Praesbyt Iob 28.24 and his being vnconceiuable saith Thalassus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For he is euery where and he seeth euery thing when as nothing can see him Ob. But here it may be some will say that although now by reason of sinne that blindeth vs we can neither see his Essence nor comprehend his excellency Cor. 15.53 yet when this corruption shall put on incorruption and this vaile of ignorance shall be taken from vs we shall fully see him and comprehend him in his excellency 1 Cor. 13.12 for we shall see him face to face we shall see him as he is and we shall know him as we are knowne And therefore he is neither so inuisible nor so incomprehensible but that hee might bee seene and comprehended were it not for our sinnes and ignorance that doe so blinde our vnderstandings that we cannot perceiue him Sol. That the Essence of God shall not be seene in Heauen but in the face of Iesus Christ To this I answere that if Adam had neuer sinned yet could he neuer haue seene the essence of God vnlesse God would haue taken some visible shape vpon him to appeare vnto him and so I say that in the life to come when the Saints shall be free from all sin and indued with a farre more excellent measure of knowledge and vnderstanding then euer Adam was in Paradise they shall neuer see the Dietie any otherwise then in the face of Iesus Christ for so the Apostle sheweth that God who commanded the light to shine out of darkenesse hath shined in our hearts 2 Cor. 4.6 to giue the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ Iohn 14.7 9. 10. v. And our Sauiour himselfe more plainely saith when Philip desired to see the Father He that knoweth me knoweth the Father and hee that seeth me seeth the Father because I am in the Father and the Father in me And therefore I say that Visio Dei beatifica The blessed fruition of the Godhead which the Saints shall haue in Heauen shall bee no otherwise reueiled vnto vs then in the face of the Man Iesus Christ because the Deitie considered in it selfe Inhabitat lucem inaccessibilem 1 Tim. 6.16 dwelleth in the light that no man can attaine vnto And so you see the occasion of these words that God hauing told Moses he could neither see his Essence nor yet fully vnderstand his Excellency he would notwithstanding so farre satisfie his desire as to shew him all that he could possibly comprehend viz. that he was Iehoua Iehoua strong mercifull and gracious c. Et sic condescendit nobis Deus vt nos consurgamus ei And thus God doth most graciously condescend and make himselfe knowne to man that man might ascend and as much as possibly lyeth in him know his God In all this Diuine description of Almighty God The diuision of the Text. I find these two especiall things set downe 1. Quid est 2. Qualis est Deus i. e. 1. What God is and 2. What manner of God he is And in the handling of these two points I shall by Gods helpe spend and finish this whole Treatise CHAP I. Of the description of God how he maybe knowne what he is Part. 1. and of this speciall Name IEHOVA TOuching the first Part Danda imprimis opera est vt Deum noscamus quotquot faelices esse volumus It must be the chiefest care of all that would bee happy to know God which is the chiefest happinesse of all for to feare God and to keepe his Commandments Hoc est omnis homo This is the dutie and this is the felicity of euery man Bernard At non potes aut amare quem non noueris aut habere quem non amaueris But thou canst not either loue him whom thou dost not know or imoy him whom thou dost not loue Quia ignoti nulla cupido Because Knowledge is the ground of loue and whom we loue not we can neither seeke any helpe from him nor yet render any seruice to him Iohn 17 3. and therefore our Sauiour saith that this is eternall life to know him to be the onely true God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ And this is the reason why so many thousands shall be destroyed 2 Thess 1.8 because they know not God And this the very Heathens perceiued though they could not attaine it when among all their Precepts this was their chiefest lesson 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Know God That there are three wayes of knowing God Now we must vnderstand that there are three wayes of knowing God I speake not of that knowledge which the Booke of Nature teacheth for that is too small to make vs happy but of that which we doe collect out of the Booke of God and those according to the Schooles are these Exod. 23.19.20.23 The first is according to that which he is in himselfe whereby he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnspeakeable infinite and incomprehensible and thus none knoweth God but God himselfe and the reason hereof is that although Nihil magis intelligibile quam Deus Nothing of his owne nature is more intelligible then God because he is the first Zanch. de nat Dei l 3. c. 2. p. 199. the perfectest and the truest being most pure and simple and free from any matter yet is our vnderstanding towards God but as the eyes of the Owles or Reremouse which are not able to behold the brightnesse of the Sunne and therefore thus if we seeke to know him That we are not able to know God as he is in himselfe wee shall be but like Symonides that being commanded by the Emperour to tell him what God was demanded three dayes respite for to resolue so great a quaere and when hee came hee required sixe dayes more and being therefore asked why he prolonged so the time and thereby so deluded him he ingeniously answered because the more I search into him the further I finde my selfe from attaining to him And therefore in this respect we should Sapere ad sobrietatem Bee wise vnto sobriety and not curiously search into his ineffable Maiestie but rather with the Cherubims to couer our faces with two of our Wings Esay 6.2 because we are not able to know him as he is The second is according to that which may be knowne of vs and may be any wayes comprehended in our mindes and best vnderstandings And thus we conceiue him to be most admirable but yet by infinite degrees inferior to that which he is in himselfe and therefore we should striue and labour what we can to vnderstand and know him more and more for the more fully that we shall know him the more perfectly we shall loue him and the more perfectly wee loue him the more happinesse wee shall adde vnto our owne felicity The third is according to that which may be
himself incomprehensible coessentiall and coequall vnto his father what therefore should hee merit or wherein could he be dignified by his Incarnation more then he was before his Incarnation Gloria eius augeri non potuit nothing could be added vnto his glorie or if it could his loue to vs could not be so great for then it might bee sayd hee did it not onely for our sake but also for his owne sake that himselfe might thereby be the more dignified and exalted but seeing he was so high before that he could not bee higher so great that hee could not greater and so good that he could not be better it is most certainly apparant that he descended from the height of his dignitie vnto the very depth of humilitie to be made flesh onely for our sake and therefore wee may well say that greater loue then this cannot be that he which is the highest chiefest euerlasting God should descend and be made the Sonne of Man that wee might be made the sonnes of the immortall GOD through him How Satan hath euer laboured more to obscure the truth concerning the person of Christ then any other point of doctrine whatsoeuer Secondly we may from hence see both the subtiltie and the cruelty of Satans dealing for he knoweth that this is the greatest benefit that euer man receiued from God the giuing of this Word to be made Flesh this his eternall Sonne to be made man Quia in creatione dedit te tibi Deus Because in thy creation hee did but giue thy being vnto thee but in this his Incarnation hee gaue himselfe vnto thee and therefore Satan would faine obscure this benefit either by debasing the person and perswading vs to beleeue that he was not so excellent as hee was i. e. not a God or if a God not so high not so excellent as his Father was or else by corrupting the action and suggesting vnto vs that hee did not all for our sakes onely but chiefly for his owne merit as if he were ambitious of vaine-glory which is blasphemy to thinke that he might thereby get him a name aboue all other names And this is his vsuall practise to seeke alwayes at the chiefest to corrupt the greatest points and to ouerthrow the strongest pillars of Christian religion Math. 4.3 for he tempted Christ himselfe and would faine haue ouercome him for hee knew that if the Captaine were once conquered then all the Souldiers would soone be vanquished if the Shepheard were once smitten then all the sheepe would be scattered and so since the comming of Christ he stirred vp more and greater heresies concerning Christ either his person or his offices then he did concerning any other point of Christian Religion for as there is no point so great so waighty no point more comfortable then this concerning the person of our Redeemer because this is eternall life to know him to be the true and eternall God Iohn 17.3 So Satan did neuer bestow more paines about any point to ouer-throw it and corrupt it then he did about this same as they that are but meanely read in the Ecclesiasticall stories and counsels may easily perceiue And therefore I haue euer thought no paines too great no discourses too long no time mispent that is spent to discusse this truth and to dispell those cloudes of errours that doe seeke to obscure the dignity and excellency of the person of the Sonne of God Quia bonum est esse hic For it is good to dwell on this Rocke and here to build vs Tabernacles as Peter saith Iuvat vsque morari Thirdly How maliciously Hereticks haue denyed the Godhead of Christ we may from hence see the peruersnesse of wicked Heretickes for that it is not enough for them to offend God but they will deny him to be a God and as the Athiests will be wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the highest degree by serching so farre into God as to say at last there is no God so will they search so farre into the nature of the Sonne of God that they deny him to be a God vntill the vengeance of God doth make them see their abhominable sinnes and therefore we should all take heed that the God of this world doe not so blinde our eyes as to make vs to deny God our Sauiour Fourthly How thankefull we ought to be vnto God for the giuing of the Word to be made flesh wee may from hence consider how thankefull wee ought to be and yet how vnthankefull we are to God for here wee see that more then this he could not doe for man for the highest God to be made man yea a man of sorrowes as I shall by his helpe in my Treatise of his Passion shew vnto you that we might be made the sonnes of God and the heires of ioy and yet we seldome or neuer set this great benefit before our eyes to be thankefull to God for the same for if we did how could we finde in our hearts with the sight of this goodnesse to heape vp such horrible wickednesse as we doe against his Maiestie to blaspheme his name to abuse his Word to dispise his seruants and to be to euery good worke reprobate O beloued remember what our Sauiour saith If you loue me keepe my Commandements Iohn 14.15 and if you be thankefull to God for this his great loue to you to be vilified and made flesh and made of no reputation for you offend not his Maiestie and render not vnto him euill for good and hatred for his good will And so much touching the excellency of the person that was made flesh he that was the true and eternall God co-essentiall and co-equall vnto his Father CHAP. VI. Of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word here shewed by the Euangelist to expresse the person that was incarnate and what it signifieth and why the Euangelist vseth it SEcondly hauing seene the excellency of the person that was made flesh we are now to consider the Word here vsed to declare that person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word touching which I will onely discusse these three points 1. What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth 2. Why Christ is tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. Why the Euangelist saith here The Word was made flesh rather then the Sonne of God was made flesh What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth First some say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth reason and that the Sonne is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reason because as reason is most inward with vs so is the Sonne with the Father as Saint Basil and Nazianzen say or because he maketh vs obedient to yeeld vnto reason as Origen saith others will haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie definition because Christ defineth and expresseth the whole nature of his Father Heb 1.3 he being the brightnesse of his glory and the ingrauen forme of his person as Nazianzen and
