make whole and there is none that can deliuer out of mine hand I destroy the tokens of the Soothsayers Esay 44. 25 and make them that coniecture fooles I turne the Wisemen backward and make theyr knowledge foolishnes I forme the light and create darknesse Esay 45 7. I make peace and create euill I the Lord saith hee doe all these things §. 8. Our God is in heauen faith Dauid and Psal 115. 3 he doth whatsoeuer pleaseth him The heauen is his seate and the earth is Esay 66. 1. his footestoole Hee remaineth for euer his throne is Lam. 5 19. frō generation to generation * And there 1. Sam. 2 2. is no God like our God For hee as Salomon saith hath the Wisd 16. 13 power of life and death he leadeth down euen to the gates of hell and bringeth vp againe §. 9. God that made the world and all things Acts 17 24 25. that are therein saith the Apostle seeing that he is Lord of heauen and earth dwelleth not in Temples made with hands neither is he worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giueth to all life and breath and all things For in him we liue and mooue and haue verse 28. our beeing Yea hee as Plato saith by his almighty Plato power is in all things and in euery part of the world by his prouidence all things are preserued gouerned and moued and hee himselfe is of none other either mooued or gouerned but is the first incomprehensible mouer The eyes of all things waite vpon him Psalm 145. 15 16. and he giueth them theyr foode in due season hee openeth his hand and filleth with his blessing euery liuing thing But if he hide his face they are troubled Psalm 104 29. if hee take away their breath they die and returne to their dust For in his hand is the soule of euerie lyuing Iob 12. 10. thing and the breath of all mankind §. 10. The earth is the Lords saith Dauid and Psal 24. 1 all that therein is the world is his and so are all they that dwell therein Prosperitie and aduersitie life and death Ecclus 11 14 15. pouertie and riches come of the Lorde Wisedome and knowledge and vnderstanding of the Lawe are all of the Lord loue and good workes come of him For hee only is the Authour of all goodnesse Hermes and the giuer of all good gifts Yea euery good and perfect gift as Saint Iames. 1. 17. Iames saith is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of lights with whō is no variablenesse neyther shadowe by turning For the diuine nature and substance of Aristotle God suffereth neither change nor end because as Aristotle truly sayth it is both immutable and infinite §. 11. To come to preferment also is neyther Psalm 75. 6 7. from the East nor from the West nor yet from the South but the Lorde as Dauid saith is the Iudge hee putteth downe whō he will and hee setteth vp whom hee pleaseth It is the Lorde that giueth and it is the Iob 1 21 Lord that taketh away euen as it pleaseth the Lord so commeth things to passe §. 12. VVe read in the second booke of chronicles that when Asa King of Iudah was 2. Chron. 14 9 10 11. vrged to giue battaile against an Armie of tenne hundred thousand Ethiopians first before he beganne the fight hee made his humble supplication to the Almighty and in his prayer to shewe that the conquest consisted not in the great companie of his enemies souldiers but only in the might power of him that made both heauen and earth he said Help vs ô Lord our God It is nothing with thee to saue with manie or with no power helpe vs ô Lorde our God for we rest on thee and in thy Name saith hee are wee come against this multitude Ionathan likewise venturing by stealth 1. Sam. 14 6 to set vppon the Philistians garison at vnawares and beeing accompanied with none but onely his Armor bearer for his better encouragement he told him that it was not hard with the Lord to saue with many or with few For the victorie of the battell dependeth 1. Mac. 3. 19. not on the many thousands that are in the host but the strength commeth from heauen And is onely at his pleasure to be disposed whose power as * Iudith saith standeth Iudith 9 11. not in the multitude of Souldiers nor his might in strong men As may more at large be perceiued by reading the happy successe which folowed the enterprises of the aforesaide King Asa and Ionathan the Sonne of Saule against theyr enemies §. 13. Another example also concerning the power of Almightie God in this poynt is set downe in the booke of Iudges where Iudges 7 12 Gedion beeing appointed by the Lord to goe fight against the Midianites which were so mightie an host that as the Text sayth they lay in the valley like a company of Grashoppers and theyr Cammels were without number as is the sand by the Sea-side for multitude mustred vp an Armie Iuges 7. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. of thirty two thousand men And when he had done thus the Lord God called vnto him and said Gedion the people that are with thee are too many for me to giue the Midianites into theyr handes least Israell make their vaunt against me say Mine hand hath saued me Now therefore saith the most Mightie proclaime in the audience of the people and say Whosoeuer he be that is timerous or fearefull let him returne and depart Then saith the Text there departed of the people twentie two thousand and ten thousand remained And the Lord called againe vnto Gedion and sayd The people are yet too manie bring them therefore downe vnto the water I will try them for thee there and of whom I say vnto thee this man shal goe with thee the same shall goe with thee and of whomsoeuer I say vnto thee this man shall not goe with thee the same shall not goe So Gedion according as he was commaunded brought downe the people to the water and the Lord said vnto him As many as thou shalt see to lap the water with theyr tongues as a dogge lappeth put thē by themselues and euery one that shal bow downe on his knees to drinke put them likewise apart Now among those tenne thousand that came to the water to drink there was found but onely three hundred which lapped the vvater by putting their handes to theyr mouthes by which 300. men God most miraculously saued Israel deliuered the Midianites into their hands So that both by this example the former that sentence of our Sauiour is verified where hee sayth * The things which Luke 18 27 are vnpossible with men are possible with GOD. And surelie as Plato sayth hee alone is Plato most worthy to be taken for
8 of thine house the place where thine honour dwelleth The zeale of thine house ô Lord hath Psalm 69 6. eaten mee vp One day in thy Courts is better then a Psal 84 10. thousand other-where I had rather be a Doore-keeper in the house of my GOD then to dwell in the Tents of the vngodly As the Hart brayeth for the Riuers of Psal 42 1 2 water so panteth my soule after thee ô Lord. My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God When shall I come appeare before the presence of God I will loue thee deerely ô Lorde my Psal 18. 1. strength VVhom haue I ô Lord in heauen but Psal 73 25. thee and there is none vpon earth that I desire in comparison of thee I haue longed ô Lord for thy saluation Ps 119. 174. and thy law is my delight Oh how I loue thy law It is my meditation Psal 119. 97 continually Oh teach mee thy statutes ô Lorde Psalm 119. 26 27. make mee to vnderstand the vvay of thy commaundements and I will meditate in thy wondrous workes Teach mee ô Lord the way of thy statutes Psal 119 33 34 I will keepe it vnto the end Giue mee vnderstanding and I will keepe thy Law yea I will keepe it with my vvhole hart Direct me in the path of thy commaundements verse 35 for therein is my delight Behold I desire thy commaundements verse 40 quicken me in thy righteousnes And incline my hart vnto thy testimonies verse 36 Deale with thy seruaunt ô Lord according Ps 119 124. 125. to thy mercie and teach mee thy statutes I ô Lord am thy seruaunt graunt mee therefore vnderstanding that I may know thy testimonies Looke vpon mee and be mercifull vnto Psalm 119 132. mee as thou vsest to doe vnto those that loue thy Name Direct my steps in thy Worde and let verse 133. none iniquitie haue dominion ouer me Teach mee to doe thy will for thou art Psal 143. 10 my God Let thy good Spirit lead me vnto the Land of righteousnesse By these and manie moe such like sayings in the Booke of Psalmes dooth thys princely Prophet make manifest as I said before with vvhat earnest zeale feruent affection hee alwayes loued the Lord and his Law The true and perfect loue also of man to his Maker was as it seemeth deeply rooted in the hart of old Eleazer when he refused all the friendship worldly fauours 2 Mac 6 28 that were offered vnto him by the seruants of Antiochus and chose rather to suffer death by torments then to saue his life by breaking the rules of his Religion With the like loue and constancie did the seauen brethren and their mother endure 2 Mac. 7. death by tortures vnder that wicked Tyrant Antiochus and left behinde them a woorthy remembrance of their feruent affection to the Lawe of the Lorde their God VVe reade also in the Newe-testament that Saint Stephen the first Martir after Acts 7 59. Christ through his religious loue to his Lord and Maister willingly suffered himselfe to be stoned to death commending his spirit into the hands of his Creator And such like diuine and holy loue to Christ our Captaine ought euery Christian professor to harbour in his heart else may it greatly be doubted that hee shall shoote short of life euerlasting §. 6. But as I said in the beginning this loue is both diuine and charitable First mouing man to loue the Lord and his lawe for the sundry blessings and benefits which God both already hath and daily doth bestowe vppon him through Christ Secondlie to loue his neighbour or brother as himselfe because GOD in his holy Worde hath so commaunded him and for that hee is the very forme of his own Image or likenes With which kinde of charitable loue of man to man or man to his neighbour was the heart of the Samaritane softned vvho Luke 10. 33 34 35. finding a stranger in the high-vvay halfe dead first bound vp the wounds of his body then setting him vpon his own beast brought him to an Inne and made prouision for him commaunding the Host of the house to take care of him and looke quoth he what-soeuer the charges of this man commeth vnto more then the two pence which I now giue thee at my next comming hether I will pay thee all But with more then charitable loue of man to his neighbour was the hart of holy Moises moued when through his great affection hee prayed vnto the Lord to pardon the foolish and Idolatrous sinne of his people Yea such was his feruent affection more theÌ„ charitable loue towards them that he desired of GOD in his prayer to Exod 32 32 graunt that theyr foule offence might be forgiuen or else his owne name to be rased out of the Booke of life And vvith more also then charitable loue of man to his neighbour was the Apostle Saint Paule acquainted when verie zeale for Gods glory and loue to his owne Nation enforced him to say * I vvould Rom 9 3. wish my selfe to be separated from Christ or to loose mine owne saluation for my Bretheren that are my kinsmen according to the flesh I terme these two last ensamples more then charitable loue because it made these men ready to refuse their ovvne soules health rather then their Brethren should be vnpardoned and cast from their Creator for their offences §. 7. By which few examples onely wee may sufficiently perceiue the forcible effect of true and perfect loue and iustly may wee confesse with the afore-named Apostle That * although we speak with the tungs 1 Cor 13 1 2 3. of men and Angels and haue not loue we are but as sounding Brasse or a tinckling Cymball And though wee had the gift of prophecie and knewe all secrets and all knowledge yea if we had all fayth so that we could remoue mountaines and had not loue we were nothing And though vvee feede the poore with all our goods giue our bodies to be burned haue not loue it profiteth vs nothing For God hath chosen vs in Christ Iesus Ephe 1 4 before the foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue And this commaundement haue we of 1 Ioh 4 21. him that he which loueth GOD should loue his brother also For as a King is honoured in his Image Bernard so God in man is either loued or hated hee cannot hate man who loueth GOD neither can hee loue GOD who hateth man Also like as the body without the soule Fulgotiâ—â— enioyeth no life so all other vertues without godlie loue are but colde and fruitlesse §. 8. If wee loue one another saith S. Iohn 1 Ioh 4 12 God dwelleth in vs and his loue is perfect in vs. Also hee that loueth his Brother abideth 1 Ioh 2 10 in the
