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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
them plainelie who is this Sunne not the Pope and his Cardinalles and prelates but that great light-bringer Iesus Christ who lighteneth euery man that comes into the world Ioh. 1.9 And dare they abridge the beames of this Sunne Dare they measure his merites dare they pinch his power O blasphemous doctrine Doth not the Pope herein declare plainlie who he is that is that starre that fell from heauen and hath striken the third part of the sun who hath done this but he Ioh. 17.19 Hath not Christ alone himselfe wholie and sufficientlie redéemed vs Iesus Christ did not onely sanctifie himselfe for vs that we might be freed from sinne and cleansed from our faults but he also suffered for vs that we might also be acquited from punishment And therefore Esay saieth verie excellently The chastisement of our peace was vpon him Esay 55.3 And our Sauiour himselfe saith vpon the Crosse Iohn 19.20 It is finished No doubt meaning that great worke of our redemption It was the last word he spake and shall we not beléeue him And Saint Peter saith that wee were not in part but wholie redeemed not with gold or siluer but with the precious bloud of Iesus Christ 1. Pet. 1.18.19 20. And this Granatensis also affirmes speaking of Christ when as he did sweate water and bloud Medit. vitae Christi 22. Is not thine anger appeased O holy Father with this so miserable a spectacle of thy son Behold what he suffers which neuer deserued any euill he hath satisfied thee for our sinnes he hath paid for our redemption a most excellent price For one droppe of this most holy sweat is more precious and of more valew then all the treasures in the world Thus farre Granatensis What shall we thinke then of his heart bloud shed for vs vpon the Crosse And therefore Peter saith 1. Pet. 2.24 By his stripes our woundes were not onely bound vp and now brought to some good perfection that after we our selues might heale them as the Papists teach but they were perfectlie healed And Dauid also prophesying of Christs passion Psal 130.67 faith Let Israell waite on the Lord for with the Lord is mercie Iohn 10.10 and with him is plenteous redemption and he shall redeeme Israell from all his sinnes And the same also our Sauiour testifieth of himselfe That he is comen that they might haue life and that they might haue it more abundantly There is nothing remaining to our saluation it is abundantly accomplished that which remaines is to our conformation Rom. 8.29 We must be like fashioned to the Image of Iesu Christ No doubt they which denie this abundance of Christs redemption which was the end of his comming as he himselfe here witnesseth denie that he is comen And therefore we maie sée here as in a glasse what is that spirite of Antichrist 1. Iohn 4.3 that shall denie Iesus Christ to be comen in the flesh Surely euen they who although they confesse he be comen to giue life yet shall denie that he is comen to giue it abundantlie He is comen as himselfe witnesseth that we might haue life and that abundantly Let vs marke this well and let vs take heede least by pinching his merites that we denie not that hee is comen Saint Paul himselfe taketh awaie all parts of iustification from man I knowe nothing by my selfe saith he 1. Cor. 4.4 yet am I not hereby iustified but he that iudgeth me is the Lord. As though he should saie with Dauid Although as concerning this my ministerie I know nothing to accuse my selfe of Act. 20.26.27 I haue declared all the counsels of God c. yet there are secret sinnes which man cannot espie from which Dauid praieth to be cleansed Psal 19.12 and therfore no man can iustifie himselfe no not the holiest man in the world It is God that iudgeth And after he accompts his stricte kinde of life wherein he liued euen a Pharisée and his integritie of life among all men but euen as doung Philip. 3.5.8 that he might bee found in Christ Iesus not hauing his owne righteousnesse which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnesse which is of God through faith He repeates twise wherein true righteousnesse consisteth euen through faith in Christ If Saint Paul accompted his owne righteousnesse but as doung in Gods sight and all the good workes he had done and durst not trust in them what shall we accompt of the merits of Friers and such others Can they profit to the saluation of others Shall we accompt them as treasures of the Church Paul accompted not so of his workes as here we maie learne of him Matth. 25.4 and shall we accompt better of our owne workes or of the workes of any others The wise virgins also teach all Gods Saints this lesson They plainly confesse that they were afraid least they had not oyle enough for themselues and therefore they would impart none thereof to others and shall wee accompt our selues more rich then they Surely then we shall shew our selues to be foolish and not wise virgins And no doubt such wise virgins are all Gods Saints and yet Poligranes will make them to haue merites enow not onely to serue their owne turnes but also to be laide vp in the treasure of the Church to profit others and that for others also they wrought their workes All Christs seruants must say Luke 17.10 that they are vnprofitable seruants when as they shall haue done all things that are commanded them which who is able to doe if they were able to doe all Gods commandements yet euen then they must saie and confesse and that not with mouth onely but with their hearts also that they are vnprofitable seruants much more then now they must confesse and acknowledge this when as they are not able to doe the least part of those things which are commanded them and when as those things also which they doe they do verie vnperfectly Where are then those workes which they haue done for others where is that wages of desert which other Papists teach An vnprofitable seruant can challenge no wages at all much lesse of due desert Nay our Sauiour in that place teacheth all his what accompt to make of their workes Say saith hee wee haue done but that which was our duety to haue done This our Sauiour teacheth all Christians to saie and beléeue and shall we not obey him All Christians workes they are but dueties they are no merites or deserts they are rewarded of mercie and not of merit Luk. 12.33 of promise and not of performance They are laide vp for themselues as treasures in heauen and not as the Papistes teach in the Popes treasurie here on earth to profit others But let vs consider what other sounder Catholiques then Poligranes hath written of Christs redemption Gagneius expounds that place of Saint
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
Scriptures For our inherent righteousnesse or our inward renouation is knowne chiefely to consist in faith hope and charitie wherefore if we shall proue that faith hope and charitie can bee perfect in this life we shall also proue that the imputation of Christs righteousnesse is not necessarie But how contrarie also is this his doctrine to the scriptures We know in part saith saint Paul and we prophesie in part 1. Cor. 13.10 but when that which is perfect is come that which is in part shall be abolished There is no perfection in this life that shall come hereafter in the life to come No doubt that prayer of the Apostles is set downe as a paterne for all Christians to vse Luke 17.5 euen vnto the worlds ende And the Apostles said vnto the Lord Increase our faith How contrarie also he is in this his assertion to Ferus and other Papists hereafter euidently shal God willing appeare Of the merites also of good workes Maister Bellarmine writes thus And first of the nature of a merit or deseruing Lib. 5. de Iustifica cap. 18. many thinges saith he as the sunne the moone the fields vineyardes and gardens yeelde vs great commodities and yet they are not said properly to deserue any thing of vs because they doe not their dueties voluntarily neither can they choose but they must doe as they doe Then wages is due to a desert or merit but debt ariseth not but hereof that one giues another that which was his owne For if he should not giue his owne but that which was another mans nothing were owing or due to him There is nothing properlie ours but that which is in our owne power either to doe or to let passe These things are in our power and of these we are properlie said to haue the Lordship To conclude our euill workes vnlesse they be done freely deserue no punishment therefore neither good works shall deserue any reward vnlesse they be done voluntarily His drift is to proue that we haue in vs fréewill and therefore we maie deserue of God And therefore he writes thus after Now truely the good workes of the iust deserue eternall life ex condigno worthily not onely by reason of the couenant and acceptation of God but also by reason of the worke it selfe So that in the good workes which proceede from grace there is a certaine proportion and equalitie to the reward of eternall life And after he writes thus Whereby we perceiue that same degree of glorie which is due to vs by right of inheritance is giuen vs also by right of the reward For one thing as we haue often said may bee due by two titles that is by inheritance and of merites How contrarie also in this doctrine is he to the doctrine of the scriptures whereas Christ shall saie to all his Come ye blessed of my father Matth. 25.34 Luke 12.32 inherite ye the kingdome prepared for you And againe Feare not little flocke for it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome He dare affirme that the saints of God shall not onely inherit this kingdome by their fathers frée gift as the scriptures in these places manifestly teach but also that they shall deserue it How contrarie is he also herein to Philippus de Dies Who saith that the iust can challenge nothing of God and to Ferus as appeares in this that followes But here first let vs marke howe contrarie this his doctrine is to that which Gregory a Byshoppe of Rome concerning this matter Greg. in 7. Psal paenit taught in his dayes The mercie of the Lord sayeth hee is for euer and euer vpon them that feare him if so be that the blessednesse of the Saints is mercy and is not gotten by merites where is that which is written And thou shalt giue to euery man according to his works If it be giuen according vnto works how shall it bee accounted merite But it is one thing to giue according to workes and another to giue for our workes In that hee saieth he will giue euery one according to his works the quality of works is vnderstood that he whose works shall appeare good shall haue that glorious reward For to that blessed life wherein we shall liue with God and of God no labour can be equal nor no works compared especially when as the Apostle saith The sufferings of this life are not worthy the glory which shall be reuealed in vs. Maister Bellarmine saieth that in the good works which proceede from grace there is a certaine proportion and equalitie but Gregory saith no labour or worke can bee compared vnto it And after hee writes thus Although in this respect also it may bee called mercie because it is giuen for those vvorkes which vnlesse Gods mercy did preuent him no man could obtaine wherefore it is said in the Psalme My God his mercie hath preuented me For vnlesse he had made the Vesselles of wrath Vessels of mercy his owne holy life had separated none from that lumpe of perdition his owne righteousnesse had deliuered none from the punishment of euerlasting death Therefore it is certaine that to whome he giues mercifully that in this life they should do well he giues them more mercifully that in that euerlasting blessednes they shuld a hundreth fold be rewarded This is the grace which for grace the Apostle affirmes shall be giuen vnto the Saints of God that to whō in this life is giuen the grace of sanctification to them of this also in the life to come shal be giuen the grace of euerlasting hapines Here wee maie note how Gregory makes two expositions of these wordes God shall render to euery one according to his works And in both he takes awaie all merite and in both he sets downe the onelie cause of our reward to be mercie In the first hee saieth not for our workes as anie cause of our saluation but according to our workes as effectes we shall bee rewarded Againe not according to the quantitie of our workes wherein manie Pagans haue excéeded manie Christians as they which voluntarilie did giue themselues to death for the loue of their countrie these were great workes and of these the Romane histories and other doe testifie but according to the qualitie euen be they neuer so few or so small yet if they shall procéede from a liuelie faith they shall bee rewarded as our sauiour witnesseth Euen a cuppe of cold water giuen in his name Mat. 10.42 shall not loose his reward Naie shall surpasse all the Cuppes of most bitter death which those Pagans suffered for their countrie sakes Such an excellent thing is Christian faith it alone giues vertue and makes acceptable vnto God all our workes Our reward shall bee like theirs that came into the Vineyeard at the last houre of the day Mat. 20.24 the mercifull housholder made them equall with them that came first To teach vs that it is not our vvorking or running
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
and said I haue ten hands or ten handfuls as we say in the King and in Dauid before thee that is more then thou So that this holie contention betwéene Iudah and Israel who should be most bound to Dauid and loue him best maie fitlie be applied to vs Christians Roman 1.3 Roman 2.2 for whom our true Dauid that is Iesus Christ the sonne of Dauid hath done so much and who are indéede the true Israel and the true Iudah as S. Paul teacheth rather then to christians and infidels as Berchorius teacheth Stella also writes thus concerning this matter But neither would I haue thee In 1. cap. Lucae hauing considered all these thinges to forget through loue to make God thine also that thou maiest be able to say with Abacucke I will reioice in God my Iesus and my Sauiour And also remember this least the most precious bloud of Christ perish in thee but that as he most willingly died for all and is the Sauiour of all so that he be a Sauiour and Lord to thee also and that his Crosse nailes and passion may profit thee God shall profit thee nothing but to thy greater damnation if thou shalt not embrace him as thy Sauiour Thus much Stella And what can be said plainer then this That vnlesse euerie one embrace Iesus Christ as his Sauiour Christ profits him nothing The danger is very great by his iudgement to erre in this point and therefore let all true Catholiques haue care of it But let euerie true Catholique marke how in this point the verie plaine text of the Gospell ouerthrowes the Papists opinion They teach that it is sufficient to saluation to haue a generall faith of Christ and to beléeue as the Church beléeues and not that euerie man should haue a particular faith in himselfe that euen Iesus Christ hath cured his sinnes priuately and that he is his Sauiour But let vs a little marke what the Gospell teacheth herein Christ went to heale Iairus daughter and a great multitude that followed him thronged him and touched him Luk. 8.45.46 But there was a poore woman which had beene sicke of a bloudy issue twelue yeeres and she thought in her heart that if she might but touch the verie hemme of his garment she should be healed And she with this faith touching him was immediatly made hole There were manie other that touched him generallie as the Papists teach to touch Christ with a generall faith but though no doubt many of them that so touched him were sicke of some disease or grieuous sinners yet not one of them were healed but this poore woman that thus by a speciall trust she had in him touched him And of her Christ said That vertue went out of him and to none other euen so now no doubt as manie as will haue vertue to come out of Christ to heale them must touch him not generallie with that multitude as the Papists teach but particularlie and speciallie euerie man by his owne faith and for his owne infirmitie as that woman did and then no doubt shall vertue euen now also procéede from Christ to him He that hath