openly the foxes haue holes and the birdes of heauen haue nestes but the sonne of man hath not whereon to rest his head And Martin Luther a second Elias who by fire from heauen descried and described that abomination of desolation in Gods temple writes of himselfe that of all sinnes hee was euer least subiect to couetousnesse The Papists obiect often that professours of the reformed religion are Lutherans but I would to God both we and they were true Lutherans in this point I haue read that Cardinal Burbonius should say he would not leaue his part in Paris for his part in Paradise But a man of God on the contrary must account all thinges losse that he may win Christ If euery sinne be lesse or more deformed ex parte boni cui inordinate subditur as the schoole speaks then vndoubtedly couetousnesse is a most abiect sinne because goods of the world are worse then either goods of the body or goods of the mind it is but a dirty sin to loue thick clay If we may not too solicitously care for to morrow Mat. 6. 34. Then it is the serpents head and height of impiety to carke for many morrowes building our nest on high that wee may escape the power of euill to come hording vp secret treasure not only for our children but also for our childrens children as the Lawyers speake setling inheritances and making vncertaine riches which according to Gods booke haue wings as an Eagle perpetuities for euer This insatiable both intent and extent is an euill couetousnesse in Gods eye Now concerning our neighbours auarous increasing of wealth is often reported and repeated in this Prophecie to be spoyling of other which are either superiours equalls or inferiours as for superiours euill couetousnesse denyeth vnto Caesar the things that are Caesars It with-holds tribute to whom tribute custome to whom custom honour to whom honour belongeth It renders not to minister and master and magistrate that which is due by the lawes of God and man As for equals it is euill couetousnesse that occasioneth so many quarrels in law and makes so many breaches in loue As for inferiours it is euill couetousnesse that maketh a man hard hearted and fast handed toward the poore the true character of Nabal is to get much and keepe much but to spend little and giue nothing Not to run in the field of this common place beyond the bounds of our text hee that inlargeth his desires as the hell and is as death and cannot be satisfied but gathereth vnto him all nations and heapeth vnto him all people he that buildeth his nest on high erecting it with blood and iniquity he that increaseth that which is not his owne and leaues so much hid treasure to his babes that all of them may liue like gentlemen and Idle men is an enemy to the Church and common weale loosing the one many good Pastors and the other many good professours and tradesmen If gallant vpstarts like nettles today peeping out of the ground to morrow perking to the top of the hedge had not bene left an opulent fortune they would haue got their liuing either by the sweate of their braynes or else by the sweat of their browes whereas now the state both Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill is depriued of their industry Lastly this sinne is the roote of euill vnto our selues auarus nemini bonus sibi vero pessimus A muck worme doth no good vnto any much hurt vnto himselfe he coueteth an euill couetousnesse saith our Prophet to his owne house he sinneth against his owne soule and consulteth shame to his owne posterity It is euill vnto his house for the building of it so high vpon so bad a foundation will be the ruine thereof and make it euen with the ground so Cyrillus Alexandrinus vpon the place Posuisti nidum in alto sed miser eris et repente sub pedibus inimicorum Thy stately towers and townes ouertopping the heads of thy friends shall vpon the sudden bee trampled vnder the feet of thy foes for although all men should hold their peace yet sayth our Prophet the stone shall cry out of the wall and the beame out of the tymber shall answere it the dumbe creatures answere one another as voices in the quire and their cryes as S. Iames telleth vs enter into the eares of the Lord of hostes and the Lord cryeth although thou exaltest thy selfe as an Eagle and make thy nest among the starres yet thence will I bring thee downe for as thou hast done so shall it be done to thee thy reward shall returne vpon thy head Obadia 4. and 15 verse It is euill to his posterity for vnconscionable gaine will occasion his children to be lazie lazinesse will occasion lewdnesse and lewdnesse will occasion vtter ruine for them that honour mee will I honour and they that despise mee shall bee despised sayth the Lord God of Israel 1. Samuel 2. 30 It is euill to his owne selfe for as the liberall and mercifull man rewardeth his owne soule Prouerbs 11. 17. So the cruell and couetous sinneth against his owne soule sayth our Prophet and this euill is the worse for that it growes stronger and stronger as he growes weaker and weaker omnia vitia saith Zanchius Cum senectute sâ—…nescunt auaritia sola iuuenâ—…scit other sinnes as wee grow in yeeres are lesser and lesser only couetousnesse which Abacuc telleth vs is a kind of drunkennesse reignes in old men especially an apprentise hauing serued certaine yeeres is a free-man and a scholler hauing studied at the vniuersity seauen is a master but the couetous person is neuer a free-man or a master but alwayes a seruant and a slaue to Satan and sin deficient in euery good office concerning his naturall life ciuill life spirituall life eternall life all which is included in this one word Woe wherby the Prophet doth intimate that couetousnesse is the roote of all euill which a man suffers Woe to him that coueteth an euill couetousnesse An Angel cryed Apoc. 8. 13. Woe woe woe to the inhabitants of the earth inhabitantibus non accolis as S. Ambrose distinguisheth vnto such as are not onely soiourners but setled inhabitants who so dwell on earth as that they make it their mansion and heauen and neuer looke for another city which is aboue Woe to such in their life woe to such in their death woe to such after death as the godly man whose conuersation is in heauen hath the promises of the life present and of that which is to come so the worldly man who coueteth an euill couetousnesse whose minde is set on earthly things hath the punishments of the life present and of that which is to come Woe wo woe to such a one woe to his body which is a temporall wo wo to his soule which is a spirituall woe woe to both body and soule which is an eternall woe Concerning
prize of â—…he Kingdome of England after long and equall combat finding each others worth and valour they cast away their weapons embraced and concluded a peace putting on each others apparell and armes as a ceremony to expresse the attonement of their minds as if they made transaction of their persons one to the other Canutus being Edmund and Edmund Canutus Our iniquities had made a separation betweene God and vs Esay 59 2. And in this warre as the Scripture speakes God did fight against vs and we were his enemies Now Christ our Make-peace did end this quarrell and that was by putting on our clothes and by giuing vs his clothes he tooke vpon him our flesh and in his body did beare our sinnes and wee by faithes hand put on Christ and the long robe of his righteousnes so the Church sings I am my beloueds and my welbeloued is mine Christ and we being married as S. Paul teacheth Ephes. 5. are but one flesh and as it were but one person in law for Christ in taking our nature vpon him is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone substantially and we likewise by putting him on vs are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone spiritually so that our sinnes are his sinnes and his righteousnesse our righteousnesse Iere. 23 6. The Lord our righteousnesse Psal. 4. 1. O God which art my righteousnesse Being iustified then by faith wee haue peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ and this peace is a pleasure that passeth all vnderstanding sinne makes a trembling and heauy heart but assurance that our sinnes are forgiuen in Christ is the rest of our soule making vs like Diues euery day faring deliciously 3 One day spent in the courts of the Lord is better then a thousand in respect of honour Caesar sayd he had rather be the first in a countrey village then the second in Rome though it were then esteemed the worlds Epitome but our Prophet desires rather to bee a doore-keeper in Gods house then to command in the tents of vngodlinesse of the meanest account in the one then of highest honour in the other as one glosseth it I had rather be a Clauiger a subiect yea abeict sitting at the very threshold in the Courts of the Lord then to be a steptrifer Mahumet the great or Soliman the Magnificent in the tents of infidelity So Moses refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter and chose rather to suffer aduersitie with Gods people So Daniel esteemed the Lyons den better then Darius Pallace So the three children aduentured to meete heauen in the hell of a fiery furnace so the renowned Emperour Theodosius more reioyced in that hee was a member of the Church then head of the State So the blessed Saints in the dayes of Queene Mary desired rather to be pilgrimes among the reformed Churches abroad then Prelats in the kingdome of Antichrist at home To serue God is perfit freedome as diuine Plato determined iudiciously Goodnesse is not in greatnesse but on the contrary Greatnesse is in goodnesse A great Lord conuicted of treason against his Soueraigne hath his blood attaynted himselfe and his posterity disgentred vntill they be restored in blood Adam in Paradise commiâ—…ted high treason against the King of heauen and earth and in him all of vs haue sinned and so by consequent our blood is attainted till it be restored againe by Christ who loued vs and washed vs from our sins in his blood As good Queene Elinor sucked the venome out of the wound giuen her husband Edward the first by an Assassine with a poysoned weapon So Christ our husband hath expelled the poyson out of our woundes inflicted by the deuill our aduersary who was a murtherer from the beginning euery christian then as hauing his woundes healed and his blood purged is a gentleman and the best christian is the best gentleman according to the scripture teaching vs that the men of Berea who receiued the word with all readinesse were more noble then they of Thessalonica The burgesses of Gods city bee not of base Linage but truly Noble For by their second birth all of them are the sonnes of God and the Church is their Mother and Christ their Brother and the Holy Ghost their Tntor Angels their attendants Heb. 1. 