be the kingdome of heaven the second hell where every apostata and infidell is tormented And as for any thirde place vvee are vtterly ignorant thereof neither doe vvee finde any such in holie scripture Div. 9. That our Saviours resurrection is as strong an argument against his bodilie presence in many places as in all BEllarmine vseth this argument of Christes rising and leauing He arose againe from â—he dead the sepulcher against the Vbiquitaries vvho affirme Christes body to be present in all places whereas it may as well bee vrged against him and his fellowes vvho teach that his body is in tenne thousande places at one time euen vvheresoeuer there is any 〈…〉 seeing that nature which may be in so many places at once may as well be truely in all places And if it cannot stande vvith the verity of CHRISTES bodie being a creature finite and limited to bee euery vvhere neither canne it stande vvith the trueth thereof to bee in many places at one time Div. 10. That Christ needeth not to descende bodily to vs seeing wee must ascend by faith vnto him that so we may be partakers of him and of his passion AS our Sauiour Christ vsed this argument of his ascension to He ascended into heauen Ioh. 6. 62. teach his disciples which murmured at his doctrine that it was not a grosse carnall and bodily eating of his flesh that he vrged as necessary to eternal life but a spiritual partaking therof by faith that at his ascensioÌ„ they should see that he would take away his flesh from them place it in heauen at the right hand of God and not leaue it here to be grosly devoured with their mouthes and swallowed downe into their stomakes euen so may wee now vse the selfe same argument against the church of Rome which teacheth the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist Christ hath by his ascension taken vp his flesh into heauen hath placed it at the right hand of God and therfore it is not to be sought for here on earth as if it might be either carnally touched with our hands or really receiued into our stomakes For so doth Austine and Athanasius vse this argument of Christes ascension When yee shall see the sonne of man saith Austine ascending thither where he was Aug. in Ioh. tract 27. also before then surely yee shall see that he giueth not forth his body after that manner as yee take it yea then shall yee perceiue that the grace of Christ is not consumed with morsels So Athanasius Therefore doth Athan. in illud Evangelii Quicunque dixeriâ— verbum in filium hominis our Saviour Christ mention his ascension into heauen to drawe from them their carnall cogitations and that they might learne that the flesh whereof hee spake was a celestiall foode from heaven a spirituall nourishmente vvhich hee himselfe giveth The vvhich argumente these learned fathers vvoulde neuer haue vsed if they had knowne or beleeued the doctrine of the church of Rome which teacheth that our Saviour hauing by his ascension taken away his bodily presence from vs yet continually causeth his body to be made of bread in the sacrament of his supper that so it may be carnally albeit invisibly received But this invisible presence they did not see nor beleeue and therefore they condemned all carnall eating with the mouth and allowed of the spirituall receaving thereof onely by faith By faith saith S. Ambrose Christ Amb. in Luc li. 6. ca. 8. de filia princ Synag resuscitata li. 10. cap. 24. de hora dominicae resurrectionis is touched by faith he is seene hee is not touched with our body nor seene with our eies And againe We touch not Christ by corporall handling but by faith therefore neither on the earth nor in the earth nor after the flesh ought we to seeke Christ if we will finde him I am the bread of life saith our Saviour Christ Ioh 6. 35. that came downe from heaven He that commeth to me shall never hunger and he that beleeveth in me not he that seeketh to eate my flesh and drinke my blood with his mouth shall never thirst So then to come to Christ by faith and to beleeue in him is so effectuall a manner of eating of his flesh that thereby it becommeth to the faithfull receiuer an incorruptible foode the vertue whereof is neuer consumed How saith Austine shall I possesse Aug. in Ioh. tract 50. 25. Christ being now absent how shall I sende vp my hande to heaven to take holde of him sitting there Sende vp thy faith and thou haste possessed him And againe Why preparest thou thy teeth and thy belly Beleeue and thou hast eaten He must flie on high saith Chrysostome that wil come Chrysost in 1. Cor. hom 24. to this body yea to heaven it selfe or rather aboue the heavens for where the body is there the Eagles be And this was the iudgement of the vvhole church in purer ages when at the receiuing of these holy mysteries the people were vvarned to lift vp their hearts and they Sursum corda were to answere we lift them vp vnto the Lord. Whereby they were admonished even at the receiuing of this holy sacrament not to seeke Christs body here below on earth vpon the Lordes table vnder the shewes of bread and wine but to lift vp their hearts to heauen to the Lord of life that so they might possesse him which is life it selfe Div. 11. That Christ being placed at the right hand of God is made Lorde of heaven and earth and protectour of his church and not any saint or saintes departed CHristes sitting at the right hand of God is the dignity and He sitteth at the right hand of God Maâ— 28. 18. Phil. 2. 11. Act. 2. 36. Apo. 19. 16. authority whereunto he is advanced to be as it were Lord gouernour of heauen and earth as himselfe testifieth All power is giuen to me in heauen and in earth In respect whereof everie knee must bow to him and euery tongue coÌ„fesse that Iesus is the Lord yea the Lord of Lords and king of kings Whereby it is evident that he is patron and protectour of his church to rule it by his spirit to direct it by his word to instruct it by his ministers to enrich it by his graces and in the end to giue it a full and final coÌ„quest over all her enemies For it is he that ascending vp on high ledde captiuity captiue and gaue giftes vnto men and declared himselfe Lord of heauen it selfe by powring downe the heauenly treasures of his holy spirite in the shape of fiery tongues vppon his Apostles whereby they were not only endued with all celestiall Act. 2. 1. wisedome and with the knowledge of all tongues but also furnished with all other giftes meete for the discharge of so weighty an office Neither hath this great state of states dispossessed himselfe of the seate of
