with his sacrifice taketh awaie all feare of death and maketh à mā no more to dread death than a sweet sleep Whereof it is that a godlie man desireth death euen as à passage out of these miseries vnto euerlasting life Then shal he find the saying of Christ to be true If à man keepe my worde hee shal neuer tast death Hence proceedeth y t willingnes in manie of the Martyrs who had in minde Christ not onelie that died but also y t did rise againe by whose power we shal be raised vnto immortalitie and our soules in the meane space euen vntil the daie of the laste iudgement shal possesse the ioies of heauen with the chast spirits and then ioined to their bodies shal enioie the sight of God immortal glorie for euer and euer And therefore it is not without iust cause said both in the Reuelatiō Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord and also by Dauid Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saincts Thus hitherto we haue spokē concerning the propitiatorie sacrifice of Christians of such things as do seeme to make for the plane declaration of the same nowe wee are brieflie to speake of the other sacrifice of Christians which they cal Euchatistical CHAP. 41. 1. Of the Priestes of the newe Testament howe they be consecrated 2. the couenant betweene God and them 3. The excellencie of the Priesthood 4. What is Eucharistical sacrifice 5. Whie so called 6. The kindes thereof 7. Ministers of the Gospel whie and howe Priestes THE Apostle Peter applied to such as doe conuert both from the Iewes and the Gentiles the promise of the Lorde which is in the 19. of Exodus to this purpose If yee wil heare my voice in deede and keepe my couenant then yee shal bee my chiefe treasure aboue al people though al the earth bee mine Yee shalbe also vnto mee à kingdome of Priestes and an holie nation à peculiar people that yee maie shew-forth the vertues of him that hath caled you out of darknes into his maruelous light Out of these words to omit other places it is manifest that all Christians bee Priestes to offer sacrifices of thankesgiuing and praise vnto God Firste therefore it is to bee noted that as by nature wee bee sinners and the children of wrath So by our owne strength worthinesse and merites wee can chalenge nothing at Gods hande And therefore as by that onelie sacrifice of Christ wee bee reconciled so of his goodnes wee enter into the order of priestes and are consecrated to him for to dedicate our selues and al ours vnto the glorie of God This our inauguration into y e priesthood because it is merlie spiritual internal is wroght by a secrete maner how it maie be declared after à sort by cōparing the truth vnto y e shadow As then they which were to be made priestes out of the tribe of Leui did first of al washe their bodies with water secondlie put vppon them the garmentes appointed of God thirdlie did annoint their heades and fourthlie filled their hands so they which shal be priestes in the newe Testament be spiritual ordained For first the high priest euē Christ doth wash them both with water and bloode Hee cleanseth vs saith Paul by the washing of water throgh the word to wit of God instituting ordaining baptisme Ioh. in the Reuelatiō saith He hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his bloode and made vs kinges and Priestes vnto God euen his father Secondlie the same Christ adorneth vs with spiritual garmentes much whiter and cleaner than those Leuitical garmentes For so Paul saith Alyee that are baptized into Christe haue put-on Christe And hauing him vpon vs wee seeme white that is righteous and holy in the sight of God Of this apparel the Psalme meaneth where it is said Let thie priests be clothed with righteousnes and let thie saintes reioice Thirdlie theie are annointed not with material fleeting oyle as Leuitical priests but with inward spiritual and immortal Whereof Paul speaketh saieng It is God who establisheth vs with you in Christ hath annointed vs. Who hath also sealed vs and hath giuen the earnest of the spirite in our heartes Of this ointment wherewith Christe annointeth vs we be called Christians and Priests Kinges and Prophets Marueilous is the force of this spiritual vnction For as the nature of the oile wherewithal the Priestes of the olde Lawe were annointed is to shine and to burne so the holie Spirite wherebie we are annointed for Priestes both lighteneth our mindes and setteth our heartes on fire that both the minde maie vnderstand what is good and behooueful and the heart zealouslie couet after the same And this commeth to passe when through faith conceaued by the preaching of the worde we bee rauished wholie with admiration of the great mercie of God who hath called vs out of darkenes into his marueilous light Last of al theie fil their handes that is theie shewe them-selues readie to offer vnto the Lorde For nowe they are no more their owne men but consecrated to God theie surcesse to liue and theie dedicate all the actions of their life vnto the seruice of God And being thus ordained we haue a certaine couenant also concluded betweene God and vs what that is I wil shew out of the words of Malachie The words of the Prophet are these My couenant was with him of life and peace and I gaue him feare and he feared me and was afraid before my name The lawe of truth was in his mouth and there was none iniquitie founde in his lips he walked with me in peace and equitie and did turne manie awaie from iniquitie For the Priestes lips should preserue knowledge and theie should seeke the lawe at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lorde of hostes And although the Prophete here speaketh of the Leuitical priestes yet it is fitlie applied also to al Christians who are in the sight of God much more excellent priestes being roial than were the Leuitical Out of which wordes of the Prophet the forme of the couenant maie thus be made As the Lorde promiseth life and peace so doth he require also feare through faith For as in al couenantes there is à mutual obligation so here too God promiseth peace and life which two thinges are opposed against the wrath of God and euerlasting death But the partes of the couenant in respect of our selues are manie in this place which naturalie do hang together The first whereof is à syncere feare of God springing of Faith which the Prophete meaneth when he saith The beginning of wisedome is the feare of the Lorde Againe The holie feare of the Lorde endureth for euer The second the lawe of truth in his mouth that is true holie sounde doctrine And although eùerie Christian mà ie not teach
of which Isaiah in his 50. Chapter I gaue my backe vnto the smiters and my cheekes to the nippers I hid not my face from shame and spitting After that he was hanged on wood or vpon the crosse For manie times among the Fathers saluation hath come by woode The image and prophecie of this wood was in the arch of Noah and in the wood which Moses threwe into the most bitter waters wherebie they became most pleasant By this figure the virtue of y e crosse of Christ is notablie depainted For as the most bitter waters by the wood throwen there-into were made most sweete and pleasaunt so nothing is there but wil be most comfortable to vs if the wood of Christ his crosse namelie faith on Christ crucified be added as à sause But à more excellent figure is in the wood wheron the brazen serpent was hanged For as Moses at the cōmandement of God in y e wildernes set-vp on high to y e view of al the Israelites the brazen serpent which hong vpon wood y t such as were wounded to the death of serpents might be healed therby So Christ was lifted vp vpon the wood and shewen as it were to al nations that as manie as were wounded vnto the death by the old serpent the diuel might be saued looking and trusting on him So then Christ hong on the crosse and was made à cursse for vs to redeeme vs from the cursse of the serpent which he through sinne brought vpon mankind Therefore it is written Curssed is euerie one that hangeth on tree After this manner Paul vnto the Galathians applieth the type to y e truth Here y e humanitie of Christ seemed most vile worser than the basest sort of men in so much as his verie friendes and familiars did flie awaie being dismaied and abashed Whereof it was prophecied in à psalme But I am à worme and not à man à shame of men and the contempt of the people And in the 88. psal Thou hast put-awaie mine acquaintance far fro me and made me to be abhorred of thē Yea at that time he which was the fairest among men so lost al grace of beautie that it was à verie hard thing to know him according to the prophecie of Isaiah Beholde my seruant shal prosper he shal be exalted and extolled and be verie hie As manie were astonied at thee his visage was so deformed of men and his forme of the sonnes of men so shal he sprincle manie nations the Kings shal shut their mouthes at him for that which had not bene tolde them shal they see and that which they had not heard shal they vnderstande And afterward He hath neither forme nor beautie whē we shal see him there shal be no forme that we shoulde desire him Hee is despised and reiected of men he is à man ful of sorowes and hath experience of infirmities wee hid as it were our faces from him and was despised and we esteemed him not Lo howe playnlie the Prophet hath fore-tolde how it should come to passe that the Iewes in respect of his vile punishment whereof themselues were the autors shoulde contemne the Messiah The high Priestes and the princes of the people spake il and rayled of him nodding their heades at Iesus fastened to the crosse as the Prophet Hosea prophecied I haue redeemed them yet they haue spoken lies against me And Psalme 22. They gape vpon me with their mouthes as à ramping and roaring Lion Againe Doges haue compassed me and the assemblie of the wicked haue inclosed me And again Psalme 35. They had me in derision and gnashed their teeth at mee Zecharie also prophecied of his handes side that were pearced Chapter 12. They shal looke vpon him whome they haue peirced And Psal. 22. They peirced mine hands and my feete In his extreeme tormentes he cried My God my God whie hast thou forsaken me Which thing long afore was fore-told by Dauid in y e 22. Psalme which Psalme is as it were à certain Epitome of y e passion of Christ. When he was about to yeld vp y e Ghost he vsed y e words of Dauid who carried à type of Christ himselfe Into thine hands Lord I commend my spirit as it is in the 31. Psalme His hanging betweene theeues was also foreshewed by the Prophet Isaiah in his 53. chapter where he saith He was counted with the transgressors How Christ praied for his crucifiers Isaiah in the same chapter fore-telleth He bare the sinne of manie and praied for the trespassers As Iesus was vpon dieng there was darkenes ouer al the lande as though the sunne would haue lost his light when as notwithstanding the Moone was at the ful The earth also terriblie did quake according to the prophecie of Ioël The Sunne and Moone shal be darkened and the starres shal with-drawe their light The Lord also shal roare out of Zion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the heauens and the earth shal shake And Amos in his 8. chapter doth say And in that daie saith the Lord God I wil euen cause the sunne to go downe at noone and I wil darken the earth in the cleere day The Lord was crucified without the gate euen as the sacrifice that was brought without the campe for the purgation and sanctifiing of the people by the whole multitude of the sonnes of Israël as may appeare Num. 19. For the red kowe in the sight of all was killed and of the blood thereof and of the ashes and water purgations were made Vnto the speedinesse of the Lords punishment who was taken about night and led vnto the hie Priestes the next morning earlie carried vnto the iudgement hal of the president and at noone crucified belongeth the figure of the paschal lambe wherof Christ also is oftentimes called à lambe But that it maie the better appeare howe the bodie aunswereth to the shadowe and the trueth to the figure let vs compare one thing with an other For that paschal lambe doth much resemble our Sauiour Christ yet as the shadowe the bodie and the type the truth 1 As therefore that Iewish lambe was à male of à yeere old and that without spot so Christ à full and perfect man was without sinne 2 As the houses which were sprinckled with the blood of the paschal lambe preserued the inhabitor from destruction so they whose consciences are sprinckled with the bloode of Christe the immaculate lambe shal bee free from the punishment of sinne which is damnation 3 As nothing of the paschal lambe might be eaten that was either rawe or boiled or sodden in water but that which was rosted with fire So there was no part of the Lords bodie but was rosted with great flames of sorowe 4 As the children of Israel
bodie for euermore Whence this same confidence of the healed and quiet conscience doth arise the epistle vnto the Hebrewes teacheth where it is saide We are assured that we haue à good conscience in al things desiring to liue honestlie Therefore as the cause foundation of à good conscience is not our owne worthines for by nature wee are sinners and vnworthie nor merites for of our selues we deserue nothing but death nor anie vertue of our owne for al our righteousnes is as filthie cloutes but euen meere faith in Christ which purgeth it by his bloode from dead workes through whome we haue peace with God So the purpose of the same is in all thinges with all men and in all actions to walke vprightlie namelie by declining from that which is euil and doing that which is good For continualie it thinketh vppon à newe life in Iesus Christ it alwaies detesteth the coate defiled of the fleshe and euermore delighteth in that white garment which in Baptisme is put on For al wee that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ. Which thing Dauid in the spirit did beholde when he said Wash me and I shal bee whiter than snowe to wit through the ornament of righteousnes of the Messiah as with a most white garment being first purged from sinne through his bloode Of this faith and conscience that sinne is blotted-out ariseth a care of wel-doing in Dauid according to that I haue applied mine heart to fulfil thy statuts alwaie euen vnto the end And Paul saith Fight à good fight hauing faith à good conscience In the whole course of this life wee maie beholde à goodlie and an especial vse of the sacrifice of Christ not onelie in aduersitie but also in prosperitie In aduersitie there is none so good à remedie as y e sacrifice of Christ. For as aduersitie doeth put thee in minde of thy sinne either lurking or manifest so the sacrifice of Christ apprehended by faith doth certifie thy conscience both of the forgiuenes of sins whereof ariseth spiritual comfort in al affliction and also of the conformitie of the elect with the son of God For so it hath pleased the wisedome of God that he wil haue his elect like to his sonne but in the crosse and also in glorie And this Paul affirmeth saying If we suffer with him we shal also raigne with him Hitherto also maketh the imitation of Christ his example in the crosse which Peter commendeth vnto vs in these wordes Christ suffered for vs leauing vs an ensample that we shoulde folow his steppes Read mine annotations vpon the 2. chapter of the first epistle of Peter In prosperitie there is more daunger For albeit aduersitie do bring-done manie yet prosperitie doth puffe-vp moe According to this of the Poët The minds of man through prosperitie waxe wanton often-times Againe The minde lifted-vp through prosperitie remembreth neither death nor what may happeÌ„ nor anie measure at al. What then shal à godlie man doe in this case Foure things he shal doe First let him waie with himselfe the things which are called prosperous in this world and consider what they are in them selues Secondarilie let him thinke what a perilous thing it is to enioie prosperitie if the mind be not godlie disposed Thirdlie let him compare al the coÌ„modities of this worlde with the blessednes to come which Christ hath purchased for vs by his death and last of al let him aduisedlie consider whether it be more behoueful to enioie prosperitie of this life with hazard of the soule than to renounce them if occasion serue for Christ his sake Therfore seeing our flesh is ticled like à wild horse beginneth to winch by prosperitie let à godlie man thinke with himself first howe vncertaine brittle mortal temporal fleting transitorie y e prosperitie of this world is which manie enioieng at their hartes desire be for al that in verie deed most miserable secondlie let him thinke y t it hath more deceipt than pleasure For the pleasure which ariseth thereof is like à serpent murthering the soule counsailing proudlie and vaâ—elie euen the spirite of couetousnes and gluttonie This serpent lurking in the most secrete corners of the minde seeketh not but euen destruction Whereby it is apparent that prosperitie doeth more hurt the minde than doeth aduersitie the bodie Thirdlie let a godlie man thinke with himselfe that so great ods there is betweene the felicitie which Christe hath purchased for his beloued and the prosperitie of this world as is betweene a minute of an houre and eternitie betweene death and life betweene miserie and happines For as the prosperitie of this life dependeth vpoÌ„ a reed so the happines promised in Christ is vpholden by the euerlasting trueth of God that it is vnpossible that they shoulde bee deceiued of their hope which continue in the feare of God vnto their liues ende Fourthlie of these things let a godlie maÌ„ gather how it is a much better and blessed thing to renounce worldlie goods as far as godlie christianitie they stand not according to Gods word thaÌ„ for theÌ„ to bring the soule into y e danger of damnation To conclude that wee bee neither puffed-vp nor carried-quite from God by prosperitie there is no such thing as to call into minde the humiliation of the sonne of God vppon the crosse who therefore was humbled that he might exalt vs if so be we do humble our selues vnder the mightie hand of God and are not ashamed of the crosse of Christ. For whosoeuer exalteth himselfe shal be brought lowe and he that humbleth himself shal be exalted We are therefore to take special heede least our flesh through prosperous successe of things do deceaue and kil vs being taken with a certaine baite For that serpent which beguiled Euah of his subtiltie snatcheth euerie occasion to withdrawe vs from Christ and setteth vppon the principal part of man to destroie it with prosperitie And therefore saith Paul Brethren you see your calling howe that not manie wise men after the fleshe not manie mightie not manie noble are called For to the destruction of man sathan abuseth these three things namelie wisedome power and nobilitie of which springeth both the pleasure of the bodie and the pride of minde which if the foolish once get they think themselues happie and blissed meÌ„ So then against this tentation oppose y e crosse of Christ without which al wisedome is but meere foolishnesse all might is but weakenesse all nobilitie is but ignominie and all pleasure is but the food of death For al these mixed with too much bitternes haue an ende with this life If therefore thou wouldest haue true wisedom true might true nobilitie true pleasure and glorie seeke them in Christ alone thou shalt find in whom are hid al the treasures of celestial restes To conclude at the point of death the sight of the prieste Christ