14. all other creatures their subiects Psal. 8. 6. The whole world their Inne 1. Pet. 2. 11. and heauen their Home Iohn 14. 2. Fauours of Princes serue sometime more for the benefit of those that giue them then for the profit of those that receiue them and the best honour an earthly Prince can conferre vpon his chiefe fauorite is to make him a Viceroy in some part of his Empire but Christ which is the King of glory maketh all his followers Kings vnto God his father Apoc 1. 6. Kings because God reigneth in vs and because through his sanctifying grace we haue dominion ouer our concupiscenses not suffering sinne to reigne in our mortall bodies and we are not only Viceroyes ouer one prouince but in this respect Lords ouer the whole world more then conquerours a great deale greater then William the Conquerour or Alexander the great or the great Turke for whereas they conquered in many yeres a few parts of the world Hee that is borne of God ouercommeth in one houre with one act all the pompe of the world and all the power of hell also It is but Caesars Veni vidi vici this is the victory that ouercommeth the world euen our faith 1. Iohn 5. 4. The difference betweene the christians honour and the worldlings honour is very plaine The kings daughter is all glorious within Psal. 45. 14. But the worldlings is all glorious without now the Phylosopher hath taught truly That ciuill honour is not in the power of the person honored but in the power of the person honouring and therefore the worldlings glory depending vpon the breath of vaine men and possession of vaine matters is altogether vncertaine But the Christians dignity which is within hauing done good in Israel and toward God and his house cannot be taken away but it flourisheth and remaineth for euer Psal. 112. 9. For conclusion of all I say to you all in briefe that this Doctrine should encourage vs diligently to visit the Temple which is Gods house the Palace where his Holinesse more specially resides Heretofore Hierusalems Temple was instar parochiae sayth Hospinian as a great parish So now euery Parochiall Church is instar templl where God is to be worshipped in the publique congregation and dutifully to honour his anoynted Kings and Princes which are the chiefe gouernours of his house and reuerently to respect his Clergie Bishops Pastors and Curates which are the disposers of his secrets and stewards of his house and cheerefully to delight in his Saints which are the domesticall and
or Potentate who speakes of himselfe plurally We wil and Command Againe Princes in our age vse that stile that they might seeme to doe nothing alone but all as it were by the Counsell of their Nobles and other great ministers of state Whereas God neither needes nor admits any Counsellour and so consequently could not speake of himselfe in this sense Let vs make Or did God say this vnto the beastes of the field or vnto the birdes of the Heauen or vnto the fish of the Sea Nō for then the base should haue made the more Noble and the seruants haue created their Lord and master for so the Scripture doth esteeme man as Lord of the creatures Rule saith God ouer the fish of the Sea and ouer the foules of the ayre and ouer euery thing that moueth vpon the earth Gen. 1. 28. All things are put in subiection vnder his feete Psal. 8. 6. Againe man was created according to his Image who spake this and according to their Image to whom it was spoken But he was not framed to the likenesse of any beast Ergo the conceit is bruitish to thinke that Almighty God spake to beastes in saying Let vs make man Or did God speake this vnto his glorious Angels No Because then creatures should haue beene creators For albeit there be some question about the time when Angels were made Yet it is without all controuersie that they were created as Moses in his entrance to this Booke doth intimate saying In the beginning God created heauen and earth That is as himselfe doeth expound himselfe in the 4. Commandement The heauen and the earth and all that is therein And the blessed Apostle doth construe Moses all things inuisible aswel as visible Whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers For the same hand saith Augustine that made silly worms creeping on the earth created also the stately thrones singing in the heauens If God then vttered these wordes neither to the creatures more base nor yet to his Angels excelling all earthly beauties It is certaine that they were addressed to God the Sonne and to God the holy Ghost And so without any further dispute we may conclude that the most ineffable mystery of the blessed Trinity in Vnitie is in them obscurely touched and couched I say not that it is here set downe clearely nor in any place of the old Testament lest happily Gods people the Iewes exceedingly giuen to superstition Idolatry should adore three gods in stead of three persons and so Tritheisme prooue so bad as Atheisme Nay beloued in the new Testament where these mysteries are reuealed more plainely you may well note That in the rehearsing of the Trinity there is an Item for the Vnity as in the wordes of our blessed Sauiour Mat. 28. 19. Goe teach all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost He doth expresse three persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost But saying In the Name not names He notes the vnity of essence For God is Vnus in Numine Howsoeuer Trinus in numero I and my Father saith Christ are all one Iohn 10. 30. Vnum sumus as Augustine pithily not vnus all one power but not all one person God the Father is not aliud but alius another person albeit not another essence then is God the Son For in speaking of the Trinity wee must especially take heede of two rockes of Arrius on the right hand who together with the Trinity of persons maintained a Trinity of essences of Sabellius on the left hand who with the vnity of essence maintained an vnity of persons These two we must heedfully shunne lest as S. Paul speakes wee make shipwracke of faith euen sayling in the middle way neither confounding the persons nor diuiding the substance But leauing this argument which is so high and hard that a good Christian ought rather by beleeuing to adore simply then by disputing explore subtilly I come to speake of mans dignitie more principally intended in our text and more naturally gathered out of euery word in the same 1. Out of the word faciamus When almighty God made light he sayd onely Let there be light and there was light and when hee made herbes hee sayd onely let the ground bring foorth herbes and it did so Hee spake the word and it was done He commanded and it was effected Psal. 33. 9. But when he made man he breathed himselfe as Abbinus is bold to speake and as Clemens Alexandrinus and other of the most ancient Doctours He held a Counsell let vs make man So that whereas all other creatures were made with his bare word only man was framed as it were with his owne handes as Prosper hath it hunc manibus quo plus genitoris haberet Dignatur formare suis. Neither was this in respect of any hardnesse in the doing for shall any thing be hard to the Lord Gen. 18. 14. If hee had sayd onely let man bee made as he sayd only let there be a firmament he could haue done the one aswell as the other and as easily but it was to shew the r greatnesse of the worke For as wise men in managing matters of importance vse the deeper consultation and mature care to performe them Euen so the scripture speaking after the manner of men affirmes of God that he tooke heere deliberation and so commends the wonderfull and exquisite workemanship of God in the creating of man as being a more noble creature then heauen itself 2. The dignity of mans creation is much amplified by the circumstance of time when he was made to wit after all other things were created for as Albinus and other obserue Deus imprimis parauit domum et deinde dominum Almighty God first created the whole world as an house then he made man as the master of this house God saith Ambrose like the feast maker in the Gospels history first prepared his dinner he prouided his oxen and his fatlings and got all things ready then he doeth inuite his guestes and say come to the marriage When he had created all thinges for man he put man in possession of all and sa◅d Ruleouer the fish in the sea ouer the foules in the heauen and ouer euery thing that moueth vpon the earth Againe Serum concilium is Serium vsually the last workes of a cunning Artificer are most absolute S. Ambrose therefore doth obserue that God hauing framed man instantly rested himselfe and made Holy-day He made birds flying in the aire fish swimming in the Sea worms creeping on the ground and yet he did not rest He made lilleys and other flowers of the field which are more beautifull in the spring then Solomon in all his Royalty but yet he did not rest he made the goodly lights glorious Angels of heauen and yet he did not rest But assoon as he had
made maÌ„ hee rested hallowed a Sabbath as hauing now made him for whom al other things were made 3 God made man last as an abridgement of all his other Creatures and an Index as it were to his great Booke in Folio therefore called of the Hebrewes Olam Hakaton and of the Greekes microcosmos that is a little world When as the Lord had furnished the heauen and earth with all the Creatures and ornaments thereof hee made man consisting of an heauenly and earthly nature Hauing the beauties of things without life euen the chiefest as of the Sunne and Moone and starres Eccle. 12. 1. 2. Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth when the Sun is not darke nor the light nor the Moone nor the starres He hath also growth as plants Gen. 49. 22. Ioseph shall be a fruitfull bough euen a fruitfull bough by the well side So Dauid saith our children grow vp as the yong plants Psal. 144. 12. Sense and sensible properties as beastes Gen. 49. 9. Iudah as a lyons whelpe shall come vp from the spoyle Dan as a serpent by the way as an adder by the path biting the horse heeles Reason and wisdome as Angels 2. Sam. 14. 20. My Lord is wise according to the wisdome of an Angel God added to mans being life which he denyed vnto stones to life sense which he denyed vnto plants to sense speech and vnderstanding which hee denyed vnto bruit beastes hee bestowed vpon this one creature the perfections of all the rest Lastly man was happily made last after heauen and earth were created because saith Ambrose Terra exercitium est hominâ—… Coelum Corona Earth is the place where man is to seeke God heauen the place where man is to see God Earth is the place where man is to run his race heauen is the place where he receiues the price If any man seriue for mastery saith Paul he is not crowned except he striue as he ought to doe 2. Tim. 2. 