rose againe leading captiuitie captiue that hee might heereby deliuer thee from the bands and hands of all thine enemies I may tell thee from Paul and Paul here from God vnto the comfort of thy soule that thou art now presently iustified and shalt be hereafter eternally saued For the Scripture saith whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not bee confounded That is whosoeuer hath a sure trust in God that he will euen for his Christ sake pardon all his sinnes and blot out all his offences and out of this assurance calleth on the name of the Lord he shall be safe For the two testimonies of the two Prophets answere the two clauses of Paul Esay speaking of the beleeuing in the heart and Ioel of acknowledging with the mouth And in these texts of the Prophets obserue their vniuersal note whosoeuer for God is no respecter of persons he puts no difference betweene the Iew and the Gentile but being Lord ouer all is rich vnto all that call vpon him Other Lords cannot reward all their followers as being Poore many will not as being illiberall and sordide but our God is able because Lord of all and willing because rich vnto all of whatsoeuer condition or countrey Poore Bartimeus begging rich Zacheus climing old Simeon in the Temple young Iohn in the wombe couetous Matthew grinding his neighbour at the receit of Custome the louing Centurion building his nation a Synagogue the people watching vnder the Crosse the theefe hanging on the Crosse confessing the Lord Iesus and walking in the sonneshine of his Gospell in differently finde refreshing in the conscience rest in the soule For whosoeuer beleeueth on him shall not be confounded and whosoeuer calleth on his name shall be saued As for the subiect or seate of faith it is said here with the heart man beleeueth Ergo faith as many Protestant authors haue noted is not placed in the minde or vnderstanding only but in the will and affections also For faith as it is notitia resides in the minde but as fiducia feared in the will Other Interpretors etiam note purioris and no way branded with the markes of Antichrist hold it noâ— greatly to stand with reason that one particular and single grace should bee placed in diuers parts and faculties of the soule It is true that faith is not a meere prattle of the tongue nor a floting opinion of the braine but a certaine perswasion of the heart Yet notwithstanding this perswasion or particular knowledge whereby a man is resolued that the promises of saluation appertaine to him is wrought in the minde by the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 2.12 A sure trust and a stedfast hope of all good things to bee receiued at Gods hand is not happily faith if wee speake properly but rather a fruit of faith in that no man hath aâ—fiance in God vntill he be first of all perswaded of his mercy toward him in Christ Iesu. For mine owne part I confesse with Luther ingenuously that it is exceeding hard to distinguish exactly between faith hope there is so great aâ—finitie between them one hauing respect to the other as the two Cherubins on the Mercy-seate Exod. 25.20 Faith engendreth hope and from hope proceeds affiance which is nothing else but hope strengthned For whereas an hypocrites confidence shall be like the house of a spider he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be euen as the mount Sion which may not be remooued but standeth fâ—st for euer And for as much as the word heart in my text as is agreed on all sides is put for the wholesoule without limitation to any part all that I will obserue from hence shall be that as wee must loue God euen so beleeue in God with all our heart and soule and minde For hypocrites haue forged faith and deuils haue forced faith acknowledging against their will out of horror vnto their condemnation and not out of loue from their heart to their iustification that Iesus is the Lord. A Recusant may be brought vnto the Church against his will and compelled in despight of his teeth also to receiue the Sacraments Bread and Wine but none can beleeue that Iesus is their Iesus but with the heart only See Gospell Sund. 8. and Epistle Sund. 10. after Trinitie How shall they call on him on whom they haue not beleeued A plaine text against the Gentiles idolatrie praying vnto gods vnknowne As Hecuba in Euripides O Iupiter quic quid es siue hoc coelum siue mens in coelo quanquam din iam ignauos opituiatores inuoco And it is a pregnant euidence to confute the Papists in their inuocation of Saints also for if they trust in S. Martin or Mary S. Catherin or Clare they rob the Creator to clothe his creature and cursed be man that puts his confidence in man and makes flesh his arme If they trust not how doe they call on him in whom they beleeue not Our heauenly Father saith in his word Call vpon me Christ our aduocate with the Father in like fort Come vnto me for I am the way the truth and the life Iohn 14.6 Non est qua eas nist per me non est quô eas uisi ad me No way to God but by mee no light but from mee no life but in mee Christ is a mutuall helpe to the Father one to vs another An hand to the Father by which hee reacheth vs an hand to vs by which wee reach him The Fathers mouth by which he speaketh vnto vs our mouth to the Father by which wee speake to him Our eye to see by footway to goe by the piller of fire by night and cloud by day guâ—ding his Israel in the wildernes of this world Wherefore let vs call on him in whom alone we beleeue which is our strength and refuge in the time of trouble promising in his Gospell aske and yee shall haue seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you See Gospell on the 5. Sund. after Easter How shall they heare without a Preacher Heere you may behold the Ministers Dignitie in respect of their Commission as being sent of God Errand as being ambassadours of good things euen such as bring tidings of peace between God and man Man and man Man and himselfe Wherefore desire the Lord to send forth labourers into his haruest honouring such Elders as rule well and labor in the word euen with double honour 1 Timoth 5.17 receiuing them as Angels yea as Christ himselfe Galat. 4.14 Dutie for if faith come by hearing and hearing by preaching so that the word of God vnto faith is as oile to the lampe such as will haue their feet kissed ought to bring tidings of good things If they will haue the worthie good reason they should doe the
course of this world and in fulfilling the lusts of the flesh and will of the minde they became dead in sinnes not vnder grace for they were without Christ aliens from the common wealth of Israel and strangers from the couenants of promise hauing no hope and without God in the world as our Apostle disputes in the former part of this Chapter But non saith he God which is rich in mercie through his great loue wherewith he loued vs euen when we were dead in trespasses hath so quickned vs in Christ Iesus that we be both vnder grace released from the condemnation of the law and in grace deliuered from the dominion of sinne We which once were farre off are made neere to God and his people not any longer strangers or forrainers but fellow citizens with the Saints of Gods houshold yea Gods house Wherein our Apostle doth allude to the goodly buildings of the terrestriall Hierusalem in which all the whole Citie was faire the Kings house fairer the Temple fairest of all And so by these three wherof one doth excell another he describes the blessed estate of Hierusalem which is aboue The materials of this high and holy building are Gods elect as well his seruants on earth as Saints in heauen His elect in the militant Church are called by S. Peter liuely stones or as Hierom reades liuing stones A materiall house consists of blockes and stockes and other senselesse stuffe but all the parts of the mysticall house built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles are moouing and free stones in that they be quickned by God and liue by saith in his sonne And this their faith is not dead but liuely working by loue Galat. 5.6 For as in other buildings one stone lieth vpon another and all vpon the foundation euen so in the spirituall house Christians beare one anothers burthen and Christ as the chiefe stone beares all Vnusquisque portat alterum portatur ab altero quoth Gregory The whole building is so compact as that euery one beares another and is borne of another As for example the rich and the poore man are thrust and piled together in Gods house the poores butthen iâ— his beggeâ—ie he burâ—hen of the rich is his ouergrowen estate Wherefore the poore lieth on the rich and â—he rich is content to sustaine the poore the rich hâ—th hiâ— burâ—â—â—n leâ—â—ened by giuing and the poore his butthen leâ—â—ened by taking and so saith Augustine they beare one â—nother burâ—he A Christian must haue strong shoulders and mightie bones that he may heare flesh that is the weaknesse of his brethren It was excellently said of one when it was told him how his brother had committed a foule fault He fell â— sterdaâ— quoth he and I may fall to day The peble may not enuie the marble nor the marble despise the peble the pinne in the Temple sâ—rues for vse so well as the pinnâ—cle The cie cannâ—t sâ—y to the band I haue no need of thee no the head to the feet I haue no need of you So that euery liuing stone must put on tender mercie kindaâ—â—e humâ—â—tie meâ—◠〈◊〉 long suffering for bearing one another and for giuing one another of one heart and â—f one seule of one accord and of one iudgement Thus all such as aâ—e truly faithfull 〈◊〉 tempore sâ—les from the beginning of their faith and first embracing of the Gospell are translated out of Babylon and made citizens of I â—erâ—salem euen walking and working stones in the building of God house The next point to bee discussed is the foundation of the Church and that iâ— not Peter alone nor yet all the Prophets and Apostlâ—s iointly bâ—t Christ Iâ—sus himâ—â—â—f Not the Christ of 〈◊〉 or the Christ of 〈◊〉 or the Christ of Lâ—gat or any false Christ aâ—beit there be many such in the world but onely the true Christ of the Prophets and Apostle I say that Christ only which is vâ—lâ—â—m in 〈…〉 stamento reâ—â—latus 〈◊〉 promised by the mouth of all the Prophets in the old Testament and preached of all the blessed Apostles in the new So the Doctors expound my text built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles that is vpon Christ aâ— being the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles vpon the foundation which is laid by their doctrine as S. Ambrâ—â—e plainly jsper â—oâ—um veâ—â—â— testamentum vpon the coâ—ents of the two Testaments the summe whereofi nothing else but Christ crucified as beâ—ng the head corner stone lapis summus imus euen the first and the last stone the beginning and ending Apocal. 1.8 by whom the Church is founded and finished In other buildings the foundation iâ— lowest in the ground but the foundation of Hierusalem aboue Galat. 4.26 descending downe from God out of heauen Apocal 21.2 is higher then the highest Ecclesiast 5.7 As Aâ—stotle said a man is arbertransuersa so we that the Church is domus transuersa an house turned vpâ—ide do vne for that Christ is both a rocke on which his Church is founded and a chief or head corner stone in whom all the whole building is coupled together and groâ—â—th c. other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Iesus Christ a tried stone a precious stone a sure stone This doctrine confuces the Papist holding that Peter is the rocke on which the Church is built for that vpon the confession of Pâ—ter thou art Christ the sonne of the â—â—aâ— God our blessed Sauiour said thou art Peter and vpeniâ—iâ— rocke will I build my Church Answer is made that Peter in making this confession thou art Christ either spake â—racaâ—cris or procateris as prolocutor oâ— moâ—â—h of the rest And therefore whatsoeuer in that placeâ— as promised vnto Peter appertained to the whole Colledge of Apostles a Oâ—gâ—nâ—â—m 1. â— Mat. the words spoken â—o Peter are common to all If wee confesse with Peter nobis dâ—â—tur tu es Pâ—â—rus pâ—ra cnim quique Christâ—â—â— cipâ—lus est And S. Hiâ—renâ— Peâ—ra Christu st qui â—â—n â—â—t emâ—â—us Apost lâ—â— vt â—â— quique patrâ— voâ—â—â—â—ar â—nuâ—reâ—rgous faith Ambroâ—eâ—â—â— sis petra so euery confessor is a Peter and euery Peter a liuing stone in the building of God house Touching the words vpon this rocke will I build my Church A â—gustine the most accurate Doctor expound them thus Super bane Petram quam câ—nfesseâ— es super hano Petram qâ—im cognonisti discus tues Christus filâ—s Deiviui â—dâ—fâ—cabo ecclesiam mean id est super mâ—ipsum adâ—sieabo ecclesim meam super me edisicabote non me superte So the Papists owne Writers vpon this rocke that is I will build my Church vpon my selfe the Sonne of the liuing God See Gospell on S. Peters
