to be in the incarnatiō of christ the first is Deus homo That God should become man the second virgo et mater that a virgin should become a mother and thirdly Fides corhumanum that faith and mans harte should make an harmonie together Which seeme to agree like harpe and harrow this last must needes be the greatest because the other two did make men only to wonder but this did cause our sauiour Christ himselfe to marueile as is appeareth in the Gospell Math. 8.10 where it is said that whē he heard the Centurion declare his faith by his words He marueled and said to them that followed verily I say vnto you I haue not found so much faith noe not in Isaraell for if we througly consider both what faith is and the vertue and the excellencie thereof and what man is and his frailtie and infirmitie we shall easily perceiue as greate a distāce betwene them as is betweene heauen and earth yea as greate a discordance as Diapason nay as greate a difference as is betweene light and darkenesse or the spirit and the flesh betweene the which saith the Apostle there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cuē peacclesse or trucelesse iarre and warre first for saith who knoweth not that it is the beauēly gifte of God Rom. 4.16 the precious fruite of the spirit Gal. 5.22 the cheifest cardinall Theologicall christian vertue 1. Cori. 13.13 and therefore cannot be obtained or attained vnto by any meane or merite of man the rotten roote of whose originall corruption cannot bring forth so faire a blossome nor so sweete a fruite but rather the contrarie carnall heathenesh vice of infidilitie Againe who will not say when as the faint fauourers of faith themselues cannot but confesse so much as Bellarmine in his preface before his controuersies that faith is the first gifte of grace euen in the matter of Iustification the first motion of a reuiuing harte and the first sense of spirituall life whereby the minde is stirred vp to hope the will inflamed to loue the toung moued to confession and the hand prepared to good workes when as contrarie wise we are so farre from this as that we are destitute of the grace of God Rom. 1. and so farre from quickning that we are deade in trespasses and sinnes Ephe. 2.1 and finally so farre from this spirituall life that we dwell in the shadow of death Esay 9.2 Math. 4.16 yea that it is the first ground worke and foundation of the spirituall tēple of the holy ghost vpon which the wals of hope are reared vp ouerwhich the roofe of charitie is laied where vnto the battlements of good workes are added as the full complement and beautifull ornament thereof for so Austin 22. De verbis Apostoli Domus dei credendo fundatur sperando erigitur diligendo perficitur when as we one the other side are nothing els but the decaied and desolate ruines of the fall of our first father forlorne Adam who was dislodged and banished out of Paradise further that it is the first bright beame of diuine light with which the spirituall sunne of righteousnesse Christ Iesus illuminateth our blind hartes darkened with ignorance that the morning spring or dawning of our minds might proceed vnto the perfection of the noone day when as we of our selues haue such a fleshie vaile cast before our hartes yea such a starke blindnesse or rather such a blundering blindnesse that though our eies be wide open with the Sodimites Syrians and Balaam yet we cannot perceaue the least peepe or appearing of anie glimpse or glimmering thereof in our mind Finally who is so ignorant in the scriptures that hath not there redde that faith is the only present where with God is pleased and appeased with vs for without faith it is impossible to please God the only salte that relisheth seasoneth all the cogitatiōs of our harte the communications of our mouth and the actions of our hands from being sinfull and vnsauerie in the sight of God for whatsoeuer is not faith is sinne yea the maine post of our iustification and saluation for as the Prophet the iust man must liue by his faith and to conclude in a word As the aduersaries of faith themselues affirme thereof that it is the verie gate of heauen without the which we can neither come to God nor call vpon him serue him nor deserue him As Canisius in his Catechisme This for the excellencie of faith in comparison of our owne insufficiencie for being partakers thereof now for our selues what we are by nature in respect of our weaknes and disabilitie the word of God describeth vs out in our coullers As when the Apostle calleth vs sonnes of wrathe the children of disobedience aliants from the couenant of God and strangers from the common wealth of Israell Againe when as God himselfe anatomiseth vs out and saith that all the Imaginations of the thoughts of our hartes are only euill continually Gen. 6.5 as Esay a sinnfull Nation a people laden with iniquitie a seede of the wicked corrupt children our heade sicke and our harte heauie from toppe to toe no whole parte nothing but woundes swelling and sores full of corruption yea that we drinke vp iniquitie like water and drawe one sinne vpon another as it were with cart ropes and coards of vanitie Esaie 1.4 c. And as Panle hath cōpiled out of holy places of scripture that there is none righteous noe not on c. Rom. Describing vs in euerie power of the soule parte of the bodie to be farre from the feare of God and faith of Christ Moreouer when as our Sauiour telleth Peter in the Gospell for