passe then look vp for your redemption draweth neere But how neere now no man or Angel can tell Esay saw God in his throne and the Seraphims stood vpon it couering his face with two wings and his feet with two wings his face keeping vs from the secrets of Gods eternall predestination in the beginning his feete not disclosing when he will come to iudge the world in the end The certaiâ—tie then of this vncertaintie may teach vs not to bee curious or carelesse not curious for why should we presume to know more then other men more then all men more then Angels more then Christ himselfe It is a kinde of sacriledge saith Sâ—lâ—ianus to breake into Gods holie place and prie into his secret sanctuarie and to know more then he would haue vs to know Christs Apostles were his Secretaries his especiall fauourites and followers from whom hee kept nothing which was for their good and yet he said vnto them It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power The glorious Angels abound with much knowledge naturall experimentall reuealed hauing farre better meanes of knowledge then wee forasmuch as wee know the Creator by the creatures whereas they know the creatures by the Creator Opus habet humana anima quasi quodam vehiculo Creaturae vt adcognitionem Creatoris assurgat Cùm è contrà longè perfectius angelica natura in Creatore notitiam habet creaturae Angels alway behold the face of God in heauen in which as in a glasse they see much more then is possible for vs on earth to discerne Let not then an heauie lump of clay presume to know more then heauens heralds and yet Christ to satisfie further our curiositie saith in the 13. of Marke that himselfe knowes not that day and houre Now the disciple is not aboue his master nor the seruant aboue his Lord It is enough for the disciple to be as his master is and the seruant as his Lord. He is a foole that will be wisâ—r then Wisedome it selfe but Christ as man was either ignorant of it or else had no commission to reueale it or as Aqâ—in Dicitur nescire quia non facit scire Hee is said himselfe not to know because he would not haue vs to know Such as will enquire more touching that text may see Sixt. Seâ—en Bib. sent lib. 6. annot 105. Soarez Conimbricen traect 3. in Mat. Bellarm. lib. de anima Christ 1. cap. 5 sect â—am de quarto Iansen concord cap. 124. Maldonat in Matth. 24.36 I will end with the saying of Augustine Ne nos addamus inquirere quod ille non addidit dicere Let vs not seeke the things that are too hard for vs but that which God hath commanded let vs thinke vpon with reuerence Secret things bâ—long to the Lord reuealed things vnto vs. Secondly this vncertaintie of Christs second comming may teach vs not to be carelesse Nam ideo latet vltimus dies vt obseruetur omnis dies God would haue vs ignorant of the last day that we might be vigilant euery day This vse Christ makes in the words immediatly following my text and Matth. 24.42 and Mark 13.33 It behoueth vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come to bee more watchfull because Satan is growne more wrathfull Apocal. 12.12 as Lysards cut in peeces Threat with more malice though with lesser might And euen in dying shew their liuing spight The Father of mercies and God of compassion increase our faith and fill our lampes with oyle that when the Bridegrome shall come wee may meete him and enter with him into the wedding where there is ioy beyond all ioy pleasure without paine life without death euery thing that is good without any thing that is euill Amen The Epist. 1. COR. 4.1 Let a man this wise esteeme vs euen as the Ministers of Christ c. THe people of Corinth in Pauls age like the people of England in our time were very factious and humorous extolling some Preachers and despising other indiscreetly without either iudgement or loue S. Paul therfore rebukes sharply this insolent rashnes and sheweth in this scripture 1. What euery man should iudge verse 1. Let a man c. 2. What he should not iudge of the Preachers in which point he doth 1. report verse 2. 2. reproue their fault and that two wayes 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of correction I passe very little to be iudged of you c. vers 3.4 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of direction He that iudgeth is the Lord and therfore iudge nothing before the time vers 5. Let a man Whereas the Corinthians ascribed either too much or too little to their teachers our Apostle shewâ—s a meane Let a man this wise c. neither magnifying them as Christ for they are not Masters but Ministers and yet not vilifying them as ordinary seruants in Gods house for they are stewards and that of Gods own secrets Albeit Paul plant and Apollos water only God giueth increase Paul planted in preaching Apollos watered in baptizing some plant by their words other water by their works some plant by doctrine other water by their exhortation some plant by speaking other water by writing but in all God is all He that planteth is nothing he that watereth is nothing that is no great thing no principal agent but a subordinate instrument wherefore let not a man boast in 〈◊〉 Whether it be Paul or Apollos or Ceâ—has or the word 〈◊〉 or death whether theâ— be things present or things to come euen all are yours and â—e Chriâ—ts and Christ Gods If then the Preachers are yours and you are Christs and Christ Gods as of him and through him and for him are all things so vnto him and not vnto men giue all the praise and glory Let a man esteeme vs not as Christ but as the Ministers of Christ not as Lords but as stewards in Gods house now stewards administer not their owne goods but their masters and one day must account for them and therefore ye must haue and we behaue our selues as accountants Antichrist then is not the vicar of God but a factor of Satan in preaching his owne Decrees and equalling them with the diuine law But albeit Preachers are seruants yet are they not meane but high stewards and this is an exceeding great dignitie to be Christs mouth Christs voice Christs messengers Christs angels in so much as he that receiueth them receiueth him and he that despiseth them despiseth him as ambassadours speaking from him and for him as our Apostle elsewhere They be not only common ambassadors but legati à latere stewards of his hidden secrets not only dispensatores ministeriorum as in the vulgar Latine but according to the originall mysteriorum administers of his
He is stiled elsewhere the Lord of hosts and therefore all creatures as his warriours are ready pressed to reuenge his quarrels and to fight his battels His souldiers against the wicked are either celestiall or terrestriall all the Creatures in heauen and on earth In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth Gen. 1. and all that therein is Exod. 20. And in this acception according to the Bible which is a lantern vnto our feet and a guide vnto our paths I finde three heauens as Paul saith he was taken vp into the third heauen the 1. Airy 2. Starry 3. Glorious Airy heauen is all the space from vs vnto the firmament so the birds which flie betweene vs and the starres are called in holy writ the fowles of heauen In this heauen are meteors haile wind raine snow thunder lightening all which are at Gods absolute command to serue such as serue him and to fight against them that fight against him As when the wicked old world was filled with cruelty The windowes of heauen were opened and the raine was vpon the earth forty daies and forty nights insomuch that this one souldier of the Lord destroied all his enemies euery thing that was vpon the earth from man to beast onely Noah Gods holy seruant remained and they that were with him in the Arke whom the raine did not hurt but rather helpe for the deeper the flood the safer the ship the water had peace with Noah and his company but open warre with all the rest of that old world So likewise the Lord out of heauen rained fire and brimstone vpon the Sodomites and hailestones out of heauen vpon the cursed Amorites at Bethoron and they were moe saith the text that died with the haile then they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword But what need we looke so far the great wind this yeere the great frost the last yeere sensibly demonstrate this point What a wracke on the sâ—a what a worke on the earth occasioned by the one what a dearth and so by consequence what a death ensued vpon the other If God cast forth his ice like morsels who is able to abide his frost Psal. 147.17 To step higher the second heauen is the firmament coelum quasi coelatum because it is ingrauen as it were enameled with glorious lights as Moses in the first of Genesis God made two great lights the greater to rule the day the lesser to gouerne the night he made also the stars and placed them in the firmament of heauen Now this heauen declares the glory of God and the firmament shewes his handy worke though they want vnderstanding and are dumbe yet they trumpet forth his worthy praises in such sort that there is neither speech nor language but their voice is heard among them And as they speake for God as schollers so they fight also for God as souldiers for the starres in their course fought against Sisera Iosua 5.20 and when Duke Iosua fought against the wicked Amorites he said in the sight of Israel Sunne stay thou in Gibeon and thou Moone in the valley of Aialon and the Sunne abode and the Moone stood still vntill the people of God auenged themselues vpon their enemies the Sunne abode and hasted not to goe downe for a whole day Iosua 10.13 O Lord our gouernour how excellent is thy name in all the world When I consider the heauens euen the works of thy hands the Sun and the Moone which thou hast ordained what is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the son of man that thou shouldst thus regard and gard him The third heauen is called by Philosophers empyreum by Diuines the glorious heauen by scriptures heauen of heauens or heauen aboue the visible heauens In this heauen Almighty God hath two sorts of tall wariours Angels Saints Angels are heauenly souldiers ministring spirits of God instruments of his mercy toward the good executioners of his iudgements vpon the bad When Iosua was about to sacke Iericho an Angel appeared vnto him as a Captaine with a drawne sword to fight for his people When Zenacherib and his innumerous host came against Israel the Angel of the Lord in one night slew one hundred eighty and fiue thousand 2. Kings 19. The first borne of Egypt slaine by an Angell Exod. 12. blasphemous Herod smitten with an Angell Acts 12.23 To conclude this argument Angels at the last and dreadfull day shall binde the tares that is make fagots of the wicked and cast them into hell fire As they pitch their tents about Gods elect being the Saints guard and nurses as it were to carry them in their armes lest at any time they hurt their foot against a stone so contrariwise speedy messengers and Ministers of Gods anger vnto the reprobate Now for Saints albeit they be milites emeriti as the Romans speake souldiers discharged the field past fighting past sighing for all teares are wiped from their eies euen so saith the spirit they rest from their labours and their good works follow them Apocalyp 14.13 Theâ— be past warfare and now liue in eternall welfare crowned as conquerors in heauen where there is neither militia nor malitâ—a Though I say their fight be ended and they rewarded with an immortall crowne of glory yet for as much as there is a communion of Saints a fellowship betweene the triumphant Saints in heauen and the militant Saints on earth the blessed soules departed and deliuered out of the miseries of this sinfull world howsoeuer they be secure for themselues yet are they carefull for vs as our Churches in their Harmonie speake de foelicitate suà securi de nostrà salute soliciti they wish well vnto vs and pray still for vs in generall albeit they know not our wants in particular Howsoeuer they fight not any longer against Gods enemies with pen or pike with paper or powder yet they continually fight against them with push of praier as Saint Iohn expresly The soules of them that were killed for the word cried with a loud voice saying How long Lord holy and true dost not thou iudge and reueâ—ge our blood on them that dwell on the â—arth Albeit they contend not with earthly weapons yet they maintaine Gods quarrell with heauenly wishes in generall against Satan and his kingdome out of zeale and heat to Gods cause not out of any spleene or hate to any of the wicked in particular I dare not say so for wheâ—e the spirit hath not a pen to write the Pastor must not haue a tongue to speake not the people an eare to heare but that the blessed soules in heauen pray for vs against our enemies in generall is an article of faith and an euident truth of the Bible I come from Gods selected band in heauen to the common band the host of his creatures on earth the which containes both sea and land and
