〈◊〉 And the 〈◊〉 in ourage who following the 〈◊〉 He 〈◊〉 hold it lâ—â— full to distemble their faith 〈◊〉 the Magistrate As also the Nicodemâ—â—es ashamed of Christ and expâ—â—â—cating 〈◊〉 forswerring their Pâ—ieâ—hood and the Pope their holy father vpon eâ—eâ—y pretended occasion of danger In a word all weather â—ise professors adueâ—tring no more for the glorious Gospell then one â—â—tely did for his horrible blasphemie who being bound to the stake suffered only the lingeing of his beard This open acknowledging of Christ is necessaâ—ieâ— not only 〈◊〉 morris at the point of deâ—h as Liraâ—us or in the daie of persecution as Lombard but at all time and in euery place when occasion is offered lustly â—aith 〈◊〉 Forseeing it is an afâ—â—rmâ—tâ—ue prâ—cept 〈…〉 As Christ in his Gospel expresâ—ely 〈…〉 Whereas 〈…〉 〈…〉 the faith not sufficient vnto 〈…〉 mouth and other â—odâ—◠〈◊〉 as efficient cause concure with it in the 〈…〉 may be taken out of his old Schoole 〈…〉 and Cardinall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth af 〈…〉 confession 〈◊〉 act of faith according to that of the Pâ—â—miâ—â— I 〈…〉 haue I spoken And in his second 〈…〉 this Chapter he that is 〈◊〉 by faith ought to be filled with the fruit of righteousnesse Postquam homo per fide mest instificatus oportet quod eius fides per dilectionem operatur ad consequendam salâ—tem And Cardinall Tolet in plaine termes Oris confessio nâ—s non iustificat à peccato c. sed iustificati tenemur eam palà m profiteri c. Confession of the mouth doth not iustifie vs but being iustified wee are bound publikely to professe it afore we can attaine to saluation Herein agreeing with our Protestant Interpreters affirming that good workes are consequents and effects of a true faith as if Paul should haue said here we are iustified by faith onely but yet this faith is operatiue bringing foorth liuely fruits as the confession of the mouth and the profession of the life for they be necessarie to saluation albeit faith alone be sufficient in the act of iustification as you may see further Epist. Quinquages and Sund. 2. in Lent In the words and beleeue in thine heart that God hath raised him vp from the dead three points are considerable namely Faiths Act Obiect Subiect Faiths act is to beleeue and to beleeue hath these degrees as the Schoole teacheth out of Augustine Credere Deo credere Deum credere in Deum A wicked man and a wretched deuill may so farre proceed in faith as to beleeue there is a God and in grosse to beleeue God but a true Christian endued with a sauing faith ascends higher and beleeueth in God also That is he knowes God as hee hath reuealed himselfe in his word acknowledging him onely for his God and thereupon put his whole trust in him applying to himselfe Gods mercifull promise made to father Abraham and his seed with the heart vnto iustification and confessing the same with the mouth vnto saluation He disclaimes not his part in Christ as the deuils Ab what haue we to doâ— with thee thou Iesus of Nazareth art thou come to torment vs before the time but he challengeth his portion in the bloud of his Sauiour saying with the Church in her loue-song My welbeloued is mine and with Paul Christ is become to vs wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Hâ—s bodie is in heauen there shall I finde it mine his diuinitie is on earth and heere doe I feele it mine his word is in mine eare to beget him mine his Sacrament is in mine eie to confirme him mine his spirit is in mine heart to assure him mine Angels are mine to fight for mee Prince mine to rule for mee Church mine to pray for me Vniuersitie mine to studie for me Pastour mine to pâ—each for me all mine whether it be Paul or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come euen all are mine I am Christs and Christ is Gods Faiths obiect is all holy scripture the summe whereof is the Creed and this one point how God raised vp Iesus from the dead is nexus articulorum omnium as it were the bond or tying knot on which all other linkes of our beleefe depend For if it were not true that Christ is risen againe then were it neither true that hee did ascend vp to heauen nor that hee sitteth at the right hand of his father in heauen nor that he sent downe the holy spirit from heauen nor that hee shall come from thence to iudge the quicke and the dead In a word the matter of the whole Creed concerneth either God or the Church his spouse Now the raising of Christ from â—he dead is the worke of God the Father Acts 2.32 of himselfe being God the Sonne Iohn 10 18. of God the holy Ghost also Rom. 1.4 Christ as God only raiseth and is not raised as man he is onely raised and raiseth not as the Sonne of God or second person in the blessed Trinitie both the Father raiseth him and he raiseth himselfe The Father raiseth the Sonne by the Sonne â—nd the Sonne raiseth himselfe by the spirit of holinesse by which he was declared to be the Sonne of God As for the Church our Apostle sheweth elsewhere that Christ died for her sinnes and rose againe for her iustification and that ascending vp on high he bestowed on her gifts as to be Catholike holy knit in a communion and prerogatiues in her soule namely remission of sinnes in the body resurrection of the flesh in both euerlasting life Wherefore Paul here mentioneth only the resurrection of Christ from the dead not exclusiuely but synecdâ—checally because this one article presupposeâ—h all the rest and takes them as granted as if hee rose from the graue then he died and his death is a consequent of his birth Or because this article was and is most doubted in the world for the Iewes and Gentiles acknowledge the death of Iesus whereas the Christians only confesse his resurrection Or because the rest vnlesle Christ had risen againe would haue profited vs little for he triumphed in his resurrection ouer death hell damnation opening the kingdome of heauen to all beleeuers And so the meaning of our text is plaine If thou confesse with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord that is that Lord of whom all the Prophets inquired as being the desire of all Nations euen the light of the Gentiles and consolation of Israel And if thou beleeue in thine heart that this Iesus whom almightie God hath made both Lord and Christ offered himselfe a sacrifice to purge thy conscience from dead workes and take away thy sinnes putting out and fastening vpon the Crosse the Lawes obligation against vs and that hauing ouercome death and the deuill he
Flecte quod est rigidum fone quâ—d est frigudum rege quod est deuium The next circumstance to be considered is the time when and that as our Euangelist in the 17. verse was so soone as Iesus began to preach For as a King who resolues to make warre against an enemie Prince chaseth his Captaine and musters his souldiers and in euery point fits himselfe for the present action euen so Christ Iesus the King of the Church intending to cast out of his hold Satan the Prince of this world calleth his followers and out of them electeth his Apostles as chiefe Commanders and Coronels in the very beginning of his preaching that being trained vp in his schoole seeing his wonders and hearing his wisedome they might bee made fit for that excellent and eminent calling They were first as S. Iohn reports acquainted with Christ afterward made Disciples and last of all Apostles And therefore Christ here saith I will make you to become fishers of men He saith not I doe now make you but hauing instructed them all his life and breathing on them the Holy Ghost after his resurrection hee speakes in the present as my father sent me so send I you goe teach all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the Holy Ghost And that they might be powerfull and profitable teachers of other he filled them also with the gift of the Spirit after such a manner and in so great a measure that they could not but speakâ— the things which they had heard and seene of Christ. And that not in one corner or in a few countries onely but as it is in the selected Epistle for this day their sound went out into all lands and their words into the ends of the world In the beginning they were rude first Disciples afterward Doctors a great while learners afore they were leaders Hence fathers of the Church are taught not to haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hastie hands and ouer easie for admittance into sacred orders without tryall and testimonie 1. Tim. 3. and the children of the Prophets also may learne to be swift to heare slow to speake neuer affecting much lesse ascending Moses chaire before God makes them apt and able to teach as well by their holy conuersation as wholesome doctrine For as the weights and measures of the Sanctuarie to wit the sicle talent and cubite were of a double bignes to those for common vse so should the vertues in the Ministers of the Sanctuarie be of a sutable size The which as some Diuines imagine is implied in the sacrifice for their sâ—nâ—es appointed Leuit. 4. where the Priests offering is commanded to be as much as all the congregations a young bullocke without any blemish for the Priest alone ver 3. and no more for all the people vers 14. See Benedictus in the Liturgie Gospell on Trinitie Sunday and 8. after Trinitie The names of the Disciples heere called are Simon Andrew Iames and Iohn insinuating thaâ— a Preacher of the word must be Simon that is obedient to the will of God Andreâ—s a stout man in executing his offâ—ceâ— Iacobus a supplanter of vises in hâ—s aâ—ditorie last of all a Iohn aâ—cribing all these good gifts in him vnto the Father of mercies and God of all grace viâ—a merito magnus humilitate infimus Other assume that the some cardinall vertues are designed by these foure chiefe Apostles referring Prudence in Peter Iâ—stice to Andrew Fortitude to Iames and Temperance to Iohn For their number it is said heâ—e that Iesus called them two and two first he saw two then other two signifâ—ing that as the binarie number is the least euen so the Church of little beginnings increaseâ—h vntill her number be without number as a graine of mustard seede when it is sowen is the least of 〈…〉 but when it is growâ—n it is the greatest among herbâ—s and it is a tree so that the kâ—â—ds of heauen build iâ— the 〈…〉 Oâ— two and two because they were Christs instruments in â—â—ming together two people the 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 and so making of â—â—th one Or Christ happily would neither elect nor send his Apostles one by one because 〈…〉 him that is alone Ecclesiast 4.10 but by two and two and those breâ—hren hereby teaching that Preachers of the word must accord as brethren of one heart and one souls Act. 4 â—2 hauing one minde in many bodies inter multacorporanoâ—â— mulâ—a câ—rda Saâ—rimentes in vnuâ—â—â— at 〈◊〉 hominem faciant as Augustine sweetly For a brother helping a brother is a very strong castle and they that hold together are like the barre of a palace For their condition our blessed Sauiour in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge did not chuse the disputants of the world whose wit was great nor the nobles whose petigree was great nor the Pharisies whose credit was great nor the Priests whose authoritie was great but he called ignorant and ignoble fishers of little worth and lesse learning to be the trumpetters of his Gospel and bel-weathers of his flocke that the foolish things of the world might confound the wise things and the weake things ouerthrow the mightie things and things that are not bring to nought the things that are Sampson in slaying a thousand Philistines with the iaw-bone of an asse was a type hereof as Prosper obserues insinuating that Christ by the foolishnesse of preaching should confound his enemies and saue such as beleeue Nay Christ chose some notorious sinners for his Apostles as bloudie Saul and couetous Matthew that his abundant grace might be manifested in their persons as well as in their preaching demonstrating that in themselues which is the summe of all their sermons namely that Iesus Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance This is a true saying and by all meanes worthie to be receiued that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners of whom I am chiefe 1. Tim. 1.15 The greatest Apostle whilome was the greatest oppressor of the Church a blasphemer a persecutor breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord and therefore his auditors might well cedere credere grant and beleeue that Iesus is a sauiour of his people But this extraordinary calling and singular action of Christ is no patterne for Prelates as phantasticall spirits imagine to send into the Ministerie leud and ignorant persons as if the more faultie were the more fit and the more sillie the more sufficient for the same Christ by the pen of his Apostle Paul in that excellent Epistle to Timothy which Hierom calles speculuâ—â— Sacerdony as the whole Scripture is speculum Christâ—â—niâ—â—â— sets downe these directions for the choice of a Pastoar hâ—e must be well reported of euen
Sund after Easter and Gospell on Saint Thomas day Here pause and pray Almighty father which hast giuen thine onely sonne to die for our sinnes and to rise againe for our iustification grant vs so to put away the leauen of malice and wickednesse that we may alway serue thee in purenesse of liuing and truth through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen The Epistle Eâ—HES 4.7 Vnto euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ c. SAint Paul doth especially two things in all his Epistles 1. treate 2. entreate Hauing sufficiently treated in the former Chapters of doctrinals he commeth in this present to morals entreating his Ephesians in generall to walke worthy of the vocation whereunto they were called in more particular to support one another thorough loue keeping the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace pressing this one point with arguments of two sorts The first of which epist. 17. Sund. after Trin. is taken from such things as are common vnto the whole Church as being in all the faithfull one and the same there is one body and one spirit and one hope one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all and through aâ— and in you all As if he should argue thus if the Church your mother bee but one God your father but one Christ your Lord but one the holy spirit your comforter but one if ye haue but one hope one faith one baptisme I see no cause why ye should not liue together and loue together as all one labouring to keepe the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace The second contained in our present text is taken from such graces as are in euery one diuerse shewing that this inequality of gifts is not an hindrance but rather a furtherance to vnitie for asmuch as all of them are giuen by the same author for the same end Vnto euery one of vs is giuen some gift vnto none all he that hath most hath but a measure As then in the naturall body the eye can not say to the hand I haue no need of thee nor the hand againe to the feet I haue no need of you but euery part seeketh anothers and not his owne good Euen so in the Church which is Christs mysticall body God made not all Apostles or all Prophets or Euangelists c. but some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists c. There be diuersities of gifts and diuersities of administrations and diuersities of operations 1. Cor. 12. euery one standeth in need of anothers gift and thereupon is occasioned to support one another in loue preseruing the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace See epist. 