accounted Dogs and Heretiques and Diuels Thou O Christ and the Gospell are the matter of our reproach and scorne for in thee onely we beleeue to thee onely wee cleaue and trust thee onely wee confesse Which when all the Saints haue done before how much more doth this now concerne vs in this darknesse of the ending world in this distraction of faith in this cruell warre and hostility of sides and parts Come hither beloued in Christ heere heere stand for this truth It is a small thing to die for Christ it is more hard and as much glorious to liue and confesse him Follow Christ if not in suffering death yet in the contempt and scorne of life if not in the bodies dying yet in the hearts suffering for these home enemies doe not onely seeke to take away your life as those Pagan persecuters and tyrants but that which is farre more deere and pretious your Faith But I will yet labour to set you surer vpon this foundation When Peter confessed this same confession Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God hee heard not onely to his owne comfort and priuiledge but for all others whosoeuer shall confesse the same confession foure things First Beat us tu Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Iona 2. Flesh and blood hath not reuealed this to thee thou art taught it of my Father God is thy teacher 3. He was called Cephas that is a Rock thou art a rocke for thy constantnesse in this confession 4 Vpon this rocke that is the rocke of my Diuinitie which thou hast confessed I will build my Church Was it then blessednesse to confesse Christ to be God was Peter called blessed for this and doth the blessing now cease Is not our blessednesse the same Yes whosoeuer thou art that beleeuest and confessest that Iesus is the Sonne of God beat us tu Blessed art thou Could Peter neuer haue attayned to this knowledge without the reuealing and teaching of God in heauen and we which vndoubtedly know beleeue the same haâ—… we or can we haue any other teacher Was Simon called a rocke for not being shaken in the faith of the Godhead of the man Christ and are wee counted stubble and chaffe for our sole and constant building vpon the same Is the rock it selfe this thou art Christ the Sonne of the louing God the very foundation vpon which the Church is built and are wee which plant all our hope and faith vpon the Diuinitie of Iesus Christ outlings from the Church of Christ I beseech you then consider with me the malice and subtilty of the diuell For when he saw the ground-worke and foundation laid on which all which shall be saued must be built for euer and that very same foundation planted to triâ—…ph ouer his hell and hell gates forth with attempted the ouerthrow of this foundation that none should confesse Iesus to be the Sonne of God And first by all the Kings of the earth by cruell tyrants by open and professed enemies persecuted this faith binding banishing imprisoning beating burning drowning killing torturing destroying all those which confessed that Iesus was Christ as I haue shewed before but when hee saw that this was not the way to batter the faith of Christ and that the Church the more it was shaken with persecution was built the firmer vpon this rocke and that the blood of the Martyrs was the seede of the Church for the more they were killed the more they encreased he sought another way for that which he could not effect by violence and hostility hee wrought by sleight and subtilty that which he could not compasse by open enemies which yelled and roared against the Church Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground that he plotted by Tatnayes and Sanballats which came to vs disguised vnder the profession of Christians saying Wee will build with you And so by sleight and shift of argument and wit of man it is held for the ground of all truth What that Peter was a rocke that we deny not but that he was the rocke this rocke vpon which Christ his Church is built And so wee haue for tu es Christus tu es Petrus But the Pope of Rome is Peters successour Ergo Christs Church is built vpon the Pope But the Church shall preuaile Ergo the Pope cannot erre But the Popes seat is Rome therefore Romana is Catholica But none shall be saued but they which are of the Church therefore this is eternall life to be of the Church of Rome Doe you not see how wee are disputed out of our saluation how wee haue lost our faith as it were at a tricke of fast and loose How cunningly the Diuell hath iugled away our foundation Doe you not see this blessed Scripture our Fortresse our Rocke our Castle our high Tower which was lifted vp and planted against hell and hell gates turned to fortifie for hell and hell gates Doe you not see how lightly we are parted from this one article the ground and summe of all truth which the blessed and glorious Apostles held deerer then their lifes blood And as if we had receiued no good at all by the knowledge of God and Christ we make onely earnest of faith and stand with vtmost contention and eagernesse whether Images be to be worshipped whether the dead be to be prayed for whether the Pope can dispense with Oathes c. Doe you not see how we are robbed of our euidence and turned out of our right Patrimonie of the Scriptures and so vtterly dispossest that our way is turned into a maze or wood and our truth into a lye and our life into death If then you haue not learned sufficiently the surenesse of this ground the deerenesse of this knowledge from the light of the Scriptures the words of Christ from the faith of the Prophets Apostles Martyrs Saints yet wee may sufficiently be perswaded from the cruelty malice and opposition and raging of the Diuell which from the beginning hath neuer ceased from seeking the vndermining