from the people but of Satans Consisers which you Papists are We may say to you as Hierome your great Doctor sayth of your Fathers in tymes past and of the Valentinian Hereticks Barbaro simplices quosque terrent sono With a barbarous vnknown tong and sound of wordes they feare the symple that whatsoeuer they vnderstand not they may the more estéeme and haue in reuerence And least the Reader should be offended that I call the Laten tongue hereby barbarous let hym knowe how the Apostle holdeth euery tongue barbarous that is not vnderstoode of him to whom it is spoken saying Vnlesse I vnderstand the powre and meaning of the wordes I shall be barbarous to him that speaketh 1. Cor. 14.11 and he that speaketh barbarous vnto me But the Lorde in hys great mercy as he hath giuen his Christ to be made knowne to Iewe and Gentyle So hath he in these our happy dayes and present state by the contynuall preaching of his word most worthyly wrought the glory of his name Psalm 8. So that out of the mouthes of sucklings and babes yea from old wythered stocks and as it were dead stones Gods holye spirite floweth in Englande and myghtily setteth forth the prayses of our Christ hys light to vs Gentyls and full glory to Israel that imbrace him to whome therefore be eternall prayse But for that thys lyght cannot be apprehended by humane capacitie it is requisite that we séeke the means by which we may apprehende the same The fyrst hereto is that we haue the true Interpreter of the worde in our hartes euen the spirite of truth whose it is to teache vs and leade vs into all truth This Spirite is obteyned of God for Christ by earnest and vigilant prayer I wil pray the Father sayth Christ and he will giue you another comforter euen the spirite of truth Ioh. 14.16 and he shall lead you into all truth and shall abyde with you for euer So as Christ hath giuen vs example we must daylie pray the father for this Spirite to illuminate our sences that we may vnderstand his word aright Psal 119. Open mine eyes sayth Dauid that I may consyder the wonders in thy lawe Teach me thy iustifications and giue mee vnderstanding and I shall search thy commaundements And Paule the Doctor of the Gentyls in al his Epistles prayeth for the vnderstanding of the wyll and worde of God which commeth by the light of the holy ghost Collos 1.9 I haue not ceased synce the fyrst daye I heard of you Collossians sayth Paule to pray for you and to make peticion that you may be filled in al the knowledge of his will with al wisedome and spiritual vnderstanding Also for the Ephesians he sayth Ephe. 3.14 For this cause I bowe my knees to the father of our Lord Iesus Christ of whom is named the whole family in heauen and earth that he will for his riche gloryes sake giue vnto you mightily to be strengthened by his spirite in the inner man that Christ maye dwell in your hartes by fayth that you being rooted in charitie and grounded may comprehende with all Saints what is the breadth the length the depth and to know the loue of Christ which passeth al knowledge that ye maye be fylled with al the fulnesse of God A most excellent order howe we obteyne the vnderstanding of his worde the light of lyfe which expresseth the great goodnesse of our good GOD set forth by this Metaphor of Geomatrie of bredth length height depth that is to say the excéeding goodnesse of God which in euery place in heauen and earth East and Weast North and South appeareth through his lyght of the Gentyls Christ the Lorde to the sonnes of men Prayer is the fyrst step to this vnderstanding Prayer I saye to God the Father of Christ and vs. Gods mercifull gifte answering our prayer is the next which riche gift reacheth to our harts our light Christ the Lorde to dwell therein which Christ doth shyne by his spirite so in our soules that we by this spirituall power doe vnderstand the mysteries conteyned in his word doe heare his voyce and onely cleaue thereto eschewing al strange spéeches be they neuer so pleasant to the naturall eare 1. Cor. 3.14 For thus made spirituall we iudge al things Assure your selues by your owne desire of doing good to your own borne sonnes of your heauenly fathers gift euen his holye spirite to this ende Iac. 1.6 Luc. 11.11 If ye aske in faith not doubting Which of you fathers if his sonne doe aske him bread wil giue him a stone Or if he aske a Fishe wil giue him a Serpent Or if he aske an Egge wil giue him a Scorpion If you therefore sayth our light and Lord Christ being euil know how to giue your children good giftes How much more shal your heauenly father giue his holye spirite to them which aske of him Whosoeuer asketh receyueth and he which seeketh findeth who knocketh the dore shall be opened to him Pray therefore lyfting vp pure hands The second is the diligent studie and daylie reading in the booke of God Psalm 1. Blessed is he that doth meditate in the law of God day and night and doth conferre place with place and by those that are more playne open the