most ioyfully and thankefully receyue the glad tydings of libertie That wee maye beware by the punishment of Hierusalem to refuse freedome offered least wee bee chrust into perpetuall bondage No Citie nor people in the worlde had greater priuiledges of honour then the Citie and people of Hierusalem And yet we see nowe how iustly Hierusalem is turned into Sinay freedome into bondage glory into shame that we should not stande vpon any prerogatiues or priuiledges as though any thing could exempt vs from the seueritie of Gods iudgement if wee reiect the grace of God when it is freely offered If Hierusalem escaped not punishment for all her dignitie what shall become of Sodome or Babilon which haue no prerogatiue of dignitie if they being called to libertie doo still continue in bondage And here we haue an example whereby to shape the Papistes an answere for all that they can bring to commende the dignitie of theyr Churche of Rome For the present time or that hath been these many hundreth yeres they can speake little good of her if they will speake the truth that all men doo see with their eyes in this age or may reade in stories of the former ages written by their owne Registers but they haue a great glory to bring forth the auncient commendation of fayth which the Scriptures and olde doctors doo ascribe vnto the Churche of Rome the godly conuersation of the Anrient Christian Romanes the multitude of Constant Martyrs which that Churche did yeelde in the space of two or three hundreth yeeres but all in vayne yea all to their greater shame except they can proue the same fayth conuersation and Christian constancie to remaine now in the Churche of Rome that was in those golden dayes of the primitiue Churche S. Paule in deede commendeth the fayth of the Romanes to be celebrated in all the world which place the Papistes thinke to make much for the dignitie of the See of Rome But let them shewe that the Pope and hys Churche of Rome doo nowe hold the same fayth whych S. Paule praysed in the Romanes of hys time or else it maketh nothing in the world for the Churche of Rome nowe but to her shame and reproche which is degenerated from that doctrine of libertie which of olde time was wont to be imbraced in those places The fayth of the Romanes of that time which S. Paule commended was this that a man is iustified by faythe without the deedes of the lawe Is this the doctrine of the Churche of Rome according to the true meaning of S. Paule and the whole discourse of his Epistle to the Romanes Do they not teache the contrarie directly that a man cannot be iustified by faith only without the workes of the lawe Wherfore seeing the Romanes that are nowe haue a contrarie faith to the Romanes of olde time there is no cause why they should claime the aunciēt prayse which haue not retained the auncient fayth And forasmuch as they are fallen from the grace of Christ to seeke ryghteousnes by their owne merits there is no reason why they shoulde haue the commendation of the fayth of the Gospell which haue submitted themselues to to the bondage of the Lawe And if Hierusalem that is nowe be turned into Agar and the earthly Sion into the barreyn Sinay because shee hath despised the promise of mercy redemption which the auncient Hierusalem and Moūt Sion in the tyme of the godly Parriarches and Prophetes most ioyfully receyued why shoulde Rome that is nowe wyth her seuen hylles appointed for the throne of Antichryst enioye the prayse of the auncyent Romanes and the Christian Churche that sometyme was a straunger in that place whom nowe shee persecuteth and condemneth their fayth for Heresie Shee cannot bee taken for the heauenly Hierusalem that professeth the seruyle doctrine and Religion of the earthly Hierusalem Neither can her children the Papists be taken for Citizens of the heauenly Hierusalem which thinke so great a part of religion to consist in going a Pilgrimage to the earthly Hierusalem The Apostle here vtterly reiecteth Hierusalem that is nowe and thrusteth her out of the lande of promyse into Arabia the desatte The Papistes make no accompte of Hierusalem that is aboue but all their delight is in Hierusalē that is on earthe so they shewe themselues right Agarens Ismaelites What a great matter is made in Poperie of Hierusalem that is now yea although it be in the hands of Turkes Paganes yet they so esteeme it that they thinke they should haue the greatest treasure in the world if they coulde get the possessiō of that citie out of the Paganes handes And for that purpose howe manye thousand men haue lost their liues in the enterprises that haue beene aduentured to gayne that place out of the Turkes Souldans dominions What an hygh poynt in Religion is it made of the Papistes to visite Hierusalem that is nowe yea it is a matter of so great importance that the vowe which one hath made to go on Pilgrimage to Hierusalem cannot be dispensed withal by any other inferiour person but euen by the Popes owne holynesse hymselfe Such a goodly matter it is to be a Citizen of the earthly Hierusalem But let the Papistes alone with theyr holy mother the earthly Hierusalem mount Sinay or Agar and let vs returne to the comparison of the Apostle which saith But Hierusalē which is aboue is free which is the mother of vs al wee heard before that there were two mothers in the familie of Abraham Agar and Sara the one begetting into bondage the oher vnto libertie wee harde also that these mothers doo signifie two Couenants or two Churches and that Agar signifieth the Couenant of Iustice or Hierusalem that is nowe the Churche of Hypocrites which abuse this couenant in seeking to be iustified therby which was giuē to direct vs to the couenant of mercy Now must we consider Sara the seconde mother which was a freewoman how she was a figure of the new couenant and of the heauenly