in some other place yet for their plainenes and excellencie I cannot here passe them ouer Heb. 3 6. But Christ as the sonne is ouer his owne house saith Saint Paul Whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the reioycing of our hope euen vnto the end Here are two plaine markes of the Church we are Gods house we are Gods Church if so be we keepe and hold fast these two things that is our confidence in our praiers 1. Io. 5.14 as saint Iohn expounds it And our reioycing of the certaine hope of our saluation vnto the end This is our confidence we haue in him saith saint Iohn that if we aske anie thing according to his will he heareth vs. And if we know that he heareth vs whatsoeuer we aske we know that we haue the petitions that we haue desired of him This ought to be euerie Christians confidence and assurance that whatsoeuer they aske in the name of Iesus Christ which is agréeing to the will of God they are sure they shall obtaine it And they know that Iesus Christ heares them they know that their petitions are granted This is the first marke of Gods Church no doubt euerie Christian ought to haue this confidence whensoeuer he praies that he may say as our Sauiour said when he praied to God his father I thank thee father that thou hast heard me I know that thou hearest me alwaies Io. 11.41 Ro. 15.4 Io. 17.23 Psal 56.9.31.22.118.5.68 3 This is written for our learning God loues vs now as he loued him This the world must know much more euerie Christian himselfe This confidence Dauid had in all his praiers as appeareth in his Psalmes And the second marke also saint Iohn agréeing with saint Paul hath put downe in the former verse which is the ground of this Vers 13. These things haue I written vnto you saith saint Iohn which beleeue on the name of the son of God that ye may know that ye haue eternall life and that ye may beleeue in the name of the sonne of God All Christians must know that they haue eternall life And that this their knowledge might be sure and certaine Saint Iohn a faithfull witnesse writes thus vnto them Who will not beléeue in our affaires the deposition of a faithfull and honest man and shall we not beléeue the testimonie and writing of saint Iohn And againe in his first Chapter he writes thus The life appeared and we haue seene it and be are witnesse 1 Iohn 1.3 and shew vnto you the eternal life which was with the father and appeared vnto vs. This I say that we haue seene and heard declare we vnto you that ye also may haue fellowship with vs and that our fellowship also may be with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ And these things write we vnto you that your ioy may be full Who would not read such a comfortable letter who durst euer haue presumed to thinke thus much in his heart That we vile wretches and miserable sinners should be fellowes with the Apostles nay should haue fellowship and a communion euen with God the father and his sonne Iesus Christ and the holy Ghost if saint Iohn had not written it And now that he hath written this vnto vs who dare doubt of it Oh the fellowship with God the father with his son Iesus Christ and with the holy Ghost the ioyfullest letter that euer was read Will God nay doth God euen now account vs as his friends as those whom he sets most by Who reads this reioyceth not euen from his heart whom will not this glad tidings cause to reioyce daily as often as he thinkes thereon Nay who will euer now cease to thinke thus let all other matters be forgoiteÌ„ I haue fellowship with God the father with his sonne Iesus Christ and with the holy Ghost What do I care for else He that walkes in the sunne the excéeding great light thereof so daseleth his eies that when he comes into his owne house though it be richly furnished â—e sées nothing So should this excéeding great ioy drowne all our other ioyes whatsoeuer This rich fellowship with God the father and his sonne and the holy Ghost should so dasell our eies that we should now make no account of these our earthly riches And this ioy of this rich and certaine hope being thus certified vs by a faithfull witnes Saint Iohn is the marke of the true Church They which lacke these markes are none of the Church what fair shewes soeuer they haue besides And this is the verie scope of saint Iohns Epistle I write vnto you saith he these things not that ye may reioyce onely but that your ioy may be full And this he writes to all Christians who will then doubt of his saluation And here I note how the Church of Rome doth take quite away saint Iohns knowledge and assurance I write vnto you saith he that you may know that you haue eternal life And again this is our confideÌ„ce that when we pray we know that he heareth vs. We know that we haue the petitions that we aske of him This certainty this knowledge the Church of Rome caÌ„not abide She teacheth that no Christian can say he knowes that he shall be saued and therefore she teacheth men to doubt of their saluation She teacheth that we are not sure whether being hindred by our sinnes Iesus Christ will heare vs or no And therefore she teacheth to make mediators vnto him As though anie thing could be added to his loue towards vs. Nay his mother the blessed Virgine Marie nor all the saints and Angels in heauen doe not loue vs so dearely as he doth if the loue of all these were put altogither And whereas they vrge our sinnes to discourage vs and to weaken this our confidence 1. Ioh. 1. vers 8. Saint Iohn in his first chapter doth confesse also so much that we are all sinners or else if we denie that we are lyars And yet for all that in this chapter he teacheth vs this ioy of our saluation and this confidence and assurance of our praiers And is the Church of Rome the true Church Is she Gods house that holdes not fast this confidence in her praiers and this certaintie of the hope of her saluation Let all men of indifferencie iudge Saint Iude in his Epistle hauing foretold of heretiques that should trouble the Church briefely knits vp as in a little bundell the markes of the true Church being the same in substance which saint Paul and saint Iohn haue taught vs. Iude epist Vers 20. But ye beloued saith he edifie your selues in your most holy faith That is studie read meditate and be expert in the scriptures So shall you be sure to be within Gods league and couenant and be a shéep of Iesus Christs fold as hath béene noted before Secondly pray in the holy Ghost that is with knowledge with
of Adam hauing no goodnesse left in vs but that we maie become the sonnes of God we must be borne againe and receiue Gods spirit and by it be now not helped as the Councell of Trent teacheth but quickened and made aliue againe to do good works And therefore Saint Paul agréeing to this doctrine of our Sauiour writes Eph. 2.8 that by grace yee are saued through faith and that not of your selues no not in parte as the Councell here would haue it For it is Gods gift saith the Apostle and dare we imagine that Gods gifts are not most free most ample Dare we our selues challenge anie part in them this no doubt were diuelish pride proud presumption Nay but that which followes plainlie prooues the same Not of workes saith Saint Paul least anie man should bragge In this matter of our saluation God will haue all the glorie himselfe man maie challenge no part thereof God will not haue him bragge no not of a mite thereof he will haue all the glorie thereof ascribed to himselfe alone As all the Saints of God in the Reuelation to our instruction doe also confesse Reu. 7.10 And they cried with a lowd voice saying Saluation commeth of our God that sitteth vpon the throne and of the Lambe Shall they thus alowde crie out this lesson to vs and shall we not heare them shall they all with one consent testifie this and shall we not beléeue them But Saint Paul to make this matter more manifest goeth on forward For wee are his workmanship created in Christ Iesu to good workes which God also hath long prepared before that wee should walke in them This is an inuincible reason able to stoppe the mouths of all bragging Pharises we are Gods workmanship againe as wel in our Regeneration as in our Creation and we are new creatures can he that is created challenge any part of his strength to himselfe Such is mans estate to that which is good after his fall and to all good workes he is regenerate vnto them And the same doctrine Saint Paul teacheth in another place 2. Cor. 5. â—7 If anie man be in Christ he is a newe creature Olde things are gone and behold all things are newe Here first this lesson is generall If any one be in Christ he is a new creature It concernes all Christians they were all in the same case Secondly we are all new creatures we euerie one of vs now haue newe willes new strength new hearts all thinges are newe The olde things are not onely mended and repaired as the Papists teach Mans naturall frowardnesse to goodnes was described to vs euen in iust Lotte he was loth to go out of Sodome he protracted the time And the men tooke him by the hand the Lord being mercifull vnto him and led him out He had Gods vocation he had Gods grace offered preuenting him but did he by and by as the Councell teacheth embrace it and assent vnto it Naie it is said that the Angels constrained him Gen. 19.15 vim faciebant as Arrius Montanus translates it Such fréedome of will to assent to Gods grace offered was in Lotte and doe we thinke that anie of Gods seruants haue had hearts better disposed No verely The like we maie reade of the children of Israell who although God had promised them the land of Canaan Gen. 17.8 Exod 14.27.16.15.13.21 and drowned Pharao before their eies and fedde them with Mannah and went before them by daie in a clowde and by night in a piller of fire yet such was the frowardnesse of their willes Exod. 16.3 Num. 11.6.14.4 Gen. 6.5 that they spurned against all these graces offered them and euen daily before their eies and often made mention of returning to Egypt againe so that the will of mans corrupt nature of it selfe is now euen from the cradle proue to all euill enemie to all goodnesse euer resisting as Saint Stephen taught the Iewes and not willingly and fréely assenting to the Spirit of God as the Papists teach vs. Act. 7.51 The Councell to confirme their doctrine misapplieth that saying of the Prophet Zacharie Zach. 1.3 Turne you vnto me and I will turne vnto you These words were spoken to the circumcised Iewes who had beene well instructed in the law of the Lord and therefore cannot fitlie be applied to the man vnregenerate Rupertus a Papist expoundes this place of Zacharie thus Rup in ca. 1. ver 13. Zac. Thus saith the Lord of hostes the father and the Lord of hostes the Sonne and the Lord of hosts the Holy-ghost Turne vnto me and I will turne vnto you that is beleeue in me and all anger being set apart I will be reconciled vnto you Be not like your Forefathers to whome the former prophets cried saying Turne from your euill waies and from your wicked thoughts and they woulde not heare nor giue heed to mee saith the Lorde This is like to that which the Holy ghost saith by Dauid To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts as in the prouocation and in the day of temptation in the Wildernesse when your Fathers tempted me proued me and saw my works c. Thus farre Rupertus Where first that word of reconciliation argues regeneration and a former loue and friendship but most manifestlie the example of the Israelites which he addeth out of Dauid These Israelites of whome Dauid here speakes 1. Cor. 10.2 were regenerate in the redde sea as Saint Paul teacheth and had seene Gods wonderous workes and had beene as should seeme a great while schollers in his schoole and therefore to such might this exhortation fitlie be applied But to the vnregenerate the councell doth not rightlie applie it euen by Rupertus his iudgement Luk. 10.30 That man that descended from Ierusalem to Iericho may resemble a man regenerate and now falling into greeuous sinnes or if he signifie Adam falling from Gods fauour into the hands of the diuell let vs marke what a miserable case hee was in hee had no power to helpe himselfe no not a tongue to aske helpe and being helpen vp was neither able to stand nor to goe but was set vpon the good Samaritans owne beast to beare him Hee was halfe dead the flesh liued in him his worst halfe but his spirit and power to doe good was quite dead If this man which came from Ierusalem was in this case what shall wee saie of them which neuer saw Ierusalem It was not the helping vp that would serue the turne but hee stood in neede of other legges to beare him of Wine and Oile to be powred into his wounds and not of these onelie but his wounds were to bee bound vp least these heauenlie graces being powred in should runne out againe and of two pence to be giuen him to paie for his charges Such a case was this man in he had nothing left him hee was quite robbed and spoiled of all his riches Psal
which are of the circumcision but vnto them also that walke in the steppes of the faith of our father Abraham This to be iustified more which saint Iohn speakes of is no doubt to walke in the steppes of the faith of Abraham And this no doubt also is that which saint Peter meaneth when hee concludes his epistle thus Growe in grace 2. Peter 3.18 and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ That is grow in your faith and knowledge of the Gospell For this is life eternall saieth our Sauiour to knowe thee to bee the onely true God Ioh. 17.3 and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ Gagneius should haue considered all these places and not grounded his second iustification of workes vpon that one onlie place Whereas also that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him be righteous still maie signifie rather a perseuerance then an increase But to let Gagneius go with his mystes and cauilles against the trueth and to returne to saint Austen againe As hee quite takes all our iustification from all workes whatsoeuer either ceremoniall or morall so he yéelds this to that our first iustification that it makes vs partakers of the glory of God Lib. spir lit cap. 9. and doe wee thinke then that hee euer thought of anie second Thus hee writes By grace the wicked man is iustified freely that is hauing no merites of his works going before For otherwise grace were not grace because therefore it is giuen not because that we haue doon good works but that we may do them that is not because we haue fulfilled the law but that we might fulfill it For he said I came not to destroie the law but to fulfill it Of whome it is saide We haue seene his glorie the glorie as it were of the onelie begotten Sonne of the Father full of grace and trueth This is the glory whereof it is said All haue sinned and are destitute of the glory of God And this is the grace whereof by and by he saieth Being iustified freely by his grace So that by saint Austens iudgment this grace which we receiue in our first iustification is that grace of God which before our iustification all men were depriued of And will Gagneius saie then that our iustification is imperfect Naie herein also saint Austen agrees with saint Paul who speaking of that first iustification saieth 1. Iohn 15. We being iustified by faith are at peace with God and is it imperfect then no imperfect thing can please God Ephes 2.16 He is light and in him is no darknes at all Naie in another place hee saieth that Iesus Christ hath slaine hatred betweene God and vs and that we haue an entrance now to the father by one spirit no doubt which we receiue in our Baptismes and at our first iustification 19. And that now we are no more strangers or forreiners but citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God And is this our first iustification as yet imperfect Naie saint Iohn saieth 1. Iohn 1.3 That we haue seene and heard we declare vnto you that you also maie haue fellowship with vs and that our fellowship may be also with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ Do wée beleeue this O happie newes by faith wee are made fellowes with the apostles naie euen with God himselfe and is then our first iustification imperfect and these things Saint Iohn writes to vs that our ioy may be full Who will not reioice that heareth this newes Other Papists make another cauill at our iustification Stella writes thus Of these words of Christ that error of the Lutherans is conuinced Stella in cap. 6 Luc. who dare affirm that faith cannot be without charity but one may truely as it is manifest out of this text of the Gospell heare the vvordes of God and beleeue them and yet not bee in grace But here Stella addes this of his owne and beleeue them that is more then is in the text The text saieth One maie heare the words of God and not do them not be in grace But surelie he that heares them beleeues them will do them also no doubt and therefore such a one is in grace S. Austen also verie excellentlie condemnes the Papists in this their doctrine De fide operib cap. 23 The Lord saith in the Gospell The houre shall come wherein all they that are in the graues shall he are his voice and they shall go which haue doone well into the resurrection of life and they which haue doone euill into the resurrection of iudgment Neither is it said that they which haue beleeued or that they which haue not beleeued but thus they which haue doone wel and that they which haue doon euil for a good life cannot be separated from faith which works thorough loue yea verily that same is a good life it selfe A true liuelie faith and a good life by saint Austens iudgement are vnseparable And againe saint Austen declares his iudgment concering our iustification and she vse of good workes verie manifestlie thus When as the Apostle saith Aug. de fide operib cap. 14. that he supposeth that a man is iustified by faith without the works of the law hee meanes not that when as wee haue receiued and professed the faith that the works of righteousnes should be despised but that euery one may know that he may be iustified through faith although no works of the law haue gone before For they follow a man that is now iustified they do not go before him which is to be iustified This is saint Austens plaine iudgement that workes are fruites of our iustification not rootes they are neither precedent nor concurrent causes but effects following Ibidem And after hee addes the causes why saint Peter Iohn and Iames and Iude wrote their Epistles and expoundes their meanings whereas they seeme to make much for good workes Because this opinion saieth he was then sproong vp that is that works were despised the other apostolique Epistles of Peter Iohn Iames and Iude against this opinion bend al their force so that they very vehemently affirme that faith without workes profiteth nothing As also Saint Paul himselfe cals not faith euery faith wherewith we beleeue in God but that healthfull and euangelicall faith whose workes proceede from charitie and faith saieth he which vvorketh thorow loue Therefore he affirmes that that faith which some men thinke is sufficient to saluation to be of so small force that he saith If so be that I had all faith so that I could moue mountaines out of their places and yet had no charity I am nothing But where this faithfull charitie works there is a good life c. So that by saint Austens iudgement that vaine and barren faith which some men in those dayes imagined of their owne braines and despised all good workes doe both saint Iames and saint Iohn and the
of them writes thus Granat Med. in orat dom Who can euer cast the account of my vaine thoughts who can number my euill works and idle words For the iust men scant know how to bridle their tongue And the number is infinite also of the sinnes of my transgression and commission in doing that which I should not haue doon and in omitting of that which I ought to haue doone And after But doest thou so forgiue vs our sinnes freely O Father and without any recompence Truely thou forgiuest them freely and not freely not freely for although mercy bee ready to forgiue yet iustice will be satisfied and yet freely because thou offerest vs that freely wherewith iustice is satisfied that is that huge incomparable treasure which thine only begotten son laid vp for vs the space of three and thirty yeares to the which he made a way to vs by his bloud This treasure we offer vnto thee O Father take thereof as much as thou wilt it may be drawne but it cannot bee drawne drie it may be spent but it cannot be diminished His merites are ours his satisfaction is ours his bloud is our ransome Therefore we beseech thee O Lord that being pacified with the blood and merites of thy Sonne that thou wouldest winke at our faults the which if thou wilt call to a strict account no man is able to abide the fauour of thy iustice much lesse the seuerity of it Therefore let thy mercy helpe vs who acknowledge our selues be damned of thy iustice of many hainous offences And againe in another place hee writes of the sinnes of all men thus That thou maiest better marke what thinges wee haue said thou must diligently consider the multitude of the sinnes of thy life past especially of those which thou committedst when as thou hadst lesse knowledge of God for if so be that thou shalt come to the perfect knowledge of them al thou shalt vnderstand that they are moe in number then the haires of thy head and that thou hast liued like a Pagan or Ethnike which knew not what God was After that runne ouer both the Tables of the tenne Commandements and those seauen deadly sinnes and thou shalt learne that there is no Commandement of God which thou hast not often broken and no deadly sin into the which thou hast not often fallen by work word and thought Remember the first man Adam that because he did eate the forbidden meate he did commit the most grieuous sinne in the world and there is no kind of sinne wherein thou hast not diuers waies and oftentimes offended Call to thy remembrance all the benefits of God which thou hast receiued all thy ages and the whole course of thy life and see how thou hast behaued thy selfe in all these For a most strict account of all these one day will be demanded of thee Therefore if thou wilt be ruled by me thou shalt doe most vvisely if thou shalt now presently iudge thy selfe least hereafter thou be more seuerely iudged of God Go to therfore tel me how thou hast past ouer thy childhood how thy youth how thy mans estate and that I may say all in a vvord how thou hast liued from thy mothers wombe til this day To what things hast thou emploied thy appetite and other powers of thy mind which thou hast receiued of God that thou shouldest know him and serue him withall How hast thou vsed thine eies no other wise then that thou mightest delight them in vaine things and fond shewes What hast thou delighted in to heare with thine eares surely vaine fables filthy talke and lies What hast thou broched with thy tongue but periuries murmurings and such things as are not seemely Thy tast touching and smelling in what other thinges haue they delighted then in those which were pleasant to the appetite delightful to flesh bloud and which might satisfie their pleasures Tel me how thou hast vsed the diuine Sacraments giuen thee of God as medicines to cure thy wounds what thankes hast thou giuen God for his infinite benefites bestowed vpon thee How hast thou kept his diuine commandements how hast thou employed thy health thy strength thy courage thy riches the prosperitie of this world and other commodities giuen thee of God that thou shouldest with them lead a godly life What care hast thou had of thy neighbour as concerning whom the Lord hath giuen thee a speciall charge what and how many workes of mercy hast thou doone which God hath so highly commended vnto vs Of all these will God call thee to account in that terrible day of iudgement when as he shall say vnto thee Giue an account of thy Stewardshippe Giue account of those riches which thou hast receiued of me For thou maiest be no longer a Steward O withered tree fit for hell fire What aunswere wilt thou make when account shall be demanded of thee of all thy life and of euery point and minute thereof Thus farre Granatensis Euerie one by his iudgement must pronounce himselfe guiltie at that great daie of assises of the immortall GOD and must flie to the winges of his mercie and must craue pardon And a little after speaking of mans vilenesse hee writes thus After thou hast weighed all these things with thy selfe in a iust ballance go forward to examine thine owne selfe and be not ashamed to thinke of thy selfe most vilely and most basely Thinke thy selfe to be no better then a reede which is shaken with euery wind which hath nothing in it without any vertue without any strength without any constancy without any stablenesse or firmenesse of mind Remember that thou art Lazarus now foure daies laide in his graue a stinking Carion full of wormes at the sauour whereof all they which passe by stoppe their noses and turne awaie their eies Thinke thy selfe thus to stinke before God and his Angels account thy selfe vnworthie who should lift vppe his eies to heauen an vnprofitable clodde of claie and vnworthie whom the earth should beare or whom the creatures of God should serue vnworthie of the bread thou eatest the Aire thou breathest the light by the meanes whereof thou seest but farre more vnworthy of the comfort of the Holy ghost I wil not say the adoption of a Sonne and that heauenly prouidence and care of thy heauenly Father which so dearely and tenderly cares for thee Be in thine owne eies the vilest of all other creatures and who hath abused all Gods benefites most abominably Thinke with thy selfe that if God had doon in Tyre and Sydone that is in other most notable sinners the works which he hath doone in thee they would euen now haue repented in sackcloth and ashes Confesse thy selfe to be the grieuousest sinner of al other sinners that thou knowest And the more that thou shalt be displeased with thy selfe when as now thou shalt thinke that thou hast comen to the vttermost thou shalt find more things which will giue thee occasion
of our Christians at this daie Naie in the Acts he pronounceth the same sentence Act. 10 34. that God is no respecter of persons that in euerie Nation he is accepted vnto him which feareth him and worketh righteousnesse And when as the Holie ghost fell vpon them hee commaunded them to be baptized and haue not all Christians at this daie likewise the holie Ghost doeth not Saint Paul saie that they which haue not the Spirite of God Roman 8.9 are none of his If all christians then haue the Holie ghost then must they néedes haue faith which is the first and principall fruite thereof and such a faith as is required to the obtaining of the remission of their sins Maie not wée saie of our christians as Saint Paul speakes of the christians in the Primitiue Church 2. Corin. 3.3 1. Corin. 1.7 You are the Epistle of Christ sayth he to the Corinthians made by our ministerie written not with Inke but with the Spirit of the liuing God And in his first Epistle he giues thanks to God that they wanted no gift Therefore they had no doubt such a faith as is required to the forgiuenesse of sinnes by Saint Pauls owne Testimonie yea although that their faith had some imperfectiōs in it of dissention of diuers errors both concerning the Sacrament and also the resurrection of the dead Why maie we not therefore beléeue and pronounce of all christians in these our daies which are not notorious Atheists or cut off from the church as saint Paul did of the christians generallie in his daies Thus wée maie see howe saint Pauls doctrine and master Bellarmines differs the one tendeth to consolation and edification the other plainly to the destruction of the faith and to desperation Ferus writes That most iustly the holy Ghost is called the comforter not only for this cause In. cap. 14. Ioh. that it comforted the Apostles the Children of the Bride of the death and absence of their father by the word of the Scripture saying that it behooued Christ thus to haue suffered but also for this cause that as an earnest peny and pledge it assureth the faithfull that they are the sonnes of God But Bellarmine saieth That the Spirit witnesseth to our spirites that we are the Sonnes of God but this Testimony is by no expresse word that is by Reuelation but by a taste of some inward ioy and peace which ingenders in vs no certainty but coniectural But an earnest giuen to any takes away all coniecture And Ferus speaking of this Testimonie sayeth O this happy knowledge yea most happy vnion so to be knit not only to the Sonne but to the father It makes vs know surely we are Gods Sonnes So this earnest takes awaie all coniecture nay more then this it vnites vs to God But that place of Ecclesiastes is alleadged of some to disprooue this certainty of our saluation the which place if it bee indifferently considered prooues no such thing but rather it condemnes all rash iudgements of Christians Ecclesiast 9.1 Matthew 7.1 according to our Sauiours doctrine Iudge not and yee shall not be iudged The place is this I gaue my selfe sayeth Salomon to consider this whole matter and to declare the same because that iust men and wise men and their seruice are in the hands of God euen the iust men and wise men are in the handes of God if hee held them not vp they should surelie fall euen into the pitte of hell Loue also and hatred no man knowes all things are before their faces for all thinges happen to all men alike There is one euent to the iust and wicked to the good and pure and to the vncleane to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not The plaine meaning of this place is that no man knowes by the externall euentes which happen to himselfe or others whether hee bee beloued of God or hated The same thinges chance verie often alike both to the godlie and to the wicked 2. King 23.29 1. King 22.35 Gen. 13.2 Luk. 16.19 2. Sam. 12.18 1. Kin. 19 14 17 1 King 22 49. Psalm 48.6 Luke 13.4 Act. 28.4 Gen. 22.2 Good Iosias was slaine in the battell as well as wicked Ahab Abraham was rich as well as Diues Dauids child died as well as Ieroboams Iosaphats Shippes were broken as wel as the Shippes of the wicked Let no man pronounce sentence of condemnation against his Brother by reason of these outward euents as did the superstitious Iewes against those vpon whom the Tower of Siloam did fall or as did those prophane Paganes against Paul who iudged him a wicked man because a Viper caught him God deales woonderfullie with his Isaac the hope of the world is commanded to be sacrificed Iesus the light of the Gentiles Luk. 2.32.23.33 and the glory of Israel is crucified who will then iudge or condemne by anie externall accident This sense the verie coherence of the verse that followeth inforceth for thus it followeth in the Text. This is an euill that is done amongst all vnder the sunne that there is one chance or euent to all and that the harts of the sons of men are full of euill and madnesse is in their harts whilest they liue And because in all mens heartes this sinne and madnesse remaines so that no man can saie hee hath no sinne therefore these like euents and chances outwardlie happen to all alike Again it is to be noted that Salomon here saith The man knoweth not that is the carnall man and he that is not regenerate in whose person he hath spoken manie things before as that Who knoweth whether the spirit of man ascēd vpward the spirit of a beast descend downward Eccles 3.21 to the earth It is euident that Salomon speaketh not that of himselfe who affirmes in the 12. Chapter that the spirit of man returnes to God Cap. 12. ver 7. that gaue it him so that the carnall man knowes not then whether hee bee worthy of loue or hatred It is Gods Spirite that bringes this certaintie that workes this effect that witnesseth this without which our spirits should doubt naie euen despaire euen the spirites of the most couragious and valiant So our Sauiour told Peter of the profession of his faith that flesh and bloud had not reuealed that vnto him Matth. 16.17 but his heauenly father by the working of his holie spirite So wee reade in the Gospell Mark 13.32 that our Sauiour himselfe knowes not the day of iudgement as hee is man so man in that respect hee is man knowes not his loue nor his hate Rom 8.15.16 but the holy spirit beares witnesse to our spirits that we are the Sonnes of God and therefore beloued of God and vpon this assurance of loue makes vs call boldlie vpon God and crie Abba father And Salomon himselfe after seemes to make this distinction of man The end of all the Word saieth hee