5. This world is the Theater where man is to wrestle with flesh and blood and with spirituall wickednesses in high places He must fight with beastes and birdes and with all the fruites of the earth at his table he must in his pilgrimage here fight with a great many dangers aswell by land as sea he must in his warfare here fight with the pomps of the world and with the power of hell hee must fight with all the creatures and make them to serue him that he may the better serue God It was therefore fit that the earth should be created before man as being the stage wheron he must act his part and that heauen should be created before man as being his reward and Crowne But the dignity of mans creation appeares yet in the next word Image more fully Let vs make man according to our Image Some peradu nture will obiect here that God wil haue no likenesse or Image of himselfe The Papistes indeed crucifie certaine textes in the Bible to prooue their idolatrous adoring of Images But saith Esay to whom will yee liken God or what similitude will ye set vp vnto him He will not he cannot he should not bee pictured Homo enim dificit ab illo qui eum fecit quum sibi praeficit ipse quod fecit Man is then vnlike himselfe if he thinke any thing like to God beside himselfe Answere is made that God set vp his Image himselfe who knew best to make it Let vs make man in our Image Whosoeuer therefore defaceth it commits high treason insomuch that whereas it is no sinne simply to kill a beast it is a fearefull oâ—…trage to slay a man and murther for a man to destroy himselfe Thou shalt not kill thy neighbour Ergo not thy selfe because thy selfe is neerest vnto thy selfe If a man sent to â—…he goale by lawfull authority for fellony breake prison he shall dye for it although he quit himselfe of the fact wherewith hee was charged And so beloued If thy soule breake out of thy body before God open the prison doores and deliuer it out of her bonds it is in danger of hell fire the resolute Romanes and oâ—…her in killing themselues did magnè but not benè saith Augustine and the reason is plaine Man is Gods Image and his superscription is vpon him and so consequently will not suffer his stampe to bee battered or contemptuously defaced In euery creature there bee certaine prints of the deity for seculum is speculum The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweâ—…h his handy-worke Vniuersus mundus as one sayd nihil aliud est quam Deus explicatus In the creation of â—…he visible world we may behold â—…he inuisâ—…ble thinges of God Rom. 1. 20. In omnibus creaturis est aliqualis Dei similitudo per modum vesligij saith g Aquin. Sed in sola rationali creatur a similitudo Dei per modum Imaginis In other thinges we may see Gods power and some other expresse trackes of the Trinity but man and only man is Gods Image all the doubt is what is meant by this Image and in what part of man it is placed Rupertus vnderstandeth here by Image the second person of the Trinity God the sonne and by likenesse or similitude the third person of the Trinity God the holy Ghost But in that the Lord sayd Let vs make man in our Image He doth intimate that God is the liuely representation and Image not of one or two persons only but of the whole Trinity Other thinke that man was created according to the likenesse of that humane nature which our blessed Sauiour Christ the sonne of God was in fulnesse of time to assume but the Scripture teacheth euidently the contrary that Christ tooke vpon him the likenesse of man and not man his likenesse Phil. 2. 7. Augustinus Eugubinus and Oleaster thinke that God tooke vpon him an humane shape when he created man and therefore sayd Let vs make man in our Image But neither did God the father appeare euer in any such shape neither could it be sayd to bee Gods Image being assumed only for a time Other as Paulus Fagius reports affirme that the soules immortallity represents Gods eternity Therefore man hauing a soule immortall is like to God eternall Basil Chrysostom and some other referre this likenesse to mans dominion ouer the creatures being as it were a God on earth which occasioned Heraclitus to terme men mortall Gods and the Gods immortall men Other haue this conceit that as there is nothing in heauen or earth like to God so God created man that among millions of men there should not bee found one in all features and figures of the body like to another These Doctours shoote faire but farre off It is true which is deliuered by them in this particular but it commeth a great deale short of the marke Some of the Fathers and Schoole-Doctours
dayly yet wedlocke is Gods institution and worthy to bee honoured among all men and though vngodly Princes abuse their Empire Yet the powers that bee are ordeyned of God And in this case let vs alwayes remember the saying of Gregory secundum merita subditorum disponit Deus corda praepositorum Almighty God in whose hand the hearts of all Kings are disposeth of them according to the merits of their people so that if higher powers be not good it is for our sinnes and for our saks who gouerne our owne families ill and our persons worse 3. Bad Princes often benefit the State more then hurt for many good Lawes haue bene by them enacted and many good deeds acted in the dayes of vsurpers and impious gouernours Finally it is better to haue a bad King then none according to that of Solomon Vbi non est gubernator corruit populus Where no gouernour is the people perish For whereas in a corrupt Monarchie there is one Tyrant in an Oligarchie some few Tyrants In a Democratie many Tyrants In an Anarchie all are Tyrants And it is vndoubtedly more safe to liue in a place where nothing is lawfull then where all things are lawfull a bad husband is better then none the worst Emperour is the Minister of God and if thou be wise for thy good Their second reason is ab efficiente from the founder author of authority for they maintain that Magistracie is not ordeyned giuen of God but only vsurped by men so wee read that Nimrod and Nabuchodonosor and Caesar by vexing and oppressing their countrey became Kings as a Pirat told Alexander the great I am called a robber on the Sea because I sayle in a little boate but you are called Emperors because you infest and spoyle the whole world with a great Naâ—…ie the difference is not in our fault but in our fortune To this obiection answere is made Prouerb 8. 15. By me Kings reigne Dan. 2. 37. The God of heauen hath giuen thee a kingdome power and strength and glory And St. Paul in this present Chap. at the 1. verse There is no power but of God The manner of getting kingdomes is not alwayes of God for Alexander the 6 obteined the Pope-dome by giuing himselfe to the deuill Phocas by sedition got his Empire Richard the third came to the Crowne of England by butchering his Nephewes and other of the blood Royall Yet the power of it selfe is euer from God as Christ told Pilate thou couldest haue no power except it were giuen thee from aboue So some kingdomes in respect of their wicked ends which vsurpe them are most vniust as Augustine writes Latrocinia Yet in respect of Gods purpose and prouidence who brings light out of darkenesse and disposeth of wicked men and wickednesse it selfe to his good ends They bee iust and necessary Salmanazer Senacherib Nabuchodonosor and other Tyrants oppressing Gods Israel and leading them into captiuity did herein offend with an high hand and yet almighty God ordered their ambition and cruelty to the setting foorth of his greatnesse and to the good of his chosen And therefore God sayd of Nabuchodonosor that hee was his seruant and of Cyrus that hee was his anoynted whose right he did vphold to subdue nations before him and of Ashur that he was the rod of his wrath Esay 10 â—… Their third reason is taken ab origine that one man should haue dominion ouer another was not so from the beginning in the state of innocency but after the fall of man in the state of sinne God sayd at the first vnto man rule ouer the fish of the Sea and ouer the soules of the Heauen and ouer euery beast that mooueth vpon the earth He sayd not exercise gouernment one ouer another Answere is made that if Adam had continued in his innocency yet notwithstanding there should haue beene higher powers and that is plaine by these three reasons 1. There should haue beene generation encrease and multiply Gen. 1. 28. Ergo Disparity of sexe necessarily preceding generation and Disparity of age necessarily following generation If disparity of sexe the woman is subiect vnto the man in Gubernatione though his mate in generatione the husband is the wiues head as Christ is head of the Church Ephes. 5. 23. If Disparity of age following generation necessarily then also Disparity of wit and goodnesse for euen in that estate men vndoubtedly should haue bene wiser then children and some men excelling other in grace Now the light of nature teacheth vs that the young is to be gouerned by his elder and he which is lesse good by those which are more good and hee which is a little wise by those which are a good deale wise See Thom sum 1. part quaest 96. art 3. Secondly wee say there bee certaine distinctions and degrees of Angels in the quire of heauen as reading in Holy Scriptures of principalities and powers and thrones and dominations and Seraphins and Cherubins and Belzebub is termed Prince of deuils Matth. 12. 24. Which authority he did not obtaine by sinne but had in the beginning ouer those spirits that fell with him If then there bee subiection and Soueraignty betweene the blessed Angels in heauen why should there not haue beene the like among men in the state of inocency Thirdly politique gouernment is so neessary for mankind that without it his nature would be destroyed because man is by nature a sociable creature and what society can there be without order Beastes are both armed and clothed by nature by nature they build their nestes and by nature they be Physitians vnto themselues by nature they can liue alone without others company But man is borne naked ful of wo ful of wants not able to helpe himselfe to cloth himselfe or feed himselfe or arme himselfe so that it is impossible for him to liue alone the which his very speech bewrayes for had hee bin borne to liue solitarily hee should not haue needed any language Well then if mans nature require societie doubtlesse society requires gouernment for what is society but a multitude well ordered consisting of some that command and others that obey Thus I haue shewed against Anabaptists and Libertines that the Magistrate is the Minister of God instituted by him in the beginning and to bee continued in his Church vnto the worlds end I come now to the Papists who although they well allow the calling of the Ciuill Magistrate yet doe they curtall his power exempting from his censure both Ecclesiasticall persons and Ecclesiasticall causes As for the Persons of the Clergie wee say with our Apostle Let euery soule bee subiect vnto the authority of the higher powers Euery soule that is euery man putting the principall part for the whole So Gen. 46. 27. All the soules of the house of Iacob which came into Aegypt are seuenty that is as Moses expoundeth himselfe Deut. 10. 22. Seuenty persons and
