he a little after he is euerye where but as he is man he is onely in heauen yet for the coniunction of the two natures in Christ sundry tymes in Scripture that is spoken of the one which is proper to the other As in example No man ascendeth into heauen Ioh. 3.1.9 but the same which came from heauen euen the sonne of man which is in heauen And yet was not Christ ascended but in earth not glorifyed but subiect to death But bicause of the coniunction with the deuyne nature that is communicated to the humayne nature in spéeche which in déede and truth was onely performed in his Deitie Agayne Act. 20.2 ye are bought with the bloud of God Who knoweth not that this actiō was performed in the humane nature of Christ But bicause he is very God and the nature of his humanitie so connexed that it is inseperable therfore this Conionian and participation of the two natures is often vsed And for thys cause we say God is borne deade and crucifyed for vs when the humane nature onely was so But perhaps it maye astonie thée when I say that the two natures in Christ be inseperable and yet the Godhead is in many places Where his humanity is not nay his deuine nature in all places and his humane nature onely in heauen But consyder in thy self a perfite mirror and ymage hereof Thy soule and body are of two natures the one a spirite the other a compact forme of fleshe the one mortal the other cannot dye Yet during lyfe they are inseperably knit both natures in one in such sorte as eyther nature notwithstanding do kéepe their sundry condition The bodye sléepeth but the soule is alwayes waking the body eateth and drinketh naturall meates the soule onely féedeth of the worde of God the body is sicke and dyeth the soule is for the most parte best healthy when the body is nearest death and most lyuely when she is discharged of the bodye of synne by death Agayne the soule resting with the body is also the selfe instant by her powers at the vtmoste partes of the worlde and aboue the clowds whether shée hath daylie accesse by fayth and inuocation yet for al this the body is but in one place So is it in Christ He is risen he is not here Mar. 16.6 sayth the Angell to the women which came to annoynte Christ in his graue This was spoken of hys humanitie now glorifyed But according to his deuyne nature himselfe hath sayde Wheresoeuer two or three be gathered together in my name Math. 18.20 there am I in the middest of them Thus thou séest who and what is the Lords saluation Namely Iesus Christ the Lorde perfite God the onely begotten sonne of God eternall equall and of selfe substance with his father God and man borne of the Virgin Mary ascended vp in glory reseruing thée eche propertie of eyther nature not confounding the persons nor deuyding the substance Now resteth it to sée also somewhat more of the valor of thy Sauyour in his deuyne nature his valor to thée which best thou shalt perceiue by those noble names according their effects which the sacred scriptures attribute vnto Christ The valour of Christ in hymself and to vs. our one and onely God with the Father and the holy ghost First he is called Tetragramaton or Iehouah which signifyeth that Christ our god with his father is of his owne essence and being hath power and lyfe in himselfe not néeding the helpe of any other but is that sufficiencie which plentifully satisfyeth all others of his fulnes To be shorte the eternall god without begynning and ending In whom we lyue moue and haue our being Act. 17.28 Apo. 1.11 He is Alpha and Omega the fyrst and the last which contayneth all in all in himselfe He is also called Adonay of the Hebrews which of a certaine conceyte would not pronounce hym Tetragramaton or Iehouah rarely but in place thereof set thys name Adonay that is ineffable which all the Interpretors expounde by Dominus Lord. And rightly is Christ with his Father called Lorde For he hath giuen the Regiment of heauen and earth vnto him Mat. 28.18 Col. 1.16 And besydes hym there is none to whome all things visyble and inuysible ought to yéelde their obedience And to this name is added Sabaoth which some interprete the Lord of powers some the Lorde of Hostes the god of battle He it is which ouerthroweth with his myght all power that sturteth vp agaynst god and wyth his armye doth he pull downe the pryde of mightie kings and huge Nations Thys is that Michael who with his army of Angels beate downe Satan from the heauenly habitation of God in his church militant Thys is that Emperour and Monarche Apo. 12.7.9 to whome all kings shall stoupe This is that most tryumphant conqueror who with most symple and small creatures hath can and wyll ouerthrow myghtie Gyants huge armies puyssant Princes and mightie Monarches of the worlde In his campe are infinite Angels Thousande thousands ministred to him sayth Daniell and ten thousand thousands stood before him Dan. 7.10 Beholde of what Maiestie thys christ our Lorde of Hostes is of what force and power when as one Angell of these infinite thousands could and did in one night destroy and kyll in the hoste of Sennacherib which cruelly beséeched the Lordes cytie Ierusalem one hundred forescore and fiue thousand of fyghting Souldiours With water darknesse Frogs Flyes and Grashoppers he wasted and destroyed the pride of the most fertyll lande Egypt With the noyce of Chariots he droue to flyght the kings of Ashur And who is able to withstande his myght For in his army all the Planets and Starres the wyndes fyrie lyghtes Ice Frost Snow rayne Fyre and water Al Deuils in Hell the ayre and Fyrmament all men and kings and all their powers and at one worde all creatures in heauen earth and Hell visyble and inuisible All these are his to vse at hys good pleasure where he wyll when he luste and during his set purpose executing hys vengeance vpon his enimies but the defence of hys Churche Sometyme also he is called Aelion 1. excelsus high As Dauid sayth Psal 113. The Lorde is high aboue all Nations and hys glory aboue the heauens Againe who is lyke the Lord our God that hath hys dwelling so highe and yet abaseth hymselfe to behold the things that are in heauen and earth Euen vnto thys high throne is our Lorde Christ ascended aboue all heauens and set at the right hand of his father on high to beholde the things that are done in earth From this height he sawe Damasco her myserie and Saules pryde and from thence stroake this cruell Tyran to the earth in the mydst of his force and seruantes whose brightnesse stroke Saule with blyndnes but in great mercy wrought his conuersion of persecuting Saule changed him and that bycause he had chosen
Iewishe or much lesse the Popishe priests can be to vs men of good warrante to pacifie hys wrath for our synnes with and by their dayly counterfeyte sacrifices when they haue neyther warrante from thy holy written worde or be The Pope very vnfytte to offer vp sacrifice for synne hys Cardinals lesse hys priests least but his irreligious all to bad or can be such men as it becommeth our priests to be Can the Pope or any his broode be found in truth and search of his owne friends holy harmelesse and vndefyled Is he in all sortes seperate from synners or are his priests Is hys dwellings aboue the Heauens or haue not his Fryers Monkes Byshops Cardinals and Popishe prelates the fertyll soyle of euery Nation to plante their dwelling places in Doe they not néede to offer sacrifice fyrst for their owne sinnes which of all other are most acquainted therewith And doe they not in the daylie sacrifice of their blasphemous Masse fyrst offer for the Pope then for the king Byshop and themselues then for him her or them for whome they are for that tyme hyred These therefore can be no lawfull priests to offer for sinne were there any such sacrifyce to be offered The lawe of Moses made such men priests as were subiect to death The Popishe lawe anoyleth such as are wrapped in infyrmities but the law of the othe of God which is the gospell maketh the sonne of God Christ Iesus onely the sacryfycing priest of hys Churche who is without synne deuoyde of infyrmitie holy harmelesse vndefyled higher then the heauens seperate from synners once for all offred a full price in sacrifyce to his father vpon the crosse for the syns of the whole worlde which can no more be offered or any other in place therof is not subiect any more to death but lyueth to make intercession for his church to God hys father for euer Nowe we haue to consyder also from what it is that thys Sauyour Christ delyuereth vs. Truely from the Fathers wrath from the chaynes of synne and her rewarde which is eternall death Of which deliuerance Zacharius speaketh in his Song Rom. 6.23 Luc. 1.74 that wee being delyuered from the feare of our enimies might serue him without feare c. But when it is sayde he delyuereth vs it is imported we are fyrst in thraldome Mans state wythout Christ thraldome and most misery and bounde from libertie Euen so are the sonnes of men by nature thralled vnto the wrath of God bound in chaynes of synne and subiect to the cursse of euerlasting death Therin borne in it lyuing and lusting death by the contynuall desyres therof Eph. 2.3 But Synne synne is the cause that Gods iustice cannot but giue vs wrath and his wrath cannot procéeding from his iustice but cast the synner into the prison of eternal payne where is darknesse sorrowe wéeping torments and gnashing of téeth the worme that dyeth not and the anger of God And this synne is and maye be sayde to be of two kyndes the one procéeding from the other Originall and Actuall Originall commeth wyth the lumpe of massy poysoned fleshe Originall synne and actuall which our parentage hath brought to vs from the loynes of oure fyrst father Adam And he becommeth synful by the breach of Gods holye lawe in Paradise hath begotten by synfull séede his children in synne who by succession haue encreased the worlde to thys daye from his synfull loynes to beget vs synfull creatures of our synfull mothers And thus are we guyltie of Adams synne called Originall the beginning synne For lyke as out of a poysoned Vessell can be drawne no other lycour but poysoned So from the poysoned séede of Adam can procéede no other then lyke corrupted matter for mans propagation and ofspring And againe thys worde synne signifyeth generally the disobedience to God the offending of God by the breaking of hys most holy commaundements This difference is betwéene Originall and Actuall synne the one we bring with vs in flesh as guyltie by byrth of our fathers transgressiō as the Apostle sayth By Adam all men do dye The other is that our selues in mynde and bodye doe commit daylie agaynst our God and his holy lawe which we do eyther in mynde 1. Cor. 15.22 in will in harte and affection in tong or hande in soule or bodye in one or both The fyrst doth infecte all other that come from his fyrst roote For lyke as leporous parents of their bodyes cannot but beget and the chyldren which are borne of them are defyled as wel with the parents leprosie as contaminate with their owne naturall corruption Euen so are the posteritie of Adam infected with the fyrst fathers leprosie in synne and steyned with their owne actuall offences and iniquitie which one lamenting sayeth And great is that Original synne Barnardus which doth not alone infect the person but corrupteth the whole nature of man also The second which is actuall synne dwelleth in the body of the synner alone and hurteth others no otherwise then when they be pertakers therof eyther by ioyning in facte or consente by suffring or not regarding the poyson thereof the ende of both is death euerlasting Rom. 6.23 How horrible that synne is the Scriptures doe tell Synne breaketh our couenant with God prouoketh anger of God The fruits of synne in man seperateth his loue from vs hasteneth his iustice procureth our perpetuall destruction caused Christ to come from heauen and he the sonne of God to suffer death for vs moste wretched creatures which else should haue perished in synne Is of that nature that if we wyllingly fall into it agayne we crucifye Christ anewe and there is no more looking for redemption but a fearefull wayting for the wrath of Gods furye fyre and vengeance Finally it is the worke of the Deuill and he the author therof who is the vtter aduersarye of God and we his sworne enemies and Gods famylye How intollerable a matter it is for the Quéenes seruante of her priuie chamber from beggery exalted farre aboue all brauery to become Traytor to her grace and in her secret chamber to violate his fayth who séeth not with darkned eyes How much more vgly is he and most intollerable is his case that casteth dyrte by synne euery daye into the face of God by carnall concupiscence courtly carnall lustes and fylthy actions Well from all thys yet he the Lord Christ saueth his people 1. Ioh. 1.7 euen his bloud doth wash their soules and bodyes from euerye synne and his death doth purge our consciences from dead workes Heb. 9.14 Esay 1. to serue the lyuing God Of this delyuerance Esay sayth Washe you make you cleane if your synnes were as redde as Scarlet I wyll make them as whyte as Wooll Iere. 31. sayth the Lorde Ieremy Your synnes and iniquities will I remember no more Ezechiel Ezech. 18. At what tyme soeuer a synner doth repent of hys synne
teache hymselfe that he is to the hartes of men When he was at Iacobs Well with the woman of Samaria Ioh. 4.10 he tooke occasion by the Metaphor of water to teache her the lycour of lyfe By the desyre the Iewes had to earthy bread therfore followed him Ioh. 6.15 Luc. 5.3 he began to teach himself to be the bread of lyfe And teaching in the shyp by that myracle of Fishes he taught the Apostles the waye to catch men The same thing he vseth in these wordes I am the lyght c. For teaching in the morning in the Temple the Sunne nowe shyning moste brightly bewtifying the place to the great delight of the beholders he calleth them from the terrestriall to the sonne of righteousnesse affirming in him to finde the true properties of the glorious sonne in déede First as the Sunne is a most pure Planet most bryght and cléere defyled with nothing wheresoeuer it shyneth but maketh the darke and fylthy places more open to the eyes of men So Iesus Christ the brightnesse of his fathers glory Col. 1.15 is of nature most pure and holye and albeit he hath taken oure nature vpon him lyued amongst vs did accompany wyth synners to their good and abhorred not to eate with Publicans yet was he nothing defyled therby but by him these fylthy persons made wholy to know themselues through him were illuminated and fully sanctifyed The Sunne that is to say the light doth so shyne that himselfe may be séene of vs and doth make all other lyuing creatures to sée by him So Iesus Christ our light doth so manifestly in his nature appeare that the insensible heauens and earth do know him he doth so powre by his spirite the beames of his brightnesse into the hartes of hys beloued that they by his spirite and resplendishing Scriptures both perfitly as fleshe may know God the Father and his Christ and all things else which be eyther necessary or expedient to their saluation in him besydes whom there is none other Act. 4.12 Psal 36.9 Thys compelled Dauid to say With thee O Lord is the Well of lyfe and in thy lyght shal we see lyght Through christs light we see God to be our father hym the lord to be our Sauior And as the lyght discouereth darkenesse and refresheth the toyled bodyes in former obscuritie Euen so Christ remouing the former ignorance of God in vs banyshing the terror of cōscience doth most magnificently recreate our sences and refreshe our spirites renouate our conscience quyet oure soule and replenishe vs with ioye And lyke as the lyghte doth not onely in darknesse of night guyde our footesteps but helpeth vs aright to our whole businesse So Christe that eternall worde of God is the Lanterne to our feete and the light to our labours Psal 119. in that the doctrine and preceptes thence shyning to vs doe direct our darke soules into the paths of righteousnesse and that for his owne names sake And as light banyshing darknesse openeth to mans eye many things which in mircke midnight were not onely shadowed The commodities of light but also sheltered and so vnknowne that many adulters théeues murtherers and wicked persons by her were couered Iohn 3.19 and nowe by light disclosed for which cause naturally they loue darknesse hate the lyght So Christ hauing by his worde of most cléerenesse and heauenly power banyshed from Realmes Familyes and persons the darknes of ignorance maketh knowne to them their syns and reproueth their errors accuseth the corruptiō of mans nature and playnely maketh vs sée that all those things which without him we most imbraced are most fylthye and horrible And this is the cause why all such as wallow in wicked lyfe and false Religion doe hate Christ in hys Gospell to this present daye Ioh. 3.19 but to their vtter ruine and selfe condemnation Lastly as one shyning Sunne serueth the vniuersall worlde and is the onely Fountayne of light to all lightes in the same So the bright sonne of God our righteousnesse Christ is the onely author of spirituall light whome the Father of lights hath onely giuen to the whole worlde And he doth lighten euerye man that commeth into the worlde Ioh. 1.9 neyther will he admit any copemate to be ioyned with him What church is not guyded by our lyght Christ onely is eclypsed and bloudy to Christ and his members but kéepeth the whole Regimente in and to himselfe For as the Moone the figure of Gods Church receyueth at the handes of the Sunne her lighte and is so much darkned as she wanteth of his brightnesse So the Churche of God not kept with the countenance of Christs shyning face and Gospell is wrapped in the wayne of darknesse but lightned by his truth she is most gloryous and her naturall spottes shall not deface her yet both Moone and Church remayne to be light by hym else as opposite to him they are eyther darke or bloody or one or bothe Let no man obiect to me Lightened by Christe her spots do not hurt her that the Apostles are called also lightes of the worlde for that hath the true light imported in mercye to them by borrowed spéeche as we may call the Lanterne a light Eph. 5.25.26.27 bicause the light shyneth by and through it vnto the whole housholde And so are the Apostles called lights not bicause they are the light Christ How the Apostles and preachers of the worde are called lighte but bicause they bring vnto vs the true light that dwelleth in them which doth also by them and their labours preaching and wryting shine into the vtmost partes of the earth to the great comforte of all those that loue the same To conclude great is the mercye of our good God séeing the darknesse of the world so greate that no otherwise it could be discouered remoued gaue vnto vs this his owne son whome he hath made to vs the onely light of God to Iew and Gentyle that we should not for wante of safe conduction perishe in our wandring passage Now the vse of thys light and wherto he is giuen vs of God Symeon doth tell vs and sayth it is that he should be reuealed vnto the Gentyls and to be the glory of the people Israel Two things also the good father telleth vs in these words Fyrst that the ages from tyme to tyme should knowe that this one Christ is to all them and people in them the one and onely saluation light guyde and delyuerer Christ is to all ages the the one and onely lyght to lyfe sygnified by the two Nations by him named Iewe Gentyle The lyke doth Esay before naming the Gentyls and addeth and health to the vtmost partes of the world So Christ himselfe concludeth saying as before is saide I am the lighte of the worlde that is to saye of euerye place in the worlde of all sortes of men women and chyldren
