shew mercie exercise iudgement keepe courts assises begin end and continue warre according to his commaundements And so in euery thing the direction of Christ should be their guide as it was to Dauid Thy lawes O Lord haue beene my counsellours Psal. 119.24 Fourthly if Christ bee soueraigne king then all earthly princes are bound to plant and establish in their kingdomes the religion of Christ else how can they shew themselues his loyall subiects Many imagine That earthly princes may admit vnto their subiects any religion for the peace of the ciuile state but this is against the equitie of Gods word in this place for wherein can earthly princes doe homage vnto Christ if they maintaine not his religion And their dutie in this behalfe is signified plainely in the parable of the mariage For when they that were bidden did not come the king sent forth his seruants which may be vnderstood of Christian magistrats to compell men to come to the mariage for that is the magistrates dutie in respect of the outward profession of true religion Fiftly seeing Christ alone is prince of the kings of the earth hence we learne that kings on earth in their dominions are soueraigne gouernours ouer all persons and in all causes next vnder Christ he is king of kings absolutely and they are vnder him alone and haue no other head but him Whereby wee see the presumption and arrogancie of the Pope and Sea of Rome in claiming supremacie aboue all kings and princes in the whole church vpoÌ„ earth This is a deuice of the diuell and high treason against Christ for hereby hee is robbed of this royall prerogatiue to be the only prince of the kings of the earth Lastly seeing Christ is king of all kings we must not be discouraged when we be called to suffer any affliction for his truth let the tyrants of the earth rage and bend their force to hurt vs yet wee haue a king aboue them al for whom we suffer he is their king hee can stay and bridle them and if hee please confound and bruise them in peeces They cannot do any thing but that which he permits for hee rules in the middest of all his enemies Psal. 110.2 he can breake them in pieces like a potters vessell Thus much of the offices of Christ. The second part of Christs description is by the execution of his offices which consists in foure works The first contained in these words Vnto him which loued vs the second in these Which washed vs in his bloud the other two in the two verses which follow viz. 6 and 7. For the first which loued vs that is Iohn and the churches of Asia by proportion all other churches being parts of the true church The loue of Christ hath three degrees the first is a generall loue wherby he loues all his creatures approuing the same to be good as they be his by creation The second is the loue of mankind in that he was content to become a redeemer for mankind after their fall and not â—or any other creature no not for the Angels which fell as well as man who therefore remaine without all hope of saluation The third and principall is that wherby he loues his elect and chosen children which is that speciall sauour whereby he accepts of them to life euerlasting This third degree hath two parts First it is taken for his purpose to loue as when he saith I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau Rom. 9.13 Secondly for the act of louing which is the declaration of his purpose by spirituall benefits 1. Iohn 3.1 Behold what singular loue God hath shewed vnto vs that wee should be called the sonnes of God noting the declaration of his loue in the gift of adoption So in this verse by the loue of Christ vnto his church is meant the actuall declaration of his speciall fauour in accepting them for his children and bestowing many singular blessings vpon them Whereas S. Iohn placeth this in the first place of all the benefites of Christ That he loued vs hee would teach vs That this speciall loue is the very ground of mans redemption which excludeth all foreseene faith and workes from being motiues of mans election in Gods eternall councell and so proportionally all foreseene sinnes from being motiues in God of mans reprobation It may be obiected The loue of God as also of man respects a thing as it is good First the thing must be good and then it is loued and so in mans redemption God first foresees their goodnesse and therefore chuseth them Ans. There is great difference betweene the loue of the creature and of the creator The loue of the creature followes the goodnesse of a thing because he seeth it is good therefore he loues it But God the creator first loues the creature before it bee good and hence it comes that it is good because he loues it Secondly whereas Saint Iohn and all the churches of Asia as other true churches do beleeue and are assured that Christ loues them for that Saint Iohn taketh for granted this should moue all men to haue this care to labour aboue all things to be rooted and grounded in the loue of God seeing hee placeth that in the first place This is the principall thing wherein the Apostle would haue the Ephesians rooted and grounded and therefore prayeth That with all Saints they may be able to comprehend what is the breadth and length deapth and height thâ—â—of Ephes. 