acknowledge their sinnes in any case yea when other mens examination hath found them out excuses already non feci si feci non mali feci si mali feci non multum malè si multum malè non malâ intentione aut si malâ intentione tamen aliena suasiene That is either I did not doe it or if I did do it it was not ill Or if ill it was not much ill Or if much ill it was not with an ill intention Or if with an ill intention it was vpon anothers perswasion I sayd I will confesse my sinnes quoth Dauid But the foole saith in his heart I will neuer confesse my faults and if I perish I perish Our sins are termed in the Scripture sicknesse sores ful of corruption as then a bodily wound cannot be exactly healed vnlesse it first be opened and searched by some cunning chirurgion vnto the very core So the griefes of a wounded conscience cannot be throughly cured vnlesse they bee reuealed vnto some friendly Physitian apt and able to bind vp the broken hearted and to comfort such as mourne in sinne If thy confession in this case be forced and not free palliated and not plaine what doest thou but fester a wound and foster a sore within thy owne bosome I will end this argument in the words of â—… Solomon He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but hee that confesseth and for saketh them shall haue mercy The second condition of confession is that it be Plenarie and not Partiall and that is implied in the preposition Con as Aquine vpon the place Confitemini id est simul fatemini confesse one fault with another as you confesse your faults one to another Conscience before sinne is fraenum a bâ—…idle but after sinne Flagrum a whip If the reuerend man and Martyr of God Father Latymer tooke speciall care to the placing of his wordes in his examination after he heard the pen walking in the chimny behind the cloth of Arras how circumspectly should wee looke to our wayes seeing conscience recordeth all our actions in bookes that are to bee shewed at the day of iudgement being either a witnesse for vs or against vs excusing or accusing Rom. 2. 15. If any grieuous crime then afflict thy soule confesse it and so confound it as Simon of Cyrene did helpe to beare Christs Crosse So thou mayest vndoubtedly find some good and discreete friend who will in such a case helpe to beare thy crosse confesse your faults one to another saith S. Iames and so beare one anothers burden saith S. Paul Galat. 6. 2 〈◊〉 in dissembling a part of their debts vnto their fathers and other deare friends which are ready to take some good course for the payment of them often vtterly ruine their whole temporall estate For one hundred pound not confessed and left vnpaâ—…d is a brood egge to mul iply new debts vntill they be so dangerous and desperate as the old sinnes are debts as Christ teacheth in his absolute forme of prayer and sinners are ding-thrifts as Christ teacheth in his parable of the prodigall sonne mentioned Luke 15. The concealing then of one heynous crime that is a burden to the conscience from our Father in heauen and from our good friends on earth able to Minister wordes in time to him that is wearie Like Apples of gold in pictures of siluer may proue the mother of many foule sinnes vnto the finall vndoing of our spirituall and Ghostly welfare Hee which is to take possession of a Church or a common house will according to the tenour of our law be sure to shut out of the doores man woman and child that may disturbe his quiet taking of seising Christ stands at the doores of our hearts and knocks he desires a peaceable possession of our bodies and soules as being his Temples and houses O then I beseech you let vs cast out of our doores man woman and child euery crying crime that rebelleth against him If there remaine but one fault not confessed it may keepe possession for the deuill and so the King of glory will not enter in and sup with vs and dwell in vs but the foule spirit returnes againe bringing seauen other spirits worse then himselfe and then alas our end shall be worse then our beginning Luke 11. 26. The Lord commanded Saul to smite Amalek and to destroy all that perteined vnto him and to slay both man and woman both infant and sucklings both oxen and sheepe both camels and asses our sins are Amalekites that burne our Ziklag and set on fire the little city captiuating our senses and making them prisoners vnto their lustes If then we spare but one Agag it may cost vs a kingdome and such a kingdome as is farre better then the kingdome of Saul a kingdome that cannot be shaken an inheritance which is immortall and neuer falles away 1. Pet. 1. 4. The third condition here required in confession is that it be Transitiua to wit a confession vnto another And therefore Cardinall Bellarmin and other Papists vsually cite this Scripture to prone their auricular confession of sinnes vnto the Priest vpon payne of damnation euery yeare But Melancton in his Apology for the confession of Augusta Caluin in the third booke of his institutions Chap. 4. sect 12. Erasmus Fulke Marlorate Bullenger Vpon the place haue well obserued that the word Inuicem intimates plainly that this text is to be construed not of Sacramentall confession as the Papists vse to speake but of a mutuall confession and so consequently the Priest if he haue done any wrong is inioyned by this Canon to confesse his faults vnto his Parishioners aswel as the Parishioners are bound to confesse their faults vnto their Priest If they haue trespassed him Nay the Rhemists are so modest as to say that it is not certaine S. Iames here speaketh of Sacramentall â—…fession and Cardinall Caietan of all the Doctours in his age the most accuratly learned as â—… Pererius the Iesuite writes of him a man addicted so much vnto Poperie g that had he liued a little longer hee had beene chosen Pope confesseth ingeniously Non est hic sermo de confessione facramentali vt patet ex èo quod dicit confitemini inuicem sacramentalis enim confessio non fit inuicem sed sacerdotibus tantum As for Popish auricular confession our Diuines affirme truly First that it is a nouelty Beatus Rhenanus a Papisticall authour auowes that it was vnknowne in the dayes of Tertullian who liued about two hundred yeeres after Christ and Peter Lambard saith Happily it was not vsed in S. Ambrose time who liued about foure hundred yeares after Christ and Erasmus in his annotations vpon S. Hieroms Epistle to Oceanus touching the death of Fabiola writes peremptorily that it was not ordeined in S. Hieroms age The Greeke Church as Theodorus reports hath no
men and for ought I know commendable to prouide some new clothes against the receiuing of the communion at Easter now S. Paul exhorteth vs to put on under mercy kindnesse humblenesse of mind mâ—…ekenesse long suffering for bearing one another and forgiuing one another which Christ himselfe termeth a nâ—…w sutâ—… Iohn 13. 34. A new commandement I giue vnto you that you loue one another This vndoubtedly was an old precept from the beginning but he calleth it new For that he would haue this alway fresh in our memory fresh in our practise leâ—… all our things be done in loue that one chiefly which is called a Communion in respect of the common Vnion among our selues and as being a signe and a seale of our communion with Christ our â—…eace The second kind of confession is for the satisfaction of our owne selues if at any time wee feele our consciences heauily burdened with any grieuous temptation I know Christ is the Priest vnto whom euery sinner infected with a spirituall leprosie must open and shew himselfe being a Priest for euer after the order of Melcâ—…isedec an high Priest that is touched with a feeling of our infirmities Heb. 4. 15. So Chrysostome saith I will thee not to bewray thy selfe before others openly but I counsell thee to obey the Prophet saying Open thy way to the Lord And againe Confesse thy sinnes vnto the Lord who is able to cure thee and not vnto thy fellow-seruant that may vpbrayd thee with them And S. Augustine what haue I to doe with men that they should heare my confession as if they could heale my griefes Yea but what if after all my contrition and confession vnto God I feele not an absolution or any comfort to my poore distressed soule What if after I haue cryed vnto the Father of mercies O God be mercifull vnto me a sinner He do not answere my spirit I am thy saluation What if for one scandall which I haue giuen I haue such an insupportable burden in my conscience as if a milstone were hanged about my necke S. Iames in such a case doeth aduise here Confesse your faults one to another and pray one for another that yee may be healed For the prayer of a righteous man preuaileth much if it be feruent For as a vehement burning feuer is no way to bee cured but with opening a veine whereat the infected blood hauing vent may carry away with it the putrified matter that did molest the body So against strong temptations and afflictions of the mind there is no remedy more secure then to open the heart vnto a wise friend and to let out those raging passions that did disquiet our soule Now because preachers of the word ought to be more skilfull and expert then others in applying the good tidings of the Gospell vnto the poore to binde vp the broken hearted and to comfort such as mourne in Sion It is fit that wee should haue recourse to some learned Pious and discreete Pastour who can and will Minister a word of consolation in due season For Almighty God hath giuen power and commandement to his Ministers to declare and pronounce to his people being penitent the absolution and remission of their sins Vnâ—…o them he sayd Whatsoeuer yee bind in earth shal be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer ye loose in earth shall bee loosed in heauen And vpon this ground there is in the Church of England a general absolution after a generall confession of sins and a particular absolution after a particular confession and wee teach also that this acte of absoluing