reward In our calling obserue the Author of our calling God diuersitie of our calling in respect of time called aâ— houre 3.6.9.11 place some called in y e market other elsewhere God is termed here paeterfamilias in respect of his fatherly loue and care disposing of all things in the Catholike Church with greater prouidence and wisdome then any discreet housholder can manage the priuate businesse of his particular family So that all Atheists and Epicures holding that either there is no God or that hee cares not for the things on earth are confuted by this one word that God is an housholder a father of his Church Went out Whither can he goe that is euery where Liceat dicere exijt à se vt intret in te imo vt te conuertat in se. God went out from his maiesty which is vnknowne vnto his mercy which is manifested in all his works in gouerning the Church espâ—cially sending labourers into his haruest and workmen into his vineyard If then all laborers in the vineyard are called by God such as are busied in vnlawfull professions and occupations not allowed by his word are not seruants of the Lord but hirelings of Satan The second point obseruable in our calling is the diuersity thereof in respect of time and place God cals in diuers houres of the day that is in diuers ages of the world and in diuers yeeres of our age In the time before the law God called Abel Enoch Noah Abraham and such like In the time vnder the law Moses Dauid Esay together with other Kings and Prophets in the time after the law the blessed Apostles Martyrs Confessors Or as other God called some in the first houre as Adam and the Patriarks vntill Noah some in the third houre as all Noahs posterity to Abraham some in the sixt houre as all his seruants who liued betweene Abraham Moses some in the ninth houre as Moses and the Prophets some in the eleuenth houre as Peter and Paul and all other who liued since Christs time which is hora nouissima the last houre Iohn 1. epist. 2.18.1 Cor. 10.11 But I thinke with Saint Hierom that this difference is meant of our age rather then of the worlds age For our great Master calles some to labour in his vineyard at the first houre of the day that is in their childhood as Samuel Ieremy Iohn the Baptist each whereof might say with â—he Psalmographer O Lord thou wast mine hope when I hanged yet vpon my mothers breasts Thou art my God euen from my mothers wombe Other he cals in the third houre that is in their youth as Daniel the Prophet and Iohn the Euangelist of whom Saint Hierom Discipulum minimum Iesus amauit plurimum Other in the sixt houre that is in their middle age as Peter and Andrew Other in the eleuenth houre that is in their old age as Gamaliel and Ioseph of Arimathea some not onely in the last houre of the day but euen in the last minute of the houre as the theefe vpon the Crosse Luke 23. Againe this our calling is diuers in respect of the place for God calles some from their ships and some from their shops and some from vnder the hedges and some from the market as it is here vers 3. Now this diuers calling at diuers times and in diuers places intimates a caueat for such as are called intimates a comfort for such as are not called A caueat for such as are called that they neither magnifie themselues nor vilifie other It proceeds not from our good works but from Gods good will that wee be called and he being infinitely rich in mercy can call the most wicked ruffin euen though he haue denied Christ with Peter or sold Christ with Iudas or crucified Christ with Pilat Iudge not therefore that ye be not iudged iudge not malitiously iudge not curiously The counsell of Gods election is secret whom he did predestinate them also he calleth and whom he calleth he iustifieth and whom he iustifieth he sanctifieth in his good time and therefore iudge not before the time This also may comfort such as feele not themselues as yet sufficiently called Our good Lord calles at all times in all places he called Paul in the midst of his furie breathing out thâ—eatnings and slaughter against the professors of the faith He called Cardinall Vergeriuâ— as he was running away for being suspected in the Court of Rome to fauor the Gospellers and purposing to cleere himselfe of that suspition intended to write a booke against them and for that purpose reading their works and examining their arguments exactly was fully resolued that their doctrine was good and also perswaded his brother the Bishop of Pola to receiue the same He called Henry 8. Wicklif Luther in their discontent Henry 8. of famous memory displeased with the Pope for denying his diuorce banished all forraine iurisdiction and immediately made publike profession of the Gospell Iohn Wicklif with other being thrust out of Canteâ—burie Colledge in Oxford Monkes placed in their roome by the Popes edict and Simon Langham Archbishop of Canterburies power at the last grew so discoÌ„tent that he misliked Pope Bishop Monkes and all and afterward it pleased God to shew him the bright beames of his truth in so much that Wicklif was a wicket and a doore of entrance to many who liued in that time of ignorance Martin Luther at the first distasted in all popery but one point onely to wit the base prostitution of indulgences in Germany but herein receiuing no satisfaction he grew to be so great a laborer in the Lords vineyard that it might haue been written on his tombe Pestis eram viuens moriens ero mors tua papa Or as learned Bèza worthily and wittily Roma orbem domuit Romam sibi Papa subegit Viribus illa suis fraudibus iste suis. Quanto isto maior Lutherus maior illa Istum illamque vnô qui domuit calamô Hitherto concerning our calling into the vineyard The next obseruable point is our working This vineyard as the Prophet tels vs is the Church Surely the vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel and the men of Iudah are his pleasant plant All men are either loiterers in the market of the world or else laborers in the vineyard of the Church Of such as stand in the market idle there be foure sorts some sell their soules pawne their soules lose their soules giue their soules Some sell for as it is said of the Lawyer that hee hath linguam venalem a tongue to bee bought and sold so it may be said of the couetous man that hee hath animam venalem a soule to be sold so the voluptuous man doth sell his soule for pleasures as Esaâ— did his birthright for a messe of pottage so the proud man doth sell his soule for aduancement â—s Alexander the
6. is said to haue done for his Poâ—edome The Lord saith Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me neither in hâ—auen aboue nor in earth beneath nor in the water vnder the earth and yet as the Scripture doth intimate the proud man makes honour his god the couetous man gold his god the voluptuous man his belly his god The first hath his idoll as it were in the aire the second his idoll in the earth and the third his idoll in the water as one pithily notes vpon the second Commandement Secondly some pawne their soules albeit they be not so desperate so giuen ouer to commit sinne with greedinesse as to sell their soules right out yet for their profit and pleasure they will be content to pawne their soules vnto the diuell for a time so Dauid in committing adulterie did as it were pawne his soule Noe when hee was drunke did pawne his soule Peter in denying Christ did also pawne his soule but these being all labourers in Gods vineyard redeemed their soules againe with vnfained and hartie repentance But let vs take heede how we play the merchant venturers in this case for our soule is our best iewell of greater value then the whole world and the diuell is the craftiest vsurer and greatest oppressor that euer was if he can get neuer so little aduantage if we keep not day with him he will be sure at the iudgement day to call for iustice and to claime his owne speaking vnto God as the King of Sodome did vnto Abraham Da mihi animas caetera tolle tibi Giue me the soules which haue been pawned and forfetted vnto me the rest take to thy selfe There is another kinde of pawning of soules and that is vnto God for Princes and Prelates Ministers and Masters are bound to God as it were in goods and bodie for all such as are vnder them as the Prophet said vnto King Ahab Keepe this man if he be lost and want thy life shall goe for his life But if thou dost thy best endeuour though the wicked incorrigible sinner die for his iniquitie thou shalt deliuer thy soule redeeeme thy pawne and when euening is come the Lord of the vineyard shall giue thee thy reward Thirdly some lose their soules as carnall and carelesse Gospellers ignorant negligent people who though they come to Church either for fashion or feare yet alas they seldome or neuer thinke of their poore soule from whence it came or whither it shall goe trifling away the time in the market neither buying nor selling nor giuing but idly gaping and gazing vpon other a fit pray for the cutpurse betraying themselues and their soules vnto that old cunnicatcher Satan who goes about daily seeking whom he may deceiue cunningly snatching and stealing such soules as are vnguarded vnregarded O blockish stupiditie will you keepe your chicken from the kite your lambe from the wolfe your faâ—ne from the hound your conies and pigeons from the vermine and will not you keepe your soule from the diuell but idly lose it without any chopping or changing in the market Fourthly some giue their soules as first the malitious and enuious person for whereas an ambitious man hath a little honour for his soule a couetous man a little profit for his soule a voluptuous man a little pleasure for his soule the spitefull wretch hath nothing for his soule but fretting and heart-griefe like Cain who said of himselfe Whosoeuer findeth me shall slay me Secondly such as finally despaire giue their souls away for the diuell bestoweth nothing in liew thereof but horror and hell of conscience The distressed soule may comfort himselfe with the conclusion of this parable The first shall be last and the last first The last in 〈◊〉 owne iudgement the first in Gods eye Thirdly such as destroy their bodie that the diuel may haue their soule giue themselues away for nothing in one word this is the case of all such as stand idle in the market they serue the diuels turne for nothing for the wages of sinne saith Paul is death and death is none of Gods workes a nothing in nature Why therefore do you stand idle in the market all the day goe into the vineyard saith the Lord and whatsoeuer is right I will giue you Now there be diuers labourers in the vineyard as there be diuers loiterers in the world one plants another waters some dig some dung the householder giues vnto one man a shredding hooke to another a spade to a third an hatchet so there be sundrie vocations and offices in the Church diuersities of gifts and diuersities of administrations and diuersities of operations 1. Cor. 12. But about the trimming of the materiall vine there be three sorts of labourers especialâ—y the first to proyne the second to lay abroad and vnderprop it the third to digge away the old mould and to lay new to the root al which are so necessarie that if any of them faile the vine will soone decay No lesse needfull in Christs Church are these three estates Clergie Magistracie Commonaltie It belongs to the Priest to cut away supersâ—uous branches with the sword of the spirit The Magistrate must protect vnderset and hedge in the vine lest the wilde bore out of the wood roote it vâ— and the wilde beasts of the field deuoure it The common labourer must dig and till the ground that hee may get sustenance for himselfe and other If no Priest what would become of our spirituall life if no Prince what would become of our ciuill life if no common people what would become of our naturall life We must al be labourers and that painfull and profitable painfull called in this our parable thrice workmen Non otiandum in viâ sed laborandâ—m in vineâ There is no roome in y e vineyard for sluggishnes Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently But because Satan is the most diligent preacher in the world and heretikes compasse sea and land to make proselyts and to draw disciples after them it is not enough that labourers in the vineyard be painfull except they be profitable for as one said of the schoolemen A man may magno conatu nihil agere take great paine to little purpose toile much and yet not helpe but rather hurt the vineyard The by-word Euery man for himself and God for vs all is wicked impugning directly the end of euery vocation and honest kind of life That our paine may be profitable wee must labour in a lawfull calling lawfully for the good of the vineyard and then as it followeth in the last point of the parable wee shall receiue Gods peny for our paine When euen was come the Lord of the vineyard said vnto his steward Call the labourers and giue them their hire beginning at the last vntill the first Wherein obserue two things especially When at euening What giue theÌ„ their hire the
