the preaching of his worde then at any tyme he hath bene since the Apostles tyme. This only remayneth that with hart and will by the motion of his holy spirite we ioyntly enter our Churches where Iesus Christ is graciously offred not into our armes but into our harts and soules not in a body subiect to myseries and death but in the Maiestie of his worde which is his eternall power Rom. 1.16 1. Cor. 1.18 to bring vs by his light to that saluation assured in him and to engraffe quyetnesse in Conscience perswaded in his truth by the testimony of his sayde spirite of the full forgyuenesse of our sinnes That we shall with newe raysed hartes as men risen from a most déepe Dungeon of death most ioyfully with Symeon syng and saye in heart and truth Lorde nowe whensoeuer thou callest vs from this naturall lyfe 1. Cor. 1.30 Ephe. 1.7 Mat. 20.28 at thy good pleasure thou lettest vs departe to quiet rest in christian peace For the eyes of our fayth haue and doe sée Christ Iesus and receyue hym as he is to vs in mercy giuen our onely raunsome and full matter of our spirituall health and celestiall ioy to whom with thée our best father and the holy spirite be praise and glory for euer and euer Amen Thus much receyued by the Gospels wordes touching Symeon nowe let vs lende eare attentiuely vnto the words deliuered vs in this his ioyful song Thus he sayth Lorde now lettest thou thy seruaunt departe in peace according to thy worde For mine eyes haue seene thy Saluation This olde holye fathers song conteyneth shorte wordes and long matter wherein he giueth the Lorde his due praise by publique spéeche in ioyed hart and after the example of the former church for the present benefite receyued according the faythfull promise of God that he hath not departed to his Fathers before he sawe the Lordes Christ he singeth the Lords truth and blaseth the honorable armes of our Captaine Christe manifesting his power efficacie and glory in this his pithy encomia That done he setteth downe the perfite platforme of a quyet cōscience and the ancor of her health in the middle of many miseries in his owne person saying Now Lorde all if by the Romaine Tyranny thy people of Israell haue béene sore oppressed our fayth sore assaulted so that twixt hope and sorrow we haue wayted for Consolation in thy promise Now that thou hast giuen vs thy Christ our glory I ioy so much in him my Sauiour that death shall be to me welcome and my departure shall be in peace bicause by this Christ my Consolation Gods wrath to me is pacified my syns in him pardoned my selfe for him of my heauenly father dearely beloued and my soule shall rest in ioy for I am thy seruant wherfore Now let me I praye thee departe in peace I am satisfyed that I haue séene thée and the dayes of my age are in thy hande But whereas Symeon sayth Lorde Nowe doth thy mercy let me departe in peace he plainely sheweth that vntill he perfitely had the fruition of his hope he was in auxietie and griefe and walked with a heauie harte for the affliction of Israell This argueth not an absolute weakenesse of fayth in Father Symeon but rather expresly an ardent expectation of the promise of God nothing pleasured with the forreine matters of this lyfe albeit they should abounde to hym But by trauaile in fyght against temptations in worldly pleasures he hungreth and spiritually thirsteth in approoued hope the Lords promise enduring the griefe of present oppression assuredly by fayth to reape the rewarde of his pacient hope bicause he had the worde of God a most faythfull Norice therto for his warrante 1. Pet. 2.2 For thus sayde the Lorde by Reuelation to Symeon Thou shalt not dye before thou hast seene the Messias Christ the Lorde Luc. 2.26 Note here good Reader the nature of Gods promises giuen to his chosen children They are not performed at the first houre but they are deferred longer then our selues would desyre and they are not performed till the fayth of the parties be perfitly prooued and by the opposite occurrents sore exercised God the Father promised the comming of his beloued sonne Christ here imbraced of Symeon at the fall of Adam and Heuah Gene. 3. Gen. 22.18 Gal. 3.8 Esa 64.1 Mat. 13.16 Luk. 10.24 and renewed it to Abraham and by hys Prophets continued the same but the time prolonged forced many of the best fathers to cry Oh that thou wouldest pierce the heauens and come downe and to say Oh Lorde sende thy glory vnto Syon and thy sauing health vnto Ierusalem And as our Christ doth testifie many kings and Prophets haue desyred to sée Christ and haue not séene him or could the times enioy the performance of this promise till the fulnesse of time by him set were come Heb. 1.1 and that by contrary presumptions the fayth of his chyldren were thorowly exercised But when the tyme by his deuine wisedome appointed was come then did he faythfully giue the same Messias into the worlde that Symeon and the godlye then might beare wytnesse to vs his children nowe of his euerlasting faythfulnesse In this worde Nowe lyeth an Emphasis as if he had sayd The worde of my promise hath fed my fayth stablished my hope to wayte for thys our consolation Christ and sythe in thy mercy thou hast performed the word of truth Now let me depart in peace Here is to be well marked the force of true and lyuely fayth it doth persist in one it resteth vpon the promise of the worde The force of true fayth albeit that heauen and earth should séeme to runne on heaps together This is that most excellent gift of God that excelleth al vertues in whatsoeuer man Ephe. 3.17 Pray the Lorde therefore to giue thée fayth in Christ christian Reader and Christ thereby to dwell in thée then shalt thou abyde stedfast in hope after the worde of Gods promise whatsoeuer obstact shal arise against thée The Lord by his seruant Moyses promised the Israelits delyuerance out of the bondage of Egypt Exod. 4.29.30.31 But straight wayes wyth this promise arose such presumptions to the contrary as the hardnesse of Pharaos hart and cruelty their oppression and more labor thereby their sharpe correction for wants in worke and in the hower of their deliuerance his huge army persecuting them on the one syde the high Mountaynes and swallowing Seas to hold them in on the other syde that it might haue séemed to Israel Moyses warrant from God to haue bene rather a dreame of their desolation then the day of their delyuerance But they by this spirite confirmed in fayth did suppresse the present calamities by the Ancor of hope which from the shyp of their beléeuing consciences in these terrible Seas tossed they cast fyrmely pitched vpon the worde of promise which thus they had vz I will in a
themselues but hoped after Oyle of the wyser Virgins were denyed and had the gates of the Bridegrome shut vp against them Séeke therefore by the Gospell of God to nourishe thy fayth in Christ by whom thou shalt be at peace with God and in a most quyet conscience thou shalt ende a godly lyfe and make a ioyful departure Otherwise albeit thou haue the Popishe Oyle of all the Virgin Priests and saintes in the worlde it cannot helpe thée thy departure shall be the beginning of sorrowe and an absolute departure from God his Aungels Saints and saued creatures and shalt haue thy portion in the Hels for euer Be not deceyued beléeue the truth God graunt thée with vs so to doe and to lyue in truth all the dayes of thy lyfe and in perfite departing from spirituall death which is sinne and iniquitie For after thy departure here hence thou shalt be as frée from the state of the lyuing and the actes and déeds of them for thée as the wicked dead in sinne are frée from righteousnesse estranged from the lyfe of God Secondly we haue sayde that the soule is immortall and therfore cannot dye For the holy Scriptures do euerie where recorde it Thou shalt not leaue my soule in Hell vz in graue sayth Dauid neyther shall thy holye one see corruption Psal 16.8 As this Scripture serueth chiefely to Christ so doth it to all other his members Againe the Preacher sayth deuyding the soule and body a sunder The bodye sayth he shal returne to dust from whence it came but the soule to him that gaue it Eccle. 12. And Christ Iesus sayth in Iohn Verily Ioh. 5.24 verily I say vnto you he that heareth my worde and beleeueth in him that sent me The soule sleepeth not with the bodye hath eternall lyfe and he shall not come into iudgement but hath passed from death to life This place as it most plainely prooueth the immortalitie of the soule saying He hath euerlasting life he hath passed from death to lyfe which cannot be once dreamed to bée spoken of the bodye for that passeth from lyfe to naturall death and to the sléeping graue So doth it refell those Heretiques which eyther denie the immortalitie of the soule or imagine the same to sleepe tyll the day of iudgement with the body And to this ende serue the words of Paule I desyre to be dissolued and to be with Christ But the Storie or Parable of Diues Lazarus Phil. 1.23 most lyuely expresseth the one the other Diues in body is sumptuously buried Luc. 16. but his soule is presently in Hell in torments and beholde he sléepeth not for he féeling his terrible payne is exercised in beholding the ioy of his late despised Lazarus and calleth for succour and maketh peticion for his Brethren which yet remayne a lyue all which approoue the soule immortall and not to sléepe a sencelesse death wyth the bodye So the bodye of Lazarus cast in some Dytche or open Fielde his soule by the ministrie of Angels Math. 8.11 is taken vp into Abrahams bosome where he sléepeth not but enioyeth the pleasant comforte of the Heauens But possible thou wouldst aske me then howe these places can stande with those which affirme the soule to dye and also say that the godly after death doe sléepe As that soule that synneth shall dye We confesse for answere that the soule is not altogether immortall as our God is and not all subiect to death we confesse that there is a death wherewith the wicked soule shall be ouerwhelmed and so is the soule but after a spirituall sorte both mortall and immortall The death of the soule is when his lyfe is not in him Mans soule mortall and immortall the lyfe of the soule is Christ Iesus by whose spirite the godly doe lyue in soule a lyfe to eternall lyfe Of this lyfe speaketh Paule thus I lyue yet not I Gal. 2.20 Colo. 3.3 1. Iohn 5.11.12 but it is Christ that lyueth in mee And to the Colloss Our lyfe is layde vp with God in Christ when Christ which is our lyfe shall appeare we shal appeare with him glorious That soule that hath not Christ hath not lyfe but is already dead though in bodye he lyueth For the wrath of God abydeth vppon him Vnderstande then that this worde Death is mente not of the substance of the soule which cannot dye but of her condition which shall lye in the Lake of fyre and shall burne and lyue for euer which is called the Second death Reuel 20.14 Eph. 3.17 Ephe. 2.1 1. Tym. 5.6 Tess 4.13 By fayth Paule prayeth that Christ may dwell in our harts and affirmeth Christ by fayth to lyue in him Ergo wythout fayth the soule is dead lyuing in dead workes and dead sinnes as the vnprofitable Wydowes are deade in soule though aliue in body To the place of Paule where he sayth He would not haue vs ignorant touching them which sleepe and such other places of scripture We must interprete him to speake of the body and not of the soule for as when the soule is ioyned with the bodye he alwayes waketh when the body taketh rest So disioyned much lesse he is said to sléepe And the body is sayde to sléepe not in respect that the soule lyeth deade or sléeping within him for we haue prooued the soule to be with God but in regarde of his rysing againe when the soule shal returne to his former bodye at the day of iudgement And by the sléepe of Death he awayteth the retyre of his mortall lyfe by the reconiunction of his selfe soule and bodye sanctified in Christ the lyfe of the bodye with whome tyll then the soules of the saints raigne vnder the Aulter in heauen not sléeping but waking and crying vpon God How long Lorde holy and true doest not thou iudge and auenge the blood of them that dwel on the earth These were the soules of them sayth Iohn Reue. 6. which lay vnder the Aulter which is Christ that were kylled for the worde of God and for the testimonie they maintayned Beholde ye cruell Papistes you haue killed the bodies but the soules of our English saints are with their Protector Christ Gen. 4.10 and their blood doth begge you vengeance if ye repent not Abrahams Bosome Thirdly Symeon calleth Death but a departure bicause for a tyme onely the soule taking leaue of the massy fleshe as we haue sayde doth depart to the rest in peace prepared for him in his consolation Christ Namely the Bosome of his Father Abraham which by Salomon is called the hand of God Sapi. 3. Apo. 69. The soules of the righteous sayth he are in the hands of God the torments of Hel doe not touch them And by Iohn the Heauens and the Aulter which is Christ and by Christ Paradise as to the Théefe saying on the Crosse This day shalte thou be with me in Paradise And in