belongs vnto the Minister ordinarily Tanquam ex officto But when none of that order is or can bee present another may doe it with good effect according to that old saying In casu necessario quilibet Christianus est sacerdos In one worâ—…â—…ee may confesse our faults vnto good people which are power-full in the Scriptures apt to teach admonish and aduise for our comforts But especially to Godly Pasâ—…ours as being put apart to preach the Gospell of God and to be disposers of his holy secrets This I know to be the Tenet of our Church agreeable to the confessions of other reformed Churches as to the confession of Heluetia Cap. 14. of Bohemia Cap. 5. of Aspurge art 11. of Saxone art 16. As you may reade Harmon confessionum Sect 8. This acknowledgement of our faults is farre different from auricular Popish confession First in that it is not vpon constraint but voluntary Secondly because wee are not enioyned to confesse vnto the Parish Priest or to any one confessour appoynted by the Diocesaâ—… and Ordinary But wholly left at our owne choise Thirdly Because wee are not tyed to any certaine time but only when wee find our selues in our conscience rightly disposed and to bee in the state of true repentance Yet because men are negligent and carelesse in performing of this duty the Church exhorteth vs to confesse at two times aboue the rest To wit In sicknesse and in Lent In sicknes euery Christian ought to make a speciall confession if hee feele his conscience troubled with any weighty matter earnestly desiring the standers by to pray for him and the discreete Pastour if need be to absolue him As for Lent Although our whole life should be nothing 〈◊〉 but a Lent to prepare our selues against the Sabâ—… our death and Easter of our resurrection Yet seeing the corruption of our dayes and wickednesse of our natures is so much exorbitant as that it is an hard matter to hold the common sort of people within the lists of Piety Iustice and Sobriety It is fit there should bee one time at the least in the yeare and that of a reasonable continuance for the recalling of them vnto some more stayed courses and seuere cogitations and happily these things might haue beene more fitly restored in the reformed Churches vnto their Primitiue sincerity rather then abolished as in some places vtterly The fourth â—…hing required in confession is that it be not defensiue buâ—… accusatiue noted in the word Peccata Now there be diuers partitions of sinnes as First In respect of their beginning so some sinnes are called Originall as being deriued from our first parent Adam other actuall as issuing from our owne corrupt will Secondly In respect oâ—… their obiect and so some sinnes are called carnall aud other spirituall according to that of S. Paul The Virgin careth for the things of the Lord that she may be holy both in body soule For al things in which al offend are either felt by the senses as meate drinke lust so 〈◊〉 be carnall sinnes or apprehended by the vnderstanding as honour knowledge power and â—…o called spirituall wickednesses the first makes vs lâ—…ke beastes the second like deuils Thirdly In respect of the parties iniuried in 〈◊〉 and so some be called sinnes
Dishonour he departed went away returned Despaire he dwelt at Nineue His fal is described to be very fearefull in respect of three circumstances The first is of the persons who slew him Adramalech and Sharezer his own sonnes The second is of the place where he was slaine in the temple of his god Nisroth The third is of the time when he was slaine when he was praying and worshipping In that the spirit doth expresse Sennacheribs recoyling backe with so many words it is vndoubtedly to cast disgrace vpon his cowardly flight For it is no superfluous and idle repetition when he saith hee departed he weâ—…t his waâ—… he returned The name of King is added also to his further shame as if he should say see this King this great King whom impudent Rabseketh extolled so highly by reason of his power and pompe He that came vp against all the cities in Iudah and challenged in his rage the Lord himselfe meant not to retire with infamie But God for his trueth and mercy sake droue him out thence euen as chaffe before the wind the Lord who cannot lie sayd by the mouth of Esay the Prophet I will send a blast vpon him and accordingly the Lords Angel in one night smote in the campe of Ashur one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand So when the remnant rose early in the morning behold they were all dead coarses And whereas it is sayd He returned and dwelt at Niniue It sheweth euidently that he not only lost his courage but that his forces also quailed For if despaire had not bene as a chaine to keepe him in who was ambitious and insatiable hee would not willingly haue stayed at home and content himselfe with his owne kingdome This history may comfort vs in the perill of warre God which is the Lord of hostes and King of glory can and as shall make most for his honour and our good will protect his Church as with a shield And here wee may sing with Dauid As we haue heard so haue wee seene in the city of the Lord of hostes in the city of our God God vpholdeth it for euer For in the yeare 88. did there not a Spanish Senacherth come vp against our English Iudah as himselfe fondly conceited with an inuincible Armado did not the Iesuites as foule-mouthed as euer Rabseketh defie God and his Gospel openly triumphing in pulpit and â—…e before the victory Did they not cry with a loud voice from Rhemes and Rome from Flanders and France that our blessed Queene Elizabeth was a miserable woman vnable to protect her subiects and that her Kingdome was deliuered ouer into the hands of the great king of Ashur But albeit the Pope such was his holinesse did blesse them in their endeauours yet the Lord did curse them in their ends He sent a blast among them a tempest in the mids of them on the sudden which in a trice so disordered their Nauy that few returned as Sennacherib into Niniue the same way they came Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered let them also that hate him flee before him like as the smoke vanisheth euen so let them be driuen away and like as waxe melteth at the fire so let the vngodly perish at thy presence O God Hitherto concerning the flight of Sennacherib I am now to proceed in his fall amplified First by circumstance of persons as being slaine by his owne sonnes Adramelech and Sharezer Dauid complaining of Achitophel and Christ in the person of Dauid complaining of Iudas cryed out it is not an open enemie that hath done me this dishonour for then I could better haue borne it neither was it mine aduersary that did magnifie himselfe against me for then peraduenture I could haue hid my selfe from him But it was euen thou my companion my guide and my familiar we tooke sweet counsell together and walked in the house of God as friends It is base trechery to betray a friend but it is the serpents head and height of impiety to butcher a Father A sonne is the fathers liuing chronicle flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone an expresse character of his person and walking Image neerer and deerer then any friend What greater indignitie then or iniury could fall vpon Sennacherib then thus vnfortunatly to perish by the hands of Adramelech and Sharezer his owne sons What greater vnhappines then thus ignonimiously to lose his life by those who should haue preserued him aliue being of all other most oblieged vnto him as receiuing from him their being The Lords Angel smote in his camp one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand of his souldiers buâ—… God determined to reserue him for an heauier iudgment I wil send a blast vpon him and hee shall fall by the sword in his owne land verse 7. God which is the righteous Iudge doth often passe by the wicked in small dangers that he may bring vpon them a greater condemnation as when Sauls life was in Dauids hand he might haue cut off his head but hee cuts off only the lap of his garment and so lets him go God here suffered Saul to bee deliuered from the sword of Dauid that afterward he might fal vpon his owne sword Ham Noahs sonne escaped the great flood yet for discouering his fathers shame the flood of Gods wrath ouerwhelmed him The cities of Sodom and Gomorra had escaped doubtlesse many grieuous deserued punishments but at the length God rained out of heauen fire brimstone to consume them and so they were turned into ashes and made an ensample to those that afterward should liue vngodly 2. Pet. 2. 6. So many notorious malefactours who draw iniquitie with cordes of vanity and sinne as it were with a cart rope contriuing mischiefe on their beds and committing all vncleannesse euen with greedinesse often escape great dangers in their drunkennesse and other outrages and yet in fine they come to some fearefull and exâ—…mplarie Iudgement as here Sennacherib a great tyrant and a great blasphemer escaped the stroake of a glorious Angel that hee might more dishonorably perish in his owne land and in his owne house not by forreine foes or by popular sedition or by traytors or by seruants but by the sword of Adramelech and Sharezer his owne sonnes And as it was in God great Iustice that hee who did intend to slay so many children of God should himselfe bee slayne by his owne children There were secondarie causes vndoubtedly moouing these thus vnnaturally to butcher their father For first it is thought that Sennacherib had assigned ouer his kingdome to Esaradon his third sonne whom he most affected and so meant to disinherit Adramelech and Sharezer Hereupon these two brethren in iniquity conspired against Sennacherib their cruell father as he was their King and their naturall father as he was their parent The Rabbins haue coyned another deuise saying that Sennacherib asked his idol why hee could not vanquish the
