and counsell that he may apply somewhat vnto thee to cure thy disease so must thou doe in this sicknesse of thy soule Thou must flye to the Minister of God whom he hath appointed for thy helpe herein The Priests lippes must preserue knowledge Malac. 2.7 and thou must seeke the Law at his mouth To him thou must open the wounds of thy soule Iam. 5.16 the causes and occasions of thy feare whether they be thy sinnes if any trouble thy conscience or thy temptations to sinne thy weakenesse of faith and holinesse or the like that hee vpon sight of thy estate and arguments of thy faith and repentance though they be weake may apply the promises of mercy the refreshing oyle of the Gospel vnto thy soule Thou must confesse thy sinnes and weaknesse as that reuerend Diuine Mr. Perkins Perkins Cases of Conscience lib. 1. cap. 1. sect 1. well obserueth that the Minister of God may pronounce the sentence of absolution of thy free remission and reconciliation with God in Christ vnto thee that hence thy hope and confidence in God may be confirmed which he may truly doe if by thy confession he finde in thee the grounds and signes of faith and repentance of which thou mayest finde many signes in this Treatise and no doubt but some in thy selfe if thou be called brought to repentance and faith in Christ I will here put you in minde A most comfortable ground of assurance that our sinnes are pardoned in Christ but of one ground of comfort for many And this is that A desire to repent and beleeue in a touched heart and conscience is faith and repentance it selfe though not in nature yet in Gods acceptation by Christ This is euident in Scripture First because If there be a willing minde it is accepted not according to that a man hath not but according to that he hath 2. Corinthians 8. verse 12. Againe God doth not onely call all that thirst and desire to the waters of life and offers them freely Esay 55. verse 1.2 but if they doe but desire and thirst for it he promiseth to giue it them freely Reuel 21.6 Reu. 22.17 And he will be as good as his word to thee thou shalt be sure to receiue and taste of these waters of comfort if thou wilt pray for it and desire it and expect with patience and tarry the Lords leisure for it Thou art blessed in the desire of it Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for first or last they shall be satisfied Matth. 5.6 and then blessed shalt thou be in the happie possession of it A bruised reede will he not breake and smoaking flaxe will he not quench that is the least sparkes of grace but kindle them to thy comfort Matth. 12.20 The Lord saith Dauid heareth the desires of the poore the poore in Spirit especially who are blessed though they be poore in their owne eyes seeing but little or no faith or holinesse in themselues yet they are rich in Christ in whom God accepteth them for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Matth. 5 3. If thou confessest that thou hast but this desire in thee as thou thy selfe mayest apply to thy selfe with the help of thine own coâ—science spirituall vnderstanding so may the minister also boldly and certainly apply the promises of grace and mercy to thy soule M. Perkins Cases of Conscience lib. 1. cap. 7. sect 5. And that with this or the like argument He that hath an vnfained desire to repent and bâ—leeue in Christ hath remission of sinnes and life euerlasting But thou hast an earnest desire to repent and beleeue in Christ as thy owne conscience cannot choose but tell thee and as thou confessest vnto him and therefore as thou mayest apply and conclude so if thou canst not he may certainly conclude to thee and for thee That remission of sinnes and life euerlasting belongs to thee and therefore he may assuredly and boldly for to procure thy peace the better pronounce vnto thee that excellent sentence of Absolution The Booke of Common Prayer in the visitation of the sicke appointed by our Church for the comfort of sicke and distressed soules Our Lord Iesus Christ who hath left power to his Church to absolue all sinners which truly repent and beleeue in him of his great mercy forgiue thee thine offences And by his authoritie committed to me I absolue thee from all thy sinnes in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen And if thou be as thou oughtest to be perswaded of the power of this absolution thou mayest after this possesse thy soule in peace with assurance that thou art iustified freely in Christ and labouring to increase in holinesse thou needest not doubt of happinesse in the end For this is one end why Christ hath giuen that power of binding and loosing vnto his Ministers those keyes of the kingdome of heauen That whatsoeuer they doe binde on earth Math. 16.19 should be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer they should loose on earth should be loosed in heauen And withall gaue them the holy Ghost to direct and guide them Receiue yee the holy Ghost saith Christ whose soeuer sinnes yee remit they are remitted vnto them and whose soeuer sinnes yee retaine they are retained Ioh. 20. verse 22 23. And this power though it be not absolute but ministeriall Christ absoluing by his ministers yet as no water could cure Naamans leprosie but the waters of Iordan 2. King 5. because God had giuen a speciall gift vnto them So the same words of absolution being pronounced by any other cannot haue that power to worke on the conscience or to perswade to peace as when they are pronounced by him that hath this ministeriall office because the promise only is giuen to Gods Ministers who are sent forth to this end Ioh. 20.12.13 And being pronounced by them in this forme and manner Christ doth as certainly loose thee from the bonds of thy sinnes by his Ministers as he did loose Lazarus by his disciples from the bonds with which he was tyed when he had raised him to life Iohn 11.44 Be at peace therfore quiet thy conscience with diuine Answ 3 Hope and confidence in Christ and the God of peace shall be with thee 2. Cor. 13.11 And yet further thirdly for thy decay in grace Quench not the spirit saith the Apostle to the Christian Thessalonians Against decay in grace 1. Thes 5.19 in whom no doubt the grace of Gods Spirit was in good measure The Spirit therefore may bee quenched and Gods dearest children may lose grace for a time though not finally and totally because God in his mercy doth in due time renue the vigour and strength of his graces in them Thou must not conclude then by thy decay in grace for a time or want of holinesse that thou art excluded from the fauor of God in Christ The best wheate hath
needle in a sunne-dyall looketh two wayes not onely forwards to my Text but backwards to the occasion in the verse before which is the ground from which my text is inferred and vpon which the whole frame is builded Occasion Beza annotat Gualterus Cornelius Cornelij a lapide S. Châ—ysost Vatabl. S. August lib. 9 contra Faust caâ— 7 Câ—rnelius a lapide Henceforth saith the Apostle know we no man after the flesh that is we esteeme or approoue of no man that liueth carnally according to the corruptions of the flesh or according to the carnall observations and ceremonies of the old Lawe because we know that Christ is the end and fulfilling thereof Or we esteeme not carnall things nor of men according to these be they neuer so profitable or pleasurable riches beauty friends kindred or the like Our iudgements now are spirituall nor carnall as they were yea though wee haue knowne Christ after the flesh that is after a carnall manner glorying in him as our kinsman according to the flesh Chrysostom Theod. Synodus 7. General Act. 6. being of the same nation and stocke-with vs or esteeming of him but as of a mortall man subiect to infirmities yet now know we him so no more but spiritually as the Sonne of God and Sauior of the world and the reason is because we are changed our knowledge is changed and we are become new men in Christ So that hence doth appeare the excellency of the true knowledge of Christ The excellency of the true knowledge of Christ from whence the Apostle inferres our new creation Because ordinarily amongst other causes the true knowledge of Christ is a speciall cause and meanes thereof For our new creation is a fruit of faith God saith Peter put no difference betweene vs and them speaking of the Iewes and Gentiles which beleeued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purifying or regenerating their hearts by faith Act. 15.9 And so the word is vsed by Saint Paul Ephes 5.26 Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it that he might sanctifie it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cleansing purifying or regenerating with the washing of water by the word this learned Zanchius Zanchius in Ephes cap. 5.26 Calvinus InstitutionuÌ„ lib. 3. cap. 3. Vtrumque fide consequamuâ— vita scil novitatem reconciliationem gratuitam neque tamen quuÌ„ resipiscentiae originem ad fidem referimus â—patium aliquod temporis somniamus quo ipsam partutiat c. coÌ„firmeth interpeting the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our regeneration in his CoÌ„mentaries vpon that Text indicious Calvin is a second witnesse to confirme this truth rightly averring that regeneration is a fruite of faith that we obtaine it by faith the spirit of God working by faith in our hearts that faith is before it in order not in time as he explaineth himselfe in the third booke of his Institutions chapter the third Now faith cannot be without knowledge How shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard Rom. 10.14 And therefore much lesse regeneration which is the the companion yea the fruite and effect of sauing faith Yea further as the blessed spirit himselfe is the internall efficient cause of our new birth kindling faith in vs and by the blood of Iesus apprehended and applyed by faith purging and washing our consciences from dead workes and framing in vs that image of Christ in the inner man as Saint Paul affirmes Titus 3. 