sentence of the word of God favoureth or savoureth of any impiety and so is contrary to the law of God the rule of all true piety and godlinesse then that litteral sence is not the true sence but the figuratiue mysticall or spirituall Except yee eate the flesh of the sonne of Ioh. 6 53. Aâ—g oe doct Christ ab 3 cap. 16. man and drinke his blood yee shall haue no life in you Heere saith S. Austine our Saviour seemeth to commande an impiety It is therefore saith he a figuratiue speech willing vs to communicate with the possion of Christ and sweetely and profitably to lay vp in memory that his flesh was wounded and pearced for vs. Div. 2. That neither faith nor praier nor any other part of the honour which is due to God ought to be communicated to any creature THe law was written in two tables to teach vs that the duety The divisioÌ„ of the lawe into two tables which we owe to God and the duety which we owe to our neighbour is distinct and diverse and that we shoulde giue vnto God that which is Gods and vnto man that which is mans And yet faith praiers and vowes being the principall partes of that service and honour which is due only to God as Beda witnesseth the church of Rome communicateth with the Beda in Luâ— cap. 4. Saintes and so bestoweth vpon the creature the honour due to the Creator and confoundeth the dueties which the Law-maker himselfe hath distinguished and divided contrary to the iudgement of the church of Christ in former ages The saintes vvhich â—ynod Mogunt ca. 46. haue shut vp the course of their liues with a blessed ende ought worthely to bee honoured of vs as the most worthy members of Christs body but not vvith that honour which is due to God but vvith that reverent regarde of society and loue wherewith holy men may be honoured of vs even heere in this life So Saint Austine we worshippe the saintes with charitie Aug. cont Faust Man li. 23. ca. 21. â—…emâ—… verarel ca 55. and not with service neither doe wee builde temples vnto them And againe Let not the worshippe of the dead bee to vs a matter of religion for they are to bee honoured for imitation and not to bee adored for religion And therfore when information was giuen by the Iewes vnto the heathen magistrates against the christians a little before the execution of that blessed Martyr Policarpe that they meante â—o steale Euseb hist ecel â— 4. c. 19 away his dead body after his death and to worshippe him insteed of Christ their answere was that they could never leaue Christ who had suffered for all that were saved in the worlde nor worshippe any other For him say they wee adore as beeing the son of God but the Martyrs as the disciples and followers of the Lord we worthely loue for their exceeding great good will vnto their king and maister to whom God graunt that we may he companions and scholars Div. 3. That the first table containeth foure and the second onely sixe commaundementes THe church of Rome offendeth in dividing the last coÌ„mandement 〈◊〉 subdiâ—…n of 〈◊〉 coÌ„maÌ„â—…ents â—…um beâ—… Marâ—re 〈◊〉 a Pâ—o â—…to 〈◊〉 cateâ—…e of 〈◊〉 in â—…lish â—…sima in â—…ian into two and in ioyning of the second to the first and in some of their praier bookes and catechismes leauing it cleane out for the better shadowing as it seemeth of their open and manifest transgression of the same commandement and for the more setting of that out of sight which might gaull and bite their guilty consciences and breake the neckes of their dumble Idols But the distinction of the commaundements dependeth vppon the distinction of the severall dueties therein contained and therefore the first and the seconde containing severall dueties are to bee set downe as distinct severall commaundementes but the last containing onely diverse severall members of one generall duety if it had beene to be divided it should not haue beene into two alone but into diverse and sundry commaundementes CHAP. 8. Div. 1. That we ought to devote our selues only to the religious service of one true and all-sufficient God CommaÌ„ 1. THE grounde of this commaundement is the Lord thy God is an al-sufficient God therfore thou shalt haue none other gods before him but shalt devote thy selfe only to his service as it may appeare by the introduction to this commaundement I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the lande of Aegypt and out of the house of bondage that is I haue done for thee this great and wonderfull benefite as in like manner I haue done for thee all other thinges also therefore as I only haue stoode by thee so thou shalt onely cleaue to me and as I only haue shewed my selfe to bee thy most gracious God so thou shalt shevve thy selfe to bee my faithfull servaunt by devoting thy selfe only to my service Heare O my people saith the Lorde by the prophet David and I vvill testifie vnto thee O Israell if thou wilt hearken Psal â—1 10. vnto mee there shall no strange Gods bee with thee neither shalt thou vvorshippe any other God And vvhy I am the Lorde thy God that brought thee out of the lande of Aegypt open thy mouth vvide and I vvill fill it That is I haue not onely perfourmed for thee that great deliveraunce but also I giue vnto thee all other thinges vvhatsoever thine hearte desireth and therefore thou shalt cleaue to mee alone and devote thy selfe onely to mee So to Abraham I am thy GOD all-sufficient vvalke before me Gen. 17. 1. and bee thou perfecte that is cleaue perfectly to mee and to mee alone I am hee that bestovveth all good thinges vpon thee and that after a most plentifull and liberall manner therefore thou shalt seeke to none but only to mee The which commaundement vvhen it vvas broken by the posterity of Abraham the Prophet Ieremy being amazed at the madnesse of that people that had â—ought to other then to that one true and al-sufficient God and had changed their glory for that which did not profite breaketh out into a very strange extraordinary exclamation saying O yee heavens bee yee astonished at this bee afraid and vtterly confounded saith the Lord for my people haue committed two 〈◊〉 12. evils they haue forsaken mee the fountaine of liuing waters to digge to themselues pittes even broken pittes that can houlde noe vvater And for this offence especiallye came so many and greavous destructions vpon this people according as it vvas threatned also by Moses even for that they forsooke the GOD of 〈◊〉 29. 26. their Fathers vvhich hade done so much for them and did vvorshippe strange GODS vvhich had done for them flat nothing Albeit they did not altogeather reiect the service of the GOD of their fathers yet for that they did either worshippe other togeather with him or did worshippe him after
