manifesting himselfe to the world that he was the Messias of the world As if he should argue thus If you belieue not my words yet credit me for my wonders I make the blind to see the deafe to heare the lame to goe I cure all kind of diseases euen with the least touch of my finger and least breath of my mouth I heale the leper I heare the Centurion The leper was a Iew the Centurion a Gentile the leper poore the Centurion rich the leper a man of peace the Centurion a man of warre Insinuating heereby that God is no accepter of persons but that his benefits indifferently belong to men of all nations and all fashions Iâ— Christ there is neither Iew nor Grecian neither bond nor free Yet Christ did first cure the Iew then the Gentile For saluation was offered first to the Iewes he touched the Iew but cured the Gentile with his word He visited Ierusalem in his owne person but healed other nations by the Preachers of his Gospell In the leper 2. things are remarkable the Weaknesse of his body sicke and sicke of a leprosie Vertues of his mind Faith Adoration Wisdome Patience Confession In Christ also two things are to be considered his Mercy that would so readilie Might that could so easily cure this distressed Lazer Aleper All weaknesse originally proceeds from wickednesse either from some defect in our conception or disorder in our conuersation as Mephibosâ—eth had his lamenesse by falling from his nurse so euery man his sicknesse by falling from the Lord. Christ who was free from sinne was also free from sicknesse but vnto men carying about them bodies of sinne diseases are as it were a sermon from heauen wherein Almighty God accuseth of sins and shewes his wrath against sinners But the condition of a leper as we reade in the law was of all other sicke most insupportable First he must liue alone separated from the fellowship of Gods people as vnworthy to come into cleane company Secondly he did weare foure markes to be knowne by his garments torne his head bare his mouth couered and he must cry I am vncleane I am vncleane For griefe whereof assuredly some pined away being forlorne in their sorrow destitute of all good comfort and company Yet this leper indued with a liuely faith is not hopelesse howsoeuer haplesse For he comes and saith vnto the great Physitian of the world Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane though he knew that his sicknesse in the worlds eye was incurable yet he did beleeue that vnto God nothing is impossible He felt his owne misery to be great yet hoped Christs mercy was more great and therefore comes vnto him as Ludolphus aptly Non tà m passibus corporis quà m fide cordis If thou wilt thou canst A strong faith in a weake body Faith comes by hearing and the reason why this leper extraordinarily desired to heare Christ and heare of Christ was his vncleane disease so that the weaknesse of his body brought him vnto the Physitian of his soule Note then here with Paul that all things happen for the good of such as are good It was good for Dauid that he was in trouble good for Naaman that he was a leper for his vncleannesse brought him vnto the Prophet and the Prophet brought him vnto the sauing knowledge of the true God It was good for Paul that he was buffeted by Satan for otherwise peraduenture through abundance of reuelations he would haue buffeted God Of all herbes in the garden as one wittily Rew is the herbe of grace Many times our woe doth occasion our weale for as pride doth breed sores of salues so faith on the contrarie doth often make salues of sores altogether renouncing her owne merit and wholly relying vpon Christs mercie Tanto desiderantiùs ad Christum contendit quòd suam indignitatem immunditiam probè sentiret as Luther and Ferus accord in this and that so truly that as a Papist said If Bonauentura had not been a Romish saint he would haue been reputed an asse So the Protestant if Ferus had not been a Romish asse he might haue proued in the Church a renowned saint The second vertue to bee considered as a fruite of his faith is adoration a spiritual fee for a spirituall physitian as the bodily Doctor must be paied so the ghostly prayed He therefore worships Christ and that with all humblenes of Thought humblenes of Word humblenes of