in Heauen Heb. 11.14 And secondly I say that these worldly riches are no true riches but onely vaine and imaginarie riches for they haue made many proude That the riches of this life are not the true riches none better if they had why did the wisest Philosopher so pronounced by the voice of the Oracle cast all his gold into the sea that he might be happie and the wisest among the sonnes of men so pronounced by the voyce of God pray aswell against riches as pouertie Prou. 30.8 and the best kings in this Iland and many other princes in many other countreyes besides the Apostles that forsooke all to follow Christ Matth. 19.27 change their princely thrones for poore cells and their kingly scepter for the diuine Scriptures and therefore he was a better husband then Philosopher that termed these riches goods but hee mended the matter well that called them goods of fortune false goods ascribed to a false patrone for as there is no goodnesse in them so there is no fortune to giue them the meaning therefore as I take it is this Doctor Hall that it is a chance if euer these riches proue good to any for many times they hurt the owners and disquiet others and as many time and ofnter too the worse men haue them and the best men want them and yet they are neuer the better for hauing them nor the other neuer the worse for wanting them for I heare Saint Peter and Saint Iohn the eldest and deerest Apostles say gold and siluer haue I none and I reade that Iudas the youngest and the worst Apostle bare the bagge and I reade that the Deuill sayd all these things will I giue thee and they are mine to giue and that Diues was rich and Lazarus poore and yet now the poore is made rich and caried vp to Heauen and the rich is poore and sent downe to Hell and therefore it is apparant that these false goods can be no true riches and so consequently that none is truely rich but onely God Now to proue that Christ is rich besides the foresaid testimonie of the Apostle our Sauiour himselfe sayth all that the Father hath Iohn 16. are mine of the holy Ghost he sayth he shall receiue of mine and declare vnto you and so the Euangelist sayth that of his fulnesse we haue all receiued Iohn 1.16 and grace for grace and therefore Christ being truely rich inriched with all the riches of the Dietie power strength wisedome goodnesse mercie and such like he must needs be the true and eternall God Fourthly from the proper workes of God Fourthly from the vniuersall effects and proper workes of God for he that created and preserueth and gouerneth all the things that are created is the true and euerlasting God but this word Created all things and doth still sustaine and gouerne all things and therefore he must needs be the true God The maior is cleere of it selfe Gene. 1.1 because as Moses sayth In the beginning God created the Heauen and the earth And The minor is confirmed That Christ created all things Psal 45.7 Psal 102.25 by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures which sayth Thy throne O God is for euer and euer the Scepter of thy kingdome is a right Scepter and in an other Psalm he sayth And thou Lord in the beginning hast layd the foundation of the Earth and the Heauens are the workes of thy hands so the Euangelist sayth that all things are made by this Word Iohn 1.2 and without this Word was made nothing that was made so Saint Paul sayth that all things were created by him aswell those things which are in Heauen as those things which are in Earth Colloss 1.16 And so all the orthodoxe fathers doe subscribe vnto the same trueth for Ignatius speaking of Christ vseth the verie words of the Euangelist that he was in the world and the world was made by him Jgnatius in ep ad Tarsenses Iust Mart orat 1. ad graecos and yet the world knew him not and Iustin Martyr sayth that by this Word both Heauen and Earth and all other creatures were created and Irenaeus l. 2. c. 2. against heresies Athenagoras in his apollogie for the Christians Clemens Alexandrinus l. 1. Pedagogi Tertullian in his Apollogetico Saint Cyprian in his second Booke against the Iewes and many more doe largely That Christ gouerneth all things and plainely proue by inanswerable arguments that all things were created by this Word And that Christ gouerneth all things the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes sayth Heb. 1.2.3 that he beareth vp all things with his mighty Word and our Sauiour sayth vnto the Iewes my father worketh yet and I worke Iohn 5.17 and Saint Paul sayth that hee is before all things 1 Colloss 17. and that by him all things doe consist Fiftly from the prayers which all Saints haue made Fiftly from the prayers of the Saints and that Diuine worship which they exhibited and which indeed is due to him for we are to pray to none but to God because wee beleeue in none but in God and because none but God can at all times heare vs and at any time helpe vs Iohn 5.23 but prayers shall bee euer made vnto Christ and dayly shall be praysed 1 Ioh. 2.22.23 sayth the Psalmist and so the Saints doe and euer haue prayed vnto him Rom. 14.11 as vnto the onely God Philip. 2.10 which can deliuer them out of their distresse and therefore this Word that was made flesh did make all flesh and is indeede the true and eternall God as wee may see in Prouerbes 8.12 Iohn 1.1 Apoc. 1.8 and as I haue by these inanswerable arguments sufficiently proued vnto you The obiections of the Arians against the eternall Godhead of Christ But against this eternall generation and euerlasting Godhead of this Sonne of God both the old Arians and the new vpstarte Ministers of Transiluania that like euill weeds did spring vp out of Arius his ashes doe obiect and indeuour with the witt of hell to proue that this God of Heauen was no God before his incarnation and was made man for Ob. 1 First They doe obiect that Saint Luke sayth hee shall be called the Sonne of God therefore he was not called before his incarnation Esay 9. and so Esayas saith that vnto vs a child is borne and vnto vs a sonne is giuen and he shall be called wonderfull the mighty God and the prince of Peace and therefore as Magistrates are not called Magistrates before they are made Magistrates so was not hee called the mighty God before hee was borne and giuen vnto vs This was the opinion of Arrius and Seruetus that the Sonne of God was nothing before his incarnation but onely a decree in the mynde of God to make this man Iesus Christ and to replenish him with abundant gifts of the Dietie
vnto her sonne and what is it to be the fruit of the wombe but to be of the same substance as his mother was of for how can that be called the fruit of a tree that neuer had the nature of a tree for I would suppose it to bee madnesse to call a Pomegranate the fruit of the Orange tree and therefore it was as great a madnesse to call Christ the fruit of Maries wombe if he had brought his body with him either from Heauen or from any other place and the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes saith Heb. 2.14 That for as much as the children were partakers of flesh and bloud he himselfe also tooke part of the same And againe Heb. 10.5 he bringeth in Christ himselfe saying Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared me And therefore when the Apostles thought that they had seene a phantasme Luke 24.39 or a Spirit he said vnto them Handle me and see because a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me haue and aboue all Gal. 4.4 the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed by Saint Paul and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here vsed by the Euangelist which signifie to take our nature vpon him and to be made flesh if they be diligently marked and well vnderstood doe make it most apparantly plaine that the Sonne of God tooke vnto himselfe personally the true nature of man and the very substance of his mother for the Apostle doth not say Factus de muliere sed factus ex muliere Made in a woman but made of a woman as Nicolaus de Gorram well obserueth euen as the bread is made of the wheate and Wine of Grapes and therefore though Christ had his Principium formale His formall beginning from the Holy Ghost yet it is most certaine that hee had Principium materiale his whole matter and substance from the body of his Mother Thirdly the same truth is confirmed by the vniforme consent of all Orthodoxe antiquity as the great Councell of Chalcedon that had in it 630. Bishops Fulgentius l. 2. de persona Christi the Councell of Lateran the Councell of Toledo Tertullian in his booke De Carne Christi Fulgentius Saint Basil Saint Augustine Venerable Bede and diuers others whose pithy sayings Basilius in l. de hum Christi generat and vnanswerable arguments to confirme this point I might here alledge but that Theodoret Leo Vigilius and Gelasius haue so fully collected what the Fathers before them had written hereof Aug de trinit l. 13. c. 18. that more proofe neede not be required and more excellent arguments cannot be composed for the manifestation of any truth Beda in 11. Luc. l. 4. c. 48. and therefore not willing to write Iliads after Homer I referre my Reader vnto them if hee desires any further comprobation of this point And yet for all this Macedonius and Valentinus affirmed L. 2. de trinitate L. de diuina maiest humanitatis Christi that Christ brought with him a celestiall body from Heauen and that Dogge Seruetus and his fellow Memnon taught that the Body of Christ was begotten of the substance and essence of his Father and so Apelles Marcion and Apollinaris auouched that he had an aeriall body and a syderiall flesh So Gasper Swenkfeldius saith that Christ in respect of his humanity is a true God as if his very flesh had beene begotten of God as Seruetus said Bucanus lo. 2. p. 21. Loc. com so Manichaeus saith that he had but an imaginary body a phantasme only in shew and no true body in substance and so the Anabaptists of our time do now auouch it that he tooke not vpon him the very nature of man nor the very flesh of the Virgin but that he had onely the shew and phantasme of a man which passed the wombe of his Mother Cochlaeus in l. de erroribus Monaster Anabap. as water passeth through a Conduit and this is one of their most principall points as Iohannes Chochlaeus witnesseth And therfore to maintaine their damnable errors to obscure this cleere light of veritie and to shew themselues Grand Captaines of that Arch-Hereticke and aduersary of Christ and all Christians the Diuell they doe obiect Ob. 1 First that Christ himselfe saith No man ascendeth into Heauen but he that descended from Heauen Iohn 3.13 the Sonne of Man which is in Heauen And againe speaking of the Iewes he saith You are from below Iohn 8.23 1 Cor 15.47 I am from aboue you are of this world I am not of this world And that Saint Paul saith The first man is of the Earth Earthy but the second Man i. e. Christ was from heauen heauenly and therefore say they he had the substance of his flesh from Heauen and not from the substance of his Mother Sol. I answere that all these and the like places are spoken of the whole person of Christ to whom the properties of each nature in respect of the communication of properties which hereafter I shall more fully declare vnto you may be fitly ascribed and they teach vs that the Sonne of God descended from heauen not by any change of place but by his voluntary humbling of himselfe That we must not referre that to the body of Christ which is spoken of the whole person of Christ to receiue the forme of a seruant and that hee was conceiued after a Heauenly manner by the operation of the Holy Ghost and not after any Earthly generation and therefore they doe impiously and most falsly referre that to the substance of his flesh which is indeed spoken of the whole person of Christ and of the heauenly manner of his conception for though it be true that I should say I am a reasonable creature which doth both heare and vnderstand yet doth this no way proue that my Body alone without the soule is such or can doe either of these euen so though Christ saith that he descended from Heauen because he was a God that euer was in Heauen yet that doth no way proue that his flesh which he assumed on earth descended from heauen because hee had that from his Mother and brought it not downe from aboue And that he is not of this world but from aboue or from Heauen heauenly is nothing else but that he is not worldly minded or swayed with the lusts of the flesh or any wayes earthly affected and this though in a farre inferiour degree to him hee saith of the Apostles You are not of this world Iohn 15.19 because as Saint Paul saith of all Christians they minde not the things of this world but haue their conuersation in Heauen Phil. 3.30.20 Secondly they say that in what body he appeared to the Fathers Ob. 2 of the Old Testament he appeared in the like body to the Apostles and Disciples in the New Testament but he appeared vnto the Patriarchs in no true
vnto vs especially 1. His life is our chiefest direction 2. Himselfe is our onely consolation For Aug de vera religione First Tota vita Christi in terris per hominem quem gessit disciplina morum fuit The whole life of Christ which he spent here on earth was and is a patterne for all Christians saith Saint Augustine Christ despised all worldly vanities Nam omnia bona mundi contempsit For he dâ—spised all the pompe and vanitie of this world he was borne poore his Inne was a Stable his Cradle was a Manger and his couering were poore swadling clouts he liued poore for hee had not an house to put his head in and he dyed poore Saint Augustine when he dyed made no Will because he had no wealth but his bookes which he gaue to the common Library Posidon in vita August saith Possidonius but Christ was poorer for he had no goods but his garment this was all the Souldiers got by him to teach vs in his mundanis faelicitatem non reponere That we should not greedily seeke nor childishly place our delight in these vaine and worldly toyes but if riches increase not to set our hearts vpon them Et omnia mala sustinuit Christ suffered all miseries and he suffered all the sorrowes of this world hunger thirst cold and nakednesse lyings slanders spittings mockings whippings death it selfe to teach vs Vt nec in illis quaereretur faelicitas ita nec in istis infaelicitas timeretur That as wee should place no felicity in the vanities of this life so we should not feare all the miseries of this life Iudg 6.12.14 but to say with Debora March valiantly O my soule and with the Angel vnto Gideon Goe on thou mighty man of Warre and passe through all the ranks of miseries for Dabit Deus his quoque finem God will make an end of these things and will bring his people vnto rest which shall continue without ending and therefore Saint Bernard saith Incassum laborat in acquisitione virtutum qui eas alibi quam in Christo quaerit That there is no way in the world for vs to attaine vnto any goodnesse Christ the most perfect patterne of all vertue but onely through Christ nor to learne any true vertue but onely from the example of Christ For If thou wouldest learne humilitie Let the same minde be in thee which was in Christ Iesus Phil. 2.5.6.7 who being in the forme of God and thought it no robbery to be equall with God yet did he make himselfe of no reputation and tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant If thou wouldest learne truth and vprightnesse set the example of Christ before thy face for in him there was no sinne 1 Pet. 2.22 Bernard ser 2. super Cantic Prudentia vera in eius doctrina iustitia in eius misericordia temperantia in vita fortitudo in eiusdem pâ—ssione reperiuntur and in his mouth was found no guile and to be briefe if thou dost seriously looke thou shalt easily finde that as Saint Bernard saith True Wisedome is found in his Doctrine Righteousnesse in his Mercy Mercy in his Iustice Temperance in his Life Truth in his words Fortitude in his sufferings and all vertues in all his actions All the Aethicks of Aristotle all the morality of Seneca and all the wisedome of Greece can no wayes describe vertue neere so perfectly as wee see it expresly portrayed in the liuely example of our Sauiours life And as there is no way for vs to finde true vertue The knowledge of Christ the onely meanes to suppresse all vices but onely in him which is vertue it selfe so there is nothing in the world that is so auaileable to suppresse all vice as is the true knowledge of Iesus Christ Nam haec irae impetum cohibet superbiae tumorem sedat For this will refraine the violence of anger when they consider how he suffered all violence and villanies Esay 53.7 and yet as a Sheepe before his shearer was dumbe so opened hee not his mouth This will allay the swellings of Pride when they consider how he was the noblest of all creatures Psal 45.3 and the fayrest among the sonnes of men and yet was he meeke and lowly in heart Matth. 11.29 â—his will heale the wounds of enuy it will stoppe the streames of luxury it will quench the flames of lust it will temper the thirst of couetousnesse and it will keepe thee from the itching desire of all filthinesse when we consider how much hee loathed these how free he was from these and how earnestly hee disswaded vs from these and from all other vices whatsoeuer And therefore saith he Ne mundi gloria seu carnis voluptatibus abducaris dulcescat tibi pro his sapientia Christus Ne spiritu mendacij erroris seducaris lucescat tibi veritas Christus ne aduersitatibus fatigeris comfortet te virtus Dei Christus Lest thou shouldest be with-drawne from God through the pompous vanities of this world or the lustfull and delightfull pleasures of thine owne flesh let Christ the true wisedome of God waxe sweet vnto thee Lest thou shouldest be seduced by the spirit of lies and of errors let Christ the true light shine vnto thee and lest thou shouldest be wearied and waxe faint vnder the burthen of aduersities let Christ the power of God refresh thee Secondly As all Christs actions are our instructions so is Christ himselfe all our consolation Nam cum defecerit virtus mea non conturbor For if I see mine owne strength and goodnesse faile me yet I neede not be disturbed I neede not be deiected Quia quod ex me mihi deest vsurpo ex visceribus Domini Because whatsoeuer wanteth in my selfe Whatsoeuer we want Christ alone is all-sufficient to supply our neede to helpe my selfe I may freely and boldly assume it to supply my wants from my Lord and Master Iesus Christ for as that seruant neede not want that hath free leaue to vse his Masters full purse at his owne command so neede not they want any grace that haue the grace of Christ because as I told you before Omnia habemus in Christo Christus omnia in nobis We haue all things in Christ and Christ is all things vnto vs. If thou art sicke with sinne and thy soule wounded or poysoned vnto death and wouldest be healed Christ is thy best and alone Physician onely he and not one but he can cure thee If thy soule doth hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and wouldest be satisfied Joh. 6.35 he is the Bread of Life and the Fountaine of liuing waters Whosoeuer eateth him shall neuer hunger and whosoeuer drinketh of him C. 7.38 shall neuer thirst for out of his belly shall flow riuers of waters of life If thou art as naked of all goodnesse as thou wert of all clothing when thou camest out of thy Mothers wombe
body but onely in the shew and shape of a body therefore he appeared in no true body to the Apostles To this I answere first that the minor is false Sol. That Christ appeared to the Patriarchs in a true body for he appeared vnto the Fathers in a true body as may be easily proued from those actions of eating drinking walking and such like and when he had ended that businesse for which he was sent of his Father he deposed that body which for that end hee had assumed and so he laid downe his body againe because hee had not as yet really and hypostatically vnited himselfe vnto the same Secondly Christ in former times did but assume a body for some speciall end now he was made flesh to remaine man for euer I say that if it were so that he appeared vnto the Fathers in a phantasme yet it followeth not that he did so likewise vnto the Apostles for before he assumed it onely for a time to performe some one speciall act but now he is made flesh which he hath really vnited vnto himselfe for euer to performe the greatest worke in the world the redemption of mankinde and therefore S. Iohn to expresse the truth thereof so fully as words could doe it saith that himselfe and the rest of his fellow Apostles did beare witnesse of that which they saw with their eyes and heard with their eares 1 John 21. and their hands had handled of the word of life and that this word was made flesh and dwelt among vs Iohn 1.14 which was neuer spoken of any of the formes that hee assumed in the Old Testament For though wee reade that hee appeared vnto the Fathers at sundry times and in diuers formes Heb. 1.1 yet we doe neuer reade that he made himselfe of no reputation by taking those formes vpon him Phil. â— 7 or that therefore he was made to be the things that he appeared to be because he neuer assumed them vnto himselfe as to vnite them personally vnto himselfe Ob. 3 Thirdly they say that the Scriptures teach not that he had a true naturall body but onely the shew and likenesse of a body for Saint Paul saith Phil 2.78 that Christ tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant and that God sent his Sonne in the similitude of the flesh of sinne Rom. 8 3. or of sinfull flesh and Saint Iohn saw one walking among the seauen golden Candlesticks Reuel 1.13 which was like vnto the Sonne of Man therefore he assumed no true body but onely a shew and a likenesse of a body Sol. I answere that these words and the like doe giue them no such ground nor any shew of reason to build any such conclusion thereupon for the Scripture saith that Adam did beget Caine Gen. 5.3 Christ in regard of his meane condition did appeare like a sinfull man but was without sinne Abel Seth in his owne image and likenesse but we might iustly account them very foolish that would hereupon inferre that neither Caine or Seth had not the very nature of Adam but onely a bare shadow and similitude thereof and therefore the Apostle in saying that hee was sent in the similitude of sinfull flesh giues vs to vnderstand that he was conceiued and borne without sinne and yet to haue flesh like vnto sinfull flesh because though it was without sinne yet it seemed to be full of sinnes by reason of the punishment that he was contented to vndergoe for our sinnes And this is most excellently declared by Tertullian Tertul. in l. de carne Christi c. 17. where he saith that Saint Paul affirmeth Christ to be made in the similitude of sinfull flesh not that he tooke the likenesse of flesh or the image of a body and not a true body but that he would giue vs to vnderstand that Christ tooke vpon him true flesh in the similitude of sinfull flesh Quia similitudo ad titulum peccati pertinebit Idem l. 5. contra Marcion Because the word similitude is to be referred to the iniquitie of sinne and not to deny the veritie of his substance for he would not haue added the word sinne if he had vnderstood and meant that the word similitude should be referred to the substance of his flesh to deny the veritie of the same but when he thus frameth his speech saying That hee came and tooke vpon him the likenesse of the flesh of sinne or of sinfull flesh Et substantiam confirmauit i. e. carnem similitudinem ad vitium substantiae retulit i. e. peccatum Hee doth confirme the veritie of his substance that is his flesh and he referreth similitude to the vitiousnes of the substance i. e. sin which in the sight of the Iewes he seemed to haue though in very deed hee had none So Cassianus saith Cassian collat 22. c. 11. that Similitudo non ad carnis veritatem sed ad peccati imaginem referenda est The word similitude hath relation not to flesh to denie the truth thereof for that was true flesh but to this word sinfull Quia in veritate corporis sed sine veritate peccati suscepit dominus speciem peccatoris Because that in the true nature of man without any sinne hee appeared and was so esteemed of many like a sinfull man Amb. de spiritu Sancto l. 3. c. 9. saith Saint Ambrose And so when the Apostle saith that Christ was made in the similitude of Man he doth not meane so to referre the word similitude Ad naturam humanam as that we should vnderstand him to be made onely in the likenesse of our humane nature The manhood of Christ seene by the sufferings of Christ but by the similitude of man he vnderstandeth Conditionem abiectam that abiect and meane condition of man whereby Christ was made like vnto all other men and therefore Saint Paul doth hereby more confirme the truth of his humane nature then any wayes weaken the same Iustin Martyr in expos fidei because as Iustin Martyr speaketh Deus quidem intelligitur ex prodigiorum operatione homo autem ostenditur ex aequalibus nostrae naturae perpessionibus His Godhead is sufficiently seene by the working of his miracles but his Manhood is chiefly seene by the like sufferings and infirmities of our nature And to that place of the Apocalyps I say that Saint Iohn saw him in a Propheticall vision his body being in heauen and not on earth and therefore this of all other is alledged most improperly to deny the truth of that flesh which Saint Iohn of all other had so plainely declared vnto vs. And so you may see that neither these places nor any other place though neuer so much wringed and wrested from the true meaning of the Holy Ghost no nor the gates of Hell it selfe can disproue the truth of this point that Christ hath a true and a naturall body CHAP. III. Of Christ his true and perfect
if we beleeue Master Harding came into the Chappell to helpe Saint Basil to say Masse though the doores were shut and therefore the opening of the doores by the power of Christs Deitie doth no way prooue the inpalpabilitie of his Body Ob. 3 Thirdly They doe obiect that he walked vpon the Sea like a Spirit Mar. 6.49 and therefore his Body was inuested with the leuity and agility of the Deity Sol. To this I answere that he walked vpon the Seas not by the alleuiating or making light his body or specially by the leesing of the properties of a true naturall body but by the consolidating and confirming or strengthening of the waters through the power of his Deitie to make them able to beare him vp and so they were strengthened to beare vp the body of Saint Peter vntill Saint Peters faith began to faile Ob. 4 Fourthly They doe obiect that the heauens must containe the Body of Christ vntill the restitution of all things Act 9.3 as Saint Peter saith and yet that Christ in respect of his humanity did appeare vnto Saint Paul Act. 22.6 as he went towards Damascus and therefore either the saying of Saint Peter cannot be true or Saint Paul did not see him or else his humanity by reason of the vnion with the Deity hath obtained those Diuine properties to be omniscient and omnipresent with the Deity Sol. To this some doe answere that Christ might for that time and to that end frame a body of the ayre to speake vnto Saint Paul as he did many times vnto the Fathers of the Old Testament and so the Heauens did containe the true and naturall body and he appeared vnto Saint Paul in a body that he assumed for that purpose Others thinke that Christ might for a short space of time leaue the Heauens and descend into the Ayre to speake with Saint Paul and yet the saying of Saint Peter to be still true thus vnderstood that the heauens vsually and alwayes without some rare and speciall dispensation doe containe him vntill the restitution of all things But it is vnlikely that he would assume any created forme vpon him after he had once really vnited himselfe to our nature and we haue no argument to proue that euer he did it and it is not probable that he would leaue his throne voide in heauen for the least moment of time after hee was once seated in that excellent Maiestie and therefore I thinke with Zanchius that Christ remaining in Heauen might appeare vnto Saint Paul as he did vnto Saint Stephen the heauens were opened and his eyes were indued with a most excellent sharpenesse of sight that he saw Christ standing on the right hand of God Act. 7.55 for Saint Paul doth not say that Christ appeared vnto him on earth That Saul saw no body on earth as he went to Damascus but that suddenly there shined round about him a light from Heauen and that he heard the voyce of the Lord saying vnto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me and all this might be without any presence of Christs Body for Christ might speake in Heauen and cause that same voice to be head here on earth Matth. 3.17 or he might frame a voyce in the Ayre as the Father did at the baptisme of Christ where the voyce was framed and heard but no body seene nor assumed Fiftly They doe obiect that the Body of Christ doth viuifie Ob. 5 vs and raise vs vp and doe such other effects which are onely proper vnto the Godhead and therefore it is inuested with the properties of the Godhead To this Damascen answereth by this similitude Sol. Vrit ignitum ferrum non naturali ratione vstivam possidens actionem How the flesh of Christ is said to doe diuine operations sed ex vnione ignis ad ferrum illud obtinet That as a hot fiery iron will burne any thing not that it hath naturally the facultie or propriety of burning but by reason of the vnion of the fire vnto it So the humanity is said to doe many things not that it hath any property in it selfe to do theÌ„ but being vnited vnto the Deitie Damasc de fide orthodoxa l. 3. c. 17. it is said to doe the same though indeed as it is not the iron that burneth but the fire that is vnited vnto the iron So it is not properly the flesh that doth any of these but the Word vnto which the flesh is hypostatically vnited And therefore it is apparant mauger all that can be said against it that Christ by this communicating of properties hath neither lost the properties of a true naturall body nor that his humanity is really inuested with the properties of the Deity Secondly the benefits of the vnion of the two natures of Christ in respect of vs. Esay 1. Ephes 4.18 Secondly The other effects and benefits of the vnion of these two natures which are in regard of vs are our spirituall vnion with God and thereby the inriching of vs with all those graces that doe prepare vs and bring vs vnto euerlasting happinesse for our sinnes had seperated vs from God and made vs aliens and strangers from the life of God they were and are like a partition wall betwixt God and vs they keepe vs farre from God and make vs indeed to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men without God in the world but now as God made the personall vnion of soule and body for the constitution and continuation of the whole and common nature of mankind So he vnited the Word with our flesh that our nature might be restored in the person of Christ and that they which before were at variance God and Man might now be reconciled through this vnion of God and man in the person of Iesus Christ for seeing Christ hath personally vnited our nature vnto himselfe he hath thereby naturally vnited vs vnto God Quia natura nobis est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because by nature hee is of the same nature with vs and we are of the same with him though we be not carnally in him but as we are ingraffed Et consortes Christi per fidem Basilius â—p 41. ad Caesariens and pertakers of Christ by faith as Saint Basil saith And so now by reason of this vniting of our nature vnto the Sonne of God and thereby our communion and fellowship with God we receiue as all the members doe receiue life and motion by reason of their vnion with the head all those gracious motions and gifts that are necessary for sustaining of our spiritull life and shall hereafter fully attaine vnto the blessed fruition of God for euer And so you see the particulars of this great mistery of the words incarnation How the word was made flesh CHAP. VI. Of certaine reasons why these deepe doctrinall points were so largely handled NOw if any man doth maruell as no doubt but many doe and blame me too perhaps
is not offended in him Why then O thou incredulous Iew wilt thou not receiue thy Sauiour is it because he came poore without any shew of worldly pompe why that should make all men the rather to imbrace him and the more thankefully to acknowledge him because that he which might haue come in Maiestie Cum caelestibus Attended on by Angels would come in pouerty and haue his bed made cum iumentis among the beasts that perish that so by his comming poore we might be all made rich through him and therefore O Iew I doe aduice thee that as thy Fathers accomplished the decree of God in condemning him so doe thou according to the will of God in beleeuing on him and thou shalt be happy for he that beleeueth in him shall neuer perish To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be ascribed all Honour Thankes and Praise both now and for euermore Amen A Prayer O Eternall God who as in all things else so more especially in giuing thy dearest Sonne co-eternall coequall and co-essentiall vnto thy selfe to be made flesh subiect to our humane frailties and in all things like vnto vs sinne onely excepted hast shewed thy goodnesse and thy loue to man to be like thy selfe infinite and incomprehensible we most humbly beseech thee to giue vs grace to know thee and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ to be the onely true God whom to know is eternall life through the said Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS The Fourth Golden Candlesticke HOLDING The Fourth greatest Light of Christian RELIGION Of the Passion of the MESSIAS LVKE 24.46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus it behoued Christ to suffer YOu haue heard dearely beloued how miserably man is distressed by sinne The coherence of this Treatise with the former Treatises how he may be releeued onely by the Mercy of God and how this reliefe is applied vnto vs by the Incarnate Word for he is the true Samaritan that doth helpe the wounded man he is the blessed Angell that doth stirre the poole of Bethesda and giue vertue vnto the water to heale our sores to helpe our soules But alas this Angell as yet is but descended and the waters are not troubled and this Samaritan is but alighted and the poore semi-dead Traueller is not set vp vpon his horse to be carryed towards his Inne that is hee hath not yet entred into the waters of tribulations to saue our soules from drowning in Hell neither hath he put our sinnes vpon his backe that we being freed from the burthen might walke on towards Heauen this resteth yet behind and this Tragedie is yet vnheard and therefore though he much humbled himselfe by his Incarnation yet is that nothing it is but the beginning of sorrowes in respect of his sore and bitter Passion For to redeeme our soules from sinne the deepe waters must enter into his soule and all our sinnes must be laid vpon his backe and for our sinnes It behoueth Christ to suffer Hic labor hoc opus est And this is that which we are now to treat of Thus it behoued Christ to suffer CHAP. I. Of the manifold vse and commodities that we reape by the continuall meditation of the sufferings of Christ Three things that mooue attention THere be three speciall things that doe vse to moue attention 1. An eloquent Author 2. An important matter 3. A compendious breuity And all these three doe here ioyne and meete together in this Text of Scripture For First the Author of these words is Christ Luk. 11.49 First the Author of these words is Iesus Christ the wisedome of God Wisedome it selfe so incomprehensibly wise that all men wondred at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth Secondly the summe of these words is the Tragedy of Iesus Christ Secondly the matter is the Tragedie of himselfe the laborious life and the dolorous death of the Sonne of God the chiefest Tragedy of all Tragedies for the Catastrophe hereof hath the effusion of bloud and the mourning not onely of the Sufferer or Parents and Friends but of Heauen and Earth and all the whole world farre more dolefull then the mourning of Hadadrimmon in Valley of Mâ—gyddo The Actors of this Tragedy are Kings Vice-Royes Dukes Scribes Pharises High-Priests Elders of the people The Actors of this Tragedy the Apostles themselues and others all great Christ the King of Kings Herod the great King Pilate the Vice-Roy Annas and Cayphas high Priests Peter and Iudas great Apostles and those that were mute as the Sun the Earth the Stones the Vaile of the Temple and the very Graues did by apparant signes most dolefully bewayle the nefarious death of the Son of God yea more the Angels mourned and the Diuels trembled to behold the same The Theater on which it was acted was Ierusalem The Theater was Ierusalem the very midst and heart of the earth as some imagine according to that saying of the Psalmist Operatus est deus salutem in medio terrae GOD hath wrought saluation in the midst of the Earth Heere is the place where it was acted Hic hic mors vita duello Conflixere mirando Here life and death did striue for victory and here the beholders were men of all Nations Hebrewes Greekes and Romans and the time was their most solemne feast wherein all did â—eete to eate their Paschall Lambe And therefore if there be any Theame that may challenge our eares to lysten and our hearts to meditate vpon the same it is this for this is one of those things that was once done that it might be thought of for euer that it might be had in euerlasting remembrance And the continuall meditation thereof is 1. Acceptable vnto Christ 2. Profitable for vs. For First The continuall meditation of Christs passion what it doth if the rod of Moses which wrought so many miracles in Aegypt and the Manna which fed the children of Israel 40. yeares in the Wildernesse and the Booke of the Law which was deliuered vnto Moses vpon Mount Sinai were to be preserued in the Arke First It is most acceptable vnto Christ as testimonies of Gods loue throughout all generations how much more should we keepe the remembrance of the Crosse of Christ of the Body and Bloud of Christ and of the glad tidings of saluation which we haue by the death of Christ in the Church of God for euermore Our Sauiour gaue but two Sacraments vnto his Church and one of them is chiefely instituted to this end for a remembrance of his suffering for as often as you eate this Bread and drinke this Cup Luc. 22. you shew the Lords death vntill he come 1 Cor. 11.1 And the remembrance of Christs death saith Saint Chrysostome Est beneficij maximi recordatio Chrys hom 8. in Matth. caputque diuinae erga nos charitatis Is the commemoration of the greatest benefit that euer we receiued
beget Ecclesiam resurgentium a Congregation of beleeuers that through him might liue to God and with God for euer Christ rose the third day to be a patterne of our condition Fourthly Christ by his example was to set downe a patterne and a sampler of our state and condition and we are all to learne of him and to doe as he did if we desire to be happy where hee is but here we see Christ had his three dayes and no more and therefore we must haue the same three dayes and the same like to his if we would be Christians like to him Now these three dayes of Christ were thus distinguished the first day was called the day of preparation and this was the day of his Passion the second day was called the Sabbaoth and this was the day of his rest and the third day was called the first day of the weeke and this was the day of his resurrection and so must our three dayes beare equipage and proue to be like his if we would be his The first day is a day of Passion The first is a day of preparation a day of Passion a day of cloudes and darkenesse wherein with strong cries and teares and prayers we must commend our selues vnto the tuition and protection of God for in this day we must striue and struggle against sinne and Satan wee must suffer all their bitter darts against vs and we must fight till we die against them and though this bee a day of sorrow yet wee haue some comfort in this day for as this his first day was the shortest of all his three dayes so is our life but a day giue vs this day our daily bread and this day is but a span long the shortest time that may be like vnto a dreame or a tale that is told and therefore we should be the more ready and willing to beare our crosse Our suffering is but short because the time of our suffering is but very short The second is a day of rest in our graues The second day is a day of rest The third day is a day of resurrection where our flesh shall rest in hope to be raised vp at the last day And The third is a day of resurrection vnto glory the first day of the weeke and the first beginning of a neuer-ending world But as Christ could not haue risen in glory had he not rested in hope neither could he haue rested in hope had he not suffered and dyed in faith so cannot we attaine vnto a ioyfull resurrection vpon our third day vnlesse we rest in hope in our second day neither can we rest in hope in our graues the second day vnlesse we doe valiantly fight and suffer vnto death on the first day for this is the order that Christ tooke and the Disciple is not aboue his Master and therefore if any bid vs come downe from the Crosse let vs stoppe our eares like the Cockatrice and let vs bide on still with Iesus that so we may rest and rise with Iesus And so you see how and why our Sauiour Christ was to rise againe the third day But here it may be some will say as they qui disputare mallent quam credere Ob. which had rather dispute about his resurrection then beleeue in his resurrection that he was not only to rise the third day but also to remaine three dayes How Christ remained three dayes in his graue and three nights in the heart of the earth and yet we finde that he was buried by Ioseph and Nicodemus about three houres before Sunne-set on Good friday and rose againe about foure or fiue a clocke on Sunday morning which maketh not in all aboue thirty sixe or thirty eight houres or not aboue forty houres if wee cast it to the highest account and therefore how could hee bee three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth To this Leo answereth that Christ Sol. Leo Ser. 1. de resur lest his long absence should too much perplexe the afflicted mindes of his Disciples Denuntiatam tridui moram tum mira celeritate breuiauit c. Did so exceedingly shorten the fore-spoken three dayes space that while the last part of the first day and the first part of the last day is numbred with the second day the time is onely shortned but the number of the dayes is not diminished and so Saint Augustine saith that the last part of the first day is taken for the whole day and so likewise the first part of the last day is taken for the whole day Ob. But then though this taking of part for the whole might bee sufficient to proue his being three dayes in the earth yet this is deficâ—ent to shew how he was three nights as well as three dayes in his graue Matth. 12 40. for our Sauiour saith Hee must be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth whereas by this reckoning wee finde but two nights in all and therefore to say what I thinke Sol. I answere that twelue houres was the Iewes perfect day according to that saying of Christ Iohn 11.9 How Christ remained three dayes three nights in his graue Are there not twelue houres in the day and the very same twelue houres in the opposite Region of the Heauens is a perfect night and wee finde that Christ remained in his graue three whole twelue houres cast it how you will and therefore thus he may be truly said to be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth Or else I say secondly that if wee measure the time according to Gods measure of a day in the beginning i. e. from the beginning of the Euening vntill the Euening returned againe as the Euening and the Morning was the first day i. e. the Euening of the night and the Morning of the day was the first day then I say that vnder these parts of the first and last day must be as there in Moses it is vnderstood the nights also Gen. 1.5 for as Moses reckoneth the Euening and the Morning of the day for the day and night so must we here vnderstand these three dayes for three dayes and three nights and so Christ remained three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth And thus wee see both by types and the predictions of the Prophets and by the assertion of Christ himselfe that the Messias and Sauiour of the world should be slaine and must rise againe the third day CHAP. V. Of the Iewes reasons why they beleeue not Iesus the Sonne of Mary to be the Messiah and why they thinke he raysed not himselfe from the graue SEcondly For the confirmation of this point The question betwixt vs and the Iewes à posteriori From the apparant proofe of the fulfilling of the same truth in the person of any one that was slaine and did rise againe the third day
