the works of darknesse put on tender mercy kindnesse humblenesse of mind which are weapons of light It is due debt that you should be followers of God forbearing one another and forgiuing one another as Christ forgaue you See epist. dom 3. quadrages The Nouelists except against our Seruice Booke for omitting here two titles holy and beloued Our answer is that the word elect implies the rest for if elect then beloued and holy The Church omits not the greater and infers the lesser as the Churches of Scotland and Middleburge call Gods heauy iudgements vpon the wicked a little rap Psal. 74.12 and bread of affliction broâ—ne bread Psal. 127.2 Contrary not onely to the Geneua Bible but euen Câ—luins exposition of the place If these friuolous obiections be their aqua coelestis to keepe life in their fainting cause we may toll the passing bell and ere long ring out to the funerall Let the word of Christ That is the Scripture the Gospell especially so called in respect of three causes Efficient for he speakes in the Prophets and Apostles I am he that doth speake behold it is I. Materiall for hee is the contents of all the Bible shadowed in the Law shewed in the Gospell vnam vocem habent duo Testamenta The word of the Lord containes nothing but the word which is the Lord. Finall as being the end of the whole Law scope of all the Prophets euer since the world began Wherefore seeing the Scriptures haue Christ for their author Christ for their obiect Christ for their end well may they be called the word of Christ. Dwell We must not entertaine the word as a stranger giuing it a cold complement and so take our leaue but because it is Gods best friend the Kings best friend and our best friend we must vse it as a familiar and domesticke receiuing it into the parlor of our heart making it our chamber fellow study fellow bed fellow Things of lâ—sse moment are without doore the staffe behind the doore sed quae pretiosa sunt noâ— vno seruantur ostio things of worth are kept vnder many locks and keyes It is fit then that the word being more pretious then gold yea the most fine gold a peerlesse pearle should not be laid vp in the Porters lodge onely the outward eare but euen in the cabinet of the mind Deut. 11.18 Ye shall lay vp these my words in your heart and in your soule so the word that now doth plenteously dwell among you may dwell plenteously in you Plenteously Reade heare meditate with all attention exactly with all intention deuoutly with all diligence throughly Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures Esay 8.20 to the law to the testimony Apocalyps 1.3 Blessed is he that reades and heares and keepes the words of this prophecie not onely reade nor onely heare nor onely meditate but all sometime reade to rectifie meditation and sometime meditate to profit by reading Lectio sine meditatione arida meditatio sine lectione erronea It is reported of Alphonso King of Spaine that hee read ouer all the Bible with Lyraes postil fourteene times And Augustine writes of Antonius an Egyptian Monke that hauing no learning he did by hearing the Scriptures often read get them without booke and after by serious and godly meditation vnderstand them This one word plenteously confutes plenteously first ignorant people who cannot secondly negligent people who will not reade and heare thirdly delicate people who loath the Scriptures as vnpleasant preferring the Poets before the Prophets admitting into their house the writings of men before the word of God fourthly perfunctory students in the Bible turning ouer not the whole but some part and that so coldly that as it is said of the Delphicke Oracle quoties legitur toties negligitur a lesson is no sooner got but it is forgot fiftly couetous people who will not giue to their Pastor plenteously that the word may dwell in them plenteously Nehemia complained in his time that the Leuites for want of maintenance were faine to leaue the Temple and follow the plow And Saint Augustine made the like complaint in his age whereupon in processe of time Clergy men inuented such points of superstition as were most aduantageous vnto them Hence they â—aked heil and found out Purgatory to make the Popes kitchin smoke an inuention not knowne vnto the Greeke Church for the space of 1500. yeeres after Christ and but of late knowne to the Latine Hence praier for the dead indulgences and other new trickes of popery which are more for the Priests belly then the peoples benefit God of his infinite goodnesse forgiue Britans ingratitude in this kind and grant that the burning lamps in our Temple may be supplied with sufficient oile that the light of Israel goe not out Sixtly this condemes Enthusiasts despising the word and ministery Seuenthly the Marcionits and Manichees reiecting Moses and the Prophets Last of all and most of all the Papists in denying the vulgar translations of Scripture to the common people Let the word of God dwell in you that is in all you Priest and people Non in nobis modo sed in vobis as Saint Hierom peremptorily Hic ostenditur verbum Christi non sufficientèr sed abundantèr etiam laicos habere debere docerese inuicem vel monere The word must dwell in vs Ergo the Bible must be in our house It must dwell plenteously Ergo we must reade daily but as it followes in the text With all wisdome The Papists as well in the Church as in the street chant scripture plenteously but because their hymnes are not in a knowne tongue it is without vnderstanding The Brownists in their bookes and sermons often cite scripture plenteously but it is not in wisdome Learned Origen notes well and where hee doth well none better that heretikes are scripturarum fures great lurchers of holy writ but they so wrest it that as Hierom speaks Euangelium Christi fit euangelium hominis aut quod peius est dâ—aboli Table Gospellers are full of text It is ordinary to discusse diuinitie problemes euen at ordinaries a custome very common but by the censure of our Church no way commendable For the 37. Iniunction forbids all men to reason of diuine scripture rashly and the greatest part of Archbishop Cranmers preface before the Church Bible is spent against idle brabling and brawling in matters of Theology And a graue Diuine much esteemed in our daies held it better for venturous discoursers of predestination and sinne against the holy Ghost that they had neither tongues in their heads nor hearts in their breasts then that they should continue in this irreuerend vsage Manlius reports how two meeting at a tauerne contended much to little purpose about their faith One said he was of Doctor Martins religion and the other sware he was of Doctor Luthers
