notwythstanding with so great Warre that on the one syde he leuyed those Prisoners that were kept restrayned and on the other his vertue so weakened their infernall forces that they remeyned euer since vanquished It was then that they sawe and knew that their Hell whither they thought to haue reduced all mankinde was forced and dissolued And that sinne which they had introduced into the worlde and death that ensued it were deade and vanquished by the conquest of this newe and inuincible Prince That was it which the Apostle spake of that the sonne of God hath defaced and sacked the powers of Hell the worlde am putting them to publyke confusion and Triumphing ouer them in his proper person So that the enterprises of our Sauiour in this comparison represent vnto vs the forme and actions of a valiant Capteyne marching before men before Aungelles and before the face of the Father wyth a great troupe of enemies vanquished bounde and spoyled of their forces In the beginning of this Article wée touched that our Lorde made his discending by certeyne degrées yea euen to a Wonderfull embasement of himselfe and knowne onely to the diuine wisedome This embasement hath ben Prophecied vnder the signe of discending from Heauen vnto the the Bottomes of the Earth But now we say that of all those degrées by the which he discended and of al other things which in the wisedome of the world made him séeme so embased vanquished he caried a wonderfull victory which encreased alwais more more In the first degrée he was made man that was the true and eternall sonne of god This step and wonderfull humilitie albeit it is great yet he neuer abandoned his diuinitie no he could not loase it and much lesse diminishe it by it his humanitie was greatly exalted being by the same meane so connexed with the diuinitie that one selfe person was GOD and man ▪ if it were possible that God might gaine in any thing it might be sayd that he gained in this but hauing want of nothing he gaines not as a néedie man For he hath no necessitie of any thing and much lesse can there be added to his greatnesse But because the gaine of men is great in this receiuing a benefite which was neuer Communicated with Angelles for God neuer tooke aliance nor séede of Aungelles but chused the Linage of Abraham we say also that there was a gaine and profite to God béeing a true declaration of his riches and of his workes which are comformable to him together wyth a playne manifestation of his mercie This victorie against sinne and the deuill is truly worthie of the person of the Sonne of God Séeing that mankinde which was put to perdition by the suttletie of the Serpent is redéemed and redeliuered from the seruitude of the Deuill and restored to an estate of habilitie to be the Children of God by the meane of this sauiour The seconde degrée of this discending of the Lord was in that he was condemned publykly as a malefactor In this descending there is a great want and yet by it he recouered a wonderfull victorie For béeing our brother he deliuereth vs from the eternall condemnation so that all our libertie and absolution depende vppon his Condemnation he hath payde the debtes which he made not euen so those shall be discharged which ought them He was Condemned by the Sentence of men and wée absolued in the iudgement of God hauing deliuered vs from the cursse of the law which had condemned vs The thirde degrée was when he was iudged to the Death of the Crosse For by his death he brake the forces of Death dispoyling him of his weapons wherewyth he had made so great and vniuersall slaughters For which cause the Apostle demaundes of death where was his victorie and where were become the meanes by the which he determined so many men By the fourth steppe or degrée he was put into the Sepulcher but the better to comprehend the true sense of this passage it is méete we make some iudgment and construction of thinges The storye of the Gospell declareth that our Lorde being dead Joseph demaunded of Pylate to take his bodie from the crosse and burie it which Pylate suffered by the ordinance of god And hauing taken it from the crosse they wrapped it in a newe Linnen cloath and layde it in a Sepulcher where no man had yet lyen Lastly hauing embawmed him wyth the oyntmentes which Nicodemus brought they left the body in the graue roulling to the mouth therof a great stoan Mary Nagdalin and the other Mary considering well in their vnderstanding the sayd sepulcher All this serueth to two effectes the first is to render testimony of the truth of the death of Iesus Christ shewing also a great misterie comprehended vnder the graue but the Church comprehendes both the one and the other in one worde his Sepulcher and that he remayned there thrée dayes expresseth the truth of his death making by that meane his resurrection more euident In this Article the imbasement and humilitie of the sonne of God encreaseth more and more as also his spirite and victorie which he hath obteined for vs For it is sayd first of al that he suffered the condemnation of Pilate and was executed and so being dead his body was buried It séemes that all these bring encrease to the victory of the deuill the world and death But of the contrarie it is our victory that is enlarged For by how much nere doth approch and is manifested the death of our Lorde by so much more is at hand the end and ruine of our death Death is dead and vanquished in such sort that he hath no power agaynst vs and for such one we put him into the graue Esay hath Prophesied that the Lord should destroy death eternally and drye vp the teares of his people and take away the dishonor of the earth in which words may be discerned the full victory against death which hath no power to cōfoūd nor make sorowful the true Christian It is not sayd by this that we shall not die and not féele death which is naturall but by this is expounded that the pricks and sorrows of death are vanquished haue no authority against a Christian séeing that for the exchange of this temporall lyfe he goeth to the eternall life accompanied with the fayth that he hath had that Christ is his redemption his life In this is performed the Prophecie of Ose speaking in the name of the Lord Oh death J will be thy death the same agréeing with the Apostle who assureth vs that our death is vanquished by the passion of Iesus christ our sepulcher buried in his yea our death hath lost his forces which made him reigne ouer vs and our graue hath lost his power and possibilitie to reteine vs stil seing it cannot now any more hold vs in propertie or perpetuitie but as it were by deputation and for a time In
malice that thou takest no more shame of thy Sinnes then a common woman deuiding her body to straunge Fleshe yet if thou come afore me in Prayer and call me Father I will aunswere thée and acknowledge thée for my Sonne By this we haue to thinke that it was not to obteyne a small thing when he began his Prayer by this inuocation Father forgeue them yea he made offer of the same Phrase for the remission of his Enemies which he would haue done if he had prayed for the aduauncement of his best friendes But in recompence of this Wonderfull affection and Zeale that Nation replenished with malice Cryed out to Pylate to Crucifye him who refusing to committe his Innocencie to sentence and not fynding in him worthynesse of Death they cryed eftsoones Sanguis eius super nos et super Filios nostros Be not so scrupulus to Iudge an offendour saye they for if thou thinke thou doest an vniust thing let the Venggeance of his innocencie fal vpon vs and our Posteritie but from this petition Iesus Christe séemed to appeale for that as they Cryed that his bloud might be agaynst them so of the contrary he sought to make that Holy effusion profitable to them So that where they demaunded of Pylate their condemnation he Prayed to his Father for their Pardon For a man to doe no Euill to his Ennemie may very well happen to Pardon Ennemies belonges to the Office of CHRISTIANS to loue an Ennemie is the worke of a perfect man But to pardon him which would not obteyne pardon was neuer done by any but by Iesus Christ For when the Hebrewes cryed Sanguis eius super nos Christ lyft vp his voyce and zeale to his Father Pater ignosce illis There was no great distance betwéene the time of the petition of the Jewes and the Prayer of our Sauiour for as they cryed at the the third hower to haue him crucified and that the reueng of his bloud might light vpon them and theirs so at the ninth hower Christ prayed to his Father to forgeue them Oh Father sayth he let not the vengeance of my death redownd vpon them neyther stretch out thine Ire vpon this people that know not what they do for they are ignorant of the price of their demaunde and protestation that with such obstinate vehemencie they pursue to Pilate Much better then did the Apostle consider and féele this great miserie when he sayde Accessitis ad sanguinis aspersionem melius loquentem quam abell Oh wretched Hebrews and happie Oh we Christians who haue obteined pardon by the effusion of the bloud of the Sonne of God shed by your meane this spéech sure was farre otherwayes then the saying of Abell crying iustice iustice but our Sauiour sayd mercie mercie So that the iniquitie so generall and sinne so wicked as ours is had néede of such an aduocate as is Iesus Christ for who was so fitte to obtaine Pardon for our sinnes as he whose innocencie made him without sinne That God was wont to be called the God of vengeance and now is he named the Father of mercie IEsus Christ Langushing in torment and Martirdome vpon the Crosse expressed an other maner of Testament to the worlde then King Dauid who in the very passions of death charged Salomon his Sonne not to suffer the gray heares of Joab to come to the graue without bloud nor the liues of his subiects seruantes to end without reuēg yet they had not somuch as touched his garmēt to offend him where the Lord would not cease to purchase pardō euen for those by whose violēt hāds was wrought the effect of his death Deus vltionum dominus deus vltionum saith Dauid speaking of the iustice of god thou Lord art the god of reuenge since that from the instant that we commit the offence it is thou that thondrest punishment vpon vs yea thou art so called because of the feare that the world hath of thée that thou dealest with the generations of men in so great rigor with the auncients he was called the God of reuenge for the immediatly that Adam had transgressed he was chased out of the earthly paradise the regions of the earth by the vniuersalflud were drowned the two cities by his rigor subuerted the faction of Aron and Abiram consumed the idolators that offred worship to the calfe cōmitted to death the théefe of Hiericho stoaned and the host of Senacherib ouerthrowne yea without offring wrong to any he did iustice to all That god in those times was the god of vēgeāce appeareth in the actiō on the moūt Raphin whē the Hebrues demaūded of Moyses to geue them flesh to eate which tourned to their great domage for that they had scarcely begon to tast the flesh of the quailes falling in their host whē loe the indignation of the lord slew such multitudes of them that the scripture forbears to expresse the nomber The reuēge of the offence of the king Abimelech denying the Jsraelites to passe thorow his coūtries was it not executed thrée hūdreth years after the falt in the raign of Saule to whō god said I kepe remēbrāce of the smal regard which Abimelech gaue to my cōmaundements stopping the passage of my people thorow his realmes against whom looke that thou rise arreare thine armie cut in péeces all his people sparing neither man woman nor beast by which example with many others of equall continuance and equitie the men of the world may perceiue how déepe and vnsearchable are the iudgmentes of god who somtimes punish the ymediat offender oftentimes transferreth the correction vpon such onely as discende of their race So that he punisheth no man without desert and therfore not without mistery is he called by the Prophet the God of reuenge because that albeit he vseth to dissemble for sometime our transgessions committed against his maiestie yet they are not parpetually forgotten with him The same God that the Hebrues had and worshipped in those times doe the Christians hold at this day as true and soueraigne Lord of whom the Apostle yéeldes better testimonie to the Church then did Dauid to the sinagog For Dauid called him the God of vengeance and the Apostle honoureth him by the name of Father of mercie and consolation wherin as Dauid was not without some occasion to ascribe vnto him that surname title so the Apostle also had better reason to inuocate him in the phrase of mercifull father for that in that law of rigor feare God had a propertie to chastise people nations where in this law of grace he visiteth vs in affection mercy whereby hauing chaunged custome he hath also ioyned vnto him an other propertie of name title being now worthely called the father of mercy according to his many examples of mercie pitie expressed vpon many sinners as vpon S. Mthew in remitting his vseries vppō Mary Magdaline in pardoning her vanities vpō