Wâ—â—â— thou wast rouâ—â— thou girdeast thy selfe and walke liâ— who here 〈◊〉 That is when thou wast a yâ— angling in faith and diddest gird thy selfe with thine owne strength it was thy follie to thinke that thou couldest 〈◊〉 me whither I went and therefore by denying me thrice thou diddest proue my words to be true Weâ—ther I â—e thou canst not sodow me now but when thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thine hands and another shall gird thee c. that is when thou shalt feele thine owne weaknesse and grow strong in the Lord my other saying also shall be found true Thou shalt follow â—â—ce afterwards I therefore now command thee Peter againe and againe follow mee whither I â—â—â— But Peter as it may seene neglecting this charge concerning himselfe but of a curious humour enquites after the doing and dying of other saying vnto Iesus Lord what shall we here â—â—â— to whom his matter answered And â—â—â— haue him to 〈◊〉 I come what is that to 〈…〉 Teaching vs hereby to follow him in the same calling and in the same way that hee doth appoint It is not said examine others imploiment but see your owne calling 〈◊〉 let euery man abide in the some calling wherein he was called walking in his vocation worthily studying to be quiet and to meddle with his owne businesse 1 Thess. 4.11 The which apostolicall apophthegme being a parallel vnto the words of Christ here what is that to thee follow thou mee may serue to direct vs in all matters of this life Whether they be Theologicall Concerning God Whether they be Ecclesiasticall Concerning The Church Whether they be Politicall Concerning Common-weale Whether they be Morall Concerning Our neighbours friends Whether they be Occonomicall Concerning Our priuate familie Whether they be Monasticall Concerning Our single selues In matters appertayning to God it teacheth vs not bee curious inquisitors after the secrets of his will vnknowne for what is that to thee but to keepe the words of his Law doing his will which is knowne for of this onely Christ speakes here follow thou mee The secret things belong to the Lord our God but the things reuealed belong to vs and to our children for euer In affaires of the Church it sheweth how the good sheepheard should spend his life for the benefit of the flocke committed vnto his charge Peter follow mee forbidding Vzzab to put his hand to the arke of God recalling the Lacke not onely from incroaching vpon the Clergie mans benefice but also from intruding into the Clergie mans office for what is that to thee In businesse of the Common-wealth it correcteth oâ—ercurious Euesdroppers of State for what is that to thee Teaching vs to giue the things of Casar vnto Caesar honour to whom honour custome to whom custome tribute to whom tribute though as Christ Mat. 17.27 wee fish for money for in performing this office like wise Iesus said vnto Peter follow thou mee The soole saith Salomon will euer be medling but hee that iwise will not walke in magris mirabilibus in great affaires and such as are too high and huge for him hee plots not how to dispose of the Scepter but possessing his soule in patience desires the Scepter should rightly dispose of him as being assured that Princes are the ministers of God euen fingers of that great hand that gouerns all the world In morall offices or duties of charity between neighbour and neighbour it inhibits thee to be a busie body or as Peter speakes a busie Bishop in another mans diocesse for what is that to thee aduising on the contrarie to doe good vnto all vnto such as are of the houshold of faith especially For in this respect Christ Iesus our great patrone and patterne speakes vnto all as to Peter here follow me Learne of me to be humble and meeke walking in loue euen as I haue loued you giuing my selfe for you to bean offering and a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour to God in all other businesse appertayning either to the priuate house or single selfe the counsell is wholesome res 〈◊〉 age plough in thine owne ground fish in thine owne boat looke to thy selfe ouerlooke not other vnlesse they bee such as are committed vnto thy proper charge For in this exempt case Christ expects not of Peteâ— aâ—tendance to the former clause what is that to thee but obedience to the latter onely follow thou mee Then went this saying among the brethren that that Disciple should not 〈◊〉 Hence wee may leaâ—ne to take good heede how â—ereid and heare holy Scripture For by misconthing the words of our Sauiour many false rumours are spread among the brethren If the Disciples easily were deceiued how much more wee Let vs imbrace therefore those things which are cleare and such things as are spoken darkly let vs conferre with pâ—ainer places alway calling vpon God to giue vs the key of true knowledge that wee may dâ—scerne the thingâ— of his spirit The Disciples here made that an absolute affirmatiue which indeed is but a conditionall proposition If I will haue him to tarry c. not I will haue him to tarry For wee may not reade as the vulgar Latine corruptly sic cum volo manere but si cum volo manere Againe Iesus said not hee shall not die but if I will that hee tarry till I come what is that to thee In this correction of the Disciples errour obserue first S. Iohns ingenuitie who would not suffer a false report to be spread among the brethren though it were for his honour Secondly that it is not alway safe to follow the most in all things one Iohn here is opposite to the rest of his companie one Lot opposite to the rest of his Citie one Luther opposite to the rest of his country one Noah opposite to the whole world Thirdly wee may learne by this example to bee diligent and patient in reuoking all such things as haue been mistaken either in our words or writings Augustine hath his retractations Bellarmine his recognitions Baronius his Emendanda the Disciples here their Errata sic corrige This saying went among the brethren c. yet Iesus said not hee shall not die c. The Disciple whom Iesus loued The word by whom all things were made loues all that he made Yet men more then vnreasonable creatures and his Saints more then other men and his chosen Apostle more then other Saints and Iohn more then other of his Apostle He loued all his Disciple as the Father hath loued mee 〈◊〉 haue I loued you continue in my loue Iohn 15.9 But hâ— loue to Iohn as the schoole speakes was greater â—xtensiue though not intensiue shewing more signes of familiaritie to Iohn then to the rest of his company For whereas Iohn the Baptist held himselfe not worthy to beare
to himselfe godly For his workes he was iust 〈◊〉 dealing with men for his faith he was dexout in the seruice of God These two deuotion and iustice comprehend all the whole law deuotion all the duties of the first table iustice all the duties of the second Deuotion is the mother Iustice the daughter because the true feare of God bringeth forth alwaies vpright cariage toward men It is not reported here that he was so righteous as that he needed not another righteousnesse for he looked for the consolation of Israel acknowledging in his song Christ for his sauiour but that he liued as it is said of Zacharias and Elizabeth in the former Chapter vnblameable before men The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is translated pius religiosius rimoratus one who feared God and this feare was not seruile but siliall Hee did not feare God as a bad seruant fearing the stripes of his great master but as a louing sonne fearing to displease his good father â—â—imâ—bat cumdilectione diligebat cum timore He was in his course so carefull to doe the will of our heauenly father as that he feared with a pious loue and loued with a reuerent feare Solicite pius omnia timens ne non satis pius sit in doing good a iust man in eschewing euill one that feared God And looked for the consolation of Israel Hee was a Iust man in deed giuing euery one his right vnto God as being deuout vnto himselfe as expecting the consolation of Israel vnto other in preaching Christ openly to be both a light to the Gentiles and a glory to the Iewes all the chiefe Christian vertues appeared in him eminently Faith hope loue faith as fearing God hope as looking for the Messias of the world loue as being Iust communicating his gifts of prophecie to the benefit of the the Church in singing his nunc dimittis and in saying mine eyes haue seene thy saluation My corporal eyes thy manhood my spiritual eyes thy Godhead the coniunction of which is Salutare titum thy saluation as giuing it and Salutare â—rism our saluation as receiuing it And this Salutare is not singulare but as Saint Iude tearmeth it a Common saluation and as old Simeon in his Hymne prepared before the face of all people The Epistle ACTS 1.15 In those daies Peter stood vp in the middlest of the Disciples and said c. THis Epistle containeth a short yet a sweet narration how Matthews a Disciple was elected into the traitor Iudas Apostleship and Bishopricke Wherein three things are more principally remarkeable 1. His Conge de leâ—re deliuered in an eloquent speech in which obserue the Time In whose daies Orator Peter stood up Auditorie Disciples and brethren about an hundred and twentie Oration partly hortatorie perswading that one must bee chosen verse 16 17 18 19 20. doctrinall intimating what an one must be chosen vers 21 22. 2. H selection and in it the processe by nomination vers 23. prayer vers 24.25 lots vers 26. success the lot fell on Matthias 3. His installation hee was counted with the eleuen Apostles In those daies To wit in the space betweene Christs assension and his sending of the holy Ghost at that time the Disciples being gathered together at Hierusalem in an vpper parlour they continued with one accord not in supplication onely but in consultation also for the Gospels aduancement Hereby teaching all men especially preachers of the word to spend their houres profitably for the benefit of the Church in supplanting her foes and in supplying the number of her friends Peter stood vp in the middest of the Disciple and said Heere the Papists obserue Peters supreme power ouer the rest of the Disciples and Apostles and so by consequence though inconsequent the Popes absolute command ouer all other Bishops in the whole world But if we will exactly consider and examine his behauiour in this assembly wee shall vnderstand that he caried himselfe not as a Pope but as a peere toward them I. in calling them brethren and frater is fere alter as Lorinus vpon the place 2. for that he standeth vp in the middlest of the Disciples equally referring all things vnto their common consent and free choice terming himselfe a fellow pastour 1. Pet. 5.1 Whereas euery Bishop assembled in the Tridentine Conuenticle tooke a corporall oath that he would not dispute any point to preiudice the Romane sea nay there was nothing determined in that irregular meeting except it was first handled and hammered at Rome by the Pope for then it was ordinarily said in a by-word that the holy Ghost in a bull or Popes breue was sent from Rome to Trent as Chemnitius plainly told Andradius In illo concilio idem actor reâ—â—est 〈◊〉 Our Diuines therefore say that Peter was elected prolocutor of this connocation either by secret reuelation of the holy Ghost or else by expresse iudgement of the congregation or for that hee was vsually more seruent then the rest in such a busines ardentior rebus agendes aptior reliquis extiterat For it became â—im of all the Colâ—edge best as hauing deâ—ied Christ heretofore most He â—tood vp and spake as the mouth of the companie but hee played not the Pope but onely the perswader exercising not a supremacy of authoritie but a primacie of order as Chrysostome and other note See Gospell 1. Sund. after Easter The number of names that were together were about an hundred and twentie The vulgar Latine reading turba hominum answeres not the Greeke so well as our text turba nominum the number of names For in exquisite numbring vsually men are mustred by their seuerall names in Councels especially the names of such as giue voices are full enrolled in a bill or registers table But by names our Euangelist vnderstands men as the holy Ghost elsewhere â—hou hast a few names yet in Sardi which had not defiled their garments A few names that is as â—ullinger and other vpon the place a few persons And it may bee that the sacred spirit in vsing this phrase doth insinuate that they were men of eminent note as Gen. 6.4 The Gyants are called men of renoune that is as Munster translates according to the Hebrew viri nominate men of name Well howsoeuer their names were great their number was but small being about an hundred and twentie By which it doth appeare that the kingdome of heauen is like vnto a graine of mustard seed the which in sowing is indeed the least of all seeds but in growing it is the gâ—eatest among herbs euen a tree so that the birds of heauen come and build in the branches thereof Vnto these 1â—0 The Lord added daily such as should bee saued at one Sermon of Saint Peter Act. 2. The number of brethren was encreased about 3000. soules