the confession of his faith that flesh and bloud hath not reueiled that vnto him but his father which is in heauen he signifieth our feeblenesse herein that we are not capable of so greate a gift as likewise Paule that naturall and carnall man cannot conceaue those thinges that are of God And finally the same Apostle that we cannot so much as thinke a good thought when as the disciples and Apostles of our Sauiour himselfe farre before vs in all christian perfection although they neuer departed from the side of Christ himselfe the founder of faith and who therefore taught them his word so long and wrought so often his miracles before them to noe other ende but this euen to engender faith in them that his disciples might beleeue on him as it appeareth euerie where in the Gospell yet oftentimes were found as our Sauiour himselfe tearmeth them to their blame and rebuke sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men of little faith The feeblenesse whereof they often bewraied in their faintnesse and failing in following their Master Christ somtimes hardharted as whose hartes would not yeald to receaue the impression of faith and sometimes fooles and sloe of harte to beleeue all that the prophet had spoken all of them from the highest to the lowest shewing their weaknesse want
when their practise and their Preaching their doctrine and their deedes their wordes and their workes agree not together for as a learned writer saieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such lude ministers therefore are like vnto midwiues who healpe other to bringe forth but doe not bring forth them selues who as Socrates saieth in the personne of a Philosopher in Plato his Thettetus likning himselfe to a midwife but in his doing more then a midwife that I may vse his words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euen the Ministers of the word of God should shew themselues more then midwiues in bringing forth also themselues as theire function is a greate deale more honorable in that they are as it were midwiues not only to weomen but also to men and weomen in that they haue not a charge of their bodies but the cure and care of their soules and as Midwiues to discerne the moone calfe from the perfect fruite of weomen so Preachers should not bring forth moone calues yea and they maie be likned againe to the crowe which Noe sente out of the Arke which was blacke vncleane delighting to light and rest on filthie and lothsome places and feede on carrion carcases so they blacked with ill fame vncleane in life and couersation and desiring the filthie corruption of the world the crowe being greedie Rauenous abhorring the companie of mē So they coueteous seruing their belly sequestring them selues from the true Church by their wicked workes whereas contrariewise good Preachers irreprehensible in life doing that which is good not forsaking the godly and Godlinesse but comming with an Oliue branche in their mouth which is the word of grace and practising the same according to their teaching which is signified by the greene leaues of the same Math. 23. Are altogether like vnto the Doue It was noe merueile beloued that the Aunciente Lawgiuers would haue their Preistes abstaine from a dogge and a goate most noisome but especially from a goate and whie because as Plutarch answereth making it a Probleme in his third Probleme because the people alwaies abhorred the same as the most luxurious ill sauouring and infectious beast as being most commonly diseased with the Epilepsie or falling sickenesse so that they which tasted and touched the same beast were oftentimes infected with the same disease as likewise the Lord in Leuitic Commandeth his Preistes to absteine from the like vncleane thinges by which is signified the puritie of life and integritie of manners that ought to be in the Ministers But let all deepe dissemblres and hollow harted Hypocrites acknowledge that to be true as it is most certaine although a Pagane spake it that Tullie hath in one of his Epist Quam non est facilis virtus quam vero difficilis euis diuturna simulatio Seeing that as our Sauiour saieth in the Gospell There is nothing hid that shall not be opened nor nothing secret that shall not be reueiled In that last Epiphany and day of manifestation when as euerie Hypocrite shall be made as naked as Aesops crowe without his visour of vertue cloake of honestie and colour of holinesse by which they haue deceaued so longe the simplier sorte whose senses they do so be witche captiuate intoxicate like vnto the Iguis fatuus with the glimpse therof carried headlōg to their destructiō by foolishly following the same they know not whither Euerie Phisition of the bodie Hyppocrates was wonte to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they may say at the last with the Apostle Paule in the fourth of the second to Timot. When they are departing out of this life as he did I haue fought a good fight and haue funished my course I haue kepte the faith c. Yea they ought to be such scholemasters to the vnlearned people as Theodosius the Emperour required to his children that is as well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And as this is requisite necessarie especially in ministers as comming nearest in calling and condition to these Scribes and Pharisies whome we haue in hand euen so doe these wordes of which we doe now entreate concerne as well all others of what degree state