which is not a reward os merit but of mercie not of debt but of fauour as it appeares here by the persons Of whom God the Father Through whom the Steward God the Sonne To whom to the labourers yet so that the last be paied first and the first last When euen All our time of labouring in the vineyard is termed in this and other places of holy writ a day Behold now the day of saluation Exhort one another while it is called to day Now our whole pilgrimage on earth is called a day in two respects especially 1. For the shortnesse of our life 2. For that after this our day is spent wee shall no longer worke All our time is but a day and that a short day a winters day for our eternal night is infinitly longer then our temporall day and alas it is but a little part of this little day that we worke Multum temporis eâ—ipitur nobis plus subducitur plurimum effâ—uit exigua pars est vitae quam nos viâ—imus It is the least part of our life that we truly liue for wee spend our youth which is our morning in toyes and vanities and our old age which is our afternoone for the most part is lost in carking and caring for things of this life so that there remaineth only the noone of our day As Epaminondas aptly we must salute young men with good morow or welcome into the world old men with good night because they bee leauing the world only those of middle age with good day Let vs examine then how we spend our noone Though honest men vse not to sleepe at noone yet all wee being labourers in Gods haruest and vineyard ordinarily sleepe almost halfe our time Other houres we waste in eating other in playing and that which is worst of all most of all in sinning all which time wee cannot properly bee said to liue for as the scripture teacheth vs plainly bad workes are not the workes of light but of night and darknesse a day mispent is lost amici diem perdidi Similis Captaine of the guard to the Emperour Adrian after he had retired himselfe and liued priuatly seuen yeeres in the countrey confessed that hee had liued only 7. yeers and caused to be written vpon his tombe Hic iacet Similis cuius aetas multorum annorum fuit ipse septem duntaxat annos vixit So many religious men haue numbred their yeeres not from the day of their birth but of their new birth from their beginning of their regeneration and repentance reputing all that time lost which was idly misspent in the market of the world so that whether we consider our life of nature or life of grace our whole time may well be called a short day Secondly a day in regard of our eternal night in which we cannot worke for there is no grace in the graue nor health in hell I must worke the workes of him that sent me saith Christ while it is day the night commeth when no man can worke When euen is come the Lord of the vineyard shall say to his steward call the labourers and giue them their hire This euen is either euery mans end or else the worlds end the particular houre of our death or the general day of iudgement at both which as well the loiterer as the labourer shall receiue his reward The next point to be discussed is what Giue them their hire The word hire doth exceedingly trouble the Papists for they cannot or at least will not vnderstand how eternal life may be both a reward and a gift whereas it is demonstrated in holy Scripture that the immortall crowne of glorie is called a reward secundùm quid only but a gift simplicitè◠if we compare life euerlasting to the worke and looke no further it is called a reward Matth. 5.12 Great is your reward in heauen but examine the first original from whence the worke it selfe also proceedes and all is meerely and wholly gift eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord whereas the blessed Apostle said the wages of sinne is death If there were any merits in our workes the sequell of his speech should haue been The wages of righteousnesse is eternall life hee saith not so but the gift of God is eternall life and so by that which he doth not say as also by that which he doth say sheweth that there is no place for merit If then it be of grace it is no more of works otherwise grace is no grace Gratia non erit gratia vllo modo nisi sit gratuita omniâ—odo Grace is not grace in any sort if it be not free in euery sort In this controuersie the scriptures and fathers and many learned Papists are on our side God saith in the law that he will shew mercy to such as keep his commandements Ergo rewâ—â—â— is giuen of mercy to them that fulfill the law Christ saith in the Gospell It is your fathers pleasure to giue youâ— kingdome And Paul The sufferings of this life are not worthy of the glory in the life to come The most iudicious and the most indifferent for both parties among the fathers is Augustine who repeates in his works often this one golden sentence Deus coronat dona sua non merâ—aâ—â—â—â—râ— God crowneth his owne gifts not our merits according to that of Dauid Hee crowneth vs with compassion and louing kindnesse Eternall life should be rendred as due vnto thee if of thy selfe thou hadst the righteousnesse to which it is due But of his fulnesse wee receiue not onely grace now to liue iustly in our labours vnto the end but also grace for this grace that afterward wee may liue in rest without end Haec est gratia â—ratis dâ—â—a non meritis operantis sed miseratione donaxâ—iâ— Origen saith he can hardly be perswaded that there can be any worke which by debt may require reward at Gods hand in as much as it is by his gift that wee are able to doe or thinke or speake any thing thatiâ— good Marke the Hermite saith He that doth good 〈◊〉 â—â—ng reward thereby serueth not God but his owne wâ—â—◠〈…〉 the words of my text The Lord of the vineyard 〈…〉 hire not as paying a price to their labour buâ— powâ—ing forth the riches of his goodnesse to the◠〈…〉 chosâ— without works that euen they alâ—o who 〈…〉 with much labour and haue receiued no mâ—re 〈…〉 may vnderstand that they haue receiued a 〈…〉 not wages for their worke So Saint 〈…〉 in Rom 8. Greg. Magnus in Psalm 〈…〉 1. dâ— interpell cap. 1. in Luc. lib. 8. c. 17. Fulgentius ad Monimum lib. 1. Many learned Papists agree with vs also both in their positions and practise Bernard in his sermon vpon the Annunciation said that the merits of men are not such as that life eternall
been in effect As Paul sheweth in the like case For if there bee first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not Illud pro facto reputat Deus quod homo quidem verè voluit sed non valuit adimplere 3. We must pay generally owe nothing to any whether he be friend or foe rich or poore stranger or neighbour restore all to all If any man corrupting or corrupted in secular offices hath iuiured many whom he doth not know then his best course is to restore to God that is to the Church and to the poore Touching these and the like questions of debt the learned may further examine Thomas Catetan Aragon Emmanuel Sa. with many moe but the best Schooleman in this argument is thine owne conscience For whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne That is all thou condemnest in thine heart for sinne to thee is sinne satisfie then all other so far that thou maiest satisfie thy selfe owe nothing to any Yet this precept hath his except But this that yee loue one another here then obserue first a difference between ciuill debts and religious A ciuill debt once paied is no more due but charitie being payed is still due debetur etiam reddita when a man dischargeth other debts accedit ad eum cui datur sed ab eo recedit a quo datur But in paying the debt of loue the more we giue the more wee haue Reddendo multiplicatur habendo enim redditur non carendo cum reddi non possit nisi habeatur nec haberi potest nisi reddatur Imò etiam cum redditur ab homine crescit in homine Et tanto maior acquiritur quanto pluribus redditur As Augustine doth excellentlie glosse this text peruse the cited Epistle for it is short and sweet of worldly wealth it may be said truely bonum quo communius eo minus but in spirituall riches it is quite contrarie honum quô communius eô maâ—us or as the Philosopher eo melius in the words of Salomon He that scattereth encreaseth in this except then I note with Gorran The Matter in the word diligatis The Manner in the word inuicem The Priuiledge in the word nisi The matter is to loue the manner mutually to loue the priuiledge continually to loue Owe nothing but loue for hee that loueth another fulfilleth the law This is the first reason enforcing the former exhortation and it is taken from the worthinesse of the thing Loue is the fulfilling of all the law which he prooues by this induction Thou shalt not commit adulterie thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnesse thou shalt not lust and if there be any other Commandement it is all comprehended in this saying namely Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Loue doth no euill vnto his neighbour in deed forbidden in the 6.7.8 Commaundements in word forbidden in the 9. in thought forbidden in the 10. Loue then is the complement of the whole law concerning our dutie to God and man For our loue to man ariseth originally from our loue to God Amicum in Domino inimicum pro Domino We loue our friend in the Lord our foe for the Lord. This saith Luther is the shortest and longest diuinitie the shortest as touching the words and sentence but as touching the vse and practise it is more large more long more profound and more high than the whole world I shall often handle this common place especially Epistle on Quinquagesima Sunday I come now to the second argument from the fitnesse of the time verse 11. This also we know the season how that it is time that we should awake out of sleepe for now is our saluation neerer c. The summe of it is that wee must be more studious in performing our dutie now than heretoforeÌ„ when wee did first beleeue for wee must goe forward and grow vpward from grace to grace from vertue to vertue till we be of full growth in Christ Iesus or as it is here till we haue Put on the Lord Iesus A violent motion is quicke in the beginning but slow in the end a stone cast vpward is then most weake when it is most high but a naturall motion is slow in the beginning but quicker in the end for if a man from a Tower cast a stone downeward the neerer to the Center the quicker is the motion and therefore when a man at his first conuersion is exceeding quicke but afterward waxeth euery day slower and slower in the waies of the Lord his motion is not naturall and kinde but forged and forced otherwise the longer he liueth and the neerer he comes to the marke the more swiftly would he run the more vehemently contend for that euerlasting Crowne which he shall obtaine at his races end The night is passed and the day is come Some by night vnderstand the life present and by day the world to come in this life many things are hidden as in the darke but at the last and dreadfull day the bookes and registers of all our actions shall bee laid open and all things appeare naked as they are to God men angels diuels If we make but twelue houres in our night and sixe ages in the world as vsually Diuines account then fiue thousand yeeres that is ten houres of the night were past when Paul wrote this and since that almost sixteene hundred yeeres that is an houre and an halfe and a quarter so that now there can remaine but some few minutes and then the terrible day of the Lord will come When the heauens shall passe away with a noise and the elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the workes therein shall be burnt vp Wherefore seeing the end of this night and beginning of that day is at hand let vs cast away the works of darknesse c. Other more fitly by night vnderstand the time of ignorance by day the time of knowledge by night the law wherein our Sauiour Christ was onely shadowed by day the Gospell wherein he is openly shewed and so saluation is nearer because clearer Our Apostles argument then is like that of Iohn the Baptist Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand Matth. 3.2 The Gospell is the day Christ is the light faith is the eie which apprehends this light and therefore seeing the day is come let vs cast away the works of darknesse and put on the armour of light Sinnes are called the workes of darkenesse The foole maketh a mocke of sinne as Abner called fighting a sport Let the young men arise and play before vs so many men make sin their ordinarie pastime but our Apostle termes it a work and the wiseman a wearie work too Wis. 5.7 We haue wearied
