which are of the circumcision but vnto them also that walke in the steppes of the faith of our father Abraham This to be iustified more which saint Iohn speakes of is no doubt to walke in the steppes of the faith of Abraham And this no doubt also is that which saint Peter meaneth when hee concludes his epistle thus Growe in grace 2. Peter 3.18 and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ That is grow in your faith and knowledge of the Gospell For this is life eternall saieth our Sauiour to knowe thee to bee the onely true God Ioh. 17.3 and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ Gagneius should haue considered all these places and not grounded his second iustification of workes vpon that one onlie place Whereas also that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him be righteous still maie signifie rather a perseuerance then an increase But to let Gagneius go with his mystes and cauilles against the trueth and to returne to saint Austen againe As hee quite takes all our iustification from all workes whatsoeuer either ceremoniall or morall so he yéelds this to that our first iustification that it makes vs partakers of the glory of God Lib. spir lit cap. 9. and doe wee thinke then that hee euer thought of anie second Thus hee writes By grace the wicked man is iustified freely that is hauing no merites of his works going before For otherwise grace were not grace because therefore it is giuen not because that we haue doon good works but that we may do them that is not because we haue fulfilled the law but that we might fulfill it For he said I came not to destroie the law but to fulfill it Of whome it is saide We haue seene his glorie the glorie as it were of the onelie begotten Sonne of the Father full of grace and trueth This is the glory whereof it is said All haue sinned and are destitute of the glory of God And this is the grace whereof by and by he saieth Being iustified freely by his grace So that by saint Austens iudgment this grace which we receiue in our first iustification is that grace of God which before our iustification all men were depriued of And will Gagneius saie then that our iustification is imperfect Naie herein also saint Austen agrees with saint Paul who speaking of that first iustification saieth 1. Iohn 15. We being iustified by faith are at peace with God and is it imperfect then no imperfect thing can please God Ephes 2.16 He is light and in him is no darknes at all Naie in another place hee saieth that Iesus Christ hath slaine hatred betweene God and vs and that we haue an entrance now to the father by one spirit no doubt which we receiue in our Baptismes and at our first iustification 19. And that now we are no more strangers or forreiners but citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God And is this our first iustification as yet imperfect Naie saint Iohn saieth 1. Iohn 1.3 That we haue seene and heard we declare vnto you that you also maie haue fellowship with vs and that our fellowship may be also with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ Do wée beleeue this O happie newes by faith wee are made fellowes with the apostles naie euen with God himselfe and is then our first iustification imperfect and these things Saint Iohn writes to vs that our ioy may be full Who will not reioice that heareth this newes Other Papists make another cauill at our iustification Stella writes thus Of these words of Christ that error of the Lutherans is conuinced Stella in cap. 6 Luc. who dare affirm that faith cannot be without charity but one may truely as it is manifest out of this text of the Gospell heare the vvordes of God and beleeue them and yet not bee in grace But here Stella addes this of his owne and beleeue them that is more then is in the text The text saieth One maie heare the words of God and not do them not be in grace But surelie he that heares them beleeues them will do them also no doubt and therefore such a one is in grace S. Austen also verie excellentlie condemnes the Papists in this their doctrine De fide operib cap. 23 The Lord saith in the Gospell The houre shall come wherein all they that are in the graues shall he are his voice and they shall go which haue doone well into the resurrection of life and they which haue doone euill into the resurrection of iudgment Neither is it said that they which haue beleeued or that they which haue not beleeued but thus they which haue doone wel and that they which haue doon euil for a good life cannot be separated from faith which works thorough loue yea verily that same is a good life it selfe A true liuelie faith and a good life by saint Austens iudgement are vnseparable And againe saint Austen declares his iudgment concering our iustification and she vse of good workes verie manifestlie thus When as the Apostle saith Aug. de fide operib cap. 14. that he supposeth that a man is iustified by faith without the works of the law hee meanes not that when as wee haue receiued and professed the faith that the works of righteousnes should be despised but that euery one may know that he may be iustified through faith although no works of the law haue gone before For they follow a man that is now iustified they do not go before him which is to be iustified This is saint Austens plaine iudgement that workes are fruites of our iustification not rootes they are neither precedent nor concurrent causes but effects following Ibidem And after hee addes the causes why saint Peter Iohn and Iames and Iude wrote their Epistles and expoundes their meanings whereas they seeme to make much for good workes Because this opinion saieth he was then sproong vp that is that works were despised the other apostolique Epistles of Peter Iohn Iames and Iude against this opinion bend al their force so that they very vehemently affirme that faith without workes profiteth nothing As also Saint Paul himselfe cals not faith euery faith wherewith we beleeue in God but that healthfull and euangelicall faith whose workes proceede from charitie and faith saieth he which vvorketh thorow loue Therefore he affirmes that that faith which some men thinke is sufficient to saluation to be of so small force that he saith If so be that I had all faith so that I could moue mountaines out of their places and yet had no charity I am nothing But where this faithfull charitie works there is a good life c. So that by saint Austens iudgement that vaine and barren faith which some men in those dayes imagined of their owne braines and despised all good workes doe both saint Iames and saint Iohn and the
if he will haue him For who doubts but that God knowes how to saue and is also able and willing to saue For God is the God of saluation as saith the Psalme but whether hee will saue him or no this the Diuell cals in question especially if a man haue liued among the wicked as Christ was here among the theeues Therefore it is a great temptation when the Diuell makes a man doubt which trusts in the Gospell that although he beleeue that Christ is our righteousnesse yet that he should doubt whether he be his righteousnesse or no c. Euerie true Christian must beléeue in particular that Christ is his righteousnesse if he minde to ouercome the Diuell and be saued To beléeue in Generall that he is the righteousnesse of all men is the marke the Diuell shootes at and this doctrine the Papists some of them doe now teach But he must go further that will be saued and apply this soueraigne plaister of Christs death to himselfe and to his owne soule and beléeue that he is his righteousnesse also Granatensis also of the same matter writes thus But thou O Lord as thou art omnipotent in vertues Granat de perfectione amor dei lib. 2. ca. 34 so thou art sufficient for all men in loue thou art infinit in them both and therefore that cannot be wanting to any which hath neither lymits nor any ende although it be deuided amongst many Euen as no man enioyeth lesse the light of the sunne because it shineth to all men but he receiueth so much thereof euen as though he were alone in the world so that heauenly bridegroome loues no lesse all the Godly soules both in particular and in generall then if it were one soule alone For he is not a louer like to Iacob whose loue towards Leah was colder for the feruent loue wherewith he loued Rachel but as an infinite God whose vertue is no lesse in euerie particular person though it be deuided also amongst many And after The Philosophers say Cap. 37. that goodnesse is to be beloued of it selfe but also that euery one loues his owne goods the best for when as man loues himselfe by nature it followes by a necessarie consequent that he must loue all his owne things as proper and pertaining to himselfe alone Wherefore euerie one loues his owne house his owne vineyard his owne money his owne seruants his owne horses and whatsoeuer he possesseth for all these serue to his vse and therefore man as he loueth himselfe so he loues all things which belong to himselfe Therfore if then thou my Lord God be not the onely best good thing in the world but also my best good thing that I haue in the world I minde here to consider in what degree thou art mine and by how many titles thou art mine that hereby I may more manifestly know how greatly I ought to loue thee Therefore I see O my God that thou art my Creator that thou art my sanctifier and that thou art my gloryfier Thou art my helper my gouernour defender tutour and keeper thou sustainest me thou encouragest me thou preseruest me thou to conclude art my God thou art my Lorde thou art my saluation thou art my hope thou art my glorie thou art all the good things I haue Thou art all these thinges vnto me O Lorde as thou art God but in that thou art man there are many other titles other duties and other bonds wherewith I am bound to thee Thou art my repairer for thou hast made perfect againe mans nature which by sinne was corrupted and weakned thou art my deliuerer for by thy captiuitie thou hast deliuered me from the tyranny of sinne death hell and the diuell my deadly enimy thou art my redeemer for with a price and incomparable treasure laid out for my sake thou hast redeemed me from that seruitude into the which thorow sinne I was fallen thou art my King for thou gouernest me with thy Spirite thou also hast fought for me and hast deliuered me from the hands of mine enimies And so going forward he reckons vp a great many benefits of Iesus Christ to his Church and after concludes thus All these things thou art O Lord my God and more then these both to all and to euery one and to me alone And therefore with what face shal I not loue thee Lord to whom I am bound by so many titles and meanes Par. prec orat 7. de impet amore dei Michaelab Istelt cites thus Granatensis praying But when as indeed euery good thing is to be beleeued by it selfe yet notwithstāding euery one doth loue his own good the best I wil therfore loue thee O Lord my God not only because that thou art the best good thing but because that thou art my good too For when I consider and way with my selfe by how many titles and means thou art become mine my very entrails melt within me and I crie out with the Bride My loue is mine and I am his For thou O Lord art my creator thou art my sanctifier and glorifier thou hast giuen me the essence of nature thou hast giuen me the essence of grace and thou wilt giue me the essence of glory Thou art my helper my gouernour my defender my tutor my preseruer and lastly thou art my Lord and my God thou art my saluation my hope my glory thou art all the goods I haue And truly thou art all these vnto me in as much as thou art God in as much as thou art the Creator and preseruer of all things but in that thou art man there are many other titles other duties and other bonds wherewith I am bound to thee and thou to me for the which also I ought of good right to loue thee if it were possible with an infinit loue c. Granatensis here affirmes that God is not onely the best good thing in the world but that hee is his good to him And what is this else but to teach men to beleeue speciall grace Mem. lib. 2. cap. 4. Granatensis also himselfe of speciall grace writes thus Amongst all those losses which the sinner incurres thorow his sinne there is none greater or more to be lamented then that hee loseth God himselfe for this is the root and fountaine of all other losses For to haue lost God is not to haue God a speciall father tutor pastour and defender and now to haue changed him from being a most louing Father into a most seuere Iudge Here is the verie word vsed that God is as it were a speciall father protector and defender to euerie one of his Granatensis in another place of speciall grace writes thus Mem. lib. 5. orat remiss peccat O Lord remember thy wordes which are most comfortable which sometimes thou spakest by the mouth of thy Prophet Ier. 31. But thou hauing plaide the harlot with manie louers yet turne againe to mee sayth the Lord. Wherefore O mercifull father
written A father of many Nations haue I ordained thee Roman 4.16 euen before God whome he beleeued who quickneth the dead and calleth the things which be not as though they were which Abraham beleeued against hope vnder hope that he should be the father of manie Nations according to that which was spoken to him So shall thy seed be And he not weake in faith considered not his owne bodie which was now dead being almost an hundreth yeare old neither the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe neither did he doubt of the promise of God through vnbeleefe but was strengthened in faith and gaue glorie to God being fully assured that he that had promised was able to doe it And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Now it is not written for him onely that it was imputed to him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whom it shall be imputed for righteousnesse which beleeue in him which raised vp Iesus our Lord from the dead who was deliuered for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification Saint Paul here the Doctour of the Gentiles teacheth all Christians by the example of their father Abraham contrarie to the doctrine of the Vniuersitie of Collen that they must not consider their owne frailtie and weakenesse for who then shoulde not despaire but the promise and mercie of God Abraham considered not that now hee and Sarah his Wife were as good as dead to child-bearing and begetting but the word and promise of God which euen quickens things that be dead calles things which are not as though they were and euen so must all Abrahams Children and all true Christians not consider their owne frailtie and weakenesse for if they respect their owne deseruings euen the best of them all they are like their Father Abraham euen dead in their sinnes and farre off from obtaining the Kingdome of God yet beleeuing the promise of God assuredlie and not respecting this their owne frailtie and weakenesse but euen nowe with a liuelie faith whensoeuer it assaulteth them ouercomming it they must all assure themselues of the kingdome of God as Abraham did of his sonne Isaac And this is faith and this is to be the true sonne of Abraham and without this faith no man can bee saued Wée must not consider our owne infirmities naie that wée are euen of our selues dead through our sinnes as the Vniuersitie of Collen teacheth but wee must onelie respect the grace mercie and promise of God as Abraham our forefather did and by this strengthened ouercome the other which as an enemie is opposed and set against faith to wrestle with it and to assault it The Vniuersitie of Collen in this their doctrine doe gainesay the Prophet Dauid whome they alleadge for their witnesse Psalm 125.1 The iust man sayeth Dauid is like mount Sion which on no side can bee moued Hée is firme on euerie side hee trusting on the mercie of God is not mooued as they teach with the consideration of his owne frailtie Againe let vs consider howe the Vniuersitie of Collen and Master Bellarmine do disagree in this great point of saluation Bellarmine whereas saint Iohn saith Lib. 1. de Iustificat cap. 11. These things haue I written vnto you which beleeue on the name of the sonne of God that you may knowe that you haue eternall life answereth that S. Iohn saith truly they which beleeue as they ought haue euerlasting life The meaning therefore saith he of the Apostle is conditionall for hee writes to those which beleeue that they may know that they haue eternall life if so be they beleeue indeed as they ought to beleeue that is if they haue faith which worketh by loue This is master Bellarmines iudgement But the vniuersity of Collen writes thus Dialog 4. contra Monhem Who euer hath taught thus of faith that the saluation of euery particular man should bee obtained by it or haue relation to it For faith is of all things most assured which neither can be deceiued nor deceiue But the iustification of euery priuate man say they is very vncertaine much more their eternall saluation how therefore can faith bee had of such vncertaine things This is the censure of the Vniuersitie of Collen whereas both Saint Iohn and master Bellarmine auouch that they which beleeue aright know that they haue eternall life so that by the censure of the Vniuersitie of Collen wee must not beleeue assuredlie wee must not knowe that wee shall be saued wee must onelie hope that wee shall bee saued And they saie againe That the certainty of hope is not such that any man trusting thereunto should not doubt for so long as we hope say they we are vncertaine as the very Etymologie of the name of hope doeth teach vs. Thus wée maie plainelie see howe they will haue vs doubt still of our saluation which doubting is both contrarie to faith and also to knowledge which Saint Iohn the Apostle teacheth But to returne againe to M. Bellarmines former answere his meaning is thereby though hee dissent from the vniuersitie to prooue that no man shall bee assured or know that hee shall bee saued For hee saieth a little before that euen by our confession faith is necessary to the forgiuenes of sinnes But saieth he out of what word of God do they learne that they haue such a faith as is required to get and obtaine remission of sinnes This is one of his mistes whereby hee would haue euerie one doubt whether hee hath faith or no and so doubt whether hee should bee saued or no. But this doctrine is contrarie to Saint Paul who thus writes to the Church of Corinth 2. Cor. 13.5 Trie your selues sayeth hee and search your selues whether you bee in faith or no. Doe you not know your selues that Iesus Christ is in you vnlesse you bee reprobates All Christians must knowe that Iesus Christ is in them that they are by faith engrafted into him or else they are reprobates By master Bellarmines doctrine all Christians are reprobates For no Christian sayeth hee knowes whether he hath such a faith as obtaineth remission of his sinnes and then it must néedes followe that no Christian knowes that Iesus Christ dwelleth in him which all shoulde knowe and so all are reprobates by his doctrine 1. Pet. 1. Peter the Apostle writes his Catholique Epistle in generall to all Christians and hee sayeth that they haue gotten like precious faith to the Apostles And shall they not know then that they haue obtained such a faith as is required to the forgiuenesse of sinnes The Papistes imagine God to bee a respecter of persons and that to the Apostles hee gaue a great faith and that they might bee sure of their saluation but to none else hee gaue the like faith and that all others ought to doubt but Saint Peter here plainlie teacheth that euen those to whome he wrote had obtained euen as precious a faith as he And shall not we iudge so
