of them yet oftentimes carelesnesse and forgetfulnesse will creepe into our minds therefore he preferres the prayer which a good Christian is able to make of himselfe by such words as the holie ghost shall put in his minde before anie such prayers made of others Cap. 4. be they neuer so deuout And the same Granatensis writing of certaine hymnes made by one Ieronymus Vda saith thus These three hymnes of the trinitie are to be commended to euerie person in this kind and his other hymnes to others which being well vnderstood and deâ—outly repeated and considered are as it were most sweet Mannâ— to our soules making them fit to taste heauenly things So that theâ— all their hymnes being not vnderstood by his iudgement are worth nothing And again of praier he writes thus In the power of this Lord meaning Iesus Christ let vs come to the throne of grace with great confidence being assured that whatsoeuer we shall aske in his name we shall obtaine it This is the chiefe condition which our petition or prayer ought to haue ioyned with it that it may be of force with God as saint Iames saith that is to say faith and sure confidence which ought chiefely to be grounded not in our selues or in our owne works or merits but in the merits of Christ Iesus and also in the infinite goodnes and mercie of God which can be ouercome by no kinde of wickednes and chiefely on the truth of the word and promises of God who through the whole scripture promiseth that he will neuer forsake them which turne to him with their whole heart call vpon him and haue all their hope most assuredly reposed in him Although thou hast beene hitherto a most grieuous sinner yet thou must not therefore be discouraged for as Saint Ierome saith sins that are past do not condemne vs if now they do not please vs. By which words we may plainly perceiue how greatly they are deceiued who waighing their owne wants and infirmities doe despaire of the mercie of God as though God would not heare them if so be they pray vnto him And they do not consider that the principal foundation of this confidence are the merits of Christ the mercie of God and the truth of his words which is as it were a shield as the kingly Prophet saith Compassing about all them that trust in him No sinner by his iudgement ought to dispaire though his sinnes be neuer so grieuous but ought boldlie to come to the throne of grace and what néedes then the intercession of saints Therein he erreth that he makes the mercie of God and the merits of Iesus Christ but the principall and not the onelie foundation of our confidence when as Dauid saith Thou O Lord alone makes me dwell in safetie and securelie what foundation can man haue of confidence or securitie beside this Againe of the excellencie of the name of Iesus in another place he writes thus Thy name is like oyle powred out without all doubt there is a great resemblance betwixt oyle and the name of the bridegroome and therfore the holy ghost not in vaine hath compared the one of them to the other And I say for three properties of oyle because it giues light it feeds and it makes soft if you can yeeld no better reasons then these It feeds the fire it nourisheth the flesh and it asswageth paine Therefore it is light meat and medicine Behold now the same things in the name of the bridegroome It giues light being preached it feeds being studied vpon and being called vpon it lenifieth and asswageth And let vs briefely runne ouer euerie one of these Whereof I pray you sprang so great and so sodaine a light ouer all the world but by the preaching of the name of Iesus Neither is the name of Iesus onely light but also meate are you not so often comforted as you thinke vpon it what makes so fat the minde of him that museth often thereon as it doth what makes our senses so quicke strengthens the powers of our soules makes liuely or good and honest our conuersation cherisheth our chast affections All the meat of the soule is drie if it be not basted with this oyle It is vnsauorie if it be not seasoned with this salt If thou write any thing it doth not please me vnlesse I read Iesus there If thou dispute or conferre it pleaseth me not vnlesse Iesus sounde there Iesus is honie in the mouth musicke in the eare and ioy in the heart but it is also phisicke Is anie amongst vs sorrowfull let Iesus come into his mind and let it leape vp into his mouth and behold as soone as you shall name him light shall spring all clouds shall be disperst and faire sunshine shall appeare Doth anie man fall into sinne nay doth he runne by despaire into the snare of death If he shall call vpon this name of life shall he not by and by begin to breath againe and recouer life What euer accustomed heardnes of heart fainthearted cowardlines cancred malice or slouthfull idlenes was euer able to abide to appeare before this glorious name who had euer the fountaine of teares dried vp and calling on the name of Iesus did not burst out againe more plentifully and flowed more sweetly Who euer now quaking and trembling in daungers this name of power being called vpon did not by and by receiue courage and repell all feare Who euer wauering and boiling in doubts calling vpon this glorious name receiued not forthwith most assured resolution and certaintie Who euer discouraged in aduersitie and euen nowe fainting if hee once but named this name of helpe lacked strength And to this thing the Lord himselfe inuites vs when as he saith Call vpon me in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me Nothing so bridles the rage of anger asswageth the swelling of pride heales the wound of enuie stoppes the streame of ryot quencheth the flame of lust slakes the thirst of couetousnesse and vanquisheth that tickling itching of all vncomlinesse For when I name Iesus I set before mine eies a most meeke man humble and lowly in heart courteous sober chast mercifull and famous in all vertue and holinesse and the same also God omnipotent who heales mee with his example and strengthens me with his arme Therefore I take from him examples to follow as he is a man and helpe to leane and trust vnto in all my troubles as he is God these as Apothecaries stuffe this as the strength and vertue of them And I make thereof such a confection as no Physition in the world is able to make This electuarie thou hast O my soule hid laid vp as it were in the box of this name Iesus most holsome truely which is of power and force against all thy plagues and infirmities Let this boxe be euer in thy bosome euer at hand that all thy thoughts and actions may alwaies be directed to Iesus
teach which brings with it vncertaintie of their saluation And of the certaintie and full assurance that we ought to haue in obtaining our prayers when we praie Ibidem hee writes thus out of Bernard Of the first fruit or rather effect of prayer Bernard thus speakes As often as I speake of prayer me thinkes I heare in your hearts but as it were some ordinarie talke betwixt man and man which also I haue heard very often of others and sometime tried in my selfe For what a matter is this that although we neuer cease from praying yet at any time scarce any one feeles what is the fruite or commoditie of his prayer As we come to prayer so we depart from prayer as though no man answered vs againe or gaue vs a word as though no man minded any thing but as that we haue seemed to haue laboured in vaine But what saies the Lord in the Gospell Iudge not saith he according to the outward appearance but iudge ye the righteous iudgement And what is the righteous iudgement but the iudgement of faith because the iust man liues by faith Therefore follow thou the iudgement of faith and not thine owne experience because faith is true but thine experience is oftentimes deceitfull And what is the truth of faith but that the sonne of God himselfe hath promised whatsoeuer ye shall desire in prayer beleeue that you shall receiue it and it shall be done vnto you Let none of you O my brethren make light account of his praiers For I say vnto you that he to whom we pray makes no small account of it For before it go out of our mouth he commaunds it to be registred in his booke And one thing of these two we may without all doubt hope for that he will grant eyther that which we desire or that which he knowes to be more profitable for vs. For we know not to pray as we ought to pray but he hath compassion of our ignorance and receiuing our praier courteously giues vs not that which is not either profitable for vs or is not necessarie to be giuen vs so soone And againe When we aske that which is not profitable for vs he heares vs not but he giues vs that which is more profitable euen as the carnall father is also wont to do who when his child desires of him both bread and the knife he will giue him the bread but not the knife This assurance we should haue when we make our prayers that God answeres vs granteth vs our requests or else that which is farre better for vs and with this trust and assurance whensoeuer we praie we should returne from praiers not as though we had praied to a wall or that we were not better then we were before naie when we returne from speaking to that bountifull and rich king we must beleeue assuredlie that we returne not againe emptie but enriched with many great and heauenlie treasures This assurance in poperie how could they haue which knewe not what they saide nor for what they prayed And againe of Gods great willingnesse to heare our praiers he writes thus It would verie greatly delight and please the mercie of God if men were so readie to heare his voice as he is to heare theirs For it is most true that we are a great deale more slacke in our duties then he is in his Can. 6.12 Therefore when as he cals his spowse in the Canticles he cals her foure times he repeats the same word foure times Return returne saith he O Shulamite returne returne But she when she cals her bridegroome cals him but once And behold he is at hand Returne saith she my beloued be like a Roe or a young Hart vpon the mountaines of Bether Can. 2.17 And is God thus willing to heare our praiers and shall we not pray vnto him shall we praie to anie other Of the great mercie of God Granatensis writes thus Dauid said O Lord say vnto my soule I am thy saluation Par. psal 50. As though he should say I haue my eares now full of thy terrible names and titles O let that time come wherein by thy new name thou hast promised saluation to my soule And that is truly when as thou shalt be called Iesus that is a Sauiour This Dauid said in times past in the person of vs all But after that thou remembring the mercie and promises made to our fathers that the time should be that thou wouldest take vpon thee our humanitie and miserie When as I say thou camest out of thy hall of power and iustice and comming to vs thou wentest to thy pallace of courtesie and mercie thou fulfillest then whatsoeuer thou before hadst promised to all men That same chiefe and great follower and Apostle of thy sonne Iesus Christ our Lord first began to call thee then father of mercies and God of all consolation Father that he might declare vnto vs that as a father thou wouldest helpe vs and God because thou canst helpe whom thou wilt So that now sinners seeing thee to haue comed out of thy hall of seueritie into thy pallace of mercie and comfort seeing thee altogither clad now with their apparrell and becomed now one of their familie now they will no more runne wandering vp and downe they cannot tell whither but being knit to thy most holy Church with syncere faith and sure hope they doe come to thy throne asking pardon of their sinnes Thus farre Granatensis He declares to vs now that this faith euerie Christian must haue that now God himselfe is become like one of vs and therefore we may boldlie go euen to his throne our selues we need no intercessors to him yea although we be sinners And euen of himselfe on his throne our selues craue pardon for our sinnes And this doctrine is not his owne but it is grounded on saint Pauls Heb. 4.15 We haue not an high Priest saith he which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted in like sort yet without sinne Let vs therefore go boldly vnto the throne of grace that we may receiue mercie and finde grace to helpe euen in the time of need We haue a most mercifull high priest tempted in all things like to vs. Neuer man so tempted who may say as that Poet makes Quéene Dido to say to the Troianes I my selfe who haue felt sorrowes haue now learned to pitie all such as be in sorrowes none may euermore trulie saie this then Iesus Christ And therefore boldlie we may go euen to his throne euen to aske mercie not onelie to beg spirituall graces or blessings And mercie argues sinnes where there is mercie and pardon craued there as sinne euen such miserable sinners may come boldlie to this throne of grace to craue pardon for their sins Granatensis nay the Apostle Paul tels all Catholikes this and will they not beléeue them And if they beléeue them what néed they go
would deny Sée how fitlie Christ applieth plasters vnto our woundes Sinne first is conceiued in the hart for concupiscence begets sinne Fer. de pass part 1. and after it is by our works finished So Christ is first sorrowfull in heart and after outwardly that he might take away all sinne and fully make satisfaction for vs. So that by Ferus iudgement Christs saluation was full and perfect for vs. All men were like those two debters whereof our Sauiour speakes in the Gospell To whome when they had nothing to pay the lender forgaue mercifully so hath God fréelie forgiuen vs our sinnes for the satisfaction of Iesus Christ All our teares and kneeling downe Luke 7 4◠and workes of mercie and repentance for our sinnes are but signes to so mercifull a Lorde and of the loathing of our sinnes And after Ferus writes thus I am he by this word Christ puts himselfe in our stead patiently about to endure whatsoeuer the iustice of God should endure for our sinnes And a little after Idem part 8. For this cause especially hee would not haue his Apostles die with him least we should think that his death alone had not sufficed and therefore he would die alone that hee alone might be acknowledged our Sauiour Esay 63. Deut. 33. I haue troden the Winepresse alone saith he and of all nations there was none with mee And therefore Moyses also saith God alone was his God neither was there any other God with him Therefore he redeemed vs and not we our selues c. But the Church of Rome addes the Apostles and Martyres merites to Christs as though hee alone had not redeemed vs and calles those the treasure of the Church Fer. part 2. pass In these manifold sufferings of Christ we see as it were with our eyes our vniustice how wicked how full of sinnes we are but especially wee were For how vile here Christ outwardly appeared to men so vile were we before God in our soules yea what kind of one Christ is here such should we haue beene for euer vnles he had taken these things on him Part. 3. pass And after Here let vs consider our selues as here Christ with one consent and with great ioy of his enimies without all pitie without all hope of deliuerance or of returning backe againe no man assisting him or knowing him is led to the iudgment of death So we should haue beene ledde to that horrible iudgment of God vnles Christ had put himselfe in our stead Therefore if thou mind to stand in Gods iudgement rely vpon Christ then by faith For without him none can stand in the iudgement of God For no man liuing is iustified or found righteous in the sight of God And after speaking of those things which Christ had suffered at the handes of the Iewes Although saieth hee those things which we haue heard already had been enough for the redemption of all the world yet he would suffer more then these that he might fully satisfie for our sinnes that considering the greatnesse of the remedy no man might euer haue cause to despaire And speaking of his whipping hee writes thus He that clothes all things is spoiled of his clothes and he that hides all our shame is openly put to shame in the sight of all men least that we should be put to a perpetuall shame which surely we should haue beene if Christ had not endured this nakednes and shame for vs. Part. 2. pass But that agony of Christ signified nothing else hut the feare of our conscience before the iudgment seat of God for the soule now the time of the iudgement drawing neare is touched with the feeling of our sinnes which being touched begins now altogether to tremble and quake and euen to perish being now alone before the tribunall seat of God Of which trembling Iob said If he shall sodainly cal man to an account who is able to answere him This feare was also shewed in that feast of the Gospell whereas he who hauing no wedding garment being examined of the Lord was straightwaies dumbe The godly are sometime possessed with this feare as appeareth in Iob and Dauid saith O Lord chasten me not in thy wrath because there is no health in my flesh by reason of thy displeasure So also Ezechias I saieth hee said in the middest of my daies I shall go to the gates of hell Least therefore that wee should bee euer in danger of this feare Christ was for our sakes in this agony Therefore when that temptation shall inuade vs let vs pray with Ezechias O Lord I am violently afflicted answere thou for me and with Dauid vnder the shadow of thy wings protect me Man is not able no not the holiest man to appeare before the tribunall seate of God without this feare and quaking his best works are vnperfect And therefore Christ was in this agony for him c. And after the same Ferus writes thus Yea Fer. pass part 3. speaking of Barrabas and Christ that vvhich vvas doone in Pilates iudgement the same falles out in the iudgement of God On the one side stood that notable theefe Adam with all his posterity who all of them had deserued death on the other side stood the most innocent Sonne of God Now one of these by Gods iustice was to suffer death and God of his great mercie spared Adam and yeelded his most innocent Sonne vp to death for him Let vs embrace this great mercy of God brethren and be thankfull to God for it And of Christs spoiling of his garmentes he writes thus Ibidem He is turned naked out of his garmentes which cloathes the heauens with Starres and the earth with flowers and what kind of one the first man was when he dwelt in Paradice such a one the second Adam entred into Paradise againe He suffered therefore himselfe to be spoiled of his garments that he might receiue for vs the garment of innocency he was not ashamed to stand naked before all men least we should be found naked before god the endured shame that he might couer the guiltines of our consciences for he is blessed whose sins are couered And vpon these wordes He that is washed Part. 1. pass needs not but that his feet only should be washed he writes thus This second washing is not doone at the Font but by repentance which cleanseth our daily sins For repentance is as it were a second board by which they which after baptisme haue suffered shipwracke may swimme out Of this washing Esay speaketh Be ye washed be ye cleane and this washing of our feet by repentance must be doone euer For the way wherein we walke is mirie as Dauid saith and Ieremy 1. King 21. Lam. 1. 2. Tim. 2. the mire sticks to Hierusalems feet and saint Paul He that shall cleanse himselfe from them shall be a vessell of honour But this may trouble some perchance that Christ addeth But is all cleane