the first place and order are placed those celestial spirits which in respect of their seruice which they do to their King are called Angels For they are al ministring spirits saith Paul for their sakes which shal be heires of saluation Because while this world doth last there shal be Angels attending vpon the busines of the kingdome of Christ which notwithstanding is not the end of their nature but a temporal seruice But after the general iudgement with the elect of God hauing attained à perfect conquest they shall euerlastinglie triumph-together The number and office of those Angels no man hath more plainlie expressed than Daniel did who beheld them Thousand thousands ministred vnto him and ten thousand thousands stoode before him The fight and victorie which the Lord of hostes and his Angels haue got is described in the Reuelation on this wise Michael and his angels fought against the dracon and the dracon fought and his angels But they preuailed not neither was their place found anie more in heauen And the great dracon that old serpent called the diuel and satan was cast out which deceiueth al the world he was euen cast into the earth and his angels were cast-out with him Then I heard à loud voice saieng Nowe is saluation in heauen strength the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast-downe which accuseth them before our God daie and night But they ouer come him by the bloud of the Lambe and by the word of their testimonie Touching Michael which is saide in this place to be the captaine of the warre it is the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ as mai◠be gathered both out of Daniel and also from the etymologie of the name For Michael is as much as Who is like God The Angels therfore following the conduction and standard of Michael that is the Lord of hostes are celestial spirits In the second order of these armies are godlie teachers waging battel with the kingdome of the dracon that is of the diuel and with his angels y t is with defendors of idols and blasphemies Such in times passed were Moses Ioseph Daniel the Prophets and the Apostles and manie godlie Ministers of the word in the Church afterward Whose weapons are not carnal but spiritual For so doth Paul saie We do not war after the flesh For the weapons of our warfare be not carnal but mightie through God to cast downe holdes casting downe the imaginations and euerie high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euerie thought to the obedience of Christ that is the weapons of godlie teachers in the Church be the verie word of God the power of the holie Ghost in the word and earnest praier In the third order of the Lordes hoste be godlie hearers of the word who for Gods glorie and their owne saluation fight against the flesh sinne the world and the diuel Their war and weapons in the Epistles vnto the Ephesians be described on this wise For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers and against the worldlie gouernors the princes of the darkenes of this world against spiritual wickednes in the hie places For this cause take vnto you the whole armor of God that ye maie be able to resist in the euil daie and hauing finished al things stand fast Stand therfore and your loines gird about with veritie and hauing on the brest plate of righteousnes And your feete shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace Aboue al take the shield of faith wherewithal ye maie quench al the firie dartes of the wicked and take the helmet of saluation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God And praie alwaie with al manner praier and supplication in the spirit Or in fewer wordes as Paul in an other place writeth Fight à good fight hauing faith à good conscience which some haue put awaie and as concerning faith haue made shipwracke In the fourth place be euerie particular man in his vocation Exod. 38. it is said that the women did assemble and came together at the doore of the Tabernacle that is they did those things which were enioined them to doe Euerie man therefore fighteth vnder the banner of Christ when stoutlie in y e feare of God he doth those things which in respect of his calling he is bound to do Then both teachers and hearers also be the good soldiers of the Lord when they doe their duties godlie and diligentlie After which sort we maie iudge of all other callings warranted by the word of God Herevnto if you thinke good you maie ad à fift order namelie y e celestial armie or hoste as the Sunne Moone and the Stars the which are therefore saide to be the hoste of the captaine Christ because after their facion they reproue darkenes declare the glorie of Christ and prouoke both Angels and men by their example as it were to glorifie God euermore Nowe of those things which hitherto we haue spoken of y e Lord of hostes of his fight armies and victorie there is a double vse For as they confirme comfort and encourage the godlie fighting vnder Christ the captaine so do they throw downe terrefie and confound the wicked Wherefore being admonished let vs ioine our selues through faith and obediēce to Christ the captaine and with true puritie of minde to these vnspotted spirites beeing thoroughlie persuaded that he which fighteth an honest fight in faith and à good conscience shal receaue an incorruptible crowne of glorie which Christ our Lord capitane and champion hath promised to vs. For as true victorie consisteth in the blood of the Lambe and worde of the testimonie so they who are sprinkled with this blood which is then done when we beleeue in Christ according to the word of the testimonie shal trulie obteine victorie CHAP. 4. 1. Against those which wil be counted and yet are not the true Church 2. particularlie against the Iewes that what soeuer things were written of the Messiah by Moses and the Prophets are fulfilled in Christ. NOwe for so much as manie assemblies of men vsurpe y e title of the Church for that was it which we proposed in y e second place we are diligentlie to consider who be they which will needs be called and yet be not the Church and also which is the true Church of God that al other congregations auoided we maie ioine our selues to the true Church The Iewes supposing the Messiah whome as yet al in vaine they looke for to pertainè vnto them alone doe proudlie contemne al other congregations and hoast-abroad howe they are the true Church of God The Mahomets or Turkes because their dominion is verie great which they haue in the
Elders through the red sea by the conduction of Moses but also that the Teachers might admonish the people of the spiritual Passeouer to wit from the kingdome of Satan into the kingdome of God by the conduction of the Messiah there is no doubt but this question was handled betweene Christ and those doctors where-of sprang that admiration and wondering Againe by this deede of his yet in his childe-hoode Christ would teach what their duetie is who haue determined to folowe Christe For as he sate in the Temple so his wil is that such as folowe him should rest in holie thinges and bring if they would profite in his schoole à mind voide of worldlie cares Then from the 12. yeare vntil the 30. yeere of his age he was subiect to his parentes Encreasing in wisedome and stature and in fauour with God with man And thus the whole time of his life was consumed among the poore simple men of heart and this was it which Esaiah saide He hath sent me to preach good tidinges vnto the poore For they alwayes were most in the fauour of God that is theie haue bin more apt to receiue the lawe and commandementes of the Lorde than such as are swollen vp in respect either of their wealth or of their power or of their learning or wit Nowe when he was entered into the 30. yeare of his age Iohn the sonne of Zacharias hauing receaued à commandement from the Lorde concerning baptisme of repentance went forth as à fore-runner and cried Repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand prepare ye the way of the Lord. And this was it which the Prophet Malachie fore-tolde when he saide Beholde I will send my messenger and he shal prepare the waie before thee and the Lorde whome yee seeke shal speedily come to his Temple euen the messenger of the couenant whome yee desire beholde he shal come saith the Lorde of Hostes. Afterward he was baptized of Iohn and the holie Ghoste descended and lighted vppon him like à doue For so it went before in the figure Moses telleth howe the doue sent out of the ship returned in the euening with an oliue leafe in her bil which was à token of attonement For Noah therebie knewe that the wrath of the Lord was appeaced and that the waters were abated from of the earth After which maner the Doue here doth testifie howe he was present by whome the wrath of the Father was peaced according to the words of the Father This is my beloued sonne in whome I am wel pleased His tentation of the diuel answereth at the lest wise to that which was prophecied in general And thou shalt bruise his head that is the heele of the seed of the woman He fasted fourtie daies and fourtie nightes but the figure of the same went before in Moses and Elias In the three yeeres following he began his raigne by teaching and working miracles according to the fore-saieng of the Prophet Esaiah The spirit of the Lord God is vpon me therfore hath the Lord annointed me he hath sent me to preach good tydings vnto the poore to binde-vp the broken hearted to preach libertie to the captiues to them that are bound the opening of the prison to preach the acceptable yeere of the Lord and the daie of vengeance of our God to comfort al that mourne to appoint vnto them that mourne in Zion and to giue vnto them beautie for ashes the oile of ioie for mourning the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse that they might be called trees of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified And againe Saie vnto them that are fearefull Be you strong feare not behold your God commeth with vengeance euen God with a recompence he wil come and saue you Then shal the eies of the blinde be lightened and the eares of the deafe be opened Then shal the lame leap as an hart and the dumme mans tongue shal sing What plainer thing could be spoken of the doctrine and miracles of the Messiah The Prophet as it were with a finger pointeth to the very person of the Messiah by most euident tokens Yet doe not the miserable Iewes carried-awaie by the stormes of their affections confesse the truth Vnto these tokens declaring the true Messiah he sendeth the two disciples of Iohn who demanded of him saieng Art thou he that should come or shal we waite for an other Go your waie saith he and shew Iohn what things ye haue seene and heard that the blinde see the halt goe the leapers are cleansed the deafe heare the dead rise-againe and the poore receaue the Gospel Hence came that wondering in the blind man Ioh. 9. Doubtles this is à marueilous thing that ye knowe not whence he is and yet he hath opened mine eies The time of his punishment which was appointed for him by the Father drawing nigh he entered into Ierusalem vpon an asse whome much people met and receaued with roial pompe whereof Zacharie doth saie Reioice greatlie ô daughter Zion shout for ioie ô daughter Ierusalem behold thy King commeth vnto thee poore and riding vpon an asse As he came the people shouted and strawed bowes of palme trees in the waie for à signe of an euerlasting kingdome and cried Hosanna the sonne of Dauid blessed be he that commeth in the Name of the Lorde Hosanna thou which art in the hiest heauens The which we read was foretolde also in à certaine Psalme O Lord we praie thee saue nowe blessed be he that commeth in the Name of the Lord binde the sacrifice with cordes vnto the hornes of the altar The daie before he should suffer hauing eaten the Paschal lambe according to the Lawe he instituted the supper of his bodie and bloud à figure whereof as Paule witnesseth went before in the Manna and in the rocke wher-out flowed water in y e wildernes Then after à long sermon in the presence of his disciples and praier as Adam in the garden departed from God so Christ in the garden was betraied of his owne disciple Iudas for thirtie peeces of siluer which thing the Prophets kept not secrete For as Doëg the bewraier of Dauid was à type of Iudas the traitor so Zecharie speaketh of the wages that was paied So they weighed for my wages thirtie peeces of siluer And the Lord saide vnto me caste it vnto the potter à goodlie price that I was valued at of them Straight-waie being taken all his disciples forsooke him whereof Zecharie in his 13. Chapter thus writeth Arise ô sworde vpon my shepheard and vpon the man that is my fellow saith the Lord of hostes smite the shepheard and the sheepe shal be scattered Then folowed scoffinges spittinges buffets contumelies and much vexation after he was taken