first we must beleeue Christ to be that Iesus vers 11. that great Prophet who is the Messias and Sauiour of the world For the second wee must professe and confesse this faith hauing Hosanna in our mouthes and crying Blessed is he that commeth in the Name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest vers 9. For the third we must spread our garments in the way cut downe branches from the trees and straw them in the passage vers 8. that is forsake all and follow Christ profering and offering our selues whollie to his seruice or as the Epistle doth expound the Gospell seeing our saluation is neere the night past and the day come let vs cast away the works of darknes and put on the armour of light c. I am occasioned here iustly to direct their ignorance who do not vnderstand and correct their obstinacie who will not vnderstand the wisdome of the Church so fitly disposing of the Gospels and Epistles as that often the one may serue for a Commentary to the other As heere S. Matth. Behold thy King commeth And S. Paul Our saluation is nigh and the day is come S. Paul doth aduise not to make prouision for the flesh and S. Matthew reports how the people accompanying Christ spread their garments in the way S. Paul commands loue in all men S. Matthew commends loue in these men who gaue such entertainment vnto Christ. The whole Gospell is a liuely picture of the Church in which are foure sorts of persons especially 1. Christ who is King and head verse 5. and 12. 2. Prophets who loose men from their sinnes and bring them vnto Christ verse 2. and 7. 3. Auditors who beleeue that Christ is the Messias openly professing this faith Hosanna to the Sonne of Dauid vers 9. and manifesting this faith also by their works in obeying the Ministers of Christ verse 3. and performing the best seruice they can verse 8. 4. Aduersaries who much enuy Christs kingdome saying Who is this verse 10. Concerning Christs seueritie toward those who played the Merchants in the Temple See Gospell Dom. 10. post Trinit Epist. ROM 15.4 Whatsoeuer things are written aforetime they are written for our learning c. THis Scripture containes in it three things concerning the Scripture What it is written Shewing the Scriptures authority When aforetime Shewing the Scriptures antiquity Why for our learning Shewing the Scriptures vtility For the first things only told passing thorough many mouthes are easily mistold it is long ere we get them and we soone forget them Almighty God therefore commanded that his Law should be written in bookes and engrauen in stone that the syllables thereof might alway be in our eyes so well as the sound in our eares and that for two causes especially 1. That the godly man might exercise himselfe therein day and night 2. That the wicked might neither adde to it nor detract from it In like maner albeit the sound of the thundring Apostles went out thorough all the earth and their words vnto the ends of the world yet the Spirit of wisedome thought it meete that there should be a treatise written of all that Christ did and said and that from point to point entituled The Booke of the generation of Iesus Christ. The Scripture then is a Bible because written and the Bible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in many respects excelling all other bookes especially for the maker and matter in so much that S. Paul saith If an Angell from heauen preach otherwise let him be accursed And Iustin Martyr goes yet further If Christ himselfe should preach another God or another Gospell I would not beleeue him Ipse non crederem Domino Iesu. This doctrine makes against vnwritten verities of Papists and fond reuelations of Anabaptists and factious interpretations of Schismatikes and impudent conceits of Libertines all which equall their owne phantasies with the Scriptures authority The Papists and Schismaticks are all for a speaking Scripture the Libertines and Anabaptists are all for an infused scripture the true Catholicks only for the written scripture to the Law and to the Testimony Thy word is a lanterne vnto my feet and a light vnto my paths The second point to be considered is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scriptures written aforetime being the first booke so well as the best booke for as Tertullian was wont to call Praxeas hesternum Praxean so we may terme the most ancient Poets and Philosophers in comparison of Moyses vpstart writers Omnia Graecorum sunt nâ—ua heri As Galaton painted Homer vomiting Reliquos verò poetas ea quae ipse euomuisset haurientes to signifie saith Aelian that he was the first Poet and all other as well Greeke as Latine but his apes In like maner Moyses is called by Theodoret Oceanus theologiae the sea of Diuinitie from whom all other writers as riuers are deriued The which point as it is excellentlie confirmed by Theodoret Clemens Iosephus and others so it is ingeniously confessed euen by the heathen Historiographers Eupolemus lib. de Iudaeaâ— regibus auoweth Moyses to be the first wise man Plato that a barbarous Egyptian was the first inuentor of Arts Appion Ptolomey Palaemon haue granted the same and vpon the point Strabo Plinie Cornelius Tacitus and others as â—icinus reports lib. de religione Christiana cap. 26. To demonstrate this more particularly The Troian war is the most ancient subiect of human history but Trâ—y was taken in the dayes of Dauid about the yeare of the world 2788. and Homer flourished anno 3000. whereas Moyses was borne anno 2373. Secondly this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confutes the Marcionites and Manichees and all such as reiect the old Testament For the place to which the text hath reference is taken out of the 69. Psalme verse 9 that the scriptures of Moses and the Prophets are written for our instruction It is plain by Christs iniunctioÌ„ Search the Scriptures as also by that of our Apostle 1. Cor. 10. These things happened vnto them for ensamples and were written to admonish vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come If all little histories then much more the great mysteries are our scholemasters vnto Christ Let vs examine therefore the third obseruable point concerning the Scriptures vtilitie Whatsoeuer things are written afore time they are written for our learning The Scripture saith Paul is the peoples instruction the Scripture say the Papists in the vulgar tongue is the peoples destruction The Scripture saith Paul doth make the man of God absolute the Scripture say the Papists in a knowne language makes men hereticall and dissolute but the Bible makes men heretikes as the Sunne makes men blinde and therefore Wickliffe truly To condemne the word of God translated in any language for heresie is to make God
an heretike Not to presse this place nor vrge any other scripture we may beate the Rhemish and Romish in this controuersie with their owne weapons Antiquitie and Custome For it is acknowledged that the Christians in old time read the Bible to their great edification and increase of faith in their mother tongue The Armenians had the Psalter and some other peeces of Scripture translated by S. Chrysostome The Sclauonians by S. Hierome the Goths by Vulpilas and that before he was an Arian The Italians three hundred yeers since by Iames Archbishop of Genua and the Bible was in French also two hundred yeeres agoe Beside these the Syrians Arabians Aethioptans had of ancient time the Scriptures in their seuerall languages as it is manifest by those portions of them which are at this day brought from their countries into this part of the world To speake of our owne countrey venerable Beda did translate the whole Bible into the Saxon tongue and the Gospel of S. Iohn into English K. Alfred also considering the great ignorance that was in his kingdome translated both the Testaments into his natiue language Queene Anne wife to Richard the second had Scriptures translated in the vulgar as Thomas Arundel then Archbishop of Yorke and Chancellor of England mentioned at her funerall sermon anno 1394. Moreouer in a Parliament of this King Richard there was a bill put in to disanull the Bible traÌ„slated into English vnto which Iohn Duke of Lancaster answered and said We will not be the refuse of al men other Nations haue Gods lawes in their owne language Thomas Arundel as we reade in the constitutions of Linwood being translated vnto the sea of Canterburie made strait prouision in a Councell holden at Oxford that no version set out by Wickliffe or his adherents should be suffered being not approued by the Diocesan It is apparent then out of our owne Chronicles that the Bible was turned into the mother tongue before and after the Conquest before and after the time of Wickliffe before and after the daies of Luther and all this paine was vndertaken by good and holie men that the people of God reading and vnderstanding the Scripture through patience and comfort of the Sonne might haue certaine hope of another life As then I condemne the malice of Papists in forbidding so likewise the negligence of carnall Gospellers in forbearing to reade those things aforetime written for our learning Our forefathers heretofore spared neither cost nor paine they ventred their crownes and their heads too for the new TestameÌ„t in English translated by Master Tyndall and when they could not heare the Gospell in the Church publikely they receiued much comfort by reading it in their houses priuately the very children became fathers vnto their parents and begat them in Christ euen by reading a few plaine Chapters vnto them in a corner but in our time when euery shop hath Bibles of diuers translations editions volumes annotations the number of those who can readâ— is but small the number of those who doe reade is lesse the number of those who reade as they should least of all If a learned Clerk should â—en a treatise for thy particular instruction thou wouldest instantly with all diligence peruse it If a Nobleman should send thee gracious letters concerning thy preferment thou wouldest with all dutifull respect entertaine theÌ„ If thy father or some other friend taking a iourney into a farre countrey should penne his Will and leaue it in thine hands and custody thou wouldest hold it as a great token of his loue Behold the Bible is written by Wisedome it selfe for our learning that we may be perfect vnto all good workes It is Gods Epistle and Letters patent wherein are granted vnto vs many gracious immunities and priuiledges it is his Testament wherein all his will is reuealed whatsoeuer hee would haue done or vndone and therefore let vs pray with the Church that wee may in such wise reade holie Scriptures heare mark learne and inwardly digest them that by patience and comfort of Gods holie word wee may embrace and euerhold fast the hope of euerlasting life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Gospel LVKE 21.25 There shall be signes in the Sunne c. THe Sunne of righteousnesse appeareth in three signes Leo. Virgo Libra First roring as a Lion in the Law so that the people could not endure his voyce Then in Virgo borne of a Virgin in the Gospell in Libra weying our workes in his ballance at the last and dreadfull audite Or there is a three-fold comming of Christ according to the three-fold difference of time Past. Present Future Which Bernard hath vttered elegantly venit ad homines in homines contra homines He came among men in time past when as the Word was made flesh and dwelt among vs hee comes into men in the present by his grace and holie Spirit Apoc. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the doore and knocke He shall in the future come against men to iudge both the quicke and the dead but the Sonne of man hath but two commings in the forme of man his first comming in great meeknes his second in exceeding maiestie At his first comming he rode vpon an asse in his second as it is here said he shall ride vpon the clouds In his first comming he came to be iudged in his second he comes to iudge In his first comming the people did triumph and reioyce crying Hosanna but in his second comming the people shall bee at their wits end for feare and for looking after those things which shall come on the world In that therefore the Church hath adioyned this Gospell of his second comming vnto that other of his first comming it doth teach all Teachers this lesson that their song be like Dauids of iudgement and mercie that in all their sermons they mingle faith and feare that they preach Christ to be a Iudge so well as an Aduocate This method Christ himselfe did vse who did as well expound the Law as propound the Gospell who denounced woe to the proud Pharisies and pronounced blessednesse to the poore in spirit who powred wine and oyle into the wounds of him that was halfe dead oyle which is supple wine which is sharpe and when he departed he gaue to the host two pence that is to the Preachers who take charge of him the two Testaments and willed them to temper and applie these two till hee come againe that thinking on the Gospell we might neuer despaire and thinking on the Law wee might neuer presume that looking vpon Christs first comming wee might reioyce and expecting his second comming wee might feare because there shall be signes in the Sunne and in the Moone c. In handling whereof I will not trouble you with idle curiosities only note two plaine points Especiallie to wit the Certaintie Of Christs second comming Especiallie
