onely lye to the Maiesty of God but also in calling him to witnesse brings forth the euerliuing God to maintayne that his lye is true and so makes the God of trueth as farre as in him is to be his stale to betray the trueth his ascociate in the villany his consort in the iniury the colour of his trechery and countenance of his periury Wherfore seeing they beguile men vnder the name of God and make the blessed God their cursed meanes to bring their wickednesse to end as they in the highest degree abuse the soueraigne good and so commit of all others the most haynous crime so doe they merit of all others the most grieuous payne Lamentable examples whereof haue bene shewed to this wretched world Melancton reporteth lib. 4. of one Otho Bishop of Mogunce that he was for wilfull periury first strooken by thunderdynt from heauen and afterwards carryed by Deuils visibly to hell who yelling out as they went this audible cry Sic luendo lues atque ruendo rues gaue their warnings to such miserable miscreants to take heed of GODS all-seeing eye and seuerest Iudgement Eusebius maketh mention lib. 6. cap. 8. of three false varlets accusing Narcissus Bishop of Ierusalem by false othes making seuerall imprecations against themselues to confirme their affirmation the first that hee mought bee burnt with fire the second that hee mought be consumed to death the third that hee mought not see the light if their testimony were not true that the first was consumed with burning the second wasted with pyning and the third made blinde with weeping In howe deepe detestation thinke you doeth the LORD hate this crime since hee himselfe doeth in the Lawe Numb 5.11 set downe the punishment by an Oracle from heauen and inflict it with a miracle from earth insomuch that in women that forsware their incontinency those parts that offended with swelling and rottennesse perished For seeing that by periury GOD himselfe is dishonoured trueth abiured conscience defiled Iudgement deluded Magistracie abused the innocent condemned the guilty absolued the righteous wronged and wrong-doers aduaunced what maruayle if God bee thereby most highly offended when the world thereby is in perill to bee confounded False witnesse and periury is the speare and shield of all iniury the throne and Crowne of all villany the stayne and shame of piety the scumme and some of fallacie the founder of iniquity and confounder of integrity In whome amongst all other ill practises this is most detestable they worke all their falshood vnder a colour of trueth and compasse all their wrongs vnder the maske of doing right and performe all maner of iniquity vnder the vesture of Christian duety Is not an othe the stablisher of all trueth determiner of all strife the tryer of all right the discouerer of all falshood the ground of all iudgement the end of all controuersie the witnesse of all righteousnesse towards men and of all feare and worship towards God Deut. 6.13 Thou shalt feare the Lord God serue him and sweare by his name c. Deut. 19.15 One witnesse shall not rise against a man for any trespasse for any sinne or for any fault that hee offendeth in but at the mouth of two or three witnesses shall the matter be established Mat. 18.16 That by the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word may be confirmed Heb. 6.16 An othe for confirmation is amongst them an end of all strife Ier. 4.2 And thou shalt sweare The Lord liueth in truth in iudgement and in righteousnes If so what tryall can bee of trueth what inuention to find out fraud what Sanctuary to succour right what refuge to rescue wrong what end of Lawe what vse of Iustice what Iudgement seate what Princes throne what credit in men what regard of God if the reuerend and sacred religion of an othe fall to ground Assuredly these false and forsworne Vipers doe more hurt by vayled villany then doeth the enemy by armed hostility personated in Synon Capti dolis periurique arte Synonis Quos neque Tydides neque Larisseus Achilles c. Synons periured tongue wrought more woe and shed more bloud then Achilles percing launce The one commeth into the field like a man the other into the Court with falshood like a Deuill the one with weapon in hand the other with poyson in heart this striketh his priuate enemy with the sword that the publike Magistrate with deceyt this man impugneth his mortall foe that beast repugneth the sacred lawes and iudgement seat of God he to repell the conceyued iniury this to ouerthrow Iustice trueth and equity so the one doth assault with valour and magnanimity and the other deceiue by sacriledge and treachery But what doe I compare them to men at Armes with their villany who goe if it were possible beyond the deuil himselfe in this wicked witchery Medea confesseth that she could by the helpe of Hecate Ripis mirantibus amnes in fontes redire suos facere by her incantation make Riuers runne backwards againe into their fountaines turne streames backward and roots of trees vpwards a thing very prodigious But these by their inchaunting periury can doe a great deale more then that for whereas shee could onely inchaunt by her charmes riuers hilles woods herbes stones and trees these can bewitch equity trueth Iudgement knowledge and authority and by their blacke arte turne them so contrary that they