they be much to bee praised who liue so as they teach if so be also they teach rightlie as they liue For so saide Eusebius entering into the praise of Origen This is he who liueth according to his speaking and speaketh according to his liuing Correction is that whereby such as wander from the right waie are brought into the same This correction is vsed either by telling men of their faultes or by exhorting or by reprouing or by threatening or by punishing Al these at one time alwaies maie not be vsed but according as he is giuen who hath gone-astraie For if by telling the fault by exhortation he amende other remedies are not needeful But here prudent Censors of of behauiour must endeuor in al correction to shewe à fatherlie minde not crueltie For as the one encreaseth loue toward the correcters so the other engendereth hatred and contumacie As Ambrose doth saie He that cruelie is chastised and chidden receaueth neither chiding nor amendement But if neither telling exhorting chiding nor threatening wil bring à man from his error then sharper medicines must be tried that is it must be seene whether punishment wil reclaime him into the right waie who hath wandered according to the doctrine of the Gospel This punishment is twofold to wit either excommunication vppon wicked liuers or cursing vpon obstinate heretikes But first let vs speake of excommunication the which when it is to be showen it must be done both wiselie to edification and grauelie with much compassion the sentence of the superior officers being first pronounced against the obstinate guiltie person Notwithstanding singular heede must be taken heere that you doe not so plucke vp the tares that ye destroie the wheate withal Which thing maie be auoided if the endes of excommunication which are three be had in minde The first is that à wicked liuer to the great reproch of God his Gospel bee not suffered among Christians The seconde that the good also maie not be corrupted through the continual familiaritie of the wicked For à litle leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe The last is that he which hath fallen through shame of the worlde maie at length repent and be reconciled to the Church These three endes are al for the edifieng and vnitie of the Church And it is diligentlie to be considered when excommunication doeth edifie and when it doeth not For if it doeth destroie rather than edifie it must not be vsed at al. Which made Augustin speaking concerning the remedie of excommunication to saie Let this be done where there is no daunger of schisme tares be to be rooted out so that the wheate be not plucked-vp withal Moreouer of excommunication as also of receauing the brother that fel into the Church againe you maie reade both in my booke Of à Pastor and likewise in mine Enchiridion Curssinge is to be exercised onelie vppon heretikes that is vpon defacers of the gospel such as after sundrie admonitions doe obstinatelie maintaine their errors and wil not repent These forsomuch as they are Paul saith in themselues damned they be vtterlie to bee cut from the bodie of Christ that is from the Church that others by their contagion maie not be infected and so by litle and litle the kingdome of Christ be destroied And y t this punishment both maie and ought to be executed vpon heretikes first that testimonie of Paul twice repeated Gala. 1. doth confirme Though we or an Angel from heauen preach vnto you otherwise theÌ„ that which we haue preached vnto you let him be accursed As we saide before so saie I nowe againe If anie man preach vnto you otherwise then that ye haue receaued let him be accursed Secondlie that commaundement of Paul belongeth hitherto Reiect him that is an heretike after once or twice admonition knowing that he that is such is peruerted and sinneth being damned of his owne self Hitherto also maketh y t of Iohn in his second Epistle If ther come anie vnto you and bring not this doctrine receaue him not to house neither bid him God speede Hitherto in like sort tende the examples of the fathers who by this curssing punished both Arrius Sabellius Manes others And that this heauie punishment of al other maie rightlie be vsed special heede must bee had that it be not exercised rashlie through affectioÌ„s the matter being not throughlie examined and knowen Which when it is not done the curssing doth not somuch bind them which wrongâ—ulie are strucken as it doth theÌ„ which vniustlie condemne For seeing y t God vnloaseth what man bindeth the rashnesse of man is not to be feared insomuch as Christ also did foretel howe the Pharisies shoulde exclude the preachers of the Gospel as the Pope which is verie Antichrist doeth For hee casteth not his thunderbolte of cursses against heretikes but against theÌ„ which syncerelie doe defende the writinges of the Prophetes and Apostles against them who teach the sinnes of men are clensed onelie by the bloode of Christ against them that wil not cal vpon sainctes against them which wil not embrace al the toies and trumperie of the Pope Finalie against them that worship not the Pope euen as God himselfe that is against them which preferre not the Popish traditions before the worde of God Wherefore the Popes curssings be no more to be feared then are the cursses of à filthie fleshlie louer who blameth such as he hath ben naught withal for leauing his wicked companie and ioining themselues to honest men in godlie marriage CHAP. 18. 1. Of the auctoritie of the Church 2. of traditions 3. of the interpretation of the scriptures 4. and of the outward notes of the vpright state of the Church With this power there is auctoritie ioined which I saide was the third part of the vpright state of y e Church Vnder this auctoritie they put tradition and interpretation of the scripture By tradition the Papistes vnderstand the lawes which the Popes Bishops and Prelates doe thrust-vpon the Church beside the worde of God yea and often contrarie also vnto the same And that they maie seeme to stablishe and to builde this their auctoritie vpon the worde of God they aleadge both the saieng of Paul and the example also of the Apostles The saieng of Paul is this Keepe the traditions which ye haue beene taught either by worde or by our Epistle The example of the Apostles they bring-out who commanded the Gentiles to absteine from thinges offered vnto idols and bloode and that that is strangled Hereof y e Papistes do gather two things One is howe they haue auctoritie to make what traditions they list another that the people oweth obedience vnto them But what answere is to be made maie appeare both by the exposition of the word Tradition and also by the difference of rites and ceremonies First therefore let vs shew how this word tradition is vsed
sacrificing did please But Caine sacrificed without faith presuming vpon the dignitie of his worke And therefore no maruel though God had no regard vnto his offering The summe of al is this that sacrifice spiced with faith pleased as fat and grateful but that voide of faith it displeased as drie vngrateful But Dauid moste plainlie of al sheweth in his 51. Psal. when the sacrifices of burnt offeringes do please for thus he saith The sacrifices of God are à contrite spirit à broken heart O God thou wilt not despise Ioining there-vnto by and by Then shalt thou accept the sacrifices of righteousnes euen the burnt offering and oblation then shal theie offer calues vpon thine altar Therfore let y e beginning of each good worke proceede from an heart purified through saith without which euerie worke seeme it to the eie neuer so holie is abominatiō before God This I haue spoken the more at large because of some among the fathers who not wel vnderstanding the wordes of Dauid and of Isaiah do agre with Porphirie who most wickedlie did slander the sacrifices of the Iewes which were in vse so long as the common-weale of Moses did stand But the fathers somwhat to excuse these Iewish sacrifices saide howe God did not command but onlie suffer them to the ende theie might keepe the Iewes from idolatrie wherunto theie were inclined Now let vs see the causes of Iewish sacrifices in order as we did propose in y e second place First therfore the cause commanding offereth it selfe who is God himselfe Who for that he is moste wise not without great wisdome did command and appoint this ceremonie Against whome albeit dust and ashes wil set himselfe and obiect manifolde absurdities yet content we our-selues with the moste wise counsel of God the which let vs oppose not onelie against that Atheist Porphirie but also against the diuel and his members who dare to oppose the dotinges of their foolish braine against the wisedome of God Let vs knowe that the saieng of Paul is true who saith The wisdome of the flesh is enimitie against God Thorough this cause commanding the godlie among the Iewes did knowe both how their sacrifices pleased God when through faith theie were done vnto Gods glorie with true meditation of the spiritual signification and also that theie were bound vnto obedience vntil Christ came of whome those sacrifices were figures and who by his owne and perfect sacrifice should set an ende to all figuratiue sacrifices But seeing the Iewes at this daie do obiect to vs howe their sacrifices should not be abolished because God is vnchaungeable I doe answere so long as the cause and condition of the decree is in force so long doth God himselfe abide constant and vnchangeable The material cause of Iewishe sacrifices was either the fruite of earth or cleane beastes which by certain tokens are distinguished in Leuiticus from the vncleane It was furthermore enacted that theie should not vse either leauen or honie in their sacrifices but that theie shold season euerie sacrifice with salt For God the law-giuer would haue them to acknowledge him to be auctor of al aswel of such things as doe spring from the earth as of al liuing creatures beside that are breade and also craue his blessing refer the vse of al thinges vnto his owne glorie The formal cause was the verie manner of sacrifising which for that it was diuers it were much to prosecute the same in this place and therefore I remit the reader vnto the book of Moses caled Leuiticus The endes of the sacrifices instituted were foure whereof the first was that the people prone vnto idolatrie might be reclamed therfrom by these exercises The second y t Gods people might bee kept in the seruice of one God and haue à dailie occasion to exercise godlines The thirde that the people might haue à type of Christe the sacrifice to come The fourth that by thinking of Christ the sacrifice to come the Iewes might be warned of the grieuousnes of sinne the which forsomuch as it could not be cleansed by the bloud neither of buls nor of goates theie might know howe to be cleansed throughlie from their sinne theie had neede of the bloud of the immaculate lambe that is of the promised seede or Messiah who alone could tel howe both to abolish the workes of the diuel sin and death and also pacifie the offended father Secondlie that in this minde theie should flie vnto the mercie of God proposed in the forenamed seede and by faith depend vpon that seede glorifieng y e Lord both in al their mind heart wil conuersation who of his infinite goodnes and wise counsel would after such à sorte redeeme mankind With such motions did the fathers Habel Noah Abraham Isahac Iaacob Moses Dauid Salomon Elias and manie other which feared God sacrifice For these knew right wel how by the outwarde worke onelie God was not pleased but that he respected besid the faith and the mind of the offerers Notwithstanding some as hypocrites wicked liuers among this people did thinke that God regarded the outwarde worke and thereby was pacified as by an expiatorie sacrifice And therefore the Lorde doeth testifie that their sacrifices were both abhominable to him and neuer exacted of him In the third place the kindes of the olde sacrifices doe folow the principal and cheefe diuision whereof is this That one kinde was expiatory caled Olah burnt sacrifice which was offered for sinne by à certaine showe of purging For in verie deede it purged not sinne but onelie bare à figure of the purging to come through the onlie sacrifice of Christ al this being lifted vp vpon the altar was consumed with fire Whereby was signified that Christ the Priest and the sacrifice shoulde be lifted-vp vpon the altar of the crosse with the fire of loue be burned for our sinnes Another was of testification called Hodah For it was done either for supplication or thankesgiuing sake or else for exercise of godlinesse the which of the principal ende thereof was tearmed eucharistical as that other ilstical that is propiciatorie For as Paul interpretes y e same it signified purging to come through the blood of Christ. For so he saith Whom God hath set-forth to be à reconciliation through faith in his bloode Whatsoeuer other sortes be mentioned they are contained vnder these Touching the figuratiue signification of olde sacrifices the Epistle vnto the Hebrewes teacheth generalie howe al were figures of that onelie sacrifice Iesus Christ which being offered al other thinges as figuratiue ought to cease But more particularlie we wil in this place set-downe some things especialie those which maie leade vs as it were by the hande vnto à spiritual instructing of our life and maners First therefore commeth-forth the consecration of Priestes whose dutie was to offer the sacrifice they had foure
of God is not men wander from the right waie Where the Lawe of God is not there is meere darkenes Hitherto in like sorte pertaineth the first commandement Thou shalt haue none other Gods before me And therefore it is for God alone vpon whome each creature should depend to prescribe the forme howe he wil be worshipped Dauid then instructed by this commandement did praie aright when he saide Lead me forth in thie truth and teach me for thou art the God of my saluation Againe Theie worship me in vaine teaching for doctrines mens traditions Then al the inuentions of man are vnnecessarie burdens as theie which detract from the auctoritie of God Furthermore whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne For faith of the worde is faith Wheresoeuer then the worde is not in vaine doth man purpose to please God Againe Yee shal not do euerie man whatsoeuer seemeth good in his owne eies And Ezekiel Walke ye not in the ordinances of your fathers c. Walke in my statutes By these and manie other places that is confirmed which we did propose But this Masse wherein theie feigne an oblation to be made for the quicke and dead not onelie hath no commandement of God which thing is necessarilie required in the maner of seruing God but also is quite contrarie to the institutiō of Christ who biddeth the liuing to take eate and drinke and to do that in remembrance of him This reason should satisfie al good men especialie such as knowe that the Prophets zealouslie doe reproue the blindenes of those men which without the commandement of God doe institute worshippinges in the Church This foundation made the diuorcement betweene Luther and the Pope This foundation doth cleare the consciences of such good soules as forsake the baude of Rome and flie vnto their moste vncorrupted spouse euen our Lord Iesus Christ the sonne of God And this foundation doth strengthen and comfort the saintes while theie be compelled to sustein exile affliction shame and losse of their goodes for the confession of the true doctrine to whom long custome and the auctoritie of their Elders is too too impudentlie obiected For as Tertullian saieth none maie prescribe to the truth either spaces of time or the authoritie of persons or the priuiledge of regions Because our Lord Christ who continueth for euer named himselfe the truth not custome The second It is cursed impietie and abhominable reproch against the sonne of God to turne-ouer y e glorie due to Christ alone vnto à sacrifising priest But this is don in y e Popish Masse For the sacrifising priest arrogateth the glorie of offering à propitiatorie sacrifice for the sinnes of all men both quicke and dead to himselfe when he braggeth howe he doth offer for the quicke and for the dead For as aboue hath bin shewed Popish priestes are to that end consecrated But now seeing the heauenlie father wil that men doe repose the eternal sanctification of them selues onelie in the oblation of Christ for so y e spirite of God in the Epistle vnto the Hebrues doth saie But this man to wit Christ after he had offeredone sacrifice for sinnes sitteth for euer at the right hand of God and from hence-forth tarrieth til his enimies be made his foote-stoole For with one offering hath he consecrated for euer them that are sanctified Againe Christe being come an hie Priest by his owne bloud entered he in once into the holie place and obteined eternal redemption for vs. And againe How much more shal the bloud of Christ which through the eternal spirite offered himselfe without spot to God purge your conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God! Who seeth not that cursed impietie and abhominable reproche is done to the sonne of God by à sacrifising priest if he arrogate euen the smalest part of Christe his glorie to himselfe The third The holie spirit in Paul doth saie There is one God and one Mediator betweene God and man which is the man Christe Iesus who gaue himselfe a ransome for al men In which saieng of Paul there be two things The first is an assertion wherebie Christe is made the mediator betweene God and man The second à reason of the assertion namelie for that Christ alone and none but he hath giuen him selfe à ransome for al men For Paule wil haue these partes of Christ his priesthood to wit sacrifice and intercession to be so ioined together that theie cannot be seuered As therfore Iesus alone is the priest which by his sacrifice once offered doth purge wickednes so is he alone the mediator by whome onelie we haue accesse vnto the Father For the intercession dependeth vpon the merite of the sacrifice So that intercession can not be transferred vpon anie beside him whose duetie it is to make propitiatorie sacrifice When therefore this dignitie of intercession is ascribed to à sacrifising priest great iniurie is done to the sonne of God But this do the Papists in their fained sacrifice For theie doe not onelie arrogate to them-selues the honour of purging sinnes but also vsurpe the office of intercession which is peculiar to Christ. For this is in their praier in the Masse We offer to thie noble maiestie of thie benefites and giftes à pure sasacrifice a holie sacrifice an immaculate sacrifice the holie breade of euerlasting life and the cup of perpetual saluation vpon which do thou vouchsafe to looke with à fauourable and gratious countenance and to accept them as thou diddest vouchsafe to accept the giftes of thie childe Abel the righteous and the sacrifice of our Patriarch Abraham and that holie and immaculate sacrifice which Melchisedech thie most hie Prieste offered to thee We humblie beseech thee ô Almightie God command these to be carried-vp by the hande of thine holie Angels vnto thine hie altar c. And again in the same secrete of the Masse theie ascribe the like honour to the dead when the priest craueth that thorough their merites and praiers we maie be armed with the help of Gods protection Here we do see à double impietie to be ioined together For theie doe not onelie make à Priest the intercessor who standeth-vpon the dignitie of his sacrifice but also theie craue that through the merites and praiers of the Apostles and Martyrs God would protect them And although it folowe through our Lorde Iesus Christe yet moste plainelie theie bewraie their impietie in that theie testifie in plaine wordes howe theie depende both vpon the dignitie of the sacrifice and merites of the Saintes But when the Papistes doe obiecte howe Paule adhorteth that one would praie and make intercession for another I answere the saintes do praie make intercession each for others not with anie confidence vpon their owne worthines and merites but vpon the worthines and merites of the onelie Mediator our Lord and sauiour Christ. But the Papistes in making the saintes