not this faith shall haue no vertue And this also Saint Ambrose teacheth vpon these wordes De Isaac cap. ◠They also drew neare vnto him and held his feete and worshipped him Iesus therefore is held but he delighteth to be held when as he is held by faith To conclude he tooke great plesure in that woman which touched him and was cured of hir bloudy issue Of whom he said Some bodie hath touched mee for I feele vertue to haue proceeded from mee Touch thou him therefore and hold him by thy faith and faithfully sticke to his feete that vertue may proceede from him and heale thy soule 4. Of good works STella of good workes writes thus They lie which say nothing is due to our works of iustice for as wages is due to the worke not of fauour but of true debt so glory is due to them which worke well by good right But this his assertion how contrarie is it to the whole course of the Scripture first our Sauiour saieth Feare not little flock it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you a Kingdome Sell that you haue and giue almes and make you bagges which waxe not old a treasure that can neuer faile in heauen where no theefe commeth nor moth corrupteth for where your treasure is there will your heart be also The kingdome of heauen is the frée gift of God as our Sauiour here teacheth vs. Now when one hath a Kingdome hee will endeuour by all meanes possible to amplifie it and adorne it to enrich himselfe so our almes all our good works are treasures laide vp for vs in store against we come into that heauenlie kingdome they are not purchases or prices of it no if wee should sell all the land wee haue wee cannot purchase heauen To be accounted least in this world grieues the nature of man there shall bee greater and lesser in the Kingdome of heauen There shall bee Rulers of fiue cities and of tenne cities And to this purpose is it that Saint Paul compares all Christians liues to a race VVee should all striue to winne the best game And this is the end of our workes to bee steppes of our greater glorie But as concerning the kingdome of heauen Saint Paul saieth plainelie Rom. 6. The wages of sinne is death but eternall life is the free gift of God And you are saued of grace and not of your selues And of our workes Dauid saieth Thou Lord art mercifull for thou shalt reward euerie man according to his works Who dare then challenge reward of iustice which Stella here affirmes Who dare saie that the kingdome of heauen is by as true debt due to Gods Saintes as the wages of labourers is due to them which labour in this world That Parable in the Gospell teacheth vs a contrary lesson They which came at the last houre of the daie receiued as much wages as they which came at the first To teach vs that there is wages due to Gods Saintes but this wages is due to them more of Gods mercie then of their merites and desertes And therefore here Dauid saieth Thou Lord art mercifull and shalt reward euerie man according to his workes If Gods mercie were not there were no wages due no not to him that came at the first houre of the day And therefore Dauid himselfe who rose so earlie to serue God whose eyes preuented the night watches that hee might bee occupied in his statutes who was a man according to Gods owne heart cried out Oh enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified And Iob saide I know truelie that it is euen so And what a thing is it that man will iustifie himselfe with God If he will contend with him hee cannot answere him one for a thousand Here is great oddes so far
goodnesse comes from God and that comming into this sinke of our flesh though they procéede most pure from him yet they must needes gette filth and slime And yet for all that wée must returne them to him againe and hee like a most louing father will accept them The best actions we doe euen the actions of the best men are not voide of this filth and slime And herein consistes that the best men must still saie O Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunts Psal 143. And if our best workes haue these imperfections what maie wée iudge of our euill workes This onelie consideration will make euerie good Christian flie from anie trust in himselfe and flie onelie to the sure anchor of Gods mercie Againe here wée maie learne the great mercie of our God though wee thus abuse his good graces and pollute those most pure giftes wee haue receiued from him yet hee reiectes vs not nor our workes but mercifully receiues vs. Againe here that opinion of the Papists doeth fall downe which denie that a iust man in euerie good worke doeth sinne what is this filth and slime that the grace of God gets in this filthy sinke of ours but sinne Secondlie wee maie learne out of Stella that poperie pleaseth not God For God sayeth hee hath giuen vs vnderstanding will and memory to know loue and remember him and his benefits And they which employ not these to this end haue receiued them in vaine But the Popish religion hath taught the contrarie and haue nourished men in ignorance as all the worlde can witnesse and can that religion then please God Augustine also of the merites of all Christians whereunto they ought to trust Aug. manu cap. 22. writes thus In all mine aduersities I find no remedy so forcible as the wounds of Christ in them I sleepe soundly and rest without feare Christ died for vs. There is nothing so deadly and bitter which Christs death cannot heale All my hope is in the death of my Lord his death is my merit and my refuge and my saluation my life and my resurrection My merite is the pity and tender mercy of the Lord I am not void of merites as long as that Lord of mercies remaines And if so be the mercies of the Lord be many then are my merites many And how far mightier he is to saue so lesse fearefull and more secure am I. Thus far Augustine The merites of Christ were the merites that Austen trusted in and in these onelie also must euerie true Christian and Catholique trust Lib. 1. de deuot cap. 28. Granatensis of mans duetie writes thus If men would diligently marke how much that is that is due to God and how small it is that mans hart can affoord he shall manifestly perceiue that no diuision there is to be made where so much is due and so little can be requited The bedde is narrow saith Esay so that one must needes fall out Esay 28.20 Verse 37. and the couering be short it cannot couer both This thing may be plainly seen in the heart of man being so narrow that it cannot both containe God and the world And after Againe if thou shalt consider the obiect which thou makest so great haste vnto to be infinit thou shalt hereby alwaies iudge thy selfe to be beggerly though thou be adorned with many graces bestowed vpon thee And if thou shalt thinke that thou hast gone as farre as a man can goe yet thinke it is but a sippe that thy mind hath tasted There are no works of supererogation then Of the great mercie of God also hee writes thus Besides all these things the great mercy of God in this place offers it selfe to our consideration Vit. Christ◠Med. 9. which most clearely shines in the glory of these Infants What greater goodnesse or liberality can be then that God should accept that death not onely for a sacrifice but for a martyrdome which will did not vndertake but necessity forced where there was no vow but violence where there was no merit but misfortune where there was not the hart although the body of a martyr where there was not the desire of him that died but the cruelty of him that murthered to conclude where there was the tyraunts sword and not so much as the martyrs word But Gods grace supplied all that wanted which changed this extreame misery into a crowne and this chance into a merit For the wickednes of the tyrant is not of more force then the goodnesse of God And if Herods cruelty could punish where there was no fault it is no great matter if God could giue a crowne where there was no merit Marke this all ye that despaire cast your minds hither which are faint harted and scrupulous in conscience which euer thinke that you shall be condemned how much more haue you God mercifull to you thinke you then they which beleeued not How greatly doth he loue men how desirous is he of your saluation how ready to giue his glory For that he may giue you it he seekes all meanes possible neither desireth he any thing else A certaine Philosopher said once He that is liberall seekes all occasions of doing good to others that he may practise his liberality The which if it be true what will he do which beyond all his other vertues is commēded of his liberality mercy He is not such a one who delights in the works of the body onely but also of the spirit or mind by whose power they are doone for it is the will which works them Therfore this our God who so greatly longs for our profit saluation was content with that he found in these Infants and he came to supply with his grace that which they wanted in their merits adding according to his exceeding great goodnesse to that ignoraunt and tender age that which it had not This mercie of God must all Christians most assuredlie beeleue and looke for at Gods hands Saint Ambrose also writes thus verie excellentlie of Abraham the father of all the faithfull De Abrah patriar lib. 2. ca. 8 How little he respected the reward in doing of his most excellent works to teach all his children to follow his steppes when as he had ventured his life for the recouery of his brother Lot and would not receiue so much as a shooe latchet of the king of Sodome for his labour Ambrose saieth that Moyses added after this victorie this spéech of God vnto him Feare not Abraham I wil protect thee and thou shalt haue a great reward I demand sayeth Ambrose why after the hazard of the warre nowe is mention made of promising the wages No saieth Ambrose he had doone a lesse woonderfull thing a matter of lesse importance if being moued by the promise of God he had set vpon the enemy For then he had gone as wee saie dead sure to the victory rather drawne then willing to such a great glory or ready
of them writes thus Granat Med. in orat dom Who can euer cast the account of my vaine thoughts who can number my euill works and idle words For the iust men scant know how to bridle their tongue And the number is infinite also of the sinnes of my transgression and commission in doing that which I should not haue doon and in omitting of that which I ought to haue doone And after But doest thou so forgiue vs our sinnes freely O Father and without any recompence Truely thou forgiuest them freely and not freely not freely for although mercy bee ready to forgiue yet iustice will be satisfied and yet freely because thou offerest vs that freely wherewith iustice is satisfied that is that huge incomparable treasure which thine only begotten son laid vp for vs the space of three and thirty yeares to the which he made a way to vs by his bloud This treasure we offer vnto thee O Father take thereof as much as thou wilt it may be drawne but it cannot bee drawne drie it may be spent but it cannot be diminished His merites are ours his satisfaction is ours his bloud is our ransome Therefore we beseech thee O Lord that being pacified with the blood and merites of thy Sonne that thou wouldest winke at our faults the which if thou wilt call to a strict account no man is able to abide the fauour of thy iustice much lesse the seuerity of it Therefore let thy mercy helpe vs who acknowledge our selues be damned of thy iustice of many hainous offences And againe in another place hee writes of the sinnes of all men thus That thou maiest better marke what thinges wee haue said thou must diligently consider the multitude of the sinnes of thy life past especially of those which thou committedst when as thou hadst lesse knowledge of God for if so be that thou shalt come to the perfect knowledge of them al thou shalt vnderstand that they are moe in number then the haires of thy head and that thou hast liued like a Pagan or Ethnike which knew not what God was After that runne ouer both the Tables of the tenne Commandements and those seauen deadly sinnes and thou shalt learne that there is no Commandement of God which thou hast not often broken and no deadly sin into the which thou hast not often fallen by work word and thought Remember the first man Adam that because he did eate the forbidden meate he did commit the most grieuous sinne in the world and there is no kind of sinne wherein thou hast not diuers waies and oftentimes offended Call to thy remembrance all the benefits of God which thou hast receiued all thy ages and the whole course of thy life and see how thou hast behaued thy selfe in all these For a most strict account of all these one day will be demanded of thee Therefore if thou wilt be ruled by me thou shalt doe most vvisely if thou shalt now presently iudge thy selfe least hereafter thou be more seuerely iudged of God Go to therfore tel me how thou hast past ouer thy childhood how thy youth how thy mans estate and that I may say all in a vvord how thou hast liued from thy mothers wombe til this day To what things hast thou emploied thy appetite and other powers of thy mind which thou hast receiued of God that thou shouldest know him and serue him withall How hast thou vsed thine eies no other wise then that thou mightest delight them in vaine things and fond shewes What hast thou delighted in to heare with thine eares surely vaine fables filthy talke and lies What hast thou broched with thy tongue but periuries murmurings and such things as are not seemely Thy tast touching and smelling in what other thinges haue they delighted then in those which were pleasant to the appetite delightful to flesh bloud and which might satisfie their pleasures Tel me how thou hast vsed the diuine Sacraments giuen thee of God as medicines to cure thy wounds what thankes hast thou giuen God for his infinite benefites bestowed vpon thee How hast thou kept his diuine commandements how hast thou employed thy health thy strength thy courage thy riches the prosperitie of this world and other commodities giuen thee of God that thou shouldest with them lead a godly life What care hast thou had of thy neighbour as concerning whom the Lord hath giuen thee a speciall charge what and how many workes of mercy hast thou doone which God hath so highly commended vnto vs Of all these will God call thee to account in that terrible day of iudgement when as he shall say vnto thee Giue an account of thy Stewardshippe Giue account of those riches which thou hast receiued of me For thou maiest be no longer a Steward O withered tree fit for hell fire What aunswere wilt thou make when account shall be demanded of thee of all thy life and of euery point and minute thereof Thus farre Granatensis Euerie one by his iudgement must pronounce himselfe guiltie at that great daie of assises of the immortall GOD and must flie to the winges of his mercie and must craue pardon And a little after speaking of mans vilenesse hee writes thus After thou hast weighed all these things with thy selfe in a iust ballance go forward to examine thine owne selfe and be not ashamed to thinke of thy selfe most vilely and most basely Thinke thy selfe to be no better then a reede which is shaken with euery wind which hath nothing in it without any vertue without any strength without any constancy without any stablenesse or firmenesse of mind Remember that thou art Lazarus now foure daies laide in his graue a stinking Carion full of wormes at the sauour whereof all they which passe by stoppe their noses and turne awaie their eies Thinke thy selfe thus to stinke before God and his Angels account thy selfe vnworthie who should lift vppe his eies to heauen an vnprofitable clodde of claie and vnworthie whom the earth should beare or whom the creatures of God should serue vnworthie of the bread thou eatest the Aire thou breathest the light by the meanes whereof thou seest but farre more vnworthy of the comfort of the Holy ghost I wil not say the adoption of a Sonne and that heauenly prouidence and care of thy heauenly Father which so dearely and tenderly cares for thee Be in thine owne eies the vilest of all other creatures and who hath abused all Gods benefites most abominably Thinke with thy selfe that if God had doon in Tyre and Sydone that is in other most notable sinners the works which he hath doone in thee they would euen now haue repented in sackcloth and ashes Confesse thy selfe to be the grieuousest sinner of al other sinners that thou knowest And the more that thou shalt be displeased with thy selfe when as now thou shalt thinke that thou hast comen to the vttermost thou shalt find more things which will giue thee occasion