and place socuer they be in Church or common wealth euen all of anie age sexe or sorte highe or low rich poore young and ould one with another So that whosoeuer shall doe anie good workes outwardlie to be seene of men thereby to gette prayse and commendation of the people and not for Gods cause with a single harte a sincere conscience and faith vnfained doe nothing at all exceede in righteousnesse these Scribes and Pharises but shew themselues to be their deuelish Disciples full of Hypocrisie fraught with ambition and deepe in dissimulation As for example the Papists who for their resemblāce herein may rightly be called Romish Pharisies whose doctrine as it is nothing els but heresie so their life is nothing els but the leauē of these Iewish Leuites their holines Hypocrisie their deuotion dissimulation their Godlinesse vaine glorie their Zeale superstition their prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Sacrifices sacriledge there chastitie vncleannes their worshipping Idolatrie their blessinges Blasphemie their pilgrimages pillinges and powlinges of the people their Purgatorie Purging of other mēs purses there fasting feasting their almesse deedes all misdeedes To conclude their whol religiō being nothing els but a masse of sollem ceremonies consisting altogether in shewes and semblances not soundnesse in fantasies not in ueritie and in circumstances not in substance all this appeareth to be most true when as these Scribes and pharises their workes are altogether outwarde consisting in externall pompe and pride in glorie and goodly apparaile infine and costly linnen and in all glittering glosse and glorie that may be in the world euen as the whore of Babilō is discribed in the Reuelation in vanitie of vestments in copes corporasses albes and amisses in palles and purples and such like trifles their prayer being nothing els but lipp labour in murmuring and muttering manie creeds Paternosters and Aue Maries in blessing beading in kneelinge and knocking in beating their breasts in groueling on the ground in houlding vp their hands in lifting vp their eies to heauen like the proude Pharisie in the Gospell the same being in the tongue not in trueth in voice not in spirit in externall crying and calling in bellowing and bawling in sorrowing and sighing in greiues growning frō the face outward but without remorse of consciēce Heauinesse of heart contrition of minde and cōuersiō of soule their baptime stāding of water creame oile salt spittle sneuill and such like filthie slauerings and yet those so necessary as they dare be bold to say blockisly blasphemously without the which Saluation cannot be obtained The Sacrament of the supper they make as it were a maske or mummerie by their massing yea they vse it as heathenish Sacrifice by their manifest Idolatrie yea like a plaie or pageant by their goulden
this our time in comparison of the daies of olde What face what fashions what forme of a Church in regard of the former state Heretofore haue been holy Byshops Reuerend fathers Zealous preachers Godly liuers Learned writers and constant Martyrs Sed quantum mutamur ab illo howe farre are wee fallen from the puritie and perfection of our predecessours For now as our common shepheards go not before but follow after their sheepe so doe for the most part our spirituall Pastours suffer the people to be an example of good life and Godly conuersation vnto them and giue them good leaue to goe before them into the kingdome of heauen but yet so as they list not themselues to follow after As Augustine of the Churchmen and Cleargie of his time Venit indoctum vulgus rapit coelum nos verò cum tota nostra doctrina ruimus in gehennam But not to inforce this point with any particular application for feare of offence Nam quicquid tetigero vlcus erit For yee know the olde Prouerbe A gauld horse will soone winch and a scabbed head is soone broken Wherefore to passe on to the next wordes THE CROVVNE OF CHRISTIANS 1. PET. 5.4 v. And when the chiefe shepheard shall appeare yee shall receiue an incorruptible Crowne of glorie IN these wordes as I haue partly declared before are contained two things the first the person that shall reward them that shall shew themselues to be examples of the flocke whom here hee calleth the chiefe shepheard and the time when they shall obtaine the same that is when as he shall appeare first therefore of the one and then the other By chiefe shepheard Christ a Shephard in three respects no doubt in this place our Apostle meaneth our Sauiour Christ Iesus who is our shepheard and that in three respects First generally in that by his heauenly fathers grace prouidence hee prepareth and prouideth granteth and giueth feedeth and filleth vs with all temporall benefits and blessings and all spirituall gifts and graces needfull and necessarie for vs and that with a full hand full horne and full haruest And so is he called our shepheard Psal 23.1 The Lord is my shepheard therefore shall I want nothing He bringeth me into greene pastures and leadeth me to the waters of comfort c. And therefore is called the Shepheard of Israel that leadeth Ioseph like a sheepe Psal 80.1 And in diuers other places of scripture which I cannot stand to repeate Secondly and more particularly in feeding our soules with the spiritual bread of life that Angell foode that heauenly Manna of the word whereby we are nourished and grow vp to be the liuely members of