together immoderate diet begets chambering chambering wantonnes wantonnes strife strife enuying thus sinne doth first couple then increase This text ought to be regarded of vs the more because it was the very place to which Augustine that renowned Doctour by a voyce from heauen was directed at his first conuersion as himselfe witnesseth Lib. 8. confess cap. 12. Put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ. As we must put off the old man so put on the new man and that is done two waies either by putting on his merits or by putting on his maners Our Sauiour Christ in his life but in his death especially wrought for vs a garment of saluation and a long white robe of righteousnes now the spirituall hand of faith must apprehend and fit this wedding apparell on vs in such sort that all our vnrighteousnes may be forgiuen and all our sinne couered Secondly we must put on the maners and excellent vertues of Christ in whom was no worke of darknes but all armour of light so the phrase is vsed Iob 29.14 I put on iustice and it couered me my iudgement was a robe and a crowne This apparell is the true Perpetuan neuer the worse but the better for wearing The Gospel MATTH 21.1 And when they drew nigh vnto Hierusalem c. CHrist is Alpha and Omega the first and the last the beginning and ending wherefore the Church allotting a seuerall scripture for euery seueral Sunday thoroughout the whole yeare begins and ends with the comming of Christ for the conclusion of the last Gospell appointed for the last Sunday is Of a truth this is the same Prophet that should come into the world and the first sentence in the first Gospell for the first Sunday Behold thy king commeth vnto thee Wherein the Church imitated the method of Gods owne Spirit for as the first prophesie mentioâ—ed in the old Testament is The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpents head and the first historie deliuered in the new Testament is The booke of the generation of Iesus Christ so the first Gospell on the first Dominical according to the Churches account is Aduentual a scripture describing Christ and his kingdome fitting the text vnto the time teaching vs hereby two things especially first what maner of person the Messias is who doth come secondly what maner of persons we should be now he is come In the former part obserue two points a Preface All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of by the prophet verse 4. Prophesie taken out of Zacha. 9.9 Tell the daughter of Sion c. All this was done that it might be fulfilled An vsuall phrase with our Euangelist as cap. 1.22 cap. 8.17 cap. 27. 35. It doth insinuate the sweet harmonie betweene the Prophets and Apostles as Numenius said Plato was nothing els but Moyses translated out of Hebrew into Greeke and Ascham that Virgil is nothing els but Homer turned out of Greeke into Latine and as the Nouelists affirme that our Communion Booke is nothing els but the Romane Missall and Portuis thrust out of Latine into English and as Diuines haue censured Cyprian to be nothing els but Tertullian in a more familiar and elegant stile so the new Testament is nothing els as it were but an exposition of the old That difference which Zeno put betweene Logicke and Rhetorick Diuines vsually make betweene the Law and the Gospell the Law like the fist shut the Gospell like the hand open Euangelium reuelata Lex Lex occultum Euangelium The Gospell a reuealed Law the Law a hidden Gospell This harmonicall concent may serue to confound our aduersaries and to comfort our selues It doth abundantly confute obstinate Iewes who expect another Messias to come conceiting as yet all things not to be done in the Gospell which was said of him in the Law so that whereas the great question of the world is Who is that Christ and the great question of the Church Who is that Antichrist the Iewish Rabbins are ignorant in both Secondly this harmonie conuinceth all suâ—h Hereticks as hold two sundry disagreeing Gods to be the authors of the two Testaments one of the Law another of the Gospell It affordeth also comfort first in generall it may perswade the conscience that the Bible is the booke of God For if Prolomee was astonished at the 72. Interpreters because being placed in sundry roomes and neuâ—r conferring nor seeing one another did notwithstandiâ—g write the same not only for sense of matter but in sound of words vpon the selfe-same text as Iustin Martyr and Augustine report then how should we be moued with the most admirable diuine concoâ—dance betweene the Prophets and Apostles who writing the word of God in diuers places at diuers times vpon diuers occasions do notwithstanding agree so generally that they seeme not diuers pen-men but rather inâ—â—â—ed only diuers pens of one and the same writer In more particular it may strengthen our faith in the gracious promises of Almighty God he speakes the word and it is done commands and it is effected Heauen and earth shall passe but not one iot of his word shal perish he promised by Zachary that the Messias of the world should come and he tels vs here by Matâ—hew that he is come All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Behold thy king commeth vnto thee Thus much of the Prâ—face generally now to fist the words seuerally Thaâ— is taken here non causaliter sed consecutiuè not for an efficient cause but rather for a consequence and euent Christ did not thus â—ide into Hierusalem because Zachary foretold it but Zachary foretold it because Christ would thus ride Christ being the complement of the Prophets and end of the Law yet the word That insinuates as Chrysostome notes the finall cause why Christ did thus ride namely to certifie the Iewes how that himselfe only was that King of whom their prophet Zachâ—ry did thus speake that none but he was the King of the Iewes and Messias of the world Fulfilled A prophesie may be said to be fulfilled foure wayes especially 1. When the selfe-same thing comes to passe which was literally deliuered in the prophesie So S. Math. cap. 1.22 saith Esayes prophesie Behold a Virgin shall conceiue c. was fulfilled in Mary who brought forth a Sonne c. 2. When the thing allegorically signified is fulfilled as Exod. 12 46. it is said of the Paschall Lambe Yee shall not breake a bone thereof yet S. Iohn cap. 19.36 affirmes this to be fulfilled in Christ The souldiers brake not his legs that the scripture should be fulfilled Not a bone of him shall be broken 3. When as neither the thing literally nor allegorically ment but some other like is done so Christ Math. 15. tels the peâ—â—le in his time that the words of Esay This people draweth neere vnto
