all which heare the word so plainely and plentifully preached doe not beleeue but rather considering the impediments of faith that are within vs and without vs it is maruell that any do beleeue for faith is not of our selues by nature it is the gift of Gods graâ—e and Ephe. 2. another manner of thing then many imagine seeing no man knowes it but those that haue it as no man knowes the sweetenes of hony but those that haue tasted it I will not enter into a common place of faith because I purpose not to go from the Apostles purpose onely thgat we may not be deceiued in iudging of it as many are let vs knowe that faith is a precious and vnspeakeable gift which God by his holy spirit workes in the hartes of his elect in measure whereby a man doeth applye Christ and all his good things to himselfe with comfortable assurance and whereby he is prouoked and inabled to thankefull obedience thus Christ being preached he was beleeued on in the worlde not talked on onely but beleeued on also he was talked on of many and beleeued on of some though but few in comparison as it is now but we must not rest in lip faith but labour for hart faith not rest in faith of the flesh but labour for faith of the spirite not rest in the faith of common Protestantes but labour for the faith of true Christians not rest in a dead faith that is without finite but labour for that faith which may maâ—e vs aliue from dead workes not rest in such a counterfet faith as is ouercome of the world but labour for that faith that â—â—oth ouercome the world for Christ 〈◊〉 ouercome for vs except â—◠〈◊〉 vs this is the commandement of the Gospell that we beleeue in him whome God hath sent that we beleeue this mistery noâ— only that God became man but that he did it for the saluation of men and not only of other men for so far hipocrites may go in beleeuing but of our selues euery one must beleeue that Christ so wrought the redemption of the Church generally as hee did it for him perticulerlye as a member of the same and if there had beene no more he would haue done it for him alone This is a part of this mistery to beleeue that Christ being in heauen and we in earth Christ beeing glorious and we base Christ being pure and we defiled should be one with vs and we with him But marke that it was said before Christ was preached to the Gentiles and now he was beleeued on in the world the Gentiles were great sinners yet when Christ was preached they beleeued in him Some may therevpon aske this question Doth Christ belong to wicked men no not so long as they bee wicked but the Apostles did preache this misterie of forgiuenesse of sinnes and saluation in Christ to those that do repent as Peter saith Amend your liues Acts. 2. and be baptised in the name of the Lord â—esus for the remission of sinnes therefore those that would beleeue this misterie must repent of their sinnes for the faith that wicked men boast of is but a fancie Repentance is a godly sorrow rising from the sight of our sinnes and the punishment due vnto them which causes a man to hate the deuill euill men and euill things to loue God good men and good things in his minde and to forsake the deuill euill men and euill things and to follow God good men and good things in his maners but it is not so needfull to shew now what repentance is as to perswade men to go about it neither is it so necessarie to shew whether faith or repentance be wrought first in a man seeing they are alwayes ioyned together and are at no time separated in a good man repentance though it may be said to be the last in nature yet it is the first in feeling Thus the Gentiles when they heard the Gospell beleeued in Christ as we may see in Zacheus and in those that burned their Luk. 19 Acts. 19. bookes of curious Artes at Ephesus and many other therefore those that became Christians are in the Epistles of Paul called Saints and if any that had beene receiued into the Church vpon a counterfeite shew of repentance did returne to his olde sinnes the scripture appoints him to be cast out and deliuered to Sathan as vnworthy of a Christian estate but those that did indeed beleeue in Christ became true Christians such as were redeemed iustified and sanctified by him Receiued vp into glory That is his manhood for his Godhead was alwayes in glorie but the Apostle meanes he was receiued into glorie in his manhood that he might enioy that life which was promised to those that keepe the law this is that he prayed for Father glorifie thy sonne with that glorie that I had with thee before the worlde Iohn 17. was This is that the Euangelist Marke speakes of He was taken vp into heauen Mar. 16. The manner of his ascention thether is set downe in the first of the Actes Acts. 1. Therefore he is not here corporally vpon earth as the Papistes say for we beleeue in the creede he assended into heauen which must containe him vntill his comming againe Acts. 3. this is that is saide of him he is crowned Heb. 2. with glory and honour not such glory only as the Saints and Angels haue but the highest degree of glory belonging to the head of the Church though he were base for a time yet is he glorious for euer which those that beleeue in him did