is finished that is no doubt when they shall ende this life For as Iob teacheth vs and saint Paul Iob. 7.2 Ephes 6.10 Our life here is a warfare And saint Paul not onely saith so but giues euerie Christian the armour that belongs to it Vers 13. Now when this warfare is ended Gods ministers are to preach to his people that then their sin hath obtained pardon Nirtse as it is in the Hebrew that is is made now well pleasing to God and that they haue now in this their warfare In this life receiued double punishment that is sufficient for all their sins And therefore they néed feare no punishment hereafter And this is that lesson which Peter also teacheth all Christians God our most louing father by the resurrection of Iesus Christ according to his aboundant mercie 1. Pet. 1.3 hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuely hope of an inheritance immortal vndefiled that withereth not reserued for vs in heauen c. wherin we reioyce though now for a season if need require we are in heauines through manifold temptatioÌ„s Peter herein agrées with Esay that in this life if need be we receiue sufficient punishment for our sinnes This is Ierusalems comfort at her verie heart And this is also that which saint Paul saith But when we are iudged 1. Cor. 11.32 we are corrected of the Lord because that we should not be condemned with the world God iudgeth his saints in this life because he will not condemne nor punish them in the life to come And the same lesson saint Paul teacheth in another place My son despise not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12 5. as it is in the Greeke make no light account of the correction of the Lorde but account it as a most pretious ie well For whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth and he scourgeth euerie sonne which he receiueth And he after speakes verie manifestly of the afflictions of this life as these words import Verse 12. Wherefore lift vp your hands which hang downe and your weake knees And Saint Peter likewise Now is the time that iudgement shall begin at the house of God 1. Pet. 4.17 Whereas S. Paul said before that God in this life scourged all his sonnes S. Peter to the same effect saith that iudgement now begins at Gods house The one names the inhabitants and the other the house And S. Peter also to the great comfort of all Gods children séemes to ayme at the continuance of this correction and he calles it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is an opportunitie or a verie short time and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which maie signifie some longer space of time 2. Cor. 4.15 And S. Paul himselfe also in effect saith the same in another place calling the continuance of our afflictions momentaneam leuitatem a small light trifle in comparison of the ioie that hereafter we shall receiue and that which endures but for a minute of an houre Of purgatorie Ierome writes thus In 2. cap. Mat. He shall purge or melt the sonnes of Leui that is their vnderstandings and words So truely the words and iudgements of all pastors stand need of this Gods purifying his gold onely is most pure purified seuen times in the furnace Our gold how pure soeuer it seemes to vs stands need of this melting and purifying And hereupon Ierome addeth of all Christians That they shall reprooue their wicked brethren and they shall be to God as a precious iewell for he shall spare them in that terrible day which he shall make because euery man is vnder sinne Ierome will haue this melting and this iudgement to be in this life alleadging that saying of Peter nowe the time is that the iudgement began at the house of God And of that place to the Corinthians he writes thus In 6. ca Esaiae And that stone which onely the Septuag inta doe translate a Carbuncle may signifie not a dead or burning coale as some haue expounded it but a Carbuncle stone which for the likenesse it hath to the colour of fire may be called firie whereas we learne that the altar of God is full of Carbuncles that is of firie stones and hoat burning coales purging sins whereof we read thus written of God That coales were kindled of him and of God himselfe it is said that he is a consuming fire and our Sauiour saith in the Gospell I came to send fire vpon earth And that he might baptize with the holy Ghost and with fire for fire shall trie euerie mans worke what kinde of one it is And he that shall be saued shall so be saued as though he had gone thorough the fire And this is to be marked that euen to Ieremy to whom it is said before I fashioned thee in the wombe I knewe thee and I sanctified thee in thy mothers wombe because he had not vncleane lippes But yet he said I am a childe I cannot speake The Lord himselfe stretched out his hand and touched my mouth and said Behold I haue put my words into thy mouth but to Esay who said I am a man of vncleane lippes and I dwell in the midst of a people that hath vncleane lippes Gods hand was not retched but Seraphim was sent of God or he did flie vnto him of his owne accord Because he is appointed to his seruice and he hath a stone in his hand which after the Septuaginta and Theodotion he tooke with a nipper but after Aquila and Symmachus which follow the Hebrew he tooke Melachim that is with a paire of tongs that therwith he might touch his mouth and might purge his olde and accustomed sins Here we maie plainlie sée that either God himselfe with his owne hand or els Angels with those carbuncles according to the word of God doe purge sinnes and that Ierome expoundes that place of the Corinthians of this heauenlie fire and not of anie infernall fire purging sinnes But that indifferent mâ—n shall endure the fire of purgatorie séemed not to Ierome to be grounded manifestlie vpon this place who expounds it of a contrarie fire In cap. 66. Es And in another place Ierome writes thus God is called a consuming fire that hee may consume in vs whatsoeuer is hay wood or stubble and thornes that is cares of this world which the barren ground brought for good seed Ierome here affirmes that God himselfe is the fire that burneth vp all our chaffe stubble and wood not anie fire of purgatorie And that by the fire of his word and his spirit he worketh these effects For here he addeth for of this fire the Lord speaketh in the Gospell I came to throw fire downe vpon the earth And after This fire I supposed to haue sitten vpon the tongues of the Apostles and all the faithfull when they spake with diuers tongues and droue away all ignorance and lightened the hearts of them that receiued the word of God And after most
wildernes which was a figure of the militant Church of Christ neuer rested in one place it was caried to and fro and therefore it quite ouerthrowes that firme and vniforme state of the Church which the Church of Rome now teacheth The Tabernacle was not only assaulted of enemies but also the Arke of God was taken of the Philistines 1. Sa. 4.11 No doubt an euident argument how Antichrist should possesse the visible Church of God in our daies The Church is a Tabernacle it is a Shippe it neuer continues in one place nor in one state and therefore they are vnwise Mat 8.24 1. Pet. 1.25 that will build their faith on the outward shew or name or place thereof But we know Gods word endureth the same for euer And therefore the more surer way is to builde our faith on it The Leuites and Priests caried onely the Tabernacle of the appointment of the Lord Num. 1.51 Ios 3.3 but the Church of Rome hath admitted allowed her Friers to carie it and hath dispensed with their Priestes Their Friers preached the couenants of God and his appointments made with man Their Priests were bound to say their seruice onely Granat prolog memor Thus much Granatensis confesseth This duty saith he especially belongs to the Priests and Ministers of the Church whom God hath commaunded that they should instruct and teach men in his law And therefore among other ornaments of the high Priest was his breastplate of iudgement which he bare on his breast wherein was engrauen learning and truth which two things God would haue in Aaronâ— heart that from him as from a fountaine all other men might draw learning and truth And after writing of the ignorance of the cleargie he writes thus But now wo is me the parish Priests and other Curates thinke that they are bound to nothing else but to minister the Sacraments and to say their seruice in due time and doing this in Hamlets and villages or in some townes they thinke that they haue verie well discharged their dutie and office Thus much Granatensis saw and condemned Exod. 25.2 The Tabernacle was made of the voluntarie offerings of the people The Church of Rome had vowes no man might be a priest vnlesse he would vow chastitie Here was a yoke of necessitie laid vpon their necks Vers 2. This voluntarie offering was quite taken away In the Tabernacle they offered onely to God but they in those daies offred to creatures And euerie one contributed somthing towards this building none was excluded but the cleargie in the Popes kingdome tooke vpon themselues only the name of the Church and excluded the people Lastly this Tabernacle was builded in all points Exod. 26.30 according to that patterne which Moses saw in the Mount Therefore euen as in Noah his Arke so in Moses Tabernacle and so in Christs Church also all mans deuises and inuentions must surcease But the Church of Rome admits the inuentions and deuises of man in her buildings And therefore as she is vnlike to Noah his Arke so she is also disagreeing to Moses Tabernacle And God commanded also Moses besides this tabernacle Exod. 25. ve 10 to make an Ark of Shittim wood two cubits an halfe long a cubit an halfe broad And thou shalt ouerlaie it with pure gold within and without shalt thou ouerlaie it And shalt make vpon it a crowne of gold round about it This Arke as the Tabernacle did represent the Iewish Synagogue so may it represent the Church of Christ Esay 60.17 Vers 11. of which as the Prophet Esay prophecieth I will giue thee for siluer gold and for yron siluer So heere it was all couered with Gold both within and without no doubt with the gold of God 1. Io. 4.8 1 Cor. 16.14 Phil. 3.12 that is with charitie For God is charitie saith saint Iohn and let all things be done with charitie saith S. Paul The length of it two cubits and an halfe declares that our perfection in this life is but imperfect The crowne of gold round about it signifies that as saint Iohn and saint Peter teach 1. Pet 2.9 Reuel 1.6 all Christians now are Kings and Priests And thou shalt cast foure rings of Gold for it Vers 12. and put them in the foure corners thereof that is two rings shal be on the one side of it and two rings on the other side thereof And thou shalt make barres of Shittim wood and couer them with gold And thou shalt put the barres in the rings by the sides of the Arke to beare the Arke with them the barres shall be in the rings of the Arke they shal not be taken away from it These foure rings doe liuely paint out vnto vs Io. 20.31 1. Ti 3 15. Ephe. 4.11 the foure gospels of our Sauiour Iesus Christ which are rings which are perfect and absolute which are fastened to the Arke which should neuer be parted from the Church And the two barres put thorow them couered also with gold to carie the Ark signifie Pastors and Doctors which preach these gospels and carie and spread the Church being guilded with this gold of charity thorow the whole world And these all must studie the gospell they must not be taken from it So thou shalt put in the Arke the testimonie that I shall giue thee The testimonie is the law of God Vers 16. Psal 19.7 Psal 119.129 Io. 14.6 Heb. 8.1 Act. 20.31 Nehem. 8.2 Heb. 8.11 which is not onely a rule of our life but also a couenant and contract betweene God and his people And this testimonie must be in the Church of God continually this she must witnes to great and small This contract or bagaine euerie one must know that will be saued And thou shalt make a mercie seat of pure golde Vers 17. two cubites and an halfe long and a cubit and an halfe broad And thou shalt make two Cherubims of gold of worke beaten out with the hammer Vers 19. Thou shalt make them at the two ends of the mercie seat And the one Cherub shalt thou make at the one end and the other Cherub at the other end of the matter of the mercie seat shal ye make the Cherubims on the two ends thereof This propitiatory or couering Luke 22 1â— Io. 13.1 this mercy seate signifies Iesus Christ He was pure gold His onely loue towards man caused him to be incarnate nay to die for vs. This mercie seat is in length and breadth as much as the Arke to declare that all the Arke stands need of this propitiation and couering So that now as Dauid witnesseth Psal 32. ver 1. the blessednes of euerie man liuing consisteth herein that his sinnes are couered And saint Iohn teacheth all Christians the vse of this propitiatorie or seat of mercie If anie man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous 1. Io. 2.2 and
from a thousand dangers Psal 121.4 and euen as it were to loade me with many graces for all which as it is méete that I should craue pardon at thy hands Psal 19.12 not only for the forgiuenesse of these sins which I know but also of those which I know not so it is méete that I should in like sort giue thee as great and bounden thankes as possiblie I can not onlie for the benefites I know but also for those I know not And therefore I worship thee I praise thee I giue thanks to thee in them and for them all Giue me grace O my Redéemer that I may so learne to vse all these thy benefits hereafter Mat. 25.24 that they be not occasions of pride and slouthfulnesse in me but of greater humilitie and thankfulnesse and that they may kindle in me a greater desire and zeale of thy seruice To thee therefore who liuest and raignest with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honor and glorie both now and for euer and euer Amen A Forme of Morning Prayer taken out of Granatensis for Christian families O Lord God of Israel which dwellest betweene the Cherubins 2. King 19.15 thou art the verie God alone ouer all the kingdomes of the earth thou hast made heauen and earth thou hast made winter and sommer Psal 74.16 Gen. 1.1 the day is thine and the night also is thine O Lord God our most bountifull most mercifull and most louing Father wee most wretched sinners here gathered together in thy most holie name humblie prostrate our selues before thy throne of mercie crauing pardon and forgiuenes for al our sins And although we be vnworthie through our manifolde iniquities Luke 18.13 to present our selues before thy glorious Maiestie much lesse to offer to thée any oblation of praise thāksgiuing considering our owne basenesse demerits yet we know that thou art a Lord most bountifull a God most merciful a Father most louing and a sauior most swéet comfortable Luk. 15.20 whose propertie is euer to saue and haue mercie on the humble sorowfull penitent persons that come to thee in the name of thy beloued son Iesus Christ We confesse O Lord our wretchednesse Psal 32.5 wee acknowledge O Father our vnworthinesse wee are hartilie sorie for our sinnes we most humbly craue pardon for them euen for Iesus Christs sake Esay 59.2 we know that our sinnes stand before vs as great huge heaps like walles of iron and gates of brasse which hinder our petitions so that they cannot come before thee Esa 1.18 we do account our sinnes as red as scarlet in thy sight wee feele our burthen is so heauie and intolerable that we are not able to beare it Psal 40.12 we sée in our selues to be no frée spot from the crowne of the heade to the sole of the foote but all is spotted and corrupted with sores and vlcers Esa 1.6 whose great vengeance which they worthily deserued would haue fallen vpon vs long agoe Lam. 3.22 but that it was stayed and kept backe by thy mercifull hand Wee giue thee O most gratious God and louing Father humble and heartie thankes for this thy fatherlie loue in the name of thy dearely beloued Sonne Iesus Christ beséeching thee for his sake to continue this thy loue and mercy towards vs all the daies of our liues Psal 84.9 O most louing Father looke not vpon vs but looke vpon the face of this thy annointed Iesus Christ and for his sake haue mercie vpon vs Remoue O Lord our sinnes as farre from vs as the East is from the West Psal 103.12 that they bee neither hinderances to let thy mercie for falling on vs or our prayers Psal 51.7 for comming vp into thy sight Purge vs with Isop dipped not in the bloud of the lambe but in the bloud of thy Son Iesus Christ and we shall be as white as snowe O good Lord sprinckle not only the vppermost poste Exod. 12.7 Rom. 10.9 and the two side postes of the doores of our houses but the whole houses of our hearts and soules with that most precious bloud with the Isop of thy Gospell now preached and wée doe beleeue verily that the destroyer shall passe ouer vs he shall in no wise hurt vs. Ease we beséech thée O swéete Sauiour our burthens as thou hast promised Matt. 11.28 who callest all to thée that are heauie loaden and burthened We confesse O Sauiour euerie one of vs that we carie on our backes the greatest burthens that euer were borne 1. Tim. 1.25 Heb. 13.20 Rom. 8.33 Ephes 5.16 And graunt to vs we beséech thee O mercifull Father that by the bloud of the euerlasting testament sprinkled in our harts by a liuely faith all the inditements and accusations of Satan against vs maie be quite blotted out and all his fir is darts quenched Make this couenant with vs O sweete Sauiour that so long as we serue thée that thou wilt be our God 1. Sam. 2.30 Psal 119 32. our guide and protectour And graunt vs euer therefore thy grace that we may be able to do thée seruice and willing minds to do it with chéerefulnesse 2. Cor. 5.25 And because O Lord Ephes 1.6 the whole course and end of our life should be no other thing but to delight to do thy will and pleasure Psal 5.3 giue vs grace to begin to praise and serue thée the first thing we do in the morning and let vs account and make it the principall ground-worke of all other whereon we should laie all other businesses and affaires whatsoeuer And that we may do it more effectuallie giue vs the holie Ghost the seale of our saluation 2. Cor. 1.22 to seale and shut vp the doores of our hearts and minds from all earthly thoughts and worldly cogitations And close O good Lord Ier. 9.21 the windowes of al our senses frō the vaine appetites of the world the concupiscence of the flesh and the baites of the diuell first of all in the morning when we awake so that all these being excluded and shut out of doores our hearts and minds may be open onlie to thee and to receiue and admit thy Son our Sauiour Iesus Christ into them before all things else 1. Thess 2.13 Reu. 14.4 That so wee may offer vnto thee the firstlings of this day and of all the dayes of our liues And here we giue thee deare Father Psal 137.2 most humble and heartie thankes for the quiet rest and swéete sléepe that thou hast giuen vs this night and for that thou hast deliuered vs from all vaine dreames and foolish fantasies and from all the subtill snares and illusions of our enemy the diuell Psal 91.3 and for all other the benefits of our creation our redemption 1. Cor. 1.30 our election our iustification our sanctification that thou hast called vs vnto the knowledge of
seruice and to craue thy grace that we maie be more zealous hereafter in all good works 1. Thess 4.1 2. Pet. 3.8 And if wee haue done anie thing amisse to be heartilie sorie for it Psal 25.7 And now O Father we most humblie beséech thée to pardon and forgiue vs all the sinnes and frailties of our youth all the offences of this daie and of our whole life which we haue committed against thy diuine Maiestie And giue vs grace to amend our former liues 2. Cor. 5.17 and to become newe creatures And we now humblie beséech thee that as the night darkeneth and shadoweth all things so that thou wouldest for thy deare Son Iesus Christs sake couer all these our sinnes remouing them quite from thy sight Psal 32.1 Micah 7.19 assure our consciences of thy frée pardon and forgiuenesse of them all that as our bodies shall haue the rest of sléep so also our mindes euer through hope of thy mercie maie enioy the rest of a quiet conscience Esa 57.19.20 And so being wholie refreshed we maie awake and rise vp to thy seruice the next day and all the daies of our liues Graunt that wee laying our bodies downe in bed to take our naturall sléepe maie be thereby put in mind of that our long sléepe of death and that as we do now laie downe our bodies in bed 1. Thes 4.13 so we maie thereby be admonished that hereafter we shall be laid in our graue to be consumed to dust and earth Gen. 18.2.7 from whence we were first taken and giue vs grace to consider the streight and narrowe roome the hard and colde lodging the low and vnpleasant situation of that our parlor and home and the loathsome fashion vglie shape Eccles 7.40 and horrible sauour our bodies then shall haue that we hauing these before our eies maie bee stirred vp in our minds to be humble and not to passe for the pompe state Ephes 5.15 1. Pet. 1.17 pleasures and vanities of this world but to walke warilie in this our pilgrimage not knowing when the time shall be of our departure And O good Lord giue vs victorie against death 2. Cor. 5.1 Phil. 1.23 so that when death it selfe shall come we be not dismaied or discouraged at it â—â—om the which it is as easie for thée to raise vs Ioh. 11.43 as from our bodilie sléepe but that we maie euer rest in hope of that most ioifull resurrection wherein our bodies shall awake Phil. 3.20 Reu. 21.23 Psal 119.62 into that euerlasting daie which neuer shall haue anie night And as often as we shall awake in the night O Lord giue vs grace to praise thée for thy benefits O Lord shake off all fleshly drowsinesse in vs and giue vs grace Ephes 6.18 Col. 4.4 euen to watch in prayer as thou hast commanded vs. And O good Lord neuer forget vs Guide vs with shine eye all the dayes of our liues In the houre of death helpe vs Iam. 2.13 Iud. ep ver 21. Psal 39.5 Psal 99.12 Rom. 12.11 Ephes 5.16 and in the day of iudgement be mercifull vnto vs. We knowe O Lord our life is but short not a spanne long O giue vs grace to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts vnto wisedome to redéeme the time to omit no opportunitie or occasion of doing good Oh Lord vnlesse thou giue vs thy grace how manie opportunities of doing good will ouerslip vs And grant vs now thy grace we beséech thée that although our senses be bound this night with the chaines of naturall sléepe yet our mindes maie watch continuallie Luke 16.37 1. Thess 5.6 and looke for the comming of our Sauiour Iesus Christ that whether he come at midnight or at the cockcrowing Marke 13.35 or in the dawning of the daie he maie alwaies find vs waking readie and prepared with our lampes of a pure faith Matt. 25 8. clearely burning in our hands through the light of good works that we maie be wise and not foolish virgins Luke 12.35 and that the loines of our minds maie be girded vp and that as good seruants that stand with their torches in their hands still waiting when their maister will returne from the mariage we maie be commended and praised of him when he commeth O Lord giue vs all grace so to lead our liues as at that daie we maie heare that comfortable sentence spoken vnto vs Matt. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit yee the kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the world And that there we maie raigne with thée in perpetuall ioie together with all thy saints and elect children in that most blessed citie Reu. 21.23 the heauenly Ierusalem where shall bee no néede of candle neither of the Sunne nor of the Moone to lighten it for the glorie of the Lord shall lighten it and the Lambe is the light of it where our workes shall bee nothing els then with all the heauenlie multitude continually to sing praise and to laud the glorious Maiestie of thée O Lord God and heauenlie Father through our Lord Iesus Christ in the holy Ghost Vnto the which most glorious kingdome wee beséech thée to bring vs euen for Iesus Christs sake our onely Sauiour and redéemer to whom with thee and the holy Ghost one God immortall inuisible and onely wise be all praise saluation power and glory now and for euer more Amen Amen Certaine briefe and familiar prayers which euerie true Christian ought euer to haue in his mouth In the Morning Psal 3.5 I Laid me downe and slept and rose vp againe for the Lord sustained me Psal 5.8 Leade mee O Lord in thy righteousnesse because of mine enemies make thy way plaine before my face In the beginning or doing of any worke Psal 118.25 O Lord I beseech thee saue vs now O Lord I beseech thee send vs now prosperitie Psal 108.13 Through God we shall doe great acts and it is hee that shall tread downe our enemies In temptations of the flesh Psal 51.10 Create a cleane heart in me O Lord and renew a right spirit within me In the Euening Psal 4.6.7 Manie say who wil shew vs any good O Lord lift thou vp â—he light of thy countenance vpon vs. In Tribulations O forsake me not O Lord my God be not thou farre from me Psal 38.21.22 Haste thee to help me O Lord God my saluation I shall find trouble and heauinesse Psal 116.4 I wil call vpon the name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliuer my soule Against the assaults of the enemie Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall Psal 118.13 but the Lord was my helpe The Lord is my help I wil not feare what man can do vnto me Heb. 13.6 In sorow or heauinesse Why art thou so heauie O my soule Psal 43.5 and why art thou so