do not with thâ—r iustificatione prima and secunda their first and last iustificatioâ— whereof they say the first is fréely of grace without workes or merites but not the second And after vpon these wordes By his name all that beleeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes Super. Act. 10. By his name sayeth hee not by our works and merites All which beleeue therefore faith iustifieth And a little afâ—er They beganne to speake with diuers tongues no otherwise then the Iewes did in the 2 Acts. So in the first and great calling of the Gentiles it behooued them without aâ—l helpe of the lawe to be made equall to the Iewes that it might now be most certaine that righteousnesse is now onely of the grace and election of God and of no works And in another place of merites hee writes thus But what are those so great merites of a sinner Fer. Ser. 7. de prodigo filio that God should entertaine him so honorably The answere is there is no mention made here of any merite but the mercy of God is commended vnto vs. It was in the prodigall Sonnes mind to doe many thinges to submit himselfe and to leaue nothing vnattempted that hee might winne his fathers fauour againe but before he euer spake a word yea before hee came at his father before hee saw his father when as now he was a gâ—eat way from his fathers house his father had now set al his anger asâ—de and could no longer refraine himselfe but that hee must needes goe and meet him He taried not till he came into the â—ouse he deâ—anded not of him what his request was he might easily â—oniecturâ— what moued him and what was the cause of his returne nâ—ither â—aried he till he had asked pardon of his offence but by and by he feâ— vpon his necke By which what other thing is declared vnto vs tâ—n that it is of meere grace and mercy that we are restored of God iâ—o the place of sonnes from which wee were fallen For which caâ— Christ hath vsed very stately and those not a few words by which his may very forcibly be conuinced For we must needes ascribe or iustification and the forgiuenesse of our sinnes to the grace of God By grace ye are saued sayeth Saint Paul and that not of yoâ—â— selues it is the gift of GOD not of works least any man should ragge And such like doctrine did Ieremy the Prophet sing Aâ—â—o it is the Lords mercie that we are not â—onsumed And although also our workâ— must concurre both sorrow proceeding from the bottome of our heâ—â—t and also a pure and perfect wil and an earnest desire of rising agaâ—ne a plaine and not counterfeit confession of the mouth and to coâ—clude the zealousnesse of our prayers notwithstanding neither ouâ— sorrow nor confession nor prayers nor all the externall rites of repentance can take vs out of our sinnes no not if so be that we should euen consume our selues with the sorrowes of repentance and employ our labour in confessing our sinnes euen till we waxed madâ—e thereby we should as the common prouerbe is loose both al our â—â—bour and cost to the obtaining of the remission of our sinnes vnlesse God had promised vs that he would freely forgiue vs vnlesse by Christs benefit and merite our saluation had beene procured vnlesse he had bestowed on vs his repentance and merites c. Our sinnes are fréelie pardoned by Iesus Christ sayeth Ferus and all our sorrowes and repentance are not satisfactions but signes and fruites of our repentance They are dueties to our sauiour not prices or raunsomes for our sinnes Philippus de Dies of the imperfection of all Christians works Phi. Dies conc 1. de Phil. Iac. writes thus No man commeth to the Father but by me that is by following me or else by me that is by my works The most ancient caruers of Images were woont before they shewed their Images openly to behold them very diligently and to examine very attentiuely if there were any faults in them and if they found no faultes in them then to place them in some low place that all men might behold the excellency of them But if there were some imperfections in them which they who nearely and narrowly beheld them might easily espy then they were woont to place them aloft on some high pillar that being beholden a farre off their faults and imperfections might not be discerned Of all our works yea euen of our iust works saith Esay As a defiled cloth of a woman is all our righteousnesse For they are vnworthy that they may be gratefull or accepted of the maiesty of God Wherefore it is necessary that we follow the policy of these artificers and that we place them on the high Pillar Iesus Christ our Sauiour that through his merites they may be of some valew and merit with God the father And againe speaking of the place of Esay Idem Conc. 3. in fest Micha To whom shall I haue regard but to the poore and contrite in Spirit c. Hee writes thus He calleth here the poore the humble man For he is indeed an humble man who acknowledgeth his pouerty and nakednesse who knoweth that he hath nothing of himselfe but sinne who what good thing soeuer he hath what benefit either of nature or fortune he doubteth not but that he receiueth it from God who trusts not in his owne iudgement wisedome counsell nor in his owne strength but puts all his trust and confidence in God and as a most poore beggar euer craues the crums that falleth from his most bountifull table Ferus also of good workes writes thus Therefore In cap. 3. Mat. Iohn preached in the Wildernesse as though he should say neither your riches nor your sacrifices can get you true righteousnesse but only the grace of Christ For if righteousnesse had comen by the lawe then had Christ died in vaine The same must we doe we must forsake al things and make haste into the Wildernesse that is to acknowledge that all These wordes take awaie all trust who will trust in a thing that is vncertaine that the world makes account of is temporall nor can deliuer thee from the wrath of God therefore trust in no such thing no nor in thy onely good works For thou canst not tel whether they be such before the eyes of God yea howe good soeuer they seeme yet they are imperfect neither doe they proceed from such feruency as they ought Therefore thou maiest not trust in them the which thing also Christ himselfe doth teach When we haue doone all things we are vnprofitable seruaunts Therefore when as thou hast nothing neither within thee nor without thee that may assure thy conscience flie vnto the grace of God and say I haue lift vp my soule vnto thee In thee haue I put my trust c. We maie note here he will not haue vs put our trust in any works neither
of the sonne 1. Thes 5.5 Mat. 14.31 They are children of light Peter maie doubt and also be afraide but hee cannot be drowned Luk. 22.31 Matth. 8.24 Psalm 94 18. Sathan may fift him but his faith shall not faile The shippe euen wherein Christ is maie be full of water but it cannot sinke Dauids foote may slippe but Gods mercie holds him vp The fire maie bee couered with ashes Psal 116.10 30.6 8 9 31. but at last it will burst out And Dauid will speake with his tongue God maie bee angrie with his ouer night but ioâ—e shall come in the morning If Dauid seede breake Gods law and do not walke in his iudgements if they prophane his statutes and keepe not his commandements He will visite their iniquities with a rodde and their sinnes with scourges but his louing kindnesse will he not take vtterly from them nor suffer his trueth to faile He hath sworne once by his holinesse that he will not faile Dauid The Apostles maie bee at their wittes ends 2. Cor. 4.8 but neuer driuen to despaire For that saying of the Prophet Esay shal stand fast for euer to Christs Church and to euerie member thereof Esay 54.7 For a moment in mine anger I hid my face froÌ„ thee for a little season but with euerlasting mercie haue I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy redeemer For this is vnto mee as the waters of Noah for as I haue sworne that the waters of Noah should no more goe ouer the earth so haue I sworne that I would not be angrie with thee or rebuke thee that is to destruction Ferus verie excellentlie confirmes this Doctrine In cap. 19. Act. vpon these words If they had receiued the holie Ghost or no Being about to search out whether they beleeued aright or no he enquires whether they had the chiefest fruit of faith which is the holy Ghost And the holy Ghost though it be inuisible yet it doeth make manifest it selfe by many signes This is a most sure and euident argument of the holy Ghost and of a true faith the security of our conscience For the holy Ghost witnesseth to our Spirits that we are the sonnes of God not by nature but by adoption and by the grace of God It doeth also encourage vs and make vs take pleasure and delight in God and it makes vs to stand and to trust without any care or feare as Iohn sayth We now know and beleeue the loue that God hath towards vs. To feele this loue of God is to be wel affected towards God in praising of him in giuing him thanks and in beleeuing in him And being iustified through faith we are now at peace with GOD. What is better then peace What is more excellent or more to bee wished for then peace with God This is the chiefest and most excellent good thing in the world as on the contrary to haue God our enemy is the greatest euill in the world as Cain had whose sinnes the Lord discouered so also he brings to light al the sins of the wicked of whom the holy Prophet writes thus I will reprooue thee and set thy sinnes in order before thy face And againe Psal 49. I will discouer his shame he is a vagabond and cursed vpon the earth and in his labours But the Christian hath peace and what peace I pray you is that Heare what God saith by his prophet I will heale all their sorrowes and griefes and I will loue them freely Esay 47. for mine-anger is turned away from them If God forgiue sinnes who shall condemne vs If hee loue vs freely what can the hatred of the world hurt vs If hee asswage his anger what harme can the diuels malice doe vs So he sayeth in Esay I will not be angry for euer c. This is our true peace but from whence haue we it Surely from no where else but only by Christ And hence he is called The king of righteousnes and of peace As Melchisedecke also who was a Type of him was also in times past adorned with these titles He therefore that as yet lacks this foresaid peace truely cannot haue neither the holy Ghost not a liuely faith And what else is this frée loue this forgiuenesse of sinnes this turning awaie of anger this Christian peace which euerie Christian must haue which hath receiued the holie Ghost and hath a true and sure faith but the certaintie of his owne saluation And they answered we haue not as yet heard whether there be any holy Ghost or no. These frankely and freely and very apparently bewray and confesse their ignorance they haue not as yet heard that the holy Ghost doth worke these things in the hearts of the faithful And how many are there at this day who haue beene a great many yeares Christians and yet neuer haue felt this peace of conscience when as it is the first and principall vertue of the Gospell to make quiet our consciences Ferus here complaines greatlie of the want of this peace and shall wee not exhort all men then diligentlie to labour for it They which haue not this quietnesse and peace of conscience haue not as yet tasted the first droppe of the Gospell Of the force of faith both in the receiuing of the holie sacraments and in the certaintie of our saluation that lesson of Granatensis is worth the marking De Euch. lib. 3. cap. 1. He that sayth hee with all his soule and with all his strength striues to be purged from his sins and to be cured of all his faults vites and imperfections and to bee enriched with heauenly graces and now from wandring after the vanities of this world to returne to his beginning againe let him so order and gouerne his life that he may be fit verie often to receiue and be satiated with this most excellent Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ and by this meanes inwardly to be vnited with our most glorious God euen as if one should droppe a droppe of vvater into a Tunne of Wine so that if all creatures were gathered together they could not find any space or distance betweene such a soule and God himselfe And although perchance a man doe not feele in himselfe by and by this vnion yet let him not be troubled in his mind but with a most strong faith let him beleeue Christ who saith He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me and I in him And how much lesse he feeles God in himselfe so much more assuredly let him beleeue him for then his faith shall be more perfect and shall receiue greater rewards of God if so be he doe as much as in him lyes Thus farre Granatensis This is the nature of faith to beleeue the word euen against reason against sense The more lets and obiections which it ouercommeth the greater Crowne it shall haue And this is that which S. Paul saith The iust man shal
liue by faith Heb. 10.38 but he that shal withdrawe himselfe hee that shall shrinke as wee saie and whose heart shall faile him My soule shall haue no pleasure in him This faith wee must haue in all things in the matter of our saluation in receiuing of the Sacraments as here Granatensis teacheth vs Mark 11.24 Iam. 1.6 Heb. 11.6 and in our prayers as also our Sauiour and saint Iames instruct vs And without this faith it is impossible to please God in any thing we go about Ferus of the certaintie of our saluation writes thus O father I will that those which thou hast giuen me be with me c. All the Gospelles are full of such promises And Saint Iohn plainly affirmes that the Gospell for no other end hath beene and is now preached vnto vs then that we should haue all these promises common to vs together with the Apostles And a little after Fer. in cap. 1. Epist Iouis Our Apostles for this end preached the gospell that mens consciences might be comforted and that all Christians might be knitte and remaine so knitte fast and vnited to God and the Church that is the society and communion of the faithfull Therefore he that teacheth to this end that mens consciences may bee made to doubt or troubled and that the Communion of Saints may bee rent and that men may be pulled backe from GOD and heauenly things c. surely he is not ledde with the Spirit of the Apostles And here vvho sees not if vve shal pronounce sentence according to this doctrine of Saint Iohn how many of them which thinke themselues euen next to the Apostles will be one day reiected for false prophets Ferus maie seeme here to touch the pope for his doubtfull doctrine of saluation Philippus de Dies also of the certainty of our saluation B. Dionys Epist 8. Phil de Dies Sum praed Tit. amor Dei erga hominem Exod. 20. writes thus Saint Denis in his Epistle very greatly extolling the loue of God saith We dare boldly auouch this for truth that God himself for the greatnes of his loue is as it were euen besides himselfe as we say hauing a care of his creatures and through loue he abaseth himselfe from his high estate of Maiesty that he should be present amongst all things Wherefore also hee is called A zealous God that is earnest and feruent in loue towards those things which are worthy to be loued And this is his property both to be the onely thing which is to bee beloued and also to bee loue it selfe The Kingly Prophet Dauid considering the excellency of this loue of God towards man faith What is man that then art mindfull of him or the Sonne of Adam that thou visitest him In this place this holy King as that wise learned man Eusebius notes vseth two meanes that is to saie Enos and Adam whereof the one was giuen to man to signifie the wants and imperfections which the soule runnes into through sinne and the other to declare the mortality and misery which naturally in his body he is subiect vnto For Enos is deriued of a certaine word that signifieth forgetfulnes and so Enos is