2. Sun after Epiphan and 10. after Trinity In the whole 4. points are to be considered especially 1. Who Christ and that is proued out of the 68. Psal. verse 18. hee led captiuitie captiue and gaue gifts vnto men 2. When when hee ascended vp on high euen aboue all heauens to fulfill all things 3. What hee made some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists c. 4 Why for the perfiting of the Saints for the worke of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ. Concerning the first in that our Apostle doth auowe here that the diuersity of grace bestowed on the Church is the gift of Christ whereas he saith elsewhere that God the father ordained Apostles and Prophets and teachers and that the spirit worketh ad these things vnto euery one seuerally distributing as he will we may learne two conclusions in diuinity 1. That all the workes of the sacred Trinity quoad extra without it selfe are common and communicable to euery person of the three 2. That God the sonne is equall in might and mercy to God the father he being ascended aboue all heauens is the giuer of gifts vnto men and here we must accord the Prophet and our Apostle The one saith he receiued gifts for men the other he gaue gifts vnto men and these two seeme to contradict each other Answere is made that Dauid speakes of this deuotion in time to come but Paul of thiâ— donation already past and accomplished Dauid of the promise Paul of the performance Or Christ as he was God gaue gifts in heâ—â—â—n and as man he reâ—â—â—ed gifts on earth or he receiued in that his members receiued according to his owne saying Mat. 25.40 â—n as much as ye haue done it vnto one of the leastâ— these my brethren yee haue done it vnto mee or he receiued to giue as Exod. 25.2 Speake to the children â—f â—srael that they receiue an offering for me that is according to the translation of our present Church bible â—â—at they bringâ— where reioycing as Abbâ—n Ezâ—a notes is giuing and so Paul alluding rather to the sense then to the words of Dauid saith he 〈…〉 Touching the second point it is demanded how Christ is said here to haue made some Apostles and some Prophets c. When he went 〈…〉 and led captiuity â—aptiue seeing wee reade in the Gospels history that he chose his Apostles and Disciples and gaue them a commission to preach in his life time and that after his resurrection he confirmed them in his office by breathing on them and giuing the holy Ghost and saying as my father sent mee euen so send â—y â—â— goe teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the father and the sonne 〈◊〉 the holy ghost Answere may bee that Christ is reported in this Scripture to haue giuen Apostles vnto the Church after he went vp on high in respect of their gifts extension and 〈◊〉 Extension as hauing after Christs ascensâ—ou receiued the gifts of the holy ghost after a more glorious manner and in a farre greater measure So the text the â—â—ly ghost was not yet giuen because that Iesus was not yet glorified and If I goe not away the comforter will not come vnto you but if I depart I will send him vnto you And Christ at his ascension also charged them to waite for this promised power of the holy ghost See gosp Sun after ascension day Oâ—tension and that 1. in respect of the solemne inauguration into their Apostleship on the feast of Pentecost in the sight of Gods people gathered together at Hierusalem out of euery nation vnder heauen It is reported of Dauid that he was first annointed King of Israel in the middest of his brethren 1 Sam. 1.10 and afterward in Hebron 2. Sam. 2. But hee was not called King vntill he was annoynted solemly before all the tribes of Israel 2. Sam. 5. Euen so though it bee granted that the Apostles were nominated and elected to their office before Christs death and confirmed in their calling after Christs resurrection yet they were not apparantly knowen vnto Gods people to bee so till he went vp on high and gaue
Christ as man acknowledgeth himselfe to be lesse then his father Iohn 14.18 my father is greater then I But Christ if you consider him in the forme of God filled heauen and earth and so he may bee said to send himselfe as elsewhere to giue himselfe for vs. See Saint Augustine vbi sup in margin Lombard seâ—t lib. 1. dist 15. Thomas part 1. quast 43. art 8. Touching that eternal sending of the holy spirit from the father and the sonne we say that the mysteries of the sacred Trinity being ineffable the words are almost all borowed that are vsed to shew the distinct operations of the same Saint Augustine speaking of the generation of the sonne and proceeding of the holy Ghost ingeniously confessed his want of wit and wordes Inter illam generationem hanc processionem distinguere nescio non valeo non sufficio quid illis â—sta est inefabilis But here the Apostles in proper phrase of speaking sent Peter and Iohn ergo they were subiect to their authority Thirdly whereas they say that there is a twofold sending one which is amoris and another which is impery for an equall or an inferiour may perswade his friend to doe his busines for him a body politike may send their head to the Parliament and a common weale â— their Prince to the warres our answere is ready that an inferiour intreating his friend can not truely say that he sent his peere much lesse his superiour neither can a corporation that is vnder a soueraigne head such as the Church of Rome would haue Peter to be choose him to be their foot to goe for them he may peraduenture goe by his owne consent or desire but hee can not bee sent neither can a common weale thrust their absolute King into the danger of warre Sponte hoc ille faciendums indicat sed ab illis ad bellum gerendum extrudi non potest Lastly we say that Peter here was sent not as a Prince but as a peere for Iohn was ioyned with him in the mission and commission as a copartner in his office so the text they sent Peter and Iohn And Peter being sent into Samaria by his brethren repined not as holding himselfe their gouernour but went his way as their messenger and elsewhere being questioned by the Apostles for going to Cornelius and eating with vncircumcised heathens he forthwith excused himselfe and came to his answere Fourthly wheras they be driuen here to confesse that the Colledge of Apostles comprising Peter was greater then Peter their head alone Wee say this being granted that Peters Popedom was not the â—oueraigne power of Christ neither was Peter head of the Apostles as Christs Vicar for the whole Church comprising Christ the head thereof is not of greater authority then Christ himselfe Againe it is a receiued opinion among moderne Iesuited Papists that the Church is nothing else but the Pope so that the Successor of Peter is now farre greater then Peter himselfe for hee will bee tied neither to Councell nor Canon nor custome more then himselfe liketh Who when they were come downe prayed for them that they might receiue the holy Ghost It is probable that Peter and Iohn did preach as well as pray but S. Luke reporteth onely what new thing happened to Samaria by their comming namely the receiuing of the holy Ghost through imposition of hands and prayer Here S. Augustine Lombard and other obserue that Christ is God in giuing the holy spirit quantus deus est qui dat deum His Apostles did not giue the holy Ghost at Samaria they prayed for them that they might receiue the holy Ghost and they laid thir hands on them and they receiued the holy Ghost euery good gift is from aboue Samaria then had extraordinarie gifts of the spirit By Peter and Iohn not from Peter and Iohn and Simon Magus insinuates so much in his offer of money to to them at the 19. verse giue mee this power that on whomsoeuer I lay the hands hee may receiue the holy Ghost He did not say that I might giue but onely that he may receiue Happily some will obiect that Paul gaue the spirit to the Galathians as it may seeme wher hee saith he that ministreth vnto you the spirit and worketh miracles among you doth hee it through the workes of the law or by the hearing of faith preached Our answere may be gathered out of the text that hee gaue not the spirit by his proper power but onely that they receiued the spirit through his preaching and ministry They were baptized onely in the name of Christ Iesus You must here referre the word onely to baptized and not to the clause following in the name of Christ Iesus It is not the meaning of S. Luke that they were baptized in the name of God the Sonne onely for it is Christs owne Canon Matth. 28.29 That all the three persons of the blessed Trinity must expresly bee named in Baptisme Goe teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost See Bellarm. de Baptismo lib. 1. cap. 3. Suarez in Thom. 3. part tom 3. disput 21. Caluin Lorin in act 2.38 So that to bee baptized in the name of Iesus Christ in this and other like place of this booke is to be baptized in the faith of Iesus Christ or in the power of Iesus Christ or according to the prescript of Iesus Christ. Here then a question is moued how the faithfull in Samaria were baptized and yet the holy Ghost was come on none of them Hee that is baptized must acknowledge that Christ is the Lord and no man as Paul telleth vs can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost All that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ and are buried with him in his death that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glory of the Father so they likewise should walke in newnesse of life Answere is made that the Samaritans had already receiued inuisible graces of the sanctifying spirit which are common vnto all such as truly beleeue but as yet Samaria had not any singular and extraordinarie miraculous gifts as in Christs name to cast out diuels and to speake with new tongues and to heale the sicke c. the which in the Primatiue time was conferred vpon certaine persons according to the will of the spirit for the confirmation of the Gospell It is apparant that the Apostles had the sanctifying and illuminating spirit for their guide from the very beginning of their preaching Matth. 10.20 It is not ye that speake but the spirit of your father which speaketh in you Yet wee reade Iohn 7.38 that the holy Ghost was not yet giuen because Iesus was not yet glorified For they receiued not those miraculous gifts of healing and speaking with
vnto the sonne of men as it is now declared by the spirit Read ser. 2.4.6 7 of Augustine de Epiphania Dom. And herein appeares the goodnesse and vnsearchable riches of Christ in that he manifested himselfe to the shepheards albeit ignorant and to the Wise-men 〈◊〉 impious In rusâ—â—citate pastorum imperitia praeualet in sacrilâ—gâ— imagorum impietas and yet he who chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance appeared vpon Christmas day to shepheards and on this day to wise but wicked Astrologers Vt nullus magnus 〈◊〉 nullu infirmâ—u desperaret as Augustine and Aquine sweetly To Ierusalem As to the Citie of God acquainted with the diuine oracles hauing Moses and the Prophets which witnesse of the Messias And here they did learnâ— that Christ should be borne at Bethlehem in Iurie for 〈◊〉 it is written by the Prophet and thou Bethlehem in the land of Iurie are not the least among the Princes of Iuda for out of thee shall come vnto me the Captaine that shall gouerne my people Israel And so hauing the light of Gods holy word added to the starre they went on their iourney with cheerefulnesse vntill they came to the place where the childe was Or to the Scribes and Pharisies at Ierusalem to condemne their â—â—â—ggishnesse and carnalitie who standing hard by saw not so much as they who came from farre Verâ—â—s ill minat magus insiâ—â—litas obâ—â—â—at magistros Carnales 〈…〉 quod 〈…〉 veâ— 1. quod oftendet vâ—â—tur paginis quarum non ere dis eloquâ—â— In which respect Augustine compared the Iewish Doctors vnto stenes erected in common passages that teach other how to walke in the right way but themselues stand still And he 〈◊〉 vs vpon bowed knees intreat the Father of mercies and God of all grace so to lighten our darke vndeâ—â—â—â—â—ng with his heauenly starâ—e that wee may 〈◊〉 and spiritually discâ—â—ne the things of the Scriptures 〈◊〉 the Lord as Augustine prophecied a great while 〈◊〉 four our 〈…〉 and carnalitie take his word from vs Christians as hee did his kingdome from the Iewes and giue it to such as wee thinke to bee most alien from God and his Gospell Examine the cited passages and passions of that holy Father againe and againe Decies repetita placebunt and then in thy serious meditations apply them vnto the present Romish Synagogue and thou shalt easily find that the Protestants estate in respect of the Papists is very like to this of the Wise men in respect of the Iewes For as the Iewes euer boasted of the Temple so the Papists of the Church as the Iewes and onely the Iewes in times past had Gods Law so the Papists in latter ages and if you will beleeue themselues onely the Papists imbrace the Catholike faith As the Iewes were magnificent in their Ceremonies euen so the Papists exceeding glorious in their ornaments orders outsides of the Church And yet such as are Wise-men and haue wit to count the number of the Beast know that Antichrists seate is the Romane sea Hee whose pencill is not inferiour to many standing in so fit a place as any to take Romes picture portrayeth her thus Roma in Hebrew Signifieth Height Roma in Greeke Signifieth Strength Roma in Latine Signifieth Loue if it bee read backward Roma in English Signifieth Roome or place Foure tongues like trumpets Rome doe sound thy name In Hebrew thou art Height in Greeke a power And Loue in Latine speech-and Place in our Foure squares of hundred yeeres doe sit the same The first in Height exalted Christ his name The next in Strength augmented worldly power The third Gods loue cast Backward on thy flowre The fourth in empty place hath shewed thy shame And now foure waies thou wouldest fall conceale With Scriptures vpper Height and strength of schooles And forme of Zeale and Rome the head of fooles The Height mants ground to reason truth to zeale Sâ—â—ente and Roome cone cyueth 〈◊〉 no grace Thy height of strength is backward loue of place We haue seen his sâ—arre Cardinal Abacus and Albertus haue written that these Wise men endowed with extraordinary skill in Astrologie might foreknow the time when our blessed Sauiour should be borne by the position of starres and constitution of the planets But this assertion is vtterly condemned by S. Augustine and other holy Fathers of the Church as you may finde in Beauxanis Har. Tom. 1. fol. 60.61 Sixt. sinen bibliothec lib. 6. annot 10. It is apparent that this starre was not ordinarie but in many properties especially three differing from all other in the skie to wit In Place for it could not haue shewed the direct way to such as trauelled by it vnlesse it had been in the lowest region of the aire Mouing for it moued not circle wise but went right forward as a guide of the way none otherwise then the cloud and piller of fire went before the people of Israel at their going out of Egypt Brightnesse for whereas other starres appeare to shine by night onely this gaue light euen in the broad day Hac stella quae solis votam Vinest decore ac lmiue Gregorie Nissen and Aquine thinke that it was a new hure created onely for this purpose Theophylact and â—uthymiue that it was an Angel or fome other heauenly power appearing not in the nature but in the figure of a starre S. Augustine saith it was manifica liagaacali the stately tongue of heauen Other coniecture that it was the holy ghost appearing in the likenesse of a starre at Christs birth as in the likenesse of a Doue at Christs baptisme For as Baronius out of the great opinion of his owne reading is bold to write all the Fathers agree that these Magi were lead to Christ here by an inward light of the spirit so well as with an outward light in the skies Agente hoe sine dubio in corum cordibus inspinui we drâ—ina vt costantae vâ—sionis mysterium non laterei quod oculic estendebatur insolitum animis non set obsceromâ— And therefore when they found the babe Iesus in a seely cottage they were not any whit discouraged at his contemptible pouertie but instantly they saw non terra portante sed caelo narrante magnum aliquid in parne latere that this little childe was a great King yet a great God and a great King aboue all Gods And hereapon aâ— followeth in our text They fell doâ—â— slat and worshipped him and opened their treasures and offered vnto him gifts gold frankincense myrrhe That is as Augustine glosseth A dorant corporious honorant mu neribus venerantur officijs oculis hominem vident deum abseguijs consiuentur Christ as being the word in the beginning by whom all things were made bestowed on these Wise-men euery good