more obscure This was Paules commaundement to Timothie 1. Tim. 4.13 Tyll I come giue thy selfe to reading to exhortation to doctrine Againe Abyde thou in those things that thou hast learned knowing of whome thou hast learned them 2. Tim. 3.14 and that of a little chylde thou hast studied the Scriptures which are able to make thee wise to saluation by fayth in Christ Iesu Yea olde Paule hymselfe Reading with dyligence a gret furtherance to Gods knowledge in vs. being a prysoner in Rome for the Gospell contynued this exercise of reading penning the fruite of his studie Wherefore that he myght haue to do so he sendeth to Timothy for his books and noting Partchment Roles that he left at Troas If thys was néedefull to olde learned Paule it is moste necessary in yong Tymothy if in the teacher 2. Tim. 4.13 much more in the scholer And let no man yrke at the based style of holy Wryt but rather thinke as in homely shelles manye tymes are found most precious stones and in rough inclosing chaffe moste fayre and fruitefull Wheate So vnder the lowe style of Gods sacred Booke the diligent praying Reader if he come not with a preiudiced mind thereto shal gather to his best good the heauenly truth of Gods holye wyll in his writtē scriptures These precious Iewels shal he there fynde A most sure Ancor holde for his conscience against all temptations If thou labor of darke ignorance therein is the brightnesse of knowledge If troubled in conscience and vexed for synne there is the remedy the warrant of quyet minde giuen thée in Christ If oppressed and almost ouer whelmed in
he a little after he is euerye where but as he is man he is onely in heauen yet for the coniunction of the two natures in Christ sundry tymes in Scripture that is spoken of the one which is proper to the other As in example No man ascendeth into heauen Ioh. 3.1.9 but the same which came from heauen euen the sonne of man which is in heauen And yet was not Christ ascended but in earth not glorifyed but subiect to death But bicause of the coniunction with the deuyne nature that is communicated to the humayne nature in spéeche which in déede and truth was onely performed in his Deitie Agayne Act. 20.2 ye are bought with the bloud of God Who knoweth not that this actiō was performed in the humane nature of Christ But bicause he is very God and the nature of his humanitie so connexed that it is inseperable therfore this Conionian and participation of the two natures is often vsed And for thys cause we say God is borne deade and crucifyed for vs when the humane nature onely was so But perhaps it maye astonie thée when I say that the two natures in Christ be inseperable and yet the Godhead is in many places Where his humanity is not nay his deuine nature in all places and his humane nature onely in heauen But consyder in thy self a perfite mirror and ymage hereof Thy soule and body are of two natures the one a spirite the other a compact forme of fleshe the one mortal the other cannot dye Yet during lyfe they are inseperably knit both natures in one in such sorte as eyther nature notwithstanding do kéepe their sundry condition The bodye sléepeth but the soule is alwayes waking the body eateth and drinketh naturall meates the soule onely féedeth of the worde of God the body is sicke and dyeth the soule is for the most parte best healthy when the body is nearest death and most lyuely when she is discharged of the bodye of synne by death Agayne the soule resting with the body is also the selfe instant by her powers at the vtmoste partes of the worlde and aboue the clowds whether shée hath daylie accesse by fayth and inuocation yet for al this the body is but in one place So is it in Christ He is risen he is not here Mar. 16.6 sayth the Angell to the women which came to annoynte Christ in his graue This was spoken of hys humanitie now glorifyed But according to his deuyne nature himselfe hath sayde Wheresoeuer two or three be gathered together in my name Math. 18.20 there am I in the middest of them Thus thou séest who and what is the Lords saluation Namely Iesus Christ the Lorde perfite God the onely begotten sonne of God eternall equall and of selfe substance with his father God and man borne of the Virgin Mary ascended vp in glory reseruing thée eche propertie of eyther nature not confounding the persons nor deuyding the substance Now resteth it to sée also somewhat more of the valor of thy Sauyour in his deuyne nature his valor to thée which best thou shalt perceiue by those noble names according their effects which the sacred scriptures attribute vnto Christ The valour of Christ in hymself and to vs. our one and onely God with the Father and the holy ghost First he is called Tetragramaton or Iehouah which signifyeth that Christ our god with his father is of his owne essence and being hath power and lyfe in himselfe not néeding the helpe of any other but is that sufficiencie which plentifully satisfyeth all others of his fulnes To be shorte the