me with their mouth c. were fulfilled in them O hypocrites Esay prophesied well of you that is of such as are like to you 4. When as it is daily more and more fulfilled as Iam. 2.23 the scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God Abraham assuredly beleeued God before but his offering vp of Isaac was a greater probate of his faith then the scripture was fulfilled that is more and more fulfilled when Abraham thus far trusted in God Now Christ fulfilled Zacharies saying in a literall and plaine sense for he sent for an Asse and rode thereon into Hierusalem that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Reioyce O daughter Sion for behold thy King commeth c. S. Iohn and S. Matthew relate not the precise text of Zachary but keeping the sense they somewhat alter the words On the contrary blasphemous Heretikes and Atheists vse to keepe the words of scripture but altogether to change the sense Children full fed often play with their meate so Lucianists of our time play with the food of their soule making the Bible their babble The Lord who will not suffer his Name to be taken in vaine mend or end them As for Heretikes it is alway their custome to make the scriptures a ship-mans hose wreathing and wresting them euery way to serue their turne Non ad materiam scripturas sed materiam ad scripturas excogitant First they make their Sermon and then they looke for a text Herein the Papiâ—ts of later time most offend who doe not only faine new Fathers and falsifie the old Doctors putting out putting in chopping and changing as shall best fit their purpose so that the Fathers as Reuerend Iewell said are no Fathers but their children no Doctors but their schollers vttering not their owne mind but what the Papists enforce them to speake they do not I say wrong humane authors only but also presume to censure and constâ—ue Gods own bookes as they list as Augustine said of Faustus the Manichee Legant qui volunt inuenient aut falli imprudentèr aut fallere impudentèr Hence kill and eate to Peter is a warrant for the Pope to depose Princes It is written Thou shalt goe vpon the Lion and the Adder the young Lion and the Dragon shalt thou tread vnder thy feet therfore the Pope may tread vpon the Emperors neck God made two great lights in the firmâ—ment that is two great dignities in the Church the Priest and the Prince but that which ruleth the day to wit spirituall things is the greater that which ruleth carnall things is the lesser as Innocentius the third disputes in the Decretals and their Glosse further addes out of Pâ—olomie that the Sunne containes the bignes of the Moone seuen thousand seuen hundred fortie foure times and so many degrees iump is euery Prelaâ—e aboue euery Prince Sometime they cite the beginning without the end sometime the end without the beginning sometime they take the words against the meaning sometime they make a meaning against the words and so they do not receiue but giue the Gospell as Maldonate fitly not admit the old scripture but vpon the point coine a new for in controuerted places either they suppresse the words or else not expresse the sense as if a man should pick away the corne and giue vs the chaffe or conuey away the iewels and throw vs the bag The blessed Euangelists had warrant from God and we warrant from them to quote scripture sometime more fully for explication and sometime more shortly for breuitie yet without alteration of the sense though there be some little alteration of the sentence Marlorats annotation is good that our Euangelist and other doe not alway repeate the very words in the Prophets and the Law that we might hereby take occasion to peruse the text and to conferre place with place Let vs then examine the words in Zachary which are these Reioyce greatly ô daughter Sion shout for ioy ô daughter Hierusalem Behold thy King commeth vnto thee They contain 2. remarkable points an Exultation Reioyce greatly c. Exaltation or commendation of Christ as a reason of this exceeding ioy Behold thy King commeth vnto thee iust meeke c. In the former obserue the Persons Exhorting Principall God for the worde of the Lord came to Zachary cap. 1. vers 1. This then is not the word of man but the voyce of God Instrumentall Zachary Exhorted Hierusalem Act reioyce In that Zachary was Gods organ marke the worthines of holy Prophets as being the very tongues and pens of the blessed Spirit and this dignitie belongeth also to their successors Apostles and other Preachers of the word for S. Matthew speakes in the plurall dicite tell ye concluding thâ— Prophets and Preachers whose office is to tell Hierusalem â—hat her King and Sauiour is come into the world to seeke and saue that which is lost Almighty God hath had in all ages either Patriarks or Prophets or Apostles or Preachers a Moyses or an Elias a Zachary or a Paul or an Athanasius or an Augustine or a Luther or a Iewel by whom he spake to his beloued Spoâ—se comfortably Reioyce greatly daughter Sion especially the Lord vseth to châ—se Zacharies that is such as are mindfull of God such as delight in the law of the Lord and exercise themselues therein day and night The persons exhorted are daughter Sion and daughter Hierusalem that is according to the vulgar Hebraisme Sion and Hiâ—rusalem as the sonne of man for man and sonne of floors for floore Esay 21.10 and Psalm 72.4 the childâ—en of the poore for the poore as Augustine vpon that place so daughter Sion daughter Babylon daughter Hierusalem for Sion Babylon and Hierusalem a phrase not strange to the Poet who called the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now Hierusalem was the Metropolis of the Iewes and Sion an eminent mount adioyning to Hierusalem and at this time the Iewes were the people of God and Hierusalem the citie of God Aâ— Salâ—m was his tabernacle and his dwelling in Sion Whereas therefor S. Matthew Tell ye the daughter of Sion he meaneth vsing a synecdoche Hierusalem And whereas Zachary names Hierusalem he meaneth the Church of God ouer the face of the whole earth of which Hierusalem is a figure and so the text iâ— to be construed typically not topically for this ioy concernes the Gentile so well as the Iew the one as the roote the other as the branch as Paul sheweth in his epistle to the Rom. cap. 11. Indeed Christ is the glory of his people Israel but he is the light of the Gentiles illuminating all such as sit in darknes and in the shadow of death Heere then obserue that Christ is the Churches ioy and only the Churches ioy dumb Idols are the Gentiles ioy Mahumet is the Turks ioy Circumcision is the Iewes ioy
