vndefyled Lambe Iesus Christ which most worthye is called a Sauiour 1. Pet. 1.18.19 Mat. 1.21 bicause he saueth his people from their synnes For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation sayth he The worde that he vseth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which importeth much more then in one word can be expressed Namely Christ to be that sauing matter of health which he had appointed alone to all his chosen seruants from the fyrst Adam to the last borne chylde of a woman We will now by thy pacience christian brother dwell with our sauing health Iesus Christ a little and from hys holye worde learne fyrst what is this saluation and why he is called a Sauiour Secondly by what meanes he saueth Thirdly from what he saueth And last of all who they be which by this Sauiour are saued And by that we haue fynished these questions I rest in hope thou wylte prayse God for his glorious sonne Iesus Christ thy omnipotente and onely Sauiour of God our father giuen to all people nations kyndreds and tongues What and who this Saluation is Luc. 2.10 the Euangelist S. Luke in thrée wordes descrybeth to the Shepheards kéeping and watching their shéepe by night thus Beholde I bring you tydings of great ioye for this day is borne to you the Sauyour which is Christ the Lorde Why he is called a Sauiour the Angel sheweth to Ioseph saying Mat. 1.21 Thou shalt call his name Iesus For he shall saue his people from theyr synnes Which one sentence aunswereth all these our former questions Who is this Sauiour euen Iesus Why Christ is called a a Sauiour What is this Iesus Christ the Lorde Why called a Sauiour bicause he shall saue his people from their synnes From what saueth he from synne Whome saueth he his people But let vs to our greater consolation pierce this matter a little further And fyrst who and what is this Sauiour which the Father hath set to be his onely saluation to Iewe and Gentyle It is as we sayde Iesus Christ the Lorde And this Iesus is not that Iehosuah which by hym raigned or yet the sonne of Syrach or Iesus called Iustus or any of that sort all which were very godly men chyldren of this lyfe But this Iesus Christ the Lorde our saluation is the onely begotten sonne of God begotten of the father before all worldes of the same essence or being nature and substance with the father coeternall and coequal and also very man borne of the Virgin Mary which humanitie is so conioyned with his Deitie that it is for euer inseperable And to be short in him his fathers full glorye to vs is represented Loe deare Reader this is the state of thy Sauiour euen no other then God himselfe the second person incarnate To approue Christ to be God consubstanciall and coequal what should I néede to thee which being a christian Christ God by scripture prooued doest ex professo by his spirituall grace fyrmely beléeue the same Yet that thy fayth herein maye be the more stedfast and thy conscience assured I will giue thee some testimony thereof out of the booke of God First Esay the noble and Euangelicall Prophete sayth in the person of God Esa 43.11 I euen I am the Lord and besydes me there is no Sauiour Againe the whole 45 chapter of Esay but specially the 21 verse denyeth other Sauiour then God as thus There is no other God besydes me But Esay in the fathers person thus speaketh of and to Christ Iesus I will also giue thee for a light to the Gentils Esa 49. Iere. 23.6 that thou mayest be my saluation to the ende of the worlde And agayne Ieremy calleth Christ the sonne of Dauid the lord our righteousnesse Now then syth there is no God but one no other Sauiour and righteousnesse but the deuyne power it must necessarily follow that Christ Iesus our Lorde being this Sauiour and righteousnesse is verye God coequall with the father The same Prophete also sayth of GOD thus The worde is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse Esa 45.23 and shall not returne that euery knee shall bow to mee and euerye tongue shall sweare by me But Paule to the Philippians doth truely apply this to Christ saying Phil. 2.9.10.11 He hath giuen him a name aboue all names that in the name of Iesus euery knee should bow both of things in heauen and in earth and vnder the earth and that al tongues should confesse Christ to be the Lorde to the glory of God the father Therfore conclude soundly that Iesus Christ is very and perfite GOD with the father Doth not Iohn say Ioh. 1.14 The worde which is Christ was God and the worde became fleshe Therefore when we worship the sonne Christ and honor him as God we doe no iniury to the almighty God and iealous father but thereby truely honor him as the Apostle sayth The father hath giuen all iudgement that is all right and administration of power and glory vnto the sonne Ioh. 5.22 that al they which honor the father should honor the sonne also And of such iealousie is the Lorde God of his honor that he wyll not imparte it or any part therof to any other beside himselfe as Esay testifyeth Esa 42. I am the Lorde that is of my selfe and my glory will I giue to no other But he gyueth his glory to his sonne Christ as Christ witnesseth thus Father glorifye mee with the glory which I had with thee Ioh. 17.5 before the worlde was Therefore Christ is of selfe substance with the father God and glorious Also Christ sayth Al that the father hath are mine Ioh. 17.18 But the Father hath deuyne nature Ergo so hath Christ our Lorde his sonne Agayne Esay sayth In him shall the Gentyls trust Esa 11. Iere. 17. But Ieremy accursseth al them that trust in man but blesseth them that hope in God Therfore of necessitie Christ is God for he hath assured vs often tymes blessed if we trust in him saying He that trusteth in me hath eternall lyfe Againe Ioh. 6.47 he that truely forgiueth sinnes is God But Christ doth truely forgiue sinnes Ergo he is God Paule calleth Christe our hope and to the Romanes our GOD which is to be praysed for all worldes Rom. 9.5 1. Ioh. 5.20 And the deuyne Euangelist S. Iohn calleth Christ the true God and eternall lyfe And a hundred such authorities might I bring thée good Reader out of the holye booke of God but any one thence truely aleaged is a sufficient bulwarke to the conscience agaynst all the fyrie dartes of the Deuils temptation That Iesus Christ borne of the Virgin is no other then the second person and onely begotten sonne of the father consubstantiall coeternall and coequall these places make knowne Paule receyueth from the Psalmist thys warrante thus Vnto which of the Angels sayde God at any tyme Psal 2.7 Hebr. 1.5 thou