eternall god without begynning and ending In whom we lyue moue and haue our being Act. 17.28 Apo. 1.11 He is Alpha and Omega the fyrst and the last which contayneth all in all in himselfe He is also called Adonay of the Hebrews which of a certaine conceyte would not pronounce hym Tetragramaton or Iehouah rarely but in place thereof set thys name Adonay that is ineffable which all the Interpretors expounde by Dominus Lord. And rightly is Christ with his Father called Lorde For he hath giuen the Regiment of heauen and earth vnto him Mat. 28.18 Col. 1.16 And besydes hym there is none to whome all things visyble and inuysible ought to yéelde their obedience And to this name is added Sabaoth which some interprete the Lord of powers some the Lorde of Hostes the god of battle He it is which ouerthroweth with his myght all power that sturteth vp agaynst god and wyth his armye doth he pull downe the pryde of mightie kings and huge Nations Thys is that Michael who with his army of Angels beate downe Satan from the heauenly habitation of God in his church militant Thys is that Emperour and Monarche Apo. 12.7.9 to whome all kings shall stoupe This is that most tryumphant conqueror who with most symple and small creatures hath can and wyll ouerthrow myghtie Gyants huge armies puyssant Princes and mightie Monarches of the worlde In his campe are infinite Angels Thousande thousands ministred to him sayth Daniell and ten thousand thousands stood before him Dan. 7.10 Beholde of what Maiestie thys christ our Lorde of Hostes is of what force and power when as one Angell of these infinite thousands could and did in one night destroy and kyll in the hoste of Sennacherib which cruelly beséeched the Lordes cytie Ierusalem one hundred forescore and fiue thousand of fyghting Souldiours With water darknesse Frogs Flyes and Grashoppers he wasted and destroyed the pride of the most fertyll lande Egypt With the noyce of Chariots he droue to flyght the kings of Ashur And who is able to withstande his myght For in his army all the Planets and Starres the wyndes fyrie lyghtes Ice Frost Snow rayne Fyre and water Al Deuils in Hell the ayre and Fyrmament all men and kings and all their powers and at one worde all creatures in heauen earth and Hell visyble and inuisible All these are his to vse at hys good pleasure where he wyll when he luste and during his set purpose executing hys vengeance vpon his enimies but the defence of hys Churche Sometyme also he is called Aelion 1. excelsus high As Dauid sayth Psal 113. The Lorde is high aboue all Nations and hys glory aboue the heauens Againe who is lyke the Lord our God that hath hys dwelling so highe and yet abaseth hymselfe to behold the things that are in heauen and earth Euen vnto thys high throne is our Lorde Christ ascended aboue all heauens and set at the right hand of his father on high to beholde the things that are done in earth From this height he sawe Damasco her myserie and Saules pryde and from thence stroake this cruell Tyran to the earth in the mydst of his force and seruantes whose brightnesse stroke Saule with blyndnes but in great mercy wrought his conuersion of persecuting Saule changed him and that bycause he had chosen
from the bottome of his harte at that tyme will I put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance sayth the Lord. Repent sayth Christ and beleeue the Gospell Mar. 1.15 Rom. 1.16 The gospel sayth Paule is the power of God to delyuer from sinne Satan and Hell and to bring to saluation euery one that rightly beleeueth 1. Tim. 2.4 Finally this is the will of God that all men shoulde be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth Beholde a most ample delyuerance offered in Gods mercy to all but onely his people haue the fruition thereof and that bicause they come to the knowledge of his truth in their soules taught of God by which they are delyuered from error and synne Gods malediction burning Hell Ab omni peccato sayth saint Iohn from euery synne as well actuall as originall 1. Ioh. 1.7 and that by the bloud of Christ for these be his wordes Christes bloud doth styll daylye wash flowing from the Fountayne of his death away al our synnes The bloude of Iesus Christ doth washe where note he doth not say hath washed but the force thereof doth washe no more offered but beleeued from euery synne Confounded or conuerted at Gods good pleasure be all they that in Popery or else derogate from the sacrifice of Christ this true validitie this mightie and most perfite operation and doe giue to their abhominable Masse and selfe merittes the greater glorye Acurssed are all they that rest vppon the Masse for reconcyliation leauing Christ skante the reast Namely that they hereby delyuer men from actuall synnes and Christes death onely from Originall trespasse O horrible blasphemy what Deuil bewitcheth men to this madnesse But good Reader remember as we haue saide thy deliuerer muste himselfe be thy Lutrosis price of redemption Paule thy Doctor in truth telleth thée that Christ Iesus is onely he 1. Cor. 1.30 saying to the Corinthians Christ is made to vs of God wisedome righteousnesse and sanctifycation Math. 20.