tecum est intus est Ita dico Lucili sacer intra nos spiritus sedet malorum bonorumque obseruator custos Let the people This and other manifest repetitions in this Psalme may serue for a warrant to iustifie the repetitions in our Liturgie but I will answere the Nouelist in the words of Paul Rom. 2. In that thou blamest another thou condemnest thy selfe for thou that iudgest doest the same thing The reformers in one of their prayers after the Sermon vse repetition and that of the Lords prayer and in such sort that within a very narrow roome it is first expounded paraphrastically then againe reiterated euery word particularly So likewise the Scotish Church in the ministration of Baptisme doth enioyne that the Creed be repeated twice First the father or in his absence the Godfather propounds it and then instantly the Minister expounds it Wherfore that worthie Diuine most truly there is in England a schismaticall and vndiscreete companie that would seeme to crie out for discipline their whole talke is of it and yet they neither know it nor will be reformed by it Then shall the earth Literally the earth which was cursed for mans sinne shall through Gods blessing giue her increase The valleyes shall stand thick with corne and our garners shall be full with all manner of store So that if the vine be dried vp or the figge tree decaied if our corne bee blasted or graine so thinne that the mower cannot fill his hands nor he that bindeth vp the sheaues his bosome we must remember it is for our vnthankfulnes and sin For if all the people praise the Lord then shall the earth bring forth her increase See the two first Chapters of Ioel. In a mysticall sense Mary shall bring foorth Christ or the blessed Apostles by preaching in all corners of the world shall bring foorth increase to God a great haruest This prophecie was fulfilled Acts 2. when S. Peter in one sermon conuerted about three thousand soules or earth that is all men on earth shall bring foorth fruite vnto God when as they shall know him and praise him Let the people c. let all the people praise then shall the earth bring foorth increase God euen our owne God Out of this sentence the Fathers and other Interpretors obserue generally the Trinitie and vnitie of God the Trinitie in the three-fold repetition of the word God vnitie in the pronoune him all the ends of the world shall feare him in the singular not them in the plurall It is very remarkable that Christ the second person is called our God God euen our God as being ours in many respects as hauing taken vpon him our flesh liuing among vs and at length also dying for vs. Immanuel God with vs Esay 7. 14. Matth. 1. 23. Hee bare our infirmities and answered for our iniquities our reconciliuion and our peace through whom and in whom God is ours and we are his Can. 6. 2. All the ends of the world shall feare him In the 4 verse Dauid desired earnestly that all nations might be glad and reioyce now that they may feare teaching vs hereby to serue the Lord in feare and to reioyce vnto him with reuerence Psal. 2. 11. So to feare him as to serue him with gladnesse and so to reioyce in him as to worke out our saluation in feare and trembling without ioy wee shall despaire without feare presume The feare of God as Salomon speakes is the beginning of wisedome not only principium but praecipium not only primum but primarium and therefore as it is called the beginning of wisedome Prou. 1. 7 so likewise the end of all Ecclesiastes 12. 13. â—et vs heare the end of all feare God and keepe his commandements This feare is not slauish a distractiue and destructiue feare which ouerthroweth our assurance of saith and spirituall comfort for such a feare God forbids Esay 35 4. Luke 12. 32. but it is a filiall and awfull regarding feare Terrens à malo tenens in bono being an inseparable companion of a liuely faith and therefore commanded in Gods word and commended in his seruants old Simeon a iust man and one that feared God Cornelius a deuout man and one that feared God Iob a iust man one that feared God and here God is said to blesse the Church in that all the ends of the world shall feare him Quicunque vult THe learned Athanasian Creed consists of two speciall parts vnfolding fully the two chiefe secrets of holy beliefe namely The Vnitie and Trinitie of God Incarnation and passion of Christ. The which are called the principal mysteries of our faith because in the former is contained the first beginning and last end of man in the second the only and most effectuall meane to know the first beginning and how to attaine vnto the last end So that Athanasius hath comprehended in a very narrow roome both the beginning and middle and end of all our felicitie For this happily called the worlds eye because he did see so much and pierce so far into these vnsearchable and ineffable mysteries And as this excellent Confession is a key of beleefe so the Letanie following is as a common treasure house of all good deuotion It may be said of the Church in composing that exquisite praier as it was of Origen writing vpon the Canticles In caeteris alios omnes vicit in hoc seipsam In other parts of our Liturgie shee surpasseth all other but in this her selfe These points I confesse come not now within the compasse of my walke but I purpose pro Nosse posse to iustifie them and all other portions of our Communion booke in my larger expositions vpon the Gospels and Epistles as the text shall occasion me iustly The next eminent Scripture to bee considered in this Tract is the Decalogue recorded Exod. 20. 