Hierusalē that is the mother of all the Children of god The first couenant in Mount Sinay what it was namely the Couenant of righteousnesse we haue sufficiently declared alreadie The seconde Couenant of mercy is excellently well described by the Prophet Ieremie Chap. 31. alledged by the Apostle to the Hebrues Chap. 8. Beholde the dayes come sayeth the Lorde that I wyll accomplishe with the house of Israel and Iuda a newe Couenant 9. Not accordyng to the Couenant which I made wyth theyr Fathers in the daye when I tooke them by the hande to bryng them out of the lande of Egypt for they themselues abyde not in my Couenant and I regarded them not sayeth the Lorde 10. For this is the Couenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those dayes sayth the Lorde I wyll gyue my Lawes into their myndes and wryte them in theyr hartes And I wil be their God and they shal be
it may best bee founde but if the condition of the Lawe bee so streight as it will admit nothyng but a perfecte obseruation in him that shall haue the reward why will you seeke too establish your owne righteousnes and so void your selues cleane of the righteousnes of God in Christ And so whyle you wyll bee iustifyed both by Christe and by the woorkes of the Lawe you shal bee iustifyed neyther by Christe nor by the woorkes of the Lawe For the Lawe can abyde no transgression nor the grace of Christ any satisfaction And yet there is perfect righteousnesse in the obseruation of the law And a maÌ„ is iustified by faith without the works of the law Wherupon the deuils sophistrie concludeth that if iustification be by either of these meanes by it selfe much rather it must be wheÌ„ they are both ioyned together Wherefore wee must see whether they may be ioyned together or no. Let vs therefore first heare the lawe The lawe in deede is a perfect rule of righteousnesse to iustifie not the hearers but the obseruers The man that dooth all thinges commannded by the Lawe shall lyue thereby that is by his ryghteousnesse hath deserued eternall lyfe But here is a perfect obseruation requyred or else no ryghteousnesse obteyned no life deserued for cursed is hee that abydeth not in all the preceptes of the lawe to doo them So that here appeareth a double condition annexed to the lawe The one is an absolute and perfecte obseruation required of them that shall be rewarded the other euerlasting curse and damnation threatned to him that hath transgressed By which it is most euident that the Lawe and the Gospell grace and woorkes merite and mercye bee of so contrarie nature as it is impossible they shoulde bee ioyned together in the atteyning of eternall saluation One transgression if there were but one in a mannes whole lyfe and that neuer so small yet such is the rygour of the lawe as it barreth vs from ryghteousnes and maketh vs subiect to the sentence of Gods cursse Now let vs on the other side consider the Gospell and see whether that admitteth any mixture of deedes of the Lawe By the Gospell we are assured that wee are saued by grace but grace is a woorde of such freenesse as it ceasseth to bee grace if you adde anye thyng to it If it bee of woorkes sayth the Apostle then is it not of grace and if it bee of grace then is it not of workes for grace were not grace if it were not free And it coulde not bee truely sayde that we are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption of Christ Iesus if anye thyng in the worlde came in place of satisfaction besides the redemption of Christ Iesus â–ª But let vs heare what the lawe sayth It is written in the lawe for so are all the fyue bookes of Moyses accompted that Abraham had two sonnes one of a bondmayde another of a free woman the one called Ismael the other named Isaac Ismael was borne of Agar the Egyptian which was a bondwoman Isaac was borne of Sara the wyfe of Abraham which was a free woman such as Agar the mother was such was Ismael her sonne and Isaac was free as his mother Sara was Fyrst wee must obserue here that this comparison is altogether within the familie of Abraham that was a fygure of the Churche of god And therefore wee muste not seeke Ismaell and hys posteritie among them that are altogether wythout the Churche and professe open hatred agaynst the same But euen in the bosome of the visible Churche euen in the family of Abraham those that professe themselues to bee the sonnes of Abraham that is the sonnes of God and occupie no small roâ—mes in the Churche but euen the highest oftentimes as Ismael for a season beyng the first borne of Abraham was accompted as the heyre of Abraham and so the most principal person in all the housholde Wherefore if we wil at this day know who be the Ismaelits we must not looke to the profane nations of the Turkes and misereantes that openly despise the Churche of God but euen to those that make the boldest and lowdest clayme to be heyres of the Churche euen the Papistes They haue their profession so had Ismael they haue their tytle so had Ismael they stand vpon their prerogatiue and so dyd Ismael They will haue a place in the familie of Abraham yea they wyll thrust out Isaac They claime they say by the elder tytle to be heyres of the Churche yea they weene they haue the Churche it selfe in possession And here it is marueilous howe they swell and stande vppon typtoes if you seeme to allowe them any place at all in the Church though it be but in the Belfrey they will streight way perke vp into the Chancell But softe a whyle my masters we allowe you no other place in the Churche of God then that which Ismael sometymes occupyed in the familie of Abraham And that in deede was no base roome in outwarde appearance and in the iudgement of men For who was thought to be the heyre of Abraham for sixteene or seuenteene yeeres but Ismael the eldest sonne of Abraham You who seemed to haue more