thy seruants to do any thing and we will do any thing with all our power and giue vs after this Battle which we dayly maintaine and wage against the diuell and his two great Bassaes the world and the flesh that hire and those wages that are prouided and ready told out for all them that fight a good fight vnder thy Insigne for thy Church yesterday in the field to day in the Cittie and to morow in both till they die to themselues and liue to thee Esai cap. 40. vers 10 ô how happie how right happie how onely happie are they which liue with thee this day and the next day and for euer Thus much of the circumstance of time contained in this word The next day the first part of this history The second part is the circumstance of the Place where the baptisme of Iohn-baptist was celebrated and published among the Iewes in which respect and consideration I may reason thus In matters of greatest importance and weight the manner of historians is to set downe the place of the action and actor to make their histories credible seing all that is done is done in some place but the baptisme of Iohn is a matter of greatest importance weight and therefore the place of the baptisme must be named and so it is named in this chapter and called Bethabara in the verse going before Yet Chrysostome in his 16. homily vpon this gospell turneth both verses into one as though it were necessary to ioyne the verse of the place with the verse of the speaker but to omit this grammaticall point of ioyning parting verses S. Ierome in his translation if that translation be truly fathered vpon Ierome miscalleth the place Bethania for Bethania is not beyōd Iordan as this place is said to be neither is there any other Bethany but one Suidas inuenteth a newe place Thabara which is not seene in all that countrie besides this one proofe or rather reproofe P. Martyr addeth another sure one and concludeth that the place of Iohns baptisme was neere vnto Iordan but Bethania far from that riuer yea so much farther from the desert where Iohn baptized Then seing Bethania is but 15. furlongs that is two miles within one furlong southward from Ierusalem as is specified in this gospell c. 8. v. 18. it cannot be the desert of Iudaea which is at the neerest by Stellaes map 80. furlongs that is ten miles eastward frō Ierusalem where Iohn-baptist abode seing Bethany is on the foreside of the riuer and Bethabara on the farre side the glose cannot put the one in the others roome vnlesse it can put twelue miles into one hem seing Bethany is the towne of Martha and Mary whether Christ went and lodged c. 11. v. 1. and Bethabara a plaine field beyond Iordan except we turne a field into a towne we must read Bethabara not Bethania and so doth Chrysostome read so doth Theophilactus read and so doth Origen read so doe our best old and new doctors read Wherefore auoiding that old errour in Chorography we rightly name the place of Iohns baptisme Bethabara which is beyond Iordan This place is the common highway and passage from Syria to Palestina by ferry and therefore a most populous and much frequented place saith Gualter this is the place which the Israëlites went through right ouer Iericho with their puissant triumphant captaine Iosua while the water of Iordane was miraculously driuen backward on the right hand and on the left and therefore a famous and wonderful place Iosua c. 3. v. 16 this is the place where the inhabitants of mount Ephraim tooke the princes of the Madianites by the appointment of Gedeon both Oreb and Zeb and therefore a victorious and renowmed place Iudges c. 7. v. 24 25 a place both for the former excellencie and present vse most fit for Iohns baptisme wherby we enter the highway to heauen in which we tread the path that leadeth vs against our spiritual enimies by which we ouercome the kings of this worlde and the chiefest in the waies of the ayre These and other like causses might be prouidently foreseene of the Baptist besides these he knew that he ought to teach his doctrine in the promised and holy land Luke c. 1. v. 16 that his discipline chiefly respected the Iewes where Christ should come after him that his cries should be most heard in the desert of Iudaea that the more he persuaded the Rabbies of Ierusalem the more his doctrine should preuaile and as it were take roote among the people that the neerer he kept to that famous cittie in some open place the further he was from suspition of corner opinions and scismaticall conueyance for heresies being in a sort inward maladies and cankers 2. Timoth. c. 2. v. 17 go like a sicknesse from house to house from dore to dore but true religion seeketh no starting holes saith S. Bernard and wisdome standeth without in the high streete in the entrings of the gates in the tops of high places saith king Salomon and lifteth vp hir voice in the plaine of Bethabara So God sendeth his word as he giueth other his good benefits the light of the firmament the dew of the element the