Thus Christ hath shipped himselfe first and thereby assured vs that hee is with his Church and people in all their dangers and distresses and will witnesse that his presence either by miraculous deliverance or most mercifull supportance as he seeth it to be most for his glory and their true good The second sort of persons that were shipped are called his Disciples Disciple is properly a Latine word and doth signifie in English a Scholar or learner from the verbe Disco the Greeke also is of the same signification and is often so translated as where our Saviour saith Learne of mee And every one that hath heard and learned of the Father commeth unto me Let the woman learne in silence with all subiection In which and many other places which might be alledged but that these are sufficent for instance you have the word of the Text translated Learne as it properly signifieth So that every scholar or learner is called a disciple and of whom hee is taught or learneth he is called his disciple So we reade of Iohns disciples and of Moses disciples and so all Haeresiarches or Schismatickes that are factious and Schismaticall seeking to draw men to learne of them and embrace their opinions are said to draw disciples after them And thus all that professed Aristotle for their Master and were scholars in the schoole of the Peripatetickes Plato Pythagoras Zeno and others are said to have disciples that is scholars learners and professors of their doctrine and maximes The Hebrew also in Munsters Copie agreeth with both these And as from the Greeke word some speciall Sciences are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called the Mathematickes because of their deepnesse of learning and sharpnesse of wit and capacitie required in all the learners thereof so from the Hebrew word commeth the Iewes Thalmud that is Doctrinall a Systhema or composition of their doctrine The ancientest was composed about 230. yeares after Christ and was full of Iewish fables and Rabinicall Traditions but was afterwards refined and purged of many idle fables traditions and disputes by Moses the sonne of Maimon which is in great request amongst the Iewes unto this day and much alledged out of it by our best Writers You see then what the word Disciple signifieth according to the proprietie of holy languages Christ had two sorts of Disciples First in the largest sense all that professed the doctrine or Gospell of Christ were called his Disciples whether that profession was in sinceritie or but in hypocrisie so the Disciples were first called Christians in Antiochia And many of his Disciples went from him and walked no more with him Secondly and more strictly they were called his Disciples that not only learned and professed the Gospell but were also called and appointed of him to preach the Gospell to others And they were of two sorts first and of a lower order the seventie sent forth two and two before his face into every citie and place whither he himselfe would come to preach the Gospell and worke miracles And these both in Scriptures and Ecclesiasticall stories are known by the name of The seventy disciples Who these were though Eusebius Epiphanius and others tell us yet in the Gospell their names are concealed and Christ bade them reioyce that their names were written in heaven The other and higher order were the twelve Apostles many times called his Disciples and made knowne by their names The learned Divines say herein the truth answered ancient types both of the twelve Patriarches and seuentie Elders called their Sanedrim as some the seventie soules that came with Iacob into Aegypt Others the twelve fountaines of water and seventie Palme-trees in Elim Who those Disciples were that entred with Christ into the ship is a question because the Text doth not cleare it it is most probable that all the Apostles were there for confirmation of whose faith this miracle was wrought likewise that there were others as Mariners and it may be professours too for it is said the men marvelled but not the seventie I will not say none of those out of whom the seventie were chosen for that might be but not the seventie being chosen for by chronotaxie and harmonie of the Euangelists it appeareth that this miracle was wrought in the latter end of the first yeare of Christs Ministery the choosing and sending of the seventy was not till the third and last yeare of his preaching And this is all the light I have received from the Scriptures and Fathers concerning those Disciples that entred with Christ into the ship Now observe I pray you the passengers and observe it well that Iudas is gone aboord amongst the disciples a wicked man ever though as yet hee had not committed that transcendent wickednesse of betraying his Master What more observed by friends that stay behind Yea observe Christ hath a ship wherein Iudas was not but all passengers in it shall be saved beleeving one God one Faith one Baptisme one Church which is Holy Catholike and Apostolike out of which there is no salvation Therefore as the Lord added daily to the Church such as should be saved so every one that hath a care and desire of salvation must be sure that he be a member of that holy Church which is invisible an article of our Faith not but that wee see the bodies and professions of such but saving grace is not seene nor their election known but in iudgement of charity being that cōpany of the elect faithfull only gathered out of mankind by the Word and Spirit consenting in true faith here living and warring against the Devill world and flesh and this is called in Latine Ecclesia which yet is properly a Greeke word and commeth from such a theme as doth signifie to cal forth It was an ancient custome in Athens that a company of Citizens were called sorth by the voice of a Crier from the rest of the multitude to such an assembly wherein some publike speech was made or to heare relation of some sentence or iudgement of the Senate from whence it seemeth the Apostles translated the name Ecclesia to signifie such a congregation as commeth not together by chance but are called from the prophane multitude by the Crier of the Word and Spirit to professe God and true godlinesse I say againe that it is absolutely requisite to salvation that a man be a member of this Church called Company he that is not in this world a member of the Church Militant shall never in the world to come be a member of the Church Triumphant And therefore Saint Peter chargeth men to giue all diligence to make their calling and election sure Observe secondly that all the Disciples went into the ship where Christ was even Iudas amongst them for whose sake as some of the Fathers conceive this storme
modum supererit gaudium Hoc obnixè obtestatur Frater Orator foelicitatis vestrae studiosissimus T. J. A Logicall ANALYSIS of the Text. IN the historie of Christ his passage by Sea two principall things are to be observed viz. 1. Their shipping in the 23. verse where note 1. The persons who and are made knowne by two things and 1. By their number who were and CHRIST and His Disciples 2. By their order Christ went before and hâ— Disciples followed him 2. The vessell wherein a ship 2. Their sailing where note 1. Their danger in vers 24. wherein observe 1. A note of attention Behold and 2. A Narration which hath two parts 1. A declaration of the cause and that is 1. 〈…〉 a Tempest and 2. 〈◊〉 by two things 1. Qualitie it rose suddenly and 2. Quantitie a great one 2. Aâ—aâ—gravation of the danger by two circumstances 1. The ship was even covered with waves and 2. Christ himselfe was on sleepe 2. Their deliverance which is 1. Procured in the 25. verseâ— where note and 1. The persons procuring it His Disciples 2. Of whom they procure it Him 3. What they doe being come to him they awoke him 4. What they said which being supplicatory hath two parts 1. Their suit Lord save â—s and 2. Reason We perish 2. Performed by a double reprehension viz. 1. He reproveth his Disciples and that for two saâ—â—ts and 1. Their excessive feare Why are yee fearefull and 2. Their defective faith O yeâ— of little faith 2. He rebuketh the winds and sea where note 1. A preparation He arose and 2. Reprehension it selfe He rebuked the winds and the sea 3. The effects which were of two sorts 1. In the winds and sea There was a great calme and 2. In the men and was twofold viz. 1. Admiration But the men marvelled and 2. Interrogations where note 1. A 〈◊〉 What manner of man is this and 2. A Râ—â—son thereof For even the winds and sea obey him THE RAGING TEMPEST STILLED MATTH 8. 23 24 25 26 27. And when he was entred into a ship his disciples followed him c. Comment lit THey that goe downe to the Sea in ships and occupie their businesse in great waters these see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deepe for he commandeth raiseth the stormie winde which lifteth vp the waues thereof they mount vpto the heauen they goe downe againe to the depths their soule is melted because of trouble They reele to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at their wits end then they cry to the Lord in their trouble and he bringeth them out of their distresses he maketh the storme a calme so that the waues thereof are still Then are they glad because they be quiet so he bringeth them to their desired hauen Psal 107. 23 31. mystic Navicula Ecclesia est quae mari i. seculo fluctibus i. persequutionibus inquietatur Domino per patientiam veluti dormiente dâ—nec orationibus Sanctorum suscitatus compescat seculuÌ„ tranquillitatem suis red dat Tâ—rt l. de Baptismo cap. 12. LORD IESV CHRIST who art ascended on high leadest captivitie captive and giuest gifts unto men captivate and bring into subjection mine understanding will affections furnish me with gifts and guide mine heart tongue and pen that I may thinke write and speake such things as may be for thy glory the edification of thy Church and the peace and comfort of mine owne soule Amen And when he was entred into a ship Amongst other coÌ„forts refreshings which trauellers have in their journeyes voyages in this world this is none of the least that being wearied with tedious land-trauell they may more easily passe by water one maine end of the sea of great riuers wherewith it hath pleased God to interlace the habitable world as the naturall bodie with veines of bloud We have travelled a long and wearisome journey by land and fetched home the prodigall from a far countrey now if it please God and you we will refresh our selues by water we have beene in travell with the Wise-men who came from the East we have beene in the High Priests house where Peter denied his Master we have beene in the Pharisies house where the penitent woman washed Christs feet with teares we have been in the Temple where Iudas cast downe his silver we have beene in the field both in seed time in the parable of the sower and in harvest in the parable of wheat and tares we have beene in the garden in the parable of the sowing and growing of mustard-seed we have beene upon Mount Tabor in the storie of Christ his transfiguration and on Mount Calvarie where one of the theeves penitently confessed we have beene in the wildernesse in the parable of the shepherd seeking his lost sheepe we have beene in the Indies in the parable of seeking for hidden treasure yea we have in our meditations beene in the joyes of Heauen and torments of Hell in the parabâ—e of Dives and Lazarus we have beene almost every where but upon the sea in all our travels we have not taken ship till now but now by Gods grace we will make a sea-voyage But as wise mariners though wind and weather be never so faire and calme provide for a storme so I wish you provide your tacklings for I assure you we shall have a great storme but feare neither wind nor sea rock nor sand for Christ is our pilot and every passenger though much weather-beaten yet shall in the end arrive safely at the wished haven only as Paul before he tooke ship kneeled downe and praied be not wanting in your private praiers that God would send us a prosperous journey If it please you I will first parallel this storie with some other both positive exemplary Scriptures the former is in the Psalmes where the Psalmist saith They that go downe to the sea in ships occupie their businesse in great waters these see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deepe for he commandeth and raiseth the stormie wind which lifteth up the waves thereof they mount up to the heaven and goe downe againe to the depths their soule melteth because of the trouble they reele to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at their wits end then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble and he bringeth them out of their distresses he maketh the storme a calme so that the waves thereof are still then are they glad because they be quiet so he bringeth them to their desired haven Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare his wonderfull works to the children of men Oh what an excellent Comment is that on this storie Other such examples the Scriptures afford as a like storie we have in Ionah when he flying to Tharsis from the presence of the Lord the Lord raised a wonderfull storme and tempest