is easie to be heard Feare God and keepe his Commandements this is the whole man As though hee should saie hee that doth this is the man regenerate this is the sonne not of Adam but of the Preacher this is the sonne of God by regeneration who feares and loues God and his and kéepes his commandementes This is not the old man whose iudgementes are corrupt but this is the new man the whole man who iudgeth rightlie and discerneth all things But Master Bellarmine would same peruert this place and make it serue for their doubtfull vncertaintie of saluation and first he saith that Salomon speakes only of iust men De Iustificat lib. 3. cap. 4. as those words declare There are iust men and wise men and their works are in the hand of God and man knoweth not that is the iust man saieth he whether he be worthy of loue or hatred First Master Bellarmine dissenteth from Arrias Montanus and from the Hebrew where it is that the seruices of the iust men are in the handes of God not their workes And maie more properlie be referred to seruantes and to liuing creatures which are properlie rather saide to be in the handes of God then anie qualities or vnsensible workes of man Secondlie he makes a coniunction copulatiue betwixt this former sentence and the other which is not in the Hebrew but they are rather two distinct sentences and of diuers matters And this sentence of loue and hatred hath coherence with that which followes rather then with this precedent as the verie Text it selfe being indifferentlie weighed and considered declares which is this Also hatred also loue no man knowes all things are before their faces all things happen to all men alike as well to the wicked as to the godly And therefore as by these outward workes no man knowes the loue or hatred either of himselfe or of anie other The former sentence in the first verse going before of the iust and wise men hath this peculiar doctrine that no man is saued by his owne strength or wisedome but euen the iust men and wisest of the world are in the hands of God he holdes them vp how much more then other baser or meaner men This is the doctrine of that verse and then followes this second verse that No man knowes his loue nor his hatred because all things chance to all men alike And whereas Master Caluine alleadgeth that this reason immediatlie following prooues euidentlie that Salomon speakes of the knowledge which maie be had by euents Bellarmine aunsweres that it is not necessary that the reason should be as large as the conclusion which is prooued by the reason But heere howe doth he dissent from reason for it is necessarie that the reason be as ample at the least naie rather amplier then the conclusion or else the conclusion is naught euen as the foundation of a building must be larger then the toppe or else the builders will make but a tottering building Secondlie he saieth that Salomon would proue that iust men could not surely know whether they were beloued of God or no. Whereas Salomon in this verse speakes of man simplie and not of the iust onelie as in the former Then hee saieth that all things are kept vncertaine to the time to come till we shall haue entred into life euerlasting But the meaning of Salomon is that all the euents of the time to come in this our life are vncertain as the Hebrew phrase declares All things are before our eies that is are vncertaine While they are here men cannot see what will happen till it happen Lastlie he answeres that the iust man may know whether hee be worthy of loue or hatred if the spirite of God reueale it vnto him but ordinarily he saith that the spirit of God doth not reueale that to any man by manifest knowledge but by certaine experiments or inward comforts which do not make certain credit or assurance O diuelish doctrine and absurde against reason Epistola 96. Seneca writes thus verie excellently Our life without a full set purpose or resolution is wandring and vaine If a man purpose a thing he will do it indeed I thinke you will grant sayth he that there is nothing worse then one that is doubtfull fearefull Epistola 75. and vncertaine now setting his foot forward now pulling it backe againe This we shall be compelled to do in all things vnlesse those things be taken away which hinder and pluck backe our minds suffer them not to be valiant As though he should say there is none but by nature he is subiect to doubtfulnesse vnlesse these lets be taken away Thus much Seneca saw by the light of nature and shall not wée sée so much being lightened by Gods spirit especially when as saint Paul sayth that the spirit of God witnesseth to our spirits Rom. 8.15.16 that we are the sonnes of God and Bellarmine sayth that his witnes is not sufficient it doth not warrant and assure vs. Is not this to discredit the Testimony of God It certifieth sayth Bellarmine but not manifestly but obscurely To charge the spirit of God with this obscurity from whence comes it but from the prince of darkenesse The spirit of God is light security and assurance and ioy wheresoeuer it comes But Andradius is not so bold nor so wicked in this matter Andrad lib. 6. ortho explicat he answeres the place of saint Paul thus When as sayth he the holy Ghost can neither be deceiued nor deceiue if it be certaine that any thing is established by the holy Ghosts Testimony it is so surely to be beleeued as the other mysteries of our faith But now here is the doubt whether it may euidently be proued that that Testimony of their soules which men feele be the voice of the holy Ghost or no And we affirme sayth he that can be euident to none without the speciall reuelation of the holy Ghost Andradius affirmes that if the holy Ghost do witnesse his testimony is most certaine and wée must beléeue it as surely as the articles of our créede But hée doubtes whether the holy Ghost doth testifie this so to any mans conscience or no without speciall and extraordinary reuelation But that doubt saint Paul plainely takes away who affirmes that the holy Ghost beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the Sonnes of God And that it not only witnesseth thus much vnto vs but also makes vs cry Abba father which is the effect of this testimony and assurance For without this testimony and assurance who durst be so bolde And therefore hee calles it the earnest of the spirite which euery Christian hath giuen of God in the pilgrimage of this life the manifold dangers and chances thereof to assure him of the certaintie of this couenant and bargaine betwixt God and him of his saluation Thrée thinges euen in our worldlie affaires bring credit and assure anie thing Auncient writinges testifying
then he hath commaunded shall we not alone kindle them with that fire Luc. 12.49 Psal 119.105 Ier. 20.9 which Christ came to cast downe from heauen vpon earth which no doubt is the fire of his holy word which lightneth and inflameth all men the which fire his will is that it should burne and flame dare we prsume to fetch fire at any other be he neuer so holy or auncient Surely if Nadab and Abibu through their negligence were thus seuerely punished in the shadow we in the light being also taught most plainly and admonished concerning this point how shall we escape vnpunished Deut. 13.8 14.32 1. Sam. 15.22 Let no mans good intent or blind deuotion herein beguile him It excused not them neither shall it excuse vs. do that onely which I commaund thee saith God And obedience is better then sacrifice Ferus a Frier to exhort all Christians to call vpon the name of Christ verie excellently writes thus Fer. in ca. 13. Io. He kneeles downe at their knees he beginneth not to wash their hands which had been a more honest seruice but their feete which of all other is a duetie most abiect and most filthie And he doth all these things alone he alone powres out the water he alone washeth he alone wipeth Who will not here crie out with the Prophet I haue considered thy works and I haue beene amased I beseech thee consider with thy selfe who did this euen Iesus And whose feet washed he Of the dignitie of Christ we haue heard alreadie who were more base then the Apostles they were all poore and of no reputation besides all this one of them was a traitor another of them should denie his master yet for all this he did this seruice so louingly vnto them What can he denie vs who so greatly humbled himselfe And the same Ferus writes thus The scripture doth euer describe Christ vnto vs louing and courteous hauing no bitternes or sharpenes in him In cap. 2. Mat. but altogither seeking our commoditie that we might be the more drawen to his bountifull goodnes to embrace this king So Zacharie describeth Christ in the ninth chapter Behold thy king commeth to thee meeke and gentle And Esay Behold thy God feeds his sheepe as a shepheard And againe especially for this cause he would be made a child least any man should be affraid to come vnto him he is altogether gentle and courteous there is no sharpnes or discourtesie in him Therefore wo to him that deferreth to come vnto him how dare he behold the high Iudge that hath despised his lowly Sauiour Let vs therefore come to him while there is some time of Grace Let vs call vpon him while he is neere In cap. 4. Io. Let vs seeke him while he may be found Againe What is it to worship the father in the spirit but to haue receiued the spirit of Adoption by which we crie Abba father and what is it to worship God in truth but abiding in his son which saith I am truth to cal vpon the father and to pray in the name of the sonne It is the same as though he had said The true worshippers by a true and necessarie distinction of the persons shall worship one God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost yea they shall worship the father by the sonne in the holy Ghost This is an excellent and briefe summe of true worship and Christian religion The Iews did so despise the Samaritans yea al the Gentiles that they would not vouchsafe to speake to them Therefore this woman seeing Christ to be a Iew durst not haue spoken to him vnlesse Christ had first spoken to her So when as we all haue sinned and know that God is offended with our sinnes and therefore displeased with sinners none of vs durst haue spoken to God vnlesse he had spoken to vs first But now we speake to him safely and boldly and we can open to him all our necessities as this woman afterward durst speake boldly to Christ but in this also that he spake vnto a woman being a heathen and a sinner he declared that he despised no man God doth not onely speake to vs first as Christ did to this woman but commaunded vs to call and speake to him and if his onely speech did thus encourage the woman to speake to him though she were a sinner shall not his commandement much more encourage vs Fer. in 3. ca. Io. O we of little faith And againe the same Ferus saith in another place This is that true Ioseph whom God hath exalted ouer all Egypt hath commaunded that all should bow their knees before him This is that true Ioseph which hath his great barnes full of corne to be giuen forth to the hungrie To him the father sendeth vs euen as Pharaoh sent backe the Egyptians from himselfe to Ioseph Goe to Ioseph saith he and whatsoeuer he shall say that do So our heauenly father this is my beloued sonne heare him This is he alone who in famine can saue To him therefore let vs runne with the Egyptians saying we are thy seruants our saluation is in thy hands Thou onely haue regard vnto vs and we will serue the king willingly Ierome also of prayers writes thus Ieron in 1. ca. Mal. That sacrifice of the soule is blind which is not lightned with the light of Christ nor hath an eie looking from the gospell the prayer of him that prayeth is lame which commeth to God with a double mind which heareth that said vnto him which the Iewes heard said vnto them How long will you halt on both sides That prayer is faint and altogither weake which hath not Christ the power of God and the wisedome of God such like prayers which are made without the light of the truth and haue no sure footsteps and are as it were faint with diuers infirmities if they should be offered to any one that beareth rule in the Church to any other learned man or Teacher or Doctor would they not be reiected and turned to his shame and discredit that offereth such prayers This is Ieromes meaning we would be ashamed to offer to anie learned man doubtfull suites or requests and not vnderstood and shall we presume to offer such to God Philippus de dies a Frier of this matter writes thus Conc. 4. incarnat All the time before the comming of Christ may be called an emptie time but Christ was borne in the fulnesse of time because God to become man was to communicate himselfe more to vs then euer could haue beene Euen as one hauing often distributed his riches at last to shew the top of his liberalitie giueth his chest and all his Iewels So God before verie liberally had bestowed on the Iewes but on vs he hath bestowed the riches and chest and all that is his sonne In whom are all treasures of wisdome hid And therefore among other causes for this the time
thy truth and faith in thée Rom. 8.30 that thou hast poured into vs good inspirations and good thoughts that thou hast deliuered vs from that euill one Matt. 6.13 and preserued vs from all perils and dangers from sodaine death burning with fire robbing with théeues and such like casualties Iob. 1 19 Luk. 13.4 wherewith manie are sodainlie taken in the night vnawares that thou hast with such greate patience and mercie staied thy wrath so long frō vs Rom. 2 4. giuen vs so large a time of repentance amendment or life For these and all other thy benefites which thou hast bestowed vpon vs from the first day of our birth vntill now Psal 105.2 which are mo in number then the haires of our heads we giue thee as we are most bound O most mercifull Father in the name of thy Sonne Iesus Christ continual and most humble and heartie thanks And we offer vnto thee O Lord all that we go about to do or suffer to be done Psal 37.5 all our labours all our studies all our exercises in a word all that we are to doe or wherein we shall bee employed or occupied this daie And we beséech thée poure downe thy blessing vpon them and prosper and giue good successe vnto them Psal 90.17 118.25 To thee also we offer euē our selues our soules and bodies with all ours Psal 150.6 that both we and all things els maie shewe thy praises set forth thy honour and declare thy glorie Into thy hands we commit all our affaires so that thou maiest do and worke in all things and dispose of all things whatsoeuer as shall please thy most holy and sacred will euen as though they were thine owne businesses and affaires and none of ours Moreouer Matt. 26.39 for as much as of our selues we are not able to doe thee anie seruice giue vs O Lord thy grace that we maie be so strengthened therwith Ephe. 3.16 that we may think saie or do nothing which is not agréeable to thy most blessed will O Lord make our wils alwaies agrée with thy wil. Psal 19.14 1. Cor. 3.5 And we most humblie beséech thée euer to assist vs with thy grace and to giue vs power and strength against all kind of sinnes especiallie against those whereunto we are inclined of our owne natures as pride couetousnesse enuie maliciousnesse gluttonie vncleannesse vaine glorie idle words such like so that through the power of thy might Ephes 6.10 we maie get victorie against these and all sinnes whatsoeuer Furthermore for as much as man is borne to labour and trauell as the birds to flie and thou hast ordained him the day to labour in Iob. 5.7 Psal 104.25 thou wouldst not haue him liue idly or spend his time vainlie endue vs all O Lord with thy grace that wee maie euerie one labour and studie to serue thée faithfullie in our callings Ephe. 4.1 2. Tess 1.11 And that labouring for the bodie and sustentation of this present life we maie yet cast awaie the great blindnesse of our minds and carefulnesse of worldly thinges and maie alwaies labour without all care ioyfully Matt. 6.33 1. Pet. 5.7 euen as the birds flie putting our whole trust in thée being most assuredlie perswaded that thou carest for vs and therfore O good Father giue vs grace to cast all our worldly cares vpon thée And giue vs alwaies onlie this care that we maie put our whole studie and care in kéeping of thy commandements O good Lord 2. Pet. 1.5 Iam. 1.23 make vs not only hearers but doers of thy word O Lord let vs not haue only a shew of thy religion but let the force and power thereof shine in our liues and conuersations 2. Tim. 3.5 Matt. 18.7 that we be not offences and stumbling blockes but lights and good examples to others And that wee may dayly do this Matt. 5.16 O good Lord as it hath pleased thée to make the Sunne to shine vpon the earth to giue our bodies light so we most humbly beséech thée inlighten our mindes and hearts by thy holy Spirit 2. Pet 1.19 that we may bee euermore directed in the way of righteousnesse Psal 90.2 And as this day addeth somwhat to our age so let thy holy spirit adde therein somewhat to our knowledge and faith that so growing in the measure of thy grace daily Ephes 4 15. Luk. 1.71 till we come to our perfection which is in Christ Iesus we maie serue thée in holinesse and righteousnesse not onlie this daie but all the dayes of our life Graunt vs these our petitions deare Father and all other necessarie graces for vs and thy whole Church for thy deare Sonne Iesus Christ his sake our most blessed Sauiour to whom with thee and the holie Ghost be all honour and glory now and for euer Amen Amen A Forme of Euening Prayer for Christian Families O Almightie God our heauenlie Father Psal 47.7 73.24 139.1 which art the great king ouer all the world which gouernest and preseruest all things which searchest vs out knowest vs which knowest our sitting downe and our vprising and vnderstandest our thoughts long before which art about our path and about our bed and spiest out al our waies We thanke thée through our onely Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ for blessing vs this daie past in all the studies businesses and affaires that we haue gone about We confesse what soeuer we haue brought well to passe to haue beene thy great mercies towards vs. Psal 108.13 Wée thanke thée for sauing vs from all dangers of bodie and soule we confesse our life our strength all the good things we haue Iam. 1.17 wholie and onlie to depend of thée And now as the day which thou hast made for labour is past and the night is come Gen. 1.25 which thou hast in like manner created for the refreshing of our wearie bodies and minds graunt vs therefore so to take our bodilie rest therein that our soules maie continuallie watch for thée and our heartes be lifted vp to loue thée Cant. 5.2 Grant that our sléepe be not excessiue but onelie sufficient to comfort our weake natures Giue euerie one of vs good Lord we beseech thée thy grace Pro. 6.9 that before we suffer our eies to sléepe or our eie lids to slumber or the temples of our heads to take anie rest to examine our consciences and to iudge our selues and to call to remembrance all our actions that wée haue done this daie whether all our thoughts words and works haue béene agréeable to thy holie will and commandements Psal 145.2 or no. And if we haue done anie thing well to giue thée in the name of Iesus Christ heartie and humble thanks for it Matt. 6.12 and if we haue omitted anie good worke which we might haue done to condemne our negligence slacknes and wearinesse in thy
light to our paths in whatsoeuer we shall goe about or take in hand We saie O good Iesu which for our sakes was content to bee bound with coards giue vs also grace that wee maie be bounde with the coards and commandements of thy law and that wee cast them not awaie as the wicked doe who said Let vs breake their bonds in sunder and cast away their coards from vs. Psal 2.3 Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Psal 19.5 The sunne euerie daie as we sée runned his most swift and stéepe race without wearinesse The earth yéelds not onlie her flowers to delight vs but her fruits also to feede vs yea she openeth her verie bowels to doe vs good the seas and the waters also neuer stand still Gen. 4 9. Ier. 5.12 in the beginning they receiued a law that they should kéepe them within their bounds and not couer the face of the earth 1. Kin. 17.4 against their nature and yet euen to this daie they obeie it God commanded the greedie Rauens to feed Elias and they obeied his commandement To conclude all creatures obeie the will and commandements of God only man Esay 1.3 who is of all others most bound to him and for whome hee hath doone most is most disobedient The Angels and those mighty powers which excell in strength as Dauid saith are readie at his becke and doe his commandements onely man a vile worme dare presume to rebell against him Psal 103.20 and to disobey him Iob. 17.14 O let vs not onely praie thus but also labour studie and endeuour with all our might and maine that the wil of this our louing and most mightie father maie be done as wel in earth as in heauen It is a shame for sonnes that seruants should go beyond them in dutifulnesse and obedience towardes their father Mal. 1.6 Eph. 3.20 it is a shame for men endewed with reason naie enriched and strengthned with Gods spirit that vnreasonable creatures should excell them in dutifulnesse and obedience to their maker and creator And let vs for Gods sake learne to bridle our owne wils our owne natures The earth doth so as S. Paul teacheth vs Rom. 8.20 and against the will thereof is subiect to our vanities for him that hath subdued it through hope It would neuer suffer vs els cruell couetous and vaine men not so much as to treade on it and wickedly and vainelie to abuse it It would swallowe vs vp quicke Num. 16.31 as it did Corah Dathan and Abiram The sea doth so also or els we should haue no houses to dwell in nor lands to lette Psal 104.9 Let vs also in our vaine curious and stately buildings of our houses and in letting our lands also bridle our couetous cruell and vncharitable willes These great and mightie and excellent creatures doe bridle and containe their owne natures at Gods commandement as we sée and yet man will not bridle his nature for Gods sake he will haue his will Let all men learne to pray and practise also be it neuer so vnpleasant or vnprofitable vnto them that prayer of our blessed Sauiour Luke 22.42 Not my will but thy will be done O Father Giue vs this daie our dailie bread What maie we learne by these words surely that the best and richest of vs all are but beggers before the maiestie of God It maie be truely said to euerie one of vs 1. Cor. 4.7 what hast thou that thou hast not receiued We must not be ashamed to begge of God euer our daily bread We haue not so much of our owne as a shiue of bread and yet we proude peacocks the sonnes of Adam how proude are we how deale we in the world how doe we accompt of our selues as though we were lordes of all things Psal 12.4 We saie in our dealings with the wicked 1. Sam. 25.10 who is Lorde ouer vs So we liue so we deale in all our earthly affaires we saie with Naball who is Dauid and who is the sonne of Ishai There are many seruants now adaies that breake away euerie man from his Maister shall I then take my bread and my water and my flesh that I haue killed for my shearers and giue it vnto men whom I know not whence they be This Naball is a right patterne of a worldling he will not know his brethren he forgets that we haue all one father he can finde excuses enow when he will not doe good as all the wicked doe to make emptie the hungrie soule Esay 32.6 He accompts all his my bread and my water and my flesh saith he so doe all worldlings they forget that they are to begge of God euen their dailie bread Such poore beggers they are indéede how rich soeuer they séeme in their owne eye yet they accompt all their owne Nay the more to condemne this harde dealing of worldlings towards the faithfull and Gods children be they neuer so base and poore that saying of Dauid also concerning Naball is now verified in these rich worldlings ver 21. Truely I haue kept in vaine all this mans cattell in the wildernesse saith Dauid and not any thing that belonged to him perished and he hath requited me euill for good No doubt euen nowe for the godly and poores sakes God preserues the liues and all the goods and cattels of the rich and wicked men and yet they will deale hardly with them Is hee a good man and the seruant of God that thou dealest withall whosoeuer art rich deale well with him Thinke verily that for his sake God will preserue thy life and all that thou hast Gen. 18.32 Remember how that if there had béene tenne good men found in all Sodome it had not béen destroied And how that God blessed Putiphar no doubt a prophane man for Iosephs sake 39 2. God gaue Saint Paul all their liues that sailed with him Act. 27.24 Deale well with Gods children which are in neede and flie to thee for succour whosoeuer hast this worlds goods Know this assuredlie that as Dauid here preserued Naball and his cattell so shall these preserue thee and all thine 1. Sam. 25.37 And as in the ende his churlishnesse to poore Dauid killed him so be thou affraid of his ende Let vs not forget that lesson which Peter teacheth vs 1. Pet. 4 7. that liue now in the end of the world Now the ende of all things is at hand saith he Be ye therefore sober and watching in praier but aboue all things haue feruent loue amongst your selues for loue shall couer the multitude of sinnes Be harborous one to another without grudging Men in those daies as should séeme would make no conscience to turne their brethren out of dores or to kéepe their gates shutte that none might come in at them They doe not fulfill that same generall lawe of all christendome Mat. 7.12 and of all
faithfull Deborah a Princesse a great ladie in Israell Daniel and Elias great Prophets and yet by this their simplicities their dignities were not impaired We erre greatlie we thinke now adaies that honour estimation worship consists in outward things in apparel in houses such like no no it consists in the vertues of the minde as euen the verie Philosophers could teach Adam was more honourable in his leather coate then Diues in his purple and fine linnen Abraham in his tent then Ahab in his Iuorie house good king Iosiah in his simple pallace and little windowes Ier. 22.14.15 then his proude and couetous sonne Iechonias in his sieled parlours and great windowes Daniel with his pulse then Balthasar with his costlie banquet Dan. 5.1 Let vs euer remember our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ how that he made no accompt of his estate to profit vs Naie let vs remember what he did how he washed his Apostles feete and he commanded vs to do the like that is to do anie thing that we are possibly able for our brethren For this his most humble seruice containes in it all dueties and seruices whatsoeuer euen as the greater measure containes the lesser the quart the pinte But doe wee at this daie wash our brethrens feete Naie wee thrust them ouer the shooes as they saie naie ouer the eares into great sorrowes and cares by our excessiue rents and paiments to maintaine our pride so that as Dauid complaines Psal 69. the waters enter euen now into their soules Let vs remember also that same rich man who neglecting his brother was clothed in Purple and fine linnen and fared delicatelie euerie daie but when hee died hee went to hell for his labour It is an old saying and a true Happie is hee whome other mens harmes doe make to beware let vs beware least that if we follow his steppes in our life wee doe not lodge with him at our deathes That same Meditation of Granatensis is worth the marking Med. lib. 3. Med. 1. O man saieth he made of clay why art thou proude Why art thou arrogant O dust why delightest thou in praise O ashes whose conception is sinne birthe a punishment life a continuall toile and death an extreame necessitie why doest thou so daintily nourish thy bodie Why doest thou clothe it with such costly garments which within a while shall bee deuoured of wormes in the graue Why doest thou not rather adorne and make trimme thy soule with good works which shall be presented before the maiesty of God in heauen by the hands of Angels Why doest thou make so light accompt of thy soule and set so much by thy bodie O great shame and all thinges quite out of order The soule which ought to beare rule is seruant to the flesh and the flesh which ought to be the seruant she is the Mistresse Why doest thou suffer that the mistresse should become the seruant and that the seruaunt should take vpon hir the authority of the mistresse Doest thou not knowe that the flesh is a priuy enemy to the soule who vnder a faire shew of friendship is more cruelly set against thee then the cruellest enimy thou hast in the worlde when thou cherishest and makes much of her thou settest vp an enemy against thy selfe when thou pampers and adornes her thou armest thine enemie to cutte thine owne throate when thou clothest hir with costly garmentes and outlandish furres thou spoilest thy soule of all heauenly ornaments Thus farre Granatensis I would to God these Meditations could sinke into our hearts Thirdlie we maie learne heere to praie dailie Reioice in the Lord alwaies saieth the Apostle pray continually 1. Thes 5.16.17.18 and in all thinges giue God thanks We must euerie daie not forget to saie Giue vs this daie our daily bread naie we must with Dauid and Daniel euen pray thrise a daie if wée will be good schollers in the Lordes schoole Psal 55.17 Dan. 6.10 In the Morning and in the Euening and at mid day I will pray and that instantly saieth Dauid and thou shalt heare my voice and Daniel his window being open towards Ierusalem he kneeled on his knees three times a day and prayed and praised his God as he did afore time Oh holie custome manie are verie precise they will kéepe their olde customes they will doe as they haue beene woont to doe but I would to God they would learne here this good custome of Daniel and that they woulde praie thrise a daie and that they would learne that good custome also to knéele when they praie which custome now verie manie haue forgotten Wee must praie Giue vs this day our daily bread we are taught hereby also not to be ouer couetous of these worldlie goods Wée must not be like that other rich man Luke 12.16 who made him greater barnes and said to his soule now soule be at rest thou hast laid vp for thee in store for manie yeares Manie at this daie draw nigh to this couetous rich man by their ouermuch prouidence and worldy carefulnesse for themselues and their children They néede not saie Giue vs this daie our daily bread they haue laide vp in store for manie yéres as this couetous rich worldling had They are so carefull for their children that they will leaue nothing to doe for them Eral apophth Alexander being a youth when as he heard that Philip his father had conquered many countries and cities wept And being demanded why he did so seeing that all should be his hee answered that his father would leaue nothing for him to doe This mind was in him beeing a child that hee would doe some thing himselfe I would to God it were now the mindes of some fathers that they would leaue some thing also for their sonnes to doe that they would trie them how they would vse the talent God had bestowed vpon them that they would leaue God some thing to doe for them also God will not haue his so couetous so carefull hee will haue them alwaies depend of him hee will haue them be beholden to him And forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. By this wee are taught to bee readie to forgiue the trespasses of our brethren doone to vs. Euerie daie wee offend God hainouslie and if wee will not forgiue our brethren which in small trifles offend against vs but be seuere in punishing and reuenging them how can wée hope for pardon our selues at Gods handes of our so manie and so grieuous sinnes Especially séeing our Sauiour hath not onelie with our owne mouthes made vs say thus that if we should not do so our owne mouthes might as it were condemne vs but also after this prayer hee onelie repeates this againe of all the other petitions as a lesson as should séem that greatly concerned vs and that many would hardlie learne Matth. 6.14 For if you do forgiue men their trespasses saith he your
