his merite Luke 18. For blessed is the man that feareth alway but hee that trusteth in his owne heart is a foole Prouerbs 28. 26. Seeke not to the strength of your owne purse doe not sacrifice to your owne net make not gold your hope saying to the wedge of gold thou art my confidence for riches auaile not in the day of wrath noâ—… helpe in the time of vengeance Seeke not to the blessed spirits of iust men in heauen for Abraham is ignorant of vs and Israel knoweth vs not Esay 63. 16. They doe not vnderstand our wants in particular howsoeuer vndoubtedly solicitous for our good in generall grant they did clearely see what we lacke and that they be so well able as willing to helpe yet because the Scriptures afford neither precept nor promise nor paterne for inuocation in this kind seeking to the dead saints is an open iniurie to the liuing God at the best it is wil-worship at the worst adoring of old saints is an adopting of new sauiours To summe vp all in a word with our Prophet in the 73 Psalme verse 14. Whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none vpon earth that I desire in comparison of thee all other hopes and helpes are miserable comforters in respect of thee which art a present helpe in trouble vnder the shadow of thy wings will I reioyce my soule hangeth vpon thee mine eyes are euer looking vnto thee to the throne of grace will I goe boldly that I may find mercy thou Lord art my strength and onely refuge thy face will I seeke euermore Hugo Cardinalis vnderstandeth here by Gods face that happinesse which is euerlasting in heauen They who seeke for Gods temperall blessings onely seeke his hinder parts as it were but they who first seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof are sayd to seeke his priora because potiora the multitude who followed Christ in the 6. of S. Iohn for loaues and not for loue sought Gods hinder parts only but the blessed Apostle who sayd I forget that which is behind and endeauour my selfe vnto that which is before following hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesu sought Gods face euermore Temporall goods as riches and honour are the blessings of Gods left hand but length of dayes that is euerlasting life the blessings of his right hand Prouer. 3 16. New creatures in Christ and new men are like the new Moone when the Moone decreaseth it is close aboue open below but when it increaseth it is open aboue close beneath euen so beloued if our mindes as nature framed our hearts are close downeward vsing the world as if wee vsed it not and enlarged vpward in seeking the things aboue then as S. Paul speakes our conuersation is in heauen and as Dauid here we seeke Gods face for euermore Arnobius and diuers moe by Gods face doe vnderstand Christ Iesus as being the brightnesse of Gods glorie and expresse character of his person Heb. 1. 3. And as our Prophet Psalm 67. vers 1. The light of his countenance God is manifested in his sonne as a man is knowen by his face for no man saith our Lord commeth vnto the Father but by me Iohn 14. 6. I am the way the trueth and the life non est quà eas nisi per me non est quò eas nisi ad me as Augustine sweetely Christ is the beginning of blessed and heauenly vision and therefore the way the meane and therefore the trueth the end and therefore the life No man knowes the Father saue the Sonne and to whomsoeuer the Sonne will open him It is true that we may see Gods hinder parts by the light of nature for the power of God is manifested in the creation of the world the heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke but we cannot see Gods face that is the most vnsearchable riches of his mercy but in by his Son only none know the Father that is a distinction of the Persons in the Sacred Trinity but by the reuelation of God the Sonne in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Coloss. 2. 3. Or none know that God is their Father but by the spirit of the Sonne crying in our hearts Abba Father Galat. 4. 6. Wee speake the wisdome of God in a mysterie quoth Paul which none of the Princes of this world knew Hoc magnus Plato nesciuit eloquens Demosthenes ignorauit saith Hierome deepe Plato was altogether ignorant eloquent Demosthenes was vtterly silent in this argument they being secretaries of nature groped after God and found out also so much of him as may serue to condemne them but wee blessed are the eyes that see the things which we see seeking God in his Sonne in whom he is well pleased vnfainedly beleeue that he is our Father and that we are his children and further his heires euen heires annexed with Christ in his kingdome of glorie Rom. 8. verse 16. 17. The Turke seekes not God aright for that he seekes him in Mahumet the Iew seekes not God aright for that he seekes him in a Messias which is yet to come the Popeling seekes not aright for that he seekes him in moe Mediatours then one the Hereticke destroying either the natures of Christ or offices of Christ seekes not God aright the carnall Gospeller and worldling seekes not God aright for although he professe Christ in word yet in his workes he denieth him and the power of his Gospel as Augustine pithily the difference betweene an Hereticke and a bad Catholicke is briefly this the one is an Hereticke in his faith and the other is an Hereticke in his manners Lord shew vs the light of thy countenance that is indue vs with true knowledge of thy word and with a liâ—…ely faith in thy Sonne which is thine owne Image that so wee may seeke thy strength and see thy face euermore It is euident by the first of the Chronicles 16. Chap. That Dauid was authour of this Hymne and that it was indited for Asaph to be sung when the Lordes Arke was placed in the mids of the Tabernacle that Dauid had pitched for it and therefore most expositours interpret here Gods face to be Gods Arke by which hee declared his poweâ—… and presence fauour and goodnes toward his people So we read 2 Chron 6. 41. Psal. 63. 3. Psal. 78. 61. Psal. 132. 1. Arise O Lord into thy resting place thâ—… and the Arke of thy strength The like is sayd of Gods holy Temple that it was his house Esay 56. 7. His amiable dwelling place Psal. 84. 1 Yea the very chamber of his presence Psal. 95. 2. Let vs come before his presence with thankesgiuing And they who worshipped in the Courts of the Lord are sayd to stand and appeare before him as Deut. 16. 16. Three times in the yeere shall all
our Prophet saith in the next words If thou deale thy bread to the hungrie then shall thy light breake forth as the morning and thy health shall grovve speedily For his Ciuill estate that is reputation and honour Learning and Valour are the vertues for which a man is most admired but humblenesse and bountifulnesse are the vertues for which a man is best beloued The loynes of the naked blesse him and the tongues of the poore praise him and the hearts of all men honour him his memoriall is blessed and had in an euerlasting remembrance sweet as hony in all mouthes and pleasant in all eares as musicke at a banquet of wine For this Spirituall estate the dealing of bread to hungry soules is acceptable to God for his almes ascend and come vp in remembrance before God Act. 10. 4. Where that he hath done faithfully to the least of Christes little ones shall be Construed as done to Christ himselfe and it is very comfortable to himselfe also which occasioned the blessed Martyr Tyndall to terme monday and Saturday which he vsually spent in visiting the sicke and relieuing the poore his owne dayes of pastime an happy recreation as Ambrose speakes in alieno remedio Vulnera sua curare To benefit our selues by helping other For his eternall estate the poore man is the Mercurit saith our Church set by God in the way to Hierusalem aboue whosoeuer will go thither must goe by his doore pointing at the path of Paradise directly Hee that Couers the naked shall put on Christ and bee Clothed with the long white robes of righteousnes couering all his sin hee that bringes the poore Cast-out into his house shall be receiued into euerlasting habitation he that hides not himselfe from his owne flesh shall enioy the presence of Christ and see God face to face He that deales bread to the hungry shal be satisfied with the plenteousnes of Gods house drinking of heauenly delights as out of the riuer he shal haue for a cup of Cold water which is the least almes a Crowne of glory which is the greatest of rewardes euen fulnesse of Ioyes and pleasures at Gods right hand for euermore GEN. 1. 26. And God sayd let vs make man in our Image after our owne likenesse THe Scripture considers man in a fourefold estate the first of his confection as being in his originall integrity created according to Gods owne likenesse The 2. of his infection as hauing by sinne defaced this imprinted Image The 3. of his refection as being renewed againe by Christ which is the brightnesse of Gods glory and expresse Character of his person The 4. of his perfection in the Kingdome of glory when he shall enioy Gods presence seeing him as the blessed Apostle speakes euen face to face Our present text is a briefe Chronicle reporting his first estate namely the creation of man wherein two poyntes are to be discussed especially 1. The mystery of the most high and sacred Trinity creating 2. The dignity of man Created The first is closely couched vnder these two words faciamus and Imago let vs make in the plural number noting the Trinity but in the singular Image not Images noting the vnitie the word our imports moe then one the word likenesse one and no moe this then in the Iudgement of all orthodoxe Diuines is meant of the three in heauen the Father the Word the Holy Spirit which three are one 1. Iohn 5. 7. Hereupon elswhere termed according to the Hebrew phrase God our makers Iob. 35. 10. psal 149. 2. Esay 54 5. and Eccle. 12. 1. Remember thy Creators in the dayes of thy youth If this note seeme to be forced and vnkind beside the streame of all antiquitie there be manifest and manifold reasons euidently demonstrating the same 1. Man is the workemanship of the whole Trinity Ergo these wordes of God let vs make concern the whole Trinity the antecedent is indeniable because opera Trinitatis quoad extra sunt cōmunicabilia that is all the works of the Trinity without it selfe are communicable the workes of the Trinity within it selfe are incommunicable So God the father is sayd only to beget God the sonne to bee begotten and God the holy Ghost to proceed but all the workes of the Trinitie without it selfe are common vnto three persons and therefore Moses saith in the beginning of this chapter according to the wordes originall in principio dij creauit intimating the creation of the world to bee the worke of the whole Trinitie Creauit dij three persons but one God It is bad latine yet good diuinitie for God the sonne did create so well as God the father Iohn 1. 