollarie let Scholers take what followes Ignatius in Ep. ad Ephesios PrincipiuÌ„ vita Fides finis eiusdem Charitas Iustin. dial cum Tryph Purificamur fide Fides quae eÌ„ ad Deum iustificat hominem Clem. in Strom. 7. Per fidem efficitur Fidelis perfectus Aug. ad Bonifac. l. 3. c. 5. Nostra fides hoc est catholica fides iustos ab iniustis non operum sed ipsa fidei lege discernit quia Iustus ex fide viuit Then he numbers vp all kindes of workes but barres them out from iustification Chrys. in Gen hom 26. Causa bonorum omnium speaking of Noah fuit sua in Deum fides And the same Chrys. against the Iewes if that against the Iewes be his in orat 4. he hath this Christus non ex benefactis nec laborib nec pensatione sed ex sola gratia iustificauit genus nostruÌ„ Ambros. in Rom. 3. Iustificati sunt Gratis quia nihil operantes neque vicem reddentes Sola fide Iustificati sunt dono Dei Basil. mag de humilit Ea demum perâ—ecta Omnimoda gloriatio est in Deo quando neque propter suam ipsius quis iustitiam extollitur sed agnoscit se quidem vera destitui iustitia verum Sola in Christum fide iustificatum esse Et gloriatur in eo Paulus vt suam ipsius iustitiam contemnat Victor Antiochenus in Marc. 5. Haec disertè indicant vestimenta contacta eam non sanasse sed fidem Igitur neque locus neque verba neque aliud quippiam eiusmodi externum hominem saluat sed vnuÌ„quemque sua fides seruat Rabanus l. 7. in eccluÌ„m c. 2. Per solam Christigratiam ab omnis candalo liberantur Electi Remigius in Psa. 29. vita aeterna non est ex Merito quia cadere per nos potuimus sed per nos surgere non potuimus sed ex voluntate eius 1. sola misericordia Idiota cap. 6. de conflict carn animae Melius est iustificare quam creare cum creando detur Natura Iustificando vero et auferatur culpa conferatur Gratia Giselbert in Alterc c. 8. Iustitiam dei dico non qua deus iustus est sed qua induit hominem cum Gratis iustificat impium Theophilact in Rom. 10. Dei iustitia est quae ex Fide est Haec non indiget laboribus operibusue nostris verum tota ad gratiam dei pertinet Barnard ser. 3. de aduent domi Iustificabit nos Gratis vt Gratia commendetur And in Annunc Mar. ser. 1. Hoc est testimonium quod perhibet Sp. SS dicens Dimissa sunt tibi peccata tua Sic N. arbitratur Apostolus Gratis iustificari hominem per Fidem Rupertus in l. 7. in Iob. c. 7. In Iesu Christo nec circumcisio nec preputium nec Gentilis nec Iudaeus sed â—ola Fides requirituâ— Io. Bapt. Foleng in Psa. 2. Quae maioriam potesteeÌ„ cùm Iustitiae qua nos ex peccatorib iustos efficit non imputans peccata tum bonitatis demonstratio per quam aeternorum bonorum ad hereditatem Gratis inuitantur quodammodo vel inuiti trahimur And on Pl. 45. Video amarem namely of Christ video pacem video iustitiam qua ego Gratis iustificor per fidem Fulgent ad Monim l. 1. In sanctis igitur coronat deus iustitiam quam eis gratis ipse tribuit gratis seruabit gratisque perfecit Honorius in spec ecclus de nat doÌ„i Fides debet eeÌ„ fundamentum postquam â—am posueritis debetis ponere dilectionem dei proximi D. Io. Ferus in 1. part pass dom Fides facit discipulum Christi Charitas autem
Iehâ—uah Aeâ—â—â—im turned Lord-god because euery of them is Iehouah that is The Being of Beinges And as euery thing hath the being from him he is called of â—satah Euerlasting father And in respect of God-head and Man-hood vnited in one for effecting our Saluation he is of Isaiah called Gnim-man-ael that is With-vs-the strong-God or The mighty God in our Nature for that the God-head as the Apostle speaketh did dwell in him somaticôs bodily essentially Vnder Isaac the onely sonne of his Father that died not typed foorth the God-head and vnder the Ramme that died the humaine Nature that was to the Altar of the Crosse affixed And this the Author to the Hebrewes intimateth when hauing spoken of this Storie he sayth of his Father From which death he receiued him kaj en parabolé euen in a parable that is in such a sort as a parable intendeth These two Natures also were vnder the Law figured by the two Goates presented onely in the Sabbaticall moneth what time the Hy-priest might onely and alone enter into the Sanctum Sanctorum the Scape-goate poynting foorth his God-head impassible and the Lot-goat with Ionah the Humaine nature which was to die for Our sinnes Veé◠ló not for him selfe So he was the Messiah that is the Christ that is the Annoynted-one of God and Iesus the Sauiour being annoynted of the Father for our saluation Yet must be obserued that something may be sayd of the Godhead