vndefyled Lambe Iesus Christ which most worthye is called a Sauiour 1. Pet. 1.18.19 Mat. 1.21 bicause he saueth his people from their synnes For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation sayth he The worde that he vseth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which importeth much more then in one word can be expressed Namely Christ to be that sauing matter of health which he had appointed alone to all his chosen seruants from the fyrst Adam to the last borne chylde of a woman We will now by thy pacience christian brother dwell with our sauing health Iesus Christ a little and from hys holye worde learne fyrst what is this saluation and why he is called a Sauiour Secondly by what meanes he saueth Thirdly from what he saueth And last of all who they be which by this Sauiour are saued And by that we haue fynished these questions I rest in hope thou wylte prayse God for his glorious sonne Iesus Christ thy omnipotente and onely Sauiour of God our father giuen to all people nations kyndreds and tongues What and who this Saluation is Luc. 2.10 the Euangelist S. Luke in thrée wordes descrybeth to the Shepheards kéeping and watching their shéepe by night thus Beholde I bring you tydings of great ioye for this day is borne to you the Sauyour which is Christ the Lorde Why he is called a Sauiour the Angel sheweth to Ioseph saying Mat. 1.21 Thou shalt call his name Iesus For he shall saue his people from theyr synnes Which one sentence aunswereth all these our former questions Who is this Sauiour euen Iesus Why Christ is called a a Sauiour What is this Iesus Christ the Lorde Why called a Sauiour bicause he shall saue his people from their synnes From what saueth he from synne Whome saueth he his people But let vs to our greater consolation pierce this matter a little further And fyrst who and what is this Sauiour which the Father hath set to be his onely saluation to Iewe and Gentyle It is as we sayde Iesus Christ the Lorde And this Iesus is not that Iehosuah which by hym raigned or yet the sonne of Syrach or Iesus called Iustus or any of that sort all which were very godly men chyldren of this lyfe But this Iesus Christ the Lorde our saluation is the onely begotten sonne of God begotten of the father before all worldes of the same essence or being nature and substance with the father coeternall and coequal and also very man borne of the Virgin Mary which humanitie is so conioyned with his Deitie that it is for euer inseperable And to be short in him his fathers full glorye to vs is represented Loe deare Reader this is the state of thy Sauiour euen no other then God himselfe the second person incarnate To approue Christ to be God consubstanciall and coequal what should I néede to thee which being a christian Christ God by scripture prooued doest ex professo by his spirituall grace fyrmely beléeue the same Yet that thy fayth herein maye be the more stedfast and thy conscience assured I will giue thee some testimony thereof out of the booke of God First Esay the noble and Euangelicall Prophete sayth in the person of God Esa 43.11 I euen I am the Lord and besydes me there is no Sauiour Againe the whole 45 chapter of Esay but specially the 21 verse denyeth other Sauiour then God as thus There is no other God besydes me But Esay in the fathers person thus speaketh of and to Christ Iesus I will also giue thee for a light to the Gentils Esa 49. Iere. 23.6 that thou mayest be my saluation to the ende of the worlde And agayne Ieremy calleth Christ the sonne of Dauid the lord our righteousnesse Now then syth there is no God but one no other Sauiour and righteousnesse but the deuyne power it must necessarily follow that Christ Iesus our Lorde being this Sauiour and righteousnesse is verye God coequall with the father The same Prophete also sayth of GOD thus The worde is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse Esa 45.23 and shall not returne that euery knee shall bow to mee and euerye tongue shall sweare by me But Paule to the Philippians doth truely apply this to Christ saying Phil. 2.9.10.11 He hath giuen him a name aboue all names that in the name of Iesus euery knee should bow both of things in heauen and in earth and vnder the earth and that al tongues should confesse Christ to be the Lorde to the glory of God the father Therfore conclude soundly that Iesus Christ is very and perfite GOD with the father Doth not Iohn say Ioh. 1.14 The worde which is Christ was God and the worde became fleshe Therefore when we worship the sonne Christ and honor him as God we doe no iniury to the almighty God and iealous father but thereby truely honor him as the Apostle sayth The father hath giuen all iudgement that is all right and administration of power and glory vnto the sonne Ioh. 5.22 that al they which honor the father should honor the sonne also And of such iealousie is the Lorde God of his honor that he wyll not imparte it or any part therof to any other beside himselfe as Esay testifyeth Esa 42. I am the Lorde that is of my selfe and my glory will I giue to no other But he gyueth his glory to his sonne Christ as Christ witnesseth thus Father glorifye mee with the glory which I had with thee Ioh. 17.5 before the worlde was Therefore Christ is of selfe substance with the father God and glorious Also Christ sayth Al that the father hath are mine Ioh. 17.18 But the Father hath deuyne nature Ergo so hath Christ our Lorde his sonne Agayne Esay sayth In him shall the Gentyls trust Esa 11. Iere. 17. But Ieremy accursseth al them that trust in man but blesseth them that hope in God Therfore of necessitie Christ is God for he hath assured vs often tymes blessed if we trust in him saying He that trusteth in me hath eternall lyfe Againe Ioh. 6.47 he that truely forgiueth sinnes is God But Christ doth truely forgiue sinnes Ergo he is God Paule calleth Christe our hope and to the Romanes our GOD which is to be praysed for all worldes Rom. 9.5 1. Ioh. 5.20 And the deuyne Euangelist S. Iohn calleth Christ the true God and eternall lyfe And a hundred such authorities might I bring thée good Reader out of the holye booke of God but any one thence truely aleaged is a sufficient bulwarke to the conscience agaynst all the fyrie dartes of the Deuils temptation That Iesus Christ borne of the Virgin is no other then the second person and onely begotten sonne of the father consubstantiall coeternall and coequall these places make knowne Paule receyueth from the Psalmist thys warrante thus Vnto which of the Angels sayde God at any tyme Psal 2.7 Hebr. 1.5 thou
from the people but of Satans Consisers which you Papists are We may say to you as Hierome your great Doctor sayth of your Fathers in tymes past and of the Valentinian Hereticks Barbaro simplices quosque terrent sono With a barbarous vnknown tong and sound of wordes they feare the symple that whatsoeuer they vnderstand not they may the more estéeme and haue in reuerence And least the Reader should be offended that I call the Laten tongue hereby barbarous let hym knowe how the Apostle holdeth euery tongue barbarous that is not vnderstoode of him to whom it is spoken saying Vnlesse I vnderstand the powre and meaning of the wordes I shall be barbarous to him that speaketh 1. Cor. 14.11 and he that speaketh barbarous vnto me But the Lorde in hys great mercy as he hath giuen his Christ to be made knowne to Iewe and Gentyle So hath he in these our happy dayes and present state by the contynuall preaching of his word most worthyly wrought the glory of his name Psalm 8. So that out of the mouthes of sucklings and babes yea from old wythered stocks and as it were dead stones Gods holye spirite floweth in Englande and myghtily setteth forth the prayses of our Christ hys light to vs Gentyls and full glory to Israel that imbrace him to whome therefore be eternall prayse But for that thys lyght cannot be apprehended by humane capacitie it is requisite that we séeke the means by which we may apprehende the same The fyrst hereto is that we haue the true Interpreter of the worde in our hartes euen the spirite of truth whose it is to teache vs and leade vs into all truth This Spirite is obteyned of God for Christ by earnest and vigilant prayer I wil pray the Father sayth Christ and he will giue you another comforter euen the spirite of truth Ioh. 14.16 and he shall lead you into all truth and shall abyde with you for euer So as Christ hath giuen vs example we must daylie pray the father for this Spirite to illuminate our sences that we may vnderstand his word aright Psal 119. Open mine eyes sayth Dauid that I may consyder the wonders in thy lawe Teach me thy iustifications and giue mee vnderstanding and I shall search thy commaundements And Paule the Doctor of the Gentyls in al his Epistles prayeth for the vnderstanding of the wyll and worde of God which commeth by the light of the holy ghost Collos 1.9 I haue not ceased synce the fyrst daye I heard of you Collossians sayth Paule to pray for you and to make peticion that you may be filled in al the knowledge of his will with al wisedome and spiritual vnderstanding Also for the Ephesians he sayth Ephe. 3.14 For this cause I bowe my knees to the father of our Lord Iesus Christ of whom is named the whole family in heauen and earth that he will for his riche gloryes sake giue vnto you mightily to be strengthened by his spirite in the inner man that Christ maye dwell in your hartes by fayth that you being rooted in charitie and grounded may comprehende with all Saints what is the breadth the length the depth and to know the loue of Christ which passeth al knowledge that ye maye be fylled with al the fulnesse of God A most excellent order howe we obteyne the vnderstanding of his worde the light of lyfe which expresseth the great goodnesse of our good GOD set forth by this Metaphor of Geomatrie of bredth length height depth that is to say the excéeding goodnesse