can transforme good into ill light into darkenes truth into falshood equity into iniury verity into vanity authority into tyranny make the defender the destroyer of the world and transmute the comfort of men into confusion Wherefore although they both abuse the Name of God the one by sorcery the other by periury both defile Gods creatures the one by coniuring the other by abiuring both worke wonders in the eye of the world one vnder the visor of piety the other by open iniquity Yet in this the Coniurer doeth inuocate the deuill the Periurer the Name of God this infecteth the earth that infesteth the heauens this worketh on corporall bodies that on spirituall minds this on trees herbs that on states and Cities the one opposeth his wickednesse against the things of this world the other his deuilishnesse against the Throne of God No doubt the very damned Witches are so much the lesse in their doings haynous then the periured Swayne as it is more impious to abuse the inviolable Maiesty of GOD then the subtill Deuill and those heauenly treasures then the earthly creatures For when hee hath done all this mischiefe hee maketh the iust God his cloake to couer all his abominations So that he infecteth the very heauens with the breath of his mouth the very ayre with the venome of his tongue and surmounteth euen very hell with the malice of his heart O earth earth earth corruption for foulenesse carrion for vilenesse flesh for fraylenesse how darest thou say to Gods most sacred Maiesty Couer my periury and to that inuiolable
possessed the ioyes of heauen he was crowned with pricks thornes to crowne man the King of blisse Thus was God depressed to mans misery and man exalted to Gods glory Now what greater loue could God shew to man then to preferre man to the glory of God and yet in doing it by detruding himselfe to our misery he doth double the bounty by suffering which he bestowed in aduauncing for in giuing his glory what soeuer he had he gaue him all But in suffering our misery he freely gaue himselfe and all Now if we can neuer satisfie for the greatnes of that glory what shal we render for this his vnmeasureable loue Thus then to conclude was the Sonne of God by the first our beginning of life but in the second hee brought vs an end of death by the first mold was made a man by the second sinne was made a Saint the first made man the image of God the second the sonne of God by the first was made a humane soule by the second a diuine spirit by the one he is made Lord of earth by the second King of heauen by this he hath a world full of creatures by that he hath an heauen full of ioyes so by the one he is wonderfully created by the other inestimably redeemed whereby the Sonne of God declared by the first his vnmeasurable greatnes by the last his incomparable goodnes Loe behold here Beloued what wonderful great things the Lord hath done for vs we ought if it were possible to be answerable in all kindnes and thankfulnes to his great loue and goodnes which thing since wee cannot possibly performe yet when we haue done all that we are able we must of necessity confesse wee haue done much lesse then we ought how ought we notwithstanding to cōtend to do all things to the vttermost of our power that by our readines in doing that which we can wee shew our willingnesse that we would doe that as we cannot where if it be so we do far lesse then our duty euen when we endeuour to do more then our power what duty doe they performe who when they should doe more then all performe lesse then nothing nay not onely seeke not to aduaunce any duety but shame not to requite so great goodnes with all impiety by falshood fraud and periury seeking onely to anger most grieuously to offend him which hath most egregiously deserued of thē But if it be a sauage and brutish thing for a man so to behaue himselfe as to be I say not onely vnworthy but vanquished of a good turne how monstrous prodigious a thing is it to render immeasurable wickednesse for incomparable goodnesse and that especially to Gods eternall Maiesty And if we should not suffer our goodnesse to be ouercom by others wickednes as the Apostle sayth how incredible obstinate are we if our wickednes cannot be ouercom by Gods mighty diuine goodnes We are to know blessed Brethren that the Lord hath not placed vs therefore in this world that we should by sauage vngratefulnes become worse then brute beasts but that as humane creatures we should excel in all humanity and shew our great loue towards him for his great loue towards vs acknowledging our gratefulnes for his deseruednes and with all our might honour him that doth with all his boūties pleasure vs. Wherefore let vs learne by the pattern of his vvorthynesse to be made like to his goodnesse because hee hath promised vs in Christ that they vvhich are like vnto him in grace should raigne vvith him in glory And thus we are assured of that looke what is in Christ promised because he is God Amen shall bee performed vndoutedly Which thing that the Lord may effectually doe indeed let vs with all our hearts beseech him to blesse vs that wee may with all our hearts serue him that after this life present wee may with him eternally enioy the life to come which God graunt for his Christ his sake Amen The second part Reue. 3. 