the Virgins wombe as a bridegroome out of his chamber the Godhead was ioyned vnto the flesh and the flesh vnto the Godhead and these two were coupled together and after an ineffable manner in an ineffable marriage made one Beleeue this and thou shalt haue power to be Gods owne sonne as it is in our text My beloued if thou put on this wedding garment thy soule shall be Christs own spouse so nere so deare to him as that he will say to it I am thy saluation and it may also tell him I am my welbeloueds and my welbeloued is mine For if Pilate by wearing Christs coate without a seame did appease the wrath of angry Caesar how much more shall euery true beleeuer please God our heauenly King if he put on Christ himselfe O the blessed crying of a blessed babe by which euery faithfull seruant and sonne of God escapeth eternall howling in hell O glorious manger in which our soules Manna lay the bread of life that came down from heauen on which if a man feede hee shall not hunger againe O how rich are the ragges which haue made plaisters for our sores for our sinnes I conclude with an hymne of Prudentius Mortale corpus sumpsit immortalitas Vt dum caducum portat aeternus Deus Transire nostrum posset ad coelestia The Epistle Act. 7. 55. And Steuen being full of the holy Ghost looked vp stedfastly with his eyes into heauen c. YEsterday you heard how Christ was borne to day you shall vnderstand how Steuen died In Christs natiuitie who was borne in a little village and in an Inne of that village and in a stable of that Inne and laid in a cratch of that stable wee may learne humilitie not to boast of our great birth In S. Steuens martyrdome wee may behold an excellent patterne how to behaue our selues at our death hauing faith in God and loue toward our neighbours the which assuredly will breed such a Christian resolution in vs as that wee shall depart this life cheerefully lying downe in our graues as in a bed to sleepe for so the text here when hee had thus spoken be fell a sleepe The Church then in ioyning these two festiuals is desirous that wee should learne to liue well as Christ and dye well as Steuen In the words of Augustine Celebraâ—imus hester na die natalem quo rex marâ—yrum natus est in â—â—â—ndo hodie cel bramus natalem quo primicarius martyrâ—um migraâ—â—â— ex mundo Oportebat enim vâ— priâ—â—um immortalis pro mortalibus susciperet carnem sie mortalis pro immortals contemneret mortem Et ideo natus est Dominus vt moreâ—etur pro seruo ne serâ—â—â— timeret mori pro domino Naâ—â—â— est Christus in terris vt Stephanuâ— nasceretur in câ—lis c. And I pray with the same Father hartily donet mihi dominus pâ—â—ca dicere salubriter qui doâ—â—uit Stephane tanto dicere fartiter In the whole text two points are to be considered especially the bloudy behauiour of the Iewes in martyring Steuen godly behauiour of Steuen in his martyrdome toward God in generall hee stedfastly looked vp into heauen and called vpon God particular Lord Iesus receiue my spirit Men heartily praying for his enemies on his knees with a loud voice Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Himselfe vndergoing his martyrdome so comfortably that giuing vp the ghost hee laid downe his head vpon the hard stones as vpon a soft pillow to slâ—epe The Iewes in their blind zeale were so furious and mercilesse that they put Steuen to death who sought to bring them to eternall life stoning him as a blasphemer against God and his law who was a man full of faith and power and the holy Ghost An harsh and an hard fact of a stonie people saith Augustine ad lapides currebant duri ad duros Petris 〈◊〉 qui pro Petra qui Christus est moriebatur Lapides Indaearebellis In Stephanum lymphata rapis quae crimine duro saxeâ— semper eris But of their crueltie toward Steuen and other Prophets of God in the Gospell appointed for this day more copiously The most obseruable point in our present text is the godly behauiour of Steuen in his martyrdome 1. to God he looked vp stedfastly with his eyes into heauen c. As to the place where his treasure was his conuersation was his helpe was Hereby teaching vs whether we should flie for succour in aduersitie not vnto men here below but vnto God in heauen aboue so Dauid When I was in trouble I called vpon the Lord and hee heard me my helpe commeth euen from the Lord. So Iob my witnesse is in heauen and my record is on high And so S. Iames euery good gift is from aboue Calling vpon God and saying Lord. Thomas Becket a renowned Martyr and Saint among the Papists at his death earnestly commended himselfe and his cause to the protection of S. Mary but our protomartyr heere knowing that shee was neque magistra neque ministra neither mistresse of his soule nor yet a ministring spirit to his soule forgetting our Lady calleth vpon our Lord only saying Lord Iesu receiue my spirit the which is not an invocation of God the Father as Fran. Dauid impiously taught making Iesu the Genitiue case and the meaning thus O Father in heauen which art the Lord of thy sonne Iesu but as Ambrose notes a prayer vnto God the Sonne for besides infinite places of holy Scripture wheâ—e Christ is called Lord and called vpon as the Lord. S. Iohn Apocalips 22.20 vseth as Steuen here Iesu in the vocatiue Case etiam veni Domine Iesu euen so come Lord Iesus Where Domine Iesu cannot bee construed the Lord of Iesus but the Lord Iesus See Lorin in loc Bellarmine de Christo lib. 1. cap. 8. If the Lord be considered without Iesus howsoeuer in regard of his power he is able yet in regard of his iustice not willing the good Angels and blessed Saints in heauen are willing but not able wretched vncharitable men on earth are neither able nor willing onely Christ the Mediator betweene God and man is both able and willing to heare vs and helpe vs able because Lord willing because Iesus And therefore Steuen here doth not inuocate the Lord but in the name of Iesus neither doth he call vpon any Iesus but the Lord Iesus he lookes not for any succour either from men on earth or blessed spirits in heauen onely hee poureth out his soule to the redeemer of his soule Lord Iesu receiue my spirit Receiue He knew that his life was hid with Christ in God and therefore commendeth his soule to him alone who created it and redeemed it and iustified it and sanctified it and will in his good time glorifie it O Lord Iesu take thine owne into thine owne
〈◊〉 And the 〈◊〉 in ourage who following the 〈◊〉 He 〈◊〉 hold it lâ—â— full to distemble their faith 〈◊〉 the Magistrate As also the Nicodemâ—â—es ashamed of Christ and expâ—â—â—cating 〈◊〉 forswerring their Pâ—ieâ—hood and the Pope their holy father vpon eâ—eâ—y pretended occasion of danger In a word all weather â—ise professors adueâ—tring no more for the glorious Gospell then one â—â—tely did for his horrible blasphemie who being bound to the stake suffered only the lingeing of his beard This open acknowledging of Christ is necessaâ—ieâ— not only 〈◊〉 morris at the point of deâ—h as Liraâ—us or in the daie of persecution as Lombard but at all time and in euery place when occasion is offered lustly â—aith 〈◊〉 Forseeing it is an afâ—â—rmâ—tâ—ue prâ—cept 〈…〉 As Christ in his Gospel expresâ—ely 〈…〉 Whereas 〈…〉 〈…〉 the faith not sufficient vnto 〈…〉 mouth and other â—odâ—◠〈◊〉 as efficient cause concure with it in the 〈…〉 may be taken out of his old Schoole 〈…〉 and Cardinall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth af 〈…〉 confession 〈◊〉 act of faith according to that of the Pâ—â—miâ—â— I 〈…〉 haue I spoken And in his second 〈…〉 this Chapter he that is 〈◊〉 by faith ought to be filled with the fruit of righteousnesse Postquam homo per fide mest instificatus oportet quod eius fides per dilectionem operatur ad consequendam salâ—tem And Cardinall Tolet in plaine termes Oris confessio nâ—s non iustificat à peccato c. sed iustificati tenemur eam palà m profiteri c. Confession of the mouth doth not iustifie vs but being iustified wee are bound publikely to professe it afore we can attaine to saluation Herein agreeing with our Protestant Interpreters affirming that good workes are consequents and effects of a true faith as if Paul should haue said here we are iustified by faith onely but yet this faith is operatiue bringing foorth liuely fruits as the confession of the mouth and the profession of the life for they be necessarie to saluation albeit faith alone be sufficient in the act of iustification as you may see further Epist. Quinquages and Sund. 2. in Lent In the words and beleeue in thine heart that God hath raised him vp from the dead three points are considerable namely Faiths Act Obiect Subiect Faiths act is to beleeue and to beleeue hath these degrees as the Schoole teacheth out of Augustine Credere Deo credere Deum credere in Deum A wicked man and a wretched deuill may so farre proceed in faith as to beleeue there is a God and in grosse to beleeue God but a true Christian endued with a sauing faith ascends higher and beleeueth in God also That is he knowes God as hee hath reuealed himselfe in his word acknowledging him onely for his God and thereupon put his whole trust in him applying to himselfe Gods mercifull promise made to father Abraham and his seed with the heart vnto iustification and confessing the same with the mouth vnto saluation He disclaimes not his part in Christ as the deuils Ab what haue we to doâ— with thee thou Iesus of Nazareth art thou come to torment vs before the time but he challengeth his portion in the bloud of his Sauiour saying with the Church in her loue-song My welbeloued is mine and with Paul Christ is become to vs wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Hâ—s bodie is in heauen there shall I finde it mine his diuinitie is on earth and heere doe I feele it mine his word is in mine eare to beget him mine his Sacrament is in mine eie to confirme him mine his spirit is in mine heart to assure him mine Angels are mine to fight for mee Prince mine to rule for mee Church mine to pray for me Vniuersitie mine to studie for me Pastour mine to pâ—each for me all mine whether it be Paul or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come euen all are mine I am Christs and Christ is Gods Faiths obiect is all holy scripture the summe whereof is the Creed and this one point how God raised vp Iesus from the dead is nexus articulorum omnium as it were the bond or tying knot on which all other linkes of our beleefe depend For if it were not true that Christ is risen againe then were it neither true that hee did ascend vp to heauen nor that hee sitteth at the right hand of his father in heauen nor that he sent downe the holy spirit from heauen nor that hee shall come from thence to iudge the quicke and the dead In a word the matter of the whole Creed concerneth either God or the Church his spouse Now the raising of Christ from â—he dead is the worke of God the Father Acts 2.32 of himselfe being God the Sonne Iohn 10 18. of God the holy Ghost also Rom. 1.4 Christ as God only raiseth and is not raised as man he is onely raised and raiseth not as the Sonne of God or second person in the blessed Trinitie both the Father raiseth him and he raiseth himselfe The Father raiseth the Sonne by the Sonne â—nd the Sonne raiseth himselfe by the spirit of holinesse by which he was declared to be the Sonne of God As for the Church our Apostle sheweth elsewhere that Christ died for her sinnes and rose againe for her iustification and that ascending vp on high he bestowed on her gifts as to be Catholike holy knit in a communion and prerogatiues in her soule namely remission of sinnes in the body resurrection of the flesh in both euerlasting life Wherefore Paul here mentioneth only the resurrection of Christ from the dead not exclusiuely but synecdâ—checally because this one article presupposeâ—h all the rest and takes them as granted as if hee rose from the graue then he died and his death is a consequent of his birth Or because this article was and is most doubted in the world for the Iewes and Gentiles acknowledge the death of Iesus whereas the Christians only confesse his resurrection Or because the rest vnlesle Christ had risen againe would haue profited vs little for he triumphed in his resurrection ouer death hell damnation opening the kingdome of heauen to all beleeuers And so the meaning of our text is plaine If thou confesse with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord that is that Lord of whom all the Prophets inquired as being the desire of all Nations euen the light of the Gentiles and consolation of Israel And if thou beleeue in thine heart that this Iesus whom almightie God hath made both Lord and Christ offered himselfe a sacrifice to purge thy conscience from dead workes and take away thy sinnes putting out and fastening vpon the Crosse the Lawes obligation against vs and that hauing ouercome death and the deuill he
