holy God should be sanctified in iustice vers 16. that is pure and holy and commended for his iustice And so you see that as the Prophet Dauid saith the Lord is righteous in all his workes and holy in all his wayes and though as S. Augustine saith the iudgements of God occulta esse possunt cannot bee alwayes vnderstood of vs by reason of our owne ignorance yet imusta esse non possunt they are alwayes most iust and holy and therefore hee is holy holy holy holy in the election of his creatures holy in the distribution of his graces and holy in the retribution of our deserts holy simply holy in all respects and the only fountaine of all holinesse 2. There are other things called holy by communication of holinesse or by receiuing the same from this fountaine of holinesse and in this sense wee finde holinesse ascribed to the creatures and especially to foure sorts of them viz. 1. To the man Christ Iesus 2. To all truely faithfull 3. To all outward Profâ—ssors 4. To all things dedicated 1. In this kinde of holinesse the man Christ Iesus holdeth the first place for hee is perfectly holy and so is none Aug. to â— Beda in Lu. l. 1. c. 2 f. 63. besides him saith S Aug and therfore Beda saith that hee is singulariter Sanctus singularly holy and perfectly holy in a double respect 1. By reason of the hypostaticall vnion with the Deity 2. By reason of the most perfect quality of holinesse impressed in his humanity For hee receiued the Spirit of Sanctity without measure and therefore he is called that holy thing and that holy one conceiued without sinne because conceiued of the holy Ghost borne without sinne because borne of a Virgin and liued without sinne because in his mouth was found no guile and therfore among all creatures hee only is perfectly and singularly holy 2. S. Bernard tells vs that among other creatures there bee Saints from heauen whereby as I thinke he meaneth the Angels and Saints from the earth whereof saith he there be 1. Some in heauen 2. Some in earth 1. Those that are in heauen are these holy men that hauing ouercome the world and being deliuered from all sinne and endued with perfect holinesse doe now triumph with Christ and alwayes behold the face of God And because they are perfectly deliuered from sin and from the striuing betwixt the flesh and the spirit and are now receiued into that Sanctum SanctoruÌ„ the holy of holies into which none vncleane thing shall enter Reu. 21. vlt. and are likewise now not onely holy by the imputatiue righteousnesse of Christ but also by a perfect inherent righteousnesse quia facti sunt propè because they are made neere vnto God not onely by a blessed communion through the inhabitation of grace but also by an immediate coniunction through the fruition of glory therfore the name of Saints may more properly bee giuen and ascribed to them then to the holiest and godliest man vpon the face of the earth And therfore this should teach vs as not to ascribe too much honour so not to deny their due honour vnto them Bellarmine indeed doth ascribe too Bellar. l. 1. c. 7. de Sanct. beatitud too much vnto them as 1. The canonization of some of them for Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aboue all others 2. The inuocatioÌ„ of theÌ„ in our praiers 3. The erection of Temples to them 4. The oblation of Eucharisticall sacrifices vpon their canonicall houres 5. The celebration of so many holidayes to them 6. The collation of their Pictures in our Churches 7. The adoration of their reliques All which the word of God neuer commanded themselues neuer required the primitiue Church neuer practised in that sort as our aduersaries haue maintained for 1. Their canonization began not C. 1. extra de reliq sanctor till 880. when Adrian tooke vpon him this authority and Alexander the 3. confirmed it or not before Leo the 3. as Bellarmine himselfe confesseth 2. Their inuocation by vs and intercession for vs was a point neuer questioned vntill the time of Origen Orig. lib. 2. ad Rom. ho. 3. in Cant. Nazian Orat de laude Gorgoniae and afterwards by Nazianzen it was proposed doubtfully but neuer receiued certainly 3. The dedication of Temples was but onely a naming of the Churches after their names either because they were builders of them or onely for distinction sake to know one Church from the other for S. Augustine proueth Aug. l. 1. cont Maxim none but God should haue any Temple erected to him and S. Basil and S. Ambrose doe proue the Holy Ghost to bee a true God because hee hath a Temple 4. The Canonicall houres were not intuted Walfridus de rebus eccl c. 15. a long while after the time of the Apostles saith Walfridus 5. For holy daies wee celebrate as many as the first Christians did 6. Their pictures wee confesse may bee vsed for ciuill vses but not in Temples to bee worshipped nor for Lay-mens bookes to bee accounted 7. Their reliques are but forgeries wee know not which they bee for though the crosse of Christ was no bigger then a man might beare yet the parcles of wood that they say were parts of that crosse if they were gathered together would loade a ship and so wee may thinke of all other reliques And therefore though they bee perfect Saints in Heauen yet dare we not giue more honour vnto them then the word of God doth warrant vnto vs. But on the other side we should not derogaâ—e their due from them for as Heluidius in the time of S. Ierome was a Mariae mastix as Roffensis termes Roffensis l. contr Lutherum f. 8. in margine him so haue wee many that are the scourge of the Saints cannot endure to call them Saints wee must therefore vnderstand that the Saints in heauen are to bee honoured and highly esteemed of vs for naturale est praemium virtutis Arles l. 1. c. 12. aethic honos it is a naturall thing that praise should bee the reward of vertue so God promiseth that men should speake of their wisedome and the congregations should declare their praises and therefore the sonne of Syrach doth Ecclus. 44. highly commend the Saints of God and so Saint Paul himselfe and S. Augustine saith in Deo laudandi sunt they Heb. 11. Aug. to 2. f. 223. Damasc l. 4. c. 16. de fide Orthod Amb. serm 6. in fine are to bee praysed in the Lord and Damascen saith that it behooueth vs to honour the Saints as the friends of Christ and as the sonnes and heyres of God and S. Ambrose saith that whosoeuer honoureth a Martyr honoureth Christ and hee that despiseth the Saints despiseth the Lord for that they are not onely the consorts of Angels but also the glory of God as Theophilact speaketh f. 191. 2. For that wee receiue much benefit by them for by