his father primarily not for hiding these things from the wise that is wise in their owne eyes or wise men after the flesh endued with a wisedome which is earthly sensuall diuellish Iames. 3.15 but because though he suffer the prince of darkenesse to blind the mindes of the worldly wise yet he doth openly shâ—w the glorious light of the Gospell vnto babes that is vnto such as became fooles that they may be wise wholly renouncing their owne wit and solely submitting themselues vnto Gods will If Iesus reioyced in the spirit and magnified the Lord of heauen and earth for vs O what thankes ought our selues to present vnto God for our selues Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy name For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation and mine heart hath often endited a good matter and my pen sometimes is the pen of a readie writer O father of mercie whereas these things are yet hid from the Iewes and from the Turkes and from the superstitious Heathen and from carnall Christians I haue to the great refreshing of my soule through thy grace sweet Iesu both heard by the Gospell and imbraced the Gospell and preached the Gospell and in some measure practised also the Gospell O my soule praise the Lord and forget not all his benefits I will sing vnto the Lord as long as I liue I will praise my God while I haue any being Psal. 104.33 The sweetest of honie lieth in the bottome I passe therefore from Christs inuocation to the latter part of his Gospell his inuitation In which obserue the mouer Iesus moued all that labour and are laden motion Come take my yoke vpon you learne of me motiues I will ease you yee shall finde rest vnto your soules for my yoke is easie and my burthen light The person inuiting is Iesus he saith heere come not to mine but to me not to my Saints or Angels or Martyrs or Mother but to my selfe Send not other it is my pleasure that ye come seeke not for helpe from other I will ease you Come vnto me for I am the way the truth and the life The way by which and the tâ—uth in which and the life for which all of you come None can come but by me none finde ease but in me none rest in ease but with me Come therefore for I am the way learne of me for I am the truth and ye shall find rest vnto your soules for I am the life Come to me for I am as you see willing in saying come and able to relieue you for that all things are giuen vnto me So that aske and ye shall haue seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you None can come to the Father except it bee by the Sonne for no man knoweth the Father saue the Sonne and he to whomsoeuer the Sonne will open him In saying saue the Sonne he doth not exclude the holy spirit being the third person in Trinitie for it is a good conclusion in Diuinitie dictio exclusiua siue exceptiua addita termino personali in essentialibus non excludit ab altera persona diuina God the Father and God the holy Ghost as being all one with the Sonne are in the words nisi filius included and onely the Creator excluded For none know the Father by nature but by the reuelation of the Sonne Wee speake the wisedome of God in a mystery saith Paul which none of the Princes of this world knew hunc magnus Plato nesciuit eloquens Demosthenes ignorauit It is true that wee may know by the light of humane discourse that there is a God for the Godhead is seene by the creation of the world The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handie woâ—ke Psalm 19.1 Yet none know the Father that is a distinction of the persons in sacred Trinity but by the spirit of him in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Coloss. 2.3 And 〈◊〉 our reuealed knowledge is but imperfect in this life They who saw most of God obtained onely the sight of his hinder parts And in the kingdome of glory when as we shall enioy the beholding of his fore-parts also seeing him euen face to face our knowledge shall not be comprehensionis cognitio sed apprehensionis an apprehending rather then a comprehending of his infinite Maiesty Wee shall not euen in that day know so much of the Father as the Father knoweth of himselfe Sola quippe trinitas in vnâ—atis diuinitate seipsam nouit In this life we shall attaine by Christs grace to such an vnderstanding 〈◊〉 God as is fit and in the world to come we shall â—aâ—e so much as is full euen so much as any created vessel is able to containe yet none shall euer 〈◊〉 comprehend that incomprehensible Trinitie none can as it selfe know it selfe Hâ—â—herto concerning the party calling I am now to speake of the persoâ—s inuited All ye that labour and are lader He doth exâ—â—â—â— â—one who came to bring all vnto the knowledge of the truth â—â—al that lâ—â—our then all that liue For man borne of a woman is full of troubâ—e Iob 14.1 Come therefore all ye that labour in your actions and are laden in your passions All ye Iewes who labour vnder the yoke of the law and all ye Gentiles oppâ—essed with the burthen of your sinnes All yee â—hat labour where 〈◊〉 and whensoeuer and howsoâ—â—er afflicted or affâ—â—â—â—d 〈◊〉 misery For these two labâ—ur and lâ—dâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—one conceiue simply the â—â—me signâ—fâ—ing all kind â—f â—â—efe sâ—res and sorrow â—hatsoeuer As in the 6. and 9 Psalmes 〈◊〉 weary of my greamâ—g I am weary of my 〈◊〉 c. To speake more distinctly there is a threefold burthen namely the burthen of â—â—ffliction the law 〈…〉 Christ easeth all such as come to him of all these Concerning the sirâ— great trauâ—ile saith the sonne of Sirach is created for all men and a heaâ—ie yoke vpon the sonnes of Adam euen from the day that they goe out of the mothers wombe till the day that they returne to the mother of all things But Christ a refuge in due time of trouble yea a present helpe doth either take away this burthen froÌ„ our shoulders or else giueth vnto such as come to him abundant strength and patience to beare it Art thou crossed in thy goods it is the Lord who giueth and the Lord who taketh away Cast all your care vpon him and hee will so care for you that this burthen shall be made light and this yoke easie Art thou wronged in thy good name say with Dauid it may bee the Lord will looke vpon mine affliction do me good for Shemi his cursing me this
Prouerbs 24.23 The Thebans hereupon vsually pourtraied their Prince blinde with eares and the Iudges assisting him in Iustice without hands Blinde lâ—st he should haue respect of persons with eares that hee might heare both parties indifferently the Iudges without hands lest otherwise they might be corrupted with bribes for the gift blindeth the wise and peruerteth the words of the righteous and for this end our forefathers ordayned wisely that euery Iudge should ride his circuit in a Countie farre distant from his owne home whereby he might administer iustice freely without any fauour or feare It was an olde complaint of Diogenes that the greater theeues of the state did ordinarily punish the lesser and another after him that secret pillers of the Common-weale sit on the bench to condemne open robbers standing at the barre Magistrates in our dayes haue their houses seated so neare to Saint Bribes as that few can say with Iob I put on iustice and it couered me my iudgement was a robe and a crowne I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame feuer with Samuel whose oxe haue I taken or whose asse haue I taken or to whom haue I done wrong or whom haue I hurt or of whose hand haue I receiued any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith and I will restore it you None I feare with Nerua who was so good a Prince that hee did auow boldly se nihil fecisse quo minus possit imperio depostio priuatus iuto viuere Some Magistrates vse the lawes as cobwebs only to catch little flies other as fox-nets only to take great ones in a trap and so the statutes of our kingdome as a reuerend father of our Church once said haue a good prologue but bad epilogue their inuention is wise their intention honourable but we saile in execution and a law without execution is as a bell without a clapper A Iudge must haue two kindes of salt in him as Baldus truely the salt of science to know the law and the salt of conscience to determine according to the same neither respecting the person nor expecting the gifts of any himâ— To feare God and to keepe his commandements is the whole duty of man Ecclesiast 12.13 and therefore these two the fearing of God and working â—f righteousnes comprehend our whole duty The first all religious offices of piety toward God the second all righteous offices of charity toward our neighbour Cornelius feare was not seruile but filial he feared God as an obedient child feareth a kind father and God is not our father after this sort but in Christ in whom he is well pleased and in whom he doth adopt vs his children giuing vs his spirit whereby we cry Abba father in a word Cornelius feare was â—aith and by this faith he was accepted with God and this faith openly shewed it selfe in working righteousnesse toward men And therefore such aâ— build vpon this exam â—e free will and iustification by workes are deceiued exceedingly for Cornelius is said here first to feare God and then afterward to worke righteousnes Hee had heard among the Iewes of Gods holy promise concerning the sending of his sonne our Sauiour the which hee beleeued as the Patriarkes and the Prophets and other of Gods people who liued before Christs comming into the world and this faith as Paul speakes wrought by loue Galat. 5.6 It is worth obseruing that this commendation of Cornelius is remembred often in holy Scriptures as a speciall infallible marke of Gods children Iob a iust man and one that feared God Simeon was a iust man and feared God but euermore the fearing of God as being the beginning of wisedome is mentioned as the chiefe note Father Abraham a man who feared God Gen. 22.12 Ioseph a man who feared God Gen. 42.18 The Midwiues in Egypt feared God Exod. 1.17 If the fearing of God once goe before working of righteousnesse will instantly follow after according to that of the wiseman hee that feareth the Lord will doe good If thou seest a man in a desperate course selling himselfe as it is said of Ahab to worke wickednes rising vp early to follow drunkennes and continuing at the â—auerne till it bee night drawing iniquitie with cordes of vaâ—ity and sin as it were with cartropes it is a sure signe that the true feare of God is not rooted in his soule for whosoeuer hath a caâ—â— to liue religiously toward God will also so farre as humane frailtie will suffer liue soberly toward himselfe and righteously toward his neighbour Yee know the preaching The narration and confirmation ensuing are a little creed containing the chiefe articles of holy beliefe but the point vrged by the blessed Apostle most is the resurrection of Christ expresly setting downe 1. The author of his resurrection him God raised vp 2. The time when the third day 3. Before what witnesses openly shewing him vnto vs witnesses chosen before of God 4. What he did after he rose froÌ„ death he did eate and drinke with as 5. What he said he commanded vs to preach vnto the people to testifie that it is he which was ordained of God to be the iudge of the quicke and the dead In this argument of Christs resurrection the Gospell and Epistle meet and both are full and fit for the present feast of Easter In that S. Peter maketh Apostles and Prophets ioynt witnesses of all these things he doth insinuate that Christ is the beginning and end of the whole Scripture qui in lege velatur in euang◠〈…〉 See Gospell 1. Sun in aduent The Gospell LVK. 24.13 Behold two of the Disciples wâ—nt that same day to a towne called Emmaus c. THis Scripture containeth a sweet conference betweene Christ and two Disciples as they iourneyed in the way from Hierusalem to a townâ— called Emmaus The summe whereof is that Christ Iesus is truly risen agâ—â—ine from the dead as hauing 〈◊〉 all things which Moses anâ— the Prophets haue spoken of him The whole may be diuided into three parts A Prologue which occasioned the conference verse 13.14 wherein these circumstances are considerable Who two of the Disciples When that same day Where in the way betweene Hierusalem and Emmaus What they talked together of all the things that had happened Dialogue or the conference it selfe wherin Christ sheweth his tender care toward his Disciples in drawing neere to them vers 15. walking talking with theÌ„ v. 17.19 correcting them for their errour v. 25 directing them in the truth and that by words arguing froÌ„ reason v. 26. authority v. â—7 deeds hee sâ—t at table with them hee tooke bread c vers 30. Epilogue declaring what ensued vpon the conference to wit an ingenuous confession of the faith in the two Disciples did not our harts burne within vs c. earnest desire to confirme the same truth in other and they
him as in asking Is it lawfull that tribute be giuen to Caesar or no If hee should haue disputed against the tribute he had offended the Prince if for the tribute displeased the people who did beare this heauie burthen against their wils See Gospell Sund. 2◠after Trinity Againe they digged a pit round about him in bringing the woman taken in adultery before him and demanding what sayest thou for if he should haue condemned her hee might seeme to contradict his owne sayings I will haue mercy not sacrifice learne of me for I am humble and meeke If acquit her he should contrary Moses law Leuiticus 20.10 The adulterer and adulteresse shall die the death See Bernard de passione domin cap. 3. Moreouer Christ on the crosse was digged his side with a speare his hands and feet with nailes and those so bigge that as Socrates reporteth in his ecclesiasticall history Constantine made thereof an helmet and a bridle for his owne vse in warre 4. The Vine is bound vnto the wood and fastened vnto the wall on which it groweth euen so Christ was led away bound vnto Pontius Pilate and nailed vnto the wood of the crosse so fettered and fastened with bonds as that the Church saith of him in the Canticles my well beloued is as a bundle of myrrhe vnto mee Myrrhe being bitter and sharpe doth insinuate the grieuousnes of his passion and a bundle the multitude of his sorrowes And so Christ is vnto the Church a bundle of myrrhe when as shee meditateth on his death and passion how he was bound that shee might be made free how he was beaten that she might escape punishment how hee was broken that she might be healed with his stripes Esay 53.5 5. The Vine being thus planted pruned cut bound digged dunged spreades her branches farre and wide So Christ as calling his followers from East and West hauing the heathen for his inheritance and the vttermost parts of the earth for his possession extends and stretcheth out his branches vnto the sea and this boughes vnto the riuer Christ is the Vine and all Christians are his branches All of vs are by nature drie and fit for nothing but the fire therefore that wee may be fruitfull and liue we must first be grafted into Christ as into a Vine by the fathers hand without his grace we can do nothing and thorough his helpe able to doe all things Philip 4.13 now the diuine vnion is threefold Essential and so God the father is all one with God the sonne and God the holy Ghost personal and so God the sonne being made flesh is vnited to the humaine nature spiritual and so such as abide in Christ and are ioyned in spirit to the Lord are one with Christ the Lord 1. Cor. 6.17 My father is an husbandman The blasphemous Arians obiect here that Christ and God as the vine and husbandman are of diuers natures and that Christ as the vine must of necessity be subiect and inferiour to God which is an hunsbandman Answere is made that a similitude runs not on foure feet but that it standeth vpon one legge principally now the maine drift of this comparison is not to shew what care this husbandman hath ouer the root of the vine but what he doth vnto the branches Euery branch that beareth not fruit he will take away and euery branch that beareth fruit will he purge c. Christ vttered this parable as our mediatour and head of the Church and hee could not haue bin the Churches head except he had bin God and man Christ then as touching his manhood was inferiour to the father Iohn 14.28 My father is greater then I yet equal as touching his Godhead Ioh. 10.13 I and my father are one coequal in might and mercie So the text here God the father as an husbandman purgeth euery branch that beareth fruit vers 2. and God the sonne likewise doth the same vers 3. now are yee cleane thorough the words which I haue spoken vnto you So that Christ as God is an husbandman so well as his father he purgeth and pruneth the boughes of the vine so well as he vna enim operatio patris filij Ioh. 5.19 Whatsoeuer the father doth the same things doth the sonne also Euery branch that beareth not fruit in me he taketh away Christ exhorting his followers to continue stedfast in the faith argueth a paena praemio from the punishment of such as abide not in him and from the reward of such as abide the punishments of hypocrites and false Christians which abide not in him are Seuen Seuen 1. They beare no fruit 2. Bearing no fruit they bee cut away from the Vine 3. Being cut away from the Vine they bee cast out of the Vineyard 4. Being cast out of the Vineyard they wither 5. Being withered men gather and fagot them 6. Being made fagots they bee cast into the sire 7. Being cast into the fire they burne in that vnquencheable flame where the worme dyeth not and the fire neuer goeth out First they beare no fruit for saith our Sauiour as the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can yee except yee abide in mee for without me can you do nothing The Pelaegian hereticks affirmed à Deo habemus quod homines sumus à nobis ipsis autem quod iusti sumus that we are men we receiue from God that we are good men commeth from our selues but truth it selfe here contradicit dicit a branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe c. This one clause saith Augustine corda instruit humilium ora obstruit superborum it comforts a poore publicane but it confounds a proud Pelagian And that other sentence without me can ye do nothing confuteth also the Semipelagian I meane the Papist auowing that a man hath a power of free will in his owne nature which once being stirred and helped can and doth of it owne selfe cooperate with grace The word nothing makes very much against this opinion as Augustine noteth vpon the place For Christ said not sine me parum potestus facere sed sine menihil now that wee may the better vnderstand this controuersie man is to be considered in a foure-fold estate to wit Instatu In statu Confectionis as hee was created In statu Infectionis as he was corrupted In statu Refectionis as he was renewed In statu Perfectionis as he shall be glorified In the first estate we giue to the will of man a liberty of nature Adamus enim acceperat posse si veller sed non habuit velle quod posset In the third we grant a libertie of grace for if the sonne make you free ye shall be free indeed Iohn 8.36 The spirit of Christ which is free Psalm 51.12 giueth liberty to the captiues and openeth the prison to
