I am the Way the Truth and the Life Whom shall we beleeue of the Way but the way it selfe whom of the Truth but the truth Whom of Life but the life What then haue you done O deepe deceiuers and seducers which haue sought by all the Art and cunning of the Diuell to bring men out of this way to stop the road-way the high way to the kingdome of Heauen and to round and circle vs about by merits by freewill by traditions by reliques by Purgatory by faith implicite by questions of prayers for the dead Which for beleefe in GOD bring men to Romanam Catholicam for faith in Iesus Christ to Papa non potest errare the Pope cannot goe out of the way When Ennius sought his friend at his house and asked his seruant where his Master was the Master said to his seruant Tell him I am not at home which speech Ennius ouer-heard but tooke the answere from the seruant Next day the same man comes to Ennius his house and asked his seruant where his Master was Ennius spake aloud tell him I am not home What saith he will you deny your selfe with your owne tongue Why not said Ennius I beleeued when but your man tolde me you were not at home and will not you beleeue mee which say so my selfe The Ministers and seruants of Christ should shew Christ to all that seeke him but if there be any such as that seruant which denied his Masters presence when hee knew where hee was yet Christ is not like Ennius hee cannot denie himselfe Behold to those wicked trayterous Iewes when they sought him Whom seeke you Iesus of Nazareth I am he and will he denie himselfe to his friends This then is all wee require of you Beleeue Christ of Christ. When Zaccheus was too little and could not see Iesus he climed vp a tree but that wee may see him Christ hath climed the tree of the Crosse himselfe and there was lifted vp to draw vs to him If this be not enough hee hath mounted vp aboue the highest heauens to the right hand of the most high and mighty God Far aboue Angels and thrones and powers and principalities and euery name that is named Why then permute this one knowledge and faith in him for all knowledge all doubts all disputes all wisedome of men for heare what he saith this is eternall life to beleeue c. Thus wee are made to vnderstand not onely that the Scriptures are sufficient to saluation but that the Scriptures abound and more then abound to instruct our vnderstanding We reduce all the precepts of the law and whatsoeuer is else written in the Prophets to loue and all our knowledge is comprehended and endeth in the knowledge of Christ. This is the knowledge of the treasure so the Apostle saith of the knowledge of Christ In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge This is knowledge to the full For in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily But he is full wee are empty no hee is our fulnesse Of his fulnesse we haue all receiued grace for grace For as loue is the fulnesse of the law so faith in Christ is the fulnesse of the heart That Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith that you being rooted and grounded in loue may be able to comprehend with all the Saints what is the breadth length depth and height and to know the loue of Christ which passeth knowledge that you may be filled with all fulnesse of God See what perfect Schollers the faith of Christ makes vs the head is the bodies fulnesse Christ is our head by whom wee holde by faith and we are his body and as S. Paul saith That God the Father of glory reade from the seauenteenth verse to the last hath appointed Christ ouer all things to be head of the Church which is his body euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all See how Christ is our fulnesse and how he counteth vs his fulnesse for the head cannot haue his fulnesse without the body Grow we vp in this head receiue we from him the fulnesse of the body till we meet altogether in the vnity of faith and knowledge of him For this faith as I haue shewed was sufficient for the thiefe to be assured to be in Paradise and to omit the rest for all the Martyrs in the primitiue Church to be euerlastingly with all honour recorded For there was neuer any piece of story nor point or pricke of letter recorded that euer yet was seene or to be found that any of those Martyrs in the primitiue Church shed their blood for any of those points or articles which are controuerted betweene vs and the Church of Rome either for Purgatory or Prayers for the dead or any other Sacraments or for infallibility of errour in the Pope or traditions or merits or free will or transubstantiation or whatsoeuer is disputed betweene vs but onely for this eternall life the confession of the Diuinitie and humanity of Iesus Christ. And to this Pope Leo bringeth testimonie in his sixe and twentith Epistle to Theodosius Augustus which liued neere about the fiue hundreth yeere after Christ his words are these Prae â—…culis hâ—… et tota acie mentis aspicite 〈◊〉 Petri gloriâ—… et commâ—… cum ipso oâ—…ium Apostolorum coronaâ—… câ—…ctorumque maâ—…tyum palmas quâ—…bus alia non fuit â—…ausa patiendi nisi confessio verae diuinitatis et humanitatis in Christo. Haue before your eyes and consider with all the sight of your minde the glory of blessed Peter and the crownes of all the Apostles and the palmes of all the Martyrs which had no other cause of suffering but the confession of the true Diuinitie and humanity in Christ. Happy were you O blessed Martyrs to whom it sufficed both for temporall death and life and glory eternall to confesse Iesus Christ to be the Sonne of the true and liuing GOD you had no torment but of your body you kept your faith vndaunted and vnshaken and so yeelded your blessed spirits to GOD. It is not allowed for sufficient for vs to beleeue in God to confesse Iesus Christ and to cleaue to him is to vs imputed for heresie wee are counted separated from the body because we hold by the head and traps and snares are laid for vs in the word and Sacraments in our faith in iustification Wee are tortured with wrests and wrenches of disputations we are martyred in our mindes and consciences and may iusâ—…ly complaine that of the Apostle For this are wee reiected and persecuted because wee trust in the liuing God For this being Christians wee are persecuted by Christians If all the tyrants in the world did seeke our bloud we would kisse death being of the Church our owne fellowes kill vs and hauing suffered the same things for the same cause in which the first holy Martyrs suffered we are