right vnto the inheritance of Abraham then he that had the prerogatiue of the first begotten But all the sonnes of Abraham are not the heyres of Abraham For it is written In Isaac shall thy seede be called Wherefore we must not regard who maketh clayme to the inheritance of Abraham but who is rightly begotten to be the heire of Abraham for a bond man is capable of no inheritance And the child is accompted in the ciuill law of such condition as his mother is Therefore Ismael being borne of a bond woman hath no iust tytle to be the heyre of Abraham though he pretend to be his eldest sonne And he that was borne of the free woman though hee were younger by many yeeres yet by the prerogatiue of his free byrth became the heyre of Abraham his Father Wherefore if the Papists and all they that seeke to bee iustifyed by their workes be proued to bee the sonnes of the bond woman it wyll not helpe them any thing in the world that they haue of long tyme beene accompted as principal members of the familie of Abraham for it will fall out in the ende that they shall be found no better then Ismaelits and Agarynes and haue the same rewarde that Agar and Ismael had We haue heard now that Abraham had two sonnes of which the one only was hys heire And now let vs see why Ismael being the naturall sonne of Abraham the first borne was not the heire either before Isaac or at leastwise ioyntly with him here indeede standeth all the matter of controuersie although there be two sonnes why there is but one heyre but it is soone answered because there is but one way to come to the inheritance and that is onely by promyse
much as no man was euer able to obserue it except our sauiour Christ no man euer was or shall be iustifyed by it but by Christ onely And as the couenant of Iustice doeth require perfect righteousnesse and geueth no pardon so the couenant of mercy giueth righteousnes freely admitteth no satisfactiō These are those two Couenants that GOD hath made with mankynde concerninge their iustifycation saluation more then these two he hath not made so that he which wil be iustifyed by the law must looke for no mercy and hee that wyll be iustifyed by grace in Christe must not thinke of any merit worthynesse or satisfaction of his owne but only in Iesus Christ. What place then haue these mongrels that make a confusion of grace and merites of Fayth and Workes of the Law and the Gospell They haue no place in neyther of the two Testamentes the olde nor the new If they wyll haue a thyrde way of Iustifycation they must shew a thyrde Couenaunt yf they cannot shew a thyrde Couenant they cannot haue a middle way of Iustifycation Wee haue shewed good euydence for the two Couenants the one of Iustice the other of mercye and how the one Couenaunte neyther beareth wyth anye transgressyon nor alloweth anye pardon the other admitteth no dignity of the person nor alloweth any satisfaction of his for his vnworthinesse Let the Papistes which wil bee iustified partly by the grace of God and partly by their owne merites let them I say nowe stande foorth and shewe vs the Tables of suche a couenante if euer God made any such with men that he would forgyue them halfe their sinnes and allowe them to make amends for thother halfe let them shewe their euidence if they haue any if they haue none as there is none mentioned in the Scripture but the two Testamentes the two Couenantes the lawe and the Gospell what tytle or clayme can they make to the heauenly inherytance whereof they haue no promyse no Testament no couenāt but only a carnal perswasion of their owne fleshely reason an earthly Imagination of humayne wysedome yea an hellishe presumption of their prowde worldly affection whereby they shewe themselues to bee nothing els but Agarens and Ismaelytes Children of the bondewoman and borne after the fleshe as Ismaell their Father was whose tytle and clayme vntoo the spirituall inheritance was altogether earthly and carnall vtterly voyde of the promise and woorde of God. But let vs heare the Apostle descrybing the two Couenantes The one sayeth hee is from mount Sinay gendrying into bondage which is Agar The Lawe therfore which is the fyrst couenāt is cōpared to Agar bycause it begetteth into bondage as shee dyd yea mount Sinay from whence the Lawe was published is compared too Agar And then the Lawe is as it were the seede by which of Sinay that is the Church of Hypocrites are begotten no Children but vntoo perpetuall bondage But here nowe aryseth a doube howe of the lawe of GOD which is holy and good suche wycked and vngodly Chyldren shoulde bee conceyued For answer vntoo thys doubte wee muste vnderstande that not of the lawe rightely vsed suche vnhappie Children are begotten for wee knowe that the lawe is good if a man vse it lawfullye But when righteousnesse is soughte by obseruation of the lawe which is not attayned by any man but through grace only then is the lawe abused and of the Lawe so abused are begotten no Children but hypocrites vnto euerlasting bondage The Lawe is vsed rightly when it is made our Schoolmaster vnto Christe that wee may be iustified by Fayth But when Iustification is not sought by Fayth without the deedes of the Lawe but eyther by the deedes of the Lawe onely or by the deedes of the Lawe and Fayth then is the lawe which is holy of it selfe by this abuse made a corrupt seede of which is conceyued these bastardly Hypocrites that falsely chalenge to bee the Sonnes of god whereas they are in deede the sonnes of eternall sclauery and bondage You will say they seeke lyberty by this meanes and not bondage but certayne it is they fynde nothyng but bondage what soeuer they pretende too seeke For such is the nature of the lawe that it bryngeth all men intoo bondage that are not set at lybertye by the onely meane which GOD hathe appoynted for theyr infranchismente