of her fornication She is contrarie to the true Church which teacheth to worship God alone the Creator but this Synagogue hath causâ—d men to drinke of the wine of her fornication that is to worship others besides God and to worship the creatures and this is spirituall fornication And hath not the Church of Rome done so Who seeth it not Hee is onely to bee worshipped according to the truth of the Gospell that made heauen and earth but what Saint or Angell had any fellowship with God in that worke And therefore the Church of Rome in teaching the worship of these is Babylon and therefore she dissenteth most manifestly from the truth of the Gospell And therefore she is that whoore whose fornication is rather in doctrine then in maners Now she being thus manifestly descried the third Angell followed them saying with a loud voyce If any man worship the Beast and his image and receiue his marke in his forhead or on his hand the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God yea of the pure wine that is poured out of the cup of his wrath and he shal be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lambe c. O terrible sentence for all obstinate Papists which as yet the Gospell being so long and so manifestly preached will worship the image of the beast that is which will acknowledge the Popes supremacie or put their trust in his characters and consecrated creatures For as S. Iohn hath taught before He shall make an image of the Beast Reu. 13.14 that is as the Roman Emperor was Monarch ouer the world so he shall challenge a Monarchy ouer the Church And hath not the Pope done thâ—s God giue all men eyes to see this And here gentle Reader if peraduenture in this Treatise I do dissent in some points from the godly brethren I must desire thee to beare with me patientlie I dissent not with a contentious mind but with a mind longing and searching for the truth and according to my simple Talent deliuering it to thee and to thy iudgement Our dissensions are as diuers boughes proceeding from the same roote of the tree and as diuers arrowes shot out of the same quiuer aiming at the same marke shot against Babel Thou which art endued with Gods Spirit Ierem. 50.14 Rom. 8.9 1. Cor. 2.15 and art Iesus Christs iudge charitably who comes neerer the marke condemne not any Gods souldiers are commanded to shoote not on one side against Babel but round about her I vrge the fasts of Wednesdayes Fridayes and of Lent which the Fathers and the Primitiue Church solemnly obserued Who as they were not superstitious in these their fasts as the Papists were so they were not so curious in the numbring of the dayes of Lent as wee are They fasted about fortie dayes which was called of them Quadragesima and euerie weeke the fourth and sixt day not superstitiously but religiously to studie the Scriptures and to came the flesh The which fasts I vrge now againe in our dayes to rouse out of the sleepe of security the men of our age which eate and drinke as the men did in the dayes of Noe Luke 17.27 of whom our Sauiour giueth vs warning to beware least we perish with them I wish that all men would watch in their priuate prayers and that publike prayers also might be early in the morning which times of praying are both agreeing with the Scripture and to the Primitiue Church I commend the signe of the Crosse as an holy signe which diuers godly learned men haue thought to be that signe of the Sonne of man which shall appeare before the day of iudgement whereof mention is made in the 24. of Saint Matthewes Gospell If that sword of Goliah that killed him were kept reuerently lapt vp in a cloath and that in no obscure place but behind the Ephod in the Tabernacle Why should not that sword which killed the true Goliah indeed which vaunted himselfe against all Israel I meane the Crosse with which sword the diuell had thought to haue killed our Sauiour Iesus Christ 1. Sam. 21.9 1. Sam. 17.10 and wherof that other Goliah was but a shadowe bee had in reuerence in Christs Church amongst vs Christians And here we may note also that the Ephod may signifie Christ as the signification of the name it selfe may seeme to import which signifies to put on aboue or to couer ouer all And all Christians must put on this Ephod aboue all their other garments of their good works be they neuer so perfect And in this respect also they may bee called Kings and Priests Then Goliah his sword must not be placed before the Ephod or lapt vp with the Ephod but lapt vp in a cloath behind the Ephod So the Crosse is not to be made equall with Christ as the Papists haue made it but to be placed behind the Ephod lapt in a cloath that is as a reuerend and sacred thing to be accounted of So that this estimation of the signe of the Crosse for there is a mutuall relation betweene the signe and the thing signified makes nothing for Popery As concerning the testimonies of the Scriptures which concerne these points of doctrine which are handled in this Treatise in some places I alleage them not because I haue handled them else where in the exposition of the Epistle of Saint Iude. And I haue here alleaged the sayings of manie of the Romish Writers whom they call Catholikes In translating of whose sayings I protest I haue vsed as great faithfulnesse as can be and that I haue many times stucke so vnto the letter that I haue lost the grace of the sense Thus fare thou well good Christian Reader and the Lord Iesus giue thee a right iudgement and vnderstanding in all things Thine in the Lord FRANCIS TRIGGE Faults escaped amend thus Pag. 25. line 36. for sonne read sum of all Hammashe p. 94. l. 8. merit r. mercie p. 96 l. 37. put out onely pag. 103 in margin Dom. 18. post c. r. Dom. 8. pag. ibid. l. 33. works r. worlds p. 133. adde in margin De orat med die Lunae p. 148. l. 31. r. that they may c. p. 160. l. 25. now r. not p. 161. l. 11. adde saith p. 163. l. 20. after declared r. often deceiued p. 174. l. 4. meanes r. names p. 187. l. 30. the r. this p. 227. in margin cap. 40. r. cap. 4. p. 242. lin 5. It is not r. Is it not p. 247. l. 26. count r. cannot p. 255. in margin adde Ferus in Acta Apost cap. 1. p. 293. lin 33. caried r. cured p. 307 l. 8. dele foure p. 326. l. 4 dele the first in p. 342. l. 13. â—o r. to p. 370. l. 36. as r. is p. 441. l. 29. r. Lash vak 462. l. 21. r. Banah p. 577. l. 8 r. Stater p. 585. l. 3. r. out of their c. p. 586.
light and those vaine shadowes which seeme to mooue hither and thither and to speake and those resemblances of thinges which those men which are thus bound in yron chaines falsely iudge to be things indeed He could not more fitly by any other meanes haue set before our eyes the liues of wicked men For they beeing here groueling on the earth and in loue with their bodies and chained with the innumerable chaines of vices cannot turne their minde that way that they may beholde the light and the true shapes of things For there is no trueth indeed in these bodily and earthly but in diuine and eternall things Therefore all the commodities of this life haue no firme or sound thing in them but onely beare a face or shew of good things And men being now acquainted with these shadowes and being deluded with these Images of things do with tooth and naile pursue after false good things and being effeminated with the false sweetnes of pleasure are so kept in bondage that they are now enemies to all those which woulde ridde them out of those bonds would endeuour to bring them to heauen that they might behold the true sunne indeed and the true light and true men and true good things that is that they might behold heauenly and diuine thinges and that they might haue the vvhole force of their minds fixed in euerlasting things Thus farre Osorius This is mans estate before regeneration to delight in sinne not to be able to be hold the true light naie to be euen an open enemie to those that shall go about to draw him from this bondage or shall endeuour to make him see his owne miserie and vnhappinesse so farre off is he from embracing the true light if it be offered vnto him This is Osorius his iudgement in this place And a little after hee writes thus Is it not most certaine that this is graunted to Christians to behold God as often as they stirre vp their weake faith and doe deuoutly pray for Gods grace that being loosed from these bonds and turned away from these shadowes of things and turned to the true good things indeed that they may mount vp with their minds into heauen and that they may beholde those most excellent and eternall riches and may enioy that sweete and most pleasant familiaritie and talke with God with vnspeakeable ioifulnes Here plainely appeares what effects the grace of God works in mens soules It not onelie looseth them from the stronge and iron chaines of their sinnes but also it withdrawes them from the loue of vanities and turnes them to the loue of vertue and true godlinesse These effectes here Osorius attributes to the grace of God man of his owne nature hath them not Ambrose of mans duetie to God writes thus De Abraham pat lib. 2. ca. 8. That soule which is full of wisedome and righteousnesse is more deuout in the worship of God and paies her tenthes of all the fruits of the earth according to a more heauenly wisedome herein in that she referres the perfection of all her senses and workes to God shee challengeth nothing to hir selfe which is not able to gouerne her selfe vnlesse she were vnderpropped with Gods fauour c. All Abrahams children of their father must learne to paie these tenthes to God But for the maintenance of frée will Rom. 7.18 that place of Saint Paul maie be obiected To will is at hand but to doe good I cannot tell how to do it Saint Austen expounds this place thus De praed gra ca. 13. Although that same will is not of vs it is the gift of God because of him wee haue both to will and to do according to his good pleasure And concerning this place Austen first expounded it of a man vnregenerate but after he changed his mind and expounded it of the regenerate as appeares in his Booke Contra Iu◠cap. 11. Ambrose also is of the same mind with Austen herein and expounds this place of the regenerate speaking of the strife that was betwéene Abraham and Lot which he allegoricallie applies to the soule of man Lib. 2. de Abra. cap. 6. Hereof comes saieth he the discord of our cogitations when as the flesh rebels against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh Then there is no small combate when as the Apostle himselfe the Lords chosen vessell saith I see the lawe of my flesh resisting the law of my mind and bringing me in bondage vnder the law of sinne which is in my members He himselfe coulde not pacifie this combate and therefore he fled to Christ saying O vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death that is that I cleaue not to the pleasures of the flesh Who is it that shall loose me from these bonds and shall set me free and shall writh rather the senses to the sobriety of the mind then to the drunkennes of the body but because amongst men he could not find such a guide turning to God he saith The grace of God by our Lord Iesus Christ If he that was so strong trusted not in his owne strength that he might escape the body of death but sought for helpe of Christ what shall we do who are weaker c. Phil. de Dies sum prae dic Tit. amor hominis erga Deum I will conclude this point of free will with a saying of Philippus de Dies When as onely God is the author of the reasonable soule and that the will is a power of such a soule it followeth manifestly that onely God can moue it not onely in bestowing the nature and essence vnto it but also the willing of that which is good and also the end which is the conclusion of all our willings Therefore wee must desire of him with most earnest prayers with that kingly Prophet Incline my heart O God vnto thy Testimonies 2. Of Justification De indulg POligranes a Papist of Christs merites writes thus We must know that Christ the son of God by his works and passions did deserue many things of God his father To himselfe glorie and exaltation as Saint Paul saith for which cause God hath exalted him c. He hath deserued also to men a generall satisfaction for their sinnes For by his bloud hee hath washed away the faults and by his death hath restored the grace of iustification You are iustified freely saith the Apostle by his grace Rom. 3. by the redemption which is in Christ Iesus But by this his merit he hath so freely washed away the faults that according to the faith of the Church and of the holy scripture he hath left some part of the punishment vnredeemed which is either here to be redeemed with the workes of mercie or els to be paied hereafter And therefore thirdly he deserued that he which of himselfe hath deserued it through speciall faith and deuotion might forgiue this punishment himselfe which we
fauour againe therefore it was meet that mans nature being ioined to the nature of God should be so rich that it should aboundantly make satisfaction to God the father for the sinne of all mankind Therefore Christ borrowed this of his diuinitie that his body being holy innocent and stained with no spot of sinne should haue in it infinite vertue and force whereby it might pay all the debt we were bound in And hereof he saith I paid them the things I neuer tooke And a little after he writes thus He that hath giuen vs the bloud of his Sonne what will he deny vs Ibidem that is necessary to our saluation He that spared not his owne Sonne as Saint Paul saith but required of him the punishment due to our sinnes how will hee againe now punish vs if we shall be vnthankfull for such a benefite So that Osorius here plainlie affirmes that God required of his sonne Iesus Christ the punishment due to our sinnes and that whatsoeuer we now can suffer is but our dueties is but thankfulnesse for so great a benefit And after VVe must be followers of God Ibidem and if God could not be imitated vnles he were seen and if he could not be seen vnles he became man that he might stirre vp men to the earnest desire of true vertue not onely in words but also by examples what thing could be inuented either more profitably or wisely to mans saluation then to see the Sonne of God for mans saluation euen as it were shotte thorough with reproches torne in pieces with wounds tormented with griefes and enduring all these with an inuincible patience that he might not only suffer punishment for vs but that also be might strengthen our minds with the example of his heauenly vertue and with inuincible patience Let vs marke how he saith that he suffered the punishment for vs. Dauid also in the Psalmes teacheth vs verie excellentlie the great benefite of Christs redemption Psalm 85. ◠O Lord saieth hee thou art now well pleased with the land where the Hebrew word Ratsitha which he vseth signifies the greatest good will that can bee Thou hast turned the captiuitie of Iacob Iacob is nowe deliuered from sathans tyrannie Gen 3.15 thou hast broken the Serpents head as thou hast promised thou hast quite taken awaie the transgression of thy people That prophesie of Micah is now fulfilled we maie saie Micah 7.19 He retaineth not his wrath for euer because mercie pleaseth him he will returne and haue compassion vpon vs he will subdue or take with violence all our iniquities and cast all their sinnes into the bottom of the Sea Our sinnes doone awaie by Christs redemption shall neuer be seene anie more this wee must all beleeue And as Moyses said to Israel of Pharaoh and his armie Exod. 14.13 Feare ye not stand ye still and behold the saluation of the Lord which he will shew to you this daie for the Aegyptians whom you haue seen this daie ye shall neuer see them again So Saint Paul saieth to all Christians Wh◠shall laie anie thing to the charge of Gods elect Rom. 8.33 It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne It is Christ which is dead yea rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and makes request also for vs. Ioh. 12.31 And our sauiour saith Now is the iudgement of the world by faith or incredulitie by receiuing mee or not receiuing me And the prince of this world is cast out of doores And againe Luk. 10.18 I saw Sathan like lightning fall downe from heauen As verilie as Pharaoh is drowned in the redde sea so that the Israelites which then sawe him and his armie pursuing them neuer saw him anie more so verilie is this our spirituall Pharaoh his armie which pursues all christians drowned in the sea of Christs bloud in the bottomlesse depth of his redemption that the faithfull shall neuer see him anie more Hée shall not dare or bee bold now to appeare in God sight to accuse them Hée is now quite cast out of doores Reu. 7.14.12.8 By the bloud of the Lambe now and by that mightie Michael Iesus Christ is that great Dragon and all his angels conquered they preuailed not neither was their place found anie more in heauen Exod. 25.21 And thou hast couered all their sinnes Here is also the propitiation of Iesus Christ hee is that golden couering or propitiatorie that couered the whole arke No part of the arke here is excepted and therefore he also couered the blessed virgine Mary her sinnes Luk. 1.47 and hereof no doubt shée called him also her Sauiour Hée couered also the Apostles sinnes and therefore also they saie If anie man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father 1. Ioh. 8. Iesus Christ the righteous and hee is also the propitiation of our sinnes Thou hast gathered together as in a bundell all thine anger and laide it vpon Iesus Christ and art now turned from thy wrathfull displeasure Here is no doubt the great redemption of Iesus Christ and vpon this word of God must our faith be grounded And doe we not thinke then that Christ by his passion hath quite taken awaie both the fault and punishment all our repentance and sorrowes are nothing vnto the punishments due vnto our sinnes They are fruites of repentance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 3.8 of our after wittes as the Gréeke word mate seeme to signifie they are Testimonies that now our former sinnes doe displease vs. As that great sinner Mary Magdalen testified by the breaking of hir Boxe of precious ointment and annointing Christs feet therewith and wiping his feet with hir haire Ioh. 12.3 that now shée made no account neither of that precious ointment nor of her haire wherein before shée tooke great pleasure No doubt where true repentance and turning to God from sinne is these fruites will follow and without these fruites worthie of repentance we maie saie as Iohn said to the Pharisies that our repentance is but hypocrisie And after vpon this loue of God towards his Church followes a Prayer Turne vs O God of our saluation Verse 4. and let thine anger cease from vs. And after Make vs see thy mercie Verse 7. O Lord and giue vs thy saluation What is this but Iesus Christ Vnlesse God reueale it to vs wee cannot see the greatnesse of his mercie towards vs And therefore Dauid prayeth Make vs see thy mercy O Lord and giue vs thy saluation And after Verse 10. Mercie and truth are met together righteousnes and peace haue kissed each other As though hee should saie In Iesus Christ is mercie it selfe In him is the truth of all Gods promises What mercie 2. Cor. 1.20 or loue or blessing soeuer God hath euer promised by the mouth of anie of his Prophets is verified nowe and fulfilled in Iesus Christ These foure vertues neuer
mette in anie man since Adams fall till now Truth now hath flourished out of the earth Verse 11. O happie earth that bore at length such a blossome All men before were liars till Iesus Christ was borne Psal 12.2.62.9 In whose mouth was no deceit So that now it maie be said that trueth hath flourished out of the earth and neuer till now And righteousnes hath looked downe from heauen Euen nowe also to impart her selfe to men who were all before vnrighteous who were altogither naked as their great grandfather Adam confessed to cloath and adorne them Gen. 3.10 O happie assembly of heauenly vertues Oh blessed natiuitie of Iesus Christ Without this earth had still brought forth lies man had béene still vnrighteous anger and displeasure of God had raigned in the world Luk. 2.24 Esay 53.5 punishments and all manner of plagues had taken hold of all men Oh happie Metamorphosis and exchange That for lies truth for sinne righteousnesse for anger peace for punishment mercie and louing kindnesse is bestowed vpon man Naie this our king is such a king as that Righteousnesse shall go before him Vers 13. it shall direct his goings in the way he shall not once treade awrie So that to the verie faces of his enemies he shall saie Iohn 8.46 Which of you can rebuke me of sinne And none of them shall be able to accuse him He shall iustifie sinners that trust in him Esay 53.11 He is able to pay their debts and minister iustice for all those that are oppressed to their oppressors as he did to Naboth and Ahab 1. King 21.21 Luk. 16.25 to Diues and Lazarus This is the meaning of this Psalme Granatensis as he is full of holie meditations so especiallie he excéedes in this matter so that although the places I shall take out of him be verie long yet I hope the excellencie of the matter will make them séeme short Euen as it is written of Iacob Gen. 29.20 That he serued seuen yeeres for Rahel and they seemed to him but a few daies because he loued her So all they which loue Iesus Christ all the paines they shall take in reading things that concerne him it should séeme nothing vnto them Granatensis first therefore in a discourse he makes vpon the Lords prayer writes thus verie excellentlie of mans iustification by Christ in the sight of God But O Father doest thou forgiue vs our sinnes freely and without any recompence Truely thou forgiuest them freely not freely not freely for although mercy be readie to forgiue yet iustice will be satisfied freely because thou hast giuen vs freely that wherwith to repaie iustice that is that great and inestimable treasure which thy onely begotten sonne the whole space of xxxi j yeeres did laie vp as treasure for vs An entrance to the which he hath purchased for vs with his bloud We offer to thee this treasure O Father take thereof as much as thou wilt There may be drawn out thereof abundantly but it can neuer be drawne drie we may spend thereof but it can neuer be diminished All his merits are ours his satisfaction is ours his bloud is our ransome Therefore we beseech thee O Lord that being pacified with the bloud and merits of thy sonne that thou wouldest winke at our sins the which if thou shalt call into a streight account there is no man shall be able to abide the fauour much lesse the rigour of thy iustice Let thy mercie helpe vs who acknowledge our selues worthie to be damned for a thousand sinnes by thy iustice Purge vs with the feruent fire of thy loue take vs againe to thy fauour be friendes with vs Forgiue vs our trespasses Thus farre Granatensis And this which he teacheth must all Gods Saints pleade at the tribunall seate of Gods iustice They must saie with Dauid Pleade thou my cause O Lord Psal 35.1 with them that striue with me fight thou against them that fight against me And againe And now truely what is my hope 39.7.38.15 Truelie my hope is euen in thée And againe For in thee O Lord haue I put my trust thou shalt answere for me O Lord my God This must be their plea if they minde to be saued against all the accusations of their owne consciences and enditements of Sathan And this is that which our Sauiour teacheth Verely verely Ioh. 5.24 I say vnto you he that heareth my worde and beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life Granatensis concludes the Lords prayer thus Behold most louing Father how our childishnesse hath plaied her part as well as she can in vttering the words which thy only begotten sonne hath taught vs but now we powre out altogither and at once without wordes our whole hearts that thou wouldest mercifully grant vnto vs those things which we desire of thee O Father we most humbly beseech thee that thou wouldest mercifully bestow vpon vs all those benefites and graces before recited not respecting our vnworthinesse but the worthinesse of thy onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ For he is our aduocate our priest our sacrifice and our patrone before thee For we doe not prostrate our prayers before thy face trusting in our owne righteousnesse as the Prophet saith but in the multitude of thy mercies and in the merites of thy sonne our Lorde For whatsoeuer he hath done or suffered all that he hath giuen vnto vs he hath suffered and done al that for vs therfore for his sake we desire thee that thou wilt grant vs all these our requests By him thou hast created all things and by him thou hast restored all things that were lost by him thou hast created man to thine owne image and likenesse and by him thou hast reformed man againe to the same image He is the foundation of our being he is the foundation of our righteousnesse and the cause of our merites he is our intercessor with thee he is our aduocate and the strength of our hope Therefore whatsoeuer hitherto O heauenly Father we haue asked we haue asked all that by thy sonne for that which is not due to our righteousnesse is due to his merites If thou shalt finde no goodnesse in vs truely thou canst finde no wickednesse in him If there be no merites in vs behold his merites without estimation or number By him therefore we pray thee by him we beseech thee honour him in vs. For that which thou giuest to vs the verie same thou giuest to him for whatsoeuer is bestowed vpon the members redounds to the head whereof they are members We confesse O Father we confesse our pouertie we haue nothing of our owne that we may offer vnto thee least notwithstanding that we should appeare emptie before thee which thing thou forbiddest in thy law behold we offer vp in sacrifice vnto thee thy onely begotten sonne with all his labors