â—f them whiâ—h are wâ—thout vnreproneable watching sober â—â—est barberous apt to teach And albeit at their first comming aâ—d haue shewed a little before these fishermen were rude yet afterward they were so furnished with all parts of knowledge and varietie of language that their heaven exceedingly wondred at their wisdome and knew that they had beene with Iesus Other haue rendred other reasons why Christ in the beginning of his preaching chose fishermen for his Apostles As namely to them that God is no respecter of persons as also for that he knew the poore would follow him immediately whereas it is easier for a camelâ—â—o goeâ—â—orow thâ—eis of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdomâ— of God For being inuited to the great Supper he saith I haue bought a farme and I must needs goâ— to see it or I haue bought fiue yoke of ouen and I goe to proâ—ise them c. Let vs examine now why Iesus called them and â—ha is that they might be made 〈◊〉 of mâ—n not hunters but fishers In old time the Prophets and Apostles were fishers in our time more like hunters according to that of the Prophet â—eremy 16.16 Bâ—hold 〈◊〉 the Lord. I will â—end out many fishers an 〈…〉 them and 〈…〉 I will end out many 〈…〉 they sâ—â—ll 〈◊〉 them c Hereâ—ofore the Preachers as fishers inclosed many fish in their net aâ— one draught but in our age â—â—e resemble hunters of erâ—a great noâ—â— long and loud crying 〈◊〉 catch either noâ—hâ—ng or else very little Ioâ—â—â— was but one man and he preached vnto 〈◊〉 but one sermon and that a short seâ—mon as coaching the number of words and yet he turned all â—he whole Citie rich and poore prince and people Wee God be praised are many preachers and we preach many sermons and such as haue a tall bite nipping inuecâ—iues against â—nne yet England repents not in sackcloth and ashes Iohn Baptists sermon was short Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinne of the world S. Andrews sermon shorter We haue found the Messias and yet as wee read in the first chapter of Saint Iohns Gospell Andrew was caught by the one and Peter by the other The sermon of S. Peter Acts 2 was exceeding briefe yet it caught about threâ— thousand soules in our time scarcely one soule taken in many sermons And the fault is partly the fishers and partly the fishes as I haue shewed at large Gospell 5 Sund. after Trinitie I will make you fishers of men Not of money as if the sharing of the sheep and fish were the white they should aime at Antichrist of Rome was not in a pulpit these nine hundred yeares and so by consequence succeeds not Peter in fishing with his net but onely in fishing with his hooke Matth. 17. where it is said that Peter cast an angle into the sea and tooke a fish in whose mouth he found a piâ—ce of twenty pence Such a kinde of fishing the Romane Peters vse for Pope Leo the tenth exacted so much of the lay-men and wasted so much of the Churches treasure that whereas other were Popes no longer then they liâ—ed hee was said to be pope many yeeres after he was dead Which occasioned a learned Poet to write thus of him Sacra sub extremâ si furiè requiritis horâ Cur Leo non â—otuit sumere vendiderat Iohn 22. left behind him as Petrarcha reports two hundred and â—â—ftie tunne of gold in so much that an odde feâ—low made this iest of him Erat Pontisex maxi 〈◊〉 si non viâ—tute pecunia tamen maximus Pope Sixtus Quintus called of Englishmen in a by-word for selling ouâ— kingdome to Philip of Spaine Six Cinque througâ— his intoâ—lerable couetousnesse left in his exchequer fiue millions his successor Gregory the 14. wasted foure of them in tenne moneths and lesse beside his ordinarie reuenewes in riot and pompe The pontificians exceedingly condemne the Protestant Preachers because being maried hauing children they take care to prouide for their familie but their own Popes and Prelates are more greedie to scrape for their bastards and minions then our men haue bin to prouide for their honest wiues and legitimate issue Happily some men of corrupt mindes among vs as most among them enter into the Ministerie as Stratocles and Dromoclidas into the Magistracie tanquam ad aure am messem and so they be fishers of money not of men or if they fish after men it is to finger their meanes As the Friers in old time professed wilfull pouertie so long vntill they robbed the whole world and became Lords of all And at this houre the Iesuites are so couetous that they maligne all other orders except the Capuâ—hiâ— And the reason hereof is plain because the Capuchin saith hee would haue nothing and the Iesuite would haue all A wittle Libeller in Spaine described the Capuchin Friers shooting from the purse the Franciseanes aiming wide of it and the Iesuites hitting it in the very middest I haue read of Vrbane the fifth how that when hee was a poore Chaplaine in the Court of Rome he should vpon a time say to a familiar friend If all the Churches in the world should fall at once 〈◊〉 of them I thinke verily would light on my head After being elected Pope his old acquaintance told him at his inâ—hronization Once holy father you complained that you were Parson of no Church and now behold God hath out of the riches of his wisedome and mercie so disposed as that all the Churches in the world are committed only to your charge Let vs be faithfull in a little casting our care on God who careth for vs. If any forsake with these Discipleâ— his nets and ship suos â—uâ— to follow Christ hee shall receiue an hundred fold at this present houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions and in the world to come eternall life Mark 10.30 auarice is a sinne in any man heresie in a Clergie man Fishers of men in generall as Musculus obserues not of great men and learned men onely for that is Peters fault to neglect his cure that hee may follow the Court as if the â—oules of poore men in the country were not worthie to be fished for Not of good men and brethren only for that is a schismaticall tricke such I trow be caught already we should therefore rather cast how to cast our net for other A scabbie sheepe is of the flocke so well as the bell-weather and because scabbie wants our helping hand more then the whole Fishers of men not of women only for that is an hereticall tricke 10 leade captiue simple women laden with sins and led with diuers lusts As Simon Maguâ— the first heretike broched his dangerous opinions by the helpe of the strumpet Helena Nicolas the founder
of Paul whom he did predestinate them he called and whom he called them also hee iustified and whom hee iustified hee also glorified For faith is a consequent of election obedience of faith and remuneration of obedience He called his Apostles here by word only follow me Goe not before me nor beside me but come after me for I am the way the truâ—h and the life Where note the power of his word hee spake and it was done he called and they came immediately But we reade in the 5. of Luke that he called these by working a wonder also for whereas they laboured all night and caught nothing he commanded them to let down their net and they tooke such a multitude of fish that they filled two ships vntill they did sinke Where Diuines obserue that Christ accommodates himselfe euermore to his present auditors as hee called the wise men of the East addicted vnto the studies of Astrologie by a starre and conferring with a woman of Samaria who came to draw water at Iacobs Well hee tooke occasion to speake of the water of life saying Whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I shall giue him shall neuer â—e more a thirst and in the 6. chapter of S. Iohns Gospell hee did instruct the Capernaits who followed him only for loaues by a similitude taken from bread and meat willing them to labour for the true bread of heauen and for the meat that endureth vnto euerlasting life By whose example fishers of men are taught to become as weake to the weake that they may winne the weake being all things to all men that by all means they may saue some Hitherto concerning the calling of Simon Andrew Iames and Iohn Let vs now come to their comming Simon and Andrew straight way lest their nets Iames and Iohn immediately lest their ship and their father and followed him They came straight way without inquisition or delay considering only who called and not disputing why hee called And they came willingly without any grudging or griefe leauing nets and ship and father and all things or the world to follow Iesus whose kingdome was not of this world whose pouertie was so great that hee was borne in another mans house and buried in another mans tombe as not hauing wherein to rest his head They forsooke all that little they had and all the great things they desired to haue They did not abandon vtterly their estate for S. Peter afterward vsed his neâ—s and followed his trade Iohn 21.3 but they so subdued their will vnto Gods will as that they counted all things losse to winne Christ. Apostoli quoth Hierome quantum ad dâ—uâ—â—s nibil quantum ad voluntatem totum mundum pariâ—er reliquerunt Iesus euery day calleth vs vnto him either by the good motions of his spirit or by his word in the mouth of his Preachers or else by strange iudgements or extraordinarie mercies And therefore let vs I beseech you forsake the vaine pompe of the world the carnall desires of the flesh and all other nets and lets whatsoeuer hindering our comming that wee may follow him immediately For if the Disciples heere followed him in his humiliation and pouertie what a sinne yea what a shame will it be not to follow him now sitting at the right hand of God in the heauen of heauens a Lord of Lords higher then the highest a King of glorie rich vnto all that call vpon him able to doe for his followers exceeding abundantly aboue all that they can aske or thinke These followed him in Bodie being conuersant with him and witnesses of all hee did and said Minde for nothing could separate them from the loue of Christ. Life learning of him to bee meeke and mercifull as he was mercifull exhorting their auditors to be followers of them as they were followers of Christ. Death for as he suffred on the Crosse to make their peace so Peter and Andrew were crucified and Iames slaine with the sword in his quarrell and Iohn as wee finde in Ecclesiasticall historie was by the commandement of the tyrant Domitian cast in feruent is olei dolium or as other solium into a vessell or bath of hot boiling oile from which he was notwithstanding by Gods hand deliuered miraculously without any hurt Though happily neuer occasion shall be giuen vs to die for the Lord yet let vs so follow him in our liues and in our loues as that we may die in the Lord. Let vs mortifie our earthly members our feet that we stand not in the way of sinners our eies that wee may not delight in vanities or wantonly behold a woman our hands that we may labour and worke the thing which is good our mouth that it bee not full of cursing and bitternesse our hearts that they be not exercised with auarice that forsaking our selues to follow him only which is our saluation as we suffer with him euen so wee may be glorified together with him Amen Almightie God which didst giue such grace vnto thy holy Apostle S. Andrew that hee readily obeied the calling of thy sonne Iesus Christ and followed him without delay grant vnto vs all that wee being called by thy holy word may foorthwith giue ouer our selues obediently to follow thy holy commandements through the same Iesus Christ our Lord. The Epistle EPHES. 2.19 Now are ye not strangers nor forreiners but citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God c. THis Epistle sets down the most happy condition of all such as truly beleeue 1. Priuatiuely shewing what they are not in the 19. verse Now are yee not strangers nor forreiners 2. Positiuely describing in the rest of the text what they are namely Gods Citie House Temple Of which heauenly building the Materials are liuely stones all Gods elect built together to be an habitation of God Foundation is Iesus Christ himselfe Builders Apostles and Prophets Properties are to be built together c. answering the three properties of the Church in the Creed Holy a temple of the Lord an habitation of God Catholique all the building c. knit in a communion coupled together and built together Now ye are not strangers As Augustine said it is one thing to walke in the law another thing to liue vnder the law so likewise there is difference between being in grace and vnder grace Many men in our time who receiue the Gospell of God in vaine liue vnder grace but not in grace many Prophets and holy Fathers in old time liued in grace but not vnder grace For properly to liue vnder grâ—ce is opposed vnto the state of the law to liue in grace is opposed vnto the state of sinne The men of Ephesus and other Gentiles in time past vnbeleeuing were neither in grace nor vnder grace not in grace for in walking according to the
the commandements of God and more then euer he commanded as the precepts of the Church and Euangelicall counsels and so do works of supererogation or is any so great a Puritan as the Pope who maketh himselfe a God in greatnesse and a God in goodnesse a God in greatnesse in that his vnlimited authoritie doth dispence with the lawes of God in this world and alter his iudgements in another hauing power terrestriall in vsurping the whole world for his Diocesse vsupernâ—d extended to heauen in canonizing Saints infernall extended to hell in freeing soules out of Purgatorie a God in goodnesse for he cannot as Pope quateâ—us Papa erre in doctrine and hee may not be told of his errors in manners his holinesse is holy si non sanctitâ—ate propria sanctus tamen sanctitate officij Whether the Pope be Iudas or Peter or Paul thereof God neuer bade vs be carefull onely this that he sitteth in Peters Chaire shall be sufficient for vs. If wee say wee haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and truth is not in vs. Euen the iust faâ—leth often and the godly Fathers euermore complained of the corruptions in their age Tertuâ—â—â—in said O not miseros qui Christiani dicimur loc tempore gentes agimus sub nomine Christi Gregorie Nazianzâ—ne speaketh thus of the pitifull estate of his owne time Wee that are Christians are hated of the Heathen for our owne vices sake we are now become a wonder not onely to men and Angels but euen to all the wicked and vngodly More lately Gueuara The Philosophers beleeued as Paganes but liued as Christians whereas we quoth he beleeue like Christians but liue like Paganes Honoured Whitaker examining the dissolutenesse of al degrees in England cried out in exceeding great passion Aut hoc non est euangelium aut nos non sumus euangelici The reuerend Deane of Worcester as yet more fully The fatall miserie of these latter daies hath made nothing good but in shew nothing true bâ—t in opinion when for iustice betweene kingdome and kingdome the longer sword hath eaten vp the law of nations and for iustice betweene subiects vnder the same gouernment lawes are lost in the cases of the law and for the preseruer of all both truth and iustice religion it selfe is in a manner lost in the questions of religion Of all men Christians are the best of all Christians vndoubtedly the primitiue professors of all the primitiue professors Christs owne Disciple of all the Disciples his chosen Apostles and yet these men were but men subiect to manifold sinnes albeit they were Saints and their infirmities are recorded in holy Bible partly for the glorie of God and partly for our good For Gods honour that his sauing health might be knowne vpon earth and the riches of his mercie shewed in pardoning offences according to that of Dauid Against thee my God haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight that thou mightest be iustified in thy saying In what saying I pray but in this and the like where sinne abounded there grace superabounded Againe the sinnes of the blessed Apostles are registred in the Gospels historie for our good that wee might neither presume nor yet despaire not