nothing else then one that is forgetful or that lacks memory and Adam signifies that which is earthly and mortal This did so woonderfully amaze the holy prophet that he said Who is man O Lord who being vnmindfull of thee and offending thy Maiesty that he should be euer imprinted in thy memory Dost thou remember him who forgets thee Doest thou seeke for visit and loue exceedingly him that flies away from thee A thing verily to be greatly woondred at that God of such infinit maiesty should set his loue vpon such a miserable thing Whereupon Saint Ierom expounds those words of the diuine Psalmist Thou hast done Psal 39. Beat. Ieron super Psal O Lord thy manie woonderfull works and in thy thoughts who is like vnto thee on this manner Thou hast wrought O Lord my God many wonderfull things worthy of thy wisedome and power but of all other this is the chiefe thy very thoughts in the fauour which thou yeeldest to men in the loue wherewith thou louest them in the helpe that thou affoordest them and in the iustification which thou bestowest vpon them Is not this of all other miracles the greatest that God should loue men so greatly and should thinke on them so earnestly that he should say Prou. 9. My delight is to be with the Sonnes of men Truly this secret was made manifest onely to the diuine hart that when as the most high God hath not communicated to the Angels his personall essence and also the diuine properties which are in it as the Apostle also considered saying Hath he taken vpon him the Angels who as farre as mans reason can iudge would not perchance haue beene so vnmindfull of his benefits but would haue beene more thankfull then men when as I say he hath not granted all these things to the Angels yet he hath vouchsafed to communicate to bestow them most liberally vpon vnthankfull and miserable men Of which vnspeakeable loue it comes that the good things which he doth to vs he saith that he doth them to himselfe Wherefore the Patriarch Iacob amongst the blessings of his Son Dan being sodainly turned to thinke of the Messias speaking vvith the eternall father he said O Lord I will looke for thy saluation which the Chaldee paraphrase expounds literally of the Messias for Iacob being now about to die did prophesie of Sampson which was to spring of the Tribe of Dan and to saue the people of the Hebrewes from the tyranny of the Philistines But that hee might giue to vnderstand that he should not be the true Sauiour being as it were rapt into a trāce he breakes out into these words O Lord I wil looke for thy saluation as though he should haue saide I will not looke for Sampson nor Gedeon nor Iepthe nor others as though they were true Sauiours but I will yet looke for the true Messias which shall come being the true Sauiour of the world With such so stately a title Simeon also named him saying Luc. 2. Psalm 11◠O Lord now thou lettest thy seruant depart c. Because mine eies haue seene thy saluation The Kingly prophet also calles him so And let thy mercie come vpon me O Lord euen thy saluation according to thy word Christ is called the mercy of God because he is the beginning and foundation of all the mercies of God For in this mercy wherein the word became flesh all other haue their foundation And therefore Saint Paul saith to the Ephesians Ephes 1. In whome we haue redemption by his bloud euen the forgiuenesse of our sinnes according to the riches of his grace And thy saluation according to thy word that is according to thy promise In all these places Christ our Lord who is our saluation is called the saluation
what doe we answere to this We thinke it not meete that that manner of speech which hath obtained the name of a custome among them should be accounted for a rule and canon of true doctrine Let vs both stand to the iudgement of the holy scriptures inspired by God and amongst whome are found opinions agreeing to the diuine Oracles let the sentence of truth bee pronounced on their side What can be plainer then this Custome must not be the canon and rule of truth in doctrine but Gods worde and they which haue that on their side let them haue the victorie The like offer now we make to the Paâ—â—â—ts But that booke of S. Basill is of Erasmus suspected to be forged and that not without iust cause as the most Reuerend Father in God the L. Byshop of Winchester in his booke called The difference betweene Christian subiection and vnchristian rebellion hath verie learnedly prooued Of Christes doctrine Ferus writes thus Fer. de pass part 2. and he quite ouerthrowes the verie ground of Traditions Christ proueth saieth he the truth of his doctrine by two arguments First that he neuer taught secretly but openly For he that doth euill hateth the light but he that doth the truth comes to the light Secondly he giues his hearers leaue to iudge I saith he spake openly in the world in secret I spake nothing that I would haue kept secret or not come to light yea he plainly coÌ„manded his Apostles That which I tell you in darknes preach you in the light He told his Disciples many things alone but for no other cause then that others were not able to comprehende them For whatsoeuer Christ hath taught he will haue it published and made knowne to all least any should excuse himselfe And hereof Saint Paul saith If our Gospell be hidde it is hidde in those that perish For in truth Christ speakes openly in the world euen now wisedome cries in the streets Therefore no man can iustly excuse himselfe of ignorance And this also is most true that he taught in the Synagogues and Temple of the Iewes where all were wont to assemble themselues yea not onely in the Temple and in their Synagogues but in ships and hilles Luke 6. and plaine fields That is publikely where men most commonly mette together therfore they can haue no excuse Therefore at another time he said vnto them If I had not comed and spoken vnto them they had had no sinne c. This quite ouerthrowes the Popes Religion Christ will haue his doctrine knowne to all and the refore he frequented common places They goe about to kéepe it in secret and thinke it not conuenient that all shoulde know it Againe he deliuered all things openly and nothing by tradition secretly Lib. 5. Eccles Hist ca. 2.4 Eusebius also of Traditions writes thus Not onely saith hee of the day of Easter is the controuersie but also of the manner of fasting for some thinke that the fast ought to be kept but one day some other but two daies other moe daies some fortie daies so that counting the howres of the day and night together they make a day which varietie of obseruations began not in our times but long before vs of them as I suppose who holding not surely that which was by tradition deliuered in the beginning haue eyther by their negligence or vnskilfulnesse afterward falne into another custome Héere we may learne that traditions are no safe and sure kéepers of trueth as the papists would make vs beleeue How soone had they lost the true tradition of fasting which the Apostles practised euen in Eusebius daies And shall wee nowe in the ende of the worlde grounde our faithes vpon traditions Ier. de ord Eccle part 3. c. 9. Saint Ierome also concerning the authoritie of Bishoppes and Elders in the Church writes thus If any of vs could know the custome of the time past I would proue that which I say to haue beene obserued euer and to haue beene obserued when as the Apostles preached in the Church And after by the spite of certaine some things were corrupted and some things were presumed Héere Ierome affirmes that what was done in the Apostles times he could not then certainly learne much lesse we nowe Such an vncertaine rule in matters of faith tradition is And Austen also of Antichrist writes thus But what is the cause of the delaie that he may be reuealed in his time you do know De ciu del lib. 20. ca. 19. that which he said that they knew he would not vtter And therefore we which know not which they knew desire to come to the knowledge of that which the Apostle ment with great labour neither can we attaine vnto it because that those things which he added haue made the sense also more obscure for what meanes this nowe the mysterie of iniquitie worketh let him onely that now holdeth holde till he be taken out of the waie and then that wicked one shall be reuealed I plainely heere confesse my selfe to be ignorant what he hath said yet I will not keepe close the suspitions and surmises of men which I haue read or heard concerning this matter In Austens daies that tradition which was deliuered by saint Paul to the Thessalonians concerning Antichrist a most great and weightie matter was forgotten and doe we thinke that till our daies the Church hath kept traditions of lighter matters inuiolably Irenaeus to Florinus an heretike writes thus I saw thee Euseb lib. 5. Eccle. hi. ca. 19. when as yet being but a childe I was with Policarpe in Asia who then didst verie well whilest as yet thou remainedst within the Emperours palace and didst studie to please Policarpe For I remember farre better the things which were done then then they which are done now because those things we learne wheÌ„ we are children grow vp in vs with our minde and doe cleaue fast vnto it Wherefore also I can tell thee the place wherein Policarpe did sit when as he did dispute and also his manner of going his countenance the maner of all his life and also his apparell and also his sermons and discourses he made to the people and also howe he liued with Iohn and how he was wont also to tell of others which had seen the Lord and also how he remembred all the words which the Lord spake which he had heard of them and of his miracles and doctrine and yet notwithstanding he reported all these agreeing to the scriptures the which things I then of the mercie of God which he vouchsafed to bestow vpon me hearing attentiuely and diligently did write not in papers but in my heart and which thinges by the grace of God I yet keepe faithfully and doe as it were chew them ouer againe with my selfe without ceasing I take God to witnesse and in his sight I affirme vnto thee that if that blessed Apostolical man Policarpe had heard any such matter as thou
mens hearts consciences The world raignes with fleshly power but it obeyes the spirituall power but I make no accouÌ„t of fleshly power but I raign spiritually against fin death and hell c. The Popes kingdome is far vnlike this And of Christs crowne of thornes he writes thus The crownes of the kinges of this world Fer. part 3. pass are some of iron some of siluer some of golde By which is declared that the kingdome of the world consisteth of fleshly power glorie and nobilitie But Christs crowne is a crowne of thornes that by this token thou maiest knowe that Christes kingdome consists of thornes and afflictions And what kinde of king Christ is himselfe such like kings he makes vs that is subiect to afflictions No doubt then the Pope was neuer made king by Christ he is farre vnlike him as hee was here in this world Nay this his thornie crowne plainly condemnes that his triple crowne of golde In cap. 16 Mat. Titilman a Frier also vpon these words Vpon this rocke I will build my Church writes thus Vpon this rocke vpon this truth of faith which thou hast confessed and hast vttered saying Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God and also vppon my selfe a most sure rocke which in thy foresaide speech thou hast confessed I will build and founde my Church c. So that all catholiques as M. Bellarmine affirmes doe not expounde Peter to be that rocke Cyril in Io. ca. 5.6 Cyrill of the authoritie of all the Apostles writes thus vppon these words And hee breathed vpon them When as hee woulde make his disciples famous and excellent for the great dignitie of their apostleshippe and would ordaine them the holy guides of his mysteries he forthwith sanctifies them with his holy spirite which by breathing he bestowed vpon them Here is the authoritie common to all the Apostles And although hee affirme that Christ built his Church on Peter as it were vpon a rocke or stone yet of Peter he writes thus and of that his thréefold loue Peter euer went before the rest for beeing especially in loue with Christ hee was euer most readie both to do any thing and to make answeare therfore euen now a little before seeing the ship came slowly to the land he girding his coate about him leaped into the sea Cap. 64. And wheÌ„ as our Sauiour asked his disciples saying whoÌ„ do men saye that I am When as againe after their answere he demauÌ„ded of them againe But whom doe you saie that I am as the principall and head of the rest he first cried out Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God He also smote off Malchas eare thinking by this meanes that he should euer cleaue to his maister Therefore of good right Christ asked him if he loued him more then the rest and that thrice Peter also confessed that he loued him and he calles none other to be witnes of this his loue but Christ himselfe And in euery one of his confessions the words being a little altered he heard that he must haue a care of Christs sheepe But this speech doth bring to light a hâ—gher matter for because Peter with the rest was adorned by Christ with the name of an Apostle and he denied him thrice at his passion by good right now the coÌ„fession of his three-folde loue is required that his three fold deniall might be requited with the like nuÌ„ber of his coÌ„fession So that which was committed by words was cured with words He asked of him if he loued him more then the rest for he which had tried the greater clemeÌ„cie of his maister towards him by good right ought to haue loued him more And although all the Apostles generally were stricken with great feare when the Lorde was betrayed yet Peters fault was the greatest that in so short a time denied him thrice Therfore seeing by the mercie of our Sauiour he obtained forgiuenes of a great sinne iustly of him greater loue is required All pastors of the Church hereby learne that they can no otherwise be beloued of Christ then if so bee that they shal studie with al their maine might that his sheep be wel fed like well Such a one was Paul c. He proues that Peter had his Apostleship common with the rest of the Apostles that by this place it was restored him againe and no primacie granted him ouer all the church And that all doctors heere haue receiued a charge not Peter onely He concludes thus By Peters threefold confession his three folde sinne of denying is done away And hee sayde to him feede my Lambes restoring to him againe the dignitie of his Apostleshippe least through his deniall which chanced by mans frailtie it had seemed to haue beene disanulled Héere is a restitution of Peter heere is no prelation as the Papists teach of the supremacie Ierome writes thus The arke of Noah was a figure of the Church Ierom. contra lucifera nos as Peter saith In the arke of Noah a fewe that is eight soules were saued by water As now also baptisme saueth vs. As in that were all kinde of beasts so in this are men of all countries and conditions The arke had her nests so the Church her mansions Eight soules of men were saued in the arke and Ecclesiastes biddes vs giue part to seuen and part to eight that is beleeue both the testaments And therefore some psalmes are written for the eight and by eight verses which are put vnder euery letter And in the 118. psalme the iust man is instructed and the blessings by the which the Lorde signifieth his Church in the mount are eyght c. A Crowe is sent out of the arke and returneth no more and after the Doue sheweth the peace of the earth So in the baptisme of the Church that blacke birde being expelled that is the Diuell the Doue of the holy ghost declareth the peace of our lande The arke beginning of 30. cubits is built by little and little decreasing into one cubite So likewise the Church consisting of many degrees at length is finished with Deacons Priests and Bishops Héere wee maye plainly sée that Ierome makes the whole order and brotherhood of Bishopps to bee that one cubite in which the arke was finished and not anie one Bishop no not the Bishoppe of Rome For in the same booke he alleadgeth thus Cyprian writing to the Bishop of Rome He ends saith he his discourse which hee had made to Stephen Bishop of Rome after this manner We haue shewed these things to your conscience most welbeloued brother both for our coÌ„mon honour and for my sincere loue I beare vnto you hoping that those things please you for the truth of your faith and religion which are both true and religious But wee knowe some that will hardly refuse that which they haue once tasted nor chang their resolution easily but the knotte of peace and concorde being kept