that otherwise is proper to the Manhood as that in Act. 20. Feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne blood not that God simply considered hath any blood or can suffer but that God the Sonne shedde blood in respect of the Manhood assumed and with the Godhead vnited And hereof it is that the Syriake in that place doth read The Church of Christ not of God So that may be spoken of the Manhood that is proper to the Godhead euen as sometimes we attribute that to our body which is proper to the soule e◠è contra which falleth out to be true in the Concreat that is the two Natures considered togeather to the constituting of one person which otherwise could not be true in the Abstract that is in the Nature abstracted from his fellow This is the Christ yesterday to day and the same for euer Of Whom Sybilla long before thus prophecied in her sixt age Tunc ad Mortales vemet mortalibus ipsis in terris similis Natus patris omniepotentis Corpore vestitus votales quatur autem fert non votalesque duas binum Geniorum The time of his comming she thus telles Sed postquam Roma Aegiptum reget imperioque frenabit tum vemet c. CHAP. xiiij Touching the Ghospel of Christ. THE word Ghospell the contract of Godspell is a Saxon word valuing in our language the same which the Greeke word Euangell doth namely Glad-tydinges In large sense wee call all the Doctrine contayned in the Booke of the New Testament by the name of Ghospell because the mayne and substaunce of that Booke is doctrine of Gladtidinges otherwise who is ignoraunt that the Law is mingled with the discourse of the Ghospell not for perfecting the Ghospell for it is not of that nature but for leading people to Christ as Moses led the people to Ioshua who onely could bring them to the Land of Rest a type of heauens Eternall rest Againe the Ghospell is sometimes taken for the Storie of Christ penned by S. Mathew S. Marke S. Luke S. Iohn whereupon they be called The foure Euangelistes as hauing in a speciall sort dilated vpon Christ the subiect of the Glad-tydinges But in this dispute I take it in that strict essentiall sense that S. Paul doth when he sayth to the Galatians The Scripture foreseeing that God would iustifie the Gentiles through Fayth preached before the Ghospell vnto Abraham saying In thee shall all the Gentiles be blessed afterwardes declaring by what meanes namely by a Seede not seeds which is Christ. This Ghospell is the same to Adam before and to vs after neither is there any other name then the name Iesus by which we are to be saued nor any other meanes whereby to be vnited with Iesus then by Fayth For as S. Peter could say touching the Cripple healed at the gate of the Temple that Iesus whom ye haue crucified His name hath made this man sound euen so I may as truly say that by Fayth onely in Christ we are to be saued Externall discipline may alter with time and place as all externall workes may but the Euangell Ghospell Gladtydings is still one the same that is Beleeue and liue whereas the Law sayth Doe and liue And in not doing all the things of the Law a soule becomes subiect to all the Curses in the Law By Doing then no flesh can be iustified but by Beleefe in Christ Iesus any soule may be iustified The Law therfore but sendes to Christ and Christ castes none away that comes so vnto him The Law indeed was written in Adams heart teaching him to Doe and liue and he might haue done his workes and liued but conspiring with the Diuell against the holy rule of the Law the Law is so against Man execrating and cursing him whereby man is enforced to fly from himselfe to another and that is to Christ who with his armes readie to imbrace vs cryeth out Come vnto mee all you that be weary and laden and I will ease you Nor doth our wilfull Banckrupt estate lessen the debt owing to God for though we be vnable to satisfie the Law it is iust with him to call for satisfying the Law and to clap vs vp in Hell for Non-satisfaction Able we were set out of his handes the fault therefore in our selues and therewith let euery mouth be stopped But ô the free-mercie of God! that when we are become wilfully banckrupt he should prouide a meanes first for satisfying our debt secondly for raising vs vp to greater Glory The Satisfaction is the Death of Christ and our Exaltation is his Humiliation for hee became poore to make many rich Thus not our worke but his worke not our satisfaction but his satisfaction not our merit but his merit is cause and sole cause of our true happinesse Which is cause not onely that Augustine speaking of Grace as opposite to morall workes doth say Grace is no Grace except it be gratis which speach excludeth all merit of our part be our workes otherwise neuer so glorious but also enforceth Bellarmine after all his windinges and turninges to conclude the case of Iustification thus Notwithstanding namely all he had opposed before by reason of the vncertainty of our owne Righteousnesse and the danger of vaine glory meaning in a mans owne workes the safest of all is to repose our whole trust not in our owne workes but in the onely mercy and goodnesse of God So great is this trueth