of God which in euery place in heauen and earth East and Weast North and South appeareth through his lyght of the Gentyls Christ the Lorde to the sonnes of men Prayer is the fyrst step to this vnderstanding Prayer I saye to God the Father of Christ and vs. Gods mercifull gifte answering our prayer is the next which riche gift reacheth to our harts our light Christ the Lorde to dwell therein which Christ doth shyne by his spirite so in our soules that we by this spirituall power doe vnderstand the mysteries conteyned in his word doe heare his voyce and onely cleaue thereto eschewing al strange spéeches be they neuer so pleasant to the naturall eare 1. Cor. 3.14 For thus made spirituall we iudge al things Assure your selues by your owne desire of doing good to your own borne sonnes of your heauenly fathers gift euen his holye spirite to this ende Iac. 1.6 Luc. 11.11 If ye aske in faith not doubting Which of you fathers if his sonne doe aske him bread wil giue him a stone Or if he aske a Fishe wil giue him a Serpent Or if he aske an Egge wil giue him a Scorpion If you therefore sayth our light and Lord Christ being euil know how to giue your children good giftes How much more shal your heauenly father giue his holye spirite to them which aske of him Whosoeuer asketh receyueth and he which seeketh findeth who knocketh the dore shall be opened to him Pray therefore lyfting vp pure hands The second is the diligent studie and daylie reading in the booke of God Psalm 1. Blessed is he that doth meditate in the law of God day and night and doth conferre place with place and by those that are more playne open the more obscure This was Paules commaundement to Timothie 1. Tim. 4.13 Tyll I come giue thy selfe to reading to exhortation to doctrine Againe Abyde thou in those things that thou hast learned knowing of whome thou hast learned them 2. Tim. 3.14 and that of a little chylde thou hast studied the Scriptures which are able to make thee wise to saluation by fayth in Christ Iesu Yea olde Paule hymselfe Reading with dyligence a gret furtherance to Gods knowledge in vs. being a prysoner in Rome for the Gospell contynued this exercise of reading penning the fruite of his studie Wherefore that he myght haue to do so he sendeth to Timothy for his books and noting Partchment Roles that he left at Troas If thys was néedefull to olde learned Paule it is moste necessary in yong Tymothy if in the teacher 2. Tim. 4.13 much more in the scholer And let no man yrke at the based style of holy Wryt but rather thinke as in homely shelles manye tymes are found most precious stones and in rough inclosing chaffe moste fayre and fruitefull Wheate So vnder the lowe style of Gods sacred Booke the diligent praying Reader if he come not with a preiudiced mind thereto shal gather to his best good the heauenly truth of Gods holye wyll in his writtē scriptures These precious Iewels shal he there fynde A most sure Ancor holde for his conscience against all temptations If thou labor of darke ignorance therein is the brightnesse of knowledge If troubled in conscience and vexed for synne there is the remedy the warrant of quyet minde giuen thée in Christ If oppressed and almost ouer whelmed in
Loe to thys place went the holy father Symeon departing wherof perswaded he departed in moste assured peace in conscience and with God who in his Christ with him being satisfied by his holye spirite setled the harte of Symeon in moste quyet rest That the soules departed walke not after death in earth againe But yet or I passe from thys worde departe for that I wryting this a most slaunderous reporte is raysed of an honest and vertuous Minister departed this lyfe that hys soule nowe walketh at this daye in his Parsonage house it shall not be vnprofitable Christian Reader that I saye something to the beating downe to death this error It is an olde sinister opinion of men that the soules of the dead depart not so from vs but that after buryall they walke in the earth and appeare vnto men exhorting them to this or to that as Gregory of Rome reporteth in his Dialogues Yea the Apostles might séeme to be combred wyth this error saying when they saw Christ vpon the water it is a Spirite Act. 12.15 And when Peter knocked at Iohn Markes mothers dore they saide to Rhoda the mayde it is his Angel This had they of the vulgare opinion receyued from Pithagoras teaching the soules of men to returne into the bodies of others eyther for correction or reward And thus deluded Herod hearing of Christ supposed Iohn Baptist to be rysen againe Mat. 14.1 Mar. 6.14 Luc. 9.7 whom he had beheaded And the better sort of the people dreamed Christ to be Helias Iohn Baptist Ieremy or some of the Prophetes all which we sée were most vntrue But as touching the departure of the soule once seperated from the bodye that it returneth not or can possibly into the world the storie of Lazarus doth affyrme Diues desyreth that Lazarus might come to help his tongue Luc. 16. but it is denied that they which be in ioy can come to the Helles He then desyreth that the soule of Lazarus may go to his brethren that are in the earth and may teach them to beware but he receyueth this aunswere They which be here cannot come hence and they which be there cannot come thence And they haue Moyses and the Prophets let them heare them and if they wil not heare them neyther wil they beleue though one should which is vnpossible before iudgement come from death againe Esa 8.19.20 Deut. 18. The Prophets doe forbid vs to aske counsell of the dead God lykewise in the lawe here Abraham doth sende vs to the Prophets and to Moses bookes for our instruction denying most constantly that any soules of the dead shall walke againe to teach or terrifie vs All they which departe thys lyfe be eyther godly or wicked If they be godly then are they by imputation iust and the soules of the iuste Sapi. 3. are in the hands of God And godly Lazarus cannot be permitted no not to do much good to come from Abrahams bosome But if they be wicked they lye in the Hels like sheepe and thence cannot Diues or his fellowes come though heauen and earth should runne together But thou wilt say what shall we saye to this there is much iumblyng in suche a house and there is séene lyuely such a man walke before vs Chrisost hom 29. whome we cannot but say to be our friend departed to all our sences iudgemente To thys I aunswere wyth Chrysostome vpon S. Mathew What shal we say to those voyces sayth he which saye I am the soule of such a man The Deuil not the soule of the deade it is that after buryall walketh to deceiue men Say it is not the soule of the deade man but it is the Deuill which doth fayne these things to deceyue the hearers thereby These are sayth he olde wyues Fables and fryuolous tales The soules of the righteous are in the hands of God and soules of Infants c. But the soules of synners are straight waye after their departure called to their place as playnely appeareth sayth thys father by Lazarus the righteous and the wicked rich man Loe this is no newe doctrine by vs deuysed but an olde truth by the Fathers concluded through the warrante of Gods worde that the soules of men departed be placed presently at the hower of death out of which place they cannot come againe to men in earth Whether Samuell apeared to Saule or no. before the day of iudgement But the Papistes séeme to presse vs with the apparition of Samuel to king Saule at the cuniuration of the Pythonisse To whome we soundly aunswere that Samuel appeared not to Saule but Satan abusing the king tolde him that he was Samuel But here againe they saye sée howe these men denye the playne Text of scripture Doth not the holye booke of GOD twise saye 1. Sam. 28. Eccle. 46. Samuel appeared vnto Saule we acknowledge the scripture to call the Spirite that apeared by the name of Samuel And albeit against the second place as not Canonicall we maye lawfully excepte August quest 3. yet we answere with Augustine ad Simplicianum the Bishop of Millaine It was not sayth he the spirite of Samuel raysed from his rest but it was some fantasie or imagination of the Deuill which the scripture notwythstanding calleth Samuel as Images be called after the names of such persons as they do represent Who doubteth sayth this father to name the Images of the Phylosophers pictured vpon the wall saying this is Cicero that is Salust and this is Achilles and this manne is Hector this is the flood of Simois and that is Rome when these be nothing other but bare pictures vpon a paynted wall No maruell therfore though the wryter of the sacred Storyes sayth he call this Image of Samuel by the name he represented or that the Deuill could transfigure himselfe to the shape of a holye man which hath power also to tourne hymselfe into an Aungell of lyght But Turtullian sayth Absit vt animam cuiuslibet sancti c. God forbid that wée should beléeue the Deuill to haue power to call vp anye soule of the saints of God much lesse of his holy Prophets for we are taught that Satan doth transforme hymselfe into an Angel of light with what ease then into the shape of a manne of lighte so he calleth Samuell bicause he is a member of Christ the true light of the worlde yea he doth sayth he affirme himselfe to be God and worketh great and prodigious things if it were possibly therby to seduce the elect people of God That learned father Peter Martyr sayth that Samuell apeared not to Saule but it was an imagined shape which by the delusion of Satan was brought vnto Saule and as we call it a Ghost and he gyueth probable reasons to approoue his assertion Diuers reasons proouing Samuell not to appeare to Saule First syth the case so stood with Saule that God would neyther answere him being often
he a little after he is euerye where but as he is man he is onely in heauen yet for the coniunction of the two natures in Christ sundry tymes in Scripture that is spoken of the one which is proper to the other As in example No man ascendeth into heauen Ioh. 3.1.9 but the same which came from heauen euen the sonne of man which is in heauen And yet was not Christ ascended but in earth not glorifyed but subiect to death But bicause of the coniunction with the deuyne nature that is communicated to the humayne nature in spéeche which in déede and truth was onely performed in his Deitie Agayne Act. 20.2 ye are bought with the bloud of God Who knoweth not that this actiō was performed in the humane nature of Christ But bicause he is very God and the nature of his humanitie so connexed that it is inseperable therfore this Conionian and participation of the two natures is often vsed And for thys cause we say God is borne deade and crucifyed for vs when the humane nature onely was so But perhaps it maye astonie thée when I say that the two natures in Christ be inseperable and yet the Godhead is in many places Where his humanity is not nay his deuine nature in all places and his humane nature onely in heauen But consyder in thy self a perfite mirror and ymage hereof Thy soule and body are of two natures the one a spirite the other a compact forme of fleshe the one mortal the other cannot dye Yet during lyfe they are inseperably knit both natures in one in such sorte as eyther nature notwithstanding do kéepe their sundry condition The bodye sléepeth but the soule is alwayes waking the body eateth and drinketh naturall meates the soule onely féedeth of the worde of God the body is sicke and dyeth the soule is for the most parte best healthy when the body is