the sea wrought and was troublous the ship like to be broken so as the mariners were afraid and cried to their gods and cast forth their wares into the sea but the sea would not be calme till Ionah was cast into it A like we have in the New Testament in Pauls dangerous voyage towards Rome there rising so great a tempest that all hope to be saved was taken away and though they cast out the very tacklings and all yet upon boards broken peeces of the ship all came safe to land The letters of which storie afford many excellent and usefull instructions and specially to sea-men yea and to be laid up for future use of us all for howsoeuer we have beene borne and lived long upon the land yet it may be we have beene or we know not how we may be endangered and tossed upon sea before we die But specially the mysterie doth greatly concerne us all for preparation whereunto be pleased to note that there are many histories in the word which either are Allegoricall in signification or may be Allegorically compared and resembled we haue good warrant from the Scriptures for it It is a plaine storie that Abraham had two sons the one by a free-woman Sarai the other by a bond-maid Hagar yet the Apostle saith these things are an Allegorie and signifie the two Testaments or Covenants of Works and Grace Noahs Arke wherein eight persons were saved a true storie yet S. Peter maketh it a figure of Baptisme wherby we are saved The children of Israels passing thorow the red sea a true storie yet the Apostle maketh that also a figure of Baptisme The children of Israel did drinke of the water out of a rocke a true storie yet the Apostle saith that rocke was Christ God fed them with Manna from heaven a true storie yet Christ saith I am that bread of life which came downe from heaven Solomons mariage with Pharaohs daughter a true storie yet representeth vnto vs Christ his espousing of the Churches of the Gentiles Many such there might be produced of which nature this present storie is as all that I have seene commenting on the same doe unanimously affirme And therefore reserving the truth of the storie by sea here we may understand this world so it is compared by S. Iohn Before the throne there was a sea of glasse like Crystall like a sea for as it is sometimes calme so doth it many times rage is in wonderfull motion agitation full of rocks syrtes sands by allusion whereunto the Apostle speaketh of some tossed to and fro carried about with winds of doctrine yea and speaketh of some that haue made shipwracke but a sea of glasse for no glasse so brittle subiect to cracks as this world but a sea of Crystall too Sathan is the prince of darknesse and his children are children of darknesse and their works are works of darknesse such subtill and politick plots and projects against the Church as no eye can see or discerne them but as a mans eye will easily discerne the least spot yea or mote in Crystall so and a thousand times more clearely doth God see and discerne euen the secretest thoughts of mens hearts all things being naked and open before his eies with whom we haue to doe and the eyes of Christ being like a flame of fire carrying light which way soeuer it pleaseth him to look And as the Arke of Noah so this ship into which Christ and dis disciples entred may represent vnto vs the Church militant wherein Christ and all the faithfull do passe towards the haven of happinesse and in most resemblances is wonderfull fit as hereafter more fully Thirdly this great tempest upon the sea endangering the ship doth liuely represent the great troubles and persecutions which the Deuill and bloudie Tyrants raise in the world against the true Church of Christ threatning in mans iudgement the utter ruine destruction thereof whereof David thus speaketh in one metaphor The sorrowes of death compassed me the flouds of ungodly men make me afraid and againe If the Lord had not been on our side when men rose up against us the waters had overwhelmed us the streame had gone over our soule Then the proud waters had gone over our soule And the Lord thus threatneth I will bring upon them the waters of the river even the King of Assyria And David thus prayed Save me O God for the waters are come into my soule I am come into deepe waters where the flouds over-flow me Fourthly Christ his being on sleepe in this storme when the ship was in such danger doth represent Christ his seeming to neglect his Church in her persecutions and to leave his people in their enemies hands about which they thus expostulate Why doest thou absent thy selfe in this needfull time of trouble we crie and thou hearest not O God how long shall the Adversarie doe this dishonour how long shall the enemie blaspheme thy name for euer why withdrawest thou thine hand eve thy right hand plucke it out of thy bosome arise O God plead thine own cause Arise O Lord to save me c. And againe more plainly in the metaphor of my text Arise O God in thine anger lift up thy selfe because of the rage of mine enemies and awake for me to the iudgement that thou hast cōmanded c. And again Awake why sleepest thou O God arise cast us not off for ever wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and oppression The like in other places whereof more hereafter The Disciples comming unto Christ and as it were with out-cries awakening him doth shadow out the prayers of the faithfull who in the distresses of the Church doe day and night call and crie to him to awake arise and defend his Church whereof I have even now alledged some examples out of the Psalmes Christ his arising and rebuking winds and seas and causing a great calme doth represent Gods entring into judgement with the enemies of his Church apparently rebuking them with sudden death or some great and visible judgement whereupon great peace commeth to Gods Church and people So that I know no Story which may be allegorized by greater authority frō the Scriptures than this And as by authoritie of the Scriptures so of the learned Fathers witnesse that short metaphrase of Tertullian lib. de Baptismo cap. 12. a very learned and one of the ancientest Fathers for there were but Iustin Martyr and Irenaeus before him Clemens Alexandrinus was his synchronos or coetaneus viz. within two hundred yeares after Christ so rarely qualified humanis divinis disciplinis that both Ierom and Lactantius commend him and Cyprian usually called for his works thus Da magistrum Sixtus Senens Navicula Ecclesia est quae
did arise Then is this societie a shadow or figure of the visible Church By visible and invisible I do not mean two distinct Churches as our Adversaries falsly charge us as if a member of the visible were not also a member of the invisible but I distinguish the divers considerations of the same Church which is visible in respect of profession and use of the Word and Sacraments but invisible in respect of saving grace wherein only elect doe communicate and whose bodies profession is visible but saving grace invisible unknown of us saving in the judgement of charity As all men might know Nathaniel to be an Israelite but to be a true Israelite in whom was no guile that Christ only knew so that many of the invisible lie hid in the visible as a part in the whole which visible Church may be thus described viz. It is a mixed company that professe that doctrine which is according to godlines having the word of God for matters fundamentall purely preached Sacraments for substance sincerely administred And I say this is a mixed company For in such a company may be ludas and many unregenerate and hypocrites in the visible which are not of the invisible Church This Church was shadowed out by Noahs Arke wherein were both cleane and uncleane beasts by a floare having a heape of corne and chaffe mingled together a field wherein wheat and tares grow together a draw-net gathering all sorts of fishes good and bad a wedding wherein are guests that have the wedding garment and that want it by a company wherein are both wise and foolish virgins the one having lampes and oyle the others lampes onely a flocke of sheepe and goats Matth. 25. 32. a great house wherein there are vessels of gold and siluer so also of wood and earth some to honour and some to dishonour And this visible Church is two-fold Vniversall and Particular the Vniversall visible Church is the company of all such as professe the doctrine of godlinesse and enioy the ministerie of the Word and Sacraments wheresoever in the world they be A Particular visible Church is a company professing as before but receiving denomination from the Countrie Kingdome or Citie as the Church of England Scotland Bohemia Corinth Galatia Ephesus Philippi which is the reason why particular visible Churches are so affected with ioy or griefe at one anothers prosperitie or adversitie because in effect they are even the same and as members of the same bodie parts of the whole Thus we have shipped the passengers Now as friends at parting have commonly some loving Charge or other suffer me before they launch forth to give to them and in them to you and us all a double warning viz. Beware of departure from and of division among I say beware of departure and division goe not out fall not out For the first howsoever Iudas the covetous wretch and who afterwards was Traitor be in the company yet let none depart from the ship and forsake the fellowship of Christ and the rest of the disciples for his sake it had been no lesse dāgerous to the bodie of any of them to have gone out of the ship into the sea than it is to the soule of any to depart from a true visible Church where Christ and his Disciples are I doe not deny but for many respects it may be warrantable for a man to depart from one visible Church to become a member of another yea for a time to dwel where no visible Church is but to depart because of some corruptions specially in discipline or manners is the dangerous departure condemned by the Scriptures and the ancient Fathers in Donatists Novatians Catharists and such like Separatists of all whom S. Iohn hath pronounced They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had beene of us they would no doubt haue continued with us neither shall such departers ever satisfie their blind and preposterous zeale There never was nor will be a visible Church in this world without great blemishes faults and corruptions Looke upon the state of the Church from the beginning of the world and you will finde it so yet in all the Scriptures there is no precept rightly understood commanding to depart nor warrantable example of any that have so departed A thing also which the Fathers in their times haue exceedingly declamed against Not that we should sit downe carelesse and not take to heart the corruptions of Church or Common-wealth or as if Magistrates and Ministers by word and sword should not endeuour reformation Indeed the Master said to his servants Let both grow together till the harvest which place the Anabaptists abuse amongst others to proue a toleration and S. Augustines opinion was so at the first as himselfe confesseth and gave his Reason lest professed Heretikes should become dissembling Hypocrites but Luther hath both shortly and soundly expounded the place saying It is not a sentence of approbation but of consolation that we should not endevour reformation but a comfort when we cannot so reforme but still there will be corruptions yet for them not to forsake the fellowship as the manner of some is But these things I have more largely handled and pressed in this place hereto fore from some other Scriptures and because such departure is not now so hot and common as it hath beene I passe it over with this touch and caution in few words given The second charge I give is the same that Ioseph gave to his brethren Beware of division and falling out All division is dangerous be it of Kings Cities or Families as our Saviour saith Every kingdome divided against it selfe shall be brought to desolation and every citie or house divided against it selfe shall not stand but no division so dangerous as that in a ship and specially in a storme what doth that threaten but ship wrack and destrucction to them all Wherefore there is nothing that Sathan more laboureth and wherein he doth more hurt than by causing of divisions and nothing more commanded than peace amitie and unitie Have salt in your selves and have peace one with another The Angels at Christ his comming into the world proclaimed peace and Christ at his going out of the world bequeathed peace My peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you The Apostles still wished Grace and Peace to those Churches to which they wrote and inioyned the Saints If it be possible and as much as lieth in them to liue peaceably with all men yea to follow peace with all men and to striue to keepe the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace And here I cannot sufficiently wonder at the Romanists that considering our unite and the great and grievous divisions in the Synagogue of Rome yet the Romanists are not ashamed