batterie and ouerthrow of this truth I will now draw to my conclusion and come to ourselues which hauing quitted this article from the slaunders of our enemies haue not yet turned it for our owne best vse This is the faith which we haue receiued this is our ground this we professe in this we were baptized and yet hungry after knowledge as if wee had not beene sufficiently taught wee long for newes out of Scriptures we must haue the word more curiously carued some will haue this Preacher some that and this is fuller and this is sweeter and this is deeper and wee will haue I know not what Let mee be bold to say you heare Sermons as you heare Musicke for some delightfull straine or quirke of mens wit you itch in your eares and must haue them tickled daily with new pleasure your fashion is to iudge of the learning and sufficiencie of the Preacher which should be here humbled
temptations As soone as Christ was declared the sonne of God instantly Satan declared himselfe an open enemy and this euery child of GOD shall proue in himselfe What perill was Saint Paul in whiles he was a persecutour was it not a sweet world to apprehend to binde to imprison whome he listed But when he is conuerted to Christ heare what he saies In Perils of water of Robbers of his owne nation of the Gentiles in perils in the Citty in the Wildernesse in the Sea in perils of false brethren See how the world is changed now he must iourny be weary watch fast hunger for our goodnesse will not free vs from danger it is the cause of danger as we see in Abel Are not men slaine for their goods so the treasure of Godlinesse is the sole cause of the enimies assault he will venture most for the richest booty Thus the wicked haue a trebble aduantage of the Godly First their heauen is heere on earth they are in their owne country they seeke no farther Secondly they haue no such treasure being voyde of grace cantabit vacuus coram latrone vâ—…ator He that hath neuer a peny in his purse neede not feare robbing Thirdly their friends are here the world loueth him So standes it not with the Saints of God whose country is not the world whose treasure is not in the world whose friends are not of the world I will briefly shew three things which belong to a good souldier of Christ. First he must haue a good heart the Deuill fights for the heart who then will be a niggard of an hearts courage in an hearts defence they say mens cuiusque is est quisque a Christian should be all heart For so much as we deduct out of courage and resolution for Gods cause so much haue we forfeited of our being and subsisting to Christ. Doe not Princes when they send treasure by land or sea picke out the most stout resolute the most hardy and ventrous men will they trust cowards We haue grace from Christ as a depositum a treasure committed God hath put vs in trust let not vs basly and cowardly giue it ouer Lucan speaks of Metellus which when Iulius Caesar entred Rome suffring the dishonor of the Citty and the breach of all lawes yet when Caesar brake open the doore of the treasury thrust himselfe betweene and would not let him passe without breaking through his owne sides So the Poet hath Vsque adeo solus ferrum mor temque timere Auri nescit amor pereunt discrimine nullo Amissae leges sed pars vilissima rerum Certamen mouistis opes O cursed gold thy onely loue when state and lawes decay Through fire sword bloody death doth carles make a-way Riches yee vilest part of things for you men kill and slay Shall it be said so the loue of riches feareth not sword nor death O no let onely the loue of Christ contemne death No sacke of a citty is so lamentable as when the Deuill entreth into a soule as when he cries downe with an heart and synks the whole man into ruine and perdition we haue true enemies why haue we false hearts he which hewed vs as I may say out of the dust of the earth was knowne to bring vs to an excellent piece of worke Why then doe wee suffer that enemie which will breake downe all our carued workes with Axes and Hammers We want no courage to stout it and braue it in defence of our wicked liues and lewd manners we will beare no reproofe we will maintayne it to the death we are hardie and resolute to follow causes at Law we spare for no cost though our cause be weake our heart is strong A man is not afrayd to challenge his Brother into the field and to seeke to shed his bloud with hazard of his owne life though he fight against God and the iust Lawes armed with vengeance The World hath her Martyres Sinne hath hers What hath Religion Come on deare Christians let vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First challenge the enemies of our faith We onely which stand for the truth of God haue a strong cause Let vs not haue faint hearts We fight against a fugitiue enemy a Runnagate whom our Captayne Michaell hath so wounded that if we but resist him he will flie from vs Our fellow Souldiers are all the Saints of God Martyrs Apostles Prophets Patriarchs euen that royall Army of God our auxiliares copiae our supplies are the Angels in Heauen which pitch their Tents about vs whom if we could see we should say That more are they that fight for vs then they that fight against vs. Our Captayne our Leader is Christ Iesus which combated the enemy in single fight and is ascended vp on high Principalities Powers Mights and Dominations being made subiect to him Come on I say courage for Heauen for Christ for the Crowne of glory What Dwarfe wil feare to bid defiance to the strongest Champion if a Giant will stand by and abet his quarrell Dominus nobiscum The Lord is on our side that Giant of infinite stature Heere what Dauid the Prophet saith Though an hoast of men were gathered against mee yet will