he hath ratified the same with holy sacraments as with his own seale annexed therevnto And verely if circumcision much more Rom 4. 11. baptisme and the Lords supper may worthily be called seales of the righteousnes that cometh by faith The cuppe saith our Saviour Christ Luk. 22. 20 is the new testament in my blood that is to say a seale and an assuraÌ„ce of the graunt of the remission of sinnes and eternall life giuen vnto you through my bloud which is the summe of the new testament And to what end tendeth both these sacraments of the new testament but to assure all the faithfull that they hauing put on Christ haue their sinnes washed away through his blood and that their soules are fedd with very Christ the heaveÌ„ly Mannah Galat. 3. 2â— bread of life whereby they are sustained to everlasting life The cuppe of blessing saith the Apostle which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion 1. Corinth 10. 16. of the body of Christ that is to say there all participatioÌ„ of these outward elementes and visible signes are they not most certaine pledges and assurances to all the faithfull of their spirituall vnion and communion with Christ and all his blessings And was not this the iudgment of those godly learned fathers of the councell of Nice in that they will that this holy sacrament of the Lords supper should be sent vnto penitent persons lying in their death beddes which stood as yet excommunicate for apostasie or for some other notorious crime that by the participation of that celestiall food they might be assured of their coÌ„munion with Christ and his church and of the remission of their sinnes and eternall life and so enabled to passe over in peace the end of their laborious and painefull life The which most comfortable doctrine is most coÌ„veniently set downe in our English liturgy at the celebration of these holy misteries in these wordes The body of our Lord that vvas giuen for THEE preserve thy body and soule to everlasting life The blood of our Lord that was shedd for THEE c. For hereby everie faithfull christian that reverently receiveth this holy sacrament may assure himselfe that the spirituall life that is nowe begunne in him and shall be made perfite in the worlde to come 〈◊〉 wrought by the speciall loue of Christ now dwelling in him by a true faith so that he may boldly say with the Apostle both â—n his life In that I nowe liue I liue by the faith of the son of God who loued Gal. 2. 20. Me and gaue himselfe for Me and also at his death I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith hence forth 2. Tim. 4. 7. there is laide vp for me a crowne of righteousnes c. And from whence also proceedeth that ioy in the holy ghost and that peace of God that Ro. 14. 17. 5. 1. passeth all vnderstanding which is felt in the heartes of the faithfull servantes of Christ in their greatest crosses and most greevous afflictions but of a faithfull perswasion of the remission of their sinnes and reconciliation which God procured for them by the death of Christ Otherwise also how could they serue the Lord Luc. 1. 74. Eph 3. Heb 10 22. Iaco. 1. 6. without feare and come vnto him in their praiers with boldnes yea in assurance of faith without wavering without doubting Yea how could they come vnto him not as vnto an offended and an angry iudge but as to a louing and a mercifull father saying O our Father which art in heaven And from whence else proceeded their solemne protestations that they did assuredly knowe that they were in the estate of grace and in the favour of God and that God was their God in particular and after so stable and stedfast a manner that nothing was able to sever them from his loue We knowe that we are of God I know that my redeemer liueth My spirite 1. Ioh. 5. 19. Iob. 19. 25. Luc 1. 77. Psal 18 1. 116 16. reioyceth in God my Saviour The Lord is my strength my castle my deliverer my God and on the other side Behold Lord I am thy servant I am thy servant and the sonne of thine handmaide Yea so great a stay and comfort had the prophet David in this assurance of his owne â—aith that he protesteth his adversities being so many and so Psal 27. 13. grievous as they were he should vtterly haue fainted but that he did beleeue verily to see the goodnes of the Lord in the land of the liâ—ing The which most comfortable assurance of faith was such a stay also to the blessed Apostle S. Paul that howsoever an whole army of Rom 8. 37. tribulations did presse sore vpon him yet he protesteth that hee was a conqueror yea more then a conqueror through him that loued Rom 8 37. him being most assuredly also perswaded for the time to come that neither death nor life nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come should be able to seperate him from the loue of God which was in Christ Iesus our Lord. Neither vvas this comfortable assuraunce of faith a speciall and an extraordinarie prerogatiue granted only to some principall persons among the faithfull but a gifte in some measure common to the whole church For all the children of the church being the children of God are led by the spirite Rom 8. 14. 2. Cor. 2. 12â— of God whereby they know such thinges as are giuen vnto them of God And they are all indifferently commanded in the Lordes praier to call God their father the which name they cannot sincerely vse vnlesse they be perswaded in some measure of faith that he beareth a louing and a fatherly affection towardes them having receaved them into favour for his Christes sake and giuen them a place among the number of his children And vvhy 1 â—oh 5. 13. else saith S. Iohn writing to the whole church in generall these thinges I vvrite vnto you that beleeue in the name of the sonne of God that yee may knowe that yee haue eternall life and that yee may beleeue in the name of the sonne of God So S. Paule writting to the church of the Corinthians in generall Proue your selues knovve yee not your owne selues how that IESVS CHRIST dwelleth in you vnlesse yee bee reprobates and in his former epistle Kâ—ovve yee not that your 1. Cor. 6. 15 19. bodyes are the members of Christ Knowe ye not that ye are the temples of the holy Ghost which is in you whom ye haue of GOD that yee are not your ovvne By the vvhich testimonies of Christ his Apostles it is evident that not a fewe onely but also every mâ—mber of the vniversall church in their times and according vnto the measure of