5. so are the Sacraments also as Saint Peter 1. Pet. 3.21 Yea and the word of God and true knowledge thereof For we are borne againe not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liueth and abideth for euer 1. Pet. 1.23 As the Poets feigned of Medusaes head Hesiod Ovid. Metam 4 Aug. lib. 18. de Civit. Dei cap. 13. Diodorus lib. 4. that it was of power to turne the beholders into snakes so much more true is it of the true knowledge of Christ reveiled in the word it is a powerfull meanes by the operation of the Spirit to metamorphize our natural deformitie to change our corrupt affections and to raise vs from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse Therefore our Sauiour calles this knowledge life yea and life eternall Iohn 17.3 This is life eternal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they know thee the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ That is this is the meanes and onely ordinary means to obtain happines For there is no other name vnder heauen by which we can be saued Acts 4.12 It is the name the faith and the true knowledge of Christ that bringeth that life vnto vs. Via ad Deum est Scientia saith Hugo Hugo de instructione nouitiorum The way to God is by knowledge by knowledge we passe to holy discipline by holy discipline to heauenly goodnesse by heauenly goodnesse to eternall blessednesse for euermore And Saint Bernard S. Bernard de ordine vitae well obserues that vntill a man by faith do know his Creator ignorance the mother of all vices possesseth his soule and thereupon he noteth a twofold knowledge necessary to saluation The first is the knowledge of God the second the knowledge of thy selfe Because as from the knowledge of thy selfe there proceedeth a feare of the maiestie of God and from the knowledge of God a loue of him who is the chiefest good so from the ignorance of thy selfe there springs forth pride and from the ignorance of God there floweth desperation And what Saint Bernard attributes to the ignorance and knowledge of God in generall is true also of the ignorance or knowledg of Christ in particular from the true knowledge of Christ there proceeds a loue of Christ yea a reciprocall loue not only of thee to Christ but of Christ to thee and from the ignorance of Christ desperation destroyeth the soule Si Christum benè scis nihil est si caetera nescis Si Christum nescis nihil est si caetera discis If thou knowest Christ aright it is nothing though thou bee ignorant of all things else And if thou be ignorant of Christ all other knowledge is nothing auailable to attaine thy wished felicitie Wouldest thou walke the way to heauen Christ is the way by which thou maiest walke in safety Wouldest thou not be deceiued in thy iourney Christ is the truth to guide thee Wouldest thou not faint or dye in thy way Christ is the life to comfort and strengthen thee to life euerlasting as Saint Augustine sweetly vpon those words of our Sauiour Ioh. 14.6 August in Ioh. cap. 14.6 And thus likewise Saint Ambrose Ambr. lib. de virginitate excellently in his booke of Virginity If thou desirest to cure the wounds of thy soule Christ is the Physitian that can heale thee If thou bee scorched with the burning feuer of thy sinnes Christ is that fountaine of liuing water that will refresh thee If thou bee
Christ with a loue and delight in his law though imperfect also they doe striue againe and earnestly endeauour to fulfill the same and although they see that they are not able to keepe the commandements as they should often complaining with Paul of their owne weakenesse yet leaue they not off to desire though this also be sometime eclypsed and weakened and not all times alike dayly striuing to put off the old man and to be cloathed with the new As there are these 2. kinds of men I say the one imperfect hypocrites hated of God the other imperfect Christians like good souldiers in the Church militant striuing fighting combating for this perfection and beloued of God in Christ so is there a twofold imperfect knowledge The first a bare naked historicall hypocriticall knowledge cold carnall dead fruitlesse and without efficacy residing onely in the minde and vnderstâ—nding and shewing it selfe in words but neither pi râ—ing the heart nor by renouation of life stirring vp that man in whom it is to the good of his neighbour or glory of God And this in the Scripture is called a dead faith by Saint Iames Iam. 2.20 Mat. 13.4 5 6 a temporary faith by our Sauiour and an hypocritical faith by Saint Paul because it is a knowledge without practise a faith not working by loue like that of the seruant who knowes his masters will but doth it not Luk. 12 47 or that of the Gentiles who did know God but did not glorifie him as God Rom. 1.21 Or lastly like that of the Deuill Mar. 1.24 1. Cor. 8.1 who did know Christ confessed him to be the holy One of God but was nothing bettered by his knowledge And this knowledge edifieth not but puffeth vp Luk. 12.47 saith the Apostle and in stead of comfort bringeth confusion to the soule For he that knoweth the will of his Master and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes There is a second knowledge therefore which though it be imperfect yet it is true certaine and sound liuely operatiue and effectuall a spirituall knowledge working in vs a loue of God and of Christ a delight in his law and a desire to fulfill it such a knowledge Qua immutamur ita vt quae novimus opere conemur exprimere as Peter Martyr Pet. Martyr loc Com. well describes it by which we are changed and become new men so that those things which we know inwardly in our minds and vnderstandings we endeauour to expresse outwardly in our liues and conuersations Mat. 7.21 This is the knowledge of the Saints who striue not to be hearers of the word onely but doers as Saint Iames exhorts Iames 1.22 And as Aquinas Aquinas prim part sum quaest 12. art 13. Vide Suar. in Thom. 1. Cor. 2.8 9 10 c. and the Schooles dispute the question concerning the knowledge of God whether by grace we haue a more high and excellent knowledge then that which is obtained by naturall reason and agreeable to Saint Paul conclude the question affirmatiuely so may we more fully conclude of the knowledge of Christ That there is none obtained by naturall reason or if any it is onely that carnall naked and speculatiue knowledge which is vnprofitable But for this practicall this sound and sauing knowledge it is not onely obtained but also increased by grace and by grace it feedeth and nourisheth our soules in faith and hope and charity to eternall life And thus you see what is to be knowne concerning Christ and what this spirituall knowledge of Christ is of which our Apostle speakes in the occasion of my text which is so necessary so profitable 2. Cor. 5.16 so comfortable for euery Christian soule I come now to the vse that I may build somewhat vpon this foundation worth your obseruing First then if knowledge 1. Teachers of Ignorance iustly condemned D. Col. in Confer with M. Iewel See Iewels reply Article 127 pag 471. Nicola Cusan Exercit lib 6. vbi Ecclesia and the knowledge of Christ be so excellent how much are those to be blamed who are not ashamed to preach ignorance or at least in their practise to muffle the people in their superstitious blindnesse and hide from them this knowledge yea this most excellent knowledge of Christ making ignorance the mother of deuotion and vnreasonable obedience without knowledge as a horse obeyeth his master to bee the most perfect and commendable And with this did the Pope in old time hoodwinke and blindfold the Princes of the world vsing them as the Philistims did Sampson putting out the eyes not of their bodies but of their soules so enthralling them in that blacke dungeon of darkenesse that they could not see their miserable bondage O miseres Imperatores scâ—â—lares Principes qui haâ— alia sustinetis vos sâ—ruos Ecclesia facitis Pet. Ferra iâ—n Citat ab liâ—â—v inter testes â— eâ—tatis Reuel â—6 13 but willingly or rather by constraint through the pride and ambition of Antichrist subiecting themselues to be his vassals to hold his stiâ—rop to leade his horse to kneele downe and kisse his foote and like lackies to runne and waite on him at his pleasure For that was thâ—ir houre and the power of darkenesse as our Sauiour once said to the chiefe Priests and Elders their predecessours Luk. 22.53 And such hath since beene the practise of those Romish locusts those frogges that crawle out of the mouth of the Beast binding the people in ignorance by their prayers in an vnknowne tongue setting them their Aue-maries and Pater-nosters which they vnderstood not and keeping the Sacred Scriptures the Key of knowledge from them Contrarie to the command of Christ who bids Search the Scriptures John 5.39 to the practise of the Apostles who without question preached in a tongue not vnknowne to the people to whom they spake For to what end else had they that admirable gift of tongues bestowed vpon them Acts 2.4 or why did Saint Paul commend it 1 Cor. 14.2 and exhort so earnestly vnto it And contrarie to the iudgement doctrine and practise of the ancient Fathers For why else did St. Hierome translate the Scriptures into the Dalmaticke or Slauon tongue Alphonsus de Haeres lib. 1. ca. 13. as Alphonsus de Castro confesseth if he would not haue had the people to haue vnderstood them Or why did S. Augustine exhort the Priests of his time to correct the errors of their Latine speech and giue them this reason which agreeth with that of the Apostle Vt Populus ad id quod planè intelligit dicat Amen 1 Cor. 14.16 That the people vnto the thing which they plainly vnderstand may say Amen if he would haue had the people ignorant or to be blind-folded for want of this diuine and excellent knowledge In a word why doth the Apostle exhort That the word of God should dwell plentifully in the Colossians August de Catechizandes rudibus cap.
