For discerning therefore of this kinde of most pernicious people and theyr deuilish dealing and least we shoulde be carried awaie wyth euery winde of doctrine by the wilinesse of men God hath ordained in his Church Apostles Doctors Prophets Pastors and Interpreters whom he hath so guided and gouerned from time to tyme with his holy spirit that they haue beene able by the Scriptures to represse and beate downe whatsoeuer errours and heresies haue beene raysed vp by the enemies of Gods trueth contrary to the analogie of fayth and rule of charitie that is to say beside the true sence and meaning of the Canonicall scripture When there rose vp certaine sedious fellowes among the Iewes in the primatiue Church making som contention about their ceremonies as did Simon Magus Nicholaus Cerinthus Ebion and Menander that were heretiques They were refelled and conuinced out of the scriptures by the Apostles and theyr schollers Martialis Dyonisius Areopagita Ignatius Policarpus and others who were no doubt directed guided by the spirite of God Afterward when Basilides Cerdon Marcion Valentinus Tatianus Apelles Montanus and diuers others troubled the Church wyth monstrous heresie they were cōfuted by Iustinius Martyr Dionisius byshop of Corinth Irenaeus Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian their equals who in all theyr controuersies had recourse vnto the scriptures and beeing instructed and ledde by the spirit of trueth preuailed mightily against their aduersaries And so downward from age to age vnto our daies whatsoeuer heresie or different opinion hath sprung vp contrary to the doctrine of Christ and hys Apostles it hath beene checked and controlled by the watchmen spirituall Pastours and Gouernors of the Church who alledged alway the consent of the scriptures for deciding of all doubts and were most graciously guided by the spyrite of God in all their actions And heereof it is that the word of God is called the sworde of the spirit because as it was giuen by inspiration at the first so being expounded by the direction of the same spirit it is most liuely and mightie in operation sharper thē any two edged sword and entering through euen to the deuiding a sunder of the soule and the spirit of the ioynts and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the hart Thys is that spirituall sworde wherwith our Sauiour Christ preuailed against sathan the head Lord maister of all Heretiques who notwithstanding pretended scriptures for his deuillish purposes And the Apostle Paule being furnished wyth thys only weapon disputed against the peruerse ouerthwart Iewes which dwelt at Damascus and confounded them proouing by conference of Scriptures that thys was very Christ. Nowe as it was expedient that the Gospels should be written that we learning the trueth foorth of them should not be deceiued by the lyes of heresies so was it necessary that the same Gospels shoulde be preached for the confirmation of fayth And heereof it is that the Apostle S. Paule Rom. 10. sayth that fayth cōmeth by hearing the word of God because the word preached is the ordinary meanes to beget and increase faith in vs for the which cause also it is called the incorruptible seede whereby we are borne a newe and whereby the Church is sanctified vnto the Lord. Wherefore to conclude thys poynt seeing that the holy scriptures are that most infallible and secure way mentioned by Esay seeing they are the rule leuell both of our fayth and life contayning in them sufficient matter to confute errour and confirme the trueth able to make a man wise vnto saluation perfectly instructed vnto euery good worke this ought to be the duetie of the faithfull that I may vse the words of Basil to be thorowly perswaded in his minde that those thinges are true and effectuall which are vttered in the Scripture and to reiect nothing thereof For if whatsoeuer is not of fayth be sinne as saith the Apostle and if fayth commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God without doubt when anie thing is without the holy scripture which cannot be of faith it must needes be sinne And therefore to speake as S. Augustine speaketh if any I will not say if wee but which S. Paule addeth if an Angell from heauen shall preach eyther of Christ or of his Church or of any other thing which pertaineth to faith or to the leading of our life otherwise then we haue receiued in the holy scriptures of the Law and the Gospel let him be accursed Now if forsaking all bie-pathes of mens inuentions and traditions we wyll search diligently in the scriptures wherein we thinke to haue eternall life wee shall see that they testifie of nothing so much as of the promises of God in Christ Iesus who as he is the ende of the Lawe for righteousnes to euery one that beleeueth so doe they sende vs directly and as it were leade vs by the hande like a careful Schoole-maister vnto him teaching vs to apprehend and lay holde on him with the hand of fayth and to apply hym wyth his gifts and graces vnto our selues and our owne saluation So that faith is made the meanes and as it were the Conduit to conuey Christ himselfe hys death burial and resurrection and all the rest of hys benefits vnto vs which the Apostle witnesseth Collos 2. 