2. vers 17 18 19. This we doe when we are assured in heart and conscience by the working of Gods spirit that he loues vs in Christ. So that he which denies vnto vs the assurance of Gods loue in Christ takes away the very ground of our saluation Now that we may haue this assurance of Gods loue wee must in all good duties to God and man draw neere to God with our hearts keeping a good conscience in all things and then will God draw neere to vs. If any man loue me saith Christ he will keepe my word and then my father will loue him and we will come in vnto him and dwell with him Iohn 14.23 meaning by the holy ghost which shall shed this loue into our hearts Rom. 5. vers 5. causing vs to increase in the feeling thereof as wee grow in faith and obedience towards him And hath washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud Here is the second benefit and action of Christ to his church Where first of all the very phrase hath washed vs doth import that the sinnes of men are as filthie spots in their soules and that himselfe and this church of God were touched with a serious consideration of their vilenesse by reason of their sinnes for washing presupposeth former filthinesse and pollution Thus did Dauid most sensibly feele his owne filthinesse and see his miserable estate when he desired the Lord to wash him throughly confessing thereby that his soule and body were so foulely stained and
of the Preface of this booke containing the title and inscription thereof Now from this ninth verse to the end of the third chapter is contained one of those seuen visions which were shewed vnto Iohn and are set downe in this booke In this first vision two things are to bee noted first the circumstances secondly the parts thereof The circumstances in the ninth and tenth verses the parts from thence to the end of the third chapter The circumstances of this vision are foure first the person to whom this vision was shewed namely Iohn The second the place where at Paâ—mos The third the manner how it is propounded It was deliuered to him being 〈…〉 the spirit The fourth the time when on the Lords day For the first Iohn is the person to whom this vision befell who doth therfore name himselfe to shew that it was giuen him of the Lord for as the Lord hath his visions and reâ—elations as hath beene sayd so the diuell hath his but they may bee distinguished by the persons to whom they be giuen God giueth his visions not to all men but vnto those which are most â—it for them such as bee most holy men for life endued with exceeding gifts of God aâ—knowledge wisdome constancie zeale pietie and religion So in the old testament hee deliuered not them to all 〈…〉 his seruants the Prophets men of singular gifts and graces and of exceeding holinesse pietie Indeed the Lord reuealed some particular things by wicked men as by Balaam and Cayphaâ— but they neuer knew what those things meant which were shewed vnto them It is a propertie belonging to the seruants of God to receiue a vision and to know the same to their comfort And for both these was Iohn throughly qualified he was a man of exceeding holinesse of life for Christ loued him and of singular and rare gifts full of zeale loue and pietie and also had the knowledge of this vision made knowne vnto him But the diuel maketh no such choise his visions befall men which are Heretickes wicked notorious sinners who haue no such rare and speciall gifts as the other haue so that wee must esteeme of this as a singular gift of God to his owne Apostle S. Iohn Now Iohn hauing named himselfe to bee the receiuer of this vision for the greater credit hereof he describes himselfe by two modest tearmes First A brother secondly A companion First hee cals himselfe their brother that is of them who by faith were all members of the mysticall bodie of Christ. For the Church of God is a familie whereof God the father is head and house-holder Iesus Christ is the â—lder brother and all beleeuers are fellow brethren in and by Christ being by faith the adopted sonnes of God members of that familie and brethren 〈◊〉 to other By this title your brother first hee setteth out his humility and great modesty For hee was a man at that time aboue all men which liueâ— in regâ—rd of his gifts and holinesse of life hee was the last Apostle and had Apostolicall authoritie bâ—ing a most zeâ—lous and constant professour yet hee calleth himselfe a brother to 〈…〉 himselfe but equall with them though they were farre inferior to him And so should we esteeme better of our brethren than of our selues and make our selues inferiour to them Secondly by this title we see he had his heart full of brotherly loue to all the members of the church of Christ he loued them as brethren So we are bound to loue all men euen our enemies