springs of the waters the fruites and gifts of nature and the insitions or graftes of grace are vniuersall and common to men he openeth his hands and filleth all things with plenty saith the kingly prophet Psal 145. v. 16 And as the Baptist preacheth here in an open great auditory so did other saints of God and embassadors of the Almighty at other times both to resemble with their whole imitation the property of God whose cognisance they carried in their harts and to make this one good the better by parting and dispensing it among a multitude for in no place were the acts of the twelue Apostles the seuen Deacons more seene then in open synagoges and on festiuall daies Acts c. 2. v. 6. c. 3. v. 6 7. c. 4. v. 10. c. 5. v. 12. c. 7. v. 2. c. 8. v. 12. c. the Prophets call the heauen and earth not one parcell or corner of heauen and earth to heare their prophesies and instructions Esai c. 1. v. 2. Ierem c. 6. v. 9. c. 22. v. 29. Michae c. 1. v. 2. And Ieremy againe is commanded to crie in the eares of Ierusalem to awake them frō their sleepe of sinne that all the citie may giue eare c. 2. vers 2. God speaking to Ezechiel calleth him sonne of man as if in him he spake to all mankind c. 2. v 1 3 6 8. c. Oseas and Amos and the rest call all the Israëlites c. 4. v. 1. c. 3. v. 1. Ionas is sent to all Niniue c. 1. v. 2. other men of God cal vpon whole townes whole prouinces all nations at once Ioel c. 1. v. 2. Abdias v. 1. Nahum c. 1. v. 15. Sophony c. 2. v. 1 4 c. Zachary c. 2. v. 7. God giueth his
whereof they affirme 1. Timot. c. 1. v. 7. but haue erred from all lawe of religion and honesty and are turned vnto vaine iangling and euen very piperly scurrility like that cursed Cham from whom al wicked sects began or worse then he toward their reuerend Fathers and spirituall Lords delighting to see and lay that naked which blessed Sem and good Iaphet in all modesty desire to couer from their owne and others eyes Genes c. 9. v. 22 23. Of which kind of creatures those inward cynaedi S. Paul warneth al godly christians and not vnlike those lothsome mannermongers that count it finenesse to note filthines and thinking others senses worse then their owne will not sticke to say looke here smell there foh feele or see I pray did you euer know the like whereas they should say smell not vnto it looke not on it or rather not once note it of which thankelesse remembrancers and needlesse inquisitors their good master Galateo biddeth them in the authoritie of his greyheaded courtiership not to take example like hogges that runne from the hearbs to a new muckhill for feare of breeding offence to no purpose as I would be sory to breed disliking in any elderly learned well spokē man be it Aretius probl theol de Matrimonio or Bishop Ponet c. 6. of his Apolog. or other his friends for naming the author that here saith well and elswhere perhaps amisse Then see and touch with Thomas the apostle and then beleeue with Thomas the apostle who was so ready and resolute to go die with Christ his Lord Iohn c. 11 v. 16. and yet too would prouide to stand on a sure ground when time was for all that resolution and then became more incredulous and scrupulous then other in his happy foresight vntill he had a manifest answere in seing and touching which might stop all Antichristian obiections in latest times Many haue desired to see and touch Christ in the flesh to see their intelligible felicity in sensible proofe as namely S. Augustine did like a good harty subiect that wisheth to see the Prince of his country of whom al good men speake and himselfe thinkes most honorably yet blessed are all such as speake and beleeue and haue not seene Iohn c. 20. v. 29. the rather because they which report this vnto thē report no more then they haue seene and heard Acts c. 4. v. 20. The Apostles eyes were the eyes of Christians God grant our eyes may be as cleere and steady as their eyes were their eares were our eares ô that we could shut them from vanitie and open them to verity as they did that the word of Esai be not found in vs they shall see with their eyes and not perceiue they shall heare with their eares and not vnderstand c. 6. v. 9. but that first we may see him and then like him and then loue him and then know him within without Intus in cute his deity and humanity and conuey the image of his countenance into our harts by the most quick and hot spirit of his word and law that our veines and marow and so consequently by them all other partes may be fired and inflamed with this light of man Morning star and Sunne of the day loadstar alwaies euen Iesus Christ and make vs in colour and nature like to himself as one neighbour grape taketh colour of another God being the husbandman and Christ the vine and Christians the branches and their works the grapes Vuaque conspecta liuorem traxit ab vua saith Iuuenal Satyra 2. The ghostly and bodily forefathers desired to see this day and they liued and died in this hope Luke c. 10. v. 24. the prophets foresaw his comming both Esai c. 2. 