and therefore must preuaile notwithstanding their distinction some workes be Legall some Euangelicall seeing the Free fauour of God excludeth all our workes howsoeuer tearmed for iustifiyng onely Christes merit-worke for our iustification Obiection Fayth is a worke being iustified by Fayth we are so iustified by a worke Answere It is a worke in vs but not of vs for Fayth as the Holy Ghost witnesseth is the Guift of God and so our iustification to saluation the free guift of God and not of our selues onely nor also For if we will plant our thresholds by his thresholds Ezekiel will proclaime it an abhomination And because Christ doth not onely begin the worke but also perfect it the Author to the Hebrewes calles him The Author and finisher of our Fayth The premisses considered and sound in the iudgment of a Romanist were he to die the death for his Fayth against the Turke and not to maintaine a sworne opposition against vs let me put downe the following Positions 1. First these Schismatikes be most hereticall that by reason our outward forme of Discipline likes them not do affirme as some chiefe of them haue in my hearing that the Church of England neither holdeth nor teacheth the Ghospell of Christ. And yet the same people holdeth no other Ghospel then heere they receiued except they make their Lay-eldership their Ghospell or some of their outward workes to giue beeing to the Ghospell And then they fall vpon the Rocke of Poperie which they would seeme to sayle so farre from establishing not onely a Iustification with God by Fayth onely at first but after that a second iustification with God by works also Nor indeed is it better with them if themselues will vnderstand themselues Which easily cannot be done God hauing put vpon them the spirit of slumber 2. Secondly I doe faythfully belieue that in the Romish-church since the first plantation of it there hath been and still is a true Christian people holding the maine Foundation layd in Christes blood howsoeuer sometimes they build vpon it Hay Stubble and the like euen as in the thronge of the Tares the Lord had his Wheate and Children of the Kingdome And in Babel euen after the Returnes to Iudah by Zerubbabel Ezra and Nehemiah God there had his Daniel and others also with him God forbid that their malice against vs reforming the Church should beget in vs a deniall of any Grace which God continues amonst them notwithstanding their abode in lamentable Confusion Nor is this trueth of Christianitie which I beleeue to be amongst them onely an inuisible Grace according to secret election as some Scismatikes make it but in the profession visible witnesse not onely many their Writings but also many their Sermons there at home as these can witnesse that haue trauailed amongst them not to speake any thing of such as dayly do offer vp their blood amongst them in testimony against their false Ghospell 3. Thirdly I do verily belieue that a maine cause why the Apostle handleth so largely Iustification by Fayth onely in that Epistle to the Romaines was this for that he foresaw how that Church would quickly be drawing away from that Pillar for establishing a iustification of their owne in the roome thereof That they haue made a foule departure from that Fayth of the Ghospell and that we in that poynt haue recouered our standing let themselues iudge being vnpossessed of Sophistrie reading but the first eight Chapters soberly ouer or but the first foure accordingly as they be translated in their Rhemish Testament And will they be so bewitched as to giue more credeÌ„ce to the writing of any one among them then to the Apostle Paul enforming their first Christian people Let them labour to bring their opinion to the Epistle and not wrest the Epistle to their opinion holding it true Antiquitie to be one with the Apostle and that golden Epistle and not to reiect them for entertayning a Nouelty couered with colour of Antiquity He that teacheth any other Ghospell then that which S. Paul taught we are though he were an Angell from heauen to hold him accursed yea twise accursed as the same Apostle teacheth Galath 1. 