saying Ioh. 6.44 Mat. 3.17 Mat. 17.5 This is my beloued sonne in whom not in any other matter or man I rest wel pleased heare him The holy ghost in lyke maner beareth wytnesse of Christ preacheth him and teacheth no other doctrine 1. Cor. 3.11 1. Pet. 2.6 Eph. 2.20 then fyrst he gaue to the Church The Apostles lay him the onely foundation and corner stone of Gods house denying all other to haue such place in the conscience of man Peter calleth the Pope and all other onely to Christ Peter the Apostle vpon whose person that Antichrist of Rome falsely fathereth all his vsurped authoritie calleth al men lyuing stones vnto this stone Christ and calleth hym the stone onely precious That sinister doctrine which is layde vppon this buylding shall vanishe awaye but all opposite to the same Gal. 1.8 is thereby moste flatly accursed with the bringer and begynner therof be they men or Angels Hereby then is Popery proued guyltie of highe Treason against the truth of God which flat against the course of Gods booke and holy church setteth into the consciences of men themselues and their inuentions for Gods their Saintes of all sortes for lyghtes and guydes helpers and Sauyours to the glory of their Pope and ignominy of the Lorde of the house Iesus Christ It is not Mary Gods mother his Apostles Angels or men but onely and alone Iesus Christ that Symeon sayth GOD the Father hath prepared and erected as it were vpon an high place that all men might see and perceyue him to be to them al their only Sauyour lyght and glory Secondly our Saluation is by Symeon deuinely here alone giuen to Gods prouision not mans deuise saying He hath prepared and therein his great and inestimable mercy is made manifest who whyle euery man falleth in lust from God to damnation in security without remorse God our good Father yet prouydeth for them all his one and alone sauing health an other himselfe euen his onely begotten sonne Christ our Lorde To this ende is the Parable of the Kings banquet Mat. 22.4 where the Fatlings are kylled and al things made ready before the guestes be called so that their is no other thing for them to do but onely to obey the voyce of the Caller Our Redemption is in Christ the preparation in God the Father our grace to imbrace and receiue it in the holye ghost This was the fayth of the Patriarkes and fyrst fathers Thus Dauid confessed saying Thou doest prepare a Table before me in the syght of myne aduersaryes Psal 23.5 This was the doctrine of Christes Spirite in Zacharius lyps that the mercye of God gaue and prepared vs this lyght of the Gentyls Luc. 1.78 the day starre from an high and not for our procéeding works which all were malicious as Paule sayth to the Romans or for our succéeding merits Rom. 5.8 which are menstruous and fylthy in gods eyes but of hys owne synguler loue Esa 64.6 Rom. 8. Ioh. 3.16 gaue he vs his prepared Christ for our Saluation as this our heauenly lyght and glory sayth So dearely God loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne thereto that as many as beleue in him should not perishe but haue lyfe euerlasting Thirdly he hath prepared him to be a Lyghte to the Gentyls and the glory of Israel Thrée things in the former Verse are to be noted First why Christ is called Lyght Secondly the vse of this light And thirdly to whome he is a light giuen to be made knowne vnto Namely vnto the Gentyls Christ is most worthyly called light not onely bicause he is the engrauen forme and brightnesse of the Father of lyghtes but also bicause he giueth light Col. 1.15 Ioh. 1.9 and doth illuminate the hartes of all things that come into the worlde called so not onely for the light and lyfe he giueth to the body Christ is our onely lyght but also and most speciallye for the heauenly light of Gods knowledge which he engraueth by his worde and spirite in the hartes of all men but most effectually in the Electe and chosen children Of which light and illumination the Euangelist Iohn speaketh in the gospell saying Ioh. 1.4 In hym was lyfe and this lyfe was the lyght of men and thys lyghte did shine in darknesse the darknesse did not comprehend it By the worde life he meaneth all liuing power which at this daye is to be séene in all creatures as well endued with naturall reason spirituall wisedome as sauage creatures and sencelesse things trées plantes herbes grasse corne c. Eche of these hath his proper lyfe and of Christ the Creator the light and lyfe of all things And for that no man should suppose this lyght whereof he speaketh to concerne the lyfe and lyght which euer is common with the bodyes of men and beastes He addeth that this lyfe was the light of men So teaching vs what lyfe we are to receyue of him we being blynde and ignorante darkenesse Namely the lightning of our minds with the word of his truth whereby our hartes doe see in perfite wise Christ Iesus to be the day starre from