to lighten the Gentyles and to be the glory of thy people Israel THE Euangelist Saint Luke after he hath by sundry approoued Testimonies wytnessed to Gods holy Church the order and byrth of Iesus Christ borne of his mother the most holye Virgin Mary doth purpose the description of Christ hys Office and Function In cause wherof he first cyteth the gratulatory Song of olde Father Symeon who doth most pythely set downe the parts of Christes office and valour of his nature to his Godhead annexed Namely giuen of his Father to be our onely sufficient and Omnipotent Messiah gyuen and not solde prepared of the Father not at all purchased by man or Angell to be the Saluation alone of Iewe and Gentyle To the Heathen that laye in darknesse Gods lanterne and light and to his kinsmen the Iewes their greatest cause of glorye But onely Symeon thus fayth And what is he and his authoritie that we should buylde our Fayth on his warraunt For aunswere I say Giue eare to our Euangelist who by the spirite of God wryteth and thy Question shall fullye be answered For thus wryteth Saint Luke Behold there was a man in Ierusalem whose name was Symeon Luc. 2.25 Thys man was iuste and feared God and wayted for the consolation of Israel And the holye Gstost was vpon him and it was declared to him from God by the holy ghost that he should not see death before hee had seene that Annoynted of the Lorde And he came into the Temple by the motion of the holy Ghost when the Parents brought in the Babe Iesus to doe for him after the custome of the Lawe then tooke he hym vp in his armes and praysed God and sayde Lorde nowe lettest thou thy seruant departe in peace according to thy worde c. Symeon I graunt is not here adorned of the Euangelist with Princely style Honorable tytle or sayde to descend of Noble parentage Happely he was of baser byrth and meane estate of the vulgare sorte not exalted to office place of credite in the Common wealths Regiment or to worldly riches And here in doth Gods spirite continue his well be gonne course in the byrthe of thys Babe Christ Who hymselfe though king and Lorde ouer all yet in earth borne is wrapped in sorye clowtes layde in a Manger whose Pallace was the horses stable and his shrowde against the extreame wynters weather was the breathe which the Oxe and Asse naturally breathed A poore beginning yea but gloryous thoughe to the worlde ignomious and in the accompts of the Atheists of our dayes ridiculous But so also to poore Shepheards watching their Flockes by night not to pompous Princes to the learned godly Magi not to the prowde contentious Phariseis did the same spirite manifest our Christs Natiuitie the Gentyls light and Israels glorye So likewise brought to the Temple he is not pompously receyued of the highe Byshop but louingly imbraced by his pore Prophet Symeon vpon whome the spirite of prophecie Luc. 2.36 in steade of worldly pompe at this instant was restant By an olde and poore Wydowe also but a Prophetisse the daughter of Phanuel of the Tribe of Aser the lowest amongst the twelue Trybes of Israell This is not done to the contempt of the mightie Monarks and Noble persons of the earth fearing God but to the glory of his holy name and the comforte of the poore despised Christians in the worlde that fleshe and bloud should not haue else where to reioyce but in the Lorde ◠Cor. 1.26 27.28 Againe that the eyes of men being opened may sée that not by many mightie many ritche many wise and Potentates of this world but by himself in his owne power and wisedome he vseth the base beggerly things of this lyfe to be his preaching Prophetes and faythfull wytnesses by them to bring to confusion the glorious wisdome of the world and the pryde therof This poore man tho is enobled with most honorable tytles as to be Iuste Symeon◠style and dygnitie godly and religious wayting for the consolation of Israel and to haue the spirite of God vpon him all which words as they set forth the excellency of this holye Symeon So are they of vs further to be considered for as much as they be to vs the very assured markes infallible by which we may certainely knowe the faythfull adopted sonnes and trusty seruants of the lyuing God from the counterfeyte Christian and vngodly Atheist But he is called Iust and that of Gods spirite which cannot lye First Symeon is iuste in Gods sight by the will and grace of God Secondly he is iuste in lyfe amongst the sonnes of men But what shall we saye Was Symeon so iuste in the eyes of the Lord that in him could no vnrighteousnesse be found Or was he called iuste for that he iustly fulfilled the commaundements of God Or else was he iuste by imputation bycause his sinnes were not layde to his charge I answere this demaunde Symeon is not so iust in the sight of God that in him can no vnrighteousnesse be found for no man is frée from synne as Salomon sayth Pro. 20.9 Who can say my harte is cleane from sinne If the Fountayne which is the harte of man be corrupted the conductes his members and actions must néeds be infected therwith Truely in Gods syght neyther are the Starres cléere wythout shadowe or the Angels iust in this respect Iob. 15.14 Where shall we finde then an earthly man that can stande in and by himselfe thus iuste before the Lorde Nay the best regenerate person is manye wayes corrupte No man iust before God and his actions full of synfulnesse yea his best works are impure farre shorte of that they should vnworthy Gods sight muche more his louing acceptation but most vnworthy the accompts of righteousnesse In one worde we our workes alwayes our selues and valour respected are though regenerate children as menstruous clothes in Gods eyes Esa 66. 2. Luk. 17.10 and our selues verye vnprofitable seruauntes Neyther was Symeon iuste as fulfylling iustly all the commaundements of God For that neyther could he nor any other before him or since his tyme to the ende of the worlde can there be any Christ Iesus excepted which shall or may doe in perfection the commaundements of GOD And therfore Symeon nor any other man can chalenge to him or them in truth and déede as hauing wonne the same the tytle of righteousnesse But on the other side they are all founde Transgressors Rom. 3.10 and accused of guyltinesse when as in their best workes they are faultie and not able to do all but offending in euerye one they are worthyly pronounced guyltie of the whole No not Abraham in that best approoued worke when he wyllinglye in Spirite though not without sharpe conflicts in bodye and minde offered vp his sonne as the worde of the Lorde commanded him hath warrante to vaunte of righteousnesse before God or was thereby iustifyed
vndefyled Lambe Iesus Christ which most worthye is called a Sauiour 1. Pet. 1.18.19 Mat. 1.21 bicause he saueth his people from their synnes For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation sayth he The worde that he vseth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which importeth much more then in one word can be expressed Namely Christ to be that sauing matter of health which he had appointed alone to all his chosen seruants from the fyrst Adam to the last borne chylde of a woman We will now by thy pacience christian brother dwell with our sauing health Iesus Christ a little and from hys holye worde learne fyrst what is this saluation and why he is called a Sauiour Secondly by what meanes he saueth Thirdly from what he saueth And last of all who they be which by this Sauiour are saued And by that we haue fynished these questions I rest in hope thou wylte prayse God for his glorious sonne Iesus Christ thy omnipotente and onely Sauiour of God our father giuen to all people nations kyndreds and tongues What and who this Saluation is Luc. 2.10 the Euangelist S. Luke in thrée wordes descrybeth to the Shepheards kéeping and watching their shéepe by night thus Beholde I bring you tydings of great ioye for this day is borne to you the Sauyour which is Christ the Lorde Why he is called a Sauiour the Angel sheweth to Ioseph saying Mat. 1.21 Thou shalt call his name Iesus For he shall saue his people from theyr synnes Which one sentence aunswereth all these our former questions Who is this Sauiour euen Iesus Why Christ is called a a Sauiour What is this Iesus Christ the Lorde Why called a Sauiour bicause he shall saue his people from their synnes From what saueth he from synne Whome saueth he his people But let vs to our greater consolation pierce this matter a little further And fyrst who and what is this Sauiour which the Father hath set to be his onely saluation to Iewe and Gentyle It is as we sayde Iesus Christ the Lorde And this Iesus is not that Iehosuah which by hym raigned or yet the sonne of Syrach or Iesus called Iustus or any of that sort all which were very godly men chyldren of this lyfe But this Iesus Christ the Lorde our saluation is the onely begotten sonne of God begotten of the father before all worldes of the same essence or being nature and substance with the father coeternall and coequal and also very man borne of the Virgin Mary which humanitie is so conioyned with his Deitie that it is for euer inseperable And to be short in him his fathers full glorye to vs is represented Loe deare Reader this is the state of thy Sauiour euen no other then God himselfe the second person incarnate To approue Christ to be God consubstanciall and coequal what should I néede to thee which being a christian Christ God by scripture prooued doest ex professo by his spirituall grace fyrmely beléeue the same Yet that thy fayth herein maye be the more stedfast and thy conscience assured I will giue thee some testimony thereof out of the booke of God First Esay the noble and Euangelicall Prophete sayth in the person of God Esa 43.11 I euen I am the Lord and besydes me there is no Sauiour Againe the whole 45 chapter of Esay but specially the 21 verse denyeth other Sauiour then God as thus There is no other God besydes me But Esay in the fathers person thus speaketh of and to Christ Iesus I will also giue thee for a light to the Gentils Esa 49. Iere. 23.6 that thou mayest be my saluation to the ende of the worlde And agayne Ieremy calleth Christ the sonne of Dauid the lord our righteousnesse Now then syth there is no God but one no other Sauiour and righteousnesse but the deuyne power it must necessarily follow that Christ Iesus our Lorde being this Sauiour and righteousnesse is verye God coequall with the father The same Prophete also sayth of GOD thus The worde is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse Esa 45.23 and shall not returne that euery knee shall bow to mee and euerye tongue shall sweare by me But Paule to the Philippians doth truely apply this to Christ saying Phil. 2.9.10.11 He hath giuen him a name aboue all names that in the name of Iesus euery knee should bow both of things in heauen and in earth and vnder the earth and that al tongues should confesse Christ to be the Lorde to the glory of God the father Therfore conclude soundly that Iesus Christ is very and perfite GOD with the father Doth not Iohn say Ioh. 1.14 The worde which is Christ was God and the worde became fleshe Therefore when we worship the sonne Christ and honor him as God we doe no iniury to the almighty God and iealous father but thereby truely honor him as the Apostle sayth The father hath giuen all iudgement that is all right and administration of power and glory vnto the sonne Ioh. 5.22 that al they which honor the father should honor the sonne also And of such iealousie is the Lorde God of his honor that he wyll not imparte it or any part therof to any other beside himselfe as Esay testifyeth Esa 42. I am the Lorde that is of my selfe and my glory will I giue to no other But he gyueth his glory to his sonne Christ as Christ witnesseth thus Father glorifye mee with the glory which I had with thee Ioh. 17.5 before the worlde was Therefore Christ is of selfe substance with the father God and glorious Also Christ sayth Al that the father hath are mine Ioh. 17.18 But the Father hath deuyne nature Ergo so hath Christ our Lorde his sonne Agayne Esay sayth In him shall the Gentyls trust Esa 11. Iere. 17. But Ieremy accursseth al them that trust in man but blesseth them that hope in God Therfore of necessitie Christ is God for he hath assured vs often tymes blessed if we trust in him saying He that trusteth in me hath eternall lyfe Againe Ioh. 6.47 he that truely forgiueth sinnes is God But Christ doth truely forgiue sinnes Ergo he is God Paule calleth Christe our hope and to the Romanes our GOD which is to be praysed for all worldes Rom. 9.5 1. Ioh. 5.20 And the deuyne Euangelist S. Iohn calleth Christ the true God and eternall lyfe And a hundred such authorities might I bring thée good Reader out of the holye booke of God but any one thence truely aleaged is a sufficient bulwarke to the conscience agaynst all the fyrie dartes of the Deuils temptation That Iesus Christ borne of the Virgin is no other then the second person and onely begotten sonne of the father consubstantiall coeternall and coequall these places make knowne Paule receyueth from the Psalmist thys warrante thus Vnto which of the Angels sayde God at any tyme Psal 2.7 Hebr. 1.5 thou
art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Which wordes he most aptly applyeth to Iesus Christ And what can be more manifest then that most deuyne witnesse of the Father and testimony of the holye ghost at the baptisme of Christ our sauiour where from the heauens he thundred these wordes to his Disciples and the Iewes of Iesus Christ This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased Mat. 3.17 17.5 The Lorde Christ is of the same substance wyth the Father coeternall destinct from the father but not seperate Cirillus in Ioh. 6.1 To vse the wordes of the auncient father Cirill It is no absurdity to saye that Christ is destinct from the father Christ of one substāce with the father as the running water is from his Fountayne the Sunne beames from the Sunne the heate from the fyre These Images so passe from their substance as they are euer of and with the same as the Sunne beames are destinct from the Sunne and yet not seperate from it The Ryuer so commeth from the Fountayne as it is the selfe water and not seperate but destinct by running from the Fountayne But as no simile can in all poyntes holde hys Analogian with his matter by him resembled So let vs go to the warrante of the worde where the mouth of our God shall teache vs this Homonsion that Christ in his deuyne nature is consubstanciall coeternall and coequall with his father Esa 53. Ioh. 1.1 Ioh. 10.30 Coeternall Esay sayth His birth day who can recken Iohn sayth In the beginning was the worde that is the sonne of God And our Sauiour My father and I are one One in substance eternity power equalitie and glory This Christ is coequal with his father Zacha. 13. also the Prophet Zachary doth affirme in the fathers person thus Aryse O sworde vpon my Shepheard and vpon the man that is my fellow sayth the Lord of hostes Smyte the Shepherd and the Sheepe shal be scattered Beholde he calleth the Shepheard thus to be striken his equall Mat. 16.16 Ioh. 6.69 which Shepherd the Euangelists testifye is Christ Iesus the sonne of the lyuing God This Iesus coeternall consubstanciall coequall and his onely nature beyonde all tyme and without begynning as he is God In the fulnesse of tyme tooke our nature vpon him also and became manne that so he might be this Shepheard that should be beaten and his shéepe scattred that the little ones might be brought to him there Lorde and Sauiour This Christ was promised to Adam at his fall Apo. 12.9 Gen. 3. in condemnation of the olde Serpente Satanas The seede of the woman shall breake thy heade The Serpents heade is the power of Satan which the bodye of the scriptures testifye Christ to haue trode vnder foote And Christ is here called Seede to testifye the truth of his humaine nature Christ called seede and why And the womans séede not the séede of man in respect of his conception and natiuitie without the séede of man of the Virgin Mary by the holy ghost And in as much as she was the true seede of Adam Abraham and Dauid it must néeds be that Christ comming of her must also verily and in deede of her nature be partaker of ours be very man as he is verely God Gal. 3.17 Mat. 1.12 Luc. 3.23.24 c. Wherfore Paule to the Gallathians affyrmeth Iesus Christ to haue taken fleshe and to be of Abrahams seede Mathewe and Luke doe drawe by lyniall discente the womans séede Christ Iesus to be of the naturall séede with Adam Abraham and Dauid and of theyr fleshe and bloud and so of the same fleshy substance sinne excepted To conclude he was conceyued by the holye ghost encreased in his mothers wombe was borne of her suckt of her breasts grewe as a chylde to mans estate and into increase of godly grace in his humanitie He also had all the instruments of our Nature sinne onely excepted Wherfore we worthyly cursse for Anathema Valentyne Maryon Eutiches Appelles and Manachae with all other their adherents and fautors which derogate from the deuyne the humayne nature in Christ and doe faythfullye conclude with Paule to the Philippians Phil. 2.6 when Christ was in the shape of God he thought it no robery to bee equall with God but he humbled hymselfe and tooke vpon hym the shape of a seruant and was made lyke vnto man was founde in shape as a man he humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto death euen to the death of the crosse For by this and that we haue sayde it appeareth sufficiently that our Sauiour Christ is verye God and very man consubstantiall with his father and of self nature wyth vs sinne onely excepted But least anye man should dreame that I ioyne with their pestiferous Arius Bulling deca 4. ser 6. who taught that Christ the sonne of God receyued onely our fleshe without a soule and the Deitie to stande in stead thereof Or with Apolinarius which graunteth Christ to haue a soule but not endued with her qualities I say as the scripture sayth that Christ in his humanitie consisteth of two partes of perfite soule and perfite flesh with the whole minde reason and iudgement of the soule Mat. 20.28 Mat. 26.38 Ioh. 12.27 Luc. 22.15 c. The sonne of man sayeth Christ came not to be ministred vnto but to minister and to giue his soule for the redemption for many Agayne My soule is heauie vnto death sayth our Sauyour Nowe my soule is troubled I haue desyred to eate this Pasouer with you before I suffer All which to be sory heauie troubled and affectionate are passions of the minde and proper to the soule and approue Iesus Christ to haue with vs animam rationalem a reasonable soule humayne fleshe subsisting as that holye father Athanasius hath it in hys Symbole of our most christian fayth with whom we also say Christ is God of the substance of his father before all worlds man of the substance of his mother borne in the worlde perfite God and perfite man of a reasonable soule and humayne fleshe subsisting The which Deitie is so knytte in vnitie that after his death in his resurrection he reassuming to his Godhead his soule and bodye is ascended in the same vp into aboue all heauens on the right hande his Father Christs naturall body but in one place but yet not confounding the substance of the Deitie or of his humanitie but eche nature styll and alwayes kéepeth his proper qualitie As for example Tertul. li. de car christi August ad Dar. Epist 57. his Godhead to be in all places at one instante and his body to contayne onely one place as to the holye Scriptures Saint Augustine subscrybeth to Dardanus We must take héede sayeth he that we doe not so preach the deuyne nature of Christ that we take away the truth that is the true propertie of hys bodye As he is God sayth