and art comforted all that see my good intent and there-with are pleased First his blessed Name be honoured thy comfort daily increased all our saiths for euer through Iesus Christ established Thine I. B. ⧠The contents of the whole booke following 1. OF God that he is great in power rich in mercie slowe to anger iust in iudgement righteous in all his wayes and wonderfull in all his works 2. What Man is by nature how short and vncertaine the dayes of his life are And how sure it is that after this life ended we must all appeare before the Iudgement seate of God to receiue euery one according as his works shall be 3. Of Christ why he came and what profit we haue by his Death Resurrection and Ascention 4. Of Faith Feare and Loue beeing three principall vertues necessarilie belonging to euery true Christian. 5. What the will desire of Almighty God is concerning men and how louinglie he admonisheth euery one to come to repentance promising mercy forgiuenesse to all those that amend 6. What manner of seruice is required of vs during this life both towards God and our Neighbour 7. Of trouble and affliction whereby God trieth the harts of all those that faithfully feare and loue him 8. Of the manifold benefites of God bestowed vpon the godly heere in this life with the promises of their euerlasting felicitie in the world to come 9. Of the heauie wrath of God against the wicked and vngodly heere in this world with the threatnings of their eternall torments in the world to come ⧠The Names of all the Authors mentioned in this Booke Christian Authours SAint Ambrose S. Augustine S. Ierome S. Chrisostome S. Gregory Clem. Alexandri Epiphanius Hillarius Origen Cyprian Cyrill Isidorus Basill Beda Anselmus Bernard Erasmus Constantius Vincentius Lactantius Ignatius Tertullian Theophilactus Ireneus Iusti. Martyr Cassianus Cassiodorus Eugenius Euagoras Fulgentius Fulgotius Luther Pet. Ramus Marlorate Plotinus Pacuuius Caluine Lyra. Boetius Virgilius Orosius Rauisius Pet. Lombardus Polion Maxentius Carolus Magnus Sigismundus Arnobius Anth. Gueuara Bullenger Leo. Aeneus Siluius Pet. Martyr Phil. MelancthoÌ„ Martin Bucer Hemingius Becon Osorius Beza Granado Iunius Tremelius Vrsinus Heathen Philosophers SOcrates Plato Hermes Plutarch Pythagoras Solon Cicero Macrobius Cleobulus Seneca Crates Thales Chilo Bias Menander Protogenes Antisthenes Anaxagoras Heraclitus Pyndarus Marcus Aurelius Gallen Hipocrates Alex. Seuerus Euripides Aristides Demonax Valerius Max. Dion Theophrastus Salust Quintilian Zenophon Isocrates Xenocrates Diogenes Aristotle Anacharsis Herodotus Thucidides ⧠Faultes escaped Page 14 line 4 for setteh reade setteth Page 39 line 4 for wondefull read wonderfull Page 63 line 25 for or God read our God Page 265 line 28 for that that it read that it Page 352 line 17 for body read belly Page 500 line 25 for misciefe read mischiefe Page 512 li. 20 for imagination read imaginations ⧠The Harmonie of holie Scriptures ¶ Of God that hee is great in power rich in mercy â—â—ow to anger iust in iudgement righteous in all his waies and wonderfull in all his workes VISDOM 15. verse 3. For to know GOD is perfect righteousnesse and to knowe his power is the roote of immortalitie Of God c. §. 1. MOyses the seruaunt of the liuing GOD after hee had seene many miracles and vvrought diuers vvonders through Diuine assistance before the face of Pharao King of Egipt and the children of Israel in the vvildernes talking on a time familiarly with his Maker amongst many other petitions humbly Exo 33. 18 besought the Lord to â—hew him his glorie Wherevnto the Almightie returned this 〈…〉 swere saying Thou canst not see my Exo 33 20. 〈…〉 or there shall no man see mee liue No man saith S. Iohn hath seene God Iohn 1 18 at any time the onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him No man knoweth the Son saith Christ Math 11 27 but the Father neither knoweth anie man the Father but the Sonne and he to whom the Sonne will reueale him §. 2. What man hath seene GOD thâ—t the Ecclê° 43 31 might tell vs saith the Wiseman oâ— who can magnifie him as hee is Who shall declare * vnto vs the power of his greatnes Ecclus 18 4 or vvho will take vpon him to tell ouâ— his mercie Canst thou saith Zophar vnto Iob by Iob 11 7 8 9 searching finde out God Canst tâ—ou find out the Almightie to his perfection The Heauens are hie saith he what canst thou doe It is deeper theÌ„ Hell how canst thou knowe it The measure thereof is longer then the Earth and it is broader then the Sea By which kinde of questioning the holie man seemeth to tell vs that if we be not able to comprehend the height of heauen the depth of hell the length of the ea 〈…〉 or the bredth of the sea which are but 〈…〉 tures it wil be much more vnpossible for vs to vnderstand the perfection of the Creator which is God himselfe For hee as Sirach rightly saith is * aboue all his workes Ecclê° 43 28 §. 3. Salomon as we reade of him was the richest man in wisedome that euer liued and one that gaue his minde to knowe as much as man might know yet could he not by all his diligence come neere the perfection of the Almightie but plainely euen in his Booke of Wisdome confesseth both his owne and all other mens imperfections in that poynt where he sayth Hardly can we discerne the things that are vpon the earth Wisd 9 16. with great labour find we out the things which are before vs who can theÌ„ seeke out saith he the things that are in heauen For like as the grounde is appointed to beare the wood and the Sea to carrie his 2 Esdr 4 21 floods so they that dwell vppon the earth can vnderstand nothing but that which is vpon the earth and they that are in the heauens the things which are aboue the height of the heauens §. 4. Wisedome willeth vs therefore as Fulgosius Fulgosius sayth not to bee ouer-quisitiue in searching out either the secretes of Gods hidden counsell or the greatnesse of his incomparable maiestie for feare wee be suddainly smitten with the thunderstroake of his glorie But let it rather suffise vs in knowledge touching the proportion of his person to say as Plato that diuine Phylosopher saide Plato God is without any body invisible and also immortall whose forme cannot be deprehended with the eyes of mortall men nor yet described by any sensible knovvledge Or to say as learned Hermes Trismegistus Hermes sayd That is God which lacketh beginning and ending which God beeing made of none hath by his own power created all things Or els to say as much as a more worthie man then any of them both namelie holie Iob sayd Behold God is excellent wee Iob 36 26 know him not neither may the number of his yeeres
an Oratour Plato or so mightie an Enchaunter as the life of Man is for it subtilly perswadeth vs the contrary of that which wee often both see in others and feele in our selues For notwithstanding that we knowe our owne frailetie and that wee must die yet vvhat wrongs what hatreds what labours of the body and molestations of our minde doe we greedily deuise and daily begin afresh euen as it were in hope or rather full assuraunce of so much time of life as shall be sufficient to finish our determinations and suffer vs to enioy the desired fruite of our enterprises Rightly therefore saith the Phylosopher Socrates that the cheefe cause of all euils that happen to man is man him-selfe for hee through his greedy lusts and couetous desires is both troublesome to himselfe and offensiue to all other creatures VVhat a shame and folly is it then for Theophr men to complaine of God for the shortnesse and many miseries of their life when as they themselues through riot malice contention murder and vvarres make it much more shorter and fuller of troubles then otherwise it would be both in themselues and sundry other men §. 3. If man would consider well his life saith Marcus Aurelius Aurelius hee should surely finde that there is nothing in it but trouble of hart vexation of minde combersome businesse and carefull thoughts One while prouiding things necessary to defend the body from cold another while seeking meanes needfull to protect it from too much heat To day diligent in casting plots which way hee may best augment his wealth to morrow circumspect howe hee may safely keepe the goods which he hath alreadie gotten Sometime very prouident for the foode of his belly next altogether mindfull for clothes to his backe In the day time molested with a thousand cogitations in the night time disquieted vvith fantasies and visions So that hee is neuer apt of himselfe to Bias. keepe any meane or measure in his actions concerning either gladnesse or sorow but is continually driuen and carried away by the violence of affection sometime vvith compassion and sometime with rage and furie euen as his desire present doth ouerrule and gouerne him VVhereby it is manifest that miseries in Herodotuâ— this world haue power ouer man not man ouer miseries And sooner shall vvee want teares to lament Senecâ— then cause of sorrowe to complaine during this life Wherefore if we reckon our life by the Melancthon yeeres of nature howe long wee may liue wee shall finde the time very short but if we count it according to the coÌ„tinuall cares and troubles therein we shall thinke it too too long And surely were it not for the hope wee Bernard may haue heere to attaine at last to the kingdom of heauen this life of ours would seeme little better then the life of hell it selfe §. 4. O life saith Pythagoras how or which Pythagoras way may a man gette from thee vvithout deaths helpe Thy euils are infinite and no man is perfectly able either to auoyde or to abide them For there is no kinde of life in this world Menander but it may be exceedingly discommended as hauing in it no notable vvoorthy or honorable thing but all mingled with frailty weakenes and many molestations VVhat life then should a man leade Abroad that is to say in offices he is oftentimes combered with strifes and many troublesome actions at home he is vexed with greefes in the fielde wearied with labours on the sea molested with feare in wandering or â—ournying if it be voyde of perrill yet shall hee finde it painfull and tedious Art thou a maried man then canst thou not liue without cares Art thou vnmaried then is thy life vaine solitary Hast thou chyldren they bring with them many sorrowes Hast thou none the want of them makes thy life seeme vnpleasant Art thou a young man youth is wanton wilde and foolish Art thou an olde man age is froward weake and feeble §. 5. Alas alas saith the vveeping Phylosopher Heraclituâ— how many are the miseries strange the calamities that diuers wayes happen to men in this life One beeing in the morning in wealthy estate is by some suddaine accident ere night made miserably poore and needâ—e wofully bewayling the losse of his children wife and goods Another lamenteth the lacke of his health libertie or necessary liuing A third labouring for his liuing mayneth himselfe by mischaunce with his owne working-toole whilst hee is earnestly plying his busines The idle person is pined vvith famine bitten with dogs imprisoned and whipped in euery good Towne The gamster breaketh his leg in dauncing his stones in vaulting his lunges in running his arme his shoulder or his necke in wrestling The adulterer consumeth himselfe with botches and filthy lepry The dicer is suddainly stabbed in with a dagger The studient is continually troubled vvith the rewme or the gowte VVhat man is free from the strokes of theeues and murtherers or from the woundes slaughters and violence of souldiers Besides all these wee often see iust innocent men wrongfully punished imprisoned banished and some-time put to a shamefull kinde of death Chyldren are smothered in the cradle fall into the fire are drowned in the vvater ouer-run vvith beastes poysoned with Spyders murthered plagued or infected with the corruptioÌ„ of the ayre And besides these also we are subiect to diuers sicknesses and casuall mishaps as falling of houses dearth famine thunderbolts lightning floods and many moe troublesome chaunces vvhich suddainly light vpon all mankind indifferentlie The consideration whereof caused Aristotle Aristotle to say That Man is the patterne of frailety the spoyle of time the play of fortune the image of inconstancie the tryall of enuie and misery and all the rest of him fleame and choller ¶ Of the causes why God suffereth man to be so much subiect to misery §. 1. THE many miseries happening to Granado man in this life are ordained of God saith Granado as a punishment for our sinnes and a meanes to vvithdraw our harts from the inordinate loue of this present world Yea the very cause saith he why God would haue vs to be so often molested and vexed in this life is that wee might the more willingly forsake it and sigh continuallie for the true life vvhich is only to be enioyed in the world to come For little reckoning would we make Hâ—rmes small regard would we haue of the blessed life of the soule which it entereth into after it is parted from the body if this life had any certaine pleasure in it Wherefore hee that thinketh to liue in Plato this world without labour and sorrowe is a foole for GOD hath so appointed our state that we by vertue of our soule should suffer subdue all kinde of aduersities Yea God hath purposely ordained the Euagoras greefes miseries sorrowes of this life to be so many and
