most liuely teach all Christians to feare God to serue him to put their trust in him and to set forth his glory 8 As for Cyrus Esay 44.28 45.1 as God a hundreth yeeres before the captiuitie had chosen him and by the Prophet Esaie named him to bee his minister in the deliue ie of his people so hee after hee had attayned to the monarchy of the Chaldees did declare a commendable zeale to the seruice of God in licensing his people to returne to Iudea and in restoring vnto them the golden and siluer vessells of the temple which hee suffered them to reedifie in commaunding his subiects to releeue with golde siluer goods and horse all such as were not able to furnish theyr iourney True it is that as those Heathen kings were possessed wyth great ignorance so their zeale to the seruice of God was of small continuance yet shall they in the daie of iudgement rise against our Christian kings and magistrates vnlesse more amplie and constantly than they they employ themselues in the establishment and maintenance of the pure seruice of God and in effect declare the same to bee the scope and principal end of theyr vocation and office Psal 2.10 Also that Dauid speaketh to them where hee sayth Bee wise now therefore yee Kinges bee learned yee Iudges of the earth Serue yee the Lord in feare and reioyce in trembling Kisse the Sonne that is to saie Doo homage to the sonne For it is not the meaning of the holy Ghost that onely in the title of priuate persons they shoulde doe homadge to Iesus Christ But also as magistrates in maintaining and establishing the pure seruice of God And in the same sence are wee to vnderstand the promise of Esaye saying Kinges shall bee the Nursing fathers Esay 49.23 and Queenes shall bee the nurses of the Church And indeede it is one thinge to bee the suckling or nursed childe of the Church as are all the faithful and another to bee the nursing fathers or nurses that doe employ themselues to nurse vp the Church Augustine to Boniface Ep◠50 As also Saint Augustine sayth A Kinge doeth seruice after one sorte as hee is a man and after an other as hee is a Kinge As hee is a man hee serueth God in leading a faithfull and Christian lyfe But as hee is a Kinge he serueth him in making lawes pertinentlie with authoritie commaunding that which is iust and prohibiting things contrarie 9 Christian Emperours in olde time did well vnderstand and declare the same to be the end and dutie of theyr vocation namely to establish the pure seruice of God and to maintaine the truth of the heauenly doctrine Socrates in his Eccle. hist li. 1. cap. 9. Among others great Constantine in an Epistle written to the Churches sayth Because that by the prosperitie of the publike estate I doo in deed perceiue the greatnes of the heauenly grace and power I haue thought it requisite before all things that I should bend my whole endeuour to this euen among the blessed of the Catholike church to maintain one faith one true charitie and loue and one vniuersall deuotion towardes God almightie Theod. in his Eccl. hi. l. 5. c. 6 When the Emperor Theodosius accepted the gouernment of the Empire his first care tended to establish concord vnitie in the puritie of doctrine throughout the whole Church And therupō he assembled sundry Bishops to confute suppresse the error of Arrius For as in all times there haue beene heretikes that haue assalted the truth of the heauenly doctrine Ruffin in his Ecc. hi. l. 1. c. 2 The Tripartit hist li. 1 c. 8 Socrat. hist Eccl. li. 1 ca. 9 Gracian Valent Theo. li. 2. cap. de Summa Trin. fide Cath. Euseb in the lyfe of Constan li. 4 so haue christian Magistrates opposed agaynst them the remedies of generall counsels As the afornamed Emperor Constantine the great in the yeere 333. summoned the famous Counsell of Nice whether hee brought three hundred and eighteene Bishoppes to maintaine the truth of the diuinitie of Christ against Arrius So they dyd moreouer publish decrees concerning hereticall bookes and writinges importing theyr abolishment As great Constantine commanded the writings of Arrius to bee burned So other Emperors lykewise hauing commaunded to maintaine the truth haue also expreslye forbidden both the doctrine of heretikes and theyr assemblyes and haue made notable decrees for the abolishing of Idolatrie and superstition as the same Emperour Constantine the greate by many lawes and decrees prohibited all sacrificing to Idols all enquirie of Sorcerers and Charmers all erection of Images and all secret sacrifices Theod. Eccle. hist li 5. ca. 2 10 But aboue all things they tooke care to establish good Bishoppes and Pastors And in deede Gratian the sonne of the Emperour Valentine consecrating as Theodoret writeth the first fruites of his Empire to God made a lawe for the restoring of good pastors that had beene banished to theyr Churches and commanded that such as preached the blasphemies of Arrius shoulde as beastes bee put from their Churches Socrat. hist Eccle. li. 6. c. 2 and the same to bee restored to the heauenly flockes and faithfull shepheards We also reade of the Emperor Arcadius that by the common petition of the Clergy and people of Constantinople he called home Iohn and to the end to reestablish him in the Bishoprick wyth lawful authoritie he summoned sundrie Bishoppes and so hee was chosen to be Bishop of Constantinople To this purpose is the exhortation of the Emperor Valentinian verie notable Theodor. his Eccl. hist l c. 5 After the death of Auxentius the Arrian Bishoppe of Millaine hauing assembled sundrie Bishoppes he sayde Your selues hauing beene brought vp in heauenly doctrine cannot bee ignorant what manner of man hee ought to bee to whome the dignitie of a Bishoppe should bee committed Likewise how hee ought to instruct the people not onelye by doctrine but also by good example of manners and to be vnto them a myrrour of all honestie to the end that the exercise of such his duetie may beare witnesse of his doctrine and therefore establish in the Bishoppes sea him to whome wee gouernours of the Empire maye sincerely submit our heades and from whome in that beeing men wee bee all subiect to sinne wee maye bee content to receiue reprehension and admonition as healthsome phisicke for our soules 11 Which is more Eus hist Eccl. li. 10. ca. 7 Socrat. Eccl. hist l. 1. c. 9. such was theyr care that Bishoppes and pastors should not bee withdrawen by politike functions from the exercise of theyr vocation that Constantine the great writing to Anilin ordained that they that gaue themselues to the exercise of diuine matters whome he called the Cleargie shoulde be free and exempt from all publike charge The building and repairing of Churches was also commended to them as the same Constantine declareth writing to Eusebius See that
of euery one indifferently or that we would not care although afterward they liued other wise then might beseeme the children of God or were occasion of offence to the weake then would they surely come to communicate But if they may not be admitted before they haue talked with some minister or elder of the Church yea peraduenture be forced to beare with some Christian admonition in case they do not afterward walke in the course of Christianitie they will rather chuse to depriue thēselues of the communion As also to the end to confirme them in this mislike they shall find some discontented persons who to mislike the order of the Church will euen against their owne consciences charge it with the title of a new tyrannie inquisition Yet must wee confesse that the Church of Christ cannot consist without some order and as S. Paul saith All things must be done in order and decencie 1. Cor. 14.40 If no Cittie or familie can long continue without establishment of some order and gouernment Then the more excellent that the Church is the more necessarie it is therein to erect and obserue some gouernment which we tearme Ecclesiasticall Discipline Doctrine is as it were the soule of the Church and order as the sinnewes of the same to vphold it If the Church which is Gods house must not be a receptacle and harborow for dissolute persons and vnbeleeuing vnthrists and as both the Prophet and Iesus Christ himselfe termeth them a denne of theeues Then must there bee some order Iere. 7.11 Mat. 21.13 whereby to purge and preserue it from such 4 Particularly if the holy supper be ordained for the faithfull the children of God and the members of Iesus Christ Such as haue the gouernment of the Church must also haue some testimonie that they that desire to adioyne themselues thereto and to communicate therewith are taken to bee such as approuing the puritie of the doctrine doe not leade anie offensiue life And as for those that are once admitted to the communion they may continue therein by trying themselues because by the rule of charitie we are to beleeue that they perseuere in the faith godlines loue vntill either by reuolt from the doctrine offensiue conuersation or obstinate refusal of Christian admonitions exhortations they shew themselues vnworthie the communion whereto neuerthelesse vpon testimonie of their repentaunce and amendement of life they may bee againe admitted Let those therefore that stumbling at this order doe depriue themselues of the communion euen iudge in their owne consciences whether it bee not meete that order bee maintained and all persons subiected thereto rather then to bring in such confusion as indifferently to receiue to the Lordes supper all fornicators drunkerds theeues murderers and other like offensiue people whereof might ensue a most grieuous prophanation of the Lords table to the condemnation as well of those that so shall bee admitted as of them that voluntarilie doe admit them When Christ and Saint Iohn doe crie Amend your liues they speake also to such people that they vnderstanding how requisite this order is for the happie conduct of the Church in the feare of God accommodating themselues thereto may so dispose of themselues as to communicate in the Lordes supper to his glorie and theyr owne comfort and saluation 5 Some there are that voluntarilie doe abstaine from the communion because they cannot saie they resolue where the Church is as stumbling at the infirmities of such as doe communicate and still finding more faulte in the Church then in themselues These men shaming to bee reputed either halfe Papistes or of no Religion doe sometime frequent Sermons but they staie there and ioyne themselues to no Church Yea they euen doe seeme to reioyce when they heare of any the offences or infirmities of any of the members of the Church that thereby they may haue some collour to stand a loose Yet must they confesse that there is a Church in the worlde and that they must ioyne themselues thereto if they desire to bee in Gods house and partakers in the promises made to the Church To bee short if they looke to bee saued By alowing no Church they seperate themselues from the true Church that is vpon earth and consequently from the entrie into that which is in heauen If themselues should be in the fieldes ouertaken with some sharpe storme of wether woulde they stand still and seeke no couert vntill some great thicke leaued tree would offer it selfe to defend them Are they without fault The onely pride that possessing them maketh them to condemne all Churches considering they ioyne themselues to none doth sufficiently shew that they are not restrained so much by the particular faultes of some of the Church as by their owne offences and corruptions Mat. 18.1 and consequently haue such a mislike that they thinke no bread good In Christs Church which consisted but of twelue Apostles there was one traitor Mat. 26.65 There were ambitious disputations who should be chiefest in the kingdome of Christ They all forsooke their master and S. Peter thrice denyed him Mat. 26.69 How many faultes and corruptions did Saint Paule note and reproue in the Church of Corinth and the seuen flourishing Churches of Asia Apoc. 2. ◠Yet all that ioyned in these Churches and in them were partakers of the holy supper were accompted faithfull chosen and contrariwise they that kept themselues without vnbeleeuers Neither is it a matter indifferent or at mens libertie whether they shal communicate or abstaine but a precept from God Doe this saith Iesus Christ in remembrance of me And S. Paul Let euery man trie himselfe Luk. 22.19 1. Cor. 11.28 Mat. 26.27 Num. 9.13 and so eate of this bread and drinke of this cuppe Againe Take eate Take drinke ye all God in old time ordained as is aforesaide that they that had opportunitie to eate of the passe-ouer and voluntarily did abstaine should be rooted out from among the people that is to say be no longer accompted any members of Gods Church We must therefore obey God and feare his iudgements and so resolue to ioyne with his Church and communicate in the holy supper of the Lord. 6 There is a certaine decree ascribed to Zepherin Bishopp of Rome wherein he ordaineth that all Christians should communicate at the least once a yeere In the decretal Cap. Omnis depen Remiss Platina in his life If wee consider the state of the Church in his time we shall finde that they oftner did communicate then they now doe in our Churches And indeed this communicating should bee better frequented then it is Neither did Zepherin meane to permit or alow them to cōmunicate but once a yeere but rather to reproue the corruption and sloth of those who desiring the name of Christians did neuer communicate and so shewed themselues vnworthie of that name if by communicating with the faithfull in the holy supper
is eyther naught or tendeth to euyll The reason to beguile and deceiue the lybertie to riotous licentiousnesse and other wantonnesse the eyes to see and beholde vanitie the heart to couet and thirst thereafter the handes to beate to strike and oppresse the feete to runne after sinne and wickednesse the tongue to backbite lie and blaspheme to bee short all the members are instrumentes of iniquitie Rom. 6.19 as Saint Paul tearmeth them 3 Heereby maye euerie man whatsoeuer hee bee perceiue and knowe that Christes exhortation saying Amend your liues stretcheth verie farre Also that manye are the vices that we are to amende especiallye considering howe Saint Paul admonisheth vs Rom. 8.13 Ehe 4.22 Col. 3.9 Math. 16.24 not to mortifie two or three members of this bodie of sin but the whole body as also to put of the olde man and as Iesus Christ saith to denie our selues In the deduction of this matter we will therefore deale somtimes with the names of the vertues which we are to put in practise and sometimes of the vices that wee are to shunne according as the names doo import some generalitie or do best fit our intent So shall euerie one vnderstand that the amenment of lyfe consisteth in the deniall of vice and contrariwise in the aduancement of vertue Of Loue and Charitie in generall Chap. 9. WE will begin with loue which hath two respects The first is to God Math. 22. 