was famous throughout the world and affoorded so many Martyrs and let it be granted that this was Simon Peters ship which hee had left when Christ called him but not aliened the propertie but afterward used it for fishing Yet then let the Papists be pleased to note that if it were Peters it was but a fisher boat a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a navicula rather a cock-boat or small Barke Ascendente in naviculam Vulg. Mald. Band omnes Pontificij no man of war with flags streamers and abundance of cast peeces as theirs is a Beare with 3. ribs in his mouth Alas the Church of God is poore simple and abiect in comparison of other societies Witnes God himselfe who hath described it thus saying Oh thou afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted far unlike the Romish Church which challengeth Vnitie Visibilitie Antiquitie Vniversalitie Miracles and whatsoever may make her glorious in the world I beseech you let us not contend with them in this for the judgement of God is so upon them that nothing doth more disprove them from being the true Church of God than what they doe most challenge for themselves But why would Christ enter into a ship seeing he could walke upon the sea was it not he that led the people of Israel thorow the red sea himselfe walked on the sea and made Peter to doe so too If then he would not enable his Disciples to doe so yet why did he not compell the Disciples to enter into a ship but himselfe to walke after them upon the sea as at another time he did I Answer though he that made the sea could have walked on it yet for three causes specially he would now go in the ship First to declare the truth of his Humanitie which hee well fore-saw would be denied by Manechies Marcionites and other Heretiques and therefore as at other times so specially when he wrought any glorious miracle for declaration of his Deitie he also gave some testimonie of true Humanitie As man he did spit upon the ground as God with clay he cured him that was borne blinde as man hee wept for Lazarus his death as God he raised him that had been foure daies dead as man he entred into a ship and slept as God he stilled the raging of the winds and seas If the Disciples seeing him but once to walke upon the sea were troubled saying It is a spirit and they cried out for feare What would they have thought if he had used it ordinarily And if they were so terrified and affrighted supposing they had seene a spirit because the doores being shut hee stood in the midst of them What would they have thought if he had alwaies so supernaturally and miraculously so behaved himselfe Wherefore to declare the truth of his Humanitie hee would now enter into a ship with his Disciples Secondly for the confirmation of their faith and enabling them to greater trials first he would now be with them and but on sleepe but the next time he will be absent see how they profited by this Thus doth God proceed from lesser to greater seeing what use wee make of former providence helpe grace and goodnesse Thirdly that by his Example hee might teach us to use lawfull meanes in our callings and as wee trauell by water or land and not tempt God by rashnesse and presumption casting our selues into needlesse perils and dangers the Devill placed Christ on a pinacle of the Temple and bade him cast himselfe downe which hee could have done without hurt yet to teach us how to carrie our selves in the like case he answered It is written Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God So if men have occasion to passe over rivers or seas we must not with Peter strive to walke upon the sea lest we linke and be drowned as he might have beene if his Master had not saved him but by bridges ships and such ordinary waies and meanes as God by mans art hath appointed So much for the sense The letter teacheth vs that it is a thing lawfull and warrantable for Christ his Disciples as occasions serve to travell in boats and ships from place to place yea and if there arise a storme and they come into danger of life yet not to be out of heart as if they were not in their waies and therefore not to hope for protection yea though they might with more toile have gone to the same place on foot and by land for Christ and his Disciples might have gone from Bethsaida to Gaderen by land this sea being but a lake so as if they would have compassed the lake they had met with no water saving Iordan over which there were doubtles bridges and safe passages but Christ and his Disciples to avoid that toile and being wearie take ship and goe by sea warranting the like yea if any shall take ship but for pleasure and recreation it is lawfull as for pleasure to ride on horse or in coach Christ hath sanctified these things to his children I am not ignorant that this doctrine is gain-said and that wise men specially amongst the Heathen have disliked Navigation and declaimed against it and the invention thereof as one saith Goe and commit thy life to the winds trusting in wood not foure inches from death Horace admireth the boldnesse of him that first went in ship It was one of the three things that Cato repented Travell by sea when by land hee might haue gone And Antigonus gaue his sonnes charge that they never hazard themselues on such adventures and the Greeke Comicke saith It is better to be poore by land than rich by sea But these were Heathen men and though some fearefull Christians be little wiser thinking it ever safest to see raging waters from the shore yet wee are better taught in Gods Schoole viz. That as all other Arts are primarily and originally from God that first and most perfect intelligible so specially this of Navigation for God himselfe gave expresse direction to Noah how to build the Arke for the saving of the creatures in the Deluge which was the first vessell for any thing we know that ever floated on the sea and which resting upon the Mountaines of Armenia was the modell or Idaea for the building of ships the Phenicians and after the Aegyptians being the first that practised this Art which is growne to a wonderfull perfection specially since the invention of the Load-stone and it is primarily from God which by experience is growne to such perfection so exceeding vsefull and profitable for Man for this is first a singular meanes of provision for how doth the sea contend with the earth for plenty variety and delicacie how many sundry sorts of most wholesome delicate fishes for food and most usefull for their bones and oile doth the sea yeeld which we
could never enioy to Gods praise and our comfort but by the benefit of ships Againe God having enriched severall Countries with severall commodities and scarce any one that affordeth all things even for the being much lesse the well being of man but as some have great store of Corne others abound with Wine others have plentie of Fruits others stored with mines of Gold Silver Copper Tinne Lead or Iron others are for breed of Cattell that as in the bodie of the little world the head cannot say to the foot I haue no need of thee so in the body of the great world one Country cannot say to another I have no need of thee and though never so farre distant yet by benefit of Navigation the Commodities of severall Nations are exchanged merchandize with wonderfull encrease of wealth is maintained yea the knowledge of God propagated farre remote countries by this meanes being made as neare neighbours and daily passage from one to another as over a woodden bridge Lastly it is a wonderfull ease in journey shipping maketh great burthens light and long waies short conveying both persons and commodities from place to place both with more ease in shorter time and with farre lesser charge so beneficiall is the Art of Navigation Now to make Application Iacob blessing his Sonnes before his death and in spirit foreseeing their placing in Canaan as if with Iosuah he had seene the Lots cast and falne gave this blessing to his Sonne Zebulun Zebulun shall dwell at the Hauen of the Sea and he shall be for an Hauen of Ships In this Tribe was this Sea Corazin Bethsaida Capernaum which was so commodious gainful a dwelling that Moses before his death blessing the Tribes â—â—ddeth Reioyce Zebulun in thy goings out First in thy prosperous voiages whereby they did suck of the abundance of the Seas and of treasures hid in the Sands The people were so rich in Solomons daies that in Ierusalem Silver was as plentifull as stones but by his Ships he fetched it from Ophir England is a fruitfull Countrey and as compleat in it selfe as any I reade of a verie Canaan flowing with Milke and Honie specially abounding with such things as are for food and apparell which giue the Law to all other Merchandize Yet we want I say not Tabacco I would we wanted that Indian Gold and Silver and Wine and Weed and all rather than it should be so abused through wantonnesse and riot But we want Spices and thousands of comfortable blessings Our Merchants fetch them from farre in their Ships wherein they excell all Nations Lastly whereas Inhabitants in the maine Continents are subiect to sudden and violent incursions of enemies so as many times when no danger is suspected Cities and Castles are surprized and Princes led into captivitie by their enemies how doth Nature and Art secure us Islanders Nature having digged so great and unpassable a Ditch without great and long preparation and Art builded such strong though woodden Wals Castles and Bulwarkes Wherefore that we may be happie still as well in Earthly as Heavenly things let vs pray God to maintaine Merchandize the sinew of our wealth peace and welfare that they may cheerefully goe out and in and with Zebulun reioyce in their trading export such things as we can spare and import such blessings as we want And specially for his Maiesties Roiall Navie that that may be as a ready-well-furnished Wall and Castle of defense for the propulsation of everie invading Foe And so much be said of the Letter It is generally agreed by the ancient Fathers and later Divines both orthodoxall and heretical that the Ship is a most excellent Embleme and Hieroglyphick wherein is most lively almost in all things as may be gathered from the Scriptures and writings of learned Divines represented the state and condition of a true visible Church in this world The Ship I say resembleth the Church the Sea the world the storme persecutions Christ his sleepe his patience the Haven is Heaven the Pilot is Christ the Mariners Prophets Apostles Ministers the Passengers Christians divers roomes divers orders and offices the maine Mast Christs Crosse the Sailes profession of godlinesse the wind the Spirit of God the contrarie winds the counterblasts of Satan by false Doctrine the Card and Compasse whereby they saile Gods Word the pixis nautica which only eieth the fixed North Pole Faith the Cable and cordage Love the Anchor hope praiers and teares their Ordnance Word and Sacraments their food Gods good pleasure the Rudder and prosperitie the Remora which maketh the Ship stand still or saile verie slowly If I should now insist vpon these things and shew you both by what authoritie from Scriptures or Fathers or both I frame this Allegorie and how fit this resemblance is in all the passages thereof in many a Lecture I could not dispatch it I hasten to things more profitable and doe only in generall propose it and referre the particulars to your owne further meditation and now come to resolue the waightiest question which troubleth so many in these daies viz. Which is that Ship wherein Christ and his Disciples are seeing everie Ship saith he is there which is that true visible Church in these daies wherein to live and whereof to be a member is most happy To search all the Ships Pinnesses and Cock-boats which are or have beene upon the Sea were an endlesse labour there are or have beene so many Iewes Turks Arrians Anabaptists Familists yea and fruitlesse for many of them which formerly have failed faire and troubled the eies of beholders have suffered Ship-wrack and are long since sunck only some few peeces of their broken Ships doe float here and there and others have received great leakes and will sinke of themselues which shew that Christ is not in them I will only search two viz. the Romish Ship which they say is the only Ship of Christ and Peter and the Ship of the Reformed Church which they say is but an haereticall Cock-boat Have but patience and by Gods grace I shall resolve the question in whether of these doe Christ and his Disciples passe that so we may ship our selves with them For the Church of Rome there is nothing better pleaseth them than this Allegorie they say theirs is Peters Ship and therefore expresse it upon the Wals and in Tabletures in portraiture of a beautifull and goodly Ship vnder sailes the Pope at the Sterne Cardinals and Bishops and Shavelings the Mariners and plying their tacklings and the poore Protestants as Hereticks cast over board and swimming a while for life but in the end drowned And therefore they send out their Emissaries Iesuits Priests to draw all Disciples to board there But let me tell you I have searched that Ship and finde it a faire one to looke on and furnished with Masts Yards Cables Cordage large Sailes and mightie Ordnance a