many as the Lord our God shall call And Act. 3.26 Vnto you hath God raised vp his sonne Iesus and him hee hath sent to blesse you in turning euery one of you from your iniquities And here Ye men and brethren children of the generation of Abraham and whosoeuer among you feareth God to you is the word of this saluation sent And vers 38. Be it knowne vnto you that thorough the man Iesus is preached vnto you the forgiuenesse of sins Now that our Apostle might the better insinuate himselfe into the minds of his hearers and thereby more powerfully perswade the truth of his doctrine hee cals them brethren children of the generation of Abraham and such as feare God The first title was among the Iewes held gratious the second and third glorious esteeming it euer the greatest honour to be the seruants of God and sonnes of Abraham And whereas Christ crucified is vnto the Iewes a stumbling blocke for what Iew will out of his owne iudgement admit him for the Sauiour of Gods people who was condemned by the chiefe Priests and rulers and inhabitors of Gods owne City Hierusalem of which it is said the law shall goe forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Hierusalem our Apostle remoues the scandall of Christs crosse retorting and answering this obiection in his ensuing discourse First hee retorteth it and maketh it aduantage in his present businesse As if hee should say ye men of Antioch children of the generation of Abraham especially such as feare God among you I say ye should the rather embrace the word of saluation sent vnto you because the men of Hierusalem and their rulers killed the Lord of life condemning him in whom they found no cause of death Hierusalem vnderstood not the things appertaining to her peace but murthered the Prophets and stoned such as were sent to her Take heed therefore ye men of Antioch that ye commit not the like sinne and ingratitude lest that fall on you which is spoken of in the Prophets behold ye despisers and wonder and perish Secondly S. Paul heere giueth answere to this obiection It is true that the men of Hierusalem and their rulers haue crucified the Lord of glory but it was out of their ignorance because they knew him not nor yet the voices of the Prophets which are read euery Sabbath day They killed him indeed but heerein they fulfilled all the Scriptures that were written of him especially that Scripture the same stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner And lastly though it be granted vnto you that the Sauiour Iesus through whom is preached vnto you forgiuenesse of sins had a death full of ignominy for that hee was hanged on a tree yet his rising againe from the dead the third day was exceeding glorious in that hee lead captiuity captiue triumphing ouer death hell and the graue Now that Christ is risen againe from death he proues by the witnesse Of Apostles himselfe we declare c. For Christ after his resurrection was seene of Paul 1. Cor. 15.8 Other who went with him from Galilee to Hierusalem of whom hee was seene many daies as being witnesses chosen of God for the same purpose Act. 10.41 Prophets Esay chap. 55.3 Dauid Psal. 2.7 16.11 The first testimonie cited by Paul is in the second Psalme thou art my sonne c. the which I finde expounded of Dauid and of Christ. If we take this spoken of Dauid he may be called the sonne of God as A King for Princes haue their power from God and so stiled the children of the most high Psalm 82.6 Man for we are the generation of God it is he who made vs and not our selues Psal. 100.2 and is not hee thy father that made thee Deut. 32.6 Regenerate man for euery one that is new borne is borne of God adopted his sonne and made his heire Rom. 8.15.17 Thus it may be said by God vnto Dauid in type this day haue I begotten thee but onely to Christ in truth And therefore Rabbi Solomon and other Doctors among the Iewes vnderstand this of the Messias and assuredly Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrewes chap. 1. vers 5 did the rather cite this text to proue that Christ is God for that hee knew their Rabbines vsually constâ—ued it of Israels Sauiour The maine proposition of the second Psal. is thâ— the Messias is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords euen Gods onely begotten sonne very God of very God The which is concluded in this argument Hee that is to bee worshipped and kissed of all Princes on earth is doubtlesse the King of Kings but the Messias ought to be worshipped of all other Kings and Rulers and Iudges of the earth ergo the Messias seated vpon Gods holy hill of Sion is the King of Kings euen the Lord who dwelleth in heauen If the Princes of the world stand vp and take counsell together against the Lord and against his anointed it is but in vaine For if his wrath be kindled yea but a little they shall instantly perish hee shall bruise them with a rod of iron and breake them in peeces like a potters vessell On the contrary blessed are they who kisse the sonne and put their trust in him happie men and wise Kings are they who serue the Lord in feare and reioyce before him in reuerence God onely killeth and maketh aliue bringeth downe to the graue and raiseth vp Ergo the Messias hauing his absolute power of life and death is vndoubtedly Gods onely begotten sonne whom he hath made heire of all things and iudge of all men And therefore Diuines interpret the cited words as properly spoken of Christ and that in respect of his generation temporall eternall Resurrection Some construe this of his temporary birth in saying thou art my sonne God sheweth his diuine generation and in saying this day haue I begotten thee his humaine natiuity For hodie signifieth in holy Scripture the present life Heb. 3.7 Psalm 95.8 to day if ye will heare his voice So that I haue begotten thee this day as if he should haue said I haue brought my first begotten sonne into the world I haue caused thee to become flesh and in the fulnesse of time to be borne of a woman Other vnderstand this of Christs eternall generation As if God should haue said other are my sonnes improperly but thou art my sonne properly filius meus naturalis singularis substantialis A sonne not by creation as the whole world nor through adoption as the whole Church but a sonne by nature my begotten and onely begotten sonne Iohn 3.16 The very brightnesse and expresse character of my person Hebr. 1.3 Whereas Arrians and other obiect against this interpretation the word hodie Saint Augustine answereth appositly that with God vnto whom all things are
An EXPOSITION OF THE FESTIVALL EPISTLES AND Gospels vsed in our English Liturgie Together with a reason why the Church did chuse the same By IOHN BOYS Doctor of Diuinitie The first part from the Feast of S. ANDREVV the Apostle to the Purification of blessed MARY the Virgin Psalme 151.1 Laudate Dominum in Sanctis eius LONDON Printed by EDVVARD GRIFFIN for William Aspley 1615. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD GEORGE BY the diuine prouidence Lord Archbishop of CANTERBVRIE Primate of all England and Metropolitane c. My very good Lord. I Finde three sundrie readings of the first words in the last Psalme Praise God in vis Saints praise God in his sanctitie praise God in his Sanctuarie God is to be praised in his Saints as hauing out of the riches of his mercie bestowed on them eminent gifts of grace the which as their bequeathed legacies and onely true reliques are to be remembred often in Gods Church vnto Gods people that as B. Latimer speakes wee may worship the Saints in following their good examples And so these three lines meeting in one center intimate that the most holy being donor of euery good and perfect gift ought to be magnified in his Sanctuarie for his sanctitie conferred vpon his Saints whereby they shined as lights in this heauen on earth and now shine like starres in heauen of heauen For this end I haue begun and I hope to finish an exposition of the Festiuall Epistles and Gospels vsed in our English Liturgie The which howsoeuer herein I may seeme bold yet am I bound to dedicate vnto your Grace for many respectiue considerations especially for this one because your honourable disposition in the middest of a crooked nation is euermore to be both a patron and a paterne of vnfained sanctitie Thus humbly beseeching the Lord to blesse and your Grace to sauour these my labours I rest Your Graces seruant in all dutie IOHN BOYS S. ANDREVVES DAY The Epistle ROM 10.9 If thou knowledge with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord and beleeue in thy heart that God raised him vp from death thou shalt be safe c. THE Gospell and Epistle chosen for this Fesâ—iuall intimate the true reason of our Church in celebrating the memories of the blessed Apostles and Euangelists vnto Gods honour namely because they were fishers of men ambassadours of peace preachers of good tidings euen the disposers of the riches of God in Christ indiffâ—rently to men of all sexes and sorts in that their sound went out into all lands and their words into the ends of the world and so by consequent principall instruments of God in the worke of our saluation and eternall happinesse Which our Apostle sheweth heere by this Sorites or gradation Whosoeuer â—allâ—th on the name of the Lord shall be saued Inuocation is by faith Faith is by hearing of the word Hearing is by the Preachers And Preachers are sent of God c. Ergâ— such as haue learned Christ in their minde beleeuing vndoubtedly with their mouth acknowledging him vndauntedly for their Iesus ought to praise God in his Apostles as being after Christ immediately the first and vnder Christ absolutely the chiefe Trumpetors of the Gospell which is the power of God vnto saluation In the whole text two points are remarkable Cansa causatâ— the means of our iustification and herein a Proposition If thou knowledge c. verse 9. Proofe 1. From a sufficient enumeration of the principall heads of Christianitie Faith for to belâ—eue with the heart instifieth Good works to knowledge with the mouth c. vers 10. 2. From the testimonie of the Prophets Esay Whosoeuer beleeueth on him c. vers 11. Ioel Whosoeuer doth call c. vers 13. Causa causae the meane for these meanes and that is the preaching of the Gospell in this respect aptly termed the word of faith vers 8. If thou knowledge S. Paul hauing in the Chapter afore sufficiently discoursed of the reâ—ection of the Iewes A priore from Gods absolute decree shewing mercie on whom he will and whom he will hardening he commeth in this present to demonstrate the same point â— postâ—riore from their obstinate incredulitie stablishing their owne righteousnesse and not submitting themselues vnto the righteousnesse of God in Christ apprehended and applied by faith only declaring it selfe in a twofold act one which is outward to confesse with the mouth another which is inward to beleeue with the heart Some confesse but beleeue not as hypocrites other beleeue but confesse not as timorous and Peter-like professors in the daies of persecution other doe neither confesse nor beleeue on Christ as Atheists other both confesse and beleeue and they be true Christians A bare confessing with the mouth is not enough except thou beleeue with thine heart Esay 29.13 This people come neere to mee with their mouth and honor me with their lips but haue remoued their heart farre from me c. Neither is it sufficient vnto saluation only to beleeue with the heart vnlesse thou confesse with the mouth according to that vnauoidable sentence Math. 10.33 Whosoeuer shall denie me before men him also will I denie before my father which is in heauen Now though in nature beleeuing with the heart preceed confessing with the tongue yet Paul mentioneth acknowledging in the first place for that wee doe not know the faith of such as beleeue but by their confession according to that of S. Iames I will shew thee my faith by my workes Heere then obserue that to confesse the Lord Iesus is necessary both in respect of other and our selues In respect of other as being herewith armed in the times of persecution and instructed in the daies of peace Christ is the fountaine of the waters of life faith in the heart is as the pipes and cesterne that receiue in and hold the water and confession with the mouth as the cocke of the Conduit that lets out the water vnto euery commer And therefore let your light so shine before men as that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen Againe to confesse that is to praise Christ in thy words and to doe whatsoeuer appertaineth vnto his worship is needfull in regard of our selues in that a true faith is neuer idle but alway working by loue Galath 5.6 For although it iustifieth alone yet is it no more alone then the heat of the Sâ—nne which alone warmes the earth is seuered from light â—or then Christ is diâ—â—oined from his spirit Calâ—â—â— apud 〈◊〉 de Iustist at lib. 1 cap. 15. § Caluinus or men a hand when it alone doth apprehend any thing is separated from the bodie Luther apuâ—â— Sanderâ—m de Iustis◠〈…〉 4 cap. 4. This doctrine makes against the 〈◊〉 in o'd time defending this 〈◊〉 Iura peruira secretum
