rose with Christ are to be noted they were the Saints of God not wicked men whereby we are put in minde that the elect children of God onely are partakers of Christs resurrection Indeede both good and bad rise againe but there is a great difference in their rising for the godly rise by the vertue of Christs resurrection and that to eternall glorie but the vngodly rise by the vertue of Christ not as he is a redeemer but as he is a terrible iudge and is to execute iustice on them And they rise againe for this ende that besides the first death of the bodie they might suffer the second death which is the powring forth of the wrath of god vpon bodie and soule eternally This difference is prooued vnto vs by that which Paul saith Christ is the first fruits of them that sleepe Among the Iewes such as had corne fields gathered some little quantitie thereof before they reaped the rest and offered the same vnto God signifying thereby that they acknowledged him to be the author giuer of all increase this offering was also an assurance vnto the owner of the blessing of God vpon the rest this beeing but one handful did sanctifie the whole crop Now Christ to the dead is as the first fruits to the rest of the corne because his resurrection is a pledge an assurāce of the resurrectiō of all the faithful When a man is cast into the sea and all his bodie is vnder the water there is nothing to be looked for but present death but if he carie his head aboue the water there is good hope of a recouerie Christ himselfe is risen as a pledge that all the iust shall rise againe he is the head vnto his Church and therefore all his members must needes follow in their time It may be demaunded what became of the Saints that rose againe after Christs resurrection Answ. Some thinke they died againe but seeing they rose for this ende to manifest the quickening vertue of Christs resurrection it is as like that they were also glorified with Christ and ascended with him to heauen Thus much of the manner of Christs resurrection Now followes the time when he rose againe and that is specified in the Creede The third day he rose againe Thus saith our Sauiour Christ vnto the Pharises As Ionas was three daies and three nights in the whales bellie so shall the sonne of man be three daies and three nights in the heart of the earth And though Christ was but one day and two pieces of two daies in the graue for he was buried in the euening before the Sabbath and rose in the morning the next day after the Sabbath yet is this sufficient to verifie this saying of Christ. For if the analogie had stoode in three whole daies then Christ should haue risen the fourth day And it was the pleasure of God that he should lie thus long in the graue that in might be knowne that he was throughly dead and he continued no longer that he might not in his bodie see corruption Againe it is saide Christ rose againe in the end of the Sabbath when the first day of the weeke began to dawne And this very time must be considered as the reall beginning of the new spirituall world in which we are made the sonnes of God And as in the first day of the first world light was commanded to shine out of darknes vpon the deepes so in the first day of this new world the sonne of righteousnes riseth and giues light to them that sit in darknes and dispells the darknes that was vnder the old Testament And here let vs marke the reason why the Sabbath day was changed For the first day of the weeke which was the day following the Iewes sabbath is our sabbath day which day we keepe holy in memorie of the glorious resurrection of Christ and therefore it is called the Lords day And it may not vnfitly be tearmed Sunday though the name came first from the heathen because on this day the blessed sonne of righteousnesse rose from death to life Let vs now in the next place proceede to the proofes of Christs resurrection which are diligently to be obserued because it is one of the most principall points of our religion For as the Apostle saith He died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification and againe If Christ be not risen then is our preaching vaine and our faith is also vaine The proofes are of two sorts first Christs appearances vnto men secondly the testimonies of men Christs appearances were either on the first day or on the daies following The appearances of Christ the same day he rose againe are fiue And first of all earely in the morning he appeared to Marie Magdalen In this appearance diuers things are to be considered The first of what note and qualitie the partie was to whome Christ appeared Ans. Marie Magdalen was one that had bin possessed with seuen deuils but was deliuered and became a repentant sinner and stood by when Christ suffered and came with sweete odours when he was dead to embalme him And therefore to her is graunted this prerogatiue that she should be the first that should testifie his resurrection vnto men And hence we learne that Christ is readie and willing to receiue most miserable wretched sinners euen such as haue bin vassals and bondslaues of the deuill if they will come to him Any man would thinke it a fearefull case to be thus possessed with deuills as Marie was but let all those that liue in ignorance and by reason thereof liue in sinne without repentance know this that their case is a thousand times worse then Marie Magdalens was For what is an impenitent sinner Surely nothing els but the castle and hold of the deuill both in bodie and soule For looke as a captaine that hath taken some hold or skonse doth rule and gouerne all therein and disposeth it at his will and pleasure euen so it is with all blind and impenitent sinners not one deuill alone but euen legions of deuils possesse them and rule their hearts and therefore howsoeuer they may soothe themselues and say all is well for God is mercifull yet their case is farre worse then Maries was Now then would any be freed from this fearefull bondage let them learne of Marie Magdalen to follow Christ and to seeke vnto him and then albeit the deuil and al his angels possesse their hearts yet Christ beeing the strong man will come and cast them all out and dwell there himselfe The second is what Christ in his appearance said to Marie Ans. He saide Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my father Marie no doubt was glad to see Christ and therefore looked to haue conuersed as familiarly with him as shee was wont before his death but he forbids her to touch him that is not to looke to enioy
a signe betweene me and you in your generation that ye may know that I the Lord doe sanctifie you The same is recorded Ezech. 20.12 It signified also that blessed rest of the faithfull in the kingdom of heauen Esai 66. 23. From moneth to moneth and from sabbath to sabbath shall all flesh come to worship before me saâ—â—h the Lord. Heb. 4.8,9 10. If Iesus had giuen them a rest c. The Sabbath is likewise ceremoniall in that it was obserued the seauenth day after the creation of the world and was then solemnized with such ceremonies Numb 28.9 But on the sabbath day ye shall offer two lambes of a yeare old without spot and two tenth deales of fine floure for a meate offering â—ingled with oyle and the drinke offering thereof 10. This is the burnt â—ffering of euery Sabbath beside the continuall burnt offering and drinke offering thereof But now in the light of the Gospel and the Churches professing the same the ceremonie of the Sabbath is ceased Col. 2.16 Let no man condemne you in meate and drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the new moone or of the Sabbath 17. which are but shadowes of things to come but the bodie is Christ. The obserâ—ation of the Sabbath was translated by the Apostles from the seuenth day to the day following Act. 20. 7. The first day of the weeke the Disciples beeing come together to breake bread Paul preached to them 1. Cor. 16.1,2 Concerning the gathering for the Saints as I haue ordained in the Churches of Galatia so doe ye also euery first day of the weeke let euery one of you put aside by himselfe and lay vp â—s God hath prospered him that then there be no gatherings when I come This day by reason that our Sauiour did vpon it riâ—e againe is called the Lords day Revel 1.10 I was rauished in the spirit on the Lords day The obseruation of the Sabbath thus constituted by the Apostles was neuerthelesse neglected of those Churches which succeeded them but after was reuiued and established by Christian Emperours as a day most apt to celebrate the memorie of the creation of the world and to the serious meditation of the redemption of mankind Leo and Anton. Edict of holy daies The obseruation of the Sabbath is morall in as much as it is a certaine seauenth day preserueth and conserueth the ministerie of the word and the solemne worship of God especially in the assemblies of the church And in this respect we are vpon this day as well inioyned a rest from our vocations as the Iewes were Esai 58.13 If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy will on mine holy day and call my Sabbath a delight to consecrate it as glorious to the Lord and shalt honour him not doing thine owne waies c. Finally it is morall in that it freeth seruants and cattell from their labours which on other daies doe seruice vnto their owners The affirmative part Keepe holy the Sabbath day This we doe if we cease from the workes of sinne and our ordinarie calling performing those spirituall works which we are commanded in the second and third Commandement I. To arise earely in the morning that so we may prepare our selues to the better sanctifying of the Sabbath ensuing This preparation consisteth in priuate praiers and taking account of our seuerall sinnes Mark 1.35 In the morning very earely before day Iesus arose and went into a solitarie place and there prayed The day following was the Sabbath when he preached in the Synagogues 39. Exod. 32. 5 6. Aaron proclaimed saying To morrow shal be the holy day of the Lord so they rose vp the next day earely in the morning Eccles. 4. vers last Take heede to thy feete when thou entrest into the house of God II. To be present at publique assemblies at ordinarie howers there to heare reuerently and attentiuely the word preached and read to receiue the Lords Supper and publikely with the congregation call vpon and celebrate the name of the Lord. 1. Tim. 1.2,3 Act. 20.7 2. King 4.22,23 Act. 13.14 15. When they departed from Perga they came to Antiochia a citie of Pisidia and went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and sate downe And after the lecture of the Law and Prophets the rulers of the Synagogue sent vnto them saying Ye men and brethren if ye haue any word of exhortation for the people say on III. When publique meetings are dissolued to spend the rest of the Sabboth in the meditation of Gods word and his creatures Psal. 29. from the beginning to the ending Act. 17. 11. These were also more noble men then they which were at Thessalonica which receiued the word with all readinesse and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so We must also exercise then the workes of charitie as to visit the sicke giue almes to the needie admonish such as fall reconcile such as are at iarre and discord amongst themselues c. Nehem. 8.12 Then all the people went to eate and to drinke and to send away part and to make great ioy The negatiue part Pollute not the Sabboth of the Lord. This is a grieuous sinne Matth. 24.20 Pray that your flight be not in winter nor on the Sabboth daie Lament 1.7 The aduersaries saw her and did mocke at her Sabboths Leuit. 19.30 Ye shall keepe my Sabboths and reuerence my Sanctuarie I am the Lord. In this part are these things forbidden I. The workes of our calling wherein if we doe ought it must be altogether in regard of charitie and not in regard of our owne priuate commodity II. Vnnecessarie iourneyes Exod. 16.29 Tarrie euery man in his place let no man goe out of his place the seuenth day By this reason the master of the family must that day remaine at home to sanctifie the Sabbath with his household III. Faires vpon the Sabboth daie Nehem. 3.19 When the gates of Ierusalem began to be darke before the Sabboth I commaunded to shut the gates charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabboth and some of my seruants set I at the gate that there should no burden be brought in on the Sabboth day read v. 15,16,17,18 IV. All kind of husbandrie as plowing sowing reaping mowing bringing home haruest other the like Exod. 34. 21. In the seauenth day shalt thou rest both in earing time and in haruest shalt thou rest V. To vse iestes sports banquetting or any other thing whatsoeuer which is a means to hinder or withdraw the mind from that serious attention which ought to be in Gods seruice for if the workes of our calling must not be exercised much lesse these whereby the minde is as well distracted from Gods seruice as by the greatest labour VI. An externall obseruation of the Sabboth without an internall regard of godlines Esa. 1.14,15 My soule hateth your new moones and your appointed feastes they are a burden vnto me I am wearie to
Ministers sinne against their neighbours is this not to preach the word of God to their charge that they thereby might be instructed in the waies of life Prou. 29.18 Where there is no vision the people decay but he that keepeth the Law is blessed Esai 56. 10. Their watchmen are all blind they haue no knowledge they are all dumbe dogs they cannot barke they lie and sleepe and delight in sleeping And these greedie dogges can neuer haue ynough and these shepheards they cannot vnderstand for they all looke to their owne way euery one for his aduantage and for his owne purpose Ezech. 3. 18. When I shall say to the vvicked Thou shalt surely die and thou giuest him not warning the same wicked man shall die in his iniquitie but his blood will I require at thy hands And not onely not to preach at all but to preach negligently is vtterly condemned Ier. 48.10 Cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently Revel 3.16 Because thou art lukewarme and neither hote nor cold it will come to passe that I shall spew thee out of my mouth This reprooueth nonresidencie of ministers which is an ordinarie absence of the minister from his charge namely from that particular congregation committed vnto him Esai 62.6 I haue set watchmen vpon thy walls O Hierusalem which all the day and all the night continually shall not cease yee that are mindfull of the Lord keepe not silence and giue him no rest till he repaire and till he set vp Ierusalem the praise of the world Act. 20.28,29,30,31 Take heede therefore vnto your selues and to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers to feede the Church of God which he hath purchasedwith his owne blood For I know this that after my departing shall grieuous wolues enter in among you not sparing the flocke Moreouer of your selues shall men arise speaking peruerse things to draw disciples after them Therefore watch and remember that by the space of three yeares I ceased not to warne euery one night and day with teares 1. Pet. 5.2,3 Feede the flocke of God which dependeth vpon you caring for it not by constraint but willingly not for filthie lucre but of a readie minde not as though ye were Lords ouer Gods heritage but that ye may be ensamples to the flocke Ezech. 34.4 and 33. The Councel of Antioch the 17. Can. If any Bishop by imposition of hands inducted into a charge and appointed to gouerne a people and he neglect to take vpon him that office but delaieth to goe vnto the congregation allotted vnto him such an one shall be prohibited from the Lords table till he be enforced to attend vpon that charge or at the least somewhat be determined by a complete assembly of the Ministers of that Prouince The Councel of Sardice the 14. Canon We remember that our brethren in a former assemblie decreed that if any lay-man remaining three Sabboths or Lords daies that is three weekes in a citie did not in the same citie frequent the Church assemblies he should be excommunicated If then such things are not allowable in lay-men much lesse in Ministers for whome it is neither lawfull nor conuenient without vrgent necessitie to be absent from his parish Church longer then the time aboue mentioned To this decree there was not one non placet but euery one said It liketh vs well The CouÌ„cel held at Const. in the 24. Canon decreed that Ministers ought not to haue their substitutes or vicars but in their owne persons with feare and cheerefulnesse performe all such duties as are required of them in the seruice of God The Canon law doth conclude the same things dist 39. Canon si quis vult debent indesinenter c. The Bishops saith the Canon ought to be continually resident in Gods tabernacle that they may learne somewhat of God and the people of them whilest they read often and meditate vpon Gods word Againe in the Canons intituled Pontifices and siquis in clero Episcopos qui dominici gregis suscipiunt curam c. The Bishops which take upon them to feede Gods flocke ought not to depart from their dutie least they loose that excellent talent which God hath bestowed vpon theÌ„ but rather striue with that one talent to get three more talents And in the 80. Can. of those which are tearmed the CanoÌ„s of the Apostles there is an expresse mandate that such whether Bishop or Senior who attendeth not vpon their office in the Church shall forthwith be remooued from that place The Chalcedon Councell Canon 10. Let no man be ordained Minister of two Churches in two seuerall cities but let him remaine in that vnto which he was first called And if for vaine glorie he shall afterward goe to a greater congregation let him immediately be recalled to his first charge and in that onely exercise his ministerie But if one be called to another charge let him simply giue ouer the former and haue no interest in the same c. For this thing looke to the decree of Damasus and the Councel of Trent sect 7. Can. 8. There are notwithstanding the former testimonies some cases wherein it is permitted to the Minister that he may be absent if by his absence the congregation be not endammaged I. Sicknes the Councell of Menâ—z 25. Canon If a Bishop be not at home or be sicke or vpon some exigent cannot be present at his parish let him procure one who vpon Sabbothes and festiuall daies will preach vnto his charge Augustine testifieth epist. 138. that he was absent on the like occasion II. Allowance of the Church to be absent for a time vpon some necessarie and publike commoditie for the same Coloss. 1.7 Epaphras is their minister but chap. 4.12 he beeing absent saluteth them And Ambrose though he were Bishop of Millaine yet went he twise Ambassador into France to make agreement betwixt Maximus and Valentinian Ambrose 5. booke and 27. epist to Valentinian the Emperour III. If by reason of persecution he be enforced to flee and see no hope to procure the safetie of his people This made Cyprian to be absent from Carthage as he testifieth in his epistles Thus much concerning sinnes against our neighbour Now follow such sinnes as a man committeth against his owne person as when a man doeth hurt kill and endanger himselfe Matth. 16.24 If any man will follow me let him denie himselfe take vp his crosse and follow me Matth. 4. 6. He saide vnto him If thou be the sonne of God cast thy selfe downe headlong for it is written He shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee and with their hands they shall lift thee vp least at any time thou shouldest dash thy foote against a stone 7. Iesus said vnto him It is written againe Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Therefore for a man to be his owne executioner though to escape a most shameful death is vtterly vnlawfull and vngodly The affirmatiue part Thou
began and finished the whole worke in sixe distinct daies In the first day he made the matter of all things and the light in the second the heauens in the third day he brought the sea into his compasse and made the drie land appeare and caused it to bring forth hearbs plants and trees in the fourth he made the Sunne the Moone and the starres in heauen in the fifth day he made the fishes of the sea the foules of the heauen and euery creeâ—ing thing in the sixth day he made the beasts of the field and all cattell and in the end of the sixth day he made man Thus in sixe distinct spaces of time the Lord did make all things and that especially for three causes I. To teach men that they ought to haue a distinct and serious consideration of euery creature for if God made the world in a moment some might haue saide this worke is so mysticall that no man can speake of it But for the preuenting of this cauill it was his pleasure to make the world and all things therein in sixe daies and the seuenth day he commanded it to be sanctified by men that they might distinctly and seriously mediate vpon euery daies worke of the creation II. God made the world and euery thing therein in sixe distinct daies to teach vs what wonderfull power and libertie he had ouer all his creatures for he made the light when there was neither Sunne nor Moone nor starres to shew that in giuing light to the world he is not bound to the Sunne to any creature or to any meanes for the light was made the first day but the sunne the moone and the starres were not created before the fourth day Againe trees and plants were created the third day but yet the sunne moone and the starres and raine which nourish and make hearbs trees and plants to grow were not created till after the third day which shewes plainely that God can make trees plants and hearbs to grow without the means of raine and without the vertue and operation of the Sunne the Moone and the starres III. He made the world in sixe distinct daies and framed all things in this order to teach vs his wonderfull prouidence ouer all his creatures for before man was created he prouided for him a dwelling place and all things necessarie for his perpetuall preseruation and perfect happines and felicitie So also he created beasts and cattell but not before he had made hearbs plants and grasse and all meanes whereby they are preserued And if God had this care ouer man when as yet he was not much more will God haue care ouer him now when he is and hath a beeing in nature And thus much concerning the points of doctrine touching the creation The duties follow And first by the worke of creation we may discerne the true Iehouah from all false gods and idols in the world This Esaiah maketh plaine bringing in the Lord reasoning thus I am God and there is none other God besides me How is that prooued thus I forme the light and create darkenesse I make peace and create euill I the Lord doe all these things If a man aske thee how thou knowest the true God from all false gods thou must answer by the worke of creation for he alone is the maker of heauen and earth and all things in them This propertie can not agree to any creature to any man Saint or Angel nay not to all men and all Angels they can not giue beeing to a creature which before was nothing Secondly whereas God the father is Creator of all things and hath giuen vnto man reason vnderstanding and abilitie more then to other creatures we are taught to consider and meditate of the worke of Gods creation This the wise man teacheth vs saying Consider the worke of God And indeede it is a speciall dutie of euery man which professeth himselfe to be a member of Gods Church as he acknowledgeth God to be the Creatour so to looke vpon his workemanship and viewe and consider all creatures A skilfull workeman can haue no greater disgrace then when he hath done some famous thing to haue his friend passe by his worke and not so much as looke vpon it If it be demaunded for what ende must we looke vpon the worke of Gods creation I answer that in it we may see and discerne Gods power wisdome loue mercie and prouidence and all his attributes and in all things his glorie This is a most necessarie dutie to be learned of euery man we thinke nothing too much or too good to bestowe on vaine shewes and plaies idle sports and pastimes which are the vanities of men and we doe most willingly behold them in the meane season vtterly neglecting and contemning the glorious worke of Gods creation Well the Lord God hath appointed his Sabbath to be sanctified not onely by the publike ministerie of the word and by priuate praier but also by an especiall consideration and meditation of Gods creatures and therefore the dutie of euery man is this distinctly and seriously to view and consider the creatures of God and thereby take occasion to glorifie his name by ascribing vnto him the wisdome glorie power and omnipotencie that is due vnto him and appeares in the same Thirdly we must giue God glorie in all his creatures because he is the creator of them all So in the Reuelation the foure and twentie Elders fall downe before him and say Thou art worthie O Lord to receiue glorie and honour and power giuing this reason for thou hast created all things and for thy wills sake they are and haue beene created Read the Psalmes 147. and 148. both which tende to this effect that God must be praised because he is the Creator of all things to whome all glorie is due We know that when men behold any curious worke of a cunning and skilfull craftesman straightway they will leaue the worke and inquire after him that made it that they may praise his skill The same is our dutie in this case when we come abroad and behold euery where in all the creatures the admirable and vnspeakable wisedome goodnesse and power of God then we must make hast from the creature and goe forward to the Creatour to praise and glorifie him and herein must we shew our selues to differ from bruit beasts in that by the vse and viewe of Gods creatures we doe returne due glorie praise and honour vnto the Creatour Our fourth dutie is set downe by the Prophet Amos who moouing the people to meete God by repentance addeth a reason taken from the creation He that fourmeth the mountaines and createth the winds which declareth vnto man what is his thought which maketh the morning darkenesse c. the Lord God of hosts is his name The meaning of the Prophet is this God is a terrible iudge and we are as traytors rebels against him therfore the best way that we
heauens the extraordinarie change of the whole world The second opinion is that the ende of the world shall be three yeares and an halfe after the reuealing of Antichrist And it is gathered out of places in Daniel and the Reuelation abused Where a time and halfe a time signifie not three yeares and a halfe but a short time And therefore to take the wordes properly is farre from the meaning of the holy Ghost For marke if the ende shall be three yeares and a halfe after the reuealing of Antichrist then may any man knowe before hand the particular moneth wherein the ende of the world should be which is not possible Nowe the trueth which may be auouched against all is this that no man can know or set down or coniecture the day the weeke the moneth the yere or the age wherin the second comming of Christ and the last day of iudgement shall be For Christ himselfe saith of that daie and houre knoweth no man no not the angels in heauen but God onely may Christ himselfe as he is man knew it not And when the disciples asked Christ at his ascension whether he would restore the kingdome vnto Israel he answered It is not for you to knowe the times and seasons which the father hath put in his owne power And Paul saith Of the times and seasons brethren you haue no neede that I write vnto you For you your selues knowe perfectly that the daie of the Lord shall come euen as a thiefe in the night Nowe wee knowe that a man that keepeth his house can not coniecture or imagine when a thiefe will come and therefore no man can set downe the particular time or age when Christ shall come to iudgement This must we hold steadfastly and if we read the contrarie in the writings of men we are not to beleeue their sayings but account of them as the deuices of men which haue no ground in Gods word To come to the third point namely the signes of the last iudgement they are of two sorts some goe before the comming of Christ and some are ioyned with it The signes that goe before are in number seuen recorded distinctly by the holy Ghost The first is the preaching of the Gospel through the whole world So our Sauiour Christ saith this Gospell of the kingdome must bee preached through the whole world for a witnesse vnto all nations and then shall the ende come Which place must thus be vnderstood not that the Gospell must be preached to the whole world at any one time for that as I take it was neuer yet seene neither shall be but that it shall bee published distinctly and successiuely at seuerall times and thus vnderstanding the words of Christ if wee consider the time since the Apostles daies wee shall finde this to be true that the Gospel hath beene preached to all the world and therefore this first signe of Christs comming is alreadie past and accomplished The second signe of his comming is the reuealing of Antichrist as Paul saith The daie of Christ shall not come before there be a departure first and that mā of sinne he disclosed euen the sonne of perdition which is Antichrist Concerning this signe in the yeare of our Lord 602. Gregory the eight pope of Rome auouched this solemnly as a manifest trueth that whosoeuer did take to himselfe the name of Vniuersall Bishop the same was Antichrist Now fiue yeres after Boniface succeeding him was by Phocas and Emperour entituled Vniuersall Bishop pastour of the Catholike Church in the yeare of our Lord 607. and of all Popes he was the first knowne Antichrist and since him all his successours haue taken vnto thē the same title of Vniuersal and Catholike Bishop whereby it doeth plainely appeare that at Rome hath bin and is the Antichrist And this signe is also past The third is a generall departing of most men from the faith For it is saide in the place before named let no man deceiue you for the day of Christ shall not come except there be a departing first Generall departure hath bin in former ages When Arius spread his heresie it tooke such place that the whole worlde almost became an Arian And during the space of 900. yeares from the time of Boniface the popish heresie spread it selfe ouer the whole earth and the faithfull seruants of God were but as an handfull of wheat in a mountaine of chaffe which can scarse be discerned This signe is in part already past neuertheles it shall continue to the ende because men shall continually depart from the faith And the nearer the end of the world is the more Satā rageth seeks to bring mē into his kingdō Therefore it standeth vs in hād to labour for the knowledge of true religiō hauing learned it most hartily to loue the same The fourth signe is a generall corruption in manners This point the Apostle sets downe at large saying Toward the latter daies shall come perilous times wherein men shall be louers of themselues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to parents vnthankefull vnholy and without naturall affection truce-breakers false accusers intemperate fierce despisers of them which are good◠traytours headie high minded louers of pleasures more then louers of god c. This generall corruption in the manners of men is noted by our Sauiour Christ when he saith When he commeth he shall scarse sinde faith vpon the earth This signe hath bin in former ages and is no doubt at this day in the world For it is hard to finde a man that walketh iustly soberly and faithfully doing the duties of his calling to God and man The fifth signe of Christs comming stands in terrible and grieuous calamities For Christs disciples asking him a signe of his comming and of the ende of the world he saith There shall be warres and rumours of warres nation shall rise against nation and realme against realme and there shall be pestilence and famine and earthquakes in diuers places and men shall be at their wittes endes These haue bin in former ages In the first three hundred yeares after Christ were tenne most fearefull persecutions and since in Europe the Church of God hath bin wonderfully persecuted by the Antichrist of Rome in the hundred yeares last past The sixth signe is an exceeding deadnes of heart so as neither iudgements from heauen nor the preaching of the word shall mooue the hearts of men So Christ saith It shall be in the comming of the sonne of man as it was in the daies of Noe and in the daies of Sodom they knew nothing till the flood came and fire from heauen destroied them all This signe vndoubtedly is manifest in these our daies howsoeuer it hath beene also in former times For where are any almost that are mooued with Gods iudgements or touched at the preaching of the word nay rather men harden their hearts and become secure and careles The small
and there must be iudged Furthermore the second comming of Christ is sudden as the comming of a thiefe in the night He will come when the world thinketh not of him as the snare doth on the bird The consideration whereof must teach vs the same duties which our Sauiour Christ taught the men of his time First he teacheth them what they must not doe for he knowing all things knew also the disposition of mans heart and therfore he saith Take heede to your selues least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennes and the cares of this life least that day come vpon you vnawares For these sinnes benumme the heart and steale away all grace This exhortation in these our daies is most needefull For mens hearts are like the smithes stithie the more they are beaten with the hammar of Gods word the harder they are Secondly he teacheth them what they must doe Watch therefore saith he and pray continually that ye may be counted worthie to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that ye may stand before the sonne of man But you will say how may we be found worthie to stand before Christ at that day Ans. Doe but this one thing for your liues past be humbled before God and come vnto him by true heartie and vnfained repentance be changed and become new creatures pray vnto him earnestly for the pardon of your sinnes in Christ and pray continually that God will turne your hearts from your old sinnes euery day more and more and then come the last iudgement when it will ye shall be found worthy to stand before Christ at his coÌ„ming The repentant sinner is he that shall find fauour in the sight of God at that day The consideration hereof may mooue vs to chaunge our liues Those which were neuer yet humbled for their sinnes let them nowe beginne and those which haue alreadie begunne let them goe forwarde and continue But the deuill will crie in the hearts of some men that this exhortation is as yet needelesse for the day of iudgement is not neere because all the signes thereof are not yet passed Ans. Suppose the day of iudgement be farre off yet the day of thy death cannot be so for the common saying is true to day a man to morrowe none Nowe looke as death leaueth thee so shall the day of iudgement finde thee Impenitent Cain died long since and yet the day of iudgement when it commeth shall finde him impenitent still The same thing may bee said of Saul Achitophel and Iudas They died desperatly and impenitent the Lord shall finde them so at his comming So will it be with thee whatsoeuer thou art that repentest not Death may come vpon thee the next day or the next houre therefore watch and pray Prepare thy selfe against the day of death that at the day of iudgement thou maist be found worthie to obtaine fauour in the sight of the Lord. Securitie doth ouerwhelme the worlde but let vs for our parts learne to prepare our selues daily for if the day of death doe leaue thee vnworthie then the Lord Iesus at his comming shall finde thee vnworthie and the deuill shall stand before thee and accuse thee thy conscience shall condeme thee and hell shall be readie to swallowe thee vp If this admonition take no place in thy heart then at the day of iudgement it shall stand against thee and be a bill of inditement to thy further condemnation The second point followeth that Christ after that he is come in the clouds shall sit in a throne of glorie as the soueraigne iudge of heauen and earth after the manner of earthly kings who when they will shewe themselues vnto their subiects in maiestie power and glorie vse to ascend into the thrones of their kingdomes and there to shewe themselues and appeare in state vnto all the people Nowe what this throne is and howe Christ sits in the same the scripture hath not reuealed and therefore I will not stand to search Yet here must we further marke that this appearance of his in endlesse glorie and maiestie shall be most terrible and dreadfull to the vngodly and therefore in Daniel his throne is saide to be like a flame of fire and at the very sight hereof men shall desire the mountaines to fall vpon them and the hills to couer them The third point is the citing of all men and of the angels before his maiestie in that day there to answer for themselues This citing shall be done by the voice of Christ as he himselfe saith In that day all that are in the graues shall heare his voiâ—e they shall come forth And here we are to consider two things I. the power of this voice II. the ministerie whereby it shall be vttered For the first no doubt the power of this voice shall be vnspeakable and therefore it is compared to a trumpet the lowdest and shrillest of all musicall instruments and to the crie of the marriners whose manner hath beene in the doing of any busines with all their strength at one instant to make a common shout And sensible experience shall manifest the force thereof For it shall cause all the deade euen from the beginning of the world to rise againe though they haue lien rotten in the earth many thousand yeares and all vncleane spirits shall be forced and compelled will they nill they to come before Christ who shall be vnto them a most fearefull and terrible iudge neither man nor angel shall be able to absent or hide himselfe all without exception must appeare as wel high as low rich as poore none shâ—ll be able to withdrawe themselues no not the mightie Monarches of the earth Furthermore this voice shall bee vttered by angels As in the Church Christ vseth men as his ministers by whome he speakes vnto his people so at the last daie he shall vse the ministerie of Angels whome he shall send foorth into the foure windes to gather his elect togither and therefore it is likely that this voice shall be vttered by them And by this which hath beene said wee must be mooued to make conscience of all sinne For there is no auoiding of this iudgement we can not absent our selues no excuse will serue the turne euen the most rebellious of all creatures whether man or angel shall be forced to appeare and therefore it standes vs in hand while we haue time in this life to looke vnto our estates and to practise the duties of christianitie that when we shall be cited before his glorious maiestie at the last day we may be cleared and absolued The fourth point is the separation of the sheepe from the goates the good from the badde for when all the kinreds of the earth and all vncleane spirits shall stand before Christ sitting in the throne of his glorie then as a good sheapheard he shall separate them one from another the