3. by him al things were made and God the holy Ghost also aswell as God the sonne for the spirit moued vpon the waters Gen. 1. 2. where by spirit we neither vnderstand an Angel which is Caietans idle phansie nor yet the winde as Tertullian and Dauid Kimchi conceited nor the piercing aire as Theodorete imagined but it was Gods owne spirit whereby the creatures were fostered and formed Iob. 26. 13. His spirit hath garnished the heauens and so diuines ascribe the work of creation in the masse of the matter vnto God the father In the disposition of the forme vnto God the sonne in the continuance and conseruation of both vnto God the holy spirit the consultation or rather agreement in saying let vs make man is of the whole trinitie wherein God the father as the first in order speaketh vnto the sonne and holy Ghost and the sonne and the holy Ghost speake it and order it with the father the which because it is written for mans instruction is also spoken after the manner of men 2. To whom I pray sayd God let vs make man If not to God the son and holy Ghost vnto some Demi-gods as Philo Iudaus a scholler of Plato most absurdly coniectured or because the workes and actions of men are partly good and partly bad that God he spake to some Cacodamon as the Manichees impiously dreamed refering the making of that which is good vnto God but the making of that which is bad vnto some badspirit Ista referre est refellere the very repetition of these fantasies is a sufficient confutation of them vnto you who know that all which God made was good yea very good and that God in the beginning made man righteous but they haue sought many inuentions Eccl. 7. 31. Or did God speake this in the plurall after the maner of great Princes only for his honour Nos Radulphus Romanus Imperator mandamus As some Iewes haue fondly construed it nb vcb vbi Answere is made that the stately stile Nos is not ancient at the least not so gray headed and Christian interpreters obserue from Aben Ezra who was himselfe a Iew That the Scripture doth not afford such an example of any King
or Potentate who speakes of himselfe plurally We wil and Command Againe Princes in our age vse that stile that they might seeme to doe nothing alone but all as it were by the Counsell of their Nobles and other great ministers of state Whereas God neither needes nor admits any Counsellour and so consequently could not speake of himselfe in this sense Let vs make Or did God say this vnto the beastes of the field or vnto the birdes of the Heauen or vnto the fish of the Sea Nō for then the base should haue made the more Noble and the seruants haue created their Lord and master for so the Scripture doth esteeme man as Lord of the creatures Rule saith God ouer the fish of the Sea and ouer the foules of the ayre and ouer euery thing that moueth vpon the earth Gen. 1. 28. All things are put in subiection vnder his feete Psal. 8. 6. Againe man was created according to his Image who spake this and according to their Image to whom it was spoken But he was not framed to the likenesse of any beast Ergo the conceit is bruitish to thinke that Almighty God spake to beastes in saying Let vs make man Or did God speake this vnto his glorious Angels No Because then creatures should haue beene creators For albeit there be some question about the time when Angels were made Yet it is without all controuersie that they were created as Moses in his entrance to this Booke doth intimate saying In the beginning God created heauen and earth That is as himselfe doeth expound himselfe in the 4. Commandement The heauen and the earth and all that is therein And the blessed Apostle doth construe Moses all things inuisible aswel as visible Whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers For the same hand saith Augustine that made silly worms creeping on the earth created also the stately thrones singing in the heauens If God then vttered these wordes neither to the creatures more base nor yet to his Angels excelling all earthly beauties It is certaine that they were addressed to God the Sonne and to God the holy Ghost And so without any further dispute we may conclude that the most ineffable mystery of the blessed Trinity in Vnitie is in them obscurely touched and couched I say not that it is here set downe clearely nor in any place of the old Testament lest happily Gods people the Iewes exceedingly giuen to superstition Idolatry should adore three gods in stead of three persons and so Tritheisme prooue so bad as Atheisme Nay beloued in the new Testament where these mysteries are reuealed more plainely you may well note That in the rehearsing of the Trinity there is an Item for the Vnity as in the wordes of our blessed Sauiour Mat. 28. 19. Goe teach all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost He doth expresse three persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost But saying In the Name not names He notes the vnity of essence For God is Vnus in Numine Howsoeuer Trinus in numero I and my Father saith Christ are all one Iohn 10. 30. Vnum sumus as Augustine pithily not vnus all one power but not all one person God the Father is not aliud but alius another person albeit not another essence then is God the Son For in speaking of the Trinity wee must especially take heede of two rockes of Arrius on the right hand who together with the Trinity of persons maintained a Trinity of essences of Sabellius on the left hand who with the vnity of essence maintained an vnity of persons These two we must heedfully shunne lest as S. Paul speakes wee make shipwracke of faith euen sayling in the middle way neither confounding the persons nor diuiding the substance But leauing this argument which is so high and hard that a good Christian ought rather by beleeuing to adore simply then by disputing explore subtilly I come to speake of mans dignitie more principally intended in our text and more naturally gathered out of euery word in the same 1. Out of the word faciamus When almighty God made light he sayd onely Let there be light and there was light and when hee made herbes hee sayd onely let the ground bring foorth herbes and it did so Hee spake the word and it was done He commanded and it was effected Psal. 33. 9. But when he made man he breathed himselfe as Abbinus is bold to speake and as Clemens Alexandrinus and other of the most ancient Doctours He held a Counsell let vs make man So that whereas all other creatures were made with his bare word only man was framed as it were with his owne handes as Prosper hath it hunc manibus quo plus genitoris haberet Dignatur formare suis. Neither was this in respect of any hardnesse in the doing for shall any thing be hard to the Lord Gen. 18. 14. If hee had sayd onely let man bee made as he sayd only let there be a firmament he could haue done the one aswell as the other and as easily but it was to shew the r greatnesse of the worke For as wise men in managing matters of importance vse the deeper consultation and mature care to performe them Euen so the scripture speaking after the manner of men affirmes of God that he tooke heere deliberation and so commends the wonderfull and exquisite workemanship of God in the creating of man as being a more noble creature then heauen itself 2. The dignity of mans creation is much amplified by the circumstance of time when he was made to wit after all other things were created for as Albinus and other obserue Deus imprimis parauit domum et deinde dominum Almighty God first created the whole world as an house then he made man as the master of this house God saith Ambrose like the feast maker in the Gospels history first prepared his dinner he prouided his oxen and his fatlings and got all things ready then he doeth inuite his guestes and say come to the marriage When he had created all thinges for man he put man in possession of all and sa◅d Ruleouer the fish in the sea ouer the foules in the heauen and ouer euery thing that moueth vpon the earth Againe Serum concilium is Serium vsually the last workes of a cunning Artificer are most absolute S. Ambrose therefore doth obserue that God hauing framed man instantly rested himselfe and made Holy-day He made birds flying in the aire fish swimming in the Sea worms creeping on the ground and yet he did not rest He made lilleys and other flowers of the field which are more beautifull in the spring then Solomon in all his Royalty but yet he did not rest he made the goodly lights glorious Angels of heauen and yet he did not rest But assoon as he had
Nathans Parable they are nourished vp together they eate of the same morsels and drinke of the same cup both which manifest themselues by the same meanes so that we may easily guesse where they dwell if wee find in any man these three properties that there is In vultu serenitas in opere gratia in corde ad omnes dulcedo As the same father speaketh there is true humility and lowlinesse of mind which whosoeuer knew him knew well to bee in him vvhich made him not an ordinary man Though Trismegistus boasts much of that priviledge of nature making man no lesse then a miracle but as Melancthon esteemed Luther Miraculum inter homines hauing as many vertues couched together in that little house of clay as was almost possible for that fraile vessell to containe Neither was he Angusti oris Uasculum a straight mouthd vessell as vvilling to retaine to himselfe vvhat vvas due to others wee know the contrary that the streames of his goodnesse flowed abroad plentifully to the refreshing of many a dry barren land where no water was so that there were in his time and yet are few soules in our Mother Church that taste not of his brookes that ruâ—…ne in the way Hee needed not in a fearefull iealousie haue asked them about him Whom or what men doe say that I am Loquatur invidia I dare trust this Daniel amongst such lyons whose mouthes sure his goodnesse would stop being truly such a man as Dyon reports of Marke Anthony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a constant man no changeling and his constancy was grounded vpon a good foundation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a man he was of whom that Noble Elogie which Trithemius gaue to Leo the Great may with some moderation I dâ—…re say truely in part bee applied to him Fuit Ecclesiasticae Dictionis Tullius Sacrae Theologiae Homerus Rationum Fidei Aristotles Authoritatis Apostolicae Petrus et in Christiano Pulpito Paulus Only for mine owne sake and for my Brethrens sake of the Linnen Ephod I must take vp S. Bernards wish vpon