examples that the Saints of God yea such men as vvere most high in Gods fauour haue alwaies beene carefull to serue their Creator with feare and reuerence And without true feare and reuerence Augustine no man liuing can be righteous in the sight of God Boldly hereby may we then with Sirach Ecclê° 18 26 count him a vvise man that feareth God in all his actions And rightly with Salomon pronounce Prou. 28. 14 him blessed that standeth alwaies in dread to doe that which may offend his Maker But hee that hardneth his owne hart shall fall into euill Happy therefore is the man vnto whoÌ„ Ecclê° 25. 12. it is graunted to haue the feare of God And blessed is the soule of him that feareth Ecclê° 34. 15 the Lord. Yea blessed is euery one that feareth Psal 128. 1. the Lord and walketh in his wayes It shal goe wel with such men at the last Ecclê° 1 13. and they shall finde fauour in the day of their death For who so feareth the Lord hee shall Ecclê° 1 18 prosper and at the end of his life hee shall be blessed Yea the spirits or soules of such men Ecclê° 34 13 shall surely liue for their hope is in the Lord their God that can helpe them ¶ Of Loue. §. 1. LOue as Plotinus saith is a diuine Plotinus passion of the soule or Spirit inspiring it with a celestiall desire of heauenly things and inflaming the harâ— to God-ward through the hope vvhich iâ— conceiueth of euerlasting felicitie But like as I haue saide before of Feare that there are two sorts thereof so doe I heere certifie vnto euery one that readeth that diuers worldly men haue out of this holie roote of Loue deriued tvvo seuerall Trees Namely this diuine Loue wholelie dedicated to Pietie and an immodest affection extending it selfe to base Concupiscence vvhich they entitle by the name of Loue also This vile Loue or rather Concupiscence is as Aristotle saith the vvorst Aristotle worke of a mans Malus Genius It disturbeth the passions of the hart and maketh the sences mad It is the roote of violence furie murders and execrations and the sole confounder of all the holy actions of the soule Full fraught with this filthy lust-loue was the heart of wicked Amnon vvhen 2. Sam. 13. through his deceitfull policie he obtained meanes to abuse by violence the body of his sister Thamar But the other Loue sirnamed Charitie which is true perfect diuine and onelie sacred * is the very originall and cheefe Gregory ground of all godly actions It is the way of man to God the vvay Augustine of God to man It is heauens Embassadour to the soule Rauisius and the whole scope or fulfilling of all Gods commaundements §. 2. This Loue as the Apostle saith suffereth 1 Cor 13 4. 5 6 7. long It is bountifull It enuieth not It doth not boast it selfe It is not puffed vp It disdaineth not It seeketh not that which is her owne It is not prouoked to anger It thinketh not euill It reioyceth not in iniquitie but reioyceth in the truth It suffereth all thinges It beleeueth all things It hopeth all things It endureth all things This loue teacheth vs true vvisedome Plato namely to loue the soule more then the body not the body â—etter then the soule This loue beeing both diuine and charitable mooueth a man according to the Deut 6 5 commaundement of God in the Law to loue his Maker aboue all things and his Leuit 19. 18 neighbour as deerely as hee loueth himselfe This loue beeing a good and gracious Plotinus affect of the soule so worketh in the harts of the godly that they haue no fancie to esteeme value or ponder any thing in the wide world beside or before the care and studie how to please God For the greatest argument of godly loue Pacuuius is to loue that which God willeth and to forbeare to doe that which he hath forbidden §. 3. This loue resembleth fire which naturally Erasmus inflameth all things that it toucheth This loue teacheth vs according to the commaundement of our Sauiour Christ Math 5 44. to loue our enemies to blesse them that curse vs to do good to them that hate vs and to pray for them that hurt vs and persecute vs. Yea this loue couereth all trespasses Prou 10 12 It is strong as death Much water cannot Cant 8 6. 7 quench it neither can the floods drown it This loue maketh men to forsake sinne Chrisostome and embrace vertue This loue increaseth fayth begetteth Augustine hope and maketh vs at peace with God This loue in aduersity is patient in prosperitie Bernard temperate in passions strong in good workes quicke in temptations confident in hospitality bountifull This loue is neuer idle but alwayes labouring Ambrose to serue him whom it loueth §. 4. This loue as Pacuuius saith cannot Pacuuius stand with any worldly care or studie for the things of this life neither abideth it the coupling with any other loue It beareth no partiall affection to kindred It knoweth no difference betweene poore rich It knoweth not what meaneth mine and thine Neither can it deuide a foe from a friende For hee that truely and perfectlie loueth GOD loueth him alone nothing besides him nor with him but all thinges indifferently in him and for him By which speech it appeareth that the * right measure where-with vvee ought to Bernard loue God is to loue him entirelie without either end or measure Not in part but in whole as hee himselfe in his holy VVorde hath willed vs Leuit 6. 5. Luke 10 27 namely vvith all our heart vvith all our soule with all our minde with all our strength VVhich speech of GOD beeing by Maister Becon in a certaine Sermon of his Becon expounded hee enterpreteth the same in this manner saying To loue God with all our hart is to preferre the loue of him both aboue before all things else whatsoeuer To loue God with all our soule is to loue him discreetly To loue God with all our minde is continually to meditate vpon his commaundements And to loue him with all our strength is manfullie to suffer all kinds of aduersities with willingnesse patience for the testimonie of his truth §. 5. VVith this sacred and religious loue of man to his Maker was the hart of holie Dauid greatly enflamed as may for example be seen in sundry places of his psalmes where in zealous affection to the Lorde and his Lavv he first of all saith * One Psalm 27. 4 thing haue I desired of the Lorde the which I will still require euen that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life to beholde the beauty of the Lord and to visite his holy Temple I haue loued ô Lord saith hee the habitation Psalm 26.
doctrines of deuils vvhich speake lyes through hypocrisie and haue theyr consciences burned with an hote yron forbidding to marry and commaunding to abstaine from meates which God hath created to be receiued vvith giuing thanks of them which beleeue and knowe the truth For euery creature of God is good and verse 4 5 nothing ought to be refused if it be receiued with thanksgiuing For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer Yee therefore beloued seeing yee know 2. Pet. 3. 17 these things before beware least ye be also plucked away vvith the errour of the wicked and fall from your owne stedfastnesse For of this sort are they vvhich creepe 2. Tim. 3. 6. 7. into houses and leade captiue simple women laden with sinnes and led with diuers lusts VVhich vvomen are euer learning and are neuer able to come to the knowledge of the truth ¶ Against ouer-curious searching and adding of any thing to the word of God §. 1. SEeke not out saith Sirach the thinges Ecclus 3 22. that are too hard for thee neither search the things rashly which are too mightie for thee But what God hath commaunded thee verse 23. thinke vpon that with reuerence and bee not curious in many of his workes for it is not needfull for thee to see with thine eyes the things that are secrete Be not curious in superfluous matters for verse 24 25 many things are shewed vnto thee aboue the capacitie of men The medling vvith such hath beguiled many an euill opinion hath deceiued their iudgement Thou canst not see without eyes professe verse 26. not the knowledge therefore vvhich thou hast not §. 2. I through the grace that is giuen vnto Rom 12 3 mee saith the Apostle say to euery one that is among you that no man presume to vnderstand aboue that which is meet to vnderstand but that he vnderstand according to sobrietie as GOD hath dealt to euery man the measure of fayth For hee is sufficiently rich in vnderstanding Hermes that knoweth how to doe well and hee hath power enough that can refraine from dooing euill §. 3. Ye shal put nothing vnto the word which Deut 4 2 I commaund you saith Moises neyther shall yee take ought there-from that yee may keepe the commaundements of the Lord your GOD which I commaund you Therefore what soeuer I commaunde Deut. 12. 32. you take heede you doe it Thou shalt not turne away from it to the Iosua 1 7. right hand nor to the left that thou maist prosper whether soeuer thou goest §. 4. Put nothing vnto the word of God saith Prou. 30. 6. Salomon least hee reproue thee and thou be founde a lyer For I protest saith the holy Ghost vnto Reue. 22. 18 euery man that heareth the wordes of the prophecie of this booke If any man shall adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in thys Booke And if any man shall diminish of the Reue. 22 19 words of the booke of this prophesie God shall take away his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy Citty and from those thinges vvhich are vvritten in this booke ¶ Against foolish securitie §. 1. SAy not thou I will hide my selfe from Ecclê° 16 17 the Lord for who will think vpon me from aboue I shall not be knowne in so great an heape of people for what is my soule among such an infinite number of creatures But rather remember vvhat our Sauiour Christ saith in Saint Mathewes Gospell namely that one sparrow falleth not to the ground without the will of God our heauenly Math. 10. 29. 30. Father and that all the haires of our head are numbred by him Howe much more then may wee vndoubtedly beleeue that wee our selues are knowne and numbred of him For hee onely is the Creator and Preseruer of men and without his permission wee are not able to drawe our breath a minutes while §. 2. Besides thus speaketh the Lord himselfe Iere 23 23 24. interrogatiuelie by the mouth of Ieremy saying Am I a GOD at hand and not a GOD farre off Can any hide himselfe in secrete places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Doe not I fill heauen and earth saith the Lord And to this effect likewise tendeth the speech of the Prophet Dauid in the 139. psalme where he saith O Lord thou hast Psalme 139. 1. 2 3 c. tryed mee knowne mee thou knowest my sitting my rising thou vnderstandest my thought a farre off thou compassest my pathes and my lying downe and art accustomed to all my wayes For there is not a word in my tongue but loe thou knowest it vvholie ô lord Thou holdest mee straite behinde and before and layest thy hand vpon mee Thy knowledge is too wonderfull for mee it is so high that I cannot attaine vnto it Whether shall I goe from thy Spirit or whether shall I flee from thy presence If I ascend into heauen thou art there If I lie downe in hell thou art there Let mee take the wings of the morning and dwell in the vttermost parts of the sea yet thither shall thy hand leade mee thy right hand hold mee If I say yet the darknesse shall hide me euen the night shall be light about mee Yea the darknes hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day and the darknes and the light are both alike For thou hast possessed my reines thou hast couered mee in my mothers vvombe ¶ Against the loue of the world §. 1. LOue not the vvorld saith Saint Iohn 1 Ioh 12 15. neither the things that are in the world If any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him For all that is in the worlde as the lust verse 16 17 of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the World And the vvorld passeth away the lust thereof but hee that fulfilleth the will of God abideth euer Yee adulterers and adultresses know ye Iames 4 4 not that the amitie of the world is the enimitie of God Whosoeuer therefore vvill be a friende of the world maketh himselfe the enemie of God And they that waite vpon lying vanities Ionas 2. 8. forsake theyr owne mercie §. 2. VVhat is there in the World saith Seneca Seneca wherefore it should be loued The flowers of this life to wit the lusts pleasures thereof are all of them false shewes shadowes and vanities the fruites of it are labour care sicknes and tediousnesse the tree it selfe is corruption frailety And hee that is enamored of the world Seneca may well be likened to the man which voluntarily runneth into the Sea who if hee chaunce to scape the dangers thereof men will say hee is greatly fortunate but if hee perrish they will say he was wilfully deceiued