merites and these benefits why should I not therefore henceforth hope for grace glory and the forgiuenes of my sinnes seeing I haue such a treasure and such a bountifull treasurer who is euery day ready to satisfie his father for all my debts For if it shall be a thing iust and conuenient that the innocent should be punished and that the honourable should be despised that he should make satisfaction for sinnes and should cancell the bond and obligation openly in the sight of all men shal it not be a thing also both iust meet that the guilty persons for whom he suffered and made satisfaction should now bee acquited from all their debts and pronounced iustified before God Iustice found out a way and meanes to enter into the holy mans house who ought nothing and was not indebted and he executed his great rigor there and shall not mercie then finde out a waie which leades to the debters house that she may blot out our sinnes and pardon our offences It is a greater miracle that God should be taken scourged and condemned and die vpon a Crosse then to receiue an enemie for a friend and to vse a traitour as a sonne if he would repent him and be conuerted vnto the Lord. If therefore that be done which is the greater why should we doubt then of that which is the lesser Now therefore O Lord thy mercie is extold and lift vp verie high and thy bounteous liberality is proued and tried vpon sinners thy iustice also is magnified it hath exercised and executed her rigour and seueritie vpon the innocent and harmelesse without fault wherefore although grace be not giuen to a sinner to him as he is a sinner yet notwithstanding let it be giuen him for thy deerely beloued sonnes sake who redeemed him with so deere a price and at so great a rate It is thy mercie that a sinner should be saued if we looke into and consider the basenesse and vilenesse of sinners but it is thy iustice if we respect Christ and we hauing the one haue the other also And againe Blessed be therefore that condemned innocencie which hath absolued and set free so many condemned persons Ibidem and blessed be that blamed iustice which hath iustified so many reprobates Therefore if his merites haue neither ende nor number and all of them belong to the health and saluation of our soules without all doubt this his petition shall neuer be denied him being our mediator and making nowe intercession for vs. For it were great wrong that he who had indured so many iniuries should not obtaine that which he askes least peraduenture his pitifull and mercifull father should againe torment and afflict the soule of his sonne by denying him that which he desires whose body before he grieued with diuers torments he receiued woundes in his bodie that they might effect and worke saluation in our soules which he deserued and purchased for vs by his patience and sufferings he was taken apprehended handled as a sinner who notwithstanding was iust that we sinners might be accepted of God as iust He died and indured the punishment due to vs and descended euen as it were into the depth of the sea with griefes which he suffered It were an vniust thing that the father should twise iudge one thing and should punish one fault with double punishment but it is meete that the debter should now be restored to his former libertie if he would but only repent seeing that his surety hath paied his debt so liberally and bountifully for him whom he was suretie for And againe Looke vpon O Lord the face of thine annointed Iesus Christ who was made obedient vnto the death Med vitae Christi 25. euen vnto the death of the Crosse and let not his woundes and scarres euer depart out of thy sight but let them alway stil remaine before thine eies that thou maiest remember what a great recompence and satisfaction thou hast receiued of him for our sinnes and transgressions I would to God thou O Lord wouldest way in a paire of ballance the sinnes wherewith we haue deserued thy wrath and indignation and the griefe and punishment which thy innocent sonne suffered for vs Surely it will appeare a farre greater and worthier cause that thou shouldest powre downe thy mercie vpon vs for that his suffering and punishment then was that transgression that thou shouldest hide thy mercies in anger and displeasure for our sinnes Let all tongues giue thankes vnto thee O Father for the exceeding great abundance of thy goodnes who hast not spared thine onely sonne thy best beloued the ioy of thy heart in whom thou art well pleased but hast giuen him ouer vnto death for vs all that we might haue him as a most faithfull aduocate before thee in heauen And what thankes shall I offer and render worthily vnto thee O Lord Iesu thou most zealous louer of mankinde who am a man dust and vile clay for what couldest thou more haue done for my soule that thou hast not done what hast thou left vndone Granatensis in all these places hath most manifestlie set before our eies the great benefit of Christs Redemption not onelie by the example of a suretie who would paie another mans debts but also of a most déere and faithfull friend who would endure punishment and would die for his friend And doth Poligranes saie that he hath onely taken awaie the fault and not the punishment How doth this doctrine diminish the merites of Christs passion and his excéeding great loue towards vs and that to maintaine the Popes pardons for without this they fall to the ground Againe Granatensis whatsoeuer he teacheth of satisfaction by our owne workes in other places Orat. 5. de vita Christi for himselfe hee praies thus O bloud that giues life and saluation O Lord vouchsafe to wash me with that bloud and to sanctifie and purifie me with that most precious liquor O Lord offer it to thy father for a perfect satisfaction and remedie of all my wickednesses What can be saide more manifestly then this No doubt this was his faith thus he praied to God for himselfe And in another place writing of the worthie receiuing of the Eucharist De sanct euch sacra lib. 3. cap 2. he praies thus O my most sweete Lord God so huge is the greatnesse of my sinnes that I can neither amend them nor make satisfaction to thee for them Therefore I desire to receiue thy welbeloued sonne who vpon the altar of the Crosse offered to thee for me a most perfect sacrifice the same I offer vnto thee now for my sinnes that he may make satisfaction for me For I know that there is nothing els neither in heauen nor in earth that is more gratefull vnto thee or can by anie meanes requite thee the debt I owe thee Granatensis here plainlie distrusts in his owne paiment either in part or in whole of his debts and sinnes and
or labouring as the apostle saieth that crowneth or rewardeth But our gracious God shewing mercy Rom. 9.16 Secondlie hee saieth that as all our good workes were of mercie giuen vs in euery of them God by his grace preuenting our willes so they shall of meere mercie be rewarded as then wee had no merites for which in the beginning of our sanctification wée deserued at Gods handes to haue those good works giuen vs so neither in the rewarding of them nay they shall bee more mercifully and of greater mercy saieth Gregory rewarded at the last then they were giuen at the first Contrary to that Popish assertion which affirmes that our first iustification is free and of mercie but it is not so in the second But Gregory sayeth hee that of mercy hath giuen vs our good workes shall more mercifullie reward them No doubt considering the vnprofitablenesse of vs all after wée haue been admitted into the Lordes seruice and the daily rebellions of the flesh against his holy spirit euen in the best of his seruantes Saint Iohn saith Gal. 5.17 If wee saie wee haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. And our sauiour teacheth all to say 1. Io. 1.8 When you haue doon all that is commanded you which who can doe yet euen then say Luke 17.10 we are vnprofitable seruants we haue doone but our duties Ierome also hath this notable sentence to this same effect De filio prodigo ad Damas Let this seeme to none dangerous or blasphemous that wee haue said that euen this euill of enuy could creepe in euen to the very Apostles when as we may suppose thus much also to be spoken of the Angelles for the Starres are not cleare in his sight and he marked some frowardnesse in his Angels And it is said in the Psalmes No liuing thing shall be iustified in thy sight He doth not say no man shall be iustified but no liuing thing that is to say no not an Euangelist not an Apostle not a Prophet nay I will ascend higher not Angelles not thrones not rulers or powers or other heauenly vertues It is God alone in whom sinne fals not Thus by Ieromes iudgement all Gods saints are sinners Apostles Prophets Euangelists euen the blessed Virgine Mary all the heauenly powers whatsoeuer God himselfe alone is only without sinne And this doctrine of the fathers is agréeable to the scriptures Dauid writes thus of Canaan which was but a figure of our heauenly inheritance Psalm 44.3 They possessed not that land with their owne sword neither did their owne arme saue them But thy right hand and thy arme and the light of thy countenance Ci Ratsitham as it is in the Hebrew that is because thou haddest an especiall fauour vnto them This Ratson this good pleasure of God gaue them the possession of the land of Canaan not their fighting or working nay it followes Thou art my King O God command the saluation of Iacob The saluation of Iacob and of his posterity is Gods royall commandement not their merites they cannot challenge it And to this also agrées our Sauiour in the Gospell Luke 12 32. Feare not sayeth hee little flocke for it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome where in the Greeke the same word in effect is vsed which was vsed before in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Rotson haue both one signification and signifie a speciall fauour or good will towards any one And this is the cause of our iustification In cap. 7. Mat. Ferus also of trust in our owne righteousnesse writes thus When the weather is calme euery building easily standeth but winter tries the strength of the building Hee that trusteth in his owne righteousnes seemes to haue a strong building but in the winter in the time of death it then slips and falles downe For against death our strength is nothing this victory belongeth onely to Christ Here thou maiest stand safely Thus Ferus writeth in his copie imprinted at Paris 1564 but the Romaine Corrector biddes put onely in the edition printed at Rome 1577 As though this victory did not belong onely to Christ but that mans arme and power were able to doe some thing also therein And after of our workes hee writes thus In 8. cap. Mat. First we are taught by this that for our good deedes wee should not hunt after praise with men for they are not ours which God vvorkes by vs. Ferus attributes here all our good works to God and takes them quite awaie from vs but the Romaine Corrector biddes vs adde onely that our good workes are not onely ours as though they were in some part mens and in some part Gods Thus they dissent from Ferus and from the trueth to maintaine mans righteousnesse Of mans naturall corruption Ferus writes thus Againe beasts if they be not prouoked will not hurt thee but an euill man being not prouoked nay whom thou hast doon good to will hurt thee Againe a Serpent though he can infect with his poison yet he feares a man but the wicked without all restraint rageth in whom soeuer Therefore man without God is nothing else but a very bruit beast and dare do any thing Thus Ferus writes teaching plainlie the corruption of our nature but the Romaine Corrector biddes put out is nothing else They will haue some goodnesse remaine in man And againe to the same effect hee writes In cap. Mat. 12. Thou hearest that the Kingdome of Christ is not in vs vnlesse Christ first with his Spirit cast out diuels out of our hearts that hereby thou maiest learne that wee by our owne nature are vnder the diuels Kingdome from which we are not deliuered but by Christ The Romane Corrector biddes put out our nature and put in through our fault we are vnder the diuelles Kingdome They still go about to aduance the nature of man And that wee should put no trust in our selues he writes thus We are vnited to Christ through faith In cap. Mat. 11 and faith onely teacheth to trust in Christ which he cannot doe but that distrusteth in himselfe the which then we doe when we acknowledge our own misery And here thou seest that also which we haue admonished before thy first steppe to saluation is to acknowledge our owne insufficiency I would to God all Catholiques would ascend this steppe and what this insufficiencie is he hereafter further declares for manie Catholiques I thinke will not sticke to saie that their workes are imperfect But Ferus goeth on further For this cause saieth hee vvee haue shewed without confession any can hardly bee saued For God will haue vs freely confesse that we were damned in body and soule and so should euer haue beene vnlesse we had beene saued by the mercie of God bestowed vpon vs in Iesus Christ This confession is necessarie for all men For how perfect soeuer
thou art yet thou hast somewhat wherein thou must confesse thy selfe a sinner before God Here is our saluation the free mercie of God bestowed vpon vs in Iesus Christ that we should knowledge our selues euen damned creatures if Christ had not deliuered vs and howe perfect soeuer we are still to acknowledge our selues sinners before God and therfore of our selues deseruing damnation And after he writes thus By these it appeareth that of Adam we are borne euill and wicked for euen as a field of it selfe without seede brings foorth no fruit if any thing growe it is either Tares or if it be like good fruit yet there is nothing in it it is but meate for beasts so truely the sonnes of Adam vnlesse they be regenerate by Christ bring foorth nothing but euill fruit and if they shall seeme to bring foorth good fruit as the Philosophers taught morall vertues yet they are vaine they iustifie truely and haue their glorie In cap. 13. mat but with men not with God Whereas Ferus saith that the sonnes of Adam vnlesse they bee regenerate by Christ bring forth nothing else but euill fruites the Romane Corrector bids put out nothing but as though man could doe some good without Christ What is this els but to gainsaie the Gospell Iohn 15.5 where Christ saith meaning of good without me you can do nothing In cap. mat 14. And of Christ in another place he writes thus Neither by any other meane meaning Christ Iesus saieth Ferus canst thou passe ouer the sea especially at the extremitie of death which on the one side will make thee affraid and the Diuell on the other side and behinde thee the multitude of thy sinnes what wilt thou doe in this case If thou respect these daungers thou seest nothing but the sea and the depth therefore thou must needes despaire remember therefore that thou looke onely vpon Christ neither doubt any thing for by this meanes thou maiest passe ouer as Peter did Thus farre Ferus And hee teacheth plainelie that by no other meanes then by Christ we can passe ouer the sea of death But the Roman Corrector bids put out that and put in without this meane we cannot passe ouer death And whereas Ferus bids vs onely haue an eie to Iesus Christ the Corrector bids put out onlie They must haue an eie to their owne workes and an other to Christ as it should séeme so iniurious are they euen to Christ himselfe who is our only Sauiour Esai 63. who alone trode the wine presse for vs as himselfe witnesseth Of iustification also Ferus writes thus In cap. 16. Io. The holy Ghost shall reproue the world of righteousnesse because I go to the father my righteousnesse can pierce the heauens and come before God and not any other righteousnesse And after The holy Ghost sheweth that the righteousnesse of the world sufficeth not to saluation And then he shewes that there is one only true righteousnesse with God that Christ is gone to the father that is that his death and resurrection iustifieth vs. And of faith he very excellently writes thus I require no great price but as I haue promised freely so I will giue freely onely if thou canst but beleeue in me In Ioh. cap. 11. Faith therefore is the meane whereby we obtaine the life and resurrection and all the goods of Christ Ferus of mans righteousnesse writes thus In cap. 4. Ioh. All mens righteousnesses are more vncleane then that they may iustifie vs or may commend vs to God If any man seeke righteousnesse out of the lawe howe much good soeuer hee doth yet he cannot obtaine thereby peace of conscience yea thereby also his conscience is the more disquieted the law often times accusing him that at length he is compelled to trust onely to the mercie of God and to say we are vnprofitable seruants and no flesh shall be iustified in thy sight Also in another place he writes thus In cap. 3. Ioh. Furthermore also by this word may be vnderstood that onely Christ by right and merit ascended into heauē for to him by right belongs the kingdome of heauen because he is the naturall sonne of God And therefore he saith all thine are mine And Dauid saith The heauen of heauens are the Lordes but the earth hath he giuen to the children of men All others which haue ascended or shall ascend haue this onely of grace by no right but because God onely hath promised this of his mercie neither our works of what kinde soeuer they be are so great that they may deserue this reward either of right or of desert but in as much as God accepts them in mercie Hereof it is that Saint Paul saith The sufferings of this life are not worthy the glorie we shall haue And the same Paul saith The waight of eternall glorie aboue all measure surpasseth all the sufferings of this life And of these he collecteth That we are saued by grace and not of workes least any man should glorie And lastly so that word may be vnderstood that no man by his owne righteousnesse may stand or appeare before God but onely Iesus Christ neither any maruell For all are gone out of the way and are altogether become vnprofitable And also if any good workes of righteousnesse appeare in vs yet we haue euer more sinnes so that Dauid iustly cried out If thou Lord shall extreamely marke what is done amisse who may abide it Furthermore our good workes haue some imperfections in them yea for the most part they are infected with vain glory or with some other fault of the old man so that it is truely said All our righteousnesses are like a defiled cloth And for this cause also Dauid praied Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified If therefore our righteousnesse cannot stand in Gods sight how could it open heauen vnto vs or deserue the holy Ghost to reconcile vs to God But Christ dare appeare before God because he is the sonne of God and all other being damned and quite vndone he onely hath the fauour and grace of God he onely possesseth righteousnesse and to conclude he onely hath in himselfe all the good gifts of God Also onely his righteousnesse is acceptable to his father because it is mingled with no sinnes yea it is most pure hauing proceedeed from the great loue and charitie of his father That all the world may know saith he that I loue the father I doe as the father hath commanded And Saint Paul saith he was obedient euen to death Therefore he alone could deserue for vs the opening of heauen the loue of his father and the holy ghost By this word therefore Christ would humble vs that we should neuer presume of our selues nor of our owne righteousnesse not that we should doe no good but that we should acknowledge our selues vnprofitable seruants although we shall haue done all that