the death of Malachy the Irish Bishop Vtinam sic nos post trahat vt pertrahat in tam recenti virtutum eius adore avidius alacriusque currentes And now the last Qâ—…uaere comes in which cannot well bee distinguished from the second What is my life It is easily answered being nothing else but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And I will make it as briefely a compendium of so large a Volume as I can His parents as they gaue him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so they were not wanting for the chiefe and last thing which the Philosopher requires at Parents hands which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a care to bring him vp in instruction and information of the Lord So that after hâ—…e had sucked the milke vvhich the lesser schooles afford for imitating of youth in the countrey he was sent to the Vniuersity where in due time by his paines and proficiency he was made Candidate and Mr of Artes After vvhich honour hee thinkes not presently as many doe that hee was come ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his perfection nor stayes hee there long deliberating what profession he should take vpon him as many Vniuersity men doe whose distracted studies hinders their proficiency but betakes himselfe to the study of Divinitie for the attaining of which heauenly knowledge he vsed the best means both for his entrance into his course of study as also for his proceeding therein procuring the acquaintance and after gaining the heart of a famous Professour in Diuinitie then and after a most worthy and eminent Prelate of this land Dr. Ouerall Who like a good Palinure taught him the way hovv to become a skilfull Steeres-man in the little barke of Gods Church And hauing once tasted the sweetnes of this hony as Ionathan did but with the typpe of his rod hee would not giue ouer till hee had gotten Saint Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that plat-forme of sound Doctrine which after made him famous Which well did witnesse his paines in reading Sacred Scripture in pervsing the Fathers Schoole-men and what else might make him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more serious he was at his booke then Diogenes of whom Aelian reports that hee did but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extremitâ—…tes foliorum comederâ—… For hee was rather Hellâ—…o Librorum eating whole râ—…ules with the Prophet of Sacred learning When he had gathered his Omer full of Mannaâ—… at the Schooles of the Prophets then he leaues the Vniversitie thinking it high time to distribute that hony which like a laborious Bee hee had gathered in the garden of the Prophets So that his countreymen at his returne needed not to haue asked that question for the time past which the Spouse doeth for the present Tell mee O thou whom our soules loue where hast thou fâ—…dde Because they might easily discerne boâ—…h where and how hee had fed for as Epâ—…ctetus telleth vs how wee may know by tvvo infallible tokens Quantum ovâ—…s comedâ—…rint viz Lanaâ—…t Lacte So might they easily guesse Quantum hic Gregis Aries as Augustine calles such as he waâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lana Lacte by his skarlet â—…eece a robe of the greatest honour that his Mother Vniversitie could bestow vpon him and that plenteousnesse of milke which he â—…ad gotten by his choice and ofâ—…n feeding in Dauids gâ—…eene Pastures by the still waters which hee as freely distributed to others as euer hee receiued for hauing a priuate charge of his ovvne in the countrey there hee spent much time feeding his ovvne flocke at home by his continuall preaching vnto them and others also when he began Fauos facere to make his hoâ—…y combe that sweete booke of his Postillâ—… whose sweetenesse as it giues repast to many painefull Bees so contrary to his intention feedes some idle droanes in our Mother Church And here if the boundes of a preface would permit I might set foorth a Catalogue of his vertues seeing by this time he vvas come to his full Maturity and ripenesse reckoning his vertues Naturall as a Man or Morall as a Good man or Theologicall as a Religious man or Pastorall as a Sacred and Ministeriall man commending him for them as Melancthon doth Luther for his learning Pomeranus est GraÌ„maticus ego sum Logicus Iustus Ionas et Orator sed Lutherus est omnia in omnibus So was hee for his vertues All the fresh springs they were in him He had purposed to spend himselfe and end his dayes in priuat had not his countreyes loue especially the Gentries care drawen him out of this priuate course of life not leauing him till they see him at the sterne of Christs Church in Canterbury whereof hee liued and died a loving and carefull Deane The greatest part of which worthy society can yet witnesse his paines in preaching every weeke if not at his owne charge yet there where was
heere distinguish betweene Image and likenesse Saint Basil in Hexam Hom. 10. Ambrose lib. De dignitate conditione humanae Lomb. 1. sent Dist. 16. and Aquin. vpon our text referre Image to the naturall giftes of the soule will vnderstanding memory but likenesse to the supernaturall gifts of grace holinesse and righteousnesse which occasioned Eucherius to say Imago est omnium similitudo paucorum Aquine doth auow that Gods Image may be seene in the most admirable frame of the body but the likenesse in our mindes onely For as Bernard obserues the mind of man is properly Gods similitude wherein there be three powers or faculâ—…ies Memory Vnderstanding Will. In our memory wee resemble God the Father which is the ancient of dayes Dan. 7. 9. In our vnderstanding God the Sonne in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Colos. 2. 3. in our will God the holy Ghost by whom his grace worketh all in all 1. Cor. 12. 6. The which opinion Augustine fauoureth in his 102. Epistle and S. s Ambrose in his Treatise concerning mans dignity saith as the Sonne is begotten of the Father and the Holy Spirit proceedeth from both euen so the will is begotten as it were by the vnderstanding and memory proceedes from both Now beloued howsoeuer it be true that these naturall giftes of reason and supernaturall giftes of grace were conferred by God vpon man in his creation Yet if wee compare one Scripture with another it will appeare that Moses here makes no difference betweene likenesse and Image But that as Caluin and u other obserue they doe signifie the same thing For in the next verse without any mention of the word likenesse it is sayd that God created man in his Image in the Image of God created hee him And in the 5. Chapter at the 1. verse without any mention of the word Image God created Adam in the likenesse of God made he him And so the meaning of our text in our Image according to our likenesse is nothing else but in our Image which is likest vs. As if the Lord had sayd let vs make man in our Image that he may be as a creature may be like vs and the same his likenesse may bee our Image But wee shall vnderstand more fully what is Gods Image by considering in what part of man it was placed u Audius the founder of the monstrous Anthropomorphite heresie supposed it was placed in the figure of the body which lest happily there should be raysed any wicked errour which they would not acknowledge for their owne the Papistes are content to like well and defend in whose Churches and other places of deuotion it is euery where to find the likenesse of God the Father depictured vpon their walles and windowes in the figure of a man As if they had learned of Zeuxis to draw his Physiognomy and they professe it lawfull both to haue such Images and to worship them also from our text that God created Adam in his likenesse But it is a strange peruersenesse quoth Tertullian aduersus Marcion Lib. 2. Cap. 27. To thinke that there are humane thinges in God rather then diuine thinges in man and to conceiue of God to haue the Image of a man rather then a man to haue the Image of God Other affirme that the likenesse of God is placed in the mind only For saith Ambrose who sayd let vs make man in our Image Was it not God and what is God flesh and bones or a spirit Christ answereth in the 4. of S. Iohn at the 24. verse God is a spirit Ergo man is like to God as being endued with an vnderstanding spirit But because God created the whole man in his Image consisting of a body made of the dust of the ground and of a soule that was the breath oâ—… life which being vnited by the spirit became a liuing soule It is euident so farre as their seuerall nature could conteine that God creaâ—…ed in that Image both body and soule But as waxe is more apt then clay to receiue a print So the soule being a spirit was much more capable of the impression of the Image of God Yet that which the body could receiue it did in very notable sort expresse being so wonderfully framed of such an excellent proportion and beauty that no creature in the world may be compared with it and moreouer of so sound a temperature that had not Adam sinned it would haue continued without corruption for euer But the soule being a spirit as God is a spirit it is apter a great deale to beare Gods Image For in the very substance of the soule there is a liuely print thereof not as though the soule were of the substance of God for as Augustine pithily distinguisheth it is 〈◊〉 deo non de deo But first in that it is a substance spirituall and immortall as God is the liuing God Heb. 10. 31. Secondly for that it is indued with vnderstanding and memorie which are the very character of Gods wisdome Thirdly in respect of quicknesse and agility conceiuing at one time so many matters so different so farre distant which is the shadow of Gods vbiquity But St. Paul in saying man was in the beginning created after the Image of God in knowledge Colos. 3. 10. And the same in righteousnesse and holinesse Ephes. 4. 24. Shewes plainely that this Image consists not so much in the substance of the soule or in the naturall faculties thereof as in the supernaturall giftes of grace knowledge illumination holinesse Iustice of the soule For Adam had an illuminated vnderderstanding and a rectified will louing God aboue all things and his neighbour as himselfe The two wordes of S. Paul Holinesse and Righteousnesse conteine mans whole duty holinesse his duty to God righteousnesse his duty to man In this Image man was created and so consequently this Image consists in the soule more then in the body and in the supernaturall graces of the soule more then in the naturall powers of the soule For 1. If this Image consisted onely in the soules spirituall essence then it would follow that wicked spirits and wicked men should haue Gods Image because the substance of the spirit and soule remaineth in them but the scripture teacheth expresly that the wicked haue not Gods Image but the deuils stampe So Christ affirmed of Iudas haue not I chosen you twelue and one of you is a deuill and S. Peter when he committed a foule fact come behind me Sathan Mat. 16. 23. and of the Pharisees yee are of your father the deuill Iohn 8. 44. And the text is plaine 1. of Iohn 3. 8. he that committeth sin is of the deuill 2. God cannot properly be sayd to damne his owne Image or to send it into hell fire but the soules of reprobate sinners are damned Ergo this Image is not altogether in the soules substance that Image saith Ambrose wherein