8. 9. So much of the Ghospell preached to the Fathers and exhibited to vs the manner of Dispensation being diuerse but the Thing one and the same In noua Lege vetus inclusa tenetur And Vna est veterum ac nouorum patrum fides And one within 200. yeares after Christ writes thus Vnum quidem revera salutare testamentum quod a Constitutione mundj ad nos peruenit per generationes diuersas tempora etiamsi Datione existimatum fuerit esse Diuersum Consequensâ—n est esse vnam jmmutabilem Salutis dationem ab vno Deo per vnum deum quae multis modis prodest Propter quam causam tollitur Maceria quae diuidebat Graecuâ—â— a Iudaeâ— ad hoc vt esset populus peculiaris sic ambo perueniunt ad vnam fidej vnitatem ex ambobus vnae est Electio CHAP. XV. Touching Antichrist and his Oppâ—sition THAT the Greeke word Antichristes doth signifie one Opposite to Christ it is out of all question But wherein he is to be opposite in Fayth or Manners wholly or in part and if in part then in what part is a mightie Question Besides that there should be such an Aduersarie is out of all question but who that Aduersarie or whether One or Many and from whence he should arise is much in question The Fathers take the word sometimes very largely as they thinke S. Iohn doth in his 1. Epistle sometimes strictly as of one and the same person as they thinke S. Paul doth in 2. Thess. 2. vnder the tearmes Man of Sinne Sonne of Perdition Sometimes they vnderstand S. Iohn to call all these Antichristes that be Heades of Heresie vnder the name of Christ teaching thinges that be contrarie to Christ. And such be the violaters of Fayth Sometimes they vnderstand these Antichristes of such as ouerturne all good manners and order And so their Pope Honorius to that purpose writ thus Cast eye vpon the Princes and Iudges behold in them is plaeced the Beastes seat then he numbers vp their wickednesses Turne to the Cleargie and thou shalt see in them the Beastes Pauilion then he numbreth vp their worldlinesse Contemplate aâ—so the Conuentâ—â—les of Moncks and thou shalt see in them the Beastes Tabernacles then he fileth vp their Hypocrisies Behold also the habitations of the Nunnes and in them thou shalt see prepared the Beastes Bed-chamber then goe vp the Nuns abhominations Turne thy selfe to the rest of the people and thou shalt find in them the very Image of the Beast Thus the Maister in that Dialogue and that 's Honoâ—â—us doth teach his Scholler affirming further that the former Many is Babilon and at warre with Ierushalem whose inhabitants be not so Many Thus vnderstood hee of that Second Beast in Reuelatâ—â—
A Chronological Discourse touching 1 The CHVRCH 2 CHRIST 3 ANTI-CHRIST 4 GOG MAGOG c. The substaunce whereof was collected about some 10. or 11. yeares since as may be gathered by an Epistle prefixed before a Tractate called The visible Christian but now digested into better order and first published By the Author himselfe H. Cl. Horat. de art P. Nouumque prematur in annum Ratio Nescit vox missa reuerti Imprinted at London by William White dwelling in Cow-lane ouer against the signe of the white Lion 1609. TO THE REVEREND AND LEARNED FATHERS AND BREATHREN MINIsters in the Archdeaconrie of Canterburie Grace and peace be multiplied from God the Father c. THe Learned of the Gentiles being to that people Prophets as S. Paul stileth them they by Parables as Iotham by his Trees holding Parlie did vnder some shadowing-speach both prayse Vertue and pursue Vice And had they not been as lampes to their Ages for explaning the Morall dueties of the Decalogue steps whereof remained in mans nature euen after his Fall the Gentiles had run away with smooth excuses By which in-written Law as they did the things of the Law as the Apostle telleth the Romanes so they came to haue notice of the out-written Law giuen of GOD to Moses in two Tables For so Orpheus liuing in the time of Israels Iudges writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euen as the Water-borne described hath From God to Man two Tables of the Fayth Giuing therefore Fooles leaue to blatter against Knowledge as if Gods reason in his Works should be against the reason of his Word let mee proceed To Argus they attributed 100. eyes as to Briaceus 100. handes not properly but figuratiuely euen as Salomon saying The heart