12. Yee are buried saith he with him through Baptisme in whom ye are also raised vp together through the fayth of God effectually working who raysed him from the deade Whereof it ensueth that all the faithfull doe not onely obtaine the benefite of Christes death buriall by their Baptisme wherby they die vnto sinne but also do receiue and enioy the fruite and effect of his resurrection by a liuely fayth whereby they are quickned and raysed vp vnto righteousnes in thys life and are assertained of resurrection to glorie in the life to come by hys mightie working that is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe Seeing therefore that the summe substaunce of our whole Religion and of our eternal saluation or damnation consisteth in the knowledge of this one vertue it shalbe worth the labour breefely but yet plainly to describe the forme force nature of this faith whereof we speake Wherein you shall not looke for the diuers significatiōs which that word receiueth in the Scripture nor for any declaration of those vnprofitable faythes whereof S. Iames speaketh which are common to the wicked and to the deuils themselues wherby they beleeue that Iesus is that Christ but heere my purpose is to entreate of that liuely and sauing fayth which is peculier and propper to the elect and chosen children of God whereby they beleeue that Christ is theyr Iesus by whom they are saued from theyr sinnes and from the punishment due vnto them for the same and by whom onely they are restored vnto the fauor of God and
the day the houre the place the Village the house the persons the men the women and other the like Which circumstaunces the more they are in number the more easie to be refuted if they were not true Neyther dyd they in Iurie write of things done in India but in the same Countrie if selfe in Townes and Cities that were publiquely knowne in Bethania and Bethsaida Villages harde by Ierusalem in the Suburbes and hyls about the Cittie in such a streete at such a gate in such a porch of the Temple at such a fish-poole which al people in Ierusalem did euery day behold They published theyr wryting in their owne life time and preached in worde so much as in wryting they had recorded They permitted the same to the iudgment and examination of all Christes Church especiallie of the Apostles who were able to discerne euery least thing therein contained So Saint Marke set foorth his Gospell by the instruction and approbation of S. Peter as also dyd S. Luke by the authoritie of S. Paule They altered not theyr wrytings afterwarde as other Authors are wont in theyr latter editions nor euer corrected they one iote of that which they had first sette downe And that which neuer happened in any other wrytings in the worlde besides nor euer Prince or Monarch was able to bring to passe for credite of hys Edicts or sanctions they gaue theyr liues for defence and iustifying of that which they had written Their manner of wryting is sincere and simple without all arte amplification or rethoricall exhortation They flatter none no not Iesus himselfe whō they most adore nor in confessing him to be theyr God and Creator doe they conceale his infirmities of flesh in that he was man as hys hunger and thyrst his beeing wearie how he wept his passions of feare and the like So likewise in the Apostles that were the Gouernours superiours and heades of the rest doe these Euangelists dissemble hyde or passe ouer no such things as were defects might seeme to worldly eyes to turne to theyr discredits As for example howe Christ rebuked them for theyr dulnes in vnderstanding howe after long instruction they proposed notwithstanding very rude and impertinent questions vnto hym howe Thomas woulde not beleeue the attestation of hys fellowes how S. Iohn and S. Iames the sonnes of Zebedee ambitiously solicited to haue the preheminence of sitting neerest to Christ in hys glorie which latter clause beeing sette downe cleerelie by Saint Marke whyle yet S. Iohn the Apostle was liuing the same was neuer denyed nor taken ill by the said Apostle neither was saint Marks Gospell any thing the lesse approoued by him albeit he liued longest and wrote last of all the rest Nay which is more and greatlie no doubt to bee obserued these Euangelists were so sincere and religious in theyr narrations as they noted especially the imperfections of themselues and of such