of God then to command in the Courts of other Princes Now God as earthly Kings hath some seruants in ordinary and other extraordinary All Christians are his sworne seruants extraordinary for they vowed in holy Baptisme to fight vnder Christs banner against the world the flesh and the diuell and to continue his faithfull souldiours and seruants vntil their liues end The true profession of the true saith is Christs liuerie and loue is the cognisance of his liuery for faith working by loue is the wedding garment with Christs badge by this saith he shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye loue one another Princes and Prophets are the seruants of God in ordinary so neere to God in ordinary so neare to God in office that they are called Gods A Magistrate is a singer as it were of Gods owne hand a Preacher is a steward in Gods owne house So Saint Iames as being an Apostle was in this sense the seruant of Iesus Christ and therefore such are deceiued greatly who thinke that this author was not an Apostle because hee calles not himselfe an Apostle for first Iude being an Apostle doth vse the same subscription in this Epistle Iudas the seruant of Iesus Christ. 2. Seruant in his acception is nothing else but an Apostle wherefore many Greeke copies and the Syriac and the vulgar Latine make this title to this Epistle the generall Epistle of S. Iames the Apostle Here theÌ„ obserue that to be called a Minister of Iesus Christ is not as the Papists obiect against our reformed Churches any contemptible stile seeing Saint Iames here doth afford vs a paterne and S. Paul 1. Cor. 4.1 a patent sic nos aestimat homo vt ministros Christi so the Romish translation in Latine and the Rhemish in English lei a man esteeme vs as the Ministers of Christ. Of God and of the Lord Iesus Christ These words are to be construed copulatinely Iames a seruant of Iesus Christ which is God and Lord as Tit. 2.13 looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Sauiour Iesus Christ. For the mediator betweene God and man is perfect God and perfect man and yet not two but one Christ one not by confusion of substance but by vnity of person as Athanasius in his Creed To the twelue tribes which are scattered abroad The Iewes were led captiue to Babylon other countries out of which it is apparant that some neuer returned into Iurie for Paul as wee reade in the storie of the Acts found almost euery where both in Europe and in Asia Synagogues of the Iewes Now this dispersion of Gods owne people for their ingratitude toward him is a manifest argument of his wrathfull indignation against sinne and it is written for our instruction vpon whom the ends of the world are come for if God spared not his naturall branches his peculiar enclosed plant take heed left he also spare not thee which art but a wild Oliue by nature Remember the words of Azariah vnto King Asa the Lord is with you while yee are with him and if ye seeke him hee will bee found of you but if ye for sake him he will for sake you Yet God in his wrath remembers mercy for among these scattered people some were gathered to the Church and truly conuerted vnto Christ vnto whom our Apostle wrote this excellent letter Vt qui dispersicrant corpore congregarentur mente S. Iames I say sent not this instruction vnto Iewes vnconuerted for then hee would haue proued that Iesus was the sonne of Mary the Messias of the world promised to the fathers If he had written vnto the Iewes in generall hee would as S. Matthew did haue penned a booke of the generation of Iesus Christ the sonne of Dauid the sonne of Abraham c. But his greeting is vnto such Iewes as were turned Christians exhorting them to make demonstration of their faith out of their workes leading a life answerable to their profession for the light of the Gospell appearing teacheth vs that we should denie vngodlines and worldly lusts and that we should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world To conuert Iewes he wrote principally but that which is said vnto them is said vnto vs and all in which respect this letter is entituled the generall or Catholike Epistle of S Iames. Greeting This kind of salutation hath occasioned some to doubt of this Epistles authority Saint Peter and S. Paul in their inscriptions haue grace and peace Saint Iude mercy and peace and loue bee multiplied vnto you But this as they thinke is prophane taken rather out of Platoes Academie 〈◊〉 out of Christs schoole For Plato reports that in Greece the Physitians salutation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the vulgars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answere is made that this forme of saluting although it were common among the Heathens is notwithstanding apostolicall and that a paterne hereof is found Act. 15.23 The Apostles and the Elders and the brethren vnto the brethren of the Gentiles in Antiochia and in â—â—ria and in Cicilia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 greeting 2. Saint Iames being a spiritual Physitian wisheth here perfect health of the soule so well as the body 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to reioyce considering he wrote to people dispersed and distressed vnder the Crosse is both as sit and as full as the salutation of peace for there is no true ioy in the spirit without peace of conscience Rom. 14.7 The kingdome of God is not meate nor drinke but righteousnes and peace and â—oy in the holy Ghost an vpright life breedes in the iustified peace of conscience and peace of conscience makes a ioyfull heart temptationsâ— Wee reade Acts 8. that there was a great persecution against the Church at Hierusalem and that all the conuerted Iewes were scattered abroad thorow the regions of Iudea and of Samaria Now for the comfort of these distressed professours as some coniecture S. Iames wrote this instruction and because their condition vnder the crosse was vnto flesh and blood exceeding grieuous he beginneth ire ipsâ— with this exhortation aptly count it all ioy when ye fall into diuerse temptations He that suffers as a murtherer or as a theefe or as an euill doer hath hereby griefe of heart but blessed is the man that endureth temptation in Christs cause To cast our selues into temptation affordes matter of sorrow but if we for righteousnes sake by Gods appointment fall into sundry temptations our sorrow shall be turned into ioy Iohn 16.20 Here the Gospell and Epistle meet our Apostle count it for exceeding ioy when ye fall into diuers temptations is answerable to Christ let not your heart be troubled and both are fitly read on this day which is
doth not only subsist in his diuine nature but also by his diuine nature whereas hee doth not subsist at all by the manhood but in the manhood onely for the word was in the beginning when the manhood was not God of the subâ—tance of his Father begotten before the worlds man of the substance of his mother borne in the world as Athanasius in his Creed And therefore Christ alway was is and euer will be with vs in his spirit though absent in his body for a cloud on this day tooke him vpon high out of our sight whom the heauens must containe till the time that all things bee restored which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began I conclude this argument in S. Augustines glosse Videte ascendentem credite in absentem sperate venientem sed tamen per misericordiam occultam etiam sentite praesentem The Gospell MARK 16.14 Iesus appeared vnto the eleuen as they sat at meate c. ALbeit religion be not tied vnto time yet can it not be planted or exercised without a due diuiding and allotting out of time for it Euery Church therefore chuseth vnto it selfe a certaine time for publike prayers and for the preaching of the Gospell and for the celebration of the Sacraments And for as much as it is kindly to consider euery great blessing of God in the day wherein it was wrought it is well ordered by the true Churches as well ancient as moderne to solemnize the memoriall of Christs natiuity circumcision passion resurrection assension and sending of the holy Ghost on certaine set holy daies euery yeere ne volumine temporum ingrata subrepat obliuio saith Augustine lest happily the maruelous workes of our gratious Lord should be forgotten in a while which ought to be had in a perpetuall remembrance Now Châ—ists assension is the consummation of all that which he did and taught whilest hee dwelt among vs aptly tearmed by Bernard Fâ—lix clausula totius lienerarâ— sily Dei the very Sabbath of all his labour in the working of our redemption He laboured six daies and then he rested on the seuenth His natiuity was the first his circumcision was the second his presentation in the Temple the third his baptisme the fourth his passion the fifth his resurrection the sixth and then followed his ascension in which hee was receiued into heauen and now sitteth at the right hand of God as hauing finished the whole worke for which hee came into the world Dauid saith of the naturall Sunne it reioyceth as a Grant to runne his course it goeth forth from the vtter most parts of the heauen and runneth about vnto the end of it againe and there is nothing hid from the heate thereof The which as Augustine and other haue noted may be well applied vnto the supernaturall Sunne Iesus Christ the sonne of righteousnesse As a Gâ—ant he did runne his course there you haue his incarnation and peregrination in the flesh his circuit was from the vttermost part of heauen vnto the end of it againe There you haue his resurrection and ascension nothing is hid from his beate there you haue his sending of the holy Ghost in the forme of fiery tongues Act. 2.3 As a Giant he ran his race for he first descended into the lowest parts of the earth and then ascended from aboue all heauens that he might fulfill all things Ephes. 4.9.10 Wherefore seeing Christs ascension is the complement of all his doings and of all his doctrines our Church is worthie to be honoured in making this festiuall one of the chiefe holidaies in the whole yeere In the Gospell allotted for this holy Thursday two points are most obseruable namely Christs goodnesse toward his Apostles in his Apparition Iesus appeared vnto the eleuen Correction and cast in their teeth c. Commission Goe ye into all the world c. Consolation These tokens shall follow c. Ascension So when the Lord had spoken vnto them hee was receiued into heauen c. The Apostles obedience toward Christ and they went forth and preached euery where c. Iesus appeared vnto the eleuen Hee had often appeared vnto his followers after his resurrection and now he manifested himselfe to the eleuen Apostles as they sat at meate Wherein hee did appeare like himselfe full of meekenesse and mercy giuing vs assurance that he will be present with vs orationi incumbentibus at our meetings in the Temple Quando nec recumbentibus quidem dedignatur adesse seeing he vouchsafed his companie to his Apostles in their meates at the table It is reported Luk. 24.43 that he did eate with them also now this comestion as the Schoolemen out of the Fathers haue disputed was not egestatis but potestatis He did eate to feed our soules and not to fill his owne bodie being after his resurrection immortall and impassible That which he did eate was not as Durandus imagined turned into the substance of his body for as Gregorie the great disputes out of S. Paul Rom. 6.9 Christ being raised from the dead dreth no more death hath no dominion ouer him his glorified body needed no sustenance to preserue life Neither was this eating as other thinke a seeming onely to take bread and fish and honie but it was a true comestion albeit assuredly there followed no digestion or ordinarie eiection And so by consequence he did not eate to nourish his owne flesh but onely to cherish our faith in that great article concerning the truth of his resurrection Or hee did in this appearing eate with his Apostles at the table familiarly that he might hereby the better imprint in their hearts a memoriall of his sweet loue toward them Or he did appeare to his Apostles at meate to signifie that he giueth our food in due season and that he filleth all things with his plenteousnesse Psal. 145.15 And cast in their teeth their vnbeleefe The Patriarks and Prophets and Apostles instruct vs not only by their vertues but also by their infirmities As there the Disciples vnbeleefe turned in fine to the confirmation of our Creed Dubitatum est ab illis ne dubitaretur à nobis vndoubtedly some did doubt the diuine prouidence sweetly so disposing that all other might bee put out of doubt And therefore Thomas in beleeuing Christs resurrection so flackly did vs hereby more good then Mary Magdalene in beleeuing so quickly because Christs correction of his fault occasioned further direction for our faith Infidelit as bona quae seculorum fidei militauit See Gospell on Saint Thomas day The world doth exalt first and then humble Prou. 14.13 The end of the worlds mirth is heauinesse But God on the contrary first humbleth and then exalteth As Christ here first humbled his Apostles in rebuking their vnbeleefe and hardnesse of heart and then he doth exalt them in making the whole
An EXPOSITION OF THE FESTIVALL EPISTLES AND Gospels vsed in our English Liturgie Together with a reason why the Church did chuse the same By IOHN BOYS Doctor of Diuinitie The first part from the Feast of S. ANDREVV the Apostle to the Purification of blessed MARY the Virgin Psalme 151.1 Laudate Dominum in Sanctis eius LONDON Printed by EDVVARD GRIFFIN for William Aspley 1615. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD GEORGE BY the diuine prouidence Lord Archbishop of CANTERBVRIE Primate of all England and Metropolitane c. My very good Lord. I Finde three sundrie readings of the first words in the last Psalme Praise God in vis Saints praise God in his sanctitie praise God in his Sanctuarie God is to be praised in his Saints as hauing out of the riches of his mercie bestowed on them eminent gifts of grace the which as their bequeathed legacies and onely true reliques are to be remembred often in Gods Church vnto Gods people that as B. Latimer speakes wee may worship the Saints in following their good examples And so these three lines meeting in one center intimate that the most holy being donor of euery good and perfect gift ought to be magnified in his Sanctuarie for his sanctitie conferred vpon his Saints whereby they shined as lights in this heauen on earth and now shine like starres in heauen of heauen For this end I haue begun and I hope to finish an exposition of the Festiuall Epistles and Gospels vsed in our English Liturgie The which howsoeuer herein I may seeme bold yet am I bound to dedicate vnto your Grace for many respectiue considerations especially for this one because your honourable disposition in the middest of a crooked nation is euermore to be both a patron and a paterne of vnfained sanctitie Thus humbly beseeching the Lord to blesse and your Grace to sauour these my labours I rest Your Graces seruant in all dutie IOHN BOYS S. ANDREVVES DAY The Epistle ROM 10.9 If thou knowledge with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord and beleeue in thy heart that God raised him vp from death thou shalt be safe c. THE Gospell and Epistle chosen for this Fesâ—iuall intimate the true reason of our Church in celebrating the memories of the blessed Apostles and Euangelists vnto Gods honour namely because they were fishers of men ambassadours of peace preachers of good tidings euen the disposers of the riches of God in Christ indiffâ—rently to men of all sexes and sorts in that their sound went out into all lands and their words into the ends of the world and so by consequent principall instruments of God in the worke of our saluation and eternall happinesse Which our Apostle sheweth heere by this Sorites or gradation Whosoeuer â—allâ—th on the name of the Lord shall be saued Inuocation is by faith Faith is by hearing of the word Hearing is by the Preachers And Preachers are sent of God c. Ergâ— such as haue learned Christ in their minde beleeuing vndoubtedly with their mouth acknowledging him vndauntedly for their Iesus ought to praise God in his Apostles as being after Christ immediately the first and vnder Christ absolutely the chiefe Trumpetors of the Gospell which is the power of God vnto saluation In the whole text two points are remarkable Cansa causatâ— the means of our iustification and herein a Proposition If thou knowledge c. verse 9. Proofe 1. From a sufficient enumeration of the principall heads of Christianitie Faith for to belâ—eue with the heart instifieth Good works to knowledge with the mouth c. vers 10. 