Mediators doe vnderstand such patrons as by their own merites worthines maie purchase to vs the fauour of God For this is à common principle among them that men liuing in earth do need patrons in heauen in as much as theie are vnworthie to appeare in the sight of God By which saieng beside that theie bereaue Christ our Mediator of his honor theie make themselues guiltie of threefolde impietie For first while theie make the dead intercessors for the liuing theie doe runne beyond the limits of Gods worde and foole hardilie are carried into damnable darkenes and vpon the steepe mountaines of Hel. From whence to returne backe and to aspire aloft that is à labour and à sore paine But what à prophanenes this is the godlie alone do marke who know that darknes is there where the torch of Gods word is not born-afore who know that al is abhominable which God hath not decreed and who consider that al which dust and ashes doth inuent in religion without the direction of Gods worde doth proceede from Satan Secondlie when theie teach howe we must depend vpon the merites of saintes theie depart from the true foundation of saluation and seeke another foundation to builde their saluation vppon without the worde of God For seeing that mortal man by his owne merite can not attaine saluation it is impossible that the merites of Saintes should bring saluation vnto others which merites for al that the Pope faineth to be the treasure of the Church which he dispenseth not gratis but according to their disbursing who acknowledge the Pope to be the treasurer of the Church Thirdlie in forging such fained patrons to themselues theie are drowned the more deepelie in darkenes For theie departe from the first commandement and with cursed impudencie cal vpon Saintes driuen therunto by the diuel himselfe who hath brought into the world the inuocation of Saintes and that for these causes First to bereaue Christ of his honor Secondlie to make the saintes infamous Lastlie that in time to come theie maie bee partakers of his eternal paines who in this life doe cal vpon saintes The fourth The Popish masse is laide open for filthie lucre sake For theie not onelie doe sel Masses for the redemption of soules out of purgatorie but also make them common to be bought for the obteining of anie thing In which of sinns manie sinns do meete together of which I wil recite à few that with à perfect hatred we maie abhor y e most filthie lucre of the Masse For first this gaine striueth against the foundation of our saluation which is free mercie For by grace saith Paul are ye saued throgh faith that not of your selues it is the gift of God Not of workes least anie man should boast Secondarilie it abolisheth the Lordes supper For who is so blind but maie see how it is farre from the Supper of Christe to seeke filthie gaine therebie which supper the Lord would haue to be à notable argument of his inward loue toward the Church and à testimonie of the redemption of the Church by his death which free redemption of his beloued spouse he sealeth in his supper Thirdlie this huÌ„ting after gain doth vtterlie ouerthrow the Prophecies of the prophets concerning y e benefites of the Mediator of the Newe Testament Ho saith Isaiah euerie one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and ye that haue no siluer come buie and eate come I saie buie wine and milke without siluer and without monie By water wine milke the prophet vnderstandeth the benefites of the Gospel which he pronounceth are freelie bestowed For as our bodies are nourished by bread wine water and milke so our soules are nourished and susteined by the doctrine of the Gospel by the holie Ghost by the sacraments and other such free giftes of Christ. Fourthlie the buieng and selling of the Popishe Masse doth make miserable men drunke with carnal confidence For by paieng monie for this feigned purgation as it were for an effectual medicine theie persuade them-selues that theie driue-awaie al diseases of the soule and that without faith repentance And because by Masses purchased theie trust theie be armed against the diuel and death theie goe-on the more boldlie in wickednes and dailie become the more obstinate Fiftlie this gaine of Masses is the ground of Purgatorie For to make their Masses the more vendible the Priestes did teach howe there was a Purgatorie of soules after death wherein the soules of the dead should be deteined vntil theie were purged sufficientlie from the spots of sinnes committed in this life And therefore Masses were appointed to be solde to them who desired that either them selues or their friendes might be deliuered from the fire of purgatorie wherebie theie fained that the paines of purgatorie were brought-out Hencâ— the Patrimonie of Peter as theie cal it was exceedinglie encreased And hence it is that the goodes of miserable men are translated from the true heires vnto balde Priestes and Monkes Sixthe this gaine of the Masse and subtiltie of the Romane baude is the strength of the Papacie that is of the Antichristian kingdome And therefore maruel it is not though the Papistes doe so fiercelie contend and fight for their altars For theie feare much that their chimneies would fal downe if their altars were once ouerthrowen The fifte It is abhominable idolatrie to worship à peece of bread in y e place of Christ. For as à litle aboue we haue touched also the Priest after y e mumbling of the historie concerning the institution of Christ doeth firste of al adore the bread himselfe and then lifteth the same vp that the people maie worshippe it For the Papistes be persuaded that by the virtue of the mumbled wordes of the instituted supper the elementes of breade and of wine be transsubstantiated into the verie bodie and bloode of the Lorde which they lay open to be adored but verie erroneouslie For this transsumbstantiation so stiflie defended by Thomas is contrarie to the nature of a sacrament For as in baptisme it is required that the substance of water doe remaine which while it is sprincled according to Christ his institution is à right sacrament and with that water after à secret sort the verie bloode of Christ whereby the inward man is washed from wickednes yea and putteth-on Christ himselfe is present So it is required that in y e supper of the Lord the substance of breade and wine doe remaine which being reached-forth and taken after the institution of Christ are à verie sacrament and with that bread wine after à secret sorte the verie bodie and bloode of the Lorde whereby the inwarde man is nourished fed and refreshed are present So that before the vse whervnto they be ordeined bread and wine are no more à sacrament than is the water of baptisme And therfore it is as great madnes to worshippe the breade and wine as if Ã
doe not refuse his medicine For he from the bosome of the father doth bring the moste comfortable doctrine of the Gospel concerning the remission of sinnes which being pardoned and quite abolished neither hath the lawe in vs any thing which he may condemne nor the diuel nor death ouer vs anie power at al. This doctrine of the Gospel is called the mysterie hid from the wise of this world and is thought of them to be foolishnes But to the miserable and afflicted sinners it is the wisedome of God whom it hath pleased by the foolish preaching of Christ crucified to saue such as beleeue Therfore we must shew in à worde or two what this doctrine of the Gospel is that this part of the priesthoode of Christ maie be the more comfortable vnto vs. Christ in the 24. of Luke proponeth the sūme hereof in these wordes It is behoueful that repentance and remission of sinnes be preached in my Name among al nations Therefore the Gospel is à general preaching of the remissiō of sinnes which theie attaine who repent and that through the Name that is through the merites of Christ. And although this definition as I saie doth contein the sūme of the matter yet the better to conceaue the greatnes of the benefit of Christ our Priest I wil set-downe another more at large The Gospel is an vniuersal preaching of Christ our Priest wherein tidings is brought of deliuerance from the wrath of God from the cursse of the lawe and from euerlasting damnation and remission of sinnes saluation and euerlasting life is proclaimed to al such as beleeue in the sonne for his owne merites according to the promise made in olde time to the fathers that the glorie of God his goodnes maie be commended euermore and besides that such as be deliuered through Christe maie bring forth fruites worthie the Gospel and at the length enioie euerlasting life This definition of the Gospel taken out of sundrie places of the scripture doth teach howe the Gospel in deede is à good and ioieful message without which doubtlesse we should perish in euerlasting miserie The partes of this definition for so much as else where we haue explicated them I wil not anie more stand vpon them in this place The summe of al is this that by nature we are miserable cōdemned slaues but by grace which the Gospel preacheth blessed righteous free and heires of eternal life through Iesus Christ. Christ the sonne of God himselfe brought this doctrine out of the bosome of the Father and proposed the same to our first parentes after their miserable fal into the snares of the diuel For thus he saith The seede of the woman shal bruise the head of the serpent This he sounded by the ministerie of Noah before the floud For Peter doth affirme that Christe by the spirite went preached vnto the spirites that are in prison because of their froward rebellion against y e spirite of Christ preaching to them This afterward he vttered by the Prophets as the same Peter doth witnesse This after his incarnation he preached also three yeares and an halfe This he commanded to be blowen abroade by his Apostles into al the worlde which also he confirmed afterward with manifolde signes By his doctrine as he hath alwaies preserued so doth he preserue and euen vntil the end of the world wil preserue the Churche against the gates of hel he wil blesse it and giue the holie spirite and euerlasting life to as manie as beleeue this doctrine But on the other side horrible damnation hangeth-ouer their heads who giue no credite to this doctrine so confirmed both with signes and with wonders and with manifolde virtues and by the holie Ghoste For as it is in the Epistle vnto the Hebrues if the worde spoken by Angels was stedfast and euerie transgression and disobedience receaued à iust recompence of reward howe shal we escape if we neglect so great saluation Let vs therefore as the same Epistle warneth take heede that we let it not slip CHAP. 29. 1. Of sacrifice the second part of Christ his priest-hoode THe second part of Christ his priesthod is to offer sacrifice Which sacrifice of Christ is takē somtime generalie somtime specialie When it is taken generalie it comprehendeth al whatsoeuer Christe our Priest hath either done or offered to the father for our welfare As al his workes are perfect odedience to the lawe voluntarie death and passion and continual intercession with the Father That obedience towarde the lawe is à certaine parte of his sacrifice it is aparent because therebie he maketh vs righteous before God Of his passion and death the Epistle vnto the Hebrues doth entreate when it affirmeth that Christe offered himselfe for our sinnes and by his blood purged our consciences His intercession and praiers in the 5. vnto the Hebrues are called oblations For thus it is written In the daies of his flesh he did offer-vp praiers and supplications with strong crieing and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death For these three to wit his perfect obedience of the lawe his passion and his intercession mutualie by à certaine order as effectes of their causes doe depend each of other contrariwise For in that he was holie pure yea moste perfectlie righteous according to the lawe his voluntarie obedience in the crosse was of power to purge al the sinnes of men because he was obedient to the father euen vnto the death of y e crosse his praiers doe preuaile for the Church euerlasting lie who therfore is the onelie intercessor because he and none beside gaue himselfe a ransome for al men as Paul doth testifie This consecution or gathering together of Christ his merites doth notablie appeare in our sanctification For by the merite of his death he doth so purge vs from sinne that if so be we beleeue we doe appeare no more guiltie in the sight of the father as Isaiah fore-tolde of him in his 53. Chapter Surelie he hath borne our infirmities carried our sorrowes Againe He was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities By the merite of his obedience to the lawe he doth cloth vs that we maie appeare righteous before God not through our owne but throgh his righteousnes imputed vnto vs. For so doth Paule saie vnto the Romanes Chapter 5. As by one mans disobedience manie were made sinners so by the obedience of one shal manie also be made righteous Both which merites to wit of his passion and obedience to the lawe Paul comprehendeth ththese words Christ was made vnder the law that he might redeeme them which were vnder the law For whereas there is à double sentence of the lawe one of malediction and of death for not fulfilling the lawe whereinto we doe runne through sinne another of blessing that is
of righteousnes and of life from which we are fallen by sin it was needful y t he should both take vpon himselfe the curse of the law with the cause that is our sinnes being made accursed and subiect to death for our sake For so saith Paul Christe hath redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe when hee was made à curse for vs and also restore the blessing of the lawe to vs which he hath deserued for vs by his perfect obedience towarde the lawe vnder which he was made not for his owne sake but for ours And this doeth Paul meane where he saith Christ is the ende of the lawe for righteousnes vnto euerie one that beleeueth And because the resurrection of Christ is à most euident testimonie of this fulfilling the lawe Paul affirmeth howe he is risen againe for our iustification By the merite of his praiers and intercession he hath made an entrance for vs vnto the father as Paul saith vnto the Romans Who shal laie anie thing vnto the charge of Gods chosen c. It is Christ that maketh intercession for vs. Therefore when Christ is said to offer his merites to the father the general sacrifice of Christ containing thistriple merit namelie of his obedience to the law of his passion and of his praiers must be vnderstoode Otherwhile y e sacrifice of Christ is morespecialie taken for his death passion which death passiō is the only propitiatorie sacrifice The figures wherof were y e sacrifices of the Iewes by à singular forme of speech was caled propitiatorie because it was à shadow of this eternal propitiatorie sacrifice euē Iesus Christ. But because aboue where we shewed the vanitie of the Iewes who as yet do looke for the messiah we haue spoken of shadowes in this place we wil speake onlie of the sacrifice of Christe which the scripture calleth expiatorie or propitiatorie from the effect thereof which sacrifice may rightly be defined on this wise The passion of our Lord Iesus Christ the eternal Priest is the propitiatorie sacrifice wherein the eternal sonne of God made man and of the father appointed an eternal Priest by obeieng the father in suffering euen vnto the death of the crosse offered himselfe through the eternal spirite to the eternal father vppon the altar of the crosse sustaining the curse of the law truelie to the end that by this one and most perfect oblation he might satisfie the iustice of God for the offence and punishment of mākinde pacifie the iust displeasure of God and by this onelie sacrifice merit for al which from the creation of the world either haue beleeued or til the ende of the same shal beleeue euen eternal sanctification that is deliuerance from the cursse of