other as they principally respected So Saint Mathew nameth himselfe Mathew the Publicane And so S. Marke beeing Peters dysciple recordeth particulerly how S. Peter thrise denied hys Lord and Maister Saint Luke that was scholler and dependent of S. Paule maketh mention alone of the differences betweene Paule and Barnabas and in the Storie of S. Stephens death after all hys narration ended he addeth a clause that in humane iudgment might haue beene left out to wit Saulus erat consentiens neci eius Saule was consenting and culpable of Stephens death Whereby wee may perceiue most perspicuously that as these men were plaine sincere and simple and farre from presuming to deuise any thing of themselues so were they religious and had scruple to passe ouer or leaue out any thing of the trueth in fauour of themselues or of any other whosoeuer These mens wrytings then were published and receiued for vndoubted trueth by all that liued in the verie same age and were priuie to the perticulers therein contayned They were copied and abroad into infinite mens hands and so conserued wyth all care reuerence as holy and diuine scripture They were read in Churches throughout al Coūtries and Nations expounded preached taught by all Pastours and commentaries made vppon them by holy Fathers frō tyme to tyme. So that no doubt can be made but that we haue the very same wrytings incorrupt as the Authours left them for that it was impossible for any enemie to corrupt so many copies ouer the world without discouerie and resistaunce And the same verie text words and sentences which from age to age the learned Fathers doe alleage out of these Scriptures we finde them now as they had them at that time As for example S. Iohn that liued longest of al the Apostles Euangelists had among other Schollers and auditours Papias Ignatius and Policarpus all which agree of the foure Gospels and other writings left vnto vs in the newe Testament affirming S. Iohn to haue approoued the same These men were Maisters againe to Iustinus Martyr Ireneus other whose writings remaine vnto vs. And if they dyd not yet their sayings and iudgments touching the Scriptures are recorded vnto vs by Eusebius and other Fathers of the next age after and so from hande to hande vntill our dayes So that of this there can be no more doubt then whether Rome Constantinople Ierusalem and other such renouned Citties knowne to all the world at thys daie be the very same wherof Authors haue treated so much in auncient times The fourth Consideration AND thus much of Christes Euangelists for whose more credite and for confirmation of things by them recorded hys diuine prouidence preordained that infinite witnesses whom we call Martyrs shoulde offer vppe theyr bloode in the Primatiue Church and after Wheras for no other doctrine profession or Religion in the worlde the like was euer heard of albeit among the Iewes in the tyme of the Machabees and at some other times also when that Nation for their sinnes were afflicted by Heathen Princes some fewe were tyrannized and iniuriously put to death yet commonly and for the most part thys was rather of barbarous crueltie in the Pagans for theyr resistaunce then directly for hatred of Iewish Religion And for the number there is no doubt but that more Christians were put to death with in two monethes for theyr beleefe throughout the worlde then were of Iewes for two thousand yeeres before Christes comming Which is vndoubtedly a matter very wonderfull considering that the Iewish Religion impugned no lesse the Pagan Idolatrie then dooth the doctrine of the Christians But this came to passe that Christes wordes might be fulfilled who saide I come not to bring peace but the sword And againe I sende you foorth as sheepe among wolues That is to say to be torne and harried and your blood to be deuoured In which extreame and most incredible sufferings of Christians three poynts are woorthy of great consideration
particular places Which is to be vnderstood such little Kings as Iosue slew thirtie in one battaile And it is to be noted that S. Matthewe maketh mention of the comming of these Kings to Ierusalem as of a knowne and publique matter whereof all Ierusalem and Iurie were able to beare him witnesse For hee talketh of theyr open comming to Ierusalem and of the inquirie for the new borne King of theyr speeche and conference had wyth Herod as also of Herods consultation with the Scribes Pharisies about the place of the Messias byrth And finally he sheweth the most pittifull murder that insued of almost infinite infants in all the circuite of Bethleem for thys matter Which could not be a thing vnknowne to all Iurie and much lesse feygned by the holy Euangelist Saint Matthew for that he should haue giuen his aduersaries the greatest aduauntage in the worlde if he