the children of Israel after they be numbred and euery man shall giue a ransome for his soule That is for his life which hee should now loose when hee was particularly visited of God If hee redeemed not himselfe with money now the reasons of this law deliuered by diuines are these 1. To put Israel in minde that this exceeding great multiplication of people waâ—… onely from the Lord according to his gracious promise made to their forefathers I will make of thee a great nation I will make thy seede as the dust of the earth so that if any can number the dust of the earth then shall thy seed also be numbred Gen. 13. 16. 2. To shew the speciall care hee had ouer his people numbring them and as it were noting euery person in his booke God careth for his people saith St. Peter and so careth as a father careth for his child saith Dauid and so careth for euery child as if hee had no more then one to care for saith Augustine 3. To signifie that no man is Lord of his owne life but that hee depends vpon God in whom he liues and moues and hath his being Acts. 17. 28. 4. This temporall offering prefigured the spirituall tribute which euery one that hath giuen vp his name to God in holy Baptisme ought to pay the which is to serue God in spirit and trueth Iohn 4. 23. 5. By this Law God taught his people to iudge themselues for their sinnes that they might not be iudged of him Ezek. 20. 43. 1. Cor. 11. 31. 6. This redeeming of their soules with money taught them also faith in Christ who was to redeeme his people not with siluer and gold but with his owne precious blood 1. Pet. 1. 19. The people then in omitting this duty for so many good endes enioyned transgressed the commandement of the Lord and so prouoked his iust indignation against them But graunt that the people did not offend in this one particular Yet their manifold other sinnes vndoubtedly were the cause why the Lord permitted Dauid to fall into this errour according to that of Gregory the great Secundummerita subditorum disponuntur actarâ—…gentium Almighty God disposeth the hearts of Soueraignes according to the merrits of their subiects If they be not nursing Fathers vnto the Church and the ministers of God for our good It is because we gouerne our owne families ill and our owne persons worse It is a common fault indeed the common fault when any mischiefe happeneth vnto them or plague comes neere their dwelling Instantly to speake ill of those which are in authority Now this murmuring against our gouernours ariseth as one notes from fiue defects in our selues The first is want of humility for when our hearts are sowred with the leauen of our owne pride conceyting that we could manage state affaires a great deale wiser as Alphonsus the 10. said If he had beene with God in the beginning hee could haue better dâ—…sposed of many things in the world then often times a bitternesse ariseth out of the stomacke into the mouth So that we cannot forbeare to prophane sacred maiesty The second is want of wisedome to discerne the policies of Princes for the disguising of a purpose with a pretence is not forbidden in the Bible Solomon pretended to diuide an infant to good purpose But did not and Paul pretended to Iudaize but did not arcana reipublicae mysteria regni State plots are not easily digested of countrey stomacks as Father Latimer sayd they be no meate for mowers The 3. is want of compassion in not weighing the temptations of Princes hauing al meanes of misdoing and nothing to keepe them from outragious sins but only the feare of the Lord. A bosome friend is bold to tell a priuate person of his fault But alas who dares say to the Pope of Prince Domine cur ita facis If his domesticall chaplaine I meane his conscience chide him not his other chaplaines are of his closer and they quoth old Latymer will keepe his follies close a miserie fatall vnto great potentates whom flattery will neuer suffer to know themselues in health or sicknesse We should therefore construe Princes actions euer to the best according to the lawes of the Thames When two wherries meete the banke is theirs by right that haue wind and tide against them The 4. is want of thankefulnesse Princes are shieldes vnder whose shelter wee lead a quiet and a peacefull life in all godlinesse and honesty Sweet peace is the greatest of all blessings temporall and freedome of the Gospell is the greatest of all blessings spirituall as being the power of God vnto saluation Yet there be refractorie fling-braines enioying both vnder the gouernment of pious princes which are ready to quarrell their authority concerning the tithing of mint and other small matters of ceremonies indifferent inioyned to preserue the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace Hippodamus in â— Aristotle was censured for writing of common wealths being but an architect yet Carpenters and Masons among vs are busie builders of new Churches and framers of new disciplines but the greatest of all is want of equity when as we blame the King for our owne faults as for example wee desire confident proceedings in the businesse of religion and yet we weaken them with our owne diuisions and dissentions If euery man in his place shall examine himselfe and lay his hand on his owne heart he shall vnderstand easily that the bad ordering of his owne selfe and his owne things is part of the cause why the wrath of the Lord is kindled against Israel If Dauid of himselfe takes the whole blame to himselfe it is as I haue shewed his humility But if we cast it vpon him it argueth in vs a great want of meekenesse wisdome piety thankefulnesse equity 3. In the resolution of Dauid here Diuines obserue his zeale for in warre the conquering enemy doth insult and blaspheme where is now their God Is not the Lord in whom they trust able to defend his Israel as with a shield And in famine good people should be forced to beg their bread of strange nations and to receiue curtesies of enemies which the Grecians aptly terme Dora adora giftes and no giftes And the Latines panis lapidosus a loafe so hardly digested as a stone And that had bene dishonorable not only to their countrey heretofore flowing with milke and hony But also to God as if the sheepheard of Israel had not meanes to feed the people of his pasture and the sheepe of his hands And therefore Dauid here desires to depend vpon God only Let vs fall into the hand of God Many professours in these dayes of relapse began to be luke-warme yea some were so cold in their deuotion and zeale that they seemed frozen in the dregges of their profit and pleasure
but in this matter all our care must be cast vpon the Lord who being a iealous God will not giue his glory to another nor his prayse to grauen images Esay 42. 8. O Nabuchodonosor we will shew by deeds that it is better to obey God then man In reason as well as in religion a true proposition is to bee granted a false to bee denyed only the doubtfull and probable to bee disputed humane demonstrations and diuine testimonies are without controuersie the lawes of the Medes are not alterable much lesse the commandements of God questionable So Balum answered the seruants of Balack If Balack would giue me his house full of siluer and gold I can not gâ—…e beyond the word of the Lord my God to doe lesse or more So Ioseph answered his want on mistresse How can I doe this great wickednesse and so sinne against God The breach of the â—…east commandement in the second table concerning our neighbours is a sinne but a transgression of the first table concerning our duty to God a greater offence For as Bernard and other diuines obserue God hath in old time dispensed with some precepts of the second table as in bidding Abraham to kill his sonne Isaac contrary to the 6 commandement and in suffering the Fathers to haue many concubines contrary to the 7. commandement and in aduising his people to rob the wicked Egyptians of their iewels contrary to the 8 commandement Put God who can not deny himselfe neuer yet dispensed with any commandement of the first table touching his true worship and holinesse and therefore Shadrach Meshach and Abednego delighting in the law of the Lord and exercising themselues in it day and night and vnderstanding that it saith expresly thou shalt haue no other gods and thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image resolued instantly constantly that they would neither serue the false gods of Nabuchodonosor nor yet adore his golden image Cyprian the blessed Martyr in the like case gaue the like answere for being tempted to forsake the trueth of religion he replyed as Augustine reports in re tam sancta nulla deliberatto telling the Proconsull Paternus to his beard I am a christian and a Bishop I know no gods but one that is the true liuing God who created heauen and earth and all that is therein So Martyn Luther in the spirit of Elias by fire from heauen vsed to say that the principles of faith are like a Mathematicall poynt which admits neither ademption nor addition in such a case quoth hee God assisting I am and euer will bee stout and sterne herein I take vpon mee this title Cedonulli So the good Ignatius of his age Dr. Rouland Taylor when his friends aduised him as Peter did his master pitty thy selfe answered I shall neuer be able to doe God so good seruice as now I know that the papacy is the kingdome of Antichrist and that all the doctrine thereof euen from Christs crosse be my speed vnto the end of their apocalyps is nothing else but idolatry superstition errors hypocrisie lyes So the renowned Prelate Iohn Iewel I deny my learning I deny my Bishopricke I deny my selfe only the faith of Christ and trueth of God I can not deny with this faith or for this faith I trust I shall end The schismaticks in loosing their liuings and the Papists in loosing their liues are both exceeding resolute but it is not the crosse but the cause that makes the Martyr the Romanists are not questioned for seruing the true God but for their worshipping their false gods and for adoring 〈◊〉 lord god the Pope they bee not conâ—… as they say because Iesuites but on the 〈◊〉 because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our blessed Iesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God euen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Augustine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2â—…8 Whose foote stood vpon 〈◊〉 and the top reached vp to heauen But the papists haue 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 saints and angels at the foote with the merits of their owne works and so they make Christ Iesus our only mediatour 1. Tim. 2. 