nearest death and most lyuely when she is discharged of the bodye of synne by death Agayne the soule resting with the body is also the selfe instant by her powers at the vtmoste partes of the worlde and aboue the clowds whether shée hath daylie accesse by fayth and inuocation yet for al this the body is but in one place So is it in Christ He is risen he is not here Mar. 16.6 sayth the Angell to the women which came to annoynte Christ in his graue This was spoken of hys humanitie now glorifyed But according to his deuyne nature himselfe hath sayde Wheresoeuer two or three be gathered together in my name Math. 18.20 there am I in the middest of them Thus thou séest who and what is the Lords saluation Namely Iesus Christ the Lorde perfite God the onely begotten sonne of God eternall equall and of selfe substance with his father God and man borne of the Virgin Mary ascended vp in glory reseruing thée eche propertie of eyther nature not confounding the persons nor deuyding the substance Now resteth it to sée also somewhat more of the valor of thy Sauyour in his deuyne nature his valor to thée which best thou shalt perceiue by those noble names according their effects which the sacred scriptures attribute vnto Christ The valour of Christ in hymself and to vs. our one and onely God with the Father and the holy ghost First he is called Tetragramaton or Iehouah which signifyeth that Christ our god with his father is of his owne essence and being hath power and lyfe in himselfe not néeding the helpe of any other but is that sufficiencie which plentifully satisfyeth all others of his fulnes To be shorte the eternall god without begynning and ending In whom we lyue moue and haue our being Act. 17.28 Apo. 1.11 He is Alpha and Omega the fyrst and the last which contayneth all in all in himselfe He is also called Adonay of the Hebrews which of a certaine conceyte would not pronounce hym Tetragramaton or Iehouah rarely but in place thereof set thys name Adonay that is ineffable which all the Interpretors expounde by Dominus Lord. And rightly is Christ with his Father called Lorde For he hath giuen the Regiment of heauen and earth vnto him Mat. 28.18 Col. 1.16 And besydes hym there is none to whome all things visyble and inuysible ought to yéelde their obedience And to this name is added Sabaoth which some interprete the Lord of powers some the Lorde of Hostes the god of battle He it is which ouerthroweth with his myght all power that sturteth vp agaynst god and wyth his armye doth he pull downe the pryde of mightie kings and huge Nations Thys is that Michael who with his army of Angels beate downe Satan from the heauenly habitation of God in his church militant Thys is that Emperour and Monarche Apo. 12.7.9 to whome all kings shall stoupe This is that most tryumphant conqueror who with most symple and small creatures hath can and wyll ouerthrow myghtie Gyants huge armies puyssant Princes and mightie Monarches of the worlde In his campe are infinite Angels Thousande thousands ministred to him sayth Daniell and ten thousand thousands stood before him Dan. 7.10 Beholde of what Maiestie thys christ our Lorde of Hostes is of what force and power when as one Angell of these infinite thousands could and did in one night destroy and kyll in the hoste of Sennacherib which cruelly beséeched the Lordes cytie Ierusalem one hundred forescore and fiue thousand of fyghting Souldiours With water darknesse Frogs Flyes and Grashoppers he wasted and destroyed the pride of the most fertyll lande Egypt With the noyce of Chariots he droue to flyght the kings of Ashur And who is able to withstande his myght For in his army all the Planets and Starres the wyndes fyrie lyghtes Ice Frost Snow rayne Fyre and water Al Deuils in Hell the ayre and Fyrmament all men and kings and all their powers and at one worde all creatures in heauen earth and Hell visyble and inuisible All these are his to vse at hys good pleasure where he wyll when he luste and during his set purpose executing hys vengeance vpon his enimies but the defence of hys Churche Sometyme also he is called Aelion 1. excelsus high As Dauid sayth Psal 113. The Lorde is high aboue all Nations and hys glory aboue the heauens Againe who is lyke the Lord our God that hath hys dwelling so highe and yet abaseth hymselfe to behold the things that are in heauen and earth Euen vnto thys high throne is our Lorde Christ ascended aboue all heauens and set at the right hand of his father on high to beholde the things that are done in earth From this height he sawe Damasco her myserie and Saules pryde and from thence stroake this cruell Tyran to the earth in the mydst of his force and seruantes whose brightnesse stroke Saule with blyndnes but in great mercy wrought his conuersion of persecuting Saule changed him and that bycause he had chosen
hym to preaching Paule And also of a most zealous Pharisey in blyndnesse made him most feruent in the Gospell of God to all our comfortes which be Gentyls For thys our Lord Christ Aelion most highe hath consecrated Paule aboue Peter to be our especiall Apostle both at Rome and else where in the rounde world Our Sauyour Christ our God Iere. 20. Esa 42. is also called of the Hebrewes El. to say of his great strength For whatsoeuer he wyll doe that can he doe For which cause he is called by the Prophets The God of strength and the mightye Lorde or Gygante Sometyme also Eloah and of the Trinitie in coniunction we may say Elohim which signifyeth God our Christ in his deuyne nature to be alwayes and euery where present in heauen and in earth and in peace and warre in persecution and preaching peace in workes and playes in actes and thoughtes in lyfe and death in all places at one and selfe instante Of whose presence the Psalmist sayth thus Whether shall I go from thy Spirite Psal 139. or where shall I flee from thy face If I ascend into heauen thou art there if I go down to hell thou art there also But if I shall take the wings of the morning and dwell in the farthest part of the Sea euen there shall thy hande gouerne me and thy right hande shall beholde me And Paule aptly pronounceth our Lordes presence to the Athenians Act. 17.28 testifying him not to be farre from them but they in him rather saying For in him we lyue moue haue our being And it séemeth probable for this cause the Grecians to haue called God Theos and the Latines to haue formed thence thys worde Deus As one learned affyrmeth Theos to come of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of redynesse and running to and fro so is God called by such a name as best can expresse his presence who is neuer absent from mortall men in earth but to euery man in all places gyueth all things that they possesse Of which his liberalitie some suppose him to be called Deus a dando for that he gyueth to all men that they haue God our Lorde and Christ is also called Schaddai .i. sufficient in himselfe and the sufficientcy to all creatures that whosoeuer hath him to their Lorde hath all sufficientcy to body and soule to this and the lyfe eternall And in oure tongue we call Christ in his deuyne nature God that is the most principall and best good Lastly he is called the God of Abraham the God of Isaack the God of Iacob insinuating vnto vs from whence the holynesse of these Fathers with their fayth came And also that as we are the posteritie of the Noble Abraham by fayth in Christ So is he to vs our best good and most excellent God so that with Paule we may conclude our selues in him most vertuous Rom. 8.31.32 sufficient and blessed saying If God be on our syde who can be against vs. It is God that iustifyeth who shall condemne Againe if he hath giuen vs Christ how shal he not giue vs all things with him And by him we shall bée more then Conquerors Loe this god is thy Iesus whose power is prest and ready to thy best good if thou faythfully put thy trust in him He is also called the Lordes Christ which word Christ Luc. 4.18 Esa 61.1 importeth his honorable Function by the excellent Oyntment aboue his fellowes euen the holy ghost by which he is annoynted of his father to be the king and Priest of his Church for euer according to this saying Heb. 7.17 Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchesidech So then he is called Iesus of the worde Iesehak and so called as the Angell testifyeth bicause he saueth his people from theyr synne Mat. 1.21 The worde Christ is a greeke word which aunswereth the Hebrewe vocable Messhiah annoynted In olde tyme with the people these persons Prophets Priests and Princes were annoynted with Oyle Wherefore our Iesus is called Anoynted signifying the plentifull graces of Gods spirite giuen to those called of god to these Functions and also into what perillous daungers and harde battles they were to enter which truely exercised that seuerall calling By which Oyling they were as with a Symbole put in mynd what couragious Champions they ought to be in their offices This was the cause why the noble Champions before the pryse playde were annoynted But in as much as the Lord Christ had a greater enimy then all other Champions and therewyth a most deadly fyght towards whose body and soule was to stande in the battle of death vppon the crosse against his fathers iustice for the synnes of the whole worlde Satans malice and mans corruption Hell and Death it was most necessary that he shoulde before thys cruel combate haue a more precious Oyntment then had his shadowing fellowes preaching Prophets sacrifycing priests and ruling Princes Wherefore he was annoynted with the holy ghost The spirit of God is vpon me sayth Christ because he hath annoynted me that I should preache the Gospell to the poore c. Esa 61. Luc. 4.18 This sentence expresseth Christs priesthood kingdome and preaching office He is sente sayth he to preache His kingdome he is annoynted to delyuer the oppressed His priesthood he is giuen to heale the broken and wounded hartes wyth synne and iniquitie by the sacrifice of his death vpon the crosse During hys lyfe he preached the gospel Rom. 1.16 which is Gods power in Christ to saluation to euery one that beleeueth In his sacrifice of hymselfe vpon the crosse he performed both the other By his death he healed our infirmities Esa 53. Col. 1.20 for the chastisment of our peace was layde vpon him In hys death he obtayned the victory hauing fully aunswered the Fathers iustice against synne death and hell and spoyled principalities and powers and hath made a shew of them openly Col. 2.15 and hath tryumphed ouer them in the same crosse He hath forgyuen vs our synnes put out the hande wryting that was agaynst vs he hath taken it out of the waye and fastened it to his crosse hath translated vs from the power of darknes into the kingdome whereof he is king of kings and Lorde of Lordes vz the body of hys Church of which he is the onely heade Whose kingdome is thréefold of power of grace and of glory Of power for all Nations shall bow the knee to this Lorde of Lordes and king of kings Christ the annoynted king and priest And who so wyl not kysse the sonne Christ Iesus shal perish whether Prince Psal 2. 1. Rom. 14 17. Potentate Preacher Magistrate people or pestilente Pope Of grace which he sayth by Luke is within vs and consisteth as Paule sayth in righteousnesse Christ the high Byshop of our soules in peace and ioy in the holy Ghost His kingdome of glory as well in that he