The question is betwixt vs and the Iewes whether Iesus the Sonne of Mary whom they crucified and buried and whom we preach and beleeue in be the true Messias or not and whether he raysed himselfe from his graue yea or no. To both these the Iewes answere no Not the Messias not raysed from the dead First Not the Messias because hee came not downe from the Crosse when he was fast nayled vnto the same for If he be the King of Israel said the chiefe of them their high Priests and Elders of the people Let him now come downe frrom the Crosse Math. 27.42 and we will beleeue in him Ah foolish Nation a Nation voide of vnderstanding and Children of your Father the Diuell Namque haud tibi vultus humanus nec vox hominum sonat For here you sing the same song Math. 4.6 and you harpe vpon the same string as he did If thou beest the Sonne of God cast thy selfe downeward saith the Diuell and if he be the King of Israel let him come downe from the Crosse say these Children of the Diuell Chrysost hom de cruce So you see the one would haue him to descend from the Temple the other from the Crosse the one from seruing God the other from suffering for man and both to descend whereas God made man to ascend Os homini sublime dedit caelumque tueri inssit And of all his Creatures he made him onely straight God made man to ascend to looke vp towards Heauen and bids men alwayes to haue Sursum corda Their hearts like their heads lifted vp their thoughts in Heauen and their conuersations in Heauen Phil. 3.20 And therefore whensoeuer we are inticed to descend from the height of Gods seruice or suffering vpon our Crosse and to settle our affections here vpon the base things of this World let vs know it is the voyce of Satan not of God Math. 27.42 I but let him come downe and we will beleeue in him saith this people and let vs enioy the pleasures and the vanities of the Earth and we will serue him saith the generation of this World Luke 16.31 But as our Sauiour saith vnto them in another case If you will not beleeue Moses and the Prophets neither will you beleeue though one should arise from the dead So Saint Bernard saith in this case If now you will not beleeue in him that raysed himselfe from the graue you would neuer haue beleeued in him if he had then descended from the Crosse Greg. Hom. 21. in Euang. Quia plus erat de sepulchro surgere quam de cruce descendere plus mortem resurgendo destruere That it was a greater matter to rise from the dead then to come downe from the Crosse quam vitam descendendo seruare Because it was a greater matter to raise himselfe from the graue then to descend from the Crosse and a farre more excellent argument of inuincible omnipotency being dead to destroy death by rising againe from the dead then being aliue to saue his life by descending from the Crosse And so I say to the base descending worldlings if they will not stay vpon the Crosse to suffer with Christ here they are not worthy to be exalted to raigne with Christ hereafter and if they will not beleeue in him and serue him for the hope of the ioyes of Heauen they are not worthy to be receiued into the number of his seruants because such men loue the World more then God and will not loue God but for the Worlds sake August de ver Dom. Serm. Like vnto the Woman Quae non maritum amat sed aurum mariti Which loues her Husbands wealth more then her Husband or not her Husband but for his wealths sake Secondly They say he raysed not himselfe from the graue but his Disciples came by night and stole him away and if this be true he could not be the true Messias Whether the Disciples stole away Christ from his graue or not But what his Disciples that forsooke him and forsware him while he was yet aliue and could if he had would haue rescued himselfe out of the hands of all his enemies Alas poore men durst they now silly Fishermen thrust themselues among the pikes of armed Souldiers to steale away a dead carkasse that could neither helpe himselfe nor them No no they were readier to hide themselues in graues then to aduenture to take him out of the graue And therefore Mary Magdalen that knew his Disciples did not nor durst not take him away thought rather when shee found him not in his Tombe that they which left him no rest in his life did also take him and tosse him now out of his graue Sic multum terris iactatus alto And so left him not neither in life nor death Dementia insanabilis So implacable was their rage against him But though shee was in the right that his Disciples did not meddle with him yet herein shee was deceiued Ambros in hunc locum lucae Putando Christum sublatum esse de monumento When shee thought that the Souldiers had remoued him saith Saint Ambrose because this victorious Lyon did Sampson-like carrie away the gates of Gaza Iudg. 16.3 and burst open the doores of his Sepulcher that his glorious Body might come forth yet the Womans weakenesse may be excused Quia cum pietate societus est Because her error proceeded of ignorance and was accompanied with an vpright conscience but who can extenuate or who will not aggrauate that extreame folly and horrible impiety of this wretched and malicious people How the High Priests did what possibly they could to hinder the Resurrection of Christ For they not onely refused to receiue him for their Sauiour and said Nolumus hunc regnare super nos Wee will haue none of this man we will haue none other man but Caesar to be our King But they did also persecute him as a seducer and crucified him as a false vsurper and then buried him without honor There were no Widowes to make lamentation nor any of his friends that durst shew it and being buried they locked fast his Sepulcher Molemque montes insuper altos imposuere They prest him downe with a mighty stone and they hired a band of armed Souldiers to watch him that he should neither rise himselfe nor his Disciples come and take him away And therefore his Disciples that were so lately amazed at his passion were now so stupified at this obsignation this sealing and watching and warding of him that they durst not once passe out of doores to looke after his Resurrection vntill these three Women which esteemed themselues more free from violence and thereupon presumed first to see the Sepulcher had informed them that this one had chaste a thousand and had put all that band of men to flight Or if their hearts had serued them to aduenture so great a danger and
Heauen which Oecumenius calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The receptacle of him that is sent Aug. l de fide symbolo c. 6. Cyril in Leuit. l. 9. Vigilius contra Eutych l. 4. and this the Fathers Saint Augustine Cyrillus Alexandrinus Vigilius Theodoret and others haue most fully shewed and proued vnto vs and that for these three speciall ends First That we might be assured our Sauiour Christ remaineth still a true and a perfect man in glory Secondly That we might know where to seeke and where to finde our Sauiour Christ Nam pontifex noster non vtique in terrà quaerendus Orig. in leuit sed in coelo For our high Priest Iesus Christ is not to be sought for in Earth but in Heauen saith Origen therefore as S. Augustine said of Mary Magdalen Aug. de tempore Ser. 133. Quid quaeris in tumulo quem adorare debes in coelo Why seekest thou him in the graue below whom thou shouldest adore in the Heauens aboue so much better might I now say vnto many men Alas why seeke you Christ here on Earth in Bread and Wine and I know not where when as he is no where to be found in respect of his Manhood but in Heauen there is the place where he sitteth on the right hand of the Maiesty of God Thirdly That we might know where we shall be for so our Sauiour saith Iohn 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast giuen mee be with me where I am Ob. But against this it may be obiected that Christ himselfe saith No man ascendeth vnto Heauen but hee that descended from Heauen Iohn 3.13 the Sonne of man which is in Heauen And therefore how shall we haue any hope to ascend vp vnto Heauen Sol. Saint Augustine answereth that we are not therefore to despaire because he ascendeth alone i. e. by his proper strength and power for we shall be eleuated and taken vp by the power of Christ who came therefore downe from Heauen that he might carry vs vp into Heauen that were falling downe into Hell or as the same Saint Augustine saith We ought therefore to be vnited vnto him That we must be vnited to Christ if we will ascend where Christ is that so it might be but one Christ which descended and ascended he descended as the head of his Church and he ascendeth with his whole body which is his Church hee descended naked and he ascendeth clothed with our flesh and he descended as a husband without a wife but he ascendeth married vnto his Church and so he and vs is but one one body one flesh Vnitas nos compaginat vni Aug. in Psal 122. p. 591. Our vnity with him makes vs one with him and therefore they onely shall not ascend which are not nor will not be made one with him but our conuersation is in Heauen and our life is hid with Christ in God and therefore he might well say No man ascendeth but he that descendeth if you vnderstand it of Christ mystically that is of him wholly of him and all his members because none but his members shall ascend into Heauen And so you see the place where Christ ascended into heauen Rupertus de offic diuin c. 8. Quomodo autem sit in coelo corpus domini curiosissimum est quaerere But to inquire how the body of Christ is in Heauen whether sitting or standing whether naked or clothed Aug. l. de fide sym which Clemens Alexandrinus denyeth because the Saints in Heauen shall haue no need of clothing or how he ascended into Heauen whether in a purple robe as Fredernus Nausea supposeth out of Esay Esay 63.2 whose meaning is far otherwise then Nausea thinketh and many other curious questions they are farre fitter to be buried in silence then to be once determined by any modest Christian because as Saint Augustine saith Curious questions ought not to be discussed Non est nostrae fragilitatis secreta coelorum discutere sed est fidei nostra de dominici corporis dignitate sublimia honesta sapere It is not possible for our weakenesse to vnderstand the secrets of Heauen it is inough that by faith we beleeue and conceiue worthy things Idem quo sup de fide symb and that holily and modestly concerning Christ And so much for the explication of the first part which is of the Ascention of our Sauiour Christ. Branch 2. BRANCH II. CHAP. V. Of the application of this Doctrine of the Ascention of Christ vnto our selues both in respect of consolation and imitation The Doctrine of Christs Ascention may serue for a double end SEcondly For the application of this Doctrine vnto our selues you must note that it may serue for a double end 1. Of Consolation 2. Of Imitation First Our Consolation is likewise twofold 1. That he is gone to Heauen For 2. That he is not vnmindfull of vs on earth For Aug. in Act. First Dum naturam humanam syderibus Christus importauit credentibus coelum patere posse monstrauit Whereas Christ hath caried our humane nature vnto heauen he hath thereby shewed that now Heauen is open for all beleeuers saith Saint Augustine O then how much should we reioyce hereat because now onely we see indeed which before we onely saw in hope the Chyrography and hand-writing of our damnation blotted out and the sentence of our corruption quite changed for now we see that nature Gen. 3.19 to whom it was said Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne to haue gone to Heauen and there to raigne without end Neither are wee onely made possessors of Heauen but we doe receiue more ample and more excellent things by this most ineffable glory of Christ then we haue lost by that inueterate enuy of the Deuill Nam quos diabolus de Paradiso eiecit Leo in Ser. de Ascent hos dei filius in coelo collocauit For whom Satan hath cast out of Paradise Christ hath brought them vnto euerlasting happinesse Secondly As it is our comfort that he hath giuen vs possession of heauen so it is as great a comfort vnto vs That Christ in Heauen forgetteth not his seruants here on earth that he being in Heauen is not vnmindfull of vs that are here on earth Indeed Pharaoh's butler forgat Ioseph when he ascended vnto his masters fauour and so it is an vsuall thing in the world for all great men that haue beene raised vp of nothing to be most vnmindefull of their poore friends and acquaintance they hold it a point of pollicie to know them not or at least to looke strangley and sternely vpon them whereupon it is most truely sayd Asperius nihil est humili cum surgit in altum None so disdainfull none so proud as they that haue ascended vp on high from meane estate but it is not so with Christ for though he be gone vp on high from
the meanest among men to be equall with God yet there he is not vnmindfull of vs but sitting on the right hand of God he maketh continuall intercession for vs and sendeth his spirit to comfort vs for though corpus intulit Coelo he hath placed his body in Heauen yet maiestatem non abstulit mundo hee leaues his spirit which filleth all places heere on earth Mat. 28. vlt. for loe saith he I am with you vntill the end of the world that is to deliuer vs from all miseries and to giue vs all those good things that hee seeth good for vs And therefore though Abraham should forget vs or Israell be ignorant of vs or as Mardoceus sayd vnto Queene Hester if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time Hester 4.14 and doest nothing in the world for vs yet shall there inlargement and deliuerance arise vnto the Iewes from another place euen so though we should feare men will forsake vs and forget vs and do nothing for vs either to deliuer vs from any troubles feared or to helpe vs vnto any good desired yet this our good God which neither slumbereth nor sleepeth though he be ascended to heauen yet he will defend vs on earth and hee will lift vs vp out of the mire if we put our trust in him hee will send vs comfort out of some other place Feare you not but stand still Exod. 14 13. and see the saluation of God which he will shew vnto you Secondly the resurrection of Christ is our hope but his ascention is our glorification Si ergo rectè si fideliter si deuotè ascentionem domini celebramus ascendere debemus cum illo and therefore if we doe rightly if we doe faithfully and deuoutly celebrate and make a right vse of the ascention of Christ then must wâ—e labour and striue to ascend with him That in heart and affection we should alwayes ascend to Heauen and if by reason of the infirmitie of our flesh we are so detained and kept backe that we cannot ascend as we would to be where he is yet let vs indeauour to follow after passibus amoris et affectu cordis with the best paces of loue and the most earnest desires of our hearts And indeede it is not the lifting vp of our eyes nor the holding vp of our hands that is the right ascending into Heauen for this may bee as it is many times meere hypocrisie euen as the witch of Endor lifted vp Samuell to deceiue Saule so doth this witch hypocrisie cause many a one to lift vp their hands and eyes to Heauen to deceiue the world and to make vs beleeue they are true Saints whereas in deede they be very Diuells but we must haue sursum corda our hearts lifted vp for this is that chieffest place of man which both God and the Diuell laboreth most of all to attaine Prouerb 23.26 for God saith Sonne giue mee thy heart and lift vp the same to Heauen and so the Diuell seekes but the heart if riches increase set your hearts vpon them and therefore the heart of man is called by Macarius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Throne of God or els 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Throne of Satan for if we lift vp the same to God and set our affections on the things that are aboue then is our hearts the Throne of God but if our loue and affections bee on the things of this world then is our hearts the seat of the scornefull and the habitation of Diuells Psal 1.1 And therefore that we may the better learne how to ascend and to lift vp our hearts to God I will desire you to consider these three things first terminum secondly modum thirdly signum Three things to be considered touching our spirituall ascention vnto Heauen 1. The place from whence and vnto what we must ascend 2. By what meanes we shall raise vp our selues vnto God 3. The signe whereby wee may know whether wee haue ascended any way towards Heauen or not First the place from whence we must ascend is this world behold saith Christ I leaue the world and I goe to the Father so if we would goe to Christ we must leaue the world and neuer enuie at the prosperity of them quorum tectorum gloria attenditur labes autem animorum non attenditur whose outward glorie we doe see but whos inward miseries wee doe not see And the place where we must ascend is in altum vnto the Kingdome of Heauen where the eye hath not seene 1 Cor. 2.9 and the eare hath not heard the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him Secondly the meanes how to raise our selues from this valley of miseries vnto the height of Heauen is by casting from vs all the things that may presse vs downe and assuming the things that may helpe vs vp And you knowe that whatsoeuer is heauie presseth downe Nothing is so heauie as sin and we know that there is nothing so heauie vpon the soule as sinne this is like a Talent of lead it makes the whole world to reele to and fro like a drunken man Atlas en ipse laborat and it was so heauie vpon Christ his shoulders Mat. 27.46 that in the Garden it made him to sweate the drops of blood and vpon the Crosse it made him to crie out my God my God why hast thou forsaken mee and therefore if wee would ascend to Heauen then as Elias did throwe downe his mantle 2. Kings 2.13 and as the blinde man in the Gospell did cast offe his beggars cloake when hee would runne to Christ so must we cast offe the mantle of hypocrisie and disrobe our selues of all the beggarly ragges of sinne or els they will presse vs downe to Hell And as wee know sinne is that weight which keepes vs downe so we knowe wings are the best meanes to helpe vs vp and therefore Dauid prayes that hee had wings like a doue Psal 55.6 that hee might flie away and be at rest and Christ himselfe is said to haue fledde super pennas ventorum vpon the wings of the winde so must wee wee must get vs wings if wee will ascend to Heauen But what are those wings that will carrie vs thither Bern. in Ser. de asc they must not bee like Icarus his waxen wings the wings of pride and ambition but as Saint Bernard sayth they must bee What are the wings whereby we ascend to Heauen 1. Meditatio Consideration 2. Oratio Prayer for Meditatio quid desit docet oratio ne desit obtinet Meditation sheweth vs what wee want and prayer obtayneth whatsoeuer we want but we neuer knowe our estate because wee neuer consider in what estate wee are and wee haue not grace nor goodnesse because we aske not Saint Augustine saith these wings must be 1. The loue of God 2. The loue of our neighbours And it is not vnlikely that loue
should carry vs vp vnto God because God is loue and loue brought downe God vnto men Huc me syderio descendere fecit olympo Hic me crudeli vulnere fixit amor And therefore no maruell that loue should carry vs vp into Heauen Aug. in Psal 83. p. 376. d. 1. wherefore Saint Augustine sayth that by loue we doe either ascend to Heauen or descend to Hell quia amando Deum ascendis in Coelum amando seculum descendis vsque ad abyssum because by louing God wee ascend to Heauen and by louing the world we descend downe to Hell Saint Gregory saith these wings are 1. The contempt of worldly things 2. The desire of heauenly things And this may well stand with Saint Augustines saying because as the same Saint Gregorie saith tanto ab inferioribus disiungimur quanto superioribus delectamur by how much the more earnestly we loue heauenly things by so much we are ascended and sequestred from earthly things And therefore if you would ascend 1. Iohn 2.15 Colos 3.2 then loue not the world nor the things of this world but set your affections on those things that are aboue and because our life is iust like a clocke that vnlesse his waight be alwayes wynded vp will soone stand therefore wee must be euer winding vp our affections and weaning them from these worldly things and with Noahs doue neuer suffer the soales of our feete to rest vntill our hearts and soules returne to him that gaue them vs. Thirdly for the signes whereby wee may know whether we haue ascended or doe ascend towards Heauen or not I might shew you many How we may know whether our hearts ascendeth to Heauen or not but now take this for all if things aboue our heads shew greater vnto vs then they did before and things beneath vs lesser that is an apparant argument that we ascend and grow higher and higher for so Saint Gregorie saith if a man were aloft in the cloudes it would appeare vnto him quam abiecta sunt quae iam alta videntur how base are the things of this earth which to a man on earth doe seeme so great for then hee should see mountaines no bigger then Mole-hills and the Sunne which before while hee was on earth did seeme but instar pilae pedalis like a footeball hee should now finde it to be a great and immens glorious body all bodies aboue him would seeme greater and all below him would seeme lesser euen so if our hearts and affections be ascended vp to Heauen then surely the things of this world doe seeme vnto vs but as they are indeede damnum stercora Dung and drosse Phil. 3.8 or as nothing and worth nothing as Nazianzen saith and the things of Heauen are the onely desires of our hearts and the delights of our soules but if folia venti lilia agri the vanities and the pleasures of this world the Titles of Honour and the confluence of wealth be the desires and delights of our hearts then certainely wee are fast bound in misery and iron wee are fastened and fettered here on earth and it may bee with Golden chaynes but fast inough from ascending vp to Heauen I will not iudge of any by this rule you may all iudge your selues if you doe highly esteeme of the preaching and Preachers of Gods Word If you make much of them that feare the Lord and loue good men and a good conscience and make none account of this world nor of the things of this world then is your heart ascended vp to Heauen but if not Nudus humi iaces Thou lyest poore and miserable fettered here in earth a flaue and captiue of the Deuill and hast neede to cry and call for Christ to lead captiuitie captiue which is the second part of my Text. And so much for the Ascention of our Sauiour Christ Part. 2 PART II. CHAP. Of the victory and triumph of Christ ouer our enemies of our deliuerance from them and of our restoring into the seruice of God againe SEcondly Touching the victory and triumph of Christ set downe in these words Thou hast led captiuity captiue we must vnderstand that this is taken two wayes 1. Passiuely 2. Actiuely And I say first Passiuely because our enemies must be vanquished before we can be deliuered and therefore How Christ ouercame death Hell sinne and Satan First This phrase may be taken Passiuely for the World Death and Hell and all other enemies of Mankinde which Christ hath conquered and led captiue that they should not raigne and rule ouer his seruants any more And thus Saint Augustine doth expound it saying Quid est captiuauit captiuitatem vicit mortem mortem procurauit diabolus ipse diabolus de morte Christi est captiuatus What is he led captiuity captiue but he ouercame death for the Diuell had procured death for sinne and now the Diuell himselfe is captiuated by the death of Christ For as Victors were wont to doe to leade in triumph those Tyrants that opprest their subiects or those enemies that they had vanquished being fast bound with chaines with their heads and feet bare for their greater shame and reproach so the Psalmist alludeth vnto the same when he saith Coloss 2.15 Thou hast led captiuity captiue and the Apostle doth more cleerely expresse it when hee saith that Christ hauing spoyled Principalities and Powers hath made a shew of them openly tryumphing ouer them in it Quest But here it may be demaunded how are they captiuated when as the Diuell compasseth the earth like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure And so doth the world still oppresse vs 1 Pet. 5.8 our flesh lusteth against the spirit and Death still raigneth ouer vs all I answere that Christ hath destroyed their Power Resp hee hath taken away their strength and hee hath quite subuerted the Kingdome of sinne and Satan and taken away the sting of death and yet they compasse about not as hauing any power ouer vs but as a Lyon tyed will teare vs in pieces if he can catch vs within his clawes so will sinne and Satan if wee yeeld vnto them for though Christ ouercame all our enemies yet hee hath not quite taken them out of our wayes but left them as it were aliue though bound that we might still beware to come within their reach if we would escape their teeth and therefore wee say that sinne is so taken away that it doth not raigne ouer the Saints though perhaps through their negligence it doth often wound them so Satan is bound though like a bridled horse he often fumes against vs and sometimes bites vs too 1 Cor. 15.54 if we beware not of him and so death is swallowed vp into victory and the sting thereof is taken away so that it can neuer hurt the Saints of God though it layes them stil into a sleepe because they shall all awake at the last day But if sinne and
foolish lusts that drowne men in destruction and perdition Secondly gratulation or thankesgiuing is the other kinde Secondly Thanksgiuing and the chiefest kinde of prayer First because to make request concernes our selues and sheweth our loue to our selues but to render thankes sheweth our loue to God Secondly because the other is a taking this is a giuing and our Sauiour saith Act. 29.35 it is a more blessed thing to giue then to receiue Thirdly because to make request shall cease when wee come to the place where there is no want but the Saints in heauen doe ascribe glory and wisedome and thankes Reuel 7.12 and honor and power and might vnto our God for euermore Fourthly because the Angels that feele no want doe alwaies praise the Lord saying Holy holy holy Lord God of hosts Esay 6.3 Luke 20. the earth is full of thy glory and therefore we that shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like vnto the Angels of God should not alwayes speake with the tongues of men to beg but sometimes with the tongues of Angels to praise the Lord for his goodnesse for this is the only thing that God requireth or that we can render vnto God for all the blessings that he hath bestowed vpon vs. And there bee three speciall reasons saith Antoninus that should moue vs vnto this duty of thankefulnesse Antonin p. 4. t. 5. c. 12. §. 1. Three speciall reasons to perswade men to be thankefull First the practise of all the Saints Moses and all Israel after their passage through the red Sea Iosua after his victory Dauid after his deliuerance out of the hands of Saul hee composed songs of thankfulnesse vnto God and the manifold precepts of holy Scripture that doe command the same Psal 113.1 for Dauid biddeth all the seruants of the Lord to prayse the Name of the Lord and he saith that it becommeth well the iust to be thankefull and the Apostle biddeth vs in all things to giue thankes vnto God 1 Thess 5. Secondly the consideration of all creatures which doe all of them teach men to be thankefull because euery creature saith Saint Augustine Est quoddam beneficium homini collatum A three-fold voice of euery creature is a gift bestowed on man for which man oweth thankes vnto God and therefore Hugo de S. vict saith that euery creature speakes these three words to euery man accipe redde fuge take restore flee The first is vox famulantis the voice of a seruant bidding vs to receiue the gifts of God the second is vox admonentis Hugo de S. Vict. l. 2. c 3. de Arca. the voice of a teacher bidding vs to render thanks vnto God the third is comminantis the voice of a threatner bidding vs flie the vengeance of God if wee bee not thankefull vnto God for these blessings And so many creatures by their owne examples doe teach man to be thankefull for the very dogge saith Saint Ambrose is so thankefull for a piece of bread vt pro Domino mori velit that he will die for his Master Geminianus de exempl l. 5. c. 56. and Geminian tels vs of a Leopard that was so thankefull vnto one that deliuered her whelpes out of a ditch that shee accompanied him through the forrest and deliuered him from the danger of all other sauage beasts C. Agrippa de de vanit scient c. 102. and C. Agrippa saith that a Serpent called Aspis vsed to eate at a mans table seeing a dogge killing his childe did to shew her thankefulnesse vnto the man kill the dogge immediatly after What should I say more but as Salomon saith vade ad Formicam disce sapientiam goe to any creature and he will teach thee to be thankefull to thy Creator Thirdly the manifold gifts and graces that wee haue receiued i. e. the grace of God which bringeth saluation to all men doth teach all men not to receiue the grace of God in vaine but to be truly thankefull vnto God for the same And as these three reasons should perswade thee to be thankefull Anton. p. 2 t. 3. c 9 § 1. Three things that should driue away ingratitude from vs. so there be three other reasons saith Antoninus which should dispell from vs all ingratitude First because as Saint Augustine and Saint Bernard say Quod dederat Deus gratis abstulit ingratis God will in iustice take away from the vngratefull what hee hath freely bestowed vpon them for so our Sauiour sheweth in the parable of the vineyard which hee would take away from the vngratefull husband-men and giue it vnto them that would yeelde him fruits in due season Secondly because ingratitude doth not only abstract from vs that good which we receiued but doth also inflict vpon vs the euils that we feared Ioseph antiq for Iosephus saith that Hezekiah sickened vnto death because he did not shew himselfe sufficiently thankefull for his wonderfull deliuerance out of the hands of Sennacherib and the Apostle saith of the Gentiles that because when they knew God Rom. 1. they glorified him not as God neither were thankefull therefore God gaue them â—uer to vile affections Thirdly because ingratitude for blessings receiued detaineth and keepeth from vs those blessings that are promised Nam ille non dignus est dandis qui ingratus est de datis for he is vnworthy of more that gaue no thankes for what hee had whereupon Saint Bernard saith that ingratitude is a winde that drieth vp the fountaine of Gods grace and Antoninus saith that by the ciuill Law the father may depriue his sonne of his inheritance if his sonne proue vnthankefull vnto him which otherwise hee cannot doe and so our heauenly Father may iustly depriue vs of the kingdome of heauen if we be vnthankefull vnto him for his blessings And therefore when we pray to God and make request for what wee neede let vs not forget to bee truely thankefull for what we haue but let vs remember that there bee three degrees of thankefulnesse the first is recognoscere Three degrees of thankfulnes to acknowledge his goodnesse with our hearts the second is laudare to praise him for his goodnesse with our mouthes and the third is retribuere to expresse the same in our liues and conuersations Nam si maledicitur Deus negatur malis factis tum bonis benedicitur confitetur for if wee deny God and curse him by our euill deedes then certainely wee doe praise him and blesse him by our good and godly deedes saith Saint Augustine Secondly Prayer in respect of the forme is manifold First Mentall prayer in respect of the forme is said to be fourefold As First mentall so Moses Exod 14.15 and Anna 1 Sam. 1.13 prayed vnto God when they said neuer a word and thus an afflicted soule may pray to God in the midst of company and when no man heareth him God which knoweth his heart doth heare his prayer Secondly
like King Therons Coursers that were neuer weary of running that so they may escape all the fiery darts of Satan and finish their course with ioy when they shall receiue that Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord hath prepared for them that loue him And thus dearely beloued you see that although man for his sinne was eiected out of Paradise and subiected to all miseries yet through the mercy of God in sending his Sonne to be made man to suffer for man to ouercome the diuell sinne and death to raise himselfe from death to ascend to Heauen to send his holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his heauenly graces wee shall if we beleeue in him and serue him praise his Name for all his blessings loue one another and pray one for another attaine vnto euerlasting happinesse Vnto the which happinesse the Lord of his goodnesse bring vs all through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be ascribed as is most due all Glory and Honour and Praise and Thankes and Power and Maiesty and Dominion both now and for euermore Amen A Prayer O Eternall God and our most gratious Father wee most humbly beseech thee for Iesus Christ his sake to forgiue vs all our sinnes which we acknowledge and confesse to be more in number then the sands of the Sea which cannot bee numbred cleanse vs O Lord with the bloud of Christ and plant in vs those heauenly gifts and graces whereby wee may be inabled to serue thee as we ought to doe in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life increase our faith stirre vp our hope and kindle our loue and our charity both towards thy selfe and all men for thy sake giue vs patience to vndergo without offending thee whatsoeuer miseries this wicked world shall any wayes heape vpon vs blesse our gracious King the Prince and all the royall issue blesse all the Ministers of thy Church and all the Magistrates of this Common-wealth Grant O Lord thy grace vnto thy Ministers that they may faithfully preach the Word of truth and sincerely liue a most vpright and a godly life grant to the Magistrates thy grace O God to defend right without remissenesse and to punish vice without maliciousnesse and because we are all thy creatures the workes of thy hands made by thee preserued by thee and inioying all we haue life and liuelihood from thee O Lord be mercifull vnto vs all and remember that we are but dust consider O consider that we are but as grasse not able to doe what we would not able to doe any thing that is good vnlesse thou dost it in vs O then let our soules liue and wee will praise thy Name we will magnifie thee for euer and euer for all the blessings that we haue receiued from thee our Creation Redemption Sanctification Preseruation and our assured hope of Glorification and all other graces whatsoeuer through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Soliloquie of the Author O Eternall God thou hast created me and I haue offended thee thou hast redeemed me and I still continued vnthankefull vnto thee and yet thou hast heaped many blessings vpon me and giuen me grace to be desirous to serue thee and according to my poore and weake ability to shew forth these lights vnto thy Church I confesse O Lord whatsoeuer is ill herein is onely mine and whatsoeuer is good is truely thine and therefore I desire thee to pardon mine euill and to make me thankefull for thy good and so to accept that worke done by thy grace that it may be crowned with thy glory I doe not long for any worldly thing the whole world lyeth in wickednesse but I desire my soule may be married vnto thee to liue with thee for euermore and therefore O blessed God seeing that as I haue none in heauen so I haue none in earth but onely thou to be my helper I beseech thee to be my redeeming kinsman to preserue my wearied body from the malice of this world and to preferre my disconsolate soule vnto euerlasting ioyes through Iesus Christ mine onely Sauiour Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS THE TABLE AB ABstaine from sinne is from God 205 God neuer absolueth vnrepentant sinners 242 Absurdities God shunneth in all things 324 Absurdities of the Lutheran doctrine touching the communication of properties 377. c. Absurdities following the high-Priest saying that the Disciples stole Christ away 564 Nature not able to shew the reason how the world should be made 138 God able to doe what he will 147 To hinder what he will not haue done ibid. To doe more then he did or doth or will doe 148. 149. c. Phrases of being able or not able how to be vnderstood 158 God able to produce any thing of nothing 163 God able to forgiue all sinnes 164 God not able to doe contrary to what hee decreed 165 Not able to doe things contrary to his Nature 165 Gods ability to helpe vs a great comfort to the godly 177 Absurdities of the doctrine of transubstantiation 174 God able to saue men without the Incarnation of his Sonne 320 None able to know God as hee is in himselfe 120 Abstract names of all excellencies most proper vnto God 122 Goodnesse of God abused by the wicked 225 Abuse of Christ not paralelled in any age 474 AC To be an Accepter of persons what it is 210 We should acknowledge whence wee haue all our goodnesse 211 Inward actions of God euer in doing necessary incommunicable 275 Christ how falsly accused by his enemies 471 Whereof accused before Pilate and how false those accusations were 472 Acts meerely voluntary no sinnes 15. 32 Actuall sinne what it is 10 All actions adiudged according to the disposition of the will 55 Act of punishment least agreeable to Gods nature 195 No act can exceed the power of the agent 209 Actors in the Tragedy of Christ his Passion who they were 421 Gods free actions not curiously to be searched into 555 Chiefest Acts of Dauid types of Christ 617 AD Adam sinning we all sinned 3 Adams fall brought on vs a two-fold euill 3 What God commanded Adam how small a thing it was 98 Adamant how mollified 5â—6 Aduersity makes the Saints more resplendent then prosperity 207 Aduersity and affliction not simply good ibid. AE Aescilus how he came by his death 613 AF. Affirmatiue precepts how many viz. 248. 230 Christ why afflicted by God 496 Affections of Christ how they differ from ours in three respects 444 AG. Agony of Christ what was the cause thereof 443 The seuerall ages of the world 402. 403 Agents that there be three sorts 162 Christ borne in the sixâ— age of the world and why 403 Age of man diuided into foure parts 68 AL. How all we haue is from God 129 All men taste of Gods goodnesse 201 How all men may be said to hate the Preachers 435 Alcestes how deerely she loued her Husband 425 AN. Anabaptists heresie what
labyrinths because iarring and iangling about errours they let passe the maine grounds of truth and striuing to finde out new wayes they doe quite forget the old way which is the good way and are become almost ignorant of the first and chiefest Principles of Religion Such is the pollicie of Satan to busie their heads about the lesse needfull Controuersies thereby to make them the lesse diligent to inquire after the most necessary counsels of their saluation And therefore considering with my selfe what the Apostle saith that hee desired to know nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified I haue applyed my selfe to treate of these ensuing Theames I confesse my manner of handling them is like my selfe plaine and homely without any gorgeous garments of Rhetorical ornaments because I euer desired to speak rather for the edification of my hearers then for the oftenstation of my selfe but I assure you the matter is like them from whom I receiued it sound and good fit to feede all those Christians that desire rather to haue their hungry soules fedde with the sincere milke of Gods Word then their itching eares tickled with the inticing speech of mans wisedome for they doe containe the knowledge of our selues how poore and miserable we are become by sinne the knowledge of the true and eternall God and the knowledge of Iesus Christ God and Man then whom there is no greater no better which few lessons are alone able to make vs happy I neede speake no more of the worke let it speake for me I referre all to God who esteemeth of our indeauours not by their euent but by our intent but remembring that presenting your Honours with a Booke I must not make a Booke of an Epistle I onely desire you to accept these notes of a Schollers obseruation who desires not so much to make himselfe knowne as to acknowledge his duty to God and his desire to doe him seruice to extoll his name in Heauen and not to gaine himselfe a name on Earth and to haue all his thoughts and workes to honour Christ or to be dishonoured himselfe for no Christian So with my daily prayers for you and all yours I humbly take my leaue and rest Your Honours true seruant and most humble Chaplaine in all Christian seruice euer to be commanded GR. WILLIAMS TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN God IOHN Lord Bishop of Saint Asaph and to the Right VVorshipfull the truly Honoured Sir IOHN WYNNE Knight and Baronet all grace and happinesse in this life and eternall happinesse in the life to come Right Reuerend Father I Write not this vnto your Lordship by base flattery to beg any thing of you for I doe endeauour alwayes to support my meane estate by meditating on the Apostles lesson in any state to be contented and I know that as we came naked into this world so we shall all returne naked hence againe but I presume to affixe these few lines vnto these my poore labours to assure the world of mine vnfained ioy to see your Lordship placed in that seate of gouernment wherein you are in a certaine hope that as Saint Paul said of Timothy according to the prophesies that went afore of you that is the Propheticall expectation that all men conceiued of you and the faire promises that your Religious and alwayes vpright carriage hath made vnto vs your Lordship will be a great comfort and a Diuine blessing vnto that whole Diocesse wherein you liue I know it is the practise of many I dare not say of any Bishop either basely to sell their spirituall promotions or sinisterly to bestow them on their friends their kinsmen and alliances and yet I say not the Church of England doth imitate that painted Harlot of Babylon nor that Ierusalem iustifieth Samaria but as Demodocus said of the Milesians they were no fooles and yet they did the same things that fooles did so I feare that we may say of many in the Church of England we are no Pagans no Popes no Papists no worldlings no carnall men and yet though I say not that any man doth ill yet I doubt wee doe not all well not much better then they vse to doe herein I confesse the Apostle noteth it as a vice of the latter times to be without naturall affection but if gifts blinde the eyes of the wise that they peruert iudgement I doubt not but this carnall loue of flesh and bloud will sometimes with Mydas preferre Pan before Apollo and this naturall affection to kinred being vnworthiest will not onely deiect the mindes of painefull men and cause men rather to seeke to be allied to others then to attaine vnto any worth in themselues but it must also turne to the hurt and detriment of the whole Church of God and doth apparantly shew such spirituall Patrons to be indeed carnally minded for do not the Publicans and Sinners euen the same and therefore though I wish all men to abound in loue and affection vnto their Kins-folkes yet in this case I would to God that all of vs Deut. 33 â—8 wold imitate Leui who saide vnto his father and to his mother I haue not seene him neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor knew his owne children but obserued Gods word and kept his couenant that we would set God alwayes before our eyes Neither doe I say this to deny that men should doe for their kinsfolke being worthy men but that they should not doe this neglecting others farre more worthy and laying aside all sinister respects would doe onely what should be most for Gods glory for the encouragement of painfull Preachers and for the best benefit vnto the people of God for if Christ being lost by Mary and Ioseph could not bee found among his owne friends and kins-folkes these men should take heed they finde him not among theirs I could say more of this point and yet not so much as Saint Bernard saith vnto Eugenius of many other points like to this but this will serue to be a witnesse against some at the dreadfull day and perhaps to stirre vp as much rage against my selfe as the Iewes had against Saint Stephen for speaking this truth against them that vse such dealing against God If it doth I say as Saint Chrysostome said of the rage of that cruell Empresse If they keepe me poore I know Christ had not an house to put his head in if they silence me and thrust me out of their Sinagogue so was that poore man that confessed Christ and the Apostles inioyned not to speake in the Name of Christ if they cast me into prison so was Ieremy Saint Peter Saint Paul and many more If I be forced to flie my Countrey I haue that beloued Iohn and that Atlas-like Athanasius for presidents of the like vsage or whatsoeuer else should be done vnto mee I haue the holy Martyres for my fellow sufferers and I will neuer count my life deere vnto me so I may finish my course with ioy