and the hardnesse of their hearts And lastly Moses calling to heart that wonderfull vouchsafing of the Diuine majesty first in looking vpon a people which were afflicted with so cruell bondage but especially in looking on him which was afflicted by the afflicted in a lower degree of misery than bondage to make him their Leader to make him Pharaohs God to furnish him with all helpes to grace him with the familiarity of his owne presence how gladly shall hee consecrate all his power and strength to this seruice to Gods businesse with care with resolution with all his heart But we must obserue that albe it be heere written God called him yet in the second Verse we finde the Angell of the Lord appeared to him If we desire to know who this Angell should be which in the sixt Chapter verse 3. calleth himselfe by the name of Iehouah and taketh to him the glory of the eternall Godhead wee may safely with the Fathers take him for the eternall Sonne of God in regard of his person of a Mediator Which person albeit he did after take vpon him when in the fulnesse of time hee tooke our flesh yet he bore the figure and image thereof from the beginning And to this purpose Saint Paul calleth him the a Leader of the people in the desart For albeit he were not yet come yet might his Predestination to that office be of that force that hee might make himselfe knowne to the Fathers vnder no other habite For all the communication they had with God was by no other meanes than of the Messiah which was promised which although he were the eternall Word that is God himselfe yet might he in respect of his future Office and Embassie borrow the name of an Angell And farther be it that the eternall Sonne of God did appeare to Moses yet could not this hinder any thing that hee appeared by an Angell more then that when God appeared to Abraham in the likenesse of three Angels for that there also the Angels speake in the person of God at the time appoynted I will returne vnto thee according to the time of life It is no extraordinary thing for the Prophets themselues which beare Gods message doe sometimes take vpon them Gods person and speake as God speaketh as Elisha second of Kings Ch 6. vers 16. which vseth the same words and Eliah the first of Kings Ch. 21. 20. Onely this may suffice to be gathered from this place that whatsoeuer God speaketh by his Angels is of as much certayntie as if Gods owne mouth had spoken it I if he leaue Angels and chuse Shepheards and Fishermen to doe his message the authority is no lesse then if it had beene thundred from Heauen or vttered by an hoast of Angels or written in the Heauens or spoken from Heauen by the mouth of the Sonne of God from the right hand of God for although the Angels of Gods Church heere on earth be by no meanes to be compared with those blessed mindes for excellency of substance or immortality or purenesse from sinne yet are they not inferiour to them in respect of their message if they be not aboue them in regard of their office which is greater then to sit vpon the Spheares of Heauen and to bring the Sunne to his daily course to vphold the earth to dispose seasons and times to inflict famines and pestilence for to them only is committed the dispensation of the word of Life the power of the keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen the Administration of the Sacraments they wash you with liuing water in Baptisme In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost they reach you the flesh and bloud of Christ in the Lords Supper they lift you vp to Heauen by preaching of that powerfull word the least iot and title whereof shall not passe when heauen and earth are passed away and for this cause although an Angell appeared to Cornelius he went no farther then to messenger him to Saint Peter which should tell him what he should doe I when CHRIST himself appeared to Saul and spake to him from Heauen yet he gaue to Ananias this honour that he should be the instrument of his conuersion and of his receiuing the holy Ghost Let no man then now looke to be called out of a bush burning with fire or by a voyce from heauen sithence God doth as vndoubtedly call vs daily out of the mouthes of his Ministers and Preachers and speake by them as familiarly as he did by Moses and if they be Ministers to you of Grace and Life and the riches and glory of the Kingdome of heauen let it not grieue you with good consciences to be Ministers to them of the perishing things of this world neyther despise you them because they are men and sinners as you are for God which deputed them did it not for want of Angels but in calling them he preferreth your nature Hee knowes their vnworthines better then you yet he honoureth them Doe you dishonour them whom God honoureth What then doe you blaspheme the good of your brethren for which you are to giue God thanks I and some there are which load them with disgracefull termes and rayling words such as the Angell sustayned not