pardon at their death they miserably perish to euerlasting death where as S. Augustine speaketh nec tortores deficiant nec torti miseri moriantur sed per millia Aug. ser 55. millia annorum cruciandi nec tamen in secula liberandi neither tormentors are wanting nor the miserably tormented any waies eased but for thousand thousands of yeeres plagued and yet neuer to be deliuered and there shall be saith Isidorus semper velle quod nunquam erit semper nolle quod nunquam non Isido tom 1. de summo 〈◊〉 erit a will neuer satisfied and a nill nener gratified neuer inioying the ease they would and alwaies suffering the paines they would not Oh then beloued Brethren let this one point of Doctrine teach vs a double instruction 1. To terrifie the wicked from their sinfull waies for they may assure themselues that so long as they remaine wicked they haue no promise of grace but a most fearefull expectation of eternall destruction Si durus est hic sermo If this be a hard saying it is quia cor durius because their hearts are harder for if they returne vnto the Lord the Lord will soone receiue them but if God offereth grace and they refuse the same then the heauens may wonder and the earth may tremble if we tremble not at the consideration of this doctrine For if the Sunne did stand still at the prayer of Iosua if it retired 10. degrees in the diall of Ahaz at the word of Esayas and was darkened at the Passion of our Sauiour then no maruell if it stood still and neuer moued if it retired to the vttermost parts of the world and neuer returned or be vtterly darkened and neuer inlightened for very shame and wonder that light should come into the world and yet men should loue darknesse more then light that the grace of God should be offered and yet that grace should be refused And if mount Sinai trembled at the giuing of the Law or the wals of Iericho fell downe when the Priests founded their trumpets and the earth quaked at the passion of our Sauiour as fainting vnder such a hideous burthen that the most accursed sonnes of mortall men should put to death the most blessed Son of the immortall God then no maruell if the whole world trembled to see the wicked making no account of this Law or if the fabricke of heauen should fall when the Priests and Preachers of Gods word doe sound the trumpets of vengeance against the transgressors of this Law or if heauen and earth should be dissolued into their ancient Chaos when truth it selfe shall threaten vengeance to the refusers of his grace and assure woes and curses to the enemies of his crosse and despisers of his Spirit and yet for all this that they should still continue fearelesse and carelesse in their most vile and abominable courses But indeed the heauens and the earth are reserued for that great and terrible day which is to come and are now sustained for the good of the Saints and the further condemnation of the wicked which will hastily come vpon them if they doe not speedily repent 2. This should perswade the good and godly Saints to haue nothing to doe with the stoole of wickednesse but to separate themselues from the societie of wicked men as the Apostle teacheth 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. Ephes 5. 7. That Christ died for all men De 2. Whether Christ Iesus came into the world to die for all men that all men might be saued if they would receiue him and beleeue in his name I answer that he did for so the Apostle teacheth that he gaue himselfe a ransome 1 Tim. 2. 6. Heb. 2. 9. for all men that he tasted death for all men S. Iohn saith that he is the propitiation not only for our sins whereby he meaneth the elected Saints but also for the sinnes of the whole world i. of all 1 Ioh. 2. 2. the men in the world But to these and all other such places it is answered 1. That either all is put for many as he healed all that were oppressed of the Deuill a Acts 10. 38. i. verie many or all that came vnto him or all that besought him and so it is said that all the land of Iudea and they of Ierusalem went vnto Iohn the Baptist and were all baptized of him b Mar. 1. 5. i. abundance of people whole multitudes went vnto him and not euerie particular man whatsoeuer 2. Or else that all is put pro singulis generum non pro generibus singulorum for all of one kinde as where Christ is said to haue healed all sicknesses and Matt. 4. 23. diseases The meaning is that he healed all kinde of diseases or diseases of all kinde leprosie palsie feauers c. and not that he healed euerie particular man that was diseased The like phrase is vsed Acts 10. 12. c. For it cannot be denied but that by all is vnderstood 1. Sometimes the elect only as Ioh. 12. 32. and that if I were lift vp from the earth i vpon the crosse will draw all vnto me i. all the elect and so it is vnderstood in many other places of the Scriptures As a Esay 54. 13. Jer. 31. 34. 2. Sometimes the reprobate only as Philip. 2. 21. All seeke their owne and not that which is the Lord Iesus i. all the reprobates and wicked men doe only seeke for their owne profit and pleasure and not the glorie of the Lord Iesus And so it is said that no man receiued the testimonie of Christ i. none of all the reprobates and worldly men receiued the testimonie of Christ 3. Sometimes the elect and reprobates Ioh. 3. 32. as Rom. 3. 23. All haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God And therefore they say that where Christ is said to haue died for all men and to be the reconciliation for the sinnes of all men or for the sinnes of the whole world it must be vnderstood of many as Matth. 26. 28. This is my bloud Mat. 26. 28. of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes or else it must be vnderstood of all the faithfull only and none else But to this faire seeming glosse of these men I answer that although this distinction or restriction of all in many places may hold good for many or for all of one kinde yet in this case where Christ is said to haue died for all all must not be restrained to the elect only for so S. Iohn saith that he is not the reconciliation for our sinnes only i. for the elect only but also for the sins 1 Ioh. 2. 2. of the whole world And where it is said that God gaue his Sonne to die for the Ioh. 3. 16. world and Christ saith that he came to saue the world we must not restraine Cap. 12. 47. the world vnto the elect