1. Iohn 4.19 Ephe. 2.4 Rom. 5.8 Iohn 3.16 as it is commanded that wee shoulde loue him with all our heart with all our strength and with all our mind The second to our neighbour whome wee ought to loue as our selues As for our loue to God the same as Saint Iohn saith proceedeth of his loue to vs We loue him because he first loued vs. He loued vs euen when we were dead in sinne when we were his enemies yea hee so loued vs that he gaue his onely begotten and welbeloued sonne to die for vs. This his incomprehensible loue toward vs doth therefore bind vs most feruently to loue him And in deed as a colde stone by liyng three or foure houres in the warme Sunne gathereth heate so this loue of God shining vpon our soules should kindle them in his loue 1. Ioh. 4.16 1. Ioh. 4.7 Iohn 13.33 August vpon Iohns gospel 1. Cor. 13 As for loue toward our neighbor we are the rather to desire it and to put it in practise because it is the marke of Gods children the disciples of Iesus Christ And therefore sayth Saint Iohn God is loue and he that loueth is borne of God and knoweth God And as all Gods children are the disciples of Christ Heereby also sayth Iesus Christ shall men know that ye are my disciples if ye loue one another as I haue loued you They that are not my disciples saith Saint Augustine in the person of Christ doo notwithstanding participate in many other my benefites They haue not only nature life sense reason and common preseruation among al mankind but also the gift of tongues the sacramentes prophesie knowledge faith to worke miracles distribution of their goods to the poore yea euen the giuing of their bodies to fire but because they haue no loue they are as sounding brasse and tinkling cimbals they are nothing It is not therefore by these my benefits Augustine in praise of charitie which euen they that are not my Disciples may also haue that men shall know you to be my Disciples but onely in this that ye loue one another Likewise a man may receiue the sacraments and yet be wicked but no man can haue loue and be wicked Not without reason therefore doth Saint Paul writing to the Galathians say Neither circumcision auaileth anything neither vncircumcision Cal 5.6 but faith which worketh by loue In which sentence the Apostle sheweth that in the kingdome of Christ the matter wherein we doe most testifie our faith which is of greatest accompt and whereto wee are especially to apply and giue our selues is loue Augustine in praise of charitie which also Saint Augustine calleth the fountaine of all goodnesse as couetousnesse is the roote of all euill 2 That this loue may be pure and true Augustine in his confessions Prosper in his sentences of Augustine it must so proceed from our loue of God that we may loue our neighbour in respect of that loue which we beare to God For as Saint Augustine saith we loue not God so much as we should if we loue any thing but him which we loue not for the loue of him and therefore in another place he saith Blessed is he that loueth God and his friend in God and his enemie for the loue of God Hereby are we to gather three points First that albeit some heathen may seeme to haue done workes of great charitie and loue yet was the same no true or liuely charitie which is proper and peculier to the children of God for they only doe know and loue God and their neighbours for Gods sake And indeed loue ought to proceed from a pure hart as both Paul and Peter doth teach By faith our harts are purified 1. Tim. 1.5 1. Pet. 1.22 Act. 15.9 None therefore but the faithfull haue true loue which proceedeth not from the loue of themselues but from their loue to God Secondly it appeareth in this that in vaine we boast that we loue God if wee loue not our neighbour for his sake This is it that Saint Iohn noteth saying If any man say I loue God and yet hate his brother the same is a lier For he that loueth not his brother whom he seeth 1. Ioh. 4.20 Rom 13 10 how can he loue God whom he seeth not And this commandement haue wee of him that he which loueth God loueth his brother also Thirdly hereby we vnderstand the truth of the saying of Saint Paul that Loue is the fulfilling of the law For if we cannot loue God vnlesse wee loue our neighbour neither our neighbour vnlesse our loue to him proceed of our loue towards God It must needes follow that louing our neighbour we also loue God and so fulfill the law which is comprehended in this That wee loue both God and our neighbour 3 The better that we may yet vnderstand what our loue ought to be we are diligently to note the commandement of God that we should loue our neighbor as our selfe and explane this duty by two very naturall and iust rules which necessarily doe ensue The first by this auncient prouerbe common euen among the heathen Lampridius in the life of Alexander Seuerus Do no otherwise by another then we would be done vnto Alexander Seuerus an Emperour endued with many excellent vertues had this sentence ordinarily in his mouth thereby reprouing such as wronged or iniuried others Yea in publishing any sentence of condemnation against transgressors he caused the same to be added as the ground thereof Doe no
coÌ„sciences for their own harts do conuince theÌ„ that it is only selfe loue with the feare of the losse of their goods dignity country kindred frends that induceth them to such dissimulation Moreouer that contrariwise they do by their going to masse worshipping the Idols offend their neighbours For what is offence but to cast a stone in a blind mans way to make him to stumble that is to say to giue the ignorant occasion to offend God by confirming them in their error 1. Cor. 8.9 becomming an example to such as haue some knowledge of the truth to induce theÌ„ to commit Idolatry with vs It is therefore a double offeÌ„ce deserueth double punishmeÌ„t in the sight of God S. Paul sharply reprouing such as did eate of things sacrificed to Idols sheweth what a stumbling block they therby make theÌ„selues to the ignorant Take heed saith hee least by any meanes this power of yours to eate indifferently of al things be an occasion of falling to theÌ„ that be weake For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at the table in the Idols temple shal not the conscience of him which is weake be boldned to eate those things wich are sacrificed to Idols And through thy knowledge shall the weake brother perish Rom. 14.23 for whom Christ died Because that thou who knowest that the Idol is nothing therfore that the flesh sacrificed therto is not polluted therin abusing thy power that otherwise thou hast to eate dost by thy example induce the ignoraÌ„t to eate without faith so â—o sin If then the eating of the thing which in it selfe is lawful is an offence to thy neighbors a meanes to make him to perish because after thy exaÌ„ple he eateth without faith how much more grieuous is the offence of those who by assisting at the masse other Idolatries in their own knowledge damnable before God do coÌ„firme the ignorant in their error wherby they continue their offence to God enduce others to follow them in the same That good old man Eleazar chose rather to die 2. Mac 6. theÌ„ by his dissimulation to induce the Iewes to eate swines flesh so to offend God Yea this fauor they offered him that he should eate flesh alowed in the law that he might commit nothing prohibited therein onely hee shold dissemble make the world belieue that it was swines flesh This is a wonderful constancy notable example to condemn al such as by their dissimulation giue others occasion to offend God 6 They also make abuckler of the example of NaamaÌ„ the Assirian but according to the prouerb 2. King 5. they couer theÌ„selues with a wet sacke First wher he speaketh of bowing himselfe in the temple of Remmon wheÌ„ his master leaneth on his arme he therin doth seruice to his king not to the Idol so it was but a ciuil bowing in respect of his office tended not to religion This doth he coÌ„firme plainly protesting he wil worship no strang Gods besides that he praieth that the bowing bee not imputed to him Such therefore as will excuse their adoration of Idols by his example ought rather to confesse their sin to craue pardoÌ„ at Gods hand not for a politick bowing proceeding of som office but rather for their worshipping of Idols Yet is ther thus much more This NaamaÌ„ not only protesteth that he wil not worship any strange Gods but also he craueth two Asses laden with the earth of Iudea that at his return into Syria he might ther vpoÌ„ worship the true God so make profession of the true religioÌ„ but these men do not abstaine from sacrificing to strange Gods so farre are they from forsaking the false worship of Idols publike worshipping as Naaman did of the true God according to his word But albeit there were as there is not some colour in this example of Naaman yet what reason haue they leauing a path alredie beaten by the example of so many martyrs and approued by so many testimonies of Gods worde to enter into a blinde waie where they see the steppes but of one heathen man who was but newly entered into the knowledge of the true God 7 As for the example of S. Paul Act. 21.26 in causing his head to be shauen in Cenchrea purifieng himselfe in the temple with other Iewes The same is but badly alledged and woorse argued from a matter indifferent as at that time these ceremonies wer Christ being new risen to manifest abhomination and Idolatry As also it is an abusing of Pauls zeale and charitie who conformed himselfe in this matter indifferent to the Iewes that he might win them to Christ to execuse their loue of themselues in that they conforme themselues to the Idolatrous onely for the preseruation of their goods dignities and other carnall commodities 8 As concerning that which they alleadge out of Baruch Baruch 6.3 where he sayth When being captiues in Babylon yee shall see Gods of siluer of golde and of wood borne vpon mens shoulders and the multitude before and behinde worshipping of them beware that ye be not like vnto them but saie in your harts O Lord we must worship thee First Ieremy saith not Bowing your bodies before the Idols saie in your hearts But rather this sentence as also the whole sequel of the Chapter is a condemnation vnto them For it doth euidently appeare that the authors intent was to perswade them that these Idols were false Gods and therefore that not they were to be feared or worshipped but only the true God Likewise speaking of the Babilonians that carried worshipped their Idols he sayth expresly to the Iewes Bee not yee like vnto them As in deede with what conscience coulde they haue worshipped those Idolles before men when in theyr heartes they sayde and protested before God that hee onely and not the Idols was to be worshipped Moreouer where the Author in the same Epistle addeth that all they that do serue them shal be confounded By that threatning he indeuoreth to diuert the Iewes therefro In briefe his intent is to teach the Iewes beeing strangers among the Babilonians in their persons all those that shall hap into the like condition estate when they shal chance to see the ignorant carry their Idols in procession serue adore them not to do as they do neither to fall vpon them to beate downe their Idols but rather to lift vp their harts to God to say O Lord thee nly must we worship Let theÌ„ therfore in liew of wresting this sentence of Baruch to dispence with theÌ„selues to be Idolaters with their bodies whereby to perswade that they be so in their harts obey Ieremie who enioyned those poore Iewes captiues in Babilon to make coÌ„fession of their religion by condemning the Idols mainteining the true God Iere. 10.11 You shal say thus saith Ieremie The Gods that haue not made the heauen the
speaking vnto vs but because God speaketh by them and therefore whosoeuer despiseth or resisteth them when they preach the worde of God hee doth despise and reiect God in them 6 The premises doo sufficiently shew in what reuerence wee are to holde the ministerie of the worde what a blessing it is to enioye it how earnestly and diligently wee shoulde frequent sermons especially in consideration of the benefites which wee reape by them as illumination reconcilement to God and participation of saluation and lyfe euerlasting For this cause doth the Deuill our auncient enemie labour to diuert men heerefrom and to bring them out of taste saying vnto some If God woulde speake vnto vs either by himselfe or by his holie Angelles wee woulde verie willingly beleeue and obeye him alledging to others That they can reade Gods word in their houses that they haue verie good bookes and that they can heare no better instructions in the sermons of men than in the preachinges of Iesus Christ written by the Euangelists neither anie better doctrine than in the writings of the Prophets Apostles But hereto we aunswere that our selues are also in duetie to read the holy Scriptures as hereafter we will more at large declare In the meane time it is abhominable rashnes and presumption in man to seeke to alledge reasons against the expresse declaration of the will of God Albeit we should not vnderstand for what cause God would speake vnto vs by the ministery of men or that thereby he would bring vs to saluation yet might it become vs to humble our selues in his sight and without replying to obey his commandements ordinances as certainly beleeuing that to his elect hee appointeth nothing but in his wisdome goodnes to his owne glorie and to their felicitie and saluation And in deed first euer since the fall of Adam men haue bin so estranged from God by reason of sin and their own corruptioÌ„ that they cannot abide the presence of God especially when he speaketh to them And therefore this was in olde time a common saying Iud. 13.22 We shal die for we haue seene God Likewise the people of Israel hearing God speaking vnto theÌ„ in mount Sinay Exod. 20.19 sayd vnto Moses Speake thou vnto vs and wee will heare thee but let not the Lord speake least we die And God accepting this confession of their infirmitie together with their demaund saide vnto Moses They haue sayd well and therefore I will heereafter speake vnto them by the ministerie of men Deut. 18.17 raising them vp Prophets and putting my words in their mouthes This experience of the people of Israel that they were not able to heare God speaking vnto them theyr demand that hee would speake to them by men the approbation thereof and Gods promise to send them prophets do declare that it is an intollerable presumption if in stead of vsing the ministerie of men we wil needs haue God himselfe to speake vnto vs. 7 Neuertheles albeit God would not offer himselfe in such maiestie as to terrifie men when he speaketh vnto theÌ„ yet may we note sundrie notable reasons that moue him to vse the ministerie of men First it is a good proofe of our humilitie obedience in that he is content we should be taught and brought to saluation by the ministrie of men that be like vnto our selues sometime our inferiors for so will God haue the glory of our faith and saluation to himself but if himself shuld speak vnto vs or send his Angels some might say It is no maruell though men obey for who will not beleeue God when himselfe speaketh vnto vs Who dare disobey him But sith they bee men and many times of lowe degree yea euen such as want the perswasiue wordes of mannes wisedome 1. Cor. 2.4 â— as Saint Paul confesseth of himselfe then as hee also addeth Faith must bee from God and not from man And therefore is it not requisite that the holye Ghost shoulde perswade vs that when vve heare men speaking vnto vs wee heare God speaking by them and so doo receiue their worde not as the woordes of men but as the worde of God In this sense doth he also say that the pastors doo beare the treasure of the heauenly doctrine as it were in earthen vessels to the end to trie our humilitie and faith 2. Cor. 4.7 whether without respect of the base and meane estate of the men wee can finde in our hearts to esteeme of and accept the heauenly treasure which they present vnto vs. Secondly is it not a great honour that God doth to man when from among men hee chooseth some to bee his embassadors as it were his owne mouth to preach and proclaime his will together with the mysteries of our saluation and to beare witnesse of his great mercie goodnesse and loue towardes vs and of that eternall glorie which he hath prepared for vs in heauen 8 Thirdly the establishment of preaching is an excellent conuenient meane to maintaine loue vnion and truth among men If there were no preaching but onely priuate reading of Gods word we shuld presently find a horrible confusion in the doctrine when euery one shall expound the holy Scripture after his owne sense vnderstanding As also by experience we doo but too plainly see that they which contemne preaching doo finally fall into diuerse opinions and errours Heereto had S. Paul especiall regard when he writ to the Ephesians There is one bodie and one spirite Ephes 4. â—4 euen as yee are called in one hope of your vocation There is one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all and thorough al in al. But vnto euerie one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the gifte of Christ Wherefore hee sayth when he ascended vp on high hee led captiuitie captiue and gaue giftes vnto men Hee gaue vnto some to bee Apostles others to bee Prophets others to be Euangelists and others to be pastours and doctors for the gathering together of the saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edification of the body of Christ till we all meet together in the vnitie of faith knowledge of the son of God vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ that we henceforth be no more children wauering and carried about with euerie winde of doctrine but let vs follow the truth in loue and in all things grow vp into him which is the head that is Iesus Christ by whom all the bodie being coupled and knit together by euerie ioynt receiueth increase of the bodie vnto the edifying of it selfe in loue through the grace that is ministred according to the measure of euerie member 9 By this discourse the Apostle Saint Paule doeth manifestlye declare that this gathering together of the Saintes this building vp of the bodie of Christ our full growing vp in him that is