course of this world and in fulfilling the lusts of the flesh and will of the minde they became dead in sinnes not vnder grace for they were without Christ aliens from the common wealth of Israel and strangers from the couenants of promise hauing no hope and without God in the world as our Apostle disputes in the former part of this Chapter But non saith he God which is rich in mercie through his great loue wherewith he loued vs euen when we were dead in trespasses hath so quickned vs in Christ Iesus that we be both vnder grace released from the condemnation of the law and in grace deliuered from the dominion of sinne We which once were farre off are made neere to God and his people not any longer strangers or forrainers but fellow citizens with the Saints of Gods houshold yea Gods house Wherein our Apostle doth allude to the goodly buildings of the terrestriall Hierusalem in which all the whole Citie was faire the Kings house fairer the Temple fairest of all And so by these three wherof one doth excell another he describes the blessed estate of Hierusalem which is aboue The materials of this high and holy building are Gods elect as well his seruants on earth as Saints in heauen His elect in the militant Church are called by S. Peter liuely stones or as Hierom reades liuing stones A materiall house consists of blockes and stockes and other senselesse stuffe but all the parts of the mysticall house built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles are moouing and free stones in that they be quickned by God and liue by saith in his sonne And this their faith is not dead but liuely working by loue Galat. 5.6 For as in other buildings one stone lieth vpon another and all vpon the foundation euen so in the spirituall house Christians beare one anothers burthen and Christ as the chiefe stone beares all Vnusquisque portat alterum portatur ab altero quoth Gregory The whole building is so compact as that euery one beares another and is borne of another As for example the rich and the poore man are thrust and piled together in Gods house the poores butthen iâ— his beggeâ—ie he burâ—hen of the rich is his ouergrowen estate Wherefore the poore lieth on the rich and â—he rich is content to sustaine the poore the rich hâ—th hiâ— burâ—â—â—n leâ—â—ened by giuing and the poore his butthen leâ—â—ened by taking and so saith Augustine they beare one â—nother burâ—he A Christian must haue strong shoulders and mightie bones that he may heare flesh that is the weaknesse of his brethren It was excellently said of one when it was told him how his brother had committed a foule fault He fell â— sterdaâ— quoth he and I may fall to day The peble may not enuie the marble nor the marble despise the peble the pinne in the Temple sâ—rues for vse so well as the pinnâ—cle The cie cannâ—t sâ—y to the band I haue no need of thee no the head to the feet I haue no need of you So that euery liuing stone must put on tender mercie kindaâ—â—e humâ—â—tie meâ—◠〈◊〉 long suffering for bearing one another and for giuing one another of one heart and â—f one seule of one accord and of one iudgement Thus all such as aâ—e truly faithfull 〈◊〉 tempore sâ—les from the beginning of their faith and first embracing of the Gospell are translated out of Babylon and made citizens of I â—erâ—salem euen walking and working stones in the building of God house The next point to bee discussed is the foundation of the Church and that iâ— not Peter alone nor yet all the Prophets and Apostlâ—s iointly bâ—t Christ Iâ—sus himâ—â—â—f Not the Christ of 〈◊〉 or the Christ of 〈◊〉 or the Christ of Lâ—gat or any false Christ aâ—beit there be many such in the world but onely the true Christ of the Prophets and Apostle I say that Christ only which is vâ—lâ—â—m in 〈…〉 stamento reâ—â—latus 〈◊〉 promised by the mouth of all the Prophets in the old Testament and preached of all the blessed Apostles in the new So the Doctors expound my text built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles that is vpon Christ aâ— being the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles vpon the foundation which is laid by their doctrine as S. Ambrâ—â—e plainly jsper â—oâ—um veâ—â—â— testamentum vpon the coâ—ents of the two Testaments the summe whereofi nothing else but Christ crucified as beâ—ng the head corner stone lapis summus imus euen the first and the last stone the beginning and ending Apocal. 1.8 by whom the Church is founded and finished In other buildings the foundation iâ— lowest in the ground but the foundation of Hierusalem aboue Galat. 4.26 descending downe from God out of heauen Apocal 21.2 is higher then the highest Ecclesiast 5.7 As Aâ—stotle said a man is arbertransuersa so we that the Church is domus transuersa an house turned vpâ—ide do vne for that Christ is both a rocke on which his Church is founded and a chief or head corner stone in whom all the whole building is coupled together and groâ—â—th c. other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Iesus Christ a tried stone a precious stone a sure stone This doctrine confuces the Papist holding that Peter is the rocke on which the Church is built for that vpon the confession of Pâ—ter thou art Christ the sonne of the â—â—aâ— God our blessed Sauiour said thou art Peter and vpeniâ—iâ— rocke will I build my Church Answer is made that Peter in making this confession thou art Christ either spake â—racaâ—cris or procateris as prolocutor oâ— moâ—â—h of the rest And therefore whatsoeuer in that placeâ— as promised vnto Peter appertained to the whole Colledge of Apostles a Oâ—gâ—nâ—â—m 1. â— Mat. the words spoken â—o Peter are common to all If wee confesse with Peter nobis dâ—â—tur tu es Pâ—â—rus pâ—ra cnim quique Christâ—â—â— cipâ—lus est And S. Hiâ—renâ— Peâ—ra Christu st qui â—â—n â—â—t emâ—â—us Apost lâ—â— vt â—â— quique patrâ— voâ—â—â—â—ar â—nuâ—reâ—rgous faith Ambroâ—eâ—â—â— sis petra so euery confessor is a Peter and euery Peter a liuing stone in the building of God house Touching the words vpon this rocke will I build my Church A â—gustine the most accurate Doctor expound them thus Super bane Petram quam câ—nfesseâ— es super hano Petram qâ—im cognonisti discus tues Christus filâ—s Deiviui â—dâ—fâ—cabo ecclesiam mean id est super mâ—ipsum adâ—sieabo ecclesim meam super me edisicabote non me superte So the Papists owne Writers vpon this rocke that is I will build my Church vpon my selfe the Sonne of the liuing God See Gospell on S. Peters
as Malchus eare was so soone healed that an incredulous lew would not beleeue that Peters sword euer went betweene it and his head so the place thorow which his body passed might be shut and whole before and after he passed but not in the instant of his passing because that is contrary to the nature of a true body such as his was I know God can doe whatsoeuer he will but his word is his reuealed will and that telleth vs expresly that Christs body was like our body in all things only sinne excepted And if it be like our body then it cannot be without distance of space and place for saith Augustine That is no body which is no where Lastly the plaine text is against them for it doth not say that Christ came thorow the boords and barres of the doore but only that he came and stood in the midst after or when the doore was shut not determining the manner how he came but only reporting the matter that he came and the time when he came So that hauing so many and those so manifest euasions otherwise we need not say that Christ came in at the window that is a Popish forgerie crept into the Rhemists annotations thorow the wicket of our aduersaries owne mouth For the conclusion it selfe wee teach as the Scriptures and holy Fathers that the sacrament all bread and wine are signes and seales of Christs body and blood and we receiue them in thankfull remembrance he died for vs. As for his crucified body it is now in heauen a glorified body where it shall remaine till hee come in the last day to iudge and end this and all other controuersies In the meane while wee must as Eagles flie to the place where the dead body lieth ascending vpon the wings of faith vnto it and not expecting that it should locally descend vnto vs. See Sursum corda in the Liturgie And stood in the middest We reade in the Gospels historie that Christ was often in the midst In the midst of the Doctors in the midst of his Apostles in the midst on the Crosse betweene two theeues and shall at the last day be likewise in the midst betweene the sheepe and the goats In his natiuitie life death resurrection and comming to iudgement in the midst Heereby signifiing that he is our Messias and medius like Moses standing in the gap betweene God and vs. Hee stood in the midst here that all might the better heare him and see him as the Sunne in the midst of the firmament and the heart in the midst of the members affoording his comfort indifferently to the whole company for hee came not only for the benefit of Thomas but for the common good of other And this may teach all Pastors and parents to seeke the good of all that are committed vnto their charge Christ standing in the midst of his Apostles openly rebuked Thomas for two causes especially first that as Thomas had offended afore them hee might also be reprehended afore them all A priuate fault is to be censured priuatly but a publike scandall openly them that sinne rebuke publikely that the rest also may feare Secondly that Thomas his vnbeleefe might strengthen others faith that his doubt might put all other out of doubt So infinite is God in greatnes and goodnes that he can bring light out of darknes and vse the weaknes yea the wickednes of other for our good and his glorie Vnius interrogatio vniuersitatis instructio saith Augustine Ones ignorance was all others instruction for except Thomas had doubted so much other should neuer haue knowne so much and seene so many demonstrations of Christ his resurrection as the Church in the Collect Almightie God which for the more confirmation of the faith didst suffer for the holy Apostle Thomas to be doubtfull in thy Sonnes resurrection c. Peace be vnto you This salutation was vsuall among the Iewes and at this instant of all other vndoubtedly most fit For hereby Christ did insinuate that howsoeuer in the world they had trouble yet hee had made their peace with God as also that they need in their troubled estate to pray for peace of Church O pray for the peace of Hierusalem and peace of conscience for that is a continuall feast Or happily that they might the better know him after his resurrection heespeakes vnto them as a little before his death I leaue peace with you my peace I giue vnto you let not your hearts be troubled nor feare Christ is our peace preaching peace in his life making peace in his death assuring peace in his resurrection and consummating our peace in his comming againe to iudge the quicke and the dead when he shall say to the sonnes of peace Well done good seruants and faithfull enter into your masters ioy Now the Lord of peace giue you peace alwaies by all meanes Bring thy finger hither After Christ had saluted the whole Colledge of Apostles in generall he turnes himselfe to Thomas in particular repeating euery word Thomas had vttered in his absence Teaching him hereby that he was risen againe through his omnipotencie for the dead haue no sense much lesse reason and least of all vnderstanding the secrets of anothers heart And teaching vs hereby not to commit any sinne though it may be done neuer so closely for he seeth all our workes heareth all our words and knoweth all our thoughts aperta operta Remember the speech of God vnto Dauid Thou didst it secretly but I will doe this thing before all Israel and before the Sunne Our Sauiour did neither reiect Thomas finally nor yet correct him fiercely for his incredulitie but accommodating himselfe to Thomas infirmitie seeks to winne him and to bring him home to his sheepfold O Thomas thou hast thy faith at thy fingers end seeing that thou wilt beleeue no more then thou feelest I pray thee therefore bring thy finger hither and see my hands c. Heere then is a paterne whereby Paul might giue his precept We that are strong ought to beare the infirmaâ—es of the weake that we may make them as Christ did Thomas of faithlesse faithfull And this supporting is by Patience for bearing them Pitie weeping with them that weepe Pietie relieuing them as well with our counsell if they want wit as with our almes if they want wealth Thomas because thou hast seene me thou hast beleeued Faith is an euidence of things not seene how then did hee beleeue that which he saw can you touch God as the wicked Arians obiect and feele him with a finger Answere is made by the Fathers that Thomas touched one thing and beleeued another Videbat hominem confitehatur Deum as Augustine vpon my text He touched Christ as man but beleeued in him
that in other copies hauing only his fathers name And the meaning is that they professe themselues openly to be Christians acknowledging aperto fronte that God is their father in his sonne lesuâ— in their deeds and doctrine appearing outwardly to the world what they are inwardly to themselues according to that of Paul We beleeue and therefore speake Faith in the soule breaking forth into confession with the mouth is the note whereby the friends of Christ are distinguished from the followers of Antichrist He that dependeth vpon Saints as much as vpon his Sauiour and trusleth in the pardon of the Pope more then in the merits of Christ hath in his forehead the marke of the beast and not the seale of God If Christ once dwell in our hearts by faith his name will instantly be written in our forehead And I heard a voice from heauen The militant Church on earth is called often in holy writ heauen as being the way to the kingdome of heauen and as hauing her conuersation in heauen and her affections set on things aboue This heauen hath a voice for the Church is not mute but vocall openly professing her faith and praising God before the seat and the foure beasts and the elders Hauing a voice like the sound of many waters and of great thunder and of harpers harping with their harpes Some by these three kindes of voices vnderstand three degrees of the Churches progresse persecuted by the Dragon in the wildernesse First in the daies of Athenasuâ—s Basile Chrysostome Ambrose Hierome Augustine c. Her voice say they but how truly iudge yee was indistinct and confused For albeit the learned writings of these most accurate Doctors in their age made a great noise in the world like the sound of many waters yet many points of doctrine were not so well explicated vnto the common people then as afterwards they were Secondly in the daies of Wickliffe and Husse and other Boâ—â—â—ges her voice resembled the voice of great thunder But now since her deliuerance from the wildernesse and her comming out of Babylon her voice in the harmony of confessions is like the consent of harpers harping with their hâ—rpes Other say that the Scriptures voice speaking by the Church is like to waters in that it refresheth all such as hunger and thâ—rst after righteousnesse and like to great thunder in being terrible to the â—icked and like to the mâ—â—iâ—ke of hâ—rpers in being dâ—leâ—table to