of a wise man is at his right hand although his proper seate be in the middest of his Breast depending a litle towards the left side they thereby implying that the Prophane with Argus need many eyes or watchmen for securing such a skittish companion as was Samsons Heifer as also that Combaters with Diuine powers haue need of many hands to helpe them But all in vaine seeing the eyes of the first will be put out and the hands of the second wil be broken much like to the iudgement which Zechary signifieth to come vpon the Idol-shepheard namely a Sword vpon his right Eye and Arme insomuch as his Arme shal be dried vp and his right Eye darkned In the assurance whereof I continue my opposition to fanatique phrenetike spirits The Gentile-artists did many times vnto men giue the title of God as the Scriptures giue vnto Statesmen and so they did vnto Hercules for his 12. famous exployts which may be reduced to two kindes First for his conquering of deuowring Beastes which indeed were Men as sauage as Beastes tyrannicall Vsurpers Secondly for his sweeping away of much Doung with a Torrent which was an expulsion of euill Manners and Customes by the clearenesse of good Counsaile and holsome Lawes Many we haue that will say how by their place they be Gods but very few that shew themselues gracious and beneficial to Church Common-wealth as Gods should but Diuels will not Many claime the Tearme but few walke worthy the tearme Tu rectè viues si curas esse quod audis Iustly therefore shall the heathen Hercules rise vp against such in iudgement The office of Priesthood among the Gentiles was of such great respect as oftentimes the Kingdome was vnited vnto it Rex jdem hominum Phaebique sacerdos When Famine pinched the land of Egipt to the forcing of all sortes to set sale of all for Bread-corne there was due prouision made for the Priestes For these that there doe turne Cohanim Princes doe it in my iudgement not onely against the very heart of the words proprietie but against the consonance of all Storie And were the Heathen euen by Nature so led to preferre their Ministrie The doctrine of Grace doth teach it much more But a number as if they were not onely deuoyde of Grace but also depriued of good Nature do so cast their cardes as if any starue the Minister shall and if any amongest Clunchpokes and Swaggerers be thrust downe to the tayle of the Table it must be the Minister But as the Heathen in this point also shall arise vp in iudgment against such so I pray you from whence ariseth this euill Sat scio and let me speake plainely This euill ariseth sometimes from our selues when the greater hath small respect of the lesser for that noted of the vulgar is as a document for hauing such in lesser estimation Secondly this base estimate of Ministers ariseth also from the consideration of their pouertie and their pouertie is the more by reason some Nouelistes haue taught Ciuill Gouernours to spoyle Mother-church of her Dowrie saying that the same is an Idolothyte and Antichristian And hereupon it was that the Separists did at first in their secret Conuenticles appoynt their Deacons to stand at the Chamber dore at the peoples outgate with their Hats in hand much like after the fashion of a Play-house into the which they put their voluntary But comming beyonde seas where a man might haue seauen Doyts for a penny it fell out howsoeuer their voluntary at the casting in did make a great clangor the Summa totalis ouer seene the maisters of the Play came to haue but a few pence to their share Whereupon a broad Dish reasonable flat was placed in the middest of their conuention that when the voluntarie was cast in others might obserue the quantitie But this way serued not the turne for a few doyts rushing in vpon the sodaine could not easily be obserued of what quantity it might be Vpon this the Pastor gaue out that if besides giftes from others abroad they would not make him Tenne pounds yearely at least he would leaue them as vnworthy the Gospell Then they stickle for feare of a fall and Holder the Glouer must giue sixe Styuers a weeke for his part George Cl. the Bricklayer more Styuers for his part by reason that he had good doinges and so others accordingly The Glouer complaines of the greatnesse of the Cesse and therefore sayd that hee would for England c. But to leaue their giddie deuises At home we haue had too many that haue been willing howsoeuer maintenaunce be Morall and the quantity and qualitie thereof be Iudiciall vnder the colour of clearing the Church of Idolothytes to shaue the Church as cleane as Dionysius did Esculapius To the Ministers it would be vnholy but to the Church-robbers it would bee very holy when they may haue it wholy Papè Haue wee found out an Hypocrite worse then a Papist A third cause of the Ministers contempt hath arisen from our Syncerians who haue made it a very small matter to preach vpon the Scriptures holding euery howers talke a Sermon Insomuch as