1. The Decalogue Then God spake all these words and said I am the Lord thy God c. THe Law was imprinted at the first in mans heart the which is acknowledged euen by prophane Poets as well as diuine Prophets in generall Exemplo quodcunque malo committitur ipsi displicet authori prima est haec vltio quod se Iudice nemo nocens absoluitur improba quamuis gratia fallacis praetoris vicerit vrnam And Seneca notably Prima maxima peccantium poena peccasse Sinne is the greatest punishment of sinne in particular as Melancthon obserues Heathen authors haue a paterne for euery precept according to that of Paul Rom. 2. 14. The Gentiles hauing not the law are a law vnto themselues But when the light of it through custome of sinne began to weare away it was openly proclaimed vnto the world ingrauen in stone written in a booke kept for record in the Church as a perfect abridgement of all law setting downe the duties of all
in his hand Totum hoc saith Augustine fide tenemus oculis cordis intuemur dominus ascendit in coelum ascendat cum illo cor nostrum His bodie must bee contained in heauen vntill the time that all things are restored it cannot descend downe to vs we must ascend vp to it So Nicolaus Cabasila writes in his exposition of the Liturgie the Priest after some speech to the people doth erect their mindes and lift vp their thoughts and saith Sursum corda let vs thinke on things aboue not on things below They consent and say that they lift vp their hearts thither where their treasure is euen to heauen where Christ sits at the right hand of his Father Luke 2. 14. Glorie be to God on high THe Lords Supper is called an Eucharist because it is a thanksgiuing to God for giuing his Sonne to die for vs and therefore this Hymne is so fitly sung by men on earth at the commemoration of his death as it was by the quier of heauen at the celebration of his birth for our reconciliation and peace with God is ascribed in holy scripture to Christs passion especially Rom. 5. 10. Heb. 9. 12. 15. Some make three parts of this song which if you please call the Trebble Glory to God on high Busse Peace on earth Meane Good will toward meÌ„ Other haue diuided it into two The first concerning Gods glorie The second touching our good For peace on earth and good will toward men are both one because our peace with God is not from our good will toward him but altogether from his good will toward vs. It is God saith Paul that maketh in you both the will and the worke and therefore the Rhemish translation In earth peace to men of good will and the Romish Glosse that Christ brings no peace but to such as be of goodwill are insufficient and condemned euen by their owne mouth as we may reade in the Commentaries of Arboreus Caietan Iansenius Maldonatus vpon the place Concerning other scholiall or scholasticall obseruations vpon the text I referre the reader vnto Beauxamis Erasmus Caluin and other learned expositors especially to Iacobus Perez de Valentia who compiled a whole treatise on this Hymne It was first vsed in the Communion as it is thought by Thelesphorus a good man and a glorious Martyr anno 254. Iaâ—uar 5. That which followeth in our Communion book We praise thee we blesse thee was added by that famous Bishop Hilarie singing it first in his owne Church anno 340 and after brought into other Churches by Pope Symmachus aâ— 510 the Churches of Scotland vse the like forme of thankes at their Communion And therefore the Nouelist can mislike nothing in this Hymne but that which all other like most Antiquitie 2. Cor. 13. 13. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ THe two fiends that torment vs are sinne and a bad conscience grace releaseth sinne peace doth quiet the conscience Paul therfore begins his epistles with grace and peace and the Church ends her deuotions either with the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ c. or with the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding c. But because there can bee no peace with God except wee haue the grace of Christ first and chiefly Paul desireth grace then peace Rom. 1. 