on high Luc. 1.7.8 sente of hys Father to giue light to vs Gentyls that were in the dore and prison of darknesse Esa 42.7 Symeon had respect no doubt calling Christ a Lyght to the Prophets which so spake of him Namely that Noble Esay Esa 42.6 saying I the Lorde haue called thee in righteousnesse and wil holde thine hande and I wyll keepe thee and guyde thee for a couenant of the people and for a lyght of the Gentyls that thou mayest open the eyes of the blynde and bring out the prisoner out from the prison and them that syt in darknesse out of the prison house And againe Esa 49.6 It is a smale thing that thou shouldest bee my Seruant to rayse vp the Tribe of Iacob and to restore the desolations of Israel I wyl also giue thee for a lyght to the Gentyls that thou mayest be my saluation vnto the ende of the worlde Nowe in thys Parable there be two things worthy the note First that all men in themselues as well Iewes as Gentyls be méere darknesse The other that God the Father in heauen and earth hath giuen no other to illuminate mankinde with the light of nature of God and true godlynesse but his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ and him onely to the whole worlde as hymselfe wytnesseth Ioh. 8.12 saying I am the light of the worlde And most lyuely is our Christ represented by the glorious Sunne which being in his Spheare farre aboue Christ our light shadowed forth by the Sunne performeth al his office enioyned him wythout default to the circuits of the whole earth and Seas and that to the endes of the world And by the way note good Reader how the Lorde taketh apt occasion by the tyme and place where he is to
Mathewe he descrybeth Abrahams seate to be in the kingdome of heauen Luc. 23.43 Mat 8.11 Ioh. 14.23 And in Iohn our seates with him in the heauens as in our Mansion house But neuer in the scriptures is the place of our deade godly fathers called eyther Lymbus or Purgatory but contrary they affirme there is no payne to them And Purgatory hath the same paynes the Papists which fayne that place say that Hell hath onely this is the difference that they which be in Purgatory shall come thence by the merits of the Church and purging in fyre in Hell there is no redemption Wherefore the godly fathers were not in Purgatory paynes but in the handes of God which is a Paradise of most pleasure And whereas by the Apostle Peter they go about to proue their Fathers Lymbo as whence the soule of Iesus Christ brought them that place doth neyther affirme the naturall Soule of Christ to go to Hell after his death on the crosse or else that he did bring thence the soules of the fathers For his spirite discending left all those there which he found not in a fayned Lymbo but in the paynefull Helles For thus sayth the Apostle He suffred in the fleshe but was quickned in the spirite 1. Pet. 3.18.19.20 by the which he also wente and preached vnto the spirites that are in prison which were in tymes paste disobedient in the dayes of Noah c. The Apostle sayth not that Christ in his naturall Soule went downe into Hell but he sayth that by that spirite which raysed him to life he preached to them that are in prison Nowe againe he sayth not he fetched out the soules of the fathers which were before hys comming in this prison but he sayth his spirite preached vnto them that still are in prison So farre from delyuerie are they that they as obstinate Rebelles remayne in their former tormentes Nowe then the reason standeth thus By what spirite Christ was raysed from the deade by that same spirite he wente or came to the spirites that are in prison but Christe was raysed not by his owne soule but by the deuine spirite of God euen by the operation of the father Therefore by his deuine power Eph. 1.17.18 not in his humaine soule he came vnto the spirites that are in prison Again note it is one to say he delyuered the Gaole and an other to saye he made an exhortation to the prisoners This their alledged place were it the soule of Christ yet prooueth not a delyuerye but a preaching to them that now was that Sauiour borne dead and crucified for the redemption of the worlde which by his spirite in the mouth of Noah for one hundred and twenty yeares space preached to the disobedient in his dayes had they beléeued That it was not the soule of Christ which quickned Christ from death but the Deuine power these places approue 2. Cor. 13.4 Rom. 8.11 Althoughe he was crucifyed by infyrmitie yet he was raysed and lyueth by the power of God Againe But if the spirite of him that raysed vp Iesus to lyfe dwell in you he that raysed Iesus from the deade wil also quicken your mortal bodies bicause his spirite dwelleth in you And againe Act. 4.10 Be it knowne to you al and to the whole people of Israel that by the name of Iesus of Nazareth whom ye slue and hanged on high whome God raysed vp from death by this man standeth this person sound before you To the Romaynes also we are commaunded to beleue in him Rom. 4.14 which raysed Iesus Christ from death And in the vj. chapter thus As Christ is raysed vp by the glory of the father where note that not by the soule of Christ but by God the father Christ was raysed vp so let vs walke in a newe lyfe And to the Ephesians Ephe. 1.17 Alwayes in my prayers I praye for you that the God of our Lorde Iesus Christ the father of glorye might giue vnto you the spirite of wisedome c. And a little after that ye may know what the hope is of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saintes is and what is the exceeding greatnes of his power towardes them that beleeue according to the working of his mightye power which he wrought in Christ when he raysed hym from the deade set him on his right hande on heauenlye places