that especially helpes to keepe and preserue this peace of conscience is a certaine familiar and a filiall trust which the iust haue in God of which wee will speake briefly which in some of them is so great that there is no sonne in the world which in all his necessities trusts so much in the protection of his father as they do in the protection of God For they know that there is no father on earth worthy of this name if he bee compared with their heauenly father They know that this father hath a care not onely of their bones but also of the very haires of their heads and that not one of them doth fall without his appointment and will These and such other like things they know by faith And they know also by the experience of particular graces and by his prouidence and louing kindnesse which God vseth towards them and they know that God will so certainly prouide for them in all their necessities that they sing ioifully with the Prophet The Lord gouernes me or as some other doth translate it The Lord doth feed me and therefore I can lacke nothing And after Although I walke in the middest of the shadow of death I will feare no euill because thou art with me Such like promises hath the scripture in a thousand places and with the truth of these the iust man is defended as with a most sure shield and therefore he is neither troubled nor any whit moued in all the chances of this life For whatsoeuer is taken from him on the one side he trusts shall be restored againe of God on the other side in matters of greater waight and importance Thus farre Granatensis And what could be more truelie and plainlie written of the great loue which God hath to euerie Christian and of the loue which he ought to beleeue most assuredlie To beleeue this loue of God towards them is the onelie shield of Christians in the manifold chances of this life Take this loue awaie from them and you leaue them naked and what is more contrarie to the doubtfull doctrine of our saluation which the Church of Rome daylie teacheth Ferus speaking of the time betweene Christs death and his resurrection writes thus Fer. Ser. 10. de filio predi What maruell is it saieth hee if the Disciples then doubted whether their faith in Christ were a right faith or no That without all doubt was a most sorrowfull time vnto them when as they were so perplexed in their minds For what doth so torment a mans conscience as then when he is compelled so to sticke in two waies doubtfull of his faith whether there be any hope of grace and mercy or no This I say the holy Apostles and Disciples tried by experience in the death of Christ c. Such a doubtfull faith the Church of Rome now teacheth which Ferus here plainelie condemnes as a most miserable thing In the psalme euerie soule now is called the beloued of God Psalm 118.6 That thy beloued may be deliuered saieth Dauid Let thy right hand saue mee and heare thou me Euerie soule in the sight of God is now Dauid that is beloued is Salomon is at peace with God is Iedidiah on the Lords behalfe But to returne againe to Granatensis after hee addes this And by this meanes the people of God as the Prophet Esay sayth Ibidem shall sit in the beauty of peace and in tabernacles of sure confidence and in rich tranquility where she shall find all things in him who is all in all Therefore the Prophet fitly ioines peace with confidence for one of these comes of another that is peace of confidence for he that trusts in the Lord there is nothing that may cause him to bee afraid or that may trouble him for he hath God his defender and one that prouides and taketh care for him Of the certaintie also of saluation Med die lunae de vener Sacram he in another place writes thus Christ also would make his spowse sure of the inheritance of the heauenly kingdome and he would leaue hir thereof an earnest penie and pledge that being sure of it she might passe ouer without wearines the pilgrimage troubles of mans life There is nothing that doth more forcibly moue vs to cōtemn al these things which are vnder the sunne then the hope looking for of those things which we shal haue in heauen And therefore our Sauiour said when as he was now ready to die I tell you the truth it is expedient that I go away frō you c. And a little after That his spouse might most certainly look for this good thing he hath left hir this incōparable pledge which is of so great price and valew as are those things which by the hope thereof she lookes for And he hath left hir these pledges least she should distrust the promises of God but should verily beleeue that God will giue all things in the life to come which he hath promised where she shall liue by the spirit seeing he hath not denied her the pledge thereof in this vale of misery where shee liueth in the flesh And in the same Chapter a little before Why was it not enough O King of glory to thy most feruent and vnspeakeable loue to haue despoused my soule vnto thee my soule I say which before was a seruant and bondslaue of the diuell but also when as thou hadst seene her to languish in thy loue thou madest for her this mysticall loue medicine which is consecrated and transelemented with these words that it hath power of transforming the soule that eates it into thee and of inflaming it with the loue of thee Nothing declares more manifestly ones loue then to wil to beloued againe Therefore when as thou so earnestly desires our loue and hast sought for it with so great pleasure who is it that hereafter will doubt of thy loue I am sure O Lord that when I loue thee I am loued againe of thee I am sure O Lord that I need vse no new meanes to kindle thy loue towards me as thou hast done to rauish my affections towards thee Thus farre Granatensis What can bee more plainelie saide that euerie one is sure of his saluation then that euerie spouse of Christ that shée might bee sure of her heauenlie inheritance and that shée might passe ouer this pilgrimage ioifully hath receiued a pledge and earnest penie thereof of God and that hereafter now none will doubt of the loue of Iesus Christ towards him why then he is sure of his saluation And in another place Loue and mercy compassed thee about and laide that heauy burthen vpon thy shoulders loue mooued thee to giue me thy goods and mercy caused thee that thou shouldest take vpon thee all my euilles if therefore mercy with loue brought thee vnto such and so miserable a state who euer hereafter wil doubt of the greatnesse of thy loue For if that
which call vpon him and beleeue in him c. This great zeale and loue of Christ towards his verie enemies in the midst of all his torments must néedes worke an assured confidence that he will now heare vs which beléeue in him And therfore we néede not flie to anie other in our prayers but only to him If he so willingly saith Ferus forgaue the sinne done against his owne person he will no doubt farre more easily forgiue vs. Therfore we come boldlie and without all feare to God hauing so louing a patron and aduocate Fer in 4. cap. Mat. Ferus also of Inuocation that it is a part of Gods honour writes thus Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God This adoration consists not in bowing of the knee or such like but in spirit and truth To worship God to beleeue in him to serue him to cal vpō him without these thou art an Idolater whatsoeuer thou doest if thou loue or feare any other thing more then God if thou in thy necessitie call not vpon him for for this cause he sends thee aduersities that thou shouldest call vpon him And they haue not inquired after the Lord but haue trusted in the helpe of Egypt And so many of vs do Thus farre Ferus Here we may plainlie sée first that Ferus makes this Inuocation of God a speciall part of Gods worship or Latria and that to this end to make vs to call vpon him he sends vs afflictions Secondly how he reprooues them that trusts in Egypt that is in man either liuing or dead or in what thing soeuer Dom. 23. post pent conc 2. Philippus de dies also of prayer writes thus Whosoeuer doth knocke at the doores of the tender mercie of God with his prayers with faith and reuerence with humilitie and sure confidence with all which this woman was furnished he truely toucheth the Lord and drawes his vertue and spirit to him Therefore happy is he that truely can say with the Prophet I will offer the fat burnt offrings He offers to God fat burnt offrings which offers him prayers full of humilitie assurance of obtaining them and deuotion And he offers prayers without marrow which offers prayers without loue deuotion or attention And these whether they be Clergie or Lay-men although they pray a great number of Psalmes or of other prayers as a taske without any intention of the minde blessing God with their mouths but with their hearts giuing themselues to pleasures and delights in the streetes these truely thrust the Lord they touch him not because they onely touch him with their bodies and not with their spirit And therefore they receiue from him neither any vertue or grace What must we doe then brethren Truely that of Saint Paul I will praie with my spirit I will pray with my minde I will sing with my spirit I wil sing with my minde Thus much Philippus de Dies Wherein he condemnes all the Latine prayers made of the ignorant and simple people which vnderstand no Latine And such were almost all their prayers in the daies of our forefathers because they lacked this marrow of truth and confidence of the assurance of obtaining their prayers at Gods hands they lacked this minde and vnderstanding which S. Paul speaketh of And as Dies truely affirmes they that pray so thrust and throng Christ but they touch him not Stella also to the same effect writes thus In 1. cap. Luc. My soule doth magnifie the Lord saith the blessed virgin Marie And that verie fitly for God is to be praised rather in heart and minde then in voice according to that of S. Paul Sing to God in your hearts And after My soule saith she doth magnifie the Lord because my toong stambreth neither can it number all the benefits bestowed vpon me Therefore I offer the inward affection of my minde in giuing of thanks And againe Where we are taught that God is to be praised rather in minde and heart then in body But many haue the prayer of the voice onely and mouth and not of the heart to whom the Lord saith This people honoureth me with their lips but their hearts are farre from me And of our Sauiour Iesus he writes thus In that they led Iesus with them to Ierusalem Idem in ca. 3◠Luc. thou oughtest to learne that in all thy iournies and in all thy trauailings most sweete Iesus ought to accompanie thee Haue him alwaies before thine eies let no worldly matter enter into thy minde but in all thy affaires direct all thy thoughts to him as it were to a marke If we ought to haue him alwaies before our eies why should we haue then anie other And that Iesus Christ is so louing towards vs that we néede not haue anie other he writes thus after preferring his great loue towards vs before the loue of Iohn the greatest saint in the world and so by a consequent before anie other saint whatsoeuer Therefore saith he Iohn preached in the wildernesse because in the Citie there are so many sins and abominations that Iohn could not abide them Iohn was grieued at the heart neither could he digest so many sinnes But when as he saw the Pharisees he could not abide them but he burst out saying O ye generation of vipers c. But Christ hath a better stomacke to beare with our iniquities and to cure our infirmities as one that loues vs with all his heart and with all his affection and winkes at the sinnes of men that they might repent And for this cause Iohn would not enter into Cities that he might not see the lying of artificers the vsury of merchants the vanitie and pompe of noble men c. Thus farre Stella But quite to ouerthrow all inuocation of Angell or Saint whatsoeuer Coloss 2.18 doth not S. Paul most euidently write thus Let no man make you shoote at a wrong marke or defraude you of your price at his pleasure through humilitie in worshipping Angels intruding himselfe into those things he knowes not puffed vp vainly by the conceipt of his owne flesh As though he should saie If any man teach you this doctrine that it is humilitie to worship Angels and that you maie not presume to come in Gods sight such a one beguiles you he makes you lose your price lose your reward For he that runnes in a race must obey his pleasure that maketh and appointeth the game masterie If you pray neuer so much and fast neuer so often if you doe not these according to Gods word in the name of Iesus Christ you lose your price and he that teacheth contrary is puft vp of the pride of his owne minde he followes his owne reason and not the light of Gods word and therefore in these matters is starke blinde and knoweth nothing As S. Paul teacheth of all such If any man saith he teach any other doctrine and giues not heede respects not the holesome words of our Lord Iesus
proue this vnto thee out of another place O Peter doest thou loue me saith he feed my sheepe And when as he had asked him this thrise he confirmed that this was an argument of his loue Which thing was not spoken only to Priests but also to euery one of vs to whom a little flocke is committed for because it is a verie little flocke therfore it must not be neglected for my father hath a pleasure in them Euery one of vs hath a sheep let vs leade it to fat pastures When therefore a maister of a familie shall rise from his bed let him care for nothing else then that he may do and speake those things by which he may increase religion in his whole family The good wife also let her haue a care of her house but let her greatest care be concerning those things which belong to heauen Let all the whole family do those things For if in our worldly affaires we preferre the matters of the common wealth before our houshold affaires lest for the payment of these common taxes and subsidies we being brought before the Iudge and being punished we should incurre blame reproch how much more in spirituall matters ought wee to haue a principall care of them first of all which concerne God our creator and that great king of all kings least that we be drawne thither where is gnashing of teeth Let vs therfore embrace those vertues which are profitable to our own saluatiō also profitable to our neighbours Thus farre Chrysostome Wherefore as first he teacheth vs that that commandement of our Sauiour Christ to Peter Feede my sheepe belongs not only to him or his successours as the Papists now teach but to euerie Christian Euerie Christian is Peter and must féed his little flock his familie that is committed vnto him Origen in Matt. hom 1. in cap. 6. As also Origen expounded that saying of our Sauiour to Peter the 16. of Matth. To thee will I giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen It seemes to bee spoken saith he to all perfect Christians For they are all Peters and Rockes and in them all is the Church builded And if you thinke that the Church was built of that one Peter what doe you say of Iames and Iohn the sonnes of thunder and of the other Apostles Wee maie note here the consent of Chrysostome and Origen in expounding these two places concerning the Popes primacie otherwise then the Papists do now And yet they wold make the world beléeue that all the Fathers were on their side Secondly Chrysostome teacheth that euerie maister is bound to instruct his familie yea more then to paie his subsidie to the Prince For this is a subsidie that is due to the king of heauen which hee requires at all mens hands And that euerie Christian ought to know the Scriptures and to be able to doe this Chrysost ho. 2 in cap. 1. Matt. he writes thus in another place Which of you I pray you that stand here can say one Psalme without booke if ye were examined or anie other portion of scripture Surely there is none And this is not onely the mischiefe that you are slouthfull slacke to learne spirituall things but to learne diuelish things ye are more hot then fire for if any one should aske you anie vaine ballads or any such like foolish and vnchast songs and tunes hee shall find verie manie that are skilfull in thē that also will sing them with great pleasure and delight But this is the common excuse of these faults I am no Monke saith he I haue wife and children and a familie to care for This is that which as a common plague marres all because you thinke that the reading of the Scriptures doth belong only to Monks when as it is farre more necessarie for you then for them For they which are conuersant in the worlde and receiue dayly wound vpon wound doe not they stand more in need of the salues of God c. Let vs note here how that Chrysostome would haue all men to reade the Scriptures he excepteth none they néede not séeke to the Ordinarie to be licensed to reade them as the Papists now teach Naie that this is more necessarie for them then either for Priests or Monkes And that this is Gods salue to heale their daily wounds therewith and then they need not to feare anie harme therby as the Papists now do A fourth dutie which belongs to all Christians is that they ought to despise the world and all the vaine pompes and pleasures thereof And this we haue all vowed in our Baptismes but alas how smally is this vow amongst many either regarded or almost euer all their whole life after remembred And this solemne vow promise is grounded of the word of God Loue not the world saith S. Iohn nor the things that are in the world If any man loue the world 1. Ioh. 2.15 the loue of the Father is not in him And S Iames saith He that is a friend to the world is an opposed enemie to God O dangerous frienship Iam. 4.4 which bereaueth vs of the fauour of God! Nay which opposeth vs as open enemies to God And yet no man almost feares or cares for it And least wee should bee deceiued Saint Iohn puts downe plainly what the loue of this world meaneth For al that is in the world saith he as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world As though he should saie those things which our flesh desireth which our eyes delight in which our life gapes after so gréedily are not of the father but are the worlds dearlings And all these must all Gods children contemne hate and despise And who is it not now that yéelds to his flesh all that it desireth Who is it that feedeth not his vaine eyes Who is it that followeth not after the pride and state of this present life We follow at this day that rich man of whom our Sauiour makes mention We followe not Christ himselfe Luke 16.19 That rich man was cloathed in purple and fine linnen and fared delicately euerie day And there was a poore man named Lazarus which lay at his gate full of sores 1. Ioh. 2.6 c. Here is in two words all these comprehended The lust of the flesh to fare daintily the state of this life to be cloathed gorgeously and the lust of the eyes to bee couetous and vnmercifull not so much as once to looke vpon poore Lazarus But these delights and desires though we read not that he did anie man wrong to maintaine and fulfill them damned him in hell And here let all such take héede by his example that to maintaine these do oppresse and deale hardlie with the poore mēbers of Iesus Christ Christ Iesus who is the way the truth and the life Iohn 14 6. despised all these and so
well or to obtaine by our good deeds Therefore in Saint Matthewes Gospell the Lords prayer seemes to containe in it seuen petitions in three whereof eternall things are desired and in the other foure temporall things but yet such as are necessarie to the obtaining of those heauenly things For when as we say Hallowed be thy name Thy kingdome come let thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen All which petitions some haue verie conueniently vnderstood that we shall keepe them in our body and soule altogether world without end and that here being but as it were begunne in vs how greatly soeuer we shall profit in them they are but increased in vs but that which we all hope for being perfected in another life wee shall enioy them for euer But that we say Giue vs this day our daily bread and forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs and lead vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill who seeth not but that these doe belong to the necessities of this present life Therefore in that euerlasting life where we hope we shall be for euer both the sanctification of the name of God and his kingdome and his will shall remaine in our soules perfectly and euerlastingly But it is therfore called our Daily bread because that here it is necessarie for vs in as much as it is to be giuen both to our soules and bodies whether it be vnderstood either corporally or spiritually or both waies Here also is that Forgiuenesse which we desire where also is all forgiuenesse of sinnes Here also are those Temptations which either allure or moue vs to sinne Here also is that Euill from which wee desire to be deliuered But there that is in heauen there are none of all these The Euangelist Saint Luke in the Lordes prayer makes mention not of seuen but of fiue petitions neither doth he for all that dissent from Saint Matthew but by his breuitie he teacheth vs how these seuen are to be vnderstood The name of God is sanctified in spirit And the kingdome of God shall come at the resurrection of the flesh therefore Saint Luke shewing that the third petition is but as it were a repetition of the two former by omitting that would teach vs thus much Then he addes the other of our daily bread and remission of sinnes and of eschuing temptation but that which Saint Mathew hath last but deliuer vs from euil that he hath not mentioned that we might vnderstand that it belonged to that other which Saint Mathew spake of concerning temptation And therefore Saint Mathew saith but deliuer vs he doth not say and deliuer vs shewing it to be but one petition He did not say that I say but this that euery one might know that then they are deliuered from euill if they were not ledde into temptation Thus farre Augustine In this short summe of the Lords prayer euerie true Catholique maie learne these lessons First to make al their prayers to God alone if they minde to be blessed and not accursed as saint Austen here plainly teacheth And that this prayer containes in it seuen petitions thrée wherof are for heauenly things and foure for the things of this present life And the first thrée by Saint Austens iudgement we must begin to learne here in this life and that although we learne them neuer so well and praie for them all our life yet we shall neuer perfectlie learne them as long as we liue here they shall be onelie perfectlie learned in heauen How farre then shall those be from learning these lessons which all their liues neuer knew what they meant which said Paternoster in Latine in a toong they vnderstood not We maie learne here also out of Austen that all remission of sinnes is in this life and therefore that there is no remission of sinnes as the Papists teach now in the life to come And therefore the Popes pardons and purgatorie are nothing worth Euerie true Catholique must learne here out of Austen that all remission of his sinnes is to be had in this life and that after his death to giue anie thing whereby to hope to bee relieued is in vaine Againe here we maie learne to reconcile Matthew and Luke and not to thinke that euerie thing that séemes contrarie at the first sight is contrarie These two Euangelists though they séeme to disagrée yet they agrée most excellentlie as Saint Austen teacheth Thus much S. Austen teacheth all Catholiques in this briefe summe of the Lords prayer But to come more particularlie to it and to handle euerie part thereof these good lessons brieflie and dailie euerie true Catholique maie learne out of it being said in English which by the latine Pater noster they could neuer haue learned First when as they saie Our Father by these words they may learne that God is now their father and therefore loues them and cares for them yea and that so déerelie as that in comparison of his great loue and care which he hath of them our sauiour Christ saith Mat. 23.9 Call no man father now vpon earth for there is but one your father which is in heauen All the fathers in the world loue not their children so déerely nor are so carefull for them as God our heauenlie father is for euerie one euen the meanest of vs that be his children euen for poore Lazarus And this also was the first lesson our Sauiour taught his after his resurrection when as he appeared first of all others to Marie Magdalen who continued wéeping at his Sepulchre when as Peter and Iohn were gone home againe Io. 20.15.17 A speciall and a comfortable lesson how all true penitent sinners shall finde Christ euen nowe also after his ascension Go saith he and tell my brethren and saie vnto them I ascend to my father and to your father to my God and to your God Oh happie newes the gladdest tydings that euer was brought to men And this is the fruit of Christs passion To purchase this for vs he endured all those torments This we should most assuredlie beléeue and euer haue this opinion of God and euer carrie this in our mindes This is a comfortable lesson This should make vs forsake our olde Pater noster if we should haue said it all our life long it could neuer haue taught vs thus much This should make vs feare nothing This should make vs trust in God in all our dangers and to come to him boldlie and with great confidence euen as children are woont to doe to a most louing father in all our necessities The forgetfulnesse of this Mat. 6.32 causeth vs often to begin to sinke as Peter did when he sawe a great waue of the sea comming against him Mat. 14.30 Secondlie we maie learne by this that if we accompt God our father then also we should accompt one another as brethren and so deale with them as with brethren He is a