first we must beleeue Christ to be that Iesus vers 11. that great Prophet who is the Messias and Sauiour of the world For the second wee must professe and confesse this faith hauing Hosanna in our mouthes and crying Blessed is he that commeth in the Name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest vers 9. For the third we must spread our garments in the way cut downe branches from the trees and straw them in the passage vers 8. that is forsake all and follow Christ profering and offering our selues whollie to his seruice or as the Epistle doth expound the Gospell seeing our saluation is neere the night past and the day come let vs cast away the works of darknes and put on the armour of light c. I am occasioned here iustly to direct their ignorance who do not vnderstand and correct their obstinacie who will not vnderstand the wisdome of the Church so fitly disposing of the Gospels and Epistles as that often the one may serue for a Commentary to the other As heere S. Matth. Behold thy King commeth And S. Paul Our saluation is nigh and the day is come S. Paul doth aduise not to make prouision for the flesh and S. Matthew reports how the people accompanying Christ spread their garments in the way S. Paul commands loue in all men S. Matthew commends loue in these men who gaue such entertainment vnto Christ. The whole Gospell is a liuely picture of the Church in which are foure sorts of persons especially 1. Christ who is King and head verse 5. and 12. 2. Prophets who loose men from their sinnes and bring them vnto Christ verse 2. and 7. 3. Auditors who beleeue that Christ is the Messias openly professing this faith Hosanna to the Sonne of Dauid vers 9. and manifesting this faith also by their works in obeying the Ministers of Christ verse 3. and performing the best seruice they can verse 8. 4. Aduersaries who much enuy Christs kingdome saying Who is this verse 10. Concerning Christs seueritie toward those who played the Merchants in the Temple See Gospell Dom. 10. post Trinit Epist. ROM 15.4 Whatsoeuer things are written aforetime they are written for our learning c. THis Scripture containes in it three things concerning the Scripture What it is written Shewing the Scriptures authority When aforetime Shewing the Scriptures antiquity Why for our learning Shewing the Scriptures vtility For the first things only told passing thorough many mouthes are easily mistold it is long ere we get them and we soone forget them Almighty God therefore commanded that his Law should be written in bookes and engrauen in stone that the syllables thereof might alway be in our eyes so well as the sound in our eares and that for two causes especially 1. That the godly man might exercise himselfe therein day and night 2. That the wicked might neither adde to it nor detract from it In like maner albeit the sound of the thundring Apostles went out thorough all the earth and their words vnto the ends of the world yet the Spirit of wisedome thought it meete that there should be a treatise written of all that Christ did and said and that from point to point entituled The Booke of the generation of Iesus Christ. The Scripture then is a Bible because written and the Bible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in many respects excelling all other bookes especially for the maker and matter in so much that S. Paul saith If an Angell from heauen preach otherwise let him be accursed And Iustin Martyr goes yet further If Christ himselfe should preach another God or another Gospell I would not beleeue him Ipse non crederem Domino Iesu. This doctrine makes against vnwritten verities of Papists and fond reuelations of Anabaptists and factious interpretations of Schismatikes and impudent conceits of Libertines all which equall their owne phantasies with the Scriptures authority The Papists and Schismaticks are all for a speaking Scripture the Libertines and Anabaptists are all for an infused scripture the true Catholicks only for the written scripture to the Law and to the Testimony Thy word is a lanterne vnto my feet and a light vnto my paths The second point to be considered is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scriptures written aforetime being the first booke so well as the best booke for as Tertullian was wont to call Praxeas hesternum Praxean so we may terme the most ancient Poets and Philosophers in comparison of Moyses vpstart writers Omnia Graecorum sunt nâ—ua heri As Galaton painted Homer vomiting Reliquos verò poetas ea quae ipse euomuisset haurientes to signifie saith Aelian that he was the first Poet and all other as well Greeke as Latine but his apes In like maner Moyses is called by Theodoret Oceanus theologiae the sea of Diuinitie from whom all other writers as riuers are deriued The which point as it is excellentlie confirmed by Theodoret Clemens Iosephus and others so it is ingeniously confessed euen by the heathen Historiographers Eupolemus lib. de Iudaeaâ— regibus auoweth Moyses to be the first wise man Plato that a barbarous Egyptian was the first inuentor of Arts Appion Ptolomey Palaemon haue granted the same and vpon the point Strabo Plinie Cornelius Tacitus and others as â—icinus reports lib. de religione Christiana cap. 26. To demonstrate this more particularly The Troian war is the most ancient subiect of human history but Trâ—y was taken in the dayes of Dauid about the yeare of the world 2788. and Homer flourished anno 3000. whereas Moyses was borne anno 2373. Secondly this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confutes the Marcionites and Manichees and all such as reiect the old Testament For the place to which the text hath reference is taken out of the 69. Psalme verse 9 that the scriptures of Moses and the Prophets are written for our instruction It is plain by Christs iniunctioÌ„ Search the Scriptures as also by that of our Apostle 1. Cor. 10. These things happened vnto them for ensamples and were written to admonish vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come If all little histories then much more the great mysteries are our scholemasters vnto Christ Let vs examine therefore the third obseruable point concerning the Scriptures vtilitie Whatsoeuer things are written afore time they are written for our learning The Scripture saith Paul is the peoples instruction the Scripture say the Papists in the vulgar tongue is the peoples destruction The Scripture saith Paul doth make the man of God absolute the Scripture say the Papists in a knowne language makes men hereticall and dissolute but the Bible makes men heretikes as the Sunne makes men blinde and therefore Wickliffe truly To condemne the word of God translated in any language for heresie is to make God