13. 〈◊〉 for that the First Beast there compacted of Daniels Lyon Beare Leopard is the Body of the Romaine Empire the last Monarchie of the foure it is graunted of al sides Now heare the Abbot Barnard how he writ about 500. yeares since of both the Beastes That Beast in the Apocal. to whoÌ„ a mouth is giuen speaking blasphemies and warring with the Saints Petri cathedrâ—m occupat taâ—que Leo paratus ad praedam doth occupy Peters Chaire as a Lyon prepared to his prey The other Beast also subsibilat whishâ—ly hisseth towards you as whelpe lurking in the secret places Th' other Beast is more cruell and this more subtile But in one they agree against the Lord against his Christ Let Barnard apply his speach to what persons he shall sure such be the Beastes and such their conditions and so farre he helps vs on in our way As the Fathers vnderstand Antichrist largely so they likewise speake of one Speciall one who comming at last should be the Head vnto all that went before euen as Iesus Christ was the Head of all such Christed or Annoynted-ones as Typically went before him were they Kinges Priestes or Prophets And this as Zanchius somewhat graunteth may be but Euidence I see none as yet Then againe some of them thought that he should come of the Tribe of Dan but the Reasons for that were farre fetched Againe that he should rise in the Romaine Empire So Tertullian Iam enim Arcanum Iniquitatis agitatur tantum qui nunc tenet teneat donec de medio fiat Quis nisi Romanus status cujus abscessio in decam Reges dispersa Antichristum superinducet tunc reuelabitur Iniqâ—us Ireneus before him and a Greeke speakes thus The Nowne Lateinos hath the number 666. they be Latines that now raigne but we will not glory in that The word Lateinos being in Greeke the same as is Latinus in Latine it is to be cyphered as the Greekes doe whose Alpha-bet letters serue to them for Figures And thus L 30 A 1. T 300. E standeth for 5. I 10. N 50. O 70. S 200 Take the same number also in Ecclesia Italica thus E 5. C 20. C 20. L 30. E being the Greeke Eta not Epsilon is 8. S 200. I 10. A 1. Take the same number also in the Hebrew word Romijth of Rome thus R 200. O 6. M 40. I 10. I 10. TH 400. The same number as if Mahomet were one of this Beastes hornes obserue in the Greeke Maometis thus M 40. A 1. O 70. M 40. E 5. T 300. I 10. S 200. And if the yeares be cast we shall find that about An. Dâ—â— 666. The Pope for vniuersall Supreame in the West and Maomet for Chiefe Prophet was stablished in the East ouer which East and West the Romaine Emperour had before gouerned But passing by these more curious Diuinations as whom time yet hath not sufficiently matured it is graunted of all that He which vnder the name of Christ shall oppose to Christ is for that an Antichrist And because his opposition must be against Christ rather then against God though Christ be also God he is called Anti-christos not Anti-theos If he should be Anti-pater then we should consider some speciall thing in God the Father if Anti-pneuma then some speciall thing in the Holy Ghost but by the word Antichrist we must consider something in the Sonne to whom this Sonne of perditioÌ„ is secretly to oppose And that resteth in his suborning a False Ghospell for the true In which respect he beares in his Armes a Lambe but as S. Iohn paintes him a Lamberising from the Earth not from Heauen in appearance a Lambe but in working a Wolfe And because he was to be opposite to the very foundation of the Ghospell and what that is was in the former Chapter considered S. Paul doth stile him Antikesmenos the layer of an opposite foundation And when he is to speake of such as would shut the Dore against that Grace offered in the Ghospell he calles them Antikeimenoi polloj Many Antikeimenists as S. Iohn calles them Antichristoi polloj Many Antichristes Antichrists be so Antikeimenists and Antikeimenists be such as lay an opposite foundation to Fayth and that is in stead of iustification by Fayth in Christ to stablish a Iustification by humaine workes and ordinaunces but yet not apertly nor plainely but by