First the generall mercy of God is that which extends it selfe towards all and ouer all Gods works but That God is onely mercifull to them that loue him Secondly the speciall mercy of God is onely extended vnto the godly and wholly denyed vnto the wicked for so the Lord himselfe saith I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy that is not vpon all but vpon some whom I will and who are those the Scripture sheweth Exod. 23 36. for Moses saith Miseretur Iehoua seruorum suorum The Lord will repent himselfe or be mercifull vnto his seruants Deut. 32.36 Psal 103.3 and the Prophet Dauid saith that as a father pittieth his owne children so will the Lord be mercifull to them that feare him Exod. 20.6 and so God himselfe saith I will shew mercy on them that loue me but they that feare him not that serue him not that loue him not he will deale with them in his furie and his eye shall not spare them Ezek 8 18. neither will he be mercifull vnto them That the wicked haue no part in the speciall mercie of God And therefore though God be mercifull vnto the wicked and sheweth many singular effects of his mercy vnto them as to create them and to preserue them from many euils yea from many sinnes which otherwise they would fall into and to bestow many gifts and graces vpon them yet haue they no part nor portion in this speciall mercy of God because as the Lord himselfe saith of the wicked Mal. 1.10 Non est mihi voluntas in vobis God hath no pleasure he hath no delight in them And no maruell for seeing the mercie of God springeth from the loue of God as may be collected from the words of those Iewes who seeing how Christ sighed and mourned and wept ouer Lazarus Iohn 11.36 said presently Behold how he loued him and as the Apostle plainely sheweth in the 3. of Titus and the 4. verse and 1 Tim. 1.2 It is most apparant that where there is no speciall loue of God there can be no speciall mercy of God That God loueth not the wicked but the speciall loue of God is onely extended vnto the Saints and chosen children of God and not vnto the wicked reprobates as might be easily shewed from those especiall effects of this speciall loue of God such as are their eternall election their effectuall vocation their singular preseruation and the bountifull donation of many heauenly gifts and graces which he giueth not vnto the reprobates as I purpose by Gods helpe more fully to declare in some other place and therefore the speciall mercy of God is onely shewed vnto Gods Elect and none else for he will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy Rom 9 18. and whom he will he hardeneth Well then That we should carefully examine whether we loue and serue God or not beloued Brethren seeing the speciall mercy of God pertaineth onely vnto the Saints let vs all examine our selues and if we finde we feare not God we serue not God wee may assure our selues that although we daily feele many infallible arguments of Gods generall mercy and fauour towards vs yet are we destitute of the least assurance of this speciall mercy of God I know many deceiue themselues herein Psal 69.23 and make those things which should be for their aduantage to be vnto them an occasion of falling when as continuing in sinne they notwithstanding doe appropriate vnto themselues this speciall mercie of God which indeed is onely proper vnto those Saints that feare him for though after a generall manner he is mercifull vnto all to make them and to preserue them and to bestow many blessings vpon them yet after this speciall manner to forgiue their sinnes and to bring them to eternall life he is onely mercifull to them that feare him to them that loue him to them that serue him as the Scriptures doe most plainly shew vnto vs And therefore I would aduise all wicked men either to serue the Lord or not to thinke that they haue any part in this mercy of God for I doe here confidently assure them that if they doe still continue in sinne they shall not taste of this Cup of mercy but shall be forced to wring out euen the dregs of thâ—t red Wine of the wrath and indignation of God Psal 75.8 And so much of the first Particle of Gods goodnesse Mercifull CHAP. VI. Of the Grace of God and what the same chiefely signifieth What is meant by the word Gracious THe Second Particle of Gods Goodnesse here expressed is that hee is Gratious a word very large and ample in signification and it is diuersly taken but chiefly it signifieth one that is 1. Amiable 2. Placable 3. Liberall First It signifieth that affability and louelinesse of person whereby the beholders are inflamed with the loue and sweetnesse thereof for when Christ is said to haue increased in wisedome Luk. 2.52 First he that is louely is gracious and stature and in fauour or in grace as the originall hath it with God and man the meaning is that he grew to be more and more amiable and beloued both of God and men and therefore we may say that a sweet affable amiablâ— man is a gracious man Secondly he that easily remitteth offences is gracious Secondly it signifieth that readinesse of minde to forgiue all the offences done against one and to receiue the offender into his fauour againe for when Noah Mary and other are said inuenisse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud deum to haue found grace with God it signifieth that they found him fauourable vnto them both in remitting of their offences Gen. 6.8 and in receiuing them into his fauourable countenance Luke 1.30 and therefore we may rightly say that he which easily receiueth offenders into his fauour is a gracious man Thirdly a bountifull man is a gracious man Gen. 33.5 Thirdly It signifieth a bountifull giuing and bestowing of any gifts for so the Scripture sheweth all the gifts of God whether temporall or spirituall to be the graces of God as Iacob said vnto his brother these be the children Quos Deus gratificatus est mihi which God of his free grace and fauour gaue vnto me and so it is said of Barnabas that when hee saw 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the grace of God Acts. 11.23 i. e. the gift of God bestowed vpon the beleeuers he reioyced and therefore a liberall and a bountifull man may be truely said to be a gracious man Now in all these respects wee finde God to bee most gracious For First It is said of Christ That God is gracious in all respects Psal 45.3 that he was fairer then the sonnes of men and that his lips were full of grace yea so full of grace that all men wondred at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth And indeed howsoeuer
beginning and ending The second is proper to seules and spirits which haue beginning but shall neuer haue ending The third is proper to all compound bodies which as they had beginning so they shall haue ending Quia omnia orta occidunt omnia aucta senescunt Because all raised or created things shall fall and whatsoeuer increaseth waxeth old After the first sense the Word was neuer made in any time but is the Father of all times and before all times After the second sense the Soule of Christ was made in time but to continue euer immortall for all times And How Christ was made in time After the third sence the Body of Christ was likewise made in time and to continue here but for a time in respect of his mortall condition before it was inuested with the indowments of immortality And so both Body and Soule of Christ were made in time to subsist in the person of him that made all time that time wherin he was made thus to subsist was in the fulnesse of time saith the Apostle for as places so times haue their fulnesse and their emptinesse some places are empty hauing nothing in them but onely ayre and some are full of gold and pearles and precious things euen so some times are voyde of strange accidents How time hath his fulnesse and sometimes are full of admirable occurrents and in such a time was the Word made flesh the Sonne of God made man for now the time was full of peace full of plenty and full of wickednesse the Diuell had broken loose and had possest the minds of most and the bodies of many men more then euer before or euer since as some imagine by reason of those multitudes that they reade of to be really possessed with Diuels in our Sauiours time And therefore being so full of all vnrighteousnesse Rom. 29. he that was the fulnesse of grace came to root out the euill weeds of our sinnes Iohn 1.16 and out of his fulnesse to offer vs grace for grace For First hee would not come before Adam fell because that had beene superfluous to seeke the sheepe before the sheepe were lost Secondly he would not come presently after because thereby he would shew the greater loue to mankinde for though in some cases it be true that gratia ab officio quod mora tardat abest delayed kindnesse looseth halfe his goodnesse yet herein the long tarrying of Christ before he came to be incarnate was a manifest signe of his greater goodnesse towards vs for these three speciall causes First that by the Law of nature Why Christ stayed so long before he came and by the written Law of God man might be conuinced and see his owne sinnes and so be the more moued to seeke his Sauiour Secondly that he tarrying for a while might be the more earnestly desired and make him being obtayned to become the more acceptable vnto vs Quia diu desiderata dulcius obtinentur because that things long desired are more sweet when they are obtained as Saint Augustine speaketh Thirdly that due preparation might be made by the Patriarches and Prophets before his comming and the people made by them apt and ready to receiue him and to imbrace his comming that so his comming might be the more profitable vnto them for they were sent to prepare Matth. 3.3 and to make straight the way of the Lord and therefore as his tarrying now from comming to iudgement is an exceeding great argument of his goodnesse because he doth it to see if his long patience will leade vs to repentance so his long tarrying then was a sure signe of his greater loue because he would haue vs thereby to be fitted to make the better vse of his comming and yet Why Christ would not stay any longer then he did Thirdly he would not stay vntill the last end of the world Ne fides spes de promisso semine nimis tardatae perirent Least staying so long there should be no hope left to expect him no faith to beleeue in him and no charity to loue him when hee should come For though there was but a little goodnesse then God knowes Patrios ante dies filius quaerebat in annos Yet there is a great deale lesse now all the world sees Terras Astraea reliquit For our Sauiour told vs that towards the end of the world The loue of many should waxe cold and faith should scarce be found vpon the face of the whole earth And therefore seeing that to come in the beginning of the world had beene too soone and to tarry till the latter end had been too late he came in the fittest time in the fulnesse of time to be incarnate and made flesh The particular time of the Words incarnation And if we search a little further to know more particularly what time was this fulnesse of time we shall finde it to be 1. In the sixt Age of the world 2. In the Raigne of Augustus and Herod 3. In the tenth Moneth of the yeare 4. In the shortest Day of the Moneth 5. In the first Day of the Weeke 6. In the first Houre of the Day First We must note that as man which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the little world so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great and large Vniuerse hath his times and his ages for Damascen Lucidus and others as Clicthouaeus collecteth doe affirme that the worlds age is seauen-fold How the world is diuided into his seuerall ages First the infancy of it from Adam to the flood Secondly the child-hood of it from the flood to Abraham Thirdly the youth of it from Abraham to Moses Fourthly the riper and liuelier youth from the Law to Dauid Fiftly the man-hood of it from the Temple of Salomon to the Captiuity Sixtly the maturity of it from the Captiuity of Babylon vnto Christ Seauenthly Aug. de ciuit Dei l. vlt. c. vlt. the dotage of it from Christ vnto Iudgement but Saint Augustine Saint Chrysostome Saint Isidore Bede Arrias Montanus and others though they say the world doth consist of seauen ages yet they doe diuide them otherwise viz. 1. From Adam vnto Noahs Flood containing 1656. yeares The diuision of the worlds age 2. From Noahs Flood vnto Abraham 293. or 383. 3. From Abraham vnto Dauid 941. 4. From Dauid to the Captiuity 485. and 6. Moneths 5. From the Captiuity vnto Christ 620. 6. From Christ to the day of Iudgement 1624. hitherto and how many more none can tell As our Sauiour shewth Of that day and houre knoweth no man 7. From the day of Iudgement vnto all Eternity for euer and euer And so according to this account Christ was borne in the yeare of the world 4085. but according to the seauenty Interpreters account he was borne in the yeare 5461. and according to our account he was borne in the yeare 3948. and so I find in the account of yeares
Serpents head Gen. 3.15 Dan. 9.26 and that the Messias should suffer for our sinnes and be broken for our transgressions Esay 53.5 And the Father promised this for none other cause The loue of God to mankinde moued God to doe all this for vs. but this Because he loued vs For God seeing vs in such a miserable state as we had made our selues by sinne was moued with compassion ouer vs and was contented to giue his onely begotten Sonne to be crucified for vs rather then we should be eternally separated from him So our Sauiour saith God so loued the World i. e. So admirably so exceedingly and so incomprehensibly John 3.16 That he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that is to die for vs That whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life And so Saint Paul saith God setteth out his loue towards vs seeing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs. And surely it was a farre greater argument of his loue to giue his Sonne to die for vs then if hee had forgiuen our sinnes and acquitted vs without any satisfaction at all And therefore Saint Paul speaking of this loue of God calles it Too much loue as the vulgar Latine reades it Deus propter nimiam charitatem God through his great Ephes 2.4 or too much loue wherewith he loued vs hath quickened vs with Iesus Christ And this great loue of God will appeare the greater if wee consider that this Sonne of God which hee gaue to die for vs Omnis in Ascanio Charistat cura parentis was not onely his onely begotten Sonne which was very great that hauing but one onely Sonne he would giue that one to die for vs but was also such a Sonne in whom onely God was well pleased and with whom he was neuer offended as I shewed vnto you before And as the Father shewed Tantam charitatem so great loue in giuing his Sonne to die for vs so the Sonne shewed the like equall loue in being so willing as he was to suffer for vs for in the beginning or in the volume of the Booke it is written of me saith Christ that I should fulfill thy will O God Hebrewes 10.7 and I am content to doe it That is I am as willing and as ready to fulfill it as thou art to conceiue it yea I am grieued I am pained till I haue fulfilled it For it is meate and drinke to me saith Christ to doe my Fathers will And therefore once againe behold the great loue wherewith Christ hath loued vs Surely saith Saint Bernard Dilexisti me magis quam teipsum quia pro me mori voluisti Thou hast loued me more then thou didst thy selfe because thou gauest thy selfe to die for me For greater loue then this hath no man John 15.13 that a man should giue his life for his friends especially for his enemies Rom. 5.8 as he did for vs Cum inimici essemus While we were yet sinners â—nd regarded neither him nor our selues Bern. de Caena Domini Ser. 13. And therefore Saint Bernard doth most truly say that he did this Tanto dignantius quanto pro minus dignis So much the more wonderfully worthy of loue by how much the lesse worthy we were of his loue And in very deede there is no man breathing No Creature able to express the great loue of Christ to mankinde that is able to expresse