15 I know thy works that thou art neyther cold nor hote c. 16 Therefore because thou art luke-warme and neyther cold nor hote c. 17 For thou sayest I am rich c. THE Lord Iesus hauing before premised the description of his dreadfull Maiesty but especially of his infallible knowledge which cannot be deceiued of his immutable truth which cannot be changed of his inuiolable faythfulnes which cannot be corrupted Hauing thus I say premitted as a thunderbolt the excellency of his nature he proceedeth to note downe the faultinesse of their behauiour giuing them to conceyue thereby that it is in vayne to make false semblance with God For by reason of his infalliblenesse he will not be deceyued by them because of his faithfulnes he will not deceiue them But as by vertue of his knowledge hee seeth what they are so for his inuiolablenes hee will vse them as they are assured they may be whatsoeuer he promiseth because hee is true hee assuredly performeth because he is faythfull The Laodicians being thus assured to find reward according to their desert he commeth to declare both what they haue deserued and how they shall be rewarded Wherein the Lord setteth downe to them First the cryme Secondly the cause of the cryme Thirdly the punishment First the crime is to be neither hote nor cold Secondly the cause worldly riche and spirituall pouerty Thirdly the punishment to be vomited out of the Lords mouth The grieuousnes of this crime we shall the more euidently perceiue when wee marke throughly first who they are that are hote Secondly who they are that are cold Thirdly and consequently a third sort Neuters that are neyther hote nor colde They are hote in Religiō whom Christ baptizeth cum Spiritu sancto igni for so were the Apostles Acts 2. when the holy Ghost sate in fiery clouen toungs on euery one of them First in fiery tongues to make them lucent and ardent Secondly in tongues to make them prudent cloquent Thirdly these tongues were clouen to shew that as euery tongue was made many by cleauing so should they haue diuersity of gifts and multiplicity of languages Rom. 12.6 And as one sayth Omnium gentium linguas loquitur Ecclesia For as in fire there are many notable qualities perceptable to the sences as clearenes beauty burning heat drynesse and many singular effects answerable therevnto as to make pure adorne manifest separate and consume So this alluding of the holy Ghost vnto fire putteth vs in mind that Gods spirit worketh like fire in the Saints an illustrious brightnes yet not of the eyes but of the vnderstanding clearenesse not of colour but of conscience heat not of fire but of zeale and a thirst drynes not vnto moysture but vnto goodnes making men to shine in the darknes of this world Phil. 2.5 to be adorned with the beauty of holinesse as the world with the beauty of heauen and to be made pure in heart
how to ioyne God and the world together to be partaker of corporall pleasures and spirituall ioyes and possesse both all prosperity of the earth and all felicity in heauen And this is the cause of all Neutrality at this day for we would all the sort of vs fayne be Christians and worldlings too worship God and Mammon too taste the sweetnes of heauē and of the earth too so would be Neuters that is hote and cold too In which conflict of contrary and impossible desires if that grosse carnall part get the vpper hand as without the assistance of Gods diuine power it must needs do both because of the corruptnes of our nature as also that the Iewell of the soule lyeth wrapped vp in the body as a folded vesture vnknowne to the outward man that draweth away the heart from God as the Adamant yron to the veneration of the world pulling him as a bird tyed by the legge when he would fly vp into heauen downe againe to the earth and so to fixe his affiance in the confidence of creatures which is the cause why couetous men are called Idolaters Eph. 5.5 and Colossians 3.15 He calleth the couetous man an Idolatrous person because hee ascribeth to his treasure the diuine power which appertayneth to the diuine nature and as a reuerend Father sayth colit Idola quae finxit For whereas the eternall Maiesty is onely most mighty wise bountiful rich blessed and full of all goodnes euen so sayth the miser is my money that can doe all things therefore the most mighty prouide all things therefore most wise giue vs all things therefore most bountiful purchase all things therefore most rich cause a man to liue in all plenty and abundance therefore most blessed Loe so greatly doth his treasure change his heart as that it maketh him to chāge his God drawing him from the God of heauen downe right to the deuill of hell for he it is the deuill I meane whome all antiquity hath accoūted to be the god of treasure whome for the same cause the Greeks called Ploutos the Latines Dis our Sauiour Mammon which wee call riches whom this rich man doeth acknowledge for his god all the world besides acknowledge for a deuill not onely because that gold siluer which is the riches of the world is found deepe in the earth as it were in the pit of hell but because mony is as mighty vnto mischiefe as the deuill himselfe It can make miracles and worke wonders condemne Innocents vanquish armies ouercome kingdomes nay the nature of riches can alter nature chāge the heart peruert