heauenly phisition hath bought for thee with the price of his bloud hath bestowed freely vpon thee what to these things shall those most miserable men answere what shall they say for themselues what shall they doe surely euen that which our Sauiour euen here saith Then shall all the kinreds of the earth lament c. Thus farre Granatensis But here some will say all the infidels in the world shall wéepe at the beholding of this signe And shall they all be saued I answere The scripture saith not that all those which then wéepe shall be damned And therefore where the scriptures hold their peace let man take héed how he pronounceth sentence Let vs leaue them to the mercy of God God may among those weepers saue some if it please him as among two théeues he saued one on the crosse Luke 25.43 Hab. 3.1 That saying of Abacucke may then be fulfilled When thou art angrie thou wilt thinke vpon mercie And Dauid saith I will sing of mercie and iudgement Psal 101.1 Luke 16.9 Iudgement excludes not mercie euen in that terrible and great day of account Mercie must saue all Christians Io. 2.13 and why may it not at that time saue some Iewes also Especially séeing God promiseth here by his prophet that he will powre vpon them the spirit of grace and mercie and then they shall weepe This wéeping thall procéed of grace and therefore shall be healthfull This powring forth of the spirit of grace and mercie and this hauing respect then to him whom they haue pearced and this weeping belong all to one kind of people and are fruites and effects the one of the other The former the powring out of the spirit of grace and mercy doth belong to the elect and this latter the beholding of him whom haue they pearced and these teares to the reprobate As Ribera would haue it on that place of Zacharie And that the crosse was taken for the signe of the sonne of man in the primitiue Church Eusebius testifieth Rib. in za c. 12. For so when as the Christians admitted vnto their society one Basilides he saith they gaue him the Lords signe And the next day he was martyred And he that translated Eusebius addes in the margine that by the Lords signe he vnderstands the crosse But if we shall not admit his exposition Eus lib. ca 5. let vs heare what Sibylla an ancient Prophetesse prophecieth of Christs comming to iudgement and of this signe Sib. lib. 8. Orac fol. 383. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which Verses are thus turned into English Vnto all men a famous signe whereby they may be knowne In those daies shal be giuen euen by the wood a trumpe most dire Of all the faithfull much esteemd but to the worlds state Reposing trust in earthly things a cause of great offence Here Sibylla in her Achrostickes as she doth most truly and plainly paint out vnto vs Christes name and his merits This King saith she whom we haue described in the first letters of our verses is our God and our eternall Redeemer and Sauiour who suffered for vs And of his comming againe to iudgement why should she not also saie the truth in the appearing of this the signe of the crosse It is a great argument to make one be trusted if he shall haue borne true witnes often before in other matters The true faith of Sibylla in the former may also win her credit with vs in this latter And to confirme the authoritie of her prophecie Cic. lib. 2. de Diuin Au. de ciuit dei lib. 18. ca. 23. that it is no new thing forged of late since Christs passion Cicero makes mention of this her Achrosticks who was before Christ and Lactantius in his booke often cites her verses And saint Austen saith That a certaine noble man called Flactianus who was the Emperors Lieutenāt when as they two talked togither of Christ shewed him a Greeke booke saying that they were the verses of Sibylla Erithrea and that he shewed him in a certaine place of that booke in the beginning of euerie verse letters set in such an order that these words might be read therein Iesus Christ Son of God Sauiour This account all these famous men made of Sibylla her verses and shal we discredite them Gualter also a learned man of our daies of famous memorie so expoundes that place of saint Matthewes gospell and by the signe of the sonne of man vnderstandeth the signe of the crosse These be his wordes Most of the auncient fathers expound the crosse to be this signe whose image as Eusebius witnesseth with this inscription In this signe thou shalt ouercome appeared to Constantine when he made warre against Maxentius that he might helpe the Church which seemed then forsaken In cap. 24. Euan. secun Mat For because Christ by the merit of the crosse ouercame all the power of the enemie the signe of the crosse appeareth most fitly before any other to our victorie and by it also we shall ouercome And it is verie profitable for vs often to muse vpon this and it is a shame for vs to feare any misfortune when as the verie name of the crosse promiseth vs most certaine victory Thus farre Gualter Wherein he doth not onely declare his owne opinion but also the opinion of the fathers concerning this matter That same learned father also Thomas Cooper sometimes Byshoppe of Lincolne in his visitation there agreed with Gualter in this his exposition who spake to this effect to his cleargie in Latine in my hearing all the rest of his Sermon being in English Annon potestis ferre fratres mei Anno Dom. 1583. signum illud formari hîc in terra quod ante aduentum iudicis erit conspicuum in coelo Can you not abide my deere brethren that that signe should be made here on earth which shall appeare manifestly before the iudge come in heauen In cap. 4. Ioh. Ferus also of the conuersion of the Iewes writes thus Allegorically as the foresaid woman of Samaria was a figure of the Church of the Gentiles so this noble mans sonne was a figure of the Iewes And it makes much to the purpose that the woman came to Christ at the sixt houre but he was healed first at the seuenth houre For the Church of the Gentiles beleeued the true sonne of Righteousnesse Christ Iesus ascending into heauen but when as he shall begin to come downe againe that is when he sendeth before him the signes and wonders of his comming to iudgement then shall the people of the Iewes beleeue Ferus thinkes that the verie signes and wonders which shall immediately precede Christs comming to iudgement shall cause the Iewes to beléeue and not the preaching of Elias and Enoch And it is verie likely that he means among those signes which shall appeare immediately before the iudgement which shall conuert the Iewes shall be the signe
declares the great zeale that they shall haue and the loue to Iesus Christ when as they are once conuerted they shall be like Marie Magdalen as zealous of him at his second comming as she was at his resurrection Peter and Iohn when as they had come to the graue and found not his bodie there went home againe by and by Ioh. 20.10.11 but Marie tarried still by the graue weeping shée loued him better then so so zealous of Christ shall the Iewes be when as he shall arise also to them And here also is insinuated to vs a good lesson why God wil then shew them such mercie and to make vs beware least we fall from Gods mercie Oh saith Dauid Psal 59.5 bee not mercifull to those that offend of malicious wickednesse Rom. 10.2 As though he should saie those that offend ignorantly yet zealously but not according to knowledge as Saint Paul witnesseth that the Iews doe now be mercifull to those O Lord. But be not mercifull to those that offend maliciously which knew their masters will Luk. 12.47 and yet will not doe it such shall be beaten with many stripes And this lesson concernes vs those sins are the sins which Dauid cals the greatest sins sinnes of presumption Psal 14.13 1. Tim. 1.13 And so Saint Paul also writes of himselfe that he obtained mercie because that he sinned ignorantly through vnbeliefe And so also it séems here by Dauids prayer that the Iewes also shall obtaine mercie The man also that appeared to Daniel Dan. 10.14 that was cloathed in linnen whose loines were girded with fine gold of vphaz telles Daniel that he is sent to shew him what shall come to his people in the latter day but yet the vision is for many daies And Daniel thus is instructed of this man verie manifestly of the calling of the Iewes Cap. 12.1 At that time Michael the great prince shall stand vp who stands for the children of thy people and there shall be such a time of trouble as there was neuer since there was any people till this time and in this verie time shall the people be deliuered all that shall be found written in this booke And many that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to shame and perpetuall contempt Thus much this heauenly man reueiled to Daniel that the Iewes shall be called in that troublesome time And our Sauiour referres this troblesome time both to the destruction of Ierusalem and also to the ende of the world as we maie plainly sée in Saint Markes Gospell Chap. 13. v. 20. 24. And those daies shal be shortned for the elects sake or els no flesh should be saued Therfore by this prophesie of Daniel it maie be verie necessarily collected that séeing this troublesome time shall immediatly precede Christs comming and that in that time they shall be conuerted and that those daies shall be shortned that they maie be conuerted euen immediatly before the comming of Christ For he addes the Resurrection as the next thing that should follow their calling and what is that els but the verie appearance of Christ himselfe Ier. 30.7 Ieremy also agrees with Daniel both concerning the day and the Iewes deliuerance Alas for this day is great none hath bin like it it is euen the time of Iacobs trouble yet shall he be deliuered from it Ieremie séemes here to come néerer then Daniel and to saie that not onely in that troublesome time but in the latter daie thereof which no doubt is the daie of iudgment that then Iacob shall be deliuered What great daie is this then the which none hath béene like but the daie of iudgement And so the Prophet Ioel also describes that daie A day of blacknesse and of darknesse Ioel. 2.2 a day of cloudes and obscuritie And Zacharie also of this strange daie writes thus Zach. 14.7 And there shall be a day it is knowne to the Lord neither day nor night but about the euentide it shall be light In this strange and great daie saith Ieremy shall Iacob be deliuered Thus we maie plainly sée how that all the other Prophets almost do agrée with the prophet Zacharie that the Iewes shall be called at the day of iudgement But to let passe the scriptures and to come to the fathers Iust ◠apol and to shew what some of them haue thought concerning this matter Iustine the martyr affirmes that this generall wéeping the Prophet Zacharie speaks of shal be at the second comming of Christ who writes thus The prophet Zacharie hath foretolde what words the people of the Iews shal say when as they shal see him comming in his glory I will commaund the foure winds saith God that they may gather togither my dispersed children And then in Ierusalem shall be great mourning not mourning of countenance and face but of heart And then they shall not rent their garments but their minds And they shal lamēt tribe to tribe And they shall see him whom they haue pierced Thus farre Iustine And he plainly referres this prophecie of Zachary to be fulfilled in the end of the world To whom agrées also Theodoret who writes thus Theo. in ca. 12. Zach. And it shall come to passe that at that day I will destroy all nations that fight against Ierusalem and I will powre vpon the house of Dauid and the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and mercie c. Vpon these words Theodoret writes thus I haue euen loaden them with all kind of benefits I haue killed their enemies by diuers meanes And contrariwise to them I haue opened the fountaines of my mercy and haue filled them with all kind of graces But they haue betraied me comming into this world into the hands of mine enemies and hauing nailed me and lifted me vp vpon a crosse they haue thrust me to the heart with a souldiers speare and haue railed vpon me and haue laughed me to scorne but notwithstanding when as within a little while after they shall see me comming in my diuine maiestie then they shall bewaile and lament this their madnes And a little after speaking of their lamentation he saith Lastly he inferres that all the other tribes shall also seuerally weep and lament This selfe same thing the Lord in his gospell also hath foretolde Then they shall see the signe of the sonne of man in heauen and then all the kinreds of the earth shall lament It is most certaine that all they which haue not receiued the preaching of the gospell shall lament looking for nothing else but vtter destruction But these things shal be fulfilled in the time of the verie end yet I will defend them meaning the Iewes although I am not ignorant how they shall crucifie me and kill me comming into this world for my benefits bestowed vpon them c. He referres the fulfilling of this prophecie plainly vnto the end of the world
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
For to this thou art also inuited of the bridegroome in the Canticles when he saith Let me be as a signet in thy heart and as a signet on thy arme Thus much Granatensis cites out of Bernard A discourse worth the marking who knowing these vertues of the name of Iesus will not call vpon it or will call vpon any other name This must be an electuarie euer in our bosome and euer in our hands saith Bernard and Granatensis two skilfull Physitions of soules and shall we not follow their counsell Of prayer in the Church he writes thus Med. 10. vit Christi It is an vsuall thing that if we wil find any thing we wil seeke it in his proper natural place If therfore the Church be the proper place of God it is meet that the son of God and God be sought found there The church is the house of prayer and where prayer is heard there God is found Wherefore my brother when as thou art afflicted destitute of comfort distracted with cares lean luke warme without any fatnesse or sparke of deuotion enter into the Church continue in prayer For if thou shalt continue praying with faith and humilitie without doubt thou shalt finde Christ who is God and this shall be a signe to thee that thou hast found him if thou shalt after finde deuotion pleasure refreshing and ioy in thy soule Med. 16. And after that in the Church and in all other places that we should praie onely vnto Christ he alleadgeth this notable saying out of Austen Austen saith that so great mercie and courtesie shined in the person of our Sauiour in all his words works and in his whole life and that there was such a report thorow all that countrey of his courtesie and mercie which sprung of the workes which he wrought daily amongst them that the malicious harts of the Iewes thought that so courteous and mercifull a man could not speake the word of condemnation or pronounce sentence of death against any no not although the lawe condemned him and therefore they brought vnto him the woman taken in adulterie that hereby they might take an occasion of slaundering him and of accusing him as a transgressor of the law So that the greatnesse of the clemencie and mercie of our Sauiour gaue opportunitie to those wicked persons of accusing him But the wisedome of God ouercame the malice of man and Moses Serpent deuoured the Serpents of the Sooth-sayers For the Lord iudged so wisely that the woman was absolued her accusers being put to silence and confusion If the malicious Iewes had such an opinion of the great mercie of our Sauiour shall not Christians haue the like And if they haue will they direct their prayers to anie other And after speaking of the woman of Chanaan he writes thus Med. 17. First we are taught here in all our tribulations and necessities that we must run vnto God