ceremoniall nor morall neither in those that go afore iustification neither in those that follow but onely in the grace of Christ And this is one of the chiefest pointes of Christian religion to knowe whereunto one maie trust in his saluation and in this he plainelie agrees with our doctrine And againe in another place he sayeth expresselie That the woman comming for another thing In cap. 2. Ioh. that is for vvater found Christ so God deales with vs. Our saluation chanceth to vs without desert and commonly neither desiring it nor seeking it yea being busied about other matters and seeking other things So the Kingdome fell to Saul seeking his fathers Asses So Christ was preached vnto the Shepheards keeping their flocks So Andrew and Peter casting their nets into the Sea were called of Christ So Matthew and Paul and others going about other matters receiued saluation of Christ To conclude so long wee are carefull for our owne affaires that is for carnall things till Christ of his owne freewill offer himselfe vnto vs beyond all our expectation And hence it is that the Bride crieth Draw me after thee and the prophet Turne vs O God of our saluation For if Christ should not preuent vs with his grace we do still remaine in our sins euen as that woman had returned euen as she came if Christ had not preuented her In cap. 3. Ioh. And in another place hee writes thus Vnlesse a man be borne againe Nicodemus asked Christ nothing expressely and yet Christ first of all answeres him of regeneration By this he hath taught all Preachers that first they make the tree good and then that they require good fruites that is to say that first they teach faith whereby a man may be iustified and afterward good workes and in this one short word he comprehendeth the whole summe of Christian religion Man truly was created to euerlasting felicity but because thorough his sinne he became accursed it came to passe that not onely himselfe and all things that he had but that also all his posterity became accursed therefore because wee are borne of Adam we are all become vnprofitable and abhominable both in body and soule in all our power and hability Vnlesse therefore by the grace of God we be borne againe and of Adams Sonnes bee made the Sonnes of God all things are in vaine that we doe or endeuour or thinke or speake yea our selues are vaine and all our reason will strength and works Therefore he that desires to enter into the kingdome of God must become a new man so also he that desires to see the kingdome of God that is to vnderstand the mysteries of the kingdome of God and his heauenly doctrine as God shewed to Iacob the kingdome of God in that ladder lift vp which reached to heauen he must lay aside all fleshly wisedome he must deny his owne reason he must despise his owne strength and must yeelde himselfe wholy as it were a bondslaue to the word of God By this word therefore Christ condemnes vs and all things that wee haue that hee might prouoke vs more forcibly to seeke helpe of him Againe by this word he wrests from vs all confidence in our selues or in our owne works and takes from vs that staffe of a reede that we may learne to trust in the onely mercy of God For faith is the sure staffe of our old age by which alone we may passe ouer this Iordan of temptation the figure whereof was shewed before in Iacob Here therefore learne why God in the Scriptures oftentimes condemnes our works and our endeuours for he doth not this to bring vs into despaire or because good works do not please him but that he may teach vs to trust only in the mercy of God And a little after hee writes thus Although one man beeing compared to another one may seeme more nobler or wiser or more iust then another yet if we respect the power wisedome and iustice of God we are all alike weake ignorant and sinners neither one not so much as an haire excels another For we all stand need of the grace of God And after It is no maruell if Nicodemus vnderstood not the words of Iesus For the fleshly man vnderstands not those things which are of God For they are foolishnesse vnto him Ferus here plainelie teacheth that a right faith must bee the roote of all good workes and that is such a faith as the Gospell teacheth that is that Iesus Christ is both able and willing to cure all diseases both of bodie and soule and with such a faith all sinners should come to him alone and that this faith should be planted in euerie Christians heart which the Papistes haue not doone heretofore in their Church And after this faith then good works should bee taught and required Secondlie hee teacheth that we haue no power to doe good left in vs wee are not like Birdes in a Cage which if the stoppe of sinne were taken awaie would voluntarilie flie out as other Papistes teach but euen deade Birdes and Carions hauing no strength or power at all to doe good and that Christ condemnes vs to make vs more forciblie to flie to him and that wee must not put anie confidence or trust in our workes and that before God there is not anie one man a haire better then another but all are alike sinners not excepting the blessed Virgine Marie of her owne nature What doctrine can bee more agreeable to the Gospell then this or to that wee nowe teach in the Church of England I woulde to GOD all Papistes woulde marke it and beléeue it Philippus de Dies also writes thus King Ezechias asking life of God Sermone 2. de resur recites his benefits saying O Lord I beseech thee behold I haue walked before thee in truth and in a perfect hart that I haue don that which is right in thy eies Why O holy King sayeth hee doest thou alleadge thy seruices that thou hast done to God It had seemed better if thou hadst alleadged thy miseries thy pouerty So poore men are wont to doe that may moue them to pity of whome they hope for an almes they shew them their wounds and miseries To this Saint Gregory answeres that the holy King here doth not alleadge his vertues as deserts but as all Gods benefites for all the good thinges wee doe they are Gods benefites And so saieth Saint Austen expounding the Psalme Who crowneth thee with mercie and louing kindnes saieth hee Is there not a crowne due to good works But because he works in vs all our good works therefore he sayth which crowneth thee with mercy and louing kindnes because al our good workes are the mercies of God And in another place hee writes thus Conc. 2. in fest Matth. One of the holy fathers being asked who was holy answered He that was humble And beeing asked againe who was more humble answered Hee that was more holy Lastly
being asked who was most holy answered He that was most humble and he that accounted himselfe least of all others For he trusting nothing in himselfe hath all his trust reposed in God Dauid came downe to this steppe of humility who said O Lord my hart is not exalted nor I haue no proud lookes my soule is euen as a wained child By which words the Prophet very excellently declared how humbly he accounted of himselfe therefore he most finely coÌ„pares his wil to a child who being taken and wained from his mothers pappes relies altogether in his mothers curtesie who by himselfe can prouide no meat for himselfe c. Al true Christians should be as wained children they should put their whole trust in God they should find no meate no matter of strength whereupon to trust or relie in themselues but in GOD. This is Philippus de Dies his iudgment Oleaster also a Papist writes thus In 2. cap. Gen. Can thy worke be euill O Lord or can there be any imperfection in it that it should neede to be examined As if all other works need triall yet not light which thou hast made most pure and glorious by which al the other works are examined what wilt thou teach me in this triall I thinke thou wouldest tell me that I should examine and trie my darkenesse if so be that thou so diligently examine thy light for what are our works if they shall come to be examined in Gods iudgement but darknesse No flesh saith the Lords child shall be iustified in thy sight Wée maie note here how this Papist confesseth that all our workes if they should bee examined in Gods iudgement are but darkenesse And yet after he addes Not that we think with the LutheraÌ„s that the iust man sinnes in euery worke hee doth but we meane to signifie the imperfections of our works if they be brought to examination of Gods iudgment If there bee darknesse in the workes of the iust is there not sinne Are not all imperfections and declining from the law of God sinne Hée teacheth here the same doctrine the Lutherans teach that there are imperfections and daâ—kenesse in the workes euen of iust men and that their workes are not able to stand in Gods Iudgement and yet hee will not bee of their opinion And hee addeth for more confirmation of this doctrine that place of Esay We haue all beene vncleane and all our righteousnesses as the defiled cloth of a woman Therefore sayeth hee how pure soeuer how good thy worke seem to thee O man compare it to the glasse of Gods law that thou maiest amende vvhat thing thou findest fault in it present it to Gods eyes that thou maiest heare his iudgement of thy worke Stella of the perfection of our workes and perfect fulfilling of the lawe In cap. 1. Luc. writes thus vpon these wordes And they were both iust before God if therefore it be written In thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified how can any man be called iust before God If our righteousnesse be considered as it hath some fault mingled with it no man is iustified because In manie thinges we offend all and all our righteousnesses are like a defiled cloth of a woman Also if you compare our righteousnes to the righteousnes of God no man shall be saued and therefore most holy Iob said Shall man be iustified being compared to God But if this righteousnesse be considered according to the measure prescribed to man so the best and those who are friends with God on some sort are called iust before God In cap. 16. Mat. Ferus also concerning this matter writes thus Although the Scripture call all the faithfull Saints not that they want no perfection but for the blood of Iesus Christ wherewith they are washed and sanctified yet in themselues they are imperfect and haue need to say Forgiue vs our trespasses and euer with faith and trust in the mercy and goodnes of God they haue feare ioined for their infirmity as Iob saith I feared all my works when as the same Iob somtimes declared himselfe to be innocent Both therefore are necessary to a Christian feare and hope hope least be should despaire and feare least he should presume Stella also writes thus Neither was the holy Virgine content for the excellent vertue of hir humility to say he had respect vnto his hand maid In 1. cap. Luc. but to the basenes of his handmaid And here thou must marke this basenes concerning hir merits for she thought hir selfe of no merit of no vertue and this not fainedly or falsly for she considered the excellency of hir owne strength and not on Gods behalfe his gifts bestowed on hir And this consideration is the mother of an â—â—mble hart whose root is in the soule Thus farre Stella I woulde this roote of humilitie did also growe in all Christians heartes which did grow thus fruitfullie in the heart of the Virgine that they would with her consider not their merites but their vnworthinesse 5. Of the Certaintie of Saluation ANdradius Lib. 6. orthodox explicat expounding the meaning of the Vniuersitie of Collen against Monhemias how wee maie both hope and doubt of our saluation writes thus Although sayeth hee our hope hath euer doubting ioined with it yet it differs very much it selfe from doubting For when as our hope whereby we do promise to our selues eternall life doth trust both to our works and also especially to the mercy of God and his omnipotency which doth proceed of our merites and when as we do often loose the grace of God by our sinnes and we our selues do hinder the course thereof that it doth not flow into our hearts it comes to passe truely that our hope is so certain that yet it is euer coupled and ioined with feare and doubtfulnesse For hee which considers the goodnesse and omnipotent power of GOD neuer doubts nor feares any thing but is as the mount Sion which of no side can be remooued but when he considers his owne frailty and pronenes to sinne as long as he liues then he feares least he should expell or hinder the goodnes of God Wherefore when as Saint Paul saith that hope maketh not ashamed and he calles it the sure Anchor of the soule he considered the omnipotency and power of God vpon which our hope chiefly resteth by which it hath this vertue that it is without al doubt But the Vniuersity of Collen where they say that it doubteth very much they consider the infirmity of our nature and the force of our desires which oftentimes force vs from the standing in the law of God and reason and doo as it were driue vs into these sinnes whereby we loose the brightnes of righteousnesse and merit the anger of God and euerlasting torments But let vs heare howe farre they are wide from Saint Pauls doctrine in this their consideration Abraham sayeth hee is called the father of vs all as it is
that especially helpes to keepe and preserue this peace of conscience is a certaine familiar and a filiall trust which the iust haue in God of which wee will speake briefly which in some of them is so great that there is no sonne in the world which in all his necessities trusts so much in the protection of his father as they do in the protection of God For they know that there is no father on earth worthy of this name if he bee compared with their heauenly father They know that this father hath a care not onely of their bones but also of the very haires of their heads and that not one of them doth fall without his appointment and will These and such other like things they know by faith And they know also by the experience of particular graces and by his prouidence and louing kindnesse which God vseth towards them and they know that God will so certainly prouide for them in all their necessities that they sing ioifully with the Prophet The Lord gouernes me or as some other doth translate it The Lord doth feed me and therefore I can lacke nothing And after Although I walke in the middest of the shadow of death I will feare no euill because thou art with me Such like promises hath the scripture in a thousand places and with the truth of these the iust man is defended as with a most sure shield and therefore he is neither troubled nor any whit moued in all the chances of this life For whatsoeuer is taken from him on the one side he trusts shall be restored againe of God on the other side in matters of greater waight and importance Thus farre Granatensis And what could be more truelie and plainlie written of the great loue which God hath to euerie Christian and of the loue which he ought to beleeue most assuredlie To beleeue this loue of God towards them is the onelie shield of Christians in the manifold chances of this life Take this loue awaie from them and you leaue them naked and what is more contrarie to the doubtfull doctrine of our saluation which the Church of Rome daylie teacheth Ferus speaking of the time betweene Christs death and his resurrection writes thus Fer. Ser. 10. de filio predi What maruell is it saieth hee if the Disciples then doubted whether their faith in Christ were a right faith or no That without all doubt was a most sorrowfull time vnto them when as they were so perplexed in their minds For what doth so torment a mans conscience as then when he is compelled so to sticke in two waies doubtfull of his faith whether there be any hope of grace and mercy or no This I say the holy Apostles and Disciples tried by experience in the death of Christ c. Such a doubtfull faith the Church of Rome now teacheth which Ferus here plainelie condemnes as a most miserable thing In the psalme euerie soule now is called the beloued of God Psalm 118.6 That thy beloued may be deliuered saieth Dauid Let thy right hand saue mee and heare thou me Euerie soule in the sight of God is now Dauid that is beloued is Salomon is at peace with God is Iedidiah on the Lords behalfe But to returne againe to Granatensis after hee addes this And by this meanes the people of God as the Prophet Esay sayth Ibidem shall sit in the beauty of peace and in tabernacles of sure confidence and in rich tranquility where she shall find all things in him who is all in all Therefore the Prophet fitly ioines peace with confidence for one of these comes of another that is peace of confidence for he that trusts in the Lord there is nothing that may cause him to bee afraid or that may trouble him for he hath God his defender and one that prouides and taketh care for him Of the certaintie also of saluation Med die lunae de vener Sacram he in another place writes thus Christ also would make his spowse sure of the inheritance of the heauenly kingdome and he would leaue hir thereof an earnest penie and pledge that being sure of it she might passe ouer without wearines the pilgrimage troubles of mans life There is nothing that doth more forcibly moue vs to cōtemn al these things which are vnder the sunne then the hope looking for of those things which we shal haue in heauen And therefore our Sauiour said when as he was now ready to die I tell you the truth it is expedient that I go away frō you c. And a little after That his spouse might most certainly look for this good thing he hath left hir this incōparable pledge which is of so great price and valew as are those things which by the hope thereof she lookes for And he hath left hir these pledges least she should distrust the promises of God but should verily beleeue that God will giue all things in the life to come which he hath promised where she shall liue by the spirit seeing he hath not denied her the pledge thereof in this vale of misery where shee liueth in the flesh And in the same Chapter a little before Why was it not enough O King of glory to thy most feruent and vnspeakeable loue to haue despoused my soule vnto thee my soule I say which before was a seruant and bondslaue of the diuell but also when as thou hadst seene her to languish in thy loue thou madest for her this mysticall loue medicine which is consecrated and transelemented with these words that it hath power of transforming the soule that eates it into thee and of inflaming it with the loue of thee Nothing declares more manifestly ones loue then to wil to beloued againe Therefore when as thou so earnestly desires our loue and hast sought for it with so great pleasure who is it that hereafter will doubt of thy loue I am sure O Lord that when I loue thee I am loued againe of thee I am sure O Lord that I need vse no new meanes to kindle thy loue towards me as thou hast done to rauish my affections towards thee Thus farre Granatensis What can bee more plainelie saide that euerie one is sure of his saluation then that euerie spouse of Christ that shée might bee sure of her heauenlie inheritance and that shée might passe ouer this pilgrimage ioifully hath receiued a pledge and earnest penie thereof of God and that hereafter now none will doubt of the loue of Iesus Christ towards him why then he is sure of his saluation And in another place Loue and mercy compassed thee about and laide that heauy burthen vpon thy shoulders loue mooued thee to giue me thy goods and mercy caused thee that thou shouldest take vpon thee all my euilles if therefore mercy with loue brought thee vnto such and so miserable a state who euer hereafter wil doubt of the greatnesse of thy loue For if that
the Church as manie doe nowe Chrysostome or whosoeuer he was that wrote this booke a verie auncient and learned Christian was of this iudgment long before Antichrist came and shall we now not beleeue it seeing it with our eies And he addeth that the onely way nowe to trie the truth is by the Scriptures This is his counsell And the Pope herein by disswading men from reading the scriptures declares plainely that hee is Antichrist for as the Gospell teacheth He that doth euill hateth the light and will not come neere it Why should the Pope debarre men from reading the scriptures but that he feares they would discouer his darkenesse and false doctrines Neither is the comming of Elias and Enoch necessarie for the conuersion of the Iewes The scriptures doe teach vs other meanes of their conuersion Euen to this daie saith Saint Paul when Moses is read 1. Cor. 3.15 there is a vaile put ouer the hearts of the Iewes but when they shall returne to the Lord the vaile shall be taken away It is God alone which must take awaie the vailes from their hearts and then they shall be conuerted Psal 119.18 As Dauid also prayeth O Lord take awaie the vaile from mine eies and I shall beholde the wondrous things of thy law And in another place saint Paul writes thus If the reiecting of them were the reconciliation of the world Ro. 11 15. what is the resumption and taking them againe but euen life from death The conuersion of the Iewes then and their resumption is euen as it were of dead men to make liuing men And this is the worke of God alone And this worke doth he worke euen in a moment as many histories do proue That hereof then no Christian may dreame of any long continuance of this world because the Iewes are not as yet conuerted when as their conuersion is of the hand and power of God as saint Paul plainly teacheth and not of the comming and preaching of Enoch and Elias and is as it were putting life into dead men which God can doe in a minute And of the ouerthrowing of Antichrist 2. Thes 2.8 Saint Paul also writes thus That he shall be consumed by little and little by the Spirit of Gods mouth and shall be quite abolished by his glorious appearance Iesus Christ himselfe by his word and by his owne presence shall consume and quite destroie Antichrist he shall not need the ministerie of Elias and Enoch The prophet Zacharie also prophecying most manifestly of the conuersion of the Iewes attributes it to Gods extraordinary mercie and not to the preaching of Elias and Enoch And I will powre out saith God vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and prayers or of mercie For the hebrew word may signifie both Zach. 12.10 And they shall looke vpon him whō they haue thrust thorow they shall lament ouer him as one doth ouer his onely begotten and the whole land shall lament family to family by themselues the family of the house of Dauid apart c. And here in this waightie matter concerning the fulfilling explication of this prophecy to let all mens interpretations passe the holie ghost it selfe by whom the prophet spake is the best interpreter of this prophecie and teacheth vs most plainly in whom and when it shall be fulfilled As concerning the first in whom it shall be fulfilled saint Iohn in his gospell tels vs plainly That it shall be fulfilled in those Iewes that put Christ to death and caused him to be pearced with a speare Io. 19.37 For he saith that therefore one of the souldiers thrust him thorow with a speare that that scripture might be fulfilled And they shall behold him whom they haue pearced That was done then that this might be fulfilled hereafter So that of the persons vpon whom this prophecie shall be fulfilled it is plaine that by Saint Iohns interpretation they are the true naturall Iewes and not as some haue here allegorically gone about to expound this place the spirituall Iewes that is vs Christians And if S. Iohn here do plainly affirme that this latter branch of Zacharias prophecie shall be fulfilled in the true Iewes I will adde that then likewise the former branch of this prophecie that is That God will powre vpon them the spirit of grace and mercie shall be fulfilled in them We may not dismember the prophecies of God If the latter part be verified in them then surely it necessarily inferres that the former is verified also And at what time all this shall be fulfilled the same saint Iohn in another place declares Behold saith he he comes in the clouds and all eies shall see him Reue. 1.7 yea euen they which haue pearced him and all the tribes of the earth shall lament ouer him Amen That this shall be fulfilled in the day of iudgement here saint Iohn plainly affirmes and he also ads that wéeping whereof Zacharie maketh mention to make the matter more plaine And that this wéeping which Zacharie speakes of shall be of such as shall be saued is manifest hereby first that the prophet saith That God will powre vpon them the spirit of grace and mercy This powring this aboundance of grace and mercie argues no doubt the hainousnes and the miserablenes of their estate wherein they are euen now also it argues their fauourable acceptation and pardon at Gods hands And that also it shal be of such as shall be saued appeares hereby that the prophet declares the manner thereof so apparantly euen twise togither They shall lament him saith he as one that lamenteth bitterly for his onelie sonne and they shall be sorie for him as one that is sorie for his first borne No doubt this argues that this their repentance shall be syncere Gen 34. Heb. 12. Mat. 27.4 Luke 7.3 Mat. 26.7 8. euen from the bottome of their hearts not like Esaus or Iudas his repentance but like Marie Magdalens and Peters So that to expound this place of vs Christians who are spirituall Iewes seemes not to agrée naturally with the text and also to gainsay saint Iohns exposition Who saith that Christ was pearced with a speare that the scripture might be fulfilled in them and that not then but hereafter And they shal see him whom they haue pearced Neither do we read of anie such generall mourning required or practised of the spirituall Iewes that is of vs Christians when we were conuerted In the Acts of the Apostles Act. 2.37.41 They were pricked in their hearts we read and of their baptisme but of the teares of anie we read not Neither was it fulfilled in those women which when Christ was led to his passion came weeping after him Luke 23.27 For these were but certaine women neither do we read that they wept apart but altogither neither that anie men wept with them but women onely And those women wept before he