to teach all ignorāt persons and impenitent sinners repentance and humiliation for their sinnes and to mooue them with all speede to seeke vnto Christ for the pardon of the same When Paul preached to the Athenians he willed them to repent vpon this ground and reason because the Lord hath appointed a day wherein he will iudge the world in righteousnes To speake plainly we can be content to heare the word and to honour him with our lipps yet for the most part all is done but for fashions sake for still we liue in our old sinnes our hearts are not turned but in the feare of God let vs bethinke our selues of the time when wee shall come before the iudge of heauen and earth and haue all our sinnes laide open and wee must answer for them all This is the point which the holy Ghost vseth as a reason to mooue men vnto repentance and assuredly if this will not mooue vs there is nothing in the world will Secondly to this purpose Paul saith If wee would iudge our selues wee should not be iudged Wouldest thou then escape the iudgement of Christ at the last day then in this life iudge thy selfe Nowe a man in iudging of himselfe must performe foure things I. he must examine himselfe of his owne sinnes II. he must confesse thē before the Lord. III. he must condemne himselfe as a iudge vpon the bench giue sentence against himselfe Lastly he must plead pardon and crie vnto God as for life and death for the remission of all his sinnes and he that doth this vnfainedly shal neuer be iudged of the Lord at the last day but if we slacke and neglect this dutie in this life then vndoubtedly there remaines nothing but eternall woe in the world to come Thirdly by this we may learne one not to iudge or condemne another as Paul sayeth Iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come who lighten all things that are in darknes make the counsels of the hearts manifest And Christ saith Iudgement is mine and iudge not and ye shall not be iudged And againe Paul saith to the Romans Why doest thou iudge thy brother for we must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ but some will aske howe doth one iudge another Ans. Thus I. when a man doth well to saie of him that he doth euill II. when a man doth euill then to make it worse III. when a thing is doubtfull to take it in the worst part And by any of these three waies we are not to iudge either of mens persons or of their actions Fourthly wee must endeauour our selues to keepe a good conscience before God and before all men This is the practise of S. Paul who in consideration and hope of a resurrection vnto iudgement as well of the iust as of the vniust endeauoured himselfe to haue alwaies a cleare conscience both towards God and towards men His example is worthie our marking and imitation for fewe there be that vpon this occasion make any conscience either of duty to God or to their brethren Fifthly the last iudgement must stirre vs vp to a reuerend feare of God cause vs to glorifie him as the Angel saith in the Reuelation Feare God and giue glorie to him for the houre of his iudgement is come And doubtlesse if any thing in the world will mooue a man to feare the Lord it is this to remember the fearefull and terrible daie of iudgement Nowe hauing spoken hitherto of the first person the father and also of the sonne it followeth in the next place to speake of the third person in these wordes I beleeue in the holy Ghost In which wee may consider two things the title of the person and the action of faith repeated from the beginning The title is Holy Ghost or spirit It may here be demanded howe this title can be fit to expresse the third person which seemes to bee common to the rest for the father is holy and the sonne is holy againe the father is a spirit and the sonne is a spirit Ans. Indeed the father and the sonne are as wel to be tearmed holy in respect of their natures the third person for all three subsisting in one and the same godhead are consequently holy by one and the fame holinesse but the third person is called holy because beside the holinesse of nature his office is to sanctifie the Church of God Nowe if it be said that sanctification is a work of the whole Trinitie the answer is that although it be so yet the worke of sanctification agrees to the Holy Ghost in speciall manner The father sanctifieth by the sonne and by the holy Ghost the sonne sanctifieth from the father and by the Holy Ghost the holy Ghost sanctifieth from the father and from the sonne by himselfe immediatly and in this respect is the third person tearmed holy Againe the third person is tearmed a Spirit not onely because his nature is spirituall for in that respect the father is a spirit and the sonne is a spirit but because hee is spired or breathed from the father and from the sonne in that he procedes from them both Thus wee see there is a speciall cause why the third person is called the Holy Ghost Nowe the action of faith which concernes the third person is to beleeue in him Which is I. to acknowledge the Holy Ghost as he hath reuealed himselfe in the word II. In special to beleeue that he is my sanctifier and comforter III. To put all the confidence of my heart in him for that cause In these wordes are comprised foure points of doctrine which are to be beleeued cōcerning the holy Ghost The first that he is very God For we are not to put our affiance or confidence in any but in God alone And no doubt the penners of the Creede in that they prefixed these wordes I beleeue in before the article of the third person meant thereby to signifie that he is true God equall with the father and the sonne according to the tenour of the Scriptures themselues Peter saith to Ananias Why hath Satan filled thine heart that thou shouldest lie vnto the Holy Ghost and continuing the same speech he changeth the tearme onely and saith Thou hast not lied vnto men but vnto God Whereby hei nsinuateth that the Holy Ghost is very God In the vision of the Prophet Isai the wordes by him set downe are thus I heard the voice of Iehoua saying Whome shall I send c. and he said God and say to this people Ye shall heare indeed but ye shall not vnderstand But Paul quoting the same place spake on this manner Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esay the Prophet saying Goe vnto this people and say vnto them Now these places being compared togither make it plaine that the title of Iehova agreeth to the holy Ghost But yet the enemies of this truth which thinke that the Holy
word of God For Paul saith that they that are the childreÌ„ of god are led by the spirit of Christ. Nowe seeing this is so that if wee would liue eternally wee must begin to liue that blessed and eternall life before we die here we must be carefull to reform two common errors The first is that a man enters into eternall life when hee dies and not before which is a flat vntruth Our Sauiour Christ said to Zacheus This day is saluation come to thy houseâ— giuing vs to vnderstand that a man then begins to be saued when God doeth effectually call him by the ministery of his Gospell Whosoeuer then will bee saued when hee is dying and dead must begin to be saued while he is nowe liuing His saluation must beginne in this life that would come to saluation after this life Verely verely saith Christ he that heareth my word and â—eleeueth in him that sent me hath eternall life namly in this present life The second error is that howsoeuer a man liue if when he is dying he can lift vp his eies and say Lord haue mercie vpon me hee is certainly saued Behold a verie dangerous and foolish conceit that deceiues many a man It is all one as if an arrant theife should thus reason with himselfe and say I will spend my daies in robbing and stealing I feare neither arraignment nor exequution For at the verie time when I am to bee turned off the ladder if I doe but call vpon the iudge I knowe I shall haue my pardon Behold a most dangerous and desperate course the verie same is the practise of carelesse men in the matter of their saluation For a man may diâ— with Lord haue mercie in his mouth and perish eternally except in this world he enter into the first degree of eternall life For not euerie one that sayeth Lord Lord shall enter into heauen but he that doth the will of the father which is in heauen The fourth dutie is to exercise and inure our selues in dying by little little so long as we liue here vpon earth before we come to die indeede And as men that are appointed to runne a race exercise themselues in running that they may get the victorie so should we begin to die now while we are liuing that we might die well in the end But some may say how should this be done Paul giues vs direction in his owne example when he saith by the reioycing which I haue in Christ I die daily And he died daily not onely because hee was often in danger of death by reason of his calling but also because in al his dangers and troubles he inured himselfe to die For when men do make the right vse of their afflictions whether they bee in bodie or minde or both and doe with all their might endeauour to beare them patiently humbling themselues as vnder the correction of God then they begin to die well And to doe this indeede is to take an excellent course He that would mortifie his greatest sins must begin to doe it with small sinnes which when they are once reformed a man shall be able more easily to ouercome his master-sinnes So likewise he that would be able to beare the crosse of all crosses namely death it selfe must first of all learne to beare small crosses as sicknesses in bodie and troubles in minde with losses of goods and of friendes and of good name which I may fitly tearme little deaths and the beginnings of death it selfe and we must first of all acquaint our selues with these little deaths before we can wel be able to beare the great death of al. Againe the afflictions and calamities of this life are as it were the harbingers and puruiers of death and we are first to learne how to entertaine these messengers that when death the lord himselfe shall come we may in better manner entertaine him This point Bilney the martyr well considered who oftentimes before hee was burned put his finger into the flame of the candle not onely to make triall of his abilitie in suffering but also to arme and strengthen himselfe against greater torments in death Thus ye see the fourth dutie which ye must in any wise learne and remember because wee cannot be able to beare the pangs of death well vnles we bee first well schooled and nurtered by sundrie trials in this life The fifth and last dutie is set down by Salomon All that thine hand shall find to doe doe it with all thy power And marke the reason For there is neither worke nor inuention nor knowledge nor wisdome in the graue whither thou goest To the same purpose Paul saith Doe good to all men while ye haue time Therefore if any man be able to doe any good seruice either to Gods church or to the common wealth or to any priuate man let him doe it with all speede and with all might least death it selfe preuent him He that hath care thus to spende his daies shall with much comfort and peace of conscience ende his life Thus much of generall preparation Now followeth the particular which is in the time of sicknes And here first of all I will shew what is the doctrine of the Papists and then afterward the truth By the popish order and practise when a man is about to die he is inioyned three things First to make sacramentall confession specially if it be in any mortall sinne secondly to receiue the Eucharist thirdly to require his annoyling that is the sacrament as they call it of extreame vnction Sacramentall confession they tearme a rehearsall or enumeration of all mans sinnes to a priest that he may receiue absolution But against this kinde of confession sundrie reasons may be alleadged First of all it hath no warrant either by commandement or example in the whole word of God They say yes and they indeauour to prooue it thus He which lies in any mortall sinne is by Gods law bound to doe penance and to seeke reconciliation with God now the necessarie meanes after baptisme to obtaine reconciliation is the confession of all our sinnes to a priest Because Christ hath appointed priests to be iudges vpon earth with such measure of authoritie that no man falling after baptisme can without their sentence and determination be reconciled and they can not rightly iudge vnlesse they know all a mans sinnes therefore all that fall after baptisme are bound by Gods word to open all their sinnes to a priest Ans. It is false which they say that priests are iudges hauing power to examine and take knowledge of mens sinnes and iurisdiction whereby they can properly absolue pardon or retaine them For Gods word hath giuen no more to man but a ministerie of reconciliation whereby in the name of God and according to his word he doth preach declare and pronounce that God doth pardon or not pardon his sinnes Againe pardon may truly be pronounced
Sonne of God By this we may see that Christ is one onely Sonne of God not two yet in two respects is he one As he is the eternall Word hee is by nature the Son of the Father As he is man the same Sonne also yet not by nature or by adoption but only by personal vnion Luk. 1.35 Matth. 3.17 This is my beloued Son c. The phrase in Scripture agreeing to this Vnion is the communion of properties concerning which obserue two rules I. Of those things which are spoken or attributed to Christ some are only vnderstood of his diuine nature As that Ioh. 8.58 Before Abraham was I am And that Coloss. 1.15 Who is the image of the inuisible God the first borne of euery creature Some againe agree only to his humanitie as borne suffered dead buried c. Luk. 2.52 And Iesus increased in wisdome and stature and in fauour with God and man Lastly other things are vnderstood only of both natures vnited togither As Matth. 17.5 This is my beloued Son in whome onely I am well pleased heare him Eph. 1.22 He hath made subiect all things vnder his feete and hath appointed him ouer all things to be the head to the Church II. Some things are spoken of Christ as he is God which must be interpreted according to his humane nature Act. 20.28 To feed the Church of God that is Christ which he according to his manhood hath purchased with his own blood 1. Cor. 2.8 If they had knowne this they would neuer haue crucified the Lord of glory Contrarily some things are mentioned of Christ as he is man which onely are vnderstood of his diuine nature Ioh. 3.13 No man ascended vp to heauen but he that hath descended from heauen the sonne of man which is in heauen This is spoken of his manhood whereas we must vnderstand that onely his Deitie came downe from heauen Ioh. 6.62 What if ye should see the sonne of man vz. Christs humane nature ascend vp where hee vz. his Deitie was before Lastlie by reason of this Vnion Christ as he is man is exalted aboue euery name yea he is adored and hath such a great though not infinite measure of gifts as farre surpasse the gifts of all Saints and Angels Eph. 1.21 And set him at his right hand in heauenly places â—â—â—re aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and euery name that is named not in this world onely but in that also that is to come Heb. 1.6 When he bringeth his first begotten Sonne into the world he saith And let all the Angels of God worship him Col. 2.3 In whome all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge are hidden Phil. 2.9 10. Therefore god exalted him on hie gaue him a name aboue all names that at the name of Iesus euery knee should bow namely worship and be subiect to him both of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth CHAP. 17. Of the distinction of both Natures THe distinction of both Natures is that whereby they with their properties and effects remaine without composition mingling or conuersion distinct Ioh. 10.17,18 Therefore doth my Father loue me because I lay downe my life that I may take it againe No man taketh it from me but I lay it downe of my selfe I haue power to lay it downe and haue power to take it againe Ioh. 13.31 32. Now is the Son of man glorified God is glorified in him If God be glorified in him God shall also glorifie him in himselfe Here we may obserue that there is one will in Christ as God another as man Matth. 26.39 Not as I will but as thou wilt This also approoueth that sentence of the Chalcedon Creede Wee confesse that one and the same Christ Iesus both Sonne Lord only begotteÌ„ is known and preached to be in two natures without confusion mutation distinction or separation Lastly hereby it is manifest that Christ when he became that which he was not namely man continued still that which he was very God CHAP. 18. Of Christs Natiuitie and Office THus much concerning Christs incarnation the cleere declaration thereof was by his natiuitie The natiuity of Christ is that wherby Mary a Virgin did after the course of nature and the custome of women bring forth Christ that Word of the father and the Son of Dauid so that those are much deceiued which are of opinion that Christ after a miraculous maner came into the world the wombe of the Virgin beeing shut Luk. 2.23 Euery man child which first openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord. The which place of scripture is applyed to Mary our Sauiour Christ. Hence is it that the Virgin Marie is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring forth god albeit she is not any way mother of the Godhead For Christ as hee is God is without mother and as man without Father It is conuenient to be thought that Mary continued a Virgin vntill her dying day albeit we make not this opinion any article of our beleefe I. Christ beeing now to depart the world committed his mother to the tuition and custodie of his disciple Iohn which it is like he would not haue done if shee had had any children by whom as custome was shee might haue beene prouided for Ioh. 19. 26. II. It is likely that shee who was with childe by the holy Ghost would not after know any man III. It is agreed of by the Church in all ages Christ beeing now borne was circumcised the eight day that he might fulfill all the righteousnes of the law and bâ—â—â—g thirtie yeares of age he was baptized that he beeing publiquely and solemnly inuested into the office of his Mediatorship might take vpon him the guilt of our sinnes He was both circumcised and baptized that we might learne I. That the whole efficacie of the Sacraments depend alone and wholly vpon him II. That he was Mediatour of mankind both before and after the Law as also vnder grace III. That he is the knot and bond of both couenants His Office followeth to the perfect accomplishing whereof he was annointed of his Father that is he was sufficiently furnished both with gifts and authoritie Hebr. 1.9 Therefore God euen thy God annointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes Esa. 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord was vpon me therfore be annointed me Ioh. 3.34 God giueth him not the Spirit by measure If any man inforce this as a reason that Christ could not performe the Office of a Mediatour beeing not the meane or middle betwixt God and man but the partie offended so one of the extreames we must know that Christ is two waies said to be the middle or meane I. Betwixt God and all men for being both God and man he doth participate with both extreames II. Betwixt God and the faithfull onely first according to his humanitie whereby he receiued the Spirit without measure Secondly according to his diuine
nature darknes and let God but speake to our blind vnderstandings our ignorance shall depart and we shall be inlightened with the knowledge of the true God and of his will as Paul saith God that commanded the light to shine out of darknesse is he which hath shined in our hearts to giue the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus Christ. Secondly God made all creatures without motion labour or defatigation for his very bidding of the worke to be done was the doing of it And this thing no creature can doe but God onely though vnto Adam labour was without paine before the fall Thirdly the matter and the first beginning of all creatures was nothing that is all things were made when as there was nothing whereof they might be made as Paul saith God calleth those things which be not as though they were And indeede in the first creation all things must be made either of the essence of God or of nothing but a creature can not be made of the essence of God for it hath no parts it is not diuisible and therefore God made all things that were made out of himselfe or his owne essence the conclusion then is that the framing of the creatures in the beginning was not of any matter but of nothing because before the creation out of God there was nothing This must teach vs to humble our selues Many there be that stand vpon their ancestours but let them here looke whence they came first namely as Abraham saith of himselfe of dust and ashes And what was this dust and ashes made of surely of nothing wherefore euery mans first beginning is of nothing Well then such men as are caried away with their pedigree and descent if they look well into it they shall finde small cause to boast or bragge And this consideration of our first beginning must mooue vs to true humiliation in our selues Fourthly God in framing his creatures in the beginning made them good yea very good Now the goodnes of the creature is nothing else but the perfect estate of the creature whereby it was conformable to the will and minde of the Creator allowing and approouing of it when he had made it for a creature is not first good and then approoued of God but because it is approoued of God therefore it is good But wherein will some say stands this goodnes of the creature I anâ—wer in three things I. in the comelines beautie and glorie of euery worke in his kind both in forme and constitution of the matter II. In the excellencie of the vertue which God hath giuen to it for as he hath appointed euery creature for some especiall ende so he hath fitted and furnished it with sufficient power and vertue for the accomplishing of the same ende III. In the exceeding benefit and profitablenesse that came by them to man But since the fall of man this goodnes of the creature is partly corrupted and partly diminished Therefore when we see any want defect or deformitie in any of them we must haue recourse backe againe to the apostasie of our first parents and remember our fall in them and say with a sorrowfull heart this comes to passe by reason of mans most wretched sinne which hath defiled heauen and earth and drawne a curse not onely vpon himselfe but vpon the rest of the creatures for his sake whereby there goodnes is much defaced Fifthly the ende of creation is the glorie of God as Salomon saith God made all things for his owne sake yea euen the wicked for the day of euill And God propounds this principall ende to himselfe not as though he wanted glorie and would purchase it vnto himselfe by the creation for he is most glorious in himselfe and his honour and praise beeing infinite can neither be increased nor decreased but rather that he might communicate and make manifest his glorie to his creatures and giue them occasion to magnifie the same For the reasonable creatures of God beholding his glorie in the creation are mooued to testifie and declare the same among men The sixth shall be touching the time of the beginning of the world which is betweene fiue thousand and sixe thousand yeares agoe For Moses hath set downe exactly the computation of time from the making of the world to his owne daies and the Prophets after him haue with like diligence set downe the continuance of the same to the very birth of Christ. But for the exact account of yeares Chronologers are not all of one minde Some say there be 3929. from the creation to Christs birth as Beroaldus some 3952. as Hierome and Bede some 3960. as Luther and â—o Lucidus some 3963. as Melancthon in his Chronicle and Functius some 3970. as Bullinger and Tremellius some towards 4000. as Buntingus Now from the birth of Christ to this day are 1592. yeares and adding these together the whole time amounteth And God would haue the very time of the beginning of the world to be reuealed first that it might be knowne to the Church when the couenant of grace was first giuen by God to man and when it was afterward renewed and how Christ came in the fulnesse of time Gal. 4. secondly that we might know that the world was not made for the eternall and euerliuing God but for man thirdly that we might learne not to set our hearts on the world on the things therein which haue beginning and ende but seeke for things eternall in heauen And before the time which I haue named began there was nothing beside God the world it selfe and all things else were vncreated Some men vse to obiect and say what did God all that while before the world was how did he imploy himselfe what was he idle Ans. The Iewes to this badde question make as badde an answer For they say he was continually occupied in making many little worlds which he continually destroied as he made them because none pleased him till he made this But we must rather say that some things are reuealed which God did then as that he decreed what should come to passe when the world was that then the blessed persons in Trinitie did take eternal delight each in other If any man will needes know more let him heare what Moses saith Secret things belong to the Lord our God but things reuealed to vs and to our children for euer and let them marke what one eluding the question answered namely that God was making hell fire to burne all such curious persons as will needes know more of God then he hath reuealed to them for where God hath not a mouth to speake there we must not haue an eare to heare therefore our dutie is to let such curious questions passe Seuenthly some may aske in what space of time did God make the world I answer God could haue made the world and all things in it in one moment but he
spirit the answer is that the spirit signifies the minde whereby men conceiue and vnderstand such things as may be vnderstood and the soule is there taken for the will and affections and therefore these twaine are not two parts but onely two distinct faculties of one and the same soule The bodie of man at the first was formed by God of clay or of the dust of the earth not to be the graue of the bodie as Plato said but to be an excellent and most fit instrument to put in execution the powers and faculties of the soule And howsoeuer in it selfe considered it is mortall because it is compoūded of contrarie natures called Elements yet by the appointment and blessing of God in the creation it became immortall till the fall of man As for the soule it is no accidentarie qualitie but a spirituall and inuisible essence or nature subsisting by it selfe Which plainely appeares in that the soules of men haue beeing and continuance as well forth of the bodies of men as in the same and are as well subiect to torments as the bodie is And whereas we can and doe put in practise sundrie actions of life sense motion vnderstanding we doe it onely by the power and vertue of the soule Hence ariseth the difference betweene the soules of men and beasts The soules of men are substances but the soules of other creatures seeme not to be substances because they haue no beeing out of the bodies in which they are but rather they are certaine peculiar qualities arising of the matter of the bodie and vanishing with it And it may be for this cause that the soule of the beast is said to be in the blood whereas the like is not said of the soule of man And though mens soules be spirits as angels are yet a difference must be made For angels can not be vnited with bodies so as both shall make one whole and entire person whereas mens soules may yea the soule coupled with the bodie is not onely the moouer of the bodie but the principall cause that makes man to be a man The beginning of the soule is not of the essence of God vnlesse we will make euery mans soule to be God neither doth it spring of the soule of the parents for the soule can no more beget a soule then an angel can beget an angel And Adam is called a liuing soule and not a quickning soule And earthly fathers are called the fathers of our bodies and not of our soules It remaines therefore as beeing most agreeable to the Scriptures that the soules of men are then created by God of nothing when they are infused into the bodie And though the soule◠of men haue a beginning yet they haue no end but are eternall And when they are saide to die it is not because they cease at any time to subsist or haue beeing in nature but because they cease to be righteous or to haue fellowship with God Whereas our bodies are Gods workemanship we must glorifie him in our bodies and all the actions of bodie and soule our eating and drinking our liuing and dying must be referred to his glorie yea we must not hurt or abuse our bodies but present them as holy and liuing sacrifices vnto God And whereas God made vs of the dust of the earth we are not to glorie and boast our selues but rather to take occasion to praise the great goodnesse of God that hath vouchsafed to honour vs beeing but dust and ashes And after that man is created what is his life alas it is nothing but a little breath stoppe his mouth and his nostrells and he is but a dead man By this we are put in minde to consider of our fraile and vncerten estate and to lay aside all confidence in our selues and for this cause the Prophet Esay teacheth vs to haue no confidence in man because his breath is in his nostrills Againe let vs marke the frame and shape of mans bodie All other creatures goe with their bodies and eyes to the ground-ward but man was made to goe vpright and whereas all other creatures haue but foure muscles to turne their eyes round about man hath a fifth to pull his eyes vp to heauen-ward Now what doth this teach vs surely that howsoeuer we seeke for other things yet first of all and aboue all we should seeke for the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnesse thereof and that our whole desire should be set to enioy the blessed estate of Gods children in heauen Secondly it teacheth vs in receiuing Gods creatures to returne thankfulnes vnto God by lifting vp the heart to heauen for the same These are very needfull and profitable lessons in these daies for most men indeede goe vpright but looke into their liues and they might as well goe on all foure for in their conuersation they set their whole hearts vpon the earth as the beast doth and their eyes vpon the things of this world hereby they doe abase themselues and deface their bodies and beeing men make themselues as beasts we shall see great numbers of men that runne and ride from place to place to prouide for the bodie but to seeke the kingdome of heauen where their soules should dwell after this life in ioy for euer they wil not stirre one foote Thirdly mans bodie by creation was made a temple framed by Gods owne hands for himselfe to dwell in therefore our dutie is to keepe our bodies pure and cleane and not to suffer them to be instruments wherby to practise the sinne of the heart If a man had a faire house wherein he must entertaine a prince and should make hereof a swinestie or a stable would not all men say that he did greatly abuse both the house and the prince euen so mans bodie beeing at the first made a pallace for the euerliuing God if a man shall abuse it by drunkennesse swearing lying fornication or any vncleannesse he doth make it in stead of a temple for the holy Ghost to be a stie or stable for the deuill For the more filthie a mans bodie is the more fit it is to be a dwelling place for sinne and Sathan Fourthly man by creation was made a goodly creature in the blessed image of God but by Adams fall men lost the same and are now become the deformed children of wrath our dutie therefore is to labour to get againe our first image and indeauour our selues to become newe creatures If a noble man should staine his blood by treason after his death the posteritie will neuer be at rest till they haue got away that spot Man by Adams fall is become a limm of the deuill a rebell and traytor against Gods maiestie and this is the state of euery one of vs by nature we are at enmitie with God and therfore we ought to labour aboue all things in the world to be restored in Christ to our first estate and perfection that
any of Gods creatures or ordinances wee must sanctifie them by the direction of his word and by praier the reason is this because he is Lord ouer all and therefore from his word we must fetch direction to teach vs whether we may vse them or not and when and how they are to be vsed and secondly we must pray to him that he would giue vs libertie and grace to vse them aright in holy maner Also we are so to vse the creatures and ordinances of God as being alwaies readie to giue an account of our doings at the day of iudgement for we vse that which is the Lords not our owne we are but stewards ouer them and we must come to a reckoning for the stewardship Hast thou learning then imploy it to the glory of God and the good of the Church boast not of it as though it were thine owne Hast thou any other gift or blessing of God be it wisdome strength riches honour fauour or whatsoeuer then looke thou vse it so as thou maist be alwaies readie to make a good account thereof vnto Christ. Lastly euery one must in such manner lead his life in this world that at the day of death hee may with cheerefulnes surrender and giue vp his soule into the handes of his Lord and say with Steuen Lord Iesus receiue my soule For consider this with thy selfe that thy soule is none of thine owne but his who hath bought it with a price and therefore thou must so order and keepe it as that thou maiest in good manner restore it into the hands of god at the ende of thy life If a man should borrowe a thing of his neighbour and afterward hurt it and make a spoile of it he would be ashamed to bring it againe to the owner in that manner and if he doe the owner himselfe will not receiue it Vngodly men in this life doe so staine their soules with sinne that they can neuer be able willingly to giue them vp into the handes of God at the day of death and if they would yet God accepts them not but casts them quite away We must therefore labour so to liue in the world that with a ioyfull heart at the day of death we may commend our soules into the handes of our Lord Christ Iesus who gaue them vnto vs. This is a harde thing to bee done and he that will doe it truely must first be assured of the pardon of his owne sinnes which a man can neuer haue without true vnfained faith and repentance wherefore while we haue time let vs purge and clense our soules and bâ—dies that they may come home againe to God in good plight And here all gouernours must be put in mind that they haue an higher Lord that they may not oppresse or deale hardly with their inferiours This is Paul reason Ye masters saith he doe the same things vnto your seruants putting away threatning and knowe that euen your master is also in heauen neither is there respect of persons with him Inferiours againe must remember to submit themselues to the authoritie of their gouernours especially of magistrates For they are set ouer vs by our soueraigne Lord and king Christ Iesus as Paul saith Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers For there is no power but of God and the powers that be ordained are of God And againe Seruants be obedient to your Masters according to the flesh with feare and trembling in singlenes of your hearts as vnto Christ. The comfort which Gods Church may reape hence is very great for if Christ be the Lord of lords and our Lord especially whome he hath created and redeemed we neede not to feare what the deuil or wicked men can doe vnto vs. If Christ be on our side who can be against vs wee neede not feare them that can destroy the bodie and doe no more but we must cast our feare on him that is Lord of body and soule and can cast both to hell Thus much of the fourth title Nowe followes Christs incarnation in these wordes Conceiued by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Marie And they containe in them one of the most principall points of the doctrine of godlines as Paul saith Without controuersie great is the mysterie of godlinesse which is God is made manifest in the flesh iustified in the spirit c. And that we may proceede in order in handling them I will first speake of the incarnation generally and then after come to the parts thereof In generall we are to propound fiue questions the answering whereof will be very needefull to the better vnderstanding of the doctrine following The first question is who was incarnateâ— or made man Answ. The second person in Trinitie the sonne of God alone as it is set downe in this article according to the Scripture S. Iohn saith The Word was made flesh and the angel saith The holy one which shall be borne of thee shall be called the sonne of the most high And Paul saith that Christ Iesus our Lord was made of the seede of Abraham according to the flesh And there be sundrie reasons why the second person should rather be incarnate then any other I. By whom the father created all things and man especially by him man beeing fallen is to be redeemed and as I may say recreated now man was at the first created of the father by the sonne and therefore to be redeemed by him II. It was most conuenient that he which is the essentiall image of the father should take mans nature that he might restore the image of God lost and defaced in man but the second person is the essentiall image of the father and therefore he alone must take mans nature III. It was requisite that that person which was by nature the sonne of God should be made the sonne of man that we which are the sonnes of men yea the sonnes of wrath should againe by grace be made the sonnes of God now the second person alone is the sonne of God by nature not the Father nor the holy Ghost As for the Father he could not be incarnate For to take flesh is to be sent of an other but the Father can not be sent of any person because he is from none Againe if the Father were incarnate he should be father to him which is by nature God and the sonne of a creature namely the virgin Marie which things can not well stand And the holy Ghost could not be incarnateâ— for then there should be more sonnes then one in the Trinitie namely the second person the sonne of the father and the third person the holy Ghost the sonne of the virgin Marie It may be obiected to the contrarie on this manner The whole diuine essence is incarnate euery person in Trinitie is the whole diuine essence therefore euery person is incarnate Ans. The whole Godhead indeede is incarnate yet not
them plentie of his grace but also admits them into his glorious presence so as they may behold his maiestie face to face The fourth and last is that whereby the Godhead of the sonne is present and dwells with and in the manhood giuing vnto it in some part his owne subsistance Wherby it comes to passe that this manhood assumed is proper to the sonne and can not be the manhood of the Father or of the holy Ghost or of any creature whatsoeuer And this is a thing so admirable and so vnspeakable that among all the works of God there can not be found an other example hereof in all the world Hence it follows necessarily that the manhood of Christ consisting of bodie and reasonable soule is a nature onely and not a person because it doth not subsist alone as other men Peter Paul Iohn doe but wholly depends on the person of the word into the vnitie whereof it is receiued The third point is in what order the diuine and humane nature of Christ are vnited togither Ans. The common consent of Diuines is that albeit all the parts of the manhood and the godhead of Christ be vnited at one instant yet in respect of order he vnites vnto himselfe first and immediately the soule and by the soule the bodie And it seemes vnmeete that God beeing a most simple essence should immediately be ioyned to a compound bodie and therefore it may well be saide that he is vnited vnto it by the more simple part of man which is the soule Againe the manhood of Christ is first and immediately ioyned to the person of the sonne himselfe and by the person to the godhead of the sonne The fourth point is whether there remaine any difference or diuersitie of the two natures after that the vnion is made Answ. The two natures concurring make not the person of the sonne to be compounded properly but onely by analogie for as bodie and soule make one man so God and man make one Christ neither are they turned one into an other the godhead into the manhood or the manhood into the godhead as water was turned into wine at Cana in Galile neither are they confused and mingled togither as meates in the stomacke but they now are and so remaine without composition conuersion or confusion really distinct and that in three respects First in regard of essence For the godhead of Christ is the godhead and can not be the manhood and againe the manhood of Christ is the manhood and not the godhead Secondly they are distinguished in proprieties the godhead is most wise iust mercifull omnipotent yea wisdom iustice mercie and power it selfe and so is not the manhood neither can it be Againe Christ as he is God hath his will eternall and vncreated which is all one with the will of the father and the holy Ghost And as he is man he hath another will created in time placed in his reasonable soule this Christ signifieth when he saith Not my will but thy will be done Thirdly they are distinct in their actions or operations which though they goe togither inseparably in the worke of redemption yet they must in no wise be confounded but distinguished as the natures themselues are Christ saith of himselfe I haue power to lay downe my life and I haue power to take it vp againe and hereby he shewes the distinction of operations in his two natures For to lay downe his life is an action of the manhood because the Godhead can not die and to take it vp againe is the worke of the Godhead alone which reunites the soule to the bodie after death The fifth and last point is what ariseth of this vnion Ans. By reason of this hypostatical vnion though the godhead receiue nothing from the manhood yet the manhood it selfe which is assumed is thereby perfected and enriched with vnspeakable dignitie For first of all it is exalted aboue all creatures whatsoeuer euen angels themselues in that it hath subsistance in the second person in Trinitie Secondly togither with the godhead of the Sonne it is adored and worshipped with diuine honour as in like case the honour done to the King himselfe redoundes to the crowne on his head Thirdly by reason of this vnion the godhead of Christ workes all things in the matter of our redemption in and by the manhoode And hereupon the flesh of Christ though it profit nothing of it selfe yet by the vertue which it receiueth from that person to which it is ioyned it is quickning flesh and the bread of life Againe from this vnion of two natures into one person ariseth a kinde of speech or phrase peculiar to the Scriptures called the communication of proprieties when the propertie of one nature is attributed to the whole person or to the other nature as when Paul saith that God shed his blood that the Lord of glorie was crucified And when Christ saith that he talking with Nichodemus was then in heauen The vse of the personall vnion is threefold First it serues to shew the hainousnesse of our sinnes and the greatnesse of our miserie For it had not bene possible to make a satisfaction to Gods iustice in mans nature for the least offence vnlesse the same nature had first of all beene neerely ioyned to the godhead of the sonne that thereby it might be so farre forth supported and sustained that it might ouercome the wrath of God Secondly it sets forth vnto vs the endlesse loue of God to man For whereas by reason of Adams fall we were become the vilest of all creatures except the deuill and his angels by his mysticall coniunction our nature is exalted to such an estate and condition as is farre aboue all creatures euen the angels themselues Thirdly it is as it were the keye of all our comfort for all sound comfort stands in happines all happines is in fellowship with God all fellowship with God is by Christ who for this cause beeing very God became very man that he might reconcile man to God and God to man Thus much of the conception of Christ now followes his birth whereby in the ordinarie time of trauell according to the course of nature he was brought forth into the world by the virgin Marie And it was the will of God that Christ should not onely be conceiued but also borne and that after the manner of men that he might be knowne to be very man indeede In the birth we may consider foure things the time the place the manner the manifestation of it The time was in the last daies toward the end of the 70. weekes of Daniel which are to be accounted from the ende of the captiuitie of Babylon and make in all 490 yeares or more plainly 3900 yeares and more from the beginning of the world and as Paul saith in the fulnesse of time And the Euangelists haue noted of purpose the time to haue beene when Augustus Caesar taxed