Sinners 1. Saints because they beleeue in Christ and with all desire doe affect sanctity and doe indeuour by all meanes vt crescat quod habent impleatur quod non habent that that sanctity may increase which they haue and that that may bee supplied which they want for the Apostle doth not call them Saints according to their merit but according to their purpose not according to what they are but according to what they desire to bee saith S. Bernard and therefore whosoeuer Ber. ser 3 de duabus mēsis f. 434. saith hee doth purpose in his heart to decline from euill and to doe good to keepe what hee receiued to pray for what hee wanteth to striue to grow better and better and if by humane frailty hee hath done amisse to amend the same by true repentance without doubt hee is a Saint of God 2. Sinners because the reliques of sinne are left in them to striue withall and their sanctity is but inchoated and so S. Paul himselfe confesseth quod nondum apprehendisset brauium that as yet he had not attained the marke and therfore septies in die cadit iustus the holiest man falleth seuen times a day eorum lapsus vtiles their fals are profitable saith S. Augustine ideo scripti sunt and therefore are written saith Theophilact in Mar. c. 14. f. 75. Theophilact and that as wee may gather for two speciall reasons 1. To shew Gods goodnesse and the riches of his mercy in forgiuing our sinnes for where sinne abounded there grace super abounded 2. For our manifold instructions that The falls of the Saints are registred for our good wee should learne from the examples of the lapses and infirmities of the Saints not for the discrediting or dishonouring of them which are now in heauen but for the bettering of our selues which are yet in earth for the consideration of their falls may serue 1. For our humiliation When we see their frailty wee should learne humility God suffered them to fall that wee should not presume when wee stand and therefore the Apostle saith qui stat videat ne cadat for as the staffe that is held vp by the hand as soone as euer the hand leaues it though the hand throwes it not downe yet it falleth downe of it selfe euen so wee euen the best of vs assoone as euer God withdrawes his helpe from vs we presently fall of our selues and therefore in all thy sanctity learne humility 2. For our circumspection to beware of falling for cecidit Petrus vt reliqui caueant S. Peter fell that others might take heede of falling if I see a Giant throw downe a strong man I shall be more afraid he will sooner throw downe me And therefore non sit lapsus maiorum imitatio minorum let not the fal of the greater be for imitation to the lesser sed casus maiorum sit timor minorum but let the fall of the greater induce a feare and a care in the lesser when they wrastle against that roaring Lion saith S. Augustine 3. For our consolation that we should not despaire when we fall into sinne for many falling into sinne desperando plus pereunt quà m peccando doe sooner perish by their despaire then by their sin for plus peccauit Iudas desperando de venia Aug. in l. de Nat. gratia fol. 316. quà m tradendo Christum Iudas sinned more by despairing of pardon then in betraying his Redeemer and therefore against this dangerous disease the commemoration of the fals of the Saints may helpe vs saith S. Augustine for their sinnes are set downe not for their shame but for our consolation vt in ijs tanquam in speculis diuitias bonitatis diuinae contemplemur that we might Zanch. in Eph. ca. 2. fo 85. in them as in a glasse see the riches of Gods great mercie and thereby conceiue hope of pardon vnto our selues saith Zanchius for seeing they were sinners as well as we yet through repentance obtained pardon euen so if we repent we shall obtaine pardon as well as they for God is rich in mercie ouer all and vnto all that call vpon him 4. For a confutation of Donatists Catharists We must not forsake the Church vpon the pretended corruption of the Church Brownists c. that would haue the Church to be of perfect beautie and from her infirmitie doe conclude her nullitie for the infirmitie of Gods children doth not presently denie them to be Gods children and therefore the rottennesse of many members of the Church ought not to induce vs to relinquish the Church for so long as the Scribes and Pharisies sate in Moses Chaire we are inioined to heare them as the Church of God Yea though there should be many imperfections both in manners and in Doctrine yet many circumstances are to be considered before we depriue them from being a Church for no doubt but the Church of Rome had her imperfections in both respects and yet the Apostle saith they were beloued of God called Saints or if it be denied that it had not then may the same be instanced in the Churches of Corinth and of Galatia for in the Church of Corinth not only touching manners the discipline of the Church was loosely obserued but also the sinceritie of Preaching was much profaned and a great question was among them touching the resurrection of the flesh an article of such waight that without it our faith our hope and all our preaching were but vaine and yet the Church of Corinth holds the name of the true Church of Christ and in the Church of Galatia the most part of them were turned aside by the false Apostles from free iustification by the grace of Christ which is the principall pillar of the Christian Church and yet S. Paul calleth them the Church of Christ But the Scripture telleth vs that 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2. Pet. 2. 1. many should make such schismes and separations from the Church and therefore the godly and wise should be nothing moued at their departure for though they pretend the cause thereof to be the want of sanctitie in vs yet the true cause indeed is the iniquitie or at least the want of iudgement in themselues for whensoeuer we reade of the name of Saints ne putemus sanctitatis vocem significare perfectionem we should not thinke that the name of sanctitie doth implie perfection saith S. Augustine Aug. l. 6. contra Iulian for that there is no Saint that wanteth sinne and yet hereby he ceaseth not to be a Saint And therefore beloued seeing the Saints and holiest men were not so holy but that they had their sinnes and imperfections ideo patientiam eorum Ambros to 4. fo 249. virtutes imitemur non vitia we should follow their vertues and not their vices saith S. Ambrose for not all the facts of righteous men are to be laid as patterns for imitation saith S. Augustine Aug. l.