7. Grace be with you and peace Because I say grace comprehends in it euery good and perfect gift by which only we are whatsoeuer we are Paul doth not only begin but end his writings also with this one clause specially Grace be with you c. But aboue the rest the conclusion of this excellent epistle is most full and therefore worthilie receiued of our and other Churches as the fittest close to shut vp our publique prayers In it obserue Pauls affection towards the Corinthians amplified With Extention in regard of the Thing The grace of Christ the loue of God the communion of the holy Ghost Persons With you all Intention Amen The worke of our saluation is ascribed in our Election to the loue of the Father RedeÌ„ption to the grace of the Son Sanctification to the communion of the holy Ghost So S. Ambrose doth expound this text pithily Dilectio dei misit nobis Saluatorem Iesum cuius gratia saluati sumus vt possideamus hanc gratiaÌ„ communicatio facit spiritus sancti God the Father so loued the world that hee sent his only begotten Sonne to die for our sinnes and to rise againe for our iustification and God the Sonne from God the Father sent God the holy Ghost which crieth in our hearts Abba father applying to our comfort both the loue of God and the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ. The word God is vsed here personally not essentially for the Fathers on this text note the blessed Trinitie that God is Trinus in numero vnus in numine S. Hierom thinkes that Paul foreseeing the blasphemous Arrian heresie placed the second person in the first roome God the Son before God the Father Other affirme that the grace of Christ is named first because it concernes vs most For albeit the loue of God in it owne nature goe before the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ chusing vs before the foundation of the world Ephes. 1. 4 yet in our view the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ goeth before the loue of God Rom. 5. 10 We are reconciled vnto God by the death of his Sonne we feele the mercies of the one in the merits of the other It is a fruitfull obseruation of Martin Luther that Christian religion beginneth not at the highest as other religions doe but at the lowest it will haue vs to climbe vp to heauen by Iacobs ladder whose feete touch the very earth And therefore when thou art occupied in the matter of thy saluation setting aside all curious speculations of Gods vnsearchable counsels all cogitations of workes of traditions of Philosophie yea and of Gods law too runne straight to the manger embrace the little babe Christ in thine armes and behold him as hee was borne sucking growing vp conuersant among men teaching dying rising againe ascending aboue the heauens and hauing power aboue all things This sight will make thee shake off all terrors and errors as the Sunne driueth away the cloudes In a disputation with a Iew Turke Papist Heretike concerning Gods infinite wisedome Maiestie power imploy all thy wit and industrie to be so profound and subtill as thou canst but in the matter of Iustification wherein thou doest wrestle with the law sinne death and other spirituall enemies it is the best course to looke vpon no God but Christ incarnate and cloathed with thine owne nature to fixe thine eyes vpon the man Iesus only who setteth himselfe foorth vnto thee to be a Mediatour and saith Come vnto me all â—ee that labour and are heauie laden and I will refresh
spiritus Dei cum muliere coeat eique sobolis quaedam principia ingoneret 3. The Cerinthians Ebionits and Carpocratian Heretikes held that Christ was the naturall sonne of Ioseph verus merus hâ—mâ— Contrary to text Mat. 1. 25. Luk. 3. 23. See the Gospell Dom. 1. post Epiphan In his birth against Iouinian Durandus Vnto these that of Esay 7 is opposed Ecce 〈…〉 pariet filium The which words are to be construed in censu composito non diuiso scilicet integra permanâ—eâ—â— conceptura paritura nam quale signum vel prodigium esset vt quae fuit virgo conciperet corrupta pareret Hic si ratio quaeritur non erit mirabile Si poscitur exemplum non erit singulare Demus Deum aliquid posse quod nos fateamur inuestigare non posse Fides adsit nulla quaestio remanebit See the Gospell of the purification After his birth against the Old Heluidians New Antidicomarianits holding it a point of zeale to disgrace this holy Virgin whereas it is our dutie rather highly to reuerence her as being the Mother of our Lord a Prophetesse on earth a Saint in heauen as the Fathers vsually the window of heauen through which it pleased the light of the world to illuminate such as fit in darknesse and in the shadow of death Of such estimation in the Church that whereas the first generall Councell was assembled against Arrius to maintaine the honour of the Sonne and so by consequence of the Father The second against Macedonius to maintaine the honour of the holy Ghost The third was assembled against Nestorius to