whiche is the Redemption of the Sonne of god Now when these men that seeke too bee vnder the Lawe refuse the onely charter of infranchismente which almightye GOD dooth most mercifully offer to gyue them freely they are intangled wyth double bondage and thraldome both that which is by nature whereunto all the sonnes of Adam are subiecte that are not set at libertie by the sonne of GOD and also that which groweth by theyr omne confession while they refuse the freedome offered and voluntaryly put their neckes vnder the yoke of the Lawe which promiseth no lybertie but vpon the keeping of an impossible condition and threatneth certein and perpetual bondage for euery voluntary yet necessary transgression So that it is impossible for al thē that are vnder the Lawe eyther to obteyne the reward which it promiseth or to avoyd the punishment which it threatneth Wherfore mount Sinay which is Agar the law thus abused begetteth no childrē but hipocriticall sclaues vnto euerlasting bondage For Agar is mount Sinay in Arabia and answereth in figure too that Hierusalem which is now is in bondage with her children First let vs here obserue that manner of speeche whyche the Apostle vseth when hee sayeth that Agar is the mount Sinay whereas it is euydent that he meaneth that Agar dooth figure or signifie the mount Sinay The Papistes make great exclamation agaynst those Interpreters which in the woordes of consecration as they cal them This is my body doo expounde est for significat This is my body that is this bread dooth signifye my body And a great matter they make of the verbe substantiue est as though that when soeuer it is vsed is Scripture it declareth a substaunce and no fygure or sygne of a substaunce Howbeyt there bee infynite places of Scripture where thys verbe substantiue est can not bee otherwyse interpreted then for significat and thys our Texte is one very manifeste place Agar sayth hee is the mount Sinay in Arabia What was Agar nowe chaunged into the substaunce of a Mount who is so vayde of reason or sense but he must needes confesse that hys meanyng is that Agar dooth sygnifye Mount Sinay or is a fygure of Mount Sinay in Arabia Yea but I knowe what will bee replyed Sayncte Paule speaketh not here of the Sacramentes That is true but when the holy Ghoste speaketh of Sacramentes which are holy and Heauenly signes it were more probable too vnderstande hys speache fyguratiuely and not litterally Yea it is most vsuall in the Scripture when the spirite of God speaketh of the Sacraments to say they bee those
Redeemer hygh Priest sacrifice and propiciation for our sinnes mediatour and aduocate and his worde our onely sufficient instruction But that the Pope the Masse our owne merites the merites of Sainctes and inuocation of them Popishe ceremonies traditions counsels decrees and decretals pardons and Images such like must needes challenge no small portion of that honour and glory which the holy scripture maketh proper to God and our sauiour Christ alone Saluation be ascribed to him that sitteth vpon the throne of our God and to the Lambe It is the voyce of all them that are saued by Christ And therefore all the Angelles of God and all the creatures of God ioyne with them in confessyng that al blessyng glorye wisedome thankesgeuyng honour might and power ought to be ascribed to hym for euer and euer Consider this you papistes for your owne benefite learne to knowe what poperie is before you determine to dye therein And as in this general controuersie I haue called the papistes to knowledge and consideration of their owne groundes and principles so might I runne through euery particular errour of theirs But one or two may serue for examples Tell me you that would eate the naturall body of Christ in the sacrament doo you knowe what absurdities doo followe of it O you thinke it a goodly matter to receiue the body of Christ into your mouthe But if you had wit you woulde thinke it muche better to receiue Christ into your hartes and so to receiue him that he should neuer depart froÌ„ thence for he dwelleth in our hartes by fayth And so doo wee teache men to receiue the body of Christ by fayth that he may dwell with vs for euer Whereas they that teach you to receiue the naturall body into your mouthes giue no more to fayth then to infidelitie for wicked men as they saye receiue the body of Christ as well as the godly you will say yea but it taryeth not with the wicked No more it doth with the faithfull by your owne doctrine for you haue not yet determined howe farre it goeth downe into the stomacke of man nor howe long it abydeth but you all agree that it abydeth no longer then the fourmes of breade and myne remayne vncorrupt which is not long after they come into the stomacke but this is not all the absurditie that followeth of that eating For whyle you streine the body of Christ into so small a compasse and multiply the same into so manye places what else doo you but ouerthrow the truth of his naturall body Which if it be not like ours in all things except sinne then coulde it be no redemption of our bodyes Then haue we no hope of resurrection nor assumption into heauen which is grounded vpon the truth of this naturall body being fleshe of our fleshe and bone of our bone in which our nature he suffered death rose againe and ascended into heauen for vs But I may not stand vpon these matters Tell me you that woulde fayne heare your olde Latin seruice doo you knowe what it was Uerely a great part of it was such as you woulde bee ashamed to heare it in Englishe But if it had bene nothing else but the Scriptures of God and godly prayers yet the Apostle in his Epistle to the Corinthians telleth you plainly that beyng in a tongue vnknowen it were not meere for the Church of god But to leaue the Papistes and returne to the Galathians Tell mee sayth S. Paule