5. but halfe a mediatour and halfe a Sauiour halfe a mediatour because the Saints are ioynt patrons with him and halfe a Sauiour because themselues are ioynt purchasers with him in the worke of their saluation Irenaus writeth of certaine humorous fellowes who called themselues Emendatores apostolorum apostle-menders and so these men are correctors of the scriptures accounting Saint Paul a very Lutheran for teaching iustification by faith only So likewise Schismaticks in our Church are not questioned for articles of doctrine but for poynts of discipline for matter of ceremonie not substance As then Aristides who dyed of the bite of a weazell exceedingly lamented because it was not a lyon so the brethren of diuision and other of their alliance may grieue that they do not smart for the lyoÌ„ of Iuda but for a siely weasel latelyâ—…rept out of the Alps which at the first crouded in among vs at a little hole but since being pampered at the tables of diuerse rich men is growen so full and pursie that many will rather forsake Gods plâ—…gh and looke backe to the world then acknowledge he came in at so narrow an entrance Manners as it is in the prouerbe makes the man and so it is the matter that makes the Mâ—…rtyr as the 3 children in our text O Nabuchodonosor wee are not carefull to answere theâ—… in this matter Yea but iâ—… is the King that 〈◊〉 and the proclamation of a King is like the roaring of a lyon and with him as wee find in the forepart of this chapter are ioined the Nobles Princes and Dukes the Iudges the receiuers and all the gouernours of the prouinces why then are Shadrach Meshach and Abednego recusants and singular in their opinions especially considering on the one side their danger and on the other side their duty Lawyers and Diuines and great clearkes in other professions often are ready to speake good of euill and euill of good prostituting their tongues and pens and wits and wils all that they haue goods honour bodies soule to serue the times and turnes of Princes If the King bid kill they kill If he say spare they spare If hee bid smite they smite If hee bid make desolate they make desolate beating downe mountaines and walles and towres amplifying or extenuating euery thing for the pleasing of his humour and aduancing of his honour It is thought by St. Hierome and other that the golden Image set vp here by Nabuchodonosor was his owne Statua so vaine was his impiety that being dust and ashes as a clod of clay in the hand of the potter he did notwithstanding ambitiously desire to bee worshipped as a God opposing as it were this image which himselfe made to that image which appeared vnto him in a dreame by Gods appointment and immediatly his plot tooke for as we read in this chap. at the
insatiable auarè auarus as Chytraeus vpon our text Such an inordinate coueting is euill and goods so gotten are riches of iniquity yea filthy lucre 1. Tim. 3. 3. Ill kept is when a miserable wretch will not let his fountaine flow foorth and his riuers of waters in the street when he will not distribute to the necâ—…ssity of the Saints and share his goods among those which are of the houshold of faith according to the rules of charity Iustice mercy Ill spent as when a penny-father doth a good worke for temporall interest or to bee seene of men Mat. 6. 1. or when he doth expend his riches vpon bad workes as in giuing his neighbour drinke that he may make him drunken and so discouer his priuities verse 15. Or when hee drinkes so much himselfe that he is filled with shame for glory verse 16. All these kindes of couetousnesse are euill and as the blessed Apostle telleth vs expressely the roote of all euill whether it be malum culpae that euill a man doth or malum poenae that euill a man suffereth it is the roote of all sin and of all punishment for sin the termes of our text point at both at the sin in pronouncing it euill at the punishment in denouncing vpon it a woe For the first If the feare of God be the beginning of wisdome the Matrix of goodnesse and seed of vertue then on the contrary the loue of the world which is enmity with God is the roote of all offences against God our neighbours and our selues for as the roote giues nourishment to the whole tree so the disordinate loue of money doth administer occasions and meanes for euery sin according to that of Ecclesiastes siluer answereth to all or as it is in the vulgar Latin and old English all things obey money The most abominable sin committed against God is idolatry forbidden in the 1. commandement of the Law thou shalt haue none other Gods c. And in the 1 article of the creed I beleeue in God not in gods but as the Nicene creed in one God almighty maker of heauen and earth and in the first words of the Pater noster our Father which art in heauen God is our Father Ergo we must haue none other Gods in heauen Ergo we may not worship any grauen Image But couetousnesse as S. Paul teacheth is worshipping of Idols Ephe. 5. 5. for as cursed Idolaters either haue strange gods and not the true as the Pagans or else strange gods with the true as the Papists So the couetous person adores gold in stead of God or else God and Mammon together Nay coueting of an euill couetousnesse is so great a rebellion and disobedience to Gods holy law that as the scripture speakes it is like the sin of x witchcraft a very wretch is to himselfe a very witch and that is they height of Idola try For whereas Heretikes serue the true God with a false worship and Idolaters serue false gods imagining them to be true wi ches adore most impiously false gods knowing them to be false for the ground of that blacke art is either an open or a secret league with the deuill To speake more particularly the couetous person is an idolater in respect of his inward and outward adoring of Mammon for his inward worship he sets his heart vpoÌ„ riches as Dauid speaks he puts his trust in vncertaine riches as Christ and Paul speakes hee sacrificeth vnto his net as our Prophet speakes and as Iob speakes hee maketh gold his hope and sayth vnto the wedge of gold thou art my confidence Now then as hee is our master to whom wee submit our obedience Rom. 6. 16. So that is our God to which wee commit our selues trusting it most and louing it best As for an outward worship the miserable wretch is more grosse then either Popish or heathenish Idolaters for they worship aurum in imagine but he doth worship aurum in â—…rugine So S. Iames in plaine termes Your gold and siluer are cankered and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you The Romanists hold that Images are the laye-mens Gospell and so Sculpture sayth Zanchius is the couetous mans Scriptura his pictures are his scriptures his bils are his Bibles and the bondes of other his security As for oâ—…her offences against God what is the cause why Simon Magus is desirous first to buy that after hee may sell the giftes of the holy Ghost is it not euil couetousnesse What is the cause why sacreligious persons spoyle God of his tithes a rent which is due to him and his for blessing the other nine parts of their goods Is it not euill couetousnesse What is the cause why Belshazzar carrowseth in consecrated vessels and takes delight in deuouring holy things is it not euill couâ—…tousnesse What is the cause why some take to themselues and their heires the houses of God in possession not only playing the merchanâ—…s in the temple but also making merchandize of the Temple defiâ—…ing holy places and making Hierusalem an heape of stoneâ—… is it not euill couetousnesse What is the cause why some Diuines in some parts of the land ly ing non-resident from their bâ—…nefices allow their curates and fellow labourers in the Lords worke so meane meanes to liue that as one sayd while they pray against other for taking ten in the hundred themselues euery yeere make an hundred for ten is â—…t not euill couetousnesse What is the cause why Neutralists and Hermophrodites in the businesse of religion are so cold like to Demas ready to forsake the Gospel and embrace the present world is it not euill couetousnesse It is sayd in the prouerbe shew mee a lyar and I will shew thee a thiefe So shew me a man giuen ouer vnto the world and I will easily shew you a man that turnes his backe to Gods altar and is ready r to make shipwracke of faith and a goâ—…d conscience The man of God who fleeth these things vseth the world as if he vsed it not vsing it only that he may the better enioy God But he that coueteth an euill couetousnesse on the contrary doth vse God that hee may the better inioy the world the penny-father is not Gods child For it is obserued that the deare Saints and children of God haue beene least branded with this of all other sinnes Noe was drunke Lot committed incest Dauid adultery Aron idolatrie Peter periury but wee doe not read that any holy Patriarch or Prophet or Apostle was ouermastered or infected notoriously with the base sinne of euill coueting among all Christs company Iudas only the sonne of perdition is blotted for couetousnesse but all the rest who were heires of saluation are sayd to leaue all things euen all they had and all they could desire to haue to follow Christ in his pouerty when he professed