THE SHIELD OF our Safetie Set foorth by the Faythfull Preacher of Gods holye Worde A. Anderson vpon Symeons sight in hys Nunc dimittis Seene and allowed Micha 2.11 If a man walke in the Spirite and woulde lye falslye saying I wyll prophecy vnto thee of Wyne and of strong Drinke he should euen be a Prophet of thys people ¶ Imprinted at London in Fleetestreate beneath the Conduite at the Signe of S. Iohn Euangelist by H. Iackson 1581. ⧠TO THE RIGHT REuerend Father in God by Gods appoyntment the Byshop of London Anthony Anderson the Preacher of Gods holy Gospell wysheth all heauenly helpe in Christ our Lorde AS THE BENEFITS OF GOD to this Nation Right Reuerend are mo then many so aboue al are we bound to praye and prayse greatly the Lorde Omnipotent by whose mightie hande Satan is from vs banished in his olde Popishe pride his chiefe Instrument the Romishe Antichrist so fully slayne by the daily breath of Gods holy worde that neuer is he lyke in such sort with vs to be reuiued The prouidence of God hath apointed this to be the time of our Christian translation Colo. 2.13 and hir Maiestie oure gracious Soueraigne Elizabeth his Noble Nourse to his English Church taking from vs in one hower both Pope Cardinall and persecuting Prince And hath from the gates of death drawne her and nowe set her chiefe among the princes of the earth For the losse of her Graces Syster some Papistes doe sore lamente but for the gaine by hir Maiestie now both one and other may reioyce For againe is verifyed the olde prophesie of Dauid Psal 68.11 God gaue the worde and great was the company of the Preachers Kings of the Armies did flee they did flee and shee that remayned in the house deuyded the spoyle Though yee haue lyen among the Pots yet shall ye be as the wings of a Doue that is couered with Syluer and whose feathers are as yellow Golde For God hath giuen sufficient matter to hir and to all other to tell of our delyuerie from the innumerable Hostes of Popishe Locustes which in the pestilent dayes of late Popery pinched vs in hir Noble Grace and her Grace to the terror of vs. But are not these Armies and their Kings fled they are by the mightie hande of our Christ scattred banished and deade that sought the desolation of our Englishe Israell and our most godly Hester hath obteyned in mercy hir selfe and christian subiects Esther 3.4.5.6 7.8 9.13.14.15.16 these presente Halcions dayes From God by hir hande we enioy this most pleasaunt seedes tyme of the Gospell nowe well neare full twentie three yeares By her Maiesties faythful care in bounden duetye oure decayed Ierusalem is mightily repayred yea though Sanballat and Tobiah spyte it Nehe. 4. and seeke to hynder it yet Noble Nehemias goeth on with all GOD graunt vs hir louing subiects to ioyne with the Iewes in this namely eche man in his calling to buylde to his power in the house of the Lorde that wee may be the Mansions of the holye Ghost and to haue oure weapons ready in hande and earnest hartes in true loyaltie to hir Maiestie 1. Cor. 3.16 c. 6.19 to fyght against his and hir enimies for her and then our defence wheresoeuer they shal assault vs. And let vs not be afrayde of our Popishe aduersaries which is to them sayth saint Paule a token of perdition and to you of saluation Phil. 1.28 and that of God Would God in these buylding dayes we had not in authoritie in sundrye Shyres yea in the harte of this Realme spyghting Sanballat and menacing Tobiah But as the Gospell by suche receyueth some hinderance so I truste in the Lorde that were they better knowne to Nehemias As for her earnest zeale to his truth shee cannot by their surmised traynes and fayned fayth to her godlye growth in Christ bee stayde from hys labours in hir heroycall harte fyrmely planted to increase So through her kingly power shee woulde not admyt such the seates of Iustice for peace which are sonnes of Warre to Gods Church but contrary with God her Lorde thruste these myghty from the bench to the Barre and by Dauids example cut of the wicked Psal 101. or at least weede them out of the Citie of the Lorde Yea euen as manye as haue euill wyll at Syon and that my diligence wyth others my Brethren may appeare Mala. 27. at whose mouths people should aske and haue knowledge and that also some at least hereby myght be profited I haue to my possibilitie set Plough on gate and furrowed this lande that after followeth as appeareth And albeit many other could haue farre passed this my tyllage yet perceyuing the clowdes to houer towardes Haruest God for Christes sake pardon our synnes and preserue Elizabeth our christian Queene and this fertyle ground so long to lye fallowe I after some vewe of my seedes whether they woulde abyde weather and well agree with the lande sanctified my Plough with christian and earnest prayer and haue layde open my labours to the skilfull suruey of godly husbandmen And doubt not that good fruite and much encrease shall be fall to the Reapers Which labour ended I deemed best to shrowde my trauayling Plough vnder your Lordships learned Shelter assured that whatsoeuer frowning weather then shal assayle it as nipping frost carping cold Romish rayne hatefull stormye hayle or other wynters wynde so euer can come well hapt should my poore Plough be against al these and where neede is at all oportunitie the same in right to be defended Another cause why I presume my symple Pen to your learned L. is to offer hereby a token of my good wyll and duety to your good L. and that from your olde Country man receyuing this little by it your godly disposition maye be againe as it were desyred to stretch your former hande to helpe Gods house in Lecester shyre but specially in Northampton shyre where God it knoweth neede is both of sowing and weeding I speake of experience And if this my bold enterprise your L. wil vouchsafe fauorably to accept if by your great skyl in Gods husbandry thought fyt for the lower sort for whose sake chiefly I haue done it you wil publishe the same and alowe it for sounde I shal account my selfe more and more bounde and endeuour my hande to such godly further labours as his holye wyll hath determined The Lorde for euer blesse you wyth this olde Father Symeon whose wordes followe and giue you wyth Gods whole Church his and our common consolation Christ our Lorde that he may be yours and you for euer his Amen From Medborne in Lecestershire this 12. of December 1580. Your L. humbly in Christ A. Anderson LORD nowe lettest thou thy seruant departe in peace Luc. 2.29 according to thy worde For mine eyes haue seene thy Saluation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people To be a light
in his syghte but by his Fayth Rom. 3.28 as by the hande wherwith he apprehended his righteousnesse in Christ Or maye any person obiect in right as opposite hereto The words of Iames declared By the papists abused the saying of Iames the Apostle was not Abraham iustified by workes For Iames doth not in that place dispute the meanes of mans iustification before God but requyreth that good works be to Christian fayth adioyned as by which grace holye men on earth doe approoue that which God in the Heauens before through the vndoubted fayth in hys Sonne Iesus Christ hath imputed to his beloued children which may easely appeare in the Apostles owne wordes Shewe mee thy fayth out of thy works sayth he and I will shewe thee my fayth by my workes Iam. 2.18 As if he had sayde Thou which boastest to haue fayth shewe me that am but man and therefore knowe not thy state before the Tribunall seate of GOD or his graces in the inwarde man by which meanes I cannot iudge of thée Shewe me I saye thy fayth by hys works in thée and I will beléeue thée then to be a faythfull Christian Gene. 22.16 This sence Moses also testifieth the Angel or rather the Lorde by his Angel to approoue which stayde the hande of Abraham from the sacrifycing of his sonne Touch not thy sonne with violent hands for nowe I knowe that thou fearest God bicause thou hast not spared thine only sonne for my commaundement sake To conclude the Epistle written to the Hebrewes doth attribute this great worke of Abraham to the excellency of his fayth saying By fayth Abraham offred vp his sonne Isaac Heb. 11.17 It resteth therefore sythe Symeon is not able to fulfill the lawe but fayleth in many poyntes thereof and therefore guyltie of all Sithe also that those good workes which he doth be polluted in Gods syght as procéeding from hym selfe by which meanes he is become in himselfe vniuste before God that nowe his righteousnesse consysteth herein that his synnes be not layde to his charge according to the saying of the Psalmist Psal 31.1 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose synnes be not imputed to them Thus was Symeon vniust in himselfe but iust in his consolation Christ Iesus and that bicause he fyrmely beleeued in him by whose merittes and death on the Crosse the Fathers iustice is answered Symeons synnes raunsomed mercye to hym procured his daylie synnes not layde to his charge bycause by imputation he is accounted for iust And in the same maner are all the elect of God alyke blessed with him And so lykewise all the workes of Gods saintes are impure in his sight if tryed by the phan of hys spirite before his Tribunall seate But such is his fatherly benigne mercye that in and for his sonne Christ he accepteth vs and then our holy actions for iuste as he accepted Habel and his sacryfice but he regarded not Caine Gene. 4. and therfore not his sacryfice also he casteth our iniquities quight out of his remembrance Ezec. 18. Secondly Symeon is called pius godly religious Iere. 31.22 or fearing God This is proper to the chylde of God if iustifyed by his grace then to lyue in his feare that is in his obedience Tit. 2.12 Luk. 1. We are also redéemed to this ende That we should denye vngodlynesse and walke in puritie of lyfe in holynesse and righteousnesse before our iuste God all the dayes of our lyfe So sayth the holye Ghoste in the mouth of Zachary the good maryed Priest So did the same holye man of God and his good wyfe by vertuous lyfe expresse the graces of Gods holye spirite in them as testifyeth Saint Luke saying Both were iuste before God and walked in all the commaundementes of the Lorde without reproofe Luc. 1.6 Here hast thou good Reader the true discription of a godly man namely he that being iustifyed by Fayth in Christ walketh though he cannot performe in perfection in all the commaundements and ordinances of the Lord. Deare Reader we glorye that we be called christians but onely this is a true christian lyfe of which here thou haste heard Our wants in this profession in these oure dayes bewray from top to the toe in the Courte and thence thorowe the Countrie from the Nobilitie to the Plowman and his mate The greater personages boast and bragge of great tytles Lordships Baranies Offices and liberties of bewty byrthe brauerie manhood chyualry and force of cunning skyll learned tongue But vnlesse my Lords ye relye vpon Symeons lore vnlesse ye be worthyly endowed with his style vnlesse ye be iuste before God walke in all the commaundementes of God not only to do holyly but to be holy your selues in déede Vndoubtedly your honor and all your other pompe in pryde shall you change for horror wéeping howling and gnashing of teeth and so shall all fleshe that lyueth not in the feare of God Math. 25.30 What benefite was it to Diues nowe boyling in Hell that he was endewed with all worldlye Epicurious pleasures Luck 16. as gorgious houses costly array after the fashion diuersitie of dyshes and the worlde at wyll Or what aduantage to the other Ritchman Luck 12. that pulled downe his Barnes to make them greater sayde to hymselfe Now soule be merrie for thou hast goodes and landes in store for many yeres But how did he possesse this large and newe buylded frame Thou foole sayth the spirite This nighte shall they take thy soule from thee and who shall then possesse thy goods Shall not the wicked ritche men lykewise haue their heauen in this lyfe Shall they not after the hower of death with Diues lye in the Helles lyke shéepe and say Sapi. 3. There was no greene pasture which we wente not through whereby they note in naturall lyfe their courtly pleasures We left no token of vertue behinde vs in thys they signifie their wicked lyfe buryed in contynuall securitie We thought these men fooles vz Symeon and such other the sonnes of God Whereby they vtter their ignorance of godly men and their owne fréedome from godlynesse These are they which wee persecuted scorned and cruelly intreated but nowe see how they are taken with the iuste By which the holye ghost sealeth vp the naturall disposition of all Atheists to their gréeuous and irrecuperable condemnation Wherefore beloued Reader Noble and ignoble Courtier and Countryman séeke the Lorde earely and whyle he is to be founde attayne to his seruice who by his grace will endue thée with iustification Esa 55. and holynesse with obedience to his holy law and delight to dwell therin Ephe. 1.14 bicause his holye spirite is his Arrha and earnest penny giuen thée for thy assurance of his loue and fauour towards thée So shall your Nobilities more encrease your state most surely stande your selues with Symeon shall be famous to your posteritie a good example