requirs him he graunteth him not that he demaundes But thrise happie was this théefe who afore all thinges desired the Lorde to haue remembrance of him when he came into his kingdome wherby demaunding pardon and remission of his sinnes he obteined the kingdome of heauen more easelie then he thought for Abraham demaunded of God linage and there was giuen to him a sonne of whose race Christ discended according to the fleshe Jacob prayed for the redeliuerie of Beniamin which he saw accomplished Tobias beséeching God for the returne of his sonne from Niniuie imbrased him safely restored and richely maried Iudith praied to God to chase away Holofernes and his Campe from her towne of Bethulia he put the Enemie into her power Anna in great compassion desired issue and she brought forth Samuell the Prophet And loe this good théefe besought God to haue remembrance of him in the other worlde and the Lorde did not onely pardon him in this worlde but also glorifyed him in his eternall kingdome Right true and absolute is the testimonie of the Scripture speaking of the liberalitie of God Quod ipse dat omnibus affluenter God geues to al men in great aboundance which is contrarie to the manner of the Princes of the world who if they geue it is not in plentie and if they distribute in fulnesse they geue it to few But such is the bountie and blessed liberalitie of our Lorde that he refuseth not to geue that which is demaunded and much lesse geues in penurie that which is required of him Aperis tu manum tuam et imples omne animall benedictione All those in this worlde sayth the Prophete that geue anye thinge geue it cloase fisted as the saying is But the Lorde alwayes encreaseth in liberalitie wyth his handes open who as he is Pitifull to pardon so also in his rewardes and recompence he expresseth hyghe Liberalitye Here also is to be noted that this Théefe in his inuocation to Christ dyd not desire the LORDE to haue remembraunce of him to the ende he were not Crucifyed nor required him to be mindefull of him that he myght escape the Perilles of Death since it was he onely that gaue lyfe But he sayde onely Lorde forget me not when thou commest into thy Kyngedome For séeing thée on thy Knées afore Pilate sayth he and béeing asked whether thou were a Kynge and had Realmes I hearde thée Aunswere that thy Kyngedome was not of this Worlde Which béeing true I beséeche thée Oh swéete comfort of my Soule that when thou art in Possession of thy Kyngedome of rest thou wilt then haue remembraunce of me being the greatest Sinner in the Worlde This Théefe séeing GOD in presence hearing him speake in person and touching him wyth his handes and woulde not demaund of him other thinges then of the Worlde to come can not but put men in a maze and drawe euen Aungels to admiration From the houre that our Blessed Sauiour suffered his bloude to be dispearced vppon the Crosse there hath bene great effect and vertue of it in the Church whereof appeared right good Testimonye in the discourse and action of this Théefe whose lyfe and whole course of his behauiour hauing béene infected wyth wicked conuersation he demaunded presently to be made a neyghbour of the Hierachies and companion to our redéemer And hauing done no seruice to GOD he asked of him wyth full mouth the Kingdome of Heauen which he obteyned not so much through the merite of his inuocation and Prayers as by the meane and vertue of the bloud of Iesus Christ wherin there is no reason to doubt but as our Lorde was readye to yéelde vp the spirite and that the effusion of his bloud prepared to an ende so this good théefe saw the Heauens open together wyth the great glory layde vp for our sauiour by which occasion he cryed in sewertie of fayth Memento mei cum veneris in regnum tuum For otherwayes it had béene vaine for a Théefe to haue demaunded wyth such boldenesse the Kyngedome of infallible felicitye But whether the Maiestie and presence of Heauen were open to him or not there is no necessitye of reasoning Onely let vs ioyne our selues to his Fayth and opinion and wyth his Prayer let vs call vppon the Lorde to remember vs when he comes into his Kyngedome for there may we be sewer he will remember vs since in this world he will not recompence the seruices that we haue done to him and in the other he will laye vpon vs the offences we haue committed agaynst his Maiestye Let vs beséech him that if in recompence that we are Baptized if for the renoume name and tittle we beare of Christians if for that we are his Seruauntes and specially if because he hath redéemed vs it will please him to blesse vs wyth any rewarde let it not be bestowed vppon vs here on earth but when he shall be established in the estate and maiestie of his kyngedome For all such as he markes with recompence and rewarde in the Booke of this worlde it is a signe that he hath razed them out of the register of Heauen Jsaac was aduaunced more then Jsmaell Jacob preferred aboue Esau Juda fauoured more then Ruben Joseph raysed aboue his Bretherne and Nahabor aduaunced to the Vines of Samaria But let vs praye for no other aduauncement then Dum veueris in regnum tuum For out of thy house all honors all preferments all riches and dignities are contemnible For the ende of this discourse we haue to note that Christ pardoning this théefe sayde not Amen dico vobis but speaking singulerly he sayde Amen dico tibi Whereby as in the manner and estate of his pardon he manifested his mercie so in forgeuing him alone he shewed his vpright iustice Many nations and men of sundrie qualities and Countreyes standing then round about the crosse would haue bene glad to haue obteyned remission but amongest them all to this théefe onely was graunted pardon the better to aduertise vs that since he forgaue him we should not dispaire by the same meane to obteyne remission And since he pardoned but him alone let vs not sinne the more in hope that he will pardon vs So for conclusion let vs not forget that he forgaue the people afore they had transgressed and pardoned the théefe after he had sinned by which we are instructed to feare his Iustice and to remember his mercye which it may please him to exhibitte towardes vs here by grace and in the worlde to come by glory A discourse expounding this text of the Psalme Irasoimini et nolite peccare CHrist gréeuing still with the encrease of abuses in the Temple saw great necessitie of Discipline and therefore in one daye he whipped out the Vserers reuersed their exchaunges and dispersed their treasors Wherin we haue to note which of these two thinges were of a most importance eyther the zeale that Christ had or the fault that was in them béeing sewer that
end the power of God raysed him againe drue him out of the graue hauing vanquished death Of this besides many other prophesies Dauid hath written most manifestly speaking in the person of our Lorde as a man that by the inspiration of the holy Ghost J always sayth he set afore mine eyes the Lord whom I haue of my right hande to kepe me that J fall not For this cause doe J reioyce and my tongue shall beare Testimonie of my contentment but specially for that my fleshe shall rest in hope For Lorde thou wilt not leaue my lyfe in the graue nor suffer thy holy one to see corruption Thou hast shewed me the way of lyfe euen so shalt thou fill me wyth pleasure by thy presence For thou bearest in thy right hand a perpetual blisse In these wordes the Lord sheweth the singuler fauor which he receiued of his father in the death had not domination ouer him but was subdued and vanquished shewing withall the gladsome contentment he had to sée the eternall Father on his right hand In this hope he offered his body to the death dispersed it vpon the crosse receiued the graue being certeine of his resurrection victory that aswell touching himselfe as also for all mankind wherin declaring also his confidence ioy of his victory he sayth that his Father hath not suffered that his lyfe should remaine prisoner in the graue for euer and much lesse that his soule should be there deteyned not retourne eftsoones to be revnited to his body And lastly that his most holy body conceiued by the holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin and who had passed so many Passions of Tormentes for the Seruice and Obedience of his Father should not suffer corruption in the Graue but afore Nature coulde accomplishe that operation his Soule shoulde eftsoones receaue coniuntion wyth his Bodye The Prophet sayth moreouer that he hath shewed him the way to retorne to life concluding with action of thankes that he hath surmounted death and sinne The sonne of God did not only obteyne priuilege to rise againe but also to him was ioyned power to make his resurrection afore there was any such signe of corruption in his body as naturally appeares on others that be dead this respect was kept on the behalfe of his most holy person and the flesh which he had taken for that effect béeing pure and wihtout any marke of sinne Besides all these we may consider vppon the end of this Psalme a great misterie of the victorie which our Lord obtayned against death together with the assurance of our resurrection the same leauing vs satisfied and certayne that once againe we shall réenter into the possession of our bodies after wée haue abandoned them by the rigor of death With this Psalme S. Paule proues the resurrection of the Messias against the Jewes saying that Dauid was dead and buried whose Sepulcher was well enough knowne amongst the Jewes concluding that séeing the body of Dauid had passed by that corruption which is common and generall to all dead men it was not possible that those wordes should be vnderstanded by him and therefore what he said he meant it by Iesus Christ whom neyther hell nor the graue had power to deteyne and to whose flesh could be attributed no sense or suffrance of corruption So that Dauid being a Prophet and hauing receiued promise by othe that the Messias should discend of his séede prophesied of his comming vnder the forme of wordes afore recited This is of great importance for Christians to whom it is a true approbation and sommarie of all the workes which the Lord did and of all our religion together with an assured gage or pawne of all our hope Saint Paule sayth that it is concluded the resolution alreadie set downe against the aduersaries and vnbeleuing that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God the same being proued in this that the father hath raysed him from the dead with a great force and wonderfull testimonie thereby to shew that he was his onely sonne Wherein on the one side might be séene the sentence of men the condemnation of the worlde the reprobation of the people of the Jewes the iniuries outrages and tormentes of the Crosse and of death which may alleage agaynst the sauiour of the worlde that he was not the Sonne of God but an abuser Séeing he was condemned by so great personages endured so many afflictions yea fixed on the crosse in such sort and such extremitie that the miserable worlde might estéeme him for such one as of long time had bene Prophecied that is that he was not reputed a man as others were but as one most abandoned of God and of all men And on the other side might be séene the holy Prophesies workes and wordes of our Sauiour and his Doctrine expressing the reason of his comming and the misery of his death together wyth the sentence of his Father who to shew himselfe true in his workes and promises had raised him againe from death declaring that he was his true sonne All these thinges béeing of such importance were foretolde by Iesus Christ afore his death béeing willing to Prophesie and published his resurrection both to his frendes and to his enmies to comfort the one and conuince the other Yea he thought méete to manifest it to all to make the worlde vnderstande that he was sent of the eternall Father to saue the worlde and that it was he that had ben promised in the Law offering himselfe to death of his onely and proper will. The Jewes demaunded of him some signe to know who he was but he aunswered that they should haue no other signe but that of Jonas For as Jonas issued out of the bellie of the Whale the thirde day So the thirde day after his death he should eftsoones ryse out of the center of the earth hauing in that action vanquished death As he went once to Hierusalem he tolde his Disciples that he should be deliuered into the handes of the gentiles he comunicated the forme of his death assuring them that the third day he should rise againe And speaking with them a little before his death he comforted them saying that after his resurrection he would go before them to Gallely So that our confession by the which we acknowledge our Lorde to be risen againe the third day is confirmed by good and great testimonies requisite in a thing of so high misterie and importance being also matter of no small consolation to the children of GOD together with assured testimonyes that may bee gathered againste the wicked in the Holy Scriptures and predictions which our Lorde made before hys death Certaine Meditations and considerations vpon the resurrection of Iesus Christ THe firste consideration that the faithfull christian may take of this resurrection of Christe dependes vppon the meane wée haue already spoken of For in his resurrection we may comprehend that which appertaines to the