presume for we may feare falles if these had their slips not despaire because Christ forgot and forgaue Peters blasphemie the proud ambition of the sonnes of Zebedâ—us and heere Thomas his incredulitie speaking so mildly working so mercifully with him as that his sore was made his salue his vnbeleeuing at the first occasioning greater faith in him afterward Memento peccati vt dole as Memento mortis vt desinas Memento diuinâ— iustitiae vt time as Memento miscricordiae ne desperes Hitherto concerning the sinnes of godly men in generall I come now to Thomas his faults in particular and they be principally two First his absence from the meeting of the Disciples according to the tenour of our Text Thomas one of the twelve was not with them when Iesus came Christ had often foretold his Apostles that he should be put to death and that he should rise againe the third day from the dead and therefore a little before his passion he made promise to them â—fter I am risen againe I will goe before you into Galile Now then according to this word as wee read in the former part of this Chapter euen the same day wherein hee rose againe hee came when the doores were shut into the place where the Disciples were gathâ—red together and stood in the middes and said to them peace be vnto you But Thomas either vpon supine negligence or cowardly feare being absent from their assembly lost the sight of his Sauiour Wherefore let vs I beseech you be diligent in frequenting the congregation of the faithfull especially on the Lords day for where two or three are gathered together in Christs name there Christ is in the mids of them and faith as here peace be vnto you They who gathered Manna alone lost their labour and found nothing Falleris sancte Thoma falleris si videre dominum â—peras ab apostolorum Collegio separatus non â—mat veritas angulos sed stat in mediâ— c. saith Bernard Thou art deceiued Thomas exceedingly deceiued if thou thinke to see Christ out of the Church and Colledge of Apostles He lurkes not in the dennes of the wicked but stands in the mids of the godly appearing in holy ground found in the Temple seen among the Disciples The second fault of Thomas arising from the former is incredulitie for his absence from the Disciples assembly was the cause hee saw not Christ his not seeing of Christ occasioned vnbeliefe and then his vnbeleeuing heart breakes forth into malapert words except I see in his hands the print of the nailes c. I finde that some Writers haue much excused this fact of Didymus as Cyril who thought he spake not thus out of incredulitie but out of a sudden passion as being extremely greeued for that he lost the sight of his Sauiour and almost out of hope that hee should euer see him againe because Christ had said a little while and ye shall not see me for I goe to my Father And S. Augustine saith also that these words of Thomas argue not a denying but a doubting only Vox inquirentis est non negantis dum hoc dicit docerivoluit confirmarâ— desiderauit And S. Ambrose most expresly that Thomas doubted not of Christs resurrection but of the manner of his resurrection onely Non de resurrectione Domini sed de resurrectionis qualitate videtur dubitasse This I confesse is a charitable construction of those holy Fathers extenuating rather then aggrauating the sinnes of others especially the godly But Christ himselfe being truth it selfe reprehends in our Text Thomas incredulitie be not faithlesse but faithfull and therefore
as Malchus eare was so soone healed that an incredulous lew would not beleeue that Peters sword euer went betweene it and his head so the place thorow which his body passed might be shut and whole before and after he passed but not in the instant of his passing because that is contrary to the nature of a true body such as his was I know God can doe whatsoeuer he will but his word is his reuealed will and that telleth vs expresly that Christs body was like our body in all things only sinne excepted And if it be like our body then it cannot be without distance of space and place for saith Augustine That is no body which is no where Lastly the plaine text is against them for it doth not say that Christ came thorow the boords and barres of the doore but only that he came and stood in the midst after or when the doore was shut not determining the manner how he came but only reporting the matter that he came and the time when he came So that hauing so many and those so manifest euasions otherwise we need not say that Christ came in at the window that is a Popish forgerie crept into the Rhemists annotations thorow the wicket of our aduersaries owne mouth For the conclusion it selfe wee teach as the Scriptures and holy Fathers that the sacrament all bread and wine are signes and seales of Christs body and blood and we receiue them in thankfull remembrance he died for vs. As for his crucified body it is now in heauen a glorified body where it shall remaine till hee come in the last day to iudge and end this and all other controuersies In the meane while wee must as Eagles flie to the place where the dead body lieth ascending vpon the wings of faith vnto it and not expecting that it should locally descend vnto vs. See Sursum corda in the Liturgie And stood in the middest We reade in the Gospels historie that Christ was often in the midst In the midst of the Doctors in the midst of his Apostles in the midst on the Crosse betweene two theeues and shall at the last day be likewise in the midst betweene the sheepe and the goats In his natiuitie life death resurrection and comming to iudgement in the midst Heereby signifiing that he is our Messias and medius like Moses standing in the gap betweene God and vs. Hee stood in the midst here that all might the better heare him and see him as the Sunne in the midst of the firmament and the heart in the midst of the members affoording his comfort indifferently to the whole company for hee came not only for the benefit of Thomas but for the common good of other And this may teach all Pastors and parents to seeke the good of all that are committed vnto their charge Christ standing in the midst of his Apostles openly rebuked Thomas for two causes especially first that as Thomas had offended afore them hee might also be reprehended afore them all A priuate fault is to be censured priuatly but a publike scandall openly them that sinne rebuke publikely that the rest also may feare Secondly that Thomas his vnbeleefe might strengthen others faith that his doubt might put all other out of doubt So infinite is God in greatnes and goodnes that he can bring light out of darknes and vse the weaknes yea the wickednes of other for our good and his glorie Vnius interrogatio vniuersitatis instructio saith Augustine Ones ignorance was all others instruction for except Thomas had doubted so much other should neuer haue knowne so much and seene so many demonstrations of Christ his resurrection as the Church in the Collect Almightie God which for the more confirmation of the faith didst suffer for the holy Apostle Thomas to be doubtfull in thy Sonnes resurrection c. Peace be vnto you This salutation was vsuall among the Iewes and at this instant of all other vndoubtedly most fit For hereby Christ did insinuate that howsoeuer in the world they had trouble yet hee had made their peace with God as also that they need in their troubled estate to pray for peace of Church O pray for the peace of Hierusalem and peace of conscience for that is a continuall feast Or happily that they might the better know him after his resurrection heespeakes vnto them as a little before his death I leaue peace with you my peace I giue vnto you let not your hearts be troubled nor feare Christ is our peace preaching peace in his life making peace in his death assuring peace in his resurrection and consummating our peace in his comming againe to iudge the quicke and the dead when he shall say to the sonnes of peace Well done good seruants and faithfull enter into your masters ioy Now the Lord of peace giue you peace alwaies by all meanes Bring thy finger hither After Christ had saluted the whole Colledge of Apostles in generall he turnes himselfe to Thomas in particular repeating euery word Thomas had vttered in his absence Teaching him hereby that he was risen againe through his omnipotencie for the dead haue no sense much lesse reason and least of all vnderstanding the secrets of anothers heart And teaching vs hereby not to commit any sinne though it may be done neuer so closely for he seeth all our workes heareth all our words and knoweth all our thoughts aperta operta Remember the speech of God vnto Dauid Thou didst it secretly but I will doe this thing before all Israel and before the Sunne Our Sauiour did neither reiect Thomas finally nor yet correct him fiercely for his incredulitie but accommodating himselfe to Thomas infirmitie seeks to winne him and to bring him home to his sheepfold O Thomas thou hast thy faith at thy fingers end seeing that thou wilt beleeue no more then thou feelest I pray thee therefore bring thy finger hither and see my hands c. Heere then is a paterne whereby Paul might giue his precept We that are strong ought to beare the infirmaâ—es of the weake that we may make them as Christ did Thomas of faithlesse faithfull And this supporting is by Patience for bearing them Pitie weeping with them that weepe Pietie relieuing them as well with our counsell if they want wit as with our almes if they want wealth Thomas because thou hast seene me thou hast beleeued Faith is an euidence of things not seene how then did hee beleeue that which he saw can you touch God as the wicked Arians obiect and feele him with a finger Answere is made by the Fathers that Thomas touched one thing and beleeued another Videbat hominem confitehatur Deum as Augustine vpon my text He touched Christ as man but beleeued in him
Christe motus est cadere deorsum ad nihil ad non esse ad preprum voluntatem elongari à Deo alium habet à Christo solicet moueri sursum ad Deum c. In this text appointed fitly for this time Christ is first conferred and then preferred before the Prophets and Angels In the comparison betweene Christ and the Prophets obâ—erue the consent and dissent between the old Testament and the new The consent and agreement is in that one God spake in both in the one by his seruants in the other by his Sonne The same God is author of both and the same Christ is subiect of both in so much that each Testament is in other in the Law there is an hidden Gospell and in the Gospell a reuealed Law So like as the two Cherubins on the mercy seat whose faces looked one to another And like the Seraphims Esay 6.3 one crying to another holy holy holy both hauing one voice saith Augustine Or resembling each other as Iesus and Iames who were so like that they were one anothers glasse God in times past and God in these last daies hath spoken to vs. And whosoeuer hee be to whom this ministry shall bee committed if hee will be numbred with Patriarkes and Prophets Apostles and Pastors and with our Sauiour Christ himselfe whatsoeuer hee speake let him speake as the word of God For this couenant hath God made with his seruants Esay 59.21 My spirit that is vpon thee and my words which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seed from henceforth euen for euer And indeed whose word else should discerne the thoughts of the soule but his onely who is the searcher of the heart and whose word should kill our carnall affections but his onely who giues the sword of the spirit God spake The word God here may be taken either essentially for the whole Trinity because God the sonne being a crier in the wildernesse spake by the Prophets as well as God the Father and God the holy Ghost as well as either of them according to that of S. Peter Prophecie came not in olde time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Or it may be construed in respect of Christs office personally God that is God the Father spake to the fathers by Prophets and by his owne sonne to vs. The dissent and difference betweene the two Testaments is in regard of the manner for Time sundry times Fashion many waies men Vnto whom vnto the fathers in times past but in these last daies vnto vs. In whom or by whom God spake by the Prophets in the one by his owne sonne in the other The first dissent is in respect of time the times of the Fathers are olde and past but the time of Christs preaching passeth not it is for euer alway continuing rew Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same 〈◊〉 for euer The doctrine taught by the Prophets in old time was reuealed multis vicibus as Beza translates at sundry times as our English Bible But that which Christ himselfe deliuered is reuealed but once The which is inâ—inuated heere but expressed else where by this author as in chap. 9. vers 26. But now in the end of the world hath Christ beene once reuealed And in chap. 12. vers 26. Yet once will I strike not the caâ—th onely but also heauen And this it is which Iude saith of the Christian faith that it was once giuen vnto the Saints Once that is perfectly so that wee need not another Gospell Almightie God hath spoken last in his sonne that is in the fulnesse of time so fully that we may not expect hee should vent in time to come any new doctrine For albeit the spirit was giuen after Christs ascension yet the same spirit taught that onely which Christ had taught afore See Gospell 4. Sunday after Easter From hence we may learne boldly to refuse whatsoeuer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an after or another doctrine sprung vp since Aâ— the new Gospell of Anabaptists and idolatries of Mahomet and the reuelations of S. Briget and all superstitious positions and expositions of Papists In a word whatsoeuer bastard religion is contrary to Christs once preaching vpon earth which because it was once confutes all after it and abrogates all afore it which had diuersitie of time as our Apostle gathereth in the 12. chapter of this Epistle vers 27. The second difference betweene the two Testaments is that God in the one spake many waies and diuersly either by Angel or by the Cloud or betweene the Cherubins or by visions or by dreames after sundry kindes of speech and diuers kindes of actions but the doctrine of the other is taught after one sort euen by preaching of the Gospell which is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth and it worketh more mightily then all those kinds of reuelations and pierceth into he heart of man more deepely then any manner of perswasion yea though one should rise from the dead and seeke to vs. The third dissent is that God in old time spake only to the Fathers Abraham Isaac Iacob vnto some few men and one nation He shewed his word vnto Iacob his staâ—â—â—es anâ— ordinances vnto Israel hee dealt not so with any people neither had the heathen knowledge of his Lawes But in these last daies he hath spoken vnto vs indefinitely to Iew to Gentile to bond to free to male to female being aâ—one in Christ Iesus hauing all through faith one entrance vnto the throne of grace Heb. 4 16. So that I need not say now Lord remember Dauid or the couenant made with Abraham but in time of need I may go boldly to the throne of grace saying Lord remember me O God be mercifull to me Iesus haue pitie on me For vnto those that are nigh and vnto those that are farre off there is but one couenant in Iesus Christ Eph 2.13.17 The fourth difference betweene the two Testamâ—nts is that God in the one spake by Prophets his seruants in the other by Christ his owne sonne by meere men in times past vnto the fathers but vnto vs hee hath spoken by that eternall word which is God whom hee hath made heire of all things by whom also hee hath made the world c. The maine proposition of this chapter is that Christ who reuealed the Gospell is the sonne of God yea God himselfe Now the first part namely that Christ is he who brought into the world the Gospell is concessum confessum The faithlesse Hebrew complained of it and the faithful Hebrew beleeued it And therfore taking this as