how great was the loue of Christ towards mankinde But my conscience is my witnesse O my Sauiour what I haue done to thee and thy Crosse doth witnesse what thou hast done for me for thou wast God and I a man and yet thou a God wouldest be made man for me yea to become exiled poore and base for vs that were the vilest of all Creatures poore and base miserable sinners And not onely so but also to die a most cruell bitter and a shamefull death to deliuer vs from eternall death O what couldest thou haue done more for vs that thou hast not done The like example cannot be found in any History Rom. 5.7 for one will scarce die for a righteous man It may be they will ride and runne to saue a good mans life but to die for another we shall scarce finde any that will venter it Titus Liu. Decad 1. l. 2. Val. Max. l. 5. c. 6. It is true that the Curiatij and the Horatij are reported to haue aduentured their liues for the libertie of their Countrey And so Decius Curtius and Codrus did freely offer themselues to death for to preserue their peoples life but they did this either for ambition to be honoured for their facts and to be numbred among the Gods or else in desperation of their liues to be ridde out of their griefe when they saw none other helpe of their miseries but Christ when there was no necessity to compell him did all this and farre much more then I haue shewed for vs And that not onely Sine nostris meritis sed cum nostris demeritis When we deserued no good Bern. Ser. 15. in Cant. but especially when we were worthy of so much euill at his hands as was due to most deadly enemies as Saint Bernard saith CHAP. III. Of the finall causes why Christ suffered both in respect of Men and in respect of God himselfe AND so you haue seene the instrumentall causes of Christ his death and you heard the efficient cause why God punished Christ for vs and for our sinnes and why for vs because he loued vs with a great exceeding incomprehensible loue And how this should teach vs that as our hearts doe hate Iudas Pilate and all the rest of our Sauiours bloudie persecutors which were but the Instruments of his death so much more should we loath and detest our owne sinnes and wickednesse which were the maine principall cause that moued God thus seuerely to punish him And now it resteth The final cause of Christ his death that we consider the finall cause thereof and I finde that to be two-fold 1. In respect of Men. 2. In regard of God 1. In respect of Men. First In respect of Men I finde it likewise to be two-fold 1. The sauing of all the Elect. 2. To make the reprobate without excuse Math. 20.28 For the first Our Sauiour faith That he came to giue his life a ransome for many and to saue those that were lost And so Saint Paul saith Gal 4.4 That Christ was made vnder the Law to redeeme them that were vnder the Law and that Iesus Christ was sent into the World to saue sinners Now wee must know that as Bellarmine noteth there are diuers kindes of redemption as That there were diuers kindes of redemption First By Manumission as when the Lord did willingly of his owne accord let his slaues goe free Secondly By permutation as when one prisoner was exchanged for another Thirdly By
belongeth not to any wicked man so long as he remaineth wicked and therefore lest as the men of Bethshemesh were slaine fiftie thousand and threescore and ten men in one day 1 Sam. 6.19 because they looked into the arke which belonged onely vnto the Priests wee be found guiltie of the body and bloud of Christ and so pull vpon our selues swift damnation if we snatch the childrens bread that belongeth not to vs or receiue these blessed Sacraments vnworthily let vs with blinde Bartimaeus cast off our mantles the old raggs of Adam the lusts of the flesh and let vs put on our wedding garment the new man which chiefely consisteth of Faith towards God and loue towards men if Mark 10.50 when we come to receiue these Sacraments wee would receiue the grace of Christ But Mat. 22.11 Secondly though such a hearing of the Word as I haue aboue shewed be a speciall meanes to obtaine grace yet we must know that this meanes is not sufficient vnlesse as God opened the heart of Lydia when Saint Paul Preached vnto her eares so he doth worke faith in your hearts when we doe Preach expound the Word vnto your eares Quia inanis est sermo docentis nisi spiritus adsit cordi audientis because as the Preaching of the Word is the gift of God in vs so the beleeuing of the same is the operation of the same God in you And so likewise though the receiuing of the blessed Sacraments be a singular meanes to worke Faith and all other graces in the right receiuers of the same yet wee must vnderstand that it is not opus operatum the doing of the worke that begetteth grace in any man but the spirit of God onely conuayeth grace through the conduit pipes of these outward meanes and therefore wee should alwayes pray to God not onely for the graces of attention vnto our eares and illumination vnto our eyes but also of sanctification vnto our hearts that what wee doe attentiuely heare with our eares and doe most perfectly see with our eyes Wee may most faithfully beleeue with our hearts and so attaine vnto these gifts and graces of Gods spirit CHAP. VIII On whom God bestoweth these gifts and graces of his spirit FOr the third i e To whom God bestoweth these gifts we must know that he bestoweth neither the graces of edifiying the Church nor the other graces to sanctifie and to saue our soules vpon all men but onely vpon those whom it pleaseth him for as when he was to choose his Apostles it is said that he chose whom he pleased so of the graces of preseruation sanctification and such like he giueth them to whom he pleaseth Mar. 3.13 and though hee giueth liberally vnto all men Iames 1.51 yet he giueth not all of these nor any of them all inconsiderately vnto any man for he lets not his graces drop through his fingers as if he cared not what became of them and so suffer all men to gather them Mat. 10.29 who will but as a sparrow lights not vpon the ground without his prouidence so not one grace falls to any man without his speciall guidance and direction And this the Apostle sheweth when he saith Rom. 9.16 non est currentis neque volentis sed miserentis Dei it is not in him that runneth nor in him that willeth but in God that sheweth mercie and this Christ himselfe declareth when he saith no man commeth vnto me except the Father draw him Iohn so no man can receiue these gifts and graces but they to whom they are giuen and as we finde a gradation of the loue and fauour of God As First he loueth all the things that he hath made and That there is a gradation in Gods loue Secondly he loueth man in a more speciall manner aboue all the things that he made And Thirdly among men he loueth some better then others yea Fourthly among those that he loueth best hee loueth some better then the rest As wee see hee loued Noah and Abraham among the Patriarks Moses among the Prophets and Iohn among the Apostles Why God loueth some men better then others so hee loues these best not because these were in themselues better then any others but because it pleased him to loue them better then others for as if he had made a toad a man and the man a toad the toad had bin the better of the twaine so if hee had bestowed more grace vpon the wicked and with-held the same from the now best men in all respects then no doubt but the wicked had bin the best but he loueth them best because it pleaseth him so to doe and therfore he bestoweth more graces and tokens of his loue vpon them to make them better then all others whatsoeuer for the gifts of God make vs good and our goodnesse maketh not him to bestow his gifts on vs. And this I say What this doctrine teacheth vs. not to accuse God of any niggardlinesse or close-handednesse because he giueth not these gifts vnto all God forbid for he is a debter to no man but may freely without censure doe with his owne what he list But I say this First to shew his exceeding great bountie and fauour First to behold the great goodnesse of God to his elect towards vs that deseruing no more good at Gods hands then all the rest of the race of mankind should notwithstanding when we iustly deserued so much euill it may be as much or more then the rest of men receiue so many great gifts and graces aboue and before all the rest of the world Secondly Secondly to be truely thankfull vnto God and specially to moue vs to all thankefulnesse to this our good and gratious God that with-holding his graces from many thousand others he would notwithstanding so graciously bestow them vpon vs for had not he giuen vs the grace to beleeue in Christ to hate our sinnes and to loue all righteousnesse I see not how the best of vs could doe any of these no more then the wickedest men in the world and therefore I would to God that we would euer praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that hee doth as generally for all men so specially for these chosen children of men Thirdly and lastly to teach vs Thirdly to pray for what we want and to praise our God for euermore that when wee feele our owne wants wee should pray to him for helpe to supply our need and when we see any of our neighbours voyd of grace we should rather piously pittie them and pray for them then proudly to contemne them and to spurne against them for as if God would hee might haue made thee a beast and the beast a man so if it had pleased him hee might haue filled them with that grace which he bestowed on thee and he might haue iustly left thee in that fullnesse of sinne wherein they doe
haec similitudinem corporis refert illa cordis vnanimitatem demonstrat Aug. in apend de diuersis Ser. 10. Psal 647. to 10. haec interdum sibi inimica illa sine intermissione pacifica est for that sheweth onely the likenesse and similitude of the body and the sympathy of naturall dispositions but this sheweth the vnanimity of the heart and a concurrent desire in all holy affections those are sometimes contrary vnto themselues but these haue alwayes cor vnum animam vnam one heart and one minde to loue the same things and to agree in the same points and therefore of all brethren the loue of Christian brethren should excell and exceed all other loue of brethren 1 Iohn 3.16 and these of all others should be ready to lay downe their liues for the Brethren How gentile brethren loued one another And yet in former times the loue of naturall brethren was such that when a souldier which was in the army of Pompey had vnawares vnto himselfe slaine his brother that was in the company of Sertorius Val Max. l. 5. Aug. de ciuit l. 5. Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 2. c. 25. Idem de ciuit l. 8. c 5. and knew the same when he bestript his body seipsum ibi perimens fraterno corpori adiunxit he slew himselfe for very griefe and left his owne body vpon his brothers carkeise and Saint Augustine reports of the sonnes of Tyndarus that when Castor was slaine by Idas Pollux besought Iupiter that hee might impart halfe his owne life vnto his brother Sic fratrem Pollux alterna morte redemit And so we reade of these signes Castor and Pollux that vterque alternis diebus lucet each one of them appeareth euery second day and so the Poet saith of Pylades and Orestes Extitit hoc vnuÌ„ quod non conuenerat illis caetera par concors sine lite fuit Ire iubet Pylades charus periturus Orestem Hic negat inque vicem pugnat vterque mori They neuer disagreed but onely in this which of them should first lay downe his life for the other And now amongst Christian brethren we finde Ouids saying to be true Fratrum quoque gratia rara est They doe shew lesse loue among themselues then the heathen did the loue of most is waxen cold all are become louers of themselues Bern. de aduent dominiser 3. p. â— and no man remembreth the afflictions of Ioseph for although as Saint Bernard saith Iure fraternitatis consilij sumus auxilij fratribus debitores consilij quo erudiatur ignorantia auxilij quo iuuetur infirmitas in respect of our brotherhood we doe owe vnto our brethren both aid and aduice aid to helpe his infirmity and aduice to direct his simplicity yet al fâ—e Of the great want of vnity among Christian brethren the whole world seeth how we doe insult ouer the weake and lay stumbling blockes before the blinde what wrongs and oppressions in the Common-wealth what more hostility then among Christian Princes where now more bloudy warres then among the Christians that doe imbrew their swords in the bloud of each other which should rather ioyne their strength against the enemies of the Lord and what bitter contentions doe we likewise see in the very Church of Christ Oh how many bitter lines haue ambitious spirits so contentiously scattered in euery place to obscure the cleare light of verity Idem ser in ad in Pasto Synod O poore Church and distressed Spouse of Christ Pax ab extranijs pax à paganis sed filij nequam filij scelerati scauiunt in eam Shee hath peace from strangers peace from pagans peace from all but her owne children her owne wicked children doe raile and rage against her they struggle in her wombe like Rebeccaes twinnes they sharpen their tongues and blunt their pens in writing either against the other and so they make the Church of Christ Iohn 19.23 1 Reg. 11.30 1 Reg. 16.21 which should be like the coat of Christ without a seame to be torne in pieces like Iereboams garment for as in Israel one halfe followed Tibni and the other halfe followed Omry or as in Rome the wiser followed Pompey the middle sort tooke part with Caesar and the rest followed Crassus or in Attica the people of the mountaines ranne after Pysistratus Plut. in vit Crass those of the valley chose Lycurgus and those of the Sea-coast Megacles euen so in the Church of God one is of Paul 1 Cor. 1.3 4. another is of Apollo one is of this minde and another is of that minde and as the Poet said of the vulgar sort Scinditur incertum studia in contraria vulgus We may now say of the better sort Scinditur incertus studia in contraria clerus They are full of all oppositions each one inuenteth some new points each one dissenteth from the rest and so by this their dissentions and multiplicity of opinions they make grieuous contentions in euery place and cause many men with the effusion of a little inke haue inuented in their Cells for I doe assure my selfe if there were more charity and vnanimity among the Clergy there would be lesse controuersie and more vnity among the Laytie But it was enough for Abraham to disswade from all contention betwixt him and Lot to say wee bee brethren and I wish that it were enough for vs for we be brethren and there be enough against vs we neede not be against our selues and therefore Ignat. ep 9. ad Philadel Fugite vt filij lucis sectionem vnitatis we should by all meanes shunne dissentions because there bee many Wolues abroad in sheepes clothing but if we keepe vnity and brotherly loue among vs they shall neuer preuaile against vs but otherwise Salust coniurat Catel vt concordia crescunt minutissima ita discordia dilabuntur maxima as in the time of peace through vnity the smallest things doe grow happy so in the time of discord the greatest things doe come to ruine and therefore we say that peace and vnity are the best of all earthly blessings that God bestoweth on men during their pilgrimage in the state of mortality Pax optima rerum quas homini nouisse datum est pax vna triumphis innumeris potior Sylius Ital. Aug. in Psal 29. and so Brunfelsius saith that a Christians life is nothing else but mutuall charity or a continuall louing of God and of our neighbours Quia omnis homo est vnus homo because all men in Christ Iesus should be as one man like Hypocrates twinnes which willed and nilled the same things for the whole Church of Christ is nothing else but Ecclesia multorum fratrum an vnited company of louing brethren and therefore they should euer owe this duty of loue and charity one towards another for though the Apostle biddeth vs to owe nothing vnto any man yet he excepteth this to loue one another because
