vnperfect and confused maner in others the chosen I meane that should reape therby euerlasting blessednes he would haue it more soundly in greater perfection Concerning the thirde and last that is by what degrees his purpose was to haue it in those that shoulde haue this knowledge in them after the sounder and perfecter maner we finde his purpose to haue bene that in this world they should haue it more darkely and yet in great certaintie without doubting and euer increasing to a clearer light in the worlde to come they shoulde haue it more clearly and in as greate perfection and glorie as possibly maye bee in suche a Creature The Person of the Sonne VNto the Person of the Sonne we attribute the bringing forth of this his purpose out of the bosome or secrete counsell of the Father or in what sorte it is made manyfest as touching whiche we haue more specially to consider these two thinges first what is that worke wherein he hath made him selfe knowne then what are the principall partes thereof Concerning the former of these two it is to be knowen that we haue to cast our eyes but to the workmanshippe of mankinde and of all other Creatures that are ordeyned to the vse of man For though it should be so that he had many other worldes besides this of ours and many other workes as fayre and fayrer then this yet this onely and none other is ordeyned to vs wherein he will be knowen vnto vs. Concerning the other that is to finde out what are the principall partes of this manifestation of him selfe this is a large and a worthy matter And the parts therof are these three the beginning the continuing and the finishing of it That we may the better see in what sort it was begunne there are foure principall things to be considered First howe he made the world and all things therein before that euer he made man Secondarily in what sorte he made man Thirdly howe he delt with him after that he had so made him Last of all howe God hauing finished all that his worke rested the Seuenth day and hallowed it The first of these is not only an example of his Prouidende prouiding for vs before that we were but also an argument of his goodnes preuenting vs because thereby we perceyue he loued vs before that euer we could deserue any iote of his kindnes The seconde leadeth vs to consider what kinde of one he made vs firste in Body then in Soule As touching our Body or earthly nature he made man of an homely peece of earth Which is a sufficient proofe of Gods power a preseruatiue agaynst pride that mighte arise when he should beholde the excellencies wherwithall shortly after he should be indewed and a figure of the excellent worke of Redemption that afterwarde shoulde be raysed out of the base estate of the flesh or manhood of Christe The woman he made of a ribbe taken out of Adams side beeing cast asleepe Whiche is a singular prepratiue truely to loue and a figure of the Churche of God whiche is and can be none other but only it which is raysed out of the passiō of our Adam Christ As touching our Soule he endewed both the man and the woman with notable excellencies so to make them a more liuely image of him selfe as may appeare by these fowre things First that he made it to endure for euer Secondarily that he furnished it with a notable lighte of knowledge not onely in these inferior matters of the world both naturall and ciuill but also with whatsoeuer apperteineth to the true worship of God or to his spirituall kingdome Thirdly that he made him clene without any steine of sinne and fully able to fulfill the Lawe that afterwarde was geuen or to follow the rule of perfect righteousnes in deede worde and thoughte Last of all that he lefte him in so perfecte freedome of his wyll that both he mighte still haue done good till of his owne accorde he had turned aside and yet that when as it should come to passe that needes he would he should both leaue the way of righteousnes and peace and fall away to all iniquitie and to a moste wretched estate so both to keepe him selfe without steine when man shoul◠fall and to make a way to the declaration of his Iustice and mercy The thirde that is the consideration howe he dealt with man after that hee had made him so excellent a creature resteth in two principall poyntes firste howe he dooth before prepare him to bring foorth the force of those his excellencies to the keeping of his Commaundement when it should be giuen then howe he geueth the commaundement it selfe Cōcerning the former of these there are three poyntes that belong therevnto For first he gaue him the vse and soueraintie of all other creatures that hee might the rather neuer turne aside his obedience or seruice to them and haue therewithall bothe to prouoke hym to the seruice of God and also to mainteyne him therein Secondarily he gaue him to vnderstande that he was a most blessed creature both by the place wherein he set him that pleasaunt Paradise and especially by the Tree of life that he left him which Tree of lyfe was left vnto him to feede on as a Sacrament of his blessed estate and that in the midste of the Garden euer to be before his eyes Out of both which man might haue gathered that he was marueilous much beholding to God and that althoughe nowe he stoode yet in processe of time he mighte fall Last of all he fensed him about with the exercise