his misticall body in which regard he calleth himselfe a shepheard Ioh. 10.11 as Esay also calleth him 40.11 being that shepheard of whom Dauid was a type mentioned before by Ezec. 34.23 who was such a vigilant heauenly shepheard as Iacob was a worldly who in keeping and watching his flocke was in the day consumed with heate and in the night with frost so that the sleepe departed from his eies Gen. 31.40 such a carefull spirituall shepheard as Dauid was an earthly who followed his Ewes great with young feeding them according to the simplicitie of his heart and guided them according to the discretion of his hands Psal 78.71.72 And finally such a diligent eternall shepheard as the shepheards of Bethlem were temporall shepheards who abode still in the fields and kept watch by night because of their flocke Luk. 2.8 Such a painfull shepheard as gathereth the Lambes with his arme and carrieth them in his bosome and guideth them that are with young as Esay 40.11 saith Such a tender-hearted shepheard as whose bowels yearne within him when he seeth his sheepe scattered or going astray Mat. 9.36 And such a louing shepheard as who if that any of his sheepe bee lost and go astray neuer ceaseth seeking and following after it vntill he finde it and when he hath found it layeth it on his shoulders with ioy and reioicing Luk. 15.4.5 But thirdly and principally is he called a shepheard because he laid downe his life for his sheepe preseruing them with his owne pretious bloud Ioh. 10.11 in which respect he is called the good shepheard in the same place and the great shepheard of the sheepe and therefore great because of the bloud of the euerlasting couenant which he shed for his sheepe Heb. 13.20 and the Prince that feedeth or the princely shepheard of his people Israel Mat. 26. out of Miche 5.2 as Homer calleth the Princes of Greece 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therfore to conclude here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Archshepheard as being the head and chiefe of the church insomuch that all other ministers byshops and archbyshops of what degree or dignitie soeuer they be are nothing els but subpastours and vndershepheards vnto him He being that hundred eied-shepheard Argus signified by the Poets that was no idoll or idle shepheard nor once sleepie or slothfull but alwaies watchfull and vigilant being all eies and nothing but an eie to looke ouer his flocke That wise Arcadian shepheard Apollo Nomius who for his feeding of sheepe may well be called Nomius so also for his excellencie aboue all others as hauing no compeere or compagnion may rightly bee tearmed Apollo finally that great Pan and God of all shepheards who hath put downe all other Gods and idoll shepheards and is become himselfe all in all Exceeding therefore and intolerable is the pride and presumption of the Pope and Bishop of Rome in taking vpon him and calling himselfe Vniuersall Bishop head of the Church and Lord of all bereauing and robbing Christ of his honor wherein he sheweth himselfe to be the verie Antichrist a woolfe an Hienna an Hypocrite and hireling a theefe and robber But the vse hereof vnto vs to apply it to our selues is twofold both which our Sauiour teacheth and telleth vs himselfe that if he be our Shepheard our chiefe shepheard that first wee ought to heare his voice Ioh. 10.3 that is not to heare it only with the outward eares of our body but with the inward eares of our soules but also to beleeue it faithfully in our harts to keepe it obediently in the actions of our life and conuersation and to beare fruit and to bring foorth with Patience some thirtie some sixtie c. For not the hearers of the lawe but the doers c. Iames. And blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Luk. 11. And finally whosoeuer heareth my word and doth the same c. Mat. 7. And againe his voice and not the voice of any stranger nor of any other not the voice of any risen againe from the dead nor of any Angell comming from heauen that is only the truth of his word and Gospell Secondly that we ought to follow him as he is our Shepheard Ioh. 10.4 and to flie from a stranger or any other whatsoeuer
of faith in some respect or other First Peter when ke walked on the water sincking with his bodie into the sea as he fainted in faith through the feare of his harte when he disswaded our Sauiour from suffering and when he forsooke and for swore his Master Insomuch that our Sauioure as he himselfe tould him was faine to praye for him that his faith might not finally faile him Iames and Iohn when as they affected the primacie supremacie aboue their fellowes and when as they would haue had fire and lightninge to come downe from heauen to destroye those citties that would not harbour our Sauiour Phillip and Andrwe in the miracle of loaues whē they thought it vnpossible for our Sauiour to feede so many with so little Thomas when as he would not beleeue that our Sauiour was risē vnlesse he felte and handled him and all the rest of the Apostles when as they could not cast out the Deuill out of him that was dombe and deafe when as they consented with the reprobate Iudas in disdaining that Maries ointment should be powred vpon our Sauiour and finally in flying from their Lord and Master when he was taken and in counting the resurrection of our Sauiour as a fained thing so that this cannot but be a greate misterie and maruelous wonder that should be so generally accepted