2. From the testimonie of the Prophets Esay Whosoeuer beleeueth on him c. vers 11. Ioel Whosoeuer doth call c. vers 13. Causa causae the meane for these meanes and that is the preaching of the Gospell in this respect aptly termed the word of faith vers 8. If thou knowledge S. Paul hauing in the Chapter afore sufficiently discoursed of the reâ—ection of the Iewes A priore from Gods absolute decree shewing mercie on whom he will and whom he will hardening he commeth in this present to demonstrate the same point â— postâ—riore from their obstinate incredulitie stablishing their owne righteousnesse and not submitting themselues vnto the righteousnesse of God in Christ apprehended and applied by faith only declaring it selfe in a twofold act one which is outward to confesse with the mouth another which is inward to beleeue with the heart Some confesse but beleeue not as hypocrites other beleeue but confesse not as timorous and Peter-like professors in the daies of persecution other doe neither confesse nor beleeue on Christ as Atheists other both confesse and beleeue and they be true Christians A bare confessing with the mouth is not enough except thou beleeue with thine heart Esay 29.13 This people come neere to mee with their mouth and honor me with their lips but haue remoued their heart farre from me c. Neither is it sufficient vnto saluation only to beleeue with the heart vnlesse thou confesse with the mouth according to that vnauoidable sentence Math. 10.33 Whosoeuer shall denie me before men him also will I denie before my father which is in heauen Now though in nature beleeuing with the heart preceed confessing with the tongue yet Paul mentioneth acknowledging in the first place for that wee doe not know the faith of such as beleeue but by their confession according to that of S. Iames I will shew thee my faith by my workes Heere then obserue that to confesse the Lord Iesus is necessary both in respect of other and our selues In respect of other as being herewith armed in the times of persecution and instructed in the daies of peace Christ is the fountaine of the waters of life faith in the heart is as the pipes and cesterne that receiue in and hold the water and confession with the mouth as the cocke of the Conduit that lets out the water vnto euery commer And therefore let your light so shine before men as that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen Againe to confesse that is to praise Christ in thy words and to doe whatsoeuer appertaineth vnto his worship is needfull in regard of our selues in that a true faith is neuer idle but alway working by loue Galath 5.6 For although it iustifieth alone yet is it no more alone then the heat of the Sâ—nne which alone warmes the earth is seuered from light â—or then Christ is diâ—â—oined from his spirit Calâ—â—â— apud 〈◊〉 de Iustist at lib. 1 cap. 15. § Caluinus or men a hand when it alone doth apprehend any thing is separated from the bodie Luther apuâ—â— Sanderâ—m de Iustis◠〈…〉 4 cap. 4. This doctrine makes against the 〈◊〉 in o'd time defending this 〈◊〉 Iura peruira secretum
the Virgins wombe as a bridegroome out of his chamber the Godhead was ioyned vnto the flesh and the flesh vnto the Godhead and these two were coupled together and after an ineffable manner in an ineffable marriage made one Beleeue this and thou shalt haue power to be Gods owne sonne as it is in our text My beloued if thou put on this wedding garment thy soule shall be Christs own spouse so nere so deare to him as that he will say to it I am thy saluation and it may also tell him I am my welbeloueds and my welbeloued is mine For if Pilate by wearing Christs coate without a seame did appease the wrath of angry Caesar how much more shall euery true beleeuer please God our heauenly King if he put on Christ himselfe O the blessed crying of a blessed babe by which euery faithfull seruant and sonne of God escapeth eternall howling in hell O glorious manger in which our soules Manna lay the bread of life that came down from heauen on which if a man feede hee shall not hunger againe O how rich are the ragges which haue made plaisters for our sores for our sinnes I conclude with an hymne of Prudentius Mortale corpus sumpsit immortalitas Vt dum caducum portat aeternus Deus Transire nostrum posset ad coelestia The Epistle Act. 7. 55. And Steuen being full of the holy Ghost looked vp stedfastly with his eyes into heauen c. YEsterday you heard how Christ was borne to day you shall vnderstand how Steuen died In Christs natiuitie who was borne in a little village and in an Inne of that village and in a stable of that Inne and laid in a cratch of that stable wee may learne humilitie not to boast of our great birth In S. Steuens martyrdome wee may behold an excellent patterne how to behaue our selues at our death hauing faith in God and loue toward our neighbours the which assuredly will breed such a Christian resolution in vs as that wee shall depart this life cheerefully lying downe in our graues as in a bed to sleepe for so the text here when hee had thus spoken be fell a sleepe The Church then in ioyning these two festiuals is desirous that wee should learne to liue well as Christ and dye well as Steuen In the words of Augustine Celebraâ—imus hester na die natalem quo rex marâ—yrum natus est in â—â—â—ndo hodie cel bramus natalem quo primicarius martyrâ—um migraâ—â—â— ex mundo Oportebat enim vâ— priâ—â—um immortalis pro mortalibus susciperet carnem sie mortalis pro immortals contemneret mortem Et ideo natus est Dominus vt moreâ—etur pro seruo ne serâ—â—â— timeret mori pro domino Naâ—â—â— est Christus in terris vt Stephanuâ— nasceretur in câ—lis c. And I pray with the same Father hartily donet mihi dominus pâ—â—ca dicere salubriter qui doâ—â—uit Stephane tanto dicere fartiter In the whole text two points are to be considered especially the bloudy behauiour of the Iewes in martyring Steuen godly behauiour of Steuen in his martyrdome toward God in generall hee stedfastly looked vp into heauen and called vpon God particular Lord Iesus receiue my spirit Men heartily praying for his enemies on his knees with a loud voice Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Himselfe vndergoing his martyrdome so comfortably that giuing vp the ghost hee laid downe his head vpon the hard stones as vpon a soft pillow to slâ—epe The Iewes in their blind zeale were so furious and mercilesse that they put Steuen to death who sought to bring them to eternall life stoning him as a blasphemer against God and his law who was a man full of faith and power and the holy Ghost An harsh and an hard fact of a stonie people saith Augustine ad lapides currebant duri ad duros Petris 〈◊〉 qui pro Petra qui Christus est moriebatur Lapides Indaearebellis In Stephanum lymphata rapis quae crimine duro saxeâ— semper eris But of their crueltie toward Steuen and other Prophets of God in the Gospell appointed for this day more copiously The most obseruable point in our present text is the godly behauiour of Steuen in his martyrdome 1. to God he looked vp stedfastly with his eyes into heauen c. As to the place where his treasure was his conuersation was his helpe was Hereby teaching vs whether we should flie for succour in aduersitie not vnto men here below but vnto God in heauen aboue so Dauid When I was in trouble I called vpon the Lord and hee heard me my helpe commeth euen from the Lord. So Iob my witnesse is in heauen and my record is on high And so S. Iames euery good gift is from aboue Calling vpon God and saying Lord. Thomas Becket a renowned Martyr and Saint among the Papists at his death earnestly commended himselfe and his cause to the protection of S. Mary but our protomartyr heere knowing that shee was neque magistra neque ministra neither mistresse of his soule nor yet a ministring spirit to his soule forgetting our Lady calleth vpon our Lord only saying Lord Iesu receiue my spirit the which is not an invocation of God the Father as Fran. Dauid impiously taught making Iesu the Genitiue case and the meaning thus O Father in heauen which art the Lord of thy sonne Iesu but as Ambrose notes a prayer vnto God the Sonne for besides infinite places of holy Scripture wheâ—e Christ is called Lord and called vpon as the Lord. S. Iohn Apocalips 22.20 vseth as Steuen here Iesu in the vocatiue Case etiam veni Domine Iesu euen so come Lord Iesus Where Domine Iesu cannot bee construed the Lord of Iesus but the Lord Iesus See Lorin in loc Bellarmine de Christo lib. 1. cap. 8. If the Lord be considered without Iesus howsoeuer in regard of his power he is able yet in regard of his iustice not willing the good Angels and blessed Saints in heauen are willing but not able wretched vncharitable men on earth are neither able nor willing onely Christ the Mediator betweene God and man is both able and willing to heare vs and helpe vs able because Lord willing because Iesus And therefore Steuen here doth not inuocate the Lord but in the name of Iesus neither doth he call vpon any Iesus but the Lord Iesus he lookes not for any succour either from men on earth or blessed spirits in heauen onely hee poureth out his soule to the redeemer of his soule Lord Iesu receiue my spirit Receiue He knew that his life was hid with Christ in God and therefore commendeth his soule to him alone who created it and redeemed it and iustified it and sanctified it and will in his good time glorifie it O Lord Iesu take thine owne into thine owne
custodie seeing I am now to leaue this life receiue my spirit Heere then against the Sadduces in Christs age and Atheists in our time we may note the soules immortalitie for God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing Again that al soules departed are in certaine receptacles vntill the generall iudgement they do not obambulate and wander vp and downe but remaine in places and states of happinesse or vnhappinesse either in the hands of God or in the Deuils prison and therefore all the daies of our life but especially at the houre of our death it behooueth vs to say and pray with S. Steuen O Lord Iesu receiue my spirit My. Charitie begins with it selfe malice with another in our idle busie time men are very sollicitous lest God lay this or that sinne to their enemies charge but wee may tell them as Christ did other in another cause Wâ—epe not for me but for your selues If your deuotion be so great and your praiers so good pray first for your selues for you peraduenture haue more need and then wish well and do well vnto your enemies as Steuen here first Lord Iesus receiue my spirit and then Lord Iesus forgiue their sinne Spirit Most men are all for the bodie nothing for their soule but S. Stephen is all as it should seeme for the soule and nothing for the bodie For what is a man profited if he should gaine the whole world and lose his owne soule saith our blessed Sauiour by which Apophthegme it doth appeare that euery soule in it selfe is of greater price then a whole world but thy soule vnto thy selfe ought to be of greater account then a million of worlds if as Empedoiles and Demâ—critus imagined there were so many saue this and saue all lose â—his and lose all and therefore let thy whole life be nothing else but a meditation of death and that thou maist die well as Steuen endeuour to liue well as Steuen Howsoeuer it goe with thy goods or good name be sure to looke well vnto thy soule that whether thou die for the Lord or in the Lord thou maist cheerfully deliuer it vp vnto the Lord as Steuen here Lord Iesu receiue my spirit Vnto faith in God he doth adioine loue to men without which all his praying and kneeling and crying yea dying had been but as a sounding braise and a tinckling Cimball Of loue there be two principall offices one to giue another to forgiue S. Steuen is an excellent patterne of both of the latter especially praying for his hatefull enemies euen at that houre when hee could scarce gaine time to thinke on his friends It is said 1. Peter 2.21 That Christ suffered for vs leauing vs an example Now Christ on the Crosse praied for his persecuâ—ors earnestly Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe Pendebat samen patebat a Augustine sweetly S. Steuen followed his masters example Lord lay not this sinne to their charge The which praier is clothed with two circumstances hee kneeled downe shewing his reuerence to God and cried with a loud voice manifesting his vnfained