against the wicked saith Debora who then but senselesse creatures would with the Pigmies make warre against Hercules or with the Giants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make warre against God I read of the Psilli a people of low stature and lesse wit that being troubled with the Southerne winde went out on a day to make warre against the same but the further they went the more it blew vntill at last it couered them all with the Sands The same end and worse will betide them that will dare venture to stand at variance with God and therefore it were better for them to sue for conditions of peace and to seeke vnto Christ Iesus to be a blessed peace-maker betwixt them mortall sinners and the immortall God 2. They are at warre with men nam vt mali semper persecuti sunt bonos ita boni semper persequuti sunt malos for as the wicked doe alwaies persecute the good so the good doe alwaies striue against the wicked hi per iustam disciplinam isti per iniquam superbiam the iust doe reproue the wicked by iust correction and discipline and the wicked doe persecute the godly by vniust and most cruell proceedings and therefore seeing righteousnesse and peace haue kissed Psal 58. 10. Psal 34. 13. each other qui iustitiam non amauit ille pacem non habebit he shall neuer haue peace which loues not righteousnesse and therefore inter Babilonem Ierusalem pax esse non potest Bern. ser 2. de pug spirituali there can be no peace betwixt the godly and the wicked saith Saint Bernard 3. They haue warres bella horrida bella and the most grieuous warres that may be within themselues For cognatum immo innatum omni sceleri sceleris Lipsius de Constantia l. 2. c. 13. Gen. 4. 7. supplicium sinne beares it punishment alwaies at his owne backe and so S. August saith iussisti Domine ita est vt animus inordinatus sit sibi ipsi poena thou hast ordained ô Lord and so it is that a wicked minde should The fearefull conscience of wicked men euer be a punishment vnto it selfe for if we doe ill sinne lieth at the doroe like a wilde beast to dogge vs wheresoeuer we goe and the conscience of sinne beareth forth such fruits as that nothing can be more greeuous or miserable to a mortall man for she is a witnesse of our debts a iudge of our deedes and a tormenter of all our actions saith S. Bernard Strangulat inclusus dolor atque exaestuat Ouid de trist l. 5. intus And so we reade of almost infinite examples for Oedipus that incestuous king of Thebes was led to Athens by his daughter Antigona and was buried in the temple of Erinnis i. of perturbations and Iocasta his wife and mother strangled her selfe saith Sophocles Theodoricus imagined he saw as he was at supper the visage of Symmacus whom he had vniustly slaine in a fishes head after which he could neuer be comforted but pined away most miserably Crescentius the Popes Vicegerent Lanquet fo 146. in the Councell of Trent saw the deuill in the likenesse of a black dogge comming vnto him saith Sleidan and Polidor Virgil doth write the like of Richard Sleid. l. com 23. in fine Pol. Virg. hist l. 25. the third of this kingdome Tiberius was so vexed with grieuous torments that he desired that the Gods would rather destroy him at once then suffer him to pine away through such a tormented conscience Nero that monster of men when he had vnnaturally murdered his owne naturall Sueton. mother was so grieuously vexed in conscience that he could not be comforted by any meanes but in his minde he did alwaies see his mothers ' Ghost crying for vengeance against him And although the godly saith in his testament Terram terrategat daemon peccata resumat Mundus res habeat spiritus astrapetat Let earth go to the earth from whence it was taken let the deuill take my sins which hee hath inticed me vnto let the world haue my goods wherewith I was inriched and let my soule climbe to heauen where it may be blessed yet I read in the life of Rubertus of a wicked Lat. hist de vitis archiepisc Cantuariens couerous wretch that when the eies of his conscience were opened he bequeathed omnia bona domino regi corpus sepulturae animaÌ„ diabolo his goods to the king whom he had deceiued and his soule to the deuill whom he had serued to what end should I reckon more It is apparant that if the wicket of wicked mens mindes were opened we should see mangled soules and tormented consciences that doe alwaies sleepe like the Nightingall which hath euer a pricke before her breast Hi sunt qui trepidant ad omnia fulgura Jâ—uen Satyr 13. pallent Cum tonat exanimes primo quoque murmure coelum These are they that are terrified with the very thunders and doe flie away when none pursue them But it may be some will say all sinners Obiect haue not such vnquiet mindes neither haue all the wicked wounded spirits I answer that some indeed are of such brasen faces that they can laugh their sinnes out of countenance and smile with the foole when they goe to the gallowes But I assure my selfe their heart bleedes when their faces counterfeit smiles and are like Diues that saw Lazarus a farre off in Abrahams bosome Dr. Hall in his treat of heauen vpon earth but was himselfe in hell tormented for the soule may be sorrowfull when the countenance is cheerefull And this is most likely for that they can neuer want furies so long as they haue themselues or if they could finde a way to runne away from themselues and to cause their soules to run away from their bodies yet their consciences will not flie away from their soules nor their sinnes from their consciences And therefore let a sinner flie ab agro ad ciuitatem à publico ad domum à domo in cubiculum from the field into the citie from the market into his house from his house into his bed and thence in the bitternesse of his soule like those vnpatient fishes that leape out of the pan into the flame let them flie out of the priuate hell within their breasts into the common hell of damned soules yet ecce hostem invenit à quo confugerat behold there he shall finde the enemie whom he feared a tormenting conscience ioyned to that tormenting flame for their worme dieth not saith our Sauiour Or if it be that this Erinnis conscientiae this tormenting conscience doth not affright them then S. Bernard answereth Bern. in l. de conscientia f. 1784. that there be foure kinde of consciences 1. A good but not a quiet 2. Both good and quiet And both these may That there be foure kindes of consciences bee in the godliest men 3. A quiet but not good 4. Neither