to giue to the Diuell himselfe The spirit himselfe calleth that blinde and carelesse Minister the Angell of his Church Doe we esteeme them whom the mouth of God calleth Angels as the basest of all men Are you wiser then the holy Ghost or can you constitute a better forme of gouernment in Gods Church then God himselfe hath ordayned Doubtlesse none can set little by the Ministers of Christ but they which haue hated him first Wee cannot reach at his Heauens we cannot touch his Sunne nor Starres nor disorder the least of his workes heere on earth and yet we oppose our selues to that to which God hath giuen a farre more excellent being namely the word of truth the image of his glory the sword of of his Iustice the Scepter of his Kingdome Our second circumstance followeth The Place general out of which Moses is called the Desart c. The Prophet shewing that no man can flie from the presence of God neyther by ascending into Heauen or lying in Hell or dwelling in the Sea c. As hee proueth that if we doe wickedly we lye open alwayes to the vengeance wrath of God so he enforceth that if we doe well nothing can take our reward from vs. What maruell if then God search the Wildernesse for his seruant Moses doth he not vse to search for his seruants the dennes of Lyons and fiery Ouens and the bottome of the Sea and the bottome of the graue For as he reioyceth to bring hidden wickednesse to open punishment so he more delighteth to bring secret godlinesse to open light and glory Although then Moses thou be
parts as he passed by What then Didst thou see any vnrighteousnes in the Lord VVas there any weaknesse in his arme any crookednesse in his path VVas hee like the sonnes of men whose breath is in their nostrills Thou hast seene Moses his backer parts blessed are they which shall see his face Blessed are they which when the face of the Lord shall be reuealed shall not seek the hills to couer them or the clefts of the rockes to hide them Blessed are they whose rocke is the Lord 2 Sam. 22. 1. whose mercy is to them as the hills on euery side Psal. 125. 2. Blessed are the pure in heart which shall see God strange and mercifull and gracious slow to anger and not making the wicked innocent reseruing mercy for thousands for giuing iniquitie and transgressions visiting the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children and vpon the childrens children vnto the third and fourth generation Let vs come to our seauenth part Put off thy shooes from thy feets By these words God doth stirre him vp and prouoke him to further Deuotion and Reuerence This ceremony of standing bare-foote before GOD is like our kneeling and vncouering in the Church And of all ceremonies this is the end that Gods trembled Majesty may haue a more effectuall working in vs. Moses had shewed a reasonable readinesse to his calling before Here am I he hath yet need to be more stirred vp And if the most noble Prophet of God had need of such preparation no maruell if God doe stirre vp our dulnesse by diuers like meanes when his high worship is required for that which is in some the effect of godlines to others a cause of godlinesse In them which are more perfect reuerence descendeth from their inward worship of God by which the weaker ascend to the inward worship And godly ceremonies are in some tokens of duety to others lessons of duety Afflictions and sorrow come from Repentance by which God doth bring many to repentance Thus we see Ceremonies haue their necessary vses Neyther doe we by lawfull vsing them tie Religion to outward things but rather leade our selues to the inward worship Although wee liue in that age where all markes of outward duety are contemned I would not so much mislike if the inward seruice were not also neglected Wee count it now as profane I will not say to fast or afflict our selues or wearesacke-cloth but to decke and beautifie our Temples VVe say wee must worship GOD in Spirit as if they did not which poured forth infinite treasures in building Churches and beautifying them and which praised God with the Harpe and all instruments of Musicke I say that where the heart is set to serue God it rejoyceth to moue the hands and feete and all the outward parts to doe the same And if we had more outward behauiours of Religion and Deuotion than we vse they might well become vs. But this is little It is a dangerous thing now to praise good workes as if Faith were Faith without them Non sunt parua sine quibus magna constare non possunt S. Augustine saith These are not small things without which greater things cannot consist If a man goe towards the Sunne his shadow will goe before him but if hee goe from the Sunne yet his shadow will follow him What then if our Aduersaries which haue departed from the Sonne of Righteousnesse Iesus Christ haue set before themselues the shadow of Signes and Ceremonies Doth this forbid vs which turne to the Sonne of God in sincerity and purenesse of worship to haue it follow vs The Church of the Ievves had Shadowes and Signes without the Truth For the truth was vailed and couered to them vnder these All things were to them vnder Shadowes The Church of Christ vnder the Gospell hath the Truth with Signes The Church Triumphant in Heauen hath the Truth without Signes So the Church of Christ heere on Earth is middle betweene both participating of the Iewish Church in signes and of the Church in Heauen in the Truth Dionis Areopagita de Eccles. Hierarch lib. 1. cap. 5. part 1. And thus we are come to our last part For the place where thou standest is holy ground If we make this the reason of that first come not neare we haue a sufficient warrant to manifest our dutie to God in all places for God filleth all places with his presence