of bodely labour geuing him charge to keepe and dresse the garden out of which also he might haue gathered not only that labour was a needefull exercise for him but also that he had neede to preserue him selfe in the estate that God had giuen him As touching the latter of them that is the geuing of the Commaūdement it selfe we haue to consider three thinges Firste what the Commaundement it selfe was that is to forbeare one tree that it pleased God to exempte which was but obedience and that but in a small matter Then how he directeth him to keepe it whiche he doth both by denouncing vnto him most certayne and extreme wretchednes when soeuer he should breake it and therewithall interpreting the name vnto him that otherwise might haue bene very daungerous Last of all seeing that there is no seruice of God till a commaundement be giuen and as yet this commaundement was not geuen till this present that here is an other argument that the goodnesse of God euer preuenteth our desertes The fourth and last which is how he rested the seuenth day may first of all be a figure of our rest in Christ in this world begunne finished in the worlde to come Secondarily it is an argument or pledge that we are sanctified not by our selues or by any other but only by the Lord him selfe Thirdly it ought to be an
reason of it we become odious vnto him and neuer freight our heads so full of worldly fancies but that we may be able to kepe our minds vnto our praiers It forbiddeth first the Braunch then also the Roote whatsoeuer other Braunches come out of the same The Braunch is to be occupied in our vsual affayres on the Sabboth day The Roote is to be worldly minded or to haue so litle accoÌ„pt of our inwarde sanctification that we do not much care though still we remaine as bad as before and euer be occupied in the workes of our owne corrupt nature The other Braunches that do spring out of the same are diuers First such as do apperteine to the Sabboth day it selfe if we bestowe it or any parte of it in ydlenes goodfelowshippe inordinate feastinge drinking gamning or such like or yf we absent our selues from the ordinarie Diuine Seruice or yf we either cause or suffer others that are vnder our charge so to doo Secondarily as touching those Ordinarie meanes before sette downe yf we haue so litle care to be godly that we behaue our selues cleane contrarie to that whiche is before sette downe As namely firste as touching the worde yf eyther we doo flatly despise and abhorre or els not singularly regarde eyther the reading or the hearing of it or if eyther wee doo cleane plucke downe the Ministerie or by our niggardly allowaunce but steale away the force thereof as for the Sacramentes yf eyther altogether we shunne them or but in some poyntes after our manner abuse them buryinge the one in deepe obliuyon and comming to the other eyther vnreuerently or very seldome or not at all but for feare of cyuile coercion or shame of the worlde Concerninge the Church or in it the better sorte yf eyther we neuer ioyne vnto them or quickly start out againe or make them weary of our company or take not to vs the benefite of them And as for Gouernement yf we be so much geuen to lyue after our licentious will that eyther we go about to ouerthrow it one way or other or els lyue not by the rule of it at least wheÌ„ we hope that we are in secrete Last of all as touching those Helpes yf we doo not vse them as is described Firste concerning watching yf eyther we do not aduice our selues of those thinges aforesaide or yf they happen to come into our heades forthwith suppresse them and lull our selues a sleepe in securitie againe As for fasting if we vse not occasions of goodnes nor auoide occasions of naughtines but tenderly spare our labour in the one and licentiously geue ouer our selues to the other and in the meane season set downe our selues in some wicked or vaine toy in the name of Fasting Last of all as touching Prayer the Braunches are eyther neuer to trouble our selues therewith eyther not at all or not in our owne person but to put ouer that charge vnto others or els yf our selues will take a litle paynes sometimes therin to be sure of this that eyther we slippe a side from God and steale to some Saint or haue our prayers in a tongue that we doe not vnderstande or make but a lip-labour of them putting our heart and minde to other vses and leauing our lippes and fingers ends only to them The Concession or graunting of sixe dayes labour is nowe to be sene Concerning which we haue to consider first that it is no parte of the Commaundement it selfe speaking properly but onely a permission or an allowance Secondarily that seeing it is so liberall allowaunce as it is it ought to perswade vs in no wise to medle with the seuenth day to any such vse Thirdly that it is not so to be taken but that we may haue other holy dayes besides as they may be vsed notwithstaÌ„ding this the nature of an allowauÌ„ce being such as that it standeth of force but so farre as it is not restrained by some other law of as great authoritie Last of all that seing God chargeth vs with no moe it may seeme not to be so very needefull to haue any moe but only this Concerning the last part which is the reason whervpon the obseruation of this Com. is grounded the same is double The first reason is