his word and receiuing his sacraments and as the Prophet saith they honour God with their lipps but their hearts are farre froÌ„ him We may see daily experieÌ„ce of this euery man will say Lord Lord but in their liues and conuersations fewe there bee that denie him not both in the duties which they owe vnto God as also in duties towards their brethren Many come to heare Gods worde because they are compelled by the magistrates lawes but when they are come they worship not God in their hearts which is plainely seene by the breach of Gods holy sabboth in euery place and that they make more account of a messe of pottage with Esau then of their birth-right and of thirtie peeces of siluer then of Christ himselfe The third point to bee handled in Christs apprehension is that they lay hold on him wherein we must consider two things I. the resistance made by Christs disciples II. their flight For the first Christs disciples resisted and specially Peter drawing his sword stroke one of the high priests seruants and cut off his eare This fact our Sauiour Christ reprooues and that for these causes I. because his disciples were priuate men and they that came to apprehend him were magistrates Secondly he was to worke the worke of mans redemption nowe Peter by this fact did what he could to hinder him And from this practise of Peter we may learne that nothing in the world is so hard to a man as to take vp his crosse and followe Christ. One would thinke it should bee a hard matter for him to encounter with enemies especially they being stronger then he but Peter stoutly resisting makes nothing of it whereas a little before when Christ tolde him and the rest concerning his passion they were so heauie with griefe that they could not hold vp their heads so hard a thing it is to beare the crosse and for this very cause afterward when Christ reprooued him for striking both he and all the rest of the disciples fled away Secondly Peter in all mans reason was to be commended because he strake in the defence of his master but Christ reprooues him for it Whence we learne that if a man be zealous for Christ hee must be zealous within the compasse of his calling and not be zealous first and then looke for a calling but first looke for a calling and then be zealous Which thing if Peter had marked hee had not dealt so rashly for being without the compasse of his calling he could not but doe amisse Here it may be demaunded whether Christ and his religion may not be maintained by the sword I answer that the magistrate which is the vicegerent of the Lord is the keeper of both tables and therefore is to maintaine religion with the sword and so may put to death Atheists which holde there is no God of which sort there are many in these daies and heretiques which malitiously maintaine and holde any thing that ouerthrowes the foundation of religion in the Churches wherof they were members But some obiect that in the parable of the fielde the seruants are commanded not to pluck vp the tares from the wheat but to suffer both to growe till haruest and that therefore there must bee no separation of heretickes and true Christians before the last day of iudgement Ans. The scope of that place is not to forbidde the execution of heretiques but it speakes only of the finall separation which must be in the ende of the world For there the master of the familie doth signifie God himselfe aud the fielde the Church militant spread ouer the face of the whole earth and by tares is meant not onely heretiques but also all those that are forth of the church the seruants are Gods holy angels and the haruest is the last iudgement Here further it may bee demaunded who may vse the sword Ans. All mâ—n may vse the sword to strike and to kil into whose hands God putteth the sword Nowe God putteth it into the hand first and principally of the publike magistrate who when iust occasion serues may drawe it out And againe it is put into a priuate mans hand sometime A priuate man when he is assailed of his enemie may take the sworde in way of his owne defence and may kill his enemie therewith if there be no other helpe not doing it vpon malice but because he can no otherwise escape and saue his own life and so for want of a magistrate he is a magistrate vnto himselfe In the â—light of the disciples we may consider two things the time and the qualitie of the persons The time was at the apprehension of our Lord Sauiour And this came to passe not without the speciall prouidence of God that it might be known that Christ had no helper or fellow in the accoÌ„plishment of the work of our redeÌ„ption that wheras we for our sinnes deserued to be forsaken of all creatures he being our pledge and surety might be forsaken for vs. As for the qualitie of the persons that flie they were the chosen disciples of Christ such as had beleeued in him confessed him and preached in his name And this serueth to teach vs that God will otherwhiles forsake his owne children and seruants and leaue them to themselues in some part that they may feele their wants and miseries their weakenesse in themselues and by that meanes be humbled throughly and be touched with an hungring desire after Christ. As a mother sets down her child and hides her selfe suffering it to crie fall and breake the face not becanse shee hates it but that shee may teach it to depend vpon her and loue her so god giueth grace to his children yet againe sometime he doth in part withdrawe it from them then they faile in their duties sundrie waies and this he doth to make them ashamed of themselues and to cause them to put all their confidence out of themselues in the merits of Christ. The fourth thing to be considered in Christs apprehension is their binding of him In which action of theirs we are to obserue first of al the circumstance of time when this binding was When our Sauiour Christ had said vnto them I am he they being astonished fell to the ground and with all when Peter had smitten off Malchus eare with his sworde Christ healed the same miraculously Yet after all this though they had seene his wonderfull power both in word and deede they proceede in malice against him and lay handes on him and bind him as a malefactour In this wee note what a fearefull sinne hardnesse of heart is the danger whereof appeareth in this that if a man be ouertaken with it there is nothing that can stay or daunt him in his wicked proceedings no not the powerfull words and deedes of Christ himselfe And indeede among Gods iudgements there is none more feareful then this and yet how feareful soeuer it be it is a
whersoeuer was thunder or earthquakes seditions or tumults or any disquietnesse or trouble Christians were accused as the authors thereof Such enemies haue they had in all ages and in these our daies the same is practised and will bee to the worldes ende Nowe when the first witnesses could not agree among theÌ„selues then two other false witnesses came forth which auouched that Christ said I will destroy this temple made with hands within three daies will build another made without handes Indeede Christ said some such wordes for saith he Destroy this temple and within three daies I will build it vp againe But he spake this of the temple of his bodie whereas they malitiously did interpret him to haue spoken of the temple in Ierusalem And againe they change the wordes for Christ said Destroy this temple c. but these witnesses affirme he said I will destroy this temple made with hands c. And thus they change both words and meaning and therefore the Holy Ghost calleth them false witnesses By this we must be aduertised to take heed howe we report mens wordes for if wee change the meaning though in part we retaine the wordes we may soone become slanderers and false witnesses and as this dutie must be performed towards all men so especially towards the ministers of the Gospel and the neglect of this dutie procureth many slaunders to theÌ„ in this our Church whereof indeede the reâ—orters are the cause and not the ministers themselues Now at this false accusation Christ was silent so as Caiphas asked him why he answered nothing Herein we are to consider many things I. why Christ was silent The causes be two first he was to shewe himselfe a patterne of true humilitie patience therfore euen then would he be silent wheÌ„ he was most falsely accused of his aduersaries Secondly he is silent that standing before the iudge to be condemned the sentence might proceed against him and hee might suffer the death appointed which was due vnto vs and so become our redeemer And in Christs example we must note that it is a speciall dutie to knowe when to speake and when to be silent The ordering of the tongue is a rare gift and few attaine vnto it Some will peraduenture aske what rule wee haue to direct vs herein Ans. The general rule for the ordering of the tongne is the lawe of God We are commanded to seeke the glorie of God in the first table and in the second the good of our neighbour when thy speech therefore will serue either for Gods glorie or the good of thy neighbor then thou must speake if it serue for neither then bee silent Againe if thy silence bee either for Gods glorie or the good of thy neighbour then be silent if it wil not then speake And because it is hard for a man to knowe when his speech or silence will serue for these two ends therfore we must praie vnto God that hee will teach and direct vs herein as Dauid doth Set a watch saith he O Lord before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lippes and againe Open thou my lipps O Lord and my mouth shall shewe forth thy praise Thus much for the false witnesses produced Now followeth the third point which is the adiuring of Christ for Caiphas the high priest charged him to tel him whether he were the Christ the sonne of God or no. To adiure a man is to charge and command him in the name of God to declare a trueth not onely because God is witnesse thereof but also because he is a iudge to reuenge if he speake not the trueth Thus Paul adiured the Thessalonians charging them in the Lord that his epistle should be read vnto all the brethren the Saints And the like doth Caiphas to Christ. And heaâ—e is a thing to be wondred at Caiphas the high priest adiureth him in the name of God who is very God euen the Sonne of God And this shewes what a small account hee made of the name of God for hee did it onely to get aduantage on Christs wordes and so do many nowe adaies who for a little profit or gaine make a matter of nothing to abuse the name of God a thousand waies Christ beeing thus adiured though silent before yet nowe in reuerence to Gods maiestieâ— answered and said first Thou hast said it and in Saint Marke I am he In this answer appeares the wonderful prouidence of god For though Caiphas take hence the occasion of condemning Christ yet hath he withall drawne from him a most excellent confession that he is the Sonne of God our alone Sauiour And by this meanes he proceeds to shut heauen against himselfe and to open the same for vs. Thus we haue ended the first inditement of Christ before Caiphas Nowe followeth the second which was before Pontius Pilate in the common hall at Ierusalem The historie of it is set downe at large in all the Euangelists In this second inditemeÌ„t of Christ that we may referre euery matter to his place we are to obserue foure things I the accusation of Christ before Pilate II. his examination III. Pilates pollicie to saue Christ. IV. Pilats absoluing of him and then the condemnation of Christ in both courts Ecclesiasticall and ciuill of these in order In Christs accusation we must consider many points The first is who were his accusers namely the high Priest the Scribes and Pharisies and Elders of the people and the common people all these conspired togither to accuse him The cause that mooued the Pharises and Elders of the people hereunto is noted by Saint Matthew who saith of enuie they deliuered him Enuie is nothing but a sadnesse in a mans heart at the prosperitie of his better And it raigned in the Scribes and Pharises and the occasion was this Christ had taught most heauenly doctrine and confirmed the same by most wonderfull miracles and did greatly exceede them all and was in more account among the people and for this cause the Scribes and Pharises high Priests repined and grudged at him Now their example serues to admonish vs to take heede of this sinne as beeing the mother of many mischiefes And we must rather follow the example of Moses who when Iosua desired him to forbid Eldad and Medad to prophecie answered Enuiest thou for my sake yea I would to God all the lords people were prophets And we must be of the same minde with Iohn Baptist who hearing by his disciples that the people left him and followed Christ said his ioy was fulfilled for Christ must increase and he must decrease And so we must be glad and content when we see the prosperitie of our neighbours any way Now the cause why the common people ioyne with them was because the chiefe Priests and the Scribes Elders had perswaded them to a bad conceit of Christ. Hence it appeares that it is most requisite for any people
yet afterward for a time hee doth as it were hide the same in some corner of their hearts so as they haue no feeling thereof but thinke themselues to be void of all grace and this he doth for no other ende but to humble them and yet againe after all this the first grace is further renued and reuiued Thus dealt the Lord with Dauid and Salomon for whereas he was a pen-man of Scripture and therefore an holy man of God we may not thinke that he was wholly forsaken with Peter and in this place with Thomas And the experience of this shall euery seruant of God finde in himselfe The second appearance of Christ was to seuen of the disciples as they went on fishing in which hee giues three testimonies of his godhead and that by death his power was nothing diminished The first that when the disciples had fished all night and caught nothing afterward by his direction they catch fish in aboundance and that presently This teacheth vs that Christ is a soueraigne Lord ouer all creatures and hath the disposing of them in his owne handes and that if good successe followe not when men are painefull in their callings it is because God will prepare and make them fit for a further blessing Christ comes in the morning and giues his disciples a great draught of fish yet before this can be they must labour all night in vaine Ioseph must be made ruler ouer all Egypt but first he must be cast into a dungeon where he can see no sunn nor light to prepare him to that honour And Dauid must be King ouer Israel but the Lord will first prepare him hereunto by raising vp Saul to persecute him Therefore when God sâ—ndeth any hinderances vnto vs in our callings wee must not despaire nor bee discouraged for they are the meanes whereby God maketh vs fit to receiue greater blessings at his handes either in this life or in the life to come The second is that the net was vnbroke though it had in it great fishes to the number of an hundred fifty three The third that when the disciples came to land they sawe hotte coales and fish laid thereon and bread Nowe some may aske whence was this foode Answ. The same Lord that was able to prouide a Whale to swallowe vp Ionas and so to saue him and he that was able to prouide a fish for Peters angle with a peece of twentie pence in the mouth and to make a little bread and a fewe fishes to feede so many thousands in the wildernesse the same also doeth of himselfe prouide bread and fishes for his disciples This teacheth vs that not not onely the blessing but also the very hauing of meate drinke apparell is from Christ and hereupon all states of men euen the kings of the earth are taught to pray that God would giue them their daily bread Againe when we sit downe to eate and drinke this must put vs in minde that wee are the guests of Christ himselfe our foode which we haue comes of his meere gift and hee it is that entertaines vs if wee could see it And for this cause wee must soberly and with great reuerence in feare and trembling vse all gods creatures as in his presence And when we eate and drinke wee must alwaies looke that all our speech be such as may beseeme the guests of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Vsually the practise of men is farre otherwise for in feasting many take libertie to surfet to be drunke to sweare to blasâ—heme but if we serue the Lord let vs remember whose guests we are and who is our entertainer and so behaue our selues as being in his presence that all our actions and words may tend to his glorie The third appearance was to Iames as S. Paul recordeth although the same be not mentioned in any of the Euangelists The fourth was to all his disciples in a mountaine whither he had appointed them to come The fift last appearance was in the mount of Oliues when he ascended into heauen Of these three last appearances because the holy Ghost hath only mentioned them I omitte to speake and with the repeating of them I let them passe Thus much of the appearances of Christ after his resurrection the witnesses thereof are of three sorts I. angels II. women that came to the graue to embaulme him III. Christs owne disciples who did publish and preach the same according as they had seene and heard of our Sauiour Christ and of these likewise I omit to speake because there is not any speciall thing mentioned of them by the Euangelists Nowe follow the vses which are twofold some respect Christ and some respect our selues Vses which concerne Christ are three I. whereas Christ Iesus beeing starke dead rose againe to life by his owne power it serueth to prooue vnto vs that he was the sonne of God Thus Paul speaking of Christ saith that hee was deâ—lared mightily to bee the sonne of God touching the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead And by the mouth of Dauid God said Thou art my sonne this day I haue begot thee Which place must bee vnderstood not so much of the eternal generation of Christ before al worlds as of the manifestation thereof in time after this manner This day that is at the time of thine incarnâ—tion but especially at the daie of thy resurrection haue I begotten thee that is I haue made manifest that thou art my sonne so is this place expouÌ„ded by S. Paul in the Acts. SecoÌ„dly Christs rising froÌ„ death by his own poâ—er prooues vnto vs euidently that he is Lord ouer al things that are this vse S. Paul makes hereof for saith he Christ therefore died that he might be Lord both of the dead of the quick And indeed whereas he rose againe on this mâ—ner he did herebâ— shew himselfe most plainly to be a mighty prince ouer the graueâ— death hel condemnation one that had alâ— sufficient power to ouercome them Thirdly it prooues vnto vs that he was a perfit priest and that his death passion was a perfect satisfaction to the iustice of god for the â—innes of mankind For whereas Christ died he died for our sinnes now if he had not fully satisfied for them all though there had remained but one sinne for which he had made no satisfaction he had not risen againe but death which came into the world by sinne and is strengthened by it would haue held him in bondage and therefore whereas he rose againe it is more then manifest that he hath made so full a satisfaction that the merit therof doth and shall counteruaile the iustice of God for all our offences To this purpose Paul saith If Christ be not risen againe your faith is vaine and you are yet in your sinnes that is Christ had not satisfied for your sinnes or at least you could not
Answ. The reason may be this it was his good pleasure that the points of faith and religion wherof this article is one should rather be learned by hearing then by seeing Indeede Christs owne disciples were taught the same by sight that they might the better teach others which should not see wheras now the ordinarie meanes to come by faith is hearing The vses to be made of Christs ascension are of two sorts some are comforts to Gods Church and people and some are duties The comforts are especially foure The first is this Christ Iesus did ascend vp into heauen to lead captiuitie captiue a most worthie benefit By captiuitie is meant first sinne and Satan which did and doe lead men captiue into perdition secondly death and the graue which held him captiue and in bondage for the space of three daies And he leads them all captiue two waies first in himselfe in that he beganne his triumph vpon the crosse as I haue shewed and continued the same till his very ascension secondly in all his members because by his mightie power being now ascended he doth subdue and weaken the power of sinne and Satan which he manifesteth euery day by killing the corruption of their natures and the rebellion of their flesh But it may be demaunded how Christ doth lead his enemies captiue considering the deuill raignes euery where and the world and death and hell Answ. Christs victorie ouer his and our enemies hath fiue degrees First it is ordained by God secondly it is foretold thirdly it is wrought fourthly it is applied lastly it is accomplished The ordaining of it was before all worlds the foretelling of it was in all the ages of the olde testament the working of it was vpon the crosse and afterward the applying hath beene since the beginning of the world more or lesse and it is onely in part in this life that while Christ is in bruising of the head of Satan he againe may bruise his heele the accomplishment shall not be before the last iudgement From this great benefit bestowed on Gods Church there are many duties to be learned First here is an instruction for all ignorant persons and impenitent sinners which abound among vs in euery place Whosoeuer they be that liue in the blindnesse of their mindes and hardnes of their hearts they must know this that they are captiues and bondslaues of sinne and Satan of hell death and condemnation and let no man flatter himselfe of what state or degree soeuer he be for it is Gods truth if he haue not repented of all his sinnes he as yet is no better then a seruant or vassall yea a very drudge of the deuill Now then what wilt thou doe in this case The best thing is to lay to thy heart this benefit of Christ. He is ascended vp to heauen to lead captiue and to vanquish the deuil and all his angels vnder whome thou liest bound and that not onely in himselfe but in his members Now then if thou wilt become a true member of Christ he will free thee from this bondage Therefore take heede how thou continuest longer in thy old sinnes and in thy grosse ignorance seeing Christ hath made a way to libertie let vs seeke to come out of this spirituall bondage he is ascended for this end and purpose to free vs frō it therfore if we refuse this benefit our state will be the more damnable A man lies bound hand and foote in a darke dungeon and the keeper comes and sets open the prison dore and takes off his bolts and bids him come out if he refuse and say that he is well may it not be thought that he is a madde man and will any be sorie for his case No surely Well this is the state of all impenitent sinners They lie fast fettered and bound vnder the power of sinne and Satan and Christ it is who is ascended into heauen to vnloose them of this bondage he hath set open the prison dore and hath vnlocked our fetters if we refuse to come out and lie still in our sinnes there remaineth nothing for vs but euerlasting thraldome Let vs therefore in the feare of God if we haue a care of our owne soules receiue and imbrace this benefit which redoundes vnto vs by Christs ascension Secondly in that Christ is ascended to heauen to lead captiue sinne and Satan here is a good consolation for all those that are afflicted in conscience for their sinnes There is no man in this case but he hath great cause to feare yet must he not be discouraged For Christ by his ascension like a noble captaine hath taken sinne and Satan prisoners and hath pinnioned them fast so as all the power they haue is in Christs hand and therefore for this cause although they are suffered to exercise and afflict vs yet by his grace they shall neuer be able to preuaile against vs. Therefore we may safely cast our care vpon God and not feare ouermuch Hence also we may learne a third dutie There is no man that knoweth what sinne meaneth and what the bloode of Christ meaneth but in regard of the corruption of his owne nature he will say with Paul that he is sold vnder sinne and in regard thereof will crie out with him also O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death yea it will make his heart to bleede within him Nowe what shall he doe in this case surely let him remember the ende of Christs ascension which is to vanquish and subdue the rebellion of his nature and labour to feele the benefit thereof and then he shall no doubt finde that Christ will dissolue in him the works of the deuill and tread Satan vnder his feete And thus also those that feele in themselues the law of their members rebelling against the law of their minde must come to Christ and he will helpe and sree them The second benefit of Christs ascension is that he ascended vp to heauen to bestow gifts vpon his Church as it is saide in the place before mentioned He ascended vp an high c. he gaue gifts vnto men that is the gift of the knowledge of Gods word the gift of preaching and prophecie and all other gifts needefull for the good of his Church The consideration of this that Christ who is the fountaine of grace and in whome are hidde all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge should be mindfull of vs and vouchsafe such speciall fauour to his Church must cause euery one of vs who haue receiued any gift of God as there is no man but he hath receiued his portion to be humbled in his owne eyes for the same There is no cause why we should be proud of our gifts seeing we haue nothing but that which we haue receiued For to this ende Christ ascended to giue gifts vnto men and therefore our gifts whatsoeuer they be are not our owne but we had them from
Christ and we are stewards of them a while for the good of others The more the Lord giueth to a man the more he requireth at his hands and as for such as hauing good gifts abuse the same their sinne is the more grieuous and their daunger the greater Men of great gifts vnlesse they vse them aright with humbled hearts shall want Gods blessing vpon them For he giueth grace to the humble The high hills after much tillage are often barren whereas the low vallies by the streames of waters passing through them are very fruitfull and the gifts of God ioyned with a swelling heart are fruitlesse but ioyned with loue and the grace of humilitie they edifie Secondly if Christ ascend vp to heauen to giue gifts vnto men here we may see how many a man and woman in these our daies are ouerseene in that they plead ignorance and say that they hope God will haue them excused for it seeing they are not learned they haue dull wittes and it is not possible to teach them now they are past learning and hereupon they presume they may liue in grosse ignorance as blinde almost in religion as when they were first borne But marke I pray you who it is that is ascended vp to heauen namely Christ Iesus our Lord who made thee of nothing Now was he able to giue thee a beeing when thou was not and is he not likewise able to put knowledge into thy soule if so be thou wilt vse the meanes which he hath appointed and the rather seeing he is ascended for that end but if thou wilt not vse the meanes to come to knowledge thy case is desperate and thou art the cause of thine owne condemnation and thou bringest confusion vpon thine owne head Therfore let ignorant men labour for knowledge of Gods word Ignorance shall excuse none it will not stand for paiment at the day of iudgement Christ is ascended to this ende to teach the ignorant to giue knowledge and wisdome vnto the simple to giue gifts of prophecie vnto his ministers that they may teach his people Therefore I say againe let such as be ignorant vse the meanes diligently and God will giue the blessing Thirdly whereas it is thought to be a thing not possible to furnish a whole Church with preaching ministers it seemes to be otherwise For wherefore did Christ ascend to heauen was it not to giue gifts vnto his Church what is Christs hand now shortned vndoubtedly we may resolue our selues that Christ bestowed gifts sufficient vpon men in the Church but it is for our sinnes that they are not imploied The fountaines of learning the Vniuersities though they are not dammed vp yet they streame not abroad as they might Many there be in them indued with worthie gifts for the building of the Church but the couetousnes of men hindereth the comfortable entrance which otherwise might be Lastly seeing Christ ascended to giue gifts needefull for his Church as the gift of teaching the gift of prophecie the gift of tongues of wisdome and knowledge the dutie of euery man is especially of those which liue in the schooles of learning to labour by all meanes to increase cherish and preserue their gifts and as Paul exhorteth Timothie to stirre vp the gift of God that is as men preserue the fire by blowing it so by our diligence we must kindle and reuiue the gifts and graces of God bestowed on vs. Christ hath done his part and there is nothing required but our paines and fidelitie The third benefit that comes by Christs ascension is that he ascended to prepare a place for all that should beleeue in him In my fathers house saith Christ are many dwelling places if it were not so I would haue told you I goe to prepare a place for you For by the sinne of Adam our entrance into heauen was taken away If Adam by his fall did exclude himselfe from the earthly paradise then how much more did he exclude himselfe from heauen And theâ—efore all mankind sinning in him was likewise depriued of heauen The people of Israel beeing in woe and miserie cried out that they had sinned and therefore the Lord had couered himselfe with a cloud that their praiers could not passe through And Esai saith that our sinnes are a wall betwixt God and vs. And S. Iohn that no vncleane thing must enter into the heauenly Ierusalem Now seeing we haue shut our selues out of heauen by our sinnes it was requiâ—ite that Christ Iesus our Sauiour should goe before vs to prepare a place and to make readie a way for vs. For he is king ouer all he hath the keies of heauen he openeth and no man shutteth therfore it is in his power to lâ—t vs in though we haue shut our selues out But some may say if this be the ende of his ascension to prepare a place in heauen then belike such as died before the comming of Christ were not in heauen Ans. As there are two degrees of glorie one incomplete and the other complete or perfect for the faithfull departed are in glorie but in part and there remaineth fulnesse of glory for them at the day of iudgement when soule and bodie shall be both glorified together so answerably there are two degrees of preparation of places in heauen The places of glorie were in part prepared for the faithfull from the beginning of the world but the full preparation is made by Christs ascension And of this last preparation is the place of Iohn to be vnderstood The vse of this doctrine is very profitable First it ouerthroweth the fond doctrine of the church of Rome which teacheth that Christ by his death did merit our iustification and that we beeing once iustified doe further merit saluation and purchase for our selues a place in heauen But this is as it were to make a partition betweene Christ and vs in the worke of our redemption whereas in truth not onely the beginning and continuance of our saluation but also the accomplishment thereof in our vocation iustification sanctification glorification is wholly and onely to be ascribed to the meere merit of Christ and therefore hauing redeemed vs on earth he also ascends to prepare a place in heauen for vs. Secondly this serueth to condemne the fearefull lamentable and desperate securitie of these our daies Great is the loue of Christ in that he was content to suffer the pangs of hell to bring vs out of hell and withall to goe to heauen to prepare a place for vs there and yet who is it that careth for this place or maketh any account therof who forsaketh this world seekes vnto Christ for it And further least any maÌ„ should say alas I know not the way therfore Christ before he ascended made a new liuing way with his own blood as the Apostle speaketh And to take away all excuses froÌ„ men he hath set markes and bounds in this way and hath placed guides in it
namely his ministers to shew all the passengers a straight and readie course into the kingdome of heauen And though Christ haue done all this for vs yet the blindnes and securitie of men is such that none almost walketh in this way nor careth to come into this mansion place but in stead of this they walke in by waies according to the lusts of their owne flesh When they are commanded to goe eastward to Ierusalem they turne westward an other way when they are commanded to goe on forward to heauen they turne againe backeward and goe straight to hell Men runne on all the daies of their liues in the broad way that leadeth to destruction and neuer so much as once make inquirie for a resting place in heauen but when the houre of death commeth then they call for the guide whereas all their liues before they haue runne out of the way many thousand miles but then alas it is too late vnlesse it be the vnspeakable mercie of God For they haue wandered so farre astray that in so short a space they cannot be able to come into the right way againe Yet generally this is the state of most among vs whose securitie is so much the more grieuous and fearefull because Christ hath done all that heart can wish There is nothing else required but onely that by his grace we should walke in the way There was neuer any that knew the state of the people in these daies but he will graunt that this is most true which I say Besides as by this we are brought to a sight of the desperate securitie of this age so we may further learne our owne duties Is Christ gone to heauen before hand to prepare a place for thee then practise that which Paul teacheth Haue thy conuersation in heauen The words which he vseth are verie significant and the meaning of them is Ye are free-denizens of the citie of God and therefore as freemen in Gods house let all your cares and studies all your affaires and doings bee in heauen In the world if a man make purchase of an house his heart is alwaies there there he pulls down and builds againe there he makes him orchards gardens there he meanes to liue and die Christ Iesus hath bought the kingdome of heauen for vs the most blessed purchasse that euer was and hath paid the dearest price for it that euer was paide euen his own pretious blood and in this citie he hath prepared for vs a dwelling place and made vs free-denizens of it therefore all our ioy and all our affaires ought to be there It will be said howe shall a man vpon earth haue his conuersation in heauen Ans. We must conuerse in heauen not in bodie but in heart and therfore though our bodies be on earth yet our hearts ioy and comfort and all our meditation must be in heauen Thus must wee behaue our selues like good freemen in Gods house It must be far from vs to haue our ioy and our hearts set on the things of this world Thirdly the consideration of this that Christ Iesus hath prepared a place for vs in heauen also hath trained the way with his owne blood must make euerie one of vs to striue to enter in at the straight gate as our Sauiour Christ counselleth vs and that as wrastlers doe which striue for life and death Within this gate is a dwelling place of happines readie for vs. If a man were assured that there were made for him a great purchasse in Spaine or Turkie so as if he would but come thither hee might inioy it would he not aduenture the daungers of the sea and of his enemies also if neede were that he might come to his owne Wel behold Christ Iesus hath made a purchase for vs in heauen there is nothing required of vs but that we wil come enioy it Why then should men refuse any paines or feare in the way nay we must striue to get in It may be we shall be pinched in the entrance for the gate is both strait and lowe and we must be faine to leaue our wealth behind vs and the pleasures of this life enter we must though we should be constrained to leaue our flesh behinde vs. For the purchase that is made is worth tenne thousand worldes And besides if we loose it by fainting in the way our purchase shall be the blacknesse of darkenes for euer with the deuill and all his angels who therefore would not striue though he lost his life in the gate The vrging of this point is needefull in these daies There is striuing enough for worldly preferment but a man almost may go alone in the straight way that leadeth to heauen he shall haue none to beare him company And where are they that striue to enter in where is the violence offered to the kingdome of heauen where bee the violent which should take it to themselues as in the daies of Iohn Baptist. Fourthly if Christ haue prepared a place for vs in heauen then we are in this world as pilgrimes and straungers and therefore must learne the counsell of Saint Peter As straungers and pilstrimes abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule He that doth esteeme himselfe as pilgrime is not to intangle himselfe with the affaires of this worlde nor put in practise the behauiour thereof but to behaue himselfe as a freeman of heauen as straungers vse to liue in forraine countries according to the fashion of their owne And therefore in thought word and deede in life and conuersation hee must so carrie himselfe as thereby he may appeare to al the world of what countrie he is An ancient diuine speaking of such as had curled and embrodered haire biddeth them consider whether they must goe to heauen with such haire or no and wheras they adorned themselues with winckles made of other womens haire he askes them whether it may not be the haire of a damned person or no. If it may be he further demandeth howe it may beseeme them to weare it which professe themselues to be the sonnes and daughters of God The like may be said of all other sinnes they that be of Gods house must behaue themselues as freemen there And when God hath made vs free it doth not beseeme vs to make our selues bondmen of sinne and Satan and of this world Fifthly seeing Christ went to heauen to prepare a place for all that beleeue in him here is a good dutie for parents Many of them are very carefull to preferre their children to great places and noble mens houses and they are not to be blamed therefore but if they would indeede be good parents to their children they should first endeauour themselues to get roomes for them in heauen they that doe this are good parents indeede Some will say howe shall we get this preferment for them Ans. God hath two houses his Church and the kingdome of heauen The church