to death Wherefore seeing to loue our enemies in the iudgment of some men is against Gods law and of other beside the law seeing many men in their precepts and most men in their practise manifestly shew that it is an hard saying Saint Steuens charity doth appeare to be great in blessing such as cursed him and in praying for such as did hurt him Iob renowmed in holy Scripture for his patience said If mine aduersarie should write a booke against me would I not take it vpon my shoulder and binde it as a crowne vnto me But Steuen surpassing Iob as Gregorie Nyssen obserues esteemed the very ring of his persecutors wherewith he was enclosed on euery side his crown and euery stone flung at his head a pretious diamond so that it might haue beene said of him as it was of Dauid The Lord preuented him with the blessings of goodnesse and set a crowne of pretious stones vpon his head Our goods are sweet vnto vs and therefore wee can hardly forgiue the theese our good name sweeter and therefore wee doe more hardly forgiue the slanderer but our life most sweet Skinne for skinne and all that euer a man hath will he giue for it and therefore most hardly doe we forgiue murtherers and martyrers in hot blood especially while they wring vs and wrong vs and yet Steuen full of the holy Ghost and therefore full of loue in persecutione positus pro persecutoribus orabat in the middest of his persecution heartily praied for his persecutors O Lord Iesu lay not this sinne to their charge Our sinnes not forgiuen are set before vs and as enemies in battell fighting against vs a pillar of infamie to disgrace the wicked in this and the next life the which as Basil thinkes is more grieuous to their soule then hell fire So that the meaning of S. Steuen is in saying lay not this sinne to their charge that God would giue them a better minde and not impute this offence but rather to burie this and all other their sinnes in his death and graue that they neuer rise vp againe to worke desperation in this world or destruction in the world to come S. Augustine brings in Steuen speaking thus vnto God Ego patior ego lapidor in me sauiunt in me fremunt sed ne statuas illis hoc peccatum quia vt dicamtibi à te primo audiui Ego seruus tâ—us patior sed muleum interest inter me te tu dominus ego eruus tu verbum ego auditor verbi tu magister ego discipulus tu Creator ego creatus tu Deus ego homo multum interest inter peccatum istorum qui lapidant me illorum qui crucifixerunt te quando ergo dixisti Pater ignosce illis quia nesciunt quid faciunt pro magno peccato petisti me pro minimo petere docuisti domine ne statuas illis hoc peccatum ego patior in carne isti non pereant in mente Now the Lord heard his praier and granted his request in that Saul had not this sinne said to his charge as himselfe witnesseth I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an oppressor but I was receiued to mercy for I did it ignorantly through vnbeleefe So that Augustine is bold to say Si Stephanus non sic orasses ecclesia Paulum non haberet And Fulgentius Quo pracessis Stephanus trucidatus lapidibus Pauli illuc sequutus est Paulus adiutus orationibus Stephani When hee had thus spoken Vttering such excellent words and with such a resolute spirit and in such a reuerent fashion after he had thus spoken for the matter and thus for the manner giuing vnto God the life of his soule forgiuing his persecutors the death of his bodie hee sweetly slept in the Lord. Christus pro nobis hominem induit Stephanus pro Christo hominem exuit as Gregorie Nyssen elegantly Christ became man for Steuen and Steuen became no man for Christ hominem exuit he so willingly put off his flesh as a man would put off his clothes at night and so death as welcome to him as steepe to the wearie when he had thus spoken hee fell asleepe To mitigate deaths horror it is called often in holy Scripture sleepe So the text saith of Dauid and of Salomon and of other Kings of Israel and Iuda that they slept with their fathers In the new Testament also such as are dead in the Lord are said to sleepe in Christ. I would not haue you saith Paul ignorant concerning them which are asleepe c. For this cause many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe 1. Cor. 11.30 For man in his graue sleepeth and waketh not againe till the heauen be no more Iob 14.12 So great a resemblance the Gentiles acknowledged between dying and sleeping that Ouid cals sleepe mortis imago deaths image Virgil consanguineus lathi the kinsman of death Seneca the brother of death and Hesiode the sister of death Among infinite comparisons I finde that death is principally likened vnto sleepe In respect of the Rest of the dead Resurrection of the dead Concerning the first it is said by the spirit Blessed are the dead in the Lord for they rest from their labore and so God giueth his beloued sleepe The coffin is a couch in que mollius ille dormit quisquis durius in vit a se gesserit I finde in the records of antiquitie that a Sepulchre is called requietorium a bed of sacred rest and securitie which Valerius Probus expressed in these letters H.R.I.P. Hic requiescet in pace and Pet. Diaconus in other D.M.S. Dormiunt mortus securi Hic mortuius requiescit semel Qui viuus requieuit nunquam But here we must obserue that our soule sleepes not in the dust as our body till our last dome For the soules of the reprobate at their death are fetched away from them and carried into hell But the soules of such as die in the Lord instantly liue with the Lord conueied by the glorious Angels into Abrahams bosome Luk. 16. 22. So Christ expresly to the theese on the Crosse Verily I say to thee this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Anima absoluitur corpus resoluitur quae absoluitur gaudet quod resoluitur in terram suam nihil sentit And so the Saints departed are dead in their worst part onely but liuing in their best euen in that wherein they desire to liue most as an Heathen Poet diuinely Sed lugere nefas nam quite Prisce reliquit Vâ—â—â—t qua volnit viuere partemagis And therefore though the dead bodies of Gods seruants haue beene giuen as meat to the sowles of the aire and their flesh vnto the beasts of the land yet right deare in the sight of the
readeth often and seeth almost daily the seuere iudgments of God vpon sinners and yet himselfe continueth in the same sinne deserues worthily to be punished with as many stripes as he neglected examples He that knowes how Cain was a runagate on earth and how the clamour of his brother Abels bloud entred into the eares of God in heauen and how this cry was a voice vox sanguinum a voice of bloods in the plurall namely the voice of the bloud shed and of all the bloud which might haue come of that bloud if it had not been shed Againe hee that heaâ—e of the lamentable destruction of Ierusalem how her magnificent Temple was made dâ—selate and the glorious Towers of her Citie were laid euen with the ground and all this for that shee killed the Prophets and stoned such as were sent vnto her Hee that reads and beleeues theâ—e things and yet is an obstinate despiser of prophecie killing crucifying securâ—â—â— persecuting the mâ—ssengers of the Lord from City to City shall receiue greater damnation then either Cain or Ierusalem as hauing negleâ—â—ed greater mâ—â—nes of saluation For all things are written for our learning but these things I meane Gods extraordinarie iudgments vpon notorious sinners are written more principally for our examples vpon whom the ends of the world are come See Epist 9 Sund. after Trinitie How often would I haue gathered thy children How often by the mouth of my Prophets how often by mine Apostles how often by mine owne selfe as the louing Hen is alway caring for her chickins alway clucking and calling them if they wander out of her â—ight neuer so little that she may gather them vnder her wings and so guarde them from the mischiefe of the Kite euen so Ierusalem I would haue gathered thy Children vnder the wings of my protection I would haue kept thee and thine from the iawes of thy rauenous enemie Sathan and from the hands of all such as hate you but yee would not O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in me is thine helpe now this ought to be construed either of Christs humane will as he was man or else of his conditionall and reuealed will as he was God otherwise Gods absolute will is effected alway both in heauen and earth and hell it was the conditionall will of God the Iewes resisted according to that of Saint Steuen in the second Lesson allotted for euensong this day Yee stiffe-necked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares ye haue alwâ—y resisted the holy Ghost aâ— your Fathers did so doe you this I would of Christ is voluntae signi not voluntas beneplaciti See Melanct. Câ—ietan Pâ—scator Marlorat in loc Iansâ—n Concord cap 41. 90. didac Aluarez de anxilys diuinae gratiae lib. 5. dâ—â—putat 33.34 O Father of mercies increase our faith and graunt vnto vs in this thy day of our visitation vnfained repentance that howsoeuer England hath equalled Ierusalem in being dissolute yet shee may not parallell Ierusalem in being desolate The Epistle 1. IOHN 1.1 That which was from the beginning which we haue heard which we haue seene with our eyes c. SAint Iohn euer like himselfe that his Gospell and generall Epistle might be sutable confirming each other in the maine scope makes in the beginning was the word the beginning of words vnto both omitting here an ordinarie salutation that hee might at the very first entrance treate of more necessary points of saluation and yet this exordium à re ipsa preamble raised from the matter it selfe is agreeable to the rules of arte wherewith he makes his readers attentiue docile beneuolous attentiue for that he writes not of a trifle but of Christ Iesus the word of life who cleanseth vs from all sinne docile for that the subject of his doctrine is neither new nor vncertaine not new for we shew vnto you that which was from the beginning not vncertaine for we preach vnto you that which we haue heard which we haue seene with our eyes which wee haue looked vpon and our hands haue handled Beneuolus for that hee penned this Epistle for their good namely that they might haue fellowship with the Saints and that their ioy might be full I finde the whole tract diuided into three parts answerable to the three chiefe christian vertues Faith Hope Charitie but for as much as our Apostle writes of these promiseuously without distinction and order I rather amit of Aquines plaine partition Into a Commendation of the Gospell Chap. 1. Exhortation â—o the fruitfull and faithfull obseruing of the same Chap. 2.3 Disswasion from the contrarie Doctrine Chap. 4.5 In the present text there be two descriptions One of Christ in respect of his Natures As God that which was from the beginning As man which we haue heard and seene c. Office being our light and life cleansing vs from all sinne Another of a Christian hauing fellowship with God his Saints and his Sonne in whom are Two remarkeable properties 1. A studiousnesse to doe good Ergo not a carnall Epicure For if we say we haue fellowship with God who is light and walke in darknesse we lie and doe not the truth 2. A sorrowfulnesse when hee doth ill Ergo not a spirituall Puritane For if we say wâ— haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. I haue spoken enough of the first description in my notes vpon the Gospell on Christmas day the pith of it is that Christ Iesus eternally God in the fulnesse of time made man is our only mediator and aduocate with God the Father insomuch as our fellowship with God in this world and fulnesse of ioy in the next is attained by faiâ—h alone first apprehending and after applying his merits Here then our Apostle commends the doctrine of the Gospell in three respects especially First in regard of the subiect as being most ancient and excellent euen that which was in the beginning Godâ— owne sonne the word of life yea that eternall life which was with the father afore all worlds Secondly in regard of the certainty that which wee haue heard which we haue seen with our eyes which we haue looked vpon and our hands haue handled declare wee vnto you For Christ who was in the beginning that eternall word with the Father in these last daies appeared vnto vs. And as S. Paul expounds S. Iohn he was manifested in the flâ—sh Or as S. Iohn in his Gospell expounds himselfe hee became flesh and dwelt among vs. And so wee haue seene and heard him immediatly speaking in the world as well as mediately speaking in his word For he spake to the Fathers by the mouth of all his Prophets euer since the beginning but in our daies he hath spoken with his owne mouth vnto vs our eares haue heard him in his Sermons our eyes haue seene him in acting of his miracles our hands haue
or metonymically vnderstanding by the world men of the world Mundus non capit idest non intelâ—git the world cannot comprehend that is apprehend the bookes that should be written A very lanke conceit for the world in this sense cannot vnderstand so much as one line of the Gospell according to that of Paul The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God Other take these words as spoken hyperbolically for the spirit of God accommodating it selfe to the rudenesse of men vseth elsewhere this kind of figure Deut. 1.28 The Cities of the Canaanites are said to haue been walled vp to heauen Exod. 3.17 The land of the same Canaanites is tearmed a soyle flowing with milke and honie Psal. 107. The men who goe downe into the sea in ships and occupie their businesse in great waters are so tossed in the deepe by the stormie winds and waues as that Dauid saith in the 26 vers They mount vp to the heauen and are carried downe againe to the depths And so S. Iohn in auowing the world could not containe c. doth intimate that if all the things which Iesus did should bee written euery one the number of the bookes in folio would be without number As high walles and huge waues are said to reach heauen euen so these bookes hyperbolically to be greater then all the world Other construe this verse literally Iesus is that eternall word in the beginning by whom all things were made Iohn 1.3 and by whose mighty word all things are sustained Heb. 1.3 working from the foundation of the world hitherto Iohn 5.17 So that if euery thing which Iesus did as God both afore the world and in the world should be registred all this huge vniuerse though it be Gods faire library could not containe the bookes that should be written And thus as you see the conclusion of this Gospell is answerable to the beginning both intimating Christs incomprehensible diuinitie Hee made the whole world at the first and hee gouernes all things in the world euer lithens and therefore most impossible that all his words and works and wonders should bee recorded in bookes albeit euery plant were a pen euery drop of water inke euery foot of land paper and euery liuing creature a ready writer The Disciplethen who wrote these things as Horace said of Homer hath so fitly disposed of his whole storie The Epistle APOCAL. 14.1 I looked and loe a Lambe stood on the mount Sion c. THis text is nothing else but a description of Christ a Lambe sitting on mount Sion The Church in quantitie an hundreth fortie and foure thousand qualitative for Faith in that her coÌ„fession is Open hauing his name and his fathers name written in their foreheads a voice like the sound of many waters and great thunder Harmonicall singing a new song of diuerse parts and yet all agreeing as the voice of harpers harping with their harps Good workes in that her children are not defiled with women and in their mouthes is no guile for they follow the Lambe whithersoeuer he goeth and the reason of all is because they were redeemed from the earth and from men that they might be the first fruits vnto God and to the Lambe A Lambe stood on the mount Sion Christ the Sonne of God is the Lambe of God euen the Lambe here mentioned as it is apparant by his correlatiue father For so the text hauing his name and his fathers a Lambe in figure and a Lambe in fact In figure for Christ Iesus is our Pascall Lambe 1. Cor. 5.7 slaine from the beginning of the world Apocal. 13.8 prefigured in the sacrifices of the Law so well as now presented in the Sacraments of the Gospell As one pithily Prius profuit quà m fuit A Lambe indeed so meeke as a Lambe Like a Lambe dâ—â—â—be before his shearer A Lambe for that hee feedeth all his with his flesh and clotheth all his with his white robe of righteousnesse whereby wee stand as it is in our text without spot before the throne of God And this Lambe sits not idle nor lieth asleepe but standeth alwaies in a readinesse to protect his followers He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleepe Psalm 121.4 Hee standeth not as the beast in fickle sand or sea but on mount Sion which cannot be remoued Psal. 125 1. In the middest of his inheritance the Church against which hell gates shall not preuaile For Sion is a type of Christs Kingdome called often in holy Scripture Ierusalem aboue prepared in the top of the mountaines and exalted aboue the hils He stands on a mount higher then either earth or sea from whence the two beasts his opposites arise So that he is willing to defend his followers as standing and able for that he stands on a mount and left any should doubt of this our Apostle saith I looked and loe Two words of attention assuring vs hereby that the woman persecuted in the wildernesse that is the Church afflicted in the world shall at the last haue the victorie though all the red Dragons on earth and al the blacke deuils in hel furiously rage together against the Lord and against his anointed And here giue mee leaue to remember an obseruable note touching the writings of S. Iohn how that in his Gospell he teacheth especially faith in his Epistles especially loue in his Apocalyps especially hope This booke being as reuerend Bellinger censure h Euangeliâ—â—ssineâ—ss liber of all holy Scripture the fullest of consolation And with him an hundred fortie and foure thousand This affoords comfort that the Lambe stands not alone but hath on his side many from East and West as well Gentiles as Iewes hauing his fathers name written in their foreheads It is thought by some that this number is mysticall insinuating the perfection of Gods elect because both the duodenarie number and millinarie are numbers of perfection It is a certaine number because the Lord knoweth who are his 2. Tim 2.19 as hauing their names written in his booke yet a definite for an infinite as almost all haue noted in that the number of such as are with the Lambe is a multitude which no man is able to number Apocalyps 7.9 it is in it selfe a very great number but in comparison of the company fauouring lies and following Antichrist it is a little flocke a few people which are redeemed from the earth selected out of those innumerable troops of small and great rich and poore bond and free whose names are not written in the booke of life of the Lambe Apoc. 13.8 16. Hauing his name and his fathers name written in their foreheads The vulgar Latine Aretas Ardens and other reade as the translation of Hen. 8 and our Communion booke His name and his fathers name the which is more significant then