manner of his suffering these things 1. So as the Prophets foretold that he should suffer 2. So as the Apostles and his Disciples saw and declared vnto vs that he did suffer And so in respect of himselfe as it is incomprehensible vnto all men This Treatise sheweth 1. The malice of the Iewes 2. The deuotion of the women where is shewed 1. Their number Three and why 2. Their names 1. Mary Magdalen 2. Mary Iacobi 3. Mary Salome whereby is shewed 1. The fortitude 2. The fruitfulnesse 3. The peaceablenesse of the Church 3. The action where is considered 1. The matter a seeking of Christ 2. The manner which was a seeking him 1. Early 2. Earnestly 3. Mournefully 4 Onely 5. Continually 3. The end to embalme him 4. A question resolued how these women or one of them at least being so wicked became so deuout handled at large 3. The office of the Angell 1. In respect of Christ to doe him seruice 2. In respect of the keepere to terrifie them 3. In respect of the women 1. To comfort them 1. By the manner of their apparition 1. In white 2. On the right side 2. By their friendly alloc teach 1. Whom we ought to feare 2. Whom we ought not to feare 3. How we ought to feare 2. To instruct them 1. What they shold beleeue touching the resurrection of Christ where is handled 1. The resurrection it selfe is shewed 1. Neg. that C. was not in the gra 2. Affir that he was risen gone away therfore not there where the corporall presence of Christ is handled at large 3. Illustratiuely two wayes viz. * 1. A Priori from the predictions that Chr. should rise where is shewed 1. Why he was to rise in 1. resp of Sat. 2. res of Man 3. res of Him 2. Why to rise on the third day 1. of his Ene 2. of his Disci 3. of all Ch as ‖ To confirm their faith touching 1. The quality of his Person 2. The certainty of his resur 3. The maner of our restau 4. The declaration of our state and condition 2. A Posteriori from the subsequents of his resurrection and heere is shewed 1. The Iewes reasons why they will not beleeue 2. Our reasons why we beleeue him to haue risen 1. Angelicall assertion 2. Manifold apparitions 3. Many circumstantiall demonstrations 2. The place from whence he rose is discussed where the discention of Christ to hell is shewed the 1. Necessity requiring it 2. Scriptures prouing it 3. The consent of all antiquity confirming it 3 The manner how Christ rose in respect of the 1. The place from the dead 2. The time early 3. Person 1. Truely 2. Perfectly 3. Gloriously 4. The application of the whole doctrine where is shewed that the resurrection worketh 1. Our resurrection from sinne which must bee as his was 1. Speedily 2. Truely 3. Totally 4. Constantly 2. Our assurance of resurrection into glory 2. What they should doe where is shewed how necessary it is to ioyne practise vnto the profession of Christianity This Treatise sheweth 1. The glory or ascention of Christ which is handled 1. By way of exposition 1. Person ascending where is shewed foure sorts of ascenders 1. Angels 2. Diuels 3. Men. 4. God Man Christ Iesus 2. The ascension it selfe is shewed where is more fully expressed 1. Person ascending both in respect of his 1. Humiliation where is shewed 1. That he was in heauen before he descended 2. The extent of his humiliation 2. His exaltation 2. Particular circumstances concerning his Ascension viz. 1. Time 2. Place 3 Manner 3. The place where he ascended into Heauen where is shewed that there is a three-fold Heauen 1. Materiall 2. Spirituall 3. Supersubstantiall where is proued that the body of Christ is locall 2. By way of application 1. For our coÌ„solation which is two-fold 1. That Christ in our flesh is gone to take possession of Heauen 2. That being in Heauen he is not vnmindfull of vs that be on earth 2. For our imitatioÌ„ where is shewed 1. The place from whence we must ascend 2. The meanes how wee may ascend 3. The signes if wee haue ascended 2. The victory of Christ which is vnderstood 1. Passiuely for all our enemies Hell Death Sinne c. 2. Actiuely for all those men that are deliuered from sinne and set at liberty to serue their God 3. The bounty of Christ where is shewed 1. What maner of gifts Christ giueth free gifts to exclude merit 2. What gifts are here meant where is shewed that all gifts of God are either 1. Temporall gifts 2. Spirituall gifts they are 2 sorts viz. 1. To edifie the Church as 1. Ministers 2. Gifts to ministers especially 1. Tongues 2. Knowlege 3. Charity 4. Constancy 5. Contempt of the world 6. Perfect power c. 3. Ministers indued with these gifts 2. To sanctifie our soules which are 1. Common gifts 2. Speciall gifts which are 1. faith which is 1. Historicall 2. Of miracles 3. Temporary 4. Iustifying 2. Hope which is 1. Humane 2. Diuine 3. Charity 4. Prouidence 5. Patience c. 3. How God bestoweth his gifts viz. 1. the gifts for edifying the Church he giues not alwaies alike for 1. In the beginning of the Church visibly where is shewed how the holy ghost appeared viz. 1. Like a cloude and why 2. Like fire and why 3. Like a Doue and why 4. Like winde and why 5. Like tongues and why Where is shewed the filling of the Apostles wiâ—â— the holy Ghost 4. signes of their fulnesse and the effects thereof 2. Now and to the end sufficiently but with our great industry where is shewed how we may know whether we haue the gifts of God or not 2. Gifts for the sanctifying our soules he giues by 1. Hearing the Word 2. Receiuing the Sacrament 1. Baptisme 2. Euchar. 4. To whoÌ„ God bestoweth all these gifts to whoÌ„ it pleaseth him This Treatise containeth 1. A most friendly coÌ„pellatioÌ„ where is handled 1. The vnity of brethreÌ„ where is shewed 1. How deerely Heathen brethren in former times loued each other 2. How little loue and vnity is now among Christian brethren 2. The pollicy of the Apostle in seeking to winne the Thessallonians to pray for them Where is shewed that there be three sorts of Preachers * 1. Discreete 2. Parasites to Princes 3. Flatterers of the people 2. A most Christian request or exhortation wher is shewed 1. The pietie of the Apostle in perswading all men to pray where is handled concerning praier 1. The kindes of prayer 1. In respect of the matter 1. Inuocation 1. To remoue euill 2. To obtaine good †1. grace spirituall blessings 2. peace temporal blessings 2. Thankesgiuing which is inforced by many reasons c. 2. In respect of the forme 1. Mentall 2. Vocall 3. Sudden 4. Composed 5. Conceiued 6. Prescribed 7. Priuate 8. Publique 9. Ordinary 10. Extraord 2. The party to whom we shold pray
15 qud quad 19 Aetneum Aetnaeum 41 num nun◠124 seeing being 196 prestare praestare 438 Hillarius Hilarius 690 Psal pag. 695 Blando Blanda And some other mis-quotations which for want of the copie I cannot directly amend The first golden Candlesticke HOLDING The first greatest light of Christian RELIGION Of the misery of MAN ROMANS 6.23 The reward of sinne is death EVery man saith holy Iob is borne to labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea necessitie enioyneth all mortall men to labour saith Euripides and euery labourer is induced saith Hugo Cardinalis to performe his worke with alacritie vpon the assured hope of iust reward and therefore the law required that no man should detaine the hyre of the Labourer vntill the morning but as soone as euer hee had done his worke Leuit. 19.13 to pay him his wages because as our Sauiour saith the Labourer is worthy of his hyre and we finde that according as the payment is Luc. 10.7 good or bad so are the Labourers willing or vnwilling to doe their worke for good and present payment makes a painefull and a cheerefull agent Now here the Apostle setteth downe a worke performed and the wages thereof not onely iustly deserued but also presently discharged the reward of sinne is death and in what day thou sinnest Gen. 2.17 in that day thou shalt die the death saith the Lord few words but full of matter Sinne and Death the two most common things vpon the face of the earth for all men sinned except Christ himselfe and all men died except Enoch and Elias and yet two of the most lamentable and most fearefull things in the world for what is more lamentable then sinne or what is more terrible then death Iudges 15.4.5 and yet as Sampsons Foxes were tyed together by the tayles and carried firebrands betwixt them to destroy all the Corne of the Philistimes so here sinne and death are indissolubly linked together with vnquenchable firebrands betwixt them to deuoure all the whole race of mankinde for the reward of sinne is death But I must seuer them for a time to examine these murtherers of men that all wee may hate them if we cannot shunne them and therefore according to the number of the words of this text The diuision of the Text. stipendium peccati mors I desire you to obserue the parts of this tragedie three words three parts 1 the worke performed Sinne. 2 the payment rendred Death 3 the equitie shewed the wages of sin is death All which well considered will shew vnto vs all the most wofull state and the manifold miseries of poore distressed miserable man CHAP. I. Of Originall sinne The first Part. and how the same is deriued from the Parents vnto the Children Of the worke that is done i. e. Sinne. HEre you see sinne is the roote of death and death is the fruit of sinne Sower must be the roote when the fruit doth proue so bitter and sinne must needes bee execrable when as death is a thing so lamentable and therfore sinne makes me quake to thinke of it and death should make you tremble to consider of it because death is the wages of sinne And sinne is either 1 originall Sinne is twofold 2 actuall the first is traduced vnto vs from Adam the second is daily committed by our selues For the first In what day thou eatest of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death saith the Lord vnto Adam but you may eate Gen. 2.17 and you shall not die at all saith the Diuell vnto Euah she beleeued the Diuell and the man obayed his wife and so both would needes eate and therefore God cannot be true or else man must needes die and he must iustly die because he did vniustly eate i. Of Originall sinne Rom. 5.12 Here was the sinne committed by one and from him it was deriued vnto all for by one man sinne entred into the world and sinne went ouer all and spread it selfe like that far-spreading tree which Olympias dreamt shee bare or like a vile gangrene ouer all the face of the whole earth and corrupted all the race of mankinde for it is a schoole-point most infallible that Adam now stood not as a priuate person or as one particular man but as the roote of all the branches and as bearing in his person the nature of all mankinde And therefore if he had stood we had all stood Heb. 7.9 but as Abraham paying tythes Leui paid tythes in Abraham so Adam sinning we haue all sinned in Adam Et omnes peccauimus in isto vno homine quia omnes eramus iste vnus homo And wee haue all sinned in that one man because we all were that one man saith Saint Augustine And so both himselfe and wee all The dammage that we receiue by Adams fall is two-fold 1. A depriuation of all goodnesse doe by this fact of Adam receiue a double dammage 1. A depriuation of all our originall goodnesse the image of God in vs and the loue of God towards vs and therefore if at the losse of earthly treasures we shew our selues so much grieued O then how should our soules for the amission of such heauenly graces be continually perplexed vntill wee see the same once againe restored 2. An habituall naturall pronenesse to all kinde of wickednesse 1. A pronesse to all wickednesse and to commit sinne euen with greedinesse In respect of the first we are altogether vnable to doe any good for who can bring a cleane thing out of that which is vncleane how can wee being voide of grace bring forth any fruits of goodnesse and In respect of the second wee are naturally inclined to all kinde of euill like a stone tumbling downe a hill that can neuer stay it selfe vntill it come to the bottome So Medea saith Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor Though I see the good yet am I naturally driuen to doe that which is euill for our whole nature being defiled we are wholly inclined to fall from one wickednesse vnto another as the Psalmist speaketh And in respect of both these wee are said to bee conceiued in sinne borne in iniquiitie destitute of grace void of goodnesse nothing but flesh full of corruption children of darkenesse sonnes of wrath heyres of damnation slaues of death for the reward of sinne is death But here it may be questioned and it is not easily to be resolued how originall corruption is traduced from the Parents into the Children The question is not of the verity of the matter for it is plaine Ezech. 18. that our Fathers haue eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge and euery one may truely say with the Prophet Psal 51.5 in sinne my Mother hath conceiued me but it is of the Mystery of the manner Iohn 3.9 as Nicodemus said to Christ how can these things be for How originall sinne
but it stingeth vs to death And so indeed it is like the Deuill Cyprian l. 1. ep 8. a lyer and the father of lies Quia peccatum mentitur vt fallat vitam pollicetur vt perimat Because euery sinne lies that it may deceiue vs and proposeth pleasure that it may bring vs into paine Venerab Beda l. exhort 4 5. Venerable Bede compareth sinne vnto a Witch which transformeth euery man vnto a Monster as Lust maketh a man like a Syren or an Horse to yeane after his neighbours wife Sloth makes him like an Asse or Ostridge Crueltie like a Wolfe or Hyenna Couetousnesse like the rauening Harpies and so euery other sinne makes the poore Sinner to become Monstrum horrendum ingens cui lumen ademptum The most vgly Monster vpon the face of the earth Why then should we not hate this sinne which speaketh friendly vnto vs and promiseth great felicity but in the end brings vs to the extreamest misery Bern. insentent Quia via peccati ingredientes contaminat progredientes obstinat egredientes exterminat Because as Saint Bernard saith sinne in the first entrance defileth in the progresse hardneth and in its going out destroyeth euery Sinner and as Salomon saith of the Harlot her wayes leade vnto death and her footsteps take hold of Hell so the same is most true of sinne and therefore if any man should be asked what hee doth in sinne hee might iustly answer as an old Courtier did when he wâ—s demanded Euery sinne payeth the same wages though it promiseth seuerall pleasures what he did in Court I doe nothing but vndoe my selfe For the reward of sinne is death And here likewise you may obserue that although euery sinne doth not promise the same thing for some sinnes promise pleasure some profit some honour and some one thing and some another yet euery sinne brings vs to the same end and in the end payeth vs with the same reward for the reward of sinne of any sinne is death But because Thriuerus Apoth 19. as many doe make none account of most deadly diseases by reason that they are ignorant of the dangerous effects of the same Ita multi euidenter peccant quia turpitudinem consequentiam peccati perspectam non habent So many men feare not to sinne but doe as smoothly drinke vp the same as pleasant Wine because they doe not vnderstand the filthinesse and wretched effects of sinne and because as if a man might with his outward eyes behold the beauty of vertue and goodnesse mirabilem amorem excitaret sui It would wonderfully inflame their hearts with the loue thereof So if we did behold the loathsomnesse of sinne and consider well the fearefull euents thereof it would make vs with Iob Iob 42 6. to abhorre our selues in Dust and Ashes Therefore I will search a little further into this Labyrinth of sinne and take a little more paines to vnfold the miserable effects of the same for the reward of Sinne is Death When sinne is first committed it wil presently gall and wound our consciences and it will continually shew vnto vs how good a Law is violated how great a Maiestie is offended and how grieuous a punishment we haue deserued and a the Poet saith Occultum quatiante animo tortore flagellum Juven Satyr 13. When the great Tormentor will shake his hidden whip in the soule of the offender then is he troubled night and day walking in the hands of his executioner and sleeping like the Nightingall which hath alwayes a pricke before her breast Neither is this all for the reward of sinne is death Now by Death By Death are vnderstood all the miseries contayned vnder the curse of God we must vnderstand not onely the separation of the body and soule of man but all other things that are comprehended vnder the curse of God for the curse of God and the Death of Man are Voces aequipollentes equiualent termes and doe signifie the same thing and therefore as Saint Paul saith here The wages of sinne is Death So he saith else-where out of Moses Gal. 3.10 Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Booke of the Law for to doe them And we find that the curse of God for the sinne of man extendeth it selfe 1. To all those creatures that were created and made for the vse of man 2. To all the properties and faculties of each part of man Rom 8 20. and 22. First The creature was made subiect vnto vanity and groaneth and trauelleth in paine vntill now not of it owne accord but by reason of the transgression of man the earth was accursed for his sake and the very Heauens were subiected vnto vanity and as then hee dealt with Adam so euer since he dealeth in like manner with all the sonnes of Adam Psal 107.34 for he maketh a fruitfull land barren for the iniquity of them that dwell therein that is either such as bringeth forth no fruits at all or else such as where Infaelix lolium steriles dominantur auenae How the earth is accursed and her fruits by reason of our sinnes The good seed is ouergrowen with darnell smothered with thornes or spoyled with cockle for though the earth was made to yeeld vs fruits of increase yet instantly vpon our sinning the grounds denied to pay her tribute vnlesse as the Poet sayth iuncto boue aratra trahuntur we doe rippe vp her bowells to fetch it out of her bellie And yet this is not all for though we manure the ground and plant the seede neuer so fayre yet except the Lord giues the increase all our labour is but in vaine And the Lord tells vs plainely that if we cease to sinne and serue our God Psal 107.35 he will make the Wildernesse a standing water and water springs of a drie ground but if we continue in sinne and sow iniquitie Hosea 8.7 hee tells vs plainely wee shall reape but vanitie and if we sow the wind wee shall reape but whirlewind for our haruest And therefore if God stoppeth the windowes of Heauen and withholdeth the raine from vs 1 Reg. 17.1 as he did in the dayes of Elias and so causeth the Heauens to be as brasse and the earth to be as iron vnder our feete the one yeelding no dew the other bearing no fruit or if God openeth the Cataracts and floodgates of Heauen Gen. 7.11 as hee did in the dayes of Noah and so cause the Heauens to weepe and the floods to cary away our fruits before we can carry them into our barnes then must we know Saluian Massaliâ— de guber dei that all this and whatsoeuer of this kinde happeneth to vs is inflicted vpon vs for our sinnes quia ira diuinitatis est paena peccantis because all the grieuous effects of Gods wrath Gen. 3 17. are the iust deserts of mans sinne for cursed is the Earth for
4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 senum of old age till death as Varro distributeth the same Yeares of their age First In our childehood we are all alike the heyre differing nothing from a seruant though hee bee Lord of all all Lords or what you will but they must be vnder Tutors and Gouernors sayth the Apostle and because exultat leuitaete puer children are childish and apish rather delighting in toyes then imbracing instructions therefore they are kept vnder correction and brought vnto vertue by good discipline while they may be taught for as it is prouerbially sayd Flexilis est iuncus salices flectuntur amarae Robora dura minus the tender branch may bee easily bowed but the well-growne Oke Prouer. 29.18 and c. 4.3.4 will bee sooner broken then straitened so wee may teach a childe a trade in his youth but we shall hardly teach an old Horse to amble and therefore the wisest among the sonnes of men aduiseth all men to correct their children though they be neuer so deere in their sight because this is as necessarie vnto the children as their foode and as comfortable vnto the parents as the childe himselfe in as much as to haue a good childe is better then to haue a childe And yet this instruction and especially the correction is such an intollerable burthen so heauie for them to beare What a burthen correction is vnto children as that they thinke no creatures more miserable then themselues when they see all others free and themselues onely as they thinke bound vnder the rod and therefore would they giue all they haue to be once rid out of this seruile bondage Secondly In our youth we are like vntamed colts wilde and wanton vnable to rule our selues and vnwilling to be ruled by others and therefore wee doe loosen our bridles to all licentiousnesse and euery young man is for the most part as the Poet describeth him briefly Inuidus iracundus iners vinosus amator We burne with lust while we be youths How dissolute we are in our youth Ouidius l. 13. Metam Dum mihi laeâ—â— genas conuestit flore inuentus militiae ingredior castra cupido tuâ— and are still inflamed with that vntameable fire of wanton loue neque enim robustior aetas Vlla nec vberior nec quae magis ardeat vlla est Pleasure and youth doe smile on vs to woe vs To taste vaine lusts tasted they vndoe vs. Therefore S. Iere. sayth That it is almost impossible to find a young man that is not sometimes tempted with fleshly lusts and Saint Ambrose sayth Inter omnia certamina christianorum durissima sunt praelia caftitatis Prodigus curae vacuus temerarius audax Omne genus vitae liberioris amo Among all the combats of Christians it is the hardest thing for vs to ouercome and subdue our owne lusts and to keepe our owne flesh a chast and a modest virgin And as we are inflamed with lust so we are drowned in drunkennesse we swell with pride and we fill our selues with all filthynesse and thereby we doe many times as wee daily see in many desperate youthes by drinking whooring swearing quarrelling and such like effects of deboysnesse suddenly cut off our selues in our owne wickednesse and what greater miseries can there be then these and yet behold I will shew thee greater abhominations For The miseries incident to vs in our Manhood Nunc me ludus habet nunc me formosa puella nunc fera pro pacta praelia nocte gâ—ro Sedvelut herba perit sic flos cadit ipse inuentae faelix qui potuit dicere talis eram Thirdly In our manhood we are come to the midst of miseries so that quocunque afpiciam quocunque lumina vertam Wheresoeuer we looke and turne our eyes we shall see nothing but our selues swimming in a Sea of sorrowes and there tumbled and tossed with many waues of woes micat ignibus aether Cloudes of darkenesse are in stead of comforts and about our heads we shall finde haile-stones and coales of fire for now we finde the affaires of the world the feares of enemies the cares for families the discontents at home many times of thy Wife that lyeth in thy bosome many times of thy Children the fruits of thine owne bowels the wrongs of Neighbours abroad the suites of Law and a thousand such bitter fruits of sinne doe so vexe and affright the heart of man that they make him often sleepe like the Nightingale that is said to haue alwayes a pricke before her breast and then to rise vp early and late to goe to bed Psal 127.3 and to eate the bread of carefulnesse and all to no purpose for after we haue wearied and worne out our selues in the pursuite of this world all our workes and labours are but as the Spiders webbe it will make no garment for vs and when wee haue brought our yeares to an end as it were a tale that is tolde then notwithstanding all our former pompe and power wee shall be as poore as when we were borne euen as poore as Iob for The miseries incident to vs in old age Iob. 1.21 as we came naked into the world so naked wee shall returne againe and so this is not onely the misery but also the folly and madnesse of men And yet behold a little more For Fourthly In old age Vsque adeo grauis vxori gnatisque sibique vt captatori moueat fastidia Cosso Wee are troublesome to our selues and others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nunc mihi cum medicis res est iudice summo misere vitam semisepultus ago rixosae inuestant vetula execrabile vulgus inuidus in terra parta recondo sâ—num Eccles 12.1 An old man is troublesome vnto youths saith Menander yea our owne Wiues though they cannot leaue vs yet doe they loathe vs and indeed our selues doe now begin to hate our selues Laudat praeteritos presentes despicit annos For these be the dayes wherein there is no pleasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because olde age is like an heauy burthen vnto men that makes them stoope downe to the earth Nec coelum spectare licet sed prona senectus Terram à qua genita est reditura videt and neuer suffers them to rise or scarce to looke vp towards Heauen vntill they returne to the earth Gen. 3.19 from whence they were taken Alas then what a misery is this to consider the miseries of olde age our bodies are weakned our beauty vanished our senses blunted the eyes cannot see the eares cannot heare the hands cannot worke and the feete cannot walke and then besides Circumsilit agmine facto morborum omne genus We are seized vpon by all kinde of diseases our heads ake our hearts faint and all our bodies tremble Coughes Rheumes and Feauers doe now seeme to be our vitall spirits and so the Heathens saw and so they said that no age was free from miseries yet
worse then if we had done nothing at all And so in all other things the workes of darkenesse are a great deale more hard and difficult then the workes of light so painefull are the wayes of wickednesse as that it is most true of the sinner Gene. 3.16 which God pronounced of the woman that in sorrow she should bring forth and so themselues when it is too late doe most lamentably confesse Wisd 5.7 Wee haue wearied our selues in the wayes of wickednesse yea we haue gone through deserts where there was no way but rockes and cragges and dangerous pathes and no maruell for as it is a great deale harder to worke or to walke in the darke then in the light so it is a great deale more difficult to doe the workes of darkenesse then to doe the workes of righteousnesse And so wee see A proud man takes more paynes to make himselfe ready in the morning then the humble man doth and the malicious man laboureth more to reuenge then the peaceable man doth to forgiue and so of all other sinners though wee bee naturally inclined to all sinnes yet wee take a great deale of paynes to goe to hell as a stone tumbling downe a rockie hill shall haue many a knocke before it comes to the bottome And therefore as one sayd vnto his friend that would faine see the games of Olympus but was discouraged with the tediousnesse of the iourney that if he would goe euery day but so much as he vsed to walke for his recreation he should at last ariue vnto his iournyes end so may I say vnto euery man that if he would take as much paynes to attayne vnto the ioyes of Heauen as wee doe to gaine the vanities of this world we should both soone and easily ariue to happines And yet for all this though the way of Vertue be neuer so easie and the way of Sinne neuer so hard such is our wilfull frowardnesse Psal 127.3 that wee had rather to rise vp early to goe late to bed to eate the bread of carefulnesse to spend all our time and to weare out our whole life in these inextricable workes of darkenesse then to follow this pleasant pathe and to doe these sweet and easie workes of grace which doe leade vs vnto saluation And therefore seeing the labour is so small The smalnesse of the dutie required deserues the greatnesse of the punishment inflicted the commandement so easie and the burthen so light what maruell is it that the punishment should be so great if we neglect to doe so small a seruice If a King should say vnto his Subiect hee that will not say Good morrow King shall haue his goods confiscate his house subuerted and himselfe condemned to perpetuall imprisonment would ye not thinke that he iustly deserued it which would refuse to obey so light a precept and neglect to performe so small a dutie And yet God in a manner requires as little at our hands to aske of him what we want to giue him thankes for what we haue for who so offereth him thankes and praise he honoureth him And therefore iustly doe wee deserue so great a punishment because we refuse so small a seruice for lesser at our hands he could not require and therefore lesser at his hands we cannot deserue CHAP. V. Of the haynousnesse of every sinne in three respects FOr the second We must consider that as the leuitie and smalnesse of the seruice required so the grauity and greatnesse of the sinne committed doth most iustly require the height of all punishment Now the greatnesse of the sinne is seene in a three-fold respect 1. Of him that is offended The haynousnesse of sinne is seene in a three-fold respect 2. Of him that doth offend 3. Of the offence that is done First Touching the Person that is offended we must consider his 1. Greatnesse 2. Goodnesse The person offended is a great God mighty and terrible First If thou strikest thy fellow the offence is not so haynous but if thou strikest a King a Prince or a Priest thine offence deserues the greater punishment for the quality of the offended doth aggrauate and adde vnto the quantity of the offence but we by our sinnes do offend not any one of the earthly Kings and Potentates of this world whereof the best and the greatest is but Man as we are and his breath is in his nostrels but wee offend the great God of Heauen and earth the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Cuius magnitudinis non est finis Of whosâ— greatnesse there is no end and therfore offending an infinite God his anger is infinite and our punishment must needs be infinite Secondly if thou shouldest kill a Tyrant whose delight is in the ruine of his subiects and whose intention euery way is to worke thy destruction thy fault were the more tollerable though not iustifiable but it thou shouldest offer violence vnto such a Prince as not onely is the life and happinesse of his subiects by doing good to all ill to none like Titus Vespasian that was Diliâ—iae generis humani The very ioy and delight of all mankinde but also hath raised thee from the dust inriched innobled and indowed thee with all the indowments that possibly could be heaped upon thee Oh what a miserable Caitife and how worthy of all punishment would all men iudge thee most iustly to deserue surely they would thinke no punishment to be sufficient enough for such a wretch Of the incomprehensible goodnesse of God to man and what a good God we doe offend But our God whom we offend is good and gratious vnto all ill to none he hateth nothing that he hath made When Adam was created he raised him out of the dust Diuino semine fecit He made him in his owne image and likenesse and he made him sole Monarch of this whole world and as if euery soile were not fit for such a creature he placed him in Paradise the choisest place of al pleasure he put all things in subiection vnder his feete Psal 8.6.7 and looking if there was any thing wanting for his happinesse hee saw that it was not good for him to be alone and therefore he made him an helpe meete for him such a helpe as that Adam as soone as euer hee saw her Gen. 2.23 said This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh as if he had saide among all the other creatures which thou Lord hast brought vnto me I could not satisfie my minde with any mate but now I am fully pleased and cannot dislike this mate while I like my selfe because she is of my selfe Thus did God looke that man might want nothing that might make him happy Say thou wert none of Adams race but wert an indifferent Iudge to censure such a creature that should offend so good a God Et reddere malum pro bono And render vnto him euill for good and hatred for
and then gaue them to vs Per manus eorum By the hands of them which brought them vnto vs for he is the giuer of euery good and perfect gift Iames 1.17 and all other things are but the instruments whereby hee conuayes and sends those gifts vnto vs 1 Cor. 9.7 And therefore why should we not wholly dedicate our selues and ours vnto the seruice of God For who planteth a Vineyard and eateth not of the fruits thereof And yet God may iustly say of vs Filios enutriui Esay 1.2 I haue nourished and brought vp Children but they haue despised me for though he made man and made all things for man yet cannot all these things make man to serue him as he ought to doe but that euery one of vs will follow after the lusts and concupiscence of his owne flesh which as the Poet saith Et nocitura placet placitura nocet Doth euen wound vs when it most delighteth vs. Thirdly seeing God giueth being vnto all his promises Psal 146.4 and keepeth his promise for euer as he hath done already in sending a Ioshua to giue the Land of Canaan vnto the Israelites and especially in sending Iesus Christ to giue eternall life vnto all beleeuers And that dicta Iehouae sunt dicta pura The words of the Lord are pure words That we should neuer doubt of Gods promises 2 Pet. 2.4 Wee should expectare impâ—â— aâ— â—em neuer doubt of the performance of Gods promises nor say with those incredulous Athiests in the second of Peter 2.4 Where is the promise of his comming But we should beleeue them to be as sure and as certaine as if they were already accomplished For he is Iehoua that will giue them their being in their appointed time Matth. 24 3â— Heauen and Earth shall passe away but his Word shall not passe That shall be surely accomplished CHAP. IV. Of the word LORD and how many wayes it is taken and of the reasons to perswade vs to serue him I Might now passe vnto the second part but that the translating of this word Iehoua by our last Translators into the word Lord for so we reade it The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious c. must here stay me a while For searching into the reason why Iehoua should be translated Lord Why Iehoua is translated Lord. I found that the seauenty Interpreters doe translate it so in euery place and that because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued signifieth I am which is the same in effect as Iehoua and also because he is properly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord of any thing Qui plenum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in eadem rem habet Which hath full right and a most absolute authority ouer the same thing for Dominus primo dicebatur à domo He was at the first called Lord which was the Master of the House and had full right and authority ouer all the Houshold and wee finde that none but God alone can simply and absolutely say that he hath full right and authority ouer any thing in the World because he onely is the Maker and preseruer of all things and of euery thing Polanus Syntag. l. 2. c. 6. and therefore all other Lords are but Lords vnder him and from him and he onely is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord of himselfe and so indeede Lord of Lords And in this respect we finde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord and Iehoua to be equiualent and to fall into the same thing That God onely is an absolute Lord. Tertul. in Apol. c. 34. Lamprid. in Alex Seuer and therefore Augustus the first founder of the Roman Empire refused to be called Lord and so did Alexander Seuerus and diuers others because they thought the name of Lord to be too high a title for so meane Creatures as they knew themselues to be But we distinguish betwixt a Lord simply and a Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some respect In the first sence none is Lord but God alone and therefore in this respect our Sauiour saith Be not you called Lords but In the second sence Dicam plane imperatoreâ—â— Dominum Tertul. quo sup saith Tertullian I may and will call the Emperor Lord and so saith Obadiah vnto the Prophet Elias Art not thou my Lord Elias 1 Reg 18.7 Because God which gaue them their rule and dominion in his stead hath also innobled them with his own names Et ego dixi dij estis And I my selfe saith God haue called you gods Psal 82.6 and haue giuen these names vnto you to be called Gods and so Lords And yet they should remember Saint Peters rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not to Lord it so as to ouer-rule Gods people or as Saint Augustine saith Non dominandi superbia sed officio consulendi Not for the loue of Soueraignty but in a desire to doe them good and to imitate God himselfe Parcere subiectis debellare superbos To defend and helpe the innocent and to punish the wrong doer And so you see how Iehoua is rightly translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord because truely and absolutely hee alone is Lord of all things as the sole giuer of their being That we should feare and serue our Lord. Malach. 1.6 Psal 24.2 and preseruer of them in that being And this should incite vs to feare and to serue this our Lord for Si Dominus vbi timor If I am a Lord where is my feare The Prophet Dauid saith that the Earth is the Lords and all that therein is because he hath founded it vpon the Seas and prepared and established it vpon the flouds And so this Iehoua is our Lord because he made vs and hath giuen vs our very being and yet wee finde that hee is our Lord in a more excellent respect for as those Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 19. c. 15. which by right of warre might iustly be put to death and yet were redeemed and preserued aliue were called seruants and those that redeemed them were called their Lords so are we called Gods Seruants and he our Lord not onely because he made vs but also because when we might haue beene iustly put to eternall death for our sinnes we were redeemed and saued by the death of Iesus Christ And in this respect we finde that although the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost be each one of them our Lord as our Creator and the giuer of our Being yet is Christ generally and most commonly throughout all the New Testament called our Lord as if this name were now wholly and solely to be appropriated vnto him Why Christ is most properly called Lord. because he is our sole Sauiour and Redeemer And therefore seeing the very name of a Seruant doth include seruitium a seruice to be performed vnto our Lord and Sauiour