7. 9. 11. 35. 42. 49. 53. 60. 65. and also Ieremy c. 31. v. 33. c. 32. v. 40. c. 33. v. 20. and other and they which go afore him crie and say Hosanna thou sonne of Dauid blessed be he that commeth in the name of the Lord hosanna thou which art in the high heauens Mark c. 11. v. 9 10. and all such as are true in hart shall be glad and say Saue vs we beseech thee O praise the Lord Hosanna Alleluïa Thus was blind Bartimaeus glad to heare him by whom he might receiue his sight and by and by he saw the light of heauen Mark c. 10. v. 49 52. thus was Simeon glad and willing to die when he had seene this saluation and consolation of Israël which was prepared to be the glory of all people Luke c. 2. v. 30. Thus the angell of the Lord bad the sheephards go to Bethleem and see their Sauior with him an army of heauenly souldiers that praised God said Glory to God in heauen and peace in earth goodwill toward men so notably they were stirred vp and euen rauished with this blessed sight v. 12 13. thus the wisemen of the East euen where all men are of quicke and winged wittes as Herodianus iudgeth lib. 1. and most of all other the wisemen selected from the rest with great wonder saw the starre of Christ which was neuer seene in their Vranoscopies before and went euen from Persia to Bethleem to see himselfe more diuine then the starre not caring for all those parasanges furlongs that were betweene their owne country and Iudaea but still and stil feeding vpon their heauenly meditation at last came vnto him and worshipped him with ioy and gladnes with their myters in their left hands and their presentments of gold of myrre and of frankincense in their right Myrrham homo rex aurum suscipe thura deus saith Claudian in his Epigrams O man take myrrhe ô king take gold ô God take incense Math. c. 2. v. 2. Thus the famous queene of Saba and all the world in those dayes came from farre countries to heare the wisedome of Salomon 1. Kings c. 10. v. 1 2 24. and behold a greater then Salomon is now in Bethabara Thus Iacob the sonne of Isaac sawe a ladder stand vpon the earth the top whereof did reach to heauen and he called that place the gate of heauen Gen. c. 28. v. 12 17. but we see not in a vision as he did we see in the noone day the son of the hiest before vs we see apparantly the sonne of God before our eyes Cuius aspectus decens saith Salomon in his Song c. 2. v. 14. and whose aspect is more happy may England say then all the trines and sextiles and coniunctions and fortunate aspects of the beneuolent starres To be briefe in this one word seeth is the fond and fantasticall heresie of Marchion with the heresie of Manes manifestly ouerturned and condemned for euer of which two Marchion thought Christes body a phantasticall one that is like such bodies as we seeme to see in our sleepe which are but thoughts Epiphanius haer 42. l. 1. tomo 3. The other as fanatically
imagined his body to be aiery and ethereal Haeresi 66. l. 2. tomo 2. But because his body was visible flesh and he did eate visibly and hunger and thirst and suffer on the crosse sensibly it is senseles madnes and mad imagination to account it cogitatiue or aëry neither of which two can be seene with eyes of flesh Thus much of the first person Iohn-baptist who seeth Iesus and beholdeth him ioyfully and is no lesse glad to seē his bodily presence now then he was to heare the voice of Mary Christs mother when he lept for ioy extraordinarily moued strangely in Elisabeths womb long before Luke c. 1. v. 41. a wonderfull and most rare worke of almighty God that an embryon of six moneths old should expresse the affection and passion of ioy and leape for ioy in his mothers wombe not al the wisemen betweene Indus and Nilus could then match this example with the like But as he then reioyced like an infant in leaping so he now sheweth his gladnesse like a man in speaking as before mutus etiam Christum loquebatur saith Brentius so now ignotus ignotum de facie monstrat digito saith another vpon that text two most notable and excellent miracles in Iohn-baptist which neuer before nor since that day were knowne by any other we cannot iudge of him whom we neuer saw as he did wee must hope the best in Christ Iesus wee must beleeue and vnfainedly beleeue in him looke for the chiefest sight of sights by his and in his and through his meanes the sight of his wonderful diuinity the sight of his glorious maiesty the sight of his euerlasting and most soueraigne throne the sight of his high court in heauen and the light of the highest heauen a sight that maketh vs contemne and refuse all other sights a sight in comparison whereof all sights besides are but vanities and follies yea triumphs amphitheaters and coronations and all the pictures and dies of May and Iune are but very gaies and gugawes but very dust and mist in our eyes See to this sight beloued brethren haue an eye haue a daily eye to this