as they be of the same flesh with vs but those that bee of the same faith and religion with vs to these especially should wee shew our loue and affection So Paule sayth to the christian Romans He affectioned to loue one another with brotherly loue Rom. 12.10 And great reason for beleeuers are linked each to other with the neerest bond they haue the same father which is God the same redeemer the same faith hope baptisme and the same benefit by Iesus Christ his death and obedience But this dutie is not practised there be that call themselues brethren who as Isay saith hate them that tremble at the word and mocke them euen for the profession of the same religion whereby they thinke to be saued If any seeme to make more conscience of their wayes than others they are reuiled and hated for the name of Christ which ought not to bee for among all true Christians should bee brotherly loue The second title Companion or copartner in three things in tribulations in the kingdome and in the patience of Christ. He cals himselfe Copartner with 〈◊〉 in tribulations for two causus First because at that time when hee wrote this vision the whole church was in persecution and tribulation vnder that cruell tyrant Domâ—â—ian about fourescore or an hundred years after Christâ— who banished him into 〈◊〉 where he was not vnmindful of the afflictions of the church whereof he was a member and therefore cals himselfe a partner with them in affliction By which he shews what is that state of Gods church in this world namely to be vnder the crosse and the members thereof must not bee companions of peace and ease but copartners in affliction and tribulation And therefore Christ teacheth those which will bee his Disciples these lessons First to deny themselues to take vp his crosse daily and to follow him And because of this estate the church in this world is called The Militant Church being in continuall fight against the diuell and his instruments The consideration whereof is of speciall vse For we in this land haue had peace and quietnes for many yeares without persecution which wee must acknowledge for a speciall blessing vouchsafed to vs for this end that now in the time of peace wee might prepare our selues against the day of triall For seeing the estate of the church is to bee vnder afflictions wee are all in duty bound to waite continually when God will call vs out to suffer for his sake No man can define the time or the manner of our triall but yet that it will come we must resolue because of the vsuall estate of the church God hath for a long time sent foorth labourers into his haruest whereby no doubt many sheaues are gathered into the Lords barne Now after this long gathering there will come a day of â—â—â—â—ing The Lord will take into his hand the 〈◊〉 of affliction and put it into his corne and thereby try the chaffe from the wheat It stands vs therfore in hand to prepare our selues in this time of peacâ— that wee may bee found good corne in the Lords sieue and not chaffe which must be cast into vnquenchable fire Secondly he cals himselfe their copartner in afflictions because his pitifull heart was moued with the bowels of compassion towards all his fellow members when he remembred their persecution and affliction vnder the cruell tyrant Domitian And the same affection should
ver 22.23 IV. Euery priuat man must professe and defend the true religion of Christ against all the enemies thereof 1. Pet. 3.15 Be readie alwayes to giue an answer to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you And this confession must be not onely in word but in deed For by a blamelesse and holy conuersation euerie christian holdeth foorth the word of life Phil. 2 15 16. Seeing the maintenance of true religion is so excellent a worke wee must be admonished euery one in our place to take paines in all the duties that belong vnto vs that by vs Christâ— religion may be furthered For Gods church is not called the piller of truth onely because the minister thereof maintaineth Gods truth but also because euery member of the church is as a piller in his place to maintaine and professe the true doctrine of Christ for his glory Besides this is a duty of the first table and therefore we must haue more speciall care for the performance thereof And thus wee see the two meanes whereby the church of Ephesus opposed her selfe against false teachers And hast not fainted Here Christ setteth downe in what manner this church laboured to maintaine his true religion and thereby his honor and glory namely by constancie and perseuerance in labour This is an excellent vertue and a notable example for vs to follow for we through Gods goodnesse haue the true religion of Christ among vs and for many yeares sundrie among vs haue maintained the same against all enemies though not without some trouble and danger Now this which hath beene done is nothing vnlesse we hold on our good course constantly and labour vnto death in the maintenance thereof This exhortation is the more