9. In all wisedome teaching and exhorting one another in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs singing with grace in their hearts Coloss 3.16 which S. Hierom vnderstands of the lay people or why did Origen wish Hiero. in cap. 3. Epist ad Colos Origen in Esay hom 2. Chrysost Hom. Epist ad Colos Chrysost Hom. 2 in Ioh. that all would do that which is written Search the Scriptures or S. Chrysostome so earnestly exhort Audite seculares omnes c. Heare ye men of the world get ye the Bible that most wholesome remedie for the soule And againe Hearken not hereunto only in the Church but also at home let the husband with the wife let the father with the childe talke together of these matters and both too and fro let them enquire and giue their iudgements and would to God they would begin this good custome Why I say doe these Fathers so earnestly commend Knowledge if Ignorance were better or that it were good to lull the people asleepe with their faith in grosse to beleeue as the Church beleeues with their knowledge in grosse to be contented with that which is locked vp in the Priests closet to barre them from the Scriptures the Church or whatsoeuer may bring them out of darkenesse into light or from the power of Satan and his Antichrist vnto God In a word if this were the minde of these holy Fathers whose disciples these men would make the world beleeue they only are why then are they contrarie to the Fathers in practise depriuing the people of the meanes of knowledge and daily spreading the vaile of ignorance ouer their hearts Certainely I can giue no other reason but that of S. Chrysostome Chrysost in Opere imperfect Hom. 44. which is most proper vnto them Haeretici sacerdotes claudunt ianuas veritatis c. These Hereticall Priests shut vp the gates of the Truth for they know that if the Truth be once laid open their Church shall be forsaken and they from their pontificiall dignitie shall be humbled and brought downe to the common and base estate of the people August in Psal 33. And that of S. Augustine is truly verified not only of the people who are their disciples but of the Priests themselues Erat in illis regnum Ignorantiae id est regnum erroris There was nay there is in them the kingdome of Ignorance that is not of Deuotion but of Errour or if not of ignorance then certainly of malice For as it is related of Caligula that he set golden loaues and all other seruices of gold before his guests and bade them eate so these like Tyrants ouer the consciences of poore Christians set their Golden-Latine-seruice before the people but hoodwinke their eyes and manacle their hands that though they heare yet can they not see nor vnderstand and therefore neither receiue nor taste of it neither be mooued to repentance nor get any comfort or quiet to their conscience and then what profit can it be vnto them For what profiteth a golden key August de Doctrina Christiana lib 4. cap. 11. Quid pâ—edest Clauis aurea si aperire quod volumus non potest aut quid obest lignea si hoc potest quando nihil quaerimus nisi aperire quod clausum erat 2. Sam. 16.10 sâ—ith S. Augustine if it cannot open that we desire to be opened or what hurteth a woodden key if it be able to open seeing wee desire nothing but that the thing that is shut may be opened vnto vs Knowledge in our mother tongue by reading of the Scriptures by comming to the Church by hearing of Diuine Seruice and word of God preached is farre better then ignorance in the Latine Greeke or Hebrew which is not vnderstood To conclude this then as Dauid once speak to Abishai vpoÌ„ another occasion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What haue I to do with you or what busines is there betweene me and you ye sonnes of Zeruiah for so much the Hebrew imports So let euery true Christian say to these Deceiuers who creepe into mens houses 2. Tim. 3.6 and leade aside simple women who with signes and lying wonders bewitch their hearers that they imbrace darkenesse rather then light because they receiue not the loue of the truth 2 Thes 2.10 that they might be saued What haue we to doe with you yea teachers of lyes for what fellowship hath light with darkenesse or the sonnes of knowledge with the professors of ignorance It is not ignorance but knowledge yea this true knowledge of Christ that bringeth true ioy and gladnesse to the soule 2 Those that delight in Ignorance to be lamented In the second place therefore I cannot but grieue at those who liuing in the cleare light and Sun-shine of the Gospel wilfully shut their eyes barring themselues from the light and louing darkenesse as the delight of their soule who grope at noone day and hugge the mists of blindnesse going on in their idle and carelesse securitie lest they should see the light and vnderstand the pathes in which they tread who though they make an outward shew of Christianitie yet are they zealous in seeking for honours riches and the trash of the world but carelesse and negligent in the search of diuine wisedome But doth not Wisedome cry Prou. 8.1 and vnderstanding vtter her voyce How long ye simple ones will ye loue simplicitie and ye fooles hate knowledge Prou. 1.22 Is not the merchandise of wisedome better then siluer Prou. 3.14.15 and the gaine thereof then fine gold Is not knowledge more precious then rubies or what canst thou desire that may be compared to her Why then in the middest of knowledge dost thou liue in ignorance why dost thou not seeke after her as for siluer and desire her more then the choicest gold O beloued how miserable are these men who hauing liued many yeeres vnder the Ministery of the Gospel are yet ignorant of this knowledge of Christ Heb. 6.1 and had neede to be instructed euen in the first principles of the Oracles of God! who are ignorant and wilfully ignorant which addeth to their sinne A twofold Ignorance For there is a two-fold ignorance the first a simple or single ignorance which is that depriuation of knowledge 1. Simple Ignorance or defect of vnderstanding or blindnesse of the minde which did rise and spring from the fall of our first parents and was deriued to vs through the muddy channell of our naturall corruption Of this S. Paul 1. Cor. 2.14 The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the Spirit of God nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Thus many a man is ignorant of the Gospel because he hath neuer beene taught it And this is that darkenesse in which naturall men delight and sport themselues like a childe that is borne in a dungeon because they know not the benefit of the light But this ignorance is banished by education
amongst theÌ„selues for as all men were one in the first AdaÌ„ created alike of the dust of the earth so are all Christians one in the second Adam redeemed alike by the blood of the Lambe The Iewes before Christ they did all eate of the same spirituall bread and drinke of the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the rocke that followed them and that rocke was Christ 1. Cor. 10.3 And the beleeuing Iewes and Gentiles since Christ they are all partakers in the same communion of the body and blood of Iesus 1. Cor. 10.17 We are all one body in Christ and one spirit we are called in one hope of our vocation we haue one Lord one faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all who is aboue all and through all and in vs all Ephes 4.4.5 So that all the Saints are as one man in Christ not by a corporall but by a spirituall vnion not in respect of the persons which are innumerable but first in respect of that one head Zanchius Comment in Ephes cap. 2. which is Christ vnto whom all are annexed and vnited as the members of the body are to the head but in a spirituall manner And secondly in respect of that one and the same Spirit by whom we are quickned and in faith and holines vnited vnto Christ For as the body is said to be one though it hath many members because they are all quickened by one soule all knit together vnto one head and all making vp one and the same humane nature 1. Cor. 12.12 13. so are Christians one body being quickened by one and the same Spirit vnited to one and the same head Christ and hauing one and the same nature of grace in newnesse of life And hence in the primitiue times of the multitude of beleeuers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there was one heart and one soule Act. 4.32 not simply but in God and in Christ And so Christians though many yet are one new man in Christ one in spirit one in faith one in charity one in will and consent and one in newnesse of life Vnity required in Christians Eph. 2.14 And therefore beeing thus made one in Christ who is our peace wee should follow the Apostles exhortation Ephes 4.3 Endeauour to keepe the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace To bee at vnity with our brethren at one with ourselues at vnity in faith and religion which is the principall point S. August de spirit liter and the badge of a Christian What S. Augustine speakes of charity is true of this vnity it is the way of God to men and the way of men vnto God it is the queene of vertues the most excellent gift yea that very bond of perfection Coloss 3.14 The loue of God therefore that is shed abroad in our hearts Rom. 5.5 should vnite and cement the soules of Christians Oh thou diuine loue saith Anselme how great is thy bond Anselm lib. de simil that thou hast vnited not onely Angels to God but God and man after a wonderfull manner and much more should it be powerfull to vnite the hearts of men and Christian men one to another The Papists you know brag and boast much of their vnity Nicolaus Romaâ—s Iesuit contra Calvin pag. 426. Platina in Stephano 6. falsly applying these places of Scripture which concerne vnity vnto themselues For where hath there beene more discord then in the Church of Rome not onely in the members but in the Antichristian heads themselues After Pope Stephen saith Platina it hath beene the custome among the Popes that those who followed afterwards would either breake or abolish the Acts of the Popes that had gone before them Pope Iohn the two and twenty and Pope Nicolas in their whole decrees are contrary the one against the other yea and that in those things Quae videntur ad fidei negotium pertinere which seeme to belong to matter of Faith Erasmus in Annot. in 1. Cor. 7. Platina in vita Silvest Onuph addit ad Plat. in vita Greg. 12. as Erasmus obserues I might shew you how some of them haue beene forcerers Idolaters Arian Heretickcs Nestorian Heretickes Menothelite Heretickes Montanist Heretickes and the like all differing one from another as their Scotists and Thomists and diuers others their sects or at least differing from Christ Iesus who is the true head and gouernour of his Church Or if we grant