sight let other vaine and momentanie sights passe by as fast as they come by looke into heauen with S. Steuen and looke vpon Christ Iesus sitting on his Fathers right hand with S. Steuen Acts c. 7. v. 55 56. and because his bodily presence cannot be had we must see him behold him with our spirituall eyes most intētiuely speculatiuely exceeding that Platonical Phrōtistes without comparison by looking on him with the eyes of true loue true faith and true zeale both now euer lifting vp our harts aboue all visibles in the earth and in the skies being carried vpon the wings of praier of angels of christian persuasion and then see how our God almighty sitteth most gloriously in vnspeakable maiesty aboue the starrie heauens and worship him accordingly see how our Sauiour almerciful in his most effectuall diuine eloquence pleadeth for vs before the tribunall seat of God worship him accordingly see how innumerable and infinite millions of Angels in all humilitie and reuerence awaite and attend vpon him and worship him accordingly euen with reuerend feare of so holy a temple and iudgement place see how on euery side seates are built vp from the beginning for the blessed children of God the father and labour to enioy one of those happy seats in Gods kingdome see how all things beneath here tremble prostrate themselues before this throne of heauen and desire day and night houres and minuts of houres desire with feruent praier and faithfull works of the spirit pray in season and out of season at all times no time amisse that we may see continually see the sanctification of Christs name in heauen see his kingdome come in heauen see his will done in heauen as we haue seene these three in earth and enioy that kingdome of kingdomes that power of powers that glory of glories for euer and euer The second person named here is Iesus who cōmeth from Galily the lower Math. c. 3. v. 13. from the citie Nazareth Mark c. 1. v. 9. his owne citie Luke c. 2. v. 39. where he dwelt Math. c. 2. v. 23. whereby he was called a Nazarite of his friends in his life of his foes vpon the crosse In which respect without king Hyrams leaue and Nathanaels too we may rightly call it Galily by a fairer name then Cabul is and say boldly that all our good without any question commeth from Nazareth and that all tongues of the Phaenicians cannot make Galily sound displeasantly in christian eares 3. Kings c. 9. v. 13. Then whither is thy best prophet gone ô Nazareth whither is thy best beloued sauiour gone ô region of Galily whither is thy mightiest prince gone ô Zabulon which canst handle the pen of a writer are not these things noted and registred in thy booke He is gone by mount Tabor hee is gone ouer the riuer Chison it is like he is passed by Salē into the tribe of Ruben beyond Iordan to go to the meek to the poore in spirit to the peacemaker in the valley of Bethabara between Iordan and the riuer Arnen the meeke Iohn-baptist euen the greatest least among womens children Arise Zabulon and waite vpon him and thou Isachar prepare thy selfe and folow him ye Samaritans Rubenites giue your attendance and all ye states of all cities reioyce in the strength of your saluation but specially let Beniamin and Iuda go forth and welcome him that is the perfection of your rulers and kings make hast ye citizens of Ierusalem and strow oliue branches in the way for all vertues all wisedome and happinesse accōpanieth him let litle Zachee clime vp into the trees and see him a farre of and let all christian soules reioice at his comming as it were the cheerefull rising of the warme bright sunne after a long stormy and darke winter night The Atheists see him come bid him stand backe the Papists see him come and turne their backes all men see him and they looke aside vnles they be the litle flocke for he commeth for he commeth to iudge the world and his people with the truth What but cōmeth Iesus and saith not one word to his people in so great a company Yea verily he openeth his mouth to speake all the way his lips drop like hony combs milke and hony are vnder his tongue his talke is comely his pace stayed and soft his hands are spred abroad like the curtaines of Salomon and to the weldisposed mind he saith comfortably I come to thee and blesse thee Exod. c. 20. v. 24. to the faithfull hart he speaketh mildly Come and see the workes of the Lord Psal 46. v. 8. to the elect people he crieth out strongly Behold your redeemer cōmeth Esai c. 62. v. 11. to the poore Publicane and wretched sinner he calleth aloude Come to me all that be weary and laden