necessary because we know not how long we shal enioy the gospel with peace for vsually after long peace God trieth his by persecution neither know we by what meanes of triall God will exercise vs. Therefore as we now professe the Gospell so let vs continue constant therein and not turne with time or state for then wee loose our coÌ„mendation at Christs hands And thus much of the commendation of this church for her vertues Verse 4. Neuerthelesse I haue somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first loue These words containe the second part of the proposition of this Epistle to wit a sharpe and seuere reproofe of this church for decay in grace as will appeare in the opening of the words Neuerthelesse I haue somewhat against thee Here Christ speaketh as a Iudge vnto this church and to the minister thereof and layeth this action vnto their charge that they had left their first loue that is that loue which they bare to God and his religion and to their brethren at that time wheÌ„ they were first called vnto the profession of the gospell This loue they are sayd to haue left not as though they had quite lost it but onely because they suffered it to decay and to waxe cold in good workes But some will say they are before commended for their zeale and labour for Gods glory and for their seueritie against false teachers how then had they left their first loue Answ. At this time when Christ doth thus reproue them their loue was commendable but yet it was nothing in regard of that which they had at their first conuersion If Christ haue something against this church for leauing her first loue then no doubt he hath something against the church of England and against vs at this day howsoeuer wee may persuade our selues that we be high in his fauour yet we are in the like or a worse estate than this church now was for a great part of the body of our church hath left off their first loue and the greatest part hath no loue at all That many haue left their first loue is too too euident For such as in Queene Maries time were content to suffer much for the Gospell as the histories of our church do shew after they inioyed a little quietnesse became meere worldlings as their liues haue testified afterward And in such congregations where the word hath long bin preached this is too apparant that men who for the space of twentie of ten or seuen yeares haue shewed feruent loue to Christ and his Gospell and to their brethren do now fall away and shew none at all He that hath but halfe an eye may see many for a yeare or two very forward and zealous in religion who soone after suffer pleasures profits or preferments to drawe them quite away some I confesse through the mercie of God are free from this decay But there is yet a more grieuous fault among vs for the greatest part of our people haue no loue at all These are the dayes whereof Christ sayd loue should waxe cold And whereof Paul sayd Men should be louers of themselues for take the most congregations where the Gospell hath bene long preached yet you shall find that the hearers are neither bettered for knowledge nor for obedience but remaine still as ignorant and profane as euer they were This argueth that they haue no loue of God in their hearts though they haue a formall profession of his name in their mouth For where the loue of God is there most needs bee increase in knowledge in grace and in obedience Againe see how men generally walke in their callings and therin behold a meere defect of loue All the paines they take is for their priuat gaine and pleasure no regard is had of Gods glory of the maintenance of true religioÌ„ and of the good of their brethren herein their owne consciences shall be the witnesses So that generally this may be said We haue no loue at all What an action then shall we thinke hath Christ against vs It must needs bee grieuous and so our case fearefull and dangerous If an earthly prince and potentat had an action against vs and his case were good it would make vs looke about vs yea to tremble and quake and to be at our wits end Behold not a worldly prince but the king of heauen and earth hath a matter against vs iust and grieuoâ—â—â— oh how should this moue vs to search our selues to trie our estate and to humble our selues vpon the knees of our heart before his maiestie We may not imagine that this charge of Christ doth not concerne vs the conclusion of this Epistle shewes it belongs to all that haue eares to heare And therefore we should labour to preuent Gods iudgement by iudging our selues for our decay and want of loue Againe this rebuke of Christ for decay of loue should teach vs to labour for increase in loue to God and to our brethren adding grace to grace in our harts as we adde day vnto day in our liues that so our loue may obound read 1. Thes. 4.1.9 10 where Paule vrgeth this dutie at large he confesseth they did loue one