each other And therefore nihil fides conferet emolumenti Chrys aduers vit Mon. l. 1. si vita syncera non fuerit pura faith will auaile vs nothing if we take liberty thereby either to commit any euill or to omit any good but as that fig tree was cursed by our Sauiour which had leaues and no fruit so shal that man be accursed before God which boasteth of his hope or presumeth of his faith and yet is void of goodnesse and meerely destitute of all godlinesse And so you see that if we would haue peace with God we must beleeue in Christ we must avoid sin and we must walke in newnesse of life and serue God without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life 2. That we may finde peace with men many things are to be done according to the seuerall kinds of peace among men And therefore 1. That there may be peace in a How peace may be preserued betwixt man and wife What a happinesse it is for man and wife to liue in peace Psa 133. 1. house and that First betwixt the husband and the wife I commend these three things to their considerations 1. The benefit of this peace 2. The miserie of their dissentions 3. The onely meanes to auoid the one and to retaine the other 1. The Prophet saith Ecce quam bonum quam iucundum est fratres habitare in vnum Behold how good and ioyfull a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie here is bonum iucundum profit and pleasure and Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit vtile Horat. de arte poet dulci. that is all that can be desired saith the most sententious Poet. Now if it be so excellent among brethren how much more excellent is it betwixt man and wife The sonne of Sirach saith that three things doe reioyce Eccles c. 25. him and are beautifull before God and man vnitie of brethren loue of neighbours and a man and wife agreeing well together And I say this is a type of heauen and a paradise vpon earth when man and wife doe liue in peace and can say each of other my beloued Cant. 6 3. is mine and I am his and therefore the happinesse and blessed state of peaceable persons should moue all maried couples to labour for this peace 2. Salomon saith that a continuall What a misery it is for man wife to liue in contention dropping in the day of raine and a contentious woman are both alike and therefore that it were better to dwell among Lions or Dragons then for a quiet man to dwell with a contentious woman or for a quiet woman to dwell with a troublesome man for the contentions of maried persons are the very Prou. 19. 13 21. 19. 25. 24. types and tastes of hellish sorrowes for being outwardly yoked and inwardly discontented they will but gall the necks and grieue the hearts each of other each seeking his owne credit with discredit vnto both and each weary of his owne life longeth for the death of the other O wretched state of miserable persons quae vos dementia caepit Why will you not seeke for peace among your selues that you may be freed from these hellish wars and wofull discontentments 3. That dissentions may be shunned and that peace may be obtained the one God that made them both one must bee retained betwixt them both for it is a prettie obseruation of An excellent obseruation of a Iewish Rabbi a Iewish Rabbi that in the words Ish and Isha which signifieth man and woman or the husband and wife there is found the word Iah which is the name of God and if this be taken away there remaineth nothing else but Esh and Esh which signifieth fire and fire to note vnto vs that if God be not betwixt the husband and the wife there can be nothing betwixt them but the fire of debate and contention And therefore if man and wife How man and wife may liue at peace would liue at peace amōg themselues they must retaine the God of peace betwixt them And this they shall doe if they labour to discharge each one his dutie according to the will of God 1. Let the wife see that she doth Eph. 5. 33. feare her husband i. let her be afraid to doe any thing that might offend her husband 2. Let her keepe her mariage bed H. b. 13. 4. vndefiled 3. Let her doe her husband good and not euill all the daies of her life good must be the obiect and the subiect of her labour not a little good and a great deale of euill but all good and no euill and that not for a day or two when she is newly maried but all the Pro 31. 12. daies of her life let her be a helper and not a hinderer vnto her husband let her looke to the waies of her houshold and let her not eat the bread of idlenesse And for the husband 1. Let him loue his wife euen as himselfe Ephes 5. 33. for they two are one flesh 2. Let him not be bitter vnto her not in blowes for it is a point of sacriledge saith Bodinus for a man to strike his wife And so Cato Censorius Plutarch in vita Catonis affirmeth that he which smiteth his wife doth all one as if he should lay violent hands vpon the sacred images of the Gods nor yet in words may a man be bitter vnto his wife for a man may speake words like the pricking of a sword Pro. 12. 18. 3. Let him beare with the infirmities of his wife as with the weaker vessell and 1 Cor. 13. if he desire her to amend her faults let him saepe monere raro corrigere Marcus Aurelius nunquam percutere often admonish seldome reproue and neuer smite as Marc. Aurelius doth aduise 4. Let him take notice of his wiues diligence and commend her for her faithfulnesse saying many daughters Pro. 31. 29. haue done vertuousty but thou excellest them all And so if man and wife will obserue but these few rules and briefe directions loue one another and beare one with another I doe not doubt but they shall liue happily in all content and peace and the God of peace will be with them Secondly that there may be peace in How peace may be preserued in a house among the whole family a house betwixt the parent and the children and betwixt the children amongst themselues and so betwixt the master and the seruants and likewise betwixt the seruants among themselues I say that peace may be among them all and happinesse to the whole family I will for breuitie sake desire you to consider but these two things 1. What our Sauiour saith concerning this point 2. What we should doe to procure this peace 1. Our Sauiour saith Woe vnto that Mat. 10. 36. house where the people of the same