blush that Bellarmine so well knowing what are the lives and conversations of men and women in that Church should not be ashamed of this and is sufficiently confuted by their owne iest of the Duke of Vrbins Painter who being hired by a Cardinall to picture the Images of Peter and Paul the Cardinall told him he had painted them too high-coloured in the face the Painter replied that when they were alive they looked pale with preaching and fasting but now they were so red with blushing at the wickednesse of their successors I will not deny but Rome was an holy Church when S. Paul did write his Epistle to it and during the continuance of 63 Bishops till Boniface the first Pope set up by Phocas who had killed the Emperour Mauritius and his wife and children Many of which said Bishops were Martyrs for Christ and his Gospell which they now persecute and sanctitas vitae is gone I need not reprove the Lay-mens lives wherein some live civilly and morally yea in superstition and blinde devotion severe and not sparing the body But if they would have the world beleeve Romanists are so holy they must not wipe expunge but burne Bernards Sermons Platina Baronius Annals Iansenius c. who have made it known to all the world that Popes themselves have beene convicted of Atheisme Sorcerie Heresie Blasphemie Sodomie Incest Whoredome Adultery Simonie as for Covetousnesse Pride Drunkennesse ordinarie faults `` Only let us marke that as they deceive the simple with glorious titles of Catholike and holy mother Church and honour the Pope with the like of Christ his Vicar and Peters Successour so doe they strangely gull the world in changing the Popes names The first was Sergius who because his owne name Bocca di Porco or Swines-mouth was not consonant to his dignitie hee was called Sergius and so ever since if any be an absolute Atheist he is called Pius if a bloudie Tyrant Clemens if a Coward Leo if a Rusticke Vrbanus if an harmefull man Innocens if a drowsie sluggard Gregorie if an earthly minded man Coelestinus if cursed of God and man Benedict Thus they take great paines to gild and decke their Pilot who sitteth at the sterne by which meanes they draw not a few passengers into their vessell and having put a faire Coape upon the Pope and made him in his name an holy blessed and good man then they stand for sanctitas vitae to be a note of the Church and might have done so with fairer pretence if they had also changed Pope Ioan the harlots name and have called her Casta or Matrona c. Was not Pope Ioan a fit Head for such an holy Church which having plaid the whore fell in travell in the midst of procession Was not the Cardinall of Crema a fit Legat from such an holy Church who in a Councell at London inveighing against the marriage of Priests and with these words It was a shamefull thing to rise from the sides of an whore to make Christs bodie was the same night following taken in bed with a notable whore Yea they must be sure also to burne all the Rolles and Records in England the suppression of their Abbeyes and Nunries here bringing to light such abominations as are not onely a shame to speake but rehearsall whereof would infect the aire yea they must be sure to burne the booke of Revelation too for that telleth us and wee finde true by experience that Rome is an habitation of Devils and a cage of all uncleane birds a sinke of sin and confluent of all uncleannesse and iniquitie I will conclude with the testimonies of two men the first one of their owne a famous Predicant in Turin in Savoy who comming to speake of Sancta Ecclesia he was so far from making it a note of the Church with Bellarmine that fearing hee should rather prove the Calvinists to be the true Church by that he thought good rather against all points of schollership and specially in the tongues to derive sanctam from sancio sancivi Sic Panegirolla ut in Car. Lett. pag. 118. The other a worthie Doctor of our Church having spent many yeeres amongst the throng of Papists in Lancashire professeth that fowlest disorders were ever in those parts where the people were most Pope-holy being generally buried in sinne swearing vncleannesse drunkennesse most dissolute fierce and inhumane behaviour ring-leaders in riotous companies drunken meetings seditious assemblies in profaning the Sabbath quarrels braules and all Heathenish customes But I purposely forbeare to rake in this filthie puddle which I would have passed by if they had not beene so shamelesse to make holinesse of life a note of the Church Let vs blesse God that in our Church and other Reformed Churches we have for a Pilot and Master one of the Trinitie House we have the holy Scriptures and Sacraments purely and sincerely preached and administred According to the foure first generall Councels and whatsoever the Fathers living within the first five hundred yeeres after Christ unanimously taught as needfull to salvation we beleeve and professe And though we have too many sins amongst us yet by the Word and Sword of Civill and Ecclesiasticall Magistrates they are so rebuked and reformed that if we stood to the triall of these two notes it would be found that our Church is the holy Church of God the true ship wherein Christ and his Disciples are and the Church of Rome an Antichristian Hereticall Apostaticall and prophane Synagogue a man of warre and ship of Pirats and therefore all men must take heed of passing in her VERSE 24. And behold there arose a great tempest in the Sea in so much that the ship was covered with the waves but he was on sleepe THe passengers being all shipped now we proceed to the hoyssing of the sailes and launching forth into the deepe and the whole storie of their voyage wherein three things are to be considered viz. First the great perill jeopardie they were in Secondly their deliverance out of it Thirdly The effects thereof Their perill and danger is reported in this 24. verse where we have First a note of attention Behold Secondly the Narration therof it selfe which hath two parts viz. First a Declaration of the cause of their danger and secondly an aggravation of the danger it selfe In the Declaration the cause of danger is first in one word expressed a Tempest secondly described by two things viz. First the qualitie it was sudden it arose secondly the quantitie it was great The danger is aggravated by two circumstances the first concerneth the cause of their danger the tempest was so great that even the ship was covered with waves the second concerned the meanes of their safetie and securitie Christ was on sleepe which in their conceit did not a little aggravate their perill Of these in order And first for the first part viz. The note of regard Such
long as Satan possesseth the Palace all is in peace so long as a man is wholy vnregenerate all is in quiet Rebekah by the striving of the Twins in her Wombe knew she was with child the barren feele no such matter The Children of God know that there is Spirit within them as well as flesh because these doe so lust strive one against another There cannot be a greater argument that a man or woman are altogether carnall and unregenerate and earthly than that they have no experience of this spirituall warfare conflict but rather glorie that they never doubted of Gods love remission of sinnes and salvation but were ever assured of those things not doubting but if any be saved they shall Oh it is most wonderfull to heare the vild and strange presumption of men and women who yet are most sinfull and wicked in their lives and conversations and thereby proclaime that there is no true knowledge feare nor love of God in them Oh this is a fearefull condition indeed a flat argument of a reprobate sense of a benummed yea a seared and cauterized Conscience therefore tremble to thinke of this but reioice in the other Thirdly this storme will over it never endureth longer than this life seldome if ever so long Heavinesse may endure for a night but joy will come in the morning Christ hath said ye shall weepe and lament but the world shall rejoice and ye shall be sorrowfull but your sorrow shall be turned into joy and your joy shall no man take from you How many thousands of Gods Children who have beene in their times tossed with waves and billowes of discomfort and distresse who have now found eternall rest to their Soules and praise God day and night who lead them thorow fire and water into such a wealthy place Lastly know that Christ is in thy Soule in all this thy dolefull estate and condition he will not leave thee nor forsake thee no more than he did this Ship in the Tempest he may be as on sleepe and make as if he heard not and regarded not the more to try thy faith and patience but he is a sure and a faithfull friend never neerer than when he seemeth furthest off never will doe a man more good than when he seemeth least to regard him in his good time he will rebuke Satan and thy rebellious Lusts and send a most gracious calme That thou maiest say with David now returne to thy rest oh my Soule the Lord hath well rewarded thee Yea thou shalt be compassed about with Songs of deliverance Oh but how might we procure this happie calme I answer that many times it is the evill temper and disposition of the body as melancholy that causeth such troubles and stormes in the Soule and in such case the Physitian is to be aduised with and his counsell direction followed But which way soever it doe arise the context will teach you there are three waies and meanes for the quieting and calming of the troubled soule viz. First their owne prayers You see in this tempest the Disciples goe to Christ and pray to him So hath God commanded Call on me in the day of thy trouble and I will heare thee Is any afflicted let him pray Iam. 5. 15. Thus did David in his distresse give himselfe to prayer and got him to his Lord right humbly and prayed My God my God looke upon me So did Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and put up his supplication with strong crying and teares So did Ionah Out of the belly of hell I cried unto thee Neither let any of Gods children be discouraged though they cannot expresse their wants or desire supply of grace as they would or as they heare others The Apostles did but pray Lord save us we perish and Christ heard them and rebuked the winds and seas The Publican did but pray Lord be mercifull to me a sinner and went home iustified The penitēt theefe on the crosse did but pray Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome And Christ promised that night he should be with him in Paradise If thou canst but say feelingly fervently Lord save mee Lord have mercy on mee Lord give me peace of conscience Lord quiet my mind Lord rebuke Satan Lord helpe mine unbeleefe Lord assure my soule of thy love euen such are most powerfull prayers with God Neither yet let them be discouraged because they are not presently heard but many and many times they have prayed and receive no answer Remember it was Davids case I crie all the day long and thou hearest not It was the woman of Canaans case who received many discouragements from Christ and his Disciples yet still continuing her praier in the end received a gracious answer O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Let us not prescribe God his time or meanes when or how but still with Iacob wrestle and resolve he shall still heare of us till he doe helpe us and assuredly he hath a good time when he will speake peace to our Soules The storme shall not continue for ever in the meane time he will be sure to keepe from drowning Secondly note that in this storme some one doth not goe of himselfe neither doe they make one or two as Peter or Iohn their Deputies or Committies to goe and awaken Christ and to pray him save them but the Text saith the Disciples went to him So the second way of comfort which God hath appointed that sinners sinke not into despaire is confession of our case and condition and to crave the helpe and comfort of others praiers and good counsels and above all the comfort of the Ministers absolution in the name of Christ pronouncing remission to everie true penitent Oh there is nothing more dangerous to the Soule or that Satan more laboureth than that a sinner should keepe his counsell and by no meanes make his griefe or disconsolate estate knowne for verily even in making it knowne the Tempest is halfe calmed Howsoever then the Papists namely a sometime rotten member of this body to make us and our profession odious to the world declaime against us as enemies to praying fasting virginitie good workes confession yea that the people in our Church are deprived of a great comfort that though their Soules be never so oppressed and disquieted through sinne they have none to goe and confesse unto that hath the seale of secresie We give all the world to understand that we neither write or speake against any of the former workes of pietie and godlinesse but against their corruptions not against praier but performance of it in a strange Tongue for custome not of conscience according to the number of Beads not sense of want Wee speake not against fasting but the Pharisaicall abuse of