dignitie of his person to declare him such one as he is By which he hath shewed that he came to vanquishe and surmount sinne and death and to pronounce that as who so euer would followe him should liue eternally so to such was reserued euerlastinge death as would not obey his woorde and doctrine For in him saith he is conteined resurrection and lyfe yea and the Saluation of those that beléeue in him To that to proue those thinges and to assure consolation to all such as should giue faith to his woordes it was requisite that he should not only manifest himselfe the author of lyfe in raising others but that also he should expresse it in his proper person giuing this testimony of himselfe that albeit he was dead yet he had more power then death for that he was able to returne to lyfe By this it appeares that the resurrection of Christe is a trew proofe of his greatnesse and a declaration that he is the Sonne of GOD hath surmounted all trauels and perplexities hath domination ouer death and ouercome hell sinne and the deuill séeinge hée hath disfurnished them of their principall weapons wherewith they did tirrannise ouer the Linage of man which is death that followeisd It also a proofe that as wée honour serue and beléeue in a man dead and crucified so also we must obey followe and serue in faith a man that hathe foretolde his Resurrection and which is risen againe from the dead séeing that one of the reasons why he dyed was the more to declare his power and manifest further his force and excellencie of life together with his power against the kingdome of sathan In the Seconde consideration is inclosed a wonderfull secret greatly auailing the estate of mankinde it is deuyded into two partes according to the testimony of the Scripture whereof the one consistes in his death and the other in his resurrection Touching his death wee haue alreadie debated that in it was comprehended the death of our trauelles the death of our death the mortification of our olde Adam and the spoile of the forces of the wicked roote of sinne which raigned ouer vs And in his resurrection we say now is comprehended the reestablishment of our lyfe the newnes of our iustice the vertue and spirituall generation of the new Adam in vs the woorkes of this newe lyfe the hope that this newe people of GOD hath to returne to Heauen and finally the thoughtes and operations agreable to the maiestie of god Christe was not sacrificed only for himselfe but for vs he is not risen againe onely to declare what hee was but wyth all to make himselfe suche a one to vs as his Father mighte receiue vs He is dead for our sinnes risen againe for our iustificaiton His death made to dye all wicked thinges but in his resurrection were reuiued al good thinges In effect we haue to consider touching the vertue of the misterie of the resurrection that he is also so risen againe in vs Spirituallie that if it be not long of our obstinacie and Rebellion we shall féele the force of his Resurrection in vs that is he will engender in vs a power and will to doe the workes worthie of a newe lyfe and will make vs to rise agayne to a newnesse of lyfe by the which we shal be founde agréeable before the face of God And béeing risen wyth him we shall vanquishe death and sinne and be made frée from the seruitude of Sathan being affected to the commaundementes of God louers of his iustice and zealous of his glory to perticipate in the ende wyth the heauenly lyfe by the communion which we haue wyth the lyfe of Iesus Christ in thoughts and workes So that let all Christians vnderstande that if in humilitie they search a remedie for their sinnes opening wyth all the gate of their harte they shall finde wyth in Iesus Christ raysed agayne And that being in the companie of so great a Lorde liuing who hath vanquished death they can not haue in them any deade thing For they shall also rise againe spiritually wyth the Lorde into that newnes of lyfe whereof we haue spoken Let vs therefore take héede to refuse the mortification of our wicked workes of our disordered appetites and our wicked affections For if we bowe or bende our selues we shall wythout doubt apperteyne to the other parte of this misterie and rise againe wyth Iesus Christ In this sort is to be vnderstanded the saying of the Apostle That we are buried wyth Christ by Baptisme and dead to our sinnes and to our olde Adam For that as Iesus Christ is risen agayne from the deade for the glory of the Father So we must enter into a newnes of lyfe béeing assured to keepe him companie in the Resurrection if we accompanie him in his death he dyed to make dye our sinnes and liued agaiâ—e to giue life to our iustice and therefore if behooues vs to dye as touching our sinnes and to be diligent to do good workes whervnto let euerye good Christian referre all his care and study and raise al his thoughts demaunding al those things in his prayers and searching them neither more nor lesse then he would do a precious treasure wherin lyeth hidde al his felicitie The victory is already gained and the faithfull are assured of their forces for that the sonne of God soliciteth for them and holdes al these benefites in his disposing In him we may be bolde to repose our sewertye séeing he hath so much suffred for vs and to make vs communicate with these graces his mercy will neuer faile vs séeing he hath not denied it vs to get them Sure in respect they haue cost him so deare and that the paiment is already made it will not be hard to giue them vnto vs. In the third consideratcon of this article the good christian hath to vnderstand that in the resurrection of the lord we get not only spiritual resurrection as hath ben saied but also we haue assurance of the resurrection of our bodies So that considering that Iesus Christ is risen from the dead for our welth and profit we may be assured that he is risen both in body and soul that our resurrection is no lesse certain then his rising againe being the assurance and gage of our resurrection and he being in all things our first borne captain he marched before vs and we must follow him All the wretchednes that the deuill had caused were repaired by the son of God for as the deuill threw spirituall death vppon mankind so in the vertue of our sauiour that death is destroyed vanquished and a life spiritual giuen vnto men The deuil procured corporal death to mans race for death was brought into the world by sinne but the sonne of God hath ioyned to vs a corporall resurection For as death was introduced by a man so by a man came restitution resurrection we were all dead in Adam euen so
that shée is already in the way to hir saluation But séeing she is dead and now set in the place of Gods eternall appointment and since in the world is no power eftsones to raise her let her rest at quiet in the ioyes of Paradise and resort you hereafter to a resolute patience Become imediatly carefull for your life and leaue of those funeralles and vayne ceremonies for the dead séeing that if God hath fulfilled his will to call her to him it is to place her in his tabernacle of eternall rest and leauing you still in the world he doth it to none other end but to giue you time of amendement For where God promiseth to man long and many daies it is vnder this warning that he giue order to the correction of his life Many times haue I spoken and written that the sounde and noyse of Belles doth not so much benefite the dead as do good to those that liue for that as the dead béeing wythout sence are also voyde of nature and habilitie to resume remorse so to such as liue the Belles giue warning of death as those that are alreadie departed yea they pronounce that we shall all be buried as such as are alreadie put in the graue and no more remembraunce remayne of vs then of them that lie couered with claye which makes mée still maintaine that albeit to the dead the Belles are merly vnprofitable yet to the liuing they serue as officers to somon vs to the fatall banquet They call vs to prepare our reckoning and make vs readie to appeare afore our soueraigne iudge to heare our sentence yea they put vs in remembrance of the last houre of our miserable life and then as I knowe none that wish to haue bene Emperours so there is no doubt but many desire to haue liued in the state of poore heardsmen But now to perswade with you somewhat familiarlie aswell to witnesse my good will as to warne your frailtie I wishe you to vse patience not so much to expresse your grauetie as to solace the heauinesse of your minde and by so much haue you néede to cal for aid to the spirite of God by how much the greatnes of your losse séemes to excéede the resistance of flesh and bloud consider that to render retribucion is a dutie of nature and a debt to be payed either in youth in age or at other season and that not in the hand and discretion of man but at the will and good pleasure of God with whom we haue no power to contend for that the thinges which he commaundeth ought to be accomplished and what he willeth is well worthy to be approued being impossible that he should exact any vniust thing he that is euen the selfe supreame and souereigne iustice Be it sir that you are sory for her death of whom can you redemaund your losse but of death against whom there is neyther prescription nor authoritie It is he in whom is wrought the very effect and stipend of sinne and it is he that is the fearefull tirant ouer the world who yéeldes no compassion to the teares of men takes no care of their sighes scornes at their complaints and playeth with their afflictions he maketh great kinges fall as lowe as the ground he deuides their principallities destroyeth their heyres he confoundes the proude and mightie and rayseth the humble and méeke hée neither pardoneth old men nor pitieth the young sort yea he hath authoritie to call all men to reckoning and no man to demaund reason of him The Philosopher Secundus being asked what death was Aunswered that it was an eternall sléepe a terror of riches a desire of the miserable a seperation of friends a voyage vncertaine a robber of men a beginning of those that liue and an end of such as die Death hath this absolute libertie to enter where hee list without knocking at the gate condemne whom he will not heare them speake and carie away what he thinkes good without that euen the highest authoritie either can or dare resist him Yea we must be pleased with what he leaueth vs and not complaine of that he takes from vs. I doubt not but it is grieuous to you to féele the want of so deare a wife aswell for the solace of your person as direction of your house and children but séeing the chaunces of mortall creatures do shew that al men are subiect to the law of nature and fortune and that of necessitie this must passe so put on a good countenaunce to the world and shake of all inward heauines of mind séeing the care of thinges impossible is vaine and only proper to weake men you know also that in this troublesome life many mo in number are the things that amaze vs then those that hurt vs And therfore to wéepe much to sigh often to sorrowe alwaies to weare attire of dule to flée societie of friends to retire into desolate priuat places to delite in solitarines be in one of your grauetie matters more to be rebuked then affected séeing that as too great ioye estrangeth the heart into the like so for the most part much parplexitie sorrow bring with them the effect of dispaire You ought not for the death of your wife to be negligent in the administration of your house carelesse in the state of your health forgetfull to entertaine the reputation of your honour nor vnmindful to direct your reuenue For the passions and afflictions of the hart are neuer cured by newe grieues but with the longnesse of time One of the greatest trauels that we suffer in this transitory race is that sorowes grieues enter our harts sodainly which afterwards we cānot expell but with great time and vertue And therfore we ought not at the first to vrge a troubled minde to forget his paine but rather to perswade to moderate it for that at the beginning the mind receiueth more comfort in debating the harme then in speaking of the remedie And therefore to a mind afflicted with gréene sorrowes the best remedy is to deferre them vntill by time they be more apt to receiue consolation For as tract of time carieth with it a law of forgetfulnes of things past so to a hart grieued the true souereigne plasters are temperance time forgetfulnes So that neither because you are a widower nor in respect of your passions you ought to cōmit to negligence the order of your person nor the nouriture of your children for as it is no small fully to wéepe for the dead whom we haue no power to recouer so it can not but be a great madnesse to be carelesse of them that liue standing in the way of perdicion withall no man is bound to raise vp againe such as are dead but euery one is tied to this dutie to giue succours to them that liue I hope sir you wil not lay afore you the example of your neighbour friend Roderico who assone
the Prophet was culpable for vsing scilence and Cayn condemned because he spake by which we may gather the great necessitie we haue of wisdome to vse time to speake and time to suffer scilence For as the trée is known by his fruite the vertue of a man discerned by his workes so in his wordes and spéeche are disclosed the qualitie of his wisedome or simplicitie And as Iesus Christ in all his actions was no lesse pacient to heare then moderate in speaking so we finde not in scripture that he euer deliuered worde in vaine nor neuer helde his peace but for feare of slaunder And although it be a miserable compulsion to vse scilēce in things which we haue desire to disclose yet considering scilence bringes sewerty and conteines in it selfe many other goodly thinges let vs stand restrained to the two seasons which Socrates aloweth without reprehension the one is when we speake of that which we manifestly know and the other when we haue in hande thinges necessary In which two times onely as speache is better then Scilence so in all other Seasons experience approueth that we ought to preferre scilence afor speaking To what purpose or intentions tended all the speaches of Iesus Christ THe wordes of our Sauiour tended eyther to the prayse of his Father as when he humbled himselfe in this speach Confiteor tibi pater or to teach men what they ought to do when he sayd Beati mites or else to reprehend wickednesse and sinne when he cried vae vobis legis peritis So that when he was not occupied to giue prayse and glorie to his Father nor to preach doctrine nor to rebuke vices it was then he was setled in a deuout and holy scilence The Hebrewes led him to their consistories a fore thrée iudges that is to say they brought him to the Palaice before Herod to the Bishops house before Annas to the trée of the crosse before his Father at which place only he spake and in the others he vsed scilence and therefore afore the two first tribunals he was accused of crime because he held his peace standing as aduocate afore the thirde he spake And albeit right great infinit were the works which our Redéemer did from the time he was taken till he was crucified yet his wordes were fewe and his spéeches in very small number the better to teach vs that in time of tribulation and aduersitie we ought more to séeke our consolation in a holy and deuout patience then to preferre or expresse great eloquence Christ then being vpon the hill of Caluary not onely condemned to death but very nere the passion of the same hauing his flesh pearced with nayles his hart burning in zeale and loue cryed to his