to wit the Vncertaintie Of Christs second comming The certaintie that he shall come the vncertaintie when he shall come The certaintie is declared heere by Words Affirmed barely vers 27. They shall see the Son of man come in a cloud c. Enforced with an asseueratioÌ„ verse 22. Verily I say vnto you c. adding further a pereÌ„ptory conclusion vers 33. Heauen and earth shall passe away but my words shall not passe away Wonders vers 27. There shall be signes c. The words are spoken by Christ as it is apparent vers 8. Now Christ is truth Ergo this prophesie cannot be false That which hee foretold touching Hierusalem in this Chapter is in euery particular come to passe why then should this prophesie be thought vntrue concerning the worlds destruction when as that other was true concerning Hierusalems desolation Zachary foretold that the Messias in his first comming should in meekenesse ride vpon an asse and as S. Matthew reports all that was done behold here a greater than Zachary tels vs that the Messias in his second comming shall ride vpon the clouds and shall we doubt of his word who is that eternall Word shall wee beleeue Zachary who was but one of the small Prophets and shal we distrust him who is that great Prophet Ioh. 6.14 But because men will not beleeue him vpon his bare word who made all the world with his word Psal. 33.9 He spake and it was done he doth vse an oth and earnest asseueration in the 32. verse Verily I say vnto you c. Because there is none grâ—ater then â—imselfe he doth sweare by himselfe Truth doth protâ—st by Truth This generation shall not passe till all be fulfilled The word generation hath perplexed as well old as new writers exceedingly Sometime generation in scripture signifieth an age As one generation passeth and another commeth and the truth of the Lord endureth from generation to generation that is euer from age to age Now generation in this acception is 100. yeares So Nestor is said to liue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 three ages that is three hundred yeares and therefore some Diuines haue referred this vnto the destruction of Hierusalem only which happened within an hundred yeares after this prophesie so learned Erasmus and Beza construe the place both of them interpreting the word aetas and the translators of Geneua following them in our lesser English Bible This age shall not passe but as well the translation as obseruation is defectiue because Christ saith here This generation shall not passe till all these things be done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only those which concerne the desolation of Hierusalem but all those likewise which concerne the worlds end Other by this generation vnderstand the nation of the Iewes as Luke 17.25 The sonne of man must be reproued of this generation and Math. 23.36 All these things shall come vpon this generation that is this nation S. Hierom by generation vnderstands all mankinde as if Christ should say the generation of men shall continue till all be fulfilled and then in fine they shall acknowledge that I spake the truth Chrysostome Theophylact Euthymius expound this of that generation onely which seeke God of Gods elect and faithfull people as if Christ should speake thus Albeit there be signes in heauen and troubles on earth yet hell gates shall not preuaile against the Church I am with you alway saith Christ vntill the end of the world The generation of such as beleeue in me shall not passe till all this be fulfilled and therefore let none of my followers be discouraged but rather lift vp their heads in that their redemption is so neere This exposition I take to be both pertinent and profitable because Christ in this Chapter had foretold that his Disciples should be persecuted and brought before Kings and Princes for prosessing his Gospell verse 12. Yet this generation shall not passe but there shall be a Church alway to confesse the faith in despight of the Diuell The Church one day shall passe too but not till these things be done then in the end it shall inherit a better possession in Gods owne kingdome without end Other by generation vndâ—rstand all that time betweene Christs first comming and his last for the whole world being diuided into three generations a time before the law a time vnder the Law a time after the Law the time of the Gospell is Hora nouissima the last houre 1. Epist. Iohn 2.18 and We are they vpon whom the ends of the world are come 1. Cor. 10.11 so that ye shall not looke for another Gospell or another change for the preaching of this Gospell and the world shall end together Other by generation vnderstand not only the Iewes or the Christians or all men only but the whole vniuersall world termed elsewhere the Creature This generation that is this world in which all things are generated shall not end till these signes forerunners of it ruine shall come to passe So Christ interprets himselfe in the verse following Heauen and earth shall passe but my words shall not passe aâ—ay That is howsoeuer the earth be moueable and the powers of heauen shake though both wax old as doth a garment and all things in them are subiect to mutation and change yet Christ is yesterday and to day the same also for euer so that if you will credit Christ either vpon your owne reason and experience or vpon his word and oath beleeue this also that he shall come riding on the clouds with great power and glory to iudge both the quick and the dead Secondly Christs comming to iudgement is shewed heere by wonders in heauen in earth and in the sea which shall be like harbingers of that dreadfull and terrible day There shall be signes in the Sunne and in the Mâ—one and in the earth the people shall be at their wits end through despaire the sea and the water shall rore c. Euery man is desirous to buy the Kalender that at the beginning of the yeare he may know what will happen in the end Merchants and Husbandmen especially that they may see this yeare what dearth or death or other accidents are likely to ensue the next yeare Behold then here Christs Prognostication foretelling by signes in the Sunne and in the Moone and in the Starres what shall come to passe in the end of our yeares as also what shall betide vs in the new yeare the world to come The Mathematicians of the world neuer mentioned or dreamed of an vniuersall eclipse of the Sunne and Moone together only Christs Almanacke reports this I purpose not in particular to discusse any curious question but only to note in generall that these wonders in heauen and extraordinarie troubles on earth are manifest forerunners of the worlds ruine that as we know Summer is neere when the trees bud so when
Apostle wils vs to rebuke with all long suffering and doctrine Now himselfe is a paterne of his owne precept for left he should seeme too bitter in chiding the Corinthians and despising their iudgement he doth in this clause somewhat qualifie his speech insinuating that he doth except against all others iudgement so well as theirs Happely some will obiect it is vnciuill and vnchristian not to regard what men speake of vs As wee must haue care of our conscience so likewise of our credit Quâ semel amissâ posteà nullus eris It is good in our courses to gaine the fore-game for it is exceeding hard to play an after-game of reputation Answere is made that albeit Paul esteemed little their iudgement in regard of himself as expecting the praise of God and hauing a good certificate from his owne conscience yet in respect of other who might hereby be scandalized and so the Gospell hindred he was assuredly grieued and therefore reproues here their fault boldly that they might repent heartily To me it is little but vnto other it is a great scandall that I should be thus abused and neglected of you Iudge not mine owne selfe I know more by my selfe then you or any man else and yet I cannot iudge my selfe therefore much lesse ought yee to iudge me This seemes contradictorie to that of Paul If we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged I answer with Aquine that there is a three-fold iudgement 1. Discussionis 2. CondeÌ„nationis 3. Absolutionis Euery man may yea must iudge himselfe with the two former hee must examine himselfe and vpon examination altogether condemne himselfe Euery man ought daily to commune with his owne heart and to search out his spirit Psalm 77.6 Scopebam spiritum I did as it were sweepe my soule Diligenter attendâ— quaâ—tum proficias vel quantum deficias Examine thy selfe whether thou hast gone forward or backward in the waies of the Lord. Summon thy selfe as it were before another and so fift the whole course of thy life wherein thou hast offended in thought word deede by sinnes of omission or commission against God thy neigbour and thy selfe Iudge thine owne selfe in secret before thy selfe and thou shalt not be condemned at the last day before all the world Do this saith Bernard Si non semper aut saepè saltem interdum If not alwaies or often at least sometime especially saith our Apostle when yee come to receiue the blessed sacrament of our Lords Supper Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. The second kinde of iudgement is of condemnation So Iob I will reproue my waies in his sight If I would iustifie my selfe mine owne mouth shall condemne me So Dauid Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified And S. Iohn If wee say we haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and the truth of God is not in vs. A Christian in this world is mundus mundandus cleane in part and in part to be made cleane all his perfection consists in acknowledging his imperfection all his righteousnesse in forgiuenes of sinnes rather then in perfection of vertue Yea but say the Pelagians and after them the Papists Elizabeth and Zachary were iust obseruing all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord Luke 1.6 Iob an vpright man departing from euill and preseruing his innocencie Iob 2.3 In Dauid no wickednesse Psal. 17.3 and here Paul I know nothing by my selfe I answere to the first If Zacharie was a Priest then a sinner for as we reade Heb. 7.27 the Priests manner was first to offer sacrifice for his owne sinnes and then for the peoples If then Zacharie did sacrifice he had sinne and sinne is a transgression of the Law so that he did not exactly keepe the whole law but himselfe and his wife so farre obserued the commandements as that they were blamelesse in the worlds eye no man could iustly condemne them for doing vniustly But as Augustine said Vae etiam laudabili vitae hominum si remota misericordia discutias eam Woe to the commendable life of man if God set mercie aside in iudging of it Euen their owne Bernard confesseth ingeniously that if the Lord should take a strait account of vs his stewards it were impossible that any should answere the thousanth yea the least part of his debt nec millesimae nec minimae parti For the commendation of Iob it is not simple but comparatiue There was none like him on the earth at least none so righteous in that part of the earth in the land of Vz. It was a great praise to be so good among that people who were so bad According to the measure of humane perfection Almightie God hath giuen him so great testimonie of righteousnesse saith Augustine Hast thou not considered my seruant Iob how none is like him in the earth an vpright and iust man one that feareth God and eschueth euill But himselfe is afraid of himselfe Verebar omnia opera mea So the Romish translation hath it I was afraid of all my workes Iob 9.28 And in the second verse of the same chapter How shall a man bee iustified before God and in the third verse If I contend with him I shall not be able to answere him one for a â—housand Now for Dauid his praise was not generall but particular and partiall There was no wickednesse found in him that is no plot or practise against Saul wherof he was accused vniustly but otherwise in other things his sinnes were so many and those so heauie that hee crieth out in the 38. Psalme Put me not to rebuke O Lord in thine anger c. Dauid was no traitor but Dauid was an adulterer and a cruâ—ll murtherer He turned from nothing the Lord commanded him all the daies of his life saue only in the matter of Vriah the Hittite 1. Kings 15.5 What had Dauid no fault else but only that against Vriah Yes surely Dauid was conceiued in sin and shapen in wickednesse As he was the sonne of many yeares so the father of many sinnes In his priuate conuersation hee did so much offend as that he saith in the 130 Psalme If thou O Lord be extreame to marke what is done amisse oh Lord who may abide it That text then is to be construed of his publike gouernment as the circumstances import as he was a King the Scripture giueth him this commendation that excepting the matter of Vriah hee gaue no publike scandall in the whole time of his raigne Dauid was in many things a bad man but in most things a good King So likewise this speech of Paul I know nothing by my selfe is not generall extended to the whole course of his life but particular touching his Apostleship So Bishop Latimer said As for sedition for