them vnity Eph. 4.15 yet if we trye their spirits and put their vnity to the touchstone we shall finde it but counterfeite no Christian but an Antichristian vnity that is amongst them like that of Simeon and Leui who were brethren in euill or of Herod Gen. 49.5 Luk. 23.12 and Pontius Pilate who agreed together against Christ or like themselues of whom Saint Iohn prophecyeth that they haue one mind and should giue their power and strength vnto the beast and all to make warre against the Lambe Reu. 17.13.14 They agree together to defend their owne traditions of Purgatory prayer for the dead Inuocation of Saints Adoration of Images superstitious reliques and the like which contrary to the Scriptures to the Doctrine of the Apostles Conc. Nicen. Ruffin Eccl. Hist lib. 1. ca. 6. the consent of ancient Councels and Fathers of the Church they haue inuented to maintaine Concil Constantinop 2. ca. 36. the pompe and pride of the Pope his Cardinalls and themselues to fill his coffers and set vp his Antichristian Throne aboue the Thrones of Kings and Emperours as the History of times and their owne ambitious practise hath made manifest It is related of the Meletian Schismatickes Hist Eccl. lib. 8. cap. 46. and the Arrian Heretickes that at first they did much disagree in their seuerall opinions but not being able to effect their ambitious designes being separated at last they agreed together and made a league to make warre against the pious Clergie of Alexandria In like manner this broode of Antichrist though separated amongst themselues in their seuerall sects about matters of the life to come yet agree they well enough together to keepe their Temporall power and worldly honours vnto themselues And if Heretickes and Schismatickes can agree in euill how much more should the true professors of the faith of Christ according to the Doctrine of the Apostles and primitiue times practise a heauenly vnity amongst themselues How should we labour to keepe that vnitie which is wrought by the blessed Spirit in true faith and holinesse by which the Saints are knit and vnited vnto that one Head of the Church not the Pope as Hosius and others would haue it Hosius in Petri coven Confess ca. 27. Clem. 5. ad nost in Gloss Chrysost ad Col. Hom 6. August in Iohan Tract 6. 1. Sam 4.21 who being a man is and euer hath beene subiect to Errour but Christ who is such a head from whom Corpus habet vt sit vt bene
body yea of his flesh and of his bones saith the Apostle Ephes 5.30 This he speakes for that neere coniunction which we haue with Christ He that eateth my flesh saith Christ dwelleth in me and I in him Ioh. 6.56 From whence we must consider saith Cyrill Cyrillus in Ioh. lib. 10. cap. 13 that Christ is not in vs only by habitude as hee dwelleth in vs by Faith and Charitie but also by a naturall participation not in respect of the matter for it is supernaturall but in respect of the manner or of the thing participated which is the true flesh of Christ Not grosly and carnally as the Papists imagine in their imaginary Transubstantiation but spiritually by a true and reall vnion of Faith The bread that we breake it is the Communion of the body of Christ 1 Cor. 10.17 That is that thing by which we are receiued into Communion with the body of Christ as Zanchius interpreteth it yea by this wee are vnited to his Diuinity as S. Peter affirmes Who according to his diuine power saith he hath given vnto vs all things that pertaine vnto life and godlinesse through the knowledg of him that hath called vs to glory and vertue wherby are giuen vnto vs exceeding great and pretious promises that by these you might be partakers of the diuine nature 2. Pet. 1.3.4 hauing escaped the corruption that is the world through lustes And thus it is manifest that there is a vnion of our persons in grace with the person oâ— Christ not that we are made one person with him but that we which are many are one body of which Christ is the head wee are one wife and Christ our Husband But to explaine it a little more The question may be demaunded What kinde of vnion is this Question by which we are so wired vnto Christ and Christ to vs I answere If wee respect the things which are vnited Answere and the verity or truth of the vnion it is a reall a substantiall an essentiall vnion And if wee respect the manner and order of it it is a vnion spirituall and supernaturall To illustrate the verity and reality of this vnion there are diuers similitudes in sacred Scriptures set forth vnto vs by the Spirit of God First as there is the vnion between the Husband and the Wife Similitude to illustrate our vnion with Christ which the Apostle S. Paul vseth Ephes 5.31 And they two shall be one flesh Which certainely is a substantiall vnion of the Husband and Wife because two persons are vnitâ—d and a true and reall vnion because they are vnited into one true flesh and are alwayes truely one flesh But how In respect of that coniugall bond in which they are vnited by the ordinance of God And this the Apostle applyeth to that spirituall vnion betweene Christ and his Church This is a great mysterie saith he but I speake concerning Christ and the Church Ephes 5.32 But this vnion of Christ with vs is more excellent for Christ doth not onely communicate vnto vs all needfull graces as the wife doth partake with the Husband in all his goods and he not onely dwelleth with vs as the Husband with the Wife but in vs in our hearts by faith and by loue and by his Spirit in a farre more absolute and perfect manner then the Husband can with the Wife Though this be an admirable similitude by which in a liuely manner is thus expressed the mysterie of that vnion betweene Christ and his Church Secondly this vnion is described by the similitude of the head and the members of the body 2. Simil Ephe. 4.15.19 which members are vnited and knit together not onely by veines and arteries but also by one liuing Spirit whereby is noted not onely our most neere vnion with Christ but also that we receiue our life from Christ as from the roote and fountaine from whence all the veines of our spirituall life doe spring and flow forth And this vnion without question is a substantiall true and reall vnion without which we cannot receiue the fruite of his Passion nor the gifts and graces of his Spirit as the members of the body cannot receiue their nourishment and life and motion being separated from the head and in which we grow vp to perfection as S. Paul intimates Thirdly 3. Simil. this vnion is confirmed by the similitude of a liuing foundation and liuing stones built vpon it which by the truely substantiall and reall coniunction of them with the foundation doe daily receiue an increase vntill the house or building be perfected So is it in our vnion with Christ Christ is a liuing stone saith S. Peter and wee as liuely stones are built vp a spirituall house 1 Pet. 2.4.5 We are built saith S. Paul vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth vp vnto an holy Temple in the Lord. Coloss 2.19 Ephes 2.20.21 Fourthly this vnion is expressed by Christ himselfe in the similitude of eating and drinking 4. Simil. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him Ioh. 6.56 But this with a manifold difference Tollet in Iohan. as interpreters obserue For first he that receiueth common meate and drinâ—e is said indeede to haue meate and drinke within him But yet he doth not remaine in the meate and drinke neither doth the meate and drinke remaine or continue in him for either it is corrupted and euacuated or conuerted into the substance of the flesh and blood of him that eateth it But Christ is not such meate and drinke vnto vs. Because the flesh of Christ is neither corrupted nor conuerted into the flesh of the eater But it remaineth still what it was and doth rather by a new qualification change vs into him or conforme vs vnto his image when we doe eate or receiue him by faith Secondly common meate receiueth life and vertue of nourishment from him that eateth it for a dead man that hath not life and heate in him yea a sicke man whose life and power of nature is so farre spent that he cannot digest what he eateth can receiue no life nor strength from his meate it being but dead flesh or the like till it be as it were quickened and raised to life by the heate and vertue of the eater it cannot nourish nor preserue life in him But it is not so with Christ our spirituall foode he doth not receiue life from vs but he rather giueth life vnto vs and therefore S. Ambrose affirmes that for this reason S. Ambrose lib. 6. de sacram Christ is that liuing bread that came downe from heauen Ioh. 6.51 So that Christ remaineth in the eater because he is so vnited vnto him that he cannot be corrupted nor conuerted into the substance of him that eateth but rather changeth it into him as I said before and the
eater remaineth in Christ because he receiueth life from him whose blood is drinke indeede and whose flesh is meate indeede not carnally to feede the body as the fleshly Capernaits and grosse Papists doe imagine Ludolphus in vita Christi part 2. cap. 56. Ioh. 6.55 but spiritually to feede and nourish our soules and bodies to eternall life For so Christ explaineth himselfe shewing against his fleshly hearers how his speech was to be vnderstood not after a carnall and fleshly as Bellarmine Bellarm. lib. 1. de Sacram. Eucharist cap 5. Tertul. lib. 4. contr Marcion S. Ambros de illis qui initiantur mysteriijs August in Psal 3. Chrysost hom 11. would haue it but after a spirituall manner as the Fathers agree Jt is the spirit that quickeneth saith Christ the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speake vnto you are spirit and life Ioh. 6.63 And by this vnion also you may see how our vnion with Christ is exemplified Againe Christ expresseth it in most liuely manner by the comparison of the vine and the branches I am the Vine saith Christ and ye are the branches as the branch cannot beare fruite of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in me Ioh. 15.4 5. So that as there is a vnion betweene the vine the branches so is there betweene Christ and his Church and as the branches receiue the sappe and life from the vine so doe we from Christ Lastly 6. Simil. it is demonstrated yet more plainely by the Embleme and similitude of the graft and the stocke of the branches of the wilde oliue grafted into the good which S. Paul sets forth excellently Rom. 11. from 17. to 25. ver of the chapter for as the wilde oliue cannot be changed except it be first grafted into the good nor can it bring forth good fruite vntill it be partaker of the roote and fatnesse of the true Oliue tree so we who by nature are wilde oliues cannot spring out of this true Oliue Christ Iesus except wee be first ingrafted into him by grace