you that would be vnder the lawe doo you heare the lawe or haue you read the lawe c. As if he should say take no heede what men beside the booke teache you of the lawe but looke to the lawe it selfe The false Apostles would haue borne the Galathians in hand that they must ioyne the obseruation of the lawe with the fayth of the Gospell They woulde not bring them altogether from Christ but they woulde match the ceremonies of Moyses lawe with the fayth of christ Wherefore the Apostle wylleth them to looke what the lawe sayth and not what these counterfeyt lawyers sayde He willeth them to examine the lawe whether it admitteth or alloweth any such mixture as they woulde bring in or no The lyke and in a manner the same controuersie wee haue nowe with the Papistes sauing that the Papistes as verie Antichristians are worse then the false Apostles They agree both in this that they ioyne workes wyth Christ merits with mercy man with God in the meane of our saluation but herein the false Apostles were lesse hurtfull that they ioyned the workes of the lawe which God himselfe required the Papistes ioyne works of Supereroâ—ation which are such as God neuer commaunded and preferre them as much more meritorious then any workes which God hath prescribed They both agree in this that they place righteousnesse in the obseruation of Ceremonies but the Papistes are more blasphemous then those false Apostles For they although they placed righteousnesse in Ceremonies yet it was in such ceremonies as God himselfe appoynted to be obserued for a time but the Papistes place instification in ceremonies which were neuer of Gods institution for Circumcision the passouer with other sacrifices and rytes of the olde Testament had God for their Author but holy water holybread Pilgrimages and such like had neither God nor good man for theyr founder but came from Antichrist the enemye of GOD and Christ. And therefore you that would be vnder the Lawe looke well to your footyng whether you stande vpon good grounde for if righteousnesse come by the Lawe then commeth it by suche deedes onely as the Lawe commaundeth And if a man may be iustified by obseruation of Ceremonies they must bee such Ceremonies as GOD hath required when euen of those which he hymselfe required beeing doone otherwise then hee meant them hee sayeth Who hath required these thyngs at your handes At whose handes doo you looke too receyue the rewarde of righteousnes is it not of hym that hath taught you the rule of ryghteousnesse Therefore if you wil be iustifyed by the Law looke what be the workes Ceremonies of the lawe keepe theÌ„ for god hath not promised the reward but to hym that obserueth them The man sayth hee that dooth them shall lyue in them Geue not eare therefore too the Papistes but geue eare too the Lawe if you hope too wynne rewarde by obseruing the lawe And especially in that poynt wherein the false Apostles of Sainct Paules tyme and the false Apostles of our tyme agree that is ioyning mans merit with Gods mercy Tell mee you that refuse too bee cleerly see at lybertie from the bondage of the Lawe by Christe and wyll needes bee vnder the Lawe doo you know the Lawe Can you tell whether God wyll allowe suche a mixture or no of woorkes and grace of mercy and merits If the condition of the lawe will beare suche a medley no man forbiddeth you but that you maye seeke righteousnes where
only by mercy only by fayth So the cause now followeth why Ismael could not be Abrahams heir and only Isaac was because Ismael was borne after the flesh and Isaac was borne by promyse The inheritance depended wholly vpon the promise and the promise altogether vpon the grace of god Therefore he that was borne after the promise was the heire not he that was borne after the flesh But this at the first view seemeth to be straunge why S. Paule shoulde say that Ismael was borne after the fleshe Isaac by promise Wheras there seemeth to be no difference but that Isaac was born after the fleshe as Ismael was for he was conceiued after the maner of al the worlde as Ismael was It is the only priuiledge of our sauiour Christ to be coÌ„ceiued by the holy ghost Wherfore Isaac might be thought to be borne after the flesh on the other side it seemeth that Ismael was borne by promise For AbrahaÌ„ was not moued by fleshly lust to take Agar to his wyfe but by the suggestion of Sara that he might haue an heyre of the promise Why should not Ismael then whose byrth was sought by so good an intent bee saide to be borne after the promyse And wherefore should Isaac bee denyed to be borne after the flesh wheÌ„ he was conceyued and borne as Ismael and all other men are But let vs heare what the Apostle sayth He that was borne of the bond woman was borne after the fleshe and hee that was borne of the free woman by promise Nowe let vs see howe Ismael was borne after the fleshe Isaac by promise If we looke to the conception of Ismael we shall see nothing in it but carnall and fleshly not only because it was altogether according to the course of nature but also chiefly because this deuise of Sara wherunto Abraham consented to beget children of Agar though it seemed to come of a good intent yet was it altogether carnall and fleshly But God woulde haue mans deuise to haue no place in the Natiuitie of Isaac because he should be a ryght figure and patterne of them that are heires of the promise For thus the case stood God had promised to Abraham to giue him the lande of Canaan and to his seede which shoulde be as the starres of heauen and as the sande of the sea innumerable that hee should be the father of many nations and that in his seede all the nations of the world should be blessed Now Abraham beleeued this promise of God and it was imputed to hym for righteousnes buâ— whyle he contynued stedfaste in this Fayth GOD seemed too suspend