the godly The Preachers of the word are vnto God the sâ—reet sauâ—ur of Christ is thâ— nâ— that are sâ—â—ed and in them that perish to the ouâ— the sauour of death vnto death and to the other the sauour of lifâ— vnto life 2. Cor. 2 15 16. Other thinke that many â—â—sers are mâ—ny nations as in the 17. chapter of this bâ—oke vers 15. The 〈◊〉 which thou â—â—wâ—st are people and muâ—â—udes and nations and tongues And the great thunder is nothing else but the thundring voices of zealous and holy Preacherâ— And the harpers hâ—mâ—â—â— doth intimate spirituall reioicing together in the Lord. The Church then hâ—th a voice which is much a being of mâ—ny yet muâ—icall in that those many concord in the maine likâ— hâ—rpers hâ—râ—ing with their â—â—râ—â—s It is Mâ—â—â—avâ—xex pâ—allâ—ntium mulâ—â—tudine sed delâ—ctâ—bâ—lâ—â— excoâ—son â—â—â—â—suâ—â—itâ—te And they sung as it wâ—re a new song In regard of the matter a new song it was Adams old song before his fall to praise God for his creation in holinesse and righteousnesse but meeting a new song to the Lord for our redemption and regeneration whereby Gods image loâ—t by sinne is restored in vs againe Oâ— in regard of the manner a new song for whereas the leweâ— in â—he old Testament expâ—cting the consolation of Israel sung praises vnto God â—or that their Messias Sauiour shoâ—ld come Christians in the new Testament magnife the Loâ—d for that Christ iâ— come Blâ—ssed â—â—e the Lord God of Iâ—raâ—l for he hath vâ—â—â—ed and râ—deâ—mâ—d hâ—â— people for that theâ—r eies haue seene his saluation and their hands haue hâ—ndled the word of life Or in regard of the men a nâ—w song being sung by such as haue put off the old man and are new creatures in Christ 2. Cor. 5.17 a new song for that it makes the partie who sings it a new man Or a new song in that it seemeth vnto the world new for Christ crucified the chiefe subiect of their new song seemeth vnto the worldly wise meere foolishnesse as it followeth in our text No man could learue the song but the hundred fortie foure thousand which were redeemed from the earth As our Popish aduersaries hauing the beasts marke both in their forehead and in their right hand impudently call our most ancient and apostolike faith a new Gospell and our diuines Euangelij quinti professores But as learned Scaliger answered them acutely Nos nouatores non sumus sed vos estie veteratores A Monke devoted to his superstitious order and trusting in his owne merits is neuer able to learne how faith only iustifieth A carnall man addicted onely to naturall reason is not able to discerne the things of God A lew relying altogether vpon his Circumcision is not able to sing another note No maruell then if the song of Sion seemes new to them all These arâ— they which were not defiled with women This clause makes not any thing against honourable marriage for how can that be truly called a defiling when as the bed is vndefiled Hebr. 13.4 and therefore Paphnutius openly pronounced in the Councell of Nice Castâ—tatem esse cum vxore propria concubitum And Chrysostome though a great admirour of Virginitie saith also primus graaus castitatis est syncera virgimt as secundus fidele coniugium And so married couples are virgins as well as single persons and ordinarily more chaste in hauing Gods appointed remedie for auoyding fornication Before the Law the Patriarkes had wiues vnder the Law the Priestâ— had wiues after the Law to wit in the daies of the Gospell as Ambrose peremptorily writes all the twelue Apostles except Saint Iohn had wiues And it was euer thought commendable for the Preachers of the word to marrie at their owne discretion as they did iudge the same to serue better vnto godlinesse vntill Pope Nicholas the first Hildebrand alias Hel-â—rand and Innocentius the third forbad Priests marriage Wheâ— upon a witty fellow made this od old time Pri ciâ—nire gula penuâ—â—s cassatur Sacâ—rdos per hic hec olâ—n decliâ—atur Sed perhiâ— soluâ—â—â—mâ—do 〈◊〉 articulatur Cum per nostrum â—raâ—â—â—lens 〈◊〉 amo â—eatâ—r Non est Inâ—â—censius iâ—oâ—ocâ—rs 〈◊〉 Qui qâ—od fâ—cto docâ—â— verbo 〈…〉 Eâ— quo â— oâ—m iuâ—â—eâ—is â—â—lâ—t habere Moâ—â—â—â—tus poâ—â—fex stuâ—â—prohibere What kind of Virgins Popes and
popish Priests haue been you may read enough Epistle â— Sandâ—y in â—ent Happily more than enough in â—â—lâ—â— his Treatiseconcernâ—ng English votaries A profession of virginitie wiâ—h out true chastitie is no beâ—ter than an apple growing in the lake of Sodome Nâ—â—â—m est prorsus religionis geâ—â— licâ—ta nâ—n facunt 〈…〉 â—â—â—qu amâ—is nec hee facâ—â—â—â— mâ—aluâ—â— nâ—n temperant a raâ—inâ— If the notation pâ—â—a â—uâ—â—◠〈◊〉 be good and the râ—le true Vâ—nter â—eraâ—â—â—â—ro tacâ—â—◠〈…〉 I would not with many Popes to bâ—â—â—t of their puritie Paphia 〈◊〉 â—'eâ—â— Veneris prâ—lâ—s qusque Papaest Weâ—l such as follow the Lambe are neither defâ—led carnally with â—oâ—en 〈…〉 â—o 〈…〉 noâ— yet spiritually with idols In which respect the Church iâ— called a pâ—re 〈◊〉 for that shee runâ— noâ— a whoâ—ing with heâ— owne inâ—â—ntions committing fornicaâ—ion with â— her louers but i prepared for â—â—â—usâ—â—ad â—ach wâ—â—ch is Christ. In this sense to worship idols and to serue strange Gods is to be defiled â—ith womâ—n aâ— our Apostle doâ—h insinâ—â—â—e in the 17. thâ—â—er of thâ—s booke vers 4. And therefore the Papists â—â—beit vn maried deâ—â—nding vpon many Sainâ—s â—re not so good viâ—gins aâ— marâ—â—d Proâ—estâ—nes wholly trusting in one Sauiour and 〈…〉 hee 〈◊〉 obeying his wâ—â—â— and in their best enâ—eauoâ—rs euer ready to keâ—â—e â—he wordâ— of hâ—â—â—aw neuer foâ—sakâ—ng him or his in wâ—nt inâ—â—â—on in sicknesse in deâ—â—h And this he will acknowledge at the last day saying to them openly Come yee blessed of my Father inherit ye the kingdome prepared for you for yee haue followed me whithersoeuer I went I was an hungred and ye gaue me meat I thirsted and ye gaue me drinke I was a stranger and yee lodged me I was naked and ye clothed me sicke and ye visited me in prison and ye came vnto me whithersoeuer I went I had your companie In their mouthes was found no guile As they were chaste in minde keeping themselues from idols and chaste in bodie not defiled with women so likewise chaste in tongue for they did not adulterate the word or professe the faith in hypocrisie but hauing their mouth in their heart they spake because they beleeued embracing the Gospell in simplicitie being also studious of truth in their carriage toward men Louing without dissimulation Rom. 12.9 Casting off lying Ephes. 4.25 and all guile 1. Pet. 2.1 Iust in their promise not disappointing a neighbour though it were to their owne hinderance Psalm 15.5 Before men in respect of any scandalous offences or open crimes vnblameable saying with the Lambe whom they follow which of you can rebuke me of sinne Indeed their secret faults onely knowne to God are many while they be clogged with flesh and bloud who can tell how oft he offendeth and yet in the world to come they shall appeare without spot before the throne of God as hauing all their spots couered with long white robes of the Lambe yea cleansed and made no spots by the blood of the Lambe redeemed from earth and from men to be the first fruits vnto God The blessed Innocents on this day murthered by cruell Hâ—rod were witnesses to the Lambe non loquendo sed mâ—riendo saith Augustine not by speaking but by suffering for Christ and so both his name and his Fathers name were written in their fort heads and their voice was liâ—e the sound of many waters and as the voice of great thunder as it is in the Gospell allotted for this Festiuall In Rama was there a voice heard lamentation weeping and great mourning and their crying was a song a dolefull dittie to their parents eare Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted c. yet pretious in Gods eie so sweet as the voice of harpers harping with their harpes And this their sighing was a new singing because they were Primitie maâ—tyrum euen the first fruits of martyrs vnto God And they followed the Lambe whithersoeuer he went the Lambe was white and ruddie Cant. 5.10 that is as Rupâ—rtus vpon the place candidus sanctâ—tate rubisunius passions So they were white in their innocencie being virgins in their chastitie without any guile in their mouth or guilt in their life but in respect of their blood shed for the Lambe ruddie So that as Dauid sings in the Psalme out of the mouthes of very babes and sucklings he hath made perfect his praise Christ assuredly got great praise by that hymne which Angels sung Glorie be to God on high and great praise by S. Steuen his protomartyr and by S. Iohn the Disciple whom hee loued as you haue heard in their seuerall holy daies but his praise was made perfect by the mouthes of babes and Innocents of whom he saith in the Gospell Suffer the little children and forbid them not to come to mee for of such is the kingdome of heauen O blessed babeâ— who came to the wished hauen without any tempest enioiing the comforts of another life before ye knew the miseries of this life Qui prius in â—apitibus caronas quâ—m capistos accepistiâ— hauing your heads crowned with happinesse before they were couered with haire Heroâ— could neuer haue pleasured you so much in his kindnes as hee did in his crueltie for where his impietie did abound there Christs pitie did superabound translating you from your earthly mothers armes in this valley of teâ—res vnto your heauenly fathers bosome in his kingdome of glorie Saluete flores martyrum Quos lucis â—pso iâ— lumine Christi insecutor sustulit Seu turbo nascentes rosas Vos prima Christi victima Grex immolatorum tener Aram ante cuius simplices Palma coronis luditis The Gospell MATTH 2.13 The Angell of the Lord appeared to Ioseph in a sleepe saying arise and take the childe and his mother and flee into Egypt c. THe Priests in the law were coÌ„manded that the fire should euer burne vpon the Altar neuer goe out And so that the fire of our deuotion at this holy time kindled vpon the altar of our heart might not be quenched by the water which vsually the cold serpent casteth out of his mouth Apoc. 12.15 The Church adioyneth vnto the celebratioÌ„ of Christs birth other three festiuals in one weeke Wherein her meaning is not to withdraw our loue from the Creator to the creature for all the twelue daies are called Christmas dedicated onely to Christs honour but that wee might hereby praise this our Iesus vncessantly both in himselfe and in his Saints And the reason as some coniecture why S. Steuen and S. Iohn and the blessed Innocents are named aboue the rest is happily to shew that Christ came into the world to saue all sorts of men of whatsoeuer degree The Chiualdrie represented by S. Steuen a resolute Knight and warriour in the Lords battell the Clergie
shewes to bee most excellent in regard of Himselfe Vnto mee the least of all Saints is this grace giuen Other God Vnsearchable riches of Christ â—idde in God c. Angels Vnto rulers and powers in heauenly things c. Men to make all mensee what the fellow shippe of the mystery is and that by Christ wee might haue boldnesse c. The summe of all which is seeing I haue receiued so much good and endured so much euill for your sake seeing the great mystery concerning the common saluation as S. Iude speakes in his Epistle was not in times past opened vnto the ionnes of men on earth or to the blessed Angels in heauen as it is now declared by the spirit seeing I say yee may see what is the fellowshippe of the mysterie which euen from the beginning hath 〈◊〉 hid in God I desire you not to faint in your course but to continue stedfast in the profession of this holy faith vnto your liues end For this cause Some Diuines haue troubled themselues and other in examining the context heere but it is among words as among men affinnity which is neerest ought to be dearest and therefore seeing the first words of this chapter agree very well with the last of the former I take the coherence to b◠〈◊〉 â—â—uer preached that you Gentile in 〈…〉 〈…〉 are noâ— citizens with the Saints 〈◊〉 together in Christ the châ—â—â— corner stone to be the 〈…〉 And for th◠〈◊〉 namely for that I have together that you Gentiles are 〈…〉 I 〈◊〉 hated of my countrimen accused in their Synagogue 〈◊〉 â—â— their councels iniured by their offâ—cer◠〈…〉 appeale to Casar I was sent to 〈◊〉 where I am apâ—â—â—â—er as you may reade at large in the fast eight chapâ—â— of the Acts of the Apostles A priâ—â—ner of Iesus Câ—râ—â— He was the prisoner of Caâ—ar but Caesâ— had his authoritie from aboue for there is no power but of God Whoâ—oeuer then is in prison is â—â—â—tâ—s Ieâ—u Christs though otherwise libâ—â—â—â—â—eâ—u Christs suffering by Gods power and permittance â—ho can whâ—n he wâ—ll and will as shall make moâ—t for â—â— glorie proclame libâ—rtie to the captues and oâ—â—niâ—g â—â— the prison vnto them that are â—â—â—â—d Or he was â—â—e priâ—oâ—eâ— Châ—â—â—â— as enduring his â—ond for Christs faith and seruice Vâ—â—â—â—s noâ—â— Chrs to â—eâ—pro Christo. Namely for preaching among the Gentiles the eâ—searchable â—â—hes of Chrâ—st as it is in the S. verse So that whereas two thing especially commend a Maâ—tyr saith in Christ and loâ—e to the Church boâ—h are meâ— in the Apostle Hee suffeâ—ed for the true faith a pâ—iâ—onâ—r of Ieâ—â—s Christ and out of vnfained loue to Godâ— people Fâ—r â—â—u Gentiles as it iâ— in the hitteenâ—h verse â—or your sakeâ— euen for your good and example thaâ— yee likewise may conâ—â—nue conâ—tant in the sincere pâ—â—feâ—â—ion of Christianitie Fâ—â—â—â—â—◠〈…〉 is your glorie that ye hâ—â—e such â—n inâ—truâ—tor as is Christâ—n â—n boâ—d noâ— for any faction of yourâ— or fault of his oâ—ne but â—â—r confeâ—ence toâ—â—â—d God euen for the â—â—â—irâ—â—â—n â—f the grâ—â—e whâ—â—h â—s â—â—â—en â—ee to you-ward See Epistle Sâ—nday 16. after Trinitie Hitherto concerning the griefe which our Apostle suffered in Christs cause for the Gentiles I come now to treate of the grace which he receiued In respect of his knowledge being Certaine By reuelation shewed he the mysterie to me Full euen so perfectly reuealed that in a few words you may read and vnderstand â—y knowledge in the mysterie of Christ. Excellent which in other ages was not made knowne vnto the sonnes of men as it is now declared c. Practise whereof I am made a Minister according to the gift of the grace of God which is giuen vnto me c. If you haue heard of the ministration of the grace The calling of ' aul to be the Doctor of the Gentiles as it was knowne vnto himselfe by reuelation so to them by report If yee haue heard c. As if he should haue said if ye doubt not of my calling ye may be well assured of my doctrine But ye cannot doubt of my calling as hauing often heard how Christ in a vision appeared to me saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And when I had answered Lord what wilâ— thou haue mee to doe Iesus told Ananiâ—â—s in another vision Hee is a chosen vessell vnto mee to beare my name before the Gentiles and Kings and the children of Israel And so God separated mee from my mothers wombe and called me by his grace to reueale his sonne among the Gentiles as the Gospell ouer the circumcision was committed to Peter so the Gospell ouer the vncircumcision was committed vnto me being an Apostle not of men or by man Galat. 