delyuerer whome they imagined to be some Noble warriour were redy to run with euery Traytor that would lift vp his heade take to himselfe the Tytle of Messias In the which seditions euer they had the worse as reason is such should and many thousandes of them were slayne But when no otherwayes they would be pacified the Romane power was sent with Commission vtterly to destroy them Wherto was Vespasian sent who began his warres in Galilea committing to fyre and sworde all that was before hym From thence he came to Ierusalem and by the Souldiours in that siege chosen Emperour he went to Rome committed the warres of the Iewes to his sonne Titus which Titus lyke a vigilant Gouernour behaued himselfe left not the slaughter til he had fulfilled the prophecy of Christ to that Citie He cast a banck about it hauing 30. Castles or Turrets in it Luke 19. from whence he battered downe the Citie he compassed them on euery side finally he destroyed them and their children For the Lord by him caused the hunger to be such as the mothers were compelled to kyll roste broyle and eate their owne borne children He raced the Citie downe to the ground and so of that most floorishing Citie Iosephus de bel Iud. 6.14 the Flowre and Diamonde of the East he left no more but a smale Monumente to the posteritie of the Romans ouer so strong a defenced Bulwarke That is to say thrée Towers called Phaselus Hyppinus and Mariamnes with parte of the West wall The men which escaped were for the most part taken prisoners and most of them after eyther solde to base bondage or were for the pleasant prospect of the Romans cast vnto wylde beastes in their publique sportes to fight and be deuoured These things came to them in déede but are written for oure sakes 1. Cor. 10.6 that both Prince Potentate Prelacie and people should be terrifyed hereby As also the Church of Ephesus is a notable example for the Church of England to beholde That Church sometime most honorable but now most horrible wrapped in the Dungeon of Turkishe Paganisme God cannot in iustice but plague in seueritie the backslyding from his word And that doth he in two sorts First he gyueth such degenerating children the spirit of Delusion 2. Tes 2.11 that they should beleeue lyes to their damnation which would not receyue the Truth to their Saluation when it was sent them And also he giueth them to their owne harts concupiscence the same to satisfie in most fylthy lusts that not only God but nature it selfe shall be despised Rom. 1.21.22.23.24.25.26.27 For men against themselues and women and men against the vse of Nature shall defyle themselues most filthily A heauy iudgement The second is his sword of Destruction vtterly to throw downe and bring to nothing the power and persons of disobedient backslyders His iudgements hereto are as it pleaseth him sometimes greater sometime lesse Sometimes by sencelesse creatures sometimes by the Heauens sometimes by men of might in the earth Frogs Flyes and Lyce darknesse blood and Caterpillers Psal 78. and fynally the raging Seas shall ouerthrow the Egiptians which were great persecutors of the people of God The Wyndows of heauen shal open and drowne the whole worlde which would not repente Gen. 7.11 but growe into worse and worse Vespasian and Romane Titus shall vtterly subuert the hard harted Ierusalem Ephesus shall yéelde his obedience to his destroying enimy which would not returne to his former loue Iesus Christ and the zeale of his Gospel The Angels Candlestick the Church and the Ministery shall be cast out Apoc. 2. and Mahomet and Sergius shall occupy their function and place O England loue loue loue and feare Feare God as thy father kysse and embrace his sonne thy Christ and consolation Psal 2.12 least he being angry cause thée to feare when thou doest féele his terrible iudgements by which thou shalt perishe if his anger be kyndled yea but a little Returne to thy first loue and do thy fyrst works else wil he come shortly as he sayth to Ephesus which argueth that he is ready Wherfore repent yea though the most in countenance of the best neglect the loue of God yet know that Symeon and Ioseph doe expect the kingdome of God and Consolation of Israel And such onely haue the spirite of God in them as had these holy men by which they are trayned alwayes to the presence of Christ approued his seruants These shall not sée death tyll they haue in hart by the eyes of their fayth ioyfully séene Iesus to be the lighte of the Gentyls and the glory of Israell Iohn 17.2 Esa 9.2 and the saluation by the Lorde set for the whole saluation of God Last of all thys is worthy to be thought vpon that Symeon is brought by the Spirite of Gods motion into the Temple at the very instant when Christ is thether brought to be offred to the Lorde and that al things there were done according to the Lawe 1. Sam. 9.16 Psal 31.15 Luke 1.8 Iohn 17.1 Ephe. 1.10 Mar. 14.41 The worldlings would thinke this to come by chance but the Euangelist sayth he was ledde thyther by the holy ghost For it is God which doth with his general prouidence behold all things and guydeth euery mans actions to his appointed season and the very moment of tymes he directeth to his seuerall worke at his good pleasure By this heauenly prouidence and not by chaunce came the seruant of Abraham to the Citie of Nahor Gen. 24. in that momente of tyme when Rebecca came out of the Citie to water hir cattle Gods prouidence guydeth as and our actions not blynde chance and for this cause did God bring forth that Mayde at the same instant that by this occasion she might bring the manne to her father by whom shée should be sent to Isaac for his wyfe And Saule went to séeke his fathers Asses but the Lorde brought him to Samuel the Prophet which did expect that hower his comming 1. Sam 9.16 For the Lorde had by Oracle tolde Samuel that he would sende Saule vnto him and that he should annoynte him king of Israel Dauid was brought hereby into the battle 1. Sam. 17. what houre the great Gyant Golyath did vaunt himselfe in blasphemy against the Lorde and by which meanes he might be brought to that fight which the Lord had foreappointed for him to the glory of God the victorious fame of Dauid and the ioy of Israell By this guyde came the Wydowe of Naim to the gates of the Citie Luc. 7.12 with her dead sonne to buriall at that moment when Christ entred the gates of that Citie and was by him restored to lyfe And by this is holy prouydence are our Fathers gone before vs and we not borne vntyll this age of the worlde wherein he hath appoynted his sonne Christe to be more amply reuealed by
last hower the spirite of God lightened the harte of the théefe vpon the Crosse Luck 23.40 Ezech. 18. Eph. 1.4.5 Ioh. 1.9 1. Tim. 2.4 Eph. 1.18 Heb. 1.3 so that in yéelding to death he sawe Christ onely to be his lyfe So the same most louing father who wylleth not the death of a synner hath euen in the hower of death and in all the dayes of Popery tourned the hartes of as many as were predestinate before all tymes in Christ to lyue eternally And that our Christ which lighteneth all men that come into the worlde and would haue all men that is to say of euerye country nation people and families some to be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth Hath also illuminated the hartes of all those whome the father hath by his spirite drawne out of the Dungeon of Papistrie to thys brightnesse of his glory wherby they haue with the eyes of their fayth séene this Iesus Christ to be the onely saluation of Iewe Turke Pagan Papist and Gentyle and consequently haue in harte felt him for theirs to their greate and synguler consolation After which sight they haue in the integritie of their soules 1. Cor. 3.12 Phil. 3.8 accounted al the hey tymber stubble and Popishe stuffe as fylthie doung and paciently abode the paine of death for their former ignorance and rest in hope of eternall peace and in the assurance of hys spirite that their synnes in his bloude are washed awaye They are perswaded that death is to them lyfe in cause whereof they haue in Christ banished that feare which bringeth paynefulnesse 1. Io. 4.18 and with Symeon haue sayde Now Lorde let vs thy seruants depart in peace for the eyes of our minde nowe in the agony of our soule hath through the day spring which from an high hath visited vs perfitly seene the Lorde thy Christ to be our sauing health â—uc 1.78 in whome wee departe to thee who neuer before this hower in these dayes of ignoraunce could attayne to this grace But now Lord receiue vs in peace through Christ our lord our God of peace and the same to all his chosen children The prouydence of God in tyme of Popery féedeth this our sentence of the forefathers thus blessed in the dayes of ignorance In that he conserued and during those tymes continued among men the Symbole of our fayth which very manye at their death haue constantly repeated and by open declaration haue affirmed in that fayth to ende their lyfe But thys Symbole preacheth onely the gloryous fayth in God the Father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost In Popery no saluation wherfore I conclude that manye of our forefathers were in the daies of Popery saued by fayth alone in Christ and that by Popery no man may or can be saued For the whole course of the Romishe Religion is to disperce Mat. 12.30 and not to gather together the saintes of God to the vnitie of fayth and knowledge in the sonne of GOD but to hayle to the fayth of Rome which maketh as many Sauiours as the sunne shyning giueth shadowes which can in no case permit a man eyther to rest alone in the death of Christ or to assure himselfe of saluation in hym But to attayne lyfe Popishe Treasures the Papists must fetch the treasures of the Church of Rome parte whereof is the blood of Martyrs though some of them be notable Traytors