These places sufficiently expounde our Apostle or rather assist his affirmation which sayth that he suffred in the Fleshe but was raysed in the spirite that is by the Godhead of the father by which spirite in his deuyne nature long before he had our humayne nature vpon him he by his Prophetes taught the inobedient then as by vs his Apostles sayth Peter he preacheth to you in that spirite at this present Yea and also to the verye damned in the Hels no doubt at the death of Christ by the deuyne power of his holye spirite was the glory of his crosse opened to their greater condemnation which contemned their saluation in him as the godlye fathers and their sacred bodyes in great comforte by his power were raysed sundry from their brethren to testifye the glory of this our crucifyed Christ raysed vp by his father and set vp wyth him in glory Adde to this this place of Peter is so farre from warrante to that Popishe opinion that the soule of Christ fetched forth the soules of the godly fathers Adam c. That of the flatte contrary he sayth they to whome thys spirite came were disobedient And that thou shouldest not dreame of Christs soule after his death herein he setteth thée the time when this office was fulfylled saying In the daies of Noah whyle the Arke was a preparing Last of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the godly learned Beza doth interprete qui sunt which are not which were in pryson according to the efficacie of the gréeke worde And the Apostles purpose is not to tell vs that they were in prison what tyme Christe by his spirite in the dayes of Noah preached vnto them for then they were men in naturall lyfe as Noah was but he will giue the Iewes to vnderstande that all were drowned except eyght persons bicause they were disobedient vnto his worde All whose soules that then were damned nowe at the wryting of this Epistle and at this present and euer shall be thoughe their bodyes be rotten and dust are in prison So now most iustly they receyue damnation which refused their saluation in Christ preaching vnto them in spirite in the mouth of Noah not hauing as yet our nature vpon him We conclude therefore that Abrahams Bosome is a place of celestiall comforte a Paradise of pleasure vnspeakable the hande of God deuoyde of Hellish or any torments the Aulter of ioy the kingdome of God Iohn 14.2 Ephe. 1.18.19 Christes fathers house where he sayth are many Mansions euen the inheritance of the iust
Loe to thys place went the holy father Symeon departing wherof perswaded he departed in moste assured peace in conscience and with God who in his Christ with him being satisfied by his holye spirite setled the harte of Symeon in moste quyet rest That the soules departed walke not after death in earth againe But yet or I passe from thys worde departe for that I wryting this a most slaunderous reporte is raysed of an honest and vertuous Minister departed this lyfe that hys soule nowe walketh at this daye in his Parsonage house it shall not be vnprofitable Christian Reader that I saye something to the beating downe to death this error It is an olde sinister opinion of men that the soules of the dead depart not so from vs but that after buryall they walke in the earth and appeare vnto men exhorting them to this or to that as Gregory of Rome reporteth in his Dialogues Yea the Apostles might séeme to be combred wyth this error saying when they saw Christ vpon the water it is a Spirite Act. 12.15 And when Peter knocked at Iohn Markes mothers dore they saide to Rhoda the mayde it is his Angel This had they of the vulgare opinion receyued from Pithagoras teaching the soules of men to returne into the bodies of others eyther for correction or reward And thus deluded Herod hearing of Christ supposed Iohn Baptist to be rysen againe Mat. 14.1 Mar. 6.14 Luc. 9.7 whom he had beheaded And the better sort of the people dreamed Christ to be Helias Iohn Baptist Ieremy or some of the Prophetes all which we sée were most vntrue But as touching the departure of the soule once seperated from the bodye that it returneth not or can possibly into the world the storie of Lazarus doth affyrme Diues desyreth that Lazarus might come to help his tongue Luc. 16. but it is denied that they which be in ioy can come to the Helles He then desyreth that the soule of Lazarus may go to his brethren that are in the earth and may teach them to beware but he receyueth this aunswere They which be here cannot come hence and they which be there cannot come thence And they haue Moyses and the Prophets let them heare them and if they wil not heare them neyther wil they beleue though one should which is vnpossible before iudgement come from death againe Esa 8.19.20 Deut. 18. The Prophets doe forbid vs to aske counsell of the dead God lykewise in the lawe here Abraham doth sende vs to the Prophets and to Moses bookes for our instruction denying most constantly that any soules of the dead shall walke againe to teach or terrifie vs All they which departe thys lyfe be eyther godly or wicked If they be godly then are they by imputation iust and the soules of the iuste Sapi. 3. are in the hands of God And godly Lazarus cannot be permitted no not to do much good to come from Abrahams bosome But if they be wicked they lye in the Hels like sheepe and thence cannot Diues or his fellowes come though heauen and earth should runne together But thou wilt say what shall we saye to this there is much iumblyng in suche a house and there is séene lyuely such a man walke before vs Chrisost hom 29. whome we cannot but say to be our friend departed to all our sences iudgemente To thys I aunswere wyth Chrysostome vpon S. Mathew What shal we say to those voyces sayth he which saye