father Pater ignosce illis quia nesciunt quid faciunt as if he had sayd Oh eternall father in recompence that I am come into the worlde and in consideration of the preaching that I haue made of thy name In satisfaction of the paynes and crucifying that I endure and in respect that I haue reconciled the world to thée I require no other reward but that it may be thy good pleasure to pardon these mine enemies who haue sinned to the end I should dye and I suffer death because they may liue Forgeue them since thou knowest and all the world séeth that in my bloud is payde and satisfied their crime with my charitie I haue raysed and put them in my glory so that let my death be sufficient to the end that no other death haue more place in the world Pardon them since thou knowest that the death which triumphed in the crosse and by the which I am nailed to the same is crucified heare in this trée by meanes wherof oh euerlasting Father I beséech thée estéeme more the charity wherein I dye for them then the malice by the which they prosecute my death Forgeue them Oh heauenly Father since if thou considerest these my enemies in the nature and merite of their sinnes there will not be founde in the furies of Hell tormentes worthye enough to punishe them Then better is it Oh gracious Father that thou Pardon them since that as there was neuer the lyke faulte committed so shalt thou neuer haue occasion to vse the like mercie And séeing my death is sufficient to saue all such as are borne or to bée borne those that are absent present deade and on liue It is no reason that these heare should be shutte out from that benefite being a thing of most equitie iustice and right that as my bloud is not spilt but with thy consent so also by thy hands it should be well employd In this we haue to note that Christ sayd not Lorde pardon them but he sayde Father forgeue them as discribing this difference betwéene those two estates that to a Lorde belonges properly to haue Bondemen Subiectes and Vassalls and the name of a Father presupposeth to haue children so that he required his Father not to iudge them as Lorde but besought him to pardon them as a Father Christ also sayde not condicionally Father if it be thy pleasure forgeue them but he prayed absolutely after himselfe had forgeuen them that his Father would Pardon them by which example we are put in remembraunce that the reconcilement which we make with our Enemies ought to be pure absolute and without affection Besides our Redéemer sayd not singulerlie Father Pardon him but he spake plurally by which we may be informed that as he prayed not particularly for any one in priuate but generally for all so his blood dispersed on the crosse was not only sufficiēt to redéem one onely Worlde but to satisfie the Raunsome of a Million of Worldes And out of this misterie may be drawne this construction that our Sauiour praying generally for all expresseth himselfe so liberall to geue and so mercifull to pardon that when he forgeues a sinner any offence he pardoneth with all his other crimes It is not also without misterie that Christ sayd not I forgeue them but besought his Father to Pardon them For that if the Sonne onely had pardoned them after his death the Father might haue demaunded the iniurie because that if the Sonne had forgeuen them he had done it as a man where the execution of the iustice remayned in God but as the deuine worde yea the liuing Lorde hath perfourmed this pardon with so true a hart so hath he not suffered that there remaine in it any scrupule And therefore he besought his Father to pardon them to the end that by the humanitie which he endured and diuinitie which suffered it his enemies might be at the instant absolued and we others haue hope to obteine remission ¶ That when CHRIST our Lord gaue pardon he left nothing to forgeue IN lyke sort we haue to note that Iesus Christ required not his Fathere to pardon them after his death but besought him to forgeue them at the instant
the Samartiayne in forgeuing her adulteries vpon the théefe in purging his theftes vpon S. Peter that had denied him and vpon the wretched Hebrues that conspired his death Oh mercifull Iesus delight of our soules since the time is past wherein thy father was named the God of reuenge the season come wherein he is called vpon by the name of father of mercies we besech thée oh sauiour of the race of man to haue pitie vppon our soules amend our liues we that are thy brethern members of thy church and since in losing our selues we lose much the meane of our safetie stands onely in thy goodnes pardon vs according to thy holy custome propertie of thy nature oh creator of all things redéemer of al faultes since thou hast spoken by thy Prophete J will not the death of a sinner but that he liue and bee conuerted Beholde vs Oh Lorde in thy presence and conuerted to thée Receaue vs Oh infinit and perpetual God as our Father and pardon vs as thy childrē and as we confesse with humilitie Tibi solipecauimus so let it be thy pleasure to saye to thy Father Pater ignosce illis he was called in the olde law the God of reuenge because his will was that there should be restitutiō of eye for eye tooth for tooth and hande for hand But in the law of grace he is called Father of mercy for that he hath cōmaunded to render loue for hate honour for infamy clemencie for cruelty pardon for iniurie Locuti sunt aduersum me lingua dolosa et odio circundiderunt me expugnauerunt me gratis ego autem orabam sayth Dauid speaking in the person of Iesus Christ Oh sinagog full well doe I know that thou canst worke me no more euil then thou hast already don for thou hast hated me with thy hart blasphemed me with thy tonge killed me with thy hands in recompence of these deadly wrongs I prayed to my father for thée with vehement humilitie called vpon him to heare my praier This Prophecie sure as it was pronoūced by Dauid both king Prophet so hath it also ben accomplished by Iesus Christ For at the time when they crucified him with nailes torments at the instāt when they blasphemed him with their tongues at the season when they helde his Prophets in derision ▪ yea when he licored the earth with his bloud and opened the heauens with his tears euen then did he pray with great cōpassion to his father to pardon them oh wonderfull boūtie of our sauiour who seing euen frō the crosse his greatest enemies Quod loquuti sūt aduersum illum quod odio circundiderūt without occasiō expugnauerūt illū yet he praied for thē as if they had ben frée exempt from fault great is the action of this boūty ouerpassing the reach of man and exceding the iudgment of Angels and yet a worke right worthie of the Lorde betwéene whose holy intentions and Wicked working of his Ennemies is expressed no small difference For that for loue they rendred hate they appoynted him prisoner where he purchased their deliuery they accused him where he excused them they persented him afore Pilate where he offered them to God his father yea where he desired to haue them pardoned they procured to sée him crucified so that in this he expresseth a greater zeale to them then they can beare to themselues for that he holdeth the offender absolued demaūdes pardon of his Father afore the falt he confessed They prepared gal and vineger to present him in the passion of death and sharped their launce to pearce his sydes and yet he besought his father to remit the punishemēt afore they had actually commited the sinne if the sonne of God would haue demaunded any other thing of his Father the present view and estate of his martirdome ministred sufficient occasion for he might haue desired of his Father to remoue the panges of his passion or to ease the paines of his fleshe pearced thorow with nailes to take his enemies from his presence to preuent the obloquie to suffer betwéene two théeues or lastly he might haue demaūded that after his death to his body might be ioyned a sepulcher But to requestes of such nature the sauiour of the world séemed to cary small regard lesse expectation of cōfort or ease to his owne distresse no he estéemed it a thing far more worthy of him an act of greater charity to require pardō for his enemies rather thē to séek solace for his presēt sorowes or be careful for his pains to com ech redéemer of the world let it please thée we besech thée that as in the act of the holy sacrifice celebrated by thée vpō the crosse thou prayedst for thine enemies besought thy father to pardō thē that euen by the same boūty thou wouldst also vouchsafe to prai to thi father for vs particularly saying pater ignosce illis for albeit we were not of the nōber of those that crucified thée yet we ar not exempt frō trāsgressing thy commaundementes and are euen with the first that haue offended thée it suffised not Christ to saye onely Pater ignosce illis but in excusing them he added Nesciunt Quid faciunt Oh Father sayth he forgeue them as people that know not the harme that they doe in putting me to death and as men ignorant of the displeasures that wil happen for want that they haue not knowne me vouchsafe to supplie the fault of their ignoraunce Quia nesciunt quid faciunt Rightly spake the Lorde of them when he sayd They know not what they doe for ignorance was to them knowledg that by his bloud should be a appaised the wrath of the Father the seats eftsoones replenished which were made voyd by the offence of the wicked Angels the olde sinne of Adam defaced the vniuersall world redéemed This was an assured argument of their ignorance for that they put to death the sonne of God the inheritour of eternitie the workeman of the world the lord of angels he which is not only iust but iustice it selfe truly they knew not what they did since the time will come wherin shal be redemaūded of thē the blood of the innocent their citie destroyed layd open to spoyle their riche temple reuersed their sacrifices confoūded their law take end yea vntill the reuolution of the world they shall wander as vagabounds without law without king Nesciunt quid faciunt for by the effusion of that precious bloud the Church hath succéeded the smagog Iesus Christ taken place of Moyses baptim supplanted circumcision the Apostles succeded the Prophets the olde testament the new the crosse of Iesus Christ abollished the serpent of brasse the sacraments of the Church defaced the olde sacrifices so that as they toke away the lyfe of Iesus christ with paines on the crosse so in the same he put end to their sinagog
therewith haue made seruice offerings to the Lord Multiplicati sunt super capilos capitis mei et cor meuÌ„ dereliquit me I am falne into that age sayth Dauid that I haue no more sight remaining Mine enemies haue enuironed me my frends are dead my sinnes haue made me fall my good daies are now drawne to end so that my grieffes sorrows perplexities are mo in nomber then my hears but my greatest heauinesse of all is that my hart hath forsaken me wholoaseth his eyes the other particuler parts of his body together with all his goods can not but loase right dear great things but he that loaseth his hart loaseth assuredly all that can remaine or aperteine to a man For that within the wombe of our mothers the hart is the first that engendereth taketh lyfe and the last that dissolueth and vanisheth to death So that lyke as so longe as our hartes leaue vs not we may both loue feare and serue God so also if the hart loase his vigor and géeue vs ouer assuredly we haue neyther power nor facultie to Fast Praye or perseuer in Breath And therefore according to Saynt Hierom it is a great gyfte of GOD to be endued wyth a Constant and Valiant mynde as on the other syde to haue fayntnesse of hart and Pusillanimytye canne not but beare Testimonye and Prooffe of great Punnishement Audi popule Audi qui non habes cor sayth GOD by his Prophete Jeremie heare my voyce Oh generation of Jsraell and hearken to my wordes Oh People of the Hebrues I call thée Foole because thou art wythout harte yea I saye thou hast no harte because thou art a foole wher the Prophet in this phrase charged the people to haue no hart he imposed vpon them infidelitie as though they had neither fayth nor belefe in Iesus Christ the true god because the lyke as when the hart dyeth the life dissolueth euen so by Christ aspiring vpon the Crosse the sinagog tooke ende So that the Prophete was not without great reason to call the Hebrues Fooles men without hart séeing the testimony of so many miracles suffised them not much lesse were they satisfied with the nomber of benefites blessings with infinit Sermons perfourmed by our sauiour Iesus Christ all tending to make them Christians and yet wrought small impression in them by reason of their slender knowledge and great follie Euen so according to morrall phrase when we say any man hath want of hart it is asmuch as if we should charge him not to haue Iesus christ in his spirit for that as vndertaking to doe any good worke Iesus Christ is he that geues vs hart puts vs in reason euen so by good conclusion that man we may saye is depriued of reason and vnfurnished of hart which loues not Christ thinkes not on Christ serues him not feareth him not and hopes not in him So that in the Lawe of GOD to call a man without hart is no other thing then to saye he hath a body without a soule Omni custodia custodi cor tuum sayth the Wise man euery one ought to kéepe and double garde his hart to the ende it be not defiled by the fleshe oppressed of the worlde deceaued by the Deuill and that it be not altogether exercised by his fréende nor outraged by his enemie For that euen so much and no more haue wée in Iesus Christ then we geue vnto him Possession and place in our harte Wherein according to the measure of our confidence in GOD shall we finde recompence and retribution in him Yea if we geue our selues altogether to him he wyll assuredly be wholy ours So that all those thinges which the Lord geues vnto vs being holy harty or vnfained it belonges to vs the better to Prepare our offeringes to God euen from our hartes fixed in our harte vnfaynedly to touche our hart to kéepe our hartes