iustification it selfe is free and dependeth not at all on workes 16. Sixtenethly they teach that the Saintes are not Mediators of Redemption and yet that the vvorkes of supererogation done by the saintes are both satisfactory for the sinnes of other and also meritorious of eternall glory which are the proper workes of the Mediatour of Redemption 17. Seventenethly they say that it is blasphemous against the dignity of Christes blood which hee shed for our sinnes to avouch that hee suffeâ—ed also in soule for the vvhole raunsoming of our soules and for the full satisfying of the most absolute and perfect iustice of GOD as if one of CHRISTES sufferinges did derogate from the other But it is no blasphemye against the dignity of CHRISTES sufferinges vvith them to teach that our ovvne soules must either suffer for our sinnes the most extreme paines of purgatory or endure here the sharpe rigour of their popish penance or else procure trentals of Masses togeather with the sufferings of the saintes to be bestowed vpon vs by the Popes indulgences and pardons 18. Eightenethly they teach that imputatiue righteousnes is a vaine and a frivolous fancy and yet the imputation of the surplussage of the merites of the saintes is not vaine but a greate gaine vnto them yea it is a verie sound and profitable doctrine if not to the cooling of mens soules yet to the warming of the Popes kitchine 19. Ninetenethly the fire of purgatory is sometimes so greavous with our Romanistes belike when they vvould haue their Masses and pardons well paide for to deliver poore soules out of the same that our fire is but a painted fire vnto it and that the tormentes thereof differ nothing from hellish tormentes but onely in continuance and yet sometimes with them againe it is as it were a place Rhem. in Apoc c. 14. of rest 20. Lastly our Rhemistes teach that sinne be the pleasure thereof Rhem. in c 8. ep ad Rom. never so shorte deserueth damnation because it is an aversion from God and proceedeth from the Devill the which thing is true in every sinne and therefore every sinne damnable mortall And yet these men themselues maintaine their olde distincttion of sinnes veniall and of sinnes mortall VVherefore seing that the doctrine of the church of Rome Rhem. in Mat. cap. 5. containeth such contradiction and contradictions cannot be both true it is evident that the spirite of truth is not so annexed to Peters chaire but that the church of Rome may erre as well as other churches planted by the same Apostles yea hereby came in that greate apostasie and falling away from the faith foretold by the Apostle when the greater number of those that professed themselues Christians especially in these westerne partes of the vvorlde did so highlie conceaue of the Bishoppe of Rome as that they tooke him to bee that invincible rocke vpon the vvhich the church vvas builte and against the vvhich hell gates should never prevaile VVhereas he being to vveake to stay himselfe vpright and to withstand so mightie and povverfull enimies vvas lesse able to holde vp the huge building of the vniversall church and to guarde and defende it from so daungerous foes But failing himselfe and falling vnder his owne burden he was the occasion of ruine to all such as did â—…g ep lib. â—…ist 32. stay themselues and rest vpon him And so had Gregory a Bishoppe of Rome signified before to Mauritius the Emperour at what time he endevoured to make the patriarke of Constantinople vniversall Bishoppe and head of the whole church that if there were but one head onely the ruine of that head would be the ruine of the church and that if any should arrogate to himselfe that name in the church the vniversall church must needes come to ruine vvhen hee vvhich is named Vniversall did fall Div. 7 That by our spirituall vnion vvith CHRIST hee and his righteousnes is made ours and so surely imputed vnto vs that wee become thereby righteous before GOD and not by the righteousnes of any of the saintes GReat is the prerogatiue and dignity of all such as are admitted vnto the society of Christes church and are receiued 〈◊〉 comâ—…ion of â—…tes 〈◊〉 1. 3. 〈◊〉 3. 28. 〈◊〉 5. 30. 〈◊〉 2. 16. â—…or 1. 30 into the fellowship of his faithfull Congregation For the church hath fellowship with God and is espoused to Christ made one with him eveÌ„ flesh of his flesh bone of his bone in so much that she iustly layeth claime vnto him saying my beloued is mine I am his as being spiritually maried vnto him and hauing interest in him and all his blessinges By which vnion and communion it came to passe that Christ being one with his church became a debtor in her place paied that which he never tooke being innocent in himselfe was made guilty for her and being most pure in himselfe was made sinne for her and bare her iniquities on his â—or 5 2◠〈◊〉 2 22 〈◊〉 3. 18 〈◊〉 3. 9. owne body vpon the tree that shee likewise being poore of her selfe might in him be made rich and being naked of her selfe might be cloathed with his innocency and being destitute in her selfe of perfect righteousnes might be made the righteousnes of God in him and so become perfectly righteous For as CHRIST by imputation was made sinne for vs and suffered death not for his owne but for our iniquityes even so by imputation are we made righteous in him and so become partakers of eternall glory Novve the faithfull are not after such a manner linked togeather they are not espoused each to other as Christ and his church the Apostle Saint Peter coulde not vnite the church so nearely to himselfe by his spirite that his death and sufferinges might be accepted as done for her redemption And yet see the blindenes of the shameles vvhore of Babylon It is a strange paradoxe vvith her that vvee shoulde be made righteous by the righteousnes of CHRIST imputed vnto vs by the mercie of GOD and applied vnto vs by a true faith but it standeth vvith good reason that vve may bee made righteous by the righteousnes of the saintes imputed vnto vs by the Popes savour and applied vnto vs by his Indulgences and Pardons Div. 8. That GOD onely hath autoritie to forgiue sinne as it is sinne and a transgression of his ovvne lavve THE hurt that cometh to a private man by sinne a private man may release aâ— the prince may pardon that damage The forgiuenesse of sinnes that cometh thereby to the common weale But sinne as it is properly sinne and a breach of the law of God and so a great dishonour to him and a most greavous iniury vnto his dâ—…ine Maiesty so it is only an offence against god against thee only haue â—sinned therfore may only be forâ—…en by him as he himselfe also Psal 51. 4. testifieth It is I it is I that doth 〈…〉