of long tyme the performance of hys promyse for AbrahaÌ„ waxed old Sara was both olde and barreyne so that all hope of Children betweene them seemed too be cut of at laste thys deuyse came intoo Saraes head that Abraham shoulde take Agar the Aegiptian her bondemayde too wyfe and so of her should begette ChildreÌ„ that should bee heyres of the promise No doubte her ende and purpose was to obteyne that which God had promysed and in suche respect and none other dyd Abraham agree too her deuise And here we see what good intents are if they be not directed by Gods woorde For surely the intent of Abraham Sara in this matter was exceeding good but theyr mean which they had deuised was starke nought For it was altogether beside the word of God it proceded not froÌ„ the spirit of God but froÌ„ the spirit of man froÌ„ flesh and blood and therefore it was a mere carnall and fleshely deuise although it hath a shewe of great godlynes yet is there no spark of godlines in it for it proceeded not of faith but of infidelity for although Sara beleeued the promise of God to bee true yet she thought it could not otherwise be performed but by this carnall deuise of hers she would helpe god to perfourme his promise wheÌ„ she thought he was flack in perfourmaÌ„ce saw more more difficulty to grow dayly by the age of AbrahaÌ„ encreasing in weaknes old yeares vnapt for generatioÌ„ such are al the deuises of meÌ„ by which they sek to obtein the promised inheritaÌ„ce of the kingdom of heaueÌ„ they be altogether carnal fleshly procede oÌ„ly of infidelity For why do they sek to adde any thing of their own to the most free gracious promise of god but that they doubt eyther of his strength or goodwil to perfourme that which he hath promised therfore they wil help the one with laying to the shoulders of their own streÌ„gth the other they wil procure by coÌ„mending the dignity and worthines of their owne persons as though God were not throughly wel pleased in his only begotteÌ„ son our Lord sauiour christ By this that hath been said I trust you do now vnderstaÌ„d how Ismael was born after the flesh namely that in his conceptioÌ„ generation there can nothing be coÌ„sidered that is heaueÌ„ly spiritual but altogether natural carnal For notwithstaÌ„ding ther was an inteÌ„t purpose to beget an heir of the promis yet eueÌ„ this inteÌ„t purpose being gouerned by a carnal fleshly deuise proued nothing els but an earthly carnall fleshly matter Wherfore he that was borne of the bond woman was borne altogether after the flesh Now let vs see how Isaac was borne by promise Isaac was born of Sara the free womaÌ„ not by her carnal deuise as his brother Ismael was but by faith in gods promise For Abraham was now old past the strength of begetting childreÌ„ Sara was both old barren here nature had denied theÌ„ children flesh blood had denied theÌ„ childreÌ„ humayn reason had denied theÌ„ childreÌ„ Therfore the childe that was now conceyued and borne came altogether by promis of God not by strength of man AbrahaÌ„ waxed nowe stroÌ„g in fayth though weake in body considered neither his own body as good as dead nor the dead woÌ„be of Sara his wife but only beleeued that he which had promised was also able to perfourme it And Sara by faith receiued streÌ„gth to coÌ„ceiue seed brought forth a son when she was past childbearing barrein bicause she compted him faithful which had promysed so that the whole woorke in the conception and birth of Isaac was proper to God and not to man and so dyd the whole prayse redâ—unde to God and not to man For Abrahams body beyng now as good as dead for age receyued new streÌ„gth for generation as if he had been restored from death to lyfe Sara beside her natural impediment of barrainnesse being taken away whiche kept her from bearyng of chyldren when shee was young beyng nowe nyentie yeares of age was endued with newe strength to conceyue Isaac and therefore here is nothing of mans strength or wisedome in Isaackes natiuitie to bee considered but onely the perfourmance of Gods promise And therefore God onely deserued to haue al the
prayse â–ª Whereas if Ismael shoulde haue inherited the promyse the leaâ—t portion of the prayse should haue been geuen to god For nature shoulde haue had one part because Abraham although he were old when he begate Ismael yet he was not so olde that he was past the strength of generation And as for Agar shee was lusty and in the flowre of her age What singuler prayse shoulde God haue had in this coÌ„ception other then in all naturall woorkes But the chiefe parte of the commendation shoulde haue been challenged by the wysedome of man For if this deuise of Sara had taken place howe muche thinke you woulde shee haue pleased her selfe in that witty inuention And Abrahams diligence and indeuour to put in practise this inuention of theirs might haue been thought woorthy of no small coÌ„mendation And in Ismael the title of First begotten woulde haue thrust in it selfe for some dignitie and portion of glorye Amongest these matters euery one setting foorth it felfe as worthy of the prayse I pray you howe small a pittance shoulde haue been leaft for the promise of GOD And as you see it here in the patternes so is it moste clearely to be seene in them that followe these patternes Whereby the Papistes shewe them selues most playnly to be after Ismael chyldren of the fleshe the naturall sonnes of the bondwoman borne after the fleshe For that they may be heyres of the promyse they ascribe somethyng to nature somethyng to mans wisedome somethyng to theyr owne industrie and by no means they wil bee perswaded to receyne the inheritaÌ„ce altogether by Gods promyse To nature with the heathen Philosophers they attribute the beginning of al vertues in themselues such strength as without the grace of God they maye dispose them selues to an aptnes