had begunne hys Gospell with so notorious and open an vntrueth which might haue been refuted by infinite persons that were yet aliue Epiphanius is of opinion that the three Kings arriued in Ierusalem two yeeres after Christes Natiuitie for that Herod slewe all infants of that age But other hold more probablie that the starre appeared vnto thē two yeeres before Christes Natiuitie so that they came to Bethleem the thirteenth day after Christes birth according as the Church doth celebrate the Epiphanie Saint Basile thinketh that they were learned men and myght by theyr learning and Arte Magick wherin those Countrimen at that time were very skilfull vnderstand and feele that the power of their Heathen Gods was greatlie diminished and broken They might also be styrred vp wyth that common brute and generall prophecie spredde ouer all the Easte in those daies as both Suetonius Iosephus doe recorde That out of Iurie should come an vniuersall King ouer all the world By these meanes I say and by the prophecie of Balaam left among thē from Moses time for he was a Gentile wherby was signified that a starre should ryse and declare a great and mightie King in Israell they might be induced at the sight of this starre to take so long a iourney as they did towards Iurie Thys starre as I haue sayde was foretolde by Balaam a Heathen Prophet aboue one thousand and fiue hundred yeeres before it appeared And after Balaam again it was prophecied by Dauid that Kings of Arabia Saba and other Easterne Countries shoulde come and adore Christ and offer both gold and other gyfts vnto hym The murder also of those infants of Bethleem was presignified by Ieremie in the weeping of Rachell for the slaughter of her children which Rachell was buried in Bethleem and for that cause those infants were called her children albeit shee were dead aboue two thousande yeres before they were slaine and aboue one thousand and fiue hundred yeeres before Ieremie wrote the prophecie Amongst which infants Herod also for more assurance slewe an infant of hys owne For that as Philo noteth he was descended by hys mothers side of the lyne of Iuda Which cruelty comming to Augustus eares he sayde as Macrobius reporteth that hee had rather bee Herods swyne then hys sonne for that hee beeing a Iewe was forbidden by hys Religion to kyll hys swyne though not ashamed to kyll hys sonne The same starre whereof we speake is mentioned by diuers Heathen Writers as by Plinie vnder the name of a Comete for so they termed all extraordinarie Starres which appeared in the later ende of Augustus daies and were farre different from all other that euer appeared And therfore contrary to the nature of those kind of Starres it was adiudged by the whole Colledge of South-sayers to portende vniuersall good vnto the earth and for that cause had an Image of mettall erected to it in Rome and as Plinies words are Is Cometa vnus tota orbe colitur that onely Comete is worshipped throughout the whole world Origine also writeth of one Chaeremon a Stoike that was much mooued with the consideration of thys Starre and for that after the appearaunce thereof hee perceiued the power of hys Gods decayed tooke a iourney into Iurie in company of other Astronomers to informe himselfe further of the matter Whereunto Chalcidius a Platonicke dooth adde that the Chaldean Astronomers did gather by contemplation of thys Starre that some God descended from heauen to the benefite of mankind And finally the Sibyls talking of the comming of Christ affirmed plainlie Rutilans eum sydus mon strabit a blazing starre shall declare his cōming Which prophecie Virgill the Poet hauing reade in Augustus tyme and soone after hauing seen the same fulfilled applied it as I haue shewed before of all the rest to the flattering of Caesar and therefore he sayth in the place before alleaged Ecce Dionaei processit Caesaris astrum Behold the starre of Caesar descended of Venus hath nowe appeared Which starre indeede was the starre of Caesars Lorde and Maister After fortie daies past ouer Saint Luke reporteth how Iesus by his mother was presented in the Temple of Ierusalem therwithall recounteth two strange thinges that happened at the same time to wit that two graue and reuerend persons Simeon surnamed Iust and Anna the Prophetesse both of singuler sanctitie amongst the Iewes cōming into the Temple at the very same time when Iesus was there in hys Mothers armes tooke notice of him and acknowledged him publiquely for the Messias and Sauiour of the world Fore-telling also by the spyrite of prophecie diuers perticuler things that wer to ensue both to Christ and Christians and especially to hys Mother the blessed virgine Which things being published at that time and confirmed afterwards by the euent doe well declare that thys narration of S. Luke could