within vs and coole faith by continuance maketh vs stiffe and halfe dead with sinne and altogither vnfit to be our owne martirs in affection or other mens in example let vs beloued stirre and raise vp our fainting soules to a liuely zealous faith let vs good Countrymen quicken our senseles senses with good woords and good workes as effects of good faith that we be not starke dead in sin and rather seeke the saluation both of our soules senses that lasteth for euer then the delight pleasure of either that vanisheth away like a smoke that wasteth like a snaile that withereth like grasse and neuer continueth in one stay Then where shall we seeke this saluation but in the booke of life and in which part of that booke is it sooner found then in the gospel the law of grace what guide or teacher in the gospell can shewe vs a better pathway then Iohn-baptist who was sent frō God as the forerunner of the Christ saith S. Marke in his gospell c. 1. v. 2.3 to tell vs the way the truth and life the eternall word Iesus Christ For Iesus is the way because his doctrine and precept telleth vs the right and ready way to euerlasting life Iesus is the truth because without error he may alwaies and in truth must alwaies be followed in all our iudgements and consultations that we may walke in the light not in darknes Iesus is the life of our liues because without him we are as dust in the winde and straw in the fire and by him we passe through the greatest difficulties and euen the very seas of all deadly dangers and temptations which S. Iohn speaketh by a metaphore metonimy of the effect for the efficient c. 14. v. 6 in him we passe safely from the first day in the beginning of all yea before all measure of times euen vnto this day as S. Augustine writeth largely to Deogratias against Porphyrius in his 49. Epistle Wherefore in these and other respects heare and read I beseech you beloued Christians what the blessed and right honourable Prophet that most noble preacher Iohn-baptist hath taught vs of Iesus Christ in the gospell according to S. Iohn c. 1. v. 29. The next day Iohn seeth Iesus comming to him and saith Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world This text is short but sweete and weighty as the sunne in heauen seemeth little but is great and mighty in operation all bodies die without the sunne and all soules and bodies perish without the effect of this Scripture Philosophers thinke that the sunne and a man maketh a man but diuine philosophy wil thinke speake and conclude that this sonne of God the sunne and light of mankind maketh and saueth and crowneth man with glory in that he wipeth out and washeth away the sinne of the world the sunne is the hart of heauen the captaine of the stars the eye of the world this worde is the hart of the Bible the cheefe of al words to which our eares must giue eare and on which our eyes must alwaies looke For in this verse are cōtained the lawes of Moses and Israël with the prophecies of all prophets both great and small in that Iohn calleth Iesus the lambe of God and the fruit of the new Testament both in the Euangelists Apostles springeth and groweth from this ground in that he is said to take away the sinne of the world Then was Simplicius but a hellish iudge to count the tales of Aegypt and the tables of Moses alike and Galen was but a prophane humorist and Lacuna his shadow little better to mislike the creation of man and misreport the wonders of the red sea ignorantly then are the Pelagians peruerse and miserable disputers which denie and euacuate the baptisme of infants because Christ alone washeth and purgeth thē like them which would hinder the beginning of a thing because it shall at last be made perfect or say you must not vse an instrumēt because there is a principall or warme your self at a fire because the sun is the chiefest workemaster of heate warmnes But to let passe all dilating cōparatiue amplifications of words sentēces togither with other necessary occasiōs of discourse Marke beloued what is here written with the finger of God pen of the holy ghost the next day Iohn seeth Iesus cōming to him and saith and tell me if euer you heard a more louing a more gratious and cōfortable saying behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world O bountifull Iesu ô sweete Sauiour ô mercifull annointed of God the Father what is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the sonne of mā that thou so regardest him our bodies are brim full of sinne wickednes as the stables of oxen asses ouerladen and ouercharged with dunge and filthinesse the goodnesse of our soules is like a mēstruous rag as Esay witnesseth c. 64. v. 6. whose word is as an inuiolable seale a sure bond What is then within vs worthy of thy loue ô Christ or what is without vs worthy of thy liking ô son of Dauid ô son of God ô sunne and light of heauē earth we looke vpon thee with Iohn-baptist ô that we could alwaies looke vpō thee we see thee come to vs as did Iohn-baptist ô neuer turne thy backe vpon vs but euer come to vs stay with vs euer we reioyce in thy name that thou art a lambe to vs and a lion of Iuda to the enimies that thou dischargest the debts of the righteous and leauest the wicked in the debtbooke to be arrested and imprisoned till they haue paide the vttermost farthing we looke on thee with ioyfulnesse ô Iesu as infants looke