and after so dressed and ordered by that heauenly Oliue-planter the blessed Spirit that by little and little leauing the bitternesse of our naturall corruption wee may bring forth and become sweete fruite for our heauenly Father Similitudo non Curâ—it quatuor pedibus Herein the similitude agreeth but it runneth not of foure feete as the prouerbe is but in some respect is different as are the rest For first in naturall grafting looke of what nature the graft is such fruite will the stocke nourish and bring forth because the stocke is turned into the nature of the graft But in this spirituall grafting it is not so for it is necessarie that we who are the grafts should be turned into the nature of the stocke Christ Iesus that we may bring forth such fruite as is answerable to his nature Luk. 1.75 in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life Secondly hence there is not to be imagined any confusion or transfusion of Christ or of his essentiall qualities into vs as may seeme to be of the stocke into the graft and as the Libertines did imagine but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quaedam a certaine power and vertue and efficacy by which Christ doth change vs by his Spirit being freely iustified and engrafted by faith in him and doth regenerate and daily renue vs vnto a spirituall and heauenly life And in this especially our vnion doth consist and is made manifest that being ingrafted by faith we doe spring vp in all holinesse and heauenly vertue and are conformed to the image of him 2. Cor. 3.18 euen of Christ vnto whom we are vnited Thus then you may see plainely the veritie and realitie of this vnion declared vnto you If you consider the manner and order of it you shall finde it spirituall and supernaturall as in part I have touched already It is a spirituall vnion Lanchius in Ephes because it is wrought by the Spirit and by faith by the spirit in respect of Christ because Christ worketh it by the spirit and by faith in respect of vs because true faith working by loue is as it were the bond and tie by which the blessed spirit doth as it were knit and Vnite vs to Christ It is the Spirit that workes faith and all other graces in vs and therefore questionlesse he workes and effecteth this vnion which is the fountaine and foundation of the rest All these worketh that one and the same Spirit diuiding to euery one seuerally 1. Cor. 12.11 We are made the spouse of Christ the members of Christ and flesh of his flesh by his spirit by whom he doth incorporate himselfe to vs and vs vnto him And faith is the instrument by which we are vnited Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith saith the Apostle Ephes 3.17 Therefore whether Christ be propounded in the word or in the Sacraments it is by his spirit and our faith that he is vnited to vs and we to him and this not in a carnall but a spirituall manner for the workes of the spirit are spirituall and spiritually to bee vnderstood De naturali in nobis Christi veritate quae dicimus nisi ab eo discimus stultè atque impiè dicimus saith Hilarie Hilary de Trin. lib. 8. pag. 141. of the naturall truth of Christ being in vs Those things which we speake we speake them foolishly and impiously except we first learne them of Christ And this is the scope of Cyrill Cyril in Ioh. lib. 10. cap. 13. on Iohn that we should vnderstand the words of Christ spiritually and not after a carnall manner Thus shall we see and know that spiritually we may receiue Christ and bee vnited vnto him though Christ be in heauen and we in earth as S. Augustine August Tract 50. in Ioh. fol. 368. declareth excellently in his Tractate vpon Iohn Let the Iewes saith he heare and lay hold on Christ who sitteth at the right hand of his Father in heauen But they will answer Whom shall I hold what he that is absent how shall I send vp my hand into heauen that I may hold him there This is done spiritually not after a carnall manner Fidem mitte tenuisti Send thy faith saith S. Augustine and then thou hast layed hold on Christ thy forefathers did hold Christ in the flesh and doe thou hold him in thy heart because Christ absent is also present For except he were present he could not be holden of vs absent in the flesh in his humanitie but present in his Deitie present in his Spirit working faith and loue in vs by which in a spirituall manner we may be vnited to Christ though he be absent and lay hold of him though he be in heauen And thus as plaine as I can I haue set forth vnto you both the substance and manner of our vnion with Christ If any man
be in Christ I haue laid the foundation of our vnion at large I will once againe Catechise the point in briefe before I come to the vse That if it be possible you may yet more plainely vnderstand it The question Quest 1 may be demanded if Christ be in vs how are we in Christ or if we be in Christ how is Christ in vs I answer Answ First that Christ is in vs as the King is in his kingdome to rule ouer vs as the father of his family is in his household to ouersee vs as the bridegroome is in the bride-chamber to honour vs as the head is in the bodie to guide and direct vs in all our actions but all this in a spirituall manner Or otherwise Christ is in vs First by faith and charitie as a Sauiour in the hearts of those that are saued Secondly by his spirit of vertue and grace by which hee doth quicken illuminate feede gouerne and conserue his children After the first manner one friend may bee in the breast of another by affection and loue but after the second no mortall man can be in the heart of any man but onely Christ in vs which sheweth the excellency of this heauenly vnion Quest 2 Secondly How are we in Christ I answer Answere we are in Christ not carnally neither but after a spirituall manner For although our bodies are not carnally in Christ nor Christs in ours yet spiritually we are vnited to Christ and Christ to vs we are one with Christ and Christ with vs In the Booke of Common Prayer the exhortation at Communion Hosh 2.19 20. we dwell in Christ and Christ in vs as our Church doth witnes and this in a more neere manner as is admirably declared in that excellent vnion of the husband and wife For Christ is our heauenly Bridegroome and we are his Spouse Cant. 5.1 2. He hath married vs vnto himselfe in righteousnesse and in iudgement and in louing kindnesse and in mercies and in faithfulnesse and in the knowledge of the Lord An excellent wedding ring beset with sixe beautifull Diamonds to illustrate that most gracious and glorious vnion betweene Christ and his Church Quest 3 But Christ is righteousnesse and life it selfe in him is no sinne neither was death able to hold him in the prison of the graue How then is it possible that sinfull man who is subiect vnto death by sinne should any way be in Christ or Christ in him Like thing are woont to be ioyned to like but betweene so different and contrarie natures what communion or fellowship is any where to be found Are we in Christ as the creatures are in God After this manner not only all men are in him For in him we liue and mooue and haue our beeing Acts 17.28 but also all things that liue for hee is before all things and in him all things consist Coloss 1. verse 7. and this were a vnion common to wicked men and to the brute beasts as well as to vs. How then are we in Christ Quest I answer Answ wicked men haue not this vnion with Christ Wicked men haue no vnion with Christ but only the elect no not so much as the vnion of nature for howsoeuer in generall in that Christ was truly man as they are they may seeme to haue a kinde of communion yet in this there is a maine difference that Christ did not take vpon him our humane nature corrupted and defiled with the pollution of sinne August in Ioh. Sine peccato sine peccati macula S. Bern in vigil Natiuit serm 4. Mater est sine corruptione virginitatis filius sine omni labe peccati Esay 53.9 but sanctified and made most pure and holy in the wombe of the blessed Virgin by the power of the diuine Spirit he was conceiued without sinne and borne without the least spot of iniquitie he liued and dyed without sinne Neither was there any guile found in his mouth The wicked therefore being conceiued in sinne and borne in sinne liuing and dying in sinne they can haue no vnion with Christ neither in the qualitie of his nature nor in Grace It is only the Elect who are purified by the blood of Christ iustified by imputation of his merit and sanctified and regenerated daily by the power of his Spirit that haue this vnion and Communion with Christ Hee that keepeth his commandements dwelleth is him and he in him and hereby we know that he abideth in vs by the Spirit which he hath giuen vs. 1. Ioh 3.24 If any man loue me he will keepe my words and my Father will loue him and we will come vnto him and make our abode with him Iohn 14.24 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus who walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.1 who worketh a change in their hearts and by steppes and degrees conformes them to the image of Christ This vnion is a vnion of faith by which our hearts are purified Acts 15.9 which belongeth only to the Elect and therefore to them onely pertaineth this vnion not barely as they are men but Christian men not in respect of their generation but regeneration not according to the substance of the humane nature receiued from the first Adam but according as it is renued with sanctitie and heauenly puritie in the second by the power of whose Spirit dwelling in vs Our mortall bodies are quickened to nâ—wnesse of life Rom. 6.10 11. And thus Christ is in vs not in the wicked he is in vs by an internall a true and liuely co-adunation and vnion of the spirit which consists in a true and sincere faith and a true and vnfeined loue by which we are conformed to Christ our head for by faith and loue we are translated into Christ so that now we liue no longer in our selues but in him Our life is hid with Christ in God Coloss 3.3 I liue saith the Apostle yet not I but Christ liueth in me and the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God who loued me and gaue himselfe for me Gal. 2.20 We liue not by our selues but by Christ who liueth in vs And therefore first this is a most excellent benefit and comfort to the soule of a Christian It is profitable for vs that our life of grace is not in vs but in Christ For if our spirituall life of grace were our own and did consist onely in our selues wee should soone spend it like prodigals and die that spirituall death that brings death eternall But our life being in Christ and Christ in vs hauing once giuen this life of grace vnto vs for our eternall comfort in all temptations he will neuer take this life totally and finally from vs but though he may withdraw his breath for a time yet he will returne reuiue and quicken vs to life euerlasting And to this end Christ is in vs by his