affection toward them Vnto the top of which exceeding great charitie there are three degrees 1. He praied for enemies 2. For mortall enemies who stoned him 3. In hot bloud at that time when they did wrong him most as being more sory for their riot then for his owne ruine For eternall death is the wages of such a sinne but euerlasting life the Crowne of such a suffering Hee kneeled downe God is the Lord of the body so well as of the soule and therefore challengeth as well reuerent gesture as inward deuotion in praying then either stand as a seruant before thy Master or kneele as a subiect to thy Prince Daniel prayed kneeling Peter prayed kneeling Paul prayed kneeling Christ himselfe kneeling and the Magdeburgenses acknowledge this gesture to be most ancient and most vsuall among the children of God in all ages and therefore not to kneele in the congregation argueth either ignorance or arrogancei For seeing all of vs are Gods adopted sons and not borne to the good we possesse it behoueth vs when we come before our Father especially to craue his blessing to be dutifull and humble in our cariage Concerning kneeling at the Lords Supper if the Church haue power and authority to change the time commanding vs to receiue the Communion in the morning whereas Christ administred it in the night to change the place for whereas Christ ordained his Supper in a priuate house wee communicate in a Temple to change the number and qualities of the persons deliuering the Sacrament vnto more then twelue and to women as well as men I see no reason but it hath authoritie likewise to change the gesture The time was altered because for this sacrifice the morning is the most fit time the place was altered because the Church is the most fit place The gesture was altered also being a matter not of the Sacraments essence but of outward order onely because kneeling is the most fit gesture for Protestants especially who deny the grosse reall presence and hold the Lord Supper an Eucharist or thanksgiuing vnto God for the redemption of the world by the death of his Sonne giuing of thankes is a part of prayer and in prayer no gesture so fit as kneeling Deuout Asella did vse geniculation in prayer so much as that her knee were made brawnie like the knees of a Camel See Step durant de ritibus Eccles. lib. 3. cap. 24. It is very remarkeable that Steuen here stood when he prayed for himselfe but kneeled when he prayed for his enemies hereby shewing the greatnesse of their impiety which easily could not be forgiuen as also the greatnesse of his piety Qui plus illorum dolebat peceasa quam sua vulnera For this end hee cryed also with a loud voice magnus clamor magnus amor Or as Caietan he cryed with a loud voice for others instruction and example that we might be followers of him as hee was a follower of Christ. Lay not this sin to their charge The Scribes in their glosses on the Law said expresly thou shalt loue thy neighbour and hate thine enemie Some Papists also thinke that the words of our Sauiour resist not euill and loue your enemies are not absolute precepts but onely counsels according to this doctrine the Castilians as I haue read since the battell of Alijabarto would not suffer any to preach vpon the friday in the first weeke of Lent because the Church on that day sings inimicos diligite loue your enemies And Iustinian being restored againe to his Empire shewed extreame crueltie toward his aduersaries and their allies for as often as he moued his hand to wipe the filth from his nose which was cut off hee commanded one of his enemies to bee put
or metonymically vnderstanding by the world men of the world Mundus non capit idest non intelâ—git the world cannot comprehend that is apprehend the bookes that should be written A very lanke conceit for the world in this sense cannot vnderstand so much as one line of the Gospell according to that of Paul The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God Other take these words as spoken hyperbolically for the spirit of God accommodating it selfe to the rudenesse of men vseth elsewhere this kind of figure Deut. 1.28 The Cities of the Canaanites are said to haue been walled vp to heauen Exod. 3.17 The land of the same Canaanites is tearmed a soyle flowing with milke and honie Psal. 107. The men who goe downe into the sea in ships and occupie their businesse in great waters are so tossed in the deepe by the stormie winds and waues as that Dauid saith in the 26 vers They mount vp to the heauen and are carried downe againe to the depths And so S. Iohn in auowing the world could not containe c. doth intimate that if all the things which Iesus did should bee written euery one the number of the bookes in folio would be without number As high walles and huge waues are said to reach heauen euen so these bookes hyperbolically to be greater then all the world Other construe this verse literally Iesus is that eternall word in the beginning by whom all things were made Iohn 1.3 and by whose mighty word all things are sustained Heb. 1.3 working from the foundation of the world hitherto Iohn 5.17 So that if euery thing which Iesus did as God both afore the world and in the world should be registred all this huge vniuerse though it be Gods faire library could not containe the bookes that should be written And thus as you see the conclusion of this Gospell is answerable to the beginning both intimating Christs incomprehensible diuinitie Hee made the whole world at the first and hee gouernes all things in the world euer lithens and therefore most impossible that all his words and works and wonders should bee recorded in bookes albeit euery plant were a pen euery drop of water inke euery foot of land paper and euery liuing creature a ready writer The Disciplethen who wrote these things as Horace said of Homer hath so fitly disposed of his whole storie The Epistle APOCAL. 14.1 I looked and loe a Lambe stood on the mount Sion c. THis text is nothing else but a description of Christ a Lambe sitting on mount Sion The Church in quantitie an hundreth fortie and foure thousand qualitative for Faith in that her coÌ„fession is Open hauing his name and his fathers name written in their foreheads a voice like the sound of many waters and great thunder Harmonicall singing a new song of diuerse parts and yet all agreeing as the voice of harpers harping with their harps Good workes in that her children are not defiled with women and in their mouthes is no guile for they follow the Lambe whithersoeuer he goeth and the reason of all is because they were redeemed from the earth and from men that they might be the first fruits vnto God and to the Lambe A Lambe stood on the mount Sion Christ the Sonne of God is the Lambe of God euen the Lambe here mentioned as it is apparant by his correlatiue father For so the text hauing his name and his fathers a Lambe in figure and a Lambe in fact In figure for Christ Iesus is our Pascall Lambe 1. Cor. 5.7 slaine from the beginning of the world Apocal. 13.8 prefigured in the sacrifices of the Law so well as now presented in the Sacraments of the Gospell As one pithily Prius profuit quà m fuit A Lambe indeed so meeke as a Lambe Like a Lambe dâ—â—â—be before his shearer A Lambe for that hee feedeth all his with his flesh and clotheth all his with his white robe of righteousnesse whereby wee stand as it is in our text without spot before the throne of God And this Lambe sits not idle nor lieth asleepe but standeth alwaies in a readinesse to protect his followers He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleepe Psalm 121.4 Hee standeth not as the beast in fickle sand or sea but on mount Sion which cannot be remoued Psal. 125 1. In the middest of his inheritance the Church against which hell gates shall not preuaile For Sion is a type of Christs Kingdome called often in holy Scripture Ierusalem aboue prepared in the top of the mountaines and exalted aboue the hils He stands on a mount higher then either earth or sea from whence the two beasts his opposites arise So that he is willing to defend his followers as standing and able for that he stands on a mount and left any should doubt of this our Apostle saith I looked and loe Two words of attention assuring vs hereby that the woman persecuted in the wildernesse that is the Church afflicted in the world shall at the last haue the victorie though all the red Dragons on earth and al the blacke deuils in hel furiously rage together against the Lord and against his anointed And here giue mee leaue to remember an obseruable note touching the writings of S. Iohn how that in his Gospell he teacheth especially faith in his Epistles especially loue in his Apocalyps especially hope This booke being as reuerend Bellinger censure h Euangeliâ—â—ssineâ—ss liber of all holy Scripture the fullest of consolation And with him an hundred fortie and foure thousand This affoords comfort that the Lambe stands not alone but hath on his side many from East and West as well Gentiles as Iewes hauing his fathers name written in their foreheads It is thought by some that this number is mysticall insinuating the perfection of Gods elect because both the duodenarie number and millinarie are numbers of perfection It is a certaine number because the Lord knoweth who are his 2. Tim 2.19 as hauing their names written in his booke yet a definite for an infinite as almost all haue noted in that the number of such as are with the Lambe is a multitude which no man is able to number Apocalyps 7.9 it is in it selfe a very great number but in comparison of the company fauouring lies and following Antichrist it is a little flocke a few people which are redeemed from the earth selected out of those innumerable troops of small and great rich and poore bond and free whose names are not written in the booke of life of the Lambe Apoc. 13.8 16. Hauing his name and his fathers name written in their foreheads The vulgar Latine Aretas Ardens and other reade as the translation of Hen. 8 and our Communion booke His name and his fathers name the which is more significant then
shewes to bee most excellent in regard of Himselfe Vnto mee the least of all Saints is this grace giuen Other God Vnsearchable riches of Christ â—idde in God c. Angels Vnto rulers and powers in heauenly things c. Men to make all mensee what the fellow shippe of the mystery is and that by Christ wee might haue boldnesse c. The summe of all which is seeing I haue receiued so much good and endured so much euill for your sake seeing the great mystery concerning the common saluation as S. Iude speakes in his Epistle was not in times past opened vnto the ionnes of men on earth or to the blessed Angels in heauen as it is now declared by the spirit seeing I say yee may see what is the fellowshippe of the mysterie which euen from the beginning hath 〈◊〉 hid in God I desire you not to faint in your course but to continue stedfast in the profession of this holy faith vnto your liues end For this cause Some Diuines haue troubled themselues and other in examining the context heere but it is among words as among men affinnity which is neerest ought to be dearest and therefore seeing the first words of this chapter agree very well with the last of the former I take the coherence to b◠〈◊〉 â—â—uer preached that you Gentile in 〈…〉 〈…〉 are noâ— citizens with the Saints 〈◊〉 together in Christ the châ—â—â— corner stone to be the 〈…〉 And for th◠〈◊〉 namely for that I have together that you Gentiles are 〈…〉 I 〈◊〉 hated of my countrimen accused in their Synagogue 〈◊〉 â—â— their councels iniured by their offâ—cer◠〈…〉 appeale to Casar I was sent to 〈◊〉 where I am apâ—â—â—â—er as you may reade at large in the fast eight chapâ—â— of the Acts of the Apostles A priâ—â—ner of Iesus Câ—râ—â— He was the prisoner of Caâ—ar but Caesâ— had his authoritie from aboue for there is no power but of God Whoâ—oeuer then is in prison is â—â—â—tâ—s Ieâ—u Christs though otherwise libâ—â—â—â—â—eâ—u Christs suffering by Gods power and permittance â—ho can whâ—n he wâ—ll and will as shall make moâ—t for â—â— glorie proclame libâ—rtie to the captues and oâ—â—niâ—g â—â— the prison vnto them that are â—â—â—â—d Or he was â—â—e priâ—oâ—eâ— Châ—â—â—â— as enduring his â—ond for Christs faith and seruice Vâ—â—â—â—s noâ—â— Chrs to â—eâ—pro Christo. Namely for preaching among the Gentiles the eâ—searchable â—â—hes of Chrâ—st as it is in the S. verse So that whereas two thing especially commend a Maâ—tyr saith in Christ and loâ—e to the Church boâ—h are meâ— in the Apostle Hee suffeâ—ed for the true faith a pâ—iâ—onâ—r of Ieâ—â—s Christ and out of vnfained loue to Godâ— people Fâ—r â—â—u Gentiles as it iâ— in the hitteenâ—h verse â—or your sakeâ— euen for your good and example thaâ— yee likewise may conâ—â—nue conâ—tant in the sincere pâ—â—feâ—â—ion of Christianitie Fâ—â—â—â—â—◠〈…〉 is your glorie that ye hâ—â—e such â—n inâ—truâ—tor as is Christâ—n â—n boâ—d noâ— for any faction of yourâ— or fault of his oâ—ne but â—â—r confeâ—ence toâ—â—â—d God euen for the â—â—â—irâ—â—â—n â—f the grâ—â—e whâ—â—h â—s â—â—â—en â—ee to you-ward See Epistle Sâ—nday 16. after Trinitie Hitherto concerning the griefe which our Apostle suffered in Christs cause for the Gentiles I come now to treate of the grace which he receiued In respect of his knowledge being Certaine By reuelation shewed he the mysterie to me Full euen so perfectly reuealed that in a few words you may read and vnderstand â—y knowledge in the mysterie of Christ. Excellent which in other ages was not made knowne vnto the sonnes of men as it is now declared c. Practise whereof I am made a Minister according to the gift of the grace of God which is giuen vnto me c. If you haue heard of the ministration of the grace The calling of ' aul to be the Doctor of the Gentiles as it was knowne vnto himselfe by reuelation so to them by report If yee haue heard c. As if he should haue said if ye doubt not of my calling ye may be well assured of my doctrine But ye cannot doubt of my calling as hauing often heard how Christ in a vision appeared to me saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And when I had answered Lord what wilâ— thou haue mee to doe Iesus told Ananiâ—â—s in another vision Hee is a chosen vessell vnto mee to beare my name before the Gentiles and Kings and the children of Israel And so God separated mee from my mothers wombe and called me by his grace to reueale his sonne among the Gentiles as the Gospell ouer the circumcision was committed to Peter so the Gospell ouer the vncircumcision was committed vnto me being an Apostle not of men or by man Galat. 