maintaine the dignitie of the blessed Virgin And therefore let not vs giue her too little though the Papists haue giuen her too much See Gospell on the Annunciation Passion Christs passion is set downe First summarily Suffered vnder Pontius Pilat Then particularly Crucified Dead Buried All which our Sauiour did not endure for himselfe but for vs. He was wounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities In me pro me doluit qui pro se nihil habuit quod doleret O Domine Iesu doles non tua sed vâ—laera mea He suffered for vs leauing vs an example that his passion might deliuer vs from sinne and his actions direct vs to vertue teaching patience humilitie obedience charitie Greater patience cannot bee found then for the author of life to suffer an ignominious death iniustly no greater humilitie then for the Lord of all Lords to submit himselfe to be crucified among theeues nor greater obedience then to be willing rather to die then not to fulfill the commandement of his Father nor greater charitie then to lose his life to saue his enemies For loue is more shewed in deedes then in words and more in suffering then in doing See Gospell on Sunday before Easter and Epistle 2. Sunday after Easter Nos immortalitate malè vsi sumus vt moreremur Christus mortalitate bene vsus vt viueremus Exaltation Note the Creeds order answerable to the Scripture For Christ first suffered and then entred into glorie Teaching vs hereby that we must first beare with him the Crosse before wee can weare with him the Crowne Christianus as Luther said is Crucianus As a lilie among the thornes so is my loue among the daughters Cant. 2. 2. Christs exaltation hath foure parts his 1. Triumph in hell 2. Resurrection 3. Ascension 4. Session I make Christs descending into hell a part of his aduancement rather then abasement because this generall Creed of the whole Church and the particular confession of our Church make it a distinct article following Christs Suffering Death Buriall and therfore cannot aptly be construed of his agonie in the garden before his death nor of his tortures on the Crosse at his death nor yet of his buriall after his death Ergo Credendum est Christum ad inferos in genere credibile ad inferos damnatorum in specie triumphandi gratia secundùm animans realiter localiter descendisse That as hee did ouercome the world on earth and death in the graue so likewise he did triumph ouer Satan in the courts of hell his owne kingdome For my owne part I rest my self in the iudgement of the Church wherein I liue and hold it enough to beleeue that Christ did so much and suffered so much as was sufficient for all efficient for me praying with the Greeke Fathers in their Liturgie By thine vnknowne sorrowes and sufferings felt by thee but not distinctly manifest to vs haue mercie on vs and saue vs. O gracelesse peeuishnes we scantly follow Christ to heauen albeit wee beleeue that he went for vs into hell Christs resurrection is the locke and key of all our Christian religion and faith on which all other articles hang. See the Gospell on S. Thomas and Easter day In Christs ascension 3. points obseruable Place Mount Oliuet Time When hee had taught his Disciples and while they beheld him Manner A cloud tooke him vp out of their sight Act 1. 9. See the Epistle for Ascension day Christs Session is set foorth by the Place Heauen that is Heauen of heauen Effect Comming to Iudgement To iudge the quick the dead Spiritually The good which liue with the spirituall life of grace The bad which are spiritually dead in sinne Corporally Because at that day most shall be dead and many shall be found aliue who in the twinckling of an eye shall suddenly be changed as S. Paul tels vs. Origen thinketh that the Priest had bels in the lower part of his roabe to put vs in minde of the end of the world Our good God hath prepared such things for vs as eye hath not seene neither eare hath heard neither came into mans heart Si in cor hominis non ascendit cor hominis illuc ascendat Seeing the Iudge shall come from heauen let vs before send thither our hearts to meete him and in the meane while thence to looke for him Philip. 3. 20. He hath said it who is truth it selfe Surely I come quickly Amen euen so come Lord Iesus I beleeue in the holy Ghost The Godhead of the Father is especially manifested in the Law the Godhead of the Sonne especially manifested in the Gospell the Godhead of the holy Ghost especially manifested in the Creed intimating so much in foure words as the whole Bible containes of this argument namely first that the holy Ghost is God otherwise we might not beleeue in him Secondly that hee is a distinct person from the Father and the Sonne I beleeue in the Father in the Sonne in the holy Ghost And thirdly that he proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne infolded in the Title holy Ghost For albeit the Father is holie the Sonne holie the Father a Spirit and the Sonne a Spirit