gloryously arose from death and ascended aboue al heauens as that he shall appeare most gloryouslye to haue gouerned all things when he shal call before him to iudgement all the Nations of the worlde and giue to them their portion in his right iustice due vnto them This Lorde Christ and Sauiour is also the high Byshop of our soules the one and onely priest that hath fully taken awaye oure sinnes in the sacrifice of himselfe vpon the aulter of the crosse once for all and all ages there and then offered Of whose priesthood Dauid long before prophecied in these wordes Psal 110. The Lorde hath sworne and wyll not repent thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech By which words the Apostle Paule purposing to proue Christ the sayde priest thus speaketh Thys Melchisedech was king of Salem Heb. 7.17 king of the most high God c. Hee is the king of righteousnesse after that he is called the king of Salem 1. king of peace without father without mother wythout kyndred and hath neyther beginning of his dayes nor ende of his lyfe but is lyke vnto the sonne of God and contynueth a priest for euer And that rightly for Christ the sonne of God is our righteousnesse and peace and the king of Salem euen of the peaceable church and tryumphante kingdome euerlasting He is without father in his humanitie onely being conceyued by the holye ghost of the womans séede wythout mother in his deuyne nature begotten of the fathers owne nature without beginning of dayes or ende of lyfe For he is God for euer And though in his humanitie he suffred for vs yet his Godhead coulde not dye but remayneth immortall for euer This Iesus is both king and priest not after Aaron but according to Melchisedeches order for all tymes to come And as the holye scriptures hath mention of no mo such So is he the onely priest of God for the saluation of his church and there can besides hym be none other who gaue hymselfe to dye for vs and by whose onely death we be all saued that beléeue in hym The meane whereby this eternall Priest saueth hys people is by tryple operation Howe our Christ saueth vs. all which haue their force from the action of his death First in gyuing hymselfe a raunsome for theyr sinnes to God his father and by hys bloudy sacryfice once for all offered he fully acquyteth all his people of all their damnable debt Secondly by the preaching of hys Ghospell vnto the sonnes of men as whereby he is depaynted thus crucifyed for them therby they brought by his spirite to beléeue the forgiuenesse of synnes in his bloud Thirdly by that he remayneth the onlye Mediator for his people to his father so reconciling the worlde to God and guydeth his people by his spirite in the pathes of righteousnesse for his holy names sake 1. Pet. 2.5 Mat. 20.28 Thus is thy soueraigne Lorde and Christ thy highe Priest and Byshop of thy soule thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to saye the price of thy redemption by whose sacrifice alone vpon the crosse God the father is iustly payde the pryce due to hym for all our iniquities For the which cause also that he is the pryce of thy Redemption in hys death he is of God constitute for thy only Mediator as Paule sayth to the Hebrewes and saint Iohn If any man sinne Heb. 9.15 1. Ioh. 2.2 we haue an Aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the reconciliation for our sinnes and not for our sinnes only but for the synnes of the whole worlde Where note that the Apostle sayth and for this cause is he the Mediator of the new Testament Hebr. 9.15 Namely for thys cause that through his death men might receyue the promise of inheritance He that dyeth for mans transgressions is onely the Mediator for their sinnes But Christ only dyeth for mans transgressions therfore Christ is the onely Mediator for mans iniquitie This is the Apostles reason And further this priesthood so dwelleth still in Christ that no inferiour creature maye be enstalled into that function For he lyueth for euer and therfore contynueth a priest for euer after the order of Melchesedech Whersoeuer then any man or Angell would take vppon hym this office to be a priest to offer sacrifice in the Church of God For thy synnes know thou that he is not thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy redemption and therefore cannot be thy sacrificer Besydes thys that sacrifice of Christ is thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the absolute price of thy raunsome and therefore no neede of further payment to God by sacrifice Christ hath fully payde the ransome for our syns therefore can there be no more offring to God for synne Thirdly neyther néede nor can that sacrifice of Christes death and bodye to be iterate or offred of freshe for that were to kyll Christ agayne and to make lesse the valour of thy redemption by which thou art redéemed fully and for which cause Christ is called in the holye scripture thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to saye an absolute price of thy redemption by whome and whose price thou hast by fayth in hym the whole forgiuenesse of thy sinnes Heb. 10.18 And where thys Remission is sayth the scripture there remayneth no more offerings for synne but we maye with boldnesse enter into heauen not by an other sacrifice but by a new and lyuing way namely sayth he by fayth in Christs fleshe bloud once thus offred who remayneth our high priest with God Lastly were there a sacrifice remayning to be offred for sinne we had no priestes or anye one man or Angell in heauen or earth that could be a fitte Sacrificer for the same For besyds that a true Sacrificer for synne by whose Sacrifice iniquitie shall be awaye taken There can be found as a meete man no Priest in earth to offer sacrifice must be the sacrifice hymselfe There are also certayne Noble qualities must inhabite that man which can be a sacrifycing priest for sinne and the house of GOD which are by the Apostle to the Hebrewes set downe on thys maner Such an high priest it became vs to haue sayth he which is holy harmlesse vndefiled seperate from sinners and made higher then the Heauens which needed not daylie to offer vp sacrifice first for his owne sinnes and then for the synnes of his people for that did he once when he offred vp himselfe for the lawe maketh men highe priests which haue infyrmitie but the worde of the othe which was synce the lawe maketh the sonne who is consecrated namely the onely priest of God for euermore Now deare Reader if it be of necessitie that we should haue such a Priest to offer sacrifice for our sinnes and that no other can take that office to pacifie the father whose iustice changeth not or is by affection altred how can it be that eyther the
THE SHIELD OF our Safetie Set foorth by the Faythfull Preacher of Gods holye Worde A. Anderson vpon Symeons sight in hys Nunc dimittis Seene and allowed Micha 2.11 If a man walke in the Spirite and woulde lye falslye saying I wyll prophecy vnto thee of Wyne and of strong Drinke he should euen be a Prophet of thys people ¶ Imprinted at London in Fleetestreate beneath the Conduite at the Signe of S. Iohn Euangelist by H. Iackson 1581. ⧠TO THE RIGHT REuerend Father in God by Gods appoyntment the Byshop of London Anthony Anderson the Preacher of Gods holy Gospell wysheth all heauenly helpe in Christ our Lorde AS THE BENEFITS OF GOD to this Nation Right Reuerend are mo then many so aboue al are we bound to praye and prayse greatly the Lorde Omnipotent by whose mightie hande Satan is from vs banished in his olde Popishe pride his chiefe Instrument the Romishe Antichrist so fully slayne by the daily breath of Gods holy worde that neuer is he lyke in such sort with vs to be reuiued The prouidence of God hath apointed this to be the time of our Christian translation Colo. 2.13 and hir Maiestie oure gracious Soueraigne Elizabeth his Noble Nourse to his English Church taking from vs in one hower both Pope Cardinall and persecuting Prince And hath from the gates of death drawne her and nowe set her chiefe among the princes of the earth For the losse of her Graces Syster some Papistes doe sore lamente but for the gaine by hir Maiestie now both one and other may reioyce For againe is verifyed the olde prophesie of Dauid Psal 68.11 God gaue the worde and great was the company of the Preachers Kings of the Armies did flee they did flee and shee that remayned in the house deuyded the spoyle Though yee haue lyen among the Pots yet shall ye be as the wings of a Doue that is couered with Syluer and whose feathers are as yellow Golde For God hath giuen sufficient matter to hir and to all other to tell of our delyuerie from the innumerable Hostes of Popishe Locustes which in the pestilent dayes of late Popery pinched vs in hir Noble Grace and her Grace to the terror of vs. But are not these Armies and their Kings fled they are by the mightie hande of our Christ scattred banished and deade that sought the desolation of our Englishe Israell and our most godly Hester hath obteyned in mercy hir selfe and christian subiects Esther 3.4.5.6 7.8 9.13.14.15.16 these presente Halcions dayes From God by hir hande we enioy this most pleasaunt seedes tyme of the Gospell nowe well neare full twentie three yeares By her Maiesties faythful care in bounden duetye oure decayed Ierusalem is mightily repayred yea though Sanballat and Tobiah spyte it Nehe. 4. and seeke to hynder it yet Noble Nehemias goeth on with all GOD graunt vs hir louing subiects to ioyne with the Iewes in this namely eche man in his calling to buylde to his power in the house of the Lorde that wee may be the Mansions of the holye Ghost and to haue oure weapons ready in hande and earnest hartes in true loyaltie to hir Maiestie 1. Cor. 3.16 c. 6.19 to fyght against his and hir enimies for her and then our defence wheresoeuer they shal assault vs. And let vs not be afrayde of our Popishe aduersaries which is to them sayth saint Paule a token of perdition and to you of saluation Phil. 1.28 and that of God Would God in these buylding dayes we had not in authoritie in sundrye Shyres yea in the harte of this Realme spyghting Sanballat and menacing Tobiah But as the Gospell by suche receyueth some hinderance so I truste in the Lorde that were they better knowne to Nehemias As for her earnest zeale to his truth shee cannot by their surmised traynes and fayned fayth to her godlye growth in Christ bee stayde from hys labours in hir heroycall harte fyrmely planted to increase So through her kingly power shee woulde not admyt such the seates of Iustice for peace which are sonnes of Warre to Gods Church but contrary with God her Lorde thruste these myghty from the bench to the Barre and by Dauids example cut of the wicked Psal 101. or at least weede them out of the Citie of the Lorde Yea euen as manye as haue euill wyll at Syon and that my diligence wyth others my Brethren may appeare Mala. 27. at whose mouths people should aske and haue knowledge and that also some at least hereby myght be profited I haue to my possibilitie set Plough on gate and furrowed this lande that after followeth as appeareth And albeit many other could haue farre passed this my tyllage yet perceyuing the clowdes to houer towardes Haruest God for Christes sake pardon our synnes and preserue Elizabeth our christian Queene and this fertyle ground so long to lye fallowe I after some vewe of my seedes whether they woulde abyde weather and well agree with the lande sanctified my Plough with christian and earnest prayer and haue layde open my labours to the skilfull suruey of godly husbandmen And doubt not that good fruite and much encrease shall be fall to the Reapers Which labour ended I deemed best to shrowde my trauayling Plough vnder your Lordships learned Shelter assured that whatsoeuer frowning weather then shal assayle it as nipping frost carping cold Romish rayne hatefull stormye hayle or other wynters wynde so euer can come well hapt should my poore Plough be against al these and where neede is at all oportunitie the same in right to be defended Another cause why I presume my symple Pen to your learned L. is to offer hereby a token of my good wyll and duety to your good L. and that from your olde Country man receyuing this little by it your godly disposition maye be againe as it were desyred to stretch your former hande to helpe Gods house in Lecester shyre but specially in Northampton shyre where God it knoweth neede is both of sowing and weeding I speake of experience And if this my bold enterprise your L. wil vouchsafe fauorably to accept if by your great skyl in Gods husbandry thought fyt for the lower sort for whose sake chiefly I haue done it you wil publishe the same and alowe it for sounde I shal account my selfe more and more bounde and endeuour my hande to such godly further labours as his holye wyll hath determined The Lorde for euer blesse you wyth this olde Father Symeon whose wordes followe and giue you wyth Gods whole Church his and our common consolation Christ our Lorde that he may be yours and you for euer his Amen From Medborne in Lecestershire this 12. of December 1580. Your L. humbly in Christ A. Anderson LORD nowe lettest thou thy seruant departe in peace Luc. 2.29 according to thy worde For mine eyes haue seene thy Saluation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people To be a light
with equitie saue the children of the needy and subdue the oppressor redeeme the pore from deceyte and vyolence and accounte their bloode deare and precious in his eyes But if O Noble princes happily you cannot in your office and authority doe alwayes as you woulde yet be sure that ye neuer giue consent to the wicked counsels of other in their euill or to wincke at the wresting of the Lawe for the fauour of the vniuste party or feare of the mighty or in hope to haue lyke friendship of others in your disposed quarrels Thirdly ye must with Ioseph be Iesus Disciple Christianitie ought to be ioyned with Nobilitie and openly by your acts confesse his glory ye must be religious and godly haue your fayth fyrmely set in Christ the Lord by the warrante of his worde Ye must not keepe amitie with such as would drawe your honors soules to strange Gods as to Idolatrous Popery c. Deut. 13. Thus shall the holye Ghost worke in you the true feare of God dryue away tymerousnesse and animate you with heroicall boldnesse in christian offices that you shal not respect the faces of men but the will of God and your alegiance to his Magistrate set ouer you and your alotted office to Gods Church that in all respects you shall reach thyther your helping hands if not as you would yet as you may with peticion peace neuer consenting to her hurte though wicked tymes will not permit you power to her helpe So shall you raigne with your Mayster Iesus Christ noble and glorious The hindering matter as receyued from Ioseph and Nicodemus is after this sort vsed These were vertuous noble men wise and godlye say the Nicodemitans Nicodemitans they were moderately minded no hot spurre gentlemen they came in lesser shewe then the Apostles after Christe but they were as well beloued as the rest wherefore let these forward men go on themselues we wyl come softly after Yea syr rather come an elle behinde the Lawe then step one ynche before it So did Steuen Gardiner and is commended of bloudye Bonner in his preface to Winchesters Booke de vera obedientia And when he came to the Law it was not bicause he was wylling to lyue therein vnfaynedly as his reuolt in Quéene Maries dayes approoued but that he was not yet come to that height which he hys holy father looked after and saw no better meane to keepe out of so honorable a place a faythfull pastor then to counterfeyt Religion for a season And by this meane in déede Satan by him so preuayled that Popery neuer could be cut downe albeit it was effectuallye cropped But thys excuse by Ioseph and Nicodemus is absurde for howe can the children of men by the synnes of the godly walke the way from synne This can be no other then the pathway to Hell Nor are we to follow the actions of the holyest mâ—n without iudgement A sure imitation but measuring his lyfe by the lyne of Gods worde take the matter agréeing there to for thy example as saint Paule giueth vs in charge Followe me Ephe. 5.1 1. Cor. 11.1 as I follow Christ No Paule no further though thou be the Doctor of the Gentyls and chosen vessel of GOD. But those steps of the saintes which are neyther allowed nor approoued by the worde of GOD those cast behinde thée as the euill by nature dwelling in such holye men It was synne in Ioseph to conceale his profession in Christe for feare of displeasure eyther of prince or people For this is requyred by the worde of the Lorde of euerye one that we beleue in our harts to iustification and confesse with our mouthes the Lorde Iesus to our saluation Rom. 10.9.10 2. Tim. 1.8 2. Tim. 4.16 And Paule exhorteth Bishop Tymothy not to be ashamed to confesse Christ And in the same Epistle he chargeth his companions to haue forsaken him in that they did not assist him at his fyrst answere and bicause it was an horrible sinne he prayeth GOD it be not layde to their charge Nowe as it is proper to the Scripture Psalm 1. to compare a Christian by and to a virident trée in sundry places We may safely set this difference betwene Ioseph and Nicodemus and all the Nicodemitans in these tymes Ioseph and Nicodemus were gréene branches faste grafted by the mercifull hand of the Fathers election Iohn 15.1 into the virident Vine Christ Iesus whose branches hauing lesse sap of his spirituall operation at the fyrst and for a tyme hauing more knurres of carnal corruption The mayster of the Orchard the heauenly father proyned them daylye more and more by his louing spirite so that as they contynued in his profession from the fyrst hower to the ende Euen so in verye shorte tyme they became so fruitfull that they were found more profyitng then they which did beare the prayse before them As you haue heard when Christe his daylie Disciples shranke from him and some contrarye their honest promise denyed him in his owne hearing then these branches gaue forth the fruite of their increase in God They stoode fast in Christ and that openly that the princes and people might knowe them to belong to the ignominious but yet glorious and crucified Christ This was the ende of their former studie and argued a continuall going forwarde in godlynesse And if you measure your tyme of schooling with theirs you cannot but blushe to challenge them for your Patrons For in thrée yeres they so profited that they confessed Christ before kings and men not regarding losse of lyfe lands goods or whatsoeuer might befall yea and that in the sharpest hower of Christe hys persecution Nicodemitans defined The Nicodemitans that is to say such persons as skant crept from some part of Popery can be drawne no further to truth were séeming branches I graunte of the Vine Christ if outward shewe might warrant them but such whose virident lyfe is nowe gone and they are bicause not grafted in him decaying and departing from euill to worse and as they were earnest and are nowe neyther hote nor colde which is a daungerous state So not long fed with the lyuely sap of Gods spirite Apo. 3.16 they become more and more wythered and cannot with their supposed fellowe branches bring forth eyther fruite in increase or yet so muche as in tymes past they haue done for that they haue by fleshlye perswasion of credite to themselues Quenched the spirite of God in them 1. Tess 5.19 Mat. 13.6 so as in tyme of persecution they flatly fall awaye as thorowly wythered when the encreasing Ioseph standeth the brunte in boldenesse by the spirite that groweth in him But the ende of these men is sayth Christ the Lorde of truth to be cut off and cast into the fyre O Englande Englande Iohn 15.6 be not deceyued thou hast bene a scholler with Ioseph Englande enioying the Gospell full xx yeares remayneth yet