Spirit as the sappe is in the tree as the blood in the body as the quickning Sonne of God who is Lord both of life and death who doth loue his Elect with a perpetuall loue and hauing vnited once vnto himself doth keep and conserue them as his own foreuer Secondly Vse 2 this vnion or marriage is made by the Spirit vniting vs vnto Christ in faith and loue O most sweet and happy change Christ hath taken our flesh and instead thereof he hath giuen vs his blessed Spirit by reason both he may be in and with vs and we in and with him and what greater ioy can there be to the soule and conscience of a Christian then to be in and with Christ his blessed Sauiour As Simonides the Philosopher being asked of Hiero the Tyrant what God was Cicere de nat Deor. lib. 1. did at the first desire one dayes respite and then two dayes and after foure dayes still doubling his request and being demaunded the reason gaue this for an answere Because the more saith he I doe consider of the excellency of the essence and power and Maiestie of God the lesse able am I to expresse it So must I desire time to set forth the excellency of this our vnion with Christ it is like the peace of conscience there is no man knoweth what it is but he that enioyeth it If you would see it a little more cast your eies vpon the benefit of it and I haue giuen you already that our life of grace is in Christ and conserued by him But this is a most excellent benefit that from hence wee haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Communion and Fellowship with Christ God is faithfull by whom yee were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the Communion or Fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord 1 Cor. 1.9 And by this wee haue Communion not onely with his person but we haue also Communion with him First in his Offices He hath made vs Kings and Priests vnto God the Father Reuel 1.6 Secondly we haue Communion with him in his goods and gifts and graces needfull for vs to saluation yea in all the benefits of his death and passion He is made vnto vs of God wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 1.30 Thirdly we haue Communion and fellowship with him in temptation and affliction and that for our good and comfort because Christ hath sanctified them vnto vs. As the vnicorne dipping his horne in the water makes it wholesome though before it was poysoned for the beasts that drinke after him so Christ our Sauiour testing the cup of afflictions and temptations for vs hath made them wholesome and profitable vnto vs. Yea Christ being our head and we his members he hauing a Communion with vs and we with him he must needs haue a feeling of our infirmities and therefore though we be tempted yet will he not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue that we are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that we may be able to beare it as Saint Paul witnesseth 1. Cor. 10.13 This is our ioy therefore that though we be weake yet Christ is strong His grace is sufficient for vs and his strength shall be made manifest in our weakenesse 2. Cor. 2.9 Lastly as we haue Communion with Christ in afflictions so we shall haue Communion with him in glory For if we be children then heires heires of God and ioynt heires with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we also be glorified together yea saith Saint Paul I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to bee compared with the glory that shall be reueiled in vs Rom. 8.17.18 Thus we haue and shall haue Communion with Christ and this is the fruite of our vnion with him Nay hence we haue not onely a Communion with Christ but with God the Father 1. Ioh. 1.3 2. Cor. 13.14 Eph. 4.5.6 Gal. 3 26. Heb. 12.22 23 24. with the blessed Spirit and with the congregation of Saints yea of Angels and men the Church militant and tryumphant as in diuers places of the sacred Scripture is sufficiently prooued And thus you may see the excellent state of a Christian the excellent benefit of our vnion this most happy Communion which is a fruite of it and the vnspeakeable loue of Christ in thus freely vniting vs vnto himselfe But what is the state of those that are out of Christ Question I answer Answere they haue no part in this blessed Communion therefore their estate is miserable fearefull and damnable 3. To be out of Christ is a miserable estate except they repent and Christ of his mercy ingraft them into him For he that is not in Christ Christ is not in him and Know yee not saith the Apostle that Christ Iesus dwelleth in you except ye be reprobates 2. Cor. 13. 2. Cor. 13.5 Without Christ no grace nor goodnesse to bee found in them If Christ dwell not in their hearts by faith Satan will dwell by infidelity If Christ dwell not by charitie the deuill will dwell by malice and enuy If Christ doe not possesse them by Humility Satan will possesse them by pride If the one be not in them by mercy the other will bee in them by cruelty if Christ doe not worke in them a conscience of chastity liberality piety purity and other vertues Satan will drawe them to adultery couetousnesse oppression Symonie sacriledge and all kind of impiety For where the spirit of truth is not a directer to goodnes there will the spirit of errour be a leader to wickednesse drawing his disciples through the pathes of darkenesse to the pit of destruction As is a Citie besieged without walls or munition so is a man without Christ easily ouercome of the enemie and bound to eternall thraldome he is like a withered branch that shall be cut off and cast into the fire of hell Ioh. 15.6 4. Vnion with Christ requireth a Christian life O then beloued how are we bound to shew our thankfulnesse to God for this our most ioyfull and happy vnion with Christ since he hath made vs freely to be Christians and engraffed vs into Christ By faith wee should striue continually to liue like Christians like those that haue a vnion and Communion with Christ The Apostle in my Text doth describe the state and condition of a Christian and yet he doth not say if any man be a Christian he is a new creature but If any man be in Christ to shew that Christianum esse est esse in Christo to bee a Christian Musculus in Text. is to be in Christ and to be in Christ is to liue the life of Christ and to be made like to him in whom we liue Whosoeuer is without Christ and doth not endeauour sincerely to liue the life of Christ hee is no true Christian though he make an outward profession of Christianity it is an
creatures wee are â—re-made Answ Jf any man bee in Christ through the grace of God in him he is a new creature It is God the Father in Christ by the blessed spirit that worketh this new creation But what kind of creatures doth he make vs I answer that as God in his first creation did create Adam according to his owne image and similitude Gen. 1.27 So in our second creation hee doth renue and repayre in vs by little and little the excellency of that image which wee lost by the fall of oâ—â— first parents he re-makes vs like vnto himselfe in wisedome in righteousnesse in true holinesse alike in all heauenly vertues as much as it is possible as God in his wisedome thinkes convenient for finite creatures To expresse the excellency of an infinite Creatour this similitude he beginneth in this life and will one day perfect it fully in the life to come The absolute patterne of this image is Christ hee is the Idaea and liuely figure of our heauenly natiuity both of that which we must striue for here and that which we shall haue hereafter For as we haue borne the image of the earthy so shall we beare the image of the heauenly 1. Cor. 15.49 that is that image of the new man Which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Eph. 4.24 In righteousnesse that is in obedience to the first table Zanchus com in Ephes in the duty we owe to God and in obedience to the second Table in the duty which wee owe to our neighbour and in holinesse that is in that purity of life which we ought to haue in our own selues our soules and consciences in the sight of God And Beholding with open face as in a glasse the glory of the Lord we are changed into this same image from glory to glory euen a by the Spirit of the Lord 1. Cor. 3.18 So that the second creature shall be made like but beeing confirmed by grace in Christ more excellent then the first In the first creation God gaue vnto Adam rule and dominion ouer all the creatures and in our second creation the right of this Dominion is re-giuen vnto vs. And this Dominion we should labour to exercise Origen S. Chrysost in Gen. But as Origen and S. Chrysostome expresse it we should haue dominion ouer the fishes of the sea by ruling our appetites and lustfull desires ouer the birds of the heauen by pulling downe ambition with the cords of humility ouer the creeping things of the earth by keeping in avarice with the bounds of charity ouer the beasts of the field by holding in anger with the raines of temperance And thus if we doe we shall seeme to rule well and be rewarded with double honour as Saint Paul speaketh in another kind 1. Tim 5.17 Wee shall declare our selues to be new men in Christ such as haue our parts in the first resurrection and of whom the second death shall haue no power Reu. 20.6 For those who are new creatures are free men in Christ and those who are in Christ are new creatures If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 5. Quest But what meanes wee may attaine this newnes S. August Tom. 9. de decem chordis Whosoeuer desireth to be a subiect in the kingdome of Christ he must bee a new creature But by what meanes may a man attaine to this new Creation Or how may a man come to be a new man in Christ Saint Augustine obserues well that the old man in the state of nature cannot sing the new song in the state of grace but that hee may sing it he must striue to be a new man in Christ but how he may be a new man heare not me saith the Father but the Apostle Put off the old man and pâ—t one the new Eph. 4.24 So that as before grace we are like Lazarus dead in the graue of our sinnes vnable to rise from iniquity vntill Christ giue vs his hand and power of grace to reuiue and strengthen vs contrary to the error of Pelagians of which I haue spoken before so after this grace we haue a spirituall life giuen vnto vs our vnderstandings being inlightened and wills rectified and though it bee but weake yet must wee not thinke our selues as stocks and stones or like children sitting idle in the market place but we must worke in the vineyard beeing called and vsing the grace that God hath giuen vs labour to worke out and perfect this newnesse in vs on Gods