is omnipotent therefore Christ as man can be present where he will in the Church in the Sacrament in the midst of his enemies or in any other place where hee pleaseth whereas Sadeel on the other side sayth that if God should intend and indeuour to extend all the nerues and synewes of his omnipotencie The error of the Vbiquitaries yet can he not make one numericall and naturall Body to be in many places at one and the selfe same time which in very deede is most true as hereafter I shall shew vnto you Fourthly For the Pontificialls The error of the Church of Rome about Gods power to prooue transubstantiation Bellarmine doth most stoutly withstand vs and to establish his opinion of Transubstantiation he sayth but most falsely that God can make the true and naturall body of Christ though finite numerically one to be substantially present in all those places whersoeuer their Masse is celebrated and to be orally receiued and eaten of all those Men that doe communicate whosoeuer those Men should be and so the rest of them taught herein by that Arch-heriticke the deuil doe striue with all their might to confirme the probabilitie for the veritie they shall neuer doe of that opinion from the omnipotent power of God Augustin in Iohan. And truely this is nothing else but most cunningly to hide their true faults and false errors vnder the pretext and vayle of the power of God Miserable men herein I assure my selfe qui dum volunt esse mali nolunt esse veritatem qua condemnantur mali who while they desire to bee in error doe wholly oppose the light of Trueth whereby their errors are reproued and doe bring their subtilties and fallacies into the Church of God intruding falsehoods into the roome of Trueth and bare names accidents without any subiects euen as Ixion imbraced a Cloud for Iuno to bee receiued of vs for true and reall things and because we will not yeeld to be thus seduced and to bee made fooles they call vs Fooles and Heretickes full of Heresies and I know not as I care not what But it is easier for them to call vs then to proue vs so and they are but parties and not iudges of this controuersie and parties must not be Iudges in the same case wherein they are parties And therefore wee will not iudge of them least wee should bee iudged neither will wee giue them any other names then the members of the Church of Rome the patrons and defenders of her doctrines and such as beseemeth Modestie and Christianitie for we know the spirit of Christ is a spirit of Loue not of hatred a spirit of Meekenesse not of harshnesse and a spirit of Peace not of strife and contention but according to true reason and the iudgement of all antiquitie and especially the diuine veritie of the most holy Scripture whose propertie is iudicium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infallibile to giue an absolute and infallible iudgement of trueth wee will by Gods helpe discusse this poynt of the power of God because the knowledge of this poynt is so exceedingly necessary for the Church of God CHAP. II. How many wayes the power of God is to bee considered and how farre the absolute power of God extendeth FOr the second point that is how farre the power of God extendeth we must first note the difference betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Power and Authoritie for Authoritie is that which is established by right and of this our Sauiour speaketh when hee sayth Mihi data est omnis potestas Matth. 28.18 All power is giuen vnto me in Heauen and in Earth i. e. all authority ouer all creatures both in Heauen and Earth and of this I am not to speake in this place it was formerly expressed in the word Lord But Power is that facultie of doing any thing which consisteth in strength and might Wolfg. Muscul de omnipot dei as Musculus sayth and this is that which I am to speake of And it is either 1. Passiue 2. Actiue First A passiue Power is nothing else Power is either Actiue or Passiue but ens in potentia a being in power or else a power to bee such and such a thing and it is opposed to the act And this wee vtterly deny to be in God because God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vniforme hauing himselfe by himselfe alwayes alike and the selfe same manner and neuer receiuing any wayes any change or alteration being without any shadow of turning James 1.17 as the Apostle sayth Secondly An actiue power is that What Actiue power is whereby such and such acts are fully done and accomplished and this also if wee speake properly is farre from the nature of God because God is a meere and a pure act and nothing aduentitious can bee sayd to be in God But to retaine the vsuall manner of speaking for our better vnderstandings sake we say that an actiue power is in God But then we must further note that an Actiue Power is either 1. Accepta receiued Or 2. Innata inbred The first is of the Creature the second is of the Creator That subsisteth by anothers strength so long as it doth indure as our Sauiour sheweth Without me you can doe nothing because he giueth the power of working This neuer subsisteth by any other strength but by it owne proper might for euer That is particular and limited particular because no creature is so powerfull that it can vniuersally worke all things God giuing not such a perfect power vnto any man saue onely vnto his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ and limited because to doe infinite things is impossible for any creature and because those things which are possible for them to doe are not so possible vnto them as that they can performe any iot of them John 15.5 That the power of the most powerfull creatures is limited beyond the measure of the limitation giuen of God and therefore the power of Kings Monarchs Potentates yea of the very Angels and Deuils as it is giuen them from aboue so it is limited how farre it shall goe They may slay the bodyes but they cannot touch the Soules and they can for a while and in some measure execute their rage and tyrannie against the Saints of God but if they could doe as much as they would doe not a Righteous man should be left vpon the face of the Earth and therefore often times either by death or by some singular iudgement of God their power is terminated and sometimes turned to their shame and confusion The Second that is the Inbred power of the Creator is to bee considered either 1. In respect of the inward acts Operations Of God 2. In respect of the outward acts Operations Of God First The power of God considered in respect of his inward operations is that whereby God doth inwardly vnderstand loue and
worke for euer and euer because he cannot non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to worke by reason of the necessitie of his immutability those things which are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. aeternorum the acts of eternitie and this power is likewise two-fold The power of God in respect of his inward acts is twofold 1 Speciall 1. Speciall to each person 2. Common to the Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost First The speciall power is that which pertaineth vnto one person and not vnto the other as potentia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the power of begetting is proper vnto the Father and not to the Sonne nor to the Holy Ghost because this Power is his Power as hee is a Father and not as hee is God therefore it is proper and not common because that for the Father to beget and not to be begotten and for the sonne to be begotten and not to beget and for the Holy Ghost to proceede and not to beget nor to be begotten are Proprietates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 personall proprieties whereby the persons of the Godhead are distinguished betwixt themselues Secondly the common Power 2 Common is that which doth appertaine to each person in generall as well to the one as to the other as the Power of working those internall operations which are common vnto the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost such as are those acts of louing each other vnderstanding each other and the like Secondly the Power of God considered All the outward actions of God are comâ— on to each person of the Godhead in respect of his outward operations is that whereby God created all things gouerneth all things and can doe all things whatsoeuer pleaseth him And this is so common to the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost that it is most rightly said that opera trinitatis ad extra sunt indiuisa The outward workes of the Trinity are indiuisible that is common to each person And therefore this Power of God in respect of these outward operations though in our Creed it is ascribed vnto the Father lest that because he is called Father we should imagine some defect and impotency to bee in him as to the Sonne we finde Wisedome ascribed lest that because he is called Sonne we might conceit some ignorance or in experience to be in him yet as the wisedome of God Gen. 1.2 Iohn 1.3 Heb. 1.2 Iob 26.13 so is this Power of God and the workes of this Power common to each person of the Deity as we may see in the first of Iohn and the third Heb. 1.2 Gene. 1.2 Iob 26.13 And we find this Power of God to be 1. Proper vnto God 2. Absolute in all things That the power of God is so proper vnto God as that it cannot be communicated to any creature First It is proper yea so proper vnto God alone as that it cannot be communicated to any creature no not to the humanitie of our Sauiour Christ because the humanity existing and hanging vpon the crosse was not able to helpe it selfe but was faine to cry vnto his Father My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And therefore Aquinas doth most truely conclude that the soule of Christ was not capable to receiue into it selfe infinite Power no more then a creature is able to containe or comprehend his Creator and yet I confesse with the Apostle that in him Coloss 1.9 i. e. in the person of Christ dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily yea and that the man Christ Iesus receiued grace not by measure Sed vsque ad plenitudinem but euen vnto the fulnesse i. e. so much as a creature is any wayes capable of because the Godhead did Communicate such perfections vnto the humanity as the condition of a creature could possibly beare yet is it manifest that all those perfections and excellencies wherewith the manhood of Christ was indowed and innobled were all of them created excellencies because no attribute of God can be Communicated vnto any created substance because euery attribute of God is God himselfe but whatsoeuer is giuen â—nd bestowed vpon any creature must needs be a created thing and therefore neither the wisdome nor the power nor the goodnes which are attributed vnto God as they are the essentiall properties nay the very Essence of God it selfe can be any wayes communicated to any thing but that which is communicated vnto vs must needes be some other thing from them as the goodnesse which we haue is a created goodnesse and not that nor any part of that goodnesse which is in God and therefore though the Power Wisedome and goodnesse of God as they are God himselfe are indissolubly vnited by a personall vnion vnto the humanity of Christ innobled with all possibly created excellencies yet are they so proper vnto the Deity as that they cannot be communicated to be the Essentiall properties of it or of any other creature whatsoeuer and so the very names of them that they are the properties of God doth sufficiently shew that they cannot be the properties of any other thing Secondly as this Power of God is proper vnto God alone so it is absolute because it is not so limited by the vniuersall Law of Nature That the Power of God is absolute in three respects as if beside or aboue it God could not do any thing that he would but it is plenary and vniuersall because nothing is vnpossible vnto him but that without all limitation or determination he can do all and euery thing which howsoeuer and whensoeuer it pleaseth him And it is called absolute or omnipotent in three respects First because he can doe whatsoeuer he will doe First he can doe what he will Psal 135.6 for whatsoeuer pleaseth the Lord that did he in Heauen and in Earth and in the Sea and in all deepe places and the Wise man saith that he can shew his great strength at all times when hee will and it is worth the obseruing that as he can doe what he will Sap. 11.21 so he c n doe it as he will he need but say the word and they are done Let there be light and there was light Gen. 1.3 He can do any thing without meanes with meanes with small meanes and many times contrary to the nature of the meanes that hee vsually vseth Without meanes as in creating all things of nothing with meanes Hosea 2.21 as to fructifie the earth by the dropping of the cloudes Psal 77.20 with weake meanes as to leade his people out of Egypt by the hands of Moses and Aaron and by the foolishnesse of Preaching 1 Cor. 1.21 to saue those that beleeue and contrary to the nature of meanes Sap. 19.20 as when to let Israel passe through it he caused the red Sea to stand vpon heapes and to preserue the three children Dan. 3.27 he made the fire to forget his owne vertue and not to singe
they doe seeme to expresse some power but in very deede they doe shew a defect of power so not to be able to dye not to be able to suffer according to the phrase of speech they doe seeme to deny a power or to shew an impotencie whereas indeede they shew the greatest power and therefore those affirmations to be able to die to be able to suffer in regard of the substance of the matter haue the force of negation because they deny him to be impassible which can suffer and him immortall which can die and those negations not to be able to die not to be able to suffer haue the force of affirmations because they affirme him to be eternally life which cannot die and to be the purest act which cannot suffer And therefore we say that God cannot doe those things which imply and signifie a defect of power and which is infirmity and not power to doe them for there is nothing which God cannot doe which is of power to doe and there is nothing which he can doe which is of infirmity to doe it Bonauent Ser. 35. saith Bonauenture And so much for this point how farre the power of God extendeth CHAP. III. The proofe of Gods infinite power and the answering of the chiefest obiections that are made against the fore-shewed truth of this Doctrine HAuing well considered and vnderstood all the premises it will not be hard for me to proue vnto you the most infinite and absolute power of Almighty God that is how mighty and how powerfull he is in all things for First the Scriptures are most copious in this point The Prophet Dauid saith How the Scripture sheweth the power of God Psal 93.5 Psal 89.9.10.14 The waues of the Sea are mighty and rage horribly but yet the Lord that dwelleth on high is mightier And againe he saith O Lord God of Hosts who is like vnto thee for thou rulest the raging of the Sea and thou stillest the waues thereof when they arise thou hast a mighty arme strong is thy hand and high is thy right hand This shewes him to be mighty and wee can shew him to be Almighty for though the Hebrewes haue no word that signifieth Almighty yet doe the Greekes elegantly and with a full significant word call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that can doe all things Wolf Musc de omnipot Dei p. 402. Gen. 17.1 Exod. 15.3 Gen. 18.14 as Wolfgangus Musculus saith And therefore in the vulgar version we reade Ego Deus omnipotens I am the Almighty God And againe Omnipotens nomen eius Almighty is his name And therefore the Angell said vnto Abraham Numquid Deo quicquid est difficile Is any thing too hard for the Lord And the Angell Gabriel saith vnto Mary Non est impossibile apud Deum omne verbum that is Luc. 1.37 Bernard hom 4. sup Missas No word is impossible with God That is saith Saint Bernard whatsoeuer God saith or will command that he can easily doe If it were as easie for men to doe as it is to say what they will then should no word be impossible vnto them neither but there is a great deale of difference betwixt speaking and doing amongst men as Aiax saith Satius est contendere verbis Ouidius Metam l. 13. quam pugnare acie But with God it is all one to doe as to say to say as to will And so Euthymius interprets it Whatsoeuer the Lord saith that is not impossible for him to performe because he did but speake and they were made he commanded and they stood fast Psal 33.9 But others putting thing in stead of word doe more rightly interpret it saying that with God nothing shall be impossible Barrad de annunt Angel l 7. c. 9. Pag 332. And so our last Translation hath it because the Hebrew word Dabar doth signifie both word and thing saith Barradius And our Sauiour plainely saith All things are possible with God And therefore it is apparant that he is not onely strong and mighty â—ar 10.27 but also strength it selfe and Almighty Secondly not onely the Word of God The workes of God doe shew the power of God but also the workes of God doe sufficiently proue the power of God And not onely his wonders which he did in Aegypt and at the Red Sea but also all other workes which he did from the beginning and which he now doth doe most apparantly shew him to be a most Omnipotent God For as the Prophet Dauid saith The Heauens declare the glory of God Psal 18.1 John 5.36 and the Firmament sheweth his handy worke And the workes that I doe they testifie of me saith our Sauiour Of these workes of God Saint Hillary saith If there were none other reason yet this it selfe would serue to shew how wonderfull and how worthy of all prayse are the workes of God that they are mightily effected and most powerfully done by him which is not onely said to doe a thing but mightily to doe it for he could and can with his sole word produce any thing out of nothing by creation to continue the species or any kinde of things by propagation and to change any compleat substance into another by his powerfull operation as he did Lots wife into a pillar of salt Gen. 19 26. yea he could and can worke all naturall things supernaturall things miracles and wonders as the Psalmist saith Psal 72.18 Which onely doth wonders and impossible things in Nature i. e. such as doe exceed the vsuall and ordinary course of Nature Josua 10.12 Dan 3.27 as to make the Sunne to stand the fire not to burne the heauy Iron to swimme vpward vpon the top of the water and of stones to raise vp Children vnto Abraham Math. 3.9 because the order and the Law of Nature is in all things to giue way vnto this God of Nature which can doe any thing that implyes no contradiction or repugneth not with the definition of the thing as Aquinas saith How the power of God appeareth at all times And this power of God appeared in the beginning when God created all things of nothing it appeared euer since and will appeare vntill the ending by preseruing them that they turne not to nothing Quia fundauit Deus mundum supra nihilum vt fundaret se mundus supra Deum For God established the World vpon nothing that the World might relye and settle it selfe vpon God And therefore the Prophet Dauid saith The Earth is weake and all the Inhabitants thereof Psal 75.4 he beareth vp the pillars of it and it will appeare in the end of all things when God shall burne the world raise the dead blesse the good and condemne the bad into euerlasting fire Thirdly the Fathers doe most excellently extoll for they cannot fully expresse this power of God For Saint Hillary saith Hilar. in Psal 144. p. 635. Haec Dei prima
his graue and so forth if his body was not limited in any one place but incircumscriptiuely in euery place Therefore it is most manifest that the Body of Christ though glorified in Heauen is still a true Phisicall body limited with his dimensions and locally seated in his appointed place and therefore also seeing to be in one place and to be in euery place at the same time and in the same respect is such a palpable and grosse contradiction I conclude that it is vnpossible that God should be able to make the Body of Christ to be euery where in Heauen and in earth both at once What the Iesuites say to proue Transubstantiation Fourthly The pontificialls and Iesuites doe obiect that to transubstantiate bread into flesh or to make the Body of Christ to be in all those places where the Masse is celebrated and receiued of all those that doe communicate doth no wayes implie a contradiction Bellar de Euch l. 3. c. 4. p. 7. 297. in 8â—â— Quia ad esse circumscriptiue in loco nihil requiritur nisi vt locatum sit commensuratum suo loco non vt sit alibi in alio loco For that it is inough to shew the veritie of a body that it be circumscribed and limited with its place and time and not that it cannot bee in many places so it bee circumscribed in euery place where it is sayth Cardinall Bellarmine and therefore God can make the body of Christ to bee in many places though not to be in all places for to bee in many places doth include that he must be prescribed and limited in all those places where he is which is agreeable to the definition of a true Phisicall body but to be in all places doth necessarily conclude that he must be vnlimited and indefinite which is altogether contrarie to the definition of a true body and thus Clodius accusat Maechum Catilina Caethegum Ephraim will bee against Manasses and Manasses against Ephraim and both against Iuda Sol. But to this I answere First That to proue the vbiquitie of the body of Christ That we must not argue from the power of God vnlesse we can prooue it from the will of God or the transubstantiating of the bread into the flesh of Christ or any other point of Diuinitie Non licet theologicè positiuè argumentari ab omnipotentia Dei nisi praecedat voluntas Dei It is no wayes sufficient to argue Theologically and positiuely from the power of God that he can doe such a thing vnlesse wee haue some testimony of the Will of God that hee hath done or will doe such a thing for the secret things belong vnto the Lord our God Deut. 29.29 but those things which are reueiled belong to vs and to our Children for euer Secondly I say that in this their assertion of transubstantiation That there is a double contradiction in the doctrine of Transubstantiation there is a double contradiction which is vnpossible by all the wit of man to be reconciled First that Bread still remaining Bread should be notwithstanding transubstantiated into Flesh Secondly that the Body of Christ numerically one and locally in Heauen should be notwithstanding many thousand complete bodies and in many thousand places all at once and what greater contradictories can there be then these for First we confesse God can produce any thing of nothing God can change any substance into another substance Gen. 19.26 Iohn 2.9 Matth. 4.3 and reduce any thing into nothing and he can change any thing into any thing as to make stones Bread Bread flesh Lots wife a pillar of salt or any such like thing for wee see God hath done it and Christ changed the Water into Wine and the very diuell knew he could doe it when he said vnto our Sauiour If thou beest the Son of God command that these stones be made bread But that God should change one substance into another and yet that this thing which is said to be changed should remaine still the same thing which it was before it was changed and be also the substance of the thing into which it was changed it is so impossible as that there can be nothing more for when the Lord changed one substance into another Exod. 4.3 as Moses his rodde into a Serpent or Lots wife into a pillar of Salt or the Water into Wine Neither of these That the substance changed cannot be what it was and what it is both at once were both the things at the same time but when Moses rod was a rod it was no Serpent and when it was a Serpent it was no rod so when Lots wife was a Woman and Lots wife she was no pillar of Salt and when she was a pillar of Salt she was no more a Woman nor Lots wife and so when the Water was Water it was no Wine and when it was Wine it was no Water and therefore to say that the bread remaining bread should be transubstantiated or changed into Flesh and so for the same substance at the selfe-same time to bee two seuerall and distinct things Bread and Flesh I say that as it is incredible for vs to beleeue it so it is vnpossible for God to effect it For if these things be not direct contradictories I know not how any man can name any contradictories in the world But to this they answere that they doe not say that the same thing is both Bread and Flesh for they all know that this is vnpossible to be done but they say that the substance of the bread is vanished and reduced into nothing which God can doe as we all confesse and that the sole substance of the Flesh is there remaining to be receiued of the beleeuer of the Communicant be he faithfull or Infidell yea of Rattes Kattes Dogges and Serpents if they can come by it I answere that I doe admire the subtilty of Satan to sow such seed of strong delusions to deceiue simple soules and the more I follow these sophisticall shifts the more I doe abhorre these vile deceits for I beseech you marke what absurdities what contradictions what impossibilities doe still more and more accrew for The most ridiculous absurdities that must follow the doctrine of transubstantiation First the substance of the Bread is gone Nihil est It is reduced to nothing and yet behold the colour of it is there the forme of it is there the taste of it is there thine eye sees it Bread thy hand feeles it Bread thy mouth findes it Bread and yet it is no Bread I would faine know what Aristotle or all the Schoole of Philosophers would define this to be Bread and no Bread Bread in the iudgement of all the world and no Bread in the iudgement of all the Iesuites of the world a strange thing that God should worke such strong delusions I finde that Satan did them often but neuer that God did euer the
will aske touching my former illustration why is power ascribed to the Father Wisedome to the Son Quest and goodnesse to the Holy Ghost whereas all and each of the three persons haue the same power wisedome and goodnesse Saint Augustine answereth that amongst the creatures Resp it is wont to be obserued that in a Father is found a defect of power by reason of his antiquitie in a Sonne is seene ignorance by reason of his youth and inexperience of things and in the name of a Spirit there seemeth to be a kinde of fearefull vehemency Esay 52. as Quicscite ab homine cuius spiritus in naribus eius Whose Spirit is in his nostrils and therefore least the like might be thought to be in these Diuine persons we find power ascribed to the Father wisedome vnto the sonne and goodnesse vnto the Holy Ghost whereas indeed each one of them is of the same power wisedome and goodnesse as the others bee And although the Essence of God can neither be diuided nor distinguished yet the three subsistences or the three diuers manner of being in the Diuine Essence which we call the three persons The three persons are distinguished one from another two waies Father Sonne and Holy Spirit may be distinguished two wayes 1. By their personall actions 2. By their nominall relations First the actions of the persons are either 1. Outward or 2. Inward The outward workes of God are common to each person of the Trinity First all outward actions are called communicable because although after a sort they are appropriated to each person as the Father to send the Son and to create the world the Son to be sent to be Incarnate to redeeme mankind and the Holy Ghost to appeare in the form of a Doue like clouen tongues of fire to worke in our hearts for our consolation and sanctification yet Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indiuisa these outward workes of the Trinitie are so indiuisible that we cannot so properly ascribe them to any one but we finde that they may be likewise ascribed to any other for as Nazianzen truly affirmeth of the three persons themselues Non possuÌ„tria discernere quin subito ad vnum referar nec possum vnum cogitare quin trium fulgore confundar So may we say of their outward operations that although they be affirmed of one yet may they presently be referred to all three and so we finde them in many passages of the holy Scriptures as redemption and sanctification to the Father Act. 20.28 1 Pet. 1.2 Creation and Sanctification to the Sonne Iohn 1.3 1 Cor. 1.2 And creation and redemption to the Holy Ghost Psal 33.6 Ephes 4.30 And besides these outward operations are transient voluntary for that God in these things is Liberrimus Agens A free Agent so that he might haue chosen whâ—ther to doe them or not doe them and therefore in all these workes Election Creation Gubernation Redemption Sanctification Glorification there can be ascribed none other cause but quia voluit because he would for whatsoeuer pleased the Lord that did he in Heauen and in Earth in the Sea and in all deepe places And therefore these outward actions and so likewise those names which are giuen vnto these persons in regard of these actions as Creator vnto the Father Redeemer vnto the Sonne Comforter and sanctifier vnto the holy Ghost are not altogether sufficient to expresse the differences of these persons Secondly the inward actions of these persons are 1. Permanent 2. Necessarie 3. Incommunicable First they are so permanent The inward actions of God are euer in doing that as the Sunne doth alwayes beget his beames and both Sunne and beames doe send forth the heate so the Father from all eternity euer did and now doth and euer will beget his Sonne and both Father and Sonne doe spire and breath forth the Holy Ghost and therefore Origen saith excellent well Origen hom 6. in Ierem. Saluator noster splendor est gloriae splendor autem non semel nascitur deinceps desinit nasci c. Our blessed Sauiour is the brightnesse of Gods glory Sed quotiescunque ortum fuerit lumen ex quo splendor oritur toties oritur splendor gloriae Luke 12. but the brightnesse of glory is not once begotten and then afterwards leaues to be begotten but as often as the light riseth from whence the brightnesse springeth so often doth the brightnes of glory arise And our Sauiour saith he is the wisedome of God but the wisedome of God is the brightnesse of that eternall light Et ideo saluator semper nascitur The Father doth euer beget the Sonne And therefore as the Scripture saith Ante colles generat me Before the Mountaines were laid he begetteth me and not as some doe erroniously read it Generauit me He hath begotten me So the truth is that the Sonne of God is euer begotten and the holy Spirit euer proceeding Secondly these inward actions are no voluntary operations The inward actions are necessary I meane such as that the Father might either beget the Sonne or not beget him and the Father and the Sonne might either spire forth the Holy Ghost or not spire him forth but they be so absolutely necessary that they cannot otherwise be Cyrillus l. 1. c 3. thesauri because it is the property of the nature of God the Father to beget God the Sonne as it is for him to be a God so that he can no more relinquish or leaue to beget the Sonne then hee can leaue to be a God as Saint Cyril sheweth And Thirdly these inward actions are so incommunicable The inward actions are incommunicable that whatsoeuer is proper to the one can no wayes be ascribed to the other Quia hoc est proprium patris quod solus est pater quod ab alio non est nisidse For this is the property of the Father that he alone is the Father Et hoc est proprium filij quod à patre genitus est solus à solo hoc est proprium spiritus sancti quod nec genitus nec ingenitus est sed à patre filio aequaliter procedeus and that he is not from any other but onely of himselfe and this is the property of the Son that he alone is begotten of the Father alone coequall vnto him and coessentiall and this is the propertie of the Holy Ghost to be not made not begotten but from the Father and the Sonne equally proceeding And therefore we say that these incommunicable and proper operations of the persons doe so make the true and reall distinction of the persons that the Father cannot be the Sonne nor the Holy Ghost that the Sonne cannot be the Father nor the holy Ghost and that the Holy Ghost cannot be the Father nor the Son so that in a word all three is the same Essence and yet neither of the three can
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Created me in stead of possessed me but I thinke this could not be because Iust Martyr that liued before the Arians were hatched and Athanasius himselfe doth reade it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Created me and therefore Secondly Epiphanius Saint Basil Saint Hierome and others Epiphan heres 69 Basil l. 2. contr Eunom Hieron in ep ad Cypr. doe thinke that the vulgar Edition is not well translated for that the Hebrew word which Salomon vseth should not be translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a iota but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the middest of the word The first is He created me and the other is he possessed me and therefore Aquila translates it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Tremellius Whether the Hebrew word bee rightly translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 created Iehoua possidebat me principio viae suae or ab initio operum suorum as others will haue it And so is the vulgar Latine and our owne last English Translation The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way And if this be true then those ancient Fathers Saint Athanasius Saint Basil Saint Cyril and others that were much troubled about this place might haue easily answered vnto this obiection of the Arians if they had corrected the Greeke Translation out of the Hebrew Text. But the Iewes contend that the word in the Originall doth aswell signifie to create as to possesse as Rabbi Shelomo Iarchi vpon Genesis 14.19 doth declare for there Moses vseth the same word which Salomon vseth here and although our last English Translation reades it Possessor of Heauen and Earth yet the vulgar Latine and the Septuagint reades it Creator of Heauen and Earth and therefore Thirdly Fulgentius answereth Fulgent in resp ad hanc ob Arrian that although Salomon should say The Lord created me yet could that make nothing against the eternall being of the Sonne of God for that we may easily see Salomon speaketh here of a two-fold generation of the Sonne of GOD. That Salomon speaketh of a two-fold generation of Christ First Of his Incarnation in these words The Lord created me the beginning of his wayes and then Secondly Least we should with Arians imagine that he was not before he was incarnate He sheweth that Ante colles genitus erat Before the mountaines he was begotten and brought forth i. e. In respect of his Diuinity First of his incarnation to be made man That in the first place he speaketh of his incarnation and this making of him to be flesh there followeth none absurdity for though hee speaketh in the present tense or preterperfect tense after the Latines yet is it set downe for the future tense after the manner of the Hebrewes who doe oftentimes especially in things pertaining to God set downe the future tense for the present because they are as certaine to bee done as if they were already done as Tertullian obserueth And the words immediately following To be the beginning of his wayes doth make this exposition the more apparantly true for what is it to be the beginning of his wayes Nisi quod ipse via nobis est factus but that hee was made to be the way for vs to walke in for hee was not made that hee should create new Creatures but that hee might renue those that were lost And therefore Saint Iames vseth the like speech of the godly James 1.18 saying Of his owne will begate he vs with the Word of Truth that wee might be as the first fruites of his Creatures And the Prophet Dauid vseth the like speech of himselfe Psal 51.10 when he saith Create a new heart in me O God And therefore to be the beginning of the wayes of God is to be the first fruites of those that are renued and not of those that are created for if you looke into the workes of Creation you shall heare him say Before the mountaines were setled and before the hills was I begotten Secondly of his eternall generation as he is God That in the second place hee speaketh of his eternall generation it is most manifest for hee changeth his phrase and saith Ante colles genita eram Before the mountaines was I begotten as the Chalde paraphrase hath it or Filiata eram I was sonned his sonne as some translate it for wee must note that created and begotten in the person of the Sonne of God are to bee distinguished or otherwise if we make created and begotten to be the same wee may say that the World was begotten which is most absurd And therefore seeing hee saith that this wisedome of GOD was both created and begotten and that these two words doe signifie two distinct and speciall things wee should consider in what respect hee is said to be created and in what respect he is said to be begotten and then we should plainely see that he is said to be created as he is the Sonne of man and that he is said to be begotten as hee is the eternall Sonne of God for here Salomon sheweth that he is said to be created in respect of that nature wherin he calleth his Father Lord for the Lord saith hee created me But hee calleth his Father Lord in respect of his humane nature and neuer calleth him Lord in respect of his diuine nature for he that is borne a seruant of his Fathers handmaide according to the saying of the Psalmist Psal 116.14 O Lord I am thy seruant and the sonne of thine hand-maide is also begotten of his Fathers Essence according to the saying of Christ Iohn 8. I and my Father are one And therefore though he calleth his Father Lord in respect of his humanity yet doth he neuer call him so but alwayes Father in respect of his Diuinity as I came from the Father and wee saw his glory John 1. as the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father And so you see that these words of Salomon Naz. or 4. de theolog Athan. ser 3. cont Arr. Cyril l. 5. c. 4. 5. 6. 7. Thesauri Aug. l. 1. c. 12. de trinit The Lord created me are to be vnderstood of his incarnation and therefore can proue nothing against his eternall generation And this exposition of Fulgentius is confirmed by Nazianzen Athanasius Saint Cyril Saint Augustine and others And yet Fourthly Saint Hillary in l. de Synodis Aquinas l. 4. c. 8. contra gentes and Bellarmine l. 1. c. 18. de Christo doe answere that the eternall generation of the Sonne of God is sometimes called generation and sometimes creation because it is so ineffable that it cannot be fully expressed by any one word for generation signifieth a production in the same substance but with a certaine mutation of the begetter How the Word may be said to be both begotten created but creation signifieth a production of another substance but without any mutation of the
Creator and the Sonne of God is so produced as that hee receiued the substance of the begetter And therefore in that respect he is said to be begotten but he receiueth it without any mutation or alteration of the begetter and therefore in that respect he may be saide to be created And so he is sometimes said to be begotten and sometimes said to bee created not that any man should thereby denie his eternity and thinke him to be a creature but that from both these words wee might receiue what is fitting and reiect what seemeth to be vnfit for the declaration of this ineffable and inexplicable mystery Ob. 4 Fourthly They doe obiect the words of Dauid Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee And therefore before that day wherein hee was begotten his sonne hee was not his sonne Sol. The words of Dauid are spoken of Christ in respect of his manhood I answere That the words Inquire of me and I will giue thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the vttermost parts of the Earth for thy possessions doe sufficiently proue that these words are spoken of his incarnation and not of his eternall generation for how should he according to his Diuinity demand the ends of the Earth for his possessions when as hee giueth the Kingdome of Heauen which is a thousand times more then the Earth to them that loue him And therefore he which according to his God-head possesseth all things with his Father according to the forme of a seruant which hee assumed for our saluation he requireth of his Father that hee might haue The Gentiles for his inheritance and the vttermost parts of the Earth for his possessions Act. 13. And thus the Apostle doth expound this place in the 13. Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles Ob. 5 Fiftly They doe obiect the words of the Apostle that he is The first-borne of euery Creature Coloss â— 15 and therefore created in the number of the Creatures Sol. That the words of the Apostle are to be vnderstood of the humanity of Christ Rom. 8.29 I answere That this is also meant of his humanity for that the Apostle speaketh here of the Creatures restored and not created because he is said to be Primogenitus ex mortuis The first fruites of the dead for if he were called The first fruites of euery Creature according to his Deity by what testimonies can it be shewed that he is The first-borne of the dead before all Creatures when as they could not be said to be dead which were not yet created And therefore the Apostle saith That whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Sonne Iohn 1. that he might be the first-borne among many brethren To shew that he which according to his Deity is the onely begotten Sonne of God without brethren is according to his humanitie c. 3. the first-borne among many brethren for we must vnderstand this difference betwixt the first-begotten Sonne of God and the onely begotten Sonne of God that the first sheweth his humanity whereby he became man the first and chiefest among many brethren and the second his Diuinitie Iohn 1. whereby hee is the eternall Sonne of God without any brethren or otherwise it were in vaine to call him the onely begotten Sonne of God for that hee gaue power vnto others euen as many as beleeue in him to bee made the Sonnes of God and therefore if hee be not his Sonne by nature then without doubt he lost the name and the truth of being the onely begotten Sonne of God after he began to haue many brethren But because none of his sonnes by adoption Fulgen. in resp ad ob Arrian can be said to be the onely begotten sonne of God nor to be the Son of God â—ather then the rest be because the same name of sonnes is acommodated vnto them all although diuers rewards of retribution is promised vnto them according to the diuersitie of â—heir labours therefore is Christ still said to be the onely begotten Sonne of God because though there be many sonnes of God by grace yet there is none but he alone his Sonne by Nature And this difference doth our Sauiour Christ himselfe shew vnto vs when he saith I goe to my Father and to your Father Iohn 20.17 to my God and to your God because he is otherwise my Father and my God then he is your Father and your God for he is my Father eternally by nature and he is yours in time by grace and therefore hee that is first begotten in respect of his man-hood among many brethren is likewise still the onely begotten Sonne of God in respect of his God-head without any brethren And so you see that maugre all the spite of Hell it is most apparantly true that this Word is the true God for time coeternall vnto his Father CHAP. IIII. Of the coessentiality of the word with the Father and the obiections that are made against the same sufficiently answered SEcondly you haue heard of the eternall Godhead of this Word it followeth that I should shew vnto you how for nature he is coessentiall vnto his Father touching which point Athanasius saith Non res quaepiam extrinsecus adinuenta est filij substantia neque ex nihilo inducta est sed ex patris essentia nata est The substance of the Sonne is no outward thing either found or created but begotten of the very Essence of his Father euen as you see the brightnesse springing from the light or the vapour from the water Neque enim splendor neque vapor est ipsa aqua aut ipse sol neque res aliena For neither the light is the Sunne it selfe nor the vapour the water it selfe and yet they are none other things of another kind then be the substances from whence they spring euen so the Sonne issueth from the substance of his Father Et tamen patris sustantia non perpessa est partitionem And yet the substance of the father aâ—mits no partition for as the Sunne remaineth still the same Athanas in ep cont Eusebium and is no way lessened or diminished in respect of those beames that flow from him so the Father suffereth no mutation by hauing begetting Suam ipsius imaginem filium This his Son and eternall image but remaining still the same he begetteth his Son of the same Essence and we find not only all the Orthodox fathers but also the Scriptures plain enough to confirm the same truth for our Sauiour saith I and my Father are one And so S. Iohn hauing spoken of the Father Iohn 10 3â— the Word and the Spirit 1 Iohn 5.7 saith That these three are one And reason it selfe must needs confirme the same for seeing the Diuine Essence is most simple impartible and indiuisible and that the Father is God as none denyeth and that the Sonne is God as I haue already