because god him self hauing finished his worke in those sixe dayes that went before did rest the Seuenth Which seemeth to conclude two things The firste very plaine that seeing he hath geuen vs example to doo that wherevnto his worde doeth directly call vs we as naturall children ought in this point to follow our fathers example The other more darke and more vncerten in it selfe neuerthelesse so well holpeÌ„ otherwayes that it also may come before our eyes whiche is no more but this that yf as the world was made in six dayes and the seuenth was a day of rest so is it likely to stand towards the point of six thousand yeres then immediately the eternall reste in glorie to beginne which not onely diuers of the learned haue said great likelihoods do import but also the scriptures do seme to witnes both by the whole and vniuersall course of them and also by certaine particular places then may a man in the seuenth dayes reste more sensiblie perceaue that nowe our Redemption to so many as labour is nere at hande and therefore that it is tyme to lyft vppe our heades both because wee are alreadie come to the sixte dayes afternoone and hope that of those yeares which yet remaine a good nombre shall be cut off Insomuch that hence ariseth double instruction firste to those that will not ceasse from their owne workes here that they muste in the worlde to come labour in eternall tormentes so that they can not with any sounde comforte beholde the Seuenth dayes reste then that those that heere ceasse from their owne workes that they shall rest in the world to come so that they may most ioyfully beholde the Seuenth dayes rest that is vnto them so comfortable a messenger of so blessed an estate so neere at hande The other reason is for that God blessed the Seuenth day hallowed it which also geueth double instruction Firste that suche as truly endeuour them selues to obserue this Seuenth dayes rest in suche sort as is prescribed shall no doubt become godlie because God hath blessed it to that ende then also that it is no maruell that suche as so litle accompt as they do to obserue it as they ought to do are so vngodly and wicked as they are because they refuse this blessing of God that shoulde make them better The fift Commaundedement THe fift Commaundement teacheth vs to linke together one with an other in such order as we find that God him selfe from tyme to tyme doth sette among vs For seeing that it requireth that all infeâ—iors honour their superiors or submitte themselues vnto them and all are inferiors in some respect euen the highest of al we may boldly conclude that this
by the way of mercie As touching the tokens of the reconciliation that I spake of we haue in lyke maner to see what they were and why hee did vouchsafe to geue them Of those tokens there were two sortes some that insued immediately after the fall and some that were founde in the processe of tyme that followed Immediately after the fall he came to rayse them vp againe sought them out where they were hid put them in minde of the cause of their miserie cursed the serpent for their sakes promised them a cōquest ouer him cast vpon them but a gētle discipline although their sinne were maruelous great and made them garmentes to couer their nakednes In the processe of time that followed in that age he so blessed their acte of generation that in conuenient time the earth was replenished with people gaue them thinges nedefull for their bodies clothed many of them with notable vertues and politicall excellencies and gaue vnto some the most comfortable seale of adoption The ende or cause wherfore he gaue them was both to comfort them agaynst the bitternes of that estraunging of him selfe and also by suche fatherly dealing the better to allure them vnto him In the seconde age of the world or in all that space of time that was betwixt the calling of Abraham vntill the cōming of Christ the preparation that he vsed consisteth in foure principall poyntes Firste that he chose vnto him one people the children of Israell out of all the world Whiche is so to be taken as that we haue out of the same to gather that for all that time as for any Church or people of adoption he had no other Nation or whole Familie that we knowe of in all the worlde but them alone and yet that euer he had diuers particular men of other Nations whome he had secretly sealed and sometimes ioyned vnto them in their profession And as for other fauourable dealing though he delt very graciously with others also yet was he euer most gracious to them Secondarily by giuing thē a farther knowledge of whatsoeuer apperteyned to the worke of Redemption that was in hande by that forme of Religion which is termed the Law the Prophetes opening and vrging the same as touching which we haue to consider first what was therein exhibited vnto them then howe he did applie the same to their vse There were exhibited vnto them a couple of Couenaūts The one that if they should performe the rule of absolute righteousnesse to them in the Law prescribed they shoulde bee able to liue thereby or which is the same they should be able to stande in the iudgement of God by the vertue of their owne merites The other that forbecause no body was able to performe it therefore him selfe had prouided him of an other that should performe the same