not I be afraid See a little Dwarfe in in this Name defie all names and Powers Angels Principalities Life Death Height depth things present things to come counting his daily killing for Christ more then conquering For know we this no man can be ouercome which hath a good cause if his enemy kill him his cause will saue him then come what will we onely which haue this cause of Christ can say of all our enemies as Socrates said of Anytus and Melitus Me vero Anytus Melitus necare possunt nocere non possunt Our enemies may kill vs but they cannot hurt vs. Finally to make our courage lasting and durable let vs behold our Lord Iesus holding ouer our heads the Crowne of glory and saying Vincenti dabo to him that ouercommeth I will giue the Crowne of life The second in a good Souldier is to haue a good hand or arme for we must not be such onely as may not feare our enemies we must make them feare vs as Pelopidas which when one told him We are in danger of our enemies Why said he more then they of vs For why should we feare carnall or couetous or cruell men if the arme of our Faith be extent and strong they shall rather feare vs. I say then Hostem qui feriet mihi erit Carthaginiensis He that strikes an enemy of Gods shal be to me a good Christian. Strike at Atheists downe with proud Goliah pull away the visards of hypocrites and hit them in the faces feare no mans person no not the Giants For wee haue a Sword of that temper and sharpenesse which will diuide and pierce the diuisions of the Spirit and the ioynts
of his mouth like an armory stored with cruell instruments of death whose teeth are speares and arrowes and his tongue a sharpe sword his words like hammers his throat like a gaping sepulchre the whole nature set on fire and now this faire Image of God this Microcosinus this little world for beauty and excellence is made a confused Image of shame and confusion so that in the whole nature of things vnder heauen there is not found so vgly mis-shapen a monster as an angry man What should we now say if that deformity might be seene which lurkes within Hence come slaunders deare brethren hence blasphemies cursing swearing lying fightings warres bloudshed euen from wrath the seminary of all mischiefe what Beare hauing broken the Grates is more sauage or outragious then Anger hauing once gotten out of the warde and custody of Reason We grieue not for the euill we haue done but for that we could not doe we will sooner repent what wee promised out of the aduice of Loue than what wee haue menaced in our fury O wretches if we doe not yet conceiue what wrong we doe to others yet let vs pitty our selues Our anger hurteth vs before it can hurt our brother What then gainest thou if thy ovvne minde being darkened reason cast behinde thy vnderstanding led captiue in wracke of thy soule and in confusion of thy selfe thy fury hath preuayled to hurt thy brother Nay what if thou hurt him not but with thy stroke hast lanced his vlcer and let out his impostumation as the enemy of Alexander Pheraeus did What if thou haue deserued of him better by being a bitter enemy than a svveet friend what if by this he become regardfull watchfull of his life What if thy wrongs haue turned to his gaine But were it not so yet by being injustly angry thou dost more absurdly than hee vvhich asked an hundred stripes that his fellovv might haue halfe for thou giuest thy selfe many stripes but art not sure to giue him one Thou dost but venture his vexation thou art sure of thine ovvne Thou makest men his enemies thou hast made God thine enemy Thou fightest against him with that svvord the very poynt whereof thou turnest to thine ovvne heart Thou woundest his fame thou slayest thine ovvne soule Socrates was wont to say when he saw a drunken man Num ego talis Am I such a one Let vs consider whether we be such as I haue said let vs see whether we haue offended God more by not repenting the euill then by committing it whether wee haue cursed them whom we should haue blessed vvhether vvee haue smitten them vvhom vve should haue defended if wee haue turned our compassions into cruelties and our loues into hatreds Let vs consider if wee haue rashly or despitefully slaundered our brethren and giuen the reines to sinne and made our members the vveapons of wrath and reuenge and say Are we such Doubtlesse the sinne of Anger should be so much the more detested of vs hovv much the more it fighteth against Loue and Charity the very Badges and Recognisances of our calling Neither ought vve to abhorre Anger onely as I haue spoken but all priuy and secret consultation vvith it For there is a sort of men which vvould seeme vvisest vvhich dissemble Wrath and giue it strength by delay vvhich harbour Hatred as a treasure in their hearts These doe but as the Lacedemonian Boy vvhich stole a Foxe and hid him so long vnder his cloake till at last hee did gnavve out his heart For vvhere Wrath is most hidden and concealed there is it not onely most filthy and abhominable but more pernicious and to be feared Therefore as Anger is sinne let vs not act our Anger neither openly neither in secret neither with a cause nor without a cause We haue handled two parts First the Permission Secondly the Prohibition Now followes the Exhortation in which we are instructed to confine this passion of our mind that it passe not her bounds Let not the Sunne goe downe vpon your wrath Plutarch in his Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Brotherly Loue writeth that it was the custome of Pythagoras Schollers how euer they had beene at oddes jarring and wrangling in their Disputations yet before the Sunnes set to kisse and shake hands as they departed out of Schoole A custome most worthy obseruation and most