countrey to countrey In most schooles of learning for many hundred yeares the diuell had his thrones For therein was nothing taught but errors heresies and most abhominable idolatries In these our dayes the diuell hath his thrones among vs where any wizard dwelleth or cuÌ„ning person as they are called for thither whole countries do flocke for helpe and for counsell and so yeeld homage to Sathan All dicing all brothel houses wherein abhominable wickednesse is freely committed are Sathans thrones Yea all those families are the diuels thrones where men liue without loue or practise of religion in blindnesse and ignorance in blasphemie drunkennesse whoredome iniustice or any such impieties And in reason it must needs bee thus for the diuell being a prince of this world will haue his throne in some parts thereof Hereby we see it is most needfull in euerie Christian kingdom there should be thrones of iustice in ciuill courts for the maintenance of equity the reward of vertue and for the repressing of iniustice and iniquitie And also thrones of Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction for the reprehending and punishing of all those sinnes which the ciuill court reacheth not vnto And it is necessarie that in these thrones iustice should bee administred without partialitie that Gods throne may bee erected which is opposit to the throne of Sathan Againe the diuels cunning appeares notably in the choise of the place where he setteth vp his throne it was no petty towne or village but a chiefe and famous citie which had beene the seate of many kings This hath bene his practise in all ages to chuse the chiefest places for the seat of his throne Great Babylon in Scripture is called A citie of iniquitie that is a throne of the diuell And Rome that was once a famous church is now and hath beene long that spirituall Babylon the throne of the diuell Yea in Ierusalem the city of the great king had the diuell got vp his throne when Christ called the temple a den of theeues And in our dayes the people of great towns and cities are generally more backward in embracing the gospell than in little villages The cause hereof is the malice of the diuell who will haue his throne in chiefest places for the greater hinderance of religion there he much preuaileth by choaking the word with pride profit and pleasures causing them to content themselues with a forme of godlinesse when as they want the power thereof And thus he dealeth in greater townes that thence impietie may be deriued to the countrie round about as tradesmen do their wares from place to place And therefore the people of great townes especially must labour not onely to know the gospell but to beleeue and obey the same Euery man must reforme himselfe and euerie familie themselues that Gods throne may be established the diuels throne battered down among them Secondly whereas this church dwelleth where the diuels throne is wee may obserue whence the church of God is gathered namely out of Sathans kingdome Gods church is a company of men ordained to saluation taken from vnder the power of the diuell though after their calling they be Gods peculiar flocke yet they are by nature the children of wrath Thus Paul speaketh of all the Gentiles Act. 26.18 And particularly of the church of Colossa Colos. 1.13 that God deliuered them from the power of darknesse and translated them into the kingdome of his deare sonne Hence we learn I. That no man is to stand vpon his his gentilitie or glory in his parentage for nobilitie and great bloud but onely reioyce in this that hee is drawne out of the kingdome of darknesse and from vnder the power of Sathan and placed by Christ Iesus in the kingdom of grace For what will it profit a man to weare about his necke a chaine of gold if so be his heart will affections bee chained to the diuels seruice and what auaileth it princes to sit vpon their stately thrones if they themselues be in subiection vnto Sathan and do homage vnto his throne yea what will all the treasures honors and pleasures of the world auaile to him that is debarred from the riches of Gods loue in Christ and destitute of the treasures of his grace and so led captiue by Sathan at his will and pleasure Secondly some do thinke that a man may be saued by any religion the Iew by his religion the Turke by his and the Papist by his c. Yea it is the common receiued opinion of our ignorant people that euerie one shall bee saued by his good meaning But all these are meere dotages of mens braine for a man may hold his good meaning and yet serue the diuell at his throne It is not sufficient to hold this or that religion or to practise ciuill vertues as iustice temperance c. vnlesse a man be one of Gods church seuered froÌ„ the company of theÌ„ that serue Sathan Thirdly here all Gods seruants haue a notable meanes of stay and comfort in afflictions If they be persecuted and cast into most darke dungâ—ons for the name of Christ they must call to mind that they are taken out of the diuels prison in the kingdome of darknes and placed in the glorious kingdome of Iesus Christ and made members of his church