common father to vs all so we should be all as brethren one to another and it is greatly to be feared that at this daie that the lacke of this naturall and brotherly loue amongst our selues makes God withdrawe this his fatherlie loue and care from vs. Wilt thou not accompt the poore thy brethren and deale with them as with brethren Surely then God will not be thy father Oh what a losse is this We had better make leases of our lands for nothing nay léese all the goods in the world then léese this Mat. 16.26 Which art in heauen Here is his Maiestie declared vnto vs we haue a mightie father a father of the greatest maiestie in the world The winde the raine the thunder that comes from heauen how mightie how terrible how forcible are they But our father whose dwelling is in heauen 1. King 8.27 naie whom the heauen of heauens cannot containe is of farre greater might These are but his seruants as the Psalmist saith Psal 104.4 He makes the spirits or windes his messengers and his seruants the flames of fire He is most terrible when he is angrie Psal 18.7.2.12 yea if his anger be kindled but a little Oh let vs feare him let vs not sinne presumptuouslie euen the smallest sinnes He is most mercifull Psal 19.13 where hee loues Oh let vs praie vnto him he is able to helpe Heb. 10.26 Psal 103.8 let vs trust in him Let vs not thinke that the darkenesse or anie worldlie pretence whatsoeuer can couer or hide our sinnes Ps 94.9 139.1 The sunne which is but a little aduanced in the heauens we sée howe his beames will pierce into euerie corner much more the power of our God which dwelleth aboue all the heauens his eies his brightnesse his maiestie is in euerie place Hallowed be thy name We will not name the Emperor nor anie king nor anie meane gentleman without reuerence 1. Tim. 1.17 Psal 138.2 and without his titles We cannot sée God he is inuisible he hath onely giuen vs his name here amongst vs to see how we will vse it Hereby are we tried as we accompt of his name so we accompt of him as we esteeme it so we estéeme himselfe Let it be of the greatest accompt amongst vs aboue the names of all Kings and Princes let it be our greatest iewell let vs alwaies vse it most reuerentlie and holilie Let here all Ruffians and Atheists and blasphemous swearers and periured persons quake and tremble that make so light accompt of the name of God This is such a sinne that now although they make light accompt thereof yet God hath tolde them most plainlie in his lawe which if they were not starke deafe they would marke and remember that he that committes it Psal 58.4 he will not accompt him guiltlesse but at that great daie of iudgement when as he will pardon other sinnes he will most assuredlie condemne this Exod. 20.7 Thy kingdome come who hauing land purchased for him would not long to be in the possession of it who being an apprentice would not gladlie be at libertie who hearing his sonne to be a King Gen. 45.27.28 would not now gladlie make haste to go to sée him Did not Iacob thinke you when as he heard that Ioseph his sonne was a Prince in Egypt thinke euerie daie a yeere till he were with him Such are all our estates here in this world we haue not great lands or possessions purchased for vs but euen a kingdome yea and that such a kingdome as farre surpasseth all the kingdomes and monarchies of the world Reu. 1.6 who would not desire to be in the possession of such a kingdome who would not long to sée it we are here all apprentices watching and manie times wanting and euer warring and labouring Who would not gladly be at liberty Iob. 7.1 be deliuered from this bondage be in franchised into that citie where there is not want nor watching nor warring Reu. 21.4 nor labouring but ioie rest peace plenty and fréedome for euermore We doe not onelie heare good newes as Iacob did that our son is a Prince in Egypt but that we our selues are made Kings and Priests by the meanes of Iesus Christ Reu. 1.6 1. Pet. 2.9 and that of the kingdome of heauen and that we are now fellowe heires with him 1. Co. 3.21.22 Rom. 8.17 This is the summe of the Gospell This is our ioyfull newes And did Iacob make hast to go into Egypt and shall not we hasten to our heauenlie kingdome O we of little faith Reu. 22.17 and therefore in the Reuelation the spirit and the spouse say Come Lord Iesu As though they should saie Come Lord Iesu and end this our apprentiship finish this our pilgrimage giue vs now possession of that kingdome which we beléeue that thou hast purchased for vs. And it is all one with that our Sauiour here teacheth vs to praie O Lord let thy kingdome come Iacob was not so sure of his sonne Iosephs kingdome in Egypt nor anie apprentice is so sure after his yeeres expired of his fréedome nor anie purchaser of the landes he hath purchased as we are sure of this our kingdome Mark 16.16 1. Ioh. 5 13. Mat. 5.18 our libertie our heauenlie inheritance The Gospell witnesseth it vnto vs it assures vs thereof Heauen and earth shall passe away but one tittle or iot thereof shall not passe away And therefore being thus assured we saie boldly let thy kingdome come and therefore as Saint Paul teacheth Wee groane and sigh for that great day of our deliuerance out of this bondage and apprentiship with all the creatures of God Rom. 8.22 which also grone with vs that they may be deliuered also into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God And thinking therefore of that great daie of iudgement which is terrible to all Infidels wicked persons and Idolaters Psal 97.7 Esay 2.20 Confounded at that daie saith Dauid and let them hide their faces all such as worship carued Images and delight in vaine gods Reu. 9.20 And to Dauid agrees Esay and S. Iohn Let all papistes marke this then wee are not dismaide but lift vp our heads because we know then that our redemption drawes neere Luke 21.28 Wée praie also O Lorde let thy kingdome come Rom. 6 12. let not sinne raigne in our bodies let vs not delight in it let vs not submit our selues vnto it let not the law of our mēbers Rom. 7.23 which manie times is so imperious and with authoritie euen commands and with necessitie forceth vs that we must néedes doe this or that let not this law O good Lord euer preuaile against vs Eph. 5.18 but be thou our king Let thy holie spirit euer beare rule in our hearts Psal 2.6 Rom. 8.14 Psal 119. 105. Ioh. 18.12 let thy most holie law be a lanterne to our waies and a
prepared to bring foorth fruits We maie note here how he likens the heart of man vnregenerate to the earth which of his owne nature is colde and drie vnapt altogether to bring forth anie fruits Euen so is the heart of man of his owne nature now being corrupted through sinne vnfit to bring forth any thing that is good And a little after he writes thus I will shewe the same more brieflie and with a plainer example Thou seest a henne that sits vpon her egges first she warmes them and after by the vertue of that heate she giues them life till at length she hatcheth a chicken after the same maner the soule humbly continuing vnder Gods winges in prayer is made partaker of the heate of his spirite by the meanes whereof by little and little she looseth that which she was and she puts off the maners of olde Adam and is partaker of that second Adam which is of God So that as the continuance of that heate makes of an egge a chicken so the continuance of this by Gods grace makes of a man euen a God that is of a fleshly man a heauenlie Here is plainelie mans Regeneration set out Man of himselfe is like an egge hauing no life in him to goodnesse and by the heate of Gods spirit by little and little he is as it were hatched againe and made perfect And after the same author writes thus Will you vnderstand in few words how necessarie it is for a man now being perfect euer to stand in the sight of God and to haue his eies fastned vpon him for this is it which we call continuing in praier let him consider the proportion and the necessity which the moone hath with the sunne whose presence is euer necessarie to her for this example will shewe what we meane verie excellently Thou shalt finde therefore first that the moone hath no light nor brightnesse of her selfe but shee borrowes and takes that of the sunne so also our soule hath no light no brightnes no vertue no grace no fitnesse of deseruing any thing of her selfe but what good thing soeuer she hath she receiues it from the sunne of righteousnesse Iesus Christ What can be said more plainly or truely then this that one soule of it selfe hath no light no clearenesse no power no fitnesse of deseruing any thing And where is then mans fréewill Orat. 5. pro impet amore Dei And in another place hee writes thus I departed from thee like the prodigall Sonne and I went into a farre country and not inhabited where louing vanity I became vaine my selfe I was blind and I desired blindnes still I was a bondslaue and I loued this bondage I was bound neither did my bondes dislike mee I iudged sower sweete and sweete sower I was a most miserable wretch and perceiued it not When I liued in this miserable estate thou didst cast the eies of thy mercie vpon me and though I sinned without ceasing yet notwithstanding thou didst not cease to reclaime me from sinne c. Man delighted in his sinnes hee was not like a prisoner with his giues that longes to haue them taken from him as other Papists teach he had no will to be loosed at all Orat. 6. And againe after Thou art my shepheard for thou feedest and rulest my soule as a sheepe of thy flocke thou art my meate thou art he wherewith I am fedde in that diuine Sacrament of the Altar thou art my father and the father of the world to come For thou hast borne mee againe with great paines vpon the tree of the Crosse and hast giuen me a new essence by the Holy-ghost thou art my head and the vniuersall head of thy Church For from thee as from a head vertue life and spirituall sense flowes into hir and into all hir members Thou art my true Phisition for with thy blood thou hast healed the wounds and wannes of my soule In his regeneration man receiues a new essence by the holie ghost saieth Granatensis and all spirituall powers and senses from the head Iesus Christ and not from Adam Againe the same Granatensis writes thus of Herode Thou seest here in Herod Med. 9. vitae Christi murdering the young innocents what madnes the pride of mans heart and the vnhappy desire of rule would creepe vnto seeing that hee hath not onely surpassed all tyrants in cruelty but also all fooles in folly This my brethren is the misery of mans heart this is the nature of inordinate loue of our selues Selfe loue will proceed thus farre And certainly perswade thy selfe that thou shouldst also commit shipwracke against the same rockes if so be thou hadst the like occasion offered if so be that the grace of God did not preuent and preserue thee No mans will naturally is better then Herods we are all as ambitious as blood thirsty by nature as he if Gods grace did not preuent and preserue vs. This is Granatensis his opinion Againe the same writes thus of mans naturall corruption and of the great benefit of his iustification This our nature Lib. 2. Mem. cap. 2. by originall sinne is depriued of that state and naturall straightnesse wherein God created it For God created it right and straight and lift vp to him thorough loue but sinne bowed it and enclined it to her selfe that is to the loue of these visible things which she loues aboue God and makes more accompt of then of God himselfe For euen as a man which is borne from his mothers wombe crooked or hutchbacked can find no medicine nor any thing in the worlde whereby hee may recouer his naturall straightnes euen so whenas our will is borne thus naturally as it were hutchbacked and crooked no man is able to bring it againe to this straightnes and so to erect it to God that it should loue God aboue all thinges but God which created it Therefore as we cannot obtaine this loue which surpasseth all thinges without God so hee cannot also aboue all things bee sory for his sinnes without the speciall gift and helpe of the same God for the one of these depends of the other VVherefore thereof did not our Sauiour without cause say No man comes to me vnles my father draw him To come to Christ is nothing else but to loue Christ aboue all things and to hate sin aboue all things Such loue and such sorrow for his sinnes no man can haue of himselfe as is required vnles God giue it him When as God therefore deales so with a sinner it is the greatest fauour and greatest good thing in the world that he can doe vnto him For how much greater is the gift of glory aboue the gift of grace so it is a farre greater thing to draw man out of sinne and to place him in grace then he now being in grace to bestow glory vpon him For there is far greater distance betweene sinne and grace then betweene grace and glorye And therefore Thomas Aquinas
The same faith also teacheth that the debts we do owe vnto God are so great and the benefites we receiue from him are so excellent that if man should liue so many yeares as there are sands on the shoare of the Ocean sea it were a thing of nothing to spend all those in Gods seruice The same faith doth also witnes vnto vs that vertue is such a precious thing that all the treasure of this world and all that which mans hart can desire or imagine is not at al by any meanes to be compared vnto it This place quite ouerthrowes all prowde conceits in mans heart of anie merite all he can doe naie if he could doe a thousand times more then he can is but his most humble duetie to our most mightie and mercifull God But aboue all other places speaking of the name of Iesus vpon these wordes Thou shalt call his name Iesus Med. vitae Christi Med. 6 hee writes thus most excellentlie For he sayth the Angell shall saue his people from their sinnes Blessed be this name and blessed be this saluation and blessed be the day wherein such newes was brought into the world Hitherto O Lord all the other sauiours whom thou hast sent into this world were sauiours of our bodies and of this flesh of ours which saued our houses and Vineyards and such like but they could not saue our soules sighing vnder the heauy burthen of sinne and therefore subiect to the diuell What aduantageth it a man if he winne the whole world and rule ouer it and he himselfe continue the bondslaue of Sathan and lose his soule To remedy therefore this euill this new Sauiour is sent that the whole saluation of man might be fulfilled and perfected VVho sauing soules also cured the bodies and deliuering men from the euill of the fault hath deliuered them also from the euill of punishment And so hath perfected our saluation This is that saluation which the Patriarches desired this is that saluation which the Prophets with so many sighes and cries longed for This is that saluation which so often the Psalmes promise and sing of This is that saluation for which the Patriarch Iacob reioicing died saying O Lord I will wait for thy saluation c. Granatensis heere in plaine tearmes affirmes that Iesus Christ hath deliuered vs as well from the euill of the punishment as from the guilt of sinne And that he hath perfected our saluation contrarie to that former affirmation of Poligranes Med. 11. Vitae Christi And speaking of Christes fasting hee writes thus The solitarines of the Wildernesse did not terrifie thee not the assaults of the diuell nor the sharpnesse of repentance nor the watching in prayer The neede and weaknesse of thy members was euer before thine eyes and therefore thou wast punished as a most faithfull head that thou mightest enrich all vs with the treasure of thy merites that whatsoeuer we wanted we might haue it in thee Thou art he who with thine owne mouth hast said I sanctifie my selfe O Father for them that they maie be sanctified in the truth For as we al by one mans fault became prophane and wicked so we are sanctified and repaired again by the merites and holinesse of another As Adam made vs all prophane and wicked so onelie Iesus Christ the second and true Adam sanctifies vs and restores vs againe Med. Vitae Christi 24. Of Christes death hee writes thus That thing which the gouernour himselfe doth meaning Pilate is not iustice but very great and extreme iniury For he iudgeth him worthy to die whom he himselfe thrise before had confessed to be innocent and iust and that he could find no fault in him But the true Authour of this iustice is the gouernour of heauen in whose sight all the sinnes and offences of the whole world are committed who is also so iust that he will suffer no sinne to escape vnpunished and vnreuenged But because the whole world was not sufficient enough to satisfie and appease the wrath of God euen for one onely sinne hee drew out the Sword of his iustice and smote the innocent and harmelesse Lambe who onely amongst all the men in the world could and was able to answere for all the sinnes of the whole world And this iustice was published and spread abroad not by that iniurious and materiall Trumpet hée supposed that they sounded a Trumpet at Christes death but by the mouthes and writings of the Prophets who foretold many hundreth yeares before that it should be that Lord that should be smitten for the sinnes of the people and should suffer and endure most grieuous and cruell torments for their iniquities Againe concerning the same matter hee writes thus Ibidem How many and how forcible pricks and goades haue we here not onely to make vs loue but also to trust put al our whole confidence in this our Sauiour Tell me how is it possible not to loue him againe who hath first loued thee so tenderly and dearely that freely of his owne accord he hath giuen himselfe to be smitten of most cruell tormentors and would take vpon him the sentence iudgment of death which thou dids◠deserue What brother for his brother what father for his sonne what wife for hir husband would take vpon them and suffer the punishment which any one of these should haue endured Suppose therefore and think with your selfe that there were some certain guilty person who being bound for his offences is kept in close prison and euen now being condemned by the sentence of the Iudge imagine that there would nothing be doone but that the tormentor should come with his instruments of death wherewith he should be slaine and should now execute the Iudges sentence and imagine also that a certaine friend of this guilty and condemned person should come into the prison should put on his apparell and should take to himselfe that guilty mans vnhappy lot and that he might set him free would become himselfe an open spectacle and be punished with the punishment of death for his friend would we not say that the loue of that friend towardes that guilty person was woonderfull and exceeding great that would redeeme the life of his friend with the losse of his owne And likewise what againe should that guilty and condemned mans loue bee towards his redeemer and deliuerer O eternall King when thou sawest me iudged to eternall fire thou being moued with the bowels of pity and compassion camest downe from heauen into the prison of this world and taking vpon thee the Image and shape of a sinner thou camest into my stead and was condemned and put to death for my sake he therefore who hath suffered and endured such extreame and grieuous paines for me shall I not say that he will also loue me exceedingly And againe Neither is onely loue Ibidem but also a sure trust and confidence in our Sauiour kindled and stirred vp by these