man according to Gods owne heart The foolish Anabaptists obiect here that God indeed granted that license to the Iewes but hee denied it vnto Christians and answere is made that Iohn the Baptist who prepared the way for Christ allowed the calling of souldiers for when they did aske him Luke 3 4. What shall wee doe he did answere Do violence to no man neither accuse any falsly and be content with your wages Where Diuines obserue generally that Iohn approued the vocation of souldiers and condemned only three foule abuses in war Violence Calumnie Couetousnesse as Bernard sweetly contentos fore suis stipendijs indixit non omnem militiam interdixit Hee sayd in his exhortation a little before bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life Now then either he was a deceiuer or else souldiers continuing in their calling may bring foorth good fruits and escape the wrath to come According to this Commission the Saints of God haue warred and obteined prayse for the same being renowned because valiant in battell Heb. 11. 34. As Abraham Moses Iosua Gideon Samson Dauid and Naaman the Syrian is Chronicled for his fortune and fortitude in warre Fortune because he was the deliuerer of his countrey Fortitude because hee was a mightie man in valour 2. Kings 5. 1. And in the New Testament when the Centurion sayd vnto Christ I haue souldiers vnder mee Christ Highly commended his great faith but in no sort condemned his fashion of liuing and act 10. Wee read of Cornelius a Captaine who was a deuout man and one that feared God with all his houshold who gaue much almes and prayed vnto God continually neither did St. Peter who shewed him the way to saluation in Christ any way dislike his office but on the contrary protested that he was accepted of God It doth not follow which is obiected by some Polititians that because the religion of Christ teacheth peace therefore it is vnfit for warre and because it perswadeth patience therefore it makes men cowards for howsoeuer the first building of the Temple was without the noyse of any iron toole to signifie that it should bee the house of peace Yet in the second as it is reported Nehâ—…miah 4. 17. They built with one hand and held their swords in the other to shew that in a good cause it should not be vnlawfull for to fight and warre Nay the Lord of hostes vsually giues a blessing to Iust warres as when Abraham returned from the slaughter of the foure Kings Melchisedec King of Salem and a Priest of the most High God blessed him and sayd Blessed be the most High God possessour of heauen and earth which hath deliuered thine enemies into thine hands At the prayer of Moses Israel preuailed against Amalek when Duke Iosua fought at Beth-oren the Lord cast downe great stones from heauen vpon his enemies and they were moe who dyed with the hailestones then they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword and when hee was about to sacke Iericho an Angel appeared vnto him as a Captaine with a drawen sword to fight for him Iosua 5. In Ecclesiasticall hystorie wee find that God by miracles euidently shewen in the heauens encouraged Constantine the great to fight and that the Angels fought for Theodosius the yonger against the Saâ—…acens and that Honorius army was so blessed by the Lord of hostes against Rhadagaisus King of the Gothes that not so much as one Romane was killed or wounded whereas one hundred thousand of the Gothes were discomfited To the Testimonies of holy Scripture wee might adde the sayings of the most ancient and learned Fathers Tertullian in his Apology told the Gentiles Nauigamus et nos vobisâ—…um et militatamus c. We Christians are Sea-men and souldiers and husbandmen and merchant as well as yee St. Ambrose numbreth among other vertues Warlike fortitude and in his oration vpon the death of Theodosius Hee câ—…mmends him exceedingly for his skill in exercising of armes Chrysostome in an Homily concerning their excuses who came not to the wedding dinner you pretend saith hee that you are a souldiour the Centurion in the Gospels history was a good souldidiour and yet a good Saint St. Augustine in diuerse places of his workes both alloweth and commendeth highly the calling of warriours Bernard in his ser ad militis Templi Chap. 3. Miles Christi saith he securus interimit securior interit A souldiour beares not the sword for nought but is the Minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth euill and so when hee kils a malefactor Non homicida sed malecida Anabaptists obiect it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord Answere is made that the vengeance which is exercised by publique persons is not priuat grudge but the vengeance of God because Magistrates are the lieutenants and Ministers of God And whereas they further vrge the word of Esay they shall breake their swordes into matroks and their speares into sithes nation shall not lift vp a sword against nation neither shall they learne to fight any more S. Hierome answers that this Prophecie concerned only the very time when our blessed Sauiour the Prince of peace was borne For then as hystory reports there was an vniuersal peace throughout the whole world or as other it shewes that the Gospel of Christ sets not only God and man at peace but also man with man The summarie pith is briefly this that Christs people shall be meeke and hauing troden vnder their feet cruelty shall endeauour to liue peaceably but because part of Christs Kingdome is in this world that part hath here but a beginning the good being mingled with the bad and the good not absolutely good but imperfitly perfit therefore Christ inioyned Luke 22. 36. Hee that hath none let him sell his coate and buy a sword for albeit Christians may not offend other yet they may defend themselues in offending others so simple as doues in defending themselues so wise as serpents and therefore Caluin calles them braine-sicke Bedlams who by this place take from the Church the vse of the sword and condemne all manner of warre Yea but Christ himselfe sayd All that take the sword shall perish by the sword Diuines answere that a Prince takes not the sword of himselfe but hee receiueth it from God and hee giueth it to his Captaines and the Captaines to the souldiers and so by consequent all fighting in a lawfull warre put on Gods armour and are sayd expresly to fight the battailes of the Lord. Other obiect the weapons of the Church are the shield of faith sword of the spirit breast-plate of righteousnesse helmet of saluation as S. Paul armes a Christian. Ephes. 6 Answere is made that S. Paul in that place describes not any warre with men but a spirituall warfare which is against the deuill We wrestle quoth he not against flesh and
being nothing else but a type of the new and the new nothing else but a trueth of the old The whole saith Iacobus de Valentia consists of one Syllogisme the Law and the Prophets are the Maior all that Christ did and sayd the Minor the writings of the blessed Euangelists and Apostles inferre the conclusion or the Gospell is hidden in the Law like the conclusion in the premises But albeit the Scriptures be deepe yet as Gregory speakes it is a riuer wherein the little lambe may wade so well as the great Elephant swimme it is the rolle of a booke spread abroad and written within and without Ezec. 2. 9. 10. In some places it is rolled vp from the most searching wits in other spread abroad to the capacities of the most simple Testamentum est testatio mentis Gods word therefore being his Testament reueales as much of his will as is to bee knowen In it wee may find the Father from whom and the Son by whom and the holy Ghost in whom are all things and therefore should bee much in our handes in our eyes in our eares in our mouthes but most of all in our hearts as Fulgentius saith it affordes enough abundantly for men to eate and children to sucke Maximus compares it to a man The old Testament resembling the body and the new Testament the soule or the letter of the Prophets is the body and the meaning is the soule and as the mortall part of man is seene but that which is immortall vnseene So the letter of the Scriptures is plaine but the spirit in some places inuolued and not easily discerned One deepe calling vpon another deepe S. Augustine and Hugo de S. Vict vnderstand it thus the depth of Gods knowledge findeth out the depth of mans heart for the Lord searcheth vs out he knoweth our downe-sitting and our vprising hee is about our paths and about our bed and spieth out all our wayes and vnderstandeth all our thoughts long before Psal 139. It is the duty then of euery Christian especially tempted to sinne to resolue with holy Ioseph How can I do this great wickednesse and so sinne against God Is there any thing so secret that shall not be disclosed If I commit it in the wood shall not a bird of the aire cary the voice that which hath wings declare the matter Ecclesiastes 10. 20. If I sinne in the forrest am I now to learne that a beast hath spoken Or if birdes and beasts happily should hold their peace would not as Christ sayd in the like case the very stones cry Luke 19. 40. If in my closet or study shall not my bookes of deuotion especially the Bible witnesse against mee There is one that accuseth you quoth our Sauiour to the Iewes euen Moses that is Moses law the which as it was once spoken by God so it dayly speakes in Gods cause to God Or if all these be silent shall not the sinne it selfe like the blood of Abel cry for reuenge Plutarch aduiseth vs so circumspectly to demeane our selues as if our enemies alway beheld vs. Seneca counselleth vs to liue so well as if Cato Laelius or some reuerend person of great wisedome and account ouerlooked vs. Thales Milesius in the committing of any sinne wished vs when wee were alone to bee afraid of our selues and our owne conscience which is instead of a thousand witnesses a thousand Iuries a thousand Iudges te sine teste time saith Ausonius S. Paul exhorts women to carry themselues in Gods house reuerently because of the Angels obseruing their behauiour But our text tels vs yet a better way then all these which is to remember alway that the depth of Gods science calleth vnto the depth of our conscience If any be deiected in his mind for that hee cannot remember the good lessons hee dayly reads in bookes and heares in sermons let him bee comforted againe because this one precept concerning Gods omni-presence comprehends amnia media et remedia all meanes and medicines for the curing of his sicke soule If he beare still in mind this one poynt that all things are naked to Gods eye Heb. 4. 13. Yea hell it selfe Iob 26. 6. To his eye which is all eye Ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne Ecclesiasticus 23. 19. He hath already commenced Doctor in Israel and is a liuing and a walking library knowing so much as may serue for the well ordering of his whole life Gregory the great construeth our text thus one iudgement of God calleth vp another for his iudgements are a great depth Psal. 36. 6. So deepe that they be past finding out Rom. 11. 33. When as therefore for feare of Gods iudgement we iudge our selues one deepe occasioneth another and that at the noyse of the water pipes or cloudes which are the preachers exhorting vs as S. Paul his Corinthians If yee would iudge your selues yee should not be iudged Arnobius expoundeth it thus one deepe calleth another deepe When Christ on earth and in the nethermost hell also called to God the Father in the Highest Heauen the strong crying of our Blessed Sauiour vnto God with teares Heb. 5. 