a God for so hee is alwayes with the Father but he goeth to the Father as he is a man and therefore he is inferior to the Father as hee is a man and thus Saint Cyrill Saint Chrysost Saint Aug. and Gaudentius doe expound it Thirdly they doe obiect that our Sauiour sayth I came Ob. 3 downe from Heauen not to doe mine owne will John 6.38 but to doe the will of him that sent mee therefore hee that sent him is greater then hee that is sent I answere first that Christ hath two wills the one as man Sol. That Christ hath two wils the other as God and hee came downe not to doe his owne will which he had as hee was man but to doe the will of his Father that sent him which was also his owne will as he was God for hauing the same essence hee must needs haue the same will with his Father and therefore as hee was inferior to his Father in respect of his humane will so he was equall to his Father in respect of his diuine will And secondly I say that he was not sent Per modum imperij That the Father sent not the Sonne by way of command or superioritie In respect of any superiority that the Father had to command him but by way of consent the Father being willing to let his Sonne goe as the Sonne was to be gone so that misit is no more then emisit they were both willing that the Word should be made Flesh But they vrge that he descended to doe the will of his Father Ob. but he descended not as Man but as God therefore he was inferiour to the Father not onely as Man but also as God I answere that the descending of Christ Sol. That the descending of of Christ is the assuming of â—ur flesh is nothing else but his exinination his incarnation and assuming the forme of a seruant for otherwise the Godhead can neither be said to ascend nor descend and so his son thus humbled thus incarnate did obay his Father and performe the Will of his Father but not in respect of the forme which he had in Heauen with his Father but in respect of the forme of a seruant which hee humbling himselfe assumed in earth And Fourthly they doe obiect that S. Paul sayth that when Christ Ob. 4 hath subdued all things yet then 1 Cor. 15.27.28 the sonne shall be subiect vnto his Father which hath subdued all things vnder him and therefore the sonne is inferior to the Father To this some doe answere Sol. that then the humane nature of Christ shall bee swallowed vp and wholly conuerted into the Dietie but this cannot bee for that Saint Paul in this very place sheweth the contrarie because the subiection argueth a distinction whereas if it were quite swallowed vp there could bee no distinction and therefore seeing there must be still a subiection there must be still that nature remaining which shall bee subiect to the other Nyssenus Chrysost Cyril and others Others will haue this saying of the Apostle to be spoken of the whole Church of Christ or of Christ as hee is in his members so that the sence should bee this then the whole body of Christ shall be so subiect vnto God that not any one member of the same shall in any thing bee contumacious or rebellious against the will of God But although this may passe without absurditie as being true in respect of the matter yet I doe not finde that it agreeth with the Apostles meaning in this place for hee speaketh of him to whom all things are subdued but all things are subdued vnto the person of Christ considered in himselfe anâ— not vnto the whole body of Christ or vnto Christ considered in his members as both the Prophecie of Dauid and this place of the Apostle make it playne and therefore Saint Ambrose Oecumenius and Theophilact doe expound it of the Sonne of God absolutely considered and that it signifieth not a seruile subiection any wayes betokening an inferioritie but an vnanimous agreement of the sonne with the Father which sheweth their vnitie and equalitie That Christ in glory for euer and euer as man shall be still inferiour and subiect vnto the God-head But I like best of Saint Augustines and Primasius expositions which doe interpret it of the humane nature of Christ which then shall bee truely subiect vnto God not because it was not subiect before then but with a more emphasis the Apostle would giue them to vnderstand that as euer before it was subiect vnto God so then also in that excellent glorie when all things are subdued vnto it it shall be subiect vnto God and the reason hereof is as some of the Greeke Fathers haue obserued because he writ vnto the Corinthians which were but verie lately conuerted vnto the Christian Faith from the vaine fables of the Gentiles which taught that the Gods did contest and striue amonst themselues And therefore least they should thinke that Christ subduing all things and putting all things vnder his feete would doe vnto his father as they sayd Iupiter did to his father Saturne adibus sedibus effugari to driue him out of house and home hee sayth all things shall be subiected vnto Christ excepting him which hath subdued all things vnto him and not onely this that all things shall be subiect vnto Christ but the Father but also that as now it is so it shall be then in that glory and triumph after all things shall bee subdued vnto the Man Christ Iesus yet then shall his humane nature that is Christ himselfe as he is man be still subiect vnto God his father so that hee which is and euer was equall to his father as touching his Godhead is and euer shall be inferior and subiect to his father as touching his Manhood Many other obiections they haue against the Dietie coessentialitie and coequalitie of the Sonne of God with his father but they are all so triuiall that they deserue no answere and are all deduced from those places that are spoken of Christ as hee is a man and misapplyed by them to denie his excellencie as hee is a God and therefore I neede not proceede any further in this point but onely to desire you from hence to obserue these few branches of instructions that doe most naturally spring from this roote as 1. The greatnesse of Gods loue This doctrine that the word Incarnate was a true God teacheth vs foure speciall things 2. The craftinesse of Satans dealing 3. The peruersenesse of Heretickes 4. The vnthankefulnesse of men First wee see this Word this Sonne of God was not made flesh to dignifie or to better himselfe for hee was before as I shewed you before a God in the best and highest degree from euerlasting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a God of himselfe How greatly God loued vs that God would be made man for our good A loue like
Euthymius vpon those words of the Apostle doe affirme Others translate it sermo which I translate speech as Prudentius Ades pater supreme patrisque sermo Christe So Beza In principio erat sermo and so Tertullian Saint Cyprian Saint Hillarie Saint Ambrose Saint Augustine Saint Hierome and diuers others and some call him the voyce of God according to that of the Psalmist The voyce of God is a glorious voyce as Claudian Christe potens redcuntis conditor aevi Vox summi sensusque Dei quem fudit ab alta Mente pater O mighty Christ maker of the world thou voyce and sence of the highest God which the Father begets in his most inward minde But most commonly the Fathers and almost all the Schoole of Diuinity following the vulgar Latine doe expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie verbum the Word because Sermo speech doth seeme to consist of many words whereas a word doth altogether denotate and declare vnity But then it may bee obiected Ob. that none can expresse his whole minde by one simple word and therefore that speech is more likely to be the meaning of the Euangelist I answere That man indeed with one conceiued word Sol. can hardly expresse his whole minde and wisedome That as God is one act so he can expresse himselfe with one word but it is not so with God for as he is but Vnus simplicissimus actus One most simple act so hee doth apprehend and vnderstand all things Vno ictu vno conceptu at one instant and can expresse himselfe with one word And multiplicity of words doth shew the infirmity of man that with few words cannot expresse himselfe but the vnity and simplicity of Gods Word denoteth the superexcellencie of God that so briefly and so easily can doe all things Secondly We are to note why Christ is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why Christ is tearmed the Word the Word Touching which point we must vnderstand that whatsoeuer speaketh vttereth forth words And wee finde that God Angels and Men doe speake though after a different and a diuers manner for though God being a Spirit wanteth mouth lippes and tongue and that the Apostle speaketh hyperbolically of the tongues of Angels Zanch. l. 3. c. 19. de operibus sex dierum as Zanchius noteth yet this is certaine that God and Angels doe often speake as we reade Genesis 1. Zach. 2. Esay 6.2.3 Although the speeches and the communications of the Angels be farre vnlike to ours Hieron to 7. p. 187. in c. 24. Jobi as Saint Hierome saith and that we can neither know nor vnderstand after what manner they either doe or haue heretofore spoken at any time either outwardly vnto the eare or inwardly in the minde of any man as Saint Augustine saith And therefore we say that there is a Diuine Angelicall and a humane word And to each of these i. e. God Angels and Men wee doe ascribe a two-fold word 1. One inward of the minde and vnderstanding That there is a two-fold Word 2. Another outward of the voyce and tongue After the first manner we are saide to speake when wee doe conceiue certaine thoughts and cogitations within our minde As Psal 53.1 Sap 2.1 Matth. 9. the foole hath saide in his heart there is no God and they saide within themselues but not aright And After the second manner wee are saide to speake when by any outward word Fulgent in resp ad ob Arr. or voyce we doe expresse and declare our inward cogitations And this is said to be onely the outward signe and voyce of the inward word for that the inward conception of any word is most properly said to bee the Word as Saint Augustine affirmeth Hilarius l. de Synod How in some things the Word God resembleth our outward word Now Christ is not any outward vocall word nor any transient voyce of God as diuers Heretikes said hee was but he is the inward essentiall and permanent word of God as Epiphanius Saint Basil and Saint Augustine doe declare And yet as Saint Basil saith hee hath some certaine similitudes and resemblances with our outward word for as the same springeth from our inward minde because the tongue vttereth what our minde conceiueth Matth. 12.14 for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh So is the Word God begotten from the minde of the Father and as the vocall Word is the liuely Character of the inward thought and doth represent the image of the same so is the Word God the liuing Image of the begetter and the very effigies or the ingrauen forme of his person Heb. 1.3 as the Apostle speaketh But he hath a farre more propinquity and likenesse with our inward and mentall Word as Saint Augustine teacheth For The likenesse of the Word with our inward word Aug de Trinitate l. 15. c. 10. c. 11. First As a man conceiueth and brings forth this Word in his minde so doth the Father beget his Sonne by his vnderstanding Secondly As the Word of the minde is from our knowledge our knowledge from reason and reason from the minde immaterially produced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any passion or corruption so is the Word God begotten of the Father as Saint Basil and Nazianzene doe declare Nazian orat 4. de Theolog. Thirdly As the minde doth so beget the Word within in selfe as that still the same remaineth in the minde Fulgentius ad Monimum as Fulgentius noteth So the Word God is so begotten of his Father as that he remaineth alwayes with the Father as The Sonne which is in the bosome of his Father he declared vnto vs and No man hath ascended vp to Heauen Iohn 3.13 but hee that came downe from Heauen euen the Sonne of man which is in Heauen Nam cum ad terrena descendit coelestia non dereliquit For when hee descended to the Earth and was made flesh he left not Heauen but as the word of the minde doth alwayes remaine in the minde so doth this Word God alwayes remaine in the bosome of God Fourthly as the conceiued word of the minde is the beginning of all working so is this word God the beginning of all creatures for by it all things were made John 1. and without it was nothing made that was made Fiftly as the mentall word is shewed by the voyce so is the word God manifested by the assuming of our flesh And yet because it is vnpossible to accommodate little vile How the Word God differeth from our word Basilius contra Eun. Aug. Ser. 190. de tempore and terrene things fully to expresse or in all things to agree with diuine and eternall things as Saint Augustine doth most excellently declare saying Cum Deus comparatur non potest comparari aequali scilicet comparatione When God is compared he cannot be compared with any equall comparison for to whom will you compare
Iesus Christ First because the Apostle saith Verse 7. that he was greater then Abraham which is said to be the Father of the faithfull Secondly Heb. c. 5. v. 11. because the Apostle going to speake of this Melchisedecke saith that he had many things to say concerning him which were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard to be explained which certainly he would neuer haue said had he not vnderstood this Melchisedeck to haue beene some excellent and ineffable person Thirdly because the Apostle saith not Verse 8. whose death is not mentioned by Moses for so he might be dead though his death is not spoken of but he saith that Dauid testifieth of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he liueth to shew the difference betwixt this Priest and those Leuiticall Priests which dyed Heb. 7 3. Fourthly because the Apostle saith that this Melchisedeck was like vnto the Sonne of God euen as Nebuchadnezzer saith that the fourth man which walked with the three children in the fiery furnace was like vnto the Sonne of God So here the Apostle saying that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 3.25 like the Sonne of God meaneth no doubt that he assumed a body of the same likenesse and habite and countenance as afterward he meant to vnite personally vnto himselfe for that it is an vsuall thing in Scripture to say that he which is is like vnto himselfe as where the Apostle saith Phil. 2.7.8 that he was found in shape as a man and tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant and was made in the likenesse of men that is he was made indeed a true and a naturall man Fiftly because Abraham did giue vnto him Tythe of all as perceiuing vnder that visible forme and shape of man an inuisible Diety to subsist to whom Tythe is only due and euerlastingly due because he is an euerlasting Priest And therefore I say that this Melchisedeck was no mortall man but the immortall Sonne of God which assuming this visible shape did appeare vnto Abraham and offered as a type of our blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper Bread and Wine vnto him after his victory ouer his enemies And it may be that our Sauiour had respect hereunto Iohn 8.56 when he said that Abraham saw his dayes and reioyced i. e. not onely with the eyes of faith as all the rest of the Patriarchs and Prophets did but also in a visible shape which he assumed like vnto that whereunto he was afterward to be vnited So that man which wrestled with Iacob was none other but the man Christ Iesus for himselfe said that Iacob should be called Israel Gen. 32.28.30 a wrestler and preuailer with God and Iacob called the name of the place Peniel because he had seene God face to face And so that man which appeared vnto Iosua and came as a Captaine of the heast of the Lord Josua 5.14 was none other then Iesus Christ as Peter Martyr doth most excellently by many arguments confirme Whereby you see Christ did heretofore assume vnto himselfe humane formes wherein he appeared vnto the Fathers to be as a praeludium of his Incarnation but in none of these apparitions and assumptions of such formes was he euer said to be made the thing that he assumed or to vnite himselfe hypostatically vnto any of the said formes for those bodies he formed of the ayre or of nothing and when he had finished the worke for which he had assumed them Tum redit in nihilum quod fuit ante nihil Then it returned into that out of which it was framed But now the Euangelist saith The conception of the Word that this word did not onely appeare or assume vnto himselfe our flesh for a time to discharge some speciall offices and then to depose and to lay aside the same againe but that he was made flesh that is really made man like one of vs sinne onely excepted and eternally to remaine man for euer and euer And therefore that we may truely vnderstand this point how this word was made flesh we must well consider these two especiall things 1. The manner of his conception Two things to be considered for the vnderstanding of Christs conception 2. The matter or substance from which he was formed First the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made here vsed doth plainly shew vnto vs as both Saint Chrysostome and Tolet doe obserue Mirabilem eius conceptionem non virili virtute sed diuina potentia eum esse conceptum His wonderfull conception that he was made not by any vertue of mans seede but by the power of Gods Spirit who without any seede of man did frame and make the man Christ in the wombe of his Mother and therefore we are to obserue Of this wonderfull and diuine conception 1. The reason 2. The manner 3. The end First Neuer any one was made as Christ was made we reade that mankinde before Christ his comming was made three manner of wayes First without any man to be his father or any woman to be his mother as Adam Secondly of a man without a woman as Euah Thirdly of man and woman as all the off-spring of Adam but Christ after a fourth a more wonderfull manner was made of a woman without the helpe of a man and so we neuer reade of any other before him nor of any other after him for as the Flowers saith Protagoras Solummodo habent in coelo patrem in terra solummodo matrem Haue onely a Father in Heauen that is the Sunne by whose heate and vertue they grow and a mother onely in earth i. e. the ground from whence they spring so Christ the flower of the roote of Iesse hath onely a Father in Heauen without a mother and a mother onely in earth without a father and yet he is not another from his father and another from his mother Sed aliter est a patre aliter est ex matre But he is otherwise from his father and otherwise from his mother that is a true God of God his father and a true man of the Virgin his mother of two natures subsisting in one and the selfe-same person And the reason why he was borne of a woman Ambros in Luc. 24. Why Christ was borne of a Woman as Saint Ambrose saith was Ne perpetui reatus apud viros opprobrium sustinerent mulieres Lest women should still suffer the reproach of perpetuall guiltinesse and blame in the sight of men for their first transgression for her yeelding vnto the Serpent and the seducing of her Husband made her and all her Sexe to bee deseruedly subiect vnto much reproach and therefore though because the mankinde is more noble Christ would be made a Man yet because women should not be contemned he was contented to be borne of a woman Et sic formam viri assumendo Aug. cont faust de foemina nascendo vtrumque sexum hoc modo honorandum
indicauit And so he did sufficiently honour both sexes the men by assuming the forme of a man and the women by taking his flesh from a woman that as a woman was the meanes to make man a sinner so she might be the instrument to bring him a Sauiour but he would be borne of such a woman that was a Virgin because it became not God to haue any mother but a maide and it beseemed not a maide to haue any sonne Barrad l. 7. c. 10. but a God saith Barradius And so he was made of a woman Why Christ was borne of a Virgin of a woman that was a Virgin and of a Virgin without the helpe of a man and that for diuers reasons As First because that woman was a Virgin by whom sinne entred into the world Jrenaeus l. 5. c. 19. as Irenaeus thinketh and all probability confirmeth Secondly because God had promised that the seeds of the woman Gen. 3.15 that is of the woman onely without the helpe of man should breake the serpents head Esay 7.14 and therefore Esayas saith Behold a Virgin shall conceiue and beare a sonne Thirdly because he was to be most pure without any the least spot or contagion of sinne which hee could not haue beene if he had beene borne after the vsuall manner of men for as Adam so all the posterity of Adam begetting Children doe beget the nature of man Iohn 3.6 together with the guilt and corruption of nature And therefore our Sauiour saith Whatsoeuer is borne of flesh that is after the vsuall manner of flesh and bloud is flesh i. e. fleshly corrupted and defiled Fourthly Because this Word had a naturall Father in Heauen and therefore hee was to haue none in Earth lest thereby hee should be said to haue two Fathers Fiftly Because he was to be a Priest after the order of Melchisedecke who was without Father and without Mother to shew that Christ should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Mother as he was a God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Father as he was a Man And so I might collect many other reasons why this Word being to be made Flesh would be made of a Virgin but I will proceed Secondly Touching the Agent Of the manner how Christ was conceiued and the manner of the act how this substance should be framed and this Child should be conceiued without the helpe of man Saint Luke doth most plainely and fully declare vnto vs saying Luc. 1.35 The Holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the highest shall ouer-shadow thee Which words are not to be vnderstood so as if he were begotten spermaticcos per concubitum By any carnall effusion of seminall humour as Iansenius seemeth to imagine nor of the Essence or substance of the Holy Ghost as some Heretickes haue said for so the Holy Ghost being God should haue begotten him not man but God Quia omne generans generat sibi simile Because euery begetter begets his like and John 3.6 that which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But hee was conceiued by way of manufacture that is by the handy worke or operation or by the vertue of the Holy Ghost whereby the Virgin did conceiue as Iustine Martyr saith Just Martyr Apol. 2. pro Christianis Aug Ser. 3. de temp Basilius ser de natiuitate or else by the energeticall command and ordination of the Holy Ghost as Saint Augustine saith or by the benediction and blessing of the Holy Ghost as Saint Basil saith whereby that part of the Virgins bloud or seede whereof the body of Christ was to be framed was so clensed and sanctified that in it there should be neither spot nor staine of originall pollution for otherwise the seede of that blessed Virgin before it was sanctified by the Holy Ghost was tainted and infected with sin and then was so composed framed that it became a perfect Christ The manner of Christ his conception is ineffable And because wee should not search too much into this mystery to know the manner of this conception it is said that the power of the Almighty should ouer-shadow her To teach vs that as we cannot perfectly see nor know the things that are couered or ouer-shadowed from our eyes so we cannot perfectly know the manner of this conception Scio quod verbum caro factum est sed quomodo factum sit nescio miraris quia ego nescio omnis creatura ignorat I know that the World was made Flesh but how he was made I know not neither is it any wonder that I know not because euery creature is ignorant of it Chrysost Hom. 5. saith Saint Chrysostome And therefore as the Prophet Dauid saith of himselfe I am fearefully and wonderfully made Psal 139 13. So we may say of this Sonne of Dauid that he is most wonderfully made for First His Mother was sanctified with the fulnesse of grace with the ouer-shadowing of the Holy Ghost and with the inhabitation of the Sonne of God And therefore Saint Bernard saith that shee was Sine pudore faecunda sine grauamine grauida sine dolore puerpera Great with Childe without breach of chastity a Mother and yet a Maide a Woman and yet escaping the curse of all Women for the Law had accursed them all Virgins because they were barren Luc. 1.25 and the married Wiues because they should beare in sorrow Gen. 3.16 but the blessed Virgin escaped both Quia virgo genuit dolorem non sensit For that shee conceiued without sinne and was deliuered without paine as Saint Augustine sheweth by the example of the Sunne that shines through a glasse and yet breakes it not and of the fire that Moses saw in the bush and yet consumed it not but whether shee felt any paines or not I cannot tell onely this wee may be sure of that the greatnesse of her ioy and gladnesse to bring forth such a Sonne might well swallow vp the greatest paine and griefe And as shee conceiued a Virgin That the blessed Virgin continued still a Virgin so shee continued a Virgin as all the most iudicious Writers haue affirmed for it is neither piety to speake nor reason to thinke that Ioseph being so iust and so godly a man as the holy Scriptures doe testifie of him and being eighty yeeres old when hee was espoused vnto Mary as Epiphanius saith should haue any desire to know her whom hee knew did beare his Sauiour or that shee especially should yeeld to the desire of any man after she had conceiued brought forth a God Secondly Though the substance and the parts of other men in ordinary generation be framed successiuely by degrees for the seminall humor first becomes an Embryo then a body inorganicall then are the liuer heart and braine fashioned and then the rest one after another perfected and it is at least forty dayes
therefore hee must needes haue two natures in him according to one whereof he was before Abraham and according to the other he was after Abraham And further Vigilius l. 2. cont Eutych Philip. 2. we finde the same confirmed and confessed by all antiquity for Vigilius writing vpon those words of the Apostle who being in the forme of God tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant saith Mirum est c. It is a wonder to thinke why some are afraide to say that Christ had two natures when as the Apostle saith that he had two formes and the great oecumenicall Councell of Calcedon wherein were 630 Bishops Concil Calced Act. 5. in Symb. fidei left this confession vnto all posterity Confitemur in nouissimis diebus filium Dei vnigenitum in duabus naturis inconfuse immutabiliter indiuise inseparabiliter agnoscendum nunquam sublata differentia propter vnionem We confesse that the onely begotten Sonne of God which came in the last dayes to be incarnate is now to be acknowledged to be and to subsist of two natures i. e. Diuine and humane inconfused immutably inseperably and vndiuidedly vnited together and that the differences or distinction of these natures is neuer to be abolished and taken away by reason of the vnion of the same All the actions of Christ doe manifestly shew the two natures of Christ And so in very deed we finde all the actions of our Sauiour Christ while he liued here on earth to make inanswerable proofe of the same truth for as Saint Augustine saith Iacebat Christus quantum ad carnem mortuus in sepulchro mortuos suscitans in inferno vitam tribuens vniuersis in caelo Christ according to the flesh lay dead in his graue yet did he then in Hell i. e. in respect of his soule according to his Godhead raise the dead here on earth Aug. sup Mat. 5. contra Foelicem and giue life to all them that were in heauen Quia vt nec mundum dimittens ad coelum ascendit ita nec coelum deserens venit ad nos sed vno atque eodem tempore totum totus impleuit Because that as now he hath not left the world though he be ascended into Heauen so then he did not leaue the Heauens when hee came to be made flesh on earth but was wholly at one and the selfe-same time in all places replenishing and filling all things And Gregorie Nazianzen doth most excellently shew how the properties of both his natures concurred together and might be easily discerned in him from the very beginning of his dayes Luc. 2.7 to the last end of his being here on earth for he is borne of his mother and wrapped in swadling clouts as being a man but a starre doth manifest him Matth. 2.11 and the wise men adore him as being a God Matth. 3.16 he is baptized in Iordan as being a man but the Holy Ghost descends vpon him from Heauen as being a God he is tempted of the Deuill Mar. 1.12 as he is a man but he ouercomes and expels the Diuels Iohn 4.6 as he is a God he trauels and is thirstie he is hungry and is weary as he is a man but he refresheth the wearie hee feedeth the hungry Iohn 7. and he giueth drinke vnto the thirstie as hee is a God Matth. 24.26 he sleepes in the ship and his Disciples awake him as he is a man but he rebukes the windes and stilleth the rage of the Seas Matth. 8.20 as he is a God he is poore and needy and hath not an house to put his head in as he is a man but he is rich and mighty and cannot be contained in the heauens as he is a God he his sorrowfull and sad he weepes and he prayes as he is a man but he heareth our prayers and comforteth the sorrowfull Matth. 26. as hee is a God he is subiect to infirmities as he is a man Iohn 14. but he healeth all our infirmitie as he is a God he is whipped and crucified as hee is a man but he renteth the vaile of the Temple Esay 53. and causeth the Sunne to hide his face for shame to see him crucified as hee is a God he saith Eloi Eloi Lamasabachthani My God my God Matth. 27.46 why hast thou forsaken me as he is a man but hee saith vnto the theefe This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise as he is a God Luke 23.43 he dyeth and is buryed and lyeth in his graue as he is a man but he ouercommeth Death and destroyeth the Diuels Matt. 27.50.60 and raiseth himselfe vnto life againe as he is a God and being risen he appeares vnto his Disciples and eates and talkes with them Luke 24. v 15. 31. as he is a man but he vanisheth out of their sight and ascendeth vp vnto Heauen as he is a God and so now the Heauens doe containe him and he sitteth there on the right hand of God Psal 68.4 as he is a man but he sustaineth the Heauens and rideth vpon the same as vpon an horse as he is a God and so Fulgentius saith Fulgent ser de Epiphan Iste puer in praesepi quidem paruulus collocatur sed magnus in coelo mirabiliter operatur permittit se manibus in terra portari sed praecipit sibi coelestia famulari That little child is laid in a cratch i. e. as he is a man but he doth wonderfully worke in heauen i. e. as he is a God and he suffereth himselfe to be carryed in their armes as he is a man but he supporteth all things and commandeth all the hoast of Heauen to doe him seruice as he is a God And therefore it is most apparant that the person of Christ so subsisteth Vt cum in homine Christo videtur veritas hominis Idem de persona Christi l. 2. ad Tamrisi in eodem Deo Christo cognoscatur paternae veritas deitatis as when we see the veritie of the Manhood in the Man Christ Iesus we must know and acknowledge the eternall Deitie in the same God Christ Iesus because he is still a perfect God and a perfect man and of these two natures subsisting in one person inconfused But against this Eutyches and his followers What the Eutychian heretickes say against this truth haue and doe most impiously affirme that in Christ after his Incarnation there is but one onely nature made of the Word and of the flesh by the conuersion of the Deitie into the humanitie because the Euangelist saith that the Word was made flesh euen as when the Water was made Wine it was no more Water but was presently conuerted into Wine Nazian in Ep. ad Clidonium or else by the conuersion of the flesh into the Deitie because Gregory Nazianzen and Gregory Nyssen say that Caro Christi est deificata the flesh of Christ is now deified and to confirme
especially of two sorts 1. Some in respect of Christ 2. Others in respect of Christians First Those in respect of Christ are likewise three-fold 1. The benefit of the vnion of the two natures in respect of Christ is three-fold Esay 53.12 1 Pet. 2.22 1. An exemption of all sinne and corruption from Christ 2. The collation of ineffable graces into the humanity of Christ 3. The communication of the properties of each Nature to the person of Christ First We finde that although Christ appeared like a sinfull man and was numbred among the wicked yet in very deede he did no sinne neither was any guile found in his mouth for though In carnis assumptione condescendit mihi in culpae tamen vitatione consului◠sibi 1. To free the manhood from all sinne He assumed the true nature of man yet by reason of his pure conception and of this hypostaticall vnion hee was conceiued and liued without sinne and so as Leo saith Qui non alienus ab hominum genere alienus fuit à crimine He tooke vpon him the seede of man but not the sinne of man he vnited himselfe to our nature but he shunned all the iniquity of our nature Secondly The graces callated vnto the humanity of Christ by reason of this vnion of the two natures are very many especially these sixe 2. To inrich the manhood with these and the like speciall graces First His subsistence and that in the second person of the Trinity whereof it selfe as of it selfe is destitute Secondly An extraordinary dignity in that it is a peculiar Temple for the Deity of Christ to dwell in and the place where the Godhead shewes it selfe more manifestly and more gloriously then in any other Creature whatsoeuer for though God sheweth himselfe by his prouidence to be in all his Creatures and by his grace to be after a more speciall manner in his Saints yet is he onely most gloriously eternally inhabiting according to the fulnesse of his Deity by an hypostaticall vnion in the humanity of Christ for In him dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily Collos 2.9 And as now in this life No man commeth vnto God but by Christ so hereafter in the next life No man can see God but in the face of Iesus Christ Thirdly A more neere familiarity with the Godhead then any other Creature whether Men or Angels either had or haue or can haue for that to all other Creatures he is adioyned onely by the presence of his grace or glory but to the humanity of Christ he hath personally vnited himselfe for euer So that as he said My Father and I are one that is one essence he may as truly say the Manhood and I are one that is one onely person for euer Fourthly An extraordinary measure without measure of habituall graces wisedome vnderstanding holinesse and the like such as dwels not in that measure in any other Creature whatsoeuer no not in the very chiefest Angels of God for to all them were giuen grace by measure but to the humanity of Christ Ephes 4 7. was giuen grace without measure Iohn 3.34 saith the Baptist euen so much as a Creature is any wayes capable of Fiftly A partner agent with the Godhead according to its measure in the workes of redemption mediation and such like Sixtly To be adored and worshipped with diuine honour not as it is considered in it selfe without respect vnto the Deity but as it is vnited with the Godhead Neque tamen creaturam adoramus Athanas Orat. 5. contra Arrianos Wee worship not the flesh alone considered but wee adore the person of Christ which consisteth of the Word and our Flesh absit sed dominum rerum creatarum incarnatum verbum deum adoramus And yet we adore no Creature God forbid but we worship and adore the Lord of all Creatures the incarnate Word God Iesus Christ saith Athanasius Nam veluti si quis nostrum c. For as if any one of vs should finde a purple roabe or a Kingly Diademe lying vpon the ground would he worship the same trow you but when the King is clothed and decked with the same he is guilty of death that despiseth and refuseth to worship and honour them together with the King that weareth them euen so in our Sauiour Christ wee doe not adore the sole and bare humanity Aug. de verbis Domini sec Joh. Ser. 58. but being vnited vnto the Deity whosoeuer shall despise to adore with diuine worship that onely Sonne of God true God and true man hee shall vndoubtedly suffer the paines of eternall death saith Saint Augustine 3. To haue the properties of each nature to bee indifferently predicated of the whole person of Christ Thirdly For the communicating of the properties we are to consider it First In respect of those properties which are common to both natures ioyntly considered Secondly In respect of those properties which are peculiar to either nature seuerally considered First The Office of a Mediator is ascribed to Christ in respect of both natures Quia totus Christus secundum diuinitatem humanitatem est Mediator Intercessor because whole Christ according to his Deity and humanity is our Mediator and Intercessor saith Saint Augustine Secondly The peculiar properties of either nature are said to be communicated when they are predicated or spoken of the whole person of Christ in the concrete and largest extent and this communicating of properties is nothing else but a forme of speech whereby those things are spoken of the whole person of Christ which indeede are proper to either one nature and not to the other for oftentimes it comes to passe that by reason of the personall vnion of these two natures each one of them doth interchangeably take the concrete names each of other in predication Acts 20.28 as when it is said That God purchased the Church with his owne bloud not that the Godhead shed bloud but because that person which was a God did shed bloud to procure redemption not which it had as God but which it had in respect of the Manhood vnited vnto it So the Sonne of man talking with Nicodemus Iohn 3.13 is said To be in Heauen not that hee was in Heauen as he was man while he was on earth but because that person which was the Sonne of man was by something that was in his person that is his Deity in Heauen So Saint Paul in the first Chapter to the Romans Rom. 1.4 Verse 3.4 doth giue vs a perfect patterne how to interpret all such alternate predications for there hee saith That the Sonne of God was made of the seede of Dauid but how not according to his diuine Sonneship or Deity which hee had from all eternity but in respect of his humane nature which was personally vnited vnto the Sonne of God And therefore though it be most vsuall in the Scripture to heare things properly appertaining to the
beginning and ending The second is proper to seules and spirits which haue beginning but shall neuer haue ending The third is proper to all compound bodies which as they had beginning so they shall haue ending Quia omnia orta occidunt omnia aucta senescunt Because all raised or created things shall fall and whatsoeuer increaseth waxeth old After the first sense the Word was neuer made in any time but is the Father of all times and before all times After the second sense the Soule of Christ was made in time but to continue euer immortall for all times And How Christ was made in time After the third sence the Body of Christ was likewise made in time and to continue here but for a time in respect of his mortall condition before it was inuested with the indowments of immortality And so both Body and Soule of Christ were made in time to subsist in the person of him that made all time that time wherin he was made thus to subsist was in the fulnesse of time saith the Apostle for as places so times haue their fulnesse and their emptinesse some places are empty hauing nothing in them but onely ayre and some are full of gold and pearles and precious things euen so some times are voyde of strange accidents How time hath his fulnesse and sometimes are full of admirable occurrents and in such a time was the Word made flesh the Sonne of God made man for now the time was full of peace full of plenty and full of wickednesse the Diuell had broken loose and had possest the minds of most and the bodies of many men more then euer before or euer since as some imagine by reason of those multitudes that they reade of to be really possessed with Diuels in our Sauiours time And therefore being so full of all vnrighteousnesse Rom. 29. he that was the fulnesse of grace came to root out the euill weeds of our sinnes Iohn 1.16 and out of his fulnesse to offer vs grace for grace For First hee would not come before Adam fell because that had beene superfluous to seeke the sheepe before the sheepe were lost Secondly he would not come presently after because thereby he would shew the greater loue to mankinde for though in some cases it be true that gratia ab officio quod mora tardat abest delayed kindnesse looseth halfe his goodnesse yet herein the long tarrying of Christ before he came to be incarnate was a manifest signe of his greater goodnesse towards vs for these three speciall causes First that by the Law of nature Why Christ stayed so long before he came and by the written Law of God man might be conuinced and see his owne sinnes and so be the more moued to seeke his Sauiour Secondly that he tarrying for a while might be the more earnestly desired and make him being obtayned to become the more acceptable vnto vs Quia diu desiderata dulcius obtinentur because that things long desired are more sweet when they are obtained as Saint Augustine speaketh Thirdly that due preparation might be made by the Patriarches and Prophets before his comming and the people made by them apt and ready to receiue him and to imbrace his comming that so his comming might be the more profitable vnto them for they were sent to prepare Matth. 3.3 and to make straight the way of the Lord and therefore as his tarrying now from comming to iudgement is an exceeding great argument of his goodnesse because he doth it to see if his long patience will leade vs to repentance so his long tarrying then was a sure signe of his greater loue because he would haue vs thereby to be fitted to make the better vse of his comming and yet Why Christ would not stay any longer then he did Thirdly he would not stay vntill the last end of the world Ne fides spes de promisso semine nimis tardatae perirent Least staying so long there should be no hope left to expect him no faith to beleeue in him and no charity to loue him when hee should come For though there was but a little goodnesse then God knowes Patrios ante dies filius quaerebat in annos Yet there is a great deale lesse now all the world sees Terras Astraea reliquit For our Sauiour told vs that towards the end of the world The loue of many should waxe cold and faith should scarce be found vpon the face of the whole earth And therefore seeing that to come in the beginning of the world had beene too soone and to tarry till the latter end had been too late he came in the fittest time in the fulnesse of time to be incarnate and made flesh The particular time of the Words incarnation And if we search a little further to know more particularly what time was this fulnesse of time we shall finde it to be 1. In the sixt Age of the world 2. In the Raigne of Augustus and Herod 3. In the tenth Moneth of the yeare 4. In the shortest Day of the Moneth 5. In the first Day of the Weeke 6. In the first Houre of the Day First We must note that as man which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the little world so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great and large Vniuerse hath his times and his ages for Damascen Lucidus and others as Clicthouaeus collecteth doe affirme that the worlds age is seauen-fold How the world is diuided into his seuerall ages First the infancy of it from Adam to the flood Secondly the child-hood of it from the flood to Abraham Thirdly the youth of it from Abraham to Moses Fourthly the riper and liuelier youth from the Law to Dauid Fiftly the man-hood of it from the Temple of Salomon to the Captiuity Sixtly the maturity of it from the Captiuity of Babylon vnto Christ Seauenthly Aug. de ciuit Dei l. vlt. c. vlt. the dotage of it from Christ vnto Iudgement but Saint Augustine Saint Chrysostome Saint Isidore Bede Arrias Montanus and others though they say the world doth consist of seauen ages yet they doe diuide them otherwise viz. 1. From Adam vnto Noahs Flood containing 1656. yeares The diuision of the worlds age 2. From Noahs Flood vnto Abraham 293. or 383. 3. From Abraham vnto Dauid 941. 4. From Dauid to the Captiuity 485. and 6. Moneths 5. From the Captiuity vnto Christ 620. 6. From Christ to the day of Iudgement 1624. hitherto and how many more none can tell As our Sauiour shewth Of that day and houre knoweth no man 7. From the day of Iudgement vnto all Eternity for euer and euer And so according to this account Christ was borne in the yeare of the world 4085. but according to the seauenty Interpreters account he was borne in the yeare 5461. and according to our account he was borne in the yeare 3948. and so I find in the account of yeares