salutations as sent from God and not according to the worlds fashion only For some speake friendly to their neighbors but imagine mischiefe in their hearts Iudas had an hade master as well as Gabriel an haile Mary Christians in their complements ought to be hearty not hollow See Gospell Sund. 4. after Trinity Haile the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth as Erasmus obserues gaudere saluere valere If wee take it in the first acception it is Gabriels giuing of the ioy to Mary Teaching vs to wish much ioy to the good and to labour for true ioyes in our selues alway reioycing in the Lord Philip. 4.4 If in the two latter health is a good blessing of the Lord to bee desired in our owne selues and for our other selues in this world without which all our whole life is but a lingring death O Lord grant thy seruant health and heauen It was good for Dauid that he was in trouble so likewise it is good for the health of our soule that our body bee sometime sicke Affliction is the true purgatorie of the flesh infirmit as carnus vigoremmentis exacuit Vpon this ground Plato scared his Academie at Athens in an vnhealthy place We must especially wish haile to the soule praying alwaies Vi sit mens sâ—na in corpore sano The Lord with thee Some construe this clause by way of enunciation affirmatiuely the Lord is with thee Other imprecatorâ—e by way of a good wish or salutation the Lord be with thee They who take this affirmatiuely make it a reason of Maries haile reioyce Mary because full of grace because the Lord is with thee because blessed among women God is in beat is per gloriam in electis per gratiam in assumpta carne per vnionem in omnibus per prouidentiam sed in virgine per supereminentem quandam opâ—ratiouem As if Gabriel should haue said I am sent from God and so the Lord is with me but he is with thee much more The Lord is in mee because hee made mee but with thee because within thee because he shall bee borne by thee Is a domenies est secum â—t is in corde tuo sit in vtero tuo adempleat mentem tuam adempleat carâ—â—m 〈◊〉 God the son is with thee for thou shalt conceiue him in thy wombe God the holy Ghost is with thee for the holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most highest all ouershadow thee God the father is with thee making his sonne thy sonne Demmus silim tecum quem câ—t ne tua induâ—â— dominus spiritus sanctus de quo concipis dominus pater qui genuit quem concipis But I follow their iudgement which vnderstand this imprecatorie because the blessed Virgin her selfe tooke it so vers 29. She cast in her mind what manner of salutation that should bee ergo all the words spoken by Gabriel vnto her hitherto were salutatorie Blessed art thou among women In comparison or aboue other women happie The like phrase is vsed Iudg. 5.24 Iael the wife of Heber the Kenite shall be blessed aboue other women It doth insinuate that Mary was highly fauoured of God as also that she shall be praised of men throughout all generations Elizabeth expounds Gabriel in this present chapter at the 4â— verse Blessed art thou among women because the fruit of thy wombe is blessed and Bernard expounds Elizabeth Non quia tu benedicta ideo benedictus fructus ventris â—â—i sedâ—yâ—tia ille te praeuenit in benedictionibus dulcedinis ideo â—ubenedâ—cta Mary was blessed of God in that she was chosen to bee the mother of God Other women haue bin and are the daughters of God but Mary was both a daughter and a mother The one is a speciall fauour the other a singular honour and Mary was blessed in respect of both Albeit we doe not beare Christ bodily yet if wee spiritually beare him in our heart by faith it is a great mercy which wee must acknowledge both in our selues and others For he that doth the will of God is a brother and a sister and a mother vnto Christ. As Mary was highly graced of God so she was and is and shall bee magnified of men And from hence we may learne that there is a time to commend so well as to condemne namely 1. when the party praised needeth encouragement 2. when his gifts extolled are most excellent and eminent as in Mary fulnesse of grace 3. When he that is commended hath the grace to giue the glory to God acknowledging himselfe to be freely beloued therfore blessed 4. When the party praising doth it as Gabriel heere not to flatter men but to magnifie God I haue spoken of three remarkeable persons in this Gospell of the party sending God of the party sent Gabriel and Angel of the party to whom he was sent A Virgin whose name was Mary full of grace blessed among women It remaineth I should now treate of the partie to whom all this annunciation was and that is man For all this was said and all that followeth in our text was done for vs men and our saluation I will heere briefly glosse this Gospell in the words of Bernard Felix est qui mittiter felix à quo mittitur felix ad quam mittitur vt home fiat felix pro quo mittitur Wee beseech thee Lord powre thy grace into our hearts that as we haue knowne Christ thy sonnes incarnation by the message of an Angel so by his Crosse and passion wee may bee brought vnto the glory of his resurrection through the same Christ our Lord. Amen The Epistle ACTS 10.34 Peter opened his mouth and said of a truth I perceiue that there is no respect of persons with God c. THe summarie pith in this accurate speech of saint Peter vnto Cornelius is that all men indifferently whether they be Iewes or Gentiles haue remission of their sinnes by faith in Christ which is Lord ouer all things and ordained of God to bee the iudge of all men quicke and dead The whole sermon is diuided into three parts A Proeme vers 34.35 wherein obserue what is said for the matter there is no respect of persons with God c. how it is said for the manner Peter opened his mouth and said of a truth I perceiue Narration ye know the preaching c. Wherein S. Peter catechizeth his auditour Cornelius in the chiefe points of holy beleefe concerning the doctrine verse 36.37 of Iesus Christ. miracles vers 38. of Iesus Christ. life vers 39. of Iesus Christ. death ibid. of Iesus Christ. resurrection vers 40.41 of Iesus Christ. comming to iudgement v. 42. of Iesus Christ. Confirmation by production of witnesses new the blessed Apostles v. 39. Wee are witnesses of all things which he did c. and such witnesses as were chosen before of God vers 41. old the holy
the gifts of the holy Ghost vnto them in the visible formes of clouen and fierie tongues Acts 2.3 see epist. on Whiâ—sunday 2. Ostension in regard of execution of their office for albeit they had a commission before to preach first vnto the lost sheepe of Israel and then vnto all nations in the world Mat. 28.19 yet they did not execute this commission in gathering together a Church out of both vnto God vntill Christ had ascended farre aboue all heauens to fulfill all things and the reason hereof is rendred in our text because Dauid had so prophesied of him in the 68. Psalme when hee went vp on high he led captiuity captiue and gaue gifts vnto men And in deed it was at this time most fit for him and best also for his to giue gifts it was exceeding fit for himselfe because glorious conquerours in their solemne triumphes vsually lead their chiefe enemies settered either in iron chaines as Paulus Aemilius triumphed ouer Persius or in iron cages as Tamberlane the great vsed proud Batazet king of the Turkes And so leading captiuity captiue they deuided the spoile to their friends and followers as it is in the Psalme Christ ascending on high led captiuity captiue that is the diuell and all his complices hell death and the graue triumphing ouer them openly Giuing also gifts vnto the Church as Apostles and Prophets and Euangelists and Pastors and Teachers who might loose such as Satan bindes and it was at this time 〈◊〉 for his followers as not depending any longer vpon his bodily presence See Gospell 4. Sun after Easter The 3. remarkable point in this Scripture is what he gaue to men vnto euery one is giuen grace according to thâ— measure of the gift of Christ c. He doth vnderstand by grace not liuing grace for that as he shewed in the former â—art of this Chapter is in all the members of the Church one and the same one faith one hope one baptisme c. But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken here for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely for the diuers gifts of the holy Ghost as interpretation of tongues and discerning of spirits and the gifts of healing propheâ—ie the word of knowledge and the like of which hee disputeth at large 1. Cor. 12. and so Paul expoundeth himselfe in our present text at the 11. verse the same made some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists c. Apostles were such as he called himselfe either in his state moâ—â—all as the 12. disciples or in his state glorious as Paul Acts 9.15 and Matthias Acts 1.16 to preach his Gospell and to plant his Church in euery nation of the world Prophets were such as interpret the scripture of the Prophets 1. Cor. 14.4 He that propheseth 〈◊〉 the Church and Mat. 23.34 I â—hold I send vnto Prophets that is preachers Or Prophets were such as had marueâ—lous wisdome and could foretell things to come as Agabus Acts 11.28 signified by the spirit that there should be great famine thorough oâ— all the worldâ— which also came to passe vnder Claudus Caesar. Euâ—ngeliâ—ts are so called either of preaching the Gospell and so Paul exhorted Timothie to doe the worke of an Euangelists or else of writing the Gospell and so there â—ee but 4. Euangelists only Mathew Marke Luke Iohn And here we may note the reason why the Church appointed this scripture to be read at this time namely because Saint Marke was an Euangelist Pastours are such as are placed ouer a certaine cure whereas Apostles had the whole Church for their charge So Paul speakes vnto the Elders of the Church at Ephesus take heed to your selues and to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you ouer seerâ— And so Bishops in their dioces and Priests in their parishes are Pastors Or as Theophylact Pastors and Doctors are Presbyters and Deacons Or as some late Diuines obserue Pastors are rectors of the whole congregation Doctors are catechists and teachers of the youth and other new comes into Christs schoole Pastors are such as feed Christs sheepe and Doctors are such as feede Christs lambes or as Beza Pastors are they who gouerne the Church and Doctors are they who gouerne the schooles But I rather embrace their opinion who think Pastorâ— Doctors are diuers names of one office euen as feeding and teaching are all one for otherwise Paul as Hierome Lombard Anselmo haue noted vpon the place would haue distinguished them as he did the rest and haue said he gaue some Pastors some Teachers as well as some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists c. but he ioyneth them together Pastors and Teachers insinuating that Pastors should teach and that as our Church speakes both by their preaching and liuing ensamples in word in conuersation in loue in spirit in faith and purenes 1. Tim. 4 12. Some Diuines obserue that these functions are partly temporall and extraordinary as Apostles Prophets Euangelists and partly continual and ordinary as Pastors and Teachers but herein I tread in the steps of that holy father my most honoured and honorable master Archbishop Whitgift who writing against the schismatickes of his age saith and proueth out of this our present text also that all these degrees of ministers remaine still in some sort vntill the worlds end For first as Nouelists acknowledge Paul in this place maketh a perfite platforme of a Church and a full rehearsall of all offices therein contained and he saith expresly that Christ ascending vp on high gaue them for the gathering together of the Saints and for the worke of the ministry c. tell we all come to the vnity of the faith and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the full age of Christ. That is as Caluin Zanchius and other vntill wee meet in that other world to come I know there were certaine things in the blessed Apostles which were proper vnto themselues as their immediate calling from God the power of working miracles and their commission to goe into the whole world c. but to preach the Gospell of Christ in places where need requireth although it be not peculiarly committed to them or to gouerne the Churches already planted I see no cause why it should not be perpetuall among the Ministers of the word Likewise the function of an Euangelist if it be taken for the writing of the Gospel it was temporal and hath his ende But if it be taken for preaching to the people plainely and simply as Bullinger thinketh or generally for preaching the Gospell as Musculus supposeth in which sense Paul said vnto Timothie do the worke of an Euangelist or for preaching more zealously then other as Bucer imagineth I make no doubt but that it still remaineth in the Church Moreouer Prophets if they bee taken for