of all the world which was so harde to be receaued of the Iewes themselues the people of God who ought by faith to haue expected their owne saluation and by hope waited for the consolation of Israell by the incarnation of their Messias Christ Iesus the reconciliation of the word of the Gospell and the operation of the spirit of God insomuch that their incredulitie grewe into a common Prouerbe a mong the Heathen as it is in the Poet Credat Iudaeus Apella and so difficult to be accepted euen of the Apostles and disciples of our Sauiour themselues whose hartes our Sauiour had so longe wrought and framed to prepare and make them readie to entertaine the same As though it were easier to graue in stonie Marble then to imprint in soft waxe And here note the Emphasis of the Antithesis which the holy ghost heare vseth making an oppositiō between faith and the world as our Sauiour seemeth to signifie in the Gospell when he saith When the sonne of man commeth shall he finde faith on earth Luke 18. The world being as Austin calleth it Muscipula diaboli the Deuils trappe rather a receptacle of infidilitie then an harbour of faith For as the Apostle Totus mundo positus est in maligno and as Iohn all that is in the world as the lusts of the flesh the lust of the eies and pride of life is not of the father but is of the world Epist 1. Cap. 2.16 then the which there can be nothing more contrarie to faith Yea and if the Apostle meane hereby world by a Senedocche or Metonomia as noe doute he doth that are in the world Continens pro contento the children of this world euen the children of darkenesse opposit to the children of the light in the Gospell that world which Iohn saith which when the light came into the world which made it knewe it not 1. Iohn 10. That world which our Sauiour saith cannot receaue the spirite of truth because it seeth him not nor knoweth him 14.17 That world that loueth his owne and not those thinges which are of God and out of which our Sauiour chose his disciples and Apostles taking them out thence least they should perish with the world 15.19 which world for waiwardnesse and wickednesse thereof may be called Mundus ab immundicie per Antiphrasin being indeede inrespect of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a confusion of sin iniquitie rather to be counted a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that this must needes magnifie the greatnesse of this misterie and amplifie the power of the Gospell by whose force and efficacie such a marueilous effect is accomplished and brought to passe aboue the reach of mans reason beyond the capacitie of humaine vnderstanding and against the crooked iudgemēt of the world and thus much of this fifth pointe that we may come to the conclusion of my texte euen the top branch of this tree of truth euen the highest degree of exaltation and glorification of our Sauiour Christ Iesus And receaued vp into glorie This is the last but not the least yea the deepest and profoundest matter belonging to this misterie of godlinesse euen the cheifest parte of this texte the greatest thing that could be sette downe of the Apostle and the loftiest degree of our Sauiours glorification and highest parts of his perfection that he could attaine vnto being the corollarie and conclusion not only of this excellent sentence of scripture but also of the whole Chapiter and finally as the crowne and garland guerdon and reward bestowed on our Sauiour Christ Iesus for all those things which he himselfe atchiued or caused to be performed for vs mētioned in the former words that is that after he had skirmished vanquished and triumphed ouer sinne death hell and the deuell and all other their cōplices and adherentes hauing ascended on highe and led captiuitie captiue he sat at the right hand of God his Father as in his chaire of estate his seate of honour and throne of maiestie there to raigne and rule for euer Where by as in the people of the world through the obedience of faith there was a greate conuersion and alteration so in the person of our Sauiour was there a wonderfull chang and diuersitie as of humaine to be come diuine of mortall immortall of temporall eternal of vile glorious of earthly heauenly of naturall supernaturall of carnall spirituall of cursed blessed of miserable happy in so much that euerie hand is holden vp vnto him euerie knee is bowed downe vnto him and euerie tounge confesseth his name Phil. 2.10 The word which here our Apostle vseth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was assumpt or taken vp as first Enoch was Gen. 5.24 and after Elias was in the fierie chariot both which were tipes and figures of this assumption of our Sauiour which three are the only example of this kinde of assumption into heauen and noe other besides although our bold aduersaries the papists will presume to add a fourth wherof there is noe mention in the scripture euen in the assumption of Marie and in the memorie thereof doe celebrate a sollem festiuall daie in an holy honour of her not only to make the assumptions vnder the Gospell to be equal in number with those of the Law but also to make the mother of our Sauiour to be compared with him in his aduancemēt highest degree of his glorification but whatsoeuer the word be in this place it is also found Acts. 1.2 as signifying both an adioyning vnto other as otherwise the Grecians call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