vpon a light the wicked see thee with dazeled eyes as the Sodomites groped in the darke Genesis c. 19. v. 11 we walke in thy sun-light and are comforted we are blacke and sunburnt with walking we are black ô Iesu but louely before thee the wicked are parched with thy beames thy heat maketh their heads to ake their harts to pant their spirits to faile them that they may as it were call for butter out of a lordly dish milke out of a bottle with Sisara or some other delight which their sensuall soules long for and afterward be nayled to the earth with the hammer of one deceitfull Iahel or other close enimie in their sleepe and securitie or come to such like sudden and vile death And this in effect is the generall summe and chiefe purpose of this text Of the ioyfull estate of the godly by seing Christ and The wofull fall of the wicked by turning frō him Now to proceede in the playner exposition of euery portiō and particularity of this verse we see in it both a briefe History and a blessed Doctrine The History is that when Iohn saw Iesus comming to him he gaue out among the people his iudgement of
of God for greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world they are of the world and therefore speake they of the world and the world heareth them we are of God hee that knoweth God heareth vs he that is not of God heareth vs not hereby know we the spirit of veritie the spirit of errour thus much S. Iohn in that place O let vs still and still more and more eschue abandon this spirit of error this spirit of the world this spirit of Antichrist and euer imbrace and acknowledge the spirit of truth the spirit of God the spirit of Christ O let vs for the loue of God for the loue of Christ for the loue of our owne soules euermore seeke the lambe of God follow the lambe of God behold and imbrace the lambe of God looke for the health of our bodies the saluation of our soules the safegard of both not in or from or by any other but only in and from and by the only lambe of God repose our whole beliefe trust and felicity in the lambe of God that taketh away the sin of the world that redeemeth saueth vs wretched and wicked sinners of the world that with his owne precious bloud hath paid the great ransome for the release of our miserable bondage and captiuity vnder the yoke of sinne and hath suffered that great insufferable passion due to vs sinners to bring vs vnto heauen vnto God vnto himselfe sitting on the right hand of the father in all maiestie power and glorie for euer and euer Thus you haue a short confutation of those vngratious worldlings that either with wilfull or no better then beastly violence or with witlesse desperate blasphemy or with fond and obstinate self-loue haue proued themselues the most indiscreet rulers the most vnskilfull writers the most vile and vngodly sinfull men that euer were called men or euer liued in the world I meane first those vngodly antichristian hellish Aristotelists Auerroists Plinians call them in word as they were in deed men of more subtilty then surety which denying the immortalitie of the soule accounting it no better then heat and breath mouing and remouing the body only haue ignorantly and preiudicially denied the finall cause of Christs sorrowfull humiliation and glorious resurrection which saued our soules from damnatiō and death in the nethermost noisome deadly pit the lake of torment the prison of misery and all thraldome world without end and defending the eternity of the world iudging it without beginning and without ending which vndoubtedly was fashioned finished in six daies as we surely proue by the Genesis of Moses the wonderfull prophet of God the wisest lawmaker in Israël the mightiest captaine of armes by the Hexaëmerons of diuers both Greeke and Latin doctors and fathers by our Apostolicke beleefe most stedfastly builded on God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth the sea and all that is in them at whose last comming the earth shall melt away like wax and the heauens shal be folded vp like a garment haue defaced with all their might the maiestie of Christs ascension and denied the eternitie of his last dreadfull iudgement both which wee reuerence and magnifie with all godly loue and Christian zeale hauing visiblie and faithfully seen the one with the Apostles eyes and vnfaynedly looking for the other with liuely heartes with spirituall hunger and thirst with desire to leaue this mad and drunken world to liue infinitely raigne with him in euerlasting life Then I meane those hypocriticall Pharisies those impious Iewes and Iewish confederats succeeding the heathenish infidels and pagans in course and time of yeares but farre before them in all wickednes sinne in euery notorious iniquitie and enormitie that did treacherously and sophistically seeke to vndermine Christ and to take him in his words that in the gall of bitternes and bond of impietie mocked and spitte at him and most grieuously and vniustly