the lawe grace benediction life and euerlasting saluation that so being cōformable to Christ theie maie praise and glorifie God for euer and euer This large definition Christe in verie fewe wordes doth comprehend Iohn 17 where he saith For their sakes sanctifie I my selfe that theie also maie be sanctified through the truth But the holie spirit in the Epistle vnto the Hebrewes doth verie copiouslie entreate of this matter and that which scatteringlie is spoken to this purpose in that Epistle I haue gathered together as it were into one bodie that at one sight as it were we maie behold this wonderful worke and after a sort esteeme the greatnes of the benefite and be thankeful to God for this infinite mercie shewed to vs in Christe Augustine saith howe in euerie sacrifice there be foure thinges to be considered namelie who is y e offere◠to whō it is offered what is offered and for whō it is offered which foure things are both expreslie distinctlie contained in this our definition For y e sonne of God made man of God the father himselfe ordained an eternal priest is y e offerer For this priest as he alone is holy righteous and hier than the heauens so could he alone offer à perfect sacrifice for euermore Because in that he was à iust man hee might lawfulie take vppon him the cause of vs al especialie seeing one man had brought the rest of the posteritie into the state of damnation with himselfe and in that hee was hier than the heauens to wit verie God hee was of power to offer such a sacrifice as was perfect and effectual for euermore againe in that he was one person al the deedes of his manhood are most pure and of an infinite price To whome doeth this priest offer Euen to God himselfe For to him alone the sacrifice was due that his iustice might be satisfied whome our first parentes and we in them offended that the sentence of condemnation for our transgressing the lawe being vtterlie abolished we might be made partakers of eternal blessednes through his merit What doeth this priest offer to God The sonne of God the eternal priest hath offered himselfe to the father vppon the altar of the crosse taking our cause that is our sinne and punishment vpon himselfe For the Epistle vnto the Hebrewes doeth witnesse that the sonne of God was made partaker of our flesh and bloode that he might haue that which he might offer And Augustine doeth saie What was more meete to bee taken of men for their oblation than the fleshe of man And what so apt for this sacrifice as mortal fleshe And what so cleane for the sinnes of the worlde as without al contagion flesh borne in the wombe out of the wombe of à virgin And what so gratefulie could be either offered or receaued as the flesh of our sacrifice the made bodie of our Prieste Furthermore seeing euerie sacrifice in the olde lawe ought first to be separated from other things of the same kinde secondlie to be applied to the altar the hande of the Priest laide there-vpon thirdlie to be offered vpon the altar fourthlie being done rightlie according to the lawe it was à sacrifice accepted of God let vs see howe these foure thinges do aggree to our sacrifice First therefore Christe this our sacrifice was segregated from other men not by nature whereby he was to be ioined to them but by puritie innocencie and excellencie wherin he surpassed al other men Secondlie he was applied to the altar being consecrated to God through his wonderful obedience For he was offered euen because he woulde Thirdlie hee was offered vppon the altar hanged on the woode of the crosse bearing vppon his owne heade our cause that is both sinne and the punishment of sinne namelie the wrath and curse of God Which thing was in olde time figured in the goate vpon whose heade Aaron hauing confessed first his owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people of Israel laide his owne sinnes and al the sinnes of the sonnes of Israel and sent him awaie by the hande of a man appointed into the wildernes The truth of
saith My soule is heauie euen vnto the death that is the greefe of minde which I suffer is more grieuous vnto me than death it selfe Of this great sorrowe of minde that Psalme is to be vnderstood where in the person of Christ it is said The sorrowes of the graue haue compassed me about the snares of death haue ouer-tooke me By the sorrowes of the graue he meaneth deadlie sorrowes such as euen kil à man wel-nigh and thrust him downe to the graue Of this anguish of mind in Christ I wil cite some testimonies out of the Gospell Marke saith He began to be afraid and in great heauines And Luke sheweth by an euident signe how he was perplexed in minde when for verie sorrowe he sweat bloud againe for thus he saith Being in an agonie he prayed most earnestlie and his sweat was like drops of bloud trickling downe the ground For it was meete that as his death was more bitter then any death according to bodilie sense so the feare in his mind was most bitter of al other paine And as the infinite loue made the sense of death nothing the milder so did it mitigate nothing of the bitternes of the feare which was so great that it stoode in neede of comfort euen of the verie Angels For as Luke doth say there appeared an Angel vnto him from heauen comforting him For y e diuinitie shewed not it selfe that Christ trulie might feele the waight of the burden laide vpon him and be in anguish through the sense of Gods displeasure against our not his sinne which notwithstanding he made his by taking our cause vpon himselfe And Irenaeus doth saie As he was man to be tempted so was he the worde to be gloriâ—ied And the worde in deede rested while he was tempted crucified and put to death but was assistant to the flesh when he ouercame susteined rose againe and ascended into the heauens But for asmuch as it seemeth vnworthie the diuine maiestie of Christ that our Sauiour should be stroken with such feare and sorow many interpreters here doe seeke refuges and faigne tropes and figures wherebie theie labor to soften the narrations of the Euangelists and the fore-saiengs of Dauid Isaiah whereof the one saith He was compassed about with the sorrowes of the graue and the other that he truely bare our infirmities But let the worde of God be our light For if wee be ashamed of Christ his feare and sorrow our redemption shal vade and come to naught But Ambose writing vpon this place of Luke Father if thou wilt take-awaie this cup fro me sheweth the vanitie of those interpreters which doe seeke tropes For thus he saith Here manie doe sticke which doe turne the sadnes of our Sauiour rather vnto an argument of an olde infirmitie from the beginning than to à weakenes taken vpon him for à time and they desire to wrest the sense of the natural sentence But for my part I doe not onely thinke him not to be excused but also no-where doe more wonder at his goodnes and maiestie For vnlesse he had taken vpon him mine affection his benefite towardes me had not ben so great Therfore for my sake he sorrowed who had no cause to sorrowe for his owne sake and the comfort of the eternal Godhead being sequestred he is vexed with the greefe of mine infirmitie For he tooke my sorrowe vpon himselfe that he might bestowe his owne ioie vpon me and by our steps hee descended euen vnto the pangues of death to cal vs backe by his footing vnto life Then I do boldly name sadnes because I commend the crosse Neither tooke he à shewe of incarnation but the verie trueth Therefore he was to take the griefe that he might ouercome not exclude sadnes Neither haue theiâ— the praise of fortitude who haue suffred the senselessenes rather thaÌ„ the sorrowe of wouÌ„ds Hitherto Ambrose So that the cause of the anguish and great sorrowe in Christe his minde was the sense of the sinnes of all men in his minde whereof he had made himselfe guiltie beeing forth-with to be betraied into the handes of his enimies Beside this anguish of minde both his bodie was moste greeuouslie afflicted and his person most shamefullie reproched His bodie was with spitle defiled with cuffes buffeted with whipping rented with beatinges punished with thornes crowned and with à most ignominious death executed In his person he suffered reproches scoffinges floutinges And albeit his diuinitie could not suffer yet the reproch redounded against it for so much as it was personalie vnited to the manhoode These most greeuous paines namely anguish of minde tormentes of bodie and reproches against the person of Christe are tokens first of the iustice the which by this punishment for the sinns of the whole world is satisfied secondarilie of Gods mercie who of heartie loue gaue his owne sonne into these paines for our sake that al mankinde which he had created after his owne image might not perish thirdlie both of the obedience of Christe towarde the Father and also of his loue toward vs to whoÌ„ he chose to be linked in the likenesse of mans nature that he might susteine these paines for man the which we shall finde to be most comfortable to vs and profitable when we depend vpon him by à liuelie faith CHAP. 35. 1. Of howe inestimable à price the death of Christ is 2. How he could suffer 3. In what respects the price is infinite OF what an inestimable à price the death of Christ is ought diligentlie to be waied For from hence remedies againste al the woundes which sinne doth doth afflict vs with al are to be fetcht And therefore saith Augustine Beholde the woundes of him that hangeth the bloud of him that dieth the price of him that redeemeth His head hangeth-downe to kisse his armes be stretched to imbrace his bodie lieth open to redeeme The greatnes hereof consider with your selues these thinges looke you doe weigh in the balance of your heart that he maie wholie be fixed in your heart who for your sakes was wholie fastened to the crosse Paule vnto the Romanes compareth Adam and Christ together By Adam he saith sinne came on all men to condemnation but by Christ grace came vpon all men to the iustification of life If by the offence of one saith he death reigned through one much more shal theie which receiue the aboundance of grace and of the gifte of righteousnes raigne in life through one euen Iesus Christ. The cause then why the obedience death of Christ is of so inestimable à price is because the man that suffered was the only begotten sonne of God and verie God too For of that singular vnspeakable and reuerend vnion of the diuine and humane nature together whereby God and man is one Christ or one person is the dignitie price estimation and infinite merite of all the actions and passions of Christ. And
we stand Fourthlie it is to be noted that the praiers of Saintes are therfore acceptable in the sight of God because they depend vpon the intercession of Christ the highe Priest For when we make intercession for others we praie not trusting in our owne merites or price which we haue paide for redemption but in the merite of Christ his righteousnes and in the ransome which he hath Therefore saith Christe Whatsoeuer ye shal aske the Father in my Name that is depending vpon my merite and intercession he will giue it you Hitherto pertaineth that compellation in the Lordes praier O our Father For as the name of a Father putteth vs in minde of Christ in whom through faith we are the sonnes of God and he is our father So the pronoune Our doth admonish vs of faith that through confidence in the sonne wee should cal vpon the father not trusting in anie worthines or merites of our owne For which cause the Apostle saith Let vs approch vnto God through him For he euer liueth to make intercession for vs. As often therefore as wee would praie let vs consider the cause whie we saie Our Father that we maie both thoroughlie be persuaded that for his sonnes sake we please God and without al doubting also beleeue that for the intercession of the sonne whose members we be through faith we are heard Wherefore theie which bring not this faith do but waste winde when they praie For theie haue none accesse vnto y e father Let such then looke what they do who contrarie to the word of God do depend vpon other patrons Fiftlie forsomuch as the sonne of God is the perpetual priest which maketh intercession for the Church whensoeuer it doth amisse we maie not flie vnto other patrons but vnto Christ alone as the onelie patron and most trustie anchor of safetie Therfore the Apostle Iohn doth saie If anie man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust And he is the reconciliation for our sinnes But then do we rightlie approch vnto this Aduocate for the attainment of the remission of sinnes whē we are sorie for our wickednes cōmitted when we rest our selues with à faith vnfained vpon Iesus Christ the propitiator and intercessor when we purpose afterward through God his grace to leade à pure life and finalie when we cast from our heartes à purpose to sinne Vnlesse these be ioined-together in vaine doest thou boast y t Christ is thie patron Some there be who think theie be pure if once theie haue poured their sinnes into the bosome of some pastor some pastors too do thinke that by their magical absolutions theie can vnburden sinners but both sortes doe most filthilie erre out of y e waie For both Christ alone is y e purger of sins in whō if thou repose not a liuelie faith which hath those foure cōditions which we haue recited in vaine dost thou vnburden thie self in the bosome of y e priest Christ alone it is y t absolueth from sins vnto whom if y u aproch not through faith y u sahlt die in thy sins But the absolution of à priest is then profitable when the confession is tempered with true repentance turning from sin And this absolution of the priest is nothing else than à testimonie of the absolution which is giuen in heauē by our hie priest Iesus Christ. And therfore saith y e Lord Whatsoeuer you loose on earth shalbe loosed in heauen So that the absolution which is pronounced by the minister of the Gospel dependeth vpon his faith which requireth absolution not of the merite either of confession or of pronouncing any wordes whatsoeuer This place would craue a confutation of them who chose other aduocates beside Christ but because this madnes is alreadie mentioned aboue where we dealt with Popish sacrifices I wil not with moe wordes refute them in this place And thus much of y e three parts of Christ his priest-hoode to wit of doctrine of sacrifice and of intercession The other pointe contained in the definition of the priesthoode touching the preseruation of the church the remission of sins the gift of the holie Ghoste and euerlasting life be rather most pleasant fruites than partes of Christ his Priesthoode CHAP. 38. 1. Of the couenant which Christ our hie Priest hath entred into 2. The special pointes to bee considered therein 3. Of the olde and newe couenant or Testament wherein theie doe differ 4. The difference betweene the newe Testament and the Gospel 5. Whether with the olde Testament the tenne commandements be abrogated or no. FOrsomuch as euerie priest as y e Epistle to y e Hebrues doth testifie is a suretie of some couenant for it is behoueful that some certaine couenant be set according to which the mediator betweene the parties at controuersie maie determine that sure peace and friendship maie be established betweene God and men Christ our Priest hath à certaine couenant For as the Leuitical priest had his priesthood and à certaine couenant annexed to the priesthood So Christ our Priest to whome the Leuitical priestes with their sacrifice and couenant gaue place hath his priesthood and certaine couenants annexed to the priesthod For the priesthood being changed as the Epistle vnto the Hebrues doth saie of necessitie there must be a change of the law Againe for this cause is he the mediator of the newe Testament that through death which was for the redemption of the transgressions that were in the former Testament they which were called might receaue the promise of eternal inheritance For where a Testament is there must be the death of him that made the Testament For the Testament is confirmed when men are dead for it is yet of no force as long as he that made it is aliue Wherefore neither was the first ordained without bloud For when Moses had spoken euerie precept to the people according to the lawe he tooke the bloud of calues and of goats with water and purple wool and hyssope and sprinkled both the booke and al the people Saieng This is the bloud of the Testament which God hath appointed vnto you And although by these words of the Apostle it is euident that as the former that is the olde Testament is a couenant annexed to the priesthood of Aaron confirmed by the bloud of brutish creatures whereby GOD did binde himselfe to the Iewes for to giue them the lande of Canaan to their possession if so be for their partes theie obserued the condition which was the fulfilling of the lawe so the newe Testament should be a couenant annexed to the Priesthood of Christe confirmed with the bloud of Christ whereby God doth binde himselfe to forgiue sinnes and to giue a celestial and euerlasting inheritance in heauen but with a condition of faith whose true and right fruite is perfect obedience toward GOD.