Whither shall I goe from thy presence Coelum terram ego impleo I fill Heauen and Earth saith the Lord. In respect of our weaknesse he seemeth to be lesse present to some place but as he is in himselfe he is a like present in all We haue a more awfull regard of God where he sheweth more signes of his excellence but he worketh infinitely aboue our vnderstanding euen there where he sheweth no signe at all But let vs rather construe this of the holinesse of the ground for a reason of that which went next before why he must put off his shoes from his feete We haue this doctrine hence First the holinesse of the place doth witnesse Gods presence secondly it moueth vs to inward reuerence and feare thirdly it telleth vs what we ought to be Shall the place be holy when wee are prophane Where we must not tread amisse must we thinke amisse where Moses must not weare shoes on his feete shall he carry wickednesse in his heart Regard we what men see and despise we the eyes of God for God requireth truth of the inward parts yet so that he refuseth not the worship of the outward parts which if he would euer haue refused he would haue done so heere for God saw Moses heart and none were present but God and Moses heere was no congregation assembled none that might learne by outward ceremony or behauiour and yet God which is a Spirit and worshipped in spirit saith Moses put off thy shoes from thy feete for the place where thou standest is holy ground If Moses stood before God in holy ground where God appeared to him in a bush burning with fire how holy must our standings be before him which haue him not within kenning onely or at a gaze or where wee are forbidden to come but in the middest of vs If Mount Sinai were sanctified for a temporall residence what shall wee thinke of these Mountaines our Temples dedicated to his glory and worship to which hee hath promised a presence for euer If God did discend to the low Bramble-bush and sanctifie it doe you thinke he will abandon his Temples where we daily come together in his name If God haue any place holy vnder Heauen this is that place This place we exempt from all other vses and consecrate to God Heere we meete to acknowledge his diuine presence so often as we come together in his name and we testifie the same by our most solemne and royall assemblies For if wee consider
our selues as grafted in Christ and members of one bodie heere we come as sheepe into ourspirituall fold all linked and combined in the same prayers with one heart and voyce praysing and lauding the name of God And if we consider our communion with the Saints and Angels of God and the Church triumphant which is in Heauen heere we ioyne and meete to glorifie the same God in earth which the Angels doe in Heauen which diuine and celestiall company how can we better represent then in this spirituall randiuouze singing Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath Heauen and earth are full of the maiesty of thy glory c. Thirdly if the zeale of our profession moue heere we professe and testifie the name of God the right worship and the truth of our calling against Turkes Iewes Infidels Sects Aduersaries Men Diuels and all the enemies of Gods truth sounding and ringing out our zeale for the prayse and glory of God that all the world may heere it And lastly if the loue of our Lord Iesus Christ compell vs heere wee assembled are so oft assured of his presence as we come together in his name and when all other places are subiect to abuse our high wayes and fields to riflings and robberies our Markets and Streets to quarrellings to deceiuings our common meetings to wrongfull and fraudulent dealings our Courts to strife and janglings whereas disorders are seene daily in our houses and our secret Chambers can tell of our vncleannesse the reuerence of this place confoundeth lewd sinners and keepeth it at least from all open prophanation and abuse But where is our zeale if it be not in our Temples nay if it be against them Had God holinesse which he might bestow vpon this place and is he so bare of it that now he hath none left Did hee spend all vpon mount Sinai and hath he neuer a blessing left for our Herebs Yes some of that was bestowed vpon Salomons Temple wherefore CHRIST was euen eaten vp with the zeale of that house Which howsoeuer it were shortly to be prophaned and made desolate yet was it holy to Christ as long as it stood But our deuotions are gone out of Gods house to our owne houses we decke and beautifie them because we loue our selues as we would Gods house if we loued God God hath long agoe complayned of this Is it time to build to your selues seeled houses and let my house lie wasle Which being so no maruell that the same vilenesse and contempt which we haue suffered to fall vpon our Churches and Church orders is now fallen vpon our selues I speake not this to grace ceremonies or outward behauiours of Religion otherwise then shadowes to that body shadowes they are to the body of Religion but such as well become the body Onely this I protest if holinesse be gone out of the toes and feete of our Church yet let vs keepe it in the heart still And if wee haue forgotten the place in which we stand let vs not forget the person before whom we stand which is God the Lord the high owner of Heauen Earth which is neere to vs how euer we are farre from him which doth enspire with his spirit not onely the head and honourable parts but the toes and the feete to whom the heart is due and the spirit and all our strength But of how many of vs doth he not receiue the calues of our lips This most high great God sanctifie vs all in our seueral standings before him and grant vs all holy toes holy feete holy knees holy hands holy lippes holy hearts to the glory and prayse of his name in Christ our Lord Now to God the Father Almightie with God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost three persons and one God be rendred all honour prayse power dominion and glory now and for euer So be it Amon. CHRISTIAN PATIENCE The fift Sermon MATTH 5. Vers. 38. 