104.15 hee had not a drop of the true wine of God to comfort him nor of the oile of Gods spirit to cheere his countenance he now hid his face Gen. 3.8 he ranne awaie from God he had no will nor mind nor desire nor loue towards him he stood in neede of all these afresh to bee powred into him Andradius also and the Vniuersitie of Collen Lib. 4. Orth. explic are of the same opinion almost word for word with the councell of Trent The Fathers of Collen saith Andradius do proue by many and strong reasons that there is free-will in the mindes of men beeing possessed with neuer such vgly monsters of sinne to vndertake any good worke neither that that can be extinguished or blotted out vvith any filthines of sinne whatsoeuer but yet it may bee so bounde with yron fetters that it cannot rid it selfe out of them without the power of God And therefore the cause why wicked men can do no perfect or spirituall good worke as long as their minds are ouerwhelmed with the spots of sinne is not because they lacke free-wil but because that that is so entangled with the snares of sinne and so kept vnder with the weight of their offences that it can no way vnloose it selfe nor by his owne power any way looke vp no otherwise then they which are in the stocks haue power to go although they cannot goe vnlesse the bonds bee first taken away which hinder their moouing VVhen as therefore the light of Gods grace shines into the minds of the wicked it doth not violently thrust righteousnes vpon them or forceth them to embrace those ornaments of their soules but stirres vp the will which now lies on the grounde and being weake helpes it vp that now it being as it were comen to it selfe by Gods helpe it may freely yeeld to the calling and pleasure of God and receiue his grace neither is there any thing then that may hinder or bind this liberty This is also the opinion of the Vniuersitie of Collen and of Andradius concerning this matter But how quite contrarie to the Scriptures is this their assertion Man saie they hath free-will still in him be he neuer so wicked euen to vndertake anie good worke But this his free-will is fettered or hindered onely through sinne the which fetters being by Gods grace remooued it worketh freely that which is good So that they make mans fréewill the chiefe and principall cause of dooing good and the grace of God but the secondarie cause or causa sine qua non as the Philosophers doe tearme it that is the cause without the which the thing could not haue beene doone And thus Vocabularium scholasticae doctrinae a booke of the Papists owne making defines Causa sine qua non Causa sine qua non est qua posita aliud ponitur aliunde quamuis secundum candem That is which cause beeing present another effect followes in another thing and yet by the meanes of it Surelie that which wrought the effect the let beeing taken awaie freelie and of it owne accord maie bee said to be the principall or an equiualent cause at the least if the grace of God do after the let be taken awaie worke with the will as the councell of Trent seemes to affirme But the Scriptures teach quite contrarie to this Esay 26.12 Esay saieth Thou O Lorde hast wrought all our works in vs And what hath our will doone then And saint Paul saieth Phil. 2.13 that it is God which workes in vs both the will and also the performance in those things which bee good according to his good pleasure Man by saint Paul his iudgement abiding yet in his sinnes is not like a man in fetters who would gladlie goe if his fetters were loosed and who would gladly haue his fetters taken awaie from him but quite contrarie hee delights in sinne he loues and likes well of his fetters he thinkes that hee is in Paradise hee would neuer haue not so much as a will or mind to be loosed vnlesse God gaue it him This will then remaines not in man as Andradius and the Vniuersitie of Collen teach but according to the doctrine of saint Paul it is a new worke of God in him And whereas they saie that the grace of God doeth offer no violence in the conuersion of sinners what meanes then that saying of our sauiour Ioh 6.44.12.32 that no man can come vnto him vnles his father draw him And againe when I shall bee exalted from the earth I will draw all vnto me What meanes these drawings of God the father and of his sonne Iesus Christ but a certain holie violence in the conuersion of sinners In that parable of the gospell Luke 14 23. those that sate in the high waies and vnder hedges were they not types of the Gentiles which should be saued And were they not compelled to come in to the Supper Surely without this compulsion they would neuer haue comen in of themselues What meanes also that which Dauid so often prayes in the Psalmes Make me to walke O Lord Psal 119.35.144.8.11.119 107. in the waies of thy commandements and direct my pathes vnto thee and make me know the way that I should walke in and quicken mee according to thy word but that euen he himselfe felt this froward will in himselfe to all goodnesse and this blind vnderstanding so that God had neede euen as it were to force him to goodnesse What meane those goades and nailes which the Preacher speakes of Eccle. 12 11. Hebr. 10.24 and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that pricking and prouoking to loue and good works which the Apostle mentions but a certaine kind of violence which both God himselfe vseth by the ministerie of his word in drawing sinners to him and wee our selues after our calling must vse one towards another in stirring vp our dull and slow willes to goodnes And no doubt of this violence and of these goades which the Lord God himselfe vseth in the conuersion of sinners it is said in the Acts that the Iewes who were conuerted to the faith by Peters Sermon Acts 2.37 were pricked in their hearts No doubt they felt these goades of God And in their conuersion God vsed some violence But let vs a little consider how other Catholiques somwhat so under then these haue declared their iudgementes concerning this matter First Granatensis writes thus Lib. 2. de orat cap. 11. The necessitie of praying continually vnto God doth spring of mans pouertie and miserie into the which he fell through his sinne and of the diuersitie of his estate wherein hee is now and wherein hee was when God created him For if he had continued in that first estate he had not needed these engines nor so many meanes to drawe his soule to God and that he might be lifted vp to the consideration of heauenly things For euen as the Eagle of hir owne
passe Fer. in Act. cap. 21. he reckons vp vnto them the workes of God and he ascribes all things to God and he accompts himselfe but as a seruant or instrument As also in other places What is Paul What is Apollo but Ministers by whom you haue beleeued I haue planted and Apollo hath watered but God hath giuen the increase The which things when as they heard hee shewes that they gladlie heard what things Paul told them of the profiting of the Gentiles and they glorified God they also ascribe all thinges to God Here it is worth the marking how in the Primitiue Church all the Saintes of God when as themselues or others had doone anie thing well they all attributed it wholie and onelie to God excluding themselues as in this place Paul and all the faithfull doe And in the Acts when as Peter and Iohn had healed the creple Act. 3.12 Peter said vnto the people Ye men of Israel why maruell you at this or why looke ye so stedfastly on vs as though by our owne power or godlines we had made this man go The God of Abraham and Isaac and Iacob the God of our fathers hath glorified his son Iesus whome ye betraied c. And S. Paul speaking of the almes of the Church of Macedonia 2. Cor. 8.1 writes thus We do you also to wit brethren of the grace of God bestowed vpon the Church of Macedonia And after not onelie he calles it so but also they no doubt as hee had taught them Verse 4. And they prayed vs with great instance that wee would receiue that grace and that fellowship of the ministring which is towards the Saints And after Saint Paul applying their example to the Corinthians Verse 6. writes thus That we should exhort Titus as he had begun so he would accomplish the same grace amongst you also And after As ye abound in euery thing Verse 7. in faith in word and knowledge and in all diligence and in your loue towards vs euen so see that you abound in this grace also And after speaking of Luke whose prayse is in the Gospell thorough all the Churches and not so onely but is also chosen of the Churches Verse 19. to be a fellow in our iourney concerning this grace that is ministred by vs. Wée maie note here how both the almes it selfe and the verie exhortation to giue the almes is accompted a grace They called and accompted all the good thinges they did in those dayes grace 1. Pet. 4.11 And so likewise Saint Peter teacheth Let euery man as he hath receiued the gift minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God If any man speake let him talke as the words of God If any man minister or do any seruice or good worke in the Church of God let him do it as of the hability which God ministreth that God in all things may be glorified thorough Iesus Christ To whome bee praise and dominion for euer and euer Amen Saint Peter here teacheth vs to accompt all good workes the manifold graces of God yea euen euerie good word we speake And that we should doe all thinges that God might be glorified in all our workes And the greatnes of this worke makes him also abruptely breake off his Epistle and euen himselfe there to yéeld this praise glory of God No doubt all christians in those daies had perfectlie learned this lesson for so wee read of them when as they heard that Paul preached now the faith Gal. 1.24 which before he destroied They glorified God in me saith Saint Paul They woondred not at him as some would haue doone but they gaue God the glory they acknowledged his hand his worke And saint Paul writing but of the care that Titus had to moue the Corinthians to giue almes 2. Cor. 8.16 Thanks be vnto God saieth hee who hath put into the heart of Titus the same care for you Thus they call all good works the grace of God and all good thoughts as it were put into our hearts by God and they glorified God in all things And to the same effect Ferus writes againe thus Fer. in Act. cap. 22. VVhen as Gods light comes vnto vs the eies of reason must bee shutte and we must follow what waies it leades vs. And after Marke here how hardly mans will submits it selfe to Gods will for it euer repines against it and had rather haue the matter otherwise then God would haue So Moyses although he heard sentence pronounced against him yet he saieth I will goe and see the land so also Ionas being scourged of God would hardly obey So Ezechiel although he foretold the iudgement of God yet notwithstanding he lamenteth it whereby hee declares that hee had rather haue it otherwise if it were possible so doth Paul here These examples are written that we may see how that the Saints haue had their imperfections least we should despaire when we find the like affections in our selues Mans will by Ferus his iudgement is euer spurning against Gods will it doth not willinglie and freelie worke with grace as the Papists doe teach And although he doe defend free will in some other places saying That the greatest things that free will herein affoords is Fer. de filio prod Ser. 6. that it obeyeth grace and embraceth grace and makes it profitable to it selfe when as otherwise by our owne free will we should very slowly or neuer rise from our sinnes if the grace of God were wanting and should not worke with vs both in the beginning in the middle and in the end yet saieth he our will must of necessity bee added thereunto for Augustine saith he that created thee without thee will not iustifie thee without thee And Saint Paul Not I but the grace of God with me But yet after he addes this Secondly marke here what cogitations faith puts in mans mind I wil say saith he father I haue sinned not ordinarily but aboue all measure I haue euen sinned against heauen I will not excuse my selfe vnto thee but I will plainly confesse my selfe vnworthy of all grace and fauour c. All these things saith he are quite contrary to nature which can hardly be brought that it should say I haue sinned or that it should accompt it selfe vnworthy vpon whome any benefit should be bestowed but it selfe will euer be in the first place and it desires to be highly accompted of c. Here Ferus plainelie teacheth the repugnance betweene nature and grace nature must haue a new will put into it or else it will neuer embrace these cogitations these good motions Lib. 5. de sapientia Osorius also out of Plato verie excellentlie paints out the nature of man Call to remembrance saieth he that great caue or denne which he most wittily hath deuised and those chaines wherewith he makes men to be fast bound that they cannot behold the
them plainelie who is this Sunne not the Pope and his Cardinalles and prelates but that great light-bringer Iesus Christ who lighteneth euery man that comes into the world Ioh. 1.9 And dare they abridge the beames of this Sunne Dare they measure his merites dare they pinch his power O blasphemous doctrine Doth not the Pope herein declare plainlie who he is that is that starre that fell from heauen and hath striken the third part of the sun who hath done this but he Ioh. 17.19 Hath not Christ alone himselfe wholie and sufficientlie redéemed vs Iesus Christ did not onely sanctifie himselfe for vs that we might be freed from sinne and cleansed from our faults but he also suffered for vs that we might also be acquited from punishment And therefore Esay saieth verie excellently The chastisement of our peace was vpon him Esay 55.3 And our Sauiour himselfe saith vpon the Crosse Iohn 19.20 It is finished No doubt meaning that great worke of our redemption It was the last word he spake and shall we not beléeue him And Saint Peter saith that wee were not in part but wholie redeemed not with gold or siluer but with the precious bloud of Iesus Christ 1. Pet. 1.18.19 20. And this Granatensis also affirmes speaking of Christ when as he did sweate water and bloud Medit. vitae Christi 22. Is not thine anger appeased O holy Father with this so miserable a spectacle of thy son Behold what he suffers which neuer deserued any euill he hath satisfied thee for our sinnes he hath paid for our redemption a most excellent price For one droppe of this most holy sweat is more precious and of more valew then all the treasures in the world Thus farre Granatensis What shall we thinke then of his heart bloud shed for vs vpon the Crosse And therefore Peter saith 1. Pet. 2.24 By his stripes our woundes were not onely bound vp and now brought to some good perfection that after we our selues might heale them as the Papists teach but they were perfectlie healed And Dauid also prophesying of Christs passion Psal 130.67 faith Let Israell waite on the Lord for with the Lord is mercie Iohn 10.10 and with him is plenteous redemption and he shall redeeme Israell from all his sinnes And the same also our Sauiour testifieth of himselfe That he is comen that they might haue life and that they might haue it more abundantly There is nothing remaining to our saluation it is abundantly accomplished that which remaines is to our conformation Rom. 8.29 We must be like fashioned to the Image of Iesu Christ No doubt they which denie this abundance of Christs redemption which was the end of his comming as he himselfe here witnesseth denie that he is comen And therefore we maie sée here as in a glasse what is that spirite of Antichrist 1. Iohn 4.3 that shall denie Iesus Christ to be comen in the flesh Surely euen they who although they confesse he be comen to giue life yet shall denie that he is comen to giue it abundantlie He is comen as himselfe witnesseth that we might haue life and that abundantly Let vs marke this well and let vs take heede least by pinching his merites that we denie not that hee is comen Saint Paul himselfe taketh awaie all parts of iustification from man I knowe nothing by my selfe saith he 1. Cor. 4.4 yet am I not hereby iustified but he that iudgeth me is the Lord. As though he should saie with Dauid Although as concerning this my ministerie I know nothing to accuse my selfe of Act. 20.26.27 I haue declared all the counsels of God c. yet there are secret sinnes which man cannot espie from which Dauid praieth to be cleansed Psal 19.12 and therfore no man can iustifie himselfe no not the holiest man in the world It is God that iudgeth And after he accompts his stricte kinde of life wherein he liued euen a Pharisée and his integritie of life among all men but euen as doung Philip. 3.5.8 that he might bee found in Christ Iesus not hauing his owne righteousnesse which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnesse which is of God through faith He repeates twise wherein true righteousnesse consisteth euen through faith in Christ If Saint Paul accompted his owne righteousnesse but as doung in Gods sight and all the good workes he had done and durst not trust in them what shall we accompt of the merits of Friers and such others Can they profit to the saluation of others Shall we accompt them as treasures of the Church Paul accompted not so of his workes as here we maie learne of him Matth. 25.4 and shall we accompt better of our owne workes or of the workes of any others The wise virgins also teach all Gods Saints this lesson They plainly confesse that they were afraid least they had not oyle enough for themselues and therefore they would impart none thereof to others and shall wee accompt our selues more rich then they Surely then we shall shew our selues to be foolish and not wise virgins And no doubt such wise virgins are all Gods Saints and yet Poligranes will make them to haue merites enow not onely to serue their owne turnes but also to be laide vp in the treasure of the Church to profit others and that for others also they wrought their workes All Christs seruants must say Luke 17.10 that they are vnprofitable seruants when as they shall haue done all things that are commanded them which who is able to doe if they were able to doe all Gods commandements yet euen then they must saie and confesse and that not with mouth onely but with their hearts also that they are vnprofitable seruants much more then now they must confesse and acknowledge this when as they are not able to doe the least part of those things which are commanded them and when as those things also which they doe they do verie vnperfectly Where are then those workes which they haue done for others where is that wages of desert which other Papists teach An vnprofitable seruant can challenge no wages at all much lesse of due desert Nay our Sauiour in that place teacheth all his what accompt to make of their workes Say saith hee wee haue done but that which was our duety to haue done This our Sauiour teacheth all Christians to saie and beléeue and shall we not obey him All Christians workes they are but dueties they are no merites or deserts they are rewarded of mercie and not of merit Luk. 12.33 of promise and not of performance They are laide vp for themselues as treasures in heauen and not as the Papistes teach in the Popes treasurie here on earth to profit others But let vs consider what other sounder Catholiques then Poligranes hath written of Christs redemption Gagneius expounds that place of Saint
mette in anie man since Adams fall till now Truth now hath flourished out of the earth Verse 11. O happie earth that bore at length such a blossome All men before were liars till Iesus Christ was borne Psal 12.2.62.9 In whose mouth was no deceit So that now it maie be said that trueth hath flourished out of the earth and neuer till now And righteousnes hath looked downe from heauen Euen nowe also to impart her selfe to men who were all before vnrighteous who were altogither naked as their great grandfather Adam confessed to cloath and adorne them Gen. 3.10 O happie assembly of heauenly vertues Oh blessed natiuitie of Iesus Christ Without this earth had still brought forth lies man had béene still vnrighteous anger and displeasure of God had raigned in the world Luk. 2.24 Esay 53.5 punishments and all manner of plagues had taken hold of all men Oh happie Metamorphosis and exchange That for lies truth for sinne righteousnesse for anger peace for punishment mercie and louing kindnesse is bestowed vpon man Naie this our king is such a king as that Righteousnesse shall go before him Vers 13. it shall direct his goings in the way he shall not once treade awrie So that to the verie faces of his enemies he shall saie Iohn 8.46 Which of you can rebuke me of sinne And none of them shall be able to accuse him He shall iustifie sinners that trust in him Esay 53.11 He is able to pay their debts and minister iustice for all those that are oppressed to their oppressors as he did to Naboth and Ahab 1. King 21.21 Luk. 16.25 to Diues and Lazarus This is the meaning of this Psalme Granatensis as he is full of holie meditations so especiallie he excéedes in this matter so that although the places I shall take out of him be verie long yet I hope the excellencie of the matter will make them séeme short Euen as it is written of Iacob Gen. 29.20 That he serued seuen yeeres for Rahel and they seemed to him but a few daies because he loued her So all they which loue Iesus Christ all the paines they shall take in reading things that concerne him it should séeme nothing vnto them Granatensis first therefore in a discourse he makes vpon the Lords prayer writes thus verie excellentlie of mans iustification by Christ in the sight of God But O Father doest thou forgiue vs our sinnes freely and without any recompence Truely thou forgiuest them freely not freely not freely for although mercy be readie to forgiue yet iustice will be satisfied freely because thou hast giuen vs freely that wherwith to repaie iustice that is that great and inestimable treasure which thy onely begotten sonne the whole space of xxxi j yeeres did laie vp as treasure for vs An entrance to the which he hath purchased for vs with his bloud We offer to thee this treasure O Father take thereof as much as thou wilt There may be drawn out thereof abundantly but it can neuer be drawne drie we may spend thereof but it can neuer be diminished All his merits are ours his satisfaction is ours his bloud is our ransome Therefore we beseech thee O Lord that being pacified with the bloud and merits of thy sonne that thou wouldest winke at our sins the which if thou shalt call into a streight account there is no man shall be able to abide the fauour much lesse the rigour of thy iustice Let thy mercie helpe vs who acknowledge our selues worthie to be damned for a thousand sinnes by thy iustice Purge vs with the feruent fire of thy loue take vs againe to thy fauour be friendes with vs Forgiue vs our trespasses Thus farre Granatensis And this which he teacheth must all Gods Saints pleade at the tribunall seate of Gods iustice They must saie with Dauid Pleade thou my cause O Lord Psal 35.1 with them that striue with me fight thou against them that fight against me And againe And now truely what is my hope 39.7.38.15 Truelie my hope is euen in thée And againe For in thee O Lord haue I put my trust thou shalt answere for me O Lord my God This must be their plea if they minde to be saued against all the accusations of their owne consciences and enditements of Sathan And this is that which our Sauiour teacheth Verely verely Ioh. 5.24 I say vnto you he that heareth my worde and beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life Granatensis concludes the Lords prayer thus Behold most louing Father how our childishnesse hath plaied her part as well as she can in vttering the words which thy only begotten sonne hath taught vs but now we powre out altogither and at once without wordes our whole hearts that thou wouldest mercifully grant vnto vs those things which we desire of thee O Father we most humbly beseech thee that thou wouldest mercifully bestow vpon vs all those benefites and graces before recited not respecting our vnworthinesse but the worthinesse of thy onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ For he is our aduocate our priest our sacrifice and our patrone before thee For we doe not prostrate our prayers before thy face trusting in our owne righteousnesse as the Prophet saith but in the multitude of thy mercies and in the merites of thy sonne our Lorde For whatsoeuer he hath done or suffered all that he hath giuen vnto vs he hath suffered and done al that for vs therfore for his sake we desire thee that thou wilt grant vs all these our requests By him thou hast created all things and by him thou hast restored all things that were lost by him thou hast created man to thine owne image and likenesse and by him thou hast reformed man againe to the same image He is the foundation of our being he is the foundation of our righteousnesse and the cause of our merites he is our intercessor with thee he is our aduocate and the strength of our hope Therefore whatsoeuer hitherto O heauenly Father we haue asked we haue asked all that by thy sonne for that which is not due to our righteousnesse is due to his merites If thou shalt finde no goodnesse in vs truely thou canst finde no wickednesse in him If there be no merites in vs behold his merites without estimation or number By him therefore we pray thee by him we beseech thee honour him in vs. For that which thou giuest to vs the verie same thou giuest to him for whatsoeuer is bestowed vpon the members redounds to the head whereof they are members We confesse O Father we confesse our pouertie we haue nothing of our owne that we may offer vnto thee least notwithstanding that we should appeare emptie before thee which thing thou forbiddest in thy law behold we offer vp in sacrifice vnto thee thy onely begotten sonne with all his labors
sorrowes stripes wounds and whatsoeuer he hath done and whatsoeuer he hath suffered from the first minute that he was borne into this world and that he beheld this light vnto the verie last gaspe which he dying on the Crosse yeelded vp all that we offer vnto thee For we are partakers of all these al these are ours he did all these things for vs he suffered them for vs We trusting and relying wholy of this oblation of this sacrifice of these merits do come vnto thee and we desire mercie of thee euen as it were now of iustice and good right for if thou respect thy sonne it is iustice but if thou respect vs it is mercie But there is also another thing that makes vs bolde that makes vs hope well that makes vs be of good courage because we doe not come to thee through mans presumption or with the impudent face of flesh and bloud and doe begge of thee these so great requests and petitions but we come thus begging sent of thine only begotten sonne for he commands vs to come to thy throne to aske in his name whatsoeuer is necessary to both our liues Neither doth he onely command vs this but also he hath put wordes in our mouthes fitte for the same purpose he hath giuen vs those phrases and maner of speeches which thou knowest and art acquainted wel withall which hitherto we haue repeated Know them O Lord it is the stile of thy sonne they are the words which he left vs to deserue our saluation Remember O Father that woman of Thekoah which obtained pardon of Dauid for his beloued sonne Absolon assoone as the king perceiued that shee came being sent of Ioab the captaine of the hoste which fauour Ioab expounded to be done vnto himselfe and not to the woman so I O Lord am sent of thine onely begotten sonne it is he that hath put these words in my mouth it is he that beseecheth thee by me and for me That which thou grantest to me thou grantest to him and he will thanke thee for it Remember O Lord how thou didst not condemne but commende that vniust steward of thy goods who made himselfe friends with them Be not angrie with me if that I the poorest creature in the world who haue euill spent thy goods and wasted them doe come to thy sonne make him my friend submit my selfe to his patronage and protection that in this time of my neede and extremity he may receiue me into his tabernacle and that his merits may protect and shrowde me I know that it is a dangerous thing to come into thy sight without our spirituall brother Beniamin that is thine onely begotten sonne Behold him therefore behold we bring him with vs and we present him vnto thee that by his intercession we may be mercifully heard of thee And thou also O thou onely begotten sonne of God who also art the sonne of man stretch foorth thy arme ouer vs. For thou art our protectour and with thy cloake couer our nakednesse and with thy riches helpe our pouertie and do not put vs backe from thy grace and fauour whom thou hast vouchsafed to make partners and companions of thy nature who liuest with the Father and the holy Ghost for euer and euer We maie learne here how that as our iustification is frée in respect of our selues but déerelie bought with the precious bloud and innumerable merites of Iesus Christ so likewise all the good things we haue we also obtaine by his meanes He is the captaine of the Lords hoste by whose meanes all disobedient wicked Absolons are restored into their heauenly fathers grace and fauour againe he is that beloued Beniamin without whom it is dangerous to appeare in our heauenly fathers presence Therefore in our praiers let vs be sure euer to bring him with vs and no bodie els To the same effect Granatensis also writeth in another praier Thou art my king Orat. 7. pro impet amor dei for thou gouernest me with thy spirit thou hast fought for me and hast pulled me out of the hands of mine enimies thow art my high Priest for thou hast prayed and dost still pray for me without ceasing as an euerlasting high priest in the presence of God thy heauenly Father Thou are my sacrifice for thou hast offered vp euen thine own selfe a sacrifice vpon the Altar of the crosse that most graciously and mercifully thou mightest purge and wash away my sinnes Thou art my Aduocate for when the diuell accuseth mee and teacheth to thy father against me an inditement wherein are written all my sinnes thou defendest me and maintainest my cause Thou laiest downe of thine and suppliest all that is wanting to my righteousnes Thou art my redeemer for thou art both God and man mans friend and also true man a friend also that can do much with God and the true Son of God And therefore thou settest thy selfe as a Mediatour in the midst between God and me And after To conclude thou art my Sauiour and surely such a Sauiour who euery where alwaies and in all things sufficeth me for thou didst worke in the middle of the earth most perfectly and absolutely all whatsoeuer was required to my saluation Thou hast lightened my ignorance with thy doctrine thou hast strengthened my weaknes with thy examples thou hast kindled and enflamed my luke-warmenes with thy benefits Thou hast instructed my soule with thy mysteries Thou hast enriched my pouerty with thy merites Thou hast healed my wounds with thy sacraments Thou hast paide and satisfied for my pleasures with thy griefes and sorrowes and now sitting in heauen at the right hand of thy father thou makest intercession for me VVhat shall I vse many words Thou art made my wisdome my righteousnes my sanctification and redemption and therfore all my goods This glorie Granatensis attributes to Iesus Christ and all true catholiques wil most assuredlie beleeue this doe the same Here is the perfect summe of our saluation And speaking of the holie communion he writes thus That it is a Sacrament of infinit vertue Lib. 3. Mem. cap. 1. I say of infinit vertue saieth hee for it containes in it Christ who is the fountaine of grace And man by that Sacrament is made partaker of all the merites of the Lords passion which also haue neither measure nor number If this be true how doeth Poligranes measure and number them affirming that they take awaie the fault and not the punishment Hée also writes thus This faith affirmeth Lib. 1. Mem. cap. 5. that the reward of vertue and the punishment of sinne the one of them is so sharpe and the other so great that if all the world were full of bookes and all creatures were writers yet all these writers should be sooner weary and the world should be ended then that they should lacke matter what to write of either of these what these things containe in them according to their exceeding greatnes