fraternity of Christians teacheth charity and equality among them it teacheth the rich not to despise the poore but not the poore to equalize themselues with the rich 4. To exclude all malice and to increase our loue one towards another vt singuli pro omnibus omnes pro singulis optarent salutem that euery one might pray and wish for the good of all and all for the good of euery one And thus much for the titles that doe expresse the goodnesse of the Father De 2. The titles that doe expresse the goodnesse of the Sonne are these three Lord Iesus Christ three words that would require three sermons but I must be briefe Our Lord. In that he is called Lord that sheweth his authority in that he is called our Lord that sheweth his seruants De 1. He is Lord two manner of waies 1. As God in his owne nature 2. As Christ in our nature 1. He made all things and therefore How Christ is our Lord. is Lord of all things So the Prophet saith The earth is the Lords and all that therein is for he hath prepared it vpon the seas and established it vpon the floods 2. He that made all things as God was made himselfe to be our Lord as he is our redeemer And so Saint Peter saith Let all the house know for a surety that God hath made him Lord Act. 2. 17. and Christ And he was made our Lord after a threefold right 1. By right of inheritance God made him heire of all things and gaue Heb. 1. 2. him the Gentiles for his inheritance Psal 2. 8. and the vttermost parts of the earth for his possessions 2. By right of redemption he redeemed vs from our enemies he ouercame the deuill and tooke vs out of his hands and so iure belli by right of warre he became our Lord and because his Fathers iustice must be satisfied before we could be freed therefore he paid a ransome for vs and bought vs with his owne bloud as 1 Cor. 6. 19. the Apostles doe declare Yee are bought with a price not with gold and siluer or such like corruptible things but with the pretious bloud of Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 18. 3. By right of mariage for he is the husband of his Church and therefore as the husband is the head and Ephes 5. 23. Lord ouer his wife so is Christ ouer his elect And in these respects Christ That Christ is an absolute Lord euery way is more properly our Lord then either the Father or the holy Ghost And he is an absolute Lord in a double respect 1. Potestatis of his power 2. Qualitatis of his qualities For 1. As the Father hath ius absolutum an absolute right in all his creatures i. such a right as that he may doe what he will with any thing and no man can say why doest thou so As our Sauiour sheweth may not I doe what I will with mine own So likewise Christ hath all power giuen him both in heauen and earth as himselfe confesseth 2. He is a most absolute and perfect Lord in respect of all the parts and properties that should be in a Lord and Master Antoninus wittily obserueth that the word Dominus may be deriued foure waies to signifie foure properties that should be in a Lord. 1. Do minus there is parcitie 2. Do minas there is seueritie 3. Do manus there is pietie 4. Do munus there is liberality And in very deed these are very requisite to be in euery Lord and Master 1. The first is lenitie a giuing of lesse punishment vnto seruants then Christ is wonderfull gentle they doe iustly deserue a thing not only commendable but also most profitable for euery Lord for mercie and truth doe preserue the king and his throne is established through clemencie for this alluring lenitie will moue euerie man to goe and to continue in such seruice whereas cruelty is a vice of beasts and not of men saith Seneca l. de clementia but Christ is so gentle that he praied for his greatest aduersaries and vseth his patience towards all men to lead them to repentance to the woman taken in adulterie he said but where be thy accusers if they doe not accuse thee neither doe I accuse thee and to the sicke man that had his infirmity 38. yeares he said but sinne no more and to Ioh. 5. Iudas that betraied him he said but Iudas betraiest thou the Sonne of man with a kisse And therefore in respect of this meekenesse and lenitie he is called the lambe of God O then why should not his lenitie and goodnesse induce vs to serue him quia mitissimus est Chrys hom 58. in Matth. rex hic noster for he is the meekest and the easiest to be serued vpon earth saith Saint Chrysostome 2. The second is seueritie nam Christ very seuere to the wicked qui non vult duci debet trahi for it is most fit that he which will not be perswaded by faire meanes should be compelled through foule meanes and therefore constitutus est super gentes regna he is put ouer kingdomes and nations vt euellat destruat vt dissipat disperdat that he may root them scatter them and destroy them i. the wicked and all their wickednesse saith Saint Augustine quia vt nulli homini Aug. in Psal claudenda est misericordia ita nulli peccato impunitas relaxanda est for as mercie is to be denied to no man so the punishment of sin is to be remitted to no man saith Saint Ambrose Ambros in l. de offic for the sparing of one wicked fellow doth incourage all others in their wickednesse But of Christ it is said that he shall rule the Heathen with a rod of iron and breake them in peeces like a potters vessell And it is no wonder that the meekest man being prouoked should grow to be the seuerest man to them that despise his patience and long sufferance for as hot water cooled is coldest of all so the Patience prouoked is most angry mildest man moued is angriest of all and therefore Lactantius saith That God commeth slowly against a sinner as it were vpon leaden feet but he will recompence the slowlinesse of his comming with seuerity of iudgement when he commeth and pay them home with iron hands And therefore this should teach vs formidine poenae euen for feare of his anger to doe him seruice for if his wrath be kindled yea but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him 3. The third is pitty and piety to helpe the poore and oppressed for Salomon saith of a good Lord that manum suam aperuit inopi palmas extendit ad pauperes he opened his hand to the needy and stretched out the same to defend the poore and Saint Ierom saith that regum proprium Ieron est c. it is the propertie of a king