dogmaticall conclusions appertaining to beliefe The residue containe morall instructions of honest conuersation and loue wherein our Apostle teacheth how wee should behaue our selues to God and man and that by precept and paterne By precept in the 12 13 14 15. Chapters by paterne in the 16. Chapter This scripture shewes how we must demeane our selues to God in Body vers 1. Make your bodies a quicke sacrifice c. Soule vers 2. Fashion not your selues like vnto this world but be yee changed by the renewing of your mind I beseech you brethren Two things induce men especially to suffer the words of exhortation opportunity and importunity The worth of the matter and zealous affection of the speaker Saint Paul makes his louing affection manifest in these sweet termes I beseech you brethren by the mercifulnesse of God He might haue commanded as he told Philemon but for loues sake he doth rather intreat God the Father appeared in a still and soft voice God the Sonne was not a tiger but a lambe God the holy Ghost came downe not in the forme of a vulture but in the shape of a doue signifying hereby that Preachers ought to vse gentle meanes in winning men vnto God herein resembling the good mother which hath vbera and verbera a teat so well as a rod a dug to restore such as feele their sinne with the spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6.1 but a rod to whip the carelesse and senslesse lest they grow too wanton And therefore Saint Paul who doth heere beseech the Romans out of his loue doth adiure them also by the mercifulnesse of God that is as some construe it I beseech you by mine Apostolical authority committed vnto me by Gods especialll mercy 1. Cor. 7.25 as himselfe expounds himselfe in the third verse of this Chapter I say through the grace that is giuen to me where the Greeke verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be translated I command or By the mercifulnesse of God shewed vnto you for as God is more bountifull so you must bee more dutifull We may not sinne that grace may abound but on the contrary because the grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared it teacheth vs to denie vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and that wee should liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present world The mercies of God to me the mercies of God to you be many and manifest I beseech you therefore by the riches of his abundant mercy make your bodies a quicke sacrifice c. Thus you see the zealous earnestnesse of the speaker I come now to the worthinesse of the matter concerning the Romans and in them our selues as much as the saluation of our soules I beseech you therefore marke what the Spirit writeth and first obserue Pauls order After iustification hee speakes of sanctification herein intimating that good workes as Augustine said Non praecedunt iustificandum sed sequuntur iustificatum Not goe before but after iustification As the wheele turneth round not to the end that it may be made round but because it is first made round therefore it turneth round so men are sanctified because first iustified not iustified because first sanctified As Aulus Fuluius when he tooke his sonne in the conspiracie with Catiline said Ego te non Catilinae genui sed patriae So God hath not begotten vs in Christ that wee should follow that archtraitor Satan but serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life making our selues a quicke sacrifice c. There are two kinds of sacrifices Expiatory for sinne which we cannot offer See epist. Dom. 3. Quadragesimae Gratulatory of thanks and praise which wee can and must offer and hereof there are three kinds according to the three sorts of goods of the World hereof there are three kinds according to the three sorts of goods of the Mind hereof there are three kinds according to the three sorts of goods of the Body 1. We must offer our goods of the world Heb. 13.16 To doe good and distribute forget not for with such sacrifices is God pleased He that hath mercy vpon the poore lendeth vnto the Lord. 2. Wee must offer to the Lord the goods of our mind by deuotion and contrition Psal. 51.17 The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit a broken and contrite heart O God shalt thou not despise When by diuine meditation and deuote praier we beat downe the proud conceits of our rebellious hearts we kill and offer vp as it were our sonne Isaac that which is most neere most deere to vs. 3. We must offer to the Lord the goods of our body which are done Patiendo by dying for the Lord. Faciendo by doing that which is acceptable to the Lord. Martyrdome is such a pleasing sacrifice that as Ambrose said of his sister Appellabo martyrem praedicabo satis I will call her Martyr and then I shall bee sure to commend her enough See Epist. on Saint Steuens day S. Paul here meanes a sacrifice by doing Giue your members as weapons of righteousnesse to God For as Christ offered vp himselfe for vs so wee made conformable should offer vp our selues vnto him Interpreters obserue a great Emphasis in the word hostia deriued as Ouid noteth ab hostibus Victima quae dextra cecidit victrice vocatur Hostibus à domitis hostia nomen habet And therefore seeing Christ hath deliuered vs from the hands of all our enemies it is our dutie to sacrifice perpetually to him our selues and our soules and so liue to him who died for vs. Lest we should erre in our offering Saint Paul shewes all the causes Efficient our selues Materiall our bodies Formall quicke and holie Finall acceptable to God Or as other obserue S. Paul sets downe foure properties of a sacrifice 1. Sound and quicke 2. Sanctified and holie 3. Pleasing 4. Reasonable First our sacrifice must be sound and quick not blind not lame not seeble Malach. 1.8 Wee must not offer to the diuell our youthfull yeares and lay our old bones vpon Gods altar his sacrifice must bee the fattest and the fairest he must haue both head and hinderparts hereby signifying that we must remember our Creator in the daies of our nonage so well as in the daies of our dotage for if wee deferre our offering till the last houre when sicknes the bailiffe of death hath arrested vs and paine sicknes attendant dulled our senses it cannot be called a quicke but a sicke not a liuing but a dead offering That our sacrifice therefore may bee quicke let vs I beseech you begin quickly to dedicate our selues vnto God Or quicke That is willing for those things are said to be quicke which moue of themselues and those dead which doe not moue but by some outward violence we may not then be stockes and blockes in Gods holie seruice doing no good