and would sende him into the world when the time should come on whome whosoeuer should fully rest and seeke no further they should be able to stande by him and by the vertue of his merites He applyed the same to their vse two maner of wayes First by geuing foorth the rule of absolute righteousnes and requiring the full performaunce of it or els letting them vnderstande that nothing should be able to stande before him so to chase them away from the opinion of their owne righteousnes that naturall heresie of all mankinde Then for that by the Prophetes he both gaue them to vnderstande that there was an other way of saluation ordeyned by the latter Couenaunt and that there was no other but it and also by often renewing of his promise dyd very well strengthen them both agaynst doubtfulnesse on the one side and agaynst the impaciencie of long wayting on the other syde Thirdely by the figures and shadowes of the Leuiticall ceremonies whereby he did notably describe the Sauiour and the whole worke of Redemption by him Last of all about foure hundred yeeres before that the Sauiour shoulde come he dyd as it were prouoke their appetite to couet him both by geuing no Prophet or Vision vnto them as before he was wonte and by plunging their State or Common welth in deepe distresse To come to the second that is the bringing forth of the worke of Redemption it selfe there be foure principal things to be considered first what time it came in secondarily what kind of one he was and must nedes haue ben that shuld performe it thirdly how he hath performed the matter last of all how comfortable his name is vnto vs The time wherein he personally came was the latter end of the second age whē the fulnes of time was come so to performe his promise to the nation before that they should be cast of from being his peculiar people Our Sauiour was and nedes must haue bene both God and man It behoued him to be god that he might be the person that were able to doo whatsoeuer apperteined to the work of Redēption It behoued him to be mā that so he might be the partie that onely was chargeable or that might lawfully doo it which coulde be no other but only man In which his manhood he had experience of our infirmities of nature but was neuer steined with any spotte of sinne The performāce of his worke resteth in two principall poynts First that he hath on our behalfe susteined in his manhood whatsoeuer weight of vengeaunce was due to our sinne so to answere the Iustice of god and yet him selfe perished not as wee should haue done for that he was able to cast it of when he would Then that he hath wrought on our behalfe whatsoeuer righteousnes or perfection the iustice of God requireth of those that should be left into the kingdome of God that so wee might be able by the vertue of his merites to come thervnto As touching his name the matter is this that to our comforte and to the strengthening of our fayth he would be called Iesus Christ Iesus being an Hebrewe worde and signifying a Sauiour Christ being a Greeke worde and signifying Annoynted Whiche Annoynting beeing an olde ceremonie of the Leuitical Lawe fulfilled and abrogated by Christ doth in him signifie that he was both ordeined of God to be our sauiour and also furnished with abilitie to saue And therefore that he is in this sorte moste effectually annoynted our Priest Prophet and King that of his fulnes we might all receyue whatsoeuer were needefull that is that he beeing our Priest might make the attonement for euer betwixt God and vs he beeing our Prophet or Teacher might instruct vs in all things for vs to knowe he being our king might gouerne both within vs by his grace or spirite of adoption without vs by his power in all things els that nothing hurt vs. The third remaineth that is to find out after what maner this our Sauiour hauing finished all for the which he came into the world in this thirde and laste age of the world hath euer mainteined and notably
our selues to folow their vertuous examples as for the others by whom we receiue but some earthly blessing yet to haue them also in their degree in very reuerende and thankefull remembraunce As for those that are newly departed that we bring them semely vnto the ground kepe vp their good name so well as we may and doo for those that are lefte behinde them As for all inferior Creatures that we haue them also in that accompt that we allowe them that place and estate that God hath geuen them and that whensoeuer we haue occasion to vse them we doo it with sobrietie and reuerence It forbiddeth first the Braunche then also the Roote and whatsoeuer other Braunches come oute of the same The Braunche is to dishonour our naturall Parents The Roote is to drowne or neglect the cōsideratiō of those good things that it hath pleased god to lay vp in others to our vse as though eyther there were no suche in them or otherwise that wee could doo wel inough without them The other Braunches that come out of the same are many and diuers First of all as touching Christe the Father of our eternall brotherhoode eyther not all to yeelde him those poyntes of honour or not so fully as we ought to doo As touching those two sortes of men and first of all them to whome we are more specially bounde and among them those that are in authoritie ouer vs eyther to disobey them in