And although this couenant be ratified onlie to such as be called and doe beleeue yet least we should thinke that the Fathers before the incarnation of Christe were destitute of the grace of the newe couenant it is good that we make a better and a more distinct explication of this doctrine so necessarie to be knowne First therefore and aboue all we must constantlie beleeue that in al ages euen from the fal of our first parentes the waie to be saued both was and is yet one and the same to wit by the Priest Christe alone of whose righteousnesse theie be partakers and be saued whosoeuer beleeue in him So that as touching the purgation of sinne and attainement of euerlasting life there is but one perpetual couenant or testament of God whereby God doeth binde himselfe to pardon such as doe â—lee vnto Christe And although if you respect the expresse worde there is no mention of this couenant concerning remission of sinnes before the Lord entered thereinto with Abraham yet the thinges themselues which appertaine vnto the substance of this couenant were verie wel knowne to the Fathers before the floud By the thinges I meane both the promise of the restoring of man through Christe and also the faith of this promise For the promise in GOD and the faith in man are the substantial partes as I maie saie of this couenant The couenant betweene GOD and Abraham was this I wil establish my couenant betweene me thee and thy seede after thee in their generations for an euerlasting couenant to be GOD vnto thee and thy seede after thee And somewhat afore in the same Chapter there goeth an oath of GOD Beholde I make my couenant with thee that is as truelie as I liue I wil establish my couenant c. Here first of al would be considered y e matter or foundation of this couenant which is y e promised seed by whose merit intercession there is an attonement made betweene God and men Wherefore whatsoeuer good thing the Lorde doth promise it is ratified in the Sonne who hath reconciled vs and the Father together God was in Christ saith Paule and reconciled the world to him selfe not imputing their sinnes to them and hath committed to vs the worde of reconciliation And for this cause this couenant is called by Isaiah the couenant of peace Secondlie we should cal into mind y e wonderful humilitie of God whereby the diuine maiestie so debaseth it selfe of meere benignitie and good will to manward hauing consideration of our humane frailnesse that not onlie he doth simplie promise free benediction to miserable and wretched sinners but also bindeth himselfe by couenant that we may knowe his fatherlie goodwil to vs ward Thirdlie the immutabilitie and constancie or perpetuitie of this couenant confirmed by an oath would be thought-vpon Whereof the Epistle vnto the Hebrues doth saie When God made the promise vnto Abraham because he had no greater to sweare by he sware by him selfe saieng Surelie I wil abundantlie blesse thee and multiplie thee marueilouslie He addeth à reason saieng So God willing more abundantlie to shewe vnto the heires of promise the stablenesse of his counsel bound him selfe by an oath that by two immutable things wherein it is vnpossible that God should lie we might haue strong consolation which haue our refuge to hold-fast the hope that is set before vs. Fourthlie we are to weigh the largenes of the couenant entred-into with AbrahaÌ„ namelie howe it extendeth vnto the seede of Abraham and that for euer and euer But what is that seede of Abraham Paule both in the 4. and 9. chapters vnto the Romanes and also in the 3. vnto the Galathians defineth the seede of Abraham to be euen al those of what nations soeuer which doe walke in the steppes of the faith of Abraham that al which beleeue the promise of grace as Abraham did Fiftlie when it is saide howe this couenant was entered into with Abraham and his seede for euermore it is meant that God bestoweth immortalitie to such as are linked to him in coÌ„federacie For if by death we should perish the perpetuitie of the couenant could no way stande Nowe on the other side the faith of Abraham and of his seede aunswereth to the couenant of God For when God bindeth himselfe to vs by couenaÌ„t to giue saluation he bindeth vs withall vnto faith and vnto newe obedience which cannot be separated from faith And therefore God saith to Abraham Walke before me to wit in faith and be thou vpright that is serue me syncerelie and preferre obedience toward me before al things This obedience through his faith Abraham declared when he was readie most willinglie to sacrifice at the commaundement of God his beloued sonne Isaac whome he loued aboue al the world Whereby it maie easilie be gathered that the endeuouring of the minde obtaineth the praise of perfection before God Moreouer as this eternal couenant of God with the Church hath for foundation and substance the promised seed So being shadowed by sundrie types in the old lawe at the length it was fulfilled by the comming of Christ into the world and confirmed with the bloud of Christe For the remembrance and ratifieng whereof Baptisme and the Lordes supper be instituted For as Baptisme is a couenant of a good conscience with God depending vpon the bloud of Christ whereby it is purged from dead workes So the Lordes supper is a commemoration of the same couenant touching our redemption established by the bloud of Christ. And therefore it is called the cup of the new Testament or cup of the couenant Wherfore you maie rightlie define this eternal couenant of God if you saie It is a couenant of attonement betwene God and men wherby both God and men are bound together God for his part promising yea by oath remission of sinnes and euerlasting life for the merits of Christe by whose bloud this couenant is confirmed men for their parts do both accept the promise through faith and also doe not onlie promise but also shewe due obedience through their faith Which being so it maie be asked whie in the scripture mention is made of a double couenant or testament namelie an old and a new For both the Lord by the Prophet Ieremiah doth saie so and the auctor also of the Epistle vnto the Hebrues staÌ„deth vpon that same grouÌ„d Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I wil make a new couenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah Not according to the couenant that I made wiâ—h their fathers when I tooke theÌ„ by the hande to bring theÌ„ out of the lande of Egypt c. But this shal be the couenaÌ„t I wil make with the house of Israel After those daies saith the Lord I wil put my lawe in their inward parts and write it
in their hearts and wil be their God thei shalbe my people And thei shal teach no more euerie man his neighbor and euerie man his brother saieng Knowe the Lord for theie shal al knowe me from the least of them vnto the greatest of them saith the Lord for I wil forgiue their iniquitie and wil remember their sinnes no more Here the Prophete in plaine wordes maketh mentiō of a double couenant an old and a newe So Paul vnto the Galathians saith y t Agar the bond woman did signifie mount Sina and Sara the free woman was à figure of the celestial Ierusalem and he addeth by those two the two Testaments were signified One gendering vnto bondage and the other vnto freedome As therefore the olde Testament to Agar gendering vnto bondage So the newe Testament is compared to Sara gendering vnto freedome By which places we doe see howe there be two Testamentes and those greatlie differing Of which the old Testamēt was à mutual obligation betweene God and the Israelites God for his part promising the land of Canaan the Israelites for their partes binding them selues to obeie him according to the lawe of Moses whereof as the bloud of the lambe where-withal the people was besprinkled was the external signe so the final end was that among that certaine people the memorie of the promise of grace might be kept vntil the comming of the Messiah who was to be borne of that people But the ende of the newe Testament greatlie differed therefrom as both we haue shewed and the words of the Prophet doe most euidentlie declare of which let vs more deepelie consider And that we may the better vnderstand the words of the Prophet we must note that there is à triple time of the newe Testament to wit when it was promised when it was represented and when it is fullie performed The time of the couenant promised continued from the first promise concerning the seede of the woman vntil Christe came into the world and was hanged vpon the crosse by whose bloud this newe couenant is confirmed by whose virtue as manie as haue beleeued the promise are salued as were the Patriarches Prophets Kings and manie moe Neither do the words of the Apostle let this thing saieng The Testament is of no force so long as he that made it is aliue For the testator euen Christ in Gods heauenlie decree died euen since the promise was first made Hence it is in the Reuelation The lambe was slaine from the beginning of the world And therfore by the virtue of Christ his death and passion both Adam and Habel and Seth and al beleeuers before Christ did come in the flesh were salued The Prophet Ieremiah speaketh not of this time of the Testament promised The time of the couenant exhibited was the time when our Sauiour Christ died and suffered which time continueth euen vntill the end of the world into this time we are fallen who beleeue on the Messiah come as the Fathers did on the Messiah promised although as touching the knowledge of the Messiah à more cleare light hath shined vpon vs than did vpon them For as the shadowe and à goodlie image doe differ So the cleare knowledge which we haue of Christe since he shewed himselfe doth much differ frō the shadowe of the old people Notwithstanding to both peoples it is verie profitable The time of the Testament fulfilled shal be after the resurrection of y e dead when euerlastinglie we shal enioie y e fruit of this wonderful couenant For we shal behold not y e shadow nor the image but the verie thing it selfe namelie redemptiō and saluation through Christe The Prophet Ieremiah then speaketh of this double time to wit of the time when the couenant was exhibited in this life and shal al in al be fulfilled in the life to come Nowe let vs see the words of the Prophet I wil put my lawe saith he in their inward partes and write it in their hearts What lawe I beseech you is this What manner of writing This word Lawe in the Hebrue tong is taken generalie for euerie doctrine And therefore an apt signification is to be giuen to euerie place according vnto the circumstance of the place Zacharias father of Iohn Baptist therefore doeth helpe vs herein when he saith of his sonne And thou babe shalt be called the Prophet of the most High for thou shalt go before the face of the Lorde to prepare his waies To giue knowledge of saluation vnto his people by the remission of their sinnes through the tender mercie of our GOD. The Prophete meaneth out of al doubt the knowledge of saluation and the remission of sinnes through the bloud of Christe For so he saith Al shal knowe me And that this must be vnderstoode of the knowledge of Gods heauenlie wil he plainelie doeth shewe in the wordes immediatelie ensuing For I wil saith GOD forgiue their iniquitie and wil remember their sinnes no more Thus we knowe what lawe the Prophet meaneth in this place But what manner of writing doeth he vnderstand Surelie this writing is neither an idle nor an hurtful knowledge but it is a knowledge with a liuelie faith in the heart whereby we be persuaded and feele in our mindes that God is merciful to vs and hath pardoned our sinns for the merits of Christ the Priest and whereby motions of the spirit agreeable to the lawe of God be raised-vp within vs. Of which effect the Apostle calleth it the spirit and so obedience of the lawe is wrought in man This faith and this liuelie sense in the hearts of the faithful is the writing of the law by the finger of God that is by the holie spirit at the preaching of the Gospel For as the tables of stone did signifie the extreme hardnes of mans hart whereof the hart of man not regenerate is named stonie So the writing of the heart doth signifie an heart softened by the power of the holie spirite at the preaching of the Gospel that in the same as in a newe table the grace of the Gospel yea and the lawe it selfe which ought to be à perpetuall rule for the godlie to leade their life by maie be engrauen whereof it is called à fleshie heart And therefore the Lorde by the Prophet doth saie I wil take awaie the stonie heart out of your bodie and I wil giue you an heart of flesh But here some maie iustlie demaund whether there be anie difference betweene the newe Testament and the Gospel For by that we haue spoken it maie seeme that theie be one and the same thing Vnto this question we are thus to aunswere The newe Testament and the Gospel as touching the substance it selfe and the subiect are al one but in à consideration they differ For substance and for subiect they are one because both are a preaching of Christ and howe to attaine eternal life through
the righteousnes thereof 4. Of the sacraments how manie theie are and what theie signifie THe sacrifice of Christ is applied both by the worde by faith and by the sacrament but diuerslie For by the word which is written in the heart by the holie spirite it is offered as by the hand of God By faith beeing conceaued of the word through the holie spirite it is receaued as by the hand of man And by the Sacraments as by the seale of God it is signed For he that beleeueth the preaching of the Gospel wherbie the benefite of Christ his sacrifice is offered by faith which is à worke not of nature but of grace in man he receaueth Christe wholie together with his benefites which benefites are sealed by the sacramentes as that holie Apostle Paule doeth teach Wherebie it appeareth how needeful the ministerie of the worde is as that which is ordained from heauen to offer this incomparable treasure to vs this is it which the Lorde saith Preach the Gospel to euerie creature Againe Teach al nations This ministerie the Apostles deliâ—ered by the handes as it were to posteritie and from them it is come vnto vs and shall not be abolished while this worlde shal endure although Satan with greate rage do persecute such as syncerelie do sound-out the Gospel And therefore it is our partes if we loue our saluation to heare to vnderstand to loue the worde of God to meditate ther-vpon al our life long yea and to beleeue the same and to liue thereafter that at the length we maie come vnto the desired end of happinesse For Dauid in the beginning of his Psalmes sange not in vaâ—e when he sange on this wise Blessed is the man who doeth meditate in the lawe that is in the doctrine of the Lorde daie and night But wherefore is he blessed Because the meditation of the worde worketh two thinges First that thou neither listen vnto the counsels of the wicked nor stand in the waie of sinners nor sit in the seate of the scorneful Secondlie that thou become like à tree planted by the riuers of waters that wil bring forth her fruite in due season vntil thou attaine vnto verie happines it selfe And therefore it is added in another Psalme Blessed are al that trust in him But on the other side where this worde of the Lord is neither loued nor hearkened vnto nor thought-vpon nor beleeued nor done man by litle and litle is wrapped in the counsels of the wicked carried violentlie into the waie of the sinners and at length blasphemeth God and al religion and becommeth à plaine epicure so that at length he feareth not in his hart to saie There is no God although the lieng toung saie otherwise And so he proueth like à tree planted in moste horrible filthinesse and diuelish mud to bring forth fruite meete for death damnation according as it is written in à certaine Psalme Theie be corrupted and abhominable in their waies And that deseruedlie For y e contempt of this word wherbie Christ himselfe doth offer himselfe vnto vs doth highlie offend God yea and bringeth vpon the contemners themselues and vpon their posteritie too blindenes or a reprobate minde al maner wickednes and filthinesse as Paule in his first Chapter vnto the Romans teacheth at large And in another Chapter the same Apostle doth saie Because theie receiued not the loue of the truth and therefore God shal send them strong delusion that there should beleeue lies And the euent in manie nations where Christ himselfe and the Apostles haue preached doth aunswere to this prophesie of Paul touching the punishment of such as contemne the worde of God Neither be the Turkish warres anie thing els but verie tokens of Gods displeasure for the contempt of his worde And therefore let vs be more circumspect by the harmes of other men and esteemâ— we greatlie the benefite of God who hath deliuered to vs his pure worde wherebie he doeth offer this infinite grace and benefite of the sacrifice of his sonne by whose merite we be deliuered from the power of sinne and death and endued with eternal righteousnesse and glorie Secondlie in the application of the sacrifice of Christ it is required that euerie one of yeeres doe beleeue For as the worde doth offer So faith which commeth by hearing of the worde doth receaue Christe wholie with al his merites and beleeueth that al sinnes be forgiuen for the sacrifice sake of the Sonne of God And therefore in the Christian Creede it is saide I beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes that is I doe knowe and am firmelie persuaded that God according to his promise wil receaue me into fauour because of the sacrifice obedience of his Sonne and wil not impute my sinnes to me anie-more but vtterlie blot and forgiue yea and remember them no more For faith is not a wauering opinion but à certaine knowledge of the free promise and à firme confidence that sinnes be forgiuen for Christ his sake This faith as touching the certaintie thereof dependeth both vpon euident testimonies of the Scriptures vpon parables and vpon approued examples but as touching confidence it resteth onelie vpon the merite of Christ. Paul after Dauid saith Blessed are theie whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whome the Lord imputeth no sinne And Christ doth saie Sonne be of good comforte thie sinnes are forgiuen thee And to the ruler of the Synagogue the Lorde saith Onelie beleeue And to the woman which had an issue of bloud Thie faith hath made thee whole Among manie parables that is notable which is in the 18. chapter of Matthewe of him which did owe tenne thousand talentes and hauing not wherewith to discharge he was of meere grace forgiuen the debt Hitherto belongeth also the parable of the two debters and of the prodigal sonne Among examples the most excellent is of the Theefe whose sinnes were forgiuen him without anie merites either going-before or comming-afterward I omit Dauid Manasses Peter Paul Magdalene and others With this faith of the remission of sinnes two thinges are continualie ioined which although theie differ from the faith of the remission of sinnes yet can theie be separated at no time And theie are to speake with the Apostle Grace and Gifte of which I wil speake more distinctlie that we maie the better consider what à great blessing faith of the free remission of sinnes is Grace in this place is the verie iustification of à beleeuing man and from the cause is so caled For Paul in the 5. Chapter vnto the Romanes doeth saie so where he compareth sinne and grace together The iudgement came of one offence vnto condemnation but the grace of manie offences vnto iustification And As by the offence of one the fault came on al men to condemnation So by the