39. 40. 41. 38 You haue heard that it hath beene said an Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth 39 But I say vnto you resist not euill But whosoeuer shall smite thee on thy right cheeke turne to him the other also 40 And if a man will sue thee at the Law and take away thy Coate let him haue thy Cloake also 41 And whosoeuer will compell thee to goe a mile goe with him twaine WHen Moses sent Spies into the Land of Canaan to search the Land and the goodnesse thereof and to bring of the fruit when the Messengers made report that it was a fruitfull Land and flowing with Milke and Honey and represented the fruit thereof which they brought the people were all without doubt moued with a wonderous desire to make forth and possesse that Land but when some of them reported that there were Giants in the Land and that there seemed no possibibility of entrie but by warre and bloud shed see how quickly they were turned VVould God we had died in the land of Aegipt or in this Wildernesse would God we were dead The Preachers of Gods word which are sent of God as Spies to search and inquire into holy Scripture what good things God hath laid vp in the Kingdome of Heauen for those which trust in him when they certifie you that the eye hath not seene nor the eare heard and that the good things which God hath prepared for those that loue him haue not entred into the heart of man who burneth not with desire to enter into the Kingdome of heauen and to be partaker of euerlasting blisse with the Saints in light But when we tell you of losse and hazard of suffering blowes on the cheekes of wrestling of fighting with the Giants of this world and suffering all things to the effusion of bloud for the Kingdome of heauen what a world of menturne backe and start aside Wee bring you to this Scripture as to the waters of strife A maruaile to see the people which all escaped drowing in the Sea were almost all drowned in a little lake There is this difference betweene vs and the murmuring Israelites they said we will goe backe into Aegipt we goe backe but say notso The words of Christ will trie who are his he that taketh not vp his Crosse and followeth Christ is not worthy of him We should beare our Crosse I would we could be contented that our Crosse might beare vs. Euery true Disciple of CHRIST is crucified with CHRIST his hands are nayled he cannot strike his feete are nayled he cannot pursue reuenge he is also fast bound and tied that hee can moue no ber of his body to resist euill If wee mistake not our profession our honor is to be reuiled our gaine our treasure to forsake all our fighting to flie from place to place our glory in our wounds our victory in death What then if all our manners and liues and actions doe crosse this
Scripture if we which should take the blows do rather giue them if we which should be so fast tied that we should moue neither hand nor foot are more swift in pursuit of reuenge then the Eagle in following after her pray if not in priuate meetings onely or in streets market-places fields sportings feastings c. but at Sessions Assises highest Courts before iust Iudges in the eye of Iustice in the face of reuerend and lawfull authority we haue done all wee can to the disgrace of this Word must the Preacher bring a condemning text as if he were a iudge also We dare not onely for the honour we owe to God but for the loue we beare to you For this we know we shall offend none but as in Moses his P case the person that doth the wrong This Scripture is not now with vs more violated then it hath beene with them of old mistaken and misconstrued for this cause we haue the more neede to search it to the very ground which we shall first doe by circumstances of the text it selfe then by collation of it with other parts of the Scripture Origen about the end of his eight booke against Celsus by mistaking this saying of CHRIST affirmeth that it is not lawfull for Christians to warre to beare office to exercise iudgement Iulian the Apostata because CHRIST forbiddeth to resist euill most falsely slandereth the Christians as enemies to Lawes and Officers and commonwealthes taking the sword from the Magistrate and arming euery priuate man to wrong and iniustice Valusianus otherwise an excellent man proposeth this doubt out of this place to Saint Augustine epistola quinta asking how this doctrine can stand with lawes and iustice which forbideth to resist euill There Saint Augustine answereth that in its selfe nature it is not euill to resist but hee which resisteth not doth better as hauing more perfection The Manichees did heerevpon reiect all the old Testament because it commaunded reuenge which the new forbiddeth to whom Saint Aug. lib. contra Faust. 22. cap. 76. saith that there is a dispensation of things and a distribution of times and in regard of these according to diuersities of times Precepts or Councels may be eyther abrogated or permitted Whence the Schoolemen haue their ground which affirme that Christ spake not this as a generall commandement for all to obey but a speciall counsell for some which are more perfect Hugo Cardinalis was of opinion that the commandement was temporall and for the Apostles onely which were to builde the Church in their bloud now if it were of force it would hurt the Church And lastly the Anabaptists out of their lewd construction of this place doe condemne all politique lawes and ciuill gouernment for which causes we must be more diligent in search of the right interpretation This place is taken from Exod. 21. 