fit for the Scholers of CHRIST to end all dissentions and controuersie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the holy kisse of loue GOD forbid that when our liues are mortall that our hatreds should be immortall Nay if we haue entertained Anger as a bad guest let vs send him away quickely and turne him out of doores For he that but toucheth Pitch shall be defiled how much more hee that holdeth it in his bosome We should be glad to apprehend any occasion to shunne that which is euill This short night telleth vs of a long night The setting of this Sunne warneth vs of the setting of our life If GOD to our visible sight be contented to bury this blessed Sunne and â—…his sweet light of Heauen vnder the Earth all night shall we refuse to bury foule displeasure and cursed hatred and sinne How dare we commit our selues to Anger when we sleepe with which we haue no safe conuersation waking Who will deliuer the keyes of his house to a thiefe which will robbe him and lodge him in his secret Chamber and rest with him in bed Cuiuslibet est errare nullius nisi insipientis in errore per seuerare Any man may erre but none but madde men will perseuere in their errour What then can we better doe then redeeme our selues quickely from captiuity The Dogs in Egypt for feare of Crocodiles doe runne and drinke and doe wee drinke downe malice and lie downe and sleepe Doubtlesse hee which hath not maistred the enemie by the light of the day will be lesse able to doe it in the darkenesse of the night But let vs see what fruit may redound to vs from this counsell of the Apostle First we shall avoyde the familiarity of sinne then which nothing is more daungerous and shunne those occasions by which sinne insinuating it selfe into vs preuaileth at last to seeme sweet and pleasing so that it should neuer possibly appeare to vs but in her blacke shape and abhorred nature for the custome and fellowship with sinne lendeth that ougly monster opportunity to dissemble and shrowd it selfe vnder the couering of nature Be the familiarity of sinne as farre from the children of God as light from darknesse let rancor and malice and fury rest in the natures of fierce and sauage beasts whose outward formes and aspects doe threaten violence and cruelty If we iustly auoyde the company of sinners how much more the sinne it selfe How far should we be from harbouring dissention and strife in vs which if we follow the rule of the Apostle must not be named in vs. The
whereas Izhak was required to a sacrifice to an honorable death he hanged his Sonne IESVS CHRIST on the Crosse to die for vs a death most vile and accursed Izhak was offred by his Father CHRIST was crusified by his enimies Pitties and compassions did follow Izhak to his sacrifice But CHRIST was slaine with bitter taunts and reuiling and shakings of the head He that offred Izhak would haue redeemed his life with all the good and treasures of the World they which kill the Lord of life rather then they will spare him say his bloud be vpon vs and our children And a secret place was chosen to hide Izhaks shame but the Sonne of God was put to a most cruell and reprochfull death in the face of the world If this suffice not God the Father offereth to vs yet his Sonne IESVS CHRIST to euery heart that is grieued to euery soule that is vexed He is offred to vile sinners to vnworthy receauers he is offered so truly so fully so franckely as no heart can conceaue no thought can compre hend God grant that our hearts may conceaue him and our soules receaue him Amen FINIS THE CHRISTIAN Souldier The third Sermon 2 TIM Chap. 2. Vers. 3. 4. 2 Thou therefore suffer affliction like a good souldier of Christ. 3 No man going on warfare entanglech himselfe with the things of this life WE see how Saint Paul exhorteth his Sonne Timotheus for after he had stirred vp his faith in the chapter before verse 6. and warned him what a treasure he had in his keeping verse 14. complaining how many had reuolted and turne away from the profession verse 15. Now he exhorted him to suffer affliction as a good souldier of Christ teaching him that this life is a warfare so the Scripture hath foure parts 1. the state of a Christian in the words in generall going in warfare to which we may annexe how different this warfare is from all others in the 2. place 3 what we ought to be in this warrefare the Latine translation hath laborantes laboring the originall hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suffer euill as a good souldier of Christ 4. what we ought not to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ensnaring or intangling our selues with the busines of this present World Some considering this worlds euils with a worldly regard nakednesse pouerty troubles crosses dangers haue iudged it a prison or place of vexation others looking into the apparant good as honour riches pleasures with which the world doth not onely allure but rauish her louers haue deemed it a Paradise or place of delight But they which view it ouer with a spirituall eye and attend the danger of their soules the hazard of their country the multitude of their spirituall enemies say Militia est potius quid enim concurret horae momento aut cita mors venit aut victoria laeta It is a kinde of warring for we encounter on euery side in the moment of an houre either quick death commeth or ioyfull victory For Saint Paul which fought from his Youth vp euen to Paul the Aged counted it but a momentary fight This horae momentum is mans whole life which be it all spent in hazard of fight hath the comparison but of an eyes twinkling to the purchase of the victory and life eternall And in this moment of an houre we are all lost or saued That our life is a warfare we are taught