part it is wrought by the blessed Spirit within and by the word and Sacraments without But there is somewhat required of vs that wee striue to cherish the sparks of grace which God kindleth in vs that we reiect not the Spirit but imbrace those speciall meanes of Faith and Repentance and Prayer and labour earnestly to obtaine them Because without Faith and Repentance none of this newnesse can bee found in vs. Faith upon sight of our sinnes meriting Gods iustice on the one hand and beholding the mercy of God in Christ on the other hand worketh in vs that godly sorrow which causeth repentance neuer to be repented off That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that dolour and griefe arising in the heart for sin committed against so good a God so mercifull a Father it is a meanes by the operation of the Spirit to beget in vs that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that change of the minde that newnesse which is so acceptable with God in Christ As the Eagle feeling her wings heauy doth plunge them into a fountaine and washing off her olde Feathers reneweth her youth So likewise a Christian feeling the the burden of the old Man must wash himselfe in the fountaine of repentance Ioel. 2.12 in a riuer of teares for his impuritie that by this meanes washing off the old Feathers of sinne hee may put on the new wings of righteousnesse by which hee may flie with comfort strengthened by grace to the heauenly Tabernacle It is related againe of the Eagle Barradius that when the vpper crooked part of her bill doth grow long that she cannot eate her meate she striketh her bill against a stone and breaking off the part that did hinder reneweth her strength After the same manner we must breake of the impediments of our sinnes by repentance that hinder vs from taking the heauenly food of our soules as Daniel Dan. 4.27 counselled Nebuchadnezzar that with the Eagle we may be renued and strengthened more and more by Christ in the inner man Ephes 3.16.7 that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith and our faith appeare in holinesse without which no man shall see God Heb. 12.14 Lastly S. Augustine S. August lib. 8. de Ciuit. dei in Psal 56. relateth of the Serpent that when she groweth old she draweth her selfe through a narrow hole and by this meanes leauing her old skinne she renueth her age Our
liues with the teares of true repentance If you find a sorrow in your soules that you haue yeelded so much to Satan as to entertaine his euill motions as not to haue beene more watchfull to auoide his fleights more carefull to escape the occasion of his entisements but suffered lust to proceed so farre as to conceiue and bring forth sinne in you yea some open sinne to the dishonour of God and shame of your profession for into such may the deare child of God fall by the violence of temptations If this be a griefe to you and that you can flye by faith in Christ like Prodigals to the Father of mercy bewailing your sins and crauing pardon and resolue with your selues to bee more carefull hereafter to eschew the euill and to doe the good If you finde with S. Paul a will and desire in you to cherish the graces that God hath bestowed vpon you Rom. 7.18 and so to encrease your regeneration that you may be conformed to the image of Christ It is euident that this new Creation is begunne in you And therefore without question yee are in Christ and Christ who by his Spirit hath begunne so good a worke he will encrease his grace and one day bring it to perfection to the eternall ioy and comfort of your soules For if any man be once in Christ he is and shall be a new Creature But what if I haue not these signes of newnesse in me may some man obiect 1. Obiection Against our new Creation am I therfore out of Christ and so haue no part of his death and passion then am I in a fearefull and miserable estate for I finde that Satans temptations oftentimes get the victorie over me that I am not able in many things to resist them that I haue much corruption in me for I see a Law in my members rebelling against the Law of my minde and leading me captiue to the Law of sinne so that what I would doe that doe I not and what I would not doe that doe I. Answere To comfort a weake Christian I answer this was Saint Paules complaint Rom. 7.19 And know this for thy comfort that if thou hast but the beginnings of grace and a desire to haue them increased thou art entred into Gods hospitall and God will in due time wholly cure the wounds of thy soule Luk. 10.34 he will powre in wine and oyle and not leaue thee till hee bring thee to perfect health And this striuing and combating against sinne though it be yet but in the Embrio in the conception as it were in desire only yet it is an euident signe that grace hath entred into thy heart and this new creation is begun in thee For while the strong man armed keepeth the pallace Luk. 11.21.22 the things that he possesseth are in peace that is so long as Satan dwelleth in the corrupt heart of a naturall man without any grace of faith or this spirituall newnesse in him all is in peace there is none of this combating or striuing betweene the flesh and the spirit in his soule But when a stronger then he commeth that is when Christ commeth to dwell in the heart by faith and by his Spirit to worke in vs this new creation then is the warre begun betweene Christ and Belial and this combate to be found in the heart of a Christian which is a plaine demonstration that thou art in Christ yea though thou finde many corruptions which are not yet fully purged from thy heart For as a liuing body although naturally it be the subiect of sence yet one part may for a time be benummed when the rest are quicke and liuely so a regenerate man in whom this worke is begun may haue some part vnreformed when the rest is renued by grace As a man is not borne a strong man at the first nor a plant growne vp to a tree in a moment so it is with the state of a Christian we are by degrees conformed to the image of Christ Musculus in Text. Vetus creatura non ita subitò exuitur nec noua repentè induitur saith a good interpreter The old man is not so soone put off nor is the new man so soone put on this must haue time to be brought to perfection It is a comfortable obseruation of S. Bernard S. Bern in serm 1. Domin Palm Qui parvulus natus est parvulos a gratia non excludit He that was borne a little one himselfe doth not exclude little ones from grace that is such as are babes in this new creation For as a little branch is as truely in the vine as a great one though it bring not forth so much fruite so is a man that is but a new conuert and newly engrafted into Christ by faith as truly in Christ yea and though he be weake in himselfe and may seeme easily to be broken off yet Christ will keepe him as sure in him and nourish him with grace till he come to strength as he that hath beene a long time in Christ and obtained an excellent measure of this new creation For hee that is once engrafted into Christ by faith though Christ may suffer him to bee shaken with the winde of temptations Matth. 14.30 31. or with Peter on the water to feare and doubt and begin to sinke being affrighted with the waues of Satans assaults though Christ may leaue him to himselfe for a time yet he will neuer totally and finally forsake him he will not suffer the winde to breake him off nor the waues of the sea to drowne him For though we be weake yet Christ is strong though we be often vnconstant yet Christ is constant in his loue to the end Imperfectnesse in our brethren no sufficient cause to condemne them for reprobates Ezekiel 47.3 4 5. Seeing therefore this grace of newnesse in a Christian is but like those holy waters in Ezekiels vision first to the ancles then to the knees after to the loynes and at last a great riuer not to be passed ouer that is not perfect at first but increasing by degrees and since that many who are engrafted into Christ may yet haue some corruption to be found in them not fully cleansed It must teach vs not rashly to condemne those for hypocrites for such kinde of Ciuill honest men which cannot be saued whom we may see subiect to some imperfections What though thy brother hath not obtained so great a measure of grace as thou hast Is it the part of a Christian in an instant to enter into the treasurie of Gods secrets and condemne such a one for a reprobate Who gaue thee authoritie to climbe vp into the Iudgement seate of Christ that thou shouldest so speedily pronounce sentence against thy brother and because regeneration is but new begun in him exclude him quite out of the fauour of God Charitie is the badge of a Christian and thence thou mayest learne a
some chaffe and the best of Gods seruants some imperfection In this life we are not like the Sunne 1. In this life we continue not in one stay Iob 14.1.2 perfect in brightnesse and light but like the moone receiuing our light of grace from Christ as the moone receiueth her light from the sunne and like her we haue euer one spot of darkenesse or other within the Center of our hearts we are not fully purified therefore God tryeth vs sometime by temptations sometime by afflictions all for our good as S. Chrysostome Chrysostome Hom. 32. ad pop Antioch 2. All Gods children haue some taste of afflictions in this life speaketh of afflictions that the crosse is the fountaine of life because it fitteth better for life eternall so is it true of these temptations by which God tryeth his children for their greater glory And first or last all must haue some tast of this cuppe for as none can expect the penny without labouring in the vineyard so none can looke for the crown without enduring the combate The wheate is not pure except it be winnowed from the chaffe nor the siluer except it be seuered from the drosse nor the gold except it be tryed in the furnace But this being done the wheate is commodious the siluer pretious and the gold glorious and therefore all well esteemed of in the eyes of all so it is with them and so it is with vs who are the seruants the souldiers of Christ we must passe through the fanne the fining pot the furnace of manifold tryalls and temptations sometimes inward sometimes outward before we can be good wheate for the table of Christ good gold and siluer for the treasury of our Sauiour But Christ our Sauiour hath led the way before vs 3. Christs teÌ„ptations our incouragements 1. Cor. 13.12 and to our eternall comfort gotten the victory for vs. And all this makes vs more like him and therefore more deare in his sight it is but to purge out the drosse of our naturall corruption because as we know but in part so wee are regenerated but in part in this life but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away If thou bee tempted