It is to playne that they make such not Mediators onely but Sauiours also from synne Who can forget this solemne Anthemne to that Traytor Thomas Becket sometimes Byshop of Caunterbury which the Popes Portuse and all laten Primers haue farsed in them for men in prayer to vse In the Popishe Primers Tu per Thomae sanguinem quem pro te impendit fac nos Christe scandere quo Thomas ascendit That is graunt vs Christ by the vertue of saint Thomas his bloud which he shedde for thée to ascende whether Thomas is gone where note that Christ hath but that office which else they giue to Peter Namely to be the dore kéeper and to admit those soules into heauen which clayme it by the bloud of Barrabas I should say Thomas and they do refuse bicause they doe distrust the raunsome of Christ our onely way to lyfe Oh horrible and most abhominable blasphemy Ioh. 14.6 But deare Reader No man can come to the father sayth our sufficient Sauyour but by mee And therefore praying for the Papists conuersioÌ„ if it be Gods good will let vs as Paule doth exhort vs Heb. 12.19 seeing by the bloud of Iesus we may be bold to enter into the holy place into heauen by the newe and lyuing way which he hath prepared for vs thorow the vayle that is to say his fleshe and seeing we haue an high Priest ouer the house of God let vs drawe neare with a true hart in assurance of fayth sprinckled made pure in our hearts from an euil conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water Let vs keepe the profession of our hope without wauering for he is faythfull that promised And let vs consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes not forsaking the felowship that we haue among our selues as the maner of some is but let vs exhorte one another that so much the more bicause ye see the day draweth neere Let vs expect his comming and loue the Lorde so shall we not feare any perrill of death And God graunt our Englishe Papistes once to sée and be ashamed of their wylfulnesse to damnation sléeping in the bedde of the whore of Babilon Reuel 18. which is prepared to desolation and perpetuall fyre And to imbrace his Gospell which is the onely ioy of soule and solace in death â—â—t 3.17 the path to lyfe in that Sauiour in whome God the father is onely pacifyed The second note is that the godly are so farre from fearing naturall death that on the contrary part they humbly many tymes at the hande of God can earnestly pray for it and wyshe it yea and eaten vp of griefe for the dayes of synne they lament that they are not disburdened of the bodye thereof Finally in desyre of the full accomplishment of the bodye of Christ that the same his Church might be thorowly glorifyed in heauen as she is in parte and in earth perfitly sanctifyed The saints in this lyfe praye for the dissolution of the world and Christ to come with speede to iudgement For the fyrst Paule prayeth thus I desyre to be dissolued and to be with Christ and our Symeon here Lorde now let thy seruaunt depart in peace Secondly in the seuenth to the Romaynes Paule cryeth out of synne lamenting and saying O wretched man that I am who shall delyuer me from the body of this death that is from this lumpe of fleshly sinne and death Where note gentle Christian that the saintes of God are subiect to the
gloryously arose from death and ascended aboue al heauens as that he shall appeare most gloryouslye to haue gouerned all things when he shal call before him to iudgement all the Nations of the worlde and giue to them their portion in his right iustice due vnto them This Lorde Christ and Sauiour is also the high Byshop of our soules the one and onely priest that hath fully taken awaye oure sinnes in the sacrifice of himselfe vpon the aulter of the crosse once for all and all ages there and then offered Of whose priesthood Dauid long before prophecied in these wordes Psal 110. The Lorde hath sworne and wyll not repent thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech By which words the Apostle Paule purposing to proue Christ the sayde priest thus speaketh Thys Melchisedech was king of Salem Heb. 7.17 king of the most high God c. Hee is the king of righteousnesse after that he is called the king of Salem 1. king of peace without father without mother wythout kyndred and hath neyther beginning of his dayes nor ende of his lyfe but is lyke vnto the sonne of God and contynueth a priest for euer And that rightly for Christ the sonne of God is our righteousnesse and peace and the king of Salem euen of the peaceable church and tryumphante kingdome euerlasting He is without father in his humanitie onely being conceyued by the holye ghost of the womans séede wythout mother in his deuyne nature begotten of the fathers owne nature without beginning of dayes or ende of lyfe For he is God for euer And though in his humanitie he suffred for vs yet his Godhead coulde not dye but remayneth immortall for euer This Iesus is both king and priest not after Aaron but according to Melchisedeches order for all tymes to come And as the holye scriptures hath mention of no mo such So is he the onely priest of God for the saluation of his church and there can besides hym be none other who gaue hymselfe to dye for vs and by whose onely death we be all saued that beléeue in hym The meane whereby this eternall Priest saueth hys people is by tryple operation Howe our Christ saueth vs. all which haue their force from the action of his death First in gyuing hymselfe a raunsome for theyr sinnes to God his father and by hys bloudy sacryfice once for all offered he fully acquyteth all his people of all their damnable debt Secondly by the preaching of hys Ghospell vnto the sonnes of men as whereby he is depaynted thus crucifyed for them therby they brought by his spirite to beléeue the forgiuenesse of synnes in his bloud Thirdly by that he remayneth the onlye Mediator for his people to his father so reconciling the worlde to God and guydeth his people by his spirite in the pathes of righteousnesse for his holy names sake 1. Pet. 2.5 Mat. 20.28 Thus is thy soueraigne Lorde and Christ thy highe Priest and Byshop of thy soule thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to saye the price of thy redemption by whose sacrifice alone vpon the crosse God the father is iustly payde the pryce due to hym for all our iniquities For the which cause also that he is the pryce of thy Redemption in hys death he is of God constitute for thy only Mediator as Paule sayth to the Hebrewes and saint Iohn If any man sinne Heb. 9.15 1. Ioh. 2.2 we haue an Aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the reconciliation for our sinnes and not for our sinnes only but for the synnes of the whole worlde Where note that the Apostle sayth and for this cause is he the Mediator of the new Testament Hebr. 9.15 Namely for thys cause that through his death men might receyue the promise of inheritance He that dyeth for mans transgressions is onely the Mediator for their sinnes But Christ only dyeth for mans transgressions therfore Christ is the onely Mediator for mans iniquitie This is the Apostles reason And further this priesthood so dwelleth still in Christ that no inferiour creature maye be enstalled into that function For he lyueth for euer and therfore contynueth a priest for euer after the order of Melchesedech Whersoeuer then any man or Angell would take vppon hym this office to be a priest to offer sacrifice in the Church of God For thy synnes know thou that he is not thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy redemption and therefore cannot be thy sacrificer Besydes thys that sacrifice of Christ is thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the absolute price of thy raunsome and therefore no neede of further payment to God by sacrifice Christ hath fully payde the ransome for our syns therefore can there be no more offring to God for synne Thirdly neyther néede nor can that sacrifice of Christes death and bodye to be iterate or offred of freshe for that were to kyll Christ agayne and to make lesse the valour of thy redemption by which thou art redéemed fully and for which cause Christ is called in the holye scripture thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to saye an absolute price of thy redemption by whome and whose price thou hast by fayth in hym the whole forgiuenesse of thy sinnes Heb. 10.18 And where thys Remission is sayth the scripture there remayneth no more offerings for synne but we maye with boldnesse enter into heauen not by an other sacrifice but by a new and lyuing way namely sayth he by fayth in Christs fleshe bloud once thus offred who remayneth our high priest with God Lastly were there a sacrifice remayning to be offred for sinne we had no priestes or anye one man or Angell in heauen or earth that could be a fitte Sacrificer for the same For besyds that a true Sacrificer for synne by whose Sacrifice iniquitie shall be awaye taken There can be found as a meete man no Priest in earth to offer sacrifice must be the sacrifice hymselfe There are also certayne Noble qualities must inhabite that man which can be a sacrifycing priest for sinne and the house of GOD which are by the Apostle to the Hebrewes set downe on thys maner Such an high priest it became vs to haue sayth he which is holy harmlesse vndefiled seperate from sinners and made higher then the Heauens which needed not daylie to offer vp sacrifice first for his owne sinnes and then for the synnes of his people for that did he once when he offred vp himselfe for the lawe maketh men highe priests which haue infyrmitie but the worde of the othe which was synce the lawe maketh the sonne who is consecrated namely the onely priest of God for euermore Now deare Reader if it be of necessitie that we should haue such a Priest to offer sacrifice for our sinnes and that no other can take that office to pacifie the father whose iustice changeth not or is by affection altred how can it be that eyther the