7. Was a very deepe base and Gods counter-verse was sung with an exceeding high voyce from heauen of heauen This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3 17. One deepe calleth another deepe when as truth flourished out of the earth and righteousnesse looked downe from heauen Psal. 85. 11. Hugo Cardinalis and Lyra thus Abyssus abyssum inuocat that is peccatum peccatum prouocat As one deepe calleth another deepe So one sinne prouoketh and calleth vp another sinne Pride to maintaine her selfe calleth vp Nigardise Gluttony calleth vp Wantonnesse Malice calls vp Murther Vnthriftinesse calls vp in great ones Oppression In the poore theeuery an vncleane thought calls vp vnsauoury wordes and bad wordes corrupt good manners and corruption in manners breeds a custome in sin and custome in sinne brings men to sencelesnesse in sinne such as giue themselues ouer or sell themselues to commit iniquity proceed from euill to worse Ieremy 9. 3. and fall from one wickednesse to another Psalme 69. 28. First there is walking in the counsell of the vngodly then standing in the way of sinners last of all sitting in the seate of the scornefull Hee that blowes a feather into the ayre or throwes a piece of paper into the riuer knowes not where it will settle So hee that begins with a sinne knowes not when or where it will end Herod happily began with a little dalliance but afterward he committed incest and that darling sinne caused him to adde yet this aboue all the rest of his faults to shut vp Iohn in prison And so Dania glutted with a large meale lusted after Bath saba and that fire did rage till hee had committed vncleannesse with her and for the couering of that foule fact
S. Augustine and of Franciscus Arias in his tract Depraesentia Dei cap 2. Who by Gods face vnderstand Gods presence So the Scripture by the face of the wind and by the face of frost and fire meaneth as you know the presence of these things as in Psalme 68. Like as waxe melteth ante faciem ignis before the fires face So let the vngodly perish at the presence of God So Hagar is sayd to flee from the face of her mistresse Sara Gen. 16. 8 So Pharaoh to Moses Exod. 10. 28. Get thee from mee Looke thou see my face no more So Adam is sayd to hide himselfe from Gods face Gen. 3. 8. and Satan Iob 1. 12. Egressus est à facie Domini that is he departed from Gods presence to seeke then euermore Gods face is nothing else but seriously to consider and contemplate that he is alwayes present with vs in euery thought word and deed Plutarch aduiseth vs so circumspectly to demeane our selues as if â—…r enemies alwayes beheld vs Seneca counselleth vs to liue so well as if Cato Laelius or some reuerend Person of great wisdome and account ouerlooked vs Thalis Milesius in the coÌ„mitting of any sin wished vs when we are alone to be afraid of our selues and of our owne conscience which is in stead of a thousand witnesses te sine teste time saith Ausonius S. Paul exhorteth women to cary themselues in Gods house reuerently because of the Angels as being assured that the glorious Angels in heauen obserue their behauiour But our text teacheth vs yet a better way then all these which is to seeke Gods face to remember that God searcheth vs out knowing our downe-sitting and our vprising and that he standeth about our paths and about our beds and spieth out all our wayes A pious exercise highly commended in the Scriptures and in the Fathers and by the practise of holy men in all ages The Scriptures in reporting that Enoch and Noe walked with God intimate that those holy Patriarchs had set God alwayes before them and that they liued so religiously tanquam sub eius oculis as vnder his obseruing and all-seeing eye they walked as St. Luke recordeth of Zacharias and Elizabeth in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord without reproofe they considered the wayes of God and turned their feete vnto his Testimonies as our Prophet speaks of himselfe Psal. 119. 59. They did endeauour and set their hearts to haue not only good credit before men but alâ—… with S. Paul to keepe a cleare conscience before God In this sense God sayd to Father Abraham walke before mee Gen. 17. 1. And Abraham againe concerning God the Lord before whom I walke Gen. 24. 40. So the Prophet Elias and Eliseus speake The Lord God in whose sight â—… stand The text inioyning vs always to pray poynts at this duty that wee should seeke Gods face continually for our desires and thoughts are the voyces and wordes by which our soule speakes If then at any time wee lift our hearts vnto the Lord wee may be sayd and that truely to pray which occasioned Diuines to terme prayer an humble familiarity with God He that will alwayes conuerse with God must alwayes either reade the Scripture saith Augustine or else pray for as often as we read his word he talketh with vs and as often as we pray we talke with him When our Prophet sings in 123. Psalme Vnto thee lift I vp mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the heauens He doth vnderstand not eyes of his flesh only but eyes of his faith also seeing him which is inuisible Heb 11. 27. But the spirit by the mouth of Solomon as yet speakes more plainly Prou. 3. 6. In all thy wayes acknowledge God and he shall direct thy goings in omnibus vijs cogita Deum as the vulgar latine runnes in euery thing thou takest in hand thinke on God or as our translation haue respect vnto him as Tobie to his sonne Set God alwayes before thine eyes behold him as a Iudge and so shame to sinne before the Iudges eye behold him as thy great reward and so faint not in doing good Behold him as authour and finisher of thy faith and so runne with patience the race which is set before thee Behold him as the Donor of euery good and perfit gift and so confesse that he worketh all thy works for thee by whose grace thou art whatsoeuer thou art S. Augustine beginneth his heauenly meditations in this stile Domine Deus meus da cordi meo te desiderare desiderando quaerere quaerendo inuenire inueniendo amare amando mala mea redâ—…mpta non iterare O Lord giue me grace from the very bottom of mine heart to desire thee in desiring to seeke thee in seeking to find thee in finding to loue thee in louing vtterly to loath my former wickednes And in his soules soliloquies or priuat talke with God he prayeth in like manner O Lord who knowest me giue me grace to know thee O my comforter shew me thy selfe let mee see thee which art the light of mine eyes mirth of my spirit ioy of my heart life of my soule It is a good Motto thinke and thanke God there is no moment of time wherein God cares not for vs and therefore saith a Bernard no moment of time wherein we should not seeke him especially when we come to his house to call vpon his Holy Name for how prayâ—…s hee to God who prates in his heart to the world intende quoth the same Father 〈◊〉 qui intendit tibi Christ promised to be with vs in our deuotions euen in the middest of vs Mat. 18. 20. but as Eusebius Emisenus obserueth how shall God bee in the mids of thee if thou be not in the mids of thy selfe If the aduocate sleepe how shall the Iudge awake No maruaile if thou loose thy sute when as in praying thou loosest thy selfe Hilary writing vpon the words of the Psalmist all my wayes are before thee notes that the Prophet making his course before Gods eye to whom all hearts are open and no secrets hid walked not in the counsell of the wicked nor stood in the way of sinners his feete did not goe downe to death and his steps take hold of hell but his whole pilgrimage was a seeking of the Lord and as S. Paul phraseth it he did so runne that he did obteyne Seneca though he were not a Doctour in Diuinity yet he wrote in his 10 Epistle lib. 1. Diuine-like to this purpose Sic viue cum hominibus quast deus videat sic loquere cum Deo quasi homines audiant So conuerse with men as if God did euer see thee so conferre with God as if men did euer heare thee and in another Epistle God is neere to thee with thee within thee so it is Lucilius that a sacred spirit resideth in vs as a custos and obseruer of all that we doe
a cherefull thankesgiuer one that serues him with gladnesse and comes before his presence with a song It is a seely thing for a Priest or people to dissemble with God and to become Hermaphrodites in the businesse of religion A seely thing to halt betweene God and Baal A seely thing to receiue the wages of the Gospell and to doe the worke of Antichrist A seely thing to looke vp to Hierusalem and to goe downe to Iericho to gaine preferment in the Church of England and yet vnder hand craftily to repaire the tottering walles of Babylon the Lord knoweth who are his and he knowes those which haue but a sâ—…cret marke of the beast as well as wee know those which openly worship a wodden blocke magnifie the masse make new sauiours yea for king killers a new heauen and for such as please not their confessours well a purgatorie which is a new hell and so withall that is within them and all that is without them exalt the man of sinne aboue all that is called God Beloued if ye desire to seeke the Lord happily seeke him heartily and that not only once or twice during the sun-shine of prosperity or in the time of trouble in the houre of death in the day of Iudgment only But as our Prophet exhorâ—… euermore When a man hath done his best he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 againe saith Ecclesiasticus he that 〈◊〉 he hath sought enough is like to find bâ—… 〈◊〉 saith Leo the great so Bernard qui dixit suffâ—…t d ficit continually to seeke is constantly 〈◊〉 seeke neuer to fâ—…int in doing this duty Happily some will obiect if the Lord bee found of such aâ—… seeke him faithfully what need is there to seeke any more Are christians in this respect like to the foolish gossips of whom St. Paul euer learning and yet neuer able to come to the knowledge of the trueth or like carnall Israel who following the law of righteousnesse could not attaine to the law of righteousnesse Rom. 9. 