all Christians being brethren they must needes owe this mutuall duty of loue and charity Idem ep 93. ad Caelestin Quae sola etiam reddita semper detinet debitores which though it be neuer so much paid yet it is euer owing vnto our brethren saith Saint Augustine And so you see the loue of the Apostle to his brethren which should teach these brethren to loue our Apostle againe Quia amor amoris magnes durus est qui amorem non rependit because loue is a loadstone to draw loue againe and he is vnworthy of loue that requiteth not his louer with the same measure of loue as he receiueth for he should loue much to whom much is forgiuen saith our Sauiour and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee that desires much loue saith Isidor Isidor Pelus l. 2. ep 148. Pelus must shew much loue and therefore as the people doe require loue from the ministers so the ministers should receiue loue from the people for wee giue them panem sanctuarij the spirituall bread of life and therefore we should haue from them panem promptuarij bread enough to sustaine our life But alas such is our case they are ready enough to demand what is due to them but they are backward enough to pay what they owe to vs Loue is shewed foure wayes for whereas true loue is shewed foure manner of wayes First In words when wee speake friendly vnto our neighbours and beseech them to be reconciled vnto God 2 Cor. 5.20 Secondly In workes Quia probatio dilectionis exhibitio est operis when by our outward workes Gregor hom 30. in Euang. Mat. 20.28 we testifie our inward affection vnto our brethren Thirdly by our seruice one to another when wee desire not so much to be ministred vnto as to minister as our Sauiour saith Fourthly In being ready to lay downe our liues for the brethren which is the greatest signe of loue and the highest degree of affection for greater loue then this hath no man that a man should lay downe his life for his friend Iohn 15.13 and therefore our Sauiour Christ tooke vpon him non solum formam serui vt subesset Bernard ter quart hebd poenos sed quasi mali serui vt vapularet not onely the forme of a seruant that he might minister but also was contented to be accounted as an euill seruant that he might suffer for vs and all this to shew his loue vnto vs euery manner of way Whereas I say loue is thus shewed let vs say and doe and die for our people as we daily doe weare and consume our selues like Iohn Baptist that was a burning and a shining light like the candle that consumeth it selfe in giuing light to others yet are we sure to haue loue little enough from them good words is almost all we haue and alwayes we haue not that from all for our soules are filled with the scornefull reproofe of the wealthy and with the despightfulnesse of the proud but this much shall serue touching the Apostles affection and that vnity which should be amongst vs all because we are brethren Part. 2 PART II. CHAP. II. Of the Apostles wisdome and godly pollicy in seeking for to winne the Thessalonians to performe this duty and of three sorts of Preachers whereof two sorts are defectiue in this point That a gentle louing intreatie is the best way to perswade men to doe any thing SEcondly Saint Paul herein sheweth his discretion by this manner of speech that he vseth vnto them hee tels the Corinthians that he caught them with a guile not to beguile them but to saue them and so here and in all places he vseth all his wit all his pollicy and all the wisedome that hee hath to winne men vnto Christ 2 Cor. 12.16 and being wonne to make them to serue Christ for being desirous of their Prayers hee comes vnto them in spiritu mansuetudinis in the spirit of meekenesse he creepes into their hearts with termes of loue and seekes to lead them tanquam oues leni spiritu non dura manu rather as sheepe by an inward sweet influence then as goats to be driuen by an outward extreame violence so God himselfe dealt with our forefathers and all their posterity he heaped vpon them beneficia nimis copiosa multa magna priuata positiua wonderous great benefits and blessings to see if he could so draw them vnto himselfe in the chaines of loue and to allure them by all faire meanes and all the allectiues vnder heauen vnto his blessed seruice Hos 11.4 hee spake them faire hee vsed them kindly he promised them much he gaue them more and all to perswade them to their owne happinesse so Christ the Sonne of God alleadgeth this for a reason why all men should bee willing to come vnto him Matth. 11.29 because hee is meeke and lowly of heart and Moses the man of God was mitissimus super terram Numb 12.3 the meekest and the mildest man that was vpon the face of the earth and so the fittest man to guide the people of God and Titus Vespasian for his curtesie and affability was called deliciae generis humani the delight of mankinde hee was so curteous vnto all that he was wont to say Non opertet quenquam à Caesaris colloquio tristem discedere it was not fit for any man to depart sad from Caesar for hee knew this was the way to winne them Mollis responsio frangit iram a soft answere appeaseth wrath a gentle intreaty will soone perswade men Syluestres homines sacer interpresque Deorum Horarius de arte poetica Caedibus faedo victu deterruit Orpheus Dictus ab hoc lenire Tygres rapidosque Leones The faire spoken Orpheus and Amphion by their sweet perswasions are said to haue mollified the most sauage natures Dictus Amphion Thebanae conditor vrbis saxa mouere sono testudinis prece blando ducere quo vellet and to haue brought vnto ciuility the rudest and the wildest men and therefore Saint Paul here doth so louingly intreat them and so friendly beseech them with this sweetest name of Brethren to pray for them Brethren pray for vs. To teach vs that as we be Pascendo Pastores the Teachers of our people so we should be diligendo Patres 1 Cor. 2.4 aswel fathers for affection as teachers for instruction and that wee should intreat and beseech our people in the bowels of Christ Iesus when we might command them in the Name of the great Iehoua for it is most certaine that when bitter reprehensions doth harden men in iniquity a gentle intreaty will often win them vnto piety for it was but the alluring speech of Apollo that made many to affect him rather then Saint Paul and it is dayly seene that a golden mouthed Chrysostome with his sweet perswasions will winne more men to Christ then any one can doe with
all the faculties of the soule Our will is guided by our iudgement saue onely the vegetatiue as Nyssenus saith yet of it selfe it hath no light but is inlightned by the reason iudgement of the vnderstanding Viues l. de anima And therefore actus voluntatis à voluntate producitur sed à ratione suadetur The Act of the will is produced by the will but it is induced and moued by the reason saith Viues And therefore if the vnderstanding be darkened Matth 15.14 it is no maruell that the will should be corrupted for if the lame will carry and command the blinde vnderstanding and the blinde reason doe leade and guide the lame will then are both like to fall into the Ditch Of the perfection of Adams vnderstanding But though the vnderstanding of Adam in Paradice was so perfect that he knew his God which made him his wife to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh though hee neuer saw her before and all the other creatures so well that at the first sight he was able to giue them names agreeable to their natures Gen. 2.20.23 yet now the vnderstanding of all men iâ— so blinded that it cannot see the light of any Diuine truth How our vnderstanding is now darkened through sinne Peccatum enim tenebrae for sinne is as the blacknesse of darknesse and as a deepe dungeon wherein there is no light and all sinnes are called the workes of darkenesse not onely because they are done in darkenesse or at least desired to be kept secret but also because they are the workes of them whose vnderstandings are so darkned that they cannot perceiue the excellency of the Grace of God Rom 13.12.13 but doe thinke all the mysteries of our faith to be not onely mirabilia strange and wonderfull but also incredibilia impossible and incredible and therefore whatsoeuer we doe say of grace and of spirituall things Ephes 5.8 they are but foolishnesse vnto them for as in the night time when there is no light a bush seemes a man and a man a beast and we iudge Lead to be siluer Brasse Gold and Gold no better then Copper So those men qui sordide viuunt Chrysost hom 4. in Iohn which do loue liue in iniquity can no wayes vnderstand the excellency of piety saith Saint Chrysostome And therefore sinne brought this infirmitie vpon vs to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Darkned in our vnderstandings and our fathers affected-knowledge of good and euill brought inflicted ignorance of all good vpon all his children for as we reade of a certaine Widdow Ephes 4 1â— that desiring to see better then she did had her eyes so cunningly closed by a subtle and a false Physition that while she hoped for a greater measure of sight How Adam by affecting knowledge brought ignorance vp-all his posterity he stole away all the treasure that she had and then hauing her eyes opened and seeing how shee was cozened shee worthily complained that she saw worse then euer she did before So Adam desiring to know much and to see better then he did before became indeed to know iust nothing and to see himselfe in a farre worser state then euer he was before for God is light and in him there is no darknesse at all and therefore falling away from God wee are depriued of all light 1 John 1.5 and are plunged into the place of vtter darkenesse Iohn 12.35 and therefore as he that walketh in darknesse knoweth not where he goeth so we being separated from God wee know not what is truth we know not what is good And the Philosophers themselues the seekers and searcherâ— after Knowledge did finde to their endlesse griefe The Philosophers saw and professed the blindnesse of all men that when they had turned their strength into weaknesse their marrow into drynesse and their colour into palenesse by their continuall watchings and indefessed vnwearied studies and musing to get knowledge they attained at length to no more but hoc vnum scire se nihil scire to know this one thing that they knew iust nothing And as our Sauiour said to Nicodemus in the like case if they could not attaine to the knowledge of earthly things Iohn 3.12 how should they vnderstand heauenly things For although the vnderstanding which Nazianzene calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the eye and lampe of reasâ—n should be exceeding sharpe to discerne the alterations of the skyes to enter into the secrets of nature How sharpe our vnderstanding is in natural things to reach vnto the height of heauen and the deepnesse of Hell it selfe yet in things concerning God he could reach no further then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such points as might be manifested by demonstration as Saint Clement speaketh For if we talke of Christs conception by the holy Ghost How blockish euery man is naturally in the mysteries of our Faith without the helpe of man of his birth of a pure Virgin without breach or impeachment of her Virginitie of his Death as the Sonne of God personally vnderstood for otherwise the Diuine Nature is impassible and so of his resurrection as hee is the Sonne of Man and of the resurrection of all flesh at the last day and such liâ—â— Mysteries of our Faith then both the wise Grecians euen all the Schoole of Athens and the foolish Iewes euen all the whole ranke of Rabbies will count each point 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fained thing cry out with the Athenians Act. 17.18 What will these bablers say for as the eye of man saith S. Augustine being either blinde or pur-blinde cannot presently discerne the cleerest obiect euen so saith he Animus pollutus aut mens turbata deum presentem videre non potest the minde that is distracted with worldly cares or the soule that is polluted with filthy sinne can neither vnderstand God nor godlinesse And therefore Moses saith that all the imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart were onely euill continually Gen. 6.5 Tit. 1 15. Rom. 8.6 and Saint Paul saith that our very mindes are defiled and our wisedomes death but if the light that is in thee be darkenesse how great is that darkenesse if our mindes and vnderstandings be thus blinded and defiled through sinne in what case shall the other faculties of the soule be What an excellent facultie the memory is Sabel l. 10. c. 9. Exemp de memor Thirdly for the memory It is a faculty qua repetit animus quae fuerunt Whereby the soule retaineth as it were in her sight and knowledge all the things that are past Et hoc nil sanctius nil vtilius homini dedit Deus and it is the best and most excellent gift that God bestowed on man saith Sabellicus for this is the Treasurer of all Learning and the Keeper of all those Arts and Knowledge which by great study and labour we haue