The same faith also teacheth that the debts we do owe vnto God are so great and the benefites we receiue from him are so excellent that if man should liue so many yeares as there are sands on the shoare of the Ocean sea it were a thing of nothing to spend all those in Gods seruice The same faith doth also witnes vnto vs that vertue is such a precious thing that all the treasure of this world and all that which mans hart can desire or imagine is not at al by any meanes to be compared vnto it This place quite ouerthrowes all prowde conceits in mans heart of anie merite all he can doe naie if he could doe a thousand times more then he can is but his most humble duetie to our most mightie and mercifull God But aboue all other places speaking of the name of Iesus vpon these wordes Thou shalt call his name Iesus Med. vitae Christi Med. 6 hee writes thus most excellentlie For he sayth the Angell shall saue his people from their sinnes Blessed be this name and blessed be this saluation and blessed be the day wherein such newes was brought into the world Hitherto O Lord all the other sauiours whom thou hast sent into this world were sauiours of our bodies and of this flesh of ours which saued our houses and Vineyards and such like but they could not saue our soules sighing vnder the heauy burthen of sinne and therefore subiect to the diuell What aduantageth it a man if he winne the whole world and rule ouer it and he himselfe continue the bondslaue of Sathan and lose his soule To remedy therefore this euill this new Sauiour is sent that the whole saluation of man might be fulfilled and perfected VVho sauing soules also cured the bodies and deliuering men from the euill of the fault hath deliuered them also from the euill of punishment And so hath perfected our saluation This is that saluation which the Patriarches desired this is that saluation which the Prophets with so many sighes and cries longed for This is that saluation which so often the Psalmes promise and sing of This is that saluation for which the Patriarch Iacob reioicing died saying O Lord I will wait for thy saluation c. Granatensis heere in plaine tearmes affirmes that Iesus Christ hath deliuered vs as well from the euill of the punishment as from the guilt of sinne And that he hath perfected our saluation contrarie to that former affirmation of Poligranes Med. 11. Vitae Christi And speaking of Christes fasting hee writes thus The solitarines of the Wildernesse did not terrifie thee not the assaults of the diuell nor the sharpnesse of repentance nor the watching in prayer The neede and weaknesse of thy members was euer before thine eyes and therefore thou wast punished as a most faithfull head that thou mightest enrich all vs with the treasure of thy merites that whatsoeuer we wanted we might haue it in thee Thou art he who with thine owne mouth hast said I sanctifie my selfe O Father for them that they maie be sanctified in the truth For as we al by one mans fault became prophane and wicked so we are sanctified and repaired again by the merites and holinesse of another As Adam made vs all prophane and wicked so onelie Iesus Christ the second and true Adam sanctifies vs and restores vs againe Med. Vitae Christi 24. Of Christes death hee writes thus That thing which the gouernour himselfe doth meaning Pilate is not iustice but very great and extreme iniury For he iudgeth him worthy to die whom he himselfe thrise before had confessed to be innocent and iust and that he could find no fault in him But the true Authour of this iustice is the gouernour of heauen in whose sight all the sinnes and offences of the whole world are committed who is also so iust that he will suffer no sinne to escape vnpunished and vnreuenged But because the whole world was not sufficient enough to satisfie and appease the wrath of God euen for one onely sinne hee drew out the Sword of his iustice and smote the innocent and harmelesse Lambe who onely amongst all the men in the world could and was able to answere for all the sinnes of the whole world And this iustice was published and spread abroad not by that iniurious and materiall Trumpet hée supposed that they sounded a Trumpet at Christes death but by the mouthes and writings of the Prophets who foretold many hundreth yeares before that it should be that Lord that should be smitten for the sinnes of the people and should suffer and endure most grieuous and cruell torments for their iniquities Againe concerning the same matter hee writes thus Ibidem How many and how forcible pricks and goades haue we here not onely to make vs loue but also to trust put al our whole confidence in this our Sauiour Tell me how is it possible not to loue him againe who hath first loued thee so tenderly and dearely that freely of his owne accord he hath giuen himselfe to be smitten of most cruell tormentors and would take vpon him the sentence iudgment of death which thou dids◠deserue What brother for his brother what father for his sonne what wife for hir husband would take vpon them and suffer the punishment which any one of these should haue endured Suppose therefore and think with your selfe that there were some certain guilty person who being bound for his offences is kept in close prison and euen now being condemned by the sentence of the Iudge imagine that there would nothing be doone but that the tormentor should come with his instruments of death wherewith he should be slaine and should now execute the Iudges sentence and imagine also that a certaine friend of this guilty and condemned person should come into the prison should put on his apparell and should take to himselfe that guilty mans vnhappy lot and that he might set him free would become himselfe an open spectacle and be punished with the punishment of death for his friend would we not say that the loue of that friend towardes that guilty person was woonderfull and exceeding great that would redeeme the life of his friend with the losse of his owne And likewise what againe should that guilty and condemned mans loue bee towards his redeemer and deliuerer O eternall King when thou sawest me iudged to eternall fire thou being moued with the bowels of pity and compassion camest downe from heauen into the prison of this world and taking vpon thee the Image and shape of a sinner thou camest into my stead and was condemned and put to death for my sake he therefore who hath suffered and endured such extreame and grieuous paines for me shall I not say that he will also loue me exceedingly And againe Neither is onely loue Ibidem but also a sure trust and confidence in our Sauiour kindled and stirred vp by these
merites and these benefits why should I not therefore henceforth hope for grace glory and the forgiuenes of my sinnes seeing I haue such a treasure and such a bountifull treasurer who is euery day ready to satisfie his father for all my debts For if it shall be a thing iust and conuenient that the innocent should be punished and that the honourable should be despised that he should make satisfaction for sinnes and should cancell the bond and obligation openly in the sight of all men shal it not be a thing also both iust meet that the guilty persons for whom he suffered and made satisfaction should now bee acquited from all their debts and pronounced iustified before God Iustice found out a way and meanes to enter into the holy mans house who ought nothing and was not indebted and he executed his great rigor there and shall not mercie then finde out a waie which leades to the debters house that she may blot out our sinnes and pardon our offences It is a greater miracle that God should be taken scourged and condemned and die vpon a Crosse then to receiue an enemie for a friend and to vse a traitour as a sonne if he would repent him and be conuerted vnto the Lord. If therefore that be done which is the greater why should we doubt then of that which is the lesser Now therefore O Lord thy mercie is extold and lift vp verie high and thy bounteous liberality is proued and tried vpon sinners thy iustice also is magnified it hath exercised and executed her rigour and seueritie vpon the innocent and harmelesse without fault wherefore although grace be not giuen to a sinner to him as he is a sinner yet notwithstanding let it be giuen him for thy deerely beloued sonnes sake who redeemed him with so deere a price and at so great a rate It is thy mercie that a sinner should be saued if we looke into and consider the basenesse and vilenesse of sinners but it is thy iustice if we respect Christ and we hauing the one haue the other also And againe Blessed be therefore that condemned innocencie which hath absolued and set free so many condemned persons Ibidem and blessed be that blamed iustice which hath iustified so many reprobates Therefore if his merites haue neither ende nor number and all of them belong to the health and saluation of our soules without all doubt this his petition shall neuer be denied him being our mediator and making nowe intercession for vs. For it were great wrong that he who had indured so many iniuries should not obtaine that which he askes least peraduenture his pitifull and mercifull father should againe torment and afflict the soule of his sonne by denying him that which he desires whose body before he grieued with diuers torments he receiued woundes in his bodie that they might effect and worke saluation in our soules which he deserued and purchased for vs by his patience and sufferings he was taken apprehended handled as a sinner who notwithstanding was iust that we sinners might be accepted of God as iust He died and indured the punishment due to vs and descended euen as it were into the depth of the sea with griefes which he suffered It were an vniust thing that the father should twise iudge one thing and should punish one fault with double punishment but it is meete that the debter should now be restored to his former libertie if he would but only repent seeing that his surety hath paied his debt so liberally and bountifully for him whom he was suretie for And againe Looke vpon O Lord the face of thine annointed Iesus Christ who was made obedient vnto the death Med vitae Christi 25. euen vnto the death of the Crosse and let not his woundes and scarres euer depart out of thy sight but let them alway stil remaine before thine eies that thou maiest remember what a great recompence and satisfaction thou hast receiued of him for our sinnes and transgressions I would to God thou O Lord wouldest way in a paire of ballance the sinnes wherewith we haue deserued thy wrath and indignation and the griefe and punishment which thy innocent sonne suffered for vs Surely it will appeare a farre greater and worthier cause that thou shouldest powre downe thy mercie vpon vs for that his suffering and punishment then was that transgression that thou shouldest hide thy mercies in anger and displeasure for our sinnes Let all tongues giue thankes vnto thee O Father for the exceeding great abundance of thy goodnes who hast not spared thine onely sonne thy best beloued the ioy of thy heart in whom thou art well pleased but hast giuen him ouer vnto death for vs all that we might haue him as a most faithfull aduocate before thee in heauen And what thankes shall I offer and render worthily vnto thee O Lord Iesu thou most zealous louer of mankinde who am a man dust and vile clay for what couldest thou more haue done for my soule that thou hast not done what hast thou left vndone Granatensis in all these places hath most manifestlie set before our eies the great benefit of Christs Redemption not onelie by the example of a suretie who would paie another mans debts but also of a most déere and faithfull friend who would endure punishment and would die for his friend And doth Poligranes saie that he hath onely taken awaie the fault and not the punishment How doth this doctrine diminish the merites of Christs passion and his excéeding great loue towards vs and that to maintaine the Popes pardons for without this they fall to the ground Againe Granatensis whatsoeuer he teacheth of satisfaction by our owne workes in other places Orat. 5. de vita Christi for himselfe hee praies thus O bloud that giues life and saluation O Lord vouchsafe to wash me with that bloud and to sanctifie and purifie me with that most precious liquor O Lord offer it to thy father for a perfect satisfaction and remedie of all my wickednesses What can be saide more manifestly then this No doubt this was his faith thus he praied to God for himselfe And in another place writing of the worthie receiuing of the Eucharist De sanct euch sacra lib. 3. cap 2. he praies thus O my most sweete Lord God so huge is the greatnesse of my sinnes that I can neither amend them nor make satisfaction to thee for them Therefore I desire to receiue thy welbeloued sonne who vpon the altar of the Crosse offered to thee for me a most perfect sacrifice the same I offer vnto thee now for my sinnes that he may make satisfaction for me For I know that there is nothing els neither in heauen nor in earth that is more gratefull vnto thee or can by anie meanes requite thee the debt I owe thee Granatensis here plainlie distrusts in his owne paiment either in part or in whole of his debts and sinnes and
rest of the apostles condemne in their Epistles and not that Euangelicall and liuelie faith which S. Paul calles faith Some men in those dayes taught that if one kept a whore openlie and yet said that hee beleeued in Christ by his faith hee should bee saued Aug. de fide oper cap. 1. Against such saint Austen makes that Booke and affirmes that such a faith cannot profit anie man Againe here we note howe the Fathers are to be vnderstood when as manie times they saie that charitie couers sins and mercie saues and such like phrases they vse that as saint Austen doeth here saie that faithfull charitie liues well so also faithfull charitie couers sinnes and faithfull mercie saues As Saint Paul also saieth of faithfull prayer that it saues He that calles on the name of the Lord saieth hee shall be saued But howe shall they call on him on whom they haue not beleeued So that prayer hath this vertue to saue not of her selfe but of faith And so we maie no doubt saie of other good workes Euerie thing the more excellent it is doeth more communicate his vertue to others as euen the verie fire his heate to the colde and harde Iron so that now Iron burnes but it is by reason of fire that impartes his vertue vnto it so likewise the sunne impartes his forces to these inferior creatures so trees impart their sappe to their fruites and shall wée thinke that faith is lesse forcible then fire Phil. 1.11 and are not workes called the fruits of righteousnesse and why maie not faith which is the roote of righteousnesse impart this his sappe vnto them De Iacob beat vit lib. 2. cap. 1. Vno fidei munimine tegant Ambrose of faith and workes writes thus In this field flourish the Pomegranets which containe many fruits vnder one rinde of faith and do as it were nourish them with the embracing of charitie so that faith as the rind of the Pomegranet containes manie kernelles vnder it so doth faith couer all our works They may not appeare in Gods sight without it it giues life vnto them And charity is as it were the nurse of them as necessary as the nurse is to the child after it be born so necessary also is charity to all our good works Cap. 2. And after writing howe Isaac smelled a swéete sauour of Esaues garmentes which Rebeccah had put on her sonne Iacob he writes thus Peraduenture it meanes this That we are not iustified by workes but by faith because the infirmitie of our flesh is an hinderance to our workes but the brightnesse of faith ouershadowes the error of our deedes which deserues pardon of our sinnes So that whereas in our best good workes are imperfections by reason of the infirmitie of our flesh the glorie of faith lighteneth and couereth them This is Ambrose his iudgement Our workes then of themselues can iustly challenge no rewarde nay they must craue pardon for their imperfections and the helpe of faith to patronize them Againe how that all men are sinners he writes thus Amb. de lac beat vit l. 2. c. 5 Oh how happie is that man in whom the enemie can finde nothing that he may challenge to be his in whom the Diuell can finde nothing that he may say iustly to bee his this seemes impossible in man But Iacob herein bare a type of him who said in the Gospel The Prince of this world comes and in me he shall finde nothing Ambrose here plainlie affirmes that no man except only Iesus Christ is frée from sinne he excepts not the blessed virgin Marie as the Papists doe now Of whose iudgement were Chrysostome and Theophylact as Titilman notes vpon Iohn Titil in Ioh. cap. 2. But now saith he that it is reuealed to the Church that she is without sinne we must beleeue it though these fathers in their daies taught contrarie So lightly they account of the fathers when they make against them That lesson of Peter is worth the marking 1. Pet. 1.13 Therefore the loines of your minde being girded vp and being sober trust perfectly in that grace which is brought vnto you by the Reuelation of Iesus Christ And after If you call him father Verse 17. which iudgeth without respect of persons according to euerie mans worke passe the time of this your pilgrimage here in feare Here is a briefe summe of a Christians iustification and conuersation He must trust perfectly in the loue of God brought to him and declared by Iesus Christ as concerning his frailties and sinnes of infirmitie For who can say my heart is cleane But he must also haue the loines of his minde girded vp and passe the time of this his pilgrimage in feare As concerning presumptuous sinnes Psal 19.13 Psal 59.5 Rom. 6.12 Psal 119.122 De iustificatione lib. 2. cap. 7. he maie not sinne of malicious wickednes Sinne may no more raigne in him he may not take delight and pleasure in sinne This is the summe of Saint Peters doctrine concerning the conuersation and iustification of all Christians Maister Bellarmine first of Iustification writes thus The fourth and fift error which also haue many maintainers place our iustification in the imputation of Christs righteousnesse as though therefore we were righteous before God because Christ doth couer vs with his righteousnesse and seeing vs thus couered pronounceth that he accompts vs iust This doctrine Maister Bellarmine accounts erronious which agrées with the Scriptures euen as saint Paul most plainly prooueth Roman 4.6 The Prophet Dauid also saith he declareth the blessednesse of man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes saying Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnesse are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Here are Dauids and saint Paules plaine resolutions that the blessednesse of euerie man consists in the couering of his sinnes and in the imputation of righteousnesse without workes To this agrées also saint Iohn 1. Ioh. 2.2 If anie man sin as before he had affirmed that all men did euen we the Apostles haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust and he is the propitiation or couering of our sinnes Euen Iesus Christ couers the Apostles sinnes And this is that which our Sauiour himselfe teacheth all Christians Luke 9.26 For whosoeuer shall be ashamed of me and of my wordes of him shall the son of man be ashamed when hee shall come in his glorie What meanes this that Christ will be ashamed of some at his comming No doubt that he will not clothe them with his righteousnesse nor shadowe them vnder his winges But Maister Bellarmine goeth on further and writes thus Our aduersaries saith he affirme that the imputation of Christs righteous is necessarie not only because sinne truely euer remaines in vs but also because our inherent righteousnesse is not so perfect that it might simply and absolutely iustifie vs. But we will easily refute this cause if our aduersaries will beleeue the
thou art yet thou hast somewhat wherein thou must confesse thy selfe a sinner before God Here is our saluation the free mercie of God bestowed vpon vs in Iesus Christ that we should knowledge our selues euen damned creatures if Christ had not deliuered vs and howe perfect soeuer we are still to acknowledge our selues sinners before God and therfore of our selues deseruing damnation And after he writes thus By these it appeareth that of Adam we are borne euill and wicked for euen as a field of it selfe without seede brings foorth no fruit if any thing growe it is either Tares or if it be like good fruit yet there is nothing in it it is but meate for beasts so truely the sonnes of Adam vnlesse they be regenerate by Christ bring foorth nothing but euill fruit and if they shall seeme to bring foorth good fruit as the Philosophers taught morall vertues yet they are vaine they iustifie truely and haue their glorie In cap. 13. mat but with men not with God Whereas Ferus saith that the sonnes of Adam vnlesse they bee regenerate by Christ bring forth nothing else but euill fruites the Romane Corrector bids put out nothing but as though man could doe some good without Christ What is this els but to gainsaie the Gospell Iohn 15.5 where Christ saith meaning of good without me you can do nothing In cap. mat 14. And of Christ in another place he writes thus Neither by any other meane meaning Christ Iesus saieth Ferus canst thou passe ouer the sea especially at the extremitie of death which on the one side will make thee affraid and the Diuell on the other side and behinde thee the multitude of thy sinnes what wilt thou doe in this case If thou respect these daungers thou seest nothing but the sea and the depth therefore thou must needes despaire remember therefore that thou looke onely vpon Christ neither doubt any thing for by this meanes thou maiest passe ouer as Peter did Thus farre Ferus And hee teacheth plainelie that by no other meanes then by Christ we can passe ouer the sea of death But the Roman Corrector bids put out that and put in without this meane we cannot passe ouer death And whereas Ferus bids vs onely haue an eie to Iesus Christ the Corrector bids put out onlie They must haue an eie to their owne workes and an other to Christ as it should séeme so iniurious are they euen to Christ himselfe who is our only Sauiour Esai 63. who alone trode the wine presse for vs as himselfe witnesseth Of iustification also Ferus writes thus In cap. 16. Io. The holy Ghost shall reproue the world of righteousnesse because I go to the father my righteousnesse can pierce the heauens and come before God and not any other righteousnesse And after The holy Ghost sheweth that the righteousnesse of the world sufficeth not to saluation And then he shewes that there is one only true righteousnesse with God that Christ is gone to the father that is that his death and resurrection iustifieth vs. And of faith he very excellently writes thus I require no great price but as I haue promised freely so I will giue freely onely if thou canst but beleeue in me In Ioh. cap. 11. Faith therefore is the meane whereby we obtaine the life and resurrection and all the goods of Christ Ferus of mans righteousnesse writes thus In cap. 4. Ioh. All mens righteousnesses are more vncleane then that they may iustifie vs or may commend vs to God If any man seeke righteousnesse out of the lawe howe much good soeuer hee doth yet he cannot obtaine thereby peace of conscience yea thereby also his conscience is the more disquieted the law often times accusing him that at length he is compelled to trust onely to the mercie of God and to say we are vnprofitable seruants and no flesh shall be iustified in thy sight Also in another place he writes thus In cap. 3. Ioh. Furthermore also by this word may be vnderstood that onely Christ by right and merit ascended into heauē for to him by right belongs the kingdome of heauen because he is the naturall sonne of God And therefore he saith all thine are mine And Dauid saith The heauen of heauens are the Lordes but the earth hath he giuen to the children of men All others which haue ascended or shall ascend haue this onely of grace by no right but because God onely hath promised this of his mercie neither our works of what kinde soeuer they be are so great that they may deserue this reward either of right or of desert but in as much as God accepts them in mercie Hereof it is that Saint Paul saith The sufferings of this life are not worthy the glorie we shall haue And the same Paul saith The waight of eternall glorie aboue all measure surpasseth all the sufferings of this life And of these he collecteth That we are saued by grace and not of workes least any man should glorie And lastly so that word may be vnderstood that no man by his owne righteousnesse may stand or appeare before God but onely Iesus Christ neither any maruell For all are gone out of the way and are altogether become vnprofitable And also if any good workes of righteousnesse appeare in vs yet we haue euer more sinnes so that Dauid iustly cried out If thou Lord shall extreamely marke what is done amisse who may abide it Furthermore our good workes haue some imperfections in them yea for the most part they are infected with vain glory or with some other fault of the old man so that it is truely said All our righteousnesses are like a defiled cloth And for this cause also Dauid praied Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified If therefore our righteousnesse cannot stand in Gods sight how could it open heauen vnto vs or deserue the holy Ghost to reconcile vs to God But Christ dare appeare before God because he is the sonne of God and all other being damned and quite vndone he onely hath the fauour and grace of God he onely possesseth righteousnesse and to conclude he onely hath in himselfe all the good gifts of God Also onely his righteousnesse is acceptable to his father because it is mingled with no sinnes yea it is most pure hauing proceedeed from the great loue and charitie of his father That all the world may know saith he that I loue the father I doe as the father hath commanded And Saint Paul saith he was obedient euen to death Therefore he alone could deserue for vs the opening of heauen the loue of his father and the holy ghost By this word therefore Christ would humble vs that we should neuer presume of our selues nor of our owne righteousnesse not that we should doe no good but that we should acknowledge our selues vnprofitable seruants although we shall haue done all that
may say yea rather you ought to recompence me because I gaue you helpe that you might obtaine the victory in all these Wherefore we owe more to God because we are good and serue him then he owes to vs For he needs not our seruice and if we serue him we do our selues good and not him Thus farre Dies Here is all hope of merites taken awaie wee are all by his iudgment debters to God he is not debter to vs. And again in another place hee writes thus There are other benefits In Fest Mat. Conc. 2. which depend only of the will of God as is the gift of predestination of which Paul sayth When as they had doone neither good nor euill c. And after hee concludes You see how Paul affirmes howe that Gods predestination is not giuen according to merites He séemes to condemne those workes foreseene which other Papistes doe allow Of the merites also of our Sauiour hee writes thus Dominic 18. post Pent. conc 1. There can be no equall reward giuen to the merites of our Sauiour Christ our Redeemer for the reward shall euer be lesse then his merites For this heauenly Redeemer hath not wherewith his merites being so many may bee rewarded for if there were a thousand other works they were not able to empty his merites Who then of vs is it not most deare brethrē that is not ioiful exceedingly knowing the riches of his deare friend Iesus Christ to be so many that if euery man had so many sinnes as all the men in the world had committed together yet pardon is due to all those of the heauenly father by his Sonne Iesus Christ if men would on their behalfe dispose themselues to receiue it c. What neede then the merites of friers or monkes to bee bought what other doctrine doeth the Church of Christ nowe teach vs that all should repose themselues most assuredlie in these merites of Christ In 2. cap. Gen. Oleaster also a Papist of sinne writes thus In the grieuous punishment of Adam for so light an offence as it seemeth God hath taught vs that no sinne committed against him is light And againe in pardoning of greeuous sinnes he teacheth vs that vvee must neuer despaire For he punisheth light sinnes most grieuously and he pardoneth all grieuous sins easily If this bee true where are then their veniall sinnes Of merites also Stella a Frier writes thus Of which vvee gather In 1. cap. Lucae that the worke of incarnation was both of mercy and of debt But you will say by and by if it were of mercy how was it of debt and if of debt how of mercy Heare how Hee owed it to vs or rather to himselfe because he had promised our redemption but he promised that not moued with our merits nor hindered by our deserts the which was all of his grace and mercy I would to God the rest of the Popes defenders would likewise kéepe that good correction of Stella that God owed it to vs nay but rather to himselfe who is true in his promises cannot but kéepe them To vs nothing is due so that all the rewardes of the Gospell are due by promise not of merite or desert And after the same Stella writes thus See how sure and firme Gods promises are because he fulfilles that which he hath promised although those to whome the promises are made do not performe that which they haue promised Hee had promised Christ to Dauid but when Dauid had sinned many might haue thought that God would haue called backe his promise but God who is most constant in his words and who is woont neuer to be deceiued nor to deceiue any keepes his promise And hereof Dauid himselfe sayth That thou maiest be iustified in thy words and ouercome when thou iudgest As though he should say performe thy promises not because I am worthy but that it may appeare and be made manifest how true and iust thou art in thy promises This was Dauids saying and so must euery good man say And againe It is worthy to bee woondred at that when as Dauid seemed to put all his diligence that he might seeke somthing to requite vnto the Lord he could say nothing But I will receiue the Cuppe of saluation by the which thing hee was more bound vnto the Lord that he should serue him more dutifully Therefore it is true that the Saints found nothing else wherof they could glory but that they were loden with debts And a man hath so much the more substance as he oweth lesse to another but he that possesseth any thing and oweth all that he is worth he may say that hee possesseth nothing Therefore the saints and friends of God which haue all things must confesse they owe all to God they haue nothing whereof they may bragge but of this onely that they haue nothing of themselues but of God and for God Of his fulnesse we all haue receiued saith Iohn euen grace for grace Stella also writes thus In 1. cap. Lucae Holy Iob thought hee committed a great fault which kissed his owne hand the which thing thou easily committest when as thou braggest or commendest thy selfe for any work that thou hast doon taking from God his due seruice of reuerence Ferus also writes thus It often comes to passe Fer. in 11. cap. Matth. that whiles we driue away the Wolfe from the flocks on the one side a greater danger is imminent on the other As when one extols faith it is dangerous least the people suspect that workes should not be necessary c. Thus writes Ferus in his true originall But the Romaine edition of Ferus addes least the people should suspect that works should not be necessary and meritorious This merite is their owne Ferus hath it not in him Stella also writes verie excellentlie of Christ and his merites In 2. cap. Lucae Why did Iob desire that our sinnes might be wayed and be put in one ballance and in the other ballance should bee put Christs teares pouerty nakednesse hard cribbe colde and all his other paines he tooke for vs Because Iob knew very well that Christes merites were of more force and would way downe all our sinnes Thus farre Stella And this is all true Christians comfort and onely hope of saluation 3. Of speciall grace MAster Bellarmine of speciall grace and mercie Lib. 1. de iustificat cap. 4. writes thus The Catholiques dissent from the heretiques first in the obiect of a iustifying faith which the heretiques restraine to the onely promise of speciall mercie but the Catholiques will haue it as generall as the word of God is nay they affirme constantly that the certaine promise of speciall mercie doth belong not to faith so properly as to presumption This is Maister Bellarmines resolution the Chiefetaine and Goliah of the Romish army But marke I beséech you how Goliah his head is stricken off with his owne sword In Mat. cap. 3.