see by saith as the theefe on the Crosse that said Lord haue mercy on me when thou commest in thy kingdome and therfore though in the primatiue Church the friendes of the Church did expostulate with them and say will ye beleeue and suffer for one that was crucified yet by faith they ouercame such reasons and knew he was another manner of person then they tooke him as it is said he was receiued into glory This is that which is said of him that hee sitteth at the right hand of God Ephe. 1. that is as Paule expounded it exalted farre aboue all principalitye and power Phil. 2. as it is said to the Philippians hee humbled himselfe to the death of the Crosse wherefore God hath exalted him and giuen him a name aboue all names that at the name of Iesus euery knee should bow this he saith of himselfe all power is giuen to me both in heauen and in earth that as he hath redeemed his people from their enemies so hee might defend them from them This is a great mistery that he which was brought so lowe should be exalted so high but is this all that he was glorified in his person No but that he might glorifie his members as Paule saith to the Thesselonians 2. Thess 1. He shall be gloryfied in his Saints and made maruelous in all those
that do beleeue he laid not downe our nature againe when he had wrought our redemption but carried it with him into heauen as one saith when Christ went away from vs hee lefte vs his pawne that is his spirit to assure vs hee would come againe to vs and tooke with him our pawne that is our flesh to assure vs we should come to him according as hee saith in Iohn I goe to prepare a place for you that where I am there you may bee also This is the misterye that the sonne of God came downe to the earth tofetch vs vp to heauen that after hee had sanctified our humayne nature in himselfe he might glorifie vs with himselfe as Paul saith He Phil. 3. shall change our vile body that it may be made like his glorious body which how excellent an estate it is no toung is able to expresse As the worst is past with Christ so the best is to come with Christians for he would not haue come from glorye to basenesse but to haue drawne vs from basenesse to glory therefore let vs be content with our Sauiour Christ himselfe to passe by the crosse to this crowne where we shall receiue the end of our faith which is the saluation 1. Pet. 1. of our soules The necessities of Religion or Mans Renouation IOHN 3. 3. Iesus answered except a man be borne againe he cannoâ— see the kingdome of God 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. OVr Sauiour Christ being excellent and famous when hee was vpon the earth many resorted to him to heare his doctrine and see his miracles and among the rest there was one Nichodemus who was a Pharisie a teacher and Ecclesiasticall ruler among the Iewes that came to him but secretly by night fearing the displeasure of the rest of his sect who loued not Christ nor his disciples as some looking Iohn 9. too much to men haue a kinde of fleshly shame or bashfulnesse in well doing and the higher any man is lifted vp in wealth authoritye or society with great men the stronger impediments he hath to keepe him from Christ But when he comes to our Sauiour Christ he salutes him reuerently and calles him Rabbi a title and saluation then commonly vsed to learned men and he saith to him we know speaking of himselfe his company thou art a teacher sent from God for no man could doe those miracles which thou doest except God were with him he knew him not to be the Messtas but tooke him for some speciall Prophet the rest of the Pharises asked him by what authority he did those miracles seeing he was not approoued by them that were the gouerners of the Church but Nichodemus being somwhat wiser then the rest confesses he had authority sufficient from God In the former chapter they required a signe of him to confirme his calling if it were extraordinary as Moses confirmed his calling by turning his rodde into a serpent and Elias by deuiding Iordâ—â— with his mantle but Nichodemus confesses there were signes ennow for saith he No man could doe those things that thou doost except God were with him Now although our Sauiour Christ might haue taken exception to his maner of comming by night and reprooued his feare of men and ignorance that he knew him not to be more then a Prophet yet letting passe these wordes that I haue read he beginnes with the chiefe point and that which was the cause of those faultes in him which was the want of grace and therefore saith Except a man be borne againe c. As if he should say although thou doost call me maister and thereby professest thy selfe to be a scholler yet I doe not account thee fit for my disciple except thou beest borne againe For by the kingdome of heauen heere is not ment the kingdome of glory in the next life as some haue taken it but the kingdome of grace in this life that is the true Church as it is taken in the fift of Mathew the Church is called Mat. 5. 