world is a schoole where in a generall storie God alwaies reades dumbe lectures of his glorie Plato called it Gods epistle the renowned Hermite Antonius a booke wherein euery simple man who cannot reade may notwithstanding spell that there is a God It is the Shepheards Kalender and the Ploughmans Alphabet This appertaineth essentially and generally to the whole Trinitie for the Father is not onely Creator and Almightie but the Sonne and holy Ghost The creation in the masse of the matter is attributed to God the Father in the disposition of the forme to God the Sonne in the preseruation of both to God the holy Ghost It is said of God personally Father Sonne Holy Ghost The Father is the first not in any prioritie of nature or honour or time but order or as the schoole Prioritate originis according to that of Athanasius in his Creed The Father is of none the Sonne is of the Father alone the holy Ghost of both I will send saith Christ from the Father euen the Spirit of truth Ego mittam à Patre spiritum Ostendens quòd pater est totius diuinitatis vel si mâ—lius dicitur deitatis principium Adore simply rather then explore subtilly this ineffable mysterie Scrutari temeritas est credere pietas est nosse vitaest Bernard de considerat ad Eugenium lib. 5. He is father of Christ by nature singulariter Good men by adoption specialiter All men and all things by creation generaliter as y â— worke is appropriated vnto him in regard of his power And in Iesus Christ his onely Sonne our Lord. That which concerneth the second person is more largely set downe then all the rest teaching vs hereby that as we should respect other doctrine so this in more speciall sort as being the center of all the Creed and Scriptures circumference 1. Cor. 2. 2. This person is described by his Titles 1. Iesus 2. Christ. 3. His onely Sonne 4. Our Lord. Estate of Humiliation Incarnation Passion Exaltation 1. Iesus is his proper name giuen him by the Angell Other if any haue the very name were typicall Sauiours only Iesus Naue the figure of Christ as a King Iesus Sydracke the figure of Christ as a Prophet Iesus Iosedecke the figure of Christ as a Priest Augustine Eusebius and generally all expositors vpon the 3. of Zucharie This sweet name containes in it a thousand treasuries of good things in delight whereof S. Paul vseth it fiue hundred times in his Epistles as Genebrardus obserueth 2. Christ His appellatiue title of office and dignitie Concerning these two titles Iesus and Christ see the Gospell Dom. 1. post Natiuit 3. His only Sonne which implieth that he is God Iohn 1. 1. A distinct person from the Father Mat. 28. 19. God because he is a son not as other by fauor but by nature whatsoeuer the Son receiueth of y e Father he receiueth it by nature not by grace he receiueth not as other apart but all that the Father hath sauing the personall proprietie Only sonne Called the first begotten in respect of his mother and humane nature onely begotten in respect of his Father and diuine nature For the holy Spirit is not begotten but proceeds as the Scripture doth distinguish Nasci est à potentia intelligente quia filius cogitatione nascitur est â—mago patris at procedere est à voluntate quia spiritus sanctus est amor c. I belieue Lord helpe mine vnbeliefe The coniunction And prooueth that the Sonne is equall with the Father as concerning his Godhead and yet a distinct person Alius personaliter nowaliud essentialiter I beleeue in God the Father And in Iesus Christ. Our Lord as our Creator Redeemer Gouernor as head of the Church Eph. 4. 5. Suetonius obserueth that Augustus refused the name of Lord. Orosius notes that it was at that time when Christ was borne that all Lordship might be giuen vnto him See Epistle Dom. 17. post Trinit Christs incarnation is Israels consolation for all sound comfort stands in happinesse all happinesse in fellowship with God all fellowship with God is by Christ who for this cause being very God became very man that he might reconcile God to man and man to God he became little that we might be great the Sonne of man that we might be the sonnes of God His incarnation hath two parts Conception Birth Conceiued by the holy Ghost Works of power are attributed to the Father of wisdome to the Sonne of loue to the holy Ghost Wherefore because this was a worke of highest loue in God toward mankind it is ascribed especially to the holy Spirit Luke 1. 