retchlesse ignorant Simeon and Nicodemus not three yeares but by tymes fortie yeares in the schoole of Christ and nowe these last twenty yeares contynually without intermission or play daye hast thou vnder her graces Maiestie and most happy gouernment bene vertuouslye and aboundantly taught in purenesse of doctrine But how art thou encreased Howe followest thou Ioseph Simeon and Nicodemus Truely euen as the shadowe doth the sunne For the shadowe runneth as fast as he but neuer higher then the earth euen so we runne and poste with spéede but still vpon the earthly minds of grosse fantasies and therein counteruayle we the sunne which swiftly runneth in the Heauen to his appoynted course Heb. 5.12 We are come to this encrease that when for tyme we should be apt to receyue stronger meate we are not able to digest the dyet of Infantes which is sucking mylke When Paule vz Gods teachers by doctrin in truth should leade vs further into perfection we crye out still we are Iosephs Heb. 6.1.2 we are Nicodemitans we are not yet past the doctrine of the beginning of Christ the foundation of repentance from deade works of fayth towards God c. We also abuse this sentence of Paule Heb. 5.14 Strong meate belongeth to them that are of age which through long custome haue their wyts exercised to discerne both good and euill So we confesse there are a people to whome more perfection belongeth but we kéepe our selues from that number For we the Ministers can scarcely in the Country get our people to come to the beginnings of Religion so much as to send their seruants to learne the apointed Catechisme But if age should breed perfection are wée not older in the Gospell then Ioseph was Haue not we vnder the gospell synce K. H. dayes past the yeares which ouer ranne the Hebrewes after Christ his death before this Epistle was written vnto them Centu. 1. lib. 2. 10. Yes verily for it was written by the author therof as it séemeth from Rome about 25. yeres after Christs death And if custome could doe it how conuersant haue the scriptures bene with our wittes nowe this ninetéene yeres together And if in thrée yeres Ioseph and Nicodemus became so strong how can we for shame say we are lyke to them which in nintéene yeres are in the bowels of this long taught lande not able for the most parte to giue a reason of our fayth and hope And the better sort of vs are euen rather staying from farther then standing fast to that wee haue We be lesse louing more colde then we haue bene It may be said of England as the Stories report of the Iewes who when they came to Ierusalem Nehe. 4.17 by the commaundement of Cyrus King of Persia the were so whote in buylding the decayed Citie that they beset with enimies helde their weapons in the one hande and laboured with the other Beholde feare of the enimy could not driue them from the Lords labor And when the Samaritanishe ypocrites offered to helpe them they were so zealous that though they hungred the fynishing of the worke yet would they not admit an hypocrites hande to touch the buylding of the Lorde And when they were complayned vpon and subtyle deuises made to stay their labors they contynued their buylding styll manger the enimy euen as the king had commanded them But after a tyme of rest they began euerye man to buylde vp his owne house and let the house of God lye vnfynished xvij yeres tyll the Prophete was sente to Zorobabell the Prince and Iohosua the high Priest Hag. 1.1 to excite them to their increase in former labour And is it not so with England In the first of hir Maiesties raigne how vehemently how zealously A generall decrease in respect in England how diligently laboured we to repayre the decayed Church in England It was a heauen to see princely Péeres Noble bloods prouoke the multitude to imbrace the Gospell Popery was beaten downe her broode remoued and Gods true Ministers placed Idolatry extinguyshed and the Churches beset with the Sacrifice of the Gospell which whote beginning hath of the sodaine receyued such a coole as we are now wholy giuen to the buylding of costly bowres and houses of pleasure But as for Gods house eyther in our own soule or the common Catholique Church we commit it to the reuerend Bishops Ministers of God except a reserued séede which ioyne with Noble Nehemias Zorobabel and Esra to assist our most Christian Cyrus the principall Nourcing mother to Gods children this daye in all christian landes in the redifying of Gods house in our dayes whose gracious beginning with good progresse hytherto the Lorde hath prosperously blessed his name be praysed therfore whose harte the Lord yet more and more inflame in him and direct by his holy spirit contynually And to many of our Fathers and Brethren of the Clargy we may say as the spirite spake to the Angell and Church at Ephesus These things sayth he that holdeth the seauen starres in his right hande Apo. 21.2.3 c. walketh in the midst of the seauen golden Candlesticks I know thy works thy labour and thy pacience and howe thou canst not forbeare them which are euill and hast examined them which saye they are Apostles and are not and hast founde them lyers And thou was burdened hast pacience Apo. 2.1.2.3 c. and for my names sake hast laboured and hast not faynted Neuerthelesse I haue somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy fyrst loue Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the fyrst workes Or else I will come against thee shortly and will remoue thy Candlesticke out of hys place except thou amende The Iewes from Key cold persons became hote and cruell enimies so that in whose defence they stood to their great perill at the fyrst once making stay of their increase they thrust the sworde into his bowels For they fell from God they crucified his sonne and tooke the Regiment of his Church into their handes excommunicating and murthering his Apostles Disciples and whomsoeuer confessed his name But their ende was desolation by the iust iudgement of God yet so as he forewarned them by his sonne Christ called them to repentance by his Apostles contynued his power of saluation to them to saye his holy Gospel during fortie yeares But when they contynued more and more obstinate and rebellious hauing hartes past féeling he gaue them and their City Ierusalem into the hands of the Romans Vespasian and Titus being the Rod of his anger for their vtter destruction that they which woulde not receyue Christ comming in his fathers name of whom they much bragged should by his iudgement receyue them which came in their owne names for their priuate glorye and earthly commoditie For the Romane Deputies partly by eager auarice partly by cruel oppression gréeuously vexed them And the Iewes dreaming styll of a
delyuerer whome they imagined to be some Noble warriour were redy to run with euery Traytor that would lift vp his heade take to himselfe the Tytle of Messias In the which seditions euer they had the worse as reason is such should and many thousandes of them were slayne But when no otherwayes they would be pacified the Romane power was sent with Commission vtterly to destroy them Wherto was Vespasian sent who began his warres in Galilea committing to fyre and sworde all that was before hym From thence he came to Ierusalem and by the Souldiours in that siege chosen Emperour he went to Rome committed the warres of the Iewes to his sonne Titus which Titus lyke a vigilant Gouernour behaued himselfe left not the slaughter til he had fulfilled the prophecy of Christ to that Citie He cast a banck about it hauing 30. Castles or Turrets in it Luke 19. from whence he battered downe the Citie he compassed them on euery side finally he destroyed them and their children For the Lord by him caused the hunger to be such as the mothers were compelled to kyll roste broyle and eate their owne borne children He raced the Citie downe to the ground and so of that most floorishing Citie Iosephus de bel Iud. 6.14 the Flowre and Diamonde of the East he left no more but a smale Monumente to the posteritie of the Romans ouer so strong a defenced Bulwarke That is to say thrée Towers called Phaselus Hyppinus and Mariamnes with parte of the West wall The men which escaped were for the most part taken prisoners and most of them after eyther solde to base bondage or were for the pleasant prospect of the Romans cast vnto wylde beastes in their publique sportes to fight and be deuoured These things came to them in déede but are written for oure sakes 1. Cor. 10.6 that both Prince Potentate Prelacie and people should be terrifyed hereby As also the Church of Ephesus is a notable example for the Church of England to beholde That Church sometime most honorable but now most horrible wrapped in the Dungeon of Turkishe Paganisme God cannot in iustice but plague in seueritie the backslyding from his word And that doth he in two sorts First he gyueth such degenerating children the spirit of Delusion 2. Tes 2.11 that they should beleeue lyes to their damnation which would not receyue the Truth to their Saluation when it was sent them And also he giueth them to their owne harts concupiscence the same to satisfie in most fylthy lusts that not only God but nature it selfe shall be despised Rom. 1.21.22.23.24.25.26.27 For men against themselues and women and men against the vse of Nature shall defyle themselues most filthily A heauy iudgement The second is his sword of Destruction vtterly to throw downe and bring to nothing the power and persons of disobedient backslyders His iudgements hereto are as it pleaseth him sometimes greater sometime lesse Sometimes by sencelesse creatures sometimes by the Heauens sometimes by men of might in the earth Frogs Flyes and Lyce darknesse blood and Caterpillers Psal 78. and fynally the raging Seas shall ouerthrow the Egiptians which were great persecutors of the people of God The Wyndows of heauen shal open and drowne the whole worlde which would not repente Gen. 7.11 but growe into worse and worse Vespasian and Romane Titus shall vtterly subuert the hard harted Ierusalem Ephesus shall yéelde his obedience to his destroying enimy which would not returne to his former loue Iesus Christ and the zeale of his Gospel The Angels Candlestick the Church and the Ministery shall be cast out Apoc. 2. and Mahomet and Sergius shall occupy their function and place O England loue loue loue and feare Feare God as thy father kysse and embrace his sonne thy Christ and consolation Psal 2.12 least he being angry cause thée to feare when thou doest féele his terrible iudgements by which thou shalt perishe if his anger be kyndled yea but a little Returne to thy first loue and do thy fyrst works else wil he come shortly as he sayth to Ephesus which argueth that he is ready Wherfore repent yea though the most in countenance of the best neglect the loue of God yet know that Symeon and Ioseph doe expect the kingdome of God and Consolation of Israel And such onely haue the spirite of God in them as had these holy men by which they are trayned alwayes to the presence of Christ approued his seruants These shall not sée death tyll they haue in hart by the eyes of their fayth ioyfully séene Iesus to be the lighte of the Gentyls and the glory of Israell Iohn 17.2 Esa 9.2 and the saluation by the Lorde set for the whole saluation of God Last of all thys is worthy to be thought vpon that Symeon is brought by the Spirite of Gods motion into the Temple at the very instant when Christ is thether brought to be offred to the Lorde and that al things there were done according to the Lawe 1. Sam. 9.16 Psal 31.15 Luke 1.8 Iohn 17.1 Ephe. 1.10 Mar. 14.41 The worldlings would thinke this to come by chance but the Euangelist sayth he was ledde thyther by the holy ghost For it is God which doth with his general prouidence behold all things and guydeth euery mans actions to his appointed season and the very moment of tymes he directeth to his seuerall worke at his good pleasure By this heauenly prouidence and not by chaunce came the seruant of Abraham to the Citie of Nahor Gen. 24. in that momente of tyme when Rebecca came out of the Citie to water hir cattle Gods prouidence guydeth as and our actions not blynde chance and for this cause did God bring forth that Mayde at the same instant that by this occasion she might bring the manne to her father by whom shée should be sent to Isaac for his wyfe And Saule went to séeke his fathers Asses but the Lorde brought him to Samuel the Prophet which did expect that hower his comming 1. Sam 9.16 For the Lorde had by Oracle tolde Samuel that he would sende Saule vnto him and that he should annoynte him king of Israel Dauid was brought hereby into the battle 1. Sam. 17. what houre the great Gyant Golyath did vaunt himselfe in blasphemy against the Lorde and by which meanes he might be brought to that fight which the Lord had foreappointed for him to the glory of God the victorious fame of Dauid and the ioy of Israell By this guyde came the Wydowe of Naim to the gates of the Citie Luc. 7.12 with her dead sonne to buriall at that moment when Christ entred the gates of that Citie and was by him restored to lyfe And by this is holy prouydence are our Fathers gone before vs and we not borne vntyll this age of the worlde wherein he hath appoynted his sonne Christe to be more amply reuealed by
the preaching of his worde then at any tyme he hath bene since the Apostles tyme. This only remayneth that with hart and will by the motion of his holy spirite we ioyntly enter our Churches where Iesus Christ is graciously offred not into our armes but into our harts and soules not in a body subiect to myseries and death but in the Maiestie of his worde which is his eternall power Rom. 1.16 1. Cor. 1.18 to bring vs by his light to that saluation assured in him and to engraffe quyetnesse in Conscience perswaded in his truth by the testimony of his sayde spirite of the full forgyuenesse of our sinnes That we shall with newe raysed hartes as men risen from a most déepe Dungeon of death most ioyfully with Symeon syng and saye in heart and truth Lorde nowe whensoeuer thou callest vs from this naturall lyfe 1. Cor. 1.30 Ephe. 1.7 Mat. 20.28 at thy good pleasure thou lettest vs departe to quiet rest in christian peace For the eyes of our fayth haue and doe sée Christ Iesus and receyue hym as he is to vs in mercy giuen our onely raunsome and full matter of our spirituall health and celestiall ioy to whom with thée our best father and the holy spirite be praise and glory for euer and euer Amen Thus much receyued by the Gospels wordes touching Symeon nowe let vs lende eare attentiuely vnto the words deliuered vs in this his ioyful song Thus he sayth Lorde now lettest thou thy seruaunt departe in peace according to thy worde For mine eyes haue seene thy Saluation This olde holye fathers song conteyneth shorte wordes and long matter wherein he giueth the Lorde his due praise by publique spéeche in ioyed hart and after the example of the former church for the present benefite receyued according the faythfull promise of God that he hath not departed to his Fathers before he sawe the Lordes Christ he singeth the Lords truth and blaseth the honorable armes of our Captaine Christe manifesting his power efficacie and glory in this his pithy encomia That done he setteth downe the perfite platforme of a quyet cōscience and the ancor of her health in the middle of many miseries in his owne person saying Now Lorde all if by the Romaine Tyranny thy people of Israell haue béene sore oppressed our fayth sore assaulted so that twixt hope and sorrow we haue wayted for Consolation in thy promise Now that thou hast giuen vs thy Christ our glory I ioy so much in him my Sauiour that death shall be to me welcome and my departure shall be in peace bicause by this Christ my Consolation Gods wrath to me is pacified my syns in him pardoned my selfe for him of my heauenly father dearely beloued and my soule shall rest in ioy for I am thy seruant wherfore Now let me I praye thee departe in peace I am satisfyed that I haue séene thée and the dayes of my age are in thy hande But whereas Symeon sayth Lorde Nowe doth thy mercy let me departe in peace he plainely sheweth that vntill he perfitely had the fruition of his hope he was in auxietie and griefe and walked with a heauie harte for the affliction of Israell This argueth not an absolute weakenesse of fayth in Father Symeon but rather expresly an ardent expectation of the promise of God nothing pleasured with the forreine matters of this lyfe albeit they should abounde to hym But by trauaile in fyght against temptations in worldly pleasures he hungreth and spiritually thirsteth in approoued hope the Lords promise enduring the griefe of present oppression assuredly by fayth to reape the rewarde of his pacient hope bicause he had the worde of God a most faythfull Norice therto for his warrante 1. Pet. 2.2 For thus sayde the Lorde by Reuelation to Symeon Thou shalt not dye before thou hast seene the Messias Christ the Lorde Luc. 2.26 Note here good Reader the nature of Gods promises giuen to his chosen children They are not performed at the first houre but they are deferred longer then our selues would desyre and they are not performed till the fayth of the parties be perfitly prooued and by the opposite occurrents sore exercised God the Father promised the comming of his beloued sonne Christ here imbraced of Symeon at the fall of Adam and Heuah Gene. 3. Gen. 22.18 Gal. 3.8 Esa 64.1 Mat. 13.16 Luk. 10.24 and renewed it to Abraham and by hys Prophets continued the same but the time prolonged forced many of the best fathers to cry Oh that thou wouldest pierce the heauens and come downe and to say Oh Lorde sende thy glory vnto Syon and thy sauing health vnto Ierusalem And as our Christ doth testifie many kings and Prophets haue desyred to sée Christ and haue not séene him or could the times enioy the performance of this promise till the fulnesse of time by him set were come Heb. 1.1 and that by contrary presumptions the fayth of his chyldren were thorowly exercised But when the tyme by his deuine wisedome appointed was come then did he faythfully giue the same Messias into the worlde that Symeon and the godlye then might beare wytnesse to vs his children nowe of his euerlasting faythfulnesse In this worde Nowe lyeth an Emphasis as if he had sayd The worde of my promise hath fed my fayth stablished my hope to wayte for thys our consolation Christ and sythe in thy mercy thou hast performed the word of truth Now let me depart in peace Here is to be well marked the force of true and lyuely fayth it doth persist in one it resteth vpon the promise of the worde The force of true fayth albeit that heauen and earth should séeme to runne on heaps together This is that most excellent gift of God that excelleth al vertues in whatsoeuer man Ephe. 3.17 Pray the Lorde therefore to giue thée fayth in Christ christian Reader and Christ thereby to dwell in thée then shalt thou abyde stedfast in hope after the worde of Gods promise whatsoeuer obstact shal arise against thée The Lord by his seruant Moyses promised the Israelits delyuerance out of the bondage of Egypt Exod. 4.29.30.31 But straight wayes wyth this promise arose such presumptions to the contrary as the hardnesse of Pharaos hart and cruelty their oppression and more labor thereby their sharpe correction for wants in worke and in the hower of their deliuerance his huge army persecuting them on the one syde the high Mountaynes and swallowing Seas to hold them in on the other syde that it might haue séemed to Israel Moyses warrant from God to haue bene rather a dreame of their desolation then the day of their delyuerance But they by this spirite confirmed in fayth did suppresse the present calamities by the Ancor of hope which from the shyp of their beléeuing consciences in these terrible Seas tossed they cast fyrmely pitched vpon the worde of promise which thus they had vz I will in a