and shall be inheritors of his glory Fourthly hence wee learne that the preaching of the gospell hath in it a diuine power no creatures except the good Angels haue power comparable to the diuels and yet the preaching of the gospell is stronger than al the power of Sathan for it gathereth a church where the diuell hath his throne it deliuers men from vnder the power of Sathan and placeth them in the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God although therefore it be preached by sinfull man yet it must be reuerenced as the power of God and his owne arme to saue his elect Fiftly hence wee gather that God will haue his people to dwell with wicked and vngodly men for the church of Pergamus dwelleth where Sathans throne is This hee doth with wicked and vngodly men for good causes I. That their faith obedience and repentance might be exercised and they preserued from many sins which otherwayes they should fall into Moses telleth the Israelits that the Cananits must not be all cast out at their first entrance but dwell among them lest wild beasts did grow vp which would deuour them so the wicked must dwell among the godly to exercise Gods graces in them lest they fall into sinne and securitie II. That they might shine foorth as lights vnto the wicked by their godly conuersation Phil. 2.15 That ye may be blamelesâ—e and pure the sonnes of God without rebuke in the middes of a naughtie and crooked nation and among whom ye shine as lights in the world holding foorth word of life And thus the godly must do that by their vnblameable life others might bee wonne to the faith for godly example is a
as he appeared to Iohn in vision We haue shewed before what is signified by these fierie eyes namely Christs infinite wisedome in himselfe and vigilant zeale ouer his church The end wherefore hee so describeth himselfe to this church is to giue them to vnderstand that hee can see and discerne their very secret sinnes for sundry among them were giuen to priuate offences as to fornication and idolatrie as we shall see afterward Here then wee haue an excellent remedie against secret sinnes shame and feare of punishment will restraine some men from open sinnes but yet the same men when they are in secret doe without fear commit priuie sinnes against the first and second table But these men must remember that being withdrawne from the presence of men they are yet in the presence of Christ for hee hath fierie eyes wherewith he seeth their most secret sinnes which they hide from the world For though we may make faire weather with men yet wee can neuer bleare the eyes of Christ. If fornicators wantons vsurers and blasphemers would remember this by Gods grace it would bee a notable meanes at least to restraine them from their secret sinnes if not to mooue them vnto the practise of true repentance Thirdly Christ is sayd to haue feete like fine brasse Whereby is signified as hath beene shewed his infinit power and strength whereby he doth subdue sinne Sathan and al his enemies first vnto himselfe and then vnto his members And Christ is thus described vnto this church to terrifie certaine wicked men among them that gaue themselues to fornication idolatrie and other sinnes as also to affright this whole church who by their wicked companie were almost drawne away to the same sinnes Here wee haue a notable remedie against loosenesse of life namely to consider that Christ whom we call our Sauiour walketh continually in his church with feet of brasse to tread Sathan and all his enemies vnder his feet and such are all that will not submit themselues to the regiment of his word Luk. 19.27 If the blasphemer could consider this it would stop his mouth and when the adulterer the theefe or any sinner goeth about his wicked deuices this by Gods grace would be a notable means to make him breake off his wicked purpose When Benhadad heard that the king of Israel would come against him in battell He sent his men with ropes about their necks to craue peace and in them humbled himselfe Shall men be thus afraid at the furie of man and shall not wee tremble and feare at the fury of Christ who hath these feet of brasse to trample in pieces all his enemies The want of this consideration is one maine cause why sinne doth abound Verse 19. I know thy workes and thy loue and seruice and faith and thy patience and thy deeds which are moe at the last than at the first Here begins the second part of this Epistle to wit the Proposition which containeth the substance matter thereof and it hath two parts a commendation of this church and a rebuke thereof The commendation in the 19 verse the rebuke or dispraise in the 20 verse and those that follow almost to the end of the chapter The commendation is twofold generall in these words I know thy workes This hath beene handled before vers 2. The particular commendation standeth in fiue notable workes to wit Loue Seruice Faith Patience and Encrease in godlinesse For the first by Loue wee must vnderstand Loue to men for afterward they are coÌ„mended for duties to God in faith and patience but loue and seruice are duties of man to man Touching Loue note three points What this loue is What is the propertie of this loue and how it is to be practised First Loue to man is a gift of the spirit of God whereby a man is well affected to his neighbour for Gods sake That loue is a gift of the Spirit is plaine Galat. 