it be with the aduenture of our liues When Dauid desired to drinke of the water of the well of Bâ—thlem three of his mightie men went and brake into the hoast of the Philistâ—ms and brought him water Thus they ventured their liues for Dauids sake and shall not we much more willingly venture our liues to doe Christ seruice in token of thankefulnesse for his continuall preseruing of vs Thus much of the highest degree of Christs exaltation in his kingeome nowe followeth the last point to be beleeued concerning Christ in these wordes From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade And they containe a proofe or a particular declaration of the former article For as on earth those that are set at the right hand of kings doe execute iustice in courts or assises â—or the maintenance of the state peace of the kingdome so Christ Iesus sitting at the right hand of his father that is being made soueraigne Lord of all things both in heauen and earth is to hold a court or assise in which hee shall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead Nowe in handling the last iudgement we are to consider these points I. whether there shall be a iudgement or not II. the time of it III. the signes thereof IV. the manner of it V. the vse which is to be made thereof Of these in order For the first point whether there shall be a iudgement or not the question is needefull for as Saint Peter saith There shall come in the last daies mockers which shall walke after their lusts and say Where is the promise of his comming which daies are nowe The answer to this question is set downe in this article in which we professe that the comming of Christ to the last iudgement is a point of religion specially to be helde and auouched The reasons to prooue it are principally two first the testimonie of God himselfe in the bookes of the olde and newe testament which affoard vnto vs plentifull proofes touching the last iudgement so as he which will but lightly read the same shall not neede to doubt thereof The second reason is taken froÌ„ the iustice and goodnes of God the propertie wherof is to punish wicked and vngodly men and to honour and reward the godly but in this world the godly man is most of all in miserie for iudgement beginneth at Gods house and the vngodly haue their hearts ease Wâ—cked Diues hath the world at will but poore Lazarus is hunger bitten full of sores and miserable euery way This beeing so it remaineth that after this life therâ— must needes be a iudgement and a second comming of Christ when the godly must receiue fulnesse of ioy and glorie and the vngodly fulnesse of woe miserie This second reason may stoppe the mouthes of all gainesayers in the world whatsoeuer But it may be obiected that the whole world stands either of beleeuers or vnbeleeuers and that there is no last iudgement for either of these for the beleeuer as Christ saith hath euerlasting life and shall not come into iudgement and the vnbeleeuer is condemned alreadie and therefore needeth no further iudgement Ans. Where it is said he that beleeueth shall not come into iudgement it must bee vnderstood of the iudgement of condemnation and not the iudgement of absolution and he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie in effect and substance three waies I. in the counsell of God who did foresee and appoint his condemnation as it is a punishment of sinne and an execution of his iustice II. in the word of God where he hath his condemnation set downe III. he is condemned in his own conscience for euery vngodly mans conscience is a iudge vnto himselfe which doth euery houre condemne him and it is a forerunner of the last iudgement And notwithstanding all this there may remaine a second iudgement which is a manifestation and finishing of that which was begunne in this worlde and therefore the meaning of that place is this hee that beleeueth not is alreadie iudged in part but so as the full manifestation thereof shall be at the second comming of Christ. The second circumstance is the time of his iudgement in handling whereof first let vs see what is the iudgement of men secondly what is the trueth For the first two opinions touching this time take place The first is that the second comming of Christ shall be about sixe thousand yeares from the beginning of the worlde and that for the Elects sake some of these daies must be shortned and nowe since the beginning of the worlde are passed fiue thousand almost sixe hundred yeares so as there remaines but foure hundred The groundes of this opinion are these First the testimonie of Elias two thousand yeares before the lawe two thousand yeares vnder the lawe and two thousand yeares vnder Christ. And for the elects sake some of these yeares shall be shortened Answer This was not the sentence of Elias the Thisbite but of another Elias which was a Iewe no prophet And wheras he saith two thousand yeres before the lawe and two thousand yeares vnder the lawe he faileth From the giuing of the law to the comming of Christ was about one thousand and fiue hundred yearesâ— and from the lawe to the creation aboue two thousand Now if Elias cannot set downe a iust number for the time past which a meane man many do what shal we think that he can do for the time to come And if he deceiue vs in that which is more easie to find how shal we trust him in things that be harder The secoÌ„d reason is this How long god was in creating the world so long he shall be in gouerning the same but he was sixe daies in creating the worlde and in the seuenth he rested and so proportionally hee shall bee sixe thousand yeares in gouerning the world euery daie answering to a thousand yeares as Peter saith A thousand yeares are but as one day with God and then shall the end bee Ans. This reason likewise hath no ground in Gods word as for that place of Peter the meaning is that innumerable yeares are but as a short time with God and we may as well say two thousand or tenne thousand yeares are but as one daie with God For Peter meant not to speake any thing distinctly of a thousand yeares but of a long time Thirdly it is alleadged that within sixe thousand yeares from the creation of the world shall appeare in the heauens straunge coniunctions and positions of the starres which signifie nothing els but the subuersion of the state of the world nay some haue noted that the ende thereof should haue beene in the yeare of our Lord a thousand fiue hundred eightie eight their writings are manifest but we finde by experience that this opinion is false and friuolous and their groundes be as friuolous For no man can gather by the ordinarie course of the
as a closed booke but then it shall be so touched and as it were opened that he shall plainely see and remember all the particular offences which at any time he hath committed and his very conscience shall be as good as a thousand witnesses whereupon he shall accuse and vtterly condemne himselfe The consideration of this ought to terrifie all those that liue in their sins for howsoeuer they may hide couer them from the world yet at the last day God will be sure to reueale them all Now after that mens workes are made manifest they must further be tried whether they be good or euill And that shall be done on this manner They that neuer heard of Christ must be tried by the law of nature which serues to make them inexcusable before God As for those that liue in the Church they shall be tried by the Law and the Gospel as Paul saith As many as haue liued by the law shall be iudged by the law And againe At the day of iudgement God shall iudge the secrets of our hearts according to his Gospell And By faith Noah builded an arke whereby he condemned the old world If this be true then we must in the feare of God heare his word preached and taught with all reuerence make conscience to profit by it For otherwise in the day of iudgement when all our works shall be tried by it the same word of God shall be a bill of inditement and the fearefull sentence of condemnation against vs. Therefore let vs be humbled by the doctrine of the law willingly embrace the sweete promises of the Gospel considering it is the onely touchstone whereby all our words thoughts and works must be examined The sixth point in the proceeding of the last iudgement is the giuing of sentence which is twofold the sentence of absolution and the sentence of condemnation both which are to be obserued diligeÌ„tly that we may receiue profit thereby And first of all Christ shall begin his iudgement with the sentence of absolution which shewes that he is readie to shew mercie slow to wrath In this sentence we are to consider foure points I. a calling of the Elect to the kingdome of heauen II. the reason thereof III. a replie of the Elect IV. the answer of Christ to them againe The calling of the Elect is set downe in these wordes Come yee blessed of my father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world And the words are to be obserued one by one Come ye blessed Though Christ nowe sit in glorie and maiestie in iudgement yet he ceaseth not to shew his tender aâ—fection of loue vnto his chosen And this ouerthroweth the opinion of the Church of Rome which would haue vs rather to come vnto Christ by the intercession of saints then by our selues immediatly because he is now exalted in glorie and maiestie But marke when he was here on earth he said Come vnto me all ye that are heauie laden and I will ease you And when he shall be most glorious in maiestie and power at the day of iudgement he will then also say Come ye blessed of my father and therefore we may resolue our selues that it is his will now that we should come vnto him without any intercession of Saints Ye blessed of my father The Elect are here called the blessed of God because their righteousnes saluation and all that they haue springs of the meere blessing of God Nothing therefore must be ascribed to the worke of man Inherit that is receiue as your inheritance therefore the kingdome of heauen is Gods meere gift A father giueth no inheritance vnto his sonne of merit but of his free gift wherupon it followes that no man can merit the kingdom of heauen by his works The kingdome that is the eternall estate of glorie and happines in heauen therefore in this life we must so vse this world as though we vsed it not all that we haue here is but vaine and transitorie and all our studie and endeauour must be to come to the kingdome of heauen Prepared Here note the vnspeakable care of God for the faithful Had he such care to prouide a kingdome for his children before they were then we may assure our selues he wil haue greater care ouer them now when they haue a beeing For you that is for the elect and faithfull Hence it appeares that there is no vniuersall election whereby as some suppose God decrees that all and euery man shall be saued Indeede if he had said Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdome prepared for all but receiued of you it had bin something but he saith onely prepared for you and therefore all were not chosen to saluation The reason of this calling is taken from workes as from signes in these words For I was hungrie and ye gaue me meate c. When he saith for I was hungrie he meanes his poore and distressed members vpon earth and thereby he signifies vnto vs that the miseries of his seruants are his owne miseries Thus the Lord saith in Zacharie He which toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye And when Saul was going to persecute them in Damasco and else where that called on the name of Christ he cried from heauen Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And this is a notable comfort to Gods Church and people that they haue an high priest who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and if he account our miseries his owne miseries then no doubt he will pitie our estate and make vs able to beare the worst And ye gaue me meate Here we note that the principall works of men are those which are done to the poore members of Christ. We are indeede to helpe all in as much as they are our very flesh and the creatures of God but the rule of S. Paul must be remembred Doe good to all but especially to those that are of the houshold of faith Many are of mind that the best works are to build Churches and Monasteries but Christ tells vs here that the best worke of all is to releeue those that be the liuing members of his mysticall bodie The third point is the replie of the Saints to Christ againe in these words Lord when saw we thee an hungred and fedde thee c. They doe not denie that which Christ auouched but doe as I take it standing before the tribunall seat of God humble themselues hauing still an after-consideration of the infirmities and offences of their liues past Here note then that it is a Satanicall practise for a man to bragge of workes and to stand vpon them in the matter of iustification before God And we must rather doe as the Saints of God doe abase our selues in regard of our sinnes past The last point is the answer of Christ to them againe in these words Verily I say vnto you in as much as
ye did it to the least of those my brethren you did it to me A most notable sentence and it serueth to teach vs how we should behaue our selues in doing works of mercie which are duties to be performed in this life We are not to doe them of any sinister respect as for praise of men or commoditie but we must propound vnto our selues the partie to whome we doe any good and in him looke on Christ and so doe it as vnto Christ and for Christs sake onely and this is a good worke indeede Christ saith Whosoeuer shall giue a cuppe of cold water to a disciple in the name of a disciple shall not loose his reward It is but a small gift but yet the manner of doing it namely in the name of a disciple that is in respect that he is a member of Christ doth make it an excellent worke of mercie It is a speciall marke of a child of God to shew mercie on a christian because he is a Christian. If any would know whether he be a christian or no let him search himselfe whether he loue a man and can doe good vnto him because he is a child of God and a member of Christ. For this is a plaine argument that he also is the child of God Many can loue because they are loued againe but to loue for Christ his sake is a worke of Christ in vs and a speciall gift of God The sentence of condemnation followes in the second place and it containes foure points I. the reiection of the vngodly II. the reason of their reiection III. the defence which the wicked make for themselues lastly the answer of Christ to them againe The reiection of the wicked is vttered by a terrible sentence Away from me ye cursed into hell fire The vse hereof in generall is twofold First it serues to awake and excite all men and women in the world whosoeuer they be that shall heare it to looke vnto their owne estates It is wonderfull to see what great securitie reigneth euery where in these our daies Men goe on in sinne from day to day and from yeare to yeare without repentance nothing at all fearing the sentence of condemnation at the last day like vnto many which for the obtaining of other mens goods are neither by the feare of arraignment or imprisonment kept in good order The occasions of securitie are twofold I. the prosperitie of the wicked who of all men liue most at ease without trouble either in bodie or in minde II. Gods patience and long suffering as Salomon saith Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set in them to doe euill But to awake all those which liue in this securitie they must remember that howsoeuer the Lord God doth now deferre his iudgement yet there is a day wherein he will no way shew mercie and long suffering when they shall heare this fearefull sentence of condemnation pronounced against them Away from me ye cursed The second vse is to the godly It serues to nurture them to keepe them in awe before God and no doubt this was a principall cause why this sentence was here penned by the holy Ghost A wise master of a family will check his seruant if the cause require correct him in his childs presence that the child it selfe may learne thereby to feare stand in awe of his father so Christ the most carefull and wise gouernour of his Church hath set downe this sentence of condemnation against the wicked that the children of God in this world whensoeuer they shall heare or read the same might be mooued thereby to stand in feare of God and more dutifully performe obedience vnto his commandâ—ments Away from me Here we may learne what a blessed thing it is for a man to haue true fellowshippe with Christ in this world For in the day of iudgement the punishment of the wicked is to be cut off from him and driuen away from his presence Now he that would haue fellowship with God after this life escape that punishmeÌ„t must seeke to haue it in this life and he that will not seeke to haue fellowship with him in this life shall neuer haue it after in the day of iudgement Againe let vs marke that it is nothing to draw neere vnto Christ with our lippes if the heart be not with him for such as come neere with the lippe and keepe aloofe in the heart shall heare the sentence pronounced Away from me ye cursed and shall be seuered as farre from Christ as hell from heauen Therefore let vs not content our selues with formall profession but open the doores of our hearts that the king of glorie may come in Ye cursed They are cursed who are borne in sinne and liue in their sinnes and all the daies of their liues so perseuere to the last gaspe without seeking recouerie Whosoeuer he be that is in this estate the curse of God hangeth ouer his head and will so doe till he get reconciliation with God in Christ. This beeing so aboue all things in this world we must labour to be at peace with God and neuer cease nor be quiet with our selues till we haue the same wrought and sealed in our hearts For before such time as we be in Gods fauour his fearefull curse hangs ouer our heads and if we so perseuere without repentance the day will come when we shall heare this fearefull sentence pronounced against vs Away from me yee cursed into hell fire What hell fire is we must not curiously search but rather giue our whole endeauour to learne how we may auoid it as when a mans house is on fire his care must be not to search how it came but rather how to quench it yet we are to know thus much that by hell fire is not meant any bodily flame but it signifies the seazing of the fearefull and terrible wrath of God both on bodie and soule for euer For howsoeuer the bodie be subiect to burning with bodily fire yet the soule beeing spirituall can not burne and therefore hell fire is not a materiall fire but a grieuous torment fitly resembled thereby Prepared for the deuill and his angels There is in euery mans heart by nature this corruption whereby when he sinneth he thinks that there is no danger but all is well hauing as Esai saith made a couenant with hell But here consider that although the deuill was once an angel of light yet when he had sinned he could not escape hell it was prepared euen for him How then shall vngodly men which are not halfe so wily thinke to escape Now followeth the reason of their reiection in these wordes For I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meate c. Hence we learne these two points I. that all mans religion and seruing of God is in vaine if so be we shew no compassion toward the poore members
of Christ in feeding clothing lodging and visiting of them For we must thinke that many of those against whome this reason shall be brought did know religion and professe the same yea they prophesied in the name of Christ and called on him saying Lord Lord and yet the sentence of condemnation goeth against them because they shew no compassion toward the members of Christ and therefore it is a principal vertue and a speciall note of a Christian to shew the bowels of compassion towards his needie brethren Here againe we note that it is not sufficient for vs to abstaine from euill but we must also doe good For it is not saide I was an hungred and ye tooke from me but When I was hungrie ye gaue me no mâ—ate They are not charged with doing euill but for not doing good S. Iohn saith The axe is laid to the roote of the tree and the reason followes not because the tree bare euill fruit but because it bare not good fruite therefore it must be cast into the fire This condemnes a bad opinion of all worldly men who thinke that all is well and that God will be mercifull vnto them because they doe no man harme Thus we see how the deuill blinds the eyes of men for it will not stand for paiment at the day of iudgement to say I haue hurt no man vnlesse we further doe all the good we can The third point is the defence which impenitent sinners make for themselues in these words Lord when saw we thee an hungred or thirstie or naked or in prison or sicke and did not minister vnto thee Thus in their owne defence that which Christ saith they gainsay iustifie themselues Here marke the nature of all impenitent sinners which is to sooth and flatter themselues in sinne and to maintaine their owne righteousnes like to the proud Pharisie in his prayer who bragged of his goodnes and said Lord I thanke thee that I am not as other men are extortioners c. and in the very same manner ignorant persons of all sorts among vs iustifie themselues in their strong faith and bragge of their zeale of Gods glorie and of their loue to their brethren and yet indeede shew no signes thereof And truly we are not to maruell when we see such persons to iustifie themselues before men whereas they shall not be ashamed to doe it at the day of iudgement before the Lord Iesus himselfe The last point is Christs answer to them againe in these words Verily I say vnto you in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me This sentence being repeated againe doth teach vs the lesson which we learned before that when we are to shew compassion to any man especially if he be a meÌ„ber of Gods Church we must not consider his outward estate or his basenes in that he waÌ„ts food or raiment but behold Christ in him not respecting him as a man but as a member of Christ. This it is that must mooue vs to coÌ„passion and cause vs to make a supplie of his wants more then any respect in the world beside And surely when Christ in his members comes to our dores and complaines that he is hungrie and sicke and naked if our bowels yearne not towards him there is not so much as a sparke of the loue of God in vs. The seuenth point in the proceeding of the last iudgement is the retribution or reward in these words and they shall go into euerlasting paine and the righteous into life eternall How doe the wicked enter into hell and the godly into heauen Answ. By the powerfull and commaunding voice of Christ which is of that force that neither the greatest rebell that euer was among men nor all the deuills in hell shall be able to withstand it And seeing that after the day of iudgement we must remaine for euer either in heauen or in hell we are to looke about vs and to take heed vnto our hearts Indeede if the time were but a thousand or two thousand yeares then with more reason men might take libertie to themselues but seeing it is without ende we must be most carefull through the whole course of our liues so to liue and behaue our selues that when the day of iudgement shall come we may auoid that fearefull sentence of euerlasting woe and condemnation which shall be pronounced against the wicked And whereas all wicked men shall goe to hell at Christs commaundement it teacheth vs willingly to obey the voice of Christ in the ministerie of the word For if we rebell against his voice in this world when in the day of iudgement sentence shall be pronounced against vs we shall heare an other voice at the giuing whereof we must obey whether we will or no and thereupon goe to euerlasting paine whither we would not Let vs therfore in time denie our selues for our sinnes past and onely relie vpon Christ Iesus for the free remission of them all and for the time to come lead a new reformed life Thus much of the order of Christ his proceeding at the day of iudgement Now follow the vses thereof which are either comforts to Gods Church or duties for all men The first comfort or benefit is this that the same person which died for vs vpon the crosse to worke our redemption must also be our iudge And hence we reape two speciall comforts I. The people of God shall hereby inioy ful redemption from all miseries and calamities which they had in this life So Christ himselfe speaking of the signes of the ende of the world saith to his disciples When you see these things lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere Then he shal wipe all teares from their eyes Secondly we shall hereby haue a finall deliuerance from all sinne Now what a ioyful thing it is to be freed from sinne may plainly appeare by the crie of S. Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death And certen it is that he which knowes what sinne is seriously repents him of the same would wish with all his heart to be out of this world that he might leaue off to sinne and thereby cease to displease God The second comfort is this the godly in this world haue many enemies they are reuiled slandered and oftentimes put to death well Christ Iesus at the day of iudgement will take euery mans case into his owne hand he will then heare the complaint of the godly howsoeuer in this world they found no remedie and then he will reuenge their blood that is shed vpon the earth according to their prayer This comfort is to be coÌ„sidered especially of all those that are any way persecuted or molested by the wicked of this world Now follow the duties to be learned of euery one of vs and they are diuers First the consideration of the last iudgement serueth
loue In these daies it is hard to finde these duties performed in any place For both practise and prouerb is commonly this Euery man for himselfe and God for vs all but it is a graceles saying and the contrarie must be practised of all that desire to be guided by the spirit The seuenth fruit is faith Faith or fidelitie standeth in these two duties One to make conscience of a lie and to speake euery thing whereof we speake as we thinke it is and not to speake one thing and thinke an other A rare thing it is to finde this vertue in the world now adaies who is he that maketh conscience of a lie and is not truth banished out of our coasts considering that for gaines and outward commodities men make no bones of glosing and dissembling but alas the practise is damnable and the contrarie is the fruit of the holy Ghost namely to speake the truth from the heart he that can doe this by the testimonie of God himselfe shall rest in the mountaine of his holines euen in the kingdome of heauen The second point wherein fidelitie consisteth is when a man hath made a promise that is lawfull and good to keepe and performe the same Some thinke it is a small matter to breake promise but indeede it is a fruit of the flesh and contrariwise a fruit of the spirit to performe a lawfull promise and a mans word should be as sure as an obligation and in conscience a man is bound to keepe promise so farre forth as he will to whome the promise is made Indeede if a man be released of his promise he is then free otherwise if we promise and doe not performe we doe not onely cracke our credit before men but also sinne before God The eight fruit of the spirit is meekenesse which is a notable grace of God when a man prouoked by iniuries doth neither intend nor enterprise the requitall of the same And it stands in three duties The first is to interpret the sayings and doings of other men in better part as much as possibly may be The second when men mistake and misconsture our sayings and doings if the matter be of smaller moment to be silent patient as Christ was when he was accused before the high priests Pharises this being withal remembred that if the matter be of weight and moment we may defend our selues by soft and mild answers The third is not to contend in word or deed with any man but when we are to deale with others to speake our minde and so an ende The last fruit of the spirit is temperance whereby a man bridleth his appetite or lust in meate drinke and apparell In bridling the lust these rules must be obserued I. Eating and drinking must be ioyned with continuall fasting after this manner We must not glut our selues but rather abstaine from that which nature desireth and as some vse to speake leaue our stomackes crauing II. A man must so eate and drinke as afterward he may the better be inabled for Gods worship Creatures are abused when they make vs vnfit to serue God The common fault is on the Sabbath day men so pamper themselues as that they are made vnfit both to heare and learne Gods word and fitte for nothing but to slumber and sleepe but following this rule of temperance these faults shall be amended III. This must be a caueat in our apparell that we be attired according to our callings in holy comelinesse The Lord hath threatned to visit all those that are cloathed in strange apparrell And holy comelinesse is this when the apparell is both for fashion and matter so made and worne that it may expresse shew forth the graces of God in the heart as sobrietie temperance grauitie c. and the beholder may take occasion by the apparell to acknowledge and commend these vertues But lamentable is the time looke on men and women in these daies and you may see and read their sinnes written in great letters on their apparell as intemperance pride and wantonnesse Euery day new fashions please the world but indeede that holy comelines which the holy Ghost doth commend to vs is the right fashion when all is done And these are the nine fruits of the spirit which we must put in practise in our liues and conuersations Fourthly if we beleeue in the holy Ghost and thereupon doe perswade our selues that he will dwell in vs we must daily labour as we are commaunded to keepe our vessells in holinesse and honour vnto the Lord and the reason is good If a man be to entertaine but an earthly prince or some man of state he would be sure to haue his house in a readines and all matters in order against his comming so as euery thing might be pleasing vnto so worthy a guest well now behold we put our confidence and affiance in the holy Ghost and doe beleeue that he wil come vnto vs and â—anctifie vs and lodge in our hearts He is higher then all states in the world whatsoeuer and therefore we must looke that our bodies and soules be kept in an honourable and holy manner so as they may be fit temples for him to dwell in S. Paul biddeth vsâ— not to grieue the holy spirit where the holy Ghost is compared to a guest and ouâ— bodies and soules vnto Innes and as men vse their guests friendly and courteously shewing vnto them all seruice and dutie so must we doe to Gods spirit which is come to dwell and abide in vs doing nothing in any case which may disquiet or molest him Now there is nothing so grieuous vnto him as our sinnes and therefore we must make conscience of all manner of sinne least by abusing of our selues we doe cause the holy Ghost as it were with greefe to depart from vs. When the arke of the couenant which was a signe of the presence of God was in the house of Obed Edom the text saith that the Lord blessed him and all his house but when the holy Ghost dwels in a mans heart there is more then the arke of the Lord present euen God himselfe and therfore may we looke for a greater blessing Now then shall we grieue the holy Ghost by sinning seeing we reape such benefit by his aboad It is said that our Sauiour Christ was angrie when he came into the temple at Ierusalem and saw the abuses therein Now shall he be angrie for the abuses that are done in a temple of stone and seeing the temples of our bodies which are not made of stone but are spirituall figured by that earthly temple seeing them I say abused by sinne will he not be much more angrie Yea we may assure our selues he can not abide that And therefore if we beleeue in the holy Ghost we must hereupon be mooued to keepe our bodies and soules pure and cleane And further to perswade vs hereunto we must remember this that when
slaine a thousand men at one and the same time nowe if we consider the time of their births it may be they were borne at a thousand sundrie times and therefore vnder so many diuers positions of the heauens and so by the iudgement of all Astrologers should haue all diuers and sundrie liues and endes but we see according to the determination of the counsell of God they haue all one and the same end and therefore this must admonish all those that are brought vp in schooles of learning to haue care to spend thâ—â—r times in better studies and it teacheth those that are fallen into any manneâ— of distresse not to haue recourse vnto these fonde figure-casters For their astrologicall iudgements are false and foolish as wee may see by the two former examples Thirdly the knowledge of God is one of the most speciall points in Christian religion therefore the Lord saith Let him that reioice reioice in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me For I am the Lord which shewe mercy and iudgement in the earth And our Sauiour Christ saith This is life eternall to knowe thee the onely very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Now Gods predestination is a glasse wherein we may behold his maiestie For first by it we see the wonderfull wisdome of God who in his eternall counsell did foresee and most wisely sette down the state of euery man secoÌ„dly his omnipotencie in that he hath power to saue and power to refuse whome he will thirdly his iustice and mercy both ioyned togither in the exequution of election his mercy in that he saueth those that were vtterly lost his iustice in that he ordained Christ to bee a mediatour to suffer the curse of the lawe and to satisfie his iustice for the elect fourthly his iustice in the exequution of the decree of Reprobation for though hee decreed to holde backe his mercie from some men because it so pleased him yet he condemneth no man but for his sinnes Now the consideration of these and the light points bring vs to the knowledge of the true God The vses which concerne our affections are these First the doctrine of predestination ministers to all the people of God matter of endlesse consolation For considering Gods election is vnchangeable therefore they which are predestinate to saluation can not perish though the gates of hell preuaile against them so as they be hardly saued yet shall they certenly be saued therefore our Sauiour Christ saith that in the latter daies shall arise false Christs and false prophets which shal shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceiue the verie elect In which wordes he takes it for granted that the elect of God can neuer finally fall away And hereupon he saith to his disciples when they reioyced that the deuils were subiect to them rather râ—ioice that your names are written in heauen And S. Paul speaking of Hymeneus and Alexander which had fallen away from the faith least the church would be discouraged by their fall because they were thought to be worthy men and pillars of the Church he doth comfort them from the very gounde of electâ—on saying The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Loâ—d kâ—â—â—eth who are his Where Gods election is compared to the foundation of an house the building whereof may be shaken but the groundworke standeâ—h fast and therefore Paul saith further Who shall lay any thing to the chaâ—ge of Gods elect Nowe then that wee may haue comfort in distresse and some thing to stay vpon in all our troubles we in this world are as straungers in a farre countrie our passage homeward is ouer the sea of this worlde the shippe wherein we saile is the Church and Satan stirres vp many blasts of troubles and temptationsâ— and his purpose is to sinke the shippe or to driue it on the rocke but we must take the anchor of hope and fasâ—en it in heauen vpon the foundation of Gods election which beeing done wee shall passe in sâ—fetie and reioice in the midst of all stormes and tempests Secondly wheras God refuseth some men and leaues them to themselues it serues to strike a feare into euery one of vs whatsoeuer we lie as S. Paul saith in the like caâ—e the Iewes beeing the naturall branches are broken off through vnbeleefe and thou standest by faith be not high mâ—nded but feare This indeede was spoken to the Romanes but we must also lay it vnto our hearts For what is the best of vs but a lumpe of clay and howsoeuer in Gods counsell we are chosen to saluation yet in our selues we are all shut vp vnder vnbeleefe and are fit to make vessels of wrath Our Sauiour Christ calleth Iudas a deuill and we know his leud life and fearefull end now what are we better then Iudas by nature If we had bin in his stead without the speciall blesâ—ing of God we should haue done as he did he betraied Christ but if God leaue vs to our selues we shal not onely betray him but by our sinnes euen crucifie him a thousand waies Furthermore let vs bethinke our selues of this whether there be not already condemned in hell who in their liues were not more grieuous ofâ—endours then we Esai calleth the people of his time a people of Sodom Gomorrha giuing the Iewes then liuing to vnderstand that they were as bad as the Sodomites as the people of Gomorrha on whome the Lord had shewed his iudgements long before If this be true then let vs with feare and trembling be thankfull to his maiestie that he hath preserued vs hitherto from deserued damnation The vses which respects our liues and conuersations are manifold First seeing God hath elected some to saluation hath also laid downe the meanes in his holy word wherby we may come to the knowledge of our particular election we must therfore as Saint Peter counselleth vs giue all diligence to make our election sure In the world men are carefull and painefull ynough to make assurance of landes and goods to themselues and to their posteritie what a shame is it then for vs that we should be slacke in making sure to our selues the election of God which is more worth then all the world beside and if we shall continue to be slacke herein the leases of our lands and houses and all other temporall assurances shall be bills of accusation against vs at the day of iudgement to condemne vs. Secondly by this doctrine we are taught to liue godly and righteously in this present world because all those whome God hath chosen to saluation he hath also appointed to liue in newnesse of life as Saint Paul saith God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him And againe We are created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that
we should walke in them And God hath chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the spirit and faith of the truth The Elect are vessells of honour and therefore all those that will be of the number of the Elect must carrie themselues as vessells of honour For so long as they lie in their sinnes they be like vessells of dishonour imploying themselues to the most base seruice that can be euen to the seruice of the deuill The sunne was ordained to shine in the day and the moone in the night and that order they keepe yea euery creature in his kinde obserueth the course appointed vnto it by creation as the grasse to grow and trees to bring forth fruit now the elect were ordained to this ende to lead a godly life and therefore if we would either perswade our selues or the world that we are indeede chosen to saluation we must be plentifull in all good workes and make conscience of euery euill way and to doe otherwise is as much as to chaunge the order of nature and as if the sunne should cease to shine by day and the moone by night Thirdly when God shall send vpon any of vs in this world crosses and afflictions either in bodie or in minde or any way else as this life is the vaile of miserie and teares and iudgement must beginne at Gods house we must learne to beare them with all submission and contentation of minde For whome God knew before them he hath predestinate to be made like vnto his sonne But wherein is this likenes Paul saith in the fellowship of his afflictions and in a conformitie to his death And the consideration of this that afflictions were ordained for vs in the eternall predestination of God must comfort our hearts and restraine our impatience so oft as we shall goe vnder the burden of them Hence againe we learne that they which perswade themselues that they are in the fauour of God because they liue at ease in wealth and prosperitie are farre deceiued For Saint Paul saith God suffereth with long patience the vessells of wrath prepared to destruction to make knowne his power and to shew forth his wrath on them This beeing so no man then by outward blessings ought to plead that he hath the loue of God Sheepe that goe in fat pastures come sooner to the slaughterhouse then those which are kept vpon the bare common and they which are pampered with the wealth of this world sooner forsake God and therefore are sooner forsaken of God then others Salomon saith No man knoweth loue or hatred that is by outward things for all things come alike to all the same condition is to the iust and to the vniust to the wicked and good to the pure and polluted Lastly it may be an offence vnto vs when we consider that the doctrine of the Gospel is either not knowne or else despised and persecuted of the whole world but we must stay our selues with this consideratiō that nothing comes to passe by chance that God knowes who are his and that there must be some in the world on whome God hath in his eternall counsell purposed to manifest his power and iustice Againe Ministers of the Gospel may be discouraged when after long preaching they see little or no fruit of their labours the people whome they teach remaining as blind impenitent and vnreformed as euer they were But they must also consider that it is the purpose of God to choose some to saluation and to refuse others and that of the first some are called sooner some later and that the second beeing left to themselues neuer come to repentance To this Paul had regard when he said If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that perish And againe We are vnto God the sweete sauour of Christ in them that are saued and in them that perish Hitherto I haue deliuered the truth of this weightie point of religion which also is the doctrine of the church of England now it followeth that we should consider the falshoode Sundrie Diuines haue deuised and in their writings published a new frame or platforme of the doctrine of Predestination the effect whereof is this The nature of God say they is infinite loue goodnesse and mercie it selfe and therefore he propounds vnto himselfe an ende answerable thereunto and that is the communication of his loue and goodnesse vnto all his creatures Now for the accomplishing of this supreame and absolute ende he did foure things First he decreed to create man righteous in his owne image secondly he foresaw the fall of man after his creation yet so as he neither willed nor decreed it thirdly he decreed the vniuersall Redemption of all and euery man effectually by Christ so be it they will beleeue in him fourthly he decreed to call all and euery man effectually so as if they will they may be saued This beeing done he in his eternall counsel foreseeing who would beleeue in Christ did thereupon elect them to eternall saluation and againe foreseeing who would not beleeue but contemne grace offered did thereupon also decree to reiect them to eternall damnation This platforme howsoeuer it may seeme plausible to reason yet indeed it is nothing els but a Deuise of mans braine as will appeare by sundrie defects errours that be in it For first whereas it is auouched that Adams fall came by the bare prescience of God without any decree or will of his it is a flat vntruth The putting of Christ to death was as great a sinne as the fall of Adam nay in some respects greater Now that came to passe not onely by the foreknowledge of God but also by his determinate counsell And therefore as the Church of Ierusalem saith Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gathered themselues together to doe whatsoeuer thine hand and thy counsell had determined before to be done so may we say that Adam in his fall did nothing but that which the hand of God and his counsell had determined before to be done And considering the will of God extends it selfe to the least things that are euen to sparrowes whereof none doe light vpon the ground without our heauenly father how can a man in reason imagine that the fall of one of the most principall creatures that are shall fall out altogether without the will and decree of God And there can be nothing more absurd then to seuer the foreknowledge of God from his counsel or decree For by this meanes things shall come to passe God nilling or not knowing or not regarding them Now if any thing come to passe God nilling it then that is done which God would not haue done and to say so is to bereaue him of his omnipotencie And if we shall say that things fall out God not knowing of them we make him to be imprudent and denie his omniscience lastly if we shall say that