of grace is called the fulnes of time And for this cause the sonne of God is called the hand of the father because as by the hand things are wont to be distributed So the eternall father by the sonne hath giuen his heauenly gifts This hand Dauid praied so earnestly for send out thy hand from aboue c. If we lacke anie thing we are wont to receiue it at mens hands and not at their féet So here let vs receiue all things at the hands of God Almightie let vs not seeke anie thing at Saints or Angels which may resemble Gods féet In ca. 19. Esa Ierome writes thus vpon these words And they shall not remember the former things Although this may be said that in the new heauen and the new earth all the remeÌ„brance of our conuersation shall be quite blotted out least this should be some peece of euill to remember our former griefes and necessities As the saints shall not remember their former anguishes or griefes to impaire in anie respect their ioy so no doubt much more not the griefes of others And againe In all their trouble there shall be no trouble And the Angell of his face shall saue them that is Iesus Christ who is the Image of God and appeares before God now for vs or else who is like to vs and is perfect man Psal 118. v. 27. In times past as Dauid witnesseth The sacrifices were bound to the hornes of the Altar not to the postes of the house of God though they were neuer so holy and gilded So now we must binde our sacrifices that is our prayers to the Altar Iesus Christ not to the postes of the house that is to the Saints In cap. 3. Io. Ferus also writes thus Afterward Iohn expresseth the conditions of those that be Christes friends he standeth saith he as readie to doe whatsoeuer is to be done he heareth what the bride groome talketh with the bride and he reioyceth in the glorie of the bridegroome These are those thrée conditions of all the friends of Iesus Christ which were bidden to the marriage by Ferus his iudgement and of all Gods Saintes And no doubt as they performed the two former while they were here in this life that is they stood all readie to doe his commandements and they gladlie heard his words so likewise in heauen they reioice in his glorie his glorie is their glorie They all with Saint Iohn here doe put awaie all glory yéelded vnto them and attribute it vnto him And after he must increase I must decrease we are taught by this sentence that all the authorities dignities offices righteousnesses wisedomes powers of all men are to be made no account of that only Christs authoritie dignitie office righteousnesse wisedome power may be established To conclude it belongs to him to be exalted it belongs to vs to be humbled If this be true what meanes all those hymnes and songs and prayers to the glorie of Saints which the Church of Rome vseth In the councell of Rhemes cap. 2. celebrated vnder Charles the great An. dom 913. we are taught that it is not lawful for a christian not to know without booke the Lords prayer or not to vnderstand it or not too often vse it If this be true how many thousand Christians in the time of Poperie were transgressors of this lawe who vnderstood not the Lords prayer Theodoret against prayers to be made to Angels writes thus They which defended the law In 3. ca. ad Col. perswaded them to worship Angels saying that the lawe was giuen by them And this fault remained long in Phrygia and Pisidia wherefore also the synode which met at Laodicea which is the chiefe Citie of Phrygia did forbid by law that they pray to Angels And euen vnto this day we may see amongst them and amongst their borderers houses of prayer of S. Michael They gaue men counsell to doe this vsing humilitie saying the God of all things could not be seene nor comprehended nor that any man could come vnto him and that they must get them the good will of God by the means of the angels Is not this plainly the papists doctrine at this day they build Churches to Angels they teach that by the meanes of Angels we must procure the fauour of God And after vpon these words Doe all things in the name of our Lords Iesus Christ because saith Theodoret they commanded to worship Angels he commaunds the contrarie that they should make glorious or acceptable to God both their wordes and deedes by the remembrance of our Lord Christ And saith he send forth your thankesgiuing to God your father by him and not by Angels The councell of Laodicea following this law and hauing a minde to cure this olde disease decréed Conc. Lâ—od cap. 32. that they should not make any prayers vnto angels that they should not leaue out the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Here we may note that we should not make anie prayers vnto Angels and that we should neuer leaue out of our prayers the name of our Lord Iesus Christ but that we should doe all things in his name and that he alone makes our prayers glorious in the sight of God and procures vs Gods fauour Stella also of the great mercie of our Sauiour writes thus Secondly he touched the leaper In 5. ca. Luc. that he might mooue vs boldly to come to him and that he might take away all occasion of feare let no man be affraid let all come to him Christ doth not loathe our Leprosie nor filthy corruption but he pities vs more then any father doth his children because he knowes whereof we be made If a leprous sinner maie come boldly to Christ what sinner shall be affraid to come Also vpon the first of Luke he askes a question why God sent an Angell to the virgin could not God himselfe haue reuealed this mysterie to the virgin he could truely but he would send an Angell first that he might declare the loue and charitie he beares vnto vs so that he procures our redemption euen by the ministerie of Angels So Paul saith Are they not all ministring spirits for those which shall receiue the inheritance of saluation Out of which place man may drawe an argument that he may magnifie or thinke well of his owne estate because Angels are sent to minister and serue vnto him And after If any prince or noble man should prostrate himselfe on the ground that he might gather vp the crums which fell from thee were he not despised and no account made of So thou which art a noble and excellent creature of God when as thou hast Angels to be thy seruants oughtst not to bow thy selfe to these earthly things which are vile and of no reputation Thus farre Stella The same reason we make against praying to Angels If God haue so exalted vs that Angels are our seruants why should we abase our selues to knéele downe to
to anie other The same Granatensis writes thus of himselfe Ibidem And surely the errours of my life and sinnes are so manie and so great that some men being in the same state of damnation as well as I and not considering O Lord thy omnipotencie but measuring according to their owne frailtie and wauering mindes with their forward thoughts haue entered into iudgement with thee saying Mine iniquities are greater then that they may be pardoned and giuing no credite to thy words and promises imagine that as some angrie or cruell man thou thinkest vpon punishment and reuenge and not vpon grace and pardon And such O my God when they shall see that thou wilt forgiue me my sinnes shall be ouercome and ashamed of their iudgements And they shall acknowledge that which thou spakest by thy Prophet that is As high as the heauens are exalted from the earth so are thy waies farre aboue the waies of men and thy thoughts aboue their thoughts Therefore O Lord haue mercie vpon me and blot out mine iniquitie Thus farre Granatensis He confesseth himselfe to be a damnable sinner Here is no merits then and yet for all that he hopes for pardon comes to the throne of Gods mercie nay they which think God to be an angrie God so that he will not heare sinners he plainlie teacheth that they haue a wrong opinion of God And do not the papists teach this in their doctrine of intercession to saints Angels This faith al the scriptures teach vs that when we pray in the name of Iesus Christ God doth most assuredly heare vs. And so we ought to frame our words when we pray as though we were in the presence of God and our hearts after we haue praied that God in whose presence we haue praied hath granted our requests This faith the gospell teacheth They which beléeue not this denie the faith of the Gospell And the same Granatensis that he may the more déepelie imprint and fasten this loue of God in our hearts which is the very roote of the assurance which we haue in our prayers in another place let vs marke how excellentlie he commendeth and expresseth this excéeding great loue of God towards vs. Can there be any greater argumēt of the goodnes of God wished or desired then to consider that a God of such infinite Maiestie Granat de perfect amor dei cap. 28. who not for any need but onely of his owne goodnes doth stoupe downe humble himselfe so greatly that as a steward purueyour of birds fishes and wormes he prouides all things necessary for their life Neither being content with this alone he doth humble himselfe so far that he giues them also pleasant things wherewith they may delight themselues stirring vp in them also certaine motions of pleasures That euen as thou O Lord hast not only an essence or being but also a most happie and blessed essence so also thou wouldest haue all thy creatures be they neuer so vile and base in their kinde to participate of thee and to enioy both these that they should haue both an essence and also a most happie and ioyfull essence Who is not now amased to see such a miracle who hereby acknowledgeth not the infinite kindnes nobilitie and liberalitie of Gods heart who shewes himselfe so louing and courteous to so vile creatures which if a man meet withall he will make no account to trample vnder his feet Which of vs is it that thinkes it concernes him any thing at all whether a Flie or Pismire haue food or not or whether she be merie or sad Who therefore will not maruell that a God of such great maiestie in comparison of whom all the world is no bigger almost then a little Pismire not onely to haue special care of the liues of these smal vermine but also of the delights and pleasures wherewith euerie one of these is delighted when as he lookes at the hands of these neither for praise nor thanks O wonderfull goodnes O inestimable sweetnes O my God how great incomprehensible are those things which in the bosome of thy glorie thou hast reserued for thy faithfull friends when as thou hast such a speciall care of vile wormes How can I distrust of thy prouidence mercie towards men whom thou hast bought with thy precious bloud when as that is not wanting euen to the beasts of the field Thus farre Granatensis This onelie consideration should make vs pray to God alone Chap. 29. And after of the praiers of the faithfull he writes thus What shal I say O Lord of thy readines in hearing the praiers of the iust what of thy speedines in fulfilling their desires how often doest thou promise vs this in thy holy scriptures that thou mightest take away our infidelity distresse In a certain place thou saiest which of you askes bread of his father and will he giue him a stone our askes fish and will he for fish giue him a serpent or if he aske an egge will he reach him a Scorpion If ye therefore when as ye are euill know to giue good things to your children how much more shall your heauenly father from heauen giue his holy spirit to them which aske him And in another place Aske and it shal be giuen to you seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you But the words of our Lord which are in S. Iohns Gospell doe declare the same much more manifestly by which it is manifest that God hath at once opened to his friends all the gates of his mercie when as he saith If you abide in me and my words abide in you aske whatsoeuer ye will and it shall be done vnto you Could the heart of man if a wish were giuen him to wish whatsoeuer he would haue wished a more large or greater benefit when as in these words he hath leaue giuen him to aske whatsoeuer he will And he giues his word also that whatsoeuer he asketh he shall obtaine These are the promises of the Gospell from which they also disagree not which are found euerie where amongst the Prophets The Psalmist saith in a certaine place he will doe the will of them that feare him and he will heare their prayer and will saue them And in another place The eies of the Lord are vpon the iust and his eares are open vnto their prayers And in another place hee saith He hath regarded the prayer of the humble and hath not despised their petition Esay also sings the same song to vs. For after he had shewed with what good works God is especially serued by and by he addeth the reward that shall be giuen to them that serue him saying Then he shall call and the Lord shall heare him he shal crie and the Lord shal say Behold here am I. And as though this were but a small thing thou thy selfe O Lord addest a farre greater and more bountifull promise in the same Prophet
saying And it shall come to passe that before they shall call I will answere and while they yet speake I will heare Hee must needs be very hard harted and starke blind who is not mooued with such words and promises that he may consider and perceiue the great mercie and goodnesse which thou vsest towards thy seruants And who would not willingly suffer any thing that he might be accounted in the number of them c. To make intercessors to God what is it but to doubt of these promises both of the Prophets and of the Gospell then to doubt of this readinesse of God which Granatensis here teacheth to heare our praiers If this be true we neede no intercessors Cap. 33. And after Great is the loue wherewith fathers loue their children and yet the fathers tender heart will not suffer that the sonne that hath married against his will or hath done any such like fault should once come into his sight But yet the tender mercie of this our heauenly father although a man haue done vnto him all the iniuries that can be deuised if he returne to him with all his heart doth not despise him but receiues him as he did the prodigall son forgiuing all his trespasses and faults The prophet knew this when as he said O Lord thou art our father Abraham is ignorant of vs and Israel knowes vs not but thou O Lord art our father and our redeemer and thy name is from euerlasting This thy loue O Lord springs of thy goodnesse from which proceede two most profitable streames that is thy mercie and thy loue the one that our infirmities might be cured and the other that thy good things might be imparted to vs. If therefore this thy fountaine be infinit what shall the floud of loue be that proceeds from it Therefore I neither fear nor am affraid nor distrust although I acknowledge my selfe to be a sinner so vnworthy to be beloued For how froward soeuer I am he that loues me is good so good that he wil not reiect sinners yea he cals them vnto him he receiues them and eates with them To all these tokens and works of thy loue another is added O Lord because thou art loue it selfe thy Euangelist witnesseth this when as he saith God is charitie and he that dwelleth in charitie dwelleth in God and God in him O truely sweete and wonderfull thing to haue such a God who is altogither loue and whose nature is charitie c. Such a faith should all Christians haue of God and such a confidence in him And this faith the Gospell teacheth And what néeds then any intercessors to so louing a God and mercifull a father Cap. 28. And againe he writes thus The greatnesse of thy goodnesse besides all these thy mercie doth most of all testifie which thou vsest towards sinners bearing with them with so great kindnesse looking for them with such great patience yea being offended of them yet calling them to grace and pardon and being iniuried by them euen drawing them to reconciliation Nay to conclude offering them satisfactions and opening to them the rich treasures of thy merits How easily art thou found of them how soon doest thou heare them how mercifull art thou in receiuing them how liberall in pardoning them I am greatly amazed O Lord when I remember the mercie which thou vsedst towards Manasses that king of Iudah to whom after his strange idolatrie after the bloud of thy Saints shed so plenteously after so great and horrible iniquities when as he asked pardon of thee thou didst not only forgiue him all his sinnes but also didst deliuer him from most cruell bondage and didst restore him againe to his kingdome not denying saluation to him by whose wickednesse so many soules had perished and for whose haynous acts that noble Citie of Ierusalem with that most famous and holy temple was ouerthrowne and become desolate Thus farre Granatensis And this is to declare the name of God Iohn 27.26 I haue declared thy name saith our Sauiour and will declare it that the loue wherewith thou hast loued me may be in them and I in them This is to declare the name of God how mercifull how kinde how louing God is how readie he is to heare sinners and willing to pardon them For otherwise God hath no proper name that Christ declared vnto vs. And this euerie Christian is bound to doe And hereof dependeth a great reward that God will loue such preachers and declarers of his name that is of his mercie and goodnesse euen with the same loue that he loued Iesus Christ And here then let all Christians take héed how that they doe derogate anie thing from this name Titilman a Papist in his exposition of S. Iohns Gospell expounds this place thus These places of Granatensis I haue rehearsed thus at large both for the excellencie of the matter contained in them and also to declare how resolute he is in this matter The same Granatensis as in his whole booke of deuotion he doth highlie commend prayer and would that no other businesse or studie whatsoeuer should hinder that affirming prayer to a Christian to be like Sampsons hayre which when it was cut away he was no stronger then another man euen so saith he the strength of a Christian consists in his prayer Take that away from him and he shall be of no strength at all So he declares most excellentlie how we should praie De deuot li. 3. cap. 42. Christians saith he that pray are in this place to be admonished that making their prayers they doe that with as great deuotion and marking as lies in their power For hereof depends all the force and fruit of prayer for in Gods eares as Bernard witnesseth an earnest desire is a great crying and a colde or slothfull minde and intention is a low voice for his eares are open rather to the voice of the heart then to the voice of the body By this it may be plainly perceiued how barren and fruitlesse the prayers of some men are as well cleargie as lay-men which with such haste and speed runne ouer their deuotions and Psalmes that they seeme not at all to talke with God For they would not deale so negligently and carelesly with man if they had any thing that they would earnestly obtaine at his hands For as Salomon testifieth The poor man beseecheth but the rich man speaketh roughly For he that feeles his owne want and miserie and couets earnestly to be relieued in these as he desires this from the bottome of his heart so he praies with all his hart with as great earnestnesse as he can saying with the Prophet I haue cried with my whole heart heare me O Lord. I would to God men would vnderstand remember when they pray with whom they speak and about what businesses they speake For if they knew that they talked with that same great maiestie at whose presence the