1.1 Or after man Gal. 1.11 but the ministration of Gods grace was giuen vnto me by the reuelation of Iesus Christ. The word mimstration or dispensation may bee construed either passiuely being a grace giuen and dispensed to Paul or actiuely for that Paul was dispenser of it vnto other 1. Cor 4.1 Let a man so thinke of vs as of the ministers of Christ and disposers if the secrets of God His office then is called a dispensation For that it consisteth in the dispensing of Christs vnsearchable riches And the Gospell is called here Gods grace for that it is faithfully deliuered and fruitfully receiued nor by mans merit but onely through Gods free grace Preaching in the teacher and beleeuing in the hearer are both the faire gifts of God Or the Gospell is called Gods grace because the summe thereof is nothing else but the preaching of Gods exceeding rich mercies in Christ intimating that our iustification is not by the workes of the Law but freely by grace through faith As I wrote afore in few words I finde that some construe this of that which is written in other Epistles vnto other men as to Philemon and other Churches as to that of Colossus and Philippi Marlorat is of opinion that our Apostle wrote another Epistle though it bee not extant vnto the Church of Ephesus Other referre this clause to that which is deliuered in this present Epistle to wit vnto that which is sayd in the two former chapters Or to that in chap. 1. vers 9. or chap. 2. vers 14. He is our peace which hath made of both one and hath broken the step of the partition wall In this little briefe is contained all that great mysterie which in times past was not opened vnto the sonnes of men as it is now declared by the spirit that the Gentiles should bee fellow heires and of the same body and partakers of the same promise in Christ by the Gospell Which mysterie in times past was not opened vnto the sonnes of men This verse cannot easily bee digested as one sayd without a graine of
vnto the sonne of men as it is now declared by the spirit Read ser. 2.4.6 7 of Augustine de Epiphania Dom. And herein appeares the goodnesse and vnsearchable riches of Christ in that he manifested himselfe to the shepheards albeit ignorant and to the Wise-men 〈◊〉 impious In rusâ—â—citate pastorum imperitia praeualet in sacrilâ—gâ— imagorum impietas and yet he who chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance appeared vpon Christmas day to shepheards and on this day to wise but wicked Astrologers Vt nullus magnus 〈◊〉 nullu infirmâ—u desperaret as Augustine and Aquine sweetly To Ierusalem As to the Citie of God acquainted with the diuine oracles hauing Moses and the Prophets which witnesse of the Messias And here they did learnâ— that Christ should be borne at Bethlehem in Iurie for 〈◊〉 it is written by the Prophet and thou Bethlehem in the land of Iurie are not the least among the Princes of Iuda for out of thee shall come vnto me the Captaine that shall gouerne my people Israel And so hauing the light of Gods holy word added to the starre they went on their iourney with cheerefulnesse vntill they came to the place where the childe was Or to the Scribes and Pharisies at Ierusalem to condemne their â—â—â—ggishnesse and carnalitie who standing hard by saw not so much as they who came from farre Verâ—â—s ill minat magus insiâ—â—litas obâ—â—â—at magistros Carnales 〈…〉 quod 〈…〉 veâ— 1. quod oftendet vâ—â—tur paginis quarum non ere dis eloquâ—â— In which respect Augustine compared the Iewish Doctors vnto stenes erected in common passages that teach other how to walke in the right way but themselues stand still And he 〈◊〉 vs vpon bowed knees intreat the Father of mercies and God of all grace so to lighten our darke vndeâ—â—â—â—â—ng with his heauenly starâ—e that wee may 〈◊〉 and spiritually discâ—â—ne the things of the Scriptures 〈◊〉 the Lord as Augustine prophecied a great while 〈◊〉 four our 〈…〉 and carnalitie take his word from vs Christians as hee did his kingdome from the Iewes and giue it to such as wee thinke to bee most alien from God and his Gospell Examine the cited passages and passions of that holy Father againe and againe Decies repetita placebunt and then in thy serious meditations apply them vnto the present Romish Synagogue and thou shalt easily find that the Protestants estate in respect of the Papists is very like to this of the Wise men in respect of the Iewes For as the Iewes euer boasted of the Temple so the Papists of the Church as the Iewes and onely the Iewes in times past had Gods Law so the Papists in latter ages and if you will beleeue themselues onely the Papists imbrace the Catholike faith As the Iewes were magnificent in their Ceremonies euen so the Papists exceeding glorious in their ornaments orders outsides of the Church And yet such as are Wise-men and haue wit to count the number of the Beast know that Antichrists seate is the Romane sea Hee whose pencill is not inferiour to many standing in so fit a place as any to take Romes picture portrayeth her thus Roma in Hebrew Signifieth Height Roma in Greeke Signifieth Strength Roma in Latine Signifieth Loue if it bee read backward Roma in English Signifieth Roome or place Foure tongues like trumpets Rome doe sound thy name In Hebrew thou art Height in Greeke a power And Loue in Latine speech-and Place in our Foure squares of hundred yeeres doe sit the same The first in Height exalted Christ his name The next in Strength augmented worldly power The third Gods loue cast Backward on thy flowre The fourth in empty place hath shewed thy shame And now foure waies thou wouldest fall conceale With Scriptures vpper Height and strength of schooles And forme of Zeale and Rome the head of fooles The Height mants ground to reason truth to zeale Sâ—â—ente and Roome cone cyueth 〈◊〉 no grace Thy height of strength is backward loue of place We haue seen his sâ—arre Cardinal Abacus and Albertus haue written that these Wise men endowed with extraordinary skill in Astrologie might foreknow the time when our blessed Sauiour should be borne by the position of starres and constitution of the planets But this assertion is vtterly condemned by S. Augustine and other holy Fathers of the Church as you may finde in Beauxanis Har. Tom. 1. fol. 60.61 Sixt. sinen bibliothec lib. 6. annot 10. It is apparent that this starre was not ordinarie but in many properties especially three differing from all other in the skie to wit In Place for it could not haue shewed the direct way to such as trauelled by it vnlesse it had been in the lowest region of the aire Mouing for it moued not circle wise but went right forward as a guide of the way none otherwise then the cloud and piller of fire went before the people of Israel at their going out of Egypt Brightnesse for whereas other starres appeare to shine by night onely this gaue light euen in the broad day Hac stella quae solis votam Vinest decore ac lmiue Gregorie Nissen and Aquine thinke that it was a new hure created onely for this purpose Theophylact and â—uthymiue that it was an Angel or fome other heauenly power appearing not in the nature but in the figure of a starre S. Augustine saith it was manifica liagaacali the stately tongue of heauen Other coniecture that it was the holy ghost appearing in the likenesse of a starre at Christs birth as in the likenesse of a Doue at Christs baptisme For as Baronius out of the great opinion of his owne reading is bold to write all the Fathers agree that these Magi were lead to Christ here by an inward light of the spirit so well as with an outward light in the skies Agente hoe sine dubio in corum cordibus inspinui we drâ—ina vt costantae vâ—sionis mysterium non laterei quod oculic estendebatur insolitum animis non set obsceromâ— And therefore when they found the babe Iesus in a seely cottage they were not any whit discouraged at his contemptible pouertie but instantly they saw non terra portante sed caelo narrante magnum aliquid in parne latere that this little childe was a great King yet a great God and a great King aboue all Gods And hereapon aâ— followeth in our text They fell doâ—â— slat and worshipped him and opened their treasures and offered vnto him gifts gold frankincense myrrhe That is as Augustine glosseth A dorant corporious honorant mu neribus venerantur officijs oculis hominem vident deum abseguijs consiuentur Christ as being the word in the beginning by whom all things were made bestowed on these Wise-men euery good
as Musculus vpon the words of Saint Matthew non siue nobis non contra nos sed nobiscum pro nobis Other obserue that it is the custome of the Prophets in confirming the particular promises of God euermorâ— to lay this foundation that he will send his sonne the redeemer By this generall prop the Lord euery where ratifies that which he specially promiseth vnto his children according to that of Paul an Christ all the promises of God are yea and amen that is categoricall and true complete and implete and assuredly whosoeuer expects help and succour from God must also be perswaded of his fatherly loue but how should hee be fauourable without Christ in whom he hath adopted vs his sonnes and heires before the foundation of the world so louing vs that hee hath giuen his only begotten sonne to dewell among vs and to be God with vs and when his houre was come to dye for our sinnes and to rise againe for our iustification so that vpon these premises we need not at any time doubt of Gods holy promises but infalliblely conclude with the blessed Apostle Rom. 8.32 If God spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs all things also Other hold this signe most agreeable to the present occasion of Iudahs promised deliuerance because the Patriarke Iacob had prophesied that the scepter should not depart from Iuda nor a law giuer from betweene his feet vntill Shilo come as if Esay should thus argue with Ahaz the Messias of the world is to bee borne of the tribe of Iudah and of the linage of Dauid it is impossible therefore that either Rezin or Pekah or any other prince whatsoeuer should rent thy Kingdome from the successours of Dauid vntill a virgine conceiue and beare a sonne who shall bee called Emmanuel It is reported Mat. 2. that the wise men enquired after the birth of Christ in the dayes of Herod the King wherein they shewed themselues to bee wisemen in deed obseruing their right quando because now the scepter had departed from Iudah and was in the hands of Herod an alien and a tyrant crept in by the Romane Emperour this then is a fit and a full signe to confirme Gods promise touching Iudahs deliuerance from the furious wrath of Rezin and of Remaliahs sonne For there be two kindes of signes vnum prognosticum alterum remoratiuum as Petrus Galatinus in his examination of this text aptly distinguisheth one which is a prognostication of an euent to come so Gedeons fleece was a signe to him of a future victory another which is a memoriall of a thing past so the Lord said vnto Moses Exod. 3.12 This shall be a token vnto thee that I haue sent thee after thou hast brought the people out of Egypt yee shall serue God vpon this mountaine now the signe mentioned here was a rememoratiue not a prognosticke Ahaz saw not this token but his posterity might say with Dauid as wee haue heard so haue wee seene in the city of the Lord of Hosts in the city of our God God vpholdeth it for euer And heere the fathers obserue that Christs admirable natiuity was a signe both in the depth beneath and in the height aboue For in being a man eating butter and honis nourished after the same manner that other children are he was a signe on earth and in being Emmanuel conceiued of a Virgin without the seed of man hee was a signe from heauen Thus as you see this token is accommodum aptly fitted to the present occasion of the Prophet I proceed now to shew that it is also commodum as profitable for vs as it is pertinent for Hierusalem A Virgin shall conceiue That is the Virgin or that Virgin for the Hebrew particle â— added in the text originall and the Greeke article prefixed by the Septuagint interpretors are both emphaticall and import so much as this excellent Virgine So the fathers vseth to speake Quis vnquam aut quo seculo ausus est proferre nomen S. Maria interrogatus non siatim intulit virginis vocem In what age did any man name the blessed Mary without adding her surname Virgin Nay the blessed Apostles in their Creed haue taught vs so to beleeue borne of the Virgine Marie For she was a perpetuall Virgine ante partum in partâ— post partum All which is concluded at the least included in our present text A Virgin before she conceiued and when she conceiued her sonne our Sauiour as we defend against vnbeleeuing Iewes and Gentiles and against misbeleeuing hererickes also namely the Cerinthians Ebionites Carpocratians holding that Christ was the naturall sonne of Ioseph verus mer us home contrary to the words of our Prophet here behold a Virgin shall conceiue The Lord hath made a faithful oath vnto David and he shal not shrinke from it Of the fruit of thy belly shall I set vpon thy seat Where the Doctors note that he saith according to the Hebrew de fruitu ventris and not de fructu femoris aut renum because the promised seed is the seed of the woman Gen. 3.15 made of a woman Gal. 4.4 hauing the materials of his body from Mary but his formale principium of the holy Ghost agent in his admirable conception as it is in the Gospell allotted for this day the holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most high shall ouershadow thee See Gospell on the Sunday after Christmas 2. We say that Mary was a Virgin in her childbirth against Iouinian and Durandus according to the tenor of our text A Virgin shall conceiue and beare a sonne The which is not to be construed in sensu diuiso sed in sensu composito to wit a Virgin shall conceiue and continuing a Virgin shall bring forth her child granida sed non granata So runnes our Creed borne of the Virgin For otherwise what wonder had it beene that one who sometime was a Virgin should afterward knowing a man haue a sonne Consule S. Irenae lib. 3. cap. 18.21.24 Epiphan haeres 30. Circa sinem Grego Nyssen orat de sanct Christi natiuitat Basil. Hierom in loc Partus integritas discordes tempore longo virginis in gremio foedera pacis habent 3. Mary was a Virgin after the birth of Christ as the Church hath euer taught against Heluidians and Antidicomarianites And some probable reason hereof also may be gathered out of this Scripture thou shall call his name c. that is as our Communion booke thou his mother Or as our new translation hath it A Virgin shall conceiue and beare a son and shall call his name c. For as Caluin notes the verbe is of the feminine gender among the Hebrewes which occasioned happily the translators of Geneua to reade