Deede He comes to Christ as a vassall to his Lord Domine non tanquam ad dominum titularem sed tanquam ad dominum tutelarem If thou wilt thou canst Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and therefore beleeuing in his heart that Christ was the Lord willing and able to helpe confesseth it also with his mouth If it be for my good I am sure thou wilt and I beleeue thou canst attributing all to Christs might and mercie nothing to his owne either worth or woe Vttering this also with humble gesture For as S. Mark reports hee kneeled and as S. Luke he fell on his face teaching vs in prayer to fall down and kneele before the Lord our maker Hee that worships God irreuerently shewes himselfe not a Christian but a Manichee who thought God made the soule but not the bodie Thirdly note the lepers wisedome who did obserue Circumstances of Place not pressing to Christ on the mount but expecting him in the valley Circumstances of Time not interrupting Christ in his sermon or disturbing his auditory Circumstances of Person speaking in a succinct stile Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Giuing vs to vnderstand that in suing vnto men which are wise and in praying to God who is wisedome we need not vse many but pithie words See Gospel Dom. 2. quadrages The fourth vertue is his patience who was content notwithstanding his extreame miserie to stay Gods leisure and Christs pleasure First seeking the kingdome of God and then desiring that other things might be cast vpon him In y e first place giuing God glory Lord if thou wilt thou canst In the second praying for his own good Make me cleane not as I will but as thou wilt O Lord prescribing neither the time when nor place where nor manner how but referring all to Christ possessing his soule with patience The last vertue to be regarded in this leper is conâ—ession He knew the Pharisies hated and persecuted al such as confessed Christ yet he calles him Lord and worships him as a Lord and proclaimes him in the presence of much people to bee the Lord. It is well obserued that Gods omnipotent power and infinit mercies are the two wings of our deuotion whereby faith in the midst of all trouble mounts into heauen Here the leper acknowledgeth openly Christs omnipotencie for hee saith not intreate
loue of God in electing the fellowship of the holy Ghost in comforting is far from them so long as they continue in their sinnes and vnbeliefe so long they be traitours enemies rebels vnto the King of all Kings he proclaimes war and they can haue no peace Thinke on this ye that forget God Yee that ioine house to house and lay field to field till there be no place for other in the land ye that rise vp early to follow drunkennesse and are mighty to powre in strong drinke Ye that speake good of euill and euill of good which put light for darknesse and darknesse for light c. Agree with your aduersary quickly while you are in the way seeke the Lord while he may be found and call vpon him while he is nigh O Ierusalem Ierusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent vnto thee Suffer the words of exhortation harden not your heart but euen in this day heare the voice of the Crier confesse thy rebellion and come in to the Lord thy God for he is gentle patient and of much mercy desire of him to create in thee a new heart and to giue thee one drop of a liuely faith one dram of holy deuotion a desire to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Suffer not thine eies to sleep nor thine eie lids to take any rest vntill thine vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and sinne couered vntill thy peace be made with God and thy pardon sealed O pray pray that thou maist haue this peace O pray pray that thou maiest feele this peace for it is the third kinde the peace of conscience betweene man and himselfe There are foure kinds of conscience as Bernard hath well obserued 1. A good but not a quiet 2. A quiet but not a good 3. Both good and quiet 4. Neither good nor quiet The two good belong properly to the godly the two bad vnto the wicked whose coÌ„science is either too too quiet or else too too much vnquiet in neither peace non est gaudium impijs as the Translators of the Septuagints reade non est gaudere impijs There is no ioy to the wicked Somtime their conscience is too too quiet as Paul speakes euen feared with an hot iron when habit of sin takes away the sense of sinne when as men are past feeling in a reprobate sense giuen ouer to worke all vncleannes euen with greedinesse Ephes. 