35. The holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most high shall ouershadow thee Signifying hereby that this mystery cannot be seene cleerely therefore not to be examined curiously S. Augustine calles it a sweet coniunction where speech is husband and eare wife Meaning that as soone as the blessed Virgin assented to the Angels message she conceiued Birth I make Christs incarnation a part of his humiliation because there can be no greater abasement then that hee who thundred in the cloudes should cry in the cradle swadled in a few ragges whom the heauen of heauens could not containe that the eternall Word should become an infant that he who was the father of Mary should be now the sonne of Mary The Scripture tels vs how man comes foure waies into the world 1. By the helpe of man and woman as all are vsuallie borne 2. Without any man or woman and so the first man was created 3. Of a man without a woman and so was Eua made 4. Of a woman without a man and so was Christ borne Of the Virgin Mary Where the mother of Christ is described by her Name Mary Surname Virgin The new Iesuits and old Friers haue many wonderfull extrauagant conceits of this name let it suffice that it is added in the Gospell and Creed to shew that Christ came of the linage of Dauid and that therefore he was the true Messias as God had promised and prophecied by the mouthes of all his holy seruants Virgin A perpetuall Virgin Before In After Christs birth Before his birth against 1. Iewes 2. Gentiles 3. Cerinthians Vnto the first we say with Cyril Pariet Aaronis virga sine semine non pariet virgo sine semine aut vtrumque negate aut vtrumque concedite Against the second we haue Ficta Qui enim è Iouis cerebro Mineruam ex eiusdem femore Bacchum falsò prognatum esse fabulamini quomodo ex vtero virginali Christum nasci dicitis impossibile Facta Quoniam animalia multa sine commistione generantur And Plutarch in the life of Numa spake like an Angell Incredibilo non est vt
men in all things for all times In it obserue Prefaces One of the Law writer God spake all these words c. Another of the Law-giuer I am the Lord thy God c. Precepts of the First table coÌ„cerning our loue to God Second touching our loue to man In the former preface note the Matter all these words Manner When. Who. The matter is these words that is these sentences and all these for Almightie God spake not the first Commandement only nor the second or third and left there but hee spake them all and therefore the Pope proues himselfe Antigod in leauing out one and dispensing with many God gaue so strict a charge to keepe euery one as any one but the Vicar of God abounding with vnlimitted authoritie doth first publish what he list and then expound them as he list To leaue them who thus leaue God is our dutie because God spake them all to beg of him obedience and make conscience to keepe them all as one wittily Totus Tota Totum The whole man The whole law The whole time of his life In the manner I note first the circumstance of time when God spake namely when all the people were gathered together aud sanctified as appeareth in the former Chapter then God spake Whereupon it is well obserued that all men ought to take notice of the law whether they be Commoners or Commanders high or low none so mighty that is greater or so meane that is lesse then a subiect to God and his ordinances and therefore Martin Luther hath worthily reprehended Antinomian preachers who teach that the Law need not be taught in the time of the Gospell Indeed Christ is the end of the Law but as Augustine construes it finis perficiens non interficiens an end not consuming but consummating for as himselfe said I came not to destroy the law but to teach it and doe it Secondly we may learne by this circumstance due preparation when wee come before God either to speake or heare his word Auenzoar vsed to say that hee neuer gaue purgation but his heart did shake many daies before Let the Physition of the soule then tremble to thinke what hurt bad physicke may doe when it is administred abruptly corruptly without either paines in reading or reuerence in speaking Vnto the vngodly said God Why doest thou preach my lawes and takest my couenant in thy mouth when as thou hatest to be reformed and hast cast my words behind thee If hearers of the Law much more Preachers of the Gospell ought to be throughly sanctified In the Millers hand wee lose but our meale in the Farriors hand but our mule in the Lawyers hands but our goods in the Physitians hand but our life but in the hands of a bad Diuine wee may lose that which surpasseth all our soule Hearers also being of vncircumcised hearts and eares ought to fit and prepare themselues as Moses and Iosua were commanded in disburdening their mind when they come to Gods house to heare God speake not only from vnlawfull but also from all lawfull worldly busines presenting themselues and their soules in the righteousnes of Christ a liuing holy acceptable sacrifice to God and it is the dutie both of speaker and hearer to desire the Lord that he would forgiue our want of preparation and so to assist vs with his holy spirit in handling of his holy word as that the whole businesse may be transacted for our good and his glory The