intreate of the punishment of them that are dead For therefore a great tribulation shall go before and afterward fire shall descend and shall quickly purge all the relickes of sinne in iust men For as Ireneus notes in the ende of his fift booke Then sodainly the Church which is on earth shal be taken to her spouse Neither then shall be any time of purging any more as there is now after death before iudgement Here is purgatorie and no purgatorie for those fathers in déede speake of a purging which shall be at the daie of iudgement by fire but not of those onely that then shall liue as M. Bellarmine here séemes to expound Ierom but of all men in generall as appeareth by the words Ierom there vseth Peccatores quosque flumina ignis ante cum traehent voluentia The rowling streames of fire shall drawe before him all sinners not those that be liuing as Master Bellarmine expounds him And the Lord is called a fire and a consuming fire that he may burne our wood hay and stubble alluding to that place of Saint Paul That if any man haue built vpon Iesus Christ wood hâ—y or stubble the day of the Lord shall trie euerie mans worke not the workes of them that liue then onely but euerie mans worke And after he addeth That according to the saying of Ezechiel whatsoeuer in our gold and siluer that is in our vnderstanding and word is mingled with brasse iron or lead in the Lords furnace may be a Percoquitur thorowly fined that pure gold and siluer may remaine Here Ierome speakes of all sinners not of those that shall liue then And he addeth That our gold and siluer that is iust mens workes as well as sinners drosse shall then bee examined And in another place which hath béene alleadged before he manifestly confirmeth this exposition As we beleeue saith he that the torments of the Diuell and of all them which denie God and of wicked men which say in their heart there is no God Ieron in 66. ca. Esaiae are euerlasting So also wo is me of sinners yea of Christians whose workes shall be purged and tried with fire we suppose that the sentence of the iudge shall not be extreame but mixed with mercie This place against M. Bellarmines exposition prooues that all Christians workes which are sinners shall be tried and purged at that daie and not those onely that then are liuing in stéede of the purgatorie they should haue endured Saint Augustine also saith which place Master Bellarmine there also hath alleadged for purgatorie Aug. de ciuit lib. 20. cap. 25. of these things which haue been spoken it seemes to appeare most euidently that in that iudgement there shall be some purgatorie punishment of some but he names not who they be It should séeme he means those whom Ierom meant before Neither doth that place of Irenaeus which alleadgeth make anie thing for his purpose For Irenaeus there first writes thus The day of the Lord is as it were a thousand yeeres Iren. lib. 5. And in sixe daies were all things finished that were made And therefore it is manifest that the sixt thousand yeere shall be the consummation of all these things And therefore in all that time man being made in the beginning by the hand of God that is of the Sonne of the Spirit that he may be according to the image and likenesse of God the chaffe being cast away which are Apostacie and the corne being taken into the barne that is they which bring forth fruits to God through faith And therefore tribulation is necessarie for them that shall be saued that being as it were broken in peeces and made into smal powder and sprinkled here and there through patience by the word of God yea euen beene all a fire they might be fit guests for the kings banquet And as one â— our Christians who being iudged to be cast to wild beasts to be torne in peeces of them for his martyrdome towards God said Because I am the corn of Christ I am grinded by the teeth of these wild beasts that I might be found fine manchet of God And after The nations are so farre profitable and fit for the iust in as much as the stubble is profitable for the increasing of the wheat the chaffe thereof to burne for the purifying of Gold And therefore in the end when the Church departing hence shall be taken aloft there shall be saith he tribulation such as neuer was nor shall be That shall be the last combate of the iust wherein the conquerors shall be crowned with incorruption Thus farre Irenaeus And here M. Bellarmine mistakes a word for repetente Ecclesia as it is in Irenaeus printed at Basil Anno Dom. 1526. which is as much as to say the Church repairing againe to a place he puts in repente that is sodainly As though this sodainnesse of her departure should be the cause of that her purging by fire because she could not stay to endure the fire of Purgatorie It may séeme of that one word he grounds this his exposition And if he doe it is but his collection it is not Irenaeus assertion as he saith and that also of a false foundation taking repente for repente which is in the auncient copie And if so be that the word were repente so dainly yet there néeded not anie Purgatorie fire to the end that they might attaine saluation For euen sodainly God is able and hath also saued sinners as Elias is called of Saint Iames A man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subiect to like affection and perturbations euen as we are Iam. 5.17 and therefore a sinner yet was he translated into heauen sodainly And our Sauiour himselfe speaketh thus of Zacheus who before was a Publican as soone as he beléeued on him This day is saluation come vnto this house Christ also healed very many both of their bodily Luke 19.9 Mark 5.34 Luke 7 50. and spirituall diseases sodainly saying thy faith hath saued thee No doubt if these had then died they should haue béene saued euen sodainly without enduring anie Purgatorie There is a place in saint Paul where the word sodainly is vsed 1. Thes 5.3.4 For when they shall say peace and safetie then shall come vpon them sodaine destruction c. But you brethren are not in darknesse that that day should come on you as a theefe in the night But that sodaine destruction or punishment respects the wicked not the faithfull that shall then liue at that day more then them that haue liued before that day Here is not one word of anie purging but of the purging of afflictions And that shall be all the time of the continuance of the world saith Irenaeus And that shall so cleane purge vs as it shall make vs fit guestes for the Lords banquet and what other purgatorie then shall the faithfull stand néede of Here is not that those that liue at the
sighing and groning Ro 8 15.16.26 with faith and assurance For all these are the fruits of the holy Ghost Thirdly keep your selues in the loue of God that is be sure that God loues you Be sure and know that you haue eternall life Let not that subtil serpent euer perswade you to doubt of Gods loue towards you as he did Eue your grandmother And who goes about still teaching the same lesson to them that will beléeue him Gen. 3.5 And lastly looke for the mercie of our Lord Iesus Christ to eternall life Do not trust in your workes challenge nothing of desert Confesse that you are vnprofitable seruants Trust onely in his mercie Luke 17.10 These are the markes of the true Church by saint Iudes iudgement And they which lacke these are Sathans synagogue are the false Church what markes soeuer else they doe bragge of Psal 119.142 For Gods word is the word of truth And the markes of the Church that are in it set downe are onely the true markes But to conclude although many other cleare and manifest marks of the Church might be gathered out of the scriptures yet these markes are especially to be marked of vs which saint Iohn puts downe in the Reuelation For they concerne our daies they are those marks of Gods house which Babylon had defaced Antichrist had raced out so as in mans iudgement it séemed impossible that euer they should haue béene brought to light againe Antichrist heere dealt so cunningly euen as Pharaoh did in murthering the Israelites children intending to destroye their posteritie Exod. 1.14 and Herode in murthering the young innocēts Mat. 2.16 thinking thereby also to haue murthered Iesus Christ But God that dwelleth in heauen laughes all these their counsailes all this their wisedome to scorne And therefore saint Iohn saw an Angell flie in the midst of heauen Psal 2.4 Reue. 14.8 hauing an euerlasting gospell to preach to them that dwell on the earth and to euerie nation kinred and tongue and people Here is the first marke of the Church the preaching of the gospell This marke Antichrist had quite abolished And although in his kingdome that he might not séeme to be quite opposite to Iesus Christ vtterly to disallow preaching he had his Friers that preached yet the pastors of congregations Luk. 12.42 1 Pet. 5.2 whom Iesus Christ and Peter also commaunded to feede their flocke themselues in those daies seldome preached And these Friers preached not the Gospell but their legends of Saints commonly And therefore the second marke of the true Church is to preach not legends or olde wiues tales but an euerlasting Gospell that which was from the beginning not a new faith deuised of mans braine in the succession of manie ages Iesus Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for euer Heb. 13.8 Iud. 1.3 And all Gods true Saints must striue to maintaine that faith which was once giuen to the Saints in the beginning by Christ Iesus himselfe and by his Apostles That gospell which the Church of Rome now teacheth is not such a gospell And this gospell must be preached to the inhabitants of the earth to euerie nation and kinred and tongue and people Antichrist had seduced all these Reu. 17.2 all these were drunken with the pleasant wine of Babylons fornication Antichrist had not seduced the nation of the Iewes as the Papists thinke hee shall What néede the Diuell go about that they are his alreadie they are alreadie seduced as much as can be but he shall seduce all nations tongues kinreds and people he shall peruert the gospell of Iesus Christ And therfore to them it behooueth that this euerlasting gospell should be preached againe The plaster must be applied to the sore And here that marke which the Church of Rome woulde make men beléeue is a true marke of the true church is quite ouerthrowne and approoued to be a false marke Shall all nations be made drunken with Antichrists poisoned and pleasant wine why then Vniuersalitie is not a sound and a true marke of the Church Saying with a lowd voice Feare God Reu. 14.7 and giue glorie to him c. Now followes the doctrine and chiefe points of this euerlasting gospell as also by the contrarie most euidently may appeare the points of Antichrists doctrine for contraries make one another more manifest and cléere So that then if this be the euerlasting gospell to feare God and giue him the glorie the gospell which Antichrist preached was contrarie to this Not to feare God and not to giue him glorie Deut. 10 1◠And now Israel what doth thy Lord thy God require of thee saith Moses but to feare thy Lord thy God to walke in all his waies and to loue him and to serue thy Lord thy God with all thy hart and with all thy soule And God himselfe speaketh thus by the Prophet Ieremy Ier. 5.21.22 Heare now this O foolish people and without vnderstanding which haue eies and see not which haue eares and heare not Feare ye not me saith the Lord or will yee not be afraid at my presence which haue placed the sand for the bounds of the sea by the perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it and though the waues thereof rage yet can they not preuaile though they roare yet can they not passe ouer it And of man the Prophet Esay saith Esay 2.22 Cease you from the man whose breath is in his nostrels Marke 7.7 And our Sauiour saith of the Pharisees They worship me in vaine teaching the doctrines and commandements of men For ye lay the commandement of God apart and obserue the traditions of men as the washing of pots and of cups and many other such like things yee doe Such feare to breake mans lawes and commandements they had also most manifestly in the time of Poperie As concerning Gods glorie also the Prophet Esay writeth thus Esay 42.8 I am the Lord this is my name and my glorie will I not giue to another neither my praise to grauen images And after Behold I haue fined thee Esay 48.10 but not as siluer I haue chosen thee in the furnace of affliction For mine owne sake for mine owne sake will I doe it for how should my name be polluted Surely I will not giue my glorie to another And so Ieremy counsails the people Ier. 13.16 Giue glorie to the Lord your God before he bring darknesse and or euer your feet stumble on the darke mountaines And Dauid saith Psal 65.1 To thee O Lord praise keeps silence or vpon thee it waites in Sion So that whereas God by his eternall word commandeth to feare him and to be afraid to break his commandements and to giue all glorie to him the gospell of Antichrist was to feare man and to kéepe his commandements and to giue glorie to creatures And did not we sée this fulfilled in the time of Poperie how
he is the propitiation of our sinnes But this propitiatorie is but a cubit and a halfe it is limited 2. Cor. 6.2 Heb. 3.15 Ma. 25.12 Gen. 6.3 Io. 3.4 it is not infinite Now is the accepted time saith saint Paul now is the day of saluation He that comes not to day and heares his voice but hardens his heart if he come the next day with the foolish virgins shall be excluded The olde world had a hundreth and twentie yeeres to repent in and Niniuie fortie daies Vers 20. And the Cherubims shall stretch their wings on hie couering the mercie seat with their wings and their faces one to another To the mercie seat ward shall the faces of the Cherubims be The Cherubims stretch out their wings ouer the mercie seate and so ouer the whole arke to teach vs that all Angels attend vpon Iesus Christ are his seruants to defend his Church as he himselfe witnesseth to Nathaniel Io. 1.50.51 And Iesus answered and said vnto him because I said vnto thee I saw thee vnder the figge tree beleeuest thou thou shalt see greater things thē these And be said to him Verily verily I say to you hereafter shal ye see heauen open the Angels of God ascending descending vpon the son of man Cyril in 2. ca. Io Heb. 1.14 1. Pet. 1.2 ◠as Cyrill expounds it at his commaundement ascending descending for the saluation of the faithful as S. Paul also witnesseth Are they not al ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes which shal be heirs of saluatiō And they turne their faces to the mercie seate because as Peter saith they which haue preached the gospell by the holy ghost sent downe from heauen haue preached such pretious things as the Angels desire to behold And thou shalt put the mercy seat aboue vpon the Arke and nothing else Vers 21. The true Arke of God then must alone worship Iesus Christ and for his sake hope for mercie at Gods hands only Vers 21. Exod. 16.34 Deut. 10.2.31.26 1. King 8.9 Heb. 9.4 Io. 6.33 Rom. 10.9 And in the Arke thou shalt put the testimonie I will giue thee Euery member of the true Church must haue those thrée things which after were put in the Arke in his heart that is the law of God which was contained in the two tables A Gomer of Mannah that is Iesus Christs incarnation for he is the true Mannah that came down from heauen And Aarons rod that budded that is his death and resurrection So that he that hath all these in the closet of his heart shall be saued and is Gods Arke and is no doubt a member of the true Church And there I wil declare my selfe vnto thee Verse 22. from aboue the mercie seate betweene the two Cherubims which are vpon the Arke of the testimonie I will tell thee all things which I wil giue thee in commandement vnto the children of Israel From this mercie seat procéeds all Gods spéeches with vs Iosuah 7. Exod. 12.13 2. Cor. 4.1 Lam 3.22 here he heares all our prayers Of his mercie he passed ouer the houses of the Israelites when as he destroyed the Egyptians Of his mercie Paul became an Apostle It is the Lords mercie saith Ieremy that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not The table also being couered all with gold Verse 23. Leuit. 24.5 being placed in the Tabernacle whereon the shew bread or as it is called in the Hebrew the bread of faces was set Verse 29. which loaues were changed euerie sabbaoth and the crowne of gold round about the table and the instruments for the table as dishes incense cups and gobblets and the pure incense that was put vpon them what doe all these signifie but the ministerie the preaching of the Gospell The crowne about the table signifies how glorious the preaching of the Gospell shall be 2. Cor. 3.7 If the ministration of death saith S. Paul written with letters and engrauen in stone was so glorious that the children of Israel could not behold the face of Moses for the glorie of his countenance which glorie is done away how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be much more glorious The word of God also may fitly be called the bread of faces For God himselfe séeth both his stewards that distribute this bread and his seruants that receiue it And at that great day of account he shall pronounce that steward blessed Luk. 12 4◠that hath giuen meat to his family in due season And again those seruants which haue receiued much of them shall much be required Luk. 12.48 Esa 35.11 not a crum of this bread shall be lost not one word of God shall returne to him emptie it shall be either the sauour of life or of death 2. Cor. 2 1◠And this bread was renewed euery sabboth Still bread was set vpon the table but new bread euerie Sabboth day to teach faithfull Pastors that they should euerie Sabbath day preach and breake this bread of life to their flockes Luk. 4.16 So we read of our Sauiour that as his custome was he taught the people euerie sabbath day to leaue all faithfull Pastors a patterne to follow And these loaues were set in order six on one side and sixe on another to teach vs that the word of God hath meat fit for al states conditions of men Psal 2.10 Psal 82.2 Rom. 13.1 Iam. 5.13.7 Act. 2.42 Ios 6.10 for all times and seasons for kings and euen for meanest subiects for the time of prosperitie and of affliction The pure incense placed vpon these loaues declares that we must ioyne prayers with preaching and that our prayers must bée grounded on Gods word In the ouerthrow of Iericho the people should shout but when Iosuah appointed them so in their spirituall warfare must all the souldiers of Iesus Christ not shout nor pray no otherwise then he appointeth The frankinsence must be put vpon the loaues because prayer and hearing the word preached must be ioyned together He that turneth away his eares from hearing the law saith Salomon his prayers be abominable Prou. 2◠9 The dishes also and Goblets and cuppes which were made as instruments for the table declare the diuers states and conditions of men which should be in Christs Church and the diuersities of their gifts 1. Cor. 12.4 Matt. 12.4 1. Pet. 2.5 Reu. 1.6 Exod. 26.31 Rom. 15.4 And that the Priests should only eat of that bread signifies that all Christians should bee Kings and Priests and should now be partakers of those heauenly dainties And this Table should be placed toward the North to teach vs that the Scriptures were written as S. Paul witnesseth that through patience and comfort of the scriptures we might haue hope They are the only table of refreshing Ephes 6.15 amongst the cold and Northren blasts of this life We must bee shod with the shooes of