man and therefore Christs death appertaines and belongs to all men indifferently Answer The preaching of the Gospell is an ordinance of God appointed for the gathering togither and the accomplishment of the number of the elect and therefore in the ministerie of the word grace and saluation is offered principally and directly to the elect and onely by consequent to them which are ordained to iust damnation because they are mingled with the elect in the same societies and because the ministers of God not knowing his secret counsell in charitie thinke all to be elect And though God in offering grace doe not conferre it to all yet is there no delusion For the offering of grace doth not onely serue for the conuersion of a sinner but also to be an occasion by mens fault of blinding the minde and hardening the heart and of taking away excuse in the day of iudgement To conclude this point Vniuersall redemption of all men we graunt the Scripture saith so and there is an vniuersalitie among the elect and beleeuers but vniuersall Redemption of all and euery man as well the damned as the elect and that effectually wee renounce as hauing neither footing in the scripture nor in the writings of any ancient and orthodoxe diuine for many hundred yeares after Christ his wordes not depraued and mistaken As for Vniuersall vocation it is of the same kinde with the former◠because it is slatte against the word of God in which is fully set downe a distinction of the whole world from the creation to the daies of Christ into two parts one the people of God beeing receiued into the couenant the other beeing the greatest part of the worlde No-people and forth of the couenant From the beginning of the world to the giuing of the lawe the Church was shut vp in the families of the Patriarches and the couenant in the verie familie of Abraham was restrained to Isaak and the members of these families for this cause were called the sonnes of God the rest of the world beside being tearmed as they were indeede the sonnes of men From the giuing of the lawe til Christ the nation of the Iewes was the Church of God and the rest of the world beside no people of God And therefore Esai calls them prisoners and them that are in darkenesse and Ose Such as are without mercie and no people and Zacharie Such as are not ioyned to the Lord and Paul Such as are set to walke in their owne waies being without God and without Christ in the world And this distinction betweene Iewe and Gentile stood till the very ascension of Christ. And hereupon when he was to send his disciples to preach hee charged them not to goe into the way of the Gentiles and not to enter into the cities of the Samaritanes but rather to goe to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel and when the woman of Canaan made request for her daughter he gaue a deniall at the first vpon this distinction saying It is not meete to take the childrens bread and giue it vnto dogges and againe I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel It wil be said that this distinction arose of this that the Gentiles at the first fell away from the couenant contemned the Messias It is true indeede of the first heades of the Gentiles the sonnes of Noe but of their posteritie it is false which in times following did not so much as heare of the couenant and the Messias The Prophet Esai saith of Christ A nation that knewe not thee shall runne vnto thee And Paul speaking to the Athenians saith that the times of this their ignorance God regarded not but now admonisheth all men euery where to repent and to the Romanes he saith that the mysterie touching Christ and his benefits was kept secret since the worlde began and nowe opened and published among all nations And if the Gentiles had but knowne of the Messias why did not their Poets and Philosophers who in their writings notoriously abuse the Iewes with sundrie nickenames at the least signifie the contempt of the Redeemer Wherefore to holde and much more to auouch by writing that all and euery one of the heathen were called it is most absurde and if it were so the Caniballs and the sauadge nations of America should haue knowne Christ without preaching which by the histories of the discouerie of those countries is knowne to be false Againe if the Vocation of euery man bee effectuall then faith must bee common to all men either by nature or by grace or both now to say the first namely that the power of beleeuing is common to all by nature is the heresie of the Pelagians and to say it is common to all grace is false All men haue not faith saith Paul nay many to whome the Gospell is preached doe not so much as vnderstand it and giue assent vnto it Satan blinding their mindes that the light of the glorious gospell of Christ should not shine vnto them and to saie that faith is partly by nature partly by grace is the condēned heresie of the semi-Pelagian for we can not so much as thinke a good thought of our selues The last defect in the platforme is that they ascribe vnto God a wrong end of his counsels namely the communication of mercie or goodnesse in eternal happines For the absolute and soueraigne ende of all Gods doings must bee answerable to his nature which is not mercie and loue alone but also iustice it selfe and therefore the right ende is the manifestation of his glorie both in iustice and mercie by the expresse testimonie of scripture Againe if the communication of his goodnes were the highest end of all his counsells all men without exception should be saued because God can not be frustrated of his end and purposed if but one man be damned he is damned either because God will not saue him or because he can not If they say he will not then is he changeable if he can not then is he not omnipotent considering his purpose was to conuey happinesse to all creatures Thus much of the efficient cause of the Church namely Gods predestination which doctrine could not here bee omitted considering no man can beleeue himselfe to be a member of the Church vnlesse withall hee beleeue that he is predestinate to life euerlasting Nowe wee come to the second point namely the Mysticall vnion which is the very forme of the Church whereby all that beleeue are made one with Christ. To the causing of this vnion two things are required a Donation or giuing of Christ vnto that man which is to bee made one with him and a Coniunction betweene them both Of the first the Prophet Esai saith Vnto vs a child is borne and vnto vs a sonne is giuen and Paul Who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all
when he is come which is the spirit of truth he will lead you into all truth Ans. The promise is directed to the Apostles who with their Apostolicall authoritie had this priuiledge granted them that in the teaching and penning of the gospel they should not erre and therefore in the councell at Ierusalem they conclude thus It seemes good vnto vs and to the holy Ghost And if the promise be further extended to all the Church it must be vnderstood with a limitation that God will giue his spirit vnto the meâ—bers thereof to lead them into all truth so farre forth as shall be needfull for their saluation The second question is wherein stands the dignitie and excellencie of the Church Ans. It stands in subiection and obedience vnto the will and word of his spouse and head Christ Iesus And hence it followes that the Church is not to chalenge vnto her selfe authoritie ouer the Scriptures but onely a ministerie or ministeriall seruice whereby shee is appointed of God to preserue and keepe to publish and preach them and to giue testimonie of them And for this cause it is called the pillar and ground of truth The church of Rome not content with this saith further that the authoritie of the Church in respect of vs is aboue the authoritie of the Scripture because say they we can not know Scripture to be Scripture but by the testimonie of the Church But indeede they speake an vntruth For the testimonie of men that are subiect to errour can not be greater and of more force with vs then the testimonie of God who can not erre Againe the Church hath her beginning from the word for there can not be a Church without faith there is no faith without the word there is no word out of the Scriptures and therefore the Church in respect of vs depends on the Scripture and not the Scripture on the Church And as the lawyer which hath no further power but to expound the law is vnder the law so the Church which hath authoritie onely to publish and expound the Scriptures can not authorize them vnto vs but must submit her selfe vnto them And whereas it is alleadged that faith comes by hearing and this hearing is in respect of the voice of the Church and that therefore faith comes by the voice of the Church the answer is that the place must be vnderstood not of that generall faith whereby we are resolued that Scripture is Scripture but of iustifying faith whereby we attaine vnto saluation And faith comes by hearing the voice of the Church not as it is the Churches voice but as it is a ministerie or meanes to publish the word of God which is both the cause and obiect of our beleeuing Now on the contrarie we must hold that as the carpenter knowes his rule to be straight not by any other rule applied vnto it but by it selfe for casting his eye vpon it he presently discernes whether it be straight or no so we know and are resolued that Scripture is Scripture euen by the Scripture it selfe though the Church say nothing so be it we haue the spirit of discerning when we read heare and consider the Scripture And yet the testimonie of the Church is not to be despised for though it breede not a a perswasion in vs of the certenty of the Scripture yet is it a very good inducement thereto The militant Church hath many parts For as the Ocean sea which is but one is deuided into parts according to the regions and countries against which it lieth as into the English Spanish Italian sea c. so the Church dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth is deuided into other particular churches according as the countries are seuerall in which it is seated as into the Church of England and Ireland the Church of France the Church of Germanie c. Againâ— particulaâ— Churches are in a twofold estate sometime lie hid in persecution wanting the publike preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments and sometimes againe they are visible carrying before the eyes of the world an open profession of the name of Christ as the moone is sometime eclipsed and sometime shineth in the full In the first estate was the Church of Israel in the daies of Eliah when he wished to die because the people had forsaken the couenant of the Lord broken downe his altars slaine his Prophets with the sword and he was left alone and they sought to take his life also Behold a lamentable estate when so worthie a Prophet could not finde an other beside himselfe that feared God yet marke what the Lord saith vnto him I haue left seuen thousand in Israel euen all the knees that haue not bowed vnto Baal and euery mouth that hath not kissed him Againe it is said That Israel had beene a long season without the true God without priest to teach and without the law Neither must this trouble any that God should so farre forth forsake his Church for when ordinarie meanes of saluation faile he then gathereth his Elect by extraordinarie meanes as when the children of Israel wandered in the wildernes wanting both circumcision and the Passeouer he made a supplie by Manna and by the pillar of a cloud Hence we haue direction to answer the Papists who demand of vs where our Church was three-score yeares agoe before the daies of Luther we say that then for the space of many hundred yeares an vniuersall Apostasie ouerspread the whole face of the earth and that our Church then was not visible to the world but lay hid vnder the chaffe of Poperie And the truth of this the Records of all ages manifest The second estate of the Church is when it flourisheth and is visible not that the faith and secret election of men can be seene for no man can discerne these things but by outward signes but because it is apparant in respect of the outward assemblies gathered to the preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments for the praise and glorie of God and their mutuall edification And the visible Church may be thus described It is a mixt companie of men professing the faith assembled together by the preaching of the word First of all I call it a mixt companie because in it there be true beleeuers and hypocrites Elect and Reprobate good and badde The Church is the Lords field in which the enemie soweth his tares it is the corne flore in which lieth wheate and chaffe it is a band of men in which beside those that be of valour and courage there be white liuered souldiours And it is called a Church of the better part namely the Elect whereof it consisteth though they be in nuÌ„ber fewe As for the vngodly though they be in the Church yet they are no more parts of it indeede then the superfluous humours in the vaines are parts of the bodie But to proceede
and some are the very foundation and the former may be battered the foundation standing Againe if the errour be directly or by necessary consequent euen in common sense agâ—inst the foundation consideration must be had whether the Church or partie erreth of weaknes or malice if of weaknes the party is to be esteemed as a meÌ„ber of the Catholike church And thus Paul writes vnto the church of Galatia as to a church of God though by false teachers it had bin turned away to another Gospell and embraced the fundamentall errour of iustification by works But when any man or church shal hold fundâ—mental errours in obstinacie or affected ignorance we are not then bound to repute them any longer as churches or Christians but as such to whome condemnation belongs as Paul sheweth by the example of Iannes and Iambres And as Iannes and Iambres saith he withstood Moses so doe these also resist the truth men of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the faith Yet withall this caueat must euer be remembred that we rather condemne the errour then the person that erreth because Gods mercie is like a bottomles sea whereby he worketh what he will and when he will in the hearts of miserable sinners The second question is where at this day we may finde such visible Churches as are indeede so â—nd members of the Catholike church And for the resoluing of it we are tâ— goe through all countries and religions in the world And first to begin with Turkes and Iewes we are not in any wise to acknowledge their Assemblies for churches because they worship not God in Christ who is the head of the church As for the Assemblies of Papists which haue bin a great part of the world if thereby we vnderstand companies of men holding the Pope for their head and beleeuing the doctrine established in the councill of Trent in name they are called churches but indeede they are no true or sound members of the Catholike church For both in their doctrine and in the worship of God they rase the vâ—ry foundation of religion which will appeare by these three points First of all they holde iustification by workes of grace auouching that they are not onely iustified before God by the merit of Christ but also by their owne doings Which opinion flatly ouerturneth iustification by Christ. For as Paul saith to the Galatians If ye be circumcised Christ profiteth you nothing that is if ye looke to be iustified by the workes of the ceremoniall law ye are fallen from Christ ioyne circumcision and Christ together in the matter of iustification and ye doe quite ouerthrow iustification by Christ. Now if this be true which is the word of God that can not lie then we say to the Papists If ye will needes be iustified by workes of grace ye are fallen from grace The second point is that they maintaine daily reall sacrifice of the bodie of Christ in the Masse for the sinnes of the quicke and dead And this is also a fundamentall heresie For Christs sacrifice on the crosse must either be a perfect sacrifice or no sacrifice and if it be often iterated and repeated by the Masse-priest it is not perfect but imperfect The third point is that they worship the Images of the Trinitie and of Saints departed and their Breaden-god which is as vyle an abomination as euer was among the Gentiles all beeing directly against the true meaning of the second commaundement and defacing the worship of God in the very substance thereof Thus then it appeares that the old church of Rome is changed and is now at this day of a spouse of Christ become an harlot and therefore no more a church of Christ indeede then the carkasse of a dead man that weareth a liuing mans garment is a liuing man though he looke neuer so like him And whereas they plead for themselues that they haue succession from the Apostles the answer is that succession of person is nothing without succession of doctrine which they want and we see that Heretikes haue succeeded lawfull Ministers Secondly whereas it is alledged that in the Popish assemblies the sacrament of Baptisme is rightly for substance administred and that also it is a note of a Church three things may be answered First that baptisme seuered from the preaching of the gospel is no more a signe of a Church then the seale seuered from the indenture is of force that is nothing Circumcision was vsed in Colchis yet no church and among the Samaritanesâ— and yet no people Secondly Baptisme in the assemblies of the Church of Rome is as the purse of the true man in the hand of the thiefe and indeede it doth no more argue them to bee Churches then the true mans purse argues the thiefe to be a true man For baptisme though it be in their assemblies yet doth it not appertaine vnto them but vnto another hidden Church of God which he hath in all ages gathered forth of the middest of them Thirdly though they haue the outward baptisme yet they by necessarie consequent of doctrine ouerturne the inward baptisme that stands in iustification and sanctification Moreouer whereas it is alleadged that they maintaine the bookes of the olde and new testament penned by the Prophets and Apostles the answer is that they doe it with adding to the Canon and by corrupting the natiue sense of the Scriptures in the very foundation and therfore they are but as a lanthorne that shewes light to others none to it selfe Fourthly it is further said that they holde the Creede of the Apostles and make the same confession of faith that wee doe I answer that in shewe of wordes they doe so indeede but by necessarie consequents in the rest of their doctrine they ouerturne one of the natures and all the offices of Christ and therewithall most of the articles of the Creede And herein they deale as a father that in outward shewe tenders the bodie of his childe and will not abide the least blemish vopn it and yet by secret conueiances inwardly annoyes the heart the braine or the liuer and so in trueth destroies the same Fifthly it is alleadged that Antichrist must sitte in the temple of God that is the Church therefore say some that desire an vnion betweene vs and the Papists popish assemblies are true churches but the argument is not good For it is one thing to be in the Church and another thing to be of it And Antichrist is said to sit in the Church not as a member thereof but as an vsurper or as the pyrate in the shippe of the marchant and hence it can not be prooued that the assemblies of Papists are Churches but that in them and with them there is mingled an other hidden Church in the middest whereof Antichrist the Pope ruleth though himselfe hath no part therein Lastly whereas some beeing no Papists thinke their churches to be like a bodie diseased and full of sores and woundes from
without it euery man is more miserable and wretched then the most vile creature that euer was We loâ—th the serpent or the toad but if a man haue not the pardon of his sinns procured by the death and passion of Christ he is a thousand fold worse then they For when they die there is the ende of their woe and miserie but when man dieth without this benefit there is the beginning of his For first in soule till the day of iudgement and then both in bodie and soule for euermore he shall enter into the endlesse paines and torments of hell in which if one should continue so many thousand yeares as there are drops in the Ocean sea and then be deliuered it were some ease but hauing continued so long which is an vnspeakable length of time he must remaine there as long againe and after that for euer and euer without release and therefore among all the benefits that euer were or can be thought of this is the greatest and most pretious Among all the burdens that can befall a man what is the greatest Some will say sicknesse some ignominie some pouertie some contempt but indeede among all the heauiest and the greatest is the burden of a mans owne sinnes lying vpon the conscience and pressing it downe without any assurance of pardon Dauid beeing a king had no doubt all that heart could wish and yet he laying aside all the royalties and pleasures of his kingdome saith this one thing aboue all that he is a blessed man that is eased of the burden of his sinnes A lazar man full of sores is vgly to the sight and we can not abide to looke vpon him but no lazar is so lothsome to vs as all sinners are in the sight of God and therfore Dauid counted him blessed whose sinnes were couered It may be some wil say there is no cause why a man should thus magnifie the pardon of sinne considering it is but a common benefit Thus indeede men may imagine which neuer knew what sinne meant but let a man onely as it were but with the tip of his finger haue a little feeling of the smart of his sinnes he shall finde his estate so fearefull that if the whole world were set before him on the one side and the pardon of sinnes on the other he would choose the pardon of his sinne before ten thousand worldes Though many drousie Protestants esteeme nothing of it yet to the touched conscience it is a treasure which when a man findes he hides it and goes home and sells all that he hath and buies it Therefore this beneâ—it is most excellent and for it the members of Gods Church haue great cause to giue God thankes without ceasing The duties to be learned hence are these And first of all here comes a commoÌ„ fault of men to be rebuked Euery one wil say that he beleeueth the remission of sinnes yet no man almost laboureth for a true and certen perswasion hereof in his owne conscience and for proofe hereof propound this question to the common Christian Doest thou perswade thy selfe that God giues remission of sinnes vnto his Church The answer will be I know and beleeue it But aske him further Doest thou beleeue the pardon of thine owne sinnes then comes in a blind answer I haue a good hope to God-ward but I can not tell I thinke no man can say so much for God saith to no man thy sinnes are pardoned But this is to speake flat contraries to say they beleeue and they can not tell it bewraies exceeding negligence in matter of saluation But let them that feare God or loue their owne soules health giue all diligence to make sure the remission of their owne sinnes withall auoiding hardnesse of heart and drowsines of spirit the most fearefull iudgements of God which euery where take place The foolish virgins went forth to meete the bridegroome with lamps in their hands as well as the wise but they neuer so much as dreamed of the horne of oyle till the comming of the bridegroome So many men liue in the Church of God as members thereof holding vp the lampe of glorious profession but in the meane season they seeke onely for the things of this life neuer casting how they may assure themselues in conscience touching their reconciliation with God till the day of death come Secondly if we be here bound to beleeue the pardon of all our sinnes then we must euery day humble our selues before God and seeke pardon for our daily offences for he giues grace to the humble or contrite he fills the hungrie with good things when the rich are sent emptie away When Benhadad the King of Syria was discomfited and ouercome by the king of Israel by the counsell of his seruants who told him that the kings of Israel were mercifull men he sent them cloathed in sackcloath with ropes about their neckes to intreat for peace and fauour Now when the king saw their submission he made couenant of peace with him We by our sinnes most iustly deserue hell death and condemnation euery day and therefore it standeth vs in hand to come into the presence of God and to humble our selues before him in sackcloath and ashes crauing and intreating for nothing in the world so much as for pardon of our sinnes and that day by day without ceasing till the Lord giue this blessed answer to our consciences that all our sinnes are put out of his remembrance We must not thinke that God putteth grace into mens hearts when they lie snurting vpon their elbowes and either not vse or despise the meanes but we must first vse the meanes partly by making confession of our sinnes to God and partly by crying to heauen for pardon and then when by his grace we beginne to desire grace he giues further grace Lastly if we beleeue the pardon of our sinnes then we must change the tenour and course of our liues and take heede of breaking Gods commandements by doing any of those things whereof our consciences may accuse vs and tell vs that by them we haue displeased God heretofore A man that for some misdemeanour hath beene cast into prison and lien there many yeares winter and sommer in cold irons when he obtaines libertie he will often bethinke himselfe of his old miserie and take heede for euer least he fall into the same offence againe and he which hath seene his owne sinnes and â—elt the smart of them and withall by Gods goodnes obtained assurance touching the pardon of them will neuer wittingly and willingly commit the like sinneâ— any more but in all things change the course of his life As for such as say that they haue the pardon of their sinnes and yet liue in them still they deceiue themselues and haue no faith at all Thus much for the second benefit which God bestoweth on his Church namely remission of sinnes now followeth the third in these wordes The resurrection of the
mindfull of others For a man that hath wealth is made a steward to distribute his goods to the poore and the good of Gods Church True loue seekes not her owne things the branches of the vine are loden with clusters of grapes not for themselues but for others the candle spends it selfe to giue others light Giue If bread be ours wherefore are we to aske it it may seeme needlesse Answ. Not so for hereby we are taught to waite on God who is the fountaine and the giuer of all blessings Men vsually driuen to any distresse vse euill meanes as robbing deceiuing consulting with wizzards c. 2. Againe here we learne that though a man had all the wealth in the world all is nothing without Gods blessing Question The rich neede not say Giue vs c. for they haue abundance already and what neede they aske that which they haue Answer Let a man be neuer so rich and want nothing that can be desired yet if he want Gods blessing in effect he wants all Wherefore euen Kings and the greatest personages that be are as much bound to vse this petition as the poorest Gods blessing is riches saith Salomon Prou. 10.22 Thou maist eate and not haue enough be clothed and not warme earne wages and put it in a broken bagge Hag. 1. 6. if God doe not blesse thee This blessing of God is called the staffe of bread Esay 3. 1. In bread there bee two things the substance and the vertue thereof proceeding from gods blessing this second that is the power of nourishing is the staffe of bread For take away from an aged man his staffe and he falls and so take away Gods blessing from bread the strength thereof it becomes vnprofitable and ceaseth to nourish Lastly here we see that all labour and toile taken in any kind of calling is nothing and auailes not vnlesse God still giue his blessing Psal. 127.1 3. The wants which are to be bewailed SInnes which we are taught in this petition to bewaile are two especially I. Couetousnesse a vice which is naturally engrafted in euery mans heart it is when a man is not content with his present estate This desire is vnsatiable men that haue enough would still haue more Wherefore he which shall vse this petition must be grieued for this sinne and pray with Dauid Psal. 119. 36. Incline my heart to thy commandements and not to couetousnes And he must sorrowe not so much for the act of this sinne as for the corruption of nature in this behalfe Couetous people will plead that they are free from this vice but marke mens liues and we shall see it is a common disease as Dauid noted Psal. 4.6 where he brings in the people saying who shall shew vs any good This then is a common sinne that we are taught to mourne for 2. The second want is diffidence and distrustfulnes in Gods prouidence touching the things of this life Men also will shift this off and say they would be sorrie to distrust God But if we doe but a little looke into the corruption of our nature we shall see that we are deceiued For beeing in prosperitie wee are not troubled but if once we be pressed with aduersitie then we howle and weepe and as Paul saith 1. Tim. 6.10 Men peirce themselues through with many sorrowes If a man shall loose a part of his goods what then doth he straight hee goes out to the wise man is this to beleeue in God No it is to distrust God and beleeue the deuill 4. Graces to be desired THe grace to be desired is a readines in all estates of life to rest on Gods prouidence whatsoeuer fall out Psal. 37.5 Commit thy way to the Lord trust in him and he shall bring it to passe Prou. 16. 3. Commit or role thy workes vpon the Lord and thy thoughts shall be directed Whereby we are admonished to take paines in our callings to get meate and drinke c. If the Lord blesse not our labour we must be content if he doe we must giue him thankes Now for this cause we are further to pray to God that hee would open our eies and by his spirit teach vs in all his good creatures to see his prouidence and when meanes faile and are contrarie then also to beleeue in the same and to followe Pauls example Phil. 4.12 5. Errours confuted PApists teach that men by workes of grace may merit life eternall and increase of iustification in this life But howe can this be for here we see that euery bit of bread which we eate is the free gift of God without any merit of ours Now if we can not merit a peece of bread what madnes is it to thinke that we can merit life euerlasting 2. They also are deceiued who thinke that any thing comes by meere chance or fortune without Gods prouidence Indeede in respect of men who know not the causes of things many chances there are but so as that they are ordered and come to passe by Gods prouidence Luk. 10.31 By chance there came downe a certaine priest that way Forgiue vs our debts 1. The Coherence THis is the fift petition and the second of those which concerne our selues in the former we craued temporall blessings in this and the next which followeth we craue spirituall blessings Where we may note that seeing there is two petitions which concerne spirituall things and but one for temporall that the care for our soules must be double to the care of our bodies In the world men care for their bodies their hearts are set for wealth and promotion they can be content to heare the word on the Sabbath yet neither then nor in the weeke day doe they lay it vp in their hearts and practise it which argues that they haue little or no care for their soules Question What is the cause that first we craue things for the bodie and in the second place those which concerne the soule Ans. The order of the holy Ghost in these petitions is wonderfull for the Lord considers the dulnes and backwardnes of mens natures and therefore he traines them vp and drawes them on by little euen as a schoolemaster doth his yong schollers propounding vnto them some small elements and principles and so carrying them to higher points For the former petition is a step or degree to these two following The ruler by the healing of the bodie of his child is brought to beleeue in Christ. Ioh. 4.53 He then that will rest on Gods mercie for the pardon of his sinnes must first of all rest on Gods prouidence for this life and he that can not put his affiance in God for the prouision of meate and drinke how shall he trust Gods mercie for the saluation of his soule Here we may see the faith of worldlings they say that God is mercifull and that they beleeue in Christ which can not be true seeing in lesser matters as meate and drinke they
saluation but with feare and trembling Phil. 2.12 8 He burneth with zeale of the spirit c. And so the rest of the affections are exercised about the promises of God in Christ and by this meanes is the deepe rooting of the word in the heart Thus it commeth to passe that the Reprobate falleth away from faith in the day of triall and temptation but the Elect cannot be changed XXXIIII Thus it appeareth how farre a reprobate may proceed in religion the consideration of this point I direct vnto two sorts of men Carnall gospellers and Papists Carnall gospellers are such among vs as know the word but obey it not or such as bearing a profession neither know it nor obey it And the best of these come short of reprobates in two points 1. In faith they come short of the deuill most of them The deuill beleeueth and trembleth but they contrariwise liuing in their sinnes beleeue and hope How comes this to passe The deuill knoweth the Gospel and the points of it and withall he beleeueth the terrible threatnings of the law and therefore trembleth Drowsie Protestants beleeue the Gospel as the deuill doth though he conceiues the points of it better then they doe as for the law and the threatnings thereof they doe not beleeue them and that makes them euen when they liue in their sinnes to hope and presume of mercie Therefore the deuill beleeues more of Gods word then they doe Secondly they come short of wicked men in outward obedience The young man not yet conuerted to Christ when he was bidden to keepe the commaundements of the second Table answered that he had kept them from his youth and therefore our Sauiour Christ looked vpon him and loued him although this externall obedience was not sufficient for Christ telleth him that one thing is wanting vnto him And in another place he saith except your righteousnes exceede the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharisies you cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Now the carelesse Gospeller is farre from performing this in so much that commonly he makes an open practise of sinne one way or other The causes of their carelesnes are first a perswasion that a man may repent when he will because the Scripture saith At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne from the bottome of his heart God will put all their wickednesse out of his remembrance But indeed late repentance is seldome true repentance and it may be iustly feared least that repentance which men when they are dying frame to themselues die also with them Secondly they flatter themselues imagining that the best man that is hath seuen falles euery day into grosse sinnes whereas the place which they abuse out of the Prouerbs The righteous man falleth seuen times in a day and riseth againe it is rather to be vnderstood of falls into affliction then falls into actuall sinnes Thirdly they deceiue themselues most falsly thinking small sinnes or hidden sinnes to be no sinnes and grossest sinnes in which they liue and lie most dangerously to be but sinnes of infirmitie XXXV By this which hath bin said the professours of Christian religion are admonished of two things First that they vse most painfull diligence in working their saluation in attaining to faith in dying to sinne in liuing to newnesse of life and that their hearts be neuer at rest till such time as they goe beyond all reprobates in the profession of Christ Iesus Seest thou how farre a reprobate may goe presse on to the straight gate with maine and might with all violence lay hold on the kingdome of heauen Slial Herod feare and reuerence Iohn Baptist and heare him gladly and wilt thou neglect the Ministers and the preaching of the word shall Pharao confesse his sinne nay shall Satan beleeue and tremble And wilt not thou bewaile and lament thy sinnes and thy wicked conuersation It behooueth thee to feare and take heed least wicked men and the deuill himselfe rise in iudgement and condemne thee For if thou shalt come short of the duties of a reprobate and doe not goe beyond him in the profession of the Gospel sure it is thou must looke for the reward of a reprobate The second thing is that the professour of the Gospell diligently trie and examine himselfe whether he is in the state of damnation or in the state of grace whether he yet beare the yoke of Satan or is the adopted child of God Thou wilt say this need not thou professest the Gospell and art taken for a Christian yet marke and consider that this often befalleth reprobates to be esteemed Christians and they are often so like them that none but Christ can discerne the sheepe from the goates true Christians from apparant Christians Wherefore it behooueth all men that shew themselues to be Christians to lay aside all pride and all selfeloue and with singlenes of heart to put themselues into the ballance of Gods word and to make iust triall whether in thē repentance faith mortification sanctification c. giue waight answerable to their outward profession which if they doe let them praise God if not let them with all speede vse the meanes that they may be borne anew to the lord and may be inwardly guided by his holy spirit to giue obedience to his will least in the day of Gods trial they start aside from him like a broken bow and fall againe to their first vncleannesse XXXVI To come to the second sort of men and to conclude let the most zealous Papist that is trie himselfe and his whole estate with a single heart as in the presence of Gods maiestie and he shall finde that by his whole religion and profession he doth come short of a reprobate or at the least not goe beyond him in these points before named The Lord open their eyes that they may see it Amen THE ESTATE OF A CHRISTIAN MAN IN this life which also sheweth how farre the Elect may goe beyond the Reprobate in Christianitie and that by many degrees I THe Elect are they whome God of the good pleasure of his will hath decreed in himselfe to choose to eternall life for the praise of the glorie of his grace For this cause the Elect onely are saide to haue their names written in the booke of life II Whome God electeth them he calleth in the time appointed for the same purpose This calling of the Elect is nothing els but a singling and a seuering of them out of this vile world and the customes thereof to be citizens of the kingdome of glorie after this life And the time of their calling is tearmed in Scriptures the day of visitation the day of saluation the time of grace III. This seuering and choosing of the elect out of the worlde is then performed when God by his holy spirit indueth them with true sauing faith a wonderfull gift peculiar to the