to be with mâ— she gaue me of the tree and I did eat Eua must needs be a virgin because so soone as she was made she was maried and yet the text calles her woman at that time when there could bee no time for man to corrupt her On the right hand we must shun the rockes of Valentinus and Nestorius of Valentinus who taught Christ had not his body from Mary but that he brought it with him from heauen and passed thorow the wombe of the virgin as water thorow a conduit pipe contrary to the text here made of a woman Ex muliere non in muliere not in a woman but of a woman And the preposition ex notes the matter as an house is made of timber and stone bread is made of wheat wine of grapes and therefore Christ had the materials of his body from Mary so some copies haue it here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet Christ had not his formale principium of Mary for the holy Chost was agent in his wonderfull conception and therefore fitly said here to be borne or as we reade to be made not begotten of a woman By this also we may shun Nestorius his rocke who thought Mary might not be called the mother of the Sonne of God for the text is plaine God sent his Sonne made of a woman Ergo the Sonne of God was the sonne of Mary For the confutation of this error the famous Councell of Ephesus was assembled wherein it was concluded and that in the first canon that Mary should be called the mother of God See before the Creed Art Borne of the virgin Mary Bond to the law Though he were Lord of the law yet made he himselfe subiect to the law circumcised according to the law and presented in the Temple according to the law yea it executed vpon him all the iurisdiction it had ouer vs. It doth by good right accuse conuince condemne vs. For alas all of vs are sinners and by nature the children of 〈◊〉 but Christ did no sinne neither was there guile fâ—und in his mouth yet notwithstanding the law was no lesse cruell against this innocent and blessed lambe then it was against vs cursed and damnable sinners yea much more rigorous For it made him guilty before God of all the sinnes of the whole world It terrified and oppressed him with such an heauinesse of spirit that he sweat blood and in fine condemned him to death euen the death of the Crosse. Thus Christ was made bond vnto the law to redeeme them which were bond vnto the law for hee died for our sinnes and indured all this for our sakes and so being vnder the law conquered the law by a double right first as the Sonne of God and Lord of the law secondly in our person which is as much as if our selues had ouercome the law for his victory is ours And therefore remember alway this sweet and comfortable text in the midst of all dangers all assaults of tyrants all temptations of Satan in the houre of death especially saying to the law Thou hast no power ouer me for God the Father hath sent his Sonne to redeeme mee from thy bondage thou dost accuse terrifie condemne in vaine for I will creepe into the hole which bloudy Longinus made with his speare in my Sauiours side There will I hide my selfe from all my foes I will plunge my conscience in his wounds death victorious resurrection glorious ascension besides him I will see nothing I will heare nothing The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law But thanks be vnto God which hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. The Nouelists exception against our translating naturall sonnes is idle for our Communion booke doth not call vs naturall sonnes as Christ is Gods naturall Sonne by eternall generation but as it were naturalized by spiritual regeneration adopted through election and grace so Paul elsewhere termeth vs Coheâ—res with Christ. Neither doth this paraphrase wrong the Patriarks before the law nor the Prophets vnder the law for as I haue noted out of Martin Luther Chirst who came in the flesh once comes in the spirit daily crying Abba Father as it followeth in the text he is one yesterday and to day and shall be the same for euer Yesterday before the time of his comming in the flesh today now he is reuealed in fulnesse of time For euer the same lambe of God slaine from the beginning of the world The Fathers then had Christ in spirit which holy spirit made them free from the bondage of the law so that they and we are saued by one and the same grace by one and the same faith in one and the same Christ. How the blessed Spirit crieth in our hearts assuring our spirit that we are the children of God helping our infirmities and making request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed see before The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ c. This Epistle doth accord with the Gospell which intimates in particular how Christ became the Sonne of man that hee might make vs the sonnes of God how Christ is Iesus and Emmanuel Both fit the time that in the midst of Christmas our soule might magnifie the Lord and our spirit reioice in God our Sauiour who was made of a woman and made bond vnto the law to redeeme those who were bound vnto the law that wee might bee sonnes and heires of God through him The Gospel MATTH 1.1 Liber generationis Iesu Christi filij Dauid filij Abraham SVmma Theologiae Scriptura summa scripturae Euangelium summa Euangelij 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 summa summarum Iesus Christus filius Dauid filius Abraham ille primus ille postremus Alpha legis Omega Euangely principium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amen Velatus in veteri Testamento reuelatus in nouo in illo praedictus in isto praedicatus Vno spiritu dicam breuissimè nihil aliud continet verbum Domini nisi verbum Dominum Innuit hoc in praesentiâ—itulo Matthaeus annuit Paulus ad Corinthios primâ— Non statui quicquam inter vos scire nisi Iesum Christum crucifixum Apertiùs ait Augustinus confessionum quinto cap. 4. Infoelix homo qui scit caetera omnia te autem nescit beatus autem quite scit etiamsi illa omnia nesciat qui verò te illa nouit non propter illa beatior sed propter te solum beatissimus Est ars artium scientia scientiarum ea legere agere quae narrantur in hoc libro generationis filij Dauid filij Abraham Cuius frontispicij duo sunt luminae Inscriptio Euangelij Descriptio Christi Inscriptionis vt ita loquar duo praecipus sunt radij respâ—cientes Euangelium 1. Quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Quòd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Descriptionis item duo
haue to do The Sacraments are instruments of grace by which those vertues are conueied vnto vs and continued in vs. As to build an house it is requisite first to place the foundation then to raise the walles and last of al to couer it with the roofe so saith Augustine to make in our soules the building of eternall saluation we neede the foundation of faith the walles of hope the roofe of charitie The tooles as it were wherewith all these bee wrought are the sacred Word and blessed Sacraments our Catechisme then in briefe comprehending all these matters and all these meanes and standing vpon the same legges especially with the Geneuian and Romane Catechisme cannot be distasted either of Accusant or Râ—cusant out of deuotion and pietie but out of saction and malice well or rather ill each may say with the Poet Non amo te Sabidi nec possum dicere quaere Hoc tantùm possum dicere non amo te The father and mother Ioseph was not the naturall father of Christ but father In Opinion Luk. 3.23 Iesus as men supposed was the soâ—ne of Ioseph Care being his nurcing father appointed of God for nurces are called mothers and patrons fathers Law being husband to Mary and nigh of kin to Christ. But Mary was the mother of Christ not only in opinion and care but in truth and in deed Mater à matâ—ria the very matter of Christs bodie was of the Virgin Mary Galat. 4.4 God sent his soâ—ne made of a woman Sâ—e Epist. Sunday after Christmas Secondly these parents instruct their child by their owne example for they doe not send but bring him vp to Hierusalem after the custome of the feast day The which is the shortest cut of teaching Longum iter per praecepta breue per exempla The parents good life preuailes more with his childe then a good lesson Their deuotion is seene in Going vp to Hierusalem after the custome of the feast Tarying there fulfilling the daies S. Paul exhorts vs to pray at all times and in all places for the whole world is Gods vniuersal and as it were Cathedrall Church and euery particular Christian is as it were his priuate Chapell and Temple Daniel praied in the Lions denâ—e Ionas in the Whales bellie Iob on the dunghill and the theese on the crosse yet the Lord heard their prayers and granted their requests It is lawful then in priuate to pray when and where we shall iudge most meete but God for his publike worship hath in all ages assigned certaine times and certaine places The most speciall time is his Sabbath and the most speciall place the Temple so wee finde precept and practise Precept My house shall be called the house of praier the which is repeated by Christ in three Euaâ—gelists Practise The Publican and the Pharisie went vp into the Temple to pray Luk. 18. Anna prayed in the Temple Luk. 2. Peter and Iohn went vp into the Temple at the houre of prayer Act. 3. Christ himselfe daily teaching in the Temple Luk. 19. After Christ by reason of the great persecution the Christians assemblâ—d not in the fittest but in the safest places in processe of time they did erect Oratories not in any sumptuous or stately manner which neither was possible by reason of the Churches pouerty nor plausible in regard of the worlds enuie but at length when Almightie God stirred vp religioâ—s Kings and Queenes as nursing fathers and nursing mothers of the Church that which the Christians before either could not or durst not doe was with all alacritie performed in all places Temples were built no cost spared nothing too deare which that way should be spent sacrilegious wretches are not now more desirous to pull downe then those deuout professors were to set vp Churches Now one chiefe cause why God in all ages would be serued in publâ—ke Temples is that his Church might be distinguished from the Conuenticles of Heretikes and Schismatikes that all of vs acknowledge one God and one Christ so all of vs might haue one faith and one baptisme an vniformitie in doctrine and a conformitie in outward ceremonies for the better deliuering of this doctrine The parents of Christ did therefore well in ioyning themselues vnto the congregation and obseruing the publike ceremonies of the Church At that time the temple was made a denne of theeues and yet Ioseph and Mary ioyne with the Church in the publike worship of God whose example doth exceedingly crosse the practise of Brownists and all other Recusants who refuse to communicate with vs in our Temples because some things as they pretend are amisse Ioseph and Mary took part with Gods Priests and people in that which was good and as for the rest they did not meddle further then their place required They went this long iourney to satisfie the law as also by their good example to stirre vp other to reuerence the publike ceremonies and ministrie By the Law men only were bound to keep the general solemne feasts as wee reade Exod. 23. and Deut. 16.16 Three times in the yeere shall all the males appâ—are before the Lord thy God in the place where he shall chuse so that Mary went not vp to Hierusalem as compelled by law but only carried with pure deuotion to God and vnfained loue to her husband and childe Here then is a notable relique for women to behold Mary free by the letter of the law by thâ— custome of the countrey dwelling at Nazareth a great way from Hierusalem did notwithstanding euery yeere goe with her husband vnto the feast of the Passeouer In our time many women vnlike this good Ladie will be content â—uen on the Lords day to toyle at home about their own businesse and gad abroad to meddle with others businesse rather then thâ—y will accompanie their good husband Ioseph and their towardly sonne Iesus vnto Gods house And when they had fulfilled the daies That is whole seuen daies according to the custome They came with the first and went home with the last Worldly men for their honour will ride post to the Court to be knighted with the first for their profit at mill and market first for their pleasure at the play first at hunting first first at any mâ—rrie meeting but as for the Church they thinke they come too soone and stay too long winter daies are too short for hunting sommer daies too short for hawking yet one houre of seuen daies is thought long that is spent in Gods holy worship as one wittily Long Samons and short sermons please best and yet if we looke not with the spectacles of the world but with the eyes of faith discerning all things aright we shall finde that there is no such honour as to be Gods seruant no such gaine as godlinesse no such pleasure as a good conscience The congregation vnder the Law was not dismissed without the Priests benediction