anie thing and excellent personages and the dignitie of the things themselues The things themselues oftentimes do speake and witnesse And here concerning the certaintie of our saluation first that plaine and short Epistle which saint Iohn writes to all that beléeue in Iesus Christ as a most ancient record doth testifie Ioh. Epist 1. ca. 5.13 Secondlie saint Iohn himselfe who wrote the Epistle who was the beloued Disciple on whome Iesus Christ leaned and lastlie the dignitie of Christians all that beléeue in Iesus Christ must know that they haue eternall life Faith in Iesus Christ is no small iewell it bringes with it this vertue euen the assurance and knowledge of our saluation They diminish and take the dignitie both of faith and of Christians from them that deny this which saint Iohn repeates twise in that his short Epistle as a thing not lightly to be regarded as a thing which the diuell should go about to steale from Christians and to deface for he cannot abide the dignitie of faith These things haue I written to you sayeth saint Iohn which beleeue on the name of the son of God that ye may know that ye haue eternall life and that ye may beleeue on the name of the Sonne of God Let vs marke here first that he sayth that all Christians must know that they haue eternall life now that they shall haue it but that they must now know that they are assured of it euen as if they had it already Secondlie that he repeates that they which beléeue on the name of the sonne of God haue this knowledge and this assurance And he vrgeth this knowledge and assurance as a spur and a mightie cause to make them beléeue on the name of the sonne of God Who would not to be assured of his saluation to know certainly that he should be saued doe any thing Nowe saint Iohn teacheth all true Christians that to the obtaining of this so waightie a matter there is one thing necessary and that is To beleeue on the name of the sonne of God who will not now beléeue and euery day pray for increase of faith that heares and beleeues this In ca. 5. Epi. Io. Ferus also as I haue noted before affirmeth that as Christ had witnesse from heauen and on earth that he was the onely true Sauiour of the world so euery Christian hath the same Testimonie that he is the sonne of God And shal any christian doubt then whether he be the sonne of God or no First the Father from heauen witnesseth they shall be my sonnes and my daughters and I wil be their father Secondly the holy Ghost witnesseth to our spirits that we are the sonnes of God And thirdly the Sacrament of Baptisme wherewith we are washed and the Sacrament of the Eucharist wherewith we are sed doth witnesse the same what can then be more happie then a Christian saith Ferus that hath so manie Testimonies Master Bellarmine that Salomon spake generally of the vncertainty which iust men haue of their proper grace either as men or as the sonnes of God may be gathered of two things first of these words that all things are kept vncertaine or before their faces But here Bellarmine must not mistake Salomon for all things are not kept vncertaine as the words seeme to import for then the Articles of our faith should bee vncertaine which I thinke Bellarmine will not affirme among which Articles also are contained the remission of sinnes and the resurrection of the bodie I maruell why they will not make the one of these as certaine to euerie mans conscience as the other So that then these words of Salomon that all things are vncertain must be restrained within their limits and to bee vnderstood in that respect hee spake them which the words following doe declare that is that by these externall euents a man cannot iudge anie thing but all things are vncertaine Secondlie Master Bellarmine saieth that of the intent or purpose of Salomon this may be gathered which was to shew that this was one of the miseries of this life and that not the least that euen iust men might iustly feare least peraduenture they were not iust but if they knew they were iust howsoeuer they know it then saieth hee all things were not reserued as vncertaine to come But what was Salomons purpose appeareth by the Chapter going before And I see all the worke of God saieth hee that man cannot find it out the worke that is done vnder the Sunne Eccl ca. 8. v. 17 the which man studies to search out and cannot find the same yea though a wise man saie he will search it out yet he cannot find it And then followes I gaue my mind to this whole matter and to declare it all Here is first Salomons purpose that Gods works are woonderfull and that no man can attaine to the depth or to the reason of them not to teach as master Bellarmine teacheth that this is not the least misery of man to feare whether he be iust or no. And then after Salomon hath put downe this his intent and purpose he sets downe this foundation concerning the matter propounded That all men whether wise or iust whether seruants or masters are in the hands of God How soeuer God dealeth with men this is a sure ground That be they wise and iust they are in the hands of God and therefore are sure to be saued whatsoeuer befall them But his loue or hatred saieth hee man knowes not for all things happen to the good and wicked alike so woonderfull are the works of God that by them no man can tell his loue or his hatred This is Salomons drift and purpose as most euidentlie appeares out of this Text whereas that first ground That the iust and wise men are in the hands of God whatsoeuer befalles them seemes to inferre necessarilie this certaintie of our saluation But to conclude this place doth not that saying of the Apostle prooue euidentlie the certaintie of our saluation That the feruent desire of the creature waiteth Rom. 8 20.21.22 when the sonnes of God shall be reuealed For wee know that euery creature groneth with vs also and trauelleth in paine together vnto this present And not onely the creature but we also which haue the first fruits of the spirit euen we doe sigh in our selues waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies If all the godlie doe sigh and grone for the daie of Iudgement with the earth which then shall most assuredlie be restored to the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God doe wee thinke that they doe doubt of their saluation or doe wee thinke God deales more hardlie with them then with the earth It is sure of deliuerance and liberty euen now which causeth it to grone and are not they That saying also of Peter confirmes the same That all Christians should looke for 2. Pet. 4 12. hasten vnto the day of God
be the greatest signe of loue to suffer for him that is beloued what else are all thy sorrowes then speciall testimonies of thy loue If then there are so many testimonies thereof as there are blowes and strokes who will doubt of this loue being confirmed with so many Testimonies Oh then how great is my incredulity which is not ouercome with so many and so great arguments Iohn maruelled at the infidelity of the Iewes saying that When as Iesus had done so manie and so great signes amongst them to confirme his doctrine yet they beleeued not in him O blessed Euangelist cease to woonder at the incredulitie of the Iewes and woonder at mine For it is no lesse an argument to perswade vs to beleeue the exceeding great loue of Christ towards vs that he suffered for vs wherefore if it be greatly to be woondred at that the Iewes beleeued not the preaching of Christ hauing seene his so many miracles how is it not farre more woonderfull that seeing Iesus hath receiued for vs more then fiue thousand wounds in his most tender body that we will yet doubt of his loue towards vs But what a matter will it be if wee shall ioine all the sorrowes and sufferings of his life to those stripes which hee suffered when as hee was bound to the pillar when as he suffered all those euilles for the loue he bare vnto vs what thing else O Lord drew thee from heauen into this valley of teares but loue what made thee come out of the bosome of the father into the wombe of thy mother and there to be cladde with earth and comming out from thence caused thee to endure all kinds of miseries but loue What droue thee into the stable and manger and caried thee after into a strange land as a banisht person but loue what caused thee to take such paines to runne vp and downe hither and thither to watch to endure all the troubles of the long night to compasse about Sea and land to seeke the lost sheepe but loue What bound Sampsons hands and feet what powled his head and bereaued him of al his strength and made him a laughing stocke to his enimies but the only loue of his spouse Dalilah And O Christ what bound thy hands and feet what powled thee and depriued thee of all thy strength and fortitude and gaue thee into the hands of thine enimies of whom thou wast mocked spit vpon and slaine was it not onely the loue wherewith thou louedst so dearly the spouse of thy Church and the soules of euery one of vs To conclude what bound thee to this Pillar where thou stoodest from the sole of thy feet to the crowne of thy head most iniuriously dealt withall with thy hands bound thy ribs torne from their flesh thy members al out of ioint thy body al to be bathed with bloud thy veines cutte in pieces thy lippes thirsting thy toong being bitter as gal and that I may say al in a word al thy body torne and rent and all thy members crusht in pieces O Christ I beseech thee what other thing forced thee into this gulfe of so rowes but onely loue O exceeding great loue O loue full of fauour O such a loue as becomes his comâ—assion and greatnesse who is infinit goodnesse it selfe bountifulnesse it selfe loue it selfe and mercie it selfe Gran. de orat med die Mer. how therefore O Lord hauing so many and so great testimonies as these are can I not beleeue that thou louest mee most dearely when as it is most certaine that in heauen now thou hast not changed thy mind from that since thou wast here vpon earth Thou art not that Pharaohs Butler who when as he saw himself restored againe to his former honor forgat his miserable friend whom he left in prison but thou now abounding with all prosperitie glory and maiesty in heauen loues more dearely thy Sonnes dwelling here on earth then before When as therefore thou hast so greatly loued me how cannot I but loue thee againe How shall I not but trust in thee how shall I not but commit my selfe wholy to thee how shal I not now account my selfe rich and happy enough seeing I haue God mine such a deare friend It is greatly to be wondered at that I should delight in any transitory things in this life or to giue my mind to any outward things when as I haue such a mighty and rich friend by whose meanes all good things both temporal and eternall are bestowed vpon me Thus farre Granatensis wherein he most excellentlie describes the excéeding great loue that Iesus Christ our most blessed Sauiour euer had and euen now hath towards vs so that he that now will doubt thereof is worse then anie Turk Pagan or Infidell for what is this else but to denie that hee suffered all these things for vs And if euerie one is to beleeue assuredlie this excéeding loue of Iesus Christ towards him then surely he is not to doubt of his saluation And after speaking of Christ when as hee was whipped and then againe shewed to the Iewes of Pilate VVee must knowe sayeth hee that Christ euen now shewes to his Father in heauen the same shape and the same countenance Med. die louis which he shewed to this furious people euen as fresh and as blew with stripes and as besprinkled with blood as he was at that day when hee liued here on earth What Image can be more forcible to pacifie the eyes of an angry father then the bloodie countenance of this his sonne This is that golden propitiatory this is that Raine-bow of diuers colours placed in the cloudes by the sight whereof God is appeased this delights the eies of God this satisfies his iustice this restores to God againe the honour that man had stolne from him this yeelds to God that seruice which his greatnes requireth Tell me O thou faint-hearted Christian whosoeuer thou art distrusting of the goodnesse of God if the shape and forme of Christ was such that it was able to pacifie the eyes of such cruell enemies how much more forcible shall it bee to pacifie the eyes of a louing Father especially when as he suffered all things which he suffered for his honor and obedience Make a comparison of eyes with eies and of person with person and thou shalt easily perswade thy selfe that thou art more secure and certaine of the mercy of this father if thou offer vnto him such a shape and figure of his sonne then Pilate was of the compassion of the Iewes then when as he bringing forth Iesus shewed him to the people Therefore in all thy prayers and temptations lay hold on this Lord for a shield and put him between thee and thy God offring him and saying Behold the man Behold O Lord God here thou hast that man whom thou soughtest for so many hundred yeares that he might be a mediator between thee miserable sinners Behold how thou hast such an excellent
of God because the eternall father for the exceeding great loue wherewith he loueth vs he cals that his saluation which is our saluation Wherefore also the Prophet Esay speaking in the person of God saith Esa 42. I haue giuen thee to be a light to the Gentiles that thou maiest be my saluation euen to the vttermost parts of the earth O blessed and praised be such a God who loues vs so that he calles our saluation his saluation Saint Paul also shewes vs this loue saying I beseech you 1. Thes 4.1 that you walke as you ought to walke and to please God for you know what commandements I haue giuen you by the Lord Iesus for this is the will of God euen your sanctification Marke I beseech you what commandements these are and what is this will of God The former words did seem to require that he should haue added This is the will of God that you should praise him that you should offer him sacrifice and yet notwithstanding hauing made that preface before he addeth that the will of God is Our sanctification which in truth is accounted one of the greatest good things which man hath Therefore O my brethren giue thanks to God for this his singular loue wherewith he loues you for his will and that thing which most pleaseth him is your profit and commoditie This loue wherewith the highest loueth vs he cals the coards wherewith he drawes vs vnto him when as he faith by the prophet Osee Ose 11. I will draw them with the coardes of Adam that is with what affection I made Adam their first parent holy and created him in grace as the interlmeal Glosse expounds it with the same loue I will sanctifie these which he addes expounding it In the bonds of loue that is with the affection of charity Whereas another translation hath I wil draw them with the coards of men that is with the same loue that I bound vnto me Abraham Isaac and the other patriarches I wil also ioine them vnto me Although Lira expounds it thus With coards that is with benefites bestowed vpon them which drawe the heart of man and are certaine bonds of loue Saint Ierom expounds it otherwise that is I haue had a care of them for the coards and bonds of loue wherewith I haue bound Abraham Isaac and Iacob vnto me Wo be vnto vs if so be that we shall not be thankefull for such singular loue as those fathers were Thus farre Philippus de Dies If this ought to bee the faith of all Christians and that they ought to haue this firme and most assured beliefe of the loue of God towards them and that not onelie the Scriptures but the fathers doe teach them most manifestlie this excéeding great loue of God towards them who then will doubt of his saluation To doubt is plainlie to denie this excéeding great loue And after of the loue of Christ our redéemer hee writes thus Ibidem Tit. amor Christi Cant. 1 Whereas we reade in the Canticles My beloued is to me a grape of Ciprus another Text hath My loue is to me a cluster of Camphire O heauenly and most fit similitude Alcamphor is a certaine Tree whose gumme hath this property that if a graine or a little of it be kindled with fire and be put in a Lampe full of water it will giue a most cleare and bright flame It is a woonderful thing that that flame should not be extinguished with the water but that it should burne and shine more clearely This graine and not onely a graine but a cluster is our Lord Iesus Christ For those waters of the vnthankefulnes of his enemies and those waters of so manie and great torments which entred in euen to his very soule did not only quench his loue but caused it to glister shine more brightly while it shewed more manifestly his vnspeakeable loue patience mildnes and liberality When as euen the selfe same night wherein he was betraid he ordeined that most high mystery of his most blessed body and bloud and hanging on the crosse prayed for his enemies Let vs learne of this our heauenly master to shew loue to our enemies and to haue in greater trauell and paines greater patience Thus farre Philippus de Dies Such a loue must euerie Christian beleeue that Iesus Christ hath towards him that no waters in the world either of sinnes or of vnthankefulnesse is euer able to quench and this flesh and bloud and our spirituall enemie go about to make vs often forget And therefore saint Paul prayeth for the Ephesians Ephes 3.19 Iud. Ep. v. 21. that They maie know the loue of Christ which passeth all knowledge and that they maie be filled with al the fulnesse of God And this also no doubt Saint Iude meaneth in his Epistle when as hee sayeth Keepe you your selues in the loue of God Theodoret also writes thus of this matter In ca. 8. ad Heb He cals heauen the vaile c. God hath promised the kingdome of heauen to all that beleeue in him we hope for saieth hee those good things and we hold fast this hope as a sure Anchor for this Anchor beeing hid in the bottome of our hearts will not suffer that our soules should bee dasht hither and thither And also by another mans hee shewes the certaine hope of our good things and such a hope as cannot be gainesaid Whither our forerunner Iesus is entred for vs for our sakes saith he He became man for our sakes he gaue his body to be slaine and hauing vanquished and ouercome death he hath ascended into heauen being the first fruits of them which sleepe And he hath giuen vs here a greater confidence by calling him our forerunner For if he be our forerunner and hath ascended for vs then we must needes follow him and ascend also And Basill writes thus of euerie Christian In examer Homilia 5. Thou also shalt be like a fruitfull Oliue in the house of God neither shalt thou euer bee depriued of thy hope but shalt euer haue thy saluation flourishing in thee through faith Ambrose of the certaintie of our saluation writes thus Ambros de Iacob beat vâ—t cap. â— But thou fearest the manifold chances of this life and the deceits of the enemy when as thou hast God himselfe to be thy helper and his so great fauour towards thee that he spared not his owne sonne for thy sake The scripture hath vsed a comfortable word that it might declare the good will of God the father towards thee who offered himselfe wholy to die for thee In that he was a father he left nothing to himselfe he offered it all for thy sake onely hee left not the fulnesse of his deity Consider the loue of a father as concerning pity hee hazarded the life of his sonne he drunke for thy sake the sorrowfull cuppe of one that is childlesse least the price of thy redemption should not haue
beene paid The Lord had such an earnest care of thy saluation that almost he hazarded his owne that he might gaine thee Hee tooke vpon him all our losses that hee might place thee in heauen that he might consecrate thee with heauenly vertues And hee addeth Very miraculously he gaue himself for vs al that he might declare that he so loued vs all that he gaue his welbeloued sonne for euery one of vs. For whom therefore hee that gaue that which surpasseth all things is it possible that in him he shall not also giue vs all things For he excepts nothing who hath giuen the Author of all things There is nothing therefore that we may feare shall be denied vs there is no cause why wee should doubt of the continuance of this bountifulnes of God towards vs whose goodnesse hath beene so long in continuance and so liberall towards vs that first he predestinated vs then hee called vs and those whom he called them he iustified and those whom he iustified also he will glorifie Can he forsake those whome he hath bestowed so many benefits vpon euen till he crowne them Amongst so many benefits of God shall we feare any of the wiles of our accuser but who dare accuse any of those whom he hath chosen in Gods iudgement can God the father who hath bestowed them cal his gifts back againe and dismisse those from his fatherly fauour whom he hath adopted to be his children But perchance thou fearest least that the iudge will bee seuere consider who shall bee thy iudge To Christ hath the father committed all iudgement can he condemne thee who hath redeemed thee from death for whome he hath offered himselfe whose life he knowes to bee the wages of his death shall he not say what profit is in my blood if I condemne him whom I haue saued Againe thou considerest him as a iudge and not as an aduocate can he pronounce sharpe sentence vvho ceaseth not to request that the grace of his fathers reconciliation may be bestowed on vs Here Ambrose first teacheth the excéeding great loue that God hath towards his children and that hee gaue his sonne for euerie one of vs And shall not then euerie particular man embrace this so mercifull and gracious a gift in his owne armes that is by the faith of his owne soule And lastlie the great assurance that euerie Christian ought to haue of his saluation Our Iudge is our aduocate and shall wee feare the sentence of condemnation 6. Of the reading of the Scriptures and of their sufficiencie STaphilus a Papist Counseller to the Emperour Staph. of translating the Bible into the vulgar tongue whose Apologie was traÌ„slated by Thomas Stapleton student in Diuinitie in his Apologie writes thus Surely I could neuer yet find in holy Scripture that the common people ought of necessity to read the scripture but that of the reading thereof much Schisme and the destruction of manie soules hath proceeded daily experience teacheth vs and holy writte warneth vs where our Sauiour thus speaketh It is giuen to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of God but to the rest in Parables that seeing yet they see not and hearing they vnderstand not Who are those vnto whom our Lord saith To you it is giuen c. Surely the Apostles and their successours the rulers of Christs flocke And Who are they that should learne by parables Surely such men as were better not to know the mysteries least misusing them they procure to themselues a greater damnation For precious stones ought not to be cast before hogges and such of al likelyhood are the Lay ignorant people Thus farre Staphilus Let all true Christians marke what commendations the papists yeeld vnto the scriptures that dailie experience teacheth that the destruction of many soules haue procéeded thereof when as Gods spirit calles the scripture alwaies The word of life Ioh. 6.68 1. Tim. 1.10 and the holesome doctrine of Christ The one marke were sufficient to descrie of whose spirit they are that write this of the scriptures But it is also worthie the marking Lib. 2. ca. 21. de offic bon patr how in this point the papists disagree among themselues Viuiennus a Papist writes thus I counsell thee and all other which haue not as yet purchased to themselues the sound knowledge of the holy scriptures that they eschew that booke of his meaning Ouid and in the meane while that they reade the Bible and other godly mens works For it is not possible that he which is not very expert in the scriptures should not stumble very dangerously and that his faith should not by some meanes be shaken and weakned Hector Pintus also a Papist of the holie scripture writes thus But amongst all other they beare the bell who being guarded with the furniture of vertue giue themselues to the study of the holy scriptures that they may behold with the eyes of their mind the hie mysteries of God clearer then the sunne it selfe for the knowledge of the holy scriptures is that heauenly philosophy wherewith the soules of men are refreshed and are nourished to euerlasting life This is the finder out of vertues and expeller of vices which eases our soules takes away vaine cares deliuers vs from wicked desires and giues vs tranquillity of life wherfore the course of a mans life being well passed ouer and according to the precepts thereof is to be preferred before all the prosperity in the world The diuine and Kingly prophet foreseeing that in his mind calles Him blessed that studies in the law of God day and night For as the same in another place testifieth The law of God is an vndefiled law conuerting the soule and the Testimonie of the Lord is faithfull and giueth wisdome euen to children For such is the excellency of Gods law that it conuerts the minds of men from an euill custome to an honest kind of liuing and to those men which wander and goe out of the way it shewes the right path to obtaine euerlasting glory Thus farre Pintus The which his saying if it bee true as it is most true then is Staphilus and Maister Stapletons sentence false that the reading of the scriptures should leade manie soules to destruction it leades them the waie to euerlasting life which wander and go out of the way saith Pintus Pintus pro â—em in Dan. And of the authoritie of the scripture also he yéelds this excellent Testimonie The most part of the Papists saie that the Scriptures take authoritie of the Church but Pintus of them writes thus Euen as saieth hee that same strange precious stone called Draconites is not polished nor admits any art or cunning about the dressing of it but of it selfe is very beautifull and bright so the diuine scripture is not adorned with childâ—sh eloquence of words nor stands need of the skill of mans Rhetoricke being famous and excellent by her owne maiesty and proper brightnesse Thus farre
and proud persons which will examine all things at their owne pleasures without the faith of the Church may plucke in their combes he addeth hast thou seene these things Who denie the sufficiency of the scripture but the Church of Rome who will teach all things with the finger of reason but that synagogue As their doctrines of the supremacy fréewill reall presence inuocation of saints do plainly declare Ierome of the scriptures writes thus to Eustochium In praef Esai Thou compellest me O Christian virgine Eustochium to passe ouer now to the Prophet Esay and to performe that to thee which I promised to thy mother Paula while she liued Therefore I pay both to thee and by thee to her that which I doe owe obeying the commaundements of Christ who saith search the scriptures And againe seeke and ye shall finde least I should heare with the Iewes you erre not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God For if according to the Apostle Paul Christ be the vertue of God and the wisedome of God and he which knowes not the scriptures is ignorant both of the vertue of God and of his wisedome the ignorance of the scripture is the ignorance of Christ Eustochium a virgine was so in loue with the scriptures that she compelled Ierome to write his commentaries vpon the Prophet Esay And shall not our women studie know and loue them The ignorance of the scriptures is the ignorance of Christ as Ierome heere plainely auoucheth how can it be then the mother of deuotion as the Papistes affirme In cap. 16. Io. Of the sufficiencie of the scriptures Ferus writes thus I haue as yet many things to say vnto you That which he said before seemes contrarie to this Whatsoeuer I haue heard of my father I haue declared vnto you But they are not contrarie For first that which he saies I haue declared vnto you he takes the preterperfect tense for the future tense for the certaintie of this doctrine which is a familiar thing in the writing of the prophets As when as Esay saith He was wounded for our iniquities which notwithstanding chanced long after Compare this doctrine with the Rhemists doctrine Then Christ also in trueth hath reuealed all things vnto vs necessarie for our saluation because hee hath preached the Gospell which is the fountaine of all trueth For whatsoeuer the spirit hereafter hath reuealed to the Church proceeded our of this fountaine So that trueth which the holy Ghost reuealed in the first councell of the Apostles that is that circumcision and other legall ceremonies were not necessarie to saluation came not from any where else then from the gospell where Christ plainely shewes that we haue saluation through faith in him and not of the workes of the law So that trueth that the sonne is consubstantiall to his father which appeared in the Nicene Councell against Arrius issued out of the gospel for although that word Homousion or consubstantial be not found in the Gospell yet there are found there other wordes of as great force as I my father are one Héere we may note first that that place I haue many things to say vnto you by Ferus a papists iudgement makes nothing for traditions or vnwritten verities Secondly that the holy Ghost reuealeth to the Church no new or straunge doctrine but that which is contained in the scriptures whereas other papistes affirme that the holy Ghost doth reueale doctrines to the Church besides the scriptures which are as firmely to be beleeued as those which are contained in the scriptures Lastly that that same doctrine of Christes equalitie with God his father Ferus acknowledgeth to be gathered out of the scriptures And after vpon the same wordes he writes thus I haue as yet many things to say to you The Apostles had forgotten many things and many things they did not vnderstand aright many things also Christ had spoken obscurely the which might be drawen into a wrong sense the which after chanced in the heretikes Therefore the holy Ghost was necessarie for them which might bring into their memories those things they had forgotten and should lighten those things they vnderstood not and should giue the true meaning of all obscure sayings Therefore this word may be referred to the whole gospell as though he shoul say although I haue taught you many things yet you neede further instructions for the causes now mentioned He shall speake all things which he shall heare that is which truely are and indeed stand fast and haue authoritie in the scriptures deuising nothing of his owne peruerting or misconstruing nothing heere we may learne what is to be preached taught in the Church or else we shall heare that I speake not to them and yet they prophecied Héere we may plainely sée what doctrine Ferus would haue taught and preached in the Church onely the scriptures and such as the holy Ghost doth drawe out of them In cap. 14. Ioh. not any vnwritten verities or traditions of the Church or inuentions of man And in another place he writes thus of Christ I am the way of life the trueth of doctrine and the life of saluation all men desire the way the trueth and the life These are not any where found certaine or sure sauing in Christ In cap. 2. Mat. And of the excellency of the scriptures he writes thus As in the latter daies the word of God came clad with flesh into the world and it was one thing that was seene and another that was vnderstood the sight of the flesh in him was apparant to all men but the knowledge of his diuinitie was giuen but to a few and to his elect so the word of God and the spirit is couered with the vaile of the letter The letter is looked vpon as the flesh and the spirit lying hid within is perceiued like the deitie And as the sheepheards being taught of the Angels knew Christ in his ragges and simple swathling clothes who otherwise would neuer haue beleeued that that childe was Christ although they had seene him a thousand times his clothes were so base of no great cost So the letter of the Scripture is plaine and it seemes often to speake of matters of no waight Therefore vnlesse we be lightened from aboue it doth not seeme that we should finde Christ in them Ferus here doth not make the Scriptures a bare or dead letter as some other Papistes doe but a liuing letter vnder which being read and studied Gods spirit lieth hid euen as vnder Christs flesh his diuinitie Oh wonderfull force and maiestie then of Gods words Oh that all Papists would confesse thus much and beléeue it It would make them reade the scriptures And herein Ferus agrées with the doctrine Ioh. 6.63 euen of our Sauiour himselfe who saith That the wordes which I speake are spirit and life which saying of his is to be referred to all the Scriptures of the Gospell For he
the name of Leuen and that not vnfitly For first as Leuen is added outwardly and is of another nature so it is false doctrine whatsoeuer is added to the word of God or is mingled with it as either an externall or a contrarie thing for the word of God is pure bread not mingled with any other thing to which nothing must be added or put to of man according to that thou shalt adde nothing to my words In cap. 4. Mat. And in another place he writes thus Then our workes please God if they bee done of the spirit that is if they bee agreeing to Gods commandements and the Scripture for all that is not good which seemes good to thee Thou hast an example hereof in Saul who of Amelecke reserued oxen for the sacrifice of God to whom it was said Doth God delight in burnt offrings They are like to him to whom those things seeme better which they chuse themselues then Gods commandements yea they despise Gods commandements for their owne inuentions To conclude there is nothing good that is contrarie to Gods commandements for the will of God is the rule of righteousnesse and his commandement is a signe of his will therefore doe not that which seemeth good in thy own iudgement Thus much Ferus And yet such like were manie of their workes they did in Poperie they had no commandement in the word of God to warrant them And all such works by Ferus iudgement could not please God no more then Sauls sacrifice of the shéepe of the Amalekites did and yet manie Catholikes will vse such works still And in another place hee writes thus Fer. in 11. cap Mat. So it is also a staffe of reede whatsoeuer is taught or deliuered besides the word of God It is onely the word of God the which we may safely leane vpon that hereby thou maiest learne what kinde of froward deceiuers they are which giue vs for the word of God onely their owne dreames that is a staffe of reede This sentence is quite left out in the copie of Ferus printed at Rome The vncertaintie also of Traditions should cause anie good Christian to doubt to build his faith vpon them Augustine saith That their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or loue feasts Gagneius in cap. 14. ad cor which the ancient Christians did commonly vse at their communion were euer made before their communion as Christ did first eate the Paschall Lambe before he celebrated his sacrament but Chrysostome saieth that these loue feasts were euer made after the communion which of these traditions should we beléeue now Maister Bellarmine also of the signe of the Crosse which Constantine saw writes thus De laicis lib. 3 cap. 40. That Eusebius himselfe in the life of Constantine writes that he sawe it in his iourney and that Constantine himselfe told him so But in his ecclesiasticall Historie translated by Ruffinus it is recorded that he saw it in his sleepe And that Angels stood by him and said to him In this signe thou shalt ouercome It is very likely saith Maister Bellarmine that this was added of Ruffinus If there were additions in those daies euen by Maist Bellarmines iudgement and forgeries against the truth what shall we looke for in our daies Ierom also of Origens bookes writes In pref in E◠That in his daies manie were lost and some were vnder his name forged That subtile Sathan who durst be bold to corrupt and forge Origens works would not sticke also to forge other fathers Stella also of customes and old rites writes thus Christ saith hee and his Parents were verie carefull in keeping godly and holy customes but we quite contrarie dissent from Christ In 2. cap. Luc. keeping the olde custome and wont as we say in our garments vsuries and vnlawfull bargaines we ought in this matter consider this whether that such customes agree with the Gospell or no The which if they doe not then they are to be forsaken of vs but if they agree with it then they ought to be followed For the law of God ought to be a rule and square by which euerie rite custome is to be exemined For an euill custome is no law but a wicked abuse of the law c. So no doubt all customes not onely of bargaining but of worshipping God by this rule and square are to be examined But it is obiected of the Papists that Saint Basill speakes verie earnestly in the defence of Traditions He doth so but nothing for Popish Traditions Almost all the fathers doe make mention of Traditions and outward Ceremonies which were vsed in the Church in their daies which they did reuerentlie obserue and kéepe but they were not such vnwritten verities as the Papists now Lib. de Spirit Sanct. cap. 27. vnder the name of traditions do teach men to beléeue Basils Traditions are almost all externall thinges and no points of doctrine As signing those which are baptized with the signe of the crosse to pray towards the East to dippe the childe baptized thrise in baptisme That forme of prayer which is vsed in the Lords supper is not written saith he and the annointing of the baptized with oyle Amb. lib. 1. de faer cap. 2. of which Ceremonie also Ambrose makes mention These are all outward things neither are they substantiall points of doctrine And of these our church hath retained some which séeme not repugnant to the Scriptures and others she hath refused The fathers surely in their daies through their ouermuch deuotion and zeale in religion considered not that Antichrists kingdome should be a mysterie 1. Thes 2.7 Reu. 17.5 Mark 15.38 and that Christ now suffering the vaile of the Temple did rent asunder to teach vs that the true Sonne being now comed into the world all shadowes should vanish awaie but they began againe euen then to load the church with outward ceremonies and obseruations in so much that Austen complained in his daies Ep. 119. ad Ia. that the church and the religion which Gods mercie would haue free with the ceremonies and mysteries in her seruices of God and as plaine and as fewe as might be some did now oppresse againe with slauish burdens in so much that the Iewes were in better case then we Austen then perceiued whither this immoderate deuotion would grow vnto hee vrgeth that libertie whereinto we are brought by the mercies of Christ and in the which Saint Paul wils vs to stand Gal. 5.1 and to maintaine But although S. Basill doe vrge the obseruation of these outward things besides the expresse commandement and warrant of the scriptures yet concerning doctrine about the which betwéene the Papistes and vs is the greatest controuersie hee writes plainly that he would haue that tried by the scriptures For speaking of Heretikes he saith Ep. 80. That they might blame vs thus they saie that it is against their custome and that the Scripture doth not agree thereunto But