another creature should make the Creator and his power is giuen neither to Angell nor Archangell but onely to the holy Priests A doctrine sayth our Church Art 28. Repugnant to the plaine words of Scripture ouerthrowing the nature of a Sacrament and giuing occasion to many superstitions out of doubt as S. Paul telleth vs the lesser is blessed of the greater I demand then of a Romanist how the Priest can blesse the bread after consecration when it is actually transubstantiated and so consequently made Christ. Answere is made that this Priest also represents Christ in that action and so Christ consecrating may be considered as greater then Christ consecrated If this be so then either Christ must bee in the bread as in the Priest only representatiuely or else they must make a new transubstantiation of the Priest into Christ otherwise the bread must be greater then the Priest the bread being the true body of Christ the Priest only representatiue Christ thus as we speake in the schooles one absurdity being granted a thousand follow Lastly for though I were so strong as Hercules I could not at one blow cut off all the heads of this hissing Hydra they remoue the bounds of the Prophets and Apostles in suppressing their writings forbidding Gods people to read them in a knowne tongue wherein as one sayd they deale like cunning theeues who comming to rob an house will be sure first of all to put out the candle lest the light discouer them as the Philistines hauing put out Samsons eyes made sport with him Euen so the Popish Priestes hauing blindfolded the people prohibiting them to read the Scripture which is a lanterne to their feete and a guide to their pathes and suffering them in the businesse of religion to see nothing but only through spectacles haue made themselues exceeding merry the scripture saith Paul is the peoples instruction the scripture say the Papists in a vulgar translation is the peoples destruction the scripture sayth Paul doth make the man of God absolute the scripture say the papists in a knowen tongue makes men heretical and dissolute but the bible makes men Hereticks as the sunne makes men blind and therefore Wickliffe sayd truely To condemne the word of God in any language for Heresie is to make God an Hereticke They well vnderstand that the Scripture would shew their praying in a strange tongue by tale to be most idle their traffique for soules very sacriledge their miracles to be meere iuglings their indulgences to be blasphemies their incontroleable Lord of Rome to bee that Imperious bewitching Lady of Babylon and their worshipping of Images and Saints is flat Idolatry The Princes of Iuda saiâ—…h Hosea were like those that remoue the bounds Hosea 5. 10. Ribera the Iesuite construeth it from Theodorete and Theophilact they forsake the lawes of God and embrace traditions of men or as Theodorus Antiochenus they transpose the honour of the liuing God and giue it to dead Idols from which obseruation I will argue thus they who remoue the Bible may bee sayd to remoue the bounds but the Papistes haue remoued from the handes of Gods people the Bible forsaking the fountaines of liuing water and digging pits that can hold no water Ergo the Papists are they that remooue the bounds as they giue you too much Sacrament and too little too much Christs transubstantiated body taking away the cup euen so they giue you too much Scripture and too little too much adding to the Canon Apocrypha too little clapsing it vp that ye may not read it and what is this but to thrust you from the path of Paradise for as Hierome sweetely the Prophets are the way to Christ and Christ is the way to God As the Lord then once sayd to the Iewes If I be your Father where is mine honour So the Prophets and Apostles may well obiect against the Papists If ye repuâ—…e vs Fathers why doe ye remoue the bounds which we haue set If our moderne Papistes admit the Primitiue Bishops of Rome for the Fathers here mentioned our plea still is the same that they haue remoued the ancient bounds and not wee 30. Popes at the first planting of the Church layd downe their heads vpon the blocke successiuely to seale the bond of conscience with the blood of innocencie The Martyrd Popes laying downe their necks at the persecuting Emperours feete but afterward the Mitred antechristian Popes set their feete vpon the good Emperours necks The late learned Earle of Northampton openly deliuered at Garnets arraignment that the Church of Rome in the beginning agreed with Daniels Image in the head of gold for godly gouernment in the breastes of siluer for vnspotted conscience and in the legges of brasse for incessant industry But in succeeding ages the heads of Popes saith hee grew humorous their breastes auaritious and their legs idle Gregrory the great did account him the forerunner of Antichrist that should call himselfe vniuersall Bishop auowing that none of his ancestors euer vsurped that insolent stile censuring it for a title of Nouelty errour impiety blasphemy the poyson of the Church But euery Pope now doth exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God his Soueraigne supremacy is the supreme difference vnto which all other poynts betweene them and vs are subordinate that is the very soule of Popery The Pope forsooth is now the vicar of Christ and vicegod Christ was the Lord of Lords but hee behaued himselfe as a seruant the Pope cals himselfe a seruant but carrieth himselfe as the Lord of Lords Christ the word was made flesh but now flesh is made the word so the Papists our Lord God the Pope To conclude this argument we professe ingeniously with our Iudicious and gracious Soueraigne that wee doe not further depart from Rome then Rome departs from herselfe in her flourishing estate Wee doe not remoue the bounds of old Rome but only shake off the bonds of new Rome Wee confesse the faith of ancient Rome but wee renounce the faction of Antichristian Rome the one being so vnlike the other that we may well exclay me with Ouid. Hen quantum haec Nobie Nobie distabat ab illa If the Papists vnderstand here by Fathers those whom vsually we call Fathers the most ancient doctours of the Westerne and Easterne Churches in life spotlesse in learning matchlesse yet our plea still is the same that they not wee remooue the bounds Not wee for it is a Canon of our Church An. 1571. That no preacher shall vent any doctrine but such as is agreeable to the scriptures according to the collections and expositions of the Catholike Fathers and ancient Bishops but they contrariwise for First we prooue that in stead of true Fathers they cite fayned doctours as Aâ—…philochius Abdias Hipolitus authors altogether voyd of authority Fathers lately found out long looked but neuer missed 2. Wee demonstrate by their owne purging
deuised shift wee set a good meaning on them when they are in disputation opposed against vs. It may be Fryers and Iesuites are their Fathers for both in Babylon are persons of very reuerend esteeme And I remember one sayd tartly that the Pope is the head of Antichrist his Prol◅ts and Priests the body his Fryers and Iesuites the ◅ayles because they couer the filthinesse of all the rest of their subtilly But for as much as the Fryers oppose the Iesuites and the Iesuites oppose the Fryers and each haue remoued the limits of other it cannot be well auowed that the Doctrinals or Morals are the setled boundaries of Popery To resolue the doubt then and not to keepe you any longer in suspence the Church of Rome doth acknowledge no Father but the Pope no bound but his definitiue sentence The Romane round is this briefly the people must belieue as the Priests and the Priests as the Pope and the Pope may belieue what he list hee remoueth all bounds and blocks in the Churches way but his Holinesse cannot bee bound by other much lesse by himselfe Wee may say with the seruants of the king of Aram let vs fight against them in the plaine and surely wee shall be stronger then they Let vs fight against them either with expresse Texts of Holy Scriptures or with expresse Canons of Orthodox Counsels or with expresse constitutions of Primitiue Popes or with expresse sayings of old doctors in one word let vs fight with them in the playne of all Antiquity and wee shall vndoubtedly get the victory because not wee but they haue remoued the bounds which the Fathers haue set Now concerning Schismaticks and Separatists as they be worthily surnamed nouelists euen so their plat-forme of gouernment is a new deuise which no Fathers euer witnessed no Councell euer fauoured no Church euer followed vntill within these few yeeres it was vnhappily digged out of the Alpes and as yet neuer entertained in England but rather forsaken of her best and most entire fauorites on the contrary not onely the doctrines but also the ceremonies of our Church are decent and ancient euen the Crosse in baptisme which they so much abhorre was vsed in the dayes of Constantine within lesse then foure hundred yeares after Christ and one of their owne side writeth in his discourse touching the troubles in Frankford that it continued in the Church 113 yeares and therefore whatsoeuer they talke of Apostolical times and old termes all their endeauour is terminos antiquos to remoue the bounds of our Fathers and to bring they care not what nouelties so these old rites be left Hillary writes of certaine light-heads in his age that they made annuas et menstruas fides de Deo So these fling-braines make yeerely and monethly fashions and faces of discipline They that forsake the Church of England to sucke the breastes of Rome or Amsterdam may cry with Naomi I went out full and the Lord hath caused me to returne empty To cōclude my sermon I say to those which are affected Popishly with reuerend Iewel touching the substance of religion Our Church beleeues that the ancient Catholike Fathers beleeued we do that they did and say that they sayd and it is our great comfort that their faith and our faith agree in one For that is the true faith quoth Vigelius which the Apostls wrote the Martyrs sealed and the faithfull haue deliuered vnto the Church from the beginning vntill this day And to the Schismaticks I wish with the wise man to seeke out the wisdome of the ancient and with Ieremy to stand in the wayes and behold and aske for the old way and here with Solomon howsoeuer boundes are boundes yet not to remooue them away with these speeches I am of Paul I am of Cephas and let the contrary saying be held I am Christs I am the Churches Say not with the wicked in the second Psalme Let vs breake their bonds asunder and cast away their cordes from vs But rather as St. Peter doth aduise submit your selues for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as to the supreame head or to such as are vnder him in authority for the punishment of euill doers and for the praise of those that do well for magistrats are the ministers of God for our good for our temporall good in the life of nature for our spirituall good in the life of grace and so for our eternall good in the life of glory ROM 15. 