otherwise to another then thou wouldest be done vnto To be short he had such a liking and so hartely embraced this sentence that he caused the same to be written and engrauen in his imperial pallace and in many publique works The other rule resteth in this which Iesus Christ commaundeth saying Mat. 7.21 Whatsoeuer yee would that men should doe to you euen so doe yee to them Now the loue of our selues importeth that men shoulde not only forbeare doing of vs hurt but also that they should do vs good Draco Licurgus Solon and other lawgiuers haue written and set foorth many good lawes whereby to maintaine man in equitie and vpright dealing many Philosophers haue written good bookes for the framing of the manners of men Yet all their great volumes their long discourses and the multitude of their lawes haue alwaies had great imperfections and tended as it were to the ordering but of the outward man and so in parte to make men hypocrites because they could neuer attaine to the knowledge of true Christian loue But God in one onely short sentence saying Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe hath comprehended the whole dutie of man one towarde another that they may liue together in al equitie peace loue and felicitie And thus may these two naturall rules Doe no otherwise to another then thou wouldest be doone vnto and Doe as yee woulde be doone vnto be sufficient commentaries vpon all Christian pollicie In this sence did Saint Paule iustly call this loue Col 3.14 the bond of all perfection And indeed if we would loue one another as our selues and declare our loue by these two naturall rules then should there bee among vs neither fraud iniurie wrong nor deceitfull dealing Then should all ambition pride couetousnesse enuie hatred euill speaking and other like passions cease We should see nothing but equitie peace concord 1. Cor. 13.4 loue reliefe and mutuall assistance And these fruites of loue doth Saint Paul note saying Loue suffereth long it is bountifull loue enuieth not loue doth not boast it selfe it is not puffed vp It disdaineth not it seeketh not her owne thinges it is not prouoked to anger it thinketh none euill It reioyceth not in iniquitie but reioyceth in the truth It suffereth all thinges it beleeueth all thinges It hopeth all thinges it endureth all things To be short if wee practise this loue we shall euen in this life beginne to tast the blessed estate of the kingdome of heauen whereto being lifted vp wee shall loue one another as our selues and reioyce at our neighbours good as at our owne Let vs alwaies therefore remember this commaundement that we loue our neighbour as our selues and hartely let vs endeuour to shew it by the practise of these two rules still harkening to nature who crieth saying Doe no otherwise to another then thou wouldest bee doone vnto And Doe as thou wouldest be done by 4 We are also farther to consider 1 Pet. 1.22 1 Pet. 4 8. that this loue must not bee colde but seruent not slacke but earnest and vehement as Saint Peter admonisheth vs. And that it may bee such it is requisite first that we hold nothing so deare or so precious as to bee alwayes readie to employ our selues for our neighbour yea euen to the spending of our liues Iohn 3.16 after the example of the loue that Iesus Christ shewed vnto vs as Saint Iohn sayth Hereby haue we knowen his loue that he gaue his life for vs. So are wee also to giue our liues for our brethren Secondly the heate and seruencie of our loue and charitie ought to bee such as might suâ—mount any thinge that shoulde quaile it as ingratitude hatred iniurie or vnworthienesse of our neighbours And indeede if wee must loue our neighbour for the loue of God If the Image God in him doth thereto binde vs. If being parcell of our flesh wee ought thereto to bee affected then notwithstanding whatsoeuer vnworthienesse bee in him yet God must not loose his right his image is not vtterly defaced Neither is that coniunction wherewith God bindeth vs together taken away Luk. 10.29 Therefore doth Iesus Christ by the parable of the Samaritan teach vs that euery one knowen vnknowen straunger yea euen an enemie as were the Samaritans to the Iewes is our neighbour whome wee must loue as our selues And so did Iesus Christ Mat. 5.43 correcting the false glose of the Pharisies expound it saying You haue heard that it hath beene saide Thou shalt loue thy neighbour and hate thine enemie But I saye vnto you loue your enemies And which is more hee willeth that wee shoulde testifie this loue not with our lippes only but also in deedes and workes by blessing those that curse vs by doing well to those that hate vs and by praying for those that molest and persecute vs. Exod. 23.4.5 5 This did Moses in his daies teach saying If thou meetest thy enemies Oxe or his Asse going astray thou shalt bring him to him againe Againe If thou see thy enemies Asse lying vnder his burden leaue thy busines that he may not rise alone yea leaue thy busines help him vp 1. Cor. 9.9 Or as others doe expound it See thou dost not forsake him vntill his master hath first forsaken him Careth God for beastes saith S. Paul That he should thus commend them to vs. Is it not rather hereby to shew vs what we are to doe to the person of our enemie sith we are bound to such a dutie to his Oxe or his Asse Rom. 12 20. as Saint Paul teacheth vs saying If thy enemie hungereth giue him meate If he thirst giue him drinke And because the practise hereof is very difficult Iesus Christ himselfe Mat. 5.45 the rather to induce vs to this dutie protesteth that In so doing we shall be the Children of his heauenly father who maketh his sunne to shine vpon both good and bad Mat. 5 46. and causeth his raine to fall vpon the righteous and the vnrighteous Hereby we gather that if our charitie be boundâ—d onely to our friendes and that we extend not the same euen to our enemies it is not the charitie of the children of God but as Iesus Christ addeth of publicans and infidels Also in workes and deedes if we shew not the loue that wee beare to our enemies it is in vaine for vs to protest that wee wish them no more hurt then to our selues or that wee loue them or wish as well to them as to our selues The holy historie expressely noteth that Absalom vsed no hard words to his brother Ammon who had defouled Thamar the said Absalons sister Yet loued he him not neither wished his good but in his hart nourished cruell hatred against him which hee finally declared by proâ—â—â—â—â—g him trayterously to bee murthered And thus it appeareth that speaking neither well nor ill betokeneth hatred and mallice For loue can not but both speake wel and do well euen to
her enemies 6 This loue is the rather to bee esteemed and commended because the giftes of speaking with tongues working of miracles prophecying and such like are nothing without loue Yea which is more then al those gifts euen faith hope shal haue an end but loue as Saint Paul saith abideth for euer Albeit therefore that by faith and hope we be made heires of wonderfull ioy and felicitie yet is the effect and fruite of loue greater in this respect that thereby the ioy of our perticuler felicitie obtained by faith shall be infinitly doubled and encreased for euery of the electes sakes whom we shall then loue as our selues and whose felicitie will be vnto vs as great a comfort as our owne Thus wee see what loue is required at our hands and how much wee are to esteeme it Now if wee would examine our selues and trie our loue with the same which God requireth at our hands as is afore shewed we shal find that it cometh very short And indeed what man loueth his neighbour as himselfe and that for the loue of God Who doth not many times by his neighbour otherwise then himself would be done by Who dealeth with another as he would be delt by Who is resolued to giue his life for his brethren Who loueth his enemies as himselfe and in hart praieth for them If loue as is aforesaid suffereth long if it enuieth not if it seeketh not her owne if it thinketh none euil if the patience therof be such as that it endureth sustereth al things 1. Cor. 13 Then doth it sufficiently appeare that we do wrongfully boast our selues to be the children of God because his character cannot bee seene in vs which is loue or that in purpose to amend we doe not mislike our owne corruption When therefore we heare the holy Ghost say Amend your liues Let vs be assured that he doth admonish vs so to encrease in this loue that wee may loue God with all our harts and our neighbours as our selues and that to the same end these two naturall rules may continually sound in our eares and that our consciences by the same examining all our wordes and workes may bee our iudge to condemne whatsoeuer we shall peraduenture doe to others which we would not should be done to our selues and to reproue our want of loue when we do not that to him that we would haue done to our selues that so in amending whatsoeuer it shall find in vs not conformable to this loue we may dayly encrease therin and thereby more and more get printed in vs the Character of Gods children and of the true Disciples of Iesus Christ And now let vs proceed to another examination of our loue Of Almos and relieuing of the poore Chap 10. AMong other the testimonies of our loue and charitie the due reliefe of the poore is not the least And indeed in vaine doe we boast of charitie vnlesse we practise the same by relieuing the poore in their necessities Who so hath this worlds goods 1. Ioh. 3.17 saith Saint Iohn and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him Whereto hee addeth My children let vs not loue in word neither in tongue onely but indeed and in truth This dutie of loue did the Apostles of Iesus Christ so hartely commend that finding themselues to agree in the doctrine of the Gospell with S. Paul Gal. 2.10 2. Cor. 8.9 they commended nothing vnto him but to remember the poore And thereof was himselfe also very carefull as he doth affirme in his Epistle to the Galathians and did effectually shew the same in his second to the Corinthians As also it is not amisse to note that the last iudgement and sentence of felicitie or miserie shall bee pronounced in part vpon the performance or neglect of this dutie to the poore in affliction Mat. 25. 2 This reliefe of the poore is commonly tearmed Almes which word signifieth pitie and compassion The rather to teach vs that this reliefe must proceede of compassion through the feeling of their afflictions And this doth Esay declare saying If thou openest thy hart to the hungerie and satisfiest the needy soule thy light shall shine in darkenesse and thy darkenesse shall bee as the none day The word which the Prophet heere vseth Esa 58.10 signifieth as much as if wee should say if thou pullest forth thy heart to giue to him that hungreth therby teaching vs that true Almes importeth the opening communication of our harts by feeling the necessitie of others and therefore doth S. Augustine say Augustine his first booke of visit the sicke c. 3. 1. Cor. 13.3 that if our reliefe ministred to the poore proceedeth not of loue and compassion it neuer ascendeth into the presence of God Hereto may we also refer this sentence of S. Paul If we giue al that we haue to the poor haue no loue it profiteth not Yea saith a good auncient father In hart to take compassion of the poore is more then to giue them our goods for hee that giueth importeth externall things but hee that taketh compassion openeth and giueth his owne hart This compassion proceedeth of the vnion that God hath made betweene vs in that we all discending from Adam are as it were one body and one flesh As Esay exhorting vs to this compassion doth say Hide not thy self from thy owne flesh Esay 58.7 Heb. 1â— 3â— Which the Apostle also confirmeth saying Remember them that are in bondes as if ye were bound with them them that are in affliction as if ye were also afflicted in the body And indeed as Saint Paul saith This vnion should breede such a feeling of the weale or woe of the members of this body that wee should reioyce for the prosperitie of the one 1. Cor. 12.26 Rom. 12 15. 1. Cor. 12.25 1. Ioh. 3.17 and be sorrie for the miserie of the other and as in another place he saith that wee should weepe with them that weepe Otherwise as hee addeth there is no coniunction in the body but deuision partialitie And in that sence Saint Iohn denieth that ther is any loue in him who seeing the want and necessitie of his brother closeth vp his bowels by the bowels signifieng the compassion and mercy wherewith he should be moued at the sight of the pouertie of his brethren Iesus Christ also to assure vs that he will take compassion of vs whom we are persecuted for his name saith Act. 9 5. Zach. 2 8 Deut 32 10. that he is persecuted in vs that are the members of his body Yea he protesteth that who so toucheth vs toucheth the apple of his eye Therby declaring that as the apple of the eye is so tender that it may not be touched but with great griefe so the coniunction betweene him vs is such Psal 17.8 that he seeleth our afflictions therof taketh great
of sweete sauour vnto the Lorde Besides wee ought to account his promises more certaine than monie in our purses and bread in our cupboordes They should bee vnto vs as a spring alwayes running wherein our purses should serue but as cesterns and those all broken and crackt in many places This confidence in Gods promises should more content vs and make vs thinke our selues better prouided of wealth and assurance than such as abound in all wealth and haue theyr houses furnished therewith The widdowe of Sarepta was more rich and better assured of foode than anie in all the Countrie 1. King 17 because by Gods promise shee was certefied that her cruse of Oyle and her barrell of Meale shoulde not fayle her 19 Others doo extend their reasons farther namely to theyr children Plu. of the couetousnes of riches for whose sakes they cut off the due reliefe of the poore to the end to leaue them the more riches But these men deserue to bee sent to schoole among the Heathen who without respect to this dutie of Charitie did neuerthelesse reproue and condemne this excessiue and dangerous care And in deede many times it commeth to passe that when the parents doo leaue to their children great wealth before the second or third generation one vnthriftie successour shal squander awaie and wast all that they haue gathered by wronging both themselues and the poore Besides What can children learne in such a schoole but likewise to keepe theyr goods after the example of theyr parents without anie care of the poore Better it were to induce and frame them to Charitie by giuing liberally to the needie The loue and reliefe of the poore is a goodly inheritance and fauour of God Blessed is hee that trayneth vp his children therein better it is to be charitable than rich In the time of a great famine in Israel the aforenamed widdowe of Sarepta had but one handfull of meale for her and her sonne 1. Kin. 17.10 yet the Prophet Elyas comming vnto her willed her to make him a cake and promised her that her meale in her barrell shoulde not faile her Shee beleeued him and brought him the cake albeit it was all that was lefte for her selfe and her sonne This was a notable example of faith and of Charitie And in deede soone after shee founde the truth of the Prophetes promise for in her barrell she had as it were a fountaine of meale whereof she and her sonne liued so long as the famine lasted If therefore thou hast many children Ciprian of workes and almes sayeth Cyprian bee the more carefull to bring vppon them Gods blessing and fauour by distributing to the poore Deliuer vnto him the goods that thou wouldest keepe for thy children let him bee their tutor guardian and protector No man shall wreast out of his handes the patrimonie that thou hast deliuered him to keepe This doeth the Prophet Dauid by experience confirme saying I was young Psal 37.25 and nowe am olde yet did I neuer see the righteous man forsaken neither his seede begging their bread Hee daylie giueth to the poore and lendeth and his seede is blessed And in another place he saith Psal 112.5 The good man giueth almes and lendeth hee distributeth to the poore his righteousnesse remaineth for euer and his horne shall bee exalted Contrariwise sparing and keeping from the poore to make