mightye hande and outstretched arme delyuer you Whose pacient perseuerance the same Iehouah approoued when moste tryumphantly he caused the senceles seas in the faithfull answere of his merciful promise to obey his voice in the mouth of a man far inferiour to Pharaoh at whose commaundement they became against their nature seruiceable to his people Exo. 14.21 for they reared themselues as a loftie wall on either side and the sincking sandes were turned into a most firme ground and pleasaunt gréene path Hebr. 11.29 for the Israelites safetie in this their moste miraculous passage After whose ariuall on the other shore the saide Sea did returne to her former course and in the sight of the Hebrewes gaue to the Egiptiacall Tiranny his iust rewarde by the hand of God which herein drowned Pharaoh and all his host And déere Reader thou hast no lesse promise Exo. 14.27.28 but much greater to thée being a christian Israelite Namely that by faith thou shalt be deliuered from the power of spiritual Pharaoh the power of darkenes Col. 1.13 Rom. 3.24 bée translated into the kingdome of the Sonne of God in whom thou shalt be iustified and shalt haue forgiuenes of thy sinnes shalt be at peace with God shalt haue Christ thy sanctification iustification and redemption 1. Cor. 1.30 Thy Lord thy peace thy saluation thy light and thy glorie Thy selfe shalt approch the throne of grace with quiet conscience beholden of the father for his blessed and therefore beloued sonne for a citizen of the heauenly Ierusalem Ephe. 2.19 Rom. 8.17 an heire of that kingdome yea a fellowe heire with Christ Iesus And this is that peace which Symeon felt and saw with the eies of his faith when hée saide hée now went to his Fathers in peace But euerie opinion receiued in or of Christ is not this regenerating fayth There is a fayth attributed to the Deuils The Deuils beleeue saith S. Iames but they tremble and quake Iam. 2.19 There is a faith said to be in the hypocrits of the earth but Iames calleth that a dead faith And Paule to Timothy Iam. 2.17 Fides ficta a fained faith a faith all one with the Diuels and of some called an historicall fayth Iames ioyning them together saieth of them thus speaking to the counterfeite Christian Thou delightest in thy selfe and takest pride herein that thou art perswaded that there is but one God and the same thou holdest for thy God against the error of Paganisme which defend many Gods Thou doest this right and hereby thou doest farre excell them but yet art not thou ascended one step from the Deuils fayth who beléeueth euen as much and that Iesus Christ is the holye sonne of God also and the Redéemer of the world But in that he beléeueth God and Christ to be God and cannot beléeue in God that is as Augustine hath it to loue God and to walke in his feare with obedience they do al tremble at this name as the théefe before the Iudge and so do Hypocrites which haue but fictam fidem a fayned fayth Let no man obiect that the godly also doe feare God For it is easily answered their feare in God is coupled wyth fayth and loue in GOD with hope and perseuerance in constant faythfulnesse and obedience to his worde But in Deuils in wicked men and in hypocrits there is nothing but feare and desperation For as they beléeue they loue not they obey not wyllingly wherfore wanting his Spirite they haue no boldnesse they hope not but feare and looke for his anger not for his mercy bicause they cannot but be most cruell against his beloued members But the fayth which Symeon and all the iuste haue in God and Christ is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an opinion True fayth descrybed which leaneth to one parte yet so as he standeth something doubtfull of his side but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so fyrme stable so sure an assente and consent to the worde of truth by the working of the holy ghost that no doubt can driue vs from our Ancor holde in Christ And this gracious fayth is the gift of God which by the bright beames of his truth in his holye spirite doth not onely shyne and presse into our harts the worde of our saluation and fayth in Christ but doth enflame and transforme them and maketh them of an old substance a newe creature that thus knowing God they loue him as their father they worship and honor him as God they tremble at his worde least they offende such a most louing father they walke in his statuts and ordinances to doe them and put their whole truste in hym and in the worde of his truth though their synne their conscience and Satans malice doe accuse them yea though infynite temptations to the contrary of Gods louing fauour do assault them As that their synnes might alter his good purpose or that their weaknesse in fayth might chaunge hys mynde and loue towards them yet hauing this promise by Symeon 1. Cor. 1.30 1. Pe◠2.24.25 Heb. 9.12 Christ is our peace our light our saluation our glory by Paule our sanctification iustification and redemption by Peter our Byshop and high Priest by whose strypes we be made whole by the Epistle to the Hebrewes our sacrifice which once for all offred hath founde eternall redemption Hebr. 10.26 1. Ioh. 2.2 after whose Oblation there remayneth no more offering for sinne Finally our Mediator and Aduocate and the full reconciliation for our sinnes and the sinnes of the whole worlde yet I say notwithstanding such former assaultes these present promises doe seale vs vp and we conclude by our fayth in Christ after the assured word giuen vnto vs in the Pen of Paule There is no condemnation to them which bee grafte in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.1 which lyue not after the fleshe but after the spirite and we be so stablished by hope that tryumphantly we stande the accusation of Synne Rom. 8.33 34. Satan and Hell saying It is God which iustifyeth who can condemne It is he that is dead yea but which is rysen from death is set at the right hande of God and maketh intercession for vs his spirite teacheth vs to pray and in vs doth worke effectuall suspiration and supplications with hope to receyue moste certainly the loue of God and in this manner with Symeon Ioseph of Aramathea and the rest of Gods elect we daylie wayte for and expect with pacience the redemption of our bodyes Rom. 8.23 Luc. 21.28 that is the day of the last Resurrection And this our liuely fayth hath this loue so conioyned in vs that we do loue our Christ bicause he loueth vs first and walke in the effects therof before him and our brethren 1. Iohn 4.10 through the same his loue and therefore also tryumphantly against Satan Sinne Pope and Hell Desperation and Death we say in hart Who shal seperate vs from
the loue of Christ shall oppression shall extremitie shall persecution famishment Rom. 8.35 nakednes perill or sworde as it is written For thy sake are we al day slayne and brought as sheepe to the slaughter but in all these we are more then conquerors in and by him that loueth vs. So are we with Paule perswaded that neyther death nor lyfe Aungell principalitie or potentats neyther things present or to come neyther things aboue or yet belowe or any other creature can seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu our Lorde And this is that our fayth which is farre differente from the Iewes condemneth the Pagans conuinceth the Papists of Heresie and apprehendeth Christ Iesus which is our peace our saluation our light and eternall glory Further note here that as this christiaÌ„ faith is not without these workes of hope and loue So doe we learne that they procéede of fayth as they whose nature cannot be seperate from the same We are iustifyed by fayth sayth Paule and therefore haue peace with God by Christ Rom. 5.1 by whome we haue accesse by Fayth into that grace wherein we stande and glorye in the hope of the glorye of God Fayth hath two daughters Hope and Loue. Beholde the Apostle doth playnely affirme vs to haue accesse to God and peace in him the hope of glory by fayth in Christ But more playnely to the Ephesians saying We haue accesse in hope which is by fayth Ephe. 3.12 Here is hope sayde to be conceyued of the spirite and borne of fayth That Charitie also is borne of her as her second daughter 1. Tim. 1.5 Paule to Timothy doth wytnesse thus The ende of the commaundement is loue out of a pure harte and of a good conscience and of fayth vnfayned And how can it be but loue of force must procéede of fayth For thereby we beholde the Lorde our God to be our best good most mightie wise and best belouing father in whose loue he hath giuen vs his onely begotten sonne to dye for vs and wyth him hath giuen vs all things Howe cannot I saye then this Charitie to breake out of vs in floodes of loue to oure good God and elect brethren for him in euery such office as the rules therof requyreth at our hands But still obserue this for their order Fayth is the Noble parent the daughter of Gods holy worde whose father is Gods spirite begotten in the bed of a christian harte and hope is the fyrst Daughter of fayth Eph. 17. expecting the fruite of Gods faythfull promise and cannot be drawne from her mother bicause she is holden by the holy ghost nor thrust down to distrust or doubtfulnesse for that she is sustayned in her mothers lappe the most assured fayth in God And loue is the laste daughter and of longer contynuance For when the mother and her elder Sister shall giue ouer their office hauing attayned their rewarde and promise this vertuous loue in the saints of God shall neuer cease 1. Cor. 13.13 but contynue in the heauens with them for euer And thus hath loue of vs her due commendation but so as she is set orderly in her besytting place against the cauils of al Papists Atheists whatsoeuer Further to thée which art an olde man our aged Symeon standeth a perfite patterne to follow That not thy gray heares but thy graue and godly conuersation may with him approoue thée in the house of God a manne venerable and worthy regarde A Lesson to olde men His steps to lead thée are his fayth in Christ his feare in GOD his godly lyfe his loue to his Countrie and his desyre to departe these miserable dayes at the wyll and worde of God But in his godly lyfe thâ—e is by the Euangelist set downe for great and chiefe that he followed his guyde the holye Ghost O ye olde fathers whose gray heads doe sommon your toyled Soules to the Tribunall seate of God take care that ye follow Symeons trace in the obedience to Gods holye spirite For they alone are Gods children Rom. 8.14 which are ledde by his spirite and thereby doe mortifye and kyll the lustes of the flesh It is ynough and tootomuch that you haue spent the dayes of your youth after the wanton guyse of fleshlye lustes Learne to say with Paule when I was a chylde 1. Cor. 13.11 Psal 19.12 13. Eph. 24 7 I did as a chylde but now I am a man I haue cast away childishnesse Pray with holy Dauid O Lord forgiue me the rebellion of my youth lay not my presumptuous syns against me Reioyce with Sophocles that Nature hath bidde adue to the fleeting feates of fleshly affects Cast away whoredome and lasciuious delights A Christian cautar and aboue all delight not in thy former euils but reprooue thy selfe in them Ephes 5.11 and condemne thy hart for them Ioy in God and begge earnestly for repentance at his hands Luk. 15.21 and aske mercy with the prodigall sonne for thy wasting dayes past thee Defye the receypt of Satans baytes which now that Nature cannot ruffle as to fore do enflame thy hart with conceypt of fryuolous and fylthy ioy for the euill done déede so long time paste Eph. 4.29 Let no fylthy communication proceede out of thy mouth nor haue thou anye fellowship with the workes of darknesse but rather reproue them For so shalt thou be learned in Christ Be not so farre from the duety of an olde christian Father that a Heathen though a cyuill naturall man may well condemne thée A notable and pythie saying of Cicero Fylthy lustes sayth Cicero is hatefull to gréene dayes but most odyous to gray heares as of which commeth two pestilente euilles It bréedeth common crye of shame and dishonor to the aged Eccle. 9.25.2 and their example giueth beastly boldnesse to youthfull intemperance There be three things sayth the wyse man that God hateth A pore man that is prowde a ryche man that is a lyar and an olde Adulterer that doteth The Preacher Ecclesiastes Eccle. 11.9 derydingly sayth to a yong manne which olde men are in wisedome to recorde Reioyce in thy youth let thine harte cheere thee walke in the wayes of thyne harte and in the sight of thine eyes But knowe that for al these things God will bring thee to iudgement Doctrine for yong Gallants Therfore take away griefe out of thyne harte and cause euill to depart from thy fleshe for chyldhood and youth are vanity Hereto shall it much profite you you elder fathers if with Symeon ye enter the Temples of God where hys worde is daylie preached his graces exhibited and sealed to you in his Sacraments Where with the iust your contynuall prayers shall be acceptable and receyuing fruite in Christ Where shall this counsell of the Lorde be giuen you to your eternall good forth of his holy word Remember now thy Creator Eccle. 12.1 c.
Mathewe he descrybeth Abrahams seate to be in the kingdome of heauen Luc. 23.43 Mat 8.11 Ioh. 14.23 And in Iohn our seates with him in the heauens as in our Mansion house But neuer in the scriptures is the place of our deade godly fathers called eyther Lymbus or Purgatory but contrary they affirme there is no payne to them And Purgatory hath the same paynes the Papists which fayne that place say that Hell hath onely this is the difference that they which be in Purgatory shall come thence by the merits of the Church and purging in fyre in Hell there is no redemption Wherefore the godly fathers were not in Purgatory paynes but in the handes of God which is a Paradise of most pleasure And whereas by the Apostle Peter they go about to proue their Fathers Lymbo as whence the soule of Iesus Christ brought them that place doth neyther affirme the naturall Soule of Christ to go to Hell after his death on the crosse or else that he did bring thence the soules of the fathers For his spirite discending left all those there which he found not in a fayned Lymbo but in the paynefull Helles For thus sayth the Apostle He suffred in the fleshe but was quickned in the spirite 1. Pet. 3.18.19.20 by the which he also wente and preached vnto the spirites that are in prison which were in tymes paste disobedient in the dayes of Noah c. The Apostle sayth not that Christ in his naturall Soule went downe into Hell but he sayth that by that spirite which raysed him to life he preached to them that are in prison Nowe againe he sayth not he fetched out the soules of the fathers which were before hys comming in this prison but he sayth his spirite preached vnto them that still are in prison So farre from delyuerie are they that they as obstinate Rebelles remayne in their former tormentes Nowe then the reason standeth thus By what spirite Christ was raysed from the deade by that same spirite he wente or came to the spirites that are in prison but Christe was raysed not by his owne soule but by the deuine spirite of God euen by the operation of the father Therefore by his deuine power Eph. 1.17.18 not in his humaine soule he came vnto the spirites that are in prison Again note it is one to say he delyuered the Gaole and an other to saye he made an exhortation to the prisoners This their alledged place were it the soule of Christ yet prooueth not a delyuerye but a preaching to them that now was that Sauiour borne dead and crucified for the redemption of the worlde which by his spirite in the mouth of Noah for one hundred and twenty yeares space preached to the disobedient in his dayes had they beléeued That it was not the soule of Christ which quickned Christ from death but the Deuine power these places approue 2. Cor. 13.4 Rom. 8.11 Althoughe he was crucifyed by infyrmitie yet he was raysed and lyueth by the power of God Againe But if the spirite of him that raysed vp Iesus to lyfe dwell in you he that raysed Iesus from the deade wil also quicken your mortal bodies bicause his spirite dwelleth in you And againe Act. 4.10 Be it knowne to you al and to the whole people of Israel that by the name of Iesus of Nazareth whom ye slue and hanged on high whome God raysed vp from death by this man standeth this person sound before you To the Romaynes also we are commaunded to beleue in him Rom. 4.14 which raysed Iesus Christ from death And in the vj. chapter thus As Christ is raysed vp by the glory of the father where note that not by the soule of Christ but by God the father Christ was raysed vp so let vs walke in a newe lyfe And to the Ephesians Ephe. 1.17 Alwayes in my prayers I praye for you that the God of our Lorde Iesus Christ the father of glorye might giue vnto you the spirite of wisedome c. And a little after that ye may know what the hope is of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saintes is and what is the exceeding greatnes of his power towardes them that beleeue according to the working of his mightye power which he wrought in Christ when he raysed hym from the deade set him on his right hande on heauenlye places These places sufficiently expounde our Apostle or rather assist his affirmation which sayth that he suffred in the Fleshe but was raysed in the spirite that is by the Godhead of the father by which spirite in his deuyne nature long before he had our humayne nature vpon him he by his Prophetes taught the inobedient then as by vs his Apostles sayth Peter he preacheth to you in that spirite at this present Yea and also to the verye damned in the Hels no doubt at the death of Christ by the deuyne power of his holye spirite was the glory of his crosse opened to their greater condemnation which contemned their saluation in him as the godlye fathers and their sacred bodyes in great comforte by his power were raysed sundry from their brethren to testifye the glory of this our crucifyed Christ raysed vp by his father and set vp wyth him in glory Adde to this this place of Peter is so farre from warrante to that Popishe opinion that the soule of Christ fetched forth the soules of the godly fathers Adam c. That of the flatte contrary he sayth they to whome thys spirite came were disobedient And that thou shouldest not dreame of Christs soule after his death herein he setteth thée the time when this office was fulfylled saying In the daies of Noah whyle the Arke was a preparing Last of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the godly learned Beza doth interprete qui sunt which are not which were in pryson according to the efficacie of the gréeke worde And the Apostles purpose is not to tell vs that they were in prison what tyme Christe by his spirite in the dayes of Noah preached vnto them for then they were men in naturall lyfe as Noah was but he will giue the Iewes to vnderstande that all were drowned except eyght persons bicause they were disobedient vnto his worde All whose soules that then were damned nowe at the wryting of this Epistle and at this present and euer shall be thoughe their bodyes be rotten and dust are in prison So now most iustly they receyue damnation which refused their saluation in Christ preaching vnto them in spirite in the mouth of Noah not hauing as yet our nature vpon him We conclude therefore that Abrahams Bosome is a place of celestiall comforte a Paradise of pleasure vnspeakable the hande of God deuoyde of Hellish or any torments the Aulter of ioy the kingdome of God Iohn 14.2 Ephe. 1.18.19 Christes fathers house where he sayth are many Mansions euen the inheritance of the iust