faire painted iuglinges able to beguile as our Sauiour sayth the very chosen if it were possible And what I pray you can seeme sounder then this to say Christ Iesus hath made Fayth in him alone sufficient for Saluation insomuch as he that dieth vpon that Apprehensió at first is vndoubtedly saued But marke this But such a soule liuing longer he hath in him from Christ such a power to worke well as by his workes he is to be saued And these workes must not be called workes of the Law but workes of Fayth although but such workes as man deuiseth Yea the Romanist goeth further and sayth that a man may doe more good workes then he is necessarily tyed vnto and so by them doth supererogate and may giue of these his workes to his Brother that needeth for helping out his saluation Not to graunt this say they is to make Christ idle in vs. To such effect speake many and flesh and blood holds it very reasonable Mahomet speaketh excellently of Christ not onely as being a great Prophet but also a Sauiour of his people But when all that is done Mahomet comes to inioyne Externall workes of his owne collection by the which a soule must be saued And both he and the Apostaticall Popes haue agreed further in this to hold the Bibles scripture vnsufficient to saluation whereupon they haue deuised either side of them such Canons and Rules of obedience as the doing of them haue more attributed vnto them then the obedience of Fayth When as in very deed all such their inuentions may be sayd as in Reuel 9. but to come out of a bottomlesse Pit hauing a reasonable face as from man but in the tayle and conclusion they sting like a Scorpion for neuer can soule finde true rest in flying any part from Christ vnto their owne worke The sense whereof vpon the death-bed hath forced many a Romanist then to fly altogeather from his owne Workes to Christs Merit-worke only dying so no true Papist howsoeuer in other thinges popish And here let me repeat a pretty Story acted in the Clink-prison in Southwarke at London before the stayall of the last great Plague A certaine Romish-priest being there to Prison newly committed and not accustomed to bonds became exceeding pensiue he was aduised to take a pipe of Tobacco and to let the world slide a. He doth so but whether for that the Tobaccoes smoake encreased Melancholy or guilt of conscience in respect of some treason or whatsoeuer the cause might be downe he falles and the Keeper
Dauison and some others about him thought verily he would haue died They will him to call vpon God He doth so desiring him for Christes sake to pardon al his sinnes After diuers times he had so prayed he comes to be reasonably well whereupon the Keeper puts vpon him this speach I pray you sir how comes it about that your breathren haue still suggested vnto me that I should goe to God by Saints and not directly by Christ whereas I perceiue that you in this agonie neuer prayed to Saint but went to God directly by Christ To whom the Priest returned such answere I pray you be content I had no leasure to pray vnto Saints for I looked but presently to die So farre the story Now I pray you had it not been better for him to haue died in the former case then to haue returned to health and so to his vomite againe But say they what they shall for maintayning Antichristes opposition against vs many of them in their agonies are glad to turne Protestant and for quiet of soule to betake themselues to the Fayth of the Ghospell The Ghospell so essentially considered and the Antichristian opposition so remembred let me put downe the insuing conclusions 1. No euill seuered from such an opposite foundation as is iustification with God by Workes can properly be tearmed Antichristianitâ—e no more then euery euill against Gods good spirit can properly be tearmed The sinne against the Holy Ghost And therefore our Schismatikes calling euery thing they like not Antichristianitie shew themselues vntollerably ignorant For if euery euil be Antichristianity then which is most absurde euery soule liuing is Antichristian And if they will not say the last then let them be ashamed of the first 2. Then also followeth vngaine sayably that no outward forme of discipline is properly Antichristian howsoeuer it may be tainted with euill seeing no such Discipline can be called an opposite or false Ghospell 3. A Church setled vpon a false Ghospel is notwithstanding all the best Discipline can he had a false Church and Antichristian The reason is Discipline is not an essentiall marke of a true Church