19 the kingdome of heauen because the lawes whereby it is gouerned are from heauen the guiftes wherewith it is endued are from heauen the persons that are members of the true Church are Cittizens of heauen and because the Church is as it were the suburbes thorowe the which we must enter the Kingdome of heauen It is as if our Sauiour Christ should say thou hast made a iourney to heare me and thou hast vsed good wordes vnto me but that is not enough thou canst not bee accounted a true member of the Church except thou hast good thoughtes and good workes aswell as good words except thou beest borne againe that is generally made better both in thy minde and manners Let vs marke our Sauiour dooth not flatter him though he were a great man but seekes to profit him some doe much extoll small things in great men if they will heare a sermon or two giue courteous wordes and entertainement to a minister they greatly commend them although their mindes and manners be as vnformed as their naturall parents left them but we must follow our Sauiour Christes example to Nichodemus except they bee borne againe and reformed in hart and hand aswel as in toung except they be indeed generally sanctified aswel as they seeme to be so in some perticular it is nothing worth although they would goe twenty mile to heare the choisest Preacher in the country except they doe reforme themselues by the word conforme themselues to that which is taught therein they be no Christians This doubtlesse was an vnpleasant answer to Nichodemus for howsoeuer a naturall man can be content to haue something added to him yet he likes not to haue all condemned that is in him and to haue his estate called into question But our Sauiour Christ not regarding what would please him but profit him condemnes his first birth and telles him he must of necessity be borne againe neither doth he speake of Nichodemus in perticular but of all men in generall for saith he Except a man be borne againe and not of men onely but women also for that which was Nichodemus his condition is the condition of all by their first birth the Potter would not breake his pot to make it againe except it were ill made so God would not regenerate men except they were euill generated Therefore our Sauiour Christ dooth in these words both condemne our first birth and vrge the necessity of a new birth as if he should say except a man in the time of his life become better then hee is by his birth except a man be againe begotten of God who is a better father in the wombe Iam. 1. 18 of the Church that is a better mother by the worde that is immortall and better 1. Pet. 1. 23. seede and so becomes a new creature and hath better qualities he shall not haue a better inheritance It is as if he should say as a man is by
which hee will not doe with the like but with a caste of his office cutting large thonges of other mâ—ns leather The reason why the Maiestrate must take no rewardes is because rewards blind the eyes and peruert the iudgement it keepes him from seeing the right of the other side and makes him see that side where the bribe is to glister like the gold put a staffe in the water and it will seeme crooked not that it is crooked but we cannot see it right for the water so looke on a cause t 〈…〉 owe bribes and that which is â—ght will seeme crooked If therefore we loue to be kept in vpright iudgement and sight let vs abhor gifts we mislike theÌ„ that put out our bodily eyes though it be with a siluer Bodkin how much more those that put out the eyes of our minde The Philiâ—ines thought they could put Sampson to no greater shame then to put out his eyes so it is a great shame to a Maiestrate to bee blinded with bribes for then all men may see his partiality therefore though men thinke they are honoured of them that giue them bribes yet they are dishonoured and though they thinke they will see right and doe iustice notwithstanding but thereby they are blinded and corrupted a bribe will drawe his iudgement and affection like an Adamant stone It is with the Maiestrate and a bribe as it is with the fishe and the bayte if the fish take the baite she is taken of the baite so if the Maiestrate take a bribe he is taken of the bribe as rewardes doe blinde the Maiestrate so it peruerts him It peruertes his iudgement of the man that sends him guifts it makes him thinke the man is louing and kinde to him when it is not the loue of the Maiestrate but the loue of himselfe that mooues him also it peruerts his iudgement of the matter for hee will thinke of all circumstances and straine and drawe them to the vttermost for that part and lend a deafe eare to the other side at least a slender regarde Some Officers looke not to God but to Mammon not how they may giue euery man his owne but how they may make other mens their owne not how they may dispatch causes rightly and commodiously for the people but how they may eyther release or linger causes for their owne commoditie but it is said Thou shalt take us rewardes and the Maiestrate should say to him that offers him a bribe what wouldest thou put out my eyes I suspect your cause is naught because you would colour it with corruption I will looke so much the more narrowly into it because you seeke thus to daube it We are highly to thanke God that this precept is religiously regarded of our Lorde chiefe Iustice and Lorde chiefe Baron and I hope