as this woman did who as Origen notes was an infidell and a worshipper of diuels yet she neither went to men nor to diuels to seeke remedy of them but she came to the true Sauiour and redeemer of the world For this is the propertie of prayer that it is a generall remedy against all euils and in this respect the vertue thereof was commended as Theodoret witnesseth of one of the auncient fathers who was wont to say That physitions for diuers diseases had their diuers medicines and that they cured this disease with this medicine and that with another but Christians against all manner of euils haue but one medicine and that is continuall and deuout prayer which neuer returnes emptie If this infidell naie being also a worshipper of diuels as Origen affirmes were not repelled of our Sauiour whie should anie Christian distrust And of the cōditions which are required in our praiers he writes thus The first thing that is required in our prayers is faith For which this woman is commended to which especially the obtaining of her suit is ascribed of the Lord according to the word of Christ himselfe saying All things whatsoeuer you aske praying beleeue that you shall receiue them The reason hereof among other is this because this bond of faith which euer brings with it assured trust of the mercie and goodnesse of God is one of those things which doe most glorifie and honour God whose nature is to honour those againe of whom he is honored and to glorifie those of whom he is glorified The which that we may better vnderstand wee must know that there are two manner of waies of praysing God One with wordes another with workes The physition with words commends the treacle he hath made and saith that it is of great force against all poyson but he commends it in deed who being stricken of a Scorpion takes his treacle and is healed by it Thou seest how this second kind of praising is better then the former The one praiseth it in hope the other in deed the praise of the one consists in words but of the other in workes and therefore as much difference as there is betweene saying and doing so great difference is there also betweene those two manner of commendations But faith praiseth the goodnesse and mercie of God after the second manner when as she being in the midst of perils and temptations she is secure and triumpheth Through this assurance she vndertakes great and hard matters and she distributes to the poore that she hath without any care hoping with assurance in the mercie of God which neuer forsakes them which trust in him and which enter into perils and troubles for his name sake There are verie fewe although perchance otherwise good men who haue attained to this steppe of faithfull assurance but happy and thrice happy is he that hath attained vnto it to which this woman seemes to haue climbed vp who being so often repelled and reiected of the Lord yet for all that did not distrust of his goodnesse and mercie Therefore not without cause the Lord commends her faith saying O woman great is thy faith Be it vnto thee euen as thou wilt And this is diligentlie of vs to be marked here that thorow the whole Gospell there are onely found but two such exclamations of our Sauiour and both of them to the same purpose One is in the words now recited the other is when as Christ reproouing a man not beléeuing cried out O froward and incredulous generation How long shall I be with you how long shall I suffer you These two exclamations doe verie manifestly declare how gratefull and acceptable to God that faith is which hath this hope assurance euer ioined with it and how greatly incredulitie and distrustfulnesse displeaseth him Faith brings with it euer assurance and confidence and therefore cannot abide wauering and doubtfulnesse And such a faith only is acceptable to God saith Granatensis But how can then that be a faith acceptable to God which other papists
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
that healed that lame man but it was the power and might of Iesus Christ And so no doubt the same power wrought all miracles after in the primitiue Church The glorie of all those miracles belonged to Iesus Christ For so Saint Peter here testifieth The God of our fathers hath glorified his son Iesus No part of the glorie of them appertained either to the Apostles or Martyrs following as Peter here plainlie teacheth But as the Iewes then looked vpon Peter and Paul so in the age succéeding the people began to reuerence the Martyrs and to acknowledge that by their vertues partly these miracles were wrought Aug. de cura pro mortuis agenda cap. 1. And a proofe hereof is that a widow burying her son neere to a Martyr asked Paulinus iudgement and he S. Austens counsell whether such a buriall were not profitable to the soule of her sonne or no. And this question as should seeme gaue an occasion to S. Austen of writing that booke And S. Austen himselfe reasons as we saie pro contra and cannot well tell what to make of that question as in that booke more at large appeares They had forgotten as should séeme that lesson of Peter that euen he by his owne godlinesse and power did not worke that first miracle but by the power of Iesus Christ Iesus Christ is euen now as he was then Heb. 13.8 and shall be for euer that same onely fountaine from which all vertue and power of doing miracles doth procéede Luc. 8.43 Who saith euen now as he said then when as that woman that was sicke so dangerously of a desperate bloudy issue which passed all the Physitions cures that she could meete withall when as she had with a liuely faith touched him Verse 46. and now was healed who hath touched me For I feele vertue to haue proceeded from me All other miracles whatsoeuer proceed from the same fountaine It is not the touching of Peter or Paul much lesse of anie other Martyr or to be buried nigh them that can profit anie man but onlie the touching of Iesus Christ by a liuely faith as it did that woman This touching after his resurrection our blessed Sauiour taught Marie Magdalen Ioh. 20.17 Touch me not For I haue not yet ascended to my father As though he should saie Heretofore you haue touched me corporallie but henceforth touch me no more so but touch me spiritually touch me with a liuelie faith and be sure that ye shal find vertue to procéed from me If this first lesson had béen taught and firmely obserued in the Church so much superstition and reuerence inuocation of the saints departed would neuer haue crept into the Church as hath done And afterward they began to beléeue that when miracles were done at the toombes of the martyrs that they by their holines power had wrought them And so it grew by little and little from glorifying Iesus Christ alone which Peter here teacheth that men glorified the martyrs also with Iesus Christ And so they became théeues as Stella here cals them by robbing God of his glory Granatensis of the greatnes of this sinne writes thus Med. vitae Christi 19. The whole world was nothing else but a temple of Idolatrie a Castle of theeues a denne of Cockatrices and Serpents a market of wiles and deceits a house of confusion a gulfe of darknes what shall I vse manie words The world was almost become a hell of diuels incarnate From the East to the West in all Isles Kingdomes and Countries both by sea and land the diuell was worshipped for God and in the honour of such monsters most stately Churches were built Their Altars yeelded their smoakes to these to these they burned their incense to these they offered sacrifice And because Idolatrie is the mother of all vices there raigned also with her all the filthines abominations wickednes and faults of the whole world So that the diuell who is called in the Gospel the strong man that is armed obtained the dominion of the whole earth in great peace the obedience and seruice thereof which was due to the true and lawfull Lord and owner being quite taken away Such an vgly monster is Idolatrie she is the mother of all filthines and abominations and sins and therefore carefully to be taken héed of of all true Catholickes Ferus expounds the first commaundement thus In Mat. ca. 22 I am the Lord thy God As though he should say I euen I I say and no other I am the Lord thy gouernour thy God and thy Creator also who as I haue created thee so I gouerne thee not thou thy selfe by thine owne wisedome strength or righteousnes c. I bestow benefits vpon thee I redeeme thee from euils sinne and damnation In my power are all things which made all things And how great soeuer I am I am wholy thine and in whatsoeuer I am able Onely remember thou that onely thou acknowledge me to be such a one and suffer me to be thy God that is that thou looke for all good things of me in all thy euils thou looke vpon me neither that thou turne thine eies anie other way or applie thy heart Thou shalt haue no other Gods that is haue nothing besides me in which thou maist trust vse the creatures set not thy heart vpon them c. Here is an notable platforme of Christianitie to beléeue that God is wholy ours to looke for all things from him in all daungers to flie to him neuer to turne our eies from him Thus saith Ferus Agréeing here with Dauid Psal 123. Euen as the eies of seruants looke vnto the hands of their maisters as the eies of a maiden to the hands of her mistres so our eies wait vpon the Lord our God till he haue mercie vpon vs. Seruants must not haue wandring eies they must stedfastly attend vpon their maisters that they may be readie to do their pleasures so must all Gods seruants haue their eies fixed vpon him neither turne to anie other in his seruice in their afflictions and daungers euen vntill he haue mercie vpon them If this platforme of Christianity were printed in euerie Christian heart they néeded no Images to put them in minde of God God should be euer before their eies They néed no intercessors to God God is wholy theirs who then dare doubt of his loue Ferus of the honour of the saints writes thus There be some which attribute too much to the saints Fer. in Mat. ca. 11. And againe there are some which attribute nothing vnto them But here thou maist see that Christ praiseth Iohn and that excellently euen to our instruction but he praiseth Iohn so as he preferres himselfe before Iohn So I say the saints are to be praised who are worthie of praise both in their liues and also in their deaths and that which is worthie of praise in them is to be highly commended to the
call him The Lord our righteousnes Psal 4. ◠And thus also Dauid cals him heare me O God that art my righteousnes And this also then is another true marke of the true Church to call account Iesus Christ their righteousnes And if this be his name it must not be giuen to anie other he must haue his name alone himselfe They denie him his name that attribute their righteousnes to an thing else in this world what soeuer And this name haue al Gods saints alwaies attributed vnto him Gen. 18.27 I haue begun to speake vnto my Lord saith Abraham which am but dust and ashes thus basely he thought of himselfe what glorie what beautie is in dust and ashes And O Lord saith Iacob I am not worthie of the least of all thy mercies Gen. 32.10 and of all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant As though hee should say I can challenge nothing no not the least grace which thou hast bestowed vpon me And Iob saith Iob. 9.2 How should a man compared to God be iustified If he would dispute with him he could not aunswere one thing for a thousand And to Iob agréeth Dauid Innumerable troubles saith hée are comed about me my sinnes haue taken such holde vpon me that I am not able to looke vp Psal 40.12 Yea they are moe in number then the haires of my head and my heart hath failed me Euen Dauid himselfe thus manie in number accounted his sinnes Act. 13.22 being a man according to Gods owne heart And who dare then account his sinnes fewer And our Sauiour likewise teacheth all his when as they haue done all that is commaunded them if they were able to doe it Luk. 17.10 as there is none able euen then to say and to account themselues in deed vnprofitable seruants Much more then when they shall not be able to doe perfectly euen the least of that which is commaunded them Nay if the Apostles themselues shall say they haue no sinne 1. Io. 1.8 they were lyers Much more then anie other Christians whatsoeuer All true Christians account their works doe they neuer so manie and so excellent but duties not deserts as saint Paul teacheth them For the loue of Christ now saith he pincheth vs or constraineth vs to doe all things 2. Cor. 5.14 For we thus iudge that if one be dead for all then were all dead And he died for al that they which liue should not henceforth liue vnto themselues but vnto him that died for them and rose againe Here is the ende and cause of all good works They are but duties which we are bound to doe for Iesus Christs sake that died for vs if so be we could do euen a thousand times more thē we can doe Mat. 5.16 They are light they are not fire Let your light so shine before men saith our Sauiour that men seeing your good works Luke 12.44 may glorifie your heauenly father But he deserueth the praise of this light that kindled the fire And that is he which said I am come to send fire vpon the earth and what will I now but that it burne Io. 2.18 The light is his that oweth the fire our works are not ours they are but the light of faith The Apostle Paul cals them fruits of righteousnes Phil. 1.11 they are not causes thereof They procéed from it When we are iustified then we bring forth good workes Heb. 11.6 2. Cor. 3.5 Before we can doe nothing that is good no not so much as thinke a good thought He that owes the trée may iustly challenge these fruits Ephes 1.13 After saith saint Paul that the Ephesians beléeued which is their new life and iustification they were also sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of their inheritance vntill the redemption of the possession purchased vnto the praise of his glorie God bestowes all his gifts vpon vs our faith whereby we liue and are iustified the holy spirit whereby we are sealed and assured that we are Gods children whereby we are sanctified and enriched with all good works yea and preserued euen till the day we shall obtaine that glorious kingdome of heauen purchased for vs by Iesus Christ for this onely ende that we should be to the praise of his glorie A Christian must in all things and for all things all his life long glorifie God This is the marke he must shoote at the thing he must doe daily And for this cause God bestowes his benefits yea euen all the good works he doth daily vpon him Gal. 1.23 So the Saints magnified God in Paul being now conuerted So in the Psalme all the saints protest Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs Psal 1 15 1. but vnto thy name giue the glorie And in the Prophet Esay 26.12 Thou hast wrought all our works in vs. We chalenge nothing our selues but onely glorifie thée that by vs vile earth blunt tooles vnfit instrumēts thou wouldest vouchsafe of thy aboundant mercie wisedome and power to worke such excellent things So that this is another marke of the true Church to attribute and ascribe all her righteousnes to the Lord Iesus Christ Another euident marke of the true Church to be cunning in the Scriptures to haue Gods law in her heart Heb 8.8 And this is that which saint Paul alleadgeth out of Ieremie that out of the mouth of two witnesses Deut. 19.15 this truth might be confirmed to vs That he that should now doubt thereof might iustly be condemned Behold the daies wil come saith the Lord when I shall make with the house of Israel with the house of Iudah a new testament Not like the testament I made with their fathers in the day I tooke them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt For they continued not in my testament and I regarded them not saith the Lord. For this is the testament that I will make with the house of Israel after these daies saith the Lord I wil put my lawes in their minds in their harts I wil write them and I will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall not teach euerie man his neighbour saying know the Lord For all shal know me from the greatest of them to the least of thē Here we may note a notable yea and a principal marke of the true Church God cals this his new testament or couenant Why then they that haue not had this or haue it not are not within the couenāt of God are none of his heirs are not partakers of his testament But what is this couenant They shal haue Gods law written in their heart they shall al know God frō the greatest of thē to the smallest Psal 19.7.119.110 They shall now be all cunning in Gods word that thereby as Dauid saith the verie simple shal get vnderstanding that they shall