his children rich is the subuersion of himselfe his house and his children Of what heauenly and euerlasting treasures doest thou voluntarily depriue thy selfe for the leauing of worldlie riches to thy children who peraduenture may abuse them to theyr confusion and euerlasting dampnation Must the inriching of thy children bee a cause to suffer Gods children to die for hunger Must thou leaue the members of Christ naked that thou mayest cloath those with excesse who peraduenture thereof maye take occasion to offend God yea it may bee euen to denie Iesus Christ What answere wilt thou make in the daie of iudgement when he shall obiect vnto thee that thou diddest denie him meate drinke and cloth Will hee thinkest thou accept of this excuse I spared my goods to inrich my children Hee commaunded thee not to leaue them wealth but to releeue the poore If thou louest thy children better than God canst thou thinke that he will acknowledge thee to bee his childe What is it to thee although thy children inherite but six or seuen hundred in sted of a thousand Or how many sacrifices of sweete sauour maist thou offer to God out of the two or three hundred that thou shalt diminish from them which vnto thee will bee a mightie treasure to euerlasting life 20 Some againe seeing the manifest and euident sparing of such as they take to bee better prouided for than themselues wyth murmuring complaintes will giue out and tell those that come to demaunde anie thing for the poore that they must solicite and call vppon the others and so seeke by all meanes to excuse themselues that they wyll by theyr good wills giue verie lyttle or nothing at all But Chrisostome doeth verye fitlie make them aunswere saying Chri. hom 65 vpon Math. cap. â—9 tom â— Thou wylt saie that such a man is rich and gyueth nothing or verie lyttle But what is that to thee So much the more wonderfull and commendable is thy charitie if thou hauing lesse than hee art more lyberall than he Neyther maruelled the Apostle at the Macedonians because they gaue but because being poore they gaue so liberally Iudge not another but of thy selfe make thy selfe so commendable that thou maist eschue all accusation For the greater tormentes do attend thee if in that whereof thou condemnest others thy selfe doest not thy duetie but art guiltie of the same fault Let vs not iudge others neither let vs haue an eie to their slouth but let vs looke vppon our Lorde Christ and of him take example of all good woorkes Haue not I sayth hee giuen vnto thee heauen he benefites Haue not I redeemed thee that thou mightest looke vppon mee Wherefore then leauing thy Lord doest thou looke vppon the worke of thy fellowe seruant I haue set you an example that you should doo as I haue done Moreouer seeing among men thou hast examples of charitie in Abraham Iob and others why doest thou not imitate them rather than stumble at those whom thou doest looke vnto 21 Others againe to excuse themselues from giuing of theyr goods to the poore will plaie the good husbandes and saye that many doo abuse almes This is in deed but too true yet no doubt as well they that take almes without neede as they that doo abuse it 2. Thes 3 shall one daie as sacrilegious persons feele Gods iudgementes for it But as Saint Paul reproueth such people and exhorhorteth them to their duties so hee commandeth vs that we shuld not notwithstanding desist from wel doing The husbandman neuer looketh that all the seed which hee soweth should bring
forth fruit but that some shall be deuoured by the fouls of the aire and some otherwise yet doeth hee not therefore forbeare to sowe euen so must we sowe our almes notwithstanding wee bee assured that all is not well bestowed Wee must vse discretion and dilygence that we may be faythfull stewardes not so seuere as to forget the simplicitie of charitie so highly commended and praysed by Saint Paule 1. Cor. 13 5 7 who sayth Loue imagineth no euill Loue beleeueth all things Loue hopeth for all things And in deede it is better to feed and cloath two wicked ones with one child of God than for feare of helping the wicked to suffer one of Gods children to perish for hunger or colde The marchant is many times deceiued in his expectation of gaine by tempests on the sea by banqueroutes and otherwise yet doth hee not giue ouer his traffique When Iob had clothed the needie with his wooll hee sayde that theyr loines did blesse him Iob. 31.20 thereby teaching vs that albeit the lips of the poore whom we haue clothed should curse vs and that he should abuse the reliefe that we haue ministred vnto him yet his loynes comforted with our garments shall testifie our charitie towarde him and blesse vs in the sight of God Esa 49.4 The Prophet Esaie exhorteth Gods seruants the preachers of his woorde to bee strong and of good comfort albeit the seede of theyr doctrine fructifie but in few shewing them that their labour and worke is neuertheles before the Lord. Euen so is it with the goods that wee distribute to the poore albeit some doo abuse them yet is our charitie in the sight of God Let vs therefore vse discretion and diligence in the well bestowing of our almes reproue those that abuse the same yet let simplicitie and charitie so guide vs that vnder colour of neglecting those that are vnworthie wee doo not refuse to relieue those that in deed are poore and needie 22 Many times such great husbands are the men that do most abuse the goods wherof God hath made theÌ„ not absolute Lords but stewards They be as prodigall in theyr owne vses as niggardly to the poor They exceed in rich costly attire in vnordinarie and sumptuous diet to be short in all superfluous vnprofitable carnall and worldly expenses but if there be anie speech of helping the poore there is nothing to bee had they haue neuer a whit too much to satisfie theyr owne prodigalitie and ambition But what account can they giue of their administration in the daie of iudgement Will Christ in his account passe these articles So much spent in ryot so much in excesse and banquets so much in the pleasures of the flesh Can they alleadge that they had not wherewith to helpe the poore No the former articles will conuince them so shall they be conuict as wel for despising the poor as for abusing the benefites whereof they should haue bene faithfull stewardes If Saint Paule commaundeth vs to worke wyth our handes to the ende to get wherewyth to releeue the needie how much rather shoulde wee according vnto Gods wyll cut off parte of our superfluitie and excesse Hierom vpon the Epistles therewyth to helpe such as want It is a kinde of sacriledge sayth Saint Hierome to giue the goods of the poore to such as bee rich inough Let the hungrie boweles commende thy charitie not the panches of those that are bursten wyth thy abundance Oh wofull calamitie of mankinde sayeth Saint Augustine August in his sermon 132 of the time howe many maye wee finde that doo vrge and compell those that bee alreadie satisfied to drinke more than be commeth them and yet wyll denie euen a glasse of small drinke to the poore that begge at theyr doore Those men doo neuer consider that the drinke which euen perforce they offer to drunkardes ought rather to bee giuen vnto Iesus Christ in the persons of the poore Math. 25 as himselfe hath sayd Whatsoeuer you haue doone to one of the least of these you haue doone it vnto me Wee doo commonlie saie to those that haue inough yee eate not and so vrge them to eate and yet do denie a morsell of bread to the hungrie VVhen men haue delicate wine and daintie fare which doo but too much whet on the stomacke wee vse to call vppon them to make good cheere and in the meane time forget them who hauing peraduenture neuer a bit of bread to giue to theyr children doo weepe and lament Had the rich man that liued in pleasures Luke 16. taken pittie of Lazarus that laie at his gate and cutting off parte of his superfluitie releeued his necessitie in sted of tormentes in hell fyre hee had receiued the crowne of Charitie as Lazarus receiued the crowne of patience in lyfe euerlasting Let vs beware least the superfluitie of our banquets apparell and other vanities that are good for nothing but to displease God and offende our neighbours bee not vnto vs as tormentors and burning coales in our consciences in the daâ—e of iudgement calling for vengeaunce agaynst vs for our contempt of the poore in theyr necessitie Neither let vs complaine of the meruailous increase of the poore that want reliefe but let vs accuse our owne coldnesse and slacknesse in distributing for theyr succour and reliefe Can wee complayne of want of abilitie when our onely superfluitie beeing cut off and gathered together myght suffice What man at his death coulde not with that hee had cut off and employed the same vppon the releefe of the poore Or who coulde not at that time bee content that hee had after the example of the poore widdowe or the Macedonians imparted vnto them of his substance in theyr necessitie Luke 21.14 2. Cor. 8.3 considering that the same shoulde haue beene vnto him so much treasure in Heauen 23 Let vs therefore amend our former neglygence and slouth and while wee haue time as Saint Paul sayth Doo good vnto all but especially to those that bee of the householde of faith Gal. 9 10 They all doo beare the image of God they all are of our flesh whome wee must loue as our selues Wee cannot therefore neglect and contemne them without great iniurie to God and our selues and breach of that vnitie that God hath made among vs yet as there is greater affinitie betweene the members of Christ and as the image of God doeth more cleerely and euidently shine in them so are wee more bound to care for theyr reliefe and to doo good vnto them in theyr necessities Let vs then imploie our selues heerein while wee haue time which may bee considered in three pointes First while God lendeth and giueth vs wherewith for we knowe not whether by fire warre banqueroutes thefte or anie other inconuenience our goods shal be taken froÌ„ vs. The husbandman hearing of approch of some armie and fearing thereby the losse of all his graine which might by them be
to seeme greater then they are and confirmed his speech by this authoritie of a Poet saying The neighbours fieldes are euermore with corne much better sped Ouid. Their stockes in milke more plentifull how euer they be fed 9 The feeling of this sorrow anguish heauines and torment bred in the hart by enuie might make vs to loath and detest it Yet is there farther occasion Rom. 13.10 Col. 3.14 1. Ioh. 4.7 Ioh. 13 35. 1. Cor. 13. There is nothing more repugnant to Charitie which notwithstanding is as Saint Paul saith The fulfilling of the law The bond of perfectnes The true marke of the children of God As Iesus Christ also saith Herein shall men know that yee are my Disciples if yee loue one another euen as I haue loued you Loue sayth Saint Paule Enuieth not She reioyceth not in vnrighteousnes but reioyceth in the truth And contrariwise The enuious man mourneth and afflictions as is aforesaid Nazianz. in his first book of diuinitie Chrisostome on Mathew Hom. 41. therin resembling slies that light vpon wounds and cleuing to the same do there at sucke their sustenance Or as the Dorre who naturally lurking in dung taketh her food thereof so doth the enuious man grow fat in other mens calamities Can there then be any thing more repugnant to charitie and this vnion of the members of Christes body which as Saint Paul saith Causeth them to haue the same care one for another So that if one member suffer Cor. 12.25 all suffer with it if one bee had in honour all the rest reioyce with it And therfore it is a shame to vs Christians that we do not vnderstand it and the rather because euen the heathen doe instruct vs Plut. of Enuie and hatred as among others Plutarch who saith Hatred and Enuie are directlye opposite to loue which reioyceth in other mens felicitie 10 Likewise as enuie is repugnant to loue so is thee contrarie to the peace and concord that should dwell among the children of God Iam. 3.14 16. In this sence doth S. Iames tearme her bytter thereby vnderstanding that she is a poyson of a Cankered will conuerting all to bitternesse whereupon doe ensue contention and debate and therefore he addeth For where enuying and strife is there is sedition and all manner of euill workes Plutarch also saith Enuie and Ielouzie are passions which euermore doe engender vsuall and daungerous enmitie Plut. of profit to be taken of enemies And so it is the more pernitious in respect that as the same Author saith ordynarily it followeth such as deale in matters of estate wherein contention and enuie are most hurtfull Hereupon saith Antisthenes Laertius It is in vaine to cleanse Wheate from Chasse and to purge an armie of vnprofitable souldiers vnlesse wee also purge the common wealth of all enuious persons and banish them from among vs. 11 Moreouer as enuie ordinarily accompanieth hatred which Saint Iohn placeth in the degrees of murder 1. Ioh. 3 15. So doth it beare such sway in some that it plungeth them headlong in murder al horrible wickednes Who moued the deuil to vrge man to eate of the forbidden fruit wherby to throw him downe to draw him with himselfe into euerlasting death Wisd 2.24 The booke of Wisedome as is aforesaid testifieth that it was enuie What caused Cayn so cruelly to murder his brother Abell Eunie as the holy Scripture plainely noteth God warneth him to forbeare yet hee went forward And indeed as Chrisostom saith Gen. 4.5 Cain enuying his brother cold not disgest the hatred that he had coÌ„ceaued but the more that God warned him 1. Sam. 18. the more did his sorow anguish hatred encrease which driue him to shed his brothers bloud Who stirred vp Saul so often and by so many deuises to attempt to seeke to kill Dauid Yea when he had so often misled with his owne mouth acknowledged his wrong yet to pursue him so obstinately to the death Euen that accursed enuie that was first engendered of this Gen. 37. that the daughters of Israell in their song Saule hath slaine his thousand and Dauid his tenne thousand preferred Dauid before him and afterward encreased by Samuels anointing him to be King What moued the sonnes of Iacob to resolue vpon Iosephs death and when they had defiled his coate with bloud to send it to their father whereby to vexe him with most cruell and mortall sorrow and heauinesse and lastly to sell him to the Ismaelites to carie him into Egypt so to seperate him from the Church consequently to abandon his body to tribulation and his soule to destruction The sole enuie that they had conceiued against him for the priuate affection that Iacob bare vnto him Mat. 21.15 which afterward was encreased through his dreames To bee short What induced the high Priests and Scribes Mat. 27.18 at the hands of Iudas a traitor to his Lord and Master to buy Iesus Christ to deliuer him into the hands of Pilate so obstinately to pursue him to the death So euident was their enuie that Pilate himselfe as S. Mathew noteth knew that for enuie they had deliuered him In this sence doth Paule Gal. 5.21 speaking of the frutes of the flesh ioyne murder with enuie as the cursed frute thereof 12 To conclude Plut. of Enuie and hatred what a villanous abhominable vice is enuie saith Plutarch considering that many can confesse that they hate him whom they doe not enuie Sooner will they acknowledge themselues to be possessed with wrath feare hatred Chrisostome vpon Mathew or some other like passion and vice then confesse any enuie as testifieng therby that enuy is the most villanous detestable disease that can come to the soule Chrisostome doth aptly describe the Original of this disease saying He that enuieth pâ—rchaseth to himselfe reproch and honor to him that is enuied For as ambition is the mother nurse of enuie so is there nothing more contrarie to ambition then the acknowledgement that a man is enuious considering that enuie is a confession that the enuied is endued with greater vertue prosperitie or some other excellencie then he that enuieth 13 In as much therfore as enuie engendreth so many tormenâ—s vexations in our harts that nothing is more contrarie to loue that it breedeth hatred strife debate that it draweth men to commit murder and other horrible transgressions To be short that euen among men it is so detestable that they will rather colour it with other vices then acknowledge it Let vs to the end according to the admonition of Iesus Christ to amend our liues refraine al selfe loue and consequently all enuie Let euery man bee content with that estate and condition whereto God hath called him faithfully imploy himselfe therin euer waiting the blessing of the Lord without enuying others prosperitie Let vs remember that the enuious man pretendeth to