poore in spirit to the meeke to peace-makers to such as endure persecution c. But al those and the like sayings are not contrarie to our iudgement if any wil rightlie distinguish betwene y e causes and effectes of iustification the qualities of the iustified For it is one thing to speake of the reward of obedience and of the qualities of those who are alreadie iustified through faith and another thing of the causes of the matter that is of iustification Againe it is one thing to vse the wordes of Bernarde to speake of the causes of gouernement another of the waie to the kingdome Also it is one thing to speake of the essential principles of à thing another of the principles of knowledge But they obiect against vs as à strong buclar the saying of Christ If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commaundementes That is fulfill the lawe I aunswere Christ shewed à most readie waie vnto life euen the keeping of the commaundementes or fulfilling of the lawe But for that the fault is in vs that wee cannot fulfill the lawe Christ is become the ende of the lawe for righteousnes vnto euerie one that beleeueth And this is it which the same Paul saith in another place Through faith wee establish the lawe euen because through beleefe wee obtaine that which the lawe requireth namelie righteousnes The gift which we saide is conioined with the faith of remission of sinnes is the giuing of the holie Ghost whereby the man iustified onelie by faith is regenerated or sanctified that is is mortified quickened and becommeth à newe man purposing thence-forwarde as much as in him is to order his life according to the rule of Gods worde So that this gift is the cause and beginning of à newe life and obedience For wee are not iustified freelie by faith to the ende wee shoulde hence-forth liue to sinne but that deliuered from sinne wee shoulde serue God in righteousnes and holines all the daies of our life For Zacharias in his songe maketh this to bee the ende of the knowledge of saluation concerning the remission of sinns through the tender mercie of our God This ende of iustification Paule setteth in the 6. vnto the Romanes where by most euident argumentes he sheweth that sanctification is ioined with iustification And thus much briefelie touching y e grace of iustification and of the gifte of sanctification the which are linked with the faith of remission of sinnes and can no more be seuered from the same than maie heate from fire or the beame from the sunne Whereby it is apparent that the Papistes offer vs great iniurie in saying that we do abolish good works and loase y t bridles to men because we saie that by faith alone wee are iustified For they marke not howe wee doe put a difference betweene the proper benefite of Christ and our duetie which is ioined with faith But of iustification God willing wee will speake more at large in the exposition of the last verse of this Psalme the sundrie sorts of testimonies which are commonlie handled in this controuersie being distinguished The thirde place in the application of Christ wee ascribed to the sacramentse which not onelie do offer the merites of Christ the priest as the word doeth but also as seales doe assure thē vnto vs if so be the merits of Christ be reteined fast in the harts through faith For as without faith the word doth not applie the merites of Christ so without faith I speake of the elder sorte the sacramentes doe no good The sacraments which Christ hath cōmended to his Church be two to wit Baptisme the Lords supper wherof baptisme is à sacrament of the entrance into Christianitie therefore is but once takē as Christ died but once for vs. For as baptisme is an effectuall token of the death burial and resurrection of Christ so is it à sacrament of the couenant which God entereth-into with the baptized touching y e purging of sinnes and our reconciliation through Christ so is it also à signe of repentance and of the crosse and à testimonie of the resurrection to come And the Lord his supper is a sacrament of the confirmation and conseruation of Christianitie yea and a remembrance of the couenant established through the blood of Christ. Furthermore it is the meate whereby we are spiritualie nourished in the bodie of Christ therefore often it ought to be receaued The summe of al is this that the sacrament of the newe testament is both an externall signe of the couenant concerning our free iustification before God through the sacrifice of Christ and also a testifying and confirmation of the faith righteousnes of Gods people to him warde CHAP. 40. Of the perpetual vse of the sacrifice of Christ both in the conscience in the whole course of our life and at the houre of death AND although the vse of the sacrifice of Christ is wel nigh seene in the application yet the efficacie and power thereof is more apparent when the knoweledge is reduced vnto practise as it were This practise hath place in the conscience of euerie man in the whole course of life at the agonie of death The conscience of each man is stricken sore with a deadlie wounde vntil it bee healed by the application of physike with Christ alone the Physition doeth minister by his worde spirit In which respect he calleth himselfe the Physition of soules So y t when the conscience is stricken with y e remēbrance of sinne it must be healed by the faith of Christ his sacrifice which if it be liuelie it be sprinckeleth the cōscience with the most comfortable balme of the holie spirite wherewithal it is healed made quiet so that now it is iocound and merie and reioiceth as it were in the crosse of Christ whereas before it was troubled and greatlie vexed Whence proceedeth that saying of the triumphing conscience in Bernard Of the remission of sinnes saith hee I haue an vndoubted argument euen the passion of Christ. For the voice of his bloode crieth more shrillie than did the bloode of Habel crying in the heartes of the elect the forgiuenesse of all sinnes For he was betraied for our offences And no doubt his death is of more power and more effectuall to helpe vs than our sinnes to hurt vs. Such à conscience is neither broken with the threates of the lawe for it knoweth howe it is not vnder the law but vnder grace nor yeeldeth to the suggestions of satan for it knoweth howe the Prince of this worlde is alreadie cōdemned nor is moued with the argumentes of reason for it knoweth the power of him which hath promised and therefore glorifieth him To conclude it resteth quietlie in Christ looking for à ful redemption through the comming of the Sonne of God who shal change our vile bodie that it maie be fashioned like vnto his glorious
as he is He infecteth the minde with false and erroneous doctrine the heart hee troubleth with raging stormes of wicked affections the will hee bewitcheth with the euil spirite of profite and lucre and hee endeuoreth to defile the whole life of man with wickednes that so man beeing spiritualie killed maie bee his companion in euerlasting tormentes The remembrance of the studie of this euill spirite the enimie both of God and man wil stir-vp an hatred of sinne and engender à detestation of vngodlinesse in the heartes of men Secondlie in himselfe he must with equal balance weie sinne and miserie and thinke howe the miserie which hee suffereth is à deserued punishment of sinne and by the greatnes of miserie esteeme the ouglines filthines and multitude of his sinnes Hee must thinke howe by his sinnes he hath offended God who is soueraignelie and infinitlie good And thereof conclude that his present calamitie is the verie waie vnto euerlasting miserie vnlesse some helpe doe come At the remembrance hereof man wil tremble and quake Examples of this maie be seene by reading the Psalmes of which I wil alleadge one for manie out of the 38. Psal. where Dauid describeth his griefe sorrow for his sin on this wise For thine arrows haue light vpon me thine hand lieth vpon mee There is nothing sounde in flesh because of thine anger neither is there reste in my bones because of my sinne For mine iniquities are gone ouer mine heade and as à weightie burden theie are too heauie for mee My woundes are putrified and corrupt because of my foolishnes I am bowed and crooked verie sore I goe mourning al the daie For my reines are ful of burning and there is nothing sounde in my flesh I am weakened and sore broken I doe roare for the verie griefe of mine hearte Againe Mine heart panteth my strength faileth and the lighte of mine eies euen theie are not mine owne Here Dauid in his owne person depainteth the affections and sorowes of those men who in equal balance do weigh thy sinnes For they conceiue not of their sinnes as hypocrites and Atheistes doe according to their owne iudgment and fleshlie imagination but rather according to the maiestie of God that is offended to the filthines of sinne and to the punishment which they doe deserue by the sentence of the lawe And although worldlie men seldome haue such motions in their mind as Dauid and Ezekiah had yet it is necessarie that hee who is iustlie punished for offences perpetrated be touched with true sorow for his sinne without hypocrisie But here an error of the Papistes is to bee taken heed off who teach that such a sorowe conceaued for sinne doeth merite forgiuenes at the handes of God For although this sorow doe go-before the petition of forgiuenesse yet it is not the cause of mercie and forgiuenes But whoso persisteth in weighing his sinne his punishment together and procedeth no further shall be swalowed vp of desperation as Cain Saul Iudas and manie others were Thirdlie in God he must honor his iudgement and his mercie Of the righteous iudgement of God it is that sinnes are punished in al men of his mercie that they are punished not to their vtter destruction but for their saluation if they despise not the salue Vnto his iudgement it belongeth by degrees of punishment to correct sinneful man vntill he come to the last And forsomuch as hee professeth himself to be y e Physition of soules he doth as it were imitate skilfull Physitions who in curing doe vse certaine degrees Firste they beginne with gentler sortes of salues and if they doe little good they laie sharper remedies vnto the wound And as Hypocrates doeth saie The diseases which medicines do not heale the iron doeth heale those which the iron healeth not the fire doeth heale but such as the fire doth not heale theie of my word are incurable So God doth sometime reproue mans wickednes by y e word if y e doth not help he correcteth with sicknes infamie imprisoment if they profit not he inflameth the fire of his iudgement in the mindes of men and maketh them agast with the terror of euerlasting torments if neither that can heale their cancre hee leaueth them quite as incurable and giueth them ouer into à reprobate minde so that they haue neither à righte iudgement to discerne thinges nor anie sorowe at all by reason of the filth of wickednes wherein they wallow To bee short God of his iudgement doeth punish that through his mercie he maie saue This is it which Isaiah doth saie Hee doeth à straunge worke that he maie doe his owne that is he doeth kill and slaie that hee maie quicken and salue This iudgement and this mercie of God are ioined-together of Dauid so often as he lamenteth his sins as maie appeare both in 51. also in sundrie other psalms but especialie in those which are called penitential Psal. Last of all in the Gospell hee must seeke for counsell and for comfort The thiefe whiche hong on the right hand of Christ confessed his offence and miserie sawe the falsehood and crueltie of Satan had the iudgement of God also in great reuerence For being on the crosse he spake these wordes Wee receaue thinges worthie of that wee haue done Beside he praised the mercie of God fleing vnto Christ whome before his eies he sawe embrued with bloode and defiled with the spittle of the soldiers whome notwithstanding he confessed to be the Physition Sauior of the world so through beleefe on him was deliuered from the sicknes of his soule though not from the punishment of his bodie Notwithstanding hee hearde his comfortable voice To daie thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise In like manner those which with the theife in their deserued paines and affliction do return vnto Christ be receaued and healed although their sinnes are infinite and their offences in quantitie passe the sande of the sea as Manasses confessed that his sinnes did For as the mercie of God in Christ is endles and à ransome of infinite and vnestimable price So the Physition Christ who affirmeth that he came to saue that was lost doeth offer himselfe into all men indifferentlie and without respecte vnto anie calleth al men vnto repentance For so he saith Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and laden and I wil ease you Heere he calleth al that labor and be loaden albeit with infinite sinnes he excludeth none but admitteth al vnto repentance and ministreth remedie to such as come vnder his handes and craue his helpe with the theefe For first hee remoueth awaie the cause of affliction namelie sinne when man at the voice of the Gospel repenteth when he besprincleth the conscience of the penitent with his blood and washeth it from deade workes and withal imputeth his righteousnes to the penitent that by the same he maie appeare