by the Sacrament of our calling in Baptisme where we take an oath to fight against the Flesh the World and the Diuell There we remember our first presse-peny of grace and haue professed our selues souldiours of Christ to fight vnder his Banner Our Sauiour Christ chargeth the watch in his Gospell Watch and Pray that you fall not into temptation And giueth this charge not onely to the leaders and captaines of his band but to euery common souldier that which I say to you I say to all Watch. We haue our munition out of Holy Scriptures which are like Solomons Tower where hang a thousand sheildes and all the weapons of strong men The Apostle sounds the alarum Arme arme take the whole armour of God from the heads helmet to the feete We must lie open at no place for our enimie is a Serpent if he can but bite the heele he will transfuse his venime to the heart and to the head And in one side we see the faithfull in perpetuall agony striuing wrestling fighting now receauing in the buckler of their faith the dints of affliction and temptation now charging the enimy as in open fight For which cause the Apostle doth not onely encourage others to fight a good fight but desireth to be seene in the fore-front hauing the same fight which you haue seene in me And therefore summeth vp all his labours for CHRIST and his Gospel in these few words I haue fought a good fight On the other side we see so many multitudes led captiues vnder diuers lustes of whom the Deuill hath his will and hath taken them as an easie pray as Saint Paul saith at his pleasure Now enimies of the crosse of Christ. He that warreth vpon an other doth he not entend to make him tributary and make his people his seruants So doth Satan warre against CHRIST and being not able to vanquish him doth yet preuaile to draw from him such as were his sworne seruants causing them to fight vnder him for wages of damnation Lastly that we may be out of doubt that our life is a warfare our Sauiour saith the kingdom of Heauen suffreth violence the violent possesse it So that nothing is more cleere then this point we must haue warre for our country we must win it by force and violence Whether it be because the earthly man doth seeke it because from beneath he aspireth to it because he wrestleth not onely against outward enemies whether Carnall or Spirituall wickednesse but against his owne will and desire and loue and against himselfe to attaine this kingdome whether it be that the short compasse of our life draweth vs with that swiftnesse that we must reach with violence at that which with such violence is taken from vs or that the aboundance of the heauenly treasure so enflameth with desire the hearts of Gods chosen that they contemne all dangers and runne through all lets and euils to win it or lastly for that the Amalekites of this world while we are here fainting and weary in the way smite vs for that here be Caananits which must be expulsed before we can attaine the land of Promise and Sehons and Oggs Giants of monstrous stature to appale and affright vs. But say the kingdome of Heauen suffreth violence and what can we get here but by violence Seeke we then with the same violence the things in heauen with which wicked men doe seeke the things of this world Heere we can
earthly Sauiour vnder whom they should haue riches and plenty and peace and protection in the world when the Messiah himselfe telleth them that they shall not be free from the very Magistrates which shall most injustly handle and persecute them For by the Magistrates all that professed Iesus Christ were smitten spoyled of their goods banished most cruelly tormented and killed by Kings by Gouernours by Deputies Lieutenants Iudges by Edicts Proclamations Lawes Decrees Counfailes all vniust and cruell things were done to the Martyres of Christ. We see how needfull it was for the Church that Christ should say vobis dico to you I speake for they that cannot keepe this saying cannot be Christs Disciples If now then brethren we haue Christian Magistrates which shield vs from wrong yet let vs learne this lesson if God should put vs vnder Antichristian authority which may doe vs wrong and still consider that albeit we are now in Sanctuary in a peaceable state in a quiet and protected Church yet we haue taken vpon vs that profession which must not stinch or shrinke when highest iniustice and extreamest vexation shall be inflicted And as we ought to prepare our selues against the greatest thunders and stormes of persecution so let not little puffes and flawes of iniuries remoue vs from our hope for what bastard Christians are we if with lesse patience we suffer a light disgrace or contemptible iniury then those holy Martyrs endured the shedding of their bloud We know it is a diuine and heauenly blessednesse to suffer wrong if Gods word did not protest so we may heere it out of the mouth of an heathen King Regium est audire male cum facias bene It is kingly honour to heare euill when thou dost wel Doubtlesse euen they which fight but for an earthly Country do glory in their wounde as Cicero in his fragments hath of one Salustine which had his face most fowly scathed in fight quo ille de honestamento vultus maxime gloriabatur of which deformity and dishonesty of his face he most gloried and boasted Will a man that hath long beene perilously tost in a dangerous Sea care if the ship split and teare in pieces if he may grapple with the shore So did not that braue souldier Tarchon Frangere nec tali puppim statione recusa arrepta tellure semel Since now I haue attain'd the shoare Let ship be all to pieces to are Let our bodies rent and split so we may land our soules in Heauen let vs not care what we suffer but for what we suffer for God for