this Miracle might be the more which redoundeth to Christ froÌ„ causing this calme the Euangelist telleth us there was a tempest a sudden tempest a great tempest and it appeareth it was so from divers passages of the storie For first the instrumentall Cause was a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sudden and furious winde which God did cast upon the Sea for so the word in Ionah signifieth the waves also so lifted up and tossed with it that the very ship was covered with them or as the word signifieth was filled brim full for S. Marke useth the same word which is used in S. Iohn at the Mariage-Feast in Cana of Galile where the Water-pots are said to be filled up to the brim yea the passengers whereof some of them were Fishermen as Peter Andrew Iames Iohn were exceedingly fearefull they should be drowned Surely they had seene many a tempest before and were men inured and accustomed to such dangers of whom the Poet saith truly Their hearts are of brasse and oake to encounter dangers yet even they are as at their wits end as David saith and distracted with the greatnesse of this perill and cry out to their Master Saue vs wee perish All which declare the truth of my Text that this was a great dangerous tempest indeed wherof more hereafter wheÌ„l come to speake of the ship being covered with waves In the meane time receive this doctrine which coÌ„taineth both the History Mysterie viz. That God many times suffereth his people to come into great perills dangers extremities and very hard exigents before he deliuer them which being a doctrine lately and largely in this place handled from another Text I onely now barely propose it and proceed Vpon the Sea When God divided the waters from the dry land he called the dry land Earth and the gathering together of the waters Seas and ever since the Hebrewes have usually called all collections and gatherings together of waters Seas Yea that vessell which Solomon made for the vse of the Temple in stead of the Laver in the Tabernacle and was for containing of two or three thousand Baths of water for the Priests to wash with is called a Brasen Sea and Moulten Sea And howsoever my Text calleth this gathering of waters Sea and elsewhere it is called the sea of Galile because the promised Land being divided into three Provinces Galile Samaria and Iewrie this Sea was in the Province of inferiour Galile It is also called the Sea of Tiberias from a Citie on the banke of it of that name It is in the Old Testament called the Sea of Chinnereth and in the New Testament it is called the Lake of Genesarâ—th A lake and so it might more properly be called than Sea and so S. Luke calleth it even in recording this storie A storme of winde came on the Lake for that it was but a few leagues in compasse and the Lake of Genesereth because the countrey of Genesereth adioyned unto it Iâ— was a Sea that abounded with Fish and there was the place where Peter and Andrew Iames and Iohn were Fishers It was nourished with that sweet and pleasant Riuer of Iordan which rising at the foot of Mount Libanus running in a narrow channell did first inlarge it selfe in a small Lake called Merom where Iosuah discomfited the Canaanites Ios 11. 4 5 7. and then contracting it selfe againe kept channell till it came secondly more to inlarge it selfe in this Lake or Sea and then passing out of it againe did at the last emptie it selfe into the dead Sea a Sea though having no entercourse with the Ocean and dead because no fish or other creature doth liue in it because of the bituminous sulphureous matter I know no waters in the world comparably renowmed to this Riuer and this Sea Howsoever disgracefully Naaman once said Are not the riuers of Damascus Abanaâ— and Pharpar better than all the waters of Israel Yet hath God enabled the waters of Israel aboue all the waters of the world and the waters of Iordan aboue all the waters of Israel The waters of this Riuer betwixt this and the salt Sea did stand as on an heape at that time when Iordan overflowed all his bankes till his people Israel passed over it on drie ground into the land of Canaan right over against Iericho Eliah and Elishah divided the waters of this Riuer with their cloake and went over on dry ground Naaman the Syrian washing seuen times in it according to the word of the Prophet was clensed of his leprosie In this did the Prophet Elisha cause the Iron to swim Yea in this was Christ baptised and the Baptist saw heauen open heard the voice of the Father and saw the Spirit in likenesse of a Dove descend and light on Christ Oh that famous River of Iordan no Sea more ennobled than this thorow which it ran Here did Christ call â—oure of his first and prime Apostles On this sea Christ and Peter walked Here did hee calme the Tempest and here hee appeared after his Resurrection when they tooke an exceeding multitude of fishes On this famous sea now this great Tempest was So much for the Letter I having formerly shewed how marvellous God is in this Creature and provoked you to give him due glorie As the Ship representeth the Church so the Sea this world and may so fitly in a threefold respect First as the sea is alwaies in motion but specially tempestuous when the winds doe blow so this world is restlesse ever in action but then specially stormie and tempestuous when Tyrants and Heretikes doe blow upon it Againe as the sea is Dangerous for shelfes rocks sands unlesse men saile by a very good compasse and thousands doe make shipwracke to the losse of lives and goods So in this world are many dangers and perils and specially heresies and sins are as rockes whereon thousands even all that doe not saile by the true compasse of Gods word doe make shipwrack to the eternall destruction of soule and bodie as Saint Paul saith that Hymeneus and Alexander did Lastly as the â—ea is full of fishes and living Creatures there goe things creeping innumerable so is the world and as fishes in the sea are caught with nets so are men by the net of the Gospell as Christ said to his Apostles Follow me and I will make you fishers of men And the kingdome of heaven is like to a draw-net cast into the sea Matth. 13. 47. And as in the sea small fish are a prey to greater so in this world the poore and weake are as a prey devoured of the rich and strong In which respect the Lord by his Prophet calleth them Fishers for which and divers other respects if I would stand upon them the world may very fitly be compared to
the Sea Yet the Booke of the Revelation doth teach us that this world is a very strange sea and and that in two principall properties viz. First it is like a sea of cristall glasse Of glasse because it is most brittle no mans estate in this world being more certaine than the glasse which now being whole and usefull faire and beautifull anon with a rap is broken all to peeces How quickly hath many mens great and faire estates beene utterly broken in one night in an houre how wealth honour health libertie life and all lost as a glasse which is broken all to pieces And of Cristall for howsoever there are many workes of darknesse in the world which the eye of man cannot see and behold yet is the world as cleare as a Cristall-glasse before him that sitteth upon the Throne All things are naked and oâ—en before his eyes with whom we have to doe He discerneth the very least obliquity and irregularitie of thoughts no man can more clearely see a blot in a cristall glasse than God doth the sinnes of men be they in thought word or worke and therefore we should strive to be holy as being ever in the eyes and sight of God Secondly it is a sea mingled with fire It is ordinary in Scripture by fire to signifie tribulations as when thou passest thorow the fire I will be with thee I went thorow fire and water And brethren thinke it not strange concerning the fiery triall The sea of this world is mixed with abundance of that fire wheresoever Gods children become they shal meet with hot and sâ—orching tribulation and afflictions yet shal this fire but scoure away the drosse to make them shine the brighter in Gods eyes the bush burned with fire but consumed not Exod. 3. 2. This fire shall only consume the Reprobate And so much for the description of the Tempest now followeth the aggravation of it In so much that the ship was covered with waves Now the Euangelist doth aggravate the perils that Christ and â—iâ— Dâ—â—ciples were in by two maine Circumstances the first from the greatnesse of the tempest which was such that even the ship was covered with waves the word which Saint Marke useth signifieth to fâ—â—â— and is so translated so that the ship was now full Saint Luke also useth another word of the same signification and so also translated and they were filled for it is in the plurall They that is the ship which carried them by a Meâ—onimie of the adjunct and also by a Sinecdoche the ship for hatches which are but a part But our Euangelist useth another word which according to the proprietie of it signifieth to cover or hide a thing from sight as no man lighteth a candle and covereth it with a bushell and the Reprobate shall say at the day of judgement to the hills fall on us and cover us In which and many such like places in the new Testament we have the word of my text in it proper signification though the words be divers the sense and thing intended is all one viz. They were in so great jeopardie of drowning that the ship that is the upper part or hatches were even filled or covered that they could not be seene And wherewith was the ship covered not with wind but waves and in Saint Iude there is added an Epithite the raging waves of the sea And verily nothing in this world doth so rage and is so furious as the waves of the sea in a storme or tempest And so much be said of the Sense of the words Whether only that this ship wherein Christ and his Disciples passed was thus endangered and covered with waves and the rest safe or no is too hard â— question for me peremptorily to resolve because I am content to see no more than the eye of my Text hath described unto mee the Text saith The tempest came upon the sea therefore likely that all the ships on the sea at that time were endangered though possibly this ship was more endangered than the others both in regard of Christ his purpose and Satans malice The Letter teacheth us what great perils and jeopardies sea-faring men do many times fall into sometimes lifted up to heaven with one wave and sometimes falling even downe to hell and sometimes the ship as this even covered with waves that they see nothing but present death and are as David saith Even at their wits end and crie unto God in their distresse But of this sufficient From handling the Tempest the Circumstance according to Mysticall sense affording us three singular instructions concerning the state of the Church viz. First what ever hath beene is and will be the common condition of Gods Church and people viz. To be exercised with crosses tribulations afflictions publike and private yea and sometimes with sword of bloudie and persecuting foes and enemies which doctrine I have lately more largely handled with Reasons Vses Application and Exhortation and therefore doe now but barely propound it The second Doctrine is this That as this ship was covered with waves so as none but themselves knew they held out others might suppose they were drowned so a Church which hath beene visible in the publike ministrie of the Word and Sacraments may through persecution of Tyrants be so covered â—s become visible to most This is represented in the vision the Church resembled to a woman clothed with the Sunne and the Moone under her feet and upon her head a crowne of twelve Starres oh then was shee viâ—ible and conspicuous But at another time driven into the wildernesse out of the sight of men then was she covered Come to our owne Embleme A ship on the sea when it is calme is plainly seene yea it is one of the comely sights of the world a ship under saile in a prosperous gale but if there arise a great tempest it may be so overtopped with waves and for a time be betwixt them so as scarce the top of the mast is seene and most will thinke shee is drowned yet anon shee riseth upon the wave and is seene againe It is the condition of the Church of Rome sometimes visible and a glorious Church but now persecuteth the faith it professed the godly being covered with waves It is the condition of the Cities in Erance and it was the case of the Church of God in this Land which was glorious and visible in the daies of King Edward but covered with waves in the daies of Queene Mary but restored to former glory by Queen Elizabeth wherein for aboue sixtie yeeres it hath continued most eminent in the eyes of the world The Papists doe hold that the true Church of God is ever visible hath had and shall have a perpetuall Succession of Pastors and Ministers and of publike service and worship They also say that their