24. Leuit. 24. 5. Deut. 19. 21. Life for life eye for eye tooth for tooth hand for hand foote for foote There God setteth downe Legem talionis a law of like for like But this commandement charge is set downe to the Magistrate onely as in the nineteenth Chapter of Deuteronomy the seauenteenth verse the men which striue shall be brought before the Lord euen before the Priests and Iudges which shall be in those dayes and the Iudges c. shall doe to him euen as hee thought to doe to his Brother Aristotle setteth downe the justice of Rhadamanthus in this Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The rule of Iustice bids the wicked To suffer as they haue committed Now if wee vnderstand not these words out of the causes which they were spoken as Saint Hilary noteth it may seeme that Christ spake against this Law first saying You heard it said to them of old time And then I say to you But Christ said before Verse 17. Thinke not I am come to destroy the Law Neither doth the Gospell take away Authority from Rulers and Gouernours or meddle with politique or iudiciall Lawes as hee protesteth saying My Kingdome is not of this world And for an vndoubted Argument Saint Peter which heard this Sermon and receiuing the Holy Ghost had the sence of all Scriptures opned expresly sheweth that publique reuenge by the Magistrate is not by Gods word prohibited when he saith That Gouernours are sent of God for the punishment of such as doe euill And Saint Paul which receiued the vnderstanding of Scriptures by immediate gift of the Holy Ghost There is no power but of God whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God Verse 4. For he beareth not the Sword for nought for he is the minister of God So wee haue it most plaine that publique vengeance is not heere prohibited nor the temporall powers restrained Why then saith Christ resist not euill He frameth this interpretation not against the words of the Law but against the false Glosse of the Pharisies to purge it as it were of that wicked Leauen For this they taught because Gods word did not onely permit but command the Magistrate to render euill for euill therefore euery priuate man was allowed to doe the like and reuenge euery injury done to him so he exceeded not this Rule But see what the Pharisies brought on the people by corrupt teaching For their resisting the Magistrate gaue occasion to the vtter ruine of their state See Iosephus de bello Iudaico lib. 2. Cap. primo For an Eagle taken from the Porch of the Temple what slaughter Archelaus souldiers made of three thousand Iewes in a tumult And againe Lib. 2. Cap. 18. What vengeance Florus tooke of the people for the tumult they made about Birds sacrificed in the Synagogue Well then Christ giuing the Magistrate authoritie to priuate persons saith Resist not euill And heere we haue a notable Rule of distinction of Offices priuate and publique For what is lawfull for the Magistrate is not lawfull for a priuate man Wherefore the Apostle girding the Magistrate with the Sword to beate downe offendours in the twelft to the Romans Verse 10. to priuate men saith Auenge not yourselues And Verse 17. Recompence to no man euill for euill Secondly that it may appeare that Christ intendeth not the abolition of the Law of old or maketh any new but onely giueth the old her naturall and proper sence Moses himselfe when hee set downe to the Magistrate a law of Reuenge to priuate men saith Thou shalt not seeke Reuenge neyther shalt thou keepe in minde the iniury of thy people And Solomon doth in direct words crosse the words which the Magistrate hath enjoyned in priuate mens cases Say not I will doe to him as hee hath done to mee I will reward him according as hee hath deserued And in the third of the Threues the very forme of suffering is set downe He giueth his cheeke to him that smiteth him hee is filled with reproaches Thirdly for further clearing the sence wee must
infinite difference bewixt Gods teaching and mans teaching which driueth away our sinnes as the winde the mist which ouercommeth our ignorance as the light the darknesse which consumeth our euils as fire the wax and the Sunne melts the Snow which couereth our nakednesse as the Heauens couer the earth which createth our newnesse as he created heauen and earth of nothing See the Apostles being taught by the spirit which were idiots and simple men as was knowne to all men are not onely at the instance repleat with all heauenly knowledge themselues but are made the onely Doctors and Teachers of all the world beside And cannot that Son which made those silly fishermen the lights of the world by one whole infusion of faith lighten my closet and chamber I meane the secret corners of my heart Heare we what Saint Paul saith God that commanded the light to shine out of darknesse is he which hath shined in our hearts to giue the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. But you will obiect the Apostles had the gift of that knowledge by miracle and those gifts were extraordinary and now they cease euery man that will haue knowledge now must eyther learne of others or seeke it in his booke I deny not but that those gifts which are gratis data giuen freely and not gratum facientia as is the distinction of the Schoole-men not iustifying or making a man acceptable to God of which sort were the gifts of tongues and vnderstanding all Scriptures I say I doe not deny but they are ceased and were giuen onely to the Apostles and Ministers and some others by imposition of the Apostles hands in the primitiue Church for these are not giuen them which