1.1 Or after man Gal. 1.11 but the ministration of Gods grace was giuen vnto me by the reuelation of Iesus Christ. The word mimstration or dispensation may bee construed either passiuely being a grace giuen and dispensed to Paul or actiuely for that Paul was dispenser of it vnto other 1. Cor 4.1 Let a man so thinke of vs as of the ministers of Christ and disposers if the secrets of God His office then is called a dispensation For that it consisteth in the dispensing of Christs vnsearchable riches And the Gospell is called here Gods grace for that it is faithfully deliuered and fruitfully receiued nor by mans merit but onely through Gods free grace Preaching in the teacher and beleeuing in the hearer are both the faire gifts of God Or the Gospell is called Gods grace because the summe thereof is nothing else but the preaching of Gods exceeding rich mercies in Christ intimating that our iustification is not by the workes of the Law but freely by grace through faith As I wrote afore in few words I finde that some construe this of that which is written in other Epistles vnto other men as to Philemon and other Churches as to that of Colossus and Philippi Marlorat is of opinion that our Apostle wrote another Epistle though it bee not extant vnto the Church of Ephesus Other referre this clause to that which is deliuered in this present Epistle to wit vnto that which is sayd in the two former chapters Or to that in chap. 1. vers 9. or chap. 2. vers 14. He is our peace which hath made of both one and hath broken the step of the partition wall In this little briefe is contained all that great mysterie which in times past was not opened vnto the sonnes of men as it is now declared by the spirit that the Gentiles should bee fellow heires and of the same body and partakers of the same promise in Christ by the Gospell Which mysterie in times past was not opened vnto the sonnes of men This verse cannot easily bee digested as one sayd without a graine of
his father primarily not for hiding these things from the wise that is wise in their owne eyes or wise men after the flesh endued with a wisedome which is earthly sensuall diuellish Iames. 3.15 but because though he suffer the prince of darkenesse to blind the mindes of the worldly wise yet he doth openly shâ—w the glorious light of the Gospell vnto babes that is vnto such as became fooles that they may be wise wholly renouncing their owne wit and solely submitting themselues vnto Gods will If Iesus reioyced in the spirit and magnified the Lord of heauen and earth for vs O what thankes ought our selues to present vnto God for our selues Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy name For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation and mine heart hath often endited a good matter and my pen sometimes is the pen of a readie writer O father of mercie whereas these things are yet hid from the Iewes and from the Turkes and from the superstitious Heathen and from carnall Christians I haue to the great refreshing of my soule through thy grace sweet Iesu both heard by the Gospell and imbraced the Gospell and preached the Gospell and in some measure practised also the Gospell O my soule praise the Lord and forget not all his benefits I will sing vnto the Lord as long as I liue I will praise my God while I haue any being Psal. 104.33 The sweetest of honie lieth in the bottome I passe therefore from Christs inuocation to the latter part of his Gospell his inuitation In which obserue the mouer Iesus moued all that labour and are laden motion Come take my yoke vpon you learne of me motiues I will ease you yee shall finde rest vnto your soules for my yoke is easie and my burthen light The person inuiting is Iesus he saith heere come not to mine but to me not to my Saints or Angels or Martyrs or Mother but to my selfe Send not other it is my pleasure that ye come seeke not for helpe from other I will ease you Come vnto me for I am the way the truth and the life The way by which and the tâ—uth in which and the life for which all of you come None can come but by me none finde ease but in me none rest in ease but with me Come therefore for I am the way learne of me for I am the truth and ye shall find rest vnto your soules for I am the life Come to me for I am as you see willing in saying come and able to relieue you for that all things are giuen vnto me So that aske and ye shall haue seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you None can come to the Father except it bee by the Sonne for no man knoweth the Father saue the Sonne and he to whomsoeuer the Sonne will open him In saying saue the Sonne he doth not exclude the holy spirit being the third person in Trinitie for it is a good conclusion in Diuinitie dictio exclusiua siue exceptiua addita termino personali in essentialibus non excludit ab altera persona diuina God the Father and God the holy Ghost as being all one with the Sonne are in the words nisi filius included and onely the Creator excluded For none know the Father by nature but by the reuelation of the Sonne Wee speake the wisedome of God in a mystery saith Paul which none of the Princes of this world knew hunc magnus Plato nesciuit eloquens Demosthenes ignorauit It is true that wee may know by the light of humane discourse that there is a God for the Godhead is seene by the creation of the world The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handie woâ—ke Psalm 19.1 Yet none know the Father that is a distinction of the persons in sacred Trinity but by the spirit of him in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Coloss. 2.3 And 〈◊〉 our reuealed knowledge is but imperfect in this life They who saw most of God obtained onely the sight of his hinder parts And in the kingdome of glory when as we shall enioy the beholding of his fore-parts also seeing him euen face to face our knowledge shall not be comprehensionis cognitio sed apprehensionis an apprehending rather then a comprehending of his infinite Maiesty Wee shall not euen in that day know so much of the Father as the Father knoweth of himselfe Sola quippe trinitas in vnâ—atis diuinitate seipsam nouit In this life we shall attaine by Christs grace to such an vnderstanding 〈◊〉 God as is fit and in the world to come we shall â—aâ—e so much as is full euen so much as any created vessel is able to containe yet none shall euer 〈◊〉 comprehend that incomprehensible Trinitie none can as it selfe know it selfe Hâ—â—herto concerning the party calling I am now to speake of the persoâ—s inuited All ye that labour and are lader He doth exâ—â—â—â— â—one who came to bring all vnto the knowledge of the truth â—â—al that lâ—â—our then all that liue For man borne of a woman is full of troubâ—e Iob 14.1 Come therefore all ye that labour in your actions and are laden in your passions All ye Iewes who labour vnder the yoke of the law and all ye Gentiles oppâ—essed with the burthen of your sinnes All yee â—hat labour where 〈◊〉 and whensoeuer and howsoâ—â—er afflicted or affâ—â—â—â—d 〈◊〉 misery For these two labâ—ur and lâ—dâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—one conceiue simply the â—â—me signâ—fâ—ing all kind â—f â—â—efe sâ—res and sorrow â—hatsoeuer As in the 6. and 9 Psalmes 〈◊〉 weary of my greamâ—g I am weary of my 〈◊〉 c. To speake more distinctly there is a threefold burthen namely the burthen of â—â—ffliction the law 〈…〉 Christ easeth all such as come to him of all these Concerning the sirâ— great trauâ—ile saith the sonne of Sirach is created for all men and a heaâ—ie yoke vpon the sonnes of Adam euen from the day that they goe out of the mothers wombe till the day that they returne to the mother of all things But Christ a refuge in due time of trouble yea a present helpe doth either take away this burthen froÌ„ our shoulders or else giueth vnto such as come to him abundant strength and patience to beare it Art thou crossed in thy goods it is the Lord who giueth and the Lord who taketh away Cast all your care vpon him and hee will so care for you that this burthen shall be made light and this yoke easie Art thou wronged in thy good name say with Dauid it may bee the Lord will looke vpon mine affliction do me good for Shemi his cursing me this
of Remaliahs sonne For albeit they determine to depose thee and to dispose of thy Kingdome purposing to set vp in thy throne the sonne of â—abeal vers 6 Yet thus saith the Lord God their counsell shall not stand neither shall it bee for the head of Aramis Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin and within threescore and fiue yeeres Ephraim shall be broken from being a people As if he should say these two kingdomes shall haue their limits and their two Kings must be content with their owne greatnesse they both aspire to the Crown but I haue set them their bounds which they shall not passe Beleeue my words and it shall goe well with you but if ye will not beleeue surely ye shall not bee established vers 9. And therefore that Ahaz and his people might giue credit to this promise the Lord saith our text spake once more to Ahaz Where note Gods long suffering and patience toward an Idolatious and a wicked King who did not vprightly in the sight of the Lord his God 〈◊〉 Dauid his father â— but made his sonne goe thorow the fire after the abominations of the Heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel and offered and burnt incense in the high places and on the hilles and vnder euery greene tree The Lord desired not the death of a sinner but that he may turne from his euill waies and liue speaking to him as heere to Ahaz againe and againe turne you turne you for why will ye die O yee house of Israel He doth inuite to mercie not onely such as are godly men according to the prayer of Dauid Do well O Lord vnto those that be good and true of heart But he maketh his Sunne to rise on the euill and sendeth his raine on the iust and on the vniust Matth. 5.45 Hee is not slacke faith Peter in comming to iudgement as some men count sâ—â—icknesse but is patient toward vs and would haue no man to perish but would all men to come to repentance Wherefore thou whosoeuer thou bee which art in the gall of bitternesse selling thy selfe to worke wickednesse nay giuing thy selfe to wantonnesse to commit all vncleanenesse euen with greedinesse How dost thou thinâ—e thou shalt escape the iudgement of God or despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnesse and patience and long sufferance not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance The Lord spake to Ahaz againe yet not onely for his sake nor for the wicked alone but rather to prouide for the weake which had some seeds of Godlinesse For albeit they did offend the Lord very much in their distrust and Idolatrie yet God as being the father of mercies in wrath remembers mercy Habac. 