are taught in this place first by this fact of our Sauiour that the authoritie of a kinge is of God which is both worthie of honour and reuerence So hee payde tribute to Caesar and to the tol gatherers of Caesar he would that tribute should bee paide of Peter and being asked whether tribute should be payde to Caesar hee answered Giue to Caesar the thinges that are Caesars He would be subiect to lawes euen from the beginning of his birth least he which should bee to others an example of life and holinesse should trouble the cōmon wealth which also came to amende that was amisse that he might also insinuate that a iust Empire hath lawes acceptable to all mē while the common wealth is maintained in peace iustice And for this cause no man ought to resist the higher powers when as Christ the example of humilitie would be subiect vnto them Thus farre Stella He excepts none from that subiection and obedience and paying of tribute neither Pope nor cleargie And whereas the Papists saye that one ministeriall head is necessarie for the gouernment of the Church August in psal 56. and that such a head is the Pope S. Austen concerning this matter writes thus Because all Christ is a head a bodie which I doe not doubt but that you knowe well enough our Sauiour himselfe the head who suffered vnder Pontius Pilate who now after he rose from the dead fitteth at the right hand of his father The Church is his bodie not this Church or that Church but that which is spred ouer the whole world nor that onely which is among men which now presently liue but they also belonging to her which were before vs and those also which shal be after vs to the worlds ende For the whole church consisting of all the faithfull because all the faithfull are mēbers of Christ hath now that head which is now placed in heauen which gouernes his bodie And although hee bee separated from sight yet hee is not separated from loue Therefore because all Christ is a head and his bodie therfore in al Psalmes let vs so heare the voice of our head as we also heare the voice of his bodie For he would not speake seuerally because he would not be separated Saying I am with you euen vnto the ende of the world If hee bee with vs he speakes in vs he speakes of vs and hee speakes by vs because we speake by him And therefore we speake truth because we speake in him For if at any time wee shall speake in our selues and of our selues we shall continue liers Thus far Austen where he saith plainly that Christ himselfe is a head gouerning his Church And that which is the chief part of a gouernor he speakes vnto it and that not by anie one but by all his ministers Fer. in 14. ca. Ioh. To whome hee hath promised He wil be with to the end of the world And how this gouernment is executed that is by his holie spirit Ferus verie excellentlie declares Christ alwaies saith he doth the part of a most faithfull Father For euen as a father his children being yet young doth not onely leaue them his inheritance and all the goods he hath but also placeth Tutors and guardians ouer them that may keepe that inheritance for his children and may resist those that would iniurie them which thing the children themselues orphanes could not doe So Christ here being not content by his testament to leaue vs his inheritance and his goods but moreouer he promiseth and appointeth the holie spirit to be our tutor and guardian who should take vpon him the care and guardianshippe of his Orphanes and should in euerie court before any Iudge King or tyraunt defende by his lawfull pleading the inheritance of the father bequeathed them in his testament nay written with his owne bloud and should haue a care least the children by their owne negligence should lose their inheritance Thus farre Ferus Now to be appointed tutor or guardian of the church what is it else but to be appointed gouernour of the Church Ieron in 4. ca. Mal. The Papists doe teach that before Antichrist Elias in his owne person shall come Concerning which thing Ierome writes thus The Iewes and heretiques following the Iewes before their Messias thinke that Elias shall come shall restore all things And hereupon in the Gospell this question was made to Christ Why the Pharisees doe say that Elias shall come To whome he answered Helias truly shall come And if you beleeue he is comed alreadie by Elias meaning Iohn Thus much Ierome Where we may note that Ierome calles them Iewish heretiques that looke for Elias And yet the Papistes at this daie looke for Elias If this had béen a point of Catholique doctrine in the Church in Ieromes daies no doubt hee would not haue béen ignorant of it neither would he haue called the professors thereof heretiques So that it should séeme the papists opinion concerning Antichrist was comed since Ieroms daies whereof this comming of Elias is a principall braunch And that the Papists are of this opinion Gagneius writes thus Neither in this place a mystical exposition of the number Gag in cap. xx Apoc. can fitly be applied when as in deede in the time of Antichrist that Elias shall come and preach according to the testimonie of Malachie we holde for a suretie Maister Bellarmine also affirmes the same De Rom. pont lib. 5. cap. 6. The third demonstration saith he is drawne from the comming of Enoch and Elias which as yet liue and liue to this ende that they may oppose themselues against Antichrist when he commeth and should preserue the elect in the faith of Christ and at the length should conuert the Iewes These are the causes why Maister Bellarmine saith that Elias and Enoch shall come But these causes haue no ground in the scripture and therfore the effect of them shall not follow For S. Paul saith Eph. 6.17 that the word of God is the sword of the spirit with which sworde no doubt all Gods enemies amongst whom Antichrist is chiefe must be wounded and confounded And S. Paul saith plainly that Antichrist must be consumed with the breath of Gods mouth 2. Thess 2.8 that is no doubt with this sword And as our Sauiour Christ fought against Antichrists father the Deuill saying Luk. 4.48 It is written and not saying thus it is taught by tradition so must all his souldiers fight against his sonne the sonne of perdition Antichrist himselfe saying Thus it is written Euerie Christian armed with the sword of the spirit that is with the word of God must oppose himselfe against Antichrist This sword is able to confound him and cut off his head There néedes not Elias and Enoch to come to oppose themselues against him They blunt the edge of this sword which teach this doctrine And with this sword also Saint Iohn armes euerie
Christian against Antichrist These things haue I written vnto you 1. Ep. 2.26 as concerning those that deceiue you and the annointing yee haue receiued of him abideth in you so that no man needeth to teach you any thing no not Elias nor Enoch We may note here how that he armeth the faithfull onely with the Scripture and the holie spirit against Antichrist and that they neede no other armour And againe I write vnto you children Verse 14. that you haue knowne the father I write vnto you fathers that you haue knowne him that was from the beginning I write vnto you young men that you are strong and the word of God dwelleth in you The worde of God is the knowledge and light of olde men against Sathan and his sonne Antichrist and the strength also of young men to wrastle and encounter with them both and with this they being strengthened they are able to ouercome them Saint Paul also speaking of Antichrist and of his members which by and by after his departure should succéed in the church saieth thus Act. 20 24. I knowe this that after my departure shall grieuous Wolues enter in amongst you not sparing the flocke and from amongst your selues shall men arise speaking peruerse things to drawe away the Disciples after them Therefore watch ye remembring how by the space of three yeeres night and day I haue not ceased to warne euerie one of you And now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you further then I haue as yet builded you and to giue you an inheritance amongst all those which shall be sanctified Here Saint Paul teacheth that Wolues shall succéede in the Church and no doubt these were the members of Antichrist Against these as a faithfull Pastor he commits his shéepe to God and to the word of God which is able to build them further naie to preserue them safe and sound from all errors and dangers in the wildernesse of this worlde and to bring them euen to heauen if so be that they shall follow onely the direction of it And here also we maie learne an excellent commendation of the worde of God it is a bottomelesse pitte no man can euer come to the depth thereof so that of it that saying of Saint Austen is verified So great is the depth of the holy Scriptures that I should euerie day profit in the study of them Aug. ep 3. if from mine infancie till I were a verie olde man I should learne them hauing neuer so much leisure studying neuer so earnestly and hauing neuer so good a wit they are still able to build further This testimonie Saint Paul and Saint Austen yéelde to the worde of God and what néedes Maister Bellarmine then to adde the comming of Elias and Enoch as necessarie to preserue the elect in the faith as though the worde of God were not sufficient Our Sauiour himselfe in the Gospell teacheth the same doctrine and that it is dangerous to beléeue anie rising againe frō the dead whosoeuer they are in points of saluation Luk. 16.31 They haue Moses the prophets saith Abraham the father of the faithful if they will not beleeue them neither wil they beleeue if anie arise from the dead againe no if it were Enoch and Elias This lesson Abraham by our sauiours testimonie hath taught all his children and yet by Maister Bellarmine his iudgement the faithfull must looke for Elias and Enoch to come to preserue them in the faith Esay also opposeth the word of God against all doctrines of dead men whatsoeuer Esay 8.20 Should not a people enquire of their God From the liuing to the dead will you seeke To the lawe and to the testimonie Psal 119.105 The lawe and the testimonie must be a light to our feet our counsellers in all controuersies and doubts as also they were Dauids Chrysostome vpon Matthew writes thus of Antichrist and of the onely way to bewray him Then that is Chrys Ho. 49. in ca. 24. Mat. when Antichrists kingdome shall come they which are in Iewrie let them flie vnto the hilles These things are to be vnderstood spiritually thus Then when you shall see the abomination of desolation sitting in the holy place that is when you shall see a wicked heresie which is the host of Antichrist standing in the holy places of the Church at that time they which are in Iewrie let them flie to the hilles that is they which are Christians let them get them to the Scriptures For as the true Iewe is a Christian as the Apostle saith not he which is a Iew openly but he which is a Iew in secret so christendome is true Iewrie whose name signifies confession or thanksgiuing and the hilles are the writings of the Prophets and Apostles of which hilles it is said Thou wonderfully giuest light from the eternall hilles And againe of the Church he saith the foundations are vpon the holy hilles And why doth he command all christians at this time to get them to the scriptures Because at that time since that heresy hath taken place in the Church there can be no other proofe or triall of true christianitie nor any other help for christians which thē would know which is the true faith but the holy Scriptures Before by many meanes it might be shewed which was the church of Christ and which was the heathenish Synagogue But now they which will know which is the true Church can know it by no meanes else but onely by the Scriptures And after Therefore the Lord knowing what a great confusion of all things should be in the latter daies therefore he commaunds that Christians which would be sure to know the true faith should flie to nothing else but to the Scriptures Here we maie first learne what Antichrist is not a Deuill incarnate as the Papists imagine but a wicked heresie which shall take possession in the Church nay in the beginning of that Homily he saith That when as all heresies are as it were the host of Antichrist yet especially that which shall take vpon it the face and roume of the Church Quae obtinuit ecclesiae locum stetit in loco sancto ita vt videatur quasi verbum veritatis stetisse cum non sit verbum veritatis sed abominatio desolationis id est exercitus Antichrists qui multorum animas reddidit desolatas à Deo which hath borne the shew of the Church so that it seemed to haue continued in the holy place as the word of truth when as it is not the word of truth but the abhomination of desolation that is the host of Antichrist which shall make many mens soules destitute of God And dare anie man then venture his saluation vpon the bare name and shewe of the Church He saith here plainlie that Antichrists heresie shall haue the roume and shewe of the Church Therefore it is dangerous onely to relie vpon
of grace is called the fulnes of time And for this cause the sonne of God is called the hand of the father because as by the hand things are wont to be distributed So the eternall father by the sonne hath giuen his heauenly gifts This hand Dauid praied so earnestly for send out thy hand from aboue c. If we lacke anie thing we are wont to receiue it at mens hands and not at their féet So here let vs receiue all things at the hands of God Almightie let vs not seeke anie thing at Saints or Angels which may resemble Gods féet In ca. 19. Esa Ierome writes thus vpon these words And they shall not remember the former things Although this may be said that in the new heauen and the new earth all the remeÌ„brance of our conuersation shall be quite blotted out least this should be some peece of euill to remember our former griefes and necessities As the saints shall not remember their former anguishes or griefes to impaire in anie respect their ioy so no doubt much more not the griefes of others And againe In all their trouble there shall be no trouble And the Angell of his face shall saue them that is Iesus Christ who is the Image of God and appeares before God now for vs or else who is like to vs and is perfect man Psal 118. v. 27. In times past as Dauid witnesseth The sacrifices were bound to the hornes of the Altar not to the postes of the house of God though they were neuer so holy and gilded So now we must binde our sacrifices that is our prayers to the Altar Iesus Christ not to the postes of the house that is to the Saints In cap. 3. Io. Ferus also writes thus Afterward Iohn expresseth the conditions of those that be Christes friends he standeth saith he as readie to doe whatsoeuer is to be done he heareth what the bride groome talketh with the bride and he reioyceth in the glorie of the bridegroome These are those thrée conditions of all the friends of Iesus Christ which were bidden to the marriage by Ferus his iudgement and of all Gods Saintes And no doubt as they performed the two former while they were here in this life that is they stood all readie to doe his commandements and they gladlie heard his words so likewise in heauen they reioice in his glorie his glorie is their glorie They all with Saint Iohn here doe put awaie all glory yéelded vnto them and attribute it vnto him And after he must increase I must decrease we are taught by this sentence that all the authorities dignities offices righteousnesses wisedomes powers of all men are to be made no account of that only Christs authoritie dignitie office righteousnesse wisedome power may be established To conclude it belongs to him to be exalted it belongs to vs to be humbled If this be true what meanes all those hymnes and songs and prayers to the glorie of Saints which the Church of Rome vseth In the councell of Rhemes cap. 2. celebrated vnder Charles the great An. dom 913. we are taught that it is not lawful for a christian not to know without booke the Lords prayer or not to vnderstand it or not too often vse it If this be true how many thousand Christians in the time of Poperie were transgressors of this lawe who vnderstood not the Lords prayer Theodoret against prayers to be made to Angels writes thus They which defended the law In 3. ca. ad Col. perswaded them to worship Angels saying that the lawe was giuen by them And this fault remained long in Phrygia and Pisidia wherefore also the synode which met at Laodicea which is the chiefe Citie of Phrygia did forbid by law that they pray to Angels And euen vnto this day we may see amongst them and amongst their borderers houses of prayer of S. Michael They gaue men counsell to doe this vsing humilitie saying the God of all things could not be seene nor comprehended nor that any man could come vnto him and that they must get them the good will of God by the means of the angels Is not this plainly the papists doctrine at this day they build Churches to Angels they teach that by the meanes of Angels we must procure the fauour of God And after vpon these words Doe all things in the name of our Lords Iesus Christ because saith Theodoret they commanded to worship Angels he commaunds the contrarie that they should make glorious or acceptable to God both their wordes and deedes by the remembrance of our Lord Christ And saith he send forth your thankesgiuing to God your father by him and not by Angels The councell of Laodicea following this law and hauing a minde to cure this olde disease decréed Conc. Lâ—od cap. 32. that they should not make any prayers vnto angels that they should not leaue out the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Here we may note that we should not make anie prayers vnto Angels and that we should neuer leaue out of our prayers the name of our Lord Iesus Christ but that we should doe all things in his name and that he alone makes our prayers glorious in the sight of God and procures vs Gods fauour Stella also of the great mercie of our Sauiour writes thus Secondly he touched the leaper In 5. ca. Luc. that he might mooue vs boldly to come to him and that he might take away all occasion of feare let no man be affraid let all come to him Christ doth not loathe our Leprosie nor filthy corruption but he pities vs more then any father doth his children because he knowes whereof we be made If a leprous sinner maie come boldly to Christ what sinner shall be affraid to come Also vpon the first of Luke he askes a question why God sent an Angell to the virgin could not God himselfe haue reuealed this mysterie to the virgin he could truely but he would send an Angell first that he might declare the loue and charitie he beares vnto vs so that he procures our redemption euen by the ministerie of Angels So Paul saith Are they not all ministring spirits for those which shall receiue the inheritance of saluation Out of which place man may drawe an argument that he may magnifie or thinke well of his owne estate because Angels are sent to minister and serue vnto him And after If any prince or noble man should prostrate himselfe on the ground that he might gather vp the crums which fell from thee were he not despised and no account made of So thou which art a noble and excellent creature of God when as thou hast Angels to be thy seruants oughtst not to bow thy selfe to these earthly things which are vile and of no reputation Thus farre Stella The same reason we make against praying to Angels If God haue so exalted vs that Angels are our seruants why should we abase our selues to knéele downe to
saying And it shall come to passe that before they shall call I will answere and while they yet speake I will heare Hee must needs be very hard harted and starke blind who is not mooued with such words and promises that he may consider and perceiue the great mercie and goodnesse which thou vsest towards thy seruants And who would not willingly suffer any thing that he might be accounted in the number of them c. To make intercessors to God what is it but to doubt of these promises both of the Prophets and of the Gospell then to doubt of this readinesse of God which Granatensis here teacheth to heare our praiers If this be true we neede no intercessors Cap. 33. And after Great is the loue wherewith fathers loue their children and yet the fathers tender heart will not suffer that the sonne that hath married against his will or hath done any such like fault should once come into his sight But yet the tender mercie of this our heauenly father although a man haue done vnto him all the iniuries that can be deuised if he returne to him with all his heart doth not despise him but receiues him as he did the prodigall son forgiuing all his trespasses and faults The prophet knew this when as he said O Lord thou art our father Abraham is ignorant of vs and Israel knowes vs not but thou O Lord art our father and our redeemer and thy name is from euerlasting This thy loue O Lord springs of thy goodnesse from which proceede two most profitable streames that is thy mercie and thy loue the one that our infirmities might be cured and the other that thy good things might be imparted to vs. If therefore this thy fountaine be infinit what shall the floud of loue be that proceeds from it Therefore I neither fear nor am affraid nor distrust although I acknowledge my selfe to be a sinner so vnworthy to be beloued For how froward soeuer I am he that loues me is good so good that he wil not reiect sinners yea he cals them vnto him he receiues them and eates with them To all these tokens and works of thy loue another is added O Lord because thou art loue it selfe thy Euangelist witnesseth this when as he saith God is charitie and he that dwelleth in charitie dwelleth in God and God in him O truely sweete and wonderfull thing to haue such a God who is altogither loue and whose nature is charitie c. Such a faith should all Christians haue of God and such a confidence in him And this faith the Gospell teacheth And what néeds then any intercessors to so louing a God and mercifull a father Cap. 28. And againe he writes thus The greatnesse of thy goodnesse besides all these thy mercie doth most of all testifie which thou vsest towards sinners bearing with them with so great kindnesse looking for them with such great patience yea being offended of them yet calling them to grace and pardon and being iniuried by them euen drawing them to reconciliation Nay to conclude offering them satisfactions and opening to them the rich treasures of thy merits How easily art thou found of them how soon doest thou heare them how mercifull art thou in receiuing them how liberall in pardoning them I am greatly amazed O Lord when I remember the mercie which thou vsedst towards Manasses that king of Iudah to whom after his strange idolatrie after the bloud of thy Saints shed so plenteously after so great and horrible iniquities when as he asked pardon of thee thou didst not only forgiue him all his sinnes but also didst deliuer him from most cruell bondage and didst restore him againe to his kingdome not denying saluation to him by whose wickednesse so many soules had perished and for whose haynous acts that noble Citie of Ierusalem with that most famous and holy temple was ouerthrowne and become desolate Thus farre Granatensis And this is to declare the name of God Iohn 27.26 I haue declared thy name saith our Sauiour and will declare it that the loue wherewith thou hast loued me may be in them and I in them This is to declare the name of God how mercifull how kinde how louing God is how readie he is to heare sinners and willing to pardon them For otherwise God hath no proper name that Christ declared vnto vs. And this euerie Christian is bound to doe And hereof dependeth a great reward that God will loue such preachers and declarers of his name that is of his mercie and goodnesse euen with the same loue that he loued Iesus Christ And here then let all Christians take héed how that they doe derogate anie thing from this name Titilman a Papist in his exposition of S. Iohns Gospell expounds this place thus These places of Granatensis I haue rehearsed thus at large both for the excellencie of the matter contained in them and also to declare how resolute he is in this matter The same Granatensis as in his whole booke of deuotion he doth highlie commend prayer and would that no other businesse or studie whatsoeuer should hinder that affirming prayer to a Christian to be like Sampsons hayre which when it was cut away he was no stronger then another man euen so saith he the strength of a Christian consists in his prayer Take that away from him and he shall be of no strength at all So he declares most excellentlie how we should praie De deuot li. 3. cap. 42. Christians saith he that pray are in this place to be admonished that making their prayers they doe that with as great deuotion and marking as lies in their power For hereof depends all the force and fruit of prayer for in Gods eares as Bernard witnesseth an earnest desire is a great crying and a colde or slothfull minde and intention is a low voice for his eares are open rather to the voice of the heart then to the voice of the body By this it may be plainly perceiued how barren and fruitlesse the prayers of some men are as well cleargie as lay-men which with such haste and speed runne ouer their deuotions and Psalmes that they seeme not at all to talke with God For they would not deale so negligently and carelesly with man if they had any thing that they would earnestly obtaine at his hands For as Salomon testifieth The poor man beseecheth but the rich man speaketh roughly For he that feeles his owne want and miserie and couets earnestly to be relieued in these as he desires this from the bottome of his heart so he praies with all his hart with as great earnestnesse as he can saying with the Prophet I haue cried with my whole heart heare me O Lord. I would to God men would vnderstand remember when they pray with whom they speak and about what businesses they speake For if they knew that they talked with that same great maiestie at whose presence the
and shew thy selfe thou I say who art loaden with sinnes fall downe on the ground crie and sigh c. Here we note againe the manner of their common prayers that they made a common confession And againe that children could not pray because they lacked vnderstanding Augustine of the common praiers now in Christs Church August de mirab scriptur lib. 1. ca. 9. writes thus Also after this diuision of tongues by Gods appointment it came to passe that the mystery of the holy scriptures til the fulnes of time should be kept in the proper language of one people chosen out of manie vntill the time appointed when as he would make manifest vnto all nations the mysterie of his diuine pleasure he sent downe from aboue the holy Ghost bringing with him that knowledge of all languages hauing also before ordained preachers of that his heauenly wil and pleasure The which spirit before had sung the great and mightie works of God till that time but in one language but now as it were to consecrate and make holy all languages at his first comming preached by the Apostles in all languages so they which as it were to confirme this matter God had gathered togither in Ierusalem at that time out of all nations said We haue heard them speake in our owne tongues the mightie works of God Thus farre Austen Before Christ the holie Ghost sang the praises of God in one tongue but since his comming in all tongues All languages are sanctified Michael ab Isselt describing the estate of the primitiue Church writes this of prayer In times past saith he there was great zeale of prayer in the Church in so much that no houre passed without the praises of God without praiers without thanksgiuing In this one thing they were occupied day and night Saint Ierome saith that euer after praier they gaue themselues to reading after reading again to prayer whithersoeuer one went he should heare the plowman holding his plough singing Alleluiah And the sweating shearer comforted himselfe with Psalmes and the vinedresser pruning his vine with his sharpe hooke did sing some of Dauids Psalmes The mariner at his sterne the waterman at his oare the digger among his clods the shomaker in making his shoes the weauer at his loome the fisher among his nets euery one of these obtained good successe increase and Gods blessing to his workes by prayer The wife sitting at her rocke the boy playing with his ball the seruant sent about his masters busines all these commit themselues and their health to God by prayers All these like Bees saith Epiphanius hauing in their hands the waxe of their worke but in their mouth drops of honie when as with their owne singing voices they did praise the Lord of all things and did pray vnto him Thus farre Michael ab Isselt This was the estate of the Primitiue Church Thus they occupied themselues now with reading now with praying but in all these with vnderstanding quite contrarie to the ignorance which of late reigned in the popish Church And of such praiers may most truly be verified that which the same author addeth after what shal I saith he make manie words By prayer wee may do all things and without prayer we can do nothing It is the generall instrument or toole of Christians without which they can worke nothing For euen as a souldier without his sword or a scriuener without his penne or a smith without his tooles so is a Christian without prayer What maruell is it if diuels which neuer before haue beene heard of haue now inuaded all sortes of men The cause is that nowe prayer amongst all is perished In 4. cap. Act. Ferus of prayer writes thus These things are required to an effectuall praier first that thou beleeue that which God hath promised Faith in the word and promise of God Secondly that with an ardent and earnest affection thou dost offer something to God which thou couetest to obtaine Thus farre Ferus So that then we must know what we pray for Ferus of the inuocation of the name of Iesus in our prayers writes thus In 5. cap. Act. It proues saith he the diuinitie and power of Christ that the inuocatiō of his name performeth that which we request Peter healed the lame man not with anie superstitions but by calling on the name of the Lord Iesus So vse corporall medicines that the chiefe hope may be in humble prayer Thus farre Ferus They diminish the vertue of Christs name and derogate from his deitie by his iudgement that vse other names in their praiers It is superstition to call vpon others Iacobus de Valentia a Papist of the name of Iesus writes thus vpon these words O God saue me in thy name In psal 53. But here saith he a doubt may arise because this name Iesus seemes not to be the name of the father but of Christ his sonne How therefore doth the sonne say to the father O God in thy name saue me It should seeme that he should haue said In my name To this it may be answered that the name Iesus belongs principally to the father and was giuen and communicated to Christ himselfe of his father For whatsoeuer Christ hath he hath it of the father wherfore this name Iesus is the name Adonai and Tetragrammaton as we haue said in the prologue of the Psalmes and in the 7. psalme which is as much to say as to be omnipotent saluation and to be perfect And that this name doth properly belong to God therefore it is communicated and giuen of the father to his sonne as the Apostle saith of the Philippians He hath giuen him a name which is aboue all names that at the name of Iesus euerie knee should bow c. Therfore not only we doe aske of the Father by this name Iesus in all our prayers but also Christ himselfe as hee is man askes in the vertue of this name bestowed on him of the father Because this name containes in it all vertue and omnipotencie and an infinite sea of merits Therefore Christ saith to his father O God my father saue me in thy name Iesus which name thou hast imparted and bestowed vpon me and deliuer me and my members by thy vertue and omnipotencie which is contained vnder this name Iesus For there is no other name in the which the world must be saued but in this thy name Thus farre Iacobus de Valentia Where he excellentlie describes the dignitie of the name of Iesus It is the name of God himselfe in the vertue of this name Christ himselfe praied it is a sea of infinite merits and shall we then vse anie other Shall we doubt whether this name alone will serue our turne or not Ludouicus Viues of the Lords prayer writes thus Praefat. ora◠dom As of our religion so also of our prayer which is a chiefe part of our religion hee may bee the author and master who knowes perfectly
bring foorth So likewise when it is said Sit thou on my right hand till I put c. it may verie well hereof be gathered that all Christs enemies somtime shal be put vnder his feet otherwise that vntill were vnfitly said So also when it is said Thou shalt not go out till thou hast paide the vttermost farthing we may very wel inferre Therfore sometime he shal pay the vttermost farthing and so consequently shall go out from thence But Stella of this place writes farre otherwise then M. Bellarmine The iudge shall giue thee to the Iaylor In 12. Luc. The sentence shall be pronounced of Christ the iudge and the wicked man shall be deliuered to the Iaylor that he may punish him because the sinner shall be deliuered to the Diuell to be punished For the Lord saith to the wicked Go ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the Diuell and his angels c. And the Iaylor cast thee into prison that is into hell Of which prison Esay speakes They shall be shut in prison And lest he should despise this prison thinking it to be a light matter he addes the grieuousnesse of it saying I say vnto thee Thou shalt not go out thence till thou haue paide the vttermost farthing Thinke not that hee shall sometimes come out For this word vntill in the holy scriptures signifies eternitie of times whence we haue it thus written in the Psalme The Lord said to my Lord sit thou on my right hand till I put thine enemies c. And yet it is most certaine that Christ our Sauiour sits in the excellent good things of his father for euer and euer Secondly this place may be expounded properly as it foundeth Because thou shalt not go out till thou hast paide the vttermost farthing and yet after thou shalt go out But thou shalt neuer go out For one can neuer come to the end of a thing that is without end But the punishment of hell for continuance of time is without ende and therefore a man can neuer come to the end of his paiment So is meant that of the Psalme Iustice shall spring in his daies and abundance of peace as long as the moone endureth that is till she shall cease to be in heauen and yet she shall neuer cease to bee in heauen therefore that peace shall neuer faile So the wicked shall bee in hell vntill they haue paide the vttermost farthing The which because they shall neuer pay it is most certaine that they shall bee there for euer Ferus vpon these words After these things I wil returne writes thus In cap. 15. Act. This saying is taken out of Amos. As long as we are here God doth not quite cast vs away but he returnes to vs againe for God hath not forgotten to be mercifull but euen in his anger thinkes of mercie And hereof Dauid saith As a father is mercifull toward his owne children so God is merciful towards them that feare him But after this life he is either angrie for euer or mercifull for euer Ferus here séemes to make no meane nor middle place of Gods wrath Med. 10. vitae Christi Granatensis of afflictions writes thus As with a file iron is purged and by filing is polished and made smoothe all the rust being done away so the spirituall file of tribulations doth wipe away all the rust of sins and makes the soule pure and bright from all the drosse of vices In 6. cap. Luc. Stella writes thus If he which did no sinne nor there was anie deceit found in his mouth nor he stood need of any purgation of afflictions yet for our sakes would suffer so great things before he entred into his glorie Shall we who are guiltie of so many grieuous sinnes and to whom manie and grieuous punishments are due refuse to be afflicted that we may enter into that glorie Ferus also yeelds the same effects to the tribulations and afflictions of this life Affliction saith he doth not only not hurt vs but doth vs much good For it shewes vs what we are and then it purgeth the euill which we haue gotten then it leades vs to God Fer. in 4. cap. Act. To conclude the Crosse is Gods schoole house the nurture of our manners the praise and meditation of our blessednesse the shoppe of the holy Ghost and the treasurie of all good things So that by his iudgement in the schoole-house of afflictions in this life all Gods children are beaten for their faults In this shoppe of the holie Ghost they are purged filed and made bright In 7. cap. Act. And againe of the fathers he writes thus Marke that the fathers of the olde testament were by no other means brought to saluation then we are that is by faith Therefore if by our faith we passe from death to life as our Sauiour teacheth in the Gospell then also by Ferus iudgement euen so did they Those same phrases in Beda of the faithfull departed Bed lib. 2. eccles hist Aug. cap. 1.5.7 lib. 5. cap. 23. He went out of this life to the true life which is in heauen and he went vnto the Lord which he vseth of Gregorie Egbertus and others quite ouerthrow purgatorie Olympiodorus vpon that place of Ecclesiastes Olymp. in 11 cap. eccl v. 1. In the place where the tree falles there it lies he writes thus Trees in the holy Scriptures signifie sometimes good men sometimes sinners The South is also taken for a bright and cleare place or els for that true light which is Iesus Christ our Lord God Contrariwise the North is taken for an obscure place and full of darkenesse and for the diuell himselfe who dwels in darkenesse In what place soeuer therefore either light or cleare or obscure and darke that is either in the filthy state of sinnes or in the commendable state of workes a man shall be found when he dieth in the same degree and order he shall remaine for euer For either he shall rest in the light of eternall felicitie with the iust and Christ our Lord or els he shall be tormented in darkenesse with the wicked and the Diuell prince of the world Thus farre Olympiodotus Hee makes but two places after death Into either of which who soeuer shall fall at his death there he shall abide There is no helpe after death In his time it is likely that purgatorie and pardons were not knowne Master Bellarmine alleadging manie authorities to confirme purgatorie out of the olde testament Lib. 1. de Purg. cap. 3. as that place of Esay cap. 4. ver 4. and Mal. 3. v. 2.3 addeth the expositions of the fathers vnto them that they expound these places of purgatorie And after of that place of Ierom vpon Malachie he cōcludes thus Ieroh in cap. 3. Malac. Although the paine of purgatory is not that of which we speake of now for that shall purge them that liue but we