4.19 This is no peace but a numnesse yea a dumbnesse of conscience For at the first euery mans conscience speaks vnto him as Peter to Christ Master looke to thy selfe Her prick-arrowes as the shafts of Ionathan forewarne Dauid of the great Kings displeasure but if wee neglect her call and will not lend our eares while she doth spend her tongue this good Cassandra will crie no more Now it fareth with the maladies of the minde as it is with the sicknes of the bodie When the pulse doth not beate the bodie is in a most dangerous estate so if conscience neuer prick vs for sinne it is a manifest signe our soules are lulled in a deadly sleepe That schoole will soone decay where the monitor doth not complaine that armie must necessarilâ—e be subiect to surprise where watches and alarums are not exactly kept that towne is dissolute where no clocks are vsed â—o likewisâ—â—ur little citie is in great perilâ— when our conscience iâ—â—ill and sleepie quiet but not good tunc maxime oppugnaris si tâ— nescis oppugâ—ari saith Hierâ—me to Heliodore None so desperatly sicke as they who feele not their disease Saint Augustine notably Quid miserius misero non miserante seipsum and Bernard Ideo dolet charitas mea quòd cùm sis doleâ—dus non doleas inde ma is miseretur quòd cùm miser sis miserabilis tamen non es and Hierome to Sabinian Hoc plango quòd te non plangis When the strong man armed keepes â—is hold the things that are possessed are in peace Where Diuines obserue that vngodly men already possessed with Satan are not a whit disquieted with his temptations As God is at open war so the diuell is at secret peace with the wicked but yet saith Hierome tranquillitas ista tempestas est This calmâ— of conscience will one day prooue a storme For as God said vnto Cain If thou doest ill sinne lieth at the doore Where wickednesse is compared to a wilde beast which dogs a man wheresoeuer hee goeth in this wildernesse And albeit for a time it may seeme harmlesse for that it lieth asleepe yet at length except men vnfainedly repent it will rise vp and rent out the very throte of their soules A guiltie conscience being once roused and awaked thoroughly will make them like those who lie on a bed that is too strait and the couering too short who would with all their heart sleepe but cannot they seeke for peace of minde but there is no peace to the wicked sâ—iâ—h my God As the coÌ„science was heretofore too too quiet so now too too much vnquiet As godly men haue the first fruits of the Spirit and certaine â—asts of heauenly ioyes in this life so the wicked on the contrarie feele certaine flashings of hell flames on earth As there is heauen on earth and heauen in heauen so hell on earth and hell in hell an outward hell and an inward outward in outward darknesse mentioned in holy Scripture where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth at this feast as Bishop Latymer wittily there can bee no mirth where weeping is serued in for the first course gnashing of teeth for the second Inward hell is an infernall tormenting of the soule void of hope faith and loue this hell the diuels haue alwaies in theÌ„ and reprobate forlorne people carrie about theÌ„ insomuch that they can neither disport themselues abroad nor please themselues at home neither comforted in companie nor quiâ—ted alone but in all places and times Erinnys conscieâ—tiae so Melancâ—hon calles it hellish hags and infernall â—uries affright them Auâ—ustine in his â—narration of the 45. Psalm thus liuely describes the wofull estate of a despairing sinner Fâ—giet ab agro ad ciuitatem à publico ad domum à domo in cubiculum He runnes as a mad man out of the field into the citie out of the citie into his house from the common roomes in his house to his chamber from his chamber into his studie from his studie to the secret closet of his own heart ecce hosteÌ„ suum inuenit quo confugerat seip sum quò fugiturâ—s est and then last of all he is content least of all himselfe being greatest enemie to himselfe The blinde man in the Gospel newly recouering his sight imagined trees to be men and the Burgundians as Comiâ—aeus reports expecting a battell supposed long thistles to be launces so the