things which for the present seeme harsh and bitter vnto vs will in the end proue to our great aduantage Thirdly For the manner of Christ his birth it is recorded Of the manner of Christs birth how meane it was in many respects that it was very poore and meane meaner then ordinary or extraordinary base for he was borne of poore Parents they trauelled on foote they had not an Asse to ride on in a poore Towne little Bethlehem which is by interpretation An House of Bread but such a poore House of Bread that there was scarce any bread in the House And then being come from darkenesse into light Non poterat verbum fari verbum This word could not speake a word but hee was wrapped in poore swadling cloutes it may be his Mothers ragges and then laid in a poore lodging euen in the Manger and so he was indeed made lower then the Angels for he was consorted and laid among the Beasts that perish Quia non erat locus in diuersorio Because there was no roome in the Inne for these poore innocent people among the drunken swaggering companions for these will be sure to haue roome Et pauper vbique iacet And the poore shall bee thrust out of doores And yet Christ was well contented he desired no better Why Christ would be born so meanely Psal 22.6 but chose indeede to come after this meanest manner First To fulfill the Scriptures for the Prophet Dauid said in the person of Christ I am a worme and no man a very scorne of men and the outcast of the people And the Prophet Esay saith He should grow vp as a roote out of a dry ground i. e. wrinckled and almost withered for want of radicall moysture He hath neither forme nor comelinesse and when wee shall see him there is no beauty Esay 53.2.3 that we should desire him he is despised and reiected of men Secondly To teach vs true humility Descendit quo inferius non decuit vt ascenderet quo superius non poterat For he made himselfe of no reputation that he might be exalted Phil. 2.9 and haue a name giuen him about all other names to shew vnto vs Luke 18.14 that Whosoeuer humbleth himselfe shall be exalted Thirdly To condemne the courses and desires of worldly men for they desire nothing so much as wealth honours and promotions and yet all the Monarchs of this World with all their pompe and power with all their riches and greatnesse cannot reconcile one soule to God They must let that alone for euer But Christ poore stript and naked hath so pleased God that through him God cannot be displeased with vs for it is goodnesse and not greatnesse to be void of sinne and not to be full of riches that our God respecteth Fourthly To procure true riches vnto vs for so the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 8.9 that Christ though he was rich yet for our sake he became poore that we through his pouerty might be made rich Fiftly To shew the difference betwixt his first and his second comming for now he came in pouerty but then hee shall come in maiesty Math. 16.27 He shall come on the glory of his Father with his Angels The Earth shall burne the Heauens shall melt and all the powers of the same shall be shaken And therefore seeing as Emyssenus saith Talis tantus sit horror venientis quis poterit terrorem sustinere iudicantis That comming of his shall be so terrible as that all the wicked crue of damned sort shall exceedingly howle and cry and pray the mountaines to fall vpon them and to hide them from that fearefull day let vs make the right vse of this his first comming that wee may escape the terror of his second comming And so you see the manner of his birth weakely poorely and meanely That we should be well contented with any state And this should teach vs to be euer contented with our poore and meane estate for if the Sonne of God who made all things and whose all things are All the Cattle vpon a thousand hilles was well contented and made choyce of this low estate why should we be discontented with the same for wee are vnworthy of the very Bread wee eate and of the very Light of Heauen wherewith we are illuminated we are very base and miserable beggars begging of God the very crummes that wee eate Math. 6.11 saying Giue vs this day our daily bread and yet such is our pride and haughtinesse that wee are ready to snatch it out of his hands and not to stay while he giues it vs Such is our disdaine and discontentednesse that the daintiest fare will scarce please vs and such is our desire and ambition that euery man still cryeth with the Daughters of the Horse-leech More more Our eyes are neuer satisfied with seeing nor our eares with hearing nor our hearts with enioying the vanities of this World But alas Beloued Beware of murmuring Wisedome 1. 11. which is nothing worth and let the same minde be in you herein as was in Christ Iesus If you would be happy remember how he came Phil. 2.5 Math. 8.20 poore and meane remember how he liued meane and miserable for He had not an House wherein to put his head We haue more then that and remember how hee was entertained cold and comfortlesse Math. 10.24.25 for He came amongst his owne and his owne receiued him not And therefore seeing he found such cold entertainement in the world why should wee looke for any better or be any wayes discontented at the like for The Seruant is not aboue his Master but it is enough for the seruant to be as his Master is CHAP. III. Of the testimonies which proue that Christ the Messias is borne THirdly Of the witnesses that testifie the birth and comming of the Messias For the testimony and witnesse whereby he was approued and confirmed vnto the world to be incarnate and made Flesh for to be the Sauiour and Redeemer of the World I finde the same especially to be two-fold 1. The Creatures 2. The Creator First The testimony of the Creature is three-fold 1. The Angels of Heauen 2. The Starres in the Skies 3. Men on Earth First An Angell said vnto the Shepheards Luke 2.11 Vnto you is borne this day in the City of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord And immediately there were not sixe Cherubims as Esayas saw nor foure and twenty Elders Esay 6.2 as Saint Iohn saw but a multitude of heauenly Angels that by their heauenly Halelu-iah did confirme the same And therefore the truth hereof is infallible because the Angels though they bee mutable by nature yet they be now cōfirmed by grace Isidorus l. 1. c. 12. de summo bono Ne à veritate voluntatem auerterent That they cannot lye nor fall away from truth as Isidorus saith Secondly The gentile Prophet Baalam prophesied that there
Quem dixerunt regem Iudaeorum erat Creator Angelorum quem viderunt paruum in praesepio erat immensus in coelo Whom they had called King of the Iewes was the Lord and Maker of the Angels and whom they saw little and poore in the cratch was rich and immeasurable in Heauen Quod non capis quod non vides Fulgentius ser de Epiphania Thom in hymn Animosa firmat fides Praeter rerum ordinem Their faith did shew them that he was their God And so that starre which sent forth these three fore-named beames of light into the hearts of these Wise men did send from thence by reflection three other beames of light for our instruction for here we see this starre wrought in them First Illumination and Faith in their hearts What effects the Starre wrought in the Wise men for when they saw him they beleeued in him Secondly Confession and Inquisition in their Mouthes for when they lost him they made diligent search and inquisition after him saying Where is he that is borne King of the Iewes Deut. 6.16 Thirdly Diligence and Obedience in their Actions for they made hast to goe vnto him and when they came they came not empty-handed but they brought vnto him Gold Frankinsence and Myrrhe Aurea nascenti fuderunt munera regi Thura dedâ—â—e deo myrrham tribuere sepulchro And so herein these Wise men were wise indeed not because they had all the wisedome of the Gentiles but because they did thus seeke and find him In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Oh that it were so with vs that wee did know him beleeue in him goe vnto him search and seeke him and offer him our selues and ours to doe him seruice Pro myrrha lachrymas auro cor porrige purum Pro thure ex humili pectore funde preces And we shall not neede to fetch gold from Ophire What we shold offer vnto Christ but the gold of a pure Faith which will abide the fiery tryall neither shal we need to goe to the Apothecaries to buy their Frankinsence or Myrrhe but the sweet perfume of deuout prayers and the bitter teares of godly sorrow for out vngodly sinnes these are the most acceptable sacrifices vnto Christ And as the fore-named witnesses which were primitiae Martyrum the first fruits of his witnesses both of the Iewes and Gentiles doe testifie this truth vnto the world so to these are added the testimony of Iohn the Baptist for he was sent to beare witnes of that light Iohn 1.8 and he testified and bare witnesse of him that he was that Lambe of God John 1.29 which taketh away the sinnes of the world And because we should the better beleeue him and his testimonie herein he sheweth how he came to know him to be the true Messias euen by the testimony of the Spirit of truth for I knew him not saith he but he that sent me to baptize with water i. e. the holy Ghost said vnto me vpon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him the same is he which baptizeth with the holy Ghost and I saw saith he and bare record that this is the Sonne of God Iohn 1.33 And then the testimony of all the Euangelists the Apostles the Fathers the Martyres and all the holy Men of God which haue testified and sealed this truth vnto vs some with their words some with their workes and some with their deerest blood That God himselfe testified Christ to be his sonne Matth. 3.17 Secondly if these testimonies of the creatures be not sufficient to proue Iesus the Sonne of Mary to be the Eternall Sonne of God we find God himselfe the Creator of Heauen and Earth testifying the same for though the testimony of Iohn was sufficient Iohn 5.35 to satisfie any man because he was aburning a shining light in whom the Iewes themselues were willing to reioyce for a season as our Sauiour witnesseth yet Christ needed not to receiue testimony from man John 5.36 because he had a greater witnesse then that of Iohn euen the Father himselfe which sent him he bare witnesse of him and with an audible voyce he proclaymed the same twice from heauen saying first at the Riuer Iordan and then on Mount Thabor Matth. 7.5 that he was his Beloued Sonne in whom hee was well pleased John 5.36 And these are sufficient witnesses Quia dicta Iehouae dicta pura Because the words of the Lord are pure words as the Psalmist saith Or if any Athiest will not beleeue these Diuine Oracles let him beleeue his owne eyes If he will beleeue neither Angels Men nor GOD let him beleeue himselfe Matth. 7.16 for the very workes that I doe testifie of me for the workes of euery man doe testifie of him what he is because that is a sure rule of our Sauiour By their fruits you shall know them But then you must not vnderstand their workes as they are reported to bee for so wee are and may be many times deceiued for Iohn came Matth. 11.18 neither eating nor drinking and they said he had a Diuell and our Sauiour came eating and drinking and they said behold a Glutton and a Wine-bibber And the Prophet Dauid saith They laid to his charge things that hee neuer knew So the Christians of the Primitiue Church that were as carefull as men might possible be for their liues to leade a strict and an vpright life yet is it incredible almost to thinke what wicked reports were raised of them and therefore not the workes of man as they are by enuy or malice bruited to be for what will not enuy say but as they are in deed and verity doe manifestly shew what any man is and therefore Christ saith vnto the Iewes If you were the sonnes of Abraham Iohn 8.39 you would doe the workes of Abraham and Saint Iames saith Iames 2.18 Shew me thy Faith by thy Workes for the workes of a man truely considered is an infallible argument to shew what he is so the workes that our Sauiour did while he did liue on earth doe sufficiently proue him to be both God and Man and so his very enemies testified saying He hath done all things well Mark 7.37 he maketh both the deafe to heare and the dumbe to speake and those that doubted of him whether he was the true Messias or not said Iohn 7.31 When Christ commeth will he doe more miracles then these which he hath done and the works that he doth now raigning in heauen doe sufficiently proue him to be the Maker Preseruer Heb. 10.12.13 and Redeemer of men for he sitteth on the right hand of God Rom. 8.34 1 Cor 15.35 Matth. 11 6. making intersession for his Saints and ruling till he hath put all his enemies vnder his feete And therefore I conclude as I began that the Word was made flesh and blessed is he that
or grieue the good by vpbraiding them with the faults of the bad Secondly to shew vnto vs Nazian orat 4. de theol that men may be called to eminent and holy places yet be cast-awayes because it is not the excellency or the Sanctity of the calling but our holy and vpright conuersation in our callings that makes vs acceptable in the sight of God Thirdly To testifie Christ his innocencie that had alwaies his enemie to behold his conuersation Fourthly For our example to be patient Aug. li. 18. c. 49 de Ciuitat to suffer wicked men amongst vs. But againe it may be demanded why he made him his Purse-bearer knowing him to be a thiefe To this Aquinas answereth Thom. in Iohn 12. that God vseth to commit his spirituall graces to his best seruants and his temporall gifts to those that are more worldly minded to see if by any meanes he may gaine them to serue him Why Christ made Iudas his Purse-bearer for the worldlings will serue God many times when God blesseth them with all manner of store therefore Christ knowing Iudas to be a couetous wretch he made him his steward and committed to his hands all their wealth to see if this might moue him to bee true and faithfull vnto him All this Christ did for him and yet as the Prouerbe is Improbus à nullo flectitur obsequio saue a thiefe from the Gallowes and he will be the first that will seeke to hang thee so Iudas had put all these blessings in a riuen dish and as the Leopard is saide to be most sauage vnto them that doe most good to him so doth Iudas here first betray his Master that was his best friend and had done most good vnto him but wee must consider Secondly why Iudas betrayed Christ Why Judas betrayed Christ The Euangelist sheweth briefly that because the oyntment which was poured on Christ was not solde for 300. pence and put into his bagge he went vnto the high Priests Lex talionis and sels Christ for 30. pence decorum pretium a goodly price to haue for the Lord of heauen and earth and therefore cleane contrarie we reade that 30. Iewes were sold for one pennie but for Iudas we see how the desire of money is the roote of all mischiefe What a horrible sinne is couetousnesse quid non mortalia pectora cogit auri sacra fames Or as Iuuenall saith Iuuen. Sat. 14. quae reuerentia legum quis metus aut pudor est vnquam properantis auari What will not couetousnesse cause a man to doe what feare of Law what loue of Vertue what shame or honestie can you finde in couetous wretches Boet. 2 5. Nam saeuior ignibus aetnae feruens amor ardet habendi For it made Achan hide the wedge of gold to the losse of his owne life it made Achab a murtherer of innocent Nabaoth it made Polymnestor kill his Nephew Polydorus and here it makes Iudas to betray his owne Lord and Master Iesus Christ yea and to bee the formost man of all the wicked companie to shew withall that as the old distich saith Non audet stygius daemon tentare quod audet Effraenus monachus plenaque fraudis ánus Jerem. 24.2 None is so bad as wicked Priests for they are like Ieremies figges either exceeding good or extreame euill either most faithfull for Christ or most feruent for Antichrist Thirdly the Euangelist tells vs how he did bring to passe his wicked fact for he gaue them a signe that whosoeuer hee should kisse That there are fiue kindes of kisses the same was he and wee finde that there are fiue kindes of kisses the first a whoorish kisse as Salomon saith of the Harlot that she caught a young man and kissed him the second a chaste kisse Prou. 7.13 Gen. 29.11 as Iacob kissed Rachel the third is a kisse of courtesie as our Sauiour said vnto Simon the Pharise Thou gauest me no kisse the fourth is a Symbolicall kisse for a signe of loue as the Apostle saith Luc. 7.45 Greet one another with an holy kisse the fift is a treacherous kisse 2 Cor. 13.12 as Ioab kissed Amasa and presently killed him whom he kissed and thus Iudas kissed Christ for he had said Whomsoeuer I shall kisse 2 Sam. 20. the same is he hold him fast Where obserue First That he gaue them a signe to know him Why Iudas gaue them a signe because it was night when they tooke him and because Iames that was called the brother of the Lord and was afterward Bishop of Ierusalem was so like him Ignat. in ep ad Joh. si vera ep Ignat. that it was very hard to know the one from the other and therefore lest they should mistake him and take â—ames or some other for him hee gaue them a signe to know him Secondly That this signe was a kisse Why the signe that Judas gaue was a kisse that he might the more cunningly worke his purpose Nam doli non sunt doli nisi astu colas for deceits are no deceits vnlesse they be cunningly carried and that if this way fayled he might as he thought haue still retained his place and credit because he had but dutifully saluted him And therefore he comes and kissed him saying Aue Rabbi Master God saue you but herein we see 1. His arrogancy 2. His iniquity First His arrogancy that he would presume with those lippes vnder which was the Poyson of Aspes to kisse those lippes in which was found no guile Iohn Baptist thought himselfe vnworthy to vntie the laâ—ched of his shooes and Iudas will presume to kisse his mouth and so all wicked men are euer more presumptuous then the godly and they are bold and impudent when the Saints doe feare and tremble Secondly His iniquitie is herein seene that in two words hee vttereth forth two lyes for hee saith Aue God saue you to him whom he desired to perish and he saith Rabbi Master to him whom he refused to follow and so you see sweet words from a poysoned heart a praying for his life and a betraying of him to death Ille mihi tam exosus est quam inferni portae Qui aliud animo occultat aliud ore profert An Act so horribly base that the very Heathen man could say he hates him as the gates of Hell that will say one thing and doe another thing And yet behold how our Sauiour deales with this wicked Traitor he kisseth him with the kisses of his mouth How our Sauiour sought to reclaime Iudas and to bring him to repentance and what greater signe of loue and whereas he might haue angerly and iustly reuiled him for his treachery he doth mildly and kindly salute him by the name of friend and what better name could hee vse for Father Wife or Children are but vaine names vnlesse they be friends O then Si honoras dulcis domine Inimicum
ámici nomine Quales erunt amoris carmine Qui te canunt modulamine sweet LORD if thou callest him friend that betrayed thee how graciously wilt thou honour them that doe serue thee but he goeth on to recall him to repentance for in saying Wherefore camest thou he sheweth his compassion towards him because they be Verba miserentis non querentis Words of pittying him as if he had said al â—s poore wretched man what dost thou meane to doe to runne from God vnto the Diuell for Christ knew well enough to what end he came and therefore hee addeth Iudas betrayest thou the Sonne of man with a kisse Iudas is thy name a name Honourable and Noble among the Iewes and wilt thou now so stayne it that it shall be for euer so odious among all Christians that not any one of them will be called by it but distaine it as a most infamous appellation euen for euer Et tradis and wilt thou proue a Traitor to betray yea and to betray the Sonne of man and that with a kisse for if thou wouldst needs betray him why so hypocritically with a kisse O signum sacrilegum Aug. Ser. 3. post pal fer 2. de pass ex Bosq O placitum fugiendum vbi ab osculo incipitur bellum per pacis indicium pacis rumpitur sacramentum O most horrible and a most hatefull fact when Warre is begun with a kisse Tuta frequensque via sub amici fallere nomen tuta frequensq licet sit via crimen habet and peace is broken vnder the colour of Peace to proue the prouerbe true Quicquid id est timeo Danaos dona ferentes Whatsoeuer mine enemie doth yet still I feare him and I will loue rather the wounds of my friends then the kisses or gifts of my foes least they proue like the kisses of Iudas or the mutuall gifts of Hector and Aiax to be the chiefe instruments of their destruction Esay 5. â— But quid debuit Nay quid potuit vltra facere quod non fecit What could Christ doe more to recall this Iudas to repentance then he did O that he had had the grace to vnderstand it and to make a right vse of this blessed Sermon of our Sauiour Christ Iudas betrayest thou the Sonne of man with a kisse for he desired not the death of a sinner but rather that he should repent and liue Yet nothing could preuaile to doe him good Nothing can reclaime an obstinate sinner Te saeuae progeuiere ferae He was so hardened in his wickednesse that nothing could bring him to repentance to shew the fearefull case of those men that notwithstanding all our preaching will still goe on in their old vsuall sinfull courses and neuer turne vntill with Iudas they come as it is said of him into their owne places i. e. the pit of destruction And therefore as Caesar said Etiam tu Brute So our Sauiour seeing not a stranger but Hominem pacis suae Iudas one of the twelue Apostles his companion and his owne familiar friend which did also eat at his Table yea and dipped his hands in the same dish with him Magnificare supplantationem to lift vp his heele against his Master his Maker his Redeemer Aug. Ser. 117. Et officio sanguinem fundere and to betray him so treacherously with a kisse yea and also to contemne this his gracious Sermon as to make no vse thereof this must needes be a griefe and a sorrow vnto him especially if wee consider how hee doth alwayes grieue more at our destruction then he doth at his owne sufferings and most grieuous Passions Now the practice of Iudas to betray his Master with a kisse What wee should learne from the consideration of this Treason of Iudas should teach all Masters not to trust euery seruant too farre for as all is not honey that is sweet nor all gold that glistereth So is not euery man a faithfull seruant that saith Haile Master God saue you And the reward of Iudas to hang himselfe to destroy himselfe to damne his soule and with that little gaine he got to buy a field of bloud for others and to purchase Hell for himselfe should teach all seruants to take heede that they betray not their masters and all men to beware of couetousnesse Secondly Iudas had no sooner betrayed him into the hands of sinners but all his followers presently fled his best beloued Iohn was now deiected and the stoutest Peter did follow aloofe all the rest did basely hide their heads and withdraw themselues cleane away Not long before he had fed them with his own body and refreshed their spirits with his most pretious bloud and yet now they all forsake him which should support him and he was left alone in the hands of the barbarous souldiers well hee might looke as the Prophet saith for some to haue pâ—tty vpon him but looke while he would there was no man to helpe him no Zach. 13.7 nor yet to pitty him for I will smite the shepheard and all the sheepe shall be scattered And what a griefe it is to a man to see himselfe destitute of all friends and forsaken of all his familiars as if heauen and earth had conspired to leaue him helpelesse let any man iudge Thirdly Iudas hauing giuen this signe then the whole cohort the whole company of armed souldiers consisting of 1000. men as Vatablus saith or of 55. footmen and 56. horsemen as others thinke comes in the midst of the night with swords and staues to take him and to lay hold vpon him which they might haue peaceably taken in the day time teaching in the Temple but that as Saint Ambrose saith Ambr. in Mat. 26. Factum congruit tempori personis The fact and the time and the persons doe well agree because that a worke of darkenesse done by the children of darknesse was fittest to be done in the time of the greatest darkenesse and when the souldiers had apprehended him they presently bound his hands and perhaps shackled his feete with chaynes Ecce trahebatur passis priameia virgo crinibus Virgil. Aeneid 1. because Iudas had willed them before to hold him fast and because they would hereby fore-shew that hee should die they neuer vsing to bind any but those whom they vndoubtedly purposed to crucifie and especially because the Holy Ghost would hereby signifie that as Theeues are wont to be bound so our Sauiour Christ was contented to be bound not for his owne but for Adams theft he was bound for vs that we might bee loosed from the bonds of sinne And being thus bound they drew him by the haires of the head as Leo seemes to affirme when he saith Leo Ser. 7. de pass Trahunt volentem trahi sinentem sibi fieri quicquid sacerdotum instinctu popularis furor audebat They drew him that was willing to be drawne and contented to suffer them to doe vnto him
life Why Christ would not answere Pilate whence he was Or as others thinke he would not answere least by his eloquence he should haue escaped death insomuch that Pilate who vniustly condemned him iustly admired this that he which was wont to open his mouth in Parables and to teach others the way vnto eternall life would not at this time open his mouth to speake one word for himselfe to saue his life Secondly Pilate being much affraide to be thought an enemie vnto Caesar Marke 15.15 and being most willing to please the people as the Euangelist noteth he determined to deliuer him to be crucified And these were the motiues that caused Pilate to condemne our Sauiour Christ and these cause many a man to sinne when we feare man more then God What moued Pilate to deliuer Christ to be crucified and are desirous rather to please the people then to discharge our consciences from which two fearefull things good Lord deliuer euery faithfull soule Thirdly Because Pilate knew that for enuie the Iewes deliuered him to be crucified and his owne conscience by many arguments testified vnto him how vniustly hee condemned that iust man Math 27.24 The poor shift of Pilate to excuse himselfe therefore that it might happen vnto the Iewes according as they had concluded themselues His bloud be vpon vs and vpon our Children He taketh water and washeth his hands saying I am innocent from the bloud of this iust person See ye to it And then he gaue sentence that it should be as they required that IESVS CHRIST should be presently CRVCIFIED The sentence of Christs condemnation Ah sencelesse sinnefull man a man voide of wisedome to commit such an horrible sinne against thy God and to condemne life to death Alas what auaileth it thee to wash thy hands in water and to defile thy heart with bloud for how shalt thou answere this not onely to condemne an innocent Sed ijsdem labijs illum condemnare quibus pronuntiaueras innocentem But also with the same lippes to condemne him as guilty which euen now had pronounced him guiltlesse Surely God may say to thee as to all those Iudges that follow thy steppes to make a long speech to iustifie themselues Luke 19.22 and in few words to condemne the innocent Out of thine owne mouth will I condemne thee O thou euill seruant and I will iustly condemne thee to eternall death because thou hast vniustly condemned an innocent man to death O consider this ye that forget God and ye that be called Gods on Earth cleanse your hearts from all euill and let not your hands deale with wickednesse so shall you be innocent from the great offence And so you see what the Iudge of all the World suffered before these petty Iudges of this World CHAP. VI. What Christ suffered in Golgotha the place where he was crucified PIlate hauing passed sentence vpon Christ to be crucified the Souldiers take him and laying his Crosse a heauy Crosse vpon his shoulders as Isaac carried the wood wherewith himselfe should be sacrificed Gen. 22.6 2 Sam. 11.14 or as Vrias carried the Letters of his owne death they compelled him to carrie it so long as he was able to stand vnder it then meeting Simon of Cyrene comming from his perambulation in the fields they make him carrie that Crosse of Christ vnto the place of execution and placing the same in Golgotha which was the place where Adam was buried Ambros l. 5. Ep. 1â— as Saint Ambrose thinketh they nayled and fastened Christ vnto it vpon that very day of the weeke that Adam was created Two things considered vpon the Crosse and as is thought he was hanged vpon this Tree vpon the very same houre of the day as Adam did eate of the forbidden Tree And here wee must consider two especiall things 1. The grieuous things that he suffered Tantum distentus sum vt corpore nudo in modum tympanica pellis distento facile possint omnia ossa mea dinumerari Bern. de pass c. 7. 2. The gracious words that he vttered For the first they stretched his body as Saint Bernard saith and then they nayled him to the Crosse which was a grieuous torment vnto any but especially vnto him because his body of all other men was the most tender as being onely shaped of a Virgins substance without any commixture of the male nature and yet the most sensible parts of this tender body must be bored and mangled by his cruell enemies for his feete that afore were washed with Maries teares must now be teared with iron nayles and those blessed hands Bosquier de passione Domini p. 847. in fol. that had wrought so many wonderous workes must now be fastened Vnto this wooden Crosse and there he must hang vntill he die Horrendum dictu A most odious and a most grieuous death and that in foure respects First Because it was an accursed death so esteemed by man 1. An accursed death and so denounced by God himselfe where he saith Cursed is euery one that hangeth vpon a Tree Deut. 21. Gal. 3.13 Tripartit hist l. 1. c. 9. 2. A shamefull death And therefore Constantine the Great and good made a Law that no Christian should be crucified vpon a Crosse Secondly Because it was an ignominious and a shamefull death inflictâ—d chiefly vpon those slaues and seruants that either falsly accused or treacherously conspired their Masters death and it was neuer imposed vpon free men vnlesse it were for some haynous and notorious crimes as robberie murther sedition rebellion or such like 3. A painefull death Thirdly Because it was a most painefull death for that they were fastened to the Crosse not with any little nayles but with bigge purposely made nayles that might hold them sure and fast enough vnto the Crosse so bigge were the nayles that pierced Christ his hands and feete that being found they were found sufficient to make a bridle and a Helmet Socrates Hist l. 1. c. 17. as Socrates saith and then the whole waight of their bodies hanging by these parts made their paine intollerable and killed them at length without any deadly wound And therefore Cicero that most eloquent man which wanted no words to expresse any thing else when hee came to consider of this accursed death was brought to that passe Cicero Orat. 7. in ver to that non-plus as to say Quid dicam in crucem tollere What shall I say of that cruell and most painefull shamefull death of the Crosse 4. A slow and a lingring death Fourthly Because it was a slow and a lingering death for that as the Poet truly saith Morsque minus penae quam mora mortis habet To be long in paine is worse then death a soone dispatched riddance out of paine being a great fauour vnto a languishing life and although in other deaths they should be quickly dispatched and soone rid out of all their paine
sole of his foote vnto the crowne of his head Esay 1.6 there was nothing whole in him but wounds and swellings and soares most full of grieuous paines And in all this his great and grieuous sufferings we must know them to be the sharper in respect of the tendernesse of his body and the senciblenesse of his spirit because as Aristotle saith Quo complexio nobilior quo mens dexterior Aristot l. 2. de anima c. 9. co tenerior esse solet caro The more noble our complexion and the more quicke and nimble is our apprehension the more sencible is our flesh of the least paine and correction but the flesh of Christ of all other men must needes be the most tender The tenderer our flesh and the quicker our spirits the more sensible wee are of paine because as I shewed you before he was soly begotten of a pure Virgin and his minde must needes be most intellectiue and most apprehensiue of all paine because he was of that age which is most sensitiue and therefore the sufferings of Christ in all respects must needes be most insufferable And yet all this was but the least part of his sorrowes not neere the halfe of his sufferings for hee was to wrestle with the wrath of God that was due to vs for our sinnes yea hee was to tread the fiercenesse of the wrath of God Reuel 15.5 And there can be no conflict in the World so great as to grapple with an angry God for the Prophet Dauid speaking hereof Psal 76.7 saith Thou euen thou art to be feared and who can stand in thy sight when thou art angry The Earth trembled and quaked Psal 18. v. 7. 15. the very foundations also of the hilles shooke and were remoued because he was wroth yea the springs of waters were seene and the foundations of the round World were discouered That the sufferings of Christ were a great deale more then are expressed by the Euangelists or then can be conceiued by any man at thy chiding O Lord at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure And if his anger and displeasure be so great O who can endure the height of his furie who can ouercome by suffering the fiercenesse of his wrath And therefore to shew how vnspeakeable and how dangerous a tâ—ing it is for any man to define what the vnspeakeable sufferings and the incomprehensible feelings of Christ were both in the Garden of Gethsemane before his Iudges and especially vpon the Crosse in Mount Caluarie the Fathers of the Greeke Church in their Lyturgie after they had recounted his bloudy sweate his shamefull crowning his spitefull handling and all the other particular sufferings which are recorded by the Euangelists they doe most excellently conclude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By thine vnknowne sorrowes and by those infinite sufferings incomprehensible to vs though most sensibly felt by thee Haue mercy vpon vs and saue vs O Lord our God And in all this he truly suffered not imaginarily as some haue imagined Sed vere languores nostros ipse tulit But he truly bare our infirmities and carried our sorrowes Not as the Priests of the Law Leuit. 10.17 which were likewise said to beare the sinnes of the people i. e. typically in the figure but truly in the fact hee bare the punishment of them all and that not in outward appearance as malicious Marcion held it Tertull. contra Marc. l. 4. 8. Aug. de haeresibus ad Quodv heres 46. and afterwards the Manichees maintained it as Saint Augustine saith but as he was a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 physically and truly so hee endured and suffered all these sorrowes Vere sicut verus homo Most truly as being a true naturall man as Aquinas saith He did most sencibly and feelingly suffer them all for it was not with him as it was with the three Children in the third of Daniel Dan. 3 27. who were cast into the fierie Furnace and yet came out not hauing their hayre singed nor their coates changed nor the smell of fire had passed on them but as Plutarch reports of Coriolanus hee can yet shew his wounds that he suffered and make demonstratiue expressions of his sorrowes farre beyond the apprehension of any man to conceiue them But if any man demand how Christ being God could suffer any paine seeing the Deitie is subiect to no passion Heinsius P. 81. Heinsius answereth that Christ suffered not in respect of the diuine nature which he had as God but in respect of his humane nature which he had as he was Man for though the Deity was in the sufferer yet was it not in the suffering How the Godhead suffered not but sustained the manhood that it might suffer though it was in the Body of Christs passion yet was it not in the passion of Christs Body but as I shewed vnto you before Page 438 the humanity onely suffered and the Deity sustained it that it might suffer because the impotency of the one required the omnipotency of the other Christ being a man that he might suffer and being a God that he might be able so to suffer such insufferable things And therefore we say that Christ in respect of his Deity remained still intire vntouched invulnerable impassible and that very then when his humanity suffered and was dead the Deity liued impassibly and rent the vayle of the Temple sealed vp the Sunne-beames vnder a signet of Cimmerian Cloudes caused the Earth to tremble the Centurion to auerre that Christ was the true and essentiall Sonne of God and raysed vp the interred Carkasses from their graues And we say that it was the humane nature of Christ that stood and suffered vpon the Crosse and in the anguish of its passion breathed out that dolefull complaint euen to the Godhead hypostatically vnited vnto it as well as to the Father and to the holy Spirit saying My God my God Math 27.46 why hast thou forsaken me And although the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the distance betwixt these two Natures be so great and the disparity be so euident as that the one was passible and mortall the other impassible and immortall yet are they so combined and vnited in our Sauiour Christ that although he is not one nature yet is he but one person one Christ one Redeemer and when the humanity suffered and was buried yet was it not neither could it be possibly cast off or forsaken by the Deity vnto which the linkes and ligaments of Gods loue had so strictly and eternally obliged it by an hypostaticall and indissoluble vnion Thus Christ though he was God yet as man Dixit multa gessit mira pertulit dura dura verba duriora verbera durissima supplicia He bore and suffered an incredible paine and vnsufferable sorrowes Esay 53. so great and so grieuous that Esayas may well call him virum dolorum No sorrow like the sorrowes of Christ
loue to thee is and shall be such and so much as I shall be possibly able to expresse Fourthly to make vs willing to suffer with Christ For the fourth Saint Bernard tells vs that in the Passion of Christ there are three things especially to be considered 1. The Worke. 2. The Manner 3. The Cause And he saith that Christ shewed first in the worke singular patience secondly in the manner admirable humility and thirdly in the cause inestimable charity and therefore if wee would truely honour God for the giuing of his Sonne wee must labour what we can to imitate Christ herein First In patience Quia crux non ad impotentiae documentum sed ad exemplum patientiae suscepta est Because as Saint Augustine saith the Crosse of Christ is as a Schoolemaster to teach patience vnto all Christians And so Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 2.21 Christ suffered for vs leauing vs an example that we should follow his steps That the sufferings of Christ is an example to teach vs how to suffer 1 Mac. 6.34 In the first of the Machabees and the sixt It is said that Antiochus being to fight with Iudas Captaine of the hoste of the Iewes He shewed vnto his Elephants the bloud of Grapes and Mulberies to prouoke them the better vnto the fight and so the Holy Ghost hath set downe vnto vs what iniuries what contumelies what torments our Sauiour Christ did beare and how patiently he did beare them to incourage vs to indure whatsoeuer calamnities shall betide vs during this our pilgrimage here on earth for we see our Sauiour Christ Sine peccato venit tamen sine flagello non exijt Though we doe all know that he came into the world without sinne yet you doe see he went not out of the world without sorrow without suffering and therefore Chrys in 27. Matth. Quae nobis erit contumelia post quam haec Christus passus est What if wee suffer reproaches pouerty shame death what matter what shame is that to vs seeing Christ hath suffered all those things for vs nay what a shame is it vnto vs if we will not be ready to suffer any thing for his Names sake that hath suffered so much for our sinnes But we must note that our suffering with Christ We suffer with Christ two manner of wayes is two wayes to be considered First What we voluntarily assume to be made like vnto Christ Secondly What is malitiously imposed and we patiently suffer for the Name of Christ In the first sense Saint Gregory tels vs that duobus modis crux tollitur aut cum per abstinentiam affligitur corpus aut cum per compassionem animi affligitur animus Wee take vp our crosse two manner of wayes either when through abstinence fastings 1 Cor. 9.27 watchings praying we bring our bodies vnto subiection that they bring not our soules vnto destruction That as members of the same body we should willingly suffer when we see others suffer or else through a compassionate fellow-feeling of others miseries we make our selues copartners with them in all distresses and therefore we should euer crucifie and mortifie all the inordinate lusts of our flesh all our wanton and lasciuious cogitations and we should with all diligence fight against them as they doe fight against our soules and as members of the same body we should all suffer inward griefe when we see any man indure outward paine In the second sense we ought patiently to suffer whatsoeuer God in his wisedome or men in their malice shall lay vpon vs and that not onely because we cannot auoide them but because we are contented to vndergoe them for if the minde resisteth when the body suffereth we rebell in what we can and we doe onely suffer what we cannot helpe and God respecteth not so much the sufferings of the Martyres though their torments were almost intollerable as their meeke patience in suffering and therefore it is noted in our Sauiour Christ Esay 53 7. That God respecteth our patience in suffering more then our suffering that he was carried as a Sheepe to the slaughter and as a Lambe that was dumbe and opened not his mouth to teach vs as Saint Gregory saith that it is not the sword or the flame that makes a Martyr but the patient and willing minde of him that suffereth any thing for the name and truth of Christ Quia sine ferro flamma Martyres esse possumus sine patientia non possumus Because wee may be Martyres without the paine of sword or stake Cyprian de duplici Martyrio but wee cannot be Martyres without patience though wee should suffer by the sword or be burned at the stake as Saint Cyprian doth most excellently declare And therefore seeing Christ hath suffered for vs and hath suffered for our example to teach vs how we should suffer for his sake That we shold be most ready and willing to suffer any thing for the Name of Christ though the world should rage and swell and lay vpon vs all the waight of miseries that it could heape vpon vs pouerty reproaches banishment imprisonment death it selfe or any kinde of death fire sword or whatsoeuer yet let vs patiently suffer whatsoeuer shall be imposed vpon vs and let vs say with holy Iob Though the Lord should kill vs Iob 13.15 yet will we trust in him for seeing he suffered so much for vs to saue our soules from eternall death it were a shame if we should be vnwilling to suffer any thing for him and his truthes sake that it might be well with vs and our children for euer and that wee might haue for our selues eternall life Secondly Matth. 12.29 As we are to imitate Christ in patient suffering vnto death so we are to learne of him true humility to bee meeke and lowly in heart throughout all our life Thirdly We should imbrace that Queene of vertues Diuine charity that as Christ in loue That as Christ loued vs so we should loue him and loue one another for the loue of Christ and for the loue of man descended from Heauen and suffered all this for vs so we should for the loue of him suffer any thing rather then to swarue a nayles-bredth from him and doe what good wee can vnto all our neighbours for if we loue him we must needs loue one another And yet it is a lamentable thing to consider what strifes and contentions what hatred and heart-burning raigneth not onely betwixt the children of this world but also betwixt Christians in the Church of God I pray God we seeke not our owne rather the things that are Iesus Christs and make Religion to be a colour to make way for vs to execute our owne greedy mindes and desires to commit all wrong and oppression It was said of old when the Pope sent his Buls to fulfill his owne will that in nomine dei incipit omne malum