the Gospell against the manifold thornes and pricks which Satan here in this life strewes in our wayes and in our iourney to heauen Exod 25.31 The golden Candlesticke which God commaunded Moses to make hauing one foot and a shaft beaten our with hammers hauing on euerie side therof three brāches cōming out of it euery branch hauing 3 bowles like to an Almond vpō it one knop one flower declares vnto vs also the ministery in the Church of God Act. 26.18 Luk. 12.42 whose office is aswell to giue light and to teach all as to giue meate and food and therefore héere they are compared to the candlestick And as before there was but one table so heere there is but one Candlesticke to declare the vnitie that should be among the ministers and pastors of Christs Church They should all be as one 1. Cor. 1.10 There should be no sects or schismes amōgst them They should go out to battell against their enemies as the Israelits did Iud. 20.8 euen as one man The foote of this Candlesticke is Iesus Christ who alone sustaines vs Matth. 28 2◠Reu. 1.13 who is said to be among the golden Candlestickes The shaft thereof is the Apostles out of which procéede thrée branches on the right side and thrée on the left side to teach vs that as there were false Prophets in the law as Peter teacheth 2. Pet. 2.1 so there should be also in the Gospell This Candlesticke shall haue aswell left branches as right branches euerie branch shall haue thrée bowles like Almonds and a flower and an apple The bowles like Almonds declare the doctrine they must preach They must preach the Gospel that is Mark 16.15 comfortable doctrine and glad newes And this is to be bowles like Almond nuts Leuinus Lemnius de herb◠biblicis cap. 4◠For the Almond is comfortable and restoratiue They must also haue an apple and a flower They must not haue only flourishing words but good works that they may say with Paul Brethren be followers of me And againe Phil. 3.17.4.8 Furthermore brethren whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things pertaine to loue whatsoeuer things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise think on these things which ye haue both learned and receiued heard and seene in me Those things do and the God of peace shall bee with you By this type we may learne the necessitie of the ministerie in the Church Who would dwell in a house which lacked light What ioy can I haue saith Tobias that sit in darknes Tob. 5.12 and see not the light of heauen Such is the estate of all men without the preaching of the word vers 38. The snuffers also and the vessels to put the snuffes in doe teach first that ministers must haue a care of their doctrine that it be cleare and pure grounded of the Scriptures Matth. 15. ◠that no dregges of mans traditions be mingled with it God will haue all his torches burne cleare Secondly the vessels wherein the snuffes were put doe comfort those which haue meaner gifts in the Church Those which cannot be Apostles or great Doctors must not discourage themselues God had in his Tabernacle as well vessels to hold the snuffes of the torches as the torches themselues Lastly this candlestick must bee Mikshah beaten with hammers not melted sound not hollow 2. Cor. 2.4 to teach all Gods Ministers to beware of hypocrisie They must not make merchādize of the word of God The forme and fashion of this Tabernacle how vnlike is it to the Church of Rome In the making of this Tabernacle all things were voluntarie but the Roman Church commands she puts a necessitie in all her doings The Arke being all couered with the gold of charity 1. Cor. 16.14 condemnes that couetous Synagogue Let all your affaires be done through loue saith S. Paul but they do all for money She hath separated those foure rings from the sides of the Arke and the barres also she hath pulled forth from the rings which God commaunded should not be separated while she neither suffred the Bible to be in the Church neither the Pastors to preach it Neither were these rings fastened to the sides of the Ark neither were the tables of Gods commandements and that heauenly Manna and Aarons rod contained in the Ark while the gospell of Iesus Christ his most glorious death passion was not plainly taught the people It was neither in their houses nor in their harts She taught that the mercie seat couered not all the Ark but that the blessed Virgine was without sinne And that not as the Cherubims do all men should turne their faces to the mercie seat but that praying we may turne our faces some other way She hath also taken away the table of the shew bread from Gods house and hath not commanded his stewards to giue meat to his familie in due season but hath laid this burthen on other mens shoulders Likewise she hath made Gods house a most darke dungeon by taking from thence the light of Gods word Salomons temple also was a figure of Christs Church as first the verie author therof may teach vs. Salomon in Hebrew signifies peaceable Phil. 4.9 so the great God of peace Iesus Christ the true Salomon builded Gods Church Ioh. 14.27 Ephes 3.14 1. King 6.1 Matt. 6.33 1. King 7.1 Luk 2.46 1. King 5.13.14 He is our peace saith S. Paul He is our Salomon Secondly Salomon built the Temple in the fourth yeare of his raigne to teach vs that we must first seek the kingdome of God Salomon built Gods house before his owne house so Iesus Christ being but twelue yeares old began to build his Temple disputing with the Doctors And this exāple of Salomon proueth that kings though they be not builders themselues yet they may commaund the workmen they may cause the Lords house to be built So kings though they be no ministers yet may deale in ecclesiasticall affaires they may command the builders they may by their authoritie command and procure that Gods temple be built The Temple was builded in the moneth Zif which signifies brightnesse to declare 1. King 6.2 1. Ti. 4.13.15 that knowledge learning is required to the building of Gods house The which thing Pet. Berchorius in his Moralizations doth verie excellētly expresse Berch lib. 11. Moral super 3. Reg. cap. 5. Salomon saith he built the house of the Lord of squared wood and grauen stones and he deuided it into three roomes in height and whereof the lower was deuided into the inward oracle and outward house And thus it was made that all the walles of the lower Temple were couered with boords of Cedar and the floore with firre boords And aboue the boords all things were couered with plates of gold round
thy truth and faith in thée Rom. 8.30 that thou hast poured into vs good inspirations and good thoughts that thou hast deliuered vs from that euill one Matt. 6.13 and preserued vs from all perils and dangers from sodaine death burning with fire robbing with théeues and such like casualties Iob. 1 19 Luk. 13.4 wherewith manie are sodainlie taken in the night vnawares that thou hast with such greate patience and mercie staied thy wrath so long frō vs Rom. 2 4. giuen vs so large a time of repentance amendment or life For these and all other thy benefites which thou hast bestowed vpon vs from the first day of our birth vntill now Psal 105.2 which are mo in number then the haires of our heads we giue thee as we are most bound O most mercifull Father in the name of thy Sonne Iesus Christ continual and most humble and heartie thanks And we offer vnto thee O Lord all that we go about to do or suffer to be done Psal 37.5 all our labours all our studies all our exercises in a word all that we are to doe or wherein we shall bee employed or occupied this daie And we beséech thée poure downe thy blessing vpon them and prosper and giue good successe vnto them Psal 90.17 118.25 To thee also we offer euē our selues our soules and bodies with all ours Psal 150.6 that both we and all things els maie shewe thy praises set forth thy honour and declare thy glorie Into thy hands we commit all our affaires so that thou maiest do and worke in all things and dispose of all things whatsoeuer as shall please thy most holy and sacred will euen as though they were thine owne businesses and affaires and none of ours Moreouer Matt. 26.39 for as much as of our selues we are not able to doe thee anie seruice giue vs O Lord thy grace that we maie be so strengthened therwith Ephe. 3.16 that we may think saie or do nothing which is not agréeable to thy most blessed will O Lord make our wils alwaies agrée with thy wil. Psal 19.14 1. Cor. 3.5 And we most humblie beséech thée euer to assist vs with thy grace and to giue vs power and strength against all kind of sinnes especiallie against those whereunto we are inclined of our owne natures as pride couetousnesse enuie maliciousnesse gluttonie vncleannesse vaine glorie idle words such like so that through the power of thy might Ephes 6.10 we maie get victorie against these and all sinnes whatsoeuer Furthermore for as much as man is borne to labour and trauell as the birds to flie and thou hast ordained him the day to labour in Iob. 5.7 Psal 104.25 thou wouldst not haue him liue idly or spend his time vainlie endue vs all O Lord with thy grace that wee maie euerie one labour and studie to serue thée faithfullie in our callings Ephe. 4.1 2. Tess 1.11 And that labouring for the bodie and sustentation of this present life we maie yet cast awaie the great blindnesse of our minds and carefulnesse of worldly thinges and maie alwaies labour without all care ioyfully Matt. 6.33 1. Pet. 5.7 euen as the birds flie putting our whole trust in thée being most assuredlie perswaded that thou carest for vs and therfore O good Father giue vs grace to cast all our worldly cares vpon thée And giue vs alwaies onlie this care that we maie put our whole studie and care in kéeping of thy commandements O good Lord 2. Pet. 1.5 Iam. 1.23 make vs not only hearers but doers of thy word O Lord let vs not haue only a shew of thy religion but let the force and power thereof shine in our liues and conuersations 2. Tim. 3.5 Matt. 18.7 that we be not offences and stumbling blockes but lights and good examples to others And that wee may dayly do this Matt. 5.16 O good Lord as it hath pleased thée to make the Sunne to shine vpon the earth to giue our bodies light so we most humbly beséech thée inlighten our mindes and hearts by thy holy Spirit 2. Pet 1.19 that we may bee euermore directed in the way of righteousnesse Psal 90.2 And as this day addeth somwhat to our age so let thy holy spirit adde therein somewhat to our knowledge and faith that so growing in the measure of thy grace daily Ephes 4 15. Luk. 1.71 till we come to our perfection which is in Christ Iesus we maie serue thée in holinesse and righteousnesse not onlie this daie but all the dayes of our life Graunt vs these our petitions deare Father and all other necessarie graces for vs and thy whole Church for thy deare Sonne Iesus Christ his sake our most blessed Sauiour to whom with thee and the holie Ghost be all honour and glory now and for euer Amen Amen A Forme of Euening Prayer for Christian Families O Almightie God our heauenlie Father Psal 47.7 73.24 139.1 which art the great king ouer all the world which gouernest and preseruest all things which searchest vs out knowest vs which knowest our sitting downe and our vprising and vnderstandest our thoughts long before which art about our path and about our bed and spiest out al our waies We thanke thée through our onely Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ for blessing vs this daie past in all the studies businesses and affaires that we haue gone about We confesse what soeuer we haue brought well to passe to haue beene thy great mercies towards vs. Psal 108.13 Wée thanke thée for sauing vs from all dangers of bodie and soule we confesse our life our strength all the good things we haue Iam. 1.17 wholie and onlie to depend of thée And now as the day which thou hast made for labour is past and the night is come Gen. 1.25 which thou hast in like manner created for the refreshing of our wearie bodies and minds graunt vs therefore so to take our bodilie rest therein that our soules maie continuallie watch for thée and our heartes be lifted vp to loue thée Cant. 5.2 Grant that our sléepe be not excessiue but onelie sufficient to comfort our weake natures Giue euerie one of vs good Lord we beseech thée thy grace Pro. 6.9 that before we suffer our eies to sléepe or our eie lids to slumber or the temples of our heads to take anie rest to examine our consciences and to iudge our selues and to call to remembrance all our actions that wée haue done this daie whether all our thoughts words and works haue béene agréeable to thy holie will and commandements Psal 145.2 or no. And if we haue done anie thing well to giue thée in the name of Iesus Christ heartie and humble thanks for it Matt. 6.12 and if we haue omitted anie good worke which we might haue done to condemne our negligence slacknes and wearinesse in thy
disquieted within me O put thy trust in God For I will yet giue him thankes which is the helpe of my countenance and my God The ioy of the Lord is your strength Nehe. 8.10 Rom. 15.13 O Lord of hope fill vs with all ioy and peace through faith that we may abound in hope through the power of the holie Ghost When we shall heare the clocke strike let vs say Blessed be the houre wherein our Lord Iesus Christ was borne and died for vs. When as we shall haue done any thing well let vs say Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs Psal 115.1 but vnto thy name giue the glorie For thy louing mercie and for thy truths sake When we shall take a iourney I will go forth in the strength of the Lord God Psal 71.16 and I wil make mention of thy righteousnes only In a doubtfull matter let vs pray thus In silence and confidence is our strength Esa 30.15 In dangers let vs pray thus Our helpe standeth in the name of the Lord Psal 124.8 who hath made heauen and earth For Faith let vs pray thus with the Apostles O Lord increase our faith Luke 17.5 For the loue of God O Lord poure thy loue abundantly into our hearts Rom. 5.5 by thy holy Spirit For remission of sinnes Haue mercie vpon me O God after thy great goodnesse Psal 51.1 according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Psal 19.13 Who can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse thou mee from my secret sinnes Psal 25.7 O remember not the sinnes and offences of my youth but according to thy mercie thinke vpon me O Lord for thy goodnes For good thoughts Psal 19.14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be alwayes acceptable in thy sight O Lord God my strength and my redeemer For good workes Psal 119.122 Make thy seruant delight in that which is good that the proud do me no wrong At the houre of death Psal 31.5 Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of truth For the Church pray thus Psal 28.10 O saue thy people giue thy blessing vnto thine inheritance feede them and set them vp for euer Psal 80.7 Turne vs againe thou God of hosts shewe the light of thy countenance and we shall be saued Psal 85.4 Turne vs O God our Sauiour let thine anger cease from vs. In the afflictions of the Church Amos 7.2 O Lord God spare vs I beseech thee who will raise vp Iacob for he is small Psal 51.18 O be fauourable and gracious vnto Sion build thou the wals of Ierusalem Psal 122.6 7 8 O pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that loue thee Peace be within thy walles and plenteousnesse within thy pallaces for my brethrens and companions sake I will wish thee prosperitie Saint Gregorie his Prayer Greg. post Psalmos poenitent O good Iesu the word of the Father the brightnesse of the Fathers glorie on whom the Angels do desire to looke teach me to doe thy will that being led by thy good Spirit I may come to that blessed Citie where is an euerlasting day and one spirit of all men where is certaine securitie and secure eternitie and eternall tranquilitie and quiet felicitie and happie pleasure and pleasant ioy where thou God liuest with the Father and the holie Ghost for euer and euer Amen He that shall vse these short prayers no doubt as arrowes they shall mount vnto the skies and enter euen into the eares of God A View of Gods houshold and of all his Seruants THis is set downe by king Dauid very excellently in the Psalme They haue seene O Lord Psal 68.25 thy goings how thou my God and king hast walked in the Sanctuarie Here Dauid teacheth vs that the Lord God as a mightie Prince sometimes as it were euen walketh in his Sanctuarie and among the faithfull in the congregation Now followeth his traine The singers Sharim go before the Musitians Nogenim they which play with the hand on instruments of musicke follow after in the middest are virgins playing on timbrels or drummes Here is Gods traine first singers then virgins and lastly they which plaie with the hand And these may signifie vnto vs thrée sorts of men in Gods Church Singers maie represent Martyrs or Confessors of the faith Virgins those that next to them though they haue not shed their bloud for the loue of Christ yet for his sake they haue abandoned all the vaine and fleshly delights and pleasures of this world and therefore by good right they challenge to themselues the middle or second place And lastly are those cunning Musitians which play with the hand Gal. 5.6 these are those Christians whose faith worketh through charitie Who haue sowne plentifully with their handes the Lords talents that he hath blessed them withall 2. Cor. 9.6 as Saint Paul exhorteth them to doe And they which haue done so do receiue plentifully againe as our Sauiour witnesseth Matt. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world for I was an hungrie and ye gaue me meate c. And how fitly agrées all these together Martyrs may bée rightly called Singers for as Prudentius writeth of Romanus the martyr when as the cruell persecutor had bored through his chéekes he spake thus to him Prudent in Rom. mart O Ruler fierce I yeeld thee thanks that for one mouth too straite Now manie mouthes thou hast me made my Christ his praise to speake Virgins may bee said to play with Drummes For their praise soundeth farre and wide Matth. 19.12 Of virginitie Christ said He that can comprehend it let them comprehend it As though hée should say it is a price propounded of me to all my disciples to runne for 1. Cor. 7.32 Happie is he that can attaine it And S. Paul erhorting all men to virginitie I would haue you without care saith he But this thing can only virginitie afford you The vnmaried man careth for the things of the Lord how he may please the Lord But hee that is maried careth for the things of the world how he may please his wife Yea there is difference betweene a virgin and a wife They are not all one the one farre excelleth the other The vnmaried woman careth for the things of the Lord that she may be holy both in body and spirit but she that is maried careth for the things of the world how shee may please her husband Here is the excellencie of virginitie put downe weighed as it were in a paire of ballance and compared with mariage that euerie one maie sée the excellency and difference of the one before the other The virgin careth only for the Lord the maried person for the world The virgin
Abrahams sonnes whose sonne whosoeuer is not Rom. 4.11 is Sathans sonne and shall surelie be damned But to the vtter confusion of all worldlie minded Christians Putiphar the Egyptian maie teach them this contempt of the world Gen. 39.8 Behold saith Ioseph my maister knoweth not what he hath in the house with me but hath committed all that he hath to mine hand Surelie if this Egyptian had made account of the world he would haue beene more circumspect about his affaires he would haue knowne euerie light matter who ate and dranke in his house c. This Egyptian shall condemne our suspitious Christians who will trust no bodie and our couetous worldlings who will look so narrowly to their affaires who will not léese the parings of their nailes Possidon in vita Aug. Saint Austen neuer did weare or carie about either keie or ring or signet but committed all the care of the Church and of his houshold to some faithfull clergie men who at the yeares end made him an account And hence springs two other duties of Christians They should giue to their poore brethren They should lend to their néedy neighbours He that despiseth the world and riches will be liberall to the poore and will lend to his neighbour but he that loues and sets his mind on these will neither giue nor lend fréelie Saint Paul willeth Timothie to command rich men that they bee rich in good workes 1. Tim. 6.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and readie to giue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and imparting and communicating to their brethren some part of those blessings God hath bestowed on them not keeping all to themselues Pro. 5.15.16 Salomon compares riches to a riuer Drinke saith hee of the waters of thy cesterne and of the riuers out of the middest of thine owne well Let thy fountaines flow forth and the riuers of waters in the streets As though he should say O thou rich man God hath giuen thée a pleasant fountaine wilt thou now kéepe it wholie to thy selfe Wilt thou damme and stop it vp No but rather take so much thereof as will serue thine owne turne let the rest flow into the stréets let thy neighbor also haue part thereof And do so likewise with thy riches But Saint Paul addeth a forceable reason to moue all rich men to this liberalitie and readinesse to distribute these their riches Laying vp in treasure saith he for themselues a good foundation against the time to come 1. Tim. 6.19 that they may obtaine euerlasting life And here he yéelds two excellent commendations to these riches thus distributed they are first a mans treasure in heauē No treasure here on earth shall so delight thée nor so comfort thée at the day of iudgement as these their riches thus employed on the poore shall doe nay they are a foundation that thou maist attaine eternall life by most assuredly Mat. 5.7 Iude 21. for blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie Vpon this foundation depends all our saluations euen of Gods mercie And if we be mercifull we shall most assuredly obtaine Gods mercie if we be not mercifull we shall neuer haue Gods mercie For Saint Iames hath plainly foretold vs Iam. 2.18 that iudgement shall bee without mercie to him that now sheweth no mercy So that our workes of mercie grounded vpon these promises of God are a most sure foundation to vs that we maie attaine euerlasting life They which shall doe no workes of mercie shall haue no mercie at Gods hands and therefore lack the verie foundation of their saluation In our earthly buildings we will be sure to laie the foundations of our houses most firmelie Let vs do the same in the foundation of our saluation Shewe mercie and thou shalt be sure to haue mercie this is the onlie foundation thou must leane vnto And this also our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell teacheth all rich men Make you friends of your vnrighteous Mammon Luk. 16.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that * when you depart hence and shall faile in your accounts they may receiue you into euerlasting tabernacles God calleth that last daie a day of iudgement Now in a iudgement there are guiltie persons and witnesses and pleaders or lawyers So in this great iudgement of God there shall be guiltie persons Rom. 3.19 euen all men liuing All mouthes there must bee stopped At that day saith our Sauior make the poore your friends O you rich men that when you shall faile in your accounts and cannot answere one for a thousand they maie plead for you they may witnesse your mercie to the Iudge Iob. 9.1 that so you maie find mercie Without this testimonie of theirs you shall neuer haue mercie In your other earthly actions and affaires you will diligentlie séeke for witnesses to proue your causes O doe the same in great matters of your saluation be sure that you haue good store of witnesses which maie testifie your mercie shewed vpon them that you maie obtaine mercie And this is that sure foundation which S. Paul counselleth you there to lay that you maie bee sure to obtaine euerlasting life Tremel in 6. cap. Mat. And héereof it is also as I thinke that in the Hebrewe and Syriacke as Tremelius noteth our almes is called our righteousnesse And whereas the Gréeke text saith Do your almes the Hebrew and Syriake text saith Do your righteousnesse because that mercie is our inherent righteousnesse Our righteousnes is in pardoning not in performing in God his gracious pardon not in the works wee haue performed Iude 20. In Gods sight shall no man liuing bee iustified But the mercifull shall then obtaine mercie Mercie must bee all our righteousnesse And this is that which Saint Iude teacheth all Christians in a little bundle as it were knitting vp the summe of all Christian religion But you beloued edifie your selues in your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost And keepe your selues in the loue of God looking for the mercie of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto eternall life Héere is plainelie put downe the saluation of all Christians euen the mercie of our Lord Iesus Christ This wee must all waite for this wee must trust in and not in our owne workes But nowe who dare trust for anie thing or looke for anie thing at Gods hand but by promise Now the promise of the mercie of Iesus Christ is annexed to our mercifull dealing with our brethren as I haue noted before Therefore they which are not mercifull nowe maie looke for the mercie of Iesus Christ but they shall neuer obtaine it because they haue no promise they haue not fulfilled this condition they lacke mercie which in the Hebrewe and Syriacke tongue is called our righteousnesse This is that also which wee reade in the Psalme for the Scripture is a golden chaine it is all linked and knit together Hee hath dispersed abroade saith Dauid and giuen to the poore Psal