Loe to thys place went the holy father Symeon departing wherof perswaded he departed in moste assured peace in conscience and with God who in his Christ with him being satisfied by his holye spirite setled the harte of Symeon in moste quyet rest That the soules departed walke not after death in earth againe But yet or I passe from thys worde departe for that I wryting this a most slaunderous reporte is raysed of an honest and vertuous Minister departed this lyfe that hys soule nowe walketh at this daye in his Parsonage house it shall not be vnprofitable Christian Reader that I saye something to the beating downe to death this error It is an olde sinister opinion of men that the soules of the dead depart not so from vs but that after buryall they walke in the earth and appeare vnto men exhorting them to this or to that as Gregory of Rome reporteth in his Dialogues Yea the Apostles might séeme to be combred wyth this error saying when they saw Christ vpon the water it is a Spirite Act. 12.15 And when Peter knocked at Iohn Markes mothers dore they saide to Rhoda the mayde it is his Angel This had they of the vulgare opinion receyued from Pithagoras teaching the soules of men to returne into the bodies of others eyther for correction or reward And thus deluded Herod hearing of Christ supposed Iohn Baptist to be rysen againe Mat. 14.1 Mar. 6.14 Luc. 9.7 whom he had beheaded And the better sort of the people dreamed Christ to be Helias Iohn Baptist Ieremy or some of the Prophetes all which we sée were most vntrue But as touching the departure of the soule once seperated from the bodye that it returneth not or can possibly into the world the storie of Lazarus doth affyrme Diues desyreth that Lazarus might come to help his tongue Luc. 16. but it is denied that they which be in ioy can come to the Helles He then desyreth that the soule of Lazarus may go to his brethren that are in the earth and may teach them to beware but he receyueth this aunswere They which be here cannot come hence and they which be there cannot come thence And they haue Moyses and the Prophets let them heare them and if they wil not heare them neyther wil they beleue though one should which is vnpossible before iudgement come from death againe Esa 8.19.20 Deut. 18. The Prophets doe forbid vs to aske counsell of the dead God lykewise in the lawe here Abraham doth sende vs to the Prophets and to Moses bookes for our instruction denying most constantly that any soules of the dead shall walke againe to teach or terrifie vs All they which departe thys lyfe be eyther godly or wicked If they be godly then are they by imputation iust and the soules of the iuste Sapi. 3. are in the hands of God And godly Lazarus cannot be permitted no not to do much good to come from Abrahams bosome But if they be wicked they lye in the Hels like sheepe and thence cannot Diues or his fellowes come though heauen and earth should runne together But thou wilt say what shall we saye to this there is much iumblyng in suche a house and there is séene lyuely such a man walke before vs Chrisost hom 29. whome we cannot but say to be our friend departed to all our sences iudgemente To thys I aunswere wyth Chrysostome vpon S. Mathew What shal we say to those voyces sayth he which saye I am the soule of such a man The Deuil not the soule of the deade it is that after buryall walketh to deceiue men Say it is not the soule of the deade man but it is the Deuill which doth fayne these things to deceyue the hearers thereby These are sayth he olde wyues Fables and fryuolous tales The soules of the righteous are in the hands of God and soules of Infants c. But the soules of synners are straight waye after their departure called to their place as playnely appeareth sayth thys father by Lazarus the righteous and the wicked rich man Loe this is no newe doctrine by vs deuysed but an olde truth by the Fathers concluded through the warrante of Gods worde that the soules of men departed be placed presently at the hower of death out of which place they cannot come againe to men in earth Whether Samuell apeared to Saule or no. before the day of iudgement But the Papistes séeme to presse vs with the apparition of Samuel to king Saule at the cuniuration of the Pythonisse To whome we soundly aunswere that Samuel appeared not to Saule but Satan abusing the king tolde him that he was Samuel But here againe they saye sée howe these men denye the playne Text of scripture Doth not the holye booke of GOD twise saye 1. Sam. 28. Eccle. 46. Samuel appeared vnto Saule we acknowledge the scripture to call the Spirite that apeared by the name of Samuel And albeit against the second place as not Canonicall we maye lawfully excepte August quest 3. yet we answere with Augustine ad Simplicianum the Bishop of Millaine It was not sayth he the spirite of Samuel raysed from his rest but it was some fantasie or imagination of the Deuill which the scripture notwythstanding calleth Samuel as Images be called after the names of such persons as they do represent Who doubteth sayth this father to name the Images of the Phylosophers pictured vpon the wall saying this is Cicero that is Salust and this is Achilles and this manne is Hector this is the flood of Simois and that is Rome when these be nothing other but bare pictures vpon a paynted wall No maruell therfore though the wryter of the sacred Storyes sayth he call this Image of Samuel by the name he represented or that the Deuill could transfigure himselfe to the shape of a holye man which hath power also to tourne hymselfe into an Aungell of lyght But Turtullian sayth Absit vt animam cuiuslibet sancti c. God forbid that wée should beléeue the Deuill to haue power to call vp anye soule of the saints of God much lesse of his holy Prophets for we are taught that Satan doth transforme hymselfe into an Angel of light with what ease then into the shape of a manne of lighte so he calleth Samuell bicause he is a member of Christ the true light of the worlde yea he doth sayth he affirme himselfe to be God and worketh great and prodigious things if it were possibly therby to seduce the elect people of God That learned father Peter Martyr sayth that Samuell apeared not to Saule but it was an imagined shape which by the delusion of Satan was brought vnto Saule and as we call it a Ghost and he gyueth probable reasons to approoue his assertion Diuers reasons proouing Samuell not to appeare to Saule First syth the case so stood with Saule that God would neyther answere him being often
prouoked eyther by Oracle by Prophete or yet by the Priest it is to be denyed that he would appeare to him by the deade especially considering hymselfe in his most holy iust lawe to haue forbidden the same in these words Let none be founde among you Deut. 18.10 that maketh his sonne or his daughter to go through the fyre betwixt two fyres by a superstitious ceremony therby to be purged or that vseth Wytchcraft or a regarder of tymes Popish purgatory her priests build all vpon the reporte of the deade as their Fryrie bookes declare wherfore accursed for abhominations or a marker of the flying of Foules or a Sorcerer or a Charmer or that counselleth with spirites or a Southsayer or that asketh counsell at the dead For all that do such things are an abomination to the Lord bicause of these abhominations the lord doth cast them out before thee Secondly this must be done eyther by the will of God or by force of Magicall Arte. This was not the will of God for his written will doth prohibet the same and Satans Arte cannot haue power against the will of God Thirdly if this Spectrum were Samuell then did he appeare eyther wyllingly or by force he coulde not come to Saule wyllingly for the hartes and obedience of the saints of God alyue and dead doe concurre with the will of him their father But in this apparision the Prophete should haue yéelded to sathan against Gods will but to saye he came against his wyll is more then wicked nay to say he came at al is pestiferous when Abraham affirmeth constantly that neyther Heauen or the place of Torture can yéelde from them the soules of the departed To conclude this matter of Samuel your vnholy lawe of your lyke holye father doth refell this opinion as a fantasie of no reputation It was not sayth this Decrée Samuel that apeared to Saule but the Deuill Decret pontif 26. que 5. cap. and he sayth it is an absurde and vnworthye matter to holde that so holye a manne from his natiuitie could by Deuillish arte be drawne to so wicked a man as Saule was But this was sayth the Decrée the fallacies of sathan hereby compelling men to dreame that he had power as well of the holye mens soules as of the wicked Thus by the scripture of God by the testimony of godlye Fathers by probable reasons and lastly O Papist by the Popes Decrée thou doest sée howe this was not Samuel but the delusion of sathan and is called in the storye Samuel respecting therby the mind of Saule supposing this Spectrum to be Samuel And as the golden Mice and Emraldes 2. Sam. 6.4.5 which the Philistines layd in the Arke of wytnes are called Mice and Emraldes and yet are but the shape and Figures of them made by the arte of the Philistines cunning Euen so the shape of Samuell set before Saule by the deceytfull arte of the Pythonisse bicause he stood for Samuel is so called in the holy story To this I could adde further proofe and authoritie but I suppose this sufficient to a godly minded man and also further testimonie of Fathers to deny that any soule of man walketh in this world after the hower of death Athanasius an olde learned and godly Father sayth Atha li. de ques 9. 13. that the wisdome of God will not permit the soules to retourne before the iudgement daye into this worlde least by such meanes the Deuill shoulde take vpon him mans shape and should into the forme of dead men being transformed say he were the soule of such a one raysed from death and by such deceyte should teach many lyes and false opinions to the destruction of the Church Augustine sayth that if the soules of the dead could walke wyth men in earth his godly mother Monica Aug. de cura pro mor. ca. 13 Illirius Cent. 2. who trauayled from Sea to lande to be with him would neuer nowe after her death be absent from him No truely the soules of dead men cannot walke in this worlde For presently at the hower of death as the olde Father Ireneus also sayth they are placed the godly in ioye the wicked in perpetuall payne But the Papists obiect yet against this truth and say that this Samuel did foretell to Saule what shoulde become of him in that battle and that he and his children should be slayne and Saule himselfe shoulde be with thys Samuel These things say they the Deuill could not tell for the Deuill knoweth not things to come it must therfore of necessitie be the true Prophete Samuel which being the Lordes Prophete could therefore foretell of these things But all this is easily aunswered This obiection standeth vpon trembling props as thus The Deuil foreknoweth not things to come but this knewe before hand that Saule shoulde in the ouerthrowe be slayne therefore was not this the Deuill which by the Pythonisse was raysed By the same reason maye I say this was not Samuell Esa 41.23 for the holye scriptures doe attribute this alone to God to tell things before they come to passe yet for all that the same place doth nothing derogate but that the Deuil may foreknow and also declare some things or that they come to light For sometyme he receyueth commission of the Lord to plague this Country Deuils doe foreknowe many thinges and that person as the rodde of his loue or anger and standing among the saints of god he heareth the sentence which had swiftlye and easily he can vtter before the execution be done For the Deuils can most spéedily as the wynd ouerrunne the earth therfore by Tertullian they be called Volucres But hauing authoritie to plague Iob Iob. 15.16.17 coulde he not haue told Iob what shold haue become of him before he brought the Caldes the foure wyndes the fyre and death to hys children and sicknesse to hymselfe yes veryly sent to bée the lying spirite in the mouth of Achabs false Prophetes with this warrant 1. Reg. 22.21.23 c. that he should preuayle was it not in his skyll to vtter Achabs destruction as Micha did before it came to passe yes certainely But the Lorde will not vse the person of the Deuill to be his Prophet and therfore his deuyne spirite spake in the mouth of his holye afflicted seruant Micha So no doubt did he know Gods counsel vttered touching Saule whose ende the Lorde had determined to be at this tyme perfected and therfore of the Pythonisse demaunded gyueth answere thereby to bring Saule into greater desperation which was Satans glory Further the infernall spirites be also called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which name some of the olde fathers as Tertullian Lactantius and others affirme them to haue asciendo of knowing much But doth Daemon the Deuill knowe of his owne present knowledge things to come No for that is proper onely to God who comprehendeth all tymes all men all things and
fulnesse of our lyfe perfited in him 2. Cor. 5.16 Heb. 1.2 We doe not in déede beholde Christ nowe anye more after the fleshe or that waye to imbrace him in our armes But he shyneth the beames of his fathers glorye into our ignorante harts and in the bosome of our faythfull brests he maketh his habitation By his holy gospell he sheweth himselfe face to face and not by the infyrmitie of his flesh but by the deuine power of his holy spirite he teacheth vs purgeth vs and pardoneth our sinnes and changeth vs to a lyfe most méete for his holy presence And to be short he is so absent from vs in body that we maye with boldnesse spiritually approch to his grace Heb. 12. Rom. 5.1 set on the right hand of his father in glory Loe this is that christian sight and heauenlye presence that we haue of our Christ And if this cannot worke in vs a wyllingnesse to dye with ioye bicause oure synnes by Christes death purged we shal raigne with him eternally then are we a thousand tymes more harde then the Adamant blinder then the Moules and more vnkinde then the vnnaturall Iewes it is verye significante that Symeon sayth No man saued but by hys owne fayth Because mine eyes hath seene c. In which wordes are layde vp this Emphasis that not other mens fayth could worke this comfort in this good father excepte together his owne eyes in fayth had séene this Babe to be hys sauiour Abac. 2.4 Gal. 3.11 Hebr. 10.37 according to the Prophet Abacuck his saying The iust man shall lyue by his fayth Note he sayth not by the fayth of the Church or by the fayth of another for him but he sayth he shal lyue by his owne fayth For the fayth of an other man cannot saue thée or yet the fayth of the whole church Or that which more is Christ will not saue thée or can his death be thy lyfe vnlesse thou in thine owne hart fyrmely beléeue in him Wherefore let not the Papist longer deceyue thee which teach it sufficient thoughe thou know not what to beléeue if thou yet beléeue as their Churche beléeueth which is the greatest daunger to thy soule that possibly can bée eyther to rest in the later Romishe fayth since the daies of Popery or not to beléeue vpon assured knowledge of Gods promise in the warrant of his word thy selfe For the holy scriptures do condemne al those which themselues effectually beléeue not in christ and promiseth saluation to him that beléeueth 1. Pet. 2.7 To you which beleeue sayth Peter he is precious but to them which beléeue not he is the stone which the buylders refused which stone shal crushe his enemies that beléeue not al to powder 1. Ioh. 3.36 Iohn sayth Hee that beleeueth in the sonne of God hath eternall lyfe But he that beleeueth not the wrath of God abydeth vpon him And Christ our Sauiour Hee that beleeueth in me hath eternall lyfe Againe Ioh. 3.18 He that beleeueth not is condemned already that is to saye it is impossible but he that dyeth not beléeuing shall be damned And to the Gallathians Paule sayth Gal. 3.26 Ye are all the sonnes of God bicause ye haue beleeued in Christ Iesu but as manye as rest in the workes of the lawe are subiect and vnder Gods cursse By this speciall gift in euerye mans owne soule from God is he made the sonne of God and by no other meane is God his father vpon whome he maye call with boldnesse in and by his spirite as the chylde vpon his Parentes and shall be heard For thus the Euangelist sayth As many as beleued in him he gaue them prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God The worde that was preached to Israell in the wildernesse profited them not sayth the author to the Hebrewes bicause it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it yet in the wildernesse God had hys Church Moses Aaron and the rest which beléeued notwithstanding the fayth of this Church could not saue the other Israelits which beléeued not No more can the fayth of the church of God nowe saue them which are not conglutinate by the same spirite in the fayth of Christ loue in him by which the whole body growing together by synewes and ioynts doth encrease to an holye temple in the Lorde But without this coniunction no fayth Ephe. 2.21 no saluation or can the workes of such please God in whose heartes Christ dwelleth not by fayth as sayth the scriptures without fayth it is impossible to please God I denie not Rom. 14.23 Gen. 18. but the fayth and godlynesse of some may temporally bring some benefite to the Infydels as the Cities of Sodome had bene saued if there had bene founde in them but ten iuste persons And for Helias sake the wicked king Achab Iesabel The faythfull may obtayne temporall blessings and bodily helth but saluation is the gift of God to him that beleeueth onely and that persecuting kingdome Samaria had raine to fertyl the soyle which thrée yeares had lyen barren Also the Euangelists report the fayth of them which bare the man taken with Palsye much to profyte his health to whose fayth the Lorde Christ gaue respect and not chiefely their worke and healed the man But to the man he sayde My sonne thy synnes are forgiuen thee This worde sonne approoueth the Palsye man to beléeue in Christ by which fayth his sinnes are forgiuen him as by his bearers fayth his body was healed Luc. 9.8 Mar. 2.3 Mat. 9.1 I also comfortably confesse that the fayth of our father Abraham doth so much profite his posteritie bicause of the couenant of God with him and hys seede after him so as they are imputed to be gods children and that so long as they continue in that couenant But when they degenerate from their fathers fayth Gen. 17. God cutteth of this imputation and that the chylde borne of contrarie parents as the father an Infidell the mother a christian 1. Cor. 7.14 Abac. 2. Ezec. 18.20 I say with Paule that the chylde is holye through the fayth of the beléeuing parent But to iustification it is established that euerye man should be saued by his owne fayth To this sayth Ezechiel The righteousnesse of the righteous shal be vpon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be vpon himselfe To this end serueth that whole excellent Chapter to the reading whereof I referre thée The prayers of the faythfull doe much preuayle to those that yet are not fully brought to Christ Yea the ardent zeale of others fayth doth enflame the soules of their brethren to follow their steps in Christ and the prayer of one faythful man doth promise auayle to another for encrease in fayth Ephe. 6.18 19. Phil. 1.19 Wherefore Paule prayeth for all saints and desyreth them to pray for him For by the prayers of the Phillipians he perswadeth the trouble of