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the pryce of thy redemption And our Sauyour sayth of hymselfe thus The sonne of man is not come to be ministred vnto but to minister and to giue not to sell as Popishe priests do their sacrilegious Masses his lyfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the ransome of many The worde Lutron saye Beza and Erasmus in their great Annotations sygnifyeth the price of Redemption that is that thing which is giuen to redéeme those that be in captiuitie which in Englishe we call a Raunsome Christ sayth he is come to gyue himselfe to his Fathers iustice for this Raunsome But he hath giuen that which he came to giue therfore by his gift to his Father we that beléeue in him are raunsomed and for euer saued For he hath payde as much as coulde or can be for vs asked Thus then thou séest good brother that we are raunsomed by Christ from all our iniquitie and from euerye sinne and as the Apostle sayth Heb. 10.14 all which are sanctified by the fayth in his bloud are made perfyte for euer They which be perfitely whole by Christ his death our medicine néede not the Popishe Phisition Mat. 9.12 But we by Christs death our medicine are perfitly whole No neede of the Masse for it is Popishe phisick and trashe Therfore no néede to vs of the Popishe Phisition For there is full forgiuenesse of our synnes in the sacrifice of Christ to al ages that beleeue in him Therfore there is no more offering for sinne Lastly we are to remember whose sinnes the Lorde Christ thus pardoneth and to whome is this Sauiour vz his people Math. 1.21 as the Angell sayth Hee shall saue his people from their synnes Now who they are which be Gods people I haue sufficiently said in my Booke of Benedictus and here they may be placed into these branches Generally and specially Generally all the people tongues and Nations of the whole earth are the Lordes as Dauid sayeth The earth is the Lords and all that therein is Psal 24.1 the rounde worlde and they that dwell in it The speciall people of God are they which be consecrate to him in holynesse which be of him predestinate to lyfe chosen in and for Christ to saluation sanctified by the holye Ghost redéemed by their Sauiour Christ iustifyed by his grace and death peaceably preserued by his ayde in earth and glorified by his truth in the heauens These are they of whome the Apostle sayth The Lorde hath this sure seale 2. Tim. 2.19 he knoweth who be his And onely these in him their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are saued from their syns the rest haue condemnation abyding them that of themselues For he being the sauyour of the whole worlde as Christ himselfe affirmeth Iohn 8. Ioh. 6.44 I am the worlds Sauiour The same generall sorte from whome these speciall by the Father of heauen to his Christ are drawne refuse their sauing health in him They say with the prowde Iewes we will not haue thys man to raigne ouer vs. Come let vs kill hym and proue whether he be the sonne of God This is the fruite of ignorant blindnesse from which Christ came to delyuer man but bicause the Worlde loued darknesse more then light Iohn 3.19 and refused the light when it was sente them Therfore thys is their condemnation sayth our Sauyour Christ Texte Which thou haste prepared before the face of all people To be a lyghte to lighten the Gentils and to bee the glory of thy people Israel In the verses before sayd the man of God Symeon hath opened one most comfortable true tytle of Iesus Christ affyrming him to be our sauyour And now he prosecuteth his purpose to shewe the same Sauiour to belong to all Nations and people without exception And also that their fayth maye be the more confyrmed in hym He sayth that this Christ our Lorde is prepared of God our father to be our Sauiour our lyght and glory which thou hast prepared before the face of all people sayth he to be a lyght to lyghten c. At the fyrst entring into these verses we must consider that Symeon in them giueth to Christ two most notable Epithits names and tytles He calleth hym the lyghte of the Gentyls and the glory of the people Israel The world he also deuideth into two people Iewes and Gentyls and vnto all and euery of them he preacheth this one Christ to be prepared of God the Father for their sauing health direction and glory But fyrst let vs note the marke that Symeon shooteth at euen that which the whole scriptures of God doe Namely to pretermitte all others and onely to preache vnto vs from God the father alone his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ to be our Sauiour our lyghte guyde Shepheard Byshop Prophete Priest Prince and Lorde which alwayes is the worke of the Father to drawe to his sonne Christ