not be forged as doe also the number of perticuler circumstaunces sette downe about the tyme place and persons most notoriously knowne to all Ierusalem For as for Anna she had lyued from her youth vntyll foure-score yeeres of age in the Temple and thereby was knowne to the most part of Iurie And as for Symeon he was the Scholler of the most famous Hillel and condisciple to Ionathan maker of the Chaldie Paraphrase of whō I spake before and the Iewes Thalmud confesseth that by the death of these two men especially of Simeon fayled the spyrit of the great Sinagogue called Sanhedrin which after the Captiuitie of Babylon vntyll Herods time supplyed in a sort the spirit of prophecie that was expresly in Israel before the sayd captiuitie Of Christes flight into Egipt for feare of Herode S. Luke wel noteth that it was prophecied by Ose long before that God would call his Sonne out of Egipt And the Prophet Esay describeth the same very particularlie when he sayth Beholde our Lord Iehoua shal ascend vp or ride vpon a light cloude which was his flesh or humanitie
the same or of the want of Gods holy assistance to that effect if we would with humilitie accept thereof Thys Esay made plaine when hee prophecied of thys perspicuitie that is of thys most excellent priuiledge in Christian Religion so many hundred yeeres before Christ was borne For after that in diuers Chapters hee had declared the glorious comming of Christ in signes miracles as also the multitude of Gentiles that shoulde embrace hys doctrine together with the ioy and exultation of theyr conuersion hee fore-sheweth presently the wonderful prouidence of God also in prouiding for Christians so manifest a way of direction for theyr faith religion as the most simple and vnlearned man in the world should not be able but of wylfulnes to goe astray therein His wordes are these directed to the Gentiles Take comforte and feare not Behold your God shall come and saue you Then shall the eyes of the blinde be opened and the eares of the deafe shall be restored c. And there shall be a pathe and a waie which shall be called The holie waie and it shall be vnto you so direct a way as fooles shall not be able to erre therein By which wordes wee see that among other rare benefits that Christes people were to receiue by hys comming thys should be one and not the least that after hys holie doctrine once published and receiued it shoulde not be easie for the weakest in capacitie or learning that might bee whom Esay heere noteth by the name of fooles to runne awry in matters of their beleefe so plaine cleere and euident shoulde the way for tryall thereof be made God hath opened himselfe vnto vs in the holie Scriptures the wrytings and doctrine of Moses and the Prophets of Christ and hys Apostles wherin is contayned whatsoeuer is necessarie for our saluation For although the inuisible thinges of God that is hys power and God-heade may be seene by the workmanship and creation of the world wherin as in a booke written with the hand of God and layde open to the eyes of men the glorie of GOD and hys mightie power appeareth Yet because eyther we reade not thys Booke at all or if wee doe wee reade it careleslie therefore it was necessarie that the Lord God should adde another Booke more plaine and easie to be read so as he may run that readeth it and this is as hath been said his holie wyll reuealed vnto vs in his wrytten word Which Saint Augustine therefore verie well calleth the Letters or Epistle of God sent vnto vs from our heauenly Countrey to teach vs to liue godlie and righteouslie whilst wee soiurne heere in thys present worlde Thys is that Lanthorne wherby our feete may be directed and that light wherby our pathes may be guided vnto Christ it is that most certaine infallible rule and leuell of all our actions wherby both our faith lyfe are to be squared and framed Yea it is that holy and vndefiled way and with all that plaine and easie way denoted by Esay which euen in the very entraunce thereof gyueth light vnderstanding as Dauid speaketh vnto the simple And although wee must confesse wyth S. Peter that there are some thinges in the Scripture harde to be vnderstoode yet wee may also say wyth the same Peter that they are harde to those that are vnlearned and vnstable which peruert and wrest them to theyr owne destruction So that if the Gospell of Christ be yet hid it is hid in them that perrish whose sences sathan hath closed that the light thereof should not shine vnto them And heere-hence is it that the Apostle Saint Paul pronounceth so peremptorilie of a contentious and hereticall man that he is damned by the testimonie of his owne iudgment or conscience for that hee hath abandoned this common direct and publique way which all men might see hath deuised particuler paths and turnings to