things that they doe not lift vp their harts to pray to him whom that Image or picture representeth Here is their opinion plainly set downe that Images are to be adored and worshipped and that we must lift vp our hearts to him whomsoeuer the Image representeth Is not this to giue Latria to creatures Dauid saith to God I lift vp my heart to thee Psal 25.1 This is a part of his honor and shall we giue it to anie other And God himselfe saith Thou shalt make thee no image of any thing Exod. 20.4 in heauen aboue nor in the earth beneath thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them No doubt the first branche of this commandement is as large as the second As by this all Images of earthly things are forbidden so by the other the Images of all heauenlie euen of Angels and of Saints yea of God himselfe And yet Stella here affirmes that we may worship Images and is not this Idolatrie Esay also séemes to expound this commandement thus Esay 40.18 To whom will yee liken God and what likenesse will you make for him The workman hath made an Image and the goldsmith hath couered it with gold and melts chaines of siluer for it The poore man also for an oblation chuseth a tree that will not rot and he wil seeke for a cunning workeman to make him a grauen Image that cannot mooue it selfe Will you not know will ye not heare hath it not been shewed to you from the beginning will ye not vnderstand it by the foundations of the earth He that sits vpon the spheare of the earth and the dwellers thereof are like Locustes stretcheth out the heauens like a webbe and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in God who brings the rulers of the earth to nothing and makes the iudges like a thing of nought yea they haue not been planted they haue not been sowen yea he hath not suffered their stocke to take roote in the earth and he hath but blowen vpon them with his spirit and they haue withered away and the whirlewinde doth take them away like stubble And to whom will ye liken me and I shall be like to him saith the holy one The Prophet here séemes to expound the commandement and therefore he saith hath it not been declared to you from the beginning will ye not yet vnderstand that same olde and first commandement And here he condemns not only poore mens Images made in the honor of God of wood but rich mens also of gold naie by the wonderfull works of God he prooues that they can make no Image like to him And therefore their Images are not onlie against the commandement but also against reason And yet for all these speeches and reasons the Papists will not know thus much at this day They which paint God like a iudge sitting in iudgment or like a king sitting vpon his throne doe dishonor and disgrace the Maiestie of God All the iudges and kings of the world are nothing vnto him as the prophet Esay here teacheth vs and yet thus haue the papists painted him And yet Stella in another place plainly affirmes that Images distract manie times the mindes of men In cap. 2. Luc. and hinder deuotion and that to take anie part of Gods glorie from him is flat sacriledge he would faine defend their Images and yet in truth he condemnes them For thus he writes Marke saith hee that oftentimes it chanceth that men going into houses or Churches are distracted and let by pictures and Images and such like but Christ being borne in a base cottage would haue no pompe that we should marke and behold him alone For externall trimming and decking is wont to distract the mindes that sometimes it lookes here and sometimes there that being neglected which most chiefly was to be looked vnto But Christ in his natiuitie was poore and base because that he would haue nothing but himselfe to be considered Stella here plainly confesseth that images oftentimes distract mens minds and hinder deuotion that in Bethleem where Iesus Christ was borne there were no images or pictures because that Iesus Christ alone ought to be considered and marked I would to God our Catholikes and Iesuits at this daie would also obserue this lesson that in Bethleem in the Church where as now also Iesus Christ is daily borne they would haue no images 1. Cor. 4.15 and that they would consider and marke Iesus Christ alone And againe in the same place vpon these words Glorie to God on high he writes thus By which place we must learne in all things and chances whatsoeuer to giue glorie to God alone neither let that thought euer come into thy minde that thou wouldest violently take that from him because that then thou shalt be most grieuously punished For in euerie good thing thou doest two things are to be considered the praise or honour and the profit whereof God chuseth the honor as due to himselfe but the profit or gaine he reserues for thee Therefore if thou shalt with a wicked violent hand take away the honor due to God God will also take from thee the reward which also was thine Therefore if thou shalt doe this hainous act thou shalt not only be worthy to haue no gift giuē thee of God but he wil most seuerely punish thee So the Angell strooke Herod as we read in the Acts because he gaue not the honour vnto God For it is plaine theft and robberie not to giue God his proper honor no lesse then to steale any vessell of siluer from thy neighbour And a little after That same holy Ioseph when as his vnchast Lady did entise him to sinne said thus My Lord hath giuen me al things besides thee which art his wife how then dare I sinne against my Lord So God hath giuen thee all things besides his glorie which is as it were his wife how then darest thou sin against thy Lord God in taking from him his glorie Thus far Stella It is of all sins a most hainous sin in anie part to impaire Gods glory The saints of God haue learned this lessō here on earth and shall we thinke that they haue forgotten it in heauen Shal we now worship thē or knéele to thē or call vpon them when as now they cast downe all their crownes before the lamb and giue him the glorie In one of the first miracles Reu. 4.10 that euer was done after our Sauiours ascension I would to God all true Catholikes would marke what a lesson Peter giues them when as he had healed that lame man Act. 4.12 Ye men of Israel saith he why maruell you at this or why looke you so stedfastly on vs as though by our owne power and godlinesse we had made this man go The God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob the God of our fathers hath glorified his sonne Iesus c. It was not the power or holinesse of Peter
that healed that lame man but it was the power and might of Iesus Christ And so no doubt the same power wrought all miracles after in the primitiue Church The glorie of all those miracles belonged to Iesus Christ For so Saint Peter here testifieth The God of our fathers hath glorified his son Iesus No part of the glorie of them appertained either to the Apostles or Martyrs following as Peter here plainlie teacheth But as the Iewes then looked vpon Peter and Paul so in the age succéeding the people began to reuerence the Martyrs and to acknowledge that by their vertues partly these miracles were wrought Aug. de cura pro mortuis agenda cap. 1. And a proofe hereof is that a widow burying her son neere to a Martyr asked Paulinus iudgement and he S. Austens counsell whether such a buriall were not profitable to the soule of her sonne or no. And this question as should seeme gaue an occasion to S. Austen of writing that booke And S. Austen himselfe reasons as we saie pro contra and cannot well tell what to make of that question as in that booke more at large appeares They had forgotten as should séeme that lesson of Peter that euen he by his owne godlinesse and power did not worke that first miracle but by the power of Iesus Christ Iesus Christ is euen now as he was then Heb. 13.8 and shall be for euer that same onely fountaine from which all vertue and power of doing miracles doth procéede Luc. 8.43 Who saith euen now as he said then when as that woman that was sicke so dangerously of a desperate bloudy issue which passed all the Physitions cures that she could meete withall when as she had with a liuely faith touched him Verse 46. and now was healed who hath touched me For I feele vertue to haue proceeded from me All other miracles whatsoeuer proceed from the same fountaine It is not the touching of Peter or Paul much lesse of anie other Martyr or to be buried nigh them that can profit anie man but onlie the touching of Iesus Christ by a liuely faith as it did that woman This touching after his resurrection our blessed Sauiour taught Marie Magdalen Ioh. 20.17 Touch me not For I haue not yet ascended to my father As though he should saie Heretofore you haue touched me corporallie but henceforth touch me no more so but touch me spiritually touch me with a liuelie faith and be sure that ye shal find vertue to procéed from me If this first lesson had béen taught and firmely obserued in the Church so much superstition and reuerence inuocation of the saints departed would neuer haue crept into the Church as hath done And afterward they began to beléeue that when miracles were done at the toombes of the martyrs that they by their holines power had wrought them And so it grew by little and little from glorifying Iesus Christ alone which Peter here teacheth that men glorified the martyrs also with Iesus Christ And so they became théeues as Stella here cals them by robbing God of his glory Granatensis of the greatnes of this sinne writes thus Med. vitae Christi 19. The whole world was nothing else but a temple of Idolatrie a Castle of theeues a denne of Cockatrices and Serpents a market of wiles and deceits a house of confusion a gulfe of darknes what shall I vse manie words The world was almost become a hell of diuels incarnate From the East to the West in all Isles Kingdomes and Countries both by sea and land the diuell was worshipped for God and in the honour of such monsters most stately Churches were built Their Altars yeelded their smoakes to these to these they burned their incense to these they offered sacrifice And because Idolatrie is the mother of all vices there raigned also with her all the filthines abominations wickednes and faults of the whole world So that the diuell who is called in the Gospel the strong man that is armed obtained the dominion of the whole earth in great peace the obedience and seruice thereof which was due to the true and lawfull Lord and owner being quite taken away Such an vgly monster is Idolatrie she is the mother of all filthines and abominations and sins and therefore carefully to be taken héed of of all true Catholickes Ferus expounds the first commaundement thus In Mat. ca. 22 I am the Lord thy God As though he should say I euen I I say and no other I am the Lord thy gouernour thy God and thy Creator also who as I haue created thee so I gouerne thee not thou thy selfe by thine owne wisedome strength or righteousnes c. I bestow benefits vpon thee I redeeme thee from euils sinne and damnation In my power are all things which made all things And how great soeuer I am I am wholy thine and in whatsoeuer I am able Onely remember thou that onely thou acknowledge me to be such a one and suffer me to be thy God that is that thou looke for all good things of me in all thy euils thou looke vpon me neither that thou turne thine eies anie other way or applie thy heart Thou shalt haue no other Gods that is haue nothing besides me in which thou maist trust vse the creatures set not thy heart vpon them c. Here is an notable platforme of Christianitie to beléeue that God is wholy ours to looke for all things from him in all daungers to flie to him neuer to turne our eies from him Thus saith Ferus Agréeing here with Dauid Psal 123. Euen as the eies of seruants looke vnto the hands of their maisters as the eies of a maiden to the hands of her mistres so our eies wait vpon the Lord our God till he haue mercie vpon vs. Seruants must not haue wandring eies they must stedfastly attend vpon their maisters that they may be readie to do their pleasures so must all Gods seruants haue their eies fixed vpon him neither turne to anie other in his seruice in their afflictions and daungers euen vntill he haue mercie vpon them If this platforme of Christianity were printed in euerie Christian heart they néeded no Images to put them in minde of God God should be euer before their eies They néed no intercessors to God God is wholy theirs who then dare doubt of his loue Ferus of the honour of the saints writes thus There be some which attribute too much to the saints Fer. in Mat. ca. 11. And againe there are some which attribute nothing vnto them But here thou maist see that Christ praiseth Iohn and that excellently euen to our instruction but he praiseth Iohn so as he preferres himselfe before Iohn So I say the saints are to be praised who are worthie of praise both in their liues and also in their deaths and that which is worthie of praise in them is to be highly commended to the
lambs for so Gedithaik the Hebrew word signifies nigh vnto the tents of those sheepheards Here is that heauenly Oracle first she must know for her selfe Habac. 2.4 Heb. 8.10 The iust man must liue by his own faith And this is now the new couenant that all shall know me saith the Lord from the smallest to the greatest They which lacke this knowledge no doubt are without the couenant And this is life eternall saith our Sauiour that they know thee to be the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ Io. 17.3 They which know not thus much shall neuer haue eternall life But how now shall we attaine this true knowledge and be sure not to go astray in so manie by waies as now are in the world The answere is plaine and easie Follow the tract of those sheepe Hatsoon saith the spouse as it is in the Hebrew that is of the first Christians not of euerie common shéepe as the Papists would haue vs. The shéepe will make a tract or way by which it may appeare which way they haue gone Euen so let vs follow the steppes of the ancient Christians Let vs beléeue to be saued as they beleeued let vs liue as they liued and then surely we shall rest with Iesus Christ For as saint Paul saith The Corinthians wanted nothing 1. Cor. 1.7 but were euen now readie to looke for the comming of our Lord Iesus to iudgement What things then they had not as necessarie to their saluation what néed we thē And S. Peter saith testifieth that that was the true grace of God wherein the Christiās stood in his daies 1. Pet. 5.12 And shall we beleeue to please God now by any other new deuises And this is that which saint Paul teacheth the Corinthians For this cause haue I sent vnto you Timothie 1. Cor. 4 17. which is my beloued sonne and faithfull in the Lord which shall put you in remembrance of my waies in Christ Saint Paul would haue the Corinthians follow his tract follow his waies And againe in the same Epistle Be ye followers of me 1. Cor. 11.1 euen as I am of Christ And againe to the Philippians Brethren be yee followers of me and looke on them which walk so Phil. 3.17 as ye haue vs for an example And to Timothie he writes thus 2. Ti. 3.10 Thou hast fully knowne my doctrine manner of liuing purpose faith long suffering loue patience c. And to the Hebrewes Remember them that haue the ouersight of you Heb. 13.7 which haue declared to you the word of God whose faith follow considering what hath been the end of their conuersation No doubt these are those shéepe which the bridegroome here counselleth his spouse to follow And feed thy younglings Vers 2. Here all Catholickes must learne another principall marke of Gods Church that is to instruct their young children in the law of the Lord as Dauid teacheth them also Wherewith shall a young man redresse his waie euen by taking heed thereunto according to thy word Psal 119.9 1. Ioh. 2.14 And saint Iohn also in his Epistle I write to you babes that you haue knowne the father Euen young infants must know God the Father and then Iesus Christ the Sonne also who makes God to be our louing father Luk. 2 14. and then the holy Ghost by whom this loue of God is shed into our hearts And saint Paul writes of Timothie Rom. 5.5 2. Ti. 3.15 that he knew the scriptures of a child And shall we not beléeue all these and instruct our children in the lawe of the Lord By the Tents of those shepheards that is of the Apostles whō Christ made pastors of his Church not of euery common shepheard nor also of anie one of those shepheards no not of Peter Ephe. 4.11 God hath giuen Apostles Prophets and Euangelistes to the building of his Church and no one Apostle Embrace therefore all the Apostles writings and féede on them and not on Peters onely embrace and follow all the Apostolical Churches as the fathers did and not the Romane Church onely And here I cannot but giue a lift at that great rocke which being deriued from that rocke whereof our Sauiour Christ speaketh in the 16. of Matthew the Papists oppose for the defence of their Church that because hel gates haue neuer preuailed against her Mat. 16.18 as they haue done against others because that now only of the Apostolical Churches she remaines therefore that she is the true Church But I answere that if by hell gates be vnderstood Heresies as some of the Fathers haue expounded them Epiphan in ancorato August de symbolo ad Catechum lib. 1. ca. 6 Bellarm. de Ro. Pont. lib. 4. ca. 3 D. Reinolds against Hart. ca. 7. deuis 8. and as Master Bellarmine seemes to affirme neither haue heresies preuailed against anie of the other Apostolike Churches For Artius though he assaulted the Church of Alexandria and Nestorius the Church of Constantinople yet they preuailed not but had the repulse in the end Nay in the Church of Rome there haue bin Bishops that haue béene heretiks as hath beene of late verie learnedly proued Neither hath hell gates at this day that is heresies preuailed against those Churches of the East which now the Turk possesseth but rather his sword power And that partly for their own sins partly for the sin of the Pope as may appeare by that prophecy of Zachary Zach. 11.17 O Idol sheepheard which leauest the flocke the sword shal be vpon his arme and vpon his right eie His arme shall be cleane dried vp and his right eye shall be vtterly darkened Which prophecie I haue handled else where in a Treatise of the Epistle of saint Iude. Har. euang ca. 66. But if by the gates of hell be meant the kingdome of the diuell as Iansenius doth expound them surely then also the gates of hell haue preuailed against the Church of Rome as well as against other Churches For from what monstrous sinnes hath she béene frée as appeareth by their owne histories But the true meaning of this promise Read Platina that hell gates shall not preuaile against the Church of Christ and against that faith which Peter professed is that although Sathan assault it with all his power and might with sinne heresies persecutions c. yet it shall neuer be quite ouerthrowne Mat. 24.2 as is now that stately Temple of Ierusalem which though it were builded on an earthly hill hath not now one stone left on another but shall remaine euer vnto the worlds ind Nay euen the reliques of those other Apostolicall Churches professing Christianitie remaine yet vnder the Turkes tyrannie so that Rome cannot brag that she alone remaines God shall haue at the least two witnesses to confirme his truth for euer Reuel 11.3 So that whereas the bridegroome bids his spouse to
Church How shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued saith the Apostle The sense and féeling of miseries and calamities will make a man call for help Rom. 10.24 And thus we may plainly sée how by an excellent order our faith is portraied out euen in Adams children and the true Church described In Seth his daies as should séeme was no publique inuocation of the name of God True religion would not so soone take roote though he laboured no doubt verie earnestly about it or else being planted of Adam by Cains posteritie it had bene defaced But in his sonnes daies she sprang vp and put out her head againe And then men began to call on the name of the Lord. Here is another principall marke of the true Church to call vpon the name of the Lord. For the holy ghost doth meane the whole here by the principall part No doubt they offered sacrifices then as Abel and Cain did and they did meditate of that promise of God made vnto them of the womans seed Gen. 3.15 But this was a speciall note of Gods Church They called on the name of the Lord. To commend the excellencie and necessitie of praier Mark 11.17 our sauiour also saith That his house shall be called a house of prayer to all nations and not a house of preaching As tectum the roofe of the house in Latin is put for the whole house so inuocation of the name of the Lord is here put downe for the whole seruice of God Exod 20.1 And this seruice of God he commaunds in his first commaundement thou shalt haue no other Gods but me That is thou shalt trust vnto shalt call vpon no other but me for on them whom men trust in they call vpon Psal 50.15 And in the Psalme more plainly call vpon me in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou sholt glorifie mee Where are added two notable reasons to make vs willing and euen to binde vs to this seruice first that God promiseth that he will deliuer vs and who being in trouble will desire anie thing else Secondly we shall hereby glorifie God This is such a seruice and dutie as belongeth to him alone we may not yéeld it to anie other This was also Abrahams religion which no doubt he had learned of his auncestors For thus we read of him Gen. 13.1 And Abraham came out of Aegypt and his wife with him and all that he had and Lot with him towards the South And Abraham was verie rich in cattell and in siluer and gold And he went on his iourney from the South to Bethel to the place where his tent had beene in the beginning betweene Bethel and Haie vnto the place of the Altar which he had made there at the first And there Abraham called on the name of the Lord. Here is Abrahams religion and worship of God set down in one word Rom. 4 12. he called on the name of the Lord. As he is the father of the faithfull in beleeuing as saint Paul teacheth so he is their father in this point also All his sonnes must follow his steppes This is a marke of the true Church If they do this they cannot erre And here we maie also note that Abraham changed not his religion though he had béen in Egypt Trauellers must not alter their religion they must not be like wethercocks turned about with euerie blast of vaine doctrine Eph. 4.14 And though also he was now waxen rich yet he kept the same religion he professed in the beginning Religion must be alwaies one no time maie alter it no wealth make it wauer Abraham being now wealthie comes a great iourney to worship euen there where he did worship before when he was poore So must the rich men of this world do riches must not choake their religion their zeale in Gods seruice as manie times they do They should now be more zealous not more slacke in Gods seruice then they were before The Philosopher could say he that found out benefites found out fetters And shall not Gods benefites binde them as they did here Abraham more firmelie vnto him Again here Iesus Christ is portraied out vnto vs He comes to the altar betweene Bethel and Hai. Bethel in Hebrew signifies Gods house and Hai desolation or a disordered heape and masse and maie fitlie represent the world Betwixt these is Abrahams altar that is Iesus Christ that all maie haue accesse vnto him he is placed betwixt Bethel and Hai Euen as God placed Ierusalem in the midst of the world as a fountaine of liuely waters that all people that would might repaire thither Esay 55.1 and freely quench their thirst And Abraham there called on the name of the Lord. The same lesson no doubt he taught Isaac his sonne who went out at the euentide Lashnak as it is in the Hebrew Gen. 24.63 to meditate or to pray in the field He called on the name of the Lord as his father did And in this one word his religion or seruice of God is put downe also Thus also is Enochs religion described he walked with God Gen. 5. â—2 24 Heb. 11.27 and he was no more séene for God had taken him away He walked with God not onlie praying but also euen liuing He liued so as though God had been alwaies present with him Psal 9.17 as he was indeed and is with euerie man although the wicked forget God and thinke not so As Moses also walked Verse 22.24 And it is twise said that he walked with God as a speciall commendation This is that great promise which our Sauiour Christ hath giuen to his Church Ioh. 16.23 That whatsoeuer they shall aske in his name they shall obtaine it And who that beleeues this will desire anie more if prayer in the name of Iesus Christ giue vs all things who will praie for anie thing in the name of any other And this is the marke whereby christians were knowne in the primitiue Church Acts 9.14 Ananias said vnto Christ Saul hath authoritie to binde all that all on thy name and after Pauls conuersion Verse 21. all the people that knew him said Is not this he that persecuted all that called on this name To call on the name of Iesus Christ was the badge of all christians in the primitiue Church by this Cognisance they were then knowne And Saint Paul himselfe by this marke points out all christians when he writes to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1.3 and to all that cal on the name of the Lord Iesus as well in their places as in ours That is euen in all places thorow the whole world Psal 50.5 And Dauid in the Psalme against the daie of iudgement when as all Gods shéepe shall be gathered togither giues this generall marke of Gods Church and this common brand of all his shéepe Gather my Saints togither saith God that haue
by and by ought to follow exhortation and interpretation thereof So Paul saith There is but small profit if they speake with tongues in the congregation and doe not also prophesie and expound Here also marke that prophesiing is not to be despised that the interpretations iudgements of others in expounding the Scriptures are to be heard Héere we maie sée as in a little mappe the whole summe of Christian religion and the markes of the true Church The true Church solemnizeth the Lords Sabboth in preaching and hearing his word And without this saith Ferus there is no sanctifying of the Sabboth at all And if this be true in the thicke darknesse of Poperie where Gods word was neither preached nor heard nor meditated on there was no Sabboth kept Nay euen in our daies there are manie Catholikes which thinke they keepe holy the Sabboth verie religiouslie and yet will not come to the Church to heare Gods word And all such Ferus tels that they prophane the Sabboth and kéepe no sabboth at all Againe he teacheth that the onlie weapon to ouercome the diuell is the word of God Then no doubt the diuell was a great conqueror when as no man almost had this sword in his hand he had made as great a conquest of Christians soules as Sisera had made of the bodies of the Iewes of whom being now by her conquered Deborah sings thus They chose new gods then warre was in the gates Iud. 5.8 Was there a speare or shield found among fortie thousand of Israel So dealt Sisera with Israel and so dealt Sathan with Christians he depriued them of their weapons to kéepe them more surely in his obedience Can he be a mans friend that takes his weapon from him in the midst of most raging and cruell enemies But this hath the Church of Rome done she hath taken the Scriptures which Saint Paul calles the sword of the Spirit Ephes 5.16 1. Pet. 5.8 from the hands of the lay people and the diuell is called of Peter A roaring lyon seeking whom he may deuoure In the true Church saith Ferus Gods word is read and not any fancies of man Paul himselfe sits and heares the word of God and therefore no Christian people must thinke scorne to do it And that after the reading preaching ought to follow and that not only works but faith also must be taught These are the markes of the true Church by Ferus iudgement And whether the Church of Rome haue had these in her or not let euerie man iudge In cap. 15. Act. Againe of Christian religion he writes thus vpon these words Why go you about to lay a yoke The second reason is that it is not lawfull for the Apostles to put a yoke vpon the consciences of men which the Lord hath not put for he that doth so tempteth God It is the dutie of the Apostles to preach the Gospel that is glad tidings and not like tyrants to rule ouer mens consciences Let those Bishops marke these words of Peter which make our religion which the mercie of God would haue free in the fewnesse and manifestnesse of her seruices a bondslaue with their burthens they lay vpon it so that the Iewes are in far better case then we who were subiect to the ceremonies of the law and not to mans deuises And Augustine writes thus to the questions of Iamarus c. Euery true Catholike maie marke here how he toucheth the pope who taketh vpon him to rule ouer mens consciences and euen to loade them with his decrees and constitutions And because the Papists brag much of their generall Councels let vs mark how Ferus there describes a true generall Councell vpon these words And when there had beene great dissension See how wisely they deale in the matter They doe not rashly pronounce sentence but they weigh euerie thing For in matters of faith which touch the consciēce it is not enough to say We will and command Marke therefore how the Apostles assembled themselues together They came together plainely they seek for nothing else but the glorie of God they desire the saluation of others To conclude they weigh all things wisely What maruel is it then if the holy Ghost were in this Councell according to the promise of the Lord Where two or three are gathered together c. We come together otherwise with great pompe and state we seek to maintaine our owne glorie and estate and we perswade our selues that we may do any thing by the fulnesse of our authoritie And how can the holy ghost allow such assemblies c He toucheth the Popes state pride He thinks that the holie Ghost will not guide such proud and stately assemblies Againe of the conclusion and doctrine of that Councell he writes thus vpon these words Which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare The law is an intollerable burthen because it requires not onely our hand but also our heart Secondly because it conuinceth vs to be sinners For wee doe euer more against the lawe then according to the law And also those things we do according to the law wee do them imperfectly but by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ we do beleeue to be saued A conclusion and a knitting vp of the matter both very godly and Apostolike that by the grace of Christ both Iewes and Gentiles are saued and not of their merits For only Christ sufficeth to all so that the law profiteth nothing to the Iewes to their saluation for euen they are saued by grace not by the law so farre against all reason is it that any man should impose those things to the Gentiles which profited not the Iewes themselues And to this end were the Epistles of Saint Paul written to the Romans and to the Galathians And our saluation is called the grace of Christ because he hath deserued it for vs. Let them therefore bragge of their merits we will seeke the glory of God Thus farre Ferus Here is the true Church put downe and her doctrine the milke she giues her children That onely the grace of Iesus Christ saues not merits She that brags of her merits and trusts in them is the strumpet is the whore is not the true Church and the spouse of Iesus Christ by Ferus his iudgement And whereas it is obiected of some against the Gospell that since the preaching thereof heresies haue sprung vp in the world and that before the Church was in peace let vs marke how Ferus answereth that obiection vpon these words Ferus in cap. 13. Act. And he resisted them Behold the combat saith he of truth and falshood This combate euer hath beene and will be God spake but one word in Paradise and by and by came the serpent which resisted it Moses being sent into Egypt found there sorcerers which withstood him The Prophets euer had false Prophets opposite vnto them Christ comming into the world found aduersaries The same thing
so euer he séemes to be and whatsoeuer he pretend either reuelations of Angels or anie miracles to confirme his doctrine withall The doctrine of Iesus Christ is the rule and square of all doctrines 2. Ioh. ver 8. by this place And Saint Iohn also saith Take heed to your selues lest wee lose all the works which we haue wrought but that we may haue a full reward For he that transgresseth or ouerreacheth the doctrine of Christ for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gréek word signifies and that kéepes not himselfe within the limits and bounds thereof but will go beyond it though that which he doth séeme in his owne eye holy religious and deuout hath not God This is a terrible sentence let vs beware how in our deuotion and religion and zeale of seruing God we do more then the Gospell teacheth we go beyond the doctrine of Christ and abide not in it for if we doe we shall haue no part with God This place condemnes all blinde superstitious Papists which did manie things of a zeale and good intent and not according to the Gospell nay how manie of them neuer knew the Gospell and yet thought that they did well But all such workes how painfull and costlie soeuer they were by this place we may plainly learne that they were lost nay more then this they also sustained a greater losse they lost God God cannot abide seruants Esa 1.12 2. Io. 9. that will doe that he commands them not He will say to such Who required this at your hands But he that abides in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Sonne O happie continuance And what is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to abide to continue but to beléeue no more to do no more then God commaunds in his word then Christ Iesus taught not to go beyond this either in faith or workes no not an haires breadth though the doctrine which is taught besides this seeme neuer so old neuer so deuout practised of Fathers confirmed by Councels Let vs remember that the poore silly woman of Samariah could say that Messias when as he should come should teach them all things and shall not we say the same And Christ said to her I am he that talkes with thee Vers 26. Surely in all the Gospell Christ did neuer reueale himselfe to anie so manifestlie as he did to this woman He said to the high Priests when as they said Art thou the sonne of God Luke 22.70 You say that I am And to the Iewes Before Abraham was I am And Abraham desired to see my daye and saw it and reioyced Iohn 8.58 8.25 And againe to the Iewes which said vnto him Who art thou And Iesus said vnto them The beginning And therefore I speake vnto you No doubt hauing relation to that first word in Genesis Ioh. 1.1 whence that booke tooke his name Beresheth In the beginning c. Iesus Christ is that beginning 1. Cor. 8.6 And therefore Saint Paule saith To vs there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we for him And one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him Here is the Creator one God here is the onely meanes of the creation Iesus Christ All thinges were created by him And here is the end of all things Gods glorie So that Iesus Christ is that beginning by whom God created all things And thus he obscurely taught the Iewes who he was As though he should say Looke into the first booke of Genesis and take no great paines to reade it ouer but looke and marke well the very first word thereof and there you shall find who I am I am the beginning and therefore I talke with you Prou. 8.31 My delight is to be with the children of men as Salomon saith The workman loues his worke euen so that excellent workman the Sonne of God loues vs who are his workmanship De Gen. ad lit lib. 1 ca. 5. And therefore Austen saith The beginning of the intellectuall creature is the eternall wisedome of God which beginning abiding in it selfe vnchangeable neuer ceaseth by secrete inspirations to speake to that creature whereof it is the beginning that it may be conuerted to that by which it is made because otherwise it cannot haue his forme and be perfect Thus our Sauior obscurely shewed himselfe to these but neuer to anie so plainlie as to this woman hereby we may coniecture the excellencie of her faith no doubt her excellent faith euen as it were deserued such a great rewarde of our Sauiour Messias when he comes saith shée we know shall shewe vs all things Who could haue spoken more of Christ No not all the Iewish Rabbins And I would to God euen now our great Doctors in the Popes Church would say as much And therefore she receiued the greatest answere and reward that could be in the world Vers 26. I am he saith Christ that talks with thee neuer such an answere neuer such a word spoken in the world before Let vs haue the same faith of Christ that he may bestow also such like blessings vpon vs. And the like definition of true Catholike Religion and the same marks of the true Church S. Paul himselfe also hath no doubt expressed Act. 24.11 being taken from this stampe I confesse this vnto thee saith he vnto Felix that according to that way which they call heresie I so worship the God of my fathers beleeuing all that is written in the law and the Prophets hauing this hope in God which they also haue that there shall bee a resurrection of the iust and of the vniust Here are also markes of the true Church She must be able to giue an account of her faith as Saint Paul doth here to Felix and Saint Peter commaunds all Christians to doe to all men Sanctifie saith he the Lord God in your hearts 1. Pet. 3.15 euer being readie to maintaine and defend if that any shall aske you a reason of that hope which is in you We must not onely haue this hope of saluation in vs which is by Iesus Christ but we must be able also to yéeld a reason and an account of it Luke 12.8 to maintaine and defend it And our Sauiour saith He that shall confesse mee before men him shall I confesse before my Father in heauen We must be able to make confession of our faith if so bee we will haue Christ acknowledge vs for his But this in the Popish Church they were not able to doe and therefore that Church was not the true Church I confesse vnto thee saith he that after that way which they call heresie I worship the God of my fathers Act 24.11 Here is another marke of the true Church To be slaundered reuiled called heretikes Sée here how at this time the true Church of Christ was called hereticall And therefore let not that name of