5. verse 22. where it is reckoned among the gifts of the spirit Next I adde That hereby a man is well affected to his neighbour To bee well affected to another is to reioyce at his good and to desire and seeke the same and withall to bee grieued at his miserie and to â—eare the bowels of compassion towards him being readie to releeue and helpe him to our vttermost By Neighbour wee must not vnderstand only those that are neere vnto vs in habitation but euen all those that are of the same nature with vs euen any of mankind Hee is thy neighbour that is a man as thou art and so bearing the image of God as thou doest bee hee friend or foe neere or stranger vnto thee and to him must thou be well affected Lastly I say For Gods sake for God is first and principally to bee loued for himselfe and man in God and for God because hee is the creature of God and beareth his image The loue we beare to man is a fruit of our loue vnto God for this commaundement wee haue of him That he that loueth God should loue his brother also 1. Iohn 4.21 II. point The propertie of this loue is To be feruent and that for two causes First if need require euery man is bound within his calling to testifie his loue by giuing his life for his neighbour though he be our enemie or a stranger which wee shall neuer doe vnlesse our loue be feruent Secondly there is much ingratitude hatred emulation and many iniuries in the world Now the persons from whom these come must be loued the vnworthinesse of the partie must not quench our loue but it must burne when the waters of mens iniuries and malice would quench the same III. point The practise of our loue must be squared by this rule The loue of our selues as wee wish our owne good heartely so we must wish our neighbours good This is the law of Nature To doe as a man would be done vnto And it is the law of God Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Example A man of some trade is to make a bargaine and if hee will lye or vse false weights and measures he may aduantage himselfe This the deuill and his owne corruption will suggest vnto him while hee is about the bargaine he therefore must call to mind this rule of loue and examine his owne heart whether hee would haue another man to deceiue him by lying by false weights c. The same thing must men doe when they are tempted to oppression or crueltie let them thinke whether they would haue others to wrong or oppresse them and so shew forth loue by this rule doing as they would bee done vnto It were to bee wished that our Church might haue the deserued prayse of this vertue of loue But Christ foretold of these our dayes That loue should waxe cold Matth. 24.12 And that men should be louers of themselues And so it is for euery man now is for himselfe no man
regard of sexe is inferiour may haue more excellent gifts and so likewise may exercise authoritie and rule and wee find by good experience that the gouernment of a woman is a haâ—pie gouernment no records of time can shew a more happie regiment for blessings temporall and spirituall vnder any man than wee haue long enioyed vnder our noble queene The second fault of this Church is that they suffered a woman to seduce and teach false doctrine and thereby to seduce Gods people That this is a fault Christs reproofe sheweth euidently and therefore I will not stand to prooue it Hence wee may gather that euery man is not to bee left to his owne conscience to teach and hold what doctrine he will but all such men or women as â—each erronious doctrines by the gouernors of the Church are to bee restrained It is a grieuous fault in any Church not to restraine the authours and maintainers of sects and false doctrines and of opinions which stand not with the truth of Gods word and on the contrarie it is a vertue and a good gift in any church when they restraine the authours and fauourers of sects and false doctrine And in this regard our Church is to bee commended and approoued and the commonwealth likewise for making lawes to restraine both Popish recusants and some Protestants who depart from this our Church as being no Church of God but a member of Antichrist and of Babylon Now that Christ might aggrauate these their offences hee doth describe both the woman and her teaching Hee describeth the woman first by her propertie in this name Iâ—zabell that is one like Iezabell secondly by her action Which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse her teaching is described in the end of the verse Touching her propertie Christ calleth her Iezabell for two causes First for that she was like to Iezabell and in her person