disgraced him in spite of heauen and earth of angels and men euen as God had appointed in his secrete ordinance and wonderfull prouidence before the foundation of the world was layd that in the pride and rage of Iudaisme in the height of anger and depth of malice whipped him like an outcast the sonne of God crowned him with thorns like a mad bedlem the innocent lambe of God nay led and perced and wounded him to death like a hurtfull beast the triumphant king of angels and men mightie Sauiour of the world But they soone felt the heauy intollerable hande of God for these so Iewish and diuelish abhominations and when their brasen faces would not blush nor their iron heartes relent the very stones of the temple were riuen asunder the faire vaile was rent in twaine frō the top to the bottom those sensles stones were more soft and pensiue then the Iewes the dead carcases were more tenderly and mercifully affected toward Christ crucified at his one and last exclamation in one hower then the elders of Iury were in all their life time which heard many heauenly admonitions diuers happy promisses sundry blessings and cursings yet liued and died in their gainesayings being at last themselues as stones and carcasses reiected throwne out and troden vpon hauing their children and cities vtterly destroyed and their land layd wast and those mockings and spittings that thorny crowne and vineger and gall those nayles and that speare and that crosse and all the rods and crosses that were laid vpon Christ haue euer since bene laide vpon them being esteemed the most odious abiects of all men the very roges and runnegates of the earth against whom all men haue set themselues euen as they oppose and set themselues against all men like Ismaëites and Edomites more vile in Gods eyes then dunge and clay on the ground and all good and godly Christians are inuincibly confirmed in Christian faith by the shamefull ouerthrow of those Iewish and christians which is come to passe according to the gospell of Iesus Christ for his kingdomes sake and our endlesse comfort and instruction to him therefore be prayse for euer Then I meane the Turkes and turkish religion or rather hereticall superstition that in steed of noble prophets on our side hath but one fugitiue monke but the same one false monke on their part to defend it against our so many learned and constant professours that hath no history for his defence and in that respect condemneth historians that could neuer get any sober and learned orator to maintaine his cause and therfore disaloweth the graces and power of rhetorick that cannot be defended by disputation and therefore forbiddeth all disputations that is forced against his owne will law to prefer Christ before Mahomet our mercifull king before his bloudie captaine for honest and honorable birth for vertuous and wonderfull acts for blessed and heauenly translation himselfe being borne basely and liuing vitiously and dying of lewd causes more like a ruffian
of the deuill then a prophet of God as themselues confesse vnawares in their vaine Alcoran and doltish bible His more then triple Dodecamechany to the finall ruine of that tyrannicall kingdome and satanicall iurisdiction in Turky and to the building vp of Gods house in new Sion to the benefit of his housholders his children and seruaunts if they could once be so christianly wise to forgiue their owne quarrels and forget that is past and euer hereafter serue God please him by fighting his battels with a perfit loue and vnanimity among themselues with a perpetuall hatred and magnanimity against such enemies the souldiers of the flesh the sonnes of transgression now more then halfe wearied with their religion and euer remayning in suspition and ielousie one of another Now God for his owne sake make them euer like Oreb and Zeb and like to the princes of Zeba and Salmana the God of our fathers confound their huge armies and militar powers that they may fall vpon their owne swordes that their armes of flesh may be broken that all their beastly cruelties practised against good christians from Mahound to this present day may returne vpon themselues that they goe hence and be no more seene that their name may perish from among the children of men that we and all our posteritie may sing with the seuenth Angel mentioned in the Reuelation and with those great voices in heauen the kingdomes of this world are our Lords and his Christes and he shal reigne for euermore c. 11. v. 15. but the Saracens shall not ouerrule him the Paganisme of Sergius shal not deuour the Christianisme of the Apostles seeing the gospell is dispensed in all parts of the earth as much more then the Alcoran howsoeuer Luter in a furious imitation of Micheas hath rapt out the contrarie as if hee desired rather the name of a Prophet among the infidels then of a frend to Christians Then I meane the blasphemous high-minded swelling Greekes both Iulianists and Lucianists both Emperors and