is omnipotent therefore Christ as man can be present where he will in the Church in the Sacrament in the midst of his enemies or in any other place where hee pleaseth whereas Sadeel on the other side sayth that if God should intend and indeuour to extend all the nerues and synewes of his omnipotencie The error of the Vbiquitaries yet can he not make one numericall and naturall Body to be in many places at one and the selfe same time which in very deede is most true as hereafter I shall shew vnto you Fourthly For the Pontificialls The error of the Church of Rome about Gods power to prooue transubstantiation Bellarmine doth most stoutly withstand vs and to establish his opinion of Transubstantiation he sayth but most falsely that God can make the true and naturall body of Christ though finite numerically one to be substantially present in all those places whersoeuer their Masse is celebrated and to be orally receiued and eaten of all those Men that doe communicate whosoeuer those Men should be and so the rest of them taught herein by that Arch-heriticke the deuil doe striue with all their might to confirme the probabilitie for the veritie they shall neuer doe of that opinion from the omnipotent power of God Augustin in Iohan. And truely this is nothing else but most cunningly to hide their true faults and false errors vnder the pretext and vayle of the power of God Miserable men herein I assure my selfe qui dum volunt esse mali nolunt esse veritatem qua condemnantur mali who while they desire to bee in error doe wholly oppose the light of Trueth whereby their errors are reproued and doe bring their subtilties and fallacies into the Church of God intruding falsehoods into the roome of Trueth and bare names accidents without any subiects euen as Ixion imbraced a Cloud for Iuno to bee receiued of vs for true and reall things and because we will not yeeld to be thus seduced and to bee made fooles they call vs Fooles and Heretickes full of Heresies and I know not as I care not what But it is easier for them to call vs then to proue vs so and they are but parties and not iudges of this controuersie and parties must not be Iudges in the same case wherein they are parties And therefore wee will not iudge of them least wee should bee iudged neither will wee giue them any other names then the members of the Church of Rome the patrons and defenders of her doctrines and such as beseemeth Modestie and Christianitie for we know the spirit of Christ is a spirit of Loue not of hatred a spirit of Meekenesse not of harshnesse and a spirit of Peace not of strife and contention but according to true reason and the iudgement of all antiquitie and especially the diuine veritie of the most holy Scripture whose propertie is iudicium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infallibile to giue an absolute and infallible iudgement of trueth wee will by Gods helpe discusse this poynt of the power of God because the knowledge of this poynt is so exceedingly necessary for the Church of God CHAP. II. How many wayes the power of God is to bee considered and how farre the absolute power of God extendeth FOr the second point that is how farre the power of God extendeth we must first note the difference betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Power and Authoritie for Authoritie is that which is established by right and of this our Sauiour speaketh when hee sayth Mihi data est omnis potestas Matth. 28.18 All power is giuen vnto me in Heauen and in Earth i. e. all authority ouer all creatures both in Heauen and Earth and of this I am not to speake in this place it was formerly expressed in the word Lord But Power is that facultie of doing any thing which consisteth in strength and might Wolfg. Muscul de omnipot dei as Musculus sayth and this is that which I am to speake of And it is either 1. Passiue 2. Actiue First A passiue Power is nothing else Power is either Actiue or Passiue but ens in potentia a being in power or else a power to bee such and such a thing and it is opposed to the act And this wee vtterly deny to be in God because God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vniforme hauing himselfe by himselfe alwayes alike and the selfe same manner and neuer receiuing any wayes any change or alteration being without any shadow of turning James 1.17 as the Apostle sayth Secondly An actiue power is that What Actiue power is whereby such and such acts are fully done and accomplished and this also if wee speake properly is farre from the nature of God because God is a meere and a pure act and nothing aduentitious can bee sayd to be in God But to retaine the vsuall manner of speaking for our better vnderstandings sake we say that an actiue power is in God But then we must further note that an Actiue Power is either 1. Accepta receiued Or 2. Innata inbred The first is of the Creature the second is of the Creator That subsisteth by anothers strength so long as it doth indure as our Sauiour sheweth Without me you can doe nothing because he giueth the power of working This neuer subsisteth by any other strength but by it owne proper might for euer That is particular and limited particular because no creature is so powerfull that it can vniuersally worke all things God giuing not such a perfect power vnto any man saue onely vnto his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ and limited because to doe infinite things is impossible for any creature and because those things which are possible for them to doe are not so possible vnto them as that they can performe any iot of them John 15.5 That the power of the most powerfull creatures is limited beyond the measure of the limitation giuen of God and therefore the power of Kings Monarchs Potentates yea of the very Angels and Deuils as it is giuen them from aboue so it is limited how farre it shall goe They may slay the bodyes but they cannot touch the Soules and they can for a while and in some measure execute their rage and tyrannie against the Saints of God but if they could doe as much as they would doe not a Righteous man should be left vpon the face of the Earth and therefore often times either by death or by some singular iudgement of God their power is terminated and sometimes turned to their shame and confusion The Second that is the Inbred power of the Creator is to bee considered either 1. In respect of the inward acts Operations Of God 2. In respect of the outward acts Operations Of God First The power of God considered in respect of his inward operations is that whereby God doth inwardly vnderstand loue and
to remember nothing to haue nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified And therefore well might Saint Augustine call him the best Childe of grace because as Saint Iohn that best beloued Disciple was the most louing vnto his brethren and did most of all expresse the loue of God to men and require the loue of men to God so did this chosen vessell of grace best of all suppresse the pride of man and extoll the grace of Christ So did Saint Augustine in his time that was Strenuus defensor gratiae A most valiant Champion to fight for grace so did that worthy Zanchius in these latter times and so will all Christians doe that doe loue Iesus Christ ascribe all good to him and nothing to our selues Quia nostrum nihil est Because nothing that is good is of our selues I reade of one Iohannes Alexandrinus a most excellent holy man that when hee had distributed all that euer he had vnto the poore hee fell downe vpon his knees and thanked God that now hauing nothing left hee desired nothing else The Authors earnest and hearty wish both for the Cleargy and Laity but his Lord and Master Iesus Christ Oh that it might be so with euery one of vs that this word which did all good vnto vs tooke all infirmities from vs suffered all punishments for vs and finished all the workes of our redemption to vs might be all in all within vs all First That we the Preachers of Gods Word would leaue our iarring and our iangling about shaddowes That we should not contest about trifles about things of nothing An ater sit contrarius albo As whether it be better to weare a white Surplesse or a blacke Gowne in the administring of the Sacrament Much like the contention in Rome betwixt the Augustine Friars and the vulgar Canons whether Saint Augustine did weare a blacke weede vpon a white coate or a white weede vpon a blacke coate for by this meanes in stead of bread we shall giue our Children stones to throw at one another and in stead of fish wee shall giue them Scorpions to sting one another And therefore I wish that we would all leaue these things and would be Pythagoricè mundo Ciceronicè Christo Mute vnto the World mute vnto all worldly vanities and vse all our words all our eloquence to expresse the excellency of this super-excellent word And so by the helpe of this word to preach of this word and to write of this word to the eternall prayse and glory of this word that is to preach not our selues but him not for our owne gaine but for his glory That we should imploy all our strength to expresse the glory of Christ It is reported of Saint Bernard that hauing made with great art and study a most curious elegant Sermon he passed home without any applause and the next day making a plaine conscionable and comfortable Sermon vnto his Auditors he receiued many a blessing from those well-edified hearers And being demanded by one of his Colleagues how it happened that his most learned Sermon was so strangely neglected and his farre more playne one so ioyfully imbraced he most humbly answered Heri praedicaui Bernardum hodie Iesum Christum Yesterday I preached my selfe to shew my wit and my learning to day I preached Iesus Christ to shew his grace and his goodnesse I wish that none would preach Saint Bernard that is preach a Sermon rare and seldome filled with words and fine phrases to gaine vnto themselues credit and thereby preferment as the onely rare Schollars of our times and so they are rare indeed for they are but seldome seene to preach like the Swallowes that come but once a yeere but that we would preach Iesus Christ to gaine soules vnto the Church of God And I confesse against my selfe that when I tooke greatest paines to make and compose a Scholler-like Sermon as I thought and saw the same vnregarded and when with lesse diligence but with good conscience I saw other of my poore labours most acceptably receiued That we should preach Iesus Christ and not our selues I deemed it was for want of iudgement in mine Auditors whereas now I perceiue it was an error in my selfe that I did not alwayes so as might best tend for edification and not so as might any wayes sauour of ambition Because our chiefest care should be not to spinne a fine thred but to winne a faire soule to Christ And therefore that is an excellent rule which Saint Augustine giues vnto all Preachers Non delectent verba vestra sed prosint quia sapientes verum magis amant in verbis quam verba That our words should not so much delight the eares as our matter edifie the soules of men because all wise Christians doe loue the truth and excellencie of the matter rather then the fluent elegancie of the words though I denie not but as the Poet sayth est aliqua gloria frondium an excellent matter exprest in fit and decent words is like apples of gold in pictures of siluer And therefore O my Soule so preach thou the Word of God that whatsoeuer men thinke or say of thee this Word God at last may say vnto thee euge serue bone well done thou good and faithfull seruant enter thou into thy Masters ioy Secondly I wish that all hearers would thinke of nothing speake of nothing heare of nothing loue and long for nothing but for this onely one thing that they would villifie and nullifie all things else to magnifie and to omnifie the excellencie of this excellent Word that we would prize and value him aboue all things that wee would loue him and long after him vntill we languish and be compelled to crie with the Spouse Cantic 2.5 Stay me with flaggons and comfort me with apples for I am sicke of loue and that we would so inquire after him as men vndone without him and rather be contented to want all the world then to want this Word which made the world of nothing and still preserues the same that it turne not to nothing for I doe much feare that if we could see the hearts of men we should finde many of them not as we would but rather as Saint Bernard calls them sine Christo Christianos such as haue this word Christ often in their mouthes to sweare and blaspheme him but not in their liues to yeeld any seruice to him Mammon is their chiefest god and this God which is the first and the last is the last and the least in all their thoughts all their delight is in filthie communications and leaude words all words that may doe hurt but they haue no delight in this word God The wise Merchant Matth. 13.46 sold al that euer he had to gaine this inualuable Pearle but as many a foole will leese his best friend rather then his basest iest so will the foolish worldlings sell this and leese all that belongs to