thou art yet thou hast somewhat wherein thou must confesse thy selfe a sinner before God Here is our saluation the free mercie of God bestowed vpon vs in Iesus Christ that we should knowledge our selues euen damned creatures if Christ had not deliuered vs and howe perfect soeuer we are still to acknowledge our selues sinners before God and therfore of our selues deseruing damnation And after he writes thus By these it appeareth that of Adam we are borne euill and wicked for euen as a field of it selfe without seede brings foorth no fruit if any thing growe it is either Tares or if it be like good fruit yet there is nothing in it it is but meate for beasts so truely the sonnes of Adam vnlesse they be regenerate by Christ bring foorth nothing but euill fruit and if they shall seeme to bring foorth good fruit as the Philosophers taught morall vertues yet they are vaine they iustifie truely and haue their glorie In cap. 13. mat but with men not with God Whereas Ferus saith that the sonnes of Adam vnlesse they bee regenerate by Christ bring forth nothing else but euill fruites the Romane Corrector bids put out nothing but as though man could doe some good without Christ What is this els but to gainsaie the Gospell Iohn 15.5 where Christ saith meaning of good without me you can do nothing In cap. mat 14. And of Christ in another place he writes thus Neither by any other meane meaning Christ Iesus saieth Ferus canst thou passe ouer the sea especially at the extremitie of death which on the one side will make thee affraid and the Diuell on the other side and behinde thee the multitude of thy sinnes what wilt thou doe in this case If thou respect these daungers thou seest nothing but the sea and the depth therefore thou must needes despaire remember therefore that thou looke onely vpon Christ neither doubt any thing for by this meanes thou maiest passe ouer as Peter did Thus farre Ferus And hee teacheth plainelie that by no other meanes then by Christ we can passe ouer the sea of death But the Roman Corrector bids put out that and put in without this meane we cannot passe ouer death And whereas Ferus bids vs onely haue an eie to Iesus Christ the Corrector bids put out onlie They must haue an eie to their owne workes and an other to Christ as it should séeme so iniurious are they euen to Christ himselfe who is our only Sauiour Esai 63. who alone trode the wine presse for vs as himselfe witnesseth Of iustification also Ferus writes thus In cap. 16. Io. The holy Ghost shall reproue the world of righteousnesse because I go to the father my righteousnesse can pierce the heauens and come before God and not any other righteousnesse And after The holy Ghost sheweth that the righteousnesse of the world sufficeth not to saluation And then he shewes that there is one only true righteousnesse with God that Christ is gone to the father that is that his death and resurrection iustifieth vs. And of faith he very excellently writes thus I require no great price but as I haue promised freely so I will giue freely onely if thou canst but beleeue in me In Ioh. cap. 11. Faith therefore is the meane whereby we obtaine the life and resurrection and all the goods of Christ Ferus of mans righteousnesse writes thus In cap. 4. Ioh. All mens righteousnesses are more vncleane then that they may iustifie vs or may commend vs to God If any man seeke righteousnesse out of the lawe howe much good soeuer hee doth yet he cannot obtaine thereby peace of conscience yea thereby also his conscience is the more disquieted the law often times accusing him that at length he is compelled to trust onely to the mercie of God and to say we are vnprofitable seruants and no flesh shall be iustified in thy sight Also in another place he writes thus In cap. 3. Ioh. Furthermore also by this word may be vnderstood that onely Christ by right and merit ascended into heauē for to him by right belongs the kingdome of heauen because he is the naturall sonne of God And therefore he saith all thine are mine And Dauid saith The heauen of heauens are the Lordes but the earth hath he giuen to the children of men All others which haue ascended or shall ascend haue this onely of grace by no right but because God onely hath promised this of his mercie neither our works of what kinde soeuer they be are so great that they may deserue this reward either of right or of desert but in as much as God accepts them in mercie Hereof it is that Saint Paul saith The sufferings of this life are not worthy the glorie we shall haue And the same Paul saith The waight of eternall glorie aboue all measure surpasseth all the sufferings of this life And of these he collecteth That we are saued by grace and not of workes least any man should glorie And lastly so that word may be vnderstood that no man by his owne righteousnesse may stand or appeare before God but onely Iesus Christ neither any maruell For all are gone out of the way and are altogether become vnprofitable And also if any good workes of righteousnesse appeare in vs yet we haue euer more sinnes so that Dauid iustly cried out If thou Lord shall extreamely marke what is done amisse who may abide it Furthermore our good workes haue some imperfections in them yea for the most part they are infected with vain glory or with some other fault of the old man so that it is truely said All our righteousnesses are like a defiled cloth And for this cause also Dauid praied Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified If therefore our righteousnesse cannot stand in Gods sight how could it open heauen vnto vs or deserue the holy Ghost to reconcile vs to God But Christ dare appeare before God because he is the sonne of God and all other being damned and quite vndone he onely hath the fauour and grace of God he onely possesseth righteousnesse and to conclude he onely hath in himselfe all the good gifts of God Also onely his righteousnesse is acceptable to his father because it is mingled with no sinnes yea it is most pure hauing proceedeed from the great loue and charitie of his father That all the world may know saith he that I loue the father I doe as the father hath commanded And Saint Paul saith he was obedient euen to death Therefore he alone could deserue for vs the opening of heauen the loue of his father and the holy ghost By this word therefore Christ would humble vs that we should neuer presume of our selues nor of our owne righteousnesse not that we should doe no good but that we should acknowledge our selues vnprofitable seruants although we shall haue done all that
is commanded vs. Also by this word he taught that we should seeke all good things from him and by him for it is a most true saying No man ascends c. And againe the same Ferus writes thus Who that he might spare his seruant Ibidem would whippe his owne sonne But God that he might spare his enemies and them who were vnthankefull to him gaue his sonne to death He hath giuen vs his righteousnesse merits yea and whatsoeuer he hath done or suffered And therefore wee may glorie of them as if they were our owne which thing only can preserue vs from desperation Thus farre Ferus If we haue Christ with all his merites giuen vs what néede we anie more what neede we anie merites of Saintes out of the Popes treasure then to satisfie for our sinnes And after the same Ferus writes thus But thou wilt say Christ is now absent from our eies how shall we lay holde on him I answere he is not laide hold on saith he by the hand of the body but by the hand of the hart which is faith Therefore in only Christ by the faith of thy heart thou shalt finde sufficiencie and aboundance because he alone brought with him God himselfe with all his goods This faith in Christ maketh not ashamed because Christ is truth And therefore Esay saith All that beleeue in him shall not be confounded For faith directed aright neuer confoundeth This word therefore teacheth that God is both top and toe the beginning and ending of our saluation the Author and the finisher thereof I am Alpha and Omega saieth he c. And to the same effect Ferus writes on the Preface of Matthew Haue that euer before thine eies of Esay A childe is borne vnto vs and liued for vs and died for vs and that which is more is giuen vs with all that he hath Therefore when thou hearest Christ to haue done or suffered anie thing thinke that same Christ with that he hath done or suffered to be thine insomuch that thou maiest bragge thereof as of thine owne for he needed not to be incarnated or circumcised he needed not to fast pray or suffer but hee hath giuen all these thinges to vs we stand in neede of them For our merites are not sufficient For they are like a defiled cloth of a woman Therefore thou must say O Father I acknowledge that I am nothing but I know that Christ hath done this not for himselfe but for me c. But some will saie then whereunto serue our good workes if Christs merites be sufficient Ferus answereth a little after Haue care saith he that of the truth of God thy faith may be nourished and of his mercie thy hope and of his goodnesse thy loue and of his iustice thy feare Behold saith he these are the exercises of a Christian life For what doth God require els but that thou shouldest feare him Here we maie plainlie sée how Ferus still makes our workes not merits but dueties and exercises of our Christian life God will not haue vs idle or vnprofitable or vnthankefull to him And after the same Ferus writes thus The wise men shewed their inward deuotion of their mindes In cap. â— Mat. by their outward falling downe for our outward worship is without superstition when it proceedes from the inward So the children of Israell hearing that God had respect to their afflictions fel down flat on the earth so we also are prostrated by this acknowledging our selues to be nothing but dust and we arise againe acknowledging that our saluation is only of the grace of God Thus Ferus writes in the Text in the Copie printed at Paris but the Corrector in correcting the escapes in the printing at Rome biddes put out onely the Papists will not acknowledg with Ferus that our saluation comes onelie of the grace of God Apoc. 7.10 but partlie also out of our owne merites and workes But all the true Saintes of God with Ferus acknowledge their saluation to come of the Lambe Genes 38.18 This was prefigured in the law by manie Types and shadowes Thamar requireth of Iudah as a pledge of his loue his Signet his Cloake and his Staffe The same pledges of his loue hath our true Iudah Iesus Christ giuen to vs that is the signets or seales of his Sacraments the cloke of his righteousnes the staffe of his holy spirit By the strength where of wée may passe thorow all the waues and flouds of this world 2. King 2.11 This was that which was prefigured long before also in the ascension of Elias who left his double Spirit and his Mantle to his Scholler Elizeus so our true Elias Iesus Christ who by his own power hath ascended into heauen who as it were a shadowe of him the other Elias did ascend hath left to all his Disciples to all his faithfull seruantes his double spirit his two Sacraments and the mantle of his righteousnesse Of him it is truelie saide that hee hath put on righteousnesse as an Habergion Esay 59.17 and an helmet of saluation vpon his head This Habergion of his righteousnesse and this mantle and this shield of faith hee hath left to all his faithfull seruantes and souldiours And by the strength of these they are able to stand against all the assaultes of their enemies and to quench all the fierie darts of the diuell Dominic 1 in Septuagesima Philippus de Dies also writes thus concerning this matter Our heauenly Redeemer saith Know that your saluation dependeth of my onely will and pleasure and this is his predestination that shal be saued wherefore let no man be exalted though he come early into the Vineyard neither despaire â—hough he come late so that hee come for if he come early he owes me more then I owe him saith God for I helped him that hee might come early and I am the Lord who may do whatsoeuer pleaseth me And this is better and more profitable for men that euery one be sober and watchfull considering I receiued the theefe from the Crosse and dismissed Iudas from my Table and Dish And so Saint Augustine saith that men how to knowe how to liue well it is the gift of God And man owes more to God because he doth good works in his seruice then God owes to man because he does them And so this glorious saint sayth The works of man they are the gifts of God And if any shal say O Lord I fast recompence me for my fasting the Lord may say to him again yea rather pay thou me because I gaue thee grace and helpe that for me thou mightest fast Another sayth Lord recompence me because I haue giuen away all my goods for thy sake Another Lord recompence me for in thy seruice I haue beaten and chastened my body Another saith I haue beene a Virgine or martyr for thy sake Another because I haue endured so many tribulations To whom the Lord
purged the temple of God prophaned of the wicked and he cast out all the vncleannesse thereof into the brooke Cedron saith the Scripture I am O Lorde thy liuely temple prophaned of the diuell and defiled with most vile sinnes but thou art that most cleare fountaine of Cedron who by thy streame maintaines all the beauty of heauen Into this fountaine were all my sinnes cast and all my iniquities were drowned in it For thou by the merit of thy vnspeakeable humilitie and charitie by which thou wast moued that thou shouldest take all my sinnes vpon thee diddest not onely deliuer me from them but also madest me partaker of thy goods Thou vndertookest my death and thou gauest me thy life thou tookest vpon thee my flesh and thou gauest me thy spirit thou tookest vpon thee my sinnes and gauest me thy grace Therefore O my redeemer all thy treasures and riches are mine Thy purple clotheth me thy crowne honoureth me thy wounds make me beautifull thy sorrowes are my pleasures thy bitternesses refresh me thy stripes heale me thy bloud enricheth me and thy loue as it were makes me drunken But what maruell is it if thy loue were able to make me drunken when as the selfe same loue wherwith thou hast loued me was able to make thy selfe drunken who made thee as another Noah naked and to be laughed at in the peoples eies The purple garment of thy feruent loue caused thee to beare that scornefull purple and the zeale of my saluation moued thee to hold in thy hand that reede of despite and the pitie wherewith thou pitiedst me being now about to perish crowned thee with that crowne of shame Thus farre Granatensis This euerie true Christian must beléeue and apply to himselfe and is not this to haue a speciall faith And againe the same Granatensis writes thus That our will may be inclined to loue God it behooueth that our vnderstanding go before it weighing diligently how worthy to be beleeued God is in himselfe and then next how good he is towardes vs. I thinke there is no man but knowes how great the goodnesse of God is his sweetnes his kindnes his liberalitie his nobilitie and of all other his perfections which are innumerable Againe how pitifull he is towards vs how tenderly he loues vs what hath he not done What hath he not suffered euen from his birth to his Crosse for our sakes what great good things hath he prepared for vs euen from the beginning how many bestowes he vpon vs euen now presently how many will he giue vs hereafter from how great euils hath he deliuered vs how patiently hath he waited for vs to come to repentance how louingly hath he dealt with vs in bestowing all his benefits vpon vs which are innumerable By considering and meditating diligently and exercising himselfe in the deepe contemplation of these benefits man shall by little and little feele his heart kindled with the loue of this bountifull God For if bruit beasts loue their benefactors and if as the Spanyard saith a gift breakes a rocke and as a certaine Philosopher said he that found out benefits found out fetters wherewith mens hearts are fettered togither who now will be so cruell and hard harted who considering the hugenesse and vnmeasurable greatnesse of these benefits wil not be kindled with the loue of such a benefactor And after As by vse often writing one becomes a good scriuener and by painting a good painter and by working a good smith so by louing one becomes a louer that is that euen as vse of writing makes a good writer so the vse exercise and continuance of louing God which is almost brought to passe by meditation causeth that one shall be a perfect louer of God And after Fire out of his Region is by and by extinguished vnlesse there be some that continually throwing on wood doe nourish it by which it is maintained so it is necessarie that the fire of charitie may be maintained in this life whereas she is out of her naturall place and a stranger that she be also nourished with wood and the wood wherwith she is nourished are the considerations of Gods benefits and of his perfections for euerie one of these things being well considered is as it were a piece of wood or a firebrand that kindles this loue of God in our hearts Therefore it is requisite that we feede this fire often with this wood least this heauenly fire goe out in our hearts The which thing the Lord also meant in the olde lawe when he said Fire shall euer burne on my altars that is in the hearts of iust men Therfore let the Godly man take care euerie morning to maintain this fire with the consideration of these things that so euer it may be preserued and so it is said in the Psalmes And while I mused the fire kindled Thus farre Granatensis Euerie man must muse vpon Gods benefites and applie them to himselfe and so kindle in his heart the fire of Gods loue and without this wood it is impossible but this fire will go out And after he writes thus It is most certaine that no mans toong is able to speake or vtter the great loue wherewith Christ loued not onely his vniuersall Church Die lunae Med. de ven Sacram but also euery particular soule of his elect For euerie particular soule is chosen of God euerie particular soule is the spouse of Christ This euerie Christian must beléeue That saying of Ferus is worthy to be written in letters of gold I would to God saith he this word should remaine euer laide vp and fast fixed in our hearts Fer. in cap. 2. Act. that in euerie tribulation or temptation but especially at the point of death we might boldly say I know assuredly that God hath made Iesus to be crucified for me my Lord my king and my Byshop What is it that this faith were not able to doe Againe the same Ferus touching the same matter writes thus This is chiefely to be marked Fer. in cap. 17. Gen. that he which before said generally that he was God now he promiseth that he will be our God For no profit els would come vnto vs if so great and mightie a God were not our God But he is ours by couenant and free mercie not by merites or deserts Of speciall grace also Petrus Berchorius writes thus in his Dictionarie In verbo pertinere Of God euery Christian may say to euery infidel that saying which we reade 2. Kings 19.42 Dauid belongs more to me then to thee c. Thus farre Berchorius But as the text it selfe séemes to inferre Euerie Christian maie saie to another Christian for these were the speeches of the men of Iudah to the men of Israel that the true Dauid which is Iesus Christ belongs to him by tenne parts more then to him For thus it is read in the Hebrew text And the man of Israel answered the man of Iudah
goodnesse comes from God and that comming into this sinke of our flesh though they procéede most pure from him yet they must needes gette filth and slime And yet for all that wée must returne them to him againe and hee like a most louing father will accept them The best actions we doe euen the actions of the best men are not voide of this filth and slime And herein consistes that the best men must still saie O Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunts Psal 143. And if our best workes haue these imperfections what maie wée iudge of our euill workes This onelie consideration will make euerie good Christian flie from anie trust in himselfe and flie onelie to the sure anchor of Gods mercie Againe here wée maie learne the great mercie of our God though wee thus abuse his good graces and pollute those most pure giftes wee haue receiued from him yet hee reiectes vs not nor our workes but mercifully receiues vs. Againe here that opinion of the Papists doeth fall downe which denie that a iust man in euerie good worke doeth sinne what is this filth and slime that the grace of God gets in this filthy sinke of ours but sinne Secondlie wee maie learne out of Stella that poperie pleaseth not God For God sayeth hee hath giuen vs vnderstanding will and memory to know loue and remember him and his benefits And they which employ not these to this end haue receiued them in vaine But the Popish religion hath taught the contrarie and haue nourished men in ignorance as all the worlde can witnesse and can that religion then please God Augustine also of the merites of all Christians whereunto they ought to trust Aug. manu cap. 22. writes thus In all mine aduersities I find no remedy so forcible as the wounds of Christ in them I sleepe soundly and rest without feare Christ died for vs. There is nothing so deadly and bitter which Christs death cannot heale All my hope is in the death of my Lord his death is my merit and my refuge and my saluation my life and my resurrection My merite is the pity and tender mercy of the Lord I am not void of merites as long as that Lord of mercies remaines And if so be the mercies of the Lord be many then are my merites many And how far mightier he is to saue so lesse fearefull and more secure am I. Thus far Augustine The merites of Christ were the merites that Austen trusted in and in these onelie also must euerie true Christian and Catholique trust Lib. 1. de deuot cap. 28. Granatensis of mans duetie writes thus If men would diligently marke how much that is that is due to God and how small it is that mans hart can affoord he shall manifestly perceiue that no diuision there is to be made where so much is due and so little can be requited The bedde is narrow saith Esay so that one must needes fall out Esay 28.20 Verse 37. and the couering be short it cannot couer both This thing may be plainly seen in the heart of man being so narrow that it cannot both containe God and the world And after Againe if thou shalt consider the obiect which thou makest so great haste vnto to be infinit thou shalt hereby alwaies iudge thy selfe to be beggerly though thou be adorned with many graces bestowed vpon thee And if thou shalt thinke that thou hast gone as farre as a man can goe yet thinke it is but a sippe that thy mind hath tasted There are no works of supererogation then Of the great mercie of God also hee writes thus Besides all these things the great mercy of God in this place offers it selfe to our consideration Vit. Christ◠Med. 9. which most clearely shines in the glory of these Infants What greater goodnesse or liberality can be then that God should accept that death not onely for a sacrifice but for a martyrdome which will did not vndertake but necessity forced where there was no vow but violence where there was no merit but misfortune where there was not the hart although the body of a martyr where there was not the desire of him that died but the cruelty of him that murthered to conclude where there was the tyraunts sword and not so much as the martyrs word But Gods grace supplied all that wanted which changed this extreame misery into a crowne and this chance into a merit For the wickednes of the tyrant is not of more force then the goodnesse of God And if Herods cruelty could punish where there was no fault it is no great matter if God could giue a crowne where there was no merit Marke this all ye that despaire cast your minds hither which are faint harted and scrupulous in conscience which euer thinke that you shall be condemned how much more haue you God mercifull to you thinke you then they which beleeued not How greatly doth he loue men how desirous is he of your saluation how ready to giue his glory For that he may giue you it he seekes all meanes possible neither desireth he any thing else A certaine Philosopher said once He that is liberall seekes all occasions of doing good to others that he may practise his liberality The which if it be true what will he do which beyond all his other vertues is commēded of his liberality mercy He is not such a one who delights in the works of the body onely but also of the spirit or mind by whose power they are doone for it is the will which works them Therfore this our God who so greatly longs for our profit saluation was content with that he found in these Infants and he came to supply with his grace that which they wanted in their merits adding according to his exceeding great goodnesse to that ignoraunt and tender age that which it had not This mercie of God must all Christians most assuredlie beeleue and looke for at Gods hands Saint Ambrose also writes thus verie excellentlie of Abraham the father of all the faithfull De Abrah patriar lib. 2. ca. 8 How little he respected the reward in doing of his most excellent works to teach all his children to follow his steppes when as he had ventured his life for the recouery of his brother Lot and would not receiue so much as a shooe latchet of the king of Sodome for his labour Ambrose saieth that Moyses added after this victorie this spéech of God vnto him Feare not Abraham I wil protect thee and thou shalt haue a great reward I demand sayeth Ambrose why after the hazard of the warre nowe is mention made of promising the wages No saieth Ambrose he had doone a lesse woonderfull thing a matter of lesse importance if being moued by the promise of God he had set vpon the enemy For then he had gone as wee saie dead sure to the victory rather drawne then willing to such a great glory or ready