in his syghte but by his Fayth Rom. 3.28 as by the hande wherwith he apprehended his righteousnesse in Christ Or maye any person obiect in right as opposite hereto The words of Iames declared By the papists abused the saying of Iames the Apostle was not Abraham iustified by workes For Iames doth not in that place dispute the meanes of mans iustification before God but requyreth that good works be to Christian fayth adioyned as by which grace holye men on earth doe approoue that which God in the Heauens before through the vndoubted fayth in hys Sonne Iesus Christ hath imputed to his beloued children which may easely appeare in the Apostles owne wordes Shewe mee thy fayth out of thy works sayth he and I will shewe thee my fayth by my workes Iam. 2.18 As if he had sayde Thou which boastest to haue fayth shewe me that am but man and therefore knowe not thy state before the Tribunall seate of GOD or his graces in the inwarde man by which meanes I cannot iudge of thée Shewe me I saye thy fayth by hys works in thée and I will beléeue thée then to be a faythfull Christian Gene. 22.16 This sence Moses also testifieth the Angel or rather the Lorde by his Angel to approoue which stayde the hande of Abraham from the sacrifycing of his sonne Touch not thy sonne with violent hands for nowe I knowe that thou fearest God bicause thou hast not spared thine only sonne for my commaundement sake To conclude the Epistle written to the Hebrewes doth attribute this great worke of Abraham to the excellency of his fayth saying By fayth Abraham offred vp his sonne Isaac Heb. 11.17 It resteth therefore sythe Symeon is not able to fulfill the lawe but fayleth in many poyntes thereof and therefore guyltie of all Sithe also that those good workes which he doth be polluted in Gods syght as procéeding from hym selfe by which meanes he is become in himselfe vniuste before God that nowe his righteousnesse consysteth herein that his synnes be not layde to his charge according to the saying of the Psalmist Psal 31.1 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose synnes be not imputed to them Thus was Symeon vniust in himselfe but iust in his consolation Christ Iesus and that bicause he fyrmely beleeued in him by whose merittes and death on the Crosse the Fathers iustice is answered Symeons synnes raunsomed mercye to hym procured his daylie synnes not layde to his charge bycause by imputation he is accounted for iust And in the same maner are all the elect of God alyke blessed with him And so lykewise all the workes of Gods saintes are impure in his sight if tryed by the phan of hys spirite before his Tribunall seate But such is his fatherly benigne mercye that in and for his sonne Christ he accepteth vs and then our holy actions for iuste as he accepted Habel and his sacryfice but he regarded not Caine Gene. 4. and therfore not his sacryfice also he casteth our iniquities quight out of his remembrance Ezec. 18. Secondly Symeon is called pius godly religious Iere. 31.22 or fearing God This is proper to the chylde of God if iustifyed by his grace then to lyue in his feare that is in his obedience Tit. 2.12 Luk. 1. We are also redéemed to this ende That we should denye vngodlynesse and walke in puritie of lyfe in holynesse and righteousnesse before our iuste God all the dayes of our lyfe So sayth the holye Ghoste in the mouth of Zachary the good maryed Priest So did the same holye man of God and his good wyfe by vertuous lyfe expresse the graces of Gods holye spirite in them as testifyeth Saint Luke saying Both were iuste before God and walked in all the commaundementes of the Lorde without reproofe Luc. 1.6 Here hast thou good Reader the true discription of a godly man namely he that being iustifyed by Fayth in Christ walketh though he cannot performe in perfection in all the commaundements and ordinances of the Lord. Deare Reader we glorye that we be called christians but onely this is a true christian lyfe of which here thou haste heard Our wants in this profession in these oure dayes bewray from top to the toe in the Courte and thence thorowe the Countrie from the Nobilitie to the Plowman and his mate The greater personages boast and bragge of great tytles Lordships Baranies Offices and liberties of bewty byrthe brauerie manhood chyualry and force of cunning skyll learned tongue But vnlesse my Lords ye relye vpon Symeons lore vnlesse ye be worthyly endowed with his style vnlesse ye be iuste before God walke in all the commaundementes of God not only to do holyly but to be holy your selues in déede Vndoubtedly your honor and all your other pompe in pryde shall you change for horror wéeping howling and gnashing of teeth and so shall all fleshe that lyueth not in the feare of God Math. 25.30 What benefite was it to Diues nowe boyling in Hell that he was endewed with all worldlye Epicurious pleasures Luck 16. as gorgious houses costly array after the fashion diuersitie of dyshes and the worlde at wyll Or what aduantage to the other Ritchman Luck 12. that pulled downe his Barnes to make them