Church hath been and is so visible ours not therefore theirs is the true Church of Christ and ours is not For the first we say that howsoever the Catholique and Universall Church hath continued from the beginning of the world and shall continue to the end the Lord shall never want on earth a company of faithfull men to serve him yet this Church is ever invisible an article of our Faith to beleeve there is such a Companie and that we are of that number but for a congregation of men and women to have the Word truly preached and Sacraments administred in publike and by Authoritie which wee call a visible Church and is a mixt company there hath not alway beene such neither can wee be assured that there alwaies shall be such For the second viz. That they say the Roman Church hath beene visible and enioyed such a succession without interruption since Christ and his Apostles time professing the same faith without change I answer there hath not been in the Church of Rome that perpetuall succession they boast of For to say nothing whether Peter was ever Bishop of Rome or not or who succeeded him whether Clement or Linus which is disputed amongst themselues it is most cleare that there have stood three Popes at once and did the Succession hold when Pope Ioan stept into the Papall Chaire and managed the affaires of the Church Was she also Saint Peters Successor and they lawfull Cardinals Bishops and Ministers of her ordination Neither are his Arguments to be despised who proveth that now for divers yeares ever since Sixtus they have had no Popes nor Cardinals nor Bishops according to their owne Councels and Canons c. But grant them what succession soever they challenge yet succession of persons and place without succession of doctrine is nothing worth as Ierome said Yee hold the Seat and Faith of Peter if faith be gone the state is no better then a chaire of pestilence Now the faith is gone and not onely this latter Rome holdeth doctrine contrary to the Ancient Rome within the five hundred or six hundred yeares after Christ but now maintaineth strange and novell doctrines and service which Rome knew not when it first became the seat of Antichrist as the Conception of Mary Latine Service suppression of Scriptures the mariage of Priests adoration of Images supremacie of Pope Communion in one kinde Transubstantiation c. and therefore is long since ceased to be any true visible Church Lastly whereas all Popishly affected persons doe commonly demand Where was your Church and who professed your Religion before Luthers times I will answer plainly that the simple may understand the Doctrine Faith and Religion which we professe is the very same that all the Christian Churches throughout the world professed for many hundred yeares after Christ and his Apostles all the blessed Martyrs in the Primitive died for no other but our Faith and Religion after that the Church had peace by meanes of godly Constantine the learned Bishops Fathers taught no other the people beleeved received professed no other though as the mysterie of iniquitie began to worke in the Apostles time so the longer the worse and moe errors and corruptions crept into the Church till in the end the ship came to be covered with waves of heresies persecutions that the Church was not so glorious eminent visible conspicuous as before Then came the darke time of Antichrist for many hundred yeeres yet even then were the Waldenses Bohemians and others who agreed with vs in the substance of Religion and spake and wrote against the corruptions of those times but when it pleased God to stirre vp Iohn Husse Ierome of Prage Martine Luther and other his worthy servants to open the skupperholes the waves which so oppressed the Church ran out the ship came aloft againe and that Faith which had so long beene oppressed began publikely to be professed and a faire visible Church in one place or other hath ever since continued and I trust shall now to the end of the world and shall never be universally covered againe Neither let any Papist suppose it a forfeiture of the cause if wee cannot shew a precise and exact Catalogue of the persons places and times by whom where and when our faith was professed For first howsoever in all ages some have oft appeared and given singular witnesse to our faith as our Martyrologe hath recorded so the Church may be in some places where none can see it as in Elias time there were seven thousand in Israel and yet hee saw never an one of them And as wee doubt not but there are at this day in Spaine Italy Rome even where Satans throne is Againe through defect of history many things are hid from us and specially the Church of Rome doing her best to deface the memory of any thing that might witnesse for us and our Religion If in these daies they will not spare man living but wipe names out of bookes give commandement that none shall name them but with contempt and charge the Protestants with such horrible opinions as wee hold not As that God is the Author of sinne we condemne prayer fasting povertie chaâ—â—itie good workes confession what may wee not thinke their Ancestors have done in former ages to men of our Religion So as it may be there were many moe Martyrs that then died for our Faith yea moe Churches that professed our Faith then are come to our knowledge Thirdly howsoever the Church in these parts of the world might for many yeares be oppressed as the Moone in Ecclipse and as a ship covered with waves yet even then Christ might have most glorious visible Churches in other parts of the world for howsoever the Iesuits brag exceedingly of their conversion of the Indies where they say our Religion is scarce heard of Yet that learned Iewel of our Church hath long since shewed out of Vespatius that in the East-Indies there were many godly Bishops and whole Countries professing the Gospell before the Portugals came there or Popes name heard of Yea doe not they say that the Apostle Thomas lieth buried in a City there and that he converted them to the Faith of Christ and did S. Thomas preach Popery or no If they say true our Religion was there professed before Popery Lastly give me leave in a word to answer them out of themselves Thus writeth Gregorie of Valence When we say the Church is alwaies conspicuous this must not be taken as if we thought it might at everie season be discerned alike easily for we know that sometimes it is so tossed with the waves of Errours Schismes and persecutions that it shall be verie hard to be knowne Yea the learned Papists doe generally confesse that in the supposed or imagined reigue of Antichrist their Church shall be invisible Thus saith Acosta In the daies of
that it doth not onely justine us before God and appropriate unto us all the happinesse of heaven through Christ but is of so great use in this life both in the times of health and prosperity as time and occasion serve bringing forth most worthy fruits in regard of God and our neighbours and specially in our adversities and troubles David confessed hee had perished in his troubles if it had not beene for his Faith And the Apostle saith Through Faith the Saints of old stopped the mouthes of Lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword were tortured and accepted not deliverance Heb. 11. 33. It is Faith that breedeth Patience and begetteth godly comfort and courage hee that beleeveth doth not make haste that is whereas the vnbeleeving comming into any distresse any danger or perplexitie are distracted with care and feare and make haste running and rushing into all manner of evill and indirect meanes for releefe and deliverance as Saul who for want of Faith made too much haste to offer sacrifice and consult with a Witch Such as truly beleeve will not doe so Though earth remove and hills be hurled into the midst of the sea If God send famine he is not so fearefull for he knoweth God feedeth the Birds of the aire and the young Ravens when they call And whosoever feare him shall want nothing that is good If God send pestilence he is not so fearfull for he knoweth it is Gods arrow to hit whom he will and that if his life be more for Gods glory than his death A thousand shall fall on one hand and ten thousand on the other yet it shall not come nigh him If sword come he wil not be so fearfull Though he were compassed with ten thousands of enemies round about for he knoweth the wicked is but Gods sword that an haire cannot fall from his head but according to the good will and pleasure of his heavenly Father If sicknesse and death come he is not so fearefull For he knoweth though he die yet shall he live oh of what singular use is faith in all our troubles But I heare some as discomforted with this discourse say I thanke God my conscience doth approve my cause and walking to be honest humane frailties excepted yet I finde my selfe often very ill disposed and fearefull to die which maketh me doubt I have not faith I answer Our Saviour doth not say Because his Disciples were so fearefull therefore they had no faith but their faith was little Immoderate feare argueth imbecillitie but concludeth not a nullitie of faith And for thy comfort know this that even the best of Gods children are subject to such feares as David The feare of death is fallen upon me Psal 55. 4. But though it exceed measure for a time their faith will keepe them from despaire and in good time recover them as David said I will not feare to goe thorow the valley of death c. Psalm 23. 4. Oh pray then for the increase of faith Whereunto lastly may be added godly meditation on such great blessings as death beheld in the looking-glasse of the Gospell doth bring to every true beleever as that the Body is presently brought into a better condition than ever it had in this life for by death it is both made insensible and by that meanes freed from all the calamities of this life and ceaseth to be an Active and Passive instrument of sinne the Soule passeth to life rest and glory perfectly seeing and knowing God without intermission keeping an eternall Sabbath and without cessation or wearisomnesse keeping turnes with the Angels praising Gods name for ever and ever in fulnesse enjoying whatsoever may cause love and admiration or procure joy and contentation even an universall collection of all joyes blessings and comforts beyond all we have heard seene or can possibly thinke In regard whereof Solomon hath pronounced The day of death to bee better than the day of birth And the Apostle desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all And so much for the literall doctrine Gods people must not immoderately feare any manner of death and how that is obtained Our second doctrine is from the mysterie the ship representing the Church and the storme persecution Our Saviour reproving the disciples for their immoderate feare in this storme doth â—each vs That Gods people should not immoderately feare though the Church be in never so great danger distresse or perplexitie What greater evill threatned to the Church than by the Assyrian Monarch Insomuch that God caused the Prophet to call his sonne Maher-shalalhash-baz or make speed to the spoile yet even then the Prophet bade the people not be afraid nor say a confederacie a confederacie but sanctifie the Lord of hoasts and let him be your feare and let him be your dread and hee shall be for a sanctuary c not forbidding a moderate feare and use of godly meanes but immoderate feare and for their securitie making such leagues with Idolaters and Gods professed enemies as was forbidden Oh great is the storme now and the poore ship of the Church in mans eye in great perill but bee not so fearefull but rest on God The Church is in danger beset with enemies both powerfull and politike for crueltie and mischiefe matchlesse who have confederated and threaten her ruine True but hath not Christ said Hee will be with his Church to the end of the world nay more That the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it The ship is covered with waves but shall not be drowned the Church is persecuted but shall not bee destroied God will in his good time rebuke winds and seas and send a comfortable calme Mardochay beleeved comfort and deliverance would come and it did come and he that doth not beleeve as he did may worthily bee rebuked in the words of my Text Why are yee so fearefull O yee of little faith And so much be said of the first thing Christ reproved in his disciples viz. The excesse of feare The second followeth which is the defect of faith in these words O yee of little Faith Which reproofe is laid downe in way of admiration q. d. Oh that your â—aith should be so little and weake hauing heard and seene what you have done Out of which â—ater commeth meat and out of this strong commeth sweetnesse that I may use Sampsons Riddle yea out of this reproofe doe flow comforts abundantly to all godly minded ones who mourne in their soules because they are subject to the same reproofe having but a little â—aith For the further comfort then of all poore weake and feeble beleevers suffer me with your patience fully to open this point And marke his words he saith not O yee of no faith for they all beleeved in him