heresie now discourage anie of Gods children So did they reuile and hate the verie names of the true prophets of God Luk. 6.22 as our Sauiour witnesseth So at this day the Papists goe about by all means possible to defame and discredite the persons of the professours of the Gospell But as Saint Paul passed not for the name of Heretike no more let vs. Beleeuing all that is written in the Law and the Prophets Here is another marke of the true Church here is a ground of a true Christians conscience concerning his faith and religion To beleeue all that is written in the lawe and the Prophets This was Saint Paules ground he beléeued no more and according to that he worshippeth God and he cares not let them cal him what they wil. Whosoeuer lacks this ground shall be caried about with euery blast of vaine doctrine Ephe. 4.14 like children To confirme and strengthen vs in our faith God hath put in his Church Apostles and Euangelists Ephes 2.20 and Wee are built vpon the foundations of the Prophets and Apostles Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone The like marks of the true Church Saint Paule setteth downe in the Epistle to the Romans as arrowes out of the same quiuer of our Sauiour to confound the enemies that would craftily créepe into Gods house Rom. 1.9 2. Pet. 2.1 God is my witnesse saith he whom I serue in my spirit in the Gospell of his Sonne Here also is the platforme of the true Church and a patterne of a true Christian God is only my witnesse saith Saint Paul not anie Saint or Angell The true Church must here with Saint Paul attribute this knowledge and searching of hearts to God alone and not to anie Saint or Angell else whatsoeuer Act. 1.24 15.8 Secondly she must serue this God onely and none els for to whom this knowledge belongeth to him also diuine seruice and Latria as they call it belongs Thirdly Whom I serue in my spirit saith Saint Paule not with anie outward or externall things or ceremonies like a Iew but with my heart as Iesus Christ now hath taught all men to worship the Father Fourthly in the Gospell of his Sonne here he describes the maner how the true Church of God must worship him Our seruice of God must be according to the Gospell of his Son And hereunto Dauid also agréeth in the Psalme There is no speech nor language Psal 19.3 where their voices are not heard speaking of the preaching of Gods word And he addeth Kauam as it is in the Hebrew that is their line their leuell their square is gone through all the earth and their words vnto the ends of the world To teach vs that Gods word is a line leuell square to rule limit and square the faiths of all nations by But to conclude Let vs marke what Saint Paule also writes concerning this matter to the Thessalonians and how he describes the Church and Gods house there From you the word of God was spread 1. Thes 1.10 not only in Macedonia and Achaia but your faith towards God came into euerie place So that we neede say nothing thereof for they shew and declare what an entrance we had vnto you how you turned vnto the Lord from idols to serue the liuing and true God and to looke for his sonne from heauen whom he raised from the dead euen Iesus who deliuereth vs from the anger to come Here are most manifestly set downe the markes of the true Church and the Catholike faith which was in Saint Paules dayes preached through the whole world To turne from Idols and to serue the true and liuing God And here first that blind distinction of Dulia and Latria which the Papists make to cloak the worshipping of creatures is quite ouerthrowne not onely Latria but as by this place appeareth Dulia is due vnto God Secondly we must serue the true and liuing God These two Adiuncts take away all worshipping of false gods and also of Images We must worship no false nor dead thing whatsoeuer we worship it must be liuing and true And therefore we must worship no Images which are dead stockes nay wee must worship nothing but God alone Those Images which the Prophet Dauid describeth Psal 115. what are they els but Papists Images That Psalme followeth the 114. Psal which containeth Israels going out of Egypt it may séeme to describe the spirituall Egypt Thirdly we must now euery day waite and looke for the comming of his Sonne Iesus Christ from heauen We must not thinke that he will not come yet as the Papists teach by their doctrine of Antichrist Fourthly wee must constantly beléeue that Iesus hath not onely deliuered vs by his passion from the guilt of sinne but from the punishment also thereof and anger to come And lastly if the Papists will thereof conclude that the Church of Rome is the mother Church of all the worlde Rom. 1.8 because Saint Paule saith that their faith was published throughout all the world Then the Church of Thessalonica must be her elder sister 1. Thess 1.8 because her faith also was spread through all the worlde and that before hers as should seeme For Saint Paul mentions in his Epistle to the Romans when hee giues this testimony to the Roman Church Rom. 15.26 1. Thess 1.8 the fruits of Macedonia and Achaia which was planted by the Church of Thessalonica And in a word to make an end of this matter let all men marke that plaine lesson which Dauid teacheth them in the Psalme Kings of the earth and all people Psal 148.11 Princes and all Iudges of the world young men and maides old men and children let them praise the name of the Lord. For his name onely is to bee exalted and his praise is aboue the heauens and the earth All Gods seruants must praise his name and they must praise it alone and they which praise anie thing else do not rightlie vnderstand as yet the maiestie of God his praise is aboue heauen earth that is all heauen and earth is not able to expresse the greatnesse of his praise And here is the reason Because he exalts the horne of his people he aduanceth to honor and makes mightie and strong which is a praise for all his saints euen for the children of Israel Gnam kerovo a people that drawes néere vnto him as it is in the Hebrew Would you haue God exalt your horne would you be his people then you must praise him alone then you must draw neere to him and not fly from him to any other The which God giue all grace to do for Iesus Christs sake to whom be praise for euer Amen Certaine Prayers fit for euerie true Catholique dayly to vse both for himselfe and his family taken out of the scriptures Granatensis and others Matt. 7 7. Aske and it shal be giuen you seeke and ye shall find knocke and
from a thousand dangers Psal 121.4 and euen as it were to loade me with many graces for all which as it is méete that I should craue pardon at thy hands Psal 19.12 not only for the forgiuenesse of these sins which I know but also of those which I know not so it is méete that I should in like sort giue thee as great and bounden thankes as possiblie I can not onlie for the benefites I know but also for those I know not And therefore I worship thee I praise thee I giue thanks to thee in them and for them all Giue me grace O my Redéemer that I may so learne to vse all these thy benefits hereafter Mat. 25.24 that they be not occasions of pride and slouthfulnesse in me but of greater humilitie and thankfulnesse and that they may kindle in me a greater desire and zeale of thy seruice To thee therefore who liuest and raignest with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honor and glorie both now and for euer and euer Amen A Forme of Morning Prayer taken out of Granatensis for Christian families O Lord God of Israel which dwellest betweene the Cherubins 2. King 19.15 thou art the verie God alone ouer all the kingdomes of the earth thou hast made heauen and earth thou hast made winter and sommer Psal 74.16 Gen. 1.1 the day is thine and the night also is thine O Lord God our most bountifull most mercifull and most louing Father wee most wretched sinners here gathered together in thy most holie name humblie prostrate our selues before thy throne of mercie crauing pardon and forgiuenes for al our sins And although we be vnworthie through our manifolde iniquities Luke 18.13 to present our selues before thy glorious Maiestie much lesse to offer to thée any oblation of praise thāksgiuing considering our owne basenesse demerits yet we know that thou art a Lord most bountifull a God most merciful a Father most louing and a sauior most swéet comfortable Luk. 15.20 whose propertie is euer to saue and haue mercie on the humble sorowfull penitent persons that come to thee in the name of thy beloued son Iesus Christ We confesse O Lord our wretchednesse Psal 32.5 wee acknowledge O Father our vnworthinesse wee are hartilie sorie for our sinnes we most humbly craue pardon for them euen for Iesus Christs sake Esay 59.2 we know that our sinnes stand before vs as great huge heaps like walles of iron and gates of brasse which hinder our petitions so that they cannot come before thee Esa 1.18 we do account our sinnes as red as scarlet in thy sight wee feele our burthen is so heauie and intolerable that we are not able to beare it Psal 40.12 we sée in our selues to be no frée spot from the crowne of the heade to the sole of the foote but all is spotted and corrupted with sores and vlcers Esa 1.6 whose great vengeance which they worthily deserued would haue fallen vpon vs long agoe Lam. 3.22 but that it was stayed and kept backe by thy mercifull hand Wee giue thee O most gratious God and louing Father humble and heartie thankes for this thy fatherlie loue in the name of thy dearely beloued Sonne Iesus Christ beséeching thee for his sake to continue this thy loue and mercy towards vs all the daies of our liues Psal 84.9 O most louing Father looke not vpon vs but looke vpon the face of this thy annointed Iesus Christ and for his sake haue mercie vpon vs Remoue O Lord our sinnes as farre from vs as the East is from the West Psal 103.12 that they bee neither hinderances to let thy mercie for falling on vs or our prayers Psal 51.7 for comming vp into thy sight Purge vs with Isop dipped not in the bloud of the lambe but in the bloud of thy Son Iesus Christ and we shall be as white as snowe O good Lord sprinckle not only the vppermost poste Exod. 12.7 Rom. 10.9 and the two side postes of the doores of our houses but the whole houses of our hearts and soules with that most precious bloud with the Isop of thy Gospell now preached and wée doe beleeue verily that the destroyer shall passe ouer vs he shall in no wise hurt vs. Ease we beséech thée O swéete Sauiour our burthens as thou hast promised Matt. 11.28 who callest all to thée that are heauie loaden and burthened We confesse O Sauiour euerie one of vs that we carie on our backes the greatest burthens that euer were borne 1. Tim. 1.25 Heb. 13.20 Rom. 8.33 Ephes 5.16 And graunt to vs we beséech thee O mercifull Father that by the bloud of the euerlasting testament sprinkled in our harts by a liuely faith all the inditements and accusations of Satan against vs maie be quite blotted out and all his fir is darts quenched Make this couenant with vs O sweete Sauiour that so long as we serue thée that thou wilt be our God 1. Sam. 2.30 Psal 119 32. our guide and protectour And graunt vs euer therefore thy grace that we may be able to do thée seruice and willing minds to do it with chéerefulnesse 2. Cor. 5.25 And because O Lord Ephes 1.6 the whole course and end of our life should be no other thing but to delight to do thy will and pleasure Psal 5.3 giue vs grace to begin to praise and serue thée the first thing we do in the morning and let vs account and make it the principall ground-worke of all other whereon we should laie all other businesses and affaires whatsoeuer And that we may do it more effectuallie giue vs the holie Ghost the seale of our saluation 2. Cor. 1.22 to seale and shut vp the doores of our hearts and minds from all earthly thoughts and worldly cogitations And close O good Lord Ier. 9.21 the windowes of al our senses frō the vaine appetites of the world the concupiscence of the flesh and the baites of the diuell first of all in the morning when we awake so that all these being excluded and shut out of doores our hearts and minds may be open onlie to thee and to receiue and admit thy Son our Sauiour Iesus Christ into them before all things else 1. Thess 2.13 Reu. 14.4 That so wee may offer vnto thee the firstlings of this day and of all the dayes of our liues And here we giue thee deare Father Psal 137.2 most humble and heartie thankes for the quiet rest and swéete sléepe that thou hast giuen vs this night and for that thou hast deliuered vs from all vaine dreames and foolish fantasies and from all the subtill snares and illusions of our enemy the diuell Psal 91.3 and for all other the benefits of our creation our redemption 1. Cor. 1.30 our election our iustification our sanctification that thou hast called vs vnto the knowledge of
hide from Abraham the thing which I do God doth here euen as the kings are wont to doe also with their Noblemen and Princes hee imparts with him his secrets and counsels Gen. 18.17 Seeing that Abraham shall bee indeed a great and a mightie nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him For I know him that hee will command his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the word of the Lord to do righteousnesse and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him And is not Abraham here called a prince of Zabulon by Gods owne mouth He wil teach his family I know saith God Such a Prince also was that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. 4.53 that Nobleman in the Gospell of whom it is reported that when his daughter was cured he beleeued and all his houshold Such a Prince was Cornelius a Captaine and a Centurion who are wont commonly to be most vnruly it is reported of him that he was a deuout man and that he feared God and all his houshold Act. 10.2 which gaue much almes to the people and prayed to God continually Here are three notable properties of a good housekéeper to instruct his family to giue much almes and to pray continually I would to God that all housekeepers would learne but these three good pointes of husbandrie of him surely they would enrich them nay make them Princes euen in the Lords Court But what doe I reckon vp these examples in the new Testament For euen Iosuah himselfe did professe the same to all Israel And if it seeme euill to you to serue the Lord saith he choose ye this day whom you will serue Ios 24.15 c. I and my house will serue the Lord. It is a shame for Christians who by reason of their long continuance in Christs schoole Heb. 5.12 should now be Doctors and teachers of others as Saint Paul writes to the Hebrewes not to learne this lesson being now taught it by so many examples If Abraham our Father did catechize his familie though he were a mightie man shall any of his sonnes thinke himselfe too good to instruct his familie If the Noble man in the Gospell did shewe himselfe so kind for one benefite receiued at the hand of Iesus Christ shall not we much more hauing now receiued so manie If Cornelius a Souldier did this how shall a Citizen excuse himselfe if he doe it not And if Iosuah in the shadow did it how shall a Christian in the light not doe the same In the last but not in the least place are the Princes of Nephthalie and Nephthalie signifies a Comparison And such a kind of Prince is he that dare compare himselfe with Gods enemies nay that goes beyond them in all their morall vertues Such Princes of Nephthalie God hath had in his Church such as neither Roman nor Grecian in anie morall vertue euer excéeded or went beyond But now they are dead they are gone to the great shame of Christians Now Turkes excéed them in vertues to the great shame of the professors of Gods word Now manie Papists goe before them in good works Saint Paul thus writeth to Titus Let ours learne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 3.14 to excell in good workes to helpe poore men in their necessities that they be not vnfruitfull And our Sauiour saith to all his disciples Matth. 5.20 Vnlesse your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen And the Pharisees fasted and prayed often Matth. 9.14 Luke 18.12 as the Gospell teacheth vs Nay Saint Luke records that the Pharisie there said that he fasted twise in the weeke And hee is reproued there not of lying but of boasting And manie Christians thinke much now to fast once in the wéeke We cannot abide now no set times of fasting which this Pharisie obserued This is that most grieuous complaint that God makes against Ierusalem Eze. 15.48 that after so manie benefites bestowed vpon her euen from her cradle that Sodome and her daughters hath not done as Ierusalem and her daughters Neither hath Samaria committed halfe of her sinnes and that shee hath iustified both these her sisters And this is that which God saith to the Iewes by the Prophet Ieremie Ier. 2.10 Goe to the Iles of Chittim and behold and send out vnto Cedar and take diligent heed and see whether there bee such things God here as wee may sée vseth comparisons and compareth his seruants with others And do we not thinke that as he did then that hee doth not so euen now still also And are we not ashamed then that Turkes or Papists should go beyond vs in good workes Thus we haue séene a briefe viewe of Gods houshold now followes their manners The liues and maners of all Christians in particular briefly drawne out of the Word of God FIrst euerie Christian is bound continually to meditate vpon the word of God for so God commaunded the Iewes Deut. 6.6 And these wordes which I commaund thee this day shall bee in thy heart and thou shalt rehearse them continually to thy children and shalt talke of them when thou tariest in thy house and as thou walkest by the way and when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp and thou shalt binde them for a signe vpon thine hand and they shal be as frontlets between thine eyes And thou shalt write them vpon the posts of thine house and vpon thy gates This commaundement is generall to all not to Priests only And it was commanded the Iewes much more vs Christians Deut. 11.18 And againe Therefore shall yee lay vp these my words in your heart and in your soule and bind them for a signe vpon your hand that they may be as frontlets betweene your eyes And yee shall teach them your children speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp Men should talke of the word of God in their houses and should teach their children the same This is a plaine commandement without anie trope or figure and yet how hath Satan bewitched a great manie that they thinke it concernes them not that will neither know it themselues nor suffer their children to learne it And not onely Moses but also Dauid teacheth all men the same lesson And it is his first lesson that he teacheth a man to make him blessed Psal 1.1 Blessed is that mā saith he that doth not walk in the counsell of the wicked nor stand in the way of sinners not sit in the seate of the scornefull But his delight is in the lawe of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night And as he teacheth all men this lesson so he practised it himselfe though he were a king Psal 119.44 My hands also will I
would haue perished in the earth is preserued in heauen Therefore that which is preserued we shall receiue Thy desert is preserued thy merit is become a treasure For marke what thou shalt receiue Receiue ye the kingdom that was prepared for you from the beginning of the world On the contrarie they that would not lend what shall they heare Goe yee into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his Angels Thus farre Augustine Where he plainly sets downe the great blessing that the merifull lender shall obtaine at Gods hands and the terrible punishment which not the vsurer only but he that will not lend shall be sure to haue I would to God all Christians would but marke what censures the verie Heathens haue giuen concerning vsurie WheÌ„ as one asked Cato Censorius Cic. lib. 2. Off. what were the chiefe points of good husbandrie He answered To feed well to cloath wel and to till well And to him that asked What is it to commit vsurie Is not that also a point of good husbandrie Cato answered What is it to kill a man He thought that an vsurer sinned as greatly as a murtherer Did Cato iudge thus of vsurie by the light of nature and shall Christians professe it or thinke better of it in the light of the Gospell Panor lib. 4. Alphonsus king of Aragon compared vsurers to greedie birds which snatched catched all things And surely no doubt verie iustlie For vsurers are the cruellest Kites and vultures in the world They consume mens patrimonies they often kill their bodies and vndoe their heires And this they do to their brethren to whom they were bound to open euen their verie hearts and bowels to do them good 1. Ioh. 3.17 as Saint Iohn teacheth And will not then these cruell hearted men open to them their coffers or purses Another compares Vsurers to the diuell for what els saith he do Vsurers but that which the diuell perswaded Christ to haue done when as hee would haue had him to haue made stones bread for by their lending Pet. Greg. de Rep. lib. 2. cap. 20. they gaine of stones and mettalles that which nature cannot bring forth For naturally a peece of gold or any other money engendreth not money O wicked age that we liue in now vsurie amongst some is accounted the gainfullest and surest trade of liuing And wheras lending was commanded of God to profit our brethren now the vsurer thereby peruerting this order of God profits himselfe To conclude that interpretation of the two edged sword in the Reuelation of Victorinus an ancient Bishop Victor in Apocal is worth the marking By the two-edged sword glistering out of his mouth is meant that it is he that now shewed to the world the glad tydings of the Gospell and by Moses the knowledge of the lawe But because by the same word hee shall iudge hereafter all mankind that were both vnder the law and vnder the Gospell therefore it is said to be a two edged sword A sword armes a souldier kils a mans enemie and punisheth a reuolter or a turnecoate And that he might shew his Apostles that he preached iudgement he saith I came not to send peace into the world but a sword And after that he had ended his parables he saith vnto them Haue you vnderstood all these things And they said yea Therefore euerie Scribe learned in the kingdome of God is like to a housholder bringing out of his treasure new and old things that is the new words of the Gospell and the old of the law and Prophets And that these come out of his mouth He said to Peter Go to the sea and cast in an angle and the fish that thou shalt first take opening his mouth thou shalt find a stavre that is two pence giue it for me and thee And Dauid also by the holy Ghost saith God hath spoken once I haue heard these two things That God hath once determined that in the beginning that shall continue to the end To conclude when as he is appointed of his Father to be Iudge he minding to shew that through the word which is preached to them men should be iudged he saith Do you thinke that I will iudge you in the last day But the word which I haue spoken vnto you that shall iudge you in the last day And Paul against Antichrist saith to the Thessalonians 2. Thes 2.8 Whom the Lord shall kill with the spirit of his mouth This is therefore that two-edged sword proceeding out of his mouth c. I would to God all men would marke this exposition By Gods word all men at the last daie shall be iudged whether they haue directed their liues according to that which they haue heard with their eares or no And therefore our Sauiour saith so often Matt. 11.15 13.9.43 Mark 4.24 Hee that hath eares to heare let him heare And againe Take heede what you heare As though he should saie one daie ye shall giue an account of it And here that is verified that our Sauiour saith You are cleane for the word that dwelleth in you Ioh. 15.3 Gods word maketh our faith and religion pure and cleane and also our liues cleane But we must not be like those that can say Lord Lord Mat. 7.22 and haue done wickedlie which haue professed Christ with their mouthes and haue denied him with their works Wee must not onlie embrace the promises of saluation which the Gospell teacheth vs but also the precepts of life We must eate the whole Paschal Lâ—mbe or else it will do vs no good Exod. 12.9 As well the feete as the head and purtnance Manie at this daie eate gréedily the head and purtnance of Christ that is his diuine promises and his heauenly miracles they are verie desirous to eate these but few eate the féete that is his precepts and commandements Matt. 24.14 To such the Gospell shall be preached as a testimonie of their condemnation at that day of iudgement and not of their saluation Let vs beware that we be not hearers but doers Iam. 1.22 and not onely desirous to eate the head and purtnance but also the féete of Christ and let vs as willinglie learne his precepts and commandements and do them as we are content to beléeue his promises and remaine in them These are the waies which Gods word teacheth all Christians to walke in These are plaine waies here are no tropes or figures yet manie which will séem to professe Gods word make no account of these let such take héed at the day of iudgement they stand not among those to whom God shall saie Why didst thou preach my lawes Psal 50.16 or take my couenant in thy mouth Why didst thou professe my word and wouldst not bee reformed by it All such hypocrites shall then be condemned The manners and conuersation of the ancient Christians drawne out of the Fathers IVstine the Martyr thus describes
caried very earnestly by the broad way to the pleasures of the flesh riches of this world being accustomed to obey no body being desirous of reueÌ„ge ambitious c. These stumbling blockes as much as in him lyeth euerie good Christian must endeuour to take out of the waie We must not onlie commend praise vertue with our mouthes but also embrace the meanes by the which we maie attaine the same which are contempt of the world heartie earnest prayer fasting such like That holinesse of life which flourished amongst all sorts of men in the Primitiue Church appeares not in our daies because we vse not those means of fasting and prayer which they vsed If we would vse the like tillage to the grounds of our hearts which they then vsed without all doubt we should haue the same fruits of righteousnesse Can euen the best land bring forth good corne without tillage Sow to your selues in righteousnes saith the Prophet and reap after the measure of mercie Break vp your fallow ground Hos 10.12 Fasting no doubt is this spirituall ploughing and braking vp of our fallow ground mercie is that spirituall sowing which the Prophet here speaks of They which will haue the land of their hearts beare good corne plentifullie and be fruitfull in all good workes let them vse these meanes let them vse this husbandrie Manie amongst vs at this daie are like the Iewes which relie onlie on the word of God and search out therein manie high points Rom. 2.17 those things which differ are most excellent but those works of charity to their neighbors of contempt of the world of mercie to the poore of watching in prayer of fasting which so manifestlie almost euerie where it commends to vs commands they practise not And is this to professe Gods word This is plainlie to doe as the Iewes did to brag of it and not to follow it The which if we do Rom. 2.23 it shall no more profite vs then it did theÌ„ For they were as S. Paul there saith catechized instructed in the law euen as well as we are and knew the will of God And here I would to God all Christians would marke what Basill writeth concerning another Christian exercise which is watching in prayer which point also I haue handled before out of the Scriptures But as concerning that matter that we are accused of Basil epist 63. that is for the singing of Psalmes by which thing they chiefly terrifie the simpler sort which slaunder vs yet this I haue to answer that the customes which now are vsed are correspondent and agreeable to all the Churches of God The people rising in the night go to the house of prayer making a confession to God in labours and vexation of mind and continuall teares at length rising from prayer they are appointed to sing Psalmes and being deuided into two parts they sing one part answering another after that they strengtheÌ„ theÌ„selues with exercising meditation of the word of God they prepare to their hearts thereby attention and hauing reiected all vaine cares soundnes constantnesse Then one of them hath this office committed to him to begin the Psalme al the rest sing after him and so they passe ouer the night with varietie of singing of Psalmes prayers being entermingled at the breake of the day they altogether as being one man with one mouth with one hart offer to God a psalme of confession and they professe repentance euerie man with his own words If you flie froÌ„ vs for these things you must also fly froÌ„ Egypt you must also fly from both Libyas from the Thebans Palestines Arabians Phoenicians Syrians they that dwell by Euphrates that I may say all in one word all those with whoÌ„ watchings prayers coÌ„mon singing of Psalmes are of great account Here is plainlie set downe the forme of common prayers vsed in the Primitiue Church They rose to praier before daie they made a general confession as we do all together of their sinnes but with teares which we leaue out They read the Scriptures with them strengthened their faith They sang Psalmes all together sometimes and other somtimes prayed Thus they spent their nights and this was the common practise of all the Churches in those daies but now we cannot abide either to wéepe or to watch in prayer Let vs follow their holie footsteps which agree with the Scriptures as before hath béene declared They which beare the names of Christians are not true Christians indéed are like to counterfeit coin which although it haue as it were the Princes image stamp vpoÌ„ it yet is none of his but is forged of some rebel or enemie so these although they haue the outward stamp of the sacraments are not pure gold within but drosse They are not gold but copper Gold is a soft thing pliable and comfortable restoratiue as Phisitians saie but copper is stiffe hard hurtfull to man These lacke the true gold of faith Their faith worketh not by charitie they are not mercifull Gal. 5.6 2. Tim. 3.3 they are not comfortable to their brethren Their beleefe is a counterfeit beléefe it is of copper they are not louing kind they deale hardlie with their brethren They speak Gnathok as it is in the Hebrew Psal 93 4 which signifies anie thing that is old old things are commonly stiffe stubborne that is stubbornly roughly to their brethren Luke 16.24 they coÌ„fort them not they kill their hearts And though such Hypocrits can saie to Abraham with that same rich man father AbrahaÌ„ to our Sauior Christ with many Christians at the day of iudgment Lord Lord open vnto vs we haue eaten at thy table Luke 13.26 we haue receiued thy Sacraments we haue heard thee preach not seldome but often euen euerie Sabboth plentifully euen in our streetes Yet the Lord at his comming for all these externall religious works of inuocation of his name alone and receiuing his sacraments and of hearing him preach shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall punish to the example of all others such counterfeit Christians which haue wrought iniquitie and he shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matt. 25.32 Luk. 12.46 cut them in the middle because they haue but halfe serued him their part shal be with hypocrits For that seruant which knew his masters will prepared not himself not did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes But he that knew it not yet did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes For vnto whomsoeuer much is giuen of him shall bee much required and to whom men much commit the more of him will they aske O terrible sentence The hypocriticall Christian is in worse case then the infidell and Pagan For he not knowing Gods will and yet sinning shall be punished but with a few stripes but the other which knew his masters will and yet offended shall be punished with many stripes And wo be to him that shall be punished with manie stripes at Gods hand who is not able 〈◊〉 â—ndure one There is a parable in thâ—â—â—spel of a father and two sons and he came and said to the elder Son go worke to day in my vineyard And he answered and said I will not Matt. 21.28 yet afterward he repented himselfe and went Then came he to the second said likewise And he answered and said I wil Sir or as it is in the Gréek I Lord I will worke in thy vineyard He made a great shew of willingnesse but he went not What thinke ye saith our Sauiour Euen in mans reason the former is preferred and this yonger with his great shewes is condemned This parable was theÌ„ verified among the Iewes of the bragging and learned Pharisies and repenting and ignorant sinners and I pray God it be not verified likewise in our daies of some vaine protestants puft vp with knowledge and of some ignorant and repenting Papists That same parable also of the virgins was neuer more trulie verified then now Matt. 25.11 it is to be feared manie that be virgins and hate the spirituall fornication of the whoore of Babylon haue lampes of faith Reuel 17.5 yet for want of the oyle of mercie and light of good works shall be excluded though they knocke and praie saying Matt. 5.16 Lord Lord open vnto vs. Let your light so shine before men saith our Sauior that men may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen This lesson is generall to all Christs disciples Our workes should be séene Manie Christians worldly stately works at this daie are séene but their good works are not séene Reuel 14.13 Blessed are they that die in the Lord saith the Spirit they rest froÌ„ their labors their works follow theÌ„ Many do such works now as cannot follow them but remaine behind them But such works shall not profite them Phil. 2.15 That yee saith Saint Paul to the Philippians may be blamelesse and pure and the sonnes of God without rebuke in the midst of a naughtie and crooked generation amongst whoÌ„ ye shine as lights in the world Such should all Christians bee They should be blamelesse But now one shall hardly heare anie one spoken of but that he shall bee blamed for some thing They should be lights giuing good examples in the midst of a crooked generation but now almost all men giue euill example to their brethren Eph. 4. Luke 15.8 Exod. 19.5 Rom. 4 11 24 Matth. 25.1 Phil. 2.15 Luke 12.37 2. Tim. 1.17 The Lord Iesus giue all Christians grace to walke worthy of their callings of that most honourable name wherewith they are called that they may be the Lords trâ—â—ne his iewels that they may be Abrahams sons and wise â—ins that they may be blamelesse and as shining torches in the â—dst of this wicked world and froward generation That Iesus Christ at his comming may acknowledge them for his obedient and watchfull seruants for his glorious names sake to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost one God immortall inuisible and only wise be al praise honor and glory power and saluation both now and for euer Amen FINIS