a God for so hee is alwayes with the Father but he goeth to the Father as he is a man and therefore he is inferior to the Father as hee is a man and thus Saint Cyrill Saint Chrysost Saint Aug. and Gaudentius doe expound it Thirdly they doe obiect that our Sauiour sayth I came Ob. 3 downe from Heauen not to doe mine owne will John 6.38 but to doe the will of him that sent mee therefore hee that sent him is greater then hee that is sent I answere first that Christ hath two wills the one as man Sol. That Christ hath two wils the other as God and hee came downe not to doe his owne will which he had as hee was man but to doe the will of his Father that sent him which was also his owne will as he was God for hauing the same essence hee must needs haue the same will with his Father and therefore as hee was inferior to his Father in respect of his humane will so he was equall to his Father in respect of his diuine will And secondly I say that he was not sent Per modum imperij That the Father sent not the Sonne by way of command or superioritie In respect of any superiority that the Father had to command him but by way of consent the Father being willing to let his Sonne goe as the Sonne was to be gone so that misit is no more then emisit they were both willing that the Word should be made Flesh But they vrge that he descended to doe the will of his Father Ob. but he descended not as Man but as God therefore he was inferiour to the Father not onely as Man but also as God I answere that the descending of Christ Sol. That the descending of of Christ is the assuming of â—ur flesh is nothing else but his exinination his incarnation and assuming the forme of a seruant for otherwise the Godhead can neither be said to ascend nor descend and so his son thus humbled thus incarnate did obay his Father and performe the Will of his Father but not in respect of the forme which he had in Heauen with his Father but in respect of the forme of a seruant which hee humbling himselfe assumed in earth And Fourthly they doe obiect that S. Paul sayth that when Christ Ob. 4 hath subdued all things yet then 1 Cor. 15.27.28 the sonne shall be subiect vnto his Father which hath subdued all things vnder him and therefore the sonne is inferior to the Father To this some doe answere Sol. that then the humane nature of Christ shall bee swallowed vp and wholly conuerted into the Dietie but this cannot bee for that Saint Paul in this very place sheweth the contrarie because the subiection argueth a distinction whereas if it were quite swallowed vp there could bee no distinction and therefore seeing there must be still a subiection there must be still that nature remaining which shall bee subiect to the other Nyssenus Chrysost Cyril and others Others will haue this saying of the Apostle to be spoken of the whole Church of Christ or of Christ as hee is in his members so that the sence should bee this then the whole body of Christ shall be so subiect vnto God that not any one member of the same shall in any thing bee contumacious or rebellious against the will of God But although this may passe without absurditie as being true in respect of the matter yet I doe not finde that it agreeth with the Apostles meaning in this place for hee speaketh of him to whom all things are subdued but all things are subdued vnto the person of Christ considered in himselfe anâ— not vnto the whole body of Christ or vnto Christ considered in his members as both the Prophecie of Dauid and this place of the Apostle make it playne and therefore Saint Ambrose Oecumenius and Theophilact doe expound it of the Sonne of God absolutely considered and that it signifieth not a seruile subiection any wayes betokening an inferioritie but an vnanimous agreement of the sonne with the Father which sheweth their vnitie and equalitie That Christ in glory for euer and euer as man shall be still inferiour and subiect vnto the God-head But I like best of Saint Augustines and Primasius expositions which doe interpret it of the humane nature of Christ which then shall bee truely subiect vnto God not because it was not subiect before then but with a more emphasis the Apostle would giue them to vnderstand that as euer before it was subiect vnto God so then also in that excellent glorie when all things are subdued vnto it it shall be subiect vnto God and the reason hereof is as some of the Greeke Fathers haue obserued because he writ vnto the Corinthians which were but verie lately conuerted vnto the Christian Faith from the vaine fables of the Gentiles which taught that the Gods did contest and striue amonst themselues And therefore least they should thinke that Christ subduing all things and putting all things vnder his feete would doe vnto his father as they sayd Iupiter did to his father Saturne adibus sedibus effugari to driue him out of house and home hee sayth all things shall be subiected vnto Christ excepting him which hath subdued all things vnto him and not onely this that all things shall be subiect vnto Christ but the Father but also that as now it is so it shall be then in that glory and triumph after all things shall bee subdued vnto the Man Christ Iesus yet then shall his humane nature that is Christ himselfe as he is man be still subiect vnto God his father so that hee which is and euer was equall to his father as touching his Godhead is and euer shall be inferior and subiect to his father as touching his Manhood Many other obiections they haue against the Dietie coessentialitie and coequalitie of the Sonne of God with his father but they are all so triuiall that they deserue no answere and are all deduced from those places that are spoken of Christ as hee is a man and misapplyed by them to denie his excellencie as hee is a God and therefore I neede not proceede any further in this point but onely to desire you from hence to obserue these few branches of instructions that doe most naturally spring from this roote as 1. The greatnesse of Gods loue This doctrine that the word Incarnate was a true God teacheth vs foure speciall things 2. The craftinesse of Satans dealing 3. The peruersenesse of Heretickes 4. The vnthankefulnesse of men First wee see this Word this Sonne of God was not made flesh to dignifie or to better himselfe for hee was before as I shewed you before a God in the best and highest degree from euerlasting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a God of himselfe How greatly God loued vs that God would be made man for our good A loue like
aegroti quantum ad iustitiam Dei In regard of the state of the patient to free him from sinne and to satisfie the Iustice of God For it behoued the Mediator betweene God and man Ne in vtroque deo similis longe esset ab homine aut in vtroque homini similis longe esset à Deo to haue something like vnto GOD and to haue something like vnto man lest that in all things being like vnto man hee might be so too farre from God or being in all things like vnto God hee might be so too farre from man and therefore Christ betwixt sinfull mortall men and the iust immortall God did appeare a mortall man with men and a iust God with God 1 Tim 2.5 and so the Mediator betwixt God and men was God and man Christ Iesus and fitly too saith Saint Augustine Quia ille congruè satisfacit qui potest debet Because that is most agreeable to reason that he should make satisfaction Two speciall reasons why Christ was made man which ought and can satisfie but we know that none ought to doe it but man and none can doe it but God and therefore God was contented to be made man and that for these two especiall reasons First to shew the greatnesse of his Loue to man First to shew the greatnesse of his loue for hee had seemed to haue loued vs the lesse if he had done lesse for vs but now Quid tam pietate plenum quam filium Dei pro nobis factum esse faenum What can more commend the loue of God to man then to see the word God made flesh for man Iohn 3.16 and therefore the Euangelist to shew the greatnesse of Gods loue to mankinde saith God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that is to bee incarnate to be made flesh and to suffer death that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Secondly to erect our hope that was already deiected Secondly to erect the hope and to strengthen the faith of man and to strengthen our faith which was alwayes wauering for wee saw two things that were to be done for man and yet could not be done by any man but such a one as should be God and Man The first was a remoueall of that great euill which suppressed vs. The second was a restoring of that great good that we were depriued of First Magnitude mali The euill that oppressed all men was foure-fold the greatnesse of that euill which suppressed euery man and could not be taken away by any man consisted in foure things 1. The waight of sinne 2. The height of Gods wrath 3. The power of death 4. The tyranny of the diuell And these could not be abolished by any creature but onely by him that created all creatures and can worke all things mightily according to the purpose of his owne will Secondly Magnitudo boni The good that man lost was two-fold the greatnesse of that good which was taken away from all men and could be restored by no man consisted in two things 1. The repairing of Gods image here in this life 2. The enioying of the blessed vision of God in the next life For none could restore the image of God to man but hee that was the liuing image of God Heb. 1.3 and the ingrauen forme of his person and the Kingdome of Heauen none could giue but God that giues it to all that loue him and therefore to take away the euill which we had deserued and to restore vnto vs that good whereof we were depriued God himselfe that made vs was contented to redeeme vs by taking our flesh vpon him Vt natura offendens satisfaceret That the nature offending might make satisfaction and because satisfaction could not be made without bloud for without bloud there is no remission Heb. 9.22 saith the Apostle he was made flesh that he might die and shed his bloud for vs Aug. serm 101. de tempore Vt iniusta mors iustam vinceret mortem liberaret nos iustè dum pro nobis occiditur iniustè That so his vniustly inflicted death might ouercome our iustly deserued death and might most rightly free and deliuer vs because he was most wrongfully slaine for vs as Saint Augustine speaketh Quest 2 Secondly It will be demaunded why the word that is the Sonne should be incarnate and made flesh rather then the Father or the Holy Ghost Resp Why the Son rather then the Father or the Holy Ghost was made man Saint Augustine thinketh that the cause pertained more specially vnto the Sonne then to the Father or to the Holy Ghost for that the Diuell attempted to vsurpe the dignitie and authority of the Sonne of God saying in his heart that he would be like vnto the most highest that is the image of the Father and sought to intrude himselfe into his glory to be the Prince of this world and the Head of euery creature which things were onely proper vnto the Sonne of God and therfore it behoued the Sonne to come into the world to ouercome the Diuell that would haue wronged him and all other men that were to be members of him But we finde many other reasons to shew why the Word was made flesh rather then the Father or the Holy Ghost As First because it is the office of the Word to declare the minde of God First because the Incarnation of God was made for the manifestation of God but we declare and manifest things by words and Christ is the word of the Father the wisedome the knowledge and the interpreter of his Fathers will euen as our word is the interpreter of our minde as Origen and Clemens Alexandrinus doe declare and therefore the word was rightly incarnate that God in him might be seene and heard and vnderstood of vs according to that saying of the Euangelist that which wee haue heard and seene 1 Iohn 1.1 and our hands haue handled of the word of life that declare we vnto you For as he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in respect of his person which is a name of relation vnto the minde as Sonne is to the Father so is he the word in respect of his office i. e. of his office as he is the second person of the Trinitie for as it is the propertie and office of the eternall minde i. e. the Father to beget the word i. e. the Sonne so it is the propertie and the office of the Word to declare the Minde but because this spirituall inuisible and ineffable Word as he is God could neuer be seene nor heard nor vnderstood of vs therefore was he made flesh that he might be heard and seene And this the Apostle seemes to shew vnto vs when hee saith God heretofore at sundry times Heb. 1.1 and in diuers manners spake vnto the Fathers by the Prophets but in these last
is not offended in him Why then O thou incredulous Iew wilt thou not receiue thy Sauiour is it because he came poore without any shew of worldly pompe why that should make all men the rather to imbrace him and the more thankefully to acknowledge him because that he which might haue come in Maiestie Cum caelestibus Attended on by Angels would come in pouerty and haue his bed made cum iumentis among the beasts that perish that so by his comming poore we might be all made rich through him and therefore O Iew I doe aduice thee that as thy Fathers accomplished the decree of God in condemning him so doe thou according to the will of God in beleeuing on him and thou shalt be happy for he that beleeueth in him shall neuer perish To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be ascribed all Honour Thankes and Praise both now and for euermore Amen A Prayer O Eternall God who as in all things else so more especially in giuing thy dearest Sonne co-eternall coequall and co-essentiall vnto thy selfe to be made flesh subiect to our humane frailties and in all things like vnto vs sinne onely excepted hast shewed thy goodnesse and thy loue to man to be like thy selfe infinite and incomprehensible we most humbly beseech thee to giue vs grace to know thee and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ to be the onely true God whom to know is eternall life through the said Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS The Fourth Golden Candlesticke HOLDING The Fourth greatest Light of Christian RELIGION Of the Passion of the MESSIAS LVKE 24.46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus it behoued Christ to suffer YOu haue heard dearely beloued how miserably man is distressed by sinne The coherence of this Treatise with the former Treatises how he may be releeued onely by the Mercy of God and how this reliefe is applied vnto vs by the Incarnate Word for he is the true Samaritan that doth helpe the wounded man he is the blessed Angell that doth stirre the poole of Bethesda and giue vertue vnto the water to heale our sores to helpe our soules But alas this Angell as yet is but descended and the waters are not troubled and this Samaritan is but alighted and the poore semi-dead Traueller is not set vp vpon his horse to be carryed towards his Inne that is hee hath not yet entred into the waters of tribulations to saue our soules from drowning in Hell neither hath he put our sinnes vpon his backe that we being freed from the burthen might walke on towards Heauen this resteth yet behind and this Tragedie is yet vnheard and therefore though he much humbled himselfe by his Incarnation yet is that nothing it is but the beginning of sorrowes in respect of his sore and bitter Passion For to redeeme our soules from sinne the deepe waters must enter into his soule and all our sinnes must be laid vpon his backe and for our sinnes It behoueth Christ to suffer Hic labor hoc opus est And this is that which we are now to treat of Thus it behoued Christ to suffer CHAP. I. Of the manifold vse and commodities that we reape by the continuall meditation of the sufferings of Christ Three things that mooue attention THere be three speciall things that doe vse to moue attention 1. An eloquent Author 2. An important matter 3. A compendious breuity And all these three doe here ioyne and meete