yet more to humble thy selfe Crie vnto God without ceassing and saie O Lord I haue nothing I can doe nothing without thy helpe I can do nothing else but sinne Cast down thy selfe prostrate with that notorious sinner and be so greatly ashamed euen as a woman is woont to be that hath defiled her husbands bedde and comes to aske pardon of her husband With such like shame O soule stand thou before thy heauenly spouse in despight of whom thou hast committed fornication so often with manie louers beseech him bedewed with many teares touched with great sorrow that he will pardon and forgiue thee whatsoeuer thou hast sinned against him and that he will receiue thee againe into his family for his great mercy beeing indeede that riotous and prodigall Sonne Thus farre Granatensis I woulde all Papists woulde teach this doctrine It woulde make men humble it woulde make them not trust in their workes it woulde make them flie truelie to the mercie of God which is the onlie and true Sanctuary for all Christians to flie vnto Againe of the imperfections of our good workes hee writes thus It is most certaine that thou felst into the foresaid sinnes speaking of the breaking of all Gods commaundementes before thou hadst receiued the true knowledge of God but after thou hast knowne him if thou haue knowne him yet desire of him that he will open the eies of thy mind and thou shalt find many reliques of the old Adam many of the Iebusites yet to remaine in the land of promise onely allured by thy curtesie And againe a little after VVhen as God doth not so much respect the worke it selfe as the meaning and purpose of the vvorke how many good works dost thou thinke that thou hast doon which are pure from the dregges of vaine glory and free from gaping after worldly praises How many are there which thou wouldest neuer haue giuen thy mind to but being drawne and moued vvith outward ceremonies Howe many are there in which thou hast sought thine owne estimation And how few are there which are doone from a sincere heart and for the pure loue of GOD and for which thou hast not paid the world her toll And all such workes what are they else then a smoake shadow and as it were a vizarde of vertue And againe If thou shalt diligently search all the corners of thy soule if thou shalt put thy hand into thy bosome thou shalt pull it out againe full of leprosie as white as Snow and thou shalt finde therein many deadly wounds Oh what deepe root hath swelling pride taken in thee How doth ambition raigne in thee How many waies doeth hypocrisie and the counterfeite shew of vertue trouble thee by which thou wouldest faine cloake thy faults and imperfections and desire to seeme another then thou art indeed Ah how carefully doest thou pursue after those things which are thine own which are acceptable to the flesh pleasant to the bodie how often vnder pretence of necessitie thou makest much of thy selfe and pamperest thy bodie most daintilie so that hereby thou seemes not to nourish nor feed it so much as longing after pleasures and delites to put a spurre vnto it And hereof this is a most euident argument that if any man who before was most gratefull and acceptable vnto thee shall a little reproue thee and find fault with thee and thine inordinate desires thou shalt feele bie and bie the roote of enuie to sproute in thee and thy selfe to bee woonderfullie mooued against him or if anie one shall a little impaire thy honour howe greatlie wilt thou bee displeased with him Thus farre Granatensis In which wordes hee doeth verie truelie describe the corruption of mans nature that no pure worke procéedes thereof But as long as wee liue in this flesh wee cannot so mortifie olde Adam but he will be mingling his Chaffe amongst the Lords Wheate and his dregges amongst his most cleare water streames of the holy spirit And as hee hath in this place most excellently shewed the grieuousnesse of the wounde so in another place hee shewes the salue and remedie The Souldier sayeth hee comes vvith his Speare and shaking it he thrusts it with all his force into the Lordes heart the crosse being moued with the force of the stroke shakes and by and by out of the fresh wound comes water and bloud to wash awaie the sinnes of the whole world O floud issuing out of Paradice and with thy streames watering the vvhole vvorld Oh precious wound of that side not so much wounded with the fiercenes of the Iron as with the force of loue O gate of heauen Window of Paradise place of refuge Tower of fortitude Sanctuary of the iust the graue of strangers the nest of chaste Doues the fragrant bedde of Salomons spouse Blessed be the wound of that precious side wounding the soules of the godly blessed be that pricking which pricks the soules of the iust blessed bee that beautifull and redde Rose that inestimable Carbuncle the way to Christes heart the testimony of Gods loue the free pledge of euerlasting life Thorough thee all beasts cleane and vncleane doe enter in which desire to be saued from the waters of the floud by the meanes of the Arke of the true Noah All they which are tempted flie vnto thee all those which are afflicted find comfort in thee with thy liquour all those which are sicke are healed through thee sinners do enter into the Palace of heauen in thee all pilgrimes and banished persons doe take their ease most pleasantly O firy Ouen of loue house of peace treasure of the Church veine of the water of life springing into life eternall O Lord open vnto me this gate take me home with thee and make me dwel in this most pleasant house Giue me grace by this to enter into the secret places of thy loue Giue me leaue to drinke of this most sweet Fountaine and make mee drunken with this most precious liquour Sleepe O my soule in this Caue most soundly forget here all the cares and businesses of this world here take thy ease here eate and drinke here sing most ioifully with the Prophet This is my rest for euer and euer here will I dwell I haue chosen this Thus farre Granatensis Wherein hee affirmes that Christes merites and not the merites of Saintes or of Monkes and Friers are the treasure of the Church and that the water and bloud of his woundes heales all sicke sinners And in another place writing of the end of our works he sayeth thus The benefites sayeth hee whereby we do receiue any good De orat Med tract 7. cap. 8 are oftentimes perceiued of men but these secret benefites which doe not consist in bestowing any good vpon vs but in turning awaie and repelling euill who can vnderstand Therefore it is necessary that we giue God thanks no lesse for these then for those other Let vs remember also how many things we doe
is easie to be heard Feare God and keepe his Commandements this is the whole man As though hee should saie hee that doth this is the man regenerate this is the sonne not of Adam but of the Preacher this is the sonne of God by regeneration who feares and loues God and his and kéepes his commandementes This is not the old man whose iudgementes are corrupt but this is the new man the whole man who iudgeth rightlie and discerneth all things But Master Bellarmine would same peruert this place and make it serue for their doubtfull vncertaintie of saluation and first he saith that Salomon speakes only of iust men De Iustificat lib. 3. cap. 4. as those words declare There are iust men and wise men and their works are in the hand of God and man knoweth not that is the iust man saieth he whether he be worthy of loue or hatred First Master Bellarmine dissenteth from Arrias Montanus and from the Hebrew where it is that the seruices of the iust men are in the handes of God not their workes And maie more properlie be referred to seruantes and to liuing creatures which are properlie rather saide to be in the handes of God then anie qualities or vnsensible workes of man Secondlie he makes a coniunction copulatiue betwixt this former sentence and the other which is not in the Hebrew but they are rather two distinct sentences and of diuers matters And this sentence of loue and hatred hath coherence with that which followes rather then with this precedent as the verie Text it selfe being indifferentlie weighed and considered declares which is this Also hatred also loue no man knowes all things are before their faces all things happen to all men alike as well to the wicked as to the godly And therefore as by these outward workes no man knowes the loue or hatred either of himselfe or of anie other The former sentence in the first verse going before of the iust and wise men hath this peculiar doctrine that no man is saued by his owne strength or wisedome but euen the iust men and wisest of the world are in the hands of God he holdes them vp how much more then other baser or meaner men This is the doctrine of that verse and then followes this second verse that No man knowes his loue nor his hatred because all things chance to all men alike And whereas Master Caluine alleadgeth that this reason immediatlie following prooues euidentlie that Salomon speakes of the knowledge which maie be had by euents Bellarmine aunsweres that it is not necessary that the reason should be as large as the conclusion which is prooued by the reason But heere howe doth he dissent from reason for it is necessarie that the reason be as ample at the least naie rather amplier then the conclusion or else the conclusion is naught euen as the foundation of a building must be larger then the toppe or else the builders will make but a tottering building Secondlie he saieth that Salomon would proue that iust men could not surely know whether they were beloued of God or no. Whereas Salomon in this verse speakes of man simplie and not of the iust onelie as in the former Then hee saieth that all things are kept vncertaine to the time to come till we shall haue entred into life euerlasting But the meaning of Salomon is that all the euents of the time to come in this our life are vncertain as the Hebrew phrase declares All things are before our eies that is are vncertaine While they are here men cannot see what will happen till it happen Lastlie he answeres that the iust man may know whether hee be worthy of loue or hatred if the spirite of God reueale it vnto him but ordinarily he saith that the spirit of God doth not reueale that to any man by manifest knowledge but by certaine experiments or inward comforts which do not make certain credit or assurance O diuelish doctrine and absurde against reason Epistola 96. Seneca writes thus verie excellently Our life without a full set purpose or resolution is wandring and vaine If a man purpose a thing he will do it indeed I thinke you will grant sayth he that there is nothing worse then one that is doubtfull fearefull Epistola 75. and vncertaine now setting his foot forward now pulling it backe againe This we shall be compelled to do in all things vnlesse those things be taken away which hinder and pluck backe our minds suffer them not to be valiant As though he should say there is none but by nature he is subiect to doubtfulnesse vnlesse these lets be taken away Thus much Seneca saw by the light of nature and shall not wée sée so much being lightened by Gods spirit especially when as saint Paul sayth that the spirit of God witnesseth to our spirits Rom. 8.15.16 that we are the sonnes of God and Bellarmine sayth that his witnes is not sufficient it doth not warrant and assure vs. Is not this to discredit the Testimony of God It certifieth sayth Bellarmine but not manifestly but obscurely To charge the spirit of God with this obscurity from whence comes it but from the prince of darkenesse The spirit of God is light security and assurance and ioy wheresoeuer it comes But Andradius is not so bold nor so wicked in this matter Andrad lib. 6. ortho explicat he answeres the place of saint Paul thus When as sayth he the holy Ghost can neither be deceiued nor deceiue if it be certaine that any thing is established by the holy Ghosts Testimony it is so surely to be beleeued as the other mysteries of our faith But now here is the doubt whether it may euidently be proued that that Testimony of their soules which men feele be the voice of the holy Ghost or no And we affirme sayth he that can be euident to none without the speciall reuelation of the holy Ghost Andradius affirmes that if the holy Ghost do witnesse his testimony is most certaine and wée must beléeue it as surely as the articles of our créede But hée doubtes whether the holy Ghost doth testifie this so to any mans conscience or no without speciall and extraordinary reuelation But that doubt saint Paul plainely takes away who affirmes that the holy Ghost beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the Sonnes of God And that it not only witnesseth thus much vnto vs but also makes vs cry Abba father which is the effect of this testimony and assurance For without this testimony and assurance who durst be so bolde And therefore hee calles it the earnest of the spirite which euery Christian hath giuen of God in the pilgrimage of this life the manifold dangers and chances thereof to assure him of the certaintie of this couenant and bargaine betwixt God and him of his saluation Thrée thinges euen in our worldlie affaires bring credit and assure anie thing Auncient writinges testifying
be the greatest signe of loue to suffer for him that is beloued what else are all thy sorrowes then speciall testimonies of thy loue If then there are so many testimonies thereof as there are blowes and strokes who will doubt of this loue being confirmed with so many Testimonies Oh then how great is my incredulity which is not ouercome with so many and so great arguments Iohn maruelled at the infidelity of the Iewes saying that When as Iesus had done so manie and so great signes amongst them to confirme his doctrine yet they beleeued not in him O blessed Euangelist cease to woonder at the incredulitie of the Iewes and woonder at mine For it is no lesse an argument to perswade vs to beleeue the exceeding great loue of Christ towards vs that he suffered for vs wherefore if it be greatly to be woondred at that the Iewes beleeued not the preaching of Christ hauing seene his so many miracles how is it not farre more woonderfull that seeing Iesus hath receiued for vs more then fiue thousand wounds in his most tender body that we will yet doubt of his loue towards vs But what a matter will it be if wee shall ioine all the sorrowes and sufferings of his life to those stripes which hee suffered when as hee was bound to the pillar when as he suffered all those euilles for the loue he bare vnto vs what thing else O Lord drew thee from heauen into this valley of teares but loue what made thee come out of the bosome of the father into the wombe of thy mother and there to be cladde with earth and comming out from thence caused thee to endure all kinds of miseries but loue What droue thee into the stable and manger and caried thee after into a strange land as a banisht person but loue what caused thee to take such paines to runne vp and downe hither and thither to watch to endure all the troubles of the long night to compasse about Sea and land to seeke the lost sheepe but loue What bound Sampsons hands and feet what powled his head and bereaued him of al his strength and made him a laughing stocke to his enimies but the only loue of his spouse Dalilah And O Christ what bound thy hands and feet what powled thee and depriued thee of all thy strength and fortitude and gaue thee into the hands of thine enimies of whom thou wast mocked spit vpon and slaine was it not onely the loue wherewith thou louedst so dearly the spouse of thy Church and the soules of euery one of vs To conclude what bound thee to this Pillar where thou stoodest from the sole of thy feet to the crowne of thy head most iniuriously dealt withall with thy hands bound thy ribs torne from their flesh thy members al out of ioint thy body al to be bathed with bloud thy veines cutte in pieces thy lippes thirsting thy toong being bitter as gal and that I may say al in a word al thy body torne and rent and all thy members crusht in pieces O Christ I beseech thee what other thing forced thee into this gulfe of so rowes but onely loue O exceeding great loue O loue full of fauour O such a loue as becomes his comâ—assion and greatnesse who is infinit goodnesse it selfe bountifulnesse it selfe loue it selfe and mercie it selfe Gran. de orat med die Mer. how therefore O Lord hauing so many and so great testimonies as these are can I not beleeue that thou louest mee most dearely when as it is most certaine that in heauen now thou hast not changed thy mind from that since thou wast here vpon earth Thou art not that Pharaohs Butler who when as he saw himself restored againe to his former honor forgat his miserable friend whom he left in prison but thou now abounding with all prosperitie glory and maiesty in heauen loues more dearely thy Sonnes dwelling here on earth then before When as therefore thou hast so greatly loued me how cannot I but loue thee againe How shall I not but trust in thee how shall I not but commit my selfe wholy to thee how shal I not now account my selfe rich and happy enough seeing I haue God mine such a deare friend It is greatly to be wondered at that I should delight in any transitory things in this life or to giue my mind to any outward things when as I haue such a mighty and rich friend by whose meanes all good things both temporal and eternall are bestowed vpon me Thus farre Granatensis wherein he most excellentlie describes the excéeding great loue that Iesus Christ our most blessed Sauiour euer had and euen now hath towards vs so that he that now will doubt thereof is worse then anie Turk Pagan or Infidell for what is this else but to denie that hee suffered all these things for vs And if euerie one is to beleeue assuredlie this excéeding loue of Iesus Christ towards him then surely he is not to doubt of his saluation And after speaking of Christ when as hee was whipped and then againe shewed to the Iewes of Pilate VVee must knowe sayeth hee that Christ euen now shewes to his Father in heauen the same shape and the same countenance Med. die louis which he shewed to this furious people euen as fresh and as blew with stripes and as besprinkled with blood as he was at that day when hee liued here on earth What Image can be more forcible to pacifie the eyes of an angry father then the bloodie countenance of this his sonne This is that golden propitiatory this is that Raine-bow of diuers colours placed in the cloudes by the sight whereof God is appeased this delights the eies of God this satisfies his iustice this restores to God againe the honour that man had stolne from him this yeelds to God that seruice which his greatnes requireth Tell me O thou faint-hearted Christian whosoeuer thou art distrusting of the goodnesse of God if the shape and forme of Christ was such that it was able to pacifie the eyes of such cruell enemies how much more forcible shall it bee to pacifie the eyes of a louing Father especially when as he suffered all things which he suffered for his honor and obedience Make a comparison of eyes with eies and of person with person and thou shalt easily perswade thy selfe that thou art more secure and certaine of the mercy of this father if thou offer vnto him such a shape and figure of his sonne then Pilate was of the compassion of the Iewes then when as he bringing forth Iesus shewed him to the people Therefore in all thy prayers and temptations lay hold on this Lord for a shield and put him between thee and thy God offring him and saying Behold the man Behold O Lord God here thou hast that man whom thou soughtest for so many hundred yeares that he might be a mediator between thee miserable sinners Behold how thou hast such an excellent