the termes of auricular and secret confâ—ssion are seldom mentioned in the Fathers a greater clerke theÌ„ he saith neuer in old time We may then iustifie Caluins challenge lib. 3. Institut cap. 4 sect 7. that auricular popish Confession was not practised in the Church vntill twelue hundred yeeres after Christ instituted first in the Lateran Councell vnder Innocentius the third We reade that there was in the Primitiue Church a godly discipline that such persons as were notorious sinners were put to open penance and that by the direction of the Bishop or Pastor and such as voluntarily desired to make publike satisfaction for their offences vsed to come vnto the Bishops and Priests as vnto the mouth of the congregation But this confession was not constrained but voluntarie not priuate but publike yet hence the priests abusing the peoples weaknes tooke their hint to bring in auricular confession vpon perill of damnation A cunning inuention to discouer the mysteries of all states and all men and to inrich that couetous and ambitious sea for Confessions euermore make worke for Indulgences and Indulgences are a great supporter of the triple crowne The Papists in this case flie from the Scriptures vnto the Councels from the Councels vnto the Fathers and from the Fathers vnto their last starting hole miracles Auricular Confession is Gods ordinance saith Bellarmine because God hath wrought many miracles at auricular Confession It is answered aptly that Dauid saith not thy wonder but thy word is a lanterne Scripture without miracles are a good warrant but miracles without text are insufficient for they were wrought by false prophets in old time by false teachers in our daies It is obserued by Tully that bad Orators in stead of reasons vse exclamations and so Bellarmine for want of arguments is faine to tell a tale or two related by Bonauentura Antoninus and our good countriman Alanus Copus all which is no more but aske my fellow whether I be a theefe That priuate confession as it is vsed among the Papists is neither necessarie nor possible see Calum Institut lib. 3. cap. 4. Iewel defence Apolog. part 2. cap. 7. diuision 2. D. Morton Apolog. catholic part 1. cap. 64. Master White way to the true Church pag. 157.226.227 Offer the gift For the labourer is worthie of his hire This is a witnesse to the Priests that is their right and due by law Yea though the Priest doe not labour yet wee must giue vnto Caesar the things which belong vnto Caesar and vnto God the things which appertaine to God the publike Ministerie must bee maintained although the Ministers bee neuer so weake neuer so wicked And when Iesus was entred into Capernaum there came vnto him a Centurion This miracle doth second the first In it obserue the Fact of Christ Performing that fullie which the Centurion desired faithfullie his seruant was healed in the same houre vers 13. Promising further also that other Gentiles euen from al the quarters of the world shall come vnto him and rest with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen vers 11. Faith of the Centurion Perswading Christ to cure his seruant vers 5.6 Disswading Christ to come into his house because it was vnfit vnnecessary Vnfit I am not worthie that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe Surely this Captaine was a man of great worth a deuout man for hee builded a synagogue a good man to the Common-weale wherein hee liued one that loued the nation of the Iewes a man of such a faith as that Christ found none so great in all Israel vers 10. a louing master to his seruants as this act declares a man of command and authoritie vers 9 yet this great Worthie confesseth himselfe vnworthie like the wheat eare which hangs it head downe lowest when it hath most corne By this example learne lowlines of minde When the Sunne is right ouer our heads our shadowes are most short euen so when we haue the greatest grace we must make the least shew Vnnecessarie because Christ can helpe the distressed only with his word euen one word which hee proues à minori ad maius I am a man vnder the authoritie of another c. I am a man but thou art God I am vnder another but thou art Lord of all I haue souldiers obedient to me For albeit vsually men of that profession are rude yet I say to one goe and hee goeth vnto another come and hee commeth and therefore Sicknes which is thy souldier if thou speake the word onely will depart say to the palsie goe and it will goe say to thy seruant Health come and it will come I haue not found so great faith He might haue remembred in this noble Captaine bountie loue deuotion humilitie but he commends faith most of all as being indeede the ground of all without which one vertue the rest are sinne Rom. 14.23 Heb. 11.6 The Epistle ROM 13.1 Let euery soule submit himselfe c. THis Epistle consists of three parts a Proposition Let euery soule submit himselfe to the authority of the higher powers Reason for there is no power but of God c. Conclusion wherefore yee must needes obey giuing to euery man his duty tribute to whom tribute c. The proposition is peremptory deliuered not narratiuely reporting what other hold meete but positiuely importing what God would haue done not aduised only by Paul but deuised euen by Christ as a command in imperatiue termes expresly Let euery soule bee subiect In which obserue the quality of this duty To submit our selues obserue the equality of this duty Belonging indiffereÌ„tly to all Let euery soule c. First of the last according to the words order in the text Let euery soule That is euery man putting the principall part for the whole So Gen. 46.27 All the soules of the house of Iacob which came into Egypt are seuenty that is as Moses expounds himselfe Deut. 10.22 seuenty persons If any demand why Paul said not Let euery body but euery soule Diuines answere fitly to signifie that we must obey not in outward shewes onely but in truth and in deed Omnis anima quoniam ex animo Not with eye seruice but in singlenesse of heart This vniuersall note confutes as well the seditious Papist as the tumultuous Anabaptist The Papist exempting Clergy men from this obedience to secular powers a doctrine not heard in the Church a thousand yeeres after Christ. Bernard out of this place reasoneth thus with an Archbishop of France Let euery soule be subiect if euery then yours I pray who doth except you Bishops Si quis tentat excipere conatur decipere So Chrysostome Theodoret Oecumenius Theophylact vpon this text expresly Clergy men aâ—e not excepted Ergo not exempted Gregory the Great one of the most learned Popes alleageth this glosse Power saith he ouer all men is giuen to my Lord