is ready to tell the Prophet as Ahab did Eliah Hast thou found me O mine enemy Then the whole rabble furiously raging together against the Lord against his annointed conclude peremptorily that apeece of a pulpit is enough halfe a benefice too much for such an vnquiet spirit S. Augustine sweetly Quiphreneticum ligat lethargicum excitat ambobus molestus ambos amat For the worke of the ministry The gifts of Christ here mentioned are not theoricall but practicall giuen vnto Pastors for the worke of the ministry the word worke forbids loytering and the word ministry lording I pray misconstrue not this glosse seeing I meane as Paul and speake as B. Latimer did almost in euery sermon Domabis lupos sed non dominaberis ouibus as Bernard told Eugenius For the edifying of the body of Christ The gift of the spirit is giuen to euery man to edifie withall hee therefore that is a non edificant is vnworthie to bee called an Apostle or Prophet or Euangelist Positiestis dispensatores sed in edificationem non in destructionem aliter non fidelis dispensatio sed crudelis dissipâ—tio The Doctors office is to teach and the Pastors calling to feed Our great Lord repeated this iniunction vnto Peter thrice feed my lambes feed my sheep feed my flock that is as Bernard excellently pasce mente pasce ore pasce opere pasce animi oratione verbi exhortatione exempli exhibitione And here the people likewise may learne to reuerence their Pastors and teachers as the Ministers of Christ sent from aboue to watch for their soules If they must honorare bonum dominum etiam in malo seruo respect euery Prophet and Euangelist and Pastor for his workes sake 1. Thessal 5.13 then vnto such as rule wel and labour in the word and doctrine they must as our Apostle speakes giue double honour The Gospell IOHN 15.1 I am the true vine and my Father is an Husbandman c. AS a kind friend loth to depart with his familiars in giuing a farwel often breakes off his speech and begins a new discourse so Christ heere being now to leaue the world after hee had ended one sermon vnto his Disciples in the chapter going before falleth into another of the like argument in this present wherein hee doth especially two things exhort and comfort He doth exhort all his followers 1. To continue stedfast in the faith and that vnder the parable of the vine intimating that as the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the Vine so they can doe nothing vnlesse they abide in him Vrging this one point by diuers reasons all which may be reduced vnto the punishment of such as abide not Poena damni they beare no fruite vers 4. Poenasensus they be taken away verse 2. withered gathered cast into the fire burnt v. 6. blessednesse of such as abide being Purged by God the father v. 2. Cleansed by God the sonne v. 3. CoÌ„forted by God the holy Ghost abide in mee and I will abide in you by my spirit vers 4. Relieued in whatsoeuer they shal aske vers 7. 2. To make demonstration hereof in workes of piety glorifying God and louing one another Hee comforts them against the worlds hatred 1. From his owne example vers 18.20 2. From the cause of this hatred ver 19. 3. From the cause of the cause vers 21.22.24 4. For that God and Christ suffer with them vers 23. 5. From the prediction of holy Scripture vers 25. 6. By promising to send the comforter vers 26. I am the true Vine Christ is called heere a Vine as else where a Lion a Sheepe a Lambe a corner Stone a Doore A true Vine by way of difference from the wilde vine or as Rupertus vpon the place to distinguish it from the Vines of Sodome and Gomorrah Whose grapes as Moses speaketh in his song are grapes of gall and their clusters are bitter their wine is the poyson of Dragons and the cruell gall of Aspes A true Vine not simply but in a simile not truly a Vine but like a true Vine Vera faith Augustine per similitudinem non per proprietatem a true Vine as in the first chapter of this Gospell at the ninth verse the true light Now the resemblances betweene Christ and a true Vine are manifold 1. A Vine is not sowne in the ground but planted a young slip of an old tree so Christ is a naturall branch of God the Father euen very God of very God but for vs men and our saluation hee was translated from heauen and planted on earth that is borne of the Virgin Mary of whom it is said Esay 45.8 Let the earth open and let saluation and iustice grow forth let it bring them forth together I the Lord haue created him A blessed earth in whole blessed fruit all the nations of the world are blessed 2. The Vine that it may beare the more fruit is cut and pruned and so Christ although he were conceiued of the holy Ghost and borne without all sinne yet for our sakes he was circumcised on the eight day wounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities Againe Christ albeit hee were Lord ouer all things and heire of the whole world yet for our saluation he suffered his glory to be pruned by the knife of ignominie for whereas hee was the King of glory hee made himselfe of no reputation Philip. 2.7 Hee tooke on him the forme of a seruant and was made man as Dauid speakes of him a worme and no man a very scorne of men and outcast of the people Psalm 22.6 His wealth was pruned by the knife of pouerty Pauper in natiuitate pauperior in vita pauperimus in cruce So poore in his birth that hee was borne in another mans stable so poore in his life that he said of himselfe the Foxes haue holes and the birds of the heauen haue nests but the sonne of man hath not whereon to rest his head So poore when he was dead that he was buried in another mans tombe Matth. 27 60. His pleasure was pruned by the knife of sorrow Lament 1.12 Behold and see if there be any sorrow like vnto my sorrow His familiar acquaintance was also cut away from him by the knife of feare Iudaâ— betrayed him Peter denied him other forsooke him all were dispersed He did tread the wine presse alone and of all people there was none to helpe him as Hierome and Bernard apply that of the Prophet Esay chap. 63.3 3. The Vine is dugged and digged as wee reade in the fifth chapter of Esay So Christ was dugged when the soule-mouthed Iewes spit vpon him and he was digged on euery side when as his aduersaries by propounding captious questions had cast a trench round about
brickes in a fiery furnace that they shall not bee able to wrinch hauing not so much as a chinke where any winde may enter to refresh them in this lake of fire burning with brimstone Their sight is affrighted with vgly diuels and darkenesse their hearing with odious and hideous outcries their smelling with noysome stinkes and insupportable sweat reaking from the filthie bodies vnder torture their cast with a raging thirst and a rauening hunger tasting such things as are more bitter then gall or wormewood the feeling afflicted in euery part with intollerable flames in comparison whereof our earthly fire is no more then as if it were but painted The least of these torments named and infinite moe not named is more grieuous then the greatest either sicknesse or sorrow they suffered on earth and yet all these shall eternally continue without either ease or end See Gospell 1. Sund. after Trinity Lombard sent lib. 4. distalt sententiarios ibidem A quin in additionibus adtertiam suae summae partem quaest 97.98.99 Io. de combis compend Theolog. lib. 7. cap. 21.22 Dion carthusian de quatuor nouissimis part 3. The meditations of Luys de la puente Iesuite translated out of Spanish into English by Ric. Gibbons of the same society meditat 15.16 Euery branch that beareth fruit will he purge Wee collect here first that our Purgatorie is in this life while we goe from strength to strength and grow from fruit to fruit in the vineyard that is in the Church planted in this world 2. That the word and affliction are this our Purgatorie The word vers 3. Ye are cleane through the word which I haue spoken vnto you Cleane not by the water in Baptisme but by the word For saith Augustine Detrahe verbuÌ„ quid est aquae nisi aqua sed ascedit verbum adelementum fit sacramentum Cleare by the word non quia dicitur sed quia creditur The Pharifies and other hypocrites heard the word of Christ but they were not hereby purged because they did not beleeue the word of Christ. Our fruit then ariseth from faith it is faith as S. Peter telleth vs expresly that purifieth our hearts And so Rupertus expounds the words of Christ here you are cleane because you beleeue that which I haue said vnto you concerning my death and resurrection how I must die for your sinnes and rise againe for your iustification and goe away to prouide a place for you But because the flesh is so fraile that we cannot doe that good we would but the euill we would not Almighty God hath appointed for vs another Purgatorie to wit affliction and the Crosse the which is Gods rod where with he scourgeth euery sonne he receiueth and purgeth euery branch that beareth fruite that it may bring forth more fruit The branch of the Vine that is cut vntill it bleed and weepe beares the greater grapes and so the good man is best vnder the crosse tribulation bringeth forth patience and patience experience experience hope c. tanta summi patris est pietas vt etiam ira eius ex misericordiasit Our heauenly father is so good to vs his children that euen his anger is out of mercy destroying the flesh to saue the spirit 1. Cor. 5.5 3. We note from hence that no man in this world is throughly perfect euen the best of the Saints haue need to bee purged that they may bring forth more fruit They be saith Augustine Mundi mundandi not so pure but that they must encrease more and more Mundat it aque mundos hoc est fructuosos vt tanto sint fructuosiores quant to fuerint mundiores See Epist. 2. Sund. in Lent The Epistle IAMES 1.1 Iames the seruant of God and of the Lord Iesus Christ c. THis Epistle consists of 3. parts a Subscription Iames the seruant of God and of the Lord Iesus Christ. Inscription to the twelue tribes that are scattered abroad greeting Prescription My brethren count it exceeding ioy when ye fall into diuers tentations Iames Here two questions are moued ordinarily The first concerning this Epistles authority The second concerning this Epistles author As for the first I refer you to S. Hierom. Catalog script eccles in vita Iacobi Iusti. Sixt. senen bibliothec lib. 1. pag. 25. Bellarm. de verbo dei lib. 1. cap. 18. Dr. Whitaker respon ad Campian rat 1. Tyndal Prologue vpon S. Iames. Doctor Hanmer obseruations vpon Euseb. Eccles. hist. in English lib. 2. cap. 23. Rogers explanat of the confession of England art 6. Aretius Caluin Marlorat argument prolegom in epist. Iacob As for the second quare there were two blessed Apostles of this name Iames the sonne of Zebedeus and Iames the sonne of Alpheus Now this Epistle was not penned as herein the most and best Diuines accord by Iames the sonne of Zebedeus so hee was slaine by cruell Herod about the beginning of the preaching of the Gospell Act. 12. But by Iames the sonne of Alpheus called else where Iames the lesser and Iames the Lords brother this Iames was the first Bishop of Hierusalem of such vpright carriage toward men as that hee was surnamed Iustus and of such indesatigable deuotion in his prayers vnto God that as Hegesippus reportes his knees were like a Cammels knee benummed and made hard by reason of his continuall kneeling And S. Chrysostome further addeth that his forehead also became brawnie through his daily prostrating himselfe vpon the pauement in the Temple The which I note to condemne the proud and irreuerent behauiour of many who comming into the Temple to pray neither cast downe themselues as the Publican not yet stand vp as the Pharisee but they sit on their cushions I feare in the feate of the scornfull as if they were to blesse God and not God to blesse them Seruant of God Hee that serueth himselfe serueth a foole hee that serueth the diuell serueth his enemie he that serues the world serues his seruant the perfect and onely true freedome is to serue the Lord. Wherefore this stile is no way base but exceeding honourable desired euen of the best ambitiously Samuel was Gods seruant speake Lord saith he for thy seruant heareth thee Iob the greatest of all the men of the East was Gods seruant haâ—â— thus not considered my seruant Iob said the Lord to Satan Iob 1.8 Dauid stiled in holy Scripture for his excellency the King boasted notwithstanding of this title Behold O Lord how that I am thy seruant I am thy seruant and the sonne of thine handmaid Psalm 116.14 All the Patriarkes and Prophets and Apostles haue gloried in this seruice For if it bee reputed honourable to serue the King it is assuredly greater preserment to serue the King of Kings and Lord of Lords It is more credit to be a doorekeeper in the house
doth not only subsist in his diuine nature but also by his diuine nature whereas hee doth not subsist at all by the manhood but in the manhood onely for the word was in the beginning when the manhood was not God of the subâ—tance of his Father begotten before the worlds man of the substance of his mother borne in the world as Athanasius in his Creed And therefore Christ alway was is and euer will be with vs in his spirit though absent in his body for a cloud on this day tooke him vpon high out of our sight whom the heauens must containe till the time that all things bee restored which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began I conclude this argument in S. Augustines glosse Videte ascendentem credite in absentem sperate venientem sed tamen per misericordiam occultam etiam sentite praesentem The Gospell MARK 16.14 Iesus appeared vnto the eleuen as they sat at meate c. ALbeit religion be not tied vnto time yet can it not be planted or exercised without a due diuiding and allotting out of time for it Euery Church therefore chuseth vnto it selfe a certaine time for publike prayers and for the preaching of the Gospell and for the celebration of the Sacraments And for as much as it is kindly to consider euery great blessing of God in the day wherein it was wrought it is well ordered by the true Churches as well ancient as moderne to solemnize the memoriall of Christs natiuity circumcision passion resurrection assension and sending of the holy Ghost on certaine set holy daies euery yeere ne volumine temporum ingrata subrepat obliuio saith Augustine lest happily the maruelous workes of our gratious Lord should be forgotten in a while which ought to be had in a perpetuall remembrance Now Châ—ists assension is the consummation of all that which he did and taught whilest hee dwelt among vs aptly tearmed by Bernard Fâ—lix clausula totius lienerarâ— sily Dei the very Sabbath of all his labour in the working of our redemption He laboured six daies and then he rested on the seuenth His natiuity was the first his circumcision was the second his presentation in the Temple the third his baptisme the fourth his passion the fifth his resurrection the sixth and then followed his ascension in which hee was receiued into heauen and now sitteth at the right hand of God as hauing finished the whole worke for which hee came into the world Dauid saith of the naturall Sunne it reioyceth as a Grant to runne his course it goeth forth from the vtter most parts of the heauen and runneth about vnto the end of it againe and there is nothing hid from the heate thereof The which as Augustine and other haue noted may be well applied vnto the supernaturall Sunne Iesus Christ the sonne of righteousnesse As a Gâ—ant he did runne his course there you haue his incarnation and peregrination in the flesh his circuit was from the vttermost part of heauen vnto the end of it againe There you haue his resurrection and ascension nothing is hid from his beate there you haue his sending of the holy Ghost in the forme of fiery tongues Act. 2.3 As a Giant he ran his race for he first descended into the lowest parts of the earth and then ascended from aboue all heauens that he might fulfill all things Ephes. 4.9.10 Wherefore seeing Christs ascension is the complement of all his doings and of all his doctrines our Church is worthie to be honoured in making this festiuall one of the chiefe holidaies in the whole yeere In the Gospell allotted for this holy Thursday two points are most obseruable namely Christs goodnesse toward his Apostles in his Apparition Iesus appeared vnto the eleuen Correction and cast in their teeth c. Commission Goe ye into all the world c. Consolation These tokens shall follow c. Ascension So when the Lord had spoken vnto them hee was receiued into heauen c. The Apostles obedience toward Christ and they went forth and preached euery where c. Iesus appeared vnto the eleuen Hee had often appeared vnto his followers after his resurrection and now he manifested himselfe to the eleuen Apostles as they sat at meate Wherein hee did appeare like himselfe full of meekenesse and mercy giuing vs assurance that he will be present with vs orationi incumbentibus at our meetings in the Temple Quando nec recumbentibus quidem dedignatur adesse seeing he vouchsafed his companie to his Apostles in their meates at the table It is reported Luk. 24.43 that he did eate with them also now this comestion as the Schoolemen out of the Fathers haue disputed was not egestatis but potestatis He did eate to feed our soules and not to fill his owne bodie being after his resurrection immortall and impassible That which he did eate was not as Durandus imagined turned into the substance of his body for as Gregorie the great disputes out of S. Paul Rom. 6.9 Christ being raised from the dead dreth no more death hath no dominion ouer him his glorified body needed no sustenance to preserue life Neither was this eating as other thinke a seeming onely to take bread and fish and honie but it was a true comestion albeit assuredly there followed no digestion or ordinarie eiection And so by consequence he did not eate to nourish his owne flesh but onely to cherish our faith in that great article concerning the truth of his resurrection Or hee did in this appearing eate with his Apostles at the table familiarly that he might hereby the better imprint in their hearts a memoriall of his sweet loue toward them Or he did appeare to his Apostles at meate to signifie that he giueth our food in due season and that he filleth all things with his plenteousnesse Psal. 145.15 And cast in their teeth their vnbeleefe The Patriarks and Prophets and Apostles instruct vs not only by their vertues but also by their infirmities As there the Disciples vnbeleefe turned in fine to the confirmation of our Creed Dubitatum est ab illis ne dubitaretur à nobis vndoubtedly some did doubt the diuine prouidence sweetly so disposing that all other might bee put out of doubt And therefore Thomas in beleeuing Christs resurrection so flackly did vs hereby more good then Mary Magdalene in beleeuing so quickly because Christs correction of his fault occasioned further direction for our faith Infidelit as bona quae seculorum fidei militauit See Gospell on Saint Thomas day The world doth exalt first and then humble Prou. 14.13 The end of the worlds mirth is heauinesse But God on the contrary first humbleth and then exalteth As Christ here first humbled his Apostles in rebuking their vnbeleefe and hardnesse of heart and then he doth exalt them in making the whole