20 31 followeth the Lord is better then hee that gouerneth his life without the Lord. And our light affliction which is but for 2. Cor. 4. 17. a moment causeth vnto vs a far more excellent and eternall waight of glory while we looke not on the thinges that are seene but the things which are not seene For the things that are seene are temporall verse 18 but the things which are not seene are eternall For vvee are saued by hope but hope Rom. 8. 24. 25. that is seene is no hope for howe can a man hope for that which he seeth But if wee hope for that we see not we doe with patience abide for it Likewise the Spirit of God also helpeth Rom 8 26. our infirmities for we know not what to pray as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes vvhich cannot be expressed But he that searcheth the harts knoweth verse 27. what is the meaning of the Spirit for hee maketh request for the Saints according to the will of God Also wee knowe that all things worke verse 28. together for the best vnto them that loue GOD. And I count saith the Apostle that the Rom 8 18 afflictions of this present time are not worthie of the glory which shall be shewed vnto vs. Neyther may the many yeeres of thys World be any way comparable vnto the length of dayes in the life to come * For Ecclâ—s 18 9. as drops of raine are vnto the Sea and as a grauell stone is in comparison of the Sand so are a thousand yeeres to the dayes euerlasting Of the manifold blessings and fauours of Almightie God extended vnto the godly heere in this life with the promises of theyr euerlasting felicitie in the World to come PROVERBS 21. verse 21. Hee that followeth after righteousnes mercy shall finde life righteousnes and glory §. 1. BLessed is the man saith Dauid that Psal 1. 1. 2. doth not walke in the counsell of the wicked nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the seate of the scornefull But hath his delight in the lawe of the Lord and in that lawe doth exercise himselfe both day and night For he shall be like a tree planted by the verse 3 waters side vvhich will bring foorth her fruite in due season whose leafe shall not wither or fade away and looke what-soeuer hee doth it shall prosper Blessed saith Ieremy is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope is the Iere. 17. 7. Lord himselfe For hee shall be as a tree planted by the water which spreadeth out her rootes by the riuer and shall not feele verse 8 when the heate coÌ„meth but her leafe shall be greene shall not care for the yeere of drought neither shall cease from yeelding fruite Yea blessed is the man saith Sirach Ecclê° 14 21 that doth meditate honest things by vvisedome and exerciseth himselfe in iustice reasoneth of holy things by his vnderstanding Which considereth in his hart the wayes verse 22. 23. of VVisedome and vnderstandeth her secrets and goeth after her and continueth in her wayes For he shall looke in at her windowes Ecclê° 14. 24 25 and harken at her doores hee shall abide beside her house and shall fasten a stake in her walles Hee shall pitche his tent nie vnto her verse 26. 27. hand and in his lodging shall good things rest for euermore Hee shall sette his children vnder her couering he shall dwell vnder her branches By her hee shal be defended from the heate and in her glory shall hee rest For life is in the way of righteousnesse Prou 12 28 and in that path-way there is no death §. 2. Blessed therefore is the man that feareth Psal 112. 1. the Lord and delighteth greatly in his commaundements Yea blessed is he that maketh the Lord Psalm 40 4 his trust and regardeth not the proude nor such as turne aside to lies For his seed shal be mighty vpon earth Psa 112. 2 3 and his generation shall be blessed Riches and treasures shall be in his house and his righteousnes shall endure for euer Though he fall hee shall not be cast off Psal 37. 24 for the Lord putteth vnder his hand Surely hee shall neuer be mooued but Psal 112. 6. shall be had in euerlasting remembrance For the Lord loueth iudgement forsaketh Psal 37. 28. not his Saints they shall be preserued for euer-more §. 3. If saith the Almightie vnto Israel yee Leuit. 26. 3. 4. 5. walke in mine ordinaunces and keepe my commaundements and doe them I will then send you raine in due season and the Land shall yeeld her increase and the trees of the fielde shall giue their fruite your threshing shall reach vnto the vintage and the vintage shall reach vnto the sowing time and you shall eate your breade in plenteousnes dwell in your land safely For I will haue respect vnto you and Leuit 26 9 make you increase and multiply you and establish my couenaunt or promise with you Also I will walke among you I will Leuit. 26. 12 be your God and yee shal be my people §. 4. Yea all these following blessings ô Deut. 28. 2. Israel saith Moises shall come vpon thee and ouer-take thee if thou shalt obey the voyce of the Lord thy God Blessed shalt thou be in the Cittie and verse 3 4 blessed also in the fielde Blessed shall be the fruite of thy body and the fruite of thy ground and the fruite of thy Cattell the increase of thy Kine and the flocks of thy sheepe Blessed shal be thy basket thy dough verse 5 6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou commest in and blessed also when thou goest out §. 5. The Lorde likewise shall cause thine Deu. 28. 7. enemies that rise against thee to fall before thy face they shall come out against thee one way and shall flee before thee seauen wayes The Lord shall commaunde the blessing to be with thee in thy store-houses and in Deut 28 8. all that thou settest thine hand vnto will blesse thee in the Land vvhich hee giueth thee The Lord shall make thee an holie people verse 9 vnto himselfe as hee hath sworne vnto thee if thou shalt keepe the commaundements of the Lord thy God and walke in his wayes Then all people of the earth shal see that verse 10 the Name of the Lord is called vpon ouer thee and they shall be afraid of thee And the Lord shall make thee plenteous Deut 28 11 in goods in the fruite of thy body and in the fruite of thy cattell and in the fruite of thy ground in the land which the Lorde sware vnto thy fathers to giue thee The Lord shall open vnto thee his good verse 12. treasure euen the heauen to giue raine to thy land in due season and to
well or Augustine that wee vnderstand aright wee haue it of God of our selues wee haue nothing but onely sinne that is within vs. And surely deserued paine through Adams Augustine fault would bring al men into euerlasting death vnlesse the vndeserued grace of God through fayth in Christ deliuered some from it §. 11. All men in the first man namely Adam vvere created of God saith S. Ambrose Ambrose without vice or fault all our nature was sound and in health but by the sin of the same man we haue lost it Also We say truly in affirming that the Augustine first man onely could fulfill that he would when as yet his free-vvill of choyse vvas sound and whole before the fault But man misvsing his free-will lost both Augustine himselfe and his will The first man vvas created in nature Augustine without blame in nature without fault he was created vpright he did not make him selfe vpright It is knowne what hee made himselfe falling out of the hande of the Potter he was broken For hee that made him did gouerne him but hee was willing to forsake him that made him and God suffered him so to doe as it were saying thus Let him forsake me that he may find himselfe and that he may by his misery proue that without mee he can doe nothing By this meane therefore would God shew vnto man what free-will is able to doe vvithout God Free-vvill before the fall of Adam vvas Augustine an vpright free-will before which fire and water was layde of God and the first man did reach his hand vnto which hee would hee did choose fire forsooke vvater See therefore the righteous Iudge the same which man beeing free did choose he did receiue hee would haue euill the same did follow him We had free-will before sinne to worke Chrisostome well but after sinne we had none because we were not able by our owne power and strength after sinne to escape from the power of the deuill But as a ship when the sterne is broken is driuen hether and thether where the tempest will so by the deuill wee are driuen from one sinne to another neither hetherto can vvee doe any thing but euen as the deuill will And except GOD doe deliuer vs with the strong hand of his mercie we shall remaine in the bonds chaines of sinnes vnto death For by our owne willes and negligence wee are bound but it is onely by the mercies of almighty God that wee are loosed and set at libertie §. 12. No man can beleeue hope or loue vnlesse Augustine he will saith S. Augustine yet euen the selfe same will to beleeue hope and loue commeth not of our selues but from God Wee indeed thinking beleeue thinking we speake thinking we doe whatsoeuer Augustine we doe But as touching that that appertaineth vnto the way of godlinesse and true vvorship of God wee are not able to thinke any thing as of our selues but our ablenesse commeth of God For our own harts and our owne thoughts are not in our owne powers Also that we should beleeue in GOD liue godly it lyeth not in the wil or running Augustine of man but in the grace and mercy of God Not that we ought not both to wil and to runne but because that God himselfe by his holy Spirit doth worke in vs both to will and also to runne §. 13. Mans naturall free will then vve doe verily Maxentius beleeue saith Maxentius is of no more value but onely for carnall or worldly desires or such deseruings which possiblie may seeme glorious among men but not with God For those things which belong vnto euerlasting life we can neither thinke neither will neither desire neither performe except it be by the infusion and operation of the holie Ghost Besides our prayers are alwayes made Ambrose in vaine if it be in our owne free-wil to do what we will Let no man therefore flatter himselfe Augustine for of his owne hee is a very sathan hee hath that of GOD onely whereby hee is blessed §. 14. There is a sentence in Salomons Prouerbs where the Wiseman thus speaketh saying * The preparations of the hart are Prou 16 1 in man but the aunswere of the tongue is of the Lord. Vpon which wordes S. Augustine thus Augustine writeth Some not vnderstanding thys place wel are deceiued insomuch that they beleeue that to prepare the hart that is to beginne goodnesse without the helpe of the grace of God pertaineth vnto man But God forbid saith he that the chyldren of promise should so vnderstand it as though thereby they woulde confute the Lord whereas they haue heard him saying * Without mee yee can doe nothing And Iohn 15 5 say Behold we are able of our selues to prepare our hart by that to think som goodnes God forbid that any man should vnderstand it so saue the proude defenders of their will For therefore it is written It is the mans part to prepare the hart the aunswere of the tongue is of the Lord because the man prepareth the hart yet for all that man cannot prepare his hart without the helpe of God For God dooth so worke in the harts of men and in their free will it selfe that euery good thought good counsaile and all good motions of the will or minde is of God Hee doth first preuent vs with his grace Gregory that wee may be willing to leaue euill and doe good and afterward with his helping hand also he doth folow vs least we should will in vaine Yea It is God that worketh in vs both Augustine to will also to worke We will then but it is God that worketh in vs euen to vvill We work then but it is God also that doth worke in vs the worke euen freelie of his own good will It is expedient for vs both to beleeue this and also to confesse this This is godly this is true that our confession may be humble and lowly and that all goodnes may be ascribed vnto GOD alone No man can come vnto me saith Christ Iohn 6 44 except the Father which hath sent mee draw him Neither can any man say that Iesus is the 1 Cor 12 3 Lord but by the holy Ghost For to beleeue is the gift of God As Mat 16 17 Christes owne wordes testifie vnto Peter where he sayth * Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas For flesh and bloode hath not reuealed this vnto thee but my Father which is in heauen Also It is written in the Prophets And Iohn 6 45. they shall be all taught of GOD. Euery man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father commeth vnto me Yea All that the Father giueth mee Iohn 6 37 ◠shall come to mee and him that commeth vnto mee I cast not away §. 16. Moreouer Except a man be borne againe