imploy them and so multiplie them vnto the Donors glorie who gaue some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edificatioÌ„ of the bodie of Christ. If any giâ—â— lâ—t him doe it with singlenes With an vpright intention not to bee seene of men or to gaine much by giuing a little for that is not simplicitie but duplicitie Or because Paul speakes of Deacons publike guardians of the poore such as wee call Almoners and ouerseers he would not haue them deale subtilly for their own benefit but simply for the common good distributing the Churches beneuolence committed vnto their charge without respect of persoâ—s according to the seuerall necessities of the Saints Let him that ruleth doe it wiâ—â— diligence The slothfull and idle person is the diuels shop there he workes euer busie when men are lasie Wherefâ—re doe that which is in thine hand with all thy power especially take heed that thou doe not the worke of the Lord negligently That which Christ said of our redemption euery Christian must say of his particular vocation It is meate and drinke for me to doe my fathers will Vnto diligence there are two maine motiues 1. In regard of God who bestowes his gifts for this end that they may be well imployed in his holy seruice 2. In respect of our selues for vnto euery one that hath it shall be giuen and hee shall haue abundance and from him that hath not euen that hee hath shall be taken away The priuate duties are Generall Hate that which is euill cleane to that which is good Particular concerning our Faith Be feruent in spirit continue in prayer Hope Reioyce in hope be patient in tribulation Charitie in Giuing due respect to Superiours In giuing honor go one before another Equals Be kind one to another with brotherly loue Inferiours Distributing to the necessity of y e saints harboring the distressed equalling our selueâ— to theÌ„ of the lower sort Forgiuing Blesse them that persecute you c. All which offices are to be performed Freely Fully Fitly Freely with cheerefulnes and compassion Be merie with the merie weepe with such as weepe Fully without sloth or dissimulation Let loue be without dissimulation Fitly Applie your selues to the time for there is a time for all things and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth fit the place better then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Luther postil Erasm. Martyr in loc His meaning is not that we should alter our manners and religion according to the time like the Polypus and Camelion for in the beginning of this chapter hee doth aduise the contrarie Fashion not your selues according to to the world But that we should apprehend the best hint to doe good in the Church euermore redeeming the time Ephes. 5.16 so shall we be sure to serue God in obseruing the time The Gospel IOHN 2.1 There was a mariage in Cana c. MAriage is honorable saith Paul Honoured of God the Father Sonne Holy Ghost Father instituting it at the purest time in the best place for it was his first ordinance in Paradise when man was innocent Honoured of God the Sonne by his presence and first miracle wrought as the text saith at a wedding Honoured of God the holy Ghost who did ouershadow the betrothed virgin Mary Christs mother Honoured of the whole blessed Trinitie both in Deede for in the worlds vniuersall deluge maried persons and couples onelie were deliuered Gen. 7. Word comparing it to the kingdome of heauen and holinesse to a wedding garment calling it a great mysterie representing the spirituall vnion betweene Christ and his Church Honoured by the primitiue fathers as a fruitfull seminarie which fils earth with men and heauen with Saints Honoured of Iewes honoured of Gentiles honoured of all except heretikes and Papists herein appearing rather like diuels then Diuines as Paul tels vs 1. Tim. 4. The Papists in making mariagâ— a sacrament seeme to commend it more then wee but in affirâ—ing that holy Prâ—esthood is prophaned by this holy sacrament is to honour it as the Iewes honoured Christ in clothing him with a purple robe Mariage is a sacrament and yet a sacrilege So Bellarmin plainly Coniugia post solennia vota non coÌ„nubia sed sacrilegia so the rest of that vnchast generation generally such as vow first chastity then marry begin in the spirit and end in the flesh mad men saith Luther not vnderstanding what is the spirit or what is the flesh For in single life to burne with lust when one concubine wil not serue to commit villany with many strumpets are manifest workes of the flesh on the contrary for a man to loue his owne wife to gouerne his family to bring vp his children in instruction and information of the Lord are fruits of the spirit We might rather say that in heat of youth as Augustine speakes inquietâ adolescentia to vow single life were a sinne for whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Sed de talibus perpetuae virginitatis votis fides nulla nulla in sacris literis est litera Saint Ambrose writes peremptorily that all the twelue Apostles had wiues except Saint Iohn and almost all the Romish Postils obserue that Iohn was the bridegroome at this wedding If this annotation bee true why doe they condemne mariage in Priests If false why doe they suffer it for currant as well in their accurate new writers as in their olde fustie Friers If any desire to be further satisfied in this curiositie let him reade Maldonat vpon the first of Saint Iohn in the preamble and Cardinal Baronius annal Tom. 1. fol. 94. In this historie foure things are regardable 1. The occasioÌ„ of the miracle want of wine at a wedding described by circumstances of Time the third day Place in Cana a town of Galile Persons Guests inuited as Christ and his disciples Gossips comming of their owne accord to further and helpe the businesse 2. Certaine passages of speech vpon this occasion betweene Christ and his mother vers 3.4 3. The miracle it selfe vers 6.7.8.9 4. The consequent and effect of the miracle vers 11. And the third day These circumstances of time place persons are set downe to confirme the truth of the miracle The time was the third day mystically there are three daies of the world the first before the law the second vnder the law the third after the law The world was instructed before the law by the Patriarks example by the writings of the Prophets vnder the law but in the third day which is the gospels acceptable time by Christ and his miracles or literally the third day from his being in the wildernes as Euthymius or the third day after his conference with Nathaniel as Epiphanius or the third day after he
not altogether hang vpon the almes basket of their Counsell but vnderstand of themselues in some measure those things which concerne their places Erudimini qui quia indicatis Wherefore yee must needs obey Because all powers are of God because they bring with them the good of order because it is a sinne to disobey because iudgement temporall and eternall accompanie this sinne because gouernment is the meane of our weale because Kings are hired by tribute to serue their seruants and care for their subiects It is necessarie wee should obey both ex necessitate finis praecepti for hereby wee shall doe that which is acceptable to God and profitable to our selues acceptable to God enioining obedience profitable to our selues enioying the good of gouernment that we may leâ—de a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie Not onely for feà re of vengeance but also because of conscience Thus all must obey bad men for feare good men for loue The Kings Bench compels the one for he beareth not the sword in vaine but the Chancerie moues the other and therefore the Papists and Schismatikes are not good men in pretending conscience for their disobedience to the Ciuill Magistrate For as a learned father of our Church obserues excellently Tutâ conscientiâ praestari possunt quae propter conscientiam praestanda sunt A man may doe that with a safe conscience which he must doe for conscience Tribute to whom tribute Soueraigne Sublimities on earth are Gods among men in respect of their attributes and tributes Almightie God himselfe expects and receiues at our hands his immediate rents as prayer and thanksgiuing the rest as tithes and tributes hee doth accept being faithfullie paied vnto his Stewards and Vicegerents It is very remarkable that our Sauiour neuer did any miracle about honour or money except that one for giuing tribute to Caesar. For â—e must giue to Caesar the things which appertaine to Caesar honour to whom honour tribute to whom tribute but how much is not defined by Christ or Paul They leaue that as Bishop Latymer obserues to Caesars Counsell for to determine Wherefore let all such as are in Commission for the subsidie remember that excellent speech of Saluianus Illâ—d indignius poenalius quòd omnium onus non omnes sustinent imò quòd pauperculos homines tributa diuitum premunt infirmiores ferunt sarcinas fortiorum res diâ—ersissimas dissimilimasque patiuntur inuidiam egestatem inuidia est enim in solutione egestas in facultate The Gospel MATTH 8.23 And when he entred into a ship his Disciples followed him c. SAint Matthew reports in this scripture two miracles one wrought by Christ in the water another on the land The first is both an Historie The first is both an Mysterie The word of God is a two edged sword hauing one edge saith Tertullian in the sense of the matter and an other in the sound of the words or as Ludouicus Viues obserueth being sharpe in a literall exposition and sharp in an allegoricall sense Most Interpreters therefore note that the ship heere mentioned is a type of the Church militant tossed in the world which is most like the sea with stormes of persecution vntill Christ the Master of the ship who seemes to sleepe for a time doth awake by the prayers of passengers and makes a calme In the storie two things are to be considered especially the shipping of Christ In the storie two things are to be considered especially the sailing of Christ. In his shipping two points obseruable 1. That he entred himselfe 2. That his Disciples followed him In the sailing two principall occurrences are to bee noted also the raging of a tempest stilling of a tempest The tempest is said here to be Sudden Behold there arose The tempest is said here to be Great so that the ship was couered with waues and Christ who was to comfort and help all was asleepe In the stilling of the tempest foure things are regardable 1. Christ awaketh His Disciples came and awoke him saying Master saue vs c. 2. The Disciples are rebuked Why are ye fearfull O ye of little faith 3. The tempest calmed He rebuked the windes and the sea 4. The beholders of this miracle wondred saying What manner of man is this c. Iesus entred into a ship As the superstitious Papists in latter daies assigned seuerall Saints for seuerall seruices as Apollonia for the toothach for hogs S. Anthony for horses S. Loy for Souldiers S. Maurice for Seamen S. Nicholas c. so the grosse idolatrous Heathen in old time marshalled their gods into seuerall rankes allotting Heauen for Iupiter Hell for Pluto the Sea for Neptune Christ therefore to shew their vanitie and to manifest himselfe to be the sole Commander of the world so soone as he had wrought miracles on the land in healing the leper vers 3. in curing the Centurions seruant vers 13. in casting out diuels vers 16. in helping al that were sick vers 17. he comes now saith Origen to shew wonders on the sea Wee neede not then exhibit supplications either vnto the no gods of the Gentiles or moe gods of the Papists importuning the virgin Mary for euery thing as if her sonne Iesus were still a babe not able to helpe For if we be schollers he is our saint Gregorie the God of wisedome if souldiers he is our Mars the God of hosts if wee desire to liue in quietnesse he is the God of peace if mariners he is our Nicholas and Neptune that enters into the ship and calmes the tempest If we ascend vp into heauen hee is there if we descend downe into hell he is there also if wee take the wings of the morning and dwell in the vâ—termost parts of the sea yet thither shall his hand lead vs and his right hand hold vs hauing all power ouer all things in all places and doing whatsoeuer hee will in heauen earth sea Psalm 139.6 Saint Mat. vers 18. of this chapter and saint Marke cap. 4. vers 36. intimate another reason why Christ entred into the ship namely to shun the multitudes of people for as the sunne though a most glorious creature oculus mundi the worlds eye is regarded little because it shineth euery day so ministers the light of the world are eclipsed much by the grosse interposition of earth It is true that familiaritie breeds contempt and as true cuius persona despicitur eius praedicatio contemnitur and therefore clergie men as Christ heere must vpon occasions often withdraw themselues à turbâ turbulentâ Bartholomaeus Angâ—icus mentioneth a lake in Ireland in which if a staffe be pight and tarieth any long time therein the part that is in the earth is turned to iron and the part in the water to stone onely the part aboue the water remaines in his