of many other superiour Maiestrates I would it were aswell of inferiour officers I once heard a Maiestrate saye to one that offered him certaine Capons to stand his friend Why saith hee doe yee bring â—ee these filthie things I will none of them the creatures were good but hee called them so in respect of the filthie working effect and ende of them If all Maiestrates did beare such a minde and would giue like answere to such persons they should preuent sinne and shame to themselues and danger to other and further iustice to the glory of God That which is iust and right shalt thou doe Whatsoeuer is iust and right that is within the compasse of thine office thou shalt doe and not bee drawne from it by respect of bribes or persons God will haue Maiestrates precise in Iustice and to goe as it were by a thred therefore it is said in another place They should not 〈…〉 ne to the right hand nor to the left That thou mayest liue This is a promise â—ade to good Maiestrates that execute iustice right as Salomon saith It shall establish the throne of the Prince whereby wee may see how iustice doth please God and not onely because it is a dutie that he commandes but because it is a meanes to keepe a number in their duties Contrarywise heere is included a secret threatning that if Maiestrates doe not execute iustice But wrest the law and peruert iudgement eyther by respect of persons or bribes they shall dye and not onely because they doe neglect this dutie but because a great number of sinnes will growe thorow impietie If Iudges that bee Gods debuties will not doe iustice then the Iudge of all must doe it himselfe both vpon the Iudges themselues and vpon the people therefore it is said thou shalt cut of a wicked person from the earth and so take euil from Israel both the euill that else he will do and the euill that the people shall suffer from the hand of God for bearing with such things when Eli would not punish his sonnes how did God punish not onelye him and his house but the whole people When Saule would not punish Agag and the witch how did God punish him so if Maiestrates loue their owne peace and the peace of the people let them execute iustice if they doe not God will and when we see fayling this way on earth let vs appeale to heauen ¶ A Iewell for Gentlewomen 1. PETER 3. 3. Whose apparelling let it not be outwarde as with broydered hayre and golde put about or in putting on of apparell 4. But let the hid man of the heart be vncorrupt with a meeke and quiet spirit which is before God a thing much set by 5. For euen after this manner in time past did the holy women which trusted in God tire themselues and were subiect to their husbands THe Apostle Peter in this Epistle after hee hath taught the generall duties of Christians that are to bee performed to God and to all men hee hath proceeded to the perticular duties belonging to some of inferiours to superiours and because the King is both the highest superior and to be honored of all he hath begunne with him in the former Chapter and hath proceeded from the publike gouernours of the Common-wealth to the priuate gouernours of families and taught the duties of seruants to their maisters And because God will haue order in euery societie euen in the least societie aswell as in the greatest in the beginning of this Chapter hee teaches wiues to bee subiect to their husbands for although a wife in other places of Scripture be called her husbands companion Mal. 2. and yoake-fellow because of the neere coniunction and affection that is betweene them and because in some things especially in the marriage bed they bee equall yet the husband is appointed of God to be her head and superiour therfore shee is commanded to bee subiect to Gen. 3. him in her desire and in her behauior both in words and in deeds for since our first parents 1. Pet. 3. 5 did exalt themselues and would bee like God all their posteritie haue
bee worne no where else but in the court but there yee shall be sure to finde it If those that be of low calling weare high apparell it must needs shew pride for there must be some difference between the Maiestrate and the subiect between the master the seruant between a Iack a Gentleman between Joane my Lady Againe if those of poore estate weare rich apparell it must needs shew folly vanity neglect of their family for there must be some differeÌ„ce between Cressus Codrus In the book of Martirs it is reported of one of the kings of England who commaunded his man to buy him a paire of hoase of a marke but now a meane subiect will weare a paire of hoase of twenty marke and euen those that be of calling and ability though they may weare costly apparrell yet they must not weare it at all times for in the day of humilation commaunded to the people of Israell or in the day of a publike fast none might put on their best apparrell therefore it was wont to be a common fault in gentlewomen when they came to a fast they came in the brauery and curiosity of apparrell as if they went to a feast and as there be some restraintes in the Sciripture touching the matter of apparrell so touching the forme and fashion of it it is forbidden men to weare womens apparrell Deu. 22. women to weare mens apparrell because it is a confusion and dangerous occasion of sinne it is also forbidden both men and women to weare strange apparrell like Zeph. 1. monsters as many now a dayes will haue other faces or complexions other haire and other bellies then God hath made them they are not content with the french Hoode with the Italian Ruffes with the Dutch hoase with the Indean shooes but they must haue euery day new and forraine fashions that they are growne out of fashion They doe not onely borrow the matâ—er of their apparrell from diuers creatures â—s beastes foules fishes wormes but they borrow the forme of their apparrell from diuers countries but Paule saith fashion not Rom. 12. 