hym to preaching Paule And also of a most zealous Pharisey in blyndnesse made him most feruent in the Gospell of God to all our comfortes which be Gentyls For thys our Lord Christ Aelion most highe hath consecrated Paule aboue Peter to be our especiall Apostle both at Rome and else where in the rounde world Our Sauyour Christ our God Iere. 20. Esa 42. is also called of the Hebrewes El. to say of his great strength For whatsoeuer he wyll doe that can he doe For which cause he is called by the Prophets The God of strength and the mightye Lorde or Gygante Sometyme also Eloah and of the Trinitie in coniunction we may say Elohim which signifyeth God our Christ in his deuyne nature to be alwayes and euery where present in heauen and in earth and in peace and warre in persecution and preaching peace in workes and playes in actes and thoughtes in lyfe and death in all places at one and selfe instante Of whose presence the Psalmist sayth thus Whether shall I go from thy Spirite Psal 139. or where shall I flee from thy face If I ascend into heauen thou art there if I go down to hell thou art there also But if I shall take the wings of the morning and dwell in the farthest part of the Sea euen there shall thy hande gouerne me and thy right hande shall beholde me And Paule aptly pronounceth our Lordes presence to the Athenians Act. 17.28 testifying him not to be farre from them but they in him rather saying For in him we lyue moue haue our being And it séemeth probable for this cause the Grecians to haue called God Theos and the Latines to haue formed thence thys worde Deus As one learned affyrmeth Theos to come of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of redynesse and running to and fro so is God called by such a name as best can expresse his presence who is neuer absent from mortall men in earth but to euery man in all places gyueth all things that they possesse Of which his liberalitie some suppose him to be called Deus a dando for that he gyueth to all men that they haue God our Lorde and Christ is also called Schaddai .i. sufficient in himselfe and the sufficientcy to all creatures that whosoeuer hath him to their Lorde hath all sufficientcy to body and soule to this and the lyfe eternall And in oure tongue we call Christ in his deuyne nature God that is the most principall and best good Lastly he is called the God of Abraham the God of Isaack the God of Iacob insinuating vnto vs from whence the holynesse of these Fathers with their fayth came And also that as we are the posteritie of the Noble Abraham by fayth in Christ So is he to vs our best good and most excellent God so that with Paule we may conclude our selues in him most vertuous Rom. 8.31.32 sufficient and blessed saying If God be on our syde who can be against vs. It is God that iustifyeth who shall condemne Againe if he hath giuen vs Christ how shal he not giue vs all things with him And by him we shall bée more then Conquerors Loe this god is thy Iesus whose power is prest and ready to thy best good if thou faythfully put thy trust in him He is also called the Lordes Christ which word Christ Luc. 4.18 Esa 61.1 importeth his honorable Function by the excellent Oyntment aboue his fellowes euen the holy ghost by which he is annoynted of his father to be the king and Priest of his Church for euer according to this saying Heb. 7.17 Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchesidech So then he is called Iesus of the worde Iesehak and so called as the Angell testifyeth bicause he saueth his people from theyr synne Mat. 1.21 The worde Christ is a greeke word which aunswereth the Hebrewe vocable Messhiah annoynted In olde tyme with the people these persons Prophets Priests and Princes were annoynted with Oyle Wherefore our Iesus is called Anoynted signifying the plentifull graces of Gods spirite giuen to those called of god to these Functions and also into what perillous daungers and harde battles they were to enter which truely exercised that seuerall calling By which Oyling they were as with a Symbole put in mynd what couragious Champions they ought to be in their offices This was the cause why the noble Champions before the pryse playde were annoynted But in as much as the Lord Christ had a greater enimy then all other Champions and therewyth a most deadly fyght towards whose body and soule was to stande in the battle of death vppon the crosse against his fathers iustice for the synnes of the whole worlde Satans malice and mans corruption Hell and Death it was most necessary that he shoulde before thys cruel combate haue a more precious Oyntment then had his shadowing fellowes preaching Prophets sacrifycing priests and ruling Princes Wherefore he was annoynted with the holy ghost The spirit of God is vpon me sayth Christ because he hath annoynted me that I should preache the Gospell to the poore c. Esa 61. Luc. 4.18 This sentence expresseth Christs priesthood kingdome and preaching office He is sente sayth he to preache His kingdome he is annoynted to delyuer the oppressed His priesthood he is giuen to heale the broken and wounded hartes wyth synne and iniquitie by the sacrifice of his death vpon the crosse During hys lyfe he preached the gospel Rom. 1.16 which is Gods power in Christ to saluation to euery one that beleeueth In his sacrifice of hymselfe vpon the crosse he performed both the other By his death he healed our infirmities Esa 53. Col. 1.20 for the chastisment of our peace was layde vpon him In hys death he obtayned the victory hauing fully aunswered the Fathers iustice against synne death and hell and spoyled principalities and powers and hath made a shew of them openly Col. 2.15 and hath tryumphed ouer them in the same crosse He hath forgyuen vs our synnes put out the hande wryting that was agaynst vs he hath taken it out of the waye and fastened it to his crosse hath translated vs from the power of darknes into the kingdome whereof he is king of kings and Lorde of Lordes vz the body of hys Church of which he is the onely heade Whose kingdome is thréefold of power of grace and of glory Of power for all Nations shall bow the knee to this Lorde of Lordes and king of kings Christ the annoynted king and priest And who so wyl not kysse the sonne Christ Iesus shal perish whether Prince Psal 2. 1. Rom. 14 17. Potentate Preacher Magistrate people or pestilente Pope Of grace which he sayth by Luke is within vs and consisteth as Paule sayth in righteousnesse Christ the high Byshop of our soules in peace and ioy in the holy Ghost His kingdome of glory as well in that he
saying Ioh. 6.44 Mat. 3.17 Mat. 17.5 This is my beloued sonne in whom not in any other matter or man I rest wel pleased heare him The holy ghost in lyke maner beareth wytnesse of Christ preacheth him and teacheth no other doctrine 1. Cor. 3.11 1. Pet. 2.6 Eph. 2.20 then fyrst he gaue to the Church The Apostles lay him the onely foundation and corner stone of Gods house denying all other to haue such place in the conscience of man Peter calleth the Pope and all other onely to Christ Peter the Apostle vpon whose person that Antichrist of Rome falsely fathereth all his vsurped authoritie calleth al men lyuing stones vnto this stone Christ and calleth hym the stone onely precious That sinister doctrine which is layde vppon this buylding shall vanishe awaye but all opposite to the same Gal. 1.8 is thereby moste flatly accursed with the bringer and begynner therof be they men or Angels Hereby then is Popery proued guyltie of highe Treason against the truth of God which flat against the course of Gods booke and holy church setteth into the consciences of men themselues and their inuentions for Gods their Saintes of all sortes for lyghtes and guydes helpers and Sauyours to the glory of their Pope and ignominy of the Lorde of the house Iesus Christ It is not Mary Gods mother his Apostles Angels or men but onely and alone Iesus Christ that Symeon sayth GOD the Father hath prepared and erected as it were vpon an high place that all men might see and perceyue him to be to them al their only Sauyour lyght and glory Secondly our Saluation is by Symeon deuinely here alone giuen to Gods prouision not mans deuise saying He hath prepared and therein his great and inestimable mercy is made manifest who whyle euery man falleth in lust from God to damnation in security without remorse God our good Father yet prouydeth for them all his one and alone sauing health an other himselfe euen his onely begotten sonne Christ our Lorde To this ende is the Parable of the Kings banquet Mat. 22.4 where the Fatlings are kylled and al things made ready before the guestes be called so that their is no other thing for them to do but onely to obey the voyce of the Caller Our Redemption is in Christ the preparation in God the Father our grace to imbrace and receiue it in the holye ghost This was the fayth of the Patriarkes and fyrst fathers Thus Dauid confessed saying Thou doest prepare a Table before me in the syght of myne aduersaryes Psal 23.5 This was the doctrine of Christes Spirite in Zacharius lyps that the mercye of God gaue and prepared vs this lyght of the Gentyls Luc. 1.78 the day starre from an high and not for our procéeding works which all were malicious as Paule sayth to the Romans or for our succéeding merits Rom. 5.8 which are menstruous and fylthy in gods eyes but of hys owne synguler loue Esa 64.6 Rom. 8. Ioh. 3.16 gaue he vs his prepared Christ for our Saluation as this our heauenly lyght and glory sayth So dearely God loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne thereto that as many as beleue in him should not perishe but haue lyfe euerlasting Thirdly he hath prepared him to be a Lyghte to the Gentyls and the glory of Israel Thrée things in the former Verse are to be noted First why Christ is called Lyght Secondly the vse of this light And thirdly to whome he is a light giuen to be made knowne vnto Namely vnto the Gentyls Christ is most worthyly called light not onely bicause he is the engrauen forme and brightnesse of the Father of lyghtes but also bicause he giueth light Col. 1.15 Ioh. 1.9 and doth illuminate the hartes of all things that come into the worlde called so not onely for the light and lyfe he giueth to the body Christ is our onely lyght but also and most speciallye for the heauenly light of Gods knowledge which he engraueth by his worde and spirite in the hartes of all men but most effectually in the Electe and chosen children Of which light and illumination the Euangelist Iohn speaketh in the gospell saying Ioh. 1.4 In hym was lyfe and this lyfe was the lyght of men and thys lyghte did shine in darknesse the darknesse did not comprehend it By the worde life he meaneth all liuing power which at this daye is to be séene in all creatures as well endued with naturall reason spirituall wisedome as sauage creatures and sencelesse things trées plantes herbes grasse corne c. Eche of these hath his proper lyfe and of Christ the Creator the light and lyfe of all things And for that no man should suppose this lyght whereof he speaketh to concerne the lyfe and lyght which euer is common with the bodyes of men and beastes He addeth that this lyfe was the light of men So teaching vs what lyfe we are to receyue of him we being blynde and ignorante darkenesse Namely the lightning of our minds with the word of his truth whereby our hartes doe see in perfite wise Christ Iesus to be the day starre from on high Luc. 1.7.8 sente of hys Father to giue light to vs Gentyls that were in the dore and prison of darknesse Esa 42.7 Symeon had respect no doubt calling Christ a Lyght to the Prophets which so spake of him Namely that Noble Esay Esa 42.6 saying I the Lorde haue called thee in righteousnesse and wil holde thine hande and I wyll keepe thee and guyde thee for a couenant of the people and for a lyght of the Gentyls that thou mayest open the eyes of the blynde and bring out the prisoner out from the prison and them that syt in darknesse out of the prison house And againe Esa 49.6 It is a smale thing that thou shouldest bee my Seruant to rayse vp the Tribe of Iacob and to restore the desolations of Israel I wyl also giue thee for a lyght to the Gentyls that thou mayest be my saluation vnto the ende of the worlde Nowe in thys Parable there be two things worthy the note First that all men in themselues as well Iewes as Gentyls be méere darknesse The other that God the Father in heauen and earth hath giuen no other to illuminate mankinde with the light of nature of God and true godlynesse but his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ and him onely to the whole worlde as hymselfe wytnesseth Ioh. 8.12 saying I am the light of the worlde And most lyuely is our Christ represented by the glorious Sunne which being in his Spheare farre aboue Christ our light shadowed forth by the Sunne performeth al his office enioyned him wythout default to the circuits of the whole earth and Seas and that to the endes of the world And by the way note good Reader how the Lorde taketh apt occasion by the tyme and place where he is to
them with the other as before howe they are degenerate and Paule himselfe in his Epistle to the Romaynes Paule feared the Apostasie of Rome doth warne that church of the same which after came to passe vz. that she shoulde take héede for as God had not spared the naturall branches hys Church in Iewry Cap. 11.21.22 So they in that church of Rome should not be high minded but stande in awe He exhorteth them to consyder Gods sharpnesse towards them that are fallen away and hys goodnesse to the church of Rome and other Gentyls that they maye by grace remayne in their receyued goodnesse Otherwise sayth Paule Thou also though thou be the church of Rome shalt be cut off Then syr there is feare in Paule of the errors and departing from the fayth which after came to passe I saye in the Church of Rome and remayneth at thys day so as one of the Popes Legats called Cheregatus Io. Sleda lib. 4. Io. Sarisb sent by Adryan then Byshop of Rome to the great assembly of the Empyre at Norembirge in Germany 1523. by his maysters warrante sayd thus in the assembly A sacerdotibus iniquitatem populi duianare multis nunc annis c. That is the iniquitie of the people grew from the priests that now for the space of manye yeres there haue bene great offences coÌ„mitted in Rome and all thys plague and mischiefe haue followed vnto all the inferiour Rulers of the church euen from the high throne of the Popes sauing thy reuerence good Reader owne holynesse Fasciculus reruÌ„ sciendarum And in the late Counsell or conspiracie rather at Tridente Cornelius Byshop of Bitanto hath affyrmed the lyke Al filthynes from the Pope They haue brought to passe sayth he that godlynesse is turned into hypocrysie and that the sauour of lyfe is tourned into the sauour of death Would God they were not gone wholy with general consent froÌ„ Religion to superstition from fayth to infydelity from Christ to Antichrist from God to Epicurisme saying with wicked harte and fylthye mouth There is no God Neyther hath there bene this great whyle any pasture or Pope that regarded these things for they all both Pope and Prelates sought their owne and not so much as one of them neyther Pope or Cardinall sought for the things that pertayne to Iesus Christ By thys sufficient wytnesse of their owne good Reader thou now séest as the church of Rome may erre So in déede truth she hath for many yeres erred and that most fylthyly Examine the chiefe points of her Religion wherein she most gloryeth and thou shalt finde them eyther to haue their beginning and warrant of mans mortall brayne or if borrowed from Christes worde and institution the same greatly corrupted shadowed and abused Chose what poynte thereof that lyketh thée best and it wyll so appeare in euydent proofe The opinion of syngle liâ—e in priests examined in apparent truth As for example The syngle lyfe of popishe priests is a principall poynte of their profession Against which we will fetche no other wytnesse then themselues and their alowed Doctors to proue that thys opinion most stricte yoke which not many of them are or can he able to beare is farre shorte the warrante of God and deuised of their selfe inuention rather Ex diametro Priests syngle lyfe is an humane constitution againste God and holye scripture right agaynst God and his sacred worde First Hierome sayth that Paule doth not commaund christian men to put away their wyues The words of this Father their Church Doctor as they chalenge him are vpon the words of Paule Let euerye man abyde in the vocation wherein he was called Ex hoc habentibus vxores c. Hereby S. Paule byddeth not maryed men to put away their wyues sayeth Hierome Hier. coÌ„tra IouinianuÌ„ lib. 1. Dist 31. Quoniam Ergo say I Christianitie or the Gospell compelleth not syngle lyfe Further in the sixte counsell at Constantinople it is thus set downe Folowing the olde Fathers and diligence of the Apostles and the constitutions and lawes of the holye fathers from henceforth we wyll that the lawfull mariage of priests and Byshops shall stande in force not in any wayes dissoluing the lawfull mariage bedde with their maryed wyues Note he sayth that the mariage of Byshops and priests is the order diligence and lawes of the Apostles and holy fathers and sayth their maryage bedde is lawfull and therefore wyll not they compell syngle lyfe to the Clergy But yet more a most deare friend to the Pope and gatherer of his fragmentine lawe called Gratian sayth hereof Copula sacerdotis c. 16. Ques 2. sors The mariage of priestes sayth he is not forbidden by any authoritie eyther of the law or of the Gospell or of the Apostles Saint Ambros expounding these wordes of the Apostle Ambro. in 1. Cor. 7. Touching Virgins I haue no commaundement sayth Si Doctor gentium non habuit quis habere potuit If the Doctor of the Gentyls had no commaundemente of the Lorde touching Virgins what man else then coulde euer haue Clemens Alexandrinus sayth all the Epistles of the Apostles all which teache sobrietie and continente lyfe Clem. strom li. 3. whereas they contayne innumerable preceptes touching Matrimonye bringing vp of children and gouernment of house yet they neuer forbad honest and sober mariage The Apostles neuer forbad honest maryage And to suffise this matter I will stay with the testimony of the Popes owne Legate Slatere Cardinall Caielanus whose wordes are touching this matter thus It cannot be prooued eyther by reason Card. Ca. in quodli contra Luthe nor by authoritie speaking absolutely that a priest synneth in marying a wyfe For neyther the order of priesthood in that it is order nor the same order in that it is holye is any hindrance to matrimony For priesthood breaketh not mariage whether it be contracted before priesthood or afterward Setting all Ecclesiasticall lawes aparte standing onely vnto those things Pano de claric coÌ„iuga cum olim which we haue of Christ and his Apostles Abote Panormitane sayth Single lyfe is not of the substance of the order of priesthood nor of the law of God The long practise in the church of Rome approoueth mariage in Ministers or priestes holy and lawfull syngle lyfe in Popishe priesthoode compelled to be a corrupte lawe after long tyme by tyranny thrust vpon the Clargy Pope Damasus wryteth that many Popes of Rome themselues were maryed priestes sonnes Sundry the Byshops of Rome maryâ—â— priests chyldren As Syluerius Pope was the sonne of Syluerius also a Byshop of Rome Pope Dens dedit was the sonne of Steuen a Subdeacon Pope Adrianus Ex Damaso ad Hieron ex Platina Nan clero the sonne of Thalar a Byshop Pope Iohn 15. the sonne of Leo a Priest Pope Hosius Steuens sonne Subdeacon Agapetus Pope had one Gordeanus a priest to his