to receiue the grace of God but wyth the grace of God they may be able to perfourme whatsoeuer God requyreth at theyr handes By mans wisdome they haue founde out woorkes of greater price and worthinesse to winne the fauour of God then God himselfe in hys Lawe hath prescribed and appointed And as for their own labour industry it dooth in a manner all in all for thereby nature is applied to winne grace grace is exercysed to merite rewarde wisdome is practised to increase merite which shal not only be sufficient for those that labour in them but also dooth ouerflowe too the satisfaction of other mens sinnes and too the obteyning of righteousnesse for other men which fayle in the measure of their owne In the meane tyme they saye they doo not exclude the grace of god No more dyd Ismael the promise of God but Ismaell coulde not inherite the promyse of God bycause hee was borne after the fleshe no more can they hee partakers of the grace of GOD bycause they seeke to procure it by camall and fleshly meanes And they only are after Isaac heyres of the promyse which pretende no tycle too the promysed inherytaunce but only the promise of GOD which seeke it only by grace and not by workes which obteyne it by Fayth and not by desertes For neyther nature nor the wisdome of man nor the strength of man nor the worthinesse of man made Isaac heir of the promise but only Faith in the promyse These thynges sayeth sainct Paule whych are written of the two Mothers in Abrahams house of contrary condition and the issue of them both are Allegoricall that is figuratiuely or typically to bee vnderstoode For in as muche as Abrahams house was the Churche of GOD suche notable euentes as happened in that householde were fygures and examples for vs too see the state of the Churche and dyuerse kyndes of men therein for all ages followying Wherefore as there was a bonde woman ingendring into bondage him that is borne after the fleshe euen in that familey so hath there alwayes bene in the outward face of the Church a great seede and multitude of Heretykes and Hypocrytes which haue sought iustificatioÌ„ by their owne merytes Suche wer before the comming of Christe a great number of the frowarde and obstynate Iewes and in the tyme of Christe the Scribes and Phariseys which abusing the doctrine of the law contrary to the scope and ende of the Lawe sought to establishe their owne righteousnes in obseruation and keepyng of the law but in the meane tyme they became voyde of the righteousnes of god And yet thy did not pretend to exclude the grace of God as appeareth righte well in that Phariseye of whome our Sauiour Christ telleth the Parable Luke 18. against them that trusted in themselues that they were ryghteous and despised other This Pharisey trusted in himselfe that hee was righteous and yet not without the grace of god For hee geueth God thankes that he was not as other men were or c. And such for al the world as this Pharisey was are the whole generation of Papistes For they wil seeme too ascribe much to the grace of God in forme of words and almost altogether and so dyd the Pharisey But yet neuerthelesse hee with them and they with hym are Ismaelites sonnes of the bonde woman borne after the fleshe bycause they ioigne any thing with the grace of God which only doth triumphe in the Saluation of all the Children of promyse For by grace you are saued sayeth the Apostle through Fayth and that not of your selues it is the gyfte of God not of works least any man should boaste And howe is boallyng excluded by the lawe of workes No but by the lawe of Fayth But let vs procede in the Texte The two Mothers sayth s. Paule are the two couenaÌ„ts or Testaments that is they represent vnto vs the two Testamentes or couenants that God hath made with mankinde touching their Saluation For God hath made two couenantes one in the Lawe the other in the Gospell the one the couenant of Iustice the other the couenant of mercy In the one he requireth perfect righteousnesse in the other hee offereth remission of sinnes And both these couenauntes haue a necessary vse to bring vs to saluation The Couenauntes of Iustice doe shew vs what perfection of rightuousnesse God requireth and how farre we are from it to humble vs inforce vs to seeke rightuousnesse els where then by our owne desertes And so the law when it is rightly vsed is sayde to be a Schoolemaster vnto christ For God dyd not make that couenaunt of rightuousnes with vs to the intent that we should obteyne righteousnesse by obseruation of the Law but by settinge before our eyes the impossibilytie of the condition which is required to be obserued and the extreeme sentence of Iustice when the condition is broken to driue vs altogether from hope of attayning to the rewarde of righteousnes by workes and to cause vs most ioyfully to receiue the seconde Couenaunt of his mercy offered in Christ. So that the law indeede prescribeth a rule of perfect rightuousnes if men could obserue it but in as