the will turne the reasonable mind into brutish affections as Chrysostome saith Diuitiarum sequela est luxuria ira intemperans furor iniustus arogantia superba and all brutish affections No maruaile then if an other reuerend Father sayth Nullū est pietatis in illo corde vestigium in quo sibi auaritia fecit habitaculum Whereby wee may see that euen as the Sonne of God came into the world in pouerty as S. Iohn saith to destroy the workes of the deuill so doeth the deuill come into the world to destroy the workes of God by riches turning liuing creatures into Idoles men into beasts deuils into gods light into darknes and heauen into hel Rightly therfore saith Christ Ye cannot serue God and Mammon seeing it is as impossible as to serue God the deuill Well then may that be allowed that riches is the same as Pluto is if those men that say I am rich and boast of the rich deuill become to bee neyther cold nor hote to poore Christ And this commeth not to passe through any iniquity that is in treasure but onely through the prauity of our owne nature which doeth peruert these excellent creatures on to that euill which were created for our good for otherwise riches are the blessings of God Pro. 10. crowne of the wise Pro. 14. fountaynes of liberality and bounty Deut. 15. What incredible improbity is it then of our nature which doeth through his insection abuse these great treasures of the world which God hath ordayned to be blessings to the rich cōforts to the poore fortifications against iniuries munition for defence of equity fountaynes of liberality Almenors of charity Diadems of wisdome furnishments of bounty ornaments of vertue adiuments of life as to make them bayts of perdition aliments of pleasure ensignes of pride weapons of reuenge armour vnto strife and finally the seruants vnto all seruile vses soueraignes of all seruile minds Wherefore my beloued Brethren seeing the vse of riches is so dangerous our nature so pernicious the abuse so impious alas why should we with such vnmeasureable greedinesse gape after riches which not onely as Bernard sayth possessa onerant amata inquinant amissa cruciant are burthens to them that possesse them defilings to them that loue them and torments to them that lose them but chiefly because they inchaunt bewitch vs to the world extinguish and quench our zeale in Religion and mightily hale vs and driue vs away from God to eternall perdition NOw there is an other sort of riches which our Sauiour affirmeth to be in deed truth pouerty a counterfet kind of wealth paynted fire and yet is in shew so good as nothing can be better but in proofe so ill as nothing can be worse it is taken for the inestimable price of heauen but is not worth a despicable mite of the earth that is Humane merites and Iusticiaries workes which seeme to be golden vertues but are in deed shining sinnes These merit-mongers our Sauiour elegantly deciphers vnder the name of riches because euen as worldlings boast of their wealth so hypocrits of works as they say I am rich so these say I am righteous as they put confidence in money so these in merits as they thinke to make friends of their Mammon of iniquity so these to win fauour by their holinesse and sanctity the one thinks to haue all that is to be had in earth and the other to want nothing that may bee purchased in heauen By reason whereof in these merits our Sauiour describeth three properties First that in the world they goe for currant goods Secondly that they are most pernicious ills Thirdly that in seeming good they are the more euill because the seeming deceyueth while it annoyeth Now that in the world they goe for currant goods hee proueth by the mouth of the very owner who knoweth best to set his owne price vpon his owne wares and he himselfe saith I am rich want nothing that might seeme to purchase heauē it selfe I haue kept the Lawe of God I haue not murdered stolen committed adultery c. and if I had offended yet I haue workes inow to satisfy for sinne for satisfaction as Saint Tho. in Quaest desatisf possib 13. est cum paena culpae aequatur and iustice sayth hee or a iust mends is but contra passum that is whereas
of God and furtherance of iustice And thus much for these words in Christes second title The faythfull and true witnesse That beginning of the creatures of God CHrist is sayd to be the Author and Beginner of the creatures of God two maner of wayes First as it is Ioh. 1.3 All things were made by it and without it was made nothing that was made So that he is beginning without beginning for he that giueth beginning to all things must needs haue none himselfe hee that is before all things cannot after be made to be he that created all other cannot himself be a creature he that sustaineth and giueth Being to all must needs be himselfe an eternall and infinite Being which neuer began to be nor neuer shall make an end to be Therefore he is not the beginning amongst creatures that is the first amongst creatures that began to be but the beginning that is the Beginner Former of all things whatsoeuer be This Maiesty of God in the creation not a little setteth forth the dignity of the message for how materially should we regard his pleasure that is Prince of all power who as hee made vs of nought so can hee bring vs to nought and can make vs heires