Prophets v. 43. to him giue al the Prophets witnes mouthâ— This phrase doth intimate a weighty seriousnesse in the speech and a free liberty in the speaker In the speech a weight and grauity so Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge when he made that excellent sermon vpon the mount is said to haue opened his mouth And Dauid in the person of Christ I will open my mouth in parables I will declare hard sentences of old In the speaker a liberty to deliuer his mind freely so the Lord promised Ezechiel I will giue thee an open mouth in the middest of them And Paul saith O Corinthians our mouth is open vnto you So that to speake ore rotundo with an open mouth is nothing else but after silence to speake out of mature deliberation and freedome of spirit ponderously fully cheerefully So S. Peter hauing scene a vision and heard a voice from heauen instructing and assuring him in the truth of the doctrine he was now to preach opened his mouth and said of a truth I perceiue That euery successour of Peter may doe the like he must often pray with Dauid O Lord open thou my lips and entreate his people likewise to pray for him as â— Paul did his Ephesians that â—tterance may bee giuen vnto him and that he may open his mouth boldly to publish the secret of the Gospell Of a truth I perceiue Peter assuredly knew before that there is no respect of persons with God but by this experiment he did vnderstand it better Id nunc sciri dicitur quod scitur magis As Almighty God knew that Abraham was a good man before hee would haue sacrificed his sonne yet vpon that occasion he did expresse it more saying now I know that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy sonne thine onely sonne from me Truth is more cleerely perceiued in a particular experience then in a generall notion in which respect the new testament is called truth in comparison of the old Iohn 1.17 The Law was giuen by Moses but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ. The law prefiguring Christ was a truth conceiued but the Gospell exhibiting Christ a truth perceiued The law was truth in the theorie but the Gospell a truth in experience veritas facta saith the beloued Disciple because Christ only shadowed in the law was actually shewed in the Gospell And so Peters of a truth I perceiue that there is no respect of persons with God is like to that of Paul In Christ Iesu there is neither Iew nor Grecian there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female neither circumcision auaileth any thing neither vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue Or wee may take the clause of a truth I perceiue for an earnest asseueration answerable to that of Christ I tell you the truth and to that of Paul I speake the truth in Christ and lie not As if S. Peter should haue said I deliuer nothing vnto you but that which I certainly know to bee true by manifold reasons and infallible signes as hauing read it in the Prophets vers 43. and seene it in a vision vers 11.12 and heard by voice from heauen vers 13.15 By this example Preachers of the word are taught first exactly to know the truth and then earnestly to deliuer it vnto Gods people The sermons of the Prophet Nahum are tearmed the booke of the vision of Nahum because saith Hierome hee well vnderstood and saw whatsoeuer he said A Pastour in like sort must see with Nahum and say with Peter of a truth I perceiue For it is a shame that any should bee doctors of the law but a greater offence that any should bee Preachers of the Gospell and vnderstand not what they speake neither whereof they affirme 1. Tim. 1.7 Imitate this patterne of Peter and eschew vaine talkers teaching otherwise for filthie lucres sake It may be said better of a Minister then of a Monke Versus ecclesiastes non videt nisi aliena bona sua mala illa amuletur haec vâ—emendet There is no respect of persons with God That we may well vnderstand and learn this lesson once the spirit repeats it often As Deut. 10.17 2. Chro. 19.7 Iob 34.19 Rom. 2.11 Ephes. 6.9 Coloss. 3.25 1. Pet. 1.17 By person is meant not the substance but the quality to wit whatsoeuer is about or without a man as his birth education honour wealth and the like God respects not any because they be Iewes or gentiles high or low rich or poore but in euery nation he whosoeuer hee be that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him He that is the searcher of the heart iudgeth not after outward appearance Whereas Pelagius obiected that God is a respecter of persons in giuing grace to some and in denying it vnto other answere is made that this comes to passe non ex dignitate humana sed ex dignatione diuina it is a donation of bounty not a dotation according to the rules of iustice Now God saith in the Gospell is it not lawfull for me to doe as I 〈◊〉 with mine owne mans merite workes not this mercy by grace ye are saued thorough saith and that not â—f your selueâ— it is the gift of God And so God in giuing sauours and forgiuing faults vnto this man and not vnto that is not an accepter of persons for herein he regardeth not the rich more then the poore nor the Iew more then the Gentile nor a man of peace more then a man of warre as here you see Cornelius a captaine Cornelius a man of Caesarea Cornelius an alien from the common-wealth of Israel is accepted with him as well as Peter borne among Gods own people and brought vpâ—â— Christs owne schoole See S. Augustine contra duas epitolas pelagianorum lib. 2. cap. 7. Thom. vbi sup in margin part 1. qu est 23â— art 5. ad 3. Pet. Martyr Pareus 〈◊〉 Rom. 2.11 Zanchius in Ephes. 6.9 Caluin Loria in loc Princes and Magistrates are stiled Gods as being the deputie liueftenants of God on earth and as it were the fingers of that hand which rules all the world and therefore they must be followers of God as deare children mercifull as our father in heauen is mercifull holy for that he is holy no respecter of persons as there is no respect of persons with him as they stand in Gods place so they should walke in Gods path ye shall heare the sin all as well as the great Deut. 1.17 wrest not the law nor respect any person neither take reward Deut. 16 9. Thou shalt not fauour the person of the poore nor honour the person of the mightie but thou shalt iudge thy neighbour vprightly Leuit. 19.15 for it is not good to haue respect of any person in iudgement
Prouerbs 24.23 The Thebans hereupon vsually pourtraied their Prince blinde with eares and the Iudges assisting him in Iustice without hands Blinde lâ—st he should haue respect of persons with eares that hee might heare both parties indifferently the Iudges without hands lest otherwise they might be corrupted with bribes for the gift blindeth the wise and peruerteth the words of the righteous and for this end our forefathers ordayned wisely that euery Iudge should ride his circuit in a Countie farre distant from his owne home whereby he might administer iustice freely without any fauour or feare It was an olde complaint of Diogenes that the greater theeues of the state did ordinarily punish the lesser and another after him that secret pillers of the Common-weale sit on the bench to condemne open robbers standing at the barre Magistrates in our dayes haue their houses seated so neare to Saint Bribes as that few can say with Iob I put on iustice and it couered me my iudgement was a robe and a crowne I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame feuer with Samuel whose oxe haue I taken or whose asse haue I taken or to whom haue I done wrong or whom haue I hurt or of whose hand haue I receiued any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith and I will restore it you None I feare with Nerua who was so good a Prince that hee did auow boldly se nihil fecisse quo minus possit imperio depostio priuatus iuto viuere Some Magistrates vse the lawes as cobwebs only to catch little flies other as fox-nets only to take great ones in a trap and so the statutes of our kingdome as a reuerend father of our Church once said haue a good prologue but bad epilogue their inuention is wise their intention honourable but we saile in execution and a law without execution is as a bell without a clapper A Iudge must haue two kindes of salt in him as Baldus truely the salt of science to know the law and the salt of conscience to determine according to the same neither respecting the person nor expecting the gifts of any himâ— To feare God and to keepe his commandements is the whole duty of man Ecclesiast 12.13 and therefore these two the fearing of God and working â—f righteousnes comprehend our whole duty The first all religious offices of piety toward God the second all righteous offices of charity toward our neighbour Cornelius feare was not seruile but filial he feared God as an obedient child feareth a kind father and God is not our father after this sort but in Christ in whom he is well pleased and in whom he doth adopt vs his children giuing vs his spirit whereby we cry Abba father in a word Cornelius feare was â—aith and by this faith he was accepted with God and this faith openly shewed it selfe in working righteousnesse toward men And therefore such aâ— build vpon this exam â—e free will and iustification by workes are deceiued exceedingly for Cornelius is said here first to feare God and then afterward to worke righteousnes Hee had heard among the Iewes of Gods holy promise concerning the sending of his sonne our Sauiour the which hee beleeued as the Patriarkes and the Prophets and other of Gods people who liued before Christs comming into the world and this faith as Paul speakes wrought by loue Galat. 5.6 It is worth obseruing that this commendation of Cornelius is remembred often in holy Scriptures as a speciall infallible marke of Gods children Iob a iust man and one that feared God Simeon was a iust man and feared God but euermore the fearing of God as being the beginning of wisedome is mentioned as the chiefe note Father Abraham a man who feared God Gen. 22.12 Ioseph a man who feared God Gen. 42.18 The Midwiues in Egypt feared God Exod. 1.17 If the fearing of God once goe before working of righteousnesse will instantly follow after according to that of the wiseman hee that feareth the Lord will doe good If thou seest a man in a desperate course selling himselfe as it is said of Ahab to worke wickednes rising vp early to follow drunkennes and continuing at the â—auerne till it bee night drawing iniquitie with cordes of vaâ—ity and sin as it were with cartropes it is a sure signe that the true feare of God is not rooted in his soule for whosoeuer hath a caâ—â— to liue religiously toward God will also so farre as humane frailtie will suffer liue soberly toward himselfe and righteously toward his neighbour Yee know the preaching The narration and confirmation ensuing are a little creed containing the chiefe articles of holy beliefe but the point vrged by the blessed Apostle most is the resurrection of Christ expresly setting downe 1. The author of his resurrection him God raised vp 2. The time when the third day 3. Before what witnesses openly shewing him vnto vs witnesses chosen before of God 4. What he did after he rose froÌ„ death he did eate and drinke with as 5. What he said he commanded vs to preach vnto the people to testifie that it is he which was ordained of God to be the iudge of the quicke and the dead In this argument of Christs resurrection the Gospell and Epistle meet and both are full and fit for the present feast of Easter In that S. Peter maketh Apostles and Prophets ioynt witnesses of all these things he doth insinuate that Christ is the beginning and end of the whole Scripture qui in lege velatur in euang◠〈…〉 See Gospell 1. Sun in aduent The Gospell LVK. 24.13 Behold two of the Disciples wâ—nt that same day to a towne called Emmaus c. THis Scripture containeth a sweet conference betweene Christ and two Disciples as they iourneyed in the way from Hierusalem to a townâ— called Emmaus The summe whereof is that Christ Iesus is truly risen agâ—â—ine from the dead as hauing 〈◊〉 all things which Moses anâ— the Prophets haue spoken of him The whole may be diuided into three parts A Prologue which occasioned the conference verse 13.14 wherein these circumstances are considerable Who two of the Disciples When that same day Where in the way betweene Hierusalem and Emmaus What they talked together of all the things that had happened Dialogue or the conference it selfe wherin Christ sheweth his tender care toward his Disciples in drawing neere to them vers 15. walking talking with theÌ„ v. 17.19 correcting them for their errour v. 25 directing them in the truth and that by words arguing froÌ„ reason v. 26. authority v. â—7 deeds hee sâ—t at table with them hee tooke bread c vers 30. Epilogue declaring what ensued vpon the conference to wit an ingenuous confession of the faith in the two Disciples did not our harts burne within vs c. earnest desire to confirme the same truth in other and they