For one and the same Discipline or outward forme of Gouernment can be applyed to Christ or Antichrist And so on the other side a people setled in the true Fayth of the Ghospell is alwayes in such estate a true Church of God notwithstanding a thousand imperfections in Discipline For as Iob is a true man and so Lazarus notwithstanding much vnsoundnesse in their members so a people may be a true Church though much vnsound The reason is because the spirit of life still moueth in their members And as we know that the spirit of life is 〈◊〉 sicke body by his breathing so we know that the 〈◊〉 of Christ is in a Church by her euident Confesâ—â—◠〈…〉 Charitie will thinke so for that she beleeues the best and hopes the best For with the mouth sayth S. Paul man confesseth to saluation 4. Then also followeth that our Nouelistes haue spunne a faire threed a plaine Cobweb for snaring weake simple Flyes who haue all this while striuen not about the Babe Iesus himselfe but about his Swathing-band and after what manner he is to be swathed whether by bringing the Band crosse ouer him or of some other fashion Or to vse another Simile they haue neglected the Garden and all this while foughten about the fashion of the Hedge and where the Stile should stand on their side or ours They that haue so bad eyes to iudge of the Garden are in no wise fit to be trusted with the Fence Let me draw to an ende with the wordes of Ferus whose speach might awake his Papistes Doe the false Prophets teach Christ yea verily for to preach Christ is to preach righteousnesse sanctification forgiuenesse of sinnes and redemption For Christ is become all these thinges vnto vs. And these thinges the false Prophets preach how we may obtaine righteousness and redemption But they teach not that we must looke for and seeke these thinges Onely from Christ and onely by Christ Yea they neglecting Christ doe teach to seeke for Righteousnesse and forgiuenesse of sinnes in other thinges Behold say they here or there is Christ which is indeed to seduce and to lead out of the way For these thinges are found no where else but in Christ. There is no other name vnder heauen by which we must be saued Hath not Ferus in this as in a thousand thinges spoken as a Protestant When the Church of Rome hath in her such Maisters of fence to maintaine our quarrell let vs not despise them but desire of God that such honest Spirits may further come out of Babilonish bondage For these that be with vs be not against vs. If S. Peter in Math. 16. had any promise for the Sea of Rome let them note the performance of it in such as Ferus and others now in Venice and Piemont with other places And in so doing we will not easily be found to contend with them CHAP. xvj Touching BABEL the rising and fall thereof BABEL is two fold Literall or Spirituall The Literall is a name giuen first to a Tower then afterwardes to some Citie As first to a Citie whereof the sayd Tower was the principall Monument and that is Babel in Chaldea Secondly it was giuen to a Citie in Aegipt now called Cair from whence S. Peter is thought to direct his first Epistle as appeareth in the Conclusion For this second I finde it not Typicall but for the first I doe First for that the first was a worke begun by 70. Families that schismed from Shem and that God that was in Shems Tentes Secondly for that Nimrod in English Apostate or Rebel who was the impudent Hunter before the Lord became the head thereof whereupon the Prophet calleth that soyle The land of Nimrod Thirdly for that it was the Citie wherein the Church of the Iewes was captiued for 70. yeares The Spirituall Babel hath respect to this of Chaldea for that it was still an instrument of opposition to the Church And this spirituall Babel hath a twofold vnderstanding among Diuines for either it is taken for Rome or for the whole politicall body of false Christians wheresoeuer For Rome it is taken of Tertullian in these words Sic et Babylon apud libannem nostrum Romanae vrbis figuram portat proinde et magnae regno superba sanctorum debellatricis So it is in Rhenanus his auncient Copie The Romanist Pamelius out of the Margin blots Babilon Roma least the Reader should marke it thinking it too much that Beatus Rhenonus or any other should put an Asterisk ouer against that text So Tertullian against Martion lib. 3 hath the like and ouer-against the same is the former marginall note And Ierom is of like minde who writing vnto Fabiola lately come from Bethleem to Rome hath this Et tu quidem optato fueris