of heauen or firebrands of hell Secondly he is said to be the beginning of the creatures of God as hee is in this sence Eph. 1.4 As he hath chosen vs in him before the foūdation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue c. 2. Thes 2.13 The Apostle affirmeth that God hath from the beginning chosen them to saluation through sanctification of the spirit and the fayth of truth c. Whereby we may see God looked on the countenance of Christ when hee first made man that whereas in Adam we all perished so wee should in Christ all be repaired and this was his eternall decree from the beginning Therefore is he sayd to be the Lambe slain from the beginning and Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for euer Now as Christ is sayd to be the Beginning of the creatures of God two maner of wayes so is the creature to be considered two maner of wayes that is not onely by creation but by renouation as it is implied Psa 51.10 Gal. 6.15 2. Cor. 5.17 Eph. 2.10 Whereby it appeareth that mans last renewing is as great a worke of God and as mighty as the first In the first creation Adam of nothing was made good In the second man was of ill made good Now to draw one contrary out of another is of no lesse diuine power then to make good of nothing for in ill is a naturall hatred and resistance to be made good but in nothing is no resistance Aug. Par sit vtriusque potestas iustos creare impios iustificare yet must the latter bee of more mercy then the first The first was of the earth earthy 1. Cor. 15.47 And by this creation not only the earthy that is to say the corruptible nature which doth onely sauour terrene and earthly things is made diuine hauing in this life the heart made heauenly with diuine faith the conscience heauenly with diuine peace the vnderstāding heauenly with diuine knowledge the affections heauenly with diuine loue the life heauenly with diuine works but being thus prepared in this life present shall in the blessed heauens of wretched be made blessed of maymed be made perfit of stayned be made pure of caducall immortall and of corruptible eternall So in the like maner in the first was created in the humane body being life and sence and in the humane soule reason memory and wil But such a being as without this last renouation better not to be being indeed nothing else but a perpetuall languishing such a life as was and is to be dissolued such sence as was and is to bee perplexed such reason as was and is to be deceyued such will as was and is to be disordered such memory as hath often fayled But in this second is not onely a being but a happy being not life alone but eternity not only sence but iocundity reason without obscuring wil without disturbing and memory without forgetting So in the first the body was drawne out of dust life out of breath sence out of life mortality out of nature and misery out of sinne But in this second both body and soule are drawne out of hell life out of death and sence out of torment eternity out of mortality and felicity out of misery Moreouer in the first as we must thankfully confesse though man was most royally and magnificently seated and made Lord of this inferiour world had Paradise for his Palace all creatures to serue him all treasures to enrich him all elements to help him the earth to sustain him and heauen to conserue him yet in this second my heart doth melt to thinke it O wonderfull thing mortall man is made heire of the immortall God and succeedeth in the inheritance of his vnmeasurable glory hath heauen for his folace Angels to helpe him Gods spirit to sustayne him his grace to enrich him Gods Sonne to redeeme him God himselfe to adorne him Furthermore God made man at the first when he was thē as the earth is now sencelesse without feeling and liuelesse without mouing so that if he had no praise of well doing hee had no blame of ill deseruing But now at the last when man had fallen from the God of life into the power of the king of death and in preferring the credit of the lying Deuill before the truth of the liuing God had not onely rendred disobedience for duty and great vngratefulnes for Gods great bounty but also had sence of feeling and torments for euer abiding then the gracious and bountifull God to shew not onely a patience in suffering compassion in pittying a mercy in pardoning but also a loue in retayning a bounty in restoring a magnificence in inlarging his estate againe doeth argue his loue to haue so much the more exceeded in how much mans loue had the lesse deserued Opus sine exemplo gratia sine merito charitas sine modo sayth Bernard Besides the first creation was made by the might of Gods Sonne but the second by the death of Gods Sonne so God labored to make the first but Christ suffered to make the last so that in the first man was exalted but in the last God was debased that so interchangeably as that by how much the Sonne of God was humbled in so much was the sonne of man aduanced for God came downe to earth and man went vp to heauē God took our humane flesh and man his diuine spirit God was made the sonne of man man was made the sonne of God yea God was condemned man was acquited Christ suffered and man was redeemed he was done to bitter death and man receyued to eternall life he sustayned the paynes of hell and man