Christ Iesus for glory and life in Heauen Now let vs reason thus doe priuate men do vs wrong let vs seeke the Gods on earth to the Magistrates do these Gods on earth oppresse vs let vs appeale to God in Heauen for God hath not giuen authority so to men that he hath reserued none to himselfe God sitteth in the assembly of Gods he indgeth among Gods Doe we stand vpon the deerenesse of our flesh and goods O how much dearer should our soule and life in Heauen bee But who can endure so many iniuries Then tell me if we cannot sustaine the shaking of the leaues how shall we endure the cutting downe of the tree For we owe to Christ not only these but the forsaking of all deniall of our selues If then things of small moment cause vs to renounce the word we make open protestation that we will neuer die for Christ where then now shall we finde such as will foresake all when in vs such slight and momentary euils poize downe all our faith in Christ When thou hast a grieuous ach or sicknes in thy body thou doest not preferre before enduring the paine to die presently to the flesh and rather then we will beare a little griefe or bitternesse in our soule doe we preferre to die to God Then let vs seeke another reremedy there is one thing that can cure all euils whatsoeuer The loue of God in Christ. This Saint Paul opposeth to life to death to Angels to Principalities to Powers to things present to things to come to height to depth to all creatures whatsoeuer saying What shall separate vs from the loue of Christ And doe not we speake to Christians And in such a multitude of these which professe Christ is there such a fewst of them which follow him Are we still like leane Bulls in the rich and plentifull Pastures of the Gospell but the Apostles are dead and those great lights of examples the Patriarches the Prophets the holy Martyrs and wee haue their Sepulchers with vs yet let their hope their zeale their fayth their constancy their Patience liue I speake with more vehemencie because I know not what concernes vs more then this Scripture our Houses our Liuings and Estates and Children our Liues our selues are not so much ours as this In your Patience you shall possesse your soules Loe we stand vpon being or not being vpon the hauing or loosing our soules The God of loue and peace giue vs all the spirit of Meekenesse of Hope and Patience that in the sweet loue of Iesus Christ we may ouercome all hardnesse of heart all bitternesse of tentation Amen THE FVLNESSE OF CHRIST The sixt Sermon MATTH 5. Vers. 17. Thinke not that I am come to destroy the Law I came not to destroy but to fulfill it THE Iewes feared the dissolution of their State and Lawes and Customes and the destruction of their Temple and would make Christ the Author for such a brute was blowne abroad whether the Predictions of the Prophets which spake against their Feasts and Sabbaths and Sacrifices gaue them to vnderstand or that the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ in so many Signes and Wonders and powerfulnesse both of Word and Workes caused them to thinke hee would make some change or that hating him they would cast on him an aspersion of malice as an enemie to the lawes and religion established or that it was fatall to the Sinagogue which was so neere to her last period to haue some vniuersall notions and presagements of her dissolution Whether it were any of these or all the fame went currant of Christ that hee would make an alteration but of the dissolution of their state and policie Christ was no more the cause then the man which is murthered is cause that the malefactour is executed As for the law and religion hee was so farre from taking them away that the cause of his comming was onely to fulfill them as hee saith I came to fulfill the law So that vnlesse the fulfilling of the law be a repealing of the law Christ cannot be said to abrogate the law The Iewes themselues transgressed the law and made the ordinance of God voyd by their traditions They might haue accused themselues but they accuse Christ and stand so in feare that he will disanull it that they doe as much as in them lieth
estate because she had made an Idoll in a Groue and burnt her Idols Now if the Ceremonies were violated it did belong to the Priests to iudge that and therefore they stood most stifly prefractly for the vpholding of this Law because they were Masters of the ceremonies themselues And albeit they themselues were most contrary to the morall law hipocrites liars slanderours boasters couetous c. yet still they disputed and contended for the Ceremonies to the least tittle And for these they not onely accused Christ when he was with them but after his ascension as Acts 6. When the multitude laid to the blessed Protomartyr S. Stephens charge We haue heard Stephen say that this Iesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place and change the ordinances which Moses gaue vs. Now albeit as I haue shewed they accused Christ of breaking the other two yet their onely feare was that he would alter their customes and ceremonies To this Christ answereth nolite putare thinke not so Christ did not transgresse the morall law for hee destroyed and abolished sinne Hee did loose the worke of the diuell Sinne was the diuels worke the law being broken gaue sin strength as S. Paul the strength of sinne is the law Then was the diuels worke strong and sure but Christ by fulfilling the law hath loosed the worke of the diuell Neither did Christ take away the iudiciall law for it tooke him away and hee confessed hee was vnder it So he answered to the full both morall and iudiciall law the law morall by his righteousnesse the law iudiciall with his bloud Nay the law of Ceremonies which was of least