Schollers both mighty and learned men whose naughty ende hath prooued their beginning naught whos 's owne words of euident treason against God haue iudged and condemned them who are in account among godly wise men as the poysonous flyes or as dead dogs who haue vanished like a vapor and beene consumed like a smoke to nothing euen as it pleased the Lord so are these thinges infallibly come to passe by whom is reserued for their last sentence for their vngracious schollers for their frendes and fauourites a lake of brimstone a gnawing worme a consuming fire mingled with percing cold for euermore for thus were the Iewes cursed for their malicious blasphemie against Christ in the time of his earthly and corporall humiliation neither can these and other like them be in better estate which crie out and rayle against him in these dayes of his eternall heauenly exaltation as S. Augustine reasoneth truely vpon a text of S. Matthew And what is become of those wicked Romans which I thē named but shame and discredit reproach and confusion among all vertuous well disposed christians they might for their stile and phrase haue purchased our lyking for their graue and politike gnomes haue beene in good account among good men whereas now their malcontentship against Christianitie and their hauty and scornfull attemptes against Gods annoynted together with their disdainfull termes against our Christian profession and professors haue cast their works into great contempt that might els haue been in greatest price because no honest man will in confcience approue false famous libels or any graue man can scarcely euen in reason beleeue a lyer when he speaketh trueth much lesse when he telles his owne tales or any man shall not measure but like for like and vpon compulsion compare themselues with their enemies these sodaine slidinges with the others wilfull fallinges these suborned reproches with the others iudiciall penalties true conuictions vnchangeable executions If they had beene of so vpright a nature or of so ciuill nurture to report all well of them which did nothing ill or hurtfull to any but were innocent lambs of God they might haue otherwise then now they are beene reckened with the best sort of best writers and gotten our subscriptions as well as their owne friends commendations but seeing their venim was so great and aboundant to thrust out their stinges and spyt out their ranknes at godly and heauenly minded Christians they bewray the stocke and broode they came frō euen the spawne of that old serpent and seede of Satan and make vs al in good consciences freely to denounce and proclayme them enuyers deceyuers falsifiers to brand them with the marke of strong theeues for robbing Gods church to set them in the blacke booke of damned soules for defying and diffaming Gods owne militant teachers and messengers which preach the trueth which spend their liues in defence of the word which offer themselues a dayly sacrifice vnto him that gaue himselfe once a pure and perfect oblation for thē and all which honour both spirituall and temporall fathers without any grudging because of Gods ordinance and for conscience sake which studie and pray continually for the perpetuall glory honour of Gods Church Gods house Gods visible throne which perswade some and exhort all men to vertue to deuotion to loue of God and loue of man which drie vp their harts and braines day and night euen to the decay of their owne health and strength to heale the wounded and afflicted conscience to confirme and stablishe the faith of their countrey to abandon vncharitable disobedient opinions to bid men take heede of furious tedious self-will to remember they are as Gods small sheepefold in the midst of a Wolues forrest to bee as doues among themselues without harme and subtile serpents when the aduersarie commeth to magnifie God for his manifold benefites and to holde out the hand when he geueth his blessings and euer to behold and worship the blessed lamb of God that washeth away the sinnes of the earth But alas there are many strange errors abroad in the earth and there are too many headstrong mainteyners of old paradoxes and newfangled nouelties which either renew those antiquated trifles or giue them a colour a deuise and glosse of the makers which are their craftes maisters and bondslaues such men are girded and wrapped in with splene and brought vp cheefly in the chapters De contradicentibus and so wedded and giuen to alter all statutes and turkisse all states that they are become plaine turkish and rebellious vnnaturall countrimen and vnkind neighbours they doe not behold and follow the harmeles lambe of God that euer most gratiously helpeth offenders and bringeth them from deadly traines I haue hitherto tolde of open knowne and professed enemies I haue already confuted those notorious and famous antichristians such as with a wild and wide throate or infamous tongue and pen haue without al manner of colourable or