and that for mine owâ—e take And therefore Berâ—… â—…aking to the faithfull Isa 43 25. saith if thou beleeuest that 〈…〉 but by 〈…〉 Bern. serm â— De Annuntiatione whoÌ„â— alone thou hast â—…ed 〈…〉 well For as no maÌ„ caÌ„ forgiue an other mans 〈◊〉 〈…〉 offence committed against another so none can forgiue sinne as it is sin for that so it is an offence only against God making vs debtours vnto him and offenders against his sacred maiesty Yea as it is high treason for any subiect to take vpon him to remit the offences which are committed against the common weale for that it is an intrusion vpon the princes right and after a sort an vsurpation of the dignity royall so no doubt but that it is high treason against the king of heauen and earth for any creature to take vpoÌ„ him to forgiue sinne as it is sinne for that it is an intrusion vppon the Lordes right and an vsurpation of his dignity royall Who can 〈◊〉 2. 7. forgiue sinne but God only So said the Pharisies when our Saviour tooke vpon him not only to cure the sicknesses of the body but also to pardon the sinnes of the soule But what replied our Saviour to this demande Whether is it easier to say thy sinnes are forgiven thee or to say arise take vp thy bâ—doe and walke In which words he doth not confute their opinion as Chrysostome Hâ—laâ—y reach 〈◊〉 in â—… hom but reproueth them for charging him with blasphemy in that by healing all diseases by his word he declared himselfe to bee true God and therefore that he had authority also to forgiue sinne albeit 〈…〉 Mat. such authority belongeth only vnto God His reason is this It belongeth to the selfe-same authority as wel by his owne power to forgiue sinne as to cure the diseases and sicknesses of the body but saith our Saviour yee might perceiue that by mine owne power I cure the sickenesses of the body the vvhich â—hing being done by the ministery of the Apostles vvas not done by their owne povver but by the power of 〈…〉 12. Christ for so God only vvorketh the same as al other miraculous things also because he onlie is omnipotent therefore yee might also 〈◊〉 136. 4. acknowledge in me vnlesse yee were wilfully blinded the divine povver of God and that I doe not blaspheme in taking vpon mee to forgiue sinne For as for that authority of forgiving sinnes given to the ministers of the 〈◊〉 in Mat â—…6 gospell it is after the same manner as the preists vnder the law had authority given them to make cleane or vncleane now they were not enabled to make cleane or vncleane leapers or no leapers but they had knowledge given them to discerne and authority to pronounce who were such and such and vpon their sentence so the parties were to be taken of all the residue of the Lords people Even so the Ministers of the gospell are to discerne whose sinnes are remitted and whose retained to assure the penitent soule the broken and contrite spirite that his sinnes are forgiuen him even of the Lordes as on the other side to denounce against the carelesse and impenitent sinner the Lordes most heavy but iust vengeance Div. 9. That the faithfull obtaine the release of their sinnes by free forgiuenesse through the death of Christ and not through their owne satisfactions THe Lord of the mannour is not said to forgiue the trespasse The forgiuenes of sinnes that taketh the amercement set vpon the head of the trespasser neither may the creditour bee saide to forgiue the debtour that exacteth the debt or casteth the debtour in prison vntill he make satisfaction No more could God be saide to forgiue vs our sinnes and to remitte on â—…sses and debtes if hee did either here in this life require satisfaction for theÌ„ at our hands by the workes of pennance or after 〈…〉 vs into the prison of purgatory there to make satisfaction But wee beleeue the remission of our sinnes and the free â—…giuenesse of our debtes and trespasses and so the whose gospell teacheth that they are freely forgiuen in respect of ourselues but not freely to our Saviour Christ who paide full deare for the release of them euen that inestimable price of his owne blood It is he that bare our sinneâ— in his owne body on the tree the chasttiement of our peace was 〈◊〉 vpon him 1. Pet 2 24. Isa 53 5. Hâ—… 9. 12. 10. 14. 7 25 Heb. 1. 3. 1. Ioh. 1. 7. he gaue his soule â—n offering for sinne hee gaue himselfe 〈◊〉 some for many by one obâ—ation of himselfe once made hee hath founde eternall redemption and made perfâ—ct for ever them that â—ee â—…fied hee hath purged our sinnes by himselfe and not by vâ— by his owne blood and not by our satisfactioÌ„s And verily it is this blood of the 〈◊〉 wherwithall our garments are throughly clâ—nsed from all spots and are made perfectly pure white it is this blood that is the soveraigne Apoc. 7. 14. salue for all our sores and the onely effectuall medicine which is able to cure all our spirituall and ghostly maladies And if vvee take any thing else we take quid proquo we take that which vvill not ease but will in the end increase our griefe And therefore iâ— we will finde ease indeed we must provide to haue alwaies this physicke in a readines that whensoeuer we are wounded by our ghostly enemy we may apply to our selues a speedy remedy If as ofâ— saith Saint Ambrose as this bloode is shedde it is shedde for remission 〈◊〉 saâ—… ca 6. of sinnes I ought alwaies to receiue it that my sinnes alwaies may bee remitted vnto mee yea I which alwaies sinne ought alwaies to haue this meâ—…icine His meaning is that Christs blood is the onely remedy against sinne and the sacrament thereof a meanes to strengthen our faith and so to vnite vs more and more vnto Christ and to apply this physicke to our soules and therefore that we ought to haue continual recourse therto that so not by the outward signe but by the invisible grace that is by the bloode of Christ it selfe we may be continually cured and made perfectly holâ— And if 〈◊〉 â—…riâ—… pâ—…â—… c. 2. after our baptisme we be after a sort driven from this ship bord by the stormes teÌ„pests of our own corruptions we must not catch after a second table of penance to take hold therof that so we may be preserued by the power thereof from sinking downe in the sea of our sins but we must recouer our selues to our former stay or els we shall be drowned in the bottomles gulfe of our iniquities The Angell of the church of Sardis after that hee had beene called to the estate of salvation in Christ and confirmed therein by the sacrament of baptisme had fallen into the sea of most daungerous sins now how was he to be recouered