together in this Text of Scripture For First the Author of these words is Christ Luk. 11.49 First the Author of these words is Iesus Christ the wisedome of God Wisedome it selfe so incomprehensibly wise that all men wondred at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth Secondly the summe of these words is the Tragedy of Iesus Christ Secondly the matter is the Tragedie of himselfe the laborious life and the dolorous death of the Sonne of God the chiefest Tragedy of all Tragedies for the Catastrophe hereof hath the effusion of bloud and the mourning not onely of the Sufferer or Parents and Friends but of Heauen and Earth and all the whole world farre more dolefull then the mourning of Hadadrimmon in Valley of Mâ—gyddo The Actors of this Tragedy are Kings Vice-Royes Dukes Scribes Pharises High-Priests Elders of the people The Actors of this Tragedy the Apostles themselues and others all great Christ the King of Kings Herod the great King Pilate the Vice-Roy Annas and Cayphas high Priests Peter and Iudas great Apostles and those that were mute as the Sun the Earth the Stones the Vaile of the Temple and the very Graues did by apparant signes most dolefully bewayle the nefarious death of the Son of God yea more the Angels mourned and the Diuels trembled to behold the same The Theater on which it was acted was Ierusalem The Theater was Ierusalem the very midst and heart of the earth as some imagine according to that saying of the Psalmist Operatus est deus salutem in medio terrae GOD hath wrought saluation in the midst of the Earth Heere is the place where it was acted Hic hic mors vita duello Conflixere mirando Here life and death did striue for victory and here the beholders were men of all Nations Hebrewes Greekes and Romans and the time was their most solemne feast wherein all did â—eete to eate their Paschall Lambe And therefore if there be any Theame that may challenge our eares to lysten and our hearts to meditate vpon the same it is this for this is one of those things that was once done that it might be thought of for euer that it might be had in euerlasting remembrance And the continuall meditation thereof is 1. Acceptable vnto Christ 2. Profitable for vs. For First The continuall meditation of Christs passion what it doth if the rod of Moses which wrought so many miracles in Aegypt and the Manna which fed the children of Israel 40. yeares in the Wildernesse and the Booke of the Law which was deliuered vnto Moses vpon Mount Sinai were to be preserued in the Arke First It is most acceptable vnto Christ as testimonies of Gods loue throughout all generations how much more should we keepe the remembrance of the Crosse of Christ of the Body and Bloud of Christ and of the glad tidings of saluation which we haue by the death of Christ in the Church of God for euermore Our Sauiour gaue but two Sacraments vnto his Church and one of them is chiefely instituted to this end for a remembrance of his suffering for as often as you eate this Bread and drinke this Cup Luc. 22. you shew the Lords death vntill he come 1 Cor. 11.1 And the remembrance of Christs death saith Saint Chrysostome Est beneficij maximi recordatio Chrys hom 8. in Matth. caputque diuinae erga nos charitatis Is the commemoration of the greatest benefit that euer we receiued
euery state 1. Of Grace Rom. 11.20 2. Of Laps Luke 23.40 First In the state of grace we must feare to leese the goodnesse of God for so the Apostle saith Thou that standest by faith be not high minded but feare Secondly In the state of laps wee must feare to feele the iustice of God for so the good thiefe said vpon the Crosse Fearest thou not seeing thou art in the state of condemnation Thirdly In the state of recouery God must be feared 3. Of Recouerie Psal 130.4 for his double fauour for so the Prophet saith With thee there is mercy that thou maist be feared That is Mercy to forgiue that we may be afraide to offend And thus Saint Bernard saith In statu gratiae time ne non digne opereris ex ea In the state of Gods fauour feare lest thou turne the graces of God into wantonnesse as the false Steward that wasted his Masters goods and the slothfull seruant that hid his Lords Talent Luke 16.1 In statu lapsus time quia reliquit te custodia tua spiritus Deus Math. 15.18 25. Angeli Dei In the state of sinne feare because God hath forsaken thee and the Angels of God haue no charge of thee In statu restitutionis time quia deterius est recidere quam incidere In the state of restauration feare to relapse because recidiuation is farre more dangerous then the first transgression And so you see the meaning of this Angels consolatorie words vnto the women Iames 2.19 Feare you not That is not me not men not deuils for they feare themselues and tremble and they cannot hurt you because you seeke Iesus that was crucified and you walke in the light therefore you cannot stumble for he that walketh in the light Iohn 11.9 stumbleth not saith our Sauiour but you may and should feare God with a filiall feare that is To stand in awe to offend his blessed Maiestie for this expelleth all sinne and wickednesse from vs and continueth the loue and fauour of God vnto vs. And so much for the Angels comforting of these weake and comfortlesse Women Euery benefit requires a dutie Secondly This Angell doth not onely comfort and shew benignity vnto these Women but he doth also instruct them and require a duty from them Quia beneficium exigit officium Because euery fauour shewed requires a willingnesse to haue our seruice performed and as Aristotle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot aethic l. 5. 5. It behoueth the party gratified to be proportionably seruiceable to him that did him kindnesse so that euery good turne in nature is obligatory and whatsoeuer benefiteth ipso facto bindeth And therefore this Angel setteth downe vnto these Women two especiall lessons The first of Theorie which they must know The second of practice which they must doe CHAP. III. How the Angell informeth the Women of the Resurrection of Christ many wayes and how the vbiquity of Christ his Body is here confuted by this Angell FOR the first In the lesson of Theorie The Angell sheweth the resurrection of Christ three manner of wayes this Angell sheweth vnto these Women the Resurrection of Christ and that as you may see three especiall wayes 1. By way of Negation He is not here 2. By way of Confirmation For he is risen 3. By way of Illustration For he is risen as hee said and as you may see Come see the place where the Lord lay First The Angell saith Christ is not here that is That this assertion of the Angell quite ouerthroweth that doctrine of the vbiquity of Christs Body in respect of his corporall presence for otherwise as he is God he was there and in all other places of the World but as he is a man consisting of a true naturall body defined and measured with quantity and bounded with the limits of his trinary Dimensions bredth length and thickenesse and all other properties of a true body he was gone and was not there And therefore this onely place of Scripture if there were none other is sufficient to disproue all the vbiquitaries in the World for if his body was in euery place how could the Angell say that he was not in that place It is true that Christ may be said to be euery where and that the Virgins Sonne may be said to haue created the World Bonauent l. 3. sent dist 22. q. 2. but how Non per proprietatem naturarum sed per communicationem proprietatum Not by the propriety of Natures but by the communication of properties and that not as transfused the properties of the one Nature into the other but as predicated of whole Christ in respect of the personall vnion of the one Nature with the other For though the Apostle saith Coloss 2.9 That in him dwelleth the fulnesse of the God-head bodily yet we must note a difference betweene Diuinitatem communicari humanitati To communicate the Deity and all the diuine properties vnto the humanitie Bellar. de incar Christi l. 3. c. 16. Et diuinitatem inhabitare in humanitate And to haue the Diuinity and all the diuine properties to dwell in the humanity How Christ may be truely said to be euery where and so to dwell not as he doth in vs by his grace but by a personall vnion vnto his Nature And therefore as a House by reason of a mans dwelling in it cannot be said to goe or to speake but the man dwelling in the House may be said to doe the same so the body of Christ by reason of the inhabitation of the Deity cannot be said to know all things or to be euerywhere but the God-head that dwelleth in that body may be and is euery where for though the humanity of Christ subsisteth in the person of the Sonne of God and in that respect may be said to be euery where In what sense the manhood of Christ may be said to be euery where because that hauing no subsistence of it owne it subsisteth in a person that is euery where yet in respect of its Essence being a finite creature it is no wayes capable of the diuine properties And therefore though Christ personally may be said to be in all places or the Body of Christ vertually respectu virtutis seruatricis that is in respect of his sauing vertue as the Sunne which is essentially in Heauen but vertually in all inferior bodies may be said to be euery where yet the Body of Christ locally or the manhood of Christ solely considered must needes be in one place Otherwise how could his manhood be contained within the straights of the Virgins wombe if his manhood was euery where How could his body be nayled to the Crosse wrapped in clothes laide in the Sepulcher if that his body was so spacious as that no limits could containe him Or how could the Angell say Bellar. de incar l. 3. c. 12. He is not here if he was euery where
number of his twelue Apostles First he appeared vnto Mary Magdalen apart Marke 16.9 First to Mary Magdalen and why where wee must obserue that he appeared first vnto a woman that no woman should thenceforth be any wayes reproached by any man for their first transgression and seduction of man quia vt culpam vire transfudit transfudit etiam gratiam Ambros l. 10. in Luc. 24. Beda in cap. vlt. Luc veterisque lapsus aerumnam resurrectionis indicio compensauit because that as a woman was the first instrument of death so she was the first messenger of life and brought the first tidings of the resurrection of Christ which is the surest argument of the saluation of man And hee appeared to this woman first August meditat cap. 35. quia Dominum prae caeteris dilexit ideo prae caeteris videre meruit because she loued him aboue all therefore she obtained to see him before all She loued much saith our Sauiour and she saw him first saith the Euangelist and therefore no doubt but he shewed himselfe to her first because shee loued him most whereby wee see that with God there is no respect of persons no difference of sects but whosoeuer loueth him man or woman young or old that person shall be respected of him for I will loue them that loue me saith the Lord and therefore whosoeuer feareth God and worketh righteousnesse whosoeuer loues him most and seekes him first he may be sure he shall be first found of him And secondly he appeared to this woman first because this woman was most memorious and mindfull of him and of all those mercies and benefits wherewith Christ had inriched her soule Hieron ep de quest hedibiae and therefore he was most mindfull of her But who this Mary Magdalen was it is easier questioned then answered for Theophylact Stapulensis and others Ambros l. 10. in Luc. 24. Albertus in Luc. 7. doe auouch that there were three Mary Magdalens Saint Ambrose saith there were two Albertus Aquinas in Iohn 12. and Roffensis de tribus Magdalenis Whether there were more Mary Magdalens then one do constantly affirme there was but one and shee they say was a Noble woman one of the bloud-royall of the Tribe of Iuda the daughter of one Syrus and Eucharia a sister vnto Lazarus and Martha which diuided the inheritance of their father betwixt them three Lazarus had all the possessions that were in Ierusalem Martha had Bethany and Mary had Magdalum Castrum the Castle of Magdala from whence she was called Mary Magdalen For my part I confesse curiositie is to be auoided yet the truth is to be imbraced and Maries face is not like Moses face so vailed with mysteries but that wee may without danger inquire who she is and therefore to say what I thinke I am of St. Ambrose minde that at least there were two if there were no more Mary Magdalens for Saint Iohn saith that Mary Magdalen stood at the Sepulcher weeping Ioh. 20.1.11.18 and that Iesus appeared vnto her and said touch mee not here is a Mary Magdalen all alone and Saint Matthew saith that Mary Magdalen and the other Mary came vnto the Sepulcher and were instructed by the Angels that Christ was risen and therefore they departed and went away with ioy Matth. 28.1.9 and it is not said that Mary Magdalen staied behinde but that both went for he names but two and as they went to tell his Disciples Iesus met them and they came and held him by the feete and worshipped him and therefore no doubt but there must be two distinct Mary Magdalens for shee whereof Saint Iohn speaketh was alone and staide by the Sepulcher weeping and was denied to touch Christ because as Saint Ambrose saith she doubted Why Mary Magdalen was not suffered to touch Christ and did not as yet fully beleeue the truth of his resurrection but shee whereof Saint Matthew speaketh was accompanied with the other Mary and returned with the other Mary and met him in the way and held him by the feet and worshipped him Christ suffering her to doe this because she beleeued him to be risen from the dead Now which of these Mary Magdalens was the woman to whom Christ first appeared Marke 16.9 Saint Marke plainly sheweth that it was she out of whom he had cast seuen deuils a great sinner and a great louer of our Sauiour Christ the chiefest sinner of all these women and the first seeker of our blessed Sauiour for she came alone while it was yet darke before the day light Iohn 20.1 by the light of grace but the other Mary Magdalen came with Mary the mother of Iames and Salome at the rising of the Sun Marke 16.2 long after her A great comfort and a raâ—e patterne for all sinners her sinnes repented of and relinquished were no hinderance of her to see our Sauiour first but because her sinnes were great we see her repentance was very great The great care and diligence of this Mary Magdalen her care was great her loue was great for shee wept and washed our Sauiours feet with her teares and wiped them with the haires of her head a true token of inward sorrow she powred a boxe-full of precious ointment vpon his head as hee sat at meate an apparant argument of her outward works shee rose earely shee sought him carefully and she wept bitterly not with those vndiscreet women for Thammyse which was a brazen image with leaden eies that being molten with heate did seeme to weepe Ezech. 8.14 and so caused the women to sympathize in teares and to weepe as is thought for Adonis but shee weepes for Adonai for her Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ a rare example of great pietie and therefore though shee had offended much yet because shee sorrowed much she loued much she had much forgiuen her and much loue shewed vnto her for he which is first and last did shew himselfe first vnto her O that they which walke in her sinnes would tread in the same steps of her repentance Secondly he appeared to all the women together Secondly to the three women returning homeward as they returned homewards from the Sepulcher to teach vs that neuer any truly sought for Christ but with these women they should be sure to find him Thirdly he appeared to Simon Peter alone Thirdly to Simon Peter alone Chrysost 1 Cor. 15.5 the first among the men saith Chrysostome for when the women told the Disciples that Iesus was risen Peter and Iohn ranne both vnto the Sepulcher and though Iohn came there first yet Peter entred first to note vnto vs not onely that mysticall truth which diuers of the Fathers haue obserued viz. that the Synagogue of the Iewes like Iohn that came first to the monument but would not enter had the first meanes to come to Christ and yet refused to come vnto him for it commanded the precepts of the Law