31. Answere is made by Augustine that wee seeke Gods face by faith and they seeke it more by hope Melior fit quaerens tam magnum â—…m quod et inueniendum quaeritur et quaerendum inuenitur nam et quaeratur vt inueniatur dulcius et inuenitur vt quaeritur auidius He doth alwayes better himselfe who seekes so great good which is to bee sought that it may be found and found that it may be sought sought that it may be found with greater delight and found that it may bee sought with greater desire Now we behold Gods face by faith and hope through a glasse darkely but we shall hereafter see him as S. Paul speakes euen face to face and then as wee shall euer loue him so doubtlesse euer seeke him and as the want of the beautifull vision in the iudgement of Diuines is the hell of hell so the fruition of Gods face contrarily the heauen of heauen The Father of mercy bee mercifull vnto vs and blesse vs and shew vs the light of his countenance that wee may grow from strength to strength and goe from grace to grace from seeking him in this earthly tabernacle to seeing him vpon his holy mountaine Hierusalem aboue where with him and of him and through him and for him we shall haue fulnes of ioyes and incomparable pleasures for euermore Amen IOHN 8. 6. Iesus stouped downe and with his finger wrote on the ground THere be so many questions vpon this text that the text it selfe is a little called into question it being in the iudgment of Erasmus Caietan Iansenius Beza rather a patch then a parcell of the Gospel If any list to be contentious hee may read Erasmus answered by Bellarmin de verbâ—… dei lib. 1. Chap. 16. Caietan answered by his Antagonist Ambros us Catharinus in his annotations against the nou ll opinions of Caietan § de historia adulterae Iansenius answered by Maldonate Beza by Melancton Caluin Aretius Piscator in their commentaries vpon the place For my part I was euer and am still an oâ—… 〈◊〉 of the Church hearing the instâ—…uction of my Father and not forsaking the eaching of my Mother and therefore beholding this pecce with the eyes of all antiquity to bee prot 〈◊〉 and altogether authenticall I foâ—…beare further inquisition and come presently to the worke of this houre which is to deliuer vnto you first an explication of the wordes and then an application of the doctrines arising from the same Our text then is a Iudicious answere of Christ vnto a captious question of the Scribes and Pharisees in the words immediatly going before Master this woman was taken in the very act of adulterie now Moses in the law commanded vs that such should be stoned but whatsayest thou hereby tempting him that they might haue to accuse him either before the Priests or the people before the Priests If contrary to the commandement of Moses hee should absolue this adulteresse before the people If contrary to the profession of his meekenesse and mercy he should vtterly condemne her and therefore being in a great strait he doth answere by not answering or he giueth vs his answere by deed whereas they did obiect by word this action of deed is two fold 1 He stouped downe to the ground 2 He wrote with his finger on the ground In stouping downe to the ground he doth intimate that if they would set apart their supercilioâ—…s pride descend into themselues and contemplate that in the beginning they were dust and in the end shall againe returne to dust If they would consider seriously that it is appointed vnto men once to dye and after death a iudgment followeth in which all receiue their doomes according to their deedes If they would examine their owne selues and vnderstand their owne case they would not bee so foreward in censuring nor so malitious in condemning others O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord thou which art earth by procreation earth by sustentation earth by corruption in principio sperma faetidum in medio 〈◊〉 corumi in fine cibus vermium Heare the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord what word euen that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sauiour Mat 7. 1. Iudge not that yeâ—… bee not iudged Iudge not rashly Iudge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iudge not vnseasonably lest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the whole world conâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So S. Paul expounds his Lord â—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—… If we would iudge our selues wee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iudged Iâ—… is a conclusion in architecture that the foundation requires the most exact care for if that happen to dance it will marre all the mirth in the house and it is another rule he that will build high must lay his foundation low So beloued it is in the spirituall building of Gods house which are we Heb. 3. 6. 〈◊〉 euer exalteth himselfe shall be humbled and 〈◊〉 that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted The proâ—…d
Pharisee standing vpon his typtoes in the Temple went home lesse iustified then a poore publican who stooping downe would not lift vp so much a his eye into heauen Luke 18. So Saul when he stooped downe being little in his owne eyes became the greatest euen the head of all the tribes of Israel appoynted and anoynted by God to be King yea the first King of his owne people On the contrary Nebuchadnezar in the contemplation of his might and Maiestie conceiting himselfe to be some diuine thing and thereupon enioyned his people to worship his golden Image was in the top of his pride cast out from the conuersation of men and his dwelling with the beastes of the field hee did eate grasse as oxen his body was wet with the dew of heauen his haires growen like the feathers of eagles and his nayles like the clawes of birds vntill hee knew that the Lord ruleth in the kingdome of men and giueth it to whomsoeuer hee will and Antichrist is therefore stiled the man of sinne for exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God Whereas Christ our patterne here being higher then the highest humbled himselfe and stooped so low that hee did appeare rather a worme then a worthy the very scorne of men and outcast of the people Psalm 22. 6. his first instruction in his first publique sermon is blessed are the poore in spirit and he did as he did quod iussit gessit as Bernard sweetely his whole life was nothing else but an open booke rather a free-schoole of humility His ingresse into the world was so stooping that he was layd in a cratch his egresse out of the world so stooping that he died on a crosse intrauit per stabulum exiuit per patibulum his progresse into the world so stooping that he was at once the first and the last Alpha for his Maiestie Omega for his meekenesse ringing as it were the bell himselfe to his owne Sermon of this argument learne of me for I am humble and meeke Proud Pharisee seeing I stoope why doest thou stroute looke down to the ground consider the rocke out of which thou wast hewen Et cum sis humillimus cur non humilimus The second action of Christ here to be considered is writing with his finger on the ground where two questions are to be discussed 1 Why he wrote on the ground 2 What he wrote on the ground The first hath in it If I may so speake the three questionets 1 Why he did write 2 Why with his finger 3 Why he wrote on the ground Hee did write to shew that he would not bee rash and light in his censure hereby teaching all iudges to deliberate and write their sentence before they deliuer publish it vnto the world Demosthenes vsed to say that he would if it were possible speake not only scripta but sculpta licking his phrases as the beare doeth her whelpes and weighing euery word in a prudentiall ballance which hee was to vent in the seates of Iustice. It is obserued truly that vertues are stronger in the aduerbe then in the adiectiue To doe that is well is better then to doe that is good for a man may doe that is honest against his will and knowledge whereas in all vertuous actions there is a free election and therefore that iudge who doth huddle his sentence before hee chew the câ—…d after all parties are fully heard may iudge the right but not aright 2 He wrote and deliberated a while before he spake that he might hereby giue them an occasion and space to repent them of their accusation and question O the depth of the riches of the mercies of Christ hee laâ—… ours to saue those who sought to destroy him Albeit their feete were swift to shed his blood yet is hee slow to wrath and ready to forgiue them and the same mind should be in vs as S. Peter exhorteth euer ready to follow his steps who is the way the trueth and the life To render good for good is the part of a man to render euill for euill is the part of a beast to render euill for good is the part of a deuill to render good for euill is the part of a Saint mercifull as our father in heauen is mercifull The second questionet is why he wrote with his finger and that as Augustine Rupert and Other doctours obserue was to shew that he was greater then Moses and worthy of more glory not a subiect to the law but Lord of the law for that it was his finger that wrote it and his hand that deliuered it vnto Moses Intimating hereby likewise that the law should bee considered in the Gospel and Moses consulted as accompanied with Christ. If wee contemplate Moses alone that will be terrible Exod. 34. 30. But if wee contemplate Moses in Christs company that will be comfortable Mat. 17. 4. Domine bonum est nos hic esse Master it is good for vs to be here this sight is pleasant and profitable The third questionet is why he wrote on the ground and that was first as Aretius obserues to shew the Pharisees how they trampled the commandements of Moses vnder their feet they had as Hugo de S. Vict writes legem in corde but they had not cor in loge they were Doctores Theoretici but not practici they knew the Lawes of God and preached them vnto the people yet hated to bee reformed by them or ruled after them 2 Christ wrote on the ground as Melancton notes to let the Pharisees vnderstand that they who depart from the Lord shal be written in the earth Ierem. 17. 13. The names of Gods elect are registred in the booke of life Philip 4. 3. recorded in heauen Luke 10. 20. But the wicked who make their heauen on earth are written in the dust and so they suddenly consume perish and come to a fearefull end their name rots and their seed is rooted out their stately pallaces are no where to be found and their memoriall is perished with them Psalm 9. 6. All their hope is like dust that is blowen away with the wind like a thinne froth that is driuen away with the storme like the smoke which is dispersed here and there with a tempest and passerh as the remembrance of a guest that tarryeth but a day Wisedome 5. 14. 3 Christ wrote on the ground saith Hugo Cardinalis insinuating that the sencelesse and speechlesse earth shall in the day of iudgement accuse the wicked put in articles and fight against them according to that of Iob If my land cry out against me or the furrowes thereof exclaime Iob 31. 38. God is the Lord of hostes and euery creature is a souldiour in pay with him hauing not only defensiue weapons ad muniendum to protect his seruants but offensiue likewise ad puniendum to punish his enemies