3. our selues like vnto this world there are no perticuler rules set downe in the Scripture for the fashion of apparrell but generally the Scripture saith it must agree with comâ—nesse modesty and sobriety a paterne whereof we must fetch from the Churches that is from the practise of Christian sober modest persons for in a question of womens attyring their heades the Apostle 1. Cor. 11 saith they had no such custome as some of the Corinthias vsed neither the churches of God therefore when young women that should haue sober mindes or ould women that haue young mindes shall weare nothing vpon their heades but their haire and that set vp a fore like a forehorse toppe I meane not a little which some sober women vse but set vp a great deale ilfauoured haire and immodestly when they shall weare monstrous vardugales which as it is saide were inuented by a strumpet to couer a great belly which requires more stuffe and takes vp more roome in meeting then some of them are worth and worthy of when they be exceeding curious in their colors cuts let them behold and inquire if such such that be religious wise sober and modest women go so apparrelled and inquire why they do not they shal finde it is because religion sobriety modesty wherewith they are indewed will not suffer them to doe so for shame but they that want religion and vertue cannot iudge of the vnseemelines vanity of these things whose apparrelling let it not be outward he opposes the outward apparrel to the inward apparrell which is the hid man of the hart that he speakes of afterward his meaning is not so much to condemne the outward apparrell as to commend vnto them the inwarde apparrell therefore hee saith to the Christian women whose apparrell let it not be outward but inward as if hee shold say thinke not that your chiefe beauty and brauery standes in decking of the body but in garnishing of the minde as our Sauiour Christ saith Labour not for the Ioh. 6. meate that perishes but for the meate that indures to euerlasting life Hee forbides not labour for that but requires the chiefe labour for the other hee would not haue them thinke their chiefe dyet to bee the foode of the bodye but the foode of the soule When our sauiour Christ bids his disciples Mat. 6. not lay vp treasure for themselues in earth but in heauen hee would haue men thinke that their chiefe riches is not goods but goodnes so when he saith here Whose apparrelling let it not bee outwarde but inward hee meanes they should not thinke the garmeÌ„ts of the body but the vertues of the minde their chiefe ornamentes When Adam Eue fell their soules were naked aswel as their bodies so it is with al their posterity as it is said in the Reuelation the Reue. 3. third chap. to the church of Laoditia thou seest not how thou art miserable and naked they were not naked in their bodyes but in their soules As God appointed our first parentes skins to couer their bodyes so he appointed his owne sonne and his owne image to couer their soules which the scripture willes al men to put on Paul saith to the RomaÌ„ put on the Lord Iesus Rom. 13. Christ to the EphesiaÌ„s put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes Ephe. 4. true holines yea the soule is more naked theÌ„ the body for there be some parts of the body that haue some comlines in theÌ„ and neede no couering as the face and 1. Cor. 12 handes but the soule is vncomely and naked in euery part the vnderstanding memory conscience will affection and all both of men and women haue need to be apparrelled regenerated and sanctified therefore as when any part of the body is naked either armes legges or feete wee seeke to get apparrell for it sleeues hoase shooes so much more must we doe for the nakednes of the soule Is any proude seeke for the garment of humility is any incontinent seeke for the garment of chastity is any couetous seeke for the garment of lyberality is any malicious seeke for the garment of charity and as the Scripture doth will vs to be moderate and incomparison carclesse of the attire of the body because we are too much giuen to it so it willes vs to bee carefull yea curious as I may say in these things of the soule as Peter 2. Pet. 1. saith loyne moreouer to your faith vertue to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly kindenesse and to brotherly kindenesse loue and to the Thessalonians Paule willes Christians to increase more and more in them but in this place the Apostle setteth downe the attire of Christian