The sower went out to sow vers 5.6 c. ConclusioÌ„ He y â— hath eares to heare let him heare v. 8. The peoples pressing occasioned Christ to deliuer this parable wherein obserue the diligence of the people in hearing care of Christ in instructing The peoples earnest desire to heare doth appeare in that they were a multitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a very great multitude as it is in our vulgar English much people gathered together many srom many cities in zeale so good in number so great that pressing vpon Christ by the sea side he was faine to leape into a ship and make that his pulpit as S. Matthew reports in his Gospell This peoples paterne condemnes our peoples practise who will not runne out of the citie into the countrey nor out of the countrey into the citie to heare Christ except it be vpon hatred or curiositie faction or affection Vnder the cruell persecution of Dioclesian twentie thousand Christians in Nicomedia were burned in the Temple being all assembled to celebrate the birth of Christ. And Hierom makes mention how that at Ments in Germany the citie being taken many thousands were slaine in the Church And what massacres haue lately been in England France Flanders is not vnknowne vnto such as haue had either open eyes or eares Happie then are the eyes which see the things that we may see for we liuing vnder the peaceable gouernment of a most religious Prince may come to Church in peace heare in peace depart in peace wee may come in our slippers and sit on our cushionâ— If then Christ doe not hold vs by the cares as Socrateâ— did Aâ—cibiades if we doe not presse to heare him as the people did here he will one day speak of vs as he did of Hiâ—rusalem How often would I haue gathered you together as the henne doth her chickens vnder her wings and yee would not I haue called and yee refused I haue stretched out mine hand and none would regard But because yee despised all my counsell and would none of my correction I will also laugh at your destruction and mocke when your feare commeth c. Happily some will obiect All the people whom yee commend came not vnto Christ with a good minde and honest heart to be taught it may be some came in malice to carpe at him other in curiositie to wonder at his miracles other vpon couetousnesse to reape some temporall benefit by him according to which seuerall humours our Sauiour was occasioned to propound this parable of the sower sowing his seed in diuers lands increasing diuersly Well how soeuer ye come yet come vnto Christ if ye come with an intent to carpe come for happily while ye thinke to catch the preacher he may catch you as Ambrose did Augustine if ye come with a minde to slâ—epe at the Temple yet come for it may be saith B. Laâ—â—â—â— Almightie God will take you napping if you come with a resolution to steale yet come for peraduenture the first word that yee shall heare will be Thou shalt not steale or Let him that hath stollen steale no more The word of God is pure and conuerteth the soule perfect and pure formaliter and effectiue both in it selfe pure and making other pure Come then howsoeuer ye stand affected euermore presse to Christ out of all cities and villages The care of Christ in instructing is seeâ—e 1. In that hee went out of his house saith Matthew to a more publike large sit place for teaching 2. For that he spake by a similiâ—â—de By y â— former alâ— Preacherâ— may learne to take their best hint and opportunitie for the propagating of the Gospell and instructiâ—g of Gods people leauing sometime their own liâ—â—lâ— cureâ— and vpon good occasion to preach vnto much people sowing their seede in a more large field and profiting euen so many as they can For the second point Diuines haue rendred sundrie reasons why Christ vsed to speake by parables as first that the Scripture might bee fulfilled I will open my mouth in a parable Psal. 78.2 Secondly that wee might know that Christ spake with the same spirit by which all Godâ— holy Prophets in old time spake whose writings are full of parables Thirdly that â—ee might descend vnto the capacitie of the most simple who best vnderstand and remember â—omely comparisons as the Poet truly Segâ—â—s iâ—ritâ—nt aniâ—os dâ—â—ssâ—â—er â—ureâ— Quam qâ—â—sâ—ns ocâ—lis subâ—◠〈◊〉 â—idelibus Fourthly that his auditors might hereby take occasion to moue doubts and aske questions as the Disciples in the 9. verse iâ— hâ—t manner of â—â—â—litude is this Fiftly that the mysteries of Gods heauenly kingdome might not be râ—uealed vnto the scornefull as Christ himselfe teacheth in the tenth verse To you it is giuen to know the secrets of the kingdome but to other in parables that when they see they should not see c. Sixtly that euery man in his occupation and ordinarie vocation might be taught those things which concerne his soules health as this parable may bee termed the ploughmans Gospell The seed is the word of God c. He that meditates on it when he plougheth his ground may haue a sermon alway before him euery furrow being a line euery graine of corne a lesson bringing foorth some fruite The sower went out to sow his seede S. Augustine writing vpon the words Aperiam in parabolis os meum eloquar propositiones ab initio wisheth vtinam qui dixit aperiam os meum in parabolis ita aperiret etiam ipsas parabolas sicut eloquitur propositiones ita etiam eloqueretur earum expositiones Here S. Augustines prayer is heard for Christ giues an exposition of his proposition and therefore we must take heede that wee neither detract nor adde any thing to it Opus habet lectore non interprete And as he said these things he cried he that hath eares He cried to manifest his affection and our dulnesse excepting this occasion he did not cry aboue three or foure times in all his life He cried as he taught in the Temple Ioh. 7.28 He cried when he raised vp Lazarus from the dead Ioh. 11.43 Hee cried Ioh. 12.44 He cried on the Crosse Matth. 27 at all which times he deliuered matter of great consequence This sentence then He that hath eares to heare let him heare being vttered vpon a crie must not lightly be respected of vs. All men for the most part haue both their eares but not to heare The man sicke of the gowt hath both his feete but not to walke Hee that is purblind hath both his eyes but not to see cleerely he that is manicled by the Magistrate for some fault hath both his hands but so long as they are bound they cannot doe their office So most men haue eares but few men haue eares to heare namely to heare that