saying Ioh. 6.44 Mat. 3.17 Mat. 17.5 This is my beloued sonne in whom not in any other matter or man I rest wel pleased heare him The holy ghost in lyke maner beareth wytnesse of Christ preacheth him and teacheth no other doctrine 1. Cor. 3.11 1. Pet. 2.6 Eph. 2.20 then fyrst he gaue to the Church The Apostles lay him the onely foundation and corner stone of Gods house denying all other to haue such place in the conscience of man Peter calleth the Pope and all other onely to Christ Peter the Apostle vpon whose person that Antichrist of Rome falsely fathereth all his vsurped authoritie calleth al men lyuing stones vnto this stone Christ and calleth hym the stone onely precious That sinister doctrine which is layde vppon this buylding shall vanishe awaye but all opposite to the same Gal. 1.8 is thereby moste flatly accursed with the bringer and begynner therof be they men or Angels Hereby then is Popery proued guyltie of highe Treason against the truth of God which flat against the course of Gods booke and holy church setteth into the consciences of men themselues and their inuentions for Gods their Saintes of all sortes for lyghtes and guydes helpers and Sauyours to the glory of their Pope and ignominy of the Lorde of the house Iesus Christ It is not Mary Gods mother his Apostles Angels or men but onely and alone Iesus Christ that Symeon sayth GOD the Father hath prepared and erected as it were vpon an high place that all men might see and perceyue him to be to them al their only Sauyour lyght and glory Secondly our Saluation is by Symeon deuinely here alone giuen to Gods prouision not mans deuise saying He hath prepared and therein his great and inestimable mercy is made manifest who whyle euery man falleth in lust from God to damnation in security without remorse God our good Father yet prouydeth for them all his one and alone sauing health an other himselfe euen his onely begotten sonne Christ our Lorde To this ende is the Parable of the Kings banquet Mat. 22.4 where the Fatlings are kylled and al things made ready before the guestes be called so that their is no other thing for them to do but onely to obey the voyce of the Caller Our Redemption is in Christ the preparation in God the Father our grace to imbrace and receiue it in the holye ghost This was the fayth of the Patriarkes and fyrst fathers Thus Dauid confessed saying Thou doest prepare a Table before me in the syght of myne aduersaryes Psal 23.5 This was the doctrine of Christes Spirite in Zacharius lyps that the mercye of God gaue and prepared vs this lyght of the Gentyls Luc. 1.78 the day starre from an high and not for our procéeding works which all were malicious as Paule sayth to the Romans or for our succéeding merits Rom. 5.8 which are menstruous and fylthy in gods eyes but of hys owne synguler loue Esa 64.6 Rom. 8. Ioh. 3.16 gaue he vs his prepared Christ for our Saluation as this our heauenly lyght and glory sayth So dearely God loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne thereto that as many as beleue in him should not perishe but haue lyfe euerlasting Thirdly he hath prepared him to be a Lyghte to the Gentyls and the glory of Israel Thrée things in the former Verse are to be noted First why Christ is called Lyght Secondly the vse of this light And thirdly to whome he is a light giuen to be made knowne vnto Namely vnto the Gentyls Christ is most worthyly called light not onely bicause he is the engrauen forme and brightnesse of the Father of lyghtes but also bicause he giueth light Col. 1.15 Ioh. 1.9 and doth illuminate the hartes of all things that come into the worlde called so not onely for the light and lyfe he giueth to the body Christ is our onely lyght but also and most speciallye for the heauenly light of Gods knowledge which he engraueth by his worde and spirite in the hartes of all men but most effectually in the Electe and chosen children Of which light and illumination the Euangelist Iohn speaketh in the gospell saying Ioh. 1.4 In hym was lyfe and this lyfe was the lyght of men and thys lyghte did shine in darknesse the darknesse did not comprehend it By the worde life he meaneth all liuing power which at this daye is to be séene in all creatures as well endued with naturall reason spirituall wisedome as sauage creatures and sencelesse things trées plantes herbes grasse corne c. Eche of these hath his proper lyfe and of Christ the Creator the light and lyfe of all things And for that no man should suppose this lyght whereof he speaketh to concerne the lyfe and lyght which euer is common with the bodyes of men and beastes He addeth that this lyfe was the light of men So teaching vs what lyfe we are to receyue of him we being blynde and ignorante darkenesse Namely the lightning of our minds with the word of his truth whereby our hartes doe see in perfite wise Christ Iesus to be the day starre from on high Luc. 1.7.8 sente of hys Father to giue light to vs Gentyls that were in the dore and prison of darknesse Esa 42.7 Symeon had respect no doubt calling Christ a Lyght to the Prophets which so spake of him Namely that Noble Esay Esa 42.6 saying I the Lorde haue called thee in righteousnesse and wil holde thine hande and I wyll keepe thee and guyde thee for a couenant of the people and for a lyght of the Gentyls that thou mayest open the eyes of the blynde and bring out the prisoner out from the prison and them that syt in darknesse out of the prison house And againe Esa 49.6 It is a smale thing that thou shouldest bee my Seruant to rayse vp the Tribe of Iacob and to restore the desolations of Israel I wyl also giue thee for a lyght to the Gentyls that thou mayest be my saluation vnto the ende of the worlde Nowe in thys Parable there be two things worthy the note First that all men in themselues as well Iewes as Gentyls be méere darknesse The other that God the Father in heauen and earth hath giuen no other to illuminate mankinde with the light of nature of God and true godlynesse but his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ and him onely to the whole worlde as hymselfe wytnesseth Ioh. 8.12 saying I am the light of the worlde And most lyuely is our Christ represented by the glorious Sunne which being in his Spheare farre aboue Christ our light shadowed forth by the Sunne performeth al his office enioyned him wythout default to the circuits of the whole earth and Seas and that to the endes of the world And by the way note good Reader how the Lorde taketh apt occasion by the tyme and place where he is to
teache hymselfe that he is to the hartes of men When he was at Iacobs Well with the woman of Samaria Ioh. 4.10 he tooke occasion by the Metaphor of water to teache her the lycour of lyfe By the desyre the Iewes had to earthy bread therfore followed him Ioh. 6.15 Luc. 5.3 he began to teach himself to be the bread of lyfe And teaching in the shyp by that myracle of Fishes he taught the Apostles the waye to catch men The same thing he vseth in these wordes I am the lyght c. For teaching in the morning in the Temple the Sunne nowe shyning moste brightly bewtifying the place to the great delight of the beholders he calleth them from the terrestriall to the sonne of righteousnesse affirming in him to finde the true properties of the glorious sonne in déede First as the Sunne is a most pure Planet most bryght and cléere defyled with nothing wheresoeuer it shyneth but maketh the darke and fylthy places more open to the eyes of men So Iesus Christ the brightnesse of his fathers glory Col. 1.15 is of nature most pure and holye and albeit he hath taken oure nature vpon him lyued amongst vs did accompany wyth synners to their good and abhorred not to eate with Publicans yet was he nothing defyled therby but by him these fylthy persons made wholy to know themselues through him were illuminated and fully sanctifyed The Sunne that is to say the light doth so shyne that himselfe may be séene of vs and doth make all other lyuing creatures to sée by him So Iesus Christ our light doth so manifestly in his nature appeare that the insensible heauens and earth do know him he doth so powre by his spirite the beames of his brightnesse into the hartes of hys beloued that they by his spirite and resplendishing Scriptures both perfitly as fleshe may know God the Father and his Christ and all things else which be eyther necessary or expedient to their saluation in him besydes whom there is none other Act. 4.12 Psal 36.9 Thys compelled Dauid to say With thee O Lord is the Well of lyfe and in thy lyght shal we see lyght Through christs light we see God to be our father hym the lord to be our Sauior And as the lyght discouereth darkenesse and refresheth the toyled bodyes in former obscuritie Euen so Christ remouing the former ignorance of God in vs banyshing the terror of cōscience doth most magnificently recreate our sences and refreshe our spirites renouate our conscience quyet oure soule and replenishe vs with ioye And lyke as the lyghte doth not onely in darknesse of night guyde our footesteps but helpeth vs aright to our whole businesse So Christe that eternall worde of God is the Lanterne to our feete and the light to our labours Psal 119. in that the doctrine and preceptes thence shyning to vs doe direct our darke soules into the paths of righteousnesse and that for his owne names sake And as light banyshing darknesse openeth to mans eye many things which in mircke midnight were not onely shadowed The commodities of light but also sheltered and so vnknowne that many adulters théeues murtherers and wicked persons by her were couered Iohn 3.19 and nowe by light disclosed for which cause naturally they loue darknesse hate the lyght So Christ hauing by his worde of most cléerenesse and heauenly power banyshed from Realmes Familyes and persons the darknes of ignorance maketh knowne to them their syns and reproueth their errors accuseth the corruptiō of mans nature and playnely maketh vs sée that all those things which without him we most imbraced are most fylthye and horrible And this is the cause why all such as wallow in wicked lyfe and false Religion doe hate Christ in hys Gospell to this present daye Ioh. 3.19 but to their vtter ruine and selfe condemnation Lastly as one shyning Sunne serueth the vniuersall worlde and is the onely Fountayne of light to all lightes in the same So the bright sonne of God our righteousnesse Christ is the onely author of spirituall light whome the Father of lights hath onely giuen to the whole worlde And he doth lighten euerye man that commeth into the worlde Ioh. 1.9 neyther will he admit any copemate to be ioyned with him What church is not guyded by our lyght Christ onely is eclypsed and bloudy to Christ and his members but kéepeth the whole Regimente in and to himselfe For as the Moone the figure of Gods Church receyueth at the handes of the Sunne her lighte and is so much darkned as she wanteth of his brightnesse So the Churche of God not kept with the countenance of Christs shyning face and Gospell is wrapped in the wayne of darknesse but lightned by his truth she is most gloryous and her naturall spottes shall not deface her yet both Moone and Church remayne to be light by hym else as opposite to him they are eyther darke or bloody or one or bothe Let no man obiect to me Lightened by Christe her spots do not hurt her that the Apostles are called also lightes of the worlde for that hath the true light imported in mercye to them by borrowed spéeche as we may call the Lanterne a light Eph. 5.25.26.27 bicause the light shyneth by and through it vnto the whole housholde And so are the Apostles called lights not bicause they are the light Christ How the Apostles and preachers of the worde are called lighte but bicause they bring vnto vs the true light that dwelleth in them which doth also by them and their labours preaching and wryting shine into the vtmost partes of the earth to the great comforte of all those that loue the same To conclude great is the mercye of our good God séeing the darknesse of the world so greate that no otherwise it could be discouered remoued gaue vnto vs this his owne son whome he hath made to vs the onely light of God to Iew and Gentyle that we should not for wante of safe conduction perishe in our wandring passage Now the vse of thys light and wherto he is giuen vs of God Symeon doth tell vs and sayth it is that he should be reuealed vnto the Gentyls and to be the glory of the people Israel Two things also the good father telleth vs in these words Fyrst that the ages from tyme to tyme should knowe that this one Christ is to all them and people in them the one and onely saluation light guyde and delyuerer Christ is to all ages the the one and onely lyght to lyfe sygnified by the two Nations by him named Iewe Gentyle The lyke doth Esay before naming the Gentyls and addeth and health to the vtmost partes of the world So Christ himselfe concludeth saying as before is saide I am the lighte of the worlde that is to saye of euerye place in the worlde of all sortes of men women and chyldren