of the sonne 1. Thes 5.5 Mat. 14.31 They are children of light Peter maie doubt and also be afraide but hee cannot be drowned Luk. 22.31 Matth. 8.24 Psalm 94 18. Sathan may fift him but his faith shall not faile The shippe euen wherein Christ is maie be full of water but it cannot sinke Dauids foote may slippe but Gods mercie holds him vp The fire maie bee couered with ashes Psal 116.10 30.6 8 9 31. but at last it will burst out And Dauid will speake with his tongue God maie bee angrie with his ouer night but ioâ—e shall come in the morning If Dauid seede breake Gods law and do not walke in his iudgements if they prophane his statutes and keepe not his commandements He will visite their iniquities with a rodde and their sinnes with scourges but his louing kindnesse will he not take vtterly from them nor suffer his trueth to faile He hath sworne once by his holinesse that he will not faile Dauid The Apostles maie bee at their wittes ends 2. Cor. 4.8 but neuer driuen to despaire For that saying of the Prophet Esay shal stand fast for euer to Christs Church and to euerie member thereof Esay 54.7 For a moment in mine anger I hid my face froÌ„ thee for a little season but with euerlasting mercie haue I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy redeemer For this is vnto mee as the waters of Noah for as I haue sworne that the waters of Noah should no more goe ouer the earth so haue I sworne that I would not be angrie with thee or rebuke thee that is to destruction Ferus verie excellentlie confirmes this Doctrine In cap. 19. Act. vpon these words If they had receiued the holie Ghost or no Being about to search out whether they beleeued aright or no he enquires whether they had the chiefest fruit of faith which is the holy Ghost And the holy Ghost though it be inuisible yet it doeth make manifest it selfe by many signes This is a most sure and euident argument of the holy Ghost and of a true faith the security of our conscience For the holy Ghost witnesseth to our Spirits that we are the sonnes of God not by nature but by adoption and by the grace of God It doeth also encourage vs and make vs take pleasure and delight in God and it makes vs to stand and to trust without any care or feare as Iohn sayth We now know and beleeue the loue that God hath towards vs. To feele this loue of God is to be wel affected towards God in praising of him in giuing him thanks and in beleeuing in him And being iustified through faith we are now at peace with GOD. What is better then peace What is more excellent or more to bee wished for then peace with God This is the chiefest and most excellent good thing in the world as on the contrary to haue God our enemy is the greatest euill in the world as Cain had whose sinnes the Lord discouered so also he brings to light al the sins of the wicked of whom the holy Prophet writes thus I will reprooue thee and set thy sinnes in order before thy face And againe Psal 49. I will discouer his shame he is a vagabond and cursed vpon the earth and in his labours But the Christian hath peace and what peace I pray you is that Heare what God saith by his prophet I will heale all their sorrowes and griefes and I will loue them freely Esay 47. for mine-anger is turned away from them If God forgiue sinnes who shall condemne vs If hee loue vs freely what can the hatred of the world hurt vs If hee asswage his anger what harme can the diuels malice doe vs So he sayeth in Esay I will not be angry for euer c. This is our true peace but from whence haue we it Surely from no where else but only by Christ And hence he is called The king of righteousnes and of peace As Melchisedecke also who was a Type of him was also in times past adorned with these titles He therefore that as yet lacks this foresaid peace truely cannot haue neither the holy Ghost not a liuely faith And what else is this frée loue this forgiuenesse of sinnes this turning awaie of anger this Christian peace which euerie Christian must haue which hath receiued the holie Ghost and hath a true and sure faith but the certaintie of his owne saluation And they answered we haue not as yet heard whether there be any holy Ghost or no. These frankely and freely and very apparently bewray and confesse their ignorance they haue not as yet heard that the holy Ghost doth worke these things in the hearts of the faithful And how many are there at this day who haue beene a great many yeares Christians and yet neuer haue felt this peace of conscience when as it is the first and principall vertue of the Gospell to make quiet our consciences Ferus here complaines greatlie of the want of this peace and shall wee not exhort all men then diligentlie to labour for it They which haue not this quietnesse and peace of conscience haue not as yet tasted the first droppe of the Gospell Of the force of faith both in the receiuing of the holie sacraments and in the certaintie of our saluation that lesson of Granatensis is worth the marking De Euch. lib. 3. cap. 1. He that sayth hee with all his soule and with all his strength striues to be purged from his sins and to be cured of all his faults vites and imperfections and to bee enriched with heauenly graces and now from wandring after the vanities of this world to returne to his beginning againe let him so order and gouerne his life that he may be fit verie often to receiue and be satiated with this most excellent Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ and by this meanes inwardly to be vnited with our most glorious God euen as if one should droppe a droppe of vvater into a Tunne of Wine so that if all creatures were gathered together they could not find any space or distance betweene such a soule and God himselfe And although perchance a man doe not feele in himselfe by and by this vnion yet let him not be troubled in his mind but with a most strong faith let him beleeue Christ who saith He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me and I in him And how much lesse he feeles God in himselfe so much more assuredly let him beleeue him for then his faith shall be more perfect and shall receiue greater rewards of God if so be he doe as much as in him lyes Thus farre Granatensis This is the nature of faith to beleeue the word euen against reason against sense The more lets and obiections which it ouercommeth the greater Crowne it shall haue And this is that which S. Paul saith The iust man shal
of God because the eternall father for the exceeding great loue wherewith he loueth vs he cals that his saluation which is our saluation Wherefore also the Prophet Esay speaking in the person of God saith Esa 42. I haue giuen thee to be a light to the Gentiles that thou maiest be my saluation euen to the vttermost parts of the earth O blessed and praised be such a God who loues vs so that he calles our saluation his saluation Saint Paul also shewes vs this loue saying I beseech you 1. Thes 4.1 that you walke as you ought to walke and to please God for you know what commandements I haue giuen you by the Lord Iesus for this is the will of God euen your sanctification Marke I beseech you what commandements these are and what is this will of God The former words did seem to require that he should haue added This is the will of God that you should praise him that you should offer him sacrifice and yet notwithstanding hauing made that preface before he addeth that the will of God is Our sanctification which in truth is accounted one of the greatest good things which man hath Therefore O my brethren giue thanks to God for this his singular loue wherewith he loues you for his will and that thing which most pleaseth him is your profit and commoditie This loue wherewith the highest loueth vs he cals the coards wherewith he drawes vs vnto him when as he faith by the prophet Osee Ose 11. I will draw them with the coardes of Adam that is with what affection I made Adam their first parent holy and created him in grace as the interlmeal Glosse expounds it with the same loue I will sanctifie these which he addes expounding it In the bonds of loue that is with the affection of charity Whereas another translation hath I wil draw them with the coards of men that is with the same loue that I bound vnto me Abraham Isaac and the other patriarches I wil also ioine them vnto me Although Lira expounds it thus With coards that is with benefites bestowed vpon them which drawe the heart of man and are certaine bonds of loue Saint Ierom expounds it otherwise that is I haue had a care of them for the coards and bonds of loue wherewith I haue bound Abraham Isaac and Iacob vnto me Wo be vnto vs if so be that we shall not be thankefull for such singular loue as those fathers were Thus farre Philippus de Dies If this ought to bee the faith of all Christians and that they ought to haue this firme and most assured beliefe of the loue of God towards them and that not onelie the Scriptures but the fathers doe teach them most manifestlie this excéeding great loue of God towards them who then will doubt of his saluation To doubt is plainlie to denie this excéeding great loue And after of the loue of Christ our redéemer hee writes thus Ibidem Tit. amor Christi Cant. 1 Whereas we reade in the Canticles My beloued is to me a grape of Ciprus another Text hath My loue is to me a cluster of Camphire O heauenly and most fit similitude Alcamphor is a certaine Tree whose gumme hath this property that if a graine or a little of it be kindled with fire and be put in a Lampe full of water it will giue a most cleare and bright flame It is a woonderful thing that that flame should not be extinguished with the water but that it should burne and shine more clearely This graine and not onely a graine but a cluster is our Lord Iesus Christ For those waters of the vnthankefulnes of his enemies and those waters of so manie and great torments which entred in euen to his very soule did not only quench his loue but caused it to glister shine more brightly while it shewed more manifestly his vnspeakeable loue patience mildnes and liberality When as euen the selfe same night wherein he was betraid he ordeined that most high mystery of his most blessed body and bloud and hanging on the crosse prayed for his enemies Let vs learne of this our heauenly master to shew loue to our enemies and to haue in greater trauell and paines greater patience Thus farre Philippus de Dies Such a loue must euerie Christian beleeue that Iesus Christ hath towards him that no waters in the world either of sinnes or of vnthankefulnesse is euer able to quench and this flesh and bloud and our spirituall enemie go about to make vs often forget And therefore saint Paul prayeth for the Ephesians Ephes 3.19 Iud. Ep. v. 21. that They maie know the loue of Christ which passeth all knowledge and that they maie be filled with al the fulnesse of God And this also no doubt Saint Iude meaneth in his Epistle when as hee sayeth Keepe you your selues in the loue of God Theodoret also writes thus of this matter In ca. 8. ad Heb He cals heauen the vaile c. God hath promised the kingdome of heauen to all that beleeue in him we hope for saieth hee those good things and we hold fast this hope as a sure Anchor for this Anchor beeing hid in the bottome of our hearts will not suffer that our soules should bee dasht hither and thither And also by another mans hee shewes the certaine hope of our good things and such a hope as cannot be gainesaid Whither our forerunner Iesus is entred for vs for our sakes saith he He became man for our sakes he gaue his body to be slaine and hauing vanquished and ouercome death he hath ascended into heauen being the first fruits of them which sleepe And he hath giuen vs here a greater confidence by calling him our forerunner For if he be our forerunner and hath ascended for vs then we must needes follow him and ascend also And Basill writes thus of euerie Christian In examer Homilia 5. Thou also shalt be like a fruitfull Oliue in the house of God neither shalt thou euer bee depriued of thy hope but shalt euer haue thy saluation flourishing in thee through faith Ambrose of the certaintie of our saluation writes thus Ambros de Iacob beat vâ—t cap. â— But thou fearest the manifold chances of this life and the deceits of the enemy when as thou hast God himselfe to be thy helper and his so great fauour towards thee that he spared not his owne sonne for thy sake The scripture hath vsed a comfortable word that it might declare the good will of God the father towards thee who offered himselfe wholy to die for thee In that he was a father he left nothing to himselfe he offered it all for thy sake onely hee left not the fulnesse of his deity Consider the loue of a father as concerning pity hee hazarded the life of his sonne he drunke for thy sake the sorrowfull cuppe of one that is childlesse least the price of thy redemption should not haue
Pintus As this precious stone of it selfe caries a Maiestie and glorie with it it needes not the helpe or skill of man to polish it So much lesse the scriptures They glorifie themselues their authoritie is their owne maiesty And no doubt as in the handling of them of which Pintus seemes here to speake so also in the discerning of them Who requires a witnesse to prooue that the sunne shineth Here the thing it selfe is a sufficient witnes So the scriptures by their owne Maiestie especiallie beare witnesse to themselues To Infidelles perchance which neuer knewe nor read the Scriptures the authoritie of the Church maie bee an Introduction to beleeue them as that woman was to the Samaritanes to beleeue in Christ c. But after they shall haue once read them and hauing also well meditated vpon them day and night and laid them vp in their harts Ioh. 4.42 Luk 2.51 as Mary did the words of Simeon and Anna they will then saie as the Samaritanes also saide to the woman Now we beleeue not because of thy saying For wee haue heard him our selues and knowe that this is indeede that Christ that Sauiour of the world So they will also saie of the Churches Testimonie Pintus of reading the holie scripture writes thus Pintus in 3. cap. Ezech. All holie Scripture giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach In all mens Books may errours be found be the Author thereof neuer so wise nor neuer so learned for euen as in a fruitfull field sometimes amongst holesome hearbes grow those that bee hurtfull so mens wittes sometimes amongst holesome counselles yeeld also manie errors The heathen Philosophers although setting apart all priuate and publike actions they gaue themselues wholy to search out truth yet they haue committed to writing their own vaine deuises and innumerable vanities For All men are liers as the Psalmist sayeth What shall I speake of the vnprofitable fictions of the Poets The Poets sing of strange but not credible matters If sometimes they affoorde vs any thing that is good they mingle it vvith a thousand lyes But all the holy Scripture is true all to bee read all to be searched all to be deuoured As they which digge mettalles doe not lose the least scrappes but if so bee that they find any mine of gold they diligently search after euery vaine and they take out the earth also with the Gold and they are very circumspect so wee must doe in the holy Scripture we must passe ouer nothing we must not make light account of one word of the holy Scriptures yea we must be much more desirous and diligent in searching out this treasure and wee must endeuour to bring all to light For here is no earth mingled with gold it is all most pure gold tried to the vttermost yea as the Psalmist saith Aboue thousands of gold and siluer In the holy Scriptures because God is the author of it Who can neither be deceiued nor deceiue anie whatsoeuer is written is truth whatsoeuer is taught is vertue whatsoeuer is promised after death is immortality and euerlasting felicity The word of God giueth light and directs vs the way to heauen for the diuine Psalmist saith Thy word is a lanterne to my feet Therefore all that loue God desire to heare it therefore saith Christ our God He that is of God heareth Gods word And in Saint Lukes Gospel Blessed are they which heare the word of God and keepe it O woonderfull reliques being so precious and in the world so little esteemed If we make great account of the garments of the saints and if we reuerence some parts of their garments and that rightlie because they touched their bodies how much more ought wee to esteeme the words of Christ which issued from his heart by his most blessed mouth and touched both his tongue and his lippes They are all heauenly full of holinesse breathing heauenly mysteries Moyses beganne his booke from the generation of the creatures but Saint Matthew began his from the generation of the creator saying The booke of the generation of Iesus Christ. And after This booke is the Chronicle of Iesus Christ this is his testament what sonne will not reade the Testament of his father who is it that wil not giue good heed to his fathers last wil This new Testament is an infinit treasure which can neuer be spent of heauenly wisdome and celestial treasures And after The word of God ought to be in our hands that we might neuer forget it but it cannot be in our hands vnlesse it be first in our heart and therefore before God saith My words shall bee in thy hand he saith They shall be in thy heart He that will not fall into sinnes let him keepe Gods words in his heart The holy Prophet would teach vs this in these words I haue hid thy words in my heart least I should sinne against thee He loued the word of God so greatly that as a most precious treasure and most excellent Iewelles he kept them laid vp in the closet of his heart And Salomon in the Prouerbes speaking of the law of God Bind it saith he alwaies in thie heart and compasse it about thie necke and when thou walkest let it go with thee As in the arke of the Testament was the law of God manna as the holy scriptures do record in many places So in the soule where the word of God is kept Christ that hidden and heauenly manna is there by his grace of whome Esay saieth Truelie thou art a hidden God And the same Christ in Saint Iohns Gospell saith I am the liuelie bread that came downe from heauen In that soule which is refreshed with this heauenly food is the law of God written not with inke that I may vse Saint Pauls words but with the Spirit of the liuing God not in Tables of stone but in the fleshie Tables of the heart Saint Paul saith That those which haue the law of God imprinted in their mind that they shew the worke of the law written in their hearts And these obey and loue GOD whereof the truth it selfe saith in Saint Iohns Gospell If anie man loue me he will keepe mie saieng And in Saint Lukes Gospell Blessed are they which heare the word of God and keepe it For as saint Paul in the Epistle to the Romanes saith Not the hearers of the law are iust before God but the doers thereof shall be iustified And saint Iames saith in his Canonical Epistle Be ye doers of the word not hearers onelie deceiuing your owne selues Euen as he which will make an assault vpon his enimies or defend himself from them stands need of a sword the which being taken in his hand he may strike them that he may obtaine the victory So he that will triumph ouer the world the flesh and the diuell the most cruell enemies of the soule he must carie in his hands that is in his works the word of God
to anie other The same Granatensis writes thus of himselfe Ibidem And surely the errours of my life and sinnes are so manie and so great that some men being in the same state of damnation as well as I and not considering O Lord thy omnipotencie but measuring according to their owne frailtie and wauering mindes with their forward thoughts haue entered into iudgement with thee saying Mine iniquities are greater then that they may be pardoned and giuing no credite to thy words and promises imagine that as some angrie or cruell man thou thinkest vpon punishment and reuenge and not vpon grace and pardon And such O my God when they shall see that thou wilt forgiue me my sinnes shall be ouercome and ashamed of their iudgements And they shall acknowledge that which thou spakest by thy Prophet that is As high as the heauens are exalted from the earth so are thy waies farre aboue the waies of men and thy thoughts aboue their thoughts Therefore O Lord haue mercie vpon me and blot out mine iniquitie Thus farre Granatensis He confesseth himselfe to be a damnable sinner Here is no merits then and yet for all that he hopes for pardon comes to the throne of Gods mercie nay they which think God to be an angrie God so that he will not heare sinners he plainlie teacheth that they haue a wrong opinion of God And do not the papists teach this in their doctrine of intercession to saints Angels This faith al the scriptures teach vs that when we pray in the name of Iesus Christ God doth most assuredly heare vs. And so we ought to frame our words when we pray as though we were in the presence of God and our hearts after we haue praied that God in whose presence we haue praied hath granted our requests This faith the gospell teacheth They which beléeue not this denie the faith of the Gospell And the same Granatensis that he may the more déepelie imprint and fasten this loue of God in our hearts which is the very roote of the assurance which we haue in our prayers in another place let vs marke how excellentlie he commendeth and expresseth this excéeding great loue of God towards vs. Can there be any greater argumēt of the goodnes of God wished or desired then to consider that a God of such infinite Maiestie Granat de perfect amor dei cap. 28. who not for any need but onely of his owne goodnes doth stoupe downe humble himselfe so greatly that as a steward purueyour of birds fishes and wormes he prouides all things necessary for their life Neither being content with this alone he doth humble himselfe so far that he giues them also pleasant things wherewith they may delight themselues stirring vp in them also certaine motions of pleasures That euen as thou O Lord hast not only an essence or being but also a most happie and blessed essence so also thou wouldest haue all thy creatures be they neuer so vile and base in their kinde to participate of thee and to enioy both these that they should haue both an essence and also a most happie and ioyfull essence Who is not now amased to see such a miracle who hereby acknowledgeth not the infinite kindnes nobilitie and liberalitie of Gods heart who shewes himselfe so louing and courteous to so vile creatures which if a man meet withall he will make no account to trample vnder his feet Which of vs is it that thinkes it concernes him any thing at all whether a Flie or Pismire haue food or not or whether she be merie or sad Who therefore will not maruell that a God of such great maiestie in comparison of whom all the world is no bigger almost then a little Pismire not onely to haue special care of the liues of these smal vermine but also of the delights and pleasures wherewith euerie one of these is delighted when as he lookes at the hands of these neither for praise nor thanks O wonderfull goodnes O inestimable sweetnes O my God how great incomprehensible are those things which in the bosome of thy glorie thou hast reserued for thy faithfull friends when as thou hast such a speciall care of vile wormes How can I distrust of thy prouidence mercie towards men whom thou hast bought with thy precious bloud when as that is not wanting euen to the beasts of the field Thus farre Granatensis This onelie consideration should make vs pray to God alone Chap. 29. And after of the praiers of the faithfull he writes thus What shal I say O Lord of thy readines in hearing the praiers of the iust what of thy speedines in fulfilling their desires how often doest thou promise vs this in thy holy scriptures that thou mightest take away our infidelity distresse In a certain place thou saiest which of you askes bread of his father and will he giue him a stone our askes fish and will he for fish giue him a serpent or if he aske an egge will he reach him a Scorpion If ye therefore when as ye are euill know to giue good things to your children how much more shall your heauenly father from heauen giue his holy spirit to them which aske him And in another place Aske and it shal be giuen to you seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you But the words of our Lord which are in S. Iohns Gospell doe declare the same much more manifestly by which it is manifest that God hath at once opened to his friends all the gates of his mercie when as he saith If you abide in me and my words abide in you aske whatsoeuer ye will and it shall be done vnto you Could the heart of man if a wish were giuen him to wish whatsoeuer he would haue wished a more large or greater benefit when as in these words he hath leaue giuen him to aske whatsoeuer he will And he giues his word also that whatsoeuer he asketh he shall obtaine These are the promises of the Gospell from which they also disagree not which are found euerie where amongst the Prophets The Psalmist saith in a certaine place he will doe the will of them that feare him and he will heare their prayer and will saue them And in another place The eies of the Lord are vpon the iust and his eares are open vnto their prayers And in another place hee saith He hath regarded the prayer of the humble and hath not despised their petition Esay also sings the same song to vs. For after he had shewed with what good works God is especially serued by and by he addeth the reward that shall be giuen to them that serue him saying Then he shall call and the Lord shall heare him he shal crie and the Lord shal say Behold here am I. And as though this were but a small thing thou thy selfe O Lord addest a farre greater and more bountifull promise in the same Prophet