of time the first had his house set on fire in the night and he with all his familie was burnt the second had the iandise from the crowne of his head to the sole of his foote whereof he died vncomfortably the third seeing what was befallen these twaine repented and confessed the conspiracie yet for all that he lost his eyes Earle Godwin swearing at table before the King that hee did not murther Aâ—frâ—â— after many words in excusing himselfe said So mought I safely swallow this morsell of bread as I am guiltlesse of the deede But so soone as he had receiued the bread foorthwith he was choked What need we looke so farre the confounding of the Spanish Armado the defeating of so many cruell treasons against our late Queene of blessed memory the frustrating of that hellish Gunpowder Treason are plaine demonstrations that vengeance is Gods and that hee will repay that hee doth plead the cause of his seruants against such as striue with them and fight against such as fight against them Againe God rewards the wicked in the world to come Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell and his angels For I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meat I thirsted and ye gaue me no drinke c. If they shall be punished who did no good how shall they be tormented who render euill to the members of Christ If negligent Diues be tortured in hell for omitting onely the works of mercy what shall become of violent Diues for committing the works of cruelty Some sins are punished only in this life as poore Lazarus and that incestuous Corinthian Other only in the life to come as the rich Glutton who while he liued had the world at will Other are both tortured in this life and tormented in the next as the filthy Sodomites who for their burning lust had here sulphureum ignem and shall haue there gehennalem ignem Or as Saluianus lib. 1. de gubernat Dei God sent vpon them in this life Gehennam è coelo Wherefore seeing Almighty God doth reuenge our quarell either immediatly by himselfe or mediatly by his ministers and wariers euen all his creatures in heauen and earth it is both faithlesse and fruitlesse for our selues to right our selues It is faithlesse not to belieue that the Lord wil deale with vs according to his word who promised by the mouth of his holy Prophet With thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the vngodly Fruitlesse for as much as it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God whose little finger is heauier then our whole hand If it be possible so much as in you is liue peaceably with all men We must seeke peace yet vnder these conditions If it be possible and as much as in vs is For we cannot haue peace with some men and wee may not haue peace in some matters See Gospell on all Saints and ser. on the first Lesson for the next Sunday ioined to the Gospel and Epistle If thine enemie hunger feed him There are degrees of loue Doe good to all men especially to them which are of the houshold of faith Among the faithfull the neerest ought to be dearest vnto vs a wife father child ally neighbour friend is to be respected more caeteris paribus then a stranger or an enemy yet in case of necessitie thou must feed thy foe blessing him that did curse thee By the ciuill lawes he that bequeathes a man nourishment intends he should haue bed and boord apparell and dwelling Alimentis legatis cibaria vestitus habitatio debentur In like sort God inioining vs in his Testament and last will to feed our enemies includes also that we must harbour them and cloath them and according to their seuerall necessities euery way relieue them In so doing thou shalt heape coales of fire vpon his head I finde two constructions of these words one bad another good It is a senslesse sense to say by well doing thine enemie not deseruing it thou shalt heâ—pe coales of fire vpon his head increase Gods heauy iudgements against him Our Apostles intent is to moue men vnto charitable works euen toward their enemies hereby to doe them good and to purpose the same But if that were the