alwayes replenished wyth Holy desires and enuironed with good thoughts For which occasion it suffised not the wiseman to bid vs simplie kepe our hartes but he enioyned vs to a double and diligent garde the better to aduertise vs that as the Eyes may be preserued by their Eyeliddes the mouth defended by the lippes the féete and handes kept from harme by Armour Gauntlets and a mans treasure holden from the Théefe vnder Locke and Key So there can nothing in this world suffise to forbid an ambicious minde to thinke and desire And so falling eftsoones vppon our first matter I saye that much doth that man offer to God that offereth his hart as also what hath he more to lose that loseth his hart the same appearing in the conuersion of this good théefe who euen as he hanged vppon the crosse because he offered to God onely his hart founde this recompence to be caryed into the eternall Tabernacle of God and communicate in his glorie Let then the example of this théefe stande before vs all that notwithstanding we haue not handes Féete Eyes Siluer Golde precious Iewels or clothes to offer to God yet let vs not be troubled or gréeued For who hath not these thinges in his power let him not doubt to be acceptable to the Lord if he present his hart replenished with holy desires The Sister of Moyses was diseased Moyses himselfe Stutted Tobyas was Blinde Mimpheboseph was Lame Zacharias the Priest was Dumbe yet these imperfections hindred not these men to be holy vertuous yea God called some of them to the function ministerie of his will If we haue our hartes whole holy sound the Lord obserues little the state of our other members no he makes no care whether they be perfect or putrified for this théefe in his senteÌ„ce of condemnation death had his limmes brused broken his mouth his eyes whole body crucified but his hart only reteining integritie he offred it to his sauiour and by his â—…yth constancie purchased the benefit of saluation And albeit in so small a respit of time in so quicke sharpe torments in so greuous apprehension of the dollors and terrors of death suffered by this théefe on the Crosse he coulde perfourme no great penaunce expresse no varietie or copie of spéeche or vtter apparant remorse by sighes sorrowe or publike contrition yet for that to his passions he ioyned greatnesse and constancie of harte wyth fayth and deuotion to GOD The Lorde dyd accept not onely that which he dyd then but also what he would haue done if he had not ben preuented by death How wickedly the euill THEEFE spake hanging on the Crosse THe Wicked Théefe speaking to Iesus Christ sayd if thou be that same Christ that is the sonne of God deliuer thy selfe from death and vs from this Passion of torments Oh cursed impudencie to pronounce such Horrible blasphemie against the maiestie of our Sauiour For albeit the Sonne of God was committed to the Crosse and
in the Companie of Robbers dyd suffer a slaunderous Death yet it was not for the he had any communitie with the offences of the théeues and much lesse suffered for his proper crimes but for the Sinnes of the Worlde Quae non rapui tunc exsoluebam I make sayth Christ by the Prophete satisfaction for the faltes done by others others haue eaten the Apple and yet I paye the price of it Though I haue committed no Crime yet mine innocencie is put to punishement Yea where others haue troubled the commonweale I am committed to iustice and hauing no nature or effect of offence in me yet I passe vnto death for the sinnes of the whole Worlde Right iust was the occasion of our Sauiour to holde such argument For that if they crucifyed him vnder a most smarting and infamous death it was not for that he had deserued it but to the ende that by it mankinde should be redéemed This théefe sayd not with sewertie that he was Christ and therefore by making wicked doubt question whether he were the sonne of God or not he deserued not with his companion to be made a Christian But the good théefe making no doubt of his omnipotencie sayde absolutly Lorde haue remembrance of me and therefore was not onely adopted to Christianitie but also there was ioyned to his fayth recompence of eternall saluation In the same maner S. Peter said not if thou be Christ I wil beleue in thée but he protested in bolde fayth and cryed J beleue that thou art the Sonne of the euerliuing God For who will receaue the grace and blessing of God his fayth ought to be without scrupull or doubt he that wil obteine any thing of god saith the Apostle it apperteines to him to aske it with a faith that is not doubtful for if God giue vs not forthwith that which we demaunde of him it is more for that we know not how to aske him then that he is harde to grauÌ„t our requests Let it then be farre from vs to say with the wicked théefe If thou be Chrict saue thy selfe and vs also but let vs rather with the Blinde man of Hierico say Oh sonne of Dauid haue pitie vpon vs For so shall we be made to sée with the blinde man and not caried into damnation wyth the Théefe Who in saying to Christ Salua te met ipsum et nos thought to perswade him to leaue the Passions of the Crosse and put himselfe in libertie and deliuer him from death For this was the opinion of this wicked théefe that euen as Pilate put on him the senteÌ„ce of death for his thefts and roberies euen so also there was no lesse guiltinesse in Christ as béeing vntruely holden a Seducer of the People and a man contrarie to the common Weale And therefore he thought that as the Terrors of Death made him vnwilling to dye so also there remayned in Christ a desire to lyue longer Wherein his error was so much the greater by how much he considered not that ther was necessitie of Christs death for the redemtioÌ„ of the world for which cause though he wished to liue loÌ„ger yet our sauiour desired the present stroke of death according to his owne words to his disciples Desiderio desideraui hoc pasâ—ha manducare vobiscuÌ„ at other times sayth he I haue celebrated with you this feast the which at this preseÌ„t I esteme to be truly passeouer in holy scripture The doubling and reiteration of a worde is a signe of vehement and great desire the which was wel expressed in the zeale of our sauiour who by this phrase Desiderio desideraui published manifestly that he had no lesse desire to dye for vs then most desirous to redéeme vs For of that nature was his thirst and desire to ouercome our perpetuall death that he expected nothing more then the houre wherein he might employ for vs his most holy and vndefiled lyfe There was great similitude and likenes betwéene the blasphemie of this wicked théefe and the request of the Jewes who willed him to descend from the crosse and they would all beléeue in him wherevnto if our sauiour had condiscended and abandoned the agonies of the crosse al the world had stand crucified with death sinne and the perpetuall perplexities of Hell Oh wicked théefe Oh people hardened and obstinate if Christ had come down from the crosse according to your requestes or if he had deuided himselfe from the paines of death following the blasphemous motion of the condemned théefe much lesse that it had bene happie with any sort of people but of the contrary Hell had bene alwayes open for you and the gates of Paradise perpetually closed agaynst our posterities For the Lorde came not to descende but to mount and ascende not to eschew the crosse but to dye vpon it Cum exaltatus fuero a terra omnia traham ad me ipsum sayth our Lorde Iesus Christ Because now I goe Preaching from one countrey to an other and that I haue my ryches dispersed you cannot haue knowledge of my might nor of the vertue and benefites that are in my power But when you sée me elected and chosen to the crosse euen in the same place shall be my treasure This spéech truely is of great admiration for the good sort and leaues no little feare to the wicked Omnia traham ad me ipsum by the which we are instructed that who will obteine any thing of Iesus Christ ought to aske it vpon the crosse For neuer was the Lorde so liberall as when he was Crucifyed at no time so rych as when he was Naked nor at any time so mighty as when he was condemned to death All these treasures did Christ bring with him from heauen to earth and from the earth he recaryed them with him to the trée of his suffering and being there he dispersed them through out the worlde so that he that is found most neare the crosse of our sauiour on him is bestowed the most plentifull rewarde it was on the crosse that he recomded his soule to his Father his Church to S. Peter to Nicodemus his body and to the good théefe the ioyes of Paradise it was on the crosse where he commaunded the Sunne to hyde his lyght the stoanes to breake the vayle of the Temple to rent the graues to open and the dead to ryse agayne which carieth an assured Testimonie that in his death was wrought the effect of our lyfe it was on the crosse that he spake to his Father gaue comfort to his mother had remembrance of his Disciple pardoned the beléeuing théefe and illumined the centurion to the end he might know Iesus christ to be the redéemer and confesse himselfe a sinner it was on the crosse where his side was opened his bloud shed where he shewed most plentifully his charitie expressed most myldly his patience and vsed greatest clemencie Yea it was the place where his death tooke ende and our redemption receaued beginning Lastly
vppon the crosse he was crowned as king saluted as king and hayled with the title of king So that all these being true how coulde it stande with any congruent reason that he should abandon the crosse which brought to him so many preheminences Oh Soueraigne sauiour and loue of our soules let vs not beséech thée with the Jewes to discende from the crosse nor in the corrupt affection of the Théefe to abandon the paynes thereof But graunt Oh Lorde that with thée we may be ioyned to the crosse where let vs not require that thou geue vs to eate since in that place thou haddest but gall and for thy drinke was reserued most sharpe viniger Let vs not require garments since thou wast all naked let vs not craue libertie since thou wast bounde and much lesse haue we reason to entreate for lyfe since thou diddest not refuse the execution of death That which we haue to require of thée is that it will please thée to geue vs part and communion in this crosse since in it thou hast with such plentie bestowed thy graces for wel we know Oh Lorde that thou dost neuer communicate thy loue and affection but to such as taste in thy paynes and Passions By all this discourse we may gather what hart we ought to haue to enterprise any good worke together with what magnanimitie of courage to execute it séeing that euen when we meane to beginne to doe well Wicked Spirites are then most neare vs and readyest prepared to deceaue vs For the Fleshe doth pricke and quicken vs men drawe vs backe and the Worlde workes to our vexation and Trouble Albeit manie were the occasions in IESVS Christe béeing on the Crosse to abandon it As firste the importunityes of the Jewes the perswasions of the Théefe the bitter Agonyes of Death the sorrowes of the Daughters of Hierusalem the Scornes and Scoffes of Straungers Passing that waye and Lastely the small thankes and recompence that men attributed to him for that Passion Yet they were not sufficient to Tempt him from the Execution of his Fathers Commaundement nor to let him to accomplishe all that wherevnto his Charitye bounde him for the fulfilling of our Redemption For when he sayd on the Crosse J am a thirst it was not for any appetite he had to Drinke but he spake it rather in a vehement wyll and desire to Endure yet more for the Healthe of our Soules The good theefe rebuked his fellowe hanging on the Crosse THE good Théefe hearing the wicked discourse of his companion agaynst Iesus Christ could not but minister this rebuke Weighing saith he with the horror of our lyfe past our present estate drawing to the extremitie of death I maruel that thou hast no feare of god art wythout shame of that thou sayest séeking to Crucifye this Prophete wyth thy Tongue as these Raging Tormentors doe wyth the violence of theyr Handes Oh thou knowest not that as this Innocent neuer dyd yll to any So in thée and mée was neuer founde any Good Fewe were the Wordes which this Théefe Spoke but ryght great Mysteryes are touched in them and therefore it is néedefull that we heare them wyth grauitye and Pronounce them in Charitye And albeit it is most Sewer that GOD the Almyghtie Creator is by Power all in all thinges yet particulerlye by Grace is he more manyfested by the Hearte and Tongue of man then through any other member of the Bodye as they being the two Instrumentes where wyth we doe most serue him and oftenest offende hym For the Eyes become Wearrye wyth séeing the Eares wythdrawe from Hearing the Handes refuse to Woorke the Féete forbeare to Goe and the whole Bodye may be gréeued to Sinne But it is the Harte which neuer puttes ende to hys Thoughtes and the Tongue is Séeldome wearye of Speakinge The Good Kynge Dauid was vpright in Iudgement and founde of Bodye and yet Praying to GOD for the most part he obserued these two Petytions Cor mundum crea in me Deus and Domine labia mea aperies Wherein he required of GOD to rayse in him a Harte cleare and Innocent also to blesse him wyth a tongue that should not pronounce any thing contrary to his wil for albeit he receiued gréeffes and disquiets by his other members yet he knewe he coulde neuer be vanquished of them for that it is one principall signe that we are in the grace of god when he blesseth vs with a hart replenished with pure intentions geues vs a tongue refrained frō speaking euill yea it is a true foundation testimonie of good Christians to beléeue in God with our hart and set forth his prayses with our tongue Much was the people of Jsraell in the grace of God when by Jeremie he sayd to them Ego dabo eis cor nouum and no lesse fauoured was Ezechiell of that almightie worker of all thinges when he sayde Ego aperiam os tuum in medio eorum as if he had sayde to Israell in signe of the great amitie I haue with thée I will illumine thy harte and because thou art my seruannt Oh Ezechiell I will open thy mouth to the ende thou mayest publishe and preach my power and might For right small is the nomber of those which atteyne to my knowledge and farre fewer are they that preach sincerely my name yea albeit a man haue the facultie to read to interpreat to studie and to deliuer yet he hath not for all that the full facultie of a true Apostolyke preacher for it is no small gifte and blessing of the Lorde to know how to preach well and pronoūce his worde and will Great therefore was the liberalitie which Christ vsed on the crosse séeing that the grace of newnes of hart which he gaue to Jsraell and the spirite and power of well preaching which he imparted to Ezechiell he infused both together into this good théefe toutching his harte to make him beléeue in him and opening his mouth to the ende he might publishe and preach his name By which is happened that after the Sermons of Iesus Christ and afore the preachinges of the Apostles this good théefe was the first that preached in the Church yea euen where he was crucified in the presence of the people he magnified that which Christ did and reproued his companion of blasphemy saying Neque tu times Deum qui in eadem damnatione es I sée saith he thou hast no feare of God and art in the way to be damned therefore beholde me and thinke vpon thy selfe To teach the ignorant and reduce to truth him that is in error is a worke of charitie proceding of great bountie which was expressed in the behauiour of this théefe warning his companion to consider that he was condemned to death hauing by his side the sonne of God in whom was power to pardon his offences and withall to deliuer him from the perpetuall agonies of Hell Oh to how many of our companions and