that he was not able to performe it But afterwards GOD through his great loue and mercy sent his onely Sonne Christ into the vvorld both to fulfill the Lawe and also to offer grace vnto man vvhich remained as it were vppon a scaffold where hee saw nothing but death ready to deuoure him Christ came also at such time as learning did most florish when the greatest Empire Augustine was in the cheefest pride to the ende that all worldly wisedome should acknowledge it selfe to be foolishnes all power weakenesse before him Yet came he not to bee serued but to Mar. 10 45 serue to giue his owne life for the raunsome of many Hee came likewise not to destroy the Math 5 17 Law or the Prophets but to fulfil them Neither came hee to destroy mens liues Luke 9 5. but to saue them For God sent not his Son into the world Iohn 3 17 that he should condemne the worlde but that the world throgh him might be saued And this is a true saying by al meanes 1 Tim 1 15 woorthy to be receiued that Christ Iesus came into the vvorld to saue sinners §. 3. It was a matter greatly standing with the Ierome iustice of God saith S. Ierome that Christ should come into the vvorld and become man for vs because that in the same nature whereby GOD was offended in the same nature likewise shoulde satis-faction bee made sinne was committed in mans nature and therefore it was necessarie that Christ should come in mans nature to appease the wrath of God for sinne And forasmuch also as by the right of Chrisostome creation euery man is bound in conscience to fulfill euen the very rigour and extremitie of the mortall Law but man beeing fallen from his first estate was no way able to obserue it therefore it was requisite that Christ should come become man that in mans nature hee might fulfill all righteousnes which the Law doth exact §. 4. Christ came into the world saith Becon Becon both true God true man God of God his Father from before the beginning of all time and man of vs borne of the kindred of Abraham Dauid according to Gods promise Yea true and naturall man made of our fleshe and of our blood this alone excepted that we receiued our nature with sinne and in sin by naturall coniunction but Christ receiued his humanitie of his Mother Mary the blessed Virgine without sinne without the company of any man onely by the operation of the holie Ghost For by the salutation of an Angell the Gregory Worde entred the vvombe and straight the Worde in the wombe became flesh And the same Worde beeing made flesh Iohn 1 14 dwelt among vs and wee sawe the glorie thereof as the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father full of grace and truth §. 5. Furthermore it greatly behooued saith Caluine Caluine that the sonne of God should become for vs Emanuell that is God with vs that in this sort that by naturall ioyning his God-head and nature of man might grow into one together otherwise neither could the neerenesse be neere enough nor alliance strong enough for vs to hope by that God dwelleth vvith vs So great vvas the disagreement betweene our filthines the most pure cleanenes of God And although man had stoode vndefiled without any spotte yet vvas his estate too base to attaine vnto GOD without a Mediatour Besides it was no meane thing that the Caluine Mediatour had to doe for it was so to restore vs into the fauour of God as to make vs of the children of men the chyldren of God of the heires of hell the heires of the kingdome of heauen And who could do this vnlesse the sonne of God were made also the sonne of man so take ours vppon him to conceiue his into vs and to make that ours by grace which was his by nature Therefore it was for the same cause verie Caluine profitable that hee which shoulde be our Mediatour and Redeemer should be both very God and very man It was his office to swallow vp death who could doe that but Life it selfe It was his office to ouercome sinne who could do that but Righteousnes it selfe It was his office to vanquish the powers of the worlde and of the ayre who could doe that but a Power aboue both world and ayre Now in whose possession is life or righteousnes or the Empire and power of heauen Caluine but in Gods alone Therfore the most mercifull God in the person of his onelie begotten sonne made himselfe our Mediatour and Redeemer when his will vvas to haue redeemed And forasmuch therfore as neither being onely God he could feele death nor being onely man he could ouercome death hee coupled the nature of man with the nature of GOD that hee might yeelde the one subiect to death to satisfie for sinnes and by the power of the other hee might wrastle with Death and get the victory for vs. § 6. Christ came from heauen saith Gregorie Gregory into a vvomans wombe from a vvomans wombe into a Cratch or Manger from the manger to the Crosse from the Crosse to the graue from the graue he went to heauen againe Yea hee by his incarnation came downe Ambrose from heauen to vs that wee beeing made partakers of his grace might ascend vp into heauen by him And for this purpose appeared the Son 1 Iohn 3 8. of GOD that he might loose the works of the deuill Which are * Fulgentius sinne death and hell He came also that we might haue life Iohn 10 10 and that we might haue it in aboundance Finally hee came into the vvorlde to Luke 19 10 seeke and saue that which was lost And not to call the righteous but sinners Math 9 13. to repentance §. 7. Moreouer vvee knowe saith S. Iohn 1 Iohn 5 20 that the sonne of God is come hath giuen vs a mind to know him which is true and vvee are in him that is true that is in his Sonne Iesus Christ this same is verie God and euerlasting life Yea hee is come a light into the world Iohn 12 46 that who soeuer beleeueth in him shoulde not abide in darknesse Hee hath also appeared that he might 1 Iohn 3 5. take avvay our sinnes and in him is no sinne Euery spirite therefore which confesseth 1 Ioh 4 2 3 that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God And euery spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God ¶ Of the Passion Death Buriall Resurrection and Ascention of our Sauiour Christ. §. 1. AFter that S. Peter had fully aunswered the demaund of his Maister by Math 16 16 20. cōfessing him to be Christ the sonne of the liuing God our Sauiour presently charged him and the rest of
in his flesh vpon the Crosse the God-head and manhood vvere still together but his Godhead did not suffer that we might be iustified not onely in his flesh but also in his Diuinitie and that we might be saued both in his God-heade and manhood together For we could neuer haue beene deliuered Augustine by that one onely Mediatour between God and men the man Christ Iesus vnlesse he had beene also God The benefites which we dâ—ily receiue by Ambrose his death are foure The first is the change of our naturall death The second is in that he hath quite taken away the second death from those that are in him The third is that his death is a meanes to satisfie his last will and Testament The fourth is that it doth serue to abolish the originall corruption of our sinfull harts The meanes also of our saluation by him Augustine are two his Merrite his Efficacie The first is in that by his obedience to the Law and by his death he made full satis-faction vnto his Father for all our sinnes freed vs from death and reconciled vs vnto God The second is in that he gaue his Spirit to mortifie the corruption of our natures that we thereby may daily die vnto sin and liue vnto righteousnes haue true comfort in terrors of conscience and in the pangs of death Beleeuing assuredly that what-so-euer Caluine Christ hath suffered hee hath suffered for vs and that all his righteousnes through fayth is made our righteousnesse For hee himselfe alone hath fully discharged by his death the debt which all vvee owed and hath made vs by his obedience the sonnes of God fellow heires with him of euerlasting glory For hee hath put out the hand-vvriting Colos 2 14 15. that was against vs contained in the Lawe written which was contrary to vs he euen tooke it out of the way fastned it vpoÌ„ the crosse hath spoiled the Principalities Powers hath made a shew of theÌ„ openly triumphing ouer theÌ„ in the same crosse §. 8. The Lawe saith S. Iohn was giuen by Iohn 1. 17. Moises but Grace and Truth came by Iesus Christ For God sending his owne sonne in the Rom 8 3 similitude of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sinne in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the Lawe might be fulfilled in vs which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit And wee through the spirit waite for Gala 5 5 the hope of righteousnes through faith Be it knowne vnto you therefore men Acts 13 38 39 brethren that through this man Christ is preached vnto vs the forgiuenesse of sinnes from all things from which we could not be iustified by the Law of Moises by him euery one that beleeueth is iustified For the Lawe made nothing perfit but Heb 7 19. the bringing in of a better hope made perfect whereby we draw neere vnto God And albeit that we in time past beeing Ephe. 2. 11. 12. 13. Gentiles and vncircumcised people in the flesh were indeede without Christ and were aliants from the common-wealth of Israell and strangers from the couenaunts of promise and had no hope and were without God in the world yet nowe by the meanes of Christ Iesus we which once were farre off are made neere by the blood of Christ For hee being our peace hath made of Ephe 2. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. both one and hath broken down the stop of the particion Wall that was betweene the Iewes and vs in abrogating through his flesh the hatred namely the Lawe of Commaundements which standeth in ordinances for to make of twaine one nevv man in himselfe so making peace And that he might reconcile both vnto God in one body thorow his Crosse and sley hatred thereby he came preached peace both to vs vvhich were a farre off and to them also that were neere For through him vvee both haue an entrance vnto the Father by one spirit And GOD vvhich is rich in mercie through his great loue wherewith he loued Ephe 2 â— 5 6 7. vs euen wheÌ„ we were dead by sinnes hath quickned vs both Iewes and Gentiles together in Christ by whose grace we are saued and hath raised vs vp together and made vs sitte together in the heauenly places in Christ Iesus That he might shew in the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace through his kindnes towards vs in Christ Iesus Not by the vvorkes of righteousnesse Titus 3 5 6 7. which we had doone but according to his mercie hee saued vs by the washing of the newe birth and the renewing of the holie Ghost which he shed on vs aboundantlie through Iesus Christ our Sauiour that we beeing iustified by his grace shoulde bee made heires according to the hope of eternall life For God so loued the vvorlde that hee Ioh 3 16. hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shoulde not perrish but haue euerlasting life And heerein was the loue of God made 1. Ioh 4 9. manifest amongst vs in that hee sent his onely begotten sonne into the world that we might liue through him Yea heerein is loue not that wee loued 1 Ioh. 4. 10. GOD but that he loued vs and sent his Son to be a reconcilâ—ation for our sinnes For Christ vvhen we vvere yet of no Rom 5 6 strength at his time died for the vngodly And hee beeing very God equall vvith Philip. 2. 6 7 8. the Father in power and glory made himselfe notwithstanding of no reputation taking on him the forme of a seruaunt and was made like vnto men and was found in shape as a man Hee humbled himselfe became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the Crosse That hee might heâ—eby deliuer vs from the wrath of God and from the danger of Becon eternall damnation whereunto through our Father Adams transgression vvee all remained subiect Likevvise then as by the sinne of one Rom 5 18. namely Adam there sprang vp euill on all men to condemnation euen so by the righteousnesse of one namely Christ â—pringeth good vpon all men to the righteousnes of life For as by one mans disobedience many verse 19 were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many also be made righteous §. 1. CHrist saith the Apostle is risen from 1 Cor. 15. 20. the dead was made the first fruites of them that slept For since by man came death by man verse 21 22 came also the resurrection of the dead and â—â— in Adam all die euen so in Christ shall 〈◊〉 be made aliue Yea Christ himselfe and no other for him did by his owne power raise himselfe Augustine to life Which proueth that hee was not onely man but also true God VVherefore if he were able to giue lyfe Ierome vnto himselfe beeing deade and buried then much more now beeing aliue and in