wretched estate when yee sate in darknes and in the shaddow of death and forget not Gods mercy that hath translated you out of darknes into the kingdome of light and so see that yee walke worthy of God and of your high calling in Christ Iesus This due consideratioÌ„ of the Lords endlesse mercy in Christ and their owne vnworthines hath beene the only effectual motiue from the beginning of the world to draw the faithful out of the slavery of Satan vnto God and to confirme and establish them in his feare The seede of the woman shall breake the serpentes head made Adam who before hid himselfe from God afterward with boldnes to come into his presence In thy seede shall all the â—ations of the earth be blessed made Abraham who before was bred vp in Idolatry to forsake kindred and countrey and to endure many annoyances in a strange land that so he might shew his humble obedience vnto God Yea by the eies of this faith all the holy men of God before the comming of Christ in the flesh beholding the great goodnesse and loue of God as the Apostle testifieth Hebr. 11. haue offered vp their sacrifices acceptable to God performed all dueties and endured all crosses for the constant confession of this their holy faith And now since the comming of Christ in the flesh wherby was the whole world converted froÌ„ dumbe Idols to serue the living God Was it by the promulgation of the law of Moses or by the preaching of the gospel of Christ Surely the preaching and publishing of the glad tydings of the gospell of the yeare of Iubile of the acceptable day wherein the Lord for his Christes sake had graunted a free full and generall pardon and release of all debts trespasses and sins to all such as would willingly accept and faithfully embrace this vnspeakeable loue and make it the matter of their daily meditation and consolation and the rocke and foundation of their faith and hope was that warrelike chariot wherein the faith of Christ got the full victorie over falshoode and lies and trod vnder foote all infidelity and Idolatry and triumphed most gloriously against all the power and puissaunce of hell it selfe By the sounde of this doctrine did the servauntes of the great shepheard and Bishoppe of our soules call home all his straying and wandring sheepe and gathered them into the folde of Christ by this net did the fishers of men dravve into the arke of Christs Church all such as were before ready to bee drowned in the sea of their sinnes and to bee overwhelmed with the most terrible tempest of the Lordes wrath by this key did the Lords potters open the doore of the kingdome of heauen to them that vvere before most worthely driven out and dispossessed of that celestiall paradise With this ensigne did the Lordes standard bearers gather together all his companies and bandes which before had revolted became fugitiues fighting vnder the Devils colours by this boxe of ointmeÌ„t powred forth did the Lordes Apothecaries reviue and quicken the spirites of all the Lords patients who were before not only in a sound but also starke dead by the most noysome stincke of their abominable sinnes Lastly by this seed of faith sowen in the most drie and barren wildernes of the peoples hearts by the hand of the Lordes painefull and skilfull husbandmen vvas there raysed vppe a most plentifull and fruitefull harvest vnto the Lorde For faith commeth by hearing the word of faith Neither doeth this worde of faith revealing the vnspeakeable loue of God shining in the face of Christ beget faith only but by faith loue praier confession patience repentance feare obedience thankefulnes even all sounde and sincere devotion with all the partes and parcels thereof By faith we haue accesse to God and are admitted into his Church which is therefore called the family of Faith And Baptisme the sacrament of our Baptisme cleanseth as it doth fâ—…her make manifest vnto va and causeth vs to embrace the word of faith initiation and the seale of faith is added to the worde of faith for the further manifestation of the cause of this our admission into so honourable an estate and calling by setting after a sorte before our eies the loue of God who hath given vs his sonne with his owne most precious bloode to wash and cleanse our sinnes whereby there was before a seperatioÌ„ betweene vâ— God Now from whence saith Austine hath the water of Baptisme this vertue that it doth touch the body cleaâ—se the soul but by means of the word whervnto it is added that it might togither with the same not only represent the washing away of our sinnes by the blood of Christ but also â—atifie and coÌ„firme the same for the further strengthning of our fraile faith Not saith hee for that the word is vttered but for that it is beleeved not for that there is such vertue in the letters and sillables or in the pronunciation of the very wordes but for that they are the powerfull instrument ordained of God so to open the Lordes good and gracious meaning towardes vs and to assure vs of his vnchaungeable loue in Christ that thereby we might attaine to a sure faith For as long as we remaine in our naturall blindnes and ignorance either we fly from God as Adam did beeing touched with the pricke of a guilty conscience or else we embrace an Idol in steed of the true God being misled by the wrongful guiding of a blind coÌ„science as now naturally do all the posterity of Adam But wheÌ„ the Lord hath once revealed vnto vs the glory of his endlesse goodnes in Christ and hath made vs to behold the dignity of his death that he endured for our sins and the worthines of his obedience that he performed for our righteousnes thereby we are made bold to enter Heb. 10. 19. into the holy place by the newe and living way which he hath prepared for vs by his flesh and are encouraged to draw nigh with a true hart in assurance of faith being fully perswaded of the perfect purgation of all our sins and of our entire and absolute righteousnes I am saith our Saviour Christ the way the truth and the life no man commeth to the father but by me He then that is set in this way and walketh therein he vndoubtedly walketh in the right way and he cannot misse but come directly vnto God Hee that buildeth on this rocke buildeth on a sure foundatioÌ„ his faith cannot faile he cannot be vanquished his hope is sure he cannot be coÌ„founded He may be bold to triumph with the Apostle saying If God be on our side who can be against vs who spared not his owne sonne but Rom. 8. 31. gave him for vs all how shall he not with him giue vs all things also Who shall lay anie thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifieth Who shall condemne It is Christ that is dead