moment and shortest time he did not disobey for he was circumcised and presented in the Temple and did not onely become vnder the Ceremonies himselfe but commanded others to do the same as the Leapers whom hee cleansed Yet farther whereas the Baptisme of Iohn was a Ceremonie or Sacrament supererogated to the Ceremonies of the law he sustayned also to be baptized of Iohn and gaue the reason Thus it becommeth vs to fulfill all righteousnesse all righteousnesse of all lawes iudiciall morall and ceremoniall and that in all points to euery little prick and tittle And lastly for the fulfilling of the Prophets it doth appeare not onely by his birth by his life by his doctrine miracles death and passion but by this very slaunder they here put vpon him in accounting him an enemie to the law and Prophets This a Prophet fore-told That he should be counted a sinner and reputed with the iniust which being so how truly doth he say I came not to destroy the law But this another might haue said I came not to destroy the law Christ saith more and that which none can say but himselfe I came to fulfill the law So that but for fulfilling all things which are written in the law and Prophets Christ had not come As then before Christs comming the law and the Prophets did intentiuely looke towards him so Christ being come doth fixe his eyes on them making them the end of his comming And so Christ comes and being come the end of the law and Prophets is come without whose comming the law had beene ridiculous and the Prophets friuolous for they had had no end God forbid that we should thinke that God which made nothing in vaine should make vaine his owne ordinances that the Prophets which spake by his owne spirit should haue proued lyars which yet had so beene if Christ Iesus comming in our flesh had not fulfilled the contents of both Law and Prophets But the question is how Christ fulfilled the law when by his death and the oblation of himself he caused all the ceremonies and sacrifices to cease For S. Paul saâ—…th he did abrogate in his flesh the hatred that is the law of commandements which standeth in ordinances And agayne he put out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against vs. And the commandement which went afore is diâ—…lled beâ—…e of the weaknesse thereof and vnprofitablenes Caietan answereth that Christ came not in his owne person to cause the ceremonies to cease but did it by his Disciples after his death Some answere otherwise that the law of Moses is taken for those things which were properly brought in by it as Ceremonies and Customes or for the principall contents as the law Morall which is called the great commandement Now those first of Ceremonies were but accessary to the law principall anâ—… for that people onely and but for a time They alledge for proofe the testimony of the Prophet I spake not vnto your Fathers nor commanded them when I brought them out of the land of Aegipt concerning burnt Offâ—…ings and Sacrifices 23. But this thing I commanded and said obey my voyce and I will be your God c. This Scripture they so alledge as if God compulsed by their euill disposition and their pâ—…onenes to Idolatry gaue them those ordinances by which they should be exercised humbled not that they had any necessary vse in themselues and thus they would haue the negatiue part vnderstood I came not to loose the law principall but neyther of these â—…o answere the doubts or cleere this Scripture for Christ came as well to fulfill the law of Ceremonies as the morality and that to euery tittle and poynt Indeed Christ had loosed them if after cancelling them to the letter he should haue said they had no vse in them nor were instituted by God he did not so but exhibited in himself what had bin signed and sealed in them As then the prophesie is iustified when the things foretold are com to passe so did Christ make good iustifie the customs and ordinances of the Law when comming with a body as they required he did in substance and trueth exhibit what they in their shadowes which were dumb shewes and figures of him did pretend and signifie To these He fulfilleth the law when by the efficacy of his diuine spirit he worketh in vs all those things inwardly spiritually as I will shew in my last words which the law which had the shadow of things to come did signifie and thus to take away those figures concerning the letter was to fulfill them because the law it selfe did require this Bring no moe oblations in vaine Incense is an abhomination to mee I cannot suffer your new Moones nor Sabbathâ—… nor solemne dayes it is iniquity nor solemne assemblies Againe I will not reproue thee for thy Sacrifices and thou desirest no Sacrifice Well said Leâ—… 〈◊〉 hostia in hostiam transit sanguine saguis aufertur legalâ—…s festiuitas dum mutatur impletur One oblation passeth into another bloud is taken away with bloud and the feasts of the law are fulfilled when they are changed For what hurt is done to the image of the king by the comming of the King himselfe