thing familiar doth sufficiently testify that our vsuall conference is most coÌ„monlie replenished with discourses of the faultes infyrmities of our neighbors Our tongues that should be courteous and inclined to charytie and compassion are for the most part serpent lyke full of poyson Yet in as much as euerie man in his owne sight doth sufficiently perceiue and knowe that such rehearsalls and discourses vppon others mennes escapes and imperfections are but slaunders and backbitinges diuerse and sundrie men doo seeke to couer them wyth the cloake of zeale loue and compassion And this hypocrisie doeth Saint Bernarde verie aptlye represent vnto vs. Some there are sayeth hee Bern. on the Cant Ser. â— whose stomackes beeing glutted wyth the faultes and infirmities of theyr brethren and neighbours when they meane to vnburden the same doo shroude theyr mallice and hatred vnder the cloake of fayned respect and shew After a sore sigh wyth greate grauitie delyberation and a heauie countenance they wyll spire forth theyr backbiting and slaunderous speeches And such backbitinges and slaunderous speeches sayth hee are so much the more dangerous because the hearers are thereby occasioned to imagine and conceiue that the same proceedeth neyther of enuie nor euill wyll but of meere sorrow and compassion I am sorrie sayth the backbiter and the rather because I loue him that I cannot get him to amende Another wyll saye I haue long knowen this or that yet woulde not I raise the speech but sith it is now knowen abroade I may not in anie wise conceale the truth for the matter is so and so Thus doeth Saint Barnarde most liuelie painte out the hypocrisie of many euill speakers But Moses teacheth vs howe wee shoulde reprooue it Reprooue thy neighbour sayeth hee but raise no reporte of him Leuit â— â— To reproue and admonish our neighbour is truly a worke of charitie but it is backbiting to raise anie reporte of him by publishing and blowing abroade his infyrmities The admonition and aduertisement of our neighbours faultes and imperfections must be deliuered either to themselues according to the rule of Iesus Christ If thy brother trespasse against thee Math. 18. â—â— go and tell him betweene him and thee or vnto those that haue right and authoritie to correct and reproue Gen. â—â—â— Whereof wee haue an example in Ioseph who shewed his father of the euill reporte and dooings of his brethren But to reporte them to others is backbiting and slandering because it tendeth onely to defamation This disease of backbiting is so much the more pernitious as that wee cannot auoyde it also that the wound thereof is daungerous A man may better beware of such as steale his goods than of the backbiter that taketh away his good name As the good name is to bee much more esteemed than siluer so the wounde of defamation is almost incurable For as when a wound is cured there yet remayneth a scar so against a slander howsoeuer a man purge iustify himself yet will ther stil remain an euill opinion at the least in some And this dyd Diogenes signifie Plutarch in his Apotheg when beeing demaunded what beast bit sorest hee aunswered Among tame beasts the flatterer among wilde the backbiter In asmuch therfore as according to the exhortation of Iesus Christ we are to amend our liues let vs beware Whensoeuer wee talke of the faultes and infyrmities of our neighbours let vs thinke with our selues To what ende is this speech And in our consciences finding that it tendeth onely to defame him and to take away his good name let vs passe condemnation in the sight of God and sâ—y that we are backbiters Psalm 10â— â— 1. Cor. 6.10 1. Cor. 4. â— VVithall let vs then also remember the saying of Dauid Him that in secrete slaundereth his neighbour will I cut off Also the sentence pronounced by Saint Paule who sayth Backbiters and slaunderers shall not inherite the kingdome of heauen Lykewise the admonition of the same Apostle who wylieth vs to holde them as excommunicate persons to forbeare eating drinking and all familiar conuersation wyth them Let vs remember that backbiters by Saint Paule and others are marked wyth a fearing yron as men who by the iust vengeaunce of God are giuen ouer into a reprobate sense To bee short let vs remember what Saint Iames sayth Rom. 1.30 Iames 1.20 Gen. â— â—2 If anie man among you seemeth religious and refraineth not his tongue this mans religion is in vaine Wherefore as Cham the father of the Cananites hauing seen the shame of his father Noah in liew of couering it hauing shewed it to his brethren was accursed both he and his posterity by the mouth of his owne father so they who knowing the frailtie faultes and infyrmities and consequently the shame and reproach of theyr brethren 1. Pet. 4.8 where they ought in charitie to couer the same doo neuerthelesse by backbiting and euill speaking saie them open doo wel deserue to be accursed with Chain and called Canaanites S. Peter hauing exhorted vs to be sober vigilant in prayer addeth But aboue all thinges haue feruent loue for loue couereth the multitude of sinnes Whereby hee declareth that it is a matter of such importance to couer the infyrmities of our neighbours by loue that hee seemeth to preferre it before sobrietie and praier vnto GOD which hee had before mentioned Secondly that it is not enough to shew this loue by couering two or three infirmities but we must couer euen the multitude of them Thirdly that for the discharge of this duetie wee must haue not some small loue but a vehement loue yea such a loue as may be able to surmount enuy hatred ambition and all such other vices as naturally doo prouoke vs to this cursed backbiting 11 VVe suppose that so long as our backbiting and slanders do breed vs no braules or quarrelling they bee not hurtfull and so wee despise all Gods threatnings But wee doo much deceiue our selues if wee imagine that God as we maketh no account of backbiting and so suppose that his deferring of vengeance is a quite taking awaie of his threatnings Our backbitings are inrouled in the booke of his prouidence readie to bee laide open before vs in the daie of iudgement as Dauid expresly teacheth saying Thou giuest thy mouth to euill and with thy tongue thou forgest deceit Psame 15.19 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother and slanderest thy mothers sonne These things hast thou done and I held my tongue and so thou thoughtest that in deede I was like thee but I will reproue thee and set them in order before thee O consider this yee that forget God least I teare you in peeces and there bee none that can deliuer you Surely it is straunge that all such threatnings should not make vs euen to cut out our longs with our owne teeth rather than to apply them to backbiting and slandering 12 It is lykewise a harde
case that in this respect wee should not feare God more than man It happeneth many times that the backbiter with great protestation and attestation sayth I tell you but I would be loth to saie so much to another let it I praie you rest betweene vs speake not of it let no man knowe that I tolde you Oh foole dost thou more feare the blame at a mans hands whom thou hast spoken euill of than the eternall fire that thou kindelest and the curse of God which by backbiting thou pullest vpō thy head Darest thou not detract or speake euill of thy neighbor before his face albeit hee hath but some small meanes to be reuenged yet wilt thou boldly speake euill of him in the presence of almightie God who threatneth and is able to swallowe thee vp If the man whom thou speakest euill of chance to come in place thou doest blush and fallest into other talke But when thou backbitest him remember that God heareth thee and blushing at thy folly turne to some other talke and speake of such things as may be acceptable in the sight of God 13 Againe canst thou like a fool put more trust in anothers tonge than in thine owne Thou couldest not bridle thine owne tongue and doest thou request another to bridle his Why doest thou put thy selfe in the mercie and discretion of another If hee to whome thou hast opened thy mouth hath no more hold of his tongue than thou hast of thine hast thou not put into his hande a staffe wherewith by reuealing thy secret to bring thee into brabling strife Why doest thou reueale that to another which thou wouldest shoulde be kept secret If thou sayest I trust him So hath hee an other whome hee trusteth and his friend another c. to whome they will reueale it It is as if when sundrie faggots lie each by other thou shouldest kindle the one and so by degrees burne them all In some countries vpon anie murther or other hainous trespasse they ring the towne bell which when other townes or villages doo heare they likewise doo ring theyrs and so from one to an other whereby all the Countrie is soone aduertised that there is some offender to bee taken or staide Euen so thou when the clock of thy tongue hath stroken looke that hee that heard it will lykewise strike his and his neighbor that heareth it his and so shal the infyrmitie of thy neighbour soone come to the eares of many And therefore if thou beest loth it shoulde bee knowen why hast thou rung the bell of thy tongue in a countrie where thou knowest that euerie man is readie likewise to ring his 14 Let vs proceede Not onely hee that speaketh euill of his neighbour is a backbiter but also hee that hearkneth to the slander And in deed he that is desirous to heare of the faults frailtie of another sheweth himself to be deuoid both of zeale to Gods glorie and of loue to his neighbour For seeing God is dishonored in the transgressions sinnes of men it is our parts hearing of the same to mourne and bewaile the dishonour of God and in charitie we ought to take compassion of our neighbor who by his offence bringeth Gods wrath vpon his head If in liew of sorrowing for the sins transgressions euen of those whom before we knew not we delight to heare of them doo we not strip our selues out of all loue of God and charitie to men In this sense doth Dauid saie that he that receiueth a false reporte against his neighbour Psalm 15.3 shall haue no place in the house of God And in deed both he that hearkneth to the backbiter and the backbiter do serue the deuill alike the one with his tongue the other with his eare Bernard in a certain sermō Detraction saith S. Bernard is a sharp sword which at one blow woundeth three It slaieth the soule of the backbiter and the soule of him that giueth eare vnto him it woundeth impaireth the good name of him that is backbitten or slandered 15 And what doth more norish and maintaine backbiting than the vsuall vice of hearkning thereto euen with greedines For as if there were no receiuer of theftes there would not bee so many theeues so if none would hearken to backbiting Prou. 25. 23 there would not be so many backbiters As the north winde saith Salomon driueth awaie raine so doeth an angrie countenance the slandering tongue As the shaft saith Hierome shot against a stone reboundeth Hierom to Rusticus sometime hurteth him that shot it so when a backbiter seeth his countenance that heareth or in deed that hearkneth not vnto him sad or frouning hee holdeth his peace he waxeth pale his countenance is troubled and his tongue stoppeth sodainly In this consideration he saith in another place Beware of backbiting Hier. in his Epist to Nepor also of listning thereto Let thine eares be as farre from them as thy tongue For when the backbiter perceiueth that thou giuest no eare to him hee cannot well go forward Thou shalt not saith the Lord Exod. 23.1 receiue or take vp anie false report This worde Receiue or take vp euidently declareth that backbiting and slandering will soone fade awaie and decaie if it bee not receiued or taken vp and so vnderpropped and vpheld by the consent that is giuen thereto Hierome to Celantius 16 Sith therfore that the inclination to backbite likewise to hear backbiting is such that euen they who otherwise are far from many other vices as Hierom saith do easily fal into these snares of the deuill that according as Christ exhorteth we may amend our liues let vs thinke vpon the premises to the end we may abhor al backbiting let vs keepe our tongs eares pure so as the vse of these vices now so common may vtterly be abolished To be short let vs apply our tongs to speak open our eares to heare such things as may redoūd to the glory of God the saluation of our neighbors 17 Moreouer if wee heare that anie speake euill of vs let vs so order our liues that as Plato in olde time sayde men maye not beleeue such slanderous reports of vs. As Philip king of Macedon sayde Plutarch in his Apotheg that the reproch and iniuries of the Athenian orators caused him so to order his wordes and deedes that themselues should be proued lyers Neyther let vs forget what hee both sayde and dyd when it was tolde him that Nicanor spake hardlye of him I must bethinke me Plutarch in his Apotheg said he whether I neuer gaue him occasion so to say Aftewarde hearing that Nicanor was decayde and growen into contempt hee sent him a present And then beeing shewed that Nicanor spake well of him You see sayeth hee that it is in vs to cause men to speake well or ill of vs. If the euill therefore that is spoken of vs be true or that
thy houshold and all that is thine Being aduanced to such honor he forgot not neither dispised his poore father besides that albeit his brethren had so wickedly entreated him yet he forgot that iniury and vndertoke to feed them Hereto had relation Christs commending of his mother whē he said behold thy mother hee accordingly performed the duty of a child to her and toke her home vnto him Iohn 19 27. We also read that when a certaine father was condemned to be famished in prison his daughter came daylie to visit him and because she was narowly serched least shee should bring him any food hauing no other meanes to help him she suckled him with her brests Valerius Max. wheervpon because her father liued longer then was expected she was watched and being knowen how shee had relieued him they gaue him to his daughters piety and deliuered him out of prison 11 This duetie did the Grecians name by a name deriued from the Storckes who feede and nourish their dammes when they are impotent through age so are vnto vs as misterisses to teach vs to acknowledge the good that wee haue receiued from them that brought vs into this world and bred vs vp Such therefore as being able doe refuse to supply and relieue the necessities of their parents so shew themselues deuoide of naturall affection must bee sent to schoole among the Storckes that of them they may learne to yeelde due reuerence to their parentes And of these is the number at this day too great yea and such that it is growne to a common speech that one father or mother can bee content to relieue a dozen children but a dosen children will not feede one father or mother But if of necessitie they be put to doe it it is with great difficulty such strife as may iustly minister occasiō of grief and sorrow vnto both father and mother A certaine Cinical Philosopher writing to his wife about his new borne sonne promiseth so to teach him Crates that he will returne him vnto her not a dogge alter the name of their sect but a Storcke that should relieue her in her age But the children of our daies are more hard to receiue this instructiō the rather cōsidering the inhumanity that appeareth in many notwithstanding they be taught their duties in the schoole not of a Cynicall philosopher but of God himselfe in his Church 12 But as in many children couetousnes choaketh all feeling of this duty toward parents So Satan transforming himselfe into an Angel of light euen long since induced the Iewes to defeate their parents of this reliefe assistance vnder the colour of the seruice honor of God Mark 7.9 In this respect doth Iesus Christ obiect vnto thē that they taught that euery gift by the children offered vnto God should profit the parents but he bitterly reproueth thē for it protesting that it is the tradition of men that reuearseth the commandement of God And herein he declareth first that this commandement Honor thy father and mother comprehendeth also the dutie to relieue helpe them in their necessities Secondly that refusing to relieue the want of their parents euē vnder colour