also was more then God commanded them They might no doubt haue touched that tree without sinne if they had not taken and eaten of the fruit thereof Gen. 2.15 For Adam before was placed of God to dresse the Garden therefore no doubt he might haue pruned and touched anie trée in the garden without danger And here that fault in religion first sprang which men call superstition The which is thus defined Vocab scholast to be a fault opposite to religion in excesse when a man will be religious more then néeds and more then God commands Lastly she doubts of the truth of Gods word And she saith Gâ—n 3.3 Gen. 2.27 least peraduenture yee shall die wheras God had said In dying yee shall die as it is in the Hebrew that is ye shall most assuredly die Here are then the notes and markes of the false Church to vse subtiltie to depart from the plaine and expresse commandement of God to adde any thing though it séeme religious superstitiously vnto it and to doubt of the truth of it And by these the notes marks of the true Church by the contrarie may be gathered to vse plainnesse in her doctrine to cleaue to the word of God to adde nothing to it neither to doubt of the truth of it And that these are infallible and vndoubted markes of the Church 1. Sam. 15.20.21 1. King 13.18 the histories of King Saul and of the man of God that came to Bethel prophesied against Ieroboams golden calues and S. Pauls protestation twise vttered plainly prooue Gal. 1.8.9 Wherof the first teacheth that Saul being a King might not dispense with Gods worde to saue the life of another King no nor to saue fatte shéepe and oxen which as man would haue thought it had béene pitie to haue killed no not for sacrifice and for Gods owne honour and seruice No pretence of mans brain maie dispense with Gods word it must be obeied The second also teacheth the same lesson The man of God being a Prophet doing a myracle healing the kings withered hand againe being beguiled by another Prophet who was an olde man and therefore not likely to be a liar and pretending also the reuelation of an Angell yet this Prophet this man of God going beyond his commission who transgressed Gods word being drawn and perswaded by all these fleshly reasons and that but a little to a thing which in mans iudgment would seeme but necessarie euen but to refresh himselfe escaped not death for this his contempt but was killed of a Lyon Neither King nor Priest here can dispense they must obey If anie excuse might serue the turne surely then we would thinke that both these were excusable but their excuses would not saue them harmelesse therefore no other lesser pretences or excuses can warrant vs can secure meaner men if Kings and Prophets by these escaped not And to these histories as it should séeme S. Paul alludes when as he saith Gal. 1.8.9 If an Angel from heauen or we our selues preach to you any other Gospell that is anie other meanes of saluation then that ye haue alreadie receiued let him be accursed And he saith the same twise no doubt because some men should not marke this or hardlie beléeue it and that they should beléeue Angels from heauen naie euen diuels from hell in the shape of men teaching doctrines and meanes of saluation which the gospell teacheth not Oh that all true Catholikes which relie so much of the name of the Church would marke diligentlie this lesson iterated of the Apostle and would accept no other waies or means of saluation besides those only which the gospel teacheth They are worthily accursed which will not beléeue this doctrine which Saul a king teacheth them with the losse of his kingdome which the man of God teacheth them with the losse of his life and Saint Paul himselfe the Doctor of the Gentiles twise togither 1. Tim. 2.7 most euidently and that vnder the paine of a curse Dauid also teacheth vs the same lesson Psal 95.7 For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheepe of his hands To day if yee will heare his voice c. for so this verse is pointed in the Hebrewe So that then would we haue God to be our God would wee be his people and shéepe of his foulde that is members of his true Church what then let vs heare his voice This is an euident and plaine marke of his true Church and of all his shéepe Our Sauiour also in the gospell agréeth with Dauid My sheepe saith he heare my voice Ioh. 10.27.28.29 and I know them and they follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hand my father which gaue them me is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my fathers handes Here is the true brande of all Christs shéepe they heare his voice and they know him And here is the benefit they reape by being his shéepe here is his most pleasant and swéete pasture which passeth all the pleasant meadowes and pastures in the world That he knoweth all his sheepe not in generall but euerie one particularlie And of this must euerie one of his sheepe be most assuredlie perswaded Exod. 33.12 Luk. 12.32 Rom. 6.23 that he knowes him euen by name as he knew Moses and he giueth them eternall life it is his free gift Oh how are all men bound to loue and serue such a louing Lord and shéepheard that bestowes on them such a gift This bountifulnesse passeth all the bountifulnesse in the world and this gift all the gifts in the world Luk. 17.10 And all that euer we can doe are but dueties and humble seruices to such a mighty and bountifull prince Oh prowd Pharisee that wilt thinke here thou canst challenge or bast deserued anie part of this gift It is a most frée gift it is no desert And thou art sure of it thou shalt neuer perish none is able to take thée out of Iesus Christs hands And this because men are fainthearted and it is the principall marke that sathan shootes at to take this assurance of saluation out of mens hearts and to make them doubt of Gods loue towardes them as hee did Eue it is twise repeated here of our Sauiour 1. Pet. 2.22 in whose mouth is no deceipt His sheepe shall neuer perish and none is able to plucke them out of his fathers handes And wilte thou not beléeue him wilte thou doubt The same marke of Gods Church and of all his children our Sauiour teacheth in another place I am the vine saith he and ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him Io. 15.4 the same bringeth forth much fruit For without me can ye doe nothing If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and withereth
disquieted within me O put thy trust in God For I will yet giue him thankes which is the helpe of my countenance and my God The ioy of the Lord is your strength Nehe. 8.10 Rom. 15.13 O Lord of hope fill vs with all ioy and peace through faith that we may abound in hope through the power of the holie Ghost When we shall heare the clocke strike let vs say Blessed be the houre wherein our Lord Iesus Christ was borne and died for vs. When as we shall haue done any thing well let vs say Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs Psal 115.1 but vnto thy name giue the glorie For thy louing mercie and for thy truths sake When we shall take a iourney I will go forth in the strength of the Lord God Psal 71.16 and I wil make mention of thy righteousnes only In a doubtfull matter let vs pray thus In silence and confidence is our strength Esa 30.15 In dangers let vs pray thus Our helpe standeth in the name of the Lord Psal 124.8 who hath made heauen and earth For Faith let vs pray thus with the Apostles O Lord increase our faith Luke 17.5 For the loue of God O Lord poure thy loue abundantly into our hearts Rom. 5.5 by thy holy Spirit For remission of sinnes Haue mercie vpon me O God after thy great goodnesse Psal 51.1 according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Psal 19.13 Who can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse thou mee from my secret sinnes Psal 25.7 O remember not the sinnes and offences of my youth but according to thy mercie thinke vpon me O Lord for thy goodnes For good thoughts Psal 19.14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be alwayes acceptable in thy sight O Lord God my strength and my redeemer For good workes Psal 119.122 Make thy seruant delight in that which is good that the proud do me no wrong At the houre of death Psal 31.5 Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of truth For the Church pray thus Psal 28.10 O saue thy people giue thy blessing vnto thine inheritance feede them and set them vp for euer Psal 80.7 Turne vs againe thou God of hosts shewe the light of thy countenance and we shall be saued Psal 85.4 Turne vs O God our Sauiour let thine anger cease from vs. In the afflictions of the Church Amos 7.2 O Lord God spare vs I beseech thee who will raise vp Iacob for he is small Psal 51.18 O be fauourable and gracious vnto Sion build thou the wals of Ierusalem Psal 122.6 7 8 O pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that loue thee Peace be within thy walles and plenteousnesse within thy pallaces for my brethrens and companions sake I will wish thee prosperitie Saint Gregorie his Prayer Greg. post Psalmos poenitent O good Iesu the word of the Father the brightnesse of the Fathers glorie on whom the Angels do desire to looke teach me to doe thy will that being led by thy good Spirit I may come to that blessed Citie where is an euerlasting day and one spirit of all men where is certaine securitie and secure eternitie and eternall tranquilitie and quiet felicitie and happie pleasure and pleasant ioy where thou God liuest with the Father and the holie Ghost for euer and euer Amen He that shall vse these short prayers no doubt as arrowes they shall mount vnto the skies and enter euen into the eares of God A View of Gods houshold and of all his Seruants THis is set downe by king Dauid very excellently in the Psalme They haue seene O Lord Psal 68.25 thy goings how thou my God and king hast walked in the Sanctuarie Here Dauid teacheth vs that the Lord God as a mightie Prince sometimes as it were euen walketh in his Sanctuarie and among the faithfull in the congregation Now followeth his traine The singers Sharim go before the Musitians Nogenim they which play with the hand on instruments of musicke follow after in the middest are virgins playing on timbrels or drummes Here is Gods traine first singers then virgins and lastly they which plaie with the hand And these may signifie vnto vs thrée sorts of men in Gods Church Singers maie represent Martyrs or Confessors of the faith Virgins those that next to them though they haue not shed their bloud for the loue of Christ yet for his sake they haue abandoned all the vaine and fleshly delights and pleasures of this world and therefore by good right they challenge to themselues the middle or second place And lastly are those cunning Musitians which play with the hand Gal. 5.6 these are those Christians whose faith worketh through charitie Who haue sowne plentifully with their handes the Lords talents that he hath blessed them withall 2. Cor. 9.6 as Saint Paul exhorteth them to doe And they which haue done so do receiue plentifully againe as our Sauiour witnesseth Matt. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world for I was an hungrie and ye gaue me meate c. And how fitly agrées all these together Martyrs may bée rightly called Singers for as Prudentius writeth of Romanus the martyr when as the cruell persecutor had bored through his chéekes he spake thus to him Prudent in Rom. mart O Ruler fierce I yeeld thee thanks that for one mouth too straite Now manie mouthes thou hast me made my Christ his praise to speake Virgins may bee said to play with Drummes For their praise soundeth farre and wide Matth. 19.12 Of virginitie Christ said He that can comprehend it let them comprehend it As though hée should say it is a price propounded of me to all my disciples to runne for 1. Cor. 7.32 Happie is he that can attaine it And S. Paul erhorting all men to virginitie I would haue you without care saith he But this thing can only virginitie afford you The vnmaried man careth for the things of the Lord how he may please the Lord But hee that is maried careth for the things of the world how he may please his wife Yea there is difference betweene a virgin and a wife They are not all one the one farre excelleth the other The vnmaried woman careth for the things of the Lord that she may be holy both in body and spirit but she that is maried careth for the things of the world how shee may please her husband Here is the excellencie of virginitie put downe weighed as it were in a paire of ballance and compared with mariage that euerie one maie sée the excellency and difference of the one before the other The virgin careth only for the Lord the maried person for the world The virgin
is holy in body and soule And so is not the maried And for this cause S Paul addeth generally to all Christian parents That he that giues his daughter to mariage doth wel but he that giueth her not to mariage doth better Besides the excellencie of the gift of virginitie it selfe which the virgin shall enioie yea euen the father the author therof deserueth commendation of God And so no doubt Philip the Euangelist had foure daughters that were virgins Act. 21.9 Hée followed here the Apostles counsell And therefore Ambrose on this place writes thus To diuers vertues diuers wages are appointed Amb. lib. 1. de vid. Neither do we finde fault with the one that wee might commend the other but all are commended that those that are more excellent may be preferred Mariage therefore is honorable but virginitie is more honorable For he that ioynes his virgin in mariage doth well and he that couples her not in mariage doth better Therefore that which is good is not to be eschewed And Saint Augustine writeth also thus It is good to marie Aug. de bono coniug cap. 9. 10. because it is good to beget children and to be a housekeeper but it is better not to marie because it is better for humane societie not to stand in neede of this worke But I know some that murmure What say they if all men should abstaine from mariage how then should mankind be maintained I would to God saith Augustine all men would do this onely in charitie and from a pure heart and from a good conscience and not from a fained faith for then a great deale sooner Gods citie should be filled and the end of the world should be hastened For what other thing seems the Apostle to meane when as he saith speaking thereof I would to God that all men were as I am or in that place This I say brethren because the time is short it remaineth that they also which haue wiues be as though they had none and they that weepe as though they wept not and they that reioyce as though they reioyced not they that buy as though they possessed not they that vse this world as though they vsed it not for the fashion of this world goeth away I would haue you without care And after he addeth He that is vnmaried careth for the things that belong to the Lord how hee may please the Lord but he that is maried thinketh on the things that are of the world how he may please his wife Thus farre out of Saint Augustine And no doubt as should séeme the same Apostle Saint Paul hauing respect to this doctrine he exhorteth Timothie and in him all other ministers to labour to obtaine this great gift of virginitie No man that warreth saith he entangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life 2. Tim. 2.4 because he would please him that hath chosen him to be a souldiour And in the verse going before he calleth Timothie a Souldier So that if Ministers be the Lords souldiers by S. Paules counsell here they ought not to entangle themselues with the cares of this life vers 3. But those cares follow them that be maried as necessarily as the shadowe doth the bodie as before he hath taught the Corinthians Therefore a Minister that will be a good Souldiour of Iesus Christ should striue to comprehend that notable gift of virginitie The Apostle here doth teach Timothie and all other mystically this lesson for hee addeth Consider what I say The Lord giue thee vnderstanding in all things Vers 7. And in another place he saith Not onely pursue loue but with all force and zeale striue for the greatest gifts 1. Cor. 14.1 Euerie Christian but especiallie those that haue giuen their names to fight vnder the Lords banner should striue to obtaine the excellentest giftes As God himselfe is the chiefest good thing in the world so he will haue all his seruants as much as is possible to come néere to him and to bée singular in all vertues Matth. 5.48 Chastitie is a gift of God but such a gift is not giuen to the slouthfull and sluggish but to those that knocke and praie to God for it No doubt that gift is compreded vnder that ample and large promise of our Sauiour What soeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you Euen Chastitie if it be expedient for them that pray for it Ioh 16.23 And surely I thinke I may saie of this excellent vertue as Saint Iames saith Iam. 4.2 You haue not because ye aske not I thinke there be few at this daie that once thinke on it or once open their mouthes to pray to God for it Againe this most excellent gift is not giuen as I said before to the idle or slouthfull but to those which vse the meanes to obtaine it which Gods word teacheth vs to vse that is fasting and mortification of the flesh Ministers saie not with Paule I tame my bodie and bring it in subiection 1. Cor. 9.27 lest that when as I haue preached to others I should be reproued my selfe 1. Cor. 7.7 And therefore they are not such as he was and as he wisheth not onely them but all men Widowes follow not Anna her steppes Luke 2.37 they frequent not the Temple they are not euer present at prayer they serue not God with fasting and prayers day and night and therefore in our Church wee haue so few continue widowes and so fewe follow S. Paules counsell but all will marie againe They respect not that blessednesse which he promiseth them 1. Cor. 7.40 Young maides saie not with that blessed virgin Marie Hee filleth the hungrie with good things Luke 1.53 but the rich he sendeth emptie away They will haue their bellies full they will not fast and therefore wee haue so few virgins Matth. 19.12 Yet our Sauiour himselfe said He that can comprehend it let him comprehend it Euerie one is to shew his force and courage herein and if infirmitie will not suffer him to obtaine the principall or best game then let necessitie make him bold to vse the remedie 1. Cor. 7.36 as Saint Paule counsels fathers do with their daughters whom he would wish to kéepe virgins But to conclude as none of our works no not our knowledge 1. Cor. 1◠9 so is not our virginitie perfect in this life What Saint hath a cleane heart or what virgin a chaste eye Pro. 20.9 Matth. 5.28 Psal 119.37 2. Cor. 12.7 Greg. in glossa that hath not beheld vanitie or what flesh so tamed that hath not felt that pricke which Saint Paul felt Gregorie writes verie excellently concerning virginitie and mariage vpon that place of Genesis Saue thy selfe in the mountaine Virginitie is that high hill which the Angell exhorts him to flie vnto and saue himselfe but he that feeles himself that he cannot ascend thither let him