receiue them for their owne saluation but for the saluation of others and we haue the vse and collation and benefit of the same gifts being by their preaching brought to the knowledge of God but this I say the gift of faith which is giuen vs by which we are inwardly regenerate and know God though it be ordinary and shall be euer in Gods Church to the end of the world yet is it of higher power and greater miracle for regeneration of euery Soule that is grafted in Christ speaketh as much to the prayse of Gods power and glory as the creation of heauen and earth made of nothing and this is wrought in vs by which wee are made the sonnes of God in the same instant as was that knowledge extraordinary and by God immediately and by Gods free gift and in all that are saued alike absolutely necessary for all that are saued Lastly we can shew this by examples of them which beleeued Zaccheus a Publicane an Heathen man the first houre he beleeued heareth Christ say vnto him This day is Zaccheus a childe of Abraham The Thiefe is admitted to Paradise for one confession Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome Christ our Lord replyeth Verily verily I say vnto thee this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise The soule and bodie-sicke Woman in one houre goes away sound thy faith hath made thee whole The Eunuch in that houre that he beleeueth Iesus to be the sonne of God is baptised Three thousand are conuerted to Christ at one Sermon and that same day were added to the Church This ground of Scripture was there all to be beleeued No more did Saint Paul require of the Iaylour but this Beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and thine household This was eternall life this is eternall life this euer shall be eternall life to beleeue c. Thus we haue the way of life made compendious and playne and that â—…um necessarium that one thing which is necessary cleere and euident at the first opening of the Scriptures for as God hath so ordered for our bodily life that those things which make not for necessity but for lifes beauty onely and ornament are abstruse and hard to finde and stâ—…ut vp in the bowels of the eaâ—…th or hidden in clests of the Rockes or in the bottome of the Sea as Pearles and Gold and pretions stones because they are neyther necessary nor fit for all men but those things that are of lifes substance and are necessary for our being and sustenance are ready and offer themselues to euery mans hand as ayre and water and corne and fruits of the earth so many things with which the Spouse of Christ may be adorned and beautified he buried as it were in deepe and prefound sense of Scripture which yet many by continuall meditation and study doe dig forth like pearles and precious stones but that without which our soules life cannot haue her being or subsisting those things which are the very bread and drinke of our soules viz. to know the true God and Iesus Christ whom the father hath sent that I say is so plaine perspicuous and easie to finde in holy Scriptures that we cannot misse of eternall life vnlesse we will deny our selues to it What then was thy purpose O Sauiour Christ to set downe this one rule and ground for all to end all controuersies to stay all disputation to take away all doubts to cut off all schismes and factions to build vs sure vpon the rock to set the marke of all trueth high in the tower of the Scriptures to make plaine the way to Heauen When a way is vnknowne to a farre country where is much treasure many will seeke it some by climbing Mountaynes some will venter the Desart some will seeke passage by Sea some by Land and some by East and some be West but when discouery is made of a passage and the way is knowne being made playne and easie no man will seeke dangerous circuits and windings but passe by the knowne way For this way to eternall life was vnknowne to the world some climbed vp by the steepe of their owne workes some wandred in the desarts of mens doctrines some had blinde Phylosophers for their guides some seducing Southsayers some were led by the light of the creatures some sounded the deepe of mans reason Iesus Christ hath made this way straight and knowne and discouering the neerest cut or passage sayth this is it haec est to beleeue the Father of Christ the onely very God and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ. Now that we may not doubt let vs stand and inquire of the passengers let vs aske our Father Abraham this was his way as our Lord Iesus said Abraham desired to see my day and saw it Let vs aske the Prophets To him all the Prophets beare witnesse Let vs enquire of the law The Law was our Schoolemaster to Christ. Aske the Apostles all the blessed Martyrs this was the onely poynt they sealed with their bloud that Christ was God Aske our Lord Iesus I heare him say
accounted Dogs and Heretiques and Diuels Thou O Christ and the Gospell are the matter of our reproach and scorne for in thee onely we beleeue to thee onely wee cleaue and trust thee onely wee confesse Which when all the Saints haue done before how much more doth this now concerne vs in this darknesse of the ending world in this distraction of faith in this cruell warre and hostility of sides and parts Come hither beloued in Christ heere heere stand for this truth It is a small thing to die for Christ it is more hard and as much glorious to liue and confesse him Follow Christ if not in suffering death yet in the contempt and scorne of life if not in the bodies dying yet in the hearts suffering for these home enemies doe not onely seeke to take away your life as those Pagan persecuters and tyrants but that which is farre more deere and pretious your Faith But I will yet labour to set