3.2 Compassion and forgiuenesse is in the Lord our God albeit wee haue rebelled against him Dan. 9.9 Require a token of the Lord thy God As if Esay should haue said I perceiue you giue credit to my report entertaining my speech as the words of a meere man and not as the word of God Wherfore to demonstrate that I come not in mine owne name but from the Lord of Hosts Aske a signe not of Idols or of strange gods vnable to helpe thee but of thy God Aske a signe not of me but of the Lord which onely doth wondrous things Aske of him Ahaz and thou shalt vnderstand that it is the Lord who speakes vnto thee God for the confirmation of our faith addeth vnto his promises as proppes of our infirmitie signes and tokens which Augustine calles aptly visible words And these signes are of two sorts extraordinarie whereof the Prophet in our present text and that which was giuen to Hezekiah in the 38. chapter of this prophesie vers 7. Ordinarie in daily vse as Baptisme and the Lords Supper the which are signes and seales of Gods holy couenant with vs. And wee must so ioyne faith vnto the word that wee despise not the Sacraments which Almighty God offereth as helps for the strengthening of of our faith It is a true saying that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners And this saying ought by all meanes to bee receiued and one chiefe meane is the ministration of the Sacraments and therefore the frantick spirits in our time who make no reckoning of Baptisme nor of the blessed Eucharist but esteeme them abces onely for little children are worthily censured by reuerend Caluin to separate those things which God hath ioyned together Whether it be toward the depth beneath or toward the height aboue The Prophet prescribes not what token Ahaz should aske lest happily the truth of the miracle might be suspected but hee leaueth it to the Kings owne free choice whether hee will haue it toward the depth or height that is in earth or heauen Or it may be the word depth is of some deeper signification as if Esay should say God will openly shew thee that his dominion is farre aboue all the world yea that it reacheth euen from the heauen of heauens to the very depth of depthes insomuch as hee can at his good pleasure fetch Angels out of heauen and also raâ—e the very dead out of their graues Here then obserue Gods omnipotencie who can doe whatsoeuer hee will in heauen and in earth and in the sea and in all deepe places Psal. 135.6 O God the great and mighty great in Counsell and mighty in worâ—e Behold thou hast made the heauen and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arme and there is nothing hard vnto thee This doctrine is comfortable to the godly who dwell vnder the defence of the most high and abide vnder the shadow of his wings hauing his spirit for their guide and his Angels for their guard But it is very terrible to the wicked in that all the creatures in heauen in earth and vnder earth attend the Lord of Hosts euenmore readie to fight against such as fight against him noneâ— This argueth his pride rather then humblenesse Or as other his trust in the strength of the King of Ashor rather then his affiance in the King of Kings And yet hee colours his foule contempt hypocritically with a faire pretence saying I will not tempt the Lord alluding doubtlesse to the text Deut. 6.16 ye shall not tempt the Lord your God He forgate the words in the some chapter a little before yee shall not walke after other gods c. and only wrested that clause which he thought would fit his turne wrest I say for to require a signe when God inuiteth and inioyneth vs is not to tempt the Lord but to trust and obey which is better then sacrifice Gedeon is commended for asking signes of the Lord Iudges 6. the Pharities on the contrary condemned euen by Christ himselfe the wicked generation and adulterous seeketh a
she shall call his name Now the naming of children is an office properly belonging to fathers and not to mothers In that therefore this charge was wholly referred and transferred to Mary wee may note that Christ was so conceiued of his mother as that hee had no father on earth as also that Ioseph affianced to Mary was rather an helpe then an absolute head a wedded but not a bedded husband I say not a bedded husband after the birth of Christ as Hierome notablie proues in a tract of this argument against Heluidius And for the strengthening of this reuerent opinion I finde a tradition entertained by the most ancient Doctors Origine Basile Theophylast and other that whereas the married women had one seuerall in the Temple for their deuotions and the Virgins another Mary not onely before but after the birth of her sonne also did vsually troupe with the maidens and not with the married liuing and dying a Virgin This Epistle then is all one with the Gospell Esay and Gabriel are messengers of the same errand for that which Esay speakes of Mary Gabriel speakes vnto Mary Thou shalt conceiue in thy wombe and beare a sonne and shall call his name Iesus And they both are so fit for the present feast that he who runs and reades may see the reason why the Church allotted them for this day The Gospell Lvk. 1.26 And in the sixth moneth the Angel Gabriel was sent from God vnto a City of Galilee named Nazareth to a Virgin c. ALmighty God in the twelfth chapter of Exodus enioyned his people to eate the pascall lambes head and feet and purtenance Christ is our Pascal lamb 1. Cor. 5.7 Wherefore wee must as Mary did anoint Christs head feet that is meditate on his birth and death on his ingresse into the world and egresse out of the world This scripture principally speakes of his birth and of the purtenance thereof an euangelicall and angelicall annunciation of his admirable conception In which obserue these 4. circumstances especially When In the sixth moneth Where In a City of Galilee named Nazareth Who saluting Gabriel an Angel sent from God Who saluted A Virgin espoused c. What Haile full of grace c. In the sixth moneth That is as Gabriel expounds himselfe vers 36. in the sixth moneth from the conception of Elizabeth And it is an argument to perswade Mary that shee may haue a sonne for that her consin Elizabeth had conceiued a child in her old age by her old husband Iohn the Baptist as it is thought was conceiued about the latter end of September and Christ according to the Churches account about the latter end of March. In the very same moneth as some coniecture the world was created and so the second Adam was conceiued about the time the first Adam was deceiued For as in Adam all die euen so in Christ shall all bee made aliue The Poet saith of the spring which alwaies beginneth in this moneth Omnia tune florent tune est noua temporis atas noua de grauido palmite gemma tumet And so Christ incarnate making a new heauen and a new earth ecce ego facio noua Behold saith the Lord I make new things Esay 43.19 See Tho. Caten m. Moller in loc Ludolph de vita Christi part 1. cap. 5. Giron ser. 1. Raulin ser. 3. Ferus ser. 5. in annun The Iewes for religious vses and festiuall times counted Nisan the first moneth which for the most part answereth our March and so forward but for ciuill they counted the seuenth the first It is worth obseruing therefore that the Annunciation vnto Zacharie was in the beginning of the Ciuill and this Annunciation vnto Mary in the beginning of the religious or ecclesiasticall yeere Teaching vs hereby that our whole life is onely ciuill and not truly religious vntill Christ be conceiued and formed in vs vntill hee dwels in our heart who reneweth a right spirit within vs. The Angel Gabriel was sent from God Gabriel in Hebrew signifies the power of God a fit ambassadour for such an errand because the conception of Christ and through it the redemption of the world is called expresly the strength of Gods arme Luk. 1.51 Euery Preacher of the Gospell ought to follow this example for his commission he must bee sent from God and in execution of it hee must bee Gabriel that is a man of good courage powerfull in doctrine and exhortation An Angel was sent about this businesse and not a man for sundry reasons especially thice 1. That our humane nature might bee repaired after the manner it was ruinated as a serpent was sent by the diuell vnto Eua to worke our woe so Gabriel an Angel was sent from God vnto Mary to bring glad tidings of our weale Ad Euam angelus malus accessit vt per eam homo separaretur â— Deo ad Asariam angelus banus venit vt in ea Deus vmretur homini 2. An Angell sent vnto a Virgin because Virgins are as Angels according to that of 〈◊〉 Câ—elibatus qua i câ—lobeatus And Christ also saith in the resurrection when there shall be no more marrying that we shal be then as the Angels of God in heauen 3. To shew that Angels are ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes who shall bee heires of saluation Heb. 1.14 and therfore seeing we haue such a guard attending vs on euery side we should do whatsoeuer we doe in a reuerent and seemely fashion alway remembring that wee are made a spectacle to men and Angels 1. Cor. 4.9 Vnto acity of Galilee named Nazaret The Iewes held this country and city so contemptible that the Pharisies said of the one out of Galilee ariseth no Prophet And Nathaniel of the other Can there any good thing come out of Nazaret Heere then obserue that euen Pharisies and learned men may be deceiued as also that God is not tied vnto any place but his spirit bloweth where it listeth And therefore we may not iudge of men either by then countrie or county Ioseph and Mary liued in Nazaret a city of Galilee good people though they dwell in bad parishes and places are the same Mytically Nazaret is by interpretation a flower it was fit therefore that he which is the lilie of the vallies and the rose of the wild should be conceiued in flore i. in Nazaret de flore i. de beata virgine cum floribus i. tempore florum in the spring or flower time Galilee was the marches of the Iewes abutting and adioyning neere to the countrie of the Gentiles and so Christs conception in Galilee doth insinuate that in him all the nations of the world shall be blessed Gen. 22.18 And that hee should breake downe the stop of the partition
wall and to make the Iewes and the Gentiles both one Ephes. 2.14 or Galilee signifieth an end or confine so Christ a Galilean is the end of the law Rom. 10.4 See this and many moe like this apud pont in sed annun To a Virgin espoused to a man whose name was Ioseph Mary though a Virgin was affianced to Ioseph of the house of Dauid for sundry causes â— left her selfe should be iudged an adulteresse and so stoned to death according to Moses law 2. Left her sonne should be reputed a bastard and so consequently not admitted for the Messias He who came into the world not to destroy the law but to fulfill all righteousnesse Matth. 3.15 would not himselfe be borne vnlawfully 3. That Christ heereby might honour both estates of maiden head and marriage of maiden head in that shee was a Virgin of marriage because she was espoused 4. That Ioseph might be to her selfe and her sonne a curator and a guardian in the time of trouble for so we reade in the second chapter of S. Matthew that the Angell of the Lord appeared to Ioseph in a dreame saying Arise and take the babe and his mother and flee into Egypt c. Againe arise and take the babe and his mother and goe into the land of Israel c. 5. That her husband might witnesse her virginity Sicut Thomas dubitando palpando constantissimus factus est Dominicae confessor resurrectionis Ita Ioseph Mariam sibi desponsando eiusiâ— conuersationem in tempâ—re cuiodie sindiosius comprebando factus est pudicitiae fidelissimus testos Pulchra viriusque rei conuenientut dubitatio Thomae desponsaâ—ia Mariae See Bernard vbi in marg Beauxam har Tom. 1. fol. 22. Maldonat in Mat. 1. Sixt. seuen Bib. lib. 6. annot 64. Of the house of Dauid S. Luke sets downe the names of so many places and persons exactly that wee might attend his relation more diligently Noluit nos negligenter audire quod tam diligenter sinduit enarrare Because Christ is the promised seed and sonne of Dauid Mary was espoused to Ioseph of the house of Dauid Hereby shewing her owne petegree by her husbands genealogie for the Iewes according to Gods law were to take wiues out of their owne tribes Dauid is â—iled a man according to Gods owne heart Act. 13.22 And so Ioseph a man of Dauids house was a man according to Gods owne hart to whom he did reueale Secret◠〈◊〉 atque sacratisimum sui cordis arcanum a mysterie which none of the Princes of this world vnderstood And Mary being thus affianced to Ioseph she proue in good housewife being in this respect like the Snaile which this 〈◊〉 She was not of the tribe of 〈◊〉 busy gossip â—â—ing about from house to house proâ—ing and speaking things which are not comely 〈◊〉 as almost all 〈…〉 vpon the words of our text 〈…〉 thee was within either at her holy deuotion or at her daily worke I come now to the salutation it selfe Haile Mary c. the which as Luther said of the Pater noster is made by the Papists a very great Martyr I purpose therefore to demonstrate these two points especially First their foule abuse secondly the true vse of Aue Maria. The Papists iniurie this angelicall salutation in Groce by misconstruing the whole sentence ioyntly in Parcell abusing euery particular word seuerally For the first they patch it vp together by fetching in other stitches out of other places as blessed is the fruit of thy wombe and adding the name Maria Iesus amen And all this that it may be repeated often vpon their beades as a maine point of holy deuotion and why so because forsooth it was vsed by the Greeke Church in their Masse daily for so they find it recorded in the Liturgies of S. Iames and Chrysostome Our answere is that those Liturgies are counterfeit the one being a sufficient consutation of the other For if the Greeke Church had a Liturgie written by S. Iames the blessed Apostle who would imagine that Chrysostome would haue made a new and if Chrysostome had penned a Liturgie he would not haue made a prayer for Pope Nicholas who liued almost fiue hundred yeeres after him and for the Emperour Alexius who liued seuen hundred yeeres after him It were very much as B. Iewell obiected against D. Harding to say Chrysostome prayed for men by name so many hundred yeeres before they were borne But to trace the Papists a little neerer euen from step to step if Aue Maria bee a prayer it must either bee a prayer for Mary or to Mary It cannot be a prayer for Mary whether wee consider the words as vttered by Gabriel while shee liued or as babled by them now shee is dead If in her life shee was full of grace and free from all sinne as they teach impiously then assuredly she did not need any prayer of man or Angell as abounding with all mercy and abandoning all misery much lesse now being a Saint in heauen and as they would haue vs to beleeue a queen of heauen ouerruling and commanding Christ himselfe to shew mercy on such as she will haue mercy As Aue maria could not be a prayer for Mary so it should not be a prayer to Mary because praying to Saints hath in Gods holy bible neither precept nor praise nor paterne Not to dispute this point Eckius a â—ancke payâ—st acknowledgeth in his Enchiridon that innocation of Saints is not inioyned in the Scriptures expresly not in the old Testament because the Patriarkes and the Prophets afore the comming of Christ as the Church of Rome beleeues were not in heauen but in limbo Not in the new testament least happily the Gentiles lately conuerted vnto the faith of one God should instantly returne to the worshipping of many Gods as the men of Lycaonia would haue sacrificed vnto Paul and Barrabas Acts 14 Petrus Asoto likewise and other Romanists of most eminent note for learning confesse that praying vnto Saints is not taught in Gods booke plainly but insinuated only So that as Melancthon obserues the Papists are saine to ride post vnto the Court for an example We cannot come to the Princes presence but by the mediation of some fauourite in like sort say they we must exhibite our petitions vnto Peter or Paul especially to Mary that she may commend them vnto Christ her sonne God himselfe hath answered this idle conceit for vs Osea 11.9 I am God and not man the holy one in the mids of thee and Esay 55.8 My wayes are not as your wayes c. Earthly princes out of necessity must employ many mediatours and officers about them as tongues and eares and eyes vnto them but the King of heauen is all eye and all eare seeing hearing vnderstanding all things euen the very secrets of our hearts afore we speake your heauenly father saith our