him selfe And heere-hence is it that the auncient Fathers of Christes primatiue Church dysputing against the same kind of people defended alwaies that theyr errour was of malice and wilfull blindnesse and not of ignoraunce applying these words of prophecie vnto them They that sawe mee ran out from mee Thus then it appeareth that the plaine and direct way mentioned by Esay wherein no simple or ignoraunt man can erre is the doctrine taught by the mouth of our Sauiour Christ and hys Apostles which howsoeuer it seeme to be obscure and darksome to men of peruerse mindes that are not exercised in it yet to the godlie and studious readers and hearers that haue theyr eyes opened and theyr mindes lightened to see the trueth it is most plaine and easie to be vnderstood And thys is the cause that those holie and sage Apostles of Christ for the better preuenting of all bye-waies crooked paths and blinde lanes of errours that afterwardes might aryse as by reuelation from Iesus they vnderstoode there should doe manie so earnestly exhorted and so vehementlie called vpon the people to stand fast in the documents then receiued to holde firmelie the fayth and doctrine alreadie deliuered as a Depositum and treasure committed to be safelie kept vntill the last daie And aboue all other things they most diligently fore-warned them to beware of newe-fangled Teachers whom they called Heretiques who should breake from the vnitie of that bodie whereof Christ is the head and shoulde deuise newe glosses expositions and interpretations of Scripture bring in newe senses doctrines opinions and diuisions to the renting of Gods Church and Cittie nowe builded to the perdition of infinit soules The Apostle S. Paule euen whylst hee liued founde some of his Schollers to be remoued by new-fangled Teachers to another Gospell and the better to make them see theyr errour hee appealeth to the Gospell which he had taught them The Gospell he preached was not after man neyther receiued he it of man but by reuelation from Iesus Christ. He brought them no fancies visions dreames interpretations of scripture hatched in hys owne braine but the pure sincere doctrine receiued by reuelation from God himselfe and faithfully deliuered vnto them without hacke or mayme as hee receiued it Therefore Saint Ierome vpon that place considering howe all Heretiques haue iugled wyth the Scriptures from time to tyme sayth That Marcion and Basilides and other Heretiques the contagious botches plague sores of the Church haue not the Gospell of God because they haue not the spirit of God without which that which is taught groweth to be mans Gospell Thys maketh that learned Father to resolue vpon the matter that it is a dangerous thing peruersly to expound the holy Scriptures for by thys meanes that is by wrong and peruerse interpretation that which is Gods gospell is made mans Gospell et quod peius est and that which is worse saith this holy Father it is made the deuils Gospell
thousand times repent a thousand times vnfainedly This is the only oyntment that may be poured into an afflicted conscience the torment whereof I doe well knowe For the deuill standeth by whetting his sword of desperation saying vnto thee Thou hast liued wickedly all thy youth and thy former daies thou hast mispent thou hast hanted playes spectacles with thy cōpanions and followed after loose and lasciuious women thou hast taken other mens goods frō them wrongfully thou hast been couetous dissolute effeminate thou hast forsworne thy selfe thou hast blasphemed and committed many other hainous wicked crimes and therefore what hope canst thou haue of saluation Truely none at all Thou art a meere cast-away and canst not nowe goe backe and therfore my counsaile is that now thou vse the pleasures and commodities of thys worlde and passe ouer thy time in myrth of hart without cogitation of other affaires These are the words of the deuil louing brother these are the counsailes and perswasions of our enemie But mine are contrary If thou haue fallen thou maiest rise againe If thou haue beene a lost cōpanion yet thou maist be saued If thou haue committed fornication and adulterie in time past thou maist be continent for the time to come If thou haue haunted playes and games thou maist draw back thy foote from henceforth If thou haue delighted in leud and euil company thou maist hereafter acquaint thy selfe with good Thys only is necessarie that thou beginne thy conuersion out of hand and that thou repent and take in hande to reforme thy selfe though it be at the first but a little Let thyne eyes begin but to shed forth one teare enter into thy conscience consider thy selfe but indifferently examine thyne actions and what they deserue lay before thy face the day of iudgment with the torments of hell on the one side and the