foure-folde 1. Hystoricall 2. Of miracles 3. Temporarie 4. Iustifying The first is common to the diuels aswell as to men for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath diuers significations First of Faith as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know to whom I haue trusted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 relie not vpon the people but commonly in Scriptures it signifieth to assent as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the heart we beleeue vnto righteousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abraham beleeued God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and I partly beleeue it Iames 2 19. saith the Apostle and in this respect the Apostle saith the diuels beleeue for wee beleeue what wee know daemones Deum pagani credunt and the very diuells doe know God saith Saint Augustine Aug. de cognit verae vit c. 37. and they know Christ Acts 19.14 Mat. 8.29 and they know the Scriptures for they alleadged the same to Christ and they know the Gospell and haue called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the way of saluation and therfore they must needs beleeue quia fides est cognitio eadēque certissima in quantū intellectus determinatur ad aliquod cognoscibile because faith is the most surest knowledge of things and wee cannot choose but beleeue what wee doe certainely know And Saint Augustine comparing the confession of Saint Peter thou art the Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Mat. 16 Mar. c. 1. Aug. de vnico bap c. 10. and the confession of the diuell I knowe who thou art euen that holy one of God saith that although Saint Peter was commended and the diuell rebuked Idem tract 10. in Ep. Iohn yet in vtrisque non falsa sed vera non detestanda sed approbanda est the confession was true in both and therefore the faith of the diuels in respect of the obiect must needs be a right and a true faith A doctrine to confound wicked liuers who as Saint Augustine saith peiores et tardiores sunt quam daemones are farre worse then the diuells for he beleeues and trembles but the wicked euen as Nero when Seneca diswaded him from his villanies and perswaded him so to carie himselfe vt facta superi semper comprobent sua as that the Gods might alwayes approue his actions answered like a dogged Athiest stulte verebor esse cum faciam deos thou foole dost thou thinke that I feare or beleeue when I doe these things that there are any gods so doe they scarse beleeue there is any God for if they did I wonder that with the diuells they doe not tremble Mat. 7.22 Tit. 1.1 1. Iohn 5.4 Iohn 3.15 The second and third kinde of faith that is the faith of miracles and the temporarie faith which beleeueth for a time and then falleth away they are likewise common vnto the wicked aswell as vnto the godly for they doe not onely beleeue the Law and the Gospell with an hystoricall faith but they may also doe many miracles as our Sauiour testifieth The fourth is onely proper vnto the true Saints of God and it is called fides electorum the faith of Gods elect a faith that ouercommeth the world and a faith which cannot perish If any man would know whether hee hath this faith or not hee must looke into these two things 1. His workes 2. Perseuerance Greg. l. 2. ho. 22. in c. 40. Ezech. For first this is called fides operans a faith that worketh and that worketh by charitie and therefore Saint Gregory saith Quantum credimus tantum amamus tantum quisque operatur quantum credit that a true beleeuer loues as he beleeueth and worketh as he loueth and Saint Augustine excellently saith that credere in deum est credendo amare amando in eum ire to beleeue in God is by beleeuing to loue him and by louing him to bee vnited and made one with God so that to haue this true faith in God is to loue God and to doe the will and Commaundements of God And secondly this faith is a continuing and perseuering faith such as will continue vnto the end These are the two mayne properties of the true sauing faith Secondly Secondly of Hope Luther in gal de ◠5. Exod. 25.20 Hope is a patient expectation of the thing that we beleeue and it is not onely inseperably ioyned vnto faith each one hauing respect to other as the two Cherubims looking on the Mercie Seat but it hath such great affinitie with faith as that the one can hardly be discerned from the other Yet I finde they differ in three respects 1. Of order 2. Of obiect 3. Of office for How Hope differeth from Faith First though as the fire and the light in respect of time doe appeare together so all graces are infused together yet as the fire is before the light because the light is caused by the fire so Faith saith Alexander de Hales in respect of causality Alexan. de Hal. p. L. 12. M. 3. ar 2. because all graces flow from it is the mother grace and the root of all the rest and therefore faith is the ground of hope and doth alwayes precede the same in which respect Saint Augustine saith Sicut in radice arboris nullae apparent pulchritudinis species c. As in the root of a tree there appeareth no shew of beauty and yet what beauty or goodnes soeuer is in the whole tree the same proceedeth from the root euen so saith he what vertue or goodnesse soeuer sheweth it selfe in any man it doth all spring from the root of faith Secondly Alsted syst theolog l. 3. loc 17. Obiectum fidei adaequatum est omne verbum Dei in genere the obiect of faith is the word of God the obiect of hope is res verbi the promise of God and the goodnesse of God faith beleeues there is a Heauen and a Hell hope onely lookes for good things and faith is of things past things present and things to come but hope is onely of things to come Thirdly the office of faith is to tell vs what we must beleeue but the office of hope is to tell vs how we must patiently abide and looke for what we doe beleeue And wee finde hope to bee either 1. Humane Hope two fold 2. Diuine The first is many times fallible Plaut rud Nam multa praeter spem scio multis bona euenisse ego etiam qui sperauerint First Humane hope spem decipisse multos for as many things doe happen to many one beyond their hope so their hopes doe deceiue many one and as the Poet saith Fallitur augurio spes bona saepe suo They doe deceiue themselues by their owne hope and yet this is an exceeding great helpe vnto men in all their actions Spes seruat afflictos and this is the chiefest stay vnto afflicted mindes Nam Fortuna innocentem deserit saepe spes nunquam for when fortune forsaketh many times an
innocent man yet his hope will neuer leaue him but as the Poet saith Iam mala finissem Letho sed credula vitam Spes fouet melius cras fore semper ait Hope still doth promise better fortunes vnto him and therefore this is a most excellent vertue though like other humane vertues it is defectiue in many points as first in respect of the things that they hope for wealth honours and such like So Alexander hauing giuen away almost all that hee had in Greece and being demanded what hee left for himselfe said hope i. e. of more honours and kingdomes and secondly in respect of the cause from whence they doe expect these things from themselues or such like but not from God whereas indeed that man is accursed which putteth his hope in man quia de Creatore desperare est Ierem. 17.5 spem in creatura ponere because that to hope in man is to forsake our God But Secondly diuine Hope The second i. e. the diuine hope which is wrought in vs by the Spirit of God is infallible for whosoeuer hopeth in him shall neuer be confounded Psal 22.4 5 6. Prou. 14.32 The wicked saith Salomon shall be cast away for his malice but the righteous hath hope in his death and what can be more then this for many things doe discourage vs in death for the dying man seeth his body is weake his friends weeping his Phisicians despayring and his conscience shewing him the Catalogue of his sinnes O wretched man that he is who shall comfort him yet hee whose hope is in the Lord his God doth euen then see the heauens open and the Angels ready to receiue him and though he knoweth his body is to be laide in the graue yet doth his flesh rest in hope and therefore what can be sweeter then hope O dearely beloued remember what the Psalmist saith blessed is the man whose hope is in the Lord his God But here you must know that all kindes of hope in God Euery hope maketh not happy makes not all men happy for there is a bold and a presumptuous hope a hope of wicked hypocrites that liue in sinne and yet doe hope for heauen And therefore wee must distinguish that there is a two-fold hope in God 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an opinionatiue hope 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a true infallible hope The first is the hope of wicked men Iob 8. Prou. 10. Wisd 5. and this shall melt away like a winter snow for the hope of the wicked shall perish they may looke for much but they shall haue nothing The second is the hope of the righteous and this shall neuer perish because it is grounded vpon a good foundation True hope springeth from the true feare of God that is the promise of God to them that feare him for so the Psalmist saith qui timetis Dominum sperate in illum you that feare the Lord hope in him And therefore if you would be sure to haue the true hope in God then feare the Lord because the testimony of a good conscience must be the ground of hope for so Saint Paul sheweth euen by his owne example saying I haue fought a good fight and I haue kept the faith there is the ground and therefore is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse and there is the Anchor of his hope cast vpon that sure foundation and hee that thus hopeth in God is truely happy Thirdly Charity is rectissima animi affectio Thirdly of Charity the rightest affection of the minde whereby wee loue God for his owne sake and our neighbours for Gods sake Aug. de doct Christ and as Saint Augustine doth obserue it is proper onely vnto the Saints of God because as Saint Chrysostome saith Chris hom de char charity is optimum amoris genus the best kinde of loue and therefore Saint Augustine saith that habere omnia sacramenta malus esse potest habere autem charitatem malus esse non potest a man may be partaker of all Sacraments and be wicked but to haue charity and to be wicked is vnpossible and Saint Paul saith enough in the praise of this most excellent grace to write Iliads after Homer were to commend it after him and therefore I le say no more but what Saint Augustine saith charitas est quae vincit omnia sine qua non valent omnia charity is that which ouercommeth all things and without which all things will auaile vs nothing because as the Christian Poet saith Christicolas veros exprimit vnus amor It is loue and charity alone that proues vs to bee true Christians Well then wouldest thou know thy state whether thou beest in the state of grace or not thou needest not to ascend to heauen and search into the secret councell of God to see whether thy name be written in the booke of life but descend into thine owne heart and see whether thou hast perfect charity both towards God and man for if thou louest God with all thy heart The surest signe that wee shall be saued and thy neighbour as thy selfe I dare assure thee that in all the booke of God I could neuer finde yet a surer note or a more infallible signe of our eternall saluation then the same For hereby we know saith the Apostle that we are passed from death to life because we loue the brethren and hereby shall all men know that you are my Disciples 1 Iohn 3. saith our Sauiour if you loue one another but if thou louest not God or if thou louest not all men say what thou wilt doe what you will lift vp thine eyes hold vp thy hands and pray in euery corner yet I know no signe thou hast of sauing grace But here you must obserue that all kinde of loue towards God and men will not serue our turne for there is a generall kinde of loue to God which all wicked men in respect of their being and that manifold good which they receiue from him doe beare towards God and there is a speciall loue to God in a most vehement and a most excellent manner and there is an inordinate loue of men either too much or too little or not after the right manner and there is a true discreet and a fruitfull loue to be shewed towards them and this is properly called charity and therefore if we would be sure of Gods fauour we must vse no mediocrity in louing God we must vse no measure Quia modus diligendi Deum est sine modo because hee is to bee loued beyond measure with all our hearts with all our soules and with all our strength so as if we were rauished with the loue of God euen as the Church saith in the Canticles Stay me with flagons Cantic 2.5 and comfort me with apples for I am sicke of loue And so much for these three diuine graces which Christ giueth vs to sanctifie our