of offering vnto God that which they ought to giue vnto them they do quite abolish this cōmandement Thirdly by conferring Gods ordinance to put to death all those that shall curse either father or mother with this cōmandement to honor them in relieuing their necessities he sheweth that despising of parents in their necessity and not relieuing them is as a cursing of them and consequently a transgression that deserueth death 13 To cōclude to the end to inuite childrē to honor their parents as is afore shewed God addeth this promise Ephe. 6 2. That thy dais may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee And Saint Paul doth note that it is the first commaundement with promise For albeit there be a promise added to the second yet is the same common vnto the whole law But this is peculiar and especiall to all such childrē as honor their parents for herein hath God declared how highly hee commendeth the obedience and honour that children yeelde to them And the same haue the Heathen also noted as among others Menander an auncient Poet who saith Of honor vnto parents due the hope of happy life ensue But the Lord spake to the Israelities properly of the land that hee had promised them for an inheritance which should be vnto them as a testimonie and seale of his goodnesse and loue toward them It is therefore as if he should haue said To the end that liuing vpon the earth thou maiest long enioye the earnest penye of my goodnesse and grace toward thee But now seeing the whole earth is blessed to the faithfull the promise of long life vpon the earth is vnto vs also a blessing of God First because we can not liue long without participating in many and great benefits of God euen in respect of the preseruation of this present life Secondly because the faithfull may the longer employ themselues to serue and glorifie God In consideration whereof we see what the Church in olde time saide Psal 115.17 The dead praise not the Lord neither any that goe downe into the place of silence But we will praise the Lord from hence foorth and for euer The same doth Ezechia king of Iuda also note in his cantikle Esay 38.19 The lyuing the liuing he shall confesse thee as I doe this day The father to the children shall declare thy truth 14 In as much therefore as long life is promised as a blessing God doth continue it to obedient children so long as it is a blessing vnto them And hereupon doth Saint Paule ioyne together these two sentences That it may goe well with thee Ephe. 6.3 and that thou maiest liue long vpon the earth As also when God taketh away such obedient children before they be olde yea before they come vnto mans state whether it bee least malice shoulde corrupt their harts or to preuent some great calamities wherin they might paraduenture be entangled or vpon whatsoeuer other considerations to receiue them into a better life he doth faithfully performe his promise vnto such children because hee dealeth better then promise with them But as contrariwise this promise threatneth such children as will not honor their parents with short life So doe experience declare that many such children are of short and wretched life But if contrariwise such disobedient children do chance to liue long so farre is such long life from being vnto them a blessing that to the contrary it is an enforcement and encrease of woe because they enlarge their iust condemnation so as they had beene better to haue dyed in their youth But how euer it be God so disposeth hereof that by the effects we may perceiue that they which honor their parents are blessed and the others accursed 15
false Prophet that hauing endeuoured to seduce and diuert the faithfull from the truth but through their constancye cannot compasse his purpose is notwithstanding worthy to be punished so the true Pastors wheÌ„ they haue constantly emploied theÌ„selues to reduce those that be straied into the way of saluation albeit in respect of this constancy they caÌ„not profite yet are they worthie their hire recompence in the sight of God As therefore the springs doe not cease from giuing forth their waters or the riuers their streames albeit no man come to take vp any or to sayle vpon them so must not the Minister cease from preaching admonishing and reprouing albeit in manner no man make profite of his doctrine and admonitions 11 Moreouer albeit many times it fall out that the Pastors by preaching admonishing reprouing and threatning with Gods iudgements do incurre the displeasure of some yet must they not therefore faint but remember what God commaundeth to Esay saying Cry out with open throat spare not lifte vp thy voyce as a trumpet signifye to my people their offences Esay 58.1 and to the house of Iacob their sinnes As also they are to this purpose to marke what the Lord saide to the Prophet Ieremy Gird vp thy loynes and arise that thou maiest tell them all the thinges that I commaund thee feare them not least peraduenture I treade thee downe in their sight Iere. 1.17 It is verye dangerous saith Hierome to desist from preaching the worde of God for any of these three thinges for feare sloth or slatterye yet doe we not say that they must crye out like mad men and seek glory in bolde reprehensions When the Apostles said vnto Iesus Christ Luke 9.54 Lord wilt thou that we commaund that fire come down from heauen and consume these Samaritans that deny thee lâ—dging as Elias did he answered 2. King 10. 12 ye wot not of what spirite ye are euen so there are some that think to imitate the Prophets in bitter and sharpe reprehensions but they are not led by the like spirite For they doe it either to purchase a reputation of zeale and to be thought such as will spare none 2. Tim. 1.7 or for some other peruerse passioÌ„ God saith S. Paul hath not giuen to vs the spirite of feare but of power of loue and of a sound minde thereby shewing that Pastors truely must not feare the apparance of persons to dissemble their sins and offences but must be strengthned by the spirite of Christ to discouer and open their wounds that they may be healed But to this power and boldnesse let them ioyne on the one side discretion and soundnes of minde whereby to be able to yeeld a reason of their power and boldenes and on the other side such loue and charitie that their reprehensions and threatnings may proceede from a hart not prouoked bitter or flowing with reuenge but as hauing compassion on such as doe amisse and seeking by loue to reclaime and reduce them into the waye of saluation Being thus disposed let them sound forth Gods iudgementes Esay 50.7 with all holye boldenesse saying with Esaye The Lord God is my helper and therefore I shall not be confounded for I haue hardened my countenance as a stone and I know that I shall not be confounded yea let them remember the protestation of Micheas saying Mich. 3.8 I am full of power by the spirite of the Lord and of iudgment and of strength to declare vnto Iacob his transgressions and to Israel his sinne 12 This holy constancy must remaine in the seruantes of God to the end that in the defence of the trueth against such as would oppresse it they may ouercome all slaunders and reproches wherwith the Deuill seeketh to quaile their hartes or otherwise to hinder the trueth of their faith and zeale Thus when the Apostles had told Iesus Christ that the Scribes Pharisees were offended and murmured because he saide Mat. 15.12 It is not that which entreth at the mouth that defileth the man he proceeded and shewed theÌ„ that they must not for that desist from teaching and defending the truth and purenes of doctrine So S. Paul declareth that wheÌ„ Peter came to Antioch Gal. 2.11 he resisted him to his face for he deserued to be reproued in that by his exaÌ„ple he enduced the Gentiles to playe the Iewes And by his writinges wee may perceiue how earnestly hee opposed himselfe agaynst those false Apostles that sought to mixe the necessitie of the ceremonies of the lawe with the doctrine of the Gospell Theodo Eccl. hist l. 2. c. 16 17. Wonderfull also was the constancie of Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria in defending the Godhead of Christ against the Arrians whose furious persecution and most impudent slanders he ouercame and was therefore iustly tearmed The bulwarke of the truth Him dyd Liberius Bishoppe of Rome most vertuously second in this constancie for being most sharply vrged both by the reproches and threatnings both of the Emperor Constantius of Eusebius the Eunuch and of Epicterus the Bishop to subscribe to the condemnation of Athanasius after many couragious answeres to the instances of the Emperour he chose rather to be banished than not to defend the iust cause of Athanasius And this his constancie thus much by the waie dyd the Romane women followe who when they had procured the Emperour to call him home agayne vnderstanding that hee should be ioyned in the ministery with Felix who had bin aduanced to his place did with one consent crie out One God one Christ one Bishop and thereupon Felix withdrew himselfe from Rome 13 Basil the great whom Theodoret tearmeth Theod. Eccle. hist l. 4. c. 19 The light of the world shewed the like vertue For when the Emperour Valens an Arrian had expelled the faithfull pastors out of all the Churches and was come to Cesarea in Cappadocia where Basil was Bishop the gouernour of the towne sent for him and hauing honourablie receiued him hee spake louingly vnto him and exhorted him to frame himselfe to the time and not to bring so many Churches into daunger for some small difference in doctrine promising him in the Emperours name all friendship and great benefites But hee stoutly answered that such perswasions were fit for yong men that toke plesure in such things but that such as are brought vp in holy learning cannot indure that one title of the truth shoulde bee endangered yea that they vse not to refuse anie kind of death in defence of the truth And heereupon dyd Denis Bisâ—oppe of Alexandria iustly condemne both the deede of Nouatus who ioyned with those that denyed that there was anie place for repentance or saluation for sinners and his excuse when hee alleadged that hee was inforced and compelled thereto And to this purpose is the Epistle that hee wrote vnto him verie notable Denis wisheth health to his brother Nouatus If thou wert as thou saiest Eusc Ecc.
as God hath chosen vs from among so many others like vnto vs euen before the foundation of the worlde to an incomprehensible and eternall glory and felicitie Eph. 1.5 what might be the orignall and foundation that his free loue Eph. 1.5 his mercye his incomprehensible goodnes and the onely good pleasure of his will as S. Paul also saith That euen God himselfe hath chosen vs and predestinated to adopt vs to himselfe through Iesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will If therfore we would diligently meditate and ponder that the cause that we are preserued from the horrible condemnation of the reprobate which dayly by our sinnes we doe deserue and assured of the possession of life and euerlasting glory without any our desert proceedeth of the only election of God grounded vpon his goodnes loue grace mercy and good pleasure how should it possibly be but that the remēbrance of our election should induce vs first to humble our selues in the sight of God Eph. 2. 3. and acknowledge that by nature we were the children of wrath as well as others as also that in vs there was neither worthinesse or merit that might moue God to elect vs but that only of his meer goodnes mercy loue he elected vs to life euerlasting Secondly this feeling of his loue and mercy toward vs shining in our election ought to kindle our harts and soules in the loue of God that they might euen burne in feruent loue toward him We loue God saith S. Iohn because hee firste loued vs. 1. Iohn 4.19 If the Sunne in his force shining vpon a stone can so heate the said stone that a man shal not be able to touch it with his hād how much rather shal we if we meditate vpon this loue toward vs in our election albeit we were as colde as marble be warmed and kindled to loue him with all our harts with all our strength and with all our mindes as himselfe hath also commaunded vs. Bernard in a tract of the loue of God 10 The cause saith S Bernard why we should loue him is God himselfe and the measure is to loue him beyond measure hee declareth that the diuinity in it selfe considered is worthye that we should loue it beyond measure how much then must we loue God when he communicateth to vs his loue goodnes mercy in electing vs to life euerlasting but if we loue God in such maner as our election that leadeth vs to his loue toward vs doth binde and admonishe vs we ought to studye to amend our liues in keeping his commandements as Iesus Christ requireth at our hands saying If ye loue me Luke 14.15 keepe my commaundements As also it is our duety to loue that which he loueth and willeth vs to loue and to hate that which he hateth and willeth vs to hate and this is the root of our bond to loue our neighbour for the loue of God and contrariwise not to loue the world Iames 4.4 because as the Apostle saith The loue of the world is enmity with God And for this cause must we also denye our selues and the flesh Rom. 8.7 because the affections thereof are repugnant to God yea euen for this must we be ready to forsake father mother Luke 14 26. goods and life it selfe for the loue of God for otherwise we are not worthy to be his 11 As in this loue to God and in all that we haue shewed to depend thereof the true amendment of life doth consist so doth it sufficiently appeare that there is not any more liuely or vehement argument to induce vs to amendment then the meditation and remembrance of our election and consequentlye of the loue of God towards vs which shineth in the same and this doth the Apostle Saint Paul writing to the Romains expressely confirme for in the 9.10 and 11. Chapters hauing at large entreated vpon predestination hee thereof doth in the beginning of the twelfth gather this vehement exhortation to amendment of life Rom. 12.1 I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that ye giue vp your bodyes a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable seruing of God And fashion not your selues like vnto this worlde but be ye changed by the renewing of your minde that ye may proue what is the good will of God acceptable and perfect He heere raiseth them vp to the consideration of the great mercies of God shining in their election to saluation thereby to giue them to vnderstand how deepelye it bindeth and should induce them to amendment of life So often therefore as we finde our selues slacke in the seruice of God or attempted to offend him let vs thinke vpon our election and the loue and mercye of God the spring and originall of the same that so we may be moued to loue God and to shew forth this loue by a carefull and continuall amendment of our liues 12 Moreouer the remembrance of our election ought to stirre vs vp incessantly to praise God First for the incomprehensible riches of the life and glory wherto we are elected Secondly by the apprehension of the horrible and eternall damnation of the reprobate wherefro election onely hath saued and preserued vs. The remembrance therfore of so great so wonderfull and meere incomprehensible a benefite thus doubly considered ought to rauish our soules and open our mouthes night day infinitly and vncessantly to praise God Besides if we consider the cursed state of the reprobate and meditate vpon the fire alwaies burning the woorme perpetually gnawing the darknes that shal be without end to be short the lamentations and gnashing of teeth proceeding of their anguish that shal be the wofull fruit of their sins the iust reward of their iniquities who can but detest the offending of God Men vse openly to execute the guiltye to the ende that others by the apprehension of their punishment may feare to commit the like transgressions let then the representation of the so wofull estate of the vessels of wrath burning in hell fire make vs to feare to commit any thing wherby to deserue like punishment 13 Again the knowledge of our election ought in vs to engender a stedfast assurance that we cannot perish My sheepe saith Iesus Christ Iohn 10.27 heare my voice and follow me and I giue vnto them life uerlasting None shall take them from me My father who hath giuen them vnto me is greater then them all and none is able to take them out of my Fathers hand Iohn 6.37 I and my Father are one Againe All that the father giueth me shal come vnto me and him that commeth to me I cast not away And this assurance is grounded first vpon the foreknowledge of God for he cannot be deceaued in the foreknowledge of that that is to come As indeed all is present in his sight yea euen more assuredly then are to vs those things that we