is full of botches blaines and sores but much more are those men to be abhorred which haue lien many yeares starke dead in sinnes and trespasses and therefore now doe nothing els but rot and stinke in them like vgly loathsome carrions Secondly he which is no Christian is vnder the power of darknes hauing Sathan for his prince and god and giuing vnto him in token of homage his best parts euen his minde and conscience to be his dwelling place and his whole conuersation is nothing els but a perpetuall obedience to Sathan If Atheists and worldlings and carnall gospellers were perswaded of the truth of this as it is most true it would make them howle and crie though now they liue at ease without feeling any prick of conscience for sinne And if they had but the least sense of it in the world it would make their flintie hearts to bleede and it would make them shed riuers of teares But how long shall they continue in this vile estate Truly vntill they come to Christ awake therefore thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shal giue thee light open thine heart to receiue Christ and then he will come and binde the strongâ— man Sathan and cast him out and dwell in thee himselfe Thirdly he which is no Christian is in daunger of all the iudgements of God so that euery moment some of them may befall him He may perish sodainly by water with the old world he may be consumed with fire and brimstone with Sodom and Gomorrha he may be swallowed vp of the earth with Dathan and Abiram he may hang himselfe with Iudas he may haue his braines dashed against the ground and be eaten vp of dogges with Iesabel he may die in hardnesse of heart with Pharao he may despaire with Caine and Iudas he may be stricken with sodaine death with Ananias and Saphira his wife he may be eaten of wormes with Herod he may be smitten with trembling that he cannot heare Gods word with Foelix he may voide his guttes at the stoole with Arius he may crie at his death that he is damned with Latomus he may be left vnto himselfe to mocke blaspheme and renounce Christ with Iuhan and he may suffer many more fearefull iudgements whereof the Lord hath great store and all tend to the confounding of them which will not be humbled vnder his hand Contrariwise the true christian is so farre out of the reach of Gods iudgements that they cannot hurt him Christ is a couering and a cloud against the heate and tempest of Gods iudgements when a mans heart is sprinkled with the bloode of this immaculate Lambe all the the plagues of God passe ouer him In the destruction of Ierusalem the righteous beare a marke in their foreheads and are saued Therefore let him that hath regard to his owne safetie become a Christian. Thirdly the man which is no Christian is in daunger of eternall death and damnation in hell fire and they which fall into this estate it had beene tenne thousand fold better for them if they had neuer bin borne for they are quite separated from the presence of God and from his glorie all the company they haue is with the deuill and his angels Their bodies and soules are tormented with infinite horror and anguish arising of the feeling of the whole wrath of God in which as into a bottomlesse sea they are plunged Thus they are alwaies dying and yet are neuer dead Furthermore the length of this torment must be considered which greatly aggrauates the paine If a man might be deliuered from the paines of hell when he had suffered them so many yeares as there be droppes in the sea or little sands in the whole earth it were some comfort but after that those yeares be expired there shall come no release but the damned shall continue in shriking yelling and gnashing of teeth enduring the consuming heate of Gods wrath without any ende for euer and euer Yea to goe further a wicked man carrieth an hell about him in this life namely an euill conscience which if it be neuer so little touched with any part of Gods anger a man shall feele himselfe to haue euen the pangs of hell in his heart Now therefore they that would escape out of this hellish and damnable estate while they haue time let them pray for the pardon of their sins in Christ and walke according to the spirit in newnes of life and then they may assure themselues that there is no condemnation can belong to them And it must be alwaies remembred that he which would liue when he is dead must die while he is aliue namely to sinne And againe he which would rise to eternall life in the day of iudgement must rise from sinne before he die vnto newnesse of life The fourth reason God hath appointed vnto euery man that liueth in the Church a certaine time of repentance and of comming to Christ. And hee which mispendeth that time and is not made a christian then can neuer be saued This made our Sauiour Christ weepe for Ierusalem and say O if thou hadst knowne at the least in this thy day those things which belong to thy peace but now are they hidden from thine eyes And he further signifieth the destruction of Ierusalem because shee knew not the time of her visitation Againe the neglecting of this time is one cause why not one or two but many shall seeke to enter into the kingdome of heauen and yet shal not be able It is a marueilous thing that they which seeke to be saued should perish but the fault is theirs which seeke when it is too late Now therefore thou secure worldling thy conscience telleth thee that thou hast not yet repented and that thou art not as yet a liuely member of Iesus Christ. And thou knowest further that howsoeuer thou art aliue at this time yet thou hast no lease of thy life God may call thee forth of this world the next yeare the next weeke the next houre yea he may strike thee with sudden death at this very present And in very truth if thou goest forth of this world being no repentant sinner thou goest damned to hell Wherefore delay not one minut of an houre longer but with all speed repent and turne vnto God and bring forth fruits worthie of amendment of life that all thy sinnes may be done away when the day of death or the day of iudgement shall be And doe not thinke with thy selfe that it shall be sufficient to deferre thy turning vnto God till the last ende For late repentance is seldome true repentance And he which continueth long in any sinne is in a dangerous case If a man lie long in any disease he will scarce recouer his former health and he which is growne in the custome of any sinne and the sinne is become ripe in him it is a thousand to one
of God For this blessing is giuen them that trust in Christs bloode that they thirst and hunger to doe Gods wil. He that hath not this faith is but an vnprofitable babler of faith and works and neither wotteth what he bableth nor whereunto his words tende For he feeleth not the power of faith nor the working of the spirit in his heart but interpreteth the Scriptures which speak of faith and works after his owne blind reason and foolish fantasies not hauing any experience in himselfe Timoth. Euery member of Christs congregation is a sinner and sinneth daily some more and some lesse for it is written 1. Ioh. 1. If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. And Paul Rom. 7. That good which I would that doe I not but that euill which I would not that doe 1. So it is not I that doe it saith he but sinne that dwelleth in me So the Christian man is both a sinner and no sinner which how it can be shew it me by your experience Euseb. I beeing one man in substance and two men in qualitie flesh and spirit which in me so fight perpetually the one against the other that I must goe either backward or forward and cannot stand long in one estate If the spirit ouercome in tentations then is she stronger and the flesh weaker But if the flesh get a custom then is the spirit none otherwise oppressed of the flesh then as though she had a mountaine on hiâ— backe and as we sometime in our dreames thinke we beare heauier then a milstone on our breasts or when we dreame now and then that we would runne away for feare of some thing our legges seeme heauier then lead euen so is the spirit oppressed and ouerladen of the flesh through custome that shee struggleth and striueth to get vp and to breake loose in vaine vntill the God of mercie which heareth my groane through Iesus Christ come and loose her with his power and put something on the backe of the flesh to keepe her downe to minish her strength and to mortifie her So then no sinner I am if you regard the Spirit the profession of my heart towarde the Lawe of God my repentance and sorrow that I haue both because I haue sinned and am yet full of sinne and looke vnto the promises of mercie in our Sauiour Christ and vnto my faith A sinner am I if you looke to the frailtie of my flesh which is a remnant of the old Adam and as it were the stocke of the olde oliue tree euer and anon when occasion is giuen shooting forth his braunches leaues budde blossome and fruit also which also is as the weaknesse of one which is newly recouered of a great disease by the reason whereof all my deedes are imperfect and when occasions be great I fall into horrible deedes and the fruit of the sin which remaineth in my members breaketh out Notwithstanding the Spirit leaueth me not but rebuketh me and bringeth me home againe vnto my profession so that I neuer cast off the yoke of God from off my necke neither yeelde vp my selfe vnto sinne to serue it but fight a fresh and beginne a newe battaile And I had rather you should vnderstand this forth of the Scriptures by the example of Ionas and the Apostles Ionas was the friend of God and a choseâ— seruant of God to testifie his will vnto the world He was sent from the land of Israel where he was a Prophet to goe amongst an heathen people and the greatest citie of the world then called Niniue to preach that within fourtie daies they should be destroied for their sinnes which message the free will of Ionas had as much power to doe as the weakest hearted woman in the world had power if she were commanded to leape into a tubbe of liuing snakes and adders as happily if God had commanded Sara to sacrifice her sonne Isaac as he did Abraham shee would haue disputed with God ere shee had done it aâ— though shee were strong enough Well Ionas hartened by his owne imagination and reasoning after this manner I am here a Prophet vnto Gods people the Israelites which though they haue Gods word testified vnto them daily yet despise and worship God vnder the likenesse of calues and after all manner of fashions saue after his owne word and therefore are of all nations the worst and most worthie of punishment And yet God for loue of a fewe that are among them and for his names sake spareth and defendeth them how then shall God take so cruell vengeance on so great a multitude of them to whome his name was neuer preached and therefore are not the tenth part so euill as these If I therefore shall goe preach I shall lie and shame my selfe and God too and make them the more to despise God Vpon this imagination he fled from the presence of God and from the countrey where God is worshipped When Ionas entred into the ship he laid him downe to sleepe for his conscience was tossed betweene the commandement of God which sent him to Niniue and his fleshly wisdome which disswaded and counselled him to the contrarie and at last preuailed against the commandement and caried him another way as a shippe caught betweene two streames as the Poets faine the mother of Meleager to be betweene diuers affections while to auenge her brothers death she sought to slay her owne sonne whereupon for very paine and tediousnes he lay down to sleepe to put the commandement out of mind which did so gnaw and fret his conscience as also the nature of all the wicked is when they haue sinned in earnest to seeke all meanes with ryot reuell and pastime to driue the remembrance of sinne forth of their hearts as Adam did to couer his wickednes with aprons of figleaues But God awoke him out of his dreame and set his sinnes before his face for when the lot had caught Ionas then be sure that his sinne came to remembrance againe and that his conscience raged no lesse then the waters of the sea And then he thought he onely was a sinner and thought also that as verily as he had fled from God as verily God had cast him away for the sight of the rod maketh the naturall child not onely to see and acknowledge his fault but also to forget al his fathers old mercy and goodnes And then he confessed his sinne openly and of very desperation to haue liued any longer he had cast himselfe into the sea betimes except they would be lost also for all this God prouided a fish to swallow Ionas When Ionas had beene in the fishes bellie a space the rage of his conscience was somewhat quieted and he came to himselfe againe and had receiued a little hope and the qualmes and pangs of desperation which went ouer his heart were halfe ouercome then he praied to God and gaue thanks vnto him When Ionas was cast
And at that day saith the Lord thou shalt call me Ishai shalt call me no more Baali Here it appeareth that the Israelites meaning was not to worship a false god but the true God in Baalim And Aaron when he made the golden calfe proclaimed that the next day should be holy daie not of any false god but of the Lord that brought them out of Egypt The prophet Esay after that hee had set forth Gods maiestie very worthily he comes in with this conclusion To whom theÌ„ will ye likeÌ„ God or what similitude wil ye set vp of him which declareth that the Iewes after the maner of the Gentiles ran a whoring after Idols that is Images not only of false gods but also of the true God I conclude therefore as I began that the Church of Rome by maintaining images hath repealed this commandement Neither doth it shew lesse fauour to the third commandement which also is repealed First in that they teach men to giue the glorie which is proper to God to some thing els it is proper to God after the daie of iudgement to bee all in all this they giue to Marie saying that shee is all in all It is proper to Christ in respect of other creatures to be a light lightening all that come into the world yet they pray to Marie to giue light to the blind It is proper to Christ to be the redeemer of mankind this worke of redeÌ„ption is ascribed to Marie whome the Papists call their hope their ioy their medâ—atresse a medicine for the diseased a defence from the enemie a friend in the houre of death Againe they make S. Martin a priest according to the order of Melchisedech which is proper to Christ. Secondly they hold that the people is to be barred from the reading of the Scriptures vnlesse it be in an vnknowne tongue and so they maintaine ignorance and the prophaning of Gods name for the preaching of the word and therefore also the hearing learning reading searching of it is the glorifying of the word and so the glorifying of Gods name The fourth commandement is repealed in that they require that their feast daies should be kept as solemnly as the Lords sabboth For they must be kept in all honour and comlines and men must rest from their labours from morning to euening as on the Sabboth whereas contrariwise the Lord hath giuen permission to his seruantes to labour the sixe daies so bee it on the seuenth they will rest from the workes of their callings and do the works of the spirit They repeale the fift commandemeÌ„t in that they teach that their Cleargie hath an immunitie therfore is not bound to performe obedience to magistrates for so they haue decreed that Clearkes are to be iudged only of Bishops that they are only to reskue them from iniuries Againe that the Bishop must not be iudged of the secular power and that the Pope himselfe oweth no subiection to Kings Princes Emperours but hath power to make them and to put them downe at his pleasure But S. Paul for the maintaining of the fift commandement bids euery soule be subiect to the higher powers and therefore the pope with his cleargie as Chrysostome hath expouÌ„ded it must be subiect to ciuil magistrates vnles they wil exclude themselues out of the number of men for Paul speakes to all Against the sixt commandement they haue decreed asyles for murderers plainely permitting them which feare authoritie to haue safetie in the lap of their mother the Church Thus they annihilate Gods commandement yea more then this whither tends all that they teach but to the very murdering of soules For example saluation by works of grace is one of their chiefe points But that man that is perswaded that he must be saued by his workes must also put his trust in them and hee which trusteth to his workes is accursed before god For cursed is that man that trusteth in man whether it be himselfe or other The seuenth Commandement is repealed diuers waies First in that they maintaine the occasions of Adulterie and fornication namely the vowe of single life both in men and women when as they haue not receiued the gift from God to be continent which gift when they want and yet are bound to single life they must needes breake out into much loosenes This sinne made Mantuan Palingenius and Petrarch to crie out against the Church of Rome Againe some Papists defend the toleration of the stewes in Rome for the auoiding of greater euils And in the Councell of Trent chastitie and Priests marriage are made opposite so that marriage with them is a filthie thing although God hath ordained it for the auoyding of fornication in all Furthermore that which is most abhominable and prooues the Church of Rome to be an Antichristian Church they maintaine marriages within the degrees forbidden both by the law of nature of gods word For in the table of consanguinitie they which are placed in the transuerse vnequall line cannot marrie because they are as Parents children yet if they be distant foure degrees on diuers sides from the common stock they may marrie togither by the Canon law As for example the graund vncle may marrie his sisters nephewes neece a thing very filthy in nature considering that a man cannot marrie with any honestie his sisters child To goe further by Gods word they which are distant foure degrees in the transuerse equall line are not forbidden to marry togither as cosin germanes Thus the daughters of Zelophehad were married to their fathers brothers sonnes this example as I take it may be a warrant of the lawfulnes of this marriage Yet the Canon lawe vtterly condemnes this marriage of cosin germans the marriage of their children after theÌ„ though they be eight degrees distaÌ„t Thus the Church of Rome doth ouerthwart the Lord where he giues libertie they restraine it and when hee restraineth men then they giue libertie They repeale the 8. coÌ„mandement by their spirituall marchandize in which they sel those things which are not to be sold as Crosses to dead men Images praiers the sound of bels remission of sins and the merits by which men may come to the kingdom of heaueÌ„ their shaueling priests wil do no duty without they be fed with money hence comes the prouerb no penny no pater noster They teach men to beare false witnes and so to sinne against the ninth coÌ„mandement in that they holde that Marie is the Queene of heauen whereas indeede shee is no Queene but doth continually cast down her crown before Christ with the rest of the Saints And a man may as well beare false witnes in speaking too much as in speaking too little In the tenth commandement the first motions that goe before consent are forbidden otherwise there shall be no difference betweene it and the rest For they also
and vndiscret companie that would seeme to crie out for discipline their whole talke is of it and yet they neither knowe it nor will be reformed by it and yet they are enemies to it as for the lawe of God and the promises of the Gospell they little regard they maintain vile sinnes in refusing to heare the reading or the preaching of the word and this is great contempt of Gods benefits and vnthankefulnesse to him They are full of pride thinking themselues to be full when they are emptie to haue all knowledge when they are ignorant and had neede to bee catechized the poyson of Aspes is vnder their lippes they refuse not to speake euill of the blessed seruants of God Well doe they aboue all things seeke the kingdome of GOD then let them be sincere seekers of it which they shall doe if in seeking Christs kingdome they seeke the righteousnesse thereof vnto which they can neuer come but by the applying of the threatnings of the lawe and the comforts of the gospel to their own consciences But whereas they seeke the one and not the other they giue all men to vnderstand with what spirit they speake CONSOLATIONS FOR THE TROVBLED consciences of repentant Sinners Sinner GOod sir I know the Lord hath giuen you the tongue of the learned to be able to minister a word in time to him that is wearie therefore I pray you helpe me in my miserie Minister Ah my good brother what is the matter with you and what aile you Sinner I liued a long time the Lord he knoweth it after the manner of the world in all the lusts of my filthie flesh then I was neuer troubled but it hath plesed GOD of his mercie to touch my heart and to send his owne sonne that good sheapheard Iesus Christ to fetch me home to his owne fold euen vpon his own necke and since that time it is a wonder to see howe my poore heart hath beene troubled my corruption so boyles in me and Sathan will neuer let me alone Minister Your case is a blessed case for not to be troubled of Satan is to be possessed of him that is to be held captiue vnder the power of darkenes and to be a slaue and vassall of Sathan for as long as the strong man keepes the hold all things are is peace Contrariwise hee that hath receiued any sparkle of true faith shall see the gates of hell that is the deuill and his angels in their full strengthâ— to stand vp against him and to fight with an endles hatred for his finall confusion Sinner But this my trouble of mind hath made me oftentimes feare least God would reiect me and vtterly depriue me of the kingdome of heauen Minister But there is no cause why it should so doe For how should heauen bee your resting place if on earth you were not troubled how could god wipe away your teares from your eies in heauen if on earth you shead them not You would be freâ— from miseries you looke for heauen vpon earth But if you will go to heauen the right waie is to saile by hel If you wil sit at Christs table in his kingdome you must bee with him in his temptations You are as Gods corne you must therefore goe vnder the fâ—aile the fanne the milstone and the ouen before you can be Gods bread You are one of Christs Lambes looke therefore to be fleeced and to haue the bloodie knife at your throat all the daie long If you were a market sheepe bought to be solde you should be stalled and kept in a fat pasture but you are for Gods owne occupying therfore you must pasture on the bare common abiding stormes tempests Sathans snatches the worlds woundes contempt of conscience and frettes of the flesh But in this your miserie I will be a Simon vnto you to helpe you to carrie your crosse so be it you will reueale your mind vnto me Christian. I will doe it willingly my temptations are either against my faith in Christ or against repentance for my sinnes Minister What is your temptation as touching faith Christian. Ah woe is me I am much afraid least I haue no faith in Christ my Sauiour Minister What causeth this feare Christian. Diuers things Minister What is one Christian. I am troubled with many doubtings of my saluation and so it comes into my minde to thinke that by my incredulitie I should quite cut off my selfe from the fauour of God Minister But you must knowe this one thing that he that neuer doubted of his saluation neuer beleeued and that hee which beleeueth in trueth feeleth many doubtings and wauerings euen as the sound man feels many grudgings of diseases which if he had not health he could not feele Christian. But you neuer knewe any that hauing true faith doubted of their saluation Minister What will you then say of the man that said Lord I beleeue Lord helpe mine vnbeleefe And of Dauid who made his moane after this manner Is his mercy cleane gone for euer Doth his promise faile for euermore Hath God forgotten to be mercifull Hath he shut vp his tender mercie in displeasure Yea hee goeth on further as a man in despaire And I said this is my death Hereby it is manifest that a man indued with true faith may haue not onely assaults of doubting but of desperation This further appeareth in that he saith in an other place Why art thou cast downe my soule Why art thou disquieted within me Waite on God for I will yet giue thankes he is my present helpe and my God And in very truth you may perswade your selfe that they are but vnreasonable men that say they haue long beleeued in Christ without any doubting of their saluation Christian. But Dauid had more in him then I haue for me thinkes there is nothing in this wicked heart of mine but rebellion against GOD nothing but doubting of his mercie Minister Let me know but one thing of you these doubtings which you feele doe you like them or doe you take any pleasure in them and doe you cherish them Christian. Nay nay they appeare very vile in mine eies and I do abhorre them from my heart and I would faine beleeue Minister In man we must consider his estate by nature and his estate by grace In the first hee and his flesh are all one for they are as man wife therfore one is accessarie to the doings of the other When the flesh sinneth the man also sinneth that is in subiection to the flesh yea when the flesh perisheth the man likewise perisheth beeing in this estate with the flesh a louing couple they are they liue and die together But in the estate of grace though a man haue the flesh in him yet hee and his flesh are diuorced asunder This diuorcement is made when a man begins to dislike and to hate his flesh and the euil fruits of it this separation
our loue should be a signe of Gods dwelling in vs Ioh. God is loue and therefore he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God God in him Ch. God is loue we grant but how may we know that God is loue to vs Ioh. Hereby is that loue perfect i. fully made manifest in vs that we may haue boldnesse to stand before him without feare in the day of iudgement for euen as he is euen so are we in the world not in equalitie but in conformitie of holinesse As may appeare by the contrarie there is no feare in loue i. when a man is assured of Gods loue to him he doth not distrust nor seruilely feare him in respect of his sinnes but perfect loue casteth out feare for feare hath painfulnes checkings and torments of conscience and he that feareth is not perfect in loue Ch. What other signe is there that God is loue to vs Ioh. We loue him because he loued vs first as when a man warmes him the heat of his bodie is because the fire is first hote Ch. If this be so then they which loue not their brethren are loued of God in Christ seeing all generally say they loue God Ioh. If any man say I loue God and hate his brother he is a lyar for how can he that loueth not his brother whom he hath seene loue God whome he hath not seene And this commandement haue we of him that he that loueth God should loue his brother also CHAP. V. VVHosoeuer beleeueth that Iesus is that Christ true Messias is borne of God and euery one that loueth him which did beget i. God the father loueth him also which is begotten of him the child of God a true Christian Ch. This being manifest that they are hypocrites which say they loue god yet shew no loue to their brethren teach vs how we may know that we loue our brethren Ioh. In this we know that we loue the children of God when we loue God and keepe his commandements that is endeauour to keepe the beginning of the action beeing put for the whole For this is the loue of God the dutie of loue to God that we keepe his commandements Ch. But no man can keepe the Law Ioh. His commandements are not burdenous to them that are in Christ and are freed from the curse of the law which makes the law grieuous and are also guided by his holy spirit And this is apparant for all that is borne of God ouercommeth the world Sathan with all corruptions and workes of darknes Ch. By what meanes Ioh. And this is the victory which hath ouercome the world euen our faith which is the instrument and hand whereby we lay hold on him that he in vs and so we by him might ouercome the world Who is that ouercommeth this world but he which beleeueth that Iesus is that Sonne of God Ch. How may we be resolued that Iesus of Nazareth the sonne of Mary was the sonne of God and the Messias he came but basely into the world Ioh. This is that Iesus Christ which came by water sanctificatiō signified by the legal washings blood imputation of Christs righteousnes or the sprinkling of his bloode not by water onely but by water and blood because Christ worketh both iustification and sanctification togither and it is that spirit a mans owne conscience inwardly purified that beareth witnesse for that spirit is truth that is that the testimonie of the Spirit of adoption certifying vs that we are the sonnes of God is true For that I may speake yet more plainly there are three which beare record in heauen the Father the Word the Sonne and the holy Ghost and these three are one namely in testimonie And there are three which beare record in earth the Spirit and the water and blood and these three agree in one Ch. How shew you that these witnesses be authenticall and to be beleeued Ioh. If we receiue the witnes of men the witnes of God is greater for this is the witnes of God i. that was said to come from heauen which he testifieth of his Sonne Againe he that beleeueth in that Sonne of God hath the witnes in himselfe the peace of conscience which he may feele in himselfe And further he that beleeueth not God maketh him a lyar because he beleeued not the record that God witnessed of his Sonne Ch. What is the effect of that which these witnesses testifie Ioh. And this is that record to wit that God hath giuen vnto vs eternal life and this life is in his Sonne He which hath the Sonne hath life and he which hath not the sonne of God hath not life And to conclude these things haue I written vnto you that beleeue in the name of the sonne of God that ye may know that ye haue life eternal and that ye may beleeue i. increase in faith in the name of that sonne of God Ch. How can we haue life eternal now that are so miserable and so ful of wants Ioh. And this is that assurance that we haue in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. Ch. How may we know that God graunteth our prayers made according to his will Ioh. If we know that he heareth that is as it were to giue an eare to our prayers whatsoeuer we aske we know that we haue the petitions which we haue desired of him though the things which we asked be not giuen vs in that measure and manner and time in which we asked them Ch. Let vs heare an example of those things which God will graunt when we pray Ioh. If a man see his brother sinne a sinne that is not vnto death that is which may be pardoned let him aske pardon in his behalfe and he shall giue him life for them that sinne not vnto death there is a sinne vnto death after which necessarily damnation followeth as the sinne against the holy Ghost I say not that thou shouldest pray for it Ch. But is not euery sinne a sinne to death Ioh. All vnrighteousnes is sinne and therefore deserueth death but there is a sinne not vnto death namely that which is pardoned in Christ. Ch. We feare least we haue committed this sinne which is to death Ioh. We know that whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe and that wicked one Sathan toucheth him not i. doth him no violence or he can not giue him a deadly wound We know that we are of God and this whole world lieth in euill that is in seruitude vnder Sathan and sinne Ch. How shew you that we are of God Ioh. We know that the sonne of God is come and hath giuen vs a minde to know him that is true and we are in him that is true that is in his Sonne Iesus Christ this same is that
law of God and the hatred of sinne For that which is spoken chiefly of Christ Thou hast loued righteousnesse and hated iniquitie is to be vnderstood of all the members of Christ endued with his spirit because it is truly accomplished in them Hence it is that Dauid who in himselfe did represent the disposition of all the regenerate saide of himselfe I haue loued thy law thy law is in the middle of my heart I haue hated all the workers of iniquitie I will not sitte with the wicked Also Paul I am delighted saith he in the law of God according to the inner man that is in as much as I am borne anewe And no man doubteth but that both these affections are the effects of predestinatioÌ„ except he be ignorant that all these are the gifts of God which as in time he bestoweth on his so also he hath decreed to bestow them on them before the foundation of the world And from these two affections beeing the first fruits of regeneratiâ—n ariseth a care and endeauour to doe good workes that is to flie sinne and to fulfill the law of God which is the seauenth effect of predestination For he which hateth any thing from his heart he taketh heede of it as much as he can and he fleeth from it and escheweth it and on the contrarie he which loueth any thing from his heart that also he seeketh after and endeauoureth himselfe to the compassing of it Therefore the Apostle Iohn maketh this a chiefe difference betweene the sonnes of God and the children of the deuill that is betweene them that are borne anew and them that are not borne anew that the children of God both loue and doe righteousnesse and the children of the deuill loue sinne and doe it as also the deuill sinned from the beginning and Christ came to dissolue the workes of the deuill namely in his elect for in the reprobate he leaueth them vntouched because they are not giuen him of the father to be purged borne anew and saued Therefore seeing Christ was before ordained and predestinate to the doing of all these workes and that there is no good wrought in vs which was not prouided for vs in Christ from all eternitie it is a cleare case that the care also of doing good workes is an effect of predestination And the Apostle plainely teacheth it when he saith that we were created in Christ to good workes which God hath prepared that we might walke in them To this purpose serueth that which the Apostle deliuereth of loue vnfained to which he sheweth that we were elect and of a good conscience which he makes the inseparable companion of the faith of the elect Lastly of a pure heart which he ascribeth to the elect considering the vnfaithful haue nothing cleane in them and that their minde and conscience is defiled Now that this care to doe good workes is necessarie in all the elect Peter sheweth it when he bids vs endeauour to make our election and calling sure by good workes as some copies haue it But to whom shall we make it sure not vnto God for it was sure vnto him before the foundation of the world but vnto our selues and to our neighbours And this is one of the chiefest vses of good workes that by them not as by causes but as by effects of predestination and faith both we and also our neighbours are certified of our election and of our saluation too Furthermore considering whiles we haue a care to glorifie God to doe good works and we will not be conformable to the world in the wickednes of it neither submit our selues to our flesh and Sathan the flesh the world and Sathan doe perpetually warre against vs and therewithall it commeth to passe they beeing most valiant enemies that either we are ouercome or at the least in fight are foiled And therfore we are constrained to flie vnto the Lord and to craue his assistance therefore the eight effect of our predestination is the calling vpon God that in this fight he would giue vs ayd against the Deuill the world and the flesh For this is the propertie of the spirit which the elect haue to stir them vp to praier for the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with gronings that cannot be vttered that is to say it mooueth vs to make request And because we are sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of his sonne into our hearts crying Abba Father And God biddeth vs cal vpon him in the day of tribulation promising to heare vs. From these proceedeth the ninth effect of predestination namely a perpetuall repentance for our daily slippes and a continuall desire to be bettered in godlinesse So that also for this cause chiefly we heartily desire to be dissolued out of this world and to be with Christ for this end that we might sinne no more For this is a thing proper to the elect of God euen now borne anew as we may see in the Apostle who speaketh thus in the name of all the regenerate O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death And again I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ. From this ninth effect proceedeth the tenth namely a desire that Christ may come and make an end of all our miseries and sinnes and perfectly restore his owne kingdome That this is proper to the elect the Apostle sheweth when he saith that they loue the comming of the Lord and Iohn bringeth in the spouse of Christ crying Come Lord Iesus come quickly Yea and Christ himselfe hath taught vs to pray Let thy kingdome come And because that they which pray on this wise are also heard according to Gods promise In the day of tribulation call vpon me and I will heare thee hence appeareth the eleuenth effect of Predestination true patience that is not onely true comfort but also a reioycing in aduersitie as the Apostle describeth it And therefore a certaine taking vp of courage and recouerie of strength against his enemies whereby it commeth to passe that all things turne to the saluation of the elect For the elect albeit they be often beaten downe in fight yet because Christ speedily sendeth ayd from heauen vnto them they rise vp couragiously and begin againe the fight against sinne and the deuill and all other the enemies of Christ and they fight so long till they be made conquerours and are assured of the victorie and of the crowne which assurance also is an effect of Predestination giuen to all the elect For what saith the Apostle shall we say to these things If God be on our side who can be against vs Thereforâ— our Lord Iesus teacheth that the elect can not be seduced and so perish no not by the cunning of Antichrist and his miracles And lastly hence appeareth that last effect of Predestination which we can obtaine in this life the gift of perseuerance vnto