of the glory of God Neytheâ— doe weâ—soâ— onely but also vvee Rom 5 3 â— 4. 5. reioyce in tribulations knowing thaâ— tribulatioâ— bringeth forth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of GOD 〈◊〉 abroade in our harts by the holy Ghost which is giuen â—nto vs. Thus much for fiâ—â—th onely §. 14. NOwe as we finde true fayth in Iesus Christ to be the chiefe onely means of our iustification so may vvee likewise certainly assure our selues that it is also the very vvell-spring or Fountaine 〈◊〉 whence alâ—â—e all good works â—oe flow For surely it is as much impossible for true â—ayth to be without good workes as it is for a man to speake without a toâ—â—gâ—e to see wanting eyes or to liue lacking a hart Aâ— example further to confirme vs in the vndoubtâ—d truth â—eereof may be read in the story of Zaccheâ—s who had no sooner â—â—câ—iued Christâ—into his house and much mâ—re into his â—art by fayth but presently hee brake forth into these spâ—â—ches saying â— Behold Lord the halfe of â—â—y Luke 19 8 goodâ—â— giue vnto the pâ—ore and if I haue taken from any man by false or vnlawfull meanes â— restore him foure fold Againe vvhat 〈◊〉 it my Brâ—â—heren Iam 2 14. 15 16 17 saith â— Iames though 〈◊〉 say â—ee hath fayth when â—ee hath no works Caâ— that fayth saue him For if a brother or a sister be naked and dâ—stituâ—â— of daily fâ—â—de and one of you say vnto theÌ„ Depart in peace God send you warmnes and foode Notwithstanding you giue them not those things which are needfull to the body what helpeâ—h 〈◊〉 Euen so the â—ayth if it haue no workâ—â— iâ— dead in itselfe But some man might say Thou hast the Iames 2 18 â—aith and I haue workes Shewe mee thy faith out of thy workes and I will shewe thee my faith by my workes Thou beleeuest that there is one God verse 19. thou doost well the deuils also beleeue it and tremble But wilt thou vnderstand ô thou vayne verse 20 21 22 man that faith vvithout workes is dead VVas not Abraham our Father iustified through workes when he offered Isaac his sonne vpon the Altar Seest thou not that the fayth wrought vvith his workes and through the works was the faith made perfect And the Scripture was fulfilled which verse 23 saith Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes he was called the friend of God Yee see then how that of workes a man verse 24 is iustified and not of faith onely For as the body vvithout the Spirit is verse 26. dead euen so the fayth without workes is dead §. 15. Wee must not yet heere thinke that the Augustine sayings of the two Apostles S. Paule and S. Iames are contrary one to the other where as Paule saith A man is iustified without workes And Iames saith Fayth without workes is vaiâ—e For Paule speaketh of the workes that goe before fayth and Iames speaketh of the vvorkes vvhich follovve after fayth Our Religion likewise doth not discerne Augustine the righteous from the vnrighteous by the lawe of workes but by the lawe of faith vvithout the which euen those works that seeme good are turned into sinnes For vvhatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne Rom 14 23 And where faith is not good vvorkes is Augustine not The intent indeede maketh a good worke but fayth directeth that intent Besides good workes make no man to be accounted iust or righteous in the sight of God but a man being once iustified by faith doth good workes through loue Also in Iesus Christ neither Circumcision Gala 5 6. auaileth any thing neither vncircumcision but fayth which worketh by loue For like as the goodnesse of a Tree is Luther alwayes knowne by the good fruite which it bringeth foorth euen so the fayth of a godly man is euermore declared vnto the world by his religious obedience towards the law of GOD and his workes of charitie towards his neighbour VVee are iustified therfore by that Beza liuely fayth which doth apprehend all the mercifull promises of God made towards vs in Iesus Christ VVhich fayth neyther sleepeth nor is Beza idle but alwayes awaketh and is continually busied about the performing of some good worke Resting fully perswaded that good Bernard vvorkes are the vvay to the kingdome of heauen though they be not the cause of raigning there ¶ Of Feare §. 1. FEare as Pacuuius saith is a diuine Pacuuius affection or passion of the minde by a feeling regard conducting vertue to all the actions of the soule It groweth from an vndoubted beleefe in GOD and maketh a man carefull to lead his lyfe pleasing in the sight of his Creator But before I enter any further into the discourse of this Vertue I am to enforme the Reader that there are two sorts of Feare The one Seâ—uile or slauish the other Fâ—liall or chyld-like The Seruile or slauish feare is that which euery bond-man beareth to his bodilie Maister or wicked offenders to wise Iudges This feare is also a defect of the minde and a harmefull hinderance to all vertuous resolutions killing courage by cowardise and pietie through distrustment It many times causeth the tongue to controle the hart and maketh the mouth to marre the meaning of the minde It teacheth men to talke according to the time and enforceth faint-harted subiects to sooth the sinnes of their Soueraigne Like vnto those people of whom Plutarch Plutarch speaketh Whose hearts saith hee harbour hatred against an vngodly Tyrant for his bad gouernement yet notwithstanding with the labour of their lyps they neuer cease fearefully to flatter him in his folly to the end hee should not hurt them But the Filiall or Chyld-like Feare vvhereof I onely meane in this place to speak is a diuine chastiser of euill in it selfe hauing in it such force that it causeth concupiscence to flie and maketh a man to abstaine from all sinne and wickednes It dependeth not on hate but on loue not resembling the feare of seruaunts but the feare of sonnes not like the trembling and despayring feare of * Saule when sathan in 1 Sam 28 19 20 the forme of Samuell fore-told him how little awhile he had to liue But rather like the reuerent and religious feare of Dauid * when hee kept Abishaâ— his Captaine froÌ„ 1 Sam 26. 9 killing the Lords annoynted This 〈◊〉 feare as wee finde in diuers places of the holy Scripture hath alwaies been a guide vnto the godly to direct their dooings and a Tutor to teach them the perfect pathway to eternall felicitie §. 2. Plato the Prince of Phylosophers affirmeth Plato that this excellent feare was so excellently excelling in the harts of the Heathen that in Sparta they built a Temple to true Feare in which they daily vsed to burne thevâ— first sacrifice
light there is none occasion of euill in him But he that hateth his brother is in darknesse verse 11. and walketh in darknesse knoweth not vvhether hee goeth because that darknesse hath blinded his eyes §. 9. Loue saith the Apostle doth no euill Rom 13 10 to his neighbour therefore is loue the fulfilling of the lawe For all the law is fulfilled in one vvord Gala. 5 14. which is this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Wherefore If any man say I loue 1 Ioh 4 20. God and hate his brother he is a lyer for howe can hee that loueth not his brother whom he hath seene loue God whom he neuer saw Moreouer Whosoeuer he be that hath this worlds good seeth his brother haue 1 Iohn 3 17 neede and shutteth vp his compassion from him howe dwelleth the loue of God in him For by the true and perfect loue which Erasmus we beare vnto God we rightly vnderstand what our dutie is towards our neighbour And this is the coÌ„maundement of God 1 Ioh 3 11. which we haue heard from the beginning That we should loue one another * Euen Ephe 5 2. as Christ himselfe hath loued vs. §. 10. Beloued let vs therefore loue one another 1. Ioh 4 7 8 for loue commeth of God euerie one that loueth is borne of God and knoweth God He that loueth not knoweth not God for God is loue Let vs not loue in vvorde neither in 1. Ioh. 3. 18. tongue onely but in deede and in truth That we may walke worthy of the vocation Ephe 1 1 2. 3. where-vnto wee are called vvith all humblenes of minde meekenesse with long suffering supporting one another through loue endeuouring to keepe the vnitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace ¶ What the will and desire of Almighty God is concerning men and how louingly he admonisheth euery one to come to repentance promising mercy forgiuenes to all those that amend 2. ESDRAS 7. verse 20. 21. Many perrish in this life because they despise the Law of God that is appointed For God hath diligently admonished such as came so oft as they came what they should doe to haue life and what they should obserue to auoyd punishment ¶ What the will of God is c. §. 1. THis is the will of God as saith the Apostle euen our sanctification 1. Thes 4. 3. 4. 5. 6. that we should abstaine from fornication that euery one of vs should knowe howe to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour and not in the lust of concupiscence as doe the Heathen which know not God that no man oppresse or defraude his brother in any matter for the Lord is the auenger of all such things He therefore that despiseth these things 1 Thes 4 8. despiseth not man but God who hath giuen vnto vs his holy Spirit And whose will is that all men should 1 Tim 2 4 be saued and come vnto the knowledge of the truth For it is not the will of God that one of Math 18 14 the least should be lost §. 2. Deerely beloued saith S. Peter be not 2 Pet 3 8 9 ignorant of this one thing that one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeeres and a thousand yeeres as one day The Lord is not slack concerning the promise of his comming as some men count slacknes but is patient toward vs would haue no man to perrish but would haue all men to come to repentance For GOD would not that man should 2 Esdr 8 59 perrish But vnto them that will repent hee giueth Ecclê° 17 22 them grace to returne and exhorteth such as faile vvith patience and sendeth them the portion of the veritie Amend your liues therefore and turne Acts 3 19. that your sinnes may be put away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And as it came into your minde to goe Baruc 4 28. astray from your God so endeuour your selues tenne times more to turne againe to seeke him For he that is Lord ouer all is rich vnto Rom. 10 12 all that call vpon him §. 3. Make no tarrying to turne vnto the Ecclus 5. 7. Lord neither put it off from day to day for suddainly shall the wrath of the Lord breake forth and in thy securitie thou shalt be destroyed thou shalt perrish in time of vengeance VVherefore as the holy Ghost sayth Hebr 3 7 8 To day if yee shall heare his voyce harden not your harts Yea this day if yee heare his voyce Heb 4 7 harden not your harts For it is a fearefull thing to fall into the Heb 10 31 hands of the liuing God §. 4. VVee finde in the eyghteene of Ezechiell and the 23. verse that the Almightie by the mouth of the same Prophet exhorting the Children of Israell to repentance first maketh this demaund of them Ezec 18 23 saying * Haue I any desire that the wicked should die or shall hee not liue if hee returne from his wayes Then followeth in the 27. and 28. verses Ezec 18 27 28 31 32 sundry promises of Gods loue mercie vnto him that truly repenteth and forsaketh his sinnes And in the 31. 32. verses of the same chapter he thus concludeth all his former speech held with them to that purpose saying Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby you haue transgressed and make you a newe heart and a nevve Spirite for vvhy vvill yee die ô house of Israell For I desire not the death of him that dieth cause therefore one another to returne and liue §. 5. We finde likewise in the prophecie of Esay that the Lord beeing there desirous to withdraw that wicked obstinate people of Israell from their greeuous offences in which too long they had wilfully continued beginneth also first with a gentle admonishment saying * VVashe you Esay 1 16 17 make you cleane take away the euill of your workes from before mine eyes cease to do euill learne to doe well seeke iudgement relieue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse and defend the widdow And hauing thus fore-told them vvhat they ought to doe hee then presently addeth * Come nowe and let vs reason together Esay 1 18 though your sinnes were as Crimson they shall be made white as snowe though they were redde like Skarlet they shall be as vvooll Declaring heereby vnto vs howe readie he is to receiue them that truly repent and how prone to put all their former offences cleane out of his remembrance As may further appeare againe euen by the witnesse of his owne wordes in the 18. chapter of the afore-named Ezechiell vvhere hee saith * If the wicked will returne Ezec 18 21. from all his sinnes that he hath committed keepe all my statutes do that which is lawfull and right hee shall surely liue and shall not