greater sayde to hymselfe Now soule be merrie for thou hast goodes and landes in store for many yeres But how did he possesse this large and newe buylded frame Thou foole sayth the spirite This nighte shall they take thy soule from thee and who shall then possesse thy goods Shall not the wicked ritche men lykewise haue their heauen in this lyfe Shall they not after the hower of death with Diues lye in the Helles lyke shéepe and say Sapi. 3. There was no greene pasture which we wente not through whereby they note in naturall lyfe their courtly pleasures We left no token of vertue behinde vs in thys they signifie their wicked lyfe buryed in contynuall securitie We thought these men fooles vz Symeon and such other the sonnes of God Whereby they vtter their ignorance of godly men and their owne fréedome from godlynesse These are they which wee persecuted scorned and cruelly intreated but nowe see how they are taken with the iuste By which the holye ghost sealeth vp the naturall disposition of all Atheists to their gréeuous and irrecuperable condemnation Wherefore beloued Reader Noble and ignoble Courtier and Countryman séeke the Lorde earely and whyle he is to be founde attayne to his seruice who by his grace will endue thée with iustification Esa 55. and holynesse with obedience to his holy law and delight to dwell therin Ephe. 1.14 bicause his holye spirite is his Arrha and earnest penny giuen thée for thy assurance of his loue and fauour towards thée So shall your Nobilities more encrease your state most surely stande your selues with Symeon shall be famous to your posteritie a good example
retchlesse ignorant Simeon and Nicodemus not three yeares but by tymes fortie yeares in the schoole of Christ and nowe these last twenty yeares contynually without intermission or play daye hast thou vnder her graces Maiestie and most happy gouernment bene vertuouslye and aboundantly taught in purenesse of doctrine But how art thou encreased Howe followest thou Ioseph Simeon and Nicodemus Truely euen as the shadowe doth the sunne For the shadowe runneth as fast as he but neuer higher then the earth euen so we runne and poste with spéede but still vpon the earthly minds of grosse fantasies and therein counteruayle we the sunne which swiftly runneth in the Heauen to his appoynted course Heb. 5.12 We are come to this encrease that when for tyme we should be apt to receyue stronger meate we are not able to digest the dyet of Infantes which is sucking mylke When Paule vz Gods teachers by doctrin in truth should leade vs further into perfection we crye out still we are Iosephs Heb. 6.1.2 we are Nicodemitans we are not yet past the doctrine of the beginning of Christ the foundation of repentance from deade works of fayth towards God c. We also abuse this sentence of Paule Heb. 5.14 Strong meate belongeth to them that are of age which through long custome haue their wyts exercised to discerne both good and euill So we confesse there are a people to whome more perfection belongeth but we kéepe our selues from that number For we the Ministers can scarcely in the Country get our people to come to the beginnings of Religion so much as to send their seruants to learne the apointed Catechisme But if age should breed perfection are wée not older in the Gospell then Ioseph was Haue not we vnder the gospell synce K. H. dayes past the yeares which ouer ranne the Hebrewes after Christ his death before this Epistle was written vnto them Centu. 1. lib. 2. 10. Yes verily for it was written by the author therof as it séemeth from Rome about 25. yeres after Christs death And if custome could doe it how conuersant haue the scriptures bene with our wittes nowe this ninetéene yeres together And if in thrée yeres Ioseph and Nicodemus became so strong how can we for shame say we are lyke to them which in nintéene yeres are in the bowels of this long taught lande not able for the most parte to giue a reason of our fayth and hope And the better sort of vs are euen rather staying from farther then standing fast to that wee haue We be lesse louing more colde then we haue bene It may be said of England as the Stories report of the Iewes who when they came to Ierusalem Nehe. 4.17 by the commaundement of Cyrus King of Persia the were so whote in buylding the decayed Citie that they beset with enimies helde their weapons in the one hande and laboured with the other Beholde feare of the enimy could not driue them from the Lords labor And when the Samaritanishe ypocrites offered to helpe them they were so zealous that though they hungred the fynishing of the worke yet would they not admit an hypocrites hande to touch the buylding of the Lorde And when they were complayned vpon and subtyle deuises made to stay their labors they contynued their buylding styll manger the enimy euen as the king had commanded them But after a tyme of rest they began euerye man to buylde vp his owne house and let the house of God lye vnfynished xvij yeres tyll