meaning Paul should teach vs how to be reuenged and in shew of doing kindnes to worke mischiefe pretending good intending euill The better construction is In so doing thou shalt either confound or conuert thine aduersary Confound him in his conscience making him acknowledge that thou art more religious and more nobly minded then himselfe So when Saul vnderstood of Dauids honest and honourable cariage toward him instantly brake forth into this ingenuous confession Thou art more righteous then I for thou hast rendred mee good and I haue rendred thee euill Or else thou shalt conuert him to thy selfe For loue is strong as death the coales thereof are â—iery coales and a vehement flame There is no greater prouocation to loue then preuention in loue Nimis enim durus animus qui dilectionem ersinolebat impendere nolit rependere Kind respect to thy foe shall blow the coales of his affection and inflame his loue toward thee Be not ouercome of euill We must haue patience when we cannot haue peace so we shall be more then conquerours ouercomming without resistance which is the most noble kind of victory or ouercome euill with goodnesse that is make the wicked good by thy good example Probum ex improbo redde For as Augustine from Seneca diligendi sunt mali vt non sint mali We must manifest our loue to the wicked in winning them to God not in fostering or flattering them in their folly The Gospel MATTH 8.1 When he was come downe from the mountaine c. DOwne from the mountaine From the mount of heauen into this valley of earth as a Physitian to cure our leprosies Or from the mount of the law to the plaine of the Gospell Or from the mount of contemplation vnto the field of action Or he came downe from the mountaine first instructing his disciples and after descending to the capacities of the people Teaching all teachers hereby to deliuer high points vnto the learned and plaine principles to the simple Doctores ascendunt in montem vbi perfectioribus excellentia praecepta descendunt autem cùm inâ—erioribus lâ—uiora demonstrant Behold a leper In Christ preaching and practise meet together So soone as he had said well he proceeds for the confirmation of his doctrine to do well Acting good works and great works good works of mercy great works of miracle Of mercy in helping of miracle in healing a leprous man present and a palsie man absent Intimating hereby that it is not enough to talke of Gods waies except we walke in his paths and
burdens of the weake being â—ies to the blind and feet to the lame And when hee heâ—rd the people passe by We must apprâ—hend euery fit occasion for our good and when once we haue begun well we must not faint in our course but continue though the world râ—buke vs as the people did the blind man here Let vâ— still cry for mercy manifesting a liuely saith in our words and waâ—es In our words acknowledging Christ to be man O Iesu thou Son of Dauid God haue mercy on me By our waies iâ— forsaking our old wicked courses and following Christ that other seeing our good example may likewise giue praise to God The Gospell and Epistle well agree For iâ— the Epistle S. Paul aboue all other vertues extolleth loue Now greater loue then this hath no man then tâ— bâ—stow his life for his friâ—nds And yet Christ as S. Lukâ— â—eâ—orts in the Gospell was betraied and mocked and spitteâ—â—â— â—nd â—â—ourged and â—ut to deaâ—h eâ—en for vs hâ—s eâ—emieâ— Agaiâ—e Saint Paul in the Epistle next to loue commends in a Christian faith and hope both which as the Gospell iâ—timâ—tes are emineâ—t in blinde Bartimaeâ—s vnfaiâ—edlâ— bâ—lieuing that Christ could and in his greatest dâ—scouragement hoping against hope that Christ would haue â—â—rcie on him in so much that Truth it selfe giues this testimony Recâ—iâ—e thy sight thy faith hath saued thee If Duke Iosâ—a be renowned in holy Bible for that hee made the naturall Suâ—ne to stand still at his praier in Gibeon O what omnipotent faith had this blind man to make the supernaturall sunne the Sunne of righteousnesse the Sunne that made the sun to stay his course and stand still in the way till his desire was fulfilled O Lord increase our faith and loue making the one like this in the Gospell and the other according to thy precept in the Epistle