name then Father And albeit I haue bene sought to and councelled of many since my election to the kingdome yet amongest all I reserue my selfe to bée familiar onely with thée considering that in such as sue to giue me councell is an intention to draw my will to theirs where I know thou wilt not aduize me but for my profit and commoditie of my honor Often times I haue heard thée say that in such as geue Councell to Princes should be libertie and fréedome from all passions and affections For that in the action of Councell giuing where the will is most inclined there the spirite and witte haue most strength That a Prince in all thinges doe his will I doe not allow and that he take Councell of euerie one is lesse séemely Therefore as to the affaires of a kingdome cannot but be a great necessitie of aduice so let the Prince make this choyse of his Councellors rather to be Councelled by those of whom he is loued then by such as himselfe loueth For in the affection of the Counceller to his Prince is great securitie and care of the common businesse where from such as be followers of the Prince can grow no great matter of prouidence for the publike safetie as being men all together dedicated to the complexion and humors of the Prince Wherin hauing had long experience of thy déepe insight in matters of policie and no lesse expectation that thou wilt vse no lesse care to direct me now being a Prince then thou tookest paynes to instruct me when I followed thée as thy Disciple I will that from henceforth to thée belong the chiefe charge to geue me Councell in my most weightie affaires and to aduertize me of the imperfections and faultes that from time to time appeare in me For as Rome holdes me for the protector of their common weale so I reserue thée to be the beholder and examiner of me lyfe And if at any time thou findest me frowarde to be warned by thée in thinges necessarie for my reformation I pray thée conster it not to any displeasure towardes thée Since in such case my passion shall not be for the warnings thou géeuest mée but for the Shame that I haue Erred And as to haue bene norished in thy house to haue hearde thy Lectures to haue imitated thy doctrines and to haue liued vnder thy Discipline haue bene sure principall means to preferre me to the Empire So it cannot but be ascribed too great inhumanitie to thée if thou forbeare to helpe me to manage and guide that which thou hast procured me to win get estéeming it I assure thée to my great felicitie to haue familaritie with such one as thou whose wisedome makes thée worthie to be a iudge of my Councelles and in thy fayth I may be bolde to repoze the Controlement of my lyfe Lastly where thou aduizest me to continue such one as I was before with condition not to decline I beleue thou drawest this warning from the example of Nero whose gouernement béeing well ordered for the first fiue yeares of his Reigne he grewe afterwardes to encrease more in wickednesse then in dignitie But rather then thou shalt finde me successor to the impudēcies and vilenesse of Nero I pray thée pray to God to giue me no sufferāce to reigne in Rome since that Tyrantes procure dignities to exercize Crueltie and good men aspire to kingdomes to the end to maintaine vertue And therefore to such as were good afore and are corrupt by the place there is more cause of pytie then malice For that if fortune rayse them it is not to honor them but to make them fall And to wisemen the miserie of vnfortunate men is an example to warne others to kéepe a meane in their happie estate The Emperour TRAIAN writing to the SENATE of Rome discloseth the trauelles of Princes in their Gouernementes IT is not vnknowne to vs that death hath called from you your dear Lord the Emperour and my late predecessor whom if you Lament as in the losse of a iust Prince I haue no lesse reason of sorrow for the want of a Father so graue and pitifull When Children loaze a good Father and a whole comunaltie a iust vertuous prince there can be no sorow more intollerable or that worldly men cannot suffer losses of more heauie importance since good Princes are the same to common weales that God is to sinners who though we forget to loue and obey him yet he forbeares not to protect and prouide for vs The death of a good man deserues to be sorrowed of all but the losse of a iust Prince ought to be extreamely and bitterly lamented for that when a priuate man dyeth there is lost but one but when a good Prince is taken away there dyeth with him the felicitie of a whole kingdome So that if GOD would suffer vs to sell the liues of good Princes already deade the price sure would be to base to buy them againe with tears since euen with the most precious Golde and siluer can not be weighed downe the price and Raunsome of a vertuous man If Treasure would haue redéemed the lyfe of Hector the Troyans would haue furnished it in great aboundance or if money might eftsoones haue breathed life into Haniball there would haue bene found no want in the Carthaginiens But God hauing made all mortall thinges hath authoritie to dispoze of them euen by the same power wherwith he hath Created them of nothing reseruing onely to himselfe Immortalitie How reuerent is the vertue of good men and with what prerogatiues they are indued appears easelie in this that men beare more honor to the Sepulchers of the vertuous then to the emboasted Palaices of the wicked The good and vertuous man though he bée farre absent and out of vse and knowledge yet men loue him serue him and aunswere for him where to the wicked is geuen no credit in that he sayth and much lesse are we thankefull to him in that hée doth for vs For to the euill man is appoynted this propertie of iustice to be doubted most where he would faynest haue credit and not to be beleued though he speake the trueth Touching my election to the Empire as it was left by my predecessor demaunded of the People and approued by you so I doubt not but my gouernment will be so much the more plausible and profitable to Rome by how much in my adoption were fulfilled all thinges agréeable to god And as it serues to little for men to chuse Princes if they be not confirmed by god So there be certaine signes to discerne such as are called by God from others chosen by men For that which men by sodeine Councell aduaunceth God by due iustice bringes downe where those things which the mightie God planteth albeit they stande open to all windes and receiue many aduersities yet they neuer fall yea though they incline and bende there is no power
his enemie and take from him by force his Seruauntes and Subiectes whom of long time he had holden Prisoners By this is shewed the great power of Iesus Christ according to his owne phrase in these tearmes So long as a strong man sayth he and well furnished wyth weapons kepes his house and defendes it by force all that he hath is in peace But if there come one more mightie then he he makes him forsake his garde chaseth him out of his house and becomes Lord of al his goods euen so did our Lord with the Deuill expressing vppon him his wonderful power and great victory which he obtayned against the kingdome of darknes For séeing the Deuill hath layed aside his weapons it is a signe he is vanquished and séeing death is conquered the Deuill must néedes remayne disfurnished of Armes And séeing the depthes and bottomes of the earth haue bene illuminated by the light and presence of our sauiour the kingdome of darkenesse is defeyted and brought to ruine And so for conclusion we find thrée great considerations in the first part of this Article Wherof the first hath ben debated comprehending the great discending and extreame humilitie which the Sonne of God tooke vppon him to saue man and confound the works of sinne The second consists in this that whilest his most holy body accōpanied with his diuinitie remayned in the graue to testifie that he was truly dead His soule discended into the darke prisons where were deteined the holy fathers notwithstanding they were not in the power of the deuill For albeit they were iustified by the vertue of the mediator and their fayth and repentance yet they were banished from heauen and put as it were in prison to witnesse the effect and operation of sinne together wyth the necessitie which man had of the comming of the sonne of God to geue them their full remedie So that the sauiour of the worlde entering into this prison and confounding all darkenesse by his great light did fully comfort and satisfye by his presence the holy soules which exspected him wyth a desire farre aboue the iudgement or comprehēcion of man it was then that those good auncient Fathers saw the accomplishment of the promise long afore made to them that out of their séede should ryse one that should breake the heade of the great Serpent Then all their desires were accomplished beholding euen wyth their eyes the maiestie and presence of him whom so often they had séene in contemplation and Spirite In whom they had layde vppe all their hope from the remembrance of whom they dyd neuer swarue and by the onely thought of whom they had ouercome all their aduersities taking comfort in him in their miseries and perplexities Then did Abraham sée him who was promised to blesse al his people and al Nations in the faith of whom he was circumcised and made alliance with god Jsaac saw him whom he prefigured when his father thought to haue sacrifised him he saw the sprinkles and markes of the bloud whose effusion was most swéete before the face of the father from the beginning of the world Jacob who had called vpon this sauiour in his death saw his desiers fulfilled no more resting which he might require Melchisedech saw the great sacreficator the sacrifice of whom had neither end nor rule Moises spake then with the great Prophet which God promised to send to deliuer his people from the captiuity of the spirituall Egipt whose power and authoritie should be so perentory and great that who would not obey him should dye eternall death And the great Prophete Dauid embraced then the health which hee had so long desired he saw then that great and mighty Christ of whom hée had made so many holy ditties and songes in whose hope he had so many times taken comfort and vanquished sinne Lastly all the iust of the times past saw the accomplishment of their desiers the end of their sighes the remedye of their miseries the comfort of their sorowes the victory againste death hell and sinne and all by the presence of the captaine which came to guide them euen vnto the sight and maiestie of god Oh how possible are the perplexities which men suffer vnder hope of the promises of GOD How happie is that abiding or expectation which for pawne hath the verity of GOD Howe well assured and well recompenced is that patience which is of longe sufferance and neuer swarueth All these auncient Fathers were in diuers seasons and yet they had all one faith they were all inspired with one spirite all serued one Lorde all liued and dyed in one hope they all bare their crosse in this lyfe they all were made prisoners in that place lastely they all saw in one instant him whom they had so long expected together with the fulfillinge of al the promises which had ben made to them There the Sauiour of the worlde spake to them publishinge good newes touchinge their remedyes and restitution And comunicated with them the greatnes of the misteries which it behooued him to doe for their Redemption there is no doubt but with them he vsed most deare familiaritie Yea he who was alwaies so ioyfull with his owne vsed no lesse fauour and consolation to those with whom his Father had made alliance and so iustely kept his promises And they likewise rendred no small thankes and praises to the Lorde that had so accomplished his worde for the Saluation of the world yea they departed out of their olde prisons with no small triumphes to follow their captaine which had ouer come so many and greate ennemies The third consideration is that our sauiour Iesus Christ did not only breake the prisones and deliuer the holy Fathers but also by this discending hée brought a great astonishment and feare into hell and ouer the whole kingdome of the deuill making him know that his forces were dissolued and that now was brought to effect the breaking of his head expressed long before by prophesie and that the gates of his darke kingdome were throwne open and all hys workes brought to nought Euen as a captaine victor entering into the fortresse of his ennemie and hauing once pluckte downe the munition and ensignes so committes it to ruine and spoile that he leaues an easines to subdue it as often as he will euen in the same sort the Sunne of God gaue such a terrour to the kingdome of hell that sathan and his ministers knew well their forces were broken that there remained vnto them no possibilitie eftsones to reestablish a kingdome of sufficient power to resist the meanest souldier of that great captain that hereafter he could take no prisoners except some wretched cowardes people of smal valure which would offer thēselues to be captiues of their proper and miserable will. In this sort the princypalitie of hell so felte the inuincible and assured power of him who being dead and his body left in the Sepulcher shaked them