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Life is short the Art is long the experience is full of danger How miserable then were the state of simple men if it were of like hardnesse to haue the knowledge of eternall life as to learne Physicke or Astronomy or Rhetorique or any other Art But heere the Art is short and our life compared is long and the practise is secure and full of pleasure heere is the whole science to know God the Father and his Sonne Iesus Christ And this wee obtayne not by learning but by beleeuing not by discourse as seeking but by obtute as seeing wee haue it not by acquisition but by infusion not by diuision but by vnion not as I haue said in all other Sciences first the parts and then the whole but first the whole and then the parts This the superabundant mercy of God hath prouided for the simple the ignorant vnlearned that no man may pretend difficulty or hardnes in the way of life eternal but that it may be as easily learned of the simple as of the wise All other Arts whether mechanicall or liberall haue their misteries by themselues diuers Arts haue diuers misteries for diuers men and all kept secret this Science of Sciences hath but one mistery for all men in the world which is preached and published to all the world the same of bond the same of free the same of old the same of young the same of the learned the same of the ignoran tthe same of men the same of women the same of Iewes the same of Greekes one mistery for high and low rich and poore all people one with another and this is it to know God the Father c. well then might Saint Paul call it common saluation and Saint Iude common faith and S. Peter write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To them which haue obtayned like precious faith for as in this bodily life nature by one and the selfe same way worketh in all alike and that same which is the cause of life in one that liueth is the cause of life in all that liue wherefore it is held a maxime in Philosophy that Nature is one in all things so in our spirituall and eternall life there is but one mistery and in it one cause of vitality in all that are saued that God may be all in all I one in all which worketh in all and we all one in God I haue foure arguments by which I may shew that it is a matter of no great hardnesse or which requireth long time to learne the science of a Christian My first I take from that principle of Nature in which there is in all men a desire and appetite ingenite and inly rooted of the soueraigne good Omnia appetunt borum for when to this desire ingrafted the good desired shall be manifestly obiected out of the vnderstanding conuicted by euidence of the light of Gods word how quickly will the desire assent and rest satisfied For now she is filled and at the end of her appetite and cannot possibly desire farther If then the straying and erroneous desire of Heathen people in ignorance after the true God being misled in the blindnesse of their vnderstanding did like men which being almost drowned in vnperfectnesse and amazement of their sense will catch at stickes and stones and weeds in the bottome of the water and hold them fast to death thinking by these to get out so they hoping to seeke euasion from eternall death in that deezinesse and confusion of apprehension did catch at gods of stickes and stones and beasts and creeping things in stead of the true and liuing God How much more shall we be perswaded and euicted by euidence of faith and enlightned in our vnderstandings from God himselfe hold by him So hold all that beleeue The Apostle hauing caught hold heere will not loose his hold for any creature in Heauen or earth or life or death saying What shall separate vs from the loue of Christ and hauing summed vp all other good or euill that may be imagined concluded in the last verse that none of these shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God in which is Iesus Christ. By this good see how fast holy Iob holdeth Though he slay me yet will I stay in him Thus doth the Spouse gripe her husband I tooke hold of him and left him not How fast did all the legions of Martyrs clutch and gripe this true God and Iesus Christ in banishment in bands prisons rackes in torments in drownings burnings in all cruell deaths while their skins were stript ouer their heads while their flesh was pulled off with fiery pinsers while their bodies were a grinding betweene the teeth of cruell beasts and this hold haue all that beleeue in God in the houre of death So then heere the foule of men cries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue found I haue found I haue found This is that treasure which was hid from the world which when a man hath found For ioy thereof he holdeth it and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field For who taught the poore man to set so much by that treasure did not the selfe beauty and riches and worth thereof Who neede tell any man that Gold is Gold or a Pearle a Pearle such a treasure is the true God which being once found by knowledge will cause vs to e count all things as doung that we may gaine him I may shew this secondly by the euidence of the diuinity which rising as a Sunne to our vnderstanding in that instant that he is risen doth make day For which cause God is called the Father of light and is said to dwell in light Againe to be light it selfe which rising to the world by his sonne Iesus Christ lightneth euery man which commeth into the world so this knowledge what is it but Lumen vultus Dei the light of Gods face Our apprehension of this truth is to see light in Gods light which is as much as Saint Peter in other words The day-star rising in our heart Therefore as soone as I beleeue in Iesus Christ it is day and all that beleeue are called light of it selfe and children of the light How hatefull then to vs ought be the doctrines of them which seeke to obscure to vs this blessed day which say we drinke not because we drinke of the fountaine which denie that we see because we see by the Sunne which deny that we be in life because we hold by the head A third argument I draw from the manner of teaching of the holy Ghost which is our Teacher as shall be shewed in the last place of this knowledge of the Father and the Sonne and maketh euery Scholar perfect in this mistery in the twinckling of an eye Euerie man that hath learned this mistery is áocibilis Deo taught of God himselfe and there is