the reiecting of this error the elect may vnderstand that hauing bene called First by the preaching of the Gospell Secondly by the power of the holy Ghost ther are in them as it were two elections The one in that God almighty leauing so many others to whom hee hath not at all addressed the doctrine of his Gospell hath elected them to deliuer it vnto them the other in that reiecting so many others to whom he hath sent the preaching of his Gospell and yet neuerthelesse calleth them not by his holy spirite hee hath elected them that they might be called by the light and power thereof to the ende hee might saue them in his kingdome and glory And this consideration is vnto them as a twofold obligation wherein they are doubly bound as well incessantly to praise God as also to loue him and consequentlye to amend their liues And indeede if they that had the first grace namely the preaching of the Gospell and doe not beleeue and amend shal be more hardly entreated in the day of iudgement theÌ„ the enhabitants of Sodome and Gomorrah what do they deserue that are partakers also of the second grace Mat. 10.15 and haue the Gospell preached vnto them with the power efficacie of the holy ghost whereby they beleeue and are made the children of God in case the feeling of such a benefite truely incomprehensible and proceeding as it were from the bowels of Gods mercy loue toward them should not kindle their harts with a holy affection and zeale to amend their liues 16 As concerning the other error that the election of some and not of other some came of this that God did foresee that the men should doe either well or euill as the Pelagians did in olde time teach one only place of Saint Paul will be sufficient to condemne it Blessed be God saith he Ephes 1. 3 which hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessing in heauenlye places in Christ as hee hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the worlde that we should be holye and without blame before him in loue Who hath predestinated vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherewith hee hath made vs accepted in his beloued Throughout all this whole sentence there is not any worde but may â—â—fise to condemne this errour First where the Apostle saith that God hath blessed vs hee sheweth that the spirituall blessings whereof he speaketh are the giftes of the Father of light and come not of ourselues Secondly adding that he hath blessed vs in Christ he declareth that those blessings are imparted vnto vs not for our owne sakes but for Christes sake Thirdly in this according as he had chosen vs and that in Christ he noteth that our election commeth of God and is grounded vpon Christ and not vpon vs. Fourthly adding that hee had chosen vs before the foundation of the worlde and so before that man was he would that we should acknowledge our electioÌ„ to proceed from the eternall wil and counsell of God not from our works or our acceptation of his grace vnto vs offered Fifthly he hath euidentlye declared this in that he saith that we were chosen not in respect of any holynes that he foresaw in vs but to the end that we might be holy vnreproueable in his sight And therfore it is not the acceptation of Gods graces and the faithfull vse of the same foreseene in vs that maketh vs to be chosen but euen the election it self which bringeth forth this acceptation of grace and consequently faith and good workes Sixtly he addeth according to the good pleasure of his will to shewe that our election dependeth vpon the onely goodnes and will of God and not of men Seuenthly he confirmeth it adding to the praise and glory of the grace of God for if election had proceeded from the freewill and workes of men the praise and glorye thereof as Saint Paul many times noteth would haue redounded to themselues and not to God Rom. 4.2 and so God should not haue elected theÌ„ but they should haue elected themselues Lastly in adding that of his grace hee hath made vs acceptable in his wel beloued he euidentlye doth shew that it is not our acceptation of his grace that hath made vs acceptable whereby we should be elected but only his grace and the loue that he beareth to Iesus Christ 17 Moreouer if the election of some and not of other some should haue beene wrought according to the good or euill workes foreseen Rom. 9. it were in vaine for S. Paul to perswade vs to acknowledg the power and authoritie of God in shewing mercy to whome he will and hardening whom he will and to make the good will and pleasure of God the foundation of the election of some and not of other some for in maintenance of Gods iustice he might haue answered in one worde that hee had chosen some and not other some according to the merites of their workes which he foresawe In vaine also had it beene for him to cry out O the depth of the riches of the wisedome and knowledge of God Rom. 11.33 how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past finding out for could there be any thing more easilye comprehended or any answere more readye and plaine then to say that the election of some and not of other some was made according to the merites foreseene in euery one But the Apostle in not propounding this for the maintaining of Gods iustice doth sufficiently shew that we must not vse it and that it is a vaine and false allegation And indeed in another place for the foundation of our election and saluation opposing against the works of iustice not those which our selues shall doe but the mercy of God he plainly sheweth that our electioÌ„ is not wrought by the workes foreseene either done or to doe but by the onelye mercye of God 18 Heereto will wee also adde one notable place of Saint Augustine Augustine of predestinatioÌ„ c. 12. of t e benefite of perseuerance cap. 10. If the children of the faithfull sayth hee doo die in their infancie wee neuerthelesse beleeue that according to the teno of the couenant they shall bee saued It must needs then follow that they are elect and predestinate yet not by theyr workes foreseen for they neuer did anie But where the Pelagians replyed that God elected them for the good workes that he foresawe that they might haue done if they had liued He answereth that no man is punished or rewarded for the workes that hee hath not done nor neuer shall or that he neuer had neither could haue anie conceite or will to doo Whereupon it is written 2. Cor. 5.10 that euerie man shall receiue according as in his bodie hee hath done good or euill And for proofe heereof he alleadgeth the examples of
the Tiryans Sydonians of whome Iesus Christ sayth If his vertues and miracles had beene done among them Math. 11.21 they woulde haue conuerted and amended their liues And therefore God should haue chosen them that they might not haue bene damned And contrariwise the saying in the booke of Wisedome that Enoch was taken awaie by death least mallice should haue corrupted his heart doth shew Wisdo 4.10 Gen. 5.24 that he should haue beâ—â— reproued and condemned for the mallice foreseene wherewith hee might haue beene corrupted if hee had liued And thereof it must also followe that God had beene deceyued in foreseeing the thing that should neuer haue come to passe 19 As this error therefore which allotteth vnto man for the foundation of his election himselfe his free will and his woorkes doth diuerte him from the feeling and acknowledgement of the loue goodnesse grace good will and power of God and puffeth him vp in false and most pernitious opinion of his owne vertue and merites to his ouerthrow and destruction withall doth depriue God of his glorie so contrariwise the doctrine of election vnderstood and beleeued in manner as wee haue before declared doth teach and admonish vs to attribute the whole glorie of our saluation to one onely God incessantly to praise him to reuerence his power and infinite goodnesse wholy to depend vppon him and to walke in all humilitie confessing that in vs there is neither beginning nor preparation wherby God should be bound to choose and doo well by vs and therefore that all good namely our election is the pure gifte and free grace of the goodnes of God vnto vs. And to conclude This doctrine ingendereth in vs an assured certainty of our saluation infusing comfort and ioy into our harts with a zealous affection to consecrate our selues to the seruice of God with our whole hearts all the dayes of our liues 20 As for Gods prouidence the onely remembraunce that nothing befalleth vs but by the eternall will of him that hath elected vs in his sonne Iesus Christ ought to bring forth in vs many notable fruites First this doctrine teacheth vs to banish the prophane opinion of the heathen that imagined that all things came by fortune attributing to an idoll forged in theyr braines that thing which appertained onely to one God namely the euent of all that was done But as this is an intollerable idolatrie and sacriledge so representing theyr Goddesse fortune blinde they tooke awaie all feare of offending God and all desire to liue wel And in deede if all calamities and prosperities should befall man not by any conduct of prouidence iudgement or reason but by aduenture who would feare to doo euill for feare of correction and punishment Who would desire to liue well when hee should stande in doubte whether in well dooing hee shoulde bee blessed But when wee doo beleeue that all commeth by the prouidence of God who seeth all things and loueth righteousnesse and hateth iniquitie The onely remembrance that it is God that sendeth both good and euill will moue our heartes to feare correction punishment for doing euill and to hope for prosperitie and blessing in liuing in righteousnes and holines Thus will the knowledge of Gods prouidence stand vs in great stead to induce vs to amend our liues 21 The second fruit that groweth hereof is a true sanctification of the name of God For beleeuing all thinges to come of the will and prouidence of God all-wise all-righteous all-good and almightie euen euerie affliction calamitie that befalleth vs First the remeÌ„brance that he is righteous wil breed humilitie as knowing that it is in iustice that he afflicteth vs for our sinnes So Manaâ—les king of Iuda 2. Chro. 33 being grieuously afflicted in prison was by this doctrine moued to acknowledge his sinnes and consequentlye to humble himselfe before God Dan. 9 So Daniel speaking of the captiuity of the Iewes in Babylon confessing the sinnes both of the people and of himselfe among other things sayth To vs O Lord belongeth confusion but thou art righteous In this sense doeth Ieremie reproue the children of Israel Iere. 8.6 for that in their affliction no man said What haue I done Not that God alwayes taketh occasion of our sinnes to punish vs but because hee neuer afflicteth vs wrongfully or before wee haue deserued it And therefore shoulde the knowledge that it is hee that afflicteth vs humble vs and make vs confesse that hee is righteous Thus also shall wee beware of murmuring against God and saie with the Prophet Dauid O Lorde I helde my peace and opened not my mouth for it is thou that haste done it 22 Which is more this doctrine will teach vs to sanctifie his name that we shall praise him euen in our afflictions And in deed beleeuing that this God that punisheth vs is good and a well dooer also that louing vs in Iesus Christ without comparison better than a carnall father can loue his children Secondly that vndoubtedly he willeth the thing that is to our health and profite beleeuing moreouer that he is almightie and so can doo what hee will Thirdly that beeing infinitely wiser than we hee better than our selues doth knowe wherein our good and saluation doeth consist This feeling I saie of his goodnesse loue power and wisedome will force vs to conclude that all the affliction that hee saieth vppon vs is to our profite and good albeit in the iudgement of the flesh we thinke otherwise This is a true sanctification of the name of God and induceth vs to loue him when we are thus assured by the goodnes loue power and wisedome of him that afflicteth vs that the same affliction is good and profitable for vs and renouncing the contrarie iudgement of our flesh wee doo praise blesse God in the same when our spirite shall find that to be good which our flesh thinketh to be bad and that our spirite shall make vs to praise God for that which maketh our flesh to weepe To this purpose is the example of Iob verie notable For hee Iob 1 when hee lost all his goods and children sayde The Lorde hath giuen and the Lord hath taken awaie blessed be his name Afterward being extremly tormented in bodie he sayd Iob. 2.1 If wee haue receiued good from the hande of God shall wee not receiue euill First hee acknowledged all his affliction to proceede from the will and prouidence of God Next he felt that God by whose prouidence he was afflicted is as is aforesaid all good all wise and almightie And therefore in this sanctification of Gods name he concluded that affliction was good and profitable And this was the cause and reason that he blessed God in his affliction 1. Thes 5.18 as also S. Paul admonisheth vs to yeld thanks vnto God in all things 23 Againe this doctrine teacheth vs not to regard man that afflicteth vs but God who vseth him for our affliction
righteousnes What else haue wee therefore to doo but still to haue this name Iesus whereby wee bee aduertised that hee hath saued vs from our sinnes and consequently from eternall death before the eies of our vnderstanding that wee remembring that he hath withdrawen vs out of hell from eternall fire darknesse weeping and gnashing of teeth maye in heart bee feruently inflamed in his loue And that the remembrance that he hath paide so many deadly debts to discharge vs maye more and more inforce his loue Finally let the representation of the death of our olde man crucified with this Sauiour make vs so to abhorre sinne and corruption that we suffer it not to liue in vs to our owne death Thus shall the name Iesus beget in vs a feruent desire to loue him to please him and to obey his commaundement wherein hee willeth vs to amend our liues Acts 10.38 Luke 4.18 Esay 61.1 Iohn 1.16 1. Ioh. 2.27 8 Now let vs come to the title Christ. This name in Greeke as also the name Messias in Hebrue doeth signifie as much as if wee should saie Annointed And by this annointing is meant the fulnesse of the holie Ghost which he hath receiued as Saint Luke noteth and himselfe doth acknowledge where hee applieth to himselfe this saying of Esaie The spirite of the Lorde God is vpon mee for he hath annointed me He was fulfilled to the end wee might be partakers of his fulnesse as Saint Iohn saith who also speaketh of the holy Ghost saying The annointing that you haue receiued from him abideth in you 1. Cor. 3.16 and you need not to bee taught but as the same annointing teacheth you all thinges and it is true and is not lying and as it taught you yee shall abide in him Saint Paul calling vs the temples of God addeth this reason Rom. 8 9. that the holie Ghost dwelleth in vs. This name Christian deriued from Christ and proper to his disciples confirmeth the same For likewise as the same Apostle sayth They that haue not the spirite of Christ are not his But as there is no true or naturall fyre but yeeldeth heate or light so the holye Ghost cannot bee in vs wythout the feeling and shewing forth of effectes beseeming his holynesse And therefore this name Christ aduertising vs that wee are partakers of the annointing of his holy spirite should be vnto vs a mightie and liuely argument to amend our liues And this shall wee the better vnderstand by considering the names attributed to this spirite to represent vnto vs the effectes of the same 1. Pet. 5.2 First hee is called Holy because that of himselfe and in him selfe being holy euen in al perfection it is he that sanctifieth vs by separating vs from the common degree of other the children of Adam to the end we may be dedicated and consecrated to God Whereupon Saint Peter sayth that wee are elect through the prouidence of God in the sanctification of the spirite to obey and be sprinkled with the bloud of Iesus Christ And that as being made the children of God through faith we must be