are we al reuiued and raised again in Jesus Christ This accomplishment appertaines to the liberalitie of the dyuine maiestie which hath reestablished and restored vs to the benefittes which he hath already communicated to vs Our death is vanquished on all partes and on all sides our life is eftsons reestablished Wée are absolued and made frée of all thinges séeing we haue on our side the death and lyfe of Iesus Christ the soueraigne bownty drawes vs from sinne the sacrifice is offered and we haue obtained pardon for our iniquities being but poore wretched slaues we are made rich and haue obteyned libertie to be the children of god And if we loose this benefitte it is eyther for some newe falt of ours or that wée will not cast or chaunge our olde skinne In effecte in this Article is disclosed the great humility and mercy of the Sonne of GOD who refused not to go into the darke prisons of the Earthe to deliuer the Soules of the iust there deteined and dispoile the Deuill of all his force and power to the ende that men may with more ease vanquish and surmount him We sée also that after all this he rose againe the thirde day and returned into true lyfe yea a life so excellent that death hath no more power ouer it nor any possibilitie eftsoones to preiudice it We haue shewed how this resurrection hath ben sufficiently iustefied euen by the places of Scripture accordinge to the testimonye of the créede That Christ rose againe the third day accordinge to the Scriptures which séemes to haue ben taken of the Apostle Wée haue also declared how necessary was this resurrection for the approbation of the dignitie of the person and doctrine of Christe séeing that in the same he is expressed the Sonne of god Wee haue also debated how it is to be vnderstanded and practised this great mistery partly for the regarde of our Lord and partely for the resurrection spirituall and corporall which he workes in vs by vertue of his restitution There remains nowe to declare who they be that practise the contentes of this article in faith and workes and who they bee that satisfie it not Such as professe and practise the substance ot this Article as appertaineth are those that perseuer in the mortification of their sinnes their fleshe and their disordered suggestions of the olde Adam that they reduce and bring him euen to the graue that is that they make a full and perfecte victory of him with a great remorse in themselues and a resolute hatred to all wicked and ill actions returning by the same meane into a newnesse of lyfe new desiers and new operations and actions Béeinge lastly altogether conformable to that newenesse which the Sonne of God is wont to coÌ„municat with suche as are risen againe with him Those be they that accompanie our Sauiour For as he is risen againe to be neuer after made subiect to death so the faithfull risen againe spiritually féele themselues so conuerted and out of taste of the woorkes of sinne that the spiritual death can not pearce so déepe as their hart And as our Lord rose againe triumphing so shall they also haue a glorious restitution beinge repurged of all wicked affections and enclyned to all good thinges to whom the yoke of the gospell shall séeme easie and swéete and shall trauell in great thirste and appetite to obserue the comaundementes of god Their charitie shall enflame their patience prepared to suffer all paines and tribulations they are glorified in the glorie of Iesus CHRIST they haue an honestie and purity of conscience they are chaste they loue their neighbour perfectly and pardon with all their harte suche as doe offend them They retire themselues from the thinges of this worlde and abandon the pompes and ambitions of the same as though they were vnapte therevnto and had no mindes affected to such transitory vanities For they are made newe men restored and raised againe by the Sonne of God who hath triumphed both ouer death and all dead thinges And so are they made his that hath raised them to serue him with new fruites which their new life bringes forth They feare not to suffer death to maintaine that which God hath ordeined they care neither for reproche nor hunger to defend iustice truth For their new life kepes them from smelling of those thinges which might hinder their faith perseuerance and constancie of hart in the traine of the gospell and ioynes vnto them a certainty of a better life which assureth them of all thinges Of the contrary such as be estraunged from this practise haue no other thinge but the simple name of those that are raised againe They are as painted sepulchers set out to the show without and within conteine nothing but rottennes and corruption such were the Pharasies with whom they haue only the title of lyfe and liuely and in effect are nothing els then dead rotten and corrupte Reteyninge that stinke and loathsomnes which is wonte to be aboute dead bodies Such be many of our christians who vnder thys name hyde a pride and arrogancie which the deuil teacheth them instructing them withall to be couetous and impatient the more to make them sauour of their stinke and filthynesse Lastly those be they that haue not chaunged nor cast their skinne and who being not mortefied can not be raised again For resurrection presupposeth death as there can be no death but there muste first be a life wherewith I ende the exposition of this article yéeldinge thankes for all thinges to GOD whom I beséech to continue his people in that proportion of faith which he thinkes necessary to their saluation Certaine testimonies of Pagan Authors seruing to approue christian Religion written in forme of a letter to a Noble man. ACcordinge to your requeste I haue sente you here with my opinion though not so liberally as you looked for yet with that faith industrie as may very well serue to satisfie your conscience and leaue me â—â—quited of my promis estéeming it to appertaine to me to instruct you séeing of your selfe you expresse such desier to know and learn. And albeit the matter it selfe drawing many circumstances requires a long time yet where thinges are debated faithfully and the resolution accepted diligently that that is long séemes not tedious and though it be little yet it may be enough for instruction beseechinge you to waye my reasons which I haue not drawn out of dreames but written them out of the best resolutions and agréementes of my bookes The vertue of christian religion is so great the miracles that haue confirmed it haue ben so publike and euident and the innocencie holynes of lyfe of such as haue professed it haue bin so cleare and manifest that the very enemies haue bin driuen to beare testimony with it notwithstandinge that they impugned it with all their industrie Yea it is a thinge wonderful seruing sufficiently to declare that our religion is
guided by the hand of God that besides the large great testimonies annexed to the gospel it selfe yet the aduersaries beare with it such witnesse and authority to the dishonour of sathan his errours that by their owne confessions we sée that the cause why they remaine in their hardnes of hart without receiuing the light way that leades to eternal life hath proceded of their sinnes and blindnes making them subiect to the subtill suggestions and pollecies of the deuil wherein for a proofe I shal not so much néede to infer authorities of scripture and olde christian authors who notwithstanding are sufficient to verifie and confirme our faith as to take to my ayde the weapons of our enemies to the ende that by the testimony of their proper consciences wée may remaine absolued and they condemned The firste testimony I will produce shal be Tertulian a writer in the time of the primatiue church a man of greate knowledge maintayning the cause of the Christians against the Pagans and pleading and writinge publykely on the christians side And hauing as it were but sipped and tasted of christianity Hee had more fully surfeyted of the Pagan faith to whom he bare a resolute zeale hee was in the times of the Emperours Seuerus and Caracalla being about two hundred thrée score and ten yeares after the death of Christ All the argumentes which he inferreth against the Pagans he deriueth from their proper historyes and of thinges that were done in that tyme showing the reason why Christ was not worshipped at Rome The Romaines had this custome not to Canonize any newe God although the Emperour woulde haue it so without the approbation and consent of the Senate the same well appearinge in all the Romaine Edictes and histories wherein is defended to receiue any Straunge GOD wythout the authoritie of the Senate and that by reason of the great inconuenyences happening by the lybertie that euerie one tooke to patronise himselfe with one GOD a part as may be séene in the times of the Bachanales and other seasons It happened that Pilat who had giuen sentence of death against Christ notwithstanding he was stubburne in hys opinion yet being conuinced both by his conscience and the certainty he had of the restitution of him whom he had condemned to death Aduertised Tiberius the Emperour of all that had passed touchinge the death and resurrection of our Lorde The Emperour obseruing with this report the opinions and great renoune that went of his passion wrote to the Senate that it were good to canonize Iesus Christe for a God But the Senate whether it was for that they were not called to the first consult of this matter or that they would not make thinges so easie to the Emperour specially in a case of so great importance fearing it woulde growe to example and consequence helde opinion contrary to the Emperour and would not suffer that CHRISTE should be worshipped as god Whervpon the Emperour published an Edicte againste such as woulde accuse christians the deuill hauinge then stirred vp the Iewes and Gentilles to persecute those that had receiued the gospell by which it came to passe that in the time of Tiberius the christian church was somwhat in rest the gospell fructifiinge greatly amongest the gentiles Thus much for Tertulian who durste not haue written so in his time if thinges had passed otherwayes For then was Rome in her estate and statutes of the Senate were diligently preserued by registers where vnto Tertulian sendes the gentiles referringe them to their proper actes and ordinaunces wherein they may finde that the first persecution againste the christians was in the raigne of Nero In all these are ministred many thinges of consideration declaring that the affaires of the gospell haue bene managed by a special prouidence of God For firste GOD so wrought that Poncius Pilate who had passed CHRIST to execution bare witnesse to his Father of the greatnesse of him whom he had condemned Secondly the lawes of the Senate and contention that was betwéen the Emperour and the magistrates make good fayth and proofe that the refusing to canonize christ at Rome was not by any default that was founde in him but by reason of the vaine ordinances obserued there by the libertie of which they had power to accept for GODS such as they woulde and reiecte whom they helde not acceptable Besides the greate prouidence of GOD is knowne in this that the diuinitie of Iesus Christe being sufficiently iustefied as wel by his workes as by hys holy doctrine yea by the testymonyes of his enemyes yet he would not suffer him to receiue this dishonour to be accepted of the people of Rome for god and much lesse to be compared and placed amongest theyr false gods whom they worshipped he which was true God and had preached that there was but one God and that al others were nothing els but abusers and spirites of the Deuill This prouidence also shewed it selfe great in this that albeit the Emperour was no christian yet he forbad vppon great paines to trouble persecute or to accuse the christians the same being the cause that the gospell was published in his first age and that the gentilles and Pagans gaue eare to it to the end that when the great persecutions should happen the church might be found to haue some foundation and certaine troupes of christians vnited by the holy word of the gospell And therefore we haue to conclude that all these things and accidentes haue ben guided gouerned by the wisedome of God séeing they serue to the approbation of so high a mistery For our seconde testimony we will vse Plutarke a Pagan borne and of no small authoritie amongst them and at no time well disposed to the christians He thinking to set downe a reason why the Oracles of the gentilles had taken ende aledging many thinges according to his blindnes and without any knowledge in the affaires of God recites an historie by the relation of a frende of his of no small authoritie and knowledge as is suggested To this was referred so much the more stabilitie of faith and credit by howe muche he makes it to happen in hys time He saith that sailing into Italy and being in a shippe accompanied with his said frend and many others about the euening they fel with the coast of certain Ilandes now called Cuzolares confining vppon Italy There the winde failed them and by that necessitie were driuen to go on shoare in one of those Ilandes called Paff 〈…〉 e. Before the mariners had supped the Sea being at a softe and still calme they hard a voice comming out of the Iland which called one of the patrons of their ships beinge an Egiptian and had to name Tamus which was vnknowne to many of the company suffisinge to see him a Captaine and Gouernour amongst them This voice calling him thrée tymes he aunswered but to the thirde as kinge what it would to whom the voyce replyed aloude