the Prophete was sente to Zorobabell the Prince and Iohosua the high Priest Hag. 1.1 to excite them to their increase in former labour And is it not so with England In the first of hir Maiesties raigne how vehemently how zealously A generall decrease in respect in England how diligently laboured we to repayre the decayed Church in England It was a heauen to see princely Péeres Noble bloods prouoke the multitude to imbrace the Gospell Popery was beaten downe her broode remoued and Gods true Ministers placed Idolatry extinguyshed and the Churches beset with the Sacrifice of the Gospell which whote beginning hath of the sodaine receyued such a coole as we are now wholy giuen to the buylding of costly bowres and houses of pleasure But as for Gods house eyther in our own soule or the common Catholique Church we commit it to the reuerend Bishops Ministers of God except a reserued séede which ioyne with Noble Nehemias Zorobabel and Esra to assist our most Christian Cyrus the principall Nourcing mother to Gods children this daye in all christian landes in the redifying of Gods house in our dayes whose gracious beginning with good progresse hytherto the Lorde hath prosperously blessed his name be praysed therfore whose harte the Lord yet more and more inflame in him and direct by his holy spirit contynually And to many of our Fathers and Brethren of the Clargy we may say as the spirite spake to the Angell and Church at Ephesus These things sayth he that holdeth the seauen starres in his right hande Apo. 21.2.3 c. walketh in the midst of the seauen golden Candlesticks I know thy works thy labour and thy pacience and howe thou canst not forbeare them which are euill and hast examined them which saye they are Apostles and are not and hast founde them lyers And thou was burdened hast pacience Apo. 2.1.2.3 c. and for my names sake hast laboured and hast not faynted Neuerthelesse I haue somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy fyrst loue Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the fyrst workes Or else I will come against thee shortly and will remoue thy Candlesticke out of hys place except thou amende The Iewes from Key cold persons became hote and cruell enimies so that in whose defence they stood to their great perill at the fyrst once making stay of their increase they thrust the sworde into his bowels For they fell from God they crucified his sonne and tooke the Regiment of his Church into their handes excommunicating and murthering his Apostles Disciples and whomsoeuer confessed his name But their ende was desolation by the iust iudgement of God yet so as he forewarned them by his sonne Christ called them to repentance by his Apostles contynued his power of saluation to them to saye his holy Gospel during fortie yeares But when they contynued more and more obstinate and rebellious hauing hartes past féeling he gaue them and their City Ierusalem into the hands of the Romans Vespasian and Titus being the Rod of his anger for their vtter destruction that they which woulde not receyue Christ comming in his fathers name of whom they much bragged should by his iudgement receyue them which came in their owne names for their priuate glorye and earthly commoditie For the Romane Deputies partly by eager auarice partly by cruel oppression gréeuously vexed them And the Iewes dreaming styll of a
delyuerer whome they imagined to be some Noble warriour were redy to run with euery Traytor that would lift vp his heade take to himselfe the Tytle of Messias In the which seditions euer they had the worse as reason is such should and many thousandes of them were slayne But when no otherwayes they would be pacified the Romane power was sent with Commission vtterly to destroy them Wherto was Vespasian sent who began his warres in Galilea committing to fyre and sworde all that was before hym From thence he came to Ierusalem and by the Souldiours in that siege chosen Emperour he went to Rome committed the warres of the Iewes to his sonne Titus which Titus lyke a vigilant Gouernour behaued himselfe left not the slaughter til he had fulfilled the prophecy of Christ to that Citie He cast a banck about it hauing 30. Castles or Turrets in it Luke 19. from whence he battered downe the Citie he compassed them on euery side finally he destroyed them and their children For the Lord by him caused the hunger to be such as the mothers were compelled to kyll roste broyle and eate their owne borne children He raced the Citie downe to the ground and so of that most floorishing Citie Iosephus de bel Iud. 6.14 the Flowre and Diamonde of the East he left no more but a smale Monumente to the posteritie of the Romans ouer so strong a defenced Bulwarke That is to say thrée Towers called Phaselus Hyppinus and Mariamnes with parte of the West wall The men which escaped were for the most part taken prisoners and most of them after eyther solde to base bondage or were for the pleasant prospect of the Romans cast vnto