I am the soule of such a man The Deuil not the soule of the deade it is that after buryall walketh to deceiue men Say it is not the soule of the deade man but it is the Deuill which doth fayne these things to deceyue the hearers thereby These are sayth he olde wyues Fables and fryuolous tales The soules of the righteous are in the hands of God and soules of Infants c. But the soules of synners are straight waye after their departure called to their place as playnely appeareth sayth thys father by Lazarus the righteous and the wicked rich man Loe this is no newe doctrine by vs deuysed but an olde truth by the Fathers concluded through the warrante of Gods worde that the soules of men departed be placed presently at the hower of death out of which place they cannot come againe to men in earth Whether Samuell apeared to Saule or no. before the day of iudgement But the Papistes séeme to presse vs with the apparition of Samuel to king Saule at the cuniuration of the Pythonisse To whome we soundly aunswere that Samuel appeared not to Saule but Satan abusing the king tolde him that he was Samuel But here againe they saye sée howe these men denye the playne Text of scripture Doth not the holye booke of GOD twise saye 1. Sam. 28. Eccle. 46. Samuel appeared vnto Saule we acknowledge the scripture to call the Spirite that apeared by the name of Samuel And albeit against the second place as not Canonicall we maye lawfully excepte August quest 3. yet we answere with Augustine ad Simplicianum the Bishop of Millaine It was not sayth he the spirite of Samuel raysed from his rest but it was some fantasie or imagination of the Deuill which the scripture notwythstanding calleth Samuel as Images be called after the names of such persons as they do represent Who doubteth sayth this father to name the Images of the Phylosophers pictured vpon the wall saying this is Cicero that is Salust and this is Achilles and this manne is Hector this is the flood of Simois and that is Rome when these be nothing other but bare pictures vpon a paynted wall No maruell therfore though the wryter of the sacred Storyes sayth he call this Image of Samuel by the name he represented or that the Deuill could transfigure himselfe to the shape of a holye man which hath power also to tourne hymselfe into an Aungell of lyght But Turtullian sayth Absit vt animam cuiuslibet sancti c. God forbid that wée should beléeue the Deuill to haue power to call vp anye soule of the saints of God much lesse of his holy Prophets for we are taught that Satan doth transforme hymselfe into an Angel of light with what ease then into the shape of a manne of lighte so he calleth Samuell bicause he is a member of Christ the true light of the worlde yea he doth sayth he affirme himselfe to be God and worketh great and prodigious things if it were possibly therby to seduce the elect people of God That learned father Peter Martyr sayth that Samuell apeared not to Saule but it was an imagined shape which by the delusion of Satan was brought vnto Saule and as we call it a Ghost and he gyueth probable reasons to approoue his assertion Diuers reasons proouing Samuell not to appeare to Saule First syth the case so stood with Saule that God would neyther answere him being often
God in vs we are none of Christs Ioh. 16.7 Rom 8.9 Act. 3.21 1. Cor. 15.25 This corporal presence is absolutely with a cloude taken from our eyes and is at the right hande of God and shal containe the heauens till his enimies be made his footestoole But the last enimy is death therfore till death by the dissolution of the world be slaine shall the corporall bodye of Christ inhabite the heauens from whence the faythfull and not from the priests head doe looke then for him their sauiour whose comming shall be with glorie and therefore not inuisiblye in a Popishe cake Thy sight knowledge and fayth in Christ now he is ascended must therefore be no more carnall 2. Cor. 5.7 but onely spirituall as Paule teacheth thée saying we walke by fayth and not by sight neuerthelesse we are bold loue rather to remoue out of the body and to dwell with the Lorde Againe Henceforth know we no man after the fleshe Vers 16. yea though wee haue knowne Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more Fynally Symeon sawe Christ borne was blessed But we beléeue in him with Symeon that is dead yea rysen agayne set at the right hande of God his father and maketh intercession for vs vpon which sight our Sauior hath pronounced in check of Thomas sturdy fayth Ioh. 20.29 Thomas thou beleeuest bicause thou hast seene but I say vnto thee Thomas blessed are they which see not and yet beleeue This fayth in Christ is the speciall gifte of God I tell thée once agayne good Reader and ryseth not of our selues 1. Cor. 3.14 Mat. 16.17 For the natural man cannot perceyue the things that be of God Thou art sayth Peter the sonne of the lyuing God Truely beloued Peter but who gaue thée this fayth Not flesh and bloud but my heauenly father sayth Christ which is in heauen It is giuen to you sayth Paule to the Philippians not onely that you should beléeue but that you shoulde also suffer for his sake This is nourished and encreased by his worde For fayth commeth by hearing not of a Popishe Masse Rom. 10.17 or Saraphicall Doctor but of the word of God By the ministerie of preaching and not by daylie sacryficing is this obteyned How shall they heare without a preacher sayth Paule he sayth not without a Massemunger By his Sacraments and prayer the same encreased wherefore pray earnestly with the Apostles Luc. 17.5 O Lorde encrease our sayth And if thou wouldest learne to know that fayth which only iustifyeth This it is to beléeue vndoubtedly the Symbole of thy Creede or