cause be hindered For doubtlesse it pleaseth political fellowes and ignorant folkes maruelouslie when the lawe and the Gospel or faith and workes in the iustification of man before God are coupled-together For thus theie saie we are debters of the lawe we grant à great defecte in vs which Christ perfourmeth Therefore let vs doe what we can beg that which is behinde of Christ. And so theie ascribe à parte of righteousnesse to their owne workes and merites and à parte to Christ his merites So that some doe participate more and some lesse of Christ his merites according as theie doe abounde or want Theie who thus doe thinke doubtlesse haue no parte of Christ his fauour as most sacrilegious who arrogantlie doe take à part of Christ his office which is to saie to themselues against whom both the whole Scripture and the consent of the true Church is opposed But in this place let vs onelie set Paul the Apostle and doctor of the Gentiles against them who in manie places disputeth to the ouerthrowing of this Pharisaical opinion As Romaines 3. The righteousnesse of God is made manifest without the Law Rom. 4. The promise that he should be the heire of the worlde was not giuē to Abraham or to his seede through the Lawe but through the righteousnesse of faith For if theie saith he which are of the Lawe be heires faith is made voide and the promise is made of none effect In which wordes the Apostle most plainelie doth take iustification from the Lawe yea and from al workes too and ascribeth the same to faith alone teaching that the promise is voide and faith à vaine fiction if before God we are iustified by anie works that is if the workes of the Lawe be either causes or partes of our iustification before God Rom. 10. Theie being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God and going about to stablish their owne righteousnesse haue not submitted themselues to the righteousnesse of God And in y e chapter immediat elie insuing he opposeth grace works in the matter of saluation so y t they cannot stād together as causes or parts of righteousnes or saluation If it be of grace saith he it is no more of works or els were grace no more grace but if it be of workes it is no more of grace or else worke were no worke For as Augustine saith it is grace no way which is not free grace euery way Hitherto belongeth that of Paule in an other place By grace are ye saued through faith that not of your selues it is the gift of god not of workes least any man should boast himselfe Could any thing be spokē more plainly Here Paul saith not as y e Papists do of faith and works but he excludeth workes that grace may be grace that saluation may be à gifte and that no man should glorie in the sight of God as bringing any merit which should moue god to iustifie him This boasting is excluded also by the Apostle in another place where he saith where is then the reioicing it is excluded By what Lawe of workes Naie but by the Lawe of faith Therfore we cōclude that à man is iustified by faith without the workes of the Lawe Hereby I suppose it is more cleere than the daie that theie do erre which compound Christian righteousnes of faith and workes together as it were of causes partes Moreouer theie who seke for licentiousnes of life from y e doctrine of free iustification shalbe answered God willing in y e third sort of testimonies Now then hauing laid open the errors touching the equitie of the Gospell I will plainly deliuer and shew which is the true waie to be iustified according to the word of God y t is y e gospel To be iustified therfore according to y e Gospel is for y e beleeuing mā who is absolued frō al guilt of sinne redeemed frō the curse of the law by God to be pronounced free for the ransome sake paide by the mediator to be made righteous by the righteousnes of the mediator imputed to him and finaly to be adiudged to eternal life as a beleeued sonne in the beloued freelie for the mediator Christ his sake So then for him that would be righteous before God three things are necessarie One is that beeing absolued from sinne redeemed from the cursse of the law he be a free man an other is that he haue righteousnes wherby he may in deede be and be thought righteous the thirde that beeing made righteous he be adopted for a sonne and be liked and loued of God as a beloued in the beloued These blessings no man can giue but God onely and therfore Christian righteousnesse is sometime called The righteousnesse of GOD because it is God that iustifieth sometime The righteousnesse of Christ for that his obedience beeing imputed to vs is made our righteousnesse and sometime The righteousnesse of Faith forsomuch as it is free as that which through faith is apprehended while we beleue the gospell Therfore the Lord saith Repentance and remission of sinnes must be preached in my name among al nations The remission of sinnes is the verie absolutiō from guiltines the redemption from the cursse of libertie With this remissiō two other things are cōioined namelie righteousnes adoptiō or free acceptatiō vnto life eternal Hetherto also belong the words of the Angel vnto the Virgin Thou shalt cal his name Iesus for he shal saue his people from their sinnes Here by the word of saluation al the benefites of the mediator be vnderstood But of these things we wil entreate particularlie the more distinctlie and cleerelie to vnderstād these benefites which we obteine by Christ. First therfore we attaine remission of sinnes as Paul saith by the bloud of Christ. For the obedience of Christ vpon the crosse is y e price whereby the iustice of God is satisfied for the sinnes of al those which through faith do conuert For so saith Paul whom meaning Christ God hath set to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood So that y e merit of Christ his bloud is the cleāsing of sinnes which bloud is therefore a sufficient ransome because it is the bloud of the sonne of God Therfore in the Acts it is saide that God hath purchased the Church with his owne bloud And that he which hath remission of sinnes that is which is absolued from the guiltines of sinne is also redeemed from the cursse of the lawe and partaker of the libertie of God his children these sentences do approue Christ hath redeemed vs from the cursse of the law when he was made a cursse for vs. Againe Whosoeuer committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne If the sonne therefore shal make you free ye shalbe free in deede So then whosoeuer do ascribe euen the least merite of cleansing sinnes to any other thing beside the blood of
Christ they do prophane Christ his blood and extenuat the merit of the Lordes death of which merit we are then made partakers when we beleeue in Iesus Christ. Therefore Paul doth say through faith in his blood that is when a man knowing the promise of grace doth verilie beleeue that his sinnes are forgiuen him for the blood sake of Christ he is truelie partaker of the merit of the Lord his death through which he is absolued from sinne redeemed from the condemnation of the law and set free from the bondage of sinne and Satan With the remission of sinnes righteousnes is ioyned wherby the beleeuer is iustified that is becommeth in verie deede and is iudged righteous before God And this righteousnes is the second benefit of Christ in our iustification Which righteousnes is nothing else than à perfect fulfilling of the lawe done indeede by Christe but ascribed or imputed to vs that beleeue For so saith Paul Christe is the ende of the lawe for righteousnes vnto euerie one that beleeueth that is so manie as beleeue haue that which the Lawe requireth namelie righteousnes but not done of them but imputed to them For so saith Paul To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodlie his faith is counted for righteousnes Now that this righteousnes that is imputed to vs is Christ his obedience the comparisō which Paul doth make witnesseth As by one mans disobedience saith he manie were made sinners So by the obedience of one shal manie also be made righteous meaning so manie as beleue And in another place He hath made him to be sinne for vs which knewe no sinne that we should be made the righteousnes of God in him that is Christ was made for vs sinne which is à sinner through the imputation of the guiltinesse of al our sinnes to him y t we might be made righteous with God and that by the righteousnes not sticking within vs but which being in Christ is imputed of God to vs through faith Then we are so the righteousnes of God in him as he is sinne in vs to wit through imputation And this is it which Augustine doth saie Our sinnes he made his owne sins that he might make his righteousnes to be ours Herevnto both Moses the Psalmes Prophets do agree Moses he writeth The seede of the woman shal bruse the Serpents head Again In thy seede which is Christ shal all the nations of the earth be blessed This blessing cannot be without y e remission of sins righteousnes and allowance of God If therefore blessing be through Christ deliuerance also frō the cursse is through him through the remission of sinnes we atteine imputation of righteousnes and God his fauor And in the Psalme it is They shal declare his righteousnes to à people that is the Church shal preach not mans righteousnes by workes or ceremonies but the righteousnes of Christ which shalbe imputed for righteousnes to so manie as beleeue The Prophet Isaiah saith By his knowledge shal my righteous seruant iustifie manie for he shal beare their iniquities This testimonie is verie notable for it teacheth how sinnes be washed awaie through y e sacrifice of Christ it teacheth y t Christ y e righteous by his righteousnes doth make others righteous it teacheth also y t applicatiō is made through y e knowledge of the same Christ y t is through an effectual knowledg of Christ And y t is effectual knowledge whē to the knowledg of y e minde y e beleefe of the heart is ioined Also by y t Prophet Ieremiah it is writtē This is the name wherby theie shal cal him the lord our righteousnes Here y e prophet cōmendeth Christ his diuinitie and also pronounceth howe we are iustified through his righteousnes Touching the application the same Prophet speaketh on this wise Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is Now he trusteth in the Lord who beleeueth that being iustified by his righteousnesse he pleaseth God For the obedience of Christ God and man is the most absolute perfourmance of the lawe the which sufficeth al because it is the righteousnes of man who is God This the Prophet declareth when he saith The Lord is our righteousnesse So that from our heartes we must beleeue how the righteousnesse wherebie we are iust before God is not anie qualitie or action in our selues but the obedience of Christ imputed to the faithful So doth Paul most expreslie distinguish betweene y e righteousnesse of man and of Christ when he saith I doe iudge al thinges but doung that I might winne Christ and might be founde in him not hauing mine own righteousnes which is of the lawe but that which is through the faith of Christ euē the righteousnes which is of God through faith Nowe if we haue remission of sinnes and righteousnesse through faith to wit perfecte righteousnesse which is of Christe Iesu doubtlesse we are no more vnder the damnable sentence of the lawe which is Cursed is he that confirmeth not al the workes of the lawe to doe them And this meaneth Paul where he saith We are vnder the lawe which condemneth but vnder grace which iustifieth Whie so For that as through the offence of one to wit Adam the fault came on al men to condemnation so by the iustifieng of one namelie Christ Grace abounded towarde al men to the iustification of life That is As the sinne of Adam was the cause of condemnation vnto eternal death So the righteousnes of Christ is the cause of iustification vnto eternal life Now then as Paul saith there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesu. For theie are free frō the lawe of sin of death through Christ the deliuerer The third thing which we saide was required for to make a man righteous before God is that being adorned with Christ his righteousnes he be adopted for the sonne of God and accepted vnto eternal life For as by faith hee obteineth remission of sinnes and righteousnes so likewise by the same faith we obteine the right of adoptiō and the dignitie of Gods children according to that of Iohn He gaue power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name That is he conferred this heauenlie honor vpon the faithful that theie both be and be counted the sonnes of God And Paul ye haue not receiued the spirite of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the spirite of adoption wherbie we crie Abba Father The same spirite beareth witnes with our spirit that we are the children of God If we be children we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ. Moreouer this our adoption is two māner of waies to be considered to wit as it is in the life begun through faith and as it
either vnto the vnregenerate or vnto the regenerate If it be applied vnto the vnregenerate which are without Christ by the principle which we haue set downe it must needes folow that it is neither ratified nor performable wherefore it is referred vnto the first order of testimonies For it proponeth the iudgement of the lawe concerning the rewardes of good workes But forsomuch as an impossible condition namely if a man do my commaundements he shal liue in them is annexed it cannot be but that the vnregenerate are subiect vnto this damnatorie sentence of y e law Curssed is euery man that continueth not in al things which be written in the booke of the law to do them But if such a promise be referred vnto the regenerate in Christ the promise is firme and perfourmed in whom al promises are yea and Amen But moe thinges in order be to be noted in this place Firste how in the regenerate the rigor of the lawe is taken away which rigor consisteth in three thinges that is to say that none obedience liketh God vnlesse it be perfect that life is not promised but to them which fulfil the lawe that the cursse is denounced to al which offend yea in the least thing Secondly we are to thinke that a man nowe beleeuing pleaseth God as beloued in the beloued and as an heire of eternal life for Christ his righteousnes imputed to him which is the waie of life and saluation according to these wordes of Paul Christ is the end of the lawe for righteousnesse to euerie one that beleeueth Thirdlie it is to be considered that of the beleeuing man whom for Christ his sake he accepteth God requireth obedience and that as à moste louing father he promiseth à rewarde to him not of det for anie goodnes or price of the work but of meere grace through fatherlie kindenes wherbie he imbraceth the beleeuing man in Christ Iesus Fourthlie we must haue in minde that workes so done through faith be testimonies of religion euen as proper effectes be vndoubted arguments of the cause from which theie proceede And therefore is the Lorde saide to rewarde euerie one according to his workes as when Paul saith God wil rewarde euerie man according to his workes which workes be tokens of faith and most vndoubted arguments of the feare of God Of these workes mention shalbe made at the last daie that al creatures maie acknowledg the iustice of God in iudging But if à special promise be made in à certaine thing as when Tobiah doth saie Almes doth deliuer from death doth purge al sin and maketh men to finde life and Daniel Breake off thine iniquities by mercie towarde the poore for that shalbe à salue for thine error this rule which dependeth vpon the principle which we haue aboue set-downe is to be remembred Touching à particular fact we must iudge according to the qualitie either of the deede or of the person that doth it If we iudge by the qualitie of the deede it is moste true that no deedes of man be theie manie or fewe can satisfie the lawe of God as aboue in the firste order of testimonies we haue declared and therefore he cannot merit either righteousnes or life But if according to the qualitie of the person we doe iudge the iudgemeÌ„t wil be diuers as the persons be For the person that worketh either hath faith or he hath not If the person which worketh hath faith his worke done according to the lawe doth please and is imputed to him for righteousnes that is it is thought to be righteous for so much as it pleaseth God in respect of the person But if the person that worketh hath no faith it is impossible that the worke should please while this rule shal holde whatsoeuer is not done of faith is sinne And therefore diligentlie it would be considered what good workes be of themselues and of what account in respect of the workers Of themselues theie are of no valure neither doe theie merit anie whit because theie are not the fulfilling of the lawe Before the righteousnes of faith theie are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen y e vilest doung as Paul speaketh and abominable but after that righteousnes is coÌ„firmed theie are to be estemed not according to their owne desert but according to the goodnes of God which accepteth them for the persons sake y t pleaseth him in which respect these are imputed vnto righteousnes that is are taken for good workes as it is written of the zeale of Phinees which thrust throw the fornicators theie merit reward as Paul saith both in this life aâ—d in the world to come Now returne we vnto the saying of Tobias touching which I do saie first y t in the old traÌ„slation which à little before I cited the words be verie corruptlie red For according to the Greek theie should be thus red Almes or liberalitie doth deliuer froÌ„ death and doth purge al sin Those which exercise almes righteousnes shalbe filled with life This senteÌ„ce caÌ„not be applied to the Pharisee or to anie man y t is not regenerat For as the almes here coÌ„mended is à particular work so in the vnregenerat it is manie waies polluted So that it is to be referred vnto y e regenerat But theie haue remissioÌ„ of sins frely for Christ his sake by whose bloud theie are cleÌ„sed froÌ„ al iniquitie But the last particle in y e saying of Tobias namlie Theie shalbe filled with life that is theie shal enioie à long life doth shew how Tobias speaketh not of purging of sin before God but in this life only before meÌ„ who coÌ„mend those for good righteous men which are merciful liberal toward y e needy The like iudgement is to be giueÌ„ touching y e place of Daniel which in y e hebrue is thus red Redeeme thy sins by righteousnes thy iniquities by mercie towarde the poore lo so thie peace y t is prosperitie felicitie in thie kingdome shalbe lengthened prolonged Here Daniel of necessitie must meane y e fruites of repentaÌ„ce which are most vndouted argumeÌ„ts of faith of the feare of God merit the mitigatioÌ„ of punishments à prosperous successe of affaires both priuate and publike which thing Daniel doth signifie in these wordes Lo so shal thie peace be lengthned proloÌ„ged To be short al y e senteÌ„ces whersoeuer they be redin y e holy scripture coÌ„cerning good works are to be vnderstood according to their circuÌ„stances and as the matter doth require are to be applied to these foure orders of testimonies But theie which confound these orders theie peruert y e scripture and trample vpon y e blood of the son of God with their feete wheÌ„ they indeuor to ascribe that to works which belongeth properlie to y e son of God our mediator Iesus Christ to whome with the father and the holie ghost be honor praise and glorie now