which is good to heare y â— which is good well Aures audiendi sunt aures meÌ„tis scilicet intelligeÌ„di facieÌ„di quae iussa sunt A good eare saith the Wiseman will gladly hearken vnto wisedome where note two lessons as concerning hearing first that wee hearken vnto nothing but that which is good vnto wisedome Secondly that we hearken vnto it gladly with a great desire to learne for in Scripture phrase obaudire is obedire so Christ in the Gospell Hee that heareth you heareth mee that is he that obeyeth you obeyeth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me If thy brother heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother that is if thy brother follow thy counsell and will be content to be ruled by thee We reade in the law that if a bond seruant will not be made free but stay still with his master hee shall bee brought before the Iudges and set to the doore or the post and his master shall boare his eare thorow with an aule and so he shall serue him for euer Euery sinner is the diuels vassall and therefore if hee refuse to be free when libertie and free grace of the Gospell is offered ere it be long the diuell will so boare his eares as that they shall be made vnfit to heare and then hee shall serue his old master for euer Hee may peraduenture come to Church and heare the sermon but hee shall be like the man that beholds his face in a glasse for when he hath considered himselfe he goeth his way and forgets immediatly what manner of one he was Wherefore when yee come to Christ bring your eares with you eares to heare so to heare that ye may vnderstand so vnderstand that ye may remember so remember that ye may practise so practise that ye continue so Gods seede shall be sowen in good ground and bring foorth fruite in some thirtie in some sixtie in some an hundred fold c. The parables exposition is occasioned by the Disciples question vers 9. What manner of similitude is this Where note their carefulnesse in asking Christs readinesse in answering For the first the Sabbath is aptly termed a schole day wherein all Gods people must come to the Temple which is the schoole to learne his word their lesson In this seminarie Christ is the chiefe seedman stiled in the beginning of this parable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sower In this Vniuersitie Christ is the prime Doctor Vnus est doctor vester e cuius schola in terris cathedra in coelis His Apostles sowed as vnder-bailiffes in his field and his Preachers in our time teach as vnder-vshers in his schoole As then in the schooles of humane knowledge so soone as the lecture is read it is the schollers dutie to question among themselues how to parse construc it and when they doubt to haue recourse to their Grammar rules by which all construction is examined and when they doe not vnderstand an hard rule to come for a resolution vnto their master who is as it were a liuing Grammar and a walking booke So likewise in Gods Academy in the Diuinitie schoole when either the lecture of the Law is read or sermon on the Gospell ended it is your part to reason among your selues as you walke abroad in the fields or talke at home in your house how this and that may be construed and when you cannot resolue one another with the men of Beroea to search the Scripture daily whether those things are so to trie the spirits of men by the spirit of God for the Bible is our Diuinitie Grammar according to which all our lessons ought to bee parsed and construed And if yee meete with a difficult place repaire to Gods Vsher the Priest whose lippes should presâ—rue knowledge Demand of your pastor as the Disciples of Christ here What manner of parable is this It is apparent in the Gospell that the Disciples euer tooke this course when Christ had deliuered any deepe point first they disputed among themselues and then after came to him and asked his resolution Why say the Scribes that Elias must first come How can these things be Declare vnto vs the parable of the tares In our daies if the pastor be learned in the lawes of the land and well acquainted with businesse of the world his house shall be reputed oraculum totius ciuitatis as Tully speakes all his neighbours will haste vnto him for aduice in law but few for counsell in religion Indeed they come to schoole but like truants onely for feare of punishment and when they come they care nâ—â— how little learning they haue for their money Bâ—t let me tell them of another schoole tricke at the worlds end there is a black friday a generall examination at which time Conscience the monitor 〈…〉 her bookes and bils of all our faults and our 〈◊〉 Schoolmaster in his owne person shall reward euery 〈◊〉 according to his worke It behoueth euery one therefore to be diligent in comming to schoole to be carefull in hearing painfull in examining fruitfull in practising And he said Christs readinesse in answering teacheth all Preachers his Vshers and Curates not only to preach in publike but also to catechise their auditors as occasion is offered in priuate especially such as hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for vnto them it is giuen to know the secrets of Gods kingdome The which words containe Gods donation vnto his elect and it is cum priuilegiô gratiâ with priuiledge to you but vnto other in parables cum gratiâ it is giuen Consulas Augustin de praedestinat Sanctorum cap. 8. lib. de bono perseuerantiae cap. 8.9 11. lib. de correp gratiâ cap. 4.6.7.8 Sauing knowledge of God is a gift and grace for the naturall man vnderstands not the things of God hee beleeues oculô magis quà m oraculo trusting his fiue senses more then the foure Gospels It is a mysterie reuealed vnto you but hidden vnto many whose eyes the god of this world hath darkened that seeing they should not discerne and hearing they should not vnderstand O father saith Christ thou hast hid these things from the wise and hast opened them vnto babes It is so because thy good pleasure was such As it is our fathers will alone to giue vs a kingdome so likewise his good will alone to make vs know the secrets of his kingdome There are mysteria regis which may not be knowne and there are mysteria regâ—i which must be knowne many mysteries of our heauenly king are knowne onely to himselfe Canst thou saith Iob finde out God canst thou finde out the Almightie to his perfection The heauens are high what canst thou doe it is deeper then the hell how canst thou know it The measure thereof is longer then the earth and it is broader then the sea God therefore requires rather we should remember what hee
and haue not charitie I am nothing gather two conclusions against vs the first is thâ—t true faith may bee without loue the second that faith alone without good workes is nothing worth in the businesse of our iustification To the first answere is made that the speech of Paul is not a categoricall proposition but an hypotheticall supposition if it were possible that all faith should be without good workes it were nothing Secondly Paul here speakes not of a iustifying saith of that faith of beleeuers which is common and generall but of the speciall gift of faith to worke miracles of which our Sauiour in the Gospell If yee had faith aâ— much as a graine of mustard seâ—de and should say vnto this mulbery tree Pluck thy selfe vp by the rootes and plant thâ— selfe in the sea it should euen obey you This hee said vnto the beleeuing Apostles and therefore cannot bee construed of a sauing faith but of a miraculous faith and so S. Ambrose notes vpon this text to doe wonders and to cast out diuels by faith is nothing worth except a man be an earnest follower of good conuersation Our Diuines acknowledge that euery kind of faith is not ioyned with loue for there is a dead â—aith and there is a liuely whereby Christ liueth in vs we in Christ. There is a faith of diuâ—ls and a faith of Gods elect There is a faith whereby the beleeuer shal neuer perish and there is a faith whereby some beleeue for a time and in the day of temptation fall away There is a faith which the world destroyeth and a faith which is our victorie by which a Christian ouercomes the world There is a faith whereby wee beleeue there is a God and there is a faith whereby we beleeue in God according to these differences of faith in Scripture there is a faith without workes and there is a faith which worketh by loue We say then of the faith of Gods elect whereby we beleeue in God to which the promise of iustification and eternall saluation is made that is a faith which cannot be separated from charity but wheresoeuer it is there is loue ioyned with it bringing forth the fruites of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Christ vnto the glorie and praise of God Inseparabilis est bona vita à sidâ— qua per dâ—â—e iionem operatur imò verò ea iâ—sâ— est bona vâ—â—â— saith Aâ—gustine according to that of Irenaeus to beleeue is to doe as God will and therfore Beza translates here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not omnem fidem but toâ—â—m â—idem implying not all kinde of faith but all faith of this kinde to worke miracles as if Paul should argue thus If a man could worke neuer so many miracles and faile in his morals he should be nequâ—m nequam is nequiâ—quam as our Apostle speakes a nothing The second conclusion gathered out of these words against vs is that faith alone without charitie nothing auaileth to iustification Our answere is that albeit faith is not solitaria yet in our iustification it is sâ—la euen as the eye in regard of being is neuer alone from the head yet in respect of seeing it is alone for it is the eye onely that doth see So saith subsists not without other graces of God as hope loue c. yet in regard of the act of iustification it is alone without them all For the further opening of this hard point you must vnderstand that separating of things one from another is either real in the subiect or mental in the vnderstanding real separation of faith and charitie wee wholly denie For Bellarmine confesseth expressely that Luthâ—r Melanâ—thon Chemnitius Caluin and other learned Protestants haue taught that good workes in sâ—me sort be necessarie to saluation and that there is no true â—aith vnlesse it bring forth good workes and be conioyned with charitie Separation mental in vnderstanding and consideration is either negatiue or priuatiue Negatiue when in the vnderstanding there is an affirming of one and denying of another Priuatiue when of things that cannot be separated indeed yet a man vnderstands the one and omitteth to vnderstand the other As for example though light and heate cannot be sepaâ—ated in the fire yet a man may consider the light and not the heate so then in our iustification wee doe not negatiuely separate other graces from faith as if faith existed alone without hope and loue but priuatiuely making them effects and consequents not concurâ—ing causes of our iustification Our assertion is faith considered without hope and charitie that is hope and charitie not considered with it doth iustifie Christ Iesus is our husband and we are his spouse now the Bridegroome must bee â—lone with the Bride in his secret chamber all the seruants and the familie being put apart afterward when the doore is opened and he commeth foorth into the waiting roome then let all the seruants and handmaids attend then let hope doe her office let loue doe the duties of loue then as S. Peter exhorts ioyne vertue with faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance c. The Papists obiect that loue is the life of faith All faiths actiuitie proceedes only from charitie and without which our â—aith is dead So the Scripture plainly that in Christ neither is circumcision any thing neither vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue Cardinall Bellarmine reades 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passiuely wrought by loue disagreeing herein from all the Fathers and that which becomes him worse from the vulgar Latine to which all Papists are tied by the Councell of Trent as also from the Rhemish translation in Enlish which hath as our Testament worâ—eth actiuely for they foresaw this absurditie that if they should haue translated faith wrought by loue then it would haue followed that loue must needs be before faith whereas all of them acknowledge faith to be before loue according to that of Augustine Faith is giuen first by which wee obtaine the rest and Altissiodorensis in his golden Summe saith that faith hope and charitie are a created trinitie resembling the three diuine persons vncreat For the Sonne is begotten of the Father and the holy Ghost proceeds from both so stedfast hope is bred of faith and loue doth issue from them both And Bellarmine cites often in his workes out of Augustine Domus Deicredendo fundatur sperando erigitur diligendo perficitur The foundation of Gods house in our soules is faith the walles hope the roofe charitie The Prophet in a vision saw the transgressor against the transgressor and the destroyer against the desâ—royer So the schoolmen oppose the schoolmen and their Champion Bellarmine fights against Bellarmine For if faith be the foundation of all other vertues as himselfe writes lib. 1. de Rom. pont cap. 10. then it is not as hee