more shortly to beleeue God to be thy good God that goodnesse from whome all goodnesse commeth to be in Christ thy best beloued Father thy Christ to be thy brother Lord and onely sauiour by whose death and lyfe thou art in him fréed from synne death and Hell The holy Ghost to be the Lorde and giuer of lyfe thy comforte and Arha of saluation thy Guyde What fayth it is that iustifyeth and author of all goodnesse in thée and that power by whome thou doest thus beléeue by the rule of the worde and promise of God and by hys holynesse sanctifyed doest lyue and loue this thy good God and thy brethren for and by him And as the fruitfull trée in his tyme giueth profitable fruite So doest thou in this his spirite by thy good workes profite his church and glory thy father which is in heauen Mat. 5.16 This is that fayth which iustifyeth and is the onely gifte of God The Lorde graunt it sounde perfite stable experimented and alwayes stedfast as well in the author of this booke as the Readers thereof for Christes sake our Lorde So shall we see Christes day with Abraham imbrace him with Symeon depart in peace and rest in ioy All other opinions besides this or not fyxed in this are called fayth as an Image beareth the name of a man But as the Image is without lyfe so such fayth not adourned with good workes as Iames sayth is an Image of fayth a deade fayth This fayth working by loue Fayth compared to a Vyne is by Barnarde compared to a Vine thus Fayth is the Vine christian lyfe be her branches Psal 2. and good woorkes her clustering Grapes And Chysostome compareth it as elegantly to a Lampe wryting vpon Mathew For as a Lamp burning giueth light to the whole house So doth fayth giue light intelligence of God and Christ to the soule of man but as in a Lampe fyre and Oyle are ioyned together so in the shyning Cresset of a good conscience are contynually resiant fayth and good workes True fayth and good workes resydent in a good conscience alwaies Notwithstanding as the Trée is before the Apple so doth fayth go before good workes So the Apostle connexing Fayth Hope and Loue together giueth fayth the fyrst place And Augustine in his booke de fide operibus sayth Except fayth go before a godly lyfe cannot in any wise come after Cap. 7. If we be Virgins hauing our Lamps thus burning we shall be sure to enter wyth our Brydegrome Christ into his heauenly chamber Mat. 25.10 But in no case can our Oyle doe anye others good for our owne works shall follow vs good or euill they shall not be imparted to others Apoc 14. Ioh. 14. If we become such Vines our father wyll proyne and purge vs when he cutteth downe the wythered Images and dead branches and will make vs more fruitfull Laste of all note here that Symeon hauing séene the Saluation set by the God of heauen stayeth his conscience in him which is the true nature of lyuely fayth and though there be infynite saluations sought for by men yet he hungreth after Gods saluation and sayth Now I haue ynough let me Lord depart in peace For my eyes haue seene thy saluation Hee that hath Christ hath lyfe No Christ no lyfe So deare Reader hauing by the mercies of god once with the eyes of our fayth in hart séene confessed Christ our saluation Though the Iewe the Pharisey the Turke the Panyme Papist and carnall Atheist haue their trust in broken Cysterns which can holde no water yet doe thou stande with Symeon and the iust in lyfe to the ende of death in persecution and pleasure to this the saluation giuen of God to Iewe and Gentyle euen the Lorde Iesus And saye to kings and Prelates there is no other name giuen vnder heauen wherein we can be saued but the name Iesus Act. 4.12 Nor can other foundation be layde then which is already layde euen the Lorde Iesus Or can anye man attaine to iustifycation before the iust father by other then his beloued sonne in whome alone he resteth for our synnes well pleased Neyther are we from the pyt of perrillous death in Hell redéemed by Golde or syluer but by the bloud of this immaculate and
flaunte 1. Cor. 10.31 and vaine gloryous shewes giue none offence neyther to the Iewe nor to the Grecians nor to the Church of God Marke this you cannot replye and say Who hath to do with vs who shall comptroll vs we are the maysters of our selues For euen in those things which be lawfull and indifferent the more Noble the greater care you ought by the rule of Gods holy word In indifferent things the help or hurte of our brethren is chiefely to be respected to haue to your actions for the cause of your brethren which be eyther Gods enimies as the Iewes who maye not receyue offence at you or Grecians popish worldlings or wanton Atheists which séeke to be of the fashion though it be against god or that the people of God by your insolency be gréeued the daunger whereof is not smale Whosoeuer sayth our mayster Christ shall offende one of these little ones which beleeueth in mee Mat. 18.6 it were better for him that a Mylstone were hanged about his necke and he were drowned in the depth of the Sea Yea greater care the noble the mightie the ritch the prowde one and other ought to haue of their godly brethren then of their owne members Woe to the worlde sayth our Christ in the place afore coted bicause of offences for it must needs be that offences shal come but woe be to the man by whom they doe come Wherefore if thine hande or thy foote cause thee to offende cut them of from thee it is better for thee to enter into lyfe halt or maymed then hauing two handes or two feete to be cast into euerlasting fyre And if thine eye cause thee to offende pluck it out c. Loe christian thy bodyes desyre muste to her great losse giue place to thy brothers good estate Dauid therefore prayeth the Lord to shut vp