in these wordes O Tamus when thou shalt ariue at Salus nere to the I le of Corfu tell them that their great God Pan is dead All the Nauie fell into greate feare and trouble of minde with the sounde of the voyce and consulting what was to be done Tamus to whom was committed the confidence of the message resolued that if the winde serued he would passe by the place assigned by the voyce without saying any thing giuing no other credit to it then as a vision or illuding suggestion but if the winde sayled then he promised to performe the imbassage Accordinge to which resolution the wynde abating he was dryuen to rest at anker euen in the same place Tamus standinge vppon the vppermoste hatches of the shippe began to erye with a loude voyce The great God pan is dead He had no sooner ended his spéeche but there were heard generall lamentations sighes sorrowes skrikinges with straunge and wonderfull voyces and that in maruelous multitudes This accident was forthwith caried to the knowledge of Tyberius the Emperour who raised all possible diligence to vnderstand what might that GOD Pan be that they sayde was dead wherein the wisemen and wysardes of that time aunswered him according to their superstitions and vaine coniectures This Pan was a God which the gentiles worshipped there being many other Gods of that name And this happened about the time of the passion of Christ as may be gathered by the yeares of the raigne of Tyberius the Emperour In déed Pan in gréeke signifieth al. Wherevpon many do gather that al this was spoken of the death of Iesus Christ true God and lord ouer al things But because the gentiles held Pan for a God there is good congruency to take the death of this Pan for the spiritual death of the Prince of deuilles for the destruction of his kingdom and the ruin of his errours by the which he hath kept in captiuitie all mankind To this are conformable the noise and voyces of the spirites complayninge and lamentinge the ruin of their Prince and his spirituall death being nowe made naked of the strength and forces wherwith he oppressed and vexed mankind The same author affirmes that about the same time one Demetrius passing by the yles Orcades neare to England was tolde that not long since there was heard great whispering and howlings in the ayre and many fearefull thinges séene the wyse men of those Ilandes construing those prodigious things to the death of some great god which opinion hath some reference with the iudgemēts of the other woonders But these strange sights significatiōs in the world interpret in true testimony and iudgement the strangnes of the death of our souiour Iesus christ and of the victories which he hath obtained together with his triumphant glory The third testimony we may draw from Traian the Emperour a Prince Pagan albeit much resolued into pagancy a great persecutor of the christians yet so qualified by the truth of the gospel that he was constrained to moderate his crueltie though not so much as he ought yet so farre as ministred ease to the godly Plinius Secundus established hys deputie in Asia against the christians aduertiseth the Emperour that he founde no other ill in the christians but that they made certaine assemblies not to erect any Monopolie nor to commit theft nor to vse ribaldrie nor practise deceit not to desier the goods of others nor to execute any vylanus act only the cause that they assembled together was to communicate in common and necessary actions as to eate drinke together offring no hurt or preiudice to any That which hée found most wicked ill in them was that they were adicted to a certain superstiton not declaring it and so concluded that there was no ill in them This was in the beginning of our christian religion yet in that time the professors of it were bitterly persecuted But notwithstādinge they were accused and suffred imposition of great Crimes yet when they came to the triall and proofe no small matter amongst people Pagans they were holden so guiltles that euen their ennemies gaue testimony of their innocency the Deuill notwithstanding keping them so blinde that they had no iudgement of that which they did nor vnderstood what they pursued and much lesse knew what they were whom they caused to die so cruelly Plinie foūd thē not culpable in any thing except a certain superstition and yet without an apparance of il he estéemed it superstition to beléeue that one man dead on the crosse was the sauiour of all men not considering further the groundes of this religion The assemblies they made were chiefly to celebrate the sacrament of the supper which contained a greater mistery then Plinie could finde out But the Emperour hauing this aduertisement from his deputy forbad ani more to enquire against christiās willing notwithstanding that such of them as were attainted conuinced should be punished corrected Tertulian deriding this edict exclaimes against it saying oh ordenance confused foolish he forbids inquisition because they be innocent and yet leaues liberty to chastise them as offendours in one instant he pardonith and yet he is cruell he confesseth innnocencie and yet dissembleth it if he will punish them why defendes hee information against them And if hee will not haue them enquired vpon why doth he not absolue them There are established in euery Prouince prouostes to apprehende and imprison théeues robbers and euery one hath liberty to kill a publike enemie and to execute such as the lawe hath conuict of treason But alone touching the christians it is not suffred that they bee cifted as offendours and yet is it lawefull that euery one accuse them as though they bee thinges different to cutte of any one as an offendour or to present him as a malefactor Wherein thys Edicte suffereth thys contraryetie denyinge information and enquirie against the christians and yet leaues libertie to punish them if they be found guiltie For if no man informe againste a christian howe shall he be founde guiltie And in case of information what meane is there to accuse him and so consequently to punnishe him not findinge hym culpable of any thing So that the Emperour would that they were punished not as culpable but only for that they were Christians In all which as may be discerned the testimony which the firste Christians had of theyr proper ennemyes together with the simplycitie of the statutes by whose meane they were persecuted Euen so in all these thinges is matter tending to the aduowing and iustification of our iueice The Fourth testimonie wée may draw out of the doings of Adrian a Prince Pagan and dieng in the same superstition Who vpon the viewe and consideration of certain inhihitions deliuered to him in writing by Quadratus a Disciple of the Apostles and Aristides a Philosopher conuerted to christianitie dispatched commissioners to his proconsull of Asia enioyning him not to molest the
with faire Dana it was no other thing as Isidore sayth then a great masse of Golde which he made slyde in to the handes of her kéepers to betray the chastety of that fayre Lady When they make him to transforme himselfe into Amphitrio it was no other thing then the consent that Amphitrio gaue him to lye wyth his wyfe and that for the rewarde of a great summe of money The Metamorpheses that he suffred into a Bull to steale Europa was no more but the Image of a Bul painted on the sayles of the ship wherein Iupiter bestowed her when he toke her away Such like were the transformatiōs of Iupiter wherin may be discerned the simplicitie and great blindnesse of such as worshipped that licencious king for a true God gouernour of heauen and earth he that was the most vnbridled brydled and dissolute man and most drowned in his proper lustes of all other in his time And séeing vpon him they imposed the title of God of al gods by him we may iudge the qualety of the other gods of whom the most part called him father as in déed most of them issued of him as Phoebus the god of science Mars the ruler of battles Mercury the infuser of cloquēce Bacchus the image of epicurity Vulcan the spirit of fier Venus the vaine idoll of loue others there were that wer his parents as Pluto prince of hell Neptune the directer of the waters Ceres the disposer blisser of corne and Diana the figure and example of chastety And so reckoning by degrées they established particuler gods to all thinges that might be imagined estéeming one God to be insufficient to reigne alone to lead the vnuersall worlde within the power of his gouernement yea they adioyned to this Idolatry the worshipping of certaine beasts planets trées by reason of the properties they saw in them the Egiptians as Iueuenal saith were so far drowned in this superstition that they worshipped as gods Onyons Léeks attributing much to their felicity happines who had of those plants in their gardins as the ignorance of those blind people led them to do honor sacrifice to such things as to gods so they held it for religion to giue obedience to them holding such accursed as were not forward in the seruice and ministery of such vaine triffling things M. Varo wryteth that Brasillius the Philosopher found at Rome MMD. CCC Gods which caryeth no smal possiblity of truth séeing the abuse there was so great general that they gaue cerimony worship and sacrifice as to a God to all things wherof they had receiued any benefit or that they supposed had any power to kéepe them in feare Tullus hostillius third king of Rome being vexed with a feuer tertiā which had tourned his complexion to a pale and yellow did sacrifice to his ague the soner to make it to leaue him Flora a publike curtisan a woman whose body was abandoned to all lust allurements of the flesh was canonized honored with an Image or figure for that of al the goodes she had got with the filthy sweat trauel of her body she cōstituted the Senate to be heire they gaue her diuine honor celibrated her feast euery yere wherin as a special cerimony there was liberty to al yoūgmē to be naked to exercise their pleasure with the first woman they founde S. Augustine writeth that the consuls and wise men of Rome tooke councell to abollishe that vile and abhominable custome But albeit for certaine perils and impediments they durst neuer execute it yet to deface the memory of that lewd woman giue greater apparance to their supersticions the named Flora the Goddes of flowers Amid these great darknesses obscurities of ignorance wherin this people of the Gentils was plunged there wer many notwithstanding in whom was some impression of light possessed with those natural iudgments reasons which drew them out of that blindnes as in déede all the schole of philosophy generally acknowledged one author mouer of al things from whom as out of a spring proceeded al the vniuersallity of things were fed enterteind by him as the true soueraigne gouernour of the whole of this knowledge Socrates was not depriued who being at poynt of death sayd he was willing to dye to confesse on onely Lord to whom he had alwaies labored to doe seruice according to the power of his humayne frayelty neuer hauing intention to offende him Aristotle at the article of death recommended himselfe to the soueraigne Creator saying Oh cause of all causes haue pytie on me Plato and Cicero in their treatises of common weales were of the same opinion it was the fayth of Virgill that al procéeded of God and that as wel the heauen and earth as the aire and water are ful of his greatnes acknowledging by that the essence of one onely God. Cicero speaking of the nature of Gods and Varro in his vayne Etimologies being albeit both Pagans and much addicted to their ceremonies scoffed notwithstanding at the feastes and assemblies which the populer sort made to honour their Gods partly through ignorance more by flatterye but most of all for feare It is no néede here to proue by the doctrine of the scripture that all those Gods were but illusions dreames procéeding of the inuention of man and abuse of the Diuell séeing that since the sonne of the euerlasting trueth is appeared wich is the sonne of the onely God all these damnable superstitions are not onely discouered but by the beames of that sonne shining in the myndes and eyes of men they are put to flight and vanished as the clowdes giue place when the sonne approcheth They are falne into ruine as buildings ill foūded and méeting the firme vessel of the word of God their tickle ship driuen by the wind of abuse and deceyt is confounded and swallowed in the golphe of Christian religion Thus much for the first poynt of your demaunde which I doubt not is eyther sufficiently aunswered or at least nothing left doubtfull There resteth now to touch what opinion the Poets and other auncients had of these Gods and the plurality of them As Hesiode Archilachus Horace Menander Esope Apuleius Ouid and many other wryters of great grauety and authority who published not their inuentions and fictions to other effect then to disclose to men the meanes to become more wyse and draw to a more Ciuill fourme of lyfe in the world For which purpose they spred many fictions and fabulous metaphors tending to sundry artes and professions For fables according to the opinion of Apthonius and Hermogenes haue taken their name of Fari in Latine signifying to discourse and speake so that a fable may be taken for a discourse fayned inducing oftentimes vnder an honest recreation and delitfull resemblaunce the readers to consider the morrall sence and doctrine hyd vnder those fabulous discourses which discouering