you surer vpon this foundation When Peter confessed this same confession Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God hee heard not onely to his owne comfort and priuiledge but for all others whosoeuer shall confesse the same confession foure things First Beat us tu Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Iona 2. Flesh and blood hath not reuealed this to thee thou art taught it of my Father God is thy teacher 3. He was called Cephas that is a Rock thou art a rocke for thy constantnesse in this confession 4 Vpon this rocke that is the rocke of my Diuinitie which thou hast confessed I will build my Church Was it then blessednesse to confesse Christ to be God was Peter called blessed for this and doth the blessing now cease Is not our blessednesse the same Yes whosoeuer thou art that beleeuest and confessest that Iesus is the Sonne of God beat us tu Blessed art thou Could Peter neuer haue attayned to this knowledge without the reuealing and teaching of God in heauen and we which vndoubtedly know beleeue the same haâ—… we or can we haue any other teacher Was Simon called a rocke for not being shaken in the faith of the Godhead of the man Christ and are wee counted stubble and chaffe for our sole and constant building vpon the same Is the rock it selfe this thou art Christ the Sonne of the louing God the very foundation vpon which the Church is built and are wee which plant all our hope and faith vpon the Diuinitie of Iesus Christ outlings from the Church of Christ I beseech you then consider with me the malice and subtilty of the diuell For when he saw the ground-worke and foundation laid on which all which shall be saued must be built for euer and that very same foundation planted to triâ—…ph ouer his hell and hell gates forth with attempted the ouerthrow of this foundation that none should confesse Iesus to be the Sonne of God And first by all the Kings of the earth by cruell tyrants by open and professed enemies persecuted this faith binding banishing imprisoning beating burning drowning killing torturing destroying all those which confessed that Iesus was Christ as I haue shewed before but when hee saw that this was not the way to batter the faith of Christ and that the Church the more it was shaken with persecution was built the firmer vpon this rocke and that the blood of the Martyrs was the seede of the Church for the more they were killed the more they encreased he sought another way for that which he could not effect by violence and hostility hee wrought by sleight and subtilty that which he could not compasse by open enemies which yelled and roared against the Church Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground that he plotted by Tatnayes and Sanballats which came to vs disguised vnder the profession of Christians saying Wee will build with you And so by sleight and shift of argument and wit of man it is held for the ground of all truth What that Peter was a rocke that we deny not but that he was the rocke this rocke vpon which Christ his Church is built And so wee haue for tu es Christus tu es Petrus But the Pope of Rome is Peters successour Ergo Christs Church is built vpon the Pope But the Church shall preuaile Ergo the Pope cannot erre But the Popes seat is Rome therefore Romana is Catholica But none shall be saued but they which are of the Church therefore this is eternall life to be of the Church of Rome Doe you not see how wee are disputed out of our saluation how wee haue lost our faith as it were at a tricke of fast and loose How cunningly the Diuell hath iugled away our foundation Doe you not see this blessed Scripture our Fortresse our Rocke our Castle our high Tower which was lifted vp and planted against hell and hell gates turned to fortifie for hell and hell gates Doe you not see how lightly we are parted from this one article the ground and summe of all truth which the blessed and glorious Apostles held deerer then their lifes blood And as if we had receiued no good at all by the knowledge of God and Christ we make onely earnest of faith and stand with vtmost contention and eagernesse whether Images be to be worshipped whether the dead be to be prayed for whether the Pope can dispense with Oathes c. Doe you not see how we are robbed of our euidence and turned out of our right Patrimonie of the Scriptures and so vtterly dispossest that our way is turned into a maze or wood and our truth into a lye and our life into death If then you haue not learned sufficiently the surenesse of this ground the deerenesse of this knowledge from the light of the Scriptures the words of Christ from the faith of the Prophets Apostles Martyrs Saints yet wee may sufficiently be perswaded from the cruelty malice and opposition and raging of the Diuell which from the beginning hath neuer ceased from seeking the vndermining batterie and ouerthrow of this truth I will now draw to my conclusion and come to ourselues which hauing quitted this article from the slaunders of our enemies haue not yet turned it for our owne best vse This is the faith which we haue receiued this is our ground this we professe in this we were baptized and yet hungry after knowledge as if wee had not beene sufficiently taught wee long for newes out of Scriptures we must haue the word more curiously carued some will haue this Preacher some that and this is fuller and this is sweeter and this is deeper and wee will haue I know not what Let mee be bold to say you heare Sermons as you heare Musicke for some delightfull straine or quirke of mens wit you itch in your eares and must haue them tickled daily with new pleasure your fashion is to iudge of the learning and sufficiencie of the Preacher which should be here humbled