his eyes from beholding of vanitie For hence it is Psal 119. that the concupiscence of the heart being produced by the conducte of the eye doth lust after the pryde of thys worlde without regarde of God his people his or oure enimies or our owne deare brethren whom eyther we strayne with their sorrowe to sore after our Courtly guyse Two euils in outragious apparel or else we grieue their consciences to beholde our too to much vanities And thys is monstruous that that which is to vs a signification of our fyrst fathers synne in whom we all are damned to death should be to vs a delighting pleasure and the same which was giuen to couer our shame Gen. 3.21 1. Cor. 15.22 we shoulde abuse to our great confusion For most true it is that apparell whereof we now pride so much was and is the accuser of synne for our fyrst parents were naked before they sinned and were not ashamed bycause nothing gaue cause to blushe they frée from synne and being made to the ymage of God But hauing transgressed his commaundement they sawe their nakednesse and synfull bodies by eating of the apple The cause of apparell is synne and did blushe for shame blushing and confusion are the fruites of synne to whome nowe some couerture was necessary as well to keepe the lesse honorable partes secrete as to defende them from the parching sunne and Winters colde Gen. 3.21 Wherefore our good God gaue to eyther of them a coate of peltes or skyns This symple sufficient attyre cōdemneth two sortes of persons the Adamits which runne naked to counterfeyte Adam and Heuah which thing if God would to haue had in vse he had not giuen these naked creatures these néedy coates The other are our lusty Gallants of eyther sexe that to to much doe glory in their apparell which is and ought to be to them a preacher of their fathers shame In our attyre we ought to kéepe modestie and comlynesse eche man in his degrée as their is great difference the which to excéede is thus to walke in darknesse First they inuerte the vse of aparell that is eyther a bounde beyonde their calling or take pride therein which onely ought to defend their bodyes as is sayde and to put vs in minde of our frayle condition These blynde men are lyke to those fellowes chayned with heauy yrons for some horrible murther and yet doe bragge of them as of matter worthy much glory and therfore set them forth to shew in all brauery Secondly the delight of braue and costly araye doth marueylously encrease the pride of the lurking heart which once enflamed is neuer content but causeth vs to forget our state and condition it enuyeth others more gaye and despiseth all such as to vs be attyred in inferior sorte Euill branches of a naughtie tree Thirdly prowde aparell as it satisficeth fleshly appetite so is it verye offensiue to the moste beholders Adde to this it bewrayeth a lewde harte a light person a vayne mutable man delighting change in vanities and such a one is euer inconstante in all his wayes Neyther did godly Iudith decke her in prowde array Iudi. 10.1 tyll shée purposed to spoyle curssed Holophernes And cruel Iezabel sought to allure Iehu his hart by her sumptuous shewe in brauery Fourthly you breake contemptuouslye this commaundement of Christ Be not carefull what to put on c. If not for necessaries Math. 6. how much lesse for these superfluous vanities which shall bring woes and Gods euerlasting cursse to them which be faulty herein Lastly the iudgement of God aprooueth his hate herevnto which beateth downe iustly so manye to beggerie from former great patrimony by their synfull excesse in costly aparell and doth also often throwe vs into those Country plagues whose fashions we haue most fauoured in the strange guyse of monstruous attyre But perhaps these Courtly Ladyes and Gentils will doe as our Lord Christ sayeth the Pharyseis did They did hate the present teachers and yet they made much of the Monumentes of the Prophetes Mat. 23.29 whome their forefathers murthered And it maye be that these our riche and myghty Gallaunts will say what haue these pratling preachers to doe with vs why should they correct vs let them kéepe them to the Text of Scripture Well then we will in this point pleasure you Marke ye lusty Gallants and to ende withall onely giue you the Scripture Text which would GOD ye would take heede vnto Luc. 1.78 till the day starre Iesus Christ apeared fully in your hearts Thus sayth this scripture then against this darke corruption of pride in the rich practised for want will not permit the hawtie harts of the least able to atchyue hereto Now hearken to you Nobles of eyther sexe ye Gentils riche in lands and possessions for now the Lorde himselfe speaketh vnto you Esa 3.11 Woe be to the wicked sayth the Lorde it shall be euill with him for the rewarde of his hands shall be giuen hym Children are Extortioners of my people women haue rule ouer them as