4. He is the Minister of God for thy good SAint Paul in the beginning of this chapter exhorts euery soule to submit himselfe vnto the Higher power vrging this one duty with a three fold reason arguing 1. In the first verse abHonesto from the commendablenesse and comelinesse of his Office both in respect first of the Person ordeining there is no power but of God Secondly of the thing ordeined the powers are ordered 2. Ab Vtili From the profit that comes thereby For to resist is euill as hee sheweth in the 2. and 3. verse Malum culpae whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the Ordinance of God Malum poenae they that resist shall receiue to themselues damnation For to submit our selues is good in the words now read the Magistrate is the Minister of God for thy good 3. A I◅cundo from the pleasure which good men haue by doing good we must obey for conscience sake verse 5. the which vnto the disobedient is a dayly hell but vnto such as obey Gods ordinance a continuall feast This our present Text is part of that argument which is drawen ab vtili wherein two poynts are to be considered especially the Magistrates Authority as being the Minister of God Vtility as being ordeined for our good Concerning the first some men ascribe too much vnto the Magistrate preferring him aboue God other on the contrary too little not obeying him as the Minister of God The Parasites of Princes attribute too much vnto their authority regarding their ordinances more then the Commandements of God in this respect a meere Courtier is a strange creature loosing himselfe in following other He liueth a great deale by the bread of other a good deale by the breath of other oftentimes his clothes are not his owne his hayre not his owne his complection and very skinne not his owne nay that which is worst of all his soule which as Plato sayd is most himselfe is not his owne while he liueth at the deuotion of other But if it be true that Magistrates are the Ministers of God then vndoubtedly subordinate to God and so consequently when higher powers inioyne things against him which is higher then the highest it is better to obey God than man Act. 4. 19. Hic saith Augustine contemne potestatem timendo potestatem In that thou fearest Gods power feare not mans power obey the Lord temporall in the Lord eternall as all power is from God
such custome Mr Harding being hardly pursued is constrained in despite of his will and wit to grant that the termes of auricular and secret confession are seldome mentioned in the Fathers Erasmus and Rhenanus affirme they were neuer vsed in old time so that as reuerend Iewel sayd if Harding had left out the word seldome and sayd neuer his tale had beene the truer The challenge then of Caluin is iustifiable that the auricular Popish confession was not practised in the Church vntill twelue hundred yeeres after Christ 〈◊〉 first in the Laterane councell vnder 〈◊〉 the third 2 We say that auricular confession is not necessary for that it is an humane tradition not a diuine constitution as their owne Panormitan acknowledgeth and Maldonate their Iesuite writes expressely that many Catholiks are of the same opinion as namely Scotus among the schoolemen and the expounders of Gratian among the Canonists 3 Wee say that auricular confession of all faults is impossible for who can tell how oft he doth offend Psalme 19. 12. Our sinnes are more then the haires of our heads quoth Dauid and as King Manasses in his prayer more then the sand of the sea now quod sine numero est quomodo numerabo saith Bernard 4 Wee say that it is a pernicious practise by which a great many men are damnified if not damned many doubtlesse suffer dammages in their purses and personall estate because confessions euermore make worke for indulgences and indulgences are agreat support of the Popes triple Crowne There was a booke written Anno 1343. entituled Poenitentiarius asini Wherein are brought foorth the Wolfe the Foxe and the Asse comming to confession and doing penance First the Wolfe confessed himselfe to the Foxe who doth absolue him easily from his faults and excuse him in the same Then the Wolfe hearing the Foxes shrift affordes him the like fauour Lastly 〈◊〉 asse commeth to confession whose 〈◊〉 was this that hee being hungry tooke a straw from out the sheafe of one that went in peregrination vnto Rome the dull asse though repenting of this fact yet because hee thought it noâ—… so heinous as the faults of the other had immediatly the discipline of the law with all seuerity neither was he iâ—…dged worthy of any pardon or absolution but was apprehended vpon the same slaine and deuoured whosoeuer was the penner of this fabulous tale had a mysticall vnderstanding in the same For by the Wolfe no doubt was meant the Pope by the Foxe the Prelats and Priests and the rest of the spirituallity the Pope is soone absolued of the spirituallity and the spirituallity soone absolued of the Pope By the Asse is meant the poore Laytie vpon whose backe the strict censure of the law is executed sharpely Moreouer Popish aâ—…ricular confession is exceeding hurtfull vnto the souâ—…s of ignorant people who being beguiled with this blinding and benighting doctrine trust so much to their externall confession and externall absolution that they neglect inward and intire repentance This opinion assuredly breeds vp a sinner and makes him as it were fat in iniquity For as one sayd wittily the Papists account of confes sion as drunkards of vomiting and say When wee haue sâ—…nned wee must confesse and when we haue confessed wee must sâ—…nne againe that we may confesse againe So they sticke fast in their sinnes as thinking they haue done their parts wheâ—…â—…hey haue runne ouer the bed-roule of their 〈◊〉 and so receiued a formall absolution In our Churches history we read that a certaine Popish Priest named Nightingall Parson of Crondal in Kent who preaching vpon Shrove-Sunday to his parishioners and taking for his theame the words of S. Iohn If we say wee haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the trueth is not in vs Told them he had receiued the Popes pardon from Cardinall Poole exhorting them also to receiue the same seeing that he stood now so free from sinne as he did at the fontstone and cared not now if he should die the same houre in the cleanesse of his conscience whereupon being suddenly stricken by the hand of God he immediatly shrunke downe into the Pulpit and so was found dead speaking not one word more Well then if S Iames here meant not auricular confession vpon constraint vnto the Priest euery yeare let vs examine what confession it is of which he sayth acknowledge your faults one to another Our Church in the second part of the homilie concerning repentance and Caluin institutionum lib. 3. cap. 4 sect 12. affirme that there is a two fold confession of faults one to another enioyned in the holy Scripture the first is for the satisfaction of our neighbours if wee haue trespassed against them and the second is for the satisfaction of our owne selues If at any time wee feele our consciences afflicted heauily with any grieuous crimes of both which our text may be consâ—…d as being Christian duties exceedâ—…y requisite not only in our sicknesse but in our health also LECTVRE 2. COncerning the first kind of confession it is a duty to be performed in sicknesse especially to which obseruation I am led with Aretius by the coherence for S. Iames in the words a little before sayd If any man be sicke among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him and then in our text Confesse your faults one to another insinuating that it is at such a time chiefly fit yea necessary that we should vnfainedly forgiue others and earnestly desire that others forgiue vs and so God of his infinite mercy forgiue all When Hezechias was sicke vnto death Esay the Prophet came unto him and sayd Put thy house in order for thou shalt die Dispose first of thy soule which is ill disposed if it bee not in loue which is the complement of the law Secondly dispose of thy body which is ill disposed If thou command not thy tongue to confesse thy faults and to doe right to those it hath abused and slandered â—…irdly dispose of thy temporall estate which is ill disposed if thou make not restitution vnto such as thou hast oppressed and iniured This confession is to be performed in our health also that if it be possible so much as in vsiâ—… we may haue peace with all men especially when as we go to the Lords Table so Christ instructeth vs. Matth. 5. 23. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thy offering before the Altar and goe thy way first be reconciled vnto thy brother and then come and offer thy gift By which it is apparant that wee must offer in loue being reconciled vnto our brother and much more vnto the Church which is the whole brotherhood of all Christian people for God expects and respects mercy more then sacrifice Hosea 6 6. It is a fashion among meane
of Condoling woe and shall be free from Condemning though our spirituall enemies are stronger and our greiuous sinnes are greater then wee yet as God said to Rebecca the greater shall serue the lesser In Christ all thiâ—…gs are ours and all things quoth Paul euen Sin it selfe quoth Augustine euen the Deuill himselfe quoth Luther worke together for our good yea for the best if we loue God in his Christ. Heale vs thenô Lord and wee shall be healed saue vs and we shall be saued Deliuer vs from eternall woe that we may bee blessed with euerlasting happinesse in thy kingdome of glory where wee shall euer be sure to be free from sorrow because free from sin Ceasing to draw iniquity with cordes of vanity and sin as it were with cart-ropes ESAY 41. 14. Feare not worme Iacob c. CHrist is Alpha and Omega Reu. 1. 8. As Esay speakes in this Chap. at the 4. verse the first and the last and that vnto vs as well as in himselfe being yesterday and to day and the same for euer Heb. 13. 8. And therefore the Church allots a proper Scripture for euery Sunday throughout the whole yeare begins and ends her deuout seruice with the comming of Christ. For the first sentence declared in the Gospell appointed for the first Sunday is behold thy King commeth vnto thee And the conclusion of the last Gospell on the last Sunday this of a truth is the same Prophet that should come into the world which occasioned Petrus Machado to terme this order annulus Christianus as it were the Christians round or ring So the Church in obseruing this high and holy time makes the birth of our Lord and appurtenances of the same the first and the last obiect of all her solemne deuotions other holy dayes in deed come between the feasts of his Natiuity Circumcision and Epiphany but all of them are called Christmas dedicated onely to Christs honour and the reason as some coniecture why Saint Stephen and Saint Iohn and the blessed Innocents are mentioned aboue the rest of the Saints is to shew that Christ came into the world to saue men of all sorts of whatsoeuer degree the Chiualrie represented by Saint Stephen a resolute Knight and warriour in the Lords battaile The Clergie represented by S. Iohn stiled the Diuine The Commonaltie or Infantrie represented by the children Herod slew Or intimating that Christ was borne for men of euery seueral age for men of perfect strength as Saint Stephen For old men on their Crouches as Saint Iohn who liued after Christ was dead as Hierom reports in his life 68. yeeres being as Baronius avoweth at his dying houre 106. yeeres old Lastly for Infants in their Cradles as the blessed Innocents Or it may bee these Saints are honourably remembred at Christmas rather then other because Christ saith if any will follow me let him forsake himselfe take vp his Crosse Mat. 16. 