greedilie sought for so farre off was he to hurt or oppresse anie man to obtaine or maintaine this These Pagans condemne the curiositie and pompe of the world which now raignes amongst vs They shall condemne vs vnlesse wee repent at the daie of iudgement It is a shame for Christians that Pagans should go beyond thē in anie vertue We haue had Christians that haue excelled them euen of late Panorm lib. 4. de reb gestis Alphons I reade of Alphonsus king of Aragon when as one brought him ten thousand French crownes And one that stood by perchance said O that I had so much gold it would make me rich and happy Goe thy way saith the king and take it how much soeuer it is and bee happie Surely this Christian king and that not long since He liued in the raigne of Henry the 6. excéeded all these Pagans And shall hee haue no schollers All Christians should herein be his schollers should learne by his example to despise the world to despise money and gold It is a Christian and kinglie lesson But this Christian philosophie is now quite banished and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Tim. 3.2 that loue of our selues and loue of money whereof Saint Paul prophesieth are now in their kingdome and raigne amongst men We will not now giue thousands of Crownes no nor of pence or shillings no not to our brethren We loue our selues and mony and gold so well that no man almost loues his brother The first Christians had learned this lesson and therefore they laid not the rents Act. 4.35 but euen the prices of their lands at the Apostles feete They gaue it not them in their hands to declare no doubt this contempt of the world and their loue to the Apostles The like loue had the Galathians to Saint Paul I beare you record saith he that if it had beene possible Gal. 4.15 you would haue pulled out your very eyes and haue giuen them to me Phile. vers 19. And he writes to Philemon that he owes him his owne self This condemnes those that loue the world so well that now they are so farce from giuing anie thing to the Church that they rather studie and deuise how they maie take that awaie that hath beene well giuen of others which come not to the Church now ad offerendum sed ad auferendum not to offer but to take away The like contempt of the world had those Iewes which when as Christ rode to Ierusalem Matth. 21.8 spread their garments in the way And no doubt they were a figure of vs rather then Christ should go barefoote we should cast euen our verie garments in the waie But now to maintaine their sutes of apparell and their braue garments manie make Christ in his members to go barefoot and ill clothed and with manie a hungrie meale And do these spread their garments in the waie Nay Amos. 2.6 these sel the poore euen for a paire of shooes as the Prophet speaketh They make no account of the poore members of Iesus Christ They despise not the world Neither haue the Heathen onelie taught vs this contempt but euen nature her selfe Oyle if it be put in water will not be mingled with it but will swim aboue Such excellent oyle should Christians be whereof they take their names They should swimme aboue all the waters that is of riches pleasures and delights of this world whatsoeuer All which maie be fitlie compared to water for their vncertaintie they flowe like water they are not stable and permanent and for their dangers they do drowne men if they take not great héede of them Cast a trée into the water it will not sinke at the first but it will swim aloft Such trées should all the Lords trées be though they be here placed in this world and as it were cast into the water yet they should swimme aloft alwayes they should not sinke downe therein But now all men almost sink downe into these waters they are ouer the eares in them they swim not aloft they despise them not Where the bodie is Luke 17.37 there will the Eagles bee saith our Sauiour comparing all his to Eagles Now the Eagle doth mount on high and hee compares himself to a bodie because he was slaine for our sakes And therefore with him in heauen should the hearts the desires the loues the studies of all his Eagles be not here on earth Col. 3.1 and on these earthly things Christians cannot serue God and Mammon together Matth. 6.24 Esa 28.20 The bed of loue is too streight as Esay saith it cannot hold two and the cloake or garment is too short it cannot couer two Christ onely must be in our bed and in our bosome This contempt of the world deuotion of obeying the commandement of God Amb. lib. 1. de Abrah cap. 1. was the first thing that Abrahā pleased God in as Ambrose noteth Abrahā was surely saith Ambrose a great mighty man famous in the highest degree for his many vertues whom all the Philosophers could not wish a man that might match him And to conclude it was farre lesse that they imagined or fained in all their excellent men then that he did indeed And the plaine faith of the truth was greater then the stately lie of eloquence Therefore let vs first consider what kind of deuotion was in him for this vertue is the first in order and the foundation of the rest And by good right God requires this of him saying Go out of thy countrie and of thy kinred and of thy fathers house It had beene enough to haue sayd Go ou◠of thy country For that had beene to haue gone out of his kinred and out of his fathers fathers house But therefore he added euery one of these that hee might proue his loue least peraduenture he should haue seemed to haue taken a matter in hand vnaduisedly or else should fraudulently haue fulfilled the commandements of God But as the precepts were to be heaped one of another least hee should bee ignorant of anie thing so also rewards were set before him least he should despaire He is tried as a valiant souldier He is pricked forward as a faithful seruant He is challenged vnto the combat as a iust man he went out Here in him is that which among those seuen wise men of Greece was so highly commended for a wise saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Follow God Abraham indeede preuented that saying of the wise men and followed God before they were borne Let vs now also consider by his example what we ought to follow least perduenture that it be also said to vs Go out of your country that is go out of this dwelling we haue in this body out of which Saint Paul went also who sayd Our conuersation is in heauen and out of the entisements and pleasures of the body which he called
as the kinred of our soule which she must endure as long as she is coupled in league and fellowship with the bodie Therefore we must goe out of this earthly conuersation by the acts and maners of that heauenly life in so much that wee must not change our places as Abraham did but euen our soules If we desire to cleaue to Christ let vs forsake all corruptible things c. Thus by Ambrose iudgement euerie Christian is herein to follow Abrahams steps and the same commandement which was then giuen to Abraham remaines euen to euerie one of vs as yet still Depart out of thy countrie and from thy kinred and from thy fathers house that is forsake this world renounce the pleasures of the flesh and delight in heauenly works and pleasures And this is also that lesson that Dauid giueth to the whole Church of Christ Psal 45.10 Forsake thine owne people and thy Fathers house so shall the king haue pleasure in thy beautie Forsake this earth the house of thy father Adam And the pleasant apples that thy mother Eue so greatly longed after Gen. 3.6 that is all the pleasures and delights thereof And then shall the king haue pleasure in thy beautie Iam. 5.4 They which loue the world and the pleasures thereof are adulterers and doe not loue their husband Iesus Christ as he commandeth and therefore he hath no pleasure in their beautie And also in that generall muster of all Gods souldiers Psal 108.7 Manasses that is forgetfulnesse is one of them God hath spoken in his holinesse I will reioyce therfore saith Dauid I will take to my lot Shechem that is them that shall serue me earlie as Abraham did when as he rose vp early and went to offer his sonne Isaac Gen. 22.3 And I will measure out the vallie of Succoth that is humble and mercifull men which giue harbor to poore trauellers as Lot did who sate at the gate of Sodome in the euening to intertaine strangers Gen. 19.1 who seeing two men come towards him rose vpto meete them c. Gilead is mine that is he that kéepeth my testimonies in his heart as Marie did Luke 2.19 But Marie kept all these sayings and pondered them in her heart And Manasses is mine that is obliuion or forgetfulnesse that is he that forgetteth his fathers house and his kinred and goeth out of his countrie as Abraham did Ephraim is the strength of my head that is he that is fruitfull in all good workes as was Cornelius a deuout man Act. 10.2 and one that feared God with all his houshold which gaue much almes to the people and prayed God continually Iudah that is he that confesseth me and praiseth me with workes and words as king Dauid did shall bee my lawgiuer shal be a Prince with me Here is the Catalogue as it were of all Gods souldiers Let all Christians liue so and deale so and fight so that they maie be accepted amongst the number of them Granatensis by certaine excellent similitudes describeth vnto vs the contrarietie betwixt the loue of God Granat de perf amoris dei lib. 1. ca. and the loue of the world If a table saith he haue any image grauen in it how can it receiue another vnlesse the former be blotted out How can the land which the husbandman hath sown with barley bring forth wheat So how can the soule which is in loue with the world contain in it also the loue of God which is quite contrarie to it Wherfore it is excellently said of Seneca He that loues indeed can loue but one thing And againe Ibid. Imagine my brother loue to be as it were a hand which if it hold any thing cannot receiue another thing And that it may receiue any other thing it is necessarie that it first let that go which it held first So he that loueth the world cannot loue God for the hand of his soule is full now already with that loue Ibid. These two loues therefore are like a paire of ballance whereof if the one skale do descend the other must needs ascend if the one be lifted vp it caÌ„not chuse but the other must descend downe Euen so how much the more the loue of our selues encreaseth so much the more the loue of God decreaseth in vs And how much more the loue of God increaseth in vs so much more the loue of our selues is diminished c. And after Euen as a waxe candle being put into water Cap. 7. is taken out from thence as drie as it was before so the heart of the seruant of God although he liue in the midst of the world yet he tasteth no more of worldly things then fishes do of the sea And after Plotinus a Platonist maketh three as it were Cap. 10. steps or degrees to climbe vp to God by first to abstaine from euill then to abstaine from all earthly and vile things and lastly not to meddle with manie matters c. This meddling with maniâ— matters hinders vs so that we can haue no time to serue God And surely this is a great policie that Sathan vseth â—â—â—â—with he entangleth the men of our age they must haue manie things in their hands then when they haue them they flatter themselues with this conceit that they must néedes looke vnto them And so they haue almost no time to spend in the seruice of God O that the couetous Christians of our age would but marke this which will not be content with sufficient liuings as their forefathers were Ecclesiasticus teacheth them a good lesson Eccle. 11.10 O my sonne saith he meddle not with many matters Plato his scholler had this opinion of the things of the world And shall Christs schollers thus busie themselues with them And after Granatensis writeth that in the Scriptures the iust men are called heauen Lib. de perfect amoris Dei cap. 12. because they are freed from the imperfections and passions of this life And againe For the same cause it is said in the Psalme that God maketh his ministers and seruants a flaming fire For euen as the flame euer burneth vpward so the iust men euer pant or breath are caried also as a burning flame to those good things of that heauenly rest cap. 14. And in another place he saith Let the seruant of God perswade himselfe that hee is as hee is indeed the liuely temple of God and as that place is kept shut from all buying and selling and prophane businesses and affaires because it is consecrated to God alone so let him also thinke of his heart And after The children of Israel had not Manna giuen them from heauen cap. 20. till all their meale and flower that they brought out of Egypt were consumed Neither shall any man haue the sweetnesse of Gods loue but he that hath first renounced quite the delights of the loue of this world And the Prophet meant both
these when as he said Shake off this dust arise and sit now O Ierusalem By which words the Prophet meanes that first she must shake off the dust of all earthly things and that all the snares of worldly affections must be takē from her neck the which things being done then wee may without any let arise to the contemplation of heauenly things and sit downe in the rest and comfort of them Saint Paul prophesieth of some 1. Tim. 3.5 that in the latter times shal haue a shew of godlines but haue denied the power thereof Which prophesie I feare me toucheth many at this time who make a shew of Christian religion in words but haue denied the power thereof which is as members to ioyne vs to Christ our head in heauen what member would not long to bee with the head and to haue vs vnited as spouses to Iesus Christ our heauenly husband what wife would not long to be with her husband and to draw men from the loue of this world to account this world but as an Inne in a mans iourney and to account heauen their countrey Our excessiue purchasing of land our couetousnesse about this vile earth our great cost spent thereon argues plainly that we are not so affected towards it Would a man bestow so much cost or be so busie in his Inne where he was to lodge but a night as men do now on the earth Our Sauiour hath said It is as hard for a rich man to goe to heauen Matt. 19.24 as for a camell to go thorough a needles eye But now all men studie to be rich many times they passe not how As though he had said It is as easie for a rich man to go to heauen as for a twine thréed to go thorowe a néedles eye But let all such worldly minded rich men take héede they shall one daie finde his saying true what excuses and pretence soeuer they make now And Saint Paul also saith They that will bee rich 1. Tim. 6. ◠shall fall into temptations and snares of the diuell He doth not say they that deale hardly with their brethren to become rich And how will hard dealing landlords here créepe out Who would fall into the hands but euen of a mortall Prince but to fall into the snares of the diuell what a madnes is it Surely we beleeue not Saint Paules words for if we did we would not do as we do And againe the same Granatensis writes thus Although the affaires of this world saith he do somtimes draw thy mind down to these earthly things cap. 11. yet by and by the spirit which is in it rebounds backe againe and is againe lift vp to heauen no otherwise then wood that is violently kept vnder the water yet by and by according to the naturall lightnesse that is in it it will appeare and swimme aloft againe That which nature doth here good conditions and the grace of God should work there which are of faire greater power then nature And here is a doubt resolued which perchance in reading the Scriptures may trouble some Sphinx Philosophica cap. 39. Often times you will thinke that in the Scriptures the answeres which are there made do not concerne the matter proposed or doe not fully answer the question are nothing to the purpose because indeed they answer not to those things which we enquire for but to those things that we ought to haue enquired for Christ being asked of the restoring againe of the kingdome of Israel Act. 1.7 answered of the heauenly kingdome We are troubled about the cares of this life but wee are instructed of the life to come If at anie time the Prophets do make mention of the calling of the people backe againe from Babylon of restoring the kingdom of Israel or of the repairing of the Temple by and by as it were forgetting themselues they are rapt to speake of the spirituall deliuerance from the yoke of Sathan of the kingdom of Christ and of the description of the true Temple that is of the Church Hereby signifying vnto vs that wee must not cleaue to and rest in these momentarie and transitorie things which are nothing else but a shadow and that we should not haue our kingdome here in this world but that Christ should raigne in vs by the scepter of his word and power of his spirit This lesson these impertinent answers in the Scriptures do teach vs. Orat. adhort ad gentes Clemens Alexandrinus thus also describeth a Christians conuersation Come to me all yee that be wearie and laden and I will refresh you Take my yoke vpon you and learne of me for I am meeke and humble in heart and yee shall find rest for your soules for my yoke is pleasant and my burthen is light Let vs that are religious and like to the word of God make haste and runne O men O his images let vs make haste let vs runne Let vs take his yoke vpon vs let vs take vpon vs incorruption Let vs loue Christ that most excellent carter and driuer as it were of men hee yoked the foale and the old Asse vnder one yoke together and likewise he made two yokes of men and he driues his chariote to immortalitie making haste to God that hee might now euidently fulfill that that mystically before he signified in Ierusalem doing now the same in heauen The eternall Sonne being a Conquerour is the brauest shew that can be to God the Father Therefore let vs with great studie and zeale be caried to those things which are vertuous and let vs become holy and religious men and then wee shall obtaine the chiefest of all those thinges which are free from all affections and perturbations that is God and immortall life The Word is our helper and therefore let vs be of good comfort and let vs put all our confidence in him Let neuer the desire of siluer and gold so possesse vs as of the word of truth For we greatly displease God if so be we make no account of those things which are precious and if we shall highly esteeme follies ignorances idlenesse pleasures idolatrie manifest shame and reproofe and extreame wickednesse The verie Philosophers verie iustly say whatsoeuer fooles doe thinke that they doe wickedly and iudge them wicked for their labours And also defining ignorance to be a kind of madnesse what doe they els but teach that manie are mad Therefore the word will say there is no doubt whether of these be better to bee wise and sober or to be mad Therefore we must cleauing to the truth valiantly followe God with all our strength behauing our selues soberly and to account all his things such as they are indeed And further when as we shall know that it is the greatest and gloriousest thing in the world to possesse God let vs commit our selues vnto God louing the Lord God and accounting this to be our dutie all our whole life And if
amongst friends all things bee common and by the meanes of the word the godly man is now become Gods friend now all things are mans because all things are Gods all things are now common also to these two friends God and man Thus Clemens described a Christians life to loue God all his life and to become as it were a friend with God and so to haue all things common with God and to despise these worldly things Zuinger in theatro vol. 13. pa. 2822. There is extant an epistle of Plinie the younger who was Gouernour of Asia to Traian wherein hee asketh his aduise what he thought best to be done to the Christians in whom he perceiued no such fault as to be worthy of so extreme punishments They confesse saith he that this is the summe of their fault or of their errour that they were woont at one appointed day to meete together before the Sunne arise and to sing all together a Psalme vnto Christ as vnto God And to bind themselues all together with a solemne oath not to any hainous act but that they should not cōmit theft robberies or adulteries that they should not beguile any man that they should not withhold any mans pledge when as it was demanded of them The which things being done their maner was to depart asunder againe and after to meete againe to eate their meate in common earned or obtained without anie mans harme The which thing they surceased to do after my proclamation wherein according to your commandements I forbad such fellowships or meetings This testimonie Plinie giues of Christians being a Pagan And these were then their maners euen with a solemne oth to bind themselues from hurting or defrauding anie It were to bee wished that amongst the oaths of Christians now so common amongst many these kinds of oathes were vsed also Such then were the oathes of Christians to sweare against sinne Tatian a verie ancient writer thus also describes the maners of Christians Orat. contra Graecos First teaching the obedience that they yeeld to Princes and ciuill Magistrates he writeth thus of himself And why if I will not giue my consent to your lawes am I as a most hainous offender hated of all men But if the king command me to serue and waite I acknowledge my seruice due vnto him because man is to be reuerenced after the maner of men But God is onely to be feared who is not seene with any mans eyes nor contained or comprehended by any arte If any man shall command me to denie him alone I will not obey him but I will die rather least that I should be found a liar and vnthankefull He acknowledgeth seruice and obedience due to Princes And that no image can be made of God He séemes to condemne Images in the worship of God whom he saith no arte or cunning of the workman can expresse And that he was readie to do anie thing sauing to denie his God that the Prince commanded And after I will not be a king I passe not for riches I despise the fauour and curtesie of the Emperour I hate fornication I will not saile on the seas through couetousnesse I long not for the crowne of your masteries or games I am free from mad ambition I despise death I am a conquerour of all kinds of sicknesses sorrow neuer grieues my mind If I bee in bondage I endure my seruitude patiently if I be a free man I bragge not of my gentilitie or freedom I see that there is one Sun that shineth to all men and that there is also one death common to all which commeth as well in abundance and excesse of all things as in pouertie The rich sowe their land and so do the poore also The richest of all die beggers also haue the same end of their liues The rich men stand in greater neede and because many attend vpon them therefore they become glorious but the poore and meane man desiring onely those things which concerne his estate and degree more easilie obtaineth them Why doest thou besides thy lot and destinie assigned thee of God watch through couetousnes who whilest thou desirest many things besides thy lot in the meane time thou diest O rather die vnto the world quite reiecting from thee the madnes therof and liue to God by knowing thy selfe forsaking thy old kind of life c. Here Tatian in his owne person describeth plainely the affections of all Christians in his daies they despised the world they passed not for riches nor for honours no nor for death And surely if we would follow their steps and despise these earthlie riches and these vaine honours it would make vs despise death also But now while mē are as it were wedded to this world so much it maketh them loth to go out of it Eccl. 41.1 They haue some parts of their hearts fixed here And euen as a brier though it hold but one part of a mans garment yet it will stay the whole man you must not let the brier touch you at all if you meane to go quietly awaie by it so the world it is a brier if you will depart hence quietly you must let no part of this brier touch you if it do neuer so little it will staie the whole man Naie this loue makes God not to loue vs and so he withdrawing his grace from vs we die sorrowfully the world wherein we ioyed at that day cannot helpe vs. And after he writes thus With vs vaine glorie is not sought for neither haue we many and diuers opinions amongst vs but being separated from these earthly things which the world so highly esteemes and giuing our selues wholy to the commandements of God and following the law of immortalitie which our father hath giuen vs Whatsoeuer belongeth to the glorie of this world we loath and detest Not only rich men with vs doe play the Christian Philosophers but the poore also are instructed freely For the doctrine of God is more exellent then that it can be requited with any giftes of man for the teaching of it And therefore we admit all that are desirous to learne both old and yong To conclude euery age is dutifully honoured of vs and wantonnes is quite banished And in our speech also we vse not to lie c. Here againe are the maners of true Christians set downe contempt of the glorie of this world knowledge of the lawe of God in generall of all men and trueth lying being detested in all their spéeches and dealings Anastasius Episc Nicen. quaest 1 Another writes thus What is the signe of a true Christian A right faith and good workes for a Christian is the true house of Christ consisting of good works of holy opinions A true faith therfore is proued by works because faith without works is dead as also works without faith Wherfore we must with al our strēgth firmely and constantly keepe our selues from filthy works least that be said