all his family was burnt The second had the iaundise from the head to the sole of the foote and died thereof The third seeing what was befallen these twaine repented and confessed the conspiracie against Narcissus and yet for all that he lost his eies Againe in the daies of Q. Marie as Iames Abbes was led by the Sheriffe to execution diuerse poore people stoode in the waie and asked their almes hee then not hauing any money to giue them did put off all his apparell saue his shirt and gaue it vnto them to some one thing to some another in the giuing whereof he exhorted them to be strong in the Lord and to stand steadfast in the trueth of the gospell While he was was thus instructing the people a seruant of the Shiriffes going by cried out aloude and blasphemously said Beleeue him not good people he is an hereticke and a mad man out of his witte beleeue him not for it is heresie that he saieth And as the other continued in his godly admonitions so did this wicked wretch blow forth his blasphemous exclamations vntill they came vnto the stake where he should suffer But immediatly after this martyr was bound to the stake and fire put to him such was the fearefull stroke of Gods iustice vpon this blasphemous railer that he was there presently in the sight of all the people stricken with a frensie wherewith he had before railingly charged that good martyr of God who in his furious rage madnes casting off his shooes and the rest of his cloaths cried out vnto the people said thus did Iames Abs the true seruant of God who is saued but I am damned and thus ran he about the towne of Burie still crying that Iames Abbes was a good man and saued but I am damned Againe children sitting in companie togither fell into communication of God and to reason what God was And some said one thing some another among the rest one saide He is a good old father to which an other named Dennis Benfield replied with a most outragious blasphemy What he said she is an old doting foole But shortly after this yong gyrle was so stricken that all the one side of her was blacke and she became speechlesâ—e and died Againe one Leaver a ploug-man rayling said that he saw the euill fauoured knaue Latimer when he was burned and also in despite said that he had teeth like an horse At which time and houre as neere as could be gathered the sonne of the said Leaver most wickedly hanged himselfe Againe in the time of K. Edward a young gentleman of Cornwall beeing in companie with other moe gentlemen together with their seruants beeing about the number of twentie horsemen among whome this lustie yonger entred into talke and beganne withall to sweare and vse ribauld speech beeing gently reprooued the yong gentleman tooke snuffe and saide to the reproouer Why takest thou thought for me take thought for thy winding sheete well quoth the other amend for death giueth no warning for assoone commeth a lambes skinne to the market as on old sheepes skinne Gods woundes said he care not thou for me raging still in this manner worse and worse in wordes till at length passing on their iourney they came riding ouer a great bridge standing ouer a piece of an arme of the sea vpon which bridge this gentleman-swearer spurred his horse in such sort as he sprang cleane ouer with the man on his backe who as he was going cried saying Horse and man and all to the deuill Againe there was a seruing man in Lincolnshire who had still in his mouth an vse to sweare Gods pretious blood and that for very trifles beeing often warned by his friendes to leaue the taking of the Lords bloode in vaine did notwithstanding still persist in his wickednesse vntill at the last it pleased God to acite him first with sicknesse and then with death during which time of the Lords visitation no perswasion could mooue him to repent his foresaid blaspheming but hearing the bell to toll did most hardly in the very anguish of his death start vp in his bedde and sware by Gods blood this bell tolled for me Whereupon immediatly the bloode aboundantly from all the ioynts of his bodie as it were in streames did issue out most fearefully from mouth nose wrestes knees heeles toes with all other ioynts not one left free so died These and such like iudgements must be as warnings from heauen to admonish vs and to make vs afraid of the abuse of the Tongue especially when it tendeth to the dishonour of God And we are to imitate the example of Policarpe the Martyr who when he was bidden to take his oath curse Christ answered Fourescore and sixe yeares haue I beene his seruant yet in all this time hath he not so much as once hurt me how then may I speake euill of my King and Soueraigne Lord which â—â—th thus preserued me VI. Lastly God hath honoured thy tongue with the gift of speech and vtterance and the great excellencie of this gift thou shouldest perceiue if thou werest stricken dumme for a time Therefore let thy tongue be applied to the honouring of God and to the good of thy neighbour FINIS TWO TREATISES I. Of the nature and practise of Repentance II. Of the combat of the flesh and spirit A second Edition corrected Printed by Iohn Legate Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1600. To the Reader whosoeuer GOd hath bestowed on vs great prosperitie and peace with plentie of all temporall blessings that heart can wish for many yeares in this land Prosperitie abused hath beene the occasion of many grieuous sinnes against the first and second table specially of Atheisme neglect of Gods worship contempt of the word profanation of the Sabbath abuse of the sacraments c. These and such like sinnes haue long called downe for iudgements from heauen vpon vs and the rather because the preaching of the word hath little preuailed to bring vs to any amendment of life Whereupon God hath now begun to cause his iudgement to seaze vpon vs specially by plague and pestilence and that euen in the very principall part of this lande whereby he himselfe doth as Iob saith round vs in the eare and preach repentance to vs. Wherefore it stands vs now in hand if euer to looke about vs and if we haue not repented to begin to repent if we haue in former time repented to doe it more earnestly If so be that we shall harden our hearts both against his word and iudgements and put farre from vs the euill day vndoubtedly we must needs looke for iudgements farre more terrible then euer we felt as yet if not eternall destruction Let vs be aduised by the old world who made light of Noahs warning and were drowned in the floode by Lots sonnes in law who tooke their fathers counsell for mockage and were burnt with fire and
he was This consideration may serue as an iron scourge to driue men from their wicked liues Chrysostome would haue men in their meetings in tavernes and feasts to talke of hell that by often thinking on it they might auoide it A graue and chast matrone being mooued to commit follie with a lewd ruffian after long discourse shee called for a panne of coales requesting him for her sake to holde his finger in them but one houre he answered that it was vnkinde request to whome shee replied that seeing he would not hold so much as one finger in a fewe coales for one small houre shee could not yeeld to doe the thing for which shee should be tormented bodie and soule in hell fire for euer And so should all men reason with themselues when they are about to sinne None will be brought to doe a thing that may make so much as their finger or tooth to ake if a man be but to snuffe a candle he will first spitte on his finger because he can not abide the heate of a small and tender flame Therefore we ought to haue great care to leaue our sinnes whereby we bring endlesse torment to bodie and soule in hell fire to which our fire is but yee in comparison CHAP. IX Of motiues Euangelicall EVangelicall Motiues are two especially The first is taken from the consideration of mans redemption He that redeemed mankind is God himselfe as Paul saith that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe Mans sinne is so vile and haynous in the eyes of God that no Angel nor creature whatsoeuer was able to appease the wrath of God for the least offence But the sonne of God himselfe must come downe from heauen and take mans nature on him and not onely that but he must also suffer the most accused death of the crosse and shed his most pretious heart bloode to satisfie the iustice of his Father in our behalfe If a father should be sicke of such a disease that nothing would heale him but the heart bloode of his owne child he would presently iudge his owne case to be dangerous and would also vow if euer he recouered to vse all meanes whereby he might auoid that disease So likewise seeing nothing could cure the deadly wound of our sinne but a plaister made of the heart blood of Christ it must make vs acknowledge our pitifull â—ase and the haynousnesse of the least of our sinnes and stirre vs vp to newnes of life Againe considering the end of the redemption wrought by Christ was to deliuer vs from our euill conuersation in sinne and vnrighteousnes we are not to continue and as it were lie bathing our selues in sinne for that were as if a prisoner after that he had bin ransomed and had his bolts taken off and were put out of the prison to goe whither he would should returne againe and desire to lie in the dungeon still The second motiue is that God hath made a promise to such as truly repent I. Of remission of sinnes Wash you make you cleane take away the euill of your workes from before mine eyes cease to doe euill c. Though your sinnes were as crimson they shall be made as white as snow though they were red like scarlet they shall be as wooll And Seeke the Lord while he may be found call vpon him while he is neere Let the wicked forsake his waies and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lord and he will haue mercie on him for he is very plentifull in forgiuing II. Of life euerlasting I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he repent and liue And Thus saith the Lord vnto the house of Israel Seeke ye me and ye shall liue III. Of mitigating or remoouing temporall calamities Stand in the court of the Lords house and speake vnto all the cities of Iudah c. If so be they will hearken and turne euery man from his euill way that I may repent me of the plague which I haue determined to bring vpon them because of the wickednes of their workes And If we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged that is afflicted with temporall punishments I ioyne with the remoouing of temporall calamities the mitigating of theÌ„ because they are not alwaies taken away when the partie repenteth After Dauids repentance the childe dieth and the sworde departes not from his house And the Prophet Micha brings in the people humbling themselues before God vnder a temporall punishment saying I will beare thy wrath because I haue sinned against thee And it is Gods pleasure that the chastisement shall remaine after the partie is reconciled to him that he may by that mearies be admonished of his sinne and be an example to others As God hath made these mercifull promises to penitent sinners so he hath faithfully performed them so soone as they haue but begun to repent Example of Dauid Then Dauid said vnto Nathan I haue sinned against the Lord And Nathan said to Dauid Thy sin is forgiuen thee Of Manasses When he was in tribulation he praied vnto the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the Lord God of his fathers and praied vnto him and God was intreated of him and heard his praier Of the Publicane The Publicane c. smote his breast saying O God be mercifull to me a sinner I tell you this man departed iustified to his house rather theÌ„ the other Of the thiefe He said vnto Iesus Lord remember me when thou commest to thy kingdome Then Iesus said vnto him Verily I say vnto thee to day shalt thou be with me in paradise Hauing such notable promises made to Repentance no man is to drawe backe from the practise of it because of the multitude of his sinnes but rather to do it The Pharises said to Christs disciples Why eates your master with Publicans and sinners When Iesus heard it he said vnto them The whole neede not the phisition but they that are sicke And I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance And Verily I say vnto you that Publicanes and harlots shall goe before you into the kingdome of God CHAP. X. Of the time of Repentance THe time of repentance is the time present without any delay at all as the holy Ghost saith To daie if ye will heare his voice And Exhort one another daily while it is called to day least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnes of sinne Reasons hereof are these I. Life is vncertaine for no man knowes at what houre or moment and after what manner he shall goe foorth of this world Be ye also prepared therefore for the sonne of man will come at an houre when ye think not This one thing should make a man to hasten his repentance and the rather because many are dead who purposed with themselues to repent in time to come
man it preuailes with him and turnes him to God Furthermore when God will send his owne seruants to heauen hee sends thē a contrarie waie euen by the gates of hell and when it is his pleasure to make men depend on his fauour and prouidence hee makes them feele his anger and to be nothing in themselues that they may wholly depend vpon him and be whatsoeuer they are in him This point beeing well considered it is manifest that the child of God may passe to heauen by the very gulfes of hell The loue of God is like a sea into which when a man is cast hee neither feeles bottome nor sees banke I conclude therefore that despaire whether it arise of weaknes of nature or of conscience of sinne though it fall out about the time of death can not preiudice the saluation of them that are effectually called As for other strange euents which fall out in death they are the effects of diseases Rauings and blasphemings arise of the disease of melancholie and of frensies which often happen at the ende of burning feauers the choller shooting vp to the braine The writhing of the lips the turning of the necke the buckling of the ioyntes and the whole bodie proceede of crampes and convulsions which follow after much euacuation And whereas some in sicknesse are of that strength that three or foure men cannot holde them without bondes it comes not of witchcrafts and possessions as people commonly thinke but of choller in the vaines And whereas some when they are dead become as blacke as pitch as Bonner was it may arise by a bruise or an impostume or by the blacke iaundise or by the putrefaction of the liuer and it doeth not alwaies argue some extraordinarie iudgement of God Nowe these and the like diseases with their Symptomes and straunge effects though they shal depriue man of his health and of the right vse of the parts of his bodie and of the vse of reason too yet they cannot depriue his soule of eternall life And all sinnes procured by violent diseases and proceeding from repentant sinners are sins of infirmitie for which if they know them come againe to the vse of reason they will further repent if not they are pardoned and buried in the death of Christ. And we ought not so much to stand vpon the strangenes of any mans ende when we know the goodnesse of his life for we must iudge a man not by his death but by his life And if this be true that strange diseases and thereupon strange behauiours in death may befall the best man that is wee must learne to reforme our iudgements of such as lie at the point of death The common opinion is that if a man lie quietly and goe away like a lambe which in some diseases as consumptions and such like any man may doe then he goes straight to heauen but if the violence of the disease stirre vp impatience and cause in the partie franticke behauiours then men vse to say there is a iudgement of God seruing either to discouer an hypocrit or to plague a wicked man But the trueth is otherwise For indeede a man may die like a lambe and yet go to hell and one dying in exceeding torments and straunge behauiours of the bodie may goe to heauen And by the outward condition of any man either in life or death wee are not to iudge of his estate before God The fifth obiection is this When a man is most neare death then the deuill is most busie in temptation and the more men are assaulted by Satan the more dangerous troublesome is their case And therefore it may seeme that the day of death is the worst daie of all Ans. The condition of Gods childrē in death is twofold Some are not tempted and some are Some I say are not tempted as Simeon who when he had seene Christ brake forth said Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace c. foresignifying no doubt that he should ende his daies in all manner of peace As for them which are tempted though their case be verie troublesome and perplexed yet their saluation is not further off by reason of the violence and extremitie of temptation For God is then present by the vnspeakeable comfort of his spirit and when wee are most weake he is most strong in vs because his manner is to shew his power in weaknesse And for this cause euen in the time of death the deuill receiues the greatest foile when he lookes for the greatest victorie The sixth obiection is this Violent and sudden death is a grieuous curse of all euils which befall man in this life none is so terrible therefore it may seeme that the day of suddaine death is most miserable Ans. It is true indeed that suddaine death is a curse and a grieuous iudgement of God and therefore not without cause feared of men in the world yet all things considered we ought more to be afraide of an impenitent and euill life then of suddaine death For though it be euil as death it selfe in his owne nature is yet we must not thinke it to be simplie euill because it is not euill to all men nor in all respects euill I say it is not euill to all men considering that no kinde of death is euill or a curse vnto them that are in Christ who are freed from the whole curse of the Law And therefore the holy Ghost saith Blessed are they that die in the Lord for they rest from their Labour whereby is signified that they which depart this life beeing members of Christ enter into euerlasting happinesse of what death soeuer they die yea though it be suddaine death Againe I say that suddaine death is not euill in all respects For it is not euill because it is suddaine but because it commonly takes men vnprepared and by that means makes the day of death a blacke day and as it were a very speedie downfall to the gulfe of hell Otherwise if a man be readie and prepared to die suddaine death is in effect no death but a quicke and speedie entrance to eternall life These obiections beeing thus answered it appeares to be a manifest truth which Salomon saith that the day of death is better indeede then the day of birth Now I come to the third point in which the reasons and respects are to be considered that make the day of death to surpasse the day of a mans birth and they may all be reduced to this one namely that the birth day is an entrance into all woe and miserie whereas the day of death ioyned with godly and reformed life is an entrance or degree to eternall life Which I make manifest thus Eternall life hath three degrees one in this life when a man can truly say that he liues not but that Christ liues in him and this all men can say that repent and beleeue and are iustified and sanctified and haue peace of
conscience with other gifts of Gods spirit which are the earnest of their saluation The second degree is in this life when the bodie goes to the earth and the soule is carried by the Angels into heauen The third is in the ende of the world at the last iudgement when bodie and soule reunited doe ioyntly enter into eternall happines in heauen Now of these three degrees death it selfe being ioyned with the feare of God is the second which also containeth in it two worthie steppes to life The first is a freedome from all miseries which haue their ende in death For though men in this life are subiect to manifold daungers by sea and land as also to sundrie aches paines and diseases as feauers and consumptions c. yet when death comes there is an ende of all Againe so long as men liue in this world whatsoeuer they be they doe in some part lie in bondage vnder originall corruption and the reâ—nants thereof which are doubtings of Gods prouidence vnbeleefe pride of heart ignorance couetousnesse ambition enuie hatred lust and such like sinnes which bring forth fruits vnto death And to be in subiection to sinne on this manner is a miserie of all miseries Therefore Paul when he was tempted vnto sinne by his corruption calls the very temptation the buffets of Sathan and as it were a pricke or thorne wounding his flesh and paining him at the very heart Againe in another place wearied with his owne corruptions he complaines that he is sold vnder sinne and he cries out O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death Dauid saith that his eyes gushed out with riuers of teares when other men sinned against God how much more then was he grieued for the sinnes wherewith he himselfe was ouertaken in this life And indeede it is a very hell for a man that hath but a sparke of grace to be exercised turmoiled and tempted with the inborne corruptions and rebellions of his owne heart and if a man would deuise a torment for such as feare God and desire to walke in newnesse of life he can not deuise a greater then this For this cause blessed is the day of death which brings with it a freedome from all sinne whatsoeuer For when we die the corruption of nature is quite abolished and sanctification is accomplished Lastly it is a great miserie that the people of God are constrained in this world to liue and conuerse in the companie of the wicked as sheepe are mingled with goates which strike them annoy their pasture and muddie their water Hereupon Dauid cried out Woe is me that I râ—maine in Meshech and dwell in the tents of Keâ—ar When Elias saw that Ahab and Iesabel had planted idolatrie in Israel and that they sought his life also he went apart into the wildernes and desired to die But this miserie also is ended in the day of death in as much as death is as it were the hand of God to sort and single out those that be the seruants of God from all vngodly men in this most wretched world Furthermore this exceeding benefit comes by death that it doth not onely abolish the miseries which presently are vpon vs but also pâ—euent those which are to come The righteous saith the Prophet Esay perisheth and no man considereth it in his heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken away for the euill to come Example of this we haue in Iosias Because saith the Lord thine heart did melt and thou hast humbled thy selfe before the Lord when thou heardest what I spake against this place c. behold therefore I will gather thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be put in thy graue in peace and thine eyes shall not see all the euill whiâ—h I will bring vpon this place And Paul saith that among the Corinthians some were asleepe that is dead that they might not be condemned with the world Thus much of freedome from miserie which is the first benefit that comes by death and the first steppe to life now followes the second which is that death giues an entrance to the soule that it may come into the presence of the euerliuing God of Christ and of all the Angels and Saints in heauen The worthines of this benefit makes the death of the righteous to be no death but rather a blessing to be wished of all men The consideration of this made Paul to say I desire to be dissolued but what is the cause of this desire that followes in the next wordes namely that by this dissolution he might come to be with Christ. When the Queene of Sheba saw all Salomons wisdome and the house that he had built and the meate of his table and the sitting of his seruants and the order of his ministers and their apparrell c. shee saide Happie are thy men happie are these thy seruants which stand euer before thee and heare thy wisdome much more then may we say that they are ten thousand folde happie which stand not in the presence of an earthly King but before the King of kings the Lord of heauen and earth and at his right hand inioy pleasures for euermore Moses hath beene renowmed in all ages for this that God vouchsafed him but so much fauour as to see his hinder parts at his request O then what happinesse is this to see the glorie and maiestie of God face to face and to haue eternall fellowship with God our father Christ our Redeemer and the holy Ghost our comforter and to liue with the blessed Saints and Angels in heauen for euer Thus now the third point is manifest namely in what respects death is more excellent then life It may be here the mind of man vnsatisfied will yet further replie and say that howsoeuer in death the soules of men enter into heauen yet their bodies though they haue bin tenderly kept for meate drink and apparrell and haue slept many a night in beddes of doune must lie in darke and loathsome graues and there be wasted and consumed by wormes Answ. All this is true indeede but all is nothing if so be it we will but consider aright of our graues as we ought We must not iudge of our graues as they appeare to the bodily eye but we must looke vpon them by the eie of faith and consider them as they are altered and changed by the death and buriall of Christ who hauing vanquished death vpon the crosse pursued him afterward to his own den and foyled him there and depriued him of his power And by this means Christ in his owne death hath buried our death and by the vertue of his buriall as sweete incense hath sweetned and perfumed our graues and made them of stinking and loathsome cabbines to become princely pallaces and beddes of most sweete and happie rest farre more excellent then beddes of doune And
word requires two things a preparation before death and a right behauiour and disposition in death The preparation vnto death is an action of a repentant sinner whereby he makes himselfe fitte and readie to die and is a dutie very necessarie to which we are bound by Gods commaundement For there be sundrie places of Scripture which doe straightly inioyne vs to watch and pray and to make our selues readie euery way against the second comming of Christ to iudgement Now the same places doe withall binde vs to make preparation against death at which time God comes to iudgement vnto vs particularly Againe looke as death leaueth a man so shall the last iudgement finde him and so shall he abide eternally there may be changes and conuersions from euill to good in this life but after death there is no change at all Therefore a preparation to death can in no wise be omitted of him that desires to make an happie and blessed ende This preparation is twofold generall and particular Generall preparation is that whereby a man prepares himselfe to die through the whole course of his life A dutie most needfull which must in no wise be omitted The reasons are these First of all death which is certen is most vncertaine I say it is certen because no man can eschew death And it is vncertaine three waies first in regard of time for no maÌ„ knoweth when he shall die secoÌ„dly in regard of place for no man knowes where he shall die whether in his bed or in the field whether by sea or by land thirdly in respect of the kind of death for no man knowes whether he shall die of a lingring or sudden of a violent or naturall death Hence it followes that men should euery day prepare themselues to death Indeede if we could know when where and how we should die the case were otherwise but seeing we know none of these it stands vs in hand to looke about vs. A second reason seruing further to perswade vs is this The most daungerous thing of all in this world is to neglect all preparation To make this point more manifest I will vse this comparison A certaine man pursued by an Vnicorne in his flight falls into a dungeon and in his fall takes hold and hangs by the arme of a tree now as he thus hangs looking downeward he sees two wormes gnawing at the roote of the tree and as he lookes vpward he sees and hiue of most sweete honie whereupon he climes vp vnto it and sitting by it feedes thereon In the meane season while he is thus sitting the two wormes gnawe in pieces the roote of the tree which done tree and man and all fall into the bottom of the dungeon Now this Vnicorne is death the man that flieth is euery one of vs and euery liuing man the pit ouer which he hangeth is hell the arme of the tree is life it selfe the two wormes are day and night the continuance whereof is the whole life of man the hiue of honie is the pleasures and profits and honors of this world to which when men wholly giue themselues not considering their endes till the tâ—ee roote that is this temporal life be cut off which beeing once done they plunge themselues quite into the gulfe of hell By this we see that there is good cause that men should not deferre their preparation till the time of sicknes but rather euery day make themselues readie against the day of death But some will say it shall suffice if I prepare my selfe to pray when I begin to be sicke Ans. These men greatly deceiue themselues for the time then is most vnfit to begin a preparation because all the senses and powers of the bodie are occupied about the paines and troubles of the disease and the sicke partie is exâ—rcised partly in coÌ„ference with the Physitian partly with the Minister about his soules health and matters of conscience and partly with friends that come to visit Therefore there must some preparation goe before in the time of health when the whole man with all the powers of bodie and soule are at libertie Again there be some others which imagine and say that a man may repent when he will euen in the time of death and that such repentance is sufficient Ans. It is false which say they For it is not in the power of man to repent when he himselfe will when God will he may It is not in him that willeth or runneth but in God that hath mercie And Christ saith that many shall seeke to enter into heauen and shall not be able But why so because they seeke when it is too late namely when the time of grace is past Therefore it is exceeding follie for men so much as once to dreame that they may haue repentance at command nay it is a iust iudgement that they should be condemned of God in death that did contemne God in their life and that they should quite be forgotten of God in sicknes that did forget God in their health Againe I answer that this late repentance is seldome or neuer true repentance It is sicke like the partie himselfe commonly languishing and dying togither with him Repentance should be voluntarie as all obedience to God ought but repentance taken vp in sicknesse is vsually constrained and extorted by the feare of hell and other iudgements of God for crosses afflictions and sicknes will cause the grossest hypocrite that euer was to stoope and buckle vnder the hand of God and to dissemble faith and repentance and euery grace of God as though he had them as fully as any of the true seruants of God whereas indeede he wants them altogether Wherefore such repentance commonly is but counterfait For in true and sound repentance men must forsake their sins but in this the sinne forsakes the man who leaues all his euill waies onely vpon this that he is constâ—ained to lâ—aue the world Wherefore it is a thing greatly to be wished that men would repent and prepare themselues to die in the time of health before the day of death or sicknesse come Lastly it is alleadged that one of the theeues repented vpon the crosse Answ. The thiefe was called after the eleuenth houre at the point of the twelfth when he was now dying and drawing on Therefore his conuersion was altogether miraculous and extraordinarie and there was a speciall reason why Christ would haue him to be called then that while he was in suffering he might shew forth the vertue of his passion that all which saw the one might also acknowledge the other Now it is not good for men to make an ordinarie rule of an extraordinarie example Thus then this point beeing manifest that a generall preparation must be made let vs now see in what manner it must be done And for the right doing of it â—uâ—e duties must be practised in the â—ourse of our liues The first iâ— the meditation of death in the life time
them daily in faith and obedience and from time to time commending our soules into the hand of God casting all our works vpon his prouidence They which haue done this haue made most happie blessed ends Enoch by faith walked walked with God as one that was alwaies in his presence leading an vpright and godly life and the Lord tookeâ— him away that hee should not see death And this which befell Enoch shall after a sort befall them also that liue in faith and obedience because death shall bee no death but a sleepe vnto them and no enemie but a friende to bodie and soule On the contrarie let vs consider the wretched and miserable endes of them that haue spent their daies in their sinnes without keeping faith and good conscience The people of the olde worlde were drowned in the floode the filthie Sodomites and Gomorrheans were destroyed with fire from heauen Dathan and Abiram with the companie of Core swallowed vp of the earth Core himself as it seemes by the text beeing burnt with fire wicked Saul and Achitophel and Iudas destroy themselues Herod is eaten vp of wormes and gaue vp the ghost Iulian the Apostata smitten with a dart in the fielde died casting vp his blood into the aire and blaspheming the name of Christ. Arius the hereticke died vpon the stoole scouring foorth his verie entralls And this veriâ— age affoards store of like examples Hofâ—meister a great Papist as he was going to the councill of Ralisbone to dispute against the defenders of the gospell was suddenly in his iourney preuented by the hand of God and miserably died with horrible roaring and crying out in the vniuersity of Louaine Guarlacus a learned Papist falling sicke when he perceiued no way with him but death he sel into a miserable agony and perturbation of spirit crying out of his sinsâ— howe miserably he had liued and that he was not able to abide the iudgement of God and so casting out wordes of miserable desperation said his sinnes were greater then they could be pardoned and in that desperation ended his daies Iacobus Latromus of the same Vniuersitie of Louaine after that hee had beene at Bruxels and there thinking to doe a great act against Luther and his fellowes made an oration before the Emperour so foolishly and ridiculously that he was laughed to scorne almost of the whole court then returning from thence to Louaine againe in his publike lecture hee fell into open madnesse vttering such words of desperation and blasphemous impietie that other diuines which were present were faine to carrie him away as he was rauing to shut him into a close chamber From that time to his verie last breath hee had neuer any thing else in his mouth but that he was damned reiected of god and that there was no hope of saluation for him because that wittingly and against his knowledge he withstood the maniest truth of Gods word Crescentius the Popes Legate and vicegerent in the Council of Trent was â—itting all the daie long vntill darke night in writing of letters to the Pope after his labour when night was come thinking to refresh himselfe he began to rise and at his rising behold there appeared to him a mightie blacke dogge of an huge bignesse his eies flaming with fire and his eares hanging low down wel neere to the ground which began to enter in and straight to come towards him so to couch vnder the boord The Cardinall not a little amased at the sight thereof somewhat recouering himselfe called to his seruants which were in the outward chamber next by to bring in a candle and to seek for the dogge But when the dogge could not bee found there nor in any other chamber about the Cardinall thereupon stricken with a sudden conceit of minde immediately fell into such a sickenes whereof his Phisitians which he had about him could not with all their industrie and cunning cure him and thereupon he died Steuen Gardiner when a certaine bishop came vnto him and put him in minde of Peter denying his master answered again that he had denied with Peter but neuer repented with Peter so to vse M. Foxes words stinkingly vnrepentantly died More examples might be added but these shall suffice Againe that wee may bee further induced to the practise of these duties let vs call to minde the vncertaintie of our daies though we now liue yet who can say that hee shall bee aliue the next daieâ— or the next houre No man hath a lease of his life Nowe marke as death leaues a man so shall the last iudgement find him and therfore if death take him away vnprepared eternal damnation followes without recouerie If a theife bee brought from prison either to the barre to be arraigned before the iudge or to the place of exequâ—tion he will bewaile his misdeameanour past and promise all reformation of life so be it he might be deliuered though he be the most arrant theefe that euer was In this case we are as fellons or theeues for we are euery day going to the barre of Gods iudgement there is no stay nor standing in the way euen as the shippe in the sea continues on his course day and night whether the marriners be sleeping or waking therefore let vs all prepare our selues and amend our liues betime that in death we may make a blessed ende Ministers of the Gospel doe daily call for the performance of this dutie but where almost shall we finde the practise and obedience of it in mens liues and conuersations Alas alas to lend our eares for the space of an houre to heare the will of God is common but to giue heart and hand to doe the same is rare And the reason hereof is at hand we are all most grieuous sinners and euery sinner in the tearmes of Scripture is a foole and a principall part of this follie is to care for the things of this world and to neglect the kingdome of heauen to prouide for the bodie and not for the soule to cast and forecast how we may liue in wealth and honour and ease and not to vse the last forecast to die well This folly our Sauiour Christ noted in the rich man that was carefull to inlarge his barnes but had no care at all for his ende or for the saluation of his soule Such an one was Achitophel who as the Scripture tearmes him was as the very oracle of God for counsell beeing a man of great wisdome and forecast in the matters of the common-wealth and in his owne priuate worldly affaires and yet for all this he had not so much as common sense and reason to consider how he might die the death of the righteous and come to life euerlasting And this follie the holy Ghost hath noted in him For the text saith when he saw that his counsell was despised he sadled his asse and arose and went home into his citie
all places suffered this commandement to cease which the faithfull seruants of God would neuer haue done if they had beene perswaded that this law had bound conscience simply It is aunswered that this lawe ceased not because the giuing of offence vnto the Iewes ceased but because it ceased vniuersally yea but it could not haue ceased vniuersally if it had bound conscience specially considering it was propounded to the Church without any mention or limitation of time Thirdly Paul was present in this counsell and knew the intent of the law very well and therefore no doubt hee did not in any of his Epistles gaine-say the fame This beeing graunted it cannot bee that this lawe should bind conscience out of the case of offence For hee teacheth Corinthians that things offered to idols may be eaten so be it the weake brother be not offended Here it is answered that when Paul writ his first Epistle to the Corinthians this commandement of the Apostles touching things strangled blood was not come vnto them Wel to grant all this which can not be prooued let it be answered why Paul did not nowe deliuer it and why he deliuereth a doctrine coÌ„trarie to that which he had decreed at Ierusalem which was that the Gentiles should absolutely abstaine from things offered to idolls As for the testimonie of the fathers they are abused Indeed Tertullian saith plainly that Christians in his daies abstained from eating of blood and he perswades men to continue in so doing because he is of opinion beeing indeede farre deceiâ—ued that this very lawe of the Apostles must last to the ende of the world which coÌ„ceit if the Papists hold not what mean they to build vpoÌ„ him OrigeÌ„ saith that this law was very necessarie in his daiesâ— and no maruell For by Idolithytes he vnderstandes not things that haue beene offered to idols and are afterward brought to priuat houses or to the market as other common meats but hee vnderstandes things that remaine consecrated to idols and are no where else vsed but in their temples which we graunt with him must for euer be auoided as meanes and instruments of Idolatrie Whereas the lawe of the Apostles speakes onely of the first kind As for things strangled and blood he takes them to be the deuils foode and for this cause hee approoues abstinence from them And whereas Augustine saith that it is a good thing to abstaine from things offered to idols though it be in necessitie hee must bee vnderstood of the first kind of Idolithytes which are yet remaining in the idol-temples still consecrated vnto them and not of the second of which the Apostles law as I haue said must be vnderstood Argum. 4. Ioh. 21. Christ saith to Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feed my sheep that is as the word importeth feed and rule my sheepe Ans. This feeding and ruling stands not in making newe lawes but in teaching and gouerning the Church of god according to the doctrine which they had receiued from Christ. And this action of feeding is ascribed to all Christians Reuel 3.27 Who cannot therevpon chalenge a power of making lawes to the conscience Argum. 5. Ioh. 20. As my father sent me so I send you but Christ was sent of his father not onely with power of preaching and ministring the Sacraments but also with authoritie of commanding and giuing iudgement Answ. If this kind of reasoning may stand all the Apostles shall be made redeemers for they were all sent as Christ was and hee was sent not onely to preach the redemption of mankind but also to effect and work the same If this be absurd then it is a flat abusing of Scripture to gather from this saying of Christ that the Apostles had power of binding conscience because he had so It is true indeede that there is a similitude or analogie betweene the calling of Christ and his Apostles but it wholly standes in these points Christ was ordained to his office before all worldes and so were the Apostles Christ was called of his father immediatly and so were they of Christ Christ was sent to the whole world and so were they Christ receiued all power in heauen and earth as beeing necessarie for a Mediatour and they receiued an extraordinarie authority from him with such a plentifull measure of the spirit as was necessarie for the Apostilicall function Lastly Christ was sent euen as he was man to bee a teacher of the Iewes and therefore hee is called the minister of circumcision Rom. 15.8 and so the Apostles are sent by him to teach the Gentiles Thus farre is the comparison to bee enlarged and no further And that no man might imagine that some part of this resemblance standes in a power of binding conscience Christ hath put a speciall exception when he saith Go teach all nations teaching them to obserue all things that I haue commanded you and not commandements of your owne Argum. 6. Rom. 13. Whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue to themselues iudgement and ye must be subiect not onely for wrath but also for conscience sake Ans. Magistracie indeede is an ordinance of God to which we owe subiection but how farre subiection is due there is the question For bodie and goods and outward conuersation I grant all but a subiection of conscience to mens laws I denie And between these two there is a great difference to be subiect to authoritie in conscience to be subiect to it for conscience as will be manifest if wee doe but consider the phrase of the Apostle the meaning whereof isâ— that wee must performe obedience not onely for anger that is for the auoiding of punishment but also for the auoiding of sinne and so by consequent for auoiding a breach in conscience Now this breach is not properly made because mans law is neglected but because Gods lawe is broken which ordaineth magistracie and withall bindes mens consciences to obey their lawefull commandements And the damnation that is due vnto men for resisting the ordinance of god comes not by the single breach of magistrats commandement but by a transgression of the lawe of God which appointeth magistrates and their authoritie To this answer Papists replie nothing that is of moment Therefore I proceed Argum. 7.1 Cor. 4. What will you that I come vnto you with a rod or in the spirit of meekenes Nowe this rod is a iudiciall power of punishing sinners Answ. For the regiment and protection of Gods Church there bee two rods mentioned in Scripture the rod of Christ and the Apostolicall rodde The rod of Christ is tearmed a rod of yron or the rod of his mouth and it signifies that absolute and soueraigne power which Christ hath ouer his creatures whereby he is able to conuert and saue them or to forsake and destroy them And it is a peculiar priuiledge of this rod to smite and wound the conscience The Apostolicall rod was a