wylde beastes in their publique sportes to fight and be deuoured These things came to them in déede but are written for oure sakes 1. Cor. 10.6 that both Prince Potentate Prelacie and people should be terrifyed hereby As also the Church of Ephesus is a notable example for the Church of England to beholde That Church sometime most honorable but now most horrible wrapped in the Dungeon of Turkishe Paganisme God cannot in iustice but plague in seueritie the backslyding from his word And that doth he in two sorts First he gyueth such degenerating children the spirit of Delusion 2. Tes 2.11 that they should beleeue lyes to their damnation which would not receyue the Truth to their Saluation when it was sent them And also he giueth them to their owne harts concupiscence the same to satisfie in most fylthy lusts that not only God but nature it selfe shall be despised Rom. 1.21.22.23.24.25.26.27 For men against themselues and women and men against the vse of Nature shall defyle themselues most filthily A heauy iudgement The second is his sword of Destruction vtterly to throw downe and bring to nothing the power and persons of disobedient backslyders His iudgements hereto are as it pleaseth him sometimes greater sometime lesse Sometimes by sencelesse creatures sometimes by the Heauens sometimes by men of might in the earth Frogs Flyes and Lyce darknesse blood and Caterpillers Psal 78. and fynally the raging Seas shall ouerthrow the Egiptians which were great persecutors of the people of God The Wyndows of heauen shal open and drowne the whole worlde which would not repente Gen. 7.11 but growe into worse and worse Vespasian and Romane Titus shall vtterly subuert the hard harted Ierusalem Ephesus shall yéelde his obedience to his destroying enimy which would not returne to his former loue Iesus Christ and the zeale of his Gospel The Angels Candlestick the Church and the Ministery shall be cast out Apoc. 2. and Mahomet and Sergius shall occupy their function and place O England loue loue loue and feare Feare God as thy father kysse and embrace his sonne thy Christ and consolation Psal 2.12 least he being angry cause thée to feare when thou doest féele his terrible iudgements by which thou shalt perishe if his anger be kyndled yea but a little Returne to thy first loue and do thy fyrst works else wil he come shortly as he sayth to Ephesus which argueth that he is ready Wherfore repent yea though the most in countenance of the best neglect the loue of God yet know that Symeon and Ioseph doe expect the kingdome of God and Consolation of Israel And such onely haue the spirite of God in them as had these holy men by which they are trayned alwayes to the presence of Christ approued his seruants These shall not sée death tyll they haue in hart by the eyes of their fayth ioyfully séene Iesus to be the lighte of the Gentyls and the glory of Israell Iohn 17.2 Esa 9.2 and the saluation by the Lorde set for the whole saluation of God Last of all thys is worthy to be thought vpon that Symeon is brought by the Spirite of Gods motion into the Temple at the very instant when Christ is thether brought to be offred to the Lorde and that al things there were done according to the Lawe 1. Sam. 9.16 Psal 31.15 Luke 1.8 Iohn 17.1 Ephe. 1.10 Mar. 14.41 The worldlings would thinke this to come by chance but the Euangelist sayth he was ledde thyther by the holy ghost For it is God which doth with his general prouidence behold all things and guydeth euery mans actions to his appointed season and the very moment of tymes he directeth to his seuerall worke at his good pleasure By this heauenly prouidence and not by chaunce came the seruant of Abraham to the Citie of Nahor Gen. 24. in that momente of tyme when Rebecca came out of the Citie to water hir cattle Gods prouidence guydeth as and our actions not blynde chance and for this cause did God bring forth that Mayde at the same instant that by this occasion she might bring the manne to her father by whom shée should be sent to Isaac for his wyfe And Saule went to séeke his fathers Asses but the Lorde brought him to Samuel the Prophet which did expect that hower his comming 1. Sam 9.16 For the Lorde had by Oracle tolde Samuel that he would sende Saule vnto him and that he should annoynte him king of Israel Dauid was brought hereby into the battle 1. Sam. 17. what houre the great Gyant Golyath did vaunt himselfe in blasphemy against the Lorde and by which meanes he might be brought to that fight which the Lord had foreappointed for him to the glory of God the victorious fame of Dauid and the ioy of Israell By this guyde came the Wydowe of Naim to the gates of the Citie Luc. 7.12 with her dead sonne to buriall at that moment when Christ entred the gates of that Citie and was by him restored to lyfe And by this is holy prouydence are our Fathers gone before vs and we not borne vntyll this age of the worlde wherein he hath appoynted his sonne Christe to be more amply reuealed by