that being mounted vpon these two wings we may soare to the place where thine honor dwelleth and there rest with thee for eâ—ermore Amen FINIS Errata Pag. 8. lin 15. a fine reade â—â— p. 10. l. â— reade measurably p. 24. l. 11. reade are p. 26. l. 12. a fine reade same p. 68. l. 5. a fine reade aâ— p. 96. l. â—1 in the margin reade Acts 13. p. â—16 l. 10. a fine reade â—sti p. 127. l. 8. a fine reade wâ—y p. 187. l. 7. reade Psalm 135. p. 190. l. 2. in margin reade pag. 225. in margin deleâ—tur â—eremy 17. pag. 230 l. â—9 reade Clâ—rius p. 24â— â— 4. reade picture p. 25â— l. 15. a fine reade haruâ—st Other faults are either so grosse that they correct themselues or so small that they will be soone corrected of other I forbeare prefaces and Indices vntill the whole be finished Assiâ—t me with thine hearty praiers vnto the Father of merâ—y that it may be for his glory and thy good FINIS a Libr. contrâ— Valentin cap. â— b Gorran in Loc. c Melâ—nct Tilâ—an in loc d Debitum morale legale Thâ—mas 12 ae quaest 99. art 5. Pâ—t Aragon in 22 â— quaest 58. art 5. e Postil maior dom 4. ab Epiphan f Act. 20.27 g Rom. 1.14 h 1. Cor. 9.19 i Gorran in loc k Lexicon Theolog Altenstaig iâ— verb. debituâ— l Luther in 1. Galat. 16. m Iulius Scaliger vti Iosephus Scaliger in eius vita n Citing his authoritie for the lawfulnesse of vsuriâ— when they would borow but all eaging the text nibil indâ— sperantâ—s when they should pay o Serm. Gosp. Dâ—m 2. Aduent p Last Sermon before King Edw. the sixth q Augustin epist. 54. r Iustin. institut lib. 4 tit 1. c. lib. 6. tit 2. s Luke 19.8 t In â—oc u Loc. de surâ—o in explicat epist ad Ephes. cap 4. x Tract nâ—t of repent cap. 11. y See Church hom of repentance part 2. z Ephes. 4.28 a Prou. 2.14 b Vbi supra c Institut lib. 4. cap. 22. d Latimer Sermon on the Gosp. Dom. 2. Aduent e 2. Cor. 8.12 f Bernard ep 77 g Perkins vbi suprâ— h 22 â— q. 62. i In â—oc Thom. supra k Comment in loc Thom. l Aphorism in verb. debitum restitut m Rom. 14 23. n Lombard sent lib. 4 dist 39. o Melancthon in loc p August epi. 62 q Anselmus in loc ex Augustiâ—â— vbi supra r Aristâ—t s Prou. 11.24 t In loc u Caluin Martyr in loc x Augustin consess lib. 4. cap. 9. y In Gal. 5.14 z Martyr in loc a Ephes. 4.13 b Aâ—â—stot c Chrysostom in epist. ad Rom. bom 14. d 1. Cor. 9.25 e 2. Tim. 4.7 f Theophylact. in loc g 2. Pet. 3.10 h Ambros. Hieron Aquin. in loc i Melancthon in loc k Sarcerius in loc l Luther Postil maior in epist. Dom. 1. Aduent m Prou. 14.9 n 2. Sam. 2.14 o Theophylact. in loc p Aquin. in loc q Defence for not lubâ—câ—ip cap. 8. r BB. Bible s Hom. against gluttonie and drunkennesse t Institut lib. 3. cap. 4. u B. Latimers Sermon vpon this epistle x Caluin in Leuit 19. Carthusiâ—n in Leui. 17. B. Babington in Gen. 9.4.5 y Lament 4.10 Et Iosephus de bello Iudaico lib. 7. cap. 8. z Hieron catalog in vitâ— Ignat. a Laertius in vita Diogenis b Church hom against gluttonie c. c Bernard de considerat lib. 1. d Luke 16.19 e Rom. 13.5 f 2. Part hom of fasting g Melancthoâ— loc com Tit. de ceremon Christian. liber Beza epist. 24. Perkins tâ—eatise of conscience cap. 2. h Luther Melancth in loc i Esay 61.10 k Apocalyp 7.9 l Math. 22.11 m Psalm 32.1 n Apocalyp 1.8 o Ferus ser. 1. Dom. 1. Aduent p Theodoret. de curat Graec. affect lib. 2. q Cicero ad Mar. Brutum orat r Augustin quaest 73. super Leuit. In vetere nouum latet in nouo vetus patet s Tertul. lib. 4. contra Marcion Augustin Haeres 21. t In admonitorio u De ciuit Dei lib. 8. cap. 42. x Bellarmin de verbo Dei lib. 1. cap. 2. y Postil cathol con 2. Dom. 1. Aduent Maldonat in loc z Hom. 37. in Matth. a Maldonat in 2. Matth. 15. b Esay 7.14 c Tertullian lib. de praescript haeretic d Abdias Amphilochius Hippolytus c. e In indic expurgat f Answer to M. Hardings conclusion g Contra Faust. lib. 27. cap. 32. h Act. 10.13 i Baronius orat ad Paul 5. de Venet. excom k Psalm 91.13 l Nauclerus gen 40. an 1177. m Gen. 1.16 n Lib. 1. tit 33. de maior obediâ—n cap. 6. o Ibiâ—em in verb. inter solâ—m lunam p Prâ—â—fat coâ—ment in 4. Euâ—ngelist caâ— 2. q In loc r Caluin Marlorat in loc s Ribera in Hoseam caâ— 10. num 28. t Homer Iliad 7. u Leuit. 26.12 x Psalm 87.2 y Psalm 76.2 z Maldonat in loc a Iaâ—sen in loc b Cant. 1.3 c Cant. 6.2 d Tract de