Surely this would euert all the Articles of our Faith that we doe professe touching the humanity of our Sauiour Christ and make Christ indeede to be no Christ at all Secondly The Angell confirmeth his assertion of Christs not being in his graue by a sufficient reason For he is risen for if he had said Luc. 24.6 But he is risen as Saint Luke saith it it had beene a further affirmation of his Resurrection but saying For he is risen it is likewise a confirmation of his former assertion He is not here And the reason is naturall and in nature it is vnanswerable He is risen and gone to another place therefore hee cannot be here in this place he is aliue on Earth and therefore not dead here in the graue And therefore Why seeke ye the liuing among the dead why seeke you Christ where he is not A doctrine surely to be well obserued Not to looke for Christ where he is not either in respect of 1. His spirituall 2. His corporall presence First For his spirituall presence we know where he is Gregor moral l. 18. c. 15. In sinu matris Ecclesiae In the bosome of our Mother the Church For where two or three are gathered together in my name Matth. 18.20 there am I in the middest of them And therefore If thus we would finde Christ Luke 2.44 let vs not with Ioseph and Mary seeke him among our Kinsmen and Acquaintance and worldly Friends Nam quomodo That Christ is no where to be found but in the Church O bone Iesu inter cognatos meos te inueniam qui inter tuos minimè es inuentus For how is it possible O sweete Iesu saith Saint Bernard that I should finde thee among my Kindred when thy Mother could not finde thee among thine owne Kinsmen and I would to God all the Bernards of our time would thinke on this but let vs with the Church in the Canticles Lyra ad loc cant 1.8 follow the foote-steppes of the Flockes vnto the Tents of the Shepheards that is Vestigia fidelium ad sedes doctorum The foote-steps of the faithfull to the seats of the Doctors and Teachers of Iesus Christ There he was found by his Mother and there he is still to be found of his Children And Secondly For his corporall presence we know where he is That Christ is no where corporally but in heauen Act. 3.21 sitting at the right hand of God in Heauen not in Earth for the Heauens must containe him vntill the restitution of all things Indeede Mary Magdalen and the rest of these Women here thought him to be in his graue but as yet he had not ascended into Heauen and they knew not what was become of him And therefore their ignorance may be excused for seeking Christ where he was not but we know where he is and therefore our negligence and preposterousnesse must needes be condemned and our selues shall be found void of all excuse Si quaeramus in tumulo Aug de tempore Serm. 133. quem adorare debemus in coelo If we seeke him not where he is and not still looke for him where he is not Our Sauiour tells vs and I cannot here omit it That there should arise false Prophets and they should say vnto you Loe here is Christ or loe there is Christ but he aduiseth vs to beleeue it not And surely wee haue many such false and deceitfull Prophets euen all the patrones of transubstantiation that teach vs to seeke for Christ where he is not Looke Doctor Sheldon in a Sermon preached before the King intituled Christ sitting on his throne and not in popish secrets where this is largely handled Aug. l. de vnit eccl cap. 3. Aquinas in cat sup Matth c. 24. for I doe assure my selfe as Master Doctor Sheldon hath most learnedly and largely proued that the prediction of Christ concerning the practise of those pseudochristians whereof he speaketh Matth. 24.26 saying that they should say vnto vs behold he is in the secrets is principally to be vnderstood of these men For Although diuers of the ancient interpreters as Origen Saint Augustine Aquinas and others doe expound those words of Christ mystically of the priuate conuenticles of hereticks that doe challenge vnto themselues only the spirituall presence of Christ and I confesse this to be true yet I say that this is not all the truth nor yet the chiefest intention of our Sauiour Christ and it is no maruell that the Fathers attained not vnto the full meaning of our Sauiours words because euery prophesie is as a riddle or a booke sealed vp hard to be interpreted as Ireneus saith contra heres lib. 4. cap. 43. but I say that Christ forewarneth vs to take heed of such as would pretend to teach him the true Christ to be personally present in most hidden and secret places wherein I beseech you to obserue these three particulars That Christ warneth vs to beware of thē that would seeme to teach the true Christ First that I say Christ forewarneth vs to take heed of such as pretend to teach the true Christ for he saith that these false prophets shall preuaile so farre in their perswasions as that the very elect shall be in danger to be seduced by their subtilties and therefore this doth plainly proue to me that they shall not denie the true Christ nor pretend to preach any other Christ for if they did so the elect might be said to be more in danger of persecution then seduction but that they should with lying arguments out of Christs owne words and in Christ his owne name as they will professe in the latter day teach and seeke to proue him the true Christ to be in secrets that is in those places That Christ warneth vs to beware of thē that teach his bodily presence any where but in heauen where he is not Secondly that I say Christ forewarneth vs to beware of such as teach him the true Christ to be personally and corporally present in those secret places wherein they auouch him to be for Christ bidding vs not to beleeue that hee is in such secrets setteth downe these two reasons to shew why we should not beleeue it First That Christ vseth two speciall reasons to proue that hee wil neuer come bodily to any secrets till the day of iudgement because that as the lightening commeth from the East and shineth vnto the West so shall the comming of the sonne of man be which is all one as if he had said when they shall tell you that I am personally present in any place beleeue it not because I shall neuer come personally spiritually I doe euery day vntill I come as a lightening i. e. suddenly gloriously manifestly which shall be his comming to iudgement Secondly because that wheresoeuer the body is thither will the Eagles be gathered together for though Origen senseth the body Origen tract 30 in Matth. to be
the Church the Eagles to be the Doctors and their gathering together to be their harmonious and ioynt-consent in truth and though Saint Ierome Theophylact and others Hieron in Matth. 4. and Theophylact. in Matth. 24. do by the body conceiue Christ crucified by the Eagles all the Saints and by their gathering together the applying of the merits of his passion vnto our soules yet Saint Chryostome Stella Ferus and Maldonate and many more euen of our Iesuites doe interpret these words of Christ his comming to iudgement and say that the body signifieth the personall presence of Christ the Eagles the Saints and their gathering together the meeting of him in iudgement and therefore by this reason Christ doth plainly intimate that they should not looke nor beleeue any personall presence of him in any secret places because hee is that body or that carkeise as both Theophilact and Beza vse the word vnto whom all the Saints shall be visibly gathered together and he at no time come bodily vnto them vntill they likewise come and be gathered vnto him And in both these reasons as you see he speaketh of a personall presence of himselfe publikely shewed and in this last nameth his body or carkeise and therefore in his predictions he forewarneth vs to beleeue not them which teach any personall or bodily presence of him in any secrets for otherwise it had beene to no purpose to bring these reasons of his not comming bodily vntill he should visibly come to iudgement to disswade vs from beleeuing any his spirituall comming for his not comming personally till the day of iudgement doth no way proue but hee may as he doth come spiritually euery day to bee present with his Saints in many secrets but his not comming personally till then is a sufficient reason to disswade vs from beleeuing any personall comming of him in secrets And That Christ willeth vs to beware of them that teach him to be bodily present in many places at once Thirdly that I say Christ forewarneth vs to take heed of such as teach him the true Christ to be thus personally present in many secret vnknowne places all at once for the very word which our Sauiour vseth to expresse the subtilties of these false prophets doth proue as much for First hee sheweth vs that they shall say he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in secrets which is a word that signifieth a most secret vnknowne place a little cupboord where they vse to set their bread and so the word vsed to expresse the same in the vulgar Latine in penetralibus doth signifie the most inward and most hidden place of any place Secondly he sheweth vs that those false prophets should tell vs that the true Christ is not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some one secret place but in penetralibus in secrets i. e. in many places and in diuers secrets all at once That the defenders of Transubstantiation teach all these points which Christ bad vs herein to beware of And I say that I could neuer see how this prediction can be more properly applied to any heretickes old or new then to the teachers and defenders of Transubstantiation for First they perswade vs to beleeue no other Christ but onely the true Christ to bee there vnder the formes of bread and wine Secondly they perswade vs that he is personally and bodily there flesh bloud bones and all Thirdly they teach that he is there in so secret hidden and inuisible manner as that it can no wayes by any humane sense be conceiued but onely by a diuine faith to be beleeued And I am sure no false prophets in the world could or euer can teach a more mysticall and secret presence of Christ personally and bodily then this manner is and Fourthly they teach that he is thus wholly and hiddenly in many thousand places all at once euen wheresoeuer any bread in the Masse is consecrated there is Christ personally in all such secrets according to their ancient distich Constat in altari carnem de pane creari Hic panis Deus est qui negat hoc reus est The bread on th' altar as wee say is turned by the Priest his breath To be Christs flesh who euer saith nay is guilty of his death And therefore seeing the prediction of Christ concerning the practise of the false apostles is so plainely seene to be fully accomplished in these deceiued and deceitfull teachers I aduise all men to follow our Sauiours councell beleeue them not beleeue them not for though we doe acknowledge a true reall sacramentall presence of Christ effectually and really working How the body of Christ may be said to bee truly and really in the Sacrament by a true and liuely faith in all the worthy receiuers of that blessed bread because as the Angells are said truely and really to be not only where they diffinitiuely are but also where they doe effectually worke and as the Sunne is said truly and really to be not onely where he is locally fixed in heauen but also where it doth virtually shine and worke here on earth so the bodie of Christ may bee said to bee truly and really not onely in the heauens where it is locally present but also here in the sacred mysteries where he effectually worketh in all the worthy receiuers of the same yet for any other reall bodily presence of Christ in the bread and wine we vtterly deny he is not here for the same reason that the Angell vseth to proue hee was not in his graue because he was risen and gone to another place so we say he is not here because we know he is in heauen where he sitteth on the right hand of God and from thence he will not come personally into any hidden and secret place vntill hee comes apparantly like the lightening that commeth from the East and suddenly shineth vnto the West as himselfe doth testifie And so much for the confirmation of this Angells assertion that Christ was not there in the graue because hee was risen and gone to another place and so likewise of my application and inference thereupon that we are not to beleeue Christ to bee in the secret places of bread and wine because hee is ascended to another place where he sitteth on the right hand of God He that hath eares to heare let him heare for here I doe professe What the Author thinketh of transubstantiation before almighty God and before his sonne Iesus Christ that in all my poore reading which I desired might bee so much as my time and ability would giue mee leaue I did neuer finde a point more contrary to the truth more derogatory to the honour of God more destroying the nature of Christ and more dangerous vnto men in all the writings of our aduersaries then is this incredible and impossible point of Transubstantiation loe I haue told you what I beleeue And here likewise we must further note that as I
indeed and therefore vpon that day he did rise that his enemies might be conuicted by the testimony of their owne watchmen and bee brought therefore either to confesse their faults or to remaine without excuse if they knowing the truth would notwithstanding seeke as they did to conceale and suppresse the truth Secondly Secondly of his disciples His friends and disciples vpon the foresaid apprehensions did expect his resurrection vpon this third day for so the two disciples trauelling towards Emaus after they had said many things concerning him Chrysost hom 9. in Matth. and that they trusted it had beene hee which should haue redeemed Israel they adde this as a most speciall obseruation besides all the rest Luk. 24.21 that to day is the third day since these things were done and therefore to confirme their weake faith and to comfort their disconsolate soules hee did rise againe the third day Thirdly of all Christians Thirdly We were all to reape and to receiue the fruits and benefits of his resurrection and therefore chiefly as hee rose so hee rose the third day in respect of vs all i. e. to confirme our faith and that especially in these foure respects The Resurrection of Christ the third day confirmeth our faith in foure respects 1. Touching the quality of his person 2. Touching the certainty of his resurrection 3. Touching the manner of our restauration 4. Touching the manifestation of our state and condition First Our Sauiour Christ consisted both of a Diuine and a Humane nature Humane that he might die and Diuine that he might rise againe and to shew his death it was requisite that he should rise no sooner then the third day because in lesse time then that a man cannot well bee saide to bee dead but may bee suspected to be in a sound or in a fit of an apoplexie How the third day was the fittest time for Christ to rise in respect of the person of Christ or some other fained fit and in respect of the Diuine nature it was vnpossible that he should be held of death any longer then three dayes for it is the opinion of most grounded vpon experience that in all dead carkasses and a wounded body especially putrefaction and corruption beginneth the third day so Martha saith of Lazarus he hath beene dead foure dayes and he stinketh then no doubt but he began to stinke the third day but the humane nature of our Sauiour Christ in respect of its hypostaticall vnion with the Deity euen then when it lay in the graue could not see much lesse feele corruption Psal 16.11 Act. 2.24 as the Prophet Dauid sheweth therefore it was vnpossible saith Saint Peter that he should bee holden of the paines of death i. e. be stayed so long by death vntill putrefaction or other like penalties and consequences of death had seized vpon him and therefore as in respect of his humane nature it was not conuenient he should rise any sooner so in respect of his Diuine nature it was vnpossible hee should be stayd any longer Christ stayed while the third day to shew the verity of his deâ—th â—nd no longer to shew the certainty of his resurrection Secondly Our Sauiour was to shew both the verity of his death and the certainty of his resurrection but if hee had risen sooner then three dayes the verity of his death might be called into question and if he had promised after a long time to haue raised himselfe againe as Mahomet said that after 800. yeares he would reuiue and reuisite his Sarazens againe then might the falshood thereof lurke in the length of time and indeed if he had staid in his graue any whit longer then he did it might be easily obiected and with some probability by his aduersaries that there was no certainty of his resurrection whether it was he that was crucified had raised himselfe or some other that appeared in his name or whether he had raised the same body that was buried or had assumed some other body like vnto the same because the countenance of a dead body is soone changed and our memory and knowledge of such is soone stupified as we see these three dayes time made most of them that they knew him not prima facie vpon the first sight therefore Christ to shew the verity of his death stayed while the third day and he would stay no longer to shew the certaintie of his resurrection Thirdly Christ rose the third day might paralell our creation Christ in our redemption was to paralell our creation and in many things this second Adam was to resemble the first Adam for Saint Paul speaking of Gods oeconomie and dispensation of his grace vnto vs sheweth how Almighty God purposing to redeeme mankinde did so sweetly dispose of the manner of our redemption that as by man came death so by man came the resurrection from the dead and so a due proportion and resemblance should be in many things betwixt the first and second Adam But we finde that the first Adam was formed out of the earth as from a sole mother without any Father by the Word of God and was both created and fallen in the sixt day the day before the Sabbaoth therefore the word God Amb. l. 5 ep 19. in the sixt age of the world was made the second Adam of a sole mother without a father and in the sixt day of the weeke the same day wherein Adam was created and transgressed and about the same hower that the first Adam sinned by eating the fruit of the forbidden tree was this second Adam crucified vpon a tree and in the same place as some doe thinke wherein the first Adam was buried and as the Father after his creation rested vpon the Sabbaoth so Christ after our purchase and redemption rested in his graue all the Sabbaoth and then as his Father â—pon the first day of the weeke had begunne the world so Christ vpon the first day of the weeke did beginne to renue the world and caused as Lactantius saith Omnia cum domino dona redire suo All graces to bee renued all men that beleeued in him to be reuiued and now to beginne againe to liue a new life vnto God with him And this was prefigured in the Law where Moses sheweth that the sheafe of their first fruits was to be brought vnto the Priest Leuit. 23.11 and the Priest was to waue the same before the Lord on the morrow after the Sabbaoth which was the Sabbaoth of the Passeouer Vers 15. to note vnto vs that Christ which is the true first fruites that is offered vnto God for vs all was to be waued and raised vp the immediate morrow after the Passeouer that as Adam was created the last day and then dyed and so begat Ecclesiam morientium a Congregation of sinners all subiect vnto death so Christ the first day of the weeke was raised vp and liues for euer to
that they had recollected more courage now after his death then euer Peter the boldest of them had during his life which all men will say is most vnprobable because a liuing Dogge is better then a dead Lyon Eccles. 9.4 and therefore Christ being aliue might animate the vilest coward-like Thirsites to be more valiant and aduenturous for his defence then now being dead he could doe to the most heroicke Achilles yet is it any wayes likely or could it possibly be that his Disciples should come thither breake vp the Monument tumble away that great stone take vp his body bestrip him of his winding sheete lay all his linnen cloathes wherewith he was wrapped so orderly by themselues a signe they had leisure enough and were in no danger at all or else they were very fooles that they did not suddenly snatch him away and take some other time and place to bestrip him and then carrie him away neuer after to be seene or found without the espyall of some one or other among so many that attended there Ideo mentita est iniquitas sibi But the Iewes answere that as the foolish Virgins whereof our Sauiour speaketh so these foolish and sottish Souldiers they all slumbered and slept and then while their Argos eyes were sleeping his Disciples came those poore fresh-water Souldiers and their committed charge was stollen away The absurdities following the High Priests saying But then I replie first with Rhemigius out of Saint Augustine If they all slept Quomodo furtum viderunt How can they tell his Disciples and not others tooke him away Might not God take him as he did Enoch or the Angels burie him and hide him as they did the bodie of Moses or how can they tell who tooke him away for they slept and therefore surely no credit to be giuen vnto them If they had said We slept and therâ—fore we cannot tell what became of him this might haue some likelihood of truth but to say We slept and his Disciples stole him away this must needes be apparantly false Secondly If they slept why did the High Priests giue them money large money saith the Text for their negligence and not rather punish them for their slothfulnesse must men be so largely rewarded for euill doing especially in so weighty a cause as not the losse of a Citie or a Kingdome but the losse of saluation to the whole race of mankinde all depended vpon this one point for if he rose againe he was the Sauiour of the World if not he was but an impostor Why then would they not watch or if not why not seuerely punished and no punishment too great for so great a negligence Thirdly If they were awake why did they hire them to say they were asleepe This may be answered They knew money deliuered him into their hands and therefore they thought that money would conceale the truth from the people for as the Poet saith Quid non mortalia pectora cogit auri sacra fames What wickednesse is not done for money How the loue of money maketh many men to doe any thing These Souldiers had beene Preachers to publish this truth vnto the World had not their mouthes beene stopt with siluer for as this opens the mouthes of many to bruite forth and to testifie many lies so it shuts the mouthes of as many to conceale and keepe secret many truthes and therefore the high Priests did giue large money to these Souldiers to conceale this truth and to belie themselues to say that they were asleepe Well then if they were asleepe how can they tell what became of him and why did the chiefe Priests giue them such large summes of monies for their negligence or if they were awake why did they hire them so dearely to say they were asleepe To all this they must answere now to vs as they did heretofore in another case to Christ Wee cannot tell Math. 21.27 But then O foolish Iewes if you cannot tell why will you not beleeue that your Messias is alreadie come and that God hath raysed him from the dead Saint Paul tels vs why Rom. 11.25 Because partly obstinacy is come vpon them vntill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in O Lord if it be thy will doe thou open their eyes that they may see the truth CHAP. VI. Of the testimony of the Angell and the manifold apparitions of Christ after his Resurrection to proue the truth and certainety of his Resurrection YOV see then how the Iewes are blinded to destroy themselues but on the other side we doe know and beleeue and teach this Iesus the Sonne of Mary whom the Iewes haue crucified to be the true Messias and the Sauiour of the World not onely because hee liued without sinne and died without cause on his owne behalfe but especially because that he being dead and laide in his graue did declare himselfe mightily to be the Sonne of God Rom. 1.4 by his Resurrection from the dead And this Resurrection of him we doe most faithfully beleeue and as constantly teach for these three especiall reasons and respects and a three-fold cord is not easily broken That we beleeue the Resurrection of Christ fâ—r three speciall respects 1. In respect of this Angelicall assertion 2. In respect of his personall apparitions 3. In respect of many other circumstantiall demonstrations First the Angell said vnto the women why seeke yee the liuing among the dead he is not here but he is risen Et si non credideritis oraculo credite oculo and if you will not beleeue vs beleeue your owne eyes Math. 28.1 Luke 24.4 for you may see the place where hee lay And this was spoken vnto two women as Saint Matthew sheweth and by two Angels as Saint Luke saith and therefore if Diues thought that the words of one man comming from the dead would bee sufficient to make all his brethren to beleeue the torments of hell First The Angels testifie the Resurrection of Christ why should not the words of these heauenly Angels bee alonely sufficient to make vs to beleeue this diuine truth of the resurrection of the Sonne of God for the Angels though they be mutabiles natura mutable in respect of their nature yet are they now confirmati per gratiam ne à veritate voluntatem auerterent so confirmed by grace that they shall neuer euert themselues from the truth Isidorus de summo bono saith Isidorus Secondly as the Angels had testified that he was not there in the graue among the dead but was risen and aliue among the liuing so truth it selfe confirmes this truth vnto vs by those manifold apparitions that he made after his resurrection That Christ appeared twelue seuerall times after his resurrection during the space of forty dayes that before he ascended into heauen he walked here on earth And these if I be not far deceiued in my reckoning were at least twelue times according to the
all heauens we must learne the way of him if wee would ascend to heauen for hee came downe from heauen and he is gone vp into heauen and now he sitteth in heauen vpon the right hand of God CHAP. II. That Iesus Christ the Sonne of God is hee that is meant by the Prophet Dauid and Saint Paul to haue ascended vpon high Quest BVt who is he of whom it is written that hee ascended vp on high for many ascend as you heare but which is he that is here meant I confesse the 68. Psalme Resp Psalme 68. wherein these words are first written is literally to be vnderstood not of any triumph for the slaughter of the hoste of Senacherib which was done in the time of King Hezekias as the Iewes doe most fabulously dreame when the very Title of this Psalme that ascribeth it vnto Dauid doth sufficiently confute this vanity nor yet for any of the victories of Dauid which he obtained against his bordering enemies the Ammonites Literally these words were spoken of the Arke of the Couenant the Moabites the Idumeans and the Philistines as some would haue it but of that great and glorious pompe which was then done and shewed when King Dauid with great ioy and triumph did bring the Arke of the Couenant into the hill of Sion and therefore these words thou art gone vpon high Mollerus in Psalme 68. doe signifie that the Arke which formerly had layne in an obscure place was transported from one place to another was now ascended and seated in a most illustrious and conspicuous place euen in the Kingly pallace and these words thou hast led captiuitie captiue to signifie those enemies which formerly had spoiled and wasted diuers Countreyes but now being vanquished by King Dauid were led captiue in this triumph for so it was the manner of those times as Plutarch doth excellently declare in the life of Paulus Aemilius and the other words thou hast receiued gifts for men Plutarch in vita Pauli Aemilij doe signifie those spoyles that were freely offered for conditions of peace and were triumphantly carried about in this pompous showe for the greater solemnitie of the same and then as the manner was among the chiefftaines when they triumphed Bellica laudatis dona dedisse viris to bestow warlike gifts vpon worthie men were bestowed on seuerall men in seuerall manner as Sigonius sheweth Sigon l. 2. de antiquo iure pro. Yet I say that mystically this Psalme is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a tryumphall song penned by King Dauid vpon the foresight of Iesus Christ arising from the dead and with great ioy and triumph ascending vp into Heauen Mystically these words were first spoken of Christ ascending vp into Heauen and thence sending his holy spirit vnto his Apostles and Disciples and hauing ouercome all his enimies collecting by the ministerie of his Preachers his Church and chosen seruants together and so guiding and defending them heere in this life vntill he doth receaue them into eternall glorie for so the authoritie of Saint Paul interpreting them and all other Diuines with one consent doth compell vs to vnderstand them and to know that that pompous shew and tryumph of King Dauid was but the praeludium and type of this triumph of our Sauiour Christ whereof the Apostle speaketh in this place and it was an vsuall thing for the Prophet Dauid in all his chiefest and most glorious acts so to behold the Proto-type that is the Messias whose type he knew he was and so to accommodate all his actions vnto what the Messias should doe that all men might perceiue these things to be done not through any humane inuention All the chiefest acts of Dauid were types of Christ but as he was moued and guided by the inward inspiration of Gods spirit and that for the instruction and edification of the whole Church when by these outward perspicuous acts of Dauid as by certaine visible lectures all men might see and reade those things that should be done by Iesus Christ And therfore I say that the person prophesied of by King Dauid and here spoken of by Saint Paul to haue ascended vp on high is our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ who hauing vanquished and ouercome sinne death Hell and all our enemies did most gloriously ascend vp to Heauen in the presence of all his Apostles and Disciples and thence sent the holy Ghost to replenish and fill their hearts with all spirituall gifts and graces and this will more fully appeare vnto vs out of the second point which is the action or the motion of this person set downe in the word ascendit when hee ascended vp on high CHAP. II. A fuller declaration of the person ascending and of the time place and manner of his ascention Saint Paul collecteth two things out of the word he ascended YOV haue heard of the person ascending who he is Iesus Christ we are now to consider of his ascention out of this word ascendit when hee ascended vp on high but first we must obserue that our Apostle out of this Word he ascended doth collect both the humiliation and the exaltation of Christ First the humiliation of Christ First his humiliation in the 9. v for that he saith he ascended what is it but that hee descended first into the lower parts of the earth wherein the Apostle would haue Dauid when hee forespake of the glorification and the ascention of Christ into Heauen to haue foreseene his humiliation and descention from Heauen to bee incarnate and made man Secondly the exaltation of Christ Secondly his exaltation in the tenth verse hee that descended is the same also that ascended farre aboue all heauens for these two verses are read by a parenthesis and are added by the Apostle for the fuller explication of those hidden mysteries that are included in the word he ascended First touching the descention the Apostle setteth downe two things 1. The descent it selfe that he descended 2. The extent of his descent into the lower parts of the earth The first sheweth vs that hee was first in Heauen Christ first descended i. e. was incarnate before he could ascend i. e. according to his God-head or else he could neuer haue descended out of Heauen and that he descended to be incarnate and mâ—de man before the man Christ could ascend vp into Heauen and therefore the Prophet Dauid fore-seeing the ascention of the man Christ must needs foresee the humiliation of the Sonne of God to be made man The second is a point more controuerted for first some doe expound the lower parts of the earth to signifie his mothers wombe because the descent of the Sonne of God is nothing else but his incarnation and that was done in his mothers wombe and because the Prophet Dauid vseth the like saying of himself I was formed beneath in the earth i. e. in my mothers wombe In inferioribus terra secondly
others will haue this phrase to signifie his abode conuersation here among men thirdly others will haue it to signifie the state and condition of the dead as if the comparison were made betwixt those parts of the earth wherein the liuing doe inhabit and that place wherein the dead are buried and so they doe expound that place of Esayas that hee was cut off from the land of the liuing and so cast into the land of the dead Esay 53.8 which they say the Apostle vnderstandeth by the lower parts of the earth and fourthly others say that he descended into the place of the damned not to suffer Iohn 19.30 because that was finished on the Crosse nor to fetch any Fathers out of Lymbe but to signifie and to shew not onely by words but also by presence that seing by his death and Passion the wrath of God was appeased Satan was to haue no more power ouer the Elect which hee held captiue that he was now made Lord of all and that all power was giuen vnto him and a name aboue all other names Collos 2.15 and not onely to declare the same vnto them but also to subdue them and to spoyle principalities and powers and as my Text saith to leade captiuitie captiue And this is the exposition of most of the ancient Fathers for mine owne part I am of Zanchius minde Laâ—ch in Ephes c. 4. that in the word descendit all these foure expositions may bee comprehended because he descended into his mothers wombe to be conuersant here among men into his graue and into Hell and our very Creede expresseth all these foure he was conceaued by the holy Ghost i. e. in his mothers wombe there is the first hee was borne of the Virgin Marie and hee suffered vnder Pontius Pilate there is the second he was dead buried there is the third and he descended into Hell there is the fourth and these be the foure degrees of his humiliation That Christ descended into Hell and this the Apostle seemeth plainely to vnderstand by the antithesis by the coherence and by the scope of the words because hee saith that hee ascended to the highest part of Heauen and therefore this also that he descended into the lower parts of the earth is literally to bee vnderstood that he descended into Hell because no place of the earth is lower then Hell Secondly Touching the exaltation of Christ Saint Paul setteth downe two things 1. He describeth the Person ascending he which descended 2. He expresseth the action he ascended He which ascended is the very same person which descended First he saith that it is he which descended that hath ascended i. e. he which was made man which suffered was buried he ascended and who is he but God the Sonne the second Person of the Trinitie for so our Sauiour saith I went forth from the Father and I came into the world and againe I leaue the world and I goe to the Father and therfore it is the very self same Son of God and none other which both descended and ascended And so by these few words we finde two great heresies quite ouerthrowne first of them which say hee brought his body from Heauen because the Apostle doth not say he which ascended descended though this be true being truely vnderstood for he ascended God and Man which so did not descend but as God alone therefore he saith he which descended he ascended secondly hereby is ouerthrowne the heresie of Nestorius which said our Sauiour consisteth of two persons for if he which descended is the very same that ascended then it is apparant that by his descention That in Christ there cannot be two persons i. e. by the assumption of our nature hee is no other person then he was before but still remaineth one and the selfe same person and that the humane nature doth adde nothing vnto the Sonne of God for the constituting or perfecting of his person for otherwise he that ascended had bin another and not the same which descended for hee had descended a simple person and ascended compounded hee had descended an imperfect person and ascended perfect which is most hereticall either to say or think And this is the cause why we affirme that the person of Christ cannot be said to bee compounded of two natures tanquam ex partibus as of two parts Christ still remaineth a most simple person i. e not compounded but as hee was before the assuming of our nature so also now hee is still a most simple and a most perfect person bearing our nature as on â—â—areth on his garment but neuer to put it off againe because it is assumed into the vnitie of his person and so Saint Augustine saith that Christ descended like a naked man and when he ascended he ascended the same person but clothed with our flesh and therefore as he is not another man that taketh on a garment so the Sonne of God is not another person because he tooke vpon him the garment of our flesh and if the humane nature assumed did neither change nor perfect nor compound the person of the Sonne of God because he which descended is the very same that ascended and none other then by the same reason it cannot be said that Christ tooke man vpon him i. e. a humane person as Nestorius taught But therefore he vnderstood not the same How Nestorius was deceiued about the person of Christ because on the one side hee held that true philosophicall principle that the actions are of the persons and not of the natures and on the other side he held another principle which is also true if it be truely vnderstood that of contrary effects there must bee contrary efficient causes and hee saw that in Christ there were diuers and contrary actions and therefore he did thence conclude that in Christ there must needs be diuers persons whereof the one should be passible and the other impassible and so he made that hee which descended was not the same but another that ascended for he considered not quod idem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potest diuersa pugnantia opâ—rari secundam diuersas in eo naturas that the same subsistent or person may worke diuers and contrarie acts in respect of the diuers natures that are in it as a man according to his soule doth vnderstand and according to his body hee doth not vnderstand in respect of his soule he is immortall and in respect of his body hee is mortall and so through his ignorance hee hath abused these true philosophicall principles being truely vnderstood to denie the truth of the Scriptures and to wrong the person of the Sonne of God but the Fathers truely explaining the sayd principles did confute his error and confirme this truth that he which descended is the very same that ascended and none other But from hence it is apparant that the word descendit is not to be taken in