Sund after Easter and Gospell on Saint Thomas day Here pause and pray Almighty father which hast giuen thine onely sonne to die for our sinnes and to rise againe for our iustification grant vs so to put away the leauen of malice and wickednesse that we may alway serue thee in purenesse of liuing and truth through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen The Epistle Eâ—HES 4.7 Vnto euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ c. SAint Paul doth especially two things in all his Epistles 1. treate 2. entreate Hauing sufficiently treated in the former Chapters of doctrinals he commeth in this present to morals entreating his Ephesians in generall to walke worthy of the vocation whereunto they were called in more particular to support one another thorough loue keeping the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace pressing this one point with arguments of two sorts The first of which epist. 17. Sund. after Trin. is taken from such things as are common vnto the whole Church as being in all the faithfull one and the same there is one body and one spirit and one hope one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all and through aâ— and in you all As if he should argue thus if the Church your mother bee but one God your father but one Christ your Lord but one the holy spirit your comforter but one if ye haue but one hope one faith one baptisme I see no cause why ye should not liue together and loue together as all one labouring to keepe the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace The second contained in our present text is taken from such graces as are in euery one diuerse shewing that this inequality of gifts is not an hindrance but rather a furtherance to vnitie for asmuch as all of them are giuen by the same author for the same end Vnto euery one of vs is giuen some gift vnto none all he that hath most hath but a measure As then in the naturall body the eye can not say to the hand I haue no need of thee nor the hand againe to the feet I haue no need of you but euery part seeketh anothers and not his owne good Euen so in the Church which is Christs mysticall body God made not all Apostles or all Prophets or Euangelists c. but some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists c. There be diuersities of gifts and diuersities of administrations and diuersities of operations 1. Cor. 12. euery one standeth in need of anothers gift and thereupon is occasioned to support one another in loue preseruing the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace See epist. 2. Sun after Epiphan and 10. after Trinity In the whole 4. points are to be considered especially 1. Who Christ and that is proued out of the 68. Psal. verse 18. hee led captiuitie captiue and gaue gifts vnto men 2. When when hee ascended vp on high euen aboue all heauens to fulfill all things 3. What hee made some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists c. 4 Why for the perfiting of the Saints for the worke of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ. Concerning the first in that our Apostle doth auowe here that the diuersity of grace bestowed on the Church is the gift of Christ whereas he saith elsewhere that God the father ordained Apostles and Prophets and teachers and that the spirit worketh ad these things vnto euery one seuerally distributing as he will we may learne two conclusions in diuinity 1. That all the workes of the sacred Trinity quoad extra without it selfe are common and communicable to euery person of the three 2. That God the sonne is equall in might and mercy to God the father he being ascended aboue all heauens is the giuer of gifts vnto men and here we must accord the Prophet and our Apostle The one saith he receiued gifts for men the other he gaue gifts vnto men and these two seeme to contradict each other Answere is made that Dauid speakes of this deuotion in time to come but Paul of thiâ— donation already past and accomplished Dauid of the promise Paul of the performance Or Christ as he was God gaue gifts in heâ—â—â—n and as man he reâ—â—â—ed gifts on earth or he receiued in that his members receiued according to his owne saying Mat. 25.40 â—n as much as ye haue done it vnto one of the leastâ— these my brethren yee haue done it vnto mee or he receiued to giue as Exod. 25.2 Speake to the children â—f â—srael that they receiue an offering for me that is according to the translation of our present Church bible â—â—at they bringâ— where reioycing as Abbâ—n Ezâ—a notes is giuing and so Paul alluding rather to the sense then to the words of Dauid saith he 〈…〉 Touching the second point it is demanded how Christ is said here to haue made some Apostles and some Prophets c. When he went 〈…〉 and led captiuity â—aptiue seeing wee reade in the Gospels history that he chose his Apostles and Disciples and gaue them a commission to preach in his life time and that after his resurrection he confirmed them in his office by breathing on them and giuing the holy Ghost and saying as my father sent mee euen so send â—y â—â— goe teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the father and the sonne 〈◊〉 the holy ghost Answere may bee that Christ is reported in this Scripture to haue giuen Apostles vnto the Church after he went vp on high in respect of their gifts extension and 〈◊〉 Extension as hauing after Christs ascensâ—ou receiued the gifts of the holy ghost after a more glorious manner and in a farre greater measure So the text the â—â—ly ghost was not yet giuen because that Iesus was not yet glorified and If I goe not away the comforter will not come vnto you but if I depart I will send him vnto you And Christ at his ascension also charged them to waite for this promised power of the holy ghost See gosp Sun after ascension day Oâ—tension and that 1. in respect of the solemne inauguration into their Apostleship on the feast of Pentecost in the sight of Gods people gathered together at Hierusalem out of euery nation vnder heauen It is reported of Dauid that he was first annointed King of Israel in the middest of his brethren 1 Sam. 1.10 and afterward in Hebron 2. Sam. 2. But hee was not called King vntill he was annoynted solemly before all the tribes of Israel 2. Sam. 5. Euen so though it bee granted that the Apostles were nominated and elected to their office before Christs death and confirmed in their calling after Christs resurrection yet they were not apparantly knowen vnto Gods people to bee so till he went vp on high and gaue
them that are bound Esay 61.1 and deliuereth vs from the power of darknes Coloss. 1.13 In the fourth estate we confesse a liberty of glory Al the doubt betweene vs and the Papists is of the second estate how man corrupted as renewed how he commeth vnto regeneration after degeneration And yet herein we consent that the will of man in turning vnto God and in doeing good is not a stocke or a stone in all and euery respect passiue for euery man is willingly conuerted and by Gods grace at the very time of his conuersion he willeth his owne conuersion and so the will of man is in some sort a coworker with grace For this end Paul exhorteth vs not to receiue the grace of God in vaine but to worke out our saluation in feare and trembling Philip. 2.12 To this purpose the saying of Augustine is very remarkeable qui fecit te sine te non iustificabit te sine te Fecit nescientem iustificat volentem He who made thee without thee will not iustifie thee without thee What theÌ„ is the maine difference between the Papists and vs in this question it is in one word this they write that our will is a coworker with grace by the 〈◊〉 of nature we say that it workes with grace by grace Thâ—y teach that grace doth enable the will of it selfe to doe good workes if it please but wee further adde that grace worketh in the will of man to please to do such offices as God requireth at our hands He doth not hang his worke vpon the suspended if of our will but he worketh in vs to will and causeth vs to do the things that he commandeth vs to doe We will in deed saith Augustine but God worketh in vs to will we worke but God worketh in vs to worke we walke but he causeth vs to walke we keepe his commandements but he worketh in vs to keepe his commandements In the words of Paul it is God that worketh in you both the will and the worke euen of his good pleasure Philip. 2.13 If God only made thee a man and thou thy selfe hast made thy selfe a good man thy worke of necessity must be greater then Gods worke Melius est enim iustum esse quam te hominem esse our bare being is not so good as our better being wherefore to stop thy presumptuous mouth and to beate the lie downe thy throate Christ here saith expresly ye can beare no fruite except ye abide in me without me can ye do nothing In naturall and humane actions it is true that your will is free yet see that your will is alway subordinate to my will in whom ye liue and moue and haxe your being but in spirituall things appertaining to the kingdome of heauen your selues are not sufficient as of your selues to thinke much lesse to speake least of all to doe that which is good Qui vires in folijs venit a raditibus humor The iuyce which is in the branch commeth originally from the root and so qui viret in folijs c. The graces eminent in the sonnes of God are from aboue proceeding from the father of mercies and fountaine of all grace qui a seipso se fructum existimat ferre in vite non est quiin vite non est in Christo non est qui in Christo non est Christianus non est August tract 81. in Euang. Iohan. Ser epist. Sun 11. 12. after Trinity The rest of the punishments here mentioned are very grieuous as to be cut away from the Viâ—e to be cast out of the vineyard to wither c. but the last of all is the greatest of all I meane the burning of fruitlesse branches in hell fire which is vnquencheable This of all terribles in the Scriptures is most terrible whether we consider in it the paine of the losse or the paine of sense the reprobate which abide not in Christ haue paine of losse for the Vine saith vnto such branches at the last day depart from mee from me that am your first beginning and last end from me that am your redeemer from me that made my selfe man for your sakes and receiued these wounds for your remedy from me that inuited you with pardon and ye would not accept it Wherefore depart for euer from my friendship from any protection from my kingdome from my paradice from my sight And because whatsoeuer is separated from Christ is also separated from those who goe with Christ in saying depart from me he saith likewise depart from mine from the quiers of my glorious Angels from the sweet company of my blessed mother and from all my most happy Martyrs Apostles Prophets Confessors in a word from all the holy Saints and host of heauen into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuest and his Angels For as in sinne there is an auersion from the creator and a conuersion vnto the creatures according to that of the Prophet they haue forsaken me the fountaine of liuing waters and haue diggedpits euen broken pits that hold no water so iâ— the punishment of sinners as diuines obserue there is not onely paena damiti which is answerable to their auersion from the creator but also paena sensiu which is answerable to their conuersion vnto the creatures and therefore such branches as beare no fruite are not only cast out of the sight of the Vine and the whole vineyard but also gathered together and made the fagots and fewell of hell fire the which in many respects is exceeding dreadfull especially because the torments of this Aetna neuer dying euer frying are both vniuersall and eternall Hell paine is vniuersall afflicting euery power of the soule euery part of the body Concerning the soule the imaginatiue faculty shall be tortured with horrid imaginations more terrible then those which a deepe melancholie man suffers in his dreames or then those the cruell Egyptians saw which as the Wiseman speakes were fearefull visions and sorrowfull sights affrighting visages of wild beasts and hissing of Serpents c. Thy will as hauing in nothing it owne will is an hell of it selfe to it selfe The memory shall be continually troubled with a fixed recordation of things passed that it once possessed and of the present which it now suffereth and of those which are to come in eternity So that it cannot thinke vpon any thing which in any sort should administer comfort for if it calles to mind the pleasures it had in the world it is for its greater torment Materia tristitiae non delectationis causa saith Aquine The vnderstanding shall bee so darkened as that it shall bee full of errours and illusions euen as a tumultuous sea with innumerable waues of imaginations more bitter then gall some going other comming all restlesse As for the body the damned are to bee bound hand and foot crouded together in the prison of vtter darkenesse like