24. The seruant is not greater then his Master if they haue persecuted me they will persecute you also Ioh. 15. 20. Now Bernard other Doctours say there bee 3. kinds of suffering or martyrdome in Christs cause The 1. In will in act as that of Saint Stephen the 2. In will but not in act as that of Saint Iohn the third in act but not in will as that of the Bethelemitish Innocents And so Christ as it is sayd Cant. 5. 10. Is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand as one featly but I censure not hovv featly Candidus in Iohanne rubicundus in Stephano electus ex millibus in Innocentibus This Scripture then is chosen aptly for a Christmas Sunday promising that in type which wee now see performed in truth namely that Christ our Lord is the deliuerer of Sion out of her Captiuity the Comforter abettor strength helper in a word the redeemer of his people from the hands of all their enemies from the bands of all her sinnes In this verse which is Capitulum Capitis as it were the Chapters abridgment two points are to be considered especially 1. The weaknesse of the Church in respect of her selfe as being a worme and as a dead man 2. The strength of the Church in respect of her Sauiour saying feare not I will helpe thee this I haue sayd and this I will haue done being powerfull and able because the Lord pittifull and willing because thy redeemer faithfull and true because the holy one of Israel The Lord calleth elsewhere Iacob his chosen Israel his possession Iuda his Sanctuary Israel his dominion an holy Nation a Kingdome of Priests an holy tree springing of an holy root a people peculiar to himselfe enclosed as it were from the Commons of the whole world But heere considering their present affection and miserable condition vnder Captiuity hee takes a better course with them in omitting these glorious titles and comparing them vnto wormes and men that are dead for this he shewes more That he greatly cares for them although they seeme most abiect in the worlds eye Feare not I am with thee be not affrayd I am thy God I will strengthen thee and helpe thee and sustaine thee with the right hand of my iustice Howsoeuer now thou beest nothing yet I wil so succour thee that all the men of thy strife shall be confounded ashamed perish and come themselues to nothing Behold I will make thee a roller and a new threshing instrument hauing teeth and so thou shalt thresh the mountaines and grind them to powder and make the hills as chaffe A word spoken in his place saith Salomon is like aples of gold with pictures of siluer He therefore which is set apart for the gathering together of the Saints and the worke of the ministrie must as St. Paul exhorts diuide the word of truth aright He must as the Baptist in preparing way for his Lord exalt the vallyes and make the mountaines low Men are made mountaines two wayes either assuming too much vnto themselues out of their owne merit or else presuming too much vpon Gods mercy and on the contrarie men are vallyes in contemplating their great faults and little faith humbled in their sin and in their suffering for sin And therefore the man of God ought to digg downe Mountaines by denouncing Iudgments and to raise vallyes by pronouncing mercy He must as Ambrose sayd bee like a Bee applying the I awes sting to the proud in heart but the Gospells honie to the poore in Spirit It is written in the Law that if a man goeth vnto the wood with his neighbour to hew wood and his hand strikes with the axe to cut downe the tree If the head slip from the helme and hit his neighbour that he dye the same shall flie to one of the Cities appoynted for refuge and liue Such as handle the word indiscreetly without any distinction of times or places or persons or circumstances of sin makes the head
of the axe saith Gregorie the great to fly from the helme and so they kill vnaduisedly their bretheren And these ghostly Fathers vse Christians as the Iewes did Christ hanging on the Crosse when his thirstie soule called for some comfortable potion they gaue him gall and vineger to drinke The word of God must dwell in vs plenteously but in all wisdome Col. 3. 16. We must heare it in all wisdome read it in all wisdome meditate on it in all wisdome speake of it in all wisdome especially preach of it in all wisdome not only in some but in all wisdom For all is litle enough considering the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine By Iacob yee which are verst in the Bible know well is ment the seed of Iacob all Gods people descended from his loynes heere called a worme And as Tremellius and our old English translations a little worme in respect of their abiect estate first in Egypt and afterward in Babylon a silly worme In quo saith one nihil est quod quis aut amet aut metuat So the next clause doth expound this in the iudgment of Caluine yee dead men of Israel in such a wretched and base slauerie that ye resemble men which are dead euen past all hope to be restored and raised againe to your former glory Gods people were not dead indeed but as it were dead to many purposes vnder their Captiuity They did not lead vitam vitalem a liuely life being as Socrates and u Plato sayd of marriners neither among the dead nor yet among the liuing And as Saint Paul of a Widdow spending her dayes in pleasure dead while they liue For so the Scripture speaking Hyperbolically calls those dead who liue in extreame perils and deepe dangers as Psalm 116. 3. The snares of death compassed me round about and the paines of hell gat hold vpon me and Psalm 86. 13. Thou Lord hast deliuered my Soule that is my person and life from the nethermost hell euen the pit of the dead or the graue So the Prophet Ezechiel entreating of this argument in his 37. Chapter compares the men of Israel vnder bondage to drie bones in the mids of a field These bones are of the house of Israel behold they say our bones are dryed and our hope is gone and wee are cut off a◅ branches from the tree Therefore Prophecie vnto them and say Thus saith the Lord God behold my people I will open your graues and cause you to come vp out of your Sepulchres and bring you into the Land of Israel againe As there is a spirituall resurrection from sin and an eternall resurrection a◅ the last day from the graue So likewise a temporall resurrection from affliction in this world So the Lawyers terme those ciuilly dead which are banished out of their Country There is between Exilium and Exitium so little difference that it sounds well enouge in a Latine eare to call such as are condemned to perpetuall Exile Capite damnatos men appoynted to dye Other instead of dead men of Israel read few men of Israel as our new Bibles in the margine so the Septuagints and their translator Israel parvulus little Israel and Procopius in his commentarie Perpaucus Israel as being in this aduersitie litle for number and lesse in account despised Israel as the translation Hen. 8. Thus I haue deliuered vnto you the plaine story but for as much as all the faithfull are the Sonnes of Abraham and true Iacobins as Augustine sayd more Israel then Israel it selfe the most and best expositors aswell ancient as moderne extend this not onely to the sonnes of Iacob according to the flesh but also to the seed of Iacob according to the spirit that is to the Church of Christ afflicted and persecuted vnder Antichrist in in spirituall Babylon And so these times haue made a large Commentarie vpon this text For Iacob is a worme troden vnder foot in Italie troden vnder foot in Spaine troden vnder foot in France troden vnder foot in Austria troden vnder foot in Poland troden vnder foot in Germanie Persecuted by the red Dragons might and malice throughout the Wildernesse of the whole world and the friends of Iacob are but louing wormes a few men and they by the designes of Antichrist his bloody ministers the Iesuits appoynted to dye for Christs sake killed all the day long This Scripture then is a parallell vnto that Cant. 2. 2. Like a Lillie among the thornes so is my loue among the Daughters and to that Ecclesiastes 9. 14. There was a little City and few men in it a great King came against and compassed it about and built forts against it And to that of our blessed Sauiour in the Gospell affirming that his Church is a little flocke in the mids of Wolues Now that which is sayd in generall of Christs whole body mysticall is verified in particular of euery member as euery sliuer of a bone is bone So euery sonne of Iacob euery true beleeuer baptized into Christ is a worme and as a man that is dead A worme not in respect of his humane condition onely Iohn 23. 6. Man is a worme euen the Sonne of man but a worme saying to corruption thou art my Father and to the worme thou art my Mother and my Sister But in respect of his Christian estate much more being vilified and accounted in the worlds esteeme a worme and no man a scorne of men and outcast of the people yea the filth of the world and off-scouring of all things 1. Cor. 4. 13. His soule quoth Dauid is filled with the contemptuous reproofe of the rich To good Men and Angels an obiect of pittie To bad Men and Angels an obiect of enuie To both a gazing stocke Bernard Ser. ◅1 Inter paruos sermones And with the despightfullnesse of the proud a gazing stocke to Men and Angels infaelicitatis tabula Calamitatis fabula the Map of miserie the table talke yea tabret as Iob speakes vnto the wicked Yee beleeue this I know because ye daily see this not in the tents of Kedar onely but in the high streets of Hierusalem also the greater doubt is how the Christian is sayd here to bee Dead For the better vnderstanding whereof obserue that spirituall death in Iacob is threefold to witt A Death of Sinne For how shall we that are dead to sin liue therein Rom. 6. 2. The Law Through the Law I am dead to the law Gal. 2. 19. That is saith Luther against that accusing condemning Law I haue an other law which is Grace Libertie which accuseth the accusing and condemneth the condemning Law The world Actiue Whereby the world is dead vnto Iacob renoūcing the pompes thereof and accounting all things losse to winne Christ. Passiue Whereby Iacob is dead to the world which hateth and persecuteth him for Christs sake The summe of all is that a