then with Dauid and the rest of Gods children because of thy infirmities outwardly with manifold afflictions or inwardly with manifold doubtings of which Dauid complained Psa 77.7 8 9. Let not Satan therefore make thee to become his advocate to pleade for him against thy self which is his policy when he seeth that otherwise he cannot hurt thee that thou art out of the fauour of God Rom. 8.28 but know that these are certainely for thy good All things fall out for the best to them that feare God and they wil bring thee happinesse in the end 4. For thy weakenesse of faith which maketh thee to feare that true faith is not in thee 4. Sence of spirituall weakenesse an argument of spirituall life because it bringeth forth no better fruites let mee tell thee this sight and sence of thy weakenesse is an euident argument of thy faith For as sence of seeing or feeling or the like is a signe of life in the body for a dead body can neither feele nor see so this sight and sence of our owne weaknesse of faith and holinesse is a symptome and signe of life the life of grace in the soule and therefore of true faith in vs though it bee weake for as wee cannot haue life this life of grace except we be in Christ from whom we receiue the life as the branches from the vine 5. A true faith sometimes little or no feeling in the Hart of a Christian so wee cannot be in Christ without faith by which wee are engrafted into him and therefore the signes of the spirituall life being in thee it is an euident token of thy faith Nay further if thou doest not alwayes feele this life of faith in thy heart but that thou hast in thee a numnesse and as it were a deadnesse of faith yet may thy faith be true and good though it be weake and although as Satan or thy owne weaknes strong enough to fight against thy selfe may persuade thee thou canst see no signes or symptomes of faith in thee For the children of God are sometimes Simil. 1 like a man in a trance who in his owne sence being as it were without sence or vnderstanding yea and in the iudgement of others may seeme to be dead and yet after reuiue and come to himselfe againe Simil. 2 The children of God in this life are often like the moone sometimes increasing in faith and holinesse sometimes decreasing or like the tide sometimes ebbing and sometimes flowing not that they should willingly bee thus subiect to chaÌ„ge or decay in grace for we must striue and pray against it but that God leauing vs to our selues or not alwaies assisting vs alike with his grace we are so Simil. 3 And yet take this with thee for a special note that in this respect we should bee like a man in a crowde or throng sometimes carryed forwards and sometimes backwards but carryed forward in grace willingly striuing together in one consent with the grace giuen vs and good motions of the spirit assisting vs that we may presse forward with all our power to perfection in grace to the fulnesse of the image of God in Christ But when we are carryed backewards by our corruptions and the violence of Satans temptations it must be sore against our wills and we must not rest contented but so soone as we see how wee are gone backe from that degree we were in wee must striue and struggle like a man fallen into a quickemire till by Gods assistance we get out and goe forwards againe Simil. 4 If thy faith be asleepe then as Christs humanity was in the shippe and thou thy selfe in a sea of temptations because thou findest not the anker of faith and holinesse in thee yet iudge not presently that thou hast no faith to bring thy selfe to despaire because if once thou hadst true faith it can neuer finâ—lly bee lost but the diuine power will at his pleasure cause thy faith to bee awakened and stirred vp in thee he wil coÌ„mand the wind the storme of thy troubles to cease that a calme of comfort may refresh thy soule And last of all that thou feelest not that measure of loue and delight in the Lawe of God nor that assurance of Gods fauour and of thy saluation which thou Answ 4 desirest and therefore fearest that thy faith is but fained thy holinesse but hypocrisie and so thy state miserable I answer once againe for thy comfort that if thou hast but a true desire of these though but imperfect and weake yet God in Christ accepts thy wil desire for the deed 2. Cor. 8.12 and when he pleaseth he will perfect these graces in thee 1. Not the
Cantico nouo What are these things which are passed away what are those things which are become new The answer is the old Law 1 How the old law is passed Exod. 31.18 which was written in tables of stone This is passed first in respect of our iustification by it for by the workes of the Law shall no flesh liuing be iustified Rom. 3.20 And secondly in respect of the cōdemnation curse of it Deu. 27.26 For there is no condemnation to thē that are in Christ Rom. 8.1 Because Christ hath satisfied the Law for them and though by their owne weakenesse or the violence of Satans temptations they haue fallen into sinne yet vpon true repentance and turning to God they haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for their sinnes 1 Iohn 2.1 There is a new Law written in our hearts and this is lex Fidei the Law of Faith true liuely and operatiue by which we are iustified in the sight of God Rom. 5.1 Againe the ceremonies of the old Law the Priesthood the old Sacrifices these are all passed in Christ for in that hee saith Heb. 7.12 Heb. 8.13 Galat. 3.24 a new Testament he hath abrogated the old The Law was but our Schoolemaster to bring vs vnto Christ And Christ is the end and fulfilling of the Law Ro. 10.4 And therefore in the transfiguration of Christ there appeared Moses and Elias 2 The Iewish oldnesse is now erronious the Law and the Prophets to shew that Christ was the end of them both Wicked then are the old Heresies first of the Iewes who doe violently retaine the Ceremonies of Moses Law as much as in them lyeth amongst the Gentiles 2 The Papists oldnesse ceremonious vainely expecting a Messiah to come Secondly of the Papists Qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quadam impulsi who being driuen by a kind of euil zeale do also keepe amongst them many Iewish Ceremonies mingling the shadow with the substance Thirdly of the Anabaptists 3 The Anabaptists oldnesse curious who would binde vs to liue according to the Iewes politickes as if the Gospell did not permit euery Christian to liue according to the honest and iust Lawes of his owne Prince and countrey Lastly of that new sort of old Schismatikes 4 Our new Iewes new schismaticks amongst vs who would tye vs againe to the strict Ceremonies of Moses Law to shadowes which are long since passed infringing thereby our Christian liberty and laying heauy burdens vpon the tender consciences of their weake brethren which nor we nor our fathers were able to beare We must not runne againe into these beggerly rudiments as the Apostle calleth them Galat. 4.9 Because old things are passed away and behold all things are become new Old things are passed that is the old Adam or the olde man in whom there is a threefold oldnesse Corde ore opere in the heart in the mouth in the hand 2 Oldnesse of heart and mouth and hand passed away in a Christian in which we sinne after a threefold manner in thought in word and in deed all these are passed away vnto that man who is a new man in Christ Old things are passed the olde yeere is gone and the new yeare is come the Autumne is past yea the Winter passing and the Spring time 2. The Spring time of my Text. approcheth and therefore I will leaue the Autumne and passe to the Spring Behold all things are be come new The Apostle describing the Autumne in my Text the abrogating of old things enters into it without any stay as if it were a matter not to be stayed at but to be passed away with the bare recitall remembrance only But cōming to bring newes of the Spring he begins his stile with Ecce Behold as it were a glorious portall before some stately Palace or a Harbinger sent before to prepare an honourable expectation of his Lord. Behold all things are become new There is many an Ecce The godly mans guide to gaine heauen a sermon on Iam. 4.13 a behold noted in the Scripture which I might here set downe But I haue shewed them already in another Treatise and I will onely giue you this of my Text. And this is an Ecce excellentiae nouitatis a Behold of new excellency and of excellent newnesse Behold all things are become new To note out the excellency of the new aboue the old the Gospell aboue the Law 1 The excellency of the Gospel aboue the Law the second Adam aboue the first For when the blood of buls and goats could not take away sinne Christ by his owne blood entred in once into the holy place and hath obtained an eternall redemption for vs Heb. 9.12 When that flesh and blood could not inherit the kingdome of God Christ hath recreated vs and made vs new men in him so that being now spirituall in him by the worke of his Spirit Rom. 8.17 we are fellow heires with him of the kingdome of glory O then how highly should we esteeme and earnestly labour to be made partakers of this new Creation For to vs in Christ old things are passed away and behold all things are become new Quest 2 But what are those things that are become new shall we expect a new heauen and a new earth these shal come saith Peter 2 Pet. 3.13 but not till the day of iudgement Shall we expect a new glory of the Sunne of the Moone or of the Starres If you look to them they keep their old beauty without any change What then are those things that shal be made new If we looke to the beasts of the earth the dayes of the yere or generations of men wee may conclude of all these with the Preacher There is no new thing vnder the Sunne Eccle. 1.10 Seeing then all these things remaine without change and our Apostle here speaketh of a change we may iustly demaund the question What are these things that are passed away what are those things that are become new Wee must not thinke of any such alteration as Pelagius 3. The errour of Pelagius Chemnitius de discrimine veteris noui Testam did who falsly imagined that at euery change of time there was a new way of saluation that before Moses men were saued by the Law of nature after Moses by the Law of Moses and since Christ by the Gospel this is contrary to the Scriptures for there is no other name by which we can be saued but by the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth Act. 4.12 who is the way the truth and the life Ioh. 14.6 This is the same way that was preached to Adam in Paradise The seede of the woman shall breake the head of the Serpent Gen. 3.15 This is that which was from the beginning 1. Ioh. 1.1 and therefore this is not that newnesse of which our Apostle speaketh What then are those things