of the Arke is finished in a cubit as some thinke or else the eaues were round about the Arke a cubit in breadth to put awaie raine from the window and from the arke it selfe This maie teach vs mortification of the flesh If wee would iudge our selues 1. Cor. 11.31 we should not be iudged of the Lord. Fasting and prayer from a liuely faith are that narrowe roofe that repelles al stormes from Gods Church 1. King 21.27 Vnder this narrow roofe Ahab when God threatned him vengeance for his sinnes and Queene Hester Hest 4.16 when Haman like a mightie clowde and huge tempest did hang ouer her head and the heads of her people did shrowd themselues So did Niniueh at the preaching of Ionas Ionas 3.7 Wouldest thou escape the stormes then of Gods wrath let the Roofe of thy house then be narrowe Whosoeuer thou art iudge thy selfe and God will not iudge thee as S. Paul counselleth all christians And the doore of the Arke shalt thou set in the side thereof Verse 16. Here is also Iesus Christ described verie liuely vnto vs Ioh. 10.9 who is the verie doore into the church who suffered his verie side to be opened with a speare for our sakes Ioh. 19.34 that we might haue an entrance into heauen By this doore we enter boldlie into heauen and appeare before the maiestie of God In this wide wound as in the clift of a most safe rocke Cant. 2.14 we hide our selues from all the persecutions of the enemy And this doore is but one there are not manie doores into his house Ioh. 10.9 Acts 4.12 as our Sauiour himselfe tels vs I am the doore The same also Peter testifieth There is but one way to saluation and that is Iesus Christ there is but one séede Gal. 3.16 in whome all the nations of the world shall be blessed and that is Iesus Christ Ioh. 3.14 there is but one brazen Serpent lift vp in the wildernesse which cured al the Israelites from all the stingings of the Serpent whatsoeuer and that is Iesus Christ Acts 4.12 There is no other name vnder heauen giuen to men by which we must be saued but onely the name of Iesus Christ He is that one doore that was made in the side of the Arke And thou shalt make it with the low second and third Roume Verse 16. Ro. 12.6.13.1 1. Cor. 7.25 1. Pet. 4.1 There are degrées in Gods church of manie estates and conditions of Kings and other inferiour magistrates and subiects of Byshops Pastors and their flockes of virgins married folkes and widowes and therefore God commanded Noah to make hie roumes and middle and lowe roumes in the arke Euerie one of these haue their proper places in Gods Church There are also in the church children which stand need of milke 1. Cor. 3.1.2 there are also strong men which can digest stronger food which are doctors in christianitie Heb. 5.12 and some others to whom the rudiments and principles of christian religion appertaine and all these doe belong to Gods church Verse 17. And behold I will bring a floud of water vpon the earth to destroy all flesh wherein is the breath of life vnder heauen and all that is in the earth shall perish But with thee will I stablish my couenant and thou shalt go into the Arke thou and thy sonnes and thy wife and thy sonnes wiues with thee Here is the floud a signe and type of Gods wrath and iust iudgement for sinne Here is the onely means of saluation Gods frée mercie For it is said before That when as God saw that the wickednesse of man was great in the earth and al the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were onely euill continually and it repented the Lord that he had made man in the earth Verse 5. and he was sorie in his heart c. That Noah yet found grace in the eies of the Lord. Noah his saluation was the frée mercie of God and his most gratious couenant They onely which doe obserue his couenant doe escape this his fierce wrath as here appeareth And this couenant Noah preached vnto those wicked men in his daies but they would not beléeue him but euerie one followed his owne wicked waies and so in the end for lacke of faith were drowned Mat. 5.7 Mar. 16.16 Luk. 6.37.38 Ioh. 16.27 The like couenants God hath made with vs let vs reade them and marke them and beléeue them if we minde to escape this deluge of the wrath of God least we perish with those men in the daies of Noah The obedience of Gods couenant is the only way of saluation no deuise of man can saue els whatsoeuer Verse 21. And take thou with thee of all meate that is eaten and thou shalt gather it to thee that it may be meate for thee and them God will not haue his pined he will haue meate in his house and therefore Iesus Christ was borne also in Bethlehem Mat. 2.1 which in the Hebrew signifies a house of bread And Noah is commanded to gather to him all manner of meates There are varietie of meates in Gods house Exod. 12.9 There is the head of the lamb the purtenance and the feete Gen. 30.14 Psal 51.7 Prou. 31 6. Psal 75.8 2. Tim. 2.15 Luk. 12.42 There are sower lettice there are mandrakes which make fruitfull there is purging Isope there is pretious balme There is wine and strong drinke for the afflicted there are dregs for the wicked And here is required the wisedome of all Gods ministers They must be stewards they must not giue all meate at once but euerie kinde of meate in his proper time Neither all kindes of meat to euerie Christian but euerie condition or state hath his proper food euen as in Noah his Arke euerie kind of liuing creatures had also The doctrine of Kings and Magistrates is not to be set before the people 2. Ti. 2.15 nor the doctrine of the people to be taught the Magistrates this were lacke of discretion This were not rightly to deuide the word of God Noah therefore did according to all that God commaunded him euen so did he Here is the conclusion and summe of all Vers 22. Noah did all according as God commaunded him Euen in this materiall worke of making the Arke of wood and timber he missed not an Inch of that length bredth or height or of anie other thing which God commaunded him much more then in the spirituall building of the Church the same is to be obserued The maister builders may not goe a haires bredth beyond the commaundement of God Mat. 28.20 1. Cor. 11.23 Gal. 1.6 2. Pet. 1.16 though that which they doe séeme in their owne eies neuer so conuenient or profitable or necessarie or stately They must learne this lesson of Noah their good predecessor and their Schoolemaster As God commannded so did Noah according to
wiues for parents and children for maisters and seruants Before the men slept she went vp vnto them Heerof we may learne the zeale the true Church hath of hearing the word of God She makes no delay she goes vp to them presently She is desirous to heare the doctrine of her saluation She prefers this ioyfull newes before her sléepe And she saith to the men Vers 9 I know that God hath giuen you the land for the feare of you is fallen vpon vs c. Here is the confession of a true faith and here is also first the first propertie of a true faith not to doubt to know to be assured I know saith she that you shall conquere this land though as yet their wals stand and there many mightie kings being linked togither in leagues liued and flourished All these fleshly arguments could not daunt her faith I know saith she you shall haue the victorie For we haue heard how the Lord dried vp the red sea before you when you came out of Egypt and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites which were beyond Iordan Sehon and Og whom ye killed 1. King 10.1 Ro. 10.14 Here is the ground of faith Faith commeth by hearing She hearing the wonderfull works of God beléeued to teach vs the meanes to obtaine faith by hearing also Now followes the confession of her faith Wee haue heard and our heart is quite gone and there is no courage left in any one of vs against you For your God is a God in deed in heauen aboue and in the earth beneath Deut. 64. Mat. 28.18 Psal 136.13.14.15.16 First her faith is grounded on one God and of his omnipotencie that he alone is of all power in heauen and earth he can drie vp the red sea he can destroy mightie kings euen Sheon and Og kings of the Amorites And here also the true Church may learne in her iourney out of Egypt with what enemies she must encounter For euerie true Israelite must now also come out of Egypt euen as those auncient Israelites did Reu. 11.8 Ps 114.1 1. Cor. 10.11 and the red sea must be dried vp before him and those two kings of the Amorites conquered and subdued And here first the red sea in Hebrew is called the sea of Rushes or the sea of consumption or ending And surely this world also for these two respectes may fitly be called the red sea First it is a sea neuer quiet but in it still one waue of afflictions followes another Secondly it is a sea of Rushes There is nothing sound in it Though the honours riches and pleasures thereof seeme great gréene to flourish yet they are but rushes they are not sound within they are but vanitie As that great king Salomon who had experienced all these things teacheth al men in his booke called the Preacher All saith he is but vanitie And if that were all it were well but he addeth further Eccles 1.14 and vexation of spirit This is worse then the former that such vaine things should vex a mans heart should trouble him should make him hurt his neighbour nay euen offend his most gratious God This world also is a consumption Ia. 5.4 2. Ti. 4.10 2. Sa. 20.10 a destruction to all that do loue it The louers of this world are enemies to God and he that embraceth this world with Demas it will in the end slay him as Ioab did Amasa traiterously and Iudasly This Rushie sea God dries vp by the mightie operation of the holy spirit to all his faithfull seruants 1. Cor. 7 31. 1. Pet. 2.11 before they enter into his land of Canaan They despise the world they vse it as though they vsed it not They account themselues here but as pilgrimes And to this agréeth that which is said in the Reuelation when the first Angell blew his trumpet there were haile and fire mingled with bloud cast into the earth Reu. 8.7 and the third part of the trees were burnt and all greene grasse was burnt This is not meant literally but spiritually That is that in all Gods children all worldly pompe and vanitie is now quite consumed The world is to them crucified and they to the world Gal. 6.14 The other two enemies which also must be destroyed are two kings Sehon and Og kings of the Amorites Whose names declare their natures Sehon signifies in Hebrew a rooter vp and Og signifies fine māchet And they may fitly resemble our flesh and our spirit our appetite and our senses Our senses delight in vanitie and therfore Dauid saith Psal 119.37 Col. 3.5 Turne away mine eies least they behold vanity And our appetites or fleshly desires must be mortified which are the rooters vp of all vertue This Sehon is king of Hesbon which signifies Reason so in the carnall man is will and lustes of the flesh And so also Og that is the flesh that delights in fine delicates in manchet is king of Basan that is ouer the spirit of God which is compared to oyle and fatnes the which also Basan signifies in Hebrew These two kings must be conquered of all Christians before they enter into the land of promise and Hesbon that is reason now must rule ouer Sehon that is affections And Basan that is Gods spirit must rule ouer Og that is Num. 21.23 33. the pleasures of the flesh And Sehon fightes with Israel in Lasha that is the field of saluation Og in Edrai that is on the mount of strength Mans carnall wisedom thinkes it selfe able to saue Psal 20.7 Psal 44 3. Reue. 7.10 and the flesh thinks her arme of force But Gods children must acknowledge another arme to be their strength euen the arme of the Lord and their saluation also not to be of themselues but of the Lord. And these are two kings of the Amorites which signifies rebellious These two kings are in man that do daily rebell against that onely and great king God Almightie And these two Rom. 7.33 saint Paul called the law of his members No doubt for their kingly authoritie which without Gods spirit they do challenge in vs. And these two kings must be killed nay as the Hebrew word which Rahab vseth Hekeramtem signifieth must be euen vowed to destructiō Psal 119.106 1. Pet. 3.21 And what doth this note else but our baptisme Wherein euerie one vowes himselfe a souldier against these kings And now sweare vnto me in the Lord because I haue shewed you mercie Ios 2. that you also will shew mercie vnto my fathers house and that you will giue me a signe of this truth And you shall cause to liue my father and my mother and my brethren and my sisters and all things that they haue and ye shall deliuer our soules from death Here is another marke of the true Church all her doctrines must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 1.15 3.1 Mat. 5.18
6.2 as saint Paul termes them must be faithfull sayings They must be verities as our Sauiour often in the Gospell confirmes all his with Amen which signifies truly and verily And saint Paul saith that all the promises of God in Christ are yea 2. Cor. 1.20 and in him are Amen They must bee so sure euen as though they were ratified with an oth Againe sweare to me by the Lord saith she teaching vs that all our lawfull othes must be made in the name of the Lord Ier. 5.7 Psal 63.11.50.15 and not by anie creatures And that this is a chiefe part of Gods honour to be sworne by in iudgement as it is also to be called vpon in trouble Againe that you shall shew mercie to my fathers house Here is the true meanes of Christian saluation By mercy we are all saued Epist Iud. 21 euen as this Rahab and her fathers house was saued through mercie Ro. 15.7 12.10 Here is also Christian charitie she is not onely carefull for her selfe nor for her father and mother but also for her brethren and sisters and all that belongs to them And that they should quicken them or cause them to liue Here is spiritual regeneration 2. Cor. 5.14 Io. 3.3 Rom. 10.17 without the ministerie all men are but dead men The iust man liues by faith and faith comes by hearing the word of God and how can they heare without a Preacher There is no life of grace and goodnes in man They haue tasted of that bitter fruit of Eue their grandmothers apple they haue died the death And this is that which she addes also saying And you shall deliuer our soules from death And she required also a signe of the truth Heere is not onely preaching the truth by words but also by signes And here are the Sacraments of Gods Church expressed Rom. 4 1◠They are signes of the truth they confirme that to the eie also which the tongue preacheth to the eare And the men said vnto her Our soule shall die for yours if you shall not disclose this our businesse And it shall come to passe that when the Lord giues vs this land we will deale mercifully and truely with thee Here is the chiefe duetie of all christians they must be faithfull to God and to their brethren 1. Sam. 15.31 Mat. 26.25 Ioh. 1.47 they maie not be traitors like Achitophel like Iudas they must all be men of truth like Nathaniel that true Israelite in whom was no deceit Ioh. 1.47 They must not be hypocrites that is to shew a lambes face and haue a lyons heart to haue sweet words in their mouthes Psal 55.21 and swords in their hearts as Dauid describes the wicked And she let them downe by a coard thorow her window because her house was ioyning to the walles of the towne and she dwelt in the wall This coard which let them downe and saued them maie fitly resemble the passion of Christ as a part maie signifie the whole He was bound for vs with a coard Mat. 27.21 when hee suffered his passion As this coard saued them so his passion saueth vs. Againe as that red coard let them downe Phil. 2.5.6 so the bloudy passion of our Sauiour lets vs downe it makes vs humble while we remember what he hath done for vs. What is