wholy renued Saint Paul teacheth vs that this commeth of the holy Ghost He sayth he that hath raised Iesus Christ from the dead Rom. 8.11 1. Cor. 15.45 shall quicken your mortall bodies with his spirit dwelling in you In this sense is he named the second Adam that proceeded from heauen in a quickning spirite For the Apostle compareth the spirituall life that Christ by his spirit imparteth to the beleeuers with the sensual life that men receiue from the first Adam And therefore we do in vaine boast of Christianitie and the spirit of Christ so long as we are not so renued as to haue nothing in common with the vnbeleeuers that dwell vnder the tirannie of the vncleane spirit which infecteth with all corruptions defilings all those that haue not the spirit of Christ 9 Particularly he is named the earnest pennie of our inheritance As when a man doth purchase an inheritance hee first giueth earnest that is some part of the monie promised Ephe. 1.14 that serueth as a beginning to the paiment of the total summe so God hauing redeemed vs by the bloud of Iesus Christ giueth the earnest penie of his holy spirit that is to saie a beginning of knowledge of the true God of sanctification of loue to God of righteousnes and of peace ioy in the holy spirit attending vntill he finish in vs the communication of that light ioy holynes and glory that we shal haue perfectly in heauen Whereby it appeareth that wee wrongfully boast our selues to be christiās annointed with the spirit of Christ so long as we be not indued at the least with some beginning of this heauenly light sanctification loue of God spiritual peace and ioy which are the earnest of the spirit do not indeuor daily to increse in these spirituall giftes and graces He is also called Water Esay 55.1 44.3 for of the holy Ghost doth Esaie speake saying Come vnto the waters all yee that thirst Againe I will poure my spirite vppon the thirstie and my riuers vpon the drie Then to expound the same he sayth I will poure forth my spirite vpon thy seede Heereby doth hee shewe vs that as raine with the moisture thereof fatteth the earth to make it fruitfull so doth the holy spirite with his inuisible grace make vs fruitfull to produce the fruites of righteousnes as Iesus Christ also declareth saying He that beleeueth in me Iohn 7.38 out of his belly shall flowe riuers of the water of life This saith S. Iohn he spake of the spirit that all they should receiue that beleeued in him As therefore if hearbs watered do stil continue drie we iustly saie they are dead so can we not aduow our selues to be Christians watered with the spirit of Christ so long as in sted of bearing fruit by amendement of life and giuing our selues to good workes we continue drie and withered 10 Sometimes hee is also called Water to signifie his power to purge and cleanse our filth and corruption as Ezechiel sayth I will poure vpon you cleane waters and yee shall bee cleansed Ezech. 36. 25 I will cleanse you from all your filthines and from your Gods of doung And will giue vnto you a new heart and will put into you a new spirite and I will take your stonie heart out of your flesh and will giue you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit into you and cause you to walke in my statutes and to keepe my ordinances and you shall doo them But if we in lieu of amending our liues do abide in our filthinesse and corruption with stonie heartes and keepe not the ordinances of the Lord it is in vaine for vs to intitle our selues Christians watered with the holye waters of his spirit And because that by watering vs with the liquors of his graces hee maketh vs strong
thou not remember what Iesus Christ pronounced That it had beene better for thee that a milstone had beene hanged about thy necke Luke 17. 2. and thou haddest beene cast into the sea then to haue offended euen the least of these Thus doe wee see how mightely the communion in the holy Supper of the Lord should moue our hearts to deny euery thinge that beseemeth not the children of God and members of the Church of Christ and more and more to endeuour to amende our liues Luke â—â— 19 1. Cor. 11.26 18 This holy Supper is also instituted to the end to celebrate it in the remembrance of Iesus Christ or as S. Paul saith to shew forth his death That is not only to report put men in mind that Christ is dead but also to represent vnto vs that he that dyed is the sonne of God and prince of glory Secondly that hee hath suffred not a simple death but euen such a death as was accursed in the law conioined with the terrible wrath of God Thirdly that he dyed not for the righteous and his frends but for sinners his enemies as our selues are all of vs by nature the Children of wrath Ephes 2.3 Can we then thus shew forth the death of Iesus Christ with our mouthes praise his great goodnesse mercie and loue towards vs which shineth therein yet in our workes prophane denie as it were euen spite him by liuing as men for whom Christ hath not dyed so in effect shew that sin liueth raigneth in vs which by the death of Christ whome we preach shold be mortified Let vs rather in eating the bread drinking the wine which lead vs to the death of Iesus Christ so relish and tast therein his goodnes and loue that our heartes may open our mouthes to declare this his death and that our hands and feet that is to say our works may agree herewith to the end in a holie harm onie to testifie by amendment of life the feeling of this in comprehensible benefite of his death whereof hee maketh vs pertakers in his holy supper to his praise and glorie 1 Cor. 10.17 19 Finally as loue is the fulfilling of the law and the marke of Gods children so is there nothing that can more mightely induce vs thereto then the vse of this holy supper And in deede as Saint Paule saith We that are many are but one bread one bodie for we are all partakers of one bread The bread made of many kernels is but one bread so we that communicate in the bread of the holy supper are but one bodie vnder one heade Iesus Christ There must therefore bee amonge vs such an vnion in thoughts minds and works such a feeling of the benefit of ioy and of the tribulation in sorrow such reliefe and support such equitie right such peace loue such help and succour as if there were but one liuing soule amonge vs all 1. Cor. 12.12 And this is it whereto S. Paule exhorteth vs saying As the body is one hath many members all the members of the body which is one though they be many yet are but one body so is Christ that is to say the Church vnited vnto the head Iesus Christ Neither is there as he saith in the same Chapter any deuision in a bodie but all the members haue like care one for another in somuch that if one of the members do suffer all the rest of the members do suffer with it and if one of the members be honoured all the rest do reioyce with it then he addeth Ye are the body of Christ the members thereof ech for your parts This seale therefore of our vnion should make vs to remember that which before was touched in the Chapter of charity or loue euen that we should not doe that to others which wee would not shoulde bee done to our selues also that we should so doe to others as we would be done vnto And as a great part of our amendement consisteth in the practise of theâ—e two rules so so often as wee do eate of the breade of the holy Supper let vs remember that that seale of our vnion doth bind vs to amend in any thing that dependeth vpon loue wherein consisteth the fulfillinge of the law as is aforesaid 20 Common prayers are also one part of the ministery And in the same ought euery one with hart and mind to accompany the mouth of the minister as if the whole congregation spake vnto God in him And what doe wee require in them Is it not that hee would vouchsafe to worke in vs all that he requireth of vs that wee may obey and please him Hereof then it followeth that the smale amendement that appeareth in vs is a manifest testimony that wee suffer the minister to speake alone to God and in our hartes haue no feeling of any desite or feruent affection to obtayne those graces that hee craueth of God for vs and consequently that we are ouertaken with hypocrisie and prophanation of the holy prayers Let vs therefore remember that we doe speak to God by the mouth of the minister and that we doe especially desire that hee would giue vs grace to amende that as our petition admonisheth vs of our obligation so being hearde wee may shew the fruit of our praiers in the amendment of our liues 21 To conclude the exercise of ecclesiasticall discipline is also a dependance of the holy ministerie And the principall ende thereof tendeth that euery member of the Church shold walke in the feare of God and that if any one goe astray he should bee brought backe into the way of saluation This doth euen already shew vs that wee are most desperately wicked if besides the documents exhortations reprehensions publicke admonitions we also despise reiect such as perticularly may be made vnto vs by those persons to whome God hath committed the care of our saluation by laying that burden vpon them When a man goeth astray in some forrest is it not a comfort to him to bee tould of his errour and taught the right way And when a man falleth into a ditch ready to be drowned is he not to thank him that pulleth him forth and saueth his life Surely this is the end and as it were the whole summe of this ecclesiastical discipline And because there bee some so hardened in wickednes that they dispise all admonitions and exhortations Iesus Christ hath giuen the Church authority to binde them denouncinge them to bee heathen and publicans that is men that haue no communion in the Church of Christ And this is it that he teacheth Mat. 18. 15. saying If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault betweene him thee alone If hee heare thee thou hast wonre thy brother But if he heare thee not take yet with thee one or two that by the mouth of two or three witnesses euery
we prouoke the wrath and indignation of God we leuie warre against him euen a woful warre to vs because God being stronger than we wil ouercome vs. Spake not the same Apostle to those that had knowledge of the truth when hee sayde Be not vnequally yoked with Infidels 2. Cor. 6 for what fellowship hath righteousnes with vnrighteousnes And what communion hath light with darknes what concord hath Christ with Beliall or what parte hath the beleeuer with the Infidell VVhat agreement hath the temple of God with Idols for ye are the temple of God as God hath sayd I will dwell among them and walke therein Here he speaketh of the whole man and consequently not of the soule only but also of the body as in another place he saith Our bodies are the temple of God therfore he addeth 1. Cor. 6.19 2. Cor. 6.18 Esa 52. Come out frō among the Idolaters and separate your selues sath the Lord touch not vncleane things and I will receiue you I will be your father and you shal be my sonnes my daughters saith the Lord. If God will not receiue vs to be his sonnes and daughters if he wil not be our father but vpon condition that wee touch no polluted thing then contrarywise those men that voluntarily do touch them yet do notwithstanding maintaine that stil they are the childrē of God do gainsaie the very truth and deserue to be cast off at his hands 3 When God to comfort Elias sayd 1. King 19.18 I haue yet reserued to my selfe 7000. in Israel euē all the knees that haue not bowed vnto Baal euery mouth that hath not kissed him doth he not shew that he cōdēneth all outward adoration and bodily reuerence to the Idoll and accounteth them markes of reprobation As also saying by Esay I liue Esa 45.23 euerie knee shall bowe vnto me Hee sheweth that all adoration euen in bodie is an homage due to God onely When satan sayd to Iesus Christ Math. 4.9 All these kingdomes will I giue thee if falling down thou wilt worship me It would haue sufficed him if Iesus Christ woulde haue made him but an outward reuerence with his bodie onelie And I praie what doo the tyrants persecuters of Gods children pretend but to cause men with their bodies to countenance theyr masse For as they cannot command the heart nor knowe the inward secretes of man so doo they require onely the outward view and obedience of the bodie And in deed such as persecute euen against their owne consciences the children and seruants of God will not sticke to whisper vnto them and saye Beleeue what yee will so yee goe to masse If it were lawfull to abandon our bodies to such idolatrie as in heart wee doo condemne the crosse of Christ shoulde bee abolished and all persecution taken awaie A man might so professe himselfe a Iewe and Turke yea hee myght countenance and assist all the greatest and most abhominablest Idolatries in the world so long as in heart he dislyked of them But then what should become of Christs martyrs Wherfore haue they suffered death Why did not they reseruing their hearts to God abandon their bodies to the seruice of Idols Dan. 3 Manut. and Morel vppon the pas of S. Cyptian And in Saint Augustines sermon of Ciprian the martyr And of his passion after the olde manuscripts obey the commandements of Idolatrous kings When Nabuchadnezzer commanded to worship the golden Image he required onely the outwarde adoration and reuerence and yet the three Hebrew princes chose rather to bee cast into the burning furnace than to obey it S. Ciprian was heerein so certaine and so fully resolued that when the tyrant offered to saue his life if hee woulde obey his commaundement and offer incense or sacrifice to the Idol counselling him to thinke vpon it he constantly answered that he needed neither consultation nor deliberation in so iust a matter that he would rather die than shew any testimonie of approuing such Idolatrie Yet might he haue escaped by yeelding onely his bodie to idolatrie keeping his heart vnto God Some Iudges there are who hauing knowledge of the truth do giue sentence of condemnation against the faithful in hart disalowing the sentence yet in mouth pronouncing the same Exod. 20.4 Are these men thinke you excusable in the sight of God When God in his law forbiddeth making any grauen images or liknes of any thing Speaketh he to the hād or to the hart Likwise when he addeth Thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them When for so the word that he there vseth doth signifie he prohibiteth not only to worship serue thē in mind but also he speaketh of the whole man rather more expressely of the bodie forbidding all adoration and outward seruice inuented by men 4 Saint Paul protesteth that Idolaters shal not inherite the kingdome of God 1. Cor. 6.10 Here he speaketh to the members of the Church and so to those who knowing the truth did not in hart allow of Idolatry he therfore threatneth those that shall assist therat in body Likewise Gods horrible iudgemēts executed vpon diuers euen in our time as vpō Frances Spiera an Italian others who knowing the truth became notwithstāding assistants at Idolatry false seruice alowing in body that which they in hart condemned do take away all excuse make those worthy double punishment that do pollute their bodies in Idolatry and so shew an outward testimonie of allowing that which their hart cōdemning the actiō of the body do abhorre To be short what is this assistance at the masse bowing of knees before the Idol but an actual testimonie that they allow all the Idolatries blasphemies there committed It is an opinion impression which they seeke by their assistance to infuse into others It is as if that the body should cry out say you see of what religion I am The body speaketh in liew of the mouth And thus instead of confessing Christ his truth they do in action renounce him so are to looke for no other sentence then the same which Iesus Christ himself hath pronounced saying Mat. 10 3◠Whosoeuer shal deny me before men him wil I deny before God my father If such men could but a little cōprehend how villanously Christ is dishonored in the masse how his office is vsurped his sacrifice abolished his death made frustrate the institution of his holy supper reuersed the zeale of the house glory of God would euen eate vp consume their harts whereby they should bee moued to shunne and abhorre the same and neuer to be assistant thereat 5 It may seeme to some that I need not to stand so long vpon so plaine a case But ther be hipocrites that dare alledge that they do it because they would not offend their neighbors This surely is a goodly charity First they speake against their