good and euill Now the heart of man beeing exceedingly obstinate and peruerse carrieth him to commit sinnes euen against the light of nature and common conscience by practise of such sinnes the light of nature is extinguished and then commeth the reprobate minde which iudgeth euill good and good euill after this followes the seared conscience in which there is no feeling or remorse and after this comes an exceeding greedines to all manner of sinne Eph. 4.18 Rom. 1.28 Here it may be demanded how mens consciences shall accuse them in the day of iudgement if they be thus benummed and seared in this life Ans. It is said Rev. 20.12 that at the last iudgement all shall be brought before Christ and that the bookes then shall be opened among these bookes no doubt conscience is one Wherefore though a dead conscience in this life be as a closed or sealed booke because it doth either little or nothing accuse yet after this life it shall be as a booke laide open because God shall inlighten it and so stirre it vp by his mightie power that it shall be able to reueale and discouer all the sinnes that a man euer committed Stirring conscience is that which doth sensibly either accuse or excuse And it hath foure differences The first which accuseth a man for doing euill This must needes be an euill conscience Because to accuse is not a propertie that belongs to it by creation but a defect that followeth after the fall And if the conscience which truly accuseth a man for his sinnes were a good conscience then the worst man that is might haue a good conscience which can not be When the accusation of the conscience is more forcible and violent it is called a wounded or troubled conscience which though of it selfe it be not good nor any grace of God yet by the goodnes of God it serueth often to be an occasion or preparation to grace as a needle that drawes the threed into the cloath is some meanes whereby the cloath is sewed togither The second is that which accuseth for doing well And it is to be found in them that are giuen to idolatrie and superstition As in the Church of Rome in which because mens consciences are iâ—snared and intangled with humane traditions many are troubled for doing that which is good in it selfe or at the least a thing indifferent As for exaÌ„ple let a priest omit to say masse to say his canonical houres his conscieÌ„ce will accuse him therfore though the omitting of the canonicall houres and of the idolatrous masse be indeed by-Gods word no sinne The third is the conscience which excuseth for doing that which is euill This also is to be found in them that are giuen to idolatrie and superstition And there is a particular example hereof Ioh. 16. â— Yea the time shal come that whosoeuer killeth youâ— will thinke that he doth God good seruice Such is the conscience of Popish traytours in these daies that are neuer touched at all though they intend and enterprise horrible villanies and be put to death therefore The fourth is that which excuseth for well doing at some times in some particular actions of carnall men When Abimelech had taken Sarai from Abraham God said vnto him in a dreame I know that thou diddest this with an vpright minde Gen. 20.6 This may be tearmed good conscience but is indeede otherwise For though it doe truly excuse in one particular action yet because the man in whom it is may be vnregenerate and as yet out of Christ and because it doth accuse in many other matters therefore it is no good conscience If all the vertues of naturall men are indeede but certaine beautifull sinnes and their righteousnes but a carnall righteousnes then the conscience also of a carnall man though it excuse him for well doing is but a carnall conscience CHAP. IIII. Mans dutie touching conscience MAns dutie concerning conscience is two-fold The first is if he want good conscience aboue all things to labour to obtaine it for it is not giuen by nature to any man but comes by grace For the obtaining of good conscience three things must be procured a preparation to good conscience the applying of the remedie the reformation of conscience In the preparation foure things are required The first is the knowledge of the law and the particular commandements thereof whereby we are taught what is good what is badde what may be done and what may not be done The men of our daies that they may haue the right knowledge of the law must lay aside many erronious and foolish opinions which they hold flat against the true meaning of the law of God otherwise they can neuer be able to discerne betweene sinne and no sinne Their speciall and common opinions are these I. That they can loue God with all their hearts and their neighbours as themselues that they feare God aboue all and trust in him alone and that they euer did so II. That to rehearse the Lords praier the beleefe and ten Commandements without vnderstanding of the wordes and without affection is the true and whole worship of God III. That a man may seeke to wizzards and soothsaiers without offence because God hath prouided a salue for euery sore IV. That to sweare by good things and in the way of truth is not a sinne V. That a man going about his ordinarie affaires at home or abroad on the Sabbath day may as well serue God as they which heare all in the sermons in the world VI. That religion and the practise thereof is nothing but an affected precisenes that couetousnes the roote of euill is nothing but worldlines that pride is nothing but a care of honestie and cleanlines that single fornication is nothing but the tricke of youth that swearing and blaspheming argue the couragious minde of a braue gentleman VII That a man may doe with his owne what he will and make as much of it as he can Hence arise all the frauds and bad practises in trafficke betweene man and man The second thing required is the knowledge of the iudiciall sentence of the law which resolutely pronounceth that a curse is due to man for euery sinne Gal. 3.10 Very few are resolued of the truth of this point and very few doe vnfainedly beleeue it because mens minds are possessed with a contrarie opinion that though they sinne against God yet they shall escape death damnation Dauid saith The wicked man that is euery man naturally blesseth himselfe Psal. 10.3 and he maketh a league with hell and death Esa. 28.15 This appeareth also by experience Let the ministers of the Gospell reprooue sinne and denounce Gods iudgements against it according to the â—ule of Gods word yet men will not feare stones will almost as soone mooue in the walls and the pillars of our Churches as the flintie hearts of men And the reason hereof is because their mindes are forestalled with
thas there is meant Babylon of Assyria The third Babylon is mysticall whereof Babylon of Assyria was a type and figure and that is Rome which is without question here to be vnderstood And the whore of Babylon as by all circumstances may be gagathered is the state or regiment of a people that are the inhabitaÌ„ts of Rome and appertaine thereto This may bee prooued by the interpretation of the holy ghost for in the last verse of the 17. chapter the woman that is the whore of Babylon is said to be a citie which raigneth ouer the kings of the earth nowe in the daies when S. Iohn penned this booke of Reuelation there was no cittie in the world that ruled ouer the kings of the earth but Rome it then being the seate where the Emperour put in execution his Imperiall authoritie Againe in the seuenth verse shee is said to sit on a beast hauing seauen heads ten horns which 7. heads be seuen hills v. 9. whereon the woman sitteth also they be seuen kings Therefore by the whore of Babylon is meant a cittie standing on seuen hills Now it is well known not onely to learned men in the Church of god but euen to the heathen themselues that Rome alone is the cittie built on seuen distinct hils called Caelius Auentinus Exquilinus Tarpeius or Capitolinus Viminalis Palatinus Quirinalâ—â— Papists to helpe themselues doe alleadge that old Rome stood on seuen hells but nowe is remooued further to Campus Martius I answer that howsoeuer the greatest part of the cittie in regard of habitation be not nowe on seauen hills yet in regard of regiment and practise of religion it is for euen to this day vpon these hills are feated certaine Churches and Monasteries and other like places where the Papal authoritie is put in execution and thus Rome beeing put for a state and regiment euen at this day it stands vpon seuen hills And though it be come to passe that the harlot in regard of her latter daies euen changed her seat yet in respect of her yonger times in which shee was bred borne she sate vpon the seuen hils Others because they feare the wounding of their owne heads labour to frame these words to an other meaning and say that by the whore is meant the companie of all wicked men in the world wheresoeuer the deuill being the head thereof But this exposition is flat against the text for in the second verse of the 17. chapter shee is opposed to the kings of the earth with whome shee is said to commit fornication and in the last verse shee is called a citie standing on seuen hills and raigning ouer the kings of the earth as I haue said and therfore must needs be a state of men in some particular place And the Papists themselues perceiuing that this shift will not serue their turne make two Romes heathenish Rome and that wherof the Pope is head now say they the whore spoken of is heathenish Rome which was ruled by cruell tyrants as Nero Domitian and the rest and that Rome whereof now the Pope is head is not here meant Behold a vaine and foolish distinction for Ecclesiastical Rome in respect of state princely dominion and crueltie in persecuting the Saints of God is all one with the heathenish Empire the See of the Bishop beeing turned into the Emperours court as all histories doe manifest But let the distinction be as they suppose yet by their leaues here by the whore must be vnderstood not onely heathenish Rome but euen the Papall or Ecclesiasticall Rome for v. 3 of this chapter the holy Ghost saith plainly that she hath madâ— all nations drunke with the wine of the wrath of her fornication yea it is added that shee hath committed fornication with the kings of the earth whereby is signified that shee hath endeauoured to intangle all the nations of the earth in her spirituall idolatrie and to bring the kings of the earth to her religion Which thing cannot be vnderstood of the heathenish Rome for that left all the kings of the earth to their owne religion and idolatrie neither did they labour to bring forraine kings to worship their gods Againe chap. 17. v. 16. it is saide that the ten hornes which be ten kings shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked which must not be vnderstood of heathenish Rome but of popish Rome for whereas in former times all the kings of the earth did submit themselues to the whore now they haue begun to withdraw themselues and make her desolate as the king of Bohemia Denmarke Germanie England Scotland and other parts therefore this distinction is also friuolous They further alleadge that the whore of Babylon is drunke with the blood of the Saints and Martyrs chap. 17.6 shedde not in Rome but in Ierusalem where the Lord was crucified and the two prophets beeing slaine lie there in the streets Reuelat. 11.8 But this place is not meant of Hierusalem as Hierome hath fully taught but it may well be vnderstood of Rome Christ was crucified there either because the authoritie whereby he was crucified was from the Romane Empire or els because Christ in his members was and is there daily crucified though locally in his owne person he was crucified at Ierusalem And thus notwithstanding all which hath beene saide we must here by the whore vnderstand the state and Empire of Rome not so much vnder the heathen Emperours as vnder the head thereof the Pope which exposition besides the authoritie of the text hath the fauour and defence of auncient and learned men Bernard saith They are the ministers of Christ but they serue Antichrist Againe The beast spoken of in the Apocalyps to which a mouth is giuen to speake blasphemies and to make warre with the Saints of God is now gotten into Peters chaire as a lyon prepared to his pray It will be said that Bernard speakes these latter words of one that came to the Popedome by intrusion or vsurpation It is true indeede but wherefore was he an vsurper He rendreth a reason thereof in the same place because the Antipope called Innocentius was chosen by the kings of Almaine France England Scotland Spaine Hierusalem with consent of the whole Cleargie and people in these nations and the other was not And thus Bernard hath giuen his verdict that not onely this vsurper but all the Popes for this many yeares are the beast in the Apocalyps because now they are onely chosen by the colledge of Cardinalls To this agreeth the decree of Pope Nicolas the second ann 1059. that the Pope shall afterward be created by the suffrages of the Cardinall Bishops of Rome with the consent of the rest of the cleargie and people and the Emperour himselfe and all Popes are excommunicate and accursed as Antichrists that enter otherwise as all now doe Ioachimus Abbas saith Antichrist was long since borne in Rome shall be yet aduanced higher in the Apostolicke
of faith For we beleeue that the bodie of Christ was made of the pure substance of the Virgin Marie and that but once namely when he was conceiued by the holy Ghost and borne But this cannot stand if the bodie of Christ be made of bread and his blood of wine as they must needs be if there be no succession or annihilation but a reall conuersion of substances in the sacrament vnlesse we must beleeue contrarieties that his bodie was made of the substance of the Virgin not of the Virgin made once and not once but often Againe if his bodie and blood be vnder the formes of bread and wine then is he not as yet ascended into heauen but remaines still among vs. Neither can hee be said to come frō heauen at the day of iudgement for hee that must come thence to iudge the quicke and dead must be absent from the earth And this was the auncient faith Augustine saith that Christ according to his maiestie and prouidence and grace is present with vs to the ende of the world but according to his assumed flesh he is not alwaies with vs. Cyril saith He is absent in bodie and present in vertue whereby all things are gouerned Vigilius saith That he is gone from vs according to his humanitie he hath left vs in his humanitie in the forme of a seruant absent from vs when his flesh was on earth it was not in heauen being on earth hee was not in heauen and being now in heauen he is not on earth Fulgentius saith One and the same Christ according to his humane substance was absent from heauen whē he was on earth and left the earth when he ascended into heauen Reason II. This bodily presence ouerturnes the nature of a true bodie whose common nature or essentiall propertie it is to haue length breadth thicknes which beeing taken away a bodie is no more a bodie And by reason of these three dimensions a bodie can occupie but one place at once as Aristotle said the propertie of a bodie is to be seated in some place so as a mā may say where it is They therefore that hold the bodie of Christ to be in many places at once doe make it no bodie at all but rather a spirit and that infinit They alleadge that God is almightie that is true indeede but in this and like matters we must not dispute what God can do but what he wil doe And I say further because god is omnipotent therfore there be some things which he cannot do as for him to denie himselfe to lie to make the parts of a contradiction to be both true at the same time To come to the point if God should make the very body of Christ to be in many places at once he should make it to be no bodie while it remaines a bodie and to be circumscribed in some one place and not circumscribed because it is in many places at the same time to be visible in heauen and inuisible in the sacrament and thus should he make contradictions to be true which to doe is against his nature and argues rather impotēcie then power Augustine saith to this purpose If he could lie deceiue he deceiued deale vniustly he should not be omnipotent And Therefore hee is omnipotent because he can not doe these things Againe He is called omnipotent◠by doing that which he will and not by doing that which he will not which if it should befall him he should not be omnipotent Reason III. Transubstantiation ouerturnes the very supper of the Lord. For in euery sacrament there must be a signe a thing signified and a proportion or relation betweene them both But popish reall presence takes al away for when the bread is really turned into Christs bodie and the wine into his bloode then the signe is abolished and there remaines nothing but the outwarde formes or appearance of breade and wine Againe it abolisheth the endes of the sacrament whereof one is to remember Christ till his comming againe who beeing present in the sacrament bodily needes not to bee remembred because helpes of remembrance are of things absent Another ende is to nourish the soule vnto eternall life but by transubstantiation the principall feeding is of the bodie and not of the soule which is onely fed with spirituall foode for though the bodie may be bettered by the food of the soule yet can not the soule be fedde with bodily foode Reason IV. In the sacrament the bodie of Christ is receiued as it was crucified his blood as it was shed vpon the crosse but now at this time Christs bodie crucified remaines still as a bodie but not as a bodie crucified because the act of crucifying is ceased Therefore it is faith alone that makes Christ crucified to be present vnto vs in the sacrament Againe that blood which ran out of the feete and hands and side of Christ vpon the crosse was not gathered vp againe and put into the veines nay the collection was needles because after the resurrection he liued no more a naturall but a spirituall life none knowes what is become of this blood The Papist therefore can not say it is present vnder the forme of wine locally and we may better say it is receiued spiritually by faith whose propertie is to giue a being to things which are not Reason V. 1. Cor. 10.3 The fathers of the old testament did eate the same spirituall meate and drinke the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the rocke which was Christ. Now they could not eate his bodie which was crucified or drinke his blood shedde bodily but by faith because then his bodie and blood were not in nature The Papists make answer that the fathers did eate the same meate and drinke the same spirituall drinke with themselues not with vs. But their answer is against the text For the Apostles intent is to prooue that the Iewes were euery way equall to the Corinthians because they did eate the same spirituall meate and dranke the same spirituall drinke with the Corinthians otherwise his reason prooues not the point which he hath in hand namely that the Israelites were nothing inferiour to the Corinthians Reason VI. And it is said the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath so it may be saide that the sacrament of the Lords supper was made for man and not man for it and therefore man is more excellent then the sacrament But if the signes of bread and wine be really turned into the bodie and blood of Christ then is the sacrament infinitely better then man who in his best estate is onely ioyned to Christ and made a member of his mysticall bodie whereas the bread and wine are made very Christ. But the sacrament or outward elements indeede are not better then man the end beeing alwaies better then the thing ordained to the ende It remaines therefore that Christs presence is not corporall
kind of feare or sorrow is commanded Malac. 1.6 If I be a father where is my feare if I be a lord where is my feare And Chrysostome saith that the feare of hell in the heart of a iust man is a strong man armed against theeues and robbers to driue them from the house And Ambrose saith that Martyrs in the time of their sufferings confirmed themselues against the crueltie of persecuters by setting the feare of hell before their eyes Abuses touching Confession are these The first is that they vse a forme of confession of their sinnes vnto God vttered in an vnknowne language beeing therefore foolish and ridiculous withall requiring the aide and intercession of dead men and such as be absent whereas there is but one Mediatour betweene God and man the man Iesus Christ. The second is that they in practise make confession of their sinnes not onely to God but to the Saints departed in that they make praier to them in which they aske their intercession for the pardon of their sinnes and this is not onely to match them with God in seeing and knowing the heart but also to giue a part of his diuine worship vnto them The third and principall abuse is that they haue corrupted Canonicall confession by turning it into a priuate auricular confession binding all men in conscience by a law made to confesse all their mortall sinnes with all circumstances that change the kind of the sinne as farre as possibly they can remember once euery yeare at the least and that to a priest vnlesse it be in the case of extreame necessitie But in the word of God there is no warrant for this confession nor in the writings of Orthodoxe antiquitie for the space of many hundred yeares after Christ as one of their owne side auoucheth And the commandement of the holy Ghost Confesse one for an other and pray one for an other Iam. 5.17 bindes as well the priest to make confession vnto vs as any of vs to the priest And whereas it is said Math. 3. that many were baptised confessing their sinnes and Act. 19.18 Many that beleeued came and confessed and shewed their workes the confession was voluntarie and not constrained it was also generall and not particular of all and euery sinne with the necessarie circumstances thereof And in this libertie of confession the Church remained 1200. yeares till the Councill of Lateran in which the law of auricular confession was first inacted beeing a notable inuention seruing to discouer the secrets of men and to inrich that couetous and ambitious See with the reuenewes of the world It was not knowne to Augustine when he said What haue I to doe with men that they should heare my confessions as though they should heale my diseases nor to Chrysostome when he saith I doe not compell thee to confesse thy sinnes to others And If thou be ashamed to confesse them to any man because thou hast sinned say them daily in thine owne minde I doe not bid thee confesse them to thy fellow seruant that he should mocke thee confesse them to God that cureth them The abuse of Satisfaction is that they haue turned canonicall satisfaction which was made to the congregation by open offenders into a satisfaction of the iustice of God for the temporall punishment of their sinnes Behold here a most horrible prophanation of the whole Gospel and specially of the satisfaction of Christ which of it selfe without any supplie is sufficient euery way for the remission both of fault and punishment But of this point I haue spoken before Hitherto I haue handled and prooued by induction of sundrie particulars that we are to make a separation from the present Church of Rome in respect of the foundation and substance of true religion Many more things might be added to this very purpose but here I conclude this first point adding onely this one caueat that we make separation from the Romane religion without hatred of the persons that are maintainers of it Nay we ioyne in affection more with them then they with vs. They die with vs not for their religion though they deserue it but for the treasons which they intend and enterprise we are readie to doe the duties of loue vnto them inioyned vs in the word we reuerence the good gifts in many of them we pray for them wishing their repentance and eternall saluation Now I meane to proceede and to touch briefly other points of doctrine contained in this portion of Scripture which I haue now in hand In the second place therefore out of this commaundement Goe out of her my people I gather that the true Church of God is and hath beene in the present Romane Church as corne in the heape of chaffe Though Poperie raigned and ouerspread the face of the earth for many hundred yeares yet in the middest thereof God reserued a people vnto himselfe that truly worshipped him and to this effect the holy Ghost saith that the Dragon which is the deuill caused the woman that is the Church to flie into the wildernesse where he sought to destroy her but could not and shee still retaines a remnant of her seede which kept the commaundements of God and haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ. Now this which I speake of the Church of Rome can not be saide in like manner of the congregations of Turkes and other infidels that the hidden Church of God is preserued among them because there is no meanes of saluation at all whereas the Church of Rome hath the Scriptures though in a straunge language and baptisme for the outward forme which helpes God in all ages preserued that his Elect might be gathered out of the middest of Babylon This serues to stoppe the mouthes of Papists which demaund of vs where our Church was fourescore yeares agoe before the daies of Luther whereby they would insinuate to the world that our Church and religion is greene or newe but they are answered out of this very text that our Church hath euer beene since the daies of the Apostles and that in the very midst of the papacie It hath bin alwaies a Church and did not first begin to be in Luthers time but onely then began to shew it selfe as hauing bin hid by an vniuersall Apostasie for many hundred yeares together Againe we haue here occasion to consider the dealing of God with his owne church and people He will not haue them for externall societie to be mixed with their enemies and that for speciall purpose namely to exercise the humilitie and patience of his few seruants When Elias saw idolatrie spred ouer all Israel he went a part into the wildernes and in griefe desired to die And Dauid cried out Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell in Mesheck and to haue my habitation in the tents of Kedar Psal. 120.5 And iust Lot must haue his righteous soule vexed with seeing and hearing the abhominations of Sodom Thirdly by this
law Answer is made that our daily sinnes are veniall and not against the law but beside the law But this which they say is against the petition for a debt that comes by forfiture is against the bond or obligation Now euery sinne is a debt causing the forfiture of punishment and therefore is not beside but directly against the law 4 In this clause as we forgiue our debters it is taken for graunted that we may certenly know that we are in loue and charitie with men when we make reconciliation why then may not we know certenly that we repent and beleeue and are reconciled to God which all Romane Catholikes denie 5 In the last wordes and lead vs not into temptation we pray not that God should free vs from temptation for it is otherwhiles good to be tempted Psal. 26.1 but that we be not left to the malice of Sathan and held captiue of the temptation for here to be lead into temptation and to be deliuered are opposed Now hence I gather that he which is the child of God truly iustified and sanctified shall neuer fall wholly and finally from the grace of God and I conclude on this manner That which we aske according to the will of God shall be graunted 1. Ioh. 5. but this the child of God asketh that he might neuer be wholly forsaken of his father and left captiue in temptation This therfore shall be graunted 6 This clause Amen signifies a speciall faith touching all the former petitions that they shall be graunted and therefore a speciall faith concerning remission of sinnes which the Romane Church denieth To come to the last place to the Institution of the sacrament of the Lords Supper 1. Cor. 11.23 In which first of all the Reall presence is by many circumstances ouerthrowne Out of the wordes he tooke and brake it is plaine that that which Christ tooke was not his bodie because he can not be saide with his owne hands to haue taken held and broken himselfe but the very bread Againe Christ said not vnder the forme of bread or in bread but This that is bread is my bodie 3. Bread was not giuen for vs but onely the bodie of Christ and in this first institution the bodie of Christ was not really giuen to death 4. The cup is the new testament by a figure why may not the bread be the bodie of Christ by a figure also 5. Christ did eate the supper but not him selfe 6. We are bidden to doe it till he come Christ then is not bodily present 7. Christ biddes the bread to be eaten in a remembrance of him but signes of remembrance are of things absent 8. If the Popish reall presence be granted then the bodie and blood of Christ are either seuered or ioyned together If seuered then Christ is still crucified If ioyned together then the bread is both the bodie and blood of Christ whereas the institution saith the bread is the bodie and the wine is the blood 2 Againe here is condemned the administration of the saâ—ramâ—nt vnder one onely kind For the commandement of Christ is Drinke ye all of this Mat. 26.27 And this commaundement is rehearsed to the Church of Corinth in these wordes Doe this as oft as ye drinke in remembrance of me v. 25. And no power can reuerse this commandement because it was established by the soueraigne head of the Church These fewe lines as also the former treatise I offer to the vew and reading of them that fauour the Romane religion willing them with patience to coÌ„sider this one thing that their religion if it were Catholike and Apostolike as they pretende it could not be contrarie so much as in one point to the groundes of all Catechismes that haue beene vsed in all Churches confessing the name of Christ euer since the Apostles daies And whereas it crosseth the said groundes in sundrie points of doctrine as I haue prooued it is a plaine argument that the present Romane religion is degenerate I write not this despising or hating their persons for their religion but wishing vnfainedly their conuersion in this world and their saluation in the world to come FINIS THE FOVNDATION OF CHRISTIAN RELIgion gathered into sixe Principles And it is to be learned of ignorant people that they may be fit to heare Sermons with profit and to receiue the Lords Supper with comfort Psalme 119. 30. The entrance into thy words sheweth light and giueth vnderstanding to the simple Printed for I.L. and I.P. 1600. To all ignorant people that desire to be instructed POore people your manner is to sooth vp your selues as though yee were in a most happie estate but if the matter come to a iust triall it will fall out farre otherwise For you lead your liues in great ignorance as may appeare by these your common opinions which follow 1 That faith is a mans good meaning and his good seruing of God 2 That God is serued by the rehearsing of the ten Commandements the Lords prayer and the Creede 3 That ye haue beleeued in Christ euer since you could remember 4 That it is pitie he should liue which doth any whit doubt of his saluation 5 That none can tell whether he shall be saued or no certainely 〈◊〉 that all men must be of a good beleefe 6 That howsoeuer a man liue yet if he call vpon God on his death-bed and say Lord haue mercie vpon me and so goe away like a lambe he is certainely saued 7 That if any be strangely visited he is either taken with a Planet or bewitched 8 That a man may lawfully sweare when he speakes nothing but the truth and sweares by nothing but that which is good as by his faith or troth 9 That a Preacher is a good man no longer then he is in the pulpit They thinke all like themselues 10 That a man may repent when he will because the Scripture saith At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne c. 11 That it is an easier thing to please God then to please our neighbour 12 That ye can keepe the commandements as well as God will giue you leaue 13 That it is the safest to doe in Religion as most doe 14 That merrie ballads and books as Scogin Bevis of Southampton c. are good to driue away time and to remooue heart-quames 15 That ye can serue God with all your hearts that ye would be sory els 16 That a man neede not heare so many sermons except he could followe them better 17 That a man which commeth at no sermons may as well beleeue as he which heares all the sermons in the world 18 That ye know all the Preacher can tell you For he can say nothing but that euery man is a sinner that we must loue our neighbours as our selues that euery man must be saued by Christ and all this ye can tell as well as he 19 That it was a good world when the olde Religion was because
hand depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuill and his angels The Scriptures for proofe were onely quoted by the author to moue thee to search them the wordes themâ—elues I haue expressed at the earnest request of many that thou maiest more easily learne them if yet thou wilt be ignoraÌ„t thy malice is euident if thou gaynest knowledge giue God the glorie in doing of his will Thine T. S. THE EXPOSITION OF THE PRINCIPLES The first Principle expounded Question WHat is God A. God is a spirit or a spirituall substance most wise most holy eternall infinite Q. How doe you perswade your selfe that there is such a God A. Besides the testimonie of the Scriptures plaine reason will shew it Q. What is one reason A. When I consider the wonderfull frame of the world me thinks the silly creatures that be in it could neuer make it neither could it make it selfe and therefore besides all these the maker of it must needes be God Euen as when a man comes into a strange country and sees faire and sumptuous buildings and yet findes no liuing creatures there besides birds and beasts he will not imagine that either birdes or beasts reared those buildings but he presently conceiues that some men either were or haue beene there Q. What other reason haue you A. A man that commits any sinne as murder fornication adulterie blasphemie c. albeit he doth so conceale the matter that no man liuing know of it yet oftentimes he hath a griping in his conscience and feeles the very flashing of hell fire which is a strong reason to shew that there is a God before whose iudgement seat he must answer for this fact Q. How many Gods are there A. No more but one Q. How doe you conceiue this one God in your minde A. Not by framing any image of him in my minde as ignorant folks doe that thinke him to be an old man sitting in heauen but I conceiue him by his properties and workes Q. What be his chiefe properties A. First he is most wise vnderstanding all things aright and knowing the reason of them Secondly he is most holy which appeareth in that he is most iust and mercifull vnto his creatures Thirdly he is eternall without either beginning or ende of daies Lastly he is infinite both because he is present in all places and because he is of power sufficient to doe whatsoeuer he will Q. What be the workes of God A. The creation of the world and of euery thing therein and the preseruation of them beeing created by his speciall prouidence Q. How know you that God gouerneth euery particular thing in the world by his speciall prouidence A. To omit the Scriptures I see it by experience Meate Drinke and clothing beeing void of heate and life could not preserue the life of man vnlesse there were a speciall prouidence of God to giue vertue vnto them Q. How is this one God distinguished A. Into the Father which begetteth the Sonne into the Sonne who is begotten of the Father into the holy Ghost who proceedeth from the Father the Sonne The second Principle expounded Q. Let vs nowe come to ours selues and first tell me what is the naturall estate of man A. Euery man is by nature dead in sin as a loathsome carrion or as a dead corps lyeth rotting and stincking in the graue hauing in him the seede of all sinnes Q. What is sinne A. Any breach of the Lawe of God if it be no more but the least want of that which the Lord requireth Q. Howe many sortes of sinne are there A. Sinne is either the corruption of nature or any euill actions that proceede of it as fruites therof Q. In whome is the corruption of nature A. In all men none excepted Q. In what part of man is it A. In euery part both of body and soule like as a leprosie that runneth from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foote Q. Shew me howe euery part of man is corrupted with sinne A. First in the minde there is nothing but ignorance and blindenes concerning heauenly matters Secondly the conscience is defiled being alwaies either benummed with sinne or else turmoyled with inward accusations and terrors Thirdly the will of man onely willeth and lusteth after euil Fourthly the affections of the heart as loue ioy hope desire c. are mooued and stirred to that which is euill to imbrace it and they are neuer stirred vnto that which is good vnlesse it be to eschewe it Lastly the members of the body are the instruments and tooles of the mind for the execution of sinne Q. What be those euill actions that are the fruites of this corruption A. Euill thoughts in the minde which come either by a mans owne conceiuing or by the suggestion of the deuill euill motions and lusts stirring in the heart and froÌ„ these arise euill words and deeds when any occasion is giueÌ„ Q. Howe commeth it to passe that all men are thus defiled with sinne A. By Adams infidelitie and disobedience in eating the forbidden fruite euen as we see great personages by treason doe not only hurt themselues but also staine their blood and disgrace their posteritie Q. What hurt comes to man by his sinne A. He is continually subiect to the curse of God in his life time in the end of his life and after this life Q. VVhat is the curse of God in this life A. In the bodie diseases aches paines in the soule blindnesse hardnesse of heart horrour of conscience in goods hinderances and losses in name ignominie and reproach lastly in the whole man bondage vnder Sathan the prince of darkenes Q. VVhat manner of bondage is this A. This bondage is when a man is the â—laue of the deuill and hath him to raigne in his heart as his God Q. How may a man know whether Sathan be his God or not A. He may knowe it by this if he giue obedience to him in his heart expresse it in his conuersation Q. And howe shall a man perceiue this obedience A. If he take delight in the euill motions that Sathan puts into his heart doe fulfill the lusts of the deuill Q. What is the curse due to man in the ende of this life A. Death which is the seperation of bodie and soule Q. What is the curse after this life A. Eternal damnation in hel fire whereof euery man is guiltie and is in as great danger of it as the traitour apprehended is in danger of hanging drawing and quartering The third principle expounded Q. If damnation be the reward of sinne then is a man of all creatures most miserable A dog or a toade when they die all their miserie is ended but wheÌ„ a man dieth there is the beginning of