art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Which wordes he most aptly applyeth to Iesus Christ And what can be more manifest then that most deuyne witnesse of the Father and testimony of the holye ghost at the baptisme of Christ our sauiour where from the heauens he thundred these wordes to his Disciples and the Iewes of Iesus Christ This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased Mat. 3.17 17.5 The Lorde Christ is of the same substance wyth the Father coeternall destinct from the father but not seperate Cirillus in Ioh. 6.1 To vse the wordes of the auncient father Cirill It is no absurdity to saye that Christ is destinct from the father Christ of one substāce with the father as the running water is from his Fountayne the Sunne beames from the Sunne the heate from the fyre These Images so passe from their substance as they are euer of and with the same as the Sunne beames are destinct from the Sunne and yet not seperate from it The Ryuer so commeth from the Fountayne as it is the selfe water and not seperate but destinct by running from the Fountayne But as no simile can in all poyntes holde hys Analogian with his matter by him resembled So let vs go to the warrante of the worde where the mouth of our God shall teache vs this Homonsion that Christ in his deuyne nature is consubstanciall coeternall and coequall with his father Esa 53. Ioh. 1.1 Ioh. 10.30 Coeternall Esay sayth His birth day who can recken Iohn sayth In the beginning was the worde that is the sonne of God And our Sauiour My father and I are one One in substance eternity power equalitie and glory This Christ is coequal with his father Zacha. 13. also the Prophet Zachary doth affirme in the fathers person thus Aryse O sworde vpon my Shepheard and vpon the man that is my fellow sayth the Lord of hostes Smyte the Shepherd and the Sheepe shal be scattered Beholde he calleth the Shepheard thus to be striken his equall Mat. 16.16 Ioh. 6.69 which Shepherd the Euangelists testifye is Christ Iesus the sonne of the lyuing God This Iesus coeternall consubstanciall coequall and his onely nature beyonde all tyme and without begynning as he is God In the fulnesse of tyme tooke our nature vpon him also and became manne that so he might be this Shepheard that should be beaten and his shéepe scattred that the little ones might be brought to him there Lorde and Sauiour This Christ was promised to Adam at his fall Apo. 12.9 Gen. 3. in condemnation of the olde Serpente Satanas The seede of the woman shall breake thy heade The Serpents heade is the power of Satan which the bodye of the scriptures testifye Christ to haue trode vnder foote And Christ is here called Seede to testifye the truth of his humaine nature Christ called seede and why And the womans séede not the séede of man in respect of his conception and natiuitie without the séede of man of the Virgin Mary by the holy ghost And in as much as she was the true seede of Adam Abraham and Dauid it must néeds be that Christ comming of her must also verily and in deede of her nature be partaker of ours be very man as he is verely God Gal. 3.17 Mat. 1.12 Luc. 3.23.24 c. Wherfore Paule to the Gallathians affyrmeth Iesus Christ to haue taken fleshe and to be of Abrahams seede Mathewe and Luke doe drawe by lyniall discente the womans séede Christ Iesus to be of the naturall séede with Adam Abraham and Dauid and of theyr fleshe and bloud and so of the same fleshy substance sinne excepted To conclude he was conceyued by the holye ghost encreased in his mothers wombe was borne of her suckt of her breasts grewe as a chylde to mans estate and into increase of godly grace in his humanitie He also had all the instruments of our Nature sinne onely excepted Wherfore we worthyly cursse for Anathema Valentyne Maryon Eutiches Appelles and Manachae with all other their adherents and fautors which derogate from the deuyne the humayne nature in Christ and doe faythfullye conclude with Paule to the Philippians Phil. 2.6 when Christ was in the shape of God he thought it no robery to bee equall with God but he humbled hymselfe and tooke vpon hym the shape of a seruant and was made lyke vnto man was founde in shape as a man he humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto death euen to the death of the crosse For by this and that we haue sayde it appeareth sufficiently that our Sauiour Christ is verye God and very man consubstantiall with his father and of self nature wyth vs sinne onely excepted But least anye man should dreame that I ioyne with their pestiferous Arius Bulling deca 4. ser 6. who taught that Christ the sonne of God receyued onely our fleshe without a soule and the Deitie to stande in stead thereof Or with Apolinarius which graunteth Christ to haue a soule but not endued with her qualities I say as the scripture sayth that Christ in his humanitie consisteth of two partes of perfite soule and perfite flesh with the whole minde reason and iudgement of the soule Mat. 20.28 Mat. 26.38 Ioh. 12.27 Luc. 22.15 c. The sonne of man sayeth Christ came not to be ministred vnto but to minister and to giue his soule for the redemption for many Agayne My soule is heauie vnto death sayth our Sauyour Nowe my soule is troubled I haue desyred to eate this Pasouer with you before I suffer All which to be sory heauie troubled and affectionate are passions of the minde and proper to the soule and approue Iesus Christ to haue with vs animam rationalem a reasonable soule humayne fleshe subsisting as that holye father Athanasius hath it in hys Symbole of our most christian fayth with whom we also say Christ is God of the substance of his father before all worlds man of the substance of his mother borne in the worlde perfite God and perfite man of a reasonable soule and humayne fleshe subsisting The which Deitie is so knytte in vnitie that after his death in his resurrection he reassuming to his Godhead his soule and bodye is ascended in the same vp into aboue all heauens on the right hande his Father Christs naturall body but in one place but yet not confounding the substance of the Deitie or of his humanitie but eche nature styll and alwayes kéepeth his proper qualitie As for example Tertul. li. de car christi August ad Dar. Epist 57. his Godhead to be in all places at one instante and his body to contayne onely one place as to the holye Scriptures Saint Augustine subscrybeth to Dardanus We must take héede sayeth he that we doe not so preach the deuyne nature of Christ that we take away the truth that is the true propertie of hys bodye As he is God sayth