second circumstance noted in the manner is the person and that is God Then God spake these words in his owne person attended vpon with millions of glorious Angels in a flame of fire so that there is neuer an idle word but all full of wonderful wisdome so perfect a law that it proues it selfe to be Gods law For the lawes of men albeit they fill many large volumes are imperfect some statutes are added daily which were not thought vpon before many repealed which after experience taught not to be so profitable but this law continueth the same for euer comprehending in a few words all perfection of dutie to God and man inioyning whatsoeuer is good and forbidding whatsoeuer is euill God is author of all holy Scripture but the ten Commandements are his after a more peculiar sort first because himselfe spake them and said in a sound of words and a distinct voice that the people both heard and vnderstood them in which sâ—nse S. Stephen happily calleth them oracula vina liuely oracles not that they did giue life for Paul sheweth that the Law was the ministration of death but liuely words as vttered by liuely voice not of men or Angels as other Scripture but immediatly thundred out by God himselfe Secondly because God himselfe wrote them after a more speciall maner hee did vse men and meanes in penning the Gospels and Epistles and other parts of sacred writ for holy men of God wrote as they were moued by the spirit of God as the Fathers obserue they were the pennes of Gods owne finger but in setting downe the Decalogue Gods owne finger was the pen hee made the tables also wherein they were first written that there might be nothing in them but only Gods immediate worke Since then God had such speciall regard in deliuering the Law wee must hence learne with all humble reuerence to receiue the same If King Eglon a barbarous tyrant respected Ehud a man of meane qualitie when he brought a message from the Lord how much more should we with awfull respect embrace the Decalogue which God in his owne person vttered and it should make vs exceeding zealous also notwithstanding the scoffes of Atheists and carelesse worldlings in obseruing and maintaining the same For what need any feare to defend that which God himselfe spake and whereof Christ said He that is ashamed of me and my words in this world I will be ashamed of him before my father in the world to come As a liuely faith is the best glosse vpon the Gospell so dutifull obedience is the best Commentarie vpon the Law To conclude with Augustine Faciemus iubente imperatore non faciâ—mus iubente creatore Yes Lord speak for thy seruants herare Thus much concerning the first preface The second is of the Law-giuer I am the Lord c. Containing two sorts of arguments to proue that hee may giue a law and that his people are bound to keepe it The first kind of reason is taken from his essence and greatnes in himselfe I am Iehoua The second from his effects and goodnes towards Israel In Generall Thy God More speciall Which haue brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Now whatsoeuer is said vnto them is said vnto all Almightie God is euer the same which is which was and which is to come who being Iehoua the Lord made vs
you To behold the Lambe of God who taketh away the sinnes of the world and so by the grace of Christ thou shalt vnderstand the loue of God thou shalt perceiue his wisedome power Maiestie sweetned and tempered to thy capacitie thou shalt finde the saying of Paul to be most true that in Christ are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge that Christ in our iustification is all in all and therefore good reason he should haue the first and most place in this argument that his grace should be named first and last The loue of God is the fountaine of all goodnes as Diuines speake gratiarum gratia from which originallie proceeds euery perfect gift and grace For almightie God hath not elected vs in regard of our works or other worth but coÌ„trariwise because God loued vs we do that which is acceptable in his sight I obtained mercie of the Lord saith Paul to be faithfull Vt fidelis essem non quia fidelis eram as Lombard aptly The nature of this short treatise will not endure that I should wade farre into this Abyssus I remember Pauls exclamation O the deepnes of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waâ—es past finding out And the glosse of Augustine Volentes disputare de deâ— profundo mersi sunt Or as other Versi sunt in profundum I come therefore to the Communion of the holy Ghost a point more comfortable then ordinarily felt and yet more felt then can be disputed It is said Gal 4. 6. God hath sent the spirit of his Sonne crying in our hearâ—s Abba father he said not calling but crying and Rom. 8. 