the same sence as the word ascendit for hee descended as God and God filleth all places and therefore it is not phisically to be vnderstood of any locall descent but for his exinination and the assumption of our flesh but hee ascended as God and Man and therefore must phisically be vnderstood of a locall ascent and whole Christ is said to ascend by reason of the communication of the properties and the vnion of both natures into one person Secondly the action or ascending of Christ Secondly Saint Paul hauing thus fully described and shewed the person ascending i. e. he that descended expresseth the verie acte or motion in this word ascendit hee ascended vp on high touching which wee must consider these three especiall points 1. The time of his ascention 2. The place of his ascention 3. The manner of his ascention All which are fully shewed by Saint Luke in the first of the Acts. Acts 1.3 First he saith that hee shewed himselfe aliue after his Passion by many infallible proofes for the space of forty dayes touching which number The time when Christ ascended why he remained on earth iust forty dayes many men haue collected many mysteries Moses was in the Mount with God forty dayes the children of Israel wandered in the wildernesse forty yeeres Elias fasted forty dayes Niniue had time of repentance forty dayes our Sauiour fasted forty dayes and many other like examples might bee found of this iust period of forty dayes Bosquierus de monomachia Christi and I will not here search into the reason of these things he that will let him looke into Bosquierus but I will onely note those two reasons why he continued so long on earth after his resurrection which Saint Luke setteth downe vnto vs First to prooue the certanity of his resurrection therefore he saith thâ—t hee appeared vnto them Secondly to instruct his Apostles in faith hope charitie and all other points concerning the Kingdome of God as Eusebius noteth and the Euangelist plainely expresseth saying Eusebius l. 4. de praeparat Euang. that he was seene of his Apostles forty dayes speaking of the things pertayning to the Kingdome of God But here we must obserue that for this space of forty dayes he was not with his Apostles and Disciples after the same manner as he was with them before his Passion for that now hee was not continually conuersant with them but did onely at some times appeare vnto them If then you demaund where he was for that space while hee was not with his Disciples whetherin the Wildernesse as some doe thinke or in the terrestriall Paradise which Bellarmine affirmeth to remaine still though Pererius saith it was quite abolished by the deluge or in what place he secluded himselfe I will no wayes venter to determine for I will alwayes hold that excellent rule of Prosper Quae deus occulta esse voluit Prosper de vocat gentium non sunt scrutanda quae autem manifesta fecit non sunt negligenda ne in illis illicite curiosi in his damnabiliter inueniamur ingrati What God hath concealed they are not to be searched and what hee hath declared they are not to be neglected lest that in the former we shall be found to be vnlawfully curious and in the latter most damnably carelesse Secondly For the place from whence he ascended it is said The place from whence he ascended that he went from Galilee to Bethanie from Bethanie to Mount Oliuet and from Mount Oliuet vnto Heauen Galilee signifieth transmigration and Bethanie is interpreted the House of obdience to shew that as he descended by reason of our disobedience to suffer for our sins and to giue vs an example of obedience thereby parare nos mansioni to prepare vs for Heauen so by reason of his most perfect obedience in fulfilling all righteousnesse He ascended into Heauen Parare mansionem nobis Act. 14.12 to prepare a place for vs or else Bethanie may signifie the House of affliction to shew that by many afflictions and tribulations we must enter into the Kingdome of God And he ascended from Mount Oliuet because he would vse no miracle while the strength of nature serued and whosoeuer doth otherwise The manner of Christ his ascending Luke 24.51 tempteth God rather then trust in God Thirdly For the Manner Bonauenture obserueth that hee ascended First Blessing his Apostles as the Euangelist saith While he blessed them he was parted from them which is an exceeding comfort vnto vs the poore distressed Ministers of Iesus Christ for though the world hate vs and curse vs and say all manner of euill against vs yet behold Christ parting left his blessing with vs to defend vs against all their malice And he blessed them with his hands lifted vp to teach vs that in our prayers we doe with Moses fight with God we hold his hands and suffer him not to strike vs with the sword of vengeance and this is the Victory which ouercomes our God euen our prayers and to teach vs that when our mouth prayeth to God we should likewise moue our hands to doe the workes of God and further to teach vs that by this manner of praying with our hands spread and lifted vp Prudentius hymno 6. we should professe Christ crucified as Prudentius saith Secondly He was not suddenly snatcht from them as Elias nor secretly taken away as Enoch was Sed videntibus illis but in the presence of them all his Apostles and Disciples he ascended vp to Heauen Act. 1.9 Thirdly That as he ascended the cloudes receiued him out of their sight to shew that he was the Lord of alâ— his creatures he had already trampled vpon the earth walked vpon the Sea vanquished Hell Bern. Ser. 2. de ascent p. 192. and subdued all infernall things vnder his feet and therefore now the cloudes receiued him and the Heauens are opened to make way for this King of glory to enter in Fourthly He ascended in voce tubae in the sound of a Trumpet not on earth sounding Hosanna but in Heauen crying Haleluiah for God is gone vp with a merry noise and the Lord with the sound of a trumpet Psal 46.5 saith the Psalmist So You haue heard how he went and you shall see him comming after the same manner saith the Angell First With the sound of a trumpet that shall raise the dead and this great trumpet of God is the voyce of the Angels a voyce fearefully crying Surgite mortui venite ad iudicium Arise ye dead and come vnto iudgement a voyce that alwayes made Saint Hierome to quake and tremble whatsoeuer â—ee was a doing Secondly He shall come in the cloudes and we shall be taken vp into the cloudes 1 Thes 4.14 that as we see the cloudes protect vs from the heate of the Sunne so we may be ouershadowed from the heate of the wrath of God by that true cloude Iesus
Christ Thirdly He shall come though vnlookt-for by the wicked as a theefe in the night yet so apparantly that he shall be seene of all the world and with a great company of Angels 2 Pet. 3.10 Et cum milibus sanctorum and with thousands of his Saints as the Apostle saith for the chariots of God are twenty thousands Psal 68.17 euen thousands of Angels and the Lord shall be among them as in the holy place of Sinâ—y Fourthly he shall come with a blessing to reioyce the hearts of his Elect when he shall say vnto them Matth. 25. Come ye blessed of my Father receiue the Kingdome that was prepared for you before the beginning of the world And so much for the motion or his ascending vp CHAP. IIII. The place into which Christ ascended THirdly We are to consider terminus ad quem the place whether he ascended Quò inquit Augustinus nisi quô scimus Aug. in Psal 46. p. 174. b. 2. quô eum Iudaej non sunt secutâ— Where is hee gone but where wee know and where the Iewes shall not be able to follow after Quia in cruce exaltatum irriserunt ideo in coelum ascendentem non viderunt Because they mocked him being nailed on the Crosse therefore they saw him not when hee ascended vp to Heauen and where is he gone saith the Prophet Dauid but on high for thou art gone vp on high that is aboue all Heauens saith the Apostle And therefore by this one little sentence we find three damnable Heresies brought to death First Of them which said his body vanished in the aire Three heresies confuted before he ascended into Heauen for he ascended aboue all heauens Secondly Of them that said he ascended into the Orbe and Circle of the Sunne because it is said in solem posuit tabernaculum suum Psal 19.5 He hath set his Tabernacle in the Sunne which was the opinion of the Hermians and the Passionists as both Nazianzen and Saint Augustine doe affirme for here wee see hee is gone aboue all Heauens and therefore aboue the Orbe of the Sunne and they mistake that place of the Psalmist which is in them hath he set a Tabernacle for the Sunne and not he hath set his Tabernacle in the Sunne Thirdly Of them which teach an vbiquitary Heauen because he is ascended aboue such Heauens Ob. But then it may be obiected that if he be ascended aboue all Heauens then is he in no certaine place because as Aristotle saith Beyond Heauen Arist l. 1. de coelo there is no place Sol. I answere that the Scripture maketh mention of three Heauens That there be three Heauens First Of the Ayre as the Foules of Heauen Secondly Of the Coelestiall Orbes as the Starres of Heauen Thirdly Of the Receptacle of the blessed soules which is called the Kingdome of Heauen And this we must vnderstand to be either 1. Materiall 2. Spirituall 3. Supersubstantiall Christ ascended aboue the materiall Heauens First For the Materiall Heauen he is said to ascend aboue the same First In respect of Glory because the Body of Christ is more glorious then any Materiall Heauen Secondly In respect of the Continency because in nature it is infallible that contentuÌ„ superius est continente the thing contained must be higher then the place contayning Thirdly In respect of his blessed soule because the soule of Christ is more blessed then all things else whatsoeuer Christ ascended aboue the spirituall Heauens Secondly For the spirituall heauens i. e. all Angelicall or Heauenly perfections he is said to ascend aboue them all First In respect of perfection because the body of Christ is more noble and more excellent then any creature not in regard of his corporall substance but in regard of the hypostaticall vnion because it is vnited vnto the Godhead Secondly In respect of his humiliation because he hath vilified himselfe below all things therefore he is worthily exalted aboue all things Thirdly For the supersubstantiall Heauen i. e. God himselfe the place of God he is said in respect of his person to ascend into the same not that the humane nature is ascended to the equality of the Godhead for he is still inferiour to the Father and shall be still subiect to the Father as touching his Manhood but that the person of Christ God and Man sitteth on the right hand of God that is doth rest and raigne exalted aboue all things Vsque ad aequalitatem Maiestatis dei To be in all things equall vnto the Maiesty of God as Saint Augustine expoundeth it Descendit enim quo inferius non decuit ideo ascendit quo altius non potuit For he descended so low as it was not fit for him to goe lower and therefore he ascended so high as it was not possible for him to goe higher saith Saint Bernard And therefore Christ is ascended higher then all created things whatsoeuer Christ higher then all created things First In respect of the place because aboue all Heauens Secondly In respect of power Psal â— 6 because God the Father hath subiected all things vnder his feete i. e. as well things in Heauen as things in Earth Thirdly In respect of Dignity Heb. 1. because he is made more excellent then the Angels Fourthly In respect of this equality euen with God himselfe And so we see how Christ in respect of his person That Christ in respect of his manhood is in the highest part of the emperiall heauens is aboue all Heauens because he is an immeasurable and infinite person which the Heauen of Heauens cannot containe and therefore must needs be euery where but in respect of his humane nature assumed hee is in the highest part or place of the Emperiall Heauen which is the seate of the blessed soules for if he were in no place then much lesse should he be in the Earth in the Sunne or in euery place but Saint Augustine doth most excellently shew Aug. in ep ad Dardan that Vbi corpus ibi locum esse necesse est that wheresoeuer a body is there must needs be place because if we take away dimensions and places from bodies they shall be no where Et sinusquam erunt non erunt and if they be no where they shall not be at all and Saint Peter doth as plainely shew this truth when he saith that the Heauens shall and must containe him Act. 3.21 i. e. In respect of his Manhood for in respect of his Godhead it cannot vntill the restitution of all things and so we professe in our Creede that he sitteth on the right hand of God from whence he shall come i. e. in respect of his humanity for his Deity being euery where cannot be said to goe or to come any where to iudge both the quicke and the dead And therefore it is most certaine that the Body of Christ is in a place that is in the highest part of
Triumph of Christ Part. 3 PART III. CHAP. I. Of the speciall ends why Christ ascended into heauen and of the gifts which he giueth to edifie the Church THirdly touching the bounty of Christ set downe in these words and he gaue gifts vnto men we must first reconcile the difference betwixt the Prophet and the Apostle about the same for Dauid saith thou hast receiued gifts for men and Saint Paul saith he giueth gifts to men and I answer that if we vnderstand it literally Dauid receiued gifts which for feare of his power were freely offered vnto him and if we vnderstand it mystically of Christ we finde the saying of both to be true for the Apostle speaketh of the things which Christ doth as God sending forth the holy Ghost and bestowing gifts on men and the Psalmist speaketh of him according to that which the same Christ doth in his body August in Psal 67. p. 289. a. i. which is his Church Thus no doubt saith Saint Augustine but as he is persecuted in his Church so accepit in membris qua dona membra eius accipiunt he receiued and receiueth gifts in men for whatsoeuer is done to them that beleeue in him the same is done to him or else we may say that the Son of God as he was man receiued those gifts from his Father which hee was afterwards to distribute and to giue vnto his Church for so we reade that he being exalted and hauing receiued of the Father the promise of the holy Ghost Act. 2.33 hee hath shed foorth this which we now see and heare and so the originall word which the Psalmist vseth signifieth to receiue that which wee must presently distribute saith Mollerus Mollerus in Psal 68. and therefore the difference is soone ended and the matter in both is true he receiued gifts and he gaue those gifts to men for wee finde as Bonauenture tels vs that our Sauiour ascended for foure speciall ends Christ ascended for foure speciall ends First to receiue his kingdome as himselfe intimateth vnto vs in the nineteenth of Luke and the twelfth verse Secondly to make vs the more earnestly to long for him Quia abijt occultat se Deus vt ardentius quaeratur à nobis because God doth therefore hide himselfe from vs that he may be the more earnestly sought of vs saith Saint Bernard Bernard in cant Thirdly to prepare a place for vs for though in respect of Gods purpose it was prepared for vs before the beginning of the world yet in respect of the effecting and bringing to passe the said purpose it was specially prepared for vs by Christ because he remoued all hinderances and made way for vs to enter into glory 1. by appeasing his fathers wrath 2. by cleansing our consciences from dead workes 3. by opening vnto vs the gates of heauen and 4. by making continuall intercession for vs As Bonauenture speaketh Fourthly to send downe his holy Spirit vnto vs Ioh. 16.17 for so our Sauiour saith It is expedient for you that I goe away Quia nisi dederitis quod amatis non habebitis quod desideratis for vnlesse I goe away the comforter will not come vnto you but if I depart I will send him vnto you Tertul. l. de carne Christi for now saith Tertullian Graetum quoddam commercium inter coelum terram existit celebratum a most gratefull exchange and a friendly louing bargaine was made betwixt heauen and earth that to the inhabitants of heauen should be giuen the flesh of Christ and to vs on earth should be bestowed the comforts of Gods holy Spirit and so the Spirit of God should remaine with vs on earth and our flesh should dwell with them for euer in heauen and then all things to be common betwixt vs eternally and therefore he did not send his Spirit vnto vs before he had ascended into heauen Why Christ would not bestow his gifts on men before his ascention non propter impotentiam sed quia habuerunt corporalem prasentiam not in respect of any impotency that he could not doe it but because we had his corporall presence and because as the raine doth not descend vntill the mist and dew doe first ascend so the gratious raine of Gods Spirit did not fall vpon Gods inheritance to refresh it when it was weary vntill this fruit of the wombe which was as the dew of the morning had first ascended into heauen but as when that little cloud like a mans hand 1 Kings 11. did rise out of the sea there was a sound of much raine so when that humble flesh of Christ was ascended out of this world into heauen then he gaue gifts vnto men Aug. de verbis domini p. 63. b. 1. to 10. But what are these gifts which he giueth Saint Augustine saith it is his holy Spirit Tale donum qualis ipse est such a gift as himselfe is for he gaue himselfe and he giues a gift equall to himselfe because the gift of Christ is the Spirit of Christ but heare the Apostle saith hee gaue gifts and not a gift and therefore though I doe confesse that this holy and blessed Spirit is the author and fountaine of all gifts by whom wee haue remission of sinnes subiection of our enemies and all other gifts of grace and glory sealed vnto vs yet I say that the Apostle herein meaneth not so much the spirit himselfe as the gifts and graces of his Spirit And therefore that wee may the better vnderstand the fulnesse of this point of the bounty of Christ we must consider these foure speciall things Foure points to be considered 1. What manner of gifts they are 2. What gifts are here meant 3. How he doth bestow them 4. On whom he doth bestow them First that the gifts of God are free gifts For the first wee must know that they were gratuita free gifts so the words dedit dona he gaue them and he gaue them as gifts doe sufficiently declare or otherwise si praememeruisti tum emisti non gratis accepisti if thou hadst done any thing to deserue these gifts then hadst thou bought them and not freely receiued them and God had sold them and not giuen them and so they had beene praemia non dona rewards for thy good deedes and not gifts of his meere grace but this point is so cleere that I neede not stand on it Matth. 10.8 Freely you haue receiued saith our Sauiour freely giue for euery one may take of these waters of life freely and may haue these gifts Esay 51.1 like Esayas milke without money or moneyes worth For the second wee must note that the gifts of God are either 1. Temporall Secondly the the gifts of God are of two sorts 2. Spirituall First The temporall gifts he gaue vnto all sorts of men aswell before as after his ascention for wee must note that euery thing which we haue is
soules Now after the holy Ghost bestoweth vpon the Saints faith to beleeue in him hope to expect all happinesse from him and charity most feruently to loue him and all men for his sake then hee worketh many other graces in the hearts of his Elect to preserue them blamelesse in the sight of God and to defend them from the malice of that roaring Lion as a filiall feare neuer to offend him and a speciall care alwaies to please him and beside and aboue all the rest he infuseth into their soules these two excellent gifts viz. 1. Prouidence to fore-see 2. Patience to indure all things First Moses in his last speech and best song that hee made vnto the children of Israel saith O that they were wise Deut. 31. that they vnderstood this that they would consider their latter end that is that they would remember things past vnderstand things present and consider things to come for this is the onely difference betwixt man and beast the one craues for the present time the other fore-seeth and prouideth for the times to come and the want or neglect of this consideratiue fore-sight is the cause of many miseries for as hee that fore-seeth euill either preuenteth it or prepareth himselfe for it and so it is more easily borne of him because it doth not suddenly apprehend him so he that neuer seeth it till it strikes him is the more amazed with it because hee feeleth that which hee neuer feared and therefore as Iob saith that he was surprised with that which he feared so the Saints of God haue this grace giuen them by God to expect and fore see miseries before they come that they may be the more tollerable vnto them if they come And as they haue one eye open to feare and fore-see euill before it commeth so they haue the other eye open to fore-see and to hope for good that when it comes it may be the more welcome to them and that vsing all lawfull meanes to compasse it they may the sooner attaine vnto it But here it may be some wil obiect say as it was said of old Ob. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scire si liceret quae debes subire non subire pulchrum sit scire Sed si subire oportet quae licet scire quorsum scire nam debes subire That is Doctor Euerard in his Aâ—rere han p. 76. as Doctor Euerard doth as wittily translate them as they were prettily composed If a man might know the ill that hee must vndergoe and shunne it so then were it good to know But if he vndergoe it though he know it what bootes him know it he must vndergoe it And so of good things if he might the sooner obtaine them by fore-seeing them it were worth our paines to looke after them but seeing no care no prouidence can either helpe vs vnto the good we desire or preuent the euill we feare because as one truly saith What shall be shall be sure there is no chance For the eye eterne all things fore-sees And all must come to passe as he decrees And therefore to what end should wee trouble our selues in vaine to fore-see that which we cannot forbid Sol. To this I answere briefly that although God worketh all things according to his will yet it is his wil ordinarily to work by ordinary meanes and secondary causes as we may see in the second of Osee 21. Osee 2.21 I will heare the Heauens and they shall heare the Earth and the Earth shall heare the Corne and the Wine and the Oyle and they shall heare Israel And therefore whom God hath decreed shall escape euill or attaine vnto any good God decreeth the meanes as well as the end of any thing he hath also decreed that they should by their care and diligence the one to preuent it and the other to vse all lawfull meanes to procure it and they that will not vse all possible care to obtaine these ends doe most apparantly shew an infallible argument against themselues they shall neuer attaine vnto their desired end because it is a sure rule that whatsoeuer end God hath decreed hee hath also decreed the meanes to bring to passe that end And therefore as he hath decreed the saluation of his Saints so he hath decreed to giue them his grace to fore-see all things that are necessary for them to know that they may the better vse all diligence to eschew the euill and to obtaine the good Secondly seeing our estate in this life is a state full of miseries and that we are long expecting good before we can inioy it therefore wee haue neede of patience Heb. 10.36 that after wee haue done the will of God wee might receiue the promise and therefore God seeing how needfull patience is for his seruants hee giueth this gift vnto vs and it is indeed a most excellent gift without which I know not how the Saints could well subsist that we might patiently and contentedly suffer whatsoeuer happeneth vnto vs and as Iob saith quietly to waite all our dayes Iob. vntill our change shall come It is recorded in the books of the Gentiles that in the Olympian combates that Champion wan the Garland that bestowed most blowes vpon his Antagonist but in the warres of the Lord where God himselfe is our rewarder wee finde that hee beares away the Crowne which beareth patiently the most blowes from his aduersaries and in lieu thereof returneth nothing but good words But here we must vnderstand patience is vsed either Patience is taken two waies 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abusiuely and improperly 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rightly and properly and In the first sence wee finde the word vsed foure manner of wayes First for a sinnefull carelesnesse when men per patientiam asininam will suffer themselues like lazie asses to bee drawne and compelled by lewd companie to drinking swaggering or any other sinne whatsoeuer Secondly for a stoicall apathie when men will locke vp all naturall passions and striue to bee insensible of any thing that shall befall them Thirdly for a customarie induring of all stormes when like children in the Schoole which doe so much the lesse care for whipping the oftner they are whipped we grow insensible of all crosses by a continuall custome of bearing crosses Fourthly for a naturall fortitude when through the strength of nature and the courage of a heroick minde men will vndergoe whatsoeuer aduersities shall betide them and will seeme to beare the same as if their strength were the strength of stones Iob. 6.12 and their flesh of brasse as Iob speaketh In the second sence we doe likewise finde the word vsed many wayes as Rom. 2.4 First for a contayning of our selues from the reuenging of any iniuries done vnto vs. Secondly for a contented waiting and a most quiet expecting of what we desire Rom. 2.7 Heb. 10.36 Psal 9.18 without muttering
people and say hearing yee shall heare and shall not vnderstand and seeing yee shall see and not perceiue Acts 28.25 26. and therefore our Sauiour biddeth vs to goe and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost But it is obiected as Nazianzen saith that he is no where called God but the holy Ghost or the spirit of God Nazian orat 5. de Theol. and therefore he is not God I answer briefely that this is false for Saint Peter said vnto Ananias why hath Satan filled thy heart Acts 5.3.4 to lye to the holy Ghost thou hast not lied vnto men but vnto God And therefore seing the spirit of God created all things and being created preserued them as Moses sheweth Gen. 1.2 the spirit of God moued vpon the waters i. e. to cherish and to retayne them together and now in like manner hee sanctifieth and preserueth vs as Melancthon sheweth in that godly wish which he maketh Spiritus vt Domini nascentia corpora fouit cum manus artificis couderat ipsa Dei Sic foueat caetus qui Christi oracula discunt accendatque igni pectora nostra suo And especially seeing that the holy Scripture doth more plainely testifie the same almost in euery place wee say that the name of the Holy Ghost is first taken for the Essence of God Secondly The name of the Holy Ghost is taken for the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost as where the Prophet saith Take not thy holy spirit from me Psal 51.11 2 Cor. 13.5 and where the Apostle saith Know you not that Iesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates And againe Rom. 8.9 you are not in the flesh but in the spirit if the spirit of God dwell in you and so when it is said that they were all filled with the Holy Ghost we must vnderstand it of the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost And these gifts and graces of Gods Spirit are excellently deciphered and set downe vnto vs vnder the properties and conditions of those formes and figures wherein the Holy Ghost did appeare vnto vs and that is if I doe rightly collect them three speciall times The Spirit of God appeared in the likenesse of fiue speciall things First vnto the Israelites 1. In a pillar of cloud by day 2. In a pillar of fire by night Secondly at the Baptisme of Christ he descended vpon him like a Doue Thirdly At the day of Pentecost he appeared 1. Like the rushing of a mighty winde 2. Like clouen tongues of fire First like a cloud First He appeared in a pillar of cloud to shew vnto vs that as the cloud betokeneth 1. A shadowing from heate 2. A sending downe of raine As 1 King 18.45 the Heauens were blacke with cloudes and windes and there was a great raine so the Spirit of God doth ouershadow vs from the heate of the wrath of God it cooleth and refresheth our scorched soules and as the raine maketh the barren earth fertile and fruitfull In what râ—spect the holy Ghost is like vnto waters so doth the graces of Gods spirit make our barren hearts plentifull in all good workes for the Holy Ghost in many places is compared vnto water because that as water 1. Mollifieth the hard earth 2. Fructifieth the barren ground 3. Quencheth the greatest heate 4. Cleanseth the foulest things and so forth So doth the Spirit of God In what respect the Holy Ghost is like vnto water 1. Soften our hard hearts 2. Fructifie our barren soules 3. Quench the heate of lust 4. Clense vs from all our sinnes And so make vs to become fit temples for himselfe to remaine in vs. Secondly He appeared in a pillar of fire Secondly like fire to shew his consubstantiality with the Father and the Sonne saith Nazianzen because God is fire and so appeared in the fiery bush from whence it may be came that custome among the Chaldeans which afterward spread it selfe among many other Nations of the Gentiles to worship the fire for their God whereas indeed they should haue worshipped that God which is fire and did appeare like fire to teach vs that as the fire hath in it saith Oecumenius 1. Calorem 2. Splendorem 3. Motionem 1. Heate to warme mollifie and purifie In what respects the Holy Ghost is like vnto fire 2. Splendor to giue light and to illuminate 3. Motion to be alwayes working Euen so the Spirit of God First Warmeth and heateth the hearts of the godly with a feruent and a fiery zeale of all godlinesse he mollifieth their hard and stony hearts and it consumeth all the drossie substance of sinne and so purifieth their soules from all wickednesse Secondly Iohn 6.13 He illuminateth their hearts with the knowledge of God for he bringeth them into all truth and he maketh their light to shine before men that they seeing their good workes Mat. 5.16 doe glorifie their Father which is in Heauen Thirdly He maketh them alwayes to be in action and neuer idle but as it is said of Christ euer going about doing good Thirdly He appeared like a Doue Thirdly like a Doue when he descended vpon our Sauiour Christ at his Baptisme first because as Bonauenture saith he came not then to strike our sinnes by the zeale of his fury but to beare them and to take them away through the meekenesse of his Passion but on the other side Greg. hom 30. in Euang. hee descended vpon the Apostles like fire because in these which were simply men and therefore sinners he would kindle a spirituall feruency against themselues and cause them to punish those sinnes in themselues by repentance which God had pardoned vnto them through his mercy and secondly he descended on Christ like a harmelesse Doue and not like vnto tongues of fire because Christ was not to be taught Cyrillus hierosol Catech. 7. which is signified by the tongues for his lippes were full of grace nor to be sorrowfull for his sinnes which is signified by the fire because in him there was no sinne but his Doue-like properties were to be shewed that hee was innocent Iohn 1.29 meeke and lowly in heart for as of all the beasts of the field the little silly Lambe is in most respects best qualified and therefore is Christ called the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinne of the world In what respect the Holy Ghost is like a Doue so of all the fowles of Heauen the Doue in most respects is most excellent for she is annunciator pacis the messenger and proclaimer of peace shee brought the Oliue branch vnto Noah she wanteth gall she hath no bitternesse in her she neuer hurts with her bill nor clawes she is full of loue and yet she neuer sings any wanton tune but woo woo is her matutinus vespertinus cantus her mournfull morning and euening song and
wallow and therefore beholding the goodnesse and seueritie of God on them to whom hee giues no grace seueritie but towards thee to whom he bestoweth his gifts goodnesse if thou continue in this goodnesse doe thou praise thy God and pray for them that for his sake that is ascended vp on high and hath led captiuitie captiue God would be pleased to bestow his gifts and graces vnto men that so all men may ascribe and giue all praise and glory vnto him which was and is and shall be through him which was dead and is aliue and liueth for euermore Amen A Prayer O Most gracious God which hast giuen thine only Sonne Iesus Christ to die for our sinnes to rise againe from the dead to ascend vnto Heauen to prepare a place for vs and to send vs thy holy spirit to fill our hearts with all heauenly graces which are necessarie for the gathering of thy Church and the sanctifying of our soules to prepare vs vnto eternall life we most humbly beseech thee to giue vs that grace to be truly thankfull vnto thee for all thy graces Increase our faith stirre vp our hope and kindle our loue both towards thee and towards all men for thy sake and because all graces are begotten increased and preserued by the hearing of thy Word and receiuing of thy blessed Sacraments we pray thee O Lord to giue vs grace to heare thy Word attentiuely to beleeue it faithfully and to receiue thy Sacraments worthily that so being filled with thy spirit we may despise all worldly vanities and haue our conuersations in Heauen while we liue on earth and at last bee receiued into that Kingdome which thou hast prepared for them that loue thee through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS The Seuenth Golden Candlesticke HOLDING The Seuenth greatest Light of Christian REIGION Of the duty of CHRISTIANS 1 THESSAL 5 2◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Brethren pray for vs. I Haue shewed thee O man The coherence of this Treatise with all the other Treatises how man behaued himselfe towards God offending his Maiesty with hainous sinnes and I haue shewed thee what God hath done for sinfull man how hee sent his onely begotten Sonne to be made man to suffer paine and sorrow and to die a cursed death for man thereby to ouercome all our enemies sinne death and hell to arise from the dead to assure vs of our deliuerance to ascend into heauen to prepare a place for vs and to send his holy and blessed Spirit into the hearts of men to fit them with the gifts and graces of the same to prepare them for heauen that the poore man might bathe himselfe in the poole of Bethesda and be made perfectly whole that the wandering sheepe might bee reduced and brought home vpon this mans shoulders and that sinfull man might be reconciled and revnited vnto God againe And therefore now Quid nisi vota supersunt what remaineth sauing onely prayers to render thankes vnto God for this great kindnesse and to aske those things that hee requisite for vs and to teach vs how to doe the same I haue chosen to treate of this short Text Brethren pray for vs. It is a Text independent either of precedent or subsequent matter and it containeth points of piety points fit to bee preached and fitter to bee practised by your sacred Maiesty by the worthiest Nobles by vs Priests by all men and therefore da veniam Imperatâ—r I humbly craue attention but a short time to dilate vpon this short Text Brethren pray for vs. I may say of it as Saint Hierome said to Paulinus of the Catholike Epistles of Saint Peter Saint Iohn Saint Iames and S. Iude Eas breues esse pariter longas that they were short in words but full of matter for herein our blessed Apostle as was said of that famous Hystorian Verborum numero sententiarum numerum comprehendit in this paucity of words hath couched plenty of matter the parts are two The diuision of the Text. 1. A most friendly compellation Brethren 2. A most Christian request or exhortation pray for vs. Out of the first I note two things 1. His affection whereby we are taught to liue in vnity 2. His discretion whereby wee may obserue a Christian pollicy not such as is abusiuely though commonly so termed in the world but such as is ioyned with true piety And in the second I obserue likewise two things 1. The action pray which is a worke of piety 2. The extention for vs which is an act of charity And so you see that from this short Text we may learne 1. Vnity 2. Pollicy 3. Piety 4. Charity Brethren pray for vs. CHAP. I. Of the diuers sorts of Brethren and how this teacheth vnitie FIrst Brethren is verbum amoris a word full of loue Of the vnity of brethren but it is diuersly taken in the Scripture For First Aug. ser 61. de tempore sometimes Omnem hominem per fratrem debemus accipere saith Saint Augustine we ought to vnderstand euery man by the name of brother as he that hateth his brother i. e. he that hateth any man is a man-slayer Secondly Sometimes it signifieth those of the same nation as Moses went out vnto his brethren Exod. 2.11 and saw an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew one of his brethren Thirdly Sometimes cognatos Scriptura dicit fratres Aug. l. 1. locut de Gen. Math. 12.4.7 Mar. 3.32 the Scriptures calleth our kinred by the name of brethren as behold thy brethren stand without desiring to speake with thee Fourthly Sometimes it is put for the sonnes of the same parents as Heua bare againe his brother Abell and Caine said Am I my brothers keeper Gen. 4.2.8.9 v. Fiftly 1 Cor. 1.26 Sometimes we vnderstand those of the same religion and profession as you see your calling brethren Et sic fratres dicti Christiani and so all Christians are called brethren saith Saint Augustine and so Saint Paul meaneth in this place Brethren pray for vs for otherwise he was an Hebrew of the seed of Israel of the Tribe of Beniamin 2 Pet. 1.10 and they were Grecians of Thessalonica the Metrapolitane City of Macedonia built by Philip king of Macedon and so called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aug. ser dom in monte fol. 343. of his victories obtained in Thessaly in which respect also he called his owne daughter Thessalonica as Suidas saith but they were all Christians and therefore brethren and therefore the deerer one to another because Christian brethren Quia maior est fraternitas spiritus quam sanguinis because the fraternity or brother-hood of Christians which is in respect of the Spirit that begetteth vs with the same immortal seed in the wombe of the same mother the Church to bee brought forth and brought vp as children to the same Father which is in heauen is a great deale more excellent then the brotherhood of flesh and bloud Nam
of vs. 118 All the excellencies of Christs man-hood were created excellencies 146 God expressed to Moses what he is three manner of wayes 121 Examples of Gods mercy in seeking after sinners 181 We should carefully examine whether we loue God or not 189 Examples of Gods slownesse to punish sin 194 Good examples a great meanes to further godlinesse 360 Three sorts of men excluded from the Paschall Lambe 682 Excellency of diuine truth 215 EK The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether rightly translated created or not 287 FA. THree faculties of the soule of man 53 Euery faculty of the soule defiled by sinne ibid. Fathers how they extoll the power of God ibid. Faith seeth what reason perceiueth not 176 God called Father of mercies neuer called Father of vengeance and why 195 Faults of some not to be ascribed vnto all 221 God the Father alwayes begetteth the Sonne 275 The name of Father taken two wayes 278 God the Father of Christ not as he is our Father 291 The Father how greater then Christ 300 Father sent not Christ by way of command 301 Christ the fairest among the sons of men 353 Family from whence Christ descended 396 c. Faults of the Disciples Christ would not reueale 466 Faith foure-fold 647 Iustifying faith the properties of it 648 FE That we should feare our Lord. 131 That we should aswell feare Gods iustice as hope for his mercy 244 Feare is two-fold 355 Feare and sorrow how they differ 449 What Christ feared 450. 455 c. Whom we neede not feare 538 God in what sence to be feared 539 Magistrates and parents in what sence to be feared 538 Feare brought into the world by sinne 540 God how he ought to be feared 541 That we ought to feare in euery state of grace lapse and recouerie 441 FI. Fire and sinne cannot be concealed 20 Fire and sinne not resisted will necessarily increase 22 Christ in what respect sayd to be the first begotten Sonne of God 291 That we should striue to be the first in Gods seruice 590 Apostles onely filled with the holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost 658 Fiue kindes of kisses 460 FL. Flesh apt to conceiue sin 14 Flesh taken for the corrupted qualitie of man 8 Flesh of Christ made by all the three persons of the Trinity 325 Flesh diuers kindes 339 Our flesh assumed by Christ 369 Flesh of Christ how said to be Deified 369 How said to doe diuine operations 389 Christ how flouted by all men 481 482 Flesh the tenderer the more sensible of paine 483 FO Forgetfulnesse an infernall Fiend 60 To forbeare to punish sinne increaseth the number of sinners 90 Fore-sight of good and euill is not the cause of punishment or reward of either 95 Heathens fâ—lsly ascribed to Fortune what is true of God 139 To forgiue sinne the greatest worke of Gods power 140 God able to forgiue sinnes ibid. In the forgiuing of sinnes many particulars to be considered 183 God forgiuâ—th all sinnes or no sinne 184 God cannot forget to be mercifull ibid. Foâ—giuenâ—sse of sinnes our chiefest comfort 224 That wee ought to forgiue one another 236 And to foâ—get all iniuries ibid. Our foâ—e fathers how they exceeded vs in deuotion 731 To be in the forme of God is to be very G â— 280 To lay a good foundation the best way to teach 392 Fortitude of the women seeking Christ 521 Christ in heauen forgetteth not his seruants on earth 629 Foure points handled touching the power of God 13â— Foure sorts of men erre about the doctrine of Gods power 135 Foure speciall graces bestowed vpon the elect 204 Foure kindes of redemption 500 Foure sorts of ascenders 609 Foure-fold end of Christs ascention 639 Foure points considered about the gifts of God 640 Foure signes of fulnesse 665 Foure-fold feales or signes wherewith Saints are sealed 669 Foure sorts or receiuers of the Sacraments 680 FR. Christ assumed all our humane frailties 351 Friends of Christ how dearly he loued them 488 God expecteth not the like fruits from all men 602 The Saints are freed from all their enemies 636 Christ freeth vs from Satan to place vs in his owne seruice ibid. We are not freed from Satan to doe what we list 637 FV. Fury of the wicked restrained 178 All men are full of somethings 665 GA. WHy Christ went to the garden of Gethsemane to bee taken and what befell him there 441 Gaufredus Clareuallensis what he said 613 GI Gifts of God of two sorts 192 641 Hee giueth spirituall gifts to the godly ibid. And temporall gifts to the wicked ibid. Gifts of God are free gifts 640 Diuersly bestowed 523 Euery man should be contented with the gifts God giueth him 523 Diuersity of gifts among the Apostles and Fathers ibid. Gifts requisite for Preachers 641 Gifts to edifie the Church how giuen 657 Speciall gifts of God whereby the elect are saued vnpossibly to be knowne 646 Gifts of prayer the chiefest of all Gods graces 730 Gifts of the Magi what they shewed Christ to be 413. GE. Generation of Christ two-fold 288. Gentiles were not altogether ignorant of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 311 What they writ of this name of Christ 312 313 Gentiles how they might come to the knowledge of this word 313 3â—4 Gentiles expected the comming of the Messias 316 412 Generality of Christ his suffering 483 GO God how said to bee the Father of Spirits 6 Goâ—ly mens sinning differ in three things from the wicked 35 36 Godly life maketh a happy death 82 God loueth righteousnesse 90 No respect of persons 91 Most iust ibid. Iudgeth euery man according to his desert 92 How great and how mighty he is 102 How ineffable 125 A most faithfull performer of all his promises 127 How he guideth and gouerneth all things 138 Of his owne nature most intelligible 120 To vs incomprehensible 120 121 That there is but one God proued many wayes 269 270 God onely to be prayed vnto 710 Christ no titular but a true God by nature proued 278 279 280 c. To deny the God-head of Christ what a hainous sinne 305 God-head of Christ suffered not but sustained the man-hood to suffer 438 485 The godly how they doe ascend 614 Loue of goodnesse should make vs hate sin 66 Goodnesse of God to man how incomprehensible 101 103 Good and godly men ought to be cherished and promoted 110 Goodnesse what it is 196 Goodnesse of things two-fold 197 God good to all things 197 Perfectly absolutely and vniuersally good 198 Nothing absolutely good but God ibid. Goodnesse of God two-fold 198 Generall goodnesse of God seene in two things 198 All things made good in their kinde 199 Good for some vse yet not vniuersally good ibid. Goodnesse of God withholdeth the wicked from many sinnes suspendeth our iust deserued punishments 200 How it extendeth it selfe to all men 201 Yet not alike good to all men 202 Gods speciall goodnesse seene in two things 203 It preserueth the Saints