my people 11 And they shall not teache euery man his neyghbour and euery man hys brother saying Knowe the Lord for they shall al know mee from the least to the greatest of them 12 For I wyll bee mercyfull to their vnryghteousnesse and I wyll no more remember their sinnes and their iniquities Beholde this is the newe Testament this is the seconde Couenant of mercy not written in Tables of stone as the first Couenant of iustice was but in the fleshely Tables of our hartes by the spirite of god Of this Couenant Sara was a lyuely fygure when shee brought forth Isaac not by course of nature or Carnall deuyse as Ismael was begotten but by the power of GOD accordyng to hys promyse For by the doctrine of this couenant the children of God are borne vnto libertie through faith For to those that receiue Iesus Christ he giueth this dignitie that they should be the sonnes of God euē to those that beleeue in his name which are not borne of blood nor of the will of the fleshe nor of the will of man but of god And this is that lawe that commeth out of Sion that word that proceedeth out of Hierusalem which proclaimeth libertie freedome from Sion to all them that embrace Christ by faith The same godly matrone Sara being the mother of the faithfull is also a figure of the true Church of god which is no earthly Citie flourishyng in worldly dignity but is altogether heauenly and spirituall Hierusalem that is aboue is the mother of vs all For although a great number of children be dispersed ouer al the worlde yet is shee heauenly because shee hath her beginnyng of the heauenly grace and dwelleth aboue by Fayth and those her Children which are in the worlde are but Pilgrymes and straungers on the earth for their conuersation and dwelling theyr Franchise and libertie is in heauen from whence they looke for a Sauiour The word of promise and couenant of mercie is that incorruptible seede by which she conceiueth children heires vnto God In the same she hath milke for hir infantes and stronger meate for them of ryper age shee cherisheth and bryngeth them vp vntyll they come of yeeres apt to enioye their Fathers inheritance perfourming all offices and duetyes of a most kynd and naturall mother And therefore it is truely said hee shall not haue GOD to his Father that refuseth the Churche to bee his mother And here wee must note that there is but one true Churche namelye Heauenly Hierusalem the mother of vs all that are Gods Children and therefore all Heretikes and Scismatykes that bee not Chyldren of thys one mother are excluded from beyng Chyldren of god Here also wee see that the Churche is Catholike or Uniuersall and howe shee is Catholike or Uniuersall not in respecte of euerie great multitude that challengeth her to bee theyr mother but shee is the mother of all the faythfull of all the free borne Children of God that are borne accordyng to the promyse accordyng to the Couenant of Gods mercie and not of the wyll or workes merites or worchynesse of man but of the spirit of God. The thyrde condition she is heauenly shee is from aboue shee is not bounde to any place vpon the earth No she hath forsaken earthly Hierusalem to dwell in heauen And thinke you she wil forsake heauen to come downe and dwel in Rome No no all the inchanters and Sorcerers of Aegipt and Babilon cannot drawe her down from Heauen too place her seate at Rome If wee wil be Children of the freewoman wee muste looke vp intoo Heauen by Fayth where our Mother dwelleth and not too any place on earth neyther too Hierusalem in Iuda nor to Rome in Italy nor to Constantinople in Thracia nor to Alexandria in Aegypt nor to Antiochia in Syria but to Ierusalem in Heauen for she is the Mother of vs al that are the Children of god We learne here that if we be true children of Hierusalem that is aboue what manner lyfe and conuersation becōmeth vs namely such as our Mother is yea and our Father also heauenly Godly Spirituall Besides thys in that Hierusalem is aboue wee see howe madde the furie and rage of Tyraants is that thinke by persecutyng her Children which are straungers on earthe they can destroye and vanquishe her that is in Heauen whereas when they haue done the vttermost that their rage leadeth thē vnto that is to kyll their bodies they do but send home the Children to theyr Mother who as long as shee is great with Childe by the seede of the Gospell shee still traueleth in birth in bryngeth foorth men Chyldren which vnder their Prince and eldest Brother the Sonne of GOD shall treade downe that Dragons head that persecuteth the mother and the Children vntill hee bee caught by the heeles and throwne into the bottomlesse lake that burneth with fyer and brymston The fourthe condition of the Church is that she is free and therfore bringeth forth Children vntoo freedome Shee is free in that she is redeemed and bought out of bondage by the blood of the Sonne of God that she might be holy and vnspotted before hym not hauyng her owne ryghteousnesse wherewith she is adorned but the garment washed in the blood of Christ which is the righteousnesse of Sainctes Thus is shee a glorious mother and bringeth foorth Children that are made free from sinne and wickednesse to serue the Lorde GOD their father in holynesse and rlghteousnesse all the dayes of their lyfe By this that hath beene sayde it is manifest that the Church of Rome is not the Church of Christ for she is earthely glysteryng in Earthly glorye maynceyned by carnall strength and wysdome mainteyning the Doctrine of bondage and persecutyng the Gospell of lybertye Here also is decyded a great controuersye betweene the Papystes and vs whether the Catholyke Churche of Christe bee vysible yea or no. The Papystes stoutely mainteyne that the Catholike Churche is vysible that is apparant and open to bee seene to the eyes of all men and they thynke it the strongest reason they haue eyther too defende their Churche or to impugne ours that their Church hath alwayes beene and yet is vysible and in the open veywe of the world when our Church wythin these hundreth yeares was dryuen intoo Corners and not too bee spyede excepte it were in a fewe persecuted members The grounde they stande vppon is a wrong Interpretation of the saying of our Sauiour Chryste in the. 5. of Saincte Math. A City that is builded vpon an hill cannot be hidde But thys perteyneth nothing to the Cytie of Rome although it be builded not on one but vpon seuen hils For our Sauiour Christ as the whole contexte of his speach doth euydently declare speaketh not there of the Catholike Church but of hys Apostles that were appoynted to be the light of the world therfore must needs be seene were as a Cytie which is buylded on a hyll and therefore