others that are said to be our aduocates but only he But it is obiected that the fathers taught and maintained this doctrine that the Saints doe intercede and pray Nazianz. orat de laude Basilij Aug. ser 17. de verbis Apostoli for vs as 1. Gregorie Nazianzene saith that Saint Basil was in the heauens offering Sacrifices for vs and praiers for the people 2. Saint Augustine saith it is an iniurie to pray for a Martyr by whose praiers we on the other side ought to be remembred and so many others and therefore they doe pray and intercede for vs. I answer first that whosoeuer will looke into that place of Nazianzen shall there finde that Nazianzen doth but thinke so And secondly he shall finde that he spake this Orator-like who many times speake to the absent as though they were present as Pliny saith vnto Cicero salue primus omnium parens patriae And thirdly I say that this place of Nazianzen and likewise that of Saint Augustine doe proue nothing We yeeld that the Saints doe after a sort pray for the whole Church but that in a generall manner they pray for vs as they doe for the whole Church which we doe not denie for that cannot be called an intercession but rather an approbation of the intercession of Christ and as it were clarkes vnto this high priest to say Amen to approue his will in heauen as we should in earth And so you see how Christ was annointed to be a Priest which I thinke should be sufficient to take away all contempt from the name of Priests And you see to what end he was annointed priest first to make satisfaction for our sinnes and secondly to make intercession for vs that we might regaine his fathers fauour And therfore this should teach vs 1. To cast away that deceitfull doctrine That we merit nothing at the hands of God of workes satisfactory or meritorie or call them what you will For this our Priest hath paid for all when we could pay for nothing and he merited all happinesse for vs when we merited destruction vnto our selues and therefore I say with Saint Bernard that sufficit ad meritum scire quod non sufficiunt merita herein we merit best when we know that we merit nothing but hell and when we crie with the Psalmist Enter not into iudgement with thy seruants O Lord for in thy sight can no flesh liuing be instified 2. Seeing Christ is our only mediator that praieth for vs we should only pray to him for Abraham hath forgotten vs and Isaack is ignorant of That we should pray to none but to God alone vs but this our Priest will neuer forget vs he doth at all times heare vs and can at any time helpe vs if we doe call vnto him for helpe And therefore though we loue the Angels and reuerence the Saints their names are sweet vnto vs and their memoriall is blessed yet we will pray to none of them for we haue neither precept from God nor practise in Gods Church to doe the same But we finde the same flarly forbidden in many places For Origen saith ne quis audeat Origen l. 5. contra Celsum praeces offerre nisi soli Domino Deo Let no man dare to offer praiers vnto any but only to the Lord God And the councell of Laodicea doth anathematise all those that leaue the Lord Concil Laâ—d c. 35. Basil in orat de 40. Martyr Ambros in l. de viduis Iesus to pray vnto any Saint or Angel But against this it may be obiected that Saint Basil exhorteth vs to haue recourse vnto them in our necessities and to pray vnto them And so Saint Ambrose likewise exhorteth the widowes to pray vnto the Saints and to the Angels when they were in their necessities I answer that Saint Basil doth not say confugiat oret but confugit orat i. he telleth vs what they did and not what they should doe And it is no maruell that people That we are faine to suffer many things that we doe not approue newly conuerted from Gentilisme to Christianity should retaine something of their old idolatry and that the godly fathers should be constrained for a while to tolerate those tares among the wheat lest the good seed scarce rooted should be indangered For Saint Augustine saith that he knew Aug. l. 1. c. 24. de moribus Eccl. l. 2. c. 21. contra Faust Manich. many that adored sepulchers and pictures and such like and many that drunke most excessiuely ouer the dead but he saith aliud est quod docemus aliud est quod sustinemus hoc tolerare compellimur donec emendemus It is one thing that we teach another thing that is suffered vntill it be amended And for the booke of Saint Ambrose concerning widowes I say with Molinaeus that it is one of Molinaeus contra Coefetau his first workes that he made after his conuersion and therefore sauoreth of infirmity and faileth of sound diuinity in many points For in the same booke he saith that the Martyrs if any sinne remained in them did purge the same with their owne bloud and this is a doating of the truth and an error plaine contrarie vnto all truth For first who knowes not that no man is void of sinne And secondly who knoweth not that no man can wash away his owne sins 1 Ioh. 1. with his owne bloud For the Scripture saith plainly that it is the bloud of Iesus Christ that washeth and cleanseth vs from all sinne And therefore Saint Ambrose recalleth this errour a Ambros in c. 1. Ep. ad Roman saith it is a miserable excuse to say we goe to God by the mediation of Saints as we goe to the king by his officers for therefore saith he doe we goe to the king because he is a man knoweth not to whom to commit himselfe or his affaires but God knoweth all things and is ready to receiue all men Ideo ad Deum promerendum suffragatore non opus est sed mente deuota and therefore we need not any other suffragan to goe to God but a deuout and pious heart And in his oration vpon the death of Theodosius he saith plainly Tu solus Deus es inuocandus turogandus Thou only O God art to be praied vnto thou only O God art to be intreated And so much for the annointing of Iesus to be a Priest 2. He was annointed to be a king That Christ was annointed to be a king For thy throne O Lord is for euer and euer the scepter of thy kingdome is a scepter of righteousnesse c. And this we may see in Psal 2. 6. Ierem. 23. 5. 1. Chron. 17. 12. 14. and in many other places of the Scripture And this point viz. that Iesus is a king how he differeth from all other kings and what lessons we might learne from this doctrine I haue handled at large in