ioyes of heauen on the other Repent confesse amende thy life seeke a medicine for thy wounde out of hande while thou art in thys lyfe in what state or condition soeuer thou be Yea if thou be vpon thy death-bed and readie to breath out thy soule spirit feare not to repent for that Gods mercie is not restrained by the shortnes of time Which I speake vnto you my deere brethren not to make you hereby the more negligent but onely to styrre you vp to the confidence of Gods mercie and thereby to auoid the most daungerous gulfe of desperation Hetherto are the wordes of thys holy and learned Father In which long and large dyscourse of his we are to note that together with most excellent encouragement which hee giueth to all sinners of what state and condition soeuer they be in all times and seasons to trust in Gods mercie and neuer to despaire he giueth also an holesome admonishment that we shoulde not by thys confidence become more negligent in reforming our liues but rather doe it out of hande without all delay or procrastination Whereunto in like manner the holy father S. Augustine in like exhortation against despaire dooth endeuour most vehemently to stirre vs vppe in these words Let no man after a hundred sins nor after a thousande despaire of Gods mercie but yet so let him not despaire as hee seeke presently without all stay to reconcile hymself to God by amendment of life least perhaps after that by custome he hath gotten a habite of sinne he be not able to deliuer him selfe from the snares of the deuill albeit hee woulde And in the very same sermon he discourseth yet further of the same matter in manner folowing Not euery man that hath sinned but he that perseuereth in sinne is hatefull and abhominable in the sight of GOD. For that no man must distrust of Gods mercie towards hym that wyl amende and leaue his sinnes For that God himselfe as a most sweete comforter hath sayd by his Prophet That the impietie of a wicked man shal not hurt him at what time soeuer he shall turne from the sam◠But yet this great mercy of the Lorde is then onely profitable vnto vs if we delay not our conuersion nor doe multiply sinnes vpon sins Which I wil declare vnto you by the example of woundes ruptures of our body by which the infirmities also of our minde and soule may be conceiued Thus then we see if a mans foote leg or arme be broken with howe great paine the fame is restored to his accustomed strength But if any member of our body shoulde be broken twise or three times or more often in one and the selfe same place your charity can imagine howe harde a thing it were for that part to recouer her perfit health againe So fareth it deere brethren in the woundes and ruptures of our soul. If a man doe commit sin once or twise doe vnfainedly with out dissimulatiō make his refuge to the medicine of repentance hee doth out of hande obtaine health again that somtimes without any skar or blemish of the disease past But if he begin to adde sins vpon sins in such sort that the woundes of his soule doe rather putrifie within him by couering and defending them then heale by repentance confession it is to be feared leaste that heuie speech of the Apostle be fulfilled in him to whom he sayth Doost thou not know that the benignitie of God is vsed to bring thee to repentaunce but thou by thy obdurate and irrepentant hart dost heape to thy self wrath in the day of vengeance and of the reuelation of Gods iust iudgement Thus farre S. Augustine But now deere christian brother what can be spoken more effectuallie either to erect vs to hope cōfidence in Gods mercie or to terrifie vs from presumption in delaying our amendment then here hath been vttered by these noble pyllers and fathers of Christes Church and most excellent instruments and temples of his holy spirit The diuine wisedome of almightie God in a certaine place saith That the wordes of wyse men ought to be spurs vnto vs and as it were nailes dryuen into the depth of our hearts meaning thereby that wee should be styrred vppe and most vehementlie mooued when we heare such wise men as the holie Ghost there meaneth which in deed are only they that haue the knowledge and true feare of GOD make such exhortations vnto vs and gyue vs such holesome admonishments as these godly Fathers in this great affaire haue done And howe is it then deere brother that we are nothing stirred vp therby nothing quickned nothing awaked Well I will conclude thys whole Chapter and treatise wyth an other exhortation and admonishion of S. Augustine for that besides the graue authoritie of the man which ought to mooue vs much I thinke nothing can be spoken more excellently or more agreeing to our peculier purpose Thus then he saith Almightie God doth neuer despise the repentaunce of any man if it be offered vnto him sincerely and simplie