with God hee did ascend farre aboue all heauens and is saith our text on the right hand of God To sit as Ardens vpon the place pithily quiscentis regnantis Iudicantis est ergo bene redemptor noster post passionem ascensionemg suam sedere describitur quia post laborem requiescit post pralium regnat postquam indicatus est iudicat Is Christ ascended on high then let vs seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Albeit our bodies be tied with the fetters of flesh on earth yet let our soules ascend with the winges of faith into heauen euen to the place from whence commeth al our helpe and hope Saluator noster ascendit in coeluÌ„ non ergo turlemur in terra ibi sit mens hic erit requies as Augustine sweetly The way to make a ladder vp to heauen as the same father teacheth in his 3. sermon preached on this day is to trample sin vnder our feet de vitiâ—s nostris scalum nobis facimus si vitia calcamus tread pride vnder thy feet and thou shalt instantly passe one step he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted tread couetousnes vnder thy feet and it will proue another step how hard is it for them who trust in riches to enter into the kingdome of God tread maliciousnes vnder thy feet and thou shalt approach as yet neerer vnto heauen for God is loue and hee that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him Grant we beseech thee almighty God that like as we doe beleeue thine only begotten sonne our Lord to haue ascended into the heauen so wee may also in heart and mind thither ascend and with him continually dwell Amen The Epistle ACTS 10.34 Then Peter opened his mouth c. THe former part of this text is expounded on Easter Mâ—nday the contents of the latter on Whitsunday The Gospell Iohn 3.16 So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life c. IT is reported of a noble Lantgraue Fredericke by name that the very gingling of his spurre was a terrour to his foes And so the very repeating of this sweet text is able to make Satan our greatest enemy to quake for it is as one calleth it a common armory for the Christian as it were the tower of Dauid a thousand shields hang therein and all the targets of the strong 〈◊〉 Apply this one sentence to thy soule and thou shalt in thy most grieuous agonie quench all the fiery darâ—s of the deuill It brancheth it selfe into 3. considerations especially who God loued what the world how so that hee gaue his only begotten sonne c. Ambitious men in the court loose their time their liberty their estate yea sometime with Iscariot they sell vnder hand their owne soule their owne Sauiour to gaine the Princes respect or else some fauour of his chiefe Fauourite But behold a greater then Salomon in all his royalty higher then the highest immortall almighty without beginning or end loued vs and his loue must of necessity bee greater then others loue for that himselfe is the greatest of all God loued and herein heâ— neither expected any correspondence of loue for saith our text hee loued the world That hee should loue the glorious Angels is not strange because they be his messengers ministers executing his pleasure That he should loue good men is not strange because they loue him O thou whoÌ„ my soule loueth Cant. 1.6 That he should loue both his witlesse and his senselesse creatures is not strange because fire and haile snow and vapours wind and storme fulfill his word But herein appeares the greatnesse of his loue that he loued the world mundum immundism the worthlesse world lying in wickednesse casting out its malice saith the Prophet as the fountaine casteth out her waters A world as Augustine describeth impuris vâ—lupratibus illerebosies nefandis c udelitatibus furiosus 〈◊〉 bus terroribus inimieus A bad world a mad world a deceiving world a blind world that knew him not Ioh 1.10 A bloody world that hated him and all his Herein God setteth out his loue toward vs for that he reconciled vs to himselfe euen while we were his enemies Rom. 5.10 he loued vs first euen before wee would yea before we could loue him He that is most high and most holy debtor vnto no man and wenting no thing loued vs which are but dust and ashes conceiued in sinne and brought forth in iniquity corrupt in ouâ— conuersation and abominable doing no good and inâ—ected with euery kind of euill euen from the sole of the foot vnto the head there was in vs nothing whole but wounds and swelling and sores full of putâ—ifâ—tion Esay 1.6 But how did hee loue so loued that is so fatherly so freely so fully that he gaue Hee did not sell or let or lend but giue Not in Angell or a Prophet or any seruant but a sonne And that not anothers but his and his sonne not adoptiue but naturall his begotten sonne and further not one among many but his onely begotten sonne If a man had 32. sonnes as Babo or seuenty sonnes as Gideon Iudg 8.30 Or 80. sonnes as Scilurus or if a man had as many sons as a woman in Paris called Yoland Baillie from whose body while shee liued as we read issued 295. children yet he would hardly part with any to his friend much lesse to his foe When the Patriarke Iacob had conceiued that Ioseph his sonne was deuoured of some wilde beast he rent his cloathes and put sakcloath about his loines and sorrowed for him a long season And when his other sonnes and his daughters rose vp to comfort him he would not bee comforted but said I will surely go downe into the graue vnto my son mourning How bitterly did Dauid lament the death of a rebellious sonne O my sonne Absalon my sonne my sonne Absalon would God I had died for thee O Absalon my sonne my sonne How did an harlot pitie the fruit of her wombe before King Salomon 1. King 3. Oh my Lord giue her the liuing child and slay him not Almighty God then manifested the riches of his mercy toward vs in giuing his onely sonne not onely to bee borne but also to die for vs and that vpon the Crosse most ignominiously So Christ in the words immediately going before this our present text as Moses lift vp the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man bee lift vp probatio dilectionis exhibitio operis his exceeding great gift is a demonstration of his exceeding great loue Thus in briefe you see the fact let vs examine now the fruit for what end God gaue his onely begotten sonne That whosoeuer beleeueth in him
In which obserue two things especially The Felicity gained by this gift a deliuerance from damnation he shall not perish a possession of saluation hee shall haue life euerlasting Facility how to get it whosoeuer beleeueth Almighty God requires not at thy hands An exact obseruation of his law but onely that thou beleeue in his sonne whom he gaue to die for thy sinnes and to rise againe for thy iustification Hee did abundantly satisfie the law for thee making thy sinnes his sinnes and on the contrary making his righteousnesse thy righteousnesse couering all thine iniquities and healing all thine infirmities This one sentence doth afford many profitable lessons appertaining to doctrine and exhortation 1. It sheweth our dignity though a man be dust dung fading like grasse fickle like glass like a thing of naught Psal. 1.44 4. Yet God so much honoured him as that hee gaue his onely begotten sonne to be life vp as Moses life vp the Serpent in the wildernesse that is to bee crucified for him O Lord what is man that thou hast such respect vnto him or the sonne of man that thou so regardest him 2. It doth administer comfort in temptation if the diuell obiect against thy sinne Gods seuere iustice thou maist answere that God is also rich in mercy louing vs in his best beloued and that with an euerlasting loue Ierem. 13.3 If thy cunning aduersary make reply that these sweet texts onely concerne the iust and godly thou hast here Christ on thy side saying God loued the world reconciling sinners his enemies vnto himselfe by the death of his sonne Rom. 5.10 3. It proues euidently that Christ is very God of very God against Arrius as being not onely Gods son but his onely begotten for a sonne begotten is a naturall and a true sonne 4. It confutes the Nouatian heresie denying repentance to such as after Baptisme fall into grieuous sinnes If we must be so mercifull as our father in heauen is mercifull how shall we deny repentance to those whom God so loued as that he gaue his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life 5. This confoundeth all merit-mongers ascribing iustification and saluation vnto their owne good workes He that beleeues shall not perish but haue euerlasting life We are saued by grace thorough faith apprehending and applying the mercies of God the father and the merits of Christ his sonne He that beleeueth in him shall not be condemned but he that beleeueth not is already condemned as it followeth in our text Quare saluator dictus est mundi nisivi saluet mundum non vt iudicet mundum saluari non vis ab ipso exte ipso iudicaberis As for exhortation iâ— God so loued vs let vs also loue one another if he spared not his owne and only sonne but gaue him for vs it is meet that we should expend our substance for the good of his Church and children in need It is an olde prouerbe loue me loue my friend Let vs then manifest our loue to Christ in louing his members and in cherishing such as mourne in Sion his first comming as it followeth in our text was not to condemne but saue the world He came to call sinners vnto repentance to seeke the lost sheepe to bind vp the broken hearted to refresh the weary to giue rest vnto the laden soule His second comming shall be to iudge the world and then there shall be iudgement mercilesse to him that shewed no mercy but vnto those which haue bin mercifull as his father in heauen is mercifull he shall say come ye blessed inherit ye the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world for I was hungrie and ye gaue me meat I thirsted and ye gaue me drinke c. If any shall aske why this text is allotted for a Whitsun holy day which is a memoriall of the Gospell and of Christs sending downe the holy Ghost answere may be that the spirit of truth teacheth vs all things according to Christs owne doctrine preached in the world the summe whereof is this one little line so God loued the world c. The Epistle Acts. 8.14 When the Apostles which were at Hierusalem had hear a say that Samaria had receiued the word of God they sent vnto them Peter and Iohn c. THe blessed Apostles inioyned by Christ at his last appearing to goe into the whole world and to teach all nations hearing now that Samaria had receiued the word of God they sent vnto them Peter and Iohn to build vp the Churches of Samaria whose foundation had bin laid afore by Philip in this embassage two points are more chiefly regardable namely The vigilant care of the whole Colledge in sending verse 14. The diligent faithfulnes of Peter and Iohn that were sent executing their charge By prayer verse 15. By imposition of hands verse 17. When the Apostles of Hierusalem heard They shew their sollicitous care for the Churches in hearking after their good and in affording their helping hand of their owne accord readily when any fit occasion was offred For we read not heare that the brethren of Samaria wrote to the Colledge to send them an Apostle yet they did send two and those two which of all their company were of the most eminent note Peter and Iohn Euery Bishop as more properly succeeding Apostles in office is taught from hence to be non tam celer ad cathedram quam vigil ad curam If any congregation in his Dioces need confirmation he must either send those Suffraganes which are fit like to Peter and Iohn or else come himselfe to pray for them and to lay his hands on them Protestant Diuines vrge this example to proue that Saint Peter was not head of the Apostle or absolute soueraigne because the text is plaine Iohn 13.16 The messenger is not greater then he that sent him I know the foure great Cardinals of Rome Turrecremata Caietan Baronius Bellarmine which vpon the point are the foure cheife supporters of Saint Peters chaire of estate haue found out many shifts how to decl ine the heauy blow of this weighty reason and they who gathâ—â—itickes vnder these Cardinals hedge report and repeat their distinctions as vnanswerable But examine them and you shall instantly see that they be like Hercules tragicall club in shew massie but in substance nothing else but shreds and straw as the Poet speakes an affrighting vanity To their first example God the sonne is sent into the world by God the father and yet in the Trinity none is greater or lesse then another Answere is made that Christ was sent into the world as he was in the forme of a seruant according to that of Paul Galat. 4.4 God sent forth his sonne made of a woman and