my Treatise of The resolution of Pilate and therefore now I will but only desire all men to consider that seeing Christ was a king and yet refused all pompe of worldly vanities yea rex fieri noluit this king would not be made a king in this world because his kingdome was spirituall and so not of this world he was a king of righteousnesse then why should not we his subiects imitate this our king herein It is reported of king Alexander That we should not too eagerly seeke for the things of this world that his souldiers would imitate him euen in his stoopings And if they imitated him in his vices why should not we imitate our king Christ Iesus in his vertues His kingdome is spirituall and he is a spirituall king and therefore if we would be his subiects we must be spirituall men and we must vtterly despise these worldly vanities For it is possible we should doe both we cannot serue God and mammon we cannot be filled with temporall and spirituall things at once For if thy hand be full of counters thou must throw away the same before thou canst fill it with gold saith Saint Chrysostome euen so if thy heart be full of the riches of this worldly kingdome there can be no roome for spirituall riches Why then doe we not seeke to be rich Ieron de vita solit in ep ad Heliodor in Christ nam affatim diues est qui cum Christo pauper est for he is truly rich that is poore in spirit poore with Christ saith Saint Ierome and therefore seeing our kingdome is not of this world cibus potus sunt diuitiae nostrae meat and drinke food and raiment is all the riches that we should desire all other things we should willingly leaue vnto the subiects of this world apud quos solummodo splendor tectorum attenditur labes animorum non attenditur For they only respect the gainesse of their houses and the greatnesse of their lands but they neuer looke to the foulenesse of their soules And further I must desire you to note this one thing that Christ is an eternall king and his kingdome an euerlasting kingdome gloriosum imperium sine fine dabit and so shall all his subiects haue an euerlasting kingdome for that good is no good that wanteth perpetuity but our life in this How short is the life of man world is very short it is but a span long it is euen as nothing orimur morimur as soone as we are borne we draw to our end cùm vir crescit vita decrescit and while a man growes more and more in yeares his yeares grow fewer and fewer vnto him sic breuis vita ipsa breuitas semper incerta and so our life is but a very little little while and that little while is alwaies vncertaine for Irus erit subito qui modo Croesus erat There are twenty waies for the vanities of this world to vanish away and therefore Saint Augustine saith Si Aug. l. confess quid arisisset prosperum taedebat apprehendere quia pene priusquam teneretur auolabat If any worldly wealth did offer themselues vnto me I was euen loth to accept them for I saw they were ready to flie from me before I could lay hold vpon them But the kingdome of Christ is a kingdome vnshaken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it knoweth no Chrysâ—st in 5. Rom. That the kingdome of Christ is without ending end it hath no bounds and the riches of this kingdome are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 graces giuen without repentance neuer to be taken away I will therefore conclude this point with that sweet demand of Saint Augustine Quae maior est insania quà m pro momentanea delectatione perdere aeterna gaudia nosmetipsoâ— obligare ad aeterna supplicia O what great madnesse is it or what greater madnesse can there be then for a little momentarie delight to depriue our selues of an euerlasting kingdome and to cast our selues headlong to euerlasting destruction And so much for the kingly office of Christ and his kingdome 3. He was annointed to be a Prophet That Christ was annointed to be a Prophet for I will raise them a Prophet from the midst of their brethren like vnto thee him shall they heare And therefore he is called pacis annunciator Dei fidelissimus testis the proclaimer of our peace and Gods most faithfull witnesse And therefore the Lord saith that whosoeuer would not heare that Prophet that soule should be cut off from his people Now the parts of his Propheticall office are The true exposition of the law The ioyfull declaration of the Gospel The infallible prediction of future things All these he did himselfe while he was on earth and now likewise by his spirit inwardly by the preachers outwardly he informeth his Church of all truth vnto the end of the world for whosoeuer heareth you heareth me saith this great Prophet qui omnes Prophetarum prophetias signauit adimpleuit primo aduentu which sealed and fulfilled Tertull. l. contra Iudaeos all the prophesies of his precedent Prophets by his first comming saith Tertullian and now left none but his owne to be accomplished And thus you see first how Iesus That all Christians are annointed with the graces of Gods Spirit was annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes In respect of the sweetnesse of which oyle the Church saith meliora sunt vbera tua vino fragrantia vnguentis optimi thy loue is better then wine it is sweeter then the sweetest ointment And with this ointment he annointeth all his members and from this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are likewise called Christians quia excellenter vnctus corpus suum perungit because he being most excellently annointed did annoint all his body saith Saint Augustine and so Saint Iohn Aug. in Psal 103. saith we haue an ointment from that holy one i. from Christ the annointed that is the sweet gifts and graces of Gods holy Spirit as Theodoret doth expound Theodor. in Cant. it and as the Prophet Dauid did meane when he saith that the pretious ointment was powred vpon the head and ran downe vpon the beard euen vnto Aarons beard and ran downe to the skirts of his clothing for this cannot be interpreted literally of any materiall oyle 1. Because we neuer read that Aaron Anton. p. 1. to 6. c. 2 §. 5. was so annointed that the oyle ran downe to the borders of his garments 2. Because the words immediatly following like the dew of Hermon that fell vpon the hill of Sion must necessarily bee spiritually vnderstood for the dew of Hermon cannot possibly descend vpon the hill of Sion 1. Because they are farre distant the one from the other 2. Because mount Sion is farre higher then mount Hermon as Hugo Cardinalis doth obserue And therefore this must bee vnderstood of that spirituall oyle of gladnesse the most