Father Pope Gelasius was the sonne of Valetius a Byshop Pope Boniface the sonne of Iocundus the priest Pope Iohn the 10. was the sonne of Pope Sergius The second Syluerius was the sonne of the Byshop Ormysda Anno Domini 524. Pope Felix 3. the sonne of Felix a priest of Rome 474. Pope Theodorus was the sonne of Theodorus Byshop of Ierusalem 634. And Policrates Byshop of Ephesus doth shew that seauen of his parents did linially discending possesse the Sea and Bishoprick of Ephesus before him and he himselfe was the eyght In the time of Pope Alexander 3. there was a controuersie in Englande for the Patronage of a Benefice betwixt the Prior of Plympton in Deuonshire and one Iohn de valle forda The Iudges were deputed Richard Archbishop of Caunterbury and Roger Byshop of Wynchester before whom the Prior of Plympton proued his right thus A Iury patronatus in Englande prooued for the Benefice of Plymoth by the succession of maryed priests chyldren There was sayth he a priest of Plympton called Alpheidge and had the benefice of Sutton now called Plymouth of the Pryor of Plympton This Alpheidge had a sonne called Sadda which also had the benefice after his father and after Sadda was there another priest called Alnoldus which also had the benefice this Alnoldus had a sonne called Robart Dunpruste D. Barns ad Henr. Regeni 8. which after the decease of his father Alnolde had also the sayde benefice And after thys Robart Dunpruste Wylliam Bakon his sonne lykewise enioyed the same benefice And so féest thou good Reader both abroade and at home the Churche of Rome to haue practised in priesthood holy matrimony wythout check Damas dist 56. cap. osius Polid. de inuent rerum li. 5. For all these and a great many moe the Popes lawe testifyeth to be the sonnes of Subdeacons Deacons and priestes and haue borne the Myter in the Church of Rome Polidorus Virgilius sayth that the restraynte of priestes mariage was fyrst attempted in Englande about the yere of our Lord. 970. and was concluded in the Romishe Churche after Anno. 1100. and neuer before Fabyan pag. 293. So that as Fabyan testifyeth Byshops and priests lyued with their wyues in holye Matrimony after Christes ascention about a thousande yeares together Is not thys a playne proofe Priests mariage lawful a thousande yeres after our Christs ascention that syngle lyfe is lately not yet 600. yeares ago growne into the Church and so the inuention of man compelling men to that extremitie which neyther God or his Church doth coÌ„maunde Virginitie sayth Ambrose is a thing that may be counselled but not compelled These Romanists doe commaunde that herein which themselues kéepe not as Orygen sayth so long fythe Non solum c. Orig. in mat tract 24. Not onely they doe not that they teach but also cruelly without mercy they commaunde others to doe that they be not able not consydering or waying eche mans strength Such be they sayth he that forbidde men to marry and from that thing that is lawfull dryue and force men to an immoderate kynde of vncleanesse Hier. aduersus IouiniaÌ„ li. 1. But they are condemned of their chiefe Doctor Hierome who sayth thus Si quis consideret virginem suam c. If any man consyder that his owne Virgin that is to say his owne flesh groweth prowde and boyleth vnto luste and eâ—â—n of stay it there is sayde vpon him a double necessitie eyther to take a wyfe or to fall If a Papiste would replye this in the laytie lawfull but not in the priests which haue vowed chastity and syngle lyfe let him remember what his owne rule written in his fathers law the Popes Decrée sayth In malis promissis c. 22.9.4 In an euill promise breake thy fayth 1. thy othe in an vnhonest vowe change thy purpose that thou hast vnaduisedly vowed sée thou doe it not it is an euill promise that is kept with wickednesse c. But to helpe this darknesse the Papists vse a mistie reason Holy maryage no let to godlynes in Ministers amongst sundrye Paradoxes Mariage is saye they an hyndrance to priests in their office therfore may they not marry Yet the olde fathers gathered forth of the vewe of holye scriptures example that mariage was no let but a furtherance rather and in déede to godly lyfe Chrysostome sayeth Chri. 1. Ti. hom 10. although mariage hath much trouble in it selfe yet maye it so be taken and vsed that it shall be no hindrance to perfite lyfe Cont. Iudeos GeÌ„t To. 3 pag. 363. Agayne he sayth Excuse not thy selfe by thy mariage Thy Lorde was at the mariage feast and honored it with his presence and yet doest thou blame mariage And sayest thou that mariage is an hynderance vnto godlynesse I tel thée mariage is no maner of hyndrance vnto godlynsse Wylt thou know that it hyndereth not to haue a wyfe and to haue children Had not Moses wyfe and chyldren Beholde Peter a pyller of the Church he had a wyfe therefore fynde no faulte with mariage Agayne Esay sayth he the beholder of celestiall Seraphins who notwithstanding he had companye wyth his wyfe yet he quenched not the grace of God Agayne Esay had a sonne and a wyfe that thou mayst vnderstand that mariage is not euill but that fornication is euill Agayne Aug. in ques nou vet Tes q. 127 what did mariage hinder thée No thy wyfe is gyuen thée to be thy helpe and not to deceyue thée Augustine sayth most holye Samuel begat children and yet nothing abated the merittes of his righteousnesse Zacharias the priest in his olde age begat a chylde to say Iohn Baptist wherefore then is that thing accused which is proued to doe no maner of hurte Ambr. in 1. Cor. 7.33 Againe Ambrose sayth we sée both Virgins to be carefull for the worlde and maryed persons to be carefull for the works of the Lord. But so farre sayth godly Chrysostome is maryage from hindering that it much helpeth to godlynesse and administreth great comfort For it represseth the rage of natures fury sayth he suffceth vs not to be dashed and toste as the waues of the Sea Mariage an help to godlynesse in priests but causeth that our ship may happily arriue into the Hauen Christ in gen ho. 21. And for that cause hath God giuen thys comforte vnto mankinde To be short the learned priest Gregory Naziancene testifyeth of his fathers help by mariage being the Byshop of Nazianzum on this sorte Euah that was giuen to Adam for an helper became an enimy c. Nazian in Ehitaph patris My mother being gyuen to my father of God became not onely his helper for that had bene no great wonder but also was hys leader and Captayne bothe by worde and by déede trayning him to the best And albeit in other things it were best for her to be subiect vnto hir
securitie for thy Christes sake But as their is a lyking generall except of Gods chosen and mutuall for these euils So is there else a pestilent hate among these sorts of men For the Riche men as Micha sayth are full of crueltie Mich. 6.12 and the inhabitants of the land speake lyes one to another there is to daye no trust in mans tongue The worlds fashyon We are become Coosoners one of another there is but deceyte in our mouthes The good men perishe amongst vs and there is none righteous in earth Men lye some in wayte for blood 7.2 others hunte as with a Hay net to catch his brother The Iudge iudgeth for rewardes the great man speaketh out the corruption of his harte and so against the poore it is shut vp Mic. 6.13.74 that no man dare whisper against him Therefore will the Lorde make vs sicke with smyting and desolate bicause of our synnes The day of our watchmen and visitation commeth then shall be our confusion Againe Gods church is spoyled the people by impropriations robbed of their Pastour by whose spirituall féeding this bread of lyfe should worke saluation by Christ in them This is presumptious darknesse Ioh. 2.15 Christ droue out those which bought and solde in the Temple and saide that they made it a den of theeues But what will he do to these Impropriaâ—â—ons the seede of ignorance in godly knowledge and a great cause of Gods anger ouer vs. which buy and sell the church it self and al her maintenance From God and his Ministers to Atheists Papistes and curssed worldlings that lyue of the Churches spoyle and hate the Lord thereof his worde and ministry Dauid sayth He hateth all those that haue euil wil at Syon Antiochus for spoyling the Temple had a shamefull ende Let not these in this looke for a happie blessing Wyl a man spoyle his Gods sayth the Lord but you haue spoyled me Mala. 3.8 and yet you say wherein haue we spoyled thee In tythes and offerings haue you spoyled mee sayth the Lorde ye are curssed with a cursse for yee haue spoyled me sayth the Lorde euen this whole Nation Note well beloued this darknesse is more pestiferous in that it doth beget the ignorance in learned letters and of Gods truth to the posterity to come For who is he that seing the Church so spoyled will sende and set his sonne to schoole to be a preacher when the reward of that holy learning and place is next vnto beggery except the highe Roumes This is Gods iudgement for ignorant darknesse But when shal I make an ende a whole volume would not sufficiently set forth the worlds darknesse and humane fraile conditions For the preachers are to the people as a merry sounde Ier. 5.13 Eze. 33.32 as the Prophete sayth of one which syngeth a pleasant song And so it is nowe All our endeuour is to marke the Preachers cunning his Eloquence and synguler gyftes and when the Sermon is ended we thinke sufficiently to haue aunswered all our duetie if vpon the conceyued delight of his well digested order The loue of thys tyme to Gods worde and ministers and sound delyuery we can and doe giue him his due commendations but the cause wherfore God sent him or he spake to our amendment we regarde not but as we came so we go and contynue as we were as not hauing heard at all Gods prophet sent amongst vs. Thys vniuersall olde and moste horrible darknes The Country hath receyued the Courtly vice night is tourned into daye and day into night to bedde at midnight and vp at the noone day The Sermon Bell doth lull these Babes a sleepe and Sathan laugheth at their swynishe slumber Halas thys synne Idolatrous feastes are daylie kept the Church Saint muste haue hys wake daye which is all spent being the Lords Sabboth in Bearebating Bacchus chéere and Venus fylthy sports Thys execrable darknesse in England without restrainte Euery man séeketh prayse one of another and therefore can they not beleue Ioh. 8.47.5.44 and seeke the only praise of God This flattering darknesse The holye Ministrie is holden in contempt Christ and hys Father despysed in them their patrons many Poling Patrons are become Latrons and pryue the preachers portion to serue their owne prouision it is ynough for the priest to haue ten powndes by the yeare and for this too he shal besydes carry a dyshe to his maysters Table or else stande at the dresser orderly to set out the messes of meate and supply the Clarke of the kytchyns place his Seruice and Homilyes he must cut short and measure them by the Cookes readynesse and dynner dressing the roste neare ready the kitchin boye is sente to master Parson to bydde hym make hast the meate is readye and hys mayster cals for dynner he commeth at a becke not daring to denye or make longer staye least his delaye might cause the Cooke to burne the meate and he be called of mayster and men Syr Iohn burne Goose These Parsons must begyn ende Gods deuyne seruice at their Patrons pleasures This sacrilegious darknes Agayne Gods Ministers haue taken to them womanishe hartes they doe not or dare not reproue the ryche and mightie of their iniquity Thys is our spirituall synne of which Chrysostome sayth Chrysost Reproue the myghtie in synne and they will feare thee be afrayd of them and they will despice thee O Lord amende thys tymerous darknesse To be short euery man in priuate talke accuseth his brother of darknesse and synne yea one and al and yet no one almost wyll submyt hymselfe to the censure of Gods worde or abyde thereby to be reprooued This Catholique darknesse Finally we walke after wicked counsels we stand and abyde in synfull wayes Oh returne before ye syt in scorners Chaire which cannot be reclamed for of all other thys is a most curssed synne and desperate darknesse O Lord be merciful vnto our gracious Quéene and shewe the lyght of thy countenance vpon vs and bée mercyfull to vs illuminate our harts aright that we may once sée our synne and vtterly cast of these deadly workes of darknesse for thy Christes sake our onely Lord and Sauyour But Syr sayth the Temporall as the worlde calleth them hath your selfe and Clergy some imunitie and pryuiledge from these darke and mistie clowdes of synne whereof you haue so sharply sayde Not in so déepe drownings I truste But are we frée No no God knoweth The priests lyps should preserue knowledge Mala. 2.7 at his mouth should the Lordes people fetch the wyll of God for he is the Lords messenger and Angel But halas of the most we may say Esa 56.10 The watchmen are al blynde they be al ignorante dumbe Dogs which cannot barke Clergy syn they lye and sleepe delight in sleeping and these greedie Dogges can neuer haue ynough and these shepeards cannot vnderstand the reason is for they all looke to their
from the people but of Satans Consisers which you Papists are We may say to you as Hierome your great Doctor sayth of your Fathers in tymes past and of the Valentinian Hereticks Barbaro simplices quosque terrent sono With a barbarous vnknown tong and sound of wordes they feare the symple that whatsoeuer they vnderstand not they may the more estéeme and haue in reuerence And least the Reader should be offended that I call the Laten tongue hereby barbarous let hym knowe how the Apostle holdeth euery tongue barbarous that is not vnderstoode of him to whom it is spoken saying Vnlesse I vnderstand the powre and meaning of the wordes I shall be barbarous to him that speaketh 1. Cor. 14.11 and he that speaketh barbarous vnto me But the Lorde in hys great mercy as he hath giuen his Christ to be made knowne to Iewe and Gentyle So hath he in these our happy dayes and present state by the contynuall preaching of his word most worthyly wrought the glory of his name Psalm 8. So that out of the mouthes of sucklings and babes yea from old wythered stocks and as it were dead stones Gods holye spirite floweth in Englande and myghtily setteth forth the prayses of our Christ hys light to vs Gentyls and full glory to Israel that imbrace him to whome therefore be eternall prayse But for that thys lyght cannot be apprehended by humane capacitie it is requisite that we séeke the means by which we may apprehende the same The fyrst hereto is that we haue the true Interpreter of the worde in our hartes euen the spirite of truth whose it is to teache vs and leade vs into all truth This Spirite is obteyned of God for Christ by earnest and vigilant prayer I wil pray the Father sayth Christ and he will giue you another comforter euen the spirite of truth Ioh. 14.16 and he shall lead you into all truth and shall abyde with you for euer So as Christ hath giuen vs example we must daylie pray the father for this Spirite to illuminate our sences that we may vnderstand his word aright Psal 119. Open mine eyes sayth Dauid that I may consyder the wonders in thy lawe Teach me thy iustifications and giue mee vnderstanding and I shall search thy commaundements And Paule the Doctor of the Gentyls in al his Epistles prayeth for the vnderstanding of the wyll and worde of God which commeth by the light of the holy ghost Collos 1.9 I haue not ceased synce the fyrst daye I heard of you Collossians sayth Paule to pray for you and to make peticion that you may be filled in al the knowledge of his will with al wisedome and spiritual vnderstanding Also for the Ephesians he sayth Ephe. 3.14 For this cause I bowe my knees to the father of our Lord Iesus Christ of whom is named the whole family in heauen and earth that he will for his riche gloryes sake giue vnto you mightily to be strengthened by his spirite in the inner man that Christ maye dwell in your hartes by fayth that you being rooted in charitie and grounded may comprehende with all Saints what is the breadth the length the depth and to know the loue of Christ which passeth al knowledge that ye maye be fylled with al the fulnesse of God A most excellent order howe we obteyne the vnderstanding of his worde the light of lyfe which expresseth the great goodnesse of our good GOD set forth by this Metaphor of Geomatrie of bredth length height depth that is to say the excéeding goodnesse of God which in euery place in heauen and earth East and Weast North and South appeareth through his lyght of the Gentyls Christ the Lorde to the sonnes of men Prayer is the fyrst step to this vnderstanding Prayer I saye to God the Father of Christ and vs. Gods mercifull gifte answering our prayer is the next which riche gift reacheth to our harts our light Christ the Lorde to dwell therein which Christ doth shyne by his spirite so in our soules that we by this spirituall power doe vnderstand the mysteries conteyned in his word doe heare his voyce and onely cleaue thereto eschewing al strange spéeches be they neuer so pleasant to the naturall eare 1. Cor. 3.14 For thus made spirituall we iudge al things Assure your selues by your owne desire of doing good to your own borne sonnes of your heauenly fathers gift euen his holye spirite to this ende Iac. 1.6 Luc. 11.11 If ye aske in faith not doubting Which of you fathers if his sonne doe aske him bread wil giue him a stone Or if he aske a Fishe wil giue him a Serpent Or if he aske an Egge wil giue him a Scorpion If you therefore sayth our light and Lord Christ being euil know how to giue your children good giftes How much more shal your heauenly father giue his holye spirite to them which aske of him Whosoeuer asketh receyueth and he which seeketh findeth who knocketh the dore shall be opened to him Pray therefore lyfting vp pure hands The second is the diligent studie and daylie reading in the booke of God Psalm 1. Blessed is he that doth meditate in the law of God day and night and doth conferre place with place and by those that are more playne open the more obscure This was Paules commaundement to Timothie 1. Tim. 4.13 Tyll I come giue thy selfe to reading to exhortation to doctrine Againe Abyde thou in those things that thou hast learned knowing of whome thou hast learned them 2. Tim. 3.14 and that of a little chylde thou hast studied the Scriptures which are able to make thee wise to saluation by fayth in Christ Iesu Yea olde Paule hymselfe Reading with dyligence a gret furtherance to Gods knowledge in vs. being a prysoner in Rome for the Gospell contynued this exercise of reading penning the fruite of his studie Wherefore that he myght haue to do so he sendeth to Timothy for his books and noting Partchment Roles that he left at Troas If thys was néedefull to olde learned Paule it is moste necessary in yong Tymothy if in the teacher 2. Tim. 4.13 much more in the scholer And let no man yrke at the based style of holy Wryt but rather thinke as in homely shelles manye tymes are found most precious stones and in rough inclosing chaffe moste fayre and fruitefull Wheate So vnder the lowe style of Gods sacred Booke the diligent praying Reader if he come not with a preiudiced mind thereto shal gather to his best good the heauenly truth of Gods holye wyll in his writtē scriptures These precious Iewels shal he there fynde A most sure Ancor holde for his conscience against all temptations If thou labor of darke ignorance therein is the brightnesse of knowledge If troubled in conscience and vexed for synne there is the remedy the warrant of quyet minde giuen thée in Christ If oppressed and almost ouer whelmed in