Alcibiades and steale away their harts as Absolon did in Israel If a man were so bewitching an Orator that he could pro arbitrio tollere extollere â—mplificare extenuare magicis quasi viribus eloquentiae in quam velit faciem habitumque transformare so subtill a disputer as that he could make quidlibet ex quólibet euery thing of anything yet without loue were he nothing Yea though a man could speake with the tongues of Angels that is of the learned Priests and Prophets who are Gods Angels and messengers If a man had the siluer trumpet of Hilary or the golden mouth of Chrysostome or the mellifluous speech of Origen cuius ex ore non tam verba quà m mella fluâ—re videntur If a man were so painfull in preaching that as Saint Peter he could adde to the Church with one sermon about three thousand soules or as it is recorded of venerable Beda fondly and falsly that he could make the very stones applaud his notes and say Amen Or as other expound it hyperbolically though a man should speake like the glorious Angels as Paul Gal. 1.8 Though an Angell from heauen should preach vnto you si quae sint Angelorum linguae Giue me leaue to adde one thing more to this hyperbolicall supposition If a man could speake like God as antiquity reports of Plato that if Iupiter himselfe should speake Greeke he would vse no other phrase but his And of Chrysippus that if the gods should speake logicke they would haue none but his Or as the people blasphemously of Herod Act. 12. The voice of God and not of man Though I say we could speake with tongues of men of Angels of God if it were possible and haue not loue we were but as a sounding brasse or as a tinckling cymball we might happily pleasure other but not profit our selues vnto saluation Herein resembling Balâ—ams Asse who by speaking bettered her Master not her selfe A plaine piece of brasse makes but a plaine noise Tinkers musicke but a tinckling cymball in regard of the concauity yeelds a various sound a more pleasant stroke So rude speakers are like sounding brasse but the Curious and Iudicious adorned with multiplicity of distinctions and variety of good learning are as a tinckling cymball or more tickling delight to their hearers and yet if they preach without loue their sound is without life Qui non diligit fratrem manâ—â— in morte saith S. Iohn Such fitly resemble the sermon bel which cals other to the Church but heares nothing it selfe it weares out to his owne hurt though others good Nay when Auditors are perswaded throughly that their Pastors instruct not out of charity their plaine doctrines are but as sounding brasse tedious as the Tinkers note their accurate sermons as a tinâ—kâ—ing cyâ—ball which onely pierce the eares and enter not into their hearts as the Prophet aptly Their admonitions are vnto them as a iesting song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can sing well for they heare their words but they doe them not As one that heares excellent musicke from out of the streetes in the night will instantly leape out of his bed and lend his care for a time but when the musitians are gone presently returnes to sleep againe so many delight to heare the sweet songs of Sâ—on but when the sermon is at an end they sleep in their old sinnes againe forgetting immediaâ—ly the good lesson as if it were but the drumming on a pan or scraping on a keâ—â—le And though I 〈◊〉 prâ—phâ—â—ie Prophecie then is nothing without loue For Balaam Caâ—pâ—â— and Sâ—ul propheciâ—d Vnderstanding of mysteries is nothing without loue for Iudas and Nicolas and Arius were wel acquainted with the scriptures All knowledge is nothing for the Scribes had the key of knowledge yet entred not in themselues And all knowledge Though a man were an Ocean of learning as Plutarch is called in so much that Theodoâ—â— Gaza said if he could reade but one mans bookes he would make choice of him Or if a man were so full as Plinie whose works are instar mille voluminum if a man were a treasure house of letters as Picus Mirandula writes of Hermolaus Barbarus a library for a whole nation as Baronius of Albinus as Erasmus of Bishop Tonstal a world of learning mundus eruditionis abounding with skill in all Arts theorical real metaphysical inspired as Diuinity contained in y e Bible acquired of w t Aristotle and Auicen write mathematical as Arithmetike Geometry Musicke Astronomie physical concerning the Principles Generation of naturall things rational Grammar Rhetoricke Logicke practical actiue Ethicks Oeconomicks Politicks factiue as skill in Nauigation Husbandry Hunting c. If a man vnderstand all mysteries in Scripture all secrets in nature â—f he had all faith that he could remoue mountaines in a literall sense moue that which cannot be moued high hils Imponere Pelion Ossae in an allegorical exposition cast out diuels If a man had all parts of all knowledge prophecie sapience prudence and had not loue he were nothing Nothing in esse gratiae though something in esse naturae dead spiritually though something some great thing in the naturall and ciuill life For great Clerkes haue long life on earth Albeâ—t Aquiras Iewel Picus Mirandula Whitaker died in the principall strength of their age yet in respect of honour and fame they liue with the longest Dum liber vllus erit dum scrinia sacra literarum Te leget omnis amans Christum tua Cypriane discet Knowledge is a good stirrup also to get aloft the hie way to much honor prefermeÌ„t in this world but without loue nothing auailable to glory eternall in the world to come Knowledge bloweth vp but charity buildeth vp If learning be taken without the true correctiue thereof it hath in it some nature of poison and some effects of that malignity which is a swelling If I speake with the tongues of men and Angels and had not charitie it were but as a tinckling câ—mball Not but that it is an excellent thing to speake with tongues of men and Angels and a far more noble treasure to possesse all knowledge For Christ said of his Apostles that they were the light of the world and the worthy Doctors succeeding were luminaria magna great starres in the firmament of the Church by whose light descending from the father of lights we finde out the truth hidden in many darke places of the scripture But the meaning of Pâ—â—â— iâ— if our knowledge be seuered from loue and not referred to the good of men and glory of God it hath rather a sounding glory then a meriting vertue though it seeme to be neuer so much it is a very nothing The Papists out of these words If I haue all faith so that I can remoue mountaines