smoaking flâ—x Let the comparisons be well marked and can the meeknesse of Christ towards poore sinners be more lively expressed How tender a plant is a reed yea at the strongest how doth it yeeld and bow with every puffe of wind but much more when it is bruised how easie a thing is it then to snap it asunder How weake is that sparke of fire which in flâ—x doth but cause smoake Now whereas it is said he will not break the one nor quench the other his meaning is he will noâ—ish and cherish them strengthen the one and kindle the other Againe He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength Christ was sent to binde up the broken hearted The Lord upholdeth all that fall and raiseth up all them that be bowed downe Christ hath called Come to mee all yee that travell and are heavie loaden and I will refresh you hath promised that he will cast away none that come unto him yea that hee will give them eternall life and none shall be able to plucke them out of his hand Indeed Christ gave great commendation to such as have had great faith as to the Centurion Verily I say unto you that I have not found so great faith no not in Israel and to the woman of Canaan hee said O woman great is thy faith But yet in all ages God hath witnessed his loving acceptance of small and weake faith and of the first beginnings of Conversion How weake a faith was that in the Ninivites Who can tell if God will returne and repent yet God did repent and spare them What a weake faith had the Leper Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane he received him and did make him cleane How weake that fathers faith who could scarce tell whether he beleeved or no and ceased to pray for his sonne and prayed for himselfe Lord helpe mine unbeleefe and he both helped his unbeleefe and cured his sonne Our Saviour did but heare a young man make profession of the practise of outward and civill righteousnesse All these I have observed from my youth and the Text saith he looked upon him and loved him And when he heard a Scribe utter but one good speech That to love God with all the heart is above all sacrifices he said unto him that he was not farre from the kingdome of heaven Oh now should the Apostles faith have shone bright as a lampe but the tempest had almost blowne it out that it did but smoake yet Christ quencheth it not he reproveth but accepteth of it He arose and rebuked the winds and seas These and many such Scriptures both Positive and Exemplarie of prophesie and promise are written for the comfort of all such as have but little weake and feeble faith and we had need to have them in remembrance for Satan is very skilfull in the Scriptures and hath them readie to assault weake ones with all as Faith is the evidence of things which are not seene And we are Gods house if we hold fast the reioycing of the hope firme unto the end and Faith is the anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast Doth not S. Iames bid every one that prayeth to pray in faith without wavering or doubting How canst thou thinke thou hast faith or make account that ever God will heare thee when thine heart is so full of wavering doubting Oh quench this fiery dart and say Avoid Satan it is true thou hast presented unto me a strong faith which I doe strive after but the Apostles had but a little weake faith yet were not rejected and Satan thou shalt never bee able to quench that little sparke which God hath kindled in my soule nor destroy that little graine of mustard-seed which is sowen in the furrowes of mine heart Lastly note that Christ said His Disciples had but little faith and surely as yet they had but little knowledge little honour little wealth and little of any thing that was esteemed and accounted of in the world being but poore Fisher-men Tole-gatherers and men of meane condition as Amos a great Prophet was before but an Herdman God many times bringeth greatest things to passe by weakest meanes Passing by the noble mightie rich and wise of the world and chusing the foolish weake and base and despised things of the world that no flesh may glory in it selfe To which purpose S. Augustine hath an excellent saying If God had chosen Kings to bee his Disciples they would have said We are chosen for our power If Orators for our eloquence Iâ— Philosophers for our wisdome If Senators for our dignitie If rich men for our wealth Wherefore he called Fishermen and Publicans Follow me you poore ignorant and simple you that have little or nothing worthy esteeme or admiration in your selves that you may be all in me Even so still the Lord many times passeth by such as are of great knowledge learning and wisdome of high degree in Schooles of eminent Bloud and Families by birth and calleth farre meaner men in these respects by whom he is most powerfull in the ministery of the Word So for the Church of God Christ told Iohns Disciples The poore receive the Gospell And God hath chosen the poore of the world that they may bee rich in faith and heires of the Kingdome This is it was intended in the parable where the great men that had their Farmes Oxen and Merchandise to follow were rejected and the poore maimed halt and blinde who lay in the Streets and Lanes of the Citie and High-wayes and Hedges were compelled to come in And this is it which the chiefe Priests and Pharises objected to the officers Doe any of the Rulers or Pharisies beleeve in him But this people that knoweth not the Law is cursed Indeed it is not said no wise no noble no mightie are chosen for Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses David Solomon Nicodemus Lazarus of Bethaniah Ioseph of Arimathea the two Centurions the Proconsull and many others were some of them noble some wise some mightie c. But as Andrew said of the loaves What are these amongst so many to the end that wee should not looke upon Gods people and servants with a carnall eye wherein they may seeme base and contemptible but behold them with a spirituall eye as they are in Christ and so most glorious And thus much for the first part in the performing of the calme viz. The reprehension of his disciples for their excessive feare and defective faith It followeth Then he arose Christ having stilled the greater and more dangerous tempest in the affections of his disciples and settled their soules in peace and tranquillity patience and comfort hee now proceedeth to still the roaring winds and raging seas which hee doth by powerfull and angry reprehension Wherein two things
our God we will set up our banners some put their trust in chariots and some in horses but wee will remember the name of the Lord our God Secondly God enableth poore weake base abject and contemptible meanes for the bringing of great and mightie things to passe When Gideon came at the first with a great armie to fight against the Midianites the Lord said unto him This people that are with thee are too many for me to deliver the Midianites into their hands lest Israel take to himselfe glory over me and say mine hand hath brought me salvation But when all were brought to 300. naked men and without armes only having trumpets pitchers and lamps By these saith God will I save you and deliver the Midianites into thine hands and he did so Vpon this groud Ionathan perswaded his Armour-bearer even them two to set upon a whole Garrison of the Philistims There is no let to Iehovah but that hee may save by many or by few That of the Prophet is most memorable The Lord is his name that strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong that distresse it selfe should be able to scale a Fort And the Prophet Ieremie biddeth the Iews not to deceive themselves because they had a little prevailed against the Chaldeans for if there were none left but wounded men and thrust thorow yet should they rise every man in his tent and burne the City with fire Most commonly if cause be good victory goeth with weakest side Thirdly for the full manifestation of the glory of his omnipotencie God many times worketh greatest things without meanes so as in the effecting thereof nothing can be looked on but God In the beginning God gave light before he made Sunne and made plants and herbes to grow before there was any raine in the wildernesse fed his people with bread and flesh from heaven in times of warre if God doe but rise his enemies are scattered yea if he doe but looke upon their hoasts they are discomfited In the confidence whereof King Asa seeing himselfe oppressed with a multitude of enemies even above a thousand thousands of Ethiopians comming up against him he prayed to the Lord Lord it is nothing to thee to helpe with many or no power If he had said with many or few great or small power it would have beene plaine but to say with many or no power bewrayed an excellent measure of faith that if God did but rebuke all such enemies it was enough The Prophet giveth this glory to God that hee createth peace He is a good Carpenter that having crooked and rough timber put into his hands can with axe and plane make it straight and smooth but the Creator can worke having no matter at all to work upon creating light out of darknesse peace out of warre a great calme out of a great storme only by a word of his mouth hee rebuked the winds and sea For further manifestation of Gods glory and our consolation seeing the Scriptures speake expresly of Gods rebuking of Kings Princes Spearemen and persecutors of his Church and people let us search the Scriptures that wee may finde out Gods manner herein How doth God rebuke Kings who are as boisterous and mightie winds causing great tempests of persecutions in the Sea of this world that when God doth it wee may give him the glory of it And that God doth two waies viz. Either inwardly or outwardly Inwardly by working upon their hearts or outwardly by working upon their bodies and estates As God hath the hearts of all men in his hands so specially of Kings and Princes and doth extraordinarily worke upon them either by inclining them to peace as we see in the example of Esau who threatning to kill his brother Iacob and Iacob exceedingly feared to heare that he came out with foure hundred men against him whose heart was so inclined to his brother that when they met he was so far from killing or offering the least wrong unto him in word or deed that he embraced him fell on his necke and kissed him see see how inwardly God rebuked that boisterous wind and there was a great calme or else he inwardly doth terrifie them so as they shall not dare to doe the evill which they would and intended Thus God rebuked Abimelech King of Gerar in a dreame by night Thou art but a dead man for the woman which thou hast taken for shee is a mans wife whereupon he returned to Abraham his wife and there was a great calme So Laban pursued Iacob and his wives and children blustering and stirring up a great tempest but God rebuked him saying Take heed that thou speake not to Iacob either good or bad whereupon followed a great calme So the Kings of Canaan intending to destroy the Israel of God were rebuked with the report that came unto them what God had done for them Drying up the Red-sea and destroying the two Kings of the Amorites Og and Sehon whereupon their hearts did melt and there was no courage in them they grew very calme Yea Kings assembling with their armies purposely to besiege Ierusalem At the very sight of it they marvelled and were troubled and hasted away feare tooke hold on them and paine as on a woman in travell Thus when they will not otherwise be inclined to peace God doth cut off the spirit of Princes and is terrible to the Kings of the earth Or else God doth rebuke them outwardly and that either in their persons or powers in their persons either by sicknesse or death By sicknesse or diseases Thus God plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sara Abrahams wiâ—e whereupon he restored her to her husband and there was a great calme Or by death and that is either naturall or violent Naturall thus wicked and Idolatrous Ahaz slept with his fathers and then goaly King Hezekiah reigned in his stead who was an hiding place from the wind a covert from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry place and as the shadow of a great rocke in a wearie land Violent death is either caused by themselves or others By themselves thus Saul killed himselfe and then there was a great calme Or by others thus that wicked King Amon being slaine by his servants godly Iosiah succeeded him in whose daies the Church had a blessed calme And thus in all ages by the miserable and wretched ends of cruell and bloudie persecutors God hath given peace to his Church Or if God spare their persons he doth often rebuke them in their powers and that chiefly three wayes viz. By diversion dissipation and destruction By diversion thus when David was in greatest danger of Saul for they had even compassed him round to take him there came a messenger and brought tidings to Saul the Philistims had