theyr fruites Beleeue not euery spirit but try the spirits 1 Iâ—h 4. 1 whether they are of God or noâ— for many false Prophets are gone out into the vvorlde Yea many deceiuers are entred into the world which confesse noâ— that Iesus Christ 2 Ioh 1 7 is come in the flesh Hee that is such a one is a deceiuer and â—n Antichrist §. 2. I beseech you Brethren saith S. Paule Rom 16 17 18 marke them diligently which cause diuision and offences contrary to the doctrine which yee haue learned and aâ—oyde them For they that are such sâ—rue not the Lorde Iesus Christ but theyâ— owne 〈◊〉 and with faire speeches and flattering deâ—eâ—ue the harts of the simple Yee are deerely bought be not the seruaunts 1. Cor 7 23 of men But stand fast and keepe the instructions 2. Thes 2. 15 which you haue beene taught eyther by word or by our Epistle If any man teach otherwise and consenteth 1 Tim 6 3 4 5. not to the wholesome wordes of our lord Iesus Christ to the doctrine which is according to godlines he is pufâ— vp and knoweth nothing but doateth about questions and strife of words whereof commeth enuie strife raylings euill surmisings vaine disputations of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth vvhich thinke that gaine is godlinesse From such separate thy selfe §. 3. Brethren saith the same Apostle be Phil. 3 17 followers of me looke on them which walke so as yee haue vs for an ensample For many walke of whom I haue tolde verse 18 19 you often and now tell you weeping that they are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose ende is damnation vvhose God is theyr belly and vvhose glorie is to their shame which mind earthly things But our conuersation is in heauen from verse 20 whence also we looke for the Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ Who shall change our vile body that it verse 21. may be facioned like vnto his glorious bodie according to the working whereby hee is able euen to subdue all thinges vnto himselfe §. 4. Let vs henceforth be no more chyldren Ephe 4 14 15. wauering and carried about with euerie winde of doctrine by the deceit of men with craftâ—nes wherby they lay in waite to deceiue But let vs follow the truth in loue and in all things grow vp vnto him which is the head euen Christ And beware least any man spoyle you Colos 2 8. thorow Philosophy and vaine deceite after the traditions of men and according to the ordinaunces of the world and not after Christ For whosoeuer transgresseth and abydeth 2 Ioh. 9. 10 not in the doctrine of Christ he hath not God He that endureth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Sonne If there come any vnto you and bring verse 11. not this doctrine receiue him not to house neither bid him God speede For hee that biddeth him God speede is partaker of his euill deedes ¶ Against the choyse of meates and difference of dayes §. 1. LEt no man saith the Apostle trouble Colos 2 16 17. your conscience about meate drink or in respect of an holy-day or of the new Moone or of the Sabboth dayes vvhich are but shadowes of thinges to come but the body is in Christ It is a good thing that the hart be stablished Heb 13 9 with grace not with meates which haue not profited them that haue been occupied therein For the kingdome of God is not meate Rom 14 17 nor drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost For whosoeuer in these thinges serueth verse 18. Christ is acceptable vnto God is commended of men §. 2. One beleeueth that he may eate al things Rom 14 2 and another that is weake eateth hearbs This man esteemeth one day aboue another Rom. 14 5 day and another man counteth euerie day alike Let not him that eateth despise him that Rom 14 3 eateth not and let not him vvhich eateth not iudge him that eateth for God hath receiued him Let euery man also be fully perswaded Rom. 14 5. 6. in his minde that hee which obserueth the day obserueth it to the Lord and hee that obserueth not the day obserueth it not to the Lord. He that eateth eateth to the lord for he giueth God thanks and he that eateth not eateth not to the lord and giueth God thanks Meate maketh not vs acceptable to God 1 Cor 8 8 For neither if we eate are wee the better neither if we eate not are we the worse VVhat-soeuer is solde in the Shambles 1 Cor 10 25 26 eate ye aske no question for conscience sake For the earth is the Lords and all that therein is §. 3. And seeing that GOD hath created all Erasmus things for the vse of man requireth nothing of vs but holinesse what forceth hee whether vvee eate flesh of foure-footed beastes or of fishes or of Birds that flie There is none of all these that eyther maketh or marreth holinesse neither putteth any thing to it or taketh any thing from it The choyse of these things and the putting Erasmus of difference betweene one and another may make a man superstitious to haue vaine religion in himselfe but it cannot make him holie Christ taught no difference heerein therefore it may bee counted great rashnes if a wretched man should goe about to burthen charge any man with such ordinances Let euery man eate what hee liketh as his body requireth so it be doone soberlie measurably and for all thinges let him giue thankes vnto God For to beleeue that meates are euill or Augustine causeth euill or sinne to them that receiue them it is the propertie not of Christian men but peculiarly of the Hierarchies Maniches which were heretiques §. 4. VVherefore if yee be dead with Christ Colos 2. 20. 21. 22 from the ordinaunces of the world vvhy as though yee liued in the world are yee burdened with traditions As Touch not Taste not Handle not Which all perrish with the vsing are after the commaundements and doctrines of men VVhich things haue indeed a shewe of Colos 2. 23 wisedome in voluntarie religion humblenesse of minde and in not sparing the body neither haue they it in any estimation to satisfie the flesh But I know am perswaded through Rom. 14 14 the Lord Iesus that there is nothing vncleane of it selfe but vnto him that iudgeth any thing to be vncleane to him it is vncleane Vnto the pure all things are pure but Titus 1. 15. to them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen theyr mindes and consciences are defiled §. 5. Nowe the Spirit speaketh euidently that 1 Tim 4 1 2. 3. in the latter times some shall depart from the fayth and shall giue heede vnto spirits of errour and
§. 3. The vvorld saith Socrates hath so manie Socrates sundry changes in the vanitie thereof that it leadeth all men vvandering in vnstedfastnesse It is a speciall enemy to those vvhom it Crates hath raised to honour It neuer paieth vnto any man that which Euripides it promiseth It endeuoureth daily to drawe the soule Aristotle from God through fained delights And whosoeuer busily seeketh after the Hermes pleasures thereof followeth a shaddovve which when hee thinketh he is surest of it speedily vanisheth away turneth to nothing Besides if any man desire to reade more largely of the delights of the world the seuerall falshoods of them let him looke into the Booke of Ecclesiastes there he Ecclesi cap. 1. 2 3. c. shall finde what the Preacher through his owne experience speaketh of them And how withall after a long repetition of the tryall of all the pleasures vnder the sunne hee at last giueth forth these words in their discommendation saying * Vanitie of Eccle 12 8 vanities all is vanitie Put no confidence therfore in the mutable vanities of this euer-changing world Plotinus neither suffer thy selfe to be seduced by the deceits thereof for the pleasures of the world leade diuers men to perdition and whosoeuer trusteth vnto them shall most certainly be deceiued §. 4. A man may vse this world indeede as Plato Plato saith for necessities sake but hee that abuseth it that is hee that wholy delighteth therein looseth thereby his loue to God depriueth himselfe of eternall saluation To preuent vvhich danger * Let him 1 Cor 7 31 that vseth this world be as though hee vsed it not For the too much loue of this Worlde was the onely cause why the Noble men of Iurie coulde not resolue themselues to followe Christ For * they loued the prayse Iohn 12 43 of men more then the prayse of God And deceiued themselues as vnaduisedly 2 Tim 4 10 in theyr choyse as euer Demas did wheÌ„ he forsooke S. Paule to embrace vanitie ¶ Against euill company-keeping §. 1. MY sonne saith Salomon if sinners Prou. 1 10 11 12 13 14 doe entise thee consent thou not If they say Come with vs we will lay vvaite for blood and he priuily for the innocent without a cause vvee will swallowe them vp aliue like a graue euen whole as those that goe downe into the pit we shall find all precious riches and fill our houses with spoyle cast in thy lot among vs wee will all haue one purse My sonne vvalke not thou in the vvay with them refraine thy foote from theyr Prou 1 15. 16. path For theyr feete runne to euill and make hast to shedde blood They cannot sleepe except they haue Prou 4 16 17. done euill and their sleepe departeth except they cause some to fall For they eate the bread of wickednes drinke the wine of violence Hee that toucheth pitch shall be defiled Ecclê° 13 1 with it and hee that is familiar vvith the proude shall become like vnto him For it is a corrupting of the godly to Gregory keepe company with the wicked §. 2. Shâ—nne the company of a lyer as much Hermes as thou mayst and beware least any one through flattery perswade thee to thinke otherwise of thy selfe then thou art indeed But if thou must needs keepe company Thales with the man that vseth to lye in anie wise beleeue him not for if thou credite him to day which telleth thee a lie of another body hee will not sticke to morrowe to tell an vntruth of thee to another man §. 3. Moreouer a man vvere better saith Plutarch Plutarch to fall amongst a sort of Rauens then to giue entertainement to flattering companions for Rauens neuer seeke to eate a man till hee be dead but flatterers will not spare to feede vpon him while hee is aliue And like as a Camelion can change himselfe Hermes into al colours saue white so can a flatterer frame his tongue to any talke whatsoeuer saue honestie §. 4. Take not thy pleasure in great voluptuousnes Ecclê° 18 32 neither intangle thy selfe with such company Become not a begger by making bankets verse 33 of that which thou hast borrowed so leaue nothing in thy purse Keepe not company with drunkards nor Prou 23 20 with gluttons For the drunkard and the glutton shall verse 21. be poore and the sleeper shall be clothed with ragges §. 5. Vse not the company of a woman that Ecclê° 9. 4 is a singer a dauncer neyther heare her least thou be taken by her craftines Cast not thy minde vpon harlots in anie Ecclus 9 6 manner of thing least thou destroy both thy selfe and thine heritage Meete not an harlot least thou fall into Ecclê° 9 3 her snares Desire not her beauty in thy heart neyther Prou 6 25. let her take thee with her eye-lids For the whoredome of a woman may be Ecclê° 26. 9 knowne by the pride of her lookes And an harlot will make a man to beg Prou. 6. 26 his bread §. 6. I haue compassed about saith Salomon Eccles 7 27. 28. both I and mine hart to know and to enquire and to search wisedome and reason and to know the wickednes of folly the foolishnes of madnes and I finde more bitter then death the woman whose hart is as nets and snares and her hands as bands hee that is good before God shall be deliuered from her but the sinner shall be taken by her The lippes of a strange woman saith Prou 5 3 4 5 hee droppe as an honny-combe and her mouth is more soft then oyle but the end of her is bitter as vvorme-wood and sharp as a two edged sword Her feete goe down to death and her steps take hold on hell Shee weigheth not the vvay of life her verse 6. paths are moueable thou canst not know them Beeing foule by nature shee notwithstanding deceiueth the simple vvith her Hermes painted face and vnder faire white ruddie colours shee hideth her filthy and ill-fauoured visage Shee lyeth also in waite as for a pray Prou 23 28 shee increaseth the transgressours among men §. 7. Keepe thy way farre from her and come Prou 5 8 not neere the doore of her house For a whore is as a deepe ditch and a Prou 23 27 strange woman is as a narrow pit Let not thy heart decline to her wayes Prou 7 25 26 neither wander thou in her pathes for she hath caused many to fall downe wounded and the strong men are all slaine by her Her house is the vvay vnto the graue verse 27. which goeth downe vnto the chambers of death Her mouth likewise is as a deepe pit Prou 22 14 and he with whom the Lord is angry shall fall therein Surely her house tendeth to death and Prou 2