reuiued the manners and opinions of Iezabell For as Iezabell brought among the Israelites the false worship of the Idoll Baal so this woman laboured to bring into this Church of Thyatira Idolatrie and other sinnes Againe Iezabell was giuen to fornication as the Scripture recordeth of her by the mouth of Iehu 2. Kings 9.22 and so was this woman giuen to fornication Thirdly Iezabell was a woman of authoritie and by her place and dignitie did countenance and maintaine Idolatrie and her wicked sinnes so it is likâ— that this woman was of some place and authoritie and did therâ—by countenance her wicked opinions and damnable sinnes In this reason of her name note first a notable practise of Sathan for the furtherance of his kingdome which is this In succeeding ages hee laboureth to reuiue the erronious opinions and wicked vices of vngodly persons of former times This wee see plaine in this place for long after â—â—zabelâ— death the wife of Ahab a wicked woman â—uen in the Apostles time he raised vp â—nother woman like Iezabell both for wicked life and doctrine And the like practise hee vseth at this day In all such as follow the rules and counsell of Machiauell is reuiued the craft of Achitophell in the Papists are reuiued the opinions and manners of the wicked Scribes and Pharisees in the recusant Protestants is reuiued the sect of the Donatists and the sect called Audiani The familie of Loue reuiues the opinions and manners of the Valentinians and the Montanists and many other damnable errours Now this the deuill doth because hee knowes by experience the great hurt that these opinions and sinnes haue formerly done vnto Gods Church Secondly Christ calleth this woman Iezabell that he may prouoke this church to a greater detestation of her in regard of her damnable wayes and that shee might be in as great disgrace with them as was Iezabell in the old Testament to the people of God that so they might better eschew her wicked seducement And herein we haue a good direction for our profitable reading of the bookes of the old and new Testament namely that when we meet with examples of wicked men and wicked women we must thereby take occasion to be vnlike them And if we find our selues like them any way either in wicked opinion or in practise wee must thereupon grow to a dislike with our selues Againe finding the examples of good men or good women wee must labour to conforme our selues thereto and become like them and in this regard approoue our selues when wee see our selues conformable vnto the godly in any vertue and grace The second argument wherby Christ describeth this woman is her action Shee calleth her selfe a Prophetesse that is shee chalengeth her selfe to bee one that doth teach Gods will by the instinct of his spirit And herein shee became a notable patrone of the damnable sect of the Nicolaitans for she held the lawfulnesse of fornication and of eating things sacrificed to Idols And for the maintenance hereof shee sayth shee is a Prophetesse one that speaketh nothing but as shee is taught by Gods spirit This is the practise of heretickes vnder pretence of the spirit to maintaine their damnable deuices as might easily bee prooued by induction of particular heretickes in former ages First hence then we are taught to labour to haue the spirit of discerning whereby we may trie the spirits whether they be of God or not Many will bee of no religion because there bee so many false teachers and such diuersitie of opinions in religion But herein they bewray their prophanesse they ought the rather to labour for this gift of discerning whereby to know what is from God and what is not Secondly hence wee are taught that when wee are vniustly slaundered disgraced or iniured wee ought not to fret and fume but by patience to content our selues for wee see that wicked men to maintaine their wicked opinions and manners will not sticke to abuse God himselfe and make his blessed spirit the author and patrone of their errours and sinnes Wee by our sinnes deserue disgrace and reproch but the spirit of God hath done nothing amisse And therfore wee must bee patient being in the same condemnation as Luke 23.40 41. and rather reioyce in as much as wee are partakers of the sufferings of the spirit 1. Pet. 4 vers 13. Againe here obserue how shee prooueth her selfe to be a Prophetesse namely by her owne testimonie onely She calleth her selfe so Where we may see the note and marke of a false Prophet to wiâ— their owne bare word and testimonie A true Prophet or Prophetesse hath sundry testimonies besides their owne words to proue the lawfulnesse of their calling as in the primitiue Church they had the gift of speaking diuers languages without studie and of working miracles they had also puritie of doctrine ioyned with integritie of life lastly many excellent gifts of God as zeale courage and constancie to maintaine the same Christ hauing described this woman for her further disgrace as also to aggrauate the fault of this Church in suffering