Doctrine how plausible soever yea such Doctrines are most pleasing to our corrupt nature which doth sooth up man in his owne free-will workes and righteousnesse to make him strout it and pride himselfe and say What manner of man am I that have this power and have done these these workes it is earthly carnall sensuall Hearest thou then any doctrine delivered which thou art not able fully to examine for the truth of it nor to unty the knots of intricate questions Yet aske Doth this Doctrine advance the glory of Christ It is good then Doth it make man proud and haughty in himselfe It is naught then And I need not any other Argument to make me reject it As the most points of Popery doe as their doctrine of Free-will workes of righteousnesse meritorious of congruitie or condignitie obedience to Councels Auricular Confession Penance and workes of satisfaction the Propitiatory Sacrifice of the Masse mediation of Angels and Saints Popes Pardons and Indulgencies Purgatorie c. all draw from Christ to admire themselves or the Pope This rule our Saviour himselfe hath given He that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glory but he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him he is true and there is no unrighteousnesse in him Saint Paul examined his doctrine by this touch-stone and found it currant Doe I now perswade men or God Doe I seeke to please men Then I were not the servant of Christ And therefore confidently pronounced If an Angell from heaven shall preach otherwise let him be accursed What doctrine soever doth rob Christ of his glory and draw away the hearts and minds of men from marvelling and praising of him as most points of Popery doe it is accursed and woe to them that preach and beleeve it We are now at the last come safely to shore blessed be Christ our Pilot who hath brought us thorow the tempest to the haven where we would be and hath visibly commented from heaven and confirmed the truth of that hath beene delivered in the present state of his Church All I am or have what I have delivered you have received I dedicate to his glory And let every thing that hath breath in all the parts of his Dominions praise the Lord. He also bring us l and all his thorow all the stormes and tempests of this world that in the end in despight of Satan and all contrary winds and waves we may saâ—â—â—y arrive at the blessed haven of eternall happinesse To him with the Father and the holy Spirit of us and his whole Church even of al the Angels and Saints in heaven most gloriously triumphant and all Christians men women and children on earth militant be rendred as is most due all Honour Glory Majestie Wisdome Thankes and Dominion â—â— ever and ever Amen FINIS a Hieronym epist Paulino Tom. ult Basil apud Iâ— Frob. anno 1524. b Tull. de Orat. lib. 3. c Clem. Alexand. Strom. lib. 1. Basil anno 1556. d Dr. And. CoÌ„cion ad Convocat anno 1592. e Videant Lectores societatem Iesuitarum à Iesuita Cosmopolitam dictam Cornel. à Lapid in Numb 1. 5. pag. 774. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graeâ— Paroem * 1 Cor. 4. 1. f Hoc auguror hoc voveo Amen g August Tom. 6. contr Manich. h Sylv. Girald Topogr Hiber i Poscentes vario nimium diversa palato Horat. inserm 1 Cor. 1. 17. k Eruditum saâ—is quod clarum est l August in Iohan. tract 26. col 225. D. m Ambros n Hieronym Damas pag. 131. Basil Apud Io. Eroben Anno 1524. o Sic non te spernat qui pro nobis dignatus est sperâ—â— August tom 2. Ep. 2â— coll 100. p August tom 3. de T 〈…〉 lio 1. cap. 3. coll 241. q Luâ—oviâ— Viv. in August de Câ—vi at Dei â—â—b 22. cap. ult ad 〈◊〉 coll 1398. r August Tom. 2. Ep. 110. coll 515. B. Å¿ August Tom. 9. Manual cap. 6. coll 794. t August sup Manual c. 36. coll 808. Prayer Preface Acts 20. 36. a Psal 107. 23. 5. b Ionah 1. 4. c Acts 27. 14. d Gen. 16. penult 21. 2. e Gal. 4. 22. f Gen. 6 7 8 cap. g 1 Pet. 3. 21. h Exod. 14. i 1 Cor. 10. 2. k Exod. 17. 6. l 1 Cor. 10. 4. m Exod. 16. 14. n Ioh. 6. 48 51. o 1 King 3. 1. p Psal 45. 9 10. I. Sea * Salva rerum gestarum fide August lib. de unitate Ecclesiae cap. 5. q Rev. 4. 6. r Eph. 4. 14. Å¿ 1 Tim. 1. 19. t Eph. 6. 12. u Rom. 13. 12. * Ibid. x Hebr. 4. 13. y Rev. 1. 14. 2. Ship 3. Storme z Psal 18. 4. a Psal 124. 4. b Esay 8. 7. Ierem. 47. 2. c Psal 69. 1. 4 Christ his sleepe d Psalme 10. 1. e Psal 22. 2. f Psal 74. 10 11 22. g Psal 3. 7. h Psal 7. 6. i Psal 44. 23. 5 Called upon and awaked 6 Causing a calme 1 Context * in terra jam transit ad mare Ludolph ex Origen Analysis Part. 1. 1. For preaching k Matth. 13. 2. l Luke 5. 1. m Matth. 4. 19. 2 For recreation n Marke 6. 31. o Marke 6. 34. Matth. 14. 13. Luke 9. 10. 11. p Iohn 3. 2. q Matth. 8. 20. Application r 2 Tim. 4. 2. Å¿ Revel 14. 13. 3. The working of the miracle t Iohn 5. 36. u Iohn â—â— 37. * Marke 4. 34. Luke 8. 22. x Iohn 6. 6. 4. Triall of his Apostles faith y Gen. 22. 1. Doctr. Simile Confirmation z 2 Tim. 3. 12. a 1 Pet. 4. 12. b Heb. 12. 8. c Ecclus. 21. Prevention d Iames 1. 12. e 1 Pet. 1. 7. Vse f Luk. 17. 5. Exhortation g Psal 26. 2. h Psal 139. ult i Ierem. 17. 9. k Iob 9. 21. l 1 Cor. 4. 4. Comfort m Exod. 3. 12. n Iosh 1. 5. o Ierem. 1. 8 19. p Esay 43. 2. q Matth. 28. ult r Rev. 1. 13. Å¿ Matth. 14. 29. t Psal 23. 4. Absence fearefull u Exo. 33. 2. 3. 14. * Ezech. 9. 3. x Iohn 16. 6. y Iohn 16. 7. z Ibid. a Iohn 14. 2 3. b Ibid. c Acts 1. 9. d Luk. 24. 17. Vse Obiection c Iudges 6. 12 13. Solution 1. Miraculous deliverance f Dan. 6. 22. g Dan. 3. 27. h Exod. 34. 24. i Psal 46. 8. k Psal 76. 3 10 vlt. 2. By gratious supportation l Rom. 8. 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supervincimus m Acts 5. penult n Acts 16. 25. o Heb. 10. 34. p Heb. 11. 35. * Tyrannâ—s ipsumque Neronem velut quosdam culices Chrysost 2. Homil de laudibus Pauli q Tertull. advers gentes non procul ab initio “ Rupert Part. 2. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disco q Matth. 11. 29. r Iohn 6. 45. Å¿ 1 Tim. 2. 11. t Matth. 11. 2. u Iohn 9. 28. * Acts 20. 30. “ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
have therfore Verily I say unto you ye that have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of Man shal sit in the throne of his glory ye also shal sit upon twelve thrones and iudge the twelve Tribes of Israel andevery one that hath forsaken houses brethren sisters father mother wife children or lands for my names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life And againe Yee are they that have continued with mee in my temptation And I appoint to you a kingdome as my Father hath appointed to me That yee may eat and drinke at my table in my Kingdome and sit on thrones iudging the twelve Tribes of Israel According to which promises the Apostle saith If wee suffer with him wee shall reigne with him It is a most true saying of the Apostle If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable But in regard of the reward to come such as follow Christ to the end are of all men most happie Moses had respect to this recompence of reward and it made him leave following of Pharaoh and his Court and chuse to suffer afflictions with the people of God rather than to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season This made the Apostles being scourged to depart out of the Councell rejoycing that they were counted worthie to suffer for the name of Christ This hath encouraged thousands and millions of holy Martyrs to suffer with patience and joy all the tortures and torments that the Devill and Tyrants could devise and by no meanes be pulled from following of Christ Oh then on on follow follow him let us all be Acolytes I neither meane it according to Philosophie the Stoicks being so called because they alwaies followed their opinions and did with obstinate pertinacie adhere to their doctrine and counted it a shame to forsake the same neither doe I meane it according to ridiculous Popery wherin Acolytes are one of their Ecclesiasticall Orders whose office is to light tapers and candles for there must be candles light whensoever the Masse is celebrated though at noone-day and Sunne shine never so bright and no marvell for it is a worke of darknesse but by Acolytes I meane according to the word in my Text let us follow Christ his doctrine and morall conversation and let our light so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie our Father which is in heaven Oh follow him in troubles and temptations and you shall follow him in glory for so is the promise They shall follow the Lambe whither soever hee goeth Follow him on earth and you shall follow him in heaven follow him in momentanie misery and you shall follow him in endlesse felicitie follow him in temporarie death and you shall follow him in everlasting life then suffer with him and you shall reigne with him Now follow him that rideth upon the white horse and is gone forth to war and you shall follow him in triumph with Palmes in your hands and crownes on your heads when the Devill and all enemies shall be troden under foot But now give mee leave before I conclude this point to lament the paucitie the small number of those that follow Christ The time was whē it was said The whole world followed him but now may we complaine that all follow the world as the Apostle long since did All seek their own not those things which are Iesus Christs Good Lord how greedily and unweariedly doe men and women follow and even runne some after their pleasures of Hawkes Hounds Cards Dice some their profit and gaine some their honour and preferment some one sinne some another and in that pursuit will endure any hardnesse any discouragements but how few follow Christ in the way of obedience to the Gospell Which S. Bernard in his time lamented and discovered the folly of in a wittie descanting upon a Latine word The world saith I will deceive thee the flesh saith I will infect thee the Devill saith I will destroy thee but Christ saith I will refresh thee Yet how many follow the other and how few Christ They would come to Christ in heaven and are ready to say with Stephen at their departure Lord Iesu receive my spirit but will not follow Christ on earth they would with Balaam die the deaths of the righteous but cannot abide their lives they wish the end but not beginning or if they wil follow Christ on the shore they will not to sea with him can endure in times of libertie peace plentie and prosperitie to professe the Gospell but not in trouble and persecution they will bring him to the water-side and if he will preach out of the ship they will stand on shore and heare him but if it be rough they will not to sea with him But know you that the marke of a true disciple is to follow Christ in temptations tribulations perils and persecutions yea it is adversitie trieth and declareth a true disciple not like the Israelites to reioyce sing when they passed safely thorow the red sea but murmure when they wanted bread or water wherefore follow him in sicknesse povertie disgrace imprisonment death follow him to the sea let winds and waves rage never so horribly yea follow him into the sea if he call thee thereunto what hurt had the children of Israel by following the Cloud and Arke into the midst of the red sea The Lord is with his in all their temptations and tribulations hee will deliver them and bring them to honour Thus the passengers are all shipped we have observed both their number and their order Christ went in before and his Disciples followed him It now followeth to speake of the Vessell wherein they passed but for this time I conclude with that Prayer our holy mother Church hath taught vs in the Collect for this day Almightie God which by thy Sonne Iesus Christ didst give such grace to thy holy Apostle Saint Peter and commandedst him earnestly to feed thy flock make we beseech thee all Biships and Pastors diligently to preach thy holy word and the people obediently to follow the same that they may receive the crowne of everlasting glorie through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Into a ship We have observed the Passengers for their number and order of shipping Now let us consider the Vessell wherein they passe which is here said to be a Ship The Romish Peterlings say this was Peters ship and in that they have a great mysterie that Christ and his Disciples are in their Church Indeed that Christ once was in Peters ship taught out of it and drew a great draught of fishes the Text is cleare That also Christ and his Disciples were in the Church of Rome is as cleare when Saint Paul saith Their faith