such thinges as in which they go not against the worde of God eyther openly or couertly or to depose their persons mainteine or set vp an other against them or ouer them or to denie them sufficent maintenaunce of our gooddes or landes or but to haue them in any contempt or not so great reuerēce as is due vnto thē in thought word or deede Secondarily as touching those that are but in dignity before vs either in heart or els by some open fact altogether to disesteme or despise them or not to acknowledge them such as they are but to diminish or kepe in some part of their due estimatiō Thirdly as touching those others that beare vs good will eyther to make but small accōpt of their good will or to shew our selues vnthankfull when occasion is offered Then as touching all others yf by a wicked preiudice or secretely with our selues we condemne any eyther for very yll persons or but to be to litle purpose or els in outward appearaunce shewe our selues to haue them in that accompt Last of all as touching Angels dead men and inferior Creatures yf we haue thē not in that reuerence euery sorte in their degree as we ought to haue As for Angels yf we haue them in any contempt or yf vnreuerently we solemnize such good memorials as we haue or may haue of them As for Saintes or those deade men that haue lefte notable monumentes of their faith behinde them yf lykewise we disesteme eyther them selues or their good thinges that they haue left vnto vs defacing their writings their doings or their monumēts being other wise good or allowable ynough or yf we vnreuerently solemnize those good memorials of thē that to our vse and to the glorie of God are or may be well ordeined As touching those that haue left vs but some earthly blessing yf we haue not them also in very thankfull remēbraunce yf we deface their doinges diminishe of their glorie or raze their monumēts As touching those that are lately departed yf we suffer them to lye vnburied or burie them disorderly or impeach their good name or neglect those that they leaue behind them As touching all inferior Creatures yf insolently we behaue our selues towardes them or wantonly vse them So we haue in this order to knit vnto all and to sunder our selues frō none The promise annexed therevnto doth partely respecte particular persons but especially the whole people As it respecteth particular persōs though the wordes seeme to promise longe life in this world without exceptiō yet are they so to be taken as that they promise it in this worlde as it shall be moste expedient in the worlde to come without exception or limitation and that the obseruers therof if they haue not the performance of this promise in this world as in deede there is no time appointed then because god is true and iust they are sure to haue it in the world to come For it is not euer sene that good subiectes are most cherished but sometymes wrongfully and vnnaturally cut off very sone howbeit their hope to haue this promise performed is not therefore cut off therewithall but much enlarged So likewise on the other side it doth so threaten such as breake it to haue their dayes cut off that neuerthelesse they are in this worlde oftymes ouerslipped but then so much the more sure to be cut off from that longe and blessed lyfe in the world to come As it respecteth the whole people it doth in like sort not onely promise vnto them that they shall peaceably enioy their owne lād so long as they shal thus linke together by honouring eche other as they ought to doe but also threatneth that they shall be rooted out thence whensoeuer they shall start from those bandes of vnitie and sunder or diuide them selues from cache other Whiche also came to passe among the Israelites after that the greatest part of them deuided them selues from the house of Dauid to whome the Crowne was appointed of god Out of which all States haue in like sorte to gather that yf they shall in maner aforesaid knit together then shall they also long enioy their countrie in peace and prosperitie yf contrariwise they fall a sunder then doo they lay them selues open to the spoyle and geue their lande occasion to cast them out as vnnaturall and ouerchargeable burdens for the earth to beare The sixt Commaundedement BY the sixte Commaundement are we taught that vnto this kniting together by honouring eche other we also bring with vs a singular care of preseruation to be spreade foorth vnto all and to euery one But whereas the three next Cōmaundementes doe treate of diuers speciall pointes of this care for eache other that by this is requyred we may beste take this to treate of it generally leauing those special points to the others And so to proceede we haue to consider that first it forbiddeth then it requireth It forbiddeth first the Braunche then the Roote and whatsoeuer other Braunches come out of the same The Braunch is murther The Roote is the neglecting of or not caring for our neighbours good estate The other Braunches that proceede out of the same are very many but yet such as that deducting those that doe properly apperteine to those three Commaundementes that nexte followe all may be brought into a couple of principall sortes Whereof the former is wherby we annoy our neighbour in our Common Calling or as all menne generally may doo the other is whereby we annoy him