it now 2. Cor. 5.14 that wee ought not to doe againe for his sake to our brethren Christ also is the true wall Zach. 2.5 Esay 26.1 that defends vs from our enemies And her house was in the wall So must all christians dwell in Christ that is 1. Ioh. 4.8 dwell in charitie as S. Iohn expounds it if they minde to dwell safely And she said vnto them Verse 16. flie vnto the hill least the pursuers meet with you and hide you there three daies till the pursuers be returned and then returne your way Here is also the state of Christs church declared While it remaines in this world it shall bee persecuted it shall not haue an houres rest Mat. 4.2 but some or other will assault it If Christ fast Sathan will assault him in the wildernesse if he a little take his rest in the ship Matt. 8.24 Matt. 22.15 the sea with her waues will go about to drown him if he go on the land the prowd Pharisees will lay awaite for him Mat. 10.24 So the disciple is not aboue his maister Luk. 9.23 so euerie good christian in all places euerie day shall haue his crosse shall haue his pursuers all the three daies of the continuance of this world in the daie of nature before the floud as the histories of Abel and Noah Gen. 4 8.6.3 2. Sam 15.1 Iob. 1.10 Acts 8.1 in the daie of the lawe as the histories of Dauid and Iob in the day of grace as the histories of Christs church plainly prooue And all these 3 daies all Gods children must hide them in that hill that is in Iesus Christ On this hill called Moriah as all the Iewes with one consent saith Munster Munster in annot in 22. cap. Gen. doe affirme Abel and Cain offered their sacrifices and Abraham his sonne Isaac and Dauid his sacrifice also on the threshing floore of Araunah and on that hill Salomon built his temple He is that womans seed that should breake the Serpents head Gen. 3 15. Gal. 3 10. Gen. 49 10. that one seed of Abraham wherein all nations shall be blessed that Messiah that should come whom Iacob prophesied of that was all their comforts And the men said vnto her we will be free of the oath which thou hast made vs sweare Verse 18. Behold when we come into the land thou shalt binde this coard of red threed in the window whereby thou lettest vs down and thou shalt bring thy father and thy mother and thy brethren and all thy fathers houshold home to thee And whosoeuer then doth go out of the doores of thy house into the streets his bloud shall be vpon his head and we will be guiltlesse but whosoeuer shall be with thee in the house his bloud shall be on our head if any touch him And if thou vtter this our businesse we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made vs sweare Here is the preaching of the Gospell that bringeth saluation 1. Cor. 11.26 Rom. 10.9 Gal. 2 20. 1 Pet. 4.2.3 Gal. 6.14 We must binde the red thréed in our windowes that is we must beleeue Iesus Christs death and passion with our harts and with our mouthes also confesse it and in the windowes of all our senses expresse it We must be crucified to the world and the world also must be crucified vnto vs. The honors pleasures riches of this world must not be our delight we must not set our hearts vpon thē Psal 62.10 1. Thes 5.14 Heb. 10.25 We must bring our fathers and mothers and brethren
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
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
by and by ought to follow exhortation and interpretation thereof So Paul saith There is but small profit if they speake with tongues in the congregation and doe not also prophesie and expound Here also marke that prophesiing is not to be despised that the interpretations iudgements of others in expounding the Scriptures are to be heard Héere we maie sée as in a little mappe the whole summe of Christian religion and the markes of the true Church The true Church solemnizeth the Lords Sabboth in preaching and hearing his word And without this saith Ferus there is no sanctifying of the Sabboth at all And if this be true in the thicke darknesse of Poperie where Gods word was neither preached nor heard nor meditated on there was no Sabboth kept Nay euen in our daies there are manie Catholikes which thinke they keepe holy the Sabboth verie religiouslie and yet will not come to the Church to heare Gods word And all such Ferus tels that they prophane the Sabboth and kéepe no sabboth at all Againe he teacheth that the onlie weapon to ouercome the diuell is the word of God Then no doubt the diuell was a great conqueror when as no man almost had this sword in his hand he had made as great a conquest of Christians soules as Sisera had made of the bodies of the Iewes of whom being now by her conquered Deborah sings thus They chose new gods then warre was in the gates Iud. 5.8 Was there a speare or shield found among fortie thousand of Israel So dealt Sisera with Israel and so dealt Sathan with Christians he depriued them of their weapons to kéepe them more surely in his obedience Can he be a mans friend that takes his weapon from him in the midst of most raging and cruell enemies But this hath the Church of Rome done she hath taken the Scriptures which Saint Paul calles the sword of the Spirit Ephes 5.16 1. Pet. 5.8 from the hands of the lay people and the diuell is called of Peter A roaring lyon seeking whom he may deuoure In the true Church saith Ferus Gods word is read and not any fancies of man Paul himselfe sits and heares the word of God and therefore no Christian people must thinke scorne to do it And that after the reading preaching ought to follow and that not only works but faith also must be taught These are the markes of the true Church by Ferus iudgement And whether the Church of Rome haue had these in her or not let euerie man iudge In cap. 15. Act. Againe of Christian religion he writes thus vpon these words Why go you about to lay a yoke The second reason is that it is not lawfull for the Apostles to put a yoke vpon the consciences of men which the Lord hath not put for he that doth so tempteth God It is the dutie of the Apostles to preach the Gospel that is glad tidings and not like tyrants to rule ouer mens consciences Let those Bishops marke these words of Peter which make our religion which the mercie of God would haue free in the fewnesse and manifestnesse of her seruices a bondslaue with their burthens they lay vpon it so that the Iewes are in far better case then we who were subiect to the ceremonies of the law and not to mans deuises And Augustine writes thus to the questions of Iamarus c. Euery true Catholike maie marke here how he toucheth the pope who taketh vpon him to rule ouer mens consciences and euen to loade them with his decrees and constitutions And because the Papists brag much of their generall Councels let vs mark how Ferus there describes a true generall Councell vpon these words And when there had beene great dissension See how wisely they deale in the matter They doe not rashly pronounce sentence but they weigh euerie thing For in matters of faith which touch the consciēce it is not enough to say We will and command Marke therefore how the Apostles assembled themselues together They came together plainely they seek for nothing else but the glorie of God they desire the saluation of others To conclude they weigh all things wisely What maruel is it then if the holy Ghost were in this Councell according to the promise of the Lord Where two or three are gathered together c. We come together otherwise with great pompe and state we seek to maintaine our owne glorie and estate and we perswade our selues that we may do any thing by the fulnesse of our authoritie And how can the holy ghost allow such assemblies c He toucheth the Popes state pride He thinks that the holie Ghost will not guide such proud and stately assemblies Againe of the conclusion and doctrine of that Councell he writes thus vpon these words Which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare The law is an intollerable burthen because it requires not onely our hand but also our heart Secondly because it conuinceth vs to be sinners For wee doe euer more against the lawe then according to the law And also those things we do according to the law wee do them imperfectly but by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ we do beleeue to be saued A conclusion and a knitting vp of the matter both very godly and Apostolike that by the grace of Christ both Iewes and Gentiles are saued and not of their merits For only Christ sufficeth to all so that the law profiteth nothing to the Iewes to their saluation for euen they are saued by grace not by the law so farre against all reason is it that any man should impose those things to the Gentiles which profited not the Iewes themselues And to this end were the Epistles of Saint Paul written to the Romans and to the Galathians And our saluation is called the grace of Christ because he hath deserued it for vs. Let them therefore bragge of their merits we will seeke the glory of God Thus farre Ferus Here is the true Church put downe and her doctrine the milke she giues her children That onely the grace of Iesus Christ saues not merits She that brags of her merits and trusts in them is the strumpet is the whore is not the true Church and the spouse of Iesus Christ by Ferus his iudgement And whereas it is obiected of some against the Gospell that since the preaching thereof heresies haue sprung vp in the world and that before the Church was in peace let vs marke how Ferus answereth that obiection vpon these words Ferus in cap. 13. Act. And he resisted them Behold the combat saith he of truth and falshood This combate euer hath beene and will be God spake but one word in Paradise and by and by came the serpent which resisted it Moses being sent into Egypt found there sorcerers which withstood him The Prophets euer had false Prophets opposite vnto them Christ comming into the world found aduersaries The same thing
it shall be opened vnto you Luk. 18.1 And he spake a parable vnto them to the end that they ought alwayes to pray and not to waxe faint and not to giue ouer saying There was a iudge c. Reioyce euermore Pray continually in all things giue thanks For this is the will of God in Iesus Christ towards you 1. Thess 5.16.17 Ioh. 16.24.24 Ephes 5.20 Col. 3.17 Iames 4.2 that is these are the things that God would haue you doe these are the things that hee delightes in so that they bee done in the name of Iesus Christ Ye haue not because ye aske not A Thanksgiuing vnto Iesus Christ for the benefites he hath bestowed on vs taken out of Granatensis which may be called the true Catholikes Graces Gen. 1.26 I Giue thée heartie thankes most swéete Iesu for that thou hast created me according to thine owne image and likenesse Psal 104.30 139.15 for this bodie which thou hast giuen me with all the senses thereof for this my soule with all the powers of it that with them I might both knowe thée Col. 3.5 and loue thee Giue me grace O Lord so to serue thée my creator and heauenly Father that all my sinfull passions vaine affections being mortified killed in me 1. Cor. 3.17 thy image maie be renued in me againe vnto the which I was created and that I may be made like thee in the innocencie of life Psal 22.10 I thanke thée O my swéete Sauiour for the benefite of my preseruation for euen thou the same who hast created me doest euer preserue and kéepe me in this essence and being which thou hast giuen me Moreouer I giue thée most humble thankes because also for this same preseruation of mine thou hast created all things whatsoeuer are in the world Psal 115.16 1. Cor. 3.22 as the heauen the earth the sea the sunne the moone the starres beastes fishes birds trees and in a word all creatures els whereof thou hast made some to sustaine and féede me some to heale me some to refresh and delight me some to teach me and other some to correct me I beséech thée O Lord giue me grace that I may so vse all these in this world as I ought to do and according to that right vse whereunto thou hast made them that is Rom. 1.20 that I may by thē come vnto the knowledge of thée my onlie true God and Lord and that by them there may be stirred vp and kinled in my heart an admiration and wonderfull loue of thy holy name O Lord Iesu 1. Pet. 1.19 I thanke shée for the benefit of my redemption that is for that incomprehensible goodnesse and for that exceeding great mercie which thou hast shewed towards me Also for that most feruent loue Phil. 2.7 wherewith thou hast redéemed me descending downe into the earth that thou mightest lift me vp to heauen being made man Rom. 15.7 that thou mightest make me God and suffering most cruell death that I might haue true life Ioh. 14.6 Luke 2.7.21 Matth. 1.14 4.2 Luke 6.12 9 58. I thanke thée for the humilitie of thy incarnation for the pouertie of thy birth for the bloud of thy circumcision for thy flight into Egypt for thy fasting in the wildernes for thy watching all night in prayer lastly for the pouertie humilitie and miserie of all thy whole most holy life I giue thée thanks for the labours paines reproches mockes Luk. 22 64.23 33.22.44.54.64 Matth. 26.67 Matt. 26.21 Luk. 22.64 Ioh 19.2 Mark 15.32.26 Ioh. 20.25.19.24.30 Mat. 11.35.16 17. Act. 12.28 and taunts which thou enduredst for me in thy most sorrowfull and shamefull death I thanke thée for thy prayer in the garden for thy bloudie sweat for thy attachment for thy buffettings for thy spittings vpon for thy slaunders for thy stripes for thy crowne of thornes for thy purple robe for thy railings vpon for the gall vineger thou drankest for the nailes for the speare for the crosse and for thy death which for me and my saluation thou enduredst I giue thee thanks O swéete Iesu that euen from my cradle thou hast receiued me into the lap and bosome of thy Church that thou hast instructed and taught me in the Catholike faith that thou hast made me a Christian and that thou hast sustained and preserued me both in bodie and soule euen till now I desire thy gratious goodnesse graunt me thy grace that thou onlie maist be the most pleasant and sweete meat of my heart Ioh. 6.27 Ioh. 7.37 and that my soule may alwaies thirst for thée the verie fountaine of the water of life that when the course of this my pilgrimage is ended I may then reioyce in thy most blessed happinesse and felicitie 2. Tim. 4.7 Psal 17.15 Reu. 22.1 and taste of that plentifull and euerflowing floud of delights which comes from the well of life and of all good things els I giue thée thanks most louing Iesu who hast deliuered me from manie and verie great perils and daungers both of soule and bodie Psal 68.20 euen vnto this present day without all my forecast or wisedome when as I in the meane time was worthie to be neglected and reiected of thée I giue thée thankes that when as I lay snorting and as it were buried in the filthinesse of my sinnes that thou hast waited for my repentance so long Rom. 12.11.2.4 and with such great patience notwithstanding that I haue offended thee so often and haue resisted thy holy inspirations Act. 7.51 Graunt vnto me O Lord that hereafter I may follow thée with an humble affection and that with all readinesse and obedience I may obey and embrace thy heauenlie inspirations and good motions Psal 119.122 and that I may driue out of my heart the loue of all visible things 1. Ioh. 2.15 that so being wholie occupied and employed in thy seruice I may neuer be separated from thée hereafter I giue thée hartie thankes O Lord that besides all these benefites thou hast done and 〈◊〉 vpon me thou hast instituted and ordained such most excellent and wonderfull sacraments for my saluation 1. Cor. 11.25 Ephes 4.5 and for a remedy to cure and heale my wounds that thou hast visited me with so manie good holie thoughts and inspirations Also for the blessednesse of eternall glorie Psal 40.5 which thou hast prepared for me if I make not my selfe vnworthie thereof through my manifolde sinnes and wickednesse 2 Pet. 2.22 These O Lord are but thy common benefites which I haue remembred There are manie other which I neither remember nor knowe for the which I giue thée no lesse thanks then for these I haue now reckoned vp yea so much the greater thanks I giue thée for them as the greatnes of thy goodnesse appeares in them more manifestlie For at what time I slept thou didst wake to defend me