26. hee calleth this crying vnspeakeable groaning When a man is tempted and afflicted hee feeleth the strength of his enemies and the weaknesse of his flesh he feeleth the fierie darts of Satan the terrors of death the wrath of God all these cry out against him horribly so that the perplexed soule sees nothing but sinne threatning heauen thundering the diuell roring the earth trembling hell mouth open and ready to swallow him vp But yet in the midst of all these Gods holy spirit crieth in our hearts and this cry doth outcry the clamors of the law the bellowes of hell and howlings of infernall fiends it pearceth the clouds and ascends vp to the eares of God insomuch that the blessed Angels seeme to heare nothing else but this cry The spirit helpeth our infirmities and the strength of Christ is made perfect through our weaknesse For Christ is most powerfull when as we are most fearfull euen when we can scarsely groane marke the words of Paul The spirit maketh intercession for vs in our temptation not with many words or long praiers he crieth not aloud with teares haue mercie on me O God but only giues a little sound and a feeble groaning as ah father this is but one word yet notwithstanding comprehends all things Indeed the mouth speaketh not but the good affection of the soule crieth aloud after this manner O Lord God of compassion and father of mercies although I am grieuously vexed on euery side with affliction and anguish yet am I thy child and thou art my father in Christ. This little word or rather no word but a poore thought conceiued aright passeth all the flowing eloquence of Demosthenes and Tully yea Tertullian and all the Orators that euer were in the world for this matter is not expressed with words but with groanings and these groanings are from the blessed Spirit Thus you see the large extent of Pauls affection in regard of the thing wished vnto the Corinthians The grace of Christ the loue of God the communion of the holy Ghost The second extension is in regard of the persons be with you all for the Pastor must wish well not only to the best or to the worst but this praier ought to be made for euery one as well as for any one There is none so bad but hath receiued some grace none so good but hath need to receiue more grace Wherefore pray we still that the grace of Christ may be with vs all The Church of England addes a third extension in regard of the time for euermore the which is implied in the text also for the Corinthians as we reade in the former epistle were Saints by calling and so doubtlesse had receiued already the grace of Christ and had tasted of the loue of God through the fellowship of the holy Ghost He doth therefore now desire that the good worke begun in them may be perfect that the grace receiued may continue with them and increase daily vnto the end and in the end that the loue of God which cannot be greater secundùm essentiam may be greater secundùm efficientiam appearing growing abounding in them more and more for euermore Amen Amen is vsed in holy Scripture three waies as Gabriel and Gerson speake Nominaliter Aduerbialiter Verbaliter As a nowne for truth Apoc. 3. 14. These things saith Amen the faithfull and true witnesse and so it is added in the conclusion of euery Gospell and of the whole Bible as a seale to confirme that which is written In the beginning is the first Amen the last word of holy writ a stately beginning a strange ending For what is more stately then antiquitie what more strange then truth Hereby teaching vs that the Scriptures haue vetera and vera which are not together in any other writing For in humane learning many things are vncertainly true and more certainly vntrue onely the word of God is sealed with Amen Secondly as an Aduerbe for verily so Christ often ii the Gospell Amen Amen dico vobis Thirdly as a Verbe signifying so be it Deut 27. 15. Dicet omnis populus Amen and so it is vsed in Pauls praier expounded before and in all our Collects insinuating our earnest desire that those things which we haue faithfully asked may be effectually obtained And this custome of answering the Minister in the Church Amen is ancient as it appeareth in the 1. Cor. 14. 16. Iustin Martyr Apolog. 2. Hieron prolog lib. 2. in epist. ad Galat. Augustin epist. 107. Vsum respondendi Amen antiquissimum esse patet saith Bellarmine lib. 2. de Missa cap. 16. Here is open confession I would the Church of Rome would make open restitution also For if the people must answere the Priest Amen then the Priest must pray to the peoples vnderstanding and how shall they vnderstand except common praier be said in a common tongue A conclusion agreeable not onely to the Scriptures as Bellarmine acknowledgeth and to the practise of the Primitiue Church as Iustin Martyr and Lyra report and to the paternes of other Liturgies in South India Moscoâ—ia Armenia but euen to their owne constitutions and Masse booke for their owne Clement and their owne Missale giue order that