his workes of creation and redemption and preseruation of his people though he may not read Gods priora yet he may know Gods poâ—teriora beholding him in his wonders in his words in his sacraments in his sonne principally being the brightnes of his glory and expresse character of his person as Christ in our text he that hath seene mee hath seene also my father I am in the father and the father in mee Hereby prouing himselfe to be God 1. For that we must only beleeue in the Creator and not in any creature 2. Because God only knowes the secret perturbation of the heart and if ye beleeue that I am God ye must also confesse that I am a present helpe in trouble willing and able to relieue you for if God be with you who can stand against you Why then are your hearts troubled as if he should haue said albeit I am to suffer death as man yet I will on the third day raise my selfe againe from the dead as God it is expeâ—hent for you that I dye for your sinnes and rise againe for your iustification and so prepare a place for you in my fathers house that where I am there you may be also mansionsâ— Saint Paul hauing at large disputed of the resurrection in his first Epistle to the Corinthians 15. Chapter prouing that the dead shall rise againe by manifest and manifold arguments taken out of the bookes as well of nature as of Scripture concludeth in fire therefore my beloued brethren 〈…〉 sumoutable 〈…〉 alwayes in the 〈◊〉 of the Lord for as much as we know that your labour is not in vaine So Christ in the Gospell vnto his â—ollowers In the 〈…〉 and all the wicked of the world â—all hate you for my names sake they shall scourge you in their Synagogues and persecute you from City to City not affording to much as an hole Wherein to rest your head in peace yet let not your hearts be troubled as long as in my fathers house there be mansions and I goe to prepare a place for you The Church militant on earth is often called in holy Scripture Gods house wherein he hath a great many mansions as dwelling in our hearts by faith and we likewise haue many places of preferment some being Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers Ephes 4.11 It is true that God and we too dwell here but it is saith Iob in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust or as Paul speakes in earthly tabernacles set vp to day and pulled downe to morrow non habemus hic manentem ciuitatem in this world we haue no continuing City For our kingdome which cannot be shaken Heb. 12.28 Our habitation which is euerlasting Luke 16.9 Our inheritance that fades not away 1. Pet. 1.4 Our dwelling place mentioned in our text by Christ is not made with hands but eternall in the heauens 2. Cor. 5.1 Our best houses on earth albeit neuer so gorgeous and neuer so glorious hauing if it be possible walles of gold and windowes of Saphire are not withstanding no better then Innes for strangers and pilgrimes 1. Pet. 2.11 Our mansions and places of abode for euer are in Hierusalem aboue which is without either death or danger Apocalyp 21.4 Wherefore seeing we beleeue in God and looke for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Sauiour Christ who when he commeth againe shal reciue vs vnto himselfe that where he is in his fathers house there we may be also let vs say with Dauid â—â— by art thou so heauie O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee O put thy trust in God and hee shall one day satisfie thee with the plenteousnes of his house for there is not only roome for Christ in Gods house but also place for all his followers the mansions of heauen are many the least of all his souldiers if they fight a good fight and continue faithfull vnto death is rewarded with an incorruptible crowne of glory hauing for his inheritance no lesse then a whole kingdome Againe these mansions are many because the Saints in heauen haue diuerse degrees of glory So Paul 1. Cor. 15.41 There is another glory of the Sunne and another glory of the Moone and another glory of the Starres for one Starre differeth from another in glory so likewise in the resurrection of the dead A great vessell and a little dipped in the same well hold notwithstanding diuers measures according to their capacity so in Gods house euery chosen vessell of honour is filled vp to the brim with the water of life but the better hath vndoubtedly the bigger mansion he that held more charity here shall haue more clarity hereafter Yet as Au gustine notes vpon our text Non erit aliqua inuidra imparis claritatis quoniem regnab it in omnibus vnit as charitatis I goe to prepare a place for you It is said Matth. 25. 34. That the mansions in Gods house were prepared before the foundation of the world how then is it true that Christ at this time goeth to prepare a place Answere is made that the mansions indeed are prepared from all eternity but the men who shall inhabit them as yet were vnprepared It was expedient therefore that the redeemer of the world should die for their sinnes and rise againe for their iustification and ascend into heauen to take possession of this kingdome and to set open the doores of these prepared mansions vnto his followers as also to send vnto them a conforter and a conductor euen the spirit of truth who might leade them in the right way to this place So Saint Augustine acurely Parat quodammando mansiones mansionibus parands mansores Hee prepareth a place by making men sit for the place For election is in Christ and through Christ and so consequently none come to the Father but by the Sonne wee passe by the kingdome of grace to the kingdome of glory for without holinesse it is impossible to see God Touching other readings I referre you to lansen concord cap. 134. and Erasmus annot in loc Lord we know not whether thou goest S. Thomas and S. Philip were so good proficients in Christs schoole that their master in the former chapter at the 10. verse said of them and of the resâ— of their fellowes excepting Iudas the traitor ye are cleane and Saint Peter as the mouth of the company professed openly to whom shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life and we beleeue and know that thou art the Christ the sonne of the liuing God And yet their faith in the houre of tentation as you see was so weake that Saint Thomas said Lord we know not whither thou goest And Saint Philip Lord shew vs thy Father and it sufficeth vs. Now these things
doth not only subsist in his diuine nature but also by his diuine nature whereas hee doth not subsist at all by the manhood but in the manhood onely for the word was in the beginning when the manhood was not God of the subâ—tance of his Father begotten before the worlds man of the substance of his mother borne in the world as Athanasius in his Creed And therefore Christ alway was is and euer will be with vs in his spirit though absent in his body for a cloud on this day tooke him vpon high out of our sight whom the heauens must containe till the time that all things bee restored which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began I conclude this argument in S. Augustines glosse Videte ascendentem credite in absentem sperate venientem sed tamen per misericordiam occultam etiam sentite praesentem The Gospell MARK 16.14 Iesus appeared vnto the eleuen as they sat at meate c. ALbeit religion be not tied vnto time yet can it not be planted or exercised without a due diuiding and allotting out of time for it Euery Church therefore chuseth vnto it selfe a certaine time for publike prayers and for the preaching of the Gospell and for the celebration of the Sacraments And for as much as it is kindly to consider euery great blessing of God in the day wherein it was wrought it is well ordered by the true Churches as well ancient as moderne to solemnize the memoriall of Christs natiuity circumcision passion resurrection assension and sending of the holy Ghost on certaine set holy daies euery yeere ne volumine temporum ingrata subrepat obliuio saith Augustine lest happily the maruelous workes of our gratious Lord should be forgotten in a while which ought to be had in a perpetuall remembrance Now Châ—ists assension is the consummation of all that which he did and taught whilest hee dwelt among vs aptly tearmed by Bernard Fâ—lix clausula totius lienerarâ— sily Dei the very Sabbath of all his labour in the working of our redemption He laboured six daies and then he rested on the seuenth His natiuity was the first his circumcision was the second his presentation in the Temple the third his baptisme the fourth his passion the fifth his resurrection the sixth and then followed his ascension in which hee was receiued into heauen and now sitteth at the right hand of God as hauing finished the whole worke for which hee came into the world Dauid saith of the naturall Sunne it reioyceth as a Grant to runne his course it goeth forth from the vtter most parts of the heauen and runneth about vnto the end of it againe and there is nothing hid from the heate thereof The which as Augustine and other haue noted may be well applied vnto the supernaturall Sunne Iesus Christ the sonne of righteousnesse As a Gâ—ant he did runne his course there you haue his incarnation and peregrination in the flesh his circuit was from the vttermost part of heauen vnto the end of it againe There you haue his resurrection and ascension nothing is hid from his beate there you haue his sending of the holy Ghost in the forme of fiery tongues Act. 2.3 As a Giant he ran his race for he first descended into the lowest parts of the earth and then ascended from aboue all heauens that he might fulfill all things Ephes. 4.9.10 Wherefore seeing Christs ascension is the complement of all his doings and of all his doctrines our Church is worthie to be honoured in making this festiuall one of the chiefe holidaies in the whole yeere In the Gospell allotted for this holy Thursday two points are most obseruable namely Christs goodnesse toward his Apostles in his Apparition Iesus appeared vnto the eleuen Correction and cast in their teeth c. Commission Goe ye into all the world c. Consolation These tokens shall follow c. Ascension So when the Lord had spoken vnto them hee was receiued into heauen c. The Apostles obedience toward Christ and they went forth and preached euery where c. Iesus appeared vnto the eleuen Hee had often appeared vnto his followers after his resurrection and now he manifested himselfe to the eleuen Apostles as they sat at meate Wherein hee did appeare like himselfe full of meekenesse and mercy giuing vs assurance that he will be present with vs orationi incumbentibus at our meetings in the Temple Quando nec recumbentibus quidem dedignatur adesse seeing he vouchsafed his companie to his Apostles in their meates at the table It is reported Luk. 24.43 that he did eate with them also now this comestion as the Schoolemen out of the Fathers haue disputed was not egestatis but potestatis He did eate to feed our soules and not to fill his owne bodie being after his resurrection immortall and impassible That which he did eate was not as Durandus imagined turned into the substance of his body for as Gregorie the great disputes out of S. Paul Rom. 6.9 Christ being raised from the dead dreth no more death hath no dominion ouer him his glorified body needed no sustenance to preserue life Neither was this eating as other thinke a seeming onely to take bread and fish and honie but it was a true comestion albeit assuredly there followed no digestion or ordinarie eiection And so by consequence he did not eate to nourish his owne flesh but onely to cherish our faith in that great article concerning the truth of his resurrection Or hee did in this appearing eate with his Apostles at the table familiarly that he might hereby the better imprint in their hearts a memoriall of his sweet loue toward them Or he did appeare to his Apostles at meate to signifie that he giueth our food in due season and that he filleth all things with his plenteousnesse Psal. 145.15 And cast in their teeth their vnbeleefe The Patriarks and Prophets and Apostles instruct vs not only by their vertues but also by their infirmities As there the Disciples vnbeleefe turned in fine to the confirmation of our Creed Dubitatum est ab illis ne dubitaretur à nobis vndoubtedly some did doubt the diuine prouidence sweetly so disposing that all other might bee put out of doubt And therefore Thomas in beleeuing Christs resurrection so flackly did vs hereby more good then Mary Magdalene in beleeuing so quickly because Christs correction of his fault occasioned further direction for our faith Infidelit as bona quae seculorum fidei militauit See Gospell on Saint Thomas day The world doth exalt first and then humble Prou. 14.13 The end of the worlds mirth is heauinesse But God on the contrary first humbleth and then exalteth As Christ here first humbled his Apostles in rebuking their vnbeleefe and hardnesse of heart and then he doth exalt them in making the whole