mee they will persecute you also If they haue called the Maister of the Math 10 25 house Beelzebub howe much more them of his houshold But all these thinges will they doe vnto Iohn 15 21 you for my Names sake because they haue not knowne him that sent mee Yea the time shall come that whosoeuer Iohn 16. 2. killeth you will thinke that he dooth God seruice Notwithstanding blessed are ye if you 1. Pet. 3. 14. suffer for righteousnes sake For vnto such appertaineth the kingdome Math 5 10 of heauen Yea blessed are yee when men reuile Math. 5 11 12. you and persecute you and say all manner of euill against you for my sake falselie reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you §. 5. Let not saith he your harts be troubled Iohn 14. 1. yee beleeue in God beleeue also in me In the world ye shall haue affliction but Iohn 16 33 be of good comfort I haue ouer-com the world And feare not them which kill the bodie Math. 10. 28 Luk. 12 4. 5 and after that are not able to doe any more but rather feare him which is able to destroy both body soule in hell yea I say vnto you feare him For what shall it profit a man though Math 16. 26 hee should winne the whole world if hee lose his ovvne soule or what shall a man giue for recompence of his soule VVho-soeuer therefore shall confesse Math 10 32 mee before men him will I confesse also before my Father which is in heauen But vvho-soeuer shall denie mee before verse 33 men him will I also denie before my Father which is in heauen Who-soeuer likewise shal be ashamed Luke 9. 26 of mee and of my words of him shall the sonne of man be ashamed when hee shall come in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy Angels §. 6. Deerely beloued saith S. Peter thinke 1. Pet. 4 12. it not strange concerning the fierie tryall which is among you to prooue you as though some strange thing were come vnto you But reioyce in as much as yee are partakers verse 13. of Christes sufferings that when his glorie shall appeare yee may be glad and reioyce For vvee must through many afflictions Acts 14 22 enter into the kingdome of God And all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus 2. Tim. 3. 12 shall suffer persecution §. 7. If yee be railed vppon for the Name of 1. Pet 4 14. Christ blessed are you for the Spirit of glory of God resteth vpon you which on their part is euill spoken of but on your part is glorified But let none of you suffer as a murtherer 1. Pet 4 15. or as a theefe or as an euill dooer or as a busie-body in other mens matters But if any man suffer as a Christian let verse 16. him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God in that behalfe For it is better if the will of God be so 1 Pet 3 17. that yee should suffer for well-doing then for euill doing And the lesse iustice that a godly man Tremelius findeth at the handes of the vngodly the more comfort shall he receiue in cōscience at the mercifull hand of God §. 8. My sonne saith Sirach submit not thy Ecclus 4 27 28. selfe vnto a foolish man neyther accept thou the person of the mightie But striue for the truth vnto death and defende iustice euen to the losse of thyne owne life and the Lord thy God shall fight for thee against thine enemies Be fauourable to all men be likewise in Socrates subiection to al lawes but aboue al things fulfill the will of God rather then the will of man For a righteous and godly man hauing Pet. Ramus in him the spirit of zeale and constancie neuer feareth in his afflictions the crueltie of any man but vvill boldlie to the death stand vnto the truth And forasmuch as hee knoweth that Rauisius almightie God is the truth and that truth is GOD hee likewise wisely considereth that he which departeth from the one departeth from the other But hee that eyther for feare of punishment Hemingius or else in hope of a Tyrants fauour forsaketh the truth before men vpon earth leaueth the most certaine promise of perpetuall felicitie for an vncertaine assurance of short-lasting vanitie and by seeking to deliuer his body from danger cloggeth his conscience with griefe and his soule with sorrow §. 9. If then thou be desirous to liue euerlastingly Gueuara faint not at any time vnder the burden of thine afflictions neither be thou mooued from thy hope of heauens helpe through the multitude of thy miseries but patiently put thy trust in the promises of Gods mercie and pray often for such perseuerance as may bring thee to eternall blessednes In all thy troubles stand vnto the truth Plotinus and commit thy selfe in thy greatest necessitie wholy altogether to the most high and mighty GOD neyther fearing them that threaten nor beleeuing thē that speak thee faire but trust in him alone that is most kinde and compassionate true of his promise and able to make both his vvord and worke good For more wisedome is it that a man for Hermes his soules sake shoulde suffer death then lose his soules happines for the loue of this life Blessed therfore is the man that endureth Iames 1 12 tentation for when hee is tryed hee shall receiue the crowne of life vvhich the Lorde hath promised to them that loue him §. 10. The peaceable and blessed life of the Bernard godly saith S. Bernard is in heauen and is onely to be attained vnto by faith patience and perseuerance For as without fayth it is vnpossible to Hillarius please God so without patience and perseuerance no man shall see God And although indeede the death of the Basill bodie by diuers meanes for diuers causes be vnto many men very tedious and bitter yet the death therof for the testimonie of Gods truth is vnto the godly man most easie most ioyfull most sweete and most delectable because he seeth through the eye of fayth the present performance of all Gods heauenly promises made vnto him in his holy word if he zealously continue constant in the veritie of his Christian profession §. 11. Thou therefore my sonne saith Paule vnto Timothie suffer affliction as a good 2. Tim. 2. 3. 4. souldiour of Iesus Christ No man that warreth entangleth himselfe with the affayres of this life because hee would please him that hath chosen him to be a Souldiour And Christ beeing our Captaine hath Rauisius called vs by the voyce of his Gospell to a spirituall warfare The foes against whom wee must continually fight are fleshlie assaultes worldly wickednes and the deceits of the deuill
doth hee not make intercession for vs vnto himselfe page 197 198 That in Christ and through Christ we haue all things page 198 199. ¶ The seuerall matters handled in the fourth Discourse OF Fayth page 200. What fayth is page 200. The force of faith page 201 202 Onely beleeuing is righteousnes 210. That the doctrine of fayth is the ornament of the Law page 211 That a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the Law page 213 Of good workes page 213 214 That fayth without works is vaine page 214 215 The agreement of the two Apostles S. Paule and S. Iames concerning fayth and workes page 215 216 ¶ Of Feare page 227 That there are two sorts of Feare page 217. 218 The difference betweene seruile feare filiall feare page 218 219 The worthines of true feare page 220 221 222. c. ¶ Of Loue. page 227 That there are two sorts of Loue. page 227. 228 The difference between Concupiscence and diuine Loue. page 227. 228 The worthines of diuine loue and the sundry effects thereof page 228 229 ¶ The seuerall matters handled in the fift Discourse WHat the will and desire of GOD is concerning men page 240 That it is the will of God that all men should be saued page 241 Gods desire and willingnes that sinners should repent and amend page 242. What true repentance is the seuerall parts thereof page 248. 249 That in the worke of true repentance satisfaction ought to be made three seuerall wayes page 251 252 ¶ The seuerall matters handled in the sixt Discourse WHat seruice God requireth of man during this life page 264 The seruice which God requireth of vs is that vvee keepe his commaundements page 264 265 266 267 c. Of compassion towardes our brethren and forgiuing one another page 280 281. 282 283 Of Prayer page 228. Of thankes-giuing page 293 Of Fasting page 295 Of Almes-deedes page 299 To beware that the almes vvhich wee giue be of our owne true-gotten goods page 306. 307. Of Humilitie page 308 That there be three degrees of humilitie page 308 Of Obedience page 311. 312 ¶ A further Declaration of our dutie towardes God and our neyghbour 315. Against Images page 315 Against swearing page 319 Of sanctifying the Sabaoth day 321. Of honouring our Parents page 322 Against pride page 325. Against enuie hatred malice anger wrath and murther page 330 Against sloth and idlenes page 336. Against couetousnes page 340 Against vsury page 346 Against gluttony page 349 Against drunkennesse page 353 Against adultery and fornication page 357 358 359 Against stealing lying slaundering falswitnes bearing coueting another mans vvealth page 363 364 365 366. c. Against iniustice wrongfull dealing oppressing the poore page 368 Against ouer-hastie rash iudgement page 375. Against iustifying our selues foolish boasting and ouer-much regarding of other mens faultes page 378. c Against the following of false-teachers page 384 Against the choyse of meates and difference of dayes page 387. Against ouer-curious searching adding of any thing to the vvorde of God page 392. Against foolish securitie page 394 Against the loue of the world 396. Against euill company keeping 399. ¶ A breefe collection of certaine other godly precepts and counsels from page 404. to page 429. ¶ The seuerall matters handled in the seuenth Discourse OF trouble and affliction wherby God tryeth his chyldren page 429. The tryall of Abraham page 430. The tryall of Tobie page 431 The tryals of Dauid page 431. The tryals of Iob. page 432 433. 434 Of trouble and persecution for the Gospels sake page 445 c The example of S. Paules sufferings diuers other Saints of God 455. 456 457 ¶ The seuerall matters handled in the eyght Discourse OF the many fauours of God towards the godly heere in this lyfe c. page 462 463 464 c. The seuerall blessings of glorified bodies in the kingdome of heauen page 488. The sundry beatitudes of the soules of Gods Saints in heauen page 489 ¶ The seuerall matters handled in the ninth Discourse OF the heauie wrath of God against the vngodly heere in thys life c. page 495 496 497 c. The prosperitie of the wicked theyr suddaine fall page 498 499. Theyr seuerall practises against the godly and the euill successe that followes them in the end page 499 500 c. The fearefull trouble of conscience that many times molesteth the vnrighteous in this life page 515 Of the seuerall torments and perpetuitie of the paines that the damned shall suffer after this life in hell page 523 524 525 526 527 c. FINIS N L