east them into an holie extasie and carried them after a sorte out of themselues and made them to haue little regard Cyrill in haec verbâ— sanguis â—ius sit super noset filios nostros of this present vvorlde and of the pompe and glorie thereof vvhich yet are so glorious in earthly mens eies To vvhat ende saith Cyrill shoulde I have vvealth and hope for the inheritance of the goodes of this vvorlds seeing alreadie I am made heire of thy most precious bloode and redeemed vvith thy most glorious death Why should I not verie much esteeme of my selfe seeing thou hast shedde as much bloode for mee alone as thou hast done for all the vvorld So Bernard O good Iesus O the loue of my soule vvho Bern. in haec verbai desiderio desideravi c. amongest mortall men doth so desire to make his life perpetuall as thou didst desire to loose thine for mine What pleasure vvilte thou take on the vvorld to come vvith thine elect seeing heere vppon earth thon didest call that day vvherein thou didest suffer Easter that is a great and solemne feastivall daie And againe O good Iesus O the redeemer of my soule doe I not happely owe thee as much as all the vvorlde ovveth thee seeing I have cost thee as much bloode as all the vvorlde hath done By the which testimonies of these holie men it is evident and plaine that an holie assurance of the great loue of CHRIST vvho hath died for our sinnes in particular and rose againe for our iustification is the strongest purgation to cleanse our soules from deade workes and to quicken them vp to an heavenly life and to strengthen vs in the ready preformance of all such duties as are most gratefull and acceptable to God And verely all manner of good vertuous works seeme they never so glorious in the eies of mortall men are most vile and base in the sight of God vnlesse the loue of Christ be the worker of them al and vnlesse they are performed as well deserved dueties for his sundry and manifold vndeserved mercies How then can there bee any true devotion at al in any of the children of the Church of Rome if they followe the doctrine â—f the assurance of the loue of God in Christ be the strongest band to binde vs to God then the doubtting therof must needs lette vs loose to runne a stray at random out of the Lordes waies as if we were at our owne liberty to liue as wee list The base borne bastardes of the church of Rome condemne in the legitimate children of God the holy assurance of his fauour and loue as Sap. 2. their former brethrren the elder sons of Satan haue done before theÌ„ Eph. 3. 18. of their mother who teacheth them to bee still in doubt of the loue of Christ in particular towards themselues of their effectuall calling into the state of grace and of the remission of their sins and eternall glory seeing the faithfull apprehension sence assuraÌ„ce of Christs loue the fruits therof is the only effectuall worker of all true devotion Howe can either the church of Rome be the faithful spouse of Christ seeing shee stil standeth in doubt of the loue of her bridegrome or her children bee the children of God our heavenly father seeing they are and must be still in doubt whether he beareth a fatherly affection towards them Surely a faithful spoufe cannot still stand in doubt of the loue of her most kind and carefull husband neither can the naturall and kinde childe alwaies feare whether his natural kind father beareth a louing and a fatherly affection towards him seeing hee hath testified the same by his manifold blessinges And therfore the church of Rome caÌ„not be the true spouse of Christ seeing shee knoweth not assuredly whether shee is his beloued neither can her children be the true children of God our heaveÌ„ly father seeing they are and must be stil vncertaine and doubtfull of his kind and fatherly loue of the most principal effectes thereof Nay in that they condemne the true children of God of pride presuÌ„ption for that they are not abashed to make a bold confession of their knowledge of God and of their assurance of his loue and to glory that he is their father and they his sonnes heereby they declare themselues to belong to the congregatioÌ„ of them alignant yea that they are the children of the devil himselfe in that after the very selfesame manner they condemne the holy faith of the children of God as their elder brethren haue done before theÌ„ in the second chapter of the booke of wisdome VVherfore all ye our deere brethren which are as yet covered with the blacke and darke doctrine of the church of Rome which came out of the bottomles pitte from the very prince of darkenes himselfe even as many of you as belong to the number of Gods elect defraud not your selues any longer of the comfort and fruit of Christs loue by continuing still doubtful of the same with the children of vnbeleife but rather labour with al saints that yee may comprehend what is the bredth depth length heigth to knovv the loue of Christ that passeth knowledge that so yee maÌ„y be filled with all fulnes of God Be ye not desirous to continue any longer doubtful of the remission of your sins of your election to eternal life according vnto the doctrine of the teacher of infidelity which yet boasteth himselfe to be the successour of St. Peter but striue yee 2. Pet. 1. 10 rather to make your election sure by your workes according vnto the most holy doctrine of St. Peter himselfe And as I doubt not but that yee vnfainedly desire to bee fruitful and plentifull in all good workes so labour yee by al meanes possible to compreheÌ„d the loue of Christ and to feele in your harts the coÌ„fortable fruits thereof which are the strongest motiues not onely to perswade but after a sort to constraine force vnto the ready persormaÌ„ce of al good workes Be ye not so foolish still to imagine that your workes which are the fruites of the loue of Christ the effectes of your election and iustification bee the causes of the loue of Christ of your election iustification Especially whereas it is God that worketh in you the wil and the deede and that of his owne meere mercy and good wil in Christ and thereby maketh you more endebtted vnto him by the continuance encrease of his blessings take yee heede of that grievous and intollerable pride wherwith the Devill the defacer of the grace and glorie of Christ hath hitherto beguiled you by making you thinke that God is endebtted vnto you by meanes of your good workes and that by them you merite at his hands remission of sins eternal glory For verely if the kissing of our owne handes that is the ascribing The ascribing to our owne witte industry
vs of the most deadly sting of the spirituall serpent the Devill It may seeme strange that the beholding of a deade man should have such vertue efficacy as to giue life to the behoulders yet so it is for that this dead body is a quickning spirit and the word of his crosse is the power of God to salvation to all that beleeue And indeede you cannot duely thinke vpon this shamefull ignominious crosse but that yee shall be moved thereby to call to mind the most glorious and admirable loue of God who so loved the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but haue life everlasting Now if God loue vs be on our side who can be against vs if he hath confirmed his loue towards vs in that he spared not his only begotten sonne but gaue him for vs all how may wee be most fully assured that he will with him giue vs al things also Hereby saith S. Iohn haue we perceived loue in that hee layed downe his life for vs. 1. Ioh. 3. 16. So S. Paules Herein saith hee Christ setteth out his love towards vs that while we were sinners therefore not worthy of the least mercie hee died for vs and so shewed vs the greatest mercy Rom. 3. 8. If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith vnto thee give mee drinke thou wouldest haue asked of him and he would haue given vnto thee the water of life Ioh. 4. 10. In teaching the ignoraÌ„t we must labour especially to worke in them a thirst of the water of life the sweetnes wherof if we had once tasted al other thiÌ„gs would grow out of tast with vs and we would after a sort thirst only after this water This water of life then aboue al other things is to be made knowen to the people of God the vertue therof is continually to be sette forth seeing it is not condemned but where it is vnknowen And hereof it is that Christ himselfe his spirit his spouse and all his faithfull members bestow so much labour in pointing to this full fountaine of the water of life and in commending the vertues therof I am the living bread saith our Saviour Christ that Ioh. 6. 51. came downe from heaven hee that eateth of this bread shall liue for ever And againe If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke he that beleeveth Ioh. 7. 37. in me as saith the Scripture out of his belly shall flowe rivers of water of life And againe I am the dore if any man enter by mee he Ioh. 10. 9. shall be saved and goe in and out and finde pasture And againe I am the Vine yee are the branches every braunch that beareth fruite in me my Ioh. 15. 2. father purgoth that it may beare more fruite And againe I am the way the truth and the life no man commeth to the father but by me By all which figuratiue speeches one and the selfesame thing is sette forth vnto vs even that Christ is the doore wherby we haue entrance to God in the enioying of whose favour presence consisteth life that he is the way to the caelestiall IerusaleÌ„ where true life is to be enioyed in the greatest perfection that he is the true propitiatory sacrifice wherby the wrath of God is throughly pacified all other in respect thereof beeing either meere shadowes or false counterfeites that he is the bread water meat and foode of life whereby life is not onely bredde at the first but also still maintained and preserved for ever Likewise our Saviour testifieth of the spirit of God that he shall testifie of him and shall receive Ioh. 15. 26. Ioh. 16. 14. of his shall glorifie him by giving testimony vnto the holines of his doctrin vnto the dignity of his death the Angel setteth downe the same as a sure note of the spirit of a true Prophet The Apoc. 19. 10. Ioh. 5. 39. testimony of Iesus is the spirite of prophesie that is is a sure marke of the spirit of prophecy Yea what is the scope and end of all the scriptures but to give testimony vnto Christ What is the continuall exercise of the spouse of Christ and all her legitimate children but to haue their eies fast bent vpon Christ their mouth continually open in his praise The whol booke of the Canticles is principally spente in the extolling of the excellencies of the bridegrome by his louing spouse vnder diverse semblances and similitudes And wherein especially laboured Iohn the Baptist the friend of the Bridegrome but in preparing the peoples hartes to embrace Christ Behoulde the Lambe of God saith he that taketh Ioh. 1. 29. 26. away the sinnes of the vvorld I baptise vvith water vnto repentance but there is one among you who albeit he came after mee yet hee was before mee whose shoe-latchet I am vnworthy to vnloose he shall baptise vvith the holy Ghost and with fire And againe He must encrease but I must Ioh. 3. 30. decrease Lastly what did all the Apostles teach They preached Iesus and in him and by him the resurrection of the dead and all other benefites and blessinges whatsoever they preached Iesus to be the Lord and themselues the servants of all men for Iesus sake And verely al other waters are but draffe durte in respect of the most pure waters of this fountaine all other riches are but 〈…〉 of this inestimable and invaluable treasures 〈…〉 dishes are but as the scrappes of a beggars 〈…〉 of the most sweete and comfortable both tast 〈…〉 Mannaâ— and bread of life the feeding 〈…〉 to â—…ke the best of it is but the Iuglers feast 〈…〉 by feeding on Christ The children of 〈…〉 Synagogue howsoever they pretend that they care 〈…〉 they haue never indeed fedde vpon him truly 〈…〉 should haue had by him health strength and life to 〈◊〉 that they would never haue fedde vpon masses and 〈◊〉 and vpon their owne or other mens merites for the furâ—…â—…ing of everlasting life But if these meÌ„ wil by no means 〈◊〉 â—…ded to come togeather with vs to feede onely vppon 〈…〉 bread of life at the Lords table let them feed still at the 〈…〉 vpon that deadly poison which is sette before them 〈…〉 â—…mous serpent But let vs feed vpon Christ Io◠〈…〉 for his flesh 〈…〉 and his blood is drinke indeede His patience is the only price wherby our soules are fully ransomed his righteousnes the onely